J.J. Slate's Blog, page 4

John Bittrolff charged with Long Island murders in 90s… Is there a connection to the LISK?

This is a pretty incredible story. In 1993, thirty-one-year-old Rita Tangredi’s body was discovered in a Long Island wooded area. Three months later, the body of twenty-year-old Colleen McNamee was also found. Both had been known to work as prostitutes and both bodies were strangled, beaten, and discarded in a wooded area. This week, twenty years later, a forty-eight-year-old local from Manorville, New York named John Bittrolff has been charged in their murders and police are investigating his involvement with another 1993 murder in Suffolk County, that of Sandra Castilla.

Probably one of the most remarkable aspects of the case is not the length of time that has passed since the murders, but how his arrest came to be. Bittrolff’s brother, Timothy, was arrested last year and convicted of an unrelated assault. When Timothy’s DNA was collected, police ran it through the computer and realized that his DNA was extremely close to the DNA collected from the murder victims in the 90s. So close, in fact, that the killer must have had the same parents as the man they had in custody. This is first time I have ever heard of investigators locating a murder suspect in this way. Police brought learned Timothy had a brother named John and brought him in for questioning. While he was at the station, he reportedly drank from a can of soda, which police immediately sent to the lab for DNA testing. It was a perfect match. Unbelievable.

If you’ve been following my blog, you probably perked up at the mention of “Long Island” and “Suffolk County,” where police uncovered ten bodies in 2010 and 2011 that have all since been linked to the same killer. Only five of those victims have been identified, and all five were found to be working as private escorts or prostitutes. The killer seems to have remained dormant since his last known murder in 2010. While there have been several murders in the area recently (twenty-one-year-old Sarah Goode in Medfield, and another victim whose dismembered body parts were discovered in different locations in the Hempstead area last week), it seems as if those cases may be isolated incidents and completely unrelated to the other ten victims found a few years ago. Here’s the question we’re all wondering: Could John Bittrolff actually be the Long Island Serial Killer? Well, police are saying it’s too early to link him to those crimes and it is likely the two are completely unrelated. Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota spoke to the media yesterday. “The evidence recovered from Tangredi and McNamee, the manner in which their bodies were found, and the crime scenes are unique to them and distinctly different from the Gilgo crime scenes,” he said.

So who is John Bittrolf anyway? And does his profile match up with what FBI experts suspect about the Long Island Serial Killer? Let’s take a closer look. In April of 2011, The New York Times reported it is likely the serial killer is a white male between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five. John Bittrolff is a forty-eight year old white male (interesting how he was actually forty-five in 2011). FBI profilers and serial killer experts believe the LISK may be married or have a stable girlfriend. They also believe he is employed, financially secure, and possibly works at a job that would give him access to burlap sacks, such as landscaping, contracting, or fishing. Bittrolff is a married father of two who works as a carpenter. I’m not too familiar with the field of carpentry–does it involve burlap sacks? That would be an interesting bit of information if true.

Experts also believe the LISK is probably an educated and well-spoken individual. Neighbors of Bittrolff have come forward this week claiming he knows everyone in their neighborhood and is incredibly friendly and helpful. One of the neighbors went so far as to say he is like the town “mayor.” Other FBI profilers and serial killer experts suspect the LISK may be a local or a seasonal vacationer of the area. Many believe the locations of the disposal sites indicate his familiarity with the area. This certainly matches up.

One thing is for sure—police aren’t rushing this one. They charged Bittrolff with the murders of Tangredi and McNamee this week and they are actively working to connect him to Castilla. If they have DNA evidence from the LISK’s victims, I am sure they are actively looking into that as well. It’s important to note that the LISK’s victims were dismembered, while the three victims allegedly connected to Bittrolff were not. The MO for each of these cases appears to be different, which could very well indicate two separate killers. Is it possible Tangredi, McNamee, and Castilla are Bittrolff’s only victims? If so, what do you think made him lie dormant for twenty years?

 



Interested in reading more about the Long Island Serial Killer? Check out RJ Parker’s Serial Killers Abridged, which published May 31, 2014. I wrote the 101st case file in the book, highlighting the details of this particular case.

 

 

Partially dismembered remains found…Has the Long Island Killer struck again?

