Article on the murder of Mike Emert

[Kane]

This month marks the third anniversary of the murder of Mike Emert, a Seattle real estate agent. His mysterious murder, which took place on January 4, 2001, was featured on Unsolved Mysteries later that year. At the time of his death, he was said to have had an appointment with a man who walked with a cane. This led to a theory that the man in question may have been the killer, and that the cane might have been used as a ruse (and possibly as a murder weapon). Just moments ago, I discovered a recent article on the case. Click on to the link below for more on the article about this intriguing case.

Let's hope that Mike Emert's family will one day have answers to this unsolved case.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/...dmurder20.html

[Mr.Clairvoyant]

This is another case that gets little exposure to have been so tragic.. funny Unsolved Mysteries does not show this story that much in fact I have only seen it twice. Now this is a murder that should have been on the Bizarre Murders set!!! I wish there was a renewed interest in the case but the bad part is we don't even have a suspect or a general idea of who killed the man or a motive for that matter!!! this case really gets my juices going!!!!

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Mr.Clairvoyant

This is another case that gets little exposure

True indeed. That's why I am thankful that we've had shows like this. UM was the type of show that would air important cases, especially when other media outlets have been unwilling or unable to do so. Therefore, it was as though people had nowhere to turn to but UM (or other shows of its ilk). And there have been countless times where the show appeared to be the last hope. If it had not been for UM, numerous cases would still have been unresolved today.

When it came to unresolved cases, UM was an alternative to most other media outlets. UM understood (as does America's Most Wanted) the importance of giving unsolved criminal cases national exposure in the hopes that such exposure will result in resolutions. For that reason, I consider UM and AMW to be superior when it comes to pro-law enforcement values.

[connieallbright]

Originally Posted by Mr.Clairvoyant

This is another case that gets little exposure to have been so tragic.. funny Unsolved Mysteries does not show this story that much in fact I have only seen it twice. Now this is a murder that should have been on the Bizarre Murders set!!! I wish there was a renewed interest in the case but the bad part is we don't even have a suspect or a general idea of who killed the man or a motive for that matter!!! this case really gets my juices going!!!!

I always wondered if this case might be connected to someone like the Zodiac killer (who would now be in his 60's). The killer was sharp as a tack, experienced, may have used a hometooled weapon and was from Northern California. It's a stretch to be sure but something just seems so weird about Emert's death.

[Awsi Dooger]

I was totally unfamiliar with this case. I'm sure I've never seen the segment. Indeed bizarre. There doesn't even seem to be an obvious motive. Based on the circumstances, it seems like either an intentional hit or a very thorough Zodiac-like killer who plans a type of attack and then the victim is basically random, merely someone who fits the place and scenario once the killer is ready to execute his plan.

The UM case this reminds me of was the businessman who was murdered in an elevator after making an appointment at a very strange early morning hour. I'm sure Kane or crystaldawn or someone else here will remember the name and the case. I'm not implying it's the same perpetrator but the method is extremely reminiscent. In that case I believe a first name and minor detail was also known, perhaps scratched on a business notepad, but nothing else regarding the possible perpetrator. He obviously planned the muder for unknown motive and convinced the businessman to detour from his typical routine.

Without having seen the UM segment of the Emert case, I'm not sure how the cane fits it, especially as a murder weapon. Perhaps the perpetrator tied to feign weakness and no physical threat by using a cane. If he pulled the body to the shower he certainly was not disabled. But something like a cane tends to draw more attention, not less. What percentage of people you pass use a cane? I would be very surprised if this perpetrator actually met Emert in the shopping mall at midday. If he had a cane in a public place that would be too easily remembered. The potential for security cameras is huge. Perhaps he saw Emert drive up and motioned him to the car in the parking lot. Or picked a shopping mall with only one main entrance so he could intercept Emert as he pulled in. Someone who obviously planned a murder thoroughly wouldn't miss the obvious small details. Since he was not viewed as threatening a conventional knife could easily have been concealed in his clothing, probably a suit.

