George Pallas

2023/08/212023/08/21

Lindsay Buziak: Murder of an Attractive Real Estate Agent

Last week’s post covered the case of dentist Larry Rudolph, who killed his wife with a shotgun and tried to pass it off as an accident. This week, our case is the 2008 murder of Canadian real estate agent Lindsay Buziak.

Lindsay Buziak

In early 2008, Lindsay Buziak was a pretty and ambitious real estate agent in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her career was taking off, and her boyfriend, coworker Jason Zailo, was the son of wealthy parents who owned a successful real estate business themselves.

In late January, Lindsay received a call from a woman who said she and her husband urgently needed a new home. She had a foreign accent and gave a name that later proved to be fake. Puzzled that the woman would call her personal cell phone directly, the caller said one of Lindsay’s previous clients had given her the number.

Something about that call bothered Lindsay, and she voiced her concerns to both her father and Zailo. Jason encouraged her to meet with the potential client because of the substantial fee such a sale would generate. To assuage her worries, he offered to wait outside in his car to be there if anything went awry.

Lindsay Buziak and Jason Zailo at a RE/MAX staff party (Capital Daily) — Lindsay Buziak and Jason Zailo at a RE/MAX staff party (*Capital Daily*)

Lindsay found a suitable property in the Victoria suburb of Saanich and set an appointment for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 2.

The Murder of Lindsay Buziak

On February 2, Lindsay and Jason ate a late lunch at a restaurant, paying the bill at 4:24 p.m. They left separately in their own cars. Investigators believe Lindsay went home to change while Jason went to an auto repair shop to pick up a colleague. He was running late, though, and left the shop at 5:30 p.m. (verified by surveillance video).

Meanwhile, Lindsay met the mystery couple at the property, an empty house at 1702 De Sousa Place. Although the caller had told Lindsay she would come alone, witnesses saw a tall man accompanying the blonde woman. From the way she greeted and shook hands with the couple, witnesses concluded Lindsay did not know them.

The house at 1702 De Sousa Place (Google Maps) — The house at 1702 De Sousa Place (*Google Maps*)

At 5:40, Jason and his passenger arrived at the property. Seeing a figure through the door glass, he waited outside. After ten minutes, he moved his car to another street to avoid appearing as the “nosey boyfriend.” Ten minutes later, he texted Lindsay to see if all was well, but she did not open the message.

Alarmed, Jason returned to the house and found the front door locked. He called 9-1-1. Meanwhile, his companion discovered the back patio door was wide open and entered the house. He unlocked the front door, and Jason dashed upstairs. He found Lindsay in the master bedroom, lying in a pool of blood, having suffered multiple stab wounds. He called 9-1-1 again, and emergency services were soon on the scene.

Who Killed Lindsay Buziak?

Paramedics pronounced Lindsay dead. She had no defensive wounds, so the attack likely came from behind without warning. None of her possessions had been stolen, and she had not been sexually assaulted.

Police took Jason Zailo and his colleague into custody but soon released them because the timestamped video from the auto shop proved they couldn’t have committed the murder.

The investigation revealed that someone purchased the phone the female “client” used to call Lindsay in Vancouver. It was activated it using the fake name Paulo Rodriguez. It was registered to a legitimate business address, but police believe the buyer chose the address at random. Cell phone “pings” showed that the phone traveled on the ferry from Vancouver the day before the murder. It was only used to call Lindsay and was deactivated soon after she was killed.

Police never developed a viable suspect or made an arrest in the case.

Epilogue

Fifteen years after her murder, Lindsay Buziak’s case remains unsolved. Although police continue to try to develop new evidence and have involved the FBI, they have not arrested anyone.

In September 2010, Dateline NBC aired Dream House Murder, an episode about the case.

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2023/08/142023/08/14

Larry Rudolph: Popular Dentist’s Evil Murder Plot

In my last blog post, you learned about a critical care nurse who used succinylcholine to murder his politician wife, Kathy Augustine. This week’s case is, sadly, another domestic homicide. In 2016, Pittsburgh-area dentist Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph killed his wife, Bianca, while on a safari in Zambia. He then claimed Bianca had accidentally shot herself.

Larry Rudolph and the “Accident”

Larry Rudolph was a successful dentist. His clinics, Three Rivers Dental Group, had made him a wealthy man by the mid-2010s. In 2016, he and his wife had been married for thirty-four years. They shared a passion for big game hunting and often went on safaris in Kafue National Park in Zambia. The couple was wrapping up one of these trips when tragedy struck.

Bianca and Larry Rudolph (Larry Rudolph/Facebook) — Bianca and Larry Rudolph (*Larry Rudolph/Facebook*)

Larry and Bianca were in their hunting cabin at about 5:00 a.m. on October 11, 2016. Bianca was packing when, according to Larry, her shotgun accidentally discharged, killing her instantly.

Zambian authorities investigated and ruled the shooting accidental. An FBI agent reported the ruling, and the case was closed. Rudolph had Bianca’s body cremated before leaving Zambia.

