Frank F. Weber's Blog, page 4

Missing Indigenous Women

There are reports that there are 5700 missing Indigenous women in the U.S.  Indigenous women are murdered at 10 times the rate of other women.
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The evil in the crime below is insanely brutal. I am sharing this to give people an understanding of the horrible things that can occur. People who have read my books know I’m not into gore, but I feel the cruelty in this case needs to be stated as is. 
If you’re Christian, consider Proverbs. If not, consider being a decent person and help those in need. 
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.  
Proverbs 31:8-9 Roylynn “Lynn” Rides Horse Lynn was a victim of domestic abuse who simply needed help—just a ride… April 17, 2016
You can drive for hours through the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana without meeting another car. A rancher was driving through, when he stopped to relieve himself. He looked down and saw a naked woman in the ditch bleeding badly. She was in such bad shape; He couldn’t even get her into his truck. He waved down a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer. The woman was badly beaten, frostbitten, and very severely burned. Roylynn Rides Horse was subjected to emergency treatment at Crow Agency Hospital and was immediately transferred to the University of Utah Hospital Burn Center thereafter. Doctors informed Ride Horse’s family that before collapsing on the ground, she had walked for 3 miles after being set on fire naked. 2013 
Roylynn wanted to be a nurse practitioner. She wanted to work with babies. But then she met Eric and became pregnant. Eric was working on a coal strip mine. Eric was quiet and over time became jealous and controlling. Her family started to notice bruising on Lynn and begged her to leave. But Lynn loved him and believed he would change. 

April 15, 2016
Lynn’s family asked her to stay home. Instead, she took the baby to meet Eric. Throughout the day, the family called Lynn, but there was no answer.
April 17, 2016
The severely beaten and burned woman was able to say she was at the Kill Feather Saloon the previous night. Bar patrons reported Lynn had been arguing with her boyfriend and was crying. When Lynn’s family called Eric, he threatened to come to their home and shoot up their home. Eric was arrested at his home after a standoff with the police. There was nothing at Eric’s home indicating he had anything to do with Lynn’s murder. After his release, Eric does not visit Roylynn in the hospital. He does not check on his son. Instead, he takes off to Arizona. April 19, 2016
Lynn was not only beaten badly, but she was also stripped and set on fire. Lynn inhaled the accelerant, and it burned inside her mouth and down her throat. Lynn’s face was burned to the degree that she had no nose and no lips. The burns were so bad they didn’t know what sex she was when she arrived. She had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 45% of her body. It was cold that night, so Lynn also had severe frostbite on her legs.  Roylynn’s loving sister had gospel songs played in her room and Lynn’s feet would move to the music. However, because of the severe frostbite, her feet ultimately had to be removed. 

Video from the Kill Feather Saloon showed Eric hitting Lynn and leaving without her. Lynn was left crying at the bar and there weren’t many people left in the bar. Lynn ultimately asked a couple (Dimarzio Sanchez and Angelica Whiteman) to give her a ride home. Dimarzio and Angelica were “Cheyenne,” and the “Cheyenne” do not get along with the “Crow.” Lynn was hoping for an act of kindness. Dimarzio’s brother, Frank Sanchez, was waiting outside the bar. The 3 were all strangers to Lynn. Dimarzio Sanchez, Angelica Whiteman, & Frank Sanchez After leaving, Angelica was putting make-up on in the passenger mirror. She reported she didn’t like the way Lynn was glancing at her from the backseat. According to statements, Angelica asked, “Why are you looking at me that way?” Lynn responded, “Nothing. No reason.” Angelica attacked her over the seat. They pulled the vehicle over and the 3 beat Lynn unconscious.  

Dimarzio Sanchez then showed Angelica how to choke Lynn to death with a bandanna. Frank Sanchez pointed out, “You just blacked her out.” Frank stripped her naked. Dimarzio told Frank to get the gas can and Dimarzio poured gas on Lynn.  Who lit the match?-- is debated. Once Lynn was on fire, they left the scene. The 3 give different accounts of who was responsible. Lynn walked 3 miles, after being assaulted and burned, naked. 

On June 22, 2016, Angelica Whiteman and Dimarzio Sanchez are charged with attempted murder.  Roylynn “Lynn” Rides Horse held on and fought for her life, but her body was fighting a losing battle as organs were shutting down. Finally, her family gave her permission to let go. “Fall in God’s arms. It will be okay.” She responded “Okay” and passed away on June 28, 2016. Lynn is buried in St. Xavier Catholic Mission Cemetery in Big Horn County, Montana. (pictured below) The charges were immediately upgraded to 1st Degree murder. Angelica Whiteman was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Dimarzio Sanchez was sentenced to Life in Prison. Frank Sanchez, who is believed to have a lesser role in Lynn’s murder, is sentenced to 9 years. The three attributed the cruel torture and assault to “drinking.”

I have a hard time with the offenders attributing the crime to, “We were drinking.” Alcohol disinhibits what is already there. If I was interviewing them, I’d point out, “Lots of people drink alcohol with murdering and torturing people. What is it about you, that this is what you do when you’re drinking?”
Lynn’s friend commented, “There is no justice. All she wanted is to be loved.”

I have dealt with cases; I prefer not to talk about.  Some have been on reservations, some in refugee camps, some in metro poverty, some in rural poverty. The most abusive cases typically involve extreme poverty, a lack of parenting and supervision by the offenders when they were young, a lack of legitimate opportunity by the offenders (so they have a strong desire to express power in abusive ways), and substance use. 

According to a study published in the USA Today in 2020, where is the poorest place in Minnesota?
Minnesota: Little Falls
• Median household income: $38,862 (state: $68,411)
• Poverty rate: 18% (state: 10.1%)
• Median home value: $128,400 (state: $211,800)
• Population: 8,664
Little Falls is a small community located along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota. The poorest place in the state, Little Falls has a median household income of just $38,862 – about $30,000 below the statewide median. Incomes tend to rise with educational attainment, and in Little Falls, only about one in every five adults have a bachelor's degree. Meanwhile, across Minnesota, more than one in three adults have a four-year college degree.
Roylynn “Lynn” Rides Horse I wish you peace. You are one of the reasons I deal with difficult cases pro bono at times, I walk people to their car, and I take that extra moment to listen. 

Religious or not, I ask you to be a person of honor. Someone who looks out for everyone’s children.


Thanks for listening,


Frank
Upcoming Events~~
Saturday, October 15, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Author Frank Weber will be at the Twin Cities Book Festival from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. signing books and answering questions about writing True Crime and working in forensics. Frank has received the President’s Award from the MN Correctional Association, has profiled cold case homicides and his suspense novels are award winning! His newest book, Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. The Twin Cities Book Festival is located at MN State Fairgrounds.  Frank will be with other authors in the Progress Center, MN State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108.
 
Thursday, October 20, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Muir Library in Winnebago, speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library by 6:00 to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books. The Muir Library is located at 36 Main Street North, Winnebago, Minnesota, 56098.
 
Monday, October 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at New Ulm Public Library in New Ulm, speaking from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions on his work, to sign and sell his books, and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway, New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073.
 
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Springfield Public Library, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answering questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Springfield Public Library is located at 120 North Cass Avenue, Springfield, Minnesota, 56087.  
 
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answering questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Dyckman Free Library is located at 345 Main Street Wests, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota 56085. 
 
Thursday, October 27, 2022, Author Frank F. Weber will be signing books at the Hello Beautiful Event held at the Little Falls Ballroom from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Little Falls Ballroom is located at 15870, Minnesota Highway 27, Little Falls, Minnesota, 56345. 
 
Sunday, October 30, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Author Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in Edina at 12:00 noon signing books and answering questions. Frank has received the President’s Award from the MN Correctional Association, has profiled cold case homicides and his suspense novels are award winning! His newest book, Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Barnes and Noble is located at 3230 Galleria, Edina, Minnesota, 55435. 
 
Wednesday, November 2, 2022, Frank Weber, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author will be speaking on his work during WIN time at Brainerd High School, from 10:46 to 11:29 a.m. Frank will offer a live demonstration of a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). The presentation will occur in the new Performing Arts Center at Brainerd High School.
Saturday, November 5, 2022, Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud at 11:00 a.m. discussing Last Call. This is an informal get together inviting anyone who is interested. It’s a great opportunity for people who have read Last Call to learn about the true life circumstances and the profiling of this serial killer that led to writing this mystery. Last Call was one of Frank’s favorite books to write. Book clubs are welcome! Frank, will be at Barnes and Noble once a month to discuss book after book in consecutive order, ending with his next release.  Barnes and Noble is located at Rainbow Village, 3940 Division Street, St Cloud, Minnesota, 56301
 
Saturday, November 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author, Frank Weber, will be at Barnes and Noble in Greenway Lake Commons from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. signing his thrilling mysteries, based on Minnesota cases, and answering any questions people might have about forensics. Frank performs assessments in homicide and sexual assault cases and has profiled cold case homicides. He narrated a show on the Oxygen channel titled Murdered by Morning and has been the recipient of the President’s award from the Minnesota Correctional Association for his forensic work. Barnes and Noble is located at Greenway Lakes Commons, 3216 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55416.
 
Friday, December 9, 2022, presentation from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries at Mankato Brewery in North Mankato.  You will receive a live demonstration of a lie detector test (feel free to volunteer—or volunteer a friend) so you can see how lie detection works. Frank will be at the brewery signing and selling books from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  This will be a great time with a guest appearance by the Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows.  Frank will be sharing a little about what they get wrong on movies and TV.  Mankato Brewery is located at 1119 Center Street, North Mankato, Minnesota.
 
Saturday, December 17, 2022, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author, Frank Weber, will be at the Bookstore at Fitger’s from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. signing his thrilling mysteries, based on Minnesota cases, and answering any questions people might have about forensics. Frank performs assessments in homicide and sexual assault cases and has profiled cold case homicides. He narrated a show on the Oxygen channel titled Murdered by Morning and has been the recipient of the President’s award from the Minnesota Correctional Association for his forensic work. The Bookstore at Fitger’s is located at 600 East Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802.
 
Thursday, January 5, 2023, Frank Weber will be on LA Talk Radio. Frank will be interviewed live on Rendezvous with a Writer from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or 8:00 to 8:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. ​

DNA Changes Investigation of Sharon “Lecia” Shollmeyer Murder

Sharon “Lecia” Schollmeyer was born in Albuquerque in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, on January 16, 1961. Her mother, Sally Kadleck, described Lecia as a “healthy, beautiful, clever” girl. Lecia was fiercely independent, but still her sister and mother describe her in loving terms. Lecia managed to secure a job waiting tables at a restaurant at age 15 by misrepresenting her age. She was financially independent enough to move out of her home, get her own apartment and pay her bills. She was saving money to move into a better place, because she didn’t trust some of the people who lived in her apartment complex, when she was murdered. Lecia lived a mile away from her family home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lecia remained close to her family and loved by her family. 
December 5, 1977 
Sally Kadleck, Lecia’s mother, goes to her Lecia’s apartment after Lecia fails to show up for work. The apartment manager, Patrick McCabe, lets her in. On entering Sharon’s apartment, Sally saw the window of her bedroom wide open, which opened to a fire escape and Leciia’s purse on the table. She finds her 16-year-old daughter Sharon “Lecia” Schollmeyer’s, deceased, bound and gagged in the bathtub. She was naked and partially submerged in 6 inches of water. Sharon had bruises outside of her throat, her mouth was gagged with her halter top, and her eyes were bound with a scarf. The pieces of nylon rope in the bathtub and the position of her body suggested that her hands had been tied behind. Items were tossed about the apartment to make the scene look like a botched robbery. Any DNA from her body was lost with the water. 
Salt Lake City The autopsy indicated she had died from asphyxiation, from being strangled. Investigators found a large kitchen knife near the bathtub but there was no blood on it or at the crime scene. What confused the investigators further were the pulled-out drawers and scattered items strewn across the floor that suggested a robbery. But most of the valuable items, such as a stereo or a television set, had not been stolen. Also, the investigators found that the drop from the fire escape to the ground was 10-12 feet, making it impossible for someone to access it from below. The killer could have escaped with the blanket tied at the end of the escape but couldn’t have entered that way. 
The authorities theorized that the killer came in through the front door, locked it behind him, raped and murdered Sharon, and escaped from the fire escape. Their theory was supported by a blanket tied to the fire escape which might have helped the killer to climb down. The police mounted a huge investigation, questioning every occupant of Sharon’s apartment. Patrick McCabe, who did light maintenance at the complex in exchange for rent, claimed that he had seen a strange white man in the lobby on the night of the murder after he had returned from a late-night party.
A man had been caught peering into Sharon’s apartment days earlier. The man had a solid alibi. 
When investigators interviewed people in the apartment complex, a young man told investigators he had recently bought rope similar to the rope found in the apartment. Again, he had a solid alibi. 
Sharon had befriended a man as a penpal, “Lonnie,” during his incarceration in jail. Lonnie asked Sharon out once when he was released, but she turned him down. Lonnie had been arrested for homicide in 1971 (just 6 years earlier) and was released. When investigators found Lonnie, he had scratches on him. Lonnie told investigators he received the scratches from a cat. Lonnie lied to investigators about the day he received the scratches. The medical examiner stated he received the scratches on a day close to Sharon’s murder. A witness stated he saw Sharon’s stereo in Lonnie’s apartment days before the murder. The stereo was back in Sharon’s closet at the time of her murder. Lonnie lived in the same apartment as Sharon so he would have had access to her apartment. Lonnie left Salt Lake City right after he was interrogated and never returned. There was no evidence proving Lonnie was in Sharon’s apartment on the night she was murdered so the case went cold.  ​ Hillary Gordon Salt Lake City Investigator, Hillary Gordon, re-opened the cold case. Hillary felt there was a “50-50” chance they’d find DNA in the knot in Lecia’s halter top that was used to gag her. They found DNA, and it shocked the original investigators that it didn’t belong to Lonnie. They used cutting-edge DNA technology to solve the case. The killer had used Lecia’s halter top to gag her. Exposed DNA is useless after a couple weeks, but sealed DNA can be used years later. {In my book, Burning Bridges, I explain that killer’s sweat, and if a killer ties a knot, the killer’s DNA is sealed in the knot. They then use an M-Vac (a small vacuum cleaner) to get the DNA off a porous material such as rope, or clothing and a testable sample is concentrated in the vacuum’s filter.} 

