‘Love, Blood, and War’ (S3,E4) features the military murder case of Army Spc. Anthony Riggs who was gunned down in front of his Detroit, Michigan home on March 18, 1991. Spc. Riggs was packing up his family to move to Fort Bliss, Texas when he was murdered therefore his death on active duty status included a hefty life insurance policy. Since the name of the show is in and of itself a “spoiler alert,” it should be no surprise that wife Toni Cato Riggs conspired to have her husband murdered. Although she would pretend to be the grieving widow initially, her greed and evil caught up with her in the end. Check out the show and learn more about the modus operandi of female killers. Given the make up of the military (85% male & 15% female) and the fact they are targets because of their guaranteed salary and benefits, we tend to see higher rates of female crime in this population. Research has revealed the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance is a common motive for murder. [Happily Never After, Investigation Discovery]
Sparks fly when Toni Cato meets Army soldier, Anthony Riggs. But soon after wedding bells chime a – shadowy gunman shatters their future with five bullets to the head. Police are left with a twisted tale of family betrayal, greed, and deception. -Love, Blood and War, Happily Never After (S3,E4)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Philip Inhofer was an Air Force retiree hired as a civil servant at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California after retirement from the military. He was recently divorced from his second wife and enjoying retirement as a single man. Philip moved back to North Natomas in Sacramento to be closer to his family. He adored his grandkids and enjoyed being a grandfather. On March 7, 1991, Philip’s boss at McClellan AFB called Philip’s son Henry because he hadn’t shown up to work which was not like him and they were worried. Henry went to Philip’s home and found that his car was gone and his lights were off. He went inside the house, saw blood, and thought maybe he was hurt. Henry was frantic and as a result, he checked the entire house; he eventually found his dad in a closet. Philip was face down and naked with a plastic bag over his head. Henry called his wife who came right over and initially they thought maybe Philip killed himself; they called the police together. Henry took his father’s death hard. He admitted to feeling bummed and having no passion about anything after this tragedy. Henry was in the process of rebuilding his relationship with his dad because when he was young, he was a rebellious teen and Philip was gone a lot while he was in the military.
Henry shared that Philip had been to Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand in his military travels. Henry was using this chance as an opportunity to get to know his father and was looking forward to many more years with him. In retirement, Philip Inhofer loved square dancing and enjoyed his social life but he was getting bored so he bought a two-door 1975 Mercedes convertible. Henry found a list of escort services in his dad’s home and was shocked. He didn’t know anything about his father’s lifestyle. Henry assumed since Philip was recently divorced, he was looking for love in all the wrong places. Henry was embarrassed that his father was purchasing escorts. Apparently Philip did not like being alone so one night he called an escort service and asked for two women. One of those women was an escort by the name of Jade. Jade did not look like a prostitute and was very pretty although she was a prostitute at a Nevada brothel. After meeting Jade that first time, Philip was struck by her and asked for her by name after that because he only had eyes for Jade. In addition to paying Jade for her services, Philip helped her financially; he gave her money to pay her debts, bought her designer clothes, took her shopping, and paid all her expenses. He began spending more and more time with Jade and spending more and more money.
Meanwhile, Henry noticed that Philip would stop by briefly to visit with them but would not sit down and would not stay. He appeared fidgety. Philip was not depressed but looking back in retrospect, he was in love. Philip got rid of his dog for Jade after she complained about it. Then out of the blue he talked about selling his beloved car. We would later learn that Jade wanted his car and he needed another one to replace it. Investigators determined that Jade wanting Philip’s Mercedes became a problem in the relationship because Philip wanted to keep his beloved car. Jade also wanted to continue to shop endlessly but Philip had to put his foot down because he didn’t have the money. Despite Jade’s persistence about the car, Philip could not part with it. Regardless, Philip and Jade started making serious plans together. Philip wanted Jade to move in with him and on March 6, 1991, Jade left the Mustang Ranch in Nevada to move in with her new man in California. Jade and a friend drove through a snow storm to get to California and Philip was very happy to see her. One day later, Philip Inhofer was found dead in his home. First responders at the scene knew right away that Philip Inhofer’s death was no suicide.
A homicide detective was called to the scene to investigate what appeared to be a brutal murder. Detectives discovered a large blood stain on the carpet and found Philip lying on his stomach with a plastic bag on his head. They observed that Philip had suffered from numerous stab wounds and his throat had been slashed. Whoever killed Philip did so in a rage. Philip’s skull was fractured and his teeth were smashed in which was evidence tremendous amounts of blunt force were used. Philip’s shower curtain was shredded and there was blood everywhere including in the tub, on the walls, and on the shower curtains. Detectives found two pieces of paper in the home with Jade’s name on it, one of them was located on the bed stand. They learned Jade was an escort but Philip never told his family that piece of information. Using Philip’s phone records, detectives were able to track down persons of interest in an effort to find Jade. Detectives learned from a friend that Jade was going to Sacramento, California to pick up a Mercedes. The friend who gave Jade a ride to Sacramento informed police that Jade asked her to stop at a store so she could pick up some rat poisoning. She claimed she was going to use it to kill someone but her friend thought she was just kidding.
