Billy Mansfield

William Mansfield, Jr. (born 1956) is an American serial killer, child molester, and sex offender, responsible for the murders of five women and girls between 1975 and 1980. He buried the bodies of four victims at the family home in Spring Hill, Florida, and later travelled with his brother to California, where he raped and strangled a Watsonville woman. He was convicted of the latter homicide, and later plead guilty to the previous murders to avoid the death penalty in Florida, receiving four life sentences.[1] Mansfield is currently incarcerated at the California Health Care Facility.

Billy Mansfield
Mugshot
Born
William Mansfield, Jr.

1956 (age 64–65)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Conviction(s)Murder x5
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment x4 (Florida)
25 years to Life (California)
Details
Victims5+
Span of crimes
1975–1980
CountryUnited States
State(s)Florida, California
Date apprehended
For the final time on October 26, 1981
Imprisoned atCalifornia Health Care Facility, Stockton, California

Early life

William Mansfield, Jr. was born in 1956 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the eldest in a family of five children. His father, William Sr., was a convicted child molester who had served sentences in both Michigan and Nevada,[2] who often encouraged fights between his sons.[3] Despite this, the younger Mansfield claimed that he had a good upbringing and got along with his family, but that changed at age 14, when he dropped out of school and altered his birth certificate so he could serve in the Army. While serving, he became an alcoholic, and not long after also began experimenting with various drugs. As a result of his addiction, he was sent for treatment at a Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa on two separate occasions in 1978 and 1980. In 1975, he married Phyllis Spielmaker and had two children with her, but the couple divorced in 1979 with his ex-wife deciding to stay in Grand Rapids with the kids.[4] According to Spielmaker, Billy, a closeted bisexual, often brought men from gay bars home and had sex with them in front of her, and one time discussed a murder with her. She described him as easygoing, but very violent when drunk.[3]

Murders

Elaine Zeigler

On New Year's Eve in 1975, a 15-year-old girl from Parkman, Ohio named Elaine Louise Zeigler went missing from a KOA campground near Brooksville. She was on vacation with her family, and was last seen going to the camp showers. The next day, Elaine still hadn't returned, and her parents reported her missing. Search parties organized by the local police department and volunteers were spread out to search the area in order to find Zeigler, who, at that time, was thought to be a runaway.[5] Several people claimed that they had seen a girl matching her description riding a motorbike, and when asked where she was going, the girl claimed to be returning to her home state of Ohio. On the other hand, there were also reported sightings of Elaine talking to a man in his 20s near the shower area, and later boarding his car, a light blue 1966 Ford Fairlane with Florida license plates.[6]

After staying an additional week to aid in the search for their daughter, realizing that nothing could be done, the Chalkers returned to their home in Parkman, Ohio without Elaine.[7]

Sex crimes

On January 31, 1977, Billy pleaded guilty to a sexual misconduct charge against a babysitter in Grand Rapids, receiving 6 months imprisonment and 36 months probation. Not long after leaving jail, he assaulted two teenagers in a rural area of the city, and was sent back to prison for violating the conditions of his parole. There, he shared a cell with 27-year-old Albert Lee III, whom confided to Mansfield that he had murdered an 11-year-old girl named Linda Vanderveeen.[8] Using this information, Billy testified against Lee in exchange for a lesser sentence, and was released from jail after a year.[9]

On June 19, 1980, he forced 18-year-old Pamela Sherrell into his van and drove to a rented trailer, where he proceeded to hit her, cutting her lip and bruising her neck.[10] Sherrell reported the incident to the police, but when they went to arrest him, he was not there. On November 23, he was arrested in Santa Cruz, but posted bail and was set free again.[11]

