Killing for Pleasure or Profit: Van der Sloot Gets 28 Years

January 17, 2012

[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University.  Read his Bio >> ] 

 

Nervously fidgeting in a hot Lima courtroom, Joran Van der Sloot listened to his sentence at the end of a 2-hour hearing.  The 3-judge panel sentenced Van der Sloot to spend 28 years in prison and pay $74,000 in reparations to the heirs of his victim Stephany Flores.  The 2-hour hearing listed the charges and overviewed facts of the case.  In the end, Van der Sloot was found guilty of the most serious crime of Qualified Murder, which is “murder for profit or pleasure.”  Additionally, he was also found guilty of Simple Robbery for stealing the victim’s money, credit cards and vehicle after the murder.  Van der Sloot was given credit for time already served, and will be released 28 years from the date of his arrest, on June 10, 2038. Once he's released from prison, he will be deported.

On January 11, 2012, Van der Sloot pled guilty and offered a “sincere confession” to the judges.  Perhaps it was his smirking, his overt condescension of the proceedings, or perhaps it was his yawning throughout the hearing a few days before.  The judges must not have believed the defendant’s sincerity in his brief statement of remorse (“I feel bad”).  Or perhaps it was the way he beamed at the judges after pleading guilty to the brutal beating and strangulation of Stephany Flores.  Perhaps the judges saw the happy, jubilant Van der Sloot as being prideful of his acts.  And perhaps the judges were very correct in doing so.  Van der Sloot offered the world a master’s class in how not to behave in a courtroom if one actually expects leniency.  It rivals the American trial of Bob Ward, whose daughters pled for leniency in statements laced with profanities. 

The judge chairing the panel sat behind a large crucifix on the bench, which is more than a little ironic.  Jesus appeared as a criminal defendant only once in his short life and it did not work out well for him.  Most scholars agree that the sentence he received was unjust, the charges trumped up, the witnesses false.  Prominently displaying the image of an unjustly treated defendant in a modern courtroom probably is not the best message a panel of judges can convey.  Nevertheless, by all appearances, on this day a criminal defendant was rightfully sentenced and justice was done

Consider that it was possible the judges in the Flores murder trial could have reduced Van der Sloot’s sentence to as little as 7 years.  Instead, the sentenced was mitigated only 2 years from the maximum.  Therefore, the sentence was reduced for what the sincere confession was worth.  In America, we learn of this news with some satisfaction, knowing that the suspected murderer of Natalee Holloway has come to justice somewhere; however, at the cost of the life of another victim.  There may be justice for Stephanie Flores today but it is likely there will never be justice for Natalee Holloway

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>>Read: A Smirking Van der Sloot Pleads Guilty

 

 

Photo Credit: AP Photos

ID Exclusive Q&A With FBI Special Agent: The Whitey Bulger Case

June 28, 2011

[Cynthia M. Deitle is the Supervisory Special Agent
at the Boston FBI Office.  Read her Bio >> ]

Q: What was your or the Boston FBI office's involvement in this case? 
A:  The Boston FBI Office’s James Bulger Task Force has been responsible for searching for Mr. Bulger and Ms. Greig, and gathering evidence regarding their current whereabouts.  My involvement has been quite minor and was limited to assisting FBI Boston’s Media Coordinator in the preparation and dissemination of the Public Service Announcement.

Q: How long has the FBI been searching for James“Whitey” Bulger and Catherine Greig?
A: The FBI has been searching for Mr. Bulger and Ms.Greig for the past 16 years after they fled Boston.

Q: How did or what led the FBI to getting tipped off as to where James “Whitey” Bulger and Catherine Greig were located?
A: On Tuesday, June, 21, 2011, just after 8:00 p.m. (PST), a tip was received by the FBI’s Los Angeles
office. The tip was generated as a result of the FBI’s unique publicity campaign organized by Boston’s
FBI office that began on Monday.  As part of that campaign, the FBI paid for a Public Service
Announcement to run in 14 media markets across the country including in San Francisco and San
Diego.  Those places were strategically chosen.  Although Los Angeles was not one of the markets in
which the PSA ran, news coverage of the campaign aired in Los Angeles, on national news and cable
outlets, and the publicity saturated the Internet.  The FBI had no knowledge of the whereabouts of
Ms. Greig and Mr. Bulger prior to the initiation of this campaign. Los Angeles agents immediately
relayed the tip to the FBI’s command post in Boston.  The command post had been set up to  quickly
and methodically analyze tips, and direct leads to FBI personnel around the country and world that
were expected to be generated by the PSA.  FBI agents, analysts and other staff in Boston reviewed
the tip. They recognized that certain information appeared to be credible and promising.  By
Wednesday at 10:50 a.m., (PST), at the direction of FBI Boston, members of FBI Los Angeles’ fugitive
task force were requested to conduct surveillance at the pertinent location.   That task force
included FBI agents and members of the Los Angeles Police Department.  Just after 4:00 p.m. (PST),
the task force members began conducting surveillance at the location.   The task force concluded
that the tip was fruitful after observing two individuals who appeared to resemble the fugitives. 

 At approximately 5:45 p.m. (PST), using a ruse, agents and other task force members lured Mr. Bulger
 out of his apartment.  Agents determined that the individual was, in fact, Mr. Bulger.   He was placed
 under arrest without incident.  Agents then went back to the apartment and arrested Ms. Greig
 without incident.

Q: Would you consider this the most successful on-air PSA campaign in FBI history to find a fugitive?
A: The FBI has often used the media as well as electronic billboards and social media networking sites
including Facebook and Twitter to locate fugitives.  This PSA, however, while not the first PSA
utilized by the Bureau, was  innovative and creative in that we switched the public’s focus from
Mr. Bulger to Ms. Greig, by targeting women in certain cities who may have seen her.  Considering that
the FBI located Mr. Bulger and Ms. Greig three days after the start of the campaign is a remarkable
testament to every member of the public who contacted the FBI to provide assistance in this
investigation.

Q: In the process of looking for a fugitive, when is an on-air campaign launched and what leads investigators to pursue this technique?  
A: Every fugitive matter is handled on a case by case basis as no two criminal investigations are the
same or involve the same perpetrators or criminal activity.  All logical investigative steps are taken
and all investigative strategies techniques are considered.

Q: What are some of the other public awareness campaigns or tactics  the FBI pursues in order to enlist the help of the public?
A: In 2009, the FBI aired a PSA on the History Channel following the release of a documentary on a Civil Rights Era Cold Case.  In the PSA, the FBI requested the public’s assistance to provide information on the murder of an African-American female, Johnnie Mae Chappell, in Jacksonville, Florida on March 23, 1964.  The FBI also participated in “The Injustice Files” with Discovery ID in February 2011 to bring attention to three other racially-charged murders in the South in the hopes that public would
yet again call the FBI with information.

Q: It's been stated that "Bulger was next to Osama bin Laden on the list and had a $2 million reward on his head". Now that he's caught, who is next in line on the Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list?
A: I cannot comment on who would be added to the list.

 
Q: If someone has a tip about a most wanted fugitive, where should they go to let the FBI know? What should they do?
A: Someone with information about a fugitive, or any other criminal activity, can contact their local FBI office, visit fbi.gov, or contact the FBI through Facebook or Twitter.

 

Related Links:
Top 10 FBI Cases
FBI: Criminal Pursuit
The Ten Most Wanted List
Got Info? Submit A Tip To The FBI

 

Osama Bin Laden Killed in Pakistan

May 02, 2011

Osama bin Laden, founder of the terror group al-Qaeda and mastermind of the attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children, has been killed.

President Barack Obama made the announcement late Sunday evening during an address that was televised around the world. The president said he had been briefed by the intelligence community last August that bin Laden may be located at a compound in Pakistan. By mid-February, the president said it was determined that there was sound basis for that intelligence and, on Sunday, he issued the order to take action.

"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound," the president said from the East Room of the White House. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability."

The attack against bin Laden took place at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The team of soldiers was involved in a brief firefight, during which Osama bin Laden and three adult males were killed. U.S. officials believe two of the men were couriers and the third was bin Laden's son. One woman, rumored to be one of bin Laden's wives, was also killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant. No Americans were harmed during the raid.

 

A History of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

 

Bin Laden had been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list as well as the State Department's Most Wanted Terrorists list. The United States Department of State had been offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to his apprehension or conviction.

 

 

According to the FBI's website, bin Laden was wanted for "murder of U.S. nationals outside the United States; conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States and attack on a federal facility resulting in death."

The terrorist mastermind was wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. Those attacks killed more than 200 people. In addition, bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world, including the orchestration of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.

Bin Laden's body was prepared for burial in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition and was then buried at sea within 24 hours of his death.

"The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to," President Obama said. "That is the story of our history, whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place."

