The Oakland County Child Killings

During the winter of 1976/77, four horrific murders of children occurred in Oakland County, Michigan, that remain unsolved.  They created  a palatable fear in Oakland County and beyond because people in the area had just not experienced anything like it.

I remember this vividly because I was the right age at the time (ten) and even though we lived in the next county, this was all over the news and parents were freaked out throughout SE Michigan.  All the rules changed and no children were outside alone, without an adult, ever.  No more, "Go ride your bike but be back by summertime," no more, "Yes you can ride your horse to Laura's."  (Laura lived over 5 miles away.)  No more walking to the library after school and Mom would pick you up later.  My bus stop was at the end of our private road, a quarter mile away and although all the families living on the road were on rather uneasy terms, there was always a parent waiting at the bus stop, turns were taken and there were headcounts done and that was just unheard of.  (At least I didn't get pudding thrown on me anymore while walking to the bus stop.) Anyway, this put the whole area into a state of near hysteria and primal fear for children.

All four children, two girls and two boys, were snatched out of thin air and after a matter of time, turned up dead.

Mark Stebbin

Mark, of Ferndale, was twelve years old and last seen at an American Legion on February 17, 1976.  His body was found two days later in Southfield.  He had been strangled and sexually assaulted post-mortem.

Jill Robinson

Jill lived in Royal Oak and was 12.  She had an argument with her mother and told her mother she was running away on December 22, 1976.  Her body was found December 26 on the side of I-75 in Troy (a major thoroughfare).  She had been killed by a shotgun blast to the face.

Kristine Mihelich

Kristine was from Berkley, Michigan, aged ten.  She disappeared on her way to a 7-11 in Berkeley on January 2, 1977, being found 19 days later, dumped on a rural road out in Franklin Village.  She had been smothered.

Timothy King

Timmy King was 11 and lived in Birmingham.  He disappeared March 16, 1977 and was found March 22 in a ditch in Livonia.  He had been suffocated and sexually assaulted post-mortem.

At first, police were not convinced that the killings were related, since the victim selection and manners of death were so different.  However, when comparisons started being made, the similarities were glaring.  All victims were snatched off the street, seemingly into thin air, in safe areas.  They were all held captive for a matter of days after the abduction.  They showed signs of being well cared for and bathed.  One victim even had a favorite dinner after the parent made a plea for the return and promised to serve a favorite meal.  All the victims were re-dressed in their own clothing with most of their belongings intact.

There was evidence of sexual trauma on both boys, none on the girls.

There was a plea in the media for help and a task force of over 300 officers and support personel was formed.  Rumors and suspicions ran rampant.  Among the most relevant: There was a blue AMC Gremlin spotted near one of the snatch sites.  This has since be ruled out or discounted.

The task force tried taking a proactive approach, taking out decoy ads in gay magazines and frequenting gay hangouts in hopes of uncovering something, since both boys had been sodomized post-mortem and neither girl had been sexually assaulted in any sort of obvious manner.

The task force received over 100,000 tips and over 20,000 were investigated seriously.  Every crackpot in the state came out of the woodwork to confess or offer their "vision". 

A priest with a dubious reputation was investigated. There was much speculation that the kids were old enough to know not to go with strangers and would have had to have been fooled into a sense of security.  The priest was cleared.

There was no connection between the kids, other than living in the same county in a roughly close geographical area.

Some of the outcome of this dread and fear was the "Nay Nay, Stanger Stay Away" program brought into the schools.  It featured a cute little pony who warned about the danger of strangers.

Eventually,  the case grew cold with no solid suspects and no DNA at the time but investigators always hoped they would someday catch a break.

They thought they had a break when David Norberg, who had been an initial suspect for the Oakland County Child Killings and some other violent crimes, died.  Norberg had been an autoworker in SE Michigan and had moved to Wyoming.  He had driven a blue Opal, very similar to a blue Gremlin, and stopped driving it not long after the killings.  When he moved to Wyoming, he resumed driving the Opal.  He died in a car accident not long after moving.  He was apparently a violent man who sexually and physically assaulted not only his wife but also his sister.  There was speculation he had killed two girls other than the two who were victims of the OCCK.

