The Case of Jennifer Kesse

Jennifer, Disappeared…

I can’t personally say that I’ve been to Orlando, Florida. But I’ve only heard good things about it. From Disneyworld to the Orlando Magic in their day with multiple great NBA Players as a basketball fan myself. But like any major city it isn’t immune to crime and on January 24th, 2006. A young woman by the name of Jennifer Kesse, originally from Tampa, disappeared after she had left work for the day.
Jennifer would be last seen on January 23rd at around 6pm at Westgate Resorts in Ocoee, Florida. In the following hours she would make several calls to friends and family, with the last being to her boyfriend at around 10pm. What happened after that, is as good as anybody’s guess. Come the next morning, the first signs that something wasn’t right would arise.
Come the morning of the 24th of January 2006, Jennifer would not send out a single message or call anyone she knew. She was known to contact her boyfriend every morning to wish him a good day as many couples do. After failing to arrive at work at the normal time, efforts to reach Jennifer proved to be fruitless and with good reason her friends and family began to worry.
Her Employer would reach out to her parents who would journey from hours away to begin the search for their missing daughter. When her parents arrived at her home, her vehicle was gone. Yet inside her condo they could not find anything that seemed out of place. All signs appeared as if she completed her morning routine and left for work.
As soon as that evening her friends and family began passing out Missing Persons fliers and with the help of the local Police Department, the search for Jennifer was underway. Air, Land and Sea, no resource was spared in trying to find the young lady. Everyone knew that if she was not going to show up to work at the very least, she would have given some kind of notice or explanation to cover her bases.
Still the search parties proved fruitless and no sign of Jennifer would be found. Given the available evidence of clothes scattered on her unmade bed and pajamas on the bathroom floor coupled with make-up and other grooming products on the counter. Her parents would urge the Condo Manager to use a set of extra keys to open her residence and that’s when they found her belongings scattered around.
To many it appeared that she had completed her morning routine and left for work but from there, the trail went cold. Jennifer’s parents would theorize that she may have had an argument with her boyfriend and would return soon, something thing that is common in missing persons cases. But she never came back and her friends and family would begin to use this condo as a base of operations over the following months.
After the first few days and the initial media coverage on Thursday, 26, 2006, the tenant of a nearby apartment complex who had been watching the recent news coverage of the story took notice a vehicle that matched the description of Jennifer’s and informed law enforcement of the vehicle. Unmoved after several days, investigators arrived and quickly photographed the vehicle before taking it for more thorough forensic testing.
However, the vehicle, a 2004 Black Chevy Malibu, would not be all that the investigators would find. During the neighborhood canvas, they would happen upon footage on a security camera of somebody parking Jennifer’s car and walking away from it without looking back. From there on out the trail would go cold. This would be the strongest lead that the investigators would have. Even with the help of NASA to enhance the footage, this person remains unidentified.
All that can be surmised in this case is that Jennifer left her apartment for work, locking the door on her way out and was abducted either while walking to her car or as she entered her car given the lack of evidence suggesting someone had broken into her apartment. A person of interest who returned her vehicle to her local area is all that investigators have to go on in this case.
It is worth noting that at the time of Jennifer’s disappearance her apartment complex was undergoing extensive construction and expansion operations at the time of her disappearance. Many of the crew members were undocumented at the time and as a result have been hard to track down since the time of her disappearance. Still at the time many of those workers were allowed to live in the complex while it was being constructed and have since raised the eyebrows of investigators considering that the figure spotted in the surveillance tapes is dressed like a construction worker.
Jennifer had told her family and friends that she had been experiencing harassment from the construction workers in the lead up to her disappearance. Authorities efforts to identify and interrogate the workers at the complex failed to generate any new leads. Failure in this area of her life would lead investigators to focus on her professional life and in there a new lead would arise.
Upon searching Jennifer’s computer, it would come to light that a co-worker who was in a management position at the resort that she was employed at had been making attempts to pursue a relationship. She had told those close to her that she was against workplace relationships, still after extensive questioning and investigation, they would conclude that this individual would not arise to the level of suspect. They would note that there is a slight chance that she had become a victim of human trafficking but it would be highly unlikely.
In 2007, her employer, lead by founder David A. Siegel would offer a million-dollar reward for information leading to her being found alive. Unclaimed to this day, another reward of five thousand dollars would be offered by the Central Florida Crime line for information leading to Jennifer’s remains being found.
However as of June 10th, 2010 the FBI has taken the lead in this ongoing investigation and if you feel as if you have information relevant to this case, please contact your local office. You may discount your assistance as being minimal but even the smallest detail may lead to a resolution in this case…

Mr Fisher, where art thou?

Mr Fisher, Where art thou?

I cannot understand what would drive a man, let alone a father of two to murder not only his wife but children too. This case to me will always leave more questions than answers until Mr. Fisher decides to either turn himself in or is caught by law enforcement. Even if he is caught, one can only wonder if he would cooperate and tell the story as to what was on his mind when he went down this dark path.

A fear of his children experiencing a divorce like he had and also a measure revenge from what ever feelings of hatred he had been festering towards his wife. All of this we can all assume built up over a given period of time leading to these violent crimes. It’s almost exactly like Yoda says in The Phantom Menace “Fear is the path to the dark side, Fear leads to anger, Anger leads to hate – Hate leads to suffering”.

My thoughts about where Robert Fisher may have fled to the mountains in Northern Arizona where he had some other means of travel after abandoning Mary’s Toyota 4Runner. It is worth noting that perhaps investigators did not search the cave network thoroughly enough and Robert may have escaped or died there. Maybe one day an innocent explorer will search these caves and his remains deep within the extensive cave network that exists.

Still I wonder how the family dog did not follow him after he exited the vehicle. Perhaps it was simply obedient when he told it to stay put and waited for him to return, or maybe he had some other means of escape pre-planned to further aid him in his flight from justice.

