In the interview, she continued to say that she was innocent and asked her sons to look into the case and not believe what they were seeing. Read More: Where Are William and Melanie McGuires Kids Now? Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors Meghan Sacks and Amy Shlosberg have an entire podcast called Direct Appeal dedicated to questioning Melanies conviction. She then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Lena Christine Kindschi of Perry, Oklahoma, who passed away on February 27, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. In September 2020, Melanie McGuire sat down with 20/20 and gave her first interview in 13 years. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Prosecutors believed that McGuire forged the prescription as she had access to this prescription pad. Melanie McGuire denies this, pointing to the fact that there are hundreds of miles between Delaware and Virginia Beach. Meghan Sacks, host of podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professor questions Melanie McGuire's guilt. Woodbridge Township, NJ - The Suitcase Killer - Melanie McGuire Like, how could somebody think that I did that? she said on 20/20. Also if the crime scene didnt happen [at the family home] and shes home with her children all night, where is this happening? Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. Read More: Where Is Melanie McGuires Family Now? It was a mistake on a gun manufacturer's website. She does have an interesting new cellmate: In 2020, Melanie began sharing a cell with former actress Amy Locane, who starred in the TV show "Melrose Place." Indeed, she spent most of her time bringing new life into the world. Melanies not the only person who believes that the police got it wrong. These documents exist. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Kaleena Fraga has also had her work featured in The Washington Post and Gastro Obscura, and she published a book on the Seattle food scene for the Eat Like A Local series. Two years later, in 1999, she married William Bill McGuire, a US Navy veteran, and started a life with him in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. Don't accept what you're just being told on the surface. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007. Melanie McGuire, 34-years old, sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband Photo Source: NJ.com (website) Because the murder did not occur in Virginia, however, authorities turned over their investigation to the New Jersey State Police.[10]. The jury deliberated for three days before convicting her of all four counts lodged against her in the first indictment, and acquitted her of the eight counts filed in the second indictment. Bill had a gambling problem, Melanie explained, and after their fight she knew he would be at the casino. They surmised that Melanie had sedated Bill, shot him, and cut up his body. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. On camera, Melanie tells them: Make up your mind. Melanie claims that Bill pushed her against the wall during a fight, hit her, and tried to choke her with a dryer sheet. They looked high and low to connect Melanie to some pet, and once they found that there was no way to connect Melanie to these pet hairs, it became not of evidentiary value, said Sacks. The chart below captures the current COVID cases within the inmate and staff population, following Phase 2 testing, which includes retesting those individuals who were previously negative. There's less of a waiting period.. He ran tests, but he didn't do all the tests that you actually need to definitively say whether these bags match, added Sacks. She was indicted on four additional, relatively smaller charges in October. McGuire, who was convicted in 2007 of killing her husband Bill McGuire, said the hardest part has been not being able to watch her two sons grow up. She was given a life sentence on July 19, 2007, and she is currently in jail at the Edna Mahan . But this was the first time somebody was basically saying, We hear you, said Melanie McGuire. According to 20/20, the police were able to quickly identify the dismembered man. I'm a nurse or I was a nurse, and I don't need to look up things like that. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. We should mention that after Melanie was convicted of the charges against her, her family started a custody battle with Cindy, but to no avail. How Many Children Did Melanie Mcguire Have With Husband William Mcguire Prosecutor: Wife meticulously planned hacking - NBC News Thirteen years have passed since Melanie McGuire's conviction. Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and Bill was a computer programmer. Offers may be subject to change without notice. He probably would have broken my cheek if it had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire told 20/20. McGuire appealed her case, saying she did not receive a fair trial. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. A grand jury returned a second indictment in 2006, charging her with eight additional counts regarding anonymous communications, according to the appeal filed in her case. Do you know how hard it is to cut through bone? The 48-year-old actress and mother of two has been sober since the 2010 crash. Few, if any, knew that McGuire, a mother of two young sons, was having an affair with her physician boss, Dr. Bradley Miller. [11] Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina,[12] Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Whatever Happened To The Suitcase Killer Melanie McGuire's Two - MSN These documents exist. ", Through her attorney Jim Wronko, Locane describes McGuire as "very nice and pleasant and smart and helpful.". Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer Who Murdered And Dismembered Her Husband. A New Jersey grand jury indicted McGuire on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree perjury in October 2005. And on May 16, a third. Their theory was that this nurse, who was kind of so meticulous, had somehow just forgotten to wipe the bottom of her shoes, that she accidentally tracked these human sawdust particles of Bill's body from the house to the car, said John Glatt, a true crime author who wrote To Have and To Kill, a book about Melanie McGuires case. All we know is that they havent been in touch with their mother since before she was convicted. Colombia Finds Two New Shipwrecks Near The Site Of An 18th-Century Spanish Galleon That Sank With Billions In Treasure, The Life And Death Of JFK Jr., The Beloved Son Of John F. Kennedy, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. That same year, she married her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran named William Bill McGuire. However, after five years and two kids, their marriage ended on April 28, 2004, with Melanie killing her husband. Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. The New Jersey fertility nurse was sentenced to life in prison back in 2007 for murdering her husband Bill in April 2004. Melanie went to Middletown High School South and. Lifetime's new film Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story explores the shocking death of Bill McGuire on April 28, 2004. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. [9] Her E-ZPass tag was recorded at a toll booth in Delaware two days after the murder; she claimed that this was the result of her going furniture shopping in Delaware, since it has no sales tax. Data from the New Jersey Department of Corrections details cases since they implemented additional measures. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later,. She was immediately booked into the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center on first-degree murder charges, but made her $750,000 bail ($1.04 million today). Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. The Best Friends - Direct Appeal 01: Three suitcases, containing human remains, surfaced in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay in May 2004. Melanie McGuire is an American former nurse who was found guilty of killing her husband, Bill McGuire, on April 28, 2004, in a case called the "suitcase murder" by the media. Watch new at 9/8c on ABC. Melanie McGuire, The 'Suitcase Killer' Who Dismembered Her Husband In September 2020 McGuire took part in a rare interview with ABC News, in which she continued to profess her innocence for the crime. One contained legs, another a pelvis, and the third a torso and head. State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishmentfor her original conviction (second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by an auto), which was deemed too lenient. Bill worked as a computer program analyst for a Newark, New Jersey college and Melanie worked as a fertility nurse, according to a 2011 appeal filed in her case. [9] The third and smallest suitcase, containing arms, was recovered floating in the water near the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel's second artificial island on May 16. But though both the podcast and the making of the movie have brought attention to the Suitcase Murder, it doesnt change the fact that Melanie McGuire is behind bars. Its out there.. She also made inquiries of a friend about how to buy a gun. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Yesterday, more than a year after the three grisly discoveries, Melanie McGuire, 32, of Brick, N.J., was charged with first-degree murder in the April 29, 2004, slaying of her husband of four. Melanie McGuire Today: Where Is the Suitcase Killer Now in 2020. YouTube I cannot even think about that. But Melanie maintains that she did not commit the infamous Suitcase Murder. Melanie McGuire was found guilty of murdering Bill McGuire, 39, in April 2004. [9] Green fibers had been found on one of the bullets lodged in Bill's chest; the fibers were identified as polyester fill, a common material found in household furniture. However, not much else about the day was typical. Melanie McGuire told the podcast "Direct Appeal" that she is not the suitcase killer, and that the true murderer is still on the loose. [8] She married United States Navy veteran William T. "Bill" McGuire (born September 21, 1964) in 1999. Police discovered Bill's car in Atlantic City and when they obtained surveillance footage, they discovered that McGuire had used a highway toll twice to drive to the location, and that she'd attempted to have the charges removed, per ABC News. Miller, however, claimed that the prescription was written in Melanies handwriting. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. Thats what happened the night of April 28, 2004, the day Bill McGuire disappeared, according to his wife. McGuire offered a message to her sons on 20/20, who are now adults, encouraging them to look deeper into the case and find the truth for themselves. Miller looked at the prescription and he said, Thats not my signature and it appears to be Melanie McGuires handwriting, recalled Prezioso. While she admitted to her affair with Miller, she maintains she did not kill Bill McGuire. He did not return a call from the seller later that evening. Of course, since we do not know either of their names, we have no way of digging up any other credible information concerning their current standing. What Happened To Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer? - Grunge.com (Video By Bumper. During her conversation with ABCs Amy Robach, Melanie continued to insist on her innocence. Prezioso said she has no doubt Melanie McGuire's gun was the murder weapon. Melanie McGuire claimed that her gun could not have been the murder weapon since the numbers of lands and grooves on the bullets that came out of Bill McGuire didn't match the number that the manufacturing website said it had made her gun with. When investigators processed Bill McGuire's car, they also found a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes. He said he was leaving and he wasnt coming back and [that] I could tell my children they didnt have a father.. Melanie McGuire, the Suitcase Killer, gave a rare interview to Amy Robach of ABC News in September 2020. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . In 2007, McGuire was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband, Bill. In 2004, Bill McGuire was found dismembered in three separate dark green Kenneth Cole suitcases that were found in and around the Chesapeake Bay, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Melanie McGuire, who is not eligible for parole until she is 101 years old, said the hardest part is not being there for her children. [13] She was also convicted of the lesser charges of perjury, desecration of human remains, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. McGuire told 20/20 she did not commit the crimes for which she was convicted. Melanie McGuire Sentenced to Life for Murder of Husband | Heavy.com McGuire got the unfortunate luggage nickname after she was convicted of drugging her husband, shooting him to death, and stuffing his dismembered body into three dark green suitcases that were later found in the Chesapeake Bay. To drive from New Jersey to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia requires driving through Delaware, and the first suitcase turned up the very next day, Prezioso said. Three suitcases were found washed up, inside each were the remains. One contained a torso and a head, the other a mans thighs and pelvis, according to Oxygen. Where Is Melanie McGuire Now? - The Cinemaholic Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with Miller. They pulled out the piping, pulling floorboards up, said Sacks. Her defense lawyers have not said if McGuire will testify . Melanie McGuire went on trial on March 5, 2007. She adds, Is she trying to say that the man who was so excited to be buying this house, because he wanted to have this house for the wife that he loved and his children, that at the same time trying to kill her? At trial, prosecutors presented an apparent mountain of circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire in Bill McGuires disappearance and murder. I have a book that I can look in that doesn't leave an internet history, Melanie McGuire told "20/20.". Locane said she worries that her daughters and the public will forget her. Video Melanie McGuire says 'it's a coincidence' she bought gun before [1] She graduated, second in her class, from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. For the two toddlers, they usually woke up, saw their parents, went to daycare, came back, saw their parents, ate, played, and then slept. As McGuire maintains her innocence, she is running out of appeal options. [B]ut gone doesnt mean dead.. She didnt fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg told 20/20. It doesn't make any sense.' "It turned out that when the record check was done with Pennsylvania, a record came back that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun," said Patti Prezioso, the lead investigator and prosecutor at Melanie McGuire's trial. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. She will not be eligible for parole until she has served 66 years in prison. The publication reported that two days after Bill left, McGuire filed for a restraining order so he couldn't unexpectedly take their children, and three weeks after he had disappeared she filed for a divorce. Where Are William and Melanie McGuire's Kids Now? - The Cinemaholic Melanie Lyn McGuire (ne Slate; born October 8, 1972) is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004, in what media dubbed the "suitcase murder". Yet, in the end, it turned out that shed lied about it all. Guilty or not, Melanie McGuire, the so-called Suitcase Killer, remains an object of fascination. Melanie Mcguire Affair With Bradley Miller, Suitcase Killer Story After all these years, I still feel hurt, Melanie said. Watch new at 9/8c on ABC. With the story debunked, the request for a new trial was withdrawn. At the time, the local media also reported this detail about the parking lot's surveillance cameras. Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, majored in statistics at Rutgers University, and enrolled in nursing school, according to The New York Times. The pair lived in Woodbridge, New Jersey where Bill worked at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and McGuire was a fertility clinic nurse in Morristown. In addition, Melanie was 38-weeks pregnant with her second child when the relationship started, based on reporting from New Jersey-based news outlet CentralJersey.com. She said her husband left and that she never saw him again. Miller also said in his . And then, two years later, they were blessed with another baby boy. Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. She claimed he walked out on her and the kids . Melanie McGuire, born October 8, 1972, is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004, in what media dubbed the "suitcase murder". However, prosecutors established that the informant was "entirely incredible and routinely and habitually fabricates stories" according to a New Jersey State Police investigation, before recanting and accusing McGuire's attorney of suborning perjury. They opened it and found a mans dismembered legs, cut off at the knee. Over a period of 12 days in May 2004, three dark green suitcases were discovered in and near the Chesapeake Bay. When Bill McGuires body was found with bullet wounds, prosecutors pointed to the fact that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun in Pennsylvania just two days before her husband was reported missing. But when fishermen discovered a suitcase stuffed with Bill's remains just days after the couple had closed on their new dream home . William McGuire was 39 when he died. The evidence in this case points to a well-organized, meticulously planned execution of a murder, Prezioso said during the trial. For her part, Melanie insisted that her husband had stormed out after a fight. During the investigation, incriminating evidence against Melanie was uncovered. She was accused and convicted of murdering and dismembering her husband, William Bill McGuire, after which she packed him up in three suitcases and threw him into the Chesapeake Bay. 