A violent trucker and a mother’s dark secrets | Forensic Files

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this episode involves a crime against children it may not be suitable for all listeners
[Music] mrs cross walked up the driveway of the east salt lake city home and rang the
doorbell she was counting on the job interview to go well and had dressed to impress
her clothes and makeup were immaculate and her blonde wig was styled neatly after a difficult life this was her
chance at a new beginning she wasn't about to blow it mrs cross was responding to an
advertisement in the local paper for a qualified nurse's aide the chosen candidate would provide
round-to-the-clock care and companionship to alice sullivan an elderly woman suffering from parkinson's
disease mrs cross came with glowing references a thorough knowledge of medications and a
wealth of experience alice's son and daughter believed her to be the right person to assist their 86
year old mother they weren't wrong after moving into a spare room in alice sullivan's home mrs cross became the
best living nurse the elderly woman ever had kind-hearted and caring she ensured
alice never went without even buying her clothing and gifts out of her own pay packet
despite gentle probing mrs cross never discussed her personal life or history it was clear that she was deeply
religious as she spent her spare time locked in her bedroom reading the book of mormon
in a rare moment of vulnerability on christmas day in 1992 she revealed that she had two sons one
of whom had died in a car accident that day she put expensive presents for alice's granddaughters under the
christmas tree explaining that she never had any daughters of her own to spoil mrs cross was a loyal companion
she never took time off and told the sullivans that she considered them family still
there was something odd about the woman the sullivans couldn't shake the feeling
that mrs cross was hiding something from them [Music] [Music] nearly 30 years earlier on july 6 1964
clifford sanders and his 18 year old wife teresa stood facing one another in the lounge of their cramped low set home
in the californian city of gold sitting in the corner of the room was the couple's 11-month old son howard
playing with his toys he was used to the shouting matches between his parents and had learned to
keep to himself when they flared up but this time was different minutes later the doorbell rang at galt
deputy sheriff fred may's house 200 feet down the road teresa sanders was outside cradling baby
howard she tearfully explained that her husband had come at her with an old model
hunting rifle intending to beat her with the bud end teresa managed to pry the firearm away from her husband
causing it to discharge deputy may headed to the sanders house while theresa remained behind clutching
howard and rocking back and forth she asked over and over if clifford was going to be okay
hoping that she had just grazed his hand when deputy may entered the sanders lounge he spotted clifford's lifeless
body face up on the floor and surrounded by a pool of blood a single bullet had shattered the 23
year old's left wrist entered his chest and penetrated his heart authorities were well aware of the
domestic situation in the sanders household two weeks earlier teresa had appeared at
deputy sheriff may's house with bruises around her wrists and neck clifford had come home drunk broken a
window and taken his anger out on his wife who was expecting their second child clifford had accused teresa of
infidelity before beating and choking her teresa opted not to press charges and tensions between the couple escalated
until their final fatal confrontation teresa learned of her husband's fate on route to the local police station
her piercing devastated screams were heard by street side onlookers as she was driven away
[Music] in september 1964 they're still pregnant theresa sanders faced trial for first
degree murder her lawyer spoke of the violence she had endured throughout her marriage
including being repeatedly punched kicked and burned with cigarettes an acquaintance recalled the time teresa
had appeared on her doorstep needing a place to stay after escaping from her enraged husband
even clifford's sister didn't want teresa to end up in prison but acquitted so she could go home and
take care of her children on the stand theresa emotionally described how she had fought for her
husband's rifle in fear for herself her son and her unborn child a court-appointed psychologist described
her as an anxious remorseful and frightened woman who posed no danger to herself or anyone
else after nine days of proceedings teresa held her hands to her mouth and visibly
trembled as the jury delivered their verdict they ruled that teresa had acted in
self-defense and acquitted her of clifford's murder teresa approached the jury in tears and
thanked them while sharing a warm embrace with the female members her lawyer told reporters outside court
that teresa only had one thing to say quote all i want to do is go home and take
care of my baby in march 1965 teresa gave birth to her deceased husband's child a girl named sheila sanders
not long after she met and married 18 year old robert noor the couple went on to have three
children in quick succession a girl named susan and two boys william and robert jr
teresa stayed at home to look after the five kids while her husband took up work
with the navy which led him to being away for long periods of time then in june 1969 teresa filed for divorce
revealing she had once again found herself in an abusive relationship in her filings she described the daily
threats and acts of great physical violence that robert norsena had committed against her
a judge granted theresa the divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty she was awarded full custody of her
children with the judge citing her fitness as a sole parent as a reason for his decision
for the second time in her life teresa found herself without a husband she was also pregnant again
in august 1970 24 year old teresa welcomed another child into the world the little girl resembled her mother
from the minute she was born so teresa named her after herself theresa nor though she was more commonly known as
terry two weeks after her 25th birthday teresa married railway worker ron pulliam
although ron wasn't physically violent teresa took his pistol to a friend's house for safe keeping after he
threatened to kill her this third marriage was also short-lived by 1972 teresa went back to being a
single mother when her older children were in school teresa would take their younger siblings
to diners and spoil them with ice cream sundaes there were family outings to the
drive-in theatre and to long road trips into the sierra mountains when money wasn't tight teresa showered
