A killer is on the loose, five women in southeast Michigan are dead, and a sixthis missing. On this weeks "Hidden in Plain Sight,"WEMUs Patrick Campion meets up with Terror in Ypsilanti author Gregory Fournier to take us on a tour of some of the sites and sounds associated with the Michigan Murderer who preyed on Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti co-eds for two years. In the 1970 trial, Joan Goshe, the owner of Wig's by Joan in Ypsilanti, testified that she saw Collins and Beineman the Eastern Michigan University coed from Grand Rapids outside the shop. When Mathewson questioned Collins on July 25 as to his movements two days earlier, he admitted that on the date in question he had been riding his Triumph Bonneville in the vicinity, and that he had stopped to converse with a former girlfriend of his while doing so (the point at which Mathewson had observed him). Shortly before the body was discovered, the murderer had again returned to the body, which he had moved a further three feet.[13]. She also hintedhe had another side: Collins was moody and seemed "mad most of the time.". If you missed part one, stop reading right now and go to part one here. Roxie Ann Phillips (17): June 30, 1969 (California), 7. In 1967, John Norman Collins lived in a rental about one block south of EMU's campus. Evidence fromJoan Schell, 20, of Plymouth and Maralynn Skelton, 16, of Romulus, hasyet to be tested, the detectives said. [19], Kolbe later stated she had attempted to dissuade Schell from entering this vehicle, but that Schell had opted to accept the driver's offer, promising to call her roommate to assure her of her safety once she reached her boyfriend's Ann Arbor residence. Collins writes that Davis had a "twin brother" with a car fitting the description of the vehiclea witness saw giving anothervictim, Joan Schell, a ride in. Despite exuding confidence, evidence was overwhelming. In November 1969, Andrew Manuel would plead guilty to charges of, The death sentence was not an option for the prosecution to seek as Michigan had, DNA belonging to a convicted killer named John Ruelas4 years old at the time of Mixer's murderwas also found upon the victim's clothing. Before Collins left the Golden State, he saw a doctor for a case of poison oak. "This is what I knew deep down in my heart, and I felt so good knowing, without question, this is our guy.". 50 years later, investigation into Michigan Murders leads to DNA revelations, Through interviews with John Norman Collins and DNA evidence, Michigan State Police look to solve the cold case Michigan Murders, a "wholesome-looking girl" with "a vivid imagination. [34] However, the dramatic increase in savagery exhibited against the victim and the fact that Skelton was a known drug user, dealer and occasional police informant[38] as opposed to a university student[24] led some junior investigators to speculate her murder may have been drug-related. Thank You for this wonderful site. Born in Windsor, Canada, Collins istheyoungest of three, with an older brother and sister,Jerryand Gail. John Norman Collins, 22, of Center Line Collins, a 22-year-old Eastern Michigan University student, never fit anyone's image of a killer. "There were seven women that he tried to get on that motorcycle before Beineman got on it," Fournier said. It seemed,Schroeder said, as if Collins was describing what "he had done himself. "I looked at her for a moment. ", Chapman said when he was a teen, he asked Collins for dating advice. As we now know, police make mega mistakes and prosecutors have major egos and will NEVER EVER admit to being wrong. [56] She had also been raped, although the pathologist was unable to determine whether this act had occurred before or after death. On October 14, Judge Conlin rejected defense motions to dismiss the case, or suppress any evidence obtained; ruling Collins' arrest had been on the reasonable grounds he had committed a felony. [146] He remained impassive upon hearing the jury foreman announce the verdict, although many spectators gasped audibly,[102] and his mother and sister left the courtroom in tears. Each item had been deliberately placed in this location, indicating that the murderer had returned to the scene of the crime and that the two homicides were definitely linked. My name is C and I have been doing some research about the co ed killer. Everything matched the belt and that swatch, which connected the two," Fournier said. [27], Despite the fact Mixer had not been subjected to a sexual assault, the fact her tights had been lowered to expose her thighs and sanitary napkin suggested a sexual motive behind the murder,[27] and although the victim had not been beaten, stabbed or mutilated, her student status, the tying of a garment around her neck, and the proximity of her abduction and murder led investigators to tentatively link her murder to those of Fleszar and Schell. Anenraged Collins responded by forcefully asserting:"I didnt kill that baby!". There were no recent updates for the slaying of 17-year-old Roxie Phillips, who was slain in Salinas,California, law enforcement officials said. Moreover, although the prosecution at Collins' trial had been unable to question Arnold Davis in detail as to the contents of the laundry box he had observed his roommate hurriedly remove from their apartment and towards his car two days prior to his arrest, one of the items he had seen within this laundry box had been a distinctive purple leather shoe, which may have belonged to Kalom.