Forensic Files Premiered ‘Beaten By A Hair’: Laura Houghteling Reported Missing, Confessed Killer Led Police to Body (November 26, 1998)

Full Episode: In 1992, Laura Houghteling disappeared from her Bethesda home and was never seen again. Five days later, police discovered a bloody pillow and pillowcase lying in the woods near Laura’s house. Laura’s bedroom was then searched and forensic science was used to direct them a to prime suspect. -Beaten By a Hair, Forensic Files (S3,E9)

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:
Laura Bettis Houghteling (1969-1992)
Hadden Clark – Wikipedia
Hadden Clark | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Beaten By a Hair | Forensic Files | IMDb
Beaten By a Hair | Forensic Files | Full Episodes (S3,E9)
Beaten By a Hair | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 3,E3)
Beaten By a Hair | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S3,E8)
Hadden Clark | Forensic Files Wiki | FANDOM
Forensic Files: 13 Active Duty Military and Veteran Homicide Cases [Full Episodes]
Cape search for girl’s body closes
Murder Suspect’s ‘Lifestyle is Getting Even’
Hadden Clark returned to Cape to search for graves
Remains Found After 14 Years?
Houghteling’s Body Found
Maryland Police Unearth Body of Girl, Ending Mystery of Her 1986 Disappearance
A Hole in the Ground | The New Yorker
A Hole In The Ground – Longform
Greater Good – Baltimore Sun
Hadden Irving CLARK, v. STATE of Maryland (September 26, 2001)
Appeals Court Rejects Clark Appeal in Michele Dorr’s Murder
Brothers in barbarity | Toronto Sun
Jailed ‘Cross Dressing Cannibal Serial Killer’ tops brother’s violent history, claims he slayed at least 12 women
Gruesome catalogue of cannibal killer and his sick brother who killed girl, 6, and drank her blood
Sibling rivalry taken to a disturbing level: How cannibalistic killer’s brother became a deranged multi-murderer who confessed to drinking six-year-old girl’s blood
Serial Killer and Cannibal Hadden Clark – ThoughtCo
Hadden Irving Clark: The Cross-Dressing Cannibal | 1987: Year of the Serial Killer
Born Evil: A True Story of Cannibalism and Serial Murder (Book)
Ep 14: Cannibal Clarks pt 2 — Part Time Podcasts
15. Hadden Clark – True Crime Basement
The Cross-Dressing Cannibal – Convicted Killer Hadden Clark
10 Gruesome Cases Of Cannibalism In Modern-Day America

Offutt Air Force Base Airman Brooker Maltais Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Statutory Rape of 14-Year-Old Girl He Met on the Internet (July 17, 1997)

Brooker Maltais
Brooker Maltais, U.S. Air Force

Related Links:
Brooker Maltais | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
Ceara O’Connell | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
‘Abduction’ Casts Light on Online ‘World of Darkness’
FBI and police: Missing girl may be with AWOL airman at own choosing
FBI: Teen Girl Ran Away With 22-Year-Old Airman
Missing Girl, Soldier Met on Internet
Neb. man sought in missing teen case
Cops: Missing girl was seen in Missouri
It’s Not Just a Game Anymore
Missing Girl Is Found With Man From Internet
Snared by the Net | People
Nation Datelines | SF Gate
Airman pleads guilty to running away with 14-year-old girl
Airman who Ran Off with Girl Receives 4 Years in Prison

Army OTS Candidate Lisa Gaudenzi Disappeared from Virginia Home; 15 Years Later, Spouse Lawrence Pleaded Guilty to Murder, Sentenced to 25 Years (1995)

Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 9.04.45 PM
Lisa Gaudenzi, US Army

Army Officer Training School (OTS) candidate Lisa Gaudenzi, 31, disappeared from her Caroline County residence in Ruther Glen, Virginia on January 26, 1995. Lisa was a married, mother of two children, and was supposed to report for duty in Fort Lee, Virginia but never showed up. Her husband Lawrence Gaudenzi said the last time he saw Lisa was when he dropped her off at the bus station. The military police looked into the absence but after no solid leads, deemed Lisa absent without leave (AWOL); she was eventually dishonorably discharged. After an extensive investigation, spanned over 15 years, Lawrence Gaudenzi was charged with Lisa’s murder on May 16, 2008, despite Lisa’s body never being found.

For no apparent reason, during the middle of his trial, Lawrence Gaudenzi pleaded guilty to second degree in May 2009 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Prosecutor’s theorized that Lawrence overheard Lisa tell a friend that she was getting a divorce from Lawrence after OTS. Lisa was tiring of Lawrence’s violence and control issues; she was ready to move on. After about a year in prison, Lawrence Gaudenzi finally led investigators to where he hid Lisa’s body in Spotsylvania County 15 years prior. Virginia State Police found the last of Lisa’s remains on June 9, 2010 and delivered them to her family. Lisa’s AWOL and Army discharge status were upgraded and she was buried with full military honors.

