Mike Riemer ...Still Think He's Guilty? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TheCars1986 · 10-19-2010, 10:17 AM

With the passage of 20 plus years without Riemer surfacing (alive that is) does everyone still think he's guilty of killing his girlfriend Diana Robertson? For a refresher he was the guy who went with his girlfriend Diana and their daughter Crystal to a remote mountainess region in search of a Christmas tree and also to check his traps (he was a known trapper). Their daughter Crystal was found at a department store with no recollection of how she got there and all she could say was "Mommy's in the trees." It wasn't until two months later that the body of Diana was found with Mike Riemer's truck abandoned and he himself was also missing. A sock was found tied around Diana's body which fit the MO of another murder that happened in the same region four months prior. A couple was found murdered and the woman had a tube sock tied around her neck the same way Diana was found. The cops suspected a serial killer on the loose, they just don't know if its Mike Riemer or not. So what do you think?

I personally think he is innocent and his body/remains are yet to be found. If he was guilty that would A.) make him a serial killer and B.) he would have abandoned his daughter and C.) would have had to have had help. He left his truck which meant someone would have had to have met him up there and driven him and his daugher away and then planted his daughter in a department store. The problem I have with this is why hasn't this other person came forward by now? Reimer couldn't have pulled this off by himself so where is his accomplice/s? And I'm assuming he never exhibited any signs that he was a demented killer prior to this other than domestic violence, so what motive would he have to murder the other couple four months earlier? If the daughter was missing as well you could make a case for Reimer being guilty, but he didn't take her or his truck which makes me think he's dead. I wonder if the daughter remembers anything about that day and if law enforcement ever considered using hypnotism to try and bring about more details in the case?

MegtheEgg86 · 10-19-2010, 10:37 AM

I never thought he was guilty. Like you, I think he was a victim and his remains are yet to be found.

-The chances of Mike Riemer being a serial killer are extremely slim statistically.

-The notion that he would rig a murder to look like another one in the area is slightly far-fetched; it would mean careful attention to area news and detail in general, and Mike just doesn't strike me as the sort. The sock was tied in exactly the same way, and I believe was very, very similar to the sock used on Ruth Cooper. How would Mike have access to that information? Surely the police didn't publish the manner in which the sock was tied, I assume.

-The envelope proves absolutely nothing. It could just as easily be a legitimate love note as a deranged scribbling.

-I keep saying it, and I think it's a very-often overlooked piece of information--Mike left his coat in the truck. In December in Washington state. It's very cold. It's almost like he left--or was taken--in a hurry.

I've always felt like someone who knew Mike and Diana closely might've committed the crime.

sdb4884 · 10-19-2010, 11:07 AM

The chances he killed his girlfriend are high but low on him being a serial killer. He was just an angry jealous boyfriend pushed over the edge by his ego. Him still being on the run is a scary thought.

RobinW · 10-19-2010, 12:41 PM

All I know is that I'd just love to have Mike Riemer's daughter post on these boards someday and find out if she ever managed to remember how she wound up at the department store that day.

That's the only reason I'm always going to be on the fence and can never make a definitive decision about whether Mike did it or not. It makes sense that he would drive all the way to the store to drop Crystal off, but it makes no sense that he would drive all the way back to the crime scene to abandon his vehicle. On the other hand, would a serial killer have the conscience enough to drop Crystal off himself? As weird as that sounds, I guess it is possible that some killers who have no qualms about killing adults wouldn't have the stomach to murder a small child.

I've always wondered if Crystal Riemer actually did provide some info about how she got to the store, but the police just withheld that information for the purposes of the investigation.

