Friday, March 31, 2017
Italian Police Again Work Hard On A Murder Where Victim And Main Suspect (Her Husband) Are Foreign
Posted by Peter Quennell
This case is getting a lot of coverage in Italy, Ireland and the UK.
Mrs Belling and her family boarded a cruise ship February 9 at the cruise port west of Rome, and seem to have been in Italy itself for only a few hours. Several days later, after a scene with her husband, she disappeared off the ship.
This wasn’t reported, and the family continued their meals in the dining room.
Then the German-born husband was arrested before he could return to Ireland. He remains locked up in Rome and can be held for a year to check if there is a case against him.
Now a body in a suitcase has washed up. A “suitcase murder” in her case now seems to be ruled out though as Barbie Nadeau explains.
The short-lived label “suitcase murder” notion has resonated in the New York area. The reason being that an attractive and successful local woman, Melanie McGuire, who had her share of fans during trial, was found guilty of chopping up her husband, essentially for being a bore, and stuffing his remains in suitcases.
They then washed up in Chesapeake Bay about 1/2 a day south. She was found guilty and despite a strenuous defense and an appeal she is inside for life without parole. There are a number of long-form reports on YouTube, and this is perhaps the most-watched.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/31/17 at 05:48 AM in The judical timeline, The officially involved, Police and CSI, The legal followups
Comments
On average over 20 people a year are vanishing from cruise ships. “No police, no body: why cruise ships suit the perfect crime”
Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/01/17 at 01:55 PM | #
Talk about cold. Melanie McGuire drugged, shot, dismembered husband Bill in the bathroom of their master bedroom, allowed him to bleed out to minimize the messiness, wrapped him in black plastic garbage bags which later became a clue against her, and dumped him in the Chesapeake Bay in 3 matching suitcases which later surfaced.
It was quite a story. She planned every detail long in advance of the murder. She was a very careful thinker. She bought the .38 in a smalltown gunstore in Pennsylvania on falsified papers—lied that she was from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Yet in court for Bill’s murder she was so cool, calm and collected. She dressed in classy, immaculate clothes photo shoot ready. She had extremely good looks like a petite fashion model. She was unflustered, serene. She was groomed to the nines in each court appearance with every hair in place. She wore tasteful jewelry.
She was in love with a medical doctor, and Bill whom she claimed was a gambling addict and loser hubby (not proven) was soon collateral damage to her ambitious plans as her affair with the doctor gave her big hopes.
Melanie McGuire looked so darn innocent in court, so lovely, so sweet, and the truth was that she had a good side, a very good side. She helped a lot of women using her medical skills, was loved by many patients. Jekyll-Hyde
It was truly appalling how under the soft feminine face her steely mind was bold, resolute, cunning and calculating to the max.
I read a lot about her case and TV news of the body of Bill in the Bay.
Her unseen behaviors had been abominable. She was smooth in person, but do not be deceived. Remind you of anyone in Perugia?
What an actress, all smiles yet ice cold and determined. Like Knox, McGuire was a total liar.
Unlike Knox, Melanie was very self-controlled and much more intelligent, and quite accomplished and steady.
She was a fertility nurse. She and Bill had two little boys. What an idiot to kill Bill because she could have divorced him and gone on to achieve much in life, perhaps even married the doctor.
Thanks for reminder of Melanie McGuire case. I’d seen it on TV and marveled at her capability to clean so spotlessly, to remove all blood traces from a very messy bathroom scene. Not one drop, not one spot of any DNA or blood or hair fibers or ANYTHING remained after she cleaned the apartment. The police marveled at how it was sanitized, you could eat off the floor they said. She was incredibly competent.
Her coldness to cut up Bill’s body surgically but afterwards to present a beautifully flawless demeanor and good voice control during her lies was remarkable. She’s a piece of work, a real go-getter but it was all about Melanie.
The Belling case where his Chinese wife vanished from their cruise ship making Mr. Belling the prime suspect who’s now in Italian prison for up to a year as police investigate if he killed or threw her overboard, a real puzzler.
The Italians will figure it out but it’s a tough case: no body.
I hadn’t heard of this case until today. German born Mr. Belling who lived in Ireland with Oriental wife and who fussed contemptuously at her about her tacky shoes the day of her disappearance seems an odd cat.
Yet he claims she is still alive, that she was flighty and had previously left family holidays early to do her own thing, once having gone back to China for 6 months—seems there is no baseline of normal in this relationship.
If her body in a suitcase turns up in Mediterranean soon a la Bill McGuire’s, Mr. Belling will be toast.
Posted by Hopeful on 04/01/17 at 10:33 PM | #
Hi Hopeful
Very acute. The locations and Melanie McGuire’s prison are not so far away from where I live. Here’s one “innocent” site.
http://melaniemcguirewronglyconvicted.yuku.com/
You know who her lawyer was, right, who she accused of malpractice as grounds for an appeal? The hapless TV lawyer Joe Tacopina.
