Ralph Probst shooting - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

justins5256 · 07-22-2005, 03:37 PM

Is anyone aware of any updates in this strange case? Officer Probst was shot and killed in his home in 1967. The killer fired a single shot through Probst's kitchen window. It was believed to have been a contract hit. His partner speculated that Probst was close to breaking a major case, or may have discovered something that put his life in danger.

njf520 · 07-22-2005, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justins5256

Is anyone aware of any updates in this strange case? Officer Probst was shot and killed in his home in 1967. The killer fired a single shot through Probst's kitchen window. It was believed to have been a contract hit. His partner speculated that Probst was close to breaking a major case, or may have discovered something that put his life in danger.

i thought he died of a heart attack after surviving the shooting?

crystaldawn · 07-22-2005, 07:26 PM

No, he did die. I remember him and his wife were watching the Academy Awards that night she said and she had fell asleep and he apparently went into the kitchen he was shot by someone outside.

Kane · 07-22-2005, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njf520

i thought he died of a heart attack after surviving the shooting?

That was a different case altogether.

njf520 · 07-22-2005, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kane

That was a different case altogether.

ah, i see. my mistake. thanks.

synthisislab · 05-11-2008, 01:35 AM

I just read a chapter in Murderers Among Us about this case. It seems that two of the main suspects have been dead for many years now (Sam Di Stefano and Frank Calvese real Chicago mobster throwbacks) and the first policeman on Probst murder scene was his old police academy classmate (Lt. James Keating) who was serving time for corruption (taking bribes) and conspiracy to cause the death of teacher Dianne Masters. http://www.projectposner.org/case/1991/924F2d1362
Keating should be out on parole by now and he possibly could be the one that set his old buddy Probst up for murder because he was going to expose the corruption going on. Probst probably warned him and it signed his death warrant since Keating was the top corrupt cop at the time and the absolute wrong person to screw with. A major clue is that Ralph Probst's notebook that he always carried around him was missing, yet it was seen in the photographs at his murder scene. This leads me to believe that this was an inside job complete with cover-up & wall of silence and may never be solved unless someone finally breaks that wall and talks. Hopefully all the principals aren't dead already. There should be pressure put on Cook County to solve this, even though it is about as cold a case as I can think of, the murder of Ralph Probst happened over 40 years ago and I doubt that the town this happened in isn't still haunted by this murder to this day either.

Thor2000 · 03-23-2009, 11:16 AM

This case needs some explaining. Several Unsolved descriptions say the same thing: "Probst's partner got shot" not Probst, and now this post says it was Probst. If you can't believe those descriptions, what can you trust?

justins5256 · 03-23-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor2000

This case needs some explaining. Several Unsolved descriptions say the same thing: "Probst's partner got shot" not Probst, and now this post says it was Probst. If you can't believe those descriptions, what can you trust?

Ralph Probst was the murder victim, not his partner. I believe the partner's name was Bob Borowski(sp?) and he brought the story to the attention of UM as he had been trying to solve the case for many years and promised Probst's family that he would.

There was another story, from 1996 or thereabouts, about a police officer who was shot through his kitchen window. The re-enactment was similar to that in the Probst segment from years before. This officer survived the shooting. The shooter was a member of some militant group and was wanted at the time. I don't remember much else, as it was from the later seasons and was not a story I revisited often, if at all.

Blackout · 11-21-2009, 12:17 AM

so no update?

Bleedingheart · 11-21-2009, 01:40 AM

http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/94/7/horse_killers.html

Blackout · 11-21-2009, 02:05 AM

damn, thats crazy

so it was a horse rapist?

kadrmas15 · 11-21-2009, 11:15 AM

A little tidbit of trivia, not really anything to do with the case but an interesting coincidence. Remember the mobster that was in the hospital in the segment, Sam Gianacala (sp?) the one that Probst handcuffed to the bed and the mobster went crazy? Well, JFK had a one year affair with Gianacala's girlfriend back in the early 1960's. So in a way Sammy G and JFK were connected.

soilentgreen · 11-21-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

Well, JFK had a one year affair with Gianacala's girlfriend back in the early 1960's. So in a way Sammy G and JFK were connected.

Judith Campbell also claimed she was the conduit for information and money between them as well. I don't recall if they mentioned it in the Probst segment, but Giancana was killed in Chicago in 1975, right before he was to testify at the Rockefeller Commission's investigation of the CIA.