On Tuesday, July 8, a couple on Long Island made a gruesome discovery in some tall grass near a municipal parking lot as they were walking towards the ferry: the partially dismembered remains of a female. The area is located in Bay Shore, NY, near Maple and Main Streets, less than 30 miles away from the area in Gilgo State Park, where eight sets of remains were discovered between 2010 and 2011. Has the Long Island Serial Killer (also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer) struck again? Authorities aren’t releasing much information yet, only to say that the female has not yet been identified and they have released cadaver dogs into the area, as well as Gilgo Beach, apparently in an attempt to make sure other bodies have not been dumped in that area as well. Between 2010 and 2011, investigators discovered a total of ten individuals along Gilgo Beach, Oak Beach, and Jones Beach State Park. They announced in November of 2011 that one individual was responsible for all ten murders. Only five of the victims have been identified. Police believe the majority of the victims were strangled and dismembered.

Many FBI profilers and serial killer experts suspect the killer may be someone who is familiar with the Long Island area or a seasonal vacationer. Since the five identified victims all went missing during the summer months, it is possible the killer visits the the area each year around the same time. He might even have his own vacation home. Many believe the locations of the disposal sites indicate his familiarity with the area. It is possible the killer grew up in the Long Island area and returns each summer.

However, the killer has been dormant since the last identified victim went missing in 2010. Many people in the area have lived in fear, wondering if he would strike again. The proximity of the location where the newest body was found, along with the murder taking place in the summer months, as well as the reports that the body was partially dismembered seem to tell a familiar tale.

Here’s something else to think about: In June, the body of a twenty-one-year-old medical technician was discovered in a wooded area in Medford, NY, about 16 miles from Bay Shore (in the opposite direction from Gilgo Beach). Search parties were looking for the missing mother after she was reported missing and her car was discovered abandoned about a mile away from her home. Police have released very little information pertaining to this particular investigation–only that they have identified the victim as the missing woman, Sarah Goode, and it is an active investigation. However, there are reports stating her friends have contacted the police about a male acquaintance she was having problems with. Sources say that police collected blood evidence from inside the car and they believe a violent struggle took place before her death. I think it is less likely that Sarah Goode’s death is related to the Long Island Serial Killer, but due to the fact that she was found in a wooded area in the same county as the other bodies, I don’t think anything can be ruled out at this point. Perhaps that is why police haven’t released many details to the press about this particular case.

Needless to say, I’ll be watching these cases closely and will post any updates as they are made available. If you have any information about either of these cases, I urge you to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

To read more about the Long Island Serial Killer, check out RJ Parker’s Serial Killers Abridged, which published May 31, 2014. I wrote the 101st case file in the book, highlighting the details of this particular case, including what FBI profilers think about the killer.

 

MISSING WIVES, MISSING LIVES is now available on Amazon!

Release day is finally here! Thank you to all my friends and fans for your incredible support.

My new book, Missing Wives, Missing Lives, was released today in paperback and eBook! Want it in Audiobook format? That will be available in a few weeks!  Click here to purchase now!

Everyone who pre-ordered was automatically entered to win 1 of 2 $100 Amazon gift cards! The first drawing took place on June 9–Congrats to JoAnn Brown! The next drawing will take place later today (June 16) and the winner will be announced on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jjslate

When a wife goes missing, her husband is often the prime suspect in her disappearance. But what happens when she is never found? These are the true stories of thirty missing women.

“A riveting read that paints a vivid picture of disappearing wives whose lives converge toward what the reader knows is a horrifying conclusion. Well researched and written.” –Crime Magazine

“A compendium of some of the most notorious cases where women have disappeared. Too many husbands are literally getting away with murder. We must remember that many of these women were moms as well. The subject of this book is fraught with emotions for the reader. Thousands of women and girls are missing and every day more and more simply vanish. We need more books like this for public awareness. Congratulations to the author on this her debut book. Highly recommended.” –Missing Justice Gender Advocacy

 

Missing Wives, Missing Lives is now available for pre-order!

I am so excited to announce that my book, Missing Wives, Missing Lives, is now available for pre-order in paperback and eBook! The Audiobook will be available soon after its release on June 16. Pre-order today and you won’t pay until the release date. Click here to purchase now!

Everyone who pre-orders is automatically entered to win 1 of 2 $100 Amazon gift cards! Drawings will take place on June 9 and June 16. Make sure you like my Facebook page too, so you can see who the winners are! https://www.facebook.com/jjslate

When a wife goes missing, her husband is often the prime suspect in her disappearance. But what happens when she is never found? These are the stories of thirty missing women.