René Saling

On December 7, 1980, the half-naked body of 29-year-old René Saling was found at a drainage ditch at the side of the Buena Vista Road in Watsonville, California by passing motorists. A mother of three, René was last seen by her husband Raymond the previous day. Her clothes had been torn apart, with her blouse and pants lowered to her ankles.[12] The coroner ruled the cause of death as strangulation.[13] Four days later, Billy and his 23-year-old brother, Gary, were arrested by a rookie police officer at Winnemucca, Nevada for questioning in Saling's murder. The two men lied about their identities and ages, but the officer noticed that their physical description matched the Mansfield brothers, and took them into custody at the Humboldt County jail.[14] On December 16, the two brothers were arraigned at a Watsonville court on murder charges concerning Saling's death. They were dubbed "The Bag Brothers" by the media,[9] due to the fact that they wore paper bags over their heads to protect the testimonies of any potential witnesses.[15] The Mansfields plead not guilty to the murder charges,[16] and were ordered to stand trial for Saling's murder by Justice John Marlo on February 4, 1981.[17][18]

Discovery of bodies

In mid-March 1981, the Hernando County Sheriff's Department obtained a search warrant to excavate the Mansfield family property in Weeki Wachee, based on information provided by an informant who claimed that there was a body underneath the property. The authorities searched and dug through the area, until they located a skull and bones in a shallow grave covered with a blanket.[19] Unsure if the bones were Zeigler's, they were sent for examination, where pathologist Dr. William Whitman concluded that they belonged to a female under 20 years of age.[20] Despite the search warrant naming only Zeigler, authorities, suspecting that there could possibly be more bodies, continued with the excavations.[21] Additional officers from Tampa and metal-detecting experts also aided in the excavations.[22]

The located body was tentatively identified as that of the missing Zeigler, based on the skeleton's characteristics, skull and missing tooth.[23][24] Jewelry was also located, but the Chalkers didn't recognize it as Elaine's.[25] Over the following weeks, there were continuous excavations with varying success, with the investigators initially uncovering bones from chickens and cows.[26] On March 24, a small sack of human bones was found underneath the fireplace.[27] Encouraged by this discovery, investigators continued digging and plowing the water pipes and electrical wiring installed over the bodies.[26] Eventually, three more skeletons were unearthed, all belonging to young women. They were determined to be the following:

  • Jane Doe - found buried under a concrete slab in the family workshop.[28] Described as a young white teenage girl with possible African-American heritage,[29] she was initially thought to be less than 13 years old.[30]
  • Jane Doe - Described as a white female, aged 22–30.[31] It was speculated that she might've been 21-year-old Melinda Harder, who had gone missing from St. Petersburg on July 27, 1980,[32] but this was ruled out when Harder's remains were identified in 2008.[33]
  • Sandra Jean Graham (21) - A Tampa native and employee of the Hillsborough Community College, Graham was last seen at the parking lot of Pam's Liquor Lounge on April 27, 1980, accompanied by a man described as a "biker". She had left her cigarettes, car keys and eyeglasses at the bar.[32] Her decomposed body was recovered from a wooded homestead, and positively identified through a forensic dentist.[34][35]

The skulls of the two Jane Does were later sent for reconstruction at the Colorado State University, with the task headed by retired anthropology professor Dr. Michael Charney.[36][31] No positive matches were made, and the victims remain unidentified. Mansfield was also briefly considered a suspect in the murders of 19-year-old Cynthia Clements, 19-year-old Elizabeth Margaret Graham and 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett, all of whom were killed in a similar manner and sexually assaulted.[10] James Delano Winkles would later be convicted of the Graham homicide, and remains a suspect in the Clements murder.[37] No suspect has been identified in the Barrett killing.

Following the arrest of his brother, Gary Mansfield, for drug charges on 10/27/2020 more remains have been located at the family home in Spring Hill, FL.[38] It is unknown at this time how many additional victims will be found.

