Forensic Files Premiered ‘True Lies’: Military Spouse Kathleen Lipscomb Found Murdered on Side of Texas Highway (January 7, 2004)

Kathleen Lipscomb’s body was found on a deserted street outside of San Antonio. Months passed, then years, and the crime went cold. Then Kathleen’s family hired a private investigator who discovered a diary among her personal effects. Two of the diary entries helped police to piece together what had happened to Kathleen Lipscomb, and why. -True Lies, Forensic Files (S8,E27)

Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!

Related Links:
True Lies | Forensic Files | IMDb
True Lies | Forensic Files | FilmRise (S8,E27)
True Lies | Forensic Files | Full Episodes (YouTube)
True Lies | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 4, E10)
True Lies | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S8,E24)
Kathleen Lipscomb Found Dead on Side of Texas Highway; Air Force MSgt Bill Lipscomb Pleaded Guilty to Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (June 9, 1986)
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners

Air Force Col. Philip Shue Died in an Apparent Car Accident, But Autopsy Revealed Much More; Texas Judge Ruled Cause of Death as Homicide (April 16, 2003)

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Colonel Philip Shue, US Air Force

US Air Force Colonel Philip Shue died of what appeared to be the result of a violent car crash until one took a closer look at the scene of the car crash and observed the injuries inflicted on Col. Shue’s body unrelated to the crash. After erratic driving, Col. Shue’s car veered off a highway driving away from San Antonio, Texas in the opposite direction of Lackland Air Force Base where he worked. The car crashed into a tree making impact on the driver’s side and Col. Shue was found dead at the scene with duct tape on his wrists and ankles, a six inch knife wound in his chest, and his nipples were removed. Local investigators and the U.S. Air Force all concluded that this was a deeply troubled man experiencing a psychological breakdown that led to suicide. But Col. Shue’s wife Tracy believes otherwise and shares that her husband was happy and lived life to the fullest until he started getting anonymous, threatening notes. Tracy wants justice for Col. Shue because the incidents leading up to the day in question definitely raise red flags and lead one to believe that this death was in fact more likely a homicide.

Tracy Shue believes that indeed there is a person of interest in the case and that all avenues of justice should be pursued in the death of her husband. Tracy revealed that Philip had been married before and as a stipulation of a divorce agreement, his ex-wife Nancy Shue was granted ownership of a one million dollar life insurance policy in Col. Shue’s name. Prior to Col. Shue’s death, he started receiving alarming letters including one that indicated the writer of the note overheard plans to commit his murder for the life insurance money; this person led the reader to believe they wanted to warn him that he was in danger. This did cause concern for Col. Shue because he knew that his ex-wife had a significant life insurance policy in his name. He attempted to cancel the life insurance policy but was unable to because he didn’t have the authority to do so. It wasn’t until around this time that he started to become stressed because he felt like he had lost control of his very own life. Tracy shared that Col. Shue was not the person that investigators and the Air Force tried to portray. Col. Shue was planning to retire and had paid a down payment on a new home in another state.

Was US Air Force Colonel Philip Michael Shue’s death a suicide or murder? Learn more from LordanArts’ BrainScratchers in depth analysis of this cold case. John Lordan is thorough in his examination and makes some interesting observations. Watch the 48 Hours Mystery ‘The Curious Case of Col. Shue’ on YouTube here. Please follow the case of Colonel Philip Shue with author Cilla McCain here.

Related Links:
Col. Philip Michael Shue (1948 – 2003)
Colonel Philip Shue
Colonel Philip M. Shue, USAF
Mishap or Murder?
Judge clears USAA in colonel’s death
Air Force Colonel Philip Shue’s Death Finally Ruled Murder
Texas Attorney General: Court Ordered Amendment to Death Certificate
The Curious Case of Col. Shue
The Curious Case Of Col. Shue [Video]
Preview: The Curious Case Of Col. Shue
Bizarre Circumstances Surround an Air Force Colonel’s Death
Dr. Wecht’s murder mystery tour: cold, hard facts on the famous
Turning Tragedy Into Activism: Remembering Colonel Philip Shue
7 Unexplained Deaths That Will Shake Your Faith In Reason
Unsolved Mysteries and Scary Stuff: Bizarre Cases of the Missing and Murdered Vol. 3
The Strange Death of Colonel Shue
Air Force Colonel Killed
New Relevations in Col. Shue Murder Mystery
Expert Blasts Faulty Medical Examiner’s Report On Death Of Col. Shue
Biography Colonel Philip Michael Shue, M.D., US Air Force
Facebook: Colonel Philip Michael Shue
Military Families for Justice
Follow the Case of Colonel Philip Shue with Author Cilla McCain
BrainScratch: Colonel Philip Michael Shue (YouTube)
Life Insurance Fraud is a Common Motive for Murder in the Military
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Keana Barnes Shot & Killed Air Force Sgt. Perry ‘P.J.’ Jennings in Louisiana; Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for 2 Homicides (March 27, 2003)

