Friday, February 22, 2013
Where is Heather Ikerd Now?
Heather Ikerd has graduated from high school and now lives in another state. She is working with an organization that helps at risk youths.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Terra Ikerd (Adoption Movie)
Facts and Timeline in the Case of Terra Ikerd
by Traciy Curry-Reyes
July 8, 1991: A nationwide alert is issued for 3-month-old Heather Ikerd, who disappeared July 8 with her 18-year-old mother, Terra Ikerd. Eighteen-year-old Terra Ann Ikerd was last seen July 8 when she left her new job at a health spa with her 12-week-old daughter, Heather.
July 15, 1991: Detective Dan Hay answered a Crime Stoppers hotline and listened intently as an anonymous caller reported the strange and sudden appearance of an infant girl in the possession of a couple rural Kansas.
July 22, 1991: Ikerd's body was found in a ditch by a county road maintenance worker, shot to death in a ditch about 12 miles south of Byers along County Road 181. Her body was riddled with bullets. Authorities believe the baby is still alive due to there being no evidence of decomposition of a second body.
August 3, 1991: Police determine that the murder was not a robbery. "We don't think it's robbery. She had a real nice set of rings on," said detectives.
August 5, 1991: Relatives attended a memorial service for Terra Ikerd.
August 9, 1991: New ground soil tests indicate the baby is still alive.
August 10, 1991: Missing infant found at Kansas farmhouse alive and well. The baby was found in the home of family friend Ralph Blaine Takemire, a disabled 42 year old Vietnam War veteran known as "Uncle Ralph." Takemire grew up with the baby's grandfather. He was considered a very close family friend. The family is in shock. Takemire is being held without bail in Topeka on a federal kidnapping charge and on Colorado warrants accusing him of murder and kidnapping. Wife of suspect, Dee Takemire, is not surprised that her estranged husband is a suspect. "Many times he'd say he was so angry he wanted to kill someone."Unfortunately I guess it has happened," Dee Takemire said from her Newton, Kan., home. Takemire told authorities that he took the baby because he and his girlfriend were unable to conceive.
How the crime happened
Terra Ann Ikerd, 18, was lured to her death by Takemire who asked her to accompany him on a gift-buying spree for her baby girl. Ralph Takemire then shot Terra Ikerd execution-style, rolled her body into a roadside ditch and covered it with black-eyed Susans. Then, while Ikerd's body lay exposed to the sun and the rain, they said, Takemire played adoptive daddy to her 16-week-old daughter in his Kansas home hundreds of miles away.
August 11, 1991: IKERD FAMILY CELEBRATES RETURN OF INFANT Sound asleep in the hot glow of television lights, 16-week-old Heather Ikerd was returned to her father's arms yesterday, little more than a month after she was kidnapped and her mother slain."Oh man, this is great. This is wonderful," Neil Ikerd gushed as Arapahoe County sheriff's Sgt. Vince Cecilione placed the child in his hands after returning with her on a flight from Kansas City, Mo. "Words just can't describe it."
August 20, 1991: Murder-kidnap suspect Ralph Takemire is brought back to Colorado under a heavy blanket of security. Takemire, 42, arrived at Centennial Airport on a Colorado State Patrol plane at noon after a two-hour flight from Topeka, Kan., 1991: Ralph Takemire is returned back to Colorado to face charges.
August 25, 1991: Takemire confesses and accepts plea agreement in exchange for his life.
October 10, 1991: Ralph Takemire makes insanity plea.
November 11, 1991: Takemire pleads innocent by reason of insanity.
March 27, 1992: Trial begins
August 25, 1992: Takemire will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possiblity of parole.
1997: Two producers from California contacted Detective Hay about the Takemire case. He answered them and thought nothing else about it.
1999: Detective Hay's children tell him about a movie that is on that sounds a lot like a case he worked on. Detective Hay then remembered speaking with the producers and was excited to watch the movie on the second airing.
March 3, 2005: Ralph Blaine Takemire passed away and was returned to Kansas. (confirmed)
by Traciy Curry-Reyes
July 8, 1991: A nationwide alert is issued for 3-month-old Heather Ikerd, who disappeared July 8 with her 18-year-old mother, Terra Ikerd. Eighteen-year-old Terra Ann Ikerd was last seen July 8 when she left her new job at a health spa with her 12-week-old daughter, Heather.
