Osaka Spa Murders

Osaka Spa

Murders

Jack E. Hunter

© 2006 Jack E. Hunter. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 01/11/06

ISBN: 1-4208-9352-1 (sc)

ISBN: 1-4259-0230-8 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2983-4 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

THE OSAKA MURDER CASE

THE INVESTIGATION

CONCLUSION

END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I dedicate this volume with love and gratitude to Dr. Traci Jordan, without whom I would not be able to accomplish my goals. Also to, William Lenhart, for his unwavering support and creative contributions.

INTRODUCTION

This book documents true events of the brutal murders of Asian prostitutes, and their killers who ran to Big Horn Montana to escape. A young woman after, being shot at close range, her throat cut from ear to ear nearly severing her head and left for dead, miraculously survives death. This is, about greed, a badly botched robbery, and the vicious murders that followed. Reliving the frustrations of bringing these killers to justice, the team work between law enforcement, and the determination of a young prosecutor that ultimately persuades a jury to find the killers guilty of Capital Murder.

THE OSAKA MURDER CASE

In 1981, as a young assistant DA in the Nueces County Texas District Attorney’s Office, assignment of cases was an every day occurrence in the office. You never knew what to expect. So when I first received this case, I was shocked, just blown away, by the events and crime scene photos prepared by the Corpus Christi Police Department In time I would name this case, the Osaka Spa Murders.

Our story begins on a typically warm and windy Saturday afternoon in Corpus Christi, Texas, September 12, 1981. Around 4:40 in the afternoon, when the lifeless bodies of Pong Yon Forsgren and Chi Clark where discovered in an adult massage parlor. Initial findings indicated both victims had been shot, and had received multiple stab wounds. A third victim, Tammy Lynn Lee, discovered in an adjacent area of the building suffered gunshot wounds like the others, but this time, her head was nearly decapitated. Preliminary police investigation uncovered three possible suspects.

*Note to Readers

At times, statements or comments made by individuals involved in this case may appear to use incorrect grammar or spelling. These have been left unedited for the editorial value of this publication.

William M. Lenhart.

THE INVESTIGATION

[Original Offense Report]

Sheriff Department Nueces County, Texas

Offense no: 81-088

1. Victim’s name: Forsgren, Pong Yon (Kim)

2. Offense Reported: Murder

3. Classification After Investigation: Murder

4. Date/Time Occurred: 9/12/81 approx. 4:40 p.m.

5. Date & Time Police arrived: approx, 9/12/81 4:49 p.m.

6. By: Unit #399

7. Person Reporting Crime to Police: Yellow Cab dispatcher

8. Who Discovered Crime: Brown, Chong, Cha; El Paso, TX.

9. Witnesses Name: Wilkerson, Johnny Jr.

10. Sex: M

11. Victim’s Occupation: Masseuse

12. Sex: F

13. Type of Premises Where Occurred: Massage Parlor

14. Exact Location of Victim or Property: S.E. Corner Room

15. Tool, Weapon, or Means Used: Cutting Instrument

16. Method: Cut Victim’s Throat

At 4:45 p.m., on September 12, 1981, Sergeant Richardson received an emergency run from the dispatcher reference a man down (Signal 36) at the Osaka Parlor, 3309 Apollo Rd., Corpus Christi, Texas. On arrival at 4:49 p.m., Sergeant Richardson made contact with the driver of a Yellow Cab, Johnny Bluford Wilkerson, Jr., of Corpus Christi, TX. Mr. Wilkerson was in a state of shock and could not give much information except that his passenger had told him there was another woman inside lying in blood.

The passenger, Mrs. Chong Cha Brown, who was in the back seat of the cab, could not give any information, as she was in a state of shock. Sergeant Richardson went to the front door to enter the building and found it locked. Mr. Wilkerson advised the back door was open or unlocked. Upon going to the rear, found the rear door closed. Upon opening the door, Sergeant Richardson could see a female lying in the hallway by a door.

