5 key details about Gary Randall Muehlberg's crimes
Gary Randall Muehlberg, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, has been identified as "The Package Killer." He was responsible for a series of murders in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1990s.
The new episode of Signs of a Psychopath titled The Package Killer is about Muehlberg. The episode premiered Sunday, March 3, on Investigation Discovery.
The case was named for the way victims’ bodies were found in containers such as dumpsters and boxes. It has remained unsolved for decades.
In 2022, advancements in DNA technology linked Muehlberg to the murders of four women, namely Brenda Pruitt, Robyn J. Mihan, Sandra Little, and Donna Reitmeyer.
Muehlberg had been in prison since 1993 for the killing of Kenneth Atchison. When confronted with the new evidence, he confessed to more crimes.
Prosecutors, in exchange for his cooperation, did not pursue the death penalty. He received multiple life sentences and remains incarcerated.
5 key details about Gary Randall Muehlberg's crimes
1) Gary Randall Muehlberg's first known murder led to his conviction in 1993
In 1993, Gary Randall Muehlberg was convicted of murdering the businessman Kenneth Atchison. Atchison was discovered stuffed inside a makeshift coffin in Muehlberg’s garage.
Authorities determined that Atchison had been strangled. Muehlberg was arrested and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the time, investigators did not know his connection to other unsolved murders.
Nearly three decades later, new DNA evidence linked Muehlberg to additional killings. This made him confess and he was identified as the serial murderer known as "The Package Killer."
2) “The Package Killer” used a distinct method to dispose of victims
Gary Randall Muehlberg earned the nickname “The Package Killer” due to the way he disposed of his victims. Between 1990 and 1991, he killed at least four women and placed their bodies in various containers, which included dumpsters, trash bins, and makeshift boxes.
Some victims were wrapped in plastic or stuffed inside furniture. Afterward, they were abandoned in isolated locations. Investigators at the time struggled to connect the murders, as the bodies were found in different areas around St. Louis.
3) Breakthrough in DNA tech leads to Gary Randall Muehlberg’s arrest
In 2022, a breakthrough in DNA technology led to the identification and arrest of Gary Randall Muehlberg. For years, the 1990s murders of several women in St. Louis remained unsolved.
However, new DNA testing allowed authorities to link Muehlberg, who was already serving a life sentence for other murders, to the killings of four women.
The DNA evidence re-opened the cold case and led to Muehlberg’s arrest and subsequent confession to the crimes.
4) Muehlberg confessed to the murders
After being confronted with DNA evidence linking him to the murders of four women, Gary Randall Muehlberg confessed to the crimes. He admitted to the killings that happened between 1990 and 1991.
Prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty in exchange for his cooperation. Muehlberg was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison.
He remains incarcerated at the Potosi Correctional Center in Missouri. Authorities believe Muehlberg may have more victims.
5) Ongoing investigation reveals possibility of more victims
Despite Gary Randall Muehlberg’s confession to the murders in the 1990s, investigators believe there may be more victims yet to be identified. As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities review cold cases and re-examine evidence from similar unsolved murders in the St. Louis area.
With the new DNA advancements, authorities remain hopeful that more victims may be discovered. Geneva Talbot, one of the bereaved family members of victim Sandra Little, expressed hope with the current technology used by authorities.
"The only thing I prayed for was that he wasn't dead. I had hoped after 30 years, please let us get our justice. Looking at him, I just felt anger,” Talbot said in an interview with St. Louis Riverfront Times.
Don't miss the latest episode of Signs of a Psychopath titled The Package Killer, featuring Gary Randall Muehlberg, which premiered Sunday, March 3, on Investigation Discovery.
