# 248: Eddie Werner

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 18 Mar 2024, 49 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/58862539/morbidology_248_eddie_werner.mp3

Eddie Werner was going door to door in his neighbourhood in Jackson Township, New Jersey, in the summer of 1997. He was hoping to sell the most candy for his school’s PTA to win the top prize of walkie talkies. That afternoon, however, Eddie failed to return home, prompting a large-scale search that would lead detectives to the dark underbelly of the internet. SPONSORS - ZocDoc: Zocdoc is the only free app that lets you find and book doctors who are patient reviewed, take your insurance & are available when you need them. To find a & book a top rated doctor today. Visit: https://zocdoc.com/morbidology Winona: Winona is a network of OBGYN health professonals dedicated to women navigating menopause or perimenopause. Their bioidential HRT employs plant-based hormones. Get 25% off your first order with the code MORBIDOLOGY at: https://bywinona.com/ SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-248-eddie-werner PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:34] You're not mentally disabled it anyway, you're not a cycle pat no. With
[0:49] more than one hundred square miles, Jackson Township holds the distinction of being the
[0:53] third largest town in New Jersey. It's population, which stood at rand thirty
[1:00] seven thousand in nineteen ninety seven, had been steadily growing since the nineteen fifties,
[1:06] when the Garden State Parkway unfurled, inviting urbanites to chase their suburban dreams.
[1:14] For those seeking respite from the hustle and bustle of city life, especially
[1:18] from New York City, Jackson Township beckoned with promises of safety and tranquility.
[1:26] It was a place where families could put down roots and thrive. As one
[1:32] Brooklyn native, Robert Monroe, said, we moved here because when we came
[1:36] looking for homes, we saw nothing but kids playing in the yards and streets.
[1:42] As the population grew, the landscape of Jackson Township changed. Farmland and
[1:49] forest gave way to housing complexes to cater to the growing population. In the
[1:56] nineteen fifties, home construction averaged one hundred a year, but that sprung up
[2:00] to seven hundred and fifty a year by the nineteen seventies and then one thousand
[2:05] a year. By the nineteen eighties, the allure of low crime rates proved
[2:10] to be a magnet for the newcomers. During the decades spanning from nineteen eighty
[2:16] seven to nineteen ninety seven, the township recorded a mere two murders, one
[2:22] of which was committed by a passing drifter. Reflecting on the township's ethos,
[2:28] Mayor Vicki Rickabaugh remarked where a close community were united like an extended family.
[2:37] Among the families seeking sanctuary from urban confines was the Werner family, who came
[2:42] from Staten Island. Valerie and Edward Werner lived with their four children, eleven
[2:47] year old Eddy, nine year old Kelly, six year old Tommy, and
[2:52] three year old Louren. On a warm Saturday afternoon, the twenty seventh of
[2:58] September nineteen ninety seven, Eddie Werner left the family's home on a mission.
[3:05] He desperately wanted to win the set of walkie talkies that was the top prize
[3:08] for selling the most candy and wrapping paper for his school's PTA. Eddie was
[3:15] sure that he was going to win that top prize, and he had been
[3:19] flashing his wad of bills to friends. Over the previous days, Eddie had
[3:23] managed to collect her on two hundred dollars so far, but he needed more
[3:28] to ensure that he won that top prize. He had been keeping his money
[3:32] safe in his pocket out of fear that he could lose it and miss out
[3:37] on those walkie talkies. While the PTA advised his children not to go door
[3:43] to door and instead sell to their family and friends, most children in the
[3:47] area ignored that advice. It was now the weekend, and Eddie knew that
[3:53] most people would be at home relaxing after their week at work. Eddie got
[3:59] off to would start selling candy at several homes in the neighborhood, but when
[4:03] dinner time came, Eddie still hadn't returned home. As darkness began to descend
[4:11] over Jackson Township, Eddie's parents began growing worried. Valerie and Edward went off
[4:18] searching for him around the neighborhood, but Edie was nowhere to be seen.
[4:26] They found out further afailed searching the surrounding neighborhoods, calling out Eddie's name.
[4:31] When they failed to find him, they quickly returned home and called police.
[4:45] Eddie Werner was born on Christmas Day in nineteen eighty five, marking the beginning
[4:49] of a bustling household for Valerie and Edward Werner. Valerie was a stead home
[4:56] mother, while Edward practiced law. Unfortunately, Eddie's path was marked by challenges.