Investigators also learned that Jade or Michelle Cummisky was accused of electrocuting a previous husband; she threw a radio in his tub. But there was not enough evidence to charge her. Some of her friends said she worshipped Satan and Black Magic, and had tried to kill every man she was ever involved with. A previous husband thought she used rat poison on him because he got very ill when he was with her. Police were concerned that a beautiful, lethal woman was on the run so they called in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist. And the media was contacted; they called Michelle Cummisky ‘Batgirl’ in reports. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a police officer pulled over two girls in a Ryder rental truck with a freshly painted Mercedes in the back. The police ran the vehicle identification number and it came back as a hit to the murder victim, Philip Inhofer. Sacramento detectives went to Mississippi. Michelle’s friend Crystal Woodruff was clueless about Michelle’s crimes so she was released but Michelle on the other hand admitted to the crime. She told investigators that she hurt the man she loved because she was high on a lot of LSD and didn’t know what she was doing. Michelle loved her LSD. She claimed she went to get in the shower with Philip but instead saw monsters and beasts. She described Philip as a dark force that she needed to get rid of.
As Michelle committed the murder, she was reminded that Satan would protect her. She started stabbing Philip through the shower curtain as he was taking a shower. He was completely vulnerable, defenseless, and taken off guard. He attempted to fight off the attack as evidenced by the numerous defense wounds on his body but would succumb to the multiple stab wounds. An autopsy revealed that Philip had been stabbed thirty-two times. After he collapsed, Michelle hit him in the head with a bat a few times to make sure he was dead then dragged his body to a closet. Michelle ate dinner and went to bed. She described to investigators that Satan guided her through everything. The next day, Michelle left North Natomas with the bloody rugs and stole Philip’s Mercedes. Michelle Cummisky was charged with murder. At her trial a couple years later, she used the fact that she had a horrible upbringing and difficult childhood as her defense. The prosecutors reminded the jury that the murder was a cold calculated crime and Michelle would go to any lengths to get what she wanted. On April 14, 1994, Michelle Cummisky was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison. In April 2011, Michelle Cummisky was denied her first chance at parole. Michelle Cummisky is a greedy, sociopath and her selfish actions altered the destiny of several people forever.
A lonely ex-military man meets up with a much younger beautiful woman, and together they fall in love. Or so they think. Until a deadly combination of greed, worry, and secrets leaves one dead and the other on the run… wanted for murder. -Shades of Jade, A Stranger in My Home (S3, E8)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Julie Snodgrass and MSgt Joseph Snodgrass, U.S. Air Force (Photo: Forensic Files)
Military spouse Julie Snodgrass, 33, was found stabbed to death near Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines on February 26, 1991. Julie was discovered in the cab of her pickup truck on an isolated road off base and an autopsy revealed that she was stabbed more than 42 times. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) had jurisdiction of the case. During the investigation, they found evidence on Air Force Sgt. Joseph Snodgrass’ work computer that linked him to the crime. AFOSI found a letter addressed to his mistress asking for help with the murder of his wife. He also talked about the life insurance policy he had purchased in the event his wife died. The letter disclosed that Snodgrass elicited the help of his housekeeper (and lover), a Philippine native, to hire three hitmen to carry out the crime. The pair could then be together and live off the $400,000 life insurance pay out. During an interview with AFOSI, Sgt. Snodgrass grabbed the floppy disks and cut them to pieces with some shears.
Computer forensic scientists were able to find a way to put the disks back together so the data was readable again. This was the evidence the Air Force needed to make their murder-for-hire case. In the meantime in June 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted resulting in layers of volcanic ash falling on Clark Air Force Base and Naval Base Subic Bay. Amidst the chaos, Snodgrass attempted a jail break in August 1991 while awaiting trial but lost his bearings in the ashy mess and eventually surrendered. The eruption’s aftermath triggered the decision to withdraw all American Forces from the Philippines. Joseph Snodgrass pleaded guilty to the solicitation of his wife’s murder and was sentenced to life with no parole in a military prison. As a result of the forensic history made by piecing the floppy disk back together making it usable again, the military changed the policies pertaining to the destruction of classified data on floppy disks. The AFOSI’s “catastrophic blunder” was made right and secure communications destruction policy was changed as a result of the lessons learned when forensic scientists made history.
When the wife of a serviceman was brutally murdered in the Philippines, the Air Force Office of Special Investigators swung into action. Clues led to the victim’s husband, but he insisted he was innocent. Investigators would have to do something unprecedented: Reassemble a 5 1/4 inch computer disk which had been cut to pieces with pinking shears. -Shear Luck, Forensic Files (S10,E9)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. Medical Detectives Channel features full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!
Update (April 11, 2021:
Today, we were informed that Forensic Files got the narrative wrong and Air Force OSI did not commit a “catastrophic blunder.” MJFA reminded said person that if they weren’t hiding all the crime and death from the public, we’d know more about the case details. We simply are repeating what the crew at Forensic Files said. First this person reminded us, the floppy disk was destroyed in their presence because according to Forensic Files, they were “momentarily distracted.” Then they failed to address the fact an accused killer had a pair of scissors on his person, both a danger to OSI and other Air Force personnel. And finally, Joe Snodgrass worked with AFOSI and knew prior to his interview he was going to be questioned about the floppy disks, so he came prepared to destroy them.
