Melanie McGuire is a former nurse who worked at a fertility clinic in New Jersey. She was indicted on four additional, relatively smaller charges in October. We looked very closely at Dr. Miller, said Prezioso. McGuire, now 47, was convicted of killing and dismembering her husband after a lengthy trial in 2007. A New Jersey grand jury indicted McGuire on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree perjury in October 2005. [26], On September 25, 2014, McGuire appeared in court with her new attorney Lois DeJulio, a public defender, to try to get a hearing that could overturn her 2007 murder conviction, on the grounds that her previous legal representation by Joe Tacopina was inadequate or ineffective. She had apparently grown worried about their well-being upon noticing their behavior and got them tested. However, the state's expert disagreed, testifying that he ran the tests he believed were necessary to link the bags. As McGuire maintains her innocence, she is running out of appeal options. A nurse said her husband walked out on her. But this was the first time somebody was basically saying, We hear you, said Melanie McGuire. Nevertheless, because all the evidence was against her, a jury found her guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, desecrating human remains, and perjury on April 23, 2007. Melanie McGuire is now serving a lifetime sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, as Entertainment Weekly reports. Dig, dig.". The victim, a coroner found, had been shot multiple times. But when fishermen discovered a suitcase stuffed with Bill's remains just days after the couple had closed on their new dream home . ET on ABC Miller looked at the prescription and he said, Thats not my signature and it appears to be Melanie McGuires handwriting, recalled Prezioso. She put his remains into a 3-piece suitcase set, and those three pieces were later found in Chesapeake Bay. Dubbed the Suitcase Killer, she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. But life can spring an unexpected surprise, and it was an alleged infidelity in the McGuires' case that shattered to tragic pieces their marriage with the gruesome death of Bill in 2004. [B]ut gone doesnt mean dead.. But she didnt report Bill missing. I guess it is comforting [that people are interested]. After all these years, I still feel hurt. In April 2004, Melanie and Bill McGuire seemed to have it all: successful careers, two young sons and a new $500,000 home. Few, if any, knew that McGuire, a mother of two young sons, was having an affair with her physician boss, Dr. Bradley Miller. [9] The couple had two sons and lived in a Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, apartment, but planned to move that month to a larger home in Warren County. I still feel bothered. They surmised that Melanie had sedated Bill, shot him, and cut up his body. The grainy images appeared to show Bill McGuire's car being pulled into a spot, but did not capture who the driver was. I have a book that I can look in that doesn't leave an internet history, Melanie McGuire told "20/20.". There was. William McGuire was 39 when he died. It also promised to better educate staff and inmates about the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, and said it had set up an early-warning system to identify problematic behavior by staff. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. William "Bill" McGuire was having a great day. Once police honed in on Melanie McGuire as the prime suspect, they began wiretapping her phones. Melanie went to work at a fertility clinic and Bill began teaching computer science at a technical college. The Secret in the Suitcase: With David Muir, Amy Robach, Melanie McGuire, William McGuire. [21] The case has been profiled on television outlets: Snapped Oxygen Network; Dateline NBC; 48 Hours Mystery CBS; and The Investigators TruTV; Deadly Affairs Investigation Discovery, and Forensic Files II, among other true crime television shows. As improbable as it sounds, Melanie McGuire said she actually stumbled upon her husband's car. At trial, prosecutors presented an apparent mountain of circumstantial evidence against Melanie McGuire in Bill McGuires disappearance and murder. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Powered by. The 47-year-old is currently serving a life sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey . Like, how could somebody think that I did that? she said on 20/20. Melanie McGuire was a former nurse in the United States who was found guilty of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004. As of June 22, 2020, two inmates had died of COVID-19. After they released a sketch to the public, one of Bill McGuires friends soon came forward. William and Melanie McGuires children, whose names are not revealed in any public records for their own privacy and safety, were placed with Bills elder sister, Cindy Ligosh. They looked high and low to connect Melanie to some pet, and once they found that there was no way to connect Melanie to these pet hairs, it became not of evidentiary value, said Sacks. The prescription for chloral hydrate came from Millers prescription pad. Dont accept what youre just being told on the surface. Of course, since we do not know either of their names, we have no way of digging up any other credible information concerning their current standing. