(WSAV) - There are 42 unsolved murder cases in Jasper County dating from 1979 to 2018. Two unsolved murders of young women from the 1970s have now been linked to one suspect through DNA and genetic genealogy, according to Northern California prosecutors. (Associated Press). The victims were 37-year-old Connie R. Woolfolk of Flossmoor, Illinois; 22-year-old Sarah Szafranski of Oak Forest; 42-year-old store manager Rhonda McFarland of Joliet; 33-year-old Carrie Hudek Chiuso of Frankfort; and 34-year-old Jennifer Bishop of South Bend, Indiana. "I have no idea how he picked our family next," Lawson said. They were saying something about exculpatory evidence that needed to be cleared up. She sat down with my dad for five hours and told all lies, Kubiszyn said. In the week that followed, local media also reported that a handgun was recovered in the parking lot of the bar. Some of the cases remain unsolved. Looks like they had a party. I remember someone saying he could kill himself.". Others suggested that drug addicts had killed the Dardeen family in order to hock their possessions for drug money. In response to the murders of 17-year-old Ruth Shelton, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 16-year-old Daniel Roy Davis, Burger Chef offered the public a $25,000 reward for any clues that could lead to an arrest. "I was going to be at that house when she came walking up the driveway," she said. Given the suspects strange features and supposedly awkward gait, some have proffered the idea that the killer was a woman disguised as a man. Let's just arrest him on a drug charge, get him in jail.' There were several extortion attempts on the Lawson family, one that led to a 15-year prison sentence for the convict. ", In that same interview, Frank Evans, a supervisory special agent, said, "It is so patently inaccurate, we felt an obligation to say wait a minute. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. They rushed to the car, and it began. If you come across them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself. Indeed, believe it or not, American citizens are currently living in a time of unprecedented peace.[1]. Jasper, AL 35501 205-221-2840 Follow us. She had recently graduated from the University of Alabama law school. "It's stuff like that that gets you through. Making an arrest in these cases, helps families, it gives them some kind of closure, but it will never completely heal, Mitchell said. Instead, immediately call the Walker County Sheriff's Department at 205-302-4874. This item is available in full to subscribers. He flew his plane down, and he actually picked me up in Cincinnati. He drove away with Carrie as Lawson assured himself she would be OK. She had to be OK. "Back in 1991, nobody got kidnapped. All rights reserved (About Us). As of April 1, there were around 19 reported murders in Alabama in 2021. They had been married for 18 months when the call came early that morning from a woman saying they needed to get to the hospital right away. Thousands of people -- friends, family and strangers -- carried out massive searches over several counties. More horrific still was the fact that Elaine had been pregnant at the time of her death. Lawson has since remarried, has three children and continues to work as an attorney. Use at your own risk. "I've always admired my dad so much -- he just keeps plugging on. Lawson said his father had suffered recent medical issues, so at the time it seemed believable that something could be wrong with him. July 12, 2013 / 6:03 PM / CBS Chicago. The sixth woman was also held captive but managed to survive. November 28, 2003. TUSCALOOSA, AL The highly-publicized trial of football star and accused murderer O.J. Jones recanted his confession and police found no evidence to link Jones to her murder, but have never eliminated him as a suspect. Her family continues to fight for parole, and say her role in the abduction was minor. Kennedy said the unit intends to release information concerning Jowers' death ahead of the anniversary each year until the case is solved, in the hopes that someone will come forward with new information as to the person or people responsible. "We have a before and after in our family," Kubiszyn said. 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." 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. Following a negative DNA test in 2008, Springsteen and Scott were both released in 2009. Whited had a string of arrests for traffic and drug offenses through the years including one for possession of a crack cocaine pipe less than three weeks after two hunters found Dailey's body with a gunshot to the head on April 26, 1995, documents show. With that in mind, Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) is once again reminding the public that Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of the seemingly unprovoked killing. The bodies were not found until the following day. And it still, in some ways, marks Walker County. There is talk among both departments of forming a special cold case unit. A former investigative reporter with Bostons WNAC-TV, Kelly had been fired in November 1976 after making several threatening allegations against Mayor Kevin White. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. In 1894 in Linn County, four members of the Meeks family (Gus, Delora, Hattie and Mary) were brutally murdered by George and William Taylor, wealthy citizens of northeast Missouri. "He's made a career out of it," David Smith said affectionately in 2002. You didn't want to hear it, but you appreciated it.". What's more, another witness in the parking lot informed police at the time of the shooting that they saw a white man wearing black clothing run behind the lounge immediately after the shot rang out. McPherson appeared before the parole board Thursday. "And her lawyers called that night and said she was taking her story back. