A jury convicted McGuire in 2007, and she was sentenced to life in prison plus five years. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. According to 20/20, the police were able to quickly identify the dismembered man. That requires two drivers so certainly that means someone helped her, said Prezioso. He had been married to Melanie Lyn Slate McGuire for about five years had two beautiful sons with her. [9] The third and smallest suitcase, containing arms, was recovered floating in the water near the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel's second artificial island on May 16. To this day, Melanie maintains that she did not kill her husband, dismember him, and dispose of his body parts in suitcases. McGuire and Miller began their affair in 2002 when she was pregnant with her second child, and their relationship continued until June 2005 when she was charged with her husband's murder. Melanie, 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. 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. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? She allegedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with her lover, and so, she did what she could to get rid of her husband. She said her marriage to Bill McGuire was not going well and claimed that he was violent. A Wednesday. After his body was found and detectives notified Melanie McGuire of her husband's death, she told them to look for Bill McGuires missing car in Atlantic City -- she claimed he had a gambling problem and frequented the city. McGuire told 20/20 she did not commit the crimes for which she was convicted. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. 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. Nevertheless, because all the evidence was against her, a jury found her guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, desecrating human remains, and perjury on April 23, 2007. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? Melanie McGuire told ABC News Amy Robach in a rare interview from prison for "20/20.. Another important development for investigators was the discovery of Bill McGuire's car. 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. Melanie claims that Bill pushed her against the wall during a fight, hit her, and tried to choke her with a dryer sheet. Melanie McGuire listens to testimony today during her murder trial. He probably would have broken my cheek if [the hit] had been a closed fist, Melanie McGuire said. She offered explanations for the stories she told police,. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Locane said she worries that her daughters and the public will forget her. She adds, Is she trying to say that the man who was so excited to be buying this house, because he wanted to have this house for the wife that he loved and his children, that at the same time trying to kill her? Bill and Melanie McGuire in happier days. She was given a life sentence on July 19, 2007, and she is currently in jail at the Edna Mahan . Investigators searched the home for evidence multiple times, checking to see if Bill McGuire had been killed and dismembered there. I cannot even think about that. But this was the first time somebody was basically saying, We hear you, said Melanie McGuire. She was later charged with other offences including perjury and desecration of human remains, for which she also pled not guilt. William "Bill" McGuire was having a great day. When investigators processed Bill McGuire's car, they also found a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes. Thats what happened the night of April 28, 2004, the day Bill McGuire disappeared, according to his wife. They surmised that Melanie had sedated Bill, shot him, and cut up his body. Through record tracing, they found out that the chloral hydrate was picked up at a Walgreens pharmacy just down the road from the McGuire children's daycare on the morning that Bill McGuire disappeared. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/i4dBUBR7PJ. A four-count indictment came down from a state grand jury. 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 . But Melanie maintains that she did not commit the infamous Suitcase Murder. In June 2005, Melanie McGuire was arrested and charged with Bill's murder (per NBC News ). Melanie Mcguire has been languishing in a prison cell for the past 13 years. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Dubbed the Suitcase Killer, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. Melanie McGuire was a former nurse in the United States who was found guilty of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004. 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. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. 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. [9] Police released a facial reconstruction sketch of the victim, which an acquaintance of Bill McGuire's recognized. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Criminologists Dr. Meghan Sacks, and Dr. Amy Shlosberg dig into the evidence on the podcast. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. Melanie McGuire has been in prison for 13 years, but she still maintains her innocence, she said in an interview with 20/20. I still feel bothered. The news outlet reported in June, 2020, COVID-19 was spreading because of a low supply of protective masks, poorly enforced social distancing measures, and inadequate quarantining of infected inmates. Melanie had to withdraw her appeal after the prosecutors debunked the story, and so, on July 19, 2007, she was sentenced to life in prison. New Jersey Department of Corrections/Find a Grave, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Data from the New Jersey Department of Corrections, Melanie McGuire Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Husband Bill. Dig, dig. [10] Prosecutors contended her motive for murder was to take up a new life with her lover. "I won't be home until my oldest is 18 and my youngest is 16," she told EW. 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 . The McGuire family resided in a Woodbridge Township apartment but had plans to move to a much larger home in Warren County by the end of April. There are times when podcasts and media can shine a light on certain cases where what the government did was not right. YouTubeMelanie McGuire says shes innocent and that someone else killed her husband, Bill, in 2004. During the investigation, incriminating evidence against Melanie was uncovered. Melanie McGuire denies this, pointing to the fact that there are hundreds of miles between Delaware and Virginia Beach. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? she said on 20/20. She had apparently grown worried about their well-being upon noticing their behavior and got them tested. [9] The footage was blurry and the police weren't able to identify the person in the video. She then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. 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 . [9] Similarly, a medical grade towel found with Bill's body matched those stocked at the clinic where Melanie worked. And about a week later, suitcases containing his body parts began to float to the surface in the Chesapeake Bay. Melanie McGuire, a 34-year-old mother of two, maintains that she didn't kill her husband and says the real killer tried to frame her. She is currently incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, according to her prison records. 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. While the prosecutors claimed, supported by evidence, that Melanie killed her husband in cold blood in the hopes of freely taking up a new life with Bradley Miller, her defense team argued that she was innocent and it was Bill who had issues. 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. Few, if any, knew that McGuire, a mother of two young sons, was having an affair with her physician boss, Dr. Bradley Miller. Melanie McGuire says she isnt hoping for prison release, in a new jailhouse interview with @ARobach Friday at 9/8c during a new #ABC2020. Did Melanie McGuire dismember her husband? It was hard. New Jersey Department of Corrections/Find a Grave Melanie McGuire, 34-years old, sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband Photo Source: NJ.com (website) Born on October 8, 1972, Melanie Lyn Slate has spent all of her life in New Jersey growing up in Ridgewood and Middletown Township. Watch new at 9/8c on ABC. 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. His body was found in three separate suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay, which led to McGuires nickname, the Suitcase Killer.. The evidence in this case points to a well-organized, meticulously planned execution of a murder, Prezioso said during the trial. The prescription for chloral hydrate came from Millers prescription pad. He ran tests, but he didn't do all the tests that you actually need to definitively say whether these bags match, added Sacks. Miller, however, claimed that the prescription was written in Melanies handwriting. Although detectives did not find what they were looking for on the surveillance footage, they were able to find something curious on Melanie McGuires statement from her electronic toll payment company, EZ Pass. After all these years, I still feel hurt. When investigators discovered the affair, they approached Miller. Then, they looked in Pennsylvania. He was 39 years old. 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. 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. Melanie worked as a fertility clinic nurse, while Bill worked as a computer programmer. She didnt fit the profile, I guess, of a murderer, Shlosberg told 20/20. We should mention that after Melanie was convicted of the charges against her, her family started a custody battle with Cindy, but to no avail. 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. 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. The body was eventually identified as 39 year-old Bill McGuire, an employee of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, who lived more than 300 miles away in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Trial photos of Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey nurse best known for being the perpetrator in the media-dubbed "suitcase murder." . ET on ABC She was indicted on four additional, relatively smaller charges in October. Though a jury agreed and sentenced Melanie McGuire to life in prison, the so-called Suitcase Killer has long insisted upon her innocence. (Video By Bumper. The circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire was mounting by this point, but investigators were still having trouble finding any physical evidence that would link Melanie McGuire to her husband's murder, according to Sacks. According to PEOPLE, Melanie claimed that Bill had a gambling problem and a volatile temper. After all, a medical-grade towel found with Bills body matched those stocked at the clinic as well as those she kept at her home. I just wanted to get away from him at that point. 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. Melanie and Bill McGuire pictured hugging at an unknown date. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. She became known as the "Suitcase Killer" during her televised 2007 trial. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. [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. [1] She graduated, second in her class, from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. But just 48 hours later, 31-year-old Melanie requested a restraining order against him, alleging that he'd gotten violent during a fight the night before inside their New Jersey home. McGuire is lodged at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, serving a life sentence in Clinton, New Jersey. 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. The chart below captures the current COVID cases within the inmate and staff population, following Phase 2 testing, which includes retesting those individuals who were previously negative. [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. The grainy images appeared to show Bill McGuire's car being pulled into a spot, but did not capture who the driver was. Who Is Melanie McGuire? By that point, the two had only flirted and corresponded via e-mail, only for a romance to blossom. After all these years, I still feel hurt. Her defense lawyers have not said if McGuire will testify . This stuff exists, she said on the show. There are just too many holes in this story.. Melanie McGuire, The Suitcase Killer Who Murdered And Dismembered Her Husband. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. The Twisted Case of Melanie McGuire That Chapter 1.81M subscribers Subscribe 64K 1.8M views 9 months ago 2004, Chesapeake Bay. They lived in an apartment Woodbridge, New Jersey. Dig, dig. On June 5, 2005, investigators arrested Melanie McGuire and charged her with first-degree murder. 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. 