[palmyrafan]

While I did not personally view the segment, the type of crime seems to ring some bells as to another couple of similar killings in the midwest.

Seems to me that the real estate agents had been specifically targeted; in other words, stalked. Still unsolved and motive not known. I do remember that they looked into the real estate agents' clients, but could find no connection. They could not figure out why someone would stalk a real estate agent, set them up for a "kill", carry it out, leave no evidence and move on.

It's almost as if someone thought they had gotten "rooked" by a real estate agent and is now targeting other agents. Maybe he didn't like the fact that the real estate agent gets a commission. Maybe he didn't like the price he had to pay for the house or thought he didn't get enough for his own house.

These cases are probably why some real estate companies now require a driver's license (with photo) before they will agree to show houses.

[crystaldawn]

Yes the attorney's name was David Marifield who was murdered and found in the elevator at his office building. You're right it does have similarities to the Mike Emert case. Another case that was sort of similar in my opinion (although the motive was obviously robbery in this one) was Morris Davis. They found a vacant house, removed the "For Sale" sign in the front yard and then had Morris deliver a pizza to the house and shot and killed him when he got there. All three are sad and senseless crimes.

[connieallbright]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

Yes the attorney's name was David Marifield who was murdered and found in the elevator at his office building. You're right it does have similarities to the Mike Emert case. Another case that was sort of similar in my opinion (although the motive was obviously robbery in this one) was Morris Davis. They found a vacant house, removed the "For Sale" sign in the front yard and then had Morris deliver a pizza to the house and shot and killed him when he got there. All three are sad and senseless crimes.

Mike Emert, David Marifield and Morris Davis' murders all seem to bear signs of an aging serial killer - there are several operating all over the US. What drew me to the Zodiac was an article in the Seattle Union Record (site is now down, maybe permanently) about a person of interest in Emert's murder from the Seattle area.

As far as the cane goes, it has a magical effect on witnesses - it is all they can recall about the subject. Not a bad idea for a killer, especially if they don't normally need a cane.

[tlocati]

I find this thread very interesting; especially being from Seattle, knowing the Emert case pretty well and still disturbed that it hasn't been solved (not to mention being related to the victim). I did find it somewhat comforting though, to know that there are still people such as yourselves interested in a case that seems to have dropped off the news here, locally.

Now I'm no expert in this field, but does a 'serial killer' really fit the profile for this case given that Mike was a 6' tall, well built, athletic person. Seems somewhat of a high risk for the serial killer if they were looking for someone random - especially for an aging serial killer.

What I find amazing though, is the lack of evidence found. This person stabbed Mike over 20 times, dragged him to the bathroom, heaved him into the tub and then drove Mike's SUV back to the same parking lot where they met (and I believe they said it was in the Post Office parking lot next to the mall - which is much smaller and more secluded). Also, the crime was supposedly all committed within around 1 hr from the time they were suppose to meet and when the home owner found the body - given that the crime scene is around 20 minutes from that parking lot and the house was only visited 1 other time by the killer (presuming Mike showed the same house to the killer the day before), it doesn't leave a lot of time or room for error. A lot of the facts do point to a profession hit, but there is that one thing missing - Motive.

I appreciate Mr.Clairvoyant's comment about "wish there was a renewed interest in the case" - I wish it myself.

TL

[Awsi Dooger]

Originally Posted by tlocati

What I find amazing though, is the lack of evidence found. This person stabbed Mike over 20 times, dragged him to the bathroom, heaved him into the tub and then drove Mike's SUV back to the same parking lot where they met (and I believe they said it was in the Post Office parking lot next to the mall - which is much smaller and more secluded).

Thanks for mentioning the post office parking lot as the meeting place. That makes much more sense. As I indicated in my previous post, I haven't seen this segment so I'm at a disadvantage here, but meeting at a busy shopping mall at midday didn't make any sense if you knew you were going to murder the guy.