Sergeant Richardson had also seen spots of blood on the concrete leading from the large overhead door, half open, to the rear door. On entering the rear door to check on the condition of the female, later identified as the victim Tammy Lynn Lee, Sergeant Richardson noticed a room that appeared to have been ransacked, just to the left of the rear door as the building is entered. On getting to the victim, Sergeant Richardson could see that her throat cut, but she was still faintly breathing.

While checking Mrs. Lee, Sergeant Richardson looked into an adjacent room and seen a woman lying on her back. Upon entering the room, another woman was also seen lying on her back. He found both women dead upon examination; both of their throats had been cut from ear-to-ear. On exiting from the building, Sergeant Richardson saw CID Officer Genovese, who had just arrived. Sergeant Richardson advised Genovese of the scene as found. Genovese then called for more CID assistance as Sergeant Richardson radioed for more help to secure the crime scene. Sergeant Richardson then sealed off the scene with crime scene tape. As Aid Ambulance arrived on the scene, Officer Genovese and Sergeant Richardson, kicked open the front door to allow attendants access to the victim, Lee. Prior to the arrival of the ambulance, Sergeant Richardson, moved Mrs. Brown to his patrol unit. He also had the cab driver move his vehicle from the scene area.

Upon arrival of Unit 309 Officer Huff, Sergeant Richardson assigned Officer Huff to interview Mr. Wilkerson and Mrs. Brown after checking the building for more victims or culprits with negative results. Patrol Officer Edge was assigned to work with CID Officer Genovese, to canvass the area for witnesses. Sergeant Richardson and Officer Huff stood guard on the scene while the CID section conducted the investigation of the scene. In charge of the scene and investigation were Sheriff Ortiz and Chief Rendon. After Officer Huff interviewed Mrs. Brown, she was taken to Memorial Medical Center by ambulance where she was treated for shock, and then released.

Report Made by: Sergeant Richardson #121, 9/13/81

Approved by: Detective Ned Longoria #320, 9/14/81

17. Offense No.: 81-088

18. Reported: Murder

19. Classification After Investigation: Murder

20 Victim’s Name: Forsgren, Pong Yon (Kim)

21 Victim’s Address: 3809 Apollo, CC, TX

22 Date Reported: 9/12/81 approximately 4:40 p.m.

Approximately 8:30 p.m., Sergeant Richardson learned that Mrs. Brown was staying at the Yokohama Parlor on Apollo. On advising Chief Rendon of this, Chief Rendon advised he needed to interview Mrs. Brown. Sergeant Richardson went to the Yokohama and brought Mrs. Brown back to the scene. Sheriff Ortiz and Chief Rendon interviewed Mrs. Brown and then transported her to the office to complete the interview.

*Description of Osaka building and Position of bodies and Lee as follows:

The building had been converted from an auto repair shop. The front half partitioned into rooms with a rear door into a large open area with large overhead doors. The front door of the entry into the rooms, face north. The rear door, to the south. The large overhead door in the rear half of the building,, faces west. The victim, Pong Yon Forsgren, Offense #81-01190, was lying on her back, in a north to south direction, head to the south in the southeast room, (rear) approximately 10’ to 12’ from the doorway on the west side of the room. Sheriff’s Department Offense Report, Sgt. Richardson

The sheriff’s Department went to the scene and collected the following evidence on Monday 14, 1981:

Re: CASE NUMBER 81-01103

On Monday, September 14, 1981, at about 2:00 a.m., I was called out to 4945 Weber to read a photograph and collect several items found on the property. The following is a list of items collected at that address:

Item #48 -- Knife in kitchen near north wall in brown paper bag

Item #49 -- Photographs found in house on Weber Rd.

Item #40 -- Montana license plate found in kitchen counter top near sink

Item #52 -- Partially burned purse west side of fence at rear of house

Item #53 -- White side mirrors located in bed of pick-up truck parked inthe back yard on Weber Rd., license #PP-222

Item #55 -- Several coins found on ground near south side property fence, between parked vehicles

Item #56 – One pair of brown tennis shoes found in bush near the rear property fence

Item #57 – Spring found on ground in bush near the rear property fence

Item #58 – Revolver side plate found in bush near the rear property fence

Item #59 -- Partially burned purse found under house by the southeast corner

Item #60 -- Repair sheet from Reliable Auto Repair, for repairs on Corvette.

