The Wildest Murders Committed On Super Bowl Sunday
Stuff happens, especially bad stuff, and it doesn't seem to pay much attention to the calendar in the happening. People die on Christmas (Charlie Chaplin, Dean Martin, Eartha Kitt, via On This Day). Plenty of people have that wild vacation disaster story, usually including the punchline, "I shoulda just stayed home." The deadliest tsunami in history (so far) wreaked destruction on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, 2004, says History.com. More than 230,000 people lost their lives that day
Even a day devoted to athletic devotion and all things snack-worthy has seen its share of tragedy — and no, we aren't talking about your favorite team going down in defeat. Super Bowl Sunday itself has been witness to the unending heartache of violent death.
One crime which remains unsolved is the stabbing death of Jill-Lyn Euto (pictured above) of Syracuse, New York. CNY Central reports that it was Super Bowl Sunday in 2001. Euto, 18 years old, had her own apartment and her own job, living the independent life of a teen encountering the world as a burgeoning adult. After a day of unanswered phone calls and unreturned messages, Euto's mother, Joanne Browning, went to check on her on Monday, January 29, the day after the Super Bowl, relates WSYR. She found her daughter dead on a futon in the apartment. Jill-Lyn had been stabbed repeatedly; her throat was cut. The killer used Euto's own kitchen knife. That killer has yet to be found.
Three died in a drug-feud ambush
Super Bowl Sunday in 2017 was also marked by the tragedy of murder — this time, a triple homicide in Jupiter, Florida. The Palm Beach Post reports that Brandi El-Salhy, Kelli J. Doherty, and Sean P. Henry were in the backyard of the home of Charles Vorpagel. They hadn't been watching the game — Vorpagel didn't have cable. They'd gathered to party over beer and cocaine. At least two shooters, and possibly three, opened fire on the group, killing all but Vorpagel, who escaped.
In 2019, Christopher Vasata was convicted of the three killings, plus the attempted murder of Vorpagel. He was sentenced to four life sentences without possibility of parole.
Prosecutors believed that the murders were motivated by a drug feud between Vasata, Vorpagel, and Henry. The killers used AK-47s to commit the crimes. The women were collateral damage, reported the Sun-Sentinel.
After a search of his residence, Vorpagel also went to prison, for firearms violations.