We know that he had already had one affair and Mary chose to give him a second chance but I wonder if it is possible if had others that never came to public light and one of them was waiting for him up in the mountains to aid in his escape. Many husbands promise lovers they will leave their wives and families for them and perhaps Robert Fisher held true to his word in a more sadistic manner than anyone imagined.

Perhaps worse, she knew all along what Robert was either planning or found out after the fact yet decided to overlook it and stay with him. Ted Bundy’s girlfriend when he was on trial for murder said that she would marry him, so it isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine that another woman felt the same way for Robert Fisher.

Yes of course he may have committed suicide and this is all speculation but this theory definitely has merit when it is well documented that women for whatever reason are attracted to men who have carried out acts of murder and even on multiple occasions. Ted Bundy isn’t the only popular case where this can be observed, the same thing occurred during the trial of Richard Ramirez and one could argue both were worse individuals than Robert Fisher as depraved as that may be.

But returning to the case in hand and after seventeen years on the run, Robert William Fisher has become the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted fugitive. We are still no closer to a resolution in this case and while it would not surprise me for his remains to one day be found in the mountains of Northern Arizona. But given his obvious sense of arrogance and superiority, I find it hard that after killing his family that he would take his own life.

I’m no psychiatrist but I just find it hard to grasp that a man rids himself of his biggest problem that he perceived in his life, only to end it shortly afterwards. To me personally, that makes no sense. If I think that highly of myself and I am out for to stick it to someone I despise as much as one can I assume he did Mary at the end, why not enjoy the freedom that I have created for myself as dark as that may sound.

Maybe it wasn’t the other woman that aided him in his escape, maybe it was a friend. Someone that was willing to accept the evil that this man committed whether it was to be with them even if he were simply using them to aid in his flight from justice. What I do not know however is would he have killed them also to cover the loose end this scenario would generate.

One day they might generate a conscience and decide to turn him in. As soon as he had developed a level of comfort in his escape from authorities then this person would have reached the end of their usefulness and perhaps Mr Fisher had done away with them also.

This is simply my thoughts on this matter and I sincerely hope that nobody else has become a victim of this man. I can only hope the Arizona elements claimed his life after he took the lives of his defenseless children who had their entire lives ahead of them. Ok, you’re afraid of them experiencing divorce like you did, that doesn’t give you the selfish right to prevent them from experiencing such an adversity and after all they may grow stronger because of it.

Even if you had grown to hate Mary, for what ever wrongs real or perceived that you could attribute to her. Why not just be the bigger individual and walk away rather than engage in primitive behavior? Your Children would still grow up and live out a full life, but thanks to your selfishness, they will never get that chance. The chance that all people deserve, to experience adversity and choose how they will let it affect them.

You chose to be weak, selfish and pathetic. Now all that we can hope for is that one day you will stand trial for the evil you chose to commit. Maybe the wild elements of Arizona saved the tax payers some money from having to prosecute this selfish coward and that an explorer with the right equipment will find whats left of you in the depths of a cave network and finally put an end to this matter.

But I cannot help shake the possibility that your cowardly being still walks this Earth thinking that you have escaped the grasp of law enforcement and judgement in this matter. One day you will slip in complacency and the answer the FBI or local law enforcement needs to capture you will present itself and this matter will finally be put to rest…

The Flight of Mr Fisher

Scottsdale, Arizona – April 10, 2001

In a prominent suburb of the sunny metropolis that is Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona and the fifth most populous city nationwide. What one might see as the perfect family life turned into a suburban nightmare. A mother and her children in the one place that they should feel the most safe – Their home.

When Firefighters responded to the scene of what was reported as being a natural gas fire at the home of Robert William Fisher and his wife Mary. The fire had exploded with incredible ferocity and torn through the home at 2000 N 74th Place at almost 9AM. How could one prepare themselves for what they would find, I will never understand.

The explosion was so power that the brick structure of the home had collapsed and much of the home now lay in ruins. The surrounding homes in the neighborhood had their frames rattled as a result. But fortunately the firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the Fisher residence.

While there was little or nothing left of the home, neighbors were reporting that there was a possibility that the family was in the home which drew the attention of the local police. The Detectives who responded would find three bodies in what remained of the residence.

One detective would note that despite not being an expert in fire aspect of this case, in most cases someone would have woken and tried to escape the scene. With no evidence of any attempt, it already started to look as if a triple homicide had occurred. The children, Brittney who was 12 and Bobby Jr only 10 were found in their beds. Their throats cut so deeply that the vertebrae of Spine had been damaged.

Their Mother not only had her throat slashed in a similar manner but had also suffered a gunshot to the head. It is believed Robert Sr, then poured a liquid accelerant around the home before lighting a lone candle. He tampered with the gas line to the furnace in order to create a leak which would then eventually fall upon the candle creating the explosion that drew the attention of the authorities.

After it was confirmed his body was no where to be found amongst the remnants of the family home he was estimated to have gained a ten hour head start in his escape from the scene of his crimes. Spotted at a nearby gas station refilling his wife’s truck and withdrawing money before dropping from sight completely.

Still to this day, the only suspect in this case – it is believed he drove the vehicle north into the mountains where it would later be found abandoned. The Toyota 4Runner was found abandoned in the Ponderosa Pine Forest on the 20th of April 2001. However an extensive search of the surrounding area turned up no trace of Robert. A witness did report that they thought saw him walking northwards towards Highway 260.

The family dog was also found waiting by the vehicle, suggesting whatever means he took out of the area prevented the dog from following him. Perhaps he was driven out of the area, perhaps he fled into the woods – nobody knows.

The speculated motive for this tragedy is believed that Mary had threatened to divorce Robert and after experiencing his own parents divorce, Robert had told close friends that he would never let his own children experience what he had. The Investigators would learn during their enquiries that the marriage was anything but happy as they could be continually heard arguing and Mary berating her husband.