[58]. "They took the car apart and they found under one of the seats, a swatch of fabric, I think was about the size of a dime. I said 'would you look at these pictures for me' and she said sure. Sowhen DNA matching Collins turned up on Alice Kalom's clothing, it was significant. Clothing found near the body was identified as belonging to Mary by her parents. Your site is great and detailed really nice.In 2003 I actually live in the house right behind Mary Flezlar appartment we never understood why we always heard females crying and yelling. Copyright 11826 Caminito Rihely. Beineman's body was replaced with that of a tailor's mannequin, and the gully surrounding this mannequin monitored by undercover officers. Lol, 12:41pm Mar 4didn't want to post this, detract from your wonderful honoring of the victims, but I remember this era well went to Huron Relays in ypsi shortly thereafter also I played football against JNC at Jackson Prison. The point is: It's not society's judgment that's important, but the individual's own choice of will and intellect. Living with Mom, and then moved into the basement of his uncle's house. About three weeks later Dawn Basom, just 13, was found dead after disappearing the previous evening. Butback then, Harvey, 88, saidthere was no DNA profiling and just not enough clues for charges. I lived on Leforge at the time and know the area well. Anyways, in this sad state of affairs vigilance and protection is key. In 2011, asearch of Collins' cell uncovered shards of metal, one of which was shaved to a point. [82], The description of the young man with whom Beineman had last been seen alive was heard by a patrolman named Larry Mathewson, who believed the person described by Diana Goshe and others may be John Norman Collins: a former Theta Chi fraternity brother[85] of his who had previously been interviewed but eliminated from police inquiries,[86] and who he had himself seen riding his motorcycle around the Eastern Michigan University campus on the afternoon of July 23. It would seem unlikely he didn't know Mary. The Michigan Attorney General and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office confirmed no litigation is in the works, and to prosecute the cases, investigators would need more evidence. Beineman, she said, went in the store,purchased a brown hairpiece, and left with Collins on his motorcycle. Less than two months later, 21-year old Michigan graduate student disappeared shortly after midnight walking home from a friends party on Thompson Street. I spent one year in Marquette and knew john. Then famed psychic Peter Hurkos was hired to use his skills to find the killer or lead to new clues. She had been raped, then stabbed 25 times with a knife estimated to have measured four inches in length. John Norman Collins committed the "Michigan Murders" as it was named by media and locals, between 1967 and 1969, during this period of time he committed eight murders of women ranging from 13 to 23 years old. [162] Although Collins had claimed to police that he had been with his mother in the Detroit suburb of Center Line on the weekend of Schell's disappearance, police had never sought to verify his alibi.[24]. John Norman Collins, now known as John Norman Chapman, continues to maintain his innocence despite this evidence and having been convicted by a jury of his peers. I jus wish we lived in a world where that wasnt necessary, and where that sick man would have gotten the help he needed. He adds:"Now I hope that you will simply leave me alone.". In an email to the Free Press sent this week, Collins maintainshe is innocent. Prior to his passing sentence, Judge Conlin asked Collins if he wished to address the court before mandatory life sentencing was imposed. Although police theorized that Fleszar had been raped, the advanced state of decomposition of the corpse had erased any conclusive evidence of sexual assault. In response to questions as to her personal character, Goshe further conceded she had previously lied under oath on two occasions (one instance of which was unrelated to the trial). Her body was found two days later in a field. [107], Phillips' nude, battered body had been found in a ravine in Carmel Highlands on July 13,[108] with the belt belonging to her culotte dress knotted around her neck. Moreover, this search had also uncovered small bloodstains in nine areas of the basement. Handsome and clean-cut, he graduated from a. I was only 5 and 6 yrs old when the murders happened so never heard about them.. Bundshuh recalled during interviews with the Free Pressat his Adrian home. So sad. The address has been changed to "College Place" to try to thwart groupies, but at the end of the name list on the Mailbox, we put "John Norman Collins" as a joke. They saw a clean-cut man sitting on a Triumph motorcycle and got a good look at him before he turned away. A 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bathroom, 2 story condo in a highly sought community RIVERVIEW Courts. "Mary worked at the university. He remembered something from the day before. I hope some day it will be corrected; second, I never knew a girl named Karen Sue Beineman; I never had a conversation with her. dear retrokimmer & brother, I dearly love that you did this memorial to the poor victims of that sadistic monster,My father & I were going to do this very thing, but Then I got very badly injured,and couldn't finish our memorial, (there;s next year) fine job thank you for remembering the girls !!!!! The Brutal Murder Spree of John Norman Collins - The Lineup Ha. William Milliken promised to leave "no stone unturned" to find herkiller. [152], Between 1972 and 1976, Collins appealed his murder conviction on four further occasions; citing