. Blood was also found inside of her underwear. It's hard to tell what might be ailing Runkle, though, because, at 65, he could easily pass for 45. Ken Lanning dislikes the word "profiler" and seldom uses it, but that's what most people would call him. Joseph, real name Robert Ivan Nichols, committed suicide in Eastlake, Ohio, in 2002, but when investigators were unable to locate his family at the time, they discovered that he had stolen the identity of an eight-year-old boy who was killed in a car crash in 1945. Some believed that this suspect could have been teacher Dean Runkle, according to James Renner . Although the Bay Village Police have, confirmed that these same suspects have been interviewed, there are few. El caso de Amy sigue abierto hasta el da de hoy, y la polica de Bay Village tiene la intencin de mantenerlo abierto hasta que se resuelva. He also photographed his students regularly, developing the negatives himself. He said that hed take Amy to the nearby shopping center after school one day to buy her mother a present, and possibly even insinuated that hed buy her one as well, just for her help. The police also released a letter to all households with school-age children asking if they had received any mysterious phone calls similar to the one that lured Amy out to the shopping center. If you're from NE Ohio, there's nothing that comes close to this case. "I left for health reasons." Your email address will not be published. Today, in his late 70s, he remains free and resides in Key West, Florida, where he works as a restaurant shift manager. The man spoke to her for a few seconds, and then led her away from the sidewalk. Her body was found in Ashland County - about 50 miles away - a few months later. Dean Runkle himself denies any involvement in the murder of Amy Mihaljevic and the FBI has never officially declared him a suspect. "When you're dealing with human behavior," warns Lanning, "you're not dealing in absolutes. Under interrogation, the suspect began softly muttering random words in no particular order. She didnt recognize the mans voice. At that intersection is her killer. 2. Just got a phone call from an investigator working on it. She said she was going with a friend to the Bay Square Shopping Center. A pair of sisters had also received a call from a man who claimed to be a friend of their mothers. Another key person of interest in Amy Mihaljevic's disappearance and murder case is Richard Holbert, who, like a few others, has confessed to slaying Amy. James Renner is an investigative journalist from the Bay Village area, and he was around the same age as Amy when she was killed. Amy Mihaljevic was 10 years old when she was abducted from the shopping plaza across the street from the police station in Bay Village, Ohio, on a sunny Friday afternoon in 1989. Men with mostly shady pasts and weak alibis, vague connections to the suburban area, or those who have a history of sexual offenses are the ones who are included in the suspect list. There may be circumstances or reasons that may lead him to have sex with others outside his preferred age/sex demographic." Real Name: Amy Renee Mihaljevic Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Bay Village, Ohio Date: October 27, 1989 Amy Mihaljevic. He told them he needed their help to pick out a present and asked them to come with him to the store. Amy told her mother she was ok and that she was at home now, and then quickly hung up. Investigators would later figure out that Amy was not the only girl who had received such phone calls around the same time. So by definition, the 3 are still the "most likely suspects". on Anything is possible." He asked each of them if they remembered visiting the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village. On Oct. 27, 1989, Amy was lured to Bay Square shopping plaza by a man who had previously called Amy at her home. He names the same restaurant that had been my first stop. But Runkle eventually asked for the money back. in 1989where Runkle frequently volunteered (Renner, 2008). Cookie Notice In late October 1989, Amy Mihaljevic was lured to a suburban Ohio shopping center by an unknown male who had befriended her via conversations on the phone, and she was never seen alive again. The story of her unsolved kidnapping and murder were presented by John Walsh on the television show America's Most . She loved horseback riding, and took riding lessons with her friends at a local horse ranch. She was stabbed twice in the neck and struck with a blunt object on the back of her head. I suspect they preyed on school-age girls by attempting to lure them out shopping under the guise of getting gift for their mothers. See pictures of the handmade curtain and blanket here. It seems inappropriate now, the way he treated some of the girls." its a blog about my life. "It was more than creepy; it felt like an animal noticing you walk into a room. Jason reported that Amy had not come home in the time he had been there. The calls all came at times when the children were at home, and the parents were typically at work. There have been hundreds of suspects in this case - men, mostly, with shady pasts and weak alibis, vague connections to Bay Village or New London, histories of sexual misadventures. Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 4:00 am. Scne de . Dean Runkle is still the prime suspect in the case, according to one FBI agent, but the case against him is still circumstantial. The third girl took horseback riding lessons at Holly Hill Ranch, the very same ranch that Amy took lessons from. Revealed to have close relationships with some students, In 2005, investigators reveal that other girls from the area had, received similar calls to Amy trying to lure them to a public place. She had been stabbed twice in the neck and hit in the head with a . . Cleveland newspaper reporter James Renner investigated Mihaljevic's murder case and concluded that a teacher named Dean Runkle should be viewed as a prime suspect. Over time the letters became sexual in nature. on a farm near the road where Amys body was found (Renner, 2008). No one went out after dark. They had a safe place to take her to incapacitate her, sexually assault her and murder her, all without detection. A stranger convinced Amy that he needed her help buying a present . Where? He starts to leave. This interaction was seen by two separate witnesses, both fellow middle school students. We know where Amy was abducted. The girl told police that the man called her house claiming to be a friend of her mothers. Last weekend, I paid him a visit. Lanning cites Ted Bundy, who is best known for raping college-aged women even though his last victim was 12 years old. Shockingly, another girl a few years older than Amy came forward to police that she had received a similar call months earlier. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. "I walk a lot," he says. At this point, the case was still considered a missing persons case, as Amys body would not be found until months later. He promptly began building a new zoo and inviting kids to help with the animals after school. Today, Dan is living in a rundown apartment complex in Vermilion. "He's one of those men who makes you feel uncomfortable when you're alone with them," she says. Her body was found four months later, in a field in rural Ashland County. Whatever the reason, Runkle moved back in with his parents in New London and got a job working at a pet store. There were at least three others. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was a ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. A teacher at Amys middle school had told police back in 1989 that he had never heard of the nature center and had nothing to do with the establishment. Amy's case, beginning with the phone calls from a stranger posing as a family friend, appears to have been a seduction gone wrong. It wouldnt have been unusual for Amy to go there alone or with friends. It also gave him PTSD. However, this is just a theory, and, to this date, no official charge against anyone has been made. Oftentimes, the motive of these killers is actually sexual assault, but the charges for assault of a minor are so steep that offenders feel they have to kill the victim after the assault to prevent identification. In 2002, during a Sunday Mass at St. Angela Merici Catholic Church on Lorain Road in Fairview Park, he announced that he was the one responsible for what happened to Amy. Investigators think it could have been an old quilt turned into a curtain. "But I'm telling the truth when I say I don't remember being there.". In the years since Amy's abduction, Maddie (not her real name) has been shown hundreds of photos of suspects. We dont know what happened in between there, he said. No forensic evidence has tied Runkle to the crime. Visitors had to enter their name, address and phone numbers in the book. "He made comments about girls' outfits. A couple hours later after no response, the Mihaljevics filed a missing persons report with the Bay Village Police Department. The FBI got involved in this case almost immediately to lend their resources to the Bay Village Police Department. Most child molesters don't abduct and kill their victims, he notes. And though I've never seen him in person before, I recognize him immediately - not from the grainy 13-year-old newspaper photos but from the composite sketch of Amy's abductor. Amy Mihaljevic's cause of death was determined to be homicide by stabbing. It's . But no one knows Runkle. Three and a half months later, Amy's body was found near New London, Ohio. 2.1 Dean Runkle; 3 References; 4 Further reading; Unfortunately thats the reality of the justice system today. I know that one of the more well known people who cover this case (James Renner) likes DR as a suspect, and Im sure its with Renners full belief that DR fits according to evidence. Remember back to 1989. Even after a search of his home, police could not connect the caretaker to Amys disappearance in any way, and he had a solid alibi for the day and time Amy went missing. It appears Dan stopped hanging out with Runkle in the fall of 1989. As an FBI agent on the case said, we have the beginning and the end of what happened to Amy M, but what we dont have is the middle piece. Does Amy Mihaljevic Dead or Alive? She just got a promotion. And how did the log book disappear from the nature center? If youre interested in learning more about Amys case, please check out James Renners book about this case Amy: My Search for Her Killer now available on Audible. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was an ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. 1949). By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. He says that after he left for high school, Runkle used to write him letters. So, take a look. Dan says their relationship was never physical. Several students have recently stated that they rode in Mr. Runkles car with him to donate the mice at the nature center. INTERVIEW FOLLOW-UP The evidence is highly circumstantial toward Dean Runkle. In 2006, it was revealed that before Amy was slain, many young girls around her same age had also received a similar phone call from an unidentified man, saying that hed help them buy their mother a present. But there is so much more circumstantial evidence that says they are guilty than there is for any other "suspects". He shrugs. Is this the sort of curtain someone you knew would have made? It was dinnertime when I got there, and I quickly surveyed the room. Cleveland Taco Week returns on