OH OH - Amy Mihaljevic, 10, Bay Village, 27 Oct 1989

[jaejae]

Here is another recent report about the case:

Who killed Amy Mihaljevic?

 

[jaejae]

Here is another recent report about the case:

Northeast Ohio author, community search for answers in unsolved Amy Mihaljevic murder case 30 years later

 

[jaejae]

Here is another recent report about the case and it appears to have some good information:

Who killed Amy Mihaljevic? The missing pieces, and a killer on the run

Another report:

The day Amy Mihaljevic disappeared

A video report:

Here is an interview with Amy's father:

 

[Betty P]

Here is another recent report about the case and it appears to have some good information:

Who killed Amy Mihaljevic? The missing pieces, and a killer on the run

Another report:

The day Amy Mihaljevic disappeared

A video report:

Here is an interview with Amy's father:

Yes, the first article has some good information:

• They've received tips from people who think they recognize the green curtain, that it was in their home; still talking to those people.

• They have 3 hairs from the suspect, but have to be careful in testing them because they get used up - its mitochondrial DNA

• "There's evidence being evaluated from this curtain that has the potential to link a suspect"

That's very good news - some tipsters recognized the green curtain as being similar to one they've seen in their house! They haven't been able to positively link it to any location yet.

Chief Spaetzel and Agent Torsney also say the other phone calls made to girls who lived in the area are relevant. They're still hoping for new leads to link the phone calls to other girls with the calls to Amy that had specific information about her mother's job, etc.

JMO, it still sounds like someone who

• Had access to kids information and who would be around to overhear kids conversations about personal or family matters.
  
• Spent a lot of time around kids in the Bay Village/Westlake/North Olmsted area (IIRC, some of the girls who reported receiving calls were from the latter two suburbs).
  
• Not some stranger who drove around trolling kids and looking for an opportunity.
  
• Had access to files that contained kids personal information or spent a lot of time around them, overhearing their conversations. He may have also spent time around them when they were in the company of their parents.
• Had enough freedom in their job to take off in the middle of the afternoon and disappear for a while.

Some of the people who have been discussed as suspect were a teacher and a dentist, both local. Other options are an adult volunteer with some organization that catered to kids - sports, scouts or the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center?

I've also considered it was someone who spent a lot of time at one of the businesses in Bay Square shopping center. Thinking back to those days, the businesses along that strip would have been: Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, a barber shop, a shoe repair business and a bowling alley with a video game arcade area. Across the plaza was a hardware store, drug store, a beauty salon and a bank. There were others, I don't recall. There was a big grocery store south of the plaza and to the west of it, a small self-serve gas station. On the other corners of the intersection there were the police station, school board building, drive up bank branch, etc.

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[jaejae]

With anniversaries and appeals in these terrible crimes there is some good information and articles then cases can go a little cold again. This case has always been high profile though cold in my perception. Here is a short recent video about the case:

 

[jaejae]

Here is a video about a recent Podcast on the case:

 

[jaejae]

This report is about the DNA testing of remains but James Renner's believes there may be a connection to this case:

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat analyzed the remains in his lab at Mercyhurst University in 2016 and determined the bones were likely from a young woman between the ages of 13 and 20, who stood between 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6 tall. There were no signs of dental work, suggesting the remains may be quite old. Portions of the skull and sacrum appear to have been cut by a power saw.

“We are grateful for the assistance from James Renner and the Porchlight Project in helping us to identify the remains after an intensive investigation was unable to determine who she is,” police Chief Michael Marko said. “I am hopeful that genetic technology will solve this mystery and assist us in our investigation. The New London Police Department is committed to bringing closure to a family member or relative involving the remains of this young lady."

Marko said he believes Renner thinks this case may be connected to the 1989 kidnapping of Amy Mihaljevic from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village. The remains were found nearly four months later in a field in rural Ashland County.

New London's mystery bones to be tested again

 

[SAMS]

This report is about the DNA testing of remains but James Renner's believes there may be a connection to this case:

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat analyzed the remains in his lab at Mercyhurst University in 2016 and determined the bones were likely from a young woman between the ages of 13 and 20, who stood between 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6 tall. There were no signs of dental work, suggesting the remains may be quite old. Portions of the skull and sacrum appear to have been cut by a power saw.

“We are grateful for the assistance from James Renner and the Porchlight Project in helping us to identify the remains after an intensive investigation was unable to determine who she is,” police Chief Michael Marko said. “I am hopeful that genetic technology will solve this mystery and assist us in our investigation. The New London Police Department is committed to bringing closure to a family member or relative involving the remains of this young lady."

Marko said he believes Renner thinks this case may be connected to the 1989 kidnapping of Amy Mihaljevic from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village. The remains were found nearly four months later in a field in rural Ashland County.

New London's mystery bones to be tested again

Very Interesting

 

[MadMcGoo]

Oh wow! Interesting indeed. (I’ve been a silent follower here on WS but have always held Amy’s case close. I think it’s admirable what James has done.) IIRC, he initially thought this could be an isolated incident, an ‘exception to the rule’ so to speak. I’m curious now...

