Jane Mixer: The Controversial Conviction

In 1969, Jane Louise Mixer, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Michigan, was trying to catch a ride home to tell her parents she was engaged to her boyfriend Phil.

 

Jane was an exceptional student—top 10% of her high school class, honor student, debate team member, cheerleader, and voted "best all around girl." She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1968 and enrolled in law school, where she was one of the only female students in the entire program.

But Jane never made it home that day. She was found shot and strangled in a cemetery, her belongings eerily arranged beside her.

 

For over 30 years, Jane's case sat frozen in time. Many believed John Norman Collins, a serial killer convicted of murdering another Michigan student, was responsible.

 

But in 2001, DNA testing pointed to a different man: Gary Leiterman, a 62-year-old former nurse.

 

In 2005, Gary was convicted of Jane's murder based on DNA evidence, handwriting analysis, and the fact that he owned a .22 caliber gun.

But the conviction was highly controversial. Three scientists later argued that the DNA evidence was likely the result of lab contamination. Gary maintained his innocence until his death in prison on July 4, 2019, at age 76.

 

Was Gary Leiterman truly guilty? Or was Jane Mixer's real killer never caught?

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