Oxygen to air Micki Jo West case

[1990 UM fan]

Here is the link to the article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.oxy...unt-body%3famp

Oddly, Unsolved Mysteries referred to Ruth as Micki's sister when she is actually her sister-in-law, the sister of Micki's husband Calvin (didn't know who her husband was until this article). Another fact is that Micki's killer, Marvin Lee Irvin, was Ruth's husband at the time Micki disappeared. What a twist.

[dynoguy88]

Looks like this is already on YouTube. I look forward to watching it later.

[UMFaninMD]

I'm watching it now. Sad, but at least we know the full story.

[Kane]

I watched that episode last night. For those who don't already know, the Oxygen series is Buried in the Backyard. The name of the episode is "Dead Girls Don't Talk."

I remember first seeing the Micki Jo West case on UM in 1989, and it was an eerie segment, especially as they showed the handwritten letters. At the time the segment originally aired, there was no evidence linking Marvin Irvin directly to Micki's disappearance, so UM could not mention his name and had to block it out when they displayed the letters.

[dynoguy88]

It's frustrating to hear how meh the original investigation was. In 1979, polygraph test results were taken much more seriously than they are today. And because Marvin Irvin passed his polygraph, very little was done in regards to him even though EVERYONE in Micki's inner circle knew he was involved.

The day after Micki's disappearance, the police questioned Irvin and he said he was out driving with his friend Billy Hayes in the neighborhood when Micki vanished. Seven long years would pass before a new investigator discovered that police and detectives had never made any attempt to contact Billy Hayes to verify Marvin's alibi. And his alibi was already iffy on it's own. (Who goes out joyriding with your buddy at 5:00 in the morning?) Once Hayes was finally interviewed, he said he was NOT with Marvin that morning. Catching Irvin in this lie would have had more impact on the original investigation, I believe, polygraph or no polygraph.

By far the most haunting revelation was the police interview with Marvin's ex-girlfriend, who he asked to come with him to dispose the body...and the fact that Micki was still alive in the backseat once they reached the cornfield in Kansas. She said, "Marv, I think she just said 'help me.'" And he replied, "Dead people don't talk." He then dragged her out in the field and shot her.

The interview with Ruth Ann was sad. She said she feels responsible for Micki's death because she was the one who brought Marvin into their lives. Such a sad case.

[Allierain]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

It's frustrating to hear how meh the original investigation was. In 1979, polygraph test results were taken much more seriously than they are today. And because Marvin Irvin passed his polygraph, very little was done in regards to him even though EVERYONE in Micki's inner circle knew he was involved.

The day after Micki's disappearance, the police questioned Irvin and he said he was out driving with his friend Billy Hayes in the neighborhood when Micki vanished. Seven long years would pass before a new investigator discovered that police and detectives had never made any attempt to contact Billy Hayes to verify Marvin's alibi. And his alibi was already iffy on it's own. (Who goes out joyriding with your buddy at 5:00 in the morning?) Once Hayes was finally interviewed, he said he was NOT with Marvin that morning. Catching Irvin in this lie would have had more impact on the original investigation, I believe, polygraph or no polygraph.

By far the most haunting revelation was the police interview with Marvin's ex-girlfriend, who he asked to come with him to dispose the body...and the fact that Micki was still alive in the backseat once they reached the cornfield in Kansas. She said, "Marv, I think she just said 'help me.'" And he replied, "Dead people don't talk." He then dragged her out in the field and shot her.

The interview with Ruth Ann was sad. She said she feels responsible for Micki's death because she was the one who brought Marvin into their lives. Such a sad case.

Very sad. There were several little tidbits of information that I learned from this episode, which naturally couldn't make it into a 15 minute UM segment. It was fascinating especially to see the interviews with people who had been on the original UM episode- Ruth, the retired detective and Micki's dad. I still feel horribly for Micki's family, poor Ruth! The feelings of guilt she must carry with her, they must be unbearable even though she did nothing wrong! Micki was just trying to protect her friend, Irvin was the one who chose to end Micki's life. As for that detective, for years I thought he was sort of a jerk because he kept saying in the original UM segment that they couldn't prosecute without a body. I thought his attitude was that they couldn't prosecute so why bother investigating Irvin any further? Now I see that he was probably frustrated because he knew they couldn't prosecute successfully without a body, and they couldn't find one. I had no idea that he was the one who discovered that Hays had never been questioned and then immediately did so. If not for that the case might have stalled forever. At least Micki's family now knows what happened, I wish they could find her body so they could take her home.

[dynoguy88]

Originally Posted by Allierain

Very sad. There were several little tidbits of information that I learned from this episode, which naturally couldn't make it into a 15 minute UM segment. It was fascinating especially to see the interviews with people who had been on the original UM episode- Ruth, the retired detective and Micki's dad. I still feel horribly for Micki's family, poor Ruth! The feelings of guilt she must carry with her, they must be unbearable even though she did nothing wrong! Micki was just trying to protect her friend, Irvin was the one who chose to end Micki's life. As for that detective, for years I thought he was sort of a jerk because he kept saying in the original UM segment that they couldn't prosecute without a body. I thought his attitude was that they couldn't prosecute so why bother investigating Irvin any further? Now I see that he was probably frustrated because he knew they couldn't prosecute successfully without a body, and they couldn't find one. I had no idea that he was the one who discovered that Hays had never been questioned and then immediately did so. If not for that the case might have stalled forever. At least Micki's family now knows what happened, I wish they could find her body so they could take her home.

Agree completely.

What really breaks my heart is that things did NOT have to turn out this way. The smallest of actions could have dramatically changed the trajectory of this case. Just talking to Billy Hayes the next day might mean that Patricia Rose and Crystal Simmons would never have been killed.

And I also wonder what would have happened had Micki talked to police. She had already been angrily confronted by Marvin twice, a man who had severely beaten his teenage wife so much that she felt she had no choice but to take their baby and go into hiding. He was clearly a dangerous man. I think that is enough to warrant some type of protection for Micki. Even she knew a worse confrontation was on the horizon and putting a hammer in her purse for protection was not going to be enough.

It sounds like Micki was a true friend. Even while being attacked and faced with the possibility of her life ending, she refused to tell Irvin where Ruth Ann was.

[sdb4884]

It's really well done actually. It's good to see the same talking heads from the U.M episode. The Dad, the policeman and Ruth West. I didn't know they were friends though I thought that was her sister and didn't realize she was the one that Irvin was married to!

[marlins3]

Originally Posted by sdb4884

It's really well done actually. It's good to see the same talking heads from the U.M episode. The Dad, the policeman and Ruth West. I didn't know they were friends though I thought that was her sister and didn't realize she was the one that Irvin was married to!

Agreed. I was looking away from my screen when Ruth started to speak but as soon as I saw her face, I knew immediately it was her. The Oxygen episode was very well done.