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Bradley Miller. In this special, she speaks up about her innocence, her troubled marriage, her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, and how she wishes she could still be a part of her childrens lives. Custody of McGuire's two sons was given to her husband's sister, Cindy Ligosh, when she was convicted, and McGuire has not seen them since. State Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski gave Locane more time after the punishmentfor her original conviction (second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by an auto), which was deemed too lenient. Prosecutors also pointed to Melanie McGuire's supposed internet searches in the days leading up to Bill McGuires disappearance. I still feel bothered. [9] Her E-ZPass tag was recorded at a toll booth in Delaware two days after the murder; she claimed that this was the result of her going furniture shopping in Delaware, since it has no sales tax. McGuire, who was convicted in 2007 of killing her husband Bill McGuire, said the hardest part has been not being able to watch her two sons grow up. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Would love your thoughts, please comment. McGuire was convicted Monday of killing her. The evidence in this case points to a well-organized, meticulously planned execution of a murder, Prezioso said during the trial. [11] Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina,[12] Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. If youre willing to wear a wire, well believe you, said Sacks. [9] Similarly, a medical grade towel found with Bill's body matched those stocked at the clinic where Melanie worked. I just wanted to get away from him at that point. And then, two years later, they were blessed with another baby boy. I dont know how you would dismember a body and effectively clean that up, said McGuire. Melanie McGuire, who is not eligible for parole until she is 101 years old, said the hardest part is not being there for her children. She reportedly spent most of her life in New Jersey. After re-examining her murder conviction over a decade later, Sacks and Shlosberg, believe Melanie McGuire was wrongfully convicted. Youre talking about hours [of driving] and there isnt enough time, said McGuire. In April 2004, defendant conducted internet research to learn about buying a gun and about poisons, sedative drugs, and murder. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. But despite her apparent grief, police soon began to suspect that Melanie McGuire had murdered her husband. Dig, dig. She was immediately booked into the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center on first-degree murder charges, but made her $750,000 bail ($1.04 million today). McGuire offered a message to her sons on 20/20, who are now adults, encouraging them to look deeper into the case and find the truth for themselves. Yet, in the end, it turned out that shed lied about it all. Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for WomenMelanie McGuire prison record. YouTubeMelanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. [9] Green fibers had been found on one of the bullets lodged in Bill's chest; the fibers were identified as polyester fill, a common material found in household furniture. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Like, how could somebody think that I did that? https://t.co/f9HrMsbxkY. She wished to avoid purchasing a house at substantial expense and beginning a new phase in a marriage she regretted. Wronko, who is also Locane's boyfriend, is appealing the new sentence, which he believes violates her double jeopardy protections. But police soon found that the couple had a deeply unhappy marriage, that Melanie had begun an affair with a co-worker, and that someone in the McGuires home had searched for things like how to commit murder online. She said she was unhappy in her marriage. Her defense lawyers have not said if McGuire will testify . 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. Bills car contained a bottle of chloral hydrate, a sedative, and two syringes, which had been prescribed by Bradley Miller. So she drove around until she found his car and then moved it as a prank. Investigators, however, found it highly suspicious that Melanie had then tried to have 90-cent EZ Pass toll charges, which proved shed gone to Atlantic City, removed from her account. Dubbed the "Suitcase Killer," she was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, at the age of 34. During her interview with ABC News, McGuire shared a message for her sons, saying: "Make up your mind. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/hlzcKR96Ss. Miller was adamant that he had nothing to do with any crime, and he didnt know anything about this. Melanie McGuire, shown at left during her trial, was convicted of fatally shooting her husband, cutting up his body with a power saw and then stuffing his remains into suitcases she later. Bill McGuire, 39, disappeared April 28, 2004, shortly after announcing to his friends that he and his wife had just closed the sale of their first home, according to an appeal filed in her case. Melanie McGuire says she is innocent, and wants her sons to know she did not kill their father, she said in interviews with 20/20. Dig, dig., 20/20 airs Fridays at 9 pm on ABC, right after Americas Funniest Home Videos at 8 pm. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie contacted E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. Prezioso is certain that Bill McGuires murderer is the woman who was convicted and is now sitting in prison. Bill McGuire's body was found around Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach, Virginia, his corpse had been shot and then dismembered, and he was put in three separate suitcases which were found in May 2004. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. It was the 28th of April 2004. Melanie McGuire married her husband in 1999 and later alleged that he had a gambling problem and a violent temper. Melanie McGuire is serving a life sentence in the murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, at a women's correctional facility in New Jersey. Investigators also found trash bags in Melanie McGuire's home that they believed matched those used to wrap parts of Bill McGuire's body. The prosecution argued McGuires motive was her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, a partner at the medical practice RMA Associates. He did not return a call from the seller later that evening. by Sarah Jae Leiber Sep. 21, 2020. She may be eligible for parole after serving 66 years in prison, court documents filed in her case said. Author John Glatt wrote a book about the case, entitled To Have and To Kill. They shared two children together but their marriage was seemingly not a happy one as McGuire embarked on an affair with Dr. Bradley Miller, who was then a partner at the clinic she worked in, per Fox News. Five days after Bill McGuire went missing, investigators said Melanie McGuire made another bizarre road trip, this time to Delaware. Melanie McGuire was victim Bill's wife, who was accused of his murder and dubbed the "Suitcase Killer" when the case went to trial. She was given a life sentence on July 19, 2007, and she is currently in jail at the Edna Mahan . The Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women near Clinton, New Jersey, made headlines for allegations of sexual abuse and for the recent spread of the coronavirus, New Jersey Spotlight News reported. At that time, Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and had managed to have a long-standing affair with one of the doctors there, Bradley Miller. Melanie went to Middletown High School South and. But Melanie maintains that she did not commit the infamous Suitcase Murder. Melanie McGuire, sentenced to life in prison for killing her husband in a case known as the "Suitcase Murder," filed a petition in New Jersey Superior Court Thursday asking a judge for more. Miller eventually testified against Melanie McGuire at her trial. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. She then drove to Virginia on May 3, where the suitcases were thrown at night from an isolated stretch of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the bay. I absolutely tried to have those charges taken off because I feared that people would look and think what they ultimately ended up thinking," McGuire said. McGuire, 34, a mother of two, is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2004 killing of her husband, 39-year-old state computer analyst William T. McGuire. McGuire went through a lengthy trial, which was televised on Court TV, from February to April 2007. ABC dug into the case and interviewed McGuire in prison for their two-hour 20/20 special, Suitcase Killer, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, September 25, 2020. The killer is out there and its not me, Melanie told Robach. During her arraignment on murder charges, McGuire's case was dubbed the "Suitcase Murder" by various media outlets. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Candice King as Melanie McGuire in "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story," which explore the real death of Bill McGuire in 2004. [9] Melanie later claimed she had moved the car as a "prank",[8] even though she had applied for a protection from abuse order days earlier after allegedly being slapped by her husband. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook . Bill had a gambling problem, Melanie explained, and after their fight she knew he would be at the casino. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. She was later charged with other offences including perjury and desecration of human remains, for which she also pled not guilt. The case is being featured on a two-hour ABC special, Suitcase Killer, which airs Friday, September 25, 2020 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. At the time, the local media also reported this detail about the parking lot's surveillance cameras. She then called Miller the next morning, and he said "she was upset" and had told him about the fight they'd had. "It turned out that when the record check was done with Pennsylvania, a record came back that Melanie McGuire had purchased a gun," said Patti Prezioso, the lead investigator and prosecutor at Melanie McGuire's trial. In 1999, she started to work as a nurse at Reproductive Medicine Associates, one of the countrys largest fertility clinics. 