Susan Peterson, U.S. Navy Veteran (Photo: NY Daily News)
‘The second victim was found on a Sunday morning, on the same south Dallas road where Mary Pratt was dumped. Like Pratt, she was mostly naked. Like Pratt, she was a prostitute. Her name was Susan Peterson, age 27. She had been shot in the head, chest, and stomach. Her eyelids were closed.” Read more from Texas Monthlyhere.
Forensic Files:
Full Episode: A serial killer is prowling the streets of Dallas, targeting prostitutes. All the police know is that the killer has a bizarre signature. See No Evil, Forensic Files
Oxygen:
Rookie police officers Regina Smith and John Matthews gained intelligence from the sex workers on their beat. -Oxygen (February 7, 2019)
A prostitute in the Dallas spoke to police about a man who attempted to attack her, and his possible link to the string of other murders in the Dallas area. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Elizabeth Peacock discovered Charles Albright’s victim had had her eyeballs cut out. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Dallas Police find one of Charles Albright’s victims lying nude in the street, with a gunshot to the head. -Oxygen (February 11, 2019)
Dallas police discover three women murdered with their eyes surgically removed. Police believe they have a deranged doctor on the loose until two rookie cops find themselves on the trail of a man with a Psycho-esque mother, a talent for taxidermy, and a hatred for women. -Oxgen (February 12, 2019)
Serial killer, Charles Albright, removed the eyeballs of sex workers in Dallas,Texas. -Oxygen (February 14, 2019)
Dr. Michael Stone explains Charles Albright’s narcissistic behavior. -Oxygen (February 14, 2019)
Officer Regina Smith recounts the night she drove Charles Albright to the Dallas Homicide Division after he had murdered several sex workers in the Dallas area. -Oxygen (February 15, 2019)
Psychologist Dr. Michael Stone makes note that there are passages in the New Testament that talk about eyes in a special way. -Oxygen (February 15, 2019)
Serial Killer Charles Albright Documentaries:
Full Episode: Charles Albright is a convicted American serial killer, he is a diagnosed psychopath who was found guilty of killing a woman in 1991 by means of shooting her in the head and removing her eyeballs. -Serial Killer – Charles Albright | Documentary Galore
Full Episode: Charles Frederick Albright is an American serial killer and diagnosed psychopath from Dallas, Texas, who was convicted of killing one woman. -Serial Killer – Charles Albright – HD Documentary | Aristotle Documentary
Investigation Discovery:
Dallas has its dark side, but nothing compares the horror of a series of women found murdered with their eyeballs surgically removed. A pair beat cops use their street savvy to lead detectives to a sadistic killer and his bizarre motive. -The Eyeball Killer, Murder by Numbers (S2, E5)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Navy spouse Dina Kichler was beat, raped and murdered by civilian John Brewer in Mayport, Florida on December 3, 1990. Brewer targeted Dina Kichler months before by befriending her and offering to help her out while her husband was away. The night after her husband Pat Kichler shipped out for six months with the US Navy on the USS Forestall, John Brewer made his move. He stopped by Dina’s residence uninvited and because she knew him she opened the door. John immediately hit her in the face and dragged her upstairs to her bedroom where he beat, raped, and strangled her to death. Her co-workers called the police because they were concerned when Dina didn’t show up for work and they couldn’t get ahold of her. It would be a few years and significant advancements in forensic technology before authorities could prove that John Brewer committed the rape and murder of Dina Kichler. John Brewer was considered a suspect in the murder of Dina Kichler but the prosecutor lacked evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove that Brewer committed the crime.
In the meantime, detectives attended a national conference where they discussed unsolved cases with other investigators. After the Florida detectives discussed the Dina Kichler case, New Hampshire detectives recognized the modus operandi of the killer. The methodology of the death was identical to that of Michelle Lafond who was raped and murdered in 1987. Florida police combed through the New Hampshire case file and discovered that John Brewer applied for a job with Michelle’s husband. Meanwhile, the DNA evidence collected from the bodies of both Dina and Michelle were compared to the DNA of known suspects. As a result, John Brewer’s DNA sample was a match to Dina Kichler in Florida and Michelle Lafond in New Hampshire. At this time, Florida prosecutors were able to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and John Brewer plead guilty to the rape and first degree murder of Dina Kichler in June 1999 to avoid the death penalty. He also plead guilty to the rape and murder of Michelle Lafond in New Hampshire. John Brewer was given two life sentences.
Investigation Discovery:
In December of 1990, young Navy wife and mother Dina Kichler is found brutalized and strangled in her Mayport, Florida apartment. Investigators work through a list of the victim’s admirers before closing in on the killer. -An Eye for Murder, Unusual Suspects (S7,E7)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Army Soldier Erin Tynan, 21, was found dead on November 15, 1990 in her off base apartment in Barstow, California. Erin Tynan was an active duty military police officer stationed at the Fort Irwin National Training Center. She had already spent a couple years in Germany and after her enlistment was up, she was going to use her GI Bill to go back to school and get a degree in forensic social work. After she didn’t show up to work, the Army asked the Barstow Police Department to check in on her because they were concerned about a respiratory medical condition she had been diagnosed with in Germany. The Barstow Police Department went to Erin’s home and found her dead at the scene.
