Most infamous University of Michigan crimes?

Submitted by Happyshooter on

What do you think were the most infamous University of Michigan related crimes?

I think the Co-Ed Murders, late 1960s. John Norman Collins from EMU was picking up college girls from U of M and EMU, raping, killing them, and mutilating the bodies.

CRex

February 12th, 2010 at 12:11 PM ^

The KKK used to show in my hometown every year to protest. The county sherrif got sick of having to protect them and totally mailed it in on protection one year. The problem took care of itself that year and we haven't seen them since. Good times.

When Westboro was out here a few years back did we have much violence? I think the students kept it clean right?

BlueCE

February 12th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^

I remember that my freshman year, I actually was at the anti-rally which was insane. I remember 4 KKK dudes that came around not realizing that they were on the wrong side of the fence and absolutely getting pummeled. Everyone had their shirts on backwards so that the policemen taking pictures from the top of building would not be able to recognize you.

Happyshooter

February 12th, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^

I left out the NROTC, and Science and Tech Building Bombings in 68 and 69, since no one died.

I think you could make a good case for the Bursley murders being as evil as the Co-Ed.

befuggled

February 13th, 2010 at 12:21 PM ^

Completely OT. Four guys blew up Sterling Hall on the Wisconsin campus in 1970, which killed Robert Fassnacht and injured three others. My wife was on the board of a non-profit with the wife of one of the guy who helped prosecute bomber Karl Armstrong (and possibly his brother as well).

I've also bought juice from Armstrong, who ran a juice cart (and apparently a sandwich shop) after he got out of prison. I think one of the other bombers was a cabbie in Madison for a while.

leftrare

February 12th, 2010 at 11:16 AM ^

This clipped from the Daily:

"On Dec. 6, 1980, five members of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity captured their house cat, cut off its paws and set it on fire." (I believe they also hung it from a tree as it was burning.)

The story was buried two days later when John Lennon was murdered.

I'm not sure if it was homecoming 2000 or 2005 when the Frat hung a banner that read "welcome home Cat Killers".

leftrare

February 12th, 2010 at 11:48 AM ^

All 100% truth -- both the 1980 event and the welcome home for the alums. I was a student in 1980 and, while the story didn't get a lot of press, it was buzzing plenty around campus. Pretty sick, obviously. But, I'll admit to having chuckled a little bit at the banner.

I find it interesting that the brothers somehow retained the story in their fraternal lore.

Maybe somebody on this board is or was an Alpha Delta Phi and could comment?

chunkums

February 12th, 2010 at 11:52 AM ^

A: Definitely was not hung in 2005

B: Every member of that entire pledge class, even those not involved if I remember right, was kicked out of the fraternity, so I'm not sure why they would come back.

C: It was a pretty black mark on our history which the Michigan Daily unfortunately reminds us of every so often in their "this day in history" section (even when it isn't even the anniversary).

Tim Waymen

February 12th, 2010 at 12:30 PM ^

I've heard that story before. I probably read about it in the Daily. That's some disturbing sociopathic behavior. You'd expect that incident to be the reason that ShadyPhi has such a sketchy reputation to this day, but, amazingly enough, I don't think that's the case.

Steve Lorenz

February 12th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^

Ted Bundy watched the '78 Rose Bowl at a campus bar. I'm not sure which one though. I know that's not a crime but he was a fugitive at the time so technically I guess it is.

Feat of Clay

February 12th, 2010 at 11:51 AM ^

Well, I don't know if this is "infamous." But in 1997, a U-M senior was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, right on North Campus. The responding DPS officer shot the perpetrator. Not soon enough to save the young woman, unfortunately.

Happyshooter

February 12th, 2010 at 12:13 PM ^

Well, I don't know if this is "infamous." But in 1997, a U-M senior was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, right on North Campus. The responding DPS officer shot the perpetrator. Not soon enough to save the young woman, unfortunately.

That's how Lane Hall was given to Women's Studies.

Lane Hall was in the middle of renovations when the murder happened. Prior to the rebuild it had been used for all the Asian Studies.

After it was up for grabs. Women's and Black Studies both wanted it.

The Northwood V murder was a black live in boyfriend killing his female student girlfriend. He was following her around the court area stabbing her. Another student's high school aged son tried to scare the killer off with a baseball bat, but the guy with the knife won.

The University Cops got there and told him to stop stabbing her. He stabbed her again, and the cops shot him.

They both died at the U of M Hospital.

Woman's Studies said the cops (and the U) hated women because they let the killer stab her an extra time.

Black Studies (not kidding) called it a double murder because the U cops shot him for no reason because she was already dying--in other words because the U hated blacks.

Women's Studies version was a little less crazy, so they were awarded Lane Hall. Very nice and historic structure.

Feat of Clay

February 12th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^

Take it with a grain of salt.

These aren't "student groups," they are academic departments. Except U-M doesn't have a "Black Studies" department. It does has CAAS which may be what the poster meant.

But the more important point: I don't think this is the way decisions actually get made at the U, and don't think there is ANY shortage of people on campus who would agree with you that this kind of displacement is illogical and counterproductive.

How widespread those feelings were, I can't judge. I am certain the folks who expressed them did not speak for every student, staff, or faculty in those departments. The crazies always get the most airtime.

CRex

February 12th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^

My favorite is from the 1990s when they talked about the rapes and the black community claiming it was unfairly targeted by the police during the investigation.

Multiple women stated their attacker was a black man. Seriousily, what racial group were the cops supposed to go check out, the Asian-American community?