When the DNA didn’t match Lonnie, investigators entered it into CODIS, and they got a hit. 
In 1999, Patrick McCabe was arrested for sexual assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Florida. He served 1 year and was released. McCabe was easy to find, because his address was on the sex offender registry. McCabe had also disappeared from Salt Lake City shortly after Lecia’s murder. McCabe denied ever being in Lecia’s apartment. Patrick McCabe was the building manager for Sharon’s apartment. The 60-year-old was arrested in Bell, Florida, in December 2016. Once informed his DNA was on clothing Lecia had been restrained with, he admitted killing her. 
Patrick McCabe had been partying that night. He entered her apartment with his key, after she was asleep, and raped her. He decided to kill her so she couldn’t identify him. McCabe then opened a window on the fire escape, and tied a blanket to it, to make it look like the killer entered from the fire. Patrick McCabe pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and burglary. McCabe didn’t express remorse for Lecia or her family.

Lecia’s family finally got the truth. We don’t get justice. Truth and consequences are what we settle for. Maybe someday:  For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Colossians 3:25
But the reality is that the life of the amazing Sharon “Lecia” Schollmeyer is what matters. Celebrate life and the people you love!
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank
For folks who’d like to hear the story behind “The I-94 Murders” I’ll be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud at 11:00 on Saturday sharing it. It’s informal and all are welcome!
​Tuesday, October 4, 2022, Frank F. Weber, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author will be speaking to Criminal Justice students at St. Cloud State University on Child Sexual Abuse and Profiling Offenders at 11:00 a.m.  The presentation will be in the Alumni Room in Atwood Mall, on SCSU campus, located at 2nd Avenue South, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301.    ​  Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Frank Weber will be speaking to the Detroit Lakes Writers Group from 3:30 to 4:30 via Zoom. The Detroit Lakes Writers Group meets at the Detroit Public Library in the meeting room. The Detroit Lakes Library is located at 1000 Washington Avenue, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 56501. Thursday, October 6, 2022, , Frank will be a guest on the morning show at 8:05 a.m. with Host & Program Director, Bob Hughes. You can listen in on AM 1450/FM 99.3, KNSI. Bob and Frank will discuss Frank’s 2nd novel,  The I-94 Murders ,  along with the events of the day.​
​Saturday, October 8, 2022, Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud at 11:00 a.m. discussing The I-94 Murders. This is an informal get together inviting anyone who is interested. It’s a great opportunity for people who have read The I-94 Murders to learn about the true life circumstances and the profiling of this serial killer that led to writing and solving this mystery. Book clubs are welcome! Frank will be at Barnes and Noble once a month to discuss book after book in consecutive order, ending the series of conversations with his next release.  Barnes and Noble is located at Rainbow Village, 3940 Division Street, St Cloud, Minnesota, 56301 Thursday, October 20, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Muir Library in Winnebago, speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library by 6:00 to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books. The Muir Library is located at 36 Main Street North, Winnebago, Minnesota, 56098. Monday, October 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at New Ulm Public Library in New Ulm, speaking from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions on his work, to sign and sell his books, and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway, New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073. Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Springfield Public Library, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answering questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Springfield Public Library is located at 120 North Cass Avenue, Springfield, Minnesota, 56087.   Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answering questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Dyckman Free Library is located at 345 Main Street Wests, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota 56085.    Sunday, October 30, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Author Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in Edina at 12:00 noon signing books and answering questions. Frank has received the President’s Award from the MN Correctional Association, has profiled cold case homicides and his suspense novels are award winning! His newest book, Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Barnes and Noble is located at 3230 Galleria, Edina, Minnesota, 55435.  Friday, December 9, 2022, presentation from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries at Mankato Brewery in North Mankato.  You will receive a live demonstration of a lie detector test (feel free to volunteer—or volunteer a friend) so you can see how lie detection works. Frank will be at the brewery signing and selling books from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m..  This will be a great time with a guest appearance by the Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows.  Frank will be sharing a little about what they get wrong on movies and TV.  Mankato Brewery is located at 1119 Center Street, North Mankato, Minnesota. Thursday, January 5, 2023, Frank Weber will be on LA Talk Radio. Frank will be interviewed live on Rendezvous with a Writer from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or 8:00 to 8:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. ​

Psychological profile of the Son of Sam Killer

Harvey Schlossberg was the founder of the New York Police Department Psychological Services Unit. The Son of Sam killer killed 6 people and injured 7 in 1975 to 1977. Thousands of women cut their hair short, dyed their hair, and bought wigs as he primarily targeted long-haired brunette women. Schlossberg gave the NYPD a profile of the Son of Sam killer, which proved to be dead on.
Harvey Schlossberg profiled the killer as:
in his late 20’s to early 30’s, 
lives alone, 
sexually inadequate, 
has access to a weapon, 
schizophrenic, 
sloppy apartment, 
not a well-adjusted person. 
The killer was relatively intelligent and not insane. He knew what he was doing. 

