When investigators processed Bill McGuire's car, they also found a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes. Actress Candice King who is best known for her work in the Vampire Diaries will play McGuire. The appeal raised many claims contending she did not receive a fair trial, including prosecutorial misconduct, failure to consider a mitigating factor, a tainted jury, and exposure of the jury to inflammatory media accounts. Melanie McGuire was found guilty of murdering Bill McGuire, 39, in April 2004. After reading about Melanie McGuire and the Suitcase Murder, discover the story of Nancy Brophy, the woman who wrote How To Murder Your Husband and may have indeed murdered her husband. Melanie did file for a re-trial before her sentencing on the basis that her husband was deeply in debt and may have been killed by Atlantic City mobsters, but to no avail. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After all, when Bill was murdered in 2004, he and Melanie were the proud parents of two beautiful young boys. The prescription for chloral hydrate came from Millers prescription pad. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. If I wanted to look for something like that, I have a [physicians' desk reference]. She's now a 47-year-old inmate at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, where she claims that she's not only innocent of killing her husband but that his real killer is still out there. She bought a gun two days before his disappearance in Pennsylvania, but said she did so for her husband, and speculated he was having trouble with someone. Another important development for investigators was the discovery of Bill McGuire's car. She again pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $10,000 bail. On June 2, 2005, more than a year after the fact, Melanie was charged with first-degree murder, leading to her sons being taken and placed into a much safer home for them to grow up in. They surmised that Melanie had sedated Bill, shot him, and cut up his body. ", Credit: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage; ABC, Amy Locane's prison cell roommate is the notorious Suitcase Killer. 1:15. The McGuire family resided in a Woodbridge Township apartment but had plans to move to a much larger home in Warren County by the end of April. McGuire had a message for her sons, who are now adults, "Make up your mind. She was given a life sentence on July 19, 2007, and she is currently in jail at the Edna Mahan . Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. Shes now a 47-year-old inmate at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, where she claims that shes not only innocent of killing her husband but that his real killer is still out there. She said her husband left and that she never saw him again. The Melrose Place actresswho is now serving a second sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jerseyshares a prison cell with Melanie McGuire, the infamous "Suitcase Killer." Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. Although investigators were unable to find physical evidence of murder inside the McGuire's home, they were able to find small pieces of Bill McGuire's flesh -- evidence that would eventually be referred to in the media as human sawdust -- from the car. Melanie McGuire says she is innocent, and wants her sons to know she did not kill their father, she said in interviews with 20/20. Three suitcases were found washed up, inside each were the remains. [14], Shortly after her conviction, but before sentencing, McGuire appealed for a new trial on the basis of the story of jailhouse informant Christopher Thieme that her husband was deeply in debt and may have been killed by Atlantic City mobsters. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/i4dBUBR7PJ. It is physically exhausting. In the meantime, the two young McGuire children, ages 5 and 7, are being raised by Bill's sister, Cindy Ligosh. Melanie McGuire and defense attorney Stephen Turano, right, react to the verdict during her trial in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, April 23, 2007. [8] She married United States Navy veteran William T. "Bill" McGuire (born September 21, 1964) in 1999. She actually obtained the means to incapacitate Bill from her workplace, which eventually became her downfall. Guilty or not, Melanie McGuire, the so-called Suitcase Killer, remains an object of fascination. Thirteen years have passed since Melanie McGuire's conviction. He probably would have broken my cheek if [the hit] had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire said. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. [Watch on your phone with the ABC GO Digital App found here. She does have an interesting new cellmate: In 2020, Melanie began sharing a cell with former actress Amy Locane, who starred in the TV show "Melrose Place." Although detectives did not find what they were looking for on the surveillance footage, they were able to find something curious on Melanie McGuires statement from her electronic toll payment company, EZ Pass. The true crime drama sees Candice King take on the role of Melanie McGuire, and here is everything you need to know about her and her role in the case. Sacks seconded her co-host, saying: Melanie did not incapacitate, shoot [or] use a saw to dismember her husband. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. YouTube She became known as the "Suitcase Killer" during her televised 2007 trial. After being released on bail, Melanie faced additional charges on October 11, 2005. I still feel bothered. Don't accept what you're just being told on the surface. Melanie had to withdraw her appeal after the prosecutors debunked the story, and so, on July 19, 2007, she was sentenced to life in prison. The media soon dubbed the case the Suitcase Murder.. Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story: Directed by Nicole L. Thompson. She reportedly spent most of her life in New Jersey. [1] She graduated, second in her class, from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. After all these years, I still feel hurt. Investigators also found Bills car where Melanie suggested it would be Atlantic City. McGuire was charged with first-degree murder on June 2, 2005, for which she pleaded not guilty, and she made bail. McGuires case is being featured on a podcast, Direct Appeal. She is nearly out of options in the judicial system, the podcast website said, and now she is appealing to the public for help. Melanie and Bill McGuire were married in 1999 and had two sons at the time of his death. Youre talking about hours [of driving] and there isnt enough time, said McGuire. The evidence that was at trial was from ballistic experts.. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. On April 23, 2007, McGuire's murder trial jury found her guilty of first-degree murder, finding that the evidence established her culpability for the murder beyond a reasonable doubt. A nurse said her husband walked out on her. She told Miller that she was furniture shopping, according to Prezioso, who said she believes that is when Melanie McGuire drove the suitcases with her husbands remains to Chesapeake Bay. The medical examiner determined that the body had been shot multiple times. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. But she didnt report Bill missing. The podcast, hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg questions Melanie McGuire's guilt and suggests that there is evidence in the case that never received the legal scrutiny it deserved. Also if the crime scene didnt happen [at the family home] and shes home with her children all night, where is this happening? Lifetime is planning to release a movie about her case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story in June 2022. So I think the police said, Well, prove it. Police also discovered small pieces of Bill's flesh, which authorities described as "human sawdust," inside the McGuire home, which they believed meant that McGuire had killed her husband. As McGuire maintains her innocence, she is running out of appeal options. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. [29], Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story, "Melanie McGuire Found Guilty of Murder in 2004 Shooting Death and Dismemberment of Her Husband", "Melanie McGuire, SBI Number: 000319833C", "Author to sign copies of Melanie McGuire book", "Case 120: Bill McGuire from Casefile True Crime", "Wife arrested in gory dismemberment murder", "General Discussion - Melanie McGuire guilty as hell", "Defense to withdraw motion for McGuire retrial", "Bit player in infamous N.J. murder case charged in bizarre murder-for-hire plot", "Man gets jail for plotting to kill online crush", https://www.state.nj.us/grc/decisions/pdf/2014-275.pdf, "McGuire sentenced to life in prison for suitcase murder", "State v. McGuire, 16 A. She will not be eligible for parole until she has served 66 years in prison. The film stars Candice King as Melanie McGuire, Michael Roark as William McGuire, Jackson Hurst as Bradley Miller, and Wendie Malick as Patricia Prezioso. Dig, dig.". Like, how could somebody think that I did that? Melanie McGuire told ABC News Amy Robach in a rare interview from prison for "20/20.. They also discovered a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes in Bill's car, which they traced to a pharmacy near their children's daycare, and they learned that McGuire had bought a gun 48 hours before her husband's disappearance. I believe that the evidence presented to the jury told the jury what happened," Prezioso said. McGuire and Miller began their affair in 2002 when she was pregnant with her second child, and their relationship continued until June 2005 when she was charged with her husband's murder. Melanie McGuire, a 34-year-old mother of two, maintains that she didn't kill her husband and says the real killer tried to frame her. Police quickly found his car in a parking lot there. She then graduated from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. It never made sense.. After they released a sketch to the public, one of Bill McGuires friends soon came forward. It was the 28th of April 2004. In 2007, McGuire was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband, Bill. Meanwhile, investigators found more and more evidence that suggested that Melanie McGuire had killed her husband. McGuire, 34, a mother of two, is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2004 killing of her husband, 39-year-old state computer analyst William