AMW Case File
Ran Mesika
Latest Airing:
Killer Gets Life Behind Bars
On October 11, 2008, Jonathan Vernier represented himself in a Louisiana federal court sentencing hearing. More than five years after Vernier killed an Israeli tourist named Ran Mesika, U.S. Distict Judge Patricia Minaldi handed down the ruling: Vernier was given life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was the decision Shimon Mesika was hoping for, that the man who murdered his son wouldn't ever be allowed back on the street.
Only On AMW.com: Vernier's Jailhouse Letters:
»Jailhouse Letter #1
»Jailhouse Letter #2
»Jailhouse Letter #3
Safety Center Resources:
»Protect Yourself Against A Violent Attack
Sex:
Male
Race:
White, Other
Age at Disappearance:
22
Current Age:
32
Height:
6'0''
Weight:
170 lbs.
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair):
- Black
Eyes:
- Brown
Other Phys. Characteristics:
- Thin build
Traits and Habits:
- Served three years in the Israeli army
- Was traveling across the country selling body piercing jewelry
Last Seen:
- Lake Charles , LA
- In the early morning hours of May 2, 2003, security cameras, at a Walmart off Highway 171 in Lake Charles, Lousiana, captured images of Ran Mesika with Jonathan Vernier inside the store.
Last updated October 30, 2008
Ran Mesika
Recovered;
Apr 17, 2008
Remains Of Missing Israeli Tourist
On April 12, 2008, Shimon Mesika, working side-by-side with law enforcement officials and volunteers, began searching a farming area southwest of Jennings, Louisiana. Five days later, one of the searchers found a human bone in the area.
All the search teams began concentrating on that area, and by the next day, police say they recovered two-thirds of a human body, including the skull.
Shimon had always said that he wouldn't stop searching until he found his son. And he meant it.
DNA tests confirmed that the bones found in Louisiana belonged to Shimon's son. The remains were finally sent home to Israel. On May 18, 2008 - five years after Ran Mesika was murdered - Shimon held a funeral in Ran's hometown of Herzliya and gave his son a proper burial.
Jonathan Vernier is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2008 and faces a life sentence in federal prison.
Ran Mesika
Video
Photos
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Ran was traveling across the United States selling jewelry.
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This is the last known image of Ran. He's in a Louisiana Wal-Mart with the hitchhiker he had picked up earlier.
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Using the credit card as a tracker, Shimon and authorities set off for Key West -- and were able to slap the cuffs on the hitchhiker, Vernier.
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Ran Mesika served three years in the Israeli army.
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Shimon had given Ran a credit card, and called the company to track down where the last transaction was made, hoping to find out where Ran was. Instead, his worry intensified when he learned that Ran's credit cards had been maxed out.
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Ran's father, Shimon, is not giving up hope on finding his son's body.
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Police say the hitchhiker stole Ran's van and credit cards. An ATM surveillance camera in Miami captured this image of the hitchhiker using a stolen credit card.
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Ran loved traveling and his family.
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Police discovered the van Ran bought for his trip at a campground in the Keys. What they found inside the van led police to conclude Ran had been murdered.
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We had John Walsh check out some of the evidence in the van-- these cleaning supplies are rare, and can only be found in specialty stores, especially Plexus. Cops believed Vernier used them in an attempt to scrub the van clean after Ran's murder. They wanted to find out where Vernier bought the supplies -- hoping it might have brought them closer to where he disposed of Ran's body.
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Remember, Vernier traveled from Lake Charles, LA to Key West. Police wanted to know when he disposed of Ran's body-- and they thought they could narrow it down based on where he bought these rare cleaning supplies.
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Police were also looking for a pad similar to this one. They thought Ran was probably killed on it and believed it was discarded along with the carpets in the van.
Ran Mesika
Shimon had given Ran a credit card, and called the company to track down where the last transaction was made, hoping to find out where Ran was. Instead, his worry intensified when he learned that Ran's credit cards had been maxed out.
Police say the hitchhiker stole Ran's van and credit cards. An ATM surveillance camera in Miami captured this image of the hitchhiker using a stolen credit card.
Police discovered the van Ran bought for his trip at a campground in the Keys. What they found inside the van led police to conclude Ran had been murdered.
We had John Walsh check out some of the evidence in the van-- these cleaning supplies are rare, and can only be found in specialty stores, especially Plexus. Cops believed Vernier used them in an attempt to scrub the van clean after Ran's murder. They wanted to find out where Vernier bought the supplies -- hoping it might have brought them closer to where he disposed of Ran's body.
Remember, Vernier traveled from Lake Charles, LA to Key West. Police wanted to know when he disposed of Ran's body-- and they thought they could narrow it down based on where he bought these rare cleaning supplies.
Police were also looking for a pad similar to this one. They thought Ran was probably killed on it and believed it was discarded along with the carpets in the van.
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