her kids with gifts and designer clothes she kept their home in orangevale california immaculate inside and out and
all of her children were always polite and well-mannered in public it was approaching midnight on july 16
1984 when a car load of people traveled down interstate 80 out of sacramento city
the driver sat alone in the front of the vehicle scanning the rolling californian
landscape beyond the windshield they eventually spotted a quiet deserted spot within the sierra foothills known
as square creek it was perfect nestled between two passengers in the back seat was a young woman
she was unconscious and her hands and mouth were bound with duct tape once the car rolled to a stop the woman
was removed from the back of the car she was laid on a blanket along with her possessions clothing a toothbrush
perfume cutlery and several pieces of expensive jewelry a copy of the jules verne novel 20 000
leagues under the sea and a romance novel were also placed with her as was a packet of infant diapers
one of which was soiled gasoline was then poured over her body and belongings the driver told their two companions
i'm going to run back and start the car you light a match and you just drop it and run
[Music] once the fire took hold the others raced back to the car where the driver was
waiting if you ever tell anybody about this they warned you're going to be next at around 4 the following morning a
passing motorist noticed the flames arising from square creek and contacted the local fire department
a sheriff's sergeant arrived in the area and observed the small fire from the highway
thinking it had been caused by a lightning strike he radioed dispatch saying it would likely burn itself out
or could wait to be extinguished later that morning the sergeant went on his way and gave it
no further thought an hour later a truck driver was heading down highway 89 when a woman ran from
the surrounding woods to flag down his vehicle she too had observed the minor fire at
square creek and being a local that was familiar with bushfires she knew something wasn't right
the occurring smoke didn't smell like burning wood the truck driver retrieved his fire
extinguisher and escorted the woman to the fire's location it was contained and easily snuffed out
as the smoke cleared the woman examined the remains it looks like a mannequin she said
[Music] square creek was soon swarming with police the charred remains in the burn pile and
didn't belong to a mannequin it was the body of a blond-haired blue-eyed young woman wearing a bright
yellow hooded sweater aged between 14 and 17 she was less than five feet tall and weighed about 115
pounds she had sustained third-degree burns to 91 of her body with the fire itself
causing her death superficial stab wounds to her back and buttocks indicated that she had been
tortured though it was unclear when or how these injuries occurred a one-of-a-kind antique wedding ring was
secured around her finger although the area where the victim had been found was a notorious dumping
ground for bodies the brutality of her murder horrified detectives they examined missing persons dental and
fingerprint records but were unable to ascertain her identity she was given the status of jane doe
a placeholder name used by authorities when the true name of a person is unknown
the local sheriff called jane's murder one of the saddest and most vicious killings in recent history
a description of the items found at the crime scene was publicly released to help identification efforts
most concerning were the infant diapers with detectives fearing that jane doe was the mother of a young child who
might be in danger yet no one came forward having recognized any of her things an artist's rendering of jane depicting
a smiling young woman with a chipped upper front tooth also failed to generate valuable leads
11 months passed and the detectives were no closer to formally identifying jane doe or her killer
on june 24 1985 the driver was once again behind the wheel travelling towards square creek
like last time it was approaching midnight and they were joined by two accomplices
there was one notable difference their latest victim was already deceased tucked away in a cardboard box in the
trunk it was all planned out they weren't going to start a fire like they had previously as they didn't want
the two crime scenes linked the driver accidentally missed the turn off to squire creek and decided to
continue onwards looking for another suitable place they eventually came to a stopper just
outside the town of truckee on the california nevada state border the two accomplices emerged from the
back seat and collected a shovel each from the trunk as they started digging nearby
a police car happened to pull up behind them they raced back to the car and hid the
shovels just as an officer approached carrying a flashlight the car's three occupants were certain
they had just been caught red-handed the foul smell of decomposition emanated from the trunk and would no doubt raise
suspicions that something was awry the officer asked what they were doing the group informed him that they had
pulled over to urinate he then circled the vehicle while shining his flashlight over it
speaking directly to the driver he ordered them to move along and get back on the highway
the officer had failed to notice the rancid smell the shovels or the killer before them
they returned to their patrol car and drove off the near miss rattled the trio who
reformulated their plan the driver headed south where they came across a deserted road near a lake in
the middle of bushy mountain land the group pulled over retrieved their shovels and wasted no time in digging a
hole [Music] the cardboard box was discovered the following morning at martus creek
campground by a caretaker clearing trash in the area it was positioned in a clump of weeping
willow trees by the lake curiosity got the better of the caretaker who tore off the silver duct
tape that sealed the box when he opened it a human arm sprung out the body of a young woman was tightly
packed inside in the fetal position naked aside from a pair of underwear and white socks
she was approximately 20 years old five foot four inches tall 105 to 120 pounds with brown hair
the level of decomposition made it impossible to determine much else including facial features or a cause of
death samples of the victim's teeth hair and skin were compared to records on file to
no result there were no missing person reports that could be linked to the victim
either she too was formally listed as a jane doe though trucky locals knew her as the
body in the cardboard box the killer had gotten lucky the same medical examiner who conducted
