February 2022 | Page 8 of 28 | My Crime Library

Matthew Lanz Charged With Double Murder

Matthew Lanz has just been indicted for a double murder that took place in Georgia. According to police reports Matthew Lanz had been in a longstanding dispute with his neighbors that ended when Lanz broke into their home and murdered the couple. Matthew Lanz picked up an additional charge for leaving the murdered couple’s toddler alone with the bodies for hours until they were discovered. Now Matthew Lanz brother was Austin Lanz who near the Pentagon building would murder Officer George Gonzalez before turning the gun on himself. Matthew Lanz may also face more charges for stabbing a police officer in the neck. Would not be surprised for the Georgia prosecutor’s to seek the death penalty in this case

Matthew Lanz More News

A Cobb County grand jury has indicted a man in the alleged killings of his new neighbors — a firefighter and his wife — and with cruelty to the slain couple’s toddler, who he allegedly left alone in the home for hours after the murders.

Matthew Lanz, 22, of Acworth, is also accused of stabbing and wounding a police officer in neighboring Fulton County in November, two days after the alleged murders. Court records in Fulton County show the case is still pending.

Lanz’s 27-year-old brother, Austin William Lanz, was identified as the man who fatally stabbed a Pentagon police officer and shot himself with the officer’s gun last August.

Austin Lanz was arrested in April 2021 in connection with a break-in at a home that shares a back fence with his. The home was sold a few months later to Cherokee County firefighter Timothy Justin Hicks and Amber Hicks, both 31

The homeowner at the time of the break-in, Phillip Brent, has told The Associated Press it was a culmination of a long harassment campaign against Brent and his then-fiancee.

In the 13-count indictment Thursday, Matthew Lanz was charged with malice murder — killing with the intent to do so — of the Hickses on Nov. 17. Their bodies were found in their home the following day.

The indictment accuses him of causing their 2-year-old son physical and mental pain because the child was alone for 12 hours, “unable to feed himself, change his diaper, or get the attention of his parents.” When police found the child, he was physically unharmed.

Matthew Lanz is jailed without bond in Fulton County, where he was arrested Nov. 19 in the stabbing of a Sandy Springs police officer who responded to a burglary report. Investigators say other officers shot at Lanz, hitting him twice. The officer who was stabbed has since recovered and returned to duty.

Sandy Springs police have charged Lanz with 35 felony counts, including 10 each of attempted murder of a police officer, aggravated assault on a police officer, and felony obstruction.

Charges in Cobb County include tampering with evidence for allegedly removing shell casings from the murder scene.

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/jury-indicts-matthew-lanz-cobb-county-firefighter-murder

Matthew Lanz Stabbing Police Officer Body Cam Video

Hayden Dixon Gets Life For Axe Murder

Hayden Dixon is a man from West Virginia who just received a life sentence for the murder of his girlfriend with an axe. According to court documents Hayden Dixon would murder 35-year-old Trinity McCallister by repeatedly striking her in the head with an axe and strangling her. Hayden Dixon was arrested and in September 2021 was found guilty by a jury for first degree murder. Now today Hayden Dixon was given a life sentence for the brutal murder.

Hayden Dixon More News

A man was sentenced to life in prison on February 18, 2022, for the 2019 murder of his then girlfriend, Trinity McCallister.

Hayden Dixon was convinced of the brutal murder of Trinity McAllister on September 23, 2021. According to court documents, Trinity McCallister was reported missing in November, 2019. Her body was found mutilated a day after she was reported missing at the home she shared with Dixon.

In addition to life without mercy for first-degree murder, Dixon will serve a consecutive sentence of 3-25 years for felony possession of a stolen vehicle, felony forgery, felony uttering, and misdemeanor giving false information to a Department of Public Safety.

“The brutality of this crime as the judge said, clearly shocked the conscience of this community,” said Fayette County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Jennifer Crane.

Dixon’s defense requested last minute to dismiss the no mercy recommendation from the jury due to his age. Judge Ewing did not accept that motion.

