Sacks and Shlosberg claim that the tests run by the state's plastic expert were not sufficient to conclusively link the bags found in Melanie McGuires house and the ones used to wrap Bill McGuires body. Dig, dig., 20/20 airs Fridays at 9 pm on ABC, right after Americas Funniest Home Videos at 8 pm. She again pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $10,000 bail. Offers may be subject to change without notice. by Chilling Crimes July 20, 2020. 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] 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. Melanie McGuires story made national headlines in the mid-2000s, when she was charged with first-degree murder and dubbed the Suitcase Killer by some in the media. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Dig, dig.". I have a book that I can look in that doesn't leave an internet history, Melanie McGuire told "20/20.". A Wednesday. All we know is that they havent been in touch with their mother since before she was convicted. They knew that Pennsylvania was close and a lot of people will go to Pennsylvania for firearms because gun laws are more lax, Sacks said. McGuire, now 47, was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband after a lengthy trial in 2007. She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. Police also found a number of suspicious internet searches on the McGuires home computer, including questions like: how to purchase guns illegally, how to commit murder, and undetectable poisons. And they believed that the garbage bags in the McGuire home matched the bags wrapped around Bill McGuires dismembered body. [9] Police believed that she used a syringe and prescription from her work to obtain the drug used as a means to incapacitate her husband.[11]. Bill's body parts were discovered in three suitcases floating in the Chesapeake Bay near Virginia. 1:15. Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with Miller. Melanie McGuire Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Husband Bill, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Melanie McGuire, the 34-year-old fertility clinic nurse convicted of killing her husband and stuffing his remains into suitcases, was sentenced to life in prison this morning. McGuire testified that during their argument her husband had become violent and he threatened to take their children away before leaving the home by himself, per CBS News. One contained a torso and a head, the other a mans thighs and pelvis, according to Oxygen. "There was no evidence connecting him to this crime.. In September 2020, Melanie McGuire sat down with 20/20 and gave her first interview in 13 years. Meghan Sacks, host of podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professor questions Melanie McGuire's guilt. 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. He had been married to Melanie Lyn Slate McGuire for about five years had two beautiful sons with her. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured hugging at an unknown date. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. She maintains her innocence and . Make up your mind. She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007. She became known as the Suitcase Killer during her televised 2007 trial. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Dubbed the Suitcase Killer, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. A four-count indictment came down from a state grand jury. The 2004 case was dubbed the suitcase murder because the victims legs were found in a suitcase that washed up in Virginia Beach. One contained legs, another a pelvis, and the third a torso and head. 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. Melanie McGuire/Bill McGuire. There are just too many holes in this story.. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. 2011 - Google Scholar", "N.J. appeals court upholds life sentence for convicted suitcase killer Melanie McGuire", "State v. McGuire, 27 A. After all these years, I still feel hurt, Melanie said. https://directappealpodcast.com/. Dubbed the "Suitcase Killer," she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. 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. [9] A witness testified that Melanie used the same towels to protect furniture when she moved. Don't accept what you're just being told on the surface. This stuff exists, she said on the show. Melanie McGuire, 34-years old, sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband Photo Source: NJ.com (website) The day before his disappearance, the couple closed on the purchase of their first home. McGuire maintains her innocence, and wants her two adult sons to look into the case for themselves. 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. Dig, dig. Days later, an unidentified man, believed by many to be her stepfather, also contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the charge removed. And shes not the only one who thinks that police arrested the wrong suspect. This sensational case has thus often been referred to as the Suitcase Murder and has been profiled on several true-crime shows, including Oxygens Snapped, NBCs Dateline, CBS 48 Hours Mystery, IDs Deadly Affairs, and Forensic Files, amongst many others. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/i4dBUBR7PJ. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. YouTube That requires two drivers so certainly that means someone helped her, said Prezioso. [22] She must serve more than 63 years before she is eligible for parole. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Miller, however, claimed that the prescription was written in Melanies handwriting. He probably would have broken my cheek if [the hit] had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire said. William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?. New Jersey Department of Corrections/Find a Grave After all these years, I still feel hurt. His wife, Melanie McGuire, a fertility nurse and the mother of his two sons, was eventually convicted of murdering him and dumping his body. Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and Bill was a computer programmer. She may be eligible for parole after serving 66 years in prison, court documents filed in her case said. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. The appeal details the murder, the night of Bill McGuires disappearance, and the disposal of his body. As a realtor at the Weichert office in Franklin Lakes, she, along with her husband, pharmacist Bill Ligosh of Wyckoff, New Jersey, were deemed well qualified and capable of taking good care of the toddlers. One of the three suitcases that contained parts of Bill McGuires body. Melanie McGuire Today: Where Is the Suitcase Killer Now in 2020? The Departments virus mitigation tactics, along with its universal testing initiative of staff and inmates, has controlled the spread of COVID-19 within NJDOC facilities. Powered by. Melanie McGuire has had no contact with them since before the verdict. [B]ut gone doesnt mean dead.. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" [9] Police released a facial reconstruction sketch of the victim, which an acquaintance of Bill McGuire's recognized. [11] Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina,[12] Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. 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. 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. I still feel bothered. The news outlet reported in June, 2020, COVID-19 was spreading because of a low supply of protective masks, poorly enforced social distancing measures, and inadequate quarantining of infected inmates. There's less of a waiting period.. [9] Melanie admitted that the couple owned the same set of luggage that the body was found in, a matching three-piece set of Kenneth Cole suitcases. Dig, dig. It was hard. According to 20/20, the police were able to quickly identify the dismembered man. Do you know how hard it is to cut through bone? She said that they believe the garbage bags were a prop to sway the jury. Friday on #ABC2020: The co-hosts of the @directappeal podcast tell @ARobach why they believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted: I dont think that there was enough evidence to convict her. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/qJfD3ATBkD. Melanie McGuire explained that the night after Bill McGuire went missing, she was becoming angrier at her husband and suspected she knew where he was: Atlantic City. The evidence in this case points to a well-organized, meticulously planned execution of a murder, Prezioso said during the trial. So I think the police said, Well, prove it. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. I absolutely tried to have those charges taken off because I feared that people would look and think what they ultimately ended up thinking," McGuire said. READ NEXT: Melanie McGuire Today: Where Is the Suitcase Killer Now in 2020? She was given a life sentence on July 19, 2007, and she is currently in jail at the Edna Mahan . 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. In September 2020 McGuire took part in a rare interview with ABC News, in which she continued to profess her innocence for the crime. They discovered that Melanie had bought a gun in Pennsylvania two days before Bill went missing and that she was having an affair with a doctor at her practice, Bradley Miller. A top priority for New Jersey investigators was determining if Melanie McGuire had ever owned a gun. The request was subsequently denied. You can read the appeal and court decision in full here. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. She pleaded not guilty to all indictments and soon posted an accumulated bail of over $2 million. Bills car contained a bottle of chloral hydrate, a sedative, and two syringes, which had been prescribed by Bradley Miller. 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. I still feel bothered. I believe that the evidence presented to the jury told the jury what happened," Prezioso said. Melanie McGuire listens to testimony today during her murder trial. Thirteen years have passed since Melanie McGuire's conviction. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. Melanie then became the prime suspect in the investigation. We heard from Barbara, a close friend of Melanie's, who has witnessed Melanie's ups and downs.I cant think of anyone more qualified to give an opinion on Melanie's behavior and emotional status. Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with a doctor at the fertility clinic where she worked. It premiered on 17th June 2022 and is airing exclusively on Lifetime.The show follows the shocking murder of Bill McGuire, so don't miss it - learn how to watch Suitcase Killer The Melanie McGuire Story in Canada on Lifetime.. No matter where you live, the alluring Suitcase Killer The . "People ask me, 'Explain this. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. Melanie McGuire was a former nurse in the United States who was found guilty of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004. ABC News also reported that other evidence included McGuire's purported internet search history, which amongst others included "undetectable poisons.". Miller eventually testified against Melanie McGuire at her trial. Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a women's correctional facility in New Jersey. [27][28], In 2022, Lifetime produced a movie called Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" series of movies for television. As Dr. Bradley Miller testified in the Melanie McGuire court case, there was an ongoing affair between himself and Melanie when Bill McGuire was killed. 