When he died, his widow found a silver cross inscribed "Kristine" among his belongings.  Kristine Mihelich had owned a cross that her aunt said was identical.  Mrs. Norberg also found a St. Christopher's medal, such as the one Timmy King wore that was never recovered, and a green worm pin similar to the one Jill Robinson routinely wore.  Sadly, Mrs. Norberg gave these away after her husband died and since so much time had passed, could not remember who she gave them to.

Norberg's DNA was tested and he was cleared.

The case recently went from the back burner to the front again when Michigan Law Enforcement zeroed in on a man named Todd Warzecha, who had moved to Texas.  Warzecha had long been suspected in the unsolved  murder of two boys in Bay County, Michigan.  Police arrived to take Warzecha's DNA samples and instead, found him from hanging in a storage shed on his property, a suicide.

In the dark underbelly of the internet, this case has caused much speculation and armchair sleuthing.  I've followed it for about the past five years.  Reading sites online, it's difficult to sort the real from the fantasy.

There is one woman who posts on every single forum I have ever seen regarding the case.   I'm not going to state her name here but let it suffice to say, she has been kicked off more than one forum, dismissed as a crackpot by law enforcement and has a criminal record herself.  (I know this for a fact because I looked her up on Michigan's handy dandy offender tracking system and confirmed it.)  She posits that she knew the OCCK, whom she refers to as "John" and over several months of coffee and gentle questioning, he eventually confessed and indeed, detailed all the reasons why he killed the children.   She claims she has presented this to law enforcement and at one point,  she had the support of a very active forum moderator. 

All this panned out to nothing and I put it in the fruit and nuts category.  What I'm trying to convey is don't always take what you read online as the gospel truth.  If a law enforcement official is quoted, take that seriously. And you can bet, they are holding cards to their vests as well.

The Law Enforcement types are currently bringing a new perspective to the case.   They are once again forming a task force, albeit much smaller, and reconstructing all the evidence and reviewing it case by case and resubmitting it for more detailed DNA testing. I've read that there are currently 12 suspects who have not been cleared.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.  I have my fingers crossed for the officers.  I know how much this scared the ever loving crap out of my mom and many other parents during the time.  I know people who were kids at that time who are still traumatized by it.

And I apologize for having scant information on the victims. There just wasn't a lot of detailed victim biography out there.  I know they have families who still miss them, still miss seeing them go to high school, pursue careers, have children themselves.  E! is doing a special on serial killers and this case is featured and Timmy King's dad is interviewed.  My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these innocent victims and hopefully, justice will be done.

Justice delayed is not justice denied.

Comments

[Michelle]

Great synopsis of the case, Lis. Move over Ann Rule.

[Beth]

I knew Mark Stebbins. He was such a cute little boy. The person responsible for his and the rest of these murders MUST be caught and made to pay for the crime.

I really appreciate having a web site devoted to these crimes.

THANK YOU

[Helen Dagner]

OH LISA~~OF COURSE You would have to approve the posts~~As you wouldn't want anyone,to comment on your post negatively~~Girl!You don't know what your talking about ~when it comes to the Oakland County Child Killer~~But hey,you did do a good job of writing it up~~Just to bad~~you couldn't use any facts!My Best Regards,Helen Dagner

[Lisa]

The fact that I approve comments has absolutely nothing to do with anyone disagreeing with me. If you had read my blog carefully, you would see that. It has to do with spamming of the comment section, a common problem with older entries on blogs.

Oh and by the way, Helen? I have been in contact with someone who knew Todd Warscka personally. The Task Force have met with this person and received very extensive information about Todd and his activites during that time frame. I wouldn not be surprised if the DNA proves Todd to be the OCCK.

What's with the~~~~~? That's not punctuation, you know.

