Out of the Past Warren Dixon

Out of the Past    When teen Sherita Williams meets an untimely death after a quick trip to the nail salon everyone in Pennsauken, New Jersey is shocked. Police dig up a cast of potential villains but when the true killer appears, they find he's in a class all his own.    

Warren Dixon was not originally a suspect. He was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and attempted aggravated sexual assault and must serve eighty-five percent of a twenty year sentence. He had previously been convicted of selling marijuana and conspiracy to commit robbery. Sherrita's family worked tirelessly to make sure the murder was solved. It was solved when Dixon had to provide DNA for a drug charge. It was that DNA that linked him to the murder. She refused to have sex with him, so he killed her.




You can write to Warren Dixon at:

Warren Dixon 000947899C
East Jersey State Prison
Lock Bag R
Rahway, NJ 07065

Texas Terror Kevin Edison Smith

Texas Terror Discovery ID describes this episode as when thirteen-year-old Texas City girl Krystal Baker is found dead off the banks of the Galveston Bay, investigators round up a herd of suspects. But with little physical evidence on the scene, it takes a dedicated detective to solve this case.  

Kevin Edison Smith was convicted of Capital Murder in the state of Texas, which carries an automatic life sentence. He was arrested because his DNA was on file for a prior drug offense when cold case detectives opted to retest the dress Krystal had been wearing. He was spared the death penalty as he is suspected of other Texas murders of missing girls.

During the interview, appellant testified that he picked up a girl he believed to be named “Michelle” and, after she told him she was 18-years-old, he paid her for  sex.    “Michelle”  performed  oral  sex  on  him,  but  “freaked  out”  after  he ejaculated on her.  Appellant said that he pleaded with her to be quiet so that others at the gas station nearby would not hear.  When she would not comply, he began to choke  her  with  his  hands.    When  pressed  about  whether  he  used  a  ligature  rather than his hands, appellant admitted that he grabbed the strap to a bucket and choked her with that.  He “freaked out” when he realized that she was not breathing and began to drive.  He then dumped her body under the Trinity River Bridge



You can write to Kevin Edison Smith  at:

Kevin Edison Smith 1778693   
Connally Unit
899 FM 632
Kenedy, TX 78119

        

Cruel Intentions Barry Waites

Cruel Intentions Discovery ID describes this as in Lanett, AL, things just aren't adding up when a beloved former teacher, and mayor's wife, is found dead in her home. Friends try to put two and two together, but they come up with zero reasons anyone would want her dead, and police are just as stymied.    

Charlotte Waites was a beloved member of her community. Her husband Barry Waites went home for lunch, strangled his wife and made it appear as though she had fallen down the stairs. He was previouslly convicted of theft from an employer and spent time in jail. The state alleged a dispute over finances was the cause of the murder.

Barry Waites was sentenced to 40 years in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 to the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission..



You cannot write to Barry Waites as his current location is unknown.

Million Dollar Murder Jan Waters

Million Dollar Murder Discovery ID describes this episode as on May 22, 2004 Baton Rouge millionaire Alan Waters is found shot to death inside his mansion. Police think his real estate business is to blame but they can't solve this deadly puzzle until someone close to Alan comes forward with the missing piece.  

Jan Waters could not be linked directly to the crime as there was no hard evidence and it was a circumstantial case. She confessed in custody, but a judge threw out that confession. She ulitmately plead guilty to manslaughter.

 Her motive was money and child custody in their divorce.

You can not write to Jan as she has either been released or her location is unknown at this time.

Devil in the Desert Gary Snelling

Devil in the Desert Discovery ID describes this episode as when single gal Adele Curtis meets a terrible end in her Phoenix rental property, detectives delve into a series of suspects to find the killer. But when the search goes cold as a desert night, it takes the dawn of DNA to catch this murderer.

 Gary Snelling was convicted when DNA technology advanced. Curtis's murder remained unsolved for several years. In 2003, a detective re-opened the investigation and submitted evidence for DNA testing. A DNA profile obtained from the beverage can matched Snelling's profile, which had been obtained in an unrelated matter in 1999. Snelling's profile also matched the profiles obtained from the blood smear and blood drop, and his DNA was likely present on the electrical cord. In addition, Snelling's prints matched the prints found at the townhouse, and he had lived in the same complex as Curtis at the time of the murder. He was sentenced to death.



