And that's when the old man with a Frisbee shows up. Runkle also seemed to have volunteered in the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village at the time of the murder. The handyman was brought in for questioning, but was quickly eliminated as a suspect once his alibi was corroborated by multiple people. By James Renner on Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 4:00 am. Most of the 100 or so who replied remembered his fondness for Dr. Pepper and disdain for yawning in his class or saying "yeah" instead of "yes." And though I've never seen him in person before, I recognize him immediately - not from the grainy 13-year-old newspaper photos but from the composite sketch of Amy's abductor. Mr. Runkle wouldve had access to the log book which listed Amys address and phone number, as well as the unlisted phone numbers of the other girls who received the suspicious phone calls. All four girls, who received . Two years later, he earned a Young Educator of the Year award for starting a science fair at the school. C 27 Octobre 1989) tait un tudiant l'cole primaire , g de dix ans amricain qui a t enlev et assassin dans l'tat amricain de l' Ohio en 1989. . In 2002, during a Sunday Mass at St. Angela Merici Catholic Church on Lorain Road in Fairview Park, he announced that he was the one responsible for what happened to Amy. The case seemed to go cold again until new details were released in 2016, some 26 years after the body of Amy Mihaljevic was discovered. The FBI brought in a sketch artist, and the artist was able to create a composite sketch of the man based on the two witness accounts. And I realized the nature center was in Bay Village.". It appears Dan stopped hanging out with Runkle in the fall of 1989. The owners let the man live on the property in exchange for cleaning out the stables. But he sees the death of Runkle's twin sister at such a young age as a traumatic event that may have had an impact on the rest of his life. Renner never made contact until he was about to leave town. 3. On October 27, 1989, ten-year-old Amy Mihaljevic was kidnapped from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village, Ohio. One hundred days later, Amys body was found 50 miles away. Maddie assumes it's Amy's dad, picking her up after school, but only because she had never met Amy's father. Renner interviewed all of Amys friends and teachers decades after the murder about the nature center. But, they did classify that although he looked quite presentable, he didnt carry himself in a way that an accomplished or a professional person might. On Friday 27 October 1989, ten-year-old Amy Renee Mihaljevic woke up at 6am and dressed herself for school, before meeting two friends and riding on their bikes to class at 7.50am, the same as they did every other school morning. July 12, 202211 items. Ten-year-old Amy was lured from her Bay Village home on Oct. 27, 1989, to a shopping center at Dover Center . The shopping center was located directly across the street from the school. Then the man puts an arm around Amy's shoulders and leads her away. Last year, they stated that they are extensively investigating all the suspects in connection with this particular case and feel that when they identify Amys killer, Joseph would most likely be on their list. He was like a son. But when Renner questioned other teachers and students, they all confirmed that this teacher, Dean Runkle, did in fact frequent the nature center. In August, after hearing from Perchinsky, I sent more than 500 e-mails to former students of Runkle's through MySpace and Facebook. A pair of sisters had also received a call from a man who claimed to be a friend of their mothers. We know where she was found. There is a press conference scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. EST. No one went out after dark. Jen Crouch says Runkle liked to tell her about pranks he played on friends. She said she was going with a friend to the Bay Square Shopping Center. Thus, Amy found herself home alone every afternoon for about an hour before her brother Jason came home from school. In lab, he would stand behind me and push his chest against me. Margaret and Mark filed for divorce, and Mark moved out of the house. Today, Dan is living in a rundown apartment complex in Vermilion. Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw . The third girl took horseback riding lessons at Holly Hill Ranch, the very same ranch that Amy took lessons from. He knew Amy and her friends. The Handmade Curtain. "That was a difficult time in my life," he says. Both of Amys parents worked full time. Sept. 21, 2021, 5:41 PM PDT. "His eyes popped out of his head. Police believe Amys body was wrapped in the curtain for transport from the actual crime scene to the field where her body was dumped. After he returned, Runkle began building his own nature center inside his classroom. Bay Village, . Read More: Where Is Amy Mihaljevics Father Now? inappropriate behavior and unwanted physicality? Friends of hers claim she slid into alcoholism. Both witness accounts corroborated each other. Spaetzel also discussed the dangers of strangers. At 2:10 p.m., on October 27, 1989, classes end for the fifth graders of Bay Village Middle. I thought about showing his picture to the managers, but then scolded myself for thinking it would be so easy. I know that one of the more well known people who cover this case (James Renner) likes DR as a suspect, and Im sure its with Renners full belief that DR fits according to evidence. The report of a missing child from their own neighborhood frightened every soul in Bay Village. As police struggled to connect viable suspects to the case, they compared the girls who received the suspicious phone calls. Amy Mihaljevic, United States Unclassified. I was always at school. How often did you visit the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center? On October 27, 1989, Amy Mihaljevic was kidnapped from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Signed the visitor log book with their phone numbers, Abruptly quit teaching in 2003 without notice and moved to Florida. I call. The latest update in the case is forensic testing of the one piece of evidence found with Amys bodya blanket that had been sewn into a curtain panel, found a few feet away from the body. Whoever this predator was, he had robbed Bay Village of its peace and sense of safety. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Amy Mihaljevic he says. Whether it came out of that persons house, whether it came out of the location where Amy was killed. Tag: Dean Runkle. It wouldnt have been unusual for Amy to go there alone or with friends. And it seems that there's finally some break in the case. How did Amy's life cross paths with the lives of three girls from North Olmsted she had never met? In the weeks preceding Amys disappearance on October 27, she had received several phone calls from an unknown man who knew almost everything about her life. This "list os suspects" is so completely bogus. Amy is also well known as, Child murder victim who was kidnapped from an Ohio shopping center and whose body was found four months later in an Ashland County field. The dog hair traveled on Amy's body and deposited onto them because the curtain and blanket were likely used to wrap her body during travel. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Feeling like police never investigated the local nature center lead after the log book disappeared, Renner began his own investigation. and our "This is where I'm at," says Amy, and walks alone across the nearly empty parking lot toward Baskin-Robbins. She says Runkle and another teacher were discussing the pregnancy of an eighth-grader and which boy might have been the father. The other students assumed the man was a friend or relative, and that Amy knew him, so they thought nothing of it. All these other girls had unlisted phone numbers. The FBI, currently offering an up to $25,000 reward for any information, has never let this case go cold. He asked them if they remembered writing their names and home numbers in a logbook by the front doors. 2 Suspects. For their part, Bay Village police detectives do not consider Runkle as the only suspect in the case and continue to work all leads. [2 . "I know I'm their top suspect. The report that was done by fox 8 said no sperm was found referenced a 1989 report that used 1989 technology. He was immediately brought in for questioning. "I walk a lot," he says. Lanning doesn't assume to know enough about Runkle to offer an opinion of his behavior or his motivations. For more information, please see our At that intersection is her killer. That way I really get to know the kids and they get to know me, and we understand each other that way.". For more info about Amy's case, you can read through the blog I've devoted to it since 2006. The first place I stopped was a chain restaurant that Runkle reportedly frequented in Ohio. "At that age, there's not a lot of difference between boys and girls. We want it to be a surprise. There are several people we are still looking at today as suspects for the case, said Elish. Some of them just came to our attention recently. He also photographed his students regularly, developing the negatives himself. Privacy Policy. After high school, he went to Bowling Green, where he majored in education with a focus in biology. There is new evidence in the Amy Mihaljevic murder investigation - a homemade curtain and a blanket found on the road where Amy's body was discovered in 1989. "When you're dealing with human behavior," warns Lanning, "you're not dealing in absolutes. I'm still going on the fact that Mr. Case knew everyone from that small town and he did not say that Dean Runkle was the man that was with the unknown child . Amy Mihaljevic - Suspect - Dean Runkle. When Amys body was found, the pair of blue earrings in the shape of horse heads that she was wearing that day were missing from her body. He admitted he was a teacher at Amys middle school, but denied he had anything to do with the nature center. So by definition, the 3 are still the "most likely suspects". "What's the reward?" Amy Renee Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was a ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. Anything is possible." All rights reserved. According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation. New info and they are asking for help from the public. At the time of Amy's . New DNA results reveal Amys hair was on both items. He told different stories to administrators and students, everything from eating bad food while on safari in Africa to contracting a blood disease after cutting his hand on coral. Puberty seems to be a very significant issue for many of these serial offenders.". He bred mice in his classroom, and then donated them to the nature center to feed the mice there. Were pursuing more so the angle of science now than we ever have in the past because DNA changes every couple of months, Elish said. She had contracted lupus, along with several other health issues. In 2018, officials announced that they were following a potential link between Joseph Newton Chandler III and the murder of Amy Mihaljevic. Meet Dean Runkle, former teacher of the year from Amherst, Ohio. The store bred pet mice, but when the mice population exploded, Runkle began giving the mice away to local nature centers, says the store's former owner, Oneta McCarthy. But there is so much more circumstantial evidence that says they are guilty than there is for any other "suspects". "I don't have anything to say." Her murder case raised national attention. Amys case remains open to this day, and the Bay Village police have never let her case go cold in almost 30 years. He said that hed take Amy to