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Keana Barnes murdered Air Force Sgt. Perry ‘P.J.’ Jennings on March 27, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keana had been staying with her friend PJ temporarily while she got back on her feet. After PJ’s parents couldn’t get in touch with him for a couple days, they went to his apartment to see if they could find him. The building manager let them in the house and they found PJ with a single gunshot wound to the head, a pillow had been used as a silencer for the gun. It appeared that he had been killed in his sleep and did not suffer. He family reports that he actually looked peaceful.

Family had learned that Keana Barnes was also accused of murdering Jimmy Shepherd a year earlier. But Keana told PJ and others that she killed Jimmy in self defense because he tried to rape her. Actually, Keana brutally stabbed Jimmy 27 times in her rage attack. Keana Barnes was jailed for the offense but let out of the prison because the District Attorney didn’t file charges within 60 days. As soon as they realized their mistake, they put out a warrant for Keana who at this point couldn’t be found because she was bouncing from place to place including PJs.

After Keana Barnes murdered PJ Jennings, she fled the scene with his wallet, cash, and credit cards. She used the credit cards and it became obvious to police that she was heading for the Mexico border. Keana successfully entered Mexico but at this time the US Marshals were looking for her and were able to track her down based on her credit card usage. She was arrested and extradited back to New Orleans, Louisiana where she would face a first degree murder charge for PJ and a second degree murder charge for Jimmy Shepherd.

After Keana’s affluent family found out she was charged with two homicides, they backed her and paid for the best attorney money could buy. The attorney recommended a plea deal that was initially secret until the judge and the families of PJ Jennings and Jimmy Shepherd found out. Keana’s attorney wanted to reduce the charges to manslaughter and give her a sentence of 7 to 25 years in prison, eligible for parole in three years. The judge refused to accept the terms of the plea agreement and changed the sentence on the spot to 25 years in prison, no parole.

In a stunning twist, less than half way through her sentence, Keana Barnes successfully escaped from the St. Gabriel’s Prison in New Orleans, Louisiana. She headed out west to California and about three months after the successful escape, she was stopped by some L.A. police officers who asked for her identification. Keana didn’t have any identification so she was placed in the back of the police cruiser where she admitted to who she was. She was again extradited back to New Orleans, Louisiana to face additional time for the prison escape. Keana will be released in 2027 and she will be 44 years old when she is released.

Oxygen:

Two deceased men both helped out a damsel in distress. Did playing the good samaritan cost them their lives, and should authorities be worried that she could put someone else at risk? -Snapped on Oxygen

Related Links:
Woman serving time for manslaughter escapes prison
Investigator: Escaped killer Barnes is street-smart, cold-blooded
Escaped Louisiana Woman on the Run After Jail Break
Louisiana fugitive Keana Barnes added to U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted list
Police still hunting a two-time murderer who bounded a barbed wire fence to escape a Louisiana prison on New Year’s Day
New information about escaped female inmate
Murder victim’s father afraid for family, public after woman escapes St. Gabriel prison
Murder Victim’s Family Concerned After Keana Barnes Escapes Prison
Murderer Keana Barnes Escapes Prison Murder Victims family worried after Woman Escapes Prison
St. Gabriel escapee caught in California
Louisiana fugitive Keana Barnes found in Los Angeles
Killer who escaped women’s prison nabbed on Los Angeles’ Skid Row
Keana Barnes returns to prison after capture
Prison escapee Keana Barnes back behind bars in Louisiana
Keana Barnes on Snapped | Oxygen
Snapped: Preview – Keanna Barnes (Season 22, Episode 3) | Oxygen
Snapped: After the Verdict – Keana Barnes (Season 22, Episode 3) | Oxygen
Snapped: Bonus Clip – A Cookout with Keana Barnes (Season 22, Episode 3) | Oxygen
Snapped: Bonus Clip – Keana’s Temper Tantrums (Season 22, Episode 3) | Oxygen