You can write to  Gary Snelling at:

   

South Unit

Gary Snelling 135203

PO Box 8400

Florence, AZ 85132

  

Innocence Lost Eugene Britt

Innocence Lost    In 1995, Portage, IN, Sarah Paulsen, 8, is found assaulted and murdered. After several leads, police in the close knit town are stymied. Could a tipster's call, odd confessions, or an original suspect be the culprit?    

 Eugene Britt pleaded guilty but mentally ill. He was sentenced to life in prison plus a consecutive 100 years. In total he was guilty of three murders and a rape. His victims were Nakita Moore, Debra McHenry and Tonya Dunlap and
another unnamed fourteen year old girl. He is in a wheelchair after an unsuccessful suicide attempt where he threw himself in front of a train. As many as ten murders have been attributed to him.

At sentencing Britt made a rambling apology owning what he had done and his guilty. He will never be released from prison.



You can write to Eugene Britt at:

Eugene Britt        963641
Indiana State Prison
P.O. Box 41
Michigan City, IN 46361

Indiana    Portage    Sarah Paulsen      

Last Call Eric Smith

Last Call Discovery ID describes this as in late 2007 Jasper, Texas native Martin Byerly disappears without a trace. Police look into the 58-year-old ladies man's dance card but can't seem to pin anything on a femme fatal. Then an unlikely tipster helps them learn what happened to Martin. 

Eric Wade Smith was convicted of Capital Murder which carries an automatic life in prison without the possibility of parole. Eric was a crack addict, met Byerly at a hotel for sex. He alleged that Martin sexually assaulted him, however there is no history of evidence of that.

Thereafter, appellant returned to Southwell with twenty dollarsand a request for Southwell to purchase drugs for him.   Southwell purchased the drugs as requested and delivered them to appellant‟s motel room.Appellant  returned to Southwell‟s room about thirty minutes  later  with  more  money  to purchase more drugs.    Southwell understood from appellant that Byerly had passed out in appellant‟s room.  While in Southwell‟s room, appellant and Southwell ingested drugs.  Southwell  did  not  see  appellant  again  that  night,  but testified  that  as  he was  leaving  for work  the  next  morning,  around  6:30  or  7  a.m.,  he  saw  Byerly.    Specifically  Southwell recalled that Byerly came to his room looking for his wallet.  Byerly went to appellant‟s room  and  asked  appellant  if  he  knew  where he  could  find  his  wallet.

You can write to Eric Smith at:

Eric Smith 1576154   
Allred Unit
2101 FM 369 North
Iowa Park, TX 76367

 

Taste of Murder Lewis Allan Harry Jr.

Taste of Murder Discovery ID describes this episode as when a sip from the office water cooler turns deadly for secretary Julie Williams, detectives are stumped. Who could have had it out for this sweet single mom? Investigators search for the mystery mixologist and are shocked at who they stir up.

Lewis Allan Harry Jr. was attempting to kill his wife by poisoning the water cooler at her job. Unfortunately, it was Julie who died. He was convicted and sentenced to life.



You can write to Lewis Allan Harry Jr. at:

East Unit

Lewis Allan Harry Jr 61546

PO Box 5000

Florence, AZ 85132

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadly Intentions James Fountain

Deadly Intentions Discovery ID describes this episode as a tight-knit community is stunned when the body of Cynthia Epps is found stuffed into a cabinet in her Buffalo, NY neighborhood. A clever killer eludes capture for nearly two decades but new technology and dogged detective work put him behind bars.   

Investigators were left to assume Epps' body parts, wrapped in a green blanket and placed in a wooden nightstand, had been randomly dumped in Fountain's backyard on the 100 block of Montana.. James Fountain was caught when cold case detectives tested all of the evidence linked to this case. Despite having no reason to suspect him, he was in fact the killer. He plead  not guilty.

Fountain also was convicted in 1984 for sexual attacks involving 7- and 8-year-old girls in the New York City area.

