KS KS - Hazel, 60, & Steve Avery, 19, Gary Longfellow, 23, Ottawa, 28 March 1973

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I am a relative of Steve Avery's wife at the time of his murder. I have been intrigued by this case since I first learned of it a few years ago. The family doesn't talk of it and it's something I haven't brought up. I can tell you that Dianne and her daughter, Stephanie, passed away within about 6 months of one another in 2011/2012. So, I wouldn't be able to ask directly, but some of the family may be willing to discuss it.

I don't have much confidence in the law enforcement in Ottawa/Franklin Co. in regards to homicide investigations. IMO, they mishandled the case of Kyle Flack (awaiting trial in a quadruple homicide and rape). The lack of technology in the 70's really hampers things in this case. I'm sure by now the car has disappeared/been destroyed which is a shame. You know there had to be DNA, fingerprints, etc. everywhere in and on that vehicle.

In my novice sleuthing opinion, not knowing much more than what's been reported, I feel the hitchhiker/local theory is the most plausible. I don't know what the argument was regarding, but another possibility might be that Dianne didn't want him to take their only vehicle because he was going all the way to Topeka. If he planned on being gone for two days (per the news articles), maybe she was going to need the vehicle. That's not exactly a metropolitan area where you can just catch a bus with a 13 mo old. However, she did have several other family members in that area that may have been available to take her wherever she needed to go. So, it's possible she didn't want him involved in the trial or maybe they didn't have the money for gas/expenses. I can only speculate right now, but I will see what I can find out from the rest of the family. I hope this case gets solved.
 
Sorry for the double post, but I found this regarding what happened to the car (and sadly, all the evidence with it).

That 1964 Chrysler, where the killer or killers surely left some physical evidence, is long gone. Gary Avery said that after the case, the car was released to their family. But they couldn’t stand to sell the car and potentially see it traveling down the road one day. So they had a family friend in the salvage business destroy it.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/article1113017.html#storylink=cpy
 
I haven't forgotten. In fact, I think about this case often. I wish I could give more insight, but my family hasn't been very receptive to inquiry. What information I was able to get, was not much....Anyway, I plan to try to find out what I can, when I can. No matter the family ties, these victim deserve as much justice as can be done after so much time.
 
Did you ever consider that this triple murder, Steven Avery, Hazel Avery and Gary Longfellow, may have been done by the same serial killer that framed Steven Avery for the Halloween, 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc Wisconsin? They were shot in the head like Teresa Halbach was. The killer I suspect is Edward Wayne Edwards. He spent time in Leavenworth Prison, 1962-1967 and was in and out of Kansas his entire life. He executed a couple in my hometown in the same manner in 1956. Just a thought. Thx, John
 
Coldcasecameron said:
Did you ever consider that this triple murder, Steven Avery, Hazel Avery and Gary Longfellow, may have been done by the same serial killer that framed Steven Avery for the Halloween, 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc Wisconsin? They were shot in the head like Teresa Halbach was. The killer I suspect is Edward Wayne Edwards. He spent time in Leavenworth Prison, 1962-1967 and was in and out of Kansas his entire life. He executed a couple in my hometown in the same manner in 1956. Just a thought. Thx, John
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Wiki: Edward Wayne Edwards
 
After listening to several cold case podcasts lately, this case keeps banging around in the forefront of my mind. I've reached out to a couple of podcasts in hopes they'd cover this case. Unfortunately, I can't give them much beyond what's in print because no one ever talks about it in my husband's family. I discussed this with my husband and asked him why he thought they didn't want to talk about it. The only thing he could figure was safety concerns or the fact they're just not the type to discuss sensitive subjects. The fact that his aunt was left a widow at such a young age under such heinous circumstances would fall under the "sensitive subject" category. As for the safety aspect...It's been theorized here on WS that it could be someone local. Ottawa is such a small town, I can't say I blame them. While saying that, I feel people who could provide more insight from that time should (at least) occasionally speak up about the case (e.g., anniversary, when asked, etc.) in hopes of renewing interest.

