Her murder case raised national attention. 1. Both of Amys parents worked full time. The Handmade Curtain. Runkle says he doesn't ever remember being physical with his female students, either. Dean Runkle himself denies any involvement in the murder of Amy Mihaljevic and the FBI has never officially declared him a suspect. The killer also must have been local at the time, having known about the corn field on the remote county road for disposal of Amys body. "Statistical probabilities are always trumped by case specifics." Finally, police discovered a link between all the girls. When would I have had time to kill her? There is new evidence in the Amy Mihaljevic murder investigation - a homemade curtain and a blanket found on the road where Amy's body was discovered in 1989. She didnt recognize the mans voice. We want it to be a surprise. Then the man puts an arm around Amy's shoulders and leads her away. Revealed to have close relationships with some students, In 2005, investigators reveal that other girls from the area had, received similar calls to Amy trying to lure them to a public place. He nods, unsurprised. He's not homeless anymore. The police also released a letter to all households with school-age children asking if they had received any mysterious phone calls similar to the one that lured Amy out to the shopping center. The report that was done by fox 8 said no sperm was found referenced a 1989 report that used 1989 technology. I will be there and will update this thread asap. But he sees the death of Runkle's twin sister at such a young age as a traumatic event that may have had an impact on the rest of his life. Immediately, police focused in on the caretaker of the ranch, who was a dead ringer for the composite sketch. Her killer has never been apprehended. Apparently, in 1987, Dean even set up a few thousand dollars in a trust fund for his favorite student, but then, in the fall of 1989, they just stopped communicating. They become confident with their methods, so they start getting sloppy and leaving evidence behind. But it was never inappropriate.". Amy Mihaljevic disappeared on October 27, 1989. But don't tell her what we're doing. By the time police made this connection, the log book had vanished from the nature center. Recently, she saw a suspect's photo on the blog I've maintained since publishing a book about the unsolved case. The man told Amy that her mother had just gotten a promotion at work, and that he wanted to take Amy shopping to buy a gift for her that day. All these other girls had unlisted phone numbers. "I'm meeting a friend.". Only Amy and her killer will ever know the answer. I will admit that sketch of the man Amy met that day looks like DR (and like a dead-ringer too), but simply looking like a sketch doesnt make him our guy. The story of her unsolved kidnapping and murder was one of the first cases presented by John Walsh on the television show, America's Most Wanted during . The story I've spent the most time on is the unsolved abduction and murder of Amy Mihaljevic. he shouts. Last weekend, I paid him a visit. He knew Amy and her friends. By One is that the killer felt remorse for what theyd done, and returning Amys body would give some peace and closure to Amys family, and allow them to bury her properly. Just got a phone call from an investigator working on it. . Sgt. We may never find answers to these questions, but Amys family deserves to know what happened to her. Amy Mihaljevic's cause of death was determined to be homicide by stabbing. Amy was 10 and had not yet reached puberty. "I've been able to tear down this wall. Another close timeframe, so its another no from me. Search for a Topic. She had contracted lupus, along with several other health issues. Many of these men have no alibis for the afternoon of October 27, 1989. Turning the corner, he says, "I have nothing to confess to.". "NEW" EVIDENCE? Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw with Amy the day she vanished. The fact that Amys body was left in an open area with the blanket her body was carried in leads me to believe that this killer was getting confident, and that they were familiar with this territory. His hair is thick and bushy above his eyes. Usually, someone that would go this far is not someone who has never done that before or hasnt done it again, Elish said. There is new evidence in the Amy Mihaljevic murder investigation - a homemade curtain and a blanket found on the road where Amy's body was discovered in 1989. In the years since Amy's abduction, Maddie (not her real name) has been shown hundreds of photos of suspects. Edit: Press conference just ended. "I walk a lot," he says. The other students assumed the man was a friend or relative, and that Amy knew him, so they thought nothing of it. Police found signs of sexual assault, and her cause of death was declared as multiple stab wounds to the neck area. The Lake Erie area had never seen such a gruesome murder of a child. And others include people, sometimes odd, who lived near the Mihaljevics at the time parents of Amys closest friends, convicted sex offenders, and those with suspicious alibis. What a stupid idea - thinking I would walk into a random fast-food joint and find him. Submissions. He wears a beige windbreaker with plaid lining, front-pressed khakis and a button-up shirt. 