Defrosting Cold Cases

Today John Leake discussed the case of Duncan MacPherson with us. His book explains what happened to Duncan after he disappeared in August 1989. Duncan Alvin MacPherson (Feb 3, 1966 – Aug 9, 1989), a Canadian professional ice hockey player, went missing during a short stay in Austria. Duncan had accepted a job as a player-coach for a semi-pro hockey [...]

Tags: Austria, Autopsy, Canada, Crime Labs, Crime Scene, Duncan MacPherson, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Forensics, grooming tiller, Identification, Miscarriage of Justice, Missing Person, Police, Victim, Witnesses

The case of Duncan MacPherson (February 3, 1966 – August 9, 1989) started as a missing person case. After reading John Leake‘s book it is clear at least to me that it was murder or manslaughter (3rd degree). You do not have to lie in wait or have done meticulous planning. Your state of mind, the knowledge [...]

Tags: Austria, Autopsy, Book Reviews, Canada, cclivechat, crevasse, Crime Scene, Cruelty, Duncan MacPherson, Evidence, Expert Testimony, Faulty Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, John Leake, Missing Person, Police, Victim, Witnesses

“Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery” about Duncan MacPherson by author John Leake is my new “must read” for this summer. Duncan Alvin MacPherson (Feb 3, 1966 – Aug 9, 1989), a Canadian professional ice hockey player, went missing during a short stay in Austria. John emailed to give me the heads up about the book. I scanned [...]

Tags: Aeryn Gillern, Austria, Autopsy, Book Reviews, Canada, Crime Scene, Duncan MacPherson, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Missing Person, Police, Victim, Witnesses

Forty-six years ago, Jim and Nancy Beaumont were confronted with a nightmare that has been ongoing ever since. Their beloved children, all three of their children, vanished without a trace. It broke their hearts, their hopes, and their marriage. Over the years, South Adelaide Police did investigate more leads. They checked into child serial rapist [...]

Tags: Austria, Beaumont Children, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Forensics, Identification, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Police, South Adelaide, Victim, Witnesses

In October 2007, retired policewoman Kathy Gilleran received a call from Vienna, Austria, informing her that her 34-year-old son, Aeryn, was missing. Kathy immediately flew overseas to aid in the search for Aeryn, but upon arriving in Vienna, she was shocked to learn that the local police had no interest in pursuing the case. Aeryn, a US Citizen, was [...]

Tags: Austria, Crime Scene, Evidence, Identification, Investigations Division, Missing Person, Victim, Witnesses

The Lost King of France by Deborah Cadbury This book combines Vidocq’s passion for historical mysteries, cold cases, and forensics! My interest was peaked after watching the movie “the Scarlet Pimpernel” with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. The book by Baroness Emmuska Orczy was tedious and less amusing than the movie. Vidocq’s attraction to “the Scarlet Pimpernel” is easily [...]

Tags: Anastasia Romanov, Anthony Andrews, Austria, Book Reviews, Burial, Child Abuse, Cruelty, Deborah Cadbury, DNA, Execution, Forensics, France, Historical Mystery, Louis-Charles, Marie-Therese, Maternal Line, Mitochondrial DNA, Prince, Princess, Public Execution, Queen, Robespierre, Royalist, Saint-Denis, Scarlet Pimpernel, the Dauphin