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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 1, 2016 22:55:41 GMT -5
Female Suspect in 1989 and 1994 Murders of Kansas/Missouri WomenPolice indicate they are close to solving a mysterious murder from almost 30 years ago. The Kansas City Star reports that detectives have possibly discovered a link between the 1989 killing of Sarah Jo DeLeon, 19 (above left), the unsolved 1994 slaying of Diana Marie Ault (right), 26, in Independence, Missouri, and an abduction in 1987. Detective Scott Howard announced at a press conference this week that police have identified a suspect in the murder of DeLeon and they’re “coming to a conclusion.” The female suspect’s name has not yet been released, but police believe this suspect also has connections to at least two other unsolved crimes. Howard indicates the investigation has revealed the suspect and an accomplice have been implicated in other incidents involving the harassment and intimidation of romantic rivals. Another detective, Mike Warczakoski, says he hopes to present the case in the coming weeks to Wyandotte County prosecutors.
Found Dead after Leaving Boyfriend's House. On December 29, 1989, Sarah DeLeon was found dead after leaving her boyfriend’s house around 1:00 a.m. Her body was discovered on railroad tracks in Kansas City and she had sustained multiple stab wounds in addition to a head injury. The young woman’s car was discovered about a mile away from her house, but there was no blood in the vehicle, no sign of a struggle in the area, nor were there any signs of sexual assault. Kansas City Police were not able to solve the murder at the time, but say the case was reopened in July 2014 as a result of advancements in DNA testing.
Connections to Ault Murder. Police believe the unsolved case of Ms. DeLeon may be related to the murder of Diana Ault, which took place January 31, 1994. Mrs. Ault was shot and killed in front of her young children in Independence. She had arrived home after watching the Superbowl and was shot in the chest as she entered the kitchen. According to KMBC News, the killer ransacked the house but the only thing missing was her husband’s gun, which was discovered in Mrs. Ault’s car. The gun turned out to be the murder weapon.
At the time, police had a suspect but there wasn’t enough evidence for an arrest. Details have not yet been released, but Kansas City Police say they are able to demonstrate a link between the murders of the two women. “We believe that we can show a pattern of behavior that links this to the DeLeon homicide and other crimes,” Howard reports.
Murders May Be Connected to Abduction. In addition to the Ault case, investigators believe they can link the DeLeon murder to yet another unsolved crime. In February 1987, two years before Ms. DeLeon’s death, a young woman was tricked into leaving her home in a limousine and taken to a hotel in Kansas City. Police refer to this as an “abduction by deception” case and believe there is a link to the aforementioned murders. “We are asking for tips regarding the February 13, 1987, incident, as we believe the circumstances are relevant to a possible prosecution in Sarah DeLeon’s death,” Howard indicates.
Romantic Rivalry. How could all three of these cases possibly be connected? Well, Kansas City police say they believe their suspect and an accomplice have repeatedly harassed and intimidated romantic rivals and, presumably, Sarah DeLeon, Diana Ault and the 1987 Kansas City abduction victim all fall into this category.
In an interview with KMBC, Matt DeLeon, Sarah’s brother, says he believes the person who murdered his sister was vying for the attention of her boyfriend.
KMBC also reports police speculate the killer was having a relationship with the husband of Diana Ault. Indeed, a KMBC report from 2004 indicates Ault’s husband admitted he had an affair with another woman before his wife’s death. This woman, a US Postal employee, had also dated Ms. DeLeon’s boyfriend at one time. Police have not yet confirmed such, but it seems likely this female is the suspect in question.
Both Women Harassed. Another connection between the cases of DeLeon and Ault is that both women were reportedly being harassed by a female suspect in the weeks prior to their deaths. Matt DeLeo confirms his sister was, indeed, the victim of harassment. “We knew Sarah was harassed and a little bit bullied and we feel like that also ties into the connection with the Ault case, too,” he explains. Additionally, before her murder, Ault and her husband reported they were receiving threatening phone calls from a woman. Sources: Brendan Morrow, Heavy, May 31, 2016, and KIDI News.
