This was the stolen computer case. I got to thinking about it today. I'm not sure what his plans for the entire incident were, but I think his plans were somewhat ruined whatever they were. I think he would have ended up attacking Heather and her boyfriend anyways, but there a number of things that make me believe Tom Johnson had planned for things to go differently.

When he has Heather and her boyfriend wrap themselves up in the sheets, he says something to the effect of "Your company's going to get a certified check, I'm going to get my computer and that will be that." This kind of leads me to believe that he didn't plan on attacking them originally, as I don't know why he would say they were going to get a check if he planned on killing them. But then again I don't know. Did he just snap, or had he planned to kill/harm them after all?

Why did Tom Johnson stall all that time and then attack them? I believe he was waiting for his female accomplice, who never showed and instead reported a disturbance to the front desk coming from his room. I can't imagine "Tom" had originally planned to stall for that long.

I also wonder what role the female accomplice would have played, assuming the lady that came down to the desk was supposed to be the accomplice. Tom had already loaded the computer into his car, so he didn't need her there. He also ended up attacking his victims without needing his accomplice's help. So I wonder what Tom had originally intended for her to do.

And as if all that wasn't baffling enough, did he originally plan to use the gun, or did he plan to use the hammer.

This case really baffles me, any thoughts?

I don't know if I believe he had an accomplice. Didn't all that lady do was report some noise? Maybe she heard some of the altercation and thought the couple was in trouble. Plus the guy victim didn't mention there was a woman did he? Thats probably just a police theory that I don't really agree with. Yes this truly was a senseless crime. They cooperated fully and its like at the last minute he decides they need to die. I can't imagine the torture the male victim went through having to hear his fiancee's murder. I wonder if he decided at the end to do it because they could identify him. Still, its just senseless.

Well I am on the fence as to whether or not the woman was an accomplice to Johnson. When you say accomplice it could b e that she was Johnson's girlfriend or wife perhaps. It could also b e she was staying in a neighboring room however I think they would have said this had she been staying in a neighboring room and if that was the case how else would she have heard the noise? I dont think she would have, I think she was involved in the scheme in some way although I think she was a relatively minor accomplice to Johnson, I am sure he probably just told her he planned on ripping off Jeremy's computer and that was it. Than at some point these plans changed and I think the woman didnt want to be involved in murder. While he had the hammer with him already, I think that is just a bizarre murder weapon when the guy pointed a small handgun at them first in order to subdue them and intimidate them. I do think the woman was connected to Johnson in some way. I just think she had originally thought he was going to rip off the computer and that was it. I think that when Jeremy and Heather went out for breakfast she briefly met back up with Johnson and he told her he was going to kill Jeremy and Heather and shortly thereafter she reported it.

Well the interesting thing here is that the lady reported the disturbance significantly earlier then when the attack actually occurred. that leads me to believe that she knew it was about to take place and wanted to do something about it before it actually went down. Unfortunately, the desk clerk didn't do anything about it. I believe this woman backed out of the whole thing before the murder took place, so she never made contact with Jeremy and Heather so that's probably why Jeremy didn't report her.

I know that there's confusion concerning the gun, and why he pointed it at them, and instead of using it, was cruel and decided to use the hammer. I haven't seen this segment in quite sometime, and I'm assuming that the gun was not left at the scene...so could it be possible that it wasn't loaded? That may sound completely stupid...why would some guy intending to murder people (although some of you are questioning his actual intent) not bring bullets with his gun?

Well it is possible it was unloaded. I do think he had no intention of using the gun mainly because it would cause a lot of noise and he didnt want to draw attention to himself. He did leave the hammer at the scene however I believe it said in the segment that they were not able to trace where he bought it from or anything. Wiseguy you made a good point as well about the woman reporting the noise in Johnson's room BEFORE Jeremy and Heather even returned to the room from breakfast. How we should have known there was a disturbance in there before it happened unless she was in on it with Johnson? I do think this woman had originally thought that Johnson was just going to rip off the computer from Jeremy and that was it. I think that she didnt want to be involved in a murder and didnt want to see that happen and so she attempted to sabatoge it without Johnson knowing it was her that sabatoged it. Some might ask, well why wouldnt she call the police? Johnson would have known it was her that turned him in had the police showed up before he even had a chance to attack.

I still can't get past the whole 'lie down quietly and watch my fiancee get beaten to death n do nothing'...it's just not something that any normal man would do.

Well, I dont know. Space Invaderz this will lead to another argument LOL but I must say it. I find that interesting how you of all people would fault the victim. I mean any number of things could have been rushing through Jeremy's mind at that time. To fault hin is in my opinion a bit below the belt. I mean yes, it can be wondered, "well why didnt he tackle Johnson or struggle with him so Heather could run off?" However Johnson did have a gun and they were intimidated by that. If I remember right also he hit Jeremy first and not Heather. It is something I am sure unless you were in that situation you wouldnt truly know what to do.

I still can't get past the whole 'lie down quietly and watch my fiancee get beaten to death n do nothing'...it's just not something that any normal man would do.

2 things:

1. By the time Tom Johnson started attacking them, both Jeremy and Heather were rolled up in sheets, so it would have been difficult for him to escape from the sheets and start attacking. If they hadn't been rolled up in sheets, there is a possibility Jeremy and Heather would have made a dash for the door.

2. Jeremy probably had no idea that Tom was going to actually attack them. I recall Jeremy saying in the segment that he was caught totally offguard when Tom turned on them, and that Tom just seemed like a normal person. He probably just figured Tom would steal the computer and that was going to be it, but it ended up being far worse.

Wiseguy, I agree with you 100 percent. I at least agree with you in terms of what you said in your latest post. I just thought attacking Jeremy by space invaderz was a bit harsh.

Well, I dont know. Space Invaderz this will lead to another argument LOL but I must say it. I find that interesting how you of all people would fault the victim. I mean any number of things could have been rushing through Jeremy's mind at that time. To fault hin is in my opinion a bit below the belt. I mean yes, it can be wondered, "well why didnt he tackle Johnson or struggle with him so Heather could run off?" However Johnson did have a gun and they were intimidated by that. If I remember right also he hit Jeremy first and not Heather. It is something I am sure unless you were in that situation you wouldnt truly know what to do.

I'm not meaning to totally fault the guy, well maybe somewhat...still I wasn't meaning to. I don't wanna get into the whole relationship thing but to say that was his fiancee and to me the most important thing in the world to that man and I still can't see how on Earth he could stand back (or in this case lie back) and do nothing while she gets beaten to death. You are right in the sense that most likely untill you're in that situation who know's what you'd do but I do know there is no way I could just do nothing. He'd have to kill me first is what I'm saying. Maybe it's different for you, I'm not in-love with myself and would value my fiancee's life more than my own... oh no, I ended up getting 'deep' :o

2 things:

1. By the time Tom Johnson started attacking them, both Jeremy and Heather were rolled up in sheets, so it would have been difficult for him to escape from the sheets and start attacking. If they hadn't been rolled up in sheets, there is a possibility Jeremy and Heather would have made a dash for the door.

2. Jeremy probably had no idea that Tom was going to actually attack them. I recall Jeremy saying in the segment that he was caught totally offguard when Tom turned on them, and that Tom just seemed like a normal person. He probably just figured Tom would steal the computer and that was going to be it, but it ended up being far worse.

1 - I don't think a sheet would stop him from at least trying to do something.

2 - Yeah maybe so but as soon as he was aware that his fiancee was getting beaten to death he still did nothing. Question for ya; If that had been your wife in that situation, what do you think you would have most likely done?

Sorry guys, don't mean to argue (again :p) but I can't get around what I've already stated.

I just thought attacking Jeremy by space invaderz was a bit harsh.

Attacking.....??? Hmmm

Space Invaderz you do realize that Jeremy was hit first right? Johnson was alternating back and forth between Jeremy and Heather and beating them it wasnt like Johnson was beating Heather non-stop first and Jeremy was just watching it and lying there. Faulting the victim, pretty incredible. That would be like blaming a person that got shot because they didnt try to wrestle around with the gunman and get the gun away from him.

Good points there, kadrmas. I'll add the following in response to space invaderz latest post on this thread:

-Jeremy and Heather probably figured that this was going to be an armed robbery, but it ended up being far worse. In the majority of armed robberies, usually what happens is the person(s) getting robbed don't retaliate, they let the robber take what they want, and the robber flees without shooting/hurting anyone. However, there are of course instances where it ends up being worse, and this was one of those cases. I think by the time Jeremy realized that this was more than a robbery, it was too late - he was getting attacked himself as kadrmas mentioned. Also, I'm assuming Tom left Jeremy for dead, and I believe intended to kill him as well, so while Jeremy survived, his injuries were probably very serious. This incident happened 15 years ago, and I'm not entirely sure if times were different back then, but nowadays most companies will tell you if a robbery occurs, you just hand over the money/goods and don't retaliate. I think if Jeremy knew he was going to get attacked and possibly murdered as well as fiancee, he would have put up more resistance, but again by the time he realized it it was too late.

To answer your other question, OF COURSE I would do anything in my power to protect a loved one if that were happening to them. Notice that Jeremy does try to help Heather out as he says "if you stop screaming, he'll go away.", and that does appear to happen. Jeremy could not physically get to Heather, so he talked to her and tried to help her.

On another note, another reason I think the lady that went down to the front desk was Tom's accomplice was that Tom was probably going to stall for even longer, but was cut short as Jeremy tried to speed things along. It seems to me that Tom was waiting for something or someone, but they never showed. This is a very atypical crime in that the guilty party lets their face be seen for so long, plus Jeremy survived (probably not Tom's intentions) so he got a very good look at this face. It seems most criminals will get in and out as soon as possible.

This incident happened 15 years ago, and I'm not entirely sure if times were different back then, but nowadays most companies will tell you if a robbery occurs, you just hand over the money/goods and don't retaliate. I think if Jeremy knew he was going to get attacked and possibly murdered as well as fiancee, he would have put up more resistance, but again by the time he realized it it was too late.

I agree but once your told to lie down, face to the ground, then you have death staring you in the face. You gotta do something, catch your attacker by surprise sorta thing. Least if you die, you die a hero rather than living the next 15 years with your fiancee's death screams ringing in your ears.

Notice that Jeremy does try to help Heather out as he says "if you stop screaming, he'll go away.", and that does appear to happen. Jeremy could not physically get to Heather, so he talked to her and tried to help her.

I noticed that in the re-enactment he said that but I personally don't really see how that helped her at all.

Haha, wow space invaderz, I am still truly surprised by this. I guess I find that interesting. I dont know, if a guy is pointing a gun at you and tells you to get down, I think 9 times out of 10 people lie down and do as they are told. I think it is something unless you are put in that situation you honestly wouldnt know what to do so I wouldnt give Jeremy such a hard time about that when if you were in that situation you would probably lie down on the g round too.

I mean basically I dont really understand what you expected Jeremy to do or what different he could have done? The guy had a little pistol, he probably assumed it was loaded and thought if he lunged for it that Johnson would fire at him. I am assuming he thought that if they laid down that Johnson would just leave them alone. I mean what do you expect Jeremy to do? Do some kind of fiction Hollywood stunt where he lunges at Johnson and grabs for the gun and wrestles around with him on the floor? I mean I am sure in real life someone has successfully pulled that off but 9 times out of 10 if someone tried to do that they would wind up getting shot and probably killed.

Also I am sure that Heather would have rather had one of two of them survive than have both of them be dead which would have almost surely happened had Jeremy tried lunging at Johnson. It was obvious Jeremy felt horrible about it and I am sure he still does feel horrible about it. I am sure he misses Heather everyday and probably does beat himself up about wondering if there was more that he could have done. In my opinion there wasnt m ore he could have realistically done and I dont fault him for what happened. It seems you fault Jeremy just as much as Johnson for Heather's death and that is just wrong.

I can't speak from experience, but if I were in the same situation, I would want my fiancee to survive, so I don't think that I would want him to intervene if someone was attacking me, especially if said person had a weapon of some sort.

I'm sure Jeremy, like other boyfriends we have seen on UM (Rob Schafer comes to mind) has blamed himself more than enough. I join in the vote that feels that the incident wasn't his fault. He TRIED to help in the best way he could, by telling Heather to "stop screaming so he'll leave." As he was wrapped in the sheet, it didn't make any sense for him to jump up and try to wrestle the hammer or gun from Tom Johnson. Jeremy was simply doing what we've all been instructed to go whenever someone pulls a weapon on us: Do whatever they tell you to do. After being held up in a convenience store (yes, it really happened in Montana,) I was told by the police officer that the majority of injuries resulting from robberies are when people DO NOT comply with the wishes of the assailant.

It's unfortunate that Heather died as a result of the attack. Jeremy should not be held accountable for that, however. He's going to have to deal with hearing his fiancee being murdered for the rest of his life. That is punishment enough.

Space,

I understand why you are puzzled by the victims reactions in this case.

I think we have to look at this incident from the victims perspective.. both Heather and Jeremy had driven a long way to make the delivery and were tired..Tom had isolated them in private room of a motel. When he suprises them he was between them and the door with a gun.. he ordered them to roll themselves into bed sheets (do this..it restricts your movements believe me).. he hit Jeremy in the head first (already shocked and scared this probably even further paniced the victims).. then proceeded to take his violent actions out on Heather, and then came back to Jeremy.

It is an unfortunate pattern of human behavior that even when we, our friends or a loved one are being murdered, we don't move, we don't resist. Look at Columbine or other mass shootings.. even though many of the victims were not restrained in any major way they didn't flee they hide or try not to move. I'm sure pyschologist have a term for this as having a loved one or someone you care about can cause a paralysis of action that you don't want to take a risk because you are afraid it will make the situation worse.

Even cops have to train against this.. there is a famous video that you can see on one of those World's Most Dangerous programs with John Bunell. It features 2 Ohio Police Officers who pulled over two brothers who were white supremcist. When one of the brothers gets out and starts shooting, one cop draws his weapon and returns fire , while the other doesn't, it takes him a highly trained armed police officer in a dangerous situation (as cops say he should have been in condition orange) a few moments to realize what is happening and react. Now I don't know about you but if Cops can freeze, I think Jeremy, a decent kid who probably was never even in a fight in his life, can be a little paralized when someone starts beating his head in with a hammer... don't you?

I can't blame Jeremy however we can learn from his story, be aware of your surroundings and never meet people you don't know that well in a non-public area.. have a plan for when crime happens and you are with your loved ones.. including when you will take your life into your own hands so that they can save theirs.. maybe then we don't have to judge ourselves in hindsight.. Jeremy I'm sure blames himself for not trying to do more as well as the fact that he probably has survivors guilt.

I agree with space invaderz, I know if that was my girlfriend, let alone my fiancee I would do something. Even being wrapped in the sheet, in a case like that, extreme circumstance, you can do things that you normally wouldn't do, i.e.-superhuman like. The adrenaline rush would definitely take me over and I would do something. In cases like these and from so many crime shows I have watched, I have realized that I really want to carry a weapon of some sort, because seems most people this stuff happens to are never prepared. Also, I have watched enough of this stuff to not just "sit back" and let them do what they want. Most cases I have seen where the victim does everything the perpetrator wants, they end up getting killed anyway. The perpetrators are not that intelligent, and I wouldn't trust them with keeping my life alive. The thought of living without my girlfriend alone is bad enough, but the thought of living w/o her because she was next to me being murdered, I don't know how someone could go on living after that. Just my opinions.

Robert Stack, I do not think you truly know what you would do in that situation. I dont know, faulting the victim, I just dont understand or agree with that. I might seem like I side on the criminals side more and be more sympathetic to their causes but I would certainly never fault a victim. Also, you guys do realize Jeremy had his back turned to Heather right. He was not looking at the time. At some point he was turned and did see Johnson raise the hammer but he wasnt looking at her when it first started. He was the first one hit, not her. Johnson also had a gun. I dont know, I guess it is something you can say all you want, I would have done this, I would do that, but until you are in that situation you do not truly know what you would do. PErsonally I think most people's girlfriends if they had to pick they would rather have someone survive the thing than have both die. I cant imagine what it would be like to go through it, it must be horrible that is for sure.

I agree with space invaderz, I know if that was my girlfriend, let alone my fiancee I would do something. Even being wrapped in the sheet, in a case like that, extreme circumstance, you can do things that you normally wouldn't do, i.e.-superhuman like. The adrenaline rush would definitely take me over and I would do something. In cases like these and from so many crime shows I have watched, I have realized that I really want to carry a weapon of some sort, because seems most people this stuff happens to are never prepared. Also, I have watched enough of this stuff to not just "sit back" and let them do what they want. Most cases I have seen where the victim does everything the perpetrator wants, they end up getting killed anyway. The perpetrators are not that intelligent, and I wouldn't trust them with keeping my life alive. The thought of living without my girlfriend alone is bad enough, but the thought of living w/o her because she was next to me being murdered, I don't know how someone could go on living after that. Just my opinions.

My thoughts exactly! Well I don't wanna say to much more on this coz I'll only be repeating myself and getting further into another arguement. Thanks!

Haha just hilarious. I still do not get why you guys are complaining about Jeremy not having done enough. I mean, I do not really understand what you expected him to do. What did you think he should have done? Pulled some kind of unrealistic hollywood stunt and lunged for Johnson and wrestled around with him on the floor while Heather somehow gets up and runs free and calls the police? 9 times out of 10 if someone tries the Hollywood stunt thing it would end up with both Jeremy and Heather dead.

I think it goes without saying that Kadrmas15 and I are in the same mindset when it comes to this situation. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, guys.

Here is a case that would make my top 5 list for ones I most want solved. This one has always haunted me; the homicide is just needlessly brutal. and totally unnecessary. That said, I don't think "Tom Johnson" intended to kill either victim --- I think Jeremy had it right when he pleaded with his fiancee to keep quiet so he'd leave. It sounds like he wanted to make them both unconscious, or at least sufficiently injured that they wouldn't be able to go chasing after him after he left, and yet he did not want to kill him. When Heather started screaming, he panicked, figuring he needed to hit her more to put her out. People forget the movies aren't real: one blow to the head does not leave people neatly unconscious, ready to wake in a few minutes bascially unharmed.

Every so often, I search ebay for an Apple Quadra 950, to see if anything comes up. I don't know what I'd do if it did, exactly, but you never know...

Hello, first post on this board! I found it via a blog I read often that had an interesting post about this episode of Unsolved Mysteries. To make a long story short, I was able to provide the blog writer with Jeremy and Heather's full names and a bit more information about the case. Sadly, Jeremy was killed just a little over 10 years ago (March 31, 1997) in a car accident in South Africa while serving in the Peace Corps. I won't repeat the whole story, it's lengthy; go to http://truecrimeblog.blogspot.com/ and see the April 1 post titled "Battered Dreams, Part 4: Interlude -- Jeremy and Heather" if you're interested in reading more.

Mozartpc27, I agree with you completely, this case haunts me and has since I first discovered Heather's scholarship on my university's website last year. I was intrigued by the mention on the Mass Communications department's scholarship website of her death as "the victim of a robbery" and felt compelled to research the circumstances (there is a second MTSU link that Steve didn't include in the post; Jeremy's memorial scholarship established by one of his former professors is on that part of the website, too). I would love to see it solved; the tragedy is that with Jeremy gone now, too, the likelihood of that is probably extremely slim. Hopefully Steve's research will spur a renewed interest and possibly shake something loose in someone's memory, or better yet, their conscience... From what I can glean from the web, Jeremy and Heather were great kids taken from the world far too soon.

Very interesting, kimkay. I read all four links on that true crime blog. Extremely sad that Jeremy died only a few years later. I read that the other driver was thought to have fallen asleep at the wheel. Seems like many people involved in UM segments have met premature deaths in incidents not related to the UM segment itself.

I guess my questions would be:

1) Did Tom Steeples have any connection to the type of car that "Tom Johnson" drove to pick up the Quadra 950 in '92?

2) Did Tom Steeples own the computer store in '92, and if so, was there any record of calls to/from the Marietta hotel to that computer store in Tennessee?

3) Was Jeremy Rolfs ever asked about Tom Steeples before or after Steeples committed suicide; shown a picture, etc?

Here is an article I found on another site, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution just a few days after the Tom Johnson incident. It was posted by someone calling herself kimdog. I'm not sure if that's also our new poster kimkay:

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

October 29, 1992, Thursday

HEADLINE: Town shocked by coed's slaying here Victim, fiance attacked at hotel by computer thief

BYLINE: By Diane Loupe STAFF WRITER

Heather Uffelman and Jeremy Rolfs, both seniors at Middle Tennessee State University, loved computers and each other.

Heather had helped half the faculty set up their computers, and broadcasting companies were angling to hire Mr. Rolfs as a technical consultant after his graduation this fall. They dreamed of a spring wedding.

Those dreams ended Saturday morning in a Marietta hotel room, when a mysterious computer junkie beat the couple, killing Ms. Uffelman and stealing the expensive computer system they had intended to sell to him.

On Wednesday, the professor who was scheduled to marry the couple was one of three ministers at Ms. Uffelman's funeral in her rural hometown of Erin, Tenn. Mr. Rolfs, released from a Marietta hospital on Tuesday, told the mourners of his love for Ms. Uffelman and read an essay she'd written about growing up on a farm.

Students at Middle Tennessee were shocked by the brutal crime.

"You just don't think that kind of thing can happen to people you know," said Randy O'Brien, news director at WMOT, the public radio station on campus.

Marietta police are trying to find the man who apparently murdered 22-year-old Ms. Uffelman. A clean-cut man who went by the name of Tommy Johnson, drove off in a brown Dodge Dynasty with a Tennessee license.

Mr. Rolfs, 21, who's scheduled to graduate in December, had a part- time job with the Halsey Company of Nashville, a group that made music videos. The company was trying to sell a $ 31,000 computer system and Mr. Rolfs was bringing it to a man who answered a trade publication ad.

The Appla Quadra was a sophisticated film editing system, said Dr. Elliott Pood, chairman of the Middle Tennessee department of radio, television and photography and a friend of Mr. Rolfs.

They talked several times

Mr. Rolfs "had talked to the gentleman several times by phone and he asked him to deliver it down there," Dr. Pood said.

Ms. Uffelman was worried that her fiance was working too hard and feared he might fall asleep driving, so she rearranged her schedule at the radio station to help Mr. Rolfs make the five-hour drive from Murfreesboro to the Atlanta area to deliver the computer, Dr. Pood said.

The couple arrived in Marietta early Saturday morning and met the killer at the Knights Inn on Delk Road in Marietta, Police Capt. Walter Parker said.

The man drew a gun on the couple, rolled them into a bedsheet to confine them and pounded their heads with a hammer, later recovered by police, Captain Parker said. The motel manager called police. Both students were taken to Kennestone Hospital, where Ms. Uffelman died of head injuries at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Captain Parker said police have put out a nationwide lookout on the suspect but have not been able to locate him.

Helen Uffelman said her youngest daughter always loved writing and worked on campus tutoring other students in writing. She planned to graduate in the spring, and then attend graduate school.

"We are very devastated," said Mrs. Uffelman. "Since this happened, there's been such an outpouring of love in this small community. We're a rural county in middle Tennessee. People have been coming to our house, telephoning and bringing food since we got the news."

Agreed, very interesting link. Sounds like this might not have been the only time "Tom Johnson" has done this.

