In September 2009, just days before her wedding, graduate student Annie Le vanished from the Yale Campus.
Her brutalized body would be found days later, stuffed inside a mechanical panel near the lab where she worked.
School violence is an ongoing issue of concern to students, parents and staff. In October 2013 Danvers High School was the scene of a violent and brutal murder, when a 14 year old freshman raped and murdered his 24 year old math teacher at school and dumped her body on school grounds.
What drove Philip Chism to violence and why choose Colleen Ritzer as his victim?
On January 19, 2015 19 year old Brock Turner, a Stanford University Swimmer, was arrested for the sexual assault of a 22 year old woman, “Emily Doe.”
In the months after the assault his story would change and evolve. At the trial, he was found guilty of three felonies and sentenced to six months in jail. He served three months.
In this episode we look at the perpetrator, the victim and the overwhelming response to the outcome of the trial.
Brock Turner’s letter to the judge.
Dan Turner’s letter to the judge.
I’m taking a week off to refresh, regroup and plan for a Back to School series of cases.
Meanwhile check out my guest appearance on Our Americana. Season 3, episode 11.
or, give a listen to another wonderful Detroit based storyteller – The Conspirators Podcast. Creepy history and strange stories. One of my favorites.
If you really need to hear me talk crime, check out the newest episode of Thinking Sideways, The Villisca Axe murders. You won’t be disappointed.
Finally, you may know that I am a big fan of the In Sight podcast hosted by the lovely and talented Ali and Charlie. They started a spin off show, geared to the YA set In Sight Junior. As an adult, it’s very well done and written with the same flair as In Sight.
Thank you for checking in and please, be safe!
On the night of August 6, 1993 Army Sgt. Kenneth Junior French entered the Luigi’s restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina armed with two shotguns and a rifle.
When his rampage was over, four people were dead and eight others wounded.
In 1983 the battered body of Erik Cross was found in a ditch in front of his house. He’d been beaten, dragged behind a car and finally run over, his body left on the edge of the road.
In the 34 years since his death, the Cross family has waited for an arrest in the case. In the last few years, an army has assembled, hoping to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.
In 2016 law enforcement named a group of suspects that they believe are involved in Eric’s death. This included Bill Cook, Tim Martin, Amber Thomas and Brent Spaulding:
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On June 19, 1982 Vincent Chin was attacked by two men wielding a baseball bat. He would die four days later, on his mother’s birthday.
The men who attacked him never spent a night in jail, they were given probation and a small fine. The Asian American community rose up and demanded justice for Vincent Chin. This was the birth of the Asian American Civil Rights Movement.
additional reading:
NY Times Opinion
In September of 1996, 19 year old Jillian Robbins opened fire on the Penn State Campus. When the smoke cleared, one student was dead, one seriously injured and Jillian was in need of medical attention.
20 years later, HUB shooting still looms
Music courtesy of Luke Superior.
During a 12 day period in January of 1984 suburban Denver was rocked by a series of attacks by a hammer wielding home intruder. When his work was done, four were dead, Four more grievously injured and the community was shaken to its core.
Aurora Police have worked this case aggressively, taking advantage of scientific updates to generate leads and find a killer.
Music courtesy Luke Superior
***Marissa was located safe in 2018. ***
Episode removed
In May of 2004 53 year old Al Kite had a good life. He was in good health, had a nice home and a good job. His relationship with his girlfriend, Linda, was in a good place. He seemed like the last person who would die a violent, gruesome death at the hands of an unknown killer.
But on May 22, 2004 that’s exactly what happened. Days later police discovered his body in the basement of his home. He’d been tied up, endured hours of torture and finally, mercifully, murdered. Why? What reason could anyone have to torture and kill him?
Police are still asking that question and looking for his killer.
I usually post a photo of the victim, but someone, somewhere has to know who this is.
October 25, 2014. 22 year old Chelsea Bruck attends a huge outdoor halloween party/concert in a wooded area outside of Monroe, Michigan. Dressed as Poison Ivy in a long plum colored wig, and leaf trimmed green leotard the tall blonde spends the evening at the party with friends. After getting separated from her friends she is trying to find a ride home after 2:00 a.m.
The person she accepts a ride from is someone from a nightmare. Chelsea is gone, vanished.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s department works the case hard, calling in assistance from dozens of agencies. In spring 2015 pieces of Chelsea’s costume are discovered in Flat Rock Michigan, but no sign of the missing woman. Weeks later her badly decomposed remains are located. In 2016, almost two years after she vanished an arrest is made. 27 year old Daniel Clay, a friend of one of her coworkers, is arrested after his DNA is found on Chelsea’s bloody costume.
Daniel denies murdering Chelsea, despite clear evidence that she received a brutal beating. In May 2017, a jury finds him guilty of murder and concealing her body. He was sentenced on July 13, 2017
On a bitterly cold January afternoon 13 year old Rachel vanished from the family home in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
No trace of her has ever been found.
On December 2, 2016 28 year old Danielle Stislicki left her job in Southfield and disappeared. Her family, community and law enforcement are working hard to #FindDani.
Also, coverage of the Missing in Michigan event on May 6, 2017 and we revisit some old/cold cases covered previously on the podcast.
UPDATES: In 2018 Floyd Galloway, a security guard at Met-Life where Dani worked was named a person of interest in her case. In 2019, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Galloway with Dani’s murder. He is awaiting trial and our lovely Danielle is still MISSING. #FindDani