“I could have done better than you”, “You’re worthless or “We should get a divorce” were just some of the things the neighbors would overhear. Clearly the picture of an unhappy marriage. Still they only ever heard Mary yelling out such thoughts rather than Robert. Although they knew he had a rather stoic demeanor, Mary would always be the one they heard crying out.

Family footage however would indicate that Robert was the ultimate controlling personality. Various family videos give credence to such a claim. This coupled with his desire to protect his children from a divorce are believed to be the driving force behind such a heinous act. Some believe it was him snapping and wanting to stick it to his wife in anyway he could.

Since then only speculation and conjecture is all we have as to the fate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Most Wanted Fugitive. In years past, there have been a variety of different tips and avenues of investigation in this case. From an individual who bore a strong resemblance to Robert Fisher being apprehended to raids of homes believing to house the suspect turning up empty.

Avid outdoorsman suggest that if he did seek refuge in the extensive cave system in the Northern Arizona area, he may have either used them to avoid the initial searches, commit suicide or have died due to low oxygen levels. But to this day no remains have been found.

All we have are possible sightings and theories as to where Mr Fisher is now. In Years passed the FBI has released age-progression photos of him to reflect what he may look like today still to no avail. This case has been featured in various Television Programs and News Broadcasts but there has been no arrest.

In 2014, Law Enforcement raided a home in Colorado after receiving a tip that Fisher was hiding there. Still after arresting two individuals, they were unable locate any trace of the FBI’s most wanted man.

One should be aware that he is likely to be armed and dangerous given that he has prior military training and is an avid outdoorsman. Fisher also has ties to New Mexico and Florida. Profilers suggest that he would exhibit the personality of someone that thinks they know everything and that of a loner. He may walk with a oddly erect manner due to a back injury that would cause him to extend his chest.

This case is still actively worked by the FBI and the local Arizona departments. Therefore hope for a resolution in this case exists for the other members of both Robert and Mary’s families. Perhaps one day we will see a final resolution in this matter and Robert will finally stand accountable for his actions…

I almost thought this was click bait or a hoax…

If this is legitimate and pans out that he is the Golden State Killer/Original Night Stalker/East Area Rapist…

https://www.google.com/amp/fox40.com/2018/04/24/sources-report-possible-break-in-east-area-rapist-case/amp/

A Future’s End

A story tragically as old as time. When a young person with a bright future championed by their ambition is cut down before one could argue they had even reached their prime. Mystery only adds to the tragedy of situation, nobody having answers to where something so promising went so horribly wrong.

Jodi Huisentruit was a promising news anchor in Mason City, Iowa for the local CBS affiliate KIMT. Graduating from St. Cloud State University with a major in Mass Communications and Speech Communication as a member of the class of 1990. A native of Long Prairie, Minnesota and the youngest of daughter of Maurice and Imogene Huisentruit, Jodi began her career as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines, before settling in as the bureau chief for KGAN in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

She would once return to her home state of Minnesota to pursue an opportunity at KSAX before returning to Iowa to take her position at KIMT. Many believed she aspired to one day make her way to the big city and become a prime time news anchor with national recognition on a major network.

However this would all come to a sudden halt when she failed to show up for work on the morning of June 27^th, 1995. Producer Amy Kuns, noted that at 4:00 AM and with no sign of Jodi, something was wrong. She called Jodi at home and informed her of the situation. Jodi noted that she simply overslept and was on her way to work.

When hours passed and there was still no sign of Jodi, Kuns would fill in for Jodi on the morning show while the network called law enforcement after the show was complete. Jodi had been late before but this time something seemed to be different to those who knew her.

Upon their arrival at her home, they found her red Mazda Miata still parked in the lot. However there was evidence that suggested a struggle had taken place just outside the car. The officers would then find Jodi’s personal items scattered about the immediate vicinity. Although they would acquire a palm print from her car that remains unidentified to this day, this was the genesis for a mystery that remains unsolved Twenty-two years later.

The neighborhood canvas unveiled little other than neighbors hearing screams around the approximate time Jodi would be leaving for work. They did discover reports of a white van shining its lights in the parking lot around the same time and the van or its driver and/or other occupants have never been confirmed or identified.

Perhaps the dark side of fame had finally caught up to the ambitious young professional. Was she being followed by an obsessive viewer?. A bent key was found on the ground near her car to suggest she was grabbed from behind as she was unlocking her vehicle. More of her belongings would be found spread across the parking lot, as Police would later reveal.

Where is Jodi? A question that burned in the minds of all Jodi’s friends and colleagues at the news station but remained unanswered. Nobody was beyond question. A colleague, a viewer with an obsession, every angle of investigation was being considered. The disappearance even had her coworkers on edge in that they could be next.

Mason City Police considered every possible avenue. They would even welcome the support of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But in reality anyone who owned a television set could be considered suspect. Suspects even included convicted rapists who would vehemently deny any involvement in the case.

Time passed and every thing would return to what one might perceive to be normal. A tree remains out front of the KIMT offices dedicated to the life of a young woman who dreamed of reaching the stars but had it tragically taken away from her.

Leads would continue to come in and of course they were followed up with investigators doing their due diligence. While their confidence in finding a resolution to this case would never waiver even until this day, that resolution is yet to arrive.

At the famous age of 27, a young, bright and ambitious professional had her dreams snatched away form her by someone. Their motives remain as murky as the outcome of this case. Even State Representative, John Kooiker voiced his opinion on the case in recent years and suggested that the resolution has been found but suppressed by other city officials.

