WA WA - Mike Emert, 40, Woodinville, 4 January 2001

morf13

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I watch the tv show Unsolved Mysteries.They had 2 separate episodes on about 2 seemingly unconnected cases.One was about a realestate attorney named David Marifield who was murdered in Texas,the other was about Mike Emert ,a Realestate salesman who was murdered in washington state.Marifield,met a mysterious client named "sam jones"(police and coworkers think thats fake name)at his office at 6:30 in the morning,and was shot execution style in the head. Emert met a mysterious client at a secluded house for sale,and was stabbed with a sword-like device(his client,not identified,carried a walking cane,that police think may have been one of those pullout swords)Both incidents at first glance seem unrelated,different states,different types of weapons.But there are some very striking similarities.Exhaustive invetigations turned up no suspects,and seemed to show that both men were not involved in any illegal activities or shady backgrounds.They just both seem to have been victims of a "hit".Both were killed at times or places,where noone would be a witness.Both were meeting with mysterious clients that none of their co-workers had seen.These 2 cases have always bothered me,as having some very strong similarities.I dont think the 2 men had direct connections to each other,but they could have had a common client,and for whatever reason,they had to be killed to keep something quiet.If anyone is familiar with this case,please post your opinions here,or any info you have.If you go to:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=322&order=desc

thats the unsolved mysteries forum,and you can search for info on the case.If you own Unsolved Mysteries Favories DVD sets,the episodes are on volumes 6 & 7.
 
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck its probably a duck. So if it seems like an execution was performed in both instances then that may indeed be what happened.

As to why they were killed : I can think of a couple of possibilities such as someone offered a deal from some drug selling types for properties either for their use or for money laundering and were turned down but killed to keep the offer from being turned in to L.E. or another possibility might be some bad crime types thought they had found someone in the witness protection program and so ordered hits to be done .

I must also accept that it is always possible that they were indeed involved in something shady but this was never found out or was never made public for whatever reason/s.
 
I was curious and decided to look into news reports of cane swords being used and found this interesting webpage of instances of swords used in crimes. I also found the following articles in that webpage.

There probably are other articles online as I have just begun to look and my time is limited.

. . .followed by Damron stepping out of the car, holding onto a black cane with a golden snake head. Bystanders looked on with amazement as Damron then unsheathed a sword from the cane and proceeded to approach Cavalier. . .
. . .A 49-year-old Marion, IL, resident found his cane came in handy Tuesday night as he used the sword concealed inside it to ward off a man who entered his home. . . .
http://www.thearma.org/essays/Fringe.htm
 
Mike Emert - Unsolved Murder of Real Estate Agent​

On January 4, 2001, 40 year-old Windermere real estate agent, Mike Emert, was brutally murdered while showing a home to a buyer in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Washington. A few days before his murder, Mike, who also worked with his wife, Mary Beth, told her that the potential buyer was “odd” and acted strange when he met him at a local shopping center. Mike said the man’s name was “Steven,” who was in his 50’s, walked with a limp, and used a cane. This man, Steven, told Mike that he was from San Francisco and was going to be receiving a large amount of money, a possible inheritance. He asked Mike to show him some houses on the market around the Eastside area. Steven also mentioned he was staying locally with friends or relatives, and that he had been a counselor at one time. Steven also had what sounded like an east coast accent.

During the morning of his murder, Mike mentioned to his fellow co-workers at the office that he was going to meet a “weird dude.” The name “Steven” was written in his appointment book. Once again, Steven insisted that Mike meet him at the Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center. Steven had never been to Mike’s office, nor had any of Mike’s co-workers met Steven. Mike drove a black 2000 Cadillac Escalade SUV and picked up Steven as planned around 11:30 a.m. Mike drove Steven to a large brick and beige house for viewing in Woodinville, the same house he had shown Steven the day before. The home was located in a secluded area on a dead-end, cul-de-sac.

Sometime after 12:40 p.m., the owner of the house was on her lunch break from work, and decided to spend the hour at home. When she stepped inside the house, she heard water running in the upstairs bathroom. When she went to investigate, she stumbled upon a horrific scene. A fresh, trail of blood led to the bathroom from a nearby bedroom. In the bathroom, Mike was laying in the bathtub with the overhead shower running---he had been stabbed to death 20 times. The two faucets of the vanity sinks were running as well. The owner, who did not know Mike, immediately called the police, and realized she just missed his killer by a few minutes.