Related Links:
Website: Finding Lisa
Foul Play Suspected in U.S. Army Soldier’s Disappearance
Gaudenzi Arrested for Murder
Man charged in wife’s 1995 Caroline County death
Murder trial set for man charged in missing-person case
‘Cold Case’ Murder Trial Begins
After 14 Years, Murder Trial Starts In Case Of Missing Woman
Lawrence Gaudenzi pleads guilty, gets 25 years in prison
Angry family blasts killer
Husband confesses to hiding wife’s body in drum of acid
Police led to remains of Va. woman
15 years later: Gaudenzi remains found in Spotsy
VSP Brings Closure to 1995 Homicide Case
After 15 years, father finds peace in knowing truth about his murdered daughter
“No-body” Murder Trials in the United States
Lancaster murder trial begins in Spotsylvania County
Day 2 of Lancaster murder trial
Caroline prosecutor wins no-body murder conviction
Happily Never After | Vanishing Bride (Investigation Discovery)
The Perfect Suspect | GI Gone (Investigation Discovery)


A mother of two vanishes the day before she reports for Officer Training School. Her husband claims she ran off with another lover, but her family suspects something much worse. It takes 14 years for the truth to emerge…from the least likely of sources. -The Perfect Suspect

Army Spouse Diane Pelkey Reported Missing; Fort Carson Soldier Michael Pelkey Convicted of Murder at Court Martial, Sentenced to Life in Prison (October 8, 1993)

When the severed head of a wife and mother is found, Lt. Joe Kenda uses forensics and interrogation to find both her body and her killer. Then… a young man’s murder looks like a robbery gone wrong until Kenda learns the odd reason he’s living there. -The Line Goes Dead, Homicide Hunter (S6,E13)

On October 16, 1993, a mother was home with her son cooking supper. She went outside to call her dog Shadow to return home. When the dog returned, he had something large in his mouth. Danielle and her son realized that the dog had a human skull in it’s mouth. Lt. Joe Kenda of the Colorado Spring Police Department was grocery shopping when he got the call. He left his grocery shopping cart as is and headed to the scene. When Kenda arrived on the scene, the medical examiner was observing the skull. The medical examiner observed another animal got to the skull before the dog did and the time of death was within the last couple of weeks. The skull appeared to be a female with no obvious signs of bullet wounds or trauma. But they didn’t have the rest of the body to determine the official cause of death. Lt. Joe Kenda decided to start with the missing persons reports first.

Kenda also wanted to find the rest of the remains. Unfortunately, it was dark outside so they decided to resume the search the next day in during the daylight hours. The police used cadaver dogs to find the rest of the body. Cadaver dogs are trained to notify their handler when they make a hit. Kenda knew this would be a daunting task because El Paso County is the size of Rhode Island. An hour into the search, the K9 officer got a hit. They found a few more human bones; some still had flesh attached and some had teeth marks on them. Kenda theorized maybe she was a hiker out for a walk one day and got attacked by a bear. Now Joe Kenda needed to identify the dead female. They used dental records to determine if the dead woman’s teeth matched any dental records on file. On the third missing woman’s dental records, they finally found a match. Diane Pelkey, 36, was reported missing one week prior by her husband Michael Pelkey.

Michael Pelkey paid for a full page ad in the newspaper looking for Diane Pelkey. Police learned Michael was a 16 year veteran in the US Army and lived off post in Colorado Springs with his wife. Kenda now had the unfortunate task of informing Michael Pelkey of his wife’s death. He told him positive identification was made through dental records. Michael Pelkey was overcome with grief. They had been together for over 15 years. They had a son and she was four months pregnant.  Michael claims the last time he saw Diane they were out at dinner and then got in an argument. He said she walked away from him and he had not seen her since. Kenda deduced she would have had to walk ten miles to get home. Kenda decided she was not killed by a bear, she was killed by a human. They didn’t know if maybe someone picked her up hitchhiking and killed her. Michael Pelkey claimed he didn’t look for his wife because he had to go home and take care of their five year old son.

As Kenda was reviewing the missing persons report for Diane Pelkey, he noticed one of the officers put JDLR (Just Doesn’t Look Right) on the bottom of the report. This is usually done when an officer feels something isn’t right or the person making the report was suspicious. Kenda spoke with the officer who took the report. They both decided the missing persons report was suspicious because Michael didn’t say anything about their child, Diane’s pregnancy, or that they got in an argument that same night. Kenda explained that usually if someone thinks something happen to a loved one, they won’t leave him alone. Kenda ran Michael Pelkey’s name through the data base and found there was a history of domestic violence, restraining orders in the past, and the couple had filed for a divorce. Kenda believed Michael Pelkey may have killed his wife but he wasn’t sure he had the authority to pursue the case.