contentions that the Michigan Murders had received extensive media publicity in Washtenaw County, and that five separate motions for change of venue had been submitted by the defense counsel (two of which had been filed throughout the actual jury selection process) upon the grounds of pretrial publicity minimizing any chance of obtaining an unbiased jury in Washtenaw County. And here's California - and they've got a better case than us, and they've got the death penalty," Sheriff Harvey said. But they also found something unusual, more than 500 short clipped blonde hairs. Investigators determined the knife was consistent with the weapon used to stab Kalom. In fact, the motorcycle he picked up Karen on was cobbled together stolen parts. You want to get him to talk.". [84] He held a part-time job as an inspector at a firm which manufactured drum brakes,[66] and was currently majoring in elementary education at Eastern Michigan University. [n 4], The defense contended that although the murder of Beineman was a "vicious, sadistic attack" which had degraded her body "almost beyond human comprehension,"[102] the prosecution's case that Collins was the perpetrator of the crime was a weak one at best. It's one thing,Chapman said, Collins can take with him to the grave. Folklore! "It all began the day before I met Karen B. [67] Although this information proved to be of little help throughout the actual manhunt, Hurkos also predicted that this individual would shortly strike one final time. The receptionist could not offer any clear description of the man beyond that he was a handsome young white male with dark hair, that he had driven a blue-grey Chevrolet, and that he had not been carrying a camera. [163], When Kalom's body was found, a distinctive boot print on her skirt was found to be a perfect match to a boot Collins had owned, and although Collins had evidently cleaned his car in an effort to destroy evidence prior to his arrest, investigators would find bloodstains in this vehicle and upon a raincoat he owned which were determined to match Kalom's blood type. The circumstances surrounding this case prevented me from getting a fair trial. In the past decade, prison records show that Collins has hadonly one misconduct report. I understand they still have DNA, perhaps if the local press would get off this guys back and allow fairness to take place you might find out the culprit was someone else. [69] Upon questioning both of Beineman's roommates, police were informed that she (Beineman) had last been seen shortly after noon on her way to a downtown wig shop. She said they stopped for a moment and he asked her "What would you say if I told you I was the coed killer?" And John picked her up and he had a nice carthat was his mother's car," Fournier said. His nephew, John Norman Collins, had been watching the house. Despite repeatedly challenging the overturning of the 1981 decision to transfer him to a Canadian prison, a federal appellate court ruled in May 1988 that Chapman should remain incarcerated at Marquette Branch Prison. Smdh. [24], On March 20, 1969,[24] a 23-year-old University of Michigan law student named Jane Louise Mixer disappeared after posting a note on a college bulletin board seeking a lift across the state to her hometown of Muskegon,[25] where she had intended to inform her family of her engagement and imminent move to New York City. Michigan Murders: 50 years ago, terror in Ypsilanti ends - FOX 2 Detroit [23] Prior to enrolling at Eastern Michigan University in the fall of 1966, he had been an honor student and football co-captain at his high school.[89]. The forensic experts who had testified on behalf of the prosecution, Dr. Jervis stated, had therefore based their conclusions on "insufficient data". Honest to God, that's what they said - apparantly, they didn't clean it well enough, and they came through the paint!Needless to say, Sherry and Mike were creeped out!!! My name is Sheri I live in Salem twp not far from the Michigan murders.. A couple of yrs ago I was told by the Librarian at Salem to read this book. Investigators also ascertained Collins had either been acquainted with most of the victims, had currently or previously lived close to their place of residence, or had likely established possible prior contact prior to their murders. It didn't take a scientist to figure out what transpired. The driver had been aged around 20 and clean-cut with short, dark, side-parted hair. ", Collins introducedBeineman and Davis and offeredBeineman the option of riding home on his bike with him or going in the car with Davis. The clerk at the chocolate shop next door was a motorcycle enthusiast and also noticed the bike and the handsome man sitting on it. He is currently in Marquette Branch Prison at Marquette, Michigan. Following the state's closing argument, both Neil Fink and Joseph Louisell delivered separate closing arguments on behalf of the defense, describing Collins as a "young victim of circumstances" and dismissing much of the evidence presented as "fuzzy allegations," with Louisell being particularly scornful as to the testimony of Walter Holz, to whose conclusions, he asserted, the prosecution hinged its entire case. He was known to engage in sexual violence, including one instance in which he had raped a woman who had resisted his advances. 