Teen Massacres of 1995
| The Teen Massacres of 1995 | |
|---|---|
| Location | New Prairie, WI |
| Date | July 8, 1995- October 31, 1995 |
Attack type | Serial Killing |
| Weapons | Machette, Farm Equipment, Household Objects |
| Assailants | The Dark Killer |
| Accused | Sarah Cole |
| Judge | Chief Judge Dominic Cozzi |
The Teen Massacres of 1995 was a 3-month period where over 2 dozen high-school graduates were brutally murdered. The suspect, convicted of the crime, was later found dead in her cell at Rhenderelli Asylum.
History
In the town history, the Teen Massacres of 1995 have a muddy timeline of events, according to the police reports as very few witnesses survived and their stories tell conflicting reports of what happened. However, a timeline of events has been established that starts a month before the main killings began.
July 8, 1995
Jenni Anderson and her boyfriend Mitch Wolf went out on a date as they always did every summer night. Having graduated high school, both were trying to enjoy as much time together before the fall classes would start in college and separate them from one another. They had been last seen by Jenni's parents at around 4:42 PM after Mitch picked her up at her house and drove off down the street. They said they were going to go to one of the local ice cream shops to meet up with friends, but they never made it.
It's estimated that the two drove out of town to the Martini Farm, an abandoned farm known as a popular spot for teen parties and hookups. Police were often called there, but only on a few occasions were able to catch anyone, as the teens had a system involving lookouts and code-words over walkie-talkies.
Based on conversations with Jenni's friends, she and Mitch likely were going out there to hook-up as her parents didn't approve of sex before marriage. Out at the farm, Mitch backed his vehicle into one of the open barns and closed the door for privacy. The door itself was found chained shut from the outside, which further hints that someone else was there that night waiting for them to arrive.
According to the coroner report and photographs of the scene, Jenni's body had been found decapitated a few feet away, near an opening in the side of the barn. Her head was found on the dashboard of Mitch's car. It's assume, whoever killed Mitch must have chased Jenni around the barn before capturing and decapitating her. She also suffered numerous cash and stab wounds on her body and the trail of her blood followed around the car, against the locked barn door, and over to it's final resting spot.
Mitch was found dead on the hood of his vehicle, his head crushed in and covered in blood that was a combination of his and Jenni's. His body showed markings that often are associated with a great fall. Investigators believe whomever killed him, must have somehow crushed his head and pushed his body over the railing of the loft above his car, causing his body to crash down onto the hood.
Investigators believe that Mitch left the vehicle at some point, leaving Jenni alone with her attacker. The attacker stabbed her repeatedly and she tried to escape the barn, only to be decapitated and her head placed on the dashboard of Mitch's car. Upon his return to the vehicle, he spotted her head and likely the attacker, who then chased him up the stairs to the loft, cornering him. The attacker crushed his head in somehow and pushed his dead body over the railing onto his vehicle below.
July 13, 1995
The bodies of Jenni and Mitch are found in the Martini Farm barn by two teenagers who had planned do use the spot themselves. They immediately called the cops, but to prevent from being in trouble, only left an anonymous tip. Their identities have not been revealed.
August 18, 1995
Sarah Cole, Elizabeth Abbott, Nate Jackson, Geoff Jenks, Joseph Martin, Robert Parks, Robert Smith, Catherine Hicks, Matthew Tyler, Joel Boyer, Keith Dean, and Claire Fonnerelli, attend a party at the old Martini Farm, wanting to celebrate one last time before they all left for college. A witness prior to the events said Geoff Jenks wanted to document the murder scene of Jenni and Mitch with his new video camera, a gift he received for graduating.
The exact events of the night are uncertain; however, at around 6:15pm, a pizza delivery order came at Talks With Cheez Pizzeria and Alison Nadel left the store to deliver it. It's assumed she arrived at the party as her car was found parked there when investigators examined the scene; however, she herself was nowhere to be found.
Nearby farmer Sheldon Palamara spots a green flash coming from the Martini Farm and calls the police, unsure what caused it.
August 19, 1995
Sarah Cole arrives at the New Prairie Police Department claiming the Dark Killer murdered all of her friends. Police go investgate the Martini Farm and find their bodies. Police lock her up until they can formally charge her.
August 20, 1995
Sarah Cole is formally charged with the murder of Nate Jackson, Geoff Jenks, Joseph Martin, Robert Parks, Robert Smith, Catherine Hicks, Matthew Tyler, Joel Boyer, Keith Dean, and Claire Fonnerelli having found her fingerprints on a machette thought to be used as the murder weapon and the testimony of Sheldon Palamara's visual testimony from down the road. Elizabeth Abbott's body is not found so Cole is not charged with her murder.
August 21, 1995
Sarah Cole has her first appearance in front of Chief Judge Dominic Cozz, who formally charges her with multiple counts of first-degree intentional homicide and sets her bail at a $1,000,000 cash bond.
August 28, 1995
Sarah Cole has her second appearance in front of Chief Judge Dominic Cozz and her defense attorney states that since she's claiming the urban legend the Dark Killer murdered everyone, it's clear she can't stand trial and enters a plea of "Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease/Defect". The judge pauses the proceedings and orders a formal psychiatric evaluation, asking that she be transferred to Rhenderelli Asylum for an inpatient evaluation period.
September 1, 1995
A local farmer finds the missing, decomposing body of Elizabeth Abbott in the middle of his field. He swears it had not been there yesterday when he fertilized the field.
September 2, 1995
A 20-something guy was seen purchasing about $30 worth of beer and liquor at a local convenience store, telling the clerk he was heading to a party. The clerk tells him that the main road out of town is backed up due to an incident and that he should take the back roads if he wants to get out of the city anytime soon. He leaves the scene, heading out of town.
Lynnea Manucci, Amanda Mendel, Sarah Hindwither, Lindsay Rhandeli, Daniel Spacey, Josh Stevenson, Jeffrey Filcher, and Karen LaSalle have a Labor Day party at Lynnea’s house.
Police report to The Hollow after calls are made reporting screams and shouting from the Manucci residence. Arriving, they find Amanda Mendel standing over the bodies the other teens are scattered around the property. They arrest her and send her to jail.
September 3, 1995
The police waste no time, having already gone through this with Sarah Cole and charge Amanda Mendel with the murders of Lynnea Manucci, Sarah Hindwither, Lindsay Rhandeli, Daniel Spacey, Josh Stevenson, Jeffrey Filcher, and Karen LaSalle stating "another crazy teenage girl snapped".
September 5, 19995
At her first trial, Amanda Mendel claims "a man in black is inside her head" and "he killed everyone, not me" in front of Chief Judge Dominic Cozz. After Amanda attempts to rush the stand and attack the Judge, Chief Judge Cozzi places Amanda's bail at $1,000,000 as well and declares her criminally insane, sending her straight to Rhenderelli Asylum without any further hearings.
Victims
- Elizabeth Abbott
- Jenni Anderson
- Joel Boyer
- Sarah Cole - Sole survivor of the first attack, later convicted to be the killer. She was later found dead in her cell at Rhenderelli Asylum.
- Keith Dean
- Jeffrey Filcher
- Claire Fonnerelli
- Catherine Hicks
- Sarah Hindwither
- Nate Jackson
- Geoff Jenks
- Karen LaSalle
- Joseph Martin
- Lindsay Rhandeli
- Robert Smith
- Daniel Spacey
- Josh Stevenson
- Mitch Wolf