At the start of this thread, I had mentioned that I wasn't entirely sure if things went down the way Tom Johnson had planned. I clicked on the link kimkay provided and it stated that the police think Tom Johnson's instructions to have Heather and Jeremy roll themselves up in sheets was most likely thought up on the spot. The link also suggests that Tom might have only been expecting Jeremy. I definitely think Tom Johnson was caught offguard by at least one thing, possibly several.

A $31000 computer.... what sort of computer cost that much 15 years ago? I bet it's worthless now.

Thanks for digging that information up for us, kimkay. I'm terribly sorry to hear that Jeremy died under tragic circumstances as well, and has been dead for so long now. Two families should not have to endure what these two endured.

If the killer is this Tom Streeter person, I'm almost disappointed because it means he will never have to face up to what he did. He does, however, certainly seem like a "person of interest" in the case. If he was the killer, there is a great (but terribly sad) novel in all of that somewhere --- that three people, all connected by one incident, could all end up dead prematurely. A crazy world we live in.

Good morning! Pleased to see that my post has stirred some additional debate :) . There's nothing I'd like more than to see a grass-roots campaign to bring closure to this case. To answer some questions and add a little more background:

1. Tom Steeples was apparently a very interesting character, as was (and is) his wife Tillie. Read Steve's other "episodes" concerning those two for further insight into their many and varied crimes. Tom's m.o. in the murder of Rob and Kelli Phillips two years after the attack on Jeremy and Heather is eerily similar to that crime, and of course that's what led Steve to associate the two crimes in the first place. If anyone could tie him to that vehicle and/or phone records (and yes, he did own the computer company at the time of both crimes, in 1992 and 1994), it seems like the case would be a done deal.

2. No, I'm not "kimdog". I found that post back when I originally researched Heather's death after finding the mention of it in her scholarship. Strange coincidence that our online names are quite similar! She was apparently a close friend of Jeremy's from MTSU; I've been on staff here for the past five years and am an alumni also, although from several years prior to the time Jeremy and Heather were in school here.

3. I'm planning a trip over to the library here on campus to check the student newspaper archives for more information on the followup investigation. I have vague memories of this from our local newspaper and the Nashville tv/newspaper coverage at the time, but I wasn't on campus in the early 90's so I don't know how much it was covered here. I imagine it was a very big deal; I'll pass the information along to Steve since he's a much better writer than I am. If he doesn't choose to update on this story, I'll make sure to report back here if anyone is interested.

4. I may also make a trip up to the Tennessean archives in Nashville if they aren't available here on campus; I'm curious as to whether Nashville police were involved in this case at all. With the multiple jurisdictions involved (victims both college students from Murfreesboro, one from Erin, TN and the other from Glenview, IL, perpetrator apparently from Nashville, crime scene in Marietta, Georgia) I have a hunch this case fell through the cracks. I really wonder how much the Marietta police even worked it...transient victims/perpetrator, fairly seedy motel, did they just let it slide?

5. I'd also like to know how the case came to the attention of Unsolved Mysteries. I have a hunch it was through one of the families, although Steve believes it might have been instigated by the Nashville Police Department (he mentioned this in the original post that I sent him the detailed info on; he took that post down and replaced it with the one that's on his blog now).

6. There are way too many loose ends on this one for my liking -- were there phone records between Steeples and/or his company and Jeremy Rolfs and/or The Halsey Company? Did Steeples have access to a car like the one mentioned in the UM segment? Were there fingerprints? Was Jeremy ever shown a photo of Steeples? Did Nashville PD ever make the connection between the two-year-old case in Marietta and the Phillips' murders? Man, this is when I wish I had an "in" in the Nashville PD! I did ask Steve if he was going to try to contact the Marietta PD with his theories, but he hasn't replied...as old as the case is, and with Steeples himself long dead, they may feel it wouldn't be worth any effort, unfortunately. But that does bring me to my last point...

7. Was Tillie Steeples the woman who alerted the desk clerk to the disturbance in Jeremy and Heather's room before it happened? I have a strong suspicion that she was; did something do wrong on her end, did she "chicken out" or something of that nature, that caused Tom to become enraged and go further than he'd intended? And did that experience lead him to commit the murders that came after, in 1993 and again in 1994? If she was involved, ol' Tillie is still alive and well -- she could at least be charged as an accessory! Who knows, she may still have the old Apple computer tucked away somewhere; it was probably too hot to try to sell after Heather died.

Please post over on Steve's blog if you're so inclined! He runs a nice blog that has some fairly stimulating conversation from time to time, and does a lot of work on "in the news" things along with the more historical types of things like this case. I'm sure he would welcome input on this one, and on the other related crimes of Tom and Tillie Steeples.

Interesting side note -- I googled some of the other names in the AJC article over the weekend to see if I could find new mentions of Jeremy and Heather; Dr. Elliott Pood, Jeremy's professor at the time of the robbery/murder, passed away in January of this year. Yet another person who might have remembered something gone...

Thanks for digging that information up for us, kimkay. I'm terribly sorry to hear that Jeremy died under tragic circumstances as well, and has been dead for so long now. Two families should not have to endure what these two endured.

If the killer is this Tom Streeter person, I'm almost disappointed because it means he will never have to face up to what he did. He does, however, certainly seem like a "person of interest" in the case. If he was the killer, there is a great (but terribly sad) novel in all of that somewhere --- that three people, all connected by one incident, could all end up dead prematurely. A crazy world we live in.
Oh, the tragedy is what got to me! When Steve mentioned the case and said he thought "Jeremy" and "Heather" were pseudonyms, and that he almost didn't believe it had happened (he couldn't find any online information about it and thought it might even be a possibility that the Nashville PD had worked with UM in order to stir up information about the Phillips case -- the original airdate for this episode was three weeks after their murder), I knew immediately that it was the couple I'd researched a year earlier. I was furiously digging back through my memory and old bookmarks on Sunday hoping all the links were still alive!

Like I told Steve, it's so sad that it's almost Shakespearean -- if I didn't know it was a true story, I'd think it was a work of fiction. He's been toying with writing a book for a while; this may be the story that will turn into the real thing. I told him that I teared up reading the Jeremy and Heather "interlude", and I already knew how it ended... In a way, that would be fitting, considering Heather's love of writing. I believe I found a reference to her mother, Helen, in one of my searches: if it's her, she's the librarian at Houston County High School in Erin, Tennessee -- Heather's hometown.

A $31000 computer.... what sort of computer cost that much 15 years ago? I bet it's worthless now.

Here is a link with a picture and specs of the Quadra 950. A whopping 33 MHz processor and that was the old 68000 line, not even PowerPC yet.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_quadra/stats/mac_quadra_950.html

That site is very accurate with Mac history. It lists the original retail price between $8500 and $9600, so the model being sold much have been souped up with add-ons and software plus a fancy monitor to even threaten more than three times the standard price. It's possible they thought they had a sucker in Tom Johnson at that rate, but he didn't care what price he agreed to since he had no intention of paying. The computer debuted in May 1992 so it was only months old at the time of the incident in Marietta.

The Quadra 950 had a very long shelf span, three and a half years. I read it was kept on the market for the server community, after being replaced by cheaper models for more standard use. The tower was huge.

EveryMac lists the current value at $20, which is no doubt high.

At this point, I'm thinking this "Tom Johnson" is a serial killer. Why did he have a gun and a hammer wrapped in plastic and why were all of the surfaces wiped down? He seemed to be organized about it and blended in as a normal nerdy looking guy. He probably got rid of the computer long ago or still has it as a trophy. The one part of this that would suggest that he wasn't a serial killer is that he left a live victim/witness behind (which wouldn't happen in a private controlled environment like an isolated motel room), but maybe he didn't want to get blood on his clothes to check both of their pulses.

Another thing that baffles me is that he obviously checked into the motel. Did he use fake ID to obtain the room? I know everytime that I have to get a room I must show fake ID, being a skunk ape that is a given. Maybe it was a motel that didn't ask for it or maybe they were more lax about it back then.

Were there fingerprints?

7. Was Tillie Steeples the woman who alerted the desk clerk to the disturbance in Jeremy and Heather's room before it happened? I have a strong suspicion that she was; did something do wrong on her end, did she "chicken out" or something of that nature, that caused Tom to become enraged and go further than he'd intended? And did that experience lead him to commit the murders that came after, in 1993 and again in 1994? If she was involved, ol' Tillie is still alive and well -- she could at least be charged as an accessory!

Even though Jeremy had been struck in the head numerous times, he was able to make out Tom wiping off the fingerprints before exiting.

I'm not sure if Tillie could be charged as an accessory or not. I believe that she was originally supposed to be in on it, but it seems like she turned against Tom and made attempts to stop it before it happened.

Thanks for all of the info and research, btw.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems a tad weird that while Jeremy, Heather and Tom all lived in Tennessee, they all made the trek to Marietta, GA for the supposed transaction. Of course, that was probably Tom Johnson's plan all along, get them to a remote location.

Hello, first post on this board! I found it via a blog I read often that had an interesting post about this episode of Unsolved Mysteries. To make a long story short, I was able to provide the blog writer with Jeremy and Heather's full names and a bit more information about the case. Sadly, Jeremy was killed just a little over 10 years ago (March 31, 1997) in a car accident in South Africa while serving in the Peace Corps. I won't repeat the whole story, it's lengthy; go to http://truecrimeblog.blogspot.com/ and see the April 1 post titled "Battered Dreams, Part 4: Interlude -- Jeremy and Heather" if you're interested in reading more.
Thanks for the link! The story is a little hard to find since your post is almost 2 years old, so here's the current link: Battered Dreams, Part 4: Interlude -- Jeremy and Heather (http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/search?q=Battered+Dreams%2C+Part+4)

A $31000 computer.... what sort of computer cost that much 15 years ago? I bet it's worthless now.
That's what I thought when I saw UM. :lol: $31,000??!!

First off, don't get on my case for saying this but I don't think that Jeremy and Heather used good judgement in this case. Had it been me, I would have told the guy to come and PICK UP the computer himself or if that wasn't possible had insisted we meet in a public place where other people were around. Once Tom got them alone in a hotel room they were sitting ducks, if they would have meet him at an office building, warehouse, or park they would probably still be alive. I don't understand why they thought they could trust this guy when he's a total stranger and obviously a closet looney! They also should have required a deposit of some kind, because on a major purchase like that, you never know if the person intends on paying and will try and stiff you. It's sad that it came to someone dying for this guy to get a stinking computer that would pretty much be worthless in less than 5 years!

First off, don't get on my case for saying this but I don't think that Jeremy and Heather used good judgement in this case. Had it been me, I would have told the guy to come and PICK UP the computer himself or if that wasn't possible had insisted we meet in a public place where other people were around. Once Tom got them alone in a hotel room they were sitting ducks, if they would have meet him at an office building, warehouse, or park they would probably still be alive. I don't understand why they thought they could trust this guy when he's a total stranger and obviously a closet looney! They also should have required a deposit of some kind, because on a major purchase like that, you never know if the person intends on paying and will try and stiff you. It's sad that it came to someone dying for this guy to get a stinking computer that would pretty much be worthless in less than 5 years!

some good points there.

I did some Craigslist transactions awhile back and if the buyers wanted the stuff, they had to come get it. :lol: I am a bit curious why the buyers drove all night and across state lines. But perhaps they needed the money and/or just wanted to get rid of the computer.

Jeremy said that Tom suggested they meet at the motel because his office was in a "office park" or whatever it's called, and was hard to access. Jeremy said he had been in those before and they were hard to access, so it seemed reasonable to him. Additionallly, they probably figured it would be unlikely that Tom would pull anything as this was broad daylight and there were other people around and Tom allowed himself to be seen with them just prior to the tragedy. This was a very strange case.

some other things I don't understand:

Since it is unlikely that Tom was going to pay in cash (who carries $31,000 on them, and why would Jeremy and Heather want to carry that much cash on them?), they had to figure that he was going to pay with a check. I don't know if either Jeremy or Heather had a branch of their bank nearby, but if so, why not meet there? that way they could verify the check to make sure Tom wasn't pulling a Liza Montgomery.

But not only did they accomodate the buyer by meeting him at his location, they load the computer into his car before payment? huge mistake. they gave the buyer way too much advantage.

I would never go to someone's hotel room or to a stranger's house. I don't know about going to an office, either, unless it's during business hours. That way I know other people will be around. If the office was too hard to find, I'd suggest another public area.

Or why not meet in the hotel's lobby? There are always people in the lobby, even if it's only the employees.

But, really, I'd make the buyer come to me. :p Meet me in a public place of my choice. (I don't want strangers coming to my house.)

This case has haunted me for years after seeing it when it first aired.
I always thought that something fishy was going on in the way the whole transaction was set up. I think that the high price of the computer was the blinding light in Jeremy and Heather's eyes. Perhaps they felt that they found a "sucker" to buy the souped up CPU at such a markup, and this clouded they're judgement of the situation.

Meeting in a motel 5 hours away and loading the computer into a trunk before getting paid, those 2 things just never made sense to me. Such poor judgement, but then again some people aren't aware of the evil in the world.

I love that kimkay has made such a connection in this case, it seems that the pieces fit, and it gives me some relief knowing that the case has the potential to be solved.

I just saw this case a couple if months ago and it has been lodged into my skull ever since. I think about it every single day, and it really pisses me off. I get that Tom wanted the computer and he wanted to slow them down a bit by hitting them with the hammer but he didn't have to kill the lady. Jeremy (in the final 5 years of his life) must have been tormented ny this every waking moment.
It's also too bad because this case most likely never be solved, and with all of the evidence this guy left behind. He definantly left behind some amount of DNA they could have tried to match up with some criminals that have done similar crimes. They know the car he drove and where it was from.
This case has been cold for 18 (I think) years now and its too bad that it has been forgotten for all this time.

[EDIT] Does anybody else have a link of the Battered Dreams Heather and Jeremy post because the links are dead and I really wanted to read them.

Every single time I think about this case I get a bit chocked up for some reason, I don't know why though, I mean it is tragic that somebody had their beutiful fiancee beaten to death in the room with them and can't do anything about it, Its [rpbably because this case has been long forgotten and Heather and Jeremy will never have justice and the killer won't get what they deserve.

This is another one of those cases that just baffles me that it was never solved. We have a description of the man, his car and the computer he took which wasnt overly common at the time. And Im sure Jeremy was able to notify police shortly after Tom left. Unreal

This case has always struck me as a study in ineptitude by both the victims and the police.

1) The victims drove hours to meet man they didn't know w/o checking him out first.
2) They didn't get a wire transfer or make any attempt to determine if he could actually pay them.
3) The met someone they didn't know in a motel room. And then not even a motel room that THEY had rented.
4) They apparently didn't have any markings on the computer that would make it easy to identify in case there was a problem w/ the check.
5) They apparently didn't discuss this transaction w/ somebody knowledgeable before making the trip. Had they done that, they would probably have avoided going.

As for the police:

1) This individual made numerous calls to the victims. They were unable to track the origin of these calls?
2) This individual touched numerous objects in the room and didn't leave prints? Even if he wiped down the counter he touched, there had to be other prints.
3) How were they unable to track the hammer by its SKU number (they said in the segment that they had the SKU)? Wouldn't the company that made have a record of whom they sold it?
4) They had information that this man tried to pull a similar scam and yet were unable to locate him from that scam?
5) The woman that may have tried to prevent the scam: The motel clerk didn't get a good enough look at her to give a composite?
6) The woman didn't touch anything in the lobby while she was reporting the "disturbance?"
7) If Tom Johnson rented the room, he didn't leave his tag number for the car? Or the correct tag number? No one at the motel remembers a car w/ that tag number?
8) None of the motel maids remember this guest?
9) How did Tom Johnson make a reservation at that motel and wouldn't his prints be on the registration card? Or the bills he paid with (the assumption being that he didn't pay w/ a credit card)
10) This was an era before cell phones being commonly available. Wouldn't he (Johnson) have had to make at least one call to someone either using the motel's phone or a nearby payphone?
11) The computer: It's obvious that Johnson was going to resell this computer rather than use it himself. They were unable to track down the potential buyer?
12) The computer has never turned up anywhere? (Serial number,etc)
13) There would have been a limited domestic market for that model of computer. No one noticed a new computer in the Southeast region at that time?

There are many more questions...but it's apparent that this entire situation could have been avoided w/ a bit more skepticism on the part of the victims and much better detective work on the part of the police department.

This case has always struck me as a study in ineptitude by both the victims and the police.

I concur. Yes, random attacks are the most difficult to solve, but this case was a virtual treasure trove of evidence - yet nothing.

1) The victims drove hours to meet man they didn't know w/o checking him out first.
2) They didn't get a wire transfer or make any attempt to determine if he could actually pay them.
3) The met someone they didn't know in a motel room. And then not even a motel room that THEY had rented.
4) They apparently didn't have any markings on the computer that would make it easy to identify in case there was a problem w/ the check.
5) They apparently didn't discuss this transaction w/ somebody knowledgeable before making the trip. Had they done that, they would probably have avoided going.

I agree with your points, but will say in defense of the victims that they were young and naive. What's a little more surprising to me is that Jeremy's supervisor (I presume he didn't have authority to make the deal on his own) didn't intervene.

As for the police:

1) This individual made numerous calls to the victims. They were unable to track the origin of these calls?

I don't get this either.

2) This individual touched numerous objects in the room and didn't leave prints? Even if he wiped down the counter he touched, there had to be other prints.

Perhaps, although there might not have been other usable prints. Moreover, the average hotel room likely contains lots of prints from different guests, so you might not be able to positively ID any you find as "Tom's" in the first place.

3) How were they unable to track the hammer by its SKU number (they said in the segment that they had the SKU)? Wouldn't the company that made have a record of whom they sold it?

I don't think you could ID a specific buyer - but probably a store, or chain of stores.

4) They had information that this man tried to pull a similar scam and yet were unable to locate him from that scam?

As I recall, he had chickened out and not shown in the prior attempt - so you'd have the phone records, presumably, but not much else.

5) The woman that may have tried to prevent the scam: The motel clerk didn't get a good enough look at her to give a composite?
6) The woman didn't touch anything in the lobby while she was reporting the "disturbance?"

It doesn't shock me that the clerk couldn't give a full composite, besides, if the composite of Tom hasn't really helped, would the woman's? As for (6), see comment for (2) above.

7) If Tom Johnson rented the room, he didn't leave his tag number for the car? Or the correct tag number? No one at the motel remembers a car w/ that tag number?
8) None of the motel maids remember this guest?
9) How did Tom Johnson make a reservation at that motel and wouldn't his prints be on the registration card? Or the bills he paid with (the assumption being that he didn't pay w/ a credit card)

All good points - although to be fair, we don't know what LE might have been found - it's inconceivable to me that LE wouldn't have checked the registration logs, etc. (although it's also hard to imagine Tom would have used a license plate or credit card that could be so easily traced to him). As for his prints on the bills or card - paper is hard to recover usable prints from and paper money is so dirty, even if you could ID the exact bills used by him (doubtful), it's hard to imagine you would recover anything useful.

10) This was an era before cell phones being commonly available. Wouldn't he (Johnson) have had to make at least one call to someone either using the motel's phone or a nearby payphone?

You'd presume he would and LE checked them.

11) The computer: It's obvious that Johnson was going to resell this computer rather than use it himself. They were unable to track down the potential buyer?
12) The computer has never turned up anywhere? (Serial number,etc)
13) There would have been a limited domestic market for that model of computer. No one noticed a new computer in the Southeast region at that time?

You're assuming Jeremy's company had any sort of inventory control system - while best practice, certainly, would have recorded the serial number, etc., we don't know if they did; since there's no centralized record of these numbers as well, we would be dependent on any new owner to recognize a serial number match.

Given the initial publicity, at least, would have probably been local, "Tom" would have been wise to sell the system outside the southeast. Knowledge of the secondary market is critical information we don't have here. If the secondary market was well-populated by individual sellers, there's much less of a chance the resale would have been noteworthy (especially if Tom had another party do the resale - the new buyer would have little reason to suspect their machine could be the machine at issue, presuming they even knew of the crime). If, on the other hand, the secondary market was tiny, there's more of a chance it could have been found.

Regardless, this was a time-sensitive investigation. It's almost certain that this particular Quadra is no longer in existence and probably hasn't been for a decade, at least.

There are many more questions...but it's apparent that this entire situation could have been avoided w/ a bit more skepticism on the part of the victims and much better detective work on the part of the police department.

As to the victims, yes, but really, there are few to any UM's that couldn't be. Hindsight is 20/20. As to LE, yes, if we presume the failure of the segment to mention the points you discuss indicate said investigations were not carried forth - which is at best unclear. If you think about it, it's likely Tom's very "everyman" appearance which has been his savior - that is, he wasn't remarkable looking, or remarkable acting, so he was easily forgettable.

I concur. Yes, random attacks are the most difficult to solve, but this case was a virtual treasure trove of evidence - yet nothing.



I agree with your points, but will say in defense of the victims that they were young and naive. What's a little more surprising to me is that Jeremy's supervisor (I presume he didn't have authority to make the deal on his own) didn't intervene.



I don't get this either.



Perhaps, although there might not have been other usable prints. Moreover, the average hotel room likely contains lots of prints from different guests, so you might not be able to positively ID any you find as "Tom's" in the first place.



I don't think you could ID a specific buyer - but probably a store, or chain of stores.



As I recall, he had chickened out and not shown in the prior attempt - so you'd have the phone records, presumably, but not much else.



It doesn't shock me that the clerk couldn't give a full composite, besides, if the composite of Tom hasn't really helped, would the woman's? As for (6), see comment for (2) above.



All good points - although to be fair, we don't know what LE might have been found - it's inconceivable to me that LE wouldn't have checked the registration logs, etc. (although it's also hard to imagine Tom would have used a license plate or credit card that could be so easily traced to him). As for his prints on the bills or card - paper is hard to recover usable prints from and paper money is so dirty, even if you could ID the exact bills used by him (doubtful), it's hard to imagine you would recover anything useful.



You'd presume he would and LE checked them.



You're assuming Jeremy's company had any sort of inventory control system - while best practice, certainly, would have recorded the serial number, etc., we don't know if they did; since there's no centralized record of these numbers as well, we would be dependent on any new owner to recognize a serial number match.

Given the initial publicity, at least, would have probably been local, "Tom" would have been wise to sell the system outside the southeast. Knowledge of the secondary market is critical information we don't have here. If the secondary market was well-populated by individual sellers, there's much less of a chance the resale would have been noteworthy (especially if Tom had another party do the resale - the new buyer would have little reason to suspect their machine could be the machine at issue, presuming they even knew of the crime). If, on the other hand, the secondary market was tiny, there's more of a chance it could have been found.

Regardless, this was a time-sensitive investigation. It's almost certain that this particular Quadra is no longer in existence and probably hasn't been for a decade, at least.



As to the victims, yes, but really, there are few to any UM's that couldn't be. Hindsight is 20/20. As to LE, yes, if we presume the failure of the segment to mention the points you discuss indicate said investigations were not carried forth - which is at best unclear. If you think about it, it's likely Tom's very "everyman" appearance which has been his savior - that is, he wasn't remarkable looking, or remarkable acting, so he was easily forgettable.

Didn't want to appear that I was blaming the victims.

