Alleged Husband Killer Wrote "Murder Mystery" Letter to Fake Innocence
Jack Knarr
The Trentonian, NJ
__________________
New Brunswick, NJ (United States):
Suspected husband-killer Melanie McGuire actually wrote the anonymous "murder mystery" letter suggesting she’s innocent that was sent to The Trentonian in August, prosecutors claimed in court here yesterday.
And she did so in order to "poison the jury pool for this case," charged Assistant N.J. Attorney General Patricia Prezioso.
The letter was written to "Mr. Harvey"-- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey-- but a copy was mailed to The Trentonian in mid-August. State investigators quickly asked for the envelope in which the newspaper’s copy was mailed.
And before yesterday’s court hearing, John Hagerty, spokesman of the Division of Criminal Justice, was asked if Melanie’s McGuire’s DNA had been found on the lick-shut flap or the stamp.
"The envelope that The Trentonian provided was very helpful," was all he would say.
Then after the hearing, Prezioso confirmed DNA tests are under way on the envelope. A grand jury remains in session in search of Melanie’s suspected accomplice in the May 2004 murder of her husband William, she said.
Harvey’s office yesterday announced the state grand jury indictment of Ms. McGuire on charges of first degree murder, desecrating human remains, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and perjury.
Over the pleas of Melanie’s attorney, Henry Klingeman, Superior Court Judge Frederick P. De Vesa ordered the pretty, intense, almost petite murder suspect remanded to the Middlesex County Correction Center in lieu of bail increased to $2 million.
Sheriffs officers surrounded McGuire as she stripped off her earings and wristwatch. Then they put her hands behind her back, handcuffed her, and led her away.
In arguing that McGuire’s bail be raised from $750,000 to $3 million, Prezioso went over the controversial letter, telling the judge, "The writer mentions William’s first wife, his current wife the defendant, talks about William’s sex life, talks about his friends at work, ... both of his sisters in detail."
No close friends who would know of all these things showed up in the state’s investigation, she said. "No such person exists."
She called the letter "ridiculous" in the veiled attempt to provide distance between itself and Melanie by mentioning her as "a lousy lay."
The mention at the end that William’s arms were attached is correct, Prezioso said. "It gets the color wrong for the underwear, saying that William was dressed in only underwear, and they were purple. Well, he was dressed in only underwear, but they were not purple."
Then Prezioso stunned the court when she revealed that she herself had received a mystery package on Tuesday at her office, only days after she’d notified Melanie’s attorney that the grand jury was wrapping up work on her indictment.
The package contained items believed to have been owned by the her murdered husband --his apparent missing wedding ring, bracelet, car keys and a key to a lockbox -- whom Melanie is accused of shooting and dismembering in May 2004. (His body parts were stuffed into eight trash bags and three suitcases, and dumped into the Chesapeake Bay.)
"This package is allegedly written by a coworker of Cindy Ligosh, the deceased’s sister, saying that this coworker at a real estate company found these items in the garbage, and was so afraid that he felt he needed to get it to me -- he had seen my name in the newspaper -- and he wanted to make sure that the case was fully investigated," Prezioso said.
"The letter contained what are allegedly notes by Cindy Ligosh on how to set up Melanie McGuire for the murder of her husband," she told the judge.
"There is even a heading, ‘Set Her Up,’ and a list ofwhat to do, to get her children and the insurance money, and have it look like the defendant did it."
Prezioso said the grand jury didn’t buy the story.
Oct 13, 2005
Jack Knarr
The Trentonian, NJ
__________________
New Brunswick, NJ (United States):
Suspected husband-killer Melanie McGuire actually wrote the anonymous "murder mystery" letter suggesting she’s innocent that was sent to The Trentonian in August, prosecutors claimed in court here yesterday.
And she did so in order to "poison the jury pool for this case," charged Assistant N.J. Attorney General Patricia Prezioso.
The letter was written to "Mr. Harvey"-- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey-- but a copy was mailed to The Trentonian in mid-August. State investigators quickly asked for the envelope in which the newspaper’s copy was mailed.
And before yesterday’s court hearing, John Hagerty, spokesman of the Division of Criminal Justice, was asked if Melanie’s McGuire’s DNA had been found on the lick-shut flap or the stamp.
"The envelope that The Trentonian provided was very helpful," was all he would say.
Then after the hearing, Prezioso confirmed DNA tests are under way on the envelope. A grand jury remains in session in search of Melanie’s suspected accomplice in the May 2004 murder of her husband William, she said.
Harvey’s office yesterday announced the state grand jury indictment of Ms. McGuire on charges of first degree murder, desecrating human remains, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and perjury.
Over the pleas of Melanie’s attorney, Henry Klingeman, Superior Court Judge Frederick P. De Vesa ordered the pretty, intense, almost petite murder suspect remanded to the Middlesex County Correction Center in lieu of bail increased to $2 million.
Sheriffs officers surrounded McGuire as she stripped off her earings and wristwatch. Then they put her hands behind her back, handcuffed her, and led her away.
In arguing that McGuire’s bail be raised from $750,000 to $3 million, Prezioso went over the controversial letter, telling the judge, "The writer mentions William’s first wife, his current wife the defendant, talks about William’s sex life, talks about his friends at work, ... both of his sisters in detail."
No close friends who would know of all these things showed up in the state’s investigation, she said. "No such person exists."
She called the letter "ridiculous" in the veiled attempt to provide distance between itself and Melanie by mentioning her as "a lousy lay."
The mention at the end that William’s arms were attached is correct, Prezioso said. "It gets the color wrong for the underwear, saying that William was dressed in only underwear, and they were purple. Well, he was dressed in only underwear, but they were not purple."
Then Prezioso stunned the court when she revealed that she herself had received a mystery package on Tuesday at her office, only days after she’d notified Melanie’s attorney that the grand jury was wrapping up work on her indictment.
The package contained items believed to have been owned by the her murdered husband --his apparent missing wedding ring, bracelet, car keys and a key to a lockbox -- whom Melanie is accused of shooting and dismembering in May 2004. (His body parts were stuffed into eight trash bags and three suitcases, and dumped into the Chesapeake Bay.)
"This package is allegedly written by a coworker of Cindy Ligosh, the deceased’s sister, saying that this coworker at a real estate company found these items in the garbage, and was so afraid that he felt he needed to get it to me -- he had seen my name in the newspaper -- and he wanted to make sure that the case was fully investigated," Prezioso said.
"The letter contained what are allegedly notes by Cindy Ligosh on how to set up Melanie McGuire for the murder of her husband," she told the judge.
"There is even a heading, ‘Set Her Up,’ and a list ofwhat to do, to get her children and the insurance money, and have it look like the defendant did it."
Prezioso said the grand jury didn’t buy the story.
Oct 13, 2005