Regardless of a cover up or not, a beautiful young woman had her life tragically cut short. A suspect still remains at loose today and does not deserve to die with an honorable name. He or she must be held accountable for their actions and it is only my hope that I see this happen…

 

Bible John

“Bible John”

Glasgow, Scotland

February 23, 1968, the naked body of nurse was found by a man on his way to work in a lane behind Carmichael Place in Scotland’s largest city and the third largest in the United Kingdom. A man on his way to work found Patricia Docker laying dead after she had been sexually assaulted and strangled and left only a few yards from her home.

After telling her parents that she would be spending the night at the Majestic Ballroom dancing the night away, she in fact went elsewhere. Attending the night for over-25’s at the Barrowland ballroom. Police speculate that at some point throughout the night she met her killer after the left the Majestic and moved to the Barrowland.

Days would pass before Detectives could piece together her movements over the course of the night, costing them valuable time. To further complicate the investigation, her clothes and belongings were never found coupled with the lack of a witness of any kind.

One can only speculate what happened over the course of her evening. The limited available facts leave her murder ripe for speculation. Given that the detectives took days to piece together her movements and the suspect kept all of her belongings. Every detail of this crime outside of the manner in which she died maybe lost forever.

Still of course to Police this could only be considered an isolated incident. It would be the first in at least is what a known trilogy of cases in what would come to be known as the case of “Bible John”.

August 15^th, 1969

18 months after the murder of Patricia Docker, Jemima McDonald, a 32-year-old mother of three, also took a night out at the Barrowland Ballroom. Over the course of a weekend, her sister Margaret would hear rumours of what was referred to as “the body” from young children over on MacKeith Street as they left an old tenant building.

Her growing concern would lead to her to investigate the cause of these rumours on the Monday after the weekend had passed. Arriving at the house, her worst fears would be realised. The manner of death would be similar to that of Patricia Docker over a year prior yet with once distinct difference.

Jemima would be found fully clothed. Despite a similar manner of death, the suspect would not take her clothes like he had done in the case of Patricia Docker. Strangulation, Sexual Assault, Blunt force trauma were all present but in this case, there were witnesses.

They could place her at the scene at least up until midnight when she left. Standing upon the arm of a man with slender build with red hair. After then only one can only speculate as to what happened next. Police would move from Door-to-Door trying to gather information of what had happened in regards to the crime.

Many would see her leaving the ballroom in the lead up to her body being found. Detective’s inquiries would lead to accounts of hearing screams from a woman who lived in the vicinity of the crime scene. Although she lived merely a few blocks from the crime scene, this same woman would fail to provide police with an accurate time frame in which the crime had taken place.

As time would pass and like the case of Patricia Docker, the murder of Jemima McDonald would find itself in the Cold pile. Time would pass and the information that came in would continually wound down. Despite having a witness who claimed that they heard screams, Investigators were unable to provide a time frame into which they heard such sounds and as a result the case would go cold.

October 31^st, 1969

One of the most popular weekends of the year, a horror story manifested itself in to reality when 29-year-old Helen Puttock was found in Earl Street over in the Scotstoun are of Glasgow. Just as the other victims before her she had attended the same Barrowland Ballroom on the night of her murder.

Spending the evening with her sister Jean, both met men called John. One claimed from Castlemilk but the other did not disclose his background. After spending approximately an hour with the men, they decided to head home. The John from Castlemilk would headed for a bus home in George Square, while the other three decided to share a taxi ride home. This taxi ride would later become a crucial piece of information in the investigation.

After dropping Jean in Knightswood, Helen and John would continue on towards Earl Street. This would prove to be the last time anyone would see Helen alive. She would be found raped and strangled the following morning albeit with some differences than the previous victims.

The contents of her handbag lay scattered at the scene. Helen had also suffered at least one penetrating bite from her attacker. She lay in the garden behind her apartment and despite that her belongings lay scattered; her bag itself was nowhere to be found. Leading investigators to believe that it was taken as a trophy and grass stains suggested there was some kind of struggle in during the assault.

The Resulting Investigation –

The ensuing investigation would lead detectives to learn of the John character the sisters shared a taxi ride with before the murder. A man that was well spoken that quoted many passages from the Bible as time would pass. From then on “Bible John” was born as the media took the epithet and ran with it.

Helens sister, Jean would later provide an outline of the John man last seen with her sister on the night she was murdered. A polite and well spoken, tall yet slender around 5’10 and with fair/reddish hair. She would claim that he had given his name as “John Templeton” or “Sempleson”.

Over the course of the night he would continually demonstrate his religious devotion by quoting the bible and saying that “I do not drink Hogmanay, I Pray”. He would also make references to Moses and how the dance halls were “dens of iniquity”.

With this new case, a connection was made to the cases of Patricia Docker and Jemima McDonald in years past. The similarities between each that would leave authorities to believe that a serial killer was at large on the streets of Glasgow.

A composite sketch would be developed from the description provided from the inquiries leading witness, Helen’s sister Jean. However as investigators expanded their inquiries at the Barrowland Ballroom, the bouncers would paint a different picture of the suspect and attribute the discrepancies to Jean being heavily intoxicated on the night of her sister’s murder.

They would suggest that the sisters left with a man that was still well spoken but shorter and with jet-black hair. It was also suggested that the suspect was also not directly quoting the bible, but more simply referencing it.

Still Jean would defend her state of mind in that she would insist she was clear eyed during the taxi ride and that her description was accurate. This gained support from a bouncer who could claim that many of his peers at the ballroom were not good with remembering individual faces.

Also a disheveled looking man yet well dressed was spotted with what may have been scratch marks on his face, getting off a bus at around 1:30 am at Sauchiehall street before heading towards the ferry that would cross the River Clyde and into the south side of the city.

Doing their due diligence in the investigations more similarities between each case would emerge that would reinforce the opinions of investigators that they had a serial killer active in Glasgow. All had attended the Barrowland Ballroom and when they were found, their handbags were gone. All were strangled with their stockings and raped.