Fascinated by missing persons reports and cold cases for as long as she can remember, JJ Slate’s debut true crime book highlights thirty shocking true stories of wives that have mysteriously vanished, presumably at the hands of her husband. Countless cases like these have played out under the public spotlight, and many of them have been solved after the wife’s remains have eventually been found. But some of these women remain missing years later, denying the families their right to bury their loved ones. Many of these families continue the gruesome search for the remains of their daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, or mother years, even decades, later.

Missing Wives, Missing Lives focuses on thirty unique cases in which the wife has never been found and the undying efforts of her family as they continue the painful search to bring her home. The book covers decades old cases, such as Jeanette Zapata, who has been missing since 1976, to more recent and widely known cases, such as Stacy Peterson, who has been missing since 2007. Keeping these women’s stories alive may be the key to solving the mystery and bringing them home to their families. Someone out there knows something.

Cold Case: Where is Angela “Cherice” Gwinn Stephens?

[image error]Twenty-three-year-old Angela “Cherice” Gwinn Stephens has been missing since October 1, 1993. Today, nearly twenty-one years after she was last seen, Raleigh County Commissioners in West Virginia signed a petition declaring her legally dead. Her husband, Norman E. Stephens II, claims that Cherice dropped him off at work that Friday, and never returned to pick him up at the end of his shift. Instead of reporting her missing, Norman waited twenty-seven days and then filed for divorce. Cherice’s family reported her missing eleven months after she was last seen. Norman reportedly told the police that his wife had called him from out of town, letting him know she was not coming back. He hired a lawyer and refused to take a lie detector test.

Early on in the investigation, Cherice’s father, Tom Gwinn, hired a private investigator to look into his daughter’s disappearance. Several sources have reported that the investigator discovered Norman didn’t show up for work on October 1 and the vehicle Cherice supposedly left town in was actually sold to a buyer in Charleston, West Virginia. However, authorities have not confirmed these details. In addition to this, reports state that police did request to dig up a septic system on land owned by the Breckenridge Missionary Baptist Church after realizing that the area had been asphalted over soon after Cherice’s disappearance. Curiously, the preacher of the church, Tom Harmon, who is related to Norman, firmly denied these requests.

Tragically, Tom Gwinn passed away in 2008, never knowing what happened to his daughter. In 2010, a search warrant was executed on a property owned by Norman Stephens, but police have not confirmed what, if anything, they found. Now that Cherice has been declared legally dead, investigators are treating her case as a homicide and hope to devote the manpower to finally locating her remains and arrest a suspect.

Cold Case: Missing since 1977, Mary Stuart and her two young daughters have never been found

Where are they?

Mary Elizabeth (Danckert) Stuart was born on April 25, 1945. She was married to Byron McCray Stuart, who reportedly was quick to anger and not afraid to resort to violence. Mary left her home in Honeydew, California around 10:00 in the morning on Saturday, December 10, 1977. She and her two young daughters, two-year-old Jessie Flo and one-year-old Fannie Fawn, left in the family’s red Opel station wagon to run some errands. They planned to visit a television repair shop in a neighboring town, the optometrist, and a grocery store. The trio never returned home that evening.

At the time, Mary was living with her husband Byron McCray Stuart, but he did not report them missing. Instead, it was a friend that reported her missing the following Tuesday, sparking a search in the surrounding areas.

More than a month later, the station wagon was found abandoned just a few miles away from the Stuart home. It was found on a logging road with a broken gas line and groceries still in the car. While suspicious of a husband who didn’t report his wife and young daughters missing, investigators at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office announced there didn’t appear to be any struggle near the car and no arrests were made.

In 2009, the case was reopened. Investigators began speaking to people that they had never spoken to before and named Mary’s husband, Byron, as the primary suspect in the disappearance and deaths of Mary and the two girls. Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with AIDS in 1991, Byron died from hepatitis in 1996.

Police believe that others may have been involved with the disappearance and murder of the three as well, and they have made a public plea hoping anyone with information will come forward to talk with investigators. They are currently focused on locating a burial site in the Honeydew region. Mary had a daughter from a previous marriage who is now an adult and keeps in touch with investigators working on the case.

