Murder of the Short Family 2002

[almagata]

This is a Virginia Murder case from 2002 where the Short family was killed.  The parents were both killed in their home execution style and their 9 year old daughter was found shot tossed in a creek week's later.  It was posted on another site as a case similar to the Jayme Closs case. 

I post the Short case because the Short investigation had similar poor scene security and eventually the Henry County Sheriff's department was found to be colluding with and protecting drug dealers in the county.

There is another case mentioned in the Reddit thread about the lover's lane murder in 1978 of Cindy Mae Balilies, 14 and James Osborne, 18 in Martinsville, VA 1978.  They were both shot while sitting in their car.  No motive for their murder's was ever found.  I'll also post this case on Cleo's thread if it is not already there. 

news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19781227&id=ZN9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6727,4231241

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truenoirstories.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/the-short-family-murders/

"However, in a seemingly unrelated twist, Sheriff H. Frank Cassell would plea guilty in 2007, just five years later, to “knowingly and willfully [making] a false material statement and representation to a Federal Bureau of Investigations special agent” in relation to corruption charges spanning back as far as 1998. Following a five year DEA investigation, “Cassell and 12 of his deputies were charged with dealing crack-cocaine, marijuana, and ketamine” and he was determined to have been an integral part of the “drug distribution and money laundering ring” in Henry County, VA. The entire affair was described as an “Appalachian version of an HBO drama” by The Washington Post, and “disgraceful corruption” by the prosecutor in the case.

Could the depth of police corruption in Henry County, VA during the time of the Short murders have had anything to do with the mystery surrounding these deaths? One of the recurring themes throughout the corruption trials was the quickness with which the sheriff, and other deputies, agreed to protect criminals (who they considered friends) from the FBI and further investigation– could someone in the department have had something to do with this crime? Is this why legitimate evidence was never found and the crime went completely unsolved? At the very least, did the rampant corruption throughout the police department facilitate a flawed and ineffective investigation?"

[billthom56]

Alma:

Corruption at the county level seems like a theme in Virginia.

Thanks.



Bill Thomas

[tbonesteak]

A few similarities..There was an obscene message left on the Shorts answering machine. Jennifer was found under a short bridge in a creek connecting to the Dan River close to a wild Turkey hunt area. The wife was seen on camera at a gas convenience store in early afternoon and the night of the murder they were seen around 11 pm at a Burger King. All three were shot in head and in 2021 the case was reopened by task force of FBI, VSP, Henry County and Rockingham CO., NC when a SAKI grant was used to test for DNA from the daughter, Jennifer.

[kjfit]

And there are some very sick people with no regard for life out there. Everything possible should be done to find and remove these animals from society.