Barstow PD detectives determined that Erin had been the victim of a surprise sexual attack and murder. They deduced that whoever killed Erin was someone that she knew and the person was able to gain access inside her apartment and overpower her. The autopsy confirmed that Erin was assaulted, forcibly raped, strangled, and stabbed in the neck post mortem. Investigators believed that the precision stab wound in the back of the neck was the work of someone who served in the military and wanted to make sure she was dead. They first turned to Erin’s last known boyfriend William Jones. He had recently been discharged from the Army and left the day before but there was tension because the six month relationship ended. Jones informed investigators that he had left Erin with a 22 pistol for protection but she was planning on selling the gun to another Army soldier because it jammed. They did not locate the gun in Erin’s apartment and believed the killer stole the gun. Jones was eventually ruled out because his DNA did not match the DNA found at the crime scene and he was in fact physically placed in Illinois at the time of the murder. The next person they turned to was a lead they got from the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID). CID learned that another soldier by the name of Eugene Knox was in possession of a 22 pistol and had been acting erratically. The Barstow PD spoke with Knox and learned that he had been dating Erin. No one knew the two were seeing one another. Investigators determined that Knox could not have been the killer because he was out in the field on the night of the murder.
A couple years later, evidence from an attempted murder of a young mother in Louisiana was linked to evidence in a murder case in California. The young mother had been shot in the face once with a 22 pistol but her life was spared when the gun jammed the second time the killer pulled the trigger. The murder victim, Curtis Dean, had also been stabbed in the neck in the same precise way that Erin Tynan was stabbed in the neck. The suspect in the murder of Curtis Dean was an Army soldier at Fort Irwin, Christopher Geier. Army CID immediately recognized the similarity in the knife wounds found on both Curtis Dean and Erin Tynan. They contacted the Barstow PD to inform them of what they had learned. Geier admitted to investigators that he was hired to murder Curtis Dean but did not admit to the rape and murder of Erin Tynan when confronted. But it didn’t matter because in the meantime forensic testing revealed the gun used to shoot the young mother in Louisiana who survived matched the 22 pistol missing from Erin’s apartment. And the British Commando knife Geier admitted using on Curtis Dean was consistent with the knife used on Erin Tynan. Hair samples and DNA evidence collected from the rape also matched Geier. The prosecutor determine based on evidence collected at the scene that Geier knew that Erin Tynan would be alone and vulnerable that night. He also knew that her boyfriend Billy Jones was gone. He used the ruse to buy the pistol to gain access into her apartment with one thing in mind: he wanted a sexual encounter with her. After she resisted and rejected him, he raped and strangled her.
On July 21, 1995, Christopher Adam Geier was sentenced to death for the first degree murder of Erin Tyner and Curtis Dean, and the attempted murder of the young mother in Louisiana. Investigators eventually learned that Geier’s Fort Irwin Tank Commander in the Army, Jeffrey Hunter, hired him to kill Curtis Dean. Army soldier Jeffrey Hunter was sentenced to life in prison.
Update: On August 31, 2017, Christopher Geier, 49, collapsed and died in the prison’s recreational yard. The cause of death is unknown, pending the results of an autopsy.
Investigation Discovery:
The discovery of a beautiful military police officer murdered in her own home sends police on a twisted journey for answers. -Blood and Betrayal, On the Case with Paula Zahn (S14,E5)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Lt. Joe Kenda, a homicide detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department, was angry when he found out about this murder. Whoever did it gunned down a housewife and mother and he vowed to catch them. On September 12, 1990, a Lupus support meeting was held in a recreational area in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of the participants was Dianne Hood, who just 18 months earlier after her third child was born, was diagnosed with Lupus. But Dianne was a fighter and was in remission. After the meeting let up, she walked outside with a fellow Lupus support group member, Karen Johnson, and was robbed and shot twice. Karen went flying back into the building and informed the others that Dianne had been shot. Another support group member Sarah was a registered nurse so she ran outside to help. Sarah found Dianne laying in a pool of blood and observed her gasping for breath as she began compressions. EMTs arrived on the scene and took over for Sarah. Dianne had two bullet wounds, one in the shoulder and the other in her chest area. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. This crime sent a shockwave through the community.
After Lt. Kenda arrived on the scene, he found blood on the ground and a couple shocked witnesses. It was assumed initially that this was a robbery gone bad. Kenda interviewed Karen Johnson first because she was the best witness he had. Karen reported that she and Dianne were walking to their cars when they heard footsteps from behind. The person was wearing dark clothes and a ski mask. Dianne gave up her purse to the robber and began to run. The shooter first fired at her shoulder and that put her down and then this person fired a fatal shot at her chest. Everything did in fact look like a robbery gone bad. Unfortunately, Karen didn’t know much about the shooter aside from they were shorter they she was. Kenda and fellow police officers began canvassing the area to see if they could find any additional evidence. Criminals usually have a planned exit so Kenda used a K9 unit to comb the area looking for the scent of the shooter. About about a mile, the dog locked onto a scent. The dog led officers to a garbage can and then sat down. This is dog’s alert system. Inside the garbage can the police found an olive drab field jacket, a pair of gloves, a black ski mask, and some camouflage pants.