​The Son of Sam Killer was David Berkowitz. Let’s look at his history:
David Berkowitz was born Richard David Falco on June 1, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. 
Within days of his birth, his biological mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Broder, gave him away for adoption. Betty had an affair with a married man, Joseph Klineman, which resulted in David’s birth. Betty was a poor waitress who had married Tony Falco earlier. After less than 4 years, Falco left her for another woman. 
David Berkowitz was adopted by Pearl and Nathan Berkowitz and was raised by the Jewish American couple in the Bronx. They worked in a hardware store and were of modest means. David was their only child. His adopted parents told David his mother died in birth. David said he felt guilty as a child that he had killed his mother. At age 8, they told him truth. David was disruptive in school. He had severe bouts of depression and met with a psychiatrist weekly for 2 years.
“I was a very moody and spiteful child. I remember my dad crying and telling me, David you’re my son and I love you so much, but you don’t talk to me. I don’t know what the problem was. I don’t know why I was so mean.” David Berkowitz 
As a child David had a fascination with death. His adoptive mother, Pearl, had a parakeet. David slowly poisoned her parakeet with cleaning fluid because he felt Pearl paid too much attention to the bird and not enough attention to him. He responded by engaging in petty larceny and by starting fires. Pearl died of cancer when David was 14, which was very hard on David. He was a loner in high school.
At 17, David entered the army and served at Fort Knox and did a tour in South Korea. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1974 he tracked down his birth mother. David was deeply disturbed when he learned of the circumstances of his birth. He had assumed his mother’s ex-husband was his father. He was further angered when he discovered Betty had a daughter, Rosilyn, she raised, after she adopted him out. He attended Bronx Community College for 1 year in 1975. In 1976, he worked as a driver for Co-op City Taxi Company. His father remarried and moved to Florida, leaving David on his own. David was employed as a letter sorter for the US Postal Service at the time of his arrest.
Co-op City, Bronx, New York 1975
At age 22, Berkowitz committed his first attack when he stabbed 2 women with a hunting knife on Christmas Eve in Co-op City. The 1st victim (Hispanic) was never publicly identified by the police. The 2nd victim, 15-year-old Michelle Forman was a sophomore at Truman High School. She was stabbed 6 times on a bridge. Michelle was hospitalized for a week. David Berkowitz was not suspected, and he moved to Yonkers. Berkowitz made a decision to switch to using a .44 caliber gun from this point forward. His goal was to kill. His targets were often brunette women, sometimes with a partner, sometimes alone. He didn’t sexually assault his victims. 
1976  
A man threw a motive cocktail in Yonkers into the backyard of Sam Carr. Sam has a daughter named Wheat (This will later be significant.) Sam received a letter complaining about Sam's dog’s incessant barking. (The dog’s name was Harvey.) In September, the dog was shot, but survived. The letter complained that the dog was ruining his life. 
Sam Carr and his dog, Harvey Jody Valenti                             Donna Lauria July 29, 1976. Saturday Night Fever had just come out and the New York City boroughs were known as “disco central.” Valenti recalled, “Everybody was going to clubs at night and dancing, and no one was afraid to go anywhere.”
David Berkowitz made the decision to shoot his first victims when he was driving through the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx in New York and saw an open parking spot. David said, “That (the open parking spot) was my sign.” At about 1:10 a.m. Donna Lauria (18), an emergency medical technician, and her friend Jody Valenti (19), a nurse, were sitting in Jody’s car. The car was double-parked while Donna and Jody discussed their evening at Peachtree’s discotheque. When Donna opened the car door, she noticed a man quickly approaching. Angered, she said, “Now what is this?” Berkowitz pulled a gun from a paper bag and fired. Donna was struck with 1 bullet that killed her instantly. Jody was shot in the thigh, and a 3rd shot missed both. Berkowitz then turned and walked away. Jody gave a good description of Berkowitz and witnesses agreed that they had seen the man cruising the area for hours before the shooting. Unfortunately, there were 16 million people in New York City at that time. No arrests were made. 
Street corner where Donna and Jody were shot. October 23, 1976 
The 2nd shooting occurred in a secluded residential area of Flushing, Queens, next to Bowne Park. Carl Denaro, age 20, a Citibank security guard, and Rosemary Keenan, age 18, a Queens College student, were sitting in Keenan's parked car when the windows suddenly shattered.  "I felt the car explode [sic]," Denaro said later. Rosemary Keenan quickly started the car and sped away for help saving their lives. They didn’t realize someone had been shooting at them until they arrived at the hospital and realized Carl Denaro was bleeding from a bullet wound to his head. Rosemary escaped with only superficial injuries from the broken glass. Carl needed a metal plate to replace a portion of his skull. Neither saw the attacker. 
Flushing, Queens, New York
Police determined that the bullets embedded in Keenan's car were .44 caliber, but they were so deformed they couldn’t be linked to a particular weapon. Rosemary Keenan's father was a 20-year veteran police detective of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), causing an intense investigation. Many details of the Denaro–Keenan shooting were very similar to the Lauria–Valenti case, but police did not initially associate them, partly because the shootings occurred in different boroughs and were investigated by different police precincts. In 1976 ,on an average date in New York City, 1798 felony crimes were committed. (An average of 75 every hour.) It’s important to note that ballistics aren’t the exact science DNA is. When bullets are damaged, as they often are, matches can’t be made. 
“I was walking on air.”  David Berkowitz’ description of how he felt after the second shooting. He drove to White Castle and ate after. ​
Carl Denaro Carl Denaro would later write a book, The Son of Sam and Me: The truth about why I wasn’t shot by David Berkowitz, suggesting that Berkowitz was working with a group. After reviewing the evidence investigators believe Berkowitz acted alone. We have come to learn in recent years that single shooters can do a lot of damage. Berkowitz was difficult to track because he had no motive, beyond killing people, and he didn’t know his victims. Berkowitz said Sam Carr’s dog, named Harvey, was telling him through barking to go out and kill people. 
​“I was never able to relate to people. I was always a loner. This was another thing that led to my downfall… I had no defenses against a demonic attack.”  David Berkowitz.​ Donna DeMasi November 27, 1976 
High school students Donna DeMasi (16) and Joanne Lomino (18) walked home from a movie shortly after midnight. They were on the porch of Joanne’s home talking in Floral Park. A man in military fatigues asked in a high-pitched voice, "Can you tell me how to get...", and then he pulled out a revolver. He shot each of the victims and continued firing as they fell to the ground. Donna had been shot in the neck, but the wound was not life-threatening. Joanne was hit in the back and hospitalized in serious condition and was ultimately rendered paraplegic.  
Christine Freund and John Diel January 30, 1977
At about 12:40 a.m. Secretary, Christine Freund, age 26 and her fiancé, bartender John Diel, age 30, had just left the movie Rocky and were sitting in Diel's car in Queens. Three gunshots penetrated the car. In a panic, John Diel drove away for help. He suffered minor superficial injuries, but Freund was shot twice and died at the hospital. Neither had seen their attacker. The 1st public connection between the shootings is announced. Police officers from precincts in New York are talking to each other about a killer using a high-power handgun (.44 caliber). The killer doesn’t seem to have a motive. He targets young women with long dark hair. The shooter simply approaches and fires. 
Virginia Voskerichian was only 19 years old. She spoke 5 languages and had hoped to work as a translator. Her brother, Deek, said, “She loved music and reading, art and fashion.” Deek acknowledged, “It was such a senseless thing. He [Berkowitz] was such an imbecile.” I concur.
March 8, 1977
At 7:30 P.M. Barnard College student, Virginia Voskerichian, age 19, is walking home from school when Berkowitz approaches. When he pulls out his gun Virginia attempts to create a makeshift shield with her books. Berkowitz fires a shot which goes through her textbook, into her forehead and kills her.  (This is 1 block away from the previous shooting.) Prior to this shooting it was always a woman enjoying herself with another person. This was the first time Berkowitz targeted a single woman. 
Police confirm Virginia was one more woman killed by the same .44 bulldog revolver. The Son of Sam killings are now on the front page of the newspapers every day. A task force is created to find the Son of Sam killer.
Valentina Suriani and Alexander Essau April 17, 1977
At 3:00 a.m. Alexander Esau age 20, a tow truck operator, and Valentina Suriani age 18, a Lehman College student and aspiring actress were sitting in a car on the Hutchinson River Parkway service road in the Bronx. (About a block from Suriani's home and only a few blocks away from the Lauria–Valenti shooting.) A resident of a nearby building heard 4 shots and called the police. Valentina Suriani, who was sitting on the driver's seat, was shot once and Alexander Esau twice, both in the head.  Valentina died at the scene, and Alexander died at the hospital.
Police determine that the weapon used for the crime was the same as the one used in the earlier shootings. 
Sal Lupo is pictured on the far right with friends. Judy Placido June 26, 1977
Sal Lupo  age 20, mechanic, and Judy Placido age 17, a recent high school graduate, had left the Elephas discotheque in Bayside, Queens, and were sitting in Lupo's parked car at about 3:00 a.m. when three gunshots blasted through the vehicle.  Sal Lupo was shot in the right arm, while Placido was shot in the right temple, shoulder, and back of the neck. Both survived, but neither Judy nor Sal saw the shooter. They had been discussing the Son of Sam case only moments before being his next victims. 
Two witnesses reported seeing a tall, dark-haired man in a leisure suit fleeing from the area and one of the witnesses supplied a partial plate number. 
1977 
Jack Cassara receives a get-well card from Sam Carr. The concerning piece is that Jack isn’t sick. Jack and Sam get together and see the letters were written by the same person—David Berkowitz. Both are familiar that David Berkowitz does not like dogs. When the killer refers to himself as the Son of Sam, Sam Carr tells police thinks this could be the guy. Nothing was done with this report. When the police later realize that Sam Carr lives on Wicker Street, they are reminded of an early letter where Berkowitz referred to himself as “The Wicked King of Wicker.”
“I felt like something else was controlling it. Controlling me.”  David Berkowitz
July 31, 1977
Unaware of Berkowitz’s previous stabbing, the press announces the 1st anniversary of the Son of Sam killings is approaching. The Bronx and Queens areas are flooded with police, so Berkowitz strikes in Brooklyn. 
Stacy Moskowitz, Secretary, age 20, and Robert Violante, clothing salesman, age 20, were on their first date, sitting in Robert’s car. The car was parked under a streetlight near a city park in Bath Beach and were sharing a kiss.  Berkowitz came within 3 feet of the passenger side of the car and fired four rounds. He shot both victims in the head before he escaped into the park.  Robert lost his left eye; and Stacy (the only blonde victim of Berkowitz), died. ​ Picture of vehicle. Despite all of the press and the tips, the case was solved by a parking ticket. Cacilia Davis was walking her dog when she saw a police officer ticketing a car parked by a fire hydrant. After police left a man walked past her to the car, carrying a “dark object.” She ran home and heard shots fired behind her in the street. Cacilia waited for four days before she contacted the police. Investigators didn’t have a ticket turned in for that area. They contacted police officers who worked that night and an officer stated he still had the ticket. He commented that after the murder the ticket didn’t seem significant. The ticketed car belonged to David Berkowitz. 
August 9, 1977
NYPD Detective, James Justis, called the Yonkers police department to set up an interview with David Berkowitz. The dispatcher who answers the call, happens to be Wheat Carr. Wheat is the daughter of Sam Carr. (Remember Berkowitz shot their dog.) She tells the investigator that she believes Berkowitz is the Son of Sam killer. When they discover Sam Carr lived on Wicker Street, a line in a Berkowitz letter hits home. He had referred to himself as the “The Wicked King Wicker”. Berkowitz had also used the term “Wheaties” in a letter. 
August 10, 1977
Police search David Berkowitz’s car, which was parked outside his apartment building in Yonkers. They find the .44 caliber gun in the back seat, a duffel bag filled with ammunition, maps of the crime scenes, and a threatening letter addressed to Inspector Timothy Dowd of the Son of Sam task force. Police decided to wait for Berkowitz to leave the apartment rather than risk a violent confrontation in the building's narrow hallway.  The arresting detective remembered the big smile on Berkowitz’s face when he admitted, “I’m Sam.” The walls in David Berkowitz’s apartment were covered with Satanic graffiti. He had notes on hundreds of arsons he claimed to have set throughout New York City. Berkowitz claimed that Sam Carr’s dog demanded the blood of pretty young girls. Investigators who interviewed him stated that you didn’t have to talk to Berkowitz long before you realized he was crazy. His attorneys advised him to take the insanity plea. Instead, David Berkowitz pled guilty.
 
June 12, 1978,
At sentencing David Berkowitz attempted to jump out of a window of the seventh-floor courtroom. He bit officers and after he was restrained, repeatedly chanted, "[his last victim] was a whore" and shouted, "I'd kill her again! I'd kill them all again!" The court ordered another psychiatric examination before sentencing could proceed. During the evaluation, Berkowitz drew a sketch of a jailed man surrounded by numerous walls. At the bottom he wrote, "I am not well. Not well at all". Berkowitz was found competent to stand trial. and was sentenced to 25 years to life, for every murder, to be served consecutively. Berkowitz was ordered to serve his time in Attica, a supermax prison in upstate New York.
David Berkowitz has made claims that he was part of a satanic cult that committed the murders, he had information on other murders, and he is now a reformed Christian. One investigator noted that Berkowitz is still always talking about himself, rather than people who have been hurt by his behavior.  And keep in mind, he is mentally ill. A man who killed innocent people because he believed a dog told him to do so, who shouted in court he’d kill them all again, doesn’t seem like a good source of believable information.
 
On the upside, there were 1,969 murders in New York city in 1976. That number was reduced to 485 last year.
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank
Thank you for the kind support and the great book sales. Here is what’s on the horizon:

Thursday, September 29, 2022, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime author Frank F. Weber will be at  Hoppy Girl Brewing  in Wabasha speaking from 6:00 to 7:30. Frank will talk about new forensic techniques and will give a live demonstration of a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Learn about what they get right and wrong on shows. Enjoy a cold beverage and get your questions about mysteries answered. He will sell and sign books and answer individual questions after the presentation. Hoppy Girl Brewing is located at 136 Bridge Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota 55981. Friday, September 30, 2022, Frank will be at Wabasha Public Library, from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. speaking on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book Black and Blue.  This event is sponsored by Hoppy Girl Brewing.  Black and Blue  is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. He will sell and sign books before and after the presentation. The Wabasha Public Library is located at 168 Alleghany Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota.Sunday, October 2, 2022 Frank will be speaking to online Forensic Science class at 7:00 p.m. Frank will discuss forensic techniques and testifying as an expert witness in court. This course is taught by Jennifer Klecatsky, Brainerd High School Science Teacher.Tuesday, October 4, 2022, Frank F. Weber, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author will be speaking to Criminal Justice students at St. Cloud State University on Child Sexual Abuse and Profiling Offenders at 11:00 a.m.  The presentation will be in the Alumni Room in Atwood Mall, on SCSU campus, located at 2nd Avenue South, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301.    ​Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Frank Weber will be speaking to the Detroit Lakes Writers Group from 3:30 to 4:30 via Zoom. The Detroit Lakes Writers Group meets at the Detroit Public Library in the meeting room. The Detroit Lakes Library is located at 1000 Washington Avenue, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 56501.​Saturday, October 8, 2022, Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud at 11:00 a.m. discussing  The  I-94   Murders.  This is an informal get together inviting anyone who is interested. It’s a great opportunity for people who have read The I-94 Murders to learn about the true life circumstances and the profiling of this serial killer that led to writing and solving this mystery. Book clubs are welcome! Frank, will be at Barnes and Noble once a month to discuss book after book in consecutive order, ending the series of conversations with his next release.  Barnes and Noble is located at Rainbow Village, 3940 Division Street, St Cloud, Minnesota, 56301Thursday, October 20, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Muir Library in Winnebago, speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book.  Black and Blue  is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library by 6:00 to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books. The Muir Library is located at 36 Main Street North, Winnebago, Minnesota, 56098.Monday, October 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at New Ulm Public Library in New Ulm, speaking from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book.  Black and Blue  is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books, and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway, New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073.Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Springfield Public Library, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book.  Black and Blue  is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Springfield Public Library is located at 120 North Cass Avenue, Springfield, Minnesota, 56087.  Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book.  Black and Blue  is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Dyckman Free Library is located at 345 Main Street Wests, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota 56085.   Sunday, October 30, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Author Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in Edina at 12:00 noon signing books and answering questions. Frank has received the President’s Award from the MN Correctional Association, has profiled cold case homicides and his suspense novels are award winning! His newest book, Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Barnes and Noble is located at 3230 Galleria, Edina, Minnesota, 55435. Friday, December 9, 2021,  presentation from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries at  Mankato Brew ery in North Mankato.  You will receive a live demonstration of a lie detector test (feel free to volunteer—or volunteer a friend) so you can see how lie detection works. Frank will be at the brewery signing and selling books from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m..  This will be a great time with a guest appearance by the Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows.  Frank will be sharing a little about what they get wrong on movies and TV.  Mankato Brewery is located at 1119 Center Street, North Mankato, Minnesota.Thursday, January 5, 2023, Frank Weber will be on LA Talk Radio. Frank will be interviewed live on  Rendezvous with a Writer  from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or 8:00 to 8:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. 

The problem with murder, is that no matter how well it’s investigated, you can’t change what happened.

Map of Anne Arundel County, Maryland On October 8, 1986, Boontem Anderson, 34-year-old mother of two, was brutally slaughtered in her Gambrills home in Anne Arundel County (outlined on map above) in Maryland. Her fiancé’s 11-year-old son found her nude, dead body in the bathtub. The autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed before being strangled to death. Several swabs of body fluid were taken from her corpse and kept for future testing. The brutal nature of the crime horrified the police. No evidence was found linking anyone to the crime. Years later investigators would discover she was killed by a teenager who lived only a couple of miles away from Anderson. This teenager worked at a fast-food restaurant with Boontem’s dating partner’s son.
​
Boontem’s son, Tim Kilgore wailed when he heard of his mother’s death. As a young adult he overdosed on drugs. Boontem Anderson was originally from Khon Kaen, Thailand. Her husband was a member of the U.S. military who fought in the Vietnam war. They were divorced at the time of Boontem’s death.
​
2 years later… On May 23, 1988, Mary Elaine Shereika, age 37, was sexually assaulted, beaten, stabbed and strangled in a rye field about a mile from her home in the same neighborhood as Boontem’s murder. The 37-year-old mother of two was out for her daily jog that morning. Mary jogged, regardless of the weather. She worked as a paralegal. Her killer would later reveal, she jogged by him when he was using drugs, so he ran her down dragged her into the woods and raped and murdered her.