TheCars1986 · 10-19-2010, 02:04 PM

I forgot all about Riemer's coat being found in the truck. If guilty, why would he steal off into the unknown without a coat in the dead of winter in Washington? And again if he is responsible he couldn't have done this on his own so there's someone out there who helped in some way (it could have been very innocent, perhaps Riemer hitchiked w/Crystal and dropped her off and then hitchiked with someone else to God knows where), but after all these years still not one person has come forward? I can only imagine that the department store where she was dropped off was fairly busy and you would think someone would have remembered seeing Crystal with someone. The biggest evidence that Riemer was a victim to me is that he hasn't resurfaced...and that his daughter was left behind. I also find it more farfetched that Riemer would abandon his daughter at a store and she not remember this incident (even at three this would have been traumatic enough for a child to remember their parent simply leaving them alone and unattended) than an unknown killer sparing her and then dropping her off. I agree with the theory that the killer spared Crystal because she was a child. Serial killers just don't stop murdering they tend to become more confident and brazen and eventually get caught. The scary thing to me isn't that Riemer is out there on the loose, it's the fact that an unknown serial killer is still at large. Or hopefully in jail for an unrelated crime.

RobinW · 10-19-2010, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I forgot all about Riemer's coat being found in the truck. If guilty, why would he steal off into the unknown without a coat in the dead of winter in Washington?

I think the biggest theory used to explain that would be if he decided to walk off into the woods to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of what he'd done. I know his remains were never found, but there have plenty of cases on UM where an extensive search was done of an area where someone went missing, but their body was completely missed and not discovered until months or years afterward. Mike Riemer's body could very well still be undiscovered in those mountains somewhere.

I've even considered the possibility that Mike could have killed Diana somewhere else and dropped Crystal off at the store BEFORE driving into the mountains and leaving her body there. For all we know, "Mommy's in the trees" could have been referring to another location or may have just been a line Mike fed to Crystal when she asked where Mommy was.

All in all, I'd definitely rank this among the top 10 most baffling mysteries on this show.

TheCars1986 · 10-19-2010, 08:07 PM

Never considered the possible suicide theory. But I still find it highly unlikely that Mike was a serial killer, and if he did in fact kill Diana what possible motive would he have had to have killed the other couple? Just seems more plausible to me that a serial killer was stalking couples in that area...he may not have even known Crystal was with them until after he killed either Mike or Diana. I think the killer was stalking them and waited for an opportune time to strike and the perfect time was when Mike went to check his traps. Pure speculation here but the killer may have strangled Diana unconscious (with the tube sock tied around her neck) thinking she was dead, then took of and killed Mike while he was checking his traps (although he very well could have killed Mike first) and then when he saw that Diana was still alive he stabbed her out of rage 17 times. Again pure speculation, but he could have taken the bodies anywhere and then brought them back...it was 2 months before Diana was found so Mike could be in someone's basement for all we know.

SageSlowdive · 10-20-2010, 12:43 PM

There's like a 2% he killed his wife, not to mention the earlier couple.

Some people don't understand things happen with circumstances - who knows, this killer could have killed Diana for some reason then drove off with Mike and the little girl. Dropped the little girl off, then took Mike somewhere and killed him. Things like this happen...

XCalibur · 10-20-2010, 06:16 PM

This is just one of those cases thats maddeningly perplexing. As far as I know absoloutely nothing has surfaced on this case in the last thirty years since it happened. I mean nothing at all, not a sighting of Reimer, no contact from him, not another suspect, and to my knowledge there wasn't anymore similar murders afterwards.

But I don't really agree with the idea that people think he couldn't have done it. If I recall correctly from the episode didn't Reimer have a history of violence? The other murders could well have been a ruse to make it look like an unknown serial killer was at large.

Its entirely possible that Reimer may not have had qualms about murder but still cared enough about his daughter not to take her on the run with him, as that would have been a bad life for her. There could be plausible explanations for the things left behind. His not surfacing in all these years, for all we know something could have happened to him shortly after the murders and he may be dead from something other than being killed by an unknown serial killer. Without finding him dead or alive, there is just no way of knowing.

