After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later,. Because the murder did not occur in Virginia, however, authorities turned over their investigation to the New Jersey State Police.[10]. 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. But when fishermen discovered a suitcase stuffed with Bill's remains just days after the couple had closed on their new dream home . Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. Melanie McGuire/Bill McGuire. Now the former fertility nurse is 47 years old and spending her life sentence in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey. She said that they believe the garbage bags were a prop to sway the jury. Melanie went to Middletown High School South and. Direct Appeal on Apple Podcasts https://directappealpodcast.com/. Prosecutors believed that McGuire forged the prescription as she had access to this prescription pad. Yet, in the end, it turned out that shed lied about it all. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. On June 5, 2005, investigators arrested Melanie McGuire and charged her with first-degree murder. [B]ut gone doesnt mean dead.. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. N.J. Woman Charged In Husband's Killing - The Washington Post After exiting the older child's school, Melanie started walking toward her vehicle when law enforcement emerged from the bushes, taking her into custody without incident. Another important development for investigators was the discovery of Bill McGuire's car. 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. 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. McGuire began drinking heavily and gambling regularly in Atlantic City soon after the couple returned to New Jersey around 1990, said Ms. Paulk, who now lives in Milford, N.Y. ''It went downhill . McGuire got the unfortunate luggage nickname after she was convicted of drugging her husband, shooting him to death, and stuffing his dismembered body into three dark green suitcases that were later found in the Chesapeake Bay. After finishing high school, she enrolled at Rutgers University for a double major in math and psychology, which she achieved in 1994. Melanie McGuire Sentenced to Life for Murder of Husband | Heavy.com 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. 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. This is not one of those cases, said Prezioso. Prosecutors have always maintained that they believed Melanie McGuire likely had an accomplice. Today, Melanie McGuire is almost 50 and is serving a life sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton. In the meantime, the two young McGuire children, ages 5 and 7, are being raised by Bill's sister, Cindy Ligosh. ", Through her attorney Jim Wronko, Locane describes McGuire as "very nice and pleasant and smart and helpful.". The very next day, Melanie spoke with divorce attorneys and attempted to file for a restraining order. Melanie did not incapacitate, shoot [or] use a saw to dismember her husband, said Sacks. They really turned this place upside down a number of times They couldn't find any forensic evidence whatsoever to establish this was a crime scene.. Melanie and Bill McGuire were married in 1999 and had two sons at the time of his death. 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. Dr. They were confident Miller was not involved in the crime but were never able to bring charges against anyone else. McGuire offered a message to her sons on 20/20, who are now adults, encouraging them to look deeper into the case and find the truth for themselves. A four-count indictment came down from a state grand jury. [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. There was. The medical examiner determined that the body had been shot multiple times. NJ mom Melanie McGuire insists from prison she's not the - Knewz Bill and Melanie McGuire in happier days. His head and torso with bullet wounds were found in a medium size suitcase and his arms in a smaller suitcase in the Chesapeake Bay. McGuire had been married for five years by April 2004. Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie Lyn Slate has spent all of her life in New Jersey growing up in Ridgewood and Middletown Township. Melanie, who grew up in Brick, and William McGuire were married in 1999 and had lived with their two sons in Woodbridge at the time of the murder. Melanie McGuire insists she did not murder her husband in interview Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and Bill was a computer programmer. During the next three days, according to the State, and likely with the help of an accomplice as yet unidentified, defendant caused Bills body to be cut into sections with a reciprocating saw and a knife, wrapped the body in industrial-type garbage bags sealed with adhesive tape, and packed it into the matching set of luggage. She will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old. Melanie claims that Bill pushed her against the wall during a fight, hit her, and tried to choke her with a dryer sheet. After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later, Sacks and Shlosberg, believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted. I cannot even think about that. 'Suitcase Killer' Melanie McGuire real story behind the movie "Beware of pretty faces that you find, a pretty face can hide an evil mind." -Johnny Ramistella. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. "20/20" The Secret in the Suitcase (TV Episode 2020) - IMDb [Watch on your phone with the ABC GO Digital App found here. She offered explanations for the stories she told police,. 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." Investigators discovered that the parking lot had surveillance cameras, and they pulled the security footage thinking they had stumbled upon a smoking gun that would show who dumped Bill McGuire's car. (Video By Bumper. 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 then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. I just burst into tears, Melanie said of learning about her husbands death in a 2007 interview. 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. The Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women near Clinton, New Jersey, made headlines for allegations of sexual abuse and for the recent spread of the coronavirus, New Jersey Spotlight News reported. Melanie McGuire. I just wanted to get away from him at that point. Dig, dig., 20/20 airs Fridays at 9 pm on ABC, right after Americas Funniest Home Videos at 8 pm. It is physically exhausting. Author John Glatt wrote a book about the case, entitled To Have and To Kill. He lived with his wife Melanie and their two boys in an apartment in Woodbridge, New Jersey, United States. After pulling the surveillance footage from the parking lot, however, investigators were disappointed. ET on Saturday, June 18 on the Lifetime network. The 47-year-old is currently serving a life sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey . Custody of McGuire's two sons was given to her husband's sister, Cindy Ligosh, when she was convicted, and McGuire has not seen them since. Melanie McGuire is currently in a New Jersey jail, awaiting sentencing on July 19. Her defense lawyers have not said if McGuire will testify . Almost three years after the crime, McGuire's murder trial commenced at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey on March 5, 2007. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishment, Wrong Turn: The tragic story of former It Girl Amy Locane, Amy Locane to be re-sentenced for fatal auto crash, Amy Locane recalls drunk-driving crash in post-prison interview. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. Wronko, who is also Locane's boyfriend, is appealing the new sentence, which he believes violates her double jeopardy protections. Background Bill McGuire was born in September of 1964. She pleaded not guilty. Police discovered Bill's car in Atlantic City and when they obtained surveillance footage, they discovered that McGuire had used a highway toll twice to drive to the location, and that she'd attempted to have the charges removed, per ABC News. On camera, Melanie tells them: Make up your mind. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. Miller, however, claimed that the prescription was written in Melanies handwriting. Melanie McGuire is now serving a lifetime sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, as Entertainment Weekly reports. Her bail was raised to $2.1million ($2.9 million today), but she was again released. [9] Melanie later claimed she had moved the car as a "prank",[8] even though she had applied for a protection from abuse order days earlier after allegedly being slapped by her husband. Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg are the hosts of the podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors. [8] She married United States Navy veteran William T. "Bill" McGuire (born September 21, 1964) in 1999. After finishing high school, she enrolled at Rutgers University for a double major in math and psychology, which she achieved in 1994. She was later charged with other offences including perjury and desecration of human remains, for which she also pled not guilt. Soon after William and Melanie McGuire tied the knot in 1999, they welcomed their first child, a son, in 2000. The day before his disappearance, the couple closed on the purchase of their first home. This stuff exists, she said on the show. Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a women's correctional facility in New Jersey. Amy Locane's prison cell roommate is the Suitcase Killer - EW.com Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for WomenMelanie McGuire prison record. She said her husband left and that she never saw him again. As a year passed and the investigations continued, on October 26, 2006, Melanie was charged with two more counts of hindering apprehension for allegedly writing letters to the police department to get them off her trail. 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 will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 . I looked down and theres my 2-year-old. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. "People ask me, 'Explain this. If youre willing to wear a wire, well believe you, said Sacks. Her defense attorneys argued that anyone could have conducted the searches. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Though a jury agreed and sentenced Melanie McGuire to life in prison, the so-called Suitcase Killer has long insisted upon her innocence. The request was subsequently denied. She said she was unhappy in her marriage. She pleaded not guilty to all indictments and soon posted an accumulated bail of over $2 million. 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. According to state records, she must serve at least 85% of her sentence before she can even be considered for parole, which means shell become eligible for it on May 20, 2073. After all these years, I still feel hurt. There's less of a waiting period.. 3d 411 - NJ: Appellate Div. "After all these years, I still feel hurt. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, majored in statistics at Rutgers University, and enrolled in nursing school, according to The New York Times. The podcasters and Melanie McGuire also point to unexplained animal hair found on Bill McGuires dismembered body and noted in investigative reports. William "Bill" McGuire was having a great day. According to 20/20, the police were able to quickly identify the dismembered man. He did not return a call from the seller later that evening. One of the three suitcases that contained parts of Bill McGuires body. Meghan Sacks, host of podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professor questions Melanie McGuire's guilt. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? Lifetime is planning to release a movie about her case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story in June 2022. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. This stuff exists, she said on the show. 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. She reportedly spent most of her life in New Jersey. 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. They pulled out the piping, pulling floorboards up, said Sacks. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?". She put his remains into a 3-piece suitcase set, and those three pieces were later found in Chesapeake Bay. On April 26, 2004, Melanie had purchased a .38 caliber handgun from a store in Easton, Pennsylvania; Bill had been killed with a .38 caliber handgun with wadcutter bullets. She drugged him, shot him (in the head and chest) to death, and subsequently dismembered his remains. However, prosecutors established that the informant was "entirely incredible and routinely and habitually fabricates stories" according to a New Jersey State Police investigation, before recanting and accusing McGuire's attorney of suborning perjury. Melanie claims she's innocent, and hopes that she will be released someday. 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. 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 . A nurse said her husband walked out on her. 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. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured hugging at an unknown date. 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 claims that someone went after Bill because of his gambling debts and that the real perpetrator of the Suitcase Murder is still out there. She didn't fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg said. That same year, she married her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran named William Bill McGuire. 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. The McGuire Diaries - CBS News Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. Like, how could somebody think that I did that?. Days later, an unidentified man, believed by many to be her stepfather, also contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the charge removed. In April 2004, defendant conducted internet research to learn about buying a gun and about poisons, sedative drugs, and murder. Prosecutors believed that Melanie McGuires motive to kill her husband came from her desire to start a new life with her lover, Dr. Bradley Miller, a partner at the medical practice RMA Associates, where she worked as a nurse.