In the unsettling case of the Liske family murders, Halloween took a horrifying turn on October 31, 2010. Sixteen-year-old Devon Griffin stumbled upon a nightmarish scene at his Oak Harbor, Ohio home, initially believing it to be a Halloween prank. However, the chilling truth was that he had discovered the lifeless bodies of his mother, Susan, and stepfather, William "Bill" Liske, in their bedroom. Furthermore, his older brother, Derek, aged 23, was found dead in his upstairs bedroom with a blunt force trauma wound to his head.
The investigation into this gruesome event began by reconstructing the events leading up to the Halloween discovery. Bill and his 24-year-old son, William (known as BJ), had spent the previous day hunting. In the evening, the family had a celebratory gathering with a neighbor that ended around midnight.
Halloween morning brought concern when Derek failed to arrive for a job at his aunt Laurie Morse's house. Calls to Derek and Susan went unanswered, prompting Laurie to contact Devon. Devon, who had spent the night at his father's house and had a church concert that morning, returned home and was faced with the horrifying sight of his slain parents. A panicked Devon reached out to his aunt Laurie, who called 911.
The crime scene was gruesome, with Bill having suffered multiple gunshot wounds and Susan shot three times, showing signs of a defensive wound on her hand. Blood spatter covered the walls, creating a real-life horror scene on Halloween.
Investigators had a theory about the use of two different murder weapons – a blunt object and a gun. They believed Derek was killed first to prevent him from alerting Bill and Susan. The absence of shell casings suggested that the killer meticulously removed them to cover their tracks. There were no signs of forced entry or a robbery, leaving investigators puzzled.
A neighbor reported hearing what might have been gunshots around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday. The investigation extended to searching the Liske property, and a muddy footprint was discovered on a dock near a pond. Police suspected that the killer may have thrown the murder weapons into the water, but despite draining the pond, no weapons were found.
The big question that haunted investigators was who could commit such a heinous act against three family members. Was it someone familiar with the Liskes, a complete stranger, or perhaps individuals influenced by Halloween-related motives?
Devon was initially questioned, providing his alibi and eventually cleared as a suspect. Police then focused on locating BJ, whose relationship with his stepmother Susan had been strained for some time, escalating into physical altercations. Witnesses revealed that BJ was a troubled individual with evident mental health issues that were exacerbated by alcohol. His behavior had become so disruptive that he was no longer permitted to live in his father's house.
BJ was tracked down at a family hunting cabin in Carroll County, where the search for possible murder weapons began. Blood and a .22 caliber rifle were discovered in his father's white truck, while a bloody hammer was found in a closet at the Liske home. The evidence was damning, with BJ's DNA linked to the crime scene.
In a jailhouse phone conversation with his mother, BJ admitted his involvement, saying he "wasn't in his right mind" but refused to divulge further details. Ultimately, he changed his plea to guilty. BJ Liske received three life sentences without parole.
The grim saga took another tragic turn in 2015 when BJ took his own life while incarcerated. The Liske family murders remain a chilling and tragic chapter in the annals of criminal history, marking a Halloween that turned into a real-life horror story for this unfortunate family.
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