MI MI - Julia Niswender, 23, EMU student, Ypsilanti, 10 Dec 2012 - #1

[SapphireSteel]

OK I'm new to both of these crimes but -

Both students were in ground floor apartments (easy access? Viewable windows?)
Both students were popular, hardworking, dedicated, almost "perfect"
Both students were white and seemingly from "good" families

That's all so far...

I wonder if they knew each other?

 

[MIMOMMY]

They did not know each other and the two cases are light years apart as far as "details".

Although the two campus are only 7 miles apart - the traffic causes it to seem like large distances and can at times be a 30+ minute commute. The communities and population are much different as well, unfortunately.

 

[SapphireSteel]

They did not know each other and the two cases are light years apart as far as "details".

Although the two campus are only 7 miles apart - the traffic causes it to seem like large distances and can at times be a 30+ minute commute. The communities and population are much different as well, unfortunately.

I must be missing these "details"?

Two high achieving white kids in off campus ground floor student housing, both found murdered with no struggle, weapon, explanation, sexual assault, robbery or leads. No signs of break in, no discernible enemies or motive.

Living 7 miles apart, actually in the same county I believe.

Sounds kind of similar in uncomfortable ways, to me? :dunno:

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I must be missing these "details"?

Two high achieving white kids in off campus ground floor student housing, both found murdered with no struggle, weapon, explanation, sexual assault, robbery or leads. No signs of break in, no discernible enemies or motive.

Living 7 miles apart, actually in the same county I believe.

Sounds kind of similar in uncomfortable ways, to me? :dunno:

You are correct about the two universities being in the same county, but there is a world of difference between the The University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. U of M is among the top ranked universities in the country with very competitive admissions in both undergraduate and graduate academic programs. The University of Michigan is sometimes referred to as "the Harvard of the west" because its admissions criteria are quite stringent compared with other major state universities. The University of Michigan Medical School is ranked among the best in the nation, so Paul DeWolf was definitely a high-achieving student.

I never heard or read that Julia Niswender was an outstanding student, and EMU is nowhere near as academically competitive as the University of Michigan in terms of admissions criteria. Julia was likely an average student with a special interest in the field of communications - media, public relations, etc. As an undergraduate student, Julia was interested and involved in campus activities and seemed to have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a "high-achieving" student but, rather, one who is energetic, extroverted, outgoing - a people person. :moo:

 

[SapphireSteel]

You are correct about the two universities being in the same county, but there is a world of difference between the The University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. U of M is among the top ranked universities in the country with very competitive admissions in both undergraduate and graduate academic programs. The University of Michigan is sometimes referred to as "the Harvard of the west" because its admissions criteria are quite stringent compared with other major state universities. The University of Michigan Medical School is ranked among the best in the nation, so Paul DeWolf was definitely a high-achieving student.

I never heard or read that Julia Niswender was an outstanding student, and EMU is nowhere near as academically competitive as the University of Michigan in terms of admissions criteria. Julia was likely an average student with a special interest in the field of communications - media, public relations, etc. As an undergraduate student, Julia was interested and involved in campus activities and seemed to have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a "high-achieving" student but, rather, one who is energetic, extroverted, outgoing - a people person. :moo:

Thanks for the follicle division, but where I live ANY kid at uni is considered a "high achiever"....so it's really the way you look at it.

Anyway my comment was specifically asking about the "light years" of difference between these two kids...or should I say, these two crimes.

Another similarity - Julia was discovered on a Tuesday, Paul on a Wednesday - but I'm unsure of time of death. The thing is, neither were killed on the weekends which IMO would be the highest risk time (bad drugs, too much booze, scorned lover etc).

For those who think the method of choice would be consistent for a serial - check out BTK who suffocated, stabbed, hung and strangled his victims.

By the way, Rader and Ridgway and his ilk are what I'd refer to as "under achievers" - no higher education, no career/social/sporting success to speak of, no loving family growing up, blending into the average guy blue collar background. Totally unremarkable.

 

[kittycat3]

I get a kick out of the different perspectives, it's great to have multiple ways to see it!

I think you are talking about different things, technically. Both crimes are shown to have things in common - one of the biggest being the unknowns.

I suspect when we do find out more details about motives (for both murders) they will be as unique as the victims.

I would be curious to know most common day of the week when people are murdered. I would also initially suspect Friday or Saturday but I'm not confident that it couldn't be Monday or Tuesday when the hangover wears off. But anyway are you saying the commonality is a weekday killing.? Just giving you a good natured hard time SS but that is truly a weak link

 

[SapphireSteel]

College kids in these towns have been victims of a serial before - ok now I'm seriously freaked out.


[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_murders"]Michigan murders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[justnosey]

Ok...you are taking these two crimes (Julia and Paul) out of context. There are a few correlations ...like they were both murdered. However, if you look at Michigan as a whole, we have murders every day. Take a look at Detroit. People there are victims of domestic violence, drug crimes, gang violence, drive by shootings...the list goes on. The only reason why Julia and Paul's murders stand out significantly is because they were both college students in towns where murders come few and far between. I am from Ann Arbor and went to school at Eastern Michigan University and my husband works in law enforcement...so I can tell you first hand that yes, these crimes stick out. For those of us that have been following Julia's thread, the amount of research/trolling we have done, well...I guess it's a far stretch to find the link between the two crimes. Although I think that everyone here feels that a fresh pair of eyes on the case is another person who cares about Julia's case...and is very much welcome

College kids in these towns have been victims of a serial before - ok now I'm seriously freaked out.


