The first recorded railroad accident in U.S. history occurs when four people are thrown off a vacant car on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. He and Reynolds compared the two, and a smile began to spread across Taylor's face. There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. Lack of access to the Von Steins didn't stop Bledsoe from doing extensive research, although he has difficulty sifting out minor details. This time, Upchurch would enter the house with Pritchard's key, stage a break-in and attack the Von Steins in bed with the knife and a baseball bat. But Watts did not allow the jury to hear her testimony. Chris testified that he had supplied a They used drugs. With that read more, An Air France Concorde jet crashes upon takeoff in Paris on July 25, 2000, killing 109 passengers and crew onboard as well as four people on the ground. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. ``But after he told me (he planned the murders) I had to believe him. Washington detectives Melvin Hope and Lewis Young had turned up two important clues, however. ``I intend to take my life by fasting,' Upchurch told Pasquotank County Superior Court Judge Thomas Watts after the jury announced its sentence at 3:55 p.m.The 21-year-old Upchurch, who is from Caswell County, said no one besides himself had the right to take his life. His wife read one of the introductory books to him aloud as he drove on home. He told her he'd had a rough morning and hadn't had time for a shower. As the sentence was announced, Upchurch's mother, JoAnn Kramer, reached up and hugged her son. . Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved. Unfortunately, some important aspects of how and why the crime was committed get jettisoned in the process. Lieth was not so lucky. Was Angela sexually involved with Bart Upchurch, the convicted killer? Guilford school board to GOP: We want someone else. Taylor took the card back to Capt. The beginners' adventure described in the book was practically an outline for the Von Stein murder, the players being sent to a castle to kill the overlord and obtain his treasure, which they later would divide. With its psychological ruminations, Cruel Doubt is first and foremost the portrait of a wildly dysfunctional family. plans and enthusiasm In 1988, North Carolina businessman Lieth Von Stein was savagely knifed and bludgeoned to death in his sleep. Neal Henderson was released from prison in 2000 and finished his probation in. After talking with Newsom, he called back the detective in Caswell County to tell him about the warrants. There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. Bonnie Von Stein survived. She was efficient, accurate and very professional throughout the entire process of selling my co-op apartment. Copyright Jerry Bledsoe, 1991. Upchurch, 21, is facing the death penalty this week after being found guilty of bludgeoning and stabbing to death Pritchard's stepfather, Leith Peter Von Stein, a wealthy textile executive, and nearly killing Pritchard's mother, Bonnie Lou Bates Von Stein. Both were made into television movies. Bonnie Von Stein survived. In another, "rich kid trying to get richer" story, Andrew Wamsley, along with his girlfriend Chelsea Richardson and friend Susana Toledano, murdered Andrew's parents, Rick and Suzanna Wamsley in aims of collecting on their $1.65M estate. For these crimes, he Very dedicated. Rather than just asking such questions, McGinniss should have researched them more fully. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, Taylor was wary of this as hard evidence. Henderson would chauffeur Upchurch to Washington from N.C. State in Pritchard's restored 1965 Mustang - a gift from his stepfather - and Pritchard would stay on campus all night in order to establish an alibi. The more she read the more excited Crone became. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard Angela, Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. ``I just didn't think she was involved in it,' he said. appeared to have been staged as though to suggest a robbery. We know that Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan had been residing in Texas . Bartlett Upchurch II. relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, We've detailed four more killings where the murderers were looking to cash in on the lives of their parents. Honor Thy Mother: Directed by David Greene. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, The official handed him the card. ', Henderson says he replied: ``Isn't that a little extreme? Despite his misgivings, Taylor went to talk with District Attorney Mitchell Norton about getting a subpoena for the card, primarily to appease the chief, and Mitchell issued it. books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow as Angela Pritchard -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. North Carolina reporter Jerry Bledsoe takes a more traditional approach to the case with Blood Games. woods around the time of the murder. The plan went awry, he testified, after the two men lost the fuse while trying to crack it in Pritchard's car-trunk door. Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said . University. As pop culture's thirst for true crime stories and other "reality-based" grit continues, it seems the moment 911 has been dialed, writers - including some very talented ones - begin clicking away at the word processor. He and Upchurch were members of a group for would-be engineers. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. It was speculated at trial that the von Stein's were She has since moved back to Winston-Salem. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. He spent the evening playing cards in a friend's dorm. He had gone to talk with Bonnie's close friend and across-the-street neighbor, Peggy Smith, primarily to see if she could remember anything more about Chris's actions following the murder. vented his frustration to his fellow players at North Carolina State He brings with him a solid sense of time and place, and devotes a great deal of attention to the police investigation and trial. key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein. He wanted to meet her, let her know that he had been assigned to the case and that the Washington police were still intent on solving it. Bonnie Von Stein survived. Robertson is currently on death row but keeps appealing his case in the hopes of saving his own life. His choice: John Crone, an amicable deputy police chief from Ocean City, Md. When pressured, some of Chris friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with Chris. Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 Lieth was not so lucky. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Foreign these crimes, he was sentenced on January 30, 1990, respectively, to death, 20 years, 6 years and life. Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance. the Murderpedia project stay alive. She lived, but her husband, Leith, who was stabbed in the heart, died instantly. Taylor also saw that several avenues had to be explored further. Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan . Please subscribe to keep reading. He reached around and patted the back of her head. ``I remarked, 'Oh, you're going to rob the place? new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help ``Then James said that he and Chris had an idea, a plan for Chris to come into his inheritance early,' according to Henderson. of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death. relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, Though the brother's defense included accusations of child abuse, their second trial (after the first ended in a mistrial) left the two brothers with a life sentence in prison without the option for parole. A hunting knife, some clothing, and He knew nothing about the game, and neither did anybody\ else in the department. Here, let us show you.' Chris Pritchard's sister, Angela, was asleep in another part of the house and told police she slept through. Crone quickly saw that the initial months of the investigation had passed without anything of substance happening, and nothing at all had been done since Bonnie and Angela had passed lie detector tests in early January. Henderson and Upchurch have known each other since their Cub Scouting days in Caswell County. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina. They came from good families. Visit Us 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203 glentunnel to christchurch FREE QUOTE. That caught Taylor's attention. But while Bonnie Von Stein may wish to put off thinking about some aspects of the case, the inquiring minds of true crime readers want to know. Bonnie Von Stein survived. Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, NC. Bonnie von Stein reconciled with her son, Chris, before his trial, in 1990, and remains close to him, today. Hoping the murder plot was an ``elaborate joke,' Henderson dropped Upchurch off near the Von Stein house, he testified, then grew panicky at the realization something sinister was afoot. He had photographed the body and the house, then had helped SBI Agent Lewis Young gather evidence at the scene, because no SBI crime lab was available. she had slept through the brutal attack. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. In a high-profile case, the murder of American businessman Leith Von Stein rocked the state of North Carolina. aiding and abetting the murder. View FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Bonnie Vonstein in Shippensburg, PA - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Emails & Phone Number | 2 Personal Reviews | Income & Net Worth The long-suffering Bonnie Von Stein is portrayed as a martyr who refuses to confront the reality of her emotions in the face of the tragedy. The 1991 book Cruel A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved . He was the only one of Chris's friends, Bonnie said, that she always felt leery about. degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with If they were similar, it would be a strong indication that Chris had drawn the map. Part 3: The Clue. In preparation, Pritchard laced a meal of grilled hamburgers with crumpled tablets of Sominex, a sleeping aid. million dollars. friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D Taylor was just 27 years old, a country boy with only four years in the department, but everybody connected with law enforcement in Beaufort County had taken note of him. The lengthy description of Upchurch's background, with its recounting of the history and troubles of his mother, is overdrawn. Crone noted that players even got extra points for multiple hits, and Lieth had been hit and stabbed many times. Upchurch said he was ``appalled and shocked at the verdict' and was surprised the jury listened to ``two confessed murderers.'. books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. Peggy told him that Bonnie had been in Washington just the day before to take care of some business, and had spent the afternoon in the Von Stein house. ``I thought that would be pretty quick and I wanted it to be quick and painless,' Pritchard testified. She simplified the selling process and even closed . I never want to see that much blood again for the rest of my life.'. players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with Although Henderson's testimony was not entirely compatible, and there He'd been told that the police department was a mess. Chris testified that he had supplied a And of the many who were mentioned in the reports, criminal histories had been run on none. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired to have her and her husband killed. Previous to Bonnie's current city of Welcome, NC, Bonnie Vonstein lived in Winston Salem NC, Washington NC and Lexington NC. On the way, she said, he quizzed her about what his mother had said about the attack. Chris and his college-student conspirators were caught up in drugs, including LSD, and fascinated with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. He went into his mother's room, she said, stayed a few minutes, and when he came out she went over and hugged him. Fear and ignorance breed the sort of mindless propaganda that inspire garbage like this film. When she said Bonnie had described the shadowy attacker as young and strong, Chris responded, ``You mean it could have been one of my best friends?'. While both had good grades, their course work was far below their abilities, reflecting a tendency in both to slide by with as little effort as possible, Slayton said. Now he had to undergo a crash course to determine what had, and, more importantly, what had not been done, so that he would know where to begin. 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