1) It never occurred to me that Jeremy HAD a supervisor. This seemed like something that a small businessman/entrepreneur would have done rather than someone that worked as an employee for a company.If that was the case, that makes it even harder to understand for me.

Most companies would have a purchase order system and require a credit check to do business w/ an unknown firm. They would also require at least a deposit before shipping an item of that value. Failing all of that, they could have easily spent far less money and exposed themselves to less liability having a courier deliver the computer rather than an employee.

2) The fingerprint: I agree that an average motel room might have dozens (if not hundreds) of prints. I'm just thinking that this guy took valuable time to wipe away prints. To me that usually means that the person believes that their identity can be determined if the prints are found and processed.

3) The SKU number. I guess that you are correct. They probably could identify which chain they sold it to but at that time they probably couldn't track products to the individual store level. Although...given human nature...I would have started looking at the closest chains first and worked outward from there.

I'm actually surprised that he left the hammer in the room. Leaving a murder weapon at the scene for no apparent reason is the sign of a very disorganized killer.

4) I think that LE DID check the registration information,tag number,etc. I just don't think that they put in the due diligence that they should have. This guy spent several hours (or longer) at the crime scene and was even seen by other people w/ the victims,yet he slipped away completely unnoticed after committing a murder.

5) The prior event where the killer "chickened out": I wonder if things beforehand went the same way as this time ( visiting the company, multiple phone calls,etc).
If so, that would have established a discernible pattern that could be tracked back to the killer.

While there was (and to some extent still is) a large market for illicit computers and computer parts, there are only a few players in that market. If this guy was attempting to steal specific kinds of computers, then it would stand to reason that he had done so in the past and would have been recognizable to members of the IT community.

6) Given the interstate nature of the crime, I'm surprised that the FBI wasn't more involved. If they were, it doesn't seem that they put their "A-team" on this one.

7) And you are correct: Hindsight is 20/20. However, there are established processes to investigate a crime and most of the time, they work. Also, in my experience (and a lot of evidence in this case points to it) criminals are a stupid and rather careless lot. They make numerous mistakes and leave more things to chance than to planning.

Given that this guy: A) Rented a hotel room and was seen B) Allowed multiple to see him w/ victims C) Left the murder weapon at the crime scene D) Didn't ensure that he had killed both victims E) Was unable to control the actions of his accomplice.and F) Had apparently tried a similar scam earlier, it's always struck me as odd that the police didn't close this case much sooner. Perhaps they also didn't bring their "A-game" on this one.

This guy wasn't Keyser Soze. They really should have caught him by now.

Didn't want to appear that I was blaming the victims.

I didn't think you were blaming the victims, for what it's worth.

1) It never occurred to me that Jeremy HAD a supervisor. This seemed like something that a small businessman/entrepreneur would have done rather than someone that worked as an employee for a company.If that was the case, that makes it even harder to understand for me.

Most companies would have a purchase order system and require a credit check to do business w/ an unknown firm. They would also require at least a deposit before shipping an item of that value. Failing all of that, they could have easily spent far less money and exposed themselves to less liability having a courier deliver the computer rather than an employee.

My understanding was that he worked for a small company - so I'd have to presume he did. As for the rest - you're absolutely right. I am a small business owner and would never sell or extend this must credit (not even counting inflation) without, at least, the basic due diligence that was missing here.

2) The fingerprint: I agree that an average motel room might have dozens (if not hundreds) of prints. I'm just thinking that this guy took valuable time to wipe away prints. To me that usually means that the person believes that their identity can be determined if the prints are found and processed.

He certainly could have - I would have hoped LE processed the room, even if to collect unknown prints for later comparison.

3) The SKU number. I guess that you are correct. They probably could identify which chain they sold it to but at that time they probably couldn't track products to the individual store level. Although...given human nature...I would have started looking at the closest chains first and worked outward from there.

I'm actually surprised that he left the hammer in the room. Leaving a murder weapon at the scene for no apparent reason is the sign of a very disorganized killer.

Again, it's worth a shot - we've all seen on UM and other shows a little legwork can sometimes pay off.

4) I think that LE DID check the registration information,tag number,etc. I just don't think that they put in the due diligence that they should have. This guy spent several hours (or longer) at the crime scene and was even seen by other people w/ the victims,yet he slipped away completely unnoticed after committing a murder.

It does seem hard to believe.

5) The prior event where the killer "chickened out": I wonder if things beforehand went the same way as this time ( visiting the company, multiple phone calls,etc).
If so, that would have established a discernible pattern that could be tracked back to the killer.

While there was (and to some extent still is) a large market for illicit computers and computer parts, there are only a few players in that market. If this guy was attempting to steal specific kinds of computers, then it would stand to reason that he had done so in the past and would have been recognizable to members of the IT community.

You would think so, which makes the lack of useful tips all the more frustrating.

6) Given the interstate nature of the crime, I'm surprised that the FBI wasn't more involved. If they were, it doesn't seem that they put their "A-team" on this one.

It's hard to figure out what'll interest the FBI.

7) And you are correct: Hindsight is 20/20. However, there are established processes to investigate a crime and most of the time, they work. Also, in my experience (and a lot of evidence in this case points to it) criminals are a stupid and rather careless lot. They make numerous mistakes and leave more things to chance than to planning.

Given that this guy: A) Rented a hotel room and was seen B) Allowed multiple to see him w/ victims C) Left the murder weapon at the crime scene D) Didn't ensure that he had killed both victims E) Was unable to control the actions of his accomplice.and F) Had apparently tried a similar scam earlier, it's always struck me as odd that the police didn't close this case much sooner. Perhaps they also didn't bring their "A-game" on this one.

This guy wasn't Keyser Soze. They really should have caught him by now.

Agreed. It's always curious to me when you have some crimes with minimal evidence, yet they are often ingeniously solved, then you have these, which is a relative evidential goldmine, yet it remains open. Sure, if it were just a robbery, you'd almost expect it wouldn't get the same level of work, but a woman died here in a sadistic manner, you'd think it would be the kind of case that gets LE's blood boiling.

Just watched this last night and noticed that the man playing Tom Johnson is Steven Quadros. He was one of the announcers for Pride fighting and now works for Strikforce. How crazy

Tom Johnson must feel pretty stupid these days...

Tom Johnson probably made a killing in selling that technology. I'm sure he doesn't have a lot of scruples to worry about how he made that money.

I know this probably isn't a popular opinion here, but has anyone entertained the possibility that the boyfriend himself made this whole story up? I am not saying that's what happened or that it's the most likely scenario, but it has crossed my mind. Some of the things in the story just don't add up. It seems everything went exactly right for Johnson, when there could have been a lot of things go wrong. Plus it's convenient that the BF survived.

However, since the police claim this Johnson had made other attempts at the same scam sort of fortifies the theory that "Johnson" does exist. Plus you have the fact that the BF was injured (though the segment did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries).

I know this probably isn't a popular opinion here, but has anyone entertained the possibility that the boyfriend himself made this whole story up? I am not saying that's what happened or that it's the most likely scenario, but it has crossed my mind. Some of the things in the story just don't add up. It seems everything went exactly right for Johnson, when there could have been a lot of things go wrong. Plus it's convenient that the BF survived.

However, since the police claim this Johnson had made other attempts at the same scam sort of fortifies the theory that "Johnson" does exist. Plus you have the fact that the BF was injured (though the segment did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries).
I thought that too but didnt Johnson also meet with someone else from the company before meeting the couple in the hotel? And wouldnt the hotel clerk been able to confirm that johnson had been there??

I know this probably isn't a popular opinion here, but has anyone entertained the possibility that the boyfriend himself made this whole story up? I am not saying that's what happened or that it's the most likely scenario, but it has crossed my mind. Some of the things in the story just don't add up. It seems everything went exactly right for Johnson, when there could have been a lot of things go wrong. Plus it's convenient that the BF survived.

However, since the police claim this Johnson had made other attempts at the same scam sort of fortifies the theory that "Johnson" does exist. Plus you have the fact that the BF was injured (though the segment did not elaborate on the extent of his injuries).

This is one of the most offensive posts I think I've ever read about Jeremy. I understand why, not knowing him, you might think this story is "made up". Trust me. This story is true. It really happened as horribly as has been reported.

I was blessed to have witnessed the love Jeremy and Heather shared. Heather and I worked in radio together while Jeremy and I worked at the campus t.v. station. I introduced them after Heather whispered to me that she thought Jeremy was kinda cute. As a person who saw the trauma both my friends suffered, I can tell you FOR A FACT this horrible tragedy is, sadly, very true.

Every so often I do a search on their names to see if this case has ever been solved and EVERY time I am dismayed to learn it hasn't.

Jeremy and Heather were two young people in love. I think of them often and miss them always.

I also fully believe that Jeremy was innocent. There's no way someone sane would hit himself in the back of the head repeatedly with a claw hammer and sustain such injuries just to fake an attack. The injuries would be superficial or in non-lethal areas, just like in Jeffrey MacDonald's case.

did the apple quattro ever turn up? it seems a 30k desktop would be few and far between in those days.....ever any serial # turn up? repairs? could it be tracked via software updates, those kind of things

This is one of the most offensive posts I think I've ever read about Jeremy. I understand why, not knowing him, you might think this story is "made up". Trust me. This story is true. It really happened as horribly as has been reported.

I was blessed to have witnessed the love Jeremy and Heather shared. Heather and I worked in radio together while Jeremy and I worked at the campus t.v. station. I introduced them after Heather whispered to me that she thought Jeremy was kinda cute. As a person who saw the trauma both my friends suffered, I can tell you FOR A FACT this horrible tragedy is, sadly, very true.

Every so often I do a search on their names to see if this case has ever been solved and EVERY time I am dismayed to learn it hasn't.

Jeremy and Heather were two young people in love. I think of them often and miss them always.
I never got the impression that Jeremy made this up. Even though his image was obscured in the interview, Jeremy's grief was palpable.

I understand why someone would need to ask this question; however, my understanding is that the police have a strong suspect in the murder and that the suspect is deceased. So I'm not sure why anyone is asking NOW if he made it up. It is so sad that justice for this horrible crime might never be done on earth.

Thanks for posting. It's so important for everyone on this message board to be in touch with the victims' loved ones. We truly care about these cases and want to see them solved.

5) The woman that may have tried to prevent the scam: The motel clerk didn't get a good enough look at her to give a composite?
6) The woman didn't touch anything in the lobby while she was reporting the "disturbance?"


It doesn't shock me that the clerk couldn't give a full composite, besides, if the composite of Tom hasn't really helped, would the woman's?



The composite of Tom coupled with a composite of the woman may have gotten the attention of someone who had seen them together. Someone who wasn't sure of the Tom one alone could have been given that extra push to call if a composite of Tom's wife, girlfriend or whoever she was was shown and the person recognized them both.

When he has Heather and her boyfriend wrap themselves up in the sheets, he says something to the effect of "Your company's going to get a certified check, I'm going to get my computer and that will be that." This kind of leads me to believe that he didn't plan on attacking them originally, as I don't know why he would say they were going to get a check if he planned on killing them. But then again I don't know. Did he just snap, or had he planned to kill/harm them after all?
first off the company getting a certified check in my book could be a big lie. As for "Tom's" plans, after watching the segment, i think he DID plan on killing them, in the segment, some woman complained about noise which (in the segment) police suspect that the woman was an accompliss who changed her mind after hearing "Tom's" plans, by the way i am putting Tom in quotes because i think that was a fake name.

I understand why someone would need to ask this question; however, my understanding is that the police have a strong suspect in the murder and that the suspect is deceased.

This is great news! Where did you read/hear this at?

WOW TOM JOHNSON IS PLAYED BY STEPHEN QUADROS! WOW!

This is great news! Where did you read/hear this at?
I read it on this message board. Look through earlier posts in this thread about Tom Steeples.

When he has Heather and her boyfriend wrap themselves up in the sheets, he says something to the effect of "Your company's going to get a certified check, I'm going to get my computer and that will be that." This kind of leads me to believe that he didn't plan on attacking them originally, as I don't know why he would say they were going to get a check if he planned on killing them. But then again I don't know. Did he just snap, or had he planned to kill/harm them after all?


He says "insurance check", meaning the company had the computer insured against theft and wouldn't be out $30000 grand.

As far as the computer, it was souped up and bundled with software etc. for one very specific purpose: non-linear digital video editing. Jeremy's company made music videos in Nashville, and this would have been the perfect system for such an application (it could have been used for short films or commercials, but these would have been less likely at the time).

So, the most probable market for such a computer, as far as I can tell, would be a music video production company, either an upstart or one that is looking to upgrade from a linear video editing system. At the time, music video production was mainly centralized (in the U.S.) to Nashville and L.A. (and maybe a little bit in NY). This is a very specific market, so attempting to resell the computer (in the U.S. at least) would have been difficult even if it wasn't stolen, and selling a stolen one would've most certainly raised some major red flags. If "Tom Johnson" wanted to resell the computer in the U.S., he probably would've had to put an ad out in Los Angeles, advertising that it's a very souped up version of the Quadra 950 (again, giant red flag). Either that, or attempt to sell it directly to production companies as an upgrade from their current system. I'd imagine that he would've been caught if he attempted to go through that process.

My best bet is that he knew of someone that needed such a computer (maybe through a friend), saw the ad, put two and two together, and came up with the scheme, with the idea that he would sell it to this person "under the table", without leaving much of a paper trail. The buyer (or someone close to them) would've had to have never known of the Unsolved Mysteries segment (or the press clippings). Otherwise, they would have figured out that they had bought the Quadra stolen from Jeremy, considering the very specific specs of the computer. Either that, or "Johnson" had a deal with some foreign black market, but that introduces the problem of delivering it out of the country.

Regardless, I can pretty much eliminate that "Tom" wanted the computer for personal use. The other option is that he didn't really want the computer except as a trophy, and only went through with the scheme as some sort of sick sadistic fantasy, that his "goal" was, in effect, to kill two people, rather than to get the computer. This would explain the unnecessary brutality for what should've been a fairly routine robbery. After all, as mentioned above, if the computer was insured, Jeremy probably would not have been a threat to try and prevent the robbery, especially with a man with a gun. It wasn't his property to begin with, and the company he works for would have been reimbursed anyway.

This Tom Steeples guy definitely seems like the most likely suspect. For one "Johnson" is such an archetypical last name for someone to use, and that alone makes me think this guy was not a professional. It also seems likely that he would use his real first name, since he doesn't seem very bright. Also, Steeples had got himself into a lot of debt, and what better way to pay it all off by selling a "super computer" for 30k? Tack on the fact that Steeples committed an almost identical crime by murdering another couple in a hotel room in Tennessee, and I think he's definitely the most likely suspect. Thankfully, he's dead. Unfortunately however, we'll never know for sure if he was "Tom Johnson" or not.

As to Johnson's plans, I think he was going to steal the computer so he could sell it to erase debts he wanted to pay off. I too do not like blaming the victims, especially since Jeremy and Heather seemed young and naive, but the company Jeremy worked for should have been held accountable somewhat. They did no background check on this Johnson guy, which you would think they should have done a credit check on him since they were selling the computer for 30k. Based off of what was recreated on UM it seemes like Johnson hit Jeremy once, but he hit Heather repeatedly. I know everyone is different, and we really don't know what we would do in certain situations, but if I heard my fiancee/wife/girlfriend screaming while a man was attacking her with a hammer, he's going to have to kill me or I'd kill him. Period.

I was trying to find additional information on Tom Steeples, but the links are no longer valid. This case always interested me. I know that Tom Steeples committed suicide in 1994, but does anyone have any information on the circumstances...i.e. was law enforcement closing in? Does anyone have any information on his wife Tillie or on the other murders he may have committed?

Looked a little bit and didn't find much but it looks like he may, not counting Heather, have murdered at least 3 other people:

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/and-the-winners-are/Content?oid=1194126

Asked to name cases that had deep personal impact, Postiglione and Pridemore almost simultaneously cite a young couple from California brutally murdered in 1994 in a Murfreesboro Road motel room. The year before, Pridemore was the detective on call for a murder in which the body had been burned, and Postiglione was his backup. A suspect, Tom Steeples, was arrested and charged, but made bond. Less than a year later, Kelli Phillips, 24 years old, and her husband Rob, 21, were found beaten to death in a motel room. She had also been raped. The crime scene was so horrific that neither detective will describe it. There were details about the murder that made both of them think of Tom Steeples. They let it be known to the media that they would be looking for witnesses in the area and, while questioning employees of a nearby club, Steeples called the owner and threatened him. In fact, he had been there on the night the young couple—who had come to Nashville to pursue careers in country music—had taken part in a talent show. He presented himself as a talent scout, returned with them to their motel room and killed them. “They were just this sweet, naive young couple from California,” says Postiglione, a puzzled tone in his voice, even after 25 years of seeing dead people and the people who kill them. “They were so unlucky to run into him of all people, for him to be out on bond from another murder. He had no reason to kill them. We didn’t even get to bring him to trial because he killed himself in jail. His wife snuck in the drugs, and he overdosed.”

Here is additional link that talks briefly about the murder of Rob and Kellie Phillips:

http://books.google.com/books?id=bA65yWDZrPEC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=tom+steeples+1994&source=bl&ots=EuXveGPvec&sig=tNl17QKjXoloeSxrhN_F24CmCDg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0AwCT_WfLIHAgQfV3ZXdBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=tom%20steeples%201994&f=false

Here is another linK:

http://www.skcentral.com/news.php?readmore=2307

"Postiglione also is credited with the 1994 arrest of murderer Thomas Steeples, a cocaine addict who had accumulated deep gambling debts playing video poker. He killed a Lebanon Pike bar owner to whom he owed a gambling debt.

Steeples was out on bond awaiting trial in that case when he was arrested in May 1994 for the double slaying of a newlywed California couple who had recently moved to town."

And finally:

http://www.alldeaf.com/topic-debates/50472-death-penalty-12.html

Bond of Sorrow
A support group helps families of murder victims find some comfort in knowing they aren't bearing their loads of grief alone.
Published on 06/10/01
BY JENNIFER BERRY HAWES
The Post and Courier Staff

"COUNTRY MUSIC DREAMS

Robb Phillips used to retrieve the newspaper from his mother's driveway, bringing it to her with a promise: "Some day my picture is going to be on the front page."

Robb had planned to be a musician ever since he was 5 years old and got up in front of his church for an impromptu "Jesus Loves Me." He grew into a teen with a penchant for Western dress and a passion for country music.

A lanky man with bright blue eyes, Robb became a popular singer in the San Diego area where he and his new wife lived. He revered George Strait and formed a band called The Charleston County Band, named after the place Robb loved.

He became known for ending every show singing his idol's "I Cross My Heart," always calling up his beautiful blond wife, Kelli, squatting down and singing it right to her.

At 24, his musical career had been building up to that March 1994 day when he and Kelli drove to the country music capital to meet a producer and discuss a recording contract.

The couple planned to stop in Nashville before heading to South Carolina, where Robb wanted to show Kelli, his wife of just three months, the Holy City's lush beauty.

But Robb never showed up at the recording studio. Kelli didn't show for a catering job she'd lined up.

Kelli's mom called Ann Phillips first. The Tennessee police had called her to say there had been "an accident" in Nashville. Ann thought they'd been in a car wreck.

Hours passed before her doorbell rang. A police officer asked her other son, who was living at home, to step outside. Her first thought was that the son had gotten in some sort of trouble.

Another officer told Ann that Robb and Kelli had been found murdered in their hotel room. They'd been beaten. Kelli had been raped. The killer remained at large.

Ann's best friend hurried over. When Ann opened the door, she saw TV news crews setting up outside her San Diego home. Word was getting out over the country music radio stations. On TV, news of the killings broke in every 10 to 15 minutes, with footage of the body bags being removed.

The next morning, Ann walked down her driveway and picked up the newspaper. She unrolled it and there, on the front page, was Robb's picture. She collapsed, sobbing, in the driveway.

Over the next days and weeks, countless stories would run in the Nashville and San Diego newspapers. Some would be rife with errors that the police told reporters in hopes of throwing off the killer. Things about a hit killing, mostly.

Nor were the police always straight with Ann and David. "When you go to a doctor, you want to know the truth," says David, who adopted his stepson as a toddler. "It's wrong. They should spit it out."

Finally, Ann amassed enough courage - or was it anger? - to ask a detective, "Who died first?" Did her son watch his wife be tortured? Or did he return to their hotel room and surprise the killer?

The police told her that Robb appeared to have died first. It looked as if the couple had been in Nashville barely eight hours, just long enough to check into a hotel and play in a contest at a nearby club. That's where they met a man named Thomas Steeples.

Robb won the contest and called his mom to tell her he'd won $100. He held out the phone so she could hear the music in the background.

Kelli went back to the hotel while Robb ran out to get some food.

A housekeeper found their battered bodies the next day.

Inside the salmon door of Room 112, Robb lay dead with his skull smashed, his body too damaged for his parents to see. Police identified Robb by his fingerprints, Kelli by her dental records.

David often withdrew into a favorite deer stand, a private place where a man can think and pray and let his anger loose. Months passed before Ann could even dress to leave the house.

Finally, David convinced her to join him at a new McDonald's nearby. She put on her fuzzy slippers and robe. He sent her back to dress, and finally she did, taking a small, yet large, step in resuming something like a normal life.

Nashville police finally arrested the 49-year-old Steeples, a computer-supply-store owner who was out on bond for allegedly killing his business partner.

Five months later, Steeple killed himself by ingesting six grams of cocaine smuggled to him in jail while he awaited trial. His suicide left the Phillips with a complicated ending to their nightmare, one that robbed them of any real closure, if closure is possible after your child has been murdered.

Ann left California and returned to Charleston, where David already was, eventually taking a job in the victim/witness department of the solicitor's office.

"This is my justice," she says.

Yet, the woman who once crossed the United States alone now won't go to Wal-Mart after dark.

Seven years later, there are days when she still cannot fathom the gruesome scene, the terror, the fact that Robb is gone.

"In some ways, I still think that I will open the door and he'll be there. Maybe that sounds silly," she says.

And then there's the anger, a constant simmer on some days, a raging fury on others. "There are days when I could tear this house down with my own hands," Ann says.

Robb had two children from his first marriage, and today they are 9 and 11. An aunt made them two scrapbooks to help them know their daddy and how he died.

In one, she tucked the police report and dozens of newspaper clippings that Ann still hasn't been able to read. She can't move her eyes past the headlines that read something like, "Two Slain Bodies Found in Motel."

In the other scrapbook, she put the family's favorite pictures. Many show Robb with a happy Kelli, with her striking blond beauty, the petite body and big eyes that Robb loved - and that most likely drew the killer's eye.

The Phillips also have created something of a shrine. In a bedroom of their West Ashley home hang Robb's military flag, pictures of his children and a large photograph of Robb as a young Navy man. They had framed that picture for Kelli, and she carried it on the front seat of their truck when they left San Diego that day.

When Ann got it back from the police, she had to wipe off the blood.

By the time Robb was killed, Ann already had buried her parents. But this was so different. She rarely goes to his grave and can't look at the tombstone when she does. She doesn't even like to drive the section of Highway 61 near the cemetery.