[5:01] From an early age, he was afflicted by a mild form of Tourette's
[5:06] syndrome. This is the condition characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations known as ticks,
[5:15] and his academic journey bore the weight of his neurological condition. Eddie struggled
[5:21] to navigate the confines of formal education and grappled with the rigors of school life.
[5:29] He eventually needed to repeat the fifth grade at school. Yet amidst these
[5:32] obstacles, Eddie's spirit remained undaunted. He possessed a keen, creative streak and
[5:40] an innate friendliness which helped him to forge connections with those around him. As
[5:46] the eldest of four siblings, Eddie's role within the Werner household was one of
[5:50] both responsibility and companionship. His siblings Kelly, who was born in nineteen eighty
[5:58] eight, Tommy who was born in ninety ninety one, and Lauren, who
[6:01] was born in ninety ninety four, rounded out the family unit. As the
[6:08] family grew, their journey took them from Staten Island to their home off New
[6:12] Prospect Street in Jackson Township, where Eddie quickly became a familiar presence in the
[6:18] neighborhood. On the afternoons and weekends, Eddie spent his time outside with the
[6:25] other local children, playing hide and seek, cops and robbers, or cycling
[6:30] his bike through the familiar streets. Angered by a steadfast faith, Sundays for
[6:36] the Werner family were spent at the Catholic Church, where they sought spiritual guidance
[6:43] from their pastor, Casimir Litzinski. Reflecting on Eddie's character, the pastor fondly
[6:49] remarked, he was a very likable boy. He loved to do push ups
[6:55] with his father. He was a real lovable kid who had never heard of
[6:59] fly. After Eddie failed to return home on Saturday, the search for him
[7:10] commenced promptly, with both law enforcement and volunteers combing through the neighborhood. As
[7:16] it became evident that Eddie hadn't simply wandered off, the search expanded outward every
[7:24] conceivable hiding spot from binns to drains was meticulously checked, yet Eddie remained elusive.
[7:31] The detective set up a command post roughly half a mile away from Eddie's
[7:35] home and urged the public to report any sightings or suspicious activity. After exhaustively
[7:43] searching the immediate area, attention shifted to the dense woodland nearby New Prospect Street,
[7:50] where Eddie lived, bordered expansive wooded and marshy terrain, including Woodland Park
[7:58] and Monmouth County Park, both of which were criss crossed by Snake Creek.
[8:03] Search efforts intensified in these areas, with teams meticulously combing through the undergrowth while
[8:09] police divers scarred the nearby Batatadonk River. As daylight faded, The search persisted
[8:16] into the night, with officers and volunteers tirelessly calling out Eddie's names. As
[8:22] daylight faded, the search persisted into the night, with officers and volunteers tirelessly
[8:28] calling out Eddie's name, their flashlight beams piercing through the darkness. Early the
[8:35] next morning, sniffer dogs were enlisted to aid in this search, attempting to
[8:39] trace Eddie's scent. Simultaneously, a state police helicopter was deployed, scanning the
[8:48] terrain below with specialized heat detection equipment. Meanwhile, Eddie's parents, Valery and
[8:54] Edward, remained confined to their home, holding out hope for Eddie's return.
[9:01] Overwhelmed with concern, they received the support of a clergyman dispatched to provide comfort
[9:05] and solace. One neighbour, Claire Ratchik set of Valerie. She's just getting
[9:13] more and more crushed, going down, down, down. This is a
[9:18] mother's worst nightmare. The search persisted, and detectives came across a black T
[9:24] shirt along Alderitche Road near Lake Aldridge, approximately a mile from the family's home.
[9:33] The day that Eddie disappeared. He was dressed very maturely for his age,
[9:39] in a dark T shirt, dark jeans, and dark shoes. However,
[9:45] when presented with the shirt, Eddie's parents couldn't confirm for sure whether it
[9:48] was his or not. In close proximity to the T shirt, detectives stumbled
[9:54] upon a knife, adding a concerning dimension to the search for Eddie. Despite
[10:01] the community rallying together in extensive search efforts, Eddie's vanishing cast a shadow of
[10:09] unease over the area. Speculations circulated, with some suggesting that Eddie may have
[10:16] encountered a child predator when he knocked on their door. Another possibility was that
[10:24] he was abducted during his neighborhood rounds. Yet no concrete evidence emerged, leaving
[10:31] detectives perplexed. It seemed as though Eddie had vanished without a trace, leaving
[10:39] the community haunted by the uncertainty. Parents refused to let their children venture out
[10:46] alone, even just to play in the streets during daylight hours. On local
[10:52] mark folk commented, I'm afraid to let them in front of the house now.