You can write to James Fountain at:

James Fountain        12B2305
Attica Correctional Facility
639 Exchange St
Attica, New York 14011-0149

  

Wrong Way Home Tim Chaney

Wrong Way Home is described by Discovery ID as when 12-year-old Michelle Winter goes missing without a trace, her family doesn't have a clue as to who could have whisked this pre-teen away. Cops have many leads, but it isn't until evidence is linked to the killer that they get their big break.  

Later that afternoon, Timothy Chaney, Stephanie's stepfather, came into Stephanie's bedroom and told her that he was going around the corner to get his van washed.   Stephanie's mother, Wendy Chaney, was asleep.   At 4:50 p.m., both girls left the house, but walked in opposite directions.   Stephanie turned north to return a videotape, and Michelle walked south to return home.   Michelle then turned east on the street where she lived.   Neighbors saw her around five o'clock walking toward her house carrying a book bag.

At six o'clock, Jackie Nowak called Stephanie's house to tell Michelle to return home.   Stephanie told her that Michelle had left her house around 5:00 p.m. After driving around the neighborhood without success in finding Michelle, Jackie returned home and called the Springfield police.
Timothy Chaney had not yet returned home.   Wendy Chaney asked her next-door neighbors, Richard and Cheri Nelson, if they knew of her husband's whereabouts.   They did not.   Timothy Chaney returned home in the van around 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. Wendy and Timothy Chaney then drove Wendy's car to Jackie Nowak's house to let her know that they would search near the mall.

The next day, a police detective questioned Timothy Chaney and noted that he had tears in his eyes, and that when Chaney's voice broke in mid-sentence, he had to stop to regain his composure.   Later that day, Richard Nelson asked Chaney where he had been the night before.   Chaney told Nelson that he had driven to Linden Lure off of route 60 to go fishing, but fell asleep because he had been drinking beer that afternoon.

The Midwest Innocence Project is working on Tim's case. While we know it exists, we have not investigated the claim. You can read their information here.



 You can write to Tim Chaney at:

Tim Chaney 990132
Southeast Correctional Center
300 East Pedro Simmons Drive
Charleston, MO 63834

Dead of the Night Floyd DeWayne Grady

Dead of the Night  is described by Discovery ID as: on April 15, 2004 residents of Riverton, WY are worried about more than the IRS after the brutal murder of prison nurse, Tammy Watts. Police begin an all out manhunt for the killer and it takes a hair-raising discovery for them to nab their guy.  

Floyd DeWayne Grady was caught because he was seen at the murder site and DNA evidence, and finger prints despite never having received dental care in that office.

Tammy Watts worked as a nurse at the Wyoming Honor Farm located in Riverton, Wyoming.   On April 15, 2004, and in accordance with her usual practice, Mrs. Watts reported to work a few minutes before 6:00 o'clock that morning.   Approximately fifty minutes later, her body was discovered in the dental area of the medical office (a.k.a. nurse's office), which was located in the basement of the Administration Building at the Honor Farm. Mrs. Watts was lying “spread eagle” on the floor in a pool of blood.   Her shirt was pulled up over her head, her breasts were exposed, and she was nude from the waist down.   Mrs. Watts had been strangled with an electrical cord and had suffered blunt traumatic injuries to her face and head, as well as cerebral contusions.   Mrs. Watts' body showed signs of lividity, indicating she was killed shortly after arriving at work that morning. 

You can write to Floyd DeWayne Grady at:

Floyd DeWayne Grady 17469  
Wyoming State Penitentiary
2900 S. Higley Road /P.O. Box 400
Rawlins WY 82301-0400


  

Silent Night, Violent Night Justin Stephens

Silent Night, Violent Night is described by Discovery ID as in 2006, Christmas cheer hits an all-time low in Hubbardston, MI when 80-year-old Billie Cunningham is found murdered in her home. Years pass as police search for a vicious killer. But it turns out the shocking confession is well worth the wait.  

