'&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? The murders shocked the area and although the . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "It devastated my parents. It has also plagued the family of a woman who has been behind bars for 25 years in connection with the crime. Lawson said his father had suffered recent medical issues, so at the time it seemed believable that something could be wrong with him. These cases stem from various situations, and circumstances, but all have one thing in common: people's loved ones have yet to be found. if( width > 480 ){ The bodies were not found until the following day. Click here to create a free account which will allow access to 5 stories every 30 days. In fact, investigators later found that Christines shoes were coated in blood that did not belong to her. "And we never heard anything.". Kubiszyn, previously told AL.com McPhersons role in the disappearance has always been understated. Then, at that moment, the alleys mechanic, 26-year-old New Mexico State University student Steven Teran, arrived with his daughter and stepdaughter in tow. The Smith family kept at it, though, offering a $100,000 reward and privately funding searches that continue to this day. It was early that Tuesday morning -- about 4:30 a.m. -- that agents reported hearing a single gunshot inside Bland's home. If you had told me that moment that I'd have the kind of life I have now, I would have never believed it. Kubiszyn was on a business trip in Cincinnati. As the couple left for the hospital, a gunman appeared at their vehicle. The victims hands were bound, and their throats had been so deeply slit that they had all nearly been decapitated. "He'd never met her, but he loved her.". "This case affected our community," District Attorney Bill Adair said, noting hundreds of people carried out searches and held prayer vigils. Burch said on the show that Jones told detectives things about Endres death only someone who was there would have known. All Rights Reserved. Polygraph tests backed his confessions to several murders, the AJC reported in 2005. June 7, 2021: Alex Murdaugh, 53, calls 911 and reports he found his wife Margaret, 52, and son Paul, then 22, shot dead outside of their home in Islandton, a small community about an hour north of. A search of Blands property found the majority of the $300,000 paid by her family. His wife, Sheila, who has since moved out of Alabama, was McPherson's cousin. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Well, it is sad to say that mass murder has been a problem for a while now. The voice on the tape, investigators said, matched that of the man making the ransom calls to Lawson. Thats always been really hard for me to swallow, that anyone could get to know Carrie and then turn her over to her executioner., Years ago, McPherson agreed to meet with Lawsons father, who has since died, and give details about the crime in return for the family not protesting parole. Ultimately, Christine was killed with a shot to the head from a .22-caliber gun. Mr. Family members demanded assurances Carrie was alive and well, and Lawson spoke to her briefly Sept. 12. Despite being shot five times, Melissa managed to call 911. The cases are not forgotten, not collecting dust and not being ignored. Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber. All three women had been attacked with a knife; the killer had slashed each of their throats. The family had migrated from Connecticut to Keddie following Glennas separation from her husband James. It was daylight before agents would go inside and find Bland dead from what was ruled a self-inflicted gunshot. Dana was left lying on his stomach with his hands linked with Johns, thanks to a piece of electrical cord. "And still do," Lawson said. If you would like to buy one, you can reach Mitchell at (843) 683-0568, or on Facebook at Charles Mitchell. She wasn't a spectacular student, she wasn't a beauty queen, she wasn't someone who leaves their mark by being famous. Lackey was sentenced to death on April 3, 2008, and was later executed in Alabama by lethal injection on July 25, 2013. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. . Its under my watch so its hard to sleep at night with a case thats unsolved," said Dallas County Sheriff Mike Granthum. Three of the bodies were stacked together, and at least one of the girls had been raped. Keiths wife, 30-year-old Ruby Elaine Dardeen, was found dead alongside the couples three-year-old son Peter. Read More: Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story". Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. Endres vanished the same month Greenwell was found dead. 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. Over the years, weve added more names because unfortunately, weve lost more people, he said. U.S. Alabama murder case goes unsolved for 25 years. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. But in the early morning hours of Oct. 13, a gunshot split the quiet night outside of a now-closed Tuscaloosa bar and left a young man bleeding on the pavement with a bullet in his head. Thats why law enforcement across Jasper County is asking for the communitys help. The killer or killers had also left each corpse in separate rooms. Other clues at the crime scene included the position of the bodies. I use it as an example when people have a horrible tragedy and their entire world as they know it has been obliterated. Another Texas serial killer, Tommy Lynn Sells, confessed to the crime in 2000, but over the years, his story repeatedly changed. Police investigated both McLeod and Elbert Walker (Cliffs cousin, who was known to be a hothead) but decided that both men were innocent. 26 of them in the city of Selma. My family and Carrie's family," Lawson said. 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. Without a suspect and no information that could lead to one, detectives kept following leads without any success. Former Washington Post reporter Ron Kessler, in his book "The FBI: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency," called the case one of the agency's "biggest failures." The federal agents said as soon as they identified Bland's voice, they obtained a local search warrant and carried out a search of the home, where they recovered part of the ransom money. Kubiszyn, previously told AL.com McPhersons role in the disappearance has always been understated, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. "Having somebody kidnapped was the last thing you could ever think of.". Netflixs reboot of the classic Unsolved Mysteries, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. (WSAV) - There are 42 unsolved murder cases in Jasper County dating from 1979 to 2018. According to a story written by reporter Wendy Reeves and published in the Tuscaloosa News the day after the shooting, Jowers was shot in the head while walking a girlfriend to her car in the parking lot of Classics Lounge at 613 37th Street between 2:10-2:15 a.m. Closure came tantalizingly close when four young men were arrested in Texas and West Virginia in October 1999. My sister had a minor role in this. She had recently graduated from the University of Alabama law school. if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); The numbers are only getting. Tony Lynn Dobbins said he was there when Carrie was murdered. A month later, an anonymous tip led searchers to Lake Tuscaloosa near the Alabama 69 bridge about 10 miles north of Northport. Posted at 1:45 PM, Nov 20, 2018 . Lawson left the money at the payphone, as directed, and drove off. Earl Lawson told himself one thing, even as it was happening: It will all be over soon. "They had searched his house, and questioned him and left him in the house with a bunch of guns," Kubiszyn said. She will be eligible for parole consideration again in five years. White was known to associate with local gangsters, including Solmonte, who had given Kelly the job at Blackfriars following his sacking at the television station. Miraculously, three young boys managed to sleep through the entire massacre. It was kind of crazy.". Its not quite as prevalent in the county with two unsolved cases on the books. The sheriff admitted 10 years is a mighty long time for any family to suffer without any sort of resolution, but he insists its not a lack of trying on the investigators part. Inside the yogurt shop were the bodies of four young women13-year-old Amy Ayers, 17-year-old Eliza Thomas, 17-year-old Jennifer Harbison, and her 15-year-old sister Sarah. if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); I can remember one of the feds saying, 'Look, he had marijuana in the house. The show helped capture some of Alabama's most wanted fugitives, including one now on Death Row. "The cases today are looked at through the lens of Carrie's case. "We all went to bed that night thinking they were going to arrest him then," Kubiszyn said. The couple got dressed and jumped into their Ford Explorer parked in the carport. There were several extortion attempts on the Lawson family, one that led to a 15-year prison sentence for the convict. These cases are solvable, but we need your help. On November 18, 1978, an off-duty employee of the Burger Chef, a local fast food joint in Speedway, Indiana, found the restaurants back door wide open. (Photo courtesy of McPherson's family). The cover of "Facing September," a murder mystery based on the case of Kelly Lynn Albright's murder. 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. This quick thinking saved the young girls life, and, for a time, it saved her mothers life as well. Lawsons family remains opposed to McPherson being paroled, and Lawsons sister - Margaret Smith Kubiszyn - attended Thursdays hearing. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. I remember someone saying he could kill himself.". He works as a freelance writer and has been published in The Weekly Standard, The Atlantic, Listverse, and other publications. If mistakes were made, it wasn't because of a lack of effort. He told me to get on the ground on my stomach. His penis had also been removed. "It was amazing to watch. He flew his plane down, and he actually picked me up in Cincinnati. In 2019, there were 39 murders in Montgomery County, Alabama. Use at your own risk. They cried with us. Making an arrest in these cases, helps families, it gives them some kind of closure, but it will never completely heal, Mitchell said. "We have a before and after in our family," Kubiszyn said. She had taken the bar exam but disappeared never knowing she had passed. Police even managed to obtain the killers voice on the emergency phone call. He and his wife, Carrie, had received an urgent call after midnight claiming Lawson's father was gravely ill. Jones, a drifter from Oklahoma, was convicted in Mobile County for the Sept. 2004 murder of 45-year-old Lisa Marie Nichols. Because of this, and because of wall-to-wall media coverage of such events, it can be easy to assume that this era of mass murder is unprecedented in American history. The note, however, left no clues on Carrie's whereabouts. Jamol Horton actually helped do the foundation for my house and some of my friends homes, Mitchell said, He also coached my son in little league football.. You often hear people say that girls who have a loving father, it's easier for them to be Christians because they can envision a loving God, and all he's done for us is model a loving father.". Glennas body might have also been arranged in a sexually explicit manner. "I fully expected when we got down there, they would have found her and it would be over. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The days without an arrest turned into months and then . They came to this conclusion because a local bank revealed that Dorothy Harris had visited them 30 minutes prior to the murders. Years later, in 2000, the daughter of a man named Fred Harbison told the local media that her father had written a deathbed confession claiming to have carried out the triple homicide as part of a contract killing drawn up by Uland.[8]. "I had every hope in the world there was going to be a good ending to this.". Investigators deduced that the attack had been part of a robbery, and the attacker had opened fire after McFarland managed to call 911. Let's just arrest him on a drug charge, get him in jail.' Shaquille Granta football star at the school, somebody killed him, said Detective Charles Mitchell with the Hardeeville Police Department. document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneid+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); One of the voices was determined to be Jerry Bland, and the other McPherson. var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'? "Having somebody kidnapped was the last thing you could ever think. "I was talking on a payphone. Sells was executed in 2014. They are $10.00 dollars. [4] All victims were shot in the head before the two criminals set fire to the bowling alley. When Lawson Sr. arrived at the site, however, there were about five police cars there totally unconnected to the kidnapping case, purely a coincidence. Copyright 2019 WSFA 12 News. I think probably in the last 10 years, he's more resigned to the fact that we probably won't find her, but if anybody calls him and says they know something, he's going to follow up on it. That is the only person who shares your story. Registration Opens For Hospice Of West Alabama's 13th Annual 5K, Teen Victim Identified After Fatal Crash On 15th Street Tuesday, UWA's Woodruff Earns Back-To-Back GSC Coach Of The Year Honors, Commission Considers New Storm Shelter For Jerusalem Heights Community, Commission Moves Forward On New Fosters Farmers Market, Tuscaloosa Public Library To Kick Off Summer With Free Northport Event. Authorities at the time said the note indicated the ransom money was in the attic, and that's where roughly $250,000 had been found. Namely, members of Bostons underworld frequented Blackfriars, and on the night in question, several men in the bars basement were busy playing a game of backgammon when they were fired upon. Paul Burch said on the show that Jones told investigators he needed to tell them about a hairdresser he had abducted at knife-point from a Georgia salon, drawing diagrams of where his and her cars were. If your interested in cold cases, you may find yourself wondering about how many unsolved murders in US a year. All rights reserved (About Us). document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); 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. The only tangible evidence is a composite sketch released in 1990 which shows two middle-aged black or Hispanic males with mustaches. Then they got in my car and they left.". TUSCALOOSA, AL The highly-publicized trial of football star and accused murderer O.J. According to the newspaper's account, the girlfriend "heard a pop" and turned to see Jowers on the ground near his car, roughly 40-50 feet away. Hinsons body was located in the front bedroom, Gierses was located in a back bedroom, and Barkers corpse was found in the bathroom that lay between both rooms. She was also Bland's cousin by marriage, and the two were close. "Financially, my dad has spent hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars.". Allergy season: Local allergist offers advice, Musician gives $18K in instruments to military community, Chatham County food inspection