Army Spc. Tracy Spencer Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Rape & Murder of Veteran Micki Filmore & Nurse Barbara Kramer (December 31, 1986)

On December 31, 1986September 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, VeteransLeave a comment

When 22 year-old Micki Filmore is found raped and murder in her apartment, detective Kenda focuses his investigation on her activities the previous night. Micki was seen dancing with a man who then paid a late night call to her door. -A Killer Always Rings Twice, Homicide Hunter (S1, E3)

Colorado Springs is the home of five military bases made up of about 40,000 personnel. A lot of them live off-base in local apartment units. On July 19, 1986, as Army Spc. Tracy Spencer was walking by, he noticed his neighbor Micki Filmore was laying lifeless on the floor in her apartment. He was alarmed and ran to his wife Lisa to seek help. She claims she went through the window of the apartment because of her own concern for Micki and discovered that she was in fact dead. They called the police. Lt. Joe Kenda of the Homicide Unit at the Colorado Springs Police Department was assigned to investigate the case. Kenda deduced from the observation of the crime scene that there did not appear to be any struggle, the victim’s wallet and cash were present, and she was naked with her legs open and bruising around her neck. He suspected Micki Filmore was raped and strangled in a quick and brutal attack.

Joe talked about the crimes of rape and murder for a bit. He talked about how rape is unfortunately a very common crime but he also noted that rape and murder is not that common. Lt. Kenda educated the public about the fact that rape and sexual assault is mostly a punishment of women. And in this particular case, the perpetrator surprised Micki Filmore while she was in bed. His only purpose was to rape and kill her. While Joe waited on the results of the autopsy, he tried to figure out the modus operandi of this particular offender because he would strike again. Joe wondered why it was so important for this person to get in and out of the apartment quickly. Was he a local and making sure that nobody saw and recognized him? Neighbors Lisa and Tracy Spencer reported they saw Micki the night before; she was happy, eating pizza, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

Joe canvassed the neighbors in the apartment complex and learned that Micki was having troubles: he heard from neighbors that her fiancé left her, she was pregnant, and broke but nobody knew who the father of the child was. One neighbor told Lt. Kenda that he went to a night club with her the night before. He claimed that while they were there, she saw someone she knew. She left the club with her neighbor around 2 a.m. but she did give a piece of paper to the friend she ran into at the club. The neighbor claimed they talked for a little bit and then went their separate ways. After lying down, the neighbor heard knocking on her door. He looked out briefly and saw the same man from the club standing there. Another neighbor said she was awoken by a loud scream and then a thumping noise around 3:45 a.m. She assumed whoever it was they were fighting. Joe still had little evidence to go on but the autopsy helps tell a story.

The autopsy revealed that Micki Filmore’s last moments were met with violence, anger, and rage. And she had engaged in sexual relations within the last twelve hours. Despite what her neighbors said, she was not pregnant and there were no drugs or alcohol in her system. Lt. Kenda learned Micki was twenty-two years old and originally from a rural community in North Carolina. She joined the Army straight out of high school, did a three year tour of duty, traveled the world, and her service ended in December 1985. She was looking forward to leaving to be with her fiancé in a few weeks. Lt. Kenda contacted the fiance and learned that he had not abandoned Micki. The fiance was finalizing a divorce so he could marry Micki and he could verify his whereabouts at the time of the murder. The fiance shared he asked his friend Frank Lynch to look out for Micki while he was gone; but now he had concerns that maybe he was involved. This gave Kenda a new lead and potentially a new suspect.

Kenda met with Frank Lynch who denied any involvement in the murder and could account for himself on the night in question. As a result, Kenda closed out Lynch and in the meantime got a phone call from DiCarlo Dowden. DiCarlo was the man at the club that Micki gave a piece of paper to and the same man suspected of showing up at her apartment the night of the murder. DiCarlo admitted that he ran into Micki at the club, they chatted, they danced, she told him she was not ‘with’ her neighbor (he was an escort), and then gave him her number. She also gave him her address which to him was an invitation so DiCarlo dropped by her apartment but no one answered the door so he left. DiCarlo noticed that a neighbor did see him after looking out their window, which also matched the neighbor’s story. DiCarlo denied any involvement in the crime and there was no probable cause to arrest him, he did volunteer to provide biological evidence for testing.

