A Monster in Kansas examines the shocking attack on John and Carole Duffield’s kids by Michael James Cade, who killed one, raped and murdered another and left a third for dead.
January 28th, 1983, in Olathe, Kansas and the world of the Duffield family was shattered when Cade broke into their home and attacked their kids. Husband and dad John was asleep in the house and Carole was out working a shift as a registered nurse, when Cade seemingly picked their house at random as his target.
21-year-old Cade let himself into the Duffield’s house through a sliding glass door and took with him a two-pound hammer. His first victim was 15-year-old Paul Duffield, whom he beat and left for dead before moving on to his sister Janelle. The 12-year-old was murdered by Cade in a savage attack with the same hammer and he then came across 17-year-old Kelly, he then forced her to go with him.
Kelly’s body was found a few days later in a drainage ditch, she’d been raped and then beaten and left to die.
Paul had been beaten so badly with the hammer that first responders initially thought he’d been shot, he was given emergency brain surgery and survived the attack.
The crime shocked the community and police mounted a massive operation to bring the killer to justice as quickly as possible.
In April police had a breakthrough when they found a purse near where Kelly’s body was dumped. This led to the arrest of Cade for purse snatching, but they soon connected him to the murders. At the time of the attacks he was working at a chemical company and lived at home with his parents.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelCade was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated burglary, rape, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. He was sentenced to life but with the possibility of parole.
56-year-old Cade remains in prison at Lansing Correctional Facility and is up for parole in April, 2018, though his previous two parole applications were rejected.
However, family members, friends and law enforcement officials involved with the original case are keen to see Cade remain in prison. Speaking at a hearing one friend of the family said: “Don’t forgive, don’t forget and don’t free Michael Cade.”
A Monster in Kansas airs at 9:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.