The only initial suspect in the case was Michael Mikalajunos, age 23. Michael had asked out Elaine’s daughter, age 17, and she forbid her daughter from dating him. Elaine physically pushed him away at their door when Michael came to visit her daughter. The daughter was left tormented with the thought that had she not befriended Michael, her mother would still be alive. Michael attempted suicide after Elaine’s murder.

On July 5, 1989 Michael Mikalajunos was charged with the murder of Chris Weathers, age 18. Michael had beat Chris with a baseball bat over drugs. After his conviction, Michael maintained that he did not kill Elaine. DNA testing ruled him out as a suspect in Elaine’s murder.
​
5 years later… On Jan. 16, 1993, Lisa Haenel, a 14-year-old straight A student’s nude body was found in a ravine along a path she walked each morning to Old Mill. She had been stabbed to death. A Newport cigarette was found close to Lisa’s body with Lisa’s blood on the burn end and the killer’s DNA on the other. Lisa’s family lived in the Glen Burnie apartment complex called Southgate. It's a short walk from Old Mill High School, where Lisa was a ninth grader. They would eventually discover her killer lived in the same apartment complex. Lisa lived only a 10-minute drive away from Elaine.

9 years later…

In 2002, a cold case team discovers through DNA testing that Elaine Shereika and Lisa Haenel were killed by the same person.

1 year later…

In 2003, they discover that Elaine, Lisa and Boontem Anderson were all killed by the same person.

1 year later…

IN 2004, a CODIS DNA search identified the killer--Alexander Watson Jr.
Alex was already in Jessup Correctional Institution in December of 1994, serving a life sentence for the murder of Debra Cobb. On June 13, 1994, Watson committed his last murder, killing 37-year-old office manager Debra Cobb during a robbery of her workplace in Forestville. Alex worked in the same office plaza. He pled guilty to first-degree murder at his trial. Watson blamed the brutal crime on his addiction to crack cocaine. At his murder trial he asked the court for another chance to prove he could be a decent person. Alex would be charged with the 3 additional murders a decade later. Alex was friends with Boontem Anderson boyfriend’s son. At one point, Alex had offered Boontem’s daughter, Kimberly Kilgore, a ride home. Instead of taking her home, Alex turned on a seldom traveled road and asked Kimberly, “What would you do if I kidnapped you and raped you?” Kimberly, who was just a teen at the time, told him, “I would make sure they know it’s you by leaving every mark I can on you.” She had no idea at the time that Alex had raped and murdered her mother. Alex gave her a ride home without incident. Great response Kimberly!

In exchange for taking the death penalty off of the table, he agreed to meet with the victim’s families. Unfortunately, the question “Why?” for each victim was simply that he was getting high, and the victim came by. All were crimes of opportunity where he caught the victim alone. Watson expressed no remorse for the murders.
When victims ask me about confronting offenders, I tell them I’ll help if I can, but keep in mind people seldom get answers that are satisfying. The most common answer is, “I was out of control they just happened to cross my path at the wrong time.” Lives damaged and sometimes ended, as the result of another person’s narcissism. ​“My mom was here for the right amount of time. It wasn’t what I needed. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was her time. I know I will see her again…” Jennifer Lewis (Daughter of Mary Elaine Sheriekas)

The reality is that holding people accountable, saves additional victims.
​
Thanks for listening,

Frank I would like to thank people for the recent success of Black and Blue and the sales of all of my books. I will be signing books at Once Upon a Crime from 2:00 to 4:00 in Minneapolis on September 17 (next Saturday). Along with all of the requests for presentations, I enjoy sharing the true crime stories that led to each of my mysteries. I will be addressing The I-94 Murders, next at Barnes and Noble on Saturday, October 8 at 11:00 a.m. Bob Hughes and I have discussed doing something similar on his radio show on KNLI. Here are some future events:

Saturday, September 17, 2022, Frank Weber will be speaking at the Minnesota Association of Verbatim Reporters & Captioners (MAVRC) conference in Rochester. MAVRC is an affiliate of the National Court Reporters Association. Frank will present on Predator Psychology in the Minnesota Court System from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The event is being held at the Grand Kahler Hotel in Rochester, at 20 2nd Avenue Southwest, Rochester, Minnesota, 55902.
 
Saturday, September 17, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis signing his newest book Black and Blue from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book as I wanted to see what they thought of it. The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.”  Once Upon a Crime is located at 604 West 26th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55405.
 
Thursday, September 29, 2022, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime author Frank F. Weber will be at Hoppy Girl Brewing in Wabasha speaking from 6:00 to 7:30. Frank will talk about new forensic techniques and will give a live demonstration of a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Learn about what they get right and wrong on shows. Enjoy a cold beverage and get your questions about mysteries answered. He will sell and sign books and answer individual questions after the presentation. Hoppy Girl Brewing is located at 136 Bridge Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota 55981. 
 
Friday, September 30, 2022, Frank will be at Wabasha Public Library, from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. speaking on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book Black and Blue.  This event is sponsored by Hoppy Girl Brewing. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. He will sell and sign books before and after the presentation. The Wabasha Public Library is located at 168 Alleghany Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota.
 
Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Frank Weber will be speaking to the Detroit Lakes Writers Group from 3:30 to 4:30 via Zoom. The Detroit Lakes Writers Group meets at the Detroit Public Library in the meeting room. The Detroit Lakes Library is located at 1000 Washington Avenue, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 56501.
 
​Saturday, October 8, 2022, Frank Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud at 11:00 a.m. discussing The I-94 Murders. This is an informal get together inviting anyone who is interested. It’s a great opportunity for people who have read The I-94 Murders to learn about the true life circumstances and the profiling of this serial killer that led to writing and solving this mystery. Frank, will be at Barnes and Noble once a month to discuss book after book in consecutive order, ending the series of conversations with his next release.  Barnes and Noble is located at Rainbow Village, 3940 Division Street, St Cloud, Minnesota, 56301
 
Thursday, October 20, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Muir Library in Winnebago, speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library by 6:00 to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books. The Muir Library is located at 36 Main Street North, Winnebago, Minnesota, 56098.
 
Monday, October 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at New Ulm Public Library in New Ulm, speaking from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books, and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway, New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073.
 
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Springfield Public Library, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Springfield Public Library is located at 120 North Cass Avenue, Springfield, Minnesota, 56087.  
 
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Dyckman Free Library is located at 345 Main Street Wests, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota 56085.   
 
Friday, December 9, 2021, presentation from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries at Mankato Brewery in North Mankato.  You will receive a live demonstration of a lie detector test (feel free to volunteer—or volunteer a friend) so you can see how lie detection works. Frank will be at the brewery signing and selling books from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m..  This will be a great time with a guest appearance by the Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows.  Frank will be sharing a little about what they get wrong on movies and TV.  Mankato Brewery is located at 1119 Center Street, North Mankato, Minnesota.
 
Thursday, January 5, 2023, Frank Weber will be on LA Talk Radio. Frank will be interviewed live on Rendezvous with a Writer from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or 8:00 to 8:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. ​

Minnesota Home for Girls in Sauk Centre

I visited the Eagle’s Nest in Sauk Centre.  It is an old building with pillars and ornate black iron gates. It was once called the Home School for Girls. 
 The Minnesota Home School for Girls opened on June 22, 1911, when 63 girls arrived from the State Training School in Red Wing. Girls between the ages of eight and 16 could be committed to the home school when convicted of any crime, except murder. They could be held at the home school until they reached the age of 21 or were paroled. It appeared to have started as a progressive measure to provide guidance, but over time (like many state-run facilities) some staff became less caring and more abusive. In an article I found that dunking the girls’ heads in cold water was a common disciplinary practice at the home. The first superintendent at the home school, Fannie Morse, had a positive reputation for her work in Massachusetts. Her progressive philosophy was that each cottage should operate as a home--all residents were responsible for the cooking, cleaning, gardening, and other household chores. She brought this thinking to the Minnesota Home School for Girls and established the motto: womanhood, motherhood, and citizenship. The first years of the home school included few staff--each cottage had a house mother, assistant house mother, and a kitchen matron. These women were in charge of providing domestic training for the girls as well as supervising and “controlling” their behavior. ​ Fannie Morse (pictured above) once said, “If you can train a boy to do it, why not a girl?”
The girls sent to the Home School were from every county in the state. They were as young as 8 and no older than 16.  Their "crimes" usually were "incorrigibility," meaning they had an authority problem, truancy from school or "immorality," meaning they had been sexual, often as victims, and now were pregnant. 
Home School in 1920 Many were not lawbreakers, not criminals and were never a threat to public safety. Many of them were instead victims of sexual assault and now were being punished for having a baby outside the socially acceptable confines of marriage. Prior to 1922, the girls were allowed to attend public school in Sauk Centre and attend community activities or shop in town as an incentive for good behavior. In 1922 public officials in Sauk Centre, not the Home, made them discontinue this policy. This meant that after 1922 the girls’ formal education ended when they came to the Home. In 1922, one of the residential cottages was changed into a discipline cottage where the sleeping rooms were converted into isolation rooms equipped for maximum security. Girls who ran away from campus or repeatedly violated the rules could be confined there and fed a diet of milk and bread for up to 10 days. They could be held in isolation for up to 3 weeks if they were given a regular diet. Girls could remain in the cottage under restriction (rather than isolation) with limited recreation and social time for up to one year. They were still required to work, typically given the worst jobs on campus. 
A typical day for the girls at the home school in the 1930s was:6:00 am -     wake up
7:00 to 9:00 am - breakfast and housekeeping chores
9:00 am to Noon - school/training or duty assignments
Noon -     lunch
2:00 to 4:00 pm - school/training or duty assignments
4:00 to 6:00 pm - recreation
6:00 to 7:15 pm - supper
7:15 to 8:00 pm - study or reading time
8:00 pm -     prepare for bed
8:30 pm -     bedtime and lights outThere’s a novel by Hamline University professor Sheila O'Connor, whose grandmother was one of those girls. She wrote "Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions" after discovering her grandmother was sent in 1935 to the Minnesota Home School for Girls for being pregnant at age 15. The experience was still imprisonment for young girls, many who had not committed any real crime. The bulk of the inmates were there because of a pregnancy resulting from sexual assault or ignorance of how pregnancy occurred and it's a safe bet their sexual partners never faced any consequences.
Picture of babies at the Home School.
Young girls always have always been the greatest risk for sexual assault and in the 1930s the number of pregnancies among young girls spiked due to the Great Depression. This forced many young girls to go to work.
There was a subsequent increase in pregnant inmates at the Minnesota Home School in the 1930s, to the point where a maternity hospital and a cottage for young mothers and their babies was added. It was common practice for girls to breastfeed their babies for three months after birth, then have the babies taken away for adoption. But even after giving up their babies, the girls could be held at the school until they were 21. Imaging how heart-breaking it was for these girls to lose their babies…
In 1967, the name of the facility was changed to the Minnesota Home School and delinquent boys between the ages of 12 and 15 were admitted. Two new cottages to accommodate them were added between 1967 and 1968. The name changed again in 1979 to the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Sauk Centre to serve as a reception, diagnostic, and treatment facility for boys and girls from the western part of the state between the ages of 12 and 18. It closed in 1999 after statistics showed 91% of the boys housed there went to prison as adults. (By the way, the statistics were similar for Red Wing at the time, but Red Wing remains open.) I do feel Red Wing is needed and they implemented changes to address concerns. I would still like to see their recidivism rates. 
We currently have a major problem with adolescents, particularly in Minneapolis, that needs to be addressed. Most of the car-jackings and shootings now involve 13- to 19-year-olds. I’m hoping we can come up with more effective treatments than we have in the past. A big step would be to strengthen families by providing greater opportunities for success in impoverished areas. 
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Frank Saturday, September 12, 2022. Presentation on Forensic work and Forensic Assessments to Minnesota Court Reporters from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Rochester, Minnesota.
Saturday, September 17, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis signing his newest book Black and Blue from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book as I wanted to see what they thought of it. The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.”  Once Upon a Crime is located at 604 West 26th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55405. Thursday, September 29, 2022, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime author Frank F. Weber will be at Hoppy Girl Brewing in Wabasha speaking from 6:00 to 7:30. Frank will talk about new forensic techniques and will give a live demonstration of a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Learn about what they get right and wrong on shows. Enjoy a cold beverage and get your questions about mysteries answered. He will sell and sign books and answer individual questions after the presentation. Hoppy Girl Brewing is located at 136 Bridge Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota 55981. 
 