this autopsy also carried out the one on the jane doe found burnt alive at square
creek almost a year prior the differences between the two crime scenes ensured the examiner failed to
determine a connection just like the investigation into the first jane doe case the latest
inevitably went cold [Music] four months later on october 14 1985 gail smith arrived at a rest stop just
outside of the city of fort worth in texas the 20 year old had been given a ride
there by her stepbrother but that's as far as he could take her gail had a 340 mile journey ahead of her
to visit her mother in the city of amarillo as she was short on funds gail chose to
do what she had done many times in the past hitchhiked to her destination she preferred accepting rides from long
distance truckers as she had come to trust them the most gail's stepbrother watched from his car
as gail approached a male trucker with red hair and blue eyes after a brief conversation she hopped
into the passenger seat of his cherry rad tractor trailer gail failed to arrive at her mother's
and was promptly reported missing but her fate had already been sealed the morning after gail had left the fort
worth rest stop her body was found poorly concealed in a thicket of bushland near the canadian river about
14 miles from amarillo her hands were bound by duct tape and she had been taped tightly into the
fetal position she had been hid over the head with a blunt object raped and then strangled to
death with a man's neck tire although gail's stepbrother hadn't written down the license plate of the
truck that gail had hitched her final right in he did recall the make of the vehicle as
well as a description of its driver most importantly he recalled two words emblazoned on the driver's side door
jewett scott jewett scott was a trucking firm based in oklahoma the company examined their records and
provided the name of the only employee who had been in the fort worth area at the time gail smith had gotten a ride
42 year old benjamin boyle better known as herbert had a violent criminal history
six years earlier in 1979 he tried to abduct a woman by forcing her into his car
bael pleaded guilty for attempted kidnap and was sentenced to five years probation
at the time of gail smith's murder he was on the run from a rape that he had committed in colorado
boyle who introduced himself as mr whipple to women he was attracted to had secured a load earlier that morning and
was headed to a town 60 miles north of houston detectives sped down highway 59 and
caught up to boyle's truck boyle admitted to giving gail smith a ride but said he had dropped her off at
a truck stop in wichita falls 250 miles short of her destination yet the case against herbert boyle was
sealed almost immediately his truck contained some of gail's possessions and her blood and hair were
found in the vehicle's cab carpet fibers from the truck's interior matched those found on gail's remains
finally boyle's fingerprints were lifted from the duct tape used to restrain gail
with the role itself discovered in his truck in early november 1985 herbert boyle was
indicted for the aggravated sexual assault and capital murder of gail smith given his criminal history and transient
job detectives re-examined other unsolved murders to see whether they could be linked to boyle
one case that drew their attention involved a young woman known only as jane doe
found buried in a cardboard box at mardis creek campground her murder bore striking similarities to
that of gail smith both women were found off a highway and near water they were bound with silver
duct tape placed in the fetal position and were discovered in a state of undress
by delving into herbert boyle's travel logbook receipts and maps it was discovered that he had been in the
truckee area at the time of jane doe's murder additionally a foreign fiber on jane's
body matched a blanket from boyle's house in oklahoma there was also a rope fiber found at the
crime scene that matched a length of rope in boyle's truck herbert boyle only faced trial for gail
smith's murder in court he was depicted as mean and unlikable with perverted sexual urges
his wife and daughter expressed to their concerns that boyle would harm them if he should be found not guilty
his daughter told the court i'm very scared of the man right now and i have been for some time
after deliberating for 20 minutes the jury found boyle guilty of the rape kidnapping and murder of gail smith
he was sentenced to death although the body in the cardboard box case never went to trial due to lack of
evidence authorities safely assumed that herbert boyle was responsible for her murder also
they were wrong nearly 20 years earlier on july 6 1964 eighteen-year-old teresa sanders watched
as her husband clifford moved around their house packing a suitcase an exceedingly jealous woman teresa
constantly accused clifford of having an affair and had taken to controlling many
facets of his life she had imposed a strict curfew on him drove him to and from work and handled
all of their finances clifford was afforded just 50 cents for lunch so he wouldn't be able to meet
other women at expensive restaurants when it all became too much clifford would stay in hotels for days at a time
with his suitcase packed clifford headed for the door and took one last look at his pregnant wife and their 11 month old
son howard minutes later teresa arrived at deputy sheriff fred may's house down the road
she claimed that clifford had attempted to beat her with a rifle while she confessed to shooting him she
claimed it was an accident stating i did not think it would do that much damage i didn't think that old gun would
hurt him that bad teresa said she had wrestled the weapon from her husband causing it to discharge
the rifle which was kept in the couple's bedroom was always loaded however the safety was also always on
this meant the user had to click the safety off [ __ ] the hammer take aim and pull the trigger to fire off a shot
it was an elaborate maneuver and teresa's story didn't account for it nor did it account for how cumbersome
the rifle was in length and shape due to its long barrel there had to be some distance between the shooter and their
target to ensure a hit the fatal bullet that had penetrated clifford's chest passed through his
wrist first meaning he had attempted to shield himself with his hand prior to being shot at
this implied that the gun was aimed at him before it was fired [Music] with many aspects of her story not
adding up teresa sanders was tried for her husband's murder clifford's sister did say in court that
she wanted theresa to be acquitted so she could look after her slain brother's children
however she also added i believe with all my heart that teresa sanders planned to kill my brother
