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Last week, we continued examining serial killer Charles Hatcher’s crimes, focusing on the murder of Eric Christgen and the wrongful conviction of Melvin Reynolds.
So what was Hatcher doing while law enforcement pursued the wrong man? He was moving across the Midwest, committing additional crimes, and eventually returned to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he murdered another child, 11-year-old Michelle Steele, whose case we’ll be discussing today.
In this episode, we look at Michelle’s disappearance and murder, how Hatcher was ultimately caught, and the confession that not only freed an innocent man but also exposed the full scope of his actions.
And we ask: how did Hatcher manage to slip through so many cracks in the legal system?
Purchase Terry Ganey's book Innocent Blood: https://a.co/d/6fE7rmD
Sources:
- Amber Keen, George Lewis, Kara Stone, Andrew Lucas, Charles Ray Hatcher, 2005, Department of Psychology, Radford University
- Kris Jensen, Terry Hughes, Kent Darr, Mike Anton, Gary Sawyer, Beverly Van Hook, The ugly odyssey of Charles Hatcher, May 15, 1983, The Quad City Times
- Terry Ganey, Innocent Blood: A True Story of Obsession and Serial Murder, 2016
- Mathieu, Jordan, Melvin Lee Reynolds, March 13, 2018, National Registry of Exonerations, Michigan State University College of Law
- Gordon, Jeff, Search ongoing for missing girl, July 30, 1982, St Joseph Gazette
- Burrowes, Mary Helen, Body of girl is found on river bank, July 30, 1982, St Joseph News-Press
If you have any information on any of the cold cases covered, you can submit a tip here: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-crime-victims/iowa-cold-case/cold-case-tip-form
If you liked the show and are interested in supporting my work, check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CardinalCrimes?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
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Theme Song: Shrouded Lament by james.lfo, William Claeson