Diane Pelkey’s remains were found in El Paso County, Colorado so the case may be out of Kenda’s jurisdiction. He pressed the sheriff’s office to put the squeeze on Michael Pelkey. They brought him into the sheriff’s department and started questioning him. They presented all the evidence they had to Pelkey and he became overwhelmed. Michael broke during the interrogation and admitted to killing his wife on October 8, 1993. He claimed they were in the car and he wanted to do some fishing. They started arguing; he accused her of being unfaithful, she accused him of being unfaithful. He said she wanted out of the vehicle to get some space from him and that didn’t sit well with him. Michael claims he snapped and started strangling Diane. Michael tried to claim that it was an accident. Kenda thought this was not an accident because it takes two to three minutes to strangle someone to death.

Michael Pelkey then told detectives he panicked after strangling Diane and decided to drive to a rural area in the Rocky Mountain foothills to dispose of her body. He put a seatbelt on her and drove as if she was simply a passenger in his car. He drove to a ravine near the highway and left her in an area where he didn’t think anyone would find her. Afterwards, he filed a missing persons report and took out an ad in the local paper to deflect suspicion from himself. Michael Pelkey probably thought he would get away with murdering her wife. But his plan unraveled and he was arrested for murder. The District Attorney allowed the Fort Carson Army leadership to court martial him despite the fact that the crime occurred in El Paso County. Michael Pelkey was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life. He is serving his sentence at Fort Leavenworth, a military penitentiary in Kansas.

You are held to a higher standard in the United States military. You will not behave in this way and if you do, you will be one sorry son of a bitch. Sgt. Pelkey found that out the hard way. -Lt. Joe Kenda

Source: The Line Goes Dead, 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.

Related Links:
Obituary: Diane Lee Armendariz Pelkey
Military Convicts Do Time But Also Draw Paychecks
United States v. Michael Pelkey, US Army (1997)
The Line Goes Dead | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S6,E13)
The Line Goes Dead | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
The Line Goes Dead | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
The Line Goes Dead | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘The Line Goes Dead’ on ID: Army Spouse Diane Pelkey Reported Missing in Colorado, Found Dead (November 30, 2016)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)
What the DoD Doesn’t Want You to Know: 50 Shocking Military Homicides in the Last 30 Years (March 23, 2018)
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners
Homicide Hunter: 20 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

History: Cannibal and Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer is Caught (July 22, 1991)

Jeffrey Dahmer TCM
Jeffrey Dahmer, U.S. Army

“Milwaukee, Wisconsin, police officers spot Tracy Edwards running down the street in handcuffs, and upon investigation, they find one of the grisliest scenes in modern history: Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment.

A forensic examination of the apartment turned up 11 victims–the first of whom disappeared in March 1989, just two months before Dahmer successfully escaped a prison sentence for child molestation by telling the judge that he was desperately seeking to change his conduct. Dahmer later confessed to 17 murders in all, dating back to his first victim in 1978.”

Read more from HISTORY here: Cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is caught

Investigators Probing Whether Accused Killer Had German Victims With AM-Body Parts, Bjt (AP, July 26, 1991):

“BONN, Germany (AP) – Police across Germany on Friday reopened files of unsolved murders and disappearances, seeking possible links to an accused mass killer in Milwaukee who served with the U.S. Army here. Dahmer was stationed from July 1979 to March 1981 with the 68th Armored Regiment in Baumholder in central Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate state, where officials say five unsolved murder cases were being re-examined to seek any connection to Dahmer.

But four of the five murder victims were women, and no links to Dahmer have been made, said Christiana Kleinschmidt, a federal police spokeswoman in Wiesbaden. In addition, federal authorities said they were reviewing all cases of unidentified male murder victims or missing men during the time Dahmer was in Germany. Dahmer joined the Army in 1978 after dropping out of Ohio State University. He was discharged from service early because of alcohol problems.” Read more from AP here.

Little-Known Fact #5 about Dahmer from The Lineup:

#5 He served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army

“In January 1979, Dahmer enlisted in the U.S. Army. He trained as a medical specialist in San Antonio, Texas, and was deployed to Baumholder, West Germany. From 1979 to 1981, Dahmer served as a combat medic, during which time he reportedly raped two soldiers; the first victim claimed Dahmer raped him once after drugging him. The second, who was Dahmer’ roommate, stated that he was raped repeatedly while they shared a living space. Dahmer’s alcoholism followed him to West Germany as well. In 1981, after being declared unsuitable for military service, Dahmer was honorably discharged and sent back to the United States.” Read more from The Lineup here.

