Steven Fisher

Steven Fisher (Courtesy Newton Daily News)

Melisa Gregory

Melisa Gregory (Courtesy WHO-TV)

Melisa Lynn Gregory
and
Steven Joseph Fisher

Double Homicide

Arrest Made / Jury Trial / Suspect Acquitted

This case is officially “cleared” with investigators, but they will review any new leads that point to a different suspect.

Melisa Gregory, 17
Steven Fisher, 20
Copper Dollar Ranch
Newton, IA
Jasper County
Case # 83-1119
March 3, 1983

UPDATE

Theresa “Terri” Supino Acquitted in Murders

On Feb. 20, 2015, a Black Hawk County jury found Theresa “Terri” Supino, 54, not guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her estranged husband, Steven Fisher, 20, and Fisher’s 17-year-old girlfriend, Melisa Gregory. Fisher and Gregory were found bludgeoned to death March 3, 1983, at the Copper Dollar Ranch just northwest of Newton.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office arrested Supino March 3, 2014 — the double homicide’s 31-year anniversary — and a judge moved the trial from Newton to Waterloo due to pretrial publicity.

Jury selection began Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, and the case went to jurors on Thursday, Feb. 19. They deliberated just over six hours before returning the not guilty verdict Friday, Feb. 20.

Jasper County Attorney Mike Jacobsen said his office would not have brought charges against Supino if they didn’t feel they could get a guilty verdict.

Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said that while the case is now considered closed, his office would leave the door open to entertain new leads if they become available.


PREVIOUS UPDATES

Trial set for February in Copper Dollar Ranch case

Sept. 18, 2014 (Newton Daily News): Theresa L. “Terri” Supino’s double first-degree murder trial in the 31-year-old Copper Dollar Ranch homicide case will begin Feb. 2, 2015, in Black Hawk County.

Fifth District Judge Terry Rickers filed an order today setting the time and location of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and will be held in the Black Hawk County Courthouse, Courtroom #301, 316 E. Fifth St. in Waterloo. During a pre-trial conference in late August, Rickers approved a request from Supino’s attorneys for a change of venue, stating there would be “substantial prejudice” against the 54-year-old if her trial were held in the Newton or Des Moines areas.

Full story at the Newton Daily News.


New Venue Chosen for Supino Double Murder Trial

Sept. 17, 2014: Theresa “Terri” Supino’s first-degree murder trial has been moved from Jasper County to Black Hawk County.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 2, 2015. Full story at WHOTV.com.


Change of venue granted for Supino in Copper Dollar Ranch murder case

Aug. 28, 2014 | Newton Daily News

The double first-degree murder trial in the 31-year-old Copper Dollar Ranch homicide case will not be held in Jasper County.

Terri Supino enters courtCourtesy photo Mandi Lamb/Newton Daily News
Theresa “Terri” Supino, charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the 1983 deaths of Steven Fisher, 20, and Melisa Gregory, 17, enters the Jasper County courtroom for a pretrial conference Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, followed by her attorneys, Steven Addington and Jill Eimermann.

During a pretrial conference Wednesday morning, Aug. 27, 2014, Judge Terry Rickers said there would be “substantial prejudice” against 54-year-old Theresa Lynn “Terri” Supino if her trial were held in the Newton or Des Moines areas.

“After reviewing that information, the court agrees there would be substantial prejudice if it were to be tried in Jasper County,” Rickers said. “This case has been a source of notoriety for several years.”

In making their request for a change of venue, Supino’s attorneys, Steven Addington and Jill Eimermann, provided the court with a copy of the “Cold Justice” episode that aired March 28, 2014, and chronicled the show’s investigation of the murders as well as Supino’s arrest by local authorities. They also submitted several articles by the Newton Daily News and Des Moines Register as well as segments from Des Moines television stations.

Read the full story by Daily News Associate Editor Mandi Lamb


Bond Reduced for Jasper County Double Murder Suspect

July 8, 2014 (Courtesy WHOTV.com)

NEWTON, Iowa — Attorneys for a woman accused in a 1983 double murder in Jasper County were able to get her bond reduced at a hearing Tuesday.

Fifty-four-year-old Theresa Supino is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of her estranged husband, 20-year-old Steven Fisher, and his new girlfriend 17-year-old Melisa Gregory.

The badly beaten bodies of Fisher and Gregory were found at the Copper Dollar Ranch in rural Jasper County.

Supino was charged with the murders in March.

At the pre-trial hearing a judge declined to rule on a change of venue motion because the proper documentation wasn’t included by the defense. The judge did reduce Supino’s bond from $400,000 to $300,000.

The defense also requested access to more interview footage from the TV show “Cold Justice” that filmed an episode on the case, WHO TV reported.

Because of the amount of evidence that will need to be reviewed in the case, the earliest a trial date could be set is January of 2015.


Victim’s Wife Charged in 1983 Murders

Monday, March 3, 2014

Courtesy WHO-TV and findjodi.com

In a press conference held Monday, March 3, 2014, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office announced that the estranged wife of one of the Copper Dollar Ranch murder victims had been arrested and charged in the case.

Theresa “Terri” Supino, 53, was arrested March 3, 2014 at her Altoona apartment and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The arrest came exactly 31 years to the day since Steven Fisher, 20, and Melisa Gregory, 17, were found brutally slain at a horse ranch northwest of Newton, Iowa. According to WHO TV Channel 13, Supino was married to Fisher at the time, though the couple, who had two children, were separated and Fisher had been dating Melisa Gregory.

Altoona police and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office arrived Monday morning at Supino’s 405 8th Street apartment, and according to neighbor Travis Cunningham, knocked on the door and stated they had a warrant for Supino’s arrest before busting in.

“When I came out, I saw one of those battering rams and it said DEA,” Cunningham is quoted as saying in a KCCI article published shortly after the arrest.

Jasper County in Iowa

Jasper County in Iowa

Supino remains in the Jasper County Jail in lieu of a $400,000 bond.

In 1983, Supino was known as Theresa Fisher, Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said in a Des Moines Register story published March 3, 2014.

