OH - Christie Mullins, 14, Columbus, 23 Aug 1975 *killer died*

[nerosleuth]

Columbus Police Agree To Review 1975 Murder Of Clintonville Teen


WBNS-TV in Columbus is reporting that Columbus Police will review the 1975 Christie Mullins cold murder case.

Columbus Police say that they will evaluate the remaining physical evidence in the case to determine if it can be tested with the latest technology.

Columbus Police also say that if it is found that the case is "potentially solvable" it will be actively pursued, but if there's not enough new evidence, the case will remain open but inactive.

Source:

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/05/07/columbus-1975-cold-case-murder-review-mullins.html

 

[GetAClue1]

Seriously?

Sorry, I am baffled by that thought


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I grew up in that neighborhood at that time. Christie's younger brother was one of the kids that was in the group that I would run around with. I don't remember his name, but I would most likely remember a picture of him. The description of Christie in the eBook "An All American Murder" would fit her brother also.

As to the point about not wearing shoes in the Woolco dept store, that was common during the summer in that store, especially for us kids. There were many times that we would go into that store without shoes on in the summer.

 

[Nycsleuth]

Here is the latest

 

[nerosleuth]

Victim's sister glad that police will re-examine slaying


Columbus police have assigned a detective to assess the case of a Clintonville girl killed almost 39 years ago.

A cold case detective will assess the evidence. The detective will look to see if there are any evidence which could be tested for DNA, locate witnesses, and review information about any suspects in the case.

Sgt. Eric Pilya of the CPD cold case squad said that “If after the assessment we see it’s not a good viable case to be solved, it’ll remain open but inactive until we get enough information to solve it.”


Source:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/07/detective-assigned-to-1975-slaying.html

 

[Stormchaser9]

Victim's sister glad that police will re-examine slaying


Columbus police have assigned a detective to assess the case of a Clintonville girl killed almost 39 years ago.

A cold case detective will assess the evidence. The detective will look to see if there are any evidence which could be tested for DNA, locate witnesses, and review information about any suspects in the case.

Sgt. Eric Pilya of the CPD cold case squad said that “If after the assessment we see it’s not a good viable case to be solved, it’ll remain open but inactive until we get enough information to solve it.”


Source:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/05/07/detective-assigned-to-1975-slaying.html

No disrespect to the CPD (whose jurisdiction area I live within), but their only quote-unquote eyewitness is dead. It's not as if one were able to question dead people. A PROPER investigation should have been conducted for this case a long time ago.

As to Sgt. Pilya's comment, some helpful information for those not in Columbus Police Department territory: the CPD has 800 unsolved homicides on the books in its cold case department, but only 5 officers assigned to the cold case department. If they were to solve all the unsolved homicides split equally between them, each officer would have to solve 160 cases, which is ridiculous and unrealistic to expect any detective crew of similar size to do, much less a single detective. Basically, because of budget nonsense that lawmakers have created, the cold case department of the CPD can't afford to hire new staff to assist in that department. One would think the local and state government would be giving more assistance to those trying to catch the most henious criminals [who are] threatening the public by remaining at large.

 

[nerosleuth]

Friends hope reopened cold case will find killer


In the article published in the Clintonville Booster neighborhood newspaper yesterday, a childhood friend is hoping that if police look beyond the evidence box and interviewed everyone again in the Christie Mullins case, they would find the truth about what happened to Christie that day.



Source:


http://www.thisweeknews.com/content...hope-reopened-cold-case-will-find-killer.html

 

[Nycsleuth]

Here is an editorial from the May 17 Columbus Dispatch about the reopening of the case

http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto...5/17/family-city-want-justice-in-slaying.html

 

[kilahchris]

I've been reading most of this forum on this case and I must say I find it quite interesting. Some things seem quite odd, like why no case was ever made about Henry Newell following Jack Carmen trial. How come Carol Reeve wasn't questioned more about her comments to Christie mother right after her death. A lot of questions like that that are not easily answered. My personal opinion, after all this reading, is that Carol Reeves and Henry Newell were having an affair. Christie came to know about it. Henry freaked out it may come out. He asked Carol to get Christie with him so he can reason with her. And the rest is history. Pretty basic thinking. But sometimes it's the easiest solution that ends up being the right one


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

You have an interesting theory! But What about the story of a DJ Calling. Didn't Christie's sister went to the pool to notify them that a man was calling her on a land line!? or am I missing something?

