The autopsy disclosed sexual assault and a stabbing to the heart and jugular vein. 3 Reviews. It was around 9:40 a.m. on February 23, 1987, when the 23-year-old got a call from her mother, Lorene Potter . By Emily Henderson The newspapers in 1936 called the murder of the 5-foot, 110-pound blonde Helen Clevenger "one of the most brutal in the annals of North Carolina crime." Multiple local and state law enforcement organizations provide statistics and reports regarding the number of murders in North Carolina by year, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But Asheville's darkhistory reaches far before white men ever laid claim to the land. This information, closed to the public, leaves the Asheville community with questions unanswered by the yellowing newspaper clippings from 1973 detailing her gruesome murder and sexual assault. In the last 5 years Asheville has seen increasing . According to the Complaint Report, Olsons assailant perpetrated her murder between noon and 1 p.m. and her body was stumbled upon by two teenage boys at 3:30 p.m. Unsolved Murder Files; Unsolved Mystery Files; Legend Files; Suggested Cases; The Investigators; Contributing. A 19-year-old sophomore drama student found slain across the street from the botanical gardens, body bound and gagged. At 5 p.m., Nadia called the police to report her missing. After arriving in Philadelphia, she vanished. Two weeks before that summer night, Debi remembers waking up screaming from two separate nightmares about Amber that had left her with an uneasy feeling. Virginia Marie Olson, 19 years old, was known by friends as Ginger. Some examples of the many murders in northern North Carolina that remain unsolved include the 1989 murder of Cynthia Cindy Kirk, the 1998 abduction and murder of Brittany Locklear, the 1990 murder of Emma Mae Terry, and the 1994 murder of Kathi Kennedy, among others. She preferred to enjoy the journey. Today, the Complaint Report provided to the public stands out for the thick lines of black ink overlaying previously published information. The major story is that Peter and another student were both in love with a young girl named Fannie. By Stories of the Unsolved in Murders, Unsolved on November 18, 2019. We were fortunate to have her with us even for a short time, Debi said. In "The Will Harris Murders," Bob Terrell said those men were among the 17 who met violent ends in the first decade of the 20th century near Pack Square, in an area called Hell's Half Acre. Ms. Terry had been assaulted with a knife and cinderblock. Also among the lists are unsolved . There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people who killed . Inside this small grocery store, an unnamed murderer hid and waited for closing time. Anyone with information on Ambers case is asked to call the Asheville Police Department at (828) 252-1110 or contact Det. The crucial 48-hour search period was hindered by Hurricane Dora. On the evening of March 31, 1922, on Hinterkaifeck Farm in Bavaria, Germany, six residents were murdered with a pickaxe. The original colony was deserted and overgrown with brush. Find more information on reporting crimes. Today, the Complaint Report provided to the public stands out for the thick lines of black ink overlaying previously published information. What Lies Beyond. In Cold Blood: The Brutal 1959 Murder of the Walker Family. Witness accounts claim bodies laid in piles of blood, one victim with a knife through his back. Recruited by Sir Walter Raleigh, the well-known among these settlers were British ally, Indian Chief Manteo, John White and his pregnant daughter Eleanor Dare. Well, Im sleeping with the light on tonight. I might have let that lie, had I not the very next day stumbled across a thinred leather-bound book in the Carolina Room, no author listed on its spine. The mother-daughter duo spent a large part of Ambers life in Florida, where she was doted on by her maternal grandparents and three adoring uncles. Its still unbelievable to me that it could happen and that we still dont know who killed her. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Three years later, on his granddaughter's third birthday, John landed ashore to find everyone had vanished. She had a single stab wound to her neck, defensive wounds to her hands and arms that were consistent with a struggle, and her clothes were strewn on the ground nearby, according to Det. It took a few minutes before Nadia could register that they were showing her photos of her missing friend. I was one of the investigators on her case from the beginning, Det. Her life was taken from her. After yet another fight with his wife, the man decided his children were the root of their problems. Today, the boys would be 58 and 62. Maine's oldest unsolved murder case is that of 13-year-old Mary Catherine Olenchuk. Roberts also joined the board of the Central Bank and Trust, headquartered in the Legal Building. The 1936 UNSOLVED MURDER that shook Asheville The CHILD SPIRITS at the haunted hospital The architect walled into his own church! Asheville, NC (28803) Today. December 15, 2012 (63 Murders) * Date: January 1, 2012 Murder-Suicide Victim Name: Isidra Sarabio, 30 Alleged