NJ - William McGuire, 39, found dismembered in Chesapeake Bay, 2004

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I just watched this on 48 Hours. I honestly had my doubts until I read up both here and online. The show left out quite a bit of the incriminating evidence.
 
'Suitcase killer' McGuire's latest appeal of life sentence rejected

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2017/08/07/suitcase-killer-mcguires-latest-appeal-life-sentence-rejected/545180001/

Melanie McGuire, the former township resident convicted of killing her husband, cutting up his body and stuffing the parts into matching suitcases, will not be getting any relief from her life sentence, the state Appellate Division ruled.

McGuire's appeal of the 2014 denial of her petition for post-conviction relief was rejected by the Appellate Division in a decision released Monday, five months after it was argued.
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February 2018:

Appeal process ends for 'suitcase killer' McGuire
Melanie McGuire, the former township resident convicted of killing her husband, cutting up his body and stuffing he parts into matching suitcases, has reached the end of New Jersey's legal line in an effort to get relief from her sentence of life in prison.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has denied her petition for certification. The denial, witnessed by Presiding Supreme Court Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, was signed Jan. 29. That means the state Appellate Division ruling in August denying McGuire any post-conviction relief stands.
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Melanie McGuire, the “suitcase killer’’

When someone’s unwanted baggage washed up along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia in May of 2004, it was clearly a case of murder.

Inside one of the green-and-black Kenneth Cole Reaction suitcases was a pair of legs. A second, matching piece of designer luggage contained a torso. The third matching bag held a head.

Both the head and torso had gunshot wounds.

The remains belonged to William McGuire, a 39-year-old computer programmer from Woodbridge who also was an adjunct professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

NJ murder: 5 heinous killings by women, from 'Prom mom' to 'Granny killer'
 
I just watched the Court TV replay of this trial and it was very interesting. Since I had never heard of it I didn’t know any pre-trial things that had gone on.
MM surely didn’t do herself any favors by not testifying. So many weird decisions and actions, she needed to explain these herself. Her attorneys tried to use her friends’ testimonies to explain all this but it wasn’t very effective.
Her biggest problems in my opinion were:
1) Why she didn’t tell anybody about buying the gun. Not her lover, not her best friend, not the guy she was talking about buying a gun. Not the restraining order, and not the police. Then changes her story on why she bought the gun. Same caliber gun, same ammo she bought. It looks like she did not want that gun ballistically tested.
2) Her husband was found inside their own luggage. Luggage he could not have left with since LE testified all three bags would not fit in his car’s trunk or the backseat with the carseats.
3) Despite her Dr boyfriend’s advise to find that cab driver and Uber driver that supposedly drove her around the night she moved WM’s car, she didn’t, nor did the police ever locate them.
A glaring question never addressed:
...If WM was killed or incapacitated Wed night(4/28-29th), then he didn’t leave or go anywhere. If he didn’t go anywhere, his car didn’t go anywhere, and since MM supposedly didn’t take his car and park it in Atlantic City until Thursday night(4/29-30th) that would mean his car had to have been sitting in the apartment lot all day on Thursday. One witness testifying his car was there, MM’s story is proved false and she’s guilty. One witness testifying his car was not there there, MM, in my opinion, would be innocent. This was never discussed by either side. It was either never asked of witnesses or no one paid in attention to it. I think she probably did it but this unanswered question bugs me.
 
I know nothing about this case but saw this article.

'Suitcase Killer' Melanie McGuire defends innocence from inside prison
Snips:

Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC

For the first time in years, she says she has hope that an explosive new podcast, "Direct Appeal," could help exonerate her. The podcast, hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University criminology professors Meghan Sacks and Amy Schlosberg questions Melanie McGuire's guilt and suggests that there is evidence in the case that never received the legal scrutiny it deserved.

After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later, Sacks and Shlosberg, believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted. Direct Appeal
 
I'll be watching tonight. I first learned of this case in a true crime story on paperback.
 
I listened to the podcast series when it came out. I think the hosts do a considerable amount of work to ensure that deeming someone "wrongfully convicted" is NOT the same as judging them to be innocent.

Like most of these cases, I was left with more questions than answers, but found it a worthwhile listen!
 
canteloupe said:
I listened to the podcast series when it came out. I think the hosts do a considerable amount of work to ensure that deeming someone "wrongfully convicted" is NOT the same as judging them to be innocent.

Like most of these cases, I was left with more questions than answers, but found it a worthwhile listen!
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I’m on episode 6. I’m ok with it. I have to preface my comments that I believe MM is 1000% guilty. I followed the trial in 2007 very closely.

I get the sense the podcasters believe all of her new details. I am enjoying listening to Melanie though. I wonder if her sons listen to it.
 
Great podcast! I’ve been listening (now on episode 9) and I’m enjoying because we hear from a lot from Melanie. I, too, followed the case closely, watched the trial and believe very strongly that she’s guilty as hell. She did so many stupid things that show a real consciousness of guilt.
 
My daughter just finished the podcast and she firmly believes Melanie was set up and is innocent. I told her to watch the trial on Court TV. I hope that will convince her of Melanie’s guilt.

I may regret raising my kids in a liberal atmosphere lol

Just out of curiosity, does anyone, maybe @JerseyGirl , know if the court transcripts are available anywhere?
 
nyvictoria said:
My daughter just finished the podcast and she firmly believes Melanie was set up and is innocent. I told her to watch the trial on Court TV. I hope that will convince her of Melanie’s guilt.

I may regret raising my kids in a liberal atmosphere lol

Just out of curiosity, does anyone, maybe @JerseyGirl , know if the court transcripts are available anywhere?
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There’s so much out there. I hope she can see the actual trial and read all of the other forums about her. But, great for your daughter to have an open mind and not be so jaded like us
 
BrownRice said:
There’s so much out there. I hope she can see the actual trial and read all of the other forums about her. But, great for your daughter to have an open mind and not be so jaded like us
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure she’ll come around to see that Melanie is absolutely guilty once she watches the trial. The podcast conveniently left out evidence that definitively proves her guilt.

If anyone knows where to find transcripts, please send me a PM. TIA!
 
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