Suvechha Sarkar
Roxanne Fricke was a loving mother and a devoted wife, known for her bright personality. However, the beautiful life of the 31-year-old came to a sudden halt in May 1988, when she was killed during a brutal shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia. What initially seemed to be a robbery gone wrong unraveled into a complex web of lies as the investigation progressed. Oxygen’s ‘Mastermind of Murder: Navy Nightmare’ revisits the case and how it took almost five years for the killer to be arrested. It also features emotional interviews with her loved ones and the law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to catch the killer.
Roxanne Fricke Was Shot Dead in the Parking Lot of a Grocery Store
Born on February 19, 1957, Roxanne Wade arrived as a beacon of light in the lives of her parents, John Clifton and Elizabeth Drucilla Wade. She grew up surrounded by the immense love and support of her parents and her sisters, among whom she was closest to Beverly Suain. Beverly described her as someone with whom one could laugh and cry together. She also loved immersing herself in singing and dancing. Roxanne eventually crossed paths with an aspiring naval officer, Michael Fricke. Soon, they began dating and just two years later, they tied the knot.
As Michael graduated and became a Lieutenant Commander, he and Roxanne moved to Virginia and bought their new home. Shortly after, they welcomed their son, Vaughn, into the world sometime around April 1987. She was leading a happy and fulfilled life until everything changed on May 13, 1988. On that day, authorities received a 911 call about a shooting in the parking lot of a grocery store. When officials arrived, they found a woman dead in the driver’s seat, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the chest. Upon searching the car, they discovered her grocery bag in the backseat, but couldn’t find her wallet or purse.
Since investigators were also unable to find any cash or credit cards on her, they assumed it might have been a robbery gone wrong. Eventually, they conducted a license check on the vehicle, which revealed that it was registered to Roxanne and Michael Fricke. When Michael was shown an image of his wife, he further confirmed her identity. The autopsy results reportedly revealed that Roxanne was shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest. The experts retrieved bullets that were of .38 caliber.
The Case Went Cold Until an Unexpected Lead Surfaced in 1990
Detectives first questioned the witnesses at the scene, and learned that Roxanne had returned to the car after buying groceries and started it. She had reportedly reversed the vehicle, but before she could pull out, the killer ran up to her and shot her with a handgun. The witnesses then saw the killer run behind the store and drive off in a yellow car. However, officers were unable to obtain a definitive description of the person, as each witness gave conflicting statements. When Michael was questioned, he claimed that after returning home from work, he told Roxanne that he wanted pancakes, which was why she went to the store. Investigators then tracked her credit cards, but their inactivity confirmed that it was not a robbery.
Officials were unable to find any conclusive leads, resulting in the case going cold. By August 1990, Michael married again and moved to a base in Ohio with his son. During that time, the FBI arrested Gilroy Lamar Brunson for a white collar crime. However, he claimed to have information regarding Roxanne, which he agreed to give in return for avoiding jail time. Gilroy claimed that the shooter was his friend. He alleged that when he drove his friend around in a car, the latter told him about the murder. Gilroy reportedly passed a polygraph test and claimed that the friend was Angelo Rivera. They found that Angelo had a criminal history, and during a burglary, he had used a yellow car that matched the description of the vehicle at the murder scene.
Confession and Life Insurance Trail Uncovered the Plot Behind the Murder
Investigators then sent Gilroy with a wire on him to tape Angelo’s confession. According to reports, although Angelo initially denied any involvement, he later allegedly indicated his participation in the murder. He was arrested for the murder of Roxanne but reportedly refused to cooperate. On the other hand, Gilroy was granted immunity in exchange for information, and he was promised that he wouldn’t face charges related to the murder. He confessed that he was the middleman who allegedly appointed Angelo to kill Roxanne because Michael instructed him. Gilroy admitted that he met Michael in 1988 at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, where the former worked at the base gym. Gilroy continued that he had a good relationship with Michael.
Records show that Gilroy confessed to wanting to join the naval force, and Michael had promised to forward his application. Gilroy admitted that, in return, Michael asked him to kill Roxanne because she allegedly found out about his affair. In 1993, officials traveled to Ohio to speak with Michael, but he refused to speak after getting a lawyer. Moreover, the higher authorities declined to prosecute him due to a lack of evidence. So, officers monitored Michael’s finances and discovered that a few weeks before Roxanne’s murder, he had taken out a $100,000 life insurance policy. He had received the money after her death, but $50,000 from that amount was unaccounted for. Gilroy confessed that Michael had paid him $13,000 in two parts following the murder and had promised $25,000 for the crime.
Gilroy also informed the officials that after the murder, Angelo had allegedly gone to his girlfriend’s house to keep Roxanne’s purse. However, when they found her wedding bands inside it, they returned them to Michael. Ultimately, detectives questioned Roxanne’s family members, who confirmed that Michael had claimed during her cremation that he had found the rings in the dryer. Surprisingly, Roxanne’s purse was still missing. Officials obtained a warrant and retrieved the rings from her crypt. They further interviewed some women who confirmed that Michael was having affairs with them. Gilroy also claimed that Michael had told him Roxanne was going to divorce him and take their son, which could jeopardize his career. Eventually, Michael was arrested in October 1993 in Columbus, Ohio, and charged with capital murder.
Michael Fricke Passed Away a Month Before His Release
While Gilroy avoided a trial due to his immunity, Angelo was released from prison due to a lack of evidence needed to convict him. Following his arrest, Michael was extradited to Virginia and taken into custody. The general court-martial convened in August 1994, during which the testimonies of Gilroy and multiple other witnesses were presented. The prosecution claimed that Michael used Roxanne’s insurance money to buy a ring for his girlfriend after his wife’s death. On the other hand, the defense claimed that Gilroy was not a credible witness. Michael was facing a death sentence, but he pleaded guilty to premeditated murder to avoid it. Ultimately, on August 30, 1994, the court-martial sentenced him to dismissal from the Navy and confinement for life, along with total forfeiture of pay and allowances and a fine of $100,000.
Although the Convening Authority approved the sentence on June 11, 1996, the confinement was set to be suspended after 30 years. Michael would also become eligible for parole after 10 years, which was after serving one-third of his sentence. The Appellate Court further affirmed his judgment on March 10, 1998. After serving 16 years of his sentence, he successfully applied for conditional release from the Department of Defense’s maximum-security prison, located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He became eligible for release in August 2010. However, on July 24, 2010, while officiating a softball match, he was reportedly beaten by a player with a bat. Michael sustained injuries to his head and passed away four days later in the prison hospital at 54 years of age.
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