‘Love, Blood, and War’ (S3,E4) features the military murder case of Army Spc. Anthony Riggs who was gunned down in front of his Detroit, Michigan home on March 18, 1991. Spc. Riggs was packing up his family to move to Fort Bliss, Texas when he was murdered therefore his death on active duty status included a hefty life insurance policy. Since the name of the show is in and of itself a “spoiler alert,” it should be no surprise that wife Toni Cato Riggs conspired to have her husband murdered. Although she would pretend to be the grieving widow initially, her greed and evil caught up with her in the end. Check out the show and learn more about the modus operandi of female killers. Given the make up of the military (85% male & 15% female) and the fact they are targets because of their guaranteed salary and benefits, we tend to see higher rates of female crime in this population. Research has revealed the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance is a common motive for murder. [Happily Never After, Investigation Discovery]
Sparks fly when Toni Cato meets Army soldier, Anthony Riggs. But soon after wedding bells chime a – shadowy gunman shatters their future with five bullets to the head. Police are left with a twisted tale of family betrayal, greed, and deception. -Love, Blood and War, Happily Never After (S3,E4)
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.
Philip Inhofer was an Air Force retiree hired as a civil servant at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California after retirement from the military. He was recently divorced from his second wife and enjoying retirement as a single man. Philip moved back to North Natomas in Sacramento to be closer to his family. He adored his grandkids and enjoyed being a grandfather. On March 7, 1991, Philip’s boss at McClellan AFB called Philip’s son Henry because he hadn’t shown up to work which was not like him and they were worried. Henry went to Philip’s home and found that his car was gone and his lights were off. He went inside the house, saw blood, and thought maybe he was hurt. Henry was frantic and as a result, he checked the entire house; he eventually found his dad in a closet. Philip was face down and naked with a plastic bag over his head. Henry called his wife who came right over and initially they thought maybe Philip killed himself; they called the police together. Henry took his father’s death hard. He admitted to feeling bummed and having no passion about anything after this tragedy. Henry was in the process of rebuilding his relationship with his dad because when he was young, he was a rebellious teen and Philip was gone a lot while he was in the military.
Henry shared that Philip had been to Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand in his military travels. Henry was using this chance as an opportunity to get to know his father and was looking forward to many more years with him. In retirement, Philip Inhofer loved square dancing and enjoyed his social life but he was getting bored so he bought a two-door 1975 Mercedes convertible. Henry found a list of escort services in his dad’s home and was shocked. He didn’t know anything about his father’s lifestyle. Henry assumed since Philip was recently divorced, he was looking for love in all the wrong places. Henry was embarrassed that his father was purchasing escorts. Apparently Philip did not like being alone so one night he called an escort service and asked for two women. One of those women was an escort by the name of Jade. Jade did not look like a prostitute and was very pretty although she was a prostitute at a Nevada brothel. After meeting Jade that first time, Philip was struck by her and asked for her by name after that because he only had eyes for Jade. In addition to paying Jade for her services, Philip helped her financially; he gave her money to pay her debts, bought her designer clothes, took her shopping, and paid all her expenses. He began spending more and more time with Jade and spending more and more money.
Meanwhile, Henry noticed that Philip would stop by briefly to visit with them but would not sit down and would not stay. He appeared fidgety. Philip was not depressed but looking back in retrospect, he was in love. Philip got rid of his dog for Jade after she complained about it. Then out of the blue he talked about selling his beloved car. We would later learn that Jade wanted his car and he needed another one to replace it. Investigators determined that Jade wanting Philip’s Mercedes became a problem in the relationship because Philip wanted to keep his beloved car. Jade also wanted to continue to shop endlessly but Philip had to put his foot down because he didn’t have the money. Despite Jade’s persistence about the car, Philip could not part with it. Regardless, Philip and Jade started making serious plans together. Philip wanted Jade to move in with him and on March 6, 1991, Jade left the Mustang Ranch in Nevada to move in with her new man in California. Jade and a friend drove through a snow storm to get to California and Philip was very happy to see her. One day later, Philip Inhofer was found dead in his home. First responders at the scene knew right away that Philip Inhofer’s death was no suicide.