 

Investigation Discovery Videos: A Look Back: Osama Bin Laden

 

The president added, "Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

Related Links:
Investigation Discovery: Top 10 Bombers

Man Sentenced to Death in Stomping Death of 3-month-old Son

March 22, 2011

A Texas jury has sentenced Travis James Mullis to death for sexually assaulting and then stomping his infant son to death and dumping his body along a Galveston highway in 2008.

"There is no medication, there is no treatment for the evil that he is," Assistant Galveston County District Attorney Donna Cameron told jurors.

The case dates back to Jan. 29, 2008. On that morning, two Galveston-area residents were bird watching near the Galveston Seawall when they spotted something peculiar in an elevated, grassy area. At first glance the object appeared to be a doll; however, upon closer examination, the couple was horrified to discover it was the body of a small child, clad in only a diaper.

When investigators from the Galveston Police Department arrived at the location they secured the scene and photographed the infant's body before it was removed by the medical examiner.

As news spread, police were contacted by several local hospitals and informed that Mullis' girlfriend, 27-year-old Caren Kohberger, had been calling the emergency rooms in search of Mullis and their 3-month-old son, Alijah. When police showed Kohberger a photo of the unidentified infant, she broke down and identified him as her son.

Kohberger told police she had not seen Mullis since approximately 5:30 that morning, when he left with their son. Police announced to the media that Mullis was wanted for questioning and issued an All Points Bulletin (APB) for him.

On Jan. 30, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office completed Alijah's autopsy and ruled his death a homicide by blunt force head trauma. According to police, the injuries were physically inflicted upon the child prior to his being dumped by the side of the road.

The manhunt for Mullis came to an end on Feb. 1, 2008, when he walked into a Philadelphia police station and announced he wanted to talk about "something" he did in Texas. According to police, he then confessed to murdering his baby son, allegedly stating that he placed the infant on the ground and repeatedly stomped on his head until he his skull collapsed. Mullis said that was the only way to stop his child from crying.

Mullis was charged with capital murder in Galveston and on Feb. 5, extradited back to Texas.

During Mullis' trial, Cameron told jurors he had sexually assaulted his son before the homicide.

"What kind of person gratifies his own sexual needs with his 3-month-old son and then stomps on his head until death?" Cameron asked the jury. ... "The defendant deserves death for everything he's done."

The jury had the option of sentencing Mullis, 24, to death or life without parole. They made their decision to sentence him to death in less than three hours. According to the Houston Chronicle, Mullis was unemotional when the verdict was read.

Maryland Semen Attacker Sentenced to Probation

February 26, 2011

A Maryland man who pleaded guilty to squirting semen on two unsuspecting shoppers in the Gaithersburg area has been sentenced.

On Thursday, Montgomery County District Court Judge Stephen P. Johnson sentenced 28-year-old Michael Wayne Edwards Jr. to three years of supervised probation, WBAL-TV reported. The state attorney's office had been seeking an 18-month jail sentence.

According to The Gazette, Edwards pleaded guilty in November to two counts of second-degree assault for squirting fluid from a plastic bottle onto two women in two area stores. During his hearing, his attorney Barry Helfand said his client had been using an egg white and vinegar mixture, not semen. He also said the attacks were prompted by misguided anger following a breakup.

The first incident occurred on Nov. 19, 2009. A woman was shopping in a craft store when she noticed Edwards following her. At one point, he walked behind the victim, and she felt a wet substance strike her back. The liquid was later determined to be human semen, police said.

Roughly eight months later, on July 12, police were summoned to a grocery store to investigate another alleged assault. The victim told police she was walking out of the store when she felt liquid hit her hair. When she turned around, she noticed Edwards standing behind her. When she approached him, he sped off in his car, police said. Investigators later determined that the substance was semen.

When detectives reviewed surveillance footage, they observed a man squirting fluid on the victim. He was also observed filming the incident with his cell phone.

"[Edwards] had used his [discount] card to pay for items he purchased at the store, so police were able to confirm his identity through the use of the card," Montgomery County police spokeswoman Lucille Bauer told Investigation Discovery.

On July 30, Edwards was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree assault. He was released later that day on a $4,000 bond.

Following Edwards' release, authorities submitted his DNA as well as DNA obtained from both victims' clothing to the crime lab. Once the comparison was made, investigators were able to connect Edwards to the assault that had occurred in November, police said.

In August, Edwards was arrested again and charged with a second count of second-degree assault. He was released the following day on a $25,000 bond.

Edwards was later charged with three additional assaults after police learned of similar attacks, but those cases were not prosecuted.

During his sentencing hearing, Edwards said he was sorry for his actions.

"I apologize to all for my actions," he said. "I've had a lot of time to think about this and reflect on this."

Photo Credit: Police file photo

Couple Who Buried, Excavated, Hid Dead Daughter Face Life in Prison

February 16, 2011

An Oklahoma man who was accused of covering up the death of his child for more than a year and transporting her body across six states nearly a-half-dozen times has entered a guilty plea to the charges against him.

On Tuesday, 37-year-old Abel Wolf entered a blind plea, meaning no plea agreement was offered, to a total of four counts. Prosecutors had charged Wolf with two counts of enabling child abuse, child abuse by neglect and unlawful removal of a dead body in the 2008 death of his daughter, 12-year-old Cheyenne Wolf, The Associated Press reported.

According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, authorities began investigating Cheyenne’s death in May 2009. A relative of the family contacted Ardmore Police and expressed concern about Cheyenne's wellbeing, saying that they had not seen the child, who had previously been diagnosed with Spina Bifida, since April 2008.

Homicide detective Ruben Garcia began a search for answers in the case that led him to six states that the family was known to have moved and or travelled to during the 15-month time span. That search eventually led police to a storage facility in Oregon, where they found two suspicious containers. Upon further inspection, authorities determined the contents of those containers were consistent with decomposing human remains.

"The weight of the containers and the odor that was emitted from them led us to believe there was some type of decaying flesh in them," Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo told newsok.com.

The containers were transported 210 miles to the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office. While awaiting autopsy results, investigators in Oklahoma worked to determine how the young child, who used leg braces and crutches to walk, ended up in the two plastic containers. In an effort to assemble the facts, authorities in Montana, a state the Wolfs had recently moved to, picked the couple up and brought them in for questioning.

According to police affidavits, Abel Wolf said that his family had got into an argument one evening in April 2008, when Cheyenne refused to eat her dinner. During the course of that argument, Wolf said that he and another daughter went outside to have a cigarette. Wolf said that roughly 15 minutes later he heard a "thump" and went back inside to investigate, at which time he observed that Cheyenne appeared to be in a daze. Wolf said he examined her pupils and, seeing nothing abnormal, put her to bed.

Wolf said he did not check on Cheyenne the following morning and that he went to work at a local casino where he repaired slot machines. It was not until later that night, Wolf said, that he discovered his daughter had died.

Instead of reporting the death, Wolf said he and his wife, 40-year-old Denise Wolf, decided to put her inside a plastic container, which they hid in an outdoor storage shed.

The plastic container soon began to emit a pungent odor. Police said Wolf then buried his daughter's body under the front deck of their mobile home. Cheyenne's body remained hidden in the ground until August 2008, when persistent questions from inquisitive friends and neighbors, along with an incident in which another one of their children was placed in a hospital, convinced the Wolfs to pack up and move to Havre, Mont. It was then, police said, that the couple dug up Cheyenne's remains and placed them into three large bags. They put two bags in one plastic container and the other in a second container. After transporting the containers to Montana, the Wolfs put them inside a garage.

The containers remained inside the garage until January 2009, when the Wolfs moved to Milton-Freewater, Ore. There, police said they first hid them inside a chicken coop and then in a storage shed. Cheyenne's remains were allegedly kept in the shed until February 2009, when they were moved to the storage facility where they were found.

As a result of the discovery and the Wolfs' statements to police, the couple was initially charged with unlawful removal of a body.

A forensic pathologist ruled the manner and cause of Cheyenne's death as unknown, but further investigation revealed there was reason to believe she had been abused.

According to court documents, Abel Wolf said he felt his wife had caused the injuries to Cheyenne, which ultimately resulted in her death.

"Abel Wolf explained that Denise Wolf abused Cheyenne and that Denise Wolf would tie Cheyenne to a chair during the day and tie her to a bed at night because Denise Wolf did not like having to clean up after Cheyenne," court documents read.

When police questioned Denise, she denied the abuse and told them Cheyenne's sister, could be involved in her death.

"On one occasion [Denise] went into the house and found [a sister] kicking and stomping Cheyenne Wolf in the bedroom," the police report reads.

When police questioned the sister, she told them she had been instructed to lie about her Cheyenne’s death. She said she witnessed Wolf repeatedly spank her and whip her with a belt.

As a result of the investigation, the additional charges of enabling child abuse and child abuse by neglect were filed against Abel Wolf. Two counts of child abuse and one count of child abuse by neglect were also filed against Denise Wolf. During their arraignment, both entered not guilty pleas.