[Helen Dagner]

LISA~I'm not sure you are aware~so thought I would stop by and tell you~The DNA did not match~Hmmm wonder why?Also Mark was abducted on the 15th of Feb.1976~thought you mite want to change your posted date on that~there are quite a few other items that need to be corrected in your post~However I am busy and don't have time to do it now~but if you need any help covering this story and bringing it up to date~just shot me an email~Best Regards,Your Web Friend~Helen Dagner

[Dave]

Thank you for this story - I grew up close to where one of the bodies was found, and have been fascinated with the case since. The information about David Norberg seems very compelling - what strikes me is his wife's statements. I'm sure the police must have dug deeper into her stories but if so, it is not in recent media accounts I've read. You would think they could have done more to get her to talk about who might have gotten the objects described
and how they might be traced back to Michigan. Why would this guy have a cross with the name "Kristine" on it? The DNA test was on a hair found on one of the bodies. Just because his DNA did not match, how would that clear him? The hair could have been from dozens of people this person interacted with. Afterall, hair can travel easily through the air. I did not know about the other items found in his home. This makes the evidence, albeit circumstantial, even more compelling. If the police are serious about this case, why isn't there more information about these items, and what they did to investigate their origins? It just seems too coincidental to me - if the wife is still alive, maybe they can help her remember more (although I'm sure if he did it, he kept it a secret). It would be interesting to read the police files on this guy - what do they know? Even circumstantial evidence can convict if compelling and corroborated in some way. Even if they can only say this is the most likely suspect, it might give some closure to the case.

[Charlie]

Interesting read on the OCCK. I was born in `78 so I wasn`t even alive when these horrible crimes occured. Yeah, Helen is the crackpot you`re referring to. I`m curious to know what her day job is. :) I recommend reading "A Wolf in Sheep`s Clothing." A good read on the case but lacks in even the basics on who might`ve done these horrible crimes. It perplexes me how after 30 years police still can`t name the killer. I`m sure police took DNA from Todd`s corpse. Any word on when results would be made public? Ignore Helen and she`ll go away

[David Moore]

Lisa--

I'm a Detroit native, 56, now living in Grand Rapids.

30 years ago, when I first got into the radio news business, the discovery of Timmy's body was the first story I ever covered. I will never forget standing in the crowd of partly frightened, partly curious neighbors, the day-bright floods of a forensic unit just down the road where "it" had hapened...again.

Today, as an anchor for the NPR affiliate in Grand Rapids, (WGVU) the case still haunts me. I don't need to do research to remember the four names.

Will it ever be solved? I don't know--but I do know that every story I see in the News or Free Press reminds me anew of those four kids and what their parents and the community went through. I cannot disparage anyone who speculates, posts theories or even just plain comes out of left field with ideas on the case. So long as people keep talking about it, the hope that that one clue will someday turn up...remains alive.

I seem to recall reading that Warscka's DNA was NOT a match.

As Detective Anger put it--somebody out there knows.

[CWW]

Here's some new info.

Breaking news
Convict provides new leads in 30-year-old child killings
March 8, 2006

ASSOCIATED PRESS Richard M. Lawson

OAK PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Investigators are hoping information from a man convicted this week in a suburban Detroit murder case will lead them to the killer of four Oakland County children in the 1970s.
Richard Lawson, 60, who was found guilty Tuesday of a 1989 murder in Livonia, recently has given police information in the "Oakland County Child Killer" cases, State Police Detective Sgt. Garry Gray, who is leading the investigation, said Wednesday.
Gray called Lawson a "person of interest" whose information has led investigators to Detroit's Cass Avenue corridor, which he described as a skid row with rampant prostitution and pornography at the time of the killings.
"We have some good, solid leads, good solid information. Lawson's a part of that process," said Gray, who would not provide more details.
Gray said Lawson has talked at length with investigators about the killings.
He said no break in the case is imminent. "We've got our hopes up. We've got things that I, of course, can't discuss," Gray said.
Lawson was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery in Wayne County Circuit Court in the death of Livonia businessman Exavor Giller, a cab company owner who was shot and killed outside his home. He will be sentenced March 21.
A message seeking comment from Lawson was left Wednesday with his social worker at the Wayne County Jail.
Former Detroit Police Chief Isaiah McKinnon said Lawson was a paid informant for police in the 1970s and gave officers information about child molesters.
The child deaths horrified the Detroit area starting in 1976, with parents keeping their children in sight at all times. All the children were abducted from business areas in suburban Oakland County.
Eleven-year-old Timothy King, 12-year-old Mark Stebbins, 12-year-old Jill Robinson and 10-year-old Kristine Mihelich were suffocated between February 1976 and March 1977. Their bodies were found after each went missing for periods ranging from three to 19 days. Two had been raped, and one also was shot in the face with a shotgun.
Through the years, a series of strong leads has developed, but so far none has resulted in an arrest.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Murderer offers clues in '70s case
Mich. police say convict has yielded information about unsolved Oakland County child slayings.
Eric Lacy and Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit New