Creepy Fact #6 about Dahmer from Listverse:

#6 He Allegedly Raped Soldiers In The Military 

Six weeks after the murder of Steven Hicks, Dahmer enrolled at Ohio State University with hopes of majoring in business. However, his alcoholism meant that he only achieved low grades and he dropped out after just three months. In 1979, his father then encouraged him to join the U.S. Army where he trained as a medical specialist.

During his time in the army, two soldiers came forward with claims they had been drugged and raped by Dahmer. In 1981, he was deemed unfit for military service and received an honourable discharge.

Preston Davis, who was in the military service at the same time as Dahmer, recalled, “Jeffrey had killed his first victim a year before joining the military, and he would get drunk in the barracks and say, ‘I killed the guy in Ohio,’ and we’d say, ‘You didn’t kill nobody!’ He became a monster once he started drinking. Alcohol is what turned him into a monster.”[5] Read more from Listverse here.

Related Links:
The Horrifying Story Of Jeffrey Dahmer, The Milwaukee Cannibal
Investigators Probing Whether Accused Killer Had German Victims With AM-Body Parts, Bjt (AP, July 26, 1991)
Dahmer’s Inferno | Vanity Fair (1991)
Jeffrey Dahmer’s Life (and Death) in Prison | History
10 Little-Known Facts About Jeffrey Dahmer | The Lineup
Top 10 Creepy Facts About Jeffrey Dahmer | Listverse
20 Serial Killers Who Served in the Military | Ranker
35 Horrific Facts About Jeffrey Dahmer, The Milwaukee Cannibal Who Kept Body Parts In His Fridge | Thought Catalog
Jeffrey Dahmer, Confessed Cannibal & Necrophiliac: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know
Monsters among us: veteran serial killers
Did Jeffrey Dahmer Rape Two Fellow Soldiers in the US Army?
‘I thought about killing him, I thought about killing myself’: Male rape victims of Jeffrey Dahmer – one of America’s most notorious serial killers – reveal why he stopped short of murdering them
Jeffrey Dahmer’s Surviving Victims Speak: ‘I Thought About Killing Him, I Thought About Killing Myself’
Jeffrey Dahmer’s surviving victims recall killer’s abuse: ‘I thought about killing him, I thought about killing myself’
Breaking the silence: Six men tell their stories of sexual assault in the military
Serial killers tend to gravitate to similar jobs — and some of them might surprise you
Notorious serial killer profiled on ID in Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster
Why I killed Jeffrey Dahmer

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

Army Reserve Veteran Robert C. Hansen Sentenced to 461 Years Plus Life in Prison, No Parole for Murders of Multiple Women in Alaska (February 28, 1984)

Robert Hansen was a mild-mannered family man with a passion for hunting. A master at his trade, Hansen sought a more challenging prey – his fellow human. Hansen kidnapped women, set them loose in the Alaskan wilderness, and hunted them down for sport. -Hunting Humans, Ice Cold Killers (S1, E1)

Serial killer and Army Reserves veteran Robert C. Hansen confessed to the murder of 17 women and the kidnapping and rape of another 30 women in Alaska. But the authorities believe there are many more victims and their cases are still open. Hansen was officially charged with the abduction and rape of Cindy Paulson and the murders of Joanna Messina, Sherry Morrow, Paula Goulding, and the unidentified body known as “Eklutna Annie.” On February 28, 1984, Robert Hansen was sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison with no parole. Hansen led the police to 17 grave sites he marked on a map but only 12 of his victims bodies were recovered. Robert Hansen’s health was declining for over a year when he died of natural causes on August 21, 2014 at the age of 75.

In 1982, two off-duty police officers were hunting for wild game. As darkness fell and they headed home, they made a gruesome discovery. They knew enough to back away and dispatched the Alaska State Troopers to the scene. The crime scene investigators unearthed the partial bones of a woman buried in a shallow grave. They also found bones scattered around the surrounding area. In Alaska, wild game won’t hesitate to drag off the evidence. They also found a 223 caliber bullet casing. The victim was bound and blind folded at the time of death, and she was shot three times. She was identified as Sherry Morrow; Sherry was drawn to Alaska for the easy money. She worked as an exotic dancer in a seedy area of Anchorage known as ‘Fourth Avenue’. Police looked to see if anyone else in that community had disappeared under similar circumstances. Before the discovery of Sherry’s body, none of the missing persons reports were linked or suggestive of murder. Morrow’s case inspired police to take a look at the cold case files.

