South Haven nurse found guilty of second-degree murder . Holiday Inn Express South Haven. Crime, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Thank you! All of them were denied bail. [52] (The farmhouse itself was destroyed in an act of arson on May 13; when the fire was extinguished, five clipped lilacs[53] were found arranged in an even row across the driveway to the building, leading investigators to theorize they had been placed there by the murderer to symbolize each victim. Police have so far said the shooting was random. I never took her life. She and her boyfriend, Justin Terpstra, 24, Kalamazoo, allegedly stabbed Silverlight several times as he was bound to a tree off 74th Avenue north of South Haven, and then put him in his car and set it on fire. 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. Slayer 'Could be Anyone', "Collins Ordered to Stand Trial for Murder: Judge Bases Ruling on Testimony of Nine in Killing of Co-Ed", "Collins Trial: Never Saw Stakeout Report, Sheriff Testifies", "Continue to Build Case in Collins Trial", "John Collins' Aunt Testifies She Found Items Moved, Missing From Basement", "Crime Center Directs Hunt for Co-Ed Killers", "Collins to Face Trial for Beineman Murder", "Star Prosecution Witness Cross-Examined Sharply", "Michigan Murders: Former Sheriff Recalls Washtenaw County's Most Notorious Serial Killer", "Key State Witnesses Called in Collins Trial", "Scientific Test Inventor Called as Defense Witness for Collins", "Search for Michigan Killer Spreads out to California", "Collins Can't Receive Fair Trial in Ann Arbor, Attorney Claims in Requesting Change of Venue", "Michigan Suspect Linked Directly to Salinas Case", "Multiple Sex Killings Have Terrorized Five States", "Police Say Slain Girl Knew of Accused Man", "Local Officials Irked As California Drops Collins Case", "Murder Similarities Under Investigation", "Collins Faces Murder Examination on Thursday", "Collins Friend Cleared in Co-Ed Deaths: Had No Knowledge of Slayings, Aid in Ann Arbor Says", "Similarities in Deaths of Girls Being Investigated", "Ouster In State's Case is Sought in Co-Ed Sex Slaying", "Continue Hearings: Judge Upholds Collins' Arrest", "Lawyers for the Defense in the John Norman Collins Case", "John Collins Seeks Justice 19 Years After Slayings End", "The Ann Arbor Library: The Michigan Murders", "Two Girls Testify at Collins' Trial: Slain Co-Ed's Roommates Tell of Day She Was Last Seen Alive", "Strong Challenges Face Prosecution in Trial of Collins", "The Michigan Murders Part 1: Seven Young Women", "Links to Other Slayings Sighted in Collins Trial: Defense Protests Plan to Ask Friend of Suspect About Girls' Apparel Items", "Data on Fingerprints, Stains Heard by Trial Jury: Crime Laboratory Head Finds No Marks Identifiable as Suspect's", "Jurors Quietly Visited Basement After Court Recessed Hour Early", "Three Defense Motions Denied for Collins", "Collins Guilty: Life Sentence is Mandatory", "Two Scientists Reject Data in Collins Case: Charge Prosecution Tests on Identifying Hairs Were Invalid", "Hair Not From Same Source, Nuclear Chemist Testifies", "Convicted in Michigan: Co-Ed Slayer Gets Life Term", "Nine Notorious Michigan Men Who Terrorized and Brutalized Women", "Collins Sentenced to Life Imprisonment and Hard Labor in Solitary Confinement", "Denies Killing Girl Before He Gets Life Term", "People vs. Collins: Decided October 24, 1972", "Final State Witness Heard in Collins Case: Defense Readdy to Start Testimony After Finishing Cross-Examination", "People v. Collins: Michigan Court of Appeals; Decided October 24, 1972", "Collins' Lawyer Promises Appeal On Extradition", "Extradition Hearing for Collins: California Seeks to Try Convict in Slaying of Girl", "California Drops Case Against Co-Ed Killer", "Collins is Linked to Schell Case: Slaying Suspect Reportedly was Driver of 'Pickup' Car", "New Book Lists Goofs in Serial Killings Probe", "John Collins' Aunt Testifies She Found Items Moved, Missing from Basement", "An Exclusive Interview: Collins Ends Seven Years of Silence", "Slayer of EMU Co-Ed Fails in Tunnel Escape Attempt", "Appeals Court Supports Canadian Citizenship Application Citizenship", "Never-Before-Published Letters, Interviews Offer Clues in Infamous Michigan Murders", "State Transfers 'Co-ed Killer' Convict to Ionia Prison", "The Michigan Murders Part 4: The Aftershock", "Court of Appeals Rejects Request for a New Trial", "Michigan Murders: Close calls, Haunting Roads, and Life After a Suspected Serial Killer is Arrested", initial 1972 appeal against his conviction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michigan_Murders&oldid=1130998673, 6. Paw Paw High School liaison officer Trever Tate testified in a Van Buren County courtroom in 2018, where he read from a journal that Ingalls had written in. I don't know when I'm going to do this, it might be sooner or later. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Evaluation of individual will and moral restraints within society, written by Collins while enrolled at Eastern Michigan University. Questioning of Leik's neighbors yielded additional circumstantial evidence: one neighbor, Marjorie Barnes, recalled having witnessed Collins leaving his uncle's home with a deluxe laundry detergent box prior to the Leik family returning from their vacation; another neighbor informed investigators she had heard the muffled screams of a young female emanating from the Leik household on the evening of Beineman's disappearance. [139], Dr. Jervis' conclusions were supported by a private consultant named Auseklis Perkons, and a Massachusetts-based Director of Forensic Research named Samuel Golub. The reason, so he could live as a bondage, discipline, and sadomasochistic master and rule over his girlfriend and other women. The same afternoon police searched the Leik family's basement, Collins was confronted with evidence thus far gained and deduced. [20], Despite tracing and eliminating more than 150 registered owners of red-and-black vehicles in the state of Michigan, and establishing the alibis of numerous individuals whose physical features bore a likeness to the composite drawing of the driver the police had obtained from Kolbe, all investigative lines of inquiry into the murder of Joan Schell failed to bear fruit. Welt marks upon the chest and shoulders indicated the killer had also used restraints to hold the victim prone as he whipped her torso and upper legs with a leather belt[35] before tearing a branch from a nearby tree and inserting this instrument eight inches into her vagina. [137] On this date, Collins was formally sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. Regardless of whether South Haven does well or poorly compared to all other cities and towns in the US of all sizes, compared to places with a similar population, it fares badly. [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. [21] Nonetheless, the inquiry into both murders remained active, and a reward then-totaling $7,800 for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrator of both homicides remained.[22]. A forensic examination of this trailer revealed it had been completely wiped of fingerprints. [70], Three days after the disappearance of Beineman, her nude body was discovered face-down in a wooded gully alongside the Huron River parkway. This has been the subject of speculation for the past 40 years. Four of these witnesses were employees of a motorcycle sales firm which Collins had visited on the afternoon of Beineman's disappearance. 6. In addition, NeighborhoodScout found that a lot of the crime that takes place in South Haven is property crime. The beach was crowded with people when shots rang out . KANSAS: In 1970, 12-year-old Kelly Lynn Albright went missing and was found dead in a field in Reno County. As the Ruelas and Mixer cases had been processed in the same, List of serial killers by number of victims, List of serial killers in the United States, legislatively abolished the death penalty, "Inmate Information Details: Collins, John Norman", "Who Killed these Girls? 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. (Chapman holds. [28][n 1], Four days after the discovery of Mixer's body, on March 25, a surveyor discovered the nude, mutilated body of a teenage girl lying upon a blue jacket behind a vacant house on a remote, rural section of Earhart Road,[30] just a few hundred yards from where the body of Joan Schell had been discovered eight months previously. NeighborhoodScout has done just that. [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. As the authorities continue to investigate the details of this horrific crime, we have to put our trust in them to do their jobs. With a population of 4,038, South Haven has a combined rate of violent and property crime that is very high compared to other places of similar population size. [92] Moreover, several of these female acquaintances divulged that Collins would become enraged upon learning a woman was menstruating: one woman revealed to police that on one occasion, when Collins had begun groping her breasts, she had informed him she was experiencing her period; in response, Collins had yelled, "That is really disgusting! 8,376,755. We think that has a lot to do with the fascinating and at times notorious life he led: from his role as the president . Both women had agreed this composite drawing was accurate, and only disagreed as to the structure of the suspect's chin. Several ghosts, including that of Frank Henderson, are said to roam the castles halls, which means a peaceful nights sleep is most likely not in the works. The first happened around 1:50 p.m. on 72nd Street near 14th Avenue in South Haven Township. A Michigan man was ordered held without bond Wednesday in connection with the stabbing death of Chicago pop singer Janice Steele, who was found slain in her home in the Lake Michigan resort. [132]), Also to testify at the trial on behalf of the prosecution was Marjorie Barnes, who testified on July 30 to having observed Collins leaving his uncle's home carrying a laundry box covered with a blanket on either July 24 or 25, 1969. Check it out. SOUTH HAVEN Two people are dead and another was injured in the aftermath of a Friday shooting that took place at a South Haven pier, police said. $36,000. [16] In addition, her throat had been slashed, and her miniskirt then tied around her neck. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families at this difficult time.. [132] Mrs. Leik also testified to having cut her children's hair in her basement two days prior to embarking on a vacation with her family, and that when they had returned home, she had noticed that several items from her basement had been moved, that she had discovered a wet, soiled cloth containing hair aside a laundry tub, and that other itemsincluding a nearly-full bottle of ammoniawere missing.[76]. Located just southeast of Grayling, its an actual ghost town and has been abandoned since 1917. A jury in Van Buren County found a 24-year-old woman guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Shondell Newell Thursday. Discover the South Haven Wineries Explore the Southwest Michigan Wine Trail. (The US average is 22.7) South Haven property crime is 65.6. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 270.6. When he arrived on the scene, he located the suspect on North Shore Drive, just north of the city limits, and began to pat him down. In rebuttal to the testimony of Dr. Golub, the defense recalled Dr. Walter Holz on August 12 to testify as to the samples he had himself taken to Dr. Golub for identification; Dr. Holz affirmed that he had taken twenty magnified photographic slides of samples retrieved from Beineman's panties to Dr. Golub's laboratory for analysis, and that they had contained numerous man-made fibrous materials. Davis informed police he had long suspected Collins had murdered Schell, but had been too afraid to report his suspicions. Mrs. Collins, incensed at the implication, immediately dismissed Ryan from the case. SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (AP) The body of an Ohio man was recovered Thursday in Lake Michigan, the fourth drowning from a day earlier in western Michigan. An autopsy report concluded that burns, smoke inhalation and the stab wounds all could have been possible death causes. If you have any information regarding Janette's case, you are urged to call the Michigan State Police at (989) 773-5951. According to our research of Michigan and other state lists, there were 44 registered sex offenders living in South Haven, Michigan as of March 01, 2023. [97], The hairs found upon Beineman's panties and those recovered from the basement of the Leik home were subjected to a detailed forensic neutron analysis[98] to determine whether they had sourced from the same individuals. Moreover, a psychologist retained by the defense had testified as such on April 20, 1970. Witnesses have heard footsteps in the sheriff's bedrooms, a mannequin in a display changes clothes by itself, and an apparition has been seen working in the kitchen and dining room areas. Deborah Boothbys family has waited more than a decade for answers and for justice. [145], On August 19, 1970, John Norman Collins was unanimously found guilty of the first-degree murder of Karen Sue Beineman. This case captivated a national audience because of the salacious details involved. In this lineup, Goshe positively identified the man she had seen with Karen Sue Beineman as John Norman Collins. 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 cross-examination, Dr. Guinn did agree with defense attorney Neil Fink that a statistical analysis of hair mixtures had never been attempted in a court of law,[136] although he remained firm that his applications had been performed via scientific principles. BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. A South Haven nurse is facing life in prison after the death of a 3-year-old in June of 2022. [60] She was last seen walking home towards her apartment on Thompson Street, having attended a friend's party. This spokesman indicated the reasoning being that, as Collins had already received a life sentence in Michigan, the case therefore was undeserving of "priority attention" by California authorities, in part due to the fact Collins would be returned to Michigan to serve his sentence if convicted. South Haven, MI Filbrandt Chapel - Starks Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services Add Photos 1 Memory Marilyn Konkle Marilyn Konkle, 90, of Covert loving sister and aunt, passed away on. 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. Aidans grandfather had evidence that someone sawed off gun barrels in his barn, authorities said. Having compared case notes, investigators in both California and Michigan agreed enough similarities existed between the murder of Roxie Ann Phillips and the Michigan Murders to establish a definite connection between the cases,[113] and on August 5, this connection was formally announced. Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. Use at your own risk. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The following year, he formally requested transfer to a Canadian prison, in the belief this would facilitate his prospects of eventual release. SOUTH HAVEN, MI 15 HOURS AGO The Grand Rapids Press A roundabout project is coming to this small West Michigan community ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI - A $6 million roundabout project is expected to make a five-street area in a city of about 5,200 people easier and safer to navigate once completed. 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