It takes several weeks for the comparative analysis testing to be completed at the labs. Joe reiterated that DiCarlo was not off the hook yet. On August 12, 1986, another body was discovered in the same apartment complex. Lt. Joe Kenda knew this was not a coincidence. The victim was twenty-four year old Barbara Kramer who was a nurse at Eisenhower Hospital in Colorado Springs. She didn’t show up to work so her sister and a friend went over to her apartment to check in on her. They discovered the newspaper outside her door, signs of a struggle in the apartment, and the friend found Barbara Kramer dead in her bedroom. The family was devastated because they were already worried about her safety after the first murder in that apartment complex but they reported that Barbara was cautious and playing it safe. Kenda was horrified by what he saw at the crime scene because he immediately knew it was the same guy.

The modus operandi of both crimes was exactly the same aside from one woman was black and one woman was white. Both were displayed with their legs open after they were murdered; both were attacked in the middle of the night between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m.; both were single females living alone; both were strangled; and both were living in the same apartment complex. Lt. Kenda was feeling an even more heightened sense of urgency because this guy was a serial killer and was not going to stop; he wanted to prevent a third victim. He also deduced that the killer probably lived in the area and he was carrying on as if nothing mattered. He questioned DiCarlo about his whereabouts and DiCarlo was cleared as a suspect because his girlfriend could alibi him. Kenda knew DiCarlo wasn’t his man because the person he was looking for killed Micki Filmore and Barbara Kramer.

Lt. Kenda knew these murders were similar offenses; they were the same crime, different targets. He wondered how many more had to die before the Colorado Springs Police Department could stop him. Kenda theorized that the perpetrator most likely stalked his victims before the attacks. He did not feel that these crimes were random and he believed that the perpetrator surveilled his victims. This offender simply waited for the right place and right time. Kenda noted that these guys are not as intelligent as one would think but they are cunning. He knew the guy made mistakes and he had to be the one to find them. After interviewing more neighbors about the night before, Kenda learned that one neighbor was awakened to screams around 6 a.m. and another neighbor saw Tracy Spencer banging on Barbara’s door with a piece of paper in his hand around 6:25 a.m. She saw the door open, Spencer enter the apartment, and then the door slam.

This new information intrigued Lt. Kenda because now Tracy Spencer not only found Micki Filmore’s body but a witness saw him knocking on Barbara Kramer’s door around the time that she died. Kenda looked into his criminal history and found only minor offenses, nothing to indicate a propensity for violence. But Kenda was going to apply for a warrant regardless and arrest Tracy Spencer based on the evidence he had. But first he wanted to talk to Tracy’s wife. Lisa was still claiming that Tracy was with her the night of the murders so Kenda told her that a witness saw him and she began to cry. Kenda did not understand why she would protect him and told her she could be arrested next. She told him she did lie and that Tracy was not with her all night. As a matter of a fact, she admitted that he left the apartment in the middle of the night often and went for walks. She claimed Tracy told her he kept finding Barbara’s mail on the ground and wanted to return it to her, despite locked mailboxes at the apartment complex.

Lisa Spencer also admitted to finding an empty envelope with Barbara’s name on it so she threw it away. She observed Tracy get angry when he couldn’t find it but she never told him she threw it away. She also confessed that she did not go through the Micki’s apartment window like she originally shared with the police; she went into the apartment to help Tracy cover up the crime. When Kenda asked her why, her response was that she loved him. Kenda learned that Tracy was on the move so he made a decision to arrest and take him to the station before he hurt someone else. Kenda got a search warrant for his apartment and found the letter he couldn’t find right in the trash where his wife said she put it. And it did in deed have Barbara Kramer’s name on it. Kenda questioned Tracy at the station and even after he was told there were witnesses, Spencer stuck to his story. Eventually he folded some and admitted to taking mail to Barbara but said he didn’t go inside her apartment.

