They were saying something about exculpatory evidence that needed to be cleared up. "That's the part of the story I tell as often as I can to the people who want to hear it," he said. These cases are solvable, but we need your help. All three women had been attacked with a knife; the killer had slashed each of their throats. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Johnny Dwight Whited called investigators saying he wanted to confess to the slaying, authorities said Thursday. Arson of Kinder Care Childcare Arson of Klub 280 Guy Kirby - Missing Person Murder of Hernan Rojas Torres Murder of Willie Earl Bedford The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. The murders shocked the area and although the . Tony Lynn Dobbins said he was there when Carrie was murdered. He was the best dad to both of us. Detectives theorized at the time that the killer or killers had run out of ammunition. When Lawson Sr. arrived at the site, however, there were about five police cars there totally unconnected to the kidnapping case, purely a coincidence. HARDEEVILLE, Sc. Twenty-four-year-old Robert Bruce Springsteen and 25-year-old Michael James Scott were the only two to go to trial, and both men were convicted on flimsy DNA evidence. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? She said she had a family that loved her very much. Given the personal nature of these stolen items, investigators theorized that the killer or killers had known the Walkers, and given that Christine had been raped, it was likely that she was the main target.[2]. Private investigator W.W. "Red" Self sits in his Pinson office in this 2002 file photo. However, the true motives behind these horrid crimes may never be known, given their unsolved character. And it bothers me that my kids have to read stuff like that.". Besides similarities between the Walker family murders and the murder of the Clutter family of Kansas (also in 1959), it is also known that both Smith and Hickock were in Miami Beach at the time of the murders. They cried with us. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Before 10:45 AM, four customers, the stores manager, and a part-time employee were taken to the back of the Lane Bryant store located at the Brookside Marketplace shopping mall. Murdered. On November 6, 2001, at approximately 11:00 AM, a woman arrived for an appointment at the Hair Gallery, located in Florence, Montana. The source material for author Beth Lowrys 2016 true crime book Who Killed These Girls?, the yogurt shop murders continue to haunt the citizens of the Lone Star State. For a while, Hinson and Gierse had worked for Records Security, a company based in Jasper, Indiana. I always felt like he had this deep-seated feeling that he failed Carrie because he couldn't protect her," she said. Then police got a phone call. If mistakes were made, it wasn't because of a lack of effort. "I remember sitting at my kitchen table. Mitchell says hes seen a steady increase in murders since he started working in law enforcement in the Lowcountry in 2005, adding theyve just started to see a decrease this year. Dana was left lying on his stomach with his hands linked with Johns, thanks to a piece of electrical cord. If you had told me that moment that I'd have the kind of life I have now, I would have never believed it. "He's made a career out of it," David Smith said affectionately in 2002. 6 The Burger Chef Murders. And, of course, there were people who thought Lawson was somehow involved in Carrie's abduction. Click here to create a free account which will allow access to 5 stories every 30 days. "Her legacy is her kindness and how you can make an impact on people just by being thoughtful. The case. The FBI took heavy criticism for its handling of the case. All victims were found naked, bound, and with gunshot wounds to their heads. Court records don't include a defense attorney who could speak on behalf of Whited on the murder charge, but he already was awaiting trial on a methamphetamine charge with his trial scheduled for May. [10] Keiths body would not be found until the next day. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Investigators quickly ruled out robbery as a motive, for nothing was taken from the store. "I've always admired my dad so much -- he just keeps plugging on. Instead, after Bland's voice was identified as the kidnapper making ransom demands, agents surrounded the house and waited to obtain a warrant. Under the FBI's direction, Lawson wore a directional beeper to let agents follow him as he made the drop. Robbery is one potential motive floated to the public by investigators, as police speculate Jowers may have been robbed of cash earned at his other jobs as a carpenter and handyman after he had been shot. var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999); On November 18, 1978, an off-duty employee of the Burger Chef, a local fast food joint in Speedway, Indiana, found the restaurants back door wide open. Ultimately, the shooters would kill four people before escaping into the unknown. All three of the victims worked in the microfilm industry. Sells was executed in 2014. The case of Jack Kelly made things a little interesting. Other theories about the case include a scorned, jealous husband or boyfriend (all three men had an ongoing bet about who could sleep with the most women) and the local mob. Both would be murdered. The sheriff admitted 10 years is a mighty long time for any family to suffer without any sort of resolution, but he insists its not a lack of trying on the investigators part. I can see the window off the guest room. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Jasper, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. The case file on Brown remains what it . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. var zoneid = '30'; The victims were 37-year-old Connie R. Woolfolk of Flossmoor, Illinois; 22-year-old Sarah Szafranski of Oak Forest; 42-year-old store manager Rhonda McFarland of Joliet; 33-year-old Carrie Hudek Chiuso of Frankfort; and 34-year-old Jennifer Bishop of South Bend, Indiana. The intensity lasted for about six weeks, but ultimately the FBI and other agencies pulled out. Closure came tantalizingly close when four young men were arrested in Texas and West Virginia in October 1999. This item is available in full to subscribers. Some locals insinuated, though, that the men were connected to the Mafia and had plundered clients and equipment away from Records Security. (AL.com/File). Johnny Swinten, Vietnam Vet. When she entered the salon, she first saw the corpse of 62-year-old Dorothy Harris. Mobile County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Some of the cases remain unsolved. She had taken the bar exam but disappeared never knowing she had passed. He wasn't arrested then, however, but FBI instead staked out the house throughout the weekend. Family members of McPherson have said they know Karen Lancaster McPherson did wrong, but said they feel shes been punished enough. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 3. Investigators deduced that the attack had been part of a robbery, and the attacker had opened fire after McFarland managed to call 911. This booking photo provided by police in Decatur, Ala., shows Johnny Dwight Whited. "They had searched his house, and questioned him and left him in the house with a bunch of guns," Kubiszyn said. "It devastated my parents. Fear and not wanting to get involved are perhaps the primary reasons why the murders remain a mystery. The next to die were Cliff, Jimmie, and Debbie. Lawson said much of those first few months after Carrie's disappearance and Bland's suicide is a blur. When they failed to provide any information about Keiths whereabouts, the police were notified. "In my mind, I'm thinking simple robbery and that I couldn't believe we fell for this," he said. Alabama Department of Corrections lists McPherson as being in a Birmingham work release program. It still bothers me. Allergy season: Local allergist offers advice, Musician gives $18K in instruments to military community, Chatham County food inspection report for February, GSU mens basketball preps for upcoming Sun Belt, Womens College Golf: Claisse wins Rucker, LSU takes, Arrest warrants issued for projected Jalen Carter, GHSBB: Woodville-Tompkins, Calvary Day advance to, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, Solar panels to be installed in 19 city buildings, FL moves to ban preferred pronouns in K-12 schools, Police: 19-year-old in custody after grandmas assault, 2 men cited for killing, planning to eat bald eagle, Gallery: Step One Auto Announces Savannah Center, Full schedule: 2023 Savannah St. Patricks Day events, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. It has been 25 years since 25-year-old Carrie Smith Lawson disappeared in Walker County on Sept. 11, 1991. "The FBI, they're pretty direct on what you can expect," he said. Copyright 2019 WSFA 12 News. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The days without an arrest turned into months and then . As the couple left for the hospital, a gunman appeared at their vehicle. [3] The unidentified killer used duct tape to tie up his victims before shooting them execution-style. What's more, another witness in the parking lot informed police at the time of the shooting that they saw a white man wearing black clothing run behind the lounge immediately after the shot rang out. Ierardi was a known associate of Stephen The Rifleman Flemmi, the second-in-command of the Winter Hill Gang and a close friend of James Whitey Bulger. He told me to get on the ground on my stomach. I believe hes a strong possibility for Patrices murder, Burch said. The bodies were not found until the following day. This quick thinking saved the young girls life, and, for a time, it saved her mothers life as well. First of all, Sheriff Perry Johnson told the press that the scene inside of the Hair Gallery was horrific and that all three victims throats had been cut deeply. You'd go to location A, and then he'd call you on that payphone and tell you to go to location B, which might be 20 miles down the road," Lawson said. My sister had a minor role in this. The day the FBI pulled off the case, and out of Lawson's house, he found himself sitting in total darkness while he waited for a friend to come pick him up. I was a problem child as I was coming up, and you know got in trouble and things of that nature, he said, I met this guy and he told me, he said You know, you need to be part of the solution and not the problem and thats pretty much what changed my life., My cousin Sean Jones, he went missing February 18, 1999, he said, And 2017, on the same exact day my first cousin, Darnell Williams, he was murdered on Hilton Head Island. Mitchell added, Just like any other family we want justice.. document.write ("&loc=" + escape(window.location)); Still, Bland didn't know that and called off the drop. The motive appeared to be robbery, as a trunk which was rumored to contain around 1500 dollars was missing. The Irish pub, which was located downtown, was known to have a rather rough reputation. Two unsolved murders of young women from the 1970s have now been linked to one suspect through DNA and genetic genealogy, according to Northern California prosecutors. The show helped capture some of Alabama's most wanted fugitives, including one now on Death Row. "Nobody's ever come up with a reason.". Harriett Smith died about eight years ago, and Smith, now 82, has since remarried. "That was the first time I felt alone," he said. Audrey Marie Hilley - The Black Widow Murderpedia/photo:bettmann/corbis Audrey Marie Hilley was an American murderer who was found guilty for poisoning her husband, Frank Hilley, with arsenic. His penis had also been removed. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Mr. The cases are not forgotten, not collecting dust and not being ignored. The whole Jerry Bland suicide is very suspicious, and it's very possible somebody else killed him. But everyone that knew her felt like they were loved by her, and that was extraordinary.". Authorities got a major break when Bland was identified as a suspect. "Detectives met with Whited who reenacted the crime to detectives and provided corroborated information about the murder," the statement said. "And we never heard anything.". 'https://mountaineaglebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://mountaineaglebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); In 2019, there were 39 murders in Montgomery County, Alabama. Then they got in my car and they left.". The bank was located 32 kilometers (20 mi) away from the hair salon, thus meaning that the murders happened in a very narrow window of time. All four were brought into Senacs office by the two gunmen, who told the women to lie facedown. "I still don't know why they didn't arrest him. In a sick twist of fate, police learned early on that the witness who found the first body may have arrived at the scene barely minutes after the murders. When he does talk about it, it's to use it as proof of what God can do in someone's life. They were to come to the hospital. By definition, he is a serial killer.. The Boston police believed that the massacre may have been motivated by the mob, and two mobstersdrug dealer William Ierardi and Robert Italianowere arrested and tried for the crime before being acquitted in 1979. All rights reserved (About Us). Discuss Jasper, Alabama (AL) on our hugely popular Alabama forum. On December 19, 1959, the entire Walker family was out running errands. 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You lose your future, and also your connection to the past.". That is the only person who shares your story. Others suggested that drug addicts had killed the Dardeen family in order to hock their possessions for drug money. The woman who found Dorothy Harriss body described seeing the cases only suspecta strange young male described as wearing a long, dark jacket (maybe a Western duster) and a black hat that may have been a top hat or fedora and carrying some kind of object in his hands. The cover of "Facing September," a murder mystery based on the case of Kelly Lynn Albright's murder. These cases stem from various situations, and circumstances, but all have one thing in common: people's loved ones have yet to be found. She even managed to put away her groceries before she was attacked. TUSCALOOSA, AL The highly-publicized trial of football star and accused murderer O.J. They received a middle-of-the night call from a woman claiming to be a nurse who said a close family member was at the hospital. This group was created to bring attention to the high number of people missing, suspicious deaths and unsolved murders in Walker County Alabama (Neighboring counties). 2020 The Associated Press. I'm not even sure I had cranked the vehicle," Lawson said. They came to this conclusion because a local bank revealed that Dorothy Harris had visited them 30 minutes prior to the murders. The FBI set up a command post inside Lawson's home. As a result, all three were wealthy and successful bachelors. Authorities asking public for help in unsolved murder of Jasper man. Jones, facing execution in Alabama since 2005, told the AJC that same year that he had never killed anyone and would one day be free. One victim had been stabbed to death with a hunting knife, while another had been bludgeoned to death.[6]. Investigators quickly learned on that awful morning that they had a terrible and inexplicable crime on their hands. However, for one Florida family, the Christmas season became a nightmare. If you would like to buy one, you can reach Mitchell at (843) 683-0568, or on Facebook at Charles Mitchell. McPherson appeared before the parole board Thursday. We tracked down the lady Brown was dating at the time and she declined to be part of this story. Because his keys were with the Explorer, he had to kick in the back door to get inside his home and call 911. Read More: First published on November 20, 2020 / 6:33 AM. A month later, an anonymous tip led searchers to Lake Tuscaloosa near the Alabama 69 bridge about 10 miles north of Northport. "The whole thing was poorly handled," Kubiszyn said. In response to the murders of 17-year-old Ruth Shelton, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 16-year-old Daniel Roy Davis, Burger Chef offered the public a $25,000 reward for any clues that could lead to an arrest. It taught me a lot about how to be a friend, and I never stop thinking about the people who took time off from their jobs, time off from school to search and cry with us.". "I had every hope in the world there was going to be a good ending to this.". Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh, 53, calls 911 and reports he found his wife Margaret, 52, and son Paul, then 22, shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of. This was due in part to the case of Detective Hector Polanco, who was investigated for coercing 13 false confessions. It has also plagued the family of a woman who has been behind bars for 25 years in connection with the crime. This man served his county, came home, and for some reason or another, someone murdered him Reverend McDaniel Miller, a pastor; he was murdered, gunned down in his home.