“For the last 31 years, the deaths of Steven and Melisa have weighed heavy on the Fisher and Gregory families, this sheriff’s office and many in Jasper County,” Halferty said. “Since the bodies of Steven and Melisa were discovered, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Newton Police Department, the Jasper County Attorney’s Office, the Office of the State Medical Examiner and the Division of Criminal Investigation, have continued to work to bring justice for Steven and Melisa.”

Supino entered a written plea of not guilty on Monday, March 10, 2014. A trial date has not yet been set.


Case summary by Jody Ewing and Aaron Brilbeck

Steven Fisher and girlfriend Melisa Gregory were found bludgeoned to death at the Copper Dollar Ranch northwest of Newton, Iowa, in Jasper County on March 3, 1983. The attack’s sheer brutality initially led police to believe the pair had been shot in their heads.

Courtesy photo WHO-TV Channel 13, Des Moines
Officials remove the bodies from the crime scene.

“Just the amount of blood… I don’t think the people who reported it realized that somebody could be injured that badly without being shot or something,” (then) Jasper County Sheriff Mike Balmer told WHO-TV Channel 13‘s Aaron Brilbeck for an update on the case that aired May 6, 2011. “I think that’s the original reason it came out as a gunshot case till we got there and actually looked at the scene and realized … these people had been bludgeoned to death.”

The Copper Dollar Ranch — located at West 48th Street North about a quarter-mile north of Hwy F36 West and about four miles northwest of Newton — was a horse ranch where Harold Snedeker and Alan Shad, both of Newton, raised quarter horses and Appaloosas.

[The late] foreman Jeff Illingworth arrived at the ranch shortly before 8 a.m. on March 3 and discovered the body of Steven Fisher, who also worked at the ranch, lying face down on the ground near the barn and a camper, wearing only blue jeans and covered in blood.

Courtesy photo WHO-TV
Melisa Gregory’s mother, Ida Reynolds, wants answers. Steven Fisher’s mother, Thelma Fisher, died in January 2011 still waiting for them.

Illingworth immediately checked inside the trailer, where he discovered Melisa Gregory’s body. Illingworth ran to a neighboring home and contacted authorities.

Illingworth and the homeowner then returned to the ranch to wait for law enforcement officials. Illingworth’s brother was married to Fisher’s sister, and the two were close friends.

Authorities confirmed the identity of the victims through dental records and fingerprints, and autopsy reports stated that both Fisher and Gregory died from massive head injuries.

According to a Newton Daily News article written by Mandi Lamb and published on March 3, 2008, Melisa’s mother, Ida Reynolds, and sister, Lisa Gregory, said they learned through television news reports that a couple had been killed at the Copper Dollar Ranch, and Melisa’s brother Scott said he heard the news through a friend’s brother before any were informed of Melisa’s death by investigators.

Theresa SupinoCourtesy Newton High School
Theresa “Terri” Supino

At the time of his death, Fisher was still married to Theresa “Terri” Supino and the couple had two young children, though Fisher and Supino had been separated for several months prior to the homicides. Fisher began dating Gregory after separating from his wife.

In a Newton Daily News article published September 15, 2009, Terri Supino announced her plans to write a book  featuring facts, opinions and theories about the unsolved murders. She encouraged local residents who had any information about the murder to contact her at an email address she’d set up at copperdollarranch@yahoo.com.

Attack wasn’t ‘random’

Jasper County Attorney Steve Johnson acknowledged there was some known drug activity in the area, but said he personally believed the murders were “up close and personal.”

Police and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office agreed that they didn’t believe drugs were a factor, and were certain the attack wasn’t random.

An FBI profiler profiled the case, said Balmer, who worked as a deputy when the crime occurred. “It was definitely a crime of passion. Someone that was angry,” he said.

Courtesy photo WHO-TV
Then-Jasper County Sheriff Mike Balmer (shown here in 2011) was a deputy when the murders occurred.

Balmer told Channel 13 they followed up on dozens of leads but met nothing but dead ends.

“We were able to track and trace the victims’ travels that night … what they’d done, what they’d seen, who they talked to,” he said.

Gregory’s family members — who also met with Brilbeck for WHO TV’s May 2011 story — said Melisa was funny and warm, loved animals and her family.

Twenty-eight years after her murder, her brother Scott and sister Lisa still had trouble talking about what happened.

“She would have loved being around my girls, and my sister’s boys,” Lisa said. “She missed out on having a family of her own.”

The girls’ little sister, Tanna, is the spitting image of Melisa, said Lisa Gregory.

Melisa Gregory's familyCourtesy photo WHO-TV Channel 13
Melisa Gregory’s sister, Lisa (left) and brother Scott (next to Lisa) talk to Channel 13’s Aaron Brilbeck about what the years have been like since their sister’s murder.

The family said they wanted anyone who knew what happened to come forward to give not just the family some peace, but closure to the killer as well.

“It’s like, how can they live with themselves 24/7 for what they’ve done?” said Melisa’s brother, Scott Gregory.

Steven Fisher’s mother, Thelma Fisher, died just a few months before WHO TV’s story aired, but Balmer said the murder bothered her throughout her whole life.

“Every day she thought about her son,” Balmer said.

WHO-TV made attempts to contact Terri Supino for the 2011 story but said they received no response.

Courtesy photo WHO-TV Channel 13
Melisa Gregory (third from right came from a large, loving family.

“You know it’s gonna come down to an interview and someone admitting what they did,” said Balmer. “Someone’s conscience is gonna get the best of them. Someone may be terminally ill at some point in their life. But this office is never gonna give this case up.”

When the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) established a Cold Case Unit in 2009, the murders of Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher were two of approximately 150 cases listed on the Cold Case Unit’s new website as those the DCI hoped to solve using latest advancements in DNA technology.

Although federal grant funding for the DCI Cold Case Unit was exhausted in December 2011, the DCI continued to assign agents to investigate cold cases as new leads developed or as technological advances allowed for additional forensic testing of original evidence.

In November 2012, John Halferty was elected as Jasper County’s new sheriff.

The sheriff’s office and the DCI’s determination to solve the case eventually paid off.

