Hewent to Central Michigan University, thentransferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. That would change the next day. I don't think there was ever a farmhouse or barn in the area you referenced. We have been known to play those kinds of PRANKS on each other in the Fraternity.". More often than not, we continue on our, On this edition of 89.1 WEMUS "Hidden In Plain Sight," our own Lisa Barry takes you to a west side Ann Arbor shoe store that first opened downtown in, Being a mom is hard, regardless of who you are or what your background may be. David Leik and his wife, Sandra, following their testimony against Collins at his trial. Almost one year later on July 6, 1968, student Joan Schell was found dead in Ann Arbor with 47 stab wounds. Found as a mass of rotting flesh. August 1: Collins is arraigned on murder. Great Job! [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. Davis "told me that 'SOMETHING' happened at my uncle's house and that I needed to see it. When his parents split during early life, his mother moved with the children just outside. "When the doctor and his wife came down here to the end of the street to get the mail, his wife looked down and said 'there's a body down there," Fournier said. [107] Albrecht described this individual, whose surname she did not know, as being 5 ft 11 in tall, clean-cut, with dark brown hair and who had described himself as an Eastern Michigan University senior with aspirations to become a teacher. [118] At this hearing, Collins' court-appointed attorney, Richard Ryan, challenged the validity of the physical evidence and the credibility of the circumstantial evidence before formally requesting the case against his client be dismissed and the evidence seized from his rooming house and vehicle suppressed upon the grounds Collins had not consented to a police search of his property. He's believed to be the last person to see the first victim alive. On July 31, the prosecution introduced two forensic witnesses to testify regarding the physical evidence indicating the victim had been killed inside the Leik family home. Another individual would be convicted of the murder of Jane Mixer in 2005. [66], Despite recovering numerous stolen items from his apartment and being informed by Arnold Davis that Collins had been in the habit of committing burglaries with a former roommate of theirs named Andrew Manuel,[100] no incriminating evidence linking Collins to Beineman or any victim of the Michigan Murders was discovered, although officers were informed by Arnold Davis on this date of the incident two days earlier in which he (Davis) had observed Collins carrying a laundry box containing women's clothing and jewelry from his apartment and towards his car. For example, in the case of Mary Fleszar, investigators discovered that at the time of her disappearance, Collins had worked part-time in the Eastern Michigan University administration unit, and that his office had been located directly opposite the hallway from the office where Fleszar had herself worked. But as Leik walked into the basement, he found a mess of the hair and there was blood on the basement floor. [104] Reviewing information regarding the murder of Roxie Ann Phillips, investigators discovered that immediately prior to her disappearance, Phillips had informed a close friend that she had become acquainted with an Eastern Michigan University student named John, who drove a silver-grey Oldsmobile Cutlass and who was temporarily residing with a friend in a camper-trailer. I wasn't until our LAST VISIT together that I told her the WHOLE STORY. Some of my Fraternity Brothers lived in the Emmet House in 1990. He gave her a ride to the wig shop, and thenshe rodewith Collins tohis uncle's house to feed the dog. [55][63], By the spring of 1969, public outcry regarding the murders committed by the individual dubbed by the press as the Michigan Murderer and the Co-Ed Killer was increasing, particularly among the student population of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Collins, Chapman recalled, give him explicit, sexually graphicinstructions on what to do with a girl, including suggestions that some women "like it rough.". [149][n 5], Upon receipt of the guilty verdict against their client, Collins' defense attorneys announced their intention to appeal upon the grounds of "tainted identification and the change of venue question." But, the dog, Prince, had a "NOT SO FRIENDLY STREAK," and Collins warnedBeineman he would bite her and to "STAY BACK. [120] Three weeks after the examination, at a meeting with the family in Judge Conlin's chambers, Ryan summarized its tentative conclusions and suggested a "diminished capacity" plea for an insanity defense. SoHarvey called the prosecutorand Collins' attorney. Oh, wait! Author Greg Fournier later wrote a book about the killings. Jim Bundshuh the 53-year-old detective whosename rhymes with gumshoe andgoes by the nickname Bunny because it's easier to remember said heinterviewedCollinsthree times. Frank Witsil is a staff writer at the Detroit Free Press. [161] He had further informed his roommate he had agreed to drive Schell from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti the following day. [17], The lack of blood beneath or near the corpse, plus the testimony of eyewitnesses, led investigators to determine Schell's body had lain in its present location for less than 24 hours. Wow, Kim, this does bring back memories. Just basicallyfraternity rivals and that.". [84], On July 27, Arnold Davis testified as to his being in the company of Collins throughout the late afternoon and evening of July 23, 1969 (hours after Beineman had last been seen alive). In response to questioning from prosecution attorneys, Goshe described how, on the afternoon of her disappearance, Beineman had informed her she had accepted a lift home from the man waiting outside the wig shop. The moment for a confession, Harvey said, had passed. Prior to his passing sentence, Judge