[10:58] I never had to worry before. As the search continued through the night,
[11:01] once more, a candlelight vigil a Christian Life church drew a crowd of
[11:07] more than one hundred people. They came together to pray for Eddie's safe return.
[11:15] A group of children who were friends with Eddie were there and some spoke
[11:20] about the rumors that were circulating. James Sinnak commented, most of us think
[11:26] he was kidnapped. The search for Eddie pressed on that night. In the
[11:39] quiet of the early morning, at around one a m. On the thirtieth
[11:43] of December, a police officer accompanied by his trusty snifferdog combed through the wooded
[11:50] area just off with Land Road. This was around six hundred yards away from
[11:56] Eddie's home. With the beam of the officer's fees flashlight cutting through the darkness,
[12:01] the sniffer dog picked up a scent and led them along a winding trail.
[12:07] This overgrown trail was a shortcut that connected neighboring housing developments. While the
[12:15] route was convenient, it had earned a notorious reputation as a high route for
[12:20] local teenagers, a place where they could smoke and drink away from prying eyes.
[12:26] Guided by the dog's instincts, the officer followed to a particular spot where
[12:33] the dog abruptly halted. Illuminated by the officer's beam, a chilling discovery emerged
[12:41] from the shadows. The partially unclothed body of Erie lay on the ground without
[12:50] hesitation. The officer summoned back up, and soon forensic experts descended upon the
[12:56] scene. With meticulous care, they documented and scrutinized every detail before Eddie's body
[13:03] was transported to the medical examiner's office. The autopsy found that Eddie had suffered
[13:09] blunt force trauma to the head, had been sexually assaulted and then strangled to
[13:16] death on its back, the pathologist found a footprint. As the community was
[13:24] left reeling from the discovery of Eddie's body, a murder investigation was launched.
[13:31] The news spread throughout the area and further afield and detectives soon received a phone
[13:37] call from detectives in Suffolk County. They said that the year beforehand, they
[13:43] had been investigating a case involving a man who had sexually abused a teenager after
[13:50] striking up a relationship with him online. The victim in that case was fifteen
[13:58] year old Sam Mansey, and he lived in the neighborhood beside the wooded area
[14:03] where Eddie's body had been found. Some Mansie was born to Nicholas and Dolores
[14:18] in California on the twenty fifth of February nineteen eighty two. The family moved
[14:24] around a lot when he was growing up, from Florida to North Carolina and
[14:28] then over to Jackson Township. They purchased a two story white colonial home with
[14:35] a backyard deck and above ground swimming pool on Woodleyan Road. Nicholas and Dolores
[14:41] worked hard to provide for Mansie and his older sister and set up a business
[14:46] organizing to us tours to the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Mansie was raised as
[14:52] a Catholic and had attended Catholic schools before settling in to Christian Brothers Academy,
[14:58] a private all boys school with a focus on Christian education. As Mansie traversed
[15:03] through his teenage years, he came to a profound realization about his sexuality.
[15:11] He was gay. While his peers ventured into the realm of dating girls,
[15:16] Mansie kept to himself, navigating a world where he felt different. The hallways
[15:22] of his school echoed with tons from bullies who found amusement in his lack of
[15:28] a girlfriend. Frustration nodded him until one day he came into school with the
[15:35] picture of a girl sourced online and claimed that she was his girlfriend. In
[15:41] the burgeoning era of nineteen ninety six, with the Internet still in its infancy,
[15:48] Mansie's fascination with it grew exponentially. He delved into creating a website dedicated
[15:54] to his favorite band, The Smashing Pumpkins. On this digital platform, he
[16:00] meticulously cataloged his favorite songs, albums, and an extensive collection of memorabilia associated
[16:07] with the band. Yet it wasn't just about content consumption. Mansie stumbled upon
[16:15] the universe of chat rooms, a phenomenon that was gripping the cyber community.