Denise Wolf’s case went to trial on Jan 31. After listening to two days of testimony in the case, a jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before finding her guilty on all four counts. Wolf showed no emotion when the verdict was announced.

The jury recommended Wolf be sentenced to five life terms on the child abuse charges and five years for moving the girl’s body from state to state. She will be sentenced March 3.

As a result of his guilty pleas, Abel Wolf faces up to three consecutive life terms. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 18.

Disruptive Passenger Finds Drinking and Flying Don't Always Mix

February 14, 2011

An Alabama man learned the hard way that it's not always a good idea to partake in booze during long-distance flights.

Robert Wade Prince, 49, of Mobile, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of assault and interfering with the crew during a Continental flight last year from Amsterdam to Houston, Texas.

The incidents occurred on Feb. 13, 2010. Prince reportedly consumed several alcoholic beverages at the beginning of the nine hour flight and displayed loud and obnoxious behavior. A few hours into the flight, he grabbed the arm of a female flight attendant, causing her pain. When the attendant asked him to let go, he refused, stating, "I just got back from the Middle East and I am not going to rape you," the FBI said.

Another flight attendant had to intervene to free the woman. An undercover air marshal was then notified of the encounter.

As the flight progressed, Prince became more disruptive, prompting two young female passengers seated next to him to ask to be reseated. They said they were fed up with the constant harassment and touching to which Prince had reportedly subjected them. The air marshal agreed to exchange seats with them.

When the air marshal attempted to sit next to Prince, he tried to push the air marshal out of the seat and allegedly told him, "You can't sit here. This seat is for my girlfriend."

The air marshal identified himself as a U.S. Air Marshal and asked Prince to calm down. Instead, Prince elbowed the air marshal in his chest. The air marshal then handcuffed Prince and began to escort him to the back of the plane. Prince became even more disruptive and yelled offensive racial slurs at the air marshal for the remainder of the flight.

After accepting his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon convicted and sentenced Prince to six months' incarceration on each of the two counts of conviction and further ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

Photo Credits: Prince: Police mug shot; Plane: freeimages.co.uk/

Kenneth Dean Hunt's Luck Ran Out

November 21, 2010

Some murders go unsolved for extended periods due to the killers' cunning and tenacity. They are adept at committing crimes and covering their tracks. They are very careful and calculating in their approach to avoid capture. This, however, was not the case with Kenneth Dean Hunt. 

Hunt committed rape and murder twice, 10 years apart. The first murder went unsolved until an error was caught in the processing of the second murder. Hunt was no criminal mastermind; he was simply lucky.

Myra Davis, a 71-year-old actress who had been in many commercials and was an extra in the thriller Psycho was raped and strangled with her own underwear in her West Los Angeles home in 1988. Hunt, 22 at the time, was her next-door neighbor and occasional handy man. He was initially identified as a possible suspect by Davis's granddaughter when she told police to "check the guy next door." 

Police failed to follow up on the granddaughter's tip and instead focused their attention on Davis's grandson. He had suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, and his grandmother had helped him financially at times. Despite being a person of interest, he was never charged.

Hunt went on living his life but did not stay out of the spotlight long. He was charged several times with sex-related crimes and served time in jail for manslaughter after he punched 67-year-old Bernard Davis, no relation to Myra Davis, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the ground. Davis lapsed into a coma and died.

Hunt was paroled after serving a six-year prison term. It was then that he committed his second murder.

Jean Orloff, 60, of West Los Angeles, had also used Hunt's handyman services prior to her death. Orloff was found dead in her home by a neighbor in 1998. She was found naked, lying on her bed. The edges of the bed covering were burnt, and the smoke detector had been removed from the wall. Despite the strangeness of the crime scene, authorities ruled that Orloff had died of a heart attack. They explained away the bed and smoke detector, saying she had a history of smoking. They also noted that she had suffered from an irregular heartbeat.

Orloff's family and a L.A. City Fire captain disagreed with the initial findings, but they decided against an independent autopsy and had the body sent to the mortuary to be processed for cremation. It was at this point that a minor mistake by the coroner's office helped to break the case. 

The coroner's office had failed to sign Orloff’s death certificate and told family members to contact her doctor to have it signed. Since Orloff had not been to the doctor in over a year, he refused to sign it. This put the document back into the coroner’s hands. Since the coroner had spent only 15 minutes on the scene and ruled that she had died from natural causes, no case file had been created. A second coroner was sent to the morgue to sign the papers.  Upon inspection of the body, he noted bruising around the neck, fractured ribs, and other signs of struggle. He quickly ruled the death a homicide, re-opening the case for the L.A.P.D. 

Throughout the course of the investigation, a relative of Hunt’s suggested that he might be involved in the crime. He was arrested on a parole violation, and his DNA was obtained. 

Hunt's DNA was then compared to DNA collected from the Davis and Orloff crime scenes. Both turned out to be a match. 

In 2001, a jury found Hunt guilty but deadlocked on whether to sentence him to death or life in prison without parole. A second sentencing trial was held, and once again, the jury could not agree on sentencing. The prosecutor’s office decided against a third trial and settled for a life sentence without the chance for parole.

Kenneth Dean Hunt avoided murder charges for over 10 years, not through skill or intellect, but because of a few misguided investigators and a fair amount of luck. He almost walked away from the second murder, but his luck ran out when a vigilant county worker looked into the case.

For more information about this case, click here to read The Man Who Almost Got Away.

To learn about similar cases, be sure to tune into Investigation Discovery's hit TV series "I (Almost) Got Away With It." The series showcases some of the most near-perfect crimes in history. Click here to find out more!

Jeffrey Gilham Case Shows There's No Such Thing as the Perfect Murder

November 20, 2010

Premeditated murder is always a challenge for investigators, but no criminal is infallible. Such was the case with Jeffrey Gilham – a murderer who almost got away with it.

Gilham was the second son of Helen and Steven Gilham, of Woronora in Australia. He was a 23-year-old engineering student who had a close relationship with both his parents. Gilham's older brother, Christopher, on the other hand, did not get along with either. Or, at least, that is what Gilham would later say to anyone who would listen.

On the night of Aug. 28, 1993, Gilham was in a boathouse on his parents' property when he heard his mother calling him on the intercom between the main house and his room. He claimed that when he arrived at the house, he found his brother standing over his mother. She and his father had been stabbed numerous times. Gilham told police he grabbed the knife from his brother in a fit of rage and stabbed him multiple times. During the alleged scuffle, his brother had dropped a match he was holding, and it ignited an accelerant that he had poured on his mother's body, Gilham told police.

After killing his brother, Gilham walked to a neighbor's house and told them that his brother had killed his parents and set the house on fire. He also told them he had murdered his brother. The neighbor immediately called police and had Gilham talk with them. At that point, flames could be seen coming from the upper floor of the home.

Another neighbor told police that she had heard shouting at about 3:57 a.m.  Gilham made it to his neighbor's house at 4:30 a.m. When he arrived at his neighbor's house, he had wet hair and was wearing only his boxer shorts. He had little blood on his body. The neighbor stated that he smelled kerosene on Gilham when he arrived. Additionally, the knife used in the killings had no blood on it. These details led investigators to believe that he had taken the time to destroy any evidence of his crime and to allow the fire to get started, in hopes that it would destroy the bodies. 

Although his parents' bodies were burned, investigators were able to determine that Helen had suffered 17 stab wounds to the chest. Likewise, Steven had been stabbed 29 times, and Christopher had suffered more than a dozen stab wounds. 

Drops of Helen's blood were found on Gilham's shoes, at an angle that suggested she was standing when she was stabbed. This countered his claim that she was already dead on the floor when he arrived. 

Despite the forensic evidence, Gilham stuck to his story. Prosecutors initially accepted it, and he was only prosecuted in the death of his brother, for which he was charged with manslaughter. Gilham received a five-year good behavior bond for this crime. 

Gilham's relatives were upset with both the verdict and the lack of prosecution in the other murders and, through their relentless efforts, managed to get the prosecutors to reopen the case.

Upon reviewing the evidence, prosecutors agreed that Gilham’s version of the story did not fit the facts.  However, since the murders happened in 1993, before DNA evidence was collected, the state's case was largely based on circumstantial evidence.

The case finally went to court in April 2008. The jury deadlocked, and Gilham was freed, but prosecutors retried the case seven months later, at which time a second jury found Gilham guilty of murder. For his crimes, he was sentenced to life in prison.

After 15 years of living with the belief that he had committed the perfect crime, Jeffrey Gilham was finally brought to justice.

For more information about this case, click here to read Jeffrey Gilham sentenced to life in jail for killing family.

To learn about similar cases, be sure to tune into Investigation Discovery's hit TV series "I (Almost) Got Away With It." The series showcases some of the most near-perfect crimes in history. Click here to find out more!