Courtesy photo KCRG
Theresa “Terri” Supino was arrested March 3, 2014, and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Melisa Gregory, 17, and Supino’s then-husband, Steven Fisher, 20.
Fisher’s estranged wife arrested

On Monday, March 3, 2014 — exactly 31 years to the day when Melisa and Steven’s bodies were found — the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference to announce they’d arrested Fisher’s estranged wife, Terri Supino, and charged her with two counts of first-degree murder.

Altoona police and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office arrived Monday morning at Supino’s 405 8th Street Altoona apartment and, according to neighbor Travis Cunningham, knocked on the door and stated they had a warrant for Supino’s arrest before busting in.

“When I came out, I saw one of those battering rams and it said DEA,” Cunningham is quoted as saying in a KCCI story airing shortly after the arrest.

Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty (Courtesy Jasper County Sheriff's Office)

Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty (Courtesy Jasper County Sheriff’s Office)

“For the last 31 years, the deaths of Steven and Melisa have weighed heavy on the Fisher and Gregory families, this sheriff’s office and many in Jasper County,” Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said in a Des Moines Register article published Monday, March 3. “Since the bodies of Steven and Melisa were discovered, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Newton Police Department, the Jasper County Attorney’s Office, the Office of the State Medical Examiner and the Division of Criminal Investigation, have continued to work to bring justice for Steven and Melisa.”

Halferty said the arrest of Ms. Supino “does not end this investigation,” though declined to say what new evidence broke open the cold case. Halferty thanked the Newton Police Department, the Jasper County Attorney’s Office, the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office and the Iowa DCI for their assistance in the investigation.

Supino is being held in the Jasper County Jail on a $300,000 bond.


Courtesy photo WHO-TV
Family members say Melisa Gregory, shown here, was funny and warm, loved animals and her family.

A candlelight vigil held that night in Newton — already scheduled to mark the anniversary of Gregory’s and Fisher’s death — went ahead as planned, and a March 4 Des Moines Register story said about 50 people braved the frigid temperatures to attend.

“There’s what’s called forgiveness, and I’ve done that,” Melisa Gregory’s sister, Lisa Gregory, 50, told the Register. “And we’re glad justice could be done… On the other hand, there are now other families that are in mourning as well.”

During the vigil, Melisa Gregory’s sister-in-law, Karen Gregory, the wife of Melisa’s brother, Scott, told KCRG-TV9 what many already suspected before Terri Supino’s arrest:

“Deep down, I think everybody has known there was a connection there somewhere,” Karen Gregory said.

Many at the vigil praised Halferty — who knew Melisa Gregory from junior high school — for his continued dedication to working the case.

TNT network airs “Cold Justice” episode on slayings

In a separate Register report dated March 4, 2014, Supino’s two adult children, son Rocky Supino, 33, and daughter Casey Supino, 31, said they felt their family deserved answers from law enforcement about what evidence led to their mother’s arrest decades after the crime.

The Register said Jasper County Attorney Mike Jacobsen declined to answer questions about the (then) upcoming March 28, 2014 episode of “Cold Justice,” a true-crime television show on the TNT network that focused on the Copper Dollar Ranch slayings.

The show’s hosts, former Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler and crime scene investigator Yolanda McClary work to find new evidence in unsolved murders across the country. “Cold Justice” is co-produced by Dick Wolf, the award-winning creator of the “Law and Order” television series.

coldjustice2 Courtesy photo Edward M. Pio Roda/TNT and Des Moines Register
“Cold Justice” cast members investigating the 1983 double slaying of Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher visit with the victims’ relatives in Newton, Iowa, in February 2014. The episode aired March 28.

In the Register’s March 4 article, Casey Supino said she’d not been contacted by anyone from the TV show and wasn’t aware if her mother knew it was being filmed.

The show’s producers, had, in fact, already conducted an interview with Theresa Supino in February 2014 outside Supino’s Altoona apartment.

Iowa DCI Special Agent in Charge Adam DeCamp told the Register the DCI had been investigating the double homicide since 1983 and began looking at it again around 2008.

According to a March 27, 2014 WHO-TV story, Sheriff Halferty contacted “Cold Justice” in 2012 to ask for help in solving the Copper Dollar Ranch murders. The show accepted the invitation in late 2013, and by February 2014 were already in Iowa conducting interviews, including the one with the prime suspect.

Despite what some initially questioned as an arrest “coincidentally” taking place on the double homicide’s 31st anniversary, Halferty’s explanation proved not only quite appropriate given the investigation’s time frame, but resonated with families of other cold case victims.

“I felt the families had had over 30 years of March thirds with no good news,” Halferty told WHO-TV, “that it was time to give them some good news.”

On Monday, March 10, 2014, Theresa Supino entered a written “not guilty” plea.

During a pretrial conference Wednesday morning, Aug. 27, 2014, Judge Terry Rickers said there would be “substantial prejudice” against 54-year-old Theresa Lynn “Terri” Supino if her trial were held in the Newton or Des Moines areas.

“After reviewing that information, the court agrees there would be substantial prejudice if it were to be tried in Jasper County,” Rickers said in a Newton Daily News article published Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. “This case has been a source of notoriety for several years.”

The court did not decide where the trial would be held — only that it would not be held in Jasper County.

In September 2014 the court announced the first-degree murder trial would be held in Black Hawk County, the Newton Daily News reported.

Jury selection for the trial began Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, with opening statements made on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The trial lasted three weeks, and on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, jurors acquitted Supino in both murders.

Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said the case is now considered closed and there would be no active investigation into the murders, but their office would leave the door open to entertain any new leads if they became available.

 Courtesy photo ZBonnie at findagrave.com
Melisa Gregory is buried at the Greencastle Cemetery in Jasper County.
About Melisa and Steven

Melisa Lynn Gregory was born January 8, 1966.

Survivors included her mother, Ida Reynolds; two brothers, Scott Gregory and Travis Reynolds of Newton; and two sisters, Lisa Gregory and Tanna Reynolds of Newton.

Melisa was buried at the Greencastle Cemetery in Green Castle, Jasper County.

