Marine Veteran & Civilian Contractor Kenneth Gadson Found Guilty of the Rape & Murder of Rina Shimabukuro; Sentenced to Life in Japanese Prison (December 1, 2017)
Tricia Todd, U.S. Air Force Veteran (Photo: HuffPost)
SSgt Steven Williams, 30, US Air Force, and USAF veteran Tricia Todd, 30, were married for 11 years and had one child
Williams and Todd divorced on February 2, 2016
Williams was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina
Tricia Todd lived in Hobe Sound, Florida with their only child
Williams traveled to Florida to visit their only child
Tricia vanished from Florida on April 26, 2016
Williams is accused in May 2016 of murdering Tricia Todd
Williams admitted to getting in an argument about finances & pushed Todd
Williams pleaded no contest to the second degree murder of Tricia Todd
Williams was sentenced to 35 years in prison if he led investigators to the body
Williams led investigators to her mutilated body in Florida
Williams could face additional federal penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) as he was an active member of the armed forces at the time the crime was committed
According to The Object of Murder (Investigation Discovery), civilian prosecutors want the Air Force to try Williams in a military death penalty trial but the Air Force has not taken any action thus far
In the News:
Part 1: Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her online blog. -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)
Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Journal Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)
Part 1: Tricia Todd divorced her husband Steven Williams after more than ten years of marriage. Before Tricia went missing, she wrote in an online journal about falling for another man, and that her husband had a dark side. She was later found dead. -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)
Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Diary Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)
Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her blog. -True Crime Daily (November 16, 2018)
Investigation Discovery:
In 2016, 33-year-old Tricia Todd was reported missing after failing to pick up her daughter from a babysitter. As her family hoped and prayed, investigators found her online journal that revealed the true horror of what had happened. -Beauty for Ashes, The Object of Murder (S1,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.
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.
Retired police officer Jack McCullough was convicted of murder in Illinois more than half a century after the crime. But he was released Friday after a prosecutor found he could not have done it. McCullough says he will sue the state for the suffering five years of imprisonment. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.
ID Go: The promise of peaceful life in Tamarac, Florida is broken when the son of a newly arrived family befriends the neighborhood’s most unruly kids. Bad blood between the neighbors boils over until things come to a horrifically violent end on Halloween. -Nail in the Coffin, Fear Thy Neighbor (S3, E1)
Date: October 31, 2001 Victim: Robert Campbell Offender: Richard Day, Air Force veteran, auto body mechanic, disabled Location: Tamarac, Florida Circumstances: Richard Day’s step-son Walter discovered a pocket knife missing from his tackle box, Walter confronted the Rossier boys and they denied it so he let it go, Richard had a quadruple bypass and was forced to give up his job during his recovery, Richard was down because he couldn’t provide for his family, Richard had diabetes, he would get very irritable, Walter brought his game boy to school and Andrew Rossier took it and wouldn’t give it back to him, Andrew threatened to steal his bike next, Adele Day got a guidance counselor involved to help resolve the bullying issues, Connie Rossier refused to admit that her sons did anything wrong, Walter and the boys continued to hang out, Richard accused the boys of stealing items from their house, after that incident, Richard forbid Walter to hang out with the Rossier boys, Walter continued to sneak over to the boy’s house and discovered the they had some of his game boy games so Walter took them, Connie called Richard and accused Walter of stealing the games, Walter admitted taking the games back because they were his, they were labeled so Richard believed Walter, Richard went over to Connie’s house to confront her about the theft, Richard screamed at Connie as loud as he could and they went back and forth, they were both angry, one night, Richard and family returned home to discover that someone had broke into their home and trashed it and Walter’s bike was missing, Richard was certain the Rossier boys did it and reported the break-in to the police, the police found a fingerprint but never followed up on it with Richard, the Rossier boys taunted Richard from the road near his property, Walter’s parents bought him a new bike, Walter makes new friends but can’t avoid the Rossier boys, Andrew tried to take off on Walter’s new bike but Walter stopped him, Andrew threatened to get back at him for humiliating him, Andrew tried to elicit the help of his brothers to get back at Walter, Uncle Rob tried to keep the peace but the Rossier kids were out for revenge, Walter and Richard were washing the truck in the driveway and the Rossier boys started taunting them and trying to get a rise out of them, Richard was ready to beat these boys but Adele stopped him, the Rossier boys continued to antagonize Richard, Richard felt helpless in dealing with the Rossier boys and called the police but there really wasn’t anything they could do to stop them, Richard moved to Florida for peace but the Rossier boys were determined to make his life miserable, on Halloween things reached a boiling point, Richard ate too much candy for someone who had diabetes, when they returned home, they found that their yard had been egged and doused with shaving cream, it was on the driveway, home and garage, Richard and Walter suspected the Rossier boys so they drove to the Rossier home and threw eggs at their home and the situation quickly got ugly, the Rossier family confronted them and Richard and Walter jumped in the truck to escape the situation, Uncle Rob was dragged from 100-150 feet by the truck but Walter kept driving, the Rossier family found Uncle Rob and he was badly injured and bled to death, Richard Day was arrested for homicide, the police said he used his truck as his murder weapon, the untimely death took a toll on both families mental health Disposition: Richard Day was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on May 9, 2003, Richard died in prison on April 2, 2009 from diabetes complications
