TP - Yes that is a ridiculous thing for Colette to say, so is very suspicious.
Someone said a good liar blends bits of truth into their lies.
In this case it is likely that Colette said something similar to that.
She had multiple injuries to her arms and head. She likely cried out
Jeff, Jeff, why are you doing this to me (us)?
So he blended that into the story, but changed it to they.
He may have worried that a neighbour heard her.
It also helped his story, because the police would ask what his wife was doing while he was fighting the hippies on the couch. She was also being attacked. But that added more attackers. He hadn't really thought that through.

Last edited by Grandfather (5/20/2023 3:18 pm)

Tim2020 wrote:

And then the other item that indicated overwhelming guilt is the suitcase.  Who put it there?  The Hippies?

Good point Tim! I agree with you, but the suitcase is a conundrum. It definitely was put down after the blood was on the floor and most likely after the struggle was over. But I have read several theories. One, that he was going to flee, but if so, why murder Kristin? Or, Colette had packed to leave and MacDonald found the packed suitcase and exploded, causing the fight and carnage. Later he brought the suitcase into the bedroom and put it’s contents in the dresser to hide she was leaving. A dresser drawer was open and contents were jumbled inside.

I believe he was going to flee. He thought Colette and Kimberley were dead. He got the suitcase, his mind reeling, and then thought about where he could run and how he could hide and survive. He went into the living room and sat on the sofa sobbing, for himself. (A neighbor thought she heard either laughter or sobbing) That is when he saw the Esquire magazine and had his epiphany. Then he went down the hall to cold-bloodedly murder his youngest daughter. He encountered Colette, still alive, trying desperately to save Kristin and flew into another rage. (Evidenced by the club marks on the bedroom ceiling, the blood splatter, and the viciousness of the attack on Colette.) He then murdered Kristin and staged the scene(s). In that scenario you are correct, the suitcase is strong evidence of his guilt.

https://macdonaldcasefacts.com/html/misc_evidence.htm

Suitcase
A suitcase was located near the right hand corner of the footboard of the master bed.  The unusual aspect of this suitcase was the fact that spatter in Colette's blood type was found around and under the suitcase, but no blood spatter was found on the suitcase.
This blood analysis indicated that the suitcase had been moved from an unknown location and set down near the footboard.  The analysis also lent credence to the assumption that the suitcase had been placed in that area of the master bedroom after all the blood had been shed at the crime scene.

William Ivory inspected the suitcase and found that it was empty.  Ivory and Robert Shaw noted that one of Colette's dresser drawers was opened slightly.  Speculation followed that MacDonald may have emptied the contents of the suitcase into Colette's dresser.  In 1983, Paul Stombaugh expressed to Joe McGinniss the possibility that MacDonald had thoughts of fleeing the crime scene, but ultimately changed his mind.
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Photos of suitcase and closet can be seen at;

https://criminalmisconduct.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-macdonald-case-suitcase.html?m=1

Sorry for my late response BUT I've been really busy lately.  This is a very informative and interesting thread.

To answer the question - I do not remember the exact date but approximately 20 years ago I reached out to  

Jeffrey MacDonald's current wife (Kathryn) at her website and asked for an update on his case. After about THREE 

months (with no response from her) I surfed the net for current information and ran across Christina's website with 

all of the court documents and information about this case.  I emailed her thru that site, and she answered back 

almost immediately.  Imagine that - I was a witness for the defense and Kathryn could not even find the time to  respond to me.

 

Grandfather, My husband (at the time) and I were best friends with Greg Mitchell and his wife Pat.

Greg worked with my husband at Toledo Scales in Charlotte, North Carolina when Greg got out of the service.

Greg made several statements to my husband about his involvement in the MacDonald murders. Greg once told.

me that the FBI was investigating him and that he was going to leave the country. We did not testify at any of the 

trials - we only gave statements to the FBI and appeared on "False Witness" documentary. We were shown in

in shadows because at the time we feared the real killers were still out there.  My ex also appeared on a Sixty

Minutes segment but they did not want me on it because they were going to try to use my statements to get

MacDonald a new trial. This was all before I knew MacDonald was guilty. 

Hi does anyone have any thoughts as to why the suitcase wasn't introduced as evidence?  As I understand, it was on top of the blood stained chair, so it could only have been put there by the murderer.  And I think cm would have a difficult time arguing drug crazed hippes but it there, and their would be finger prints.  Thanks