She said in a moment of admitted irrationality she decided to drive down there and look for his car. 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. READ NEXT: Melanie McGuire Today: Where Is the Suitcase Killer Now in 2020? Bill called his friends to happily tell them the news. On June 5, 2005, investigators arrested Melanie McGuire and charged her with first-degree murder. We heard from Barbara, a close friend of Melanie's, who has witnessed Melanie's ups and downs.I cant think of anyone more qualified to give an opinion on Melanie's behavior and emotional status. The medical examiner determined that the body had been shot multiple times. Melanie McGuire Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Husband Bill, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Would love your thoughts, please comment. [9] Police released a facial reconstruction sketch of the victim, which an acquaintance of Bill McGuire's recognized. She said her marriage to Bill McGuire was not going well and claimed that he was violent. More than a year later, on October 26, 2006, McGuire was charged with two counts of hindering apprehension for allegedly writing letters to police aimed at getting them off her trail. 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. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. On camera, Melanie tells them: Make up your mind. I'm a nurse or I was a nurse, and I don't need to look up things like that. [21] The case has been profiled on television outlets: Snapped Oxygen Network; Dateline NBC; 48 Hours Mystery CBS; and The Investigators TruTV; Deadly Affairs Investigation Discovery, and Forensic Files II, among other true crime television shows. After pulling the surveillance footage from the parking lot, however, investigators were disappointed. But though Bill and Melanie had two sons together, their marriage swiftly soured. 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. ", Credit: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage; ABC, Amy Locane's prison cell roommate is the notorious Suitcase Killer. 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. 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. 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. There were times I wanted him gone, she told 20/20. She said her husband left and that she never saw him again. Prezioso said the evidence presented by the states computer forensic expert at trial was robust and Melanie McGuires legal team presented their own expert as well. McGuire had been married for five years by April 2004. Thirteen years have passed since Melanie McGuire's conviction. ET on Saturday, June 18 on the Lifetime network. Make up your mind. Melanie McGuire, shown at left during her trial, was convicted of fatally shooting her husband, cutting up his body with a power saw and then stuffing his remains into suitcases she later. She said that they believe the garbage bags were a prop to sway the jury. It's out there," she said. She says she is innocent. Download is FREE. McGuire was charged with first-degree murder on June 2, 2005, for which she pleaded not guilty, and she made bail. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/i4dBUBR7PJ. Her penalty is actually categorized as the following: life in prison for first-degree murder; life in prison for the possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; 10 years for desecrating human remains; and five years for perjury. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. New Jersey fertility clinic nurse Melanie McGuire stands accused of murdering her husband, William, in 2004. In the early morning hours of April 29, 2004, the day her husband disappeared, Melanie McGuire said that they had a violent fight and claimed that he choked her with a dryer sheet and hit her before leaving the house. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. Miller eventually testified against Melanie McGuire at her trial. Melanie remembers this as. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. Sara James. For her part, Melanie insisted that her husband had stormed out after a fight. She claims that someone went after Bill because of his gambling debts and that the real perpetrator of the Suitcase Murder is still out there. [9] A witness testified that Melanie used the same towels to protect furniture when she moved. Now her children have neither a mother or a father, neither one, because of Melanie McGuire. [9] Similarly, a medical grade towel found with Bill's body matched those stocked at the clinic where Melanie worked. I still feel bothered. Miller, however, claimed that the prescription was written in Melanies handwriting. After all these years, I still feel hurt, Melanie said. Another important development for investigators was the discovery of Bill McGuire's car. She maintains her innocence and . Miller agreed to cooperate with investigators and was never charged in the crime. But she didnt report Bill missing. Melanie McGuire has been dubbed the Suitcase Killer by the media for her role in butchering her own husband, William Bill McGuire, before packing up his remains into three suitcases and then disposing of them in the Chesapeake Bay. But though she denied parking it there, Melanie later claimed that she had gone to Atlantic City and moved the car to mess with him. McGuire was sentenced to 63 years, eight months and 30 days to life for first-degree murder, five to 10 years for desecration of human remains, two years and six months to five years for third-degree perjury, and a maximum sentence of life for second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to her prison record. Read More: Where Is Melanie McGuires Family Now? She again pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $10,000 bail. Dig, dig." Suitcase Killer: The. NEW BRUNSWICK - Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that Melanie McGuire was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2004 shooting death of her husband, William McGuire, whose severed remains were found in three suitcases along the Virginia coast. The investigation into who killed Bill McGuire began in Virginia but eventually moved to New Jersey. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. It is physically exhausting. It also promised to better educate staff and inmates about the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, and said it had set up an early-warning system to identify problematic behavior by staff. After being released on bail, Melanie faced additional charges on October 11, 2005. Friday on #ABC2020: The co-hosts of the @directappeal podcast tell @ARobach why they believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted: I dont think that there was enough evidence to convict her. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/qJfD3ATBkD. Who Is Melanie McGuire? William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. Melanie McGuire has had no contact with them since before the verdict. A four-count indictment came down from a state grand jury. I still feel bothered. He had been married to Melanie Lyn Slate McGuire for about five years had two beautiful sons with her. Bill McGuire, 39, put a down payment down on a $500,000 house for the couple and their two young sons in April 2004. Criminologists Dr. Meghan Sacks, and Dr. Amy Shlosberg dig into the evidence on the podcast. Melanie and Bill McGuire were married in 1999 and had two sons at the time of his death. 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. It was a mistake on a gun manufacturer's website. Candice King as Melanie McGuire in "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story," which explore the real death of Bill McGuire in 2004. She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007 and is serving her sentence at the Edna. [13] She was also convicted of the lesser charges of perjury, desecration of human remains, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Police identified the man in the suitcases as 39-year-old William McGuire, from Woodbridge New Jersey, and they quickly focused their attention on Bill's wife, Melanie McGuire, who did not report him missing. However, not much else about the day was typical. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured hugging at an unknown date. ], Pretty Little Liars Reboot Is Coming-of-RAGE Horror with More Murder, Cast of Pretty Little Liars, 2017, l-r: Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, (cropped) photo: Dominick D / CC BY-SA, 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC. Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey woman who was sentenced to life in prison, in 2007, for the murder of her husband Bill McGuire, discusses the case and maintains her innocence; There's less of a waiting period.. They looked high and low to connect Melanie to some pet, and once they found that there was no way to connect Melanie to these pet hairs, it became not of evidentiary value, said Sacks. Also if the crime scene didn't happen [at the family home] and she's home with her children all night, where is this happening? Bill and Melanie McGuire in happier days. Lands and grooves are rifling characteristics that are machine pressed into the barrel of a gun. 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." It sounds beyond ridiculous sitting here saying it and I acknowledge that Its the truth, she later told 20/20. Its out there., 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." This suitcase was found to contain the head and torso with three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the head. They were confident Miller was not involved in the crime but were never able to bring charges against anyone else. Melanies not the only person who believes that the police got it wrong. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Melanie claims she's innocent, and hopes that she will be released someday. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. 2011 - Google Scholar", "N.J. appeals court upholds life sentence for convicted suitcase killer Melanie McGuire", "State v. McGuire, 27 A. During her conversation with ABCs Amy Robach, Melanie continued to insist on her innocence. Soon after William and Melanie McGuire tied the knot in 1999, they welcomed their first child, a son, in 2000. Her trial began in March 5, 2007. In 2004, Bill McGuire was found dismembered in three separate dark green Kenneth Cole suitcases that were found in and around the Chesapeake Bay, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. The prosecution argued McGuires motive was her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, a partner at the medical practice RMA Associates. Making matters worse, Melanie McGuire had called the company and attempted to have those charges removed. Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and Bill was a computer programmer. She was accused and convicted of murdering and dismembering her husband, William Bill McGuire, after which she packed him up in three suitcases and threw him into the Chesapeake Bay. I still feel bothered. Speaking to ABC News' Amy Robach for 20/20, she said: "I'm doing this because there's a murderer walking around. She claimed he walked out on her and the kids . 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. ", Through her attorney Jim Wronko, Locane describes McGuire as "very nice and pleasant and smart and helpful.". [9] The footage was blurry and the police weren't able to identify the person in the video. Miller also said in his . We were not gathering evidence from a gun manufacturer's website. During her trial, Miller protested McGuire's innocence, testifying that she had called him on April 28 to say that she was going to tell her husband she wanted a divorce after they had closed the deal on a new home, ABC News reported. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for WomenMelanie McGuire prison record. [9], On May 5, 2004, the first suitcase, containing human legs, was found by two fishermen and two children floating near the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel's fourth artificial island, and a murder investigation was launched. Lifetime is planning to release a movie about her case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story in June 2022. She will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. The day before his disappearance, the couple closed on the purchase of their first home. She pleaded not guilty. Melanie McGuire was found guilty of murdering Bill McGuire, 39, in April 2004. When investigators processed Bill McGuire's car, they also found a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes. Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story: Directed by Nicole L. Thompson. Prosecutors also pointed to Melanie McGuire's supposed internet searches in the days leading up to Bill McGuires disappearance. Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. Also if the crime scene didnt happen [at the family home] and shes home with her children all night, where is this happening? Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. At that time, Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and had managed to have a long-standing affair with one of the doctors there, Bradley Miller. It was the timing of that purchase, though, that really caught the eye of investigators: It happened just two days before Bill McGuire went missing. The grainy images appeared to show Bill McGuire's car being pulled into a spot, but did not capture who the driver was. 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. I guess it is comforting [that people are interested]. Dig, dig.". And shes not the only one who thinks that police arrested the wrong suspect. [6][7] She enrolled at Rutgers University with a double major in math and psychology and graduated in 1994. But Melanie maintains that she did not commit the infamous Suitcase Murder. William "Bill" McGuire was having a great day. The jury deliberated for three days before convicting her of all four counts lodged against her in the first indictment, and acquitted her of the eight counts filed in the second indictment. They insisted he was a compulsive gambler who had become increasingly moody, unpredictable, and tempestuous in the months before his passing. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . After finishing high school, she enrolled at Rutgers University for a double major in math and psychology, which she achieved in 1994. Melanie did try to appeal her case and later get relief from her long sentence, but her petitions were denied. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There were two charges, totaling 90 cents, on her statement that proved she had driven to Atlantic City after her husband went missing. Upon further investigation, police discovered a security video of the car being moved in the early morning hours of April 30, 2004. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. William McGuire was 39 when he died. The Departments virus mitigation tactics, along with its universal testing initiative of staff and inmates, has controlled the spread of COVID-19 within NJDOC facilities. [9] Her E-ZPass tag was recorded at a toll booth in Delaware two days after the murder; she claimed that this was the result of her going furniture shopping in Delaware, since it has no sales tax. Melanie McGuire - Wikipedia. Over a period of 12 days in May 2004, three dark green suitcases were discovered in and near the Chesapeake Bay. 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. Murders A-Z is a collection of true crime stories that take an in-depth look at both little-known and famous murders throughout history. Melanie Griffith set the Internet on fire. 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 . And then, two years later, they were blessed with another baby boy. Sometimes, she said, hed get violent with her. The publication reported that two days after Bill left, McGuire filed for a restraining order so he couldn't unexpectedly take their children, and three weeks after he had disappeared she filed for a divorce. This sensational case has thus often been referred to as the Suitcase Murder and has been profiled on several true-crime shows, including Oxygens Snapped, NBCs Dateline, CBS 48 Hours Mystery, IDs Deadly Affairs, and Forensic Files, amongst many others. These documents exist. Melanie McGuire, sentenced to life in prison for killing her husband in a case known as the "Suitcase Murder," filed a petition in New Jersey Superior Court Thursday asking a judge for more. She drugged him, shot him (in the head and chest) to death, and subsequently dismembered his remains. This stuff exists, she said on the show. 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.. McGuire, now 47, was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband after a lengthy trial in 2007. However, the state's expert disagreed, testifying that he ran the tests he believed were necessary to link the bags. There are times when podcasts and media can shine a light on certain cases where what the government did was not right. Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie Lyn Slate has spent all of her life in New Jersey growing up in Ridgewood and Middletown Township. I still feel bothered. And my answer is I can't explain because I don't think it makes any sense either," Wronko told EW earlier this month. After all these years, I still feel hurt. That night, according to the prosecution, McGuire drugged her husband, shot him dead, and subsequently dismembered his body. Locane is back behind bars for killing Helene Seeman, 60, in a 2010 drunk driving collision in New Jersey's Montgomery Township. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. She then drove to Virginia on May 3, where the suitcases were thrown at night from an isolated stretch of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the bay. "It turned out that when the record check was done with Pennsylvania, a record came back that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun," said Patti Prezioso, the lead investigator and prosecutor at Melanie McGuire's trial. ABC News correspondent Amy Roach sits down for the first on-camera interview with Melanie McGuire since she was sentenced 13 years ago in 2007 to life in prison for the murder of her husband and father of her two children, William Bill McGuire. Therefore, from what we can tell, even today, as young men, William and Melanies sons reside in New Jersey with their aunt, uncle, and cousins the only family theyve ever known. Melanie McGuires story made national headlines in the mid-2000s, when she was charged with first-degree murder and dubbed the Suitcase Killer by some in the media. After a 7-week trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. She wished to avoid purchasing a house at substantial expense and beginning a new phase in a marriage she regretted. This is not one of those cases, said Prezioso. Dubbed the "Suitcase Killer," she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. Bill worked as a computer program analyst for a Newark, New Jersey college and Melanie worked as a fertility nurse, according to a 2011 appeal filed in her case. Melanie then became the prime suspect in the investigation. 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. It was reliving it. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. In April 2004, Melanie and Bill McGuire seemed to have it all: successful careers, two young sons and a new $500,000 home. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. I just wanted to get away from him at that point. Prezioso said she believed that Melanie McGuire was planting the car in Atlantic City to create an illusion that Bill McGuire was still alive. The appeal details the murder, the night of Bill McGuires disappearance, and the disposal of his body. So I think the police said, Well, prove it. She may be eligible for parole after serving 66 years in prison, court documents filed in her case said. However, McGuire was acquitted of the two counts of hindering apprehension, as well as tampering with evidence and possession of Xanax without prescription. "I panicked. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. 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. Background Bill McGuire was born in September of 1964. She is currently incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, according to her prison records. Offers may be subject to change without notice. However, not much else about the day was typical. Bill had a gambling problem, Melanie explained, and after their fight she knew he would be at the casino. But despite her apparent grief, police soon began to suspect that Melanie McGuire had murdered her husband. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?. The 2004 case was dubbed the suitcase murder because the victims legs were found in a suitcase that washed up in Virginia Beach. The killer is out there and it's not me. 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. That same year, she married her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran named William Bill McGuire. In a new episode of "20/20," co-anchor Amy Robach sits down for the first on-camera interview with Melanie McGuire since she was sentenced to life in prison 13 . It doesn't make any sense.' Melanie McGuire listens to testimony today during her murder trial. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. So if you wish to learn more about her and her current whereabouts, heres what we know. 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. She then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. I believe that the evidence presented to the jury told the jury what happened," Prezioso said. All we know is that they havent been in touch with their mother since before she was convicted. Powered by. Or, learn about Stacey Castor, the Black Widow who killed two of her husbands with antifreeze. As a realtor at the Weichert office in Franklin Lakes, she, along with her husband, pharmacist Bill Ligosh of Wyckoff, New Jersey, were deemed well qualified and capable of taking good care of the toddlers. She will not be eligible for parole until she has served 66 years in prison. 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. 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. They knew that Pennsylvania was close and a lot of people will go to Pennsylvania for firearms because gun laws are more lax, Sacks said. William and Melanie McGuires children, whose names are not revealed in any public records for their own privacy and safety, were placed with Bills elder sister, Cindy Ligosh. His body was found in three separate suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay, which led to McGuires nickname, the Suitcase Killer.. At her televised trial, prosecutors explained that she had drugged Bill, shot him, and dismembered him. Miller was adamant that he had nothing to do with any crime, and he didnt know anything about this. Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. Dig, dig., 20/20 airs Fridays at 9 pm on ABC, right after Americas Funniest Home Videos at 8 pm. 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 . 0:45. Author John Glatt wrote a book about the case, entitled To Have and To Kill. ABCs 20/20: Interview with Melanie McGuire is a two-hour broadcast wherein the suitcase killer opens up about the circumstances that landed her in prison for the rest of her life. They recovered searches including: How to purchase guns illegally, How to commit murder, Undetectable poisons and, generally, how to sedate or kill someone, according to investigators. Melanie McGuire and defense attorney Stephen Turano, right, react to the verdict during her trial in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, April 23, 2007. After all these years, I still feel hurt. The very next day, Melanie spoke with divorce attorneys and attempted to file for a restraining order. There are just too many holes in this story.. When Bill McGuires body was found with bullet wounds, prosecutors pointed to the fact that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun in Pennsylvania just two days before her husband was reported missing. In 1999, she started to work as a nurse at Reproductive Medicine Associates, one of the countrys largest fertility clinics. READ NEXT: Melanie McGuire Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Husband Bill. She maintains her innocence, having recently told 20/20 that "after all these years, I still feel hurt. He did not return a call from the seller later that evening. In September 2020, Melanie McGuire sat down with 20/20 and gave her first interview in 13 years. [9] Green fibers had been found on one of the bullets lodged in Bill's chest; the fibers were identified as polyester fill, a common material found in household furniture. Three suitcases were found washed up, inside each were the remains. Bills car contained a bottle of chloral hydrate, a sedative, and two syringes, which had been prescribed by Bradley Miller. 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. And on May 16, a third. Melanie McGuire/Bill McGuire. She actually obtained the means to incapacitate Bill from her workplace, which eventually became her downfall. McGuire went through a lengthy trial, which was televised on Court TV, from February to April 2007. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. I absolutely tried to have those charges taken off because I feared that people would look and think what they ultimately ended up thinking," McGuire said. One contained legs, another a pelvis, and the third a torso and head. [27][28], In 2022, Lifetime produced a movie called Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" series of movies for television.