'Suitcase Killer' Melanie McGuire real story behind the movie Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. ABC dug into the case and interviewed McGuire in prison for their two-hour 20/20 special, Suitcase Killer, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, September 25, 2020. Download is FREE. Melanie McGuire. The podcast, hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg questions Melanie McGuire's guilt and suggests that there is evidence in the case that never received the legal scrutiny it deserved. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. But though Bill and Melanie had two sons together, their marriage swiftly soured. Melanie had to withdraw her appeal after the prosecutors debunked the story, and so, on July 19, 2007, she was sentenced to life in prison. I believe that the evidence presented to the jury told the jury what happened," Prezioso said. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishment, Wrong Turn: The tragic story of former It Girl Amy Locane, Amy Locane to be re-sentenced for fatal auto crash, Amy Locane recalls drunk-driving crash in post-prison interview. McGuires case is being featured on a podcast, Direct Appeal. She is nearly out of options in the judicial system, the podcast website said, and now she is appealing to the public for help. "After all these years, I still feel hurt. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. The Melrose Place actresswho is now serving a second sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jerseyshares a prison cell with Melanie McGuire, the infamous "Suitcase. The court awarded custody of her two sons to Bill McGuires sister, Cindy Ligosh, and Melanie McGuire has had no contact with them since her trial. Therefore, more than a year after the incident, on June 7, 2005, Melanie was officially arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Melanie's receipt for the gun also listed an unspecified purchase of $9.95; there were only two items in the store for that amount, and one of them was a box of wadcutter bullets. Prosecutors called 64 witnesses, and the defense called 16 witnesses. The case is being featured on a two-hour ABC special, Suitcase Killer, which airs Friday, September 25, 2020 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. "20/20" The Secret in the Suitcase (TV Episode 2020) - IMDb [9] The couple had two sons and lived in a Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, apartment, but planned to move that month to a larger home in Warren County. Convicted N.J. Wife Dubbed 'Suitcase Killer' Tells '20/20 - Peoplemag A nurse said her husband walked out on her. Prosecutors allege that McGuire, 34, shot him to death, sliced his body into four pieces with a power saw and then dumped his remains in the Chesapeake Bay. McGuire, 34, a mother of two, is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2004 killing of her husband, 39-year-old state computer analyst William T. McGuire. Melanie and Bill McGuire were married in 1999 and had two sons at the time of his death. Life in Prison for Melanie McGuire - YouTube I panicked, Melanie told 20/20. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. [10] Prosecutors contended her motive for murder was to take up a new life with her lover. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. 'Suitcase Murder' Wife Melanie McGuire Tells Estranged Sons To "Dig, Dig" 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Prezioso said she believed that Melanie McGuire was planting the car in Atlantic City to create an illusion that Bill McGuire was still alive. Author John Glatt wrote a book about the case, entitled To Have and To Kill. N.J.'s most infamous killers behind bars: Then and now Most recently, though, it has been the subject of ABCs 20/20, in an episode entitled Interview with Melanie McGuire, where we get Melanies complete perspective for the first time. Immediately after murdering Bill, according to the State, defendant embarked on a plan to conceal the crimes and to create the appearance that Bill had abandoned his family, his job, and his new house after a violent argument with her. McGuire will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. [22] She must serve more than 63 years before she is eligible for parole. https://directappealpodcast.com/. I looked down and theres my 2-year-old. After exiting the older child's school, Melanie started walking toward her vehicle when law enforcement emerged from the bushes, taking her into custody without incident. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. Investigators searched the home for evidence multiple times, checking to see if Bill McGuire had been killed and dismembered there. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. The appeal raised many claims contending she did not receive a fair trial, including prosecutorial misconduct, failure to consider a mitigating factor, a tainted jury, and exposure of the jury to inflammatory media accounts. [9] Police received a tip from a private towing company employee who said he towed a 2002 Nissan Maxima (Bill McGuire's car) from the Flamingo Motel in Atlantic City, on May 8, 2004. Dig, dig." Suitcase Killer: The.