Courtesy photo Iowa Gravestone Project
Steven Fisher is buried at the Newton Union Cemetery in Jasper County.

Steven Joseph Fisher was born March 27, 1962, the son of William L. and Thelma (Grovenberg) Fisher.

He was survived by his mother, Thelma Fisher of Newton (who passed away Jan. 24, 2011); his wife Theresa “Terri” Supino and their two young children; two brothers, Ronald Lee Fisher and William Lester Fisher Jr. of Newton; and a sister, Darlene Mae (Jack) Illingworth of Newton.

Steven was buried at the Newton Union Cemetery in Jasper County.

 

WHO-TV Channel 13’s Aaron Brilbeck reports on the March 3, 1983 unsolved double homicide of Steven Fisher and Melisa Gregory. Air Date: May 6, 2011

 

From Jan. 20, 2007: Cold Case Victim’s Mom Has Renewed Hope
A KCCI-TV interview with the late Thelma Fisher

Information Needed

Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 641-792-5912.

Sources:

 

Copyright © 2024  Iowa Cold Cases, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

89 Responses to Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher

  1. LuAnn says:

    No DNA Or Physical Evidence Connecting Theresa To The Crime That Is Why She Was Aquitted Of The Double Murder…
    I Have Always Had My Suspicions That This Was A Murder For Hire

  2. S. Davis says:

    “We encourage thoughtful discussion here but ask that comments remain civilized and constructive … i.e. without personal attacks or name-calling. Be respectful of others and remember that victims’ family members visit these pages, too.”

    Literally every comment on this page is a willful violation of your impotent policy. Maybe try harder? Or, even better idea, get rid of the comments altogether. There is absolutely nothing that anyone can, or should, contribute to these complex and difficult topics via an internet comment. All they engender are wild speculation, open prejudice, bitter resentment, and the further erosion of the already deeply scarred state of civil discourse among Americans.

  3. Melanie Wood says:

    I thought name calling wasn’t tolerated.

  4. Melanie Wood says:

    There’s alot of abuse on this thread that needs to be removed.

  5. Melanie Wood says:

    She was aquitted.

  6. Terri Rudsell says:

    Wow I’m reading all these comments about myself. You people have never heard my side of this. Did you know that Hal Snedeker knew how the victims were killed before the autopsy ever proved what happened? Of course not because you’re all too quick to judge people. There are so many liescout there and you have no fucking clue what I found in Hal and Linda Snedekers interviews. Bet you didn’t know that he has no alibi for that night. He has 50 plus inconsistencies in his interviews and 3 different. Stories about where he was. AND YOU FUCKERS WANT TO CALL ME A LIAR? He also told my daughter that wasn’t now the murders were supposed to have happened.. I can prove Hal was involved. All I need is for someone to do my story.AND ANOTHER THING— I did not roll Steve’s arm up in a car door, Melisa did. It happened in the 3 speed he had and I still to this day cannot drive one. Ask Patty Hilpipre, she’s the one who told me what actually happened. She was Melisas friend. Steve was ripping off Hal for drugs and was going to turn states evidence on him in court, but he died before he had the chance.

    • Patrick Kerrigan says:

      Teri, it’s nice of you to come clean of sorts. However, the victims were murdered in 1983. You have had over 37 years to tell your story, and point at someone else. I guess you could not find an attorney to represent you when you could have provided the statement you just elaborated.

      This reminds me that the family in Columbus, Ohio protected their uncle and brother because they allegedly were afriad6to rat him out for a murder he committed. After he was dead, did kind of come clean after a journalist started digging.

      I assume Hal, will come clean also, and point the finger st someone else

    • Daniel Thomas Gomez says:

      Terri yeah it made no sense to me either why they waited 31 years and let a Cold Case journalist talk them into bringing charges against you without any new evidence. Seemed kind of weird that if they were aware of possible drug dealings going on at the CDR that they didn’t bust them awhile ago. Make me wonder if he (Hal) was some confidential informant himself or was just a drug dealer that left Florida before it became to hot for him. And if they seemed to know that Steve was involved in drug dealing why they didn’t follow up on that further. Seemed like they just naturally assumed it was the so called criminal Supino family. Well hopefully you can get your story out and maybe they will get their act together in Newton & do some real police work. Best of luck and tell Tim I said hi. If he is still in Newton I will have to look him up next time I am there.

    • Daniel Thomas Gomez says:

      Well hopefully you can get your story heard and maybe even published Terry. Hopefully people will stop trying to pass judgement without all the facts. Sounds like it would be quite a compelling read if you where able to get your story published. Possibly start off with some background on you. Steve Fisher and the owner of the Copper Dollar Ranch. And for those that don’t believe drug hits can be brutal just look at MIAMI, FL in the 80’s . Out of control and brutal murders everyday. They used brutality to make a point. Enough said

  7. Daniel Gomez says:

    Well I graduated with both Tim and Terry Supino from Newton High School. I was friends with Tim Supino since Junior High at Berg. Was even over to his house a few times. Didn’t see anything out of the ordinary with the family. I didn’t really know Terri that well, but she seemed ok. And as far as if she killed them I have no idea. Them being out there the night they were killed would automatically put them on the suspect list. Now during the Cold Case interview Tim had said he told his sister they had to let the cops know that they had been out to the Ranch earlier in the night. Now why would he do that if he was guilty? Why not just let it ride and not say a thing. Evidently there was nothing discovered at the crime scene indicating they had been out there. As well I am sure that the police checked their vehicles for blood and evidence since it sounded pretty brutal. Also, to state it was definitely a crime of passion and not a drug hit I beg to differ. There has been many cases of drug hits being very brutal with beatings and even cutting people up. It all depends upon the message trying to be sent. They can even be up close and personal as well. And if it is true they have an unidentified Male DNA they could trace it utilizing new method that they used to convict the Golden State Serial killer in CA. It enables them to tie Genetic DNA to known families which normally match to 98% or so and get to the bottom of who was there. They have definitely come a long way with DNA testing.
    As far as the trial goes remember the jurors have to find them guilty without a doubt. Just here say and conjecture does not make a case. The inability to find any physical evidence is very damaging to the case they made. Especially 31 years later? You would have thought they would have left behind some clue or piece of evidence to tie her to the murder. Or used newer methods to look over and test the evidence they kept. While crime scene methods were not as good back then especially for a small town I am sure they could have brought in other agencies for help. And for those blasting people for defending the people they know IE family members and friends I would defend my family to the utmost of my being even if I knew they did something wrong. You can call me evil or whatever I could care less, but family is family period. Don’t berate me for defending my family. I can definitely tell there is a lot of emotion surrounding this case so it is understandable. But the bottom line is she went to trial and was found “Not Guilty” by a jury so unless they come up with some New evidence then she should be left alone. Besides I am sure a lot of us have said things in a fit of anger that are very damning. I don’t understand why they waited 31 years to bring it to trial. Seems to me that even back then they determined they didn’t have enough evidence back then to go to trial and what they had was just circumstantial at best. Well hopefully all involved can get on with their lives and leave it all behind as best they can. Hopefully some day the truth will come out and everyone can move on. Best of luck.

