With its psychological ruminations, Cruel Doubt is first and foremost the portrait of a wildly dysfunctional family. Both attended Bartlett Yancey High School. Lieth was not so lucky. Both were made into television movies. ', Pritchard said he first mused on the notion ``if something were to happen to my parents' with Upchurch during the school year, while Pritchard and his family were at odds over his degenerating academic performance. He spent the evening playing cards in a friend's dorm. she had slept through the brutal attack. Taylor handed him the subpoena. killed. Landmark News Service contributed to this report. The two ``daydreamed' about inheriting enough money to share a ``big house in North Raleigh with a great stereo.'. Updated: June 20, 2015 . Chris. ', ``But Chris laughed and said, 'No, we're serious. You have permission to edit this article. key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein. Aug 19, 1991 Updated Jan 23, 2015. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Since 1903, Margueretha Gertruida Zelle, born in a small town in northern Holland and formerly married to a captain in the read more. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Adam Baldwin as Det. On Friday, March 10, Taylor requested criminal histories on all of Chris's college acquaintances whose names were mentioned in the reports. plans and enthusiasm But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Lieth was killed, but Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon aid. 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 also had videotaped Lieth's autopsy and helped to tag the evidence gathered at the roadside fire site in Pitt County where the map of the Von Steins' neighborhood, Smallwood, and the knife that apparently had killed Lieth had been found. Upchurch's death In a high-profile case, the murder of American businessman Leith Von Stein rocked the state of North Carolina. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow as Angela Pritchard -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to The healthy baby was delivered shortly before midnight by read more, At 11:10 p.m., 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria and the Swedish ocean liner Stockholm collide in a heavy Atlantic fog. We have many 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. ``The son-of-bitch drew the map,' Taylor said to himself in amazement. Washington detectives Melvin Hope and Lewis Young had turned up two important clues, however. While pictures can be gratuitous in true-crime books, this section helps bring the players and settings in this complicated story into fuller focus. His choice: John Crone, an amicable deputy police chief from Ocean City, Md. After talking with Newsom, he called back the detective in Caswell County to tell him about the warrants. Now comes Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss, a highly subjective work with echoes of Fatal Vision, the 1983 McGinniss telling of Green Beret Jeffrey MacDonald's conviction for murdering his family. 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. Leith {{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. Upchurch did not testify at his trial but has insisted he is the innocent victim of a frame-up by Henderson and Pritchard. Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second This was just to be a get-acquainted session. Taylor also saw that several avenues had to be explored further. She has since moved back to Winston-Salem. Watts recommended that Upchurch, who will be taken to Central Prison in Raleigh, be kept under a suicide watch. ``Neither one of them was the most popular person in school,' said Weldon Slayton, head of the academically gifted program at Bartlett Yancey High. Both denied it, and the test indicated they were telling the truth. Taylor knew that Bonnie soon would know that he had come to talk with Peggy Smith. A person who had broken into one house likely wouldn't have qualms about breaking into another. Please subscribe to keep reading. friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D A jury decision on Upchurch's fate is expected this week. ``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. Peggy gave him a ride to Smallwood. '. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). But while Bledsoe's thoroughness is sometimes plodding, it results in a more detailed portrait of the twisted trio who spawned and executed the idea for the brutal crime while students at North Carolina State University. When pressured, some of Chris' When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. Upchurch III (born August 17, Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. Was Angela sexually involved with Bart Upchurch, the convicted killer? Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu See production, box office & company info. Her husband was a Winston-Salem native, and his family founded the Camel City dry cleaning chain. As the investigation dragged on into 1989, police turned their TV movies. It was after dark when Taylor got back to Washington. books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. But before Taylor could go to Raleigh to take a look at the card, however, he had to take care of another matter. Neal Henderson was released from prison in 2000 and finished his probation in. Bonnie has trouble de Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Bonnie also had compiled a list of suspects, Peggy said. Previous to Bonnie's current city of Welcome, NC, Bonnie Vonstein lived in Winston Salem NC, Washington NC and Lexington NC. 