TN TN/SC/MO - Untested Memphis rape kit reveals home-invading SK/rapist, 1990-98

[buckeye05]

Very interesting case developing here. This killer was apparently active from 1990 till at least 1998. The unidentified suspect targeted young girls and women in what were home invasion attacks, and in which the suspect was able to talk his way into their homes. A kit from a 1997 Memphis home invasion rape that was recently tested matched three homicide victims from the 1990s. The 3 homicide victims are:

A yet-to-be named 28 year old South Carolina woman in 1990
12 year old Megan Scherer of Portageville, MO in 1998
37 year old Sherri Scherer of Portageville, MO in 1998

On the same day as the Portageville double murder, a white male with glasses and facial hair attempted to enter the house of a Dyer County, Tennessee woman. She fought the attacker off and was shot but survived, and it was determined that this same gun was used in the Portageville murders. All five victims lived near a major highway or interstate, and all three homicide victims were bound then shot with the same type of revolver.

LINKS:
http://wreg.com/2017/05/25/dna-resu...log-in-memphis-reveal-possible-serial-killer/
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story...memphis-rape-kit-tied-to-serial-killer-rapist

 

[buckeye05]

Eyewitness Composite Sketches:



Whoever this was traveled state to state on a regular basis, and I think the victims being selected near highways or interstates is significant. This may suggest the possibility of the suspect being a long-haul trucker or drifter. I would also look into any cases involving a white, heavy set male with facial hair and glasses, especially if he tried to gain entry to a persons home by talking his way in. Any cases involving victims being bound are also worthy of review.

 

[gitana1]

Why was it recently tested? Why wasn't it tested before? Wow. So has there been an attempt to match it to people in the system?

 

[mocity]

Prayers that this will solve some cold, unsolved cases!

 

[LadyL]

the 28 year-old is identified as Genevieve Zitricki here:

On 04/04/1990, Genevieve Zitricki, a 28-year-old white female, was blitz attacked while she slept in her apartment in Greenville, SC. The offender forced entry via the patio sliding glass door. Zitricki was beaten and strangled to death and found in her bathtub. The offender left a threatening message on her mirror.

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/homicides-and-sexual-assaults/unknown-suspect-12

 

[LadyL]

[bbm]

he's described as slender here:

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/homicides-and-sexual-assaults/unknown-suspect-12

Eyewitness Composite Sketches:
View attachment 118045
View attachment 118046

Whoever this was traveled state to state on a regular basis, and I think the victims being selected near highways or interstates is significant. This may suggest the possibility of the suspect being a long-haul trucker or drifter. I would also look into any cases involving a white, heavy set male with facial hair and glasses, especially if he tried to gain entry to a persons home by talking his way in. Any cases involving victims being bound are also worthy of review.

 

[LadyL]

the m.o. in each of the murder cases is completely different

without DNA, I don't know that they would've ever connected them

 

[SouthernCutie]

I live in TN so this caught my eye.
Did they test the kit finally because they hadn't gotten to it due to the backlog of cases? Or did it match a recent crime scary to think how many SK there are that go unnoticed

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[GreyClay]

How disgusting that this guy was most interested in the children!

In the case of the Scherer murders and in the 1997 rape case the adult females present weren't sexually assaulted but the female children were:

[FONT=&amp]Earlier this month, police learned that DNA evidence from a 1997 sexual assault in Memphis was linked to the double-homicide in Missouri and, ultimately, Zitricki’s killing.[/FONT][FONT=&amp]The suspect knocked at the front door of the Memphis home and used a revolver to threaten three woman and a minor, Hensley says. He bound the victims before sexually assaulting the young girl.

[/FONT]http://people.com/crime/dna-link-serial-killer-rapist-crimes-three-states/

It also goes against the perceived wisdom that these kinds of offenders are always 'escalating', to see that he was committing murder in 1990, yet in 1997 committed a rape, without murder...

 

[JnRyan]

I've searched Websleuths for Sherri and Megan Scherer's case and could not find it entered. Same with Genevieve (or Jenny) Zitricki. LE in MO has known about the connection between those 2 cases for almost 10 years. The Memphis rape case is a new development.

http://people.com/crime/dna-link-serial-killer-rapist-crimes-three-states/

What bothers me is here is 20 year old crime in Memphis and we are just now finding out about the connection. How many more is he responsible for? I'll bet these 3 crimes are just a small part of what he has done.

 

[kat913]

Wonder if it has anything to do with Indiana case/Iowa case at all? Timing seems so appropriate to be putting together other crimes or just a coincidence (which I never believe in)!!

My opinion, of course!

 

[puzzleme]

That was the first thing I thought of!

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[JnRyan]

Wonder if it has anything to do with Indiana case/Iowa case at all? Timing seems so appropriate to be putting together other crimes or just a coincidence (which I never believe in)!!

My opinion, of course!

I already emailed the sheriff's dept tip line in Delphi IN a copy of the People's magazine article with the sketch. Long shot, but who knows. Looks like he could resemble the guy on the bridge.

 

[JnRyan]

Almost 20 years to process a rape kit and make a connection. Then it took 8-10 years to make a connection between the 1990 murder in SC to the 1998 murders in MO. I wasn't going to call in a tip to Delphi on Abigail Williams and Liberty German cases - I figured that LE checked this already. Then I read this article:

https://psmag.com/news/the-fbi-buil...catch-serial-rapistsand-almost-nobody-uses-it

The FBI has ViCAP and they don't fully support or fund it and other LE agencies won't use it.

 

[kat913]

Almost 20 years to process a rape kit and make a connection. Then it took 8-10 years to make a connection between the 1990 murder in SC to the 1998 murders in MO. I wasn't going to call in a tip to Delphi on Abigail Williams and Liberty German cases - I figured that LE checked this already. Then I read this article:

https://psmag.com/news/the-fbi-buil...catch-serial-rapistsand-almost-nobody-uses-it

The FBI has ViCAP and they don't fully support or fund it and other LE agencies won't use it.

All I can say is WOW...I know LE is overwhelmed nationally but no wonder crimes go unsolved. Wish we could tap or enter into that database to be helpful. I would love that job!!

 

[JJLuvsTV]

All I can say is WOW...I know LE is overwhelmed nationally but no wonder crimes go unsolved. Wish we could tap or enter into that database to be helpful. I would love that job!!

.... I was reading this and thinking ... why don't I just write a letter to my local FBI office and offer myself up as a data entry employee..I'll sit there for hours on end entering **** into a computer!! Why not!


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[marble]

States REALLY need to get on these untested kits like, yesterday.

Studies show that only a small percentage of men rape, but those who do are largely repeat offenders. getting these kits tested in a timely manner would go a huge way toward making the US a lot safer for women. Lots of serial killers seem to have started out as rapists, or rape without always killing their victims.

I personally think the Springfield Three case could be linked to this guy. From what I've read the crime scene and investigation was totally botched but I hope there's a way to retest any collected evidence to see if this same DNA turns up.

Thread for that case here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ld-Three-missing-since-June-1992-7&p=13467016

edited to add: much more specific info on the three linked cases here: http://www.truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=131

 

[JnRyan]

States REALLY need to get on these untested kits like, yesterday.

Studies show that only a small percentage of men rape, but those who do are largely repeat offenders. getting these kits tested in a timely manner would go a huge way toward making the US a lot safer for women. Lots of serial killers seem to have started out as rapists, or rape without always killing their victims.

I personally think the Springfield Three case could be linked to this guy. From what I've read the crime scene and investigation was totally botched but I hope there's a way to retest any collected evidence to see if this same DNA turns up.

Thread for that case here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ld-Three-missing-since-June-1992-7&p=13467016

edited to add: much more specific info on the three linked cases here: http://www.truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=131

Yes, it is rather difficult to believe he didn't rape or murder between 1990 and 1997-8. The Springfield Three was inside that time frame. I've read there are thousands of rape kits that have not been processed. What good is the DNA technology if we don't use it? I'll bet if just half these kits are processed a large number of connections will come to light.

 

[Deleted member 185742]

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/35923902/heartland-unsolved-the-hunt-for-a-serial-killer

 

[Falling Down]

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/35923902/heartland-unsolved-the-hunt-for-a-serial-killer

Woah:

"He's relaying his message to his victims to calm down. He's not going to hurt them. Just to be able to gain compliance."