He came down heavily for Knox in 2007-2008 and then disappeared off the case - as any lawyer who really knows the evidence does. Walks - or gets pushed.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/02/17 at 04:02 PM | #
Yes, I remember Joe Tacopina who was pro-Knox. He was Melanie McGuire’s lawyer and she was guilty. He lost that. He got lucky when he fled the Knox minefield.
@Grahame Rhodes, re: your not so pleasant conversation with Steve Moore. That set me to searching him online a bit after years of being glad to see his back.
Found Twitter page for Moore https://twitter.com/Gman_Moore he says on June 26, 2016 “I’m a writer and CNN Analyst. Been inundated with projects and book deadline. TV a time vampire…”
Steve Moore has a link to @michellesings, @Jim Clemente, @FreeSollecito (Sollecito Moving On), @gronff which is Nigel Scott, @Seenoevilever (See No Evil).
Moore also follows Christopher Robinson, Amanda’s current boyfriend.
Mostly he is on CNN tv talk shows, weighing in on Brendan Dassey and the “Making a Murderer” series. (He believes Dassey’s confession was coerced, not sure what he thinks of killer Steven Avery.)
Moore was on Crime Time tv show with Allison Hope Weiner about the Orlando shootings, Flint Water Crisis and “Making a Murderer”.
Back in December 2016 he was on TV discussing the mysterious abduction of Sherri Papini.
He is a commentator about true crime and terrorism acts everywhere, globally as well. Thus there’s a lot for him to react to these days.
I agree with some of his politics and his Christian faith. I disagree with many of his judgments.
He really got it wrong with the Knox case but the controversy shot him to his desired haven of TV crime analyst.
His wife Michelle Moore has link under “You may also like” to @FrankSfarzo, @Bruce Fisher, @FreeSollecito (Sollecito Moving On).
Steve and Michelle both seem to be in the Injustice Anywhere camp and eager to ridicule prosecutors. So much for 25 years FBI training.
Moore will never come to his senses about the Knox case.
He just got lucky that she flew under the radar by a hair when Supreme Court gave her a pass due to “insufficient evidence”.
Posted by Hopeful on 04/03/17 at 01:45 AM | #
I had a look at Moore’s twitter page. ‘25 years FBI’, in case we forgot.
Opinions, (reactions) to so many things.
I enjoyed the documentary. Face of an angel but I think it depends on how lucky she is with the camera. I saw something twisted in her face. Like Knox. When I see Knox now I think there’s a hollowness there compared to before she left for Italy. If only she’d told the truth it still would have been better than this life. Pretending to the Innocence Project and everyone else.
Posted by DavidB on 04/05/17 at 12:03 PM | #
On Steve Moore, the continued absence from the public realm of his real resume provides us with endless simple amusement.
Grahame Rhodes is considering a riff on Peter Hyatt’s masterpiece of farcical humor here:
More farcical humor?! See this one by SomeAlibi.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/05/17 at 07:09 PM | #
Miriam reports from Italy that Sollecito has moved to Parma. That figures - it is where Italy’s most famous hams come from.
His new website: http://www.suntickets.it/
Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/05/17 at 07:36 PM | #
PS on Steve Moore. That was Peter Hyatt’s second pass at his pompous pretenses. This was Peter’s first.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/05/17 at 09:58 PM | #
Sollecito has moved, huh? To Parma. Poor Parma. I’ll have to check a map. About the suitcase murder with photo in above post, the woman in suitcase whom they suspected was Mrs. Belling is instead a young Russian model who died of anorexia, Katerina Laktionova. Her mom threw her body in the sea, claims she was driven mad by her daughter’s death. The mom was a Russian who moved to Italy two years ago with the daughter. Mom worked as a nurse in Rimini IIRC from today’s (april 5, 2017) Daily Mail online.
I’ll have a good laugh at the Peter Hyatt analysis of Steve Moore. Moore does lend comic relief if nothing else. Remember his wise sayings about horses and zebras and didn’t he have anecdote about a frog? He is a Tom Cruise wannabe, never gonna happen.
@DavidB—I agree. Knox looks like death warmed over in recent photos. She is the walking dead, and it’s sad all ‘round. The truth would set her free, but she refuses to be honest.
I guess Sollecito’s move to Parma (to be a ham, good one) is his way of starting over and leaving it all behind, leaving Bari behind, maybe living on his own again.
Uh-oh, here we go again. Will he act out the minute he’s free of his father’s stable influence?
I sense Knox will soon sow some more bad oats, too.
Posted by Hopeful on 04/05/17 at 10:57 PM | #
The real focus of this and other websites devoted to Meredith Kercher is that Meredith has become a beacon for people who revere intelligence and education over slime like Amanda Knox and her oh so rotten bottom feeding family who saw this as an opportunity to make money on the the murder of Meredith by Amanda Knox, Sollicito and Guede.
This is the kind of inhuman bastards they are because not only did they use this as a means of financial gain but they used it as the vilification of not only Merediths memory but her family as well.
