It was like the movies," Kubiszyn said. On December 1, 1971, three corpses were found at a house located on North LaSalle Street in Indianapolis. Both had been beaten to death with a baseball bat that had been a birthday present for Peter. It was personal to them.". Upon further investigation, the employee found $500 missing, along with four other employees. All rights reserved (About Us). The Smith family also has long thought there were more than Bland and McPherson involved, as does McPherson's family. She will be eligible for parole consideration again in five years. McPherson was the "nurse" who made the call, and she dropped Bland off at the Lawson home to carry out the kidnapping. (WSAV) - There are 42 unsolved murder cases in Jasper County dating from 1979 to 2018. "Mr. Johnny Swinten, Vietnam Vet. 'Unsolved Mysteries' linked to Alabama Jones was also implicated in the deaths of Amanda Greenwell, 16, of Douglasville, Ga. and Katherine Collins, 45, a New Orleans sex worker. On Sept. 19, 2005, Melvin Keeling, 43, Loveland, Ohio, shot and killed Family Express employees Lisa Kendall, 29, and Kendora Furr, 38, at the gas station, located on U.S. 24 and Interstate 65. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. If you know anything about these persons, or their last known locations, please call 205-302-6464. Then police got a phone call. In response to the murders of 17-year-old Ruth Shelton, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 16-year-old Daniel Roy Davis, Burger Chef offered the public a $25,000 reward for any clues that could lead to an arrest. My sister had a minor role in this. In 1999, high school seniors J.B. Hilton Green Beasley and Tracie Jean . They cried with us. (Associated Press). Both of these suspicions were quickly ruled out, as there was no evidence of ritual activity, and a VCR and a camera were left untouched at the crime scene. However, for one Florida family, the Christmas season became a nightmare. When Lawson Sr. arrived at the site, however, there were about five police cars there totally unconnected to the kidnapping case, purely a coincidence. 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The whole Jerry Bland suicide is very suspicious, and it's very possible somebody else killed him. And then, Day 2, they told you again. Then they got in my car and they left.". Its under my watch so its hard to sleep at night with a case thats unsolved," said Dallas County Sheriff Mike Granthum. Now. Unsolved Crimes If you have information concerning any of these crimes, please contact our Criminal Investigations Division through our Report Form or by phone at 205-669-4181. "The cases today are looked at through the lens of Carrie's case. "I can still see the driveway. His corpse, which was found in a nearby field, showed that Keith had been shot three times. Other theories about the case include a scorned, jealous husband or boyfriend (all three men had an ongoing bet about who could sleep with the most women) and the local mob. And it bothers me that my kids have to read stuff like that.". Its not the type of place where famous people live or where news is made every day. Posted at 1:45 PM, Nov 20, 2018 . My uncle called me, and then my dad got on the phone and told me that Carrie had been kidnapped," Carrie's older sister recalled. McPherson quickly pleaded guilty in November 1991 and was sentenced to life in prison. if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; A popular theory has it that ex-cons Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, the main villains in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood, actually carried out the murders. It has also plagued the family of a woman who has been behind bars for 25 years in connection with the crime. . Upon a close examination of the crime scene, police discovered that each victim had been struck in the head with some kind of blunt object. [5] Such overkill caused Plumas County Sheriffs Office special investigator Mike Gamberg, along with Sheriff Greg Hagwood, to suspect that as many as six people may have taken part in the murders. Keddie, however, became infamous on the night of April 11, 1981. They were able to tentatively identify him by his voice after releasing audiotapes of his ransom demands. The kidnapping happened about 3 a.m. at the home Lawson, 25, shared with her husband, 26-year-old Earl Lawson, also an attorney. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The days without an arrest turned into months and then . Clearly it wasn't.". But everyone that knew her felt like they were loved by her, and that was extraordinary.". His penis had also been removed. Then the phone rang at the Decatur Police Department. The victims hands were bound, and their throats had been so deeply slit that they had all nearly been decapitated. Whited's lawyer in the drug case, Griff Belser, said he was unaware of the arrest in the slaying until after it was announced by police. Authorities said it was not clear what prompted the call from Whited, who was jailed for the killing with bail set at $15,000. They cared, and tried their very hardest. In 1997, a prison inmate claimed he had first-hand knowledge of the case. "He called the payphone and said, 'I'm watching you right now. if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); ", "What has been taken from me personally is immeasurable," said Carrie's sister, Margaret Smith Kubiszyn. All Rights Reserved. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. } Making an arrest in these cases, helps families, it gives them some kind of closure, but it will never completely heal, Mitchell said. Meanwhile, the investigation continued. Kennedy said the unit intends to release information concerning Jowers' death ahead of the anniversary each year until the case is solved, in the hopes that someone will come forward with new information as to the person or people responsible. Kennedy then said investigators believe the shooter may have hidden in nearby bushes and later escaped through a wooded area behind the south part of the bar's parking lot. A woman who has been in prison for more than 30 years in the kidnapping of a young Jasper lawyer, whose body has never been found, has again been denied parole. Still, Bland didn't know that and called off the drop. Another Texas serial killer, Tommy Lynn Sells, confessed to the crime in 2000, but over the years, his story repeatedly changed. A new true crime podcast is seeking answers on behalf of the family of Eric Cates, a 32-year-old whose burned remains were found inside his truck beside those of his dog behind the old Empire school in 2015. Robbery is one potential motive floated to the public by investigators, as police speculate Jowers may have been robbed of cash earned at his other jobs as a carpenter and handyman after he had been shot. They were to come to the hospital. All three women had been attacked with a knife; the killer had slashed each of their throats. / AP. Karen McPherson, now 60, is serving a life sentence in the kidnapping of Carrie Smith Lawson, who was abducted from her Jasper home in the early-morning hours of September 11, 1991. On Saturday, Sept. 28, 1991, federal agents searched Bland's home. November 28, 2003. The victim's vehicle was found partially submerged in the Tennessee River. In fact, investigators later found that Christines shoes were coated in blood that did not belong to her. At around 2:00 AM on June 29, 1978, three gunmen entered a Boston bar called Blackfriars. The intensity lasted for about six weeks, but ultimately the FBI and other agencies pulled out. Last updated January 26, 2023. Thats really what makes me saddest about the whole thing., Karen McPherson, now 60, has been jailed since she pleaded guilty in November 1991. His wife, Sheila, who has since moved out of Alabama, was McPherson's cousin. These belonged to 44-year-old Brenda Patch and 71-year-old Cynthia Paulus. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Mr. November 20, 2020 / 6:33 AM In 2019, there were 39 murders in Montgomery County, Alabama. Indeed, the victims were nearly decapitated by their killer. In 1894 in Linn County, four members of the Meeks family (Gus, Delora, Hattie and Mary) were brutally murdered by George and William Taylor, wealthy citizens of northeast Missouri. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Jasper, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. Crime in Jasper, Alabama (AL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities Alabama, Alabama smaller cities, Alabama small towns Jasper main page US Crime Crime rate in Jasper, Alabama (AL) If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. But it wasn't one of our shining successes. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Others suggested that drug addicts had killed the Dardeen family in order to hock their possessions for drug money. These cases are solvable, but we need your help. Unsolved murders of Alabama Erin Edgemon | eedgemon@al.com Charles R. "Dick" Salmon Charles R. "Dick" Salmon, 72, of Auburn was found dead of a gunshot wound at the service station he owned and. "That's the part of the story I tell as often as I can to the people who want to hear it," he said. Mike Everett as wearing some type of covering on their head "like a cap" and was of average height and build. " Lawson said of Bland. I use it as an example when people have a horrible tragedy and their entire world as they know it has been obliterated. Throughout the county and city, similar stories of prolonged grief are being played out; 28 unsolved homicides since 2009. 'https://mountaineaglebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://mountaineaglebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); Closure came tantalizingly close when four young men were arrested in Texas and West Virginia in October 1999. "Macarena" by Los Del Ro was also the No. On November 19, police went to the trailer of 29-year-old Robert Keith Dardeen, who had failed to show up for work at the Rend Lake Water Conservancy District. The case remains one of the worst mass murders in Massachusetts history. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Mobile County Sheriffs Office Capt. At some point, Bland's wife and the girls left the home. The woman claimed to be a nurse at Walker Regional Medical Center. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. [3] The unidentified killer used duct tape to tie up his victims before shooting them execution-style. The couple got dressed and jumped into their Ford Explorer parked in the carport. A search of Blands property found the majority of the $300,000 paid by her family. The house belonged to two of the victims, 34-year-old Robert Gierse and 27-year-old Robert Hinson. And, of course, there were people who thought Lawson was somehow involved in Carrie's abduction. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The case file on Brown remains what it . In 1996, investigators hired a construction crew to pump out a pool at a closed surface mine in Tuscaloosa County. Lane Bryant is known as a popular clothing store for bigger women. They were still missing a definitive link, until a cassette tape was found -- reportedly by a young boy at an apartment complex who turned them over to his father -- that had recordings of plans to kidnap Jasper businessman and coal executive Ellis Taylor. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Please note in order for the office to follow up on any information . According to our research of Alabama and other state lists, there were 61 registered sex offenders living in Jasper, Alabama as of March 01, 2023. 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