Investigators were puzzled as to why she would have pulled into the rest stop, as it was at a point less than ten miles from her home, but there was a heavy snow storm that night. Her body was not found until the 28th of March 1987. It was found near to an apple tree in Hartland, she had been stabbed to death.
On the 6th of August 1988, 22 year old Jane Boroski was returning from the county fair in Keene, New Hampshire. She was seven months pregnant at the time, and she made a stop at a closed convenience store to buy a drink from a vending machine.
She returned to her car and began to consume the drink. It was then that she noticed there was a Jeep Wagoneer parked next to her car. In her rear view mirror, she saw that the driver was walking around the back of her car. He approached the window of her car and asked if the pay phone was working.
He then suddenly grabbed her and pulled her out from the car. Boroski struggled and the man accused her of beating up his girlfriend. He asked her if she had Massachusetts plates on her car, she responded that she had New Hampshire plates, but the man was relentless. He stabbed the then heavily pregnant Boroski a total of 27 times and then drove away expecting his victim to die.
The woman who was now bleeding profusely, somehow managed to get back into her car. She then drove to a friend’s house for help. While on the way, she noticed that the car in front of her was that of her attacker. She reached the house of her friend, and the occupants came to her aid. Her attacker turned his car around and slowly passed by the house, and then he quickly sped away from the scene.
Boroski was taken to hospital where she received treatment. She was found to have a severed jugular vein, both her lungs had collapsed, her kidney had been lacerated and tendons had been severed in her knees and thumb. Both mother and baby survived the attack, although the baby would later be diagnosed as having mild cerebal palsy.
The authorities were now able draw a composite sketch of the attacker, using Boroskis description and she had also managed to remember the first three letters of her attackers licence plate. The authorities now had two composite sketches and formed a task force to find the attacker.
Despite the sketches, and the task force, and even after pulling in all local suspects and an unsolved mysteries section in connection with the murders, no arrests were made. After the attack on Boroski, the killings just stopped, and the case went cold.
The on the 20th of may 1984, 16 year old Heidi Martin went for a jog on Martinsville Road in Hartland, Vermont. The next day her body was found in a swamp area behind Hartland Elementary School. She had been raped and killed. She has also been stabbed to death.
A 21 year old man named Delbert C Tallman came forward and confessed to the crime and then faced trial. He later retracted his confession and was acquitted It would be three years later that Barbara Agnew’s body would be found around a mile from where the body of Heidi Martin was found.
Tallman had lived around the area of the killings. In 1996, he was convicted on two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and was sentenced to serve time in Florida prison for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. There was no evidence though that he was involved in any of the murder cases.
In 2001 the mother of Michelle Marie Ashley hired a private investigator named Lynn Marie Carty. Michelle Ashley was a Vermont woman who had been missing since December 1988, along with her two children. The woman hired the private detective Carty, to gather information relating to the possible location of her daughter and her grand children. She believed the children were with Ashley’s common law husband named Michael Andrew Nicholaou.
Nicholaou was a Vietnam veteran. He had served as a helicopter pilot in the United States army. He received several medals of conduct, but then was charged in 1970 of strafing civilians in Mekong Delta. He was later described by fellow servicemen as having often left the camp without permission when he sought out the enemy, for one to one combat with a knife.
Nicholaou returned home disgraced and bitter, subsequently filing a law suit against the U.S. Army. During this time and throughout the remainder of his life, Nicholaou received treatment from the Veterans Administration for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Whilst living in Virginia Nicholaou ran a sex shop called the pleasure chest. The store was raided twice and both he and his business partner were both charged with selling obscene materials.
In Virginia, Nicholaou had met Michelle. They soon after moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and had the two children. Michelle’s family considered him strange and quiet. The marriage was soon failing and soon Michelle tried to leave.
Nicholaou pursued his wife and children. He contacted her family trying to find their whereabouts. Michelle told family members that she feared for her life, but she eventually returned to Nicholaou. Soon afterwards she expressed a desire to leave him permanently.
In December of 1988, Michelle's mother had dropped by the home of Michael and Michelle to check on her daughter. They had had no contact for weeks and she was concerned for her daughter. She found spoiled food in the refrigerator, an abandoned baby book, and the apartment was completely empty. There was no trace of Michelle, Nicholaou, or the two children.
In 2001, after being hired, Carty had easily found Nicholaou with a simple internet search. He was now living in Georgia. She called him on the phone and Nicholaou was curious about how he had been found. He asked how she had done it. He then denied having any knowledge of the families whereabouts.
He then added that Michelle was a slut who had been doing drugs and had ran off. He said that she had abandoned the children. He claimed that the children were fine and Carty was able to confirm this the next day. She also found out that Nicholaou had remarried.
In 2005 his second wife Aileen had tried to escape him after he had attacked her. He tracked her down to her sister’s house in Tampa, Florida. He entered the house wearing a black suit and tie, he also carried a suitcase filled with guns.