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Post by madeline on Jun 2, 2016 0:18:03 GMT -5
There have been cases of women killing other women over a man, but the article says that she had an accomplice. Who would have helped her murder two different women and kidnap another one over a boyfriend?
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Post by natalie on Jun 2, 2016 15:55:20 GMT -5
So what was the connection with the abduction? The article mentions romantic rivalry with the other two women, but nothing is mentioned about why the other woman was abducted. I assume she, and the children who witnessed their mother's murder (Ault case) saw the suspect, so why did it take this long for the police to identify the killer?
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Post by madeline on Jun 3, 2016 9:16:04 GMT -5
So what was the connection with the abduction? The article mentions romantic rivalry with the other two women, but nothing is mentioned about why the other woman was abducted. I assume she, and the children who witnessed their mother's murder (Ault case) saw the suspect, so why did it take this long for the police to identify the killer? Someone could have tricked her into believing that she won some kind of prize, or that she'd been invited somewhere, and then rented a limousine to abduct her. No one ever notices what drivers look like.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Oct 23, 2016 7:19:16 GMT -5
Woman Arrested/Charged in 1989 Cold CaseIt was the news Gail Elieson has waited nearly 27 years to hear. A suspect has been arrested and charged in the killing of her 18-year-old daughter, Sarah DeLeon. “I’m elated,” Elieson said Thursday, the day after police in Kansas City, Kan., announced the arrest of Carolyn J. Heckert (above) in the 1989 killing of DeLeon. “I didn’t believe it until I saw her name and mugshot. That was fantastic.”
Heckert, 48, of Smithville, a longtime area real estate agent, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by US Marshals and taken to the Clay County Detention Center. Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome Gorman said Heckert was charged Wednesday with first-degree premeditated murder in DeLeon’s death. A judge set her bond at $1 million.
DeLeon’s body was found by a passing train crew Dec. 29, 1989, along railroad tracks near Interstate 435 and Wolcott Drive in western Kansas City. She was stabbed to death and police said there were no signs of sexual assault. Her abandoned Ford Mustang had been discovered the night before on 78th Street under Interstate 70 in Kansas City. Police said the car was found with its door open and its emergency flashers on. There were no signs of blood or a struggle.
Elieson said Thursday she had never met Heckert but has long known the woman was considered a suspect in her daughter’s death. Heckert was 21 at the time DeLeon was killed and may have lived in Kansas City at the time, according to online records.
In May, police said they had identified a female suspect in connection with DeLeon’s killing, although detectives did not release a name at that time. They said that DeLeon’s case was thought to be linked to the 1994 killing of Diana Ault in Independence, Mo., and a 1987 “abduction by deception” case in which the victim was tricked into leaving her home in a limousine and taken to the American Inn at 78th Street and I-70 in Kansas City. “We are asking for tips regarding the Feb. 13, 1987, incident as we believe the circumstances are relevant to a possible prosecution in Sarah DeLeon’s death,” police said in a statement at that time.
The Ault and DeLeon families have long been in contact and held joint commemorative ceremonies for the women. Both families have said previously that DeLeon and Ault were the victims of harassment or bullying before their deaths. “The investigation has revealed that the suspect and an accomplice have been involved in other incidents involving the harassment and intimidation of romantic rivals,” Kansas City police said in May when they announced they had identified a suspect.
Elieson said that when she heard Wednesday an arrest had been made in her daughter’s case, she called Ault’s father to let him know so he wouldn’t hear it in the media first. Independence police said Wednesday that no arrest had been made in Ault’s death and the investigation remains open.
DeLeon was a graduate of Washington High School and attended Kansas City Community College. “She was a good kid,” her mother said Thursday. “She had no enemies but this one woman.” Sources: Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star, October 20, 2016, and Rae Daniel, KSHB, October 19, 2016. .
