Shraman Mitra
When the police were informed of Angela Drake’s disappearance, they were quite hopeful of her safe return. Yet, the investigation stopped in its tracks when Angela’s cold and lifeless half-naked body was found in a drainage ditch in December 2005. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Ice Cold Killers: Season’s Grievings’ paints a vivid picture of her untimely demise and shows how the subsequent police investigation led right to the person she was last seen with. If this case seems intriguing and you want to find out where the perpetrator is at present, we have you covered!
How Did Angela Drake Die?
Angela Drake was a happy-go-lucky person with a cheery personality who loved befriending new people. She resided in Oregon, Wisconsin, where she was employed as a home health care and child care provider. Loved by her close ones and quite respected in the community, Angela is missed dearly to this very day.
Reports state that on the night of December 8, 2005, Angela Drake was spotted in the company of another man at the Dry Bean Saloon in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. She was last seen entering her companion’s apartment but strangely never returned home the following day. Anxious with worry, her family reported Angela missing, and the police jumped headfirst into the investigation. For days, authorities searched the city and surrounding areas extensively, but to no avail. There was no mention of the missing woman, and authorities seemed to be at a loss regarding her whereabouts.
However, about two weeks into the investigation, the case turned on its head when law enforcement officials came across Angela’s half-naked, freezing body in a nearby drainage ditch. Being outdoors without protection in the freezing December weather was a death sentence in itself, and the autopsy determined just that when it affirmed that hypothermia and exposure to freezing temperatures caused Angela’s death. The autopsy even established that Angela was alive while placed in the drainage ditch, and authorities knew they had a possible homicide on their hands.
Who Killed Angela Drake?
The police received a significant breakthrough right at the beginning of their investigation when they learned that Angela was spotted with another man on the night of her disappearance. Once detectives determined the man to be Michael DeSalvo, they realized that the suspect was in prison on an unrelated pending drug charge since December 12.
However, committed to going ahead with their investigation, detectives decided to carry out a thorough search of the suspect’s vehicle and house. Incidentally, Angela Drake was dressed only in a turtleneck sweater and socks when her body was recovered from the drainage ditch. On searching DeSalvo’s vehicle, the police found a bag that held the rest of Angela’s clothing, including her underwear and jeans.
Besides, while searching the suspect’s house, detectives found a garbage can full of burnt debris from which they were able to recover Angela’s state identification card. Authorities also amassed additional evidence when DNA samples from Angela’s body matched DeSalvo. Thus, with ample proof to warrant a questioning, the police apprehended DeSalvo and put him under interrogation.
On being questioned, DeSalvo mentioned that he met Angela at the Dry Bean Saloon for the first time and befriended her before inviting her over to his apartment. However, he insisted that on waking up the following day, he found Angela to be unresponsive and gathered that she might have passed away. Anxious to avoid the police and wash his hands off trouble, DeSalvo claimed that he put Angela in his truck, drove to the drainage ditch, and disposed of her body. However, with the autopsy determining that Angela was alive when placed in the ditch, the police refused to believe DeSalvo’s statement and arrested him for murder.
Where Is Michael DeSalvo Now?
Once produced in court, Michael DeSalvo pleaded no contest to first-degree reckless homicide, thus narrowly missing a first-degree murder conviction. Based on his guilty plea, DeSalvo was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2007. He was also sentenced to an additional ten years of extended supervision, which the Judge allowed him to serve in Minnesota, provided he didn’t return to Wisconsin. At present, DeSalvo remains incarcerated at the Stanley Correctional Institution in Stanley, Wisconsin, and could be released by 2031.
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