NY NY - The Alphabet Killings, Rochester

[Steely Dan]

With there being 3 victims I had to wonder if each one of the initials represents one of theirs, or possibly the person he was fixated on and wanted to kill over and over. CWM I wonder if there has ever been a suspect with those initials?

VB

Interesting thought.

Another question is why did they stop?

 

[Steely Dan]

An article about Kenneth Bianchi as a suspect in these murders.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090302/NEWS01/903020343

Bianchi, a 1970 graduate of Gates Chili High School, is serving a life sentence for the slayings of two Washington women. In the late 1970s he and his cousin, Angelo Buono Jr., went on a killing spree in southern California, assaulting, torturing and killing young women.

I wonder if they ever looked at Buono Jr. It's possible he was visiting around that time but it would be very difficult for him to know these girls well enough.

 

[Bargle]

Thanks, I also have the article linked in the beginning of the thread.

Drat, sorry. I hadn't read all of your links and didn't realize it was a duplicate. My goof.

 

[Steely Dan]

Drat, sorry. I hadn't read all of your links and didn't realize it was a duplicate. My goof.

Not a large deal. I'm sure others missed it too. :blowkiss:

 

[Boyz_Mum]

I sent this message to the Monroe County Sheriff's department tonight. I'll let you know if I get any response from them.

On the alphabet murders somebody brought up that since all the girls were Catholic that there may be a link between them that one person had access to. Like a camp or a church or a charity. A Priest or Social Worker would be trusted and also have access to the names of these girls. It seems to me that the person who did this had to have easy access to these kids names.

I know this isn't really a crime tip as much as a theory but this is the only heading that made sense to put it under. I'm pretty sure this theory has been checked out but if it hasn't I just wanted to pass it along. It came from someone at the Websleuths message board. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3422282#post3422282

I know LE may not take these sites seriously but there are some smart and creative people there with interesting theories on crimes. If somebody wanted to add some facts to the thread that might get the wheels turning in some people's heads it might be worth it to check out.

Just trying to help out,

Steely Dan,

Thank you for sending out this email. I am so glad that "bev04" chimed in here!

 

[Steely Dan]

Steely Dan,

Thank you for sending out this email. I am so glad that "bev04" chimed in here!

I agree. I'd be very surprised to find out that this isn't an angle that has already been explored but you never know. Maybe somebody from the Sheriff's department will actually come here and provide more info.

 

[Boyz_Mum]

I agree. I'd be very surprised to find out that this isn't an angle that has already been explored but you never know. Maybe somebody from the Sheriff's department will actually come here and provide more info.

You know, back in the 70's, the Catholic community may have been much closer, meaning that there is a chance that someone may have been a little reluctant to report "odd" behavior amongst their peers, and could come forward with more information today?

I am also curious about the "learning disabilities" that poster fran spoke of. Is this confirmed? Was there a central location that the girls could have attended for any type of schooling, therapy, etc...?

I am not familiar with the area/counties.

 

[Pedrosmom]

Perhaps a boarding school for troubled girls?

 

[donna b]

From 1971-1973, three young girls aged 10 and 11 were abducted, raped and strangled in Rochester, New York. The case got it's name because all three girls had the same first and last initial, and they were found in towns starting with that initial.

Carmen Colon age 10 was sent on an errand to pick up a prescription not two blocks from her house on 11/16/1971 at 4:15 PM. She never returned home. At about 5:15 PM that same day motorists reported seeing a nearly nude young girl, looking "terrified" running from a car that was backing up towards her on the West Expressway in Riga, New York. No one stopped to help her. Several witnesses reported seeing this but still didn't stop to help. Her body was found less than a mile away on 11/18/1971. She had only a sweater on, her skull had been fractured she had been raped , beaten and strangled. Police had the FBI make a profile of her killer, and they felt that she knew him. They believed that her Uncle, Miguel Colon was responsible. He committed suicide in 1991 and was later exonerated through DNA evidence. Carmen was found in Churchville, New York.


Wanda Walkowicz, 11, also went on an errand and never returned on 04/02/1973. A Sate Trooper on patrol discovered her little body at a rest stop at State Route 104 in Webster, New York. On 04/03/1973. She too had been raped , beaten and strangled to death.


Michelle Maenza was the third, and last child to be murdered. She went missing on 11/26/1973. Her body was found on 11/28/1973 in Macedon, New York. She, too was only 11 years old, beaten, raped and strangled.

All three of these girls were Roman Catholic, came from poor areas of Rochester and all three did poorly in school, both academicaly and socialy. The notorious "Hillside Strangler", Kenneth Bianci was suspected at first because he lived in Rochester during that time, and he had a car simular to the one that was seen backing up towards Carmen Colon. He was exonerated as well through DNA evidence.