So, unfortunately, no new info to share. I've seriously considered starting my own true crime podcast with this case being the catalyst OR if any true crime podcast host(s) are reading - PLEASE shine a light on this case. I know many of the people have passed away from that time period and there is a slim chance of bringing someone to justice, but there is still a chance. Having definitive answers would be a comfort even if the perp(s) have since passed away.
 
SaucyGal said:
After listening to several cold case podcasts lately, this case keeps banging around in the forefront of my mind. I've reached out to a couple of podcasts in hopes they'd cover this case. Unfortunately, I can't give them much beyond what's in print because no one ever talks about it in my husband's family. I discussed this with my husband and asked him why he thought they didn't want to talk about it. The only thing he could figure was safety concerns or the fact they're just not the type to discuss sensitive subjects. The fact that his aunt was left a widow at such a young age under such heinous circumstances would fall under the "sensitive subject" category. As for the safety aspect...It's been theorized here on WS that it could be someone local. Ottawa is such a small town, I can't say I blame them. While saying that, I feel people who could provide more insight from that time should (at least) occasionally speak up about the case (e.g., anniversary, when asked, etc.) in hopes of renewing interest.

So, unfortunately, no new info to share. I've seriously considered starting my own true crime podcast with this case being the catalyst OR if any true crime podcast host(s) are reading - PLEASE shine a light on this case. I know many of the people have passed away from that time period and there is a slim chance of bringing someone to justice, but there is still a chance. Having definitive answers would be a comfort even if the perp(s) have since passed away.
Click to expand...

Indeed this would make a fine podcast -- though, as you say, there is a dearth of material available, at least online.
 
SaucyGal said:
After listening to several cold case podcasts lately, this case keeps banging around in the forefront of my mind. I've reached out to a couple of podcasts in hopes they'd cover this case. Unfortunately, I can't give them much beyond what's in print because no one ever talks about it in my husband's family. I discussed this with my husband and asked him why he thought they didn't want to talk about it. The only thing he could figure was safety concerns or the fact they're just not the type to discuss sensitive subjects. The fact that his aunt was left a widow at such a young age under such heinous circumstances would fall under the "sensitive subject" category. As for the safety aspect...It's been theorized here on WS that it could be someone local. Ottawa is such a small town, I can't say I blame them. While saying that, I feel people who could provide more insight from that time should (at least) occasionally speak up about the case (e.g., anniversary, when asked, etc.) in hopes of renewing interest.

So, unfortunately, no new info to share. I've seriously considered starting my own true crime podcast with this case being the catalyst OR if any true crime podcast host(s) are reading - PLEASE shine a light on this case. I know many of the people have passed away from that time period and there is a slim chance of bringing someone to justice, but there is still a chance. Having definitive answers would be a comfort even if the perp(s) have since passed away.
Click to expand...


Well, I'm kind of bumping this, because I think of it pretty regularly, too. I'm not sure whether your husband is the son of the brother who appeared in the 40th anniversary article in the paper, but he seems willing to talk about it. The other possibility that suggests itself is contacting the Longfellow family. But the podcast idea is the best way of maybe shaking something loose.
 
Total newbie here bumping this a bit. I have recently become interested in this case through a random google search for cold cases in my area. For some reason this one just stands out to me and I am hoping to get some interest going in it. I did some research and found a few more facts about the incident that I haven't before seen reported on here or similar (reddit) forums.

The new facts that I found:
- Steven Avery hitch hiked from Iola, KS to Garnett, KS and it was reported that his wife's younger brother (HS age) saw him hitching in Garnett and drove him just to the edge of town where he then continued hitch hiking. Steven then called his mother for a ride when he got to Richmond which is about 10 miles from where he was dropped off by his brother in law.
- Hazel Avery was reportedly scared or nervous to drive to Richmond alone and called Gary Longfellow to ride with her to Richmond. She then called her sister to tell her that she and Longfellow were going to Richmond to pick up Steven.
- The three were reported as missing to Police on the afternoon of the 28th by Gary Longfellow's father, Delbert Longfellow of Lawrence. The car was not found until the 29th after noon when a passerby called it in as it has been there more than 24hrs.
- The gun was never found, and although bullets were recovered from the bodies no slugs were found in the car or the immediate area. The creek near where the bodies were found was drained and searched, presumably for the weapon, but nothing was found.