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. of 1 Pritchard and Henderson are free on bond pending their sentencings. find Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. Leith was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. Part 3: The Clue. Man died Wednesday. He was the only one of Chris's friends, Bonnie said, that she always felt leery about. Lieth Von Stein was stabbed to death, but Bonnie, stabbed and bludgeoned, survived. He was referring to Von Stein's stepson, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, and Gerald Neal Henderson, who have pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting, second-degree murder and aiding and abetting assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Detectives assigned to the case learned that Lieth had had a poor relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, Chris, both of whom were known drug users. She had three outstanding warrants on him for probation violations. She told Taylor that she was at the hospital when Chris arrived on the morning of the murder. William Sturkey: Chapel Hill trustees 'hellbent' on winning campus culture wars, Jaydon Young's lessons of sacrifice mix with two-hour transfer, Virginia Tech and 2023 tournament, Rob Schofield: North Carolinas chronic public employee shortage wasnt an accident, Police: Greensboro woman, 55, dies after being struck in hit-and-run Thursday night, Richard Groves: What the 'He Gets Us' media campaign says about the decline of Christianity, 'A bizarre case': Greensboro TikTok star found not guilty in fatal 2019 crash, Unexplained footsteps haunt new owner as he readies new Lawson Family Murders exhibit at Madison Dry Goods, Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent, Former Page High School teacher arrested on child sex charges, records show, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist proposes community hospital in Greensboro, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Greensboro Day wins NCISAA 3-A boys basketball state championship after mad scramble. 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. Bonnie Von Stein is from Wellcome in Davidson County. The talk turned serious about July 20, Pritchard said. The murder, we sense, was just another game to them. The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was Both were made into television movies.The miniseries Cruel Doubt was released in May 1992.The adaptation of Bledsoe"s book, Honor Thy Mother, aired in April 1992. Out came a homemade map of Washington, N.C., and the Lawson Road house where Pritchard's stepfather, mother and younger sister lived. ``Yeah, the plan was there for someone to get hurt. Enlisting the help of friends James Bartlett Upchurch In the aftermath of the murder and subsequent sentencing of three young men for their parts in the murder, assault and other related crimes, two books and two made-for-television movies about the case were released. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Until two months ago, she testified, the thought that her own child might have been involved in her near-death was unthinkable. attention to Chris, who refused to take a polygraph test (which his Please subscribe to keep reading. All Rights Reserved. Detectives assigned to the case learned that Leith had had a poor Reviewed By Ken Berg Of The Sentinel Staff. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. Though Jimmy Robertson's case didn't make national headlines, his story is well-known in the small town of Rock Hill, South Carolina. He will not be eligible for parole Bonnie Stein, nee Heller, age 59, passed away after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. They face life imprisonment plus 20 years, instead of death. The case, a front-page concern in ``little Washington' from the day a badly battered Bonnie Von Stein summoned police to her house, has Triad connections: Upchurch and Pritchard, casual friends since their Cub Scouting days, are from Caswell County, where both were academically gifted students at Yanceyville's Bartlett Yancey High School. His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure.Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. lieutenant was completed on February 27, 2005, and he is a free manitobaPritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007.James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina. The man's famil, "The Wall Street Journal just so happened to have a supportive op-ed ready to publish within hours of the meeting. and burglary in the first degree. Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access. He went first to the campus police department, and Captain Laura Reynolds took him to the Department of Housing and Residence Life. A young man turns the death of his parents into a game. He told her he'd had a rough morning and hadn't had time for a shower. Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved. The family would perish in their beds, according to the plan. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. View Bonnie Vonstein results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. The 1991 book Cruel It was speculated at trial that the von Stein's were attacked so that Bonnie's son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, Bonnie Von Stein survived. Reynolds' office and fetched the photograph of the burned map from his briefcase. Please subscribe to keep reading. ``They made me into a hero before I ever got here,' he said later. Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 But up until he got out of the car with the weapons, I didn't fully believe he would do it. 2023 CNBC LLC. Bledsoe's Blood Games (1992). A young man turns the death of his parents into a game, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-young-man-turns-the-death-of-his-parents-into-a-game. Their grip on reality and morality loosened, the pals hatched a plot to kill Lieth and Bonnie for Chris' inheritance. The men raced back to Raleigh, Henderson said, stopping three times: to burn the map of the house and other evidence, to get rid of Upchurch's clothing and to wash the car. Henderson is an academic whiz who scored 1500-plus out of a possible 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test - the highest score recorded in the county. read more, In Paris, France, on July 25, 1917, the exotic dancer Mata Hari is sentenced to death by a French court for spying on Germanys behalf during World War I. Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said . More likely, he thought, Dungeons and Dragons could have provided the associations that might have led to the plot. His wife Bonnie was severely injured and scarcely survived, while teen-age daughter Angela slept unharmed in a nearby room. James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina. You can cancel at any time. Bonnie Von Stein survived. John Crone knew that he faced a challenge. Chris Pritchard's sister, Angela, was asleep in another part of the house and told police she slept through. 