MI MI - Rebecca Huismann, 22, Lansing, 19 Oct 1999

[hoppyfrog]

More at the link: http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4109986

Arrest in North Carolina leads authorities to unsolved murder case in Lansing
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(Lansing, November 12, 2005, 5:32 p.m.) Police in Lansing may have a break in the 6-year-old murder of a Newaygo woman.

Rebecca Huismann, 22, was found shot to death outside her Lansing apartment back in October of 1999.

Huismann was from Newaygo, and was a student at Lansing Community College when she was killed.

Investigators reopened the case after the arrest of 35-year-old Drew Platen in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's accused of rape and murder there, but inside his apartment, police say they found documents and a gun reportedly related to Huismann's murder.

 

[bugaboo]

Great! I hope this resolves the case.

 

[Richard]

... Rebecca Huismann, 22, was found shot to death outside her Lansing apartment back in October of 1999.

Huismann was from Newaygo, and was a student at Lansing Community College when she was killed.

Investigators reopened the case after the arrest of 35-year-old Drew Platen in Raleigh, North Carolina. He's accused of rape and murder there, but inside his apartment, police say they found documents and a gun reportedly related to Huismann's murder.

It will be interesting to see how North Carolina prosecutors handle this case. If the evidence shows that this guy killed in Michigan and then later in North Carolina, then NC could ask for, and probably get the death penalty for him. However, they will be faced with the precedence of the Fred Coffey case.

Coffey was convicted in early 1987 of nine counts of child molestation committed in 1986. He was later tried for a 1979 NC murder of a child. During the sentencing phase, the first convictions were introduced as proof that he deserved the death sentence. After numerous retrials and appeals, it was ruled by the NC supreme court that the later convictions should NOT have been introduced because the crimes had occurred AFTER the murder.

Such would be the dilema here with Platen. Do you send him back to Michigan first for trial, hoping to get him back on a later extradition? Or do you keep the "bird in the hand" and go for the NC convictions first? If so, it is likely that this dirtbag will never be tried in Michigan where there is no death penalty.

 

[hoppyfrog]

See link:

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060103/NEWS01/601030334/1001/opinion

Hoppy

 

[anthrobones]

Platen committed suicide. So, sending him anywhere for a trial isn't going to happen....

 

[Ang50]

Platen committed suicide. So, sending him anywhere for a trial isn't going to happen....

For Criminal Procedure in law school, I had 2 public defenders as professors. One day we were talking about a case in WI where the defendant killed himself on the eve of trial. Expecting a bleeding heart response, we were all shocked when the 2 PD's said "Good riddance - saves me the time and trouble of a trial and having to look at those autopsy pics." IMHO - suicide like that is admission of guilt, and taxpayers just saved LOTS of $$ for a permanent solution.

 

[Richard]

For Criminal Procedure in law school, I had 2 public defenders as professors. One day we were talking about a case in WI where the defendant killed himself on the eve of trial. Expecting a bleeding heart response, we were all shocked when the 2 PD's said "Good riddance - saves me the time and trouble of a trial and having to look at those autopsy pics." IMHO - suicide like that is admission of guilt, and taxpayers just saved LOTS of $$ for a permanent solution.

Unfortunately, when one of these guys kills himself there are often a lot of cases that might have been tied to him which go unlinked and unsolved. And possibly accomplices will go free.

Many different things might be behind someone's decision to commit suicide, but I agree that in a case like this the suicide does appear to be a defacto admission of guilt - not that he is at all sorry for what he did, but he is very sorry that he has been caught, and he does not want to go through the pain and inconvience of having to pay the price.

 

[Richard]

Bumping thread. Since this guy is dead, I wonder if NC authorities released all the evidence and information on his crimes and suspected link to the Michigan case. Any one have an update?

 

[KarlK]

Such would be the dilema here with Platen. Do you send him back to Michigan first for trial, hoping to get him back on a later extradition? Or do you keep the "bird in the hand" and go for the NC convictions first? If so, it is likely that this dirtbag will never be tried in Michigan where there is no death penalty.

It's a gamble. Would be interesting to study the precedents involving such situations.

 

[Richard]

It has been over two years since anyone has posted on this thread. Does anyone know if this case was actually closed/solved?

 

[mtrooper]

It has been over two years since anyone has posted on this thread. Does anyone know if this case was actually closed/solved?

The case was closed after the guy killed himself in jail. They were just getting ready to charge him with open murder.

 

[Richard]

Additional victims of Drew Planten...

Some mentioned at the link, but were there possibly more?

LINK:

Additional Victims Of Drew Planten • r/UnresolvedMysteries

 

[Richard]

So nice that this guy has a grave marker and memorial page on a website. How many victims of his remain unidentified or missing?

Serial Killer...
Drew Edward Planten
BIRTH 7 Mar 1970
New Jersey, USA
DEATH 2 Jan 2006 (aged 35)
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA
BURIAL
Highland Memory Gardens
Dublin, Pulaski County, Virginia, USA


LINK:
Drew Edward Planten (1970-2006) - Find A Grave...