IL IL - Maria Caleel, 21, UI student, Urbana, 6 March 1988

[STANDREID]

Does anyone know if there was a hilt mark left on her abdomen? It was said to be a 6" knife wound so it was not a pocket or buck knife that one would normally carry. I also have not seen if it was a single or double edged knife.

 

[STANDREID]

According to Getting Away With Murder she was picked up for the outing with friends by a fellow student named Matthew Taylor and taken home by a female friend who they did not name. I wonder if the DNA where the killer would have been was under her fingernails.

 

[dotr]

Does anyone know if there was a hilt mark left on her abdomen? It was said to be a 6" knife wound so it was not a pocket or buck knife that one would normally carry. I also have not seen if it was a single or double edged knife.

Could not find anything that stated whether there was a hilt mark or not, but imagine if there was one, it might indicate if the killer was right or left handed.
Wonder if the placement of the wound might reveal who the perp might be, ie. someone lefthanded?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-u-of-i-maria-caleel-murder-met-20150220-story.html#page=1

"She died at an Urbana hospital of acute shock brought on by internal bleeding from a single 6-inch stab wound, which authorities said pierced the descending aorta on her right side"
rbbm
Do they mean DNA found on Maria, or somewhere in the room, like a door handle?

"He declined to reveal the source of the DNA evidence or provide specifics about where at the crime scene it was recovered. Police did say it was found in a “crucial” location.

“It was in a place where we would have expected it to have been left by the suspect,” Morgan said. “That’s not to say it absolutely belongs to the suspect, but it sure could be.”


From the same link,
Could the man, with no known connection to Maria, be the same person as the student, who was "singled out as the likely assailant"?



"One of the samples awaiting analysis is from a male student whom a noted forensic psychologist singled out as the likely assailant, authorities said. Another man whose DNA is being tested doesn't have a known connection to Caleel. A tipster named the man about four years ago in an anonymous letter to police, the contents of which sparked the latest efforts."

 

[dotr]

Must have missed this link..

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...0389_1_homicide-investigations-police-student
rbbm

"The killer, armed with a knife, was either admitted to the third-floor apartment by Caleel or gained entry without force, police said. No witness to the crime was ever found. Caleel`s bed had been slept in and she was wearing a nightgown when attacked. One investigator said she was not known as a person who would admit anyone late at night unless the person was a close acquaintance.


The sources said investigators hope to question a man who carried on a high school romance with Caleel, until she broke off their dating because he was ``too aggressive.`` Police became interested in the ex-boyfriend after they learned that he was employed by the U. of I. in Champaign at the time of the murder but later quit his job and left the Champaign area. His whereabouts is not known."

 

[STANDREID]

I wonder why Maria was relying on others for transportation when she had her own car.

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

Quick theory based on what I have read and watched here. Heres a video that shows whom may have done this and why.
My other theroy was wayyyyyyyy out there. So I am not going to post that now.

I think she was stabbed not to be killed, but to stop the assault. I think she was beating the crap out of this guy and he stabbed her not to kill her but to stop the assault to get the hell out of there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmZpC9rWgi0

Watching the video of the apartment she lived in. I didn't see a fire escape he could have climbed. So either she left the door unlock when she left or got home, which i don't believe. Or there was a knock and she opened it, which i don't believe she would open her door without knowing whom was there at that time. Or the person had a master key, or copy of a master key that let them in for whatever reason when the tenant was not home...........I don't think she recongzied the person at the time because she did-not mention a name even though she was able to speak. Perhaps his face was covered or to dark to see in the apartment. He may had all ready been in there, when she came home and hide until she went to bed and tried to snick out and she seen him.

They say the wounds were not fatal. EXCEPT the one they called a fluke that hit in just the right spot to cause death. Which lead me to believe he stabbed her because she was beating the hell out of him. And he just wanted out of there.

 

[dotr]

Wow Mr T, kind of funny, but actually not an implausible theory!
What is your "wayyyyyyyy" out one?!

 

[STANDREID]

It's a little hard for me believe that you plunge a knife 6" deep into someone's abdomen without intending to kill them.

 

[dotr]

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/article_d48a07c4-c074-11e4-bf80-e35cf3c07c1f.html

March 2/15

"Some people complied with the authorities, but most other DNA samples had to be taken secretly, Morgan said.

“The process for the last few years then is that we’re going back and getting DNA samples from a pretty lengthy list of more or less probable suspects of various levels of interest, and so we started from that,” Morgan said. “We haven’t said anything about the fact that there has been DNA for several years because we wanted to collect DNA from people, and we are going to continue to do that.”

Forensic DNA tests, also known as profiling, take the DNA found at a crime scene or on the victim and compare it to the DNA of suspects.

Although the police aren’t disclosing where the DNA was found, Morgan said the DNA profile the lab turned over could be linked to the suspects"

 

[Backwoods]

If someone gained entrance to her apartment while she was out and waited for her return, I wonder if it is just possible they left "something" behind in the bathroom or toilet while they waited, and that is the source of the dna.

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the DNA results have come back yet and if the perp is getting worried?

 

[pleasestandby]

The Daily Herald Suburban Chicago, October 2, 1988, reports that there were 14 sexual assaults or attempted sexual assaults in the area since April, 1988.

Although police suspect there were more than one person involved in the sexual assaults, the majority appear to have been committed by the same man.

