MI MI - GARY LEITERMAN, killed Jane Mixer, 1969, suspect in other murders

[Richard]

Back in the late 1960's (1967-1969) there were a number of murders of young women which occurred in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area of Michigan. At the time, the news media referred to these as the "Co-Ed Murders" and later when a book about them was published, as "The Michigan Murders".

Law enforcement agencies from several different jurisdictions were involved and eventually a Michigan State Task force was formed to investigate what seemed like a connected series of murders. A number of murders were considered as being part of this "series", but eventually it was generally accepted that there were the following seven murders:

Mary Terese Fleszar, 19, of Willis, MI, Murdered 9 July 1967
Mary Terese Fleszar (1947-1967) - Find A Grave...

Joan Elspeth Schell, 20, of Plymouth, MI, Murdered 30 June 1968
Joan Elspeth Schell (1947-1968) - Find A Grave...

Jane Louise Mixer, 23, of Muskegon, MI, Murdered 20 March 1969
Jane Louise Mixer (1946-1969) - Find A Grave...

Maralynn Skelton, 16, of Romulus, MI, Murdered 24 March 1969
Maralynn Skelton (1953-1969) - Find A Grave...

Dawn Louise Basom, 13, of Ypsilanti, MI, Murdered 15 April 1969
Dawn Louise Basom (1955-1969) - Find A Grave...

Alice Elizabeth Kalom, 21, of Portage, MI, Murdered 7 June 1969
Alice Elizabeth Kalom (1947-1969) - Find A Grave...

Karen Sue Beineman, 18, of Grand Rapids, MI, Murdered 23 July 1969
Karen Sue Beineman (1951-1969) - Find A Grave...

--------------------------------------------------------
Added to that list of seven Michigan victims was;

Roxie Ann Phillips, 17, from Milwaukie, Oregon, Murdered 30 June 1969 in Salinas California
Roxie Ann Phillips (1952-1969) - Find A Grave...

-----------------------------------------------------------
A number of other murders and attacks on women were considered as possibly being connected, but they were quickly eliminated and suspects arrested for them.

At one time the unsolved 1967 murder of Eileen Adams was thought by some LE to be connected to the Michigan Coed Murders. There were some similarities to some of the murders, but the Task Force did not include her officially. Many years later, one Robert Bowman was arrested, tried, and convicted of her murder.

Eileen Marie Adams, 14, of Toledo, Ohio, Murdered December 1967.
Eileen Marie Adams (1953-1967) - Find A Grave...

---------------------------------------------------------------

The murder of Jane Louise Mixer was always included with the list of Michigan/Co-Ed murder victims because it occurred in the same time frame and locality of the other murders, but it was always noted as having some significant differences to the MO of the other murders. It stood apart from them for a number of reasons.

John Norman Collins was arrested in late July 1969 and charged only with the murder of Karen Sue Beineman. In a trial which counted mainly on circumstantial evidence, Collins was convicted and sentenced to Life in prison. He has remained in prison in Michigan prisons since then. Although never convicted of any of the other murders, it is strongly suspected that he did commit at least some of them - with or without accomplices.

Eventually, in a very controversial trial which involved DNA matching, Gary Leiterman was convicted of the single murder of Jane Mixer.

Jane was a graduate student at the University of Michigan at the time. She made arrangements with someone who contacted her from the U of M Student Union pay phone offering her a ride to her Muskegon home. He had called her because she had posted her phone number on a "ride board". A handwriting sample was obtained from the impression left on a piece of paper found in a phone booth, and a note made by Jane with the name given by the caller.

She was last seen alive waiting for her ride. Her clothed body was found the next morning in a rural cemetery. She had been shot to death with a .22 handgun and placed on a grave near a bag of her possessions. Her pants had been pulled down, but she had not been sexually molested. It was reported in Leiterman's trial that some trace DNA was found on her panty hose some 40 year later by the crime lab and matched to his DNA.

It should be noted that at the time of Jane's murder, only two previous murders which were LATER connected with the "series" had occurred. They had been reported in the press at the time they occurred, but the large press coverage about "The Co-Ed Murders" had not yet started. So it could be argued that this was not a "Copy Cat" killing.

LINK:

MI - MI - JOHN NORMAN COLLINS Co-Ed Murders 1967-69, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti

John Norman Collins, of Michigan, is believed to have murdered seven young women and girls in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area of Michigan between 1967 and 1969. Collins disposed of his victims in places where they would be found fairly easily. Collins was called "The Co-ed Murderer" and his...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Chris_Halkides]

The Kessis Report is a good discussion of some of the problems with the DNA evidence that led to Mr. Leiterman's conviction; I archived a copy, but the website where I found it is not working today. In my judgement contamination is a likely alternative to Mr. Leiterman's depositing DNA at the crime scene. I don't have a strong opinion on the question of who killed Ms. Mixer; it is possible that neither Mr. Leiterman nor Mr. Collins did.

