Post by Scumhunter on Mar 10, 2016 8:46:41 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: wxyz.com)
Of all the unsolved murder cases America's Most Wanted has aired over the years, the homicides of Michigan couple Ron and Christine Jabalee are far and away not only among the most brutal and tragic but also the most controversial, with many shocking updates and twists and turns to come. The case was aired three times on AMW between 2007-2009. Below is the initial archive description from before there was ever a suspect named in the case (we'll get to that later):
"
The Happy Jabalee Family
Ron and Christine Jabalee seemed to live a picture-perfect life, with a beautiful home, three children -- Ron, Nikki and Ryan -- as well as several grandchildren. The entire family makes their living in the food industry, Ron Sr. in the sales department at Sherwood Foods, and the rest of the family at "RJ's Meats," eldest son Ron's store in downtown Detroit. Friday, October 6, 2006 was an ordinary day for the Jabalee family, but everything came to a crashing halt that night.
On Friday nights, Ron always called his son to see how closing at the store went. But on October 6, he didn't call.
The next morning, when neither Ron nor Christine arrived at the store for work, all three children began to panic. Rosie, Ryan's girlfriend, went over to the Jabalee home to make sure everything was okay, but what she found was a gruesome crime scene.
Ron and Christine were lying in the garage, and there was blood in the driveway. When the police arrived they described it as one of the most brutal crime scenes they had ever seen.
Not A Random Crime
Police soon discovered that there was very little out of place in the Jabalees' home. In fact, the only things that were missing out of the house were two knives out of the butcher block in the kitchen. Police think that the missing knives were the murder weapons.
Police believe that the killer is someone who the Jabalee family knew. Police say Ron met the killer after dinner when he was working in the garage and that a casual conversation probably took place.
Christine was in the den watching television and reading a book, but police say when she heard her husband talking she went to investigate. That's when trouble started. A brutal fight in the garage ensued. Ron and Christine were brutally beaten and stabbed to death.
A Bloody Message
Even in the Jabalees' dying moments, they put up a strong fight. And it wasn't just a fight against their killer, but also a fight for justice: one or both of the Jabalees actually wrote a message, using their own blood. No one is sure if the message was meant for cops or for the Jabalees' children because the killer saw the bloody message and washed it away, all but a few jumbled letters.
The letters that remain could be s, n, c, e, i, j, g, or d. Police are investigating and hoping that someone will be able to make sense of the Jabalee's dying words.
Police and the Jabalee children can't imagine who would want to harm Ron and Christine and tear this picture perfect family apart. Cops are working on uncovering what the motive for this crime could have been.
Cops are wondering if New Baltimore motorcycle gangs, such as the Outlaws, the Devil Disciples, or the Vigilantes, could have been involved in the gruesome murder. One motive that has been ruled out is robbery: Ron and Christine were both wearing all of their jewelry, and Ron's wallet was found in his pocket.
Police are determined to bring the grieving Jabalee family justice."
Ok, and here's what happened since that initial airing- On June 26th, 2009, Ron and Christine's son, Ron Jabalee Jr., was arrested and charged with their murder. (Ron spoke on camera during the AMW airings before his arrest about wanting to find his parents' killer). The case went to trial in the fall of 2010.
Prosecutors claimed Jabalee Jr.'s behavior the day his parents died pointed to his guilt. Prosecutors say he didn't go home for six hours after getting the news and told the police multiple times during interviews that he was the murderer and may have killed his parents while he was sleepwalking.
The defense argued that Jabalee Jr. was innocent because the prosecution could not provide a shred of physical evidence linking Jabalee Jr. to the crime scene. Ron Jr.'s attorney also argued that if Jabalee Jr. was the killer he would have had some kind of defensive injuries sustained during the act. An exam by police showed he had no injuries.
Despite the multiple confessions, it took the jury only an hour to acquit Jabalee Jr., leaving family members elated and crying tears of relief. One jury member told reports that despite what Jabalee Jr. said to the police, "people say a lot of things when stressed."
In 2012, a now acquitted Ron Jabalee Jr. put up a $10,000 to find his parents real killers once and for all.
As far as law enforcement is concerned, Macomb County Sheriff Tim Wiley said in a 2012 article: "In law enforcement perspective, time has gone by and circumstances have changed ... we're looking to generate very fresh information on the case."
Wiley said New Baltimore police conducted a thorough investigation that led to his arrest, but the case remains open and tips are welcome. Wiley said he couldn't guarantee information wouldn't lead back to Ron Jr. (in which case he couldn't be charged because of double jeopardy laws), but that he was looking to move forward and not backward.
Thoughts? Obviously you're going to be in two camps here. One, you're going to think Ron Jr. killed his parents and got away with it. Or in this case, the justice system worked, an innocent man was acquitted, and the killer is still out there. If you believe it's the former, well, obviously nothing that can be done. But if you believe it might be the latter and have information, I would strongly encourage contacting Michigan Crime Stoppers. Also for what it's worth, here's a photo of what Ron and Christine tried to write out in blood before their deaths:
Admin Note #1: According to articles, anyone with information should contact Michigan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
web.archive.org/web/20090802201006/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=47320
web.archive.org/web/20090704003154/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/capture.cfm?id=47320
www.wxyz.com/news/region/macomb-county/jabalee-murder-trial-kicks-off-with-emotional-testimony
www.clickondetroit.com/news/son-offers-10000-reward-to-solve-jabalee-murder-case
detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/09/man-acquitted-in-parents-murders-offers-reward-to-find-their-killer/
patch.com/michigan/newbaltimore/former-suspect-in-double-murder-asks-new-baltimore-po3bcee0c3f5