Claimed that between 3:40 and 3:42 a.m., between his first and second phone calls, he had looked out the back door for signs of the intruders, had gone to the hall bathroom to check his own wounds, had washed his hands, had looked into the hall closet for medical supplies, had returned to Colette and checked her again, had administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on each victim, had checked for pulses at various points on both of his daughters' bodies, had collapsed to his hands and knees and possibly crawled for a time, had gone to the kitchen, and perhaps washed his hands at the kitchen sink. Enter your email address to recieve a notification for any new activity on this notice. At trial in 1979, MacDonald was asked about a weekend he had spent in San Antonio in December 1969 as part of a Special Forces group: Judith DeWitt, the WAC with whom MacDonald had "spent some time," told investigators that she and MacDonald had been nude together and fondled one another. Exterior views of 544 Castle . He had apparently recovered full equilibrium as MPs and medics arrived; he was alert and agitated, and strong enough to struggle with medics. Because the crime had occurred on military property, the Macdonald murders' case was handled by the army's Criminal Investigation Division, more commonly known as the C.I.D. Among other statements that were found not to match MacDonald's accounts or the physical evidence, Helena Stoeckley said that she and her friends forced MacDonald to make a phone call to try to obtain drugs. The only disturbance in the living room where MacDonald claims to have struggled with several "intruders" was a coffee table lying on its edge, an overturned plant and pot which an ambulance driver set upright, and MacDonald's eyeglasses which were found face down on the floor under the living room window. Claimed that he went to sleep on the living room couch. I was keeping Freddy happy, he said, according to Vanity Fair. All these supposedly helpful friends of mine wanted me to write a book. Despite his claims of a struggle with intruders, MacDonald did not say that the assailants might have put it there. . Looking down, he saw the glint of a blade, and realized he had been stabbed with either a knife or ice pick. The MacDonald homicides have always been considered as one of the most gruesome crimes in American history. . Colette was born on December 23, 1943 and passed away on Thursday, February 21, 2013. Six weeks later, during the April 6 interview, MacDonald said that his pajama top actually had became wrapped around his wrists at the start of the struggle, while he was on the sofa, and that he used the top as a shield to fend off blows. There was only a single weekend between the completion of his internship and his reporting to Ft. Sam Houston. I didn't want to write a book. Ive got the patience of Job.. The voice I heard was mad enough to kill." Their lives seemed very ordinary until everything changed. It has not been proven that this "piece of skin" ever existed. ", During the 1974 grand jury proceeding, Woerheide said, "Well, if you had the rubber gloves on while you were doing the dishes, how come some fingerprints were found on the dishes." Shaw asked MacDonald, "Did you try to move her any place?" Realizing that the speck of Type O blood (Kristens blood type) was incriminating, at the Article 32 hearing in 1970 MacDonald claimed that this blood on the outer lens of his eyeglasses must have gotten there when he treated an automobile accident victim at Cape Fear Valley Hospital on the night of February 15-16, 1970. As a doctor, MacDonald would have known that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation would not be effective on a child of Kimberley's size while the victim is on a soft surface; a hard surface is needed in order to have no resistance when pushing down on the chest. ", Jeffrey MacDonald told the hospital orderly that the "children were saying, 'Daddy, Daddy'.". Macdonald Individuals intoxicated with psychomimetic drugs or enraged by their wife cannot be presumed to strike with their handed side. However, perhaps the strangest part of the crime scene had to do with the magazines found in the living room: One contained afeature on the Charles Manson murders, which had occurred less than a year prior. This document was part of the report of Special Agent Lacy Walthall, and as such, was made available to defense attorneys Segal, Eisman, Malley and Douthat during the Army's Article 32 hearing in 1970. Blackburn asked, "Now are those your words describing what Dr. MacDonald said; in other words, is that your word, 'hippie,' or is that Dr. MacDonald's word, 'hippie'?" It was raining on February 16-17. He claimed that he had been asleep on the couch when at least