A homicide detective was called to the scene to investigate what appeared to be a brutal murder. Detectives discovered a large blood stain on the carpet and found Philip lying on his stomach with a plastic bag on his head. They observed that Philip had suffered from numerous stab wounds and his throat had been slashed. Whoever killed Philip did so in a rage. Philip’s skull was fractured and his teeth were smashed in which was evidence tremendous amounts of blunt force were used. Philip’s shower curtain was shredded and there was blood everywhere including in the tub, on the walls, and on the shower curtains. Detectives found two pieces of paper in the home with Jade’s name on it, one of them was located on the bed stand. They learned Jade was an escort but Philip never told his family that piece of information. Using Philip’s phone records, detectives were able to track down persons of interest in an effort to find Jade. Detectives learned from a friend that Jade was going to Sacramento, California to pick up a Mercedes. The friend who gave Jade a ride to Sacramento informed police that Jade asked her to stop at a store so she could pick up some rat poisoning. She claimed she was going to use it to kill someone but her friend thought she was just kidding.
Investigators also learned that Jade or Michelle Cummisky was accused of electrocuting a previous husband; she threw a radio in his tub. But there was not enough evidence to charge her. Some of her friends said she worshipped Satan and Black Magic, and had tried to kill every man she was ever involved with. A previous husband thought she used rat poison on him because he got very ill when he was with her. Police were concerned that a beautiful, lethal woman was on the run so they called in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist. And the media was contacted; they called Michelle Cummisky ‘Batgirl’ in reports. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a police officer pulled over two girls in a Ryder rental truck with a freshly painted Mercedes in the back. The police ran the vehicle identification number and it came back as a hit to the murder victim, Philip Inhofer. Sacramento detectives went to Mississippi. Michelle’s friend Crystal Woodruff was clueless about Michelle’s crimes so she was released but Michelle on the other hand admitted to the crime. She told investigators that she hurt the man she loved because she was high on a lot of LSD and didn’t know what she was doing. Michelle loved her LSD. She claimed she went to get in the shower with Philip but instead saw monsters and beasts. She described Philip as a dark force that she needed to get rid of.
As Michelle committed the murder, she was reminded that Satan would protect her. She started stabbing Philip through the shower curtain as he was taking a shower. He was completely vulnerable, defenseless, and taken off guard. He attempted to fight off the attack as evidenced by the numerous defense wounds on his body but would succumb to the multiple stab wounds. An autopsy revealed that Philip had been stabbed thirty-two times. After he collapsed, Michelle hit him in the head with a bat a few times to make sure he was dead then dragged his body to a closet. Michelle ate dinner and went to bed. She described to investigators that Satan guided her through everything. The next day, Michelle left North Natomas with the bloody rugs and stole Philip’s Mercedes. Michelle Cummisky was charged with murder. At her trial a couple years later, she used the fact that she had a horrible upbringing and difficult childhood as her defense. The prosecutors reminded the jury that the murder was a cold calculated crime and Michelle would go to any lengths to get what she wanted. On April 14, 1994, Michelle Cummisky was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison. In April 2011, Michelle Cummisky was denied her first chance at parole. Michelle Cummisky is a greedy, sociopath and her selfish actions altered the destiny of several people forever.
A lonely ex-military man meets up with a much younger beautiful woman, and together they fall in love. Or so they think. Until a deadly combination of greed, worry, and secrets leaves one dead and the other on the run… wanted for murder. -Shades of Jade, A Stranger in My Home (S3, E8)
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.