The items in the garbage can matched the witnesses description of the shooter at the scene. They also found brown hair in the ski mask and evidence of gun residue on the gloves upon testing at the forensic’s lab. The K-9 dog eventually lost the scent of the shooter because this person most likely got in a car and drove away. The only promising lead just hit a dead end. Kenda didn’t have a suspect, he had a masked maniac so he decided to look into Dianne Elaine Hood’s life; he wanted to know everything about her to find out who in her life wanted her dead. With no other substantial leads, police started canvassing the neighborhood, knocking on every door, to see if anyone saw anything. They encountered a woman who indicated David Burns could have had something to do with it. Kenda learned the locals gave Burns the nickname Homicidal Dave. Kenda wanted to know who this guy was because he wore camouflage similar to that of the shooter. Kenda learned Burns was a veteran of the first Gulf War, spoke loudly and obnoxiously to others, and the community felt he was dangerous. Upon further investigation, David Burns was cleared because he alibi checked out on the night of the murder. With no suspect or person of interest to investigate further, Kenda needed to expand the investigation.
Expanding the investigation meant combing through all the evidence to find new clues. After reading through Karen Johnson’s testimony again, Kenda deduced that someone wanted to make this look like a robbery. Kenda believed Dianne Hood was targeted and that this was an assassination. During the autopsy, two bullets were recovered from Dianne Hood’s body so they were sent to ballistics. Kenda received a call the next day informing him he was looking for very rare and valuable gun, a Colt Peacemaker patent 1872 single action Army revolver, a cowboy gun. This was a huge limiting factor because this rare gun was worth thousands, maybe this person was a gun collector. During a homicide investigation, the police look at everything. Dianne’s life didn’t raise any red flags; she was a devoted mother of three and housewife. Kenda turned to Dianne’s husband Brian Hood and after bringing him to the station, Brian’s life appeared to be just as idyllic as Dianne’s was. Brian Hood was extremely well liked by his neighbors and co-workers. He used to play football and Dianne was a cheerleader; that’s how they met. Brian’s physical stature eliminated him as the shooter.
During the interview, Brian admitted that he was addicted to working out and went to the gym almost every day to keep up his physique. So Kenda went to the gym, spoke with a couple employees, and learned that Brian spends a lot of time with a girl named Jennifer, who worked at a flower shop. Joe went to the flower shop and learned her full name was Jennifer Reali. She was married to Benjamin Reali who was a Captain in the Army and an intelligence officer. The shop owner shared that he liked Ben because they both collected antique guns. This was a solid lead for Kenda. Does Ben own the same antique gun used in the shooting? Did Ben shoot Dianne Hood because of the relationship Brian had with Jennifer at the gym? Did Jennifer shoot Dianne? Ben worked at Fort Carson as a criminal investigator for the US Army so he knew as a soldier, he is an expert in killing and as an investigator, he knew how to get away with it. The clothing recovered in the garbage can was military clothing. Was this his clothing? Ben’s stature did match that described by the shooter. Kenda surprised Ben at work and he immediately went on the defensive. Ben admitted to owning several antique guns and one of them was a Colt 45 Peacemaker (patent 1872).
Kenda wanted the antique gun so it could be analyzed. Ben appeared to be confused and concerned but he handed over the gun. The police couldn’t recover any fingerprints on it. Kenda then invited Ben to go to the police station so they could interview him. The police put Ben on their turf so he wouldn’t be in his normal comfortable setting. Ben was seated and Kenda laid out the clothing they found in the garbage can. Without even looking, Ben said he didn’t recognize the clothing. Kenda said, Ben you need to look at these clothes and examine them. Kenda then threatened to call his military Commander and ruin his career overnight or at a maximum arrest him for murder. Ben admitted the clothing were his and the ballistics office confirmed his gun matched the one they were looking for. Ben claimed he last saw the clothing in his closet at his house but he hadn’t been living there for about 3 weeks; he was staying on post. Ben then told Kenda his wife asked him to hold the gun that morning and a couple weeks ago, she wanted to shoot it so he took her to the gun range to practice. Ben went from a person of interest to a witness. Kenda remembered the witness telling him the shooter put the purse over their shoulder like a woman would do.
Ben Reali was eliminated as a suspect because Kenda knew they were looking for a woman. Forty-eight hours after Dianne was murdered, Kenda was on the hunt for twenty-eight year old Jennifer Reali. He needed to find out more about his prime suspect. He learned she was a college graduate and a mother of two daughters. From outward appearances, she didn’t fit the modus operandi of a killer. Kenda brought Jennifer to the station in the hopes that she would break after he pressed her. While at the station Kenda realized Ben was not a co-conspirator but was struggling with the fact that his wife might be a murderer. The clothing was Ben Reali’s and the bullet casings matched the same gun owned by Ben Reali; as a result Jennifer was arrested for first degree murder and Ben had a hard time with it. After the arrest, Kenda turned all his attention to Jennifer Reali. She denied any knowledge of anything so Kenda presented the evidence to her and backed her into a corner. He could tell she was used to being in control and didn’t like being cornered. Jennifer tried to say the gun must have been stolen but that was ludicrous, as if someone would return the gun after stealing it. Jennifer finally broke and admitted that she did it; Kenda got his confession.
