Family Life. "And it better be someone who cannot be linked to you, because when a child is abducted and murdered in this country, trouble will rain down upon you. Most of these killers are not stupid. 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 told different stories to administrators and students, everything from eating bad food while on safari in Africa to contracting a blood disease after cutting his hand on coral. From conversations with the nature center's staff (I had donated some of the book's profits to the organization, in memory of Amy, and so had reason to talk to them occasionally), I learned that Bay Village Det. She had contracted lupus, along with several other health issues. For their part, Bay Village police detectives do not consider Runkle as the only suspect in the case and continue to work all leads. But be careful not to try to fit a square peg in a round hole, he warns. 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. Margaret immediately became alarmed and decided to leave work early. He's doing OK. Amy Mihaljevic. Ryan was terrified, said no thank you to the man and quickly ran away to school. 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? Now we know: New clues in the Amy Mihaljevic case. It wouldnt have been unusual for Amy to go there alone or with friends. He shrugs. This can suggest a couple of things about the behavioral profile of the killer. I suspect they preyed on school-age girls by attempting to lure them out shopping under the guise of getting gift for their mothers. "I don't have anything to say." Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. There are several people we are still looking at today as suspects for the case, said Elish. Hes a suspect who looks good from a standpoint of circumstantial evidence, but when we need concrete evidence it all falls apart. Most Popular #109790. Tag: Dean Runkle. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a beige windbreaker with plaid lining, front-pressed khakis, and a button-up shirt. They lived in a nearby community. Cleveland newspaper reporter James Renner investigated Mihaljevic's murder case and concluded that a teacher named Dean Runkle should be viewed as a prime suspect. Jason reported that Amy had not come home in the time he had been there. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (WOIO) - Nearly 32 years after her murder, there's a new clue in the Amy Mihaljevic case. The FBI, currently offering an up to $25,000 reward for any information, has never let this case go cold. Child abductions are some of the most upsetting cases for police, because the victims are usually killed within hours of their abduction. It was only then, in 2005, that investigators first learned that each of them had gone to the nature center in the weeks leading up to the abduction. At one time, they even seemed close to arresting him. They know this.". The report that was done by fox 8 said no sperm was found referenced a 1989 report that used 1989 technology. No forensic evidence has tied Runkle to the crime. Amy's case, beginning with the phone calls from a stranger posing as a family friend, appears to have been a seduction gone wrong. But something happened in 1987. At the nature center in 1989 was a log book that all visitors were required to sign when they entered. He had a few girls he was extra close to, like the girl who sat in front of me. Her dirty-blonde hair hangs, a little disheveled, over her earrings - turquoise horse heads, mounted on gold studs. DR was a teacher at a middle school, which let out later than Amys school did. In 2001, Margaret Mihaljevic was found dead in her apartment. Runkle says he doesn't ever remember being physical with his female students, either. It was dinnertime when I got there, and I quickly surveyed the room. A couple hours later after no response, the Mihaljevics filed a missing persons report with the Bay Village Police Department. The movie Mean Girls made a joke about this, but its something that sticks out to the kids theyve taught. One such prank supposedly involved dipping a cat in liquid nitrogen and then smashing the frozen carcass to bits on the floor. I shake his hand and introduce myself. 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). 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. New DNA evidence could help solve the decades old mystery. inappropriate behavior and unwanted physicality? Even today, they are working on it to find the necessary answers and to bring some justice to the young girl who unwittingly lost her life. Shortly after her friends went home, Amy was approached by a man in his 30s at the shopping center. ALSO, Dean Runkle has NOT been named as a suspect. Just got a phone call from an investigator working on it. It also gave him PTSD. Although Renner describes Runkle as an eccentric teacher, no hard evidence supports this view. News of the other suspicious phone calls in the area spread around, and suddenly, no children went anywhere alone. I ask my questions anyway. ", I ask him about the sexual nature of the letters and he looks away. No other connection could be made between him and Amys disappearance. Lanning helped create the Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, where FBI agents are trained. This is the kind of thing that a killer only learns with experience. Were pursuing more so the angle of science now than we ever have in the past because DNA changes every couple of months, Elish said. In 1994, Christina Adkins says she overheard Runkle say something that shocked her. a suburb of Cleveland. Dean Runkle himself denies any involvement in the murder of Amy Mihaljevic and the FBI