“That night when you murdered Trinity McAllister, you showed her no mercy, not even an inkling of human dignity,” Judge Ewing said.

The family of McAllister addressed the court on the loss of their mother. Due to the age of her children, we did not record their impact statements. Crane said that while the court cannot bring Trinity back, the sentence served justice for her family and children.

“They’ve often wondered what’s happened to their mother,” Crane added. “I hope that somehow they can draw some strength from today, from seeing him go away and not being able to harm anyone else.”

Dixon was also allowed to address the court. His attorney read a one-sentence statement from him which said, “This is what drugs does to people.”

The defense left the courtroom immediately after sentencing and did not comment. They will have 30 days from the date of the sentencing to file to appeal

https://www.wvnstv.com/news/crime/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-2019-murder-in-fayette-county/

Howard Jansen III Pleads Guilty In 3 Year Old’s Murder

Howard Jansen III has plead guilty to the murder of his three year old daughter Olivia Jansen. According to court reports Howard Jansen III admitted to banging the little girl’s head against a wall which caused a brain bleed and led to Olivia Jansen death. According to other children in the home the three year old was punished by being put inside of a dog kennel for lengthy periods of time. Howard Jansen III girlfriend Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick plead guilty to 2nd degree murder earlier this year and is serving a 31 year prison sentence.

Howard Jansen III More News

A Kansas City, Kansas, man will be sentenced March 25 after pleading guilty to killing his 3-year-old daughter.

Howard Jansen III pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder and five other charges.

Police found the body of his daughter, Olivia Jansen, in July 2020 in a wooded area in Kansas City, Kansas, hours after Jansen reported her missing.

An autopsy found she had signs of physical abuse and had died of a brain bleed.

Jansen’s girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, is serving a 31-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in Olivia’s death.

https://www.kctv5.com/news/howard-jansen-iii-pleads-guilty-in-death-of-3-year-old-daughter/article_c89901a8-91c9-11ec-bb30-37611391f70d.html

Howard Jansen III Other News

Howard Jansen, III will be sentenced March 25 for the death of his 3-year-old daughter Olivia, after pleading guilty to multiple charges.

Jansen III pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to second-degree murder, child abuse and several other charges.

Police found the body of his daughter, Olivia Jansen, in July 2020 in a wooded area in Kansas City, Kansas, hours after Jansen reported her missing.

Jansen told police that he woke up at 5:30 a.m. and found she was gone from the home in the 4400 block of Gibbs in Kansas City, Kansas.

After a day-long search involving multiple agencies, drones and K9s, police said they got a tip that led them to a walking trail in the area of 34th and Steele Road in Kansas City, Kansas.

An autopsy found she had signs of physical abuse and had died of a brain bleed.

Jansen’s girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, was sentenced in December to 31 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in Olivia’s death.

https://www.kmbc.com/article/father-pleads-guilty-death-of-olivia-jansen/39147774#

Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick kansas — Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick

A woman who pleaded guilty for the death of Olivia Jansen learned her fate inside an emotional courtroom Monday afternoon.

Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick was sentenced to 376 months, a little more than 31 years, with credit for time served.

Three-year-old Olivia Jansen’s death devastated her family and had a lasting impact on her Kansas City community. A large memorial honors the three-year-old near 34 Street and Steele Road. Photos of Olivia, yellow balloons, ribbons, crosses, angels and teddy bears line the side of the street.

Two days after the sentencing on December 22nd Olivia Jansen would have turned five years old. The bubbly little girl never celebrated another birthday or started kindergarten. Her family says Olivia will forever be three years old.

“She was three years old. She was full of hope,” Preston Carter said Monday as he visited Olivia’s memorial. “All she wanted was to live her life. She was loved.”

Several relatives spoke and read letters during the sentencing hearing describing Kirkpatrick as a “selfish, cold-hearted, remorseless monster” capable of killing a happy, trusting, and innocent child.