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Because his keys were with the Explorer, he had to kick in the back door to get inside his home and call 911. if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); While never closed, the case went cold without new evidence. It wasn't long before the kidnapper -- later identified as 49-year-old Jerry Bland, a former strip mine operator -- contacted Lawson and demanded a $300,000 ransom for Carrie's safe return. All of these clues would be wasted during the initial investigation, which is blamed by contemporary law enforcement for failing to follow up on solid leads and outright ignoring pieces of evidence. All rights reserved (About Us). "I was talking on a payphone. Miraculously, three young boys managed to sleep through the entire massacre. Daniel McLeod, a ranch worker at the Palmer Ranch, where Cliff Walker worked, went to the Walker home in order to grab Cliff for a planned pig-hunting excursion. After asking Senac to retrieve $5,000 from the bowling alleys safe, the gunmen shot all four several times. He wasn't arrested then, however, but FBI instead staked out the house throughout the weekend. var zoneid = '30'; Closure came tantalizingly close when four young men were arrested in Texas and West Virginia in October 1999. Both beepers, however, transmitted on the same frequency and when the drop was over, the agents -- who had air support -- unwittingly followed Lawson's vehicle instead of the money. In fact, investigators later found that Christines shoes were coated in blood that did not belong to her. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. In 2001, Springsteen was sentenced to death. Upon further investigation, the employee found $500 missing, along with four other employees. The article ran two days before Endres body was found and police seemed to consider Jones a prime suspect. It's a case that people still talk about. The murder occurred after Gus agreed to testify in court about the Taylor brothers' dishonest money-making schemes. Audrey Marie Hilley - The Black Widow Murderpedia/photo:bettmann/corbis Audrey Marie Hilley was an American murderer who was found guilty for poisoning her husband, Frank Hilley, with arsenic. The case. Its not quite as prevalent in the county with two unsolved cases on the books. ", "What has been taken from me personally is immeasurable," said Carrie's sister, Margaret Smith Kubiszyn. I honestly believe the trauma exacerbated my mother's Alzheimer's, and it certainly broke all of our hearts," Kubiszyn said. I was a problem child as I was coming up, and you know got in trouble and things of that nature, he said, I met this guy and he told me, he said You know, you need to be part of the solution and not the problem and thats pretty much what changed my life., My cousin Sean Jones, he went missing February 18, 1999, he said, And 2017, on the same exact day my first cousin, Darnell Williams, he was murdered on Hilton Head Island. Mitchell added, Just like any other family we want justice.. 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. Montgomery man who disappeared is found murdered in an unused grain silo. First published on November 20, 2020 / 6:33 AM. / AP. Concealed in the ransom bag was another beeper, which would allow agents to follow the kidnapper. " Lawson said of Bland. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. We tracked down the lady Brown was dating at the time and she declined to be part of this story. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Home; News; Sports; Extras; Walker Magazine; Subscribe; These cases are solvable, but we need your help. 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. . document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); Earl Lawson told himself one thing, even as it was happening: It will all be over soon. "I have four sisters-in-law and I'm close with them, but missing a sister is so difficult. Two days after the murder, the Tuscaloosa News confirmed that several people had been interviewed by investigators, which ultimately proved fruitless. "I was 26 years old, and I still had to work and earn a living somehow.". Both of these suspicions were quickly ruled out, as there was no evidence of ritual activity, and a VCR and a camera were left untouched at the crime scene. Jones claimed to have killed 21 women in five states in 12 years, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported in 2005. The voice on the tape, investigators said, matched that of the man making the ransom calls to Lawson. Besides similarities between the Walker family murders and the murder of the Clutter family of Kansas (also in 1959), it is also known that both Smith and Hickock were in Miami Beach at the time of the murders. Carrie's parents took up residence in a Jasper motel. They cried with us. It was personal to them.". Your family?. "Having somebody kidnapped was the last thing you could ever think. Now. In 2002, a tip led searchers near the Tuscaloosa County community of Samantha, where crews used a backhoe to try to unearth new information about Carrie's remains. "Having somebody kidnapped was the last thing you could ever think of.". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Simpson had just ended in early October 1996, but remained fresh in the public psyche and dominated headlines. 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. A search of her home turned up thousands of dollars, and ultimately she identified Bland as Carrie's kidnapper. Mitchell says hes seen a steady increase in murders since he started working in law enforcement in the Lowcountry in 2005, adding theyve just started to see a decrease this year. Burch said on the show that Jones told detectives things about Endres death only someone who was there would have known. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary to the housewife. "This case affected our community," District Attorney Bill Adair said, noting hundreds of people carried out searches and held prayer vigils. At around 2:00 AM on June 29, 1978, three gunmen entered a Boston bar called Blackfriars. Endres vanished the same month Greenwell was found dead. "No matter what deck of cards life deals you, no matter how bad it is, you can overcome that. Murdered.