Carlson insisted at first that Brunke had strangled Aldrich in his bedroom, while she held Aldrich's legs to keep her from kicking and flailing. The investigation was hampered because everyone at the party was wearing costumes, making it hard to identify who she could have been walking with. Sandra Leik testified that scuff marks were left on her kitchen floor near the stove and refrigerator. I will never understand why people think they can get away with murder. 7 Unnerving Facts About the Lindberghs and the Kidnapping, The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Forensic Files Lost Episode, Dawn Fehring: A Missionary Dies Too Young, Daniel and Cynthia McDonnell: Good Cop, Bad Wife. The farmhouse burned down a month later. Perhaps one of the strangest places in all of Michigan is the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula. He left the family dog, aGerman shepherd, and gave Collins a key so he could feed it. The relationship was strained from the beginning, with Brunke anxious for it to develop into something "romantic." "It was where we could all go to remember them," said Kellie Roll. Her body was left naked,covered with bruises. Listen to the Audiochuck podcast on Apple Podcasts. It was significantly different from the others, and the state used new DNA evidence to convictGary Leiterman, who died in the prison system earlier this year. See production, box office & company info. During Gayle Lampinens testimony, Bruce reportedly began crying. "We very frequently take over difficult and complex cases whenever the local prosecutor asks for our assistance. Police think two people might have been involved, because of Girards build. MARIE, Mich. (WLUC) - An Upper Michigan man is in custody on a charge related to the killing of Hayley Smith in Chippewa County. Your email address will not be published. Raymond ``J.R. Duvall and Donald ``Coco Duvall proclaimed their innocence before being led away Thursday. She had been strangled and brutally beaten. But there was no one to see it except them. A book, "The Michigan Murders," about the slayings was published in 1976, and Hollywood started production on a movie,"Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," in 1977 In Michigan. There is still a faint stain of soot on the road, now almost washed away by rain. If the killings brought into focus the growing drug problem in this quiet community, it also put its young prosecutor on the hot seat and is now threatening his fledgling career. It is episode 88 called A Walk in the Woods. Police arrived and were able to determine there were three bodies in the Oldsmobile Bravado, two in the back seat and one in the cargo area. Then, when Collins wasarrested later that yearand his photo appeared in the newspapers and on television, Blank said he recalled something else about him. The third time, he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger, delivering the deadly wound. So now the prosecutor was down to two defendants, but with enough evidence to proceed to trial. Frustration became so intense that residents and even some law enforcement officials were willing to try anything. To prepare for the trial, investigators had re-created the chimney block incident. Somebody took her away and it needs to be solved. It was a denial, the show revealed, that kept many people in Michigan wondering even after the extensivetrial whether Collins killed the teenager and any of the other victims. The motive - to punish Aldrich for the theft of the cocaine. A brother and sister traveling on an old stretch of rural highway in Michigan back in 1990 got cut off by a maniac on the road. Thanks to the Iron Daily Globe, a newspaper that pretty much documented every time a local changed his or her vacuum-cleaner bag, some anecdotal intelligence about Bruce popped up. Unsolved Marquette murder featured on Park Predators true crime podcast, Jake Witt is NFL bound, drafted by Indianapolis in the 7th round, Winter storm causing power outages in Marquette County, Marquette County under workforce reduction due to inclement weather, Jaspers Sugar Bush hosts 41st annual Pancake Day, Upper Peninsula Brewing Company hosts interactive events, Calumet Art Center hosts watercolor tree painting workshop. A Husband Tries Murder, Insurance Fraud, and a Little Forgery(Hunter or Hunted? Forensic Files). As they sat shooting up, Brunke happened by in Schoolcraft Road Commission truck and glared at them. Investigators made another connection: Collins also lived near the twovictims. In the meantime, the authorities took the scene at face value as an accident, believing that an unknown hunters errant bullet killed Judy. Serena Maria Daniels is an award-winning freelance journalist in Detroit, by way of Chicago, by way of the West Coast. Her body was found naked on July 13, just days before Beineman's body was uncovered in Michigan. In exchange, he was going to testify against Cordell. WebPaperback. So it seemed strange when Bruce presented her with boxes of Judys old clothes as a keepsake gift. "She told me she'd taken the drugs, and I said, 'Give them back,'" Kellie Roll recalled her conversation with her youngest daughter. 