University professor, wife killed in Nebraska *Arrest Made*

[Reader]

It seems no matter how much you shuffle the deck, MB keeps coming out on top, doesn't it? I have to wonder if the reference to LE searching 'around the world' didn't suggest they have him in their sights?

I hope so...he seems like a good candidate.

Pensfan, thanks for all of your research on the case!

 

[Snick1946]

Brief update this evening on KMTV on the 30 day anniversary..

http://www.kmtv.com/news/local/211616091.html

I am getting a sickening feeling- this is going exactly like the Dundee murders went. Unless they get a breakthrough, this could be left hanging for months- let's hope not years.

 

[bluesman]

Interestingly, I found two separate pathology blogs reporting the news about Dr. Brumback. Both had the same anonymous comment:

"Where is Dr. Michael Belenky?"

On one of those blogs I read something I haven't seen elsewhere. Brumback had a species of monkey named after him. Brumback's night monkey or Aotus brumbacki:

rogerbrumback.com

 

[Reader]

Interestingly, I found two separate pathology blogs reporting the news about Dr. Brumback. Both had the same anonymous comment:

"Where is Dr. Michael Belenky?"

On one of those blogs I read something I haven't seen elsewhere. Brumback had a species of monkey named after him. Brumback's night monkey or Aotus brumbacki:

rogerbrumback.com

Very interesting, bluesman, and welcome to WS and the thread!

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Interestingly, I found two separate pathology blogs reporting the news about Dr. Brumback. Both had the same anonymous comment:

"Where is Dr. Michael Belenky?"

On one of those blogs I read something I haven't seen elsewhere. Brumback had a species of monkey named after him. Brumback's night monkey or Aotus brumbacki:

rogerbrumback.com

It sounds like Dr. Brumback was certainly a very fascinating and gifted man!
MB on the other hand appears to be a very elusive man. He's listed as a resident of Vancouver, BC, licensed to practice in AK and connected to a home in MT that is owned by someone else. Good grief!

 

[bluesman]

The Omaha World Herald is reporting Dr. Brumback was shot and his wife was stabbed.


LINK

 

[meanmaryjean]

Weren't the Dundee killings both stabbings?

 

[Reader]

The Omaha World Herald is reporting Dr. Brumback was shot and his wife was stabbed.


LINK

Thanks bluesman. Also from your link:

Details on the couple's death come as family and friends gather in Wilkins Township, Pa., for a Saturday funeral service. Dr. Brumback is a native of Pennsylvania. Both Brumbacks attended Penn State, where they met.

A man had arrived at the couple's home, 11421 Shirley St., to pick up a piano. Shortly after 10 a.m., he called 911 to report a man's body lying on the floor inside the home and a gun clip on the threshold of the front door.

So, I wonder who was killed first? Did the Dr. answer the door expecting the mover and was shot, then his wife heard the shot and came out and was stabbed? Or?....Unusual to bring two different weapons, isn't it?

Weren't the Dundee killings both stabbings?

I believe so.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Thanks bluesman. Also from your link:





So, I wonder who was killed first? Did the Dr. answer the door expecting the mover and was shot, then his wife heard the shot and came out and was stabbed? Or?....Unusual to bring two different weapons, isn't it?



I believe so.

Reader, it does seem unusual to bring two different weapons. This is why I have wondered about the gun clip in the doorway and is it possible it belonged to Dr. Brumback. The piano mover said he saw the Dr. lying inside not far from the doorway (IIRC). Did Dr. B own a gun and did he have it on him when he answered the door and a scuffle ensued and the killer gained control and Dr B was retreating when he was shot?

That darned gun clip left behind in the doorway is bugging me and I've been trying to think of reasons the killer left it behind. Did it belong to Dr. B so the killer didn't have to worry about it being traced to him, did the killer know it couldn't be traced back to him because it wasn't registered, did the killer not realize he dropped it and left the home from a different door, did the killer get spooked because of the gunshot(s) and wish to leave quickly? I also wonder if the killer left behind the knife he murdered Mrs. B with like he did at the Hunter/Sherman murders. So many questions....sigh.

 

[bluesman]

If both victims had been shot, I'd be somewhat less certain their murders are connected to the Dundee case. Here, the killer was dealing with two adults which likely made it more difficult to use only a knife. Perhaps the killer also carried a gun in 2008. He just didn't need it. Anyway, the fact that Mrs. Brumback was stabbed creates a pretty strong connection in my mind.

BTW, I can't help but think Brumback knew the killer and let him in.

 

[bluesman]

Follow-up story in the OWH.

LINK

Using two different weapons is considered unusual. Neither of the Brumback's owned a gun.

 

[Snick1946]

If both victims had been shot, I'd be somewhat less certain their murders are connected to the Dundee case. Here, the killer was dealing with two adults which likely made it more difficult to use only a knife. Perhaps the killer also carried a gun in 2008. He just didn't need it. Anyway, the fact that Mrs. Brumback was stabbed creates a pretty strong connection in my mind.

BTW, I can't help but think Brumback knew the killer and let him in.

The killer, if the same as in the Dundee crime, knew this time he would be facing an adult male, not a kid and a grandmother. Probably he shot Dr B at the door then pushed in to attack Mrs B.

 

[bluesman]

The killer, if the same as in the Dundee crime, knew this time he would be facing an adult male, not a kid and a grandmother. Probably he shot Dr B at the door then pushed in to attack Mrs B.