TheCars1986 · 10-21-2010, 08:06 AM

I believe someone posted several newspaper articles on here that were written at the time of the disappearance (before the connection was made with the other murdered couple), and the domestic violence reported was one incident when Mike pushed Diana to the floor and rubbed her nose in the carpet. I know any violence from a man to a woman is atrocious and just plain wrong, but I hardly think this would be cause enough for him to be suspected of murdering her. The article also did state that there were more domestic disputes reported but nothing on the official record other than the one time mentioned above.

Another reason I think Mike was innocent is if he really was beating Diana on a regular basis and he did in fact threaten to kill her before, why would she go off with him in a remote location with their daughter? If she really feared him as much as was implied by her family why would she bring her daughter along? And why wouldn't Mike wait for a more opportune time for him and Diana to be alone if he was planning on murdering her? Why involve the daughter?

TheCars1986 · 10-21-2010, 08:09 AM

Also, if Riemer committed suicide surely the police dogs would have stumbled on his body. I don't think he killed himself, then covered his body up so it wouldn't be found.

MegtheEgg86 · 10-21-2010, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Another reason I think Mike was innocent is if he really was beating Diana on a regular basis and he did in fact threaten to kill her before, why would she go off with him in a remote location with their daughter? If she really feared him as much as was implied by her family why would she bring her daughter along?

It would actually be more the rule than the exception for Diana to do so. Many, many women in physically abusive relationships "allow the assaulting party back in", as I believe the detective in the segment himself put it. Like you, I don't think his propensity for domestic abuse necessarily makes him a murderer.

XCalibur · 10-21-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

It would actually be more the rule than the exception for Diana to do so. Many, many women in physically abusive relationships "allow the assaulting party back in", as I believe the detective in the segment himself put it. Like you, I don't think his propensity for domestic abuse necessarily makes him a murderer.

No, it doesn't. But I still don't think he can be ruled out either.

crystaldawn · 10-21-2010, 09:04 PM

I lean towards him being guilty. From what was stated Diana was with Mike before she died. It doesn't make much sense that deep in the woods there was a serial killer lurking who would kill Diana at the scene and take Mike somewhere else and kill him. He had a history of assaulting Diana and I think the envelope that said I Love You Diana was eerie although not proven he wrote it that day. Also some psychopath that randomly kills people isn't going to care enough about the little girl to make sure she gets safely into town. I think Mike somehow made sure she made it to safety. I also think there's a good chance he killed the other couple. Mike had a history of violent behavior and also a reason to be in that remote area where they were found because his traps were nearby. I don't really think Mike committed suicide though. I wouldn't be surprised if he hid out in the woods for a while and then went on the run.

TheCars1986 · 10-22-2010, 08:26 AM

I'm sure police would have been able to determine whether or not Mike had ever owned a gun (the other couple was murdered via gunshot) and would have been able to trace ballistics back to him, and I'm sure UM would have brought that up in the segment.

10-19-2010, 10:17 AM	#1
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	Mike Riemer ...Still Think He's Guilty? With the passage of 20 plus years without Riemer surfacing (alive that is) does everyone still think he's guilty of killing his girlfriend Diana Robertson? For a refresher he was the guy who went with his girlfriend Diana and their daughter Crystal to a remote mountainess region in search of a Christmas tree and also to check his traps (he was a known trapper). Their daughter Crystal was found at a department store with no recollection of how she got there and all she could say was "Mommy's in the trees." It wasn't until two months later that the body of Diana was found with Mike Riemer's truck abandoned and he himself was also missing. A sock was found tied around Diana's body which fit the MO of another murder that happened in the same region four months prior. A couple was found murdered and the woman had a tube sock tied around her neck the same way Diana was found. The cops suspected a serial killer on the loose, they just don't know if its Mike Riemer or not. So what do you think? I personally think he is innocent and his body/remains are yet to be found. If he was guilty that would A.) make him a serial killer and B.) he would have abandoned his daughter and C.) would have had to have had help. He left his truck which meant someone would have had to have met him up there and driven him and his daugher away and then planted his daughter in a department store. The problem I have with this is why hasn't this other person came forward by now? Reimer couldn't have pulled this off by himself so where is his accomplice/s? And I'm assuming he never exhibited any signs that he was a demented killer prior to this other than domestic violence, so what motive would he have to murder the other couple four months earlier? If the daughter was missing as well you could make a case for Reimer being guilty, but he didn't take her or his truck which makes me think he's dead. I wonder if the daughter remembers anything about that day and if law enforcement ever considered using hypnotism to try and bring about more details in the case?
	Last edited by TheCars1986; 10-19-2010 at 01:52 PM.