Furthermore why didn't law enforcement check the phone records back then to see if they could of tracked down the man who was calling pretending to be a DJ?

 

[skydelta3574]

You have an interesting theory! But What about the story of a DJ Calling. Didn't Christie's sister went to the pool to notify them that a man was calling her on a land line!? or am I missing something?

Furthermore why didn't law enforcement check the phone records back then to see if they could of tracked down the man who was calling pretending to be a DJ?

Did Carol's sister testify in court that this person actually called several times or is that hearsay from Carol?

Sorry if it's in the posted articles but I have not read through all of them :blushing:

 

[Nycsleuth]

Her sister never testified

 

[Ashcat]

Her sister never testified

Makes me wonder what the sister might have to say about the whole thing now that she's a lot older and could look at things from an adult's perspective instead of a childs.

 

[Nycsleuth]

Unfortunately she's deceased

 

[leilarose68]

whaaa? her sister kim mullins is still alive!

 

[Nycsleuth]

The prior question was about carol's sister, not christie mullins' sister. It is carol's sister who is deceased.

 

[leilarose68]

just a question... was the 'eyewitness' wealthy? have connections around town/to the police dept perhaps?

 

[leilarose68]

Woe.be.gone, thank you for all of your information.

I had to confess, I am not too surprised to hear a few of these facts brought out.

I can say that, at the time, no one would have thought a young girl like Carol could lead her friend to harm. And then not be overcome by remorse when such a terrible thing happens. So, I understand them not doublechecking her.

The person I don't understand them looking into would be the male witness who wandered around the crime scene with his entire family.

i'm sure this has already been said, but just to reiterate: according to one of christie's friends, christie and her real group of friends were not friends with carol. in fact, they didn't like her

 

[annegrete]

Wow, I had been thinking about Christie Lynn Mullins a few days before I returned to Websleuths and found out she's a hot cold case now.

Question- do we know why Christie's real friends didn't like Carol?

If she was having an affair with Henry, could the whole set-up have been a scheme to get Christie alone to threaten her to keep her mouth shut? Henry snapped and killed her?

Was she or was she not sexually assaulted? I've heard both.

 

[Alyssa2013]

I think that the perpetrator's ultimate goal was just to get one of the girls alone. I don't think he really cared which one- I think he was just desperate at this point. There are a number of possibilities in terms of how she was kidnapped. She could have been taken from behind and led into the woods where he then proceeded to tie her up, she could have been threatened with a weapon as was previously mentioned above, or she could have been convinced that Carol left the department store without her and therefore trusted this man who said that he would take her home or something along those lines. My personal opinion is that the perpetrator is a smooth-talker. He's one of those that tries to avoid conflict until he is ultimately alone with the victim and then his personality completely changes- obviously a dangerous killer, but a charming one. I think he wanted this girl to really believe him and trust him. I honestly don't think it would have taken much convincing on his part to get Christie to go with him if that was the case. Besides, there was a threat that someone would see him in the act- it being a shopping center and all. His profile was disguise, I mean we read how he apparently acted when he was seen- he fled immediately. Besides, for some reason, perpetrators who meet in public places like shopping centers, ice cream shops, etc. obviously had to do some convincing to get their victims there in the first place. Makes sense that they would be more of the type to wait until they have their victims alone before they really show their dark side. I think what we really need is a pretty descriptive profile of the killer.

 

[CanManEh]

Too many coincedences with knowing the girls name and the male witness living in the same general area .. My money would be on him

 

[greenpalm]

Here is the latest

Thank you Nycsleuth for telling Christie's story with dogged determination. It sounds as though you've had a great influence in getting the CPD to take another look. She deserves justice.

Her story reminds me so much of the murder of my friend Danielle, the summer that Danielle and I were 14, and due to enter high school in the fall, but Danielle, like Christie, never made it to high school. I am 43 now, but I have no doubt that Danielle's murder (and the murder of her younger sister and their house guest as well) affected my life forever.

So, knowing how that case affected me, I'm sure the folks who knew and loved Christie Mullins need answers too, and you are doing a noble thing to go after those answers for them. Although, to be honest, I think you've as good as found the answer, regardless of what any official police report ever says. I'm comfortable that Junior Newell was Christie's killer. I don't think every piece of the puzzle will ever be in place, but I don't have any lingering doubts.

What a sad tale.