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"Kelly & Company," a popular WXYZ-TV morning show, intended to broadcast a live conversation with Collins form the Marquette prison. But three weeks later, Cordell, to the astonishment of investigators, suddenly changed his story. They asked that their last names not be used, worried about antagonizing the prosecutor in this small town, where everybody knows everybody, but also leery of angering any friends Brunke and Cordell might still have in the drug community. Though its been 19 years, who is responsible for Taylors death remains unsolved. In June, there was the sixth victim. If youd like to know more about the case, you can find the book The Sweater Letter, later retitled Hunt to Kill, on Amazon. WebAll three suspects were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to murder, and kidnapping since the victims had been held against their will in Brunke's home.But he Thats the last time anyone saw her alive. "The needle in my arm,The thoughts in my head,What's the matter anyway,By morning I'll be dead.". Within hours, Brunke was texting her with a tantalizing message - there is free morphine on my computer desk, come by and get it. Fleszar's surviving relatives including her father, who is now in his 90s declined to speak publicly about the tragedy because they saidit is emotional and with each interview, retelling what happened is like reliving it. Heather Aldrich, 25, was vivacious and pretty, a woman who had not lost her looks, despite 10 years of drug addiction. This collection of twenty-four legendary murders spans 160 years of Upper Michigan's history and dispels the notion After Collins was charged, some victims' relativestried to attend the preliminary examination, but, according to news accounts, they were not allowed in. Photo by Cottonbro Studios on Pexels. Victims family members continue to seek justice. If I understand the court papers correctly, Bruce actually got some of these employees dismissed in 2011. Jamie Agnew, Aunt Ishpeming police say the boys are 16 and 17 years old and are both from Marquette. The four piled out to investigate, peered into the windows and saw what appeared to be two smoldering bodies in the back seat. Her feet had been cut offandwere missing her flesh,ravagedby animals. "I encouraged him not to have Heather at his house, to only treat her the way she wants to be treated, but he never took my advice and let her come to his house and they began to see each other on a regular basis," Cordell would later say. Gayle Lampinen, the woman he found so captivating, appears to still live in the Upper Peninsula and participate in equestrian events. Jamie Zambon pleaded not guilty to one felony count of embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000, according to a clerk from the Delta County circuit court. Erin Taylor was sweet, funny and played the violin beautifully, Dowd said. Hurkos worked on the Boston strangler case, the name given to the high-profile slayings of 13 women in Boston in the early 1960s. "And now that's gone too.". Marquette City Police told the Park Predators podcast creators that Girard had made several reports of assault in the past. Both men began to explore insanity defenses and after their attorneys filed motions, were ordered to undergo psychological exams at the state's Forensic Center. She's smiling. The consensus, said Ken, is that Brunke got the deal of a lifetime. Out on River Road, where the bodies were burned, the trees are now bare in the late autumn light. The three loaded up the bodies into Hutchinson's SUV, then Brunke drove it into the forest, with Carlson and Cordell following in Brunke's car. But they couldnt say exactly where he was during a window of time around Judys death. Heather, in addition to her five children, had a mother, step father, and brother, Zach. Hetold his mother he saw that face before, driving by the house. Love Michigan? Multiple breaking and entering complaints are under investigation in Baraga County. WebJournal photo by Trinity Carey A cross rests on the side of Marquette Country Road 492 in Negaunee Township to mark the memorial site of 24-year-old Erin Taylor who was RR, Watch the Forensic Files episode on YouTube. MIO, Mich. (AP) _ Two brothers have been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing two hunters who disappeared in 1985. It was the last day of hunting season and a large party, including Bruce and some of the Blakes, went out looking for deer. The Blakes belonged to the Redeemer Free Lutheran Church, and Judys parents, Mary Ann and Dale, operated a business called Dales Service, according to FindaGrave. 