Two years before Morrow’s body was found, construction workers found the partial remains of a woman buried in a shallow grave; her body was desecrated by wild life and her bones were scattered. Police couldn’t make an identification and dubbed their Jane Doe “Eklutna Annie”. Nobody ever came forward with information about Annie. Police were concerned they were dealing with a brutal killer so they started canvassing the area where the dancers spent their time. Sherry’s co-workers feared the worst because a number of women had gone missing and they were never heard from again. Over the next several years, five more dancers went missing. Police suspected Sherry and Annie’s cases were connected. They were all victims from the beginning because everyone preyed on these girls, including the bar owners and pimps. Several dancers reported seeing the same man and provided police with a physical description. Police learned of a third body found in a gravel pit near where Eklutna Annie’s body was found.

The victim was identified as Joanna Messina. She was a canary worker who was last seen leaving the dock with her dog and a red haired man her co-workers couldn’t identify. Messina was shot and killed with a 22, not a 223. Two more women vanished and were never seen or heard from again. The blindfolds at the crime scenes told the police a lot about the killer. He was a sexual sadist who wanted complete control. He derived pleasure from his victim’s fear and pain and disposed of their bodies in isolated areas in Alaska. Nine months later, a truck driver found a frantic hand-cuffed woman running in the road; someone with a gun ducked out of site. The trucker took her to a nearby hotel where she was safe and called the Anchorage police. The police found a 17-year-old woman still in handcuffs and in shock. She told the officers she was a topless dancer down on 4th Avenue; she said she was propositioned by a red haired man in his 40s the night before. She confessed that she accepted the stranger’s offer.

Once inside the man’s car, she said the man pulled a gun on her. He kidnapped her, handcuffed her, and told her if she cooperated and did what he wanted, she wouldn’t be harmed. He took her to a middle class house in Muldoon. He held her hostage in a basement filled with mounted heads of animals. He brutalized her for hours. He chained her to beam in the basement and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. She told the police he was going to fly her to his cabin in the woods, promising to release her if she cooperated. Once at the airport, the kidnapper shoved her in a small plane and began loading supplies. The second he turned his back, she made her escape. Hoping to corroborate her account, investigators took her to the airfield to find the plane. She identified a plane owned by Robert Hansen; he was a 50 year-old avid hunter and local business man. Hansen owned a well established bakery, had lot of friends, and went to church. By all accounts, he was an upstanding member of the community.

When questioned by police, Hansen was outraged and insisted the dancer was lying to extort money from him. He also questioned whether it was even possible to rape a prostitute. He claimed he had an alibi and told investigators his wife and children were in Europe and he spent the night playing poker with friends. When questioned, the two men substantiated his story. Hansen allowed authorities to search his home but they didn’t find evidence of what the victim described. She also refused to take a polygraph and this made the police wonder if she fabricated the story. It was a “he said, she said” case because they had no evidence. Citing a lack of evidence, the prosecutor dropped the case. Three months later, Alaska State Troopers discovered the partially decomposed remains of another woman in a shallow grave. She was identified as a missing dancer from the Fourth Avenue district. Investigators found a blindfold buried among the remains. An autopsy revealed Paula Goulding had also been shot by a 223 caliber bullet.

Initially, the police didn’t link the cases but the use of the 223 caliber bullet helped them realize they were dealing with a serial killer who was targeting exotic dancers in Anchorage. Troopers contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assistance; agents created a behavioral profile of the serial killer. The killer believed he was invincible because he picked the perfect victims. He chose the dancers on Fourth Ave because he thought no one would care if they were missing. They started looking into Robert Hansen’s past. They learned he was abused as a child and had very low self-esteem. He was always considered small and had few friends; he was often ridiculed by his peers. After graduating from high school, Hansen enlisted in the Army Reserve and went to basic training at Fort Dix. He later received advanced training as a military police officer at Fort Knox. While enlisted in the Army, he was known to frequent prostitutes. He told fellow soldiers, he found them dissatisfying and yearned to take control of the situation.

Despite his strict up bringing and disciplined military structure, the profilers learned Hansen had a number of run-ins with the law. He served time for arson and theft but he appeared to have long since left that life behind. In 1967, he married and moved to Alaska. He was a functioning member of society. They believe his low self-esteem would drive him to live in a place like Alaska. His former neighbor told investigators he loved the thrill of the hunt; and he was always looking for the bigger hunt. He was an avid trophy hunter. Hansen’s weak point was women because he was unsuccessful with them. He hunted where most of the victims were found. “Perhaps Hansen tired of game and turned to more interesting prey like humans.” Humans create a much greater challenge to the hunter. Police deduced he most likely had trophies from his hunts for humans. The killer was a sexual sadist, proficient, and more successful over time. Authorities threatened the two men who alibied him with jail time if they didn’t come clean about the night the dancer was abducted.

