The podcast hosts and Melanie McGuire herself, raise questions about whether it's even possible the gun she purchased was the murder weapon. Melanie McGuire was 31 and a mother of two when she was charged with killing and dismembering her husband of five years, William McGuire. Koedatich, who just turned 70 behind bars, is incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, according to correctional records. NJ.com reports that in 2007, Melanie McGuire was charged on eight counts and found guilty of four: desecrating remains, murder, perjury, and the possession of the murder weapon a gun for an unlawful reason. Her earliest possible parole date is May 20, 2073, according to the Department of. We followed those killers as they were arrested, tried and sentenced, and even as they continued to appeal their convictions. Sentence: Both young men received life sentences plus additional time, butJames Zarate was resentenced last year to 50 years on the murder charge. 'Suitcase Killer' Melanie McGuire defends innocence from inside prison Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg are the hosts of the podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors. [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. As of June 22, 2020, two inmates had died of COVID-19. (Star-Ledger file photo), Inside the fenceline at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton. The podcasters and Melanie McGuire also point to unexplained animal hair found on Bill McGuires dismembered body and noted in investigative reports. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?" Sentence: 17 years in prison. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. APP.com reported that he is locked up alone in a maximum-security cell. Melanie and Bill McGuire cut the cake at their wedding. A top priority for New Jersey investigators was determining if Melanie McGuire had ever owned a gun. Fortin, now 53, is serving his sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. This suitcase was found to contain the head and torso with three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the head. It shows no inmates or staff at the facility had confirmed positive test results between August 22, 2020, and September 25, 2020. Although detectives did not find what they were looking for on the surveillance footage, they were able to find something curious on Melanie McGuires statement from her electronic toll payment company, EZ Pass. Upon further investigation, police discovered a security video of the car being moved in the early morning hours of April 30, 2004. As My Central Jersey reports, Melanie McGuire allegedly dismembered Bill's body and brought the trio of suitcases to a bridge. His body was identified after a sketch of his face was released by police. He was successful in 2017 and had his life sentence changed to 50 years. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women - Wikipedia "Snapped" Melanie McGuire (TV Episode 2007) - IMDb 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. Locane is back behind bars for killing Helene Seeman, 60, in a 2010 drunk driving collision in New Jersey's Montgomery Township. But by the penalty phase of the second trial, the state of New Jersey had repealed the death penalty. New Jersey Department of Corrections/Find a Grave He had been married to Melanie McGuire and it was soon discovered that she was his killer. (Photos from The Record via Northeast News Consortium and the state Department of Corrections), Bergen County serial killer serving time in Trenton for 3 slayings. At trial, his defense attorneys claimed he was not guilty by way of insanity but Miraglia maintained that he was not mentally ill. On April 30, the next day, Melanie filed for divorce and a restraining order. I guess it is comforting [that people are interested]. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (formerly the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women) [1] is a prison facility for women of the state of New Jersey Department of Corrections, located in Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, [2] [3] near Clinton. Cooper, 47, is incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. After another five days, a third suitcase appeared. ", a judge rejected a separate request for post-conviction relief. 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. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. They recovered searches including: How to purchase guns illegally, How to commit murder, Undetectable poisons and, generally, how to sedate or kill someone, according to investigators. Sentence: The jury in Fortin's first trial sentenced him to death. I still feel bothered. What's happened with their appeals? Crime:Miraglia, then 31,killed andcut off the heads, hands and feet of hisgrandmotherJulia Miraglia, 88, and his ex-girlfriend, Leigh Martinez, 31, in their Ocean Township home on June 8, 2004. Prosecutors said Melanie McGuire then stuffed her husband's remains into weighted suitcases she later dumped into the Chesapeake Bay. Department of Corrections | Georgia.gov Shes now a 47-year-old inmate at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, where she claims that shes not only innocent of killing her husband but that his real killer is still out there. (Photos from file and state Department of Corrections), Convicted killer of 2 young women seeking DNA test to clear him of slaying. [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. of Corrections) WOODBRIDGE, NJ For anyone. She's ineligible