0:45. This sensational case has thus often been referred to as the Suitcase Murder and has been profiled on several true-crime shows, including Oxygens Snapped, NBCs Dateline, CBS 48 Hours Mystery, IDs Deadly Affairs, and Forensic Files, amongst many others. They also discovered a bottle of the sedative chloral hydrate and two syringes in Bill's car, which they traced to a pharmacy near their children's daycare, and they learned that McGuire had bought a gun 48 hours before her husband's disappearance. So I think the police said, Well, prove it. She will not be eligible for parole until she has. I just burst into tears, Melanie said of learning about her husbands death in a 2007 interview. The publication reported that two days after Bill left, McGuire filed for a restraining order so he couldn't unexpectedly take their children, and three weeks after he had disappeared she filed for a divorce. Getty Images. Melanie McGuire explained that the night after Bill McGuire went missing, she was becoming angrier at her husband and suspected she knew where he was: Atlantic City. She pleaded not guilty to all indictments and soon posted an accumulated bail of over $2 million. She says she is innocent. [29], Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story, "Melanie McGuire Found Guilty of Murder in 2004 Shooting Death and Dismemberment of Her Husband", "Melanie McGuire, SBI Number: 000319833C", "Author to sign copies of Melanie McGuire book", "Case 120: Bill McGuire from Casefile True Crime", "Wife arrested in gory dismemberment murder", "General Discussion - Melanie McGuire guilty as hell", "Defense to withdraw motion for McGuire retrial", "Bit player in infamous N.J. murder case charged in bizarre murder-for-hire plot", "Man gets jail for plotting to kill online crush", https://www.state.nj.us/grc/decisions/pdf/2014-275.pdf, "McGuire sentenced to life in prison for suitcase murder", "State v. McGuire, 16 A. McGuires case is being featured on a podcast, Direct Appeal. She is nearly out of options in the judicial system, the podcast website said, and now she is appealing to the public for help. Bradley Miller told a Middlesex County court this afternoon that he lied to a grand jury when he said he stopped having sex with . Melanie McGuire, a New Jersey woman who was sentenced to life in prison, in 2007, for the murder of her husband Bill McGuire, discusses the case and maintains her innocence; Melanie claims that Bill pushed her against the wall during a fight, hit her, and tried to choke her with a dryer sheet. On April 26, 2004, Melanie had purchased a .38 caliber handgun from a store in Easton, Pennsylvania; Bill had been killed with a .38 caliber handgun with wadcutter bullets. This stuff exists. Melanie McGuire was convicted in the grisly murder of her husband, Bill McGuire, whose body was found dismembered in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay. Melanie McGuire says she isnt hoping for prison release, in a new jailhouse interview with @ARobach Friday at 9/8c during a new #ABC2020. William "Bill" McGuire was a husband and father of two. She became known as the "Suitcase Killer" during her televised 2007 trial. Melanie worked as a fertility clinic nurse, while Bill worked as a computer programmer. According to PEOPLE, Melanie claimed that Bill had a gambling problem and a volatile temper. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/i4dBUBR7PJ. He had been married to Melanie Lyn Slate McGuire for about five years had two beautiful sons with her. They searched gun records in the state but found nothing. After a nearly month and a half long trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty. "And I'm driving down, and I take the first pass on this, on this highway, and I see a dark sedan, and lo and behold, there it is, Melanie McGuire said. Making matters worse, Melanie McGuire had called the company and attempted to have those charges removed. But Melanie maintains that she did not commit the infamous Suitcase Murder. Police identified the man in the suitcases as 39-year-old William McGuire, from Woodbridge New Jersey, and they quickly focused their attention on Bill's wife, Melanie McGuire, who did not report him missing. Melanie McGuire Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Husband Bill, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. This suitcase was found to contain the head and torso with three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the head. As a realtor at the Weichert office in Franklin Lakes, she, along with her husband, pharmacist Bill Ligosh of Wyckoff, New Jersey, were deemed well qualified and capable of taking good care of the toddlers. This is not one of those cases, said Prezioso. ", Through her attorney Jim Wronko, Locane describes McGuire as "very nice and pleasant and smart and helpful.". The request was subsequently denied. Prosecutors called 64 witnesses, and the defense called 16 witnesses. Colombia Finds Two New Shipwrecks Near The Site Of An 18th-Century Spanish Galleon That Sank With Billions In Treasure, The Life And Death Of JFK Jr., The Beloved Son Of John F. Kennedy, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch.