 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
September 8th, 2009
To review:
Tammy was last seen by reliable, multiple witnesses at about
11:15 p.m. on Sept. 17th 1992, at the Stephenson farm in
northwest Nebraska.
At about this time, Tammy was getting ready to go back to
Yankton with Eric Stukel, who claims he took her home.
Nearly a week later, her body would be found within a
ravine 1 1/2 miles by road from this farmhouse.
Over the course of the evening of September 17th, about 80
people were in attendance at this party -- all potential
suspects, all subject to questioning by law enforcement.
Though Stukel claims he took Tammy back to Yankton with
him, which was eight miles away, and also claims he was
with her until as late as 12:30 to 1:00 a.m., forensic evidence
revealed that her time of death was no later than 12:35 a.m. --
and more likely much closer to 11:30 p.m. and midnight. If
Stukel claims he was the only one with Tammy at these times,
then he is the only person with opportunity to commit the
crime of her homicide.
Pathologist who studied the wounds on Tammy's body
determined that she didn't die accidentally, but was
deliberately killed at the hands of another.
Out of all the suspects who could have potentially killed
Tammy, only one would confess to this crime while Tammy
was still missing (courtroom testimony of this confession
will be revealed in later posts) and only one would fail a
polygraph administered by law enforcement (the results of
which will also be later revealed.)
With these facts in hand, law enforcement quickly impounded
Eric Stukel's automobile. There they found physical evidence
indicating that Tammy's body had been placed in Stukel's
trunk.
Here they found body fluids on the steering wheel, dashboard,
and front seat. Two sources of urine would also be found on
Tammy's body, one matching Eric Stukel's blood and secretor
type on the back of her underwear.
In the end, the physical evidence would indicate that Tammy
was assaulted and killed, that she was placed in Eric Stukel
trunk, that she was dragged and dumped into a ravine.
Oddly, a witness came forward with information that a
friend of his had urinated in Stukel's car on the night of
Tammy's murder.
Stukel would be seen the next day cleaning out his vehicle.
All his doors would be open, including his trunk.
Did this have anything to do with Tammy's death...or is this
all just mere coincidence? Why when asked about all of this
did Stukel keep changing his story?
Though the defense produced witnesses to back up Stukel's
alibis, all of these witnesses claimed to see Tammy after her
time of death.
Physical evidence indicated that somebody returned to
Tammy's body after the night of the murder...
THE CAR WASH
Eric Stukel wasn’t alone when he was spotted at the vacuum
station of the Magic Touch Car Wash in Yankton, on Friday,
Sept. 18th, 1992. With him, was his best friend Jason
Adamson. (Perhaps they were just detailing Stukel’s car for
the evening’s homecoming festivities?)
Interestingly, according to witness testimony, every door to
Eric’s car was open, including his trunk.
After Stukel’s car was impounded, Luminol (the blue light
that detects body fluids) indicated trace body fluids in the
crevices of Stukel’s steering wheel and on the rear bumper
and taillight area of his car. According to Jason Foss’s
recorded testimony, just after Tammy’s body was found, Foss
asked Stukel:
“I said I heard your (Stukel’s) car was impounded by the
police and asked him if there was anything in there he
worried about. He said no, he had known they were going to
take it and he cleaned it out. It gave me the chills.’” *
The question that had to be on Foss’s mind was how did Eric
Stukel know they were going to impound his car? Stukel had
told law enforcement earlier that week, while Tammy was
still missing, that he believed Tammy just snuck off for a few
days in an attempt to get attention, and he told Foss and
several other people during that time that, “for all I know,
she’s dead in a ditch.”
How could Eric Stukel know that the police would want to
take his car if he had no knowledge of Tammy’s death?
Was anybody else cleaning out their vehicles on homecoming
Friday, less than twenty-four hours after the Stephenson
party? Was anybody else assuming the police would be taking
their cars? And why would he need to clean out his car in the
first place? He told the police he used pot. He told the police
he was drinking that night. What was he afraid they were
going to find? Why would he have had his trunk opened at
that car wash? Do most people clean the inside of their
trunks on a regular basis?
Anytime, Stukel is given the benefit of the doubt, more and
more questions just keep stacking up against him.
m.c. merrill
* SOURCE: Rothanzl, Lorna. “Friends Testify at
Stukel Trial.” Yankton Press and Dakotan. Oct.
