Paul Michael Stephani (September 8, 1944 – June 12, 1998) was an American
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
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* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
. He was also known as the Weepy-Voiced Killer due to a series of telephone calls he made to police, anonymously reporting his crimes in a remorseful and high-pitched voice. Stephani killed three women in the
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities ...
area.
Background
Stephani was the last of ten children born into a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family. His mother remarried when he was three years old, giving him a stepfather who was known to beat his stepchildren and sometimes throw them down the stairs. Stephani was married to Beverly Lider and fathered a daughter with her, but the couple soon divorced. He held down several jobs, but was fired from a janitor position at Malberg Manufacturing Company in 1977. His first victim's body would be discovered near this building.
Killings
On December 31, 1980, Stephani beat Karen Potack in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, inflicting severe wounds and brain injury. Stephani himself called police at 3 a.m. to report the attack, directing police to a location where "There is a girl hurt there."
His next victim was Kimberly Compton, an 18-year-old student from
Pepin, Wisconsin
Pepin is a village in Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 837 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Pepin.
History
By the mid-17th century, the French had begun to send expeditions into Wisconsin v ...
on June 3, 1981 in neighboring
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. After killing her, he again contacted police pleading: "God damn, will you find me? I just stabbed somebody with an
ice pick
The ice pick is a pointed metal tool used from the 1800s to the 1900s to break, pick or chip at ice. The design consists of a sharp metal spike attached to a wooden handle. The tool's design has been relatively unchanged since its creation. The ...
. I can't stop myself. I keep killing somebody." Two days later he called police to say he was sorry for stabbing Compton and would turn himself in, but did not. On June 6, he called to say newspaper accounts of some of the murders were inaccurate. His next call was on June 11. In a whimpering, barely coherent voice he cried: "I'm sorry for what I did to Compton."
His next victim was Kathleen Greening, who was found dead at her home just outside Saint Paul. Stephani later confessed to drowning her in her bathtub at her
Roseville residence. His fourth victim (and last murder victim) was Barbara Simons, a 40-year-old nurse on the Minneapolis side of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. The two met at the Hexagon Bar, after Stephani asked Simons for a cigarette, which she gave him.
After spending the night at the bar with Stephani, Simons told a waitress, "He's cute. I hope he's nice, since he's giving me a ride home." Simons was found stabbed to death the next day. There were no calls after Greening's death, but the "Weepy-Voiced Killer" contacted police after the murder of Simons: "Please don't talk, just listen... I'm sorry I killed that girl. I stabbed her 40 times. Kimberly Compton was the first one over in Saint Paul."
Capture
Stephani picked up a 19-year-old sex worker named Denise Williams on August 21, 1982, in Minneapolis. Williams sensed something was wrong when Stephani began driving through a dark, suburban area, rather than returning her back to the city where he originally picked her up. After turning onto a dead-end road, he stabbed her fifteen times with a screwdriver. During the attack, Williams was able to hit Stephani on the head with a glass bottle, causing cuts to his head and face.
Her screams drew the attention of a man who lived nearby and upon seeing Stephani trying to stab Williams again began to wrestle with him, causing Stephani to flee the scene. The man was able to call for an ambulance and later help identify Stephani. However, when Stephani returned home to his apartment, he noticed he was bleeding badly and sought medical help. It was this call that confirmed Stephani was the "Weepy-Voiced Killer" and linked him to the Williams attack. Further in-depth investigative work later connected Stephani to the murder of Simons.
In 1997, Stephani was diagnosed with skin cancer and had less than a year to live. He decided to confess to the murders of Kim Compton, Barbara Simons and Kathy Greening. He had not even been a suspect in the Greening death, as he had not made a phone call to police as he had done in the other cases. In all, he confessed to a beating attack in 1980, stabbing Kimberly Compton to death in 1981,
drowning Kathleen Greening in 1982, stabbing Barbara Simons to death in 1982, and stabbing Denise Williams in 1982.
Trial and death
During Stephani's trial in the Simons murder case, Stephani's ex-wife, sister and a woman who lived with him testified that they believed the hysterical caller revealing the attacks was Stephani. Those observations alone were not enough to identify Stephani as the Weepy-Voiced Killer since the hysterical crying distorted the voice. Stephani was convicted of the Simons murder and of the attempted murder of Williams and was sentenced to 40 years. He died in prison in 1998 from cancer.
Media
The case was covered by ''
Casefile True Crime Podcast
''Casefile True Crime Podcast'', or simply ''Casefile'', is an Australian crime podcast that first aired in January 2016 and is hosted by an Australian man who remains anonymous. The podcast is released on a Sunday (EST) for three consecuti ...
'' on April 16, 2016 and in an episode ("Seeing Red") of ''Murder Calls'' on January 15, 2017.
Stephani's crimes were then reported during episode 102 (titled "Quantum Madness and an Abundance of Icicles") of the podcast ''
And That's Why We Drink
''And That's Why We Drink'' (ATWWD) is a comedy true crime and paranormal podcast created by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz.
The show has been in production since February 2017. It updates every Sunday on a variety of podcast platforms as well ...
'' on January 13, 2019.
This case was also covered in an episode ("Rough Winds & High Waters") on the podcast ''
My Favorite Murder
''My Favorite Murder'' is a weekly true crime comedy podcast hosted by American comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The first episode was released in January 2016. The podcast debuted at #25 on the iTunes podcast charts and peaked ...
'' on May 23, 2019.
This case was also featured on an episode of ''Morbid: A True Crime Podcast'' on January 9, 2021.
The show ''
Mark of a Killer
''The Mark of a Killer'' (or simply ''Mark of a Killer'') is an American true crime television series currently airing on the Oxygen Network. The program examines the disturbing behaviors of serial killers. As of Season 3, the series is currentl ...
'' featured the case on its seventh episode, titled "Killer Caller".
This case was covered by the "Serial Killer Podcast" in November 2020.
See also
*
List of serial killers in the United States
A serial killer is typically a person who kills three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial murder a ...
References
External links
Casefile True Crime Podcast - Case 15: The Weepy Voiced Killer- 16 April 2016
Murder Calls Season 1: Seeing Red- 15 January 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephani, Paul Michael
1944 births
1982 murders in the United States
1998 deaths
20th-century American criminals
American male criminals
American people convicted of attempted murder
American people convicted of murder
American people who died in prison custody
American serial killers
Criminals from Minnesota
Male serial killers
People convicted of murder by Minnesota
People from Austin, Minnesota
Prisoners who died in Minnesota detention
Serial killers who died in prison custody
Violence against women in the United States