Bosworth - A killer among us / S : a true story of a familys triumph over tragedy

Charles Bosworth, Jr.

A Killer Among Us @2015 Charles Bosworth, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author/copyright owner.

Original Photography: Gregg Olsen

To my sister Mary and her husband, Phil, for having the courage to take Elizabeths children and raise them as their own. Elizabeth couldnt have chosen better parents.

To my parents, Jim and Georgianna, for finding the strength to go on, and not let Rick win.

To Mike Miller and Tom Dittmeier, who were so dedicated and committed and never asked for anything in return. What an inspiration you are to our system.

To Elizabeths children, so that you never forget your mother and how much she loved you.

Finally, to my precious sister Elizabeth. Thank you for giving me the strength to get through this, and for the bond between us that no words could ever describe. Your memory is enshrined in my heartuntil the day we finally meet again.

Melanie Enkelmann

This is the true story of a family tempered by the fire of tragedy more painful than most people can imagine. The incidents portrayed in this book have been reconstructed using a variety of contemporary notes, police reports, and court transcripts. The author also has drawn on the memories of many participants and observers, who recounted conversations and events in an attempt to make this book as accurate as humanly possible. In some cases, dialogue has been recreated from reports, recollections, and other sources.

The names of certain people portrayed in the book have been changed to pseudonyms chosen randomly by the author. These pseudonyms bear absolutely no connection to real people who may have similar names. An asterisk marks the first reference to each fictitious name.

The number of important characters has made it appropriate to include an index to provide quick and easy referencea sort of whos who in this complex story. The index is located at the end of the book.

This book would not have been possible without the gracious and courageous cooperation of many members of the Van Iseghem family. They opened their hearts and their homes to me and shared with me their memories of Elizabeth. Van Iseghem DeCaroa woman I wish I had been privileged to know in life as well as I came to know her after she was gone. As those she left behind shared their stories with me, they won my respect, my admiration, and my affection. I wish to thank all of them, especially Georgianna and Jim Van Iseghem, Melanie and John Enkelmann, Mary and Phil Cordes, Theresa Van Iseghem, Margie Ugalde, Jimmy and Joy Van Iseghem, and Randy and Maureen Van Iseghem. My debt of gratitude also extends to Elizabeths special friend, Pam Hanley.

I also wish to extend my sincerest thanks to my technical adviser and research director, Lieutenant Patrick McCarrick of the St. Charles, Missouri, Police Department. Sifting through the thousands of pages of documents generated by this investigation would have been a more difficult task without his expertise and assistance. And best of all, he coupled his knowledge of this case with an impressive ability to tell a gripping, spellbinding story. For the sake of everyone who loves a good story well told, I hope he follows through on his interest in becoming an author.

There were others whose assistance was just as essential to the writing of this book. I extend special thanks to Colonel Robert J. Lowery, chief of police in Florissant and director of the St. Louis Metropolitan Major Case Squad; Major Tom OConnor of Maryland Heights, commander of the Major Case Squad; Chief David King of the St. Charles Police; and Detectives Mike Miller and Mike Powell of St. Charles. I also owe thanks to Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Braun of St. Charles County and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Dittmeier of St. Louis.

I want to extend my gratitude again to the special people who have been instrumental in putting this book in your hands: my editor, Michaela Hamilton, and her staff at Penguin Putnam, who continue to guide and direct my efforts; and my agents, Arthur and Richard Pine, who provide constant expert counsel and assistance.

Friday, March 6, 1992

The light rain that had begun to fall that evening soon would have a name. Such an odd notion would have made no sense to Melanie Enkelmann as she pulled into her sisters driveway, of course. But sense and reality for Melanie Enkelmann were about to be altered drastically and finally. Bent into new and ugly shapes and angles. Reflected through dark and deadly prisms into ghostly shadows that she never dreamed possible, not in her worst nightmare. Life for her and the entire Van Iseghem familytheir very concept of lifewas about to be exploded through a painful, disorienting rip in the world where they had lived happily for decades. Their old life was all about to end, and a new reality was about to begin. In this new reality, betrayal came as easily as an early spring rain. In this new world, betrayal would have a familiar face. And naming the rain would make perfect sense.

But on this Friday evening, as she sat in the driveway at 12 Hidden Meadow Court in St. Charles, Missouri, Melanie Enkelmann had only the vaguest sensejust a slight nagging in her heart and soulthat something of that magnitude was about to happen. She really just wanted to find her little sister, Elizabeth DeCaro. That was all that counted right then.

Everything about Elizabeth DeCaros life had been growing stranger and stranger for months. Melanie and their older sister, Mary Cordes, had tried to figure out what the increasingly peculiar events meant for their precious Elizabeth. Everything pointed toward something ominous. Melanie and Mary had talked about it almost endlessly, but they could never get a firm grip on all of the slippery evidence that something was lurking in the dark, waiting for the absolutely worst moment to swoop down and end the suspenseand to alter their little sisters life forever.

But now all that Melanie had on her mind was the mystery of Elizabeths failure to keep their date for a five oclock after-work drink with friends. That wasnt like Elizabeth, even these days; it wasnt like her at all. Between margaritas at the popular Casa Gallardo restaurant, Melanie had made several calls to Elizabeths home. There was no answer. This uncharacteristic absence had gnawed at Melanie until she knew she would have to take action. So with their mutual friend Mike Carroll,* Melanie had traced back the steps on Elizabeths path through this foreboding Friday. As Mike drove the route, Melanie learned that, no, Elizabeth had never arrived for her afternoon workout at Vic Tannys and, no, she hadnt been in contact with Mary Boo Pohlman, another friend and confidante, at the restaurant where Boo worked. Melanie soon was out of ideassave one.

So now, at eight oclock, she and Mike sat in his car in the rain at 12 Hidden Meadow Court, the perfect house, where twenty-eight-year-old Elizabeththe perfect wife and motherhad lived a perfect life with her perfect husband, Rick DeCaro, and their four perfect kids, and their perfect yappy little dog, Ozzie. The lovely blue-and-white story-and-a-half in one of the newer neighborhoods in this all-American suburb of St. Louis now was Melanies last resort. Even though the phone calls to the house had still gone unanswered, Melanie was compelled to check it out. She couldnt think of anything else to do, and she had to do something.

She jumped out of Mikes car and sprinted through the rain to the garage, which extended slightly forward on the right side of the house. A peek through the window confirmed her suspicions. There was the empty parking space for that jazzy black-and-silver Chevy Blazer with the red snowplow on the front bumper and the personalized RIK-LIZ license plate. If the Blazer was gone, Elizabeth had to be gone too.