Kenda realized Tracy Spencer was a prolific liar. He denied everything. Kenda confronted him with the semen he said matched him (which was a lie) and then Tracy admitted that he was lying to him because he was having an affair with Micki and did have consensual sex with her that night. He had an explanation for everything. The bottom line was that he was going to commit the crimes regardless of the consequences and then lie about it. That’s what they do. The lab results came back and showed that both Tracy’s blood and hair samples matched those at the crime scenes. Tracy Spencer was arrested for the first degree murders of Micki Filmore and Barbara Kramer. On December 31, 1986, Tracy Spencer was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison plus twenty-four years. He is eligible for parole in 2032. Lt. Kenda ended the show with the fact that Spencer overpowered, raped, and killed two girls he didn’t even know for no real reason. Two women paid the price for his crimes and there could have been more, and that scared him.

Source: A Killer Always Rings Twice, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

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 Pvt Laura Vickery-Clay Raped & Murdered by Fort Bragg Soldier; Ronald Gray Sentenced to Death by Military Courts for Two Murders & One Attempted Murder (1986)

On December 15, 1986December 30, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual AssaultLeave a comment

US Army Seal — Pvt. Laura Vickery-Clay, US Army

On December 15, 1986, Army soldier Ronald Gray abducted, raped, sodomized, and murdered Private Laura Lee Vickery-Clay, 18, of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. According to reports, witnesses saw Laura at a local store with Ronald Gray the night she disappeared and Gray’s finger print evidence was found on the hood of Laura’s vehicle. About a month later on January 17, 1987, a soldier discovered Laura’s half-naked, decomposed body in the woods on Fort Bragg. She had been raped, sodomized, and shot in the neck, forehead, chest, and back of the head. She had also suffered blunt force trauma to various parts of her body. The murder weapon was found in close proximity to the victim’s body. In 1988, Ronald Gray was found guilty by the military courts of the premeditated murders of civilian Kimberly Ann Ruggles and Private Laura Lee Vickery-Clay, and the attempted premeditated murder of Private Mary Ann Lang Nameth. On April 12, 1988, Ronald Gray was sentenced to death, given a dishonorable discharge, total forfeitures, and a reduction to Private E-1. In 2008, President George Bush gave the final approval for the military execution of Ronald Gray. In December 2016, media reports indicated that the military is moving forward with the lethal injection execution of Ronald Gray.

According to CNN, the US military could soon execute someone for the first time since 1961. Ronald Gray, a former Army soldier, has been on military death row at Fort Leavenworth since 1988 when he was convicted of killing five women and raping several others in 1986 and 1987 while stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. A civilian court gave him eight life sentences, but a military court sentenced him to death. Last week, a judge ruled Gray’s stay in prison was no longer in effect and denied any further stays. Following the ruling, an execution date for Gray could be announced as soon as next month. –Wochit News

Ronald Gray, US Army, Sentenced to Death by Military Courts for the Rape & Murder of Army Private Laura Vickery-Clay & Civilian Kimberly Ruggles (1986)

