Eddie Makdessi Convicted of Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder in Virginia; Given Two Life Sentences for the Homicides of Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown (March 16, 2006)

Eddie Makdessi.jpg
Eddie Makdessi, U.S. Navy Spouse (photo courtesy of 48 Hours NCIS)

Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Elise was married to Eddie Makdessi for five years and they lived off base in Virginia Beach. Elise unknowingly helped plan, organize, and carry out her own murder and it is unclear if she was a willing participant in the original plot with Eddie to scam the government out of money or if she was controlled by Eddie. Eddie Makdessi murdered Elise Makdessi and Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown on May 14, 1996 as part of an elaborate scam. The whole thing was a set up. Elise thought she was part of an arrangement where she would invite Quincy Brown to the house, have sex with him, then accuse him of rape. She also manufactured evidence to make it look like she was documenting sexual abuse in an effort to sue the Navy and make millions. She had journals and created what looked like a rehearsed video outlining what four Navy men, including Quincy Brown, did to her on the job.

Five years earlier in 1991 the Navy Tailhook scandal in Nevada made national headlines. Navy Lieutenant Paula Coughlin was one of the alleged victims who went public with her story. Two years before Elise and Quincy were murdered, Paula Coughlin won 1.7 millionafter suing the Las Vegas Hilton hotel where the Tailhook Association convention was held. Eddie must have convinced Elise that they too could make millions if they alleged that Elise was sexually assaulted on the job. What they didn’t realize is that you can’t sue the Navy; Coughlin won a lawsuit against the Hilton hotel. The Feres Doctrine prevents any soldier or their family from suing the Department of Defense for compensatory damages. Investigators believe that knowledge of this information gave Eddie and Elise Makdessi the motive to come up with the false accusation scheme to sue the Navy. Eddie was a scammer and always looking for new ways to make quick money. Elise didn’t know she was double crossed until Eddie was plunging the knife. A month before the murders, Eddie purchased $700,000 worth of life insurance on Elise.

Eddie and Elise Makdessi invited Petty Officer Quincy Brown over to the house under the guise of having a threesome. DNA evidence revealed that Elise and Quincy Brown had sex. Investigators would learn that Eddie shot Quincy first, then stabbed Elise. He hurt himself to make it appear that Quincy invaded the house, knocked him out, raped and killed Elise, and then he awoke from unconsciousness and shot the intruder. Eddie staged the crime scene and he almost got away with it. But investigators figured out this was a ‘set up’ based on the crime scene evidence, interviews with Elise’s co-workers, the video tape, and the large insurance policy. They were also savvy enough to recognize that this was a copycat case. Elise’s sexual harassment and sexual assault claims were in fact fabricated. All the men she accused of sex crimes in the video passed a polygraph examination and her supervisors testified that Elise never reported sexual harassment or sexual assault like she claimed in her video testimony. Unfortunately Quincy Brown was the pawn they used in their game and he never got the chance to see that the allegations were proven false.

Eddie was indicted in 2001. But by the time investigators were ready to arrest Eddie Makdessi for the murder of Elise Makdessi and Quincy Brown, Eddie had fled the country. They eventually caught up with him in Russia. Unfortunately, Russia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States so police could not force Eddie to come back to the states. Mike Mather, an investigative reporter, went to Russia to interview Makdessi and learned that he was remarried with a child yet things weren’t going so well for Eddie financially in Russia. After that interview, Eddie decided to leave his wife and child in Russia and go back to America to face the charges. He was going to prove his innocence and clear his name. He was sure he would beat the charges. It would be ten years after he committed the first degree murders of Elise and Quincy Brown before he went to trial. On March 16, 2006, Eddie Makdessi was convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to life in prison, and ordered to pay a $202,500 fine. The motive was the life insurance money. He used the $700,000 payout to travel the world before settling in Russia. Eddie continues to deny committing the crimes.