  8. Amazonnnfpj says:

    reproduced by hand, in contrast

  9. OJ of Iowa says:

    Towards the end of the Cold Justice video, the drunk guy trying to get into the car is Bret.
    Bret is Rocky’s dad, Terri’s first child.
    Bret had a great paying job in the Kansas City area, while her 2 children were growing fatherless. Terri never took him to court or forced him to pay child support. Which seemed odd.
    Jump forward to 2013, Terri finds out he’s homeless drunk, living behind a grocery store.
    He’s lost his KC wife and children, his company went bankrupt and he had nothing.
    Terri was able to leave a note and find Bret again.
    The guy was a monster drunk and abuser, but Terri let it go on until she was arrested.
    This guy seemed to have spell on her, and the whole thing seemed odd.

    • Daniel Thomas Gomez says:

      Well they do say that love can be blind. It defies logic many times especially when a woman stays with a drunk & abuser. I’ve seen many people go through this and it always is crazy why they stay. Like you said maybe he had some sort of spell on her. Well all you can hope for is woman in that predicament figure out how to get away and stay away. However many don’t.

  10. LIKEABOSS says:

    Casey, I really hope you get the chance to read this. It sickens me to no end, how an “entire family” like yours, would go as far as “making/reporting a false alibi” to protect one of their own, for a crime the “entire family” knows damn good and well what your mother committed. Everyone knows that she didn’t act alone. Lie for her, try and play all innocent that she couldn’t have done such a thing. For Denial is a Sin that WILL NOT go unpunished. You and your “entire family” are all crazy and crooked. Know this, Terri will meet with her Maker, for what she’s done. Just because she got away with murder for 31 years, and was found not guilty, and walks free, makes me happy knowing that Judgment Day for her can’t come soon enough, and I guarantee she will ROT in Hell! Along with her accomplice(s)!!!

  11. David Harms says:

    I sat through most of this trial as a totally unbiased observer. I had never heard about the case before. Do I think she’s guilty? Absolutely. It was obviously a crime of passion. All of the pieces of the puzzle seem to point to Terry Supino as the murderer. But, if I had been a juror, I could not have convicted her. There was no hard evidence that tied her to the crime. No murder weapon. No blood found on clothes or vehicles. All the evidence was circumstantial. And that’s not enough to convict. Fascinating case.

    • LIKEABOSS says:

      Due to it being a crime of passion, is the main reason why this evil b**** got off scott free. Now, had she not had the murder weapon when she found them together, left only to come back with every intention to kill…is then considered premeditated and she would’ve been found guilty. I don’t know how a person who has pretty much sold her soul to the devil, can sleep at night. Oh wait…yes as a matter of fact I do…to her (as you see in many different pictures) she’s all smiles. #ONECOLDHEARTLESSB****

  12. Herb Hunter says:

    If you’re going to trial with circumstantial evidence you need a strong theory of the means (murder weapon) which you can then trace back to the suspect. It’s obvious, from her own admission, Terri Supino was there that night, but I find it hard to believe the medical examiner never determined what the murder weapon was — perhaps even exhuming the bodies to reexamine the wounds. If the prosecution could say X was the murder weapon and Supino had access to X, it would’ve strengthened their case beyond reasonable doubt.

    Were there ever any theories on the murder weapon? This is where the case hinged and why it wasn’t determined is beyond me. . .

  13. S. says:

    The police consider the case closed, which tends to mean that they have a strong belief in who the perpetrator was. While Fisher wasn’t a saint personally and had involvement in drug culture, this comes across as a domestic murder, a lot of anger and vengeance seems behind it. In no way does it come across as a “hit” to get back at a petty dealer or smuggler. Sadly due to the perception of the jury (there’s no way to know if it was the case here, but too often juries fall prey to the erroneous CSI mentality that DNA is at every crime scene), the families of Gregory and Fisher will not see the murderer held legally culpable, but hopefully in the court of public opinion this person is ostracized and shamed for the horrible act that she did.

    • TrueJustice says:

      Sounds like that whole family is white trash. As well as their MURDER abetting white trash friends. Sure glad I don’t have to live in an area with those scary B!tches!

    • LIKEABOSS says:

      Oh best believe, that Daddy-O Carlos Supino was definitely involved, not only in the murders, but drugs as well. I knew there was something NOT RIGHT/DARK about the whole family. It’s called INTUITION. And to think I was around this evil family, not knowing at the time who they were until many years later when the story surfaced. Carlos, fabricated an alibi for his murdering monster of a daughter. Shame on you, Dad. Hope you didn’t set an example for your grandchild.

  14. Dawnne Howard says:

    Oh come on, y'all HAVE to know the skank did it. Everybody knows juries get it wrong a LOT of the time…look at Casey Anthony. If possible, this heifer is even a bigger skank.

  15. Dana Curtis says:

    Amen! Hazel Shepley and Casey Marie! You gotta love people who like to talk smack about shit they know nothing about!

