Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story: Directed by Nicole L. Thompson. She put his remains into a 3-piece suitcase set, and those three pieces were later found in Chesapeake Bay. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. Meanwhile, investigators found more and more evidence that suggested that Melanie McGuire had killed her husband. They closed the documents on their new house on April 28, but never moved in. In a new episode of "20/20," co-anchor Amy Robach sits down for the first on-camera interview with Melanie McGuire since she was sentenced to life in prison 13 . 'Suitcase Murder' Wife Melanie McGuire Tells Estranged Sons To "Dig, Dig" This is not one of those cases, said Prezioso. 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. The Case and Trial of the 'Suitcase Killer' Melanie McGuire Would love your thoughts, please comment. The podcast hosts and Melanie McGuire herself, raise questions about whether it's even possible the gun she purchased was the murder weapon. [10] Prosecutors contended her motive for murder was to take up a new life with her lover. According to PEOPLE, Melanie claimed that Bill had a gambling problem and a volatile temper. Speaking to ABC News' Amy Robach for 20/20, she said: "I'm doing this because there's a murderer walking around. People are feeling this way now, but when it's no longer a story, I'll just be forgotten. She says she is innocent. [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. After all these years, I still feel hurt, Melanie said. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. [26], On September 25, 2014, McGuire appeared in court with her new attorney Lois DeJulio, a public defender, to try to get a hearing that could overturn her 2007 murder conviction, on the grounds that her previous legal representation by Joe Tacopina was inadequate or ineffective. William McGuire was 39 when he died. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? she said on 20/20. Locane is back behind bars for killing Helene Seeman, 60, in a 2010 drunk driving collision in New Jersey's Montgomery Township. McGuire went through a lengthy trial, which was televised on Court TV, from February to April 2007. Melanie McGuire Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering and There was. 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 and Melanie McGuire in happier days. She claims that someone went after Bill because of his gambling debts and that the real perpetrator of the Suitcase Murder is still out there. New Jersey fertility clinic nurse Melanie McGuire stands accused of murdering her husband, William, in 2004. Melanie McGuire - Chilling Crimes There's less of a waiting period.. Upon further investigation, police discovered a security video of the car being moved in the early morning hours of April 30, 2004. McGuire appealed her case, saying she did not receive a fair trial. [6][7] She enrolled at Rutgers University with a double major in math and psychology and graduated in 1994. Investigators discovered that the parking lot had surveillance cameras, and they pulled the security footage thinking they had stumbled upon a smoking gun that would show who dumped Bill McGuire's car. 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). Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie Lyn Slate has spent all of her life in New Jersey growing up in Ridgewood and Middletown Township. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. She said she was unhappy in her marriage. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured hugging at an unknown date. 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. Prezioso said she believed that Melanie McGuire was planting the car in Atlantic City to create an illusion that Bill McGuire was still alive. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. Where Is Melanie McGuire Now? - The Cinemaholic Dig, dig.". Lifetime is planning to release a movie about her case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story in June 2022. [9], On May 5, 2004, the first suitcase, containing human legs, was found by two fishermen and two children floating near the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel's fourth artificial island, and a murder investigation was launched. 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. What Happened To Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer? - Grunge.com Prosecutors called 64 witnesses, and the defense called 16 witnesses. "Beware of pretty faces that you find, a pretty face can hide an evil mind." -Johnny Ramistella. I still feel bothered. 2011 - Google Scholar", "N.J. appeals court upholds life sentence for convicted suitcase killer Melanie McGuire", "State v. McGuire, 27 A. [29], Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story, "Melanie McGuire Found Guilty of Murder in 2004 Shooting Death and Dismemberment of Her Husband", "Melanie McGuire, SBI Number: 000319833C", "Author to sign copies of Melanie McGuire book", "Case 120: Bill McGuire from Casefile True Crime", "Wife arrested in gory dismemberment murder", "General Discussion - Melanie McGuire guilty as hell", "Defense to withdraw motion for McGuire retrial", "Bit player in infamous N.J. murder case charged in bizarre murder-for-hire plot", "Man gets jail for plotting to kill online crush", https://www.state.nj.us/grc/decisions/pdf/2014-275.pdf, "McGuire sentenced to life in prison for suitcase murder", "State v. McGuire, 16 A. William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. Background Bill McGuire was born in September of 1964. Melanie McGuire - Wikipedia. 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. by Chilling Crimes July 20, 2020. She will not be eligible for parole until she has. ", Credit: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage; ABC, Amy Locane's prison cell roommate is the notorious Suitcase Killer. After they released a sketch to the public, one of Bill McGuires friends soon came forward. Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a womens correctional facility in New Jersey. On June 5, 2005, investigators arrested Melanie McGuire and charged her with first-degree murder. Melanie McGuire. McGuire had been married for five years by April 2004. In April 2004, Melanie and Bill McGuire seemed to have it all: successful careers, two young sons and a new $500,000 home. Melanie McGuire says she isnt hoping for prison release, in a new jailhouse interview with @ARobach Friday at 9/8c during a new #ABC2020. New Jersey Attorney Generals OfficeOne of the three suitcases that contained parts of Bill McGuires body. They shared two children together but their marriage was seemingly not a happy one as McGuire embarked on an affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, who was then a partner at the clinic she worked in, per Fox News. If I wanted to look for something like that, I have a [physicians' desk reference]. Dubbed the Suitcase Killer, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. Melanie McGuire Today: Where Is the Suitcase Killer Now in 2020. She drugged him, shot him (in the head and chest) to death, and subsequently dismembered his remains. She allegedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with her lover, and so, she did what she could to get rid of her husband. I believe that the evidence presented to the jury told the jury what happened," Prezioso said. 0:45. Download is FREE. 