the nearby shopping center after school one day to buy her mother a present, and possibly even insinuated that hed buy her one as well, just for her help. "Man, me and Dean are friends. At the nature center in 1989 was a log book that all visitors were required to sign when they entered. On Oct. 27, 1989, Amy was lured to Bay Square shopping plaza by a man who had previously called Amy at her home. At this point, the case was still considered a missing persons case, as Amys body would not be found until months later. She was never seen again. According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation.Multiple witnesses say that he matches the man they saw with Amy the day she vanished. Oct 15. Who Killed Amy Renee Mihaljevic. That night, Amys photo appeared on the evening news. Whatever the reason, Runkle moved back in with his parents in New London and got a job working at a pet store. Ryan was terrified, said no thank you to the man and quickly ran away to school. Amy Mihaljevic disappeared on October 27, 1989. I suspect they are getting real damn close to getting the person/s. It also gave him PTSD. He gave them the name of a suspect and asked if it sounded familiar. Shortly after her friends went home, Amy was approached by a man in his 30s at the shopping center. On October 27, the 19th anniversary of Amy's abduction, I made the decision to go see him myself. First Look: Campus Pollyeyes, Opening Next Week in Little Italy, Arthur Treacher's in Garfield Heights Reopened by New Owner Who Plans More Locations in Ohio. Where? Is this the sort of curtain someone you knew would have made? As an FBI agent on the case said, we have the beginning and the end of what happened to Amy M, but what we dont have is the middle piece. We dont know what happened in between there, he said. http://www.. This is a key piece of evidence police searched for when interviewing their many suspects. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (11 Dcembre 1978 - Le . No other connection could be made between him and Amys disappearance. She just got a promotion. By allowing her to make contact with her family, the killer bought themselves the precious hours they needed to commit the assault and murder before she was reported as a missing person to police. It's . Most of these killers have what psychologists deem a thrill-seeking personality.. His hair is thick and bushy above his eyes. Police say that a man identified by his ex-girlfriend as a possible suspect in the death of Amy Mihaljevic told investigators he may have called the 10-year-old girl prior to her abduction . Send a News Tip. "Wish it was me," said Runkle, according to Adkins. According to reporter James Renner, Dean Runkle is a possible prime suspect in the FBI investigation. But they recently tested dog hairs found on the fabric and determined that they matched hairs taken from the dog Amy owned at the time. She says he "probably" gave some to the Lake Erie Nature Center. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (/ m h l v k /, MUH-hah-LEVIK; December 11, 1978 - c. October 27, 1989) was a ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. First, it's very important to note that they are not saying the curtain and blanket came from the Mihaljevic residence. He arranged to meet Amy after school that day to help her buy a gift for her mom for a work promotion. We should also mention that a former student of Dean has publicly accused him of inappropriate contact. One is that the killer felt remorse for what theyd done, and returning Amys body would give some peace and closure to Amys family, and allow them to bury her properly. He nods, unsurprised. I do not believe that so much evidence can point to one person and it be just a coincidence. He was an eccentric teacher from the beginning. Margaret ran home, called her husband Mark, and began calling all of Amys friends and neighbors asking if theyd seen her. Amy Renee Mihaljevic (i) mhlvk (December 11, 1978 - October 27, 1989) was a ten-year-old American elementary school student who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. Edit: Press conference just ended. According to Jason, for months and years after Amys disappearance, Margaret would do nothing but go to work, and then come home and barricade herself inside Amys room. Although Renner describes Runkle as an eccentric teacher, no hard evidence supports this view. "Statistical probabilities are always trumped by case specifics." El caso de Amy sigue abierto hasta el da de hoy, y la polica de Bay Village tiene la intencin de mantenerlo abierto hasta que se resuelva. In an attempt to connect the girls with Amy, it was discovered that all, three girls had visited the nearby Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. James Renner chased Runkle down to the Key West, FL area and attempted to interview him. In 1987, Runkle set a few thousand dollars aside in a trust for Dan, according to Dan's mother. 4. If youre interested in learning more about Amys case, please check out James Renners book about this case Amy: My Search for Her Killer now available on Audible. I suspect they preyed on school-age girls by attempting to lure them out shopping under the guise of getting gift for their mothers. But with each attempt the killer refined his pitch, until, finally, he called Amy and she agreed to meet. Dan says their relationship was never physical. Marshals searching for Ohio man wanted in multiple crimes, Chief issues 6-alarm fire in Camp Washington, 1 dead, 4 hospitalized after being hit by semi-truck following crash on Ohio Turnpike, 2-year-old Ohio boy found safe, Amber Alert canceled, police say, Duo of suspected porch pirates wanted on Clevelands West Side, police say, RELATED: 32 years later, Mark Mihaljevic still hopeful his daughters killer will be found, Closed Captioning/Audio Description Problems. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio Investigators Thursday revealed new evidence they believe will help solve the kidnapping and murder of Amy Mihaljevic. Hes also a person of authority whom Amy wouldve known and trusted. He had a few girls he was extra close to, like the girl who sat in front of me. Some of them have been suspects for years and decades.. But Lanning can extrapolate some ideas about the man who killed Amy. Case []. They also start taking trophies. Amy Mihaljevic has been died on Oct 27, 1989 ( age 10). Investigators believe the suspect has ties to Bay Village and Ashland County. Several students say they were invited back to Runkle's apartment after school. BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (WOIO) - Nearly 32 years after her murder, there's a new clue in the Amy Mihaljevic case. She waits outside, standing on a bench, twirling around a pole, her head down. She was popular, funny, kind and energetic. On that Top 25 list, he would be the man at the top. This three-decade-old mystery and the nationwide hunt for the perpetrator, involving hundreds of suspects, is still ongoing. Earlier that day, Amy and Olivia had sat together at a school assembly and listened to a rookie policeman named Mark Spaetzel give a "meet your friendly local officer" presentation. He said knowing where the curtain came from and who it belonged to is so important right now. But others remember a darker side. He lured Amy out, made her call her mother to gain some time, and then kidnapped her for his own depraved purposes. He asked each of them if they remembered visiting the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in Bay Village. Thursday marks 33 years since Amy was taken from a shopping plaza in Bay Village. Gold-colored fibers were found on Amy's body, according to the Ashland County coroner's file on the case. Usually, someone that would go this far is not someone who has never done that before or hasnt done it again, Elish said. Unfortunately, neither witness got a good look at the mans face, nor did they see him or Amy get into a vehicle, or go into a store. Immediately, police focused in on the caretaker of the ranch, who was a dead ringer for the composite sketch. The three-hour special, premiering 9 p.m. Sunday on ID, takes a deep dive into the still-unsolved 1989 murder of 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic, who lived in a town on the shores of Lake Erie. Sgt. There were at least three others. Amys death affected everyone in the Bay Village community and surrounding areas. He looks more like the sketch than anyone I have seen before. A curtain, held for decades as potential evidence, just became an even bigger piece of the puzzle in solving the decades-old mystery. Most of these killers are not stupid. 1. It was dinnertime when I got there, and I quickly surveyed the room. Friends said she never recovered from Amys death and the lack of solid leads in solving the case. However, a few minutes after she hung up from Jason, Margaret received a call from Amy herself. Jason became concerned quickly and called his mother Margaret at work to ask where Amy was. Weeks and months went by, but no news of Amy. The man told Amy that her mother had just gotten a promotion at work, and that he wanted to take Amy shopping to buy a gift for her that day. someone shouts. James Renner, around the same age as Amy at the time, had been following the story about the cute little girl with the side ponytail. It didn't. Timeframe was too close for an abduction to take place comfortably. I remember when he saw one girl with a skirt that was way too short, he said, 'That's not appropriate, but I'm glad you wore it to my class.' Sunday, October 11, 2015. He promptly began building a new zoo and inviting kids to help with the animals after school. The investigation now relies heavily on advancements in DNA. Edit: Press conference just ended. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and she later moved to a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. In the fall of 1989, Runkle applied for a teaching position at Nord Junior High in Amherst and was hired on the glowing recommendations of former administrators from Vermilion. "Also, preference does not mean exclusivity. They recalled seeing him eating at Rax on Route 58 every night, sometimes with his classroom assistants. Many of these men have no alibis for the afternoon of October 27, 1989. "He's one of those men who makes you feel uncomfortable when you're alone with them," she says. But only a handful crossed paths with each of the girls the abductor attempted to seduce over the phone before successfully luring Amy to the shopping center that day - the clue upon which the entire case hinges, the one way in which the killer was careless. The curtain is homemade, and was originally Avocado green. Amy was just 10 years old when she was kidnapped and stabbed to death. Right now, there is a theory going around about the possibility of Amys case having multiple assailants, with a connection to a pedophile ring in Michigan. INTERVIEW FOLLOW-UP The evidence is highly circumstantial toward Dean Runkle. I spoke to him last week to better understand the mind and behavior of the man who killed Amy Mihaljevic. The killer also must have been local at the time, having known about the corn field on the remote county road for disposal of Amys body. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a beige windbreaker with plaid lining, front-pressed khakis, and a button-up shirt. Real Name: Amy Renee Mihaljevic Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Bay Village, Ohio Date: October 27, 1989 Amy Mihaljevic. After having a snack at the shopping center, Amys friends went home, but Amy stayed behind to wait for someone. Child murder victim who was kidnapped from an Ohio shopping center and whose body was found four months later in an Ashland County field.