Home — Murder, “cold” cases, and mayhem

This website is intended to deal with murder, brutality, corruption and hatred, all falling under what we call acts of injustice. We tell the stories of open and unsolved homicides–what are called “cold” cases. We also memorialize those whose lives have been taken from them in hope that somebody will come forward to tell the truth. So far our efforts center on Michigan.

David B. Schock, Ph.D.

“Somebody knows somethin’.  Somebody ALWAYS knows somethin’.”

That’s the way Jim Fairbanks put it when we made our first film, Who Killed Janet Chandler? Detective Fairbanks (retired) was the lead investigator on the law enforcement team in 1979. What he had to say then still applies today. For nearly every unsolved homicide there is somebody out there who could solve it if she or he would come forward and make a contact.

To call an unsolved homicide a “cold” case is chilling in its own right. Yes, these unsolved cases grow “cold” because there are no new leads; they more or less drop off the social and cultural radar. But they are NEVER “cold” to the family members and friends, they are never forgotten or out of mind. And there is always the hope that justice, however delayed, will be served.

We invite you to visit the We Remember part of this site, a place where families and friends of those whose murders remain unsolved contact us and can help to post details of the victims’ lives and the resultant investigations.

We also invite your view of what we are calling a Primary Documentary Investigation as we tell the story of the murder of Mina Dekker.

Our hope in all the cases we chronicle is that somebody who knows something will say something.

From David — A Weblog of investigation:

November 2, 2024–A retelling of the Janet Chandler story

It’s time, maybe past time, to tell the true story of the 1979 murder of Janet Chandler. I have held off for many reasons. One was because fitting something like this into a broadcast one or two hour slot really was not a telling of the true story. What would that look like? Can’t tell you that just yet. There are a few production houses that are seriously sniffing. The most important part is the integrity of the process. Those companies already have passed that test and we’ve moved on to other considerations. There will be more–even if it all comes to ashes–in the offing.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the 1970 murder of Shelley Speet Mills is hotting up.

Read Comments/Respond to this Post »

June 5, 2024 — Freddie Bass Parker

I obviously have missed some things, things like this: Freddie Bass Parker, convicted of first degree felony murder for the killing of Janet Chandler in 1979 and imprisoned for life, died Oct. 28, 2021. That’s darned near three years ago, and it comes to me now. Wow. May God have mercy on his soul. Of all the defendants in the case, I thought he was the least hardened. But still absolutely guilty.

Read Comments/Respond to this Post »

May 24, 2024 — Forty to sixty years

Beverly McCallum had her day in court yesterday for sentencing. She had been found guilty of second-degree murder, a contrivance demanded by the European courts before they’d turn over Beverly for extradition to the U.S. from Italy. Judge Janice Cunningham, while handing down the sentence, said that she found no remorse in Beverly. Her entire life had been built around what she wanted, when she wanted it, anyone else be damned. Most moving was the victim impact statements, the last from her own daughter. As an indicator of her solipsistic nature, Beverly asked the judge if she could just leave and not listen. Nope, this time she had to. Good.

Read Comments/Respond to this Post »

May 1, 2024 — Exhumation today

The body of murder victim Roberto Caraballo will be disinterred this morning, all part of getting him home to the Dominican Republic. He has lain in a grave in a Grand Haven Township cemetery for some 20 years, an unknown until the case was broken.

Read Comments/Respond to this Post »

April 9, 2024 — Time to go home

The grave marker given by those associated with the case of the murder of Roberto Caraballo described him as “Known only to God.” Roberto’s body–though he was unidentified–was treated with respect, even love, by those determined to solve this case.

That was then.

Now we know who he is, who he was, and how he met his end. Justice has been achieved with the conviction of Beverly McCallum last week. And now it’s time for Roberto’s body to go home to the Dominican Republic. His beloved daughter Sicily has asked for help to bring him there. Here are the charges:

I know the folks at Sytsema. I’m betting this is below cost. Would you consider a small donation? Or a big one? Roberto has been a stranger in a strange land for too long. This can be remedied. We can do it.

Read Comments/Respond to this Post »
See More Posts »