It's hard for me to imagine a gunshot at the door wouldn't arouse immediate suspicion but stranger things have happened. You may very well be right.

If these murders are related and they aren't professional hits, I have to think Dr. Brumback knew the killer. Does anyone think it's possible for someone to hold a grudge against Brumback and Hunter without being known to them?

 

[Elainera]

Good detectives look at a crime from all angles, so we should too.

What if these murders and the 2008 murders had nothing to do with each other?

What if the murders had nothing to do with Dr. Brumback's work or the university?

What if Dr. Brumback was not the prime target but Mrs Brumback was?


We have no word from LE that the two incidents are connected or that the murder of Dr. and Mrs Brumback were related to his work, so we should not get stuck on these possibilities however likely they may seem to be.

What do we know about Mrs Brumback? Was she working? Did she have enemies? What kind of person was she?

I find it odd that two weapons were used. Maybe there were two killers?

Stabbing is so much more personal, and also more risky. The victim might scratch the perp, or knock the knife out of his hand, the perp will most likely get blood all over him, making it more risky to leave and be seen like that.

It could be that the knife was just a backup and shooting both had been the plan but the weapon malfunctioned - maybe that's why the clip was lying on the floor?

In any case, this was a messy crime. Evidence was left behind and at least one person most likely fled the scene with blood on his shirt.

To me it looks almost as if Dr Brumback was instantly silenced so he would not be able to interfere when the perp or perps were doing what they had come to do - to get something from Mrs Brumback?

Just throwing some thoughts in. Just moo.

 

[Pensfan]

I think the monster had to threaten Dr. Brumback with a gun to get him to completely open the door. Once inside the Brumback's home he shot Dr. Brumback. Then the monster used his "favorite" weapon, a knife.

 

[Pensfan]

Good detectives look at a crime from all angles, so we should too.

What if these murders and the 2008 murders had nothing to do with each other?

What if the murders had nothing to do with Dr. Brumback's work or the university?

What if Dr. Brumback was not the prime target but Mrs Brumback was?


We have no word from LE that the two incidents are connected or that the murder of Dr. and Mrs Brumback were related to his work, so we should not get stuck on these possibilities however likely they may seem to be.

What do we know about Mrs Brumback? Was she working? Did she have enemies? What kind of person was she?

I find it odd that two weapons were used. Maybe there were two killers?

Stabbing is so much more personal, and also more risky. The victim might scratch the perp, or knock the knife out of his hand, the perp will most likely get blood all over him, making it more risky to leave and be seen like that.

It could be that the knife was just a backup and shooting both had been the plan but the weapon malfunctioned - maybe that's why the clip was lying on the floor?

In any case, this was a messy crime. Evidence was left behind and at least one person most likely fled the scene with blood on his shirt.

To me it looks almost as if Dr Brumback was instantly silenced so he would not be able to interfere when the perp or perps were doing what they had come to do - to get something from Mrs Brumback?

Just throwing some thoughts in. Just moo.

Mrs. Brumback was a homemaker. She was involved in her PEO group (a philanthropic social organization that raises funds for Cottey College and women's scholarships), had written a nutrition book, and decades earlier had worked as an attorney. She appeared to be very innocuous.

 

[bluesman]

I think the monster had to threaten Dr. Brumback with a gun to get him to completely open the door. Once inside the Brumback's home he shot Dr. Brumback. Then the monster used his "favorite" weapon, a knife.

I think either Brumback knew the killer and let him in or the scenario you described is accurate. It's hard to imagine it going any other way.

I thought it was interesting that some news reports described the ammunition clip as "large caliber". Does that imply an assault weapon? Large caliber is not how I would normally describe the clip from a handgun.

 

[Elainera]

Mrs. Brumback was a homemaker. She was involved in her PEO group (a philanthropic social organization that raises funds for Cottey College and women's scholarships), had written a nutrition book, and decades earlier had worked as an attorney. She appeared to be very innocuous.

Thank you Pensfan!

Wherever large sums of money are involved it can lead to friction and anger over how the money should be used. There might very well be a motive if she made decisions others diagreed with.

 

[bluesman]

MB on the other hand appears to be a very elusive man. He's listed as a resident of Vancouver, BC, licensed to practice in AK and connected to a home in MT that is owned by someone else. Good grief!

See my post in the Dundee thread. Maybe he's in Saint Petersburg.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Follow-up story in the OWH.

LINK

Using two different weapons is considered unusual. Neither of the Brumback's owned a gun.

Thanks for the link, bluesman. At least we got a new nugget of info in re: the Brumback's having no gun license so it must belong to the killer.

Dr. Mrs. Hunter said in an interview that the killer left knives behind. I wonder if the killer's signature is leaving behind a momento and if he left the knife he used to kill Mrs. Brumback behind as well as the gun clip.

Maybe Snick is right about the killer knowing that he would be facing two adults, male and female, as opposed to a kid and grandmother and that's why he brought the gun along so that he could kill the grown man quickly. If it is the same killer as the Hunter/Sherman killer then my guess is that a knife is his preferred weapon.

However, if I were a killer planning to kill a prominent Dr with a gun and stab his wife in their own nice neighborhood, I'd certainly case and scope out the neighborhood in advance to determine which time of day the most neighbors were away from home so as not to draw attention to myself when I shot someone. The Brumback's attire should tell the investigators if the murders occured day or night. The autopsies would also determine last meal, right?

Sorry to be graphic.