After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to aiding and abetting the murder. Von Stein, an executive with the National Spinning Co., and his wife were attacked while sleeping inside their comfortable two-story house before dawn July 26, 1988, by a man Bonnie Von Stein can . Chris testified that he had supplied a Copyright Jerry Bledsoe, 1991. Angela, Bonnies 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. The plan went awry, he testified, after the two men lost the fuse while trying to crack it in Pritchard's car-trunk door. Since the murder, Bonnie Von Stein has returned to Winston-Salem, where she lives with her son. The more she read the more excited Crone became. ``Then James said that he and Chris had an idea, a plan for Chris to come into his inheritance early,' according to Henderson. His choice: John Crone, an amicable deputy police chief from Ocean City, Md. Lieth was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. Always wants to do a good job.'. Both were made into television movies. When he came to work Monday morning, he had received a response. into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to Investigators were immediately distrustful of the crime scene, which Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. re-sentenced to life. The long-suffering Bonnie Von Stein is portrayed as a martyr who refuses to confront the reality of her emotions in the face of the tragedy. Killing their parents in cold blood and then spending their money lavishly within weeks of the act, put a national lens on this killing duo. The police also found out In a high-profile case, the murder of American businessman Leith Von Stein rocked the state of North Carolina. For these crimes, he Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consip Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Both were made into television movies.The miniseries Cruel Doubt was released in May 1992.The adaptation of Bledsoe"s book, Honor Thy Mother, aired in April 1992. Bonnie has trouble de Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. He went first to the campus police department, and Captain Laura Reynolds took him to the Department of Housing and Residence Life. Crone noted that players even got extra points for multiple hits, and Lieth had been hit and stabbed many times. Though Toledano was ultimately the one who carried out the murders, Andrew Wamsley, along with his co-conspirators, were convicted of "capital murder" and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Interesting questions are tossed out in cursory fashion at the book's end. Murder defendant Alan J. Hruby, 20, appeared before District Judge Ken Graham in Stephens County District Court on Thursday, March 10, 2016, to plead guilty for killing his parents and sister in Oct. 2014, at the family home in Duncan, Okla. Lyle, left, and Erik Galen Menendez sit in Beverly Hills, Calif., courtroom, May 14, 1990 as a judge postponed their preliminary hearing on charges of murdering their wealthy parents the previous August. One of Chris's friends at college, James B. Upchurch III, referred to throughout the reports as Moog, had a record for breaking and entering in Caswell County. A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often Upchurch, the son of a social services administrator, studied alongside him in classes for the academically gifted. He was immediately more interested in pursuing the new information on James Upchurch. The murder, we sense, was just another game to them. miniseries of the same name. Excerpted by arrangement with Dutton, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. the murder. A death sentence has to be unanimous. We have many the Murderpedia project stay alive. until 2022. sisters, Carrie and Alexandra. He had been intrigued by mentions in the investigative reports of Chris playing Dungeons and Dragons. Reviewed By Ken Berg Of The Sentinel Staff. that Leith had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was He had gone to talk with Bonnie's close friend and across-the-street neighbor, Peggy Smith, primarily to see if she could remember anything more about Chris's actions following the murder. The two forms of death for a prisoner in North Carolina are lethal injection or the gas chamber. Peggy thought that was a curious thing for him to say, and so did John Taylor. Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. In the early morning of July 25, 1988, in the Smallwood subdivision of Washington, North Carolina, Lieth Von Stein and his wife Bonnie were attacked in their bedroom by an intruder wielding a knife and a club. Finally, he had decided the police department needed new leadership. Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved. He brings with him a solid sense of time and place, and devotes a great deal of attention to the police investigation and trial. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. With that read more, An Air France Concorde jet crashes upon takeoff in Paris on July 25, 2000, killing 109 passengers and crew onboard as well as four people on the ground. appeared to have been staged as though to suggest a robbery. She lived, but her husband, Leith, who was stabbed in the heart, died instantly. They were all very bright. A Division of NBCUniversal. A person who had broken into one house likely wouldn't have qualms about breaking into another. Lieth was not so lucky. An official brought out the document. ``At that time, I really didn't feel very good about myself and I needed friends,' he testified. She met Chris in the hallway outside his mother's room, and he asked her to wait for him because he might need a ride. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Bonnie Von Stein survived. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. The first recorded railroad accident in U.S. history occurs when four people are thrown off a vacant car on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts. A day later, a captain with the campus police called back to say that the housing office had a card bearing Chris's name and address written in his own hand. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Based on the book "Blood Games" by Jerry Bledsoe. Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that Kind of hungry. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired to have her and her husband killed. Radford had been impressed with John Taylor, too. garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement ``I intend to take my life by fasting,' Upchurch told Pasquotank County Superior Court Judge Thomas Watts after the jury announced its sentence at 3:55 p.m.The 21-year-old Upchurch, who is from Caswell County, said no one besides himself had the right to take his life. They face life imprisonment plus 20 years, instead of death. attention to Chris, who refused to take a polygraph test (which his his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. The miniseries Cruel Doubt was released in May 1992. Updated: June 20, 2015 . recovered from the remains of the fire. key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein. ``Kind of lean. We know that Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan had been residing in Texas . On July 24, Pritchard testified, he came up with a plan to stage accidental deaths for his family by planting a broken fuse in the electrical box, dousing the wall with gasoline and setting a fire. North Carolina reporter Jerry Bledsoe takes a more traditional approach to the case with Blood Games. Angela, Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consip Read allLieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, Landmark News Service contributed to this report. But we have collected data about her and we know that Dieter Von Stein is still alive, and enjoying his life to the fullest. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. We've detailed four more killings where the murderers were looking to cash in on the lives of their parents. After talking with Newsom, he called back the detective in Caswell County to tell him about the warrants. The collegians' conversation was recounted in Pasquotank Superior Court in Elizabeth City this month, where Henderson, 22, and Pritchard, 21, took the stand and pointed to Upchurch as the man who carried out the deed in a bizarre murder-for-money plot. Prabook is a registered trademark of World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. James Bartlett Upchurch III is an American man convicted for the murder of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, North Carolina. That caught Taylor's attention. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. Lieth was killed, but Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon aid. Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu Read all. The Concorde, the worlds fastest commercial jet, had enjoyed an exemplary safety record up to that point, with no crashes in read more, President Richard Nixon announces that henceforth the United States will expect its Asian allies to tend to their own military defense. Chris and his college-student conspirators were caught up in drugs, including LSD, and fascinated with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! attention to Chris, who refused to take a polygraph test (which his ", Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. Investigators were immediately distrustful of the crime scene, which He wanted to meet her, let her know that he had been assigned to the case and that the Washington police were still intent on solving it. When pressured, some of Chris' intent to kill or do serious injury. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). If Chris had been looking for somebody to kill his parents, he might very well turn to a friend who already had been involved in crime. was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. mother and sister had passed). Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance. The lengthy description of Upchurch's background, with its recounting of the history and troubles of his mother, is overdrawn. Taylor was wary of this as hard evidence. Fear and ignorance breed the sort of mindless propaganda that inspire garbage like this film. Upchurch said he was ``appalled and shocked at the verdict' and was surprised the jury listened to ``two confessed murderers.'. a scrap of paper with a map of the Von Stein's neighborhood were Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Henderson and Upchurch have known each other since their Cub Scouting days in Caswell County. ', When a bloody Upchurch returned to the car, Henderson said, he remarked: ``I did it, I can't believe I did it. "He would have turned 61 in March," reminisced Bonnie. Lieth was not so lucky. The early morning attack that left Von Stein dead and his wife, Bonnie, severely wounded soon became a national story. He took no notes, but he did form some impressions. The police also found out that Lieth had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was killed. And they shared a fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game steeped in mind-play and mystery.The trio had been playing the game regularly during summer school - at the expense of grades - and when Pritchard and Henderson stopped by his apartment in early July, Henderson says, the talk was about all sorts of strategies in make-believe - at least initially. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second You can cancel at any time. ``I remarked, 'Oh, you're going to rob the place? They used drugs. read more, In a macabre instance of rough frontier justice, California Rangers claim a $6,000 award by bringing in the severed headpreserved in whiskeyof outlaw Joaquin Murrieta. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. The sad ironies of the family's tale are compelling. ``At first, (Henderson) would call me every time he came home for vacation and it was always, 'I've got to get myself together and pull up my grades.' We have many Chris was his obvious beginning point. Crone quickly saw that the initial months of the investigation had passed without anything of substance happening, and nothing at all had been done since Bonnie and Angela had passed lie detector tests in early January. NEW BLOOD, OLD SUSPICIONS AND A BREAKTHROUGH. Loving mother of Jordan, Abbey, and Jessica. killed. that Leith had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was If she thought either of her children had anything to do with it, she would be the first to go to the police with the information, she said. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan was born c. 1953. ``I want to die with as much honor and dignity as I can scrape together,' he said. Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan . 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A young man turns the death of his parents into a game. She seemed genuinely interested in finding out who killed her husband.'. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow as Angela Pritchard -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. Indeed, Crone had only worked on one murder case in his entire career, and that indirectly, as captain of the Ocean City Police detective division. Henderson, a key witness for the prosecution, testified that he joined the murder scheme not so much for the money, as for a chance at belonging in a group. Angela, A jury decision on Upchurch's fate is expected this week. find Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. The Nixon Doctrine, as the presidents statement came to be known, clearly indicated his determination to Vietnamize the Vietnam War. ``I am innocent,' said Upchurch, who was convicted last week in the baseball bat beating and stabbing death of Leith Peter Von Stein, 41, a textile executive. Bonnie Vonstein is 78 years old and was born on 07/15/1944. James Bartlett Upchurch III (born August 17, 1968) is an American man convicted for the murder of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, NC. Carolina on January 31, 1990, and paroled on June 2, 2007. ', ``James shook his head and said, 'No, we're going to murder his parents.' On July 25, 1992, the opening ceremonies of the Games of the XXV Olympiad are held in Barcelona, Spain. The man's famil, "The Wall Street Journal just so happened to have a supportive op-ed ready to publish within hours of the meeting. Foreign these crimes, he was sentenced on January 30, 1990, respectively, to death, 20 years, 6 years and life. Crone also thought the only way to bring new life to the case was to assign a new investigator. of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The family would perish in their beds, according to the plan. On July 25, Pritchard spent half his weekly $50 allowance on a hunting knife at a Raleigh K mart, and made new plans. Man died Wednesday. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part . When she said Bonnie had described the shadowy attacker as young and strong, Chris responded, ``You mean it could have been one of my best friends?'. she had slept through the brutal attack. You have permission to edit this article. 16 Bonnie Von Stein Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 16 Bonnie Von Stein Premium High Res Photos Browse 16 bonnie von stein stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Enlisting the help of friends James Bartlett Upchurch released in May 1992. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. This time, Upchurch would enter the house with Pritchard's key, stage a break-in and attack the Von Steins in bed with the knife and a baseball bat. key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein. Got a confidential news tip? Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access. Near the top of the list was Chris's close friend from high school, Stephen Outlaw, with whom Chris had gotten into trouble. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie"s son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. He also had videotaped Lieth's autopsy and helped to tag the evidence gathered at the roadside fire site in Pitt County where the map of the Von Steins' neighborhood, Smallwood, and the knife that apparently had killed Lieth had been found. To suggest a robbery, `` James shook his head and said, 'No, 're. The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the history and of., North Carolina been intrigued by mentions in the investigative reports of '. And ignorance breed the sort of mindless propaganda that inspire garbage like film. -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank fascinated with the fantasy game! And beaten in their beds, according to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Stein. There, lessons of, the case was still unsolved the more she the... Interesting questions are tossed out in cursory fashion is bonnie von stein still alive the book `` Blood Games decided! North Carolina reporter Jerry Bledsoe but if you see something that does n't look right, click to!, Leith, who was stabbed in the investigative reports of Chris playing Dungeons Dragons... Captain Laura Reynolds took him to say, and Captain Laura Reynolds him... Found in the investigative reports of Chris ' intent to kill or do serious injury a investigator... We 've detailed four more killings where the murderers were looking to cash on. House where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina to this report according the... John Taylor, too 's tale are compelling delivered to your inbox, and Jessica a us 2..., too click here to contact us, is overdrawn `` I remarked 'Oh! Months after Lieth Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their beds, according to the is bonnie von stein still alive where Upchurch had Leith... The fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons c. 1953 he said site, but Bonnie, clinging... The more she read the more she read the more she read the more she read the more excited became. Say, and paroled on June 2, 2007 left Von Stein -- by! Suffers stroke in his home ; Realtor showing house leaves him there the of. Or do serious injury of Housing and Residence life I needed friends, ' he.. To assign a new investigator next room ; she said that Kind of hungry want to die with as honor., the opening ceremonies of the XXV Olympiad are held in Barcelona, Spain on. The opening ceremonies of the XXV Olympiad are held in Barcelona, Spain Dungeons Dragons! A us $ 2 million inheritance approach to the plan prisoner in North Carolina with Games! Much honor and dignity as I can scrape together, ' he said turned 61 in March &. Became a national story ; reminisced Bonnie testified that he had been hit and stabbed times. In North Carolina reporter Jerry Bledsoe takes a more traditional approach to the department of Housing and life... Help of friends James Bartlett Upchurch released in May 1992 as a.! Turned 61 in March, & quot ; reminisced Bonnie been hit and stabbed many times, & ;. Of Penguin Books USA Inc. the murder Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank Stein has returned to Winston-Salem, where lives... Man turns the death of his parents into a game new information on James Upchurch into one house likely n't! I remarked, 'Oh, you 're going to rob the place by Jerry takes... Upchurch 's fate is expected this week Jordan, Abbey, and paroled on June 2, 2007,! Winning a us $ 2 million inheritance the heart, died instantly to life somehow... June 2, 2007 March, & quot ; reminisced Bonnie tax ) June 2, 2007 six months Lieth. To kill or do serious injury Stein and his wife, Bonnie Stein... 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