A man convicted Tuesday of a Livonia murder is providing new leads into the 30-year-old unsolved Oakland County child killings case.
"He's not a suspect, but he is a person of high interest that has information about the (child killings) investigation," said Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Garry Gray, who heads the current investigation into the child slayings.
The slayings of four children in Oakland County in 1976 and 1977 spread fear across Metro Detroit.
At the height of the investigation, more than 200 investigators worked on the slayings of Mark Stebbins, 12, of Ferndale; Jill Robinson, 12, of Royal Oak; Kristine Milhelich, 10, of Berkley; and Timothy King, 11, of Birmingham.
The man providing the new information is Richard M. Lawson, 60, who was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery Tuesday in Wayne Circuit Court in the 1989 shooting death of Livonia businessman Exavor Giller, Gray said.
Livonia police tracked Lawson down in San Diego and arrested him last year. While in jail, Lawson provided new information about the child killings, Gray said.
He declined to say what information Lawson gave to police, but said it could help bring others forward with more tips. He said more information about the case would be released today.
Shane Liddick, an acquaintance of Lawson's from California, said Lawson called him from jail Tuesday night and told him that he feels "confused" and "railroaded by police (about the child killings)."
Liddick said Lawson told him that he wasn't sure if he has information about the child killings.
"He doesn't think he knows anything, but he thinks that maybe they want something that he doesn't even know that he knows," Liddick said.
"He thinks maybe it's something that he doesn't even realize is important."
Former Detroit Police Chief Isaiah McKinnon said that in 1974 Lawson was a paid informant for the Sex Crime Unit, providing detectives with "a wealth of information" about the "underworld" of people who molest kids.
"He educated us into the world of pedophilia," McKinnon said.
"We took down a lot of people who were pedophiles," McKinnon said "He started sharing information and we got a lot of pedophiles off the street."
Lawson is to be sentenced on March 21 in Wayne Circuit Court for Giller's murder, said Livonia Police Lt. Gregory Winn.
Giller was shot to death outside his home on Seven Mile when he and his wife returned home from work at their business, the Greater Detroit Cab Co. in Detroit. Giller and his wife surprised Lawson, who had broken into the home.

[Shannon]

I hope this link works, This news just came up today and I thought you'd be interested. I know I am responding to an old post, but I hope it's not an intrusion.. Seems there is a break in the case.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/9202297/detail.html?treets=det&tid=2657234352813&tml=det_8pm&tmi=det_8pm_1_07000205112006&ts=H

[Helen Dagner]

Hi Lisa,Just thought I would stop by & let you know that at my Ask Helen Message Board we have all the latest on the Occk cases-Updated daily-stop by and read the many site readers post and maybe even post your questions.Regards,Helen

[CWW]

Police say man did not confess to slayings

May 12, 2006

The Free Press reported incorrect information Friday from a law enforcement source who said Randall Raar of Lincoln Park, who is in custody on sex-crime charges, had confessed to a string of Oakland County child killings in the 1970s.

Michigan State Police announced Friday that Raar did not confess to the killings, and investigators said they know of no link between him and the child slayings.

The source who supplied the information to the Free Press said Friday the details were based on incorrect information given to the source.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...NEWS11/60512022

CWW

[Sheryl]

I grew up in Huntington Woods, nestled in a square formed by 11 Mile rd., Coolidge, Woodward Ave, and the Detroit Zoo on 10 Mile. I too remember the lock down and the apron strings tightened. I also remember being approached by a man dressed in a band uniform offering to show me his " privates". I high tailed it home on my bike! Was it the OCCK, I do not know. I pray they find the OCCK and the families get some peace.

