Michigan Murders: 50 years ago, terror in Ypsilanti ends - FOX 2 Detroit Although neither eyewitness was certain, both believed this student to be John Norman Collins: a student at Eastern Michigan University majoring in elementary education,[20] who lived directly across the street from Schell at 619 Emmet,[23] and whose physical features bore a likeness to the composite drawing police had generated of the driver of the vehicle Schell had entered. Living with Mom, and then moved into the basement of his uncle's house. Collins had returned to their shared apartment shortly thereafter and asked Davis to hide a knife for him. [86] When questioned as to the source of these clippings, Leik (who had not been informed of the discovery of the hair clippings found upon Beineman's panties) informed investigators that his wife regularly cut their children's hair in this basement, and that she had done so shortly before the family had embarked upon their vacation. [3], All the victims of the Michigan Murderer were young women between the ages of 13 and 21 who were abducted, raped, beaten and murderedtypically by stabbing or strangulationwith their bodies occasionally mutilated after death before being discarded within a 15-mile radius of Washtenaw County. 7 months agoIt really hammers down the point that you need to watch yourself. [43] These factors led police to publicly conclude the same perpetrator was responsible for at least three of the murders thus far committed. I said 'would you look at these pictures for me' and she said sure. ". John Norman Collins, aka the Coed Killer,was convicted of one murder in the series of seven linked murders that occurred between 1967-1969 in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, involving young women from two college campuses. A state prosecutor charged Collins with the first-degree premeditated murder of 18-year-old Karen Sue Beineman, a student at Eastern Michigan University. University of Michigan graduate Alice Kalom was next, found in a field with her throat cut, stab wounds, and a gunshot to the head. Location: Near an old farmhouse in a field in Superior Township, two miles north of Ypsilanti. "The Leik children, the three boys were all white blonde little guys and that hair, color wise, the first original look at it, seemed to be a fit," Larry said. In the case of California victim Roxie Ann Phillips, police had discovered that, prior to her murder, the victim had told a close friend she had met an Eastern Michigan University student named John, who owned a silver Oldsmobile Cutlass and several motorcycles; her nude, strangled body was found discarded in a patch of poison oak on July 13,[164] with the distinctive red-and-white floral patterned belt from her culotte dress knotted around her neck. [12] Kolbe later informed investigators that Schell had informed her of her intentions to hitchhike when it became apparent she had missed the last bus, and that one of the first vehicles to pass when Schell had begun hitchhiking was a red-and-black Pontiac Bonneville containing three young white men. john norman collins uncle's house - indiancountrycounts.org Following the state's closing argument, both Neil Fink and Joseph Louisell delivered separate closing arguments on behalf of the defense, describing Collins as a "young victim of circumstances" and dismissing much of the evidence presented as "fuzzy allegations," with Louisell being particularly scornful as to the testimony of Walter Holz, to whose conclusions, he asserted, the prosecution hinged its entire case. Hurkos accurately predicted that the murderer was a strongly built white male under 25 years of age, who had been born outside the United States, and who rode a motorcycle. The Michigan Attorney General and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office confirmed no litigation is in the works, and to prosecute the cases, investigators would need more evidence. Moreover, if Collins believes he was wrongly accused, he can request a review. Greg Fournier who attended EMU and wrote a book,"Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked,"and blog, Fornology.com spent years gathering informationwith his researcher Ryan Place. Upon conducting a search of the basement of this farmhouse, investigators discovered a further garment of her clothing, a length of electrical flex of the same type used to strangle the victim, and fresh human bloodstains, indicating this location as being the site of Basom's murder. Living with Mom, and then moved into the basement of his uncle's house. "They said she was in the basement having lunch so I went down there and talked with her. "Roxie is walking down the street, mailed a letter a block away from her house. His mother attended every single day of the trial. "He was probably 20 or 30 pounds heavier that I was. Hurkos proved to be of little help and soon the police had yet another body on their hands, student Karen Sue Bieneman. Victims like Mary Terese Fleszar, a 19-year-old EMU accounting major and Joan Elspetch Schell, a 20-year-old art student. Beineman's body was replaced with that of a tailor's mannequin, and the gully surrounding this mannequin monitored by undercover officers. Goshe then observed Beineman climb onto the motorcycle before the young man with whom she had accepted the ride drove away. In his email to the Free Press, Collins acknowledged he has no control over what people say about him, and that's why he refuses