PA Who killed Christine Guenther? Peter's Twp., Oct 26, 1981

[pittsburghgirl]

I knew Christine's parents. Her father was a good friend of a man I dated at the time. He was a terrific person. I didn't know his wife as well, but my then significant other did, and he liked her a great deal. I'm very glad to see the case on Websleuths.

The case was investigated by the Allegheny County police. Peters Twp. was never responsible for the case. Here is a story from the Post-Gazette. It's disturbing.

And here's a newspaper column from the Pittsburgh Press written 29 months after her disappearance.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I knew Christine's parents. Her father was a good friend of a man I dated at the time. He was a terrific person. I didn't know his wife as well, but my then significant other did, and he liked her a great deal. I'm very glad to see the case on Websleuths.

The case was investigated by the Allegheny County police. Peters Twp. was never responsible for the case. Here is a story from the Post-Gazette. It's disturbing.

And here's a newspaper column from the Pittsburgh Press written 29 months after her disappearance.

Fixing the incorrect link above: And here's a newspaper column from the Pittsburgh Press written 29 months after her disappearance. Column

 

[PGHJW]

I knew Christine's parents. Her father was a good friend of a man I dated at the time. He was a terrific person. I didn't know his wife as well, but my then significant other did, and he liked her a great deal. I'm very glad to see the case on Websleuths.

The case was investigated by the Allegheny County police. Peters Twp. was never responsible for the case. Here is a story from the Post-Gazette. It's disturbing.

And here's a newspaper column from the Pittsburgh Press written 29 months after her disappearance.

I don’t know how much of this thread that you read, but there is some talk of a suspect that was rumored locally. He is still alive and now living in Carnegie. Do you know of this and do you believe in it?

 

[Chec0]

I knew Christine's parents. Her father was a good friend of a man I dated at the time. He was a terrific person. I didn't know his wife as well, but my then significant other did, and he liked her a great deal. I'm very glad to see the case on Websleuths.

The case was investigated by the Allegheny County police. Peters Twp. was never responsible for the case. Here is a story from the Post-Gazette. It's disturbing.

And here's a newspaper column from the Pittsburgh Press written 29 months after her disappearance.

I don’t know how much of this thread that you read, but there is some talk of a suspect that was rumored locally. He is still alive and now living in Carnegie. Do you know of this and do you believe in it?

Perusing some podcasts covering Christine's case on YouTube. I don't really listen to too many podcasts on these cases as, really, what more can they tell? I will say that one stated that when she was found she had cigarette burns on her wrists. I don't remember reading that.

As usual the comments sections had interesting notes. Dourlain's name was mentioned as it is in this thread. One somewhat cryptic comment inferred that the Facebook page curated by her friends died down in activity largely in part to a "bigger story" and some sort of cover-up. So many of these cases are often rumored to have a bigger, untold story, but something definitely happened to make the momentum cease. The notion of a cover-up also sort of eliminates Dourlain, as why would anyone or entity cover-up for a known criminal like him?

His ex wife taught for a long time in the district. She’s the sweetest lady and she’s still alive. He was in jail I believe if memory serves me at least during the 90s when she taught me but unsure about the 80s. If the police wanted to pursue Bob they could surely talk to her or to one of her remaining children. I actually submitted this case to Crime Junkies for them to pursue since they have such a big platform but never heard back, also lately they are more focused on profiling victims with more diverse or disparate backgrounds. Maybe one of the other big name podcasters could pick this up and regenerate interest in this case!

 

[PGHJW]

His ex wife taught for a long time in the district. She’s the sweetest lady and she’s still alive. He was in jail I believe if memory serves me at least during the 90s when she taught me but unsure about the 80s. If the police wanted to pursue Bob they could surely talk to her or to one of her remaining children. I actually submitted this case to Crime Junkies for them to pursue since they have such a big platform but never heard back, also lately they are more focused on profiling victims with more diverse or disparate backgrounds. Maybe one of the other big name podcasters could pick this up and regenerate interest in this case!

That would great. Things seemed really promising when her friend (or friends) had the active Facebook and other methods of getting an answer, but then they just died down. I'm sure they'd heard the same name mentioned since they're from the area/time period.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I don’t know how much of this thread that you read, but there is some talk of a suspect that was rumored locally. He is still alive and now living in Carnegie. Do you know of this and do you believe in it?

I read the thread. This was the first I've heard of a suspect. There has been very little in the local paper(s) about the killing, as you probably know.

It seemed to me at the time of Christine's killing is that the killer had to be from the area, and by that I mean the area north from Canonsburg on either side of the 79 corridor and east from Canonsburg to, say, Jefferson Hills and up toward Baldwin. That's a lot of area. The body being found in South Fayette makes the I-79 corridor likely. It's about 15 minutes (9-10 miles) from where she was taken to where she was found. I'd put a pin where the body was found and make a 10 mile circle in it. He lives in there somewhere. Carnegie is inside near the outer edge of that circle. Whoever he is, that's his comfort zone. He felt comfortable picking up a girl in a public area and then dumping her body on a fairly well-traveled road.