2 Suspects. If you're from NE Ohio, there's nothing that comes close to this case. I do not believe that so much evidence can point to one person and it be just a coincidence. Amy ignores him. Renner says on the podcast he believes Lamborgine can be connected to other top suspects . Birthday December 11, 1978. He seemed excited about a new lead. The investigation now relies heavily on advancements in DNA. Joseph, real name Robert Ivan Nichols, committed suicide in Eastlake, Ohio, in 2002, but when investigators were unable to locate his family at the time, they discovered that he had stolen the identity of an eight-year-old boy who was killed in a car crash in 1945. The abductor had contacted Mihaljevic by telephone and arranged to meet her on the pretext of buying a gift for her mother because she had recently been promoted, as he told her. She loved horseback riding, and took riding lessons with her friends at a local horse ranch. He admitted he was a teacher at Amys middle school, but denied he had anything to do with the nature center. This is a key piece of evidence police searched for when interviewing their many suspects. She was stabbed twice in the neck and struck with a blunt object on the back of her head. I quickly began to see why this man was on the FBI's list of priorities. He said that hed take Amy to the nearby shopping center after school one day to buy her mother a present, and possibly even insinuated that hed buy her one as well, just for her help. Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw with Amy the day she vanished. Eventually, their method of killing starts to bore them, and the killer needs more drama, risk and excitement with each new victim. What history do I have of inappropriate behavior with kids? I don't think unjust collateral damage matters to him if it is likely to enhance his readership and thus his profit. Jason became concerned quickly and called his mother Margaret at work to ask where Amy was. This desolate stretch of cracked pavement is not a place you'd likely happen on by chance, and detectives had long theorized that whoever had dumped her body there must have been familiar with the area. "He made comments about girls' outfits. In early 1990 her body was found. At 2:10 p.m., on October . He was immediately brought in for questioning. Runkle sold his gold Grand Prix in 1991. The man also tried to lure the girl out of her house to go shopping for a gift for the girls mother. Since Runkle is exceptionally well liked as a teacher by many former students, Renner became the subject of strong criticism, unlike anything he had faced from naming previous suspects, when he named Runkle. on a farm near the road where Amys body was found (Renner, 2008). Everyone standing in line at the Flagler soup kitchen wants to help. This is the kind of thing that a killer only learns with experience. Somebody who had ridden in that car a week ago, had dropped a hair on the seat," Renner said about the transfer theory. But when that approach doesn't work, they may resort to violence, "because they can't figure out another way to get the child to have sex with them. There are no samples, according to Elish, currently being tested in a lab. But what motivation could this man possibly have to lie to police during their investigation in 1989? Investigators said she was stabbed to death. The report of a missing child from their own neighborhood frightened every soul in Bay Village. As the years went by, Margaret Mihaljevic moved to Las Vegas to be closer to her mother. She was popular, funny, kind and energetic. Her murder case received national attention. Further evidence that supports the fact that Amy was not this killers first victim is the phone call they allowed Amy to make to her mother at work around 3:30pm on the day she disappeared. Lanning has weighed in on the case before. The store bred pet mice, but when the mice population exploded, Runkle began giving the mice away to local nature centers, says the store's former owner, Oneta McCarthy. on They lived in a nearby community. Amy told her mother she was ok and that she was at home now, and then quickly hung up. It appears Dan stopped hanging out with Runkle in the fall of 1989. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (WOIO) - Nearly 32 years after her murder, theres a new clue in the Amy Mihaljevic case. It's hard to tell what might be ailing Runkle, though, because, at 65, he could easily pass for 45. "Also, preference does not mean exclusivity. This interaction was seen by two separate witnesses, both fellow middle school students. As seen on the Oxygen mini-series The Disappearance of Maura MurrayWhen an eleven year old James Renner fell in love with Amy Mihaljevic, the missing girl seen on posters all over his neighborhood, it was the beginning of a lifelong obsession with true crime. I shake his hand and introduce myself. Lanning cites Ted Bundy, who is best known for raping college-aged women even though his last victim was 12 years old. Runkle also seemed to have volunteered in the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village at the time of the murder. Through Renners research and his own private investigation, Renner has produced what is by far the most valuable lead in Amys case so far. He kept a cot in a side room and sometimes slept there overnight. Her dirty-blonde hair hangs, a little disheveled, over her earrings - turquoise horse heads, mounted on gold studs. Although the Bay Village Police have, confirmed that these same suspects have been interviewed, there are few. He was released from police custody. All rights reserved. . How much time would that give DR to rush out after work, find a pay phone or some other way of calling, then make the call? People will say that DR was odd in many ways (which he may have been), about how he abruptly left, gave excuses, and whatnot but leaving and not telling anyone why isnt a crime. A Catastrophic Cyber Event in the Next 2-Years; Youth Pastor and Foster Dad in Florida Accused of Human Trafficking; Downtown Denver Dying? In 2016, fibers on the curtain turned out to be dog hairs, matching Amys dog at the time of her disappearance. "He's one of those men who makes you feel uncomfortable when you're alone with them," she says. And then Maddie sees the man. Amy . Her murder case received national attention. "I know I'm their top suspect. Send a News Tip. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was a ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. No other connection could be made between him and Amys disappearance. Where? What happened to the car you were driving in the Fall of 1989? It was dinnertime when I got there, and I quickly surveyed the room. While Im sure Renner has spent more time on this than some investigators, I will respectfully disagree with him as being the perp here. He called some students his assistants, and they were allowed to stay with Runkle after school and on weekends to help clean the cages and feed the animals. 2. Other students of Runkle have since testified that Runkle engaged in sexual misconduct with them in the form of inappropriate touching and rides in his car to and from his apartment. Police responded to the Mihaljevic house almost immediately, and began interviewing Amys family and friends over the next few days. Then March became June, and June became November. El caso de Amy sigue abierto hasta el da de hoy, y la polica de Bay Village tiene la intencin de mantenerlo abierto hasta que se resuelva. In 2001, Margaret Mihaljevic was found dead in her apartment. Remember back to 1989. Renner never got in touch with him again. The girl told police that the man called her house claiming to be a friend of her mothers. The curtain is incredibly unique and likely homemade. He gave them the name of a suspect and asked if it sounded familiar. I remember when he saw one girl with a skirt that was way too short, he said, 'That's not appropriate, but I'm glad you wore it to my class.' "I'm meeting someone," says Amy. A stranger convinced Amy that he needed her help buying a present . In late October 1989, Amy Mihaljevic was lured to a suburban Ohio shopping center by an unknown male who had befriended her via conversations on the phone, and she was never seen alive again. He had a few girls he was extra close to, like the girl who sat in front of me. According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation. She was born on December 11, 1978 and her birthplace is Little Rock, AR. Renner parked his car and confronted Runkle. These items were found a ways down the road from her body and until now they were not sure that they were linked to the crime. Amy Mihaljevic is a famous Child murder victim. Most of the 100 or so who replied remembered his fondness for Dr. Pepper and disdain for yawning in his class or saying "yeah" instead of "yes." But when she arrived, the school was already closed for the day and no one could help her. Searchers discovered Amy's body on February 9, 1990. In 2006, it was revealed that before Amy was slain, many young girls around her same age had also received a similar phone call from an unidentified man, saying that hed help them buy their mother a present. Shortly after her friends went home, Amy was approached by a man in his 30s at the shopping center. Keeping all this in mind, only a handful of strong suspects remain. And, only a few times has she said that the man in the photo could be the one she saw. They also start taking trophies. The details surrounding her disappearance and subsequent murder are a parent's worst nightmare. Margaret and Mark filed for divorce, and Mark moved out of the house. See pictures of the handmade curtain and