T. McGuire. However, not much else about the day was typical. says the actress. The prosecution argued McGuires motive was her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, a partner at the medical practice RMA Associates. McGuire went through a lengthy trial, which was televised on Court TV, from February to April 2007. All we know is that they havent been in touch with their mother since before she was convicted. After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later, Sacks and Shlosberg, believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted. But police soon found that the couple had a deeply unhappy marriage, that Melanie had begun an affair with a co-worker, and that someone in the McGuires home had searched for things like how to commit murder online. The request was subsequently denied. In 2004, three separate dark green Kenneth Cole suitcases, containing pieces of a dismembered body, were found in and around the Chesapeake Bay, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. On April 28, 2004, the last day anyone ever saw Bill alive, Melanie had dropped off their sons, aged 2 and 4, at their daycare as routine at around 8:20 am. [9] Bill and Melanie owned a green couch, and investigators theorized that the murderer used a pillow or couch cushion as a makeshift silencer) to shoot Bill. Melanie remembers this as. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Lena Christine Kindschi of Perry, Oklahoma, who passed away on February 27, 2023, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends. A grand jury returned a second indictment in 2006, charging her with eight additional counts regarding anonymous communications, according to the appeal filed in her case. Don't accept what you're just being told on the surface. I'm a nurse or I was a nurse, and I don't need to look up things like that. No one plugged the serial number of my gun into a website to find out what the specifications were, said Melanie McGuire. The chart below captures the current COVID cases within the inmate and staff population, following Phase 2 testing, which includes retesting those individuals who were previously negative. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured in Atlantic City, New Jersey at an unknown date. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishmentfor her original conviction (second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by an auto), which was deemed too lenient. NEW BRUNSWICK - Melanie McGuire the former Woodbridge resident convicted of killing her husband, dismembering his body, packing it in suitcases and tossing it off a bridge in Virginia . Melanie McGuire says 'it's a coincidence' she bought gun before husband disappeared McGuire said she spoke in a new "20/20" interview, 16 years after she was convicted of murdering her husband . She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, and is serving her sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey. Melanie McGuire says shes innocent and that someone else killed her husband, Bill, in 2004. The day before his disappearance, the couple closed on the purchase of their first home. Melanie McGuire said she's speaking in a new #ABC2020 interview tonight with @ARobach, 16 years after she was convicted of murdering her husband, because she believes "the killer is out there and it's not me." We were not gathering evidence from a gun manufacturer's website. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Melanie McGuire explained that the night after Bill McGuire went missing, she was becoming angrier at her husband and suspected she knew where he was: Atlantic City. His wife, Melanie McGuire, a fertility nurse and the mother of his two sons, was eventually convicted of murdering him and dumping his body. Melanie McGuire said that Bill McGuire had asked her to buy the gun for him since he had a felony conviction from a bad driving record, which barred him from purchasing one on his own. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Powered by. Melanie McGuire is now serving a lifetime sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, as Entertainment Weekly reports. Today, Melanie McGuire is almost 50 and is serving a life sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton. It sounds beyond ridiculous sitting here saying it and I acknowledge that Its the truth, she later told 20/20. Bradley Miller told a Middlesex County court this afternoon that he lied to a grand jury when he said he stopped having sex with . Where Are William and Melanie McGuires Kids Now. Sara James. The court awarded custody of her two sons to Bill McGuires sister, Cindy Ligosh, and Melanie McGuire has had no contact with them since her trial. Melanie's receipt for the gun also listed an unspecified purchase of $9.95; there were only two items in the store for that amount, and one of them was a box of wadcutter bullets. "My job is not to convince the world. William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. Melanie worked as a fertility clinic nurse, while Bill worked as a computer programmer. Immediately after murdering Bill, according to the State, defendant embarked on a plan to conceal the crimes and to create the appearance that Bill had abandoned his family, his job, and his new house after