Air Force SSgt Shelby Orelup Murdered by an Airman She Dated Briefly, SSgt Phillip Arindain Sentenced to Life in Prison (2003)

Honoring SSgt Shelby Orelup @USAirForce (2003)
Shelby Orelup, US Air Force

On February 28, 2003, SSgt Shelby Dawn Orelup, US Air Force, 22, was found dead in a drainage ditch on the Access Road at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. She was beaten, sodomized and raped before she was strangled according to an autopsy report. Investigators believe that she was murdered at a different location and her body was dumped near the base. Orelup was a mother to a two year old and a fuels instructor with the 366th Training Squadron at the base. She wanted to go to law school and become an attorney. Orelup formed a relationship with SSgt Phillip Arindain at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England in 2002. Although they were at different bases stateside stationed six hours apart, they maintained a long distance relationship. Arindain was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. He was married with one child. Shelby’s family felt like he was nice at first but he started to become possessive and controlling of Shelby. She broke things off with him a few months later.

The FBI, Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and the Wichita Police Department worked on the investigation. Investigators learned that two weeks before Arindain murdered Shelby she asked him to watch her daughter and he brought her daughter back on February 27th. They also learned the motive was Arindain suspected she was seeing someone. In August 2003, SSgt Arindain was arrested and charged with Shelby’s murder. He was held at the Wichita County Jail because Sheppard AFB does not have a detention facility. He was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Air Force stated they were not going to seek the death penalty. In 2004, Arindain was convicted of unpremeditated murder in a general courts martial at Sheppard AFB. He was found innocent on the charges of felony murder, rape and forcible sodomy. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole and was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force. Judge, Colonel Mary Boone said that it is unclear when Arindain will eligible for parole.

“Shelby lived her life at 110 percent. She gave 110 percent to the military, she gave 110 percent to her family and friends and to her daughter, Orelup said. I feel that just punishment for him would have been life without parole because he needed to give 110 percent for killing her.” -Shirley Orelup (Shelby’s Mom)

Related Links:
Arrest made in death of city woman
New Mexico airman charged in death near Wichita Falls base
Cannon airman guilty of killing
Cannon airman convicted in girlfriend’s death
Ex-Air Force Man Gets Life in Murder
Former airman gets life for slaying
Airman sentenced to life in prison for murder
‘Suspicious’ death: Student airman with stab wound dies in hospital (2008)

The US Air Force Academy Sexual Assault Scandal, Colorado (2003)

USAF Seal

On January 2, 2003, Jessica Brakey, a female cadet at the US Air Force Academy, contacted media and congressional representatives asking for help with sexual assault at the Academy. As a result of her coming forward, Senator Wayne Allard’s office was contacted by 38 former cadets, 23 current cadets, and one civilian, all of whom said they had been raped by Air Force Academy men. During the investigation into the scandal, the air force admitted that 16 graduates who were accused of sexual assaults were currently serving as officers in the military. Like every scandal before and since, the USAFA leaders at the time took the fall for the ‘scandal’ and the USAF promised they made sweeping changes in regards to how they will handle allegations of sexual abuse. They also claimed ‘the problem was isolated’ at the Academy in Colorado.

“It’s a terrible feeling when someone does this to you and gets away with it, and then you report it and the system punishes you. It’s almost worse than the actual act, that the system failed you.” ~Sharon Fullilove

Related Links:
2003 United States Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal
Air Force Academy Investigated 54 Sexual Assaults in 10 Years
Air Force Admits at Least 54 Cases of Rape and Sexual Assault at Air Force Academy–Scandal Called Bigger Than Tailhook: We’ll Talk to Two Survivors
The Air Force Academy Scandal
Survey: 20 percent of female cadets victims of sexual assault
Report finds sexual assault, drug use at Air Force Academy
Air Force Academy Sees New Assault, Drug Use Allegations
Air Force Rape Scandal Grows
Air Force Academy Ignores Rapes, Women Say
US Air Force Academy chiefs removed over rape scandal
Air Force leadership blamed for sex scandal
Pentagon blames Air Force Academy leaders for sexual misconduct scandal
Air Force: Sex assault scandal confined to the academy
Breaking Ranks
Code of Dishonor
Air Force Academy Whistleblower Alleges Dog Poisoned in Retaliation
No Simple Explanation In Air Force Academy Sex Crime Data
Honor and Deception: A secretive Air Force program recruits academy students to inform on fellow cadets and disavows them afterward
U.S. Air Force Academy — It Doesn’t Get Better

