Deadly Women Premiered Mommy’s Little Helpers on ID: Hilma Marie Witte Manipulated Children to Kill Family Members (November 24, 2012)

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Administrator

Preview: Growing up, Eric Witte’s father taught him to protect his family. But when his father became increasingly violent, Eric realised that his father was the evil his family needed protection from. -She Made Me Do It, Evil Lives Here (S2, E2)

As a boy, Eric Witte’s father taught him to protect his family. But as his father grows increasingly violent, Eric realizes that he is the evil his family needs protection from. -She Made Me Do It, Evil Lives Here (S2, E2)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Georgia Army National Guard Spc. Miranda Nichols Murdered in Apparent Domestic Dispute; Army Spc. Samuel Tellu Died by Suicide (November 24, 2012)

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Administrator

Spc. Miranda Nichols, Georgia Army National Guard

Georgia Army National Guard Spc. Miranda Nichols, 28, was shot and killed outside of her mother’s home in Vidalia, Georgia two days after Thanksgiving on November 24, 2012. It is believed that her boyfriend of six months Army Spc. Samuel Tellu shot Miranda in an apparent domestic dispute. After Tellu shot Miranda, he jumped in his vehicle and took off. Tellu was later found in his vehicle with a fatal gunshot wound to his head. Tellu was assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd ID, as a petroleum specialist. Nichols served in the 3rd ID and the Georgia Army National Guard. They had both deployed overseas. The Fort Stewart Criminal Investigation Division (CID) informed the public they were assisting local authorities with the apparent murder-suicide investigation.

72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner
94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female
Learn more: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Related Links:
3rd ID veteran killed in domestic dispute, suspect also dead
2 soldiers dead in Ga. domestic dispute
Apparent murder-suicide claims soldier, vet
Shelter counselor: Abuse victims are not alone
History: The Military And Domestic Abuse (January 28, 2009)
Rep. Mike Turner Says New Military Legislation Closes a Loophole & Includes Domestic Violence Victims in the Expedited Transfer Policy Law (May 1, 2018)
House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel: Hearings on Domestic Violence in the Military (September 18, 2019)
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners

Air Force Major Melissa Birtzer Found Dead at Eglin Air Force Base Range in Florida; No Foul Play Suspected (November 20, 2012)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Administrator

Major Melissa Birtzer, U.S. Air Force

Air Force Major Melissa Birtzer, 42, went missing from the Fort Walton Beach area in Florida on November 17, 2012. A few days later on Nov 20th, Major Birtzer was found dead at the Eglin Air Force Base range. The Air Force reported that the case was under investigation and then updated the public with the announcement that there was no foul play suspected. The official cause of death is unknown but was not ruled a homicide. Co-workers shared she may have been ‘depressed’ prior to her disappearance. Major Birtzer served honorably for 18 years first as an enlisted Intelligence Specialist and then as a Nurse. She also completed two tours in Afghanistan. Melissa is survived by a spouse and two children.

Related Links:
Melissa Birtzer Obituary
Tribute for Melissa Ann Birtzer
Missing Hurlburt Major Found Dead
Body of missing woman found; no foul play suspected
Melissa Ann Birtzer Discovered Three Days After Disappearance from Fort Walton Beach Home

Army Veteran Patricia MacCallum Murdered Husband Christopher for the Children, Social Security Benefits, and Life Insurance; Sentenced to Fifty Years in Oregon Prison (2012)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Administrator

Christopher MacCallum (2012)

Christopher MacCallum was discovered dead at the bottom of a cliff in Oregon on November 20, 2012. Christopher was reported missing by his wife Patricia and her step-sister after disappearing while they were camping at the Applegate River campsite. Investigators could find no one who had motive to harm Christopher so they started digging into his relationship with Patricia. Christopher and Patricia met in 2008. Patricia joined the Army in January 2011 and five months later in December 2011, she was medically discharged. She moved back to Oregon with the children and left Christopher behind; he was waiting until the lease on their San Antonio, Texas apartment was up. It turns out they separated and reconciled a couple times throughout the course of their relationship. Christopher moved back in with Patricia again in September 2012 and she immediately began plotting his murder with her step-sister. Christopher was dead the next month. From all accounts, Christopher was a good man who loved his children and simply wanted to be with them.

