Possible new development in the Valley Killer case

[Kane]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/p.../60611001/1030

Remember the UM segment about the unknown serial killer who preyed on women in New Hampshire and Vermont during the 1980s? Well, I came across some recent articles, and they might be coming close to solving the case!

Right now, they are investigating a deceased man named Michael Nicholaou. Nearly six months ago, on New Year's Eve 2005, Nicholaou shot and killed both his estranged wife and stepdaughter in Florida. He then killed himself.

They are currently working on getting some DNA testing done to determine if Nicholaou was the Valley Killer (who was given that nickname because his attacks occurred along the Connecticut Valley River, the border between New Hampshire and Vermont). The results are not likely to be known until late in the summer.

Some of the articles briefly mention Jane Boroski. She was the woman who was attacked in New Hampshire in August of 1988. She was pregnant at the time, and survived her stab wounds. Fortunately, her unborn daughter was unharmed, and was later born healthy. Jane's survival was believed to be the reason why the Valley Killer wasn't heard from again.

[nohwheregirl]

Wow...great news, Kane. I hope the DNA matches!

[greatgarrett2]

I hope it matches too. Another case would be solved.

As the program 'Cold Case Files' suggests, "Evidence speaks, when victims can't."

Cheers

[Kane]

If Michael Nicholaou is eventually proven to be the Valley Killer, this will be the type of case where someone is posthumously identified as the perpetrator. It may not be something you hear about every day, but it's not unheard of.

[kadrmas15]

Is there any developments here? Was Michael the Valley killer? I cant believe he just stopped killing after he left the New Hampshire/Vermont area whoever this killer was. It was also because of Jane's survival that he probably moved to a new area and why he was never really heard from in that area after the attack on Jane.

[An 80s Guy]

I too would like to know about this case.

[ginny86]

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

Is there any developments here? Was Michael the Valley killer? I cant believe he just stopped killing after he left the New Hampshire/Vermont area whoever this killer was. It was also because of Jane's survival that he probably moved to a new area and why he was never really heard from in that area after the attack on Jane.

Yes he went back to his old stomping ground of Virginia again and is being investigated for crimes there right now. His timeline is a jaw dropper. We hear the Virginia authorities have been dilligent about preserving and protecting a lot of their crime scenes evidence no matter how old the cold case crime is. Since without it we all know DNA testing cannot be done thus the authorities cannot meet the " Gold Standard" for closing out cases ( unless they spend lots of their time and budget to prove the crime the old fashion way by just the facts) if they lost the crime scene evidence or failed to properly preserve it then there is no DNA testing to do! Remember in the 1980's it was not common knowledge that DNA would be used in the future to solve cases. So now that DNA testing of old crime scene evidence IS available if those authorities who have charge of the original evidence treated it properly and with importance then a DNA test and match can actually happen! If they don't have the evidence anymore then they must painstakingly try to track every movement of a transient and that takes TIME and costs MONEY. However when more than 3 quarters of the information has been handed to them you would think some passion might also kick in. I feel really sorry for any family member of a murdered victim who thinks they are still waiting for the results of the DNA testing to solve their loved ones cases that were supposed to be announced last summer! At least when the Virginia authorites don't have any cold case crime scene evidence available to them to test for a match to solve a cold case, for one reason or another, at least they are straight up, honest and come right out and admit to the public:" We don't have any cold case crime scene evidence to test," on a particular case. Anything less than straight up honesty is very insulting to the general public who are in general very wise and very caring about their friends, neighbors and community.

[kadrmas15]

Yes, if that is indeed true that they have no DNA test than yes that is wrong of them and they need to apologize. It is not fair for these cops to string the families along giving them false hope if in fact they have no way of proving Nicholau was the killer. Now from the sounds of him I do think he was probably the killer. But as the guy that was probably the Torso Killer said to Eliot Ness when Ness said to him I think you are the killer. "Think it you have to prove it."

[Sleuther]

there is trouble with jane boroskis picking this nicholaou's photo out. she was not shown nicholaou in a photographic line-up. and the first 2 times that she viewed the photograph she did not recognize him at all as the man that attacked her...after the 3rd time she then said it was.

i guess after viewing nicholaou photo two times before he began to look familiar after the third time is my guess.

no photographic line-up with photos of other men, for accuracy, is very sloppy detective work by carty.

the man that jane said attacked her back in 1988 had blond hair and was a slim built, short man. nicholaou is a stocky built cuban guy with dark brown hair. very different body builds as well as hair color...something does not jive.

but the truth might not matter because carty is thinking about a book and movie deal already, with all of this free publicity...unfortunately at the expense of getting the victims families and janes hopes up.

so far none of nicholaous hair or fingerprints match those that were collected in the 1980's, still waiting on the D.N.A which does take the longest, double blinded testing, by having more than one lab conduct it.

[Sleuther]

Chris Moore, the son of Lynda Moore, who was found dead in her home in Westminster, Vt., on April 15, 1986, the victim of more than 20 stab wounds, says there are pros and cons to the Nicholaou theory.

"Nicholaou has dark skin and dark hair with a round face. This is not consistent with the composite sketch made contemporaneously with Jane's attack (however it is consistent with the composite made of the man spotted in my driveway at the time of my mom's murder)," Moore said in an e-mail to the Associated Press. "Furthermore, Jane dismissed Nicholaou as her attacker when she was shown multiple pictures of him earlier in 2006. . . . Jane is a sweet person who earnestly believes she is right, but as the only witness to my mom's attacker, I hope she remains objective."

Boroski said it was a series of photos that gradually led her to identify Nicholaou, and she had never been satisfied with the sketch drawn from her description.

Moore, a lawyer in Bellows Falls, Vt., said there are "huge gaps in between the dots the investigator has asked us to connect. But there are no clear contradictions, either. If this man were alive and standing trial today, he certainly would not be convicted on the evidence that I have seen."

Some family members did not respond to the packages. One of them was Gretchen Fried, whose sister, Ellen, a nurse, failed to show up for work at a Claremont hospital in July 1984. Her remains were found in September 1985 on a riverbank in Newport.

"I just kind of felt like it was over," Gretchen Fried said in a brief interview from her home in Washington state.

"I don't think it was him," said Marie Crocker of Keene, sister of Eva Morse, who was last seen hitchhiking on Route 12 between Charlestown and Claremont on July 10, 1985. Morse's remains were found in April 1986, in woods several miles away from Route 12.

The above is from July (most recent) article here's the link:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/p...62/0/FRONTPAGE