Killer Destinations

Michele Rae Powers was the mother of a 3-year-old son, and, in January 1982, after fighting for two years, was finally given visitation rights. Which her son's father was NOT happy about. She told her twin sister she was concerned about her safety. And unfortunately, it turned out that her instincts were correct.  

In 1997, brothers Melvin and George DeJesus were arrested and convicted of murdering their next-door neighbor - and the mother of a childhood friend - Margaret Midkiff. They became targets of the investigation after a jailhouse snitch gave police information that only someone present at the scene would know. Did police arrest the right perpetrators? 

The Harvey family home in Richmond, Virginia was where friends and neighbors gathered every New Year's Day for food and fun. But in 2006, arriving guests found emergency vehicles and crime scene tape surrounding the house and property. They stood together as they waited to hear news about their friends. The answer was more horrific than any of them imagined. 

In July 1966, five student nurses and three exchange nurses from the Philippines were sharing a dorm-style townhouse in Chicago, Illinois. All of the young women were smart, caring and had bright futures. They had no way of knowing someone had been watching them for days, and learning their routines, before breaking into the townhouse late one night. He was smiling and kind as he told them he wouldn't hurt them. He lied. 

In 1986, 13-year-old Jennifer Bastian rode her bike to Tacoma's Point Defiance Park and never returned. The investigation into her disappearance uncovered similar crimes targeting young teenage girls. The determination of cold case detectives eventually led to the clang of a prison cell door.

In November 2012, a 911 call was placed from a home located in the upscale northern California suburb of Monte Sereno. Raveesh Kumra and his ex-wife Harinder were the victims of a brutal home invasion robbery. Both had been tied up, and when police arrived Raveesh was unresponsive and cold to the touch. As investigators searched for a possible motive, they uncovered secrets that led to an unthinkable betrayal.

In November 1984, Anne Swanke, a University of San Diego honors student and music major, went to San Diego State University to hang out with her boyfriend and some friends on her way home from a sorority function. She left to go home about 1:30am... and vanished. The investigation into Anne's disappearance led detectives to cross paths with David Allen Lucas. And what they uncovered sent shockwaves across San Diego County. 

Quee Choo “Q.C.” Chadwick was smart, talented and above all else, devoted to her husband, Peter, and their three sons. When Q.C. and Peter did not pick up their sons after school, it was so unlike the couple that neighbors were quick to call the authorities. Q.C.’s body was found a week later in a dumpster more than 100 miles away from her home. The roadblocks to justice that popped up along the way would take the combined resources of the Newport Beach Police Dept., the US Marshals, Homeland Security, and Interpol, along with the creation of a true crime podcast, before the perpetrator would see the inside of a jail cell. 

In 2018, Kelsey Berreth lived in Woodland Park, CO, and she and her fiancé had a 13-month-old baby girl. On Thanksgiving Day, Kelsey disappeared. Police, however, believed her life ended inside her condo that day and arrested a suspect only a few weeks later. Despite never finding her body, the case was taken to trial. Was there justice for Kelsey, or were authorities too quick to judgment?

In Part 2, we continue our deep dive into what happened to Michael Francke, We discuss possible suspects, how the person who was charged became the focus of the investigation and the outcome of the trial. Did they arrest the right person? Did they convict the real perpetrator? And what did Michael Francke's family believe?