has never officially declared him a suspect. They walk together until they reach the shopping plaza a quarter mile down the road. We know where Amy was abducted. So, take a look. Runkle was born in New London and grew up in a farmhouse just a couple miles from where Amy's body was dumped, along County Road 1181. The owners let the man live on the property in exchange for cleaning out the stables. "Man, me and Dean are friends. Two witnesses said they saw Amy that day with a man who would now be in his mid-50s or early '60s. "I'm meeting a friend.". On the 31st anniversary of finding Amy's body, a woman (who remains unnamed), called the police to tell them that her ex-boyfriend, Dean Runkle, was a potential and most likely suspect of Amy . Some of them have been suspects for years and decades.. One of Amys friends, who saw this man lead her away, has been shown hundreds of pictures of possible suspects. Neighbors had seen the man talking to Amy briefly days before her disappearance, and he also resembled the composite sketch. Dean Runkle. its a blog about my life. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and she later moved to a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Sagittarius Named Amy . Birth Sign Sagittarius. This three-decade-old mystery and the nationwide hunt for the perpetrator, involving hundreds of suspects, is still ongoing. At that intersection is her killer. Amy Mihaljevic was 10 years old when she disappeared from Bay Village, Ohio, on October 27, 1989, launching a massive, high-profile investigation. 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." He nods, unsurprised. And though I've never seen him in person before, I recognize him immediately - not from the grainy 13-year-old newspaper photos but from the composite sketch of Amy's abductor. The FBI Finally Has A Top Suspect In The Amy Mihaljevic Murder. Amy Mihaljevic disappeared in 1989 when she was ten years old. All these other girls had unlisted phone numbers. 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. In 1990 when the body was found, forensic testing for DNA as we know it now and other trace evidence was not yet available. I was around kids all day.". Also not in his personnel file were the occasions when Runkle was caught alone with students in his gold-colored Grand Prix, by both the principal and a policeman, who let him go with a warning. "I said, 'I know you're the one who killed Amy,'" she recalls. When reached at home, he admits to being Runkle's "favorite" for a while. On October 27, the 19th anniversary of Amy's abduction, I made the decision to go see him myself. When I ask him if he could have used the logbook at the nature center to gather phone numbers for girls in North Olmsted, he says he's done talking and begins to walk away. "What's the reward?" 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. James Renner, around the same age as Amy at the time, had been following the story about the cute little girl with the side ponytail. We may never find answers to these questions, but Amys family deserves to know what happened to her. He bred mice in his classroom, and then donated them to the nature center to feed the mice there. Under interrogation, the suspect began softly muttering random words in no particular order. The only thing that these girls had in common was the fact that they visited the Lake Erie Nature . 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. She loved horseback riding, and took riding lessons with her friends at a local horse ranch. What is your response to some of your former students in regards to. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Through Renners research and his own private investigation, Renner has produced what is by far the most valuable lead in Amys case so far. In early 1990 her body was found. Today, in his late 70s, he remains free and resides in Key West, Florida, where he works as a restaurant shift manager. Over three decades after the kidnapping of 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic in northeast Ohio, local police said this week that newly-discovered DNA on a blanket and a curtain could be the key to solving the decades-old cold case. 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. 3. But with each attempt the killer refined his pitch, until, finally, he called Amy and she agreed to meet. The girl told police that the man called her house claiming to be a friend of her mothers. It was a crowded plaza filled with adults as well as middle and high school students who would frequent the Baskin Robbins after school. Police believe Amys body was wrapped in the curtain for transport from the actual crime scene to the field where her body was dumped. She was popular, funny, kind and energetic. Amy was 10 and had not yet reached puberty. Friends of hers claim she slid into alcoholism. Mixed opinions from former students (Renner, 2008). 1949). This is a huge reason why I dont like DR as a suspect. In the years since Amy's abduction, Maddie (not her real name) has been shown hundreds of photos of suspects. What history do I have of inappropriate behavior with kids? He leans down to whisper something in her ear. Her killer has never been apprehended. Residents of Bay Village lived on edge for years after Amys disappearance and murder. 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. Almost 30 years later, Amys killer is still at large. 