Perpetrator: Eladio Hernandez-Pelaez, 54 . In addition, the source states that roughly 24,311 of those homicides have been solved as time passed, most likely due to advancements in DNA technology and improvements to law enforcement and forensic protocols. Next, he grabbed a knife and stabbed each victim. Shot Agency. Some claim to see Virginia Dare in the form of a white doe, while others believe the colonist were murdered by Indians. As the year turns a page on the calendar, Kentucky State Police troopers at the London and Harlan posts have nine cold cases left to solve. They were showing me a picture of a body. Up until last week, Donald Lee Lovell was listed as the only escaped inmate from McDowell County on the N.C. Department of Public Safety website. The saddest part about this story is that the young man died a slow, painful death as bystanders stood by, watched, and did absolutely nothing but witness the car burning in flames. There You Have It - The Places With The Most Murders In North Carolina For 2021. Some even say Payne turned to satanism, sacrificing the slaves as evil tokens. On September 7, 1997, hunters in North Carolina 's Pisgah National Forest found human bones, clothing, and some other items scattered in the woods near a campground. In 1972, we didnt have a fully accredited police department, so thats why APD came in, Moffitt said. Babyak and Crawford were from Tega Cay, Royster owned the . Subscribe. Getting those answers would be justice for me.. In the summer of 1997, Amber was 20 years old, had a boyfriend, several close friends, and was working as an assistant manager at Pier 1. A pregnant North Carolina woman was fatally shot two weeks after she testified as a witness against her ex-boyfriend in a capital murder trial. He had vanished, with only a few of his clothes left behind. Lastly, some unsolved murders in Wake County, North Carolina, that you can easily find within the same lists and databases include the 1989 murder of Franklin Anthoine Harrison, the 1994 murder of Beth Ellen Vinson, the 2006 murder of Alfonso Hidalgo, the 2007 murder of Jennifer Nielson, and the 2009 murder of Martha Watkins, among many others. Someone that can go toe to toe with Jasmine Beach-Ferrara & win!! Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 08:39 PM EST. She was a Jane Doe practically down the hall from where I was working all day, her mother added. Her body was discovered later that same Valentine's Day on River Road, an isolated section located just past the Asheville Recreation Park. The Lost Colony , Dare County. Each victim was bound and gagged then taken to the meat-cutting room. Caption: 6 out of 10 Asheville homicides in 2021 remain unsolved. Debi told Dateline she was a little worried people would judge Amber based on appearances, but said her daughter would tell her that if someone judged her based on looks, its not someone she would want to be around anyway. Their attempts to put the event behind them came to halt when a pair of shoes caught fire in Mrs. Williamson's closet, burning to a crisp. Instructions; List of Templates; in: United States. It wasnt like Amber to be late, Nadia told Dateline. She called their friends, Ambers boyfriend, Paul, Mission Hospital, and Ambers family. All rights reserved. Olsons case, labeled cold due to a lack of investigative leads, will remain open until solved, according to Taylor, the longest serving APD investigator. Within hours of leaving Bar Code, water trickled over Ambers body in a ditch alongside Azalea Road. The blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty was born on February 7, 1977 to her young, single mother who devoted her life to her only child. Thorpe was the first of the Edgecombe County Serial Killer's victims to be found in this location, but not the last. Even though she has long since moved away from Asheville, she stays in touch with Ambers mother and Det. Asheville Real Politics. Christopher Reese's 2014 murder in Notus, Idaho remains unsolved. On September 12th, brothers Alan, 6, and Terry, 11, were dropped off by their father at the popular Broadway Movie Theatre in Fayetteville. Debi Lundgren. Lastly, he hung himself at the bridge. Wake County, North Carolina, boastsapopulation of nearly 294,000 people. Witnesses say that they saw her standing next to a maroon car driven by a man in his 30s on August 9, 1970. . Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. The downtown Asheville Police Department dedicates a shelf to six three-ring binders overflowing with intimate information about Virginia Ginger Olsons life and death. 1. Greenville Police Department View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. She wouldve never, never, gotten a ride with a stranger, Nadia said. Jeffrey Doyle, a biology professor at Cornell University, said as time passes memories fade, even involving those closest to our hearts. A chipin the west face of the Vance Memorial marks Nov. 13, 1906, a bloody day in Asheville history. If you find yourself wanting to learn more about specific statistics of crimes in North Carolina, there are several law enforcement resources available to the public which offer yearly crime reports on their websites. ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina police department says it's suspending responses to a list of crimes after losing 84 officers since the start of 2020. . But the night didnt go as planned. Mrs. Charles Williamson was just an ordinary housewife until one day her dress unexplainably caught fire. The bank failed during the Great Depression, taking down with it more than $4 million of city funds, leaving the city broke though refusing to declare bankruptcy. On December 19, 1959, the entire Walker family was brutally murdered in their home in Osprey, Florida. Opening the huge book, at least 4 inches thick, it fell open to a story printed by the Asheville Citizen on Oct. 16, 1936, exactly 83 years to the day. In anundated note, Roberts asserted hisinnocence:"My hands are clean. We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. Would I be a grandmother?. While it is a travesty that it took so long to happen, it is also a lasting testament to the person we so loved and cared for, and the immense loss that we suffered and continue to suffer, former boyfriend Beard said via email. Nadia said she called Pier 1 to see if her friend had been called into work. There are only 200 of us, James said of 1973. He has also been dubbed a "person of interest" in an unsolved 2006 murder and . I look the world squarely in the face and defy any person anywhere to prove that a single cent of corrupt money or any other thing ever dishonestly touched my hands.". Edit Edit source History Talk (0) Trending pages. Do the right thing.. In finding out that his daughter was pregnant with one of the slave's child, he murdered the slave and began to descend into madness and apparent devil worship. Womens dormitory proctor at the time, Deborah Dee James, said it was not until evening when the residential community heard of Olsons death. The suspected murderer in the unsolved 41-year-old triple homicide fits the profile of a person who went on a vicious crime spree in 1968 and later died in state prison and, significantly, can be placed in Hendersonville around the time of the 1966 . Asheville County: Buncombe Weapon: Firearm ; Date: November 22, 2012 Me too. SHE vanished on a business trip with her husband. I think the best hope of solving this case would be utilizing old DNA evidence and possibly using forensic genealogy to screen for matches. Follow Us. To her luck, her daughter and husband put out the flames. Before their flight was to depart, Judy realized she had forgotten her driver's license and was forced to take a later flight. We dont get in the way of law enforcements cases, Moffitt said. Olsons case, labeled cold due to a lack of investigative leads, will remain open until solved, according to Taylor, the longest serving APD investigator. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Asheville, NC. I am lucky to have loved, and to have been loved by Ginger, and then to have built on the foundation of her love and the tragedy of her death, a good and fulfilling life, Doyle said. This indicates that about 6 individuals per 100,000 North Carolina residents were murdered in 2019 alone. You can also hear a baby crying from the well if you walk towards the old house. Olson was wearing her only pair of denim jeans and a blue T-shirt, which was later shredded and used to bound her arms, legs and gag her mouth. ASHEVILLE Federal authorities have charged a 20-year-old Asheville man with second-degree murder in the death of a co-worker at Pisgah Inn, a popular destination off the Blue Ridge Parkway. In Olsons case, procedures were not in place to deal with campus-wide reactions regarding safety protocols and counseling services. It was hard because youre trying to finish work and its scary. "Haunted Asheville" author conducts seance, Spooky shelves: What the most stolen library book in Buncombe County says about Asheville, Visiting Our Past: The headless horseman once rode the turnpike after the Civil War, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. She wanted to go to Europe. She wants an ending - justice. In 2021, only . A stranger story is that before Peter's "death" he sent a bizarre letter to his family in Virginia claiming he was going to do something horrible, that would cause them great sorrow, and in the event this happened, they would never hear from him again. She asked if I knew of the story of New York student who was murdered in her room at the Battery Park Hotel, now the Battery Park Apartments, and the black man who was too swiftly blamed and executed for her death. So far, Asheville Police has investigated 6 homicides in 2019. As expected, until these murders are solved, Raleigh murders discussion will continue on social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Websleuths, where individuals speculate and share information regarding Raleigh murders pictures, Raleigh murders crime scene photos, and Raleigh, North Carolina, murders autopsy photos, which are rarely released even after a case is solved. Mr. Gallatin, it seems, would like his story told. The story of Helen Clevenger. asheville, n.c. -- A judge handed serial killer Gary Michael Hilton a life sentence Thursday for the slayings