Both friends quickly broke down and said they were covering for him because they thought he was a legitimate guy. They believed him when he said he thought the dancers were trying to extort him. The police asked Hansen to come down to the station and executed a search warrant. An officer searched the attic and in the rafters he found a bag of jewelry. And nestled with his bag of trophies, they found IDs belonging to the victims and newspaper clippings. Authorities also found a trophy map with locations of where he killed his victims. Hansen tracked his kills. The most critical find was a 223 caliber mini 14 rifle. The rifle was sent to the crime lab for further analysis. The 223 matched perfectly with the round they found in Eklutna. Robert Hansen was charged with assault and kidnapping. Despite his pleas of innocence, the evidence was mounting against him. The District Attorney agreed to charge Hansen with four murders: Sherry Morrow, Eklutna Annie, Joanna Messina, and Paula Goulding. Hansen accepted a plea deal. Police believe he chose prostitutes because they represent the evil in humans.

Robert Hansen chose prostitutes because they will go anywhere for anything and when they disappear, no one cares. He admitted he controlled the game from the point of abduction. He was the predator and they were they prey. He killed Eklutna Annie first. Then he abducted Sherry Morrow. He took most of his victims to his remote cabin and brutalized them for hours before he stripped them naked, blindfolded them and then released them in the woods. He turned them loose, gave them a head start, and hunted them down. He was a trophy hunter. He then collected things off the girls so he could re-live the events. Robert Hansen’s killing spree lasted twelve years in Alaska. Hansen confessed to 17 killings but it is believed he had many more victims. He eventually lead police to 15 gravesites unknown to investigators. Unfortunately, investigators only recovered 7 bodies likely due to the veracious animal activity in the Alaskan wilderness. Robert Hansen was sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison with no chance of parole.

Source: Hunting Humans, Ice Cold Killers, Investigation Discovery

Victims:
Andrea “Fish” Altiery (disappeared 12/2/81, unknown if body recovered)
Roxanne Easlund, 24 (disappeared 6/28/1980, unknown if body recovered)
Megan Emerick, 17 (suspected abduction on 7/7/73, body never recovered)
Angela Feddern, 24 (disappeared February 1983, body found)
DeLynn “Sugar” Frey (disappeared September 1983, body found)
Lisa “Betty” Futrell, 41 (disappeared 9/7/1980, body found)
Malai Larsen, 28 (disappeared June 1981, body found)
Paula Goulding (disappeared 4/25/83, body found)
Sue Luna, 23 (disappeared 5/16/82, body found)
Joanna Messina (disappeared 5/19/1989, body found)
Sherry Morrow, 23 (disappeared 11/17/81, body found)
Tamara Pederson, 20 (disappeared August 1982, body found)
Mary Kathleen Thill, 23 (suspected abduction on 7/5/75, body never recovered)
Cecelia “Beth” Van Zanten, 17 (suspected abduction on 12/22/71, body found)
Theresa Watson (disappeared 4/29/83, body found)
“Eklutna Annie” (real name unknown, disappeared 11/1979, body found)
Cindy Paulson (abducted & raped on 6/13/1983, escaped & survived)

List compliments of The Frozen Ground.

In the News:

A Killer Among Us: Inside the Hunt for an Alaska Serial Killer (June 11, 2017, KTUU-Channel 2, Anchorage, Alaska)

The Frozen Ground Movie (2012)

THE FROZEN GROUND Official Trailer (2013)

The Frozen Ground – Clip 3 | Lionsgate

The Frozen Ground (2012) – Chained Scene (1/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – The Lucky One Scene (2/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – Pole Dancing Scene (3/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – Hunting Her Scene (4/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – On the Run Scene (5/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – Shock at the Strip Club Scene (6/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – The Interrogation Scene (7/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – From Bad to Worse Scene (8/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – He’s Coming Scene (9/10) | Movieclips

The Frozen Ground (2012) – Truth Comes Out Scene (10/10) | Movieclips

Based on a true story. An Alaskan State Trooper (Nicholas Cage) must partner with a near victim and the only witness to escape the clutches of the serial killer in order to bring the murderer to justice. -The Frozen Ground