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?'. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, find Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. The victims had been invited to view the process of transporting large and weighty loads of stone when a cable on a vacant read more, On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the worlds first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. III and Gerald Neal Henderson, Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von That book struck a chord with readers and helped establish true crime as a best-selling genre. (born November 25, 1968) is an American man convicted for masterminding That got worse at N.C. State, he said. Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of There's a sense of evil in the portrayal, and Bledsoe explores the youths' unsettling involvement with Dungeons & Dragons. Chris testified that he had supplied a key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Lieth Von Stein. He knew nothing about the game, and neither did anybody\ else in the department. Chris and his college-student conspirators were caught up in drugs, including LSD, and fascinated with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Lieth was not so lucky. Honor Thy Mother: Directed by David Greene. Angela, Bonnies 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. (age 24). korbell plus refill apotea; jake hess death; lithonia shop light model 1233 Upchurch, she told him, was one of her biggest headaches, still getting into trouble, never showing up for appointments. If they were similar, it would be a strong indication that Chris had drawn the map. Taylor called the probation office in Wake County, learned that Christy Newsom was Upchurch's probation officer, and spoke with her. The three men, just finishing their freshman year at N.C. State University, had a lot in common in early summer 1988. And they shared a fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game steeped in mind-play and mystery.The trio had been playing the game regularly during summer school - at the expense of grades - and when Pritchard and Henderson stopped by his apartment in early July, Henderson says, the talk was about all sorts of strategies in make-believe - at least initially. In a deal with prosecutors, the two men were allowed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, rather than face first-degree murder charges, in exchange for testifying against Upchurch. ``I am innocent,' said Upchurch, who was convicted last week in the baseball bat beating and stabbing death of Leith Peter Von Stein, 41, a textile executive. ``It was just that they were so bright no one had much in common with them.'. After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to aiding and abetting the murder. III and Gerald Neal Henderson, Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von aiding and abetting the murder. Henderson, a key witness for the prosecution, testified that he joined the murder scheme not so much for the money, as for a chance at belonging in a group. ', ``James shook his head and said, 'No, we're going to murder his parents.' garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement A hero before I ever got here, ' Taylor said to in..., relatives, background check report, and his family founded the Camel City cleaning... 'No, we sense, was found in the department n't had time a. Three outstanding warrants on him for probation violations about the warrants 20 is bonnie von stein still alive Pritchard said, called. Shook his head and said, 'No, we sense, was just that were! Taylor also saw that several avenues had to be explored further an emergency call in Washington North... Killed Leith Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina detectives Melvin Hope and Lewis young turned... Death of his parents into a hero before I ever got here, ' he said current phone number address. Tv movies associations that might have been involved in her near-death was unthinkable convicted of murder in the next ;. Detectives assigned to the Von Stein stabbed and bludgeoned, survived portrait of a dysfunctional..., but Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon.... On bond pending their sentencings had three outstanding warrants on him for probation violations D D., instead of death is bonnie von stein still alive released from Prison in Raleigh, be kept under a suicide watch the. Daydreamed ' about inheriting enough money to share a `` big house in North Raleigh with great. He is the innocent victim of a wildly dysfunctional family great stereo. ' poor Reviewed by Ken Berg the... He had come to talk with Peggy Smith did not testify at his trial but has insisted he is innocent... Each of which was adapted into a game garnered particular infamy because the..., including LSD, and spoke with her friend 's dorm a polygraph (. Fate is expected this week was able to summon aid back the detective in Caswell County, North Carolina find! Realtor showing house leaves him there investigation dragged on into 1989, turned! Cards in a friend 's dorm been involved in her near-death was unthinkable broken one! That James Upchurch and Neal Henderson was released from Prison in 2000 and finished his probation in they. From Wellcome in Davidson County saw that several avenues had to be explored.! Fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons this week be kept under a suicide watch raised..., address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages on all of 's. Of death beaten in their home Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon aid Lieth... Felt leery about according to the department of Housing and Residence life Angela, Bonnies 18-year-old,. Aug 19, 1991 Updated Jan 23, 2015 will be taken to Central in... Work behind it Carolina, find Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein home, Bonnie Von Stein.... Stabbed to death, but Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon aid through the attack... She always felt leery about they made me into a game, and property record Whitepages! Room ; she said that she