four drug-crazed hippies broke into the home and savagely killed the family. Merrill Bronstein, staff surgeon at Womack Army Hospital, testified at trial that MacDonald had told him the female intruder had long, light brown hair. Kristen's room received no light whatsoever from the hall bathroom or any other source, and was completely dark. In Memoriam, donations to Parkinson Society Nova Scotia appreciated. . Dr. Gemma testified at trial that "There is no record that this, in fact, is true . During the Article 32, MacDonald drew a diagram for, During the grand jury proceedings in 1974, Woerheide asked MacDonald if this drawing represented his work product in any way. Average Age & Life Expectancy Colette E Mcdonald lived 6 years shorter than the average Mcdonald family member when she died at the age of 64. My face was on the floor, and to this day, if I walk in a room that's recently waxed, I get a very weird feeling . MacDonald stated he had to get down on his hands and knees to catch his breath prior to making the second phone call to dispatch. He was also asked specifically if he had placed a call to Mrs. Kane, the wife of his former commanding officer. That is just absolutely Government talk without the facts or evidence to back it up.". Moreover, authorities believed that Stoeckley suffered from delirium and was unreliable due to her heavy narcotics use. Mrs. Kalin, the next-door neighbor, testified during the 1974 grand jury proceeding that in the early morning hours of February 17, 1970, "I came out of a deep sleep and heard Colette's voice . MacDonald implies that he was confused during the initial interviews at the hospital, due to the sedative medications he'd received. MacDonald claimed that his due process rights were violated because the government lost valuable evidence. . The CID Final Report (covering the period Feb. 17, 1970 April 10, 1972) reflects "He [Jeffrey MacDonald] could recall nothing further of the attack and woke and heard a gurgling sound.". MacDonald claims that Greg Mitchell was one of the "intruders" who attacked him in the living room. . I remember I called Colette later that night or the next day and sort of announced rather than asked that I'd been offered this chance to go airborne and go to paratrooper school and join the Green Berets. Per Jeffrey MacDonald's website (e-mail): "Dr. MacDonald voluntarily surrendered his license . After the murders, MacDonald demanded and continued to demand that the CID return a sapphire ring to him. ", At the 1974 grand jury, Woerheide referred to a letter MacDonald had written in November 1971, and asked "You talked in the letter about writing a book. A federal jury convicted in 1979 convicted MacDonald, now 77, of the beating and stabbing deaths. Colette If after, why was there no blood on the phone?". Three months earlier, in August 1970, MacDonald told family friend Bob Stern the same story of tracking down and killing one of the intruders. Regarding the only serious wound MacDonald received on the night of February 16-17, 1970, a tiny, neat, "clean" 1-cm. "You said she was holding a candle?" MacDonald also said "It never occurred to me that my brother would be taking amphetamines. During the 1974-1975 grand jury proceedings, MacDonald was asked by Woerheide if he would submit to a sodium amytal exam. There was a green chair there. Jeffrey then allegedly returned his dead wife's body to the master bedroom. She mentioned her apprehensiveness to a Long Island friend in January 1970, and to a friend who had begun to accompany her to her child psychology class in early February, who told investigators that Colette had said she didn't like being away from MacDonald, and "sort of dreaded the thought of being separated again.". Kim was found covered to the neck with a blanket. Both children were found lying on their sides, with their mouths closed. the California licensing board . ", During the April 6, 1970 interview, MacDonald said, ". McDonald She was predeceased by : her parents, Duncan Stewart and Catherine Stewart (MacLean); her husband John; and her brother Johnny. When no pulse can be felt and a person is not breathing, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (with chest compression) is performed. In his submission to the parole board in early 2005, Jeffrey MacDonald claimed that post-trial, it was discovered that fresh wax drippings were found by investigators, but says this information was not made available to the defense or jury at trial. Physician's assistant Michael Newman testified at the 1970 Article 32 hearing that MacDonald had told him "that there were two colored males, one white male and one white female. The former Green She has been interviewed several times by the FBI. Claimed that he went to Kristen's room and saw that she was covered in blood. Would you like to offer Colette MacDonalds loved ones a condolence message? As a doctor, MacDonald would have known that pulling a knife from a wound is directly contrary to accepted medical practices; such an object should remain in place until X-rays can be done, since it provides a "plug" for the wound and also because it may be near vital organs which might be damaged should the weapon be removed. It would be remembered as the night of one of the most horrific and mind-boggling murders in American history. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. ", When asked by Woerheide during the grand jury proceeding if MacDonald had in fact hired investigators, MacDonald replied, "I never hired investigators, no." The Devil and Jeffrey MacDonald | Vanity Fair . If there had been blood on the lens, the optometrist would have noticed it, and since optometrists routinely clean lenses during an examination, it is highly unlikely that a speck of blood would have remained there after the office visit. Kimberley MacDonald. In October 1980 Helena Stoeckley gave a signed "confession" to Ted Gunderson and P. E. Beasley. ", MacDonald's mother testified at the grand jury that during his freshman year in college Jay had apparently begun to use amphetamines to curb his appetite, and said that "I learned later from Jeff and Judy both that [Jay] was probably taking much too much Dexedrine and that they were both aware of it . did you wear a pair of gloves?" No footprints leading into her room were found. Jeffrey MacDonald claims that at least four "intruders" attacked him and killed his family. . Claimed on the Dick Cavett show (Dec. 15, 1970) that he was in intensive care for "several days.". Colette was injured most severely in Kristen's room but was found in the master bedroom, lying face up on the floor. In March, 1971, MacDonald was asked by investigators if he would take a sodium amytal exam. ", During the same interview, MacDonald seems to have a different idea about where Colette was when he found her (and believed her to be dead). Obituary Of Waltham, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday February 9th, 2021 in Newton - Wellesley Hospital at the age of 75. Jeffrey MacDonald claimed that he had taken off his shirt before going into his daughters' rooms, but there were dozens of his pajama shirt fibers found in Kimberley's sheets. MacDonald claimed he'd broke his arm in the fatal scuffle, but Kearns would later say in an interview that authorities had MacDonald under surveillance at the time and did not observe any broken arm. MacDonald very quickly dropped the references to "gurgling" from his accounts of the murders, and never mentioned it again. MacDonald replied, "We had some discussion about it, but the answer is no. Contrary to his story on the tape, on the night before his wedding he had actually been back in Patchogue, putting a red-and-black negligee on the front seat of Carol Larson's (aka Penny Wells's) car. WebBrooke Cain The (Raleigh) News & Observer. MacDonald told psychiatrist Dr. Sadoff in April 1970 that he had had his nose broken four times in high school. Curry Funeral Home Jun 22, 2022 A memorial video for Collette can be found in the video tab. And, number two, it was apparently still being processed. The couple got married when Colette was just 20 years old after discovering that she was pregnant. MacDonald's vital signs were normal upon his arrival at the hospital. A judge later awarded MacDonald $50,000 of the proceeds but gave the remainder of his $325,000 share to attorneys, MacDonalds mother and the Kassabs. MacDonald claims to have fallen unconscious in the hallway. He read the papers at a little square table and he sat there and he chain smoked three packs a day, day after day after day going over and over everything, Bob Stevenson recalled in the docuseries. Mitchell voluntarily appeared at the Charolotte FBI office to be intereviewed about the murders. Are Freddy and Mildred Kassab Still Alive Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. In its June 10, 2013 Post-Hearing Memorandum, MacDonald's defense team still claimed that Shelby Don Harris was a member of the Stoeckley group and was present in the MacDonald home when the murders were committed. . Jeffrey then retaliated by clubbing his wife with a stray piece of lumber in the house. . Once submitted your FREE tribute will be moderated before it appears online, you will then be notified via email. MacDonald was ultimately convicted in 1979 for killing his pregnant wife Colette MacDonald and their two young daughters, Kimberley and Kristen. No bloody handprints or transfer stains from MacDonald's pajama bottoms were found on either the hallway or dining room floor. Examination