The Documentary
Today we focus on the Babysitter Killer, also known as the Oakland County Child Killer. He was an unidentified serial killer in Oakland County, Michigan, in 1976 and 1977, leaving a trail of mystery and unanswered questions. The Babysitter Killer received the name due to the heinousness of his crimes. He kidnapped and murdered four children, and he washed their bodies. After investigating the murders, the detectives concluded that the murderer possessed a warped paternal impulse. For decades, authorities have been unable by the unsettling circumstances of the cases, which triggered the public's attention. Several severe obstacles arose throughout the Oakland County Child Killer probe. Clarke (2023) asserts that the murderer avoided capture despite a massive multi-agency search.
The investigation stalled due to a lack of witnesses, substantial evidence, and a clear culprit. The causes behind The Babysitter Killer's atrocities remain unknown. Even though there have been several theories and educated guesses, the true motive for the murder remains unknown as long as the killer has not been positively identified. Mark Stebbins, a 12-year-old, went missing in 1976 and was the first victim of the killer's reign of terror that claimed many more lives the following year when he killed Jill Robinson, Kristine Mihelich, and Timothy King in 1977 (Glasby, 2020). Each child was kidnapped, imprisoned for several days, and brutally murdered. The victims' details are discussed in the order the murders happened.
Mark Stebbins
Mark Stebbins was the first Babysitter Killer and victim and was 12 years old when he was killed. On Sunday, February 15, 1976, Mark left the American Legion Hall in Ferndale, Michigan, where they watched a pool competition with his older brother (Keenan, 2020). Mark parted ways with his mother and brother at 1:15 p.m. to make the three-quarter mile walk back to their residence. Mark's mother, Ruth Stebbins, reported him missing that evening after he did not return home. When he departed, he wore a blue hooded coat, a maroon sweater, black Levi's pants, and black rubber boots and went to Lincoln Junior High. As the investigation progressed, the authorities published a timeline of the events leading up to Mark's kidnapping. On the relevant night, he was seen leaving the American Legion Hall, but no one has seen him since. The local community gathered, created search groups and disseminated missing person fliers in a frantic bid to find him.
Keenan (2020) claims that Mark's body was discovered in a snowbank on February 19. The medical examiner determined that the victim died from suffocation, also known as asphyxiation. The investigation was clouded in mystery and fear because the attacker thoroughly cleaned the little victim before killing him. He was the first terrible murder in a series that would linger in the neighborhood for years, leaving officials perplexed about who the Babysitter Killer could be.
Jill Robinson
Jill Robinson, 12, was the second victim killed by The Babysitter Killer. Jill Robinson lived in Royal Oak with her mother, Karol Robinson, and her two younger sisters, Alene and Heather. Following her parents' divorce, Jill and her sisters continued to see their father on Wednesday nights and weekends. Jill had been going through a challenging period with puberty, her parent's divorce, moving, starting over at a new school, and missing her father (Keenan, 2020). Her mother tried to search for her in vain and decided to report to the police the missing daughter. The police led a relentless investigation the next day to find any lead to Jill, and unsuccessfully the days passed with no new information on Jill's whereabouts. Flyers were distributed, a search team was formed, and everyone looked for any sign of the missing girl.
Jill's body was discovered on December 26, a few miles north of Royal Oak, near Troy. She was found sitting on the side of Interstate 75 near the Troy Police Department. Kaminsky (2021) say Jill was most likely shot in the face with a shotgun between two and four a.m. Because only shotgun pellets and no shell casings were located at the crime scene, it is impossible to determine the exact make and model of the shotgun used. Jill was not the victim of a sexual assault, according to the authorities. Jill's bicycle was discovered in the back of a store on Euclid Avenue in Royal Oak the day after her body was found. The body was discovered one day before the discovery. Jill's murder was alarmingly similar to that of the babysitter killer's first victim, Mark Stebbins. Jill`s body, like Mark, was found to have been washed when she was brutally murdered.