blanket here. In lab, he would stand behind me and push his chest against me. But Amy told her brother, Jason, and her friend, Kristy Balas, about the phone calls. "When I went to school, there was this wall - student on this side, teacher over here," he said in an interview that ran in the Lorain Morning Journal that year. This case to me, to solve it, not just to me, but for the police department and Amys family and really for Amy, would be everything for us, he said. The man spoke to her for a few seconds, and then led her away from the sidewalk. Marshals searching for Ohio man wanted in multiple crimes, Chief issues 6-alarm fire in Camp Washington, 1 dead, 4 hospitalized after being hit by semi-truck following crash on Ohio Turnpike, 2-year-old Ohio boy found safe, Amber Alert canceled, police say, Duo of suspected porch pirates wanted on Clevelands West Side, police say, RELATED: 32 years later, Mark Mihaljevic still hopeful his daughters killer will be found, Closed Captioning/Audio Description Problems. On Friday October 27th, Jason arrived home at about 3:15pm, but Amy was nowhere to be found. It didn't. "Le FBI a enfin un suspect de premier plan dans le meurtre d'Amy Mihaljevic. Amy Mihaljevics abduction and murder, unsolved, is still ongoing, and it seems as if the authorities will not stop until they bring the 10-year-old girl some justice by arresting and convicting her perpetrator/s. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was an ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. We know where she was found. Did it go missing? But be careful not to try to fit a square peg in a round hole, he warns. They know this.". But there is so much more circumstantial evidence that says they are guilty than there is for any other "suspects". In February 1990, when Amys body was found in an Ashland County field, a curtain and a blanket were discovered 300 yards away. But I answered the FBI's questions, I took their lie detector test and they haven't done anything to me. Sunday, October 11, 2015. DR is a teacher, and if its one thing that kids will remember its seeing a teacher or former teacher in public. News of the other suspicious phone calls in the area spread around, and suddenly, no children went anywhere alone. None had ever talked to a reporter, until they found me in 2006. Amys death affected everyone in the Bay Village community and surrounding areas. "His eyes popped out of his head. Two of Amys friends immediately told police they had met Amy at the Bay Village Shopping Center shortly after school ended. ALSO, Dean Runkle has NOT been named as a suspect. Amy Mihaljevic was born on the 11th of December, 1978. Tue Aug 17, 06:49:00 PM . As time went on, the Mihaljevics marriage disintegrated. He worked for the bureau for 30 years, the last 20 devoted to crimes against children. "What's the reward?" Then Runkle suddenly quit again, in 2003, according to his personnel file; he gave no reason, declined to apply for a sabbatical that would have allowed him to reach retirement, and didn't even complete the paperwork necessary to collect his pension. She just got a promotion. Your email address will not be published. The only thing that all these girls had in common was that they had visited the local Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, which kept a visitors logbook by the front door. Her body was found in Ashland County - about 50 miles away - a few months later. Amy attended the local middle school, and her older brother Jason attended the local high school in 1989. The curtain is homemade, and was originally Avocado green. There may be circumstances or reasons that may lead him to have sex with others outside his preferred age/sex demographic." Only a few times has she told investigators that the man in the photo could be the same one who led Amy away. Shockingly, another girl a few years older than Amy came forward to police that she had received a similar call months earlier. Nothing is that simple, I told myself. If youre interested in learning more about Amys case, please check out James Renners book about this case Amy: My Search for Her Killer now available on Audible. But no one knows Runkle. Amy passes her blue antique bicycle, which she peddled to school that morning, and heads east on Wolf Road. Hes also a person of authority whom Amy wouldve known and trusted. Not only is it not a list, but there is NO ATTRIBUTION for it. It seems inappropriate now, the way he treated some of the girls." Unfortunately, neither witness got a good look at the mans face, nor did they see him or Amy get into a vehicle, or go into a store. The school doors open, and here comes Amy Mihaljevic, dressed in green pants and a pale green shirt with lavender trim. Real Name: Amy Renee Mihaljevic Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Bay Village, Ohio Date: October 27, 1989 Amy Mihaljevic. A couple hours later after no response, the Mihaljevics filed a missing persons report with the Bay Village Police Department. It's