Freddie Glenn
Encyclopedia
Freddie Lee Glenn is a spree killer
and rapist. Along with accomplice Michael Corbett, Glenn was convicted of murdering three people in 1975; combined, the pair were responsible for a total of five deaths in and around Colorado Springs. One of the more notable murders Glenn was convicted of was that of Karen Grammer, the younger sister of actor
Kelsey Grammer
.
, and another soldier grabbed Daniel Van Lone, a 29-year-old cook just getting off work from the Four Seasons
hotel, to rob him. They drove him to a remote area and made him lie on the ground. He pleaded with them, "Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me," said Lou Smit
(a detective who worked on the case). Corbett shot him in the head. They got 50 cents from him.
Eight days later, the pair met Winfred Proffitt, 19, another Fort Carson soldier, at Prospect Lake, ostensibly to sell him some marijuana. Corbett, who had been training with bayonets, stabbed Proffitt with one to see what it was like.
The murdering duo committed their final and most publicized killing on July 1, 1975. Glenn, Corbett, and two other men decided to rob the Red Lobster
restaurant
on South Academy Boulevard. They left without any money, but on their way out they grabbed Karen Grammer, an 18-year-old who worked there and was waiting for her boyfriend to get off work, because they feared she could identify them. After robbing a convenience store
, the men took Grammer to the apartment they shared, where they raped her repeatedly. They promised to take her home, then sat her in the car, put a cloth over her head and let her out in a mobile home park
on South Wahsatch Avenue. Then Glenn, who, according to court
testimony
, had taken LSD
, stabbed her in the throat, back and hand, and left her to die. She ran toward the back porch of a nearby home where there was a light, but the homeowners were out. She died there, leaving bloody hand prints and fingerprints where she tried to reach the doorbell for help. She had almost reached the doorbell when she collapsed. Police photographs show a bloody hand print on the wall, inches from the doorbell. Police didn't know her name for a week, until her brother, a young actor named Kelsey Grammer, who would go on to star in the sitcoms Cheers
and Frasier
, arrived to identify the body.
for Grammer's murder. Two years later, the Colorado Supreme Court
overturned the state's death penalty. When Glenn was sentenced, the law allowed parole
after a convict
served 10 years, so he became eligible. Because two of his sentences were to be served consecutively, Corbett became eligible in 1996.
that would help his chances, said his case manager, Matt Sylvia. Other than a 1985 contraband
conviction, Glenn has had few disciplinary
problems while in prison. Neither Sylvia nor a Department of Corrections
spokeswoman would provide details about the contraband
conviction.
On July 27, 2009, he was denied parole after the prison board heard a written statement
from Kelsey Grammer calling him a "butcher" and a "monster." The Colorado Parole Board also heard from other relatives of the victims and from detectives before deciding not to release Freddie Glenn. Grammer had planned to attend the hearing at a state prison in Limon, about 90 miles southeast of Denver, but a rain delay at Kennedy International Airport in New York
caused him to miss a connecting flight. During the hearing, Glenn told the board, "I apologize for my participation in something so terrible. I am sincerely and truly remorseful," In his statement, Grammer said his sister had graduated from high school a year early and decided to take a year off after attending a semester of college. Grammer said she may have moved to Colorado Springs because of a boy she liked. "She was so smart and good and decent. She wrote poetry
... We could laugh for hours together," Grammer wrote. "I was supposed to protect her — I could not. It very nearly destroyed me... When we heard this man might be paroled, the suffering began anew."
Glenn will be eligible for parole again in 2014.
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
and rapist. Along with accomplice Michael Corbett, Glenn was convicted of murdering three people in 1975; combined, the pair were responsible for a total of five deaths in and around Colorado Springs. One of the more notable murders Glenn was convicted of was that of Karen Grammer, the younger sister of actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
.
Murders
The killings began on June 19, 1975, when Glenn, a civilian employee at Fort Carson, Corbett, a soldierSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, and another soldier grabbed Daniel Van Lone, a 29-year-old cook just getting off work from the Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian-based international ultra-luxury, five-star hotel management company. Travel + Leisure magazine and Zagat Survey rank the hotel chain's 84 properties among the top luxury hotels worldwide...
hotel, to rob him. They drove him to a remote area and made him lie on the ground. He pleaded with them, "Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me," said Lou Smit
Lou Smit
Andrew Louis "Lou" Smit was an American police detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado who worked on a number of notable cases before his retirement in 1996, and then was recalled to work on the murder of JonBenét Ramsey...