There were enough people -- crooked cops and the horse mafia alike -- who would have wanted Probst dead for his investigation.

The Charley Project link for the three missing women who were associated with George Jayne (Silas Jayne's brother)

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/..._patricia.html

A link to an article about the Jayne brothers criminal activities:

http://www.thelaborers.net/NEWS/bloo..._by_gene_o.htm

UnsolvedMystFan · 01-27-2010, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

A little tidbit of trivia, not really anything to do with the case but an interesting coincidence. Remember the mobster that was in the hospital in the segment, Sam Gianacala (sp?) the one that Probst handcuffed to the bed and the mobster went crazy? Well, JFK had a one year affair with Gianacala's girlfriend back in the early 1960's. So in a way Sammy G and JFK were connected.

That wasn't Giancana portrayed in the segment, it was Sam DiStefano (sic?). DiStefano died a few years later.

The Calvesse lead seems to have been rather promising, I don't see why it necessarily had to be dropped so abruptly. The neighbor that spotted him was being only human by refusing to get involved, he could have been taken out just as easily. I would imagine that that lead could've been pursued stronger and when/if the time came the neighbor could be placed in some form of witness protection.

baloony · 05-22-2012, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justins5256

Is anyone aware of any updates in this strange case? Officer Probst was shot and killed in his home in 1967. The killer fired a single shot through Probst's kitchen window. It was believed to have been a contract hit. His partner speculated that Probst was close to breaking a major case, or may have discovered something that put his life in danger.

Yes, I believe he was close to breaking a major case.

07-22-2005, 03:37 PM	#1
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	Ralph Probst shooting Is anyone aware of any updates in this strange case? Officer Probst was shot and killed in his home in 1967. The killer fired a single shot through Probst's kitchen window. It was believed to have been a contract hit. His partner speculated that Probst was close to breaking a major case, or may have discovered something that put his life in danger.

03-23-2009, 11:16 AM	#7
Thor2000 Thor2000 Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 07, 2003 Location: Hendersonville,TN Posts: 95	This case needs some explaining. Several Unsolved descriptions say the same thing: "Probst's partner got shot" not Probst, and now this post says it was Probst. If you can't believe those descriptions, what can you trust?
	__________________ Unsolved Mysteries Wikia http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com Most of the cases, most of the facts...

11-21-2009, 12:17 AM	#9
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,239	so no update?
	__________________ Destroy your local flock cameras

11-21-2009, 01:40 AM	#10
Bleedingheart Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 110	Here is a website discussing a case Ralph Probst was investigating http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/94/7/horse_killers.html

07-22-2005, 07:26 PM	#3
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	No, he did die. I remember him and his wife were watching the Academy Awards that night she said and she had fell asleep and he apparently went into the kitchen he was shot by someone outside.

05-11-2008, 01:35 AM	#6
synthisislab Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 552	I just read a chapter in Murderers Among Us about this case. It seems that two of the main suspects have been dead for many years now (Sam Di Stefano and Frank Calvese real Chicago mobster throwbacks) and the first policeman on Probst murder scene was his old police academy classmate (Lt. James Keating) who was serving time for corruption (taking bribes) and conspiracy to cause the death of teacher Dianne Masters. http://www.projectposner.org/case/1991/924F2d1362 Keating should be out on parole by now and he possibly could be the one that set his old buddy Probst up for murder because he was going to expose the corruption going on. Probst probably warned him and it signed his death warrant since Keating was the top corrupt cop at the time and the absolute wrong person to screw with. A major clue is that Ralph Probst's notebook that he always carried around him was missing, yet it was seen in the photographs at his murder scene. This leads me to believe that this was an inside job complete with cover-up & wall of silence and may never be solved unless someone finally breaks that wall and talks. Hopefully all the principals aren't dead already. There should be pressure put on Cook County to solve this, even though it is about as cold a case as I can think of, the murder of Ralph Probst happened over 40 years ago and I doubt that the town this happened in isn't still haunted by this murder to this day either.

11-21-2009, 02:05 AM	#11
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,239	damn, thats crazy so it was a horse rapist?

11-21-2009, 11:15 AM	#12
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	A little tidbit of trivia, not really anything to do with the case but an interesting coincidence. Remember the mobster that was in the hospital in the segment, Sam Gianacala (sp?) the one that Probst handcuffed to the bed and the mobster went crazy? Well, JFK had a one year affair with Gianacala's girlfriend back in the early 1960's. So in a way Sammy G and JFK were connected.