John Agrue: The Dark Legacy of an American Serial Killer

John William Agrue, born on September 11, 1947, in El Paso, Texas, left a twisted mark on the pages of American crime history. This serial killer, whose life spanned from September 11, 1947, to June 29, 2009, took the lives of at least two women in Longmont, Colorado, during a chilling spree in the summer of 1982. His violent past began long before these murders, as he had previously served 14 years in prison for the brutal murder of his sister-in-law in Illinois.

Early Life and First Murder

The story of John Agrue is one steeped in darkness. On July 21, 1966, an 18-year-old Agrue met his 15-year-old sister-in-law, Suzanne "Susan" Marino, in downtown Joliet, Illinois. What began as a simple invitation turned into a horrific encounter when Agrue, spurned by her rejection of his romantic advances, unleashed his rage. He pulled a small knife and stabbed her approximately a dozen times, snuffing out her life in a fit of anger.

After committing this heinous act, Agrue returned home, confessing his crime to his wife, who initially dismissed his claims as outrageous. To prove his guilt, he drove her to Hammel Woods, the site of the murder, showing her where he had discarded Susan's purse and shoes. This chilling admission compelled Agrue's wife to urge him to surrender, but he chose a different path—confessing to a priest, who promptly alerted the authorities.

Two days later, Agrue was in custody, admitting during interrogations that he had killed Susan because she rejected him. The evidence was overwhelming, and he was swiftly convicted, receiving a 20-to-50 year sentence at the Joliet Correctional Center.

Imprisonment, Escape, and Recapture

Agrue's story took an unexpected turn in December 1975 when he was transported to the University of Illinois Hospital for kidney donation surgery to his sister, Kathleen. This rare opportunity to escape drew about 50 prison employees who volunteered to supervise him. Yet, the operation was delayed until May 4. After a successful surgery, Agrue was supposed to recuperate under tight security, but on May 11, he vanished from the hospital, slipping out of a bathroom window and stealing a car.

His temporary freedom was short-lived. A week later, he was apprehended in Central City, Nebraska, after someone reported a stolen vehicle. Agrue offered no resistance as law enforcement took him back to Illinois to serve the remainder of his sentence.

A New Life and New Crimes

After being paroled in January 1982, Agrue relocated to Colorado, first living in Boulder before settling in Longmont. In late June of that year, he encountered 20-year-old Susan Becker near Boulder. In a terrifying assault, he stabbed her 13 times in the chest, clavicle, and neck before disposing of her body in Boulder Canyon. Although Agrue was considered a suspect, investigators failed to connect him to Becker's murder at the time.

Just a week after Becker's body was discovered, Agrue struck again, this time targeting his 94-year-old neighbor, Orma B. Smith. In a brutal attack at her Longmont apartment, he murdered her and discarded her body in Big Elk Creek Meadows. Despite being a suspect in Smith's murder, Agrue was arrested only after a failed attempt to kidnap another woman at knifepoint on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Lacking concrete evidence linking him to Smith's death, prosecutors were unable to file charges.

A Troubled Freedom

In March 1983, Agrue was convicted for the attempted abduction, receiving a prison sentence but was immediately returned to Illinois for violating parole. He remained incarcerated until 1989, after which he lived quietly in Joliet, Illinois. While he kept a low profile, whispers of his dark past lingered. Neighbors reported disturbing behavior, including claims that he bragged about his murders. Attempts to secure a restraining order against him were thwarted due to a lack of direct harm.

Death and Posthumous Revelation

On June 29, 2009, Agrue was discovered dead in his home in Joliet. An autopsy revealed an accidental overdose of prescription medication. In a haunting twist, relatives found women's purses, jewelry, and newspaper clippings about the abduction and the murders of Becker and Smith in his home.

Almost a year after his death, cold case investigators began analyzing Agrue's DNA to see if he was indeed responsible for Smith's murder. In a breakthrough, his DNA matched that found at the Smith crime scene, leading authorities to officially solve the case. While Agrue was still considered a suspect in Becker’s murder, usable DNA evidence was lacking. By May 2013, however, due to similarities with Agrue's other known murders and evidence linking him to the crime scene, he was posthumously labeled the sole suspect in Becker’s murder.

This revelation cast a shadow over his legacy, marking him as a serial killer, with state police and the FBI reviewing other cold cases to determine if he was responsible for additional crimes. As of January 2025, no further cases have been definitively linked to Agrue.

Sources

• "Girl, 15, Killed By Brother-in-Law." The Telegraph. July 22, 1966 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Joliet Teen-Ager Admits Slaying His Sister-In-Law." The Times. July 23, 1966 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Murderer Donating Kidney to Sister." Herald & Review. December 30, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Killer who gave sister kidney is recaptured." Chicago Tribune. May 19, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Escapee caught, in county jail." Fremont Tribune. May 19, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Serial killer identified 4 years after his death." Channel One News. 2013.
• "Suspect identified in 1982 Boulder County slaying." The Gazette. May 30, 2013.
• Bounds, Amy. "1982 stabbing death of 94-year-old Longmont woman solved." Daily Camera. June 14, 2010.
• Mitchell, Kirk. "Niece, DNA link man to 1982 murder of 94-year-old woman." The Denver Post. June 9, 2010.
• Shields, Pierrette J. "Boulder County Sheriff's detective closes case on 1982 stabbing of Boulder woman." Longmont Times-Call. May 30, 2013.