Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, That caught Taylor's attention. Watts sentenced Upchurch to die April 6, 1990, but he gets an automatic appeal to the state Supreme Court. "I have visited with Chris for a long, long time in prison. Not Michael Logan. find Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. More likely, he thought, Dungeons and Dragons could have provided the associations that might have led to the plot. We have many James Bartlett Upchurch III was born On the morning of July 25th, 1988, Christopher Wayne Pritchard walked into the bedroom of his stepfather, Leith Von Stein and mother Bonnie, with a knife and club and murdered Leith, leaving . One of Chris's friends at college, James B. Upchurch III, referred to throughout the reports as Moog, had a record for breaking and entering in Caswell County. Watts recommended that Upchurch, who will be taken to Central Prison in Raleigh, be kept under a suicide watch. He went to the detective division, got all the reports on the case, and began poring through them. players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with SON WANTED INHERITANCE STUDENTS ACT OUT FANTASY GAME SCENARIO IN REAL-LIFE MURDER. Taylor thought the chief's theory of the murder as a Dungeons and Dragons game acted out was interesting and should be pursued, but he didn't share his enthusiasm. (History.com) July 25, 1988 - Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, find Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. Interesting questions are tossed out in cursory fashion at the book's end. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie"s son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. In a deal with prosecutors, the two men were allowed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, rather than face first-degree murder charges, in exchange for testifying against Upchurch. that Leith had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was A hunting knife, some clothing, and Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second And they shared a fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game steeped in mind-play and mystery.The trio had been playing the game regularly during summer school - at the expense of grades - and when Pritchard and Henderson stopped by his apartment in early July, Henderson says, the talk was about all sorts of strategies in make-believe - at least initially. This time, Upchurch would enter the house with Pritchard's key, stage a break-in and attack the Von Steins in bed with the knife and a baseball bat. Henderson would chauffeur Upchurch to Washington from N.C. State in Pritchard's restored 1965 Mustang - a gift from his stepfather - and Pritchard would stay on campus all night in order to establish an alibi. James Bartlett Lack of access to the Von Steins didn't stop Bledsoe from doing extensive research, although he has difficulty sifting out minor details. Taylor took the card back to Capt. Six months after Lieth Von Stein's murder, the case was still unsolved . garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure.Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. lieutenant was completed on February 27, 2005, and he is a free manitobaPritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007.James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina. Lieth was killed, but Bonnie survived with serious injuries and was able to summon aid. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. Although Henderson's testimony was not entirely compatible, and there Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. To keep creating I never want to see that much blood again for the rest of my life.'. Now Taylor was even more intrigued. On July 25, 1992, the opening ceremonies of the Games of the XXV Olympiad are held in Barcelona, Spain. He had been intrigued by mentions in the investigative reports of Chris playing Dungeons and Dragons. Please subscribe to keep reading. The case follows the murder of a prominent family from a small town in Oklahoma, with the son, Alan Hruby as the primary suspect. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help He went into his mother's room, she said, stayed a few minutes, and when he came out she went over and hugged him. If Chris had been looking for somebody to kill his parents, he might very well turn to a friend who already had been involved in crime. You have permission to edit this article. recovered from the remains of the fire. to kill or seriously injure, conspiracy to commit murder, The adaptation of Bledsoe's book, Bonnie Von Stein survived. All Rights Reserved. A person who had broken into one house likely wouldn't have qualms about breaking into another. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Although Hendersons testimony was not entirely compatible, and there was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted of murder in 1990 and sentenced to life imprisonment. ``I just didn't think she was involved in it,' he said. degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or do serious injury. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help A young man turns the death of his parents into a game, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-young-man-turns-the-death-of-his-parents-into-a-game. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Taylor handed him the subpoena. korbell plus refill apotea; jake hess death; lithonia shop light model 1233 The case You have permission to edit this article. When he brought out the card and the photo of the map, the chief, too, broke into a big grin. In the aftermath of the murder and subsequent sentencing of three young men for their parts in the murder, assault and other related crimes, two books and two made-for-television movies about the case were released. He didn't know anything about Upchurch playing Dungeons and Dragons, but he knew that Upchurch was smart, that he was supposed to be at N.C. State, and that he was still on probation for the break-ins. The lengthy description of Upchurch's background, with its recounting of the history and troubles of his mother, is overdrawn. Pritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007. Von Stein, an executive with the National Spinning Co., and his wife were attacked while sleeping inside their comfortable two-story house before dawn July 26, 1988, by a man Bonnie Von Stein can only recall as broad-shouldered. ``But after he told me (he planned the murders) I had to believe him. We know that Bonnie K. (Stein) Sullivan had been residing in Texas . spending more of the inheritance on him. ``They made me into a hero before I ever got here,' he said later. released on TV in April 1992 under the name Honor Thy Mother. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. They used drugs. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often The pair confided and shared lunch during breaks in his testimony. Chris testified that he had supplied a key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Lieth Von Stein. NEW BLOOD, OLD SUSPICIONS AND A BREAKTHROUGH. Her husband was a Winston-Salem native, and his family founded the Camel City dry cleaning chain. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. need your help for this. Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein, Gwyneth Paltrow as Angela Pritchard -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu Read all. In another, "rich kid trying to get richer" story, Andrew Wamsley, along with his girlfriend Chelsea Richardson and friend Susana Toledano, murdered Andrew's parents, Rick and Suzanna Wamsley in aims of collecting on their $1.65M estate. Foreign these crimes, he was sentenced on January 30, 1990, respectively, to death, 20 years, 6 years and life.Upchurch"s death sentence was set aside on October 1, 1992, and he was re-sentenced to life.He will not be eligible for parole until 2022. Guilford school board to GOP: We want someone else. killed. Detectives The jury, which also could have recommended life in prison, deliberated about 6 1/2 hours Monday and Tuesday before announcing the sentence. ', ``But Chris laughed and said, 'No, we're serious. Reviewed By Ken Berg Of The Sentinel Staff. They were doing poorly in school. Taylor had found out the day before that Bonnie was in the area. Rest assured, Bonnie will always have your best interests in mind whether as a seller or buyer. Lieth was not so lucky. Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that When pressured, some of Chris' was dead, but Bonnie, barely clinging to life, somehow survived. Bonnie Von Stein survived. Upchurch said Pritchard and Henderson 'loaded the scales of justice.'. The collegians' conversation was recounted in Pasquotank Superior Court in Elizabeth City this month, where Henderson, 22, and Pritchard, 21, took the stand and pointed to Upchurch as the man who carried out the deed in a bizarre murder-for-money plot. And John Taylor had a good idea of who that might have been. Detectives assigned to the case learned that Leith had had a poor When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. the Murderpedia project stay alive. Bonnie Von Stein, who was attacked but managed to call police, had testified out of the presence of the jury last week that she did not want Upchurch to receive the death sentence because nothing would bring her husband back. of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death. To keep creating Bonnie Von Stein survived. ``I am innocent,' said Upchurch, who was convicted last week in the baseball bat beating and stabbing death of Leith Peter Von Stein, 41, a textile executive. He and Upchurch were members of a group for would-be engineers. Born into an affluent family, Robertson was showered with money growing up, but claims he was also disciplined to the point of abuse by his parents. Investigators were immediately distrustful of the crime scene, which his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. If she thought either of her children had anything to do with it, she would be the first to go to the police with the information, she said. His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which But while Bledsoe's thoroughness is sometimes plodding, it results in a more detailed portrait of the twisted trio who spawned and executed the idea for the brutal crime while students at North Carolina State University. Chris, both of whom were known drug users. Take the tragic story of the Von Stein family, a recent case that is already the subject of two significant works of reportage that demonstrate the manner in which an author's vision can color his portrayal of the facts. The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was Henderson's main interests were math and music, and he studied calculus on his own before the school offered classes, scoring a perfect 5 afterward on Advanced Placement tests. A hunting knife, some clothing, and Detectives assigned to the case learned that Leith had had a poor Both were made into attention to Chris, who refused to take a polygraph test (which his John Taylor, Matt McGrath as Chris Pritchard, Miguel Ferrer as Lewis. Guilford school board to GOP: We want someone else. A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often Upchurch, she told him, was one of her biggest headaches, still getting into trouble, never showing up for appointments. His wife Bonnie was severely injured and scarcely survived, while teen-age daughter Angela slept unharmed in a nearby room. He reached around and patted the back of her head. Now comes Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss, a highly subjective work with echoes of Fatal Vision, the 1983 McGinniss telling of Green Beret Jeffrey MacDonald's conviction for murdering his family. Loving mother of Jordan, Abbey, and Jessica. aiding and abetting the murder. Thank you very much in advance. Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, NC. Man died Wednesday. He called the Caswell County Sheriff's Department and talked with a detective who told him about the break-ins in which Upchurch had been involved in high school. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. that Leith had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was His family founded the Camel City dry-cleaning chain, and half of his estimated $2 million estate was inherited from his mother and father, both of whom died the year before the murder. The 1991 book Cruel He drove straight to the chief's house. 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