CT CT - Suzanne Jovin, 21, Yale student, New Haven, 4 Dec 1998

[Bargle]

I work in a blue collar field and most men I come into contact with carry a pocket knife or folding sheath knife that clips to the belt. While I don't carry one now, I did for years and would do so again if the need arose. My late father carried one all his adult life. It's a very common thing. The 4-5 inch blade makes me lean towards it being a belt carried style and was probably a locking style blade, but that's about all I can make a reasonable guess about.

 

[LillyRush]

gaia, I'm so glad you started this topic. I'm a sucker for a cold case and could not help but get drawn in by this story after reading about it in an article concerning Annie Le.

I did some searches the other day on Suzanne's murder and there are some pretty interesting websites out there. One is basically a "conspiracy" theory website where someone is laying out a theory relating Suzanne's thesis paper on Osama Bin Laden to her possibly being a terrorist target. That idea is pretty out there. But, hey! Another website I found seemed to still be focused on Van de Velde, although I'm not sure whether the website was created before or after DNA evidence exonerated him. On either one of those websites (or maybe another one), someone was suggesting that Suzanne was actually killed somewhere else and that her body was just dumped in that area.

Needless to say, there's a lot of interesting theories regarding Suzanne's murder. It certainly does sound like the biggest problem of all was NHPD and Yale PD focusing too soon on one suspect and not properly evaluating the evidence within the first couple of days.

 

[Benji_UK]

Hi all. Newbie here.

I remember reading about the Suzanne Jovin case a few years ago and thought it was incredibly random. As for the Bin Laden/Al Qaeda/CIA angle, I don't think it has anything to do with her murder, perhaps I'm being slightly naïve but I don't see any conspiracy. To be stabbed 17 times in the head and neck is rather gruesome and seems personal. A few questions ..

Did the police ever find out who the 'mysterious' person was, as mentioned on the e-mail sent by Suzanne?

Any new leads?

 

[Texas Mist]

Task force seeks leads on Jovin’s last e-mail; Yale student was killed within hour of her response, 12 years ago today

Published: Saturday, December 04, 2010
By Randall Beach, Register Staff
rbeach@nhregister.com

NEW HAVEN — Investigators for the Suzanne Jovin Task Force are appealing to the public, especially the Yale community, for any information about the last e-mail message Jovin sent on the night she was killed.

Jovin, a 21-year-old Yale student, was slain 12 years ago today. The unsolved case has frustrated New Haven police officers and the four task force members, who have spent the past three years working on leads.


more here

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/12/04/news/new_haven/doc4cf9d38716b9b469156188.txt

 

[PoisonPill]

Are there any recent updates on this case? It still haunts me to this day.

This floated around in December:

Tips in 1998 slaying of Yale student Suzanne Jovin focus on mentally disturbed grad student

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/...aven/doc50c4139d11794156636817.txt?viewmode=4

 

[wfgodot]

A Pariah After a ’98 Death, an Ex-Yale Lecturer Reclaims His Status as a Pillar (New York Times)

James R. Van de Velde graduated *advertiser censored* laude from Yale University, won fellowships at Stanford and Harvard, got a Ph.D. from Tufts and returned to Yale as a lecturer.

But it was not scholarship that made him a famous name on college campuses in the late 1990s. It was the killing of one of his students, a death in which he alone was named as a suspect. Though he was never charged with a crime, he went, in the words of one local headline, “from pillar to pariah.”
---
On Monday, he, Yale and the City of New Haven said they had reached a settlement over his lawsuit, which claimed that Yale and New Haven wrongly singled him out, and that his reputation and health had been damaged.
---
Suzanne Jovin, a political science major in her final year at Yale, was stabbed 17 times in the back and neck, and left on a curb on the night of Dec. 4, 1998. The brutality of her death attracted worldwide attention, much of which focused on Mr. Van de Velde, who advised on the thesis she had just turned in.

No evidence was presented tying him to the crime, but reporters rang his doorbell at every hour of the day and people with no connection to the case or the city wrote to say they knew he was guilty.
---
Mr. Van de Velde, 53, is back at the front of a classroom, at Johns Hopkins University.
---
His next goal, he said, is to find a way to serve as a spokesman for the rights of the wrongly accused.

much more at the link

• Daily Mail has the story with plenty of pictures:

Scorned no more: How a Yale lecturer and one-time suspect in the brutal 1998 murder of his student has worked his way back to teaching

• WS Cold Case thread on Suzanne Jovin's murder:

CT - Murder of Yale student Suzanne Jovin, 1998

 

[chaplain1]

Any news?

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/...-Case-of-Murdered-Yale-Student-283645211.html

The Jovin Investigative Team, trying to help solve the reopened cold case of a Yale student stabbed to death almost 16 years ago, will give an update on its findings at a public forum in December, the New Haven Register reports.