From witness accounts all of them were escorted home before falling just short as they were murdered. All of them were menstruating at the time of death and had pads or tampons placed on or near their bodies.

Still not all were convinced that a serial killer was at large and that “Bible John” was simply an invention of the media. Perhaps there may have been multiple killers at large and in a time before DNA testing and perhaps a proper chain of evidence we may never know…

Forever Cruel

“Forever Cruel”

How could one describe an attacker who would abduct a child from their home in the dead of night in any other way than cruel? Even if one could look past the heinous actions demonstrated towards the child victim, imagine the anguish the parents would experience in their inability protect their child or fear of never seeing them again. A profiler would suggest dubbing this man as a cruel individual may be counter-productive to the investigation, but a human being may find it perfectly fitting.

In the 1980’s, what is considered today as the world’s most livable city of Melbourne, fell victim to a notorious pedophile that would later become known as “Mr. Cruel.” He would strike in the still of night, abducting children to commit his twisted fantasies before abandoning them in obscure locations. Using military like precision, he would enter the home and steal a child right from their bed. Today however, this series is remembered for its horrifying and tragic conclusion.

All one can do now is wonder. Wonder who he was? Where is he now? How has he been able to get away with such crimes? Perhaps we will never know. But like the age-old saying goes “anything is possible” and like the X-Files slogan – “The Truth is out there.” All we have to do is find it. Finding the truth provide closure to the numerous victims and an identity to a notorious child killer.

The Victorian Police have withheld much of the information of the information about this case, including the number of offences this man is believed to be responsible for. So all one can do is use the information at hand to develop their own beliefs about the case of Mr. Cruel and where he might be now.

August 22^nd, 1987

In the outer Melbourne suburb of Lower Plenty, a family was fast asleep in the early hours of Saturday morning. The serenity and safety of their home was about to be shattered by the intrusion of a balaclava-wearing burglar. Entering through a lounge room window, the man entered the parent’s bedroom. Brandishing a small handgun and a large hunting knife he bound the parents using a specialist style knot before gagging them and making his way into the children’s room.

Upon his arrival in the children’s bedroom he bound, gagged and blindfolded the six-year-old boy who lay peacefully on his bed. Now he could finally turn his attention to his true motive for entering the home, the eleven-year-old girl who lay innocently on the bed adjacent to her brother. Despite his future moniker he remained calm, cool and collected through out the entire event in claiming sexual gratification from the young girl.

His degree of self control reached such limits that he took the time to steal food from the cupboards and prepare himself a meal while the family lay helpless in the presumed sanctuary of their own home. In what would later become part of the offenders established modus operandi that would link all of these crimes together was the offender establishing false leads in his offences. In this particular event, the offender took the time to place what would later be established as a fake phone call where he threatened another family with similar violence.

This particular aspect of the offender’s behavior would become part of the behavior that police used to identify the fact they were dealing with a serial offender. This offence would serve as the only confirmed beginning of the series of crimes committed by this offender. Despite speculation to the contrary, this served as documented beginning of Mr. Cruel’s reign of fear as Victoria Police have kept information regarding many of the offences a closely guarded secret.

December 27^th, 1988

Over a year had passed since the suspect had last been heard from albeit unbeknownst to investigators at the time. A man entered a property in the suburb of Ringwood and abducted ten year old, Sharon Wills straight out of her bed. First entering the parent’s room and placing a small firearm to her father’s head and steadfastly warning him with the words “Don’t be a hero!”…

He bound her parents in the same manner as his previous assault, using specialist knots and gagging them with surgical tape. Upon completion of his restraint of the parents, he indulged in his signature of creating a false lead as he stole approximately thirty-five dollars from their beside table in an attempt to give the impression that this was simply a routine burglary.

Then proceeding into the children’s bedroom, he woke the young victim using her name. Police would later speculated he may have seen her photo in the newspaper some months prior in a story about their home catching fire. After restraining the young girl, he lifted her straight out of her bed and into the night. When the parents eventually managed to struggle free, they became confronted with the cruel reality of what would be any parent’s worst nightmare.

Their daughter had been carried off by what was apparently a simple burglar. Distraught and overcome with panic, the father attempted to call the police only to discover the intruder had cut the phone line. Forced to run to their neighbors to contact police before running around the neighborhood looking for their daughter,

The Wills family underwent an excruciating 18-hour wait before their daughter was found abandoned walking along the side of the road not far from her home. Dressed in garbage bags, a passing motorist took her back to their home so she could contact her parents to let them know she was safe and sound. Despite undergoing a torturous ordeal, she appeared to show remarkable resiliency for a girl here age and gave Police a good portion of information about her abductor.
 

However only one type of information was unable to ever be found. The offender appeared to have an intimate knowledge of forensic science in that he was meticulous in eliminating any potential material that could have lead investigators back to him. Brushing and flossing their teeth, hand washing his victims, and even clipping finger and toenails to remove any potential DNA he may have left on his victims.

Being blindfolded for the entire eighteen-hour ordeal prevented Sharon from being able to ascertain a physical description of her attacker. Still she managed to describe his actions in great detail. Despite his notorious moniker, Mr. Cruel appeared to care for his victims by feeding them and was often a gentle and quite spoken individual.

After this assault, Mr. Cruel became somewhat of a modern day boogey man as a climate of fear began to dawn upon the city of Melbourne. Children and Parents a like were afraid that any one of them could be next and unbeknownst to the public and law enforcement at the time, this was only the beginning…

July 3^rd, 1990

On what is one of the most prestigious and exclusive stretches of property in Monomeath Avenue in Canterbury lay a predator who had been dormant for almost two years. Lurking in the shadows of the Lynas family home was the man who made headlines almost two years prior for his abduction of Sharon Wills. All the while thirteen-year-old Nicola Lynas and her sister lay unsuspectingly asleep in the apparent sanctuary of their home.