The Knox family attracted such dirt as Steve Moore and his mad wife. Just a point about Steve Moore, just to remind you. While he was in the FBI he was a ferry pilot ONLY. Never anything else. He was never a sniper. He was not in charge of any counter terrorist organization or anything else. Check it for yourself the FBI has never heard of him except for the reason that he was fired for being a lying piece of dirt and inventing events which never took place plus trying to crawl up the backside of his bosses.
It was after he was fired from the FBI that he became a security guard at Peperdine University. He took this position because he lost most of his pension, a position he was fired from for not doing his job because he was drooling over screwing Amanda Knox (for the life of me I can’t understand why since she’s had more pricks than a dart board.)
That’s the modus operandi of these people who look to an advantage in order to pad they sorry resumes and make themselves look good. Steve Moore has made a career of this kind of behavior. Mind you he’s not alone not by any means.
You don’t have to look very far either to see the other bastards in this either. Bruce Fisher being a prime example. Then there’s Julia Bongiorno, well known mafia Lawyer who tried everything to get Sollecito off. The fact that she and others (Although they haven’t) succeeded speaks volumes about how corrupt these people are.
Unlike us they cared nothing for Meredith Kercher. Just themselves.
However it’s not over not by a long chalk because we will keep on going and that is because (And Once More) Meredith Kercher has become a beacon for goodness and the pursuit of education and intelligence above shallow inferior inbreeding such as Amanda Knox and Raphael Sollecito. Don’t forget that forensic science moves and advances are being made every day. Plus ( and it’s a big plus) Italy would dearly love to finally prove the all three were there beyond any doubt at all. That is coming for sure Italy want’s to close the book on this and the proof is coming. Then such slime as the above mentioned can once and for all eat crow because people will see just who they really are. lying subhumans who will do anything at all.
it is my firm belief and desire that Amanda Knox and her catamites end up in pieces in an ally somewhere. Then once more they can garner what they desire above all else and that is fame and fortune over the backs of all decent people.
Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 04/07/17 at 07:36 PM | #
Just to tie this off in a bow here’s an old story concerning Amanda Knox who is met by an acquaintance on the street.
Acquaintance… “Oh Hi I Haven’t seen you for a while Amanda.”
Amanda…....“No I was kidnaped and gang raped by a biker gang.”
Acquaintance…..“WOW Amanda how did you escape?”
Amanda….......“Oh no I’m on my lunch break.”
Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 04/07/17 at 07:58 PM | #
@Grahame Rhodes, So many of your instincts resonate with me, especially the hope that DNA science will improve to such precision that one day the disputed evidence on the bra clasp will be clear as day: yes, this is Raffaele’s DNA.
And the 5 spots of mixed blood from Meredith with Knox’s DNA in it (now they’re not sure Knox’s DNA in those spots is from Knox’s blood or other body fluid of Knox) but one day the equipment may be able to nail it: yes, this is Knox’s blood mixed with Meredith’s blood in 5 places in the cottage.
The footprint of hammertoe on the rug will be cleared up as science advances: yes, this is Raffaelle’s bloody footprint, we have proof.
Luminol tests may improve and reveal more about Knox’s footprints in blood.
And they may find out more details about the knife: yes, this is Meredith’s DNA on the knife and Knox’s DNA on the knife without doubt, and from which sources: flesh, blood. They may even find Knox’s DNA on the handle, with improved science.
They might even be able to restrospectively examine Raffaele’s apartment drains and find Meredith’s blood in the pipes or in some crack in the linoleum.
One day the truth will come out, and other witnesses may come forward with unassailable testimony to confirm the guilt of Knox and Sollecito.
It’s not over. Thanks for the reminder.
And this case is truly about the value of a sweet natured, generous scholarly student named Meredith who was intelligent and ambitious and disciplined versus her hooligan roommate.
It’s a case about drugs and substance abuse and a spoiled, unruly showoff named Amanda K who had a lot of rage and inner aggression to release.
It’s about two sociopaths finding each other by psychological radar, like Knox did with Raf.
It’s about users and abusers. It’s about “you can’t fix stupid”. It’s about someone who is a permanent fraud: Amanda Knox who goes around to Innocence conferences pretending she was an innocent lamb unjustly prosecuted.
A good rule of thumb might be that people drawn to Knox who yearn to defend her, are somewhat like Knox at heart: deceptive.
It was so unfair for Meredith to have to deal with the lying, deceitful Knox nut in the first place, not to mention the final tragedy.
Posted by Hopeful on 04/08/17 at 12:40 AM | #
@Grahame Rhodes:
“People, some of them well meaning I’m sure, want to believe in Donald Trump.”
From family-friend,
“I always thought you were very intelligent; why do you like Donald Trump?”
Distant-member of family, “I never said I liked Donald Trump! I do not like Donald Trump.”
“Then why did you vote for him?”
“Because I disliked Hillary more.”
Posted by Cardiol MD on 04/18/17 at 08:33 AM | #
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