Man With A Van profiles the case of Kathy Horn, a 16-year-old girl who disappeared after taking a lift with a man with a van in a quiet part of Michigan. David Paul Czinki was eventually found guilty of her murder.
On September 22, 1994, 36-year-old Czinki offered to give a group of teenage friends, including Kathy, a ride in his van. He got the group some marijuana, which they all shared, and the group drove around until the small hours of the morning.
In the middle of the night, the teenagers were dropped off, except for Kathy, who stayed alone in the van with Czinki. She was never seen alive again.
Eyewitnesses see a chilling scene
In a particularly chilling aspect of the case, witness David Lowshaw and his wife were out for a drive in late September 1994, when they noticed a van parked at the side of the road. The rear doors were wide open and propped up inside the van was a pale and grayish looking woman.
They observed a man behind the van digging with a shovel. Lowshaw attempted to phone the police on his cellphone, but he had no signal. On returning home, the Lowshaws forgot about their eerie experience.
However, five years later, Lowshaw spotted Kathy’s picture in a newspaper and recognized her from the woman in the van; he then reported what he’d seen to police.
David Czinki behaves suspiciously after Kathey Horn’s disappearance
Witnesses noticed that Czinki was behaving oddly; he had cleaned his van thoroughly, which was something he’d never done. He appeared to have wounds on his hand, and he seemed quieter and more tense than usual.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelWhen questioned by police over an unrelated drink driving offense, he reportedly said he’d take any punishments he was going to jail for life anyway over Kathy’s disappearance.
In May 1996, Kathy’s body was finally discovered by some mushroom pickers. When police took Czinki to the murder scene, he reacted by saying there was nothing more to say because the police had all the evidence they needed.
In 2002, David Paul Czinki received a trial by a jury who found him guilty of second-degree murder. As a fourth-time habitual offender, he was ordered to serve 35 to 52 years in prison.
More from Man With A Van
Follow the links to read about more hideous murders by men with vans profiled on ID. Dawnia Dacosta was on her way home when she ran out of gas. Lucious Boyd offered to help her out, but instead, he raped and murdered her before dumping the body in an alley behind a warehouse.
Kenia Monge left a nightclub in downtown Denver only to be picked up by Travis Forbes, a man with a van. This dangerous sex offender raped and murdered Kenia and kept her body in a water cooler before burying her in a field.
Watch Man With A Van at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.
Your information on the witness is incorrect .bit was my father, and my mother . My fathers name is not David
Who cares that the witnesses first name is not correct. What is worse is that he “forgot” about what he saw in the van. After 5 years he suddenly remembers seeing a bidy in the van?? Most people would have had nightmares of that picture before their eyes.