Elise Makdessi’s sister, Dawn Crosby, asked the jury to “show Eddie Makdessi that my sister’s life was worth more than $700,000.” –The Virginia-Pilot (March 17, 2006)

Victims:


Forensic Files:

Full Episode: Virginia Beach police arrive at the Makdessi apartment to find Elise Makdessi and her lover, Quincy Brown, dead. Elise’s husband Eddie had reported that he killed Quincy Brown in self-defense after Brown had murdered Elise. Eddie gave the police a videotape Elise had made a week before, alleging that she had been the victim of sexual harassment. -Double Cross, Forensic Files (S13,E5)

Investigation Discovery:

Paramedics respond to a horrific crime scene – a woman is found tied to a bed with slashes across her body. Next to her on the floor, a man with three gunshot wounds. Detectives spend the next several years unraveling this bizarre mystery. -Last Man Standing, Solved (S2,E10)

When a Naval Officer is apparently raped and stabbed by a coworker, a mysterious VHS tape suggests the victim may have been silenced to prevent a scandal. Dogged investigation and cutting edge forensic science reveals a shocking murder plot. -Deadly Accusations, Unusual Suspects (S7,E4)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the 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. Download the ID Go app and binge away. 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 $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
Tailhook Plaintiff Wins Suit (1994)
DSS Returns Double Homicide Suspect to U.S.
Man accused of killing wife, her lover a decade ago finally to go on trial
Forensic Expert Uses Blood to Re-Create 1996 Slayings
Jury recommends life sentence for Makdessi
The word of a jailhouse snitch: Can it be trusted?
Officer, paramedic recall Elise Makdessi’s death
You’ll never believe what a convicted killer is requesting from a judge
State of Virginia: Adib Eddie Makdessi v. Harold Clarke (2016)
Eddie Makdessi Wiki: Sex, Lies, Videotape, Murder, and Conviction
Updates on James Kidwell and Eddie Makdessi | Forensic Files Now
Female sailor’s false rape allegation, plot fails | A Voice for Men
Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi Double Crossed & Murdered by Husband; Eddie Makdessi Found Guilty of Murder for the Life Insurance, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 14, 1996)
Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown Murdered by Military Spouse Motivated to Kill by Wife’s $700,000 Life Insurance Policy (May 14, 1996)
Press Release: Department of State Returns Double Homicide Suspect Adib “Eddie” Ramez Makdessi to U.S. (July 22, 2003)
Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)
Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Deadly Accusations’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (January 25, 2015)
48 Hours NCIS Premiered ‘The Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (April 25, 2017)
Forensic Files Sex Crimes Double Cross 1
Forensic Files Sex Crimes Double Cross 2
Deadly Accusations | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon Video)
Deadly Accusations | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S7,E4)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (S2,E10)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (website)
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance is a Common Motive for Murder

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Strong Impressions’: What Happened on Nellis AFB TDY Didn’t Stay TDY for Air Force SSgt Ronald Gillette (August 17, 2005)

Full Episode: The wife of an Air Force officer was found dead in her bed, with a plastic laundry bag near her face. At first glance, it appeared she’d been doing laundry, fell asleep, rolled onto the bag, and suffocated. But further investigation proved that the scene had been staged. Her death wasn’t an accident; it was cold-blooded murder. -Strong Impressions, Forensic Files (S10,E11)

Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. Forensic Files 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!

Related Links:
Juana Beatriz “Vicki” Gillette (August 28, 1984)
Strong Impressions | Forensic Files | IMDb
Strong Impressions | Forensic Files | Full Episodes (S10,E11)
Strong Impressions | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 2,E13)
Strong Impressions | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S10,E3)
Forensic Files: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Homicide Cases [Full Episodes]
Forensic Files – Season 10, ep 11 – Strong impressions | Readable
Ron Gillette: An Air Force Man Who Didn’t Exactly Aim High
10 Great ‘Forensic Files’ Episodes and How to Find Them on Netflix
10 Unlikely Pieces of Evidence That Convicted Murderers
United States Air Force v. Staff Sergeant Ronald P. GILLETTE (1986)

Fort Bragg Army Captain Jeremy Chandler Died After Explosives Detonated During Training Operations in Afghanistan (August 11, 2005)

Jeremy Chandler
Captain Jeremy Chandler, U.S. Army

Army Captain Jeremy Chandler, 30, died while he was conducting training operations at Forward Operating Base Ripley in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan on August 11, 2005. Capt. Chandler died while he was preparing for combat operations in Afghanistan. Capt. Chandler was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. According to an article in Savannah Now, Jeremy and his team were conducting pre-mission training operations at FOB Ripley when explosives issued to the team detonated and killed Jeremy.