2nd, 1996.
To review:
Tammy was last seen by reliable, multiple witnesses at about
11:15 p.m. on Sept. 17th 1992, at the Stephenson farm in
northwest Nebraska.
At about this time, Tammy was getting ready to go back to
Yankton with Eric Stukel, who claims he took her home.
Nearly a week later, her body would be found within a
ravine 1 1/2 miles by road from this farmhouse.
Over the course of the evening of September 17th, about 80
people were in attendance at this party -- all potential
suspects, all subject to questioning by law enforcement.
Though Stukel claims he took Tammy back to Yankton with
him, which was eight miles away, and also claims he was
with her until as late as 12:30 to 1:00 a.m., forensic evidence
revealed that her time of death was no later than 12:35 a.m. --
and more likely much closer to 11:30 p.m. and midnight. If
Stukel claims he was the only one with Tammy at these times,
then he is the only person with opportunity to commit the
crime of her homicide.
Pathologist who studied the wounds on Tammy's body
determined that she didn't die accidentally, but was
deliberately killed at the hands of another.
Out of all the suspects who could have potentially killed
Tammy, only one would confess to this crime while Tammy
was still missing (courtroom testimony of this confession
will be revealed in later posts) and only one would fail a
polygraph administered by law enforcement (the results of
which will also be later revealed.)
With these facts in hand, law enforcement quickly impounded
Eric Stukel's automobile. There they found physical evidence
indicating that Tammy's body had been placed in Stukel's
trunk.
Here they found body fluids on the steering wheel, dashboard,
and front seat. Two sources of urine would also be found on
Tammy's body, one matching Eric Stukel's blood and secretor
type on the back of her underwear.
In the end, the physical evidence would indicate that Tammy
was assaulted and killed, that she was placed in Eric Stukel
trunk, that she was dragged and dumped into a ravine.
Oddly, a witness came forward with information that a
friend of his had urinated in Stukel's car on the night of
Tammy's murder.
Stukel would be seen the next day cleaning out his vehicle.
All his doors would be open, including his trunk.
Did this have anything to do with Tammy's death...or is this
all just mere coincidence? Why when asked about all of this
did Stukel keep changing his story?
Though the defense produced witnesses to back up Stukel's
alibis, all of these witnesses claimed to see Tammy after her
time of death.
Physical evidence indicated that somebody returned to
Tammy's body after the night of the murder...
THE CAR WASH
Eric Stukel wasn’t alone when he was spotted at the vacuum
station of the Magic Touch Car Wash in Yankton, on Friday,
Sept. 18th, 1992. With him, was his best friend Jason
Adamson. (Perhaps they were just detailing Stukel’s car for
the evening’s homecoming festivities?)
Interestingly, according to witness testimony, every door to
Eric’s car was open, including his trunk.
After Stukel’s car was impounded, Luminol (the blue light
that detects body fluids) indicated trace body fluids in the
crevices of Stukel’s steering wheel and on the rear bumper
and taillight area of his car. According to Jason Foss’s
recorded testimony, just after Tammy’s body was found, Foss
asked Stukel:
“I said I heard your (Stukel’s) car was impounded by the
police and asked him if there was anything in there he
worried about. He said no, he had known they were going to
take it and he cleaned it out. It gave me the chills.’” *
The question that had to be on Foss’s mind was how did Eric
Stukel know they were going to impound his car? Stukel had
told law enforcement earlier that week, while Tammy was
still missing, that he believed Tammy just snuck off for a few
days in an attempt to get attention, and he told Foss and
several other people during that time that, “for all I know,
she’s dead in a ditch.”
How could Eric Stukel know that the police would want to
take his car if he had no knowledge of Tammy’s death?
Was anybody else cleaning out their vehicles on homecoming
Friday, less than twenty-four hours after the Stephenson
party? Was anybody else assuming the police would be taking
their cars? And why would he need to clean out his car in the
first place? He told the police he used pot. He told the police
he was drinking that night. What was he afraid they were
going to find? Why would he have had his trunk opened at
that car wash? Do most people clean the inside of their
trunks on a regular basis?
Anytime, Stukel is given the benefit of the doubt, more and
more questions just keep stacking up against him.
m.c. merrill
* SOURCE: Rothanzl, Lorna. “Friends Testify at
Stukel Trial.” Yankton Press and Dakotan. Oct.
2nd, 1996.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|