GUILTY WI - LAKE GENEVA SUITCASE MURDERS, Laura Simonson & Jenny Gamez - #2

[Sos]

Also wondering why he brought a large black plastic garbage bag to the hotel?

I thought a little about the bag too - maybe she was put in the bag after the motel, maybe there was a bag at the motel or maybe he brought the bag.

If he brought the bag that sort of validates the premeditated murder theory but we may never know since most of what we know so far is from what SZ has confessed to LE and it has been shown repeatedly that SZ is not honest.

One of SZ's first reprimands as a LE officer was for lack of honesty coupled with embezzlement later in life so I see no limit to his ability to be deceitful.

The lack of honesty coupled with a question asked by "OhThatVictoria" - "Why did he leave his props in place w/Laura and not Jenny?" made me think that he possibly did so on purpose with Laura.

In my opinion it is possible that SZ realized that he would need an excuse for the murders should he ever be caught.

His behavior prior to the death of the victims suggests to me that he thought that he was above the law. Its not a reach for me to think that SZ would have been able to convince himself that he would be able talk his way out of being responsible for the deaths of Jenny, Laura and possibly others if he had an excuse.

He may have chosen to leave the props in place with Laura or add them after the fact along with the rope on Jenny as a way to attempt to validate the excuse of it being an accident.
This makes more sense to me than a random accident without any effort made to save their lives such as calling 911 - especially if SZ intended to kill his victims before he ever met them just using the BDSM site as bait, as suggested by "Judy".

There is also the detail that the only source of information about which day Jenny died is SZ.

Since He has been proven to be dishonest I have to ask myself, did he really let her live 3 days or did he kill her on the first day and then lie about the series of events to try to add merit to the excuse of it being a consensual accident ?

 

[Judy]

I thought a little about the bag too - maybe she was put in the bag after the motel, maybe there was a bag at the motel or maybe he brought the bag.

If he brought the bag that sort of validates the premeditated murder theory but we may never know since most of what we know so far is from what SZ has confessed to LE and it has been shown repeatedly that SZ is not honest.

One of SZ's first reprimands as a LE officer was for lack of honesty coupled with embezzlement later in life so I see no limit to his ability to be deceitful.

The lack of honesty coupled with a question asked by "OhThatVictoria" - "Why did he leave his props in place w/Laura and not Jenny?" made me think that he possibly did so on purpose with Laura.

In my opinion it is possible that SZ realized that he would need an excuse for the murders should he ever be caught.

His behavior prior to the death of the victims suggests to me that he thought that he was above the law. Its not a reach for me to think that SZ would have been able to convince himself that he would be able talk his way out of being responsible for the deaths of Jenny, Laura and possibly others if he had an excuse.

He may have chosen to leave the props in place with Laura or add them after the fact along with the rope on Jenny as a way to attempt to validate the excuse of it being an accident.
This makes more sense to me than a random accident without any effort made to save their lives such as calling 911 - especially if SZ intended to kill his victims before he ever met them just using the BDSM site as bait, as suggested by "Judy".

There is also the detail that the only source of information about which day Jenny died is SZ.

Since He has been proven to be dishonest I have to ask myself, did he really let her live 3 days or did he kill her on the first day and then lie about the series of events to try to add merit to the excuse of it being a consensual accident ?

Yes! And the "woman who got away" (dancer that fled his apartment) becomes VERY credible! Prior to having sex, he became violent. She asked him, "Are you going to kill me?" and waited for an opportunity to run (in her undies) and run door to door for help. She wouldn't have done that if she stole money from him. Point is, she sensed his violent nature and believed he'd kill her.

Leaving the props on Laura. I agree! It's looking more staged as time goes on. I think he believes he is above he law, also - excellent point! He believes he may have gotten away with it because of how things appeared - Yes, yes, yes!

Appearance is BIG to him. May also explain why he colored his hair for court. In his sick mind, all these things make a difference. IRONY...I was looking at a couple full view photos from the courtroom and what stood out is HE IS NOW WEARING THE HANDCUFFS - may explain why he's aged 10 years since being in court - This has to be a "disconnect" in his thought process - for sure. OTV mentioned his darting eyes in court, looking at the paperwork. Yes! He looks desperately crazed to me.