Some thoughts:
- This was the first I had read of Steven interacting with anyone during his hitchhiking. Reportedly, his wife didn't allow him to take their car and they had an argument which is why he was hitching. I find the fact that her brother just "saw" him and gave him a ride, but only to the edge of town strange and (maybe?) too coincidental. I wonder if the wife had called her brother to be on the lookout for Steven? I wonder why he didn't at least drive him as far as Richmond (it was raining/storming) - I realize the times were different it just seems strange to drive a family member only the the edge of town in the rain. However, it also corroborates that at least at that point, Steven was alone.
- I agree with a previous poster that it was a little strange that Hazel was so nervous to drive alone that she called her son's friend, around 10pm, to travel with her. Adding to this is that she then called her sister, again at 10pm, to inform her of their plans. It sounds to me that she was scared of something or someone and trying to make her whereabouts known. Bringing the sister into the situation makes it seem more ominous to me.
- Strange that Longfellow's father was the one to report them missing. Why wasn't it the sister who knew of their plans?
- The fact that no slugs or other physical evidence was left adds to the idea that this was a "professional" hit.

I would love to discuss! Please share any thoughts or ideas...thanks!
 
I know this will sound sexist and old fashioned, but knowing my grandmother (who would have been similar in age to Mrs. Avery at the time) and even my mother - they never drove far. They drove back and forth to the grocery store, almost always during the daytime. Any longer trip and their husband drove. 40 miles each way could have been longer than Mrs. Avery was comfortable with especially in a 9-10 year old car. Or maybe her vision wasn't good at night?

While that may explain why she asked for help, it sure doesn't clear up the mystery.
 
Quite likely Hazel Avery and Gary Longfellow left Lawrence with a third passenger, one intent, or who became intent in a very short distance, on murder. Perhaps a hitchhiker, perhaps a casual acquaintance, perhaps both.
 
uburoi1 said:
Quite likely Hazel Avery and Gary Longfellow left Lawrence with a third passenger, one intent, or who became intent in a very short distance, on murder. Perhaps a hitchhiker, perhaps a casual acquaintance, perhaps both.
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I tend to disagree with the hitchhiker or 4th rider theory. Primarily because of the "hit" quality of the scene. IMO it seems like a coordinated effort - but by whom and why?
 
wfgodot said:
Forty years, three murders and no answers in Franklin County cold case (Lawrence Journal World)