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." Upon further investigation, police discovered a security video of the car being moved in the early morning hours of April 30, 2004. Melanie McGuire was found guilty of murdering Bill McGuire, 39, in April 2004. Lifetime is planning to release a movie about her case, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story in June 2022. On May 5, 2004, a couple of fishermen and their children noticed a dark green Kenneth Cole suitcase floating in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The 48-year-old actress and mother of two has been sober since the 2010 crash. Melanie McGuire explained that the night after Bill McGuire went missing, she was becoming angrier at her husband and suspected she knew where he was: Atlantic City. The prosecution argued McGuires motive was her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, a partner at the medical practice RMA Associates. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 01: Three suitcases, containing human remains, surfaced in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay in May 2004. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Less than a year later, the McGuires had their first son. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. The appeal details the murder, the night of Bill McGuires disappearance, and the disposal of his body. That same year, she married her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran named William Bill McGuire. Of course, since we do not know either of their names, we have no way of digging up any other credible information concerning their current standing. Speaking to ABC News' Amy Robach for 20/20, she said: "I'm doing this because there's a murderer walking around. 0:45. McGuire maintains her innocence, and wants her two adult sons to look into the case for themselves. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. WOODBRIDGE - Former township resident Melanie McGuire has spent 13 years in prison after receiving a life sentence for the death of her husband, William McGuire, but in a new television. Most recently, though, it has been the subject of ABCs 20/20, in an episode entitled Interview with Melanie McGuire, where we get Melanies complete perspective for the first time. The killer is out there and it's not me. 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. Melanies not the only person who believes that the police got it wrong. In the interview, she continued to say that she was innocent and asked her sons to look into the case and not believe what they were seeing. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? she said on 20/20. "There was no evidence connecting him to this crime.. 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. She pleaded not guilty to all indictments and soon posted an accumulated bail of over $2 million. However, the state's expert disagreed, testifying that he ran the tests he believed were necessary to link the bags. Her trial began in March 5, 2007. William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. Investigators, however, found it highly suspicious that Melanie had then tried to have 90-cent EZ Pass toll charges, which proved shed gone to Atlantic City, removed from her account. [15][16][17][18][19] On July 19, 2007, at the age of 34, McGuire was sentenced to life in prison.[20]. "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. She again pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $10,000 bail. She maintains her innocence and . [9] On May 11, a second larger suitcase was found on the beach of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, by a graduate student cleaning up litter on the beach. 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. A nurse said her husband walked out on her. 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. Their relationship began in 2002, according to the appeal. Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. 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. "My job is not to convince the world. Melanie McGuire, now 47, maintains her innocence from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, the state's only women's prison where there are approximately 500. 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. Following the 2018 investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the prison, the DOC released a statement in April, 2020, saying reforms were introduced at the prison to make it easier for inmates to report sexual abuse. 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. It was a mistake on a gun manufacturer's website. Youre talking about hours [of driving] and there isnt enough time, said McGuire. 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? Melanie McGuire, now 47, maintains her innocence from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, the states only womens prison where there are approximately 500 inmates. Read More: Where Is Melanie McGuires Family Now? 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." Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . So she drove around until she found his car and then moved it as a prank. It doesn't make any sense.' 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. Powered by. They opened it and found a mans dismembered legs, cut off at the knee. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. She told her sons, now adults, to look into the case for themselves. [4] 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. On May 11, another suitcase was discovered. On June 2, 2005, more than a year after the murder, Melanie dropped her children off at child care and preschool. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Bradley Miller. Melanie went to Middletown High School South and. Melanie McGuire admitted to having an affair with Miller. The podcasters and Melanie McGuire also point to unexplained animal hair found on Bill McGuires dismembered body and noted in investigative reports. Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg are the hosts of the podcast "Direct Appeal" and Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors. Don't accept what you're just being told on the surface. After all these years, I still feel hurt. In 2007, McGuire was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband, Bill. Bill McGuire was murdered by his wife Melanie McGuire, and his body was found near Virginia Beach's Chesapeake Bay in 2004. She later told police that she believed he'd gone to Atlantic City to gamble as he had a penchant for doing so. 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 . So, as soon as the topic of custody arose, the two boys were sent to them, especially since Bill and Cindy were already great parents to their own adult children: Laura Ligosh and Max Ligosh.