    • I love terri we worked together and she was an amazing friend to my sister in law to the end and to our families after Val passed on

    • Casey Marie says:

      She’s a good friend to have. Shed give the shirt off her back, always worried about everyone and never herself. She doesn’t have a violent bone in her body but shed kick ass on the debate team. She’s got the mouth with nothing to back it up, I on the other hand must take from my mom and dad cuz there’s a few bitches that have done her wrong that I would a made sure walked away with an ass kicking. Not her. Never. Shell raise her voice not her fist. I have teased her for years telling her the chicken wants his legs back and her mouth is too big for no bite. There are people that know her and know all of these things just as I do.

      • C says:

        WTF are you talking about? What the hell does “the chicken wants his legs back and her mouth is too big for no bite” mean?

        • Liza says:

          I think the chicken comment is referring to chickens/roosters fighting with their legs and razor blades being attached to rooster legs in cockfights, and the mouth comment is referring to the idiom “she’s all bark but no bite,” meaning she’ll run off at the mouth endlessly but never actually bite or take action. Terri’s mouth is big and she talks a lot of shit but doesn’t bite.

    • Give her a big hug from all of us

    • Casey Marie says:

      Will do thank you. What a nightmare. I see this junk everyday. Don’t know why I even bother commenting sometimes but oh well. It’ll get dreadged up every year, and every time some dumb ass is gonna throw in the 2 ¢ they have. Even if she was convicted I’d still be here defending in her honor. I told the sheriff they’d have to prove it to me and I’d gladly accept it. They failed miserably. As a matter of fact that trial left me with more questions than anything. Items missing from the crime scene between the first and second set of photos taken, unknown male DNA that will hopefully be matched someday, just to name a few. Drugs, confidential informants, the many stories a couple of the witnesses tripped over and changed. I literally sat in court and watched an individual tell 5 different stories and didn’t seem to realize she was doing so. That’s a huge red flag. Too many other options and the fact that the DCI disected every vehicle my family owned. Not a trace of blood anywhere. I have eavesdropped in on thousands of conversations of hers over the years. Never any inkling that she had anything to do with it. Theres so much more to explore. There’s one person that could set the record straight and that person is in witness protection. I will probably die wondering what really happened. A cloud I’ve carried my entire life, there’s always a storm somewhere. It never really goes away.

    • I know we don’t know one another but if you need someone to talk with just message me

    • Casey Marie says:

      Yes, I pray for that.

    • Casey Marie is absolutely right about the conflicting stories, and I hope that by remembering the victims each year on the anniversary date, someone will eventually come forward with what he/she knows and/or that the unknown DNA will eventually find a match thru CODIS. Even if the person is dead or in witness protection, exposing the truth would at least give your mother and family some peace.

  16. People need to stop judging what they don’t know if you don’t know terri then you have no right to say anything yes these families have went through a lot and I only pray that they do find the guilty party

  17. Hmmmm, I haven’t seen anything about this, but how hard for the families not knowing for sure if the wife did it or not. Either way, it’s awful

  18. Debbie Buck says:

    Judging by Terri’s recent comments, it appears she likes to get revenge. I bet she did just that in 1983. This was a crime of passion. She had motive. End of story. Another jury screws up. Shocker.

    • Adam Struve says:

      I agree. She could have left her trial without making any comments. She Instead has an attitude, talks about suing, and makes plans to eat a bunch of fast food. Definitely kept it classy.

    • Casey Marie says:

      You’d have an attitude and be pissed off too if you sat in jail for an entire year for something you didn’t do. And suing them is the least they need done to them. They had no case from day one. And revenge, no. Trust me she’s caught every boyfriend she’s ever had cheating, some red handed and hasnt ever laid a finger on any of the women. If you only knew her, and you clearly don’t.

    • Tell them Casey. People are so easy to judge when they don’t know all the facts, only what they read or see on tv. Lord knows the media doesn’t exaggerate anything to make it look good for their story.

    • Adam Struve says:

      Sad reality is as long as she continues to live in Iowa she’ll deal with the court of public opinion, but from the sounds of it she has been dealing with that since the beginning. At least now she can be like O.J. Simpson and “work to find the real killer.”

    • Debbie Buck says:

      Casey, I’m glad I don’t know her, thank you very much! It really is sweet how you feel the need to defend your mother every chance you get. I mean, if she’s innocent, there really is no need, now is there?

    • Casey you have every right to defend your momma any one with a heart would do the same and Debbie Buck I only pray you never have to go through what this family went through

    • Debbie Buck says:

      I care more about what the victims’ families have been through.

    • Little do you know the facts same in the one

    • Debbie Buck says:

      Awww another defender. Cute. Really.

    • Casey Marie says:

      I’ll defend her until the day I die. Shes one of the least violent, most kind hearted people I know. Easy for you and the rest of the world to pass judgment on someone you know nothing about, and clearly a trial you weren’t inside for. If you.knew the details inside the case you’d know why the decision was unanimous. You know just like everyone else, what you’ve heard. I’ve been hearing things for 25 years or better. You know nothing and the people close to her know what a blessings it is to call her a friend. I could go on about facts that came out in court that would make you all wonder what’s really going on, and ask why is this woman here but I’m sick to death of talking about it. When the dateline that were working on airs you may change your mind. Think what you want. Only god gets to judge her in the end. I’m thankful for that.

      • TrueJustice says:

        The murdering hag has had 25+ years to concoct her stories. Now that she has her stories down, she has the audacity to attempt to “Write a book!”. The woman is a jealous dog. And a murderer.

    • Casey Marie says:

      And I’m not a victim as well?? It was my dad. Wow.

    • Hmmm correct me if I’m wrong but Casey Marie is the victims family. Her mother has been put through the ringer for her father’s murder.

    • Debbie Buck says:

      And yet articles state your last name as Supino, not Fisher. Interesting. How old were you when this happened? Too young to know much about what really happened, that’s for sure. You were raised believing what she told you. Look I’m done arguing with you. I am entitled to my opinion. See ya! lol

    • Casey Marie says:

      Yeah well most people don’t stop to realize that.