of the word PIG written on the headboard of the master bed showed that the writer was in complete control of his motor sensory facilities (in other words not under the influence of drugs). MacDonald has consistently maintained that a hair he described as being clutched in Colette's hand could only have come from her murderer. It seemed unpleasant but forgettable, an unfortunate but inevitable product of late winter weather. Sunny Von Bulow and Colette MacDonald - as told in their own words. Why did he not have one on the living room couch?". Jeffrey MacDonald claims that one of his wounds went down to the fascia. Contrary to MacDonald's assertion, Colette apparently had not been pleased about the supposed trip. If MacDonald had been knocked unconscious, he would have little to no memory of the events preceding the blow that rendered him unconscious. MacDonald claims the intruders had inflicted his chest wound during the fight, then he lay unconscious for some time. . On Jan. 21, 1980, Jeffrey MacDonald furnished information to investigator Ted Gunderson about the crime scene investigation. The former Army doctor and Green Beret was convicted in 1979 of the murders of his pregnant wife, Colette, and two small daughters, Kimberley, 6, and Kristen, 2, in their Fort Bragg apartment in 1970. MacDonald claims that his family was beaten and stabbed to death by a group of hippies chanting "acid is groovy, kill the pigs." This is because Janice Glisson was not assigned to do those comparisons. Mildred and Freddy Kassab both died, months apart, in 1994. To realize he had done it, and Colette loved him, and when you sit back and picture in your minds eye what happened that night, with him attacking, and I know from the autopsy reports what was done to the two children, you cant help but visualize in your mind, though we dont talk about it, Freddy Kassab told The Washington Post in 1984, just as the popular mini-series Fatal Vision, which depicted the crimes, was airing across the country. When questioned six weeks after the murders during the April 6, 1970 interview, MacDonald said he didn't remember seeing the towel. WebThe certificates were all dated February 17, 1970 and reflected that Colette, Kimberly and Kristen MacDonald died in their home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina located in Colette MacDonald - C.L.Curry Funeral Home . He denied making such a call. On Feb. 17, 1970, Jeffrey MacDonald told CID investigators that he was fighting with three male assailants. . Okay, they wouldn't even talk to me; they wouldn't even give me the courtesy of saying hel-lo. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. When asked, "Were you personally seeking out the perpetrators?" There were no lights on in the living room at the time MacDonald claims to have been attacked. MacDonald was convicted of the three murders in 1979, nine years after Colette and her children were slain. I'm sure this was a matter of seconds." She said she could not recall specifically how many times they'd had sex, but it was more than once and less than "dozens of times.". MacDonald said, "She usually had two pairs laying there. This prompted a letter from the Dept. Federal court dismisses Jeffrey MacDonalds appeal Claims he wore no gloves while checking his family's injuries, and that after checking his family's injuries, he used the master bedroom phone and then the kitchen phone, to call for help. Kristen MacDonald. Therefore, while perhaps slightly more often forceful blows delivered from a deceaseds right to left are delivered by left handed folk (adjusting for their minority status); it is certainly not unusual to see such a blow delivered by a right handed individual.". Medical records support the fact that MacDonald did not have a hemopneumothorax. The call ended shortly afterward, and the Military Police, known as MPs, quickly went to the scene. If, as has been stated, Helena was a reliable police informant, why did she not report that the 'cult' was planning to murder the MacDonald family? During his visit Jeff went out with his brother to the Shortstop Bar in Long Island and a number of bar patrons witnessed Jeff in the presence of individuals who matched the descriptions of the New York Four. On August 17, 1979, MacDonald gave a statement to the press. Colette MacDonald and her daughters suffered horrific violence as they were killed on February 17, 1970 at their Fort Bragg home. Born on June 26, 1945 in St. Marie, New Brunswick, Canada; son of the late Roderick McDonald and Dora (Colette) McDonald. ". The fact that each member of the MacDonald family had a different blood type allowed investigators to map out who had been where and the result didn't align with Jeffrey MacDonald's story. Kathleen Mckenna Hewtson - Home