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Lee's Summit Man Arrested for Murdering...
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Lee's Summit Man Arrested for Murdering Sedalia Woman
September 18, 2010
Daniel J. Maschger, 45, of Lee’s Summit, charged in the slaying of Rebekah Marcus, 76, of Sedalia, was escorted by Sedalia Police Chief John DeGonia (left) and Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond (right) into the Pettis County Courthouse for his arraignment on September 10th before Associate Circuit Judge Rob Liston. Photo Courtesy of Sydney Brink / Sedalia Democrat
By Debbie Van Pelt
Even in his orange jail suit with matching handcuffs, 45-year-old Daniel Maschger didn’t look like a murderer. On his way into the Pettis County Court House on Friday, September 10th, he looked sad – not mean. He apparently hadn’t had a shave since being jailed the previous night, but his hair was trimmed nicely and his eyes were as blue as the Caribbean Sea. No, he doesn’t look like a murderer; yet Lee’s Summit’s Daniel Maschger sits in the Pettis County Jail in Sedalia, charged with allegedly killing an elderly widow who liked to think of him as her adopted son. Bond has been set at $1 million.
“911 Emergency. What service?” Silence. No response was given to the Sedalia Police dispatcher when a 911 call was received from 76-year-old Rebekah Marcus’ home phone at 6:22 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7th. The same thing had happened when police answered a 911 call from a cell phone at 6:08 a.m. in the same vicinity. When someone calls Sedalia 911 and doesn’t speak, the communications officer is supposed to immediately dispatch two police units to the scene; but protocol wasn’t followed the morning Marcus was killed. Instead of being sent to the location of the suspicious 911 calls, officers were dispatched to handle an active burglary at a law office. Now, Sedalia residents are left wondering, “If the 911 calls had been handled properly, would Rebekah Marcus still be alive?”
Barely more than an hour later, Barbara Haines arrived at 1008 Royal Boulevard to begin her shift as an in-home aide to Mrs. Marcus. She was surprised to find the garage door open; Marcus never left it open. She was astounded to find Marcus lying on the dining room floor, in a pool of blood – with a large knife sticking out from her chest. Haines ran screaming from the home, and a neighbor called 911. At 7:46 a.m., officers responded to the call.
Sedalia Police Chief John DeGonia believes Marcus was already dead when the two suspicious 911 calls were made. Investigators believe those calls were actually made by the killer, who may have been experiencing remorse. Sedalia police officers were joined in their investigation by the Rural Missouri Major Case Squad, which represents 14 counties.
Police discovered there had been forced entry into Marcus’ home. The home was notably clean and tidy, with the exception of several things strewn about near a small storage area. Although this was an indication someone had been looking for something in that area of the home, it is not known whether anything was taken. There were also black and red scuff marks on the otherwise immaculate kitchen floor.
When officers were canvassing the neighborhood the day after the murder, they noticed a gold-colored Chevy Trail Blazer, owned by Maschger, parked in Marcus’ driveway. They later located Maschger at a neighbor’s house. Maschger told them he had known Rebekah Marcus for the past 17 years, and that Marcus, who had no children of her own, referred to him as her adopted son. He also told investigators that he had been at work at 6:30 a.m. the day of the murder, which later proved to be untrue. In a separate interview, the same neighbor whom Maschger had been visiting with when police located him, told officers she had seen the gold Chevy Trail Blazer for the first time at 5:30 a.m. parked in front of Marcus’ home the day of the murder.
Although obtaining cell phone records required a court order, it was determined a couple of days later that the 911 call made at 6:08 a.m. on September 7th had been made from a cell phone registered to Daniel Maschger’s wife. (Editor’s Note: We have decided not to publish Mrs. Maschger’s first name, out of respect for her privacy.) That call was made very close to Marcus’ home, which is located at 1008 Royal Boulevard in Sedalia. Additional calls made from the cell phone have enabled police to track Maschger’s travels between Lee’s Summit and Sedalia, 90 minutes. apart, the morning of the murder. Although the cell phone is registered to Maschger’s wife, the recorded greeting indicates it is Daniel Maschger’s phone.
A Probable Cause Statement filed by the Pettis County Prosecutor’s Office, and obtained by the Tribune, gives numerous reasons the killer is believed to be Daniel Maschger.
Several members of the Rural Missouri Major Case Squad travelled to Maschger’s home in the Pine Ridge neighborhood of Lee’s Summit on Thursday, September 9th to question him further. During the interview, Maschger gave information that conflicted with what he had told them the previous day. In particular, he stated that he, in fact, had not been at work the morning of the murder, because of a gambling problem, although he did not say where he had been. When he decided he did not want to continue answering questions, Maschger was taken into custody and transported to the Lee’s Summit Police Department, before being transported to the Pettis County Jail in Sedalia.
After Maschger’s arrest, a warrant was obtained for the search of the Maschger home. Two particularly important items found by police were a pair of jeans with blood stains and a pair of shoes with black soles and red rubber trim. The shoes were consistent with the scuff marks on the kitchen floor of Marcus’ home.
Although Maschger indicated he has a gambling problem, and a Gambler’s Anonymous booklet was found in his vehicle by police, an online search did not reveal financial problems. There were no apparent lawsuits filed by creditors and the Maschgers have a history of paying their taxes early each year.
Maschger was arraigned on Friday, September 10th and had a hearing this past Tuesday, during which he made a request for a public defender. Authorities reported that Maschger’s wife and brother attended the hearing.
Maschger’s request for a public defender will be addressed at a hearing on September 28th at 1:30 p.m. The court must first evaluate his financial situation, which includes household income and several assets. Maschger is being held on $1 million bond.
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