Bobby Lozano Almost Got Away with Murder

November 07, 2010

When Bobby Lozano, a 17-year police veteran, shot and killed his wife in 2002, prosecutors in Denton County, Texas, faced a difficult case. Not only was the suspect a longtime officer who was denying any involvement, but the victim's mother was also standing by his side. It took seven years for prosecutors to get justice for the victim, but their determination in the case proved once again that there is rarely such a thing as the perfect crime.

The crime occurred on the evening of July 6, 2002, when Lozano called 911 and said he found his wife, Viki Lozano, lying on the bed in their master bedroom. She had been shot, Lozano told the dispatcher. When paramedics arrived on the scene, there was nothing they could do. Viki was cold to the touch and rigamortis was already setting in. It was obvious to the first responders that she had been dead for a significant period of time before they arrived on the scene.

When police arrived on the scene, they observed Lozano's service weapon on the bed next to the victim’s body, along with a gun-cleaning kit. Lozano said he had only been gone from the residence for about 30 to 45 minutes; however, the paramedics thought the victim had been deceased for more than an hour.

Lozano explained away the gun on the bed, saying that he had started to clean it but decided to go to a tanning booth. He said Viki had offered to complete the job, but he declined the offer.

Investigators ruled out forced entry and determined they were dealing with a suicide, homicide, or tragic accident.

When the medical examiner conducted an autopsy on Viki, he ruled the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest, but because of the angle of the wound, he was unable to determine the manner of death. The medical examiner did, however, find small fragments of popcorn stuck to Viki's body and inside her mouth, suggesting she had been eating popcorn in bed. However, investigators did not find any popcorn in the bedroom or elsewhere in the house. What happened to the popcorn? If she had been cleaning the gun, why would she be eating at the same time? These questions and others began to intrigue detectives.

When investigators looked into Lozano's background, they found evidence he had been involved in several extramarital affairs.

"If infidelity were an Olympic event, Bobby Lozano would win the gold," Assistant Criminal ­District Attorneys Cary and Susan Piel wrote in the December 2009 issue of The Prosecutor. "As investigators examined his personal life, it quickly became clear that during the course of the marriage Lozano was consistently unfaithful to Viki and used his position at the police department to meet women."

Friends of Viki also told police that her husband was controlling and obsessed with her weight. He feared she would gain extra pounds and was known to monitor her food intake and use calipers to keep track of her body fat percentage.

Investigators also found Viki had two life insurance policies in which her husband was named beneficiary. One was for $750,000, and the other was for $350,000.

In December 2002, Lozano was indicted for her murder. The case, however, was dismissed in July 2004 because of insufficient evidence.

Roughly four years later, in September 2008, Denton Record Chronicle newspaper reporter Donna Fielder wrote an article about the case and questioned whether Lozano had gotten away with murder. That article prompted Cary and Susan Piel, along with investigator Jack Grassman, to reexamine the case. In the end, they determined that Lozano had gotten away with killing his wife.

By this time, Lozano had remarried but was still living in the house where his wife had died. His former mother-in-law also lived in part of the residence and reportedly refused to cooperate with police.

In October 2008, Lozano was indicted a second time for his wife’s murder. Prosecutors described to the jury Lozano’s affairs, his controlling nature and the unexplained popcorn found on the bed and in his wife’s mouth. They also pointed out inconsistencies in his statements regarding his activities on the night she was murdered.

It took more than seven years to get the case in front of a jury, but after deliberating only five hours, jurors found Bobby Lozano guilty and gave him 45 years behind bars.

For more information about this case and how it was prosecuted, click here to read the December 2009 issue of The Prosecutor.

To learn about similar cases, be sure to tune into Investigation Discovery's hit TV series "I (Almost) Got Away With It." The series showcases some of the most near-perfect crimes in history. Click here to find out more!

Recap of the Brittany Steward Case

September 19, 2010

We've received some requests for an update on the Brittany Stewart. Not a lot has happened with it since it went through court, but for those of you curious about the outcome of the case, read on.

On May 28, 2007, Steward was babysitting her half sister, Jenna Walker, 20 months, and a neighbor's child, Maggie Kovski, 2, in Erie, Pennsylvania. Unbeknownst to either parent, Steward had been drinking at a bonfire the night before and did not leave until roughly 5:00 a.m., according to witnesses.

Sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., Steward sent a text message to a friend, which read: "OK im [sic] finally done drinking and im [sic] rocked lol (laugh out loud)."

Not long after she began watching the children, Steward fell asleep. When she awoke a few hours later, she realized that the children were missing. When Steward went outside to look for them, she found both face down in a fishpond.

Steward called 911 and requested an ambulance; however, the children had been submerged for far too long. There was nothing paramedics could do. Steward initially claimed she had been playing with the children outside and that the accident had occurred when she had gone inside to answer a phone call. She later admitted that she had been drinking the night before and had fallen asleep.

While en route to the hospital for a blood alcohol level test, police say Steward did not appear remorseful but instead was making plans to go dancing at a local nightclub.

On May 31, 2007, Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook ruled that both the children had died from asphyxiation due to drowning.  Roughly one week later, Steward was arrested and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and recklessly endangering another person.

The case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2008, but Steward's attorneys were able to make an acceptable plea agreement with the prosecution in which the involuntary manslaughter and other charges would be dropped in exchange for her guilty plea on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

On July 15, 2008, Steward was sentenced to 11.5 to 23 months in jail, the stiffest sentence that is recommended under sentencing guidelines.

Appeal Denied in Lewis Wilczek Slaying

June 12, 2010

Those of you that followed me here from CourtTV's Crime Library will recall the case of Lewis James Wilczek, a 21-year-old man from St. Cloud, Minn., who was murdered in April 2007. Legal judgments have since been handed out and earlier this month a court of appeals upheld the sentence of one of the individuals involved in Lewis' murder.

For those of you who are not familiar with the case, I will briefly recap it before getting into the most recent developments.

By all accounts, Lewis James Wilczek was very successful for his age. After graduating high school, he attended Central Lakes College, where he received certification as an automotive service technician. Not long thereafter, he opened Performance Exhaust and Metal Fabrication Inc. 

Lewis had a Web page on the popular Internet social networking website MySpace.com. In the about me section of the profile, he wrote, "I'm a young, successful business owner of Performance Exhaust and Metal Fab Inc. in Little Falls, MN. I've got a college degree as an Automotive Service Technician. I'm dedicated, have goals in life, and I'm not high-maintenance. If you want to know more I'm always down for a conversation."

Describing people he would like to meet, Lewis wrote, "Girls...a nice girl would be FANTASTIC!! I want someone to be my everything and treat me right; I will do more than return the favor. I don't like drama and won't deal with it, I just want to meet someone to hang out with and have a good time." 

Unfortunately, Lewis's good fortune ran out on April 29, 2007, when he made plans to go to St. Cloud, to meet with 24-year-old Jeremy Jason Hull, to collect $2,500 that he was owed. Lewis never returned from that meeting and the following day Hull, identifying himself as Lewis, transferred $50,000 from Lewis's savings account to his checking account. Hull then purchased a motorcycle from a local dealership. Later that day, Hull told his girlfriend, 25-year-old Casey Jo Oldenburg, that he had strangled Lewis and assumed his identity.

On May 1, 2007, the Wilczek family filed a missing person report with police. Investigators entered Lewis into a national missing person database and an all points bulletin (APB) was issued for his truck. 

Meanwhile, Hull rented a skid steer from Geyer Rental in St. Cloud. He also attempted to transfer an additional $5,000 from Lewis's savings account but hung up when the bank employee asked for additional information. Officials at the bank notified police, who were able to trace the call to Hull's residence. The bank again contacted police on May 2, 2007, to alert them to a check that had cleared from Lewis' checking account to a local insurance agent. When police contacted the agent, they were told that a man identifying himself as Lewis had taken out an insurance policy on a truck and motorcycle.

A break in the case came later that day when police received a call from Lewis' sister, who reported seeing her brother's truck in north St. Cloud. When police arrived on the scene they confronted the driver, who identified himself as Lewis Wilczek. Authorities were able to ascertain that the driver was not Lewis and ultimately identified him as Jason Hull. Hull was arrested for providing false information and also for an outstanding warrant he had in an unrelated criminal case. Unfortunately, Hull had the forethought to request a lawyer and police were unable to question him further.

When investigators conducted a search of Hull's apartment, they found an assortment of legal documents in Lewis' name as well as notes Hull had allegedly written, which described a plot to murder Lewis in his sleep and dispose of his body.

PLAN

Make fake birth certificate.

Go to Wisconsin or Minnesota to get state I.D.

Then go to social security office to hope to get new number. Then use the social security number and state ID to go through driver's license training.

Get new life.

Please work. PLEASE

When police spoke with Hull's relatives, they learned that he had recently lived in Mille Lacs County. On May 4, 2007, a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter flew over the vicinity and the pilot spotted a suspicious area of ground, near a gravel pit, that showed evidence of fresh digging. The following day, crime scene investigators that had been dispatched to the area uncovered a shallow grave, which contained charred human remains. Using dental records, the medical examiner was able to identify the victim as Lewis Wilczek. According to the preliminary autopsy report, Lewis had died from homicidal violence.