Jennifer Reali admitted to killing Dianne Wood and that she did try to make it look like a robbery. She also shared that someone else was involved in the plot to kill Dianne; she claimed it wasn’t her idea. Jennifer disclosed that she killed Dianne for Brian Hood. She admitted to having an affair with him for the past eight months. She met him at the gym and they became close; this is how the personal and romantic relationship started. Their innocent flirtation eventually turned into a full-blown affair, she says they were in love. She brought Brian to her house when Ben was out of town. Jennifer was very specific about all the details with her affair with Brian. Brian told Jennifer that killing Dianne would help end her suffering with Lupus, a disease he said was going to kill her. He also had an insurance policy on her for $100,000 and if she was murdered, it would double the pay out to $200,000. For a period of months, Brian brainstormed various ways to kill his wife as if he was her mercenary. In the end, Brian decided a staged robbery in a parking lot would do.
Brian told Jennifer they already committed the sin of adultery and the sin of murder was no worse. He claimed that Jennifer was his whole life and he used passages from the Bible to let her know it was okay to kill Dianne as long as she repented. Brian also believed the police were stupid and would assume this was an armed robbery. This was his final plan to convince her they would get away with it. Brian pressured Jennifer for three months to kill his wife and then on September 12th, she went through with it. Jennifer was held in the El Paso County jail for first degree murder but the architect of the plot was still at large. The police hunted down and arrested Brian for conspiracy to commit first degree murder, solicitation to commit first degree murder, and first degree murder. In the meantime, one of Brian’s friends came forward with damning information after reading about his arrest in the paper. He told the witness that he wanted his wife dead. Police learned Brian’s friends were afraid of him because they wondered if he was capable of killing them too. Brian Hood pressured his friends until he found one that would do his bidding; he used his wife’s disease as an excuse to justify murder.
Brian maintained his innoncene throughout the investigation and trial. But the family doctor testified at trial that he told Dianne and Brian that she had the mildest form of Lupus and it could be easily managed; she was not going to die. Brian told his friends he wanted Dianne dead because she was going to die anyways; he knew that wasn’t true. A year after Dianne Hood was shot and killed on December 23, 1991, Brian Hood was found guilty of two counts of criminal solicitation, one count of conspiracy to murder his wife, however on the charge of first degree murder, he was found not guilty. Instead of life in prison, he was sentenced to 37 years. The police felt like he got away with murder. Jennifer Reali plead insanity claiming she had been brainwashed by Brian Hood. The jury didn’t buy it and she was found guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. Jennifer Reali was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole at the Colorado State Penitentiary. The police got justice for Dianne when she couldn’t do it for herself but this murder was devastating to the Hood and Reali families. They couldn’t help but ask: Why would Brian do this? Why not get a divorce? Why kill her? Kenda explained that this was human nature at its worse.
What does a murderer look like? As it turns out they look like the cute mom next door. -Lt Joe Kenda, Retired Homicide Detective
The Colorado Springs woman, who’s been called the “fatal attraction killer,” Jennifer Reali, has a new address. -KRDO Colorado (August 5, 2014)
Gazette city editor Cary Vogrin talks with Eric Singer on Between the Lines about Jennifer Reali’s release to a halfway house from prison after years of serving time for a “fatal attraction” killing. -Colorado Springs Gazette (August 5, 2014)
A rare interview from three years ago sheds new light about the “fatal attraction killer.” -KRDO Colorado (August 6, 2014)
The Department of Corrections says Jennifer Reali has been transferred to a halfway house, despite having her parole denied three years ago. -KRDO Colorado (August 6, 2014)
Audio from the recent parole hearing for Jennifer Reali. The Colorado Springs woman explains why she killed Dianne Hood and why she’s sorry. -Colorado Springs Gazette (November 7, 2014)
Audio from Jennifer Reali’s recent parole board hearing telling officials why she can do more good being free to help others not follow the same path she did. She was convicted of killing her boyfriend’s wife. -Colorado Springs Gazette (November 7, 2014)
No parole for convicted killer, Jennifer Reali (2015) -KRDO Colorado (October 14, 2015)
Reali shot and killed her lover’s wife in 1990. -CBS Denver (April 6, 2018)</p
Investigation Discovery:
Preview: She was broken down by every man who crossed her path, so when Jennifer’s lover told her that his wife had to die – Jennifer made sure she did. -Under His Control, Deadly Women (S4, E10)
Jennifer Reali was having a wild affair with Brian Hood, he made her shoot his wife to death in a parking lot. She did, and now she is serving life in prison. Former FBI profiler Candice DeLong talks face to face with Jennifer to find out the truth -Love Before Life, Facing Evil (S1, E3)
ID Go: Mother of three Dianne Hood is shot to death by a masked gunman on her way home from a Lupus support meeting. Police initially assume it’s a robbery, but Lt. Joe Kenda uncovers a sordid web of lust and greed, revealing a killer no one ever expected. -I Now Pronounce You Dead, Homicide Hunter (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.