Police determined that Mike was hit from behind by his attacker in an upstairs bedroom, and stabbed with a weapon that police believe was a long knife or sword disguised as a cane, and that his killer was highly skilled in using it. Mike was 6-foot-1 and 187 lbs., and his killer managed to overpower him, drag his body 18 feet from the bedroom into the bathroom, and was able to lift his body into the tub. His killer turned on the shower and sink to wash away any trace evidence he may have left behind. Mike’s DNA was the only evidence found. The killer had also taken Mike’s wallet; cell phone; his wedding ring which was a gold band with three diamonds aligned in a row worth thousands of dollars; and his gold and silver Breitling wristwatch, valued at $3,000 --- but police strongly believe robbery was not the motive.

Later on, Mike’s Cadillac Escalade was abandoned in the parking lot at Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center where he picked up Steven earlier that day, and where he met with Steven days before. Police think it was driven there by the killer. Less than 24 hours later, Mike’s wallet was found at a pay-phone booth at Colman Dock in downtown Seattle. His ATM card was missing and police said that the card had been used. Mike’s cell phone was found days later, but police declined to say where or how it was found. They did confirm that calls had been made on it some time after the murder. Mike’s wedding ring and wristwatch have never been found. After the murder, the man named Steven could not be located. Police believe his name, identity, limp, and use of a cane were a ruse. Mary Beth and the police believe Mike’s murderer was that of a professional hitman. Police went ten years back into Mike’s history and found no known enemies, gambling debts, rival colleagues, or extramarital relationships, and no clear motive for his murder. Mike was a nice man, and well respected in the real estate community.

Shortly thereafter, Mike’s wife and relatives passed polygraph tests, and were ruled out as suspects. Days after Mike’s death, there was a local homeless man, known for hanging around Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center, who became a prime person of interest to police. The man resembled Steven, had a limp, and walked with a cane. He told the police and local newspapers that he was a con man, and that he had served time in prison long ago, but was not a murderer, and he did not murder Mike. He admitted that he used women and tried to meet female real estate agents by using the ruse of being a potential home buyer. He believed Mike’s murderer was trying to frame him. The man was eventually ruled out as a suspect in Mike’s murder, and he died a few years later.

Since Mike’s death, there have been very few clues and very little leads. Mike’s killer made a clean getaway by executing an untraceable path to his identity. Mike’s case has been featured on Unsolved Mysteries and the Montel Williams Show.

On January 4, 2011, it will be the 10th anniversary of Mike’s death. Any new leads provided for police is one step closer to justice for Mike, and closure for Mary Beth and her family.

If you have any information, please contact:

King County Sheriff’s Office
516 Third Avenue , Room W-150
Seattle, WA 98104-2312*
(206) 296-4155


Widow still waiting for answers 7 years later
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/25547124.html?tab=video


Link Source: KOMO 4 NEWS Seattle Story Published: Jul 16, 2008 at 11:12 PM PDT Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 11:17 PM PDT
 
Possible crimes that may be related to Mike Emert's murder:

Al Kite:
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=37694

Ester Collins, November 1987, Texas: was found upstairs in a model home, bound and gagged, and had sustained numerous stab wounds...
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1274305051

Lindsay Buziak, 24, February 2008, Victoria, BC,: was found stabbed to death in a home she was showing:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/victorianews/news/83354217.html

http://www.remonline.com/home/?p=4874

Blog article mentioning a "strange buyer" ... it rings close to home of Mike Emert's killer:

http://642blog.ca/2009/02/02/lindsay-buziak-murder-1-year-later-and-still-no-arrest/

Authorities speculate the possibility of Buziak's murder being a professional hit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guc28mH0SOI

**Note: Dateline NBC will air a one hour episode on Bukiak's murder which will air this Summer or Fall 2010.
 
It does remind me of the Al Kite case. The limp, phone and letting no one see him.
 
It does remind me of the Al Kite case. The limp, phone and letting no one see him.

Yes, and the use of the ATM card in both cases. It could be Emert's killer or a copycat.
 
Composite_SH_enlrge.jpg


http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=37694

Here is the POI in the Al Kite case.
 
