May 2023 - George Pallas

2023/05/212023/05/21

Melanie McGuire: Astonishing Suitcase Murder Stuns New Jersey

Last week’s blog told the story of Richard Dabate, whose murder of his wife unraveled because of data extracted from her Fitbit. This week, we review the “suitcase murder” committed by Melanie McGuire. On April 28, she drugged her husband, Bill McGuire, and shot him to death. She then dismembered his body, placed the parts in three suitcases, and dumped them in Chesapeake Bay.

Melanie McGuire

Melanie McGuire was born and raised in New Jersey. After graduating from Rutgers University in 1994, she attended nursing school, graduating second in her class in 1997. In 1999, she married William T. “Bill” McGuire, a United States Navy veteran who worked as a software engineer.

In April 2004, the McGuires and their two sons lived in an apartment in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. They planned to move into a house in Warren County, New Jersey. The couple closed on the house on April 28, but they never moved in.

Melanie McGuire Commits Murder

A week later, on May 5, two fishermen and two children found a suitcase containing human legs. The luggage had drifted ashore on the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel’s fourth artificial island. Virginia authorities launched a murder investigation.

William T. "Bill" McGuire (ABC News) — William T. “Bill” McGuire (*ABC News*)

On May 11, a graduate student cleaning up beach litter in the Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge found a second suitcase. This one contained a human head and torso. The head had one bullet wound, while the torso had two gunshot wounds in the chest. On May 16, a third suitcase containing the deceased’s arms washed ashore.

The second suitcase washed ashore on the beach at the Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge (Court TV) — The second suitcase washed ashore on the beach at the Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge (*CourtTV*)

Investigators released a facial reconstruction of the murder victim to the public. One of Bill McGuire’s friends recognized it, promoting Melanie McGuire to the unenviable position of prime suspect.

It now appeared that the murder occurred in New Jersey. Virginia authorities turned the investigation over to the New Jersey State Police.

Evidence Mounts Against Melanie McGuire

Detectives soon learned that Melanie bought a .38 caliber handgun in Easton, Pennsylvania, on April 26, two days before the murder. Her receipt also showed an unspecified item priced at $9.95. Only two things in the store had a $9.95 selling price. One of those was a box of .38 caliber wadcutter bullets, the type of bullet that killed Bill McGuire.

Receipt for a .38 caliber handgun purchased two days before the murder

Investigators conducted forensic tests on the plastic bags used to dispose of Bill’s body. They compared those with the bags used to hold Bill’s clothes, which Melanie had given away. Tests proved that both sets of bags came from the same production line within hours of each other. This implied that Melanie had been the one to bag up Bill’s body and his clothes.

Dr. Bradley Miller testifies in court (CourtTV) — Dr. Bradley Miller testifies in court (*CourtTV*)

Police also learned that Melanie had been conducting a long-term affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, one of her coworkers at the fertility clinic where she worked.

Melanie’s Trial and Conviction

On June 2, 2005, police arrested Melanie right after she dropped off her children at school. Almost three years later, her trial began on March 5, 2007.

Melanie McGuire mugshot (Wikipedia) — Melanie McGuire mugshot (*Wikipedia*)

Prosecutors contended Melanie killed Bill to start a new life with her lover, Bradley Miller. Melanie insisted she was innocent. She also claimed that Bill was a compulsive gambler who became increasingly moody and unpredictable. This was an odd gambit since it was irrelevant if Melanie were innocent.

Melanie McGuire in court (The Star Ledger) — Melanie McGuire in court (*The Star Ledger*)

On April 23, 2007, Melanie McGuire’s jury found her guilty. They convicted her of first-degree murder, perjury, desecration of human remains, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. On July 19, 2007, she received a life sentence.

Epilogue

Despite appeals and questionable claims that her counsel was ineffective, Melanie McGuire remains in prison. She will be eligible for parole in 2073 when she is 100 years old. Her current home (2023) is the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey.

A recent prison mugshot of Melanie McGuire. She is incarcerated under her maiden name, Melanie Slate. (New Jersey Department of Corrections) — A recent prison mugshot of Melanie McGuire. She is incarcerated under her maiden name, Melanie Slate. (*New Jersey Department of Corrections*)

You can read more about Melanie McGuire and the “suitcase murder” in John Glatt’s 2008 book, To Have and To Kill.

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2023/05/142023/05/14

Richard Dabate: Unusual Clue Solves a Murder

In my last blog, JoAnn Scott and her lover, James Williams, conspired to murder JoAnn’s husband, singer Walter Scott. This week’s case is that of Richard Dabate. In 2015, Dabate reported that an intruder had shot and killed his wife. Police used an unusual clue—data from Connie’s Fitbit—to prove that he had lied.

Richard Dabate Spins a Tale

On December 23, 2015, Richard Dabate placed a 9-1-1 call from his home in the Hartford, Connecticut, suburb of Ellington. Responding officers found Richard lying on the floor. He had superficial knife wounds and one arm and one leg zip-tied to a folding chair. His wife, Connie, was in the basement, dead from a gunshot wound.

