Includes case updates. Details: At 12:30pm on August 10, 1991, forty-four-year-old investigative reporter Danny Casolaro was found dead in his hotel room near Martinsburg, West Virginia. She was just thirteen, while he was nineteen. Specifically, there was a bruise on his arm and head. Pretty evident. Her death remains a mystery. But, he says, he feels comfortable with the factual data that the department has gathered on the case, which points towards suicide. I feel that shes still alive, but whether shes alive or dead, I want to know., We love her dearly and wish we could have her back, wish we could have both girls back, because at this point, Id take and raise em both and never let em go.. Within a week, Justice Department agents arrested Riconosciuto on drug charges. They decided to drive to his house at 950 Florence Street. The arson squad concluded that the blaze was deliberately set. Five months later, Danny was released from the hospital and tried to change his life for the better. Want more? No one at the funeral recognized him. But, as the romance continued, Nancy noticed that Danny was becoming possessive over Nanette. Larry next brought in an independent forensic scientist, Mark Boese, to determine whether someone else had been in the house when Danny died. Well tell me what happened to his files and the paper work he received that evening? Police were called in to investigate. Episode #5.24: With Robert Stack, Danny Casolaro, Anthony Casolaro, Jack Anderson. A week before he died, Danny told his brother, Tony, that he had been receiving death threats. They believe Mrs. Sayrs had her days mixed up. Due to the controversy surrounding Danny's death, the West Virginia authorities convened a formal inquest, which included a complete autopsy. The papers that he had with him included hundreds of notes and documents from his year-long investigation. He then raped her. When Larry entered the den, he found Danny slumped on the couch, sitting in an upright position. Could find no others. I started doing my own investigation into this, but there are some things that its better to take the safe, rather than sorry, route. The man carefully placed a medal on the casket just before it was lowered into the ground. Chief Schlaf says that their investigation indicated that the position of the hole in the wall was consistent with the way the body was found, primarily based on the fact that they cannot say specifically how Danny was sitting and exactly where on the couch he was sitting at the time the gun was discharged. In October 2020, he was granted parole. A week before his death, Danny told Tony that he had been receiving frequent death threats. However, it soon turned into an investigation of government corruption that allegedly implicated U.S. Justice Department officials. One of the housekeepers saw two bloody towels in the bathroom minutes after Dannys body was found. Larry disagreed with this, claiming that Danny was a partner in the business and a distribution manager and that he "could not go much higher" in the company. A group walking on Chesapeake Street noticed Danny and Nanette and asked what was happening. Sure seems like the military man showing up and putting a medal on a civilians casket was just a nice warning to anyone who would try to follow the young mans story. Convinced that Danny had not committed suicide, Larry hired Steve Johnson, formerly of the Knox County Sheriff's Department. According to the Illinois State Crime Lab, the adulterated samples could not be typed definitively. (2) The person who was eventually charged why wasnt the location of the girls bodies part of any agreement made between him and the State? I was told there were no signs of any struggle. Laurias car was still there, but there was no sign of their daughter. In it were her drivers license and nearly $200 in cash. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the March 10, 1993 episode. Several months after his death, a coroner's report listed that the cause of Danny's death was uncertain. Danny has been charged with rape, statutory rape, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, and unlawful restraint. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years probation. After searching for over an hour, Danny noticed smoke coming from their barn, which was one mile from the family home. Larry wondered if Danny had shot someone, or if someone else used Dannys gun and shot him. In summer 1981, after becoming frustrated that he could not see them, he went to his ex-wife's home and demanded to be let in. The next day, Danny was dead and William's document were missing, along with the rest of Danny's papers. In the bathtub, they found a razor blade. Nancy told Nanette that it was not right for him to do that. He says that he and the police department feel just as strongly about the results of the Illinois State Crime Lab, that there was no evidence of type