Here are two POI that were seen hours after Emert's murder. They have never been located or identified.

emert_persons_of_interest.jpg


Two More Sought In Killing Of Realtor
http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4053681.html

Sources: KOMO 4 News Seattle Story Published: Jan 26, 2001 at 11:19 AM PDT Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 12:25 AM PDT
 
I also encourage any WS members to research and share any information of previous crimes committed in their local area that are similar or possibly related to the Mike Emert case.
 
In the Al Kite thread there has been talk of the resemblence of his killer to Clark Rockefeller.

I am bringing this over from Kite's thread: - thank you WaltzingMatilda for posting!

gaia227, Thank you for starting this thread. I watched this case featured on Cold Case Files or something similar about a year ago. I am very struck with the resemblence of the composite to "Clark Rockefeller" so I sleuthed CR and found similarities to the perp in this case.

1) Romania accent....CR speaks russian
2) Banking industry connection/Wells Fargo.....One of CR's identities was an
investment banker.
3) Renting a room........CR alledgedly rented from a missing CA couple. The husbands remains were found buried in the back yard and the wife has yet to be located.

4) May carry himself in a cocky fashion.....self explanatory.

5) Both have an East coast connection.

6) RC vs CR (initials)

7) RC was described differently by witnesses....CR used many alias' and disguises.

8) Possibly curly hair......CR has curly hair but I've also seen pics where his hair is slicked down.

CR apparently was obsessed with accents and also did not like having his picture taken, as if he was afraid of being recognized, according to one of the articles I read. It seems there are some parallels between these two perps. I wonder about CR's whereabouts at the time of Al Kite's murder.


Link to Al Kite thread:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85098&highlight=murder+kite

I did email the journalist who has covered Al's murder presenting the slight possibility Rockefeller could be involved but I never got a reply.

Info about Clark Rockefeller:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Gerhartsreiter
 
Something that struck me about the Lindsay Buziak case : her boyfriend called her around 6pm. When she didn't answer,he called 911 right away ? Why ? And it is reported that he then went over to the house, and went in through the back door and found her body in the house ? If she was so apprehensive,why didn't her boyfriend go with her to show the house ?

This is a really strange case. I do wonder about the woman who called her, and the guy who supposedly showed up alone to view the house. It makes no sense... was she sexually assaulted by the killer ? Why would she have been targeted ? Quite a bit of planning,involving a few people. Including the cell phone name... For what purpose ?
 
Authorities speculate that she was mistaken as a target--I'm wondering why.

She (Lindsey) was not the listed agent on the house. Is it possible that another realtor was the intended target?
 
Possible crimes that may be related to Mike Emert's murder:

Al Kite:
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=37694

Ester Collins, November 1987, Texas: was found upstairs in a model home, bound and gagged, and had sustained numerous stab wounds...
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1274305051

Lindsay Buziak, 24, February 2008, Victoria, BC,: was found stabbed to death in a home she was showing:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/victorianews/news/83354217.html

http://www.remonline.com/home/?p=4874

Blog article mentioning a "strange buyer" ... it rings close to home of Mike Emert's killer:

http://642blog.ca/2009/02/02/lindsay-buziak-murder-1-year-later-and-still-no-arrest/

Authorities speculate the possibility of Buziak's murder being a professional hit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guc28mH0SOI

**Note: Dateline NBC will air a one hour episode on Bukiak's murder which will air this Summer or Fall 2010.



Sharp eye on the possible related cases!

The lack of motives and evidence as well as the "professional" feel of these are curious to say the least.
 
Mike Emert - Unsolved Murder of Real Estate Agent​

On January 4, 2001, 40 year-old Windermere real estate agent, Mike Emert, was brutally murdered while showing a home to a buyer in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Washington. A few days before his murder, Mike, who also worked with his wife, Mary Beth, told her that the potential buyer was “odd” and acted strange when he met him at a local shopping center. Mike said the man’s name was “Steven,” who was in his 50’s, walked with a limp, and used a cane. This man, Steven, told Mike that he was from San Francisco and was going to be receiving a large amount of money, a possible inheritance. He asked Mike to show him some houses on the market around the Eastside area. Steven also mentioned he was staying locally with friends or relatives, and that he had been a counselor at one time. Steven also had what sounded like an east coast accent.