On December 15, 1986December 30, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual AssaultLeave a comment

screen-shot-2016-09-24-at-10-51-12-pm — Ronald Gray, US Army

Ronald Gray, US Army, was sentenced to death in 1988 by a military court for the rape and premeditated murders of Army Private Laura Lee Vickery-Clay in December 1986 and civilian Kimberly Ann Ruggles in January 1987. He was also convicted of raping Army Private Mary Ann Lang Nameth and leaving her for dead in January 1987. Ronald Gray’s scheduled execution is one of two scheduled in the military since 1961. Army Private John Bennett was the last soldier to be executed by the US military. Bennett was convicted of rape and the attempted murder of an 11 year old Austrian girl. He was hanged in 1961 at Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas. Ronald Gray joined Timothy Hennis, another Fort Bragg soldier convicted of rape and the murders of Air Force spouse Kathryn Eastburn and two of her three daughters in 1985. In 2008, President George Bush granted the final approval necessary for the military to execute Ronald Gray. After Gray’s execution was delayed for eight years, media reports indicated in December 2016 that the Armed Forces courts will no longer grant stays of execution and the federal government made an announcement that they plan to move forward with the lethal injection execution of Ronald Gray. Gray is one of six service members on death row at Fort Leavenworth. He joins Timothy Hennis, Dwight Loving, Andrew Witt, Hasan Akbar, and Nidal Hasan.

Learn more: Nidal Hasan, and the 5 other men on the military’s death row

Sgt Sandra Jones, US Army, Fort Dix, New Jersey (1986)

On October 6, 1986August 6, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name1 Comment

Sgt Sandra Jones, US Army, Fort Dix, New Jersey was murdered by her son Joel Jones on October 6, 1986. She was stabbed multiple times. Joel was held for a psychiatric evaluation by the courts.

“Sgt. Sandra Jones, 37 years old, was murdered and her 19-year-old son, Joel E. Jones, was charged in the slaying.” -Bill Libby (April 14, 1987)

Sergeant At Fort Dix Found Dead; Son Held
Charred Body of Female Soldier is Found in Refuse Bin at Fort Dix

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)

On June 9, 1986October 15, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Sexual Assault, USAF3 Comments

Kathleen & Bill Lipscomb — Kathleen Lipscomb and MSgt William Lipscomb, U.S. Air Force (Photo: Forensic Files)

Air Force spouse Kathleen Lipscomb, 30, was found dead on the side of a highway in San Antonio, Texas on June 9, 1986. She was murdered and the case went unsolved for years. Kathleen was a nurse and she had two children with her husband William ‘Bill’ Lipscomb. Bill, 33, was a MSgt in the Air Force and was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base. They were married for eight years but had recently separated. Their arrangement was for Bill to spend time with the two children on the weekends. But one Sunday night, Kathleen never showed up to pick up the children. Bill went to Kathleen’s apartment but she wasn’t there. The next morning there was no sign of her. One of her co-workers contacted a family member because she didn’t show up to work and they were worried. Later that day, Kathleen Lipscomb was discovered nude and dead on the side of the highway. Based on the evidence, police deduced she had been murdered elsewhere.

Bill Lipscomb was immediately called in for questioning. The police wanted to check for any wounds that might be on his body. The children told police their father was with them the entire weekend and confirmed his alibi. An autopsy revealed Kathleen had sex 24 hours before she was found dead. During the investigation, detectives learned Kathleen was dating a married man. His name was Dr. David Pearl and Kathleen was in love with him. Dr. Pearl admitted he was with Kathleen over the weekend but insisted he had nothing to do with her murder. One week after Kathleen’s murder, her car was found in a restaurant parking lot not far from her apartment. Investigators found no useful forensic evidence in the car. Based on the food contents in her stomach, investigators determined she was most likely murdered on Sunday night and dumped in the field during the early morning hours on Monday.

For two years, investigators searched for Kathleen’s killer. Kathleen’s family suspected her estranged husband Bill had something to do with her murder. Seven months before the murder, Bill had increased Kathy’s life insurance to $300,000. Kathleen’s family hired a private investigator to look into the case. The PI learned of the name Shannon Gilbert from Kathleen’s day planner. She was in the Air Force with Bill and it was rumored she was having an affair with him. Shannon Gilbert would not speak with the PI without an attorney present. The PI also found a note about WAPS (Weighted Airman Promotion System) testing and it said Bill had all the answers to the test. Kathleen was accusing Bill of cheating. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) joined the investigation because it involved allegations of cheating. Dr. Charles McDowell believed the scene had been staged to look like a rape and murder.