ID Go: The Phillips’ family moves to a quiet seafront town in Maine to escape a crime wave in Indiana. But their dream home comes with a not so dreamy ex-military neighbor. A barrage of gunfire between the houses one night shatters both families forever. -Red Picket Fences, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E2)
On August 29, 1989, Navy veteran Richard Uffelman and his two sons opened fire from their living room window and shot and killed their neighbors Michael and Florence Phillips in Machiasport, Maine. The Phillips family moved back to Maine so they could be closer to their family and the ocean, and they wanted to escape crime in Indiana. Shortly before they moved to Maine, a murder occurred outside their home and this was it for them; they wanted to raise their son Michael in a safe environment. Richard and Anita Uffelman and their two sons were the new neighbors of the Phillips in Maine. Richard was described as an authoritarian and a believer in good order and discipline. He worked at the local post office and taught his two children to shoot guns. Initially the neighbors were good friends and their boys played together. At some point, family came to visit the Phillips for a week. The happy family reunited outside on the front lawn while they barbecued, drank some beers, and enjoyed one another’s company. Apparently Richard found a broken bottle on his lawn during the event and automatically assumed the Phillips threw the bottle on his lawn. Richard called the police to complain about the incident but there was no proof since the Phillips denied doing it. This was it for Richard; the Phillips home interfered with his view of the ocean and he was going to exact his revenge.
After this first broken bottle incident, Richard continued to call the police complaining that the neighbors were throwing bottles on his property. He would bag them up and give them to the police as evidence. The Phillips continued to deny the allegations. The police were beginning to get concerned for the Phillips. Then Richard’s wife Anita called the Phillips family and told them that Richard did not want their two sons playing with Michael anymore. Florence was confused. Soon Richard began harassing them while they were outside on their lawn. He used a megaphone and yelled at them until they went back into their house. The Phillips became fearful of him because he was quite literally bullying them. Richard upped the anti and put up some bright lights that shined directly on their home. He also shot guns in front of his home with his two boys on a regular basis which to the Phillips began feeling threatening. They called the police to ask Uffelman to stop shooting the guns because it felt like he was flexing his muscles but their was nothing illegal about shooting guns for target practice in Maine. The police couldn’t do anything. They needed evidence so Michael and Florence set up a video camera to start taping the behavior because they were not the gun types.
Tension and fear was building daily. The Phillips called the police on Richard Uffelman and Uffelman called the police on them. Now Richard wanted a protection order. It was obvious to police that Richard was getting paranoid and he had some fear that could not be alleviated by the police. Uffelman wanted to play war. Uffelman began dressing in full military fatigues with his two sons and they all carried guns and marched together as if they were in the military or a militia. The kids were impacted by Richard’s paranoia as well; as a matter of fact the whole family was brainwashed. Eventually the Phillips were afraid of Uffelman and his two sons. The Phillips left the city to get away from violence and now they were in the middle of it. They decided to file a harassment suit to get Richard Uffelman to stop. At this point, they felt trapped in their own home and they continued to videotape because it was their only option. One day Richard and his two sons armed with guns started chasing the Phillip’s son after school as if he was prey. The trio scared the entire Phillips family and they called the police again. The cops took it seriously and knew things were not going to turn out right. The Phillips got a protection order and then went on a vacation to Indiana to visit family in July 1989.
Richard Uffelman, US Navy Veteran
While the Phillips were visiting with family, they began viewing the videotapes. All of them were terrified at what they were witnessing but the Phillips were stuck financially. They assured their family they would be fine but in reality they were afraid Richard Uffelman would kill them when they got back. They asked their family to raise their son Michael if Uffelman killed them. They left for Maine the next day because it was their home and they had no other option. They got back to the war zone and the front lines had moved closer to home. When they got out of their vehicle, they realized that someone had dumped gasoline on their front porch. They witnessed someone running in the shadows from their home to Uffelman’s home. They called the police again but they didn’t have any proof that Uffelman had done it. They all recognized that Uffelman was raising the stakes. Unfortunately the system was at a stand still until someone made an overt act. On August 29, 1989, family visited the Phillips because they were celebrating a pregnancy in the family. The Phillips revealed to them that dealing with Uffelman was very stressful because they hadn’t caught anything of value for their harassment case. In this case, the best evidence would come too late.
Michael and Florence Phillips left the house that evening for a walk, just like every other night. This time Michael was carrying a gun as they walked in an effort to let Richard know that they were not going to take it. Then all of a sudden Richard and both of his sons began shooting at both of them from the living room of their home as they walked. The remaining family in the home were fearful that they were going to kill young Michael next. Meanwhile, Michael and Florence are struggling to move to safety in the woods to escape the barrage of gunfire. Uffelman did go to the Phillips home but turned around and left. After this near miss, the three family members in the home left to protect young Michael. They were not sure how Michael and Florence were doing at this point; they were not sure if they had been murdered or if they were still alive. Police arrived on the scene and knocked on Richard Uffelman’s door. They found him sitting at his kitchen table which was covered with handguns and firearms. The police were worried about their own safety but Uffelman surrendered without incident and he was taken into police custody. Michael and Florence Phillips both died at the scene in the woods where they attempted to escape the gunman.