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. That same year, she married her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran named William Bill McGuire. The grainy images appeared to show Bill McGuire's car being pulled into a spot, but did not capture who the driver was. Melanie McGuire, The 'Suitcase Killer' Who Dismembered Her Husband Yet, in the end, it turned out that shed lied about it all. 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. In the early morning hours of April 29, 2004, the day her husband disappeared, Melanie McGuire said that they had a violent fight and claimed that he choked her with a dryer sheet and hit her before leaving the house. 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. Bill's body parts were discovered in three suitcases floating in the Chesapeake Bay near Virginia. 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. A top priority for New Jersey investigators was determining if Melanie McGuire had ever owned a gun. Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey woman who was sentenced to life in prison, in 2007, for the murder of her husband Bill McGuire, discusses the case and maintains her innocence; Image Credit: ABC News / 20/20 Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. Light Is Shed On Victim, But No Clues In Murder She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. 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. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . https://directappealpodcast.com/. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. [15][16][17][18][19] On July 19, 2007, at the age of 34, McGuire was sentenced to life in prison.[20]. 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. I still feel bothered. This stuff exists, she said on the show. Melanie McGuire says 'it's a coincidence' she bought gun before husband disappeared McGuire said she spoke in a new "20/20" interview, 16 years after she was convicted of murdering her husband . 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. And my answer is I can't explain because I don't think it makes any sense either," Wronko told EW earlier this month. They insisted he was a compulsive gambler who had become increasingly moody, unpredictable, and tempestuous in the months before his passing. Therefore, at the age of 49, Melanie McGuire is currently incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, Hunterdon County. [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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "I can't even fathom that. Sara James. Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with a doctor at the fertility clinic where she worked. According to some reports, in 2007, during Melanies murder trial, Cindy put it into evidence that both of her sister-in-laws children, then aged 5 and 7, had been positively diagnosed with autism. At the time, the local media also reported this detail about the parking lot's surveillance cameras. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. But police soon found that the couple had a deeply unhappy marriage, that Melanie had begun an affair with a co-worker, and that someone in the McGuires home had searched for things like how to commit murder online. 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. [4] She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, and is serving her sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey. It is physically exhausting. There were two charges, totaling 90 cents, on her statement that proved she had driven to Atlantic City after her husband went missing. Melanie McGuire is a former nurse who worked at a fertility clinic in New Jersey. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. Dig, dig." Suitcase Killer: The. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. The 62-year-old actress posted a jaw-dropping selfie on Instagram Tuesday night, featuring the . In April 2004, defendant conducted internet research to learn about buying a gun and about poisons, sedative drugs, and murder. The Twisted Case of Melanie McGuire - YouTube Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer Who Murdered And Dismembered Her Husband. Her bail was raised to $2.1million ($2.9 million today), but she was again released. That night, according to the prosecution, McGuire drugged her husband, shot him dead, and subsequently dismembered his body. Miller agreed to cooperate with investigators and was never charged in the crime. Melanie McGuire was victim Bill's wife, who was accused of his murder and dubbed the "Suitcase Killer" when the case went to trial. Dr. When a bullet passes through, its smooth surface becomes imprinted with the same number of lands and grooves as the barrel. Trial photos of Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey nurse best known for being the perpetrator in the media-dubbed "suitcase murder." . And shes not the only one who thinks that police arrested the wrong suspect. On June 2, 2005, more than a year after the murder, Melanie dropped her children off at child care and preschool. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. 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. However, McGuire was acquitted of the two counts of hindering apprehension, as well as tampering with evidence and possession of Xanax without prescription. by 2Paragraphs in Culture, True Crime Murder TV | September 25, 2020. McGuire was sentenced to 63 years, eight months and 30 days to life for first-degree murder, five to 10 years for desecration of human remains, two years and six months to five years for third-degree perjury, and a maximum sentence of life for second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to her prison record. She then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. Melanie went to Middletown High School South and. Melanie McGuire defends her innocence from inside prison in 2019, over a decade after she was convicted. Who Is Melanie McGuire? 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. Now the former fertility nurse is 47 years old and spending her life sentence in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey. Melanie McGuire, shown at left during her trial, was convicted of fatally shooting her husband, cutting up his body with a power saw and then stuffing his remains into suitcases she later. Former Brick Resident's Murder Conviction Upheld [11] Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina,[12] Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Police quickly found his car in a parking lot there. 