McDowell also suspected someone else dumped the body. Kathleen’s daughter revealed another important piece of information to the family. She told family members she thought her father killed her mom because he wasn’t home the entire weekend. One of his friends Anthony ‘Tony’ Barello took them out for dinner on Sunday and when they woke up in the middle of the night, they realized their father was gone. Investigators ordered forensic DNA testing but the biological evidence had been mislabeled then mishandled. Forensic testing was not possible. Investigators needed more than circumstantial evidence to corroborate the children’s story. During the investigation, detectives learned Bill cheated on the military promotion testing and Kathleen knew it. During the divorce proceedings, Bill wanted custody of the children and Kathleen was not going to let that happen. Was Kathleen using this information as blackmail during the custody battle?

At the crime scene, Kathleen’s clothing was neatly rolled which suggested someone with military training dumped the body. When investigators caught up with Tony Barello, he was eager to talk. Tony immediately acknowledged he dumped Kathleen’s body in the field. He told them Bill Lipscomb was the killer. Tony still had evidence directly linking Bill to the crime and investigators confirmed it was Kathleen’s blood in a small chest she was stored in after she was murdered. OSI took over the homicide investigation. Bill’s former girlfriend also admitted that Bill told her he was going to kill his wife. OSI brought Bill Lipscomb in for questioning but Bill denied everything. They believed he sought revenge for Kathleen’s threats to expose him for the military promotion scandal. They believed Bill asked his friend Tony to take the children out for dinner so he could kill Kathleen while they were out.

When Kathleen arrived and noticed the children missing, the two most likely argued. At some point, Bill strangled Kathleen and then stored her in a chest in the house. Once the children were asleep, Tony retrieved Kathleen’s body and dumped her on the side of the highway to stage it as a sex crime. MSgt Bill Lipscomb was charged with the rape and murder of Kathleen Lipscomb in July 1989. Bill Lipscomb pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and in 1990 a Langley Air Force Base military judge sentenced Bill Lipscomb to life in prison. Although under the terms of the plea agreement, Bill Lipscomb will spend no more than 60 years at the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, a reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge. In return for their cooperation, Tony Barello and Shannon Gilbert were not charged. Shannon Gilbert changed her name and is now in the federal witness protection program.

“Although his wife was not killed on government property or in Virginia, the Air Force tried Lipscomb here under a law that gives the military authority to handle any criminal transgressions by an active-duty serviceman.” –Daily Press (August 22, 1990)

Source: True Lies, Forensic Files

Forensic Files:

Full episode: 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)

Investigation Discovery:

Preview: When a wife begins an affair behind her domineering husband’s back with a coworker, he soon finds out and begins an affair of his own. Little do they realize that the relationships they have entered into are not what they seem. -Sex, Secrets & Sergeants, Scorned: Love Kills (S5,E5)

While Kathy Lipscomb spends late nights at the hospital with the handsome Dr. Pearle, her husband’s career in the Air Force is taking off, but so is his relationship with a hot young officer. When the affairs are exposed the consequences are fatal. -Sex, Secrets & Sergeants, Scorned: Love Kills (S5,E5)

Robbin Brandley Found Stabbed to Death at Saddleback College; Former Marine Andrew Urdiales Sentenced to Death in California for 5 Murders (January 18, 1986)

On January 18, 1986August 6, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2017-08-07 at 3.52.40 PM — Robbin Brandley, Civilian, California

January 18, 1986: Robbin Brandley, 23, Saddleback Community College, 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.