she recalled a time when teresa pointed out a bullet hole in the floor of her home while proudly admitting that she
had tried to shoot clifford but missed on another occasion teresa said that she would kill clifford before any other
woman could have him the jury overlooked this information instead viewing the petite pretty and
heavily pregnant teresa as someone who wouldn't hurt a fly as detailed in the book whatever mother
says by wensley clarkson days after being acquitted of her husband's murder teresa visited the office of the
prosecuting district attorney she had one request the rifle that had been used to kill
clifford she wanted it back neither of teresa's next two husbands robert nor senior or ronald pulliam met
with four play but both marriages ended after teresa's controlling nature became too much to
bear following her second divorce in 1972 teresa became somewhat of a religious fanatic obsessively poring over the
bible while constantly quoting scripture to her children they quickly grew to be afraid of their
mother ranging from three to ten years old theresa physically disciplined her children harshly over the smallest of
incidents she perceived any slight as an intentional act of defiance like when they accidentally spilled
crumbs of food the abuse escalated as the children got older daily beatings or whippings were common
after extreme punishments teresa forced her children to take ice baths so their bruises wouldn't be noticed at school
although she abused all her children it was teresa's daughters susan sheila and terry who bore the brunt of their
mother's fury chet harris met theresa in august 1976 after crossing paths with her in a bar
chet was an editor for the sacramento union newspaper at 59 years old he was doubled theresa's
age he was also an obese five-time divorcee with a two-pack a day smoking habit and
an addiction to pornography and alcohol still he caught teresa's eye and the pair married within three days of their
first encounter chet made no attempt to hide the fact that he didn't like teresa's children
they didn't like him much either the only exception was susan noor teresa's third eldest
extremely intelligent and a voracious reader ten-year-old susan formed a special bond with chat who engaged her
in conversations about politics and mythology years of beatings had made susan reserved and frightened but with chat
she found an adult she could confide in their closeness angered teresa who was overcome with bitter jealousy whenever
chet showered susan with attention her resentment towards her husband continued to fester as time went by
what bothered teresa most was chat's fascination with the witchcraft and the occult
while these practices were against her own religious beliefs teresa drew issue with how chet's interest in them had
rubbed off on her daughter susan less than three months into their marriage teresa filed for divorce
the departure of chet harris in november 1976 did little to ease the tensions escalating in teresa's household
by this point theresa petrified her children she slapped them if they came home even
a minute after curfew if they talked back they were hit with a plank of wood teresa called the board of
education she even ordered her children to punish one another with the younger boys made
to hold down the girls so that elder son howard could beat them theresa herself became a recluse and
refused to let anyone butt her children into their house she gained weight and barely bathed or
changed her clothes in the brief moments where she was thinking clearly she would try to make
amends for her behaviour by treating her children to trips and treats but these moments were rare
despite having ended their marriage theresa's mind often wandered back to chet harris who she now believed was a
demon sent to her by another one of her former husbands robert noor senior who she claimed also practiced witchcraft
she would rant about him to her children while the older kids largely ignored her
their younger siblings were terrified by her delusions and listened intently teresa never got over susan's connection
to chat and when she found out that they were meeting up behind her back teresa was furious
she pulled susan out of school so she could keep an eye on her at all times life at home with her mother
became especially hard for susan when teresa started accusing her of being a witch
at 15 years old susan tried running away but was quickly detained and temporarily
placed in a receiving home she begged not to be sent back home likening her life there to a
concentration camp after a number of meetings with teresa in which she was given the all clear as
a competent parent susan was returned to her custody theresa assured councillors that her
daughter's stories were all lies and she would be safe when they got home teresa instructed all
of her children to punch susan in the stomach if they didn't do it hard enough they
had to punch her again from then on teresa kept susan handcuffed to her bed at night worried
she would sneak out to perform witchcraft on her if she wasn't restrained was also kept sedated with medications
her mother had stolen during her time as a hospice worker years earlier during meals she was tied to a chair and
often left there for hours at a time the constant abuse took its toll on susan who began mumbling nonsensical
statements that only cemented her mother's belief that she was a witch or that a demon had entered her body
among the many reasons theresa had grown to resent susan was her slim figure and
teenage youthfulness one day she accused the demon of taking fat off of susan's body and putting it
on her own in turn she began force feeding susan to make her gain weight theresa pushed the spoon into susan's
closed mouth with such force it chipped her front upper tooth sometime in 1981 fifteen-year-old susan
was walking down the hallway when teresa cornered her she screamed into her daughter's stomach
asking the demon why she had put on more weight certain that susan was making her fat
and ugly on purpose teresa ordered her son robert to restrain his older sister he did as he was told and pushed susan
into the bathroom when they were suddenly interrupted by the ear splitting crack of a gunshot
susan clutched the left side of her chest and fell backwards into the bathtub the gun wielding teresa snapped out of
her murderous rage and rushed to her injured daughter she pushed her finger into the bleeding
hole in susan's chest and felt the bullet lodged in her back just below her left shoulder blade
in an uncharacteristic moment of tenderness she said i'm so sorry as stunned susan replied
i forgive you you know i love you [Music] case file will be back shortly thank you