[connieallbright]

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

Thanks for mentioning the post office parking lot as the meeting place. That makes much more sense. As I indicated in my previous post, I haven't seen this segment so I'm at a disadvantage here, but meeting at a busy shopping mall at midday didn't make any sense if you knew you were going to murder the guy.

Meeting at a mall would allow for less interaction/face time than meeting at Mike's office (where a receptionist would be trying to make him comfortable). There is also the matter of stashing his car - which would become invisable in a crowded parking lot.

It seems to me like the ruse of using a cane would be perfect for an older serial killer - he would know the power he'd have to manipulate and how his strength would be underestimated.

Sorry to keep harping on the Zodiac angle but the Zodiac was committed to achieving a high number of victims and admitted to using disguises.

[Awsi Dooger]

Originally Posted by connieallbright

Sorry to keep harping on the Zodiac angle but the Zodiac was committed to achieving a high number of victims and admitted to using disguises.

That's true, but similar to the Son of Sam case and David Berkowitz' recent versions, I dispute the word admitted. That implies truth. Zodiac CLAIMED to use disguises. Specifically after he was nearly caught in the Presidio after murdering cab driver Paul Stine. There was a widely distributed double sketch and I'm convinced they were very accurate. That caused Zodiac to suddenly write a letter saying, "I only look like that when I do my thing."

That's gloried BS. No evidence he was wearing any type of weird garb like at Lake Berryessa. The teenagers in the immediate house got a good look at him from the second story window. Zodiac took quite a bit of time ripping Stine's shirt then trying to clean away fingerprints. Plus the two police officers saw him at close range and may have even spoken to him, which I believe although it was never publicly admitted.

Zodiac stopped the killing spree after that incident. I'd love to wager he looked very much like those sketches and felt extremely fortunate to have escaped.

[connieallbright]

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

That's true, but similar to the Son of Sam case and David Berkowitz' recent versions, I dispute the word admitted. That implies truth. Zodiac CLAIMED to use disguises. Specifically after he was nearly caught in the Presidio after murdering cab driver Paul Stine. There was a widely distributed double sketch and I'm convinced they were very accurate. That caused Zodiac to suddenly write a letter saying, "I only look like that when I do my thing."

That's gloried BS. No evidence he was wearing any type of weird garb like at Lake Berryessa. The teenagers in the immediate house got a good look at him from the second story window. Zodiac took quite a bit of time ripping Stine's shirt then trying to clean away fingerprints. Plus the two police officers saw him at close range and may have even spoken to him, which I believe although it was never publicly admitted.

Zodiac stopped the killing spree after that incident. I'd love to wager he looked very much like those sketches and felt extremely fortunate to have escaped.

I think you're right about the sketches - horrible sketches that they are - being too close to home. There are loads of theories about his last victim, Paul Stine - if Zodiac knew him and was killing off a witness.

I have my own set of theories about Z but BACK to Mike Emert: I'm curious about the absolute lack of evidence. I'm sure the killer must have left some biological material behind. Hair in the car, fingerprints, skin cells. He drove Emert's car, for heavens sake! How was the original appointment made? They never offered that information in the segment, did they?

And a cane is such an elaborate choice of weapon. There can't be many places around selling this sort of thing (what I don't know about weapons could fill several libraries) or he could have made it himself.

[mattc]

What always struck me about this case (well, actually everything was weird and baffling really), was when Stack said that they had ruled out the motive of a competitive real estate agent. As I watched this segment, and even the first time, that was my immediate thought; frankly, unless there is something that is in his private life that we just don''t know about, nothing else makes much sense. Two me, there are two possibilities:
1) An angry competitor, or
2) Mike was having a fling/affair with a woman, and someone hired this guy to kill him.

The affair seems unlikely, as it looks like Mike and his wife had a great relationship, although this was from her perspective, and even great relationships can have deviant behavior unfortunately. It could have also been a perceived issue, such as some jealous man thinking that his wife/girlfriend had a thing for Mike. Just because the police didn't find any angle on this doesn't mean it wasn't happening; after all, these things are usually hidden, and I'm assuming that most people involved in affairs wouldn't want to have this revealed.