Kristine Mihelich
The Babysitter Killer's third victim was Kristine Mihelich, a 10-year-old girl. Kristine Ascroft asked her mother, Deborah Ascroft, for permission to buy a teen magazine from the 7-Eleven across the street on January 2, 1977, which was only four and a half blocks from her house on Gardner Street and was the last time she was seen (Middleton, 2022). Kristine was the oldest of four siblings, with younger brothers aged eight and six and a younger sister aged four. When she returned to school after the holidays, she was described as a cheery fifth grader who couldn't wait to tell her friends how much she loved her new record player. She went missing for 19 days, the longest among the children in the Oakland County child murders. After Kristine failed to return home from the 7-Eleven on time, the parents reported to the police, who began a thorough investigation, which included meticulously checking every route she could have taken to get there. They investigated buildings, alleys, garbage cans, and parked cars within a quarter mile of her house to gather information, and the police sent images of Kristine to employees at restaurants and other businesses.
In their search for Kristine, the police got countless suggestions and leads but could not follow them up. Kristine's body was discovered on January 21 by mailman Jerome Wozny while making his rounds down Bruce Lane in Franklin Village after searching for more than three weeks. He looked at her blue ski jacket again, and this time he noticed Kristine's lifeless hand. Middleton (2022) asserts that the Oakland County medical examiner, Dr. Robert Sillery, concluded that Kristine died due to suffocation, which resulted in a lack of oxygen due to hypoxia and exposure to harsh weather. Despite a few minor injuries, there was no solid evidence that she had been the victim of sexual abuse. Kristine's clothes were still neat and put together after 19 days away from home. The murderer's horrific treatment of her simply underscores how heinous the Babysitter Killer's crimes were.
The authorities' inquiry into Kristine's disappearance and its circumstances required a long time and effort. To gather any information that could lead them to the elusive killer, investigators meticulously studied every piece of evidence, interviewed every potential witness, and collaborated extensively with the local community.
Timothy King
Timothy King was just 11 years old when he was murdered and became the final victim of the babysitter killer. Timothy was last seen on March 16, 1977, in a local pharmacy near Adams Road in Birmingham, Michigan, where he skateboarded with his friends. His abduction startled the community and added to Oakland County's growing concern and sense of helplessness (Parker et al., 2019). Timothy was a sixth-grade student from Adams Elementary School when he went missing, and his family raised him in Birmingham, Michigan. On Wednesday, he went missing and had 30 cents he got from his sister and went skating to buy candy. Marion and Barry King, his parents, had left the house to travel to a customer's place for a will signing and then to a local restaurant for supper. When Marion and Barry returned home at nine o'clock that evening, Tim had already left. They started looking for him immediately, visiting his friends' houses and looking in their neighbors' backyards. Timothy's family experienced tense days and restless nights. They later reported to the police, where the detectives searched the neighborhood extensively and questioned people.
As part of an extended search operation, local law officers in Oakland County were permitted to stop and search automobiles randomly after midnight. Parker et al. (2019) says that despite a thorough search that included patrol officers, mail carriers, and residents, no significant leads were discovered. Timothy's body was found six days after his kidnapping by two Detroiters making a U-turn in Livonia on March 22. The police were soon informed, and investigators from Wayne County and Oakland County stepped right into action when they arrived. Tim's red hockey gear and skateboard were discovered in the snow by the police officers searching for him. Tim's body was found, effectively ending the search. The murderer washed Timothy's body before killing him, a similar practice he had already used on his other victims.
In conclusion, the Babysitter Killer's case is a disturbing warning about the presence of evil in people's hearts. The outcome resulted in fear and horror spreading throughout the area, permanently ruining people's sense of security. The investigation into this tragic case continues as the misery of losing innocent lives and their families still seeks answers. Although the identity of the Babysitter Killer remains unknown, law enforcement must remain committed to providing security and justice.
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