Conlin asked Collins if he wished to address the court before mandatory life sentencing was imposed. So sad. "[155] This appeal motion was partly upheld upon the basis that Dr. Guinn's testimony relating to probabilities was based upon on the statistical probability of another prosecution expert, and therefore, this part of his testimony was impermissible. ", "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. In a final address to the jury on August 14, Judge Conlin informed the panel they had two choices in the verdict they could render: Guilty of first-degree murder, or not guilty. Defense attorneys Neil Fink and Joseph Louisell, in their opening statement, labeled the eyewitnesses' identification of both Collins and his motorcycle as flawed and unreliable, and stated their intentions to introduce several witnesses who would provide an alibi for their client in the early afternoon hours the prosecution contended Karen Sue Beineman had been abducted and murdered. Upon questioning Collins' co-workers, investigators learned that Collins had repeatedly taken delight in describing, in graphic detail, details of the injuries inflicted upon each successive victim linked to the Michigan Murderer to his female colleagues;[19] he had claimed these details had been provided to him by an uncle of his named David Leik, who served as a sergeant in the police force. "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. [47] A handkerchief found stuffed in her mouth had likely been placed there to muffle her cries throughout her torture, and her murderer had placed her body in a location where rapid discovery was assured. 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. "It all began the day before I met Karen B. *SHUDDER!*. Mary Terese Fleszar was last seen alive the evening of July 9, 1967. Sounds like a little youthful imagination!! Collins' uncle, State Police Sergeant David Leik, had been on vacation with his family at the time of Beineman's disappearance, and had only returned home on July 29three days after the discovery of her body. These horrific acts of violence held our community in terror until Collins arrest in July 1969. "She asked me if he was in any trouble and I said 'not that I'm aware of, but if you had a picture I probably could (clear him)'," Larry said. ", Chapman said when he was a teen, he asked Collins for dating advice. Smdh. On the day Karen disappeared, Larry said John was sitting on a motorcycle, flirting with pretty college girls. [133] In addition, Mrs. Sandra Leik testified to Collins being given a key to the family home in order that he could feed the family's German shepherd. Collins was subsequently taken into police custody but denied any involvement whatsoever in the killing. He writeshe ran into Beineman, "she SMILED AT ME and WAVED her hand." Detectives recalled that'sabout thesame timewhen they visited Marquette to confront Collins about the new DNA evidence that linked him to Kalomand to try to turn over some new stones. 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. Leik's home was subjected to an intense forensic examination. I remember the last victim was murdered just 3 BLOCKS from my house!!!! On top of that, Collins, in two 2013 letters to his cousinJohn Chapman, revealed inhis own words what he said "really happened" all those years ago, confirming details from the cases and recanting his claim that he never knew his victim. This psychologist had been adamant that Collins' trial should be held outside Washtenaw County, and this motion had likewise been reserved. Sherry and Mike (my bro and sis) went down to babysit some kids whose parents who'd rented the house afterwards, and actually saw the bloodstains!!! Although neither eyewitness was certain, both believed this student to be John Norman Collins: a student at Eastern Michigan University majoring in elementary education,[20] who lived directly across the street from Schell at 619 Emmet,[23] and whose physical features bore a likeness to the composite drawing police had generated of the driver of the vehicle Schell had entered. [159] At the time of the announcement of this decision, preliminary legal maneuvers between Michigan and California authorities had been ongoing to extradite Collins to Monterey County to face trial for Phillips' murder.[160]. Randy, bloodstains.c'mon! Folklore! Victims like Mary Terese Fleszar, a 19-year-old EMU accounting major and Joan Elspetch Schell, a 20-year-old art student. I remember the day they began to extract evidence from Collins apartment and car just down the streetvery, very spooky Geez! Shemarried William Collins. Memeory is fuzzy it might have been you that let me read it. On August 18, investigators announced that all significant leads had been exhausted, and that the number of officers assigned to investigate the case had been reduced. Two of these bloodstains[75] were discovered to be type Athe blood type of Karen Sue Beineman. Greg Fournier who attended EMU and wrote a book,"Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked,"and blog, Fornology.com spent years gathering informationwith his researcher Ryan Place. [68][81] In total, seven witnesses would be found who would later testify to having seen Collins in the area between the university campus and Mrs. Goshe's wig shop between 11a.m. and 1p.m. on July 23; including three young women who stated Collins had attempted to entice them onto his motorcycle.