Nicholaou led his wife and his stepdaughter Taryn Bowman who was 22, to a bedroom to talk with them. His sister in law fled the building and contacted the police. While the SWAT team were on route, Nicholaou shot Aileen, Taryn and then turned the gun on himself. Taryn was the only one to survive the house, but she sadly died soon after in hospital.
When Carty read about the tragedy, she decided to look deeper into Nicholaou’s past. She also examined other crimes around the time of Michelle’s disappearance. Carty began to read about the Connecticut River Valley killings, it was around this time she suspected he may be a suspect. Michelle was also a nurse.
Nicholaou lived in Holyoke about ninety miles away from Claremont. Michelle had relatives in the area, and Michelle’s baby book had shown her to be at the same hospital that Barbara Agnew would disappear from a year later. He also owned a Jeep Wagoneer in the 1980’s, the same vehicle described in her attack by Jane Boroski.
Carty started a dialogue with Boroski, and revealed to her, her suspicions. She showed her pictures of Nicholaou. Boroski admitted that there was indeed some resemblance between him and the man that attacked her. Boroski is now convinced that Nicholaou was the man who attacked her.
In 2007, New Hampshire detectives announced that they were examining evidence that Nicholaou may have been possibly connected to the murders. To date, no conclusions have been publicly announced, and Nicholaou has not been conclusively linked to the crimes of the Connecticut River Valley killer.
It is perhaps worth noting that Nicholaou's suspicion as a suspect is hampered by the fact that he appears to have been living in Virginia at the time of the Courtemanche, Fried, and Morse murders (this is backed up by the date of his obscenity trial).
Nicholaou’s name has also been linked to other murders namely throwing him up as a suspect in the cases of: The Colonial Parkway Killer, The Route 29 Stalker, and The Blue Ridge Parkway Rapist. He was also a possible suspect in the murders of Julliane Winans and Lollie Winans at Shenandoah National Park, but there has never
been any physical or circumstantial evidence linking him factually to any of the cases, nor to any of the Connecticut River valley cases aside from his likeness to the sketches.
In October of 1997, in Grafton, New Hampshire, a paraplegic named Gary Westover was also to reveal a shocking revelation. He announced to his uncle the former Grafton Sheriff’s deputy named Gary Westover that he had a confession to make.
He revealed to his uncle that in 1987 both he and three of his friends had set off for a night of partying. They made their way to Vermont where it was then allegedly that they abducted and murdered Barbara Agnew. Westover took down the details of the three friends.
Westover shared the information of the names of the three men. Minnon recorded them and then shared them with his wife, his daughter and then with the authorities. Minnon thught that the authorities were not interested in his information. Westover died in 1998, and Minnon later died in 2006.
In August 2006, Anne Agnew received a letter about the death of her sister. It was from one of Westover’s aunts. It detailed the information that had been relayed previously by Westover. Agnew forwarded the information to Carty. She in turn asked the aunt if she had ever heard the name of Michael Nicholaou before.
Weston’s aunt said that the name had sounded familiar. Carty believed that Westover may have been a former acquaintance of Nicholaou they were both thought to have been at an area veteran’s affairs hospital, but this had never been fully confirmed. To this day the Connecticut River Valley killings have still not been solved, and the cases remain open.
There were numerous other unsolved cases in the area which also may have been attributed to the Valley killer
Joanne Dunham aged 14. Sexually assaulted and strangled on June the 11th 1968. Charlestown, New Hampshire.
Sylvia Gray aged 76. Bludgeoned and stabbed to death on the 5th of October 1982. Planfield, New Hampshire. Found in a wooded area.
Sarah Hunter aged 36. Strangled. Her car was found abandoned at a gas station on 19th September 1986. Her remains were discovered two months later on the edge of a cornfield in Pawlet, Vermont.
Steven Hill aged 38. His body was found with multiple stab wounds on July 15th 1986. He had been missing since June 20th. His body was found in Hartland, Vermont, across the Connecticut River from where Sylvia Gray’s body had been found four years earlier.
Carrie Moss aged 14. After leaving to visit friends on July 25th 1989, she simply vanished. Her skeletal remains were uncovered two years later in a wooded area in New Boston, the cause of her death could not be determined, but she was thought to have been murdered.
Locations of all the murder sites. Courtesy of Google maps.
Sivaguru
On the 12th of August 2010, Salem police announced that they had made a breakthrough in a case relating to the murder of six members of one family in Dasanaickenpatti. They arrested 48 year old Sivaguru, and his 17year old son Gokul who had surrendered to authorities. They also arrested a relative named Rajni, a head constable of the armed reserve.
It is alleged that the 48 year old man killed six relatives. His father mother and brother Rathinam, sister-in-law Santhaku- mari and their children Gowtham and Vigneswari. He then surrendered in a court in Chennai. He had been involved in a dispute with his parents over his share of a family property.