[16:22] Mansy immersed himself in various chat rooms on America Online, including one tailored specifically
[16:30] for fans of the Smashing Pumpkins, But Mansie soon learned firsthand about the dark
[16:37] underbelly of the Internet. In his quest for connection and understanding, Mansie ventured
[16:49] into the realms of gay chat rooms. He stumbled upon a particularly ominous one
[16:56] that was named Boys. Mansie was unaware that this chat room was filled with
[17:03] pedophiles searching for young boys to groom. Among them was forty three year old
[17:10] Stephen Philip Simmons from Long Island. Simmons had two previous arrests for sexual offenses
[17:18] and had been sentenced to one to three years in prison for nineteen eighty four
[17:22] conviction of sodomy with somebody under the age of fourteen. Simmons struck up a
[17:29] conversation with Mansie and quickly began grooming him. This continued for months until Simmons
[17:37] proposed to face to face meeting on the tenth of August nineteen ninety six,
[17:44] Nicholas innocently drove his son to Freehold Raceway Mall, thinking that he was meeting
[17:48] friends. Little did he know Mansie's rendezvous was with Simmons. From there,
[17:56] Simmons drove Mansey to a nearby motel, subjecting him to sexual abuse, which
[18:03] he documented with videos and photographs. In the ensuing months, they met several
[18:08] more times at local motels, a long US Route nine, and even at
[18:12] simmons home. On each occasion, Simmons kept Mansy for a day or two,
[18:18] which resulted in Nicholas and Dolores reporting their son missing, despite Mansie's claims
[18:25] of being with friends and losing track of time. Upon his return, Nicholas
[18:30] and Dolores grew increasingly suspicious. In August of nineteen ninety seven, after a
[18:37] year of secrecy, they n covered Mansy's frequent calls to Long Island. Mansy
[18:44] refused to tell them who he was calling, which resulted in them calling the
[18:48] phone number. When they heard an adult male on the other end of the
[18:53] line, it dawned on them that their son had been groomed. In a
[19:00] bid to intervene, they admitted their son to the Shoreline Behavioral's Health Center,
[19:06] where he underwent sessions with a therapist. While initially reserved, Mansie gradually began
[19:12] to open up. He broke down and revealed the truth of his year long
[19:18] ordeal. But Mansie's revelations didn't stop there. He disclosed to the therapist that
[19:25] he had been having dark thoughts about harming children. In particular, he said
[19:30] that he often fantasized about killing a little boy. Mansie had told this same
[19:37] fantasy to Simmons, but he had provided even more information. He had confessed
[19:44] to Simmonds that not only did he daydream about killing a little boy, he
[19:48] fantasized about raping a little boy as well. It seemed that the abuse victim
[19:55] had evolved a desire to become the abuser. Wist immediately contacted police and told
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[22:52] Mansy cooperated with detectives, providing them with Simmons's name. He allowed his
[22:59] phone to be tes happed and pointed out the motels where Simmons had taken him.
[23:04] He had become bade in a sting operation, and during one taped phone
[23:08] call, Simmons could be heard telling Mansie, I liked you because it was
[23:14] fun to be with you, because I can carry on a conversation with you,
[23:18] because you had a brain. You were very frustrating, but you had
[23:22] a brain. I much prefer somebody who's got a brain to somebody who's got
[23:26] a cute butt. Mansi went along with the conversation as Simmons told him that
[23:33] he missed him and hoped to see him soon. Mansie said to detectives that
[23:40] the sexual encounters were not consensual, but after a couple of days he had
[23:45] a change of heart. Mansy became uncooperative with detectives and became angry at his
[23:52] parents for trying to have Simmons arrested. He lashed out at them, screaming
[23:57] and shouting before throwing a tell vision remote at them. On another occasion,
[24:03] he set far to his bedroom and hurt the family dog. Mansie continued seeing
[24:08] social workers and therapists while the investigation continued. He admitted to them that he
[24:17] used ketamine and alcohol. He said that he was sad and lonely and had
[24:22] been suffering from depression and anxiety for some years. He shared that he had
[24:27] been having paidophilic fantasies and even admitted to fondling a child when he was fourteen
[24:33] years old. Then, on the twenty second of September nineteen ninety seven,
[24:41] things came to a head. Mansie's parents took him to the crisis center at
[24:45] Paul Kimball Hospital for an overnight's stay. Just the next day, Mansie called
[24:52] up Simmons and warned him that detectives were investigating him before he smashed the electric
[24:57] monitoring device, sacking his phone calls. But detectives already had everything they needed,
[25:06] and Simmons was arrested and charged with sexual assault on the twenty fifth September.
[25:12] Mansie wasn't happy, and he spun out of control. He became destructive
[25:18] and defiant, and his tensions mounted. Nicholas and Dolores reached a breaking point
[25:23] in the days preceding Eddie's disappearance. They appeared before a family court judge petitioning
[25:30] for their son's placement in a residential psychiatric facility. Their primary concern was curbing
[25:38] Mansie's violent outbursts. During the hearing, Nicholas conveyed their distress, stating,
[25:47] the relationship in the house between my son and the rest of the family has
[25:51] quickly deteriorated, and we are afraid of sam. He said that his son
[25:56] was having fits of rage and that he needed a structed environment before adding which
[26:03] obviously we haven't been able to provide all these years, or otherwise it would
[26:07] be different now. Nicholas spoke about the sexual abuse of his son and said
[26:14] that he didn't care whether his son was gay. He told the judge,
[26:19] I want him back as my son. I don't care where he's at with
[26:22] his sexuality or whatever it may be. He's my son and I love him.
