Murder at 75 Birch Movie (True Story)

2011-05-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

The movie Murder at 75 Birch is based on the Wilkes-Barr, Pennsylvania murder of Betty Wolsieffer by her husband Glen Wolsieffer. Scroll below to read the true story.

The Murder of Betty Wolsieffer by her Husband Glen Wolsieffer

2011-05-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Timeline of the Case of Betty Wolsieffer
by Traciy Curry-Reyes

Background

Glen and Betty were high school sweethearts. In college Betty majored in education, and Glen became a dentist. They married in 1976 and later had a child named Danielle. From the outside, Glen and Betty seemed like they were the perfect couple. However, Glen had many affairs with several women. Two women in particular, Debbie Ship and Carol Kopicki. Debbie was Glen's dental assistant. Betty later found out about the affairs and confronted Glen about it. He admitted to the affairs, but continued to have them anyway.

August 30, 1986: Glen Wolsieffer, 36, calls his brother Neil to come over to the house in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Neil only lived a few houses down at the time. When he arrived, he found Glen's wife, Betty, on the bedroom floor dead. She had been choked and beaten. He also observed his brother Glen on the floor pretending to be hurt. Neil then calls the police. The police arrive and notice right away that the scene appears to be staged. The police began to question Glen relentlessly, but he sticks to the same story.

The story according to Glen: He heard noises. He got up to investigate and observed masked-hippie like druggies in the house. He grabbed his gun and tried to find the intruders when suddenly he was attacked from behind and choked unconscious.

The police don't buy the story for a minute. They notice a ladder outside leaning against the house. It was obvious that no one had actually used the latter to climb, but that it had been placed there to look like someone had broken and entered the home.Without enough evidence, the case goes cold. But, Wolsieffer remains the primary suspect.

November 1989: Glen is found living with one of the women with whom he had an affair. He was arrested at his home.

November 8, 1989: Jurors are chosen

November 15, 1989: The Falls Church Dentist enters the courthouse accompanied by his sister, Lisa for a preliminary hearing. He is freed on $200,000 bail.

November 28, 1990: Glen is found guilty of murder

December 13, 1991: Wilkes-Barre Times Leader journalists were arrested for publishing a transcript of a tape-recorded phone conversation with Glen Wolsieffer.

June 6, 1992: Glen is sentenced to 8-20 years.

1992: The book comes out about the case

1993-1996: Glen files appeals and loses

August 30, 1986: Phyllis Wolsieffer talks about the loss of her husband, a son, a daughter in law, and her son Glen who is incarcerated. She keeps all of the pictures up and looks upon them with sadness. The Tasker family also talks about the loss, and how hard it has been living without Betty. Betty's brother Jack Tasker said that the pain will "never go away."

January 16, 1999: The movie "Murder at 75 Birch" debuts. The tv producers were interested in making the movie because the brother vs brother angle seemed exciting. There was a very strong bond between the brothers and it reminded them of the story of Cain and Abel.

October 28, 1999: Betty Wolsieffer's daughter, Danielle, seeks return of her mother's blood-smeared wedding and engagement rings. She wants the rings for sentimental reasons according to her attorney, John Pike. At the time Danielle Wolsieffer was just 5 or 6 years old. She wanted closure.

November 1999: The rings are returned to Betty's daughter.

March 17, 2000-2004: Parole is denied

March 29. 2005: Glen admits to the parole board that he killed his wife. He is then given parole.

May 9, 2005: Glen Wolsieffer is free on parole at age 52. He goes to a halfway house.

May 21, 2005: Glen is released from the halfway house and reunited with his family.

October 5, 2005: Glen requests to move to Connecticut. He wanted to move there to be near his best friend and manage a lab there. According to someone who knows him, he actually ended up moving to Virginia. They were not sure what he was doing there.

Extra Tidbits

Glen often made up lies to his wife to get out of the house. In reality he was in a hotel room having sex with Debbie Shipp.

His other lover Carol Kopicki had a baby for Glen after he was incarcerated.

Photos of Glen Wolsieffer and Betty Wolsieffer

2011-04-15T21:38:00.000-07:00