The public forum is scheduled for Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at Wilbur Cross High School, the 16th anniversary of Suzanne Jovin's death.

 

[Harmony 2]

I noticed this information had not been posted...

For nearly eight years, investigators and the family of Suzanne Jovin have held out hope that DNA from scrapings found under a fingernail on her left hand would lead to the killer of the 21-year-old Yale student.

But that hope is now gone: Investigators recently discovered that the DNA belongs to a former technician at the State Police Forensic Laboratory. He contaminated a blood sample during the initial forensic tests done after Jovin was slain in December 1998.

http://articles.courant.com/2009-11...jovin-case-family-of-suzanne-jovin-dna-sample

 

[Harmony 2]

Does anyone know if the police disclosure of 4,500 pages of documents was ever released?

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/15/n...hartford-ruling-favors-police-disclosure.html

 

[Skigirl]

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...on-mentally-disturbed-grad-student?viewmode=4

NEW HAVEN -- Authorities investigating the slaying of Yale University undergraduate Suzanne Jovin, which occurred 14 years ago this month, have recently looked into tips from several New Haven-area residents that a mentally disturbed Yale graduate student might have been the killer.

But even if this man were the one police have long sought, he could never be arrested nor put on trial: he died earlier this year in a bizarre way on Interstate 95 in what could have been a suicide. <snip> We will simply call him "Billy." <snip> But the men who provided investigators with the tip and related documents about Billy are concerned that not enough has been done to check out the information. <snip>

Carter, a documentary filmmaker, lives on a corner of Edgehill Avenue, just one block away from where Jovin was slain. He recalled the day in October 2011 when Billy, whom Carter knew and had tried to help for years, showed up at his front door in a "hyper-agitated state." <snip> Carter recalled, "He turned to me and said: 'There is something I have to tell you, I am obsessed with the murder of Suzanne Jovin.'" Carter said Billy then recalled that shortly after the slaying, his roommate at their Chapel Street apartment was watching a TV news report on the case. And Billy remembered saying to his roommate: "They'll never catch me." <snip>

Carter said when he and Rosner attended Billy's funeral, they started discussing all the troubling behavior they had observed. According to Carter, that's when they realized police needed to check out Billy as a suspect in Jovin's death.

Shortly after the funeral, Carter called Billy's mother to discuss his concerns. According to Carter, she said she was deleting Billy's emails and disabling his computer's hard drive "for closure."

"I asked her not to do that because he could be linked to a crime," he recalled. "She said, 'Oh! Jovin!' So she knew he had this obsession."

<snip>

Within the next week, Carter and Rosner met with the Jovin Task Force and showed them some of their documents. These included a March 2, 2012, email from Billy in which he said: "I believe I was under investigation for the Jovin murder, which I had nothing to do with, and ironically, became paranoid about 13 years ago."

<snip>

In their 11-page summation, Carter and the others compare Billy's college yearbook photo with a police sketch the task force released based on the description provided by a female motorist the night of Jovin's slaying. She said she saw a man running wildly on Whitney Avenue after coming down from Huntington Street, close to the crime scene.

Carter and his associates pointed out the resemblance between Billy and the running man. They also note he was an avid runner. Moreover, the witness said the runner was wearing a "loose fitting, greenish jacket"; Billy often wore such a jacket.

Their summation also notes architectural students tend to carry X-Acto knives with them and that at least one of Jovin's wounds could be consistent with that type of blade.

I am pretty sure that these are photos of "Billy" and IMO, they bear a resemblance to the "running man" sketch.

 

[kemo]

I certainly hope this case doesn't go the way a lot of wrongfully accused/convicted situations go: buried and forgotten. When a law enforcement agency is under fire for prosecuting or implicating someone who turns out to innocent, some negative incentives are created for ever solving the case.

Convict someone else of the crime and you have dispelled any doubt about the possible innocence of the original suspect and the record of the investigation can now be released under FOIA. Often the case file contains very embarrassing screw ups.

 

[Harmony 2]

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...on-mentally-disturbed-grad-student?viewmode=4

 

[Harmony 2]

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...student-suzanne-jovin-appeal-for-publics-help

 

[StarrChance]

http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxxii/11.09.01/news/p5.html

Car impounded

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...on-mentally-disturbed-grad-student?viewmode=4

Carter believes "Billy's" car impounded.

Similar ID to running man and if the same car near crime scene it seems the attention was on the wrong man IMO.

 

[radiator]

http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxxii/11.09.01/news/p5.html

Car impounded

http://www.nhregister.com/general-n...on-mentally-disturbed-grad-student?viewmode=4

Carter believes "Billy's" car impounded.

Similar ID to running man and if the same car near crime scene it seems the attention was on the wrong man IMO.

