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Kalee Bruce's brutal murder was the subject of ID's popular true crime show Murder in the Heartland in 2022.
With the episode set to air again on April 10, 2022, on Investigation Discovery, it is perhaps time to look back at the murder that shook the quaint town of Traverse City, Michigan, back in 1998. The manner and brutality of the murder were enough to send shockwaves across the state.
When the episode aired a year ago, it delved into the murder with conviction and depicted how the law managed to nab the suspect with some clever observation and a tight investigation.
The episode was titled Groomed for Murder and it originally aired on January 11, 2022. The synopsis for the episode read:
"The tourist town of Traverse City in Michigan is shaken to its core when 18-year-old Kalee Bruce is found bludgeoned to death at her workplace."
Thankfully, the case was wrapped up and Kalee Bruce got justice. However, no prison sentence could sum up how the victim felt before and during the incident.
Five bone-chilling facts about the murder of Kalee Bruce
1) Kalee Bruce was only 18 when the incident took place
Not only was Bruce quite young during the murder, but she also had a lot to look forward to. Coming from a good background and well-reputed among her peers, the young girl was attending Northwestern Michigan College and working as a clerk at a beach apartment at the time when she was murdered in 1998.
On the night of her murder, Kalee Bruce had a night shift starting at 5 PM.
2) The manner of Kalle Bruce's death was the most disturbing thing about the murder
The way Kalee Bruce was killed indicated that whoever killed her meant to do it with utmost brutality. Her body was found at the Beach Condominiums, where she worked, by the maintenance supervisor.
She was found with about 19 lacerations, skull fractures, severe blunt force injuries to the body, and internal bleeding.
3) There was probably assault involved in the murder
18-year-old Kalee Bruce may have been the victim of assault before her brutal murder. Reports later confirmed that:
"A metal rod had been forced into the decedent's vagina with such force that it lacerated her vagina and penetrated two inches into her pelvic bone."
Moreover, the blood smeared on her breasts was consistent with someone touching them before killing her. It was also alleged that Bruce was alive when all this torture took place.
4) The careless criminal gave himself away
While there was a thorough investigation into the murder, Kevin Holtzer, a man who lived in one of the rooms at the Beach Condominiums, did a pretty sloppy job of covering his tracks.
His blood-smeared footprints were the first defining sign, which slowly brought him to light as a suspect. Moreover, he left his DNA at the crime scene quite recklessly.
5) Kevin Holtzer was sentenced to life in prison
After several things confirmed that Holtzer was indeed the killer, he was arrested and charged with murder. He was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
He remains incarcerated at the Alger Correctional Facility in Munising, Michigan.
Murder in the Heartland provides more details about the case. It is available for streaming on Apple TV+.
