Paul Novack alerted me that the site has been updated. I like to draw your attention to some important official documents. I quote: “In 1968 and 1972, statements were made that implicate who was involved and what was done. Danny was murdered on Miami Beach shortly after his abduction from Surfside, and his remains were cast into […]
Witnesses
Key evidence lost in Hank Skinner case
Key evidence is lost in the case of Hank Skinner so despite the fact that the state of Texas now backs further DNA testing, we still will not get all the answers we need. There are pictures of the jackets (see here) but the big blood- and sweat-stained tan jacket with snap buttons down the front found near […]
Book alert: “Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery” by John Leake
“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 […]
Los Tocayos Carlos
Los Tocayos Carlos … the namesake Carlos … The Guardian has an excellent article about a Texas capital punishment case involving a wrongful conviction, switched identities, an unsolved murder, evidence not tested for DNA, sloppy police procedures and an execution. “Carlos DeLuna was arrested, aged 20, on 4 February 1983 for the brutal murder of […]
Arrest in cold case Elizabeth Heath
Police have arrested John Heath for murder in connection with the killing of his wife, Elizabeth Heath, 28 years ago. Elizabeth was reported missing in 1984. Her skeletal remains were found beneath the subflooring in a barn in April 2010. Heath, 68, of Bridgewater was arrested by warrant last Monday. He was charged with murder and held […]
Guest post: Road death investigation by Dave Thomas
Guest post: Road death investigation by Dave Thomas. Dave has been a police officer for 15 years with the last 3 years on road policing. _________________________________________________________ Road death investigation and the importance of forensic evaluation. As a road policing officer based in the United Kingdom, I have seen advances in the last few years in automobile […]
Zeigler’s DNA hearing ends without a decision
Zeigler’s DNA hearing ends without a decision. Today Mr. Zeigler‘s DNA hearing took place in Orange County, Florida, before Judge R. Whitehead. Mr. Zeigler himself was not present. However, he was available by phone if he was needed by the State, otherwise, his presence was waived in person and by phone. Passionate opening statements were […]
Guest Post: “In loving memory: Raymond Nelson”
Losing a parent is a devastating experience. The loss of her father, Raymond Nelson, to senseless violence has left its mark on Rebecca. Her father, Raymond Nels Nelson, was not without flaw. However, everyone you asked had a positive first impression from Raymond Nelson. Rebecca has chosen to share her thoughts about her father, his […]
Slow Movement Trey Noah Murder Trial
There is no way of knowing when the murder of Trey Noah will finally go to court. Brandon Harber and Shelby Moore were charged with Trey’s murder and will eventually be tried in Gillespie County, TX. However, “an initial confession from Moore was tossed out in a pre-trial hearing. The DA is appealing that decision. That […]
Jimmy Stanaway 1966-1990
Jimmy Stanaway 1966-1990. He was born on Dec 5 in 1966 and was killed in Jersey City (NJ) on Feb 2, 1990. Everyone knew his simply as “Jimmy.” This nickname was also his well known signature and is the feature on his headstone. To this day, there are questions in this case that have never been […]
Book alert: Cold Case Research
Book alert: Cold Case Research. In 2012 “Cold Case Research” will come out. The author is Silvia Pettem and this is how she describes her book: “Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases,” to be published by CRC Press in 2012. Topics include the latest search engine tools such as TLO, the […]
Guest Post: “There are monsters that walk among us”
Guest Post: “There are monsters that walk among us” by Darren Bruce. Darren is a married father of three and has been a police officer for seventeen years. “I am a Detective Sergeant who has taken on various roles and am soon to undertake a change to run a Serious Sexual Offences Investigation Team. Over the years […]
Penn State CSI Students on the Zeigler Case
Penn State CSI Students on the Zeigler Case: a review of Zeigler Project. During their final spring semester twenty five (25) undergraduate and five (5) graduate students from Penn State University (PSU) reviewed documents pertaining to the trial and conviction of William Thomas Zeigler. Mr. Zeigler was convicted in 1976 of murdering his wife Eunice Zeigler, […]
Follow-up #V Karen Caughlin
We still need to find out in what condition Karen Caughlin’s clothes were found and whether the paint chips were on the back or the front of her bomber jacket. We did find that there was blood and a tire impression on Karen’s coat. We do not know as of yet whether the collected DNA […]
Zeigler, Part XV
Zeigler, Part XV: “Just testify that you were Zeigler’s homosexual lover and we’ll help you out!” A Florida, Orange County woman in her 80’s, reads an affidavit that she signed alleging that the state tried to get her son to testify that he was William Thomas Zeigler’s homosexual lover. As you know, the state went through great […]
Arrest in 1994 Rhonda Sue Bailey Case
Sixteen years after Rhonda Sue Bailey was found dead, police have made an arrest. Detectives said David Newcomb killed Rhonda Sue Bailey (29) and dumped her body in a creek under a bridge in western Rutherford County, Tennessee, in May of 1994. Newcomb is already facing six years in prison after pleading guilty to dousing […]
Zeigler, Part V
Zeigler, Part V: The Bodies Mr. Charlie Mays was savagely beaten, his face disfigured with blood coming through his skull, and he had been shot twice in the abdomen (once from the front and once from the back). Judging from the blood splatters, Mays had been beaten to death where he was found. The killer […]
Execution halted for Hank Skinner!
The U.S. Supreme Court stopped the Hank Skinner execution about an hour before he could have been taken to the Texas death chamber. The brief order grants him the delay but does not ensure he will get such testing. The court order came as relatives of Busby were climbing the steps of the Huntsville prison […]
Hagy on trial today in 1984 slaying
Two Roanoke women killed less than six months apart. Their unclothed bodies left about a mile from each other. Both strangled during or after sex. For almost a quarter-century, any connection between the slayings of Cynthia Denise McCray, a 21-year-old black woman dumped under an Interstate 581 overpass, and Audrey Anne West, a 33-year-old white […]
Tommy Zeigler, Part II
Tommy Zeigler is a quiet man, in control of his emotions, not wearing his heart on his sleeve and to most, he comes across as reserved. Very reserved. He used to be politically active behind the scenes in his hometown of Winter Garden, Florida. He had once led a successful drive to unseat a longtime […]