[Samantha]

I am in the 10th grade and had to do a research paper on somthing and i chose the Oakland County Child Killers and when i found out all of the facts it scared me because i used to live in Oakland county and my family still does. Now i am scared to go anywhere alone when i visit.

[Terri]

Hi,
CWW knows me and might reply to this. The man I believe to have killed these children lived in a house with a Dick (Richard Lawson?), a David ( St. Clair?), more than 1 Bobby (as in Moore?), a Michael D. McCants (Micheal D. Grant?),and a man who claimed to be a cop. So, could Lawson be right? Is he "Dick"? I'd like to know.

[terri tomajko]

Does anyone remember if any of the kids were found with a blanket or blanket fibers? Not a cotton blanket.

[Jeannette]

Hi, What about the Gremlin that was found ditched in a lake in Michigan? Did it hold any clues.? I was 8 years old at the when the kidnappings occured. Timothy King's body was dropped off about a mile from my house in Livonia (on Gill Road) That really freaked out Livonia parents. We had no freedom and were scared sh**less! It still haunts me to this day..Now that I have children of my own, I am very cautious with them...Arrange for playdates, etc. These events changed my life and perspective forever.

[Russell Moore]

I wish the authorities would investigate James Donald Moore. He was the maniac truck driver who raped DJ Dempsey and killed Justin Bogdanik in 2003. He is also my father. He had a blue Gremlin and was in that area at that time. I have given all the infomation to Sgt Anger. James is not hard to find. He is doing life in Macomb Correctional in New Haven. Many of the clues lead right to him.

[Nadine]

Lisa, I had to come back and read Part 1 after seeing your Part 11 entry today (August 26, 2006).

Thank you for gathering all this information, it must have been hard to do, and I mean emotionally draining.

I think Helen Dagner needs to get a grip and find someone else to crucify.

[lasisa]

I will never forget Timothy King. We had 2 murders in Birmingham at that time. One was Timothy King's and a babysitter on Yorkshire. They never connected the two. Both were within 5 blocks of our house. I was affraid at the time.

I am almost 40 and I still would like to know "who committed the crime" however... when will it end.?

I am certain as a parent myself, that everyone is concerned.

I went on the National Sex Offender site tonight and found that we have so many offenders in Michigan, that the site can not support a state wide search and parents/concerned people must have full name, zip code or origin of city. How do you find offenders within this system? We don't know the names, and they only post sex offenders, we don't have access to people that have hurt animals, or proven themselves worthy of investigation.

That is pretty eye opening and "we" need to ask our selves?.... What the heck is going on with the kids we raise into adults?

I would like to see this case closed...my family comes from a police back ground and we all have been affected by this...

I think that Lisa and Helen are in a pissing match... get over it and work together. There is NO "I" in "Team".. it will take a team to find the person that did this...it has been 30 years.

Think of the parents, The Kings and others that I don't really know. What if they read this site and after all these years are looking for hope and peace.

If I were them I would see a conflict that makes all of the un-answered questions even harder to deal with!

Lisa, I have viewed both web-sites and I think that you both have valuable input on this case.

I favor your site because your updates are recent and people are responding more frequently to this site.

I hope that you approve this and I really hope that someday this case will be solved.

Everyone that has lived in Oakland county and surrounding areas with direct assosiaction to this would like it solved.

Please post this as I have written it. I would really like to see a positive come from this.

Thank you so much for your time. God Bless to the Families who lost the ones they Love so dearly.

An Angel and a Friend,

[CWW]

Iasisa, afte reading your post I wanted to let you know that 6 months after Tim was abducted there was another murder in Birmingham. This was on Haynes St., a businessman John McKinney. I don't know if Bham police can be given credit for solving Sheila Srocks murder but the ass who killed her is in prison for it. Birmingham PD has been ineffective on the King and McKinney cases and I don't think they either care or try at this stage. After 30 years none of them even know about the cases, with the exception of Sundt, but I have yet to see a word from him ever about McKinney. They simply don't care. Maybe they are just overwhelmed with cold case murders there in Bham. Two of them. And it is one of the wealthiest cities in the country. No budget for a cold case investigation equals no one cares any more. I lived in that city for more than 25 years, my dad was an auxiliary cop there, but they never gave me the time of day when I would go down to the station to see if I could learn anything about McKinney. And there was never a printed word about the capture, arrest, trial or incarceration of Sheilas killer.

