Beyond The Boardwalk

Harold Dow Reports On Four Grisly Killings In Atlantic City

(CBS)  Whatever the killer’s religion, Kelly feels strongly that he’s left a more important clue - one that could be the key to the case: all the victims were found barefoot. “He's taken their shoes and he's taken their socks. I have to believe we're looking at a serial killer with a foot fetish here,” Kelly says.

The foot-fetish theory reportedly led police, and 48 Hours, to an ex-con named Mark Hessee, who’s now an aspiring minister. At the time of the murders, Hessee was living at a flop house on the track, the Fox Manor Hotel. He once offered a woman there a foot massage.

“Do you think you became a suspect because they heard about you massaging someone's feet?” Dow asks Hessee.

“Yeah,” he replies. “I admire women that take care of their bodies. I mean, you know, and when I see a woman in sandals, and her toes are all painted up. And her feet are taken care of. I will compliment her.”

During his stay at the Fox Manor, Hessee crossed paths with both Kim Raffo and Barbara Breidor. He remembers trying, unsuccessfully, to get Kim to give up prostitution. “And that's what bothers me the most. Is these people that are not ready to come to the Lord, and walk away. A lot of 'em end up dead,” he tells Dow.

Asked if he killed those four women, Hessee says, “No. No I didn't. I can't kill anybody. I never have. Never will.”

Hessee is apparently not the only man in town with a thing for feet. Denise Hill, an experienced prostitute, told police she had a close personal encounter with a foot freak at a Best Western the same week the bodies were discovered.

“He was talking my shoes. He liked my shoes. But at this time I didn't know anything about the murders. But he was so obsessed with my shoes,” she recalls.

Denise says she even gave the john a pair of her shoes. “I got him the shoes. They were just like this color, same color,” she says.

But then the date went from strange to terrifying. “He was talking about some crazy stuff. He was talking about like really bizarre stuff like he's killed some people,” she explains.

If Denise had seen the killer, what did he look like? To find out, 48 Hours hired criminal image profiler Jeanne Boylan, who frequently works with the FBI. Boylan is the artist behind thousands of famous sketches, most notably the Unabomber.

Denise told Jeanne she spent several hours with the man, and though he was wearing glasses and a hat the entire time, she claims his face is seared in her mind. Getting that image on paper took all day. But by nightfall, the sketch revealed what had been locked in Denise’s memory for months.

Looking at the sketch, Denise was convinced it was the same man she had spent time with in the hotel.

48 Hours sent the sketch to investigators, but Prosecutor Blitz would not comment on Denise’s story. Still, Boylan thinks it can be useful, despite its limitations.

“The likelihood is that this is a common outfit for him, something that might trigger a memory with a landlady, a neighbor,” she says.

In fact, the sketch caught the eye of Barbara Breidor’s daughter, Dominique. She thinks the man may have come by her parents’ house years ago. “Well when I was in the middle of playing with my mom she opened the door. He tried to sell her something. I've just seen him. And I'm pretty sure it is him,” she explains.

Still, as the months roll on, none of these leads pan out. Schlue, Coles, and Hessee are never charged with the murders. And some of the victims’ families grow frustrated.

But soon, and suddenly, a new suspect was about to emerge. After five months of dead ends, the harsh spotlight of the investigation turns toward this man - 35-year-old Terry Oleson.

[formerNJresident]

I saw this program the other night, and was horrified by what happened to these four women. I'm originally from NJ, and am pretty familiar with the stories about drugs and street crime in Atlantic City. I'm now a PA resident, having lived in PA since about 1992. Molly Dilts was from Black Lick, PA, not too far from where my father grew up; my dad was originally from Vestaburg, PA, which is also a defunct coal town, with hardly any jobs or industry. I am only sorry that Molly did not get the help she needed or she'd be with us today, and with her little boy, Jeremiah. It's truly awful what happened to these women. I pray for their children and their families.

[ZepZoSoRox]

Why did they just look at him and not the other people who were staying at that hotel???