Monday, April 10th. The Ashland County field where Amy Mihaljevic's body was discovered on February 8, 1990. Marshals searching for Ohio man wanted in multiple crimes, Chief issues 6-alarm fire in Camp Washington, 1 dead, 4 hospitalized after being hit by semi-truck following crash on Ohio Turnpike, 2-year-old Ohio boy found safe, Amber Alert canceled, police say, Duo of suspected porch pirates wanted on Clevelands West Side, police say, RELATED: 32 years later, Mark Mihaljevic still hopeful his daughters killer will be found, Closed Captioning/Audio Description Problems. Did you see this curtain hanging in someone's house? Jay Elish. Why did you leave Ohio in 2003 without giving notice to your employer, For the most part, information on potential suspects has been revealed as, part of independent investigations. There is new evidence in the Amy Mihaljevic murder investigation - a homemade curtain and a blanket found on the road where Amy's body was discovered in 1989. Meanwhile, Mark and Jason moved on with their lives as best they could. Other tips were called in about a local handyman who had been doing some work on a house down the street from the Mihaljevics. 2 Suspects. I call. This desolate stretch of cracked pavement is not a place you'd likely happen on by chance, and detectives had long theorized that whoever had dumped her body there must have been familiar with the area. Child murder victim who was kidnapped from an Ohio shopping center and whose body was found four months later in an Ashland County field. We may never find answers to these questions, but Amys family deserves to know what happened to her. It turns out the suspect had schizophrenia and he had stopped taking his medication. Everyone standing in line at the Flagler soup kitchen wants to help. That night and much of the next day I show Runkle's photo around town. He's not homeless anymore. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The local middle school dismissed for the day around 2:10pm every day, but the local high school did not dismiss until 3:10pm. We knew in 2016, her dogs hair was on the curtain, but now knowing her hair is on them tells us more and is a lot stronger, explained Bay Village Det. If we can find out where that curtain came from or who owned that, we believe strongly that will take us to the person responsible for this, he said. Dean Runkle. He wears a beige windbreaker with plaid lining, front-pressed khakis and a button-up shirt. The report of a missing child from their own neighborhood frightened every soul in Bay Village. Required fields are marked *. However, his confession proved to be false after investigations revealed that he had been institutionalized on the day that she was abducted. During those delays, I learned that Runkle was that suspect. . This "list os suspects" is so completely bogus. Over three decades after the kidnapping of 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic in northeast Ohio, local police said this week that newly-discovered DNA on a blanket and a curtain could be the key to solving the decades-old cold case. Detectives kept trying to focus in on what he knew about Amys disappearance, but the suspect would not answer the questions. "At that age, there's not a lot of difference between boys and girls. Searchers discovered Amy's body on February 9, 1990. He gave them the name of a suspect and asked if it sounded familiar. Elish believes anyone who can identify those items, the curtain especially, will help solve this case. Oct 15. Who Killed Amy Renee Mihaljevic. [2 . Search for a Topic. http://www.. Margaret started to panic, so she ran down the block to the middle school to inquire after Amy. On Friday 27 October 1989, ten-year-old Amy Renee Mihaljevic woke up at 6am and dressed herself for school, before meeting two friends and riding on their bikes to class at 7.50am, the same as they did every other school morning. Another girl in the next town over came forward to police about a similar phone call as well, but this girl had something in common with Amy. Also not in his personnel file were the occasions when Runkle was caught alone with students in his gold-colored Grand Prix, by both the principal and a policeman, who let him go with a warning. Earlier that day, Amy and Olivia had sat together at a school assembly and listened to a rookie policeman named Mark Spaetzel give a "meet your friendly local officer" presentation. Spaetzel also discussed the dangers of strangers. None took the bait. As I'm considering how to enter the compound, a man walks across the street in front of me. If you meet me at the plaza after school, I'll take you shopping to pick out a present for her. Fox 8 reported there was a red spot on her underwear, it was blood, most likly Amy's. This can be found on James site May 9th 2007 Autopsy. Amy Renee Mihaljevic was just 10 years old when her life was cut short in 1989. Thousands of tips have come in throughout the years, but no one has ever been arrested. As word spread around the neighborhood, friends and family started coming over to the Mihaljevic house to make flyers and search for Amy. I asked him if he thought it was possible that a student of his could have showed me a picture of him volunteering at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Puberty seems to be a very significant issue for many of these serial offenders.". We should also mention that a former student of Dean has publicly accused him of inappropriate contact. As of 2014, her homicide remained unsolved. In 1994, Christina Adkins says she overheard Runkle say something that shocked her. 3. Adkins says she and other young girls were questioned about Runkle's behavior by the superintendent in 1995. Amys death affected everyone in the Bay Village community and surrounding areas.