DoD Authorizes Stop Loss (September 24, 2001)

Army SSG John Diamond Convicted of Murder of Air Force Capt. Frank Theer; Military Court Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (August 28, 2001)

Michele Theer photo
John Diamond, US Army

Army SSG John Diamond, 28, was accused of fatally shooting Air Force Capt. Frank ‘Marty’ Theer in Fayetteville, North Carolina on December 17, 2000. Capt. Theer and his wife Michelle were on their way to a Christmas party when Michelle claimed she needed to stop at her place of employment. After waiting for awhile, Capt. Theer exited his vehicle to check on Michelle. As he ascended the stairs at the office building, he was shot multiple times and died at the scene. The Fayetteville Police Department launched a homicide investigation and would learn that Michelle Theer was having an affair a married Fort Bragg Army Ranger named John Diamond. It was later theorized that psychologist and Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer was the mastermind behind the murder of her husband. She was accused of setting Capt. Theer up when she lured him to her office; she was also accused of manipulating SSG Diamond to commit the murder. The prosecutor’s theorized the motive for the homicide of Capt. Theer was the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance money.

During the investigation, the police got a tip that a gun matching the murder weapon was in the custody of SSG Diamond which connected him to the crime. Conveniently, SSG Diamond admitted to having a gun that fit the description of the one used in the murder but he claimed his vehicle had been broken into and the gun was stolen. SSG Diamond was arrested by the US Army for having an unregistered weapon on a federal installation while they investigated his role in the murder. They would learn that despite his marriage status, he was in love with Michelle Theer and would do anything for her. The military courts charged SSG Diamond with first degree murder and on August 28, 2001, a six-member military panel at Fort Bragg found him guilty; Staff Sgt. John Diamond was sentenced to life in federal prison. Michelle Theer disappeared by the time the civilian authorities caught up with her but she was eventually located in Florida living under an assumed identity. Michelle Theer was convicted of conspiracy to commit first degree murder on December 3, 2004 and sentenced to life in prison, no parole.

Investigation Discovery:

In 2000, Michelle Theer was an Air Force wife in the military town of Fayetteville until a fatal shooting made her a widow. The investigation into her husband’s death led police to the door of an Army Ranger – taking orders from very unlikely accomplices. -Fayetteville, Sins and Secrets (S2,E3)

Sexy psychologist and doting Air Force wife Michelle begins a swinging affair with Army Sgt. Diamond while her husband, Captain Marty Theer, is away. But all’s fair in love and war, and Marty’s return will remind them that love is a battlefield. -Sergeant Swinger, Scorned: Love Kills (S4,E1)

Oxygen:

A frantic, distraught woman runs into a video rental store screaming that her husband has been shot. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Psychologist Debbie Layton-Tholl talks about her experience meeting with Michelle Theer. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

A lonely military wife and psychologist go searching for sex on the Internet with deadly results. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples (S8,E5)

