Oakland County Child Killer
Over 45 years ago just outside of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan a serial killer was kidnapping and murdering young children between the ages of 10-12. This killer has four confirmed victims with a few others who have been loosely linked to the case due to proximity and similar victim demographics. This murderer, or possibly murderers, has been referred to as the Oakland County Child Killer, or sometimes called, the babysitter killer.
Despite substantial evidence from crime scenes and autopsies as well as anonymous tips and a few potential suspects in custody, this case continues to remain unsolved.
The four victims involved in this cold case were all young children from affluent areas in Oakland county, Michigan and three out of the four children came from broken homes. They were all murdered in the winter months when it was snowing. The killings happened in a 13-month period and all the victims were white. All but one died from suffocation. Instead, the victim, Jill Robinson, was shot by her killer.
Investigators believe the Oakland County Child Killer is homosexual to the fact the two boys linked to the case were sexually assaulted before being murdered, but neither of the girls were. It’s also important to add one of the primary suspects, Theodore Lamborgine, was part of a 1970s sex ring which preyed on young boys in Detroit’s Cass Corridor. His partner, another member of the sex ring, told WDIV he knew who the Oakland County Child Killer was, giving them names of the other three men apart of the ring who are all deceased. Not much information has been discovered regarding those men’s involvement, but it gave investigators some ideas of who the killer or killers might’ve known.
Both of the boys had rope burns on their wrists and ankles, leading to the idea they were tied up. All four victims' bodies were discovered within a mile of Woodward Avenue between 9 Mile and 15 Mile. The killer is suspected to be compulsively clean due to the fact all the kids were bathed fanatically before being murdered.
Another important fact was linked to an eyewitness’ report related to the last victim, Timothy King, prior to his death. A woman came forward saying she saw a boy who she believed to be Tim walking to the Hunter-Maple pharmacy in Birmingham, Michigan, the last place he was seen before going missing. According to the witness, Tim was talking to a man in the parking lot of the pharmacy and described a vehicle she believed the man was driving. This car was a dark blue AMC Gremlin with a white stripe on its side which closely resembled a hockey stick.
Her description of the man was the first of many profile sketches of the potential killer. This man was described to be between 25-35 years old at the time of the murders. He’s white and had dark brown hair cut in a shag style, and also had muttonchop sideburns and a husky build.
This eyewitness report led to the belief that the killer might’ve had a flexible work schedule which allowed him to have vacation time during the winter months. This would’ve allowed him time to kidnap and keep the children’s bodies in his capacity for at least 18 days before dropping them somewhere in the county area.
The killer was also mostly likely of white collar status and had an above average education and intelligence. These detailed descriptions of him, for the most part, match the depiction of the suspects at hand.
Although evidence links some of them to the case, most likely the men once considered aren’t the Oakland County Child Killer.
One of the men, for example, was highly suspected to be the murderer for the longest time after his death due to suicide in 1978. Alongside his families suspicions, Christopher Busch became a prime suspect in the case after Gregory Greene, a man arrested on child sexual assault charges, told investigators Busch killed one of the children, Mark Stebbins. Evidence was later found linking Busch to assaulting many boys and led to probation charges prior to his death.
Other findings after his suicide made him appear more suspicious including a drawing of a tortured boy who closely resembled Stebbins as well as the discovery of ropes in his closet. Busch also had a blue Vega car which looked similar to the blue Gremlin described earlier.
Ultimately, in 2012, DNA evidence disproved Busch as the Oakland County Child Killer.
Another suspect, James Vincent Gunnel, has mitochondrial DNA evidence linking one of the hairs found on one of the victims, Kristine Mihelich, to him. The mitochondrial DNA match means it could be his or one of his male relatives on his mother’s side. Regardless, Gunnels continuously claims he’s innocent and has expressed sympathy for the families of the victims.
It doesn’t help that he failed two polygraph tests while being questioned about the murders, but it is thought the Gunnels isn’t the killer rather has been hiding something or might know of the murderer.
After 45 years, Mark Stebbins’ brother, Michael Stebbins, speaks out, reporting to Click on Detroit that he and his family still have hope for answers regarding Mark’s killer. He tells viewers if they have any information related to the case to come forward and as Michael mentions “...[I]t has been a very long 45 years for me with no answers at all.”
The killer may not be convicted for the four murders that took place in the winters of 1976 and 1977 in the Oakland County area, but there is still hope for this 46-year-old unsolved cold case.