Her anger brims as she describes how she raised her son to believe in God and to trust in a guardian angel. "Where was his guardian angel?" she fumes. "Taking a coffee break?" "

Tom Steeples was much older that late 20s or early 30s that UM mentioned in the "Tom Johnson" segment but everything else is very similar. I wonder if Jeremy was ever shown a picture of Tom Steeples? I also wonder how long it took law enforcement to recognize that Steeples was a viabe suspect in the Heather Uffelman murder, considering the original segment was filmed in 1994, the same year Steeples murdered Kellie and Rob, and later committed suicide.

What a piece of sh*t. Who knows if he was doing coke and playing video poker in 1992 when Heather was murdered, but it's just too bad he never had to stand trial on the murders. You can only hope he is held accountable in the afterlife.

I was trying to find additional information on Tom Steeples, but the links are no longer valid. This case always interested me. I know that Tom Steeples committed suicide in 1994, but does anyone have any information on the circumstances...i.e. was law enforcement closing in? Does anyone have any information on his wife Tillie or on the other murders he may have committed?

Looked a little bit and didn't find much but it looks like he may, not counting Heather, have murdered at least 3 other people:

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/and-the-winners-are/Content?oid=1194126

Asked to name cases that had deep personal impact, Postiglione and Pridemore almost simultaneously cite a young couple from California brutally murdered in 1994 in a Murfreesboro Road motel room. The year before, Pridemore was the detective on call for a murder in which the body had been burned, and Postiglione was his backup. A suspect, Tom Steeples, was arrested and charged, but made bond. Less than a year later, Kelli Phillips, 24 years old, and her husband Rob, 21, were found beaten to death in a motel room. She had also been raped. The crime scene was so horrific that neither detective will describe it. There were details about the murder that made both of them think of Tom Steeples. They let it be known to the media that they would be looking for witnesses in the area and, while questioning employees of a nearby club, Steeples called the owner and threatened him. In fact, he had been there on the night the young couple—who had come to Nashville to pursue careers in country music—had taken part in a talent show. He presented himself as a talent scout, returned with them to their motel room and killed them. “They were just this sweet, naive young couple from California,” says Postiglione, a puzzled tone in his voice, even after 25 years of seeing dead people and the people who kill them. “They were so unlucky to run into him of all people, for him to be out on bond from another murder. He had no reason to kill them. We didn’t even get to bring him to trial because he killed himself in jail. His wife snuck in the drugs, and he overdosed.”

Here is additional link that talks briefly about the murder of Rob and Kellie Phillips:

http://books.google.com/books?id=bA65yWDZrPEC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=tom+steeples+1994&source=bl&ots=EuXveGPvec&sig=tNl17QKjXoloeSxrhN_F24CmCDg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0AwCT_WfLIHAgQfV3ZXdBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=tom%20steeples%201994&f=false

Here is another linK:

http://www.skcentral.com/news.php?readmore=2307

"Postiglione also is credited with the 1994 arrest of murderer Thomas Steeples, a cocaine addict who had accumulated deep gambling debts playing video poker. He killed a Lebanon Pike bar owner to whom he owed a gambling debt.

Steeples was out on bond awaiting trial in that case when he was arrested in May 1994 for the double slaying of a newlywed California couple who had recently moved to town."

And finally:

http://www.alldeaf.com/topic-debates/50472-death-penalty-12.html

Bond of Sorrow
A support group helps families of murder victims find some comfort in knowing they aren't bearing their loads of grief alone.
Published on 06/10/01
BY JENNIFER BERRY HAWES
The Post and Courier Staff

"COUNTRY MUSIC DREAMS

Robb Phillips used to retrieve the newspaper from his mother's driveway, bringing it to her with a promise: "Some day my picture is going to be on the front page."

Robb had planned to be a musician ever since he was 5 years old and got up in front of his church for an impromptu "Jesus Loves Me." He grew into a teen with a penchant for Western dress and a passion for country music.

A lanky man with bright blue eyes, Robb became a popular singer in the San Diego area where he and his new wife lived. He revered George Strait and formed a band called The Charleston County Band, named after the place Robb loved.

He became known for ending every show singing his idol's "I Cross My Heart," always calling up his beautiful blond wife, Kelli, squatting down and singing it right to her.

At 24, his musical career had been building up to that March 1994 day when he and Kelli drove to the country music capital to meet a producer and discuss a recording contract.

The couple planned to stop in Nashville before heading to South Carolina, where Robb wanted to show Kelli, his wife of just three months, the Holy City's lush beauty.

But Robb never showed up at the recording studio. Kelli didn't show for a catering job she'd lined up.

Kelli's mom called Ann Phillips first. The Tennessee police had called her to say there had been "an accident" in Nashville. Ann thought they'd been in a car wreck.

Hours passed before her doorbell rang. A police officer asked her other son, who was living at home, to step outside. Her first thought was that the son had gotten in some sort of trouble.

Another officer told Ann that Robb and Kelli had been found murdered in their hotel room. They'd been beaten. Kelli had been raped. The killer remained at large.

Ann's best friend hurried over. When Ann opened the door, she saw TV news crews setting up outside her San Diego home. Word was getting out over the country music radio stations. On TV, news of the killings broke in every 10 to 15 minutes, with footage of the body bags being removed.

The next morning, Ann walked down her driveway and picked up the newspaper. She unrolled it and there, on the front page, was Robb's picture. She collapsed, sobbing, in the driveway.

Over the next days and weeks, countless stories would run in the Nashville and San Diego newspapers. Some would be rife with errors that the police told reporters in hopes of throwing off the killer. Things about a hit killing, mostly.

Nor were the police always straight with Ann and David. "When you go to a doctor, you want to know the truth," says David, who adopted his stepson as a toddler. "It's wrong. They should spit it out."

Finally, Ann amassed enough courage - or was it anger? - to ask a detective, "Who died first?" Did her son watch his wife be tortured? Or did he return to their hotel room and surprise the killer?

The police told her that Robb appeared to have died first. It looked as if the couple had been in Nashville barely eight hours, just long enough to check into a hotel and play in a contest at a nearby club. That's where they met a man named Thomas Steeples.

Robb won the contest and called his mom to tell her he'd won $100. He held out the phone so she could hear the music in the background.

Kelli went back to the hotel while Robb ran out to get some food.

A housekeeper found their battered bodies the next day.

Inside the salmon door of Room 112, Robb lay dead with his skull smashed, his body too damaged for his parents to see. Police identified Robb by his fingerprints, Kelli by her dental records.

David often withdrew into a favorite deer stand, a private place where a man can think and pray and let his anger loose. Months passed before Ann could even dress to leave the house.

Finally, David convinced her to join him at a new McDonald's nearby. She put on her fuzzy slippers and robe. He sent her back to dress, and finally she did, taking a small, yet large, step in resuming something like a normal life.

Nashville police finally arrested the 49-year-old Steeples, a computer-supply-store owner who was out on bond for allegedly killing his business partner.

Five months later, Steeple killed himself by ingesting six grams of cocaine smuggled to him in jail while he awaited trial. His suicide left the Phillips with a complicated ending to their nightmare, one that robbed them of any real closure, if closure is possible after your child has been murdered.

Ann left California and returned to Charleston, where David already was, eventually taking a job in the victim/witness department of the solicitor's office.

"This is my justice," she says.

Yet, the woman who once crossed the United States alone now won't go to Wal-Mart after dark.

Seven years later, there are days when she still cannot fathom the gruesome scene, the terror, the fact that Robb is gone.

"In some ways, I still think that I will open the door and he'll be there. Maybe that sounds silly," she says.

And then there's the anger, a constant simmer on some days, a raging fury on others. "There are days when I could tear this house down with my own hands," Ann says.

Robb had two children from his first marriage, and today they are 9 and 11. An aunt made them two scrapbooks to help them know their daddy and how he died.

In one, she tucked the police report and dozens of newspaper clippings that Ann still hasn't been able to read. She can't move her eyes past the headlines that read something like, "Two Slain Bodies Found in Motel."

In the other scrapbook, she put the family's favorite pictures. Many show Robb with a happy Kelli, with her striking blond beauty, the petite body and big eyes that Robb loved - and that most likely drew the killer's eye.

The Phillips also have created something of a shrine. In a bedroom of their West Ashley home hang Robb's military flag, pictures of his children and a large photograph of Robb as a young Navy man. They had framed that picture for Kelli, and she carried it on the front seat of their truck when they left San Diego that day.

When Ann got it back from the police, she had to wipe off the blood.

By the time Robb was killed, Ann already had buried her parents. But this was so different. She rarely goes to his grave and can't look at the tombstone when she does. She doesn't even like to drive the section of Highway 61 near the cemetery.

Her anger brims as she describes how she raised her son to believe in God and to trust in a guardian angel. "Where was his guardian angel?" she fumes. "Taking a coffee break?" "

Tom Steeples was much older that late 20s or early 30s that UM mentioned in the "Tom Johnson" segment but everything else is very similar. I wonder if Jeremy was ever shown a picture of Tom Steeples? I also wonder how long it took law enforcement to recognize that Steeples was a viabe suspect in the Heather Uffelman murder, considering the original segment was filmed in 1994, the same year Steeples murdered Kellie and Rob, and later committed suicide.

What a piece of sh*t. Who knows if he was doing coke and playing video poker in 1992 when Heather was murdered, but it's just too bad he never had to stand trial on the murders. You can only hope he is held accountable in the afterlife.
Good find, This seems like a real possibility

This Tom Steeples guy definitely seems like the most likely suspect. For one "Johnson" is such an archetypical last name for someone to use, and that alone makes me think this guy was not a professional. It also seems likely that he would use his real first name, since he doesn't seem very bright. Also, Steeples had got himself into a lot of debt, and what better way to pay it all off by selling a "super computer" for 30k? Tack on the fact that Steeples committed an almost identical crime by murdering another couple in a hotel room in Tennessee, and I think he's definitely the most likely suspect. Thankfully, he's dead. Unfortunately however, we'll never know for sure if he was "Tom Johnson" or not.


I personally think it would've been impossible to sell the computer for 30k (or even 20k+) on the black market. If I had to guess, the most you could have gotten for a used top end Quadra on the black market would've been like a couple thousand dollars or something. The hard drive and RAM were jacked up in order to support a non-linear editing system, and the editing software was bundled with the computer, but that probably wouldn't be a selling point on the black market. Of course, if Johnson already had a seller in mind, the point is moot, but the market for that particular system and software would've been incredibly slim and probably traceable (as I said in my previous post, a smaller music video production company).

If "Johnson" stole the computer with the idea of selling it on the black market, it seems like a very stupid and inefficient way to make money as a thief, not even taking into account that he murdered someone. Maybe "Johnson" did it impulsively without realizing how difficult it would be to sell the computer, but spending 90 minutes or so with the couple doesn't scream "impulsive" to me, but seems sadistic instead. It still looks to me that stealing the computer was merely secondary to the crime, and that it was more of a "thrill murder".

Maybe "Johnson" did it impulsively without realizing how difficult it would be to sell the computer, but spending 90 minutes or so with the couple doesn't scream "impulsive" to me, but seems sadistic instead. It still looks to me that stealing the computer was merely secondary to the crime, and that it was more of a "thrill murder".

This is what I think happened. I think "Johnson" saw the price that was being offered to buy the computer, figured he could possibly sell it at the same or an even higher price without realizing just how hard it would have been to find a buyer. I think the asking price of the computer is what initially attracted him, IMO.

if only tom had an iphone, then he wouldnt have had to resort to murder.........

is thair a knowen picture of tom steeples to compare to the drawing of tom johnson that was on unsolved mystryes i have never actuly seen a pecture of tom steeples doee he look like the police drawing

Apologies for bumping this thread.

For me, this has always been a particularly disturbing case. Just the absolutely bizarre nature of it all. I also found it odd that the attack in this case was in some ways (completely coincidentally) quite similar to the Zodiac attack at Lake Berryessa. At gunpoint, the killer makes a male/female couple get on the ground and restrain themselves (in one case with bindings; in the other, with bedsheets), and then, instead of using the gun, attacks them with a different weapon (in one case, a knife; in the other, a hammer). In both cases, the man survived and the woman died.

I don't know what to make of the possible accomplice. Was "Tom" waiting for her all that time? Or was he just plucking up the courage to do the deed? Was he surprised that the man had brought someone else along, and thus, "Tom" was trying to figure out how to kill both of them (a wrinkle in his plan)? I have wondered if the desk clerk might have had the time of the woman's complaint wrong, and perhaps the woman who reported a disturbance actually heard the crime in progress - but there is nothing to indicate that such an error was made, so perhaps this woman was in fact "Tom"'s accomplice. It seems all the more brazen for him to have gone ahead with the attack, possibly knowing that his erstwhile accomplice could blow the whistle on him. I don't know.

And for the posters criticizing the male victim for not doing more to help the woman - come on! IIRC, in addition to being wrapped in the bedsheet, he had been slammed in the head with a hammer! UM didn't really go into detail about the extent of his injuries, but I would assume that being hit in the head with a hammer, out of nowhere, would leave one a bit dazed and confused. And as others have said, resisting more aggressively could have made the situation worse (of course, it ended up nearly as bad as can be, but he didn't know that at the time).

Anyway, it's interesting to hear about this Steeples character.

so the guy was neve rfound?

imagine what tom johnson would do for an iPhone??

imagine what tom johnson would do for an iPhone??

That's just wrong.

Quadra's ran several thousand dollars. I am thinking "Tom Johnson (imaginative name) knew enough about computers. Remember, he had a conversation with Heather and the guy (I forget his name) for quit some time before the attack. I think he knew exactly what he was "buying" and was not looking to hawk it on the black market. The computer would have been too easy to track (akin to stealing a Bentley or Rolls Royce...it's much smarter to steal a Toyota Camry).

Sad case.

I think he just want the computer for free lance jobs. It's not a crazy guy, just an ******* who want's a free computer. The girl I supossed was his girlfriend (is he have a relationship, that tell something about him) knew his plans, but she at the end, felt guilty.

The victims were too inocents. I think the guy who lost her girlfriend, felt guilty too all this time until he died, that's maybe the reason because he move to help people in Africa (trying to solved something he can't in the past).

Personally, I'm inclined to believe that the person who reported the disturbance did report it before the attack and that it was in response to the decision on Tom's part to murder the couple. By saying that they could not identify where the hammer was purchased, the police imply that it the condition of the hammer showed that it was new. I think that it is possible that Tom Johnson bought the hammer on the way to the meeting or possibly even while Jeremy and Heather were having breakfast. I believe it is possible he made the decision to commit murder because Jeremy brought Heather along. Two eyewitnesses to ID him later would be a lot more convincing in court than just one. I think the gun was probably not loaded, and at the last minute, Tom thought that buying a hammer would be less conspicuous that purchasing ammunition. It would also draw less attention from people as it would be quieter than shooting them.

I haven't seen the segment in forever, but I do remember reading some speculation about the lady witness may have been an accomplice of Tom Johnson. If I'm remembering it right, wasn't there a lady who reported some noises coming from the room Johnson and his victims were in? And didn't she report it to the front desk? I would just chalk it up to the lady hearing something supsicious (possibly Heather crying or screaming) which is why she went to the clerk to report it.

I haven't seen the segment in forever, but I do remember reading some speculation about the lady witness may have been an accomplice of Tom Johnson. If I'm remembering it right, wasn't there a lady who reported some noises coming from the room Johnson and his victims were in? And didn't she report it to the front desk? I would just chalk it up to the lady hearing something supsicious (possibly Heather crying or screaming) which is why she went to the clerk to report it.


According to my reading, the noise complaint was made to the front desk during the time that Jeremy and Heather were out having breakfast. That was the reason police speculated that the woman making the complaint was an accomplice of "Tom Johnson" in the first place. I'm going to have to re-watch this segment this evening.

It would also draw less attention from people as it would be quieter than shooting them.

I'm not sure I agree with that. If he had killed them with a gun, it almost assuredly would have been a lot quicker. The attack with the hammer was a lot longer -- he had to subdue them, then go back and forth between attacking Heather and Jeremy. I also seem to recall Jeremy mentioning that Heather was screaming horrible screams. I'm not entirely sure what to make of the noise complaint, but if the neighbor really did hear noise and complain, then that would be another thing to point to the hammer attack drawing more attention to it than a shooting might have.

According to my reading, the noise complaint was made to the front desk during the time that Jeremy and Heather were out having breakfast. That was the reason police speculated that the woman making the complaint was an accomplice of "Tom Johnson" in the first place. I'm going to have to re-watch this segment this evening.

If this is true, then the woman most certainly was an accomplice who got cold feet and tried to stop "Johnson" before he could attack the couple.

For me, this is what it happen:

1. The guy TJ (probbably a nick name) is one of these guys who is poor but he think he's tallented in designing or editing video stuff. So, he always phantasies about how it would be if he have a big PC, for free lance jobs.
2. He take a look in the newspaper about a really great PC.
3. He probbably think too, that how amazing is when someone stole things to others. All is free, you don't have to pay anithing. Im convenced that this guy, TJ, don't have principles, and moral.
4. He visit the victims for checking the PC, and he think that he'll gona stole'em.
5. In the first place, TJ went with his girlfriend, and tell her that he'll gona stole the other guy, without killing him. It's a great risk, but hi can make it.
6. When he meet the victim, he realices that there gona be 2 victims (this is the point when he decided to kill). When he have breakfast with them, it's probabbly that he have doubts to continue, so the brakfast time is the time to think about this. But the "victims" who don't know nothing about his real plans, indirectly push him to continue (obviously they have differents ends for this story).
7. After that, TJ talk with his girlfriend and told her that he'll gona kill the victims. His girlfriend don't support the idea, but the guy don't listen to her and order her to waiting in his car.
8. TJ practice the dialogue ("Your secure pay you for this",.. bla bla), and when he says that, he knows that is a lie, but is much better for him because the victims are going to contribuite with him following his instrucctions.
9. While all this happen, his girlfriend (TJ girlfriend), can't wait without doing nothing, and call the cops, and talk with the manager. She don't say exactly what's happening because she knew that she is a complished because she is with TJ, and the police is not going to believe her is she say the trueth. The only thing she can make is induce the people/police to stop TJ plans.
10. TJ kill the victims, but he failed with the guy (who survive). Also it's probabbly that the hammer he use is found by him in other ocation, so he knew that he is gonna to be safe using it.
11. He met his girlfriend after all, she confessed what she did, but he forgives her because he know that death people (the victims, I mean) can't talk.

End.


PD: Sorry english is not my native language

I'm not sure I agree with that. If he had killed them with a gun, it almost assuredly would have been a lot quicker. The attack with the hammer was a lot longer -- he had to subdue them, then go back and forth between attacking Heather and Jeremy. I also seem to recall Jeremy mentioning that Heather was screaming horrible screams. I'm not entirely sure what to make of the noise complaint, but if the neighbor really did hear noise and complain, then that would be another thing to point to the hammer attack drawing more attention to it than a shooting might have.

I should have been more explicit. My line of thinking wasn't that it would actually more quiet and draw less attention. I meant that in "Tom's" mind it would be a quieter, less attention getting method of murder. I don't think he was an experienced killer and I don't think it crossed his mind that they would scream or make a ruckus once he had subdued them.

was there any reason they met in a secluded hotel room instead of a public place? If they did, Johnson's plan would have been out the window

was there any reason they met in a secluded hotel room instead of a public place? If they did, Johnson's plan would have been out the window

That was at Johnson's request. I even think Jeremy said something to the effect that this was much more convenient for him too, as he would often be given addresses in industrial parks and such that were rather difficult to find.

This is a sad case. If I was in that situation I would look for an opportunity to attack and take control of the situation. It may not happen but it would be hard to sit back and let someone beat my wife/girlfriend. Its hard to say exactly what I would do until put in that situation but id surely look for an opportunity to react.

one thing I wouldn't do is to be in a hotel room with a stranger no matter how trustworthy they may seem.

This is a sad case. If I was in that situation I would look for an opportunity to attack and take control of the situation. It may not happen but it would be hard to sit back and let someone beat my wife/girlfriend. Its hard to say exactly what I would do until put in that situation but id surely look for an opportunity to react.

one thing I wouldn't do is to be in a hotel room with a stranger no matter how trustworthy they may seem.

IIRC, Jeremy was the one attacked first. He may not have been able to do much after being hit repeatedly with a hammer.

This is a sad case. If I was in that situation I would look for an opportunity to attack and take control of the situation.
I'm sure everyone in similar straits would do the same.

This is a sad case. If I was in that situation I would look for an opportunity to attack and take control of the situation. It may not happen but it would be hard to sit back and let someone beat my wife/girlfriend. Its hard to say exactly what I would do until put in that situation but id surely look for an opportunity to react.

one thing I wouldn't do is to be in a hotel room with a stranger no matter how trustworthy they may seem.

Jeremy had already met with Tom Johnson about the computer and the two spent a few hours with him. He wasn't a total stranger.

Also, if you believe the segment, Jeremy was struck twice before he even hit Heather. He probably had a blackout for a few seconds and couldn't defend himself or her.

It's quite saddening to see Jeremy get repeatedly lambasted on this forum because "he didn't do anything". Some points to consider:

1) He was restrained when he was rolled up in blankets.
2) He was physically attacked himself.
3) He had been up for over 24 hours at that point. Undoubtedly, he was tired, his reflexes, mental and physical capacities and alertness were low.
4) It's usually not wise to go after somebody with a gun. (granted, this was one occasion where it *may* have been beneficial, but he had no way of knowing that. He also may have ended up dead as well.)
5) he *did* try to help Heather. Since he couldn't get to her physically, he told her "keep quiet and he'll go away." That was probably the best advice he could give her at that point. If I had to hazard a guess, Tom Johnson gave her a worse beating because she was yelling and he didn't want attention drawn to the scene. I don't know if he had plans to kill her or anyone, but it may have been an impulsive and/or unplanned murder. It may also partially explain why Jeremy lived.
6) he died a young death himself a few years after this.

was there any reason they met in a secluded hotel room instead of a public place? If they did, Johnson's plan would have been out the window

That always screamed out at me too. It's just like any Craigslist or local eBay pickup these days, it's simply common sense that its always wise to do so in public (i.e. in a shopping center or otherwise somewhat busy public area). I've done a few (both on the buying and selling end...just for small stuff) and there's no way I'd meet somebody in a hotel room or somebody's house, or even at some secluded place outside.

Heck, even once there, Jeremy could've even insisted on meeting "Tom" in the hotel lobby, or at the very least, in the parking lot. It didn't have to be down to ONLY two options of a business park or a hotel room.

And yes, the disturbance complaint was made about an hour before the attack, when Jeremy & Heather had gone out to breakfast. Perhaps the timing would've still been off or something, but I really wish the hotel clerk had pursued that further. Maybe even just the officers' presence (if they came to the room simply to investigate, and it was before the attack) would've spooked Tom enough to abandon it.

It's quite saddening to see Jeremy get repeatedly lambasted on this forum because "he didn't do anything". Some points to consider:

1) He was restrained when he was rolled up in blankets.
2) He was physically attacked himself.
3) He had been up for over 24 hours at that point. Undoubtedly, he was tired, his reflexes, mental and physical capacities and alertness were low.
4) It's usually not wise to go after somebody with a gun. (granted, this was one occasion where it *may* have been beneficial, but he had no way of knowing that. He also may have ended up dead as well.)
5) he *did* try to help Heather. Since he couldn't get to her physically, he told her "keep quiet and he'll go away." That was probably the best advice he could give her at that point. If I had to hazard a guess, Tom Johnson gave her a worse beating because she was yelling and he didn't want attention drawn to the scene. I don't know if he had plans to kill her or anyone, but it may have been an impulsive and/or unplanned murder. It may also partially explain why Jeremy lived.
6) he died a young death himself a few years after this.

