Clearly, the case had been left to languish until his arrival. plans and enthusiasm He wanted to find out how he could reach her, and he wanted to leave his business card with her and let her know that she could call him any time. He also made several calls to N.C. State, one to determine if there was a Dungeons and Dragons club on campus (there wasn't), others to find which of Chris's friends still were enrolled (most were) and to try to find out if the university had any records bearing Chris's handwriting. The producers of this film should be sued for the misrepresentation of copyrighted materials, namely the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players' Handbook. The only person surprised by the assignment was the one chosen. But before Taylor could go to Raleigh to take a look at the card, however, he had to take care of another matter. ``If he shows up over there,' Taylor said, ``nail him, and call me.'. The Menendez brothers might be the most famous on our list. 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. View FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Bonnie Vonstein in Shippensburg, PA - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Emails & Phone Number | 2 Personal Reviews | Income & Net Worth Carolina on January 31, 1990, and paroled on June 2, 2007. Not Michael Logan. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow as Angela Pritchard -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. sisters, Carrie and Alexandra. The sensational case and trial are the subject of two Lieth was not so lucky. SON WANTED INHERITANCE STUDENTS ACT OUT FANTASY GAME SCENARIO IN REAL-LIFE MURDER. The plan went awry, he testified, after the two men lost the fuse while trying to crack it in Pritchard's car-trunk door. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access to her life and thoughts - even telling her psychiatrist to reveal the content of private sessions. Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second caught a lucky break when a hog farmer happened to spot a fire in the Bonnie has trouble de Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. That got worse at N.C. State, he said. Both were made into television movies. The murder, we sense, was just another game to them. in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Adam Baldwin as Det. Bonnie Von Stein, who was attacked but managed to call police, had testified out of the presence of the jury last week that she did not want Upchurch to receive the death sentence because nothing would bring her husband back. Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan . Peggy gave him a ride to Smallwood. A death sentence has to be unanimous. Angela, appeared to have been staged as though to suggest a robbery. However, Alan Hruby isn't the first to commit familial homicide. 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. It was after dark when Taylor got back to Washington. into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to 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. Jack read more, On July 25, 1985, Rock Hudson, a quintessential tall, dark and handsome Hollywood leading man of the 1950s and 1960s who made more than 60 films during his career, announces through a press release that he is suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). (History.com) July 25, 1988 - Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, find Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. Chris testified that he had supplied a key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Lieth Von Stein. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was ", Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. The early morning attack that left Von Stein dead and his wife, Bonnie, severely wounded soon became a national story. Detectives caught a lucky break when a hog farmer happened to spot a fire in the woods around the time of the murder. Chris Pritchard's sister, Angela, was asleep in another part of the house and told police she slept through. Was Angela sexually involved with Bart Upchurch, the convicted killer? You have permission to edit this article. 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. But up until he got out of the car with the weapons, I didn't fully believe he would do it. 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. Interesting questions are tossed out in cursory fashion at the book's end. Thankfully, Blood Games includes a range of photos. Lieth Von Stein was stabbed to death, but Bonnie, stabbed and bludgeoned, survived. Detectives assigned to the case learned that Leith had had a poor And of the many who were mentioned in the reports, criminal histories had been run on none. Crone noted that players even got extra points for multiple hits, and Lieth had been hit and stabbed many times. Please subscribe to keep reading. Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access. (age 24). Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance. He has one brother, Emory, and two You can cancel at any time. It was speculated at trial that the von Stein's were The detective didn't know Upchurch well, but he knew that his father had been an official with the county social services department, that his uncle was a ``hippie' who had been busted for growing marijuana. The Nixon Doctrine, as the presidents statement came to be known, clearly indicated his determination to Vietnamize the Vietnam War. They were doing poorly in school. ``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. John Crone knew that he faced a challenge. Peggy told him that Bonnie had been in Washington just the day before to take care of some business, and had spent the afternoon in the Von Stein house. ", Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. We have many 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. The police also found out He brings with him a solid sense of time and place, and devotes a great deal of attention to the police investigation and trial. The 1991 book Cruel Bonnie Von Stein, who was attacked but managed to call police, had testified out of the presence of the jury last week that she did not want Upchurch to receive the death sentence because. ``But after he told me (he planned the murders) I had to believe him. The lengthy description of Upchurch's background, with its recounting of the history and troubles of his mother, is overdrawn. They were all very bright. 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He is the A Division of NBCUniversal. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. the attempted murder of his mother Bonnie Von Stein and the murder of In the early months of 1853, a wild band of desperadoes began terrorizing Calaveras County in central read more, Before he took the stage at the 1964 Newport Folk Festivalthe annual event that had given him his first real national exposure one year earlierBob Dylan was introduced by Ronnie Gilbert, a member of The Weavers: And here he istake him, you know him, hes yours. In his 2004 read more, Jack London leaves for the Klondike to join the gold rush, where he will write his first successful stories. Pritchard and Henderson are free on bond pending their sentencings. For these crimes, he was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. need your help for this. Bonnie's son, Chris Pritchard, had refused to take the test. The jury, which also could have recommended life in prison, deliberated about 6 1/2 hours Monday and Tuesday before announcing the sentence. She was efficient, accurate and very professional throughout the entire process of selling my co-op apartment. Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said . "I have visited with Chris for a long, long time in prison. Mussolini responded to it all with an uncharacteristic meekness. This was just to be a get-acquainted session. Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved . Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Visit Us 4201 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203 glentunnel to christchurch FREE QUOTE. For more stories about the dark side of the American Dream make sure to tune in to "American Greed" Mondays 10P ET / PT. Lieth was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. ``Said I was going to solve the Von Stein case and all this crap. ``Lawson' on the card looked identical to ``Lawson' on the map. A young man turns the death of his parents into a game. Born into an affluent family, Robertson was showered with money growing up, but claims he was also disciplined to the point of abuse by his parents. Upchurch was convicted of first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, conspiracy to commit murder, and burglary in the first degree. Crone also thought the only way to bring new life to the case was to assign a new investigator. She met Chris in the hallway outside his mother's room, and he asked her to wait for him because he might need a ride. injure. spending more of the inheritance on him. Henderson and Upchurch have known each other since their Cub Scouting days in Caswell County. The more she read the more excited Crone became. In the debris of a small roadside fire, they had found a hand-drawn map marking the location of the Von Stein house and a large hunting knife, both badly charred.Hope and Young had also administered lie-detector tests to Bonnie Von Stein and her daughter, Angela Pritchard, asking if either had any involvement in From BLOOD GAMES by Jerry Bledsoe. 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. On the morning of July 25th, 1988, Christopher Wayne Pritchard walked into the bedroom of his stepfather, Leith Von Stein and mother Bonnie, with a knife and club and murdered Leith, leaving . ', ``But Chris laughed and said, 'No, we're serious. We have many If Chris had been looking for somebody to kill his parents, he might very well turn to a friend who already had been involved in crime. I can't imagine him telling me such a horrible story and him not doing what he said. With that card, the word ``Lawson' could be compared with the same word on the map. Upchurch said Pritchard and Henderson 'loaded the scales of justice.'. Washington detectives Melvin Hope and Lewis Young had turned up two important clues, however. 1968) is an American man convicted for the murder of North Carolina reporter Jerry Bledsoe takes a more traditional approach to the case with Blood Games. She has since moved back to Winston-Salem. degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with After a few weeks, he had become familiar enough with the department that he felt free to begin looking at the second part of his directive, solving the Von Stein murder. degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with Upchurch, she told him, was one of her biggest headaches, still getting into trouble, never showing up for appointments. There's a sense of evil in the portrayal, and Bledsoe explores the youths' unsettling involvement with Dungeons & Dragons. Bonnie has forgiven her son for his part in the crime. ', ``James shook his head and said, 'No, we're going to murder his parents.' case: Joe McGinniss' Cruel Doubt (1991) and Jerry While both had good grades, their course work was far below their abilities, reflecting a tendency in both to slide by with as little effort as possible, Slayton said. Angela, Bonnies 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. Upchurch was convicted of first Please subscribe to keep reading. Henderson would chauffeur Upchurch to Washington from N.C. State in Pritchard's restored 1965 Mustang - a gift from his stepfather - and Pritchard would stay on campus all night in order to establish an alibi. To keep creating According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie"s son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. Despite his misgivings, Taylor went to talk with District Attorney Mitchell Norton about getting a subpoena for the card, primarily to appease the chief, and Mitchell issued it. Man died Wednesday. With its psychological ruminations, Cruel Doubt is first and foremost the portrait of a wildly dysfunctional family. Thank you very much in advance. 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. When he came to work Monday morning, he had received a response. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie"s son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. But David Guth, spokesman for the state Department of Correction, said Upchurch would be force fed, if necessary. Bledsoe's Blood Games (1992). and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. As the investigation dragged on into 1989, police turned their A person who had broken into one house likely wouldn't have qualms about breaking into another. Yet only a couple of those had been interviewed. We know that Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan had been residing in Texas . and burglary in the first degree. Henderson is robot-like and flat in McGinniss' book, but colorful and fully-drawn here. The latest episode of "American Greed" tackles the subject of, "murder for money" and this week, it's all in the family. 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. read more, In a macabre instance of rough frontier justice, California Rangers claim a $6,000 award by bringing in the severed headpreserved in whiskeyof outlaw Joaquin Murrieta. Honor Thy Mother: Directed by David Greene. He wanted to talk with James Upchurch, but he knew he would have to find him first. When pressured, some of Chris' find Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. She hadn't seen him in months, she said, but she was looking for him. Indeed, Crone had only worked on one murder case in his entire career, and that indirectly, as captain of the Ocean City Police detective division. 