January 26th 1977 was a Wednesday, and in Detroit, it was a cold blustery day. It didn’t get any warmer than 28 degrees that day, and the wind was gusting to 40 miles per hour. At 11am, the housekeeping staff at the Shorian Motor Inn in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, just a couple of miles northeast of Detroit, were making their rounds. It was a long time ago, so we don’t know if they had a radio playing while they went about their duties, but if they did, they likely heard one of the chart-topping songs that week… Car Wash by Rose Royce perhaps, or I Wish by Stevie Wonder.
When they arrived at Room 140, the “Do Not Disturb” door hanger dangled from the knob, but it was 11am, and the guests should have checked out by that time. The housekeeper knocked… and knocked again… no answer…
When forced to eventually use her key, the housekeeper discovered a horrifying scene within… there were signs of a struggle and there was a man, dead on the bed, with blood everywhere… he had been stabbed in the chest and his throat slashed.
Tales of True Crime, episode 1
A Murder in Michigan
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Tales of True Crime. I’m your host, Troy Larson, and in the coming episodes we will talk about crime and justice, and I’ll have accounts of capers infamous and shocking, whether solved or yet to be answered. Discussions on cases long cold, DNA analysis, and genetic genealogy. The Zodiac Killer. Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. The Golden State Killer and more. But today, I’ve chosen this particular story to answer a question I get a lot… “Troy, why are you so interested in true crime?” To answer that, let’s get back to the story.
The traumatized housekeeping staff at the Shorian Motor Inn summoned the police, and the investigation began… who was the man dead in Room 140, and who had done such a heinous thing?
The dead man had a pillow over his face, he had been stabbed twice in the chest, and his throat had been slashed. He had also been bound. On January 27th, 1977, the Detroit Free Press reported one of his wrists had been bound with an electrical cord, and it appeared the other hand had been bound as well, but the victim had managed to pull that hand free. The police also reported it appeared someone had attempted to tie the victim to a chair with bath towels before he had been killed.
When investigators searched the victim’s pockets, they found his wallet was missing but they eventually discovered his name was Jack Whiteley, and sixty was as old as he would ever be. He was one of three Vice Presidents of Goss Mechanical Company in Detroit, and when he hadn’t come home the night before, his wife called his employer to say she was worried, and the police were informed.
Two men had been seen having drinks with Jack Whiteley in the motel bar — The Penthouse Lounge — until the wee hours of the morning, and detectives were able to get a good description of them and the vehicle they were driving, a white and gold Chevy truck with Louisiana license plates. In 1977, you could still walk into a roadside motel, pay cash, give an assumed name, and get a room for the night without leaving a credit card, so I assume the motel took down the make, model and license plate of anyone who booked a stay, but that’s just speculation. However it happened, the police zeroed in on the truck and its owner, Dan Clements of Louisiana.
By Friday, January 28th, the Detroit Free Press was reporting the police were actively searching for Dan Clements and another unidentified man for questioning in the death of Jack Whiteley.
On Thursday night, February 3rd, 1977, Pittsburgh police spotted a gold and white truck, parked illegally outside a cafe. Inside, they found Dan Clements, and discovered the identity of the second unknown man. He was a barrel-chested man with a chin that made Jay Leno’s look dainty by comparison… he was my mom’s brother. My uncle, James Dunn.
Both men were arrested, convicted, and sent to prison. And I would grow up hearing the story of my uncle Jim, and the night in Detroit that landed him in prison. That’s the story I’ll tell you in the next episode.
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[music] Kevin MacLeod, Incompetech.com, creative commons license via FilmMusic.io
[feature photo] Anonymous, via Pexels.com