When I was a kid and first saw the segment, internally I was hoping so hard (and this is BEFORE the attack) that when Tom told him to get rolled up in the blankets in the first place, he'd say "F you dude!" and throw a lamp at him or break a window so they could run off or at least attempt to.

Of course that's easier said than done, particularly when you're shocked/scared, and that sounds like something out of the movies anyway, but it was just such a senseless, horrific (and even sadder, avoidable) attack.

It's quite saddening to see Jeremy get repeatedly lambasted on this forum because "he didn't do anything". Some points to consider:

1) He was restrained when he was rolled up in blankets.
2) He was physically attacked himself.
3) He had been up for over 24 hours at that point. Undoubtedly, he was tired, his reflexes, mental and physical capacities and alertness were low.
4) It's usually not wise to go after somebody with a gun. (granted, this was one occasion where it *may* have been beneficial, but he had no way of knowing that. He also may have ended up dead as well.)
5) he *did* try to help Heather. Since he couldn't get to her physically, he told her "keep quiet and he'll go away." That was probably the best advice he could give her at that point. If I had to hazard a guess, Tom Johnson gave her a worse beating because she was yelling and he didn't want attention drawn to the scene. I don't know if he had plans to kill her or anyone, but it may have been an impulsive and/or unplanned murder. It may also partially explain why Jeremy lived.
6) he died a young death himself a few years after this.

:clap :clap :clap

Johnson also had a gun held on both Jeremy and Heather.

no the reason why tom said the company would get a certified check is because of insurance. after tom killed that guy and stole his computer the victims company would inform their insurance company about the huge theft! they would get money back from the insurance company because of the theft. as long as a company has protection insurance on its goods they will use it if necessary.

but yeah when "tom" said a certified check it did throw me off for a second too.

This was the stolen computer case. I got to thinking about it today. I'm not sure what his plans for the entire incident were, but I think his plans were somewhat ruined whatever they were. I think he would have ended up attacking Heather and her boyfriend anyways, but there a number of things that make me believe Tom Johnson had planned for things to go differently.

When he has Heather and her boyfriend wrap themselves up in the sheets, he says something to the effect of "Your company's going to get a certified check, I'm going to get my computer and that will be that." This kind of leads me to believe that he didn't plan on attacking them originally, as I don't know why he would say they were going to get a check if he planned on killing them. But then again I don't know. Did he just snap, or had he planned to kill/harm them after all?

Why did Tom Johnson stall all that time and then attack them? I believe he was waiting for his female accomplice, who never showed and instead reported a disturbance to the front desk coming from his room. I can't imagine "Tom" had originally planned to stall for that long.

I also wonder what role the female accomplice would have played, assuming the lady that came down to the desk was supposed to be the accomplice. Tom had already loaded the computer into his car, so he didn't need her there. He also ended up attacking his victims without needing his accomplice's help. So I wonder what Tom had originally intended for her to do.

And as if all that wasn't baffling enough, did he originally plan to use the gun, or did he plan to use the hammer.

This case really baffles me, any thoughts?

everyone was wondering why the heck TOM had a gun and never used it. I think perhaps his gun was never loaded and he pretended it was loaded to scare them. if he has a gun with no bullets the victims do not realize that. they believe its loaded and will obey every command just like they did.

also if there is a loud gun shot people are going to call the cops and he would perhaps be seen by people outside after the gun shot. yes, people could also call the cops when their are screams nearby, but no one did. even in other murder cases across America there were screams of women in NYC and Calfornia that never got reported right away. But gun shots get more calls.

The one thing about Tom Johnson and all those killers is God. People who believe in God and those who do not believe in Him have something in common - their actually might be a judgement day someday and those killers may have to answer to Him.

Johnson also had a gun held on both Jeremy and Heather.

do you think the motel person made a timing mistake about the noises in the motel room? the motel clerk or owner said that the woman came to his desk during the time when the couple was out to breakfast. thus she was a potential accomplice. there are some murder cases where the neighbor or family member was off by several minutes on the timing of the case or murder.

it is possible that the clerk, under pressure by the cops, made an error. maybe the lady tried to stop her friend from killing the couple. *** however I highly doubt this because if she was a potential accomplice and suspect why would she show her face to the motel clerk? couldn't she have warned him from a nearby payphone instead? this makes me believe the woman heard screams from the couple in the bedroom, the screams from the murdered lady when she was hit by the hammer!

another thing I never understood about the 'mystery accomplice' is about the screams. if this happened before the murder why would she make up a story about screams? couldn't she have said something more serious like "Tom" has a bomb in the motel room and to call the cops asap or "Tom" has a gun in the motel room and u better call the cops. I think the reason she said she heard screams is because that is what happened with that couple. The lady heard screams because she was not an accomplice and simply a person staying at the motel or checking out or walking by. I doubt she would make a story up about screams, and then ironically minutes later on screams actually happen.

during many bank robberies it is a lone person doing the bad deed. yes, sometimes there are two people or a group robbing banks. but men in groups fear that their friends will turn on them and confess to cops to get lighter sentences. that is why usually a killer or robber works alone because they do not have to worry about someone else. I think Tom worked alone. in these murder-to-steal cases it is usually one person. Just like Bev McGowans killer: UM though Alice had a male accomplice named Sam but years later a new detective show on True TV (Court TV back then) proved this when they said "Sam" was actually Alice. killers who kill to steal objects or money usually work alone.

If this is true, then the woman most certainly was an accomplice who got cold feet and tried to stop "Johnson" before he could attack the couple.

do you think the motel person made a timing mistake about the noises in the motel room? the motel clerk or owner said that the woman came to his desk during the time when the couple was out to breakfast. thus she was a potential accomplice. there are some murder cases where the neighbor or family member was off by several minutes on the timing of the case or murder.

Possibly. Either the woman was a legitimate witness who heard the noises and the clerk got the time wrong, or the woman knew what was going to happen and tried to stop "Johnson" before he carried out the attacks. But it is odd if this was his accomplice why she would wait until they were out for breakfast to report the screams. If the clerk went to check on the room and found no one in it, he wouldn't have done anything or prevented anything from happening.

There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Steeples was "Tom Johnson".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20010610&id=j5xIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1335,4582636

Steeples murdered a couple 2 years after Heather's murder. He lied to them about being a "talent scout", and coaxed them into going back to his motel room. He bludgeoned the husband to death before raping the wife and then bludgeoning her to death. Steeples also worked at a computer supply store, and was the prime suspect in a business partner's murder. Steeples was arrested, and while waiting in jail for his trial, his wife smuggled in cocaine to him where he overdosed and died before ever even going to trial. So we'll probably never know for sure, but I'm 99.9% sold on the idea that Steeples was "Johnson". That would explain why he never resurfaced (since he killed himself in 1994), and it would also explain how "Johnson" was not just some one-time thrill killer and that he actually did it again 2 years later. Plus, his wife smuggling drugs into the jail to him makes you wonder whether or not she was the lady who reported the screams to the desk clerk.

There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Steeples was "Tom Johnson".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20010610&id=j5xIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1335,4582636

Steeples murdered a couple 2 years after Heather's murder. He lied to them about being a "talent scout", and coaxed them into going back to his motel room. He bludgeoned the husband to death before raping the wife and then bludgeoning her to death. Steeples also worked at a computer supply store, and was the prime suspect in a business partner's murder. Steeples was arrested, and while waiting in jail for his trial, his wife smuggled in cocaine to him where he overdosed and died before ever even going to trial. So we'll probably never know for sure, but I'm 99.9% sold on the idea that Steeples was "Johnson". That would explain why he never resurfaced (since he killed himself in 1994), and it would also explain how "Johnson" was not just some one-time thrill killer and that he actually did it again 2 years later. Plus, his wife smuggling drugs into the jail to him makes you wonder whether or not she was the lady who reported the screams to the desk clerk.
Wow, great find! The MO sounds the same and it would definitely explain why he was never found; I never bought the theory that ''Johnson'' was a one time killler anyway. Your theory is way more believable. Surely the hotel clerk described the mystery woman to the police so perhaps they could compare his wife's photos from the 90s to his description. I wonder if a composite was made? Doubtful, as it wasn't shown on UM, but it's possible.

Even though this man is dead and sadly so are both witnesses to the crime, if Steeples is linked to the crime, it could give the families and friends of Heather and Jeremy some peace of mind that the killer is not out there anymore.

Thats very interesting, is there a picture of Tom Steeples online anywhere, i googled him and can't find his pic.

I wonder if The husband from the Tom Johnson case knows about Steeples, he should be the judge to see whether or not it's the same person, if it is, than the case is solved but he wasn't tried for Heather's murder is the only downside of it.

Thats very interesting, is there a picture of Tom Steeples online anywhere, i googled him and can't find his pic.

I wonder if The husband from the Tom Johnson case knows about Steeples, he should be the judge to see whether or not it's the same person, if it is, than the case is solved but he wasn't tried for Heather's murder is the only downside of it.
Are you referring to Jeremy, who was also attacked? Unfortunately, he died in a car accident after joining the Peace Corps. I believe that happened around 1997. :(

There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Steeples was "Tom Johnson".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20010610&id=j5xIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1335,4582636

Steeples murdered a couple 2 years after Heather's murder. He lied to them about being a "talent scout", and coaxed them into going back to his motel room. He bludgeoned the husband to death before raping the wife and then bludgeoning her to death. Steeples also worked at a computer supply store, and was the prime suspect in a business partner's murder. Steeples was arrested, and while waiting in jail for his trial, his wife smuggled in cocaine to him where he overdosed and died before ever even going to trial. So we'll probably never know for sure, but I'm 99.9% sold on the idea that Steeples was "Johnson". That would explain why he never resurfaced (since he killed himself in 1994), and it would also explain how "Johnson" was not just some one-time thrill killer and that he actually did it again 2 years later. Plus, his wife smuggling drugs into the jail to him makes you wonder whether or not she was the lady who reported the screams to the desk clerk.

If that wasn't Tom Johnson, it's his twin! In fact, it's eerily similar and just as tragic as what happened to Heather & Jeremy. :( Further proof of why meeting strangers anywhere but in pure public view isn't advisable. I wouldn't ever wish death on anyone, but in any event, this guy sure sounded like a scumbag and maybe even a sociopath.

That's a good point about the screams and the report. Didn't UM say that it was an "associate" of Tom's and not his wife or girlfriend, though? It could cast it into new light if we knew the woman was his wife. From the sounds of it (i.e. smuggling drugs into him in jail, and staying by his side), she doesn't seem like she would've gotten a pang of consciousness and tried to halt the attack.

That's a good point about the screams and the report. Didn't UM say that it was an "associate" of Tom's and not his wife or girlfriend, though? It could cast it into new light if we knew the woman was his wife. From the sounds of it (i.e. smuggling drugs into him in jail, and staying by his side), she doesn't seem like she would've gotten a pang of consciousness and tried to halt the attack.

I don't remember if UM said she was an associate, I just thought they said police want to question a possible witness who spoke with the clerk about noises. There may have been a theory presented by one of the officers that she was an accomplice that got cold feet, but I don't remember.

There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Steeples was "Tom Johnson".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20010610&id=j5xIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1335,4582636

Steeples murdered a couple 2 years after Heather's murder. He lied to them about being a "talent scout", and coaxed them into going back to his motel room. He bludgeoned the husband to death before raping the wife and then bludgeoning her to death. Steeples also worked at a computer supply store, and was the prime suspect in a business partner's murder. Steeples was arrested, and while waiting in jail for his trial, his wife smuggled in cocaine to him where he overdosed and died before ever even going to trial. So we'll probably never know for sure, but I'm 99.9% sold on the idea that Steeples was "Johnson". That would explain why he never resurfaced (since he killed himself in 1994), and it would also explain how "Johnson" was not just some one-time thrill killer and that he actually did it again 2 years later. Plus, his wife smuggling drugs into the jail to him makes you wonder whether or not she was the lady who reported the screams to the desk clerk.

That's him. That has to be him.

Interesting that he lured Jeremy and Heather to Georgia to commit his crimes instead of staying in Nashville. I wonder what led him to make that decision and then later begin committing murders locally.

For the record, the same Nashville detective team that arrested Tom Steeples investigated and were interviewed on UM about the 1989 Kevin Hughes murder. I read an article from 2006 stating that both mentioned the Tom Steeples case as having effected them most profoundly. Both refused to describe the crime scene because it was so gruesome. Steeples was also arrested for the murder of a Nashville bar owner, whose body he actually set on fire. Sick, sick dude.

There may have been a theory presented by one of the officers that she was an accomplice that got cold feet, but I don't remember.

That was mentioned, yes.

Yikes. That does sound like the same Tom Johnson. Amazing and similar circumstances all around.

But what did he get out of this second attack other than the thrill of killing? He got an expensive (for the time) computer when he attacked Jeremy and Heather. But this? I guess the "thrill" of raping a young woman. What a waste of a person. Killers like that are extra scary because it's not quick with them. They want their victims to have a very slow, drawn out, painful death.

Yikes. That does sound like the same Tom Johnson. Amazing and similar circumstances all around.

But what did he get out of this second attack other than the thrill of killing? He got an expensive (for the time) computer when he attacked Jeremy and Heather. But this? I guess the "thrill" of raping a young woman. What a waste of a person. Killers like that are extra scary because it's not quick with them. They want their victims to have a very slow, drawn out, painful death.

The motive was thought to be that he saw the woman at the bar, was attracted to her instantly, found out she was married and was with her husband, so he devised this plan to get them back to the hotel to kill the husband and rape her. Other articles say that he had a very expensive drug habit, so I could see how stealing the computer would be motive for him to sell it for drug money. He apparently owned his own computer store and was a successful business man, but he was involved in a lot of shady stuff on the side. He was thought to be a sex sadist, drug addict, involved (somewhat) in organized crime. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this was our "Tom Johnson".

Yikes. That does sound like the same Tom Johnson. Amazing and similar circumstances all around.

But what did he get out of this second attack other than the thrill of killing? He got an expensive (for the time) computer when he attacked Jeremy and Heather. But this? I guess the "thrill" of raping a young woman. What a waste of a person. Killers like that are extra scary because it's not quick with them. They want their victims to have a very slow, drawn out, painful death.

The most tragic irony is that very computer that this scumbag killed an innocent young woman for (and almost Jeremy as well) would be absolutely worthless now (or even probably by the late 90s/2000).

He was either a sociopath or some kind of sadist, I agree these are the most dangerous and calculatingly heartless killers. Obviously, the monetary value itself wasn't the only motive (if it were, he could've just done an armed robbery on a bank for that much or more), but he probably did get some sick enjoyment and thrill out of the murder itself. Particularly if he did an almost identical thing again a couple years later.

The "female accomplice backing out at the last moment" theory is the only one that makes sense, if we're to take the complaint to the front desk at face value - i.e. if it happened before the attack, when Jeremy & Heather had been out at breakfast. And judging by his wife sticking with him through a very similar murder, I doubt it would've been her. I really wonder who, though? I assume the cops interviewed the front desk clerk, and perhaps even had a time the complaint was filed, so I doubt they would've been off by an hour, if it had been another guest filing a legit complaint about the actual screams as the attack was occurring.

Are you referring to Jeremy, who was also attacked? Unfortunately, he died in a car accident after joining the Peace Corps. I believe that happened around 1997. :(


No, i was referring to the murderer Tom Steeples who committed suicide in 1994, i was wondering if there were any photos of him at all because then we can see if Steeple and Johnson look alike.

Interesting that he lured Jeremy and Heather to Georgia to commit his crimes instead of staying in Nashville. I wonder what led him to make that decision and then later begin committing murders locally.


I always found that to be an interesting and confusing aspect of this case. Apparently, Jeremy, Heather and "Tom Johnson" all lived in TN (or at least Tom claimed he did), so I always wondered why they all met in GA, especially with the knowledge that Jeremy had been up for like 30 hours at that point. I know I certainly wouldn't want to be behind the wheel of a car if I had been up for that long. And apparently, they planned to drive back after the transaction was closed?

But, I do have a possible theory on that, having just rewatched this case yesterday for the first time in years. There are two tidbits that are essentially "blink and you'll miss it" moments, but can offer big clues. First, Stack says at the beginning of the segment that Tom Johnson identified himself as a freelance worker in the field. Then, a little later, says that Jeremy's ad was placed in a trade publication.

In regards to Tom Johnson's claims of being a freelance worker, while a lot of what came out of Tom Johnson's mouth were lies, I wonder if that was at least partially true. It may also explain why the computer was never found.
Freelance workers don't have a set, 9-5 job and are at the same desk every day, so it probably wans't a matter of Tom installing the computer in his work office the next day and arousing suspicion. I wonder if he also did at least some of his work at home. In any event, I think the computer was designed for a specific purpose (music video editing was it?) so there are really only 2 places that will be useful (for the most part): Nashville and Los Angeles. By committing the crimes in Marietta, I think he was hoping police think it was more a random, crime of opportunity than a planned attack, because he knows that if the police find out the computer was designed for music video editing, and he is a freelance worker in that field, then he could wind up on the suspect list.

Which sort of ties in to my next point about trade publications. I have hardly any knowledge of trade publications, but from what I can ascertain, they aren't magazines that can be picked up by any random person at the market. Rather, they're geared toward a specific audience and the owner can create a specific recipient list. Again, I think Tom was worried this might be traced back to him if the police found out about the ad (which they did). So again, I think he lured them to Marietta to give the impression it was some local nut who committed these crimes.

I could be completely wrong, but I think it's possible.

^^^

These are good points, that also point to Steeples. He was in the computer business, and was at one time a very successful owner of a computer store.

No, i was referring to the murderer Tom Steeples who committed suicide in 1994, i was wondering if there were any photos of him at all because then we can see if Steeple and Johnson look alike.
Sorry, I was talking about the husband you mentioned in your post who you thought should look at the photos of Steeples.

That's him. That has to be him.

I am going to pick on you, MegtheEgg, but only because I respect your work and because your opinion seems representative of the group.

The thing is, I don't feel like the M.O. explained in this article about Tom Steeples, Rob, & Kelli really matches this murder at all.

One of the things that has always bugged me about this case is why Tom Johnson, whoever he was, took so much time executing his plan. He tells them he is waiting for someone he knows isn't coming (the business partner), so they go to breakfast and come back, and after getting them to load the computer in his car, he shoots the breeze with them for another 20 minutes, before Jeremy, by his own account, essentially has to goad this guy into getting the robbery plan under way by pressing the issue: JEREMY asks, essentially, "When can we get this deal done and go the hell home?", and only THEN does Tom Johnson pull the gun. Why was it necessary - or even desirable - to sit around BSing with these two people he intended to rob for 20 full minutes, pretending to wait for someone who wasn't coming?

That all says to me this was someone who was a little nervous, was somehow hoping maybe he could get an opportunity to take off with the computer without ever having to engage in a physical confrontation with Jeremy & Heather. Maybe he could talk them into taking a walk, or going to grab some coffee or whatever, and he wouldn't have to pull his gun. Then, when he finally is forced to use force, he lets Jeremy live even after Jeremy has explicitly stated to his fiancée that if she stops screaming, he'll leave. Tom Johnson heard that if I recall the segment correctly, and when she stopped screaming, he stopped hitting, and did leave. He left, in other words, knowing full well Jeremy was alive. He made no attempt to change that. He made no attempt to rape anyone. Everything about how the crime went down suggests to me he did not necessarily intend to kill these two (although he was certainly reckless if he thought hitting someone with a hammer a few times wouldn't kill them).

This Tom Steeples guy was clearly out to murder and rape. Other than that it was in a hotel room, I feel like these are very different types of crimes.

I am going to pick on you, MegtheEgg, but only because I respect your work and because your opinion seems representative of the group.

The thing is, I don't feel like the M.O. explained in this article about Tom Steeples, Rob, & Kelli really matches this murder at all.

One of the things that has always bugged me about this case is why Tom Johnson, whoever he was, took so much time executing his plan. He tells them he is waiting for someone he knows isn't coming (the business partner), so they go to breakfast and come back, and after getting them to load the computer in his car, he shoots the breeze with them for another 20 minutes, before Jeremy, by his own account, essentially has to goad this guy into getting the robbery plan under way by pressing the issue: JEREMY asks, essentially, "When can we get this deal done and go the hell home?", and only THEN does Tom Johnson pull the gun. Why was it necessary - or even desirable - to sit around BSing with these two people he intended to rob for 20 full minutes, pretending to wait for someone who wasn't coming?

That all says to me this was someone who was a little nervous, was somehow hoping maybe he could get an opportunity to take off with the computer without ever having to engage in a physical confrontation with Jeremy & Heather. Maybe he could talk them into taking a walk, or going to grab some coffee or whatever, and he wouldn't have to pull his gun. Then, when he finally is forced to use force, he lets Jeremy live even after Jeremy has explicitly stated to his fiancée that if she stops screaming, he'll leave. Tom Johnson heard that if I recall the segment correctly, and when she stopped screaming, he stopped hitting, and did leave. He left, in other words, knowing full well Jeremy was alive. He made no attempt to change that. He made no attempt to rape anyone. Everything about how the crime went down suggests to me he did not necessarily intend to kill these two (although he was certainly reckless if he thought hitting someone with a hammer a few times wouldn't kill them).

This Tom Steeples guy was clearly out to murder and rape. Other than that it was in a hotel room, I feel like these are very different types of crimes.

But you aren't factoring that "Johnson" murdered Uffelman in 1992, while the other murders occurred 2 years later, when Steeples drug habit had steadily gotten worse. If he was a novice, or amateur, or wasn't out to murder anyone, why not tie them up and simply leave? Why go out of his way to brutally beat them with a hammer? He didn't rape anyone because that wasn't the motive...the motive was to steal the computer. Drugs could have screwed him up to the point where he began to become more of a sadist and more violent than previously. Both crimes occurred where a man lied to a couple, pretending to be someone he wasn't, who just so happened to also lie to each couple and say he was waiting on another "associate" (in "Johnson's" case it was a business partner, in Steeples case he told the couple he was calling a music producer to meet them at the hotel) who also did not exist, who got each couple to meet him in a motel room, AND both couples were beaten to death. That's not a similar MO. That's exactly the same crime, save for the rape.

I guess my point is that this "Tom Johnson" had the opportunity to murder both Heather and Jeremy, had the means to do so, had to know that at least Jeremy was not dead, when he elected to stop the attack and leave... And attack he seemed reluctant to begin in the first place, given his apparent attempts to stave it off for as long as possible.

All this does not necessarily mean that Tom Johnson is NOT in fact Tom Steeples, just that I don't see how you can draw the definitive conclusion that the two men are one and the same on the basis of these two attacks.

I guess my point is that this "Tom Johnson" had the opportunity to murder both Heather and Jeremy, had the means to do so, had to know that at least Jeremy was not dead, when he elected to stop the attack and leave... And attack he seemed reluctant to begin in the first place, given his apparent attempts to stave it off for as long as possible.

All this does not necessarily mean that Tom Johnson is NOT in fact Tom Steeples, just that I don't see how you can draw the definitive conclusion that the two men are one and the same on the basis of these two attacks.

