Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Just a few days later, a second dark green suitcase washed ashore on Fisherman Island, New York (via People). James Koedatich, shown at left in court in 1983, is serving two life sentences for killing 18-year-old Parsippany high school student Amie Hoffman and 25-year-old Mendham Township resident Deirdre O'Brien. A top priority for New Jersey investigators was determining if Melanie McGuire had ever owned a gun. When a bullet passes through, its smooth surface becomes imprinted with the same number of lands and grooves as the barrel. Sacks firmly believes that prosecutors failed to answer key questions in the case. She was immediately booked into the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center on first-degree murder charges, but made her $750,000 bail ($1.04 million today). The evidence in this case points to a well-organized, meticulously planned execution of a murder, Prezioso said during the trial. Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a women's correctional facility in New Jersey. (Star-Ledger and State of New Jersey photos), Serial killer's earliest parole date? She said her marriage to Bill McGuire was not going well and claimed that he was violent. William McGuire died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Melanie McGuire was 31 and a mother of two when she was charged with killing and dismembering her husband of five years, William McGuire. James Zarateappealed for years to have his sentence reduced, with his attorney claiming he was influenced by his older brother. (Photos from New Jersey News Photos and the state Department of Corrections), Killer whose crime sparked Megan's Law will stay in prison for life. Melanie recounted an example when Bill got a speeding ticket, he became so enraged that he told her he was going to return home and kill her. [9] Police released a facial reconstruction sketch of the victim, which an acquaintance of Bill McGuire's recognized. got caught dumping the trunk into a river. They knew that Pennsylvania was close and a lot of people will go to Pennsylvania for firearms because gun laws are more lax, Sacks said. Robinson hasn't filed any appeals, according to court records. nj.com/tips. That night, according to the prosecution, McGuire drugged her husband, shot him dead, and subsequently dismembered his body. Brothers Jonathan Zarate (top left and top right) and his little brother James Zarate (bottom left and bottom right) were convicted of killing their neighbor in 2005 in Randolph. Phil Murphy announced Monday. More than a year later, on October 26, 2006, McGuire was charged with two counts of hindering apprehension for allegedly writing letters to police aimed at getting them off her trail. His earliest possible parole date from state custody in New Jersey would be June 10, 2388, according to the Department of Corrections. His first trial ended in a hung jury, but he was convicted of murder in 2002. Police quickly found his car in a parking lot there. Crime: Cullen, a nurse who worked at a number of hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in 2005 to killing a total of 29 patients between the two states, beginning in 1988. Cottingham, now 71, is incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, according to correctional records. He claimed he was on a mission from God to "close the gates of hell"through the killings. This docket was last retrieved on May 24, 2021. Rebecca Everett may be reached atreverett@njadvancemedia.com. (Tim Hawk/Department of Corrections), Dad gets deal after admitting he killed 3-year-old son. [4] She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, and is serving her sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey. His remains were found nearly a year later in a marshy area in Edison not far from her former workplace. After being released on bail, Melanie faced additional charges on October 11, 2005. (Photos via New Jersey News Photos and state Department of Corrections), Woodbridge mom's killer behind bars for good after two trials. To drive from New Jersey to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia requires driving through Delaware, and the first suitcase turned up the very next day, Prezioso said. Although investigators were unable to find physical evidence of murder inside the McGuire's home, they were able to find small pieces of Bill McGuire's flesh -- evidence that would eventually be referred to in the media as human sawdust -- from the car. Crime: Autumn Pasquale, 12, disappeared after riding her bike to Robinson's home in Clayton, where he promised to work on her bike in 2012. That requires two drivers so certainly that means someone helped her, said Prezioso. A judge in October 2016 rejected both claims. The New Jersey fertility nurse was sentenced to life in prison back in 2007 for murdering her husband Bill in April 2004. It was the timing of that purchase, though, that really caught the eye of investigators: It happened just two days before Bill McGuire went missing. Then he hired congregant Len Jenoff and Paul Danielsto beat his wife to death and make it look like a botched robbery. Miller was adamant that he had nothing to do with any crime, and he didnt know anything about this. When Bill McGuires body was found with bullet wounds, prosecutors pointed to the fact that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun in Pennsylvania just two days before her husband was reported missing. FindNJ.com on Facebook. She was sentenced to life in prison. However, the state's expert disagreed, testifying that he ran the tests he believed were necessary to link the bags. Melanie McGuire/Bill McGuire. The prescription for chloral hydrate came from Millers prescription pad. Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg are the hosts of the podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors. Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. He is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole. She said her husband left and that she never saw him again. What's happened with their appeals? Where are they now? (NJ Dept. They were confident Miller was not involved in the crime but were never able to bring charges against anyone else. After pulling the surveillance footage from the parking lot, however, investigators were disappointed. We were not gathering evidence from a gun manufacturer's website. Fortin, now 53, is serving his sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. [9] Melanie later claimed she had moved the car as a "prank",[8] even though she had applied for a protection from abuse order days earlier after allegedly being slapped by her husband. Supreme Court declined to hear it in 2016. Lodzinski tried to get her conviction thrown out on the grounds the jury had been tainted by a foreman's independent research about the case. Harris, who has served 24 years, is held in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. Melanie McGuire, the notorious "suitcase killer" convicted in 2007 of slaying her husband, has given a lengthy podcast interview and has spoken in a rare TV interview with "20/20" to proclaim her innocence in a quixotic bid for exoneration, ABC News reports. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. The announcement comes after the state released an investigative . Watch new at 9/8c on ABC. She purchased a gun just two days before he was shot, so the timing was suspicious but she claimed Bill had asked her to buy the gun for him, and she agreed. Tell us. Miller agreed to cooperate with investigators and was never charged in the crime. Prosecutors said Melanie McGuire then stuffed her husband's remains into weighted suitcases she later dumped into the Chesapeake Bay. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?" While on death row, Harris punched, kicked and stomped to death a fellow death row inmate, Robert "Mudman" Simon, who had been convicted of killing Franklin Township police Sgt. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. What's happened with their appeals? What's happened with their appeals? . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [9] On May 11, a second larger suitcase was found on the beach of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, by a graduate student cleaning up litter on the beach. [27][28], In 2022, Lifetime produced a movie called Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" series of movies for television. She was. She put his remains into a 3-piece suitcase set, and those three pieces were later found in Chesapeake Bay. Fortin in 2010 appealed his second conviction, arguing several prosecution witnesses should not have been allowed to testify at trial. As McGuire maintains her innocence, she is running out of appeal options. In 2010, Locane got into an accident while driving drunk killing one person in the crash and was convicted of second-degree homicide and assault with a vehicle. She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007. The state Department of Corrections in 2011 rejected his request for a transfer to a prison Illinois so he could be closer to his family. Crime: Latasha Goodman, 6, was playing in a relative's yard in Asbury Park July 18, 1993 when Cooper, 22, approached and offered money for candy and ice cream if she went with him. [14], Shortly after her conviction, but before sentencing, McGuire appealed for a new trial on the basis of the story of jailhouse informant Christopher Thieme that her husband was deeply in debt and may have been killed by Atlantic City mobsters. Crime: After splitting with his wife, the Neptune police sergeant was upset because he felt like he wasn't getting enough time with their nine children. After all these years, I still feel hurt. Koedatich, who just turned 70 behind bars, is incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, according to correctional records. 3d 948 - NJ: Supreme Court 2011 - Google Scholar", "N.J. Supreme Court won't hear appeal of convicted 'suitcase killer', "Convicted killer Melanie McGuire seeking post-conviction relief in June hearing", "Suitcase killer Melanie McGuire seeks new review of evidence", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melanie_McGuire&oldid=1151299073, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New Jersey, People from Middletown Township, New Jersey, People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 04:25. Crime: Pennsylvania artist Kristen Huggins, 22, was in Trenton to paint a mural in 1992 when Harris carjacked, kidnapped, raped and murdered her. Philip Seidle, a former Neptune police sergeant, is pictured in court in 2016, and in his most recent prison mugshot. He remained on death row for years while he appealed, and the death sentence was abolished in 2007. "Direct Appeal," a 20-episode Apple podcast hosted by criminologists, examined her case once more, suggesting that much of the evidence against Melanie was circumstantial. Gov. Melanie claimed that Bill was abusing her and was frequently violent (via ABCNews). He was arrested the next day and convicted in 1995. and more than 40 hours of new interviews with Melanie McGuire Bill became a computer technician, while Melanie sought out a career path as a fertility clinic nurse. He was successful in 2017 and had his life sentence changed to 50 years. Where are they now? David "DJ" Creato Jr. appears in court in 2016 and in a recent prison photo. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. He had been givenchloral hydrate, shot, his body cut into three pieces and his blood drained. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? Melanie McGuire told ABC News Amy Robach in a rare interview from prison for "20/20.. Bergrin, now 62, is serving his sentence in the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado. AP Among the trans women inmates housed at Edna Mahan are Michelle. State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishmentfor her original conviction (second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by an auto), which was deemed too lenient. A subscription to PACER is required. (Times of Trenton file photo/Department of Corrections), He raped and killed a young artist, then killed a guy on death row. New Jersey will close its only prison for women after years of documented physical and sexual abuses of inmates by guards. At trial, prosecutors presented an apparent mountain of circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire in Bill McGuires disappearance and murder. Its out there., Melanie McGuire said she's speaking in a new #ABC2020 interview tonight with @ARobach, 16 years after she was convicted of murdering her husband, because she believes "the killer is out there and it's not me." [4] Its official abbreviation is EMCFW. The circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire was mounting by this point, but investigators were still having trouble finding any physical evidence that would link Melanie McGuire to her husband's murder, according to Sacks. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (formerly the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women) [1] is a prison facility for women of the state of New Jersey Department of Corrections, located in Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, [2] [3] near Clinton. This stuff exists, she said on the show. Where are they now? He faces anothersix life sentences for his crimes in Pennsylvania. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The pair had wed in 1999 and shared two young sons together. (Star-Ledger file photo), Inside the fenceline at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton. [9] Police believed that she used a syringe and prescription from her work to obtain the drug used as a means to incapacitate her husband.[11]. Melanie McGuire's story has been documented in six TV shows since 2007, including "20/20" and "Deadly Affairs" (via IMDb), and one book in 2008, "To Have and To Kill." They recorded her calls with family and friends, including Miller, with whom she was having the affair. Where are they now? At the time, the local media also reported this detail about the parking lot's surveillance cameras. His crimes were discovered in May 1980, when a maid at a Hasbrouck Heights motel heard Cottingham's next intended victim an 18-year-old woman screaming from inside his room. [1] She graduated, second in her class, from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. https://directappealpodcast.com/. What's happened with their appeals? [15][16][17][18][19] On July 19, 2007, at the age of 34, McGuire was sentenced to life in prison.[20]. In an . ", Credit: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage; ABC, Amy Locane's prison cell roommate is the notorious Suitcase Killer. [26], On September 25, 2014, McGuire appeared in court with her new attorney Lois DeJulio, a public defender, to try to get a hearing that could overturn her 2007 murder conviction, on the grounds that her previous legal representation by Joe Tacopina was inadequate or ineffective. Heavy writes that at the time of his murder, Bill was married to Melanie McGuire. David Cooper, in a mugshot after the death of Latasha Goodman, and his recent prison photo. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [24][25] On April 29, 2014, McGuire filed a motion for post-conviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and newly discovered evidence. He had been married to Melanie McGuire and it was soon discovered that she was his killer. Where are they now:Records show Timmendequas, now 57, is serving his sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. Her earliest possible parole date is May 20, 2073, according to the Department of. Where are they now? Where are they now? Prezioso believed the "human sawdust" was the result of Bill McGuire's dismemberment. An application for a federal appeal was rejected in December 2021. She told Miller that she was furniture shopping, according to Prezioso, who said she believes that is when Melanie McGuire drove the suitcases with her husbands remains to Chesapeake Bay. McGuire, now 46 years old, is serving a life sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. Convicted murderer Melanie McGuire says she's 'terrified to hope': Part 11 McGuire, who was convicted in 2007 of killing her husband Bill McGuire, said the hardest part has been not being able . At least the prison conversations won't be, ahem, boring for Amy Locane. Melanie McGuire never reported her husband was missing. This case was filed in U.S. Courts Of Appeals, U.S. Court Of Appeals, Third Circuit. A 46-second preview of the movie shows a woman finding a suitcase on the beach and then moving away as she opens it. He ultimately was convicted of two murders and three kidnappings in New Jersey, in addition to the murder of three women in New York. Fortin's appeal was rejected first by a state appellate court in 2015 and then by the state Supreme Court the following year. Following the 2018 investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the prison, the DOC released a statement in April, 2020, saying reforms were introduced at the prison to make it easier for inmates to report sexual abuse. They brought in the luminol, and they also pulled down parts of the walls. She's serving a life sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. Follow him on Twitter at@ThomasDMoriarty. Prezioso is certain that Bill McGuires murderer is the woman who was convicted and is now sitting in prison. [9], On May 5, 2004, the first suitcase, containing human legs, was found by two fishermen and two children floating near the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel's fourth artificial island, and a murder investigation was launched. In an interview with "20/20," Melanie said (via ABC News), "After all these years, I still feel hurt. A judge in October 2016 rejected both claims, granted Koedatich's request for a new test of DNA evidence. What Happened To Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer. And Lifetime will revive the sensational story once again when it releases a fictional movie about the McGuire suitcase killer on June 22, 2022 (via Yahoo). "My job is not to convince the world. Sentence: Judge Dennis Cavanaugh gave Bergrin six life sentences, plus multiple concurrent sentences, for the 23 charges. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Bradley Miller. They really turned this place upside down a number of times They couldn't find any forensic evidence whatsoever to establish this was a crime scene.. However, McGuire was acquitted of the two counts of hindering apprehension, as well as tampering with evidence and possession of Xanax without prescription. Sentence: After being convicted in 2008, Miraglia was sentenced to two life sentences without possibility of parole, plus one day each on weapons charges. (Patti Sapone/Department of Corrections), Neptune police sergeant kills wife in front of daughter. She was found guilty and the former nurse remains held at the troubled Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, where she is serving a life sentence. She may be eligible for parole after serving 66 years in prison, court documents filed in her case said. If youre willing to wear a wire, well believe you, said Sacks. Prosecutors also pointed to Melanie McGuire's supposed internet searches in the days leading up to Bill McGuires disappearance. "There was no evidence connecting him to this crime.. Melanie McGuire's defense team focused on the lack of physical evidence, insisting it was more likely that Bill McGuire was murdered as the result of his gambling, than at the hands of his diminutive wife. APP.com reported that he is locked up alone in a maximum-security cell. It was hard. Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story, "Melanie McGuire Found Guilty of Murder in 2004 Shooting Death and Dismemberment of Her Husband", "Melanie McGuire, SBI Number: 000319833C", "Author to sign copies of Melanie McGuire book", "Case 120: Bill McGuire from Casefile True Crime", "Wife arrested in gory dismemberment murder", "General Discussion - Melanie McGuire guilty as hell", "Defense to withdraw motion for McGuire retrial", "Bit player in infamous N.J. murder case charged in bizarre murder-for-hire plot", "Man gets jail for plotting to kill online crush", https://www.state.nj.us/grc/decisions/pdf/2014-275.pdf, "McGuire sentenced to life in prison for suitcase murder", "State v. McGuire, 16 A. Sentence: 30 years. After a ruling by the state Supreme Court that Fortin was eligible for the newly created sentence of life without parole, a judge in 2010 imposed the maximum sentence. The fisherman pulled a dark green suitcase from the estuaryand pried it open to find that the contents of the suitcase were two human legs, cut at the knees. She is currently incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey . During her arraignment on murder charges, McGuire's case was dubbed the "Suitcase Murder" by various media outlets. Sentence: Cooper was sentenced to death. She didn't contact Bill or report him as a missing person, which some of Bill's friends found suspicious. I still feel bothered. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. This suitcase held more human remains and clues that would help determine the identity of the victim, which contained the torso and head of Bill McGuire. Bill McGuire, 39, disappeared April 28, 2004, shortly after announcing to his friends that he and his wife had just closed the sale of their first home, according to an appeal filed in her case. Follow her on Twitter@rebeccajeverett. The federal courts upheld his conviction, and in its decision said Bergrin's downfall "might have been the subject of a sophocles tragedy in olden times or a Scorsese film these days.". Melanie McGuire is now serving a lifetime sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, as Entertainment Weekly reports. This suitcase was found to contain the head and torso with three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the head. The New Jersey couple occasionally had fights and broke up from time to time but always got back together (via YouTube). What's happened with their appeals? Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al 21-1750 | U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit | Justia Justia Dockets & Filings Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report Melanie McGuire explained that the night after Bill McGuire went missing, she was becoming angrier at her husband and suspected she knew where he was: Atlantic City. He took her out of the yard, sexually assaulted and strangled her, and left her body in a nearby yard. . Have a tip? Melanie McGuire: With Melanie McGuire, William McGuire. Robinson, 21, is at Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in Chesterfield Township. Meghan Sacks, host of podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professor questions Melanie McGuire's guilt. Make up your mind. The podcasters and Melanie McGuire also point to unexplained animal hair found on Bill McGuires dismembered body and noted in investigative reports. Days later, an unidentified man, believed by many to be her stepfather, also contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the charge removed. She's now a 47-year-old inmate at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, where she claims that she's not only innocent of killing her husband but that his real killer is still out there. Melanie McGuire defends her innocence from inside prison in 2019, over a decade after she was convicted. McGuire, 49, a former fertility nurse who was nicknamed the "suitcase killer," was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in April 2007 of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, desecration of human remains and perjury in the death of her husband, William McGuire. Sentence: Both young men received life sentences plus additional time, butJames Zarate was resentenced last year to 50 years on the murder charge. Also if the crime scene didn't happen [at the family home] and she's home with her children all night, where is this happening? Dr. [9] The footage was blurry and the police weren't able to identify the person in the video. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. The movie also stars Michael Roark as William McGuire, Jackson Hurst as Dr. Bradley Miller and Wendie Malick as Patricia Prezioso,who formerly served in the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office and was lead prosecutor in the McGuire case. Just weeks after Melanie McGuire was found guilty, she appealed her case, claiming that Bill was $90,000 in debt to loan sharks in the mob (via NJ.com). No one plugged the serial number of my gun into a website to find out what the specifications were, said Melanie McGuire. We followed those killers as they were arrested, tried and sentenced, and even as they continued to appeal their convictions. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. She told her sons, now adults, to look into the case for themselves. But many are still behind bars, and will only get out as old men or women. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. He said he was leaving and he wasnt coming back and [that] I could tell my children they didnt have a father..
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