Dr. Terry Welke, the coroner who reopened the case decades later, was unequivocal. “I am absolutely certain she was killed,” Welke testified, noting Mary was found face-up with crossed arms—unusual for drowning victims, who are typically recovered face-down.
Serial Murder Two Wives Still Missing
Prosecutors also presented testimony from three former friends who said Felix Vail admitted killing his wife. One witness, Bruce Biedebach, testified Vail told him he tried to use an oar during the incident, saying, “it didn’t work well.”
Adding to suspicion, a former Travelers Insurance employee testified that Felix Vail took out a life insurance policy on Mary shortly before her death—without her signature. Despite collecting the payout, Vail did not pay for her funeral, burial, or headstone.
Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland posed a blunt question to jurors:
“What kind of man doesn’t pay the funeral bill for his wife?”
Holland also highlighted the improbability of three wives dying or disappearing under similar circumstances.
