Suvechha Sarkar
Corinna Lynn Mullen was a dutiful mother and a vibrant young woman with a promising life ahead of her. However, it came to a sudden halt in October 1987 when she was brutally murdered. The crime devastated her loved ones and left the close-knit community of Central City, Kentucky, searching for answers. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Unusual Suspects: Brute Force’ dives deep into the investigation that initially left the detective baffled but later unraveled a tale of corruption and betrayal after almost two decades. It also features interviews with her loved one and officials involved directly in the case that ultimately served justice.
Corinna Mullen Was Found Dead in Her Car Trunk
Born on September 1, 1967, in Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, Corinna Lynn Mullen, AKA Reny, arrived as a source of immense joy in the lives of her parents, Claude and Patricia Mullen. She grew up on a loving family farm with her sisters, Dena, Heather, and Donnie. With her warm smile, she never failed to light up a room she walked into. As Corinna entered adult life, she embraced motherhood with open arms and welcomed her daughter, Stephanie N Mullen, into her life. She moved to Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for a fresh start for her and her daughter. Corinna settled into an apartment with another single mother and her roommate, Angela Smith, and quickly bonded with her. She initially wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
However, Corinna began working in the police department in a clerical position to provide for herself and Stephanie. However, everything completely changed when she suddenly wanted to move back to her home after just 6 weeks of her arrival. Stephanie was already at the farm, and Corinna was supposed to meet them there on October 2, 1987. The latter planned to stay back to pack some additional items before moving. However, on the same morning, a city worker found an abandoned car in the municipal parking lot with blood leading up to its trunk. As the officials arrived, they immediately identified the car as Corinna’s from her unique number plate that read, “Reny.”
Detectives found Corinna deceased in the trunk, wrapped in a blanket and without any clothing. Since they could not find anything in the car or around the area, they reportedly deduced that the crime had happened elsewhere. However, three hairs were found on her back besides dirt and gravel on her body. On checking her apartment bedroom, they found blood on both the bed and the floor, aside from pairs of jeans and her underwear. They also found no signs of forced entry. A total of 23 key pieces of evidence were collected from both scenes. Autopsy results revealed that she was sexually assaulted, tortured, and stabbed. Her cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation by her blood.
Lack of Witnesses Had Brought the Case to a Standstill For Years
When officials first questioned her roommate, Angela, she claimed she had last seen Corinna at midnight and had not heard any commotion. Additionally, she alleged they had gone to a bar to party the previous day and watched TV after returning. Angela further claimed that Corinna asked her to keep the door unlocked since her boyfriend of six months, Jimmy Springer, was supposed to come. She alleged that both of them were intoxicated the previous night. Police then discovered that Corinna had a strained relationship with Jimmy and was planning on breaking up with him. When he was questioned, he said that he had come to her apartment but left after seeing her empty room and blood on the floor. He claimed he grew concerned and drove around the town searching for her before going to a friend’s house.
Soon after, the toxicology report contradicted Angela’s claims of Corinna being drunk the previous night. They found no alcohol in her blood. This indicated a possible cover-up, leading them to her friend, Jeffrey Lee Boyd. The latter was a local thug who even ran a drug cartel in Central City. A tip came forward from a witness who claimed to have seen Jeffrey threatening Coronna with a handgun. Investigators also discovered that Corinna had complained about his involvement in a drug cartel to the police two days prior. However, there was no evidence pointing towards him. On November 30, 1987, Jimmy was arrested and charged with Corinna’s murder. His trial began in July 1988, but after two days, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The case eventually began growing cold, and for 19 years, there were no leads.
After Nearly Two Decades, a Surprise Witness Brought the Killers to Light
In 1992, a new detective took up the case after its lead detective, Billy F. Fields. The former found 23 pieces of evidence that disappeared after Jimmy’s trial and were never tested. In 2006, when another new investigator took up Corinna’s case, a new witness, Samantha Robinson, came forward. She reportedly informed the police how she had witnessed the murder when she was just 16 years old. She explained how, on that fateful night, she was abducted in a police van by Jeffry and Billy. They took her to Corinna’s home, where they, along with another apprentice, Jimmy D Cramer, sexually assaulted her and then murdered her. She further said she was ordered to drive the car to the parking lot and ran away to save herself.
Another witness reported seeing a police van outside Corinna’s apartment that night. She further added that since Billy (a policeman) was involved, none of the neighbors came forward. Officials discovered that, along with Jeffrey, Billy was also involved in dealing with drugs and stolen goods, besides receiving profits for the same. Angela insisted that she was terrorized by the officer, which was why she never came forward. Ultimately, on November 2, 2006, Billy was arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, sodomy, rape, and tampering with physical evidence. Jeffrey and Jimmy Cramer were also arrested and charged with murder, among other charges.
Billy Fields, Jeffrey, and Jimmy Cramer Have Been Brought to Justice
Billy’s jury trial commenced in April 2009, along with Jeffrey and Jimmy Cramer. The prosecutor produced evidence that Billy didn’t send any evidence for forensic examination, which was found at the scene. Furthermore, Samantha became the star witness and recounted witnessing the assault and murder of Corinna. Ultimately, Billy was convicted on the charges of murder, first-degree rape, kidnapping, first-degree sodomy and tampering with physical evidence. In June 2009, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder charge, along with 20 years for the next three charges and five years for the tampering with evidence charge.
Jeffrey was also convicted of murder, first-degree rape, kidnapping, among many others, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Aside from that, Jimmy Cramer was convicted of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree rape, kidnapping, and known possession of anhydrous ammonia other than an approved container. He was collectively sentenced to 60 years in prison based on all his charges. As of writing, Billy is serving his time at Little Sandy Correctional Complex in Elliott County, Kentucky. While Jeffrey is incarcerated at Kentucky State Reformatory in Oldham County, Kentucky, Jimmy is currently serving his sentence in Northpoint Training Center in Boyle County, Kentucky.
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