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:
Website: Free John Diamond
Staff Sgt. John Diamond | The JAG Hunter
Wife of Slain Soldier Charged with Murder
Makeover Madness | People Magazine Investigates
Conviction of pilot’s wife in killing upheld
United States v. Staff Sergeant John M. Diamond (2007)
Investigator: Did Michelle manipulate for murder?
Witness: Did Michelle manipulate for murder?
John Diamond vs United States of America (2010)
Convicted killer wants prison to stop censoring his racy letters
Sinclair Takes His Legal Battle Online
Michelle Theer case featured on ‘Killer Couples’
Psychologist Michelle Theer, Her Internet Affair With John Diamond, and the Murder of Air Force Captain Marty Theer
On the Firing Line | Military Corruption
Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage | Tanya Biank
Cyber Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Defense | Robert Shimonski
Murder Along the Cape Fear: A North Carolina Town in the Twentieth Century | David Morgan
The Officer’s Wife: A True Story of Unspeakable Betrayal and Cold-Blooded Murder | Michael Fleeman
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (S2,E3)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (website)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S4,E1)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (website)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Sneak Peek – My Husband Has Been Shot! | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Bonus Clip – Michelle Was Villified by the Media | Oxygen
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (S8,E5)
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (Amazon)
Air Force Capt. Frank Theer Murdered by Unidentified Gunman; Wife Michelle & Army SSG John Diamond Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 17, 2000)
Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer Convicted of Murder of Husband Frank Theer; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (December 3, 2004)
Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Fayetteville’ on Investigation Discovery: Michelle Theer & John Diamond Left a Permanent Mark on Community (January 26, 2012)
Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Sergeant Swinger’ on ID: Air Force Captain’s Murder Reveals Wife’s Evil Intent, Adultery & Greed (October 4, 2014)
Killer Couples Premiered ‘Michelle Theer & John Diamond’ on Oxygen: Affair Leads to Murder of Air Force Capt. Marty Theer (September 3, 2016)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

VA Nurse Kristen Gilbert Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Four Veterans: Stanley Jagodowski, Henry Hudon, Kenneth Cutting & Edward Skwira (March 26, 2001)

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Kristen Gilbert

Dates: March 1989-February 1996
Date of Arrest: July 11, 1996
Offender: Kristen Gilbert, 32, Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse
Location: Department of Veterans Affairs, Northampton, Massachusetts
Homicide Victims: Stanley Jagodowski, 66, Army veteran (August 21, 1995); Henry Hudon, 35, Air Force veteran (December 8, 1995); Kenneth Cutting, 41, Army veteran (February 2, 1996); Edward Skwira, 69, WWII Army veteran (February 15, 1996)
Circumstances: The number of deaths increased dramatically at the Northampton VA Medical Center in 1995, a co-worker was surprised by all the codes at the hospital, when a patient codes, it means the heart stopped, some can survive codes but the patients at the VA died, the deaths didn’t make sense, February 29, 1996, the police received a call from the VA Center, they reported that the deaths doubled at the medical center, nurses came forward with concerns that one of their co-workers was killing patients and they thought they were dealing with a serial killer, one common denominator was the presence of Kristen Gilbert, KG came from ordinary family, she was intelligent, a great student, she had a bubbly personality, was sophisticated and had a lot of friends, she was addicted to getting attention, she needed more and more, she had a constant need to be the center of things, she had narcissistic personality disorder, she manipulated others to get her way, she threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get the attention she wanted from boyfriends, she also had Borderline Personality Disorder, her obsession was thrill and attention, she graduated from nursing school in 1988 and was hired at the VA Medical Center in Northampton the following year, she got great reviews from her bosses, she went undetected because she volunteered for extra work, she wore a mask of normality but underneath she was an evil person, Kristen met her future husband in New Hampshire, they were married and had two children, she had a volatile relationship with her husband, chased him around with a knife, but her husband wanted to hold the marriage together for the children, then Kristen had an affair with a security guard at the VA and as a result Kristen’s marriage ended, then patients started coding and the doctors were not able to save them, one of them was Stanley Jagodowski, the codes and death continued, a second suspicious death occurred, a young veteran was admitted for the flu, he coded three times and his heart gave out the third time, Kenneth Cutting was admitted for sepsis, later that night Kenneth coded and died of cardiac arrest, it appeared he died for no apparent reason, authorities learned KG injected patients with epinephrine to initiate cardiac arrest, they would code and then she was one of the people who rushed to the scene to deal with the crisis, as a result she got a lot of attention from her security guard boyfriend, they worked together to save the patients lives, she put patients into crisis to get attention from the security guard, she developed a callous attitude about the patients, authorities learned her boyfriend wasn’t involved, he was an innocent bystander, the nurses thought she had bad luck because patients died when she was around, she was known as the Angel of Death, Edward Skwira was the fourth suspicious death, he was admitted for alcoholism, that night he died from cardiac arrest and this should not have happened, her fellow nurses became suspicious, the nurses started looking for evidence and they found used bottles of epinephrine, record keeping allowed her to dip into the epinephrine supply with no detection, February 29, 1996, the cops got a call from the VA Medical Center, the nurses believed Kristen was killing patients, death followed Kristen from shift to shift to shift, the security guard ended the relationship when he began to suspect Kristen too, she took the break up badly and began panicking, when backed in a corner, her type turns to the extreme, authorities put her under surveillance, in September 1996, the VA received a bomb threat and the patients were evacuated, it turned out to be a bogus bomb threat, the police were watching Kristen and the same phone she used was traced to the VA bomb threat, after the bomb threat, she went home and the police got a warrant, the police found the jacket she had on when she placed the phone calls, she had operating directions on how to change your voice in her pocket, they also found a talk boy which changes the sound of your voice, this was the instrument most likely used to change her voice on the bomb threat call, they found medical books, computer records, journals, a page dog eared at epinephrine, but the police needed something more concrete to make their case, meanwhile she was held accountable for the bomb threat and received a 15 month sentence, when serving the sentence, there was a suicide attempt, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, they use whatever they need to keep drawing attention to themselves, they are always the victim to keep the focus on themselves, while she was in jail, the police continued the investigation, they needed to prove what she did so they could win at trial, authorities exhumed some of the patients who died under Kristen’s care to find evidence of epinephrine in their system, the families were cooperative and thankful the police were investigating, the autopsies found much higher amounts of epinephrine than should be there, the patient’s hearts were good, and the police finally had their proof, the prosecution moved forward with homicide charges, some claimed she did it for love, her desire to get the attention of her boyfriend, she was tried in a federal capital felony case and was eligible for the death penalty, Kristen was cold during the entire trial, Kristen is a classic female serial killer, she has what they call intrinsic locus, it’s all about her, she is the number one priority in her own life and she’s self absorbed, she played the hero so she could save the day all in an effort to garner attention, if people have to die, its okay with her, she is a master of deceit, she is one of the most dangerous and evil
Disposition: In 2001, Kristen Gilbert was found guilty of four counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder; the jury sentenced KG to life in prison as opposed to the death penalty; law enforcement officials believe she could be responsible for killing up to 60 patients; Gilbert appealed the decision but dropped it once she realized prosecutors could pursue the death penalty in a new trial

