In the summer of 1978, the life of 27-year-old Marita Elizabeth Choquette was tragically cut short. An editorial assistant at WKAR-TV, the public broadcasting station at Michigan State University, Marita went missing on June 15, 1978. Her mutilated body was discovered twelve days later, on June 27, by a farmer in Alaiedon Township, Ingham County, Michigan.
She had been stabbed 17 times, and her body was found in a kneeling position, as if she had fallen backward.
The investigation into Marita's death led to Don Gene Miller, who would become known as the East Lansing Serial Killer. Miller confessed to Marita's murder, stating that he had taken her to breakfast before killing her. He was acquainted with Marita from her time working at the Michigan State University library. In a disturbing detail, Miller explained that after tying her up and handcuffing her, he was unable to open the handcuffs and resorted to cutting off her hands. He then transported her body to the property in Alaiedon Township and covered it with cinder blocks.
Miller's confession to the murder of Marita Choquette was part of a broader plea agreement. In 1979, he admitted to killing three other women in the East Lansing area between 1977 and 1978. While he was convicted of rape and attempted murder in a separate case which led to his capture, he was not tried for the murders he confessed to. Instead, he accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter in exchange for providing information that led to the recovery of his victims' bodies. This deal resulted in a lengthy prison sentence with the possibility of parole.