Robbin was murdered in a dark, dangerous, poorly guarded and unlighted parking lot at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo. She was viciously stabbed over 40 times. She was not robbed or sexually molested. –Who Murdered Robbin Brandley

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)

Honoring the Victims of Serial Killer and Former Marine Andrew Urdiales in California, Indiana, and Illinois (1986-1996)

On January 18, 1986August 6, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USMCLeave a comment

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Honoring the Victims:

January 18, 1986: Robbin Brandley, 23, Saddleback College, California
July 17, 1988: Julie McGhee, 30, Cathedral City, California
September 25, 1988: Mary Ann Wells, 31, San Diego, California
April 15, 1989: Tammie Erwin, 18, Palm Springs, California
March 11, 1995: Denise Maney, 32, Palm Springs, California
April 14, 1996: Laura Uylaki, 25, Wolf Lake, Illinois
July 14, 1996: Cassandra Corum, 21, Livingston County, Illinois
August 2, 1996: Lynn Huber, 22, Wolf Lake, Illinois

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 4.14.12 PM — Jennifer Asbenson, of California, survived a rape & abduction on September 28, 1992.

Military Widow Elizabeth Ratliff Found Deceased at the Bottom of Stairs in Germany; Michael Peterson Last Person to See Alive, Adopted Ratliff’s 2 Daughters (Nov. 25, 1985)

On November 25, 1985June 12, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

peterson002 — Elizabeth Ratliff (November 25, 1985)

Elizabeth Ratliff was found deceased at the bottom of the stairs in her home in Germany on November 25, 1985 in an apparent accident. Elizabeth was a military widow who was raising two daughters on her own after her husband, an Army soldier, died in a training accident. Elizabeth was a teacher at an Air Force base in Germany where she met Marine veteran Michael Peterson‘s wife, also a teacher. They all quickly formed a friendship and Elizabeth and her two daughters spent a lot of time with the Petersons. It is believed that Peterson was the last person to see Elizabeth alive and after Elizabeth died, Michael Peterson and his wife adopted her two daughters. Initially Elizabeth’s death was deemed an accidental death but when Michael Peterson’s new wife Kathleen Hunt Peterson was found dead at the bottom of her stairs in their home in Durham, North Carolina, investigators gave Elizabeth’s death a second look. The district attorney ordered the exhumation of Elizabeth Ratliff in Texas in an effort to re-examine her body to determine cause of death. The medical examiner conducted an investigation in North Carolina and ruled that the cause of death was a homicidal assault despite the initial finding of cerebral hemorrhage due to an accident. Michael Peterson was never charged with the homicide of Elizabeth Ratliff. As a side note, the two deceased women not only died in a similar fashion but they looked eerily alike.

With the knowledge of the criminal evidence against him, Aphrodite Jones speaks with convicted murderer, Michael Peterson, about the murder of his wife and his bisexual affair. -True Crime with Aphrodite Jones

Investigators are stunned to discover that sixteen years ago, Michael Peterson’s good friend Liz Ratliff also died at the bottom of a staircase, lying in a pool of blood. The trial begins and experts battle over the interpretation of blood spatter. -An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase

Sylvia Seegrist Went on Shooting Spree at Shopping Mall Killing Recife Cosmen, Ernest Trout & Augusto Ferrara; Sentenced to Life in Prison (October 30, 1985)

On October 30, 1985August 14, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, ScandalsLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2017-08-23 at 5.51.02 PM — Sylvia Seegrist, US Army Veteran

On October 30, 1985, Sylvia Seegrist, 25, dressed in Army fatigues and black boots, parked her car in front of the Springfield Mall in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stepped out, and started shooting. She killed three people and injured seven more in the mass shooting before she was stopped by an on-looker in the mall who didn’t realize she was not in a Halloween costume. Killed in the incident was a young child and two men: Recife Cosmen, 2, Dr. Ernest Trout, 67, and Augusto Ferrara, 64. As a result, Seegrist was arrested and indicted for three first degree murders. Investigators would learn that Sylvia Seegrist was discharged from the military after a year of serving because she wasn’t “right in the head” according to Army officials. Sylvia’s mother shared that she tried to get help for her daughter and tried to get her to take medication, but no one would hear her pleas for help. Prior to and after her trial in 1986, Seegrist was held at a Pennsylvania State Hospital.

