Missouri - The Springfield Three - missing since 7 June 1992 - #16

[TheCars1986]

Janis says that when she entered the house, it was dark and she couldn't really see anything. She fumbled around trying to find a light and finally got the ceiling fan light in the living room to turn on. This is when she noticed the VCR and cable box being on. IMO, if she could barely see in the living room, this tells me that the living room TV was not on or else the light from the TV would have helped her see better. So that means Suzie's room was the one with the staticky TV with the volume turned down. But the VCR being on in the living room would suggest that Sherrill watched a movie that night.

 

[snooptroop88]

Janis says that when she entered the house, it was dark and she couldn't really see anything. She fumbled around trying to find a light and finally got the ceiling fan light in the living room to turn on. This is when she noticed the VCR and cable box being on. IMO, if she could barely see in the living room, this tells me that the living room TV was not on or else the light from the TV would have helped her see better. So that means Suzie's room was the one with the staticky TV with the volume turned down. But the VCR being on in the living room would suggest that Sherrill watched a movie that night.

Seeing this sequencing in a source/2017 source: Lights off, tv on, screen snow. Out of the shadows, little dog comes towards them, dog's distraught. Then, they head towards the bedrooms.

That definitely sounds like living room tv. They can't see the screen of a bedroom television is snow from the living room.

But it could go either way. Why do I say this? The sources are just all over the place. There's so much conflicting information, it's difficult to know what went on. But much appreciated because you're noting this "single tv on" (Suzie's) point, the review of case thread from what I saw is saying the same thing on the tv, Newsweek is saying the same thing on the tv. So totally agreed, that sounds like the best thing to go with.

 

[TheCars1986]

Janelle and Mike were the first ones (that we know of) to enter the house at around 12:30 on the 7th. The house would have been lit well enough by sunlight to where they wouldn't have difficulty seeing anything. And there is only one mention of a TV being on in the police report, and it mentions Suzie's room. Janelle had never been to the house before, so she did not know the layout. If she walked in and saw the living room TV on, I don't know if she would have not mentioned that as another oddity to the police. Because to get to Suzie's room, you would have had to have walked through the entire house, room by room (or pass each room) to reach it.

 

[333_OnlyHalfEvil]

Janelle and Mike were the first ones (that we know of) to enter the house at around 12:30 on the 7th. The house would have been lit well enough by sunlight to where they wouldn't have difficulty seeing anything. And there is only one mention of a TV being on in the police report, and it mentions Suzie's room. Janelle had never been to the house before, so she did not know the layout. If she walked in and saw the living room TV on, I don't know if she would have not mentioned that as another oddity to the police. Because to get to Suzie's room, you would have had to have walked through the entire house, room by room (or pass each room) to reach it.

Not if blinds or shades are closed still. It could have been pretty gloomy inside.

 

[lee sumner]

Several things stand out to me in this case. Like many of you, one of the biggest red flags concerns JK, her mother, and MH. I don't see a motive for them killing the women and I don't think they could have pulled it off anyway, but has anyone ever floated the theory that maybe the perp(s) called the house and threatened JK/MH into cleaning/contaminating the crime scene? If the perps had the women conscious, they could have gotten the phone number from them. Perhaps the perps were forced to leave in a bigger hurry than they would have liked and worried there were some "loose ends" so to speak (I'm thinking primarily the broken glass but maybe other things too). The perp(s) could threaten her with knowing where she lived (something they could know from Suzie/Stacy) and then with being an "accomplice" after they completed said contamination. Janelle says there were two phone calls. The second could have been to ensure she did as they told her and to make sure she didn't disclose what she had done. If this happened, maybe Janelle used the "obscene prank call" coverup simply because she had heard the earlier message and wasn't very creative. It also works because if she had claimed to talk to someone else, they would have had to provide corroboration.

To rehash some things that stick out to me that may support this theory:

No mention of the "obscene phone calls" in the police report. I do not care how air headed someone is, when the police are asking you what you know about a potential disappearance you don't think something like two obscene phone calls are worthy of a mention? Not buying it.

On June 18th, News Leader says that police are now looking into "other possible phone calls that may have been made to the residence." This tells me they had some way to at least track incoming calls? At least it would be enough to perhaps make someone nervous for not telling the truth if he/she didn't disclose that they answered a phone call....oops

August 3, News Leader is the first mention I've found of the obscene phone call but this one is described singularly as one message on the answering machine. No mention of Janelle's two calls still from what I've found but please feel free to correct if this is wrong

June 6, 1993 News Leader. First mention of the Janelle/Mike 3:30 visit that I can find. Also first mention of the obscene phone calls, which she says occurred during this time period. When she says she leaves this time, she's crying in the backseat of the car. So, all of a sudden Janelle remembers not only a visit to the house she has forgotten up until now but also that two obscene phone calls occurred during that visit? Cool.

