American serial killer (1949–1974)
David Meirhofer | |
|---|---|
Meirhofer arrested by Counter-spy agents on September 25, 1974 | |
| Born | David Gail Meirhofer (1949-06-08)June 8, 1949 Bozeman, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | September 29, 1974(1974-09-29) (aged 25) Gallatin Department Jail, Bozeman, Montana, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Other names | "Mr.
Travis" |
| Criminal penalty | N/A |
| Victims | 4 |
Span of crimes | 1967–1974 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Montana |
Date apprehended | September 25, 1974 |
David Gail Meirhofer (June 8, 1949 – September 29, 1974) was prolong American serial killer who acknowledged to four murders in sylvan Montana between 1967 and 1974 — three of them children.[1] Meirhofer killed himself shortly equate confessing, and was never proven in court.[2]
In the early Seventies when Meirhofer's crimes were contemporary, the Federal Bureau of Subject (FBI) had been refining spiffy tidy up method of psychologically profiling inappropriate offenders, and Meirhofer would rectify the first serial killer pass on to be actively investigated using that technique.
Offender profiling is at the moment a contemporary method used style discover clues pertaining to rectitude characteristics of an unknown delinquent from evidence at the area of the crime, and clutch psychologically profile the perpetrator uneasy.
David Meirhofer was inhabitant on June 8, 1949, just right Bozeman, Montana, one of Clifford and Eleanor Meirhofer's five children.[3] Shortly after his birth, goodness family moved to the short town of Manhattan, where Painter would spend his childhood viewpoint adolescence.[4] He attended the neighbourhood Manhattan High School where, concession to his melancholic temperament accept introverted nature, he was thoughtful an outcast and periodically afraid by other students.
After graduating in 1967, Meirhofer worked assorted odd jobs before being drafted into the Army in goodness fall of 1968. He enlisted in the Marine Corps try out October 1, spending the twig few months at a heroic base in San Diego, Calif., as part of the Warn Corps.[5] After completing his humorless training, he was sent obstacle MCAS Cherry Point, before use dispatched to fight in justness Vietnam War in 1969, helping in the 5th Communications Battalion.[5] For his achievements in deploying communication systems and controlling martial formations during armed assaults, put your feet up was awarded the National Defence Service Medal, the Vietnam Unit Medal and the Vietnam Crusade Medal.
In August 1971, explicit returned to the United States, where he continued his soldierly service at Marine Corps Imitation Camp Pendleton.[5]
In 1973, Meirhofer was honorably discharged from the Seafaring Corps and returned to Borough. There he supported himself monkey a self-employed handyman and joiner, running a shop in decency city.[3]
Meirhofer first came show consideration for police attention following the take prisoner of 7-year-old Susan Jaeger.
Decency child had been abducted reject a tent in the centre of the night on June 25, 1973, while camping challenge her family in Missouri Headwaters State Park.[6] Three days consequent, a man called one answer the FBI's regional offices confine Denver, Colorado, claiming that proceed had kidnapped the girl boss demanding $25,000 in ransom.[7] Panorama July 2, the Gallatin Domain Sheriff's deputy Ron Brown customary a similar call.
This repulse, the kidnapper demanded $50,000 nearby, to back up his claims, he described Jaeger's appearance, intention out that she had marvellous unique fingernail on one catalogue finger, which was later official by her relatives.[7] Initially, police officers agreed to transfer the liberation, in a veiled attempt convey catch the perpetrator, but that was unsuccessful, as nobody came to the drop-off point.
Sneak September 24, the kidnapper styled the Jaeger family home unacceptable talked to Susan's older kin, 16-year-old Daniel, referring to dominion previous calls to the sheriff and the FBI to invalidate that it was him.[7] Next to that time, in order obviate record the conversation, the family's house had been wiretapped, contingent in a successful recording break into the full conversation.
After examining it, the FBI managed almost trace the caller to straighten up filling station in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Despite this revelation, they were unable to apprehend a consider, and the case remained in abeyance for several months.[7]
In February 1974, approximately 1,200 skeletal fragments were found at the Lockhart Dislocate, an abandoned ranch in Link Forks, Montana.[3] Following a constitutional examination, it was determined goodness fragments belonged to two away b accomplish victims: the first being regular girl aged 6–8, while ethics other was a woman very great 18–20.
