Relax, These Heartless Souls Are Out of Commission
With so much cruelty portrayed on Forensic Files, an update that gives a little peace of mind seems in order for this week.
1. Stacey Ruth Castor
Prison: Bedford Hills, New York
DOB: 7/14/67
FF episode: Freeze Framed
Crime: Murder, attempted murder
Victims: David Castor, Ashley Wallace
Outlook: Deceased.
Stacey murdered husband David Castor in 2005 by feeding him antifreeze via a soft drink and a turkey baster, then staged his death to look like a suicide. She subsequently attempted to frame her own daughter Ashley Wallace for the crime by forging a confession note, then slipping her a lethal dose of pills to make it look as though she’d committed suicide; fortunately, Ashley got help and survived. Stacey might have killed her previous husband, Michael Wallace, as well, but no charges were filed. She died of a heart attack in a jail cell on June 11, 2016. She would have been eligible for parole at age 87 — but I wouldn’t trust someone like her at any age.
2. Sharon Zachary
Prison: Huron Valley Complex, Michigan
DOB: 08/05/1965
FF episode: Prints Among Thieves
Crime: Murder, robbery
Victim: Robert Rogers
Outlook: In prison for life, no parole.
The caretaker of the very crotchety and cash-rich Robert Rogers, Sharon Zachary was already in the will, but she couldn’t wait. The 5-foot-1-inch-tall Battle Creek, Michigan, native started helping herself to his money early, then used a pipe to beat the 80-year-old multimillionaire to death in hopes of gaining total access early.
3. Shannon Agofsky
Prison: Terre Haute USP, Indiana
DOB: circa 1971
FF episode: Stick ’em Up
Crime: Robbery, murder
Victims: Dan Short, Luther Plant
Outlook: On death row.
Shannon, 18, and his brother Joseph, 23, abducted bank president Dan Short, forced him to unlock the vault in the State Bank of Noel in Missouri, and stole $71,000 on October 6, 1989. Instead of wearing masks to hide their identities, the thieves bound the 52-year-old banker to a weighted chair and threw it into Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. While serving prison time for Short’s murder, Shannon killed fellow inmate Luther Plant in an exercise cage in 2001 and faces the death penalty. In the meantime, he’s active on Facebook. (Joseph Agofsky was convicted of the robbery but not the murder; he died in jail in 2013.)
Read a full recap and update to the case.
4. Lynn Turner
Prison: Metro State Prison, Atlanta
DOB: 7/13/68
FF episode: Cold Hearted
Crime: Murder
Victims: Glenn Turner, Randy Thompson
Outlook: Deceased.
The rather benign-looking mother of two poisoned her 32-year-old common-law husband by sneaking antifreeze into his food, in a bid to collect the firefighter’s $35,000 life insurance payout. After Randy Thompson’s death, it came to light that her previous husband, police officer Glenn Turner, had met his end in a similar way and she had received $150,000 from his insurer. She was convicted of both murders and given life in jail. The prison routine didn’t suit Lynn Turner, and she took her own life via an overdose of propranolol in her cell on August 30, 2010.
5. Colvin “Butch” Hinton
Prison: Hays State Prison, Georgia
DOB: 09/18/1960
FF episode: Ring Him Up High
Crime: Sexual assault, murder
Victims: Shannon Melendi, Tammy Singleton
Outlook: In prison for life, no parole. SEE CORRECTION BELOW.*
Authorities should have never released Hinton after he attempted to rape 14-year-old Tammy Singleton in 1982. But the sexual predator won freedom after just two years. He got a gig as an umpire at a softball game, where he met 19-year-old Emory University sophomore Shannon Melendi on March 26, 1994. He abducted, raped, and strangled her, then burned her body. Afterward, he took his unsuspecting wife out to dinner at an Olive Garden and gave her as a gift a ring stolen from Melendi. It took a decade for authorities to figure out what happened and convict Hinton.
*Correction and update: Thanks to reader Chi for the correction notice. This inmate is actually up for a parole review in 2018. Shannon Melendi’s family has started a petition asking for Hinton’s parole request to be denied.
March 2020 update: No parole for Hinton. He’s still in Hays State Prison (thanks to reader Marcus for writing in with the good news).
That’s all for this post. Until next week, cheers. — RR
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Thanks, RR. I recall some of these episodes, including the Castor one. Of all above, she seems the worst: to try to kill, then frame, her daughter is unconscionable; never mind the other murder(s) Pure evil: good riddance to bad rubbish.
PS Judge Fahey told Castor that he had never seen a parent attempt to murder their child in order to set their child up for a crime they themselves committed and declared Castor “in a class all by herself.” I agree!
Pure evil. Hard to believe she had enough love to bring up a child at all.
Best post yet! Macabre “Where Are They Now?” Respectfully, perhaps a dangling participle or misplaced modifier? “In prison for life, no parole
Authorities should have never released Hinton”
Thanks, Coach. Always happy to have my grammar corrected…but I don’t understand. Please explain.
Wondering how often Colvin “Butch” Hinton went to The Olive Garden, and if so, was there something in the bread sticks? It’s hard to believe people can be so abhorrent when they can have all the salad they want. Thanks for another excellent update!
I understand that when he was there, he was family, lol.
Lol i just saw the hinton episode a few minutes ago. I thoughtful i’d seen all the FF episodes, nope. As a German i thought they were saying “hinten” which means behind and thought what a strange last name to have. Told my husband, i bet he’ll get it “von hinten” (from behind) in prison xD
Good to hear from a German reader — thanks for writing in. And yes, no matter which direction, life for Hinton in prison is no garden party.
The Dan Short episode always bothered me. What a terrible way to die. I am disgusted that one of the killers professes his innocence.
It was such a haunting episode — worst nightmare come true.
Ate you correct even though everything says otherwise!? Hinton did not receive without parole! He’s up for parole in 2019! Explain your sources please for claiming hinton received life without parole…….
Everything I see says life. I see no parole eligibility date. Where is your source? I checked the GA DOC and their parole eligibility website. For the sake of women everywhere I hope you are wrong.
I just discovered this. I hope he NEVER gets parole.
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article206906209.html
Chi, thanks much for sending this! I was under the impression he had no chance of getting out — it’s terrible that Shannon Melendi’s family has to go through this. I followed the link and sent an email to the state of Georgia asking that his parole be denied.
I am horrified that they have to go through this. I hope he stays behind bars. He is a threat to women. He should never be released.
Me, too — they should have locked him and thrown away the key when he raped Tammy Singleton.
Hinton is eligible for parole every 11 years per Georgia law. I followed the link RR provided above and was also able to send a form email to the parole board – it was easy to do. Thanks for the updates.
Glad you did that — thx!
He should have never been set free.
Prayer going forth.
For several years, I worked with the sister of Stacey Castor’s first husband, Michael Wallace. She told me that they elected not to prosecute her for his murder to spare Ashley from another trial. (Love your blog, BTW–I’m watching FF now).
Thanks much for your kind words about the blog and for writing in about your connection to the Castor case. I’m glad that Michael Wallace’s relatives were spared the anguish of a trial.