On Thursday May 10, 2007, Jeremy Hull was charged with three counts of second-degree murder in Lewis's death. Hull was ordered held in Stearns County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond. According to the court complaint, Hull murdered Lewis and then burned and buried him in the makeshift grave.

Later that month, Lewis was interred at St. Mary's Parish Cemetery.

In the weeks that followed, Hull's girlfriend, Casey Jo Oldenburg, provided several details about the murder to police, including an admission that she had been partially involved in some aspects of the crime. 

According to court documents, Oldenburg told police that on April 29, 2007, she saw Lewis' body wrapped in a blanket. She admitted to helping Hull dispose of the body and told police she had entered Hull's apartment, after police had sealed it, and removed clothing and a computer. Oldenburg later turned the items over to police. 

Oldenburg knew about the murder for nearly a week before police found Lewis' charred remains. The entire time the Wilczek family was making desperate pleas for information, she knew Lewis was dead and said nothing.

Due to the number of agencies involved in the case, it was decided early on that the Minnesota Attorney General's office would handle it. On Aug. 15, 2007, Assistant Attorney General Eric Schieferdecker charged Oldenburg with one count of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact - obstructing an investigation. 

The court complaint charging Oldenburg said that she was with Hull on April 30, 2007, when he purchased gasoline to burn Lewis' body and shovels to bury his remains. 

"While Hull purchased diesel fuel, Casey Oldenburg went into an adjacent Subway restaurant to buy a sandwich," the complaint reads. "Upon completion of those purchases, she again followed Hull to a field near Forston in Mille Lacs County ... She was present when Hull removed Lewis Wilczek's body from the back of the pickup truck. She saw the body bound with electrical cord. She admitted using one of the shovels to assist Hull in digging the grave. She also retrieved wood from the area to put onto the body of Lewis Wilczek as it burned."

According to the report, Hull and Oldenburg were unable to get the fire hot enough to completely burn Lewis' body. After the fire burned out, they covered Lewis' body and left for the night. The following day, Hull returned with a rented skid loader and buried Lewis' remains deeper in the ground. 

Oldenburg was not with Hull when he returned to the scene; however, later that day, she received a text message from Hull that read: "LOL (laugh out loud) he is deep!" Oldenburg responded with a text message that read, "Good, everything go ok."

The complaint further alleged that on May 2, 2007 - the day Hull was arrested and the day police sealed his apartment with evidence tape - Oldenburg entered the apartment and tampered with evidence.

"Casey Oldenburg removed the notebooks containing Jeremy Hull's writings, a computer tower, Lewis Wilczek's cell phone, and other articles from Hull's apartment after it had been sealed by law enforcement but before the search warrant could be executed. She knew at the time she entered the apartment that Hull had been arrested. She admitted burning the cell phone on a dirt road near her parent's home so that her fingerprints would not be found on it and to eliminate any tracking device contained on the phone."

As a result of the charges, Oldenburg was ordered held in the Stearns County Jail on a $750,000 bond. In June 2008, Oldenburg pled guilty to being an accomplice after the fact. Her sentencing hearing is pending. Oldenburg faces a maximum sentence of 103 months in prison.

Hull's trial began on Oct. 20, 2008. Over 300 exhibits were shown and over 50 witnesses testified at the trial. A jury wasted little time in finding Hull guilty of premeditated murder in the first degree and first degree murder with intent while committing aggravated robbery. The same day Hull was found guilty - Nov. 5, 2008 - District Court Judge Steven Anderson made the decision to sentence Hull.

During the sentencing aspect of the hearing, Lewis' mother, Sharon Wilczek, gave a brief impact witness statement to the court, during which she said:

"You may have taken his life, but our good memories of Lewis are with us forever. You've shown no emotion, remorse or regret."

Before making his judgment, Anderson looked at Hull and said: "Your plan didn't work. These actions are just unbelievable."

Anderson sentenced Hull to life in prison without parole. Hull has since been transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.

On Jan. 8, 2009, Oldenburg was given a seven-year, two-month prison sentence.

After receiving her sentence, Oldenburg appealed to the state Court of Appeals, saying she disagreed with the security level she had been assigned and wanted a lesser prison sentence. The Court of Appeals, however, disagreed and on June 1, upheld her sentence. As a result, Oldenburg will not be eligible for parole until February 2013.

Photo Credits: Police File

Teacher's Grisly Murder Case Ends with Husband's Guilty Plea

May 23, 2010

William Walsh, 31, pleaded guilty in a New York courtroom on Thursday to second-degree murder in the 2008 strangling of his wife, Leah Walsh.

The case came to light on October 27, 2008, when Walsh contacted police and reported Leah, a 29-year-old Bethpage schoolteacher, missing.

Walsh told police his wife had contacted him that morning and said that her car had broken down on the Oyster Bay Expressway near Bethpage. Walsh said he went to help his wife; however, when he arrived, her black Ford Focus was parked on the northbound shoulder of the road with a flat tire and she was nowhere to be found.

While searching the area, investigators found Leah's purse discarded on the side of the road. Despite the find, investigators told reporters they were treating the incident as a missing person case, not as an abduction.

While police continued their investigation, Walsh spoke briefly with reporters at his in-laws' house.

"Please get the picture out. We just want her back," Walsh said. He added, "You can have my cars. You can have everything. I just want my wife back."

During an interview with the New York Daily News, Leah's friend, Lucas Bean, said that he had exchanged text messages with Leah the previous day and that she told him that she had gotten into a fight with Bill.

"She was in the car with him texting to me.… She was telling me that things are not going to work out with her and her husband, and she had to tell me something very important, but she needed to wait till she got out of the car with him," he said.

According to Lucas, Bill and Leah had not been married for long and had separated at least once.

Two days after her reported disappearance, police in New York located Leah’s body near the north service road of the Long Island Expressway, not far from where her vehicle was found. Following the discovery, Walsh was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police in Nassau County later reported the murder was believed to have occurred sometime after 2 a.m. on the day before Walsh reported her missing, when he returned home from a trip to Atlantic City. The couple allegedly got into an argument, during which Leah accused Walsh of cheating on her. The argument then escalated into a physical confrontation, police said.

"We allege William choked his wife to death, dumped her body in North Hill, staged a scene to make it look like her car was disabled on the highway," Nassau County police commissioner Lawrence Mulvey said during a press conference. "[He] staged a scene to make it look [like] her abductor removed her pocket book, staged text messages of purported communications between husband and wife, staged a phony emotional scene for the media, all the while knowing her body lay among leaves and trunks in a remote area of North Hill. Mr. Walsh will not enjoy one nanosecond of freedom for the rest of his life."

Walsh allegedly gave police a seven-page confession, which they say details the events leading up to and following the murder. In addition to the confession, police say a driver in a state Transportation Department vehicle came forward to say that they witnessed Walsh leaving the scene where Leah's abandoned car was found.

Walsh initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges; however an arrangement with prosecutors resulted in Thursday’s guilty plea, in which he admitted to second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Per the details of the plea agreement, Walsh will be sentenced to 18 years to life in prison when he appears in court again next month.

Photo Credit: Police mug shot

David Kromer Found Dead at Ohio Resort

November 11, 2009

Authorities in Ohio discovered the body of 56-year-old David L. "Jody" Kromer at a Vermilion Township resort this afternoon. According to officials with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, it appeared Kromer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Kromer was wanted in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 58-year-old Carla Westhofen, a woman whose body was found dumped in a Pennsylvania field last weekend.

"Instead of causing more harm to other people, I’m glad he did it to himself," Carla's son, Todd Dahnke, told morningjournal.com. "It sounds morbid to say, but this is probably the best news we’ve had in a week."

Related Link:
Body of Missing Ohio Woman Found in Rural Pennsylvania Field

Photo Credit: Police file photo

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Verdict Announced in Rekha Kumari-Baker Murder Trial

September 22, 2009

Last week I brought you the story of Rekha Kumari-Baker, a 41-year-old woman from the United Kingdom who recently went on trial for the 2007 murders of her two teenage daughters. The jury finished its deliberations in the case, and a verdict was announced yesterday.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors told the Cambridge Crown Court jury how Kumari-Baker murdered 16-year-old Davina Michelle Baker and 13-year-old Jasmine Baker in cold blood on the morning of June 13, 2007. Prosecutor John Farmer said that Kumari-Baker had launched a "frenzied" attack on the girls while they slept, stabbing them multiple times.

Farmer told the jury that Kumari-Baker killed her daughters because she was unhappy over the custody arrangement she had with her ex-husband. She disliked his new partner, and she resented the close relationship he had with the girls. The murders were, according to Farmer, intended to "wreak havoc in [David Baker's] life."