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subscribe to courtjunkie on apple spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts thank you for listening to this
episode's ads by supporting our sponsors you support case file susan noor was left in the bathtub for a
month while the bullet remained in her back the wound itself healed and she made a
miraculous recovery the near-death experience didn't prompt any change in teresa who was still
convinced that susan was possessed by a demon she moved her family to an apartment in
north sacramento where susan's ordeal continued from her early teens susan had been
forced by her mother to engage in sex work to support the family and all of her earnings were taken by teresa the
moment she returned home despite this susan found herself enjoying the work as it enabled her to
leave the house her brothers didn't share the same concerns teresa still afforded them more freedom
than their female siblings allowing them to deal cannabis and take on small jobs
still they were also forced to hand over their pay to their mother when susan was home she was
handcuffed to the dining table and forced to sleep on a blanket on the floor with no appetite her weight plummeted
teresa would kick her as she walked past then in july 1984 theresa grasped a pair
of scissors like a dart and threw them into susan's back the blades pierced susan's skin
but she was so emotionally detached at this point that she didn't even flinch although teresa said susan provoked her
the incident led to a compassionate shift in her behavior susan noticed the change and saw it as
an opportunity hours later mother and daughter were sitting together on a sofa in the lounge
teresa had been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis and was in the best mood she had been in for weeks
susan plucked up the courage and asked for a one-way ticket to alaska to start a new life explaining that teresa would
never see or hear from her again susan waited nervously as her mother considered the proposition
she then said the words susan had been longing to hear yes she would let her go to alaska
on one condition [Music] teresa retrieved a bottle of antipsychotic medication she had
pocketed from her old job and gave a handful of capsules to susan who washed them down with a quart of whiskey
susan then lay face down on a blanket in the dining room and passed out within a
few minutes teresa checked she was unconscious before commencing the operation the only way she would allow susan to
leave was if the bullet lodged in her back was removed that way there would be no evidence of
her abuse if susan ever decided to speak of it susan's younger brother robert who was
15 at the time performed the surgery under teresa's orders he cut into the skin and muscle just
under susan's left shoulder blade with an exacto knife and spotted the bullet sticking his fingers deep into the wound
robert cried it out and was surprised by the lack of blood his mother stated it was because a demon
had possessed susan's body and made her undead susan woke from the procedure a day
later and it was immediately clear something was very wrong she alternated between gruggly murmuring
and screaming in pain teresa pumped her full of antibiotics and painkillers but soon susan was
overcome with fever she began hallucinating and spoke of watching her life as a movie before her
eyes when susan's eyes yellowed from jaundice and the skin on her back turned black
teresa claimed it was the devil revealing itself and refused to take her to a hospital
she made susan wear infant diapers when she could no longer go to the bathroom sheila and terry kept a vigil at their
ailing sister's side as she deteriorated on the floor every time susan went still and silent
terry gently shook her awake to make sure she was still alive susan would babble at her incoherently
in response then one day teresa told her other children we've got to get rid of susan she's
going to die on us we're going to have to kill her on july 16 1984 she collected all the
photographs she had of susan and burned them in the backyard then she waited for nightfall
as midnight approached theresa drove down interstate 80 with sons william and robert who were forced to accompany her
the boys sat in the back seat with the unconscious and bound susan sandwiched between them
inside the trunk of the car were susan's belongings including clothes jewelry and
books the diapers she had been wearing were bagged up as well upon reaching the secluded square creek
area teresa stopped the car and had william and robert retrieve susan the pair were horrified but did not dare
disobey their mother they laid susan on a blanket with her possessions sixteen-year-old william zipped up her
hooded sweater concerned that his older sister might get cold teresa then ordered robert to get a tank
of gasoline from the trunk of the car pour it over susan and set her alight the trio drove home in silence until a
bird smacked into the windshield teresa screamed in fright turned to william and robert and said
that bird was a sacrifice god thinks we did a good thing [Music] upon returning home teresa ordered her
eldest daughter sheila to scrub the floor where susan had spent her final days like her younger sister sheila had
endured a heavily controlled life at the hands of her mother aside from running the odd errand she was kept at the
family home and less forced into sex work to line her mother's pockets with susan gone
sheila was terrified that she would become her mother's next target it wouldn't be long before her fears
were realized in the winter of 1984 nineteen-year-old sheila sanders was riding her bike to pick up a pack of
cigarettes for her mother when she was hit by a car after recovering from her minor injuries
sheila felt a noticeable shift within her family teresa had told her other children that
sheila had died and a demon had taken over her body suddenly sheila found herself cowering
from an increase in beatings when teresa was convinced she had caught a sexually transmitted disease from
sheila after the pair shared the same toilet seat she punished her daughter by handcuffing her to the dining table
history was repeating itself though instead of susan being force-fed it was sheila
as detailed in the book whatever mother says sheila once confided in her mother that
she was depressed teresa retrieved her gun and handed it to her daughter remarking
if you're so depressed then kill yourself with a shaking hand sheila placed the barrel to her temple
and squeezed the trigger there was a gentle click the gun wasn't loaded on a hot day in june 1985
sheila snapped after being slapped by her mother for refusing to wait she retaliated by
kicking teresa in the leg a furious teresa screamed that her shin was broken then fell quiet