Michigan murders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[MIMOMMY]

Julia was FOUND on a Tuesday - She was murdered either LATE Sunday night or early Monday morning. Most of the information points towards late Sunday night.

As far as knowing the two cases share very few similarities and my comment that they are light years apart on what occurred.

There are several pieces of information that have not been released by the authorities to the media (obviously for very valid reasons) that allow me to say the two cases are FAR FAR FAR from similar.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsila...have-exhausted-leads-in-julia-niswender-case/

did you guys see this? It came out on the 12th (monday)

says all leads are exhausted and this:

Months before University of Michigan medical student Paul DeWolf was found dead from a single gunshot inside his room at a fraternity, Eastern Michigan University journalism student Julia Niswender was found drowned in a bathtub in an "unnatural position" at her Ypsilanti apartment, according to police.

Police don't think the cases are at all connected, but investigations continue in both. Each have cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of a suspect. As Ann Arbor police track down leads in the DeWolf case, however, the Niswender case seems to be at a standstill.

 

[MIMOMMY]

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsila...have-exhausted-leads-in-julia-niswender-case/

did you guys see this? It came out on the 12th (monday)

says all leads are exhausted and this:

This article is actually quite disgusting to me due to the fact that it has been verified that no one spoke with the lead detective on this case to get this "update".

Basically - it was just a way to grab reader attention! :banghead:

 

[SapphireSteel]

There is a third unsolved homicide related to this ccampus, this one 15 years ago.

Renee Welka was shot once in the back as she pulled up to her off campus apartment.


http://www.annarbor.com/news/15-years-later-emu-students-killing-remains-unsolved/

 

[MIMOMMY]

There is a third unsolved homicide related to this ccampus, this one 15 years ago.

Renee Welka was shot once in the back as she pulled up to her off campus apartment.


http://www.annarbor.com/news/15-years-later-emu-students-killing-remains-unsolved/

A third? What's the second one? Unless your referring to the Med Student - Which again I will say is a totally different set of circumstances at a different college in a different town.

I personally do not find it fare or relevant to attempt to link every questionable death on a Michigan Campus to one another - ESPECIALLY one that happened 15 years ago.

Moo of course!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A third? What's the second one? Unless your referring to the Med Student - Which again I will say is a totally different set of circumstances at a different college in a different town.

I personally do not find it fare or relevant to attempt to link every questionable death on a Michigan Campus to one another - ESPECIALLY one that happened 15 years ago.

Moo of course!

The Welka case is now 19 years old because the above linked article is from 2009 when the murder of 15 years ago had not been solved. While Renee was a student at Eastern Michigan University, she lived in Pittsfield Township (approx. 5 miles from campus) and was shot outside her apartment complex - not inside her living quarters. The Renee Welka case has no similarities to either of the current cases that are being discussed here. :moo:

 

[SapphireSteel]

A third? What's the second one? Unless your referring to the Med Student - Which again I will say is a totally different set of circumstances at a different college in a different town.

I personally do not find it fare or relevant to attempt to link every questionable death on a Michigan Campus to one another - ESPECIALLY one that happened 15 years ago.

Moo of course!

It's called sleuthing and it often goes in directions that may not originally seem "fare" or "relevant".

 

[SapphireSteel]

The Welka case is now 19 years old because the above linked article is from 2009 when the murder of 15 years ago had not been solved. While Renee was a student at Eastern Michigan University, she lived in Pittsfield Township (approx. 5 miles from campus) and was shot outside her apartment complex - not inside her living quarters. The Renee Welka case has no similarities to either of the current cases that are being discussed here. :moo:

Erm....a student in the same county has been killed by a single shot by an unknown gunman, with no motive, leads, or reason.

How is that not similar? :dunno:

<modsnip>

 

[MIMOMMY]

Erm....a student in the same county has been killed by a single shot by an unknown gunman, with no motive, leads, or reason.

How is that not similar? :dunno:

<modsnip>

Well - for one Julia was not shot???

 

[nursebeeme]

Erm....a student in the same county has been killed by a single shot by an unknown gunman, with no motive, leads, or reason.

How is that not similar? :dunno:

<modsnip>

Totally different circumstances imhoo.. Different areas too. I am a local and my husband works at emu

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Erm....a student in the same county has been killed by a single shot by an unknown gunman, with no motive, leads, or reason.

How is that not similar? :dunno:

<modsnip>

The Renee Welka case is from 1994. She was shot while in her car outside her apartment complex not inside her living quarters like Julia Niswender and Paul DeWolf. There was a one-time suspect who was arrested and charged with the murder but was let go due to insufficient evidence.

Julia and Paul lived on campus or very close to their respective college campuses. Renee Welka attended Eastern Michigan University but did not live on campus; she lived in an apartment in Pittsfield Township that is about 5 miles from the campus of EMU.

Julia Niswender who attended Eastern Michigan like Renee Welka wasn't the victim of a gunshot. She was found drowned in her bathtub with no trauma to her body.

Paul DeWolf was a medical student at The University of Michigan died of a single gunshot in his room in a fraternity house.

The Renee Welka case is from 1994. I strongly doubt that there is any connection whatsoever to Paul DeWolf's murder or that of Julia Niswender who was drowned in her bathtub. :moo:

 

[Spellbound]

A scholarship benefit is scheduled for Thursday, August 22 in Monroe. Also, a new poster is being distributed by the family.
More info on both can be found here (it is OK to post this link?):

http://t.monroenews.com/news/2013/a...-raised-niswender-scholarsh/?templates=tablet

if the link doesn't work, remove the t. before the word monroenews---it was sent from my tablet