Frozen Ground – Examining the Frozen Ground

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:
If film makes Hansen’s victims real, the story’s worth retelling
Photos: Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen and his victims
Serial killer Hansen dies; ‘World is better without him,’ trooper says
Robert Hansen: A Serial Killer in Alaska
Robert Hansen, the ‘Butcher Baker’ hid his evil side to lure, hunt and murder at least 17 women in Alaska
The Frozen Ground: Gruesome True Story of Serial Killer Robert Hansen
Alaska Serial Killer Robert Hansen Dies at 75
‘Frozen Ground’ serial killer Hansen dead
Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen dies at 75
Robert Hansen, convicted serial killer in Alaska, dies at 75
Robert Hansen dead: Alaska’s ‘butcher baker’ murderer who hunted his female victims dies in prison of natural causes
Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen, ‘the Butcher Baker,’ dies at 75
Infamous Alaska serial killer the ‘Butcher Baker’, who murdered 17 women and raped 30 others in the 1970s, dies
Robert Hansen, notorious Alaska serial killer, dead at 75
Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen dies, decades after confessing to murders
Robert Hansen — The Serial Killer Who Hunted His Victims Like Animals
This Serial Killer Hunted His Victims Like Animals in the Alaskan Wilderness
The Twisted Case of Robert Hansen, an Alaskan Serial Killer Who Hunted Down His Victims
Robert Christian Hansen (February 15, 1939 – August 21, 2014), known in the media as the “Butcher Baker“, was an American serial killer.
10 Ice Cold Killers From Alaska That Will Make You Fear The Last Frontier
50 horrifying serial killers from each state
Serial KIller: *Butcher Baker* Robert Hansen killed at least 17 women, sentenced to years in prison; Died 8/21/2014
Robert Hansen | Murderpedia
EP.#11: Robert Hansen “The Butcher Baker” | True Crime Guys Podcast
Ep 80 Robert Hansen | True Crime Podcast
Serial Killer Robert Hansen “The Butcher Baker” – Murder With Friends
Ep. 19 Robert C Hansen | The Strange Land Podcast
44 – The Butcher Baker Robert Hansen | Make Me a Fan Podcast
Robert Hansen | SERIAL KILLER FILES #5
Episode 309: Robert Hansen Part II – Gross Truncations | The Last Podcast on the Left
A Killer Among Us: Inside the Hunt for an Alaska Serial Killer
Robert Hansen – Serial Killer Documentary
Robert Hansen (The Butcher Baker) – Serial killer who hunted humans
15 Disturbing Facts About ‘The Butcher Baker’ Robert Hansen
The Frozen Ground – Teaser Trailer
The Frozen Ground – Trailer
THE FROZEN GROUND Official Trailer (2013)
The Frozen Ground Official Trailer #1 (2013) – Nicolas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens Movie HD
The Frozen Ground – Official Trailer (2013) HD
The Frozen Ground Movie CLIP – She Stays On The List (2013) – Nicolas Cage Movie HD
The Frozen Ground Movie CLIP – I Didn’t Shoot Anybody (2013) – Nicolas Cage Movie HD
The Frozen Ground Movie CLIP – The Archive (2013) – Nicolas Cage Movie HD
The Frozen Ground Exclusive Official Clip (2013) – Vanessa Hudgens, Nicolas Cage movie HD
The Frozen Ground- Clip 3- Opening Nationwide In Theaters and On Demand August 23!
The Frozen Ground (2012) – Chained Scene (1/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – The Lucky One Scene (2/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – Pole Dancing Scene (3/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – Hunting Her Scene (4/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – On the Run Scene (5/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – Shock at the Strip Club Scene (6/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – The Interrogation Scene (7/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – From Bad to Worse Scene (8/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – He’s Coming Scene (9/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground (2012) – The Truth Comes Out Scene (10/10) | Movieclips
The Frozen Ground | YouTube Movies
The Frozen Ground | Amazon Prime Video
Nicolas Cage Interview – The Frozen Ground (JoBlo.com)
Nicolas Cage – The Frozen Ground Exclusive Interview
Vanessa Hudgens Interview – The Frozen Ground (JoBlo.com)
The Frozen Ground: Vanessa Hudgens Interview
Frozen Ground – Examining the Frozen Ground
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (S1,E1)
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (website)
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Army Reserve Veteran Robert C. Hansen Sentenced to 461 Years Plus Life in Prison, No Parole for Murders of Multiple Women in Alaska (February 28, 1984)
Ice Cold Killers Premiered ‘Hunting Humans’ on ID: After Multiple Disappearances, Alaska Authorities on Hunt for Serial Killer (January 24, 2012)

Holloman Air Force Base Airman Rudy Victor Disappeared; Remains Found in Montana in 1982 Match Rudy Victor’s DNA (June 15, 1974)

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A1C Rudy Victor, US Air Force

Officials with Holloman Air Force Base say that a 43-year-old cold case involving an AWOL Airman has come to a close after investigators were able to match DNA and dental records to remains found in the Montana wilderness in 1982 to the missing airman. Airman First Class Rudy Redd Victor, 20, from Shiprock, NM was assigned to Holloman Air Force Base in 1974 when he was awarded leave to visit family in Arizona and Colorado.