Notable Quotes: “Healthcare serial killers are the most unlikely villains. They prey on vulnerable victims and use medicine as their murder weapons.” -Oxygen

Source: Kristen Gilbert, Snapped Notorious, Oxygen

Deadly Women:

Full Episode: Poison is an ancient weapon, convenient, non-confrontational and secretive. Women are five times more likely to use it than men. The poisoner is a particularly sinister killer able to sit back and watch someone die. -Poisonous Women, Deadly Women

Oxygen:

Police believe nurse Kristen Gilbert may have committed up to 60 murders at a hospital in Massachusetts. Some say an affair drove Gilbert to murder while others think her narcissism caused the death of these innocent patients. -Prescription for Death, Snapped Notorious, Oxygen (S23, E17)

Related Links:
Kristen Gilbert – Wikipedia
Kristen Gilbert | Murderpedia
Former nurse charged in 3 veterans’s deaths
Former Nurse on Trial in Patients’ Deaths
Kristen Heather Gilbert | Medical Bag
6 Facts about Female Serial Killer Kristen Gilbert
10 Nurses That Are Serial Killers
Kristen Gilbert – The Angel of Death
Kristen Gilbert – The Angel of Death – Serial Killing Nurse
Worst Female Serial Killers | Documentary | Female Killers
Caregiver or killer? | Boston Globe
She liked to play the star | Boston Globe
Death The Common Denominator
Ex-va Nurse Indicted In 3 Suspected Murders
Trial Begins Today for Nurse Accused of Killing Veterans
Nurse Killed 4 Patients for Thrill, Prosecutor Says
Former Nurse on Trial in Patients’ Deaths
Nurse sentenced to life in VA deaths
Murderous Nurse Escapes Death Penalty
Serial Killer Nurse Kristen Gilbert
When Serial Killers Strike: The Angel of Death on Ward C
Serial Killer Nurse Who Liked ‘Thrill’ of Emergencies Murdered Patients to Impress Boyfriend
Oxygen Media Pulls Curtain Back On Two Famous Serial Killers On Snapped Notorious: Prescription for Death
Judge’s fictional account gives inside view of death penalty trial
Doctors and Nurses Who Kill: Genene Jones, Charles Cullen and More Who Preyed on Their Patients and Others
17 Serial Killer Nurses Who Murdered Their Patients
10 of the Most Notorious Female Serial Killers
United States, Appellant, v. Kristen Gilbert, Defendant, Appellee (2000)
Snapped Notorious Premiered ‘Prescription for Death’ on Oxygen: Kristen Gilbert Serving Life in Prison for Murdering Four VA Patients in Massachusetts (May 13, 2018)
Kristen Gilbert | Poisonous Women | Deadly Women
Kristen Gilbert | Prescription for Death | Snapped Notorious: Kristen Gilbert (S23, E17)
Watch Notorious: Kristen Gilbert | Snapped on the Web