Franklin County saw previous triple homicide in 1973 (Topeka Capital-Journal)
much more at the links above
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Gary Longfellow and I attended cosmetology school at the same time. He was in the Senior class. I was a beginner. When we took breaks we would often discuss a lot in the break room. He told me about surfacing from a swimming pool in Vietnam. He was shocked to see Miss America of that year standing there! We were friends though we didn't associate outside the classroom. The last day Gary would attend this school he was assigned to teach me "practicum" which was essentially reviewing the textbook. He was obviously preoccupied. It made sense as he had to go to court the next day regarding a paternity case. I asked Gary if he was the Father. He replied, "Do you think I'd be trying to run if I was?" I answered, "NO". Gary didn't try to run away from Vietnam or any other scenario we had touched on. I also didn't feel he was trying to run from this situation since he was going to court the next day. His friend and his friend's Mother was going with him to testify that he had been playing pool at their house during the time that this woman said she was with him.
Gary said something that has haunted me ever since. He told me, "Don't do what I have done. My life is over." I didn't know why he felt that way. I was 17 years old so didn't have much life experience to draw on. I tried to tell him his life wasn't over. Gary obviously KNEW something was going to happen. It was more than just a paternity trial. Something else was going on. One thing I know for sure is that Gary knew something was going to happen. He had no doubt that he was going to DIE.
For many years I believed his death was related to the paternity case. At school we had heard that this woman had a jealous boyfriend who wasn't quite right mentally. So, I figured this was probably the person who killed them. It wasn't until many years later that his cousin would tell me more about what was going on. It almost broke my heart for Gary when he was declared "innocent" at court even though he hadn't shown up. He couldn't show up when he had been murdered. Evidently there wasn't enough evidence to convict him of being the Father.
Years later I would talk with Gary's cousin. I know her to be a strong and solid Christian person. She said that the owner or manager of the cosmetology school had a boyfriend who was connected to the mafia. Evidently, Gary had got involved with something they were doing. To tie these loose ends up, suffice it to say that this is what took Gary down. The family was "paid a visit" and instructed forcefully NOT to talk about Gary. Thus, the silence from the family.
These expert killers knew enough to commit an "executive" type of murder. That doesn't speak of a jealous boyfriend who is mentally deranged. I think there is a lot more about this case now. I also now think it's likely that there were some "inside" people who didn't want to solve this case. It's sad that Gary and his friends will never have justice. One interesting "side note" is that the "other" person that was found later actually resembled Gary. I'm glad I learned at least this much about the case as it has given me more peace about what really happened than I had for many years.
 
vermontaigne said:
Normally, since this has the marks of a hit, you'd say that it had something to do with Steve Avery's going to testify on behalf of Gary Longfellow at a paternity hearing the next day, and that would send you looking for someone else who might be implicated as the father, who had a lot to lose if the truth were known. Makes you wonder what kind of testimony Steve was going to give. I see from the Topeka Capitol-Journal above indicates that other people testified that the "McLouth woman" suing for paternity support had declined Longfellow's offer to marry her, wanting financial support instead, and indicated to other people that he was not the father. On the basis of that testimony, the court found in favor of the deceased defendant.

But in this case, the hit man would have had to have known where to look for the two young men, and that's a puzzler, as noted above, because Steve called from the road for a ride, and Mrs. Avery asked Longfellow to accompany her, leaving at about 10:30 pm. Two other points seem significant in this regard. The first is Mrs. Avery's feeling she'd be safer with Longfellow in the car with her. I know it was raining, but unless she had a night vision problem or something like that, it seems a precaution that most people, even 60-year-old ladies, wouldn't take, unless they had a reason to feel insecure. Second, Steve had set out hitchhiking because Dianne, his wife, didn't want him taking the car. Why not? It seems unlikely that the mother of a young daughter would absolutely need a car at night. Perhaps she didn't want him to testify in the matter, because she felt it would put him in danger. It would seem that if they'd receive threats, they would have mentioned it to other people, at least after the fact, unless Steve's widow believed that the threat persisted even after he was murdered.

Then there's the question of the hippie, mentioned above, found murdered several weeks later and a few miles away. Law enforcement was reluctant to tie the triple homicide together with that, though it seems that the condition of the UID's body makes it possible he was murdered at or about the same time. However, if he were murdered at the same time, or by the same hand, it's a puzzler why he ended up with a skull fracture from a blow that may not have been sufficient to kill him all by itself. Though he was found in a creek bed, we don't know whether or not there was evidence of drowning. If he were slain by the same person, you'd think it likely that he, too, might have been dispatched with a shot to the head, unless there was a reason to vary the method of execution.

From the religious artifacts he's got with him, one has to conclude that hippie guy is a Jesus freak, which makes him an unlikely assailant or collaborator with the assailant. If he were killed by the murderer of the other three, then you'd have to imagine that the murderer would have been well served to have left the murder weapon with him, in order to make it seem that hippie guy was maybe tripping on acid or whatever people thought might make counter-cultural types resort to random violence back in 1973. So, imagining that he was killed by the same person or persons, the reason the weapon wasn't left there might have been that it would be traceable.

