GUILTY MI - Janet Chandler, 23, raped & murdered, Holland, 31 Jan 1979

[JBean]

I watched this part of Dateline tonight and was stunned that so many people could keep a secret like that. I think that happens in a lot of our cold cases. (I got this case mixed up with Barbara Winn's case which is the part I missed on Dateline tonight. Rats.)

I'm glad they finally got those awful men behind bars. I think the women should have been given some time too but I guess they needed their testimony.

I saw this tonight and omg, it was chilling to hear!! My heart goes out to the Chandler family. Every person in that house was guilty of her murder and I believe that's why no one ever broke their silence, if they pointed the finger at anyone else, it would also show their guilt as well.
It was sickening to know all these people were able to go on with their lives after the murder, I'm glad their being punished now but they had 28 years of freedom they never should have had. Her room mate had to be pure evil to have helped plan all this!

VB

My jaw is on the floor. It is still on here and I cannot get over this story.

 

[MaryLiz]

I think there is a thread on this one in Cold Cases that I had read before.

There are actually 3 threads on her, here is the Cold Case thread that you started in 2007 but there was only 1 reply. I thought the main thread would be in the Cold Case forum but the one with the most responses was this thread so that's where I posted the update.

The other 2 threads were in this forum, Crimes in the News.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36193&highlight=Janet+Chandler

 

[MaryLiz]

I watched this part of Dateline tonight and was stunned that so many people could keep a secret like that. I think that happens in a lot of our cold cases. (I got this case mixed up with Barbara Winn's case which is the part I missed on Dateline tonight. Rats.)

I'm glad they finally got those awful men behind bars. I think the women should have been given some time too but I guess they needed their testimony.

Laurie Swank, the woman who was the former manager at the Blue Mill Inn who was involved, was sentenced to 10-20 years.

 

[Mysticj]

I saw this today also and I really cannot believe it took all these many years for this horror of a crime to be solved. They all should have gone off to jail.

 

[SyraKelly]

The ringleader is dead!!

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/03/arthur_paiva_ringleader_in_197.html

 

[noZme]

There is a wonderful inspiration for solving very cold cases. It was 28 years before justice in this story!

Bumping this because I surfed into a story about a class at the college had Jan attended did a 25 year memorial film about the unsolved murder. That film led to the re-opening the very cold case and wow, you'll be amazed at how a dogged detective got to the bottom of the killing. I feel like I am writing a fourth grade book report, as in you'll just have to read to find out. The transcript is a quick read & then there is the Dateline 2008 video. I am off to see that & read the rest of this thread now.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24792743/ns/dateline_nbc-crime_reports/t/conspiracy-silence/#.UrzRtvRDsUu

 

[Cracka*Jaxx]

"Janet Chandler murderer (Arthur Paiva) dies in custody"

http://youtu.be/WoL0NeSVB_A

 

[Jacie Estes]

What's a good sentence for Laurie Swank, do you suppose? And those other women who stood and watched Janet humiliated, brutalized and then killed...their feminine voices ringing in her ears? The fine upstanding Ms Swank who has turned her life around...sure she will lose her life now as she knows it. But, OMG how do you punish that kind of betrayal. Just because Janet was pretty and popular. Mind boggling.

Laurie Swank does not deserve one bit of sympathy, compassion or mercy. Sometimes ugly goes deep to the soul. IMHO

[video=youtube;JMzf_GPvOd4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMzf_GPvOd4[/video]

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I remember this awful case from the Dateline episode...it upset me then and now. How totally disgusting. I watched the above video of Laurie Swank testifying until she stated "I was part of the cheering section" and couldn't watch any longer. What a hateful witch. How anyone can stand by and watch a naked, bound woman being raped and humiliated without coming to her aid is beyond me.....and to cheer it on makes me ill.

Horrible, horrible people.

 

[believe09]

Please don't misunderstand my post, Jacie-I wasn't advocating for Laurie Swank. There isn't a sentence available that will properly assign justice imvho. I find Swank and the other women who cheered to be...well, there aren't words.

 

[truecrimedoc]

Hi There,
I'm currently producing a ten-part documentary series. Were you friends with Janet? Or what drew you to the case?
B~

 

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.com/CNEWS/Crime/2017/11/05/22763099.html
Nov 5 2017

[h=2]CRIME HUNTER: Janet Chandler's double life meant it took cops 30 years to solve her murder[/h]

In dusty rooms tucked away in cop shops across the continent, yellowing files cry out for attention. These are the thousands of cold cases waiting for a glimmer of light to bring the dead back to life.

During the past week, detectives have made arrests in homicides that are 40, 30 and 20 years old.

If you have murdered someone, know this, the case is not closed

.

The body of Janet Chandler, 22, a music student from a conservative Christian family was discovered naked by a snowplow driver on Feb. 1, 1979
Chandler -- who sang in the choir and worked as a night clerk at the Blue Mill Inn -- had been reported missing the day before. She had been raped and strangled.

Janet Chandler was leading a double life. At home, a clean-living Christian, by night a party girl. MSP[/caption]

A film class at Muskegon Community College decided to make a documentary about the unsolved murder.
What the young filmmakers discovered was a sordid world that clean-living Christian girl Janet fell into -- and embraced.

“There was the Janet Chandler that her parents knew, and the one who was away from their influence,” VanLopik said.

After almost 30 years, cops had Janet Chandler’s killers. Lynch pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was given 25-40 years in prison.

Laurie Swank broke down too and confessed her vile deeds all those years earlier. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received 10 to 20 years in prison.

Four guards were found guilty of murder. Case closed.

 

[dotr]

Oct 20, 2007
Laurie Swank testifies about the rape and murder of Janet Chandler in 1979.