Forty years later, murder theories abound in 1969 cold case
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Albert Buehl
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The Cronin-Hovland Liquor Store was the site of a murder and one of Rock County’s oldest cold cases.
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A crude stick figure shows where the body of Albert Buehl was found in the beer cooler at the Cronin-Hovland Liquor Store on West Court Street in Janesville. Buehl was killed June 16, 1969, but the killer has never been found.
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Albert Buehl’s broken pipe and eyeglasses were found on the floor of the beer cooler where he was killed.
JANESVILLE — Albert Buehl was murdered in the beer cooler at Cronin-Hovland Liquor Store along West Court Street on June 16, 1969.
He had gunshot wounds in the right side of his face and back. He was on his stomach, with his head resting on his right cheek. His brown shirt, beige jacket and green pants were stained with blood.
Buehl's eyeglasses and broken tobacco pipe were on the floor. Cases of beer had holes in them, spilling everywhere. Paper and plastic shotgun shell wadding was found nearby.
"Get somebody down here to the Cronin Liquor Store," a refrigerator repairman told 911 at 8:16 a.m. that morning. "A guy is in the cooler. Blood all over."
Since that day, Janesville police detectives have been trying to solve Buehl's murder, one of the oldest cold cases in Rock County. Detectives have explored theories that Buehl's slaying stemmed from a mob hit, a gambling debt, a scorned lover or a robbery gone bad.
More than 40 years later, key witnesses have died, memories have faded and evidence has decayed. Handwritten and typed reports in the case file seem to be incomplete, probably because key information was kept in a former detective's head or desk.
"There are a lot of questions unanswered," said Detective Erik Goth, who has reviewed the case.
Key witness
Buehl, 62, was stocking beer when he was killed at the store between 8 and 8:16 that Monday morning. He was shot from behind with a 16-gauge shotgun, possibly a double barrel because no casings were found.
Nothing was stolen from the liquor store's cash register, although it appeared someone might have tried to open it. Buehl had $85 in his wallet.
Stephen DeWitt, a 54-year-old retired Janesville police sergeant, is a key witness in the case. He was 14 years old when he rode his bike past the liquor store at 8:10 a.m. He often stopped there to buy candy. On this day, he had no money and kept going.
He told police at the time that he saw a white 1959 Chevrolet Impala with red trim in the liquor store's parking lot. He recognized the car because his uncle had the same vehicle.
Police believed the car might have belonged to the killer, but computer databases listing vehicle registrations and other car information didn't exist at the time. The vehicle has never been found.
"I'm actually kind of thankful I didn't stop in," DeWitt said. "It's a real strange feeling knowing that because of sheer luck, you didn't walk in there at the time."
To this day, finding the Impala or its owner would be the best lead in the case, Goth said.
The mob and gambling
Bernie Kakuske, the Beloit police chief at the time, told Janesville police he had a former detective who investigated organized crime in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Kakuske said Buehl's name had come up as a gambler with mafia connections. He said Buehl was about $3,000 in debt to the mob.
The Beloit chief thought it was possible Buehl didn't pay and got killed in a hit. The chief thought Buehl's name also was mentioned in a John Doe case, although he couldn't remember why.
Another witness told police he played cards with Buehl at the former Milwaukee Bar when Buehl was part owner. They played "rap rummy." Players sometimes would lose as much as $200, and they didn't always have that kind of money.
The man told police Buehl was very bad at paying his debts, but he always wanted to be paid right away when he won.
A third witness told police a small contract had been put out for Buehl's death.
Janesville police, however, dismissed the idea that Buehl's murder had mob or gambling connections.
Chief Murray Cochran issued a news release July 31, 1969, to address the theory.
"We have been unable to give any substance or credibility to this rumor," Cochran said. "Would a real professional killer use a 16-gauge shotgun, older shells, at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning at one of the busiest streets in the city, and then attempt to open the cash register?"
Affairs
Several witnesses told police Buehl and his wife had a history of extramarital affairs.
A family friend told police Buehl was a ladies man. He had seen Buehl with another woman in Whitewater, and he said Buehl also had a woman who worked at a drug store.
One woman's husband gave Buehl a warning, but the man had an alibi for the time of the murder. He had clocked in at work at 6:30 a.m. that morning and was there all day.
A waitress at the former Berries Store and Restaurant told police she had known Buehl for years. She had worked at Elmer's Cafe when Buehl came in every night after closing his bar.
She said Buehl ran around on his wife when he was younger, but he had settled down in the years leading up to his homicide. She said Buehl's wife also had cheated.