“The Captain Jeremy Chandler Leadership Scholarship was established at North Georgia College & State University immediately following Jeremy’s death. The scholarship is offered annually to a participant of Ranger Challenge, one of the cadet organizations at the school. The Jeremy Chandler Medical Clinic in Afghanistan was dedicated in Jeremy’s name in November 2006. Jonnie and Al said they wept upon hearing the news of the dedication….Jeremy’s legacy is also being carried on through the Captain Jeremy Chandler Marine Marathon Team in the Marine Corps Marathon to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The event raises money to provide educational assistance for the children of fallen Special Operations personnel.” -Savannah Now (May 16, 2007)

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Honor the Fallen: Army Capt. Jeremy A. Chandler
Special Forces: Capt. Jeremy Allen Chandler
Green Beret Foundation: Jeremy A. Chandler
The last word he would use to describe himself was hero’
4th annual Captain Jeremy Alan Chandler Memorial scholarship
Jamie Alden, A Warrior’s Request for Memorial Day
August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2005)
DoD: Flag for a Friend

The Department of Defense Announced the Death of an Army Soldier Supporting Operation Enduring Freedom: Spc. Patrick Tillman (April 23, 2004)

Pat Tillman (photo: wikipedia)

Related Stories:
The Nation | In the Name of Pat Tillman: Good Riddance to Stanley McChrystal (June 25, 2010)
Why Pat Tillman’s Death Matters (September 10, 2010)
15 Movies and Documentaries That Expose the Broken Military Justice System
Military Injustice: Nowhere to Turn, Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide; The Story of Kamisha Block and How U.S. Army Leadership Contributed to Her Death (May 6, 2024)

Department of Defense Casualty Press Release:

This screenshot of this press release for Patrick Tillman is no longer on the DoD press releases website. They deleted the original site and created a new one that only goes back to 2014.

YouTube Videos:

Remembering Pat Tillman: 10 Year Anniversary Special Report (2014) | Outside The Lines
The Truth Behind the Pat Tillman Story
CNN Official Interview: Pat Tillman’s mother: Evidence was destroyed
Army Ranger Tillman Death Investigation
Tillman Book Tells of Search for Information

Related Links:
Hearing on Tillman, Lynch Incidents: Kevin Tillman’s Opening
Pat Tillman’s brother, Kevin, charged the military with ‘intentional falsehoods that meet the legal
Mom blames Gen. McChrystal for cover-up of Pat Tillman’s death in Afghanistan
CNN Official Interview: Pat Tillman’s mother: Evidence was destroyed
The Tillman Story (Chronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan)
Pat Tillman, his mom and the 20-year torment of a friendly fire death (April 22, 2024)

Chicago Tribune Published ‘In War Without Front Lines, Women GIs Caught in Chaos’ (March 11, 2004)

Xatavia Hughes, an Iraqi war vet is looking for a safer neighborhood for herself and two sons. She is in her current home in the Englewood neighborhood on Nov. 6, 2013. -Chicago Tribune (December 2, 2013)

“One woman saw the military as a stop along the path of higher education. The other saw service as a road out of poverty. They enlisted in what’s typically thought of as a man’s world, and they both died in it. When Pfc. Nichole Frye’s convoy was attacked with a roadside bomb in Baqouba, Iraq, in February, she became the 15th servicewoman to die in the Iraq war, equaling the official number of female soldiers killed in the 1991 Persian Gulf war. When Capt. Gussie Jones, 41, died Sunday of a heart attack in the Baghdad hospital where she served as an Army surgical nurse, that gulf war total was officially surpassed. The conflict in Iraq now has the designation of claiming the lives of more U.S. servicewomen than any hostile theater since World War II, according to Department of Defense statistics. The stories of women like Frye and Jones–what drew them to the military and how they died in that service–reveal much about the role of American military women in Iraq.” -Chicago Tribune (March 11, 2004)

