Angela, Although Hendersons testimony was not entirely compatible, and there was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted of murder in 1990 and sentenced to life imprisonment. and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina. He brings with him a solid sense of time and place, and devotes a great deal of attention to the police investigation and trial. Neither of them had any doubt that Chris Pritchard had sent somebody to murder his stepfather and his mother. Guilford school board to GOP: We want someone else. But before he could think about murder, he first had to learn the personalities and problems of his 25-person police department, so that he could begin improving it. mother and sister had passed). of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death. injure. To keep creating was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second On July 25, 1992, the opening ceremonies of the Games of the XXV Olympiad are held in Barcelona, Spain. The sad ironies of the family's tale are compelling. 2023 CNBC LLC. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired to have her and her husband killed. If she thought either of her children had anything to do with it, she would be the first to go to the police with the information, she said. When pressured, some of Chris friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with Chris. He has one brother, Emory, and two Now comes Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss, a highly subjective work with echoes of Fatal Vision, the 1983 McGinniss telling of Green Beret Jeffrey MacDonald's conviction for murdering his family. They used drugs. ', When a bloody Upchurch returned to the car, Henderson said, he remarked: ``I did it, I can't believe I did it. need your help for this. Little about the case had made sense to Crone before, but now he realized that the game offered a rational scenario for the murder. ', Henderson says he replied: ``Isn't that a little extreme? A jury decision on Upchurch's fate is expected this week. The plan went awry, he testified, after the two men lost the fuse while trying to crack it in Pritchard's car-trunk door. Upchurch was found guilty of first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, conspiracy to commit murder and burglary, larceny and burglary as part of a conspiracy to kill Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Lou Bates Von Stein, to gain part of Von Stein's $2 million estate. Clearly, the case had been left to languish until his arrival. Guilford school board to GOP: We want someone else. All Rights Reserved. The first recorded railroad accident in U.S. history occurs when four people are thrown off a vacant car on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts. '. In another, "rich kid trying to get richer" story, Andrew Wamsley, along with his girlfriend Chelsea Richardson and friend Susana Toledano, murdered Andrew's parents, Rick and Suzanna Wamsley in aims of collecting on their $1.65M estate. miniseries of the same name. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. Crone quickly saw that the initial months of the investigation had passed without anything of substance happening, and nothing at all had been done since Bonnie and Angela had passed lie detector tests in early January. need your help for this. And they shared a fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game steeped in mind-play and mystery.The trio had been playing the game regularly during summer school - at the expense of grades - and when Pritchard and Henderson stopped by his apartment in early July, Henderson says, the talk was about all sorts of strategies in make-believe - at least initially. Upchurch said Pritchard and Henderson 'loaded the scales of justice.'. ``James Upchurch and Christopher Pritchard were my friends.'. Copyright Jerry Bledsoe, 1991. ', ``James shook his head and said, 'No, we're going to murder his parents.' Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that Lieth was not so lucky. The victims had been invited to view the process of transporting large and weighty loads of stone when a cable on a vacant read more, On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the worlds first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. Henderson would chauffeur Upchurch to Washington from N.C. State in Pritchard's restored 1965 Mustang - a gift from his stepfather - and Pritchard would stay on campus all night in order to establish an alibi. Chris, both of whom were known drug users. Was Angela sexually involved with Bart Upchurch, the convicted killer? Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance. ``They made me into a hero before I ever got here,' he said later. of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access. He drove to Greenville, where she was staying at a motel, to meet her and Angela. books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. The early morning attack that left Von Stein dead and his wife, Bonnie, severely wounded soon became a national story. Detectives assigned to the case learned that Leith had had a poor intent to kill or do serious injury. Bonnie von Stein reconciled with her son, Chris, before his trial, in 1990, and remains close to him, today. He thought the murder was an inside job, a family affair. Excerpted by arrangement with Dutton, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. the murder. Until two months ago, she testified, the thought that her own child might have been involved in her near-death was unthinkable. ``At that time, I really didn't feel very good about myself and I needed friends,' he testified. Upchurch was convicted of first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, conspiracy to commit murder, and burglary in the first degree. Mussolini responded to it all with an uncharacteristic meekness. Bonnie Von Stein is from Wellcome in Davidson County. players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with He was referring to Von Stein's stepson, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, and Gerald Neal Henderson, who have pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting, second-degree murder and aiding and abetting assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. ``I didn't believe he could commit murder,' Bonnie Von Stein testified about her son in the Upchurch trial. Taylor knew that Bonnie soon would know that he had come to talk with Peggy Smith. plans and enthusiasm Taylor thought the chief's theory of the murder as a Dungeons and Dragons game acted out was interesting and should be pursued, but he didn't share his enthusiasm. Now their suspicions had been confirmed. Pritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007. Leith was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. Peggy knew that the police were suspicious of Chris. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan . ``I thought that would be pretty quick and I wanted it to be quick and painless,' Pritchard testified. ``At first, (Henderson) would call me every time he came home for vacation and it was always, 'I've got to get myself together and pull up my grades.' HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. Lieth was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life,. She thought that she smelled diesel fuel on him, she said, and mentioned it to him. The official handed him the card. killed. books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. ``I just didn't think she was involved in it,' he said. spending more of the inheritance on him. Based on the book "Blood Games" by Jerry Bledsoe. ``Said I was going to solve the Von Stein case and all this crap. Lieth was not so lucky. . Prabook is a registered trademark of World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. James Bartlett Upchurch III is an American man convicted for the murder of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, North Carolina. The miniseries Cruel Doubt was Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. lieutenant was completed on February 27, 2005, and he is a free manitoba If they were similar, it would be a strong indication that Chris had drawn the map. A day later, a captain with the campus police called back to say that the housing office had a card bearing Chris's name and address written in his own hand. attention to Chris, who refused to take a polygraph test (which his Although Henderson's testimony was not entirely compatible, and there ", Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. Now he had to undergo a crash course to determine what had, and, more importantly, what had not been done, so that he would know where to begin. The latest episode of "American Greed" tackles the subject of, "murder for money" and this week, it's all in the family. death, 20 years, 6 years and life. In his diary, Truman privately referred to the new weapon, the atomic bomb, as the most terrible bomb in the history of the world. He reached around and patted the back of her head. He had been intrigued by mentions in the investigative reports of Chris playing Dungeons and Dragons. Chris. ``Looks like you've got your man,' Captain Reynolds said. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie"s son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. Angela, Neal Henderson, a brilliant young man with a dull social life, felt lucky that James Upchurch and Christopher Pritchard had befriended him. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part Christopher "Chris" W. Pritchard He will not be eligible for parole until 2022. He told her he'd had a rough morning and hadn't had time for a shower. Man died Wednesday. 16 Bonnie Von Stein Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 16 Bonnie Von Stein Premium High Res Photos Browse 16 bonnie von stein stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The men raced back to Raleigh, Henderson said, stopping three times: to burn the map of the house and other evidence, to get rid of Upchurch's clothing and to wash the car. sisters, Carrie and Alexandra. That scheme was scratched because the Army-Navy surplus store was closed. ``She seemed like a nice, sweet lady,' he said later. ``But after he told me (he planned the murders) I had to believe him. was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted He had photographed the body and the house, then had helped SBI Agent Lewis Young gather evidence at the scene, because no SBI crime lab was available. ', ``But Chris laughed and said, 'No, we're serious. ``Then James said that he and Chris had an idea, a plan for Chris to come into his inheritance early,' according to Henderson. ``What they proposed to me, it seemed like an adventure, just to go off in the middle of the night and come back,' Henderson testified. released on TV in April 1992 under the name Honor Thy Mother. On the morning of July 25th, 1988, Christopher Wayne Pritchard walked into the bedroom of his stepfather, Leith Von Stein and mother Bonnie, with a knife and club and murdered Leith, leaving . He spent the evening playing cards in a friend's dorm. Robertson is currently on death row but keeps appealing his case in the hopes of saving his own life. On July 24, Pritchard testified, he came up with a plan to stage accidental deaths for his family by planting a broken fuse in the electrical box, dousing the wall with gasoline and setting a fire. (born November 25, 1968) is an American man convicted for masterminding Bonnie Von Stein survived. re-sentenced to life. When he brought out the card and the photo of the map, the chief, too, broke into a big grin. Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu Read all. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired . Von Stein, an executive with the National Spinning Co., and his wife were attacked while sleeping inside their comfortable two-story house before dawn July 26, 1988, by a man Bonnie Von Stein can . Updated: June 20, 2015 . Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. He had gone to talk with Bonnie's close friend and across-the-street neighbor, Peggy Smith, primarily to see if she could remember anything more about Chris's actions following the murder. A young man turns the death of his parents into a game. Lieth was not so lucky. When pressured, some of Chris' His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure. A young man turns the death of his parents into a game, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-young-man-turns-the-death-of-his-parents-into-a-game. with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement Upchurch, she told him, was one of her biggest headaches, still getting into trouble, never showing up for appointments. A young man turns the death of his parents into a game. On July 25, 1988, Bonnie Von Stein awakened to the sounds of her husband's screams. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. And John Taylor had a good idea of who that might have been. million dollars. Nevertheless, she gave McGinniss remarkable access to her life and thoughts - even telling her psychiatrist to reveal the content of private sessions. Near the top of the list was Chris's close friend from high school, Stephen Outlaw, with whom Chris had gotten into trouble. of 1 Excited about this new information, Taylor went to talk with Chief Crone, who had come upon some information of his own. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consip Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Bonnie Von Stein survived. But before Taylor could go to Raleigh to take a look at the card, however, he had to take care of another matter. ', Pritchard said he first mused on the notion ``if something were to happen to my parents' with Upchurch during the school year, while Pritchard and his family were at odds over his degenerating academic performance. 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