Friday, September 30, 2022, Frank will be at Wabasha Public Library, from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. speaking on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book Black and Blue.  This event is sponsored by Hoppy Girl Brewing. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. He will sell and sign books before and after the presentation. The Wabasha Public Library is located at 168 Alleghany Avenue, Wabasha, Minnesota.
 
Thursday, October 20, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Muir Library in Winnebago, speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library by 6:00 to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books. The Muir Library is located at 36 Main Street North, Winnebago, Minnesota, 56098.
 
Monday, October 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at New Ulm Public Library in New Ulm, speaking from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books, and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway, New Ulm, Minnesota, 56073.
 
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Springfield Public Library, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Springfield Public Library is located at 120 North Cass Avenue, Springfield, Minnesota, 56087.  
 
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank F. Weber, will be at Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye, speaking from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:30 to 8:00 answer questions on his work, and to sign and sell his books and to discuss the latest forensic tools. The Dyckman Free Library is located at 345 Main Street Wests, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota 56085. 

Extreme beliefs create extreme problems. Case in point: Israel Keyes

I can’t say enough about Samantha Koenig. She was 18 years old, and was loved by family, friends, and the man she was dating. 
On February 1, 2012, 18 years old Samantha Koenig was working at the small fish house size coffee shop pictured above, called Common Grounds in Anchorage, Alaska. Israel Keyes jumped in through the window of the small coffee hut and led her out at gunpoint. He kidnapped her at gunpoint and told her he was going to hold her for ransom. At one point Samantha ran, but he caught her. Keyes said he pressed the gun against her and told her to walk like she was drunk. He claims there were people in the parking lot when he forced her into his car. 

(None of us knows exactly how we would respond if held at gunpoint. My advice is don’t get into the car, even if you have to risk being shot. Most predators aren’t going to shoot if others are around and risk the arrest.)

Keyes took her to a shed and raped her. He cranked up a radio, to cover her screams for help and strangled her to death. The green picture is the last picture taken from the coffee shop camera.
After killing her, Keyes then went on vacation to New Orleans with his family and left Samantha’s body frozen in a shed. He returned two weeks later, on February 17, 2012 and began developing a plan to collect ransom in exchange for Samantha. He thawed her body, put make-up on her face and sewed her eyes open to give her the appearance of being alive. Keyes photographed Samantha’s body with a current newspaper to give the illusion she was alive. When FBI agents viewed the photo, they determined Samantha was either unconscious or dead. Keyes left a ransom note in a park and texted Samantha’s boyfriend with her phone requesting $30,000. Keyes then dismembered her body, cut a hole in the ice in Matanuska Lake near Anchorage, and dumped her remains. Keyes stated he fished through the hole as he waited for the body to sink to the bottom. He claimed he caught fish, took them home and ate them. (Keep in mind Keyes was a liar and a killer. Maybe he did, or maybe he was trying to make himself look tough.)
FBI agents working with a search crew to locate Samantha’s body. Keyes told them where he left her, and her body was found at that location. 
This is how Samantha Koenig should be remembered. 

Keyes request for ransom money, ultimately led to his capture. Samantha’s parents deposited money in her account and FBI agents tracked the withdrawals. The 1st withdrawal occurred in Anchorage, Alaska. Police closed in on the ATM machine but missed Keyes by only minutes. The 2nd withdrawal occurs in Wilcox, Arizona. Keep in mind police have no idea who their suspect is at this point. The 3rd withdrawal is in Lordsburg, New Mexico. The 4th was in Humble, Texas. The 5th in Shepard, Texas. At that point they knew their suspect was on I-69 headed east (taking what’s called the I-10 corridor). What Israel Keyes didn’t realize is that cameras are mounted at different locations by ATMs and one camera caught his white Ford Focus. 
On March 14, 2012 a trooper spots a white Ford Focus on the I-10 corridor in a hotel parking lot. The trooper follows the vehicle, and once Keyes exceeds the speed limit, he has a reason to pull him over. Lufkin, Texas, state trooper Brian Henry pulled over and arrested one of the worst serial killers in U.S. history. (The arrest is pictured below.) His vehicle was searched after officers spotted cash stained with bright ink, indicating a dye pack from a bank robbery. Samantha Koenig's ATM card and cell phone were also discovered in Keyes's car.

Where did a creep like Keyes come from?

Keyes was 1 of 10 children raised in poverty. His family lived on a mountainside cut off from the outside world--off the grid. (No radio and no electricity.) The goal was to protect the children from the evils of public life. Instead, they created one of the worst serial killers in American history. Their religion, titled Christian Identity Theology was a white supremacist ideology. A couple, who I’m not going to identify, gave this information about Keyes church in Colville. It was called the Christian Israel Covenant Church and they taught British Israelism as doctrine. British Israelism is also known as the Anglo-Israelite theory. In recent years, it’s been connected to the persecution of Jews in World War II. 

The religion taught that miscegenation (interbreeding of people from different races) was abominable and deviant, and that Anglo-Saxons were to rule over the perceived inferior races.  Keyes later alleged the religion to have been militia-like. The couple who attended Keyes church shared that the talk in their church was that people who didn’t have their beliefs were “sub-human.” (What a terrible message.)
The Keyes' children had been forced to sleep in a tent due to their cabin's small size. To survive, the Keyes' children were made to hunt their food, chop firewood, and work on local farms to support the family. Israel Keyes hunted "anything with a heartbeat" and freely admitted to skinning a deer alive to his peers at the church. As a result, Keyes was actively avoided by various youths who attended the Christian Israel Covenant Church, with one girl recounting that Keyes's presence "made my skin crawl." 

Israel Keyes stated: 
“I've known since I was 14 that there were things that I thought were normal and [okay] that no one else seemed to think were normal and okay. So that's when I just started being a loner. [...] People found out about some of the stuff I did. Like my parents, and parents of other kids who would hang out with me. They would find out about some of the stuff I did. And that's when I just started doing stuff by myself exclusively.”
As a youth, Keyes admitted to shooting at neighbors' houses with his BB gun, starting fires in the woods, torturing animals and breaking into houses for fun. On occasion, Keyes–who stood 6 ft 2 inches tall by age 14, sold stolen guns to local adults. 
Keyes became a skilled carpenter, building his first cabin for his family at age sixteen. The family moved to Smyrna, Maine. Due to their mother's religious zealousness, the Keyes children were forbidden to watch movies with friends and were forbidden to learn musical instruments. Keyes renounced his former Christian faith. After declaring his atheism to his parents, they evicted him and instructed his siblings (who looked up to him) to never have contact with him. Keyes then took an interest in Satanism and began planning ritualistic murders. 
I have to share one of my favorite quotes about a religion (Puritanism) that didn’t believe in the use of musical instruments and viewed dancing as an act of vanity. “Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”
― H.L. Mencken, A Mencken Chrestomathy Julie Harris
Julie Harris disappeared in 1996 while waiting for a ride to church. Julie participated in special Olympics and prosthetic legs. Julie’s prosthetic feet and later her body, were discovered in the river in Colville. Friends of Julie’s in Colville said Julie was seen at one time talking to Israel Keyes. Keyes claimed his first assault didn’t occur until 1997 in Oregon. I think Keyes had victims he didn’t want associated with him, as he was a narcissist who want to make a name for himself. (Keyes admired Ted Bundy.) A child as vulnerable as Julie, would be someone Keyes wouldn’t want associated with his name. It would make his cowardice too obvious.
In the summer of 1997, Keyes committed a sexual assault on a teenage girl who had been tubing with her friends down the Deschutes River in Maupin, Oregon. Although this was not his first sexual assault, Keyes admitted that he stalked the girl from a tree line before "very violently sexually assaulting" her by knifepoint. He estimated the girl to be between 14 and 18 years of age. Keyes had originally planned to murder the girl as part of a Satanic ritual. She talked him into letting her go. Keyes let her tube away in the river. He would later state that not killing her was a mistake he always regretted.  On June 27, 1997, Cassie Emerson, age 12 (another young girl from the Colville area), was reported missing after her mother's (Marlene Emerson’s) remains were discovered in their burned-out trailer home. Cassie's remains were found in 1998 about thirteen miles from her home on an old logging trail. There were no arrests in either case. Keyes did not admit to killing her but did admit that his first act of arson was with a trailer. In addition, Keyes' female partner at the time, reported he had made a trip to Colville during this time period. ​ FBI agents believe based on his interviews; Keyes killed 4 people in the state of Washington. However, they were not able to identify all of them. 
On July 9, 1998, Keyes enlisted in the United States Army in the state of New Jersey. He was stationed at Fort Lewis, Fort Hood, and spent much time abroad while stationed in Sinai, Egypt. While in Egypt he became angry at a fellow soldier and told him, he would "like to kill" him. On weekends, he would drink heavily, consuming entire bottles of Wild Turkey bourbon. Keyes was also a fan of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse and displayed posters of the musical act in the barracks. He stated he didn’t assault again until his military stint ended in 2001. Keyes was ticked in 2001 for Driving While Intoxicated. Keyes did not admit to any murders during his three years in the United States Army but did admit to twice attempting rapes of women. Once with a prostitute while on leave in Egypt, and another time with a college student he met in Israel. He is believed to have resumed his killing spree in 2001 following his discharge. Israel Keyes                                              Insane Clown Posse In 2005 Keys stated he had a body in his boat and dropped it in a lake in Washington. The body was never found, and he never revealed the victim’s name.
Israel Keyes met a native woman online, had a child with her and lived in the Makah Reservation community of Neah Bay, on the Olympic Peninsula. In 2007, Keyes started a construction business in Alaska, called Keyes Construction while working as a handyman, contractor, and construction worker. ​ Keyes is a suspect in a series of crimes in 2007 by the "Boca Killer", near Boca Raton, Florida. The first case tentatively linked to Keyes was the murder of Randi Gorenberg, who in March 2007 was abducted from a shopping mall parking lot. Randi’s body was found within an hour, with two fatal bullet wounds, at a different location. The second crime was the kidnapping of an unidentified woman who claimed she and her toddler son were abducted from a shopping mall parking lot on August 7, 2007. Though the kidnapper wore a mask and sunglasses, the victim caught glimpses of his face and described him as a tall, athletically built man with long hair and matching Keyes' description. This woman was released unharmed after the assailant forced her to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine. ​ Nancy and her daughter Joey Bochicchio
The third Boca case was the murder of Nancy Bochicchio, 47 years old, and her 7-year-old daughter, Joey, who were found fatally shot in their black SUV in the Town Center mall parking lot on December 12, 2007. Their hands, feet and neck had been bound with zip ties and duct tape.
Debra Feldman
Keyes stated he abducted a woman on the east coast and drove her across state lines in 2009. Authorities believe in April of 2009 Keyes murdered a 49-year-old Debra Feldman in New Jersey, and buried her near Tupper Lake, New York. When shown her picture he stated he wasn’t ready to talk about that yet. It is known that Keyes robbed a bank in Tupper Lake at that time. Debra was last seen at her Hackensack, New Jersey home on April 8, 2009.
Bill and Lorraine Currier Israel Keyes planned his murders ahead of time and took extraordinary actions to avoid detection. He chose victims randomly and didn’t have a profile. He usually killed far from home, and never in the same area again. On his murder trips, he kept his mobile phone turned off and paid for items with cash. He had no connection to any of his known victims. 
Keyes also admitted to murdering Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, Vermont. Keyes flew from Anchorage to Chicago, rented a car and drove it to Vermont to commit this crime. Keyes broke into the Currier home on the night of June 8, 2011, and tied them up before driving them to an abandoned farmhouse, where he shot Bill before sexually assaulting and strangling Lorraine.  Their disappearance remained a mystery until Keyes confession. Their bodies have never been found. Keyes created what he called a “kill cache.” It was basically a murder kit that he buried in 5-gallon buckets throughout the U.S. In the bucket, would be a gun, a silencer, a camera, duct tape and zip ties to use for murders. Two years prior, Keyes hid a "kill cache", which he later used, near the Currier home. After killing the Colliers, he moved the contents to a new hiding place in Parishville, New York, where it remained until after his arrest. One such kit was found in Parishville, New York, after he was arrested. 
Keyes confessed to at least one murder in New York State. In late 2012, authorities had not determined the identity, age, or sex of the victim, or when and where the murder may have occurred, but regarded the confession as credible. Keyes owned 10 acres and a dilapidated cabin in the town of Constable, New York. He also confessed to committing bank robberies in New York and Texas. He told authorities that he burglarized a Texas home and set it on fire. 
Jimmy Tidwell Keyes is a suspect in the murder of Jimmy Tidwell, an electrician who disappeared near Longview, Texas on February 15, 2012. Jimmy worked the overnight shift at his job and left to go home at 5:30 a.m. He reportedly told his employer he would come back later that afternoon. However, his abandoned truck was found on the side of the road and he was never seen again. Keyes was in the area. During a bank robbery in Azle, Texas on February 16, 2012, about 170 miles from Longview, the culprit--believed to be Keyes--wore a white hard hat similar to Tidwell's. 