 

[willy wagtail]

Good chance for blood transfer during a frenzied attack using a hatchet or ax

 

[steeltowngirl]

Whoever he is, that's his comfort zone. He felt comfortable picking up a girl in a public area and then dumping her body on a fairly well-traveled road.

^This.

I am also recalling a 20-month period in 1976 and 1977 when 27 unsolved murders occurred in southwestern Pennsylvania, just a few years before Christine’s murder. Among the killings were teens Ranee Gregor and John Feeny of Robinson Twp. Ranee was also 15. Robinson Twp and Peters Twp are only 20 miles apart and easy to travel between with I-79 nearby.

Edward Surratt confessed to their murders - IF he could be believed. He couldn’t have killed Christine, as he was in prison in 1981. But.. what if he was lying about Ranee and John’s murders? Could another person have killed both Ranee and Christine? Someone local?

Unsolved Cases: Ranee Ann Gregor

In 2007, a serial killer confessed to killing the Robinson Township teen, missing since 1977—and claimed her body is 'unrecoverable.'

patch.com

Serial killer jailed in Florida confesses to additional 6 Pennsylvania murders from 1970s

Edward Surratt, 79, has been in Florida prisons since 1978, when the Pennsylvania fugitive was arrested in the rapes of a woman and her 15-year-old daughter. Surratt has been linked

www.fox23.com

 

[PGHJW]

Then and now…

 

[pittsburghgirl]

View attachment 506337

View attachment 506338

Then and now…

Thanks for posting these photos. I used to live in Peters but it's been a long time since I spent time enough there to notice all the changes.

 

[PGHJW]

Dourlain is dead.

Sometimes there is no justice.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Dourlain is dead.

Sometimes there is no justice.

Sober 39 years. Which indicates not sober in 1981. Interesting.

 

[PGHJW]

Thinking of Christine today, 43 years to the day she was discovered.

This one hits me harder than a lot of other cases since, being from the Greater Pittsburgh area, it's easy for me to envision what her life was like. She was a typical kid and then this happened through no fault of her own. The only comfort is that her family and friends seem to hold a lot of good memories.

 

[PGHJW]

There are two interesting comments left in recent months on Robert Dourlain's obituary from the cremation center. It's easily found via Google search.

They aren't pertaining to this case directly but certainly show what kind of person he was.

 

[mikaliksa]

There are two interesting comments left in recent months on Robert Dourlain's obituary from the cremation center. It's easily found via Google search.

They aren't pertaining to this case directly but certainly show what kind of person he was.

Link to said obit: Robert Dourlain Obit

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Link to said obit: Robert Dourlain Obit

Wow. Can't recall ever seeing anything like that on an obituary page. And he ws abusing alcohol prior to 1983.
I'm thinking of something a detective told me about the 1979 murder of Carol Jursik, who was found in Frick Park. They knew who did it but couldn't prove it but after the suicide of serial killer Gary Allen Robbins in 1988, the fact that he was a suspect in Jursik's murder came out. So It may be the one reason the case hasn't been solved is that they think they know who did it but didn't have enough evidence for an arrest.

For what it's worth, I never understand that thinking. If LE has a strong suspect, why not just call him a "person of interest" and put him on notice that people are watching him?

 

[PGHJW]

Wow. Can't recall ever seeing anything like that on an obituary page. And he ws abusing alcohol prior to 1983.
I'm thinking of something a detective told me about the 1979 murder of Carol Jursik, who was found in Frick Park. They knew who did it but couldn't prove it but after the suicide of serial killer Gary Allen Robbins in 1988, the fact that he was a suspect in Jursik's murder came out. So It may be the one reason the case hasn't been solved is that they think they know who did it but didn't have enough evidence for an arrest.

For what it's worth, I never understand that thinking. If LE has a strong suspect, why not just call him a "person of interest" and put him on notice that people are watching him?

I was looking at the numerous old news reports of the many crimes he did prior to 1981 that should have kept off the streets (but didn't) and, as was standard then, his then-current address is listed. It's two minutes away from where Christine disappeared.

Also, he was in court for one of these crimes nearly one year to the day prior to her disappearance. The victim's testimony is chilling in that it very well could've been the same way he got Christine. Christine was nearly a decade younger than this woman and thus was probably an even easier target.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I was looking at the numerous old news reports of the many crimes he did prior to 1981 that should have kept off the streets (but didn't) and, as was standard then, his then-current address is listed. It's two minutes away from where Christine disappeared.

Also, he was in court for one of these crimes nearly one year to the day prior to her disappearance. The victim's testimony is chilling in that it very well could've been the same way he got Christine. Christine was nearly a decade younger than this woman and thus was probably an even easier target.

I'd love to see anything you could attach here.

 

[PGHJW]

 

[PGHJW]

Dourlain’s residence in 1981 to where Christine was last seen. The trial for the above linked case didn’t end until the mid ‘80s.