Patricia Heitzman:1986, Kansas City, Missouri

   


  Patricia Heitzman was born on October 1st, 1966. Her parents were Marilyn and Paul Heitzman. 


  She grew up with her two siblings in Eudora, Kansas. That’s a small town west of Kansas City. Patricia was proud to be a country girl according to her co-workers and acquaintances. But, Patricia was a goal driven student athlete. She lettered in basketball and volleyball. 


  Patricia was a dedicated student. She aimed to become a lawyer. She was studying at the University of Kansas at Lawrence and taking 19 credit hours that Fall. 12 credit hours is considered full time. She was only a sophomore but was pushing to graduate early and go on to law school. 


  She had taken a part time job working at Sir Knight Formalwear at 1501 Grand Boulevard in Kansas City. She liked that she had time to study on the job. They had several locations and sometimes she would fill in at different places. 





  The store was connected to a dry cleaners next door. Junior Allen and Norma Menninger had both worked there for 20 years. Junior Allen maintained the machines there and kept them in good working order. 


  On October 11th, 1986, Patricia, Junior and Norma were all at work when a gunman entered and demanded cash. He then herded everyone into the backroom. 


  Patricia was shot twice in the back of the head. Junior Allen and Norma Menninger were also murdered this way. Patricia did not perish immediately like her coworkers. Patricia was taken to the hospital but her injuries were too severe. She passed away on Sunday October 12th, 1986.



  This killer could have worn a mask to rob this store if he did no want to get caught. He could have tied them up so they could not call the police right away. But, he did not do that. He didn’t really do this for the money. He could have robbed a busier store or restaurant if he wanted money. This man really just wanted to kill people. 


  Who was he? I think it was Harry Edward Greenwell. 


  Who was Harry Edward Greenwell? He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He married several times. His first wife died in a suspicious house fire in 1978. He had children and stepchildren. He lived mainly in Wisconsin and later in Iowa. He traveled the United States repairing railroad tracks for the Canada Pacific Railroad. He was on the road a great deal from around 1980 until he retired in  2013. He died of natural causes in New Albin, Iowa in 2013. 


  In 2022, Investigators in Indiana would link his DNA to three cold cases from 1989. 


  On the night of March 3rd, 1989, he struck twice. Margaret Mary Gill was assaulted and killed as she worked her night shift at the Days Inn in Merrillville, Indiana. She was found in a vacant wing of the hotel. I think she ran from him that night but was unable to escape. I also think she ran into the vacant wing in an effort to protect the sleeping guests of the hotel from this dangerous gunman. She succeeded in protecting the guests. But, Greenwell sexually assaulted and shot her. 


  Further South along I-65 that same night, Jeanne Gilbert was abducted, assaulted and murdered. He took her from the Days Inn. He assaulted and murdered her a few miles further southeast. 


  Two years earlier, in February of 1987, Vicki Heath was murdered by Greenwell in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She also worked at a motel near I-65. She was found sexually assaulted and shot behind the motel. I think she had attempted to run from him. 


  Each of the motels had also been robbed of a small amount of cash. A big score of cash was not really the purpose of his crimes, though. He killed because it was fun for him. I think he was also the I-70 killer. I believe there are a great many murders before the ones we know about in 1987 and 1989 as well.


  



  In the 1989 killing spree, Greenwell used a .22 caliber gun. Those are common but the one he used was unusual. It was a German pistol, an Erme-Werke ET22. It is not a small pistol. It has a longer barrel than you might imagine. It would be impossible to put into a jacket pocket or the pocket of a pair of jeans. The 1989 crimes happened at night so perhaps he was not too worried about concealing the gun as he walked across a parking lot.


  1986 was just the start of DNA technology. The first case successfully proven and prosecuted using DNA happened the year before in the United Kingdom. Most people in the United States were not yet aware of it. 


   Did Harry Edward Greenwell leave evidence behind at this Kansas City crime scene? There’s a good chance that he did. 


  But maybe this wasn't Greenwell.  Maybe someone else know something about this triple murder and robbery.


  If you have a tip about the murders of Norma Menninger, Junior Allen and Patricia Heitzman please call the Kansas City Police Department at (816) 234-5000. 


  


  

   





  


  


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