VA VA - Michael, 50, Mary, 36, & Jennifer Short, 9, Bassett, 15 Aug 2002

[DoubleN1993]

Very sad times for this year for the people in Bassett .

 

[JnRyan]

There's quite a bit of old articles available actually. I have links to about 20 saved but this link with a search of JS will bring up several from the martinsville bulletin starting with the earliest ones I believe. I think I might have narrowed this search from 2002 to 2011 but still had a link to it so hopefully it works.

Search

The AMW episode from 2011 also if I can get it to embed,

I was not aware they had fingerprints and other forensic evidence besides the spent shell casings.

 

[DoubleN1993]

I was not aware they had fingerprints and other forensic evidence besides the spent shell casings.

It might have been just a reconstruction I think

 

[Sunny Day]

I'm new here, so this question may have already been addressed, but did they get DNA from the crime scene? It seems like somewhere I saw that they did have DNA.

 

[DoubleN1993]

Hello Sunny welcome to Websleuths , They only have not much DNA evidence to find the killer due the mishandling of the police or that (if this a false tale ) they let the people in the Short's Home destroying the clues .

 

[truecrimemavens]

I'm new here, so this question may have already been addressed, but did they get DNA from the crime scene? It seems like somewhere I saw that they did have DNA.

They did exhume Michael's body to collect DNA. Haven't seen anywhere else anything about DNA.

 

[jaejae]

You may be interested in this here is a link to an article or blog about another possible suspect in the Short Family Murders and it mentions the Michaela Garecht case in California. Interesting on how people have different theories:

Will There Ever Be Justice For Jennifer Short and Her Family? ~True Crime Diva

Here is a recent article about a man who has been put forward as a suspect in this case and is mentioned in the above link:

Crimes of Serial Killer Gary Michael Hilton

 

[DoubleN1993]

For others want to know what the outcome of that Short's home being fire .
The LE announced that it been label as undetermined .

 

[Simply Southern]

Short Family Memorial Ride Approaches 17th year

"There have been atrocities in Martinsville/Henry County, but this is one of the most horrific crimes that I have lived through," said Sheriff Lane Perry over the phone.

It's a sentiment many feel - hundreds are set to come to the ride Saturday. A ride that will continue to keep the names Michael, Mary and Jennifer, alive.

"Somebody had to do it. We didn't want anyone to forget about the family," said Reynolds.

The ride is set to begin at 10 AM.

 

[DoubleN1993]

Interesting article Simply Southern , very good find

 

[JnRyan]

Here is a recent article about a man who has been put forward as a suspect in this case and is mentioned in the above link:

Crimes of Serial Killer Gary Michael Hilton

I was going to say that the Short murders don't fit Hilton's profile of victims. I don't know the details of the Cheryl Dunlap case, but the others were hikers or campers he found out alone. Then I look at the sketch and his mug shots and there is a strong resemblance. Also, these crimes listed are what LE KNOW about. Are there others no one else have been able to connect to him?

 

[jaejae]

I was going to say that the Short murders don't fit Hilton's profile of victims. I don't know the details of the Cheryl Dunlap case, but the others were hikers or campers he found out alone. Then I look at the sketch and his mug shots and there is a strong resemblance. Also, these crimes listed are what LE KNOW about. Are there others no one else have been able to connect to him?

Thanks for the post. I was really making a point my actual suspect in this crime is Ralph Leon Jackson who was arrested in 2010 on the Blue Parkway in Virginia for a double shooting and I believe he is a very prolific Serial Killer yet to be identified as such by the FBI. Thanks as always for your contribution.

 

[Sunny Day]

Short Family Memorial Ride Approaches 17th year

"There have been atrocities in Martinsville/Henry County, but this is one of the most horrific crimes that I have lived through," said Sheriff Lane Perry over the phone.

It's a sentiment many feel - hundreds are set to come to the ride Saturday. A ride that will continue to keep the names Michael, Mary and Jennifer, alive.

"Somebody had to do it. We didn't want anyone to forget about the family," said Reynolds.

The ride is set to begin at 10 AM.

Reading that article literally gave me chills. Somehow I can't shake the feeling that since Jennifer's remains were found in what seems like an obscure place in Rockingham Co. the person had to be familiar with that area.

 

[DoubleN1993]

Also it not long this week it will be the 17th anniversary on Thursday

 

[jaejae]

Here are a couple more reports due to the anniversary in this case:

Thousands of dollars raised ahead of ride to remember murdered Henry County family

Memorial ride honors local murdered family

Of course no good actually comes from vigilantism as it appears they often get the wrong person but I sometimes think it would have been better is the bikers had found the person responsible for this crime.

 

[Sunny Day]

Just speculating, but maybe the killer lived in Rockingham Co. but traveled to work that would take him past the Short home on a regular basis. Maybe he would stop for coffee at that convenience store near the Short home and had seen Jennifer. That might explain the "man parked in the truck" that the witness had seen at 2 am.

 

[Sunny Day]

This says they collected 1,000 pieces of evidence and that $600 and a blank check were there. Also that Jennifer's mattress was moved a couple of inches and her pillow was on the floor. I hadn't heard that before.
Short family murders remains unsolved after 17 years – ‘Who killed Jennifer Short?’ episode 1

 

[DoubleN1993]

Today is the day when the family , the friends lost the good friendliest family .
The night of 14th to the early morning of 15th the person taken this lives of the family from the people who love them the most , As today it is the 17th Anniversary of that unfortunate event still there is no leads to whereabouts of the person who did this murders , no fresh clues and especially nobody came approaching confess to the LE saying " I did it , I killed the Shorts" .
Michael , Mary and of course Jennifer are the very good family of hearts , they never drinks , they usually quiet around strangers and they also were the hard working people when they have their motor home business .
I kind of well we all wished this event where the murders happened never existed and they would still be alive today , So as I'm about to finish this speech God bless The Shorts and sending them thoughts and prayers for them to pay respect , I like to ask you all who is watching this thread to say one word to honour The Short for today - Amen .

Thank you for reading

 

[jaejae]

Here is a recent video report about the anniversary of the case which features some of the Short family's relatives:

 

[jaejae]

Here is a recent video report about the anniversary of the case which features some of the Short family's relatives:

The last video in this series brings home the horrible way Jennifer Short's body parts were found and of course it is not nice for the people who found them and that is stating the obvious and an understatement.