a violent argument with her. ET on ABC. But when fishermen discovered a suitcase stuffed with Bill's remains just days after the couple had closed on their new dream home . Powered by WordPress.com VIP. With all of her appeals exhausted, Melanie McGuire said she participated in the podcast hoping that new evidence might be discovered that could lead to her exoneration. During the investigation, incriminating evidence against Melanie was uncovered. [1], By April 2004, the McGuires had been married for five years. [26], On September 25, 2014, McGuire appeared in court with her new attorney Lois DeJulio, a public defender, to try to get a hearing that could overturn her 2007 murder conviction, on the grounds that her previous legal representation by Joe Tacopina was inadequate or ineffective. [9] McGuire persisted in claiming she was innocent, and claimed her husband had become increasingly moody and unpredictable and was a compulsive gambler. She allegedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with her lover, and so, she did what she could to get rid of her husband. Five days after Bill McGuire went missing, investigators said Melanie McGuire made another bizarre road trip, this time to Delaware. That night, according to the prosecution, McGuire drugged her husband, shot him dead, and subsequently dismembered his body. The pair lived in Woodbridge, New Jersey where Bill worked at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and McGuire was a fertility clinic nurse in Morristown. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. As of June 22, 2020, two inmates had died of COVID-19. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. [6][7] She enrolled at Rutgers University with a double major in math and psychology and graduated in 1994. She may be eligible for parole after serving 66 years in prison, court documents filed in her case said. Lands and grooves are rifling characteristics that are machine pressed into the barrel of a gun. After all these years, I still feel hurt. According to 20/20, the police were able to quickly identify the dismembered man. Who Is Melanie McGuire? After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later,. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. Melanie McGuire told the podcast "Direct Appeal" that she is not the suitcase killer, and that the true murderer is still on the loose. Make up your mind. Melanie Lyn McGuire (ne Slate; born October 8, 1972)[3] is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004, in what media dubbed the "suitcase murder". Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. [9] A witness testified that Melanie used the same towels to protect furniture when she moved. I still feel bothered. She told her sons, now adults, to look into the case for themselves. Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. They brought in the luminol, and they also pulled down parts of the walls. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. I just wanted to get away from him at that point. Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with Miller. [15][16][17][18][19] On July 19, 2007, at the age of 34, McGuire was sentenced to life in prison.[20]. She pleaded not guilty. The Suitcase Killer, Melanie McGuire Story shows the real-life incident that occurred in 2004 in New Jersey, when Melanie, a local nurse killed her husband, William, a computer programmer, and dismembered his body and packed them in a suitcase, and dumped them in the Chesapeake Bay. After all these years, I still feel hurt. She became known as the Suitcase Killer during her televised 2007 trial. Bill and Melanie McGuire in happier days. WOODBRIDGE - Former township resident Melanie McGuire has spent 13 years in prison after receiving a life sentence for the death of her husband, William McGuire, but in a new television. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Dr. They closed the documents on their new house on April 28, but never moved in. Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. They shared two children together but their marriage was seemingly not a happy one as McGuire embarked on an affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, who was then a partner at the clinic she worked in, per Fox News. [11] Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina,[12] Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Melanie did not incapacitate, shoot [or] use a saw to dismember her husband, said Sacks. Now the former fertility nurse is 47 years old and spending her life sentence in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey. McGuire testified that during their argument her husband had become violent and he threatened to take their children away before leaving the home by himself, per CBS News. Prosecutors allege that McGuire, 34, shot him to death, sliced his body into four pieces with a power saw and then dumped his remains in the Chesapeake Bay. She will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. A top priority for New Jersey investigators was determining if Melanie McGuire had ever owned a gun. After all these years, I still feel hurt," McGuire told "20/20", For some, it mightve seemed like a real-life episode of The Sopranos..
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