(a detective who worked on the case). Corbett shot him in the head. They got 50 cents from him.
Eight days later, the pair met Winfred Proffitt, 19, another Fort Carson soldier, at Prospect Lake, ostensibly to sell him some marijuana. Corbett, who had been training with bayonets, stabbed Proffitt with one to see what it was like.
The murdering duo committed their final and most publicized killing on July 1, 1975. Glenn, Corbett, and two other men decided to rob the Red Lobster
Red Lobster
Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
on South Academy Boulevard. They left without any money, but on their way out they grabbed Karen Grammer, an 18-year-old who worked there and was waiting for her boyfriend to get off work, because they feared she could identify them. After robbing a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
, the men took Grammer to the apartment they shared, where they raped her repeatedly. They promised to take her home, then sat her in the car, put a cloth over her head and let her out in a mobile home park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
on South Wahsatch Avenue. Then Glenn, who, according to court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
, had taken LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, stabbed her in the throat, back and hand, and left her to die. She ran toward the back porch of a nearby home where there was a light, but the homeowners were out. She died there, leaving bloody hand prints and fingerprints where she tried to reach the doorbell for help. She had almost reached the doorbell when she collapsed. Police photographs show a bloody hand print on the wall, inches from the doorbell. Police didn't know her name for a week, until her brother, a young actor named Kelsey Grammer, who would go on to star in the sitcoms Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
and Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, arrived to identify the body.
Trial and conviction
Glenn was convicted in 1976 for the murders of Van Lone, Profitt and Grammer. Judge Hunter Hardeman, noting "there was no rhyme or reason for what happened," sentenced Glenn to the gas chamberGas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
for Grammer's murder. Two years later, the Colorado Supreme Court
Colorado Supreme Court
The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.-Appellate jurisdiction:...
overturned the state's death penalty. When Glenn was sentenced, the law allowed parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
after a convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
served 10 years, so he became eligible. Because two of his sentences were to be served consecutively, Corbett became eligible in 1996.
Parole denial
In 2006, Glenn waived his first parole hearing so he could enroll in several programs at the prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
that would help his chances, said his case manager, Matt Sylvia. Other than a 1985 contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
conviction, Glenn has had few disciplinary
Disciplinary
Disciplinary is a term used to describe types of knowledge, expertise, skills, people, projects, communities, problems, challenges, studies, inquiry, approaches, and research areas that are strongly associated with academic areas of study or areas of professional practice...
problems while in prison. Neither Sylvia nor a Department of Corrections
Department of Corrections
A Department of Corrections is a governmental agency responsible for overseeing the incarceration of persons convicted of crimes within a particular jurisdiction. Entities serving that purpose include:* Department of Corrections...
spokeswoman would provide details about the contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
conviction.
On July 27, 2009, he was denied parole after the prison board heard a written statement
Statement
Statement may refer to:* A kind of expression in language *Statement , declarative sentence that is either true or false*Statement , the smallest standalone element of an imperative programming language...
from Kelsey Grammer calling him a "butcher" and a "monster." The Colorado Parole Board also heard from other relatives of the victims and from detectives before deciding not to release Freddie Glenn. Grammer had planned to attend the hearing at a state prison in Limon, about 90 miles southeast of Denver, but a rain delay at Kennedy International Airport in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
caused him to miss a connecting flight. During the hearing, Glenn told the board, "I apologize for my participation in something so terrible. I am sincerely and truly remorseful," In his statement, Grammer said his sister had graduated from high school a year early and decided to take a year off after attending a semester of college. Grammer said she may have moved to Colorado Springs because of a boy she liked. "She was so smart and good and decent. She wrote poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
... We could laugh for hours together," Grammer wrote. "I was supposed to protect her — I could not. It very nearly destroyed me... When we heard this man might be paroled, the suffering began anew."
Glenn will be eligible for parole again in 2014.
External links
- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20060718/ai_n16640872/