Richard Uffelman was arrested for murder after the Phillips’ bodies were found. His two sons participated in the shootings as well and together they fired twenty-five rounds or so from the inside of their home. Investigators concluded the two boys were doing what they were told to do; they were victims too and as a result were not charged. Upon search of the property, police learned that Uffelman’s land was rigged with trip wire and his home was riddled with explosives. Bomb technicians were called in to remove the undetonated devices. Police also found secret passageways and tunnels. Uffelman tried to claim self-defense at his trial but the video coverage the Phillips had showed otherwise. The videotapes revealed that Uffelman went outside to check to see if his prey were dead; his murderous intent was all captured on film. Richard Uffelman was sentenced to life in prison for the first degree murders of Michael and Florence Phillips. Young Michael sued Richard Uffelman in Maine Superior Court and was awarded a wrongful death judgement for $513,320 but he has never received a dime. According to a YouTube site called Abandonment of Maine, shortly after new owners moved into the Uffelman home, the house caught on fire and burned to the ground.
A military judge sentenced Army soldier Dwight Loving, 20, to death for the murders of two Killeen, Texas cab drivers and the attempted murder of a third. Loving was found guilty April 3, 1989 of two counts of felony murder in the deaths of Army Private Christopher Fay, 20, a 13th Corps Support Command soldier and part-time Killeen cab driver, and retired Master Sgt. Bobby Sharbino, 44. The two men were found dead in their taxis on December 12 and December 13, 1988, both victims of gunshot wounds. Howard Harrison, 28, another cab driver, was injured when he struggled with Loving in his cab. Harrison managed to escape after knocking the gun from Lovings hand. The court also found Loving guilty of robbing two 7-Eleven convenience stores on December 11, 1988. In 2016, Dwight Loving was one of six service members on military death row at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas; he was joined by Andrew Witt, Ronald Gray, Timothy Hennis, Hasan Akbar, and Nidal Hasan. In 2017, President Barack Obama commuted Dwight Loving’s death sentence before he left Office. Loving was re-sentenced to life in prison without parole. According to the terms of the commutation agreement, Loving will be unable to appeal his conviction and is ineligible in any way for release in the future. Andrew Witt was granted a new sentencing trial on appeal, and in July 2018, the military courts re-sentenced Witt from the death penalty to life in prison without parole.
In 1986, 26-year-old Ellen Boehm of St. Louis, Missouri was tired of the constraints of family life. She was married to a much older Vietnam veteran and after five years of marriage, they had two children with a third baby on the way. It became quickly apparent, Ellen may not have been ready for the role of mom as she wasn’t your typical stay-at-home mom. Ellen loved professional wrestling and she spent a lot of time watching the matches. Ellen admitted her marriage was in trouble when she confided in friends. When she was eight months pregnant with the third child, her husband Paul told her when he was in Vietnam, he was exposed to Agent Orange and the only way he could be cured is if he went to Texas for treatment. But it was all a lie because Paul was not sick, he left her for another woman he met on-line. As a result, Ellen was broke. She had been abandoned by her husband but it didn’t stop her from indulging in her favorite pastime. But her favorite professional wrestling hobby started interfering with her life. By the time Ellen Boehm was 28-years-old, she was bankrupt. Her children were more of a burden than a joy.
Ellen’s two-year-old son David was fussy and she couldn’t deal with it. On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1988, she settled the two older children in bed and she let David stay up. As he was lying on the floor, she took a cushion off the couch and smothered him. When she thinks he was dead, she called for help and said she found little David unconscious. Emergency personnel rushed him to the hospital where David was put on life support. But the doctor said there was nothing they could do; he was brain dead. The doctor asked for permission to take David off life-support and Ellen eventually turned to the doctor and said “Pull it”. She never shed a tear. As a result, Ellen received a life insurance pay-out of $5000. Ironically, only eight months after David’s death, Ellen went shopping for life insurance policies for children. According to investigators, there was a total of $94,000 in life insurance taken out on her children. On September 13, 1989, Ellen’s 8-year-old daughter was taking a bath and Ellen dropped a hairdryer in the tub. She didn’t die so Ellen brought her to the hospital. Ellen’s daughter survived with no permanent injuries and everyone just accepted that it was an unfortunate accident.
Twelve days later, Ellen tried again. Her son Stevie was sleeping on the living room floor when Ellen decided to put a pillow over his face and smother him; he died. Steven’s passing created a sense of unease with Ellen’s friends because they couldn’t understand her reaction. It was as if it was just another day. For long time friend Deanne Bond, a third tragedy was just too much and she called the police. She suspected foul play and police conducted a thorough investigation. Realizing the police were closing in on two murders and one attempted murder, Ellen confessed to everything. She broke down and admitted she did it; she explained how she did it but never explained why. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to observe that Ellen could not have the life she wanted with children so she chose murder. In 1993, Ellen Boehm pleaded guilty to one count of first degree murder and one count of second degree murder. She received two life sentences with no possibility of parole. Her friend Deanne suspected after she received the first $5,000 life insurance pay-out for her youngest son David, it set the whole thing in motion. Ellen killed her children for money, it was all about the pay-day.
In the 1980s, when Ellen Boehm couldn’t pay her debt, she turned to the quickest payout she knew: life insurance. She murdered her two sons and attempted to kill her daughter. In 1992, Ellen was sentenced to two life terms in prison and is currently incarcerated in Vandalia.
A mother’s role is to love & protect her children, but for some, that doesn’t ring true. When a Missouri mom uses her children for money, it’s clear they lack motherly love. -Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery (S7, E6)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 