Heather Stigliano's murder by James Whipple

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

“Pursuing your dreams” can mean different things to different people. When folks usually describe making it big in the entertainment field, one might think of locations like Los Angeles or New York. A vacation destination in South Carolina might not cross your mind, but Myrtle Beach seemed to be exactly what Heather was seeking. For a long time, I’d wondered why this would be the destination for Heather to find work as a singer, but then I considered other factors. Maybe she’d seen performers in Myrtle Beach (she had friends there) and thought the lifestyle of a singer in that area was appealing. It’s quite a long way from Pennsylvania where Heather was from, but South Carolina was certain closer (and probably felt safer) than California. And perhaps Myrtle Beach was a steppingstone to loftier goals in Heather’s future.

Heather’s various activities in the three months since moving to South Carolina opened up multiple avenues for potential suspects in her case. Her ex-boyfriend, Jack Norton, was an obvious person to consider. But stationed at the nearby Air Force Base, Jack had a reliable alibi. Interestingly, that very Air Force base was closed just two years later due to military spending cuts. Another man on police’s radar was the friend who regularly stayed at Heather’s apartment when he was in town on business, Chris Harkins. I’m hoping he was a friend of Heather’s before she’d moved to South Carolina – I’m not sure I’d allow someone to bunk if I’d only met him a few months prior. I also suspect their friendship may’ve had benefits, sharing Heather’s small apartment.

The most eye-opening suspect was Robert Dolan (and possibly his wife Carol). As an Air Force captain, Dolan was an unlikely suspect. But despite not creating a police report, Heather had claimed Captain Dolan might have sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party just a week prior, while she was unconscious. She’d confided in her mother Susan, and Heather had admitted to becoming too intoxicated that evening. I was curious how a 19-year-old female ended up at a party that hosted Air Force personnel that included a captain? And how the “adults” at this party had let this Heather, practically a child, become so inebriated? And finally, how anyone at this party could allow Heather to be assaulted while in such a state. I don’t always expect much from men, but it seemed surprising that one of the “wives” didn’t look out for Heather.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

What can be said about James Bernard Whipple? Drugs can make desperate people do desperate things, and it seems the harder the drug, the more desperate folks can become. Crack cocaine has been a scourge since its popularization in the 1980s. James Whipple had stolen Heather Stigliano’s wallet, camera, television, and car. It was also thought that Whipple might’ve targeted Heather since he believed that as a waitress, she might have cash – her waitressing tips in the residence. Fencing stolen goods for the cash needed to buy street drugs isn’t always easy, and never profitable. You’re lucky to even find a buyer at all since the goods you’re selling are usually known to be stolen. And you’ll get only pennies on the dollar.

Whipple had the wherewithal to take Heather’s camera out of town to an antiques dealer – this could certainly increase his gain over a pawn shop. But this was his undoing. When one considers the evidence chain that led to Whipple’s identification, it starts with him going 26 miles outside of town attempting to sell Heather’s camera. Recall that the dealer’s description of the interchange – Whipple was acting suspicious, and he became aggravated when the dealer wasn’t interested in the camera. Perhaps James Whipple was high on crack (or coming down?) during this exchange – the last thing you’d want is to be remembered while failing to sell a stolen camera for drug money. But the dealer wrote down the license plate which identified Heather’s car. Then he provided a description for a composite sketch, which led to James Whipple’s identification by his former co-workers.

The Chevrolet Monza was only produced until 1980, and the episode said Heather’s car was ten years old. It’s fair to guess she had a 1980 model, and the Monza was interesting compact. I’m guessing Whipple didn’t keep Heather’s car for its style though – it seemed to be the one thing of Heather’s that wasn’t sold to pay for drugs. Instead James Whipple drove it down to Melbourne, Florida where he and the car were identified. The FBI’s nationwide NCIC (National Crime Information Center) system is quite a resource. But my question is: Why would Whipple keep all the evidence of his crime in Heather’s car? If you’re going to return to the crime scene to spend all the time he did to clean up, why not get rid of the broken iron? The bent, serrated knife? The sneakers or bloody clothing? He’d had a week and had driven across multiple states – taking a few extra minutes to ditch the very incriminating evidence seems obvious, but maybe more so when you’re not high on crack.

Image credit: Episode screen capture from Forensic Files

Talking about cleaning up, if Whipple was going to leave so much evidence at Heather’s apartment, why bother to return to clean at all? Recall he’d left the broken plastic pieces from the iron, the broken parts of the lamp and its cord (used to strangle Heather), and similar indicators. Granted, he didn’t see the latent shoe impressions he believed he’d wiped up, nor the fingerprints he failed to eliminate, but it’s likely Whipple was again (or still) high on crack.

I was curious about the method of identifying Heather’s blood on Whipple’s clothing found in Heather’s stolen car. In 1991, DNA wasn’t remotely as common as it is today, but it was still understood and in use by then. Recall in the episode Southside Strangler (s01e06) where Timothy Spencer was convicted with DNA evidence in 1989. There was likely enough blood on the clothes to generate a DNA profile, but serology (blood typing) with additional enzyme markers was used instead. This is hardly the one in one billion match DNA can often generate, but with all the other physical and circumstantial evidence, maybe a more definitive match wasn’t necessary.

James Whipple did confess after all. He seemed genuinely remorseful, and the episode suggested that he asked for the death penalty for himself. However, additional research indicates this wasn’t likely the case. I read that Whipple had in fact received the death penalty, but the judge overturned this when it was learned James Whipple had likely not sexually assaulted Heather Stigliano. The same article also indicated Whipple had “broken in” to Heather’s apartment, while the episode suggested she’d likely allowed him inside. Also against James Whipple desiring the death penalty is a 1996 appeal filed in South Carolina. Their state Supreme Court decided in July 1996 that Whipple’s life sentence was “neither excessive nor disproportionate”, and they refused to rehear the appeal.

Where is James Whipple now in 2024?

Whipple pleaded guilty to first degree murder and received a sentence of life without parole in 1992. James Bernard Whipple is currently incarcerated at the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) in Columbia, SC.