of an elderly Henderson County, N.C., couple the drifter ambushed while they were . Taylor said although the APD is weighed down with unsolved cases, Olsons story continues to stick out in peoples minds because she was truly an innocent victim. Once the story hit nationally, reports came in across the nation from Mississippi to Arizona, yet no real leads were ever found. "No," I told her, "But I'll look into it when I get to the library. . A miscellany of unsolved true crime cases murders, disappearances, and mysterious . Im thinking, yes those are her tattoos. ASHEVILLE, NC (WSPA) - Asheville Police have charged a man after investigators say they solved a double-murder cold case that's 28 years old. James, 22 years old at the time, said the detective assigned to the on-campus portion of interviews suggested the assailant was likely a fellow residential student. IE 11 is not supported. It took her heart, Debi said. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation posts a Uniform Crime Report each year that shows detailed statistics regarding the types of crimes and their crime rates for most cities and counties in every state in the U.S., including a comprehensive report for crime in North Carolina. Diary of a Mad Black Scholar: A New Direction, Diary of a Mad Black Scholar | Shiasias Hair Special, Diary of a Mad Black Scholar: Cultural Appropriation, Diary of a Mad Black Scholar: Gender and Sexuality. BOONE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A 50-year-old triple homicide . ", Once in the Carolina Room, I selected Vol. Follow Us. She was obviously a well-liked girl, Taylor said. Arsons, electricians, and even the police investigated the bizarre event. With advancements in DNA analysis, hope remains for the resolution of Olsons homicide case. And you dont know there are no answers, 66-year-old James said. The newspapers in 1936 called the murder of the 5-foot, 110-pound blonde Helen Clevenger "one of the most brutal in the annals of North Carolina crime." Though . Nobody thought much about that she didnt show up for lunch. Fannie died the summer after from a broken heart. Taylor said although the APD is weighed down with unsolved cases, Olsons story continues to stick out in peoples minds because she was truly an innocent victim. The APD came to campus to question students, faculty and staff. But thats not her.. Follow us. Are they married? She was considering going to University of North Carolina Asheville in the near future, but she wasnt in a rush. To this day, her friends and family wonder what happened to Amber. Title IX isnt going to do anything in that situation until after law enforcement. That's when Will Harris, a wanted fugitive, came to town looking for an old flame. In addition to Project: Cold Cases unsolved homicide database, the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation also hosts a list of the unsolved murders in North Carolina on their website. Though Battery Park Hotel guests reported hearing screams coming from the vicinity of Clevenger's room at 1 a.m., her uncle wouldn't find her until daybreak. "There are a lot of stories about folks jumping to their death from there.". The judge and jury in North Carolina saw it differently and sentenced . Where her octagonal wire-rimmed glasses sat neatly on her Spanish notebook that tragic afternoon, they now sit in APDs property and evidence room, along with her private diary, collected by the detectives from her dorm room. After several requests, here is the clip where the President reaches . These murders are among NC's biggest unsolved mysteries. 33 of the Pack Library Newspaper File Collection, the one filled with news clippings of historic crimes. Title IX isnt going to do anything in that situation until after law enforcement. Throughout her early life . . Ambers body was taken to Mission Hospital where she remained a Jane Doe until later that evening when Nadia was able to positively identify her. Hall and Dockery could not be tried in North Carolina because they didn't commit the murder in North Carolina. I always think about that - she was always teaching me something new, Debi said. Approximately 24,311 of those homicides have been resolved throughout the years, leaving North Carolina with around5,255 unsolved homicides. Crime Committed or Inflicted: Murder Crime Date: 10/17/1994 City/County: Kernersville, Forsyth County State: North Carolina District: Northern Piedmont . The victims were: Fannie, 37; Marie, 17; Carrie, 12; Maybell, 7; James, 4; Raymond, 2; and Mary Lou, 4 months old. She was the most cautious person - she wasnt a risk taker. A day before her youngest son turned two years old, Beverly "Jaye" Potter Mintz was busy planning his birthday party, and preparing for family to come visit them in Leland, North Carolina. Also among the lists are unsolved murders Raleigh, North Carolina, including the 2017 murder of Jose Melendez, Jr., the 2011 murder of Sandra Denise Thomas, and the 2000 murder of Rhonda Vicks Abram, among others. Taylor said countless interviews are included in the case file from students, faculty and staff to local residents tracked down from the botanical gardens around the time of Olsons death.