The Chilling “Suitcase Murders”: How Steven Zelich’s Crimes Were Finally Uncovered

The discovery of two suitcases abandoned beside a Wisconsin road led investigators into a disturbing murder case involving a former police officer and two women he had met online.

Steven Zelich, a former Wisconsin police officer, was convicted in the deaths of Jenny Gamez, 19, and Laura Simonson, 37. The women disappeared in separate incidents in 2012 and 2013 after meeting Zelich through online communities.

In June 2014, workers discovered two suitcases containing human remains near a rural road in Geneva, Wisconsin. Investigators eventually identified the women and connected their deaths to Zelich, whose statements and the evidence gathered during the investigation helped uncover what had happened.

According to court records and news reports, Zelich admitted causing both women’s deaths but claimed they occurred accidentally during sexual encounters involving choking. He had concealed their bodies before eventually leaving the suitcases along the roadside.

The case resulted in criminal convictions and lengthy prison sentences. Zelich received a combined sentence of 70 years in prison for the killings and related offenses.

More than a decade later, the case has returned to public attention through renewed television coverage, including an ABC 20/20 episode aired in October 2026. The story continues to raise questions about how the women disappeared, how investigators pieced together the evidence, and how the crimes were ultimately exposed.

Source: PEOPLE