Julie Snodgrass and MSgt Joseph Snodgrass, U.S. Air Force (Photo: Forensic Files)
Military spouse Julie Snodgrass, 33, was found stabbed to death near Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines on February 26, 1991. Julie was discovered in the cab of her pickup truck on an isolated road off base and an autopsy revealed that she was stabbed more than 42 times. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) had jurisdiction of the case. During the investigation, they found evidence on Air Force Sgt. Joseph Snodgrass’ work computer that linked him to the crime. AFOSI found a letter addressed to his mistress asking for help with the murder of his wife. He also talked about the life insurance policy he had purchased in the event his wife died. The letter disclosed that Snodgrass elicited the help of his housekeeper (and lover), a Philippine native, to hire three hitmen to carry out the crime. The pair could then be together and live off the $400,000 life insurance pay out. During an interview with AFOSI, Sgt. Snodgrass grabbed the floppy disks and cut them to pieces with some shears.
Computer forensic scientists were able to find a way to put the disks back together so the data was readable again. This was the evidence the Air Force needed to make their murder-for-hire case. In the meantime in June 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted resulting in layers of volcanic ash falling on Clark Air Force Base and Naval Base Subic Bay. Amidst the chaos, Snodgrass attempted a jail break in August 1991 while awaiting trial but lost his bearings in the ashy mess and eventually surrendered. The eruption’s aftermath triggered the decision to withdraw all American Forces from the Philippines. Joseph Snodgrass pleaded guilty to the solicitation of his wife’s murder and was sentenced to life with no parole in a military prison. As a result of the forensic history made by piecing the floppy disk back together making it usable again, the military changed the policies pertaining to the destruction of classified data on floppy disks. The AFOSI’s “catastrophic blunder” was made right and secure communications destruction policy was changed as a result of the lessons learned when forensic scientists made history.
When the wife of a serviceman was brutally murdered in the Philippines, the Air Force Office of Special Investigators swung into action. Clues led to the victim’s husband, but he insisted he was innocent. Investigators would have to do something unprecedented: Reassemble a 5 1/4 inch computer disk which had been cut to pieces with pinking shears. -Shear Luck, Forensic Files (S10,E9)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. Medical Detectives Channel features 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!
Update (April 11, 2021:
Today, we were informed that Forensic Files got the narrative wrong and Air Force OSI did not commit a “catastrophic blunder.” MJFA reminded said person that if they weren’t hiding all the crime and death from the public, we’d know more about the case details. We simply are repeating what the crew at Forensic Files said. First this person reminded us, the floppy disk was destroyed in their presence because according to Forensic Files, they were “momentarily distracted.” Then they failed to address the fact an accused killer had a pair of scissors on his person, both a danger to OSI and other Air Force personnel. And finally, Joe Snodgrass worked with AFOSI and knew prior to his interview he was going to be questioned about the floppy disks, so he came prepared to destroy them.
Susan Peterson, U.S. Navy Veteran (Photo: NY Daily News)
‘The second victim was found on a Sunday morning, on the same south Dallas road where Mary Pratt was dumped. Like Pratt, she was mostly naked. Like Pratt, she was a prostitute. Her name was Susan Peterson, age 27. She had been shot in the head, chest, and stomach. Her eyelids were closed.” Read more from Texas Monthlyhere.