At one time the media mentioned he wasn't on suicide watch in jail. I wonder if this will change - he's high risk.

 

[Sos]

Yes! And the "woman who got away" (dancer that fled his apartment) becomes VERY credible! Prior to having sex, he became violent. She asked him, "Are you going to kill me?"

SZ's reply to that question was, "Are you going to have sex with me?"

Maybe what happened is that Jenny and Laura said "No" to a similar question.....?

 

[ClaireNC]

Also wondering why he brought a large black plastic garbage bag to the hotel?

I don't think he did have the garbage bag at the hotel. From the criminal complaint, it sounds like he put Jenny in her own suitcase at the hotel and took her out of the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator when he got home. After he brought Laura's body home he put both bodies in suitcases transferred them to his vehicle. See top of page 3: http://media.jrn.com/documents/bodiescomplaint080514.pdf

It is likely that he put her in the garbage bag when he removed her from the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator.

 

[Sos]

I don't think he did have the garbage bag at the hotel. From the criminal complaint, it sounds like he put Jenny in her own suitcase at the hotel and took her out of the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator when he got home. After he brought Laura's body home he put both bodies in suitcases transferred them to his vehicle. See top of page 3: http://media.jrn.com/documents/bodiescomplaint080514.pdf

It is likely that he put her in the garbage bag when he removed her from the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator.

I guess in my mind I was picturing bodies in suitcases in the refrigerator due to the bodies being found in suitcases, it had not occurred to me that me that He would have taken them out of the suitcases to put them in the refrigerator

 

[OhThatVictoria]

I don't think he did have the garbage bag at the hotel. From the criminal complaint, it sounds like he put Jenny in her own suitcase at the hotel and took her out of the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator when he got home. After he brought Laura's body home he put both bodies in suitcases transferred them to his vehicle. See top of page 3: http://media.jrn.com/documents/bodiescomplaint080514.pdf

It is likely that he put her in the garbage bag when he removed her from the suitcase and put her in the refrigerator.

I'm leaning in that direction too. It could have also been used when he removed her from the fridge due to the decomposition. (Hate to be too graphic, but this is gruesome).

As far as the cuffs are concerned, he claimed that he used them on Jenny. My mind wanders at what he did after he realized she was dead. Those cuffs were his online "brand", as Mr Handcuffs. Guess he wanted to be sure to have them on hand in the future.Did he bathe her before he placed her in the suitcase? Was he ritualistic in tying her up? What was his state of mind?

I still struggle with the fact that he picked her up and drove all the way to Kenosha when there are airport hotels all around Milwaukee's Mitchell Field Airport. What makes it especially ironic to me is that he returned to the SAME exit / area to dispose of the bodies. Why there? Something is missing.

 

[ClaireNC]

(respectfully snipped)

As far as the cuffs are concerned, he claimed that he used them on Jenny. My mind wanders at what he did after he realized she was dead. Those cuffs were his online "brand", as Mr Handcuffs. Guess he wanted to be sure to have them on hand in the future.Did he bathe her before he placed her in the suitcase? Was he ritualistic in tying her up? What was his state of mind?

I still struggle with the fact that he picked her up and drove all the way to Kenosha when there are airport hotels all around Milwaukee's Mitchell Field Airport. What makes it especially ironic to me is that he returned to the SAME exit / area to dispose of the bodies. Why there? Something is missing.

He might have thought the cuffs were traceable to him, whereas a rope would be harder to trace. But why did he retie her hands after she was dead? Was that just in case he got caught and he knew his defense would be that it was an accident? Or something more sinister.

Good point on why he took her to Kenosha if she flew into the Milwaukee airport. Maybe she actually flew into Chicago and he is still lying about that piece of the story? Could there be other victims that came in through Chicago and he is directing attention away from that airport? Yes, something is missing.

 

[Sos]

He might have thought the cuffs were traceable to him, whereas a rope would be harder to trace. But why did he retie her hands after she was dead? Was that just in case he got caught and he knew his defense would be that it was an accident? Or something more sinister.