The letters "C", "M" and "W" are the 3rd, 13th and 23rd letters of the alphabet. Police also thought that the suspect might be a teacher, or counselor that had access to personal files. All three children had white cat hair on them, and might have been lured to a car using that cat as bait. Hundreds of people were questioned, to no avail. These cases are still unsolved, although an inmate in 1995 told investigators that he knew who was responsible for these heinous acts, but no other information was available to me online regarding this.



In January, 2007 a movie was being filmed in Rochester regarding this case. It was released in October, 2007, but Agatha Christie had written a book eerily simular to these cases years before they happened. So, I'm not sure what that movie actually was based on. I'm wondering too if Investigators looked at local Libraries to see who checked out that Agatha Christie book. Or if they perused local book stores. Regardless, if you have any information contact the Rochester, New York Police Department at 1-585-428-7157 that is The Major Crimes Division.















Tags: unsolved child murders, 1971-1973, rochester new york

 

[Grace1984]

Photo and info for Wanda Lee Walkowicz

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Wan...w.cfm?ID=13364759-65d4-4411-bc90-c667b49e7286


there's also a thread here for this case.
[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75191"]Alphabet Murders, 1970s - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[daisy.faithfull]

Hi grace 1984,

It is an interesting case. I had the same question that julessleuther asked on the other Alphabet Murders thread: Why did the killer stop? Were they imprisoned? Were they questioned by the police and stopped?

Such a precise m.o. would seem to be a pattern that is very important to the killer, so I don't know if they would be able to stop or the switch their m.o. I wonder if they moved to a different part of the country and the pattern went unnoticed. Perhaps the killer became more mobile and went from city to city for each individual crime.

If any of the above are possibilities you would think that the coincidences would stand out, especially since I Assume the Alphabet Murders were publicized.

It was also mentioned that the killer would have had to have access to personal information on the girls. It could have been someone they knew and had contact with, or maybe someone just who knew them from afar. I wonder if the families lived in suburbia or an apartment? A killer could move around to various apartments to find a victim that matched the criteria, befriended them if only in passing and then used that to lure his victims.

I dunno, it is an interesting case, so sad that they have never found the killer so that justice could be served and the families could have closure. Its a very sad case, especially since the father of one of the little girls committed suicide and was then exonerated with DNA.

Anyway, what do you think happened?

 

[thefragile7393]

:furious:

At about 5:15 PM that same day motorists reported seeing a nearly nude young girl, looking "terrified" running from a car that was backing up towards her on the West Expressway in Riga, New York. No one stopped to help her. Several witnesses reported seeing this but still didn't stop to help.

Un-freaking belivable!!!!!!!!

I wonder if it was just coincidence about the girls names. I've read a little on this case, mostly from Wikipedia. They were about the same age, did they have similar looks?

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

the female dective in the movie, what ever became of her?
in the movie she had a nervous breakdown i believe, and stated that she was seeing the spirit/ghosts of the young victims.

Can anyone supply any links with information on this detective, i would like to read more about her part in the investigation, and the reported sightings of the young girls ghosts visiting her from time to time.........thank you.
​

 

[missacorah]

Me too. How terrifying.

 

[Sleuthster]

I sent this message to the Monroe County Sheriff's department tonight. I'll let you know if I get any response from them.

On the alphabet murders somebody brought up that since all the girls were Catholic that there may be a link between them that one person had access to. Like a camp or a church or a charity. A Priest or Social Worker would be trusted and also have access to the names of these girls. It seems to me that the person who did this had to have easy access to these kids names.

I know this isn't really a crime tip as much as a theory but this is the only heading that made sense to put it under. I'm pretty sure this theory has been checked out but if it hasn't I just wanted to pass it along. It came from someone at the Websleuths message board. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3422282#post3422282

I know LE may not take these sites seriously but there are some smart and creative people there with interesting theories on crimes. If somebody wanted to add some facts to the thread that might get the wheels turning in some people's heads it might be worth it to check out.

Just trying to help out,

Did u ever hear back from the Monroe Sheriffs department?

 

[rpipergirl]

the female dective in the movie, what ever became of her?
in the movie she had a nervous breakdown i believe, and stated that she was seeing the spirit/ghosts of the young victims.

Can anyone supply any links with information on this detective, i would like to read more about her part in the investigation, and the reported sightings of the young girls ghosts visiting her from time to time.........thank you.
​

She was not a real person. It was fictionalized account of the case. I hope that clears it up for you.

 

[Delawaresleuth]

My first post here! After watching the movie, and being in home sales in the Delaware beach area, would like to know if anyone has a link to the composite sketch?
Seems to me, that if that sketch was posted in the local news in the early 70s, that the person(s) responsible probably fled the area.
Does anyone have a link, or some other means of helping with this info?
Thanks!

 

[TechWriter797]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com...California-killings?odyssey=mod|lateststories

 

[Harmony 2]

Very intriguing!!! I read through everything and did not find whether the DNA in the three cases in the 70s matched each other.

 

[hmg]

Here's another article about Joesph Naso: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42558019/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

That'd be one heck of coincidence if these killings aren't related.