"What did you do as a child?" "He seemed very fond of her, " Sachs said. Other documents indicate he then served two years in the Army Reserve, working as a medical and dental assistant. The St. Louis Housing Authority eventually intervened, and McGhaw is moving at the end of this month, despite what Sandra Travis said. He hung himself in jail in 2002 before officially confessing to any of the murders, however. ", Wucher called Travis' car his "pride and joy.". He also mentioned the term "serial killer" to her. The victim was discovered after an anonymous letter was sent to local Post-Dispatch reporter Bill Smith on May 21, 2002. VIDEO: St. Louis police investigate the multiple deaths of prostitutes. However, the FBI believe that Travis could be responsible for up to 10 unsolved murders. After the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a profile of the killer, Travis anonymously sent the newspaper a map to the home, where several bodies could be found. "We need closure for the families of the victims.". It is not a public place. A neighbor in Ferguson described Maury Troy Travis as a quiet, respectful boy who sometimes mowed her lawn without being asked and showed her how to use an electric hedge trimmer. Travis' home was raided in 2002, as noted by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after police received a letter about a series of murders that contained a map to one of the bodies. "He startled me, " she said, "and he was so apologetic. 1986-88: He attends Morris Brown College, a private college in Atlanta. Police now suspect Travis. "You know why we're here, " they told him. they asked. She knew him by his nickname, Toby, and said he was a pleasant child with a soft heart. easy canvas painting with black background. Therefore, you should be respectful and not step foot on the property without permission. [citation needed]. Since he was 14-years-old he fantasized about murder. It was, they said, "a very normal living room" in "a very normal house.". Police now suspect Travis. Cold Case Files covered the story in the episode "A Map to Murder". Police believe he killed between 12 and 20 women, but in a letter Travis sent to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which helped lead police to him, the killer boasted of killing 17 women. Once, Wucher said, he told Travis about a friend whose car was stolen and later found burning in East St. Louis. ABCNEWS is also interested in hearing information you might have for a follow-up. His worst crimes were captured on a VHS tape labeled "Your Wedding Day," which featured footage of Travis reenacting BDSM fantasies before strangling women to death. He asks that his sentence be replaced by a 120- or 180-day "shock" imprisonment. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. She apparently has a two-year old daughter who periodically would play by the same pole in the basement where Maury Travis tied up women. The home's basement - where Travis allegedly recorded some of his crimes - is what freaked McGhaw out the most. Travis had been placed on suicide watch (i.e. ", "I got all that stuff out of my system, " he said, adding that he was "rehabilitated.". According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Criminal Maury Travis's net worth is $1-5 Million before He died. [7] Upon being approached by the local housing authority, the landlord subsequently agreed to rescind the lease.[8]. Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son, Alex Murdaugh testifies 4 years after fatal boat crash involving son. Seriously underwater., Neman: Missouri womans saga of trying to find common sense at Walmart, I can still hear the roaring of the engine, says father of teen maimed in downtown St. Louis, Travis is found hanged in his cell. You dont give the address, but it answers my question, the house is still standing and some poor unsuspecting woman was renting it. It is situated at 1001 Ford Drive in the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri. He agreed to accompany them to police headquarters downtown. Catrina was understandably shocked when photographs of her home suddenly appeared on the television. As a grown-up, he transformed his basement into a torture chamber where he murdered at least 17 women while recording their video, their pain, and ultimate death. The lessee said she had no problems with the home until a family member told her to check out a cold case documentary about serial killers that was airing on television, KMOV reports. Travis was named in a federal criminal complaint for the murders of two women. Travis Barker's ex-wife Shanna Moakler flaunted her wedding ring on Instagram over the weekend during a Q&A, 13 years after the couple divorced. He earned the money being a professional Criminal. West Alton Doe 2002 is connected to Monroe County Jane Doe, Madison County Jane Doe, and St. Clair County Jane Doe by Maury Travis, who sent a letter to the St. Louis Post Dispatch with directions to the still unidentified remains of West Alton Jane Doe 2002.Maury Travis hanged himself while he was being held in jail in 2002 but police now believe that he killed between 12 and 20 women, many of whom died in the basement of his Ferguson, Missouri, home.Learn more about her case in our group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/awarenessformissingmopersons/permalink/445814326129488/ But damn, this is a weird story. St. Louis police released excerpts from the videotape to ABCNEWS, which are being broadcast nationwide for the first time on Primetime Thursday. A picture of Maury Travis Source: UGC Maury Travis was an American serial killer. [2][5], In his letter to the newspaper, Travis wrote, "I'll tell you where many others are." Imagine you accidentally move into a serial killer's house. [6] Investigators