a day investigators have pored over for decades: October 27, 1989 -- when 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic disappeared from Bay Village, Ohio. Mike DeWine suffered injury while in East Palestine, U.S. By Dateline NBC. Her murder case raised national attention. Ryan said the car followed him a ways until it pulled up beside him and the man inside slowly lowered his window. When re-interviewed in 2009, two witnesses picked Runkle out a lineup of nearly 30 men as the most similar to the man they remember seeing (Lewis, 2009). someone shouts. Sept. 21, 2021, 5:41 PM PDT. He often filmed his students in class, cutting together the film later at home. The killers hope that their victims remains will decompose by the time their bodies are found and prevent any extraction of forensic evidence such as hairs or fibers. Most of these killers have what psychologists deem a thrill-seeking personality.. Friends of Amy said the caretaker paid special attention to Amy and was always saying hi to her while she was there for lessons. Margaret immediately became alarmed and decided to leave work early. I suspect they are getting real damn close to getting the person/s. We have proof that this killer attempted to lure many other little girls into the same fate as Amy with phone calls to households with unlisted phone numbers. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. I begin focusing on the people I can tell are locals - the tanned man weaving palm-frond baskets, the musician strumming a guitar on a corner. It was a tragic year for the Runkles; the family's first home burned to the ground too. There were at least three others. Dean lived a tumultuous early life, dealing with an abusive father and the tragic death of his 6-year-old twin sister in 1950. Several students say they were invited back to Runkle's apartment after school. James Renner Oct 15. Who Killed Amy Renee Mihaljevic. This "list os suspects" is so completely bogus. Another girl in the next town over came forward to police about a similar phone call as well, but this girl had something in common with Amy. Runkle was a twin, but his sister died in 1950, when they were 6. Cookie Notice Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Amy visited the nature center frequently because she loved science. Last Friday, I flew to Miami, then drove to Key West, where Dean Runkle has been living since his abrupt departure from Ohio in 2003, which occurred as investigators began to question his relatives and co-workers. Margaret became severely depressed and was unable to move on with her life. Amy told her friends about the call, and that she had agreed to wait for the man at the shopping center to pick her up. He walks over to see what we're talking about. Anything is possible." There are several people we are still looking at today as suspects for the case, said Elish. 3. IDs The Lake Erie Murders: Who Killed Amy Mihaljevic? explores the chilling case of the abduction and murder of a 10-year-old girl in broad daylight. Some of them have been suspects for years and decades.. "That's Dean!" Suspects Dean Runkle Runkle most resembled the famous composite drawing made with the help of Amy's classmates who saw her at the shopping center on the day of her disappearance. After he returned, Runkle began building his own nature center inside his classroom. I ask. Read more about this topic: Amy Mihaljevic, Suspect, Confession, alas, is the new handshake.Richard Dean Rosen (b. Most "groom" and "seduce" their victims into going along with their plans, a salesman-like approach that allows them to believe the children are willing participants. Read More: Where Is Amy Mihaljevics Father Now? "I didn't leave Ohio because of Amy," he says. Edit: Press conference just ended. The dog hair traveled on Amy's body and deposited onto them because the curtain and blanket were likely used to wrap her body during travel. Ohio Gov. I tracked it to a junkyard in rural West Virginia, but when I got there in September, I was told it had been scrapped long ago. According to friends and neighbors, Amy was a beautiful, intelligent girl with a bright future ahead of her. If you meet me at the plaza after school, I'll take you shopping to pick out a present for her. He starts to leave. He knew her number, her address, the area where she lived, where her mother worked, and even the fact that the latter had recently earned a promotion. Others included odd people who lived near the Mihaljevics; parents of Amy's closest friends; convicted sex offenders who were not yet in prison at the time of her abduction. There were phone calls made to other girls that were just like the one Amy received. The man asked Ryan if he wanted a ride to school. Amy Mihaljevic. New info and they are asking for help from the public. James Renner chased Runkle down to the Key West, FL area and attempted to interview him. Amy Mihaljevic has been died on Oct 27, 1989 ( age 10). Amys body was only ever found because her killer wanted it that