The waitress told police the couple was getting along well and had no recent family problems. Buehl had planned on retiring soon and had scheduled a trip with his wife.
Lie detectors
Investigators received reports that money was being stolen from the liquor store before Buehl's death, and they quickly focused on Buehl's business associates and others with ties to the liquor store.
Harold Hovland, co-owner of the store, his wife, Alice, and his son, Jon, all voluntarily answered questions as part of a lie detector test. Buehl's wife, Beatrice; Bill Cronin, the liquor store's co-owner, and others also were polygraph tested.
"It was sort of an uncomfortable time as you might imagine," Jon, 63, of Janesville said. "At 22 years old, that's kind of earth shaking when someone asks you if you murdered somebody."
Jon still remembers the questions: Did you help or plan with anyone to shoot Al Buehl? Did you shoot Al Buehl? Were you present when Al Buehl was shot? Do you know who shot Al Buehl?
"It was a scary time," he said. "None of use felt good about the polygraph."
Jon had a solid alibi at the time of the murder. He was at work delivering uniforms. He and the others passed the polygraphs and were dismissed as suspects.
Robbery
Shortly after the polygraphs, investigators focused on the theory that the murder stemmed from a robbery.
Detectives believed two attempts were made to open the cash register based on the till's receipt tape.
Investigators spent most of their time checking their case against other robberies and murders in Wisconsin, Illinois and other states across the country.
They checked liquor store robberies, shotgun-related murders and any case with similar circumstances.
"I sincerely believe that today, somewhere, a scared punk or punks, are carrying some extremely unpleasant memories of the morning of June 16," Cochran said in his news release.
None of the robbery leads panned out.
'Killed for a reason'
After reviewing the case, Goth said he believes Buehl likely was targeted.
"I think he was killed for a reason—business or personal," he said.
Goth said it probably wasn't a robbery because no money was stolen from the cash register or from Buehl's wallet. Also, why would a robber shoot the clerk?
"I don't think robbery was ever a motivation for this crime," Goth said. "If it was, it was horribly botched from the beginning."
Goth said the tip from Beloit police about the mob or gambling theories is credible, but the reports don't show any follow-up on that lead.
He said a professional hit man probably wouldn't use shotgun shells with old paper wadding or carry a shotgun on a busy street. A hit man probably would choose a weapon he could conceal.
Goth said a love affair is a good motive for murder, but the reports don't indicate a scorned lover as a suspect. He said they contain lots of reports including rumors and innuendo.
The case remains cold
Buehl's murder has been investigated in the past 10 years, Goth said.
A state Department of Justice investigator came to the police department several years ago and reviewed the case, he said.
Physical evidence was resubmitted to the state crime lab for analysis, but no DNA evidence or new leads were developed, Goth said.
The evidence was later organized and photographed, he said.
Goth said no one stands out as a suspect. Many people interviewed at the time are gone. At this point, police would need a new lead to reopen the case.
"I think the likelihood that our suspect is dead is very high," he said.
Oct 9, 2010 at 6:37 p.m.
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seren...don't hide in the shadows. Tell it like it is. You opened the door...
Oct 9, 2010 at 10:16 a.m.
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Walker- I am only finding the currect stuff on this. Can you explain better how to get to the old stuff please.
Oct 9, 2010 at 12:50 a.m.
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The Gazette left out a few details. 1) The Janesville Police officer who confronted Al 2 nights before, accusing him of sleeping with his wife. 2) The man who ran out of questioning saying "I know who did it, but they will kill me". 3) The Hovland kid who Al caught, stealing money a few times and that Al had threatened to tell on him. 4) Witnesses that said Al did not owe any money, and that more people owed him. 5) Another witness said that Al was the bookie and made quite a bit of money for certain people. Maybe they owed money and the wife thing was just a cover up for the argument? The mob would have done it quite a bit differently. There were a few other details pointing to the cop and no article ever discusses the possibility that the police could have been involved.
Oct 8, 2010 at 10:44 a.m.
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Posterguy-CSI would have the murderer confessing in 57 minutes.........
Oct 8, 2010 at 10:27 a.m.
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callitasiseeit...I've heard many of the same things. In fact, I'm pretty sure the person the police believe to be the killer is the brother of my dad's in-law. But, like you said, evidence was lacking for a conviction. Growing up around police officers has its advantages if you're into police stories. Murders around this area don't happen very often, and hearing the stories first-hand is definitely interesting. The paper typically leaves out quite a bit of information. That Knilans Road murder was a bloodbath from what I recall hearing. Absolutely brutal, and most likely personal.