O blood in the house. We have come to the conclusion that Lauria was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was murdered and his files have never been found. Jeff is that Deanna? Laurias father, Jay, recalled the last time he saw his daughter: Lauria, she said to me, Daddy, is it all right if I spend the night with Ashley in the Freemans home? I said, Well, just make sure youre home by noon tomorrow. And, noon tomorrow didnt happen the way it shouldve.. And that was a mistake.. Curiously, when the police removed the bullet, there was only one small spot which appeared to be blood on the paneling. How did the girls not hear the shotgun. But where were Ashley, her father Danny, and Lauria Bible? You are now leaving Unsolved.com and heading to our shop at. This was followed up with a segment on the death of Danny Casolaro on March 10, 1993. One night, a man showed up at Nanettes home. And like Kathy, he had also been shot at close range with a shotgun. This eventually led to Inslaw filing for bankruptcy. Interestingly, one of them remembered seeing two bloody towels in the bathroom; it appeared that someone had tried to clean the blood off the floor prior to when the professional crew arrived. Suspects: The Vinita police were investigated but cleared of any involvement in this case. The pace at which they were able to embalm and do the autopsy on Danny Casolaro is suspicious in itself. She agreed, but first, she called the police. He would not have moved back into the position he was found in, and the gun would probably not have been in his lap. Nancy says Dannys family and friends wanted her to drop the charges against him. The day after the fire, Laurias parents returned to the crime scene. I wish the parents had some closure. Its definitely a cover-up. Government people have a rule. However, samples found in other parts of the house have been typed. After he started his ministry in Wheaton, Pastor Barnes himself began to have run-ins with local police. She claims they tried to make her feel like she was in the wrong and was the bad guy in the situation. However, the school day came and went without incident. He told them to leave Danny alone. Guzman does not understand why they would argue that point. Apparently, according to Chief Schlaf, he had considered committing suicide before, he had discussed doing it before, and he had taken a substantial step towards committing suicide by discharging the gun during the argument. Bob Bean and Danny Wheeler recall their experiences through the murder of Sammy Wheeler. . A note on this. Perhaps that person took Dannys keys out of his pocket, leaving behind a trace of type O blood. Sad but true. A maid had found him in his bathtub. Suspects: Initially, it was suspected that Danny was accidentally killed by a hunter. With Robert Stack, Ralph Himmelsbach, Florence Schaffner, William Scott. He asked to meet her at the tennis courts in nearby Lancaster County Central Park in fifteen minutes. The UFO phenomenon has apparently ended in Wytheville, as the sightings have apparently ended, but the UFOs have never been explained. A neighbor witnessed Danny being picked up by an unidentified woman on the same morning he supposedly died. Now, there were two shells found on the couch that came from the gun. By then, investigators had received more tips pointing to Eric as the killer. In August 1989, the House Judiciary Committee opened a formal investigation. In December, Melanie was sentenced to three years in prison for hindering the investigation into Danny's murder. Unsolved Mysteries apologized for this error. Some sources state Nanette ended the relationship after learning how much older Danny was. The promising student, whose case is covered on Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries, had been playing cards at a friend's apartment on campus before he left and never returned. Nancy and Nanette have been forced to move several times because of the harassment from Dannys family and friends. Larry has placed ads in several newspapers, offering a $25,000 reward for information which leads to an arrest and conviction. Investigators re-examined the crime scene and found no other bodies. I can see another man being apart of this story that Busick and the other 2 deceased men did business with that also knows where the girls were taken and abused and buried. As time passed, they started seeing more of each other. He said that his ghost still haunts room 517. Danny has been charged with rape, statutory rape, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, and unlawful restraint. 