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. Police also discovered small pieces of Bill's flesh, which authorities described as "human sawdust," inside the McGuire home, which they believed meant that McGuire had killed her husband. The bullets that came out of my husband had six lands and grooves," said Melanie McGuire. Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. 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 Killer." McGuire will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. I just burst into tears, Melanie said of learning about her husbands death in a 2007 interview. Melanie claims she's innocent, and hopes that she will be released someday. On April 23, 2007 McGuire was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder, perjury, desecration of human remains and possession of a weapon for unlawful means. [9] Bill and Melanie owned a green couch, and investigators theorized that the murderer used a pillow or couch cushion as a makeshift silencer) to shoot Bill. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. She had apparently grown worried about their well-being upon noticing their behavior and got them tested. His body was found in three separate suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay, which led to McGuires nickname, the Suitcase Killer.. The Suitcase Killer, Melanie McGuire Story shows the real-life incident that occurred in 2004 in New Jersey, when Melanie, a local nurse killed her husband, William, a computer programmer, and dismembered his body and packed them in a suitcase, and dumped them in the Chesapeake Bay. On April 28, 2004, the last day anyone ever saw Bill alive, Melanie had dropped off their sons, aged 2 and 4, at their daycare as routine at around 8:20 am. She pleaded not guilty. September 26, 2020 Examined Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a womens correctional facility in New Jersey. This chart demonstrates the significant drop in active cases from approximately 800 active inmate cases in DOC facilities at the peak of the pandemic, the DOC website says. Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20 I still feel bothered. 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 also discovered a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes in Bill's car, which they traced to a pharmacy near their children's daycare, and they learned that McGuire had bought a gun 48 hours before her husband's disappearance. He said he was leaving and he wasnt coming back and [that] I could tell my children they didnt have a father.. She will not be eligible for parole until she has served 66 years in prison. She claimed he walked out on her and the kids . Trial photos of Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey nurse best known for being the perpetrator in the media-dubbed "suitcase murder." . She said she was unhappy in her marriage. Her bail was raised to $2.1million ($2.9 million today), but she was again released. He probably would have broken my cheek if it had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire told 20/20. She maintains her innocence, having recently told 20/20 that "after all these years, I still feel hurt. In the meantime, the two young McGuire children, ages 5 and 7, are being raised by Bill's sister, Cindy Ligosh. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Bradley Miller. I guess it is comforting [that people are interested]. Her defense attorneys argued that anyone could have conducted the searches. Prezioso said she believed that Melanie McGuire was planting the car in Atlantic City to create an illusion that Bill McGuire was still alive. [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. After all these years, I still feel hurt. Also if the crime scene didn't happen [at the family home] and she's home with her children all night, where is this happening? Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . At trial, prosecutors presented an apparent mountain of circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire in Bill McGuires disappearance and murder. She suggested that her husband had been killed over his gambling debts, claiming that he was the one whod insisted that she buy a gun in the first place. She will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. No one plugged the serial number of my gun into a website to find out what the specifications were, said Melanie McGuire. Almost three years after the crime, McGuire's murder trial commenced at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey on March 5, 2007. ABC News correspondent Amy Roach sits down for the first on-camera interview with Melanie McGuire since she was sentenced 13 years ago in 2007 to life in prison for the murder of her husband and father of her two children, William Bill McGuire. As of June 22, 2020, two inmates had died of COVID-19. by Sarah Jae Leiber Sep. 21, 2020. They searched gun records in the state but found nothing. Guilty or not, Melanie McGuire, the so-called Suitcase Killer, remains an object of fascination. A jury convicted McGuire in 2007, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus five years. These documents exist. There are just too many holes in this story.. He was 39 years old. 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. 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. While the prosecutors claimed, supported by evidence, that Melanie killed her husband in cold blood in the hopes of freely taking up a new life with Bradley Miller, her defense team argued that she was innocent and it was Bill who had issues.

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