On the night of July 6, 1999, Wendy Lavin drove to her daughter Jennifer Still’s apartment in Bridgeport, PA, only to be stopped by yellow police tape at the entrance.
“I was confused,” Wendy recounted on the June 6 episode of Philly Homicide. “There were a couple of officers, and one approached me and said, ‘Jennifer’s dead.'”
Jennifer’s boyfriend, Kevin, had dialed 911 after discovering the 20-year-old had been stabbed 14 times in her chest, abdomen, and throat, leaving a distinct wound behind.
Investigators found no signs of forced entry and no murder weapon. They determined that Jennifer was likely attacked in the bathroom and then moved to the hallway, as suggested by a lone drop of blood found on the bathroom sink.
This single drop of blood would become central to the investigation, ultimately holding the key to unraveling the mystery.
Who Was Jennifer Still?
Jennifer, born on the Fourth of July, was described by her mother as a “firecracker.”
While Jennifer battled health problems—she was born with a cleft palate and later developed scoliosis—she found a lifelong friend in Elizabeth Bullwinkle, whom she met in fifth grade.
“We definitely bonded over our shared medical conditions,” said Elizabeth. “We were both teased a lot as children.”
As an adult, Jennifer was embraced by a close-knit group of friends who shared her love of the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons, which the group took playing seriously.
“I’ll describe them as unusual,” said retired Montgomery County Detective John Fallon. “They identified as warlocks and witches.”
Loved ones were skeptical of Jennifer’s friends, saying her personality was changing and that she had started dressing entirely in black.
“The rumors that went around involving Jennifer and her hobbies,” said friend Kelly Jacobson, “were that she was very much into witchcraft and occult-type stuff.”
Jennifer’s world of make-believe intrigued investigators, in part because, four years earlier, a man associated with Jennifer’s circle had been convicted of a double murder.
As authorities tried to identify the source of the blood left on the sink, one lead emerged from Jennifer’s voicemails.
A friend named John Eichinger had left a message indicating that he and Jennifer had plans on the day she died. When police reached out to John, he pointed them toward a couple named Danny and Ginny, claiming that Ginny was in love with Jennifer and the two had gotten married in a Wiccan ceremony.
But DNA testing of the blood eventually ruled out the couple. The blood also did not match Kevin or Jennifer.
Over time, the case grew cold.
Heather Greaves’ Murder Reopens Jennifer Still Case
For nearly six years, investigators were no closer to solving Jennifer’s murder.
Then, on March 25, 2005, Upper Merion Township police received a hysterical call from a man named George Greaves.
George had come home to find his adult daughters, Lisa Greaves and Heather Greaves, and his 3-year-old grandchild, Avery Johnson, dead in their home.
The case didn’t seem connected to Jennifer’s, until detectives recognized Heather: She was a close friend of Jennifer’s, a member of her D&D community, and someone police had interviewed in her murder investigation.
Then, another chilling similarity.
The Greaves’ neck wounds mirrored Jennifer’s injuries, and a tiny drop of blood had been left at the home.
It was clear to investigators that one person killed Jennifer and the Greaves family.
Their next break came when a neighbor reported seeing a man walking down the Greaves’ driveway on the day of the murder wearing clothes covered in a red substance.
George identified the man as Heather’s friend John—who detectives interviewed in Jennifer’s 1999 murder case.
John claimed in a new police interview that he had not seen Heather since February, but when confronted with the neighbor’s story, he dropped his head and confessed to all four murders.
Why Did John Eichinger Kill the Greaves Family and Jennifer Still?
According to prosecutors, John had a romantic obsession with Heather, but she did not return his affections.
“This obsession led to a deadly ultimatum,” explained Castor. “Eichinger said that he had made the decision to kill Heather if she would not return his romantic interest.”
After Heather rejected him, John pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the stomach.
“Eichinger said that Heather [called] out to Avery to call 911,” said Castor. ”John then finishes with Heather, runs past Avery, slashing her in the throat with the knife and immediately attacks the major threat, which is Lisa, and they get into a massive fight where Lisa is stabbed 30 times.”
John also told police that he had carried out the Greaves murders with the same knife he used to kill Jennifer.
According to John, he had gone to Jennifer’s apartment on the night of the murder and professed his romantic feelings. When she refused to leave Kevin, he stabbed her.
What Happened to John Eichinger After Committing Four Murders?
John was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
DNA testing later traced both drops of blood at the two crime scenes to John, while a knife found in his home matched the blood of Jennifer, Lisa and Heather.
Jennifer’s murder was finally solved—and John’s true nature was revealed.
“Eichinger told detectives that every Halloween, he would dress up as Ghostface from Scream,” said retired Montgomery County Detective James McGowan, “and that he kept that same knife in his waistband while he was handing out Halloween candy to kids in the neighborhood.”
McGowan added, “This man was pure evil.”
On Oct. 18, 2005, John was found guilty of all charges. He was handed three death sentences for the murder of the Greaves family and a life sentence for Jennifer’s murder.