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. Cleveland newspaper reporter James Renner investigated Mihaljevic's murder case and concluded that a teacher named Dean Runkle should be viewed as a prime suspect. Another close timeframe, so its another no from me. She just got a promotion. She steadily declined for years until she left Bay Village in the 1990s and relocated to the Cleveland area. As an FBI agent on the case said, we have the beginning and the end of what happened to Amy M, but what we dont have is the middle piece. 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. Mark Spaetzel and a retired FBI agent had interviewed employees about a man who might have volunteered there in 1989. 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. Initial evidence found at the scene suggested that she had been dumped there shortly after her abduction, maybe on the day itself. someone shouts. Required fields are marked *. But, none of them match the facts of the case and the description of the offender as closely as Dean Runkle. It's hard to tell what might be ailing Runkle, though, because, at 65, he could easily pass for 45. Detectives kept trying to focus in on what he knew about Amys disappearance, but the suspect would not answer the questions. How did Amy's life cross paths with the lives of three girls from North Olmsted she had never met? Whether there is enough to convict is a whole separate argument. In March, I learned that the FBI was planning to re-interview an intriguing suspect whom they'd been looking at since 2002 and had interviewed in '05. 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. Elish believes anyone who can identify those items, the curtain especially, will help solve this case. Bay Village, . Renner never got in touch with him again. Amys case remains open to this day, and the Bay Village police have never let her case go cold in almost 30 years. After years and years of almost-suspects, Bay Village police had yet another lead go cold. Just like this, because the authorities have revealed a lot of information and evidence surrounding this case to the public in the hopes of getting some tips they have received several false confessions from mentally ill individuals or convicts who get a kick out of admitting to something so heinous. [emailprotected] Anyone with any information, call the FBI at 216.522.1400 or the Bay Village Police Department at 440.871.0773. We should also mention that a former student of Dean has publicly accused him of inappropriate contact. The shopping center was located directly across the street from the school. The sketch was released to the public, and soon the tips started pouring in. We dont know what happened in between there, he said. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Amy Mihaljevic disappeared on October 27, 1989. "He made comments about girls' outfits. Her murder case raised national attention. "I know I'm their top suspect. Finally, police discovered a link between all the girls. While Im sure Renner has spent more time on this than some investigators, I will respectfully disagree with him as being the perp here. On that Top 25 list, he would be the man at the top. He seemed excited about a new lead. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "I left for health reasons." He lured Amy out, made her call her mother to gain some time, and then kidnapped her for his own depraved purposes. He wears a beige windbreaker with plaid lining, front-pressed khakis and a button-up shirt. Margaret still left work immediately and returned to her house, but Amy wasnt there. Most of these killers have what psychologists deem a thrill-seeking personality.. As word spread around the neighborhood, friends and family started coming over to the Mihaljevic house to make flyers and search for Amy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, If youre interested in learning more about Amys case, please check out James Renners book about this case. "Amy!" 1. In 2016, fibers on the curtain turned out to be dog hairs, matching Amys dog at the time of her disappearance. But the only student they know who went inside was a boy named Dan, who attended Sailorway Middle School. I don't think unjust collateral damage matters to him if it is likely to enhance his readership and thus his profit. Amy was the subject of my first crime article - and my first book. "NEW" EVIDENCE? Another angle is that this killer is toying with police. Amys body was only ever found because her killer wanted it that way. For more info about Amy's case, you can read through the blog I've devoted to it since 2006. He was like a son. She watches as he walks up to Amy and puts a hand on her back. They thrive off the increased risk of being caught, so they start leaving bodies out in the open and leaving behind trace evidence. According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation. The Absolutely Nutty Cleveland/East Palestine/15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory, Explained, Ohio Gets an "F" for Failing to Address Lead in School Water, A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Ohio Enacted the Most Restrictive Voter Photo ID Law in America, Cleveland Public Library Hires First Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, At Householder Trial, Former State Rep. Nino Vitale Cites Hazy Memory, Distances Himself From HB6 Scandal, By Marty Schladen, The Ohio Capital Journal, What Norfolk Southerns History of Accidents Say About the Company and Industry, Scroll to read more Cleveland News articles. 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. At that time, they told me that on the week of St. Patrick's Day in 2005, a retired FBI agent who worked on Amy's case contacted each of the girls from North Olmsted. After having a snack at the shopping center, Amys friends went home, but Amy stayed behind to wait for someone. Although the Bay Village Police have, confirmed that these same suspects have been interviewed, there are few. Dan says their relationship was never physical. Runkle also seemed to have volunteered in the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village at the time of the murder. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (i) mhlvk (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. 2.1 Dean Runkle; 3 References; 4 Further reading; According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation.Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw with Amy the day she vanished. Runkle is an interesting suspect for many reasons. However, a few minutes after she hung up from Jason, Margaret received a call from Amy herself. "My sister told me about you," he says. 5. Only Amy and her killer will ever know the answer. One hundred days later, Amys body was found 50 miles away. 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. And he talked about how he liked kids who hadn't reached puberty yet, because "I was a runt too.". Amy Mihaljevic has been died on Oct 27, 1989 ( age 10). We know where she was found. Amy was last seen walking away from the plaza, toward the parking lot, with that man. During those delays, I learned that Runkle was that suspect. It's the big unsolved mystery of the area. See pictures of the handmade curtain and blanket here. The FBI brought in a sketch artist, and the artist was able to create a composite sketch of the man based on the two witness accounts. By the time these women sought me out in 2006, they had forgotten the name. Runkle was a twin, but his sister died in 1950, when they were 6. Some of them just came to our attention recently. 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. Read more about this topic: Amy Mihaljevic, Suspect, Confession, alas, is the new handshake.Richard Dean Rosen (b. Police responded to the Mihaljevic house almost immediately, and began interviewing Amys family and friends over the next few days. But he remains free, managing a restaurant in Florida. That way I really get to know the kids and they get to know me, and we understand each other that way.". "He's one of those men who makes you feel uncomfortable when you're alone with them," she says. Dean Runkle sigue siendo el principal sospechoso en el caso, segn un agente del FBI, pero el caso en su contra sigue siendo circunstancial. Searchers discovered Amy's body on February 9, 1990. Very close. To me, Runkle is similar because there is just so much circumstantial evidence that points to him. He also photographed his students regularly, developing the negatives himself. Amy passes her blue antique bicycle, which she peddled to school that morning, and heads east on Wolf Road. Renner says on the podcast he believes Lamborgine can be connected to other top suspects . The girl had been sexually assaulted years earlier, and thankfully did not fall into the mans trap. Lamborgine, reputed to be one of the leaders of a pedophile ring, lived in Cleveland and within close proximity to Mihalevic for years. . 10-year-old Amy grew up in Bay Village, OH, an altogether peaceful town on the shores of Lake Erie. This student, Dan, said that he and his teacher communicated via letters a lot, which later turned sexual in nature. The lengths that Joseph went to hide his real name and the longevity of his identity theft led them to speculate that he was a dangerous fugitive. Runkle liked to tell boys sexual jokes, says Derek Chase. "He would stare at me in class," says Kim Raeburn. If you meet me at the plaza after school, I'll take you shopping to pick out a present for her. But it was never inappropriate.". He admitted he was a teacher at Amys middle school, but denied he had anything to do with the nature center. The girl became frightened and immediately hung up the phone. Visitors had to enter their name, address and phone numbers in the book. New info and they are asking for help from the public. He was an accomplished ragtime piano player and played in the Red Garter Saloon at Cedar Point during the summers. James Renner chased Runkle down to the Key West, FL area and attempted to interview him. In 1971, he quit teaching for two years to play ragtime at Disneyland. The report of a missing child from their own neighborhood frightened every soul in Bay Village. I will be there and will update this thread asap. Adkins says she and other young girls were questioned about Runkle's behavior by the superintendent in 1995. There were phone calls made to other girls that were just like the one Amy received. 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. Our theory is that they were used to wrap her in before she was dumped where she was found.. I suspect they are getting real damn close to getting the person/s. His hair, thick and bushy, fell on his forehead, just above his eyes, and he was probably in his mid-to-late 30s at the time. 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. 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.' Call the Bay Village Police Department at 440-871-1234. Somebody who had ridden in that car a week ago, had dropped a hair on the seat," Renner said about the transfer theory. But there is so much more circumstantial evidence that says they are guilty than there is for any other "suspects". She says Runkle and another teacher were discussing the pregnancy of an eighth-grader and which boy might have been the father. "When you're dealing with human behavior," warns Lanning, "you're not dealing in absolutes. Many of these men have no alibis for the afternoon of October 27, 1989. Nous l'avons rencontr en premier". The curtain is homemade, and was originally Avocado green.