Oct 8, 2010 at 10:09 a.m.
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Ashmont! Funny!
Oct 8, 2010 at 8:11 a.m.
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The Berries was owned by a man named Kramer when I started there. While I worked there a drywall contractor named Ralph Folk purchased the business. I do not know who owned the Berries before Mr. Kramer, but the business went back a long ways.
Are we graded on spelling?
Oct 7, 2010 at 10 p.m.
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And, actually...they "razed" paradise and put up a parking lot.
Oct 7, 2010 at 9:58 p.m.
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Is it possible the Barry family owned it?
Oct 7, 2010 at 8:11 p.m.
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Your hubby is old enough to remember when Columbus got here.
Oct 7, 2010 at 7:59 p.m.
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The sign on the store said "It's the Berries".
Everyone knew it as the Berries.
Oct 7, 2010 at 7:55 p.m.
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Was it "Berries Store and Restaurant". ?
Or was it BARRY'S Grocery?
Oct 7, 2010 at 4:31 p.m.
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I worked at both Elmers Cafe and "Berries Store and Restaurant". I worked at Elmers as a dishwasher and one of my jobs was to pressure cook the Broasted Chicken. I moved up after a year or so to the Berries where I worked for over 3 years (all through high school and beyond). It's a stretch to call Berries a restaurant. It had 7 stools at a soda fountain bar and we served cold meat sandwiches and hamburgers. Berries was most known for its real sodas (The old fashioned kind in tulip glasses) and the special malteds which contained a raw egg.
On Thanksgiving and Christmas Berries was a prime source for last minute eggs, milk, and butter.
Wow the memories!! When Berries was torn down (corner of Locust and Milwaukee) there was a popular song out that had the lyrics, "they raised paradise and put up a parking lot," and I related to those lyrics.
Oct 7, 2010 at 4:23 p.m.
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A few weeks before this murder, there was a double murder/suicide in Janesville. Urial Behling took the life of Goldie Thomas and Steven Brown on N. Parker Drive before killing himself. It was the first murder in Janesville in 25 years according to the papers.
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If you have a valid Wisconsin library card, you can read back issues of the Janesville paper on newspaperarchives right at home. You can read the original coverage of the Beuhl murder as reported, although this article is excellent.
http://www.badgerlink.net/
Right side, library log in
Oct 7, 2010 at 3:50 p.m.
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I find the stick figure very interesting. Is it that hard to trace a body?
Okiefed- somebody mentioned the old area of Taco John or whatever taco place was there before. Seems the same as the money store.
Too long ago for me to even remember what the place looked like before. Never heard of this murder until now. YIKES.
Oct 7, 2010 at 3:21 p.m.
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This one i still think was a mob hit and even back Then Janesville did not want to tarnish their good city name and still today hide some of the issues that would do so.. IMO
Oct 7, 2010 at 3:19 p.m.
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The knilans road murder wasn't even in the unsolved murder list when the Lentz family was murdered. that was a sad case to be left unsolved Done with the baby present in the home. Interesting fact right across from same trailer park as the Lentz family.
Oct 7, 2010 at 3:14 p.m.
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Wasn't it Falcony's before that.
Oct 7, 2010 at 3:08 p.m.
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Posterguy-I have heard from a couple of sources that the cops know with some certainty who the Knilans road killer was but the evidence was lacking.
Oct 7, 2010 at 2:02 p.m.
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I thought this happened at the old Super Beer Depot by the tanning place. Guess I was wrong. So sad they cannot solve this. I was too young to remember but my hubby does. In fact he was talking to me about it just a couple days before the article in the paper, now that is weird!
Oct 7, 2010 at 1:58 p.m.
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OkieFed, that is the correct corner (the building there was built to be a Taco John's).
Oct 7, 2010 at 10:21 a.m.
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Ted...Nice piece. I'm a true crime junky, especially local true crime, and this hit the spot. Being only 33, I wasn't around when it happened, so it was definitely interesting to read.
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upnorthwi...I remember that murder in 88 on Knilans Rd. A family member (through marriage) of my dad's had a brother or cousin who was a prime suspect in that murder. If my memory is correct, he was an ex-boyfriend/husband of the victim. And, later on, another of my dad's relatives actually lived in that house for a while. As far as I know, the case hasn't been solved. I can ask my dad and let you know what I find out if you're interested.
Oct 7, 2010 at 10:12 a.m.