way. In the weeks preceding Amys disappearance on October 27, she had received several phone calls from an unknown man who knew almost everything about her life. http://www.. He says that after he left for high school, Runkle used to write him letters. Investigators think it could have been an old quilt turned into a curtain. The third girl took horseback riding lessons at Holly Hill Ranch, the very same ranch that Amy took lessons from. "That was a difficult time in my life," he says. I spoke to him last week to better understand the mind and behavior of the man who killed Amy Mihaljevic. The only thing that these girls had in common was the fact that they visited the Lake Erie Nature . . It's the big unsolved mystery of the area. A homeless man says he thinks he has seen Runkle at a soup kitchen on Flagler Avenue before, but that was years ago. According to Jason, he would usually find Amy at home watching TV or eating a snack when he arrived. "We were close. Dan says their relationship was never physical. This can suggest a couple of things about the behavioral profile of the killer. He didn't say anything, just walked past me. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Today, Dan is living in a rundown apartment complex in Vermilion. Men with mostly shady pasts and weak alibis, vague connections to the suburban area, or those who have a history of sexual offenses are the ones who are included in the suspect list. On October 27, 1989, ten-year-old Amy Mihaljevic was kidnapped from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village, Ohio. As of 2014, her homicide remained unsolved. . We Got To Him First. Thousands of tips have come in throughout the years, but no one has ever been arrested. Mr. Runkle wouldve had access to the log book which listed Amys address and phone number, as well as the unlisted phone numbers of the other girls who received the suspicious phone calls. DR seems eccentric from what Ive read, but being eccentric isnt a crime either. It was a crowded plaza filled with adults as well as middle and high school students who would frequent the Baskin Robbins after school. 08/18/2006. Blood was also found inside of her underwear. A pair of sisters had also received a call from a man who claimed to be a friend of their mothers. On October 27th, 1989, 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic disappeared from a shopping center near her home in Bay Village, OH. using the same gift shopping ruse (Renner, 2008). At the nature center in 1989 was a log book that all visitors were required to sign when they entered. Amy Mihaljevic Popularity . Amy is also well known as, Child murder victim who was kidnapped from an Ohio shopping center and whose body was found four months later in an Ashland County field. But when Renner questioned other teachers and students, they all confirmed that this teacher, Dean Runkle, did in fact frequent the nature center. Science teacher from the area, lived in Ashland County and grew up. We should also mention that a former student of Dean has publicly accused him of inappropriate contact. . Ten-year-old Amy was lured from her Bay Village home on Oct. 27, 1989, to a shopping center at Dover Center . And, because he was in the suburban Ohio area in 1989, authorities think that he can be behind Amys death. The first place I stopped was a chain restaurant that Runkle reportedly frequented in Ohio. Person Of Interest. Clearly the killer attempted to lure several other girls into the same trap before Amy, and who knows how many other victims they succeeded in killing prior to Amys murder. Other tips were called in about a local handyman who had been doing some work on a house down the street from the Mihaljevics. She did not tell the girls who she was waiting for, but she did tell them she received a mysterious phone call right after she got home from school from a man claiming to be a friend of her mothers. This student, Dan, said that he and his teacher communicated via letters a lot, which later turned sexual in nature. As word spread around the neighborhood, friends and family started coming over to the Mihaljevic house to make flyers and search for Amy. By James Renner on Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 4:00 am. Runkle resigned abruptly, explaining he had to leave for "health reasons." According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation. This further confirms the theory that this curtain was used to conceal Amys body as she was driven from the crime scene to corn field, because the dog hairs wouldve been transferred onto Amys clothing. Amy's case, beginning with the phone calls from a stranger posing as a family friend, appears to have been a seduction gone wrong. Someone missed this curtain when it was gone - or at least noticed it was missing. New DNA evidence could help solve the decades old mystery. But, they did classify that although he looked quite presentable, he didnt carry himself in a way that an accomplished or a professional person might.