The only difference in the attacks was that Heather was not raped. We don't know whether or not "Tom Johnson" thought Heather or Jeremy were dead. In the frenzy of the attack (and amongst Heather's screams) he may not have heard Jeremy telling Heather to be quiet. Jeremy says he saw "Johnson" wiping prints, but for all we know, he thought both of them were dead due to the silence in the room.

I guess my point is that this "Tom Johnson" had the opportunity to murder both Heather and Jeremy, had the means to do so, had to know that at least Jeremy was not dead, when he elected to stop the attack and leave... And attack he seemed reluctant to begin in the first place, given his apparent attempts to stave it off for as long as possible.

I think this could be explained by the woman who reported the "disturbance" to the motel desk. If she was indeed an accomplice of Johnson's (maybe even his wife), perhaps his apparent reluctance was simply him waiting on this woman to arrive for her part in this whole scenario--which never happened. So Johnson went ahead with a quickly improvised version of the plan. This may also explain the two weapons--one person's job could have been intimidation with the handgun, the other's could have been the assault with the hammer.

All this does not necessarily mean that Tom Johnson is NOT in fact Tom Steeples, just that I don't see how you can draw the definitive conclusion that the two men are one and the same on the basis of these two attacks.

Tom Steeples committed at least one additional murder that was not sexually motivated. He killed a Nashville bar owner to whom he owed a gambling debt in 1993.

One of the things that has always bugged me about this case is why Tom Johnson, whoever he was, took so much time executing his plan. He tells them he is waiting for someone he knows isn't coming (the business partner), so they go to breakfast and come back, and after getting them to load the computer in his car, he shoots the breeze with them for another 20 minutes, before Jeremy, by his own account, essentially has to goad this guy into getting the robbery plan under way by pressing the issue: JEREMY asks, essentially, "When can we get this deal done and go the hell home?", and only THEN does Tom Johnson pull the gun. Why was it necessary - or even desirable - to sit around BSing with these two people he intended to rob for 20 full minutes, pretending to wait for someone who wasn't coming?

Your posts are so misinformed it's almost comical.

Jeremy has to essentially goad this guy into getting the robbery plan under way? That makes it seem like you're suggesting Jeremy asked for his/had it coming, which is grossly untrue. Never blame the victims.

Also, if you're going to use quotation marks, it's a good idea to use the actual statement, verbatim. Otherwise, you are paraphrasing, in which case the apostrophe is more appropriate. I'm 100% sure Jeremy never said "hell" in the re-enactment.

The fact of the matter is, we have no idea what his plan was in the first place. We have no idea if the female making the complaint was his accomplice or not. We have no idea if there really was a business partner or not. We have no idea if he brought the gun and hammer with intentions on using it on them all along, or if her brought it as a defense mechanism in case he tried to make a run for it and Jeremy gave chase. It's also important to note that I don't believe he anticipated Heather coming along with Jeremy, there's no proof he had knowledge of her being there beforehand. I think that may have even caused him to alter his plan.

That all says to me this was someone who was a little nervous, was somehow hoping maybe he could get an opportunity to take off with the computer without ever having to engage in a physical confrontation with Jeremy & Heather. Maybe he could talk them into taking a walk, or going to grab some coffee or whatever, and he wouldn't have to pull his gun. Then, when he finally is forced to use force, he lets Jeremy live even after Jeremy has explicitly stated to his fiancée that if she stops screaming, he'll leave. Tom Johnson heard that if I recall the segment correctly, and when she stopped screaming, he stopped hitting, and did leave. He left, in other words, knowing full well Jeremy was alive. He made no attempt to change that. He made no attempt to rape anyone. Everything about how the crime went down suggests to me he did not necessarily intend to kill these two (although he was certainly reckless if he thought hitting someone with a hammer a few times wouldn't kill them).

This Tom Steeples guy was clearly out to murder and rape. Other than that it was in a hotel room, I feel like these are very different types of crimes.

I actually agreed with the first part of that before your post went downhill again.

Technically, by what you are suggesting, he let Heather live also because Heather, like Jeremy, didn't expire at the scene. She lived for another few hours before dying at the hospital. So your point really makes no sense.

Also, you have your facts wrong. Jeremy stated that he told Heather to "stop screaming and he'll leave", at which point Tom began to hit him more, then turned and hit Heather more. The segment clearly states that.

just that I don't see how you can draw the definitive conclusion that the two men are one and the same on the basis of these two attacks.

I don't see how you can conclude Aeileen Conway wasn't murdered because of the presence of skid marks, but you did. But that's for another thread.

Also, you have your facts wrong. Jeremy stated that he told Heather to "stop screaming and he'll leave", at which point Tom began to hit him more, then turned and hit Heather more. The segment clearly states that.

Yes, it seems I misremembered that detail. Once you pointed it out, I realized the error - I didn't have the segment handy when I wrote up my post.

And that change does indeed make me re-think my previous post; it increases the sense that the crime was needlessly brutal. I still think it's possible, given the aggregate of circumstances, that "Tom Johnson" was trying only to knock Jeremy & Heather out (as I said in a much earlier post in this thread, I think sometimes people get the impression from movies that one blow to the head is enough to knock somebody out, but in real life it's a lot messier) so he could get away. But because he hit Jeremy some more after Jeremy said that about Tom's leaving, it makes it seem less likely.

As to the rest of your post: I guess I don't understand. Do you think that your aggressive nitpicking of my post and your open and unprovoked hostility towards me makes me look bad?

Yes, it seems I misremembered that detail. Once you pointed it out, I realized the error - I didn't have the segment handy when I wrote up my post.

And that change does indeed make me re-think my previous post; it increases the sense that the crime was needlessly brutal. I still think it's possible, given the aggregate of circumstances, that "Tom Johnson" was trying only to knock Jeremy & Heather out (as I said in a much earlier post in this thread, I think sometimes people get the impression from movies that one blow to the head is enough to knock somebody out, but in real life it's a lot messier) so he could get away. But because he hit Jeremy some more after Jeremy said that about Tom's leaving, it makes it seem less likely.

As to the rest of your post: I guess I don't understand. Do you think that your aggressive nitpicking of my post and your open and unprovoked hostility towards me makes me look bad?

:argue: Kids, don't make me turn this car around!! :argue:

I just caught up on this thread. I had no idea about the Tom Steeples/Tom Johnson connection. It is definitely an interesting lead, to say the least. There are an awful lot of similarities in the crimes.

Pure speculation, but I agree that "Tom Johnson" seemed nervous when he held up Heather and Jeremy. I agree with the line of thought that "Tom Johnson" hadn't killed anyone before. He MAY NOT have intended to kill Heather and Jeremy, but was thrown into a rage when she started screaming. Can't say for certain. I wasn't there. For all we know, he WASN'T nervous, but UM chose to portray him that way. While it's true he didn't rape Heather, we have no way of knowing if he had every intention of doing so, but her screams thwarted his plans.

As for the killings 2 years later, if it IS the same guy, I have no problem believing that he wasn't nervous about it. He'd done it before. It wasn't foreign territory to him anymore. And if he had a drug problem like Tom Steeples did, it would make it that much easier.

I'm no expert, but I am leaning towards "Tom Johnson" and Tom Steeples being the same dude. There are a lot of similarities you can't ignore. I wish there were a way to tell definitively so Heather and Jeremy's family can get closure...

:argue: Kids, don't make me turn this car around!! :argue:

I just caught up on this thread. I had no idea about the Tom Steeples/Tom Johnson connection. It is definitely an interesting lead, to say the least. There are an awful lot of similarities in the crimes.

Pure speculation, but I agree that "Tom Johnson" seemed nervous when he held up Heather and Jeremy. I agree with the line of thought that "Tom Johnson" hadn't killed anyone before. He MAY NOT have intended to kill Heather and Jeremy, but was thrown into a rage when she started screaming. Can't say for certain. I wasn't there. For all we know, he WASN'T nervous, but UM chose to portray him that way. While it's true he didn't rape Heather, we have no way of knowing if he had every intention of doing so, but her screams thwarted his plans.

As for the killings 2 years later, if it IS the same guy, I have no problem believing that he wasn't nervous about it. He'd done it before. It wasn't foreign territory to him anymore. And if he had a drug problem like Tom Steeples did, it would make it that much easier.

I'm no expert, but I am leaning towards "Tom Johnson" and Tom Steeples being the same dude. There are a lot of similarities you can't ignore. I wish there were a way to tell definitively so Heather and Jeremy's family can get closure...

On the contrary, Jeremy describes him as being smooth, cool and collected. Several times as a matter of fact. I agree that there may have been hesitation, but I wouldn't necessarily equate that with nervousness. Jeremy said they were totally duped by this guy. I think if Tom Johnson had been nervous (fidgety, or whatever) that may have tipped them off.

Didn't investigators say they found the hammer wrapped in plastic? I wonder if (while wrapped in plastic) he hit them repeatedly to (obviously) conceal prints, but also this may be why he kept hitting them over and over and Jeremy remained conscious the whole time.

Didn't investigators say they found the hammer wrapped in plastic? I wonder if (while wrapped in plastic) he hit them repeatedly to (obviously) conceal prints, but also this may be why he kept hitting them over and over and Jeremy remained conscious the whole time.

Not sure I follow you... Clarify?

The hammer was wrapped in plastic, but that was because it was apparently sold in the store that way. The investigators also said the card attached to that hammer as part of the packaging was still there, and that while they had SKU number and such because of that card, they were still unable to trace it to any particular store.

One thing I thought was odd was that the police officer said in the segment they were wishing any guests staying at the motel that day would come forward. Huh? Certainly the motel would have records of that, why didn't they just ask for them?

Which leads me to this: If the woman complaining at the desk really was in the neighboring room of Tom Johnson's, couldn't the police determine that?

was this just a sloppy investigation?

Not sure I follow you... Clarify?

Just that the hammer was never removed from the plastic it was wrapped in. So, depending on how thick the plastic was it was wrapped in, this could have provided some sort of "insulation" (for lack of a better word) from the hammer blows.

I understand what Mozart is getting at. I remember when I first read about Tom Steeples, even though the similarities are very compelling, I didn't have the feeling that he and "Johnson" were the same person. Obviously that is nothing to base an argument on, but nonetheless, Steeples strikes me as, basically, a very bad dude that more or less killed at will. He killed someone to whom he owed a debt and then committed a sexually-motivated crime.

The "Johnson" murder was very atypical. Yes, it apparently had a "typical" motive - robbery - but everything else about it was bizarre. The dilly-dallying, the two weapons. I am highly skeptical that the woman who reported the screams was his accomplice. As another poster stated, the witness tells the clerk that there are screams coming from that room, and then, lo and behold, there are actually screams coming from there later on? And does Mrs. Steeples seem like the type who would have ratted out her husband? It seems more likely to me that the witness, in fact, heard the actual attack and that the clerk was mistaken about the time.

If Steeples was "Johnson", then I assume this was his first foray into murder. The other Steeples' murders seemed more "conventional", if you know what I mean. That said, the drugs factor could be very important - it could help explain his motivation and, possibly, the odd way this crime was carried out.

I am surprised that "Johnson" was not linked to this crime through the computer, given that it was such an unusual piece of equipment. Someone, somewhere would have come across it, unless he did have a buyer already in mind, who never heard about the crime. As other posters have said, you also have to wonder about all of the phone calls he apparently made to Jeremy beforehand. You would think that there would be some record of them, even if this was in the early 90s.

Also, as I've said before on this thread, it's quite disappointing reading criticism of Jeremy for his actions in this matter. Talk about being unnecessarily judgemental. He was in an impossible situation.

Also, as I've said before on this thread, it's quite disappointing reading criticism of Jeremy for his actions in this matter. Talk about being unnecessarily judgemental. He was in an impossible situation.

I know, people can't judge someone in a situation like that, lets see what happens when they are the in a similar situation, you are in shock at first and would not be able to think clearly when a man threaten you and your loved one.

Certainly I agree that any criticism of Jeremy in this situation is misguided... at best.

And also incredibly insensitive.

I'm wondering myself about the amount of time it took for "Tom Johnson" to execute this crime. Why beat around the bush and take so much time? Was this his first kill and he was trying to build up the nerve? I don't understand why he took the time to chit-chat, sit around, etc. Yes, I know he did use the whole "boss is on the way" story to delay things and get the victims to help him put the computer in the car, but why take so long? Was he expecting something else? Was there a lady accomplice who he was waiting on and she chickened out? (the lady that complained at the front desk) I can't think of a reason to peter-putter around other than to a) make them feel at ease, b) get up the nerve to kill them, or c) something wasn't going to plan and he was stalling. Thoughts?

i don't think there was an accomplice , he acted alone, as to why he took so long, it may be that he was nervous, it could have been his first time robbing someone and he was waiting to get the confidence and he may have been thinking how he would pull it off without getting attention from motel staff.

If you were about to rob someone for the first time nerves can cause you to delay stuff and he could have been plotting on what to do in certain scenarios and how to escape with out being seen.

Hope that helps out a little. This case has always scared me because you just don't know who can you trust and who can be a killer, and looks can be very decieving

i don't think there was an accomplice , he acted alone, as to why he took so long, it may be that he was nervous, it could have been his first time robbing someone and he was waiting to get the confidence and he may have been thinking how he would pull it off without getting attention from motel staff.

If you were about to rob someone for the first time nerves can cause you to delay stuff and he could have been plotting on what to do in certain scenarios and how to escape with out being seen.

Hope that helps out a little. This case has always scared me because you just don't know who can you trust and who can be a killer, and looks can be very decieving

I agree, super spooky! I know Jeremy said he was a little bit more agreeable to the idea of meeting a motel because it would easier to find. It's just so strange to me that Tom Johnson took so long....I think he must have been trying to get his wits about him or drive up the courage, which makes me think this might have been his first (or at least one his early) major crimes. It also scares me to think that this was one of his first or early crimes....makes me wonder what he may have escalated to.

I do not think Tom Steeples and Tom Johnson are the same. Maybe some of you guys (and gal) think this because they both have same first name and same type of crime. Didn't they say Tom Steeples ran a computer shop? Now why in the world would Tom Johnson, who stole a huge/expensive computer and killed 1 lady & almost killed Jeremy, open up a computer store down the road? the real killer would avoid owning or running a computer place cause it could stick out amongst police. And why would he run a business in the same region of the crimes? Tenn-Atlanta?

If Tom Johnson did create his own company he would have moved far away to Hawaii or Alaska or Wa state. It would make more sense for Tom to work at a computer call center where there are tons of people and u do not stand out as a supervisor or boss if your just one of the little people on the phone in the cubby hole.

I doubt Tom is Steeples because TJ did not rape while killing/robbing. Two different criminals.


I understand what Mozart is getting at. I remember when I first read about Tom Steeples, even though the similarities are very compelling, I didn't have the feeling that he and "Johnson" were the same person. Obviously that is nothing to base an argument on, but nonetheless, Steeples strikes me as, basically, a very bad dude that more or less killed at will. He killed someone to whom he owed a debt and then committed a sexually-motivated crime.

The "Johnson" murder was very atypical. Yes, it apparently had a "typical" motive - robbery - but everything else about it was bizarre. The dilly-dallying, the two weapons. I am highly skeptical that the woman who reported the screams was his accomplice. s another poster stated, the witness tells the clerk that there are screams coming from that room, and then, lo and behold, there are actually screams coming from there later on? And does Mrs. Steeples seem like the type who would have ratted out her husband? It seems more likely to me that the witness, in fact, heard the actual attack and that the clerk was mistaken about the time.

If Steeples was "Johnson", then I assume this was his first foray into murder. The other Steeples' murders seemed more "conventional", if you know what I mean. That said, the drugs factor could be very important - it could help explain his motivation and, possibly, the odd way this crime was carried out.

I am surprised that "Johnson" was not linked to this crime through the computer, given that it was such an unusual piece of equipment. Someone, somewhere would have come across it, unless he did have a buyer already in mind, who never heard about the crime. As other posters have said, you also have to wonder about all of the phone calls he apparently made to Jeremy beforehand. You would think that there would be some record of them, even if this was in the early 90s.

Also, as I've said before on this thread, it's quite disappointing reading criticism of Jeremy for his actions in this matter. Talk about being unnecessarily judgemental. He was in an impossible situation.

it is possible that Tom Johnson did have a female accomplice in his room and they got into an argument over their plans that were about to change per his orders. Then she tried to leave and he attacked her which caused the screams. And the lady who heard the screams could be just walking by and reported them or was staying in a nearby room or checking out...

but then again why would some woman just be walking by the motel? if she was checking in or out UM would have told us that unless they avoided it to help the case. something is weird about the accomplice lady! because I was thinking she was just a passerby or staying at the motel. though like another poster said on here, if she were staying in the motel room they would have records of her and police could have tracked her down.

like another person and I said on here: how ironic that a woman would report fake screams to try and get Tom arrested and then later on there are actual screams coming from the same room? did the accomplice hear screams or just noises?

I also think it was stupid of the motel clerk or owner who did not investigate the noises! He probably has felt guilty ever since. Then again if the accomplice lady made up the story of noises in the motel room to prevent the murder and the motel clerk went down to investigate it - he would see Tom in there calmly watching television by himself. Thus the clerk would not have found anything. I hardly doubt the clerk is going to ask TJ to search his room and body for any weapons just because of a small noise.


Well the interesting thing here is that the lady reported the disturbance significantly earlier then when the attack actually occurred. that leads me to believe that she knew it was about to take place and wanted to do something about it before it actually went down. Unfortunately, the desk clerk didn't do anything about it. I believe this woman backed out of the whole thing before the murder took place, so she never made contact with Jeremy and Heather so that's probably why Jeremy didn't report her.

I do not think Tom Steeples and Tom Johnson are the same. Maybe some of you guys (and gal) think this because they both have same first name and same type of crime. Didn't they say Tom Steeples ran a computer shop? Now why in the world would Tom Johnson, who stole a huge/expensive computer and killed 1 lady & almost killed Jeremy, open up a computer store down the road? the real killer would avoid owning or running a computer place cause it could stick out amongst police. And why would he run a business in the same region of the crimes? Tenn-Atlanta?

The fact that Steeples was in the computer business makes it more likely that he would know the value of the computer that he was going to steal. Steeples was also based out of Tennessee, which isn't exactly "down the road" from Georgia. This very well could have been Steeples' first foray into murder, which is why he didn't stick around to make sure his victims were dead. Plus, he was heavily into drugs according to various articles, so maybe his theft of the computer was a way to pay off a drug debt?

If Tom Johnson did create his own company he would have moved far away to Hawaii or Alaska or Wa state. It would make more sense for Tom to work at a computer call center where there are tons of people and u do not stand out as a supervisor or boss if your just one of the little people on the phone in the cubby hole.

Not if he already was running a computer business. He didn't just start one up after Heather's murder, he was already running it at the time.

I doubt Tom is Steeples because TJ did not rape while killing/robbing. Two different criminals.

He also murdered a business partner by shooting him and setting him on fire. Completely different from the murders at the motel. So we cannot rule out that Heather's murder was not committed by Steeples because he didn't rape her.

I think the biggest mistake was to meet at the hotel. I can see where he was defenseless and not able to help her after the attack started. I think they dropped their guard a little too much and the lack of sleep didn't help.

I do wish the boyfriend would have had an opportunity to stop the attack or to get them out of the situation. Sad case either way that hurt innocent people.

Actually it was a motel, which is worse. Hotels are generally higher-end, whereas motels are seedier. Motels generally attract a more undesirable clientele, though there are exceptions.

Yes, motels are much seedier lol. Plus many bigger hotels have the nice entrance on the inside of the hotel. Thus if TJ attacked both people inside a nice hotel he would have had to walk down the inside hall way afterwards and pass the front desk or pass security cameras in the hallways.

I bet TJ chose one of those small seedy motels because of the fast access to get away right after the attack and into his car. Even UM mentioned that detectives were shocked when TJ was allowed to be seen outside the motel when loading the computer into the car way before the murder.

I think that is sign # 1 of a crook/killer - he successfully persuaded his victims into putting the computer into his car before paying for it. I would not do that today and would feel used or for-warned, but 10 years ago I probably would have when I was more gullible.


Actually it was a motel, which is worse. Hotels are generally higher-end, whereas motels are seedier. Motels generally attract a more undesirable clientele, though there are exceptions.

At the same time I also highly doubt a computer store or repair shop owner would kill someone for a very expensive computer then sell it to a customer which could then get detected later on by detectives. I do not think he was a business owner period!

Also the other guy who raped and killed is not TJ. Just because two cases have similar results does not mean its the same person. Many people on this site (and in general) jump to conclusions too fast. Another killer from UM was Phillip Frasier's murderer and people said they think the killer got caught later on. Its not him most likely.

In addition, it seems like everyone thinks that a one time killer always turns into a serial killer. Not true. It is true that first time killers get addicted and do more later on. However, there are plenty of one time killers who killed, got a rush out of it, but never kill again due to fear of getting caught and entering prison or they felt guilty later on and stopped.

While TJ could have killed beforehand I doubt it.



The fact that Steeples was in the computer business makes it more likely that he would know the value of the computer that he was going to steal. Steeples was also based out of Tennessee, which isn't exactly "down the road" from Georgia. This very well could have been Steeples' first foray into murder, which is why he didn't stick around to make sure his victims were dead. Plus, he was heavily into drugs according to various articles, so maybe his theft of the computer was a way to pay off a drug debt?



Not if he already was running a computer business. He didn't just start one up after Heather's murder, he was already running it at the time.



He also murdered a business partner by shooting him and setting him on fire. Completely different from the murders at the motel. So we cannot rule out that Heather's murder was not committed by Steeples because he didn't rape her.

Remember when UM said that TJ tried to meet someone a week before but he never showed up? I bet that person/or people were shocked and thankful he didn't show up. Though they might not know it was him. Wonder if they did??

Also I wonder why TJ never showed up? Cold feet? What do you all think? Maybe this was his first murder/theft attempt and he practiced what he was going to say and then backed out. then finally did it later on the week later

one thing I forgot is that Jeremy met TJ twice, first at his business place in Tenn. This was probably TJ's plan to comfort Jeremy so he would not be afraid of meeting him later on at a motel in another state/unknown area.

TJ was not afraid to be seen that is for sure. Also if he went to Jeremy's business place wouldn't he have been afraid of getting detected by cameras? I bet there were no security cameras there as usual back then.

I don't know if I believe he had an accomplice. Didn't all that lady do was report some noise? Maybe she heard some of the altercation and thought the couple was in trouble. Plus the guy victim didn't mention there was a woman did he? Thats probably just a police theory that I don't really agree with. Yes this truly was a senseless crime. They cooperated fully and its like at the last minute he decides they need to die. I can't imagine the torture the male victim went through having to hear his fiancee's murder. I wonder if he decided at the end to do it because they could identify him. Still, its just senseless.

Yes i agree, that TJ was meeting with him first to make Jeremy comfortable and show him that he is well dressed with glasses and TJ made himself seem non-threatening. However i do believe it was his first time since he backed out on the previous attempt, he also may choose his victims based on their physical appearance. Maybe if Jeremy was this huge bulky dude TJ would think twice becuase i don't think his gun was even loaded, it was only to scare them.

I am honestly beginning to think that woman who reported the disturbance--which, keep in mind, was reported before the attack even ensued--was supposed to have been Johnson's "business associate".