This phone number was new and unlisted. Which means that for someone with no connection to Sherrill (because the police cleared the local perv caller apparently) to call her house he must have just been randomly dialing numbers. So then how does he luck up and randomly dial the SAME UNLISTED NUMBER two days later while Janelle happens to be there? Pretty big coincidence.

The initial call on the voicemail is the one that was heard by Janice if we can trust her recollection (seems like Janelle and mother are easily able to put things in Janice's head from what I've seen). If the perp(s) was able to threaten/coerce JK and MH to contaminate the scene and not tell anyone, maybe the FBI somehow learned that the phone calls occurred and thus this new information had to be brought to light?

November 4, 2019 People article Asher says Janelle described the caller as "teenish". Which does not match the police description of the elderly man who was busted making phone calls around Springfield and who I believe was linked to the first call.

i dont think teens pulled this off. a triple abduction. no way. this was a older man who knew what he was doing. he was in control that night, but i dont believe all 3 women were targets, so why were all 3 taken.

 

[Cedars]

i dont think teens pulled this off. a triple abduction. no way. this was a older man who knew what he was doing. he was in control that night, but i dont believe all 3 women were targets, so why were all 3 taken.

So no one would be able to call police and be a witness?

 

[lee sumner]

So no one would be able to call police and be a witness?

yes, mccall was a witness, so had to be taken.

 

[snooptroop88]

i dont think teens pulled this off. a triple abduction. no way. this was a older man who knew what he was doing. he was in control that night, but i dont believe all 3 women were targets, so why were all 3 taken.

I still strongly suspect that Stacy wasn't the only one who called her mother that night to note the change of plans. Have suspected they also called Sherrill to let her know they were coming. When they did make this hypothetical call, the murderer was already in control or close to it; Sherrill could not/did not answer, and Suzie & Stacy left a message (speculation); killer heard the message and later deleted it, just as another message later was deleted by people arriving at the house.

The killer targeted the petite, attractive woman he'd seen earlier, probably Sherrill, possibly Suzie, possibly both (speculation); he attacked when he did because either Sherrill was a target or he wanted to get Sherrill out of the way, assuming Suzie would be back later.

He targeted at least one petite woman and theoretically invaded her home and murdered her in cold blood. If he got the opportunity to murder more petite women-- one of whom strongly resembles the original woman, only younger-- I believe such a murderer would do just that.

The potential that house would offer with its multiple access points makes me extremely fearful that this really WAS an SK. The dog factor wouldn't discourage him because that little dog sounds like he trots around quite a bit outside, anyway, and my guess is whoever this guy was-- he himself has a dog, and knows how to placate them. And he didn't just target victims, he "shopped around" for just the right combination of factors. But something brought him through town, into the area, and my guess is it was the graduation and family ties, perhaps. But it may also have been work-related, or maybe he's an outdoorsman into the Ozarks. Maybe it's a combination of these factors. Whoever did it-- agreed he's older, and for him to have actually done this and gotten away with it for the period he has... if he's not actively an SK, he's dormant, jmo.

 

[TheCars1986]

yes, mccall was a witness, so had to be taken.

I've never been sold on the 'wrong place, wrong time' angle with Stacy. If Sherrill was the intended target, then both Stacy and Suzie would have been at the wrong place, wrong time. And if Suzie was the target, the perp/s would not have known that she was supposed to spend the night elsewhere that night until the last minute. Seeing Stacy's car would have also complicated things if Suzie (and to a lesser degree Sherrill) was the intended target. IMO, everything seemingly happening after Suzie and Stacy returned to the home suggests that they were the intended targets.

 

[lee sumner]

I've never been sold on the 'wrong place, wrong time' angle with Stacy. If Sherrill was the intended target, then both Stacy and Suzie would have been at the wrong place, wrong time. And if Suzie was the target, the perp/s would not have known that she was supposed to spend the night elsewhere that night until the last minute. Seeing Stacy's car would have also complicated things if Suzie (and to a lesser degree Sherrill) was the intended target. IMO, everything seemingly happening after Suzie and Stacy returned to the home suggests that they were the intended targets.

i agree. levitt was home alone that weekend, and streeter and mccall were not even supposed to be going back to delmar st. streeter and mccall made the decision to go to delmar when they realised there was no room for them at janelle kirby residence. levitt was expecting susie to be gone until monday, so it does make sense levitt was the target.