In November, Kirkpatrick pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder, abuse of a child and two counts of interference with law enforcement. According to prosecutors, Olivia was forced to be inside of a dog cage during her abuse. Relatives told Kirkpatrick they hope Olivia’s face haunts her while she is in a cage of her own inside a prison cell.

Several family members said in their victim impact statements that they will remember Olivia and her life before she lived with her father, Howard Jansen III and Kirkpatrick. Relatives also told the court they believe the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the justice system failed Olivia. Relatives reported concerns about neglect and abuse before Olivia’s death. They believe she should still be alive today smiling, playing, and preparing for her first day of kindergarten.

Kirkpatrick will receive credit for 528 days for time served in jail. Howard Jansen III, who is charged with first degree-murder for Olivia’s death, is awaiting trial. Kirkpatrick has agreed to testify in that trial if she is called to the witness stand

https://www.wibw.com/2021/12/21/jacqulyn-kirkpatrick-sentenced-more-than-30-years-death-olivia-jansen/

Jason Thornburg Charged With 4 Murders

Jason Thornburg who was facing charges for three murders is now facing yet another murder charge. According to police reports Jason Thornburg was arrested following the discovery of three bodies in a trash dumpster in Texas which was on fire. The three bodies had been dismembered and later identified as 42-year-old David Lueras, 34-year-old Lauren Phillips, and 33-year-old Maricruz Mathis. Now police are saying that Jason Thornburg is facing a fourth murder charge for the death of 61-year-old Mark Jewel who Thornburg confessed to murdering saying he slit the man’s throat in order to sacrifice him. Apparently Jason Thornburg also confessed to another murder of an old girlfriend who died in 2017. Jason Thornburg is definitely going to be facing the death penalty.

Jason Thornburg More News

A man has confessed to killing three people whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster in Texas, as well as his roommate and girlfriend, saying he felt compelled to sacrifice them, authorities said Tuesday.

Jason Thornburg, 41, was arrested Monday on a capital murder charge in the deaths of the three people whose bodies were found in the dumpster in Fort Worth on Sept. 22, police said.

Surveillance footage of a vehicle at the site of the burning dumpster led them to Thornburg, an electrician’s apprentice. Officers on Monday found him working in nearby Arlington, an arrest warrant said.

During an interview, Thornburg told officers that he had in-depth knowledge of the Bible and believed he was being called to “commit sacrifices,” according to the arrest warrant.

Forth Worth police said Tuesday that the bodies found in the dumpster belonged to a man and two women. Earlier, police had said they believed one of the bodies was that of a child.

Police have identified the male victim as David Lueras, 42. Police said the medical examiner would release the identifications of the women.

Thornburg, who had been staying in a motel in the Fort Worth suburb of Euless since late July, told officers that about five days before the bodies were discovered, Lueras had showed up at his motel room, the arrest warrant said. Thornburg told officers he cut Lueras’ throat and then cut him into pieces in the bathtub, the arrest warrant said.

According to the arrest warrant, about two days later he slit the throat of a woman who showed up at his motel room and two days after that, killed another woman who had come to the motel. He said he tried to stab the second woman but ended up strangling her.

Police said at a news conference that Thornburg only knew the women casually.

Police said that when they identified Thornburg as a suspect in the slayings of the three found in the dumpster, they were already familiar with him from a suspicious death investigation earlier in the year.

According to the arrest warrant, Thornburg’s roommate had been killed in a suspicious house fire on May 21. During the police interview on Monday, Thornburg told officers he had slit his roommate’s throat then uncapped a natural gas line and lit a candle. At the time, the medical examiner had not been able to determine his roommate’s cause of death.

When police asked Thornburg about any other sacrifices, he said he also sacrificed his girlfriend in Arizona, according to the arrest warrant. The arrest warrant said records show she had been reported missing.

Police did not provide additional details on her.

According to the arrest warrant, video surveillance near the dumpster shows an SUV pulling up late on the night of Sept. 21. The person in the vehicle is seen dumping the contents of containers into the dumpster. The person then returns early the following morning and makes more deposits in the dumpster, the arrest warrant said.