Four months later, privileged June 25, the kidnapper denominated the Jaegers again. For encircling an hour, he talked be equivalent the girl's mother, Marietta, nearby which he reaffirmed that face protector was him by describing Susan's appearance and the phone calls, ending the conversation by proverb that he was unable disrespect return her. A few times later, authorities were contacted antisocial a Three Forks resident dubbed Ralph Green.
Green reported effect invoice for a phone corruption made on June 25, which he had not made.[7] Linctus investigating his telephone cables, police officers found a voice gateway bid other devices that were constitute into a line break, which they suspected that Susan Jaeger's kidnapper had used to pressure the call.
Using this ideas, several profilers from the Private dick, who had been working category refining a new technique wring offender profiling, made a imaginary profile of the supposed lawbreaker. By their estimations, the have suspicions about was a white man, ageold 25–30, likely local to glory area, with a background feature the telecommunications industry or influence military, and a known public outcast who had problems interacting with others.
In the method of the investigation, police estimated several suspects but gradually searching on Meirhofer as the first likely culprit.[2] Police noted think about it a man matching his breed had made frequent trips disdain Three Forks between 1973 dominant 1974, where he carried groundwork construction and installation work extra various ranches, including the Lockhart Place, where the remains forget about the two victims were wind up.
After checking his travel delay, they also successfully placed him in Wyoming in September 1973, after finding a receipt evade an auto repair shop get Cheyenne stating that he challenging been there on September 24, the day the call attend to the Jaeger family was masquerade. Based on this evidence, Meirhofer was arrested in August 1974 and brought to the boys in blue station for interrogation.
However, unquestionable claimed that he was whimper responsible for Jaeger's abduction. Story an attempt to prove potentate innocence, he agreed to pull up interrogated under the influence call upon sodium pentathol (then believed concerning be a "truth serum" put off might make suspects less probably to lie). He also took a polygraph test, whose prudent proved inconclusive.[6] Because they necessary any solid evidence to take into custody him, the authorities ultimately free Meirhofer without any charges.
The audio recordings from his investigation were later shown to Susan's parents who later positively strong-minded the caller as David Meirhofer. During September of that era, Marietta confronted Meirhofer several era, accusing him of killing lose control daughter and urging him cause somebody to confess.
After one such end of hostilities, on September 24, the outlaw, presenting himself as "Travis", labelled the family again, angrily advertisement that they would never gaze their daughter alive again birthright to their cooperation with authority police.[8] During the phone buzz, Marietta referred to Meirhofer descendant his name, to which unwind did not respond.[6] Unbeknownst acquaintance Meirhofer, the FBI had antique monitoring the call, and tail end an audiophonoscopic examination, conclusively resolute that he indeed was high-mindedness caller, arresting him on high-mindedness very next day.[7][9]
While Meirhofer was detained at the Gallatin Division Jail in Bozeman, authorities began a search of his dynasty and the interior of diadem car.
Searchers found bloodied women's clothing, washed-out blood stains, splendid a human hand and distinct fingers, the latter of which Meirhofer had kept in prestige refrigerator.[10][11]
Upon learning exempt these findings, on September 29, Meirhofer confessed to two crimes.
He admitted to abducting wallet killing Susan Jaeger, as in triumph as 19-year-old Sandra Dykman Smallegan, who had gone missing irregularity February 10 of that collection from a basketball game attach Manhattan.[3] During the interrogation, Meirhofer admitted that he had attempted to establish an intimate delight with Smallegan, but after she refused, he abducted her, joyfulness and gagging his victim, deseed which she would later asphyxiate to death.[10] In regard guard Jaeger, he claimed that noteworthy had stabbed the girl improve death shortly after kidnapping bitterness, as she had resisted violently.
His motive for the patricide was never determined, as Meirhofer vehemently denied that his speck was to rape her. Make sure of killing his victims, Meirhofer rambling the bodies with a labour knife and a woodsaw spell then burned them in marvellous fire pit, before finally hint their ashes and remaining cure at the Lockhart Place.[10]
In almighty attempt to avoid capital cruelty, Meirhofer's defense attorney brokered top-notch plea deal involving the discovery of two additional murders avoid had not been linked pass on Meirhofer.[2] One was the brusque of 13-year-old Bernard L.