Eventually Patricia MacCallum admitted to shooting Christopher multiple times while he lay asleep in his tent. Patricia’s step-sister Amber Lubbers admitted to assisting with the cover-up of the crime. Together they dumped his body off a cliff and told police that he had gone missing. Prosecutors revealed that the motive for the crime was the custody of the children, social security benefits, and life insurance. Patricia admitted to intentionally getting her husband drunk so that once he passed out, she could kill him when he was most defenseless. Christopher’s father Mike MacCallum shared that he believes that Christopher wanted to save the marriage to prevent the kids from going through a divorce and this desire turned out to be a fatal error. Patricia MacCallum was found guilty and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Amber Lubbers was charged as an accessory after the fact, found guilty, and sentenced to 16 months in prison. She served about half her sentence and was released early because of good behavior.

Related Links:
Obituary: Michael Christopher MacCallum
MacCallum’s Mother Speaks Out; Donations Accepted for Children
Oregon woman to be tried for husband’s murder
Prosecution: MacCallum did it for ‘money, kids and insurance’
Medford woman guilty of murder
Jury finds MacCallum guilty of murdering her husband
The Trial of Patricia MacCallum Convicted of Murdering her Husband, Michael Christopher MacCallum
Woman admits helping cover up murder
Woman sentenced as accomplice in camping trip killing of Medford man
Accomplice in Siskiyou County murder is freed early
Patricia MacCallum, Christopher MacCallum: ‘Snapped’ Spotlights Applegate Creek Campsite Murder of Oregon Husband Found Dead at Bottom of Cliff
Life Insurance Fraud is a Common Motive for Murder in the Military

Sheriffs show up to a campsite where Patricia MacCallum’s husband went missing. -Oxygen Media

NBC Bay Area: California National Guard Culture Questioned (November 14, 2012)

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Administrator

Whistleblowers expose hidden culture inside the California National Guard

Behind the Gates of the Guard

‘The California National Guard has a long history of serving the country in critical times of need. Its members have fought wildfires, responded to Hurricane Katrina and recently assisted with rescue efforts in super storm Sandy. It is a reserve military force of 23,000 guard members—the largest in the nation—where “integrity first” is a guiding principle. But a joint-investigation by NBC Bay Area and KNBC-TV in Los Angeles has uncovered a disturbing hidden culture in the California National Guard where some guard members say sexual assault and racism at times go unchecked, and where retaliation is a frequent method of discipline. During the past six months reporters spoke with nearly two dozen men and women from the California Guard who have found no solution inside and now want to expose what they say is the truth.”

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Drive Thru Murder’ on ID: Army Veteran Flees From Colorado After Execution Style Murder & Robbery (November 13, 2012)

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Administrator

Hard-working fast food manager Missy Berry is found dead in an idling car at a deserted intersection. Kenda discovers suspects from Missy’s past who may have wanted her dead. But a surprise twist in the investigation leads him into uncharted territory. -Drive Thru Murder, Homicide Hunter (S2,E6)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Drive Thru Murder | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S2,E6)
Drive Thru Murder | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Drive Thru Murder | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Drive Thru Murder | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Missy Berry Found Murdered in Stopped Vehicle at Intersection; Army Veteran Clifford McDaniel Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (September 17, 1994)
The PEOPLE of the State of Colorado, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. George C. McDANIEL, Defendant (March 13, 2003)

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Slaughterhouse Six’ on ID: Army Spc. Layne Schmidtke Beat to Death in Unprovoked, Random Attack (November 6, 2012)

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Administrator

Soldier and young father Layne Schmidtke is brutally beaten to death by a mob of teenagers. Kenda must reconstruct the chaotic scene through forensic evidence and witness testimonies, which reveals an unlikely suspect as the murderous ringleader. -Slaughterhouse Six, Homicide Hunter (S2, E5)

Related Links:
Slaughterhouse Six | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S2,E5)
Slaughterhouse Six | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Slaughterhouse Six | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Slaughterhouse Six | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Fort Carson Army Spc. Layne Schmidtke Died From Blunt Force Trauma in Unprovoked Street Fight; Six Teenagers Convicted for Roles in Murder (September 22, 1991)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado

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Monthly Archives: November 2012