Post by Scumhunter on Aug 25, 2015 9:20:02 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: Billingsgazette.com)
The case of the unknown Jeanette Atwater killer was aired on the June 17th, 2000 episode of America's Most Wanted. Below is the archived description of the case:
"In the early morning hours of January 16, 2000, firefighters in Billings, Montana, responded to vehicle fire call. After arriving at the scene of the fire, the firefighters had difficulty extinguishing the fire. They reported that the fire apparently flared up a couple of times after it seemed to be extinguished. Firefighters believe this would be caused by a combustible liquid. After the fire was extinguished they opened the trunk and found a body inside. The body later turned out to be the owner of the vehicle, Jeanette "Charlie" Atwater, 34.
Through their investigation, detectives learned that on January 15, 2000, Charlie had attended a work party, sponsored by her employers, at a local bowling alley. After the bowling party, Charlie and some co-workers went to The Players Club, a local bar. Police believe Charlie left the bar alone some time before 1:45 a.m. They also believe Charlie was abducted in the parking lot of The Players Club and transported to another location in her own vehicle, an Oldsmobile Cutlas.
Detectives later learned that a few minutes before 3 a.m. that morning, a man entered a nearby convenience store and purchased a small amount of gasoline in which he put in a gas can. Surveillance tape shows this man to be a thin white male. The cashier reported that the man also had acne scars on his face and drove away in a small brown hatchback with a thick orange stripe down the side. Detectives do not think the man is a local resident. He may have been a transient or he may have been in Billings to attend a truck show that same weekend. Detectives have not named this man their suspect but they would like to talk to him about the death of Charlie Atwater.
Surveillance video of the man was sent to Cognitech, Inc., a video enhancing company based in Santa Monica, California. Video experts at Cognitech were able to determine the man to be approximately six foot tall.
Charlie was the divorced mother of three children. Her children are now living with Charlie's ex-husband in Washington. "
Thoughts? This was a very brutal murder and reminds me of the Jessica Chambers case in that Charlie was burned. Since then, there hasn't been much in the way of leads. The lead Detective thought the case would be solved quickly since most murder suspects know their victims. However, this appears random. I'll post the enlarged photo of the suspect below, but I really feel it's still too grainy to be of much help.
According to the Doe Network, on June 15th, 2000, there was a semi-professional basketball game and a Monster Truck show held in Billings. Police believe it is possible that the man in question he was passing through Billings or attending one of these events.
In any case, this appears to be a random abduction in my opinion.
(Above: larger surveillance photo of man wanted for questioning in this case Photo Credit: billingsgazette.com)
Admin Note: For tips, please still contact the Yellowstone County (Montana) Sheriff's Office, however, if you have any other (non-tip related) updates, please contact us at the following link: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
web.archive.org/web/20001018115015/http://amw.com/
billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/murder-of-billings-woman-unsolved-after-years/article_d6d7c4b2-f2b6-11de-9f4f-001cc4c03286.html
truecrimediva.com/who-killed-these-montana-women-over-a-decade-ago/
doenetwork.org/cases/1665ummt.html