Israel Keyes was arrested on March 14, 2012. On Wednesday, May 23, 2012, Keyes attempted to escape during a routine hearing. He used wood shavings from a pencil to pick his cuffs. Police used a taser to subdue him.
An FBI report stated that Keyes burglarized 20 to 30 homes across the U.S. and robbed several banks between 2001 and 2012. Keyes had spoken to investigators several times after his arrest and enjoyed talking about his crimes. He expressed a desire to be executed in 1 year. Keyes had an agreement that he’d keep talking if they’d keep his identity private (to protect his daughter). When his identity was leaked to the media, he stopped talking.  Israel Keyes committed suicide while awaiting trial by slashing his wrists on December 2, 2012 in his cell. He is categorized as a serial killer, bank robber, arsonist, rapist, kidnapper and a necrophile. It was reported that he was accidentally given a razor. Keyes also hung himself in case he didn’t bleed out. Under his bed, they found Keyes had drawn pictures of 11 skulls in his own blood and then a pentagram, so it is estimated he had 11 victims.

It's important that we don’t dehumanize other people and we can’t afford to give this message to children. Be kind and pass this message on. We all can’t hide from the world. That would leave no one left to make the world better. 

Thanks for listening,


Frank
Friday, August 5, 2022, , Frank will be a guest on a live in-studio interview with Kayta Gordon of KTWH radio 99.5 FM in Two Harbors, Minnesota, at 9:30 a.m.  Kayta is also a journalist for Lake County Press. Frank will discuss forensic work, along with his newest novel, Black and Blue, and the intriguing circumstances that led to this mystery. Frank will be signing and selling books after the interview on both Friday, August 5, and Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 10:00 to 6:00 p.m. Frank will be at Festival of Lake Superior selling and signing all of his books. The Festival of Lake Superior is at 1st Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota, 55616. Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 10:00 to 6:00 p.m. Frank will be at Festival of Sail at Lake Superior selling and signing all of his books. The Festival of Lake Superior is at 1st Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota, 55616.
Thursday, August 11, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book.” The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Bad Habit is located at 25 College Ave North, St Joseph, Minnesota.
Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. Frank will be at Art of the Lakes in Battle Lake selling and signing all of his books. The event is at 108 Lake Avenue South in Battle Lake, Minnesota.
Sunday, August 14, 2022, Forensic Psychologist Frank Weber will be at Alloy Brewing Company in Coon Rapids,  Minnesota, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. signing his newest book, Black and Blue.  He’ll speak from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. about forensic psychology and his newest True Crime mystery. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer's 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Learn about forensic techniques and discover the intriguing circumstances that contributed to this thriller. It’s a great time to get questions about forensics answered while enjoying a cold beverage. This is going to be a blast and there is no cost. Alloy Brewing Company is located at 2700 Coon Rapids, Boulevard Northwest, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, 55433.  ​ Wednesday, August 17, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Rapids Brewing Company in Grand Rapids signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner. Burning Bridges starts with a Bemidji State college student looking for her biological father. Stop into Rapids Brewing and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Rapids Brewing is located at 214 North Pokegama Avenue, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 55744. 

Timmy Donald: Victim of Circumstances

Imagine you were riding with a friend and were pulled over. Nobody in the car had done anything wrong. The police officer suspected the car you were in was stolen. But it was not. The driver owned the car but didn’t have the car title on him, like most people don’t. You are brought to the police station, fingerprinted and your picture is taken. The title is delivered, and everyone is released. It seemed unnecessary, but it’s over right. Not quite. The mug shot they took of you is placed into a binder and used for photo line-ups in homicide cases, and eventually someone will identify you as a killer. And you’ll go to prison for 24 years for a murder you have no information about. This is what happened to Timmy Donald. 

On February 27, 1992, there were six armed robberies in Gary, Indiana’s Glen Park neighborhood. Each of the victims described the attacker as a black man who had scars or bumps on his face and was relatively thin. He wore a black gangle hat, had a red bandana around his neck, and black leather jacket.
One of the robberies ended with the murder of 30-year-old Bernard Jimenez, who was gunned down when he fought back. Bernard Jimenez was a big Chicago Cubs fan. Jimenez returned home from a shopping trip with his wife, Kimerly Belinsky, and their daughters (ages 1, 6 and 7). A man carrying a handgun grabbed the 7-year-old and demanded money. Bernard put the cash from his wallet—less than $20—on the ground. The robber picked up the money, but when he saw how little there was, he contemptuously threw it back down and said, “You don’t value your family.” He then pointed his gun at their one-year-old daughter’s face. Bernie threw a small wooden picnic table at the robber, and they struggled. Bernie shouted for Kimerly to get into the house with the kids. Kimerly got the kids in the house but heard gunshots. When she came back outside, Bernie was dying from multiple gunshot wounds. Upon seeing her husband’s dead body, the police say Kimerly was too hysterical to give a description. This would occur later. The robber fatally shot Jimenez and then fled.
On March 3, Gary police put together a photographic lineup that included the photograph of a 23-year-old Willie Donald, who lived in the area. Belinsky pointed to Donald’s photo and said she believed he was the gunman. Mary Banks, an off-duty police officer, was one of the robbery victims. (Keep in mind, this officer is probably their best witness.) Mary looked at the line-up and stated the man who robbed her wasn’t in the line-up.  However, victims, Kimerly Belinsky and Rhonda Williams pick Timmy Donald out of line-up as the man who robbed them.  
Even though Willie “Timmy” Donald grew up in the projects in Gary, Indiana on welfare, Timmy had three older sisters and was raised in a loving and caring family. His older sister taught him to play baseball and he hoped as a child to someday play for the Chicago Cubs. As an adult, Timmy was dating, working and living in Gary, Indiana--just a typical American, trying to make it in the world. Timmy had no history of illegal behavior. The police came to his home and told him he was being arrested for Failure to Yield at a Stop sign. He was placed in police line-up. On March 2, 1992, police returned to his home with a warrant, searched the home, and found nothing that connected him to any of the robberies. 
Taking a step back:  Remember how Timmy Donald’s picture got into that police line-up? 

Timmy Donald was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by the police. The driver of the vehicle was Timmy’s uncle, and he didn’t have ownership papers on him (as most people don’t). Think about the ridiculousness of this. Even though he was only a passenger, Timmy, was fingerprinted, and his mug shot was taken. Ultimately, his uncle was able to prove he was the owner of the vehicle, and no legal charges came forth. However, Willie “Timmy” Donald’s mug remained in police files and would be used in suspect line-ups for years after.
Timmy was with his sister Sheila and her husband, Dan Hopkins, helping them carshop at the time of Bernie’s murder. However, the car salesman remembered the couple, but couldn’t clearly identify the third man who was with them. Timmy wasn’t buying the car, so the salesman didn’t focus on him.  
In court, Rhonda Williams pointed at Timmy Donald as the man who robbed her. Timmy Donald, at age 23, was sentenced to 60 years in prison.

It was later discovered that four days after Rhonda Williams was robbed, she called the police and said she just saw the man who robbed her, walking down the street. Timmy Donald was at work at this moment, eating lunch with his supervisor, and his supervisor verified this. The police had this information. The junior detective, John Jelks, informed the senior detective of this evidence, yet the senior detective decided to sit on it. John Jelks came to court and told the prosecutor he wanted to testify. The prosecutor told him they didn’t need his testimony.
When the case is re-examined, Rhonda Williams reveals she was never sure Timmy Donald was the man who robbed her. She tells the investigators relooking at the case, that the investigator was the one who pointed to Timmy’s picture. In addition, Bernard’s fiancé Kimerly was sitting right next to her, and she pointed to Timmy first. (Witnesses of separate crimes shouldn’t be sitting next to each other going through a photo line-up. You lose objectivity.) Rhonda recants her original statement. 

Lavelle Thompson, a 17-year-old gang member, fit the physical description of the robber. Thompson was killed a few days after the robberies and Bernie Jimenez’ murder. It is now believed that Lavelle Thompson committed the robberies and killed Bernie.

Timmy’s family did what they could to get people to relook at this case. In 2013, Gary, Indiana County Attorney told Timmy Donald, he could get out of jail immediately, if he’ll accept the murder charge. Timmy told him he will not plead guilty for something he didn’t do.

In 2014, Bernard Carter was elected the new County Attorney. He releases Timmy Donald, pointing out there was no evidence to convict him.  Timmy stated he keeps all of his receipts today, so he has a record of his location. He doesn’t want to be without an alibi again. 
County Attorney Bernard Carter
After 24 years in prison, Timmy Donald was released in 2016. He had missed his sister’s wedding, his father’s funeral and numerous other important family events. He had no savings, no car, and no job. Even though Timmy was exonerated, the charges remain on his record until he has them expunged, which he would have to do at his own expense. (When you are exonerated, you are “disburdened” from the charge in that you no longer have to serve a sentence for it. However, it is a separate step to have your record cleared or expunged. Timmy was free, but as he's applying for work, he’s still a convicted murderer.) 
Timmy Donald and Dr. Nicki Jackson Dr. Nicki Jackson, a Professor at Purdue University helped him secure employment and get medical help upon his release from incarceration. In 2020, Jackson started The Willie T. Donald Exoneration Advisory Coalition to connect Donald and others like him with the resources they need to get their lives back on track.
It is disturbing to consider a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and an alibi, went to prison for 24 years for murder. His mug shot was taken and stored, even though he had never been part of a crime. There was no evidence linking him to the crime, beyond a hysterical partner who was unable to give a description immediately after the incident. I certainly don’t blame her for being hysterical. She had suffered a tragic loss. However, the evidence should have been weighed in relation to the circumstance.
Thanks for listening,


Frank
Tuesday, July 19, 2022, , Frank will be a guest on the afternoon show at 4:30 a.m. with legendary radio host, Walter Q Bear Banks Jr. on  FM 89.9 KMOJ.  Frank will discuss his newest novel, Black and Blue, along with the intriguing circumstances that led to this mystery. Frank will be conducting the interview from FINNEGAN’S Brew Company in Minneapolis. Frank will give a live lie detector test at FINNEGAN”S at 7:00 p.m. and will be there from 4:30 to 8:30 signing and selling books. Tuesday, July 19, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at FINNEGANS Brew Company in Minneapolis signing his newest book Black and Blue from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 7:00-7:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. FINNEGANS Brew Company is located at 817 South Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404.
 
Sunday, July 24, 2022 from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. Frank will be at Art in the Park in Detroit Lakes selling and signing all of his books. The event is at 1320 Lincoln Avenue, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Thursday, July 28, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at  Forbidden Barrel Brewing in Worthington signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Forbidden Barrel Brewing is located at: 900 3rd Avenue, Worthington, Minnesota, 56187. ​
 
Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 10:00 to 6:00 p.m. Frank will be at Festival of Lake Superior selling and signing all of his books. The Festival of Lake Superior is at 1st Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota, 55616. Thursday, August 11, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book.” The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Bad Habit is located at 25 College Ave North, St Joseph, Minnesota. 
 
Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. Frank will be at Art of the Lakes in Battle Lake selling and signing all of his books. The event is at 108 Lake Avenue South in Battle Lake, Minnesota.
Sunday, August 14, 2022, Forensic Psychologist Frank Weber will be at Alloy Brewing Company in Coon Rapids,  Minnesota, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. signing his newest book, Black and Blue.  He’ll speak from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. about forensic psychology and his newest True Crime mystery. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer's 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Learn about forensic techniques and discover the intriguing circumstances that contributed to this thriller. It’s a great time to get questions about forensics answered while enjoying a cold beverage. This is going to be a blast and there is no cost. Alloy Brewing Company is located at 2700 Coon Rapids, Boulevard Northwest, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, 55433.  ​ Wednesday, August 17, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Rapids Brewing Company inGrand Rapids signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner. Burning Bridges starts with a Bemidji State college student looking for her biological father. Stop in to Rapids Brewing and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Rapids Brewing is located at 214 North Pokegama Avenue, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 55744. 

