The Case and Trial of the ‘Suitcase Killer’ Melanie McGuire

I just watched the latest episode of 20/20 titled ‘The Secret in the Suitcase’ and it’s about the 2004 death of William ‘Bill’ McGuire. His wife Melanie was arrested and convicted of his death. This episode takes you through the case and trial, while showing Melanie being interviewed on an episode of 20/20 in 2007, and showing Melanie speak from prison today. Melanie claims she’s innocent, and hopes that she will be released someday.

Background

Bill McGuire was born in September of 1964. He met Melanie when they worked at the same restaurant, and immediately were smitten with each other. Bill later went on to be in the Navy, and was a computer programmer and Melanie would become a nurse at a fertility clinic. They got married in 1999, and later had 2 boys who were only 4 and 1 years old when Bill was killed.

Bill and Melanie

Bill, who is the victim gets lost in all of this. His reputation has been pretty trashed, and Melanie is the only one who really gets talked about. We’ll never full know the truth about their relationship, and why Melanie did it if she did it.

Murder

In April of 2004, Bill and Melanie were married for 5 years. They had just bought a half a million dollar home in Woodbridge, New Jersey. According to Melanie, they had a very tumultuous relationship almost right away. Melanie said a few days before Bill went “missing,” they got in a really bad fight. They were fighting about the house. Bill wanted to move to Virginia Beach and was upset that they “settled” on this house. She said Bill smacked her with an open hand, and shoved a dryer sheet in her mouth. She said it wasn't the first time he had hit her.

Bill would eventually be found dead. The prosecution alleged that Melanie drugged Bill, shot him and dismembered his body. His body would be found in 3 different parts, found in suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.

One of the suitcases and garbage bags found

Suitcase #1

On May 5th, 2004, a few fisherman were out on their boat. It was 2 men, and one of the men’s sons. They noticed a dark colored suitcases floating in the water. One of the fisherman was interviewed on this episode, he said they decided to pull it up and that it was very heavy. The son of one of the fisherman wanted to open it because “he thought it was buried treasure,” and that they were hesitant but the young boy did it anyway. They found human legs, and they were wrapped in black garbage bags.

Suitcase #2

On May 11th, 2004, a student was on Fisherman’s Island. She also found a dark colored suitcase, and there was a smell of decomposition. She didn't open it, but it was sent to the Medical Examiner. This suitcase contained a torso, and a head. The torso had 2 bullet wounds.

Suitcase #3

On May 16th, 2004, the third suitcase was found on a beach and it contained the arms.

Investigation

The police were looking for missing persons, and at first thought it was someone who could be in the military, since Virginia Beach has a large military base nearby. They then had someone do a composite sketch, and they released it. Not too long after, the police got a tip from some of Bill McGuire’s friends that the sketch looked like their friend, Bill.

The sketch of the missing person, later to be identified as Bill McGuire

These were friends were interviewed in the episode, and when they found out it actually was the body of Bill, they immediately thought that Melanie did it.

The Virginia police had to turn their investigation over the the New Jersey State police since Melanie lived in New Jersey. They found evidence against Melanie almost right away.

Melanie also had Bill’s body cremated right away, and according to Bill’s friends his funeral lasted “about 10-15 minutes.”

Evidence against Melanie

On April 26th, 2004, Melanie bought a gun in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was a .38 caliber with some bullets called wadcutter bullets, which were the same bullets found in Bill’s torso. The gun shop owner was interviewed and he said he remembered Melanie, because “not a lot of women purchase guns,” and he also remembered that she filled out a form and said she was a nurse.

On April 30th, 2004, Bill’s car was found in Atlantic City. He drove a 2002 Nissan Maxima, and the car was found outside of a motel called the Flamingo Motel. According to Melanie, Bill had a gambling problem and would go to Atlantic City all the time.

The police recovered some security footage of Melanie moving Bill’s car. The said that Melanie got into the passenger side, and that she had an accomplice which they couldn’t see on the security tape. They also found her EZ Pass tag was recorded her driving to Delaware, 2 days after Bill’s murder. She tried to get that charge removed, and so did her accomplish which they believed was her stepfather.

The suitcases that Bill’s body was found in belonged to the McGuire’s and it was a 3 piece designer set. They also found fibers on Bill’s body that matched the sofa that they had, which had gone missing. A medical grade towel was also found with Bill’s body, and since Melanie was a nurse it matched some towels found at their home, as well as what they had at the clinic where Melanie worked. They also examined the black garbage bags that were in the suitcases, and the McGuire’s had the same bags at their home.

There was one last piece of evidence to make her look guilty, Melanie was also having an affair with a doctor at her fertility clinic. His name was Dr. Bradley Miller, and their affair began when she was pregnant with her 2nd son. Dr. Miller did testify at Melanie’s trial, and she also found out that he was working with police to get her to confess over their phones calls. The police were recording Melanie’s phone calls, and they had recorded over 500 of her calls.

Melanie at trial and Dr. Brad Miller

In the episode, they played a few calls and a few times she was even joking about killing Bill, and it seemed like she had no emotion over the fact that her husband was dead.

Arrest and Trial

On June 2nd, 2005, Melanie was arrested at her new home in Brick Township, New Jersey. Melanie was charged with first degree murder.

She was released on bail, and was charged a year later on October 26th, 2006. She was now charged with two counts of hindering apprehension, she allegedly wrote letters to the police, trying to get the blame off of her. (YA, DOESN’T LOOK GUILTY AT ALL MELANIE). She was again released on bail.

On March 5th, 2007, Melanie finally went on trial. Melanie was vilified in the media, they said Melanie seemed very relaxed and was often “joking” with her attorneys while they had breaks in the trial.

A few things that they talked about in the episode that happened in Melanie’s trial was that they found chloral hydrate and a syringe in Bill’s car. Chloral hydrate is also known as a “knock out drug” and it was purchased the day Bill went missing.

On March 21st, 2007, Dr. Brad Miller testified, which was the most anticipated part of the trial. Dr. Miller said he and Melanie had a 3 year relationship, and he talked about how he received oral sex from Melanie when they first got together. They then panned to Melanie who looked awfully uncomfortable. There was also evidence that Melanie took a page from Dr. Miller’s prescription pad and forged his signature for the knock out drug.

On April 23rd, 2007, Melanie was found guilty of first degree murder. She was also found guilty of perjury, discretion of human remains, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She was acquitted for the charges of hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence and possession of Xanax without prescription.

Sentencing

On July 19th, 2007, Melanie was sentenced to life in prison. She was 34 years old.

Other

Melanie has exhausted all of her appeals at this point. At the end of this episode, 2 women who have a podcast about Melanie’s case called Direct Appeal were interviewed and hope that their podcast can free Melanie.

Melanie McGuire today

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think Melanie is guilty to be honest. There’s a lot of evidence against her, whether it’s circumstantial or not, it’s a lot. I don’t think her having an affair makes her guilty, I think the purchasing of the gun, the moving his car and the fiber evidence they found.

I think Melanie also had help. She seemed like a petite small women, and like they said in the episode she had kids and it’s pretty hard to watch kids, and dismember a body. They focused on her stepfather for being her accomplice, but I think it might have either been a friend or another lover. They ruled out Brad Miller and another man who had a crush on Melanie. I think Melanie was manipulative and I don’t think she has remorse for her actions.

I would definitely recommend this episode, especially if you want to see the security footage and hear her phone calls.

Sources

The 20/20 episode ‘The Secret in the Suitcase’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_McGuire

https://nypost.com/2007/04/29/inside-cheating-wifes-gruesome-suitcase-murder/