The map below shows where the assaults occurred. The (added by me) 305 North Lincoln Avenue address on the map where Maria Caleel lived is the approximate location in relation to the other attacks. There were instances of the assailant having a knife or other weapon during the other attacks, but none of the other victims were stabbed.

The attacks stopped three weeks previous to the date the article was written. It's unknown whether the attacks resumed after the article was written.

Another article (attached) in the April 15, 1988 Alton Telegraph reports that a man called police from a nearby business April 13 and stated he had killed Caleel. A glass and payphone there were seized as evidence.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/rapesillinois_zpsq2wixwm2.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/rapestory_zpswynqomjv.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/glassclue_zpsudqj1p4g.jpg

Other articles show that her father, a surgeon, had filed a negligence lawsuit against the hospital that treated her because they did not immediately take her to surgery. By October, 1989, a reward of $50,000 had been offered for the conviction of the killer.

 

[dotr]

The Daily Herald Suburban Chicago, October 2, 1988, reports that there were 14 sexual assaults or attempted sexual assaults in the area since April, 1988.

Although police suspect there were more than one person involved in the sexual assaults, the majority appear to have been committed by the same man.

The map below shows where the assaults occurred. The (added by me) 305 North Lincoln Avenue address on the map where Maria Caleel lived is the approximate location in relation to the other attacks. There were instances of the assailant having a knife or other weapon during the other attacks, but none of the other victims were stabbed.

The attacks stopped three weeks previous to the date the article was written. It's unknown whether the attacks resumed after the article was written.

Another article (attached) in the April 15, 1988 Alton Telegraph reports that a man called police from a nearby business April 13 and stated he had killed Caleel. A glass and payphone there were seized as evidence.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/rapesillinois_zpsq2wixwm2.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/rapestory_zpswynqomjv.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm176/pleasestandby2/glassclue_zpsudqj1p4g.jpg

Other articles show that her father, a surgeon, had filed a negligence lawsuit against the hospital that treated her because they did not immediately take her to surgery. By October, 1989, a reward of $50,000 had been offered for the conviction of the killer.

Thanks for the extra info!
So it is very possible that Maria's assailant might be a stranger, or at least a stranger to her, he may have been keeping tabs on some of the students in the area.
Hmm, reminds me of Jesse Matthews type, allegedly preying on university students.. imo.

 

[dotr]

Looking for, but not finding anything new, may have missed this article from April.

http://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/police-test-dna-from-27-year-old-case

"URBANA -- Urbana Police Detectives had to wait a long time for these test results. They were DNA samples from a 27-year old case. Maria Caleel was a veterinary student at UI. She was killed in her apartment in 1988.

Because of advancements in DNA testing, detective were able to retest evidence from the scene and found DNA. Officers sent it and DNA from possible suspects to the lab. The lead detective on the case says they recently got the results back but it took about five months to get them"


snip>

"The samples returned to the Urbana Police Department in the Caleel Case didn't match any suspects.

But, while detectives were waiting, they received DNA from other people they had eyes on. In many cases, suspects had no idea samples were taken."

 

[dotr]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...92_1_serial-rapist-rapes-off-campus-apartment

"Fear Grows At U. Of I. Over Rapes
October 17, 1988|By Jack Houston, Chicago Tribune."

 

[dotr]

Wondering what the DNA tests results may have indicated, could this case be connected to others?
Hoping for, but not finding any updates, the dna testing should be completed now, will the results be shared, or has something become more complicated? imo.

 

[dotr]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/photos/ct-maria-caleel-jpg-20150219-photo.html

 

[dotr]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-maria-caleel-family-lawsuit-1993-20150216-story.html

In Urbana, Sgt. Lockard reflected on the failure to arrest a suspect.

"My opinion is it was a stranger," he said. "My theory is that she did not know her assailant, or at least could not identify the person.
"From what she said to an officer at the scene, she did not know why she had been stabbed. It was too dark for her to see much. Her apartment was completely dark.
"If a suspect is identified, we could have a problem of proof. We have no eye witnesses to the crime, and he didn't rape her. So we have no evidence for DNA laboratory testing."
How the assailant got into Caleel's third floor apartment-with a key or whether Caleel admitted the person-was never determined.

rbbm.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wandtv.com/story/31852501/urbana-police-create-facebook-page-for-1988-cold-case

A Facebook page has been created by the Urbana Police Department. It is in remembrance of Maria Caleel...

There is progress in this cold case. Over the past two weeks, Urbana Police Sergeant Matt Rivers and Urbana Police Officer Mike Cervantes have worked on the case full-time. Even now they say more new leads have been developed. As a result of advancing forensic science techniques, additional evidence, some of it previously un-tested, is now undergoing forensic examination.

https://www.facebook.com/rememberingmariacaleel

 

[dotr]

http://abc7chicago.com/news/urbana-officers-hope-crime-lab-can-help-solve-1988-cold-case/1323314/
May 04, 2016 02:27PM
URBANA, Ill. --

Local detectives say they've found evidence that hadn't been sent for testing in the 1988 cold case stabbing of a University of Illinois veterinary student.

Urbana Police Sgt. Matt Rivers and Officer Mike Cervantes have been working full time on the case for the past two weeks after months of looking at it while on the night shift. Rivers tells The (Champaign) News-Gazette that they sent about 20 samples to the state crime lab after combing through 28-year-old boxes of evidence.