Forensic Files:
Full Episode: A serial killer is prowling the streets of Dallas, targeting prostitutes. All the police know is that the killer has a bizarre signature. See No Evil, Forensic Files
Oxygen:
Rookie police officers Regina Smith and John Matthews gained intelligence from the sex workers on their beat. -Oxygen (February 7, 2019)
A prostitute in the Dallas spoke to police about a man who attempted to attack her, and his possible link to the string of other murders in the Dallas area. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Elizabeth Peacock discovered Charles Albright’s victim had had her eyeballs cut out. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Dallas Police find one of Charles Albright’s victims lying nude in the street, with a gunshot to the head. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Dallas police discover three women murdered with their eyes surgically removed. Police believe they have a deranged doctor on the loose until two rookie cops find themselves on the trail of a man with a Psycho-esque mother, a talent for taxidermy, and a hatred for women. -Oxgen (February 12, 2019)
Serial killer, Charles Albright, removed the eyeballs of sex workers in Dallas,Texas. -Oxygen (February 14, 2019)
Dr. Michael Stone explains Charles Albright’s narcissistic behavior. -Oxygen (February 14, 2019)
Officer Regina Smith recounts the night she drove Charles Albright to the Dallas Homicide Division after he had murdered several sex workers in the Dallas area. -Oxygen (February 15, 2019)
Psychologist Dr. Michael Stone makes note that there are passages in the New Testament that talk about eyes in a special way. -Oxygen (February 15, 2019)
Serial Killer Charles Albright Documentaries:
Full Episode: Charles Albright is a convicted American serial killer, he is a diagnosed psychopath who was found guilty of killing a woman in 1991 by means of shooting her in the head and removing her eyeballs. -Serial Killer – Charles Albright | Documentary Galore
Full Episode: Charles Frederick Albright is an American serial killer and diagnosed psychopath from Dallas, Texas, who was convicted of killing one woman. -Serial Killer – Charles Albright – HD Documentary | Aristotle Documentary
Investigation Discovery:
Dallas has its dark side, but nothing compares the horror of a series of women found murdered with their eyeballs surgically removed. A pair beat cops use their street savvy to lead detectives to a sadistic killer and his bizarre motive. -The Eyeball Killer, Murder by Numbers (S2, 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.
Navy spouse Dina Kichler was beat, raped and murdered by civilian John Brewer in Mayport, Florida on December 3, 1990. Brewer targeted Dina Kichler months before by befriending her and offering to help her out while her husband was away. The night after her husband Pat Kichler shipped out for six months with the US Navy on the USS Forestall, John Brewer made his move. He stopped by Dina’s residence uninvited and because she knew him she opened the door. John immediately hit her in the face and dragged her upstairs to her bedroom where he beat, raped, and strangled her to death. Her co-workers called the police because they were concerned when Dina didn’t show up for work and they couldn’t get ahold of her. It would be a few years and significant advancements in forensic technology before authorities could prove that John Brewer committed the rape and murder of Dina Kichler. John Brewer was considered a suspect in the murder of Dina Kichler but the prosecutor lacked evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove that Brewer committed the crime.
In the meantime, detectives attended a national conference where they discussed unsolved cases with other investigators. After the Florida detectives discussed the Dina Kichler case, New Hampshire detectives recognized the modus operandi of the killer. The methodology of the death was identical to that of Michelle Lafond who was raped and murdered in 1987. Florida police combed through the New Hampshire case file and discovered that John Brewer applied for a job with Michelle’s husband. Meanwhile, the DNA evidence collected from the bodies of both Dina and Michelle were compared to the DNA of known suspects. As a result, John Brewer’s DNA sample was a match to Dina Kichler in Florida and Michelle Lafond in New Hampshire. At this time, Florida prosecutors were able to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and John Brewer plead guilty to the rape and first degree murder of Dina Kichler in June 1999 to avoid the death penalty. He also plead guilty to the rape and murder of Michelle Lafond in New Hampshire. John Brewer was given two life sentences.
Investigation Discovery:
In December of 1990, young Navy wife and mother Dina Kichler is found brutalized and strangled in her Mayport, Florida apartment. Investigators work through a list of the victim’s admirers before closing in on the killer. -An Eye for Murder, Unusual Suspects (S7,E7)
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.
Army Soldier Erin Tynan, 21, was found dead on November 15, 1990 in her off base apartment in Barstow, California. Erin Tynan was an active duty military police officer stationed at the Fort Irwin National Training Center. She had already spent a couple years in Germany and after her enlistment was up, she was going to use her GI Bill to go back to school and get a degree in forensic social work. After she didn’t show up to work, the Army asked the Barstow Police Department to check in on her because they were concerned about a respiratory medical condition she had been diagnosed with in Germany. The Barstow Police Department went to Erin’s home and found her dead at the scene.