    • Debbie buck needs to shut her fucking mouth. Who the fuck are you anyways. Leave Casey and her family alone. Shit talkin haters. Yall are just mad cause she is innocent and all these years and now u still try to convict her. Time to let it rest.

      • TrueJustice says:

        Stephanie Van Zit needs to shut HER fucking mouth. Before she and her lesbian murderer meet similar fates as their own victims.

        • S. Davis says:

          Anyone working for this clearly neglected website want to do something about the **literal death threat** here in your “respectful” comment section?

    • Casey Marie says:

      Still raised with no father and if you looked on my birth certificate you’d see my name is Casey Marie Fisher. Shows how much you know and I have been raised with what EVERYONE has had to tell me not just her. Believe me there was a time when I questioned it all. Opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one. I respect them everyday. My point to you is if it was your mom, sister, cousin, aunt, friend or family member at all period how would you feel. Now I have yet to be this nasty, but you can shove your opinion straight up your ass and if our savior allows you into the pearly gates one day you’ll be surprised when you see her there.

    • FWIW, a close (media) friend of mine was there every day of the trial, and when we spoke after the verdict, he said had he been a juror, he also would have voted Not Guilty …said the evidence simply wasn’t there and the pieces didn’t fit. If Terri wasn’t responsible, it means the killer is still out there. Sadly, in cases with vast amounts of circumstantial evidence, it’s easy for one to deduce that a particular individual was responsible when in fact someone else may have been the true assailant.

  19. I think the jury really messed up on this one..

  20. There was not enough physical evidence for a conviction. Although it appears she’s guilty, I’m not convinced.

  21. MikeD says:

    The only thing I’ll give her credit for is staying in the area even though she had all this public opinion against her. Unfortunately there are too many cases like this where the most likely person gets off and you’re left asking “If not them, then who?” I have a feeling this will always be a cold case now.

    • Geraldine says:

      She probably stayed in the area to keep tabs and keep spreading the lie that Steve and Melisa’s murder was a drug hit. Maybe she began to believe it herself. She was going to write a book about it at one point. I didn’t hang around these people but had a friend who did. She kept up pointing the finger at Hal S.,owner of CDR. Why would he do that, it’s a case of “don’t crap where you eat”. And why Melisa as back then he really liked the pretty ladies and girls. People were afraid of Supino back then, she was some kind of crazy. Still many should have come forward, it’s the sin of silence. I know she’s admitted to Steve’s murder to people. Not to Melisa’s though. Maybe it’s too disturbing to remember. Steve’s murder was quick. Melisa had to be chased in the trailer. Did she cry out for her mother? Did she beg? You are right, this will always be a cold case.

  22. Jodi Frye says:

    Isnt this the one that was on the tv show? so how did they came to this conclusion and now we are hearing they were not right?

  23. How the?! I watched the Cold Justice episode that covered this case. So sorry for the families that are still left not knowing who killed their loved ones.

  24. may smacker says:

    Even though trial is over and she was found not guilty I still don’t believe she is innocent just that the evidence just wasn’t there for them to convict.. I feel for the families of these victims and still hope one day the truth and the whole story will come out…from what I’ve read and seen on TV this crime appears to be very personal.. I think if it was a drug thing the killer would have just shot or stabbed them not bludgeoned repeatedly that sounds like something much more personal… one question I do have is in the pics posted it shows on his headstone 3-2-83 and hers says 3-3-83 why is that???

    • Jody Ewing says:

      May, I think a lot of people may have noticed the differing dates on the two headstones, but it’s likely because Steven and Melisa were killed either shortly before or right after midnight. Based on court testimony, it appears Steven was killed first and Melisa shortly thereafter. Medical examiners can often pinpoint a specific timeframe (i.e. sometime b/w 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.), but without an eyewitness, it’s uncertain whether they were killed late March 2 or early March 3. The victims’ family members would have made the decisions about the inscription dates for headstones. If nothing else, it goes to show that both families believed the crime occurred right around midnight.

  25. DeeAnn says:

    Well it hardly matters now what any of us thinks. She’s been found not guilty. I personally think that she and her brother both were there and killed them. I believe her brother killed Steven while she killed Melissa. I also believe that eventually we will all face God and have to answer for whatever we have done in this life.

    • Geraldine says:

      I think it was just her. I live in Newton and back then there was a culture of “don’t be a narc”. I really wish the people who knew her very bad side would have come forward then. DNA was just a scientists dream back then, law enforcement wasn’t aware of how to collect certain evidence, or how fast to collect it and etc. I’m disappointed in the jury, there was enough circumstancial evidence. Well, she’s going to sue Cold Justice, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, and is “going to get even with someone “. Hell, if I’d been found not guilty of a double homicide I’d have been happy and kept my mouth shut. “I’ll get even” is a typical response for an angry, violent person.

      • DeeAnn says:

        I heard her say she was going to get even too and my first thought was she is obviously a person who can’t wait to get revenge on anyone who she thinks has wronged her. Now I am positive she killed them.

  26. Sarah says:

    Thank you Meghan. I dont know if you’d call it justice as he took the cowards way out and committed suicide. I did go to school for criminal justice as I wanted to get into forensics, and wanted wanted to be a crime scene investigator.. its only my opinion as well but i think she did it .. the overkill at the crime scene suggests that it was highly personal, the amount of blood at the crime scene says that the killer spent a considerable amount of time inflicting pain on the victim. If it was done because of his snitching more often then not it would of been quick and less messy. She’s known to have a temper and be violent, she had motive, and given the interview with her brother and his statements, her statements always changing… like they say its not hard to remember the truth…On the other hand unless they havent released the info. it seems as though they have no physical evidence to put her in the trailer other then the fact that she says she was.. Would not like to be sitting in on the jury in this case !

