The Story of Melvin Ignatow's Unpunished Crime- How He Got Away With Killing His Girlfriend

Brenda Sue Schaefer was reported missing on September 25, 1988, about a month after she told her friends and family that she was going to break up with her abusive boyfriend.

Background

Born on March 26, 1938, in Pennsylvania, Melvin Henry Ignatow relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, where he pursued a career in business. He met Brenda Schaefer, a doctor's assistant, on a blind date in the fall of 1986, and the two began a romantic relationship. However, after two years, Schaefer began suggesting to coworkers and family members that Ignatow was abusive.

Linda Love, who was dating Schaefer's brother Tom, testified that she dined with Schaefer in August 1988. Love claimed that during the dinner, Schaefer confessed her hatred and fear of Ignatow and expressed her intention to end their relationship.

Ignatow was reportedly aware of Schaefer's plans and, together with his ex-girlfriend Mary Ann Shore, conspired to kill her.

Murder Of Brenda Schaefer

Ignatow and Shore agreed that the murder would take place at Shore's home. They planned for weeks, including digging a grave in Shore's backyard and soundproofing the house.

Schaefer met with Ignatow on September 24, 1988, to return the jewelry he had given her. He instead drove Schaefer to Shore's house. When he arrived, he pulled out a gun and locked her in the house. He tied Schaefer to a glass coffee table, stripped, blindfolded, and gagged her, and then raped and tortured her.

Using chloroform, Ignatow murdered his 36-year-old girlfriend, while Shore stood by and documented the abuse through photographs.

Schaefer’s Disappearance and the Investigation that Followed

After Schaefer was reported missing, her car was discovered abandoned near her parents' home, and Ignatow was quickly identified as the primary suspect. Roy Hazelwood, an FBI investigator specializing in "sexually deviant" criminals, was brought in to assist with the case and provide insight into the suspect's behavior.

“You don’t break up with someone like Mel Ignatow,” Hazelwood told CBS News. “Mel Ignatow breaks up with you.”

Despite investigations, authorities were unable to uncover any witnesses or physical evidence linking Melvin Ignatow to Schaefer's disappearance, and he vehemently denied any involvement. Furthermore, Schaefer's body had not been located.

In 1989, Ignatow was given the opportunity to testify before a grand jury to clear his name, and it was during this hearing that he first mentioned Mary Shore.

After being questioned by investigators, Shore confessed to aiding Ignatow in the murder of Schaefer and led the police to the location where the body was buried. Schaefer's remains were eventually discovered, showing signs of abuse that corroborated Shore's statement. Despite a lack of DNA evidence linking him to the crime, Ignatow was ultimately charged with Schaefer's murder.

Trial

The trial took a turn for the worse as Shore's behavior on the witness stand, including giggling, left a negative impression on the jury, damaging her credibility.

The defense even suggested that Shore, motivated by jealousy, was responsible for Schaefer's death. In the end, the jury concluded that there was insufficient evidence to convict Ignatow, resulting in his acquittal on December 22, 1991, for the rape and murder of Brenda Schaefer.

The presiding judge, feeling ashamed of the trial's result, wrote a personal letter of apology to Schaefer's family.

New evidence against Mel Ignatow is finally revealed

Approximately half a year later, a carpet installer who was removing carpet from a hallway in Mel Ignatow's previous residence discovered a floor vent.

Upon inspection, the installer found a plastic bag containing Shaefer's jewelry and three rolls of undeveloped film inside the vent.

When the photos were developed, they revealed that Shore's testimony was completely true. The photos were taken by Shore during Shaefer's murder and showed Ignatow raping and torturing his girlfriend.

However, due to double jeopardy laws, which state that you cannot be tried again for a crime for which you have already been acquitted, Ignatow was unable to be retried for Brenda Shaefer's murder.

Karma Caught up With Him

Mel Ignatow fell in his home on September 1, 2008, twenty years after the murder of Brenda Schaefer. He bled to death at the age of 70. One aspect of his death was eerily similar to Brenda Schaefer's murder in the truest sense of karma- he fell and hit a glass coffee table.