Oh, I dunno.
Maybe because none of the other people were perverts caught taping a naked under age minor???
Just a guess here!

[toleson1]

If he was a prime suspect then he would still be in jail huh?? There was over 50 people staying at those hotels at the time of the women being found. How is the fact that Terry was there coincidental?? Why did they just look at him and not the other people who were staying at that hotel??? I can give you all kinds of questions and possible circumstances you can look at it.

[toleson1]

I live with and have been living with the currently (Accused) killer. Here are some things to think about. First...why would the state of NJ let Terry out of jail if they for one second thought that Terry actually killed those woman?? Why did the judge lower the bail?? Why was he able to actually bail out of jail?? Why is he still out of jail?? I have the answers to all of it! BECAUSE HE IS INNOCENT!! Nothing ever came back on him being the killer. He has offered and gave DNA as well as everything else that AC wanted. I have been with this man for almost two years now. As I have known him from my past as well. Between the two of us we have 3 children. All of the kids love him, as well as our friends and family,. Yeah you can stick your nose up at him as you pass by, or walk faster when you see him walking. But you NEED to know that he is innocent. I love how all these TV shows do interviews on the woman's families and friends. Hell even people that didn't know them like owners of hotels and diners were all interviewed and asked what they thought. WHY didn't they contact Terry??? Why don't all these shows that want to show what a bad bad man he is contact him and interview him?? I know why!! Cause they don't want to make it look like they did wrong. All the news wants to show is who did this or that. Never in my life have I seen a show where they said "Oops...we made a mistake and we'd like to recant what we said!" NEVER and I believe we never will. If you have a question for him then post it. E-mail him he will answer what ever you'd like to ask!! He is innocent. But in the state of NJ you are not innocent till proven guilty. You are guilty and will ALWAYS be guilty in the eyes of the courts!!

[awinslow2]

Is the maintenance man who lived in the motel still a prime suspect? The fact he lived there at the time of the murders seems to be too coincidental.

[awinslow2]

Is the maintenance man who lived temporarily still a prime suspect? Was their evidence that a car was involved when the bodies were dumped? He would be a primary suspect for me unless the police believe a vehicle was used for each body.

[bozaptap]

I was in the hospital watching this piece. Seems to me no one mentioned the one glaring similarity all four women had in common. They were all mothers that left children behind? I mean what are the odds of one perpetrator "randomly" picking up 4 women on the street with that much age difference that all shared that one characteristic,they left their children behind. No one mentioned rape, all still dressed. Killer probably knew them. The Eastward facing position, no shoes, religious fetish?? Sounds more like facing toward home or removed the shoes so they couldn''t walk away again? I''m not a criminologist of any kind, but the profilers missed this one I think. Look for another street person or john that knew all four women, knew they left their children and that he was left by his mother and lived East of
Atlantic City.
Just a thought.

[bozaptap]

I was in the hospital watching this piece. Seems to me no one mentioned the one glaring similarity all four women had in common. They were all mothers that left children behind? I mean what are the odds of one perpetrator "randomly" picking up 4 women on the street with that much age difference that all shared that one characteristic,they left their children behind. No one mentioned rape, all still dressed. Killer probably knew them. The Eastward facing position, no shoes, religious fetish?? Sounds more like facing toward home or removed the shoes so they couldn''t walk away again? I''m not a criminologist of any kind, but the profilers missed this one I think. Look for another street person or john that knew all four women, knew they left their children and that he was left by his mother and lived East of
Atlantic City.
Just a thought.

[toeslayer2000]

If the perpetrater has taken shoes as trophies, then he (more likely male)is a restifist (shoe fetishist) and definately not a foot fetishist.

Believe it or not there is significant difference.

[bahbushkah]

Such a shame that anyone's life is taken so senselessly! And so scary that it is being said that a serial killer is on the loose, when Atlantic City is my backyard~ I am a single woman who often goes out to A.C. for dinner, a show, or even a drink by myself~ I am glad to have read this and will be in company in the future~ you just never know! Anything is possible~ I hope this guy is caught!! and soon!!