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Post by madeline on Oct 23, 2016 10:46:04 GMT -5
Apparently,Carolyn Heckert couldn't keep a boyfriend. Still, it's hard to believe a woman or a man would kill over someone who didn't want them.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 9, 2017 11:48:43 GMT -5
Judge Dismisses Charges Against Carolyn Heckert
On Friday, a Wyandotte County judge dismissed the murder case against 48-year-old Carolyn J. Heckert of Smithville, Missouri. Heckert was arrested in October 2016 and charged with first degree murder for the death of 18-year-old Sarah De Leon. She pled not guilty. At the time, authorities believed that Heckert was responsible for the death of De Leon and linked to the death of another woman – motivated by romantic rivalry. They also said they believed Heckert was involved in multiple instances involving the harassment and intimidation of romantic rivals.
De Leon's body was found near train tracks in Kansas City, Kansas, December 29, 1989. She had been stabbed 22 times, mostly in the back, neck and chest. Her car had been abandoned several miles away. Prosecutors allege that Heckert killed De Leon because she was angry and jealous that De Leon had started dating Heckert's ex-boyfriend, Matt Uland.
Judge Aaron T. Roberts’ decision came at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing to determine probable cause – whether the evidence was sufficient to proceed with a trial. Roberts said while there was no doubt there was reasonable suspicion implicating Heckert in De Leon’s death, there was nothing linking her beyond motive and behavior evidence. He noted the evidence was replete with allegations concerning [Heckert’s] “deplorable behavior,” but he did not believe there was enough probable cause to proceed to trial. The police, the judge continued, have spent years searching for evidence to link Heckert to the crime scene and sent numerous samples out for additional DNA testing as new technologies emerged, yet, none of the subsequent testing connected Heckert to the murder. At this time, he observed it would be an extremely uphill battle for the prosecution and he could not tell if a trial would be successful. He indicated that charges could be re-filed at a later date. Thirteen witnesses testified Friday, ranging from Heckert’s former friends and lovers, past romantic rivals and members of the Kansas City Police Department (KCKPD). Several of the detectives have since retired from the force. Jennifer Tatum, assistant district attorney, presented witnesses who testified as to Heckert’s increasingly violent and harassing behavior toward her romantic rivals, women that included De Leon and Diana Ault, a young mother-of-two who was killed in her Independence, Missouri, home in 1994. Heckert, Tatum said during the hearing, was the common link between the two dead women and investigated as a person of interest in both cases.
Tim Ault, Diana Ault’s former husband, had recently ended an affair with Heckert prior to his wife’s death. Heckert has never been charged with Ault’s murder and denies involvement. Although prosecutors conceded their case was almost entirely circumstantial, they sought to establish a pattern of extreme behavior exhibited by Heckert. They called witnesses who testified concerning the harassment and threatening behavior to which they were subjected by Heckert after they began dating Heckert’s former love interests. Heckert’s defense attorneys hammered the witnesses on their changing statements over the years and highlighted law enforcement’s admission that no physical evidence, DNA evidence, or eyewitnesses linked Heckert to the De Leon crime scene.
Heckert was released from the Wyandotte County Jail Friday evening. She was accompanied by her husband, Michael Heckert. John P. O’Connor, Heckert’s defense attorney, told NBC affiliate KSHB-TV that his client “has always maintained her innocence. It’s hard to explain and I think she’s still in shock, but obviously relieved.” Sarah De Leon’s family stands firm in their belief that Heckert is responsible not only for her murder, but that of Diana Ault five years later in Independence. Last year, Matt De Leon, brother of the murdered woman, told Dateline: “We all believe that there’s this connection between Diana Ault and Sarah’s case. So we just want this person – whether it’s for Sarah’s case or Diana’s case – we just want this person in jail. We want this person off the street.” In response to the judge’s ruling, the “Justice for Sarah” Facebook group posted the following statement: “... While we remain dedicated in our efforts to give a legal voice to Sarah, we also remain dedicated in our efforts to give a legal voice to Diana Ault, give her a day in court, and remove a killer from our streets. We are not going away.”
Sources: Toriano Porter, The Kansas City Star, April 8, 2017, and Jennifer M. Eng, NBC News, April 8, 2017.
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Post by madeline on Apr 9, 2017 23:53:55 GMT -5
It sounds like this is the end of it unless the police can come up with more evidence against Carolyn Heckert. I'm still wondering who the "accomplice" was that helped her murder those women. The original article said that she had an accomplice.
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