The competitive agent angle seems the post likely scenario to me. I know that they said the police ruled that out, but how could they really? It sounds like Mike was very well known in Seattle as a successful real estate agent, so the person who did this might not have even known Mike, or been in his agency or circle of co-workers/peers. I just don't know how the police could say that they had ruled out ALL possible real estate industry connections.

Also, it came off on the segment that Mike had recently won an award for his job, was highly regarded, and (not to sound rude or anything), seemed to have no problem displaying images of wealth. I'm thinking about the expensive jewelry he was wearing (including a diamond ring), and driving a Cadillac SUV. Frankly, those cars are the epitome of ostentatious behavior when it comes to money, so I'm just guessing that his money and success were probably no secret.

The random kiill/aging serial killer theory just doesn't make any sense to me. Remember, this killing was planned, as Mike had shown the killer the same house the previous day, and had made sure that he was not seen on both visits. Serial killers, from what I have read, seem to strike at random, and don't target specific people. This had all the offerings of a contract kill, and I can only think of the above two options.

The only other thing I can think of (and it's a long shot), is that this was some sort of an extortion plan, where the killer confronted Mike with demands for money or something, and then the situation escalated Mike was murdered (that might explain the 19 stab wounds, which show rage imo).

Any other ideas?

[Mastermind]

Any other ideas?

Three.

1. One is that this could be a mistake hit. Perhaps the target was another real estate agent in the office. This seems unlikely though, this guy was an expert hitman! He would have checked and double checked. Plus, he met Mike before, so he had time to verify that this was the guy he was supposed to hit.

2. After reading The Iceman Kulkinski's biography (I hghly recommend it to any true crimes fan. ) I'm wondering if this was a "practice" hit by the hitman. Maybe he wanted to test whether this method of killing someone with the sword can would work. The Iceman once killed an innocent guy with a crossbow to see if it would work( ). Maybe this was some form of an experiment. Or maybe this was a try-out for being the hitman of an organized crime organization. They wanted to see how good he would be so they had him murder an innocent real-estate agent to see if he could pull it off and get away with the crime. Much like how the Philly mob tested Kulkinski by having him murder an innocent guy on the street. Sad but true.

3. While Mike was the target maybe, he was not the person that the client of the hitman was angry with.
a. Maybe this was similar to the Cynthia Anderson case, where the client wanted to send a message to the real estate agency.
b. Perhaps someone was in love with his wife and saw this as a way to get rid of his competition and free her up from the obstacle of marriage. Maybe this guy figured that after a year or so he could start a relationship with her and finally have the woman of his dreams.
c. Maybe Mike is a vital witness to something that he and everyone else is unaware of. Perhaps some organized crime syndicate was involved in a complex real estate swindle. Maybe Mike had information they felt could be used against them. They may have decided to play it safe and have this potential witness eliminated. Maybe Mike sold a forclosed or possessed property?


Some things to consider.
1. This wasn;t this guy's first, second or even third crime. This hitman has some other murders somewhere on his record.
2. This hitman was not local. By his accent, it seems like he was imported in from some large city on the east coast.
3. A hitman this good does not come cheap. Someone had the DESIRE, CAPABILITY, AND NECESSITY to hire someone like this. I don't think the motives for this crime are petty. Usually MONEY, LOVE or JAILTIME are the driving motives for this type of crime.
4. The fact that the watch and ring was taken was most lilkely done to prove that Mike was dead. Which leads me to wonder how the client would know Mikes ring or watch? This means the client must know Mike very well.
5. We're assuming the killer was not crippled because of the knife-cane. But it is possible that the killer was indeed crippled and ALWAYS carries the cane with him. Perhaps these injuries are from a life in organized crime.
6. Not too many knife canes around. This weapon has to be unique enough to be traced. Family heirloom?