 

[Klmrls]

New here and haven’t read much of this website or read any books about it. I’ve only seen the show on ID channel. My first thought was the police man Spaetzel. He was the last known person to speak to Amy. Had he been investigated or thoroughly ruled out? Kind of coincidental he was there at school that day talking about strangers, and he said talked to her, her bike was still at school. He even looks like the composite. I realize she was seen at shopping area but weird she didn’t ride her bike there. Show emphasized how she rode it everywhere. Police station across the street from where ice cream/ shopping area was. Spaetzel in charge of investigation as a rookie. Her bike in evidence at his police station possible “trophy”? Like I said I only know what I saw on the show so I could be way off not knowing as much as other people here.

 

[Betty P]

New here and haven’t read much of this website or read any books about it. I’ve only seen the show on ID channel. My first thought was the police man Spaetzel. He was the last known person to speak to Amy. Had he been investigated or thoroughly ruled out? Kind of coincidental he was there at school that day talking about strangers, and he said talked to her, her bike was still at school. He even looks like the composite. I realize she was seen at shopping area but weird she didn’t ride her bike there. Show emphasized how she rode it everywhere. Police station across the street from where ice cream/ shopping area was. Spaetzel in charge of investigation as a rookie. Her bike in evidence at his police station possible “trophy”? Like I said I only know what I saw on the show so I could be way off not knowing as much as other people here.

Capt. Spaetzel remained with the BVPD for many years. He's still the chief of police there. I lived in the community and knew him when he was chief detective. He was always very professional and concerned about the safety of the citizens, something not found in all the officers of that department. Never picked up any bad or quirky vibes from him. He was a good listener. Another interesting tidbit: There were (probably still are) a few FBI agents who lived in that small town, some with kids Amy's age or younger. They would have noticed if there was anything "off" about Spaetzel.

 

[SAMS]

.

 

[Luckyzmom]

@Klmlrs Welcome to WS. Go back and read this thread when you have time. Interesting theory Thanks for your post and interest in Amy's case

 

[Betty P]

@Klmlrs Welcome to WS. Go back and read this thread when you have time. Interesting theory Thanks for your post and interest in Amy's case

True, it doesn't hurt to think outside of the box.

 

[MissLaura]

I've been deep diving into many cases the past couple of weeks. I just started getting into podcasts now too. Anyways, the Amy Mihaljevic case hits me hard for personal reasons.

I had a question about the teacher suspect who is now in Florida. Was he teaching the day Amy was kidnapped and how long would it take to drive from his school to the shopping center? Surely you would think they asked faculty and students about his whereabouts that day, but I haven't read anything about that.

 

[Falling Down]

Bump.

 

[Falling Down]

I've been deep diving into many cases the past couple of weeks. I just started getting into podcasts now too. Anyways, the Amy Mihaljevic case hits me hard for personal reasons.

I had a question about the teacher suspect who is now in Florida. Was he teaching the day Amy was kidnapped and how long would it take to drive from his school to the shopping center? Surely you would think they asked faculty and students about his whereabouts that day, but I haven't read anything about that.

If you haven't seen it yet, the Lake Erie Murders series Season 1 on ID Channel covers the murder. Season 1 is free on ID's website.

First three episodes of Season 1 covers the Mihaljevic case. Warning, it's intense.

 

[kemo]

I think The Teacher has been oversold as a suspect. There is at least one photo of him that looks a lot like the composite and his childhood home was very close to where the body was found. In addition, he had a history of having an inappropriate relationship with an older male former student (that did not actually cross any legal boundaries). That is certainly plenty to warrant checking him out by nothing has come of it.

Apparently the FBI travelled to Key West where he had relocated and intervened him. After that however, he does not appear to be of much interest to them and other leads continue to be pursued. As far as I know, he as never been officially ruled out and little has be said of his status as a POI ( the FBI generally says very little in a pending investigation).

Within the internet sleuth/podcaster community, The Teacher has attracted lots of attention but beyond the guy’s appearance and his geographical link to the body, there is nothing. But, there are no other suspects that have been identified.

The issue of his resemblance to the composite is complicated because lots of men looked like that at the time and other men, with questionable histories, have been identified as possible suspects based on their resemblance and have been ruled out. The body was found in a rural area an hour or so south of Bay Village. It was not the sort of place someone, looking for a place to dump a body, would just blunder into. The perpetrator probably knew of that spot before the crime.

At this point, I don’t know what to think. A lot of resources have been devoted to this case an a lot is probably known that has never been made public. There is some partial DNA that was found on the remains that may belong to the perpetrator. If they match a known suspect, it would be devastating evidence but the quality of the samples are such they can not be used to identity a suspect; at least with today's Technology. I’m not hopeful of a resolution.

 

[MissLaura]

If you haven't seen it yet, the Lake Erie Murders series Season 1 on ID Channel covers the murder. Season 1 is free on ID's website.

First three episodes of Season 1 covers the Mihaljevic case. Warning, it's intense.

Thank you! I will definitely watch it. I'm listening to the "Who Killed Amy Mihaljevic?" podcast right now.

 

[rockyriver]

What did you think of either the podcast or the Lake Erie Murders program?