July 15, 1991: Detective Dan Hay answered a Crime Stoppers hotline and listened intently as an anonymous caller reported the strange and sudden appearance of an infant girl in the possession of a couple rural Kansas.
July 22, 1991: Ikerd's body was found in a ditch by a county road maintenance worker, shot to death in a ditch about 12 miles south of Byers along County Road 181. Her body was riddled with bullets. Authorities believe the baby is still alive due to there being no evidence of decomposition of a second body.
August 3, 1991: Police determine that the murder was not a robbery. "We don't think it's robbery. She had a real nice set of rings on," said detectives.
August 5, 1991: Relatives attended a memorial service for Terra Ikerd.
August 9, 1991: New ground soil tests indicate the baby is still alive.
August 10, 1991: Missing infant found at Kansas farmhouse alive and well. The baby was found in the home of family friend Ralph Blaine Takemire, a disabled 42 year old Vietnam War veteran known as "Uncle Ralph." Takemire grew up with the baby's grandfather. He was considered a very close family friend. The family is in shock. Takemire is being held without bail in Topeka on a federal kidnapping charge and on Colorado warrants accusing him of murder and kidnapping. Wife of suspect, Dee Takemire, is not surprised that her estranged husband is a suspect. "Many times he'd say he was so angry he wanted to kill someone."Unfortunately I guess it has happened," Dee Takemire said from her Newton, Kan., home. Takemire told authorities that he took the baby because he and his girlfriend were unable to conceive.
How the crime happened
Terra Ann Ikerd, 18, was lured to her death by Takemire who asked her to accompany him on a gift-buying spree for her baby girl. Ralph Takemire then shot Terra Ikerd execution-style, rolled her body into a roadside ditch and covered it with black-eyed Susans. Then, while Ikerd's body lay exposed to the sun and the rain, they said, Takemire played adoptive daddy to her 16-week-old daughter in his Kansas home hundreds of miles away.
August 11, 1991: IKERD FAMILY CELEBRATES RETURN OF INFANT Sound asleep in the hot glow of television lights, 16-week-old Heather Ikerd was returned to her father's arms yesterday, little more than a month after she was kidnapped and her mother slain."Oh man, this is great. This is wonderful," Neil Ikerd gushed as Arapahoe County sheriff's Sgt. Vince Cecilione placed the child in his hands after returning with her on a flight from Kansas City, Mo. "Words just can't describe it."
August 20, 1991: Murder-kidnap suspect Ralph Takemire is brought back to Colorado under a heavy blanket of security. Takemire, 42, arrived at Centennial Airport on a Colorado State Patrol plane at noon after a two-hour flight from Topeka, Kan., 1991: Ralph Takemire is returned back to Colorado to face charges.
August 25, 1991: Takemire confesses and accepts plea agreement in exchange for his life.
October 10, 1991: Ralph Takemire makes insanity plea.
November 11, 1991: Takemire pleads innocent by reason of insanity.
March 27, 1992: Trial begins
August 25, 1992: Takemire will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possiblity of parole.
1997: Two producers from California contacted Detective Hay about the Takemire case. He answered them and thought nothing else about it.
1999: Detective Hay's children tell him about a movie that is on that sounds a lot like a case he worked on. Detective Hay then remembered speaking with the producers and was excited to watch the movie on the second airing.
March 3, 2005: Ralph Blaine Takemire passed away and was returned to Kansas. (confirmed)
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Terra Ikerd/Ralph Takemire Photos
I am currently searching for photos of the people involved in the case
Research the Terra Ikerd/Ralph Takemire Crime Case
Books about the case
Nature Forensics and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death by By Jessica Snyder Sachs
Journey Into Darkness by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Adoption crisis: the truth behind adoption and foster care (a very interesting read)
Time of de-th: the story of forensic science and the search for de-th's stopwatch by Jessica Synder Sachs
Ladies' Home Journal Volume 11: Robbing the Cradle. (I think this is the article that got the attention of the producers who decided to make a movie about it.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Ultimate Deception aka Ultimate Betrayal True Story
Ultimate Deception is a 1997 movie based on the true story of Ralph Takemire and Terra Ikerd. In the movie the names were changed to Bobby Woodkin and Terry Cuff. The location was also changed.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Michelle Beheiter Passes Away
Terra Ikerd's mother, Michelle Beheiter passed away in April of 2011. You can visit the funeral home page to see an obit, and to see messages left by family and friends.
Here is a link to the online obit
Here is a link to the online obit
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