discovered a torture chamber at Travis' residence, torture instruments, a stun gun, newspaper clippings of some of his crimes, and videotapes of Travis killing or abusing victims. Tim Sachs. TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. Travis Air Force Base, California's Fisher House I celebrated its grand re-opening after almost a year of interior renovations during a base ceremony Nov. 4, 2021. May 15, 2001: The body of Teresa Wilson, 36, is found in West Alton. "I am not going back.". Under Review. Det. They later track the map to Travis' home computer. This was before any connection between the slayings had been made public. In the video, he strangles a woman with a belt until she passes out on the floor as the killer monologues, "This is first kill. McGhaw then discovered the house she rented was once the home serial killer Maury Travis used as a torture chamber. [2] Although Travis appears to have acknowledged at least seventeen murders, the police believe his victim count could be as high as twenty. Serial Killer Maury Travis's Murder House Rented, The house in Ferguson, MO where a woman that was renting the home learned from a TV documentary that it was used as a torture chamber by suspected serial killer, Maury Travis, who killed between 12 and 20 women. The tape, labeled Your Wedding Day, showed Travis tying women up and torturing and raping them. Maury Travis, 36, committed suicide in jail in 2002 before cops could quiz him about as many as 20 murders in the local area When police searched his home, they found makeshift cells in the. On June 10, 2002, despite being held on suicide watch Travis managed to hang himself before admitting to any of the murders. The Rev. Salary in 2022. He hit the headlines in 2001 when he was named in a federal criminal complaint for the murders of two innocent women. Six months later, Maury Travis was arrested. So far, at least, the answers have been painstakingly slow in coming. Sgt. They have identified 12 of his victims as drug-addicted prostitutes whose bodies were dumped along city streets and country roads in the St. Louis area between March 2001 and May 2002. As they talked, Travis' calico cat strolled through the room, moving from one visitor to the next. In 2014, a tenant called Catrina McGhaw discovered that she was living in Maury Travis' former house while she was watching a documentary about his crimes. The map, printed out and mailed with a letter to a Post-Dispatch reporter, was traced by the police and the FBI through the Internet back to Travis. "It may be weeks before we know more, " said Capt. After viewing the tape, Police Chief Joe Mokwaordered that everyone who saw the footage had to undergo psychological counseling. It was about that time, he would tell a judge later, that he became addicted to cocaine. On April 2nd 2012, Texas nurse Kimberly Clark Saenz was sentenced to life in prison for killing 5 of her dialysis patients by injecting bleach into their dialysis lines! {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, By Bill Smith, Tim O'Neil and Bill Bryan of the Post-Dispatch, 4 killed, 4 critically injured in crash at South Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue, Parents push back on allegations against St. Louis transgender center. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. . Who is raising your kids? The station reports that Catrina McGhaw currently rents a house in Ferguson, Mo., that was once home to Maury Troy Travis. When police searched his home, they found makeshift cells in the basement and videos of Travis tormenting women before tying them up to a wooden beam that still stands to this day. Had he been abused as a child, Sachs asked him. "A very normal, average type of guy, " St. Louis homicide Detective Roy Douglas remembers. Bucknor for rejecting handshake: Zero class, Man shot and killed after fight in downtown St. Louis, Liberty High student killed in St. Charles shooting could heal you with a smile, Fate of St. Louis Fox Theatre still undecided, Brothers who did everything together, fashionista among victims in fatal St. Louis crash, Centene expects to lose millions of Medicaid customers beginning in April, Arch Madness: 2023 MVC Basketball Tournament bracket, schedule, game times, TV info, St. Louis man charged in quadruple fatal crash; police say he ran off with his license plate, St. Louis prosecutors staff down by nearly half as caseloads jump. Travis' mother told KMOV that she had previously revealed the home's morbid history to McGhaw, a claim she denies. In his new role, Travis will oversee the planning, organization and implementation necessary to accomplish our economic . "She said, 'No, you signed a lease. [2] However, the map was recognized to have come from Expedia.com, and further investigation traced it back to Travis, leading to his arrest. It shows an 8-foot-by-8-foot cell with two inner cells where Maury planned to keep women. He seemed more interested in how they had been able to find him. The house, it was revealed, was the very one used by 36-year-old Maury Travis, a man police say filmed himself torturing and murdering multiple women before his arrest in 2002. On February 16, 2009, Travis attacked and mauled his owner's friend in Stamford, Connecticut, blinding her . "[The child] looked over like she was scared. "If it weren't for such a caring cellmate, I'm very sure Id've committed suicide after my first day here at this institution.". If you've never heard of Maury Travis, you can watch the video above, or read this or this. "There's some families out here that have a lost loved one, and they'll always be uncertain of what happened to them.". All rights reserved. Facebook gives people the power to. Shes legally in her right to do that; ethically, perhaps not so much. This description was