During the morning of his murder, Mike mentioned to his fellow co-workers at the office that he was going to meet a “weird dude.” The name “Steven” was written in his appointment book. Once again, Steven insisted that Mike meet him at the Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center. Steven had never been to Mike’s office, nor had any of Mike’s co-workers met Steven. Mike drove a black 2000 Cadillac Escalade SUV and picked up Steven as planned around 11:30 a.m. Mike drove Steven to a large brick and beige house for viewing in Woodinville, the same house he had shown Steven the day before. The home was located in a secluded area on a dead-end, cul-de-sac.

Sometime after 12:40 p.m., the owner of the house was on her lunch break from work, and decided to spend the hour at home. When she stepped inside the house, she heard water running in the upstairs bathroom. When she went to investigate, she stumbled upon a horrific scene. A fresh, trail of blood led to the bathroom from a nearby bedroom. In the bathroom, Mike was laying in the bathtub with the overhead shower running---he had been stabbed to death 20 times. The two faucets of the vanity sinks were running as well. The owner, who did not know Mike, immediately called the police, and realized she just missed his killer by a few minutes.

Police determined that Mike was hit from behind by his attacker in an upstairs bedroom, and stabbed with a weapon that police believe was a long knife or sword disguised as a cane, and that his killer was highly skilled in using it. Mike was 6-foot-1 and 187 lbs., and his killer managed to overpower him, drag his body 18 feet from the bedroom into the bathroom, and was able to lift his body into the tub. His killer turned on the shower and sink to wash away any trace evidence he may have left behind. Mike’s DNA was the only evidence found. The killer had also taken Mike’s wallet; cell phone; his wedding ring which was a gold band with three diamonds aligned in a row worth thousands of dollars; and his gold and silver Breitling wristwatch, valued at $3,000 --- but police strongly believe robbery was not the motive.

Later on, Mike’s Cadillac Escalade was abandoned in the parking lot at Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center where he picked up Steven earlier that day, and where he met with Steven days before. Police think it was driven there by the killer. Less than 24 hours later, Mike’s wallet was found at a pay-phone booth at Colman Dock in downtown Seattle. His ATM card was missing and police said that the card had been used. Mike’s cell phone was found days later, but police declined to say where or how it was found. They did confirm that calls had been made on it some time after the murder. Mike’s wedding ring and wristwatch have never been found. After the murder, the man named Steven could not be located. Police believe his name, identity, limp, and use of a cane were a ruse. Mary Beth and the police believe Mike’s murderer was that of a professional hitman. Police went ten years back into Mike’s history and found no known enemies, gambling debts, rival colleagues, or extramarital relationships, and no clear motive for his murder. Mike was a nice man, and well respected in the real estate community.

Shortly thereafter, Mike’s wife and relatives passed polygraph tests, and were ruled out as suspects. Days after Mike’s death, there was a local homeless man, known for hanging around Kirkland Park Place Shopping Center, who became a prime person of interest to police. The man resembled Steven, had a limp, and walked with a cane. He told the police and local newspapers that he was a con man, and that he had served time in prison long ago, but was not a murderer, and he did not murder Mike. He admitted that he used women and tried to meet female real estate agents by using the ruse of being a potential home buyer. He believed Mike’s murderer was trying to frame him. The man was eventually ruled out as a suspect in Mike’s murder, and he died a few years later.

Since Mike’s death, there have been very few clues and very little leads. Mike’s killer made a clean getaway by executing an untraceable path to his identity. Mike’s case has been featured on Unsolved Mysteries and the Montel Williams Show.

On January 4, 2011, it will be the 10th anniversary of Mike’s death. Any new leads provided for police is one step closer to justice for Mike, and closure for Mary Beth and her family.

If you have any information, please contact:

King County Sheriff’s Office
516 Third Avenue , Room W-150
Seattle, WA 98104-2312*
(206) 296-4155

This seems similar to the Lindsay Buziak murder in Victoria, Canada a few years ago. I wonder, if Lindsay was found in a bathtub too.
 
Something that struck me about the Lindsay Buziak case : her boyfriend called her around 6pm. When she didn't answer,he called 911 right away ? Why ? And it is reported that he then went over to the house, and went in through the back door and found her body in the house ? If she was so apprehensive,why didn't her boyfriend go with her to show the house ?

This is a really strange case. I do wonder about the woman who called her, and the guy who supposedly showed up alone to view the house. It makes no sense... was she sexually assaulted by the killer ? Why would she have been targeted ? Quite a bit of planning,involving a few people. Including the cell phone name... For what purpose ?