 

[Richard]

The Kessis Report is a good discussion of some of the problems with the DNA evidence that led to Mr. Leiterman's conviction; I archived a copy, but the website where I found it is not working today. In my judgement contamination is a likely alternative to Mr. Leiterman's depositing DNA at the crime scene. I don't have a strong opinion on the question of who killed Ms. Mixer; it is possible that neither Mr. Leiterman nor Mr. Collins did.

Gary Leiterman was convicted in 2005 for the 1969 murder of Jane Mixer.


The controversy about whether the DNA was left on Jane by her killer or by a Lab mix-up is definitely something that the Defense brought up in court to introduce doubt, and in subsequent appeals.

But it also begs the question: Was Leiterman innocent - or did he in fact murder Jane Mixer, and if so - possibly others?

Both Gary Leiterman and John Norman Collins were convicted of separate murders by juries who made their decisions on the evidence presented in trials. As such, both remain convicted murderers. That said, it is indeed possible that Jane Mixer could have been murdered by someone else.

Collins had two close associates with whom he committed break-ins and burglaries. One of them accompanied him on a cross country road trip during which Collins murdered Roxie Ann Phillips in Salinas, California (Collins was charged with her murder, but never extradited from Michigan to California to stand trial). That associate, Andrew Manuel, twice fled Michigan during the time of Collins' arrest and arraignment. He admitted to possessing and disposing of a .22 revolver that he said belonged to Collins. So, Manuel was definitely an accomplice, if not a killer in his own right.

Other killers were active in Michigan at the same time of the so called "Co-Ed Murders".

The murder of Margaret Phillips, a 25 year old University of Michigan Graduate Student, was charged to a recently released convict named Ernest Bishop, who confessed to killing her and led investigators to the pistol he used. It was proven conclusively that Bishop committed the murder, but he was found Not Guilty by reason of insanity and confined for a few years in a mental hospital, before being released again on the public.

The murder of Gloria Murphy, 19, was committed by her husband, James Murphy (a U of M student) who stabbed her over 34 times. He was arrested, charged, and tried for her murder, but he was found Not Guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental hospital - only to be released a few years later.

The murder of Eileen Adams, 14, of Toledo, Ohio was also considered by some to be linked to the Michigan cases. Her body was found just 30 miles south of Ypsilanti, dumped at the side of a rural road. The case remained unsolved for many decades until Robert Bowman was arrested, tried and convicted of torturing and killing her. The body of Dawn Basom was found bound with electrical cord in much the same manner as that of Eileen Adams.

Dawn stood out from the other Co-Ed victims in that she was only 13 years old. Of all the victims, Collins was adamant about NOT killing her, since she was a "baby".

So, yes, there were other possible suspects to consider...

 

[Richard]

Here is a United Press International article about the Ernest Bishop trial for the murder of Margaret Phillips:

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 24, 1970 (UPI) — Ernest L. Bishop Jr., charged with murdering a University of Michigan coed during a series of killings that terrorized girls on two campuses, has been found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

A Washtenaw County Court jury of nine women and three men reached the verdict yesterday after 10 hours of deliberation over two days. The 28‐year‐old former convict faces psychiatric tests before a committal hearing next Wednesday.

Bishop was on parole from a rape conviction when he became acquainted with Margaret Phillips, 25, a University of Michigan graduate student in sociology. Bishop's attorney admitted that Bishop shot Miss Phillips last July at her apartment but said he was insane at the time.

Miss Phillips had apparently been trying to rehabilitate Bis hop as a personal project. In tape recording taken when Bishop was under the influence of truth serum, he cried: “I shot her, I shot her. Why her? Why her? I just kept shooting and shooting. Why her? She was always sweet, always an angel.”

Miss Phillips, from Coopersville, Michigan, was killed during a series of seven murders of young girls in the University of Michigan‐Eastern Michigan University area.

No evidence was presented at Bishop's trial connecting him with the others.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

Theodore Kessis wrote, “Review of the electropherograms associated with this negative control sample (NEG 041902) reveals that it was contaminated, a fact that cannot be disputed since Dr. Milligan himself labeled it with a note indicated as much (Appendix 8 – Electropherogram sample NEG 041902). Remarkably, Dr. Milligan stated in his 7/15/02 testimony that no contamination events had occurred during the course of his testing and that if any had, he would have documented them in his reporters (p. 141-21 and 142-4). Equally difficult to rectify here is the fact that when asked if he had ever committed an error, Dr. Milligan’s replied that he could never recall making one.” Negative controls should show no result; when they do, they indicate that there is a problem. The lab had a contamination event at the same time as they were testing the Mixer samples. Yet at least one person, probably two, gave false testimony concerning the occurrence of one such event. This failure to disclose casts additional doubt on the reliability of the DNA results.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

"The prosecuting attorney fought back, presenting witnesses who described the extreme measures used in the lab to ensure all evidence was kept separate and to prevent errors. Jeffry Nye, the lab supervisor insisted there was no contamination." link. A quick reading of page 12 of the Kessis report shows that this is no better than nonsense. The laboratory processed reference and evidence samples together, which is generally thought to be extremely poor technique.