Richard and Connie Dabate (People/MySpace) — Richard and Connie Dabate (*People/MySpace*)

Dabate told the cops that a masked intruder had surprised him at home, struggled with him, and tied him up. During Dabate’s struggle with the intruder, Connie entered the house. The intruder shot her, killing her.

Investigators soon suspected that they didn’t have the whole story. There were few signs of a struggle, and Richard Dabate’s injuries were minor. Furthermore, it made little sense that an intruder would shoot Connie while leaving Richard alive. Presumably, he represented a more significant threat.

Connie Dabate (New York Post/Twitter) — Connie Dabate (*New York Post/Twitter*)

Enter Rocky. A K-9 unit arrived at the scene, and his handlers tasked Rocky with tracking the scent of the alleged intruder. On his first try, Rocky struck out. On a subsequent attempt, he kept focusing on Dabate.

Unusual Evidence Undoes Richard Dabate

The investigation into Connie Dabate’s death moved forward slowly. Detectives discovered that Richard Dabate had a mistress, Sara Ganzer, and she was pregnant with Richard’s child.

But evidence from an unusual and unexpected source put the lie to Dabate’s story. Connie’s Fitbit fitness tracker showed she was moving around long after Richard claimed the intruder had killed her. Other electronic evidence from the couple’s phones and home alarm system contradicted his version of events.

In April 2017, police arrested Richard Dabate and charged him with Connie’s murder.

Richard Dabate went on trial in April 2022, a date delayed in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 11, 2022, the jury took less than four hours to convict him of murder, tampering with evidence, and making a false statement.

On August 18, 2022, Richard Dabate was sentenced to 65 years in prison. He won’t be eligible for parole until May 2087.

Richard Dabate in court (AP/New York Post) — Richard Dabate in court (*AP/New York Post*)

Epilogue

Dabate’s mistress, Sara Ganzer, testified against him at trial. About eight weeks after Connie’s murder, she gave birth to a daughter. In October 2021, she applied for sole legal custody.

Dateline NBC aired The Secrets of Birch View Drive, an episode about the Dabate case, in January 2023.

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2023/05/092023/05/09

Walter Scott: Murder of a Successful Singer

Last week, I presented a case underscoring how the legal system sometimes fails. James Richardson spent nearly 21 years in prison for murders he didn’t commit. This week’s case from St. Louis is the murder of Walter Scott. Scott was a successful singer murdered by his wife’s lover.

Walter Scott

Walter Scott (born Walter Simon Notheis, Jr.) was a musician and singer. He enjoyed success and local fame as the frontman for Bob Kuban and the In-Men, a St. Louis-based rock band. In 1966, his lead vocals helped take the song “(Look Out for) The Cheater” to the number twelve spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In total, the song spent eleven weeks on the charts.

Scott left the In-Men soon after the success of “The Cheater” to launch a solo career. When this didn’t pan out, he traveled with a cover band and performed for a televised reunion with Kuban.

Walter Scott (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) — Walter Scott (*St. Louis* Post-Dispatch)

Walter Scott Disappears—And Reappears

On December 27, 1983, Walter Scott disappeared. More than three years later, in April 1987, police discovered his body floating face-down in a cistern. He had been hog-tied and had been shot in the chest.

The cistern in question was on property belonging to one James H. Williams, who, it developed, had been romancing Walter Scott’s wife, JoAnn. (JoAnn Scott and Williams married in 1986). Williams’ son told police where to find Scott’s body.

Newspaper article announcing James and JoAnn Williams murder charges (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) — Newspaper article announcing James and JoAnn Williams murder charges (*St. Louis* Post-Dispatch)

Williams faced charges not only with the death of Walter Scott but also of killing his wife, Sharon, in 1983. Authorities initially believed Sharon died in a one-car auto accident. After exhuming her body, it was evident she had been murdered, and the accident staged.

Williams was convicted on two counts of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

James Williams' prison mugshot (Missouri Department of Corrections) — James Williams’ prison mugshot (*Missouri Department of Corrections*)

JoAnn Scott pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution of Scott’s murder and received a five-year sentence (she served 18 months).

Epilogue

James Williams died in prison at age 72 on September 11, 2011. JoAnn Scott Williams died in 2019.

Several crime-related television series have aired episodes featuring the Walter Scott murder, including Forensic Files, Autopsy 3: Voices from the Grave, Secrets of the Morgue, Exhumed: Killer Revealed, and The New Detectives. (The Forensic Files episode incorrectly states that Scott’s bullet wound was in his back).

You can read more about this case in the 1997 book, The Cheaters: The Walter Scott Murder by Scottie Priesmeyer.

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2023/05/022023/06/01

James Richardson: Big Fail in Old Murder Case

Last week’s case was an unsolved murder over a century old, the 1911 death of Dr. Helene Knabe. This week we look at a case “solved” by sending the wrong man to prison. James Richardson served 21 years in a Florida prison for murdering his children, but he didn’t do it.