Good point on why he took her to Kenosha if she flew into the Milwaukee airport. Maybe she actually flew into Chicago and he is still lying about that piece of the story? Could there be other victims that came in through Chicago and he is directing attention away from that airport? Yes, something is missing.

I agree that there is a piece of the puzzle missing or the whole story told to LE by SZ is a lie.......

Kenosha especially makes my mind wander because if they came from Milwaukee Airport it is 30 some miles to Kenosha but only 10 miles to West Allis......?

Why not go to his apartment ?

Logic in my mind suggests the plan was to kill her but then I wonder (again) why in Kenosha ...... ?

 

[OhThatVictoria]

I agree that there is a piece of the puzzle missing or the whole story told to LE by SZ is a lie.......

Kenosha especially makes my mind wander because if they came from Milwaukee Airport it is 30 some miles to Kenosha but only 10 miles to West Allis......?

Why not go to his apartment ?

Logic in my mind suggests the plan was to kill her but then I wonder (again) why in Kenosha ...... ?

I imagine that the investigation has produced Jenny's flight information and LE is SURE she flew into Milwaukee. (Flying into Chicago would have been cheaper and provided more options. As with Milwaukee, If Jenny had flown into Chicago, there are hotels also around O'Hare / Midway airports).

So, why is SZ a homing pigeon around Lake Geneva? It's a good idea to study the history of Lake Geneva and it's reputation as the Newport Beach of the Midwest. The majority of people who travel to recreate around Lake Geneva (have homes or book rooms) are wealthy and travel from the Chicago area. That particular exit (Hwy 50) is also a midway point (more or less) between Milwaukee and Chicago.

I can't help but think it was more than just SZ and Jenny during those three days. Either someone else took part in this (somehow) or he was grooming her for someone else. Of course I've long believed that he was involved in trafficking. Now that he's going to do time (for sure) perhaps he might give that up, tell the truth? (I'm forever a jaded pollyanna.)

If Jenny did not die in Kenosha, there would be a mistrial due to the wrong jurisdiction trying the case . . . and I've posted that concern before.

I'm glad that he's been formally charged and look forward to the preliminary hearing next week.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

This recently added (YT) documentary, The Slave Master, chronicles serial killer, John Edward Robinson, aka "the internet's first serial killer).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVrys0v_tSw#t=2729
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edward_Robinson

I found some of the similarities to the SZ case, noteworthy. Both preyed on younger, vulnerable women.

Robinson lured some of his victims via BDSM classifieds (this started in the 80's). Other women were recruited via employment opportunities. Women disappeared. Cases went cold. Some victims were never reported as missing. His BDSM lifestyle did not appear to be as pivotal to his crimes as w/SZ, but there are similarities (both sadists who had no concern over the welfare of their "slave").

Since his crimes started before the advent of online communications, it took LE longer to piece all the cases together. Like SZ, there are likely many more victims.

 

[Judy]

Chilling similarities! It’s very shocking they never found the other bodies (and it’s telling us HE DID NOT TALK) – And, we know Zelich is of the same mind, (above the law, deceitful…total con, murderer). How sickening. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Judy]

Zelich joined the site in 2007 and, according to CBS 58, last logged into the BDSM site on Wednesday, the same day that he was arrested after police raided Zelich’s home. Zelich was looking for nothing less than total enslavement.
Read more at http://www./1322027/new-disturbing-...for-hiding-womens-bodies/#cEeW7kfrgOGJZupO.99

http://www./1322027/new-disturbing-...former-cop-arrested-for-hiding-womens-bodies/

I know this has been discussed before, but this has to be a critical piece of evidence as they put together his profile. He had already killed 2 women and disposed of their bodies. On this day, he is again back of the web site prowling for more. I believe (in his mind) he had gotten away with it, and in arrogant fashion dumped the bodies in the fashion of saying, “You can’t catch me,” (I watched a video on Youtube profiling a serial killer who dumped bodies on the roadside and the psychological evaluation of this act was that the killer was “taunting the police&#8221.

Makes me wonder more about his relationship with his father, also a police officer. Makes he wonder more about his rage, and his desired public image as "Mr. Handcuffs."