7 months agoIt really hammers down the point that you need to watch yourself. and Delta Faucet/ Sonetto sink, stainless steel appliances, subway tile backsplash, ceiling fans throughout the home, Almond Darien vinyl flooring in Laundry Room and bathrooms. Between the summers of 1967 through 1969, before the term serial killer was coined, a predatory killer stalked the campuses of Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan seeking prey until he made the arrogant mistake of killing his last victim in the basement of his uncle's home. the ironic thing of this is that my mother was very close friends with one of the girls maybe you should talk to her some time, I work with Doug Harvey's grand son Joe whom claims his gradpa solved this case is this not true and he was a botched job ? In part three of our special series, we'll meet the women who had close calls with the killer, including one woman who says he's still luring women into his clutches today, from his prison cell. I know a woman who went bike riding with John during that period. The family took his surname. Collins graduated from St. Clement High, a Catholic schoolin Center Line. Between the summers of 1967 through 1969, before the term serial killer was coined, a predatory killer stalked the campuses of Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan seeking. On August 3, two Washtenaw County detectives traveled to Salinas Police Department to review information and determine whether a connection existed between Phillips' murder and those which Collins was suspected of committing in Michigan. Collins sayshe didn't expect the 2013 letters"would become such a 'FOCAL POINT'after 50 years," and accuses Fournier of using his cousinto "dig-up some dirt on me" and garner media attention for himself. A Midnight Jogger John Norman Collins: The Co-Ed Killer Crime Library [16] In addition, her throat had been slashed, and her miniskirt then tied around her neck. ", "Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked,", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. [89] At a press conference relating to the arrest and charge of Collins in relation to the last of the Michigan Murders held on this date, Police Superintendent Frederick Davids revealed that Collins had been a suspect in the Beineman case from the very day she had disappeared, and that these suspicions had heightened following their forensic examination of David Leik's basement; furthermore, surveillance of Collins had been initiated on July 26, following the submission of a report compiled by Patrolman Larry Mathewson detailing the positive eyewitness identification he had obtained, and he had been formally arrested upon an open charge on the evening prior to his arraignment. David Leik and his wife, Sandra, following their testimony against Collins at his trial. In the case of California victim Roxie Ann Phillips, police had discovered that, prior to her murder, the victim had told a close friend she had met an Eastern Michigan University student named John, who owned a silver Oldsmobile Cutlass and several motorcycles; her nude, strangled body was found discarded in a patch of poison oak on July 13,[164] with the distinctive red-and-white floral patterned belt from her culotte dress knotted around her neck. Moreover, a psychologist retained by the defense had testified as such on April 20, 1970. When confronted with this finding, Collins reportedly denied any knowledge of the existence of this item and insisted it had never been in his room; he had apparently neglected to dispose of this item as he had the personal possessions of other victims two days prior to his arrest. Almost all of them had been raped and mutilated, as Washtenaw County Sheriff Doug Harvey explains. More than two years later, Karen Beineman disappeared. The rented trailer in which Collins and Manuel had traveled to California was located on August 1 in Monterey County, behind the home of Andrew Manuel's grandfather. Their lease expressly forbade any "painting" or tampering with the Basement. Maryann Struman is Freep Now director at the Detroit Free Press and project leader. Collins also says he metKalom at an Ann Arbor bar and made a date for Saturday morning to go for a motorcycle ride. When the killer had not been found in two years, the public outcry was became intense. "He likes to have control over what is happening.". John Norman Collins: Michigan murder suspect's letters, interviews In a brief final argument on behalf of the prosecution, Booker Williams re-emphasized the physical and circumstantial evidence against Collins, before accusing the defense attorneys of attempting to sow doubt in, particularly, the forensic evidence presented by the prosecution. Loretta Chapman, an American, then moved with her three children across the Detroit River. Sheriff Harvey said, just before the test, John met in private with his attorney. He gave her a ride to the wig shop, and thenshe rodewith Collins tohis uncle's house to feed the dog. Both roadmap the journey of the book and John Norman Collins, who was convicted of one of the murders and linked to six of them, in the years after the original 1976 publication date. ", "I started talking to him like a father would talk to his son," Harvey recalled, telling Collins:"Youve got a serious problem, son, and weve got a good case. Then, Collins writes, he went to a bike shop to pay a bill, returnedto his apartment, got a burger, andwrites,"it gets a little FOGGY. [127], The prosecutors at Collins' trial, William Delhey and Booker Williams, opted to charge Collins only with the murder of Karen Sue Beineman, with the state contending that she had been murdered by Collins in the basement of the Leik household. I also know someone who was a graduate student working on a project with Alice at the time she disappeared--she was absolutely horrified to find out that she had been murdered.