The problem with the “smiley face” as a clue is that it’s too universal. Case in point:

At 2 a.m. October 3, 2002, a woman woke to a man standing near her bed holding a butcher knife and a rolling pin. He told her if she did what he wanted, she would not be hurt. He tied her up with a cord he had cut off of her can opener. The woman broke free and ran out of the back door of her home, but Mark Eskridge grabbed her and, after a struggle, dragged her back to her bedroom. He ripped up sheets to create a blindfold and a gag which he used to tie her up. 
 Over the course of two hours, Eskridge sexually assaulted her and repeatedly threatened her with the butcher knife, saying he would “operate” on her. He threatened to kill her pre-school son, if she didn’t comply, who was in his bedroom down the hall. Before he left, Eskridge told the woman he had people watching her house who would kill her and her son if she called the police in the next half hour.
Once Eskridge left her home, the woman crawled through the darkness to her phone and dialed 911. When they answered the call for help, Dorchester County Sheriff’s deputies had to cut the bindings from the woman, who was described as hysterical. A nurse described seeing “significant bruising and extremely swollen hands from the tight bindings which had been placed around the victim’s wrists.” She was examined at the Memorial Hospital at Easton. DNA evidence was recovered which would be matched to Mark Eskridge. Crime Scene Technician Kathy Webster found an almost full set of fingerprints on the broken glass from the front window which was used to gain entry, again matching Eskridge.
While canvassing the neighborhood after the assault, sheriff’s deputies found a neighbor who had scared away someone they’d heard trying to open the door of their home. Fingerprints taken from the doorknob also were a positive match to Mark Eskridge.
Despite the bound hysterical victim with bruising and the broken glass used to gain entry, Mark Eskridge defense attorney argued that Eskridge had consensual sex with the victim. Eskridge took the stand in his own defense and claimed he had met the victim at a party, and they used crack cocaine together. The victim had been drug tested and had no cocaine in her system. The fingerprints on the broken glass matched Eskridge. The DNA in the victim, matched Eskridge. So, after only an hour of deliberation, Mark Richard Eskridge, 43, was found guilty on 8 charges including a 1st degree sex offense, 1st degree assault, use of a deadly weapon with intent to injure, false imprisonment and burglary.
Why was this conviction significant?                         
Seven years earlier, on September 19, 1995, Kaye Robinson was living in a mobile home in Laurel, Delaware, with her 12 year old son. The boy’s father hadn’t been involved since he was 4 years old. Kaye worked as an insurance salesperson. She was in a steady relationship with Andrew Simmons, her fiancé. Sometime after midnight on September 19, 1995, the 30-year-old woke up to a persistent knock on her door. The stranger outside her door introduced himself as Jack Wilson and said his car broke down. This man wanted to come in to make a phone call, but Kaye was skeptical and offered to make the call herself. However, when she called the number, the man on the other end didn’t know anyone named Jack. At this point, Kaye asked him to leave and reported the incident to the police before going back to sleep. When the police arrived, the man was gone.
But before the evening was over, the man returned and broke into her home. When Kaye heard the front door slamming, she got up and was ambushed by an intruder with a knife. Kaye did what he asked to survive and protect her 12-year-old son. After raping Kaye, the intruder tied her up. She was convinced he’d done this before by the speed in which he had her immobilized. The attacker stabbed her more than 25 times, then pulled her head back and slit her throat. Convinced that he wouldn’t stop until she was dead, Kaye held her breath in, hoping he would think he killed her. Assuming she was dead, he left.
Kaye’s son rushed to her aid after the attacker left. Kaye turned on to her stomach, as she didn’t want her son to see her slit throat. He saw the multiple stab wounds in her back, and the killer had drawn a smiley face in blood on her back.​

Her son, Nick, ran to a neighbor’s home for help. Kaye was rushed to the hospital after the attack, and immediately was sent into emergency surgery. She made a miraculous physical recovery. She provided the authorities with a description of the attacker. The investigators also had DNA evidence they collected from the scene.
The DNA lab had a backlog, so it would be weeks before the results returned. About two weeks after the attack, one of Kaye’s neighbors reported a man behaving suspiciously in the area. Doug DeSilva had lit a candle in her driveway. Doug had a print of the suspect sketch, (taken from the newspaper) on the dash which he said he was using to look for the suspect. Doug looked like the person in the sketch, so the police hauled him in. After the interview, Doug asked for an application to be a police officer. They gave him one. He doodled on it and drew a “smiley face” on the bottom of the application. Both Kaye and her son picked Doug out of a photo lineup as the intruder. Investigators were convinced they had their killer. Doug DeSilva was arrested and charged with murder. Three days before his court case was about to start, the FBI indicated the DNA evidence didn’t match him, leading to his release. Was a mistake made at the lab?
After his release, Kaye thought about killing Doug DeSilva. He looked just like her attacker. He drew the “smiley face.” The police hadn’t released that a “smiley face” was drawn on her back. She drove to DeSilva’s home with a loaded gun. Kaye had planned on knocking on the door and saying, “Do you remember me?” and shooting him. But after thinking about her son, she drove back home.
The case went cold. A decade later, in 2005, when a DNA search went through CODIS a match came up to Mark Eskridge, who was recently convicted of the Maryland rape described at the beginning of this blog. The Maryland rape was very similar. Further, they realized Mark Eskridge lived in Kaye’s neighborhood in Laurel, Delaware, at the time of her attack. Mark could see Kaye’s home from his window. When investigators look back, they realized they had become too focused on Doug DeSilva and failed to focus on other local suspects.

In January 2006, Mark Eskridge plead guilty to Kaye’s rape and attempted murder. He was given a life sentence and an additional twenty years. Eskridge is incarcerated at North Branch Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.  

This is an example of why we need to let the evidence lead to the suspect, rather than starting with a suspect and looking for evidence.

Thanks for listening,

Frank
An exciting week of presentations on Black and Blue ahead:

Thursday, July 7, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Falling Knife Brewing Company in Minneapolis signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Frank will present from 7:00-7:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries. You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Falling Knife Brewing Company is located at: 783 Harding Street Northeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55413.
 
Friday, July 8, 2022, Fergus Brewing Company is hosting the opening of Frank F. Weber’s newest novel, Black and Blue.  Frank will speak from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p,m. about forensic psychology and intriguing murder mystery that led to writing Black and Blue. He will be at Fergus Brewing from 5:00 to 8:00, signing & selling books and answering questions. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer's 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Learn about new forensic techniques and the circumstances that led to this thrilling mystery. Fergus Brewing is located at 1683 Drive, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, 56537. This is going to be a blast and there is no cost.  Stop in and enjoy a cold beverage.
 
​Saturday, July 9, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Burning Brothers Brewing in St. Paul signing his newest book Black and Blue from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 3:00-4:00 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Burning Brothers Brewing is located at: 1750 Thomas Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104
 
Sunday, July 10, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Montgomery Brewing in Montgomery signing his newest book Black and Blue from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 3:00-3:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Montgomery Brewing is located at: 306 2nd Street Northwest, Montgomery, Minnesota, 56069.
 
Tuesday, July 19, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at FINNEGANS Brew Company in Minneapolis signing his newest book Black and Blue from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 7:00-7:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. FINNEGANS Brew Company is located at 817 South Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404.

Sunday, July 24, 2022, from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. Frank will be at Art in the Park in Detroit Lakes selling and signing all of his books. The event is at 1320 Lincoln Avenue, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
 
Thursday, July 28, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Forbidden Barrel Brewing in Worthington signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by Burning Bridges cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Forbidden Barrel Brewing is located at: 900 3rd Avenue, Worthington, Minnesota, 56187. ​
 
Saturday, August 6, 2022, from 10:00 to 6:00 p.m. Frank will be at Festival of Lake Superior selling and signing all of his books. The Festival of Lake Superior is at 1st Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota, 55616.
 
Thursday, August 11, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book.” The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Bad Habit is located at 25 College Ave North, St Joseph, Minnesota. 
 
Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. Frank will be at Art of the Lakes in Battle Lake selling and signing all of his books. The event is at 108 Lake Avenue South in Battle Lake, Minnesota.
 
Sunday, August 14, 2022, Forensic Psychologist Frank Weber will be at Alloy Brewing Company in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. signing his newest book, Black and Blue.  He’ll speak from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. about forensic psychology and his newest True Crime mystery. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer's 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Learn about forensic techniques and discover the intriguing circumstances that contributed to this thriller. It’s a great time to get questions about forensics answered while enjoying a cold beverage. This is going to be a blast and there is no cost. Alloy Brewing Company is located at 2700 Coon Rapids, Boulevard Northwest, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, 55433.  ​

We are cheering for you Shasta Groene!

Shasta Rae Groene spent much of her adolescence in Juvenile Detention. In April of 2018 Shasta Rae Groene pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts of injury to a child and was ordered to serve unsupervised probation through October 2019. Court records say she endangered a 1-year-old child in her custody by leaving methamphetamine where the child could have ingested it, and that she also left the drug in close proximity to a month-old baby. A Canyon County judge declined to sentence her to jail time, instead again instituting 18 months of probation — but supervised this time.
Why was she given a deal?
Former Detroit Lakes MN sex offender, and serial killer, Joseph Edward Duncan III kidnapped Shasta Groene when she was 8 years old and murdered her family. 
At one point Joseph Duncan asked this young girl to choose how she was going to die. He asked if she wanted to be choked to death with a rope or shot to death. She chose the rope but managed to talk him into letting her loose.

Where was Joseph E. Duncan before he came to Detroit Lakes?

Duncan committed his first recorded sex crime in 1978 in Tacoma, Washington, when he was 15 years old. In that incident, he raped a 9-year-old boy at gunpoint. In 1979, he was arrested for driving a stolen car. 
In 1980, at age 16, Joseph Duncan, stole guns and ammo from a neighbor in Tacoma. Then, he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy at gunpoint. For that, Joseph was sentenced to 20 years, serving 14 years before being released on parole in 1994. However, he was sent back after violating his parole restrictions. 
Carmen Cubias and Sammiejo White
In 1996, 9-year-old Carmen Cubias and 11-year-old Sammiejo White lived with their mother at a motel in Seattle, Washington. One night, they went out to a restaurant nearby but never returned. Their skeletal remains were found more than a year and a half later. Joseph admitted in prison he kidnapped the girls from a street, assaulted them and hit them in the head with a crowbar. He confessed to this murder, after he was arrested for kidnapping Shasta Groene.

In April of 1997, Anthony Martinez, age 10. was playing with his younger brother Marcos, and a couple other boys in the neighborhood in Beaumont, California. Joseph Duncan came along and offered them a dollar each to help them find his cat. When Duncan got the kids away from their yard, he pulled a switchblade, grabbed Tony and dragged him to in his car. 
Anthony “Tony” Martinez as a child and his brother Marcos as an adult. “I still remember seeing that man drive away with my brother,” Marcos Medina said in tears before a crowd. “But I also remember Lt. John Acosta and Lt. Mitch White, the care and dedication they had for my family.”
Tony’s body was found by a park ranger in the wilderness with wrists and ankles bound with duct tape. He had been sexually assaulted and murdered. There was a fingerprint on the duct tape that would years later be matched to Joseph Duncan.
In 2000, Joseph moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Duncan enrolled himself at a university, but in 2004, he molested a 6-year-old boy at a playground in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. A Fargo pediatrician gave Duncan $6500 for an attorney, and a Fargo real estate developer gave Duncan $15,000 to bail out of jail in Detroit Lakes. When Joseph was released on bail, he absconded and was eventually caught in Idaho with Shasta Groene. The authorities would eventually find a blog  written by Duncan. In it, Joseph claimed not to be a pedophile because he was molested many times as a child and thought it was normal. The Idaho families would eventually sue Becker County in Minnesota for releasing Duncan. I could not find the results of this lawsuit. (It’s possible that the county settled out of court.)
After Joseph Duncan skipped bail he began driving west on I-90. Her marked homes all along the way, which he identified as good sites to kidnap children. In Idaho, Duncan spotted two children playing in their swimsuits in the yard of a home next to the freeway. He pulled off the road and started surveillance of the home, later breaking in with night-vision goggles.
Brenda Groene              Shasta Groene In May of 2005, Shasta age 8 at the time, was woke by her mother, Brenda Groene. When Shasta entered the living room, her mom’s boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, 37, was tied up on the floor. Joseph Duncan tied up Brenda and her 13-year-old son Slade. Duncan walked Shasta and her older brother Dylan, age 9, out of the house, zip tied them and left them wait at the edge of the woods. He returned to the house. Shasta heard thumping and Mark struggling. Her brother Slade, age 13, somehow got his feet loose and came running out of the house disoriented and bloody. Duncan chased him and struck him repeatedly with a hammer. Shasta remembered Slade looking her in the eyes as he fell to the ground. Dying, Slade made his way back to the house and died lying next to his already deceased mother.  Slade Groene                    Mark McKenzie Duncan then kidnapped Brenda Groene's other two children: Shasta and her 9-year-old brother Dylan. He took them into the wilds of western Montana, where he tortured and sexually abused them for weeks before killing Dylan. Duncan made the children call him dad. Duncan told the kids they would be allowed to live if they did what they were told. 
Duncan kept them in the woods for weeks, chained to trees, when he had to leave. Shasta remembered trying to calm Dylan by telling him she’ll help him survive this. Joseph Duncan told the 2 children that if they caught the squirrel that kept coming into their campsite, they’d get to go home. Dylan caught the squirrel, and they began packing up. Duncan then shot Dylan in the stomach. Duncan then walked over to Dylan and shot him in the head. Shasta remembers feeling like she let her brother down. Shasta later shared, “I promised Dylan I’d get him out of there alive. That’s why to this day, I don’t make promises.” The cabin where Joseph Duncan held Shasta captive.
Dylan Groene Realizing it was her only chance of surviving, Shasta began telling Duncan that she trusted him. After 2 months of being held hostage, Shasta convinced Duncan, she wanted him to know more about her. She talked Duncan into taking her back into her hometown, Coeur d´Alene, so she could show him where she went to school. Duncan stopped to eat with Shasta at a Denny’s. On July 2, 2005, A waitress recognized Shasta and called the police. Joseph Duncan was arrested at Denny’s.
Joseph Duncan
A review of Duncan’s laptop showed he had recorded himself sexually abusing his child victims. He can be heard saying as he abused the children, “The devil is here boy, the devil himself… The devil likes to watch children suffer and cry.”
Shasta was able to tell investigators that Duncan had told her about other victims he had out of state. 
While on death row, Joseph was diagnosed with stage IV brain cancer and underwent surgery in 2020. Later, he refused chemotherapy and radiation. Since the cancer was in advanced stages, a doctor in November 2020 estimated Joseph would not live beyond a year. He died during the early hours of March 28, 2021, at a hospital in Indiana at the age of 58.