report for February, GSU mens basketball preps for upcoming Sun Belt, Womens College Golf: Claisse wins Rucker, LSU takes, Arrest warrants issued for projected Jalen Carter, GHSBB: Woodville-Tompkins, Calvary Day advance to, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, Solar panels to be installed in 19 city buildings, FL moves to ban preferred pronouns in K-12 schools, Police: 19-year-old in custody after grandmas assault, 2 men cited for killing, planning to eat bald eagle, Gallery: Step One Auto Announces Savannah Center, Full schedule: 2023 Savannah St. Patricks Day events, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Carrie, the daughter of a Tennessee millionaire, had also just graduated from UA's law school. Johnny Dwight Whited called investigators saying he wanted to confess to the slaying, authorities said Thursday. While never closed, the case went cold without new evidence. If you know something, SAY something. On December 6, 1991, firefighters in the capital city of Austin, Texas, responded to a suspected arson at a strip mall. The victims included 34-year-old manager Stephanie Senac, who was in her office with her 12-year-old daughter Melissa Repass, and 13-year-old babysitter Amy Houser. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. She was the kindest person you've ever met," she said. The murders were carried out for a variety of apparent reasons, ranging from greed to bloodlust. Here is a brief summary of some of the murders which have occurred in Jasper and Newton County in the last quarter of a century. Glenna and Tina Sharp would suffer the same fate, although Tinas skeletal remains would not be found until years later. Indeed, believe it or not, American citizens are currently living in a time of unprecedented peace.[1]. Jones was also implicated in the deaths of Amanda Greenwell, 16, of Douglasville, Ga. and Katherine Collins, 45, a New Orleans sex worker. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Burch was a detective who investigated Nichols murder. Cold Case e-mail: coldcasetips@AlabamaAG.gov. "He had duct tape and told Carrie to duct tape my hands behind my back. When he does talk about it, it's to use it as proof of what God can do in someone's life. The potential suspect was described to then-Homicide Unit Commander Capt. 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. Thousands of people -- friends, family and strangers -- carried out massive searches over several counties. Keddie, California, is an out-of-the-way kind of place. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. By definition, he is a serial killer.. "People were drawn to her in life, and people are drawn to this story, because of her innate kindness and innate beauty. Despite being caught off guard by her attackers, Christine managed to fight back. If you know anything about these persons, or their last known locations, please call 205-302-6464. DALLAS COUNTY, AL (WSFA) - Jan. 21, 2015, Kirby Brown, all of 22 years old, was found lying on his back shot to death near his home in the Pine Glen Estates off Highway 80 near Selma. Lawson has since remarried, has three children and continues to work as an attorney. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Given the absolute horror of the crime scene, locals began to blame Satanists for the crime. Do you see the house across the street?' She didn't say anything that was true.". "But that call just never came.". Carrie was declared legally dead two years after her disappearance. Jones, facing execution in Alabama since 2005, told the AJC that same year that he had never killed anyone and would one day be free. The most recent in May 2017 Jamol Horton who was shot and killed in his home in Ridgleand. The first to return to their modest ranch-style house was Christine. 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. "Most of those people didn't know us at all," he said. Harris was found in the front room in a pool of her own blood. These belonged to 44-year-old Brenda Patch and 71-year-old Cynthia Paulus. Mike Everett as wearing some type of covering on their head "like a cap" and was of average height and build. Montgomery man who disappeared is found murdered in an unused grain silo. "We were all in the kitchen discussing what needed to be done with Jerry Bland. 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. And, of course, there were people who thought Lawson was somehow involved in Carrie's abduction. 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. Court records don't include a defense attorney who could speak on behalf of Whited on the murder charge, but he already was awaiting trial on a methamphetamine charge with his trial scheduled for May. The Federal Bureau of Investigation released a report in 2019 that explained that 250,000 is the number of unsolved murders in U.S. 2019 or unsolved murders USA 2020, and that the number rises by around 6,000 each year that passes. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He had a demon inside, you know, that he liked to sexually abuse women, Burch says. document.write ("
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