People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the 2000s - Who were Howard Belcher aka the Necktie Killer's victims?

Howard Belcher, dubbed the Necktie Killer, went on a killing spree in October 2002, shortly after he was released from prison, murdering three men, namely Leroy Tyler, Mark Schaller, and Matthew Abney. The alleged fourth victim was Artilles McKinney. All the men were picked from or near an Atlanta-based gay bar called Bulldogs on Peachtree Street.

Police arrested Belcher in late October after he was caught driving McKinney's stolen car one day after he was found dead. The killer was then found guilty of the murder and robbery charges and was sentenced to life in prison. Reports state that prosecutors were seeking the death penalty and that Belcher was willing to embrace his fate. However, he was sentenced to life with an additional 20 years in prison.

People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the 2000s is set to revisit Howard Belcher's killing spree on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. The episode, titled 2002: The Necktie Killer, airs on the channel at 8:00 pm ET.

The official synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:

"A spree killer who leaves his victims tied up with neckties torments the men of Atlanta in the fall of 2002. As investigators hit many dead ends, one clue left behind could be the final puzzle piece detectives need to tie these cases together."

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Howard Belcher aka the Necktie Killer went on a killer spree after his release from prison in October 2002

In October 2002, Howard Belcher went on a killing spree following his release from prison after serving a two-year sentence on unrelated theft charges. He frequented a gay bar called Bulldogs on Peachtree Street and picked his targets from or near the establishment.

His victims include:

Leroy Tyler

Belcher's first victim was 27-year-old Leroy Tyler of DeKalb County. Tyler was found dead under a comforter in his Clarkston apartment bedroom on October 5, 2002. He died of "ligature strangulation" and his hands were tied, as per The Cinemaholic.

The victim's car was stolen and the stove inside the apartment was also left on. Police suspected that the killer attempted to burn down the house to destroy all evidence.

Mark Schaller

According to The Cinemaholic, Howard Belcher murdered Mark Schaller, 40, in his up-scale condo on Dutch Valley Road on the same day. He was found partially naked with his hands tied with a necktie.

Schaller died of severe blunt-force injury to his neck. Similar to the first crime scene, his gas-operated oven was left on and his phone and wallet were missing from the house.

Matthew Abney

The outlet reported that 43-year-old Matthew Abney, the Necktie Killer's third victim, was tied up and strangled to death in his house. Abney, who worked as an assistant manager at Wal-Mart, met the killer at Bulldogs and returned to his house soon after.

He was also found partially naked in his house with the gas oven left on. The victim's car and jewelry were stolen.

Artilles McKinney

Howard Belcher's alleged fourth victim was Artilles McKinney, 35, of Duluth. He was reportedly murdered on October 28 and was found dead the following day. Belcher was never charged with McKinney's murder as officials failed to link him directly to the slaying.

The 25-year-old killer was arrested on October 30, 2022, in College Park after police found him driving McKinney's stolen 1994 Lexus. He was convicted of Matthew Abney's murder and robbery in June 2004 and was then sentenced to life with an additional 20 years in prison.

While serving time in prison, the Necktie Killer was indicted on other murder charges. He is currently serving his lengthy sentence at the Baldwin State Prison in Milledgeville, Georgia, as per records from the Department of Corrections.

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People Magazine Presents: Crimes of the 2000s will further delve into Howard Belcher's crimes this Wednesday.