backed up by former neighbors and teachers, who remembered him as being "incredibly quiet" and "withdrawn.". Police have been unable to find any evidence that Travis' killing spree was preceded by instances of animal abuse and arson - a path known to be followed by many serial murderers. McGhaw found it out via watching a documentary on television. His overconfidence loss is your gain:now his dungeon is one of the many. $1 Million - $5 Million. McGhaw, who receives a Section 8 stipend, had to seek outside help to negotiate the lease. His opening sentence made it extremely clear that he did not feel any remorse for his victims. I was shocked that he was living in Ferguson at the time, and I went on line to get his address, and was shocked to see your blog post. "Initially, the landlord was not willing to let her break her lease but we talked with her and eventually the landlord agreed to rescind the lease," Cheryl Lovell, executive director of the St Louis Housing Authority, told ABC News. Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is a country music singer and songwriter. He also psychologically abused them. In his letter, he stated, "This whole situation is horrid and phantasmic." Rachael Ray has announced that her daytime talk show will be ending this year, bringing its stellar 17-season run to a close. Then he would take them captive, binding them with ropes and handcuffs and covering their eyes with duct tape. Published on November 17, 2021 09:12 PM. He had "had a problem" when he downloaded the map, they told him. When they examined the basement after his arrest, police found that the walls had been repainted several times, with layers of paint, then blood, then paint, then blood. Maury had built several torture chambers in the basement of the house and kept corpses there. And then: "To prove I'm real, here's directions to number seventeen. Maury Travis's income source is mostly from being a successful . But throughout the nearly eight hours of questioning, police said, they never saw any remorse, any feelings of guilt. On Tuesday, April 2nd, the Maury County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Alliance promoted two employees. She said Travis specifically referred to a "serial killer.". Victims. Instead, he was so proud of his crimes that he actively courted notoriety. Linda Harrison, whose home shared a common wall with Travis', said there was "not the tiniest" of problems while he was there. He became addicted to cocaine. Maury Troy Travis. The bodies of at least four of Travis' suspected victims were found in the East St. Louis area. Listen to this episode to get a glimpse into the crazed mind of this killer. Eventually, investigators guided Travis outside and into a police car where they continued to talk with him. She begged her landlady to let her out of the lease, but she refused and said she was responsible for the whole term. Prosecutors in St. Louis and the counties of St. Charles, St. Clair, Madison and Monroe were reviewing evidence against him for possible state charges. Travis, 36, who apparently turned the basement of his ranch-style house in the 1000 block of Ford Drive into a torture chamber, committed suicide in Raze down the cunt that raised this demon. In this county, you only need to report physical defects of the home (I assume thats true for a lot of counties, actually). After murdering his victims, Travis typically dumped their bodies on the eastern outskirts of St. Louis. You have permission to edit this article. The car wash where Orlando Anderson was shot. Sachs questioned Travis for nearly eight hours, before giving way to Douglas and Walker, who immediately began a more direct, more "in your face" confrontational interview that had produced results with past suspects. Sarah Paschall. He never admitted anything, they said, but he never denied anything either. Because Mauray Travis killed himself in jail before detectives could fully investigate his crimes, there's no way to know exactly how many women he killed. Last chance! Serial killer Maury Travis, who hanged himself in jail in 2002, is believed to have slain between 12 and 20 women. Former St. Louis reality TV star James "Tim" Norman will serve life in prison for conspiring to kill his nephew. The scenes on the tape were so disturbing that Police Chief Joe Mokwa ordered psychological counseling for the officers who viewed them. Maury Travis's home movies. ", Maury Travis Tortured 17 Women In His Home, Now His Mom Rents Out His Murder House, But like many serial killers, Travis wanted to be a known entity: it's likelythat Travis would still be adding to his list of victims if he hadnt sent a letter to a local paper to taunt the police. Maury Travis committed suicide in 2002 before he could be formally charged with the deaths of 17 women, all sex workers that he hired and then killed. "I have known Mr. Travis and his family for a number of years and I feel he is deserving of special consideration in this matter, " Clay wrote. The footage was so cruel and shocking that the officers who watched it were reportedly ordered to undergo counseling. Victims remains. A lot of true crime and music but I throw in life stuff too for the times I need a greater understanding of why I'm like this. With one exception, the excerpts released to Primetime do not show Travis physically torturing the women, but blood splatters are visible on the walls and floor. Oct. 8, 2001: The body of Brenda Beasley, 33, is found in East St. Louis. St. Louis police are confident that Travis was the killer who was responsible for the bodies that were turning up through 2001 and 2002. Although officials at St. Louis County Jail were told that he should be put on suicide watch, few precautions were taken. Since he was 14-years-old, he fantasized about killing.