Stolen: The Angie Housman Story - Part 2: Investigation and Similar Cases

Discovery of Angie Housman

• 💔 Angie Housman's body was discovered in a wooded area of St. Charles County, approximately 20-30 yards off a private lane.
• 🌳 Her jeans were used to tie her arms behind her back and loop them around a tree, with her body positioned against it.
• 😥 Scuff marks on the ground indicated she had struggled to reposition herself, suggesting she was alive when bound.
• ⚠️ She was blindfolded or had duct tape over her eyes, and her hands were cuffed behind her back.

Investigation and Forensic Clues

• 🕵️ Detectives collected significant physical evidence from the scene and Angie's person, including a fingerprint on the duct tape.
• 🤐 Authorities deliberately withheld details of Angie's death, classifying it as a violent homicide to prevent false confessions and muddying the investigation.
• 🔍 The fingerprint recovered was not clear enough for a database match but could be used for a one-to-one comparison.
• 💡 Fibers and hairs were also recovered from the scene, contributing to the ongoing investigation.

Similar Cases and Serial Predator Fears

• 🗓️ Just days after Angie's body was found, 10-year-old Cassidy Center (Cassie) disappeared from Hazlewood, Missouri, exhibiting similar victimology.
• 🚨 Cassie carried a personal alarm, which was found sounding off in a neighbor's yard, suggesting she may have activated it.
• FBI utilized the Rapid Start program to organize and strategize tip collection and lead prioritization for both cases, fearing a serial child killer.
• 📰 A third victim, 20-year-old Amy Bond, was also investigated, with similarities in her abduction and death, including the use of electric tape on her body and face.

Task Force and Suspects

• 🤝 A multi-jurisdictional task force was formed, comprising detectives from various agencies to investigate the interconnected cases.
• 👥 Police interviewed hundreds of individuals, including pedophiles, peeping Toms, convicted murderers, and rapists, while also chasing down numerous tips.
• 📝 A profile was compiled, suggesting the perpetrator was an intelligent white male, aged 20-45, possibly living alone and owning multiple vehicles.
• ⚖️ Gary Stufflebean was arrested in Texas for attempted abduction based on a composite sketch but was later cleared of the murders, proving he was not in the area during the abductions.

Arrest in Cassidy Center Case

• 🏠 Thomas Brooks was arrested for the murder of Cassidy Center, confessing to abduction with intent to rape, but claiming he beat her to death when she fought back.
• ⚠️ Brooks' sister and her roommate were charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly knowing about the deceased girl in their dwelling and not reporting it.
• ❌ Despite the similarities, Thomas Brooks was confirmed to have had no involvement in Angie Housman's murder.

Unresolved Questions and Ongoing Investigation

• 🕵️‍♂️ Detectives continued to seek a heavy-set man, aged 38-45, with wavy brown hair, who was seen in Angie's neighborhood, and a tall, slender companion.
• 🚗 A blue older model sedan was also of interest in relation to these individuals.
• 🗣️ A 13-year-old boy's claims of a dream about Angie being found tied to a tree and a blue car eventually led to his questioning, but he could not be connected to the case.
• ❓ The case of Angie Housman remains unsolved, with investigators having considered hundreds of suspects over the years, many ruled out by physical evidence.