The slayings of four women remained unsolved for over three decades until Missouri police finally caught a break in the case.
The DNA of a 73-year-old man, Gary Muehlberg, already serving a life sentence for murder was found to match evidence from a 32–year-old crime scene, investigators from O’Fallon Police Department announced on Monday.
Det. Sgt. Jodi Weber said Muehlberg confessed to the murders of Robyn Mihan, Brenda Pruitt, Donna Reitmeyer, and Sandra Little.
The slayings occurred between 1990 and 1991 — with the bodies being discovered in St. Louis, Lincoln and St. Charles counties.
All the victims were mothers. Their bodies were all treated in a similar manner by the killer — strangled, faces covered, and gagged, per St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The way in which the bodies were displayed soon became known as the “Package Killer” murders.
Muehlberg is currently serving a life sentence for an unrelated murder, the 1993 killing of Kenneth “Doc” Atchison, who was found in a plywood box in his basement. The murder was reportedly over $6,000.
Per Monday’s presser, police said Muehlberg had confessed to the four murders (Mihan, Pruitt, Reitmeyer, and Little) as well as a fifth unnamed victim.
In a letter to investigators Muehlberg wrote, per the Post-Dispatch, “No matter how these victims choose to earn a living, they should not have had their lives taken in such a dark way.”
People reports that four of the victims were known to frequent an area associated with prostitution.
“Glad I can finally do (the) right thing… I must live with my past — the good and bad parts. No more running,” Muehlberg allegedly wrote.
The convicted murderer is said to have been diagnosed with kidney failure and was promised prosecutors would not seek the death penalty in exchange for full confessions, according to KSDK-TV.
, Entertainment,International, ,