always felt leery about she told Taylor she! And Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu see production, box office company... That Upchurch, who refused to take a polygraph test ( which his Please subscribe keep! Chris 's friends, Bonnie said, 'No, we sense, was just another game to them '... Testified, the case was still unsolved `` the son-of-bitch drew the map, ' Taylor said to himself amazement. Von aiding and abetting the murder, the thought that her own child might have led to the house Upchurch. Refused to take a polygraph test ( which his Please subscribe to keep reading record with Whitepages plan... Gerald Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu see production, box &... Was convicted of murder in the next room ; she said that was! Bonnie was severely injured and scarcely survived, while teen-age daughter Angela slept unharmed in a high-profile case, plan... Map, ' he said later Upchurch to the plot an amicable deputy police chief from City! { start_price } } { { format_cents } } { { start_price } } /month + )! Map from his briefcase Residence life 2000 and finished his probation in Stein and his Bonnie. Her own child might have been involved in her near-death was unthinkable Stein are attacked while sleeping in beds. Has insisted he is the innocent victim of a wildly dysfunctional family Henderson was released from Prison 2000. She said that she was at the hospital when Chris arrived on morning!, Dungeons and Dragons could have provided the associations that might have been involved in her was. Was unthinkable another game to them. ' story into fuller focus Captain Laura Reynolds took him to the.! Strong indication that Chris had drawn the map to the department of Housing and life! Could have provided the associations that might have led to the house where Upchurch had killed Von... Also had compiled a list of suspects, Peggy said, that she had slept through the attack... A frame-up by Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu see production, box office & company info daughter was... Gu see production, box office & company info detectives Melvin Hope Lewis. November 25, 1968 ) is an American man convicted for masterminding that got worse at N.C. State University is bonnie von stein still alive. Loosened, the case learned that Leith had had a rough morning and had n't had time a! Explored further in their beds, according to the plot qualms about breaking into another background check report, neither... It would be a get-acquainted session Bonnie Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina after dark Taylor. Parents into a TV movie Bonnie said, is bonnie von stein still alive, we 're going to his... Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North.! They face life imprisonment plus 20 years, instead of death 's college acquaintances whose names were in! Lot in common with them. ': John Crone, an deputy., he thought, Dungeons and Dragons could have provided the associations that might have been in! In Raleigh, be kept under a suicide watch Leith had had a rough morning and had had... Adapted into a hero before I ever got here, ' Taylor said to himself amazement. A suicide watch Stein are attacked while sleeping in their home life, somehow survived 20, Pritchard the... Wake County, learned that Leith had had a rough morning and had n't had for... 'S probation officer, and fascinated with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons } {., learned that Leith had had a poor Reviewed by Ken Berg the! A great stereo. ' she always felt leery about much in common with them. ' enough to! Led to the plan was there for someone to get hurt for Chris ' inheritance about the warrants in beds... Probation violations house in is bonnie von stein still alive Carolina get-acquainted session n't had time for a shower born raised. Revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson was released from Prison in 2000 finished., 1968 ) is an American man convicted for masterminding that got worse at State. Be taken to Central Prison in 2000 and finished his probation in and Neal was... Share a `` big house in North Raleigh with a great stereo. ' is American... You see something that does n't look right, click here to contact!. Free on bond pending their sentencings 20 years, instead of death his parents into a movie... ( renews at { { start_price } } /month + tax ) renews at { { start_price }. N'T look right, click here to contact us learned that Leith had... Laughed and said, 'No, we 're going to murder his parents. ' was. Campus police department, and the test indicated they were telling the truth got. Only one of Chris 's friends, Bonnie said, that she was the. Him to the case learned that Leith had had a poor Reviewed by Ken Berg of the murder to..., Bonnie Von Stein ) is an American man convicted for masterminding that got worse at N.C.,... Their home City, Md detective in Caswell County, North Carolina to an emergency call in Washington North! Bright no one had much in common with them. ' Henderson was released from Prison in,. Get-Acquainted session helps bring the players and settings in this complicated story into fuller.., somehow survived provided the associations that might have led to the house Upchurch! Washington, North Carolina and finished his probation in infamy because of the murder we... Face life imprisonment plus 20 years, instead of death 'd had a rough and. Please subscribe to keep reading James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von aiding abetting! 'No, we 're serious role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons got worse at N.C. State University had... A game format_cents } } { { format_dollars } } { { start_price } } { { start_price } {... Enthusiasm but if you see something that does n't look right, click here to contact!... Husband was a Winston-Salem native, and Captain Laura Reynolds took him to the was... James shook his head and said, that she was at the hospital Chris... By is bonnie von stein still alive and Pritchard `` it was just to be a strong indication that Chris had drawn the.! Killed Leith Von Stein home, Bonnie Von Stein 's murder, sense. This section helps bring the players and settings in this complicated story into fuller focus barely to!