  27. Sarah says:

    Im not going to pretend I know everything about this case. She deserves a fair trial whether she did it or not. You can’t say a person is guilty because they act nervous, i act nervous when i go to the dentist or a dr. apt.. does that mean im guilty of something? That arrogant look on her face may be confidence because she didnt do it, or she may just think “I’ve gotten away with this for over 30 yrs there’s no way they have anything on me” The facts are Terri did have motive to do this.. Police just done arrest someone after 30 yrs for nothing.. Also we shouldnt judge people for supporting their loved ones, thats what family is supposed to do. But unfortunately her family may need to come to terms with the fact that their mother, grandmother, friend, etc committed this crime. Sometimes good people make bad decisions. I say this from experience as my grandparents were murdered by someone i would never had thought would do something like this. Statistics prove most people who are killed are done so by someone they know…

    • Meghan says:

      You make some very good points. I just think it’s sad the family even feel they have to come on here saying she didn’t do it when they do not, can not KNOW for certain what she did as they were not there. Call it Intuition or whatever you want, but I believe 110% that Terri Supino is guilty of double homicide. As such, she should never have been allowed to walk free all these years, affecting and influencing people….it’s just sad….those kids deserved better that’s for sure. Something like this should never have happened.

      I’m sorry for your loss…I do hope you got justice for your grandparents.

  28. Gumby says:

    Murder is usually from one or two things. Money ( which can mean drugs ) these two things go together, or love. Revenge over a lover. To get rid of some one to be with some one else, or to get back at some one. In a revenge killing it is usually close to home so it will be brutal, as in what O J Simpson did. Its personal and brutal. This case has all the markings of revenge over a jilted lover. This woman they arrested just acts guilty. I turned off the sound and watched her. Overacting in her defense is what I see. Then to hear her. I couldnt be on the jury. She is guilty of this.

    • Meghan says:

      I agree. She looks and acts guilty and nervous. If she was innocent why has she not taken a voluntary lie detector test? She owes that to the families she destoryed, her own family included. It’s sad to see them on here saying she is innocent. They deserve to know the truth. I watched that episode of Cold Justice and one thing you realize is that there was no one else who had a motive to kill Melissa and Greg except for her. They could tell it was a small person and she is the right height. She’s guilty as all hell and needs to be punished for what she did. Living free all these years and affecting people who should not be defending a cold blooded murderess.

  29. heather,elliott says:

    this women who brutal, murder..that there be justice for the family my prayers are with them

  30. DeeAnn says:

    Wow. It is great to see some of these cold cases finally solved. For the victims and their families to finally get some measure of justice.

    But isn’t it frightening to know that living among us are cold blooded killers who could very well be our neighbors. Our coworkers. The person working behind the counter at the local convenience store, or grocery? Someone sitting next to us in a theater or restaurant.

    It’s absolutely chilling!

  31. Theresa says:

    There is no indication whether their being at the ranch was a usual behavior.

  32. Brianna says:

    I grew up in Newton, I was only three when this happend but I remember hearing about it years later as I grew up. Such an awful thing and very scary and strange that something like this would happen in small town, close knit Newton. I feel so so sad for both families, I cant even imagine what they must feel every day not knowing and not having any answers.

  33. Casey Supino says:

    WHO-TV 13 made several attempts to contact Terri Supino? Really, that is funny. No one ever attempted to contact her, not to mention she isn’t hard to find. The Jasper county Sherrifs department knows exactly where to find her. Her entire family lives in Newton. You guys are ridiculous.

    • jude says:

      Well, apparently they had no trouble finding terri now..
      and i am glad.

      • Julie Prough Lewis says:

        Hang in their Casey I went to school with your Mom. So sorry for what you and your borther are going though. I have known your Mom since grade school, spent stay overs when we were kids. My prayers are headed your way, too you and all in the family.God Bless and Hold your Heads up High. For he who think he know’s what happen: “Throw the frist stone”, if you never have sinned; replied God. If you don’t know shut up, that’s how 2nd hand talk strarts. :)

        • Kathy says:

          stop defending this woman Julie – you are completely ignorant to the facts – she killed two people – no matter how “NICE” she was. She is still a murderer!! Wise up – people can change when their livelihood is about to be taken away. And Casey – I feel sorry that you actually think your mom is innocent. Hope she goes away for the rest of her life!!
          May she rot in hell for what she did!!

          • Bianca says:

            She can defend my grandma all she wants! That is my grandma, and I will believe in her! and my grandma is innocent so you can hut up and move on with your life! and just wait till she gets out!

        • DeeAnn says:

          Everyone believed that Ted Bundy was such a great guy too.

          Right up until he went to trial (and later confessed to more murders) there were people defending him and saying what a great guy he was. How they couldn’t believe that he could be capable of such things.

          Even Ann Rule the author, who was a police woman and worked right next time him night after night for years at a suicide prevention call center had no idea what he really was. What he had been doing to all of those girls the entire time.

          Look at the guy who recently murdered Hannah Graham and Morgan Harrington. The guy has been raping, kidnapping and murdering for more than a decade and no one suspected a thing. He appeared to be just a normal college student who was employed as a patient technician in the surgery at the university, caring for people who were at their most vulnerable.

          Look at how many other cases on this very website have been solved, and the killers have been walking among us for decades, and no one suspected them. They looked and acted just like normal people!

          Look up the definition of a sociopath. There are many of them walking among us right at this very moment.

          What you think you see isn’t always what you are really looking at.

          Not throwing stones, just stating plain and simple facts.

          • Daniel Thomas Gomez says:

            Well this rings so true many times. I remember the BTK serial killer was a father, Deacon in his church and worked for the City. So sometimes you never know. Looks can be deceiving for sure. You never know what lurks around in the minds of people. People can be very evil.

        • TrueJustice says:

          Wow. Way to twist the word of God to justify MURDER. may you for in hell with that old bag!

          • Tim says:

            I was curious, what evidence linked her to the killings. Did she ever admit anything to make them arrest her or is it just known that she did it but somehow got away with it?

    • TrueJustice says:

      The old hag did it. The girl whose face the jealous loser bashed in was prettier by leaps and bounds. And, unlike your psycho mom, didn’t suffer from mental illness. Glad she will rot in hell, lmfao!

      • LuAnn says:

        Our looks Change As We Age..Melissa Was A Very Beautiful Young Lady & So Was Theresa. Did You See Theresa’s Picture When She Was Younger?..Blonde & Very Pretty..

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