interviews. In September 1988, Chapman agreed to participate in a live interview conducted by the. Michigan Murders - Wikipedia The seven. Davis pointedto the laundry room. She was reported missing by her roommate, Sherri Green, when she failed to return to her dormitory after curfew. He's believed to be the last person to see the first victim alive. But Bundshuh who has a tattoo on his arm that says, unus veritas, Latin for "one truth" noted that throughout their conversations,Collins seemed to have a lot of rehearsed answers, as if he had been thinking aboutwhat to say for years. A Midnight Jogger John Norman Collins: The Co-Ed Killer Crime Library All Rights Reserved. John Norman Collins was born on the 17th of June, 1947. I never took her life. Moreover, although the prosecution at Collins' trial had been unable to question Arnold Davis in detail as to the contents of the laundry box he had observed his roommate hurriedly remove from their apartment and towards his car two days prior to his arrest, one of the items he had seen within this laundry box had been a distinctive purple leather shoe, which may have belonged to Kalom.[58]. Collins criticizes former sheriff Harvey, accusing him of having an obsession with hismother. ButCollins says Davis did somethingthat would "lead right back to me.". [76] These hair clippings were predominantly blond, and as such did not belong to the victim, whose own hair color had been dark brown. [54]), Less than two months after the murder of Dawn Basom, on June 9, three teenage boys discovered a partially nude body of a young woman in a field close to an abandoned farmhouse on North Territorial Road. There was a door with steps from the basement into the garage that had been covered over. [12], Almost one year later, on July 5, 1968, the partially decomposed, mutilated body of a 20-year-old art student named Joan Elspeth Schell[15] was found by construction workers on an Ann Arbor roadside. [67] Although this information proved to be of little help throughout the actual manhunt, Hurkos also predicted that this individual would shortly strike one final time. beautiful ceramic fountain, and enjoying your concrete round gas fire pit. ", THE EVIDENCE LOCKER: What police discovered at 7 Michigan murder crime scenes, CHAPTER 1: Never-before-published letters, interviews offer clues in infamous Michigan murders, CHAPTER 2: Murders of Michigan women still unsolved 50 years later but cops had eye on 1 man. In the 1970 trial, Joan Goshe, the owner of Wig's by Joan in Ypsilanti, testified that she saw Collins and Beineman the Eastern Michigan University coed from Grand Rapids outside the shop. She had last been seen on July 1 with John Norman Collins. Honest to God, that's what they said - apparantly, they didn't clean it well enough, and they came through the paint!Needless to say, Sherry and Mike were creeped out!!! [159] At the time of the announcement of this decision, preliminary legal maneuvers between Michigan and California authorities had been ongoing to extradite Collins to Monterey County to face trial for Phillips' murder.[160]. His nephew had stayed at the home: John Norman Collins. [96], The basement of Sgt. Seems basic enough, but a lot of this could have been avoided (or just brought the killer behind bars faster) if these girls would have followed these basic precautions. "It all began the day before I met Karen B. She researched the key suspects past, dug through hundreds of evidence photos and newspaper clippings and worked with Witsil to uncover new details in the cases. Through interviewing a recent girlfriend of Collins, investigators also learned that she had lived in an apartment complex directly across the road from the home of Dawn Basom, and that, throughout their courtship, Collins had been a regular visitor to her apartment. CHAPTER 3: 'Handsome' EMU student was unlikely serial killer suspect. 'The Michigan Murders' is one of those rare books you re-read because Sounds like a little youthful imagination!! [134] Although subjected to intense cross-examination by Joseph Louisell as to the reliability of his findings, Holz remained adamant the color, length, type and diameter of the hair samples found upon Beineman's panties were a precise match to those found in the Leik family basement. Funny thing, blood and semen evidence were collected from most of the victims and never once has Collins filed an appeal demanding a DNA test. Two months after Schell's murder, police inquiries produced two further eyewitnesses who stated they had observed Schell walking with a young man along Emmet Street on the evening she disappeared. David Leik, had refused to divulge the blood type(s) of his family to defense attorneys. Eight days later, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; he will live out the remainder of his days in the maximum security wing of Marquette Branch Prison. CHECK THE DNA. if what you say is true.why doesn't JNC insist on DNA testing to prove his innocence? By July 24, every cop in Washtenaw County was issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) for the bike and biker. [27], Despite the fact Mixer had not been subjected to a sexual assault, the fact her tights had been lowered to expose her thighs and sanitary napkin suggested a sexual motive behind the murder,[27] and although the victim had not been beaten, stabbed or mutilated, her student status, the tying of a garment around her neck, and the proximity