Kumari-Baker's lawyers did not attempt to deny she had killed her children. Instead, they argued that she suffered from a mental abnormality, which diminished her responsibility. They hoped she would be found guilty of nothing more than manslaughter.

The jury in the case deliberated for just 35 minutes yesterday before announcing that they had unanimously found Kumari-Baker guilty on both counts of murder.

During today's sentencing hearing, Farmer read extracts from a victim impact statement that was written by the girl's father, David Baker. It read in part:

"My words may not be sufficient. Having them taken away from me in such a brutal way and by the woman who was their mother has had an incalculable effect. I am haunted by the horror of the events of that night and probably will remain so for a long time."

Click here to continue reading this story >

Arizona teen sentenced in father's senseless murder

August 05, 2009

One of the crimes covered here last year was the case of a teenage boy from Mesa, Arizona, who police say murdered his father because he banned him from accessing the Internet. That case has since gone to trial and a verdict has been reached.

For those of you not familiar with the case, 15-year-old Hughstan Schlicker called 911 on Feb. 6, 2008 and allegedly confessed to the dispatcher that he had shot and killed his father, 49-year-old Theodore Schlicker III.

"I hate my dad. [I] couldn't take it anymore," he said.

Schlicker said he was angry and depressed because his dad had banned him from accessing the Internet. Schlicker explained the reason for the ban was because his father had discovered suicide notes he had posted on MySpace.com. The lack of Internet access upset Schlicker, who claimed he often spent entire days online communicating with friends.

"It felt like I was stabbed with a knife and it went straight through and no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't pull out the knife," Schlicker said during an interview with police.

Schlicker told police he had initially planned on punishing his father by shooting himself in front of him but then changed his mind and decided to shoot his father first, before turning the gun on himself.

Schlicker told police two different versions of how the shooting occurred. In the first, he allegedly said he intentionally shot and killed his father. However, in the second version he said it was an accident.

"It's like I was there, I wanted, I was so mad at my dad I wanted to shoot him and I couldn't really 'cause when it came down to it he was my dad. And then the dog came by and she tapped my leg and ... if I did look over I probably wouldn't have pulled the trigger."

Click here to continue reading this story >

Alleged SC Spree Killer, Patrick Burris, Shot Dead by Police

July 07, 2009

Police in North Carolina shot and killed 41-year-old career criminal Patrick Tracy Burris, a man whom they believe is the spree killer responsible for at least five murders in South Carolina in the past week.

According to authorities in Gaston County, N.C., the case began to unfold Monday morning, when police received a report about a suspicious vehicle parked at an abandoned house on Dallas-Spencer Mountain Road. When a patrol unit arrived on the scene, the officer approached the vehicle —a beige Ford Explorer — and asked the occupants to identify themselves. Inside the vehicle were Patrick Burris and Mark and Sharon Stamey, a brother and sister who explained that they grew up in the house that was still owned by their family. Satisfied with their explanation, the officer drove off, and the trio went inside the home.

Roughly ten minutes later, police knocked on the door and announced that they had an open warrant for Burris's arrest. At that point, Burris allegedly brandished a firearm and shot Officer J.K. Shaw. Burris was then shot and killed by return fire from officers on the scene.

"I just heard gunshots. I think maybe two or three gunshots went off in the house," Sharon Stamey said, according to a story on charlotteobserver.com.

As authorities secured the area, evidence found at the crime scene led them to suspect that Burris might have been involved in the South Carolina spree killings. While they attempted to connect the two cases, the Stameys were taken back to police headquarters for questioning. It was there that they allegedly told police they had been hanging out and partying with Burris since Thursday. They claimed they did not know him very well, and both denied any knowledge of the spree killings. The Stameys were eventually released, and police have not indicated whether they are facing charges.

A background check on Burris shows he had a rap sheet totaling 25 pages, including arrests for armed robbery, larceny, forgery and breaking and entering. He served nearly eight years behind bars in a North Carolina prison before earning parole in April.

The case unraveled further during a press conference yesterday evening when Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton announced at a press conference that Burris's gun was the same weapon that had been used to kill five residents in Gaffney, some 30 miles from the scene of the shootout.

"Through forensics, we were able to prove today that the weapon he shot the officer with was the same weapon all five of our victims were shot with," Blanton said.

Blanton also said that items found in Burris's possession place him at three of the spree killing crime scenes.

Investigators will now concentrate on tracking Burris's movements since the time of his release in an attempt to see whether he could be responsible for other unsolved murders.

"Now we have someone we can focus on," Blanton said. "We want to know where he's been."

State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd also spoke at yesterday's press conference, specifically about Burris's lengthy criminal history.

"At some point the criminal justice system is going to need to explain why this suspect was out on the street," Lloyd said.

It is interesting to note that Maurice Godwin, a criminal profiler who was interviewed by Investigation Discovery prior to yesterday's events, correctly predicted the final outcome of the case.

"Watch out for the murders to continue in another state," Godwin said. "It is likely that this killer will barricade himself in and have a stand-off with law enforcement."

So while we now know who, what, when and where, we still don't know the answer to the key question, and that is why? Unfortunately, because of Burris's death, that is one question we may never know the answer to.

History

The South Carolina spree killings began on June 27 with the murder of 63-year-old peach farmer Kline Cash and continued on July 1 with the shooting deaths of 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her daughter, 50-year-old Gena Parker. The last known murders occurred the following day when 48-year-old Stephen Tyler and his daughter, 15-year-old Abby Tyler, were gunned down inside the Tyler Home Center near downtown Gaffney. Stephen died almost instantly; however, Abby managed to survive until July 4 when she finally succumbed to her injuries.

The five killings all occurred within 10 miles of one another and, according to Sheriff Bill Blanton, each victim was killed with the same gun. Multiple agencies were involved in the hunt, including profilers and agents from the FBI. Authorities had also implemented a special tip line and offered a reward of $20,000.

Some media outlets erroneously reported that a "serial killer" was responsible, but by definition the murders were spree killings.

Related Links:
Spree Killer Terrorizes Cherokee County, South Carolina

Photo Credits: Cherokee County Sheriff's Department

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Into Thin Air...

May 28, 2009

Some have vanished without a trace while others left a string of mysteries in their wake. Learn more about some unsolved cases and see what you can do to help.

Visit Investigation Discovery's new Missing Person information and resource page at:
http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/missing-persons/missing-persons.html

Pennsylvania Teacher's Aide, Abbie Jane Swogger, Sentenced for Sex with Teens

May 26, 2009

Abbie Jane Swogger, a former stripper and special education teacher's aide from New Kensington, Pa., pleaded guilty today to 10 charges stemming from a 2008 arrest warrant which accused her of having sexual contact with teenagers and furnishing them with drugs and alcohol.

Swogger, 36, originally faced some 40 charges; however, most of them were dropped by Allegheny County prosecutors in exchange for her guilty plea. Under those terms, the charges she pled guilty to today included involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor.

"I want to say I'm very, very sorry for hurting anybody -- my family, the families of the victims," Swogger said in court, adding, "I'm sorry for not being the role model I should have been."

The charges against Swogger came about in February 2008, when police went to New Kensington's Clarion Hotel to investigate the reported runaway of two teenage girls. When investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered that Swogger, someone they knew had had previous contact with the girls, had checked into a room at the hotel. When police questioned Swogger about the runaways, she said that she had not seen the two teens. Suspicious about her claims, investigators conducted a search of her hotel room and found the two missing teens, along with another teen and alcohol, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and condom wrappers. Investigators also reported smelling marijuana inside the room.

As a result of the incident, police charged Swogger with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and four counts of corruption of a minor.

During a later interview with Fox News, Swogger said she had booked the hotel room so she could party with some adult friends and not the teens found there.

"I got a hotel room with me and my girls, and my son came to the hotel with his friends," Swogger said. "I did not serve them any alcohol.... If there was marijuana there, it was not mine."

Swogger admitted that there were open condom wrappers inside the room but denied having sex with anyone.

"I did not have any sex," she said, adding, "If they were having sex, they kept it pretty discreet."

In the days following Swogger's arrest, the Highlands School District sent her a letter about her conduct and failure to show up for work.

"She did not follow proper procedures in not showing up for work," Superintendent Karol Galcik told Post-gazette.com. "We said that she had a choice to resign or we would be taking this to the school board."

Swogger responded by formally resigning from her position.

In April 2008, police filed 33 additional charges against Swogger, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and selling or furnishing liquor to minors. Those charges were brought against Swogger after nude photos of her surfaced on the Internet.

According to the criminal complaint, Swogger had hosted a party on Jan. 18, 2008, at the home of a 15-year-old boy. During the party, she allegedly stripped in the presence of three men and four boys, whom she allegedly allowed to touch her inappropriately.

The charges also revolved around statements given to police by a 17-year-old boy who claimed he had sex with Swogger on numerous occasions. The boy also admitted to receiving alcohol and drugs from her.

The complaint also detailed another incident in which Swogger allegedly attempted to hire two girls to beat up a third girl whom she believed was responsible for posting the party pictures on the Internet.

