On Friday, May 26, 1978, the town of St. Joseph, Missouri, was shaken when word spread that four-year-old Eric Christgen had vanished. The search gripped the community, and when Eric was finally found, the relief quickly faded. He had been murdered, and in a way that proved to be one of the most heinous crimes in the town’s history.

With pressure mounting to identify the killer, investigators focused on Melvin Reynolds. He did not match witness descriptions of the older man last seen walking with Eric, his alibi was supported by witnesses, and his confession showed clear signs of being coerced. Even so, Reynolds was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

This episode continues where we left off last week, after exploring the early life of serial killer Charles Hatcher. Today, we turn to one of his known victims, Eric Christgen, and the wrongful conviction of Melvin Reynolds. Next week, we will examine another of Hatcher’s victims and the events that ultimately exposed his crimes, cleared Reynolds’ name, and revealed the full scope of the horror that had gone on for years.

Purchase Terry Ganey's book Innocent Blood: https://a.co/d/6fE7rmD

Sources:

• Amber Keen, George Lewis, Kara Stone, Andrew Lucas, Charles Ray Hatcher, 2005, Department of Psychology, Radford University
• Kris Jensen, Terry Hughes, Kent Darr, Mike Anton, Gary Sawyer, Beverly Van Hook, The ugly odyssey of Charles Hatcher, May 15, 1983, The Quad City Times
• Terry Ganey, Innocent Blood: A True Story of Obsession and Serial Murder, 2016
• Mathieu, Jordan, Melvin Lee Reynolds, March 13, 2018, National Registry of Exonerations, Michigan State University College of Law
• Frederick Slater & Mary Hellen Burrowes, Body of Christgen boy found on bluff, May 28, 1978, St Joseph News-Press
• Atkison, Rick, Citizens try to Crack the Christgen Case, August 4, 1978, The Kansas City Times

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