I said on this forum earlier that "how ironic that a woman says there were screams or loud noises coming from TJ's room and then low-and-behold ironically 1 hour later there actually were screams from the room after the dual attacks". But, I was thinking the lady was his accomplice and she thought about the future attacks and made up the story to get TJ kicked out of the room because she knew the attacks were coming up.

Do you think she and TJ got into an argument which explained the noises (yells or fight) and why she chickened out and told the front desk on him?

But it seems fishy. I think she could be someone checking out of the motel and heard the noises or maybe she has family visiting and staying at the motel and she heard the noises next door while visiting and was concerned for her family's safety and the person in TJ's room?

Now did the "mystery" woman hear the noises before the couple entered TJ's room for the first time? or did she hear noises after they entered the room and talked for a bit before leaving for breakfast. Did the couple enter the room for a few minutes and then decide to leave for breakfast? Or did they leave after meeting him outside for breakfast and then come back to enter the room - thus never being in the room when the noises first occurred. the last part is what it seemed per UM.

I am honestly beginning to think that woman who reported the disturbance--which, keep in mind, was reported before the attack even ensued--was supposed to have been Johnson's "business associate".

Meg The Egg how is Hawaii? I moved to Missoula, Montana last week. I am on my way back to Washington state if I don't find a job here. My goal is to move back to northern part of Seattle. Last time I was in Seattle/Tacoma area was 2002 when I left the air force. Wish I would have just stayed out there ever since.

UM: Is it possible that another man or woman (accomplice of TJ) got into a physical and/or verbal fight with him and left his motel room. Then the other lady was just a passerby visiting the motel or checking out and not related to TJ's case at all?

its just so confusing to me that there were first noises from the room without a death or person?, then later more noises with a death and severely injured poor man.


I am honestly beginning to think that woman who reported the disturbance--which, keep in mind, was reported before the attack even ensued--was supposed to have been Johnson's "business associate".

if the woman was an accomplice and quit because she didn't want to kill them she should still turn herself for info. She most likely knows TJ because its rare when two strangers, especially of the opposite sex, team up to kill for money. I also think she teamed up with tom initially because it was for a lot of money back then and tom told her only robbery and nothing else.

Q for Megg-the-eg and anyone else: Do you think the mystery lady knew TJ very well or somewhat before the attacks or did they just got to know one another at the time briefly and teamed up? Were they engaged or in a relationship?

I say she knows him and was afraid to turn him in because he was on the run and could track her down in her hometown or her parents hometown. I bet TJ made threats to her that if she ever told police about him that he would track her and her family down and kill them. That is why she never turned herself in.

Even if she made an untraceable phone call or wrote a letter without her name on it TJ could still think it was her that turned him in. Thus she still would not confess to his real name. But today she should turn herself in only if she knows his real ID, otherwise it might not help. Then again TJ may still be on the run and why would she turn her back on him? He could come back for her. in conclusion the mystery lady should have given the police information back then instead of turning heel.

Meg The Egg how is Hawaii?

I would not wish the State of Hawai'i on anyone. I think it's overrated, overpriced, overcrowded (on O'ahu), and am very happy to be moving back to the mainland soon. It is also extremely difficult to live here if you lack a military or government job/pension, or are not pulling an income of at least $80,000. Luckily, my husband and I both enjoy the former.

I wouldn't even come back here for vacation. True story.

its just so confusing to me that there were first noises from the room without a death or person?, then later more noises with a death and severely injured poor man.

Investigators theorized that the woman in reality heard no noise, but simply wanted to urge one of the motel staff to go to Johnson's room to interrupt whatever was about to take place there.

if the woman was an accomplice and quit because she didn't want to kill them she should still turn herself for info. She most likely knows TJ because its rare when two strangers, especially of the opposite sex, team up to kill for money. I also think she teamed up with tom initially because it was for a lot of money back then and tom told her only robbery and nothing else.

True, and I agree that he would have most likely told her that only a robbery was to take place, not a murder. It makes no sense to bring an apparently unloaded firearm to a murder, but plenty of robberies have been committed with one.

Q for Megg-the-eg and anyone else: Do you think the mystery lady knew TJ very well or somewhat before the attacks or did they just got to know one another at the time briefly and teamed up? Were they engaged or in a relationship?

I think that if this is how the scenario in fact went down, they almost certainly knew one another well before the crimes, and were probably involved in a romantic relationship or were married to one another.

If the woman was Johnson's accomplice and she was attempting to get him kicked out of the hotel room when she went to the front desk before the attacks could take place, isn't she putting her own life in danger? She now knows that Tom Johnson is willing to kill to get what he wants. If Jeremy or Heather end up dead, which of course ended up happening, he knows that she knows why, how and who did the killing. He knows she could confess to the police at any time. And if he knows that she was the one who reported him at the front desk, that's already a double cross to him on top of her originally backing out of the plan to steal the computer.

I hope Johnson didn't end up killing that woman too. He would have had every motive to do that after Heather's death hit the papers.

If the woman was Johnson's accomplice and she was attempting to get him kicked out of the hotel room when she went to the front desk before the attacks could take place, isn't she putting her own life in danger? She now knows that Tom Johnson is willing to kill to get what he wants. If Jeremy or Heather end up dead, which of course ended up happening, he knows that she knows why, how and who did the killing. He knows she could confess to the police at any time. And if he knows that she was the one who reported him at the front desk, that's already a double cross to him on top of her originally backing out of the plan to steal the computer.

I hope Johnson didn't end up killing that woman too. He would have had every motive to do that after Heather's death hit the papers.

I concede that if this happened, she definitely took a risk.

I could be totally wrong, but I just cannot get over the fact that two weapons were at the scene and the firearm was never used, and that "Johnson" claimed to be waiting on someone to arrive. Something about it just seems to me like two people were supposed to have been part of that plan.

MegtheEgg - I am not picking on you on this one, but do you think it is possible TJ moved to Hawaii or Alaska since its easy too because you do not need a passport and are still in America, even though you are very far away. Also, could he have been in the military at the time which explained why he moved away anyways afterwards? he had short hair even though that means nothing lol.

There have been some killers who joined the military after murdering someone for the first time to get away and start over or those who already were in the military and then killed for the first time...I doubt TJ was in the military.

You are correct Meg, the woman reported a "possible domestic incident" in that room. so there were no noises then right? ok, this makes it more clear to me. seems like she was indeed the accomplice. or maybe there were noises which is why she called it a domestic incident between a couple?

I doubt a stranger would report a couple talking bad to each other in a calm manner versus a couple raising their voices (not screaming).

I agree because she made up the story about a domestic altercation and there were no noises, not until much later on. what contradicts me here is this: ok she was the accomplice and wanted the hotel guy to check in and/or call the local police to enter the room. if the police came they would ask what is wrong and TJ would just lie and say nothing happened. more then likely the police would not search the premises because there is no other lady there. and if the hotel clerk came down to check the room and ask what is going on TJ would simply hide the truth, hide his gun between the bed mattress or just get pissed off and race out of there.

This makes me believe the lady was not the accomplice and simply a worried motel resident who overheard a conversation. have you ever listened to the room next door in a motel? I have lol especially if there are sounds of sex. Now if the accomplice really wanted to prevent the murder why didn't she stake out the area from across the street and when they arrived run up to them and warn them about the man inside. that would have saved both lives.

if she was the accomplice I bet she deals with her guilt forever. I say its time for her to confess. then again - now she may have her own family or a bigger family and do not want them to get harmed.

I would not wish the State of Hawai'i on anyone. I think it's overrated, overpriced, overcrowded (on O'ahu), and am very happy to be moving back to the mainland soon. It is also extremely difficult to live here if you lack a military or government job/pension, or are not pulling an income of at least $80,000. Luckily, my husband and I both enjoy the former.

I always get a kick out of Hawaii (And Alaska) on Election night. The first results trickle in at like 2 or 3 a.m. over here...

I moved to Missoula, Montana last week.


Montana represent, y'all! :)

Didn't the lady report a disturbance at the room when "Tom", Jeremy, and Heather were out for breakfast? What's the point in doing that if they weren't even there at the room? Unless the clerk got his time mistaken.

I should point out that another reason why Tom Johnson likely used a motel instead of a hotel, was that a motel (which is a term formed by combining motor and hotel) primarily caters to motorists, with parking immediately outside guest rooms. Being that Johnson was likely covered with blood splatters after the attacks, he could get to his car with a less likely chance of being witnessed by other guests or staff. It's not like he had to walk across the lobby or anything.

I'm still scratching my head why he would use the hammer as opposed to the gun. The gun would have stood a greater chance at killing Jeremy and Heather and in a timelier manner (assuming that's what Tom wanted). It might have been noisier, but there must have been pillows all over that room that could have helped silence the noise. And while I don't know a lot about guns, it was a smaller caliber handgun and it wouldn't have been as noisy as, say, a shotgun.

I'm still scratching my head why he would use the hammer as opposed to the gun. The gun would have stood a greater chance at killing Jeremy and Heather and in a timelier manner (assuming that's what Tom wanted). It might have been noisier, but there must have been pillows all over that room that could have helped silence the noise. And while I don't know a lot about guns, it was a smaller caliber handgun and it wouldn't have been as noisy as, say, a shotgun.

I'm guessing it's solely because he was an inexperienced criminal, and this most likely was his first attack/murder.

I always assumed he didn't use the gun because of the noise. But dang, beating people and them screaming over and over has got to make more prolonged and obvious noise than a couple of gunshots that would have been muffled and possibly mistaken for something else.

Was the gun even real?

Screaming could be heard but gunshots are much louder and more likely to draw attention from nearby people, especially in the middle of the day.

It's much easier to make a getaway drawing less attention to yourself. If he shoots them, he has to rush out to his car quickly and speed off. People would notice his physical features, the color of his car, the make of his car, the license plate, etc. Gun shots would make people actually look to see what was going on. The only people that would hear screams would be the few guests in rooms next door....provided there were even guests in those rooms at all at the time.

Screaming could be heard but gunshots are much louder and more likely to draw attention from nearby people, especially in the middle of the day.

It's much easier to make a getaway drawing less attention to yourself. If he shoots them, he has to rush out to his car quickly and speed off. People would notice his physical features, the color of his car, the make of his car, the license plate, etc. Gun shots would make people actually look to see what was going on. The only people that would hear screams would be the few guests in rooms next door....provided there were even guests in those rooms at all at the time.

I think a lot of people would investigate a scream -- remember the lady *did* report it. I'll reiterate my point about the gun he had wouldn't have made all that much noise, especially if there were pillows used to muffle it.

One stupid thing Tom Johnson did was the horrible timing of it. This happened at what, 8 or 9 a.m.? It would have been smarter for him to do it between the motel's check-out and check-in times, which are 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for most lodging places. This is after the departing guests have already left and before that night's guests have arrived (for the most part). There would have been relatively few guests at the motel at the time.

Another thing that we don't know for sure is how long the attack was. It could have taken less than a minute for all we know. That could have been another factor as to why no one was drawn by the sounds of screaming.

oh sorry, totally didn't mean to use the 'rolls eyes' icon on that last post of mine. Must have hit that by accident.

The only people that would hear screams would be the few guests in rooms next door....provided there were even guests in those rooms at all at the time.

This is a good point. "Tom" took Jeremy and Heather out for breakfast. For all we know this could have been the usual check out time for the guests at this motel, which would mean virtually no one besides the staff would have been there during the attack.

This case was senseless and utterly ridiculous! First off, the guy already had possession of the computer cuz Jeremy had already helped him load it up in Johnson's car, this assuming he hadn't planned to kill them all along. I don't think he'd intended to kill them but for whatever reason decided to at the last minute because his accomplice never showed up as he'd intended. Secondly, he didn't need to kill them because they couldn't identify him, not really; he obviously didn't use his real name and unless he'd been arrested before and the cops had taken a mug shot, how could they give an accurate description of him? Eyewitness descriptions of suspects from attack victims are nearly always inaccurate. Why would Johnson have risked exposure?, I mean anyone could have seen him with Jeremy and Heather or leaving the motel room after the attack or driving away in his vehicle after the attack why would he have risked all that? Plus don't you think other guests in adjacent rooms would have heard noises or arguing or a scuffle of some kind and report it to the front desk or manager? It just seems odd that no one other than the woman (who we suspect was Johnson's partner) reported anything; and why was it not followed up upon? Too many loose ends on this one for this guy to not have been caught by now!

I don't know. Eyewitness accounts do tend to be inaccurate a lot, but Jeremy and Heather spent A LOT of time with him. The small talk alone was 20 minutes or so. I think they could have produced a more accurate composite sketch than most.

I wish someone would find a picture of Tom Steeples to compare to the composite sketch.

This is the first I had heard of there being a suspect in this case, a known murderer who died of an accidental or intentional overdose. As for the motives and MOs being different, there was Andrew Cunanan who killed both acquaintances and strangers, some on the spot and some he tortured extensively. I agree any clues should be followed up on even though the witness and the suspect are dead.

This case was senseless and utterly ridiculous! First off, the guy already had possession of the computer cuz Jeremy had already helped him load it up in Johnson's car, this assuming he hadn't planned to kill them all along. I don't think he'd intended to kill them but for whatever reason decided to at the last minute because his accomplice never showed up as he'd intended. Secondly, he didn't need to kill them because they couldn't identify him, not really; he obviously didn't use his real name and unless he'd been arrested before and the cops had taken a mug shot, how could they give an accurate description of him? Eyewitness descriptions of suspects from attack victims are nearly always inaccurate. Why would Johnson have risked exposure?, I mean anyone could have seen him with Jeremy and Heather or leaving the motel room after the attack or driving away in his vehicle after the attack why would he have risked all that? Plus don't you think other guests in adjacent rooms would have heard noises or arguing or a scuffle of some kind and report it to the front desk or manager? It just seems odd that no one other than the woman (who we suspect was Johnson's partner) reported anything; and why was it not followed up upon? Too many loose ends on this one for this guy to not have been caught by now!

I think his intention was to kill them or him all along. I believe his meeting for a demonstration was a chance to check out the equipment for value & to check out how easy the person would be to overpower/control.

The office obviously never existed so a motel was chosen where he could be out of view while doing the deed. Whatever he did was going to be risky but he likely figured how many people will pay much attention to him or them in a motel? Especially as compared to Nashville where he may be identified by somebody who knows him.

I doubt he ever had any intention of using the gun & it might not have even been loaded. It was likely just a control mechanism for a pair of physically unimposing people who he likely believed would do whatever he told them.

You do wonder why police were unable to as far as we know get any DNA to process-even if he somehow managed to wipe his prints from wherever he thought he had touched you would have thought there would have been a hair strand there. Even if he didn't have a criminal record chances are he would have gone on to do more crimes after this-it is very hard to buy he kills a woman & believed he had killed a man in cold blood & then goes back to live a law abiding life forever.

This is the first I had heard of there being a suspect in this case, a known murderer who died of an accidental or intentional overdose. As for the motives and MOs being different, there was Andrew Cunanan who killed both acquaintances and strangers, some on the spot and some he tortured extensively. I agree any clues should be followed up on even though the witness and the suspect are dead.

Not sure how it could have been Cunanan-he was young at the time & it would have been very hard to convince anybody he was a successful businessman. He was nowhere near to where this happened was he?

Not sure how it could have been Cunanan-he was young at the time & it would have been very hard to convince anybody he was a successful businessman. He was nowhere near to where this happened was he?

I am pretty sure that Cori was using Cunanan as an example of someone who had different MOs in committing crimes, not suggesting that he was the person who committed this crime.

I am pretty sure that Cori was using Cunanan as an example of someone who had different MOs in committing crimes, not suggesting that he was the person who committed this crime.

True.

I'm still scratching my head why he would use the hammer as opposed to the gun. The gun would have stood a greater chance at killing Jeremy and Heather and in a timelier manner (assuming that's what Tom wanted). It might have been noisier, but there must have been pillows all over that room that could have helped silence the noise. And while I don't know a lot about guns, it was a smaller caliber handgun and it wouldn't have been as noisy as, say, a shotgun.

I'm willing to bet 20 bucks that TJ's gun had no ammo in it. Hence the use of the hammer after making sure neither victims could be in position to fight back.

I'm willing to bet 20 bucks that TJ's gun had no ammo in it. Hence the use of the hammer after making sure neither victims could be in position to fight back.

I agree with you. Watch it have been a cap gun. But for an inexperienced criminal 20 years unsolved is impressive. In part because of both victims passing

they both should have charged at him and beat him up 2-1. might as well do something if the gun in loaded or not. if its loaded he might hit one person and not the other. worst case scenario.

maybe TJ has that average look - you know a man with average height, brown hair, ave weight, etc. Thus he fits in with every crowd in USA - he does not stand out as being very tall or very short or fat or skinny. This is why he lets the hotel clerk and passerbys see him.

they both should have charged at him and beat him up 2-1. might as well do something if the gun in loaded or not. if its loaded he might hit one person and not the other. worst case scenario.

maybe TJ has that average look - you know a man with average height, brown hair, ave weight, etc. Thus he fits in with every crowd in USA - he does not stand out as being very tall or very short or fat or skinny. This is why he lets the hotel clerk and passerbys see him.

I guess I'll bump up this thread.

I remember seeing this case on Unsolved Mysteries back sometime in the early to mid-90s and it had always stayed clear in my mind. I was much into conputers at that time, though a bit younger than the victims then.

I know quite a bit has already been covered in this long thread, I'd like to put a couple of things out there.

To me, it seems as though, largely based on Tom Johnson's behavior and actions during the actual attack, that he was improvising at least some of it...as if something did not go to plan.

One thing that I've questioned is how did Jeremy and Heather intend to verify the legitimacy of a check, or most likely, a cashiers check (assuming for a minute that they dealt with an innocent buyer)?

I sometimes wonder if perhaps the original--or preferred plan--of Tom Johnson was to give Jeremey a forged cashiers check, that an accomplice was to bring.
I think his accomplice didn't show up or got cold feet and thus he resorted to attacking his victims.

Johnson had the gun and hammer as a backup for whatever reason. I don't think the gun was actually loaded, just was intended to scare Jeremey and Heather into submission--the hammer almost seems like an afterthought, as if he purchased it shortly beforehand as a backup weapon. I think this so called Tom Johnson was indeed an experienced criminal, but he may not had killed before then. The fact he actually left the hammer behind, still in its wrapper of plastic, yet took care to rub down surfaces of fingerprints implies a rather disorganized killer--that he wasn't originally intending on killing them, but he would if he had to.

This case is so confounding as it has not only a good deal of evidence, let alone witnesses--it also just does not make sense in some ways. The advert for the Quadra was placed in a trade publication by the company Jeremy worked for. So, that alone reduces the readership substantially.
That computer was at the time a pretty unusual, state of the art machine that was way above the range of any home personal or even most business/commercial PCs. It had a pretty limited market of buyers. Tom Johnson either intended to keep it himself or ship it to a buyer out of the area, maybe even over seas.

I also think part of why this case was never solved was due to less than diligent investigative work. While this happened only a little before DNA came onto the forensics scene, there's still a lot of evidence to work with, not to mention multiple witnesses including Jeremy who survived the attack.
Back in 1992, it still wasn't necessarily required by motels for guests to show ID or even a credit card. So Johnson probably used cash and his assumed name. He probably chose that motel because of that and he was familiar with it---it had no security cameras, which wasn't off back then, either. The authorities very well may have additional information and evidence that they haven't made public.

This is sadly one of the cases that will never get solved

This is sadly one of the cases that will never get solved

You're probably right.
So much time has passed, evidence lost and a number of key witnesses and others involved have since died. The computer is probably long gone in a landfill by now.

Steeples must be Tom Johnson.

There are just way too many similarities there. We just need a picture for verification.

Steeples must be Tom Johnson.

There are just way too many similarities there. We just need a picture for verification.

Agreed.

I know this has been posted before, but it deserves to be mentioned again:

Jeremy Rolfs, the guy who was going to sell a computer to a "Tom Johnson". This "Tom" later killed Jeremy's girlfriend, Heather Uffelman and stole the computer. Anyway, Jeremy was later killed in an automobile accident in South Africa in 1997, he was only 27. :(

http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/search/label/Heather%20Uffelman

So sad when someone dies without ever getting closure. :(

Did we ever get a picture of Jeremy Rolfs? In the segment, he remained hidden, but has a picture of him ever surfaced?

Did we ever get a picture of Jeremy Rolfs? In the segment, he remained hidden, but has a picture of him ever surfaced?

I'm not sure why it is, but pictures of Jeremy are hard to come by. This one is from the Peace Corps Volunteers memorial page. Probably the last known photo ever taken of him.



http://fpcv.org/volunteers/jeremy-rolfs/

Agreed.



Keep in mind there is an article about Steeples's wife. She was loyal to Steeples, covered for him and even sent him cocaine while in prison which he later overdosed.

Could she have been the woman that backed out of the motel murder? It's possible

I'm not sure why it is, but pictures of Jeremy are hard to come by. This one is from the Peace Corps Volunteers memorial page. Probably the last known photo ever taken of him.

I found that odd, why Jeremy's face was hidden for the interview on the UM episode. I also have never found a picture of him (other than what is contained in the link you posted). A couple of pictures of his fiance Heather are easily found online, however.

The UM episode was aired sometime in early-mid 1994 and while both of the vicitm's names are put out, Jeremy's face is in silhouette--why?
I wonder. I feel there was some good reason, that he was either advised to do so or he himself thought there was still some kind of real danger out there.

The other big question I have long had with this case is---why was Jeremy's company selling this computer in the first place?? At that time, the Quadra 950, with all of its added power and features, etc. was not only very expensive and specialized for a specific market (music video editing)---it was a machine that had only been on the market for barely a year. Apple had released the Quadra 950 sometime around January, 1992, and this murder/robbery happened in October the same year. They could not have had it very long at all. Why were they selling it so soon?

In the episode, Jeremy remarks that "Tom Johnson" said something, after he pulled the gun, etc. to the effect that Jermey's "company would get an insurance check" as a result of the loss of the computer due to robbery/theft. I sometimes wonder if Jermey's employer was actually targeted or knew more than what has been let on.

It was not the kind of computer system that would be readily marketable on the black market, especially back then. I think sloppy investigative work was largely responsible for this case going unsolved.

I found that odd, why Jeremy's face was hidden for the interview on the UM episode. I also have never found a picture of him (other than what is contained in the link you posted). A couple of pictures of his fiance Heather are easily found online, however.

The UM episode was aired sometime in early-mid 1994 and while both of the vicitm's names are put out, Jeremy's face is in silhouette--why?
I wonder. I feel there was some good reason, that he was either advised to do so or he himself thought there was still some kind of real danger out there.

The other big question I have long had with this case is---why was Jeremy's company selling this computer in the first place?? At that time, the Quadra 950, with all of its added power and features, etc. was not only very expensive and specialized for a specific market (music video editing)---it was a machine that had only been on the market for barely a year. Apple had released the Quadra 950 sometime around January, 1992, and this murder/robbery happened in October the same year. They could not have had it very long at all. Why were they selling it so soon?

In the episode, Jeremy remarks that "Tom Johnson" said something, after he pulled the gun, etc. to the effect that Jermey's "company would get an insurance check" as a result of the loss of the computer due to robbery/theft. I sometimes wonder if Jermey's employer was actually targeted or knew more than what has been let on.

