Jerry Lynn Burns is facing first-degree murder charges for the Dec 20, 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko. He is held at the Linn County Jail (Iowa). Burns Burns has his own company Advanced Coating Concepts in Delaware County, Iowa. It is a powder-coating shop but they are also a Hustler turf equipment dealer. Burns was […]
Forensics
Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis
WARNING: this post has crime scene and autopsy photography from both Keith Combs and Eugene Ellis. Introduction On the morning of Sept. 25, 1993, people riding off-the-road motorcycles found the bodies of Keith Edmond Combs (Aug 20, 1970 – Sept 25, 1993) and Eugene Clifford “Cliff” Ellis (June 21, 1973 – Sept 25, 1993). They […]
Break in 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders
Alexander Christopher Ewing (57) is accused of using a hammer to kill Bruce, Debra, and Melissa Bennett and Patricia Smith. He faces charges for six counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault on a child, burglary and five counts of committing a violent crime for the January 1984 killings of Bruce […]
Unidentified: Conroe Lake John Doe
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office need help in the case of an unidentified man I called the Conroe Lake John Doe. UPDATE: In December 2023, the victim was identified as Clarence Wilson. He was born on February 18, 1952. The authorities ask if you have any information, no matter how small the detail, to call […]
Cold cases and the M-Vac
Please welcome back guest blogger Jared Bradley. Jared will give us an overview of exciting developments in the field of cold cases and the M-Vac. _________________________________ Guest blogging is always full of pressure, but writing for Alice’s Defrosting Cold Cases takes it to a whole new level. Like all of you, I thoroughly enjoy reading […]
Beaumont Children: New Leads, New Frustrations
Please welcome guest blogger Stephen Richey who will give us insight in the latest developments in the case of the missing Beaumont Children. ____________________ In an early blog post, Alice mentioned that ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to locate an “anomaly” at a site where a tip suggested the children were buried. Some latched on to […]
New trial for Daniel Dougherty
On October 31, the Pennsylvania Superior Court gave Daniel Dougherty what he has coveted: a new trial. For the third time. The defense and appellate courts agreed: Daniel Dougherty had two unfair trials. The three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that Dougherty should get a new trial. They cited three crucial errors the […]
In Loving Memory: Patricia Louise Smith
Patricia Louise Smith would be 84 years old today. She was born on September 19, 1933. Her life was ended Jan 10, 1984 by an unknown person who raped and murdered her inside her own home. Patricia’s murder is connected to a string of hammer murders in Aurora, Colorado. DNA Unfortunately, having DNA has not advanced […]
Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies
Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death explores the surprising intersection between craft and forensic science. Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) made the “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” in exquisitely detailed miniature crime scenes to train homicide investigators. In a nutshell: “to convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and […]
Greece Police Cold Cases
The Greece Police of New York needs the public’s help in two cold cases. 1. The 1976 Unknown Boy On March 9, 1976, the skeletal remains of a young child were found inside a blue metal storage trunk. The trunk was in the basement of an apartment complex in Greece, NY. Greece is a neighborhood […]