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veedo...I don't think the car is in Atlas Pit or Kiwanas Pond as those have both been dived numerous times and no vehicles were found, only trash and animal carcasses. I would not be surprised if this had something to do with organized crime with Janesville and Beloit being so close to Chicago. It's too bad, but I don't think a resolution to this case will ever come. The killer is more than likely dead, as would be anybody else who could've been involved.
Oct 7, 2010 at 7:01 a.m.
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JB? Justin Beiber?
Oct 7, 2010 at 5:29 a.m.
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Over the decades there have been several rumors about this case that I've heard , but I don't see these mentioned. The car is in Atlas pit/Kiwanis pond. The killer was of Native American origin. A powerful comunity member(JB) is associated with this crime.
Oct 6, 2010 at 9:08 p.m.
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I must say, that bourbon special was a true bargain in 1969!
Oct 6, 2010 at 9:02 p.m.
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JanesvilleReader/ I chuckled at the same thing!
Oct 6, 2010 at 9:01 p.m.
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I was only six years old, but I remember that day and the talk around the neighborhood afterwards. We lived very close. My parents and all of our neighbors thought that it was a mob hit, but not for the reasons given in the article. There were other liquor stores in the neighborhood. Mr. Buhel's store was cheaper and allowed customers to keep a tab. He was getting more business than the other liquor stores. That's all I'm saying.
Oct 6, 2010 at 8:37 p.m.
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Funny how these things can capture the imagination. Theory two:
I think a shotgun -with both the barrel and butt stock sawn-off- would be and excellent choice for a hit man. It's concealable and very deadly at close range. The cooler could be chosen as the ambush site because the heavily insulated room would muffle the shots. It's also out of sight of anyone who happens to wander into the store. The shooter may have known Mr. Buehl would be working alone at that time of day. Would a hit man actually park in the parking lot? Walking a block away would expose him to many more sets of eyes and taken valuable get away time so maybe he would.
Oct 6, 2010 at 8:28 p.m.
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I remember it going pass there and my mom and dad told me the some one died there i lived three blocks away from the Liquor Store we would walk pass it to go to frosty freeze as kids.... it was scary to do that.....
Oct 6, 2010 at 8:16 p.m.
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Okay here's a theory;
An inexperienced, frightened robber enters the store. Mr. Buehl is elsewhere in the store. The robber tries to force the till but with no luck. He hears Buehl coming and takes refuge in the cooler thinking he'll have another try at the till or at least pick up something when Buehl is distracted. Perhaps Buehl hears or sees him enter the cooler or maybe Buehl just enters the cooler by chance. The robber panics and shoots Buehl. The robber having just fired two loud shots and killed a man is terrified and flees. The money in the till or on Buehl is the last thing on his mind, he just wants to get away.
Oct 6, 2010 at 6:54 p.m.
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That's more like it.
Every little memory counts. Write it down and share it,even if it sounds like nothing. This is what a blog is for. I've been saying since I was a teen that we know more than the police, but sometimes we don't know that we know--until we share it.
And being there that day is a huge deal.
Oct 6, 2010 at 6:05 p.m.
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wow..this story and pictures brings back memories!! I was only 8 years old when that happened...so my memories are scattered...but looking at the picture of the store..I can remember FEAR. I remember the day it happened, and mom & dad driving past and all the police cars there. And I remember how it sat empty for so long afterwards...and how we, as children, always assumed it was haunted....
Oct 6, 2010 at 5:55 p.m.
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I still wonder what happened in 1988 to that woman who lived on Knilans Rd...Never did hear if they caught that murderer.
Oct 6, 2010 at 5:32 p.m.
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Lighten up people, back then we called "O" and that was the same thing. How about some real questions or thoughts to help solve the murder?
Oct 6, 2010 at 5:03 p.m.
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ha ha ha .. 911 was not instituted in Rock County in the late 70's early 80's. I remember how none of the small cities wanted a part of a rock country communication. I remember the phone number for the emergency line, and now it is someones personal number... LOL I wonder if they ever get any calls for emergencies!
Oct 6, 2010 at 4:38 p.m.
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nice stick outline of the body
Oct 6, 2010 at 4:36 p.m.
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I remember my parents being concerned about that as it was not far from our neighborhood. It was scandalous because back then Janesville simply did not have murders.
Oct 6, 2010 at 4:36 p.m.
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911 was actually instituted nationally in 1968, although when an individual community's lines were switched over varies. At that time it would have been a simple forward to the police dispatch number.
Oct 6, 2010 at 4:21 p.m.
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Rats! Beat me to it!
Oct 6, 2010 at 4:18 p.m.
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They called 911? In 1969?
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