 

[lee sumner]

i agree. levitt was home alone that weekend, and streeter and mccall were not even supposed to be going back to delmar st. streeter and mccall made the decision to go to delmar when they realised there was no room for them at janelle kirby residence. levitt was expecting susie to be gone until monday, so it does make sense levitt was the target.

if the girls were the targets why not snatch them in the driveway at delmar, and if they were followed from kirby home which is 12 miles back to delmar why not snatch them on that 12 mile route.

 

[lee sumner]

I still strongly suspect that Stacy wasn't the only one who called her mother that night to note the change of plans. Have suspected they also called Sherrill to let her know they were coming. When they did make this hypothetical call, the murderer was already in control or close to it; Sherrill could not/did not answer, and Suzie & Stacy left a message (speculation); killer heard the message and later deleted it, just as another message later was deleted by people arriving at the house.

The killer targeted the petite, attractive woman he'd seen earlier, probably Sherrill, possibly Suzie, possibly both (speculation); he attacked when he did because either Sherrill was a target or he wanted to get Sherrill out of the way, assuming Suzie would be back later.

He targeted at least one petite woman and theoretically invaded her home and murdered her in cold blood. If he got the opportunity to murder more petite women-- one of whom strongly resembles the original woman, only younger-- I believe such a murderer would do just that.

The potential that house would offer with its multiple access points makes me extremely fearful that this really WAS an SK. The dog factor wouldn't discourage him because that little dog sounds like he trots around quite a bit outside, anyway, and my guess is whoever this guy was-- he himself has a dog, and knows how to placate them. And he didn't just target victims, he "shopped around" for just the right combination of factors. But something brought him through town, into the area, and my guess is it was the graduation and family ties, perhaps. But it may also have been work-related, or maybe he's an outdoorsman into the Ozarks. Maybe it's a combination of these factors. Whoever did it-- agreed he's older, and for him to have actually done this and gotten away with it for the period he has... if he's not actively an SK, he's dormant, jmo.

i thought the same. was the perp in town that weekend for the graduation parties. there were a lot of strangers in town visiting family because of the graduation, and did he take the opportunity.

 

[TheCars1986]

if the girls were the targets why not snatch them in the driveway at delmar, and if they were followed from kirby home which is 12 miles back to delmar why not snatch them on that 12 mile route.

I am of the belief that whoever did this was known to at least one of the women. Assuming that this is true, I think the perp/s figured they could get them to open the door and go with them to wherever they had planned on taking them. This was 1992 and DNA was something criminals weren't considering yet, so if the perp/s were there to do harm to one or more of the women, why wouldn't they do it at the house? Removing them from the house, IMO, shows that the perp/s had a place to take them already.

 

[lee sumner]

Janis says that when she entered the house, it was dark and she couldn't really see anything. She fumbled around trying to find a light and finally got the ceiling fan light in the living room to turn on. This is when she noticed the VCR and cable box being on. IMO, if she could barely see in the living room, this tells me that the living room TV was not on or else the light from the TV would have helped her see better. So that means Suzie's room was the one with the staticky TV with the volume turned down. But the VCR being on in the living room would suggest that Sherrill watched a movie that night.

levitt was reading a book in bed. the book was placed aside

I am of the belief that whoever did this was known to at least one of the women. Assuming that this is true, I think the perp/s figured they could get them to open the door and go with them to wherever they had planned on taking them. This was 1992 and DNA was something criminals weren't considering yet, so if the perp/s were there to do harm to one or more of the women, why wouldn't they do it at the house? Removing them from the house, IMO, shows that the perp/s had a place to take them already.

i wonder could the perp have already been in the house when streeter and mccall arrived home. if so levitt was the target, and streeter and mccall had no idea what they had returned home to. there is something chilling about this case.

 

[lee sumner]

I am of the belief that whoever did this was known to at least one of the women. Assuming that this is true, I think the perp/s figured they could get them to open the door and go with them to wherever they had planned on taking them. This was 1992 and DNA was something criminals weren't considering yet, so if the perp/s were there to do harm to one or more of the women, why wouldn't they do it at the house? Removing them from the house, IMO, shows that the perp/s had a place to take them already.

he wanted all 3 women on his own time. proper spooky.