Barstow PD detectives determined that Erin had been the victim of a surprise sexual attack and murder. They deduced that whoever killed Erin was someone that she knew and the person was able to gain access inside her apartment and overpower her. The autopsy confirmed that Erin was assaulted, forcibly raped, strangled, and stabbed in the neck post mortem. Investigators believed that the precision stab wound in the back of the neck was the work of someone who served in the military and wanted to make sure she was dead. They first turned to Erin’s last known boyfriend William Jones. He had recently been discharged from the Army and left the day before but there was tension because the six month relationship ended. Jones informed investigators that he had left Erin with a 22 pistol for protection but she was planning on selling the gun to another Army soldier because it jammed. They did not locate the gun in Erin’s apartment and believed the killer stole the gun. Jones was eventually ruled out because his DNA did not match the DNA found at the crime scene and he was in fact physically placed in Illinois at the time of the murder. The next person they turned to was a lead they got from the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID). CID learned that another soldier by the name of Eugene Knox was in possession of a 22 pistol and had been acting erratically. The Barstow PD spoke with Knox and learned that he had been dating Erin. No one knew the two were seeing one another. Investigators determined that Knox could not have been the killer because he was out in the field on the night of the murder.
A couple years later, evidence from an attempted murder of a young mother in Louisiana was linked to evidence in a murder case in California. The young mother had been shot in the face once with a 22 pistol but her life was spared when the gun jammed the second time the killer pulled the trigger. The murder victim, Curtis Dean, had also been stabbed in the neck in the same precise way that Erin Tynan was stabbed in the neck. The suspect in the murder of Curtis Dean was an Army soldier at Fort Irwin, Christopher Geier. Army CID immediately recognized the similarity in the knife wounds found on both Curtis Dean and Erin Tynan. They contacted the Barstow PD to inform them of what they had learned. Geier admitted to investigators that he was hired to murder Curtis Dean but did not admit to the rape and murder of Erin Tynan when confronted. But it didn’t matter because in the meantime forensic testing revealed the gun used to shoot the young mother in Louisiana who survived matched the 22 pistol missing from Erin’s apartment. And the British Commando knife Geier admitted using on Curtis Dean was consistent with the knife used on Erin Tynan. Hair samples and DNA evidence collected from the rape also matched Geier. The prosecutor determine based on evidence collected at the scene that Geier knew that Erin Tynan would be alone and vulnerable that night. He also knew that her boyfriend Billy Jones was gone. He used the ruse to buy the pistol to gain access into her apartment with one thing in mind: he wanted a sexual encounter with her. After she resisted and rejected him, he raped and strangled her.
On July 21, 1995, Christopher Adam Geier was sentenced to death for the first degree murder of Erin Tyner and Curtis Dean, and the attempted murder of the young mother in Louisiana. Investigators eventually learned that Geier’s Fort Irwin Tank Commander in the Army, Jeffrey Hunter, hired him to kill Curtis Dean. Army soldier Jeffrey Hunter was sentenced to life in prison.
Update: On August 31, 2017, Christopher Geier, 49, collapsed and died in the prison’s recreational yard. The cause of death is unknown, pending the results of an autopsy.
Investigation Discovery:
The discovery of a beautiful military police officer murdered in her own home sends police on a twisted journey for answers. -Blood and Betrayal, On the Case with Paula Zahn (S14,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.
April 15, 1989: Tammie Erwin, 18, Palm Springs, California
Marine veteran Andrew Urdiales is accused of murdering eight women from 1986 to 1996, five in California and three in Illinois, and raping and abducting 19 year old Jennifer Asbenson who escaped and survived. Urdiales was indicted for three murders in Illinois and was sentenced to death but the death sentence was commuted after Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois abolished capital punishment in 2011. Instead he received three life sentences for the murders of Laura Uylaki, Cassandra Corum, and Lynn Huber. A gun confiscated in a separate incident linked the three murders in Illinois together and during an interrogation, Urdiales admitted in detail to five cold case murders in California too.
