Five arrested in Kalamazoo County triple homicide from 2000

Five people have been arrested in connection with the brutal slayings of an elderly couple and their daughter in 2000, police said.

[Mickey]

The police din't just pick names out of a hat and arrested them

Someone who was there and participated has talked about it.

Is it the guy in jail ?

stay tuned for further developments.

[Mickey]

The 3 victims were killed on August 31, 2000 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan between 2:30pm - 3:30pm. Killed were Marinus Polderman, 93 years old, his wife Sary Polderman, 91 years old, and their daughter 63 year old Ann Gipson-Lewis.

It is believed that a robbery was in progress when Ann Lewis stopped by her parents house to drop off groceries and have coffee with them, when she came upon the robber(s). All three victims were bludgeoned to death in the Polderman home.

Detectives believe the family was killed between 2:30pm and 3:30pm. Multiple weapons were used leading investigators to theorize that there was more than one attacker. Trace evidence has been sent to the Lab but no suspects have come from those results. Although it was rumored that Marinus kept large sums of money in his home instead of in a bank, Police are not positive the motive was robbery because not much was disturbed or taken from the home. Money was left in the drawers and the victims jewelry was not taken.

Police believe the robber(s) confronted Marinus Polderman in his garage. Their struggle moved into the house and it is believed that Marinus was dragged into the basement. Sary was believed to be killed in the basement with a baseball bat and then slashed with a knife. The baseball bat used was the couples that they kept in the kitchen for security. Ann Lewis was killed with a heavy metal object with a nut attached to the end of it. She had also been stabbed. All three victims throats had been slashed. Before leaving the scene the killer(s) turned the air conditioner down to 40 and locked the door behind him (them).

What is known to have been taken from the home was a .22 caliber scopeless Glenfield 20 model rifle, boltaction with a distinctive stock. It has hash marks carved in the crook of the stock as well as a carved likeness of a squirrel perched on it's hind legs and holding an acorn, and Sary Polderman's black purse. A machete knife used to cut flowers was also missing.

theres a $20,000 reward involved

[Mickey]

Police believe that it is still possible to solve this case. Trace evidence was left at the scene and fingerprints were lifted that can be matched to the intruder(s) if caught.

If the guy in jail left a fingerprint guess who talked

[Melissa]

I personally know one of the suspects and i would have NEVER thought that she could have done this!

[Meghan And Kristen]

I thought you were supposed to be incoent till proven guilty how can you pass 2 lie dector tests and 1 DNA test and the police say you had something to do wit it.i i guess that im just having a hard time understanding why they are putting our uncle through hell they have him chained up and shit when the other people just have hand cuffs on Please answer dat 4 us

[Karen]

have that happen to your family see how you feel then

[Karen]

These three people were my mother and grandparents,it has been pushing seven years we have waited and waited for these arrests to be made,but guess what no one wins and everyone loses even the brother and sister whom are related to me mmmmmmm wonder if anyone knew that one? Yep Brandy and Andrew cousins kinda proud on that one NOT. Lets put them away where they belong, they made their beds sucks to be them Oh and throw away the Key.

[Karen]

Meghan And Kristen wrote:

I thought you were supposed to be incoent till proven guilty how can you pass 2 lie dector tests and 1 DNA test and the police say you had something to do wit it.i i guess that im just having a hard time understanding why they are putting our uncle through hell they have him chained up and shit when the other people just have hand cuffs on Please answer dat 4 us

This is America, we speak and write in English. What the hell language is "dat"

[michelle]

karen, just wanted to let you know i am happy they have finally caught these grusome people who did this to your family. i couldn't imagine what you have been through. i hope it brings forth a bit of closure for you. just wanted you to know you and your family have always been in my family's thoughts and prayers. thank god they found these horrible people.