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.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE HERMOSA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT: Detective Joshua Droz at (310) 318-0334 or jdroz@hermosapolice.org
Air Force veteran Michael Vanzandt, 36, was living in Lancaster, California at the time of his disappearance. Michael was originally from Pleasant Lake, Michigan where he was raised by his mom. He has two brothers and one step brother. After graduation in 1999, Michael enlisted in the Air Force. It wasn’t long after that in 2000 when he met a fellow Air Force member at Yakota Air Base in Japan. They were both from Michigan and grew up about an hour and a half from one another. They married in 2001 and by 2006, they had three children. Michael was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. While stationed there, he deployed to Iraq twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
After twelve years of service, Michael left the Air Force and got a civilian job in human resources at Edwards AFB. In 2014, Michael and his wife decided to separate and divorce. His wife says they just grew apart. But despite the break-up, the two had a good relationship for the sake of the three children. They had shared custody. Michael tried dating a couple people after the divorce but the relationships didn’t last because he just wasn’t ready yet. Although he remained friends with the two women. It was clear Michael was focused on moving out of his small apartment and getting a house for his family. In early 2016, Michael was approved for a mortgage.
On March 5, 2016, Michael dropped the three children off at his ex-wife’s house because he had plans to go out with some friends that night. He drove from Lancaster to Hermosa Beach where he was meeting his friends. They were going to watch a UFC event and Michael was excited about that because he loves the UFC. Michael parked his car in a parking garage and they ubered it to the Underground. After the UFC event was over, they all decided to go to the American Junkie bar. While they were waiting in line, Michael said he was going to use the bathroom at the liquor store. This is the last time anyone saw Michael Vanzandt again.
When friends decided to abandon their plan to go to the American Junkie, they left and went bar hopping. The last time they spoke to Michael, he said he was going to the bathroom at the liquor store and would be right back. They were starting to get concerned so they texted and called him but got no response. The phone calls were going straight to voicemail. After leaving the bars in Hermosa Beach, they went back to the parking garage to see if Michael had retrieved his car and he had not. The next day, one of his friends started making phone calls with no luck. Another friend went to his apartment and learned that he was not there. His car wasn’t either.
Michael’s ex-wife grew concerned when Michael didn’t show up to drop off an insurance form for one of the kids who was having a medical procedure done. She called one of his ex-girlfriends who offered to go to his apartment and see if she couldn’t find Michael and/or the insurance form. She looked around the apartment but nothing appeared to be out of place and nothing looked suspicious. Michael’s ex-wife called his place of employment at Edwards AFB and learned that he never showed up for work which was totally out of character. They knew now that Michael was missing.
One of Michael’s friends attempted to file an official missing persons report but were quickly disheartened when they realized the police were not as concerned. Michael’s friend went to Hermosa Beach to look for him. She learned that Michael’s car was still in the parking garage. Michael’s ex-wife tells the kids at this point that Michael is officially missing. And they didn’t waste any time trying to garner attention for Michael’s disappearance on social media. The information spread like wild fire. On March 8, Michael’s friends met with a detective in Hermosa Beach who laid out a game plan for launching a missing person’s investigation.
After the investigation was launched, friends and family put up fliers in Hermosa Beach and spoke with local businesses but no one had seen Michael. Investigators talked with all the friends Michael was out with on March 5th but none of them provided any new leads. Investigators looked at cell phone records and the last time the phone was used, it pinged in Hermosa Beach. It appears the phone went dead around 9 p.m. Next investigators looked thru surveillance video around the bars the group frequented. It was at this point, news outlets also began covering Michael’s disappearance. Family and friends hoped for the lead that would be a breakthrough in the case.
After the investigators and Michael’s family and friends were unable to locate Michael in downtown Hermosa Beach, they all shifted the search efforts to the shoreline. Michael’s family hired a helicopter to search up and down the coast line. Meanwhile, the police positively identified Michael on video surveillance. They witnessed Michael come out of the door at the liquor store and then he went southbound on Hermosa Avenue. They could see how the group kept missing Michael in the crowds by a matter of seconds as they searched for each other. The police speculated that Michael was probably looking for a bathroom. Michael went back to the liquor store and bought some whiskey. It was here that police were able to confirm his cell phone was in fact dead.