Trials and imprisonment

Following the discoveries of the skeletons, it was decided that the trial be moved to San Rafael in order to avoid a publicity bias against Mansfield.[39] At trial, his previous escapades with the law and alleged sightings on the night of Saling's death were recalled.[2] Despite this, the jury were deadlocked, and a new trial was ordered.[40] At the request of Assistant State Attorney Chip Harp, the trial was granted a six-month stay.[41]

Prison escape and recapture

On October 27, 1981, aided by 22-year-old fellow inmate Ben Barrigan, Billy unchained himself while at the recreation yard and climbed up a roof, where, together with Barrigan, jumped to the ground and fled.[42] However, they were spotted by a woman, whom initially ignored them, thinking they were joggers in orange tracksuits, before eventually notifying police.[43] Patrols and sniffer dogs were quickly dispatched, and the surrounding areas searched. At about 11:45 PM, a man reported two suspicious men running by his house, and the policemen investigated the area, finding two sets of footprints leading up the river. After 11 hours of searching, a tired and disheveled Mansfield was arrested without incident at Paradise Park, hiding in some bushes and still wearing his prison uniform. About half an hour after, Barrigan was arrested at Lighthouse Point after being spotted by a citizen. Both prisoners were successfully returned to jail, and their captors praised in the media.[43]

Second trial

While in the Santa Cruz County jail, a Hernando County judge indicted Mansfield in one the murders of one of the four victims found buried underneath his property.[44][45] In addition, he was charged with attempted sexual battery in the Sherrell case.[46] The new trial was scheduled for February 8, 1982, with Billy's brother Gary and woman known as "Cindy" agreeing to testify against him.[47] After a two-week long trial, Billy Mansfield was convicted of René Saling's murder, and sent back to prison to await his sentencing.[48][49] He was later handed a 25-year-to-life sentence.[4] Concerning the Florida homicides, after initially claiming to be innocent, Mansfield plead guilty to all four, and was given four life terms as part of a plea bargain.[1][50] In a prepared statement, he said the following:

"I am pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charges and I have no other reason."

Not long after his sentencing, several inmates at the Hernando County Prison, among them serial killer Robert Dale Henderson, attempted to break out, but were thwarted by the authorities. During the escape attempt, Mansfield was offered freedom, but declined. He was later moved to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton, where he remains to this very day.[51]

Bibliography
  • Michael Newton (1992). Serial Slaughter: What's Behind America's Murder Epidemic?. Loompanics. ISBN 1559500786.
  • W.R. Langston (May 19, 2007). When Angels Weep: The Weeki Wachee Homicides. ISBN 978-1462819270.
  • Harold Schechter (November 27, 2012). The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1439138854.
  • Darren Burch (October 31, 2017). Twisted But True. Page Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1635680829.

