Her murderer was caught by the most UNLIKELY INFORMANT
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Chem Winganger was killed by a pipe bomb upon entering her new home with her fiancé, Kurt Simon, on May 22nd, 1993.
- ❖Initial suspicion fell on Kurt due to conflicting accounts and bomb materials found in the basement, but his alibi for the bomb's assembly time weakened the case.
- ❖The bomb was determined to be motion-activated, meaning the killer did not need to be present at the time of detonation.
- ❖Chem's ex-boyfriend, Dale Fosdic, was identified as the killer by a young neighbor who saw him leaving Chem's house on the morning of the bombing.
- ❖Dale's motive stemmed from his anger over Chem's new relationship and the possibility of her fiancé adopting his son.
- ❖Forensic work and the child's testimony led to Dale Fosdic's conviction for first-degree murder.
Insights
1Motion-Activated Bomb Construction and Placement
The bomb that killed Chem was a motion-activated pipe bomb, placed on the foyer floor, likely concealed in a package. Chem picked it up with her right hand, triggering the explosion. This design meant the bomber did not need to be present during detonation, allowing them to plant it days in advance.
Autopsy showed distinct damage to Chem's right hand; a 6-inch hole in the foyer floor indicated bomb placement; wires, gunpowder, and fuses were found in the basement, suggesting on-site assembly to avoid accidental detonation during transport.
2Expanded Suspect Pool and Alibi Challenges
The initial suspect, Chem's fiancé Kurt, was cleared when it was confirmed he was in Iowa during the week the bomb could have been assembled. The investigation broadened to include Chem's ex-husbands, Todd Winganger and Dale Fosdic, and a former colleague, Phil Hartman. The motion-activated nature of the bomb meant alibis for the exact moment of explosion were less critical than alibis for the days leading up to it.
Kurt's alibi for being in Iowa (); babysitter's report of a missing spare key and a cut screen door (); Phil Hartman's alibi of being in Louisiana ().
3The Unlikely Informant: A Child Witness
The crucial break in the case came from a 10-11 year old neighborhood girl who saw the killer leaving Chem's house on the morning of the bombing. Her testimony identified Dale Fosdic, Chem's ex-boyfriend, who was a familiar face in the neighborhood due to his frequent, uninvited visits to Chem's home.
Officer re-canvasing the neighborhood found a little girl who identified the person she saw leaving Chem's house (); the killer waved back at the girl, believing he wouldn't be remembered ().
4Killer's Motive and Method
Dale Fosdic, Chem's ex-boyfriend and father of her son, was enraged by her new relationship with Kurt and the prospect of Kurt adopting his son. He used his electronic skills and tools from his model airplane hobby to build the pipe bomb.
Dale was upset Chem broke up with him and was seeing Kurt (); he heard from Chem's mother, Cricut, that Kurt talked about adopting his son (); he used electronic skills and tools from model airplane building ().
Lessons
- Maintain awareness of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity, even if it seems minor, as it could be crucial evidence in a larger investigation.
- Be cautious about who has access to your home, especially spare keys, as familiarity can be exploited by those with malicious intent.
- Recognize that strong emotional motives, such as jealousy or perceived loss of parental rights, can drive individuals to extreme violence.
Notable Moments
The initial explosion and discovery of Chem's body.
This sets the stage for the entire investigation, highlighting the brutal nature of the crime and the immediate chaos it caused.
Detective Shepard's interview with Chem's mother, Cricut.
Cricut's bizarre reaction, focusing on life insurance and expressing intense hatred for Kurt, initially made her a suspect and highlighted the complex family dynamics.
The ATF's determination that the bomb was motion-activated and likely assembled on-site.
This crucial forensic insight fundamentally shifted the investigation, changing the timeline for suspect alibis and narrowing the profile of the killer to someone comfortable in Chem's home.
The young neighbor girl's identification of Dale Fosdic.
This was the breakthrough moment, providing the direct link to the killer and demonstrating how an 'unlikely informant' can solve a complex case.
Quotes
"In his entire career, Shepard had never worked a murder case where the weapon was a bomb."
"Shephard ultimately thought Kurt was either the most unobservant person alive or he was lying."
"Shephard's suspect list effectively had gone from Kurt to all of Bloomington."
"That's someone who's pretty confident they're not going to get caught doing all this inside the house. That's that's serious boldness."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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