NCJ Number
160323
Date Published
1995
Length
325 pages
Annotation
Focusing on the murder of Brenda Schaefer in Kentucky in 1988, this narrative uses information from interviews with local and Federal law enforcement personnel, the Schaefer family, and the jurors to describe the investigation, the trial of the suspect, and subsequent developments related to the issue of double jeopardy.
Abstract
Sixteen months after Schaefer's car was found abandoned, her body was found in a shallow grave in the woods behind the house of Mary Ann Shore, a friend of Schaefer's former fiance, Mel Ignatow. The body was bound in rope and wrapped in plastic. As part of a plea bargain, Shore described the details of the murder and said she had photographed Schaefer's last hours. Ignatow was arrested. However, the photographs were not found. The legal proceedings were notable for the calculated and highly publicized antagonism between the defense attorney and the prosecution. The jury had to decide who was lying and whether Ignatow had murdered Schaefer or Shore had done it in a fit of jealous rage. To the surprise of most observers, the jury acquitted Ignatow on all charges. Subsequently, the FBI became involved; this involvement and the unexpected discovery of the missing photographs and other evidence led to Ignatow's apprehension and ultimate confession despite concern that the protection against double jeopardy would prevent his punishment. Photographs and index