He had been living with his 78 tear old father Kuppuraj who was a retired police inspector, and his 72 year old mother Chandrammal in Sowdambiga Nagar at Dhasana- ickenpatti near Salem. His father owned six acres of land, and had given the land to his brothers.
Sivaguru was not given his share as money had already been spent on treating his kidney problem, and Sivaguru had argued with his parents over this. Sivaguru later surrendered to a court in George Town taking responsibility for six murders.
After his amazing confession, the authorities rushed to his parent’s house and found six victims had been hacked to death on the remote farm. Sivaguru was a DMK functionary in the area, and a former vice president of Dhasanaickenpatti Panchayat.
The Salem SP formed a special police team to investigate the case. Police soon picked up Sivaguru’s son Gokul aged 19. They questioned him as he had absconded since the crime had occurred. They hoped that he could throw more light on what had happened. They took him to an undisclosed place on the condition of anonymity.
They tracked all incoming and outgoing calls from Gokul’s phone while Sivaguru was taken into police custody. The special team then arrested Gokul, the son of the prime accused Sivaguru, aged 48, and also Sivaguru’s son-in-law Rajni, aged 33, who was an Armed Reserve constable based in Dharmapuri district.
A case under Section 304 was registered against Gokul. After he was remanded in custody by Judicial Magistrate Shanthi of Court, Gokul was lodged in the minor’s gaol. Due to statements that Gokul and his friends had made, Inspector Thiruneelakandar of the Mallur Police Station seized a few knives and sickles used for the murders from a well at Dasanikenpatti
The investigation had revealed that Sivaguru and his son had committed the crime in two phases. Together they killed the 78 year old retired police inspector and his wife his brother’s wife and his brother’s son. They immobilised them using chilli powder then hacked them to death
The duo then waited for Rathnam and his daughter who had gone out to return. When they came, they threw chilli powder on them and also hacked them to death.
After executing the murders, Sivaguru surrendered before a Chennai court leaving Gokul in the custody of his son-in law and police constable Rajni, who, police claimed, knew of the devilish plan.
None of the accused has yet been convicted, and are now all awaiting trial.
Middle School Animal Cruelty Case
In Andover, Massachusetts 2005 three boys aged 12,13 and 14 were convicted of animal cruelty. The three middle school boys video-taped themselves as they blew up frogs with fireworks, and killed chickens with a blow torch at a summer camp that spent the last 41 years relating children to animals and nature.
Digital camera footage showed the boys laughing as they ran around the camp. They violently whipped chickens with a fishing rod, and then sprayed them with flames from the blow torch. They also struck animals with lacrosse sticks. The video also showed the boys spraying swastikas on frogs, then cutting them open with a knife, they then blew the frogs up with firecrackers that they had placed in the frogs mouths.
The boys were arraigned on a number of animal cruelty charges, but were released to their horrified parents. The boys were only caught after the camps owner’s daughter found the video and watched it. Her father gathered the three boys and called the police.
The boys were sentenced to 120 hours of community service at an animal shelter. One of the boys announced his regret at the cruelty, and explained that it was an innocent prank that gotten out of hand.
The judge's idea was designed, to teach the boys compassion for animals, and to see the after effects of animal abuse. On the surface it seemed a decent enough notion, but no one had asked if the animal shelters wanted to have the boys on the premises, and they didn’t.
They were very uncomfortable, to say the least, at having them on their premises. Animal cruelty is seen as a potential hallmark of a future serial killer.
Kimberley Cates
On the 4th of October 2009, a gang of youths entered the house of 42 year old nurse Kimberley Cates and her 11 year old daughter, In Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. Before they left, Kimberley Cates had been murdered, and her daughter had sustained serious injuries.
It appears the youths had only chosen this house as it was isolated on a forested patch of land along a dirt road. They entered the house in the very early hours of the morning armed with a knife and a machete. They were intent on killing anyone inside.
When authorities entered the house they found Kimberley Cates hacked to death in her bed. Her daughter was found to have very every serious injuries. It was around 4.30am when they were discovered. Her daughter underwent ext
ensive surgery and survived.
Cathy’s husband was away from the house on business at the time, and rushed home to be with his daughter. The attack was described as premeditated. It had been cold in its planning and had been executed by a gang of troubled teenagers who it appeared had nothing in common with the victims.
Prosecutors have charged 17 year old Stephen Spader and 19 year old Christopher Gribble with first-degree murder, and attempted murder. As is customary for such serious crimes in New Hampshire, neither man entered a plea. Both were held without bail.
Two other teenagers were charged 18 year old William Marks, and 17 year old Quinn Glover both faced charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and armed robbery. Prosecutors said that both were armed with deadly weapons, and were willing participants in the lethal plan.
The Killers Trilogy Page 10