See also

References
  1. "Mass slayer pleads guilty for life term". Miami Herald. August 5, 1982.
  2. John Zappe (July 21, 1981). "Mansfield trial starts today". Tampa Bay Times.
  3. Bill Stevens (August 5, 1982). "Mansfield's grisly tale unfolded page by page over 2 years". Tampa Bay Times.
  4. Peggy R. Townsend (April 6, 1982). "Mansfield Gets 25 Years to Life Prison Sentence". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
  5. George Baxley (January 8, 1976). "Where is Elaine? Deputies Search Woods For Missing Girl". The Tampa Tribune.
  6. "Search launched for Ohio girl missing a week". Tampa Bay Times. January 9, 1976.
  7. Neil Johnson (March 22, 1981). "5 Years of Silence End For Parents, Page 2". The Tampa Tribune.
  8. "Judge permits testimony". Lansing State Journal. October 10, 1979.
  9. Derald Everhart (March 29, 1981). "Mansfield, the man with 'penetrating eyes', eased sentence with deal". Tampa Bay Times.
  10. Derald Everhart (March 20, 1981). "Sex offender's son accused of murder". Tampa Bay Times.
  11. "Woman's Body Found Off Buena Vista Road". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 8, 1980.
  12. "Woman Strangled: Coroner". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 9, 1980.
  13. "Suspect in strangling". Reno Gazette-Journal. December 11, 1980.
  14. Peggy R. Townsend (December 16, 1980). "Brothers Arraigned in Murder Case". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
  15. Peggy R. Townsend (December 23, 1980). "Mansfield Brothers Enter Innocent Pleas". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
  16. "Mansfield Brothers Face Trial". Santa Cruz Sentinel. February 5, 1981.
  17. Derald Everhart (March 20, 1981). "Sex offender's son accused of murder". Tampa Bay Times.
  18. Derald Everhart (March 19, 1981). "Excavation continues at backyard grave". Tampa Bay Times.
  19. Derald Everhart (March 19, 1981). "Excavation continues at backyard grave, Page 2". Tampa Bay Times.
  20. Derald Everhart (March 19, 1981). "Police searching sex offender's land for body of missing 15-year-old find skeleton". Tampa Bay Times.
  21. Sid Kirchheimer (March 19, 1981). "Diggers find bones in hunt for bodies". Orlando Sentinel.
  22. Daniel McLaughlin and Neil Johnson (March 19, 1981). "Skull Unearthed In Search For Missing Girl". The Tampa Tribune.
  23. Daniel McLaughlin and Neil Johnson (March 19, 1981). "Skull Unearthed In Search For Missing Girl, Page 2". The Tampa Tribune.
  24. Neil Johnson (March 22, 1981). "5 Years of Silence End For Parents". The Tampa Tribune.
  25. Derald Everhart (March 21, 1982). "Some say more bodies buried on Mansfield land". Tampa Bay Times.
  26. Derald Everhart (March 25, 1981). "More human bones found on sex offender's property". Tampa Bay Times.
  27. Daniel McLaughlin (March 18, 1981). "Remains Believed To Be Teen's Discovered in Hernando County". The Tampa Tribune.
  28. Derald Everhart (March 18, 1981). "Skeleton, thought to be of a young female, is found". Tampa Bay Times.
  29. "Another skeleton". The Tampa Times. March 24, 1981.
  30. Sid Kirchheimer (July 25, 1981). "Likeness of 2 victims best lead on identities". Orlando Sentinel.
  31. Neil Johnson and Daniel McLaughlin (April 9, 1981). "Fourth Skeleton Identified, Page 2". The Tampa Tribune.
  32. David Reynolds (October 16, 2008). "Remains identified as woman missing for 28 years". Star-News.
  33. Neil Johnson and Daniel McLaughlin (April 9, 1981). "Fourth Skeleton Identified". The Tampa Tribune.
  34. "Second skeleton identified". Florida Today. April 9, 1981.
  35. "Skulls to be 'reconstructed'". The Tampa Times. April 30, 1981.
  36. "Inmate Sentenced to Death". Orlando Sentinel. April 15, 2003.
  37. https://www.wfla.com/news/crime/human-remains-found-at-serial-killers-family-home-in-hernando-county/?fbclid=IwAR1qXE9ELz3DZMGXegjnaQYVjpsU983bO4qGOeLleFQZktSp22tOcP0uB70
  38. John Zappe (July 21, 1981). "Mansfield trial starts today". Tampa Bay Times.
  39. Daniel McLaughlin (August 18, 1981). "Mansfield To Stand Trial 2nd Time For California Murder". The Tampa Tribune.
  40. Derald Everhart (September 11, 1981). "Judge extends trial period for Billy Mansfield". Tampa Bay Times.
  41. "Suspect in 5 Killings Captured 11 Hours After Escape From Jail". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 1981.
  42. Peggy R. Townsend (October 27, 1981). "Officers Beat Brush On Trail Of Escaped Murder Suspect". Santa Cruz Sentinel.
  43. Daniel McLaughlin (January 8, 1982). "Jury May Have Indicted Billy Mansfield". The Tampa Tribune.
  44. Daniel McLaughlin (January 8, 1982). "Jury May Have Indicted Billy Mansfield, Page 2". The Tampa Tribune.
  45. "Mansfield indicted in four murders". Florida Today. January 13, 1982.
  46. Derald Everhart (February 7, 1982). "Billy Mansfield's second trial in death of California woman will begin Monday". Tampa Bay Times.
  47. Eric Ingram (February 24, 1982). "Mansfield convicted in killing; faces life". Tampa Bay Times.
  48. Eric Ingram (February 24, 1982). "Mansfield convicted in killing; faces life, Page 2". Tampa Bay Times.
  49. Bill Stevens (August 5, 1982). "Mansfield pleads guilty, gets life". Tampa Bay Times.
  50. "Deputies Stop Breakout Attempt". The Marion Star. August 7, 1982.
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