Witness reports indicate the last location of Victor was near the Wolf Creek Rest area in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Shortly thereafter, Victor went missing and he was categorized as AWOL by the U.S. Air Force after he failed to return to duty in June 1974…According to the Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office and Lewis and Clark County Coroner, Airman Victor’s death was most likely due to suicide [on or about June 15, 1974].

Read more: El Paso Proud

Related Links:
Obituary: Rudy Redd Victor
Montana “Cold Case” remains identified as an AF member
Remains in 43-year-old Montana ‘cold case’ ID’d as Holloman Airman
Holloman Airman who vanished identified 43 years later in Montana
Missing airman ID’d as remains found in Wolf Creek canyon in 1980s
Remains identified as those of missing Holloman Airman, 43-year-old cold case solved
From cold case to case closed: Remains in Montana solve decades-old mystery
Officials determine remains found in Wolf Creek in ’80s belonged to missing airman
Missing airman’s remains identified — 43 years after he went missing
Officials ID remains of airman who vanished in Montana
Remains ID’d of US airman who vanished in Montana in 1974
Remains of Shiprock airman identified in Montana cold case
Montana Cold Case Solved Through NamUs Hit

Cold Case: Maria Ridulph of Illinois Reported Missing and Later Found Fatally Stabbed; Air Force Veteran John Tessier Wrongfully Convicted of Homicide and Set Free (1957)

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Maria Ridulph, 7, Illinois

Maria Ridulph, 7, disappeared on December 3, 1957 in Sycamore, Illinois. She was found stabbed to death a few months later. Air Force veteran John Tessier (aka Jack McCullough) of Seattle, Washington, 17 at the time, was convicted in 2012 of the kidnapping and murder of Maria and sentenced to life in prison. It was the oldest cold case in the country to be solved but soon that victory would be lost and conviction overturned on appeal. A prosecutor found evidence that supported McCullough’s long-held alibi that he had been 40 miles away at the time of the disappearance. As a matter of fact, the former Captain was enlisting in the Air Force and left for active duty service a few days later. A certificate of innocence was issued and Jack McCullough was set free on April 15, 2016. Despite the past sexual abuse of minors allegations, which McCullough doesn’t deny, he wants to clear his name of the homicide. McCullough is suing the State of Illinois for wrongful conviction. The case remains unsolved to this day.

Related Links:
Jack McCullough: The Last Man Standing
48 Hours: Cold as Ice
Jack McCullough Case: A Timeline
Footsteps in the Snow: The Cold Case Murder of Maria Ridulph
Train ticket could solve 50-year Maria Ridulph murder mystery
Maria Ridulph Alleged Killer Arrested: How Cops Finally Found Jack McCullough
Man guilty of murder in 1957
Jack McCullough, 72, convicted in 1957 murder of Maria Ridulph, 7
Former cop convicted in 1957 murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl
McCullough gets life for 1957 killing of 7-year-old
Ex-police officer convicted in murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl ,Maria Ridulph, snatched from a small-town street corner 55 years ago
Oldest U.S. cold case closed in Illinois
The murder that became the oldest solved cold case in America
Illinois: People v. McCullough (2015)
Newly discovered evidence in one of the oldest unsolved crimes in U.S. history to ever make it to trial means a 76-year-old convicted and sentenced to life in the 1957 slaying of a 7-year-old Illinois girl has a chance to go free
Prosecutor moves to dismiss 1957 cold case murder conviction
Police eye new suspect over 1957 murder of seven-year-old girl after receiving an anonymous letter in the mail possibly naming her real killer
Illinois prosecutor: Wrong man convicted of 1957 murder of 7-year-old girl
Judge: I’m not ready to free ’57 cold case convict
Jack McCullough freed after conviction vacated in ’57 Sycamore murder
Prosecutor: Man wrongly convicted of 1957 cold-case murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case murder declared innocent
Schmack: Jack McCullough falsely convicted in 1957 Maria Ridulph murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case killing of Maria Ridulph, 7, ruled innocent
Jack McCullough Free After Judge Orders New Trial In 1957 Murder Of Maria Ridulph
Wrong Man Convicted of 1957 Murder in Illinois, Prosecutor Says
Seattle man wrongly convicted in 1957 child’s killing goes free
Schmack Posits McCullough’s Innocence
The Sad Tale Of Maria Ridulph’s Disappearance And The Trial Of Jack McCullough
The Bizarre Murder Of Maria Ridulph — Still Unsolved!
Police eye new suspect in 1957 abduction, murder of 7-year-old girl
Man wrongfully convicted in coldest murder case: ‘I want my name back’
Maria Ridulph A Tragic Case
BrainScratch: Maria Ridulph


2017 Illinois History Fair State Superior documentary on the longest cold case in US history. Produced by River Ridge High School Hanover, Illinois.