I agree. There is also no mention of any of her property missing, such as a wallet or jewelry. The motive for this crime is a mystery. In the Mike Emert case, I think the motive was robbery by ambush. The murderer wanted no witnesses and didn't have a gun to rob a younger man, who could fight back if only a knife or bat were the weapons. An empty home is the perfect place for an ambush.
 
Authorities speculate that she was mistaken as a target--I'm wondering why.

She (Lindsey) was not the listed agent on the house. Is it possible that another realtor was the intended target?

It could very well be. I also thought the same about Mike Emert's case, or the thought of someone using him to make a statement towards someone else. Emert did have fellow relatives who worked within the same real estate company around the Seattle area.
 
I agree. There is also no mention of any of her property missing, such as a wallet or jewelry. The motive for this crime is a mystery. In the Mike Emert case, I think the motive was robbery by ambush. The murderer wanted no witnesses and didn't have a gun to rob a younger man, who could fight back if only a knife or bat were the weapons. An empty home is the perfect place for an ambush.

I saw the Buziak Dateline NBC episode last night. If anyone missed it, it will be online to watch before tomorrow (Sunday 9/19/10) at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

This is a very perplexing case. Like Mike Emert, Buziak was found upstairs in a bedroom of a nice home, but not in a bathtub like Emert. I have to disagree with what some of the Dateline forensic experts said... they think mistaken identity, I disagree. This was a well thought-out and planned murder, they made sure everything went like clockwork, and didn't leave any evidence behind.

Her killers even made it appear that they vanished into thin air after her murder. No car was seen around the house, and no one witnesses saw the two suspects walking away from the home and through the neighborhood.

The details of the case are still a little vague compared to Emerts... was Buziak held against her will as she was stabbed by the other person? Was she attacked from behind? They said she tried to use her cell phone as she was being stabbed multiple times to the chest and head. How many times was she stabbed? Did she try to defend herself?

As strange and sad as this case is, I'm surprised that Victoria and Vancouver Canadian regions (a close as they are to the Seattle area region) didn't use the new real estate security measures that went into place after Emert's murder by having all real estate agents photocopy ID of all prospective buyers, and to introduce the buyers to all office personnel before showing a home. These measures went into affect with real estate companies all along the west coast, and even in Chicago, and now the east coast as well.

Sounds like news of Emert's murder never made it to the Canadian regions up north.

But one thing's for sure... in the Al Kite, Mike Emert, and Lindsay Buziak cases, all the suspects were methodical, and use phony accents.

Dateline Timeline of Lindsay Buziak's Murder: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39226448/ns/dateline_nbc-crime_reports/
 
The Emert case has held my attention for years now. Perhaps it's because I used to have family in the King County area. The first time I heard about this case was years ago on the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" and have looked it up several times over the years for any updates.
At one point, I too was of the opinion that this was a "professional hit" for lack of another theory, but it has never really felt right to me. It seems odd to me that a hit man would have so much interaction with his victim prior to the crime. Every time he spoke with Mr. Emert on the phone, every time he met with him in person was an opportunity for him (the assailant) to be exposed. By spending so much time with Mr. Emert before the crime, the assailant ran the risk of his victim passing along identifying information or even becoming wise to him. This seems like a HUGE amount of risky behavior for a "professional".
I've also always been bothered by the weapon of choice. First off, stabbing has always seemed very personal to me, not the business as usual approach you would expect from a hired hit. Second, there was the number of wounds. I would expect to see as few wounds as possible in the case of a hired hit. Quite frankly, 20 approximate stab seems to be more consistant with a personal motive.
I've always wished that LE were able to be more forthcoming with the details surrounding the discovery of Mr. Emert's cell phone. It seems to me that the post crime phone usage could provide some very valuable information regarding this case. I would imagine that LE has already meticulously followed up on this potential lead.
My deepest sympathies for the Emert family. I still hold out hope, even ten years later, that justice will be served.
 
~snip~

Our investigative team first reported Monday night that the now-deceased Krueger is the prime suspect in at least three unsolved murders including:

•The 2001 stabbing death of Bellevue realtor, Mike Emert
•The 1981 shooting of former police officer and Everett gas station owner, Terry Dolan
•The 1984 stabbing of Bellevue attorney, Jim Barry

Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne now digs into how a long FBI delay negatively affected the Emert case and others.

more at link

http://www.kirotv.com/investigations/27845020/detail.html
 

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