Read more ‘In War Without Front Lines, Women GIs Caught in Chaos’ from the Chicago Tribune here

Related Links:
Once homeless female vet struggles in civilian life | Chicago Tribune
In war without front lines, women GIs caught in chaos

Military Spouse Kimberly O’Neal Found Murdered at Camp Pendleton Park; Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Archie O’Neil Jr. Sentenced to Life, No Parole (February 29, 2004)

USMC

Date: February 29, 2004
Victim: Kimberly O’Neal, U.S. Marine Corps Spouse
Offender: Archie O’Neil, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps
Location: Deer Park, Camp Pendleton, California
Circumstances: Archie O’Neil and Kimberly O’Neal engaged in a forbidden affair for a couple of years, before Archie was suppose to deploy to Iraq, they had one more tryst, Kimberly got angry when she learned Archie wasn’t going to leave his wife, Archie shot Kimberly O’Neal multiple times, during the investigation, Archie’s wife claimed Kimberly tried to run her down with her car but didn’t report it because no proof, Archie said he had severe headaches and shot Kimberly because she threatened to kill his family (most likely not true), Archie confessed to Kimberly’s murder but showed no remorse, charged with 1st degree premeditated murder, used PTSD defense to mitigate his crimes, defense claimed Archie had an abnormal startle response
Disposition: O’Neil sentenced to life in prison, no parole

Investigation Discovery:

ID Go: A decorated marine faces war at home when he falls for a married woman. Suspicion and jealousy plague their affair as they battle to keep their secret from their spouses but with the stakes so high it’s a truth they’ll stop at nothing to hide. -Love is War, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S4,E8)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the 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. Download the ID Go app and binge away. 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 $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
Marine held in Kuwait for Calif. shooting
Marine Charged With Shooting Death on Base
Marine faces murder charges in Pendleton slaying
Trial continues for Marine accused of murder
Trial continues for Marine accused of murder 2
Defense: Stress triggered shooting
Verdict: Guilty, sentence stalled
Across America, Deadly Echoes of Foreign Battles 2008
Major NYT piece on homicides by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
Gunnery sergeant gets life without parole
The War Within | Los Angeles Magazine
Love is War | Forbidden: Dying for Love | Investigation Discovery (S4,E8)
Love is War | Forbidden: Dying for Love | Investigation Discovery (website)
Love is War | Forbidden: Dying for Love | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Violent Crime, Non Combat Death, and Suicide at Camp Pendleton, California (US Marine Corps)

History: Jessica Lynch Gets Hero’s Welcome (July 22, 2003)

Jessica Lynch
Pvt. Jessica Lynch, U.S. Army

“On July 22, 2003, U.S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a prisoner-of-war who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, receives a hero’s welcome when she returns to her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia. The story of the 19-year-old supply clerk, who was captured by Iraqi forces in March 2003, gripped America; however, it was later revealed that some details of Lynch’s dramatic capture and rescue might have been exaggerated.”

In April 2007, Lynch testified before Congress that she had falsely been portrayed as a “little girl Rambo” and the U.S. military had hyped her story for propaganda reasons…“I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary. The truth of war is not always easy to hear but is always more heroic than the hype.” 

Read more from HISTORY here: Jessica Lynch Gets Hero’s Welcome (History, July 22, 2003)

Related Links:
Jessica Lynch, POW
I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story
A Timeline of the U.S.-Led War on Terror | History

MJFA on Social:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/militaryjusticeforall
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/military_crime
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@military_crime
Email: militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com

Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis Murdered by Fellow Army Soldiers in Georgia; Mario Navarette and Alberto Martinez Sentenced to Life (July 15, 2003)

Spc. Richard T. Davis, U.S. Army (photo: CBS News)

“On July 15, 2003, less than two days after returning from deployment to Iraq, Davis was murdered outside Fort Benning, Georgia by a fellow soldier from Baker Company, Alberto Martinez. Three other soldiers were also present and involved in the events that led up to the killing and followed the killing. Initially, the Army concluded that Davis deserted and despite pleas from Davis’ father, would not initiate an investigation into his son’s disappearance for nearly two months. Davis’ remains were not found until November 2003. He had been stabbed in the head, neck, and chest at least thirty-three times. His body was later dismembered, doused in lighter fluid, and burned. Unnamed sources have suggested that Davis was killed because he had planned to make a complaint about a rape of an Iraqi woman by US troops.”