Swogger initially denied all of the charges, saying, "They're lying to save their butts from getting in trouble." However, somewhere along the line - perhaps due to the amount of jail time she was facing - Swogger decided to make a deal with prosecutors and admit her quilt in some of the charges.

"I wanted to make sure she was not working with children anytime in the near future," Assistant District Attorney Laura Ditka told wpxi.com. "These charges should preclude her from working with children for the entire time of her life. She doesn't have good judgment when she has access to minors."

Upon approving the plea deal, Judge Kevin Sasinoski sentenced Abbie Jane Swogger to a three-to-six-year prison sentence. In addition, he ordered Swogger to serve 36 years of probation.

As a result of her conviction, Swogger will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Photo Credit: Police file photo

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Christopher Robin Coan's Two-Year Disappearance Finally Solved

May 18, 2009

I first wrote about the mysterious disappearance of 18-year-old Christopher Robin Coan in September 2007. Now, nearly two years later, I can finally write the conclusion to that story. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending, but, in these kinds of cases, there seldom is.

On the night of Sept. 3, 2007, Christopher completed a three-hour shift at a Subway sandwich shop in Cedar City, Utah, and walked out the front door, never to be seen again. Christopher's girlfriend, Sasha Turner, worked a double shift on the night of Christopher's disappearance, and did not return home until 8:00 am on Sept. 4. It was then that she discovered that Chris was missing, at which time she alerted the authorities.

"The manager [of Subway] watched him leave," Enoch Police Chief Dave Browning said in a September 2007 interview with Suujournal.com. "There was no one around, because the Subway is in a shopping area where the rest of the stores aren't built yet."

In the days and weeks that followed, Christopher's family, local authorities, and community volunteers conducted several aerial and ground searches for Chris and his 1994 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. Unfortunately, none of the searches turned up any evidence related to the case.

When Christopher first went missing, authorities speculated that a head injury that he sustained when he was seven years old might have caused him to lose focus and drive off, perhaps not knowing who he was or where he was going. However, those close to the investigation did not consider that a plausible theory, as Christopher had not exhibited that type of behavior in the past. They also believed that if that were the case, either Christopher or his vehicle would have resurfaced.

"He did not exhibit any sign of depression or stress that would cause him to leave," private investigator Marquita "Marki" Davis said in a November 2008 interview with Investigation Discovery. "He was in love with his girlfriend and happy with his life."

The mystery surrounding Christopher's disappearance continued until April 9, 2009, when a man walking a dog near Highway 14 spotted Christopher’s badly damaged SUV in some brush at the bottom of Right Hand Canyon. When police arrived on the scene, they found Christopher's remains inside the vehicle.

Investigators believe that Christopher lost control of his vehicle and slid down the 1000 foot canyon. The area had previously been searched; however, heavy brush and snow drifts had made it virtually impossible to spot the wreckage.

Christopher's family held a memorial service for him on April 25 at Southern Utah Mortuary in Cedar City. According to Christopher's father, Dave Coan, the event helped bring closure to the family.

The findchirs.org Website has since been updated and now contains a copy of his obituary and a link to a newly created memorial page.

"It has been a long hard search for Chris but we never gave up the search nor did we give up hope that we would get answers," reads a statement on the Website.

While the way Christopher was found was perhaps not the most ideal, it has answered many questions for the folks who loved him dearly. At least now they will no longer have to continue to wait and wonder...

Related Links:
The Mysterious Disappearance of Christopher Robin Coan

Photo Credits: Contributed

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Self-Professed Female Anti-Christ Kills Son and Herself at Florida Shooting Range

April 09, 2009

Some pretty disturbing cases have occurred in Florida in the past year, but an incident that recently occurred in Casselberry, Fla., has got to be one of the most bizarre cases that local law enforcement has ever investigated.

On April 5, 44-year-old Marie Moore and her 20-year-old son Mitchell Moore went to the Shoot Straight Gun Range in Casselberry for an afternoon of target practice – or at least that is what Mitchel was led to believe. Unbeknownst to him, his mother had a much more sinister plan in mind.

After renting two handguns and purchasing ammunition, Moore and her son were led to a booth in the range where they proceeded to take turns shooting at targets. Most of the events that transpired were captured on surveillance video. Nothing on that video seems to suggest an impending tragedy; however, outside appearances can be deceiving, and we now know that Moore was actually biding her time, waiting for the opportune moment to put her plan into action.

At one point, Moore left the booth to purchase additional ammunition. While she was gone, Mitchell continued to shoot at a target down range. Upon Moore's return, mother and son chatted briefly with a man in the next booth. Afterwards, Mitchell refocused his attention on his paper target, unaware that his mother was drawing up her own gun and aiming it directly at his head. Seconds later, Moore fired off a single, execution-style shot into the back of her son's head.

Human Remains Positively Identified as Jeffrey Scott Howard

April 02, 2009

According to venturacountystar.com, human remains found inside a car on March 29, have been positively identified as Jeffrey Scott Howard, a 42-year-old resident of Thousand Oaks, CA, who went missing in Dec. 2006.

Jeffrey's father, Stan Howard, said that investigators are uncertain as to a cause of death; however it is believed to be accidental.

A funeral service for Jeffrey is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in Westlake Village.

Related Links:
The Mysterious Disappearance of Jeffrey Scott Howard
Startling New Development in Two-Year-Old Missing Person Case

Photo Credit: Thaya Howard

Richard Gear Sentenced in Fatal Shooting of Cyclist

January 15, 2009

As a result of all the true crime events that have transpired in recent months, I have had to neglect updates in reference to a few of the cases that I had previously covered. One of those cases involves 45-year-old Richard Harold Gear, a man from Bogart, Georgia who was arrested last year after he shot and killed 21-year-old Bryan Joseph Mough, a motorcyclist who had followed Gear’s teenage daughters home from a department store. From the start, Gear claimed the shooting was in self-defense; however, a grand jury disagreed, and indicted Gear on murder charges. The case has since made its way through court, and a verdict has been announced.

The case in question dates back to Feb. 25, 2008. On that day, police say Gear's two daughters, ages 17 and 19, called their father from their cell phones and told him that they were on their way home from a store, and that Bryan was following them on a motorcycle. The girls allegedly said that the incident started when they made obscene gestures at him after he cut them off in a department store parking lot. The girls also claimed that Bryan had run his motorcycle into the back of their Nissan Sentra.

When the girls pulled up to their family home, Gear was standing in the driveway with a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Bryan initially continued driving down the road, but then turned around to pass by the house again. When Bryan drove by the second time, Gear raised his handgun and fired multiple shots. One of the bullets struck Bryan in the back. Gear then called 911 to report the shooting, alleging that he had fired the gun in self-defense when Bryan attempted to run him over with the motorcycle. Paramedics arrived on the scene, and transported Bryan to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Afterwards, police arrested Gear and charged him with murder.

"I don't know how you can legally shoot someone in the back on a motorcycle and then claim that he was trying to run you down," Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry told ABC News.

Berry was also skeptical about statements provided by Gear's two daughters.  None of the surveillance footage from inside the department store or from the parking lot indicated that Mough had any contact with the girls. In addition, Berry was unconvinced that Mough had rammed their car.

"It would be unusual for a motorcycle to ram a four-wheel vehicle," he said.

Following Gear's arrest, police revealed that they had responded to his residence for a similar incident in Feb. 2006. The report from that incident, filed by Oconee County Sheriff Deputy Jason Lowe, read, in part:

"I was dispatched to <redacted> Gear Road in Bogart in reference to property damage. Upon my arrival, I made contact with Richard Gear, who told me that persons unknown to him entered his property. These unknown persons were asked to leave. When the unknown persons were leaving, they damaged Gear's mailbox and post by backing over it with a white Chevy Lumina car. I made contact with the driver of the Chevy Lumina. <redacted> said that it was an accident. <redacted> said that they left in a hurry when shots were fired at them."

Investigators had examined the allegations, but were unable to prove that Gear had fired a weapon at the individuals.

All That Glitters is Not Gold in True Crime

December 23, 2008

I had planned on focusing on holiday crime today. There is certainly no shortage of content - from the convicted sex offender who volunteered to respond to children's letters to Santa, to the pedophile who tried to lure girls dressed as Santa – there were plenty of stories for me to choose from; however, in the course of my research I ended up clicking one link, then another, and before long I was off on subjects that had little to do with my initial plans.

One of the subjects I looked at was holiday suicide rates (yes, I realize it is not the most joyous of subjects). According to psychologist John McIntosh, it has been a long standing misconception that suicides go up during the holidays. Suicide rates are actually higher in the spring and summer. Interesting, but that is just the beginning of where I am going with this.

When I read about McIntosh's research, it made me think of a case I had worked on when I was writing for the Court Television Network's Crime Library – a case which I always found somewhat troubling. In remembering that case, I thought about the pain and suffering that the families must be experiencing right now with the holidays afoot.

