Berry, Missy – Colorado Springs CO – Sep 17 1994

This was a case of a woman who bullied the young people who worked for her.  One of them decided to stop it, permanently.

On the evening of Sep 17, 1994, 18 yo Gabriel Burns is walking home.  He hears a shot then sees a car sitting at an intersection with blinking lights.  The car is not moving.  When he gets closer he sees glass on the ground, a hole in the driver’s window, and the female driver shot in the head, apparently dead.  So he calls 911.

Police quickly determine that she was shot from the passenger side of the car.  The glass outside her door was blown out from the inside and there is a 9mm shell casing under the passenger seat.  She was an Assistant Manager at a fast food restaurant and is still wearing her work clothes.  But she is 15 miles from her home and driving the opposite direction.  That’s a clue.

Police contact her boss, Ruth Ludwig, who tells them she loved Missy and that she was loved by everyone.  Not true at all.  Missy and Ruth are bullies and used their positions to bully teenagers.  Missy was actually hated by several of her staff.  Something the police learn though is that even though the staff hated Missy and she relentlessly bullied them, she did give them rides after work.

Ruth tells police Missy was being harassed by policeman Tom White.  Missy was in a car accident and Tom White mishandled the report resulting in her insurance not covering it.  So she reported it to his superiors and he was fired.  So he had been calling her at the restaurant and trying to get her home address.  He grabbed her one day after work too.

Joe Kenda Tip #8:  There are three motives for murder:  money, sex, revenge.

Police interview Tom White.  He has an alibi.

Julie Halstead, an 18 yo coworker of Missy’s, left the restaurant at 12:43 am.  She has an alibi.  Missy’s body was found around 1:30 am.  That’s a 45 minute window for the murder.  She also tells police that Missy always deposits the cash from the restaurant.  No money was found with Missy, so police check.  $955 in cash is missing.

Earlier that evening, a cop who was responding to a call that was cancelled saw a young man hovering around outside that restaurant.  He asked him what he was doing, even though he had a fast food uniform on, and then Missy came outside.  The young man said, “Hey Missy”.  She said, “You need a ride?”  He nodded and got into her car.  The cop drove off thinking this all looked normal.  That is the young man who probably killed her.

Police ask Ruth if there are any young men who fit that description.  She says Daren Haney.  She also says Daren Haney is a drug addict.  He’s not.  Ruth and Missy were bullies who made up a lot of crap about their staff.  So police go and meet Daren, who’s a nice young man.  He was at the hospital waiting for his wife to give birth.  Ironclad alibi.  Not a drug addict either.  He does tell them yes Missy relentlessly bullied her staff, but she especially picked on 22 yo George Clifford McDaniel who was working to support his parents.  His dad lost his job, so Cliff was giving his paychecks to his parents.  Missy made fun of him for that and treated him like a five year old because he was living with his parents.  Missy was not a nice person.

Police find Cliff’s address, one block from where Missy was found.  So that’s why the car was pointed the opposite direction.  She was giving him a ride home when he shot her.

Keeping an open mind, police interview Cliff.  He was born in England where his mom is from.  His dad is a soldier who was stationed in England when his parents met.  But he was raised in the US and served two years in the military.  He gives them an alibi.  He was with his friend Ronny Huston.  So police leave and speak with Ronny.  Ronny does not confirm his alibi.  Cliff left much earlier than he stated.  He had plenty of time to kill Missy.  Plus Ronny says that a week ago, Cliff showed him a gun and said he was going to rob the restaurant with it.

Police immediately go back to Cliff’s address, but he has already fled.  He’s on a plane to England on the pretext that his aunt died.  He paid cash for the ticket.

Kenda contacts the New Scotland Yard Fugitive Division.  They arrest Cliff.  His aunt is still alive.  He’s been staying with her.  They hold Cliff waiting for a legal document stating that the US will not pursue the death penalty.  If they receive that, they will release him into US custody.  Kenda goes through the State Department (US) and gets a document from them stating that.  On the seal of the document it reads:  “The document contained herein carries the full force and authority of the United States of America.”  So one of the detectives flies to England, testifies to a judge regarding the evidence they have, gives them the State Department guarantee they will not pursue the death penalty, and signs an international extradition warrant.  New Scotland Yard hands over George Clifford McDaniel.

The stolen cash and gun were never recovered.

George Clifford McDaniel is returned to Colorado where he is sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

Bibliography

Homicide Hunter, Season 2 Episode 6: Drive Thru Murder, air date: Nov 12, 2012.