[26:27] He just doesn't get that. Two experts had examined Mansie, including his
[26:34] therapist who had been seeing him for a month, and another therapist from Kimball
[26:38] Medical Center. The one from the medical center recommended that Mansie be released to
[26:45] his parents, but the therapist disagreed and said that he should be confined.
[26:52] She told the judge about the comments he had made about fantasizing about killing a
[26:56] little boy. Under New Jersey law, for a teenager to be committed,
[27:03] they need to present an imminent danger to themselves or to others. Despite the
[27:08] therapist's concerns, the judge ultimately ruled that Manzi would return home with his parents,
[27:15] just three days before Addie disappeared. The judge then said to Monzie,
[27:22] you're not mentally disabled in any way. You're not a psychle pat. No,
[27:30] so you have some adjustment problems. That appears to me that you're a
[27:36] fine young man and that the problem that exists in this family unit can be
[27:41] overcome if everybody will take a positive approach, positive attitude. I'm gonna make
[27:48] your parents take your home today. With that saw, Monzie returned home with
[27:55] his parents. Upon receiving Mansie's name from detectives in Suffolk County, detectives in
[28:10] Jackson Township paid him a visit. Mansie denied that he had ever seen Eddie,
[28:15] but he was displaying signs of nervousness, something which wasn't missed by detectives.
[28:23] With his mother's approval, detectives brought Mansey to the police station for questioning.
[28:30] Simultaneously, they secured a search warrant for the computer in his bedroom.
[28:36] When it was searched, they found collections of child's sexual abuse images. Detectives
[28:44] then searched Mansie's bedroom, discovering a pair of sneakers matching the footprint found on
[28:51] Eddie's back. Over at the police station, Dolores was granted a private conversation
[28:57] with her son. Confronted with the unsettling findings from his bedroom, she implored
[29:04] him to tell her the truth. Meeting her gaze, Mansie said, I
[29:11] wasn't hurting that little boy. I was killing my psychiatrist, killing him over
[29:18] and over. He then added, because I told him I was going to
[29:22] hurt somebody, and he didn't do nothing about it. On the day that
[29:27] Eddie disappeared, Mansie had found himself home alone. While outside smoking a cigarette,
[29:36] Eddie struck up a conversation with him and offered to sell him some candy.
[29:41] Although Mansie experienced a rush in Eddie's presence, he initially declined the offer.
[29:48] Mansie then went back inside and called up a girl named Mary, an
[29:52] acquaintance from Shoreline Behavioral Health Center. They chatted for several moments before Mansie abruptly
[30:00] ended the call and caught up with Edie down the street. Claiming a change
[30:07] of heart, Mansie invited Edie inside to purchase some candy. Once inside,
[30:15] Mansie swiftly locked the door behind them. He then turned to Edie and said,
[30:22] you're going to die. Despite Eddie's pleased to go home, Mansie forced
[30:26] him upstairs and into his bedroom. He put on some Lloyd music and attempted
[30:33] to try and calm Edie down by telling him that he could play a video
[30:37] game on the computer, but Edie was far too terrified even to move.
[30:45] According to Mansie, he didn't necessarily want to kill Eddie, he only wanted
[30:49] to molest him, but he knew that if Eddie left alive, he would
[30:55] tell his parents what had happened. After a couple of moments alone in the
[31:00] bedroom, Mansie sexually assaulted Eddie. He then grabbed an electric alarm clock and
[31:07] used the cord to strangle him as he lay on his stomach. It proved
[31:14] to be much more difficult than Mansie had imagined, and after forty minutes he
[31:18] switched the cord to a necktie because his hands were sore. He pushed his
[31:25] foot against Eddie's bear back while strangling him. Only when Mansy believed that Eddie
[31:30] was finally dead did he finally let go. But Eddie wasn't dead yet.