The last confirmed sighting for Michael Vanzandt was at 11:27 p.m. in Hermosa Beach. Friends and family hoped he ran into someone else while out, maybe an unknown group of people. They felt helpless because there were no new leads despite their exhaustive efforts. Michael’s brother Tyler walked the coast line again and again until he couldn’t walk anymore but eventually realized that his time on the ground was not effective. The Hermosa Beach P.D. confirmed that the investigation is still open but were at a loss after taking all the proactive measures. Michael’s brother thought maybe he went swimming while drinking but deep down inside prays that he’s out there in the world in an effort to maintain hope. Michael had a good job, he was planning on getting a new home, and starting a new chapter in his life for his children.
Source: Just Out of Sight, Disappeared, Investigation Discovery
When Michael VanZandt, a veteran and father of three, disappears one night in Hermosa Beach, Ca., police suspect a group of strangers may be involved. But his loved ones are haunted by suspicions about his thrill seeking when considering his fate. -Disappeared
Four years after a 71 year-old Korean War hero goes missing near Upland, California, a DA’s investigator picks up a trail of clues that seem to lead to the victim’s closest friends. -Come Back Jack, Murder Book (S2,E13)
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.
Marine veteran Laura Anne Buckingham of Tennessee was arrested for an alleged plot to kill her ex-boyfriend, who is also the father of their child. Buckingham was charged with attempted first degree murder and she pleaded not guilty. She was released on bail due to a pregnancy and the trial has been postponed.
Laura Buckingham, a celebrity baker and former U.S. marine, is accused of hiring a hit man to have her ex-boyfriend killed. She is facing an attempted first-degree murder charge, but has been released on $150,000 bond because she is pregnant. -HLN
A shotgun wedding leaves naval officers John Marmo and Rebecca Braswell in a troubled marriage with a baby. As the relationship crumbles, allegations of infidelity and abuse run rampant. A fierce custody battle pushes both sides in a deadly battle. -First to Die, I’d Kill for You (S3,E3)
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.
Dateline featured ‘Prairie Confidential’ on August 13, 2018. It was a 2015 homicide case out of Minot, North Dakota. Nursing student and mom of three Angila Wilder didn’t show up for an important exam at school and her professor knew something was wrong. Angila was discovered stabbed to death in her bedroom in her North Dakota home. The crime appeared personal so the police started their investigation with Angila’s boyfriend and ex-husband. When Angila’s boyfriend Chris Jackson was interviewed, he pointed the finger at her ex-husband Richie Wilder, Jr. Angila met Richie in high school and soon after they married, they had a couple children together. Richie joined the Air Force and was stationed at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. But during their time there, things went awry with the marriage. Richie was court-martialed and convicted of domestic abuse. As a result, he was discharged from the Air Force and soon divorce followed. Richie remarried Cynthia, a kindergarten teacher, and they had a child together. Angila also moved on with Chris Jackson and they too had a child together. Angila was pregnant at the time of her murder.
Investigators found Angila’s blood in Richie’s car and Richie’s DNA was found under Angila’s fingernails. As a result, Richie Wilder was charged with murder and ordered to pre-trial confinement on a 2 million dollar bond. After a couple days in jail, Richie came forward with a “confession.” Richie told police he and Chris learned Angela was cheating on Chris and they hoped to catch her in the act so they could then have custody of their children. Richie said he picked up Chris at his place of employment, drove to Angila’s home, killed her together (an attempt to minimize his involvement yet explain DNA), and then dropped Chris back off at Wal-Mart. But the police looked at the video at Wal-Mart and it blew Richie’s “confession” out of the water. Chris was at work all night and never left the property. In December 2016, Richie Wilder Jr. was convicted of Angila’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In May 2018, Cynthia Wilder took an Alford plea hoping the judge would go lenient on her but she was sentenced to life in prison without parole for conspiracy to commit murder. In the course of the investigation, police learned Cynthia and Richie Wilder planned Angila’s murder for two years.
In the News:
Richie Wilder, Jr Murder Trial -KFYR TV (January 17, 2017)
Cynthia Wilder Sentenced -KFYR TV (December 24, 2018)
Dateline NBC:
Trailer: A murder case considered closed by North Dakota detectives is suddenly reopened when a confidential informant comes forward with a tip about an unlikely suspect. -Dateline NBC (S26,E51)
A secret addiction drives a young woman to sacrifice her wheelchair bound employer; a scheming caregiver betrays the man who trusts her; and a single mother’s desire for a better life leads to a brutal dismemberment. -The Vulnerable, Deadly Women (S9, E13)
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 