Upchurch's death ``Lawson' on the card looked identical to ``Lawson' on the map. Chris. Detectives While pictures can be gratuitous in true-crime books, this section helps bring the players and settings in this complicated story into fuller focus. Thank you very much in advance. Thankfully, Blood Games includes a range of photos. relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, NC. attacked so that Bonnie's son, Christopher Wayne There's a sense of evil in the portrayal, and Bledsoe explores the youths' unsettling involvement with Dungeons & Dragons. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consipired to have her and her husband killed. We want to hear from you. ``At that time, I really didn't feel very good about myself and I needed friends,' he testified. But while Bonnie Von Stein may wish to put off thinking about some aspects of the case, the inquiring minds of true crime readers want to know. Taylor thought the chief's theory of the murder as a Dungeons and Dragons game acted out was interesting and should be pursued, but he didn't share his enthusiasm. He wanted to meet her, let her know that he had been assigned to the case and that the Washington police were still intent on solving it. And they shared a fascination with Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game steeped in mind-play and mystery.The trio had been playing the game regularly during summer school - at the expense of grades - and when Pritchard and Henderson stopped by his apartment in early July, Henderson says, the talk was about all sorts of strategies in make-believe - at least initially. A jury decision on Upchurch's fate is expected this week. Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that Detectives The pair confided and shared lunch during breaks in his testimony. his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. View FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Bonnie Vonstein in Shippensburg, PA - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Emails & Phone Number | 2 Personal Reviews | Income & Net Worth Finally, he had decided the police department needed new leadership. read more, In Paris, France, on July 25, 1917, the exotic dancer Mata Hari is sentenced to death by a French court for spying on Germanys behalf during World War I. He drove straight to the chief's house. And John Taylor had a good idea of who that might have been. A person who had broken into one house likely wouldn't have qualms about breaking into another. It was speculated at trial that the von Stein's were Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. When pressured, some of Chris' After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, Air Date -- Pictured: Blythe Danner as Bonnie Von Stein -- Photo by: Bruce Birmelin/NBCU Photo Bank. the Murderpedia project stay alive. Neal Henderson and Christopher Pritchard plead gu Read all. Henderson is an academic whiz who scored 1500-plus out of a possible 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test - the highest score recorded in the county. Taylor took the card back to Capt. Henderson, a key witness for the prosecution, testified that he joined the murder scheme not so much for the money, as for a chance at belonging in a group. On the way, she said, he quizzed her about what his mother had said about the attack. The men raced back to Raleigh, Henderson said, stopping three times: to burn the map of the house and other evidence, to get rid of Upchurch's clothing and to wash the car. His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, find Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was ", Growing up in Goldsboro, Greensboro Day senior Jaydon Young averaged 25.9 points per game as a freshman at Wayne Christian. friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D The sensational case and trial are the subject of two garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement Upchurch"s death sentence was set aside on October 1, 1992, and he was re-sentenced to life. Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second Aug 19, 1991 Updated Jan 23, 2015. Angela, Bonnie's 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. Bonnie Von Stein survived. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. III and Gerald Neal Henderson, Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von When pressured, some of Chris friends revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with Chris. Chris, both of whom were known drug users. need your help for this. The sensational case and trial are the subject of two she had slept through the brutal attack. Very dedicated. But Watts did not allow the jury to hear her testimony. Bonnie Von Stein survived. Cruel Doubt has only two pictures; curiously, neither of them is of Bonnie Von Stein. Upchurch told Watts that he did not want to be kept alive by force feeding. Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part The murder, we sense, was just another game to them. recovered from the remains of the fire. Bonnie Vonstein is 78 years old and was born on 07/15/1944. Chris testified that he had supplied a When Peggy had talked with Bonnie the day before, Bonnie told her that the police were completely off-base in their investigation because they were focusing on her family, particularly on Chris. You have permission to edit this article. Upchurch was convicted of first This was just to be a get-acquainted session. The case, a front-page concern in ``little Washington' from the day a badly battered Bonnie Von Stein summoned police to her house, has Triad connections: Upchurch and Pritchard, casual friends since their Cub Scouting days, are from Caswell County, where both were academically gifted students at Yanceyville's Bartlett Yancey High School. All Photos Tagged bonnievonstein. Please subscribe to keep reading. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. Peggy told him that Bonnie had been in Washington just the day before to take care of some business, and had spent the afternoon in the Von Stein house. In his diary, Truman privately referred to the new weapon, the atomic bomb, as the most terrible bomb in the history of the world. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. There, lessons of , The much-faster-than-expected economic recovery thats followed the easing of the coronavirus pandemic has produced several encouraging develo. Taylor was wary of this as hard evidence. In a deal with prosecutors, the two men were allowed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, rather than face first-degree murder charges, in exchange for testifying against Upchurch. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. He drove to Greenville, where she was staying at a motel, to meet her and Angela. Bonnie has trouble dealing with the fact that her own son, Christopher Pritchard, along with two friends consip Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Based on the book "Blood Games" by Jerry Bledsoe. A hunting knife, some clothing, and Out came a homemade map of Washington, N.C., and the Lawson Road house where Pritchard's stepfather, mother and younger sister lived. Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second He will not be eligible for parole She was efficient, accurate and very professional throughout the entire process of selling my co-op apartment. Lieth Von Stein and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein are attacked while sleeping in their Smallwood home in North Carolina. Police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina, caught a lucky break when a hog farmer happened to spot a fire in the Take the tragic story of the Von Stein family, a recent case that is already the subject of two significant works of reportage that demonstrate the manner in which an author's vision can color his portrayal of the facts. ``Yeah, the plan was there for someone to get hurt. A devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chris often A hunting knife, some clothing, and Angela, Bonnies 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room; she said that she had slept through the brutal attack. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. Lieth was not so lucky. ', ``James shook his head and said, 'No, we're going to murder his parents.' 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