[31:38] He began to make gurgling sounds as if he were trying to catch his breath,
[31:44] so Mansy hit him over the head several times with the clock. Afterwards,
[31:48] Mansi put Eddie's body in a suitcase and left it outside. At around
[31:55] three a m. When everybody was asleep, Mansy hauled the suit case over
[32:00] to the woods near his home and emptied Eddie's body out. Just the day
[32:15] after Eddie's body was found, Mansie was charged with murder an aggravated sexual assault.
[32:22] However, prosecutors hadn't yet decided whether to charge him as a juvenile or
[32:25] an adult. They had thirty days to make that decision, and in the
[32:30] meantime, Mansie was to be held in a juvenile detention center. As the
[32:37] decision was being made, the community rallied together to honor Eddie's memory, with
[32:42] the heartfelt service Converging at the auditorium of Jackson Memorial High School. They stood
[32:49] united, offering solace to Eddie's family and paying tributes. Leading the service,
[32:55] Reverend Tom Jeffrey addressed the gathering, acknowledgeing the widespread grief enveloping not just the
[33:01] community, but the world at large. From distant corners like Japan, condolences
[33:08] had poured in a testament to Eddie's impact. Reverend Jeffrey's words resonated deeply as
[33:15] he spoke, we come before you, herding broken, confused, drawing the
[33:22] congregation into a shared sense of mourning. Amidst the service, appoignant moment arose
[33:29] as the assembly stood up, clasping hands in solidarity and offering collective prayers to
[33:36] the Werner family. Then, on the fourth of October, Eddie was laid
[33:40] to rest, drawing a crowd of around six hundred mourners to his funeral mass.
[33:47] With his closed casket positioned prominently at the church's forefront, Valerie and Edward,
[33:52] accompanied by their daughter Kelly, found their seats amidst the sea of graving
[33:58] faces in the solemn ambience. There were no eulogies delivered. Instead, the
[34:05] church's pastor, the sole speaker, recounted Eddie's recent involvement in the religious education
[34:10] program. Reflecting on Eddie's baptism, he said, God made a promise that
[34:17] Eddie would live forever. We say, God, be God, and take
[34:22] care of Eddie forever. Outside of the church, some people spoke with the
[34:28] media about Eddie, but also about Sam Mansei. The details of his sexual
[34:35] abuse had already made headlines, and a lot of people had their own thoughts.
[34:40] One woman Linda Giada said, it's not an excuse. I don't care
[34:46] what your problem is, but it explains it, I guess, so the
[34:52] point added, it doesn't change anything as far as I'm concerned. Just the
[34:59] day after Eddie was led to rest, Prosecutor David Millard fouled emotion asking that
[35:05] Mansie betried in an adult court. He announced, due to the heinous nature
[35:09] of the crimes against Edward Werner, there is a need for deterrence, both
[35:15] as to this defendant individually and general deterrence to dissuade others in society, including
[35:22] juveniles, from committing such horrible acts of violence. Mansie's defense attorney Michael Critchie
[35:30] responded by saying that he would fight there at request and launch an insanity defense.
[35:37] He portrayed Mansie as the victim of sexual abuse who fell apart when he
[35:43] was used as bait to catch Simmons. He stated here he was a victim
[35:50] of sexual abuse who was being medicated and treated by a psychiatrist, and he
[35:54] was simultaneously being used in a sting operation in an undercovered capacity, all at
[36:00] the age of fifteen. Defense attorney Critchley said that the system had failed Mansie
[36:07] by not having him committed to a psychiatric facility in the days before he killed
[36:12] Eddie. Once details about the sting operation to catch Simmons became public, the
[36:19] prosecution and detectives came under fire. It was virtually unheard of for a teenager
[36:24] to be used as spade in such cases, and some questioned whether this had
[36:30] caused Mansie to lash out against Eddie. Simmons had his own thoughts on the
[36:36] case, telling The New York Post from jail, we're all responsible. We
[36:42] all had an effect on this, and it's time we all take responsibility.
[36:45] There's a lot of people here who have to examine their own motives and their
[36:50] own methods. There's a lot of villains. Assistant Prosecutor Peter Wawsaw responded to
[36:58] his comments, stating his allegations about the responsibility of this office is absurd.