[Karen]

thank you michelle for your thoughts and prayers.It makes it a little bit easier knowing we have people such as yourself for support. Just waiting for justice now.take care. preliminarys start 7/12. thanks Karen

[Scott]

I worked with Joe...or Jerome Williams as they call him for about 3 months this last summer, every day, just me and him.. I wonder how he can live with himself and how he just acts like nothing ever happened.... When i first saw him, i thought...this is definently a guy who's done alot of speed and other drugs... I've heard him talk about all these people regularly and I really thought he wasnt a bad guy, i was wrong. He did tell me that Andrew was a child molester and did some "crazy" things.... I had no idea what he was talking about and i didnt want to know.....wow, i really want to know what he did exactly

[Diggy]

Wow!three people,Just because you pass a lie detector test twice and there is no DNA evidence against you does not mean that you did not have something to do with it. They could have been the look out knowing what was transpiring or they could have been the one to set the whole thing up.I don't think that it's that hard to pass a test when feeling that killing three people is not a bad thing.I'm glad they have some suspects and that the truth will come out.

[Karen]

Scott wrote:

I worked with Joe...or Jerome Williams as they call him for about 3 months this last summer, every day, just me and him.. I wonder how he can live with himself and how he just acts like nothing ever happened.... When i first saw him, i thought...this is definently a guy who's done alot of speed and other drugs... I've heard him talk about all these people regularly and I really thought he wasnt a bad guy, i was wrong. He did tell me that Andrew was a child molester and did some "crazy" things.... I had no idea what he was talking about and i didnt want to know.....wow, i really want to know what he did exactly

Hello Scott, pre-liminary trials begin early am on 7/12/07 at Kazoo county court and they are open to the public if you really want to know you can be there,but things are not going to pleasent and be prepared for a long, long day. Karen

[Karen]

Diggy wrote:

Wow!three people,Just because you pass a lie detector test twice and there is no DNA evidence against you does not mean that you did not have something to do with it. They could have been the look out knowing what was transpiring or they could have been the one to set the whole thing up.I don't think that it's that hard to pass a test when feeling that killing three people is not a bad thing.I'm glad they have some suspects and that the truth will come out.

AMEN Diggy, I guess you just have to understand the mentality of this kind of trash that exists among us. As far as i am concerned this trash needs to be right there in the cell with them, sounds as if they have no value for human life either and are heading down that same road. I hope they are reading these and save everyone the heartache of this kind of crime by taking there heads out of there asses come up for air and realize their uncle is a CRIMINAL many times over HELLOOOOOOOOOO.Don't feel sorry for him,he made each and every one of the choices, the only thing he did not chose is to get caught. Karen

[Meghan And Kristen]

You kno what We Do think there was people there like Brandy and richard But how can our uncle Joe pass 3 lie dector tests and 3 DNA tests and Be guilty. And another thing if he was there don't u think he would have puked cause he sure da fuck did when dey was INTERGATING him

CAN ANYONE ANSWER THAT FOR US FA REAL NOW

[Meghan And Kristen]

U know what Karen Our Uncle My have done some bad shit in his Life but he is no F**in Murder so u need ta watch what u say fa real if you wanna say somethin derict it to us

[Meghan And Kristen]

Karen our 2 best friends got shot in da head so trust us we kno how u Feel But Im tellin you yes we belive some of them was there but not our uncle we kno for fact he couldn't do somethin like that he has helped many many elders out if u really wanna kno who we think the main suspect is we think it is richard V he really is capable of somethin like that he arsoned home with us sleepin in it..

[Meghan And Kristen]

Jus caus he a person wit a background of crimes means he a murder Hell naw dats why it gonna b all good so yea an by da way have you eva heard of black people well guess what we is ghetto so dis is how we talk so don't be rasist Please And thank you

[Meghan And Kristen]

We got 1 Question when our Uncle gets Proven Incoent Is any of you gonna Apoligize for bein dis respectful towards him

[friend of victims family]

I have one question, when ur uncle is proven guilty r u gonna apologize ? because if Michigan had capital punishment ( if u know what that is ) DEATH , then I believe Brady just sealed his fate and signed his papers :)