10-19-2010, 10:37 AM	#2
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	I never thought he was guilty. Like you, I think he was a victim and his remains are yet to be found. -The chances of Mike Riemer being a serial killer are extremely slim statistically. -The notion that he would rig a murder to look like another one in the area is slightly far-fetched; it would mean careful attention to area news and detail in general, and Mike just doesn't strike me as the sort. The sock was tied in exactly the same way, and I believe was very, very similar to the sock used on Ruth Cooper. How would Mike have access to that information? Surely the police didn't publish the manner in which the sock was tied, I assume. -The envelope proves absolutely nothing. It could just as easily be a legitimate love note as a deranged scribbling. -I keep saying it, and I think it's a very-often overlooked piece of information--Mike left his coat in the truck. In December in Washington state. It's very cold. It's almost like he left--or was taken--in a hurry. I've always felt like someone who knew Mike and Diana closely might've committed the crime.
	__________________ "Why is she lying?, it makes me wonder. What is she hiding?, it makes me wonder." Go Vols!

10-19-2010, 11:07 AM	#3
sdb4884 UM Meme Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 01, 2008 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,234	The chances he killed his girlfriend are high but low on him being a serial killer. He was just an angry jealous boyfriend pushed over the edge by his ego. Him still being on the run is a scary thought.

10-19-2010, 12:41 PM	#4
RobinW Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2010 Posts: 1,874	All I know is that I'd just love to have Mike Riemer's daughter post on these boards someday and find out if she ever managed to remember how she wound up at the department store that day. That's the only reason I'm always going to be on the fence and can never make a definitive decision about whether Mike did it or not. It makes sense that he would drive all the way to the store to drop Crystal off, but it makes no sense that he would drive all the way back to the crime scene to abandon his vehicle. On the other hand, would a serial killer have the conscience enough to drop Crystal off himself? As weird as that sounds, I guess it is possible that some killers who have no qualms about killing adults wouldn't have the stomach to murder a small child. I've always wondered if Crystal Riemer actually did provide some info about how she got to the store, but the police just withheld that information for the purposes of the investigation.

10-19-2010, 02:04 PM	#5
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	I forgot all about Riemer's coat being found in the truck. If guilty, why would he steal off into the unknown without a coat in the dead of winter in Washington? And again if he is responsible he couldn't have done this on his own so there's someone out there who helped in some way (it could have been very innocent, perhaps Riemer hitchiked w/Crystal and dropped her off and then hitchiked with someone else to God knows where), but after all these years still not one person has come forward? I can only imagine that the department store where she was dropped off was fairly busy and you would think someone would have remembered seeing Crystal with someone. The biggest evidence that Riemer was a victim to me is that he hasn't resurfaced...and that his daughter was left behind. I also find it more farfetched that Riemer would abandon his daughter at a store and she not remember this incident (even at three this would have been traumatic enough for a child to remember their parent simply leaving them alone and unattended) than an unknown killer sparing her and then dropping her off. I agree with the theory that the killer spared Crystal because she was a child. Serial killers just don't stop murdering they tend to become more confident and brazen and eventually get caught. The scary thing to me isn't that Riemer is out there on the loose, it's the fact that an unknown serial killer is still at large. Or hopefully in jail for an unrelated crime.

10-19-2010, 08:07 PM	#7
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	Never considered the possible suicide theory. But I still find it highly unlikely that Mike was a serial killer, and if he did in fact kill Diana what possible motive would he have had to have killed the other couple? Just seems more plausible to me that a serial killer was stalking couples in that area...he may not have even known Crystal was with them until after he killed either Mike or Diana. I think the killer was stalking them and waited for an opportune time to strike and the perfect time was when Mike went to check his traps. Pure speculation here but the killer may have strangled Diana unconscious (with the tube sock tied around her neck) thinking she was dead, then took of and killed Mike while he was checking his traps (although he very well could have killed Mike first) and then when he saw that Diana was still alive he stabbed her out of rage 17 times. Again pure speculation, but he could have taken the bodies anywhere and then brought them back...it was 2 months before Diana was found so Mike could be in someone's basement for all we know.

10-20-2010, 12:43 PM	#8
SageSlowdive the real hank queen Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 10, 2010 Posts: 659	There's like a 2% he killed his wife, not to mention the earlier couple. Some people don't understand things happen with circumstances - who knows, this killer could have killed Diana for some reason then drove off with Mike and the little girl. Dropped the little girl off, then took Mike somewhere and killed him. Things like this happen...

10-20-2010, 06:16 PM	#9
XCalibur Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 16, 2010 Location: Belfast, Va Posts: 981	This is just one of those cases thats maddeningly perplexing. As far as I know absoloutely nothing has surfaced on this case in the last thirty years since it happened. I mean nothing at all, not a sighting of Reimer, no contact from him, not another suspect, and to my knowledge there wasn't anymore similar murders afterwards. But I don't really agree with the idea that people think he couldn't have done it. If I recall correctly from the episode didn't Reimer have a history of violence? The other murders could well have been a ruse to make it look like an unknown serial killer was at large. Its entirely possible that Reimer may not have had qualms about murder but still cared enough about his daughter not to take her on the run with him, as that would have been a bad life for her. There could be plausible explanations for the things left behind. His not surfacing in all these years, for all we know something could have happened to him shortly after the murders and he may be dead from something other than being killed by an unknown serial killer. Without finding him dead or alive, there is just no way of knowing.

10-21-2010, 08:06 AM	#10
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	I believe someone posted several newspaper articles on here that were written at the time of the disappearance (before the connection was made with the other murdered couple), and the domestic violence reported was one incident when Mike pushed Diana to the floor and rubbed her nose in the carpet. I know any violence from a man to a woman is atrocious and just plain wrong, but I hardly think this would be cause enough for him to be suspected of murdering her. The article also did state that there were more domestic disputes reported but nothing on the official record other than the one time mentioned above. Another reason I think Mike was innocent is if he really was beating Diana on a regular basis and he did in fact threaten to kill her before, why would she go off with him in a remote location with their daughter? If she really feared him as much as was implied by her family why would she bring her daughter along? And why wouldn't Mike wait for a more opportune time for him and Diana to be alone if he was planning on murdering her? Why involve the daughter?

10-21-2010, 08:09 AM	#11
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	Also, if Riemer committed suicide surely the police dogs would have stumbled on his body. I don't think he killed himself, then covered his body up so it wouldn't be found.

10-21-2010, 09:04 PM	#14
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	I lean towards him being guilty. From what was stated Diana was with Mike before she died. It doesn't make much sense that deep in the woods there was a serial killer lurking who would kill Diana at the scene and take Mike somewhere else and kill him. He had a history of assaulting Diana and I think the envelope that said I Love You Diana was eerie although not proven he wrote it that day. Also some psychopath that randomly kills people isn't going to care enough about the little girl to make sure she gets safely into town. I think Mike somehow made sure she made it to safety. I also think there's a good chance he killed the other couple. Mike had a history of violent behavior and also a reason to be in that remote area where they were found because his traps were nearby. I don't really think Mike committed suicide though. I wouldn't be surprised if he hid out in the woods for a while and then went on the run.

10-22-2010, 08:26 AM	#15
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	I'm sure police would have been able to determine whether or not Mike had ever owned a gun (the other couple was murdered via gunshot) and would have been able to trace ballistics back to him, and I'm sure UM would have brought that up in the segment.