of her abduction and murder led investigators to tentatively link her murder to those of Fleszar and Schell. The testimony of Joan Goshe was further supported by Patricia Spaulding, who testified as to having observed Collins for between three and four minutes as he had waited for Beineman to return to his motorcycle. (FOX 2) - By July 23, 1969, panic is in the hot, muggy, southeast Michigan air. He once told a girl that he had strangled a cat with a clothesline. [163], When Kalom's body was found, a distinctive boot print on her skirt was found to be a perfect match to a boot Collins had owned, and although Collins had evidently cleaned his car in an effort to destroy evidence prior to his arrest, investigators would find bloodstains in this vehicle and upon a raincoat he owned which were determined to match Kalom's blood type. [144] The jury then retired to consider their verdict, and would deliberate for over 27 hours over a period of three days, with an additional five-and-a-half hours devoted to their re-reading portions of testimony, before announcing they had reached their verdict. John Norman Collins | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers He was sentenced to life imprisonment for this final murder attributed to the Michigan Murderer on August 19, 1970,[4] and is currently incarcerated at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility. This vehicle had slowed to a stop before the driver had asked her, "Want a ride?" The girl gave him a picture, which he put in a photo lineup and went to the chocolate shop to look for the employee. As Davis opened the door for his roommate to leave the apartment, he observed that the contents of this box included a woman's purple shoe, rolled-up jean-like material, and a burlap purse. You can contact Patrick at734.487.3363, on twitter@WEMUPC, or email him atpcampion@emich.edu, Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI, PublishedOctober 30, 2017 at 6:55 AM EDT, Credit Lisa Powers (image on left) / https://lisapowers2020.smugmug.com/, Credit Lisa Powers / https://lisapowers2020.smugmug.com/, Credit Lisa Powers (image on right) / lisapowers2020.smugmug.com/, In our daily drives this time of year, we frequently encounter cyclists on the paths and roadways around town. On October 14, Judge Conlin rejected defense motions to dismiss the case, or suppress any evidence obtained; ruling Collins' arrest had been on the reasonable grounds he had committed a felony. Davis informed police he had long suspected Collins had murdered Schell, but had been too afraid to report his suspicions. Although Washtenaw County Sheriff Douglas Harvey conceded at a press conference that same month that investigators had little physical evidence to act upon and that the perpetrator had yet to make a serious error, he was adamant about the fact the murderer was still at large was due to pure luck, and not for lack of police effort. Investigators noted strong similarities between this murder and previous killings attributed to the Michigan Murderer, including the fact that a garter belt had been tied around Skelton's neck[35] and her clothes and shoes had been neatly placed beside her body. The victim had received multiple slash and stab wounds to the body (including two stab wounds which had pierced her heart),[55] and a gunshot wound to the forehead before her neck had been cut through to the spine. Fournier said Collins'cousin, John Chapman, gave him the letters, but he decided against including them inhis 2016 book. Fournier, who offered the letters to the Free Press,speculated that Collins blamed Davis as revenge for testifying against him at trial. Three days later it was discovered, and this set a strange sequence of events into effect that would eventually lead to the capture of who many had dubbed the "Ypsilanti Ripper.". Sorry for the error.. xK. Evidently, despite Collins' protestations of innocence and denials of even knowing Karen Sue Beineman, she had been in the basement of Collins' uncle at the time of, shortly before, or shortly after her murder.[68]. Convicted of one The Michigan Murders, a series of killings that terrorized southeastern Michigan for two years, but is believed to have committed all. July 31: John Norman Collins is placed under arrest for Beineman's murder. "We fooled around a little more and I ejaculated on her panties. Best wishes! [48], Investigators found no definite evidence Basom had been subjected to a sexual assault prior to her murder. Collins was ready to confess, but without a witness, the former sheriff said itmight not stick. She worked across the hall from where Collins had a student job," Fournier said. [146] He remained impassive upon hearing the jury foreman announce the verdict, although many spectators gasped audibly,[102] and his mother and sister left the courtroom in tears. It would seem unlikely he didn't know Mary. ". Decades later, Fournier showed the former sheriffCollins'letters. Karen had been tortured before her death, beaten on the head, had been strangled to death and dumped, naked, off Riverside Drive. "When the doctor and his wife came down here to the end of the street to get the mail, his wife looked down and said 'there's a body down there," Fournier said. Although investigators had informally exchanged information with agencies from other jurisdictions on an irregular basis since the previous summer, no coordination to combine efforts and resources had ensued until the discovery of the third victim definitely linked to the series. [9] Her nude body was found by two 15-year-old boys on an abandoned farm at Superior Township on August 7, and was formally identified via dental records the following day. The killer had taken too big of a risk with Beineman however. Two people saw Roxie get in the car. [161] He had further informed his roommate he had agreed to drive Schell from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti the following day. Born in Windsor, Canada, Collins istheyoungest of three, with an older brother and sister,Jerryand Gail. Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked Paperback - August 1, 2016 by Gregory A. Fournier (Author) 236 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $6.95 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Paperback $22.95 12 Used from $12.59 15 New from $16.50 Audio CD $30.54 2 New from $28.44 Through interviewing acquaintances of Phillips, investigators established that she had been introduced to the individual she had referred to as "John from Michigan" through a 17-year-old friend named Nancy Ann Albrecht, who informed police she had herself become acquainted with Collins on June 29, and that she had mentioned her friend (Phillips) to Collins on this date. She had last been seen on July 1 with John Norman Collins. [50] She had been accompanied part of the way by a friend named Earl Kidd, who informed police he and Basom had parted company at a desolate road just five blocks from her home,[51] where Basom had begun walking alone alongside railroad tracks toward her home. Evidence fromJoan Schell, 20, of Plymouth and Maralynn Skelton, 16, of Romulus, hasyet to be tested, the detectives said. Karen had left to walk to a wig shop in downtown Ypsilanti, yet she arrived on the back of a motorcycle. When I was first arrested my Mother asked me if I had done this and I told her 'NO' and she never asked me about it again. Triad Animal torture Yes. I am adding your comment to the story.My friend Ray who grew up near Gale rd confirmed your facts. [18], Schell hailed from Plymouth and had recently moved into a house on Emmet Street in Ypsilanti; she was last seen by her roommate, Susan Kolbe, at a Washtenaw Avenue bus stop on the evening of June 30. "He said he kept trying and she said she was going to call the police and he SNAPPED and choked her. [47], One week after the murder of Dawn Basom, a detective conducting a routine examination of this farmhouse basement discovered a scrap of cloth from Basom's blouse, plus an earring later determined to belong to Maralynn Skelton. She had been beaten and strangled and then dumped in a patch of poison oak in the canyon. I don't think there was ever a farmhouse or barn in the area you referenced. I have read all that is available on this story and feel this guy was wrongly convicted. Upon cross-examination, Dr. Guinn did agree with defense attorney Neil Fink that a statistical analysis of hair mixtures had never been attempted in a court of law,[136] although he remained firm that his applications had been performed via scientific principles. "Her and the daughter both had miniskirts on and with the boots, all the way up, and long, dangly earrings. [17], The lack of blood beneath or near the corpse, plus the testimony of eyewitnesses, led investigators to determine Schell's body had lain in its present location for less than 24 hours. They wanted to see whether they could find aDNA match with other victims. Karen was the latest girl in a two-year stretch to go missing. Triad Animal torture Yes. The moment for a confession, Harvey said, had passed. Before Collins left the Golden State, he saw a doctor for a case of poison oak. [52] (The farmhouse itself was destroyed in an act of arson on May 13; when the fire was extinguished, five clipped lilacs[53] were found arranged in an even row across the driveway to the building, leading investigators to theorize they had been placed there by the murderer to symbolize each victim. ", "Autopsy Shows EMU Coed was Stabbed Many Times", "Ypsilanti Man Arraigned, Accused of Co-Ed Murder", "Citizens Asked to Aid Murder-Suspect Hunt", "Collins' Trial Will Begin on Tuesday: Faces Charge of Murder in Slaying of Co-Ed", "Man Convicted in 1979 Slaying of University of Michigan Student", "Fourth in Area: Girl Found Murdered Near North Campus", "Latest Slaying in Ann Arbor Area Linked to Dope, Policewoman Says", "Path of Murder Victim Traced to Restaurant: Girl Found Slain Near Ann Arbor May Have Bought Food For Killer", "Police Seek Clues to Fourth Girl Murdered", "Murder Victim Had Electric Cord Wrapped Around Neck", "Co-Eds in Michigan Carry Weapons in Wake of Series of Five Slayings", "The LeForge Barn Fire: Murder Site of Dawn Basom, John Norman Collins' Youngest Victim", "Still No Suspect: Latest Victim Identified as 'U' Coed", "Who Killed These Girls? More than two years later, Karen Beineman disappeared. [137] On this date, Collins was formally sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. Among those cops was a rookie campus police officer at Eastern Michigan University: Larry Matthewson. Randy/Jerry--C'mon! All-American boy John Norman Collins was . David Leik. Until he was an adult, Chapman said, hedidn't know the full extent of the accusations against Collins. John Norman Collins - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges The Michigan Murders by Edward Keyes | Goodreads The first victim, Mary Fleszar, disappeared in July 1967. It was across the street from where the second victim, Joan Schell, lived. I knew he was guilty as sin,' " Harveyrecalled thinking when he read Collins' own words. And,Schroeder said, when they mentioned Dawn Basom, the 13-year-old victim killed in 1969,it touched a nerve. because it didn't happen as you would think it did,"Collins wrote to his cousin, setting him up for a lengthy explanation that revealed he had lied for years. [110] Several of Phillips' personal possessions would later be found strewn along State Route 68.