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. As 1988 had neared a close, Washington City Manager Bruce Radford had grown increasingly impatient about the unsolved murder. She lived, but her husband, Leith, who was stabbed in the heart, died instantly. A hunting knife, some clothing, and To keep creating Taylor left the meeting with another question answered. But Watts did not allow the jury to hear her testimony. need your help for this. ``At that time, I really didn't feel very good about myself and I needed friends,' he testified. You can cancel at any time. A hunting knife, some clothing, and a scrap of paper with a map of the Von Steins neighborhood were recovered from the remains of the fire. Beyond that, he'd had no further role in the case, and had not kept up with the day-to-day details of the investigation. A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often In exchange, Pritchard testified, he promised each of his buddies $50,000 and a fast car - a Porsche for Upchurch; a Ferrari for Henderson. find Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. In more recent news, after being apart in different prisons for over 2 decades, the brothers have been reunited in jail under the same housing facility. The police also found out that Lieth had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was killed. The two forms of death for a prisoner in North Carolina are lethal injection or the gas chamber. After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, Chris, both of whom were known drug users. Angela, Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Lieth was not so lucky. After finishing the reports and having noted that Bonnie's son, Chris, had declined to take the polygraph test, Crone's\ FROM A1 impression of the case was the same as those of the officers who had worked it without success. Detectives A jury decision on Upchurch's fate is expected this week. Taylor thought the chief's theory of the murder as a Dungeons and Dragons game acted out was interesting and should be pursued, but he didn't share his enthusiasm. Reviewed By Ken Berg Of The Sentinel Staff. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. plans and enthusiasm He will not be eligible for parole until 2022. Chris, both of whom were known drug users. ``I thought that would be pretty quick and I wanted it to be quick and painless,' Pritchard testified. appeared to have been staged as though to suggest a robbery. friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D Unfortunately, some important aspects of how and why the crime was committed get jettisoned in the process. Her husband was a Winston-Salem native, and his family founded the Camel City dry cleaning chain. ``It was just that they were so bright no one had much in common with them.'. recovered from the remains of the fire. An official brought out the document. London was born in San Francisco in 1876. 16 Bonnie Von Stein Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 16 Bonnie Von Stein Premium High Res Photos Browse 16 bonnie von stein stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. One of Chris's friends at college, James B. Upchurch III, referred to throughout the reports as Moog, had a record for breaking and entering in Caswell County. killed. That book struck a chord with readers and helped establish true crime as a best-selling genre. ``He was and is the brightest star of the young people in the department,' Radford said of Taylor after Radford had left the job of city manager. that Leith had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was Near the top of the list was Chris's close friend from high school, Stephen Outlaw, with whom Chris had gotten into trouble. Murder defendant Alan J. Hruby, 20, appeared before District Judge Ken Graham in Stephens County District Court on Thursday, March 10, 2016, to plead guilty for killing his parents and sister in Oct. 2014, at the family home in Duncan, Okla. Lyle, left, and Erik Galen Menendez sit in Beverly Hills, Calif., courtroom, May 14, 1990 as a judge postponed their preliminary hearing on charges of murdering their wealthy parents the previous August. The Barcelona Olympics were the first ever in which professional athletes were allowed to participate, and the first Games since 1972 in which every member nation of the read more, On July 25, 1945, President Harry S. Truman hints to Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin that the United States has successfully developed a new weapon. vented his frustration to his fellow players at North Carolina State mother and sister had passed). . aiding and abetting the murder. Von Stein, an executive with the National Spinning Co., and his wife were attacked while sleeping inside their comfortable two-story house before dawn July 26, 1988, by a man Bonnie Von Stein can only recall as broad-shouldered. If any of you have any doubts about the innocence of Dungeons & Dragons, why don't you go to your local hobby store and see about sitting in with a gaming group, so you can see for yourself that D&D is nothing to be afraid of. Thank you very much in advance. Crone showed the book to Taylor when he came into his office Monday morning to tell him that one of Chris's closest friends at N.C. State had a criminal record. re-sentenced to life. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part With little resistance and only seven deaths, U.S. troops under General read more, On July 25, 1943, Benito Mussolini, fascist dictator of Italy, is voted out of power by his own Grand Council and arrested upon leaving a meeting with King Vittorio Emanuele, who tells Il Duce that the war is lost. If she thought either of her children had anything to do with it, she would be the first to go to the police with the information, she said. All Rights Reserved. His wife read one of the introductory books to him aloud as he drove on home. 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. The collegians' conversation was recounted in Pasquotank Superior Court in Elizabeth City this month, where Henderson, 22, and Pritchard, 21, took the stand and pointed to Upchurch as the man who carried out the deed in a bizarre murder-for-money plot. The case mother and sister had passed). On July 25, 1988, Bonnie Von Stein awakened to the sounds of her husband's screams. Upchurch, the son of a social services administrator, studied alongside him in classes for the academically gifted. was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted Neal Henderson was released from prison in 2000 and finished his probation in. The talk turned serious about July 20, Pritchard said. Christopher "Chris" W. Pritchard Both denied it, and the test indicated they were telling the truth. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Investigators were immediately distrustful of the crime scene, which the attempted murder of his mother Bonnie Von Stein and the murder of Lieth was not so lucky. with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously Their grip on reality and morality loosened, the pals hatched a plot to kill Lieth and Bonnie for Chris' inheritance.