Justin Stephens appealed his conviction, stating,   After  The  Ionia  County  Sheriff  Department  concluded  the  death  as  accidental,  a  crew  arrived to clean the scene of the victim’s death.  During their cleaning, they found earrings lying on  the  floor  where  the  victim  had  died.    One  of  the  earrings  had  a  bent  post,  indicating  to  the  members  of  the  cleaning  crew  that  it  had  not  fallen  out  of  the  victim’s  ear.    They  also  found  a  statue or a piece of a broken
statue in the middle of the victim’s living room.  The pieces of glass and the mirror were preserved by the cleaning crew and bagged. Defendant,  who  had  moved  to  Texas,  lived  with  the  Kramer  family  who  he  had  met  in  Texas.    Defendant  dated  Jessica  Broom,  who  also  lived  with  the  Kramer  family.    The  Kramer  family  lived  across  the  street  from  the  victim,  which  led  police  to  question  him  and  other  members  of  the  Kramer  household.    Despite  having  concluded  the  death  “accidental,”  in  December of 2006 and January of 2007, Ingram spoke with defendant four times.





You can write to Justin Stephens at:

Justin Stephens 807416
Chippewa Correctional Facility
4269 W. M-80
Kincheloe, MI 49784 

Murder on the Menu Ronald Harnois

Murder on the Menu is described by Discovery ID as: when friendly cashier Tammy Petrin is found shot execution style at the local burger joint, the town of Woonsocket's in shock. After lead suspects don't serve up answers, a helpful hooker and letters from jail might be just what detectives ordered.   

Ronald Harnois was caught because he was committing bigamy. He had tried to kill his second wife and was in prison for attempted murder. He feared Tammy Petrin would testify against him and so he hired two fellow inmates to kill her. Perhaps avoiding marriage would have been a better idea. He has appealed his conviction. You can view the appeal by clicking on his name above.

This case has its genesis in defendant's attempted murder of his second wife, Joanne, when he attached a bomb to the underside of her car.   The events leading up to and surrounding the murder attempt may be found in Harnois I. At the time, an investigation revealed that Petrin also was married

to Harnois as his third wife and that she, too, had been involved in planning Joanne's murder.   In return for Petrin's testimony against Harnois, the state agreed to drop its charge against her for conspiracy to commit murder.   Believing that the state would be unable to convict him of the charges in Harnois I without Petrin's testimony, Harnois set about planning Petrin's murder through various intermediaries.   He succeeded in bringing his plan to fruition in the early hours of July 30, 1991, when Steve Wilson (Wilson) shot and killed Petrin at Harnois's behest.   The murder occurred at Petrin's place of employment at a Burger King in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.   Wilson also shot and killed Villeda, a janitor who happened to be cleaning the establishment at the time.   The events leading up to the shootings were as follows.



 You can write to Ronald Harnois at:

Ronald Harnois 82363   
Medium John J. Moran Facility
PO Box 8274,
Cranston  RI 02920

Devils in the Details Quincy Damell Hughes

Devils in the Details this episode is described by Discovery ID as: the savage murder of single mother Cindy Pavey rattles the tranquil town of Murphysboro, Illinois. Police investigate a potentially deadly love triangle, but it will take over a decade to harvest the leads necessary to bring her killer to justice.   

Quincy Damell Hughes plead guilty first-degree murder seventeen years after the murder. He was sentenced to thirty years in prison.

He was caught when his DNA was entered into CODIS for an unrelated crime where it matched the DNA from this crime.





You can write to  Quincy Damell Hughes at:

Quincy Damell Hughes B26052
​Vienna Correctional Center
6695 State Route #146 East
Vienna, IL 62995

Death Down on the Farm Joseph Clark

Death Down on the Farm this episode is described by Discovery ID as community's worst fears are realized when the body of 25-year-old Holly Notestine is found deep in a Clearville, Pennsylvania logging forest. After years of fuzzy clues and dead-end tips cops nab a ruthless killer lurking just around the corner.  

Joseph William Clark was identified during his trial by Holly's four year old so who witnessed the kidnapping. The state pushed for the death sentence due to the fact she was tortured by 17 stab wounds. He was sentenced to life without parole.








