Squad Seeks Tips in Death of Researcher (Tinfoil Time - Another Microbiologist Murdered - #12)

Columbia Daily Tribune ^ | Sunday, January 9, 2005 | By MIKE WELLS

[IncPen]

A retired research assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia died of multiple stab wounds before firefighters found in his body in the trunk of a burning car Friday.

Im

Boone County Medical Examiner Valerie Rao said after an autopsy that Jeong H. Im, 72, of Columbia was stabbed several times, but she declined to elaborate.

MU police yesterday named Im as the victim. His body was found in the trunk of his burning white, 1995 Honda inside the Maryland Avenue parking garage, MU police Capt. Brian Weimer said.

The case was under investigation by the Mid-Missouri Major Case Squad. No arrests had been made by last night.

Weimer spoke to reporters at a news conference yesterday in Jesse Hall but declined to discuss details such as whether a murder weapon was recovered or the cause of the fire.

Rao also was cautious about discussing the investigation. Regarding questions on the estimated time of death, the number of wounds, the type of weapon or the fire, she said, "We don’t want to release any of that information because it’s so crucial to what the police are doing."

Police yesterday hadn’t ruled out robbery as a motive.

"All possibilities are being looked at right now," Weimer said.

Im was primarily a protein chemist. Mark McIntosh, chairman of the MU department of molecular microbiology and immunology, said he doubted the crime could have been the act of an angry student.

"He’s a 72-year-old and pretty much keeps to himself, and so I can’t imagine that it was anything more than some random act," he said.

Police were trying to find an unknown person who used a campus emergency phone to report the fire, Weimer said. Police want that person to contact them again.

Weimer also asked the public for help in identifying a man - 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall - who was seen in the garage area wearing some type of mask, possibly a drywall or painter’s mask.

That individual is a "person of interest," Weimer said, and not a suspect.

"There could be a valid reason for someone like this to be in the garage," he said.

At about 6 p.m. Friday, MU Police Chief Jack Watring activated the major case squad. It’s the first homicide investigation on the campus in nearly 16 years. The request drew in 28 squad members from various law enforcement agencies, including the Columbia Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Im’s wife, Tesuk Im, declined comment yesterday when contacted at her Columbia home.

The parking garage serves employees of MU and University of Missouri Health Care as well as employees of and visitors to the Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center.

Weimer said investigators were still trying to determine the timeframe for the crime. Anyone who was in or near the garage from early morning to afternoon Friday has been asked to call MU police at 882-7203 or CrimeStoppers at 875-8477.

"By all means, let us sort it out," he said. "Please, give us a call and let us know what you saw."

Tribune reporter Megan Means contributed to this report.

Reach Mike Wells at (573) 815-1720 or mwells@tribmail.com

[IncPen]

If you're keeping track:

1. Nov. 12, 2001-Benito Que was said to have been beaten in a Miami parking lot and died later.

2. Nov. 16, 2001-Don C. Wiley went missing. Was found Dec. 20. Investigators said he got dizzy on a Memphis bridge and fell to his death in a river.

3. Nov. 21, 2001-Vladimir Pasechnik, former high-level Russian microbiologist who defected in 1989 to the U.K. apparently died from a stroke.

4. Dec. 10, 2001-Robert M. Schwartz was stabbed to death in Leesberg, Va. Three Satanists have been arrested.

5. Dec. 14, 2001-Nguyen Van Set died in an airlock filled with nitrogen in his lab in Geelong, Australia.

6. Feb. 9, 2002-Victor Korshunov had his head bashed in near his home in Moscow.

7. Feb. 14, 2002-Ian Langford was found partially naked and wedged under a chair in Norwich, England.

8. 9. Feb. 28, 2002-San Francisco resident Tanya Holzmayer was killed by a microbiologist colleague, Guyang Huang, who shot her as she took delivery of a pizza and then apparently shot himself.

10. March 24, 2002-David Wynn-Williams died in a road accident near his home in Cambridge, England.

11. March 25, 2002-Steven Mostow of the Colorado Health Sciences Centre, killed in a plane he was flying near Denver.

[FreedomPoster]

Yipes!

