Naman Shrestha
Since the early 1990s, a number of similar murder cases had been left unsolved until they were cracked wide open nearly three decades later. Also known as the Package Killer murders, they were eventually linked to a killer named Gary Randall Muehlberg, who was serving a life sentence for an unrelated murder, with the help of advanced DNA technology. The episode titled ‘The Package Killer’ of ‘Signs Of A Psychopath’ explores all the intricate details surrounding the cold cases and how the authorities came to the conclusion that Gary was the Package Killer.
Gary Randall Muehlberg Had a Couple of Run-ins With the Law Before He Turned Murderous
Born on February 27, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri, to William and Christina Muehlberg, Gary Randall Muehlberg was reportedly responsible for at least five murders, one of which landed him in prison. Despite growing up in a rather favorable household condition with two of his siblings, he turned to a life of crime in February 1972 when he was charged with a robbery and rape of an 18-year-old girl in Salina. Although he was convicted of the robbery, he was not sentenced as his defense managed to get a not guilty verdict by reason of insanity. After undergoing months of treatment, he was released into the society.
However, not long after his release, he assaulted a 14-year-old girl, for which he was convicted and sentenced to five years. By that time, he was married and even had a son. Due to his conviction, his marriage ended in divorce, and he lost all contact with his kid. After getting paroled in 1977, he completed his education at the University of Central Missouri and got married for a second time in 1980. While he was working as a teacher at the Hubert Wheeler School, he became a father to two more children. His second marriage also ended after a few years in 1986, leading to him losing contact with his two children as well.
Gary Randall Muehlberg Was Initially Convicted of Only One Murder
After reportedly working as a low-skilled laborer and repairman, he began dealing drugs in the late 1980s. Some years down the line, he became involved in the business of used cars. Between 1990 and 1991, Gary admittedly became a serial killer as he was responsible for the murders of several women. He reportedly abducted five women — 18-year-old Robin J. Mihan, 27-year-old Brenda Pruitt, 40-year-old Donna Reitmeyer, 21-year-old Sandy Little, and an unidentified fifth victim — and murdered them in his Bel-Ridge residence before disposing of them in packages placed alongside different roads and highways across Greater St. Louis, Missouri. Since their remains were found in conspicuous packages, they were referred to as the package killer murders.
Having managed to stay away from the radar of the authorities, Gary committed yet another murder a couple of years later. On February 8, 1993, one of his acquaintances, Kenneth Atchison, met him at his Bel-Ridge house regarding the purchase of a 1989 Cadillac Fleetwood. That was the last time anyone saw Kenneth alive. As the police investigated his disappearance, testimonies from several witnesses led them straight to Gary, who had fled the state by the time they came with a warrant. Upon searching his house, they discovered Kenneth’s remains and learned that he was tortured and asphyxiated to death. The authorities managed to locate the suspect in Wayne County, Illinois and took him into custody on March 27, 1993. Despite his claims of innocence, he was convicted of killing Kenneth in September 1995, and a couple of months later, he was sentenced to life in prison without a chance at parole.
Gary Randall Muehlberg is Serving Multiple Life Sentences Today
With the advent of new and advanced DNA technology, the Package Killer murders were reopened in 2008, nearly two decades later. However, it wasn’t until March 2022 that the authorities got a break in one of the cases. As they found a link between the murder of 19-year-old Robyn Mihan and the already convicted Gary Randall Muehlberg, the detectives arranged an interview with him. Serving a life sentence at the time for murdering Kenneth “Doc” Atchison, Gary cooperated with the authorities and, on March 6, confessed to killing Robyn, Sandy Little, and Brenda Pruitt during the three-hour confession.
In addition, he also admitted to killing two more women, one of whom was identified as Donna Reitmeyer. The description of the other victim did not match any of the cases in their files. In return, the prosecution agreed not to seek the death sentence for his crimes. Another reason for their leniency was the fact that one of his kidneys had failed. On March 21, 2023, Gary finally pleaded guilty to killing Donna Reitmeyer and Brenda Pruitt. In the next few months, he pleaded guilty to other murders, too. Subsequently, he was sentenced to an additional four life terms without the possibility of parole. Currently, he is incarcerated at the Potosi Correctional Center in Mineral Point, Missouri.
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