Read more about Richard T. Davis (Wikipedia) here.

Based on a True Story:

“In the Valley of Elah” tells the story of a war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones), his wife (Susan Sarandon) and the search for their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing, and the police detective (Charlize Theron) who helps in the investigation. -In the Valley of Elah, Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Premiered ‘In the Valley of Elah’: Based on the True Story of the Murder of Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis (September 14, 2007)

Related Links:
Spec Richard T. Davis
Richard Thomas Davis
Richard T. Davis | Wikipedia
Mahmudiyah rape and killings | Wikipedia
Parents of U.S. soldier blame unit members for murder
Army knew accused Iraq vet was homicidal
The Army Goes on Trial | Newsweek
Army defends handling of slain soldier’s case
Prosecutors seek to deny bond to Fort Benning slay suspects
Back from Iraq, Ft. Benning Soldier Slain
Fourth soldier sentenced in death of infantryman
Death, Duty, Dishonor | 48 Hours | CBS News (2006)
Murdered Fort Benning Soldier Inspires Movie
Murder sentence upheld in slaying of Iraq vet by fellow vet
Collateral Damage: The Murder of Richard Davis
Ex-soldier’s suit against Playboy dropped
Veteran who fought for murdered son, dies
Pt. 1/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 2/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 3/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 4/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 5/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Murder in Baker Company: How Four American Soldiers Killed One of Their Own
15 Movies and Documentaries That Expose the Broken Military Justice System
A Military Murder – In These Times
Cilla McCain Author Murder in Baker Company
Mario Navarette vs. State (Supreme Court of Georgia)

Retired Army National Guard Pilot & Serial Killer Robert Lee Yates, Jr. Convicted of 2 More Murders in Washington; Sentenced to Death (September 19, 2002)

Robert Lee Yates Ranker
Robert Lee Yates, Jr., Army National Guard Retired (photo: Ranker)

The Victims:
July 13, 1975: Patrick Oliver
July 13, 1975: Susan Savage
December 28, 1988: Stacy E. Hawn 
August 25, 1996: Patricia Barnes
June 14, 1996: Shannon Zielinski
August 26, 1997: Heather Hernandez
August 26, 1997: Jennifer Joseph
November 5, 1997: Darla Scott
December 7, 1997: Melinda Mercer
December 18, 1997: Shawn Johnson
December 26, 1997: Laurie Wason
February 8, 1998: Sunny Oster
April 1, 1998: Linda Maybin
May 12, 1998: Melody Murfin
July 7, 1998: Michelyn Derning
October 13, 1998: Connie LaFontaine Ellis

Source: Robert Lee Yates | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Click here for another list of Victims of Robert Lee Yates from Serial Killers Podcast.

“According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the German federal police are looking into the deaths of 26 prostitutes with assistance from U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command.Yates, a former Navy helicopter pilot, was stationed in Goeppingen, Germany, from 1988 to 1991. The FBI has found the black van he allegedly owned in Germany and has searched it for evidence.” –Whidbey News-Times (October 18, 2000)

UPDATE: Washington State Supreme Court Outlawed Death Penalty; Serial Killer Robert Yates’ Death Sentence Converted To Life in Prison (October 11, 2018)

ROBERT LEE YATES

Number of confirmed victims: At least 15
Years and location: 1970s-1990s, Washington state
Characteristics: A married father of five who flew helicopters in the Army and the National Guard, Yates predominantly preyed on prostitutes. One of the victims was buried in Yates’ yard.
Arrest, conviction and sentence: Arrested on April 18, 2000. Yates was arrested after police matched fibers found on the body of a dead prostitute to Yates’ car, which also had blood on the seatbelt and seat. DNA testing and other evidence linked Yates to at least 12 murders. He later pleaded guilty to 13 killings in exchange for a life sentence (408 years) in lieu of the death penalty. In 2002, he was convicted of two additional murders in a different county and sentenced to death. Yates’ attorneys have repeatedly appealed the ruling but he remains on death row awaiting execution at the Washington State Penitentiary.