Sylvia downward spiraled after her discharge from the Army and used the military training she learned to kill innocent civilians. After Sylvia was found guilty of three first degree murders and given three life sentences, she was transferred to the women’s Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution where she still resides. The 1985 incident highlighted the fine line between an individual’s rights and the state’s authority to commit potentially dangerous people. Seegrist interviewed in 1991 said, “daily doses of anti-psychotic medication had curtailed her delusions, paranoia and explosive anger.” Why wasn’t the mental illness picked up by recruiting and instead only recognized after she joined the military? Sylvia Seegrist had paranoid schizophrenia which is a serious mental illness that requires the use of medication to manage symptomology. Sylvia Seegrist needed follow on treatment after her discharge from the Army in an effort to prevent a predictable downward spiral.

Source: Twisted Minds, Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Twisted Philly Podcast:

HISTORY – Twisted Philly – Episode 14: PART 1 – Ms. Rambo

To recap part one, Sylvia Seegrist was a resident of Springfield, Pennsylvania, a suburb about 10 miles outside the city… -Ms. Rambo, Twisted Philly

Military Retiree Frank Kovaleski Found Dead in Middle of Street; Mike Murphy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Murder (September 3, 1985)

On September 3, 1985October 1, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, VeteransLeave a comment

When a mother is killed, Lt Joe Kenda wonders if it’s a robbery gone wrong, until a slew of hateful messages surface. Then, patrols discover a body on a roadway after an evident hit-and-run, but the victim’s true cause of death turns the case on its head. -#1 Suspect, Homicide Hunter (S4,E9)

Lt. Joe Kenda was asked to investigate a dead body in the street in the early morning hours of September 3, 1985 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While on patrol, a police officer discovered the body in the middle of the street. The individual had been dragged by a vehicle for 20 to 30 feet. The coroner indicated that the wallet contained an ID. The dead man was 42-year-old Frances ‘Frank’ Kovaleski. He was a retired member of U.S. military. He lived in the general neighborhood. Police began canvassing the neighborhood but because this incident occurred in the middle of the night, no one saw or heard anything. Frank died of blunt force trauma and was stabbed twice; this was a homicide. No money was taken from Frank’s wallet so Kenda deduced Frank most likely was killed by someone he knew. Kenda went to Frank Kovaleski’s home and learned he had a roommate.

The roommate said Frank lived day to day, picked up odd jobs where he could, and fished a lot. He had a daughter in New York. The roommate said he hung out a lot with a guy named Mike Murphy. Mike was about 20 years younger than him. Officers were dispatched to Mike Murphy’s home and when they arrived, they found a car on the street with blood all over the side of it. Mike Murphy admitted it was his car and he was arrested. Kenda got a search warrant for Murphy’s home and interviewed his family. During an interrogation, Mike admitted knowing Frank but denied knowing anything about his death. But, Mike’s wife Sandra told investigators Mike was with Frank the night before he died. Mike’s mother Joyce said Mike got arrested for a DUI and was angry because Frank wouldn’t post a $40 bond to get him out of jail.

Investigators relayed this information to Lt. Kenda. Mike then confessed that he was with Frank but according to him, he was fine the last time he saw him. Based on the evidence, Kenda theorized the two probably went to a bar, got in a verbal altercation, and Mike stopped the car. Then Mike and Frank got out of the car and fought in the middle of the street. Mike probably wasn’t doing well during the fight so he stabbed Frank twice and left him still alive in the middle of the street. Mike got back into his car and and purposefully ran Frank over him, dragging him 20 to 30 feet and made sure he was dead. Mike Murphy was charged with first degree murder. Kenda noted that Mike Murphy never displayed remorse. Murphy was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Frances Kovaleski.

Source: #1 Suspect, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

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