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. Life in Prison for Melanie McGuire - YouTube But though Bill and Melanie had two sons together, their marriage swiftly soured. She offered explanations for the stories she told police,. He probably would have broken my cheek if it had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire told 20/20. McGuire, now 47, was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband after a lengthy trial in 2007. The 2004 case was dubbed the suitcase murder because the victims legs were found in a suitcase that washed up in Virginia Beach. Candice King as Melanie McGuire in "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story," which explore the real death of Bill McGuire in 2004. She maintains her innocence and . Whatever Happened To The Suitcase Killer Melanie McGuire's Two - MSN But, after that fateful April day, when the sun rose, their father was nowhere to be found. The true crime drama sees Candice King take on the role of Melanie McGuire, and here is everything you need to know about her and her role in the case. There are times when podcasts and media can shine a light on certain cases where what the government did was not right. "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story" premieres June 18 at 8 pm on Lifetime. says the actress. Prison inmates are in a closed environment. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. State of New Jersey A nurse said her husband walked out on her. ET on Saturday, June 18 on the Lifetime network. McGuire will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. 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. I still feel bothered. After pulling the surveillance footage from the parking lot, however, investigators were disappointed. Her trial began in March 5, 2007. [9] The footage was blurry and the police weren't able to identify the person in the video. After all, a medical-grade towel found with Bills body matched those stocked at the clinic as well as those she kept at her home. Read More: Where Is Melanie McGuires Family Now? They surmised that Melanie had sedated Bill, shot him, and cut up his body. Melanie McGuire - Wikipedia [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]. She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007. 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. I'm a nurse or I was a nurse, and I don't need to look up things like that. [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. 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. Days later, an unidentified man, believed by many to be her stepfather, also contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the charge removed. 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. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The request was subsequently denied. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. The Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women near Clinton, New Jersey, made headlines for allegations of sexual abuse and for the recent spread of the coronavirus, New Jersey Spotlight News reported. Melanie McGuire Dismembers Husband, Stuffs Body Parts In Suitcases Bill had a gambling problem, Melanie explained, and after their fight she knew he would be at the casino. One contained legs, another a pelvis, and the third a torso and head. 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. [Watch on your phone with the ABC GO Digital App found here. "And I'm driving down, and I take the first pass on this, on this highway, and I see a dark sedan, and lo and behold, there it is, Melanie McGuire said. McGuire is lodged at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, serving a life sentence in Clinton, New Jersey. Prosecutors believed that McGuire forged the prescription as she had access to this prescription pad. Miller was also married with children. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Bradley Miller. Celebrity attorney Joe Tacopina's alleged drug abuse brought up in After finishing high school, she enrolled at Rutgers University for a double major in math and psychology, which she achieved in 1994. Miller was adamant that he had nothing to do with any crime, and he didnt know anything about this. How Many Children Did Melanie Mcguire Have With Husband William Mcguire Melanie then became the prime suspect in the investigation. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Lena Christine Kindschi Obituary (1930 - 2023) | Perry, Oklahoma One contained a torso and a head, the other a mans thighs and pelvis, according to Oxygen. "I won't be home until my oldest is 18 and my youngest is 16," she told EW. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. 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. Data from the New Jersey Department of Corrections details cases since they implemented additional measures. The McGuire family resided in a Woodbridge Township apartment but had plans to move to a much larger home in Warren County by the end of April. Melanie McGuire has been dubbed the Suitcase Killer by the media for her role in butchering her own husband, William Bill McGuire, before packing up his remains into three suitcases and then disposing of them in the Chesapeake Bay. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for WomenMelanie McGuire prison record. Bradley Miller told a Middlesex County court this afternoon that he lied to a grand jury when he said he stopped having sex with . NEW BRUNSWICK - Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that Melanie McGuire was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2004 shooting death of her husband, William McGuire, whose severed remains were found in three suitcases along the Virginia coast. On May 11, another suitcase was discovered. Melanie McGuire denies this, pointing to the fact that there are hundreds of miles between Delaware and Virginia Beach. Prezioso said she has no doubt Melanie McGuire's gun was the murder weapon. Prezioso said the evidence presented by the states computer forensic expert at trial was robust and Melanie McGuires legal team presented their own expert as well. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured in Atlantic City, New Jersey at an unknown date. Her penalty is actually categorized as the following: life in prison for first-degree murder; life in prison for the possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; 10 years for desecrating human remains; and five years for perjury. She pleaded not guilty to all indictments and soon posted an accumulated bail of over $2 million. 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 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." Melanie McGuire | Trial photos | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Melanie McGuire, now 47, maintains her innocence from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, the state's only women's prison where there are approximately 500. The appeal details the murder, the night of Bill McGuires disappearance, and the disposal of his body. N.J. Woman Charged In Husband's Killing - The Washington Post He said he was leaving and he wasnt coming back and [that] I could tell my children they didnt have a father..