Source: Serial Killers Fast Facts (CNN)

In the News:

Melissa speaks with the daughters of Robert Lee Yates Jr, who murdered at least 13 people in Washington State. (2015)

Robert Lee Yates Jr’s family members share their memories of the serial killer. (2015)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates will be learning Thursday whether or not his death penalty conviction for the murders of two women near Tacoma will be overturned by the Washington State Supreme Court. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2007)

In a majority opinion the Washington State Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates and upheld his death sentence for the murders of two women in Pierce County in the late 1990s. (2007)

Attorneys for convicted Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates have filed their application for a stay of his execution which is scheduled for later this month. (2008)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates has been transferred from death row in Walla Walla to Pierce County where he will be in court Friday as Judge John McCarthy signs his death warrant. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2008)

Kathy Lloyd feared that Robert Yates would live longer than her. He killed her sister, Shawn McLenahan. Now a Tacoma judge will sign Yates’ death warrant, and Lloyd is hoping Yates will die soon. KXLY4’s Sally Showman reports. (2008)

Back in the mid 1990’s when Robert Yates was stalking Spokane prostitutes another serial killer was making regular visits to the city. A new book reveals the “Happy Face Killer” often traveled to Spokane where the long haul trucker would spend time with his children. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2010)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates is claiming he had ineffective legal counsel in his latest appeal of his death sentence for the killings of two women in Pierce County in the late 1990s. KXLY4’s Melissa Luck reports. (2013)

On August 26, 1997, the half-naked body of prostitute Heather Hernandez, 20 was found in an empty lot in Spokane Washington. The same day, the decomposed corpse of prostitute Jennifer Joseph, 16, was discovered in an alfalfa field. Both women had been shot in the head. The day after Christmas, four more women were found with plastic bags tied over their heads, the gruesome signature of a killer who had sexually violated each one of them, after they had died. When the killer is finally arrested he turns out to be a devoted husband, a father of five, a National Guard helicopter pilot and a Desert Storm veteran. Robert Lee Yates Jr. is charged for 13 murders. (2013)

Investigation Discovery:

A serial killer plagues Spokane, Washington, claiming the lives of more than a dozen victims. The reexamination of an old clue finally helps investigators zero in on the murderer. -Monster in Spokane, Unusual Suspects (S1,E6)

ID Go: The Yates family moves to Spokane, WA only to find it besieged by a serial killer who’s targeting young women and confounding the police. Now, the family’s never-before-aired home videos provide a chilling look of one of America’s most notorious killers. -Family Snapshot, American Monster (S2, E2)

ID Go: Tony Harris pieces together the 1990 case of three prostitutes killed in Spokane, Washington, and discovers a pattern of murders connected by twenty-two caliber bullets, a killing spree that shocked a city and a suspect with a stunning new identity. -Down by the River, Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris (S2, E1)