Item #61 -- Partial money given to Reliable Auto Repair by suspect (3) Twenty dollar bills and (1) Fifty dollar bill.

*All of the above items were photographed prior to being picked up and tagged.

REFERENCE CASE #81-01110

The list of items removed from the Osaka Health Spa continues:

Item #62 -- Red ladies billfold on top kitchen table, southwest corner

The following items were removed from the north wall, in the small hallway running east to west, perpendicular to the main hallway running north to south, unless specified otherwise. Measurements were taken from hallway intersection.

A. Bullet shot located on floor 32" from doorway.

B. Bullet shot located 49 from edge of wall, 60 from floor.

C. Bullet shot 30 from edge of wall, 44 ½ from floor.

D. Bullet shot 40 from doorway, 58 from floor located in south wall.

E. Bullet shot removed from victim Clark’s body during autopsy

CORONER’S REPORT

September 13, 1981, by Dr. Joseph Rupp:

The unknown victim, Offense #81-01108, was lying on her back in an east to west direction her head to the east approximately 1’ to 2’ from the head of Pong Forsgren. Both Pong Yon Forsgren and unknown female victims were in the same room located in the southeast end of the portioned area of the building. The bloodstains found in the garage area were located from the northwest large overhead door running in a northeast north direction to the rear door of the partitioned area a distance of approximately 8’ to 10’. The room where Pong Forsgren and unknown female were located had the appearance of being ransacked and had a large amount of silver coins lying on the floor by the door, value unknown. Sergeant Richardson and Officer Huff remained on guard until approximately 9:30 p.m. until relieved by Corporal Moreno and Deputy Becka. END

*

*

*

The case would unfold in the weeks to follow. The Nueces County Sheriff’s Department brought the case to my attention. The killers made one mistake: they left one victim alive, albeit barely, but alive. The sheriff’s office interviewed various individuals with information that in turn led us to the suspects. The witnesses were Betty Lassiter, Kevin Perez, David Matthews, and Dennis Conner.

BETTY LASSITER’S STATEMENT:

My name is Betty Lassiter and I am 29 years old. I was employed by Osaka on Sept. 12, 1981. I left Osaka between 11:30 and 12:00 that morning of Sept. 12, 1981. The girls at work were supposed to call me at 4:30 to 5:00 to wake me for work that evening of Sept. 12, 1981. I never received the call between 6:00 and 7:00 on Sept. 12, 1981. I called work and a man answered the phone revealing his identity. I hung the phone up and went to Osaka to find out what happened. I was taken around to the site of Osaka when I arrived, by Detective Longoria. After finding out that two girls were dead and one was alive, I was taken to the morgue, for identification of the bodies. At that time, I was shown the nun-chucks, which I identified. They were owned by Gertrude Small Virts. On Sept. 12, 1981, prior to leaving Osaka, I saw Trudy (Gertrude Small Virts) and Paul (Paul Kuck) moving their furniture out of the storage area of the Osaka around 10:00 to 11:30 am, on September 12, 1981. They were driving a white van

All of the above is true and correct.

KEVIN PEREZ’ STATEMENT

My name is Kevin Perez, and I am 20 years old. I am relating the following statement to Det. Hill and he is writing it for me. About 4-5 months ago David Matthews, my roommate and I, met a couple that lived off of Airline Rd. in an apartment. Paul Kuck and his girlfriend Trudy, were their names. We’ve been friends since we met them. On or about Wednesday or Thursday, of September 12th or 13th, I stopped by the Modern Motel and saw Paul and Trudy. They were talking, they had some kind of scam going and if everything worked out, they would be gone by Monday. I took the impression they were going to rob someone, because Paul had a gun. He has a .38, because I went with him to shoot it once. On September 13th 1981, Paul came by our house on Weber. He said he wanted to use the van to move some furniture. He said he would fill it up with gas. He left and came back with a load with Trudy. I woke up again and they were moving boxes into the house. I went back with them to the Osaka Club, on the second load where we moved a couch. When we went back to the house, David was up, and he wanted to