Near the stroke of midnight they awoke to find a masked intruder standing over them and barking instructions at them. Whilst restraining her sister, the suspect ordered Nicole to return to her room and collect her school uniform. A peculiar request one might think but this act would later give Police a link to a possible suspect. Still brandishing a hunting knife and a hand gun, the suspect whispered to Nicola’s bound sister that it would cost her father twenty five thousand dollars if he ever wanted to lay his eyes on his daughter alive again.

But like the Wills case, one can only assume this was simply another false lead planted to keep police off his trail. If this were a real ransom, the suspect failed to leave behind the most important detail of all in how it would be collected. Despite the father’s apparent willingness to pay the amount demanded, he had no instructions to follow for the return in his daughter.

Escaping in the family car, the suspect took Nicola and drove approximately one kilometer away from the house where it can only be surmised that he had his own vehicle waiting. From there on he vanished into night like a ghost. A ghost may be the best way to describe this man as just like in the Wills case, not a single witness was ever found by the police.

Almost half an hour later, Nicola’s parents returned home. Shocked by the front door being wide open and the empty driveway, they hesitantly entered their home to find one daughter still laying bound and gagged on her bed and the other missing. Originally from England, the Lynas family moved to Melbourne through the fathers business as they felt it to be the safest place to raise children. That picture of a tranquil and safe environment was shattered in less than half an hour.

Some may say it was sheer luck that the police gained almost no evidence from their later examination of the crime scene, but to others it simply served to further the reality of how difficult it would be for Police to capture this offender. During a press conference, Nicola’s father declared his willingness to negotiate the ransom for his daughter’s release. But again like the Wills case, it was simply a ruse.

The only information investigators managed to gather on the case was that which was given to them by Nicola herself who left an impression on these skilled professionals. She was found abandoned in the suburb of Kew next to an electricity substation approximately fifty hours after she was taken. She managed to make her way to a nearby house and called her father to relieve him with the news her family had being praying for. That she was safe and alive.

During her later interviews with the detectives of Operation Spectrum, the taskforce established to identify and catch Mr. Cruel she would provide some of the only known information about where Mr. Cruel would keep his victims and various mannerisms that would help identify a suspect. Unfortunately however, to this day he still remains unidentified.

Once investigators were certain they were dealing with the same man responsible for the abduction of Sharon Wills and the assault of the eleven-year-old girl in Lower Plenty year’s prior, they were certain of one thing – there was a serial offender on their hands. But one of the few things they could be sure about was that his offences were escalating. He never attempted to abduct the eleven-year-old girl and Sharon Wills was taken for only eighteen hours. Now Nicola Lynas had been taken for approximately fifty hours.

Not only did he appear to be perfecting his craft but he was also losing the battle to control his sinister and vile urges. The time between each offence was decreasing and the time each young girl was held in a torturous confine by this man was only getting longer. It was considered to be only a matter of time when this man would return and strike again. But when he does it will result in one of the biggest and most remembered tragedies in the history of Melbourne crime…

April 13^th, 1991

Success in life does not come easy in any aspect you wish to find it. The case of the Chan family was no exception. John and Phyllis Chan worked long hours in their popular Eltham restaurant, which happened to be one of three that they owned along with property investments that were acquired through countless hours of hard work and dedication. Starting at seven o’clock in the morning and finishing at midnight had almost become part of their daily routine.

But despite the long hours they were able to provide a comfortable life for their three daughters. They lived in a secluded luxury home in the suburb of Templestowe in the northeastern area of Melbourne. One would think that this would provide the family with an escape from their busy lives on the far side of the high fences of their home. However on a fateful autumn night while their eldest daughter Karmein would be engaging in her regular habit of looking after her two younger siblings, the same tragedy that befell the Wills and Lynas families in years prior would strike again for a third and final horrific time.  

In the early hours of a Saturday night the masked predator who had been haunting the city of Melbourne for many years now engaged in what is considered the last of his heinous crimes. Little did we know at the time that this single event would end as one of the saddest tales to befall the city of Melbourne. Disturbing the young girls as they walked down the hall towards the kitchen, Mr. Cruel forced the sisters back into the bedroom where they had been watching television.

Forcing Karmein’s two younger siblings into the closet and placing their bed up against it to trap them inside, he then turned his attention to Karmein. After telling her sisters trapped in the closet that he only wanted money and they would all be left unharmed he took her at knife point from the home approximately two hundred meters down a suburban street unnoticed to where one can only conclude he had a getaway vehicle parked.

Not long after their sister taken, the two girls who were trapped in the wardrobe managed to free themselves and contact their parents who were still unsuspectingly working hard at their restaurant in Eltham. When Police would later arrive they were greeted with the signature of the Mr. Cruel. Spray Painted on the side of the family car in big white letters read “Payback Asian Drug Dealer, More and More to come!”

But of course like any investigation, the detectives had to follow this lead just incase their was a drugs involvement in the crime. That avenue of course proved fruitless as Mr. Chan turned out to be as clean as any upstanding member of the community could be. This left no doubt in their minds as Mr. Cruel had returned. When members of Operation Spectrum arrived at the scene, they were greeted with any investigators worst nightmare.

The original officers who were first on the scene failed to secure the home and establish it as a crime scene for forensic examination. So in those crucial first hours there had been countless individuals walking through the home and potentially contaminating and destroying evidence that may have been able to finally identify a suspect.

Still despite all the horror surrounding Karmein’s abduction there was a slight glimmer of hope. Knowing Mr. Cruel had released all of his previous victims, the Chan family was hopeful their daughter would eventually come back to them despite her traumatic ordeal. They even gave a highly emotional press conference pleading for the return of their beloved daughter that could move even the most stoic of personalities.