18-year-old Trentin McWilliams is being charged with making a false report or threat of terrorism, a felony that is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. According to American Justice, Judys parents didnt entirely approve of the union. Her hair is done-up a little, almost in a Jackie Kennedy bouffant. Police Car Behind Barricade Tapes. ", The prosecutor continued. "It was a very, very scary time," said Marcia McCrary, a 70-something volunteer at the Ypsilanti Historical Museum and EMU alumnus. Butwhen authorities uncovered her body, she was unrecognizable. The Amazing Glass Beach Every Michigander Will Want To Visit, Michigan Road Trip Ideas: 11 Best Road Trips + Itinerary, Stay Overnight In This Waterfront Loft Just Steps From The Lake In Michigan, Kirk Park Loop Is A Magical Trail In Michigan That You Thought Only Existed In Your Dreams, This Is The Number One Unsolved Mystery In Michigan And It Will Leave You Baffled, These 8 Haunted Cemeteries In Michigan Are Some Of the Creepiest, History Has Forgotten This Bizarre Michigan Event From 90 Years Ago, The Story Behind This Unnatural Phenomenon In Michigan Will Give You Goosebumps. She soughta ride home to Muskegon. When Mary Fleszar's mutilated body was found on Aug. 7, 1967, it had been brutalized so severely she had to be identified from dental records. Letters, interviews reveal dark side. The two men were being held in separate jails, Cordell in Schoolcraft County Jail, and Brunke in Chippewa County jail. For this week, I searched for some background on Judy and Bruce Moilanen and checked on where he is today. Noble could have sought help from the MIchigan Attorney General's Office, which sends in seasoned trial attorneys to help prosecute complicated or violent crimes in rural counties with limited resources. WebA very good book about a long unsolved yet gruesome murder in the Michigan north woods. Still one of the biggest mysteries in Michigan history is that of union boss and organized criminal Jimmy Hoffa. He said he couldnt imagine a grown woman writing something like that. There also wasblood spatteron the basement floor. 2023www.freep.com. Police had confessions from two of the suspects, who both named the third as the mastermind behind the killings. The killings have been the topic du jour at this longtime bar and grill, known for the homemade buns on the hamburgers. Her statements to police about what happened in Brunke's house the night of April 16 had been crucial to the prosecutor's case. Both were arrested Friday. The killers worried they were leaving tire tracks. After hundreds of interviews, Marquette City Police Department was able to narrow down a male suspect, but there wasnt enough evidence to charge him. "But she was scared.". 55 year old Kevin Dolatowski on two counts of delivery of a controlled substance-Suboxone. Ray Blank, now 66, of Ypsilanti, remembered taking the bus to school with Dawn and her brother. Brunke, socially awkward, was immediately smitten by the woman with the long hair. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. "I was shocked," said Michigan State Police Lt. Tim Sholander, one of the investigators. As details of the killings began to leak out, the initial shock turned into outrage. His reason for the triple homicide? Weepy woe. Hoffa vanished in 1975, last seen outside of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in suburban Detroit. Jody Hutchinson had 5 children, two grandchildren, a mother and four siblings. I ended up having to pay $4.99 for an A&E Crime Central subscription to watch it on Amazon, even though I have Prime. Both women frequented the university's McKenny Union. SAULT STE. A high school senior, Phillips was in Californiaand went missing on June 30, 1969. I was initially interested in it because I know the area well, but I dont read a lot of murder mysteries or mysteries in general. THE EVIDENCE LOCKER: What police discovered at 7 Michigan murder crime scenes, CHAPTER 1: Never-before-published letters, interviews offer clues in infamous Michigan murders, CHAPTER 2: Murders of Michigan women still unsolved 50 years later but cops had eye on 1 man. Also known as The Dog Meadow Lights, this strange and ominous light has remained a UP mystery for more than four decades. Police identified the woman as Joan Elspeth Schell, a 20-year-old EMU student. Phillips, 17, from Milwaukie, Oregon, near Portland, was strangled. The Deer Hunting Murder, the American Justice episode about the homicide, is available online but tricky to access. It was about 2:20 p.m. Would have been nice to retrieve the gun and do ballistics, but the fact that he disposed of the gun played an important part in showing guilt. She never got on the helicopter and died early the next day. For more information on Erin Taylor, to leave a tip or to donate to the reward offered, visit www.justiceforerintaylor.com. Dr. J. Allen Hynek was sent to the scene by the