[37:06] Towards the end of October, Judge Robert Fall announced that Mansie would currently be
[37:10] remanded at a juvenile detention center, where he would continue taking medication. He
[37:17] said that a later hearing would determine whether Mansie was facing an adult court or
[37:22] juvenile court in the upcoming trial. Meanwhile, Eddie's mother, Valerie spoke with
[37:29] the Philadelphia Daily News. She was upset as she commented, all I'm hearing
[37:35] is that the Mansies were victims of the system. That some Mansie is a
[37:39] victim. This is an animal who murdered my son. The one and only
[37:45] victim here is my son. Eddie's father agreed, adding he committed a man
[37:52] sized crime. He should get a man sized punishment. They had a stark
[37:58] warning to those who believed the Mansie should be tried as a juvenile. Let
[38:02] him live next door to you. In February of nineteen ninety eight, a
[38:07] judge wrote that Mansie should stand trial as an adult. The judge had reached
[38:13] this decision after a gruesome photograph was discovered in Mansie's bedroom. Detectives admissed it
[38:20] when they searched, but in between pages of a book, Mansie's mother found
[38:24] a photograph of Eddie. He was lying faced on on a carpet with a
[38:30] necktie and electrical cord which was still attached to an alarm clock around his neck.
[38:37] He was dressed only in boxer shorts, and Mansi had taken the photograph
[38:42] after he was dead. Prosecutor William Cunningham referred to it as a trophy photo
[38:47] of his work. Mansie was then sent back to the Ocean County Juvenile Detention
[38:53] Center to await the upcoming trial. He was placed on suicide walter after making
[39:00] several attempts at his life. He also refused to eat and take his medication
[39:06] as his mental state deteriorated. The judge warned that if he didn't eat or
[39:12] take his medication, he would be transferred to Ocean County Jail. Then,
[39:17] on the first of April, Mansy was indicted on more charges. He was
[39:22] charged with murder, two counts of felony murder, three kinds of aggravated sexual
[39:28] assault, two kinds of aggravated criminal sexual contact, and one coint each of
[39:32] robbery and theft. The last charge related to the money that Mansie had stolen
[39:37] from Eddie after he killed him, the money he had been saving up for
[39:43] the Walkie talkies. Then the following week, Mansie was transferred out of the
[39:47] juvenile facility to Ocean County Jail. The move came after he was caught fondling
[39:55] a thirteen year old boy. The murder trial was scheduled for April of nineteen
[40:08] ninety, but before then, the judge announced that Mansie's defense could not plead
[40:13] insanity. Judge Peter Jevone said that he had reviewed all of the medical reports
[40:19] and said that these were all devoid of any indication that Mansie was insane at
[40:22] the time of the murder. Despite this, Mansie's frame of mind was still
[40:28] going to be a central theme in the trial, since the judge allowed the
[40:30] defense to proceed with a mental disease and defect defense. But then in March,
[40:37] Mansi appeared in chord and instead pleaded guilty to the murder of Eddie.
[40:43] He appeared calm and collected as he described strangling Eddie with a cord from an
[40:47] alarm clock for up to forty minutes. He said that he then stuffed Eddie's
[40:52] body into suitcase and dragged it into the woods. Many made no mention of
[40:59] the sexualists sault, because in exchange for his play, prosecutors dropped the rape
[41:04] and robbery charges. Eddie's family were pleased with the change of play, with
[41:09] Laura's commenting obviously, sitting in court and dredging up everything would be very difficult,
[41:16] hard for the kids, the family, and his friends. I'm just
[41:21] glad we don't have to go through that. Mansie's parents, on the other
[41:25] hand, weren't pleased with the play agreement. They had wanted their son to
[41:30] go to trial to try and prove that he was not seeing at the time
[41:35] of the murder. However, this wasn't something that Mansie himself wanted to do.
[41:42] He told his parents that he was saying and that he had killed Eddie
[41:45] because he wanted to sexually assault him. His mother, Dolores, stated,
[41:52] he needs help and he's still not getting it. My son went against our
[41:55] wishes, his lawyer's advice, and I thought the court would finally stop it.
[42:01] I thought the court would not allow a seventeen year old boy to plead
[42:05] guilty to murder. Following the guilty plea, Mansie said that he wanted to
[42:10] testify on behalf of Simmons, the man accused of molesting him. He wanted
[42:16] to try and tell the court that their relationship was consensual, seemingly unaware that
[42:22] a child cannot have a consensual relationship with an adult. Simmons responded by saying
[42:29] he didn't want his help on the witness stand. He commented, this is
[42:34] played on my mind for a year and a half. How can I not
[42:37] feel something about it. I do in a way. If I never met
[42:42] Sam on the internet, would this have happened. The following month, Mansie
[42:54] returned to court to be sentenced for the murder of Eddie. The prosecution were
[43:00] seeking a harsh sentence and told the judge that Eddie was killed simply for rejecting
[43:05] Mansie's sexual advances. It referred to him as a sociopath who was programmed to
[43:12] have sex, rape and kill. The defense were seeking leniency, and Mansie's
[43:17] parents provided some statements. They blamed psychiatrists and other mental health experts for not
[43:24] listening to them and not locking up their son. In the days before the
[43:29] murder, Dolores said to the court, we were told over and over again
[43:35] that he wasn't violent, that he wouldn't hurt anybody. The prosecution then revealed
[43:40] that Dolores had threatened to kill herself if doctors didn't agree and commit Mansie to
[43:45] full time care. In the lead up to the murder, Prosecutor William Cunningham
[43:52] accused the family of not actually trying to get help for Mansie, but instead
[43:57] said that they just wanted to get rid of him. Dolores had an outburst
[44:01] and screamed, take him for a week and tell me you'd be able to
[44:07] handle it. I couldn't handle my child anymore, at least I admit it.