Since the beginning of his reign of terror, the taskforce and its investigators had worked with the previous victims in Sharon and Nicola to develop some solid evidence about their abductor. Both told detectives hearing what they assumed were planes land which lead to police investigating approximately three thousand homes under the flight paths leading to Tullamarine Airport in suburbs as far east as Lower Plenty.

One of the most chilling details of all occurred however when it was realized that Karmein Chan attended the same school as Nicola Lynas in the form of Presbyterian Ladies College. An all-girls school located in the suburb of Burwood was thrust into the public eye as many began to speculate the offender might currently be employed within the Victorian school system. Despite all of these leads however, they were unable to put a name to the phantom that has holding a city captive through fear. 

Time continued to pass without a single sign that their daughter was coming home. Karmein’s desperate mother even offered a reward to the kidnapped for the return of her child but she was still greeted with nothing. Hours turned into days, days to weeks, and weeks into months without any communication from the kidnapper or any indication of Karmein’s whereabouts despite one of the most extensive manhunts in the history of Australian Crime.

April 9^th, 1992

Answers would finally be found however when four days short of a year after the abduction, Karmein was finally found. A man walking his dog stumbled across a skull in the suburb of Thomastown whilst out walking his dog. Upon closer inspection he discovered a completely decomposed body amongst the long grass adjacent to Edgars Creek. The man quickly returned home to notify police of his horrific discovery.

Upon their arrival all that could be determined was that the victim had died from gunshot wounds to the head. The coroner would later make the determination that there were three individual gunshot wounds to the skull. But that’s not all a forensic examination would ascertain. The answer the Chan family desperately sought was about to arrive but in the most tragic form anyone could possible imagine.

Further analyses of the remains lead investigators to discover that they had found Karmein Chan. The remains found by the creek in Thomastown were that of the young girl abducted almost a year prior from her family home. Although the family finally had a resolution in what happened to their daughter and the pain of not knowing could now subside. They were left with another series of questions perhaps even more painful.

Why did he kill her? That might just be the most prevalent of all questions raised by this tragedy. He returned all of his other victims, what made her so different. One can only wonder until the day he is finally unmasked and brought forward to face the justice he so rightfully deserves. To this day investigators still work this case today and Victoria Police have promised the city of Melbourne that this case will only be deactivated when the man dubbed Mr. Cruel is finally identified and convicted…

Mr Cruel

Mr Cruel

I’ve decided that this case will be the focus of my next piece, serial offenders of such high profile don’t occur often in the city of Melbourne but this one has always been of high interest to me.

Terror in the Night – My Thoughts

Terror in the Night – My thoughts

Who was the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker? That question has baffled detectives across the state of California since the debut of the suspect in the late 1970’s where he began preying upon the women of Sacramento County. Now thirty years later the case remains unsolved. Now not only do we wonder who he is, but where is he now?

Since his assault of Janelle Cruz in 1986, Investigators have been unable to link the offender to an assault. Despite a crusade lead by Detective’s Larry Pool and Larry Crompton to bring closure to this case through continued DNA testing and measures to maintain levels of awareness about this case, there has never been another assault linked conclusively to the same perpetrator. Naturally this leads us to wonder if he is still alive or locked away in a prison somewhere for a lesser charge.

If the latter is true then we may be faced with the terrifying reality that this offender may be due for release back into society and be free to continue his horrific deeds. He would be able to claim the lives of more innocent people. Detective Pool has spent much of his time testing the DNA of many California prisoners in an attempt to unmask the phantom suspect. However those efforts are so far yet to provide the answers sought.

Another possibility speculated in a profile of the offender by the FBI is that the offender is dead by either his own hand or as a result of his crimes. Given the lax nature of gun laws in the United States it is possible that the offender was killed whilst attempting to carry out another offense. Although the profile emphasizes that there is only a small possibility that this is true, I do believe investigators in the counties surrounding the various crime scenes to examine cases of attempted burglaries that resulted in the death of a lone male suspect and finally identify the suspect.

My opinion however, differs from that of most investigators. I freely admit that I hold no qualification in any relevant field and I am in no way affiliated with any law enforcement agency. I am simply offering the conclusions I have reached upon watching countless documentaries and news reports on the case along with reading numerous articles. While I do believe it is possible this offender is dead or in prison, I believe the reality is far more terrifying and that is the suspect is out free amongst society and free to strike again at any moment of his choosing.

Some way wonder if that were the case, Why haven’t we been able to link him to another crime since 1986?. I would simply counter that speculation by referring them to solved cases such as that of BTK, The Green River Killer or even an unsolved case like the Colonial Parkway Murders. The one thing all of these cases have in common is that the offender ceased committing their crimes at some point during the series and disappeared without a trace. I am aware to meet the criteria that of a serial murderer that the crimes must undergo a “cooling off” period between each offense but these offenders stopped committing their crimes completely.

But like these offenders, perhaps the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker underwent a change of circumstances in his personal life that prevented him from carrying out these offenses. Maybe he found another way to satisfy his grizzly urges. But that provides little protection from the frightening truth. The suspect could be somebody’s neighbor, friend, boyfriend, or even husband by now. He could have children or even grandchildren.

All we know is that the suspect was between 5’8 and 5’11 in height, caucasian with an athletic build. The suspect in the Goleta murders also had neatly kept blonde hair in shorter length. After fifty rapes and ten murders that is all the various agencies were able to determine. Despite the various composite sketches of the suspect, credibility of each of them has been doubted over the years as confusion over whether anyone ever actually managed to see his face still continues to this day.

The methods he used to prepare for his offenses such as prowling and breaking into the home prior to striking often suggested he had form of tactical training. The assaults were carried out in almost a stealth like fashion serving as a testament to his ability to remain unidentified during his reign of terror. One may wonder where he received this training and of course he may have done so through simply reading on his own. Of course that is a most plausible solution but I have always suspected that the truth was far more sinister.