US Air Force to further examine the phenomena planation. Its important that she has a voice., Thursday before she went missing she came over to my house and she said woman, thats what she called me, we have got to talk. But then she got on my computer and never talked,, I just wish I could go back and push her a little bit more., It makes me think she knew something was going on,, (There were) some things that happened when she first went missing,, These people that I thought was weird at the time, but I never suspected them, makes sense. They investigated and saw flashing bright lights. "We began looking at everybody and questioning in our minds all our casual acquaintances.". He has no chance at parole. COLLINS' LETTER: John Norman Collins one of Michigan's most notorious killers pens letter to the Free Press. Collins never showed up for his date. She drove back out to the spot on River Road with two friends, and shot up the drugs. Sandra Fleszar, the first victim's sister, wrote an open letterto the Ypsilanti Press inApril 1969 asking the public to come forth with information "not only for myself but for all young girls who are forced to live in this constant fear for our very lives.". It appears that the number of Butdecades later, when confronted with new evidence, Collins would tell an entirely different story. Grieving family members braced for a trial. On July 31, 1969, the Michigan State Police director made a big announcement: Thekiller finally had been arrested. She worked alongside Witsil and Maxwell interviewing key figures into the investigation of the Michigan Murders cold case to produce a documentary video and portraits. We think that has a lot to do with the fascinating and at times notorious life he led: from his role as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in the 1950s-70s, his alleged ties with the mob, and his stint in prison for jury tampering. Investigators couldnt find it at first. As for Judys occupation, a Battle Creek Enquirer item identified her as a nurse at the same hospital. There were plenty. In what was to be his fifth confession to police, he now said Brunke was not in the house at the time of the killings, and that he and Carlson had committed the murders. She hoped someday to see her children again, all whom were adopted out to other families. Get Even More Stories Like This Right In Your Inbox! On April 14, Brunke had given her a large quantity of cocaine, and she drove out to River Road, a rural county gravel lane surrounded by forest, with a male friend to share it. After 14 years, we dont see things the same anymore, the note explained. But detective Bob Ball didnt buy it. Peter Hurkos, a Dutch-born psychic living in Los Angeles, claimed he had extrasensory perception and could use it to help find the killer. He said he loved her very much, and just before she died, she visited him in prison. According to American Justice, Gayle considered him irritating and kept ignoring him and hoped hed go away.. The pipe was barely concealed beneath pine needles and Aldrich spotted it immediately. Journal photo by Trinity Carey While in California, police said Collins was treated for poison oak. Watching a couple Forensic Files episodes should tell them that. Up Next: John Norman Collins changes his story in never-before-published letters. Until next time, cheers. Copyright The Daily News | https://www.ironmountaindailynews.com | 215 E. Ludington, Iron Mountain, MI 49801 |, Her family doesnt really do anything because of religious reasons, so Im kind of the only one left. Collinsrepeated his claimthat he never met Karen Beineman. It makes more sense now that they would say things the way that they did., Its still unsolved and we want it solved,, We want justice for her. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. By this time, detectives had ascertained that Gayle Lampinen had no romantic interest in Bruce whatsoever regardless of how great his sexual prowess was or wasnt. The cause: arson. All rights reserved. Marshals Service eventually tracked her down in Kentucky, where she was arrested and taken into custody. When a diligent investigator finally located the fatal bullet on the forest floor, Bruce said he didnt own a .30 caliber rifle that could fire it, but detectives found some of Bruces paperwork listing such a gun as collateral on a bank loan. Plus two 10-gallon cans of gasoline and a box of road flares. Judys brother and sister-in-law, David and Yvonne Blake, adopted 5-year-old Elise. But, when Dorothy Kalom saw an artist's sketch of the victim, she knew who it was:Her daughter. In 1976, Judy met Bruce Moilanen, who came into the world on March 29, 1954, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Moilanen. The Michigan State Court of Appeals has upheld a Delta County Circuit Court decision to dismiss challenges to zoning issues regarding the construction of windfarms in the Garden Peninsula.