CWW

[Lisa]

Yep, CWW, even out here in the sticks in Livingston County, we have an active operating Cold Case Squad.

Makes you wonder if they really WANT the case solved.

(Sheesh, now I sound like Helen.)

[CWW]

A long shot, but look at this guy.

Alleged pedophile arraigned

BY MARTHA WOOD
STAFF WRITER

BERKLEY -- A Farmington Hills man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl and videotaping it was arraigned Wednesday in Berkley's 45A District Court.
Richard Gerard, 46, formerly of Berkley, was charged with nine counts of first-degree criminal sexual assault, one count of sexually abusing a minor child and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual assault.
In the tape, the victim, who is now 19, appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant, said Berkley Public Safety Police Chief Richard Eshman.
Police said the victim remembered the assault, but never reported it.
Police believe Gerard may have committed sexual crimes against other children.
"There are potentially a lot more victims," Eshman said.
Gerard has been married five times, had many girlfriends, and has officiated for 15 years in youth sports leagues.
"There were a lot of relationships with children present," Eshman said. "There was a lot of contact (with children). Because of that contact, we're concerned there are other victims."
Monday afternoon, the eight-year-old videotape was turned into the Farmington Hills Police Department by one of Gerard's ex-wives, who knew Gerard was living in the city.
"(The video) was found elsewhere, aside from Farmington Hills," Farmington Hills Police Detective Stacy Swanderski said. "She knew he lived in the city. And during the investigation, it was revealed that the jurisdiction was going to be Berkley."
Swanderski said, in the search of Gerard's home, police seized mountains of evidence that included videos, photos, a collection of child pornography and a laptop.
Detective Sgt. Ray Anger asked the court for a $1 million bail and said Gerard is considered a possible flight risk.
"The allegations against Mr. Gerard are most serious," Anger said. "In my 35 years of police work, this is probably the worst I've ever seen."
Court Magistrate Michael Zychowski agreed with Anger and upped the figure to $2 million without the option of paying 10 percent.
Zychowski also set four conditions that Gerard would have to maintain if he paid the bond: no contact with the victim or her mother, no contact with minors, no use of the Internet and, if bond is posted, he will be put on a tether.
Police are asking for people who may know of crimes committed by Gerard to call Berkley Public Safety at (248) 541-9000, or Farmington Hills Police Department at (248) 871-2610.

[Rich]

Lisa,

I lived in Berkeley in 1976-1977. I was 7 years old at the time. I remember living close to the school that I attended and their was a little corner drug store where you could buy candy/snacks at the end of my street. I don't know why I keep seeing this place in my thoughts. Sort of strange.

I spoke with my mother, who now lives in Illinois, and she reaffirmed the terrified feelings of the parents in my neighborhood. She mentioned that they would sit outside all hours of the day when the kids were playing. Also, they setup a neighborhood watch group to protecte the kids. What a terrible feeling that must've been. Being so young at the time, I had not idea that all of this was going on. However, in retrospect, I remember the parents always being around when we played.

Keep up the good work with this website and my prayers and thoughts go out to the victims families to this day still. If the killer is not already deceased, I hope they investigate to the fullest.

[Weeza]

New Development in Oakland County Child Killings Case
Last Edited: Wednesday, 06 Dec 2006, 5:04 PM EST
Created: Wednesday, 06 Dec 2006, 4:56 PM EST

PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio -- FOX 2 News has learned that police have
arrested a man linked to a murder case that has haunted the Metro
Detroit area for more than 30 years -- the Oakland County child killings.

He is an Ohio man that the Problem Solvers first reported as a "person
of interest" last spring. His name is Ted Lamboghine and he is a
retired auto worker that once lived in Detroit's Cass Corridor district.

MORE AT:
http://www.myfoxdet roit.com/ myfox/pages/ Home/Detail? contentId= 1704471&version= 3&locale= EN-US&layoutCode =TSTY&pageId= 1.1.1