After looking into the behavior of the offender and his MO, I have become a big proponent of the already popular theory that the offender was either a member of the local law enforcement agencies or even a member of the armed forces. Could a man entrusted by a community to protect it from such heinous individuals actually be the one committing such acts?. Given the modus operandi of the offender it is highly possible but we may never know.

It was not just the tactical precision in which these crimes were committed that made me wonder about this well-documented theory but also other aspects of the offenders behavior also. During the earlier days of the rapist’s reign of terror, the Sacramento County Police held town meetings to inform the public of the dangers currently lurking within their community. It was at such gatherings that a man who was in disbelief over the actions of the offender made such notions clear by voicing his thoughts to the entire audience.

However the reality of the East Area Rapist would become clear to him soon after the meeting. Approximately one month after he made his disbelief known to those present, The man and his wife became victims of the ghost haunting their community. Now this just may have been an astronomical coincidence, but could the rapist have been present at the meeting? Many have speculated that the rapist attended the meeting to see if the police had any solid information on him and target potential victims, however I feel as if the truth was much worse!

Putting this assault and the behavior of the offender together, I believe it is highly likely that the offender was not at the meeting as a member of the audience but the law enforcement representatives. I highly doubt he spoke at the meeting or was a lead investigator by any measure but perhaps he was a deputy or something along those lines simply standing around observing the room. Then as the meeting concluded he may have followed the man who spoke home in a squad car that would be less likely to arouse suspicion.

A patrol cop would also hold access to information regarding the patrols conducted by the task force dedicated to catching the phantom-like predator. He may have been given access to the routes and areas that the patrol would focus upon then use such information to find gaps in the strategies used. Then he could be free to strike almost at will and right under the nose of law enforcement. What could be even more terrifying is that after committing the sexual assault and fleeing the crime scene, the offender could have been one of the responding patrol officers.

Victims may never have known who the rapist was even if they had heard him speak. Nobody has ever appeared to have ever communicated with the suspect in a normal speaking manner has the all that was ever reported was that the rapist conveyed all of his messages through a hissing-like whisper. Therefore he could have arrived in response to a 911 call after the assault was complete and nobody may have been able to recognize they were dealing with the same individual who had just fled their property. That is just the frightening possibility in it’s worst case scenario.

Personally I do not believe to that to be true but given the mysterious nature of this offender and how much he enjoyed toying with his victims, anything is possible. All I am stating is that I believe the offender had some form of connection to the local law enforcement agencies. A military connection can also not be ruled out given the mobility of the offender as his crimes cover nearly the entire state of California.

The signature diamond knot is known for having usage amongst sailors and other water related activities so perhaps it would be a worthwhile task for investigators to run the established DNA profile of the offender through military databases and through any database featuring profiles of law enforcement officers. I recognize the controversial nature of such a measure but after all these years the victims and their surviving relatives deserve closure by any justifiable means.

I hold the highest levels of respect for those who serve their country and understand their concerns over the invasion of their privacy. However if one were made aware of the reasoning of such a measure, they would surely be willing to allow testing to be undertaken. I realize I am only conveying a theory with limited evidence to support it but the behavior of the suspect and the complex knot he employed.

While I was writing this final piece on this case a reader contacted me offering another theory I felt also had merit. Investigators often noted that houses where the offender struck were either undergoing renovations of some kind or were in the process of being sold. Suggesting that the offender was some kind of tradesman or construction worker also holds legitimacy in that victims often suggested the offender knew the layout of the home and the investigators often find that the crime scene had been prepared ahead of the eventual assault.

Perhaps the offender simply broke into the homes before his return later in the night, or perhaps he studied the layout of the home as he worked on the property and prepared the scene. As one could imagine the sales of security related equipment increased substantially during the East Area Rapist’s horrifying crime spree. The suspect could have been a tradesman who came to install such equipment and in doing so took the time to survey the property.

However the only real link I can find to support this theory is that when Cherry Domingo and Greg Sanchez were murdered. The investigators learned that during the previous afternoon the agent showing the property to perspective buyers noticed a gentleman come in and scope out the interior of the house. What the agent didn’t notice however was that the gentleman was likely responsible for the removal of a window screen that was the likely the point of entry of the murderer.

As a point of pure speculation while researching this case I considered the reason the offender made such an effort to conceal his normal speaking voice is that at least some of the victims may have had an earlier encounter with the offender and may have been able to identify him. This would fit perfectly with someone who had some reason to have visited the house previously and interacted with his victims or even a prominent law enforcement officer.

Again this is all still pure my own speculation and the possibilities are endless. The Diamond Knot which became part of his signature has many applications, from dealing with animals to being tied by sailors. The stacking of the dishes on the male victims may stem from child abuse or simply something he discovered on his own when looking for away to restrain the male victim.

Personally I feel as if the theory of the offender having some kind of involvement with law enforcement or the military as having the highest likelihood of being the actual outcome. Many attacks were located in area’s with military installations in nearby suburbs which would provide an offender with a safe haven to escape into. Today the offender could be working in a more senior role amongst the armed forces or law enforcement or even retired such work.

All we can do now is sit back and wonder if the offender is even still alive, we don’t know and we may never know. Larry Pool and Larry Crompton still maintain interest in this case and if anyone who reads this may and feels they have evidence to contribute can still make a difference by contacting the law enforcement agencies in Sacramento County or Orange County. Although the statute of limitations has expired on the rapes meaning the offender can no longer be prosecuted, there is no such statute for the murders.

Hopefully one day someone can finally unmask this cunning and sadistic predator and finally give closure to his many victims and their families. As I conclude I would like to acknowledge those who provided me with the information to write this series of articles: Larry Crompton and his book Sudden Terror, A&E Television’s Cold Case Files Episode #46, THS and MSNBC Investigates documentaries on this case.

One day this man will be found…