James Richardson and the Deaths of His Children

Annie Mae and James Richardson were African American migrant farm workers. In October 1967, the Richardsons and their seven children, all under ten, lived in Arcadia, Florida. Two of the children were from Annie Mae’s previous marriage. James was the father of the other five.

James Joseph Richardson (Palm Beach Post) — James Joseph Richardson (*Palm Beach Post*)

On October 24, Annie Mae prepared a meal of beans, rice, and grits for the children’s lunch the next day. The following morning, James and Annie Mae left to pick oranges in groves sixteen miles away. They entrusted the care of their younger children (the oldest four were in school) to a neighbor, Bessie Reece.

At lunchtime, the four oldest Richardson children returned home for lunch. They and their younger siblings ate the meal Annie Mae had prepared. Back at school, their teachers noticed all four exhibiting strange symptoms. The school’s principal immediately took them to a hospital. One of the teachers checked on the remaining three children, discovered they were sick, too, and rushed them to a hospital. It was no use. Six of the children died before authorities could summon the Richardsons from the orange groves. Three-year-old Dianne succumbed the next day.

Annie Mae and James Richarson view the bodies of their seven children in October 1967 (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) — Annie Mae and James Richarson view the bodies of their seven children in October 1967 (*Bettmann Archive*/Getty Images)

James Richardson, Murderer?

Investigators soon discovered the pesticide parathion in the food Annie Mae prepared for the children’s lunch. Sure enough, they found a two-pound sack of parathion in a shed behind the apartment building where the Richardsons lived. It surprised no one when a grand jury indicted James Richardson for murder on November 2.

During Richardson’s trial, the state contended that Richardson killed his children for insurance money. Prosecutor John Treadwell introduced evidence that Richardson met with insurance salesman George Purvis to discuss life insurance for the children before the murders. That much was true. What Treadwell didn’t say, though, was that Purvis initiated the meeting. Nor did he say that Richardson hadn’t bought any insurance because he couldn’t afford the premiums.

Judge Gordon Hayes listens as Bessie Reece testifies during a coroner's inquest into the deaths of the seven Richardson children (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) — Judge Gordon Hayes listens as Bessie Reece testifies during a coroner’s inquest into the deaths of the seven Richardson children (*Bettmann Archive*/Getty Images)

Other testimony from former cellmates claimed Richardson had confessed the murders to them. DeSoto County Sheriff Frank Cline provided additional sensational testimony when he claimed Richardson had poisoned six other children in another county. Although unsubstantiated, the defense apparently let this accusation pass unchallenged.

The outcome of the trial was never in doubt. On May 31, 1968, jurors took only thirty minutes to return with a guilty verdict and a recommended sentence of death in Florida’s electric chair.

An early prison photo of James Richardson (Florida State Prison) — An early prison photo of James Richardson (*Florida State Prison*)

James Richardson Exonerated

For nearly five years, James Richardson sat on Florida’s Death Row. Then, in 1972, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty, as it was then implemented, was unconstitutional. Like other death row inmates, the State of Florida resentenced him to life in prison. In Richardson’s case, he had an opportunity for parole starting in 1993.

Over time, the case against James Richardson began to unravel. Investigators overlooked possible clues in their zeal to convict him. For example, at the time of the murders, Bessie Reece was on parole for the poisoning death of her ex-husband. Prosecutors went to great lengths to keep this fact away from the jury.

Another hole in the case against Richardson appeared when the last surviving jailhouse snitch who testified at the trial recanted. He revealed he’d been offered a lighter sentence for his testimony.

Lawyers for Richardson continued to uncover additional evidence of prosecutorial misconduct. On April 25, 1989, their efforts paid off when DeSoto County Circuit Court Judge Clifton Kelly dismissed Richardson’s conviction and released him to the custody of his attorneys.

Who Killed the Richardson Children?

Authorities never charged anyone else with the deaths of Betty, Alice, Susie, Dorreen, Vanessa, James Jr., and Dianne Richardson. The question remains, who killed them?

The most likely suspect is the woman who fed the children the poisoned lunch, Bessie Reece. As noted above, Reece was convicted of murdering her second ex-husband with poison. She was also a suspect in the death of her first ex-husband. Furthermore, In 1988 and living in a nursing home, Reece allegedly confessed to the murders multiple times. At the time, though, she suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s, and no one took her confessions seriously.

The graves of the seven Richardson children (Acey Harper/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images) — The graves of the seven Richardson children (*Acey Harper/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images*)

Epilogue

Richardson’s life after prison held many challenges. He suffered from numerous heart ailments, for which he blamed poor-quality prison food and stress. He and Annie Mae had remained married all the while he was incarcerated but eventually divorced.

In 2014, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that bypassed the roadblock that had denied Richardson compensation up to then. In 2016, he began receiving payments totaling $50,000 for each year he was wrongfully imprisoned.

Bessie Reece died from Alzheimer’s in a Florida nursing home in 1992. She never faced charges in the deaths of the Richardson children.