for parole until the age of 101, as reported by ABC News in 2020. Wilson-Seidle died from her injuries. Melanie McGuire, the notorious "suitcase killer" convicted in 2007 of slaying her husband, has given a lengthy podcast interview and has spoken in a rare TV interview with "20/20" to proclaim her innocence in a quixotic bid for exoneration, ABC News reports. Miller was adamant that he had nothing to do with any crime, and he didnt know anything about this. He is now serving a life sentence without parole. Sacks firmly believes that prosecutors failed to answer key questions in the case. Philip Seidle, a former Neptune police sergeant, is pictured in court in 2016, and in his most recent prison mugshot. [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. New Jersey Is Closing Its Only Women's Prison After Rampant Abuse By I just wanted to get away from him at that point. 'Suitcase Killer' TV movie takes on Melanie McGuire N.J. true-crime This is not one of those cases, said Prezioso. The investigation began after the body parts were discovered and Melanie McGuire was identified as a main suspect. She said in a moment of admitted irrationality she decided to drive down there and look for his car. There are times when podcasts and media can shine a light on certain cases where what the government did was not right. A jury convicted McGuire in 2007, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus five years. These documents exist. I cannot even think about that. After a few years, the marital dynamics began to shift. Then he hired congregant Len Jenoff and Paul Danielsto beat his wife to death and make it look like a botched robbery. The fisherman pulled a dark green suitcase from the estuaryand pried it open to find that the contents of the suitcase were two human legs, cut at the knees. [9] McGuire persisted in claiming she was innocent, and claimed her husband had become increasingly moody and unpredictable and was a compulsive gambler. I still feel bothered. Per Asbury Park Press, the "suitcase killer," Melanie McGuire, has returned to court most recently in 2014. [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. Melanie McGuire wasn't arrested until over a year later when the suitcases surfaced in Virginia. Justin Robinson, at left, appears in court to face a murder charge. The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. The film stars Candice King as Melanie McGuire, Michael Roark as William McGuire, Jackson Hurst as Bradley Miller, and Wendie Malick as Patricia Prezioso.[29]. (Star-Ledger and State of New Jersey photos), Serial killer's earliest parole date? Thomas Moriarty may be reached attmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Melanie recounted an example when Bill got a speeding ticket, he became so enraged that he told her he was going to return home and kill her. Lodzinski's attorney also argued jurors did not have sufficient evidence to convict her. In addition to 20/20, her case is being examined in a podcast, Direct Appeal. She filed an appeal to the New Jersey Superior Court, which affirmed her conviction and sentence in 2011. Sentence: 30 years without parole. Melanie McGuire: With Melanie McGuire, William McGuire. Amy Locane's cellmates include 'Suitcase Killer', Michelle Lodzinski AP Among the trans women inmates housed at Edna Mahan are Michelle. "People ask me, 'Explain this. Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al 21-1750 | U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit | Justia Justia Dockets & Filings Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al Melanie McGuire v. Attorney General New Jersey, et al RSS Track this Docket Docket Report Sentence: Harris was originally sentenced to death, but the state abolished the death penalty before he was executed. Dr. A 46-second preview of the movie shows a woman finding a suitcase on the beach and then moving away as she opens it. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. Phil Murphy announced in a press release Monday his intention to. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. During her arraignment on murder charges, McGuire's case was dubbed the "Suitcase Murder" by various media outlets. "There was no evidence connecting him to this crime.. 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. Subscribe to Justia's Free Newsletters featuring summaries of federal and state court opinions. Bergrin appealed his convictions and sentence, saying he was denied a fair trial for several reasons. It took four years and two trials the first jury hung for federal prosecutors to convict him in 2013 of the 23 charges facing him. InMay 2004 his body parts were found stuffed into three matching black and green Kenneth Cole Reaction suitcases thrown into the Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach. The New Jersey couple occasionally had fights and broke up from time to time but always got back together (via YouTube). Police quickly found his car in a parking lot there. And Lifetime will revive the sensational story once again when it releases a fictional movie about the McGuire suitcase killer on June 22, 2022 (via Yahoo). Sentence: Cooper was sentenced to death. In 2017, he also unsuccessfully appealed sanctions he was given forpunching a prison officer and having gang recruitment material in his cell. In 2010, Locane got into an accident while driving drunk killing one person in the crash and was convicted of second-degree homicide and assault with a vehicle. 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.