 

[Richard]

There was other evidence presented during Gary Leiterman's trial for the murder of Jane Mixer. There was handwriting comparison analysis, as well as circumstantial information. However, the strongest evidence was that of the DNA match presented by the prosecution.

As pointed out, there were some problems with the DNA procedure and report. The lab on one hand stated that the match between Leiterman's DNA and that found on Jane's panty hose was definate and that there was no lab error which allowed cross contamination. On the other hand, the lab found DNA on the panty hose that matched that of someone who was a small boy at the time of Jane's murder.

So - not only COULD contamination of the evidence occur - in this case it did, and most likely in the lab.

The fact remains, however, that Leiterman was convicted of Jane's murder, and his appeals failed. Since he died in prison, there is little chance of his being exonorated.

 

[Brotherfudz]

Post heading says suspect of other murders, Who else is he suspected of murdering?

 

[Richard]

Post heading says suspect of other murders, Who else is he suspected of murdering?

Leiterman was convicted of murdering only Jane Mixer. He was known to have committed some other sex related felonies, but was never named specifically in any other murders.

Jane's murder had for 35 years been closely linked to several others, but some investigators (even back in 1969) felt that there were significant differences in the killer's MO.

 

[Nina Michigan]

I didn't realize Leiterman was dead

 

[Richard]

I didn't realize Leiterman was dead

GARY LEITERMAN OBITUARY​

Leiterman, Gary Earl passed away on July 4, 2019 at the age of 76. Gary was born on Sept. 11, 1942 in Ann Arbor, Michigan... Originally published by Kalamazoo Gazette from Jul. 12 to Jul. 14, 2019...

LINK: https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/kalamazoo/name/gary-leiterman-obituary?id=9146527

 

[Austin023]

While Ive always thought lab contamination was pretty obvious in this case, let's flip things around a bit here to demonstrate odds:
Jane Mixer was killed in 1969.
Her DNA was being processed from evidence kept from the murder scene...the very same week, within about two days of Leitermans DNA being processed in the same lab....plus Ruelas's DNA sample was being processed also at that time in the lab.
What are the chances a victim AND her killer having their DNA processed at the same week, with the same lab, 32 after the fact? That in itself would be incredibly lucky....add Ruelas DNA, and let's say for a second he truly was involved, despite being four years old, that would make the odds absolutely astronomical!
It's a little surprising this viewpoint wasn't really ever brought up. That alone would give pause, but when there's obvious signs of contamination, you really can't call the finding reliable. Yes the jury here bought it. There really wasn't any other evidence that was even remotely strong, other than this obviously tainted evidence from the lab, that tied Lieberman to Jane Mixer. The third party, Ruelas, throws a wrench into the works that screams "there's a problem".

I wonder if any evidence from the Mixer murder was kept, not processed in the lab and could still be examined?

I firmly believe the true killer of Jane Mixer was never identified.

 

[Richard]

... I wonder if any evidence from the Mixer murder was kept, not processed in the lab and could still be examined?

I firmly believe the true killer of Jane Mixer was never identified.

Good question.

There were quite a few items found in the Cemetery where Jane Mixer's body was found. Including all of her clothing.

Also, Jane was killed by a bullet or bullets fired from a .22 pistol. It was determined that Leiterman had owned such a pistol, but that he had disposed of it some years after the murder and before his arrest. If the bullet, or its test report is available. It could be compared to bullets from other crime scenes.

The problem here is that Leiterman was convicted of Jane's murder, all appeals failed, the case was officially closed and Leiterman has since died. All are obstacles to LE spending time and effort on re-opening the case.

 

[Austin023]

Good question.

There were quite a few items found in the Cemetery where Jane Mixer's body was found. Including all of her clothing.

Also, Jane was killed by a bullet or bullets fired from a .22 pistol. It was determined that Leiterman had owned such a pistol, but that he had disposed of it some years after the murder and before his arrest. If the bullet, or its test report is available. It could be compared to bullets from other crime scenes.

The problem here is that Leiterman was convicted of Jane's murder, all appeals failed, the case was officially closed and Leiterman has since died. All are obstacles to LE spending time and effort on re-opening the case.

The likely possibly of contamination in the lab may render further study of existence evidence moot. But, I don't know.

I recall reading a report some years ago, that had been submitted to the court, where the Defense had their own experts review the Michigan Crime Labs work and findings. They revealed that on the evidence in question, such as the pantyhose, small drops of sweat had DNA that were a mix of three different individuals: Mixer herself, Leiterman and Ruelas's.

While the DNA matches to Mixer was notably deteriorated, as would be expected for a 30 year old sample, the two DNA samples of a Leiterman and Ruelas were fresh and undamaged. This finding would underscore the likelihood of lab contamination, in addition to the other warning signs.
Even since 2001, when this case was being reopened, we've come quite a ways in DNA technology, especially making use of old, deteriorated or damaged DNA to make a comparison.

 

[Chris_Halkides]

Although it can be difficult to establish a deterioration rate, my recollection is that DNA from blood is thought not to be particularly long lived. Perhaps there are nucleases which damage the DNA, but I don't know.