[44:13] She needed to be escorted out of the courtroom. Mansie was then allowed
[44:16] to provide a statement, and it was the first public statement he had made
[44:22] since his arrest. He stated, I'm sorry for all of the suffering I've
[44:27] put so many people through. This isn't the way things should work out.
[44:31] I still can't figure out why I did what I did. The judge then
[44:37] sent in Sam Mansey to seventy years in prison and ordered him to serve at
[44:42] least fifty nine and a half years. Mansy was sent to state prison,
[44:47] but in July he was expected back at court. He was to be called
[44:52] as a prosecution witness in Simmons's trial, but he refused. His refusal meant
[44:59] that he was found in contempt of court and sentenced to six more months in
[45:02] prison. His father, Nicholas, said, it hurts to know Sam is
[45:08] still controlled by this pedophile. His abuse is continuing forward even until today.
[45:15] Mansi didn't actually need to testify, as Simmons had already made a full confession
[45:22] upon his rest. Nevertheless, the judge threw out two coinds of sexual assault,
[45:28] two kinds of criminal sexual contact, and three coinds of child and dangerment.
[45:34] The dismissal meant that Simmons was only facing one charge each of child in
[45:37] dangerment and criminal sexual contact, which are third and fourth degree crimes. Simmons
[45:45] then changed his pley to guilty, and Mansie appeared in court for his sentencing.
[45:52] He pleaded it with the judge for leniency, insisting that their relationship was
[45:57] consensualmans was then sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and has since
[46:05] been released. Edward and Valerie subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Nicholas and
[46:10] Dolores. However, they eventually abandoned the lawsuit and said that they had come
[46:16] to peace with Mansie's parents. Their reconciliation had come with the help of a
[46:22] pastor, and on the twenty eighth of September nineteen ninety nine, they hugged
[46:28] one another outside the pastor's home. Valerie said to the media, maybe now
[46:35] we can begin to start healing and put the pieces of our families back together.
[46:40] Then, in November of two thousand, a state appeal court cut Mansie's
[46:45] mandatory prison sentence to thirty years. The following year, it was caught even
[46:52] further. That means that Sam Mansi will become eligible for parole in twenty twenty
[46:59] seven. In the cycle of abuse, the victim can sometimes become the perpetrator,
[47:08] perpetuating the cycle of harm onto others. This tragic transformation often stems from
[47:15] unresolved trauma, distorted perceptions of power and control, and a lack of healthy
[47:22] coping mechanisms. Sam Mansi was a disaster waiting to happen, and despite his
[47:29] parents' attempts, nobody took heed to all of the warning signs. In the
[47:35] end, it was an innocent little boy who paid the ultimate price while Bessie's
[48:00] That is it for this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank you so
[48:02] much for listening, and I'd like to say a massive thank you to my
[48:06] new supporter up on Patreon, Harley. You can join Morbidology on Patreon for
[48:12] as little as one dollar a month and there are absolutely no obligations. You
[48:15] can cancel your subscription at any time. I upload ad three in early release
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[48:27] and videos, and I also send out a handwritten thank you card along with
[48:30] some cool merch. If you'd like to support the show in another way,
[48:36] please please please consider leaving me a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
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[48:45] to support a show that you like, and I genuinely do appreciate the feedback.
[48:51] Morbidology has a private Facebook group, and I'd love for you all to
[48:53] join and share your thoughts on this case. What do you think of Sam
[48:59] Mansie's sentence? Was it too lenient? Too harsh? I'd really love to
[49:05] hear your thoughts on this case. Remember to check us out at morbidology dot
[49:08] com for more information about this episode and to read some true grim articles.
[49:14] Until next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have an
[49:16] amazing week,

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