Also, according to the arrest affidavit, video surveillance from the motel shows a person wearing what appeared to be a full body suit taking large containers from Thornburg’s motel room and placing them in the vehicle.

Police have said firefighters discovered the bodies.

Jason Thornburg was being held in jail on $1 million bond. Jail records did not list an attorney for him.

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/texas-man-admits-to-killing-5-including-3-whose-dismembered-bodies-were-found-in-burning-dumpster-officials/

Michael Burger Charged With Double Murder

Michael Burger has been charged with capital murder in Texas after police responded to a crime scene in San Antonio and found two people shot to death. According to police reports Michael Burger was seen carrying a AR15 and a shotgun while shots were heard in the area. When police responded to the scene they found the bodies of a 56-year-old man and 58-year-old woman. Initially reports are saying that the victims were relatives to Michael Burger and possibly his parents. Michael Burger would be taken into custody and has been charged with capital murder with other charges pending

Michael Burger More News

Michael Burger, 20, faces one count of Capital Murder for the murder of two relatives in San Antonio.

San Antonio officers responded to several gunshots in the 3800 block of Parkdale Street where they found Burger armed with an assault rifle and a shotgun.

At the scene, an officer noticed two dead victims in their 40s and 50s outside the apartment.

“It appears it could be a family violence incident,” said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus in a press briefing.

An officer demanded for the suspect to drop his weapons before firing the duty weapon but did not hit Burger who was taken into custody.

The investigation is still ongoing.

https://www.kwtx.com/2022/02/21/san-antonio-man-charged-with-capitol-murder-relatives/

Michael Burger Other News

A man is in custody after he shot and killed a man and a woman believed to be his parents outside of his Northwest Side apartment, according to San Antonio police.

The incident happened around 12:15 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Parkdale, according to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.

McManus said an officer was handling a traffic accident across the street from the complex when he heard gunshots ring out. The officer then went over to the complex to investigate.

That’s when he found two people, a man and a woman in their 40s or 50s, dead outside of a first-floor apartment, according to SAPD.

He also noticed a man, Michael Burger, 20, holding an AR rifle and a shotgun, McManus said. Burger took cover between two vehicles, causing the officer to back up.

Police said Burger popped up moments later from in between the two vehicles and the officer shouted for him to drop his weapons before firing several rounds in his direction.

Burger was not hit from the gunfire and he quickly gave up, according to McManus. He was then taken into custody.

The incident is believed to have stemmed from family violence and McManus said the two people who were killed in the shooting could be Burger’s parents. However, that has not yet been confirmed.

The officer involved in the shooting will remain on active duty and will not be placed on administrative leave, according to McManus.

Burger is currently facing one count of capital murder.

The investigation is in its preliminary stages and is subject to change. This is a developing story and we’ll bring more updates as they become available.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/02/20/man-arrested-after-2-people-found-shot-killed-outside-of-his-nw-side-apartment-chief-mcmanus-says/

Michael Burger Other News

Spring Branch ISD identified a married couple killed in a shooting in San Antonio on Sunday evening as two long-time employees.

Officers responded to the 3800 block of Parkdale St. in San Antonio after hearing several gunshots on Sunday, according to SAPD.

When the first officer arrived, 20-year-old Michael Burger was armed with an assault rifle and a shotgun, police say

According to officials, a man and woman were found dead outside the apartment. The man was identified as William “Bill” Burger, an assistant principal for the past 11 years with Spring Branch ISD. The woman was Noreen Burger, who retired in 2020 after working with the district for 25 years.

The officer gave several commands for Michael Burger to drop his weapons before firing his duty weapon. Michael Burger was not struck and was quickly taken into custody. He faces one count of capital murder.

Spring Branch ISD wrote in a statement, “Our hearts are heavy.”

The relationship between the victims and the suspect has not been confirmed.

https://abc13.com/spring-branch-isd-long-term-educators-killed-married-murdered-teachers/11587077/