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In May 2004, 3 suitcases were discovered floating in Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach. Inside the first suitcase, a family discovered 2 human legs that were separated from the rest of the body. The second suitcase contained a male’s torso with the head attached. Finally, the third suitcase contained the rest of the male victim.
Photo Source: Murderpedia (website)
The unknown male victim had been submerged in water for weeks, making it difficult to ID the body. A forensic sketch artist was called to create a rough sketch of the victim in hopes someone would recognize him.
Photo Source: Serial Killer Calendar (website)
Shortly after the sketch aired on TV, a caller identified the male victim as Bill McGuire. Bill McGuire was a 39-year old computer programmer, father of 2 young boys, and a U.S. Navy veteran. He had been missing for nearly 4 weeks prior to the discovery of his body inside the suitcases.
Photo Source: Murderpedia (website)
The first-person police want to talk to is Bill McGuire’s wife, Melanie McGuire. Melanie McGuire told police she didn’t report his husband, Bill, missing because the last day he was seen alive Melanie and Bill got into a huge, physical fight. During the fight, Bill allegedly told Melanie that she will never see him again and he left, according to Melanie.
Photo Source: Murderpedia (website)
The day after the alleged fight, Melanie McGuire filed for a domestic violence protective order against Bill.
Bill McGuire’s 2002 Nissan Altima was found parked outside the Flamingo Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Surveillance video captured the unknown driver park the car and walk away. Police were unable to identify the driver.
Inside Bill McGuire’s car, police discovered a syringe with an unknown pink substance in the glove compartment. In an effort to recovery valuable trace evidence, police extensively vacuumed the driver and passenger side rugs.
After analyzing the race evidence recovered from the vacuum, investigators discovered tiny pieces of human skin and flesh, known as “human sawdust”. The human sawdust was identified as Bill McGuire.
Photo Source: Forensic Files II Facebook page
Bill McGuire’s wife, Melanie, told police that her husband had a gambling problem and his death may have been cause by his gambling. But police quickly learned that Bill was actually a really disciplined gambler. In fact, Bill won a $30,000 jackpot right before his death.
The police went back to Bill’s autopsy. The medical examiner recovered 2 .38 caliber bullets from the second suitcase containing Bill’s torso and head. Did anyone in Bill McGuire’s life have a .38 caliber handgun?
Police didn’t have to search long. Bill’s wife, Melanie, purchased a .38 caliber handgun just 2 days before Bill went missing. As the police started digging in to Melanie’s personal life, they discovered that she was also having a long-term affair with a coworker, Dr. Bradley Miller.
Melanie McGuire and Dr. Bradley Miller worked together at a fertility clinic where Melanie was a nurse.
After an extensive interview with the police, Dr. Bradley Miller was ruled out as a potential suspect or person of interest in Bill’s murder. He even agreed to wear a police wire to record his phone conversations with Melanie, who was now a suspect in the murder.
Police identified the unknown pink substance found in the syringe inside Bill’s car as chloral hydrate. Chloral hydrate is a sedative, typically administered to a patient before surgery. The prescription was written by Dr. Bradley Miller. Melanie McGuire had forged his secret boyfriend’s signature in order to fill the prescription at a Walgreens pharmacy, less than 1 mile from his children’s school.
Bill McGuire’s severed body had been wrapped in black trash bags. After Bill’s murder, Melanie placed all of Bill’s clothes in black trash bags and gave them away.
Police matched the trash bags used to hold Bill’s severed body to the bags Melanie used to pack up his clothes. The bags were matched by unique tool marks that are present when bags are cut within minutes of each other.
Melanie McGuire was arrested for Bill’s murder in June 2005, nearly 1 year after the murder.
Photo Source: Nj.com (website)
Police connected the black trash bags found inside the suitcases to the bags found in Melanie and Bill’s apartment. Melanie had tracked the “human sawdust” identified as Bill when she moved and parked his car in Atlantic City.
The motive for the murder is believed to have been her affair with Dr. Bradley Miller.
After a 7-week trial, Melanie McGuire was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Photo Source: NJ.com (website)
If you want to hear the complete story of Melanie McGuire and the suitcase murder, be sure to subscribe to Forensic Tales podcast.
Episode Sources:
Murderpedia
Forensic Files II episode “Human Sawdust”
Melanie McGuire Wikipedia
My Central Jersey website
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