2023 Copyright. At 9:30am on January 12, 1994, the same morning as the broadcast, Danny was arrested without incident at his home. On July 15, 2020, Busick pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of accessory to murder in an agreement with prosecutors. He is currently listed as a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania. Chief Schlaf says that the independent lab feels very confident in their results. They themselves might not have committed the crime, but maybe they had some help. Maybe the girls did have something to do with Kathy and Dannys death. He reviewed the entire casefile and felt that Eric needed to be reinvestigated. He began to follow her everywhere. It was determined that Danny's wrists had been slashed a total of twelve times. Former Attorney General Elliot Richardson also testified before the committee. On July 15, 2020, Busick pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of accessory to murder in an agreement with prosecutors. West Virginia authorities opened a formal investigation and ordered an autopsy. Edward Coolidge, Pamela Mason's killer, is a possible suspect in Rena's death. The Unsolved Mysteries episode "What Happened to Josh?" presents considerable evidence that Josh Guimond was a murder victim. UPDATE: Ronnie Dean Busick, 66, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of arson. One of the tips was from his former girlfriend and another was from a schoolmate. Danny believes that Bob had a motive to kill Sammy. Per UM report; basic investigative procedures were not followed. During the time, with boys town, the franklin scandal, and a multitude of other related government corruption issues, it may have been safe to say there was some kind of connection. By the time Laurias parents arrived the fire was out, but the home had been reduced to ashes. However, Johnson quickly concluded that, in his opinion, the death was a suicide. According to some sources, they had broken up before his death. Questions even Larry has been unable to answer. On August 8, 1991, a coroners jury ruled that Dannys death could not be classified conclusively either as a suicide or a murder. Shortly afterwards, they received two anonymous letters which stated that a man named Eric Windhurst was the killer. One theory is that there was an altercation somewhere else, during which Dannys blood and another persons blood was spilled. She assured them that she was not wrong: Nanette was the victim, and Danny was the perpetrator. Under hypnosis, he revealed that he had seen Rena arguing with a delivery man on the day that she was killed. At the time of his death, he was investigating a sprawling criminal conspiracy he labelled 'The Octopus' . Chief Schlaf says that the police department does not agree that there would have to be a large quantity of blood behind Danny. His brother, also named Larry, passed away in 2017. It probably would have been on the floor or the coffee table. However, the theory was later discounted because of the distance between the pit and him and the fact that the bullet would have had to go through various obstacles in order to reach him. 2) Where can I watch Unsolved Mysteries? Surprisingly, the police ruled Rena's death a suicide, however, her family believes that she was murdered by the same man that killed Pamela and Sandra. They say that Dannys girlfriend described an argument which had also resulted in a shooting incident six months before his death. West Virginia authorities and Department of Justice representatives declined to participate in this story. He probably didnt die from cutting. Guilty. Was a journalist found dead in a hotel bath tub murdered because he was investigating a highly sensitive political cover-up? Extra Notes: This case first aired on the October 24, 1990 episode. Do you know about pizza gate? On the morning of February 3, Danny, then thirteen, came down for breakfast and found that Rena was not home. Government people have a rule. Arrest stirs pain of unsolved cases, New evidence emerges in 20-year-old murder case, Suspect to enter plea in case of 1985 death, Windhurst sentenced to 15-year minimum in 20-year-old murder, Woman awaits sentencing in 20-year-old crime, NH woman in old murder case talks about prison, Man, 48, who shot dead his friend's abusive stepdad three decades ago asks for his sentence to be reduced, Man who killed friends abusive stepdad wants sentence cut, Man who killed friend's stepdad loses his bid for freedom, Family of murdered man can't forgive killer, Man who killed friend's stepfather in 1985 released on parole, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Perhaps you may be able to help solve a mystery. According to the police, there was one final fact to support the suicide ruling. I just got done reading this story. In the letter, she said she was too young to have a boyfriend and wanted to spend more time with her family. William and Nancy Hamilton told Danny that they were confused by what was happening, until they talked to a man named Michael Riconosciuto. No one.. Subscribe for new episodes announcements, latest news, featured cases, and more! On multiple occasions, he came to her school, stood outside her classroom, and yelled her name. Details: On the night of Sunday, June 30, 1991, in Galesburg, Illinois, longtime residents Larry and Lois Williams had finally given in to two days of worry. Pat's divorce to Bob was going to be final on Tuesday. Have there been any FOIA requests made? In 2016, Eric asked the court to have his sentence reduced; the request was denied. Shanes killing was ruled justifiable, but the Freemans threatened to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriffs department. He then told her that Nanette had been raped. He decided to break into the locked house. Elliot Richardson said he believes the evidence indicates foul play: Theres enough evidence that he was murdered so that there should have been a much more intensive investigation than there had been. Yeah his killers probably chose Martinsburg to kill him in because they are the most inept police force in the D.C. Metropolitan area. Presidents come and go but there are people that are very powerful and entrenched. They lived in constant fear not only of Danny but of his friends and family as well. The one of Ashley murdering Danny and Kathy and fleeing with Lauria has not been ruled out either. It still haunts her to this day, With suicide by cutting one needs to pay attention to the cuts. Date: June 30, 1991. Unfortunately Danny was in too deep and had information that would be expose that. Ya brother was murder. Finally, the crime scene was arranged to make Dannys death look like a suicide. The overall conclusion of our efforts was that the sheriffs office had nothing to do with the murders of Danny and Kathy and did not know the whereabouts of the two missing girls.. I honestly believe they injected him with a paralytic agent afterwards and set the scene up. During the burial, a highly decorated military official appeared and placed a medal on his casket. Riconosciuto testified about his knowledge regarding this case. He knew something, the military doesnt just show up and give medals at random funerals to non military people. Nancy gave the phone to her cousin, Judith. According to him, that is not necessarily consistent with what happens in the real world. Any new leads? Suspects: Larry claims that Danny had been in fights, had enemies, and had been threatened before his death. Robert Stack was perfect as host, and if you get a chance to see it reruns, do not pass it up. Nicknames: Danny, Dan However, when he got to the house, he found a lack of evidence to support the theory that it was a suicide. But it wasnt Lauria or Ashley. Larry believes that the police came up with the conclusion of suicide and have gone to a great degree of effort to try to support their theory. Missing Since: November 1991. However, the family believed otherwise and hired a PI and a ballistics expert to examine Danny's death more closely. No one knew who they were. Sadly, Danny's parents have since passed away: Larry in 1998 and Lois in 2010. She tried to tell him to stop and that she could not breathe, but he did not listen. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. A search of the mine, however, turned up nothing. His last known address was 508 S. Ann Street. It didnt make any sense., Jay Bible discovered Danny Freemans body. Larry says he has received several anonymous phone calls from people who claim to know Dannys killer, but say they are afraid to name names. Hosted by Robert Stack, this series . After the broadcast, several calls to the telecenter were accidentally forwarded to Turnquist instead of the Galesburg Police Department. He says that if the police had put as much effort into trying to find out what the truth was and what happened, they would be working along the same lines that he and his family are today. In 1980, the U.S. Justice Department became a major client. Boese has come to believe that Danny was probably not shot in the den. Unsolved Mysteries: Created by John Cosgrove, Terry Dunn Meurer. He married and became a father, but in 1981, he and his wife divorced. On August 8, 1991, he arrived in Martinsburg with several briefcases, planning to meet with informants and conclude his investigation. According to him, the theory that there would have to be a large amount of blood is based on what is seen in movies and TV. No one could quite piece two and two together on that. Authorities traced the cars registration to a home in Utuado, a small town forty miles southwest of San Juan. The guy that owned the house when the girls went missing was Later convicted of a unrelated murder. Within a month, the case was classified by the police as a suicide. He was killed the previous Sunday. If Danny was murdered, who killed him and why? He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years probation. The Craig County Sheriffs Department tried to piece together what happened the night of Ashleys birthday. This episode includes: Miram's Memory & UD, Ghost Blimp, Fugitive Fireman & UD and Russian Roulette & UD.