Larry Rudolph shared a passion for big game hunting with his wife, Bianca (From Facebook) — Larry Rudolph shared a passion for big game hunting with his wife, Bianca (*From Facebook*)

Larry Rudolph Goes On with Life

After Bianca’s death, Rudolph collected nearly $5 million on life insurance policies from multiple insurers. Documents suggest that the insurance companies did conduct their own investigations before paying up.

In most cases, that would have been that. However, Larry Rudolph had been conducting a long-term extramarital affair with one Lori Milliron, who he eventually placed in charge of managing his dental clinics. In addition, Bianca’s friends had suspicions of foul play. After all, how could Bianca, an experienced hunter, have been so careless as to leave her shotgun loaded? And why did her husband hurriedly have her body cremated? Bianca was a devout Catholic and opposed cremation.

In 2020, Larry Rudolph learned that the FBI was reopening the investigation into Bianca’s death. At dinner at the upscale Steak 44 in Phoenix, Arizona, a bartender overheard Larry say, “I killed my f***ing wife for you!”

Larry Rudolph Goes Down

In December 2021, Larry Rudolph was arrested in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he owned a home. He went on trial in July 2022, charged with murder and mail fraud (for defrauding the insurance companies). The trial took place in U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado, because it was the home location for several of the insurers.

On August 1, 2022, a federal jury found Rudolph guilty of murder and defrauding multiple insurance companies. They also convicted his mistress, Lori Milliron, of being an accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice, and two counts of perjury before the grand jury.

Epilogue

Lori Milliron received a sentence of seventeen years in prison. Today (2023), she resides at the Federal Correctional Institution Marianna in Marianna, Florida.

Larry Rudolph’s sentencing was postponed. He could receive either life in prison or the death penalty. He awaits sentencing (2023) at the Federal Correction Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colorado.

Dateline NBC aired Safari Story, an episode about Bianca Rudolph’s murder, on December 2, 2022.

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2023/07/312023/07/31

Kathy Augustine: Unusual Poison Makes Mystery of a Murder

Last week’s blog post presented the case of Barbara “Bloody Babs” Graham. California executed Graham and two men for murdering an elderly widow in 1953. This week, we look at Chaz Higgs and the murder of his wife, Nevada politician Kathy Augustine.

Kathy Augustine

Kathy Augustine was born into an Italian-American family in Los Angeles. After college, she worked as a flight scheduler for Delta Airlines and, briefly after 1988, as a flight attendant. She had two short marriages, both ending in divorce, before she married Delta Airlines pilot Charles Augustine in 1986.

Kathy Augustine in Politics

In 1992, Kathy entered politics (she had a master’s degree in public administration), running for the Nevada Assembly. She won despite criticism that some of her campaign literature had a racial slant (her opponent was African American). After completing one term in the Assembly, Kathy defeated incumbent Lori Lipman Brown for a seat in the Nevada Senate. This campaign also drew criticism for inaccurate claims made about Brown’s positions on issues.

In 1998, Kathy won election as Nevada’s first female state controller.

Kathy’s career suffered a setback when, in September 2004, she faced charges that she violated state ethics laws. The state Ethics Commission fined her $15,000 for using state personnel and equipment for her personal reelection campaign. The Nevada Assembly impeached her, ultimately convicting her on one charge but acquitting her on three others. The Assembly censured her, but she was allowed to stay in office.

Kathy Augustine and Chaz Higgs

In August 2003, Charles Augustine suffered a stroke and died on August 19. Charles “Chaz” Higgs was one of the critical care nurses caring for him in the hospital.

Three weeks after Charles’s death, Kathy Augustine and Chaz Higgs married.

Kathu Augustine and Chaz Higgs (Forensic Files) — Kathu Augustine and Chaz Higgs (*Forensic Files*)

The Murder of Kathy Augustine

On July 8, 2006, Kathy was found unconscious in her Reno home. She died three days later, on July 11, without regaining consciousness.

Early reports stated that Kathy’s cause of death was a heart attack. Police soon suspected foul play, however. For one thing, Chaz Higgs allegedly made suspicious remarks to a co-worker about how to kill someone undetectably. FBI forensic tests later found trace amounts of the paralyzing drug succinylcholine in Kathy’s system. Succinylcholine leaves the body very quickly and is often difficult to detect.

On July 14, Higgs attempted suicide by cutting his wrists in the couple’s Las Vegas home. He survived and remained free for two months until police arrested him in Hampton, Virginia, on September 29, 2006. He was extradited back to Nevada to stand trial for murder.

Epilogue

On June 29, 2007, a Reno jury convicted Chaz Higgs of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole after twenty years. In May 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld his conviction. Today (summer 2023), Chaz resides at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City, Nevada.

Chaz Higgs prison mugshot (Nevada Department of Corrections) — Chaz Higgs prison mugshot (*Nevada Department of Corrections*)

You can read more about the Kathy Augustine murder in Gary C. King’s An Almost Perfect Murder.

The true crime television series Forensic Files featured the Augustine case in a 2008 episode titled Political Thriller.

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2023/07/242023/07/24

Barbara Graham: Robbery Complete Fail Makes for Murder

In my blog post last week, Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald murdered his wife and two daughters. The case generated tremendous public interest. This week’s blog details the murder for which Barbara Graham, dubbed “Bloody Babs” by the press, went to the California gas chamber.