later that night she called on her sons william and robert teresa ordered them to restrain sheila
and lock her in the linen closet struggling with all her might sheila was no match for her burly brothers
once trapped inside the two by four foot space she pleaded to be let out teresa stuffed towels against the door
to muffle her daughter's cries and turned up the television the neighbors didn't hear a thing
days later teresa made a rare trip out to the store her sons were at work leaving 14 year
old terry alone in the house with the imprisoned sheila taking her chance to help her sister
terry opened the linen closet door causing sheila to fall out onto her side with her hands restrained behind her
back and wearing nothing but underpants and socks sheila was drenched in sweat and pleaded for a drink
forbidden by her mother to give sheila food or water terry retrieved a beer and held the
liquid to her sister's lips then she heard the sound of a car door slam mother was home
against sheila's protests terry pushed her back into the stifling hot closet and shut the door
while the decision to do so would haunt terry for life she understood that it was either shut the door
or wind up in the closet with sheila terry later heard a hallucinating sheila say
there is a light above me i think it's a hole i'm gonna climb towards it a series of thumps followed
then everything went quiet teresa ignored her daughter's body in the closet for three days
then on june 24 1985 she was compelled to act when the smell of decomposition began to permeate through the apartment
teresa donned some rubber gloves sat on her bed and carefully picked off every hair she could see on a set of pink
pillowcases she then lined the inside of a cardboard box with the pillowcases before ordering
william and robert to retrieve sheila's body sheila was placed into the cardboard box
which was then loaded into the trunk of teresa's car for the second time in their life robert
and william were tasked with helping dispose of one of their sister's bodies terry was forced to stay behind and
clean up as she scrubbed away at the dark foul liquids that had seeped into the closet
floor terry's mind raced as the last remaining daughter would she be the next to die
that night theresa watched as william and robert dug a grave for sheila outside the town of truckee
all of a sudden a police cruiser pulled up behind them william was certain they had been caught
and was relieved to think that their nightmare would finally be over by pure chance
neither officer picked up on what was going on and soon left theresa's luck continued when sheila's
body was found authorities incorrectly linked her murder to herbert boyle the killer of
gail smith at this point both sheila and susan had been named jane does as their isolated
life ensured no one could identify their remains as far as teresa was concerned she had gotten away with everything
just after 3 a.m on september 29 1986 16 year old terry noor emptied three cans of lighter fluid throughout her family's
north sacramento apartment checking once more that her escape path was clear she lit a match
with shaking hands she slowly lowered it to the floor the fire took hold much quicker than
terry anticipated she leapt out a window just as flames began climbing the walls
while running from the scene terry passed several fire engines on their way to tackle the inferno
she reached a hotel room where her mother was waiting the fire had been teresa's idea
she had grown paranoid over a lasting stain in the linen closet fearing it would link her to sheila's murder
she had convinced terry to start the blaze promising her only remaining daughter
that she could move out if she went through with it terry accepted the offer as her sons had since left her of their
own accord theresa relocated to salt lake city in utah where she underwent a complete makeover
she became a mormon and kept herself well presented with expensive clothes and makeup
she also cut her long dark hair and began sporting a blonde wig with the remainder of her children
either literally or metaphorically dead to her it was time for teresa to start a new
life [Music] susan noor and sheila sanders were the only two of theresa's six children to be
murdered yet the remaining four howard william robert and terry would struggle from the
abuses they had endured at her hands for the rest of their lives eldest howard sanders was the first to
leave home and did so before the murders took place one day howard read a newspaper article
about the jane doe found burned to death at [ __ ] creek certain it was his sister susan he asked
his mother where she was teresa said susan had run away and claimed sheila had too
although howard didn't believe her he feared she would kill him as well so he didn't press the matter
over the years howard struggled to hold down work ford addiction had several run-ins with the law and his marriage
ended in divorce at 17 william noor was the next to move out leaving between the murders of susan
and sheila he was summoned back home to help with disposing of sheila's body and did so
out of fear of his mother drugs and alcohol dulled the recurring nightmares william experienced enough to
help him maintain a marriage and job despite his troubles he was a friendly and amiable man working hard to get his
life on track in the book mother's day by dennis mcdougall william reflected on his
family saying i never wanted to see any of them again when i left i was like i'm out
i was out and i was staying out robert noor remained living with his mother until her move to salt lake city
where he left her soon after like his brothers he sought reprieve from his childhood memories through the
use of drugs and alcohol after a string of arrests he was jailed for burglary and took the opportunity to
earn his high school equivalency diploma to expand his employment prospects upon
his release however his newfound freedom didn't last long 22 year old robert was sentenced to a
further 15 years in prison for the second degree murder of a bartender shot dead during a robbery
he narrowly avoided a murder conviction and the death penalty by cutting a deal with the prosecution to testify against
his co-accused teresa kept her word with the youngest daughter terry after she had started the fire that
consumed their north sacramento apartment terry was finally free to live her own
life her experiences from then onwards mirrored those of her siblings adding to her turmoil was the discovery
that she was unlikely to conceive the children she desperately wanted due to the severe beatings she suffered
throughout her youth terry had also endured childhood sexual abuse in 1993 her oldest brother howard
admitted to authorities that he had molested terry when she was six and he was 13.
