Arthur Ream, a convicted murderer and rapist, is the subject of the harrowing story on NBC’s “Dateline: The Case of the Girl Who Never Came Home.” He had been convicted of raping numerous young girls throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Cindy Zarzycki, 13, who was killed in 1986. The episode aims to give a succinct overview of the suspected serial killer’s method of operation and the legal process leading to his conviction. Now tell us who Arthur was and where he is today. Let’s investigate.
How Many Girls Did Arthur Ream Kill?
In the 1950s, when much of Macomb County, Michigan, was still undeveloped, Arthur Nelson Ream grew up there. Although he denied sexual molestation, he stated that his abusive father caused him to drop out of school in the seventh grade and leave home at the age of 13. He started his flooring company after becoming skilled at installing carpets. He acknowledged that his paedophilia had resulted in perpetual upheaval in his personal life, saying, “I’ve had a rough time with women.” After being found guilty of raping a 15-year-old in 1978, Arthur’s first of four marriages came to an end.
Reports state that Arthur, who was 26 at the time, and his brother-in-law, who was 15, took part in the kidnapping of a young hitchhiker in Shelby Township. The girl’s brother-in-law said that Arthur repeatedly begged him not to rape her before using a switchblade on her and begging him to tape her eyes shut. However, the victim caught a glimpse of Arthur’s licence plate, and he was charged with statutory rape—a crime punishable by life—under the law of the 1970s. The brother-in-law described how Arthur vowed to murder his following victim in order to avoid being discovered.
Later, the charge was downgraded to 10-year felony indecent liberties with a minor female kid. When Arthur received his five- to ten-year sentence in August 1975, he referred to his felony rape offence as “the worst screw-up” in his life. After two months in prison, he contacted the judge to ask for a shorter sentence and another chance. In the meantime, his wife filed for divorce, claiming physical violence in front of their kids and many indiscretions, one of which was with their then-15-year-old babysitter. He accepted responsibility for the divorce and accused himself of “screwing it up.”
In the early 1970s, according to Macomb County authorities, Arthur allegedly mistreated a teenage niece by getting her intoxicated. Early in 1978, he received his parole, and in March of that same year, he was remarried. After an eight-month engagement, they got divorced in January 1979. He remarried in December 1979, but his third wife filed for divorce in 1986 on the grounds of physical abuse. Arthur said he shouldn’t have stayed with his third wife for so long and referred to her as “crazy”. He was accused by the prosecution of abusing two children, 12 and 13, at that time.
Where Is Arthur Ream Now?
Fourth marriage for Arthur Ream began in 1992 and lasted six years before his fourth wife filed for divorce in 1998, citing physical abuse. He had also been charged at that point with raping a young girl, age 15, for whom he was the legal guardian. She had been provided drink and sexually assaulted just like all of his other victims. The fact that the sex was consensual, despite Arthur’s admission of guilt, was irrelevant given that the victim was a juvenile. He committed the rape of the girl while on a weekend trip in a Gladwin residence he owned while he was living in Roseville.
When Arthur was charged with first- and second-degree murder in the 1986 killing of 13-year-old Cindy Zarzycki, he entered a plea agreement and received a 15-year sentence. Arthur fought for his release in 2008 after being charged with the murder. The minor’s boyfriend, Scott (Arthur’s adolescent son), and Arthur claimed to frequently hang out at a warehouse for his company. They were on some carpet, he claimed. She died after falling and sliding backward down the lift chute. However, he accused him of being responsible for the “accidental death,” claiming that he had wired open the gate to the goods lift shaft.
He was given a life without parole sentence when the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder despite not believing his tale. Before being sentenced, Arthur abruptly changed his mind and showed the police where he had buried Cindy’s remains. Later, the authorities asserted that Arthur might be responsible for at least four to six homicides, all of which involved young people aged 12 to 17 who vanished between 1970 and 1982. In Macomb Township, close to the junction of 23 Mile and North Avenue, they attempted to dig up his property without success.
The detectives indicated that they believed there was a good likelihood he would bury his likely victims in the same location where he buried Cindy’s remains. The convicted rapist and murderer, however, insisted he had no involvement in any of those crimes and audaciously demanded an apology from the police for defaming him and squandering tax dollars. The 74-year-old is spending his prison time playing cards and watching his favourite TV programmes in a single cell at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility.