Shasta Groene survives…, but you don’t come out of a bad situation unscathed.
Here is Shasta Groene at age 8, with her father, Steve Groene in July of 2005 not long after being rescued. 
Steve Groene died of cancer in 2019. Shasta asked for prayers to help her deal with the loss of her father.
After hearing the news of Joseph Duncan’s death in 2021, Shasta stated: 
'I woke up feeling like my soul was finally free'
Shasta Groene is now 25 years old and the mother of 4. A 5th child is due in August. She has been trying to live a normal life. Shasta is a housekeeping supervisor at a hotel.
We wish the very best to you and your family Shasta, as you continue your recovery.

Thanks for listening,

Frank
Black and Blue presentations and book signings through June of 2022:
Thank you all for your kind support of my work!

Friday, June 24, 2022, Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Barnes and Noble in St. Cloud signing his newest book Black and Blue from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date. I took a chance and offered this book for a highly respected Kirkus review before I had finalized the book.” The Kirkus review of Black and Blue stated: “Weber largely succeeds at demonstrating how issues of race and policing are intricately related.”  Barnes and Noble is located on Division at Rainbow Village, 3940 Division Street, St Cloud, Minnesota, 56301.
 
Saturday, June 25, 2022, Forensic Psychologist Frank Weber will be at Angry Inch Brewing in Lakeville, Minnesota, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. signing his newest book, Black and Blue.  He’ll speak from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. about forensic psychology and writing True Crime mysteries.  Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer's 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Learn about new forensic techniques and find out what they get wrong on crime shows and movies. It’s a great time to get questions about forensics answered while enjoying a cold beverage. This is going to be a blast and there is no cost. Angry Inch Brewing is located at 20841 Holyoke Avenue Lakeville, Minnesota, 55068.
 
Sunday, June 26, 2022 from 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. Frank will be at Arts in the Park in Brainerd selling and signing all of his books. The event is at Gregory Park 424 North 5th Street, Brainerd, Minnesota.
 
Thursday, June 30, 2022,  Forensic Psychologist and True Crime Mystery Author, Frank F. Weber will be at Badger Hill Brewing in Shakopee signing his newest book Black and Blue from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Black and Blue is a thrilling mystery based on the murder of a police officer’s 19-year-old fiancé in Minneapolis. Frank will share the intriguing circumstances that led to this true crime thriller. “I feel Black and Blue is my best book to date.” Frank will present from 6:00-6:45 on forensic work and the writing of True Crime mysteries You will receive a live demonstration on the polygraph examination so you can see how lie detection works (volunteer a friend). There will be a guest appearance by cover model, Kloe Kapsner.  Stop in and have a cold beverage and ask the questions you’d love to ask about forensic work or forensic shows. Badger Hill Brewing is located at: 4571 Valley Industrial Boulevard South #500, Shakopee, Minnesota. 

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A Nightmare in Dickinson: The Amazing Jennifer Schuett

August 10, 1990 was a hot summer night, in Dickinson, Texas. Eight-year-old Jennifer Schuett was afraid of the dark, so she crawled in bed with her mother. Her mother, Elaine, had a big day of work the next day. Jennifer told her, “Because I love you, I’m going to sleep in my own bed tonight.” ​ Jennifer Schuett had just finished 2nd grade.                        
When Elaine goes to wake up her daughter the next morning, she’s gone... Someone came through the bedroom window in the middle of the night and abducted her. Jennifer was taken to a field, raped and her throat was slit, cutting her voice box. She was unable to speak or even move after the assault. Jennifer would be unable to have a normal birth as a result of the damage she experienced during the assault. 

Children playing, find Jennifer’s body in the woods the next day.  She had been lying on an ant mound in the wilderness for 14 hours and had ant bites all over her body. Even though she is unable to speak, at the hospital Jennifer does everything she can to help identify the man who assaulted her. Jennifer helped create the sketch of her attacker. 
To the left is a picture of what her attacker, Dennis Bradford, actually looked like at the time. To the right is the description Jennifer helped create at age 8, without speaking, with the sketch artist. Jennifer described his car exactly, including the dent in the door. She wrote down his first name, and identified his brand of cigarettes. Still, the crime will go unsolved for 19 years. 

One year later, in 1991, Dennis Bradford met an 18-year-old Lisa when he was 21 years old. They met in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and went on to marry just 6 months after their first meeting. They had a son and a daughter together. Ultimately, his binge drinking cost him his marriage. 
Lisa and Dennis Bradford
One April night in 1996, Dennis Bradford was in a Hot Springs, Arkansas, bar called Gator’s. He asked a woman if he could buy her a drink. She said, “no.” Bradford went back a little later and asked the woman to play pool with him. She said “no.” After some time had passed, he asked the woman again to play pool and this time, she said “yes.” During the game, Bradford bought her a few drinks.

After the last call, Bradford offered the woman a ride. She went with him. He took her “the long way, as there was a song he wanted her to hear. Bradford turned onto a back road, stopped the car, and attacked her, choking and punching her. She started to lose consciousness as he dragged her from the car.
When she woke up, she was naked, her clothes scattered in a field. Bradford told her not to move. He ran to his car and returned with a knife. With the knife to the woman’s throat, the woman testified, Bradford raped her.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
In 1996, Bradford was charged with attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors reduced the charge before the trial to one count of kidnapping and one count of rape. “As to the kidnapping charge,” Court of Appeals Judge Sam Bird wrote in an unpublished opinion dated Dec. 3, 1997, “the defendant alleged that the state had not proven its case because the restraint on the victim’s liberty was no more than was necessary to commit the offense of rape.” A jury deadlocked on the rape charge but convicted Bradford of kidnapping. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to provide a DNA sample. The sample was placed into the CODIS system.
Bradford served less than three years in prison. He entered the Arkansas corrections department’s custody on March 6, 1997, and was released on parole Feb. 4, 2000. Bradford moved to North Little Rock. On November 8, 2001, North Little Rock police arrested Bradford and charged him with Driving While Intoxicated less than a half-mile from his house on Okmulgee Court.
North Little Rock In 2004, in Pulaski County, Dennis Bradford married Elizabeth Webber and settled in North Little Rock. Webber has three grown children. A search of records from local agencies showed no other arrests before his parole expired April 3, 2008.

On September 10, 2009, Bradford and a 19-year-old woman were found alone in a car on a dead-end street called Calm Lane by a Pulaski County sheriff ’s deputy. “This is an area that is known for prostitution,” sheriff’s office Lt. Cody Burk said. Bradford told Deputy Jeremy Fairchild that he’d picked up the woman at a Hess gas station and agreed to pay $20 for oral sex. The sheriff’s office charged him with patronizing a prostitute. 
Calm Lane
Bradford’s Indian Hills neighbors say the accusations against him seem out of character.
“To read the allegations, if you put those together, it doesn’t add up to the guy who lived across the street,” said Bill Muehsam, a neighbor for nearly 6 years. He didn’t have any reservations about Bradford at the time. “He was a friendly neighborhood guy,” he said. “He helped me move in, carried in boxes like another neighbor.”
Jennifer Schuett is a hero! Jennifer believes that she got her voice back so she could tell her story. Jennifer remained in contact with the investigators over the years as she wanted the case solved. 
Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison and  Dickinson Police Detective Tim Cromie were discussing the case when Rennison received a memo from the FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team, seeking child abduction cases that had gone cold and could be retested for DNA evidence. Jennifer’s case was selected.
"This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived," Rennison said. "The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive. In cases of child abduction, it is rare that the child is recovered alive. Frequently, you recover a body. And most times, you never find them."
The FBI created the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team in 2005. Christina Bedford, FBI Special Agent and CARD Supervisor.
The investigators had DNA evidence on the underwear and pajamas collected 19 years ago, which was now retested. In 1990, the sample wasn't large enough for conclusive results. But new techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell. The DNA test had a match in the CODIS system—Dennis Bradford—a 40-year-old welder from North Little Rock, Arkansas. 
When presented with the evidence, Dennis Bradford confessed to kidnapping, raping and trying to kill Jennifer, in 1990. Dennis was surprised Jennifer was still alive and with a voice cracking with emotion, stated, “There is not a day that goes by, not a single day, that I don’t see that baby.” He summed up the offense: “I pulled that little girl from her window. She was freaking out. She was crying for her mother. I told her everything would be all right. I took that little girl out and raped her, and I cut her throat.”
​Jennifer at 8, recovering in the hospital. Field in Dickinson, Texas
Jennifer continues the story. “I remember him dragging me through this field by my ankles. Apparently, he had choked me unconscious. Raped me. And then he slit my throat ear to ear and left me in this field to die.” Naked, lying on top of a fire-ant nest. Her voice box was severed, so when she tried to scream no sound came out. As a result of the trauma to her body, she couldn’t speak, and she couldn’t move. She had enough strength to place her hand on her neck, and felt the gaping wound. With her severed throat, not speaking and not moving may have saved her life. 
After his arrest for Jennifer’s rape and attempted murder in 2009, Dennis killed himself while in Galveston County Jail. He hung himself in his jail cell in May 2010. 
Jennifer had written a victim impact statement that she intended to read in court. Instead, she read it over Bradford’s grave. 

“You chose the wrong little, 45-pound, 8-year-old girl to try to murder. Because for 19 years, I’ve thought about you every single day, and helped search for you. And every year that passes has given me more strength and drive for when I finally would be face to face with you, as I am today.”

Jennifer wanted, “To show him that he didn’t win, and that I’m a strong survivor…, And to show him how strong I am and to show victims that no matter what obstacles you come across or how long you have to wait, that as long as you’re strong and determined you can get the justice you want.”
Jennifer Schuett read her victim impact statement on Dennis’s grave 20 years after the day she was abducted.
Jennifer has been using her story to help other survivors. She travels the country to share her experience and is outspoken about what happened to her. The assault on Jennifer affected her in more than one way. She was infertile because of the attack but a Texas doctor donated his services for her in-vitro treatment twice. Jennifer has been married to Jonathan Martinez since May 2014 and they live in League City, Texas. They have two children together.
Jonathan & Jennifer ~~~~~~~ Wishing you the very best!

Thanks for listening!


Frank
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I would like to thank everyone for the great turnout at Shoppes of Little Falls, Roundhouse Brewery in Nisswa, Beaver Island in St. Cloud and CatTales Books & Gifts in Brainerd. All exceeded expectations and I’m very grateful. I’m still looking for events, so let me know your suggestions…
​I've got hops!  Cascade hops from Washington. My retirement plan:  2 years from now I'll be able to wet hop malt beverages.