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:
Robert Lee Yates, Jr. | Wikipedia
Robert Yates: Son, husband, athlete, father, pilot, teacher, murder suspect
Robert L. Yates, Jr.: The missing years: Big time lapses between killing sprees
Yates’ wife visits him and asks why
Little known about suspected serial killer’s life while in the Wiregrass
Spokane serial killer: Confession piques interest around world
Serial Killer Sentenced
Decades of Killing Yield 408-Year Sentence
The Spokane Murders | Time
Serial killer’s wife suspected Yates was having affairs
Wash. Serial Killer Pleads Guilty
Jury finds Yates guilty of aggravated murder
Robert Yates sentenced to die
Serial Killer Robert Yates Appealing Death Sentence
Spokane serial killer Robert Yates’ petition rejected by Washington Supreme Court
10 Baffling Wives of Serial Killers
Remote View of a Serial Killer
Death penalty still stands for serial killer Robert Yates
Spokane Serial Killer: Robert Yates (2015) | True Crime Documentary
7 Evil People in Washington Who Left A Dark Stain On History
Case of serial killer Robert Yates heading back to state Supreme Court
Serial killer Robert Yates’ case heads back to state Supreme Court
Serial killer Robert Yates still fighting sentencing error
Convicted serial killer Robert Yates expected in court Monday
Spokane serial killer back in court
Spokane Serial Killer Bob Yates Was Sentenced to Death Almost 20 Years Ago, Here’s Why He’s Still Alive
Prison letter sparks new investigation involving killer
Robert Lee Yates: American Serial Killer | Learning History
Robert Lee Yates Is The Most Deranged Killer You’ve Never Heard Of
Serial Killers Fast Facts
Washington State Supreme Court Outlawed Death Penalty; Serial Killer Robert Yates’ Death Sentence Converted To Life in Prison (October 11, 2018)
Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Monster in Spokane’ on ID: Serial Killer in Washington is Retired National Guard Pilot Robert Lee Yates, Jr. (July 19, 2010)
Monster in Spokane | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S1,E6)
Monster in Spokane | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (website)
Monster in Spokane | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
Cable show to feature Yates serial killer case
American Monster Premiered ‘Family Snapshot’ on ID: Bob Yates’ Family Shocked Military Hero Father & Spouse is a Serial Killer (July 16, 2017)
Family Snapshot | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (S2,E2)
Family Snapshot | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (website)
Family Snapshot | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
American Monster takes a look at Spokane serial killer Robert Lee Yates
Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris Premiered ‘Down by the River’ on Investigation Discovery: Serial Killer Robert Lee Yates, Jr. (June 4, 2018)
Down by the River | Scene of the Crime w/ Tony Harris | Investigation Discovery (S2,E1)
Down by the River | Scene of the Crime w/ Tony Harris | Investigation Discovery (website)
Down by the River | Scene of the Crime w/ Tony Harris | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
Spokane serial killer Robert Lee Yates murdered at least 13 people – Tony Harris recounts the investigation

Down by the River | Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris | ID
Family Snapshot | American Monster | Investigation Discovery
Monster in Spokane | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery
Spokane Serial Killer: Robert Lee Yates | Monster in My Family | AETV
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Marilyn Griffin Found Stabbed to Death in House Fire; Fort Bragg Army Sgt. Cedric Griffin Pleaded Guilty to Murder of Estranged Wife, Sentenced to Life in Prison (July 9, 2002)

Prevent Domestic Violence

In March 2005, Fort Bragg Army Sergeant Cedric Ramon Griffin, 28, pleaded guilty to murdering his wife Marilyn Griffin and setting her home on fire on July 9, 2002 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Sgt. Griffin was charged by the Cumberland County Superior Court with the first-degree murder of his estranged wife Marilyn Griffin, first-degree arson, and the attempted murder of Marilyn’s two daughters. Marilyn died as a result of approximately 50 stab wounds to the chest, neck, back and abdomen; the preliminary autopsy results indicated Marilyn died prior to the fire. Marilyn’s daughters, ages 6 and 2, woke up during the fire, escaped, and went to a neighbor’s house for help. According to law enforcement officials, the motive appeared to be “domestic related” and Sgt. Griffin turned violent after Marilyn threatened to reveal his infidelity to his commander. The couple were married for eight years and Marilyn was murdered two months after she left Sgt. Griffin. She moved into her new home only a week before she died. Sgt. Cedric Griffin faced the death sentence in North Carolina if he was convicted of stabbing his wife to death but according to the Army Wives book, former Army Sgt. Cedric Griffin pleaded guilty to murdering Marilyn Griffin and is serving a life sentence in the Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This domestic violence related homicide was one of five murders that occurred in a six week period at Fort Bragg in 2002. Rigoberto Nieves fatally shot his wife Teresa after an argument on June 11, 2002; William Wright admitted to strangling his wife Jennifer on June 29, 2002; Brandon Floyd fatally shot his wife Andrea on July 19, 2002; and military spouse Joan Shannon manipulated her daughter Elizabeth to shoot her step-father Major David Shannon on July 23, 2002 while he slept.

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