GUILTY IN - April Tinsley, 8, Fort Wayne, 1 April 1988 *Arrest*

  • #281
So I'm trying to reconcile these two bits of info.

1. "Investigators collected three used condoms from his trash on July 6 and found the DNA was a match to evidence recovered from the 1988 crime scene." Investigators used condoms from suspect’s trash, genealogist to crack infamous 30-year-old cold case

2. The brother says John was born a little slow, and never had a girlfriend. DIGGING DEEPER: Brother of April Tinsley murder suspect says 'my brother died' yesterday

Thoughts?
Afraid to ask but...If he didn’t have a gf, what’s with the used condoms? Good grief...
 
  • #282
He may have had a fetish for using condoms while going solo. He left his used condoms in 2004 as well IIRC.
 
  • #283
He may have had a fetish for using condoms while going solo. He left his used condoms in 2004 as well IIRC.
I wonder what they found at his trailer besides those? Like anything that indicates he is still pursuing his needs in some form or another.
 
  • #284
I wonder what they found at his trailer besides those? Like anything that indicates he is still pursuing his needs in some form or another.
Probably tons of child 🤬🤬🤬🤬.
 
  • #285
Probably tons of child 🤬🤬🤬🤬.
Exactly! Will they charge him with having possession of it (if any was found)? Sick SOB Poor April
 
  • #286
Exactly! Will they charge him with having possession of it (if any was found)? Sick SOB Poor April
I can't imagine that they wouldn't charge him if any were found in his residence.
 
  • #287
KEVIN LEININGER: Memorial to April Tinsley reflects the arrest of her alleged killer — and how much time it took to catch him

"As she often does, Sally Berger visited the April Tinsley memorial near her Brandriff Street home Monday morning just as the dark clouds passed, the rain ended and the warm sun began to shine.

It seemed appropriate.

“Now she can be at peace. This has eaten people up for so long,” Berger said as she stood in the midst of “April’s Garden” at Hoagland and Masterson avenues and contemplated Sunday’s arrest of John Miller, the 59-year-old Grabill man police say has confessed to molesting and killing the 8-year-old girl 30 years ago — It has been an interminable wait not only for Tinsley’s family but also for Berger and others who never knew the girl but were personally affected by her death and the lingering questions that have apparently been answered at last...."

KEVIN LEININGER: Memorial to April Tinsley reflects the arrest of her alleged killer — and how much time it took to catch him | News, Sports, Jobs - News-Sentinel
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  • #288
‘Thank God we finally got him’: April Tinsley’s aunt reacts to arrest in 30-year-old cold case (video clip)

"John D. Miller, the Grabill man charged with the rape and murder of 8-year-old April Tinsley back in 1988, made his first court appearance on Monday."

‘Thank God we finally got him’: April Tinsley’s aunt reacts to arrest in 30-year-old cold case | Watch News Videos Online
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  • #289
JMO
I read up on some of the old cold cases that were never solved in Indiana.

Most I outruled this perp because of certain things. The one case that I kept at the top of the list as possible involvement by this same person is this case below.

Not sure if he can be tied to that area at the time but this case has some similarities. Mainly that strangulation was involved in most of them and also sexual assault.

3 boys murdered from Henryville in 1977.

Henryville is a direct straight shot south from Fort Wayne taking I-69 through Indianapolis and south on I-65 to Henryville.

Most of them, if not all, were strangled in addition to other injuries and most, if not all, were sexually molested.

I think it was said the perp in Tinsley's case may have been abused at a boys camp he attended when young so I would not put it past him to cross over into murdering young boys as well.

IN - IN - Richard Sweeney 8, Jeffrey Burkett 15, & Donald Abell 19, Henryville, 1977

ETA J.M. would have been about 18 years old in 1977 if my math is right. He is 59 years old now.
Was there suspect DNA found in this case?
 
  • #290
Was there suspect DNA found in this case?

Im not sure.
I assume they are going to check JM's DNA against all cold cases now.

If he did any other crimes hopefully they will be able to find out.
 
  • #291
Is there a chance his lawyers will try and claim mental incapacity? From his notes you can see he can’t write properly he writes like a child.

Catching up today... I think he probably is a little low academically and wasn’t trying to mislead by pretending to be someone less intelligent. The reason I say that is comparing him to Gary Ridgway (Green River Killer) and Dennis Rader (BTK)- who both made grammatical and spelling errors when communicating to the public about their crimes- those errors turned out to be respective of their true level of education. The Zodiac comes to mind, too, and hope he is on Parabon’s list.
 
  • #292
So I'm trying to reconcile these two bits of info.

1. "Investigators collected three used condoms from his trash on July 6 and found the DNA was a match to evidence recovered from the 1988 crime scene." Investigators used condoms from suspect’s trash, genealogist to crack infamous 30-year-old cold case

2. The brother says John was born a little slow, and never had a girlfriend. DIGGING DEEPER: Brother of April Tinsley murder suspect says 'my brother died' yesterday

Thoughts?

My main thought is why he used condoms. Looking back at the notes he left on the girls bicycles, that seems to be a pattern, but makes me wonder if he had a preoccupation with them that didn’t involve another partner. So strange, all the way around.
 
  • #293
Forgive me if this was already posted, but I found it interesting and telling as to this monster’s mental state.

TINSLEY SUSPECT CO-WORKER: Miller was problematic, reclusive

A loner, a lone wolf type. It’s the sort I think was involved in the unsolved Delphi case. I know discussing it further would be off topic, and Miller doesn’t appear to have the means to travel that far, even in the same state. He slept in his trailer for years while working days at Wal-Mart. So glad the DNA technology is being implemented so effectively. It should provide a message to any killer contemplating a crime.
 
  • #294
So I'm trying to reconcile these two bits of info.

1. "Investigators collected three used condoms from his trash on July 6 and found the DNA was a match to evidence recovered from the 1988 crime scene." Investigators used condoms from suspect’s trash, genealogist to crack infamous 30-year-old cold case

2. The brother says John was born a little slow, and never had a girlfriend. DIGGING DEEPER: Brother of April Tinsley murder suspect says 'my brother died' yesterday

Thoughts?
Good question...:thinking:
 
  • #295
I wonder what they found at his trailer besides those? Like anything that indicates he is still pursuing his needs in some form or another.
I am interested on what they find on his computer...

:websleuther:
 
  • #296
Was there suspect DNA found in this case?
I think I remember reading that they got some from her panties, and it matched that in the condoms found later. MOO
 
  • #297
  • #298
I just wanted to remind people to make sure anything you mention/link to is for the right John Miller. There are 2 of them who have lived in Grabil and are 59 years old, but they have different middle initials (and families.) I don't think it's been a problem yet, but I know how deep some of us can dig! ;)
 
  • #299
  • #300
I just wanted to remind people to make sure anything you mention/link to is for the right John Miller. There are 2 of them who have lived in Grabil and are 59 years old, but they have different middle initials (and families.) I don't think it's been a problem yet, but I know how deep some of us can dig! ;)

How unfortunate for the innocent John Miller.
 

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