The case I am referring to occurred in Belgrave, Australia, in 2007. When I first started to cover it, it was a missing person/runaway case involving two very bright and beautiful teenage girls. Unfortunately, the case took drastic turn and the girls were eventually found dead. The manner of their death was both unusual and heartbreaking.

Stephanie Gestier and Jodie Gater were two 16-year-old girls that both came from loving and caring families. The girls were close friends and spent a lot of their time hanging out together. If you saw one, you generally saw the other.

Unbeknownst to those closest to them, the girls had been suffering great emotional pain during the 2006-2007 school years.

The girls had dyed their hair and started wearing dark makeup to express themselves; however their choices had also made them prime targets for bullies. As a result, they silently suffered from relentless harassment and teasing.

On the morning of April 15, 2007, Stephanie and Jodie got permission from their parents to go shopping at a local mall.  Unaware of the girl's intentions, their parents had no qualms about them spending time together and sent them off on their way. 

As morning turned to night neither girl returned home, which caused both sets of parents to become concerned enough to file missing person reports with local police.

Given that both girls were active users of the Internet, detectives decided to check their online accounts for clues to their sudden disappearance. What they found caused them great concern.

A Journey for Justice - The Adam Walsh Story

December 17, 2008

The Walsh family suffered for more than two decades with the knowledge that their son's case might never be solved. Twenty-seven years is a long time to live with that type of heartache. A pain compounded by the family memories that they missed: school plays, graduations, marriage, grandchildren. While nothing can alleviate their pain, the Walsh family did receive some closure yesterday when Florida police officially named the person responsible for six-year-old Adam Walsh's death.

Yesterday's events resolved a horrific incident that was set in motion on July 27, 1981, when Adam's mother, Reve Walsh, took him on a shopping trip to Sears in Hollywood, Florida. In the store, Adam asked his mother if he could watch some children play video games while she finished her shopping. She agreed, and he stayed behind while she searched for a new lamp.

Reve was not gone long, but when she returned to the video game section, Adam was nowhere to be found. Frightened, she asked a store clerk to page her son over the intercom. Seconds turned into minutes, but there was no sign of Adam. He had disappeared.

The events leading to Adam's disappearance remain unclear. According to some reports, the group of children that Adam was with was thrown out of the store for arguing over a game and Adam was mistakenly asked to leave with them. Investigators believe that Adam went outside, where he was abducted near the store entrance.

The case continued without viable clues or evidence until August 10, 1981, when Adam's severed head was found in a drainage canal in Vero Beach, Florida. The location was roughly 120 miles from the site of Adam's abduction. To date, the rest of his remains have never been found.

Five days later, on August 15, 1981, Adam's parents had an empty-casket funeral for their son.

Rather than dwell on their sorrow, Reve and her husband, John Walsh, established the Adam Walsh Outreach Center for Missing Children on August 19, 1981. Two months later, the couple testified before Congress on behalf of the Missing Children Act and the Missing Children's Assistance Act. As a result of their efforts, both of these bills were passed.

The first break in Adam's case came in October 1983, when suspected serial killer, Ottis Toole, confessed to the brutal slaying. However, despite having provided investigators with an accurate description of the crime, police were unwilling to name him as the killer. Several key pieces of evidence, including blood-stained carpeting from Toole's car and the car itself were lost by police, leaving them with little evidence to tie him to the crime. Toole eventually recanted his confession.

Despite the reluctance by police to charge Toole in his son's death, John Walsh remained convinced that Toole was responsible. According to Walsh, there were other items found at Toole's home which suggested that he was involved with the crime, including a pair of green shorts and a sandal that were similar to what Adam was wearing the day he disappeared.

Jeremy Steinke Found Guilty of Murdering Preteen Lover's Family

December 09, 2008

It has been a long and tedious road for Canadian investigators working on the case of Jeremy Steinke, a 25-year-old man from Alberta, Canada, who was accused of murdering his 12-year-old girlfriend's family in 2006. A change of venue and other miscellaneous delays delayed the hand of justice; however the Steinke case finally made it to court last month and after several grueling weeks of testimony, a verdict has been announced.

This case first came to light on April 23, 2006, when a 6-year-old boy in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, told his parents he saw a body lying on the floor of their neighbor's house. Concerned, the young boy's parents notified police and a unit was quickly dispatched to 304 Cameron Road.

When officers entered the two-story home, they discovered the bodies of Marc Richardson, 42, and his wife Debra, 48, sprawled out on the home's first floor. In an upstairs bedroom they discovered the lifeless body of the Richardson’s son, 8-year-old Jacob, lying on a bed.

After questioning neighbors, detectives realized the Richardson's daughter, 12-year-old Jasmine Richardson, was missing, and possibly the victim of a kidnapping. However, as the investigation progressed, evidence quickly pointed to her involvement in the murders.

On April 24, 2006, police located Richardson and Steinke, 100 miles away in the town of Leader. Both suspects were arrested at the scene and later charged with three counts of first-degree murder. At that moment, Jasmine Richardson became the youngest person ever charged with multiple counts of murder in Canada.

Police alleged that Richardson and Steinke's secret relationship was the motive behind the murders. Marc and Debra had recently forbid the two from having contact with each other, a move that had angered both young lovers.

As the investigation continued, detectives soon learned that Richardson had Internet profiles on MySpace, VampireFreaks.com and Zorpia.com.

Richardson's MySpace profile contained little information, other than her personal "heroes," including notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and death metal musician Marilyn Manson.

Family of Joshua Szostak Desperate to Find Missing Son

December 27, 2007

Hudson Valley Community College student Joshua Szostak, 21, has been missing for over a week and police remain stumped by his sudden and mysterious disappearance.

On December 22, 2007, Josh went bar hopping with friends in downtown Albany, New York. They eventually wound up at the Bayou Café on North Pearl Street, where the group stayed until midnight, when they decided to head out to another local bar. Before leaving Josh excused himself to use the restroom, but never returned. His friends searched the bathroom and sent numerous text messages, to no avail. After waiting another 45 minutes his friends left, assuming he had left without saying goodbye.

According to his profile at MySpace.com, Josh is a radio DJ at QUAKE 93.9FM. In the "About Me" section of his profile he wrote:

"I am Josh and a pretty laid back, get-along-with-everyone type guy, love sports, music, cooking, driving, etc. well rounded in most things in life ... feel free to ask anything, I'm a journalism major and a DJ."

In regard to his interests he wrote:

"My life is based on simple things. I write and love to read Poetry. My life revolves around Music. I'm interested in learning about Crime/War (psyche of killers and warriors and why/how they do what they do), the lost art of Romance, and Sports…"

His last login is listed as December 19, 2007.

When Josh failed to contact his family they became concerned for his safety and reported him missing to local authorities. An investigation was launched and police retraced Josh's steps on the night of his disappearance.

"Through the surveillance video at the Bayou we could see that Josh bypassed [his friends], went outside, used the cell, looked up and down the street and couldn't see anybody, decided his friends left, and started hoofin' it towards where his car was," Josh's father, Bill Szostak, said in an interview with capitalnews9.com.

Unfortunately, Josh never made it back to his car. Police later found it parked in the lot of a local bar and video surveillance of the area shows he never returned to the vehicle after he went bar hopping.

Police K9's picked up Josh's scent outside of the Bayou Café and led their handlers in the opposite direction of Josh's car, towards Lincoln Park and the Martin Luther King Monument, but were unable to lend any further clues to his disappearance.

Two days after Josh disappeared, Albany Police discovered a wrecked Department of Environmental Conservation car abandoned on South Pearl Street. Investigators quickly learned the vehicle had been stolen from a DEC parking garage on Broadway. When police went to the garage to investigate, they found Josh's cellphone near the spot where the car was stolen. Police initially suspected Josh had stolen the car. However, Albany police spokesman Detective James Miller later said there was no evidence connecting him to the theft.

On December 26, 2007, over 150 people gathered in Albany to help search for Josh.

"The goal here is to bring my son home," Bill told the crowd before the search began. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

Police, firefighters, and sheriff's deputies canvassed the areas around Pearl Street and the Port of Albany, but despite their best efforts they found no new clues to Josh's whereabouts. Afterwards, Bill spoke briefly with timesunion.com and expressed his concern that his son may have been attacked by a mugger on the night he disappeared.

"He was intoxicated. He had a very expensive jacket on. He had a lot of cash on him," Bill said. "I think when he got into the South End, I feel as though something bad happened to him."

Joshua Szostak is described as 5-foot-11 and weighing 200 pounds.  He was last seen wearing baggy jeans, a black, hooded sweatshirt with skulls and crossbones, a white T-shirt, and tan sneakers.  Anyone with information about his disappearance is asked to contact the Albany Police Department at (518) 438-4000.

UPDATE: Josh has been found. For more information, please visit: www.joshuaszostak.com.

Photo Credit: Contributed