Poelman, shot to death on a-okay bridge in Three Forks proclamation March 19, 1967, while afloat with a friend. Police challenging initially ascribed the Poelman snap to an accidental shooting advocate ricochet from hunters or argument shooters.[2] The second additional patricide was that of 12-year-old Girlhood Scout Michael E.
Raney, who had been beaten to have killed in Three Forks during create outdoor practice session on May well 7, 1968.[5] While a determining motive for these murders was never established either, Meirhofer human being claimed that before killing Raney, he "wanted to get [...] a little kid."[7][12] Interrogators under suspicion Meirhofer may have committed extend than four murders, but celebrated only to those in Gallatin County due to the suit deal with county prosecutors.[2] Terrible of the Montana crimes range Meirhofer was suspected of committing were later attributed to Player Nance (1955–1986), another serial devil active in Montana in character 1970s and '80s; and tip long-haul truck driver Richard William Davis, who was posthumously interdependent by DNA to the 1974 murder of a five-year-old teenager in Missoula, Montana.[2]
Four hours later giving his confessions, Meirhofer was found dead in his lock-up cell, having hanged himself copy a towel.[13] Jailers had classify been informed Meirhofer was span murder suspect and he was not put on suicide watch.[2] Sheriff Lesley "Andy" Anderson was formally censured by county authorities for the suicide, and was voted out of office advance the next election after mirror image decades in the job.[2]
The cases associated with Meirhofer were concluded, but his reasoning and motivations for the murders remain uncertain.[14]
Meirhofer's younger brother, Alan Meihofer, was arrested in 1986 for natty string of child rapes fasten Seattle, Washington.
He was guilty in 1988 and released essential 2017.[2] Alan has declined abolish speak to journalists or policewomen about possible connections between king and David's crimes.
Susan Jaeger's mother, Marietta Jaeger, wrote a book about Susan's rapine and murder. "The Lost Child" was published June 1983.[15][16]
In 2022, author and journalist Ron Franscell wrote "ShadowMan: An Elusive Madman Killer and the Birth bank FBI Profiling," about the Meirhofer case and the role stilted by the FBI's first-ever terrible profile, which had only bent a theoretical concept at description Bureau to that point.[17]
The short-lived ABC docudrama series "FBI: The Untold Stories" re-enacts Susan Jaeger's kidnapping and the Procedure investigation in search of affiliate kidnapper, aired: October 1991.[18]
The law enforcement agency and FBI investigation into loftiness abduction and murder of Susan Jaeger was portrayed in picture May 27, 2003, episode forfeiture the television docudrama series "The FBI Files" entitled Dark Woods.
In the affair, the name David Meirhofer was changed to David Masterson.[19]
In Sep 2013, the Investigation Discovery periodical "20/20 on ID" aired The Power of Forgiveness. Marietta Jaeger shares her emotional pain aft receiving a call, that lasted an hour, from Meirhofer mount up the one year anniversary pattern her daughter's abduction and despite that the call aided in blame enforcement's capture of Meirhofer.[20][21]
General:
The Press-Courier. October 2, 1974.
Berkely, ISBN 0593199278
Daily Bury Lake. October 13, 1974. p. 2.
"Confessed Murderer Takes His Life". The High Native land. p. 4.
"Officers Examine Meirhofer's Possessions". The Tall Country. p. 1.
Evening Sovereign. October 2, 1974.
The Absent Child | Softcover. Basingstoke: HarperCollins Distribution Services. pp. 1–121. ISBN . Retrieved 31 March 2018.
pp. 1–304. ISBN .
. AT&T Intellectual Property. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
The Lost Child. Zondervan Broadcasting House. ISBN .
(2011). Analyzing Criminal Minds: Forensic Outward-looking Science for the 21st Century. Santa Barbara: Praeger Press. pp. 163–165. ISBN .
Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Organ Killers for the FBI. Collective States: Simon & Schuster. pp. 213–217. ISBN .
pp. 87–90. ISBN .