[95]. It is Alpha Xi Delta, I am a member and will be living in the house next year. The perpetrator, John Norman Chapman (then known as John Norman Collins) was arrested one week after the final murder. They focused on Kalom, who, like Mixer, also was shot; Basom, the youngest of the cases,and Mary Fleszar, the first woman slain. In his email to the Free Press, Collins acknowledged he has no control over what people say about him, and that's why he refuses interviews. ", Collins and Beineman chatted, and then they "started making out. Go back and read Part One here:Michigan Murders: 50 years ago, terror reigned in Ypsilanti, Continue reading Part Three here:Michigan Murders: Close calls, haunting roads - life after a suspected serial killer is arrested, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Living with Mom, and then moved into the basement of his uncle's house. [125][110] He was tried in Ann Arbor, before Judge John Conlin. Initially, police took him at his word, and did not seek to verify his alibi. [137], Five independent witnesses were called to testify on behalf of the defense as to Collins' whereabouts on the dates Karen Sue Beineman had disappeared and her body had been found. (I said) 'the polygraph is sitting over here'. And when twonow-retired Michigan State Police detectives questioned Collins face-to-face, his denials began to unravel. . This is all so fascinating.. why do dumb women want to marry inmates ?? Muddy Waters, coach at Hillsdale, would take us (freshman) there to make us tough JNC was a little sh*t, smart alec and cocky wore a stocking cap under his helmet played middle linebacker and would cuss at and spit upon the offensive line men (ME) anyway, thanks for the memory, albeit sad. She told me years ago that Maralynn was killed by a motorcycle gang. How about a private finished attached 2-car garage with overhead storage! All-American boy John Norman Collins was arrested, tried, and convicted of the strangulation . The forensic experts who had testified on behalf of the prosecution, Dr. Jervis stated, had therefore based their conclusions on "insufficient data". [36], The victim was identified as a 16-year-old Romulus[37] high school student named Maralynn Skelton, who had disappeared while hitchhiking in Ann Arbor. [88] Later that evening, Collins informed Davis he had simply decided to "get rid of" the box and its contents. Hurkos accurately predicted that the murderer was a strongly built white male under 25 years of age, who had been born outside the United States, and who rode a motorcycle. It's one thing,Chapman said, Collins can take with him to the grave. When the killer had not been found in two years, the public outcry was became intense. [76] These hair clippings were predominantly blond, and as such did not belong to the victim, whose own hair color had been dark brown. [147] In response, Collins rose from his chair and made the following speech:[148]. Collins ends his email, with a request: "You can say whatever you want about me" butleave "my Dear Mother" out. Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked Paperback - August 1, 2016 by Gregory A. Fournier (Author) 236 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $6.95 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial Paperback $22.95 12 Used from $12.59 15 New from $16.50 Audio CD $30.54 2 New from $28.44 [86] Upon their return from their vacation, Leik's wife, Sandra, had noted numerous paint marks covering the floor of the family basement, and that several itemsincluding a bottle of ammonia, a box of laundry detergent, and a canister of black spray paintwere missing from the household. "He suggested they had met within a day or so before she was murdered, and they had gone out scrambling on a motorcycle," Bundshuh said. I grew up in YPSI. [131], Although subject to intense cross-examination by defense attorney Neil Fink as to the credibility of her testimony, Goshe remained insistent in her identification of John Norman Collins as being the individual who had waited for Karen Sue Beineman to return to his motorcycle. Collins' attorneys also alleged these alibi witnesses had been subjected to police harassment, that the tests conducted upon the hair samples found upon Beineman's panties were unreliable, and that Collins' uncle, Sgt. Thank you to Gregory A. Fournier, author of "Terror in Ypsilanti," for taking us on this tour, and photographer Lisa Powers for documenting our work. Butback then, Harvey, 88, saidthere was no DNA profiling and just not enough clues for charges. Following Collins' arrest, a section of a red-and-white belt bearing the same distinctive floral pattern was found in the trailer he and Manuel had towed to Salinas on June 21. All the victims had been sexually mutilated. [18], Schell hailed from Plymouth and had recently moved into a house on Emmet Street in Ypsilanti; she was last seen by her roommate, Susan Kolbe, at a Washtenaw Avenue bus stop on the evening of June 30. 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. More than two years later, Karen Beineman disappeared. [65], At the request of an Ann Arbor citizen's community, a Dutch psychic named Peter Hurkos traveled to Washtenaw County on July 21, to generate a psychic profile of the murderer. Her body was later found with multiple stab wounds, and more grotesquely, no hands or feet on August 7. These two witnesses were followed by the individual who had found her body on July 26, and the medical examiner called to the crime scene, Dr. Craig Barlow. Collins went to trial and on August 19, 1970, was found guilty and sent to prison for life with hard labor.John Norma will mark his 40 th year of incarceration in 2010. 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. [137] On this date, Collins was formally sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. [3] Although Schell had been dead for several days, her entire lower body was in a remarkably preserved condition, whereas her head, shoulders and breasts were in an advanced state of decomposition, leading the pathologist to conclude her body had been stored in a naturally cool environment, but with the upper third of her body exposed to natural heat. Collins and Schell had alighted from Davis's car together, and he (Davis) had not seen his roommate for almost three hours before Collins had returned to their apartment, alone, referring to Schell as a "bitch" and claiming he had "dropped her [Schell] off" in Ann Arbor after being unable to obtain the sexual encounter he had hoped to achieve with her.