You can write to Joseph William Clark at:

  

Smart Communications/PADOC

Joseph Clark HS8818

SCI Coal Township

PO Box 33028

St Petersburg, FL 33733

Deadly Dealings Seth Louis

Deadly Dealings    The quiet town of Tomahawk is rocked when long time resident 42-year-old Tracy Maurer is found brutally stabbed to death in her home. Police have a laundry list of suspects but it's a tip from the rumor mill that finally brings closure to the case.  

Seth Louis pleadg guilty to first degree intentional homicide, as party to a crime the judge dismissed some burglary charges but said they would be considered during sentencing. His motive for killing her was her failure to pay for a computer he had sold her.

Heather Ward was also convicted for her role in this murder. She has since been released from prison.

Katie Decker plead guilty to no contest to a charge of being party to first-degree recklessly endangering safety and was given a brief sentence.


You can write to Seth Louis at:

Seth Louis 414529
Dodge Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 700
Waupun, WI 53963-0700

         

Heartland Homicide Paul Drayton

Heartland Homicide is described by Discovery ID as after beloved custodian James Mayberry is found stabbed to death in his Wichita home, the folks of the Midwestern town are in shock. Detectives are stumped until a break comes faster than a prairie tornado that pins down the heartless killer.   

The case went cold until DNA linked Paul Drayton to the murder. He was tried and convicted.

Paul Drayton was released from the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility on May 30, 2002.   That same day he visited a friend, James Mayberry.   After the two men engaged in sexual relations, Drayton discarded his condom in a trash can in Mayberry's bathroom.
The next day, a large blue plastic grocery/trash bag was found by the Magetti family near their curb in Wichita, approximately 2 to 3 miles from Mayberry's house.   While they first saw it as they were leaving for work at approximately 8 a.m., they did not look more closely until returning home at approximately 4 p.m. Upon seeing the contents, the Magettis called the police.

The police found that the bag contained two knives with dried blood, wadded bloody paper towels, a used condom, and a wallet containing Mayberry's driver's license but no money.   The police then went to Mayberry's house.   They found no sign of forced entry but did find Mayberry nude, bloodied, and dead in his bed, with multiple wounds to his neck and chest.   In the bedroom was a box of condoms and a roll of paper towels, like those found in the grocery/trash bag.   The police noted that Mayberry's van was missing, which they later found-with the key in the ignition-a few blocks from the Magettis' house.   The van had been seen there with its lights on as early as 4 a.m. that day by a neighborhood resident.

You can write to Paul Drayton at:

Paul Drayton 52653 
Saguaro Correctional Center
1252 E. Arica Road
Eloy, AZ 85131

Hands of Betrayal Paul Pozniak

Hands of Betrayal is described by Discovery ID as   84-year-old Charles Taylor's grisly murder has the entire city of Warren, Michigan in disarray. Investigators are taken on a wild ride and are forced to eliminate a swath of suspects, only to be stunned by the true identity of a callous murderer.    

Paul Pozniak was Charles Taylor's long lost godson. While they were separated, Paul became quite the criminal and killed him for money.


 He has appealed his conviction and sentence and lost.

Defendant’s  conviction  arises  from  the  February  23,  2010,  strangulation  of  84-year-old  Charles Taylor in his home in Warren, Michigan.  The prosecution’s theory was that defendant, the estranged son of Taylor’s long-time friend, knew that Taylor had money, attacked him in his home,  ransacked  his  home  looking  for  valuables,  and  stole  his  wallet.    Defendant’s  DNA  was  discovered  on  Taylor’s  left  and  right  hands,  as  well  as  the  inside  of  Taylor’s  right  rear  pants  pocket, where Taylor kept his wallet.  At trial, the defense argued that defendant’s DNA was on Taylor’s hands because Taylor shook defendant’s hand and hugged him during a prior visit, and that  a  secondary  transfer  from  that  contact  caused  the  presence  of  defendant’s  DNA  inside  Taylor’s pants pocket.  The defense presented an alibi defense, and defendant and his girlfriend both testified that they were together on the day of Taylor’s death.

You can write to Paul Pozniak at:

Paul Pozniak 170303   
Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility 
2500 S. Sheridan Drive
Muskegon Heights, MI 49444