After years of legal wrangling, Urdiales was eventually extradited to California and indicted in 2009 on five counts of first degree murder. He was accused of killing Robbin Brandley, Julie McGhee, Mary Ann Wells, Tammie Erwin, and Denise Maney while stationed at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. On May 23, 2018, Andrew Urdiales was convicted of five murders by a jury that deliberated for about a day before recommending in June 2018 that he be sentenced to death for each of the five murders. On November 2, 2018, corrections officials said they found Urdiales unresponsive during a security check at San Quentin State Prison; former Marine and serial killer Andrew Urdiales died by suicide.
In the News:
The murders occurred when Andrew Urdiales was stationed at various Marine Corps facilities in Southern California. -CBS Los Angeles (October 5, 2018)
In 1986, 26-year-old Ellen Boehm of St. Louis, Missouri was tired of the constraints of family life. She was married to a much older Vietnam veteran and after five years of marriage, they had two children with a third baby on the way. It became quickly apparent, Ellen may not have been ready for the role of mom as she wasn’t your typical stay-at-home mom. Ellen loved professional wrestling and she spent a lot of time watching the matches. Ellen admitted her marriage was in trouble when she confided in friends. When she was eight months pregnant with the third child, her husband Paul told her when he was in Vietnam, he was exposed to Agent Orange and the only way he could be cured is if he went to Texas for treatment. But it was all a lie because Paul was not sick, he left her for another woman he met on-line. As a result, Ellen was broke. She had been abandoned by her husband but it didn’t stop her from indulging in her favorite pastime. But her favorite professional wrestling hobby started interfering with her life. By the time Ellen Boehm was 28-years-old, she was bankrupt. Her children were more of a burden than a joy.
Ellen’s two-year-old son David was fussy and she couldn’t deal with it. On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1988, she settled the two older children in bed and she let David stay up. As he was lying on the floor, she took a cushion off the couch and smothered him. When she thinks he was dead, she called for help and said she found little David unconscious. Emergency personnel rushed him to the hospital where David was put on life support. But the doctor said there was nothing they could do; he was brain dead. The doctor asked for permission to take David off life-support and Ellen eventually turned to the doctor and said “Pull it”. She never shed a tear. As a result, Ellen received a life insurance pay-out of $5000. Ironically, only eight months after David’s death, Ellen went shopping for life insurance policies for children. According to investigators, there was a total of $94,000 in life insurance taken out on her children. On September 13, 1989, Ellen’s 8-year-old daughter was taking a bath and Ellen dropped a hairdryer in the tub. She didn’t die so Ellen brought her to the hospital. Ellen’s daughter survived with no permanent injuries and everyone just accepted that it was an unfortunate accident.
Twelve days later, Ellen tried again. Her son Stevie was sleeping on the living room floor when Ellen decided to put a pillow over his face and smother him; he died. Steven’s passing created a sense of unease with Ellen’s friends because they couldn’t understand her reaction. It was as if it was just another day. For long time friend Deanne Bond, a third tragedy was just too much and she called the police. She suspected foul play and police conducted a thorough investigation. Realizing the police were closing in on two murders and one attempted murder, Ellen confessed to everything. She broke down and admitted she did it; she explained how she did it but never explained why. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to observe that Ellen could not have the life she wanted with children so she chose murder. In 1993, Ellen Boehm pleaded guilty to one count of first degree murder and one count of second degree murder. She received two life sentences with no possibility of parole. Her friend Deanne suspected after she received the first $5,000 life insurance pay-out for her youngest son David, it set the whole thing in motion. Ellen killed her children for money, it was all about the pay-day.
In the 1980s, when Ellen Boehm couldn’t pay her debt, she turned to the quickest payout she knew: life insurance. She murdered her two sons and attempted to kill her daughter. In 1992, Ellen was sentenced to two life terms in prison and is currently incarcerated in Vandalia.