Barbara Graham

Barbara Graham, born Barbara Elaine Ford in 1923 in Oakland, California, didn’t have much chance in life. Her mother, Hortense, was an unmarried teenager who supported herself through prostitution. When Barbara was two, her mother, still in her teens, was sent to reform school, and Barbara went into foster care. Hortense was able to leave Ventura State School for Girls when she turned 21, but she refused to let Barbara live with her.

Extended family and strangers raised Barbara. Although intelligent, she had little formal education. Arrested for vagrancy, she ended up in the same institution where her mother had been.

After reform school, Barbara tried marriage and a traditional lifestyle, but it was not to be. Married and divorced three times, she became a sex worker like her mother. During World War II, She ran with a crowd that included gamblers, drug addicts, ex-convicts, and career criminals.

Barbara eventually served a five-year prison term for perjury at the California Women’s State Prison at Tehachapi. She had given false alibis to a pair of petty criminals.

After prison, she moved briefly to Nevada before returning to Los Angeles and prostitution. She married Henry Graham, a bartender at one of her hangouts. But Graham was a drug addict and a hardened but low-level criminal. Through him, she met the people that ultimately caused her conviction and execution.

Barbara Graham and the Mabel Monohan Murder

Mabel Monohan was 64, a widow, and a retired vaudeville performer. Her former son-in-law, Luther Scherer, was a mover and shaker in Los Vegas gambling circles and suspected of having mob ties. Even though Mabel’s daughter had divorced Scherer and married another man, he and Mabel remained close. Somehow, this led to a rumor that Scherer kept $100,000 ($1,142,730 in 2023) of Scherer’s money in a safe in Mabel’s home.

Mabel Monahan's home at 1718 Parkside Drive in Burbank looks much as it did in 1953 (lamag.com) — Mabel Monahan’s home at 1718 Parkside Drive in Burbank looks much as it did in 1953 (*lamag.com*)

Henry Graham’s friends, Jack Santo and Emmett “The Weasel” Perkins, both career criminals, heard the rumors. Together with Barbara, John True, and Baxter Shorter, a safecracker, they planned to steal the stash of cash from Mabel’s home.

Mabel Monohan (lamag.com) — Mabel Monohan (*lamag.com*)

On the evening of March 9, 1953, Barbara Graham knocked on the Monohan door. She asked to use the phone, saying she had car trouble. When Mabel admitted her, Perkins, Santo, and True pushed in after her. In his subsequent confession, Shorter claimed he entered the home later and saw Mabel moaning and bleeding on the floor. After the five left and Shorter was alone, he claimed he dialed “O” and requested an ambulance (there was no 911 in 1953). However, he neglected to tell the operator that the Monohan house was in Burbank instead of Los Angeles. It was two days before Mabel’s gardener found her body.

The robbery was a complete bust. Mabel had no safe and no $100,000. The “robbers” found little of value.

Barbara Graham Tried and Convicted

On March 26, 1953, police arrested and questioned five men. Three were known associates of L.A. gangster Mickey Cohen, and one was Baxter Shorter. Although police released the five for lack of evidence, Shorter decided to confess and get a deal rather than face the gas chamber.

Shorter made a complete confession. However, news of it leaked out, and when police released him, he was kidnapped and murdered.

Enter William Upshaw. Upshaw testified before the grand jury, claiming to have been in the car with Graham, Perkins, Santo, True, and Shorter the night before the murder. The six were casing Mabel’s home. He said he dropped out of the robbery, fearing retribution from Luther Scherer.

Jack Santo (L), Emmet Perkins (C), and Barbara Graham (R) (murderpedia.org) — Jack Santo (L), Emmet Perkins (C), and Barbara Graham (R) (*murderpedia.org*)

Besides Upshaw, John True agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for immunity. He testified against Barbara, who continually proclaimed her innocence.

Barbara had no alibi. She doomed her case by offering to pay $25,000 ($285,683 in 2023) to another inmate and a “friend” to provide a false alibi. However, the inmate was out to reduce her own sentence, and the “friend” was a police officer. The “friend” recorded the conversation between the three and got Graham to admit she’d been at the murder scene. This attempt to suborn perjury and her previous perjury conviction torpedoed Barbara’s credibility in court.

Graham was convicted, while the informant had her sentence reduced to time served and was released.

Epilogue

Barbara Graham died in the California gas chamber on June 3, 1955. Joe Feretti, one of the men assisting in the execution, told her to take a deep breath, and it would go quicker and easier for her. Barbara responded, “How the hell would you know?”

In 1958, a sympathetic and highly fictionalized version of Barbara’s story, I Want to Live!, earned Susan Hayward an Academy Award for Best Actress. Lindsay Wagner portrayed Graham in a 1983 television movie of the same name.

Over the years, anti-death penalty advocates have used Barbara Graham’s case to promote their agenda. Proof of Guilt: Barbara Graham and the Politics of Executing Women in America by Kathleen A. Cairns examines this phenomenon.