At the time of Mary’s disappearance in 1977, she was thirty-two years old . She weighed approximately 135 pounds and was 5’5”. She is described as a white female with shoulder length light brown hair and blue eyes. If you have any information about Mary the disappearance of Mary and her two daughters, please contact the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office at (707) 445-7251.

Remains found in Minnesota ID’d as missing woman Carrie Olson

Twenty-nine-year-old Carrie Olson went missing from Rock Island, Iowa on December 28, 2013. Now, more than three months later, remains found over 300 miles away in Hastings, Minnesota have been identified as hers. A property owner stumbled across the remains on his land in an isolated, wooded area on April 5. Investigators are working on determining how long the body has been in the area, as well as the time and manner of death.

According to news reports, Carrie’s friend was seen driving her car, a gray Toyota Avalon, just hours after she was last seen at a 7-11 gas station. Carrie’s missing poster names this friend as Tim Mcvay, but police have not made any public statements about this. While Carrie doesn’t have ties to the area where her body was discovered, Tim does. In fact, he was seen driving Carrie’s car less than twenty-four hours after she disappeared. He then drove the car to the Minneapolis airport (approximately thirty miles from where her body was found) where he and his girlfriend boarded a flight to Las Vegas. When they returned a few days later, they handed the car over to police. Carrie’s purse was found in her vehicle, but her wallet and cell phone were missing. Investigators allegedly questioned Tim for a number of hours on January 3, but he was not held, nor has he been named as a person of interest. Something tells me we’ll be hearing a lot more about Tim soon.

 

Skeletal remains found in 1997 identified as missing Phoenix mother Susan Cook

This is an odd story. Susan Cook went missing from Phoenix, Arizona on December 14, 1996. I can’t find very much information on the case, but what we do know is that she was last seen by her husband in her apartment at 8130 W. Indian School Road. Female skeletal remains were found approximately six months after Susan’s disappearance in the area of 87th Ave and West Dobbins Road. Despite the fact the remains were discovered in an area less than eleven miles away from her apartment, they weren’t tested against Susan’s DNA until recently. In January 2014, the tests confirmed that the remains are Susan’s. At the time of her disappearance, Susan was thirty-two years old and married with two children. Police have confirmed they are treating Susan’s death as a homicide.

I am curious as to why testing the remains against Susan’s DNA took eighteen years, especially considering the location of where the body was found in proximity to her apartment. I suspect we’ll be hearing more about this case soon.

Police digging in backyard of missing mom Patty Vaughan’s husband

I haven’t written the chapter on Patty Vaughan in my book, Missing Wives, Missing Lives, just yet, but her case is one of the next on my list to write about. Turns out the police have been digging at her husband’s former property in Texas this week in search of the missing mother of three. I’m so glad to see some action taking place on some of these cold cases!

Patty went missing on Christmas Day in 1996. Her husband, J.R. Vaughan, has long been a person of interest in her disappearance. According to J.R., the two had a fight and she got in her minivan and drove away. Two days after she vanished, the minivan was found abandoned with a flat tire approximately fifteen miles from her home. Inside the van, the carpeting had been freshly shampooed and was still damp, but investigators still found traces of Patty’s blood. Police also discovered her blood in the master bedroom of the couple’s home, and on a mop in the residence. Since her disappearance, there have been several searches for Patty, including at a high school in 2006 where J.R. reportedly was filling concrete slabs the week Patty went missing.

Patty’s family believes she never left the house and J.R. buried her in the backyard. According to police, they inspected the area at the time of Patty’s disappearance, but didn’t find anything suspicious. Now that J.R. and the couple’s three children live in Colorado, it appears investigators are acting on the beliefs of the family members and conducting a dig at the former residence.

UPDATE: Nothing of interest was found during the dig. Very sad, but Patty’s family refuses to give up hope. The search will continue until they are able to bring Patty home.

Karla Villagra-Garzon’s body found; husband charged with murder

In a sad update to the case of missing NJ mom Karla Villagra-Garzon, Elizabeth Police have announced that they have discovered her remains in a Chatham Township residence that has been vacant since Superstorm Sandy. Reported missing on February 24 by her husband, there have been few details available about an ongoing search. Originally investigators said that Karla’s husband, Abayuba Rivas, was cooperating with the investigation, but word comes tonight that he has been arrested for first-degree murder. Bail has been set at 2 million dollars.