University of Penn. Student Shannon Schieber Found Raped & Murdered in Home; Air Force SrA Troy Graves Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 7, 1998)

Shannon Schiebercredit: Courtesy Schieber Family
Shannon Schieber, Pennsylvania (Photo: People Magazine Investigates)

Offender: Troy Graves, 29, US Air Force service member
Victims: Shannon Schieber, 23, University of Pennsylvania student (rape/homicide), multiple rape victims in Pennsylvania & Colorado

Circumstances: Shannon Schieber was enrolled as a Phd. student at the Wharton School of Business, on May 7, 1998, Shannon was studying for exams when a neighbor heard what sounded like cries for help, he called 911 to report that his neighbor was asking for help, the police arrived but no one answered the door and the neighbor backed off his statement, they searched the property and the neighbor said it could have been outside so they left, Shannon’s brother showed up the next day and Shannon didn’t answer the door, the neighbor told her brother what he heard the night before, they broke into the apartment and found Shannon naked on her bed, Shannon was strangled to death and it appeared she tried to fight off her attacker, police found DNA at the scene, DNA ruled out those close to Shannon, Shannon’s parents were outraged that the man who killed their daughter was in the apartment when the police knocked on her door, but the police did their job right and by the book, a few days before the murder, Shannon reported being followed home one night, she was scared, so police started investigating the stranger angle, perhaps this is a serial rapist, they look into sex crimes in the area, they want to match the DNA to other sex crimes in the area.

In February 1999, they got a DNA match, 2 other sexual assaults had occurred but they were coded as misdemeanors, the assaults occurred just a few blocks from Shannon’s apartment, in June and July 1997, two more sexual assaults were connected to the offender bringing the total to 5, the PPD coded these sexual assaults as misdemeanors as well, they downgraded the offenses because it lessoned the load for the police, and made the arrest rate look better than it was, Shannon’s case helped enact change in Philadelphia, if they had investigated these cases, everyone would have known there was a serial rapist, Shannon would not be dead if she knew what was going on, the DNA still didn’t have a match to the offender, in 1997, a sketch was drawn from the recollections of the first victim, they got a new composite, this offender would enter the home, hold the victim down on the bed, rape them or make them perform oral sex, it was about control and domination for this guy and he was also somewhat of a romantic, once they acquiesced, he would treat them like a date, he would get comfortable with the victims, they determined he was a light skinned black male based on information he shared with one victim about his life growing up with bi-racial parents.

He was dubbed the Center City rapist, in August 1999, no other cases were reported since Shannon’s murder, the case went cold, the police got a bulletin in 2001 from Fort Collins, Colorado, the offenders modus operandi sounded familiar to the Philadelphia PD, on June 13, 2001, one victim was home when she was attacked from behind and raped, after she acquiesced, the rapist became gentle as if he was a boyfriend, after he left, she called 911, she was his third victim in Fort Collins, they were all blitz attacked, FC police were investigating a serial rapist, a fourth & fifth rapes were reported, he made a mistake and left behind a ball cap at the fifth victims home, Fort Collins DNA was matched to the rapes in Philadelphia, PPD gave FCPD the composite drawing, police received a letter in the mail from the suspect, he was taunting them, in the fall of 2001, the attacks in Fort Collins stopped, meanwhile the PPD started focusing on cross referencing names of suspects with the two geographic locations, they got a match for Air Force service member Troy Graves, he was in Philadelphia, Fort Collins, and now at Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 2002, the police had the new suspect in their sites.