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

They were talking about this death and the other 11 las night on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. It is wierd.

[pabianice]

"Blood Music," by Greg Bear

[happygrl]

There were also microbiologists on the Russian plane that was shot down over Ukraine several years ago.

[redgolum]

Why? What is the thing that ties them together besides being in the micro bio field?

[pabianice]

11. March 25, 2002-Steven Mostow of the Colorado Health Sciences Centre, killed in a plane he was flying near Denver.

NTSB Database: "No accidents this location this date."

[conservative cat]

You'd think they'd have angered the Clintons with that track record.

[formercalifornian]

Mysterious prof death in South Dakota

[cake_crumb]

The Holzmayer case sounds like a bad affair and/or a stalker...but when you put all those deaths together like that the apparent pattern is VERY chilling.

[prairiebreeze]

Univ. of MO is where that Dr. Germ woman got her training. FWIW.

[cake_crumb]

"There were also microbiologists on the Russian plane that was shot down over Ukraine several years ago."

Interesting proportion of Russians and SE Asians, isn't it?

[Lady Heron]

There are many more, though since I have moved I have lost my list.

[MtnScout]

They have the date wrong:

"He died on March 24, 2002 when the airplane he was piloting crashed near Centennial Airport in Douglas County."

http://tinyurl.com/6tybq

[antidisestablishment]

Anyone else find this particular detail interesting?

a man - 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall - who was seen in the garage area wearing some type of mask, possibly a drywall or painter's mask.

Some masks are also used for biohazards...

[Paved Paradise]

Either this profession is a very risky one for unusual deaths, or something is truly bizarre. I wonder how many people qualify for the title of microbiologist. If there are a lot of them, then this is still a very small number, but odd that so many seem to have died in violent/suspicious circumstances.

[TomGuy]

Wasn't there a world-wide list that was much longer? It seems there were 30-some deaths of various medical-biological-personnel that had met with 'accidents' or were murdered.

[Nita Nupress]

Someone pinged me to this story the other day, and it was revealed on the thread that Iraq's "Mrs. Anthrax" attended the University of Missouri-Columbia. I confirmed this after a quick search. It's probably just a coincidence, though.

Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
May 6, 2003 Tuesday Broward Metro Edition

MRS. ANTHRAX,' NO. 53 ON U.S. LIST, DETAINED IN IRAQ
Bob Drogin washington correspondent

WASHINGTON

A top Iraqi scientist thought to have worked on biological weapons programs was detained in central Iraq Monday, senior Defense officials said.

Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash was in U.S. custody, officials said, but they cited conflicting accounts as to whether she had surrendered or was captured. Ammash was No. 53, and the only woman, ...

(snip)

Ammash was Iraq's leading microbial genetic engineer, according to U.S. officials. They said she is thought to have been instrumental in secretly rebuilding Iraq's bio-warfare capabilities in the mid-1990s while she headed a biological laboratory at the Military Industrial Commission, which helped coordinate Hussein's clandestine weapons programs. ...

(snip)

Ammash was the five of hearts in the U.S. military's deck of cards of most-wanted Iraqis, and is the fifth senior official from Iraq's weapons program in U.S. custody. She has been dubbed "Mrs. Anthrax" in the media for her alleged involvement in programs to produce lethal biological agents.

(snip)

Born in 1953 in Baghdad, Ammash received her undergraduate degree in Iraq but did most of her professional training abroad. She was awarded a master's of science degree in 1979 from Texas Woman's University and a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1983.

Ammash served as dean of the faculty of science at Baghdad University and was president of the country's microbiology society. She worked closely with Nassir Hindawi, whom U.S. officials consider the founder of Iraq's bio-weapons programs.

(snip)

[OldFriend]

You have made the most interesting connection of all.

Russian and Asian.

These are two groups with notorious hit squads in their midst.

They prey on the successful without regard for life or limb.

[hoosiermama]

Here's a previous thread that may have some more information:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/629082/posts