Guest Post - John Philip Chapman - John Norman Collins' Canadian Cousin

University of Toronto graduate, John Philip Chapman

Finally, I've finished the first complete draft of The Rainy Day Murders, my true crime treatment of the Washtenaw County Murders. In the coming weeks, I need to revise and finish the supplemental material and take it to the marketplace. 

Once I get an agent and a publisher, I'll have a better idea of a publication date. My grateful thanks to those many people who helped me tell the most complete account of these cases to date. You know who you are.

John Norman Collins' Canadian cousin, John Philip Chapman wanted to explain his involvement with this project in a guest post. Here it what he had to say.

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My name is John Philip Chapman, and I live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.  I am now 41 years old, an only child and the Canadian cousin of John Norman Collins.  Thirty-two years ago, I was introduced to my cousin – John Norman Collins for the first time.  

It was in early March of 1982, just a week before my 10^th birthday.  At the time and because of my age – my parents only told me that I had a cousin who was in prison and that he wanted to correspond with me.  Given my young age and inability to comprehend the nature of his crimes, I was never told what they were nor the details of his actions.  Some would say that ignorance is bliss.  At this point, nothing was further from the truth.  

From Day One, both my cousin and I had informally adopted the “Don’t Ask..Don’t Tell” policy concerning the crime for which he was accused and found guilty of.  I was curious to know the truth, but, yet afraid of what I might find out.  

At the beginning, through our letters and phone calls back and forth, I came to know this man as a kind, considerate and thoughtful person who dispensed great advice and was very understanding of the trials and tribulations that come with being a teenager and with all the new discoveries that come with that right of passage.  

A whole new world of opportunities was opening up for me – first job, first girlfriend, first examinations, first drink, first attempt at driving. However, with all these opportunities, I found myself being comforted in talking about these things with someone who regarded me as his proverbial “little brother” and who imparted on me words of wisdom and many comical anecdotes.  As a teenager, this was someone that I respected and cared for – he was family.  

In the years that followed, however, things began to change and something seemed “off” where my cousin was concerned, but I made the mistake of ignoring those warning signs and I continued to communicate with him – if anything because I felt a familial obligation to do so, and partially because I was an introverted person with no siblings. My cousin “appeared” to be understanding and compassionate.  I would soon come to realize that my suspicions were well founded

In May of 2013, as I casually browsed through the internet, I was overcome with the innate curiosity to look up my cousin’s name via Google and see what I could discover.  After all, what harm could that do? Looking back on that day, I could not, at the time, have ever imagined what I would find.  I spent the next four hours reading information and articles concerning my cousin – nicknamed “The Co-Ed Killer”.  

However, I had come across the name of a gentleman who was writing a book called “The Rainy Day Murders” and who was looking for information concerning my cousin.  Because I was confused and perplexed with what I had read about him, I decided to send this person an e-mail; then, we decided to meet in person.

In meeting with Greg Fournier and his associate, Ryan Place, I was convinced that their work was an honorable thing to do in paying not only tribute to those women who lost their lives but to those who remained behind – those mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, and relatives and friends who were left to pick up the pieces after their traumatic losses. 

The book they are just finishing promises to be the most accurate, detailed, and honest account concerning the circumstances surrounding the deaths of seven young women and the life of John Norman Collins. Over the next several months, I continued to write my cousin and correspond via e-mail with him in an attempt to obtain his side of the Karen Sue Beineman issue and to gain perspective into the mind of John Norman Collins – all for the benefit of this book. What I found was truly disturbing on so many levels.

Over the next several months, I learned a great deal about the crime that my cousin was charged with and found guilty of.  Never in my wildest imagination could I have ever thought that such violent, horrendous, and despicable actions could possibly be committed by someone I am related to.  Over these months, I came to understand the delusional reality that my cousin lives in and thrives on daily. 

I saw, for the first time in thirty years, that my cousin was and still is a master manipulator – a true Machiavellian in every sense of the term.  As long as the end justifies the means for John – he does it.  His attitude today towards women and womanhood are absolutely misogynistic, despicable, and clearly the words of someone who still has a great deal of anger towards women in general.  

John looks out for one person and that is himself, and he routinely uses emotional blackmail to obtain his desired result.  John shows zero remorse towards the lives of these young women and for his part in these crimes. He shows a callous disregard for his participation in these events.  

For my cousin John to admit any guilt and/or accept any responsibility for his actions would be a sign of weakness to him.  My cousin has a typical alpha-male personality that clearly shows through his many letters and e-mails over the past year.

With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to thank both Greg Fournier and Ryan Place for helping me to realize and come to terms with the monster that is my cousin, John Norman Collins. 

The disgust and contempt that I felt for my cousin was not enough to dissuade me from communicating with him because I knew in the end that any information I would obtain, would only benefit "The Rainy Day Murders”.  

Helping them turned out to be a real pleasure for me and an experience that I feel very proud to have been a part of.  In the end, I lost a cousin but gained two friends who have shown a great deal of integrity in dealing with the sensitive nature of this book.  It is to them and this book that I wish all the best for. 

For the families of the seven young women, whose lives ended far too soon – I can only express my sincere and heartfelt sympathy and apologies for what happened to your daughters, sisters, and nieces. These women had their whole lives ahead of them, and bright futures – sadly futures that would never come to be – all because of the violent madman that is my cousin – John Norman Collins.  

To those who were left behind, I wish that I could  take away your pain and suffering, but sadly I am not able to do that.  However, my heart goes out to you all for your courage and strength in dealing with the loss of your loved ones.  It's impossible to get over such a deep loss, especially under these circumstances. It is my hope that this book will offer you some measure of peace.

Neither myself or any member of my family has ever condoned the actions of my cousin and we do not support him in any way, shape, or form.  

Speaking for myself, my cousin is a disgusting, psychologically disturbed pervert that I am, in no way, afraid of.  To be afraid of him would be to allow him to have that kind of power over me, and I simply refuse to allow that to happen.  

John Norman Collins is a monster - straight up!  Because of this, I have taken every legal avenue at my disposal to ensure that my cousin never ever will be able to transfer to a Canadian prison and thus ensure an early release.  

As of January 10, 2014, I am proud and happy to say that after three months of addressing and taking care of this important legal matter (at some personal expense to myself) the case is now closed and John Norman Collins WILL spend the rest of his natural life in Marquette Branch Prison where he belongs.  If anything, I hope this fact will offer people out there some added measure of comfort and security.