 

[Sos]

Observation : prior to NotMeAnymore coming forth the time frame I have from media was that SZ was on the websites from 2005 forth but this was 2003 which in my opinion validates that SZ had multiple user names and accounts, wonder how far back they go ?

Yeah, I don't understand the 2007 date they have for collarme (Which is now collarspace apparently). As far as I know he had that collarme profile for quite a while. Unless he took it off and put it back on for some reason?

I also wonder how he met the girl he had in a cage for 7 years. He told me about her and showed me pictures (petite and blonde). He told me that I could contact her for a sort of reference if I wanted to but then he would change the subject whenever I brought it up. I should have seen that as a red flag but I was so wrapped up in my sex addiction. It's pretty embarrassing, actually.

Friendly reminder : The dates SZ had accounts on BDSM websites go back further than 2007

 

[Sos]

I believe (in his mind) he had gotten away with it, and in arrogant fashion dumped the bodies in the fashion of saying, “You can’t catch me,” "

Do we know how long the bodies were by the side of the road before they were found ?

Just exactly when did SZ dump them there ?

 

[Judy]

Not officially. I remember seeing a video of a man who saw a suitcase fall off the back of a truck (close proximity - at an intersection close by) a few days before the bodies were found. I'll try to find it, again.

Here it is - this was only a tip that had been reported.

http://www.wisn.com/news/man-describes-seeing-suitcases-along-walworth-co-road/26427050#!bCMvND

 

[OhThatVictoria]

Not officially. I remember seeing a video of a man who saw a suitcase fall off the back of a truck (close proximity - at an intersection close by) a few days before the bodies were found. I'll try to find it, again.

Here it is - this was only a tip that had been reported.

http://www.wisn.com/news/man-describes-seeing-suitcases-along-walworth-co-road/26427050#!bCMvND

whoah whoah whoah - WHOAH !

SZ owned a pick-up truck?!? That's news (or of course, someone was helping him).

 

[OhThatVictoria]

I don't believe an exact date has been provided nor details of time of day etc. The bodies were found on June 5th. Since he worked days as a security guard, it would be interesting to compare what day a witness saw the pick-up truck and time of day of the sighting. If he was working that day, he had an accomplice. And yes, the location is most intriguing.

http://fox6now.com/2014/07/03/detective-steven-zelich-said-he-killed-two-put-in-suitcases/

"Zelich has admitted to causing the death of two women, putting their bodies in suitcases and then placing the suitcases in the area of N. Como Road, east of Co. Rd. H. in the Town of Geneva during the first week of June."

"Zelich’s attorney argues the suitcases were left in plain sight — a quarter-mile away from the Town of Geneva Police Department — and were therefore, not hidden."

 

[Judy]

If you google earth N Como road it leads straight into (you guessed it) Lake Como. Could he have been headed for the lake?

Here's a map I found.

http://www.lakeplace.com/lakefinder/wi/walworth/como/757900

You can see that Como Road and Highway H are close to the lake. I cannot imagine why else he'd be driving there. The Lake Geneva area is full of the affluent and wealthy, not the kind of place I picture SZ hanging out - but who knows? Lake Como looks like a lot of cottages, bars and restaurants are surrounding the lake. Not the kind of place you'd go to hide bodies - this is puzzling.

 

[Judy]

"Zelich’s attorney argues the suitcases were left in plain sight — a quarter-mile away from the Town of Geneva Police Department — and were therefore, not hidden."

(Just a personal aside) - I still cannot believe his attorney pulled this out of his *advertiser censored** and thought it mattered.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

"Zelich’s attorney argues the suitcases were left in plain sight — a quarter-mile away from the Town of Geneva Police Department — and were therefore, not hidden."

(Just a personal aside) - I still cannot believe his attorney pulled this out of his *advertiser censored** and thought it mattered.

Judy ~ hard to say where he was "headed" and now I'm also wondering who actually "lost" the suitcases in the ditch. If a witness actually saw the suitcase(s) falling off the end of a pickup truck, I'd call that a material witness, wouldn't you?

Hard to know who was crafting the defense initially. Based on how nervous that first atty was, seems to me he was reading off of a script that SZ wrote for him. The logic was a bit of a stretch. LOL.