I don't know if you were implying this but I'm pretty sure that "Billy's" car impounded after his death in 2012 is not the same vehicle that the Yale Herald mentions which was impounded many years earlier. It is odd that according to the Yale Herald article the owner of the impounded van was a former resident of Guilford and "Billy" grew up in the next town. However, it also says that the owner of the van was questioned and not named a suspect. I'd think if the owner of the van was "Billy"they might say so now that the other "evidence" has been brought to light. OTOH, they might be reluctant to name another suspect without hard proof after losing the lawsuit brought by the Yale lecturer; and "Billy's" mom certainly seems to want to keep his reputation clean.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Search for suspect continues in 17-year-old cold case

http://www.wfsb.com/story/30671521/search-for-suspect-continues-in-17-year-old-cold-case

Investigators said a murder case from 17 years ago still torments them.

Suzanne Jovin was a 21-year-old senior at Yale University when she was found dead with multiple stab wounds.

&#8220;Any murder is a tragedy. Any homicide is a tragedy,&#8221; said Chief State&#8217;s Attorney Kevin Kane.

Now, 17 years later, the state&#8217;s attorney still hasn&#8217;t been able to solve the case.

The state&#8217;s attorney said he&#8217;s also looking for two other witnesses, a woman who may have been a passenger inside a taxi, and a Good Samaritan who tried to help.

&#8220;She stopped and asked the doctor if you need any help. The doctor said he saw two young children in the car,&#8221; Kane said. &#8220;She thought it wouldn't be helpful for the kids to see someone dying. She said &#8216;no thanks, help is on the way&#8217;.&#8221;

Investigators seek specific witnesses 17 years after slaying of Yale student Suzanne Jovin

http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20151203/investigators-seek-specific-witnesses-17-years-after-slaying-of-yale-student-suzanne-jovin

Edwards said another witness living on the rear side of that apartment building also heard an argument between a woman and another person. Shortly after, she heard screams on East Rock Road.

Edwards added, &#8220;This argument appears to be a continuation of the argument heard on the front side of 750 Whitney Ave. minutes before.&#8221;

&#8220;The perception of these witnesses is that these two people knew each other,&#8221; Edwards said. &#8220;It was like a domestic argument.&#8221;

Edwards said investigators believe the argument that started on Whitney Avenue ended up at that corner of East Rock Road and Edgehill Road. A nearby resident or residents reported hearing a woman shouting, &#8220;Why are you doing this to me? How can you do this?&#8221;

 

[Tricia]

Hey,
Anyone have any updates? Please post.

 

[dotr]

Norwalk police seek public’s help in 1993 cold case murder
rbbm.
By Leslie Lake, August 1, 2016

Suzanne Jovin

Where: New Haven
When: December 4, 1998

Connecticut State's Attorney's Office notes: Suzanne Jovin was stabbed to death in New Haven on December 4, 1998.Suzanne Jovin, a talented and popular senior at Yale University, was stabbed to death near the corner of Edgehill Road and East Rock Road in New Haven on December 4, 1998. Her killer has not yet been arrested. In June of 2007, New Haven State’s Attorney Michael Dearington called together a team of retired Connecticut State Police detectives to undertake an independent inquiry into the murder of Ms. Jovin. This team re-evaluated all information from prior inquiries into the murder and is also seeking out information not previously known to authorities. This investigation is now being handled by the Division of Criminal Justice Cold Case Unit, which continues to pursue investigative leads in an effort to solve this tragic murder. The Jovin Investigative Team also continues to devote a significant amount of personal time, as unpaid consultants, to solving this case.

Reward: The State of Connecticut has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading the arrest and conviction of Suzanne Jovin’s murderer. Yale University has committed an additional $100,000 to that reward fund. Any information about this case should be directed to the Cold Case Unit at 1-866-623-8058 or by email at jovin.case@ct.gov Information also may be sent by U.S. Mail to the Cold Case Unit, P.O. Box 962, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.

 

[dotr]

In strange, but related news..
August 2 2016
rbbm.
http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202...s-Against-Judges-Officials?mcode=0&curindex=0

A Florida man who sent death threats to several officials in Connecticut, including two federal judges, was sentenced on Tuesday to five years of probation.

Garrett Santillo, 37, was apologetic to his victims as he stood in U.S. District Court in Hartford before Judge Alvin Thompson.

U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny received a letter at his home address in July 2014, demanding he vindicate an individual in the unsolved New Haven murder of Yale University student Suzanne Jovin. The letter indicated, "You [sic] home addresses in Conn. are public information and if you mask your identity by name or appearance, we can still track you to wherever you go and will kill you if you don't follow what this letter instructs."

In total, about 15 individuals received letters containing death threats. Many victims were in some way associated with the Jovin homicide investigation, such as the chief of the New Haven Police Department. All of the letters were handwritten, mailed from the Miami area to the victims' home addresses in Connecticut, did not bear a return address, contained a demand for action and threatened death if the recipient failed to comply with the writer's request, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.