Richard & Rita Nitz (The Spillway Murder) - Part 1

On April 9th of 1988 a gruesome discovery is made south of Crab Orchard Lake, on a small country road in Union County. A car is found flipped over and appears to have been torched. When looked upon further, the truck opens up and out rolls a headless body of a man. Later investigation will discover that body is Michael Miley of Murphysboro Illinois. A 23 y/o local who had been reported missing just a few days earlier. The investigation quickly turns to one suspect, a convicted felon well known by police - Richard Nitz. Police soon discover that not only is the suspect the killer, the homicide was committed with the help of his wife Rita Nitz.
What is as crazy and insane as the crime, the investigation, and the trial and appeals. Will be the story of who these two, their youth, their long and bizarre history of crime and life in general, and how they both ended up here in Southern Illinois. This story is so mind blowing and insane, we couldn't keep it all in one episode. So follow along with us on this truly bizarre and actually hilarious story on two of the worlds dumbest criminals who ever lived......

Also if you would like further information on this case, check out the link to our patreon below. You can find out a ton more about this case on there, as well as other cases too.

https://www.patreon.com/coalcorncorpses


Resources and Source Information -
Court Case Information
www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_information.jsp?court=IL100025J&ocl=IL100025J,1988CF162,IL100025JL1988CF162D2

Women Behind Bars (2008) Rita Nitz & Chanel Boyd; Season 1 Episode 12; retrieved at: Women Behind Bars - Season 1, Episode 12 - Rita and Chanel - Full Episode - YouTube

News Articles 
Newspapers.com
The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois)
The Argus (Moline, Illinois)
The Rock Island Argus (Rock Island, Illinois)
Iowa City Press-Citizen (Iowa City, Iowa)
Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale, Illinois)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri)

Richard Nitz - IDOC Inmate Information
https://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/Offender/Pages/InmateSearch.aspx
Rita Brookmyer - IDOC Inmate Information
https://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/Offender/Pages/InmateSearch.aspx