[111][112]. Hewent to Central Michigan University, thentransferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. He was a letterman at the Catholic High School and was a sports hero. [66], Despite recovering numerous stolen items from his apartment and being informed by Arnold Davis that Collins had been in the habit of committing burglaries with a former roommate of theirs named Andrew Manuel,[100] no incriminating evidence linking Collins to Beineman or any victim of the Michigan Murders was discovered, although officers were informed by Arnold Davis on this date of the incident two days earlier in which he (Davis) had observed Collins carrying a laundry box containing women's clothing and jewelry from his apartment and towards his car. Here's a link to a news photo that shows it http://oldnews.aadl.org/aa_news_19690418-last_hour_theorized_by_police, Yes you are correct cyclodan. Both roadmap the journey of the book and John Norman Collins, who was convicted of one of the murders and linked to six of them, in the years after the original 1976 publication date. Questioned by police, Collins flatly denied even knowing Schell, and insisted he had spent the weekend of June 2930 with his mother at her house in the Detroit suburb of Center Line, and had not returned to Ypsilanti until the morning of July 1. A veteran Detroit journalist, she joined the Free Press in 2012. Shortly before the body was discovered, the murderer had again returned to the body, which he had moved a further three feet.[13]. Sowhen DNA matching Collins turned up on Alice Kalom's clothing, it was significant. I know a woman who went bike riding with John during that period. She replied that it was probably stupid but that he was just taking her home. She told him she had a boyfriend in Center Line. Great Job! [32] A subsequent autopsy revealed the victim had died of numerous fractures covering one-third of her skull and one side of her face,[33] all of which had been inflicted with a heavy blunt instrument. Your site is great and detailed really nice.In 2003 I actually live in the house right behind Mary Flezlar appartment we never understood why we always heard females crying and yelling. As he had explained this to Davis, Collins had been carrying a red handbag, which he claimed Schell had left in his car. MATURE CONTENT WARNING: This story contains descriptions of gruesome crime scenes. Thank You for this wonderful site. In this lineup, Goshe positively identified the man she had seen with Karen Sue Beineman as John Norman Collins. Collins, now known as John Chapman, proclaims his innocence to this day. When Davis returned home, he told Collins he went to a partyandhad an accident in his car. [82], The description of the young man with whom Beineman had last been seen alive was heard by a patrolman named Larry Mathewson, who believed the person described by Diana Goshe and others may be John Norman Collins: a former Theta Chi fraternity brother[85] of his who had previously been interviewed but eliminated from police inquiries,[86] and who he had himself seen riding his motorcycle around the Eastern Michigan University campus on the afternoon of July 23. Collins claims he left the house alone, but came back and foundBeineman dead. He says he wasn't allowed to keepPolaroid photos of his late mother. I'm making a documentary about the coed murders, would you or anyone be interested in helping or being interviewed? The man who put the cuffs on JNC!!!). My name is C and I have been doing some research about the co ed killer. The apartments have a perfect view of Dawn's home. [87] When Mathewson showed these photographs to both Goshe and her assistant, Patricia Spaulding, both women were adamant the man in the photographs was the same individual with whom Beineman had last been seen alive. Now, 40 years later, I find that a close, (unnamed), old girlfriend of mine was one of the last people to speak to Karen alive. The mail lady did a "double-take", every time she put their mail in! Kalom, who graduated from the University of Michigan not long before she was killed, was described as a "wholesome-looking girl" with "a vivid imagination." By '69, he was a senior at Eastern Michigan University, studying to be a teacher. The detectives said they tracked Davis to New York but were never able to interviewhim. [57] Sections of her clothing were scattered around her body, although one of her shoes was missing. [131], Although subject to intense cross-examination by defense attorney Neil Fink as to the credibility of her testimony, Goshe remained insistent in her identification of John Norman Collins as being the individual who had waited for Karen Sue Beineman to return to his motorcycle. An autopsy revealed Mixer had been shot twice in the head with a .22-caliber pistol, then garroted with a nylon stocking which, the pathologist noted, had not belonged to her.