Now, whenever I see that someone disappeared or was killed on the eve of giving court testimony, I think there's likely a connection. None of the deceased seems to have much contact with the criminal justice system. Somehow, though, the KBI seems to have determined that these murders had nothing to do with the court date, even though they can't seem to find an alternative motive, having ruled out robbery. At the same time, if hippie guy had any form of ID on him, it was taken.

Whatever other rumors were going on about the McLouth woman's pregnancy at the time, who knows, but it would be interesting to know whether she had any known connections with law enforcement. Something caused Hazel, Steve and Gary to stop their car. We can speculate about another hitchhiker, but a couple of people reported having seen Steve hitchhiking, and they apparently didn't mention seeing anyone resembling the murdered hippie. Then, either before or after they were shot to death, their car was deviated onto a less traveled road.

The only scenario I can think of is that they were murdered by cops on patrol. I don't know the caliber of the bullets that killed them, so I don't know whether they'd match with a usual police service revolver. I also don't know enough about handguns to know whether 7 shots generally would have required reloading.

What would make them stop? Well, to pick up a hitchhiker or hitchhikers, who performed a random act of triple homicide without robbing them. Or, they're stopped by a patrol car. They've either picked up a hitchhiker, or the cops have him in their car. One of them wants the guys whacked before they testify. Is he the father of the McLouth woman's child, or somehow otherwise related to her, believing that Longfellow is bailing on his responsibilities?

None of the three murdered in the car is found in the driver's seat. Did a cop, brandishing his gun, force the hippie to drive the Chrysler while his partner followed in the police car, so they could be shot in a more private spot? Did the hippie then get smacked on the head and drowned a little further down the road? Hazel was in the front seat passenger side. Steve and Gary were in the back. It seems unlikely that a woman who was so concerned about the safety of the drive would have driven herself, rather than let one of the two young men do the driving. I hate to find myself considering law enforcement as the perps, but it's the only way I can make any sense of the circumstances.
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Please read what I have wrote. Gary KNEW something was going to happen. He would never tell me why he thought that. Hopefully, what I have written will help clarify a bit more what likely happened to my friend, Gary.
 
Flobow said:
Please read what I have wrote. Gary KNEW something was going to happen. He would never tell me why he thought that. Hopefully, what I have written will help clarify a bit more what likely happened to my friend, Gary.
Click to expand...
Welcome to Websleuths, @Flobow! You might want to consider becoming a Verified Insider for Gary's case. See more at Rules - Etiquette & Information in the section VERIFIED PROFESSIONALS and CASE INSIDERS.
 
SaucyGal said:
I am a relative of Steve Avery's wife at the time of his murder. I have been intrigued by this case since I first learned of it a few years ago. The family doesn't talk of it and it's something I haven't brought up. I can tell you that Dianne and her daughter, Stephanie, passed away within about 6 months of one another in 2011/2012. So, I wouldn't be able to ask directly, but some of the family may be willing to discuss it.

I don't have much confidence in the law enforcement in Ottawa/Franklin Co. in regards to homicide investigations. IMO, they mishandled the case of Kyle Flack (awaiting trial in a quadruple homicide and rape). The lack of technology in the 70's really hampers things in this case. I'm sure by now the car has disappeared/been destroyed which is a shame. You know there had to be DNA, fingerprints, etc. everywhere in and on that vehicle.

In my novice sleuthing opinion, not knowing much more than what's been reported, I feel the hitchhiker/local theory is the most plausible. I don't know what the argument was regarding, but another possibility might be that Dianne didn't want him to take their only vehicle because he was going all the way to Topeka. If he planned on being gone for two days (per the news articles), maybe she was going to need the vehicle. That's not exactly a metropolitan area where you can just catch a bus with a 13 mo old. However, she did have several other family members in that area that may have been available to take her wherever she needed to go. So, it's possible she didn't want him involved in the trial or maybe they didn't have the money for gas/expenses. I can only speculate right now, but I will see what I can find out from the rest of the family. I hope this case gets solved.
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