It was not the kind of computer system that would be readily marketable on the black market, especially back then. I think sloppy investigative work was largely responsible for this case going unsolved.
Very interesting point about the computer. Why in the world were they selling it not that long after buying it? Could it be someone at that company was running an insurance scam and Jeremy was set up? That computer was fairly rare and would most certainly turn up if it was re sold. Unlesss this was all just some insurance scam.

I agree. No way in the world should they have lost track of that thing! It was a large, rare, and valuable item, and didn't it have a serial number?

I agree. No way in the world should they have lost track of that thing! It was a large, rare, and valuable item, and didn't it have a serial number?
I'm sure it did. Would have been easily identifiable. Whole thing makes no sense

I agree. No way in the world should they have lost track of that thing! It was a large, rare, and valuable item, and didn't it have a serial number?

Oh, the serial numbers of the CPU itself and the high-resolution monitor were kept by the owner and the authorities disclosed these to the public back then.

The Macintosh Quadra 950 CPU serial number is #F62164JW671
The 24" monitor serial number is #92020501

My guess is either the system was sent over-seas or kept by the killer or someone close to him. Its very surprising this case was not only left unsolved, but no apparent suspect emerged, publicly anyway.

(Off the record, authorities had a very good suspect named Tom Peebles, who died in prison in early 1994, after being charged with the double murder of a couple in TN or VA a year before--that double murder was eerily similar to the Marietta robbery/murder).

The ad for the computer was placed in a 'trade publication' in September, 1992. That right there would reduce the pool of potential buyers/suspects substantially.
The machine itself was very specialized; even without the special video editing software, it would be worth a handsome sum on the black market, but it would really only be of use to someone who had a special need for such a souped up computer back then.


Tom Johnson not only talked with Jeremy on the phone numerous times, but actually paid a visit to see the machine in Tennessee! Witnesses got a look at Johnson at the motel, his car was seen, he left behind the murder weapon.
I think sloppy investigation contributed to the case going unsolved.

Very interesting point about the computer. Why in the world were they selling it not that long after buying it? Could it be someone at that company was running an insurance scam and Jeremy was set up? That computer was fairly rare and would most certainly turn up if it was re sold. Unlesss this was all just some insurance scam.


Yes, I have wondered if maybe the owner of the company Jeremy worked for was in on some sort of insurance scam involving the computer and for whatever reason, it backfired.
One thing that seems to stick out is apparently Jeremy was initially planning on meeting Tom Johnson alone at the motel in Marietta, but at the last minute, his fiance Heather decided to go with him as she was concerned Jeremy might fall asleep at the wheel on the four hour drive down to Marietta (they drove late at night, arrived in Marietta, GA about 730-8 AM).

I think Tom Johnson was not expecting two people to meet him---and lets remember that woman in the room next to where the attack happened, who complained to the manager about hearing yelling in room next to hers, which was the room where the attack later happened (by an hour). Clearly, things didn't go quite as planned for Tom Johnson...but why a company would be selling such an expensive system only months after acquiring it is odd. I could see if they were wishing to upgrade and desired to sell off their older stuff...but this was state of the art then. I am sure the police looked at this in itself as a bit odd, to say the least.

Sorry to resurrect a dormant thread, but a lot of you were wanting to see a picture of Tom Steeples.

I found one, so I made a comparison graphic...

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30571736_10160331460510594_7657913932522121256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeE-OxGyB4JZ4qzYHrkwGEkt95Fu_ZuAHS0ujCn4WkNdORr1kZjKEqCwZY0PMY-Hp49iFlAK64Jx2IITaisWNLIYykEr4JDtvhwW5Hj-qFEyLA&oh=4f1c838a0a0df2e3303bede0f080f540&oe=5B2DB0A5

There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Steeples was "Tom Johnson".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20010610&id=j5xIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1335,4582636

Steeples murdered a couple 2 years after Heather's murder. He lied to them about being a "talent scout", and coaxed them into going back to his motel room. He bludgeoned the husband to death before raping the wife and then bludgeoning her to death. Steeples also worked at a computer supply store, and was the prime suspect in a business partner's murder. Steeples was arrested, and while waiting in jail for his trial, his wife smuggled in cocaine to him where he overdosed and died before ever even going to trial. So we'll probably never know for sure, but I'm 99.9% sold on the idea that Steeples was "Johnson". That would explain why he never resurfaced (since he killed himself in 1994), and it would also explain how "Johnson" was not just some one-time thrill killer and that he actually did it again 2 years later. Plus, his wife smuggling drugs into the jail to him makes you wonder whether or not she was the lady who reported the screams to the desk clerk.

Just saw this segment again and came here searching as I usually do. Definitely surprised to see this, but do agree Steeples = 'Johnson'.



The other big question I have long had with this case is---why was Jeremy's company selling this computer in the first place?? At that time, the Quadra 950, with all of its added power and features, etc. was not only very expensive and specialized for a specific market (music video editing)---it was a machine that had only been on the market for barely a year. Apple had released the Quadra 950 sometime around January, 1992, and this murder/robbery happened in October the same year. They could not have had it very long at all. Why were they selling it so soon?

In the episode, Jeremy remarks that "Tom Johnson" said something, after he pulled the gun, etc. to the effect that Jermey's "company would get an insurance check" as a result of the loss of the computer due to robbery/theft. I sometimes wonder if Jermey's employer was actually targeted or knew more than what has been let on.

It was not the kind of computer system that would be readily marketable on the black market, especially back then. I think sloppy investigative work was largely responsible for this case going unsolved.

If his employer wasn't engaged in some underhanded dealings (insurance fraud?), then one theory I have is that perhaps they bit off more than they could chew - the machine, while more than capable, was perhaps much more than they needed (or their activities weren't advanced/expansive enough to take full advantage of what it could do) ??? That might explain why they wanted to unload it.

Sorry to resurrect a dormant thread, but a lot of you were wanting to see a picture of Tom Steeples.

I found one, so I made a comparison graphic...

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30571736_10160331460510594_7657913932522121256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeE-OxGyB4JZ4qzYHrkwGEkt95Fu_ZuAHS0ujCn4WkNdORr1kZjKEqCwZY0PMY-Hp49iFlAK64Jx2IITaisWNLIYykEr4JDtvhwW5Hj-qFEyLA&oh=4f1c838a0a0df2e3303bede0f080f540&oe=5B2DB0A5

Freaky how close it is.

Sorry to resurrect a dormant thread, but a lot of you were wanting to see a picture of Tom Steeples.

I found one, so I made a comparison graphic...

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/30571736_10160331460510594_7657913932522121256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeE-OxGyB4JZ4qzYHrkwGEkt95Fu_ZuAHS0ujCn4WkNdORr1kZjKEqCwZY0PMY-Hp49iFlAK64Jx2IITaisWNLIYykEr4JDtvhwW5Hj-qFEyLA&oh=4f1c838a0a0df2e3303bede0f080f540&oe=5B2DB0A5


I based my opinion on more than just the side-by-side comparison, but yeah. I agree. They're one and the same.

I've recently spoken with someone who was friends with Jeremy Rolfs in college, years before the murder. I learned that even though Jeremy was filmed in silhouette on UM and concealed his identity, a Nashville newspaper published this article the same night the segment aired and flat-out featured a photo of Jeremy's face, which seems rather odd.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2s7fio7.png

I agree that Johnson and Steeples are almost definitely one in the same. Steeples looks very similar to the composite, he lived in Tennessee (Johnson's car had Tennessee plates), he owned a computer company, and he targeted and beat a young couple to death in a motel room.

This article (https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/113137190/) has some more information about Steeples and his victims.

In 1975, Steeples was arrested on a rape charge in Memphis. The woman told police he beat her after a date and forced her to have sex in a van next to his apartment police records show. The woman chose not to prosecute for rape, so the charge was reduced to assault Steeples pleaded guilty to that and was sentenced to a year in jail, records show. In addition, his wife, Tillie Ruth Steeples, charged in a 1991 divorce petition that she witnessed her husband beating and attempting to rape a young woman in a makeshift teepee behind the couple's house.

It seems like his main method of attack is beating/bludgeoning, which happened to the victims in the Johnson case. The main outlier is that Heather wasn't raped, but then again, Steeples killed his business partner by shooting him and setting him on fire, so he doesn't seem to be 100% consistent with his methods and motives. Also, (just thought of this), Johnson presumably didn't know Heather was coming with Jeremy until they met him at the hotel. He might not have raped Heather because she was not originally part of his "plan" which was to kill Jeremy and steal the computer.

In another article, (https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/113136422/) it mentions that a woman was with Steeples in another motel room when a story came on the TV about him being the prime suspect in the Phillips murders.

(The woman) said she really got worried when Steeples, upset over the TV newscast May 4, emptied a small bag he had brought to their room at the Ramada Inn on Spence Lane. Spread on the bed in the motel room were duct tape, gloves, nylon straps and a metal rod,

Fortunately, she left without Steeples harming her. It's possible that she could have ended up being another victim. This instance also seems to suggest that he likes to attack in motel rooms (which, of course, is where Jeremy and Heather were attacked).

I've recently spoken with someone who was friends with Jeremy Rolfs in college, years before the murder. I learned that even though Jeremy was filmed in silhouette on UM and concealed his identity, a Nashville newspaper published this article the same night the segment aired and flat-out featured a photo of Jeremy's face, which seems rather odd.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2s7fio7.png
That is kind of odd, but I guess your picture showing up in a local paper is not nearly as high-profile as appearing on national TV.

Sad that he was still so terrified and traumatized from the attack that he requested being shown in silhouette.

That is kind of odd, but I guess your picture showing up in a local paper is not nearly as high-profile as appearing on national TV.

Sad that he was still so terrified and traumatized from the attack that he requested being shown in silhouette.

How did you find that Steeples picture Madmime?

While it is impossible to be 100% sure the similarities in the picture & in the vehicle description etc make it a near certainty he was responsible. Just glad this parasite died.

So did anyone ever send in this tip?

Sucks Jeremy isn't here to settle this :(

I think the ruckus the lady reported to the desk was her and Tom Johnson arguing when she found out he was planning to harm them. It’s too bad they didn’t go into more detail, like where the lady went.

Stack also mentioned how Tom Johnson was supposed to meet someone else to do a transaction and never showed up a week before. I wonder how they found this out? I’m assuming someone recognized the composite?

Just glad this parasite died.

This.

And to anyone who thinks that Jeremy didn't do enough to help his fiancee or should have taken Jones down, I'd love to hear what you do the next time *you* have a gun in your face. For real. Not what you think you would do, but what you actually did.

I'm sure Jeremy carried some sort of guilt for the rest of his life but he didn't deserve it because he didn't do anything wrong. Period. Let's remember who the perpetrator was and who the victims were.

I think the ruckus the lady reported to the desk was her and Tom Johnson arguing when she found out he was planning to harm them. It’s too bad they didn’t go into more detail, like where the lady went.

Stack also mentioned how Tom Johnson was supposed to meet someone else to do a transaction and never showed up a week before. I wonder how they found this out? I’m assuming someone recognized the composite?


I'm thinking Tom Johnson used the same alias when he set up the first meeting. The person he set the meeting up with then called UM (or more likely local authorities first) and explained they had a scheduled meeting with "Tom Johnson" and that he never showed up. I'm guessing that's how they found out about the first appointment (rather than somebody recognizing the police composite--I don't know how they would ever get a look at Johnson if he never showed for the meeting/transaction).

Steeples must be Tom Johnson.

There are just way too many similarities there. We just need a picture for verification.

Where is this person Steeples today? Has he ever been questioned?

(I can't seem to pull up previous posts about this person or lead).

Where is this person Steeples today? Has he ever been questioned?

(I can't seem to pull up previous posts about this person or lead).

Deceased in jail-he was awaiting trial on the murder of a business partner of his & a young couple he had lured to a hotel room in a very similar manner to the UM murder-he also it seems raped the female victim. It appears that rather than face jail he got his wife to smuggle in drugs which he then overdosed on.

https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=0&id=113137190&width=557&height=499&crop=943_1212_2702_2468&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1596172530&h=69156504a31415fbdd0e9659268da629

Deceased in jail-he was awaiting trial on the murder of a business partner of his & a young couple he had lured to a hotel room in a very similar manner to the UM murder-he also it seems raped the female victim. It appears that rather than face jail he got his wife to smuggle in drugs which he then overdosed on.

https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?institutionId=0&user=0&id=113137190&width=557&height=499&crop=943_1212_2702_2468&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1596172530&h=69156504a31415fbdd0e9659268da629
I think that Steeples is the one who killed Heather. Just too many similarities

I looked at the picture of steeples and the composite and it looks like the same guy. If it’s not a match that is one hell of a coincidence.

This mysterious woman was most likely his “business partner” that was supposed to bring the check. When Jeremy and heather went for breakfast this lady and Johnson were discussing the plan until she realized he had a hammer and was going to hurt them. She proceeded to the hotel clerk to report a disturbance and they didn’t take it seriously.

If Johnson was really steeples the lady was most likely his wife, as they were known to work as a unit. She brought drugs in to steeples when he was in jail.

It just all fits.

This mysterious woman was most likely his “business partner” that was supposed to bring the check. When Jeremy and heather went for breakfast this lady and Johnson were discussing the plan until she realized he had a hammer and was going to hurt them. She proceeded to the hotel clerk to report a disturbance and they didn’t take it seriously.

If Johnson was really steeples the lady was most likely his wife, as they were known to work as a unit. She brought drugs in to steeples when he was in jail.

It just all fits.

******
that couple he, Steeples, killed in Nashville were almost killed b4 by someone in Mexico who held the 1 captive and the other asked his mom in usa for several thousand dollars. This couple went to Mexico also for fame as a country singer. Years later this couple traveled from western USA to Nashville, again for fame as he wanted to sing, was a good singer too. This time Tom Steeples killed them both. I saw this on a TV true crime around 7 yrs ago.

You guys make me laugh here. The way you come up with he wouldn't do this or he would do that. You are trying to make sense of someone who is senseless. The only times it is justifiable to consciously kill someone is war, self-defense, and in the defense of others protecting them from harm. Other people who kill people have something wrong with them and you're trying to make sense of them. You can't.

If you want to understand a killer, stop using what you would do. If you want to understand the killer you have to try to get into the mind of the killer. Most killers are narcissistic, selfish, and immature. They kill on impulse, kill for sexual thrill, kill because they know it's wrong and they want to be bad, and other reasons that are in their warped mind, just and not wrong. Some kill because there is something physically wrong with their brain, either a defective upbringing or defective pregnancy.

A few things here are obvious to me. The woman making the complaint was his wife. She wanted to stop the beating, but she did not want her husband arrested. She figured if the desk clerk showed up at the door, her husband would realize there is a potential witness and would kill his nerve. She was supposed to be the business partner showing up and then the act would happen. Possibly the desk clerk knew him and was a friend of his, which could be why he did nothing. Steeples knew she was not showing up, so he stalled and then went for it when Jeremy wanted to finish the deal. Attacking them was definitely the plan, maybe not murder. The hammer with the wrapping and tag on it makes me think he bought it in the area, so he did not have time to unwrap it. He picked Marietta, GA with a population at the time of 44,000 a good spot taking the victims far away and not in a major city and possibly because he knew it well. The gun was not loaded. He sized up Jeremy in Tennessee and knew he was not going to fight back. Honestly, I don't feel this crime was ever about a computer. He used his tools of the computer advertisement to find a victim which should have been an easy way for the police to find him. This was not on some international newspaper. Heather was likely a surprise for him and he likely didn't do things exactly as planned. Why didn't he keep hammering them to death? The arousal of attacking them finished. He got his thrill. He was satisfied. He did not have an urge to continue. I think he mentioned the insurance check to relax his victims so they don't fight back making them think it was a simple robbery. He may have felt trying to get both of them at the same time standing, he might lose since he had no bullets in his gun.

The police did a garbage job here. They knew the make of his car and he had Tennessee license plates. They sound like the negatively stereotypical city workers who are just there to collect a paycheck and don't do any real work. Tom Johnson and Tom Steeples are the same person. That's obvious. Just like Jim Garner wanted Rockford's name to be Jim so he would not have to remember to respond to a different name, that is what Tom Steeples did. The biggest bungling they did was not showing the victim Steeples' mugshot because they were told Johnson was in his late 20's early 30s. That is beyond idiotic on the flatfoot's part. Why not just check anyway? It's not going to get anyone killed showing a photograph. They should not have been cops, they should have instead just collected welfare. They weren't cops. They were a liability to the community they allegedly served. People make errors guessing people's ages. Steeples could have been a nonsmoker, so his voice was not that deep and that would make him sound a little younger. A mustache makes any man look older. He has a mustache in his mugshot. Maybe shaved he looked 10 years younger. That was ridiculous that they did not show him the mugshot. They must have had trouble hiring officers in Marietta and with the US having a ton of murders with low police budgets, these guys were incompetent and in over their heads. I 100% support good cops. I despise bad cops. These guys were bad cops, only one step above crooked cops. They make all cops look bad. These types of cops, you have to be obsessive contacting them or they won't do their jobs. They are a disgrace.

As for Jeremy and Heather, they were 22 and did not have enough experience in life. They likely had a safe and good upbringing and there was never a moment in their minds anyone would do something like this because they never would do anything like that. That's a mistake you have to learn the hard way. Unfortunately, this was an extremely costly mistake for them. There is one major red flag nobody here has noticed and apparently Jeremy and Heather did not notice. Johnson said he has an office there in Marietta. If he has an office there and is from there, why is he at a motel? Remember kids, when it comes to money, trust no one. They should have had the transaction paid during breakfast before doing anything else. They were inexperienced at how horrible people can be. They were young. Think about the 2001 hijackings if you want to judge Jeremy. The first planes, everyone cooperated with the hijackers not knowing their plan was to crash the planes. By the last flight, when they found out what was happening, they overtook them. When you don't know a criminal's plans, it's difficult to react appropriately.

Steeples likely "overbid" for $31,000 because he found his victim and wanted to make sure he can get the deal going. He had no intention on buying anything. They made a costly mistake going to his motel room. They should have gone straight to the bank. The only problem is, they met on a Saturday. Where was the partner going to get a cashier's check from a bank on a Saturday? Red flag. Banks were just beginning to try Saturdays being open back then. Back in the late 1980s, they were only open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM for the most part in New York City. I would imagine Marietta had similar hours and likely were not open on Saturdays. I used to say back then, they don't want to be open long enough so that you can take out your money. They want to keep your money and make it inconvenient to get it, so you don't bother going.


The insurance scam theory sounds somewhat plausible with it being bungled by Steeples. I can see that too. Maybe it was a plan for the insurance scam, but the other guy clearly hired the wrong person. As for buying the computer, many people in the world buy stolen goods if they get a good price and don't care about the story behind it, so that's likely why it never turned up. Maybe they don't watch Unsolved Mysteries. Maybe they were worried they would be in trouble for possessing stolen goods.


To be quite honest, I don't mind it when a dirtbag like Steeples kills himself. I don't want some moronic governor later on releasing him or granting clemency from execution or whatever crap. I don't want tax money or oxygen being wasted on him. The sooner they stop being a liability for humanity the better off humanity is.

You guys make me laugh here. The way you come up with he wouldn't do this or he would do that. You are trying to make sense of someone who is senseless. The only times it is justifiable to consciously kill someone is war, self-defense, and in the defense of others protecting them from harm. Other people who kill people have something wrong with them and you're trying to make sense of them. You can't.

I don’t see much psychoanalysis happening here, but otherwise I agree. It seems pretty clear the police mishandled what should have been a relatively straightforward case. I’m also with you on the age issue: people tend to get fixated on that. My wife is nearly 50, but I’m confident that if she were involved in something like this, eyewitnesses might easily place her in her early to mid-30s. There’s a common assumption that criminals look older or fit some kind of “drugged-out” stereotype, and that’s just not accurate.

They did mention the office situation, and that Tom said it would be difficult to find because it was in an industrial park, suggesting they meet at a motel instead. That really should have raised major red flags for Jeremy and his employer. Renting a motel room just to buy a computer doesn’t make much sense, especially when maps were readily available and they could have found the place without too much trouble.

As for the overpayment, I agree with your take: it’s irrelevant. He clearly never intended to pay anything, and the inflated offer seems like it was calculated: high enough to distract from the warning signs, but not so high that it would scare them off or cause them to cancel. I don’t want to come across as blaming the innocent victims, but I remember being around 20 or 21 and realizing how naive I was and it wouldn’t have been hard for someone to take advantage of that. To be fair, even people who are more cynical might have assumed the worst-case scenario was theft of a computer that you don't own, not a violent attack and cold blooded murder.

https://i.ibb.co/k6SWcJy4/tjts.png

I think it was Steeples, not only because he closely resembles the composite sketch, but someone who brutally beats two strangers with a hammer over a computer isn't going to suddenly stop committing brutal, violent crimes, they are only going to escalate...which is exactly what Steeples did.

I got a spam sales phone voice message from a "Tom Johnson" today and thought of this thread.

I got a spam sales phone voice message from a "Tom Johnson" today and thought of this thread.

You should have called back and said you have a computer for sale.

https://i.ibb.co/k6SWcJy4/tjts.png

I think it was Steeples, not only because he closely resembles the composite sketch, but someone who brutally beats two strangers with a hammer over a computer isn't going to suddenly stop committing brutal, violent crimes, they are only going to escalate...which is exactly what Steeples did.

I have maybe 1% doubt he is the same person. It's the same person.

I don’t see much psychoanalysis happening here, but otherwise I agree. It seems pretty clear the police mishandled what should have been a relatively straightforward case. I’m also with you on the age issue: people tend to get fixated on that. My wife is nearly 50, but I’m confident that if she were involved in something like this, eyewitnesses might easily place her in her early to mid-30s. There’s a common assumption that criminals look older or fit some kind of “drugged-out” stereotype, and that’s just not accurate.

They did mention the office situation, and that Tom said it would be difficult to find because it was in an industrial park, suggesting they meet at a motel instead. That really should have raised major red flags for Jeremy and his employer. Renting a motel room just to buy a computer doesn’t make much sense, especially when maps were readily available and they could have found the place without too much trouble.

As for the overpayment, I agree with your take: it’s irrelevant. He clearly never intended to pay anything, and the inflated offer seems like it was calculated: high enough to distract from the warning signs, but not so high that it would scare them off or cause them to cancel. I don’t want to come across as blaming the innocent victims, but I remember being around 20 or 21 and realizing how naive I was and it wouldn’t have been hard for someone to take advantage of that. To be fair, even people who are more cynical might have assumed the worst-case scenario was theft of a computer that you don't own, not a violent attack and cold blooded murder.


I've always tried to understand people to avoid problems and know how to best deal with them to get the best results. How else does a coach make a successful team with lots of different egos? You can't apply the same formula to people from different backgrounds, cultures, or upbringings. You have to look at each person to figure out what works with that individual.

Also with the age, I'm 50 but I've only gone gray in my temples and my beard. The rest of my head is my natural hair color and I never went bald. I have a full head of hair. I'm also in shape lifting weights and bike riding. No one guesses 50. The most they guess is 40, usually 35. I also never smoked and don't drink, so my voice is as clear as it was when I was 20. If you want to solve a case, you look at every angle. There are so many things in history have been discovered by accident, such as penicillin.