howard faced no repercussions for these actions [Music] over the years terry confided in friends
about her childhood including the murders of her sisters few believed her and those that did
encouraged her to speak to police who ultimately dismissed her story as far-fetched
on one occasion her sheriff took interest in terry's allegations and interviewed her
a detective was then assigned to investigate whether any unsolved homicides could be linked to theresa nor
he concluded there were none and terry was once again brushed off more than once terry tried to end her
pain by taking her own life then one night her outlook changed in the last week of october 1993
23 year old terry noor sat on a sofa blinking back tears she had just had an argument with her
husband who accused her of lying once again about her sister's murders terry's attention was drawn to the
television screen before her where a suited man spoke solemnly towards the camera
it was john walsh the host of america's most wanted the series reported on unsolved crimes
or wanted fugitives while requesting viewers to offer their tips and insights via a toll-free phone number
terry watched intently and made a decision she grabbed for the telephone and dialed
the show's tip line a woman on the other line listened as terry revisited the story of her
sister's murders to her disappointment terry was told there was nothing the show could do for
her exhausted by the lack of help and support from all lands terry broke down sobbing
yet unlike others the woman who answered the call didn't dismiss terry entirely she suggested that terry contact the
county authorities where the murders took place sergeant john fitzgerald at the placer
county sheriff's substation in tahoe city took terry's call while detailing susan's murder terry
referenced an antique wedding ring her sister had been wearing when set a light at [ __ ] creek
sergeant fitzgerald's interest was already peaked but the ring mansion really drew his attention
shaking with emotion terry explained how no one believed her story about her mother not even her husband
sergeant fitzgerald responded young lady if it's any consolation to you you can tell your husband this
i found a 17 year old female burning near square creek on july 17 1984 i believe she was your sister
ten days after terry's call sergeant john fitzgerald arrived on the doorstep of a modest to low set home in east salt
lake city an older lady named mrs cross answered the door she was the living carer for the home's
owner an elderly woman named alice sullivan sergeant fitzgerald looked at the photograph in his hands of teresa nor
then eyed the haggard and pale woman standing before him she invited them inside
the search for theresa nor had not been an easy one as she had gone by many surnames throughout her life
mrs cross was initially reluctant to admit to anything but eventually revealed that she was
going by her maiden name her actual name was theresa nor teresa remained calm when shown the
warrant for her arrest teresa then contacted alice's son and informed him that she was being arrested
knowing his mother's nurse as nothing but a kind-hearted and a generous individual he was stunned at the news
and asked why teresa said she didn't know when it came time to take teresa nor into custody sergeant fitzgerald found
her trying to escape via a rear door of the house i feel like a sacrificial lamb being led
to the slaughter she told him investigators soon arrived at teresa's former north sacramento apartment
luckily for them the arson terry committed years prior didn't do as much damage as teresa had hoped
once inside officers came across a small closet in the hallway sergeant fitzgerald's stomach churned
according to terry sheila had been locked inside the closet but the door in front of him didn't have
a lock sergeant fitzgerald began to worry had terry lied to him he phoned her to clarify
as detailed in the book whatever mother says terry explained it's the smaller closet just outside the
bathroom this closet had been spotted by investigators but they had dismissed it
as the one used to imprison sheila as they couldn't imagine anyone being kept inside such a small space
staining found in this closet came back positive for human blood meanwhile police had arrived at william
noor's workplace in sacramento and placed him under arrest robert noor who was already in prison
was also charged in relation to his sister's murders the placer county sheriff told the
sacramento bee newspaper that the case was one of the most bizarre and unbelievably
sad family situations anyone could ever imagine why someone would do something this
vicious is beyond comprehension and when it's your own mother and brothers it's almost unbelievable
[Music] as the horror of what theresa noah had done to her own children came to light
those who knew her as theresa cross were left in shock they couldn't marry up the two
personalities of the one woman the sadistic and jealous murderer versus the compassionate and gentle nurse's
aide some believed detectives had made a mistake and arrested the wrong person others thought she was taking the fall
for her son's actions even those who suspected something was odd about the family never imagined the
truth was far more heinous a former neighbor told the sacramento bee i knew those people were weird but i
didn't know how weird it's just wild it scares me and it makes me leery of making friends
[Music] theresa noor was charged with two counts of murder two counts of conspiracy to
commit murder and two special circumstances charges multiple murder and murder by torture
when speaking of teresa's sons prosecutor john o'mara made an extraordinary plea for mercy
he said that all of theresa's children had been subjected to a family situation that not even stephen king could imagine
and agreed that their role in the murders was mitigated by the abuse they'd suffered at the hands of their
mother eldest son howard told the fresno bee i want people to understand that it's
not my brother's fault they were children at the time and she had total control over them
she was crazy but she was the adult as part of a plea deal robert noor agreed to testify against his mother in
return for a reduced charge of being an accessory after the fact he was sentenced to three years to be
served concurrently with his sentence for the fatal armed robbery the serious charges against william nor
were also dropped with his attorney stating that his client was raised in a cage and tortured by the
zookeeper william received a three-year suspended sentence was placed on five years
probation and ordered to continue therapy he had been receiving for post-traumatic stress disorder
he said he bore no animosity towards his mother and when asked what he believed should be her sentence
william replied whatever the court decides is fine three mental health professionals
examined theresa nor to establish whether she was competent to stand trial while it couldn't be ascertained what