The police learned that Troy was also investigated by the Office of Special Investigations, it was over charges of harassing a female colleague, the charges were dropped but there was still something suspicious there, Graves has a clean criminal record and no finger prints on file, the case was circumstantial, they reached out to Graves to come to the police department and do an interview, Troy Graves and his wife showed up to the Fort Collins PD, the police immediately separated the couple, his wife admitted that he had insomnia and went for walks and drives at night and that honestly she thought he was having an affair, meanwhile Troy denied knowing anything about the crimes, the police confronted him about the rapes in Fort Collins, he denied being arrested for any sex crimes, he denied being investigated by the Air Force, he did not want to provide his fingerprints but a warrant was issued to compel him, the fingerprints were a match, Troy Graves was arrested and booked into custody on April 23, 2002, this case changed the PPD policies on sexual assault to include how evidence is handled and how the victims are treated and interviewed.

Disposition: Troy Graves feared a trial would not go in his favor in Fort Collins, Colorado, he pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole; Pennsylvania wanted to seek the death penalty but Shannon’s family did not want that because Shannon wouldn’t have wanted that, Graves entered into a plea agreement and got life in prison plus sixty years

Notable Quotes: “We have to change the system but not put people to death.” -Vicki Schieber (Shannon’s mom)

Source: ‘Terror in Philadelphia’ People Magazine Investigates, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

In 1998, a gifted Philadelphia graduate student is found murdered in her bed. The hunt for her killer forces police to reevaluate a series of unsolved crimes, turning the city upside down. Will her killer be caught or will he strike again? -Terror in Philadelphia, People Magazine Investigates (S3,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.

Related Links:
U. student killed in Center City
Family, friend mourn Schieber’s death
Grief, Questions After Student is Slain
DNA tests clear ex-boyfriend in Schieber murder
Airman arrested in sexual assaults
Center City rapist suspect arrested
Suspected Serial Rapist Arrested
Colo. airman arrested on sex charges suspected as Center City Rapist
Colorado Suspect Is Believed Tied to Other Attacks
Airman trained at VAFB arrested in Colorado sex assaults
Airman’s DNA Linked to Slain Md. Woman
Officials: DNA Evidence Links Colorado Man to Philly Rapes, Murder
Airman Awaits Hearing in Rape Case
Troy Graves: I did it… and ‘I’m sorry’
Serial rapist says he’s sorry
Remorseful airman admits murder, rapes
Admitted serial rapist now will face a charge of murder
USAF content with civilian prosecution of Graves
Serial rapist pleads guilty in Colorado
Graves Pleads Guilty In Philadelphia Rapes, Murder
Victims speak out; Graves gets life
Colorado: Life Sentence For Airman
Airman gets life sentence in string of sexual assaults
A baffling case: The women who loved Troy Graves
The story of Shannon Schieber
Why two mothers back death penalty repeal
A Place of Peace | Bethesda Magazine
Death Penalty Vs. Life: An Issue Of Closure Vs. Peace
Victim’s family moves “from pain to peace”
Investigating rape in Philadelphia: how one city’s crisis stands to help others
Woman advocates repeal of death penalty as part of unconditional pro-life policy
What are Fort Collins’ most infamous moments?
Rape is Rape, Isn’t It? | ProPublica
Rape is Rape, Isn’t It? | The Marshall Project
The Annual Ritual Shaping How the Philadelphia Police Department Handles Rape, Abuse Cases
How one woman changed the way Philly police handle rape
Why is the death penalty discussed in religious terms?
How do you fix a broken system? One U.S. city offers a model for handling sex-assault cases
How a Business Student’s Dying Cries of ‘Help Me’ Eventually Led to a Serial Rapist
Death penalty: Parents of murder victim oppose killer’s execution
Mom of Wharton Student Found Raped, Murdered in 1998 Still Wonders: ‘How Could Somebody Do That?’
Troy Graves | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
People Magazine Investigates Premiered ‘Terror in Philadelphia’ on ID: University Student Shannon Schieber Found Raped & Murdered (November 12, 2018)
Terror in Philadelphia | People Magazine Investigates | Investigation Discovery (S3, E2)
Terror in Philadelphia | People Magazine Investigates | Investigation Discovery (website)
Terror in Philadelphia | People Magazine Investigates | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
All Charged Up | Forensic Files | FilmRise