Jacqueline Dunleavy, age 16
Murdered 9 January 1968
Here is a Cold Case which might be related to at least some of the "Coed" cases:
CIRCUMSTANCES On Tuesday, January 9, 1968, Jacqueline Dunleavy was working at the Stanley Variety Store on Stanley St at Wharncliffe Rd. She finished work at 6:35pm and was last seen walking out the front of the store. At 8:10pm,
canadiancrimeopedia.com
I don't know if John Norman Collins was ever considered by Canadian authorities as a potential suspect in any murders committed in their country, but Collins was Canadian by birth and at one time tried to get transferred from a Michigan prison to one in Canada. He was born in Windsor, Ontario (just across the river from Detroit, Michigan) and he had relatives there. London, Ontario is very close to Windsor.
There were a number of unsolved murders and missing person cases of young persons at around the same timeframe as the Michigan/Coed murders. While it is likely that most of them are not related to the Michigan cases, there are a few which do stand out. The murder of Jacqueline Dunleavy seems to have a number of similarities.
Here are a few matching forensic factors:
- Jacqueline was a 16 year old, white female, nicely dressed and outdoors alone.
-- This fits the description of all the Michigan (and California) "Coed" victims, whose ages ranged from 13 to 23.
- Jacqueline was last seen at a bus stop some time between 6:35 and 7 PM. One witness thought he saw her entering a white 4 door sedan - possibly a Chrysler.
-- This is very similar to how almost all of the Coed victims were given a ride which led to their deaths, in particular in the case of Joan Schell picked up at a bus stop on 30 June 1968 by John Norman Collins and two other males.
-- Many of the Coed cases began with an abduction in the later afternoon or early evening hours.
- Although Jacqueline had suffered a head injury, the cause of death was strangulation.
-- The Coed cases involved murder by shooting, stabbing, strangulation, and blunt force trauma to the head. John Norman Collins murdered Karen Sue Beineman by both blunt force head trauma and strangulation.
- She was on her back in the snow, with her arms straight down along her sides and her legs closed and placed perfectly straight, "as though positioned in a casket for burial.”
-- The Michigan Coed victims were all moved from where they were picked up and from where they had been killed. Some were posed in various ways.
- Jacqueline had not been sexually penetrated, but semen was found on her winter coat that had been left strewn by her remains, and Jacqueline’s skirt had been pulled up and her blouse torn open.
-- Most Michigan Coed victims were disrobed to an extent. Their clothing was often cut away, but found in the vicinity of the bodies. The Michigan Coed cases had sexual elements but not all involved normal sexual acts.
- Jacqueline's body was left out in the open in a relatively busy area where she could readily be found.
-- This was how all of the Coed victims were left - generally in rural areas, but near well traveled roads in places where they were easily found. None were covered with dirt, leaves, or debris.
- Autopsy revealed a small pack of pink facial tissue was found lodged in the back of Jacqueline’s throat.
-- Most of the Michigan Coed Victims had cloth stuffed back in their throats, usually pieces cut from their own clothing.
- Something NOT stated in Jacqueline's case was whether any jewelry or possessions were missing.
-- Most of the Coed cases involved the taking of souvenirs such as shoes, earrings, necklaces, etc.
Jacqueline's murder occurred on 9 January 1968, midway between the murders of Mary Fleszar (9 July 1967) and Joan Schell (30 June 1968). All three cases involved the perpetrator using a large American made sedan.