exact mental health issues teresa faced when she murdered susan and sheila her remaining children agreed that she
suffered from paranoia and delusions howard remembered an episode when he was 14 where teresa disappeared for four
days straight upon her return she spoke of having found some pennies she had thrown them away but then they
turned back up at the motel where she was staying she said that no matter what she did
with the pennies they kept reappearing howard later remarked i didn't understand it at the time
but looking back on it i mean obviously they were paranoid delusions the children learned to anticipate these
episodes as they often occurred after teresa had consumed a lot of alcohol when drunk she was also known to have
explosive angry outbursts prompting her children to hide from her when they saw a drink in her hand
reports suggest that having her mother die in her arms from a heart attack when she was 12 might have triggered teresa's
lifelong mental health problems yet sadistic and violent behavior seemed to run in her family
her half-brother had a history of cruelty to animals violent assault burglary and armed robbery
this behaviour culminated in a double homicide so brutal that knife markings were left in the wooden floor underneath
the two victims the professionals examining teresa reached different conclusions
two believed she was faking mental illness while the other felt she was suffering from multiple personality
disorder the report prepared for the judge slanted towards the majority opinion it read
[Music] when teresa was asked about the two daughters she is accused of murdering
her reaction betrayed a preposterous and transparent attempt to feign mental illness
as a result teresa was ruled competent to stand trial the presiding judge said any defendant capable of such a
performance would also be able to work with their attorney in preparing a rational defense
by her attempt to malinga i believe teresa has rather clearly revealed that she understands precisely what is going
on when she found out that her son was going to testify against her teresa changed her plea
when asked by the judge if she was pleading guilty because she was in fact guilty
teresa hesitated and then replied i believe i would be found guilty in return for teresa's cooperation the
prosecution requested she be spared the death penalty a more than likely sentence should the case go to trial
a booming voice then shouted no in the courtroom it was robert nor senior the father of
susan robert william and terry he yelled to his ex-wife i hope you burn in hell for what you did
to my kids outside robert senior told a reporter for the sacramento bee that teresa
should fry adding my daughter is in her grave and will be there forever why should she be allowed to live out
the rest of her life teresa was sentenced in october 1995. a victim impact statement written by her
son robert noor jr was read out to the courtroom it read in part my mother cruelly and calculatingly
tortured her victims both physically and mentally over the course of years killing them in every way possible over
and over again we have all been sentenced to life without parole reliving our own private
nightmares in the early hours imprisoned in our memories teresa's attorney made an impassioned
plea for concurrent sentences he argued that she quote never had a fair chance in life
she was raising these kids as best she could when she was still a child herself the prosecutor snapped back saying that
teresa's crimes were unspeakable and detailed the profound effect her actions had on her surviving children
quote she's settled them with so much emotional baggage they are never going to come out of this hole
in summing up the presiding judge described teresa's actions as callousness beyond belief
he sentenced her to two consecutive life sentences theresa shook in her seat as her outcome
was revealed an attempt at parole in 2019 failed her case will be reviewed again in 2024
when theresa will be in her late 70s [Music] following the revelation that her mother's carer was a killer
alice sullivan's daughter began clearing out the spare room the woman she knew as
mrs cross had occupied she came across a number of carefully wrapped presents teresa was planning on
handing out at christmas as detailed in whatever mother says she said it was so sad
i took them down to the basement close to tears i still cannot believe that a good
person like teresa could be responsible for the crimes she is accused of in hindsight it's possible teresa's
children would have been spared their horrific ordeal had she been convicted for the shooting murder of her first
husband clifford sanders in 1964. prosecutor at the trial district attorney donald dorfman was certain he
had a solid case against teresa and was stunned when she was acquitted he feared the jury would be fooled by
the young pregnant and seemingly innocent woman before them and pleaded with them to find her guilty
so she could not go on to harm anyone else he told them not every murderer looks like the witch
in snow white it would be easier if they did following the positive identifications
of the square creek and mardis creek campground jane does their unmarked graves were updated
the first now features the name susan noor with an image of a book underneath a tree
paying homage to susan's love of reading the second carries the name sheila sanders alongside a blossoming flower
beloved sister is written above the message may you now find peace [Music] [Music]
you

Case 193: Suesan Knorr & Sheila Sanders

On July 17, 1984, a deceased female was located in a deserted area near Lake Tahoe, California. Investigators were stumped as to her identity or her killer, who had horrifically murdered her by setting her alight...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-193-suesan-knorr-sheila-sanders

Brief Summary

The episode recounts Teresa Noor's abusive life and the murders of her daughters Susan and Sheila, revealing a tragic family history.

Key points

Teresa's Acquittal. Teresa Sanders is acquitted of her husband's murder after a history of abuse.
Herbert Boyle's Trial. Herbert Boyle was depicted as a dangerous man in court, raising concerns from his family.
Teresa's Confession. Teresa Sanders claimed her husband's shooting was an accident, but evidence suggested otherwise.
A Mother's Regret. After shooting her daughter, Teresa expressed remorse, but Susan's response was shocking.
The Plot Against Susan. Teresa's mental state deteriorated, leading her to plot against her own daughter.
A Mother's Dark Deeds. Teresa Noor's horrific actions lead to the murder of her daughters Susan and Sheila.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

All I want to do is go home and take care of my baby.

Teresa's emotional response after her acquittal.

9:04WatchOct 23, 2021

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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