A mother’s role is to love & protect her children, but for some, that doesn’t ring true. When a Missouri mom uses her children for money, it’s clear they lack motherly love. -Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery (S7, 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.
September 25, 1988: Mary Ann Wells, 31, San Diego, California
Marine veteran Andrew Urdiales is accused of murdering eight women from 1986 to 1996, five in California and three in Illinois, and raping and abducting 19 year old Jennifer Asbenson who escaped and survived. Urdiales was indicted for three murders in Illinois and was sentenced to death but the death sentence was commuted after Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois abolished capital punishment in 2011. Instead he received three life sentences for the murders of Laura Uylaki, Cassandra Corum, and Lynn Huber. A gun confiscated in a separate incident linked the three murders in Illinois together and during an interrogation, Urdiales admitted in detail to five cold case murders in California too.
After years of legal wrangling, Urdiales was eventually extradited to California and indicted in 2009 on five counts of first degree murder. He was accused of killing Robbin Brandley, Julie McGhee, Mary Ann Wells, Tammie Erwin, and Denise Maney while stationed at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. On May 23, 2018, Andrew Urdiales was convicted of five murders by a jury that deliberated for about a day before recommending in June 2018 that he be sentenced to death for each of the five murders. On November 2, 2018, corrections officials said they found Urdiales unresponsive during a security check at San Quentin State Prison; former Marine and serial killer Andrew Urdiales died by suicide.
In the News:
The murders occurred when Andrew Urdiales was stationed at various Marine Corps facilities in Southern California. -CBS Los Angeles (October 5, 2018)
On August 2, 1988, nine year old Dolana Clark vanished from Great Falls, Montana without a trace. A year later, a hunter found Dolana’s remains in the Little Belt Mountains southeast of Great Falls. She died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Retired Air Force Sergeant Wilfred “Bill” Morrisey lived a couple of blocks from the Clark residence and had a close relationship with the family during the years preceding Dolana’s disappearance. Police considered Morrisey a person of interest but he repeatedly denied any involvement. A few months later, Morrisey left Great Falls and eventually settled in Colorado. Dolana Clark’s disappearance and homicide case went cold.
Four years later in 2002, the Great Falls Police Department renewed the investigation into Dolana’s death. Detectives reviewed the case file including statements Morrisey had given back in 1988 and found inconsistencies. This peaked a renewed interest in Wilfred Morrisey. After an investigation, detectives developed the theory that Dolana went to Morrisey’s house the evening of August 2, 1988 after her father refused to give her money to purchase a Siamese cat on layaway at a local pet store. Investigators deduced that Dolana went to Bill and asked for money to purchase the cat. They believe Morrisey took advantage of this opportunity. Police suspected that Morrisey most likely sexually abused Dolana in exchange for the money, hit her, and realized he went too far.
Wilfred Morrisey most likely killed young Dolana Clark in an effort to hide his crimes. Police believe he placed Dolana’s body in the trunk of his vehicle and then joined family members in searching for Dolana but refused to use either of his vehicles in the search. After the search, he drove up to the mountains where he dumped her body in a remote location. Detectives learned from a friend of Bill’s that he did in fact own a gun of the same caliber used in the death of Dolana. They also learned that Bill went to the pet store and purchased the Siamese cat that Dolana wanted and kept the cat as his own. The State of Montana charged Wilfred Morrisey on September 4, 2002 with deliberate homicide. In 2005, a jury found Morrisey guilty and sentenced him to life in prison with no eligibility for parole.
Investigation Discovery:
Preview: In 1988, a nine year-old girl goes missing in Great Falls, Montana. Years after the case goes cold, a chance bus stop encounter breathes new life into the investigation, leading detectives to the horrifying truth behind the girl’s disappearance. -Little Girl Gone, Unusual Suspects (S7,E12)
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.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 