The Murder of Rachel Timmerman

Rachel Timmerman was the 18-year-old mother of a 1-year-old daughter when she disappeared from her Cedar Springs, MI, home on the night of June 3, 1997.

On this evening, Rachel left a party with 43-year-old Marvin Gabrion, a friend of the family, and two other men. The group stopped in a field. Marvin ordered the two men out of the truck and continued the drive with Rachel.

Sexual Assault Charges

Marvin allegedly brutally beat Rachel and raped her three times. Although afraid to press charges, Rachel did so the day following the attack. Police investigated the matter for six months, charging Marvin with third-degree sexual assault on January 20, 1997. If convicted, Marvin faced years in prison.

Two weeks after his arrest, Marvin bonded out of jail. The rape petrified Rachel in and of itself but when Marvin was released, it took a major toll on her mental and physical well-being. She no longer trusted people and activities she once enjoyed was no longer appealing.

Rachel Vows to Make a Change

Over the next several months, Rachel focused more attention on her daughter, school, family, and work. She had every intention to testify against Marvin, although he had threatened her several times, according to statements made to police by her mom. She also had nightmares about him killing her. Tim, her father, promised he would help her every step of the trial.

On June 3, 1997, Rachel agreed to go out on a date with a man named Steven Weeks. She didn’t personally know Steven. Rather, she met him when he called her house and began asking her out on a date. She initially declined the date offer but changed her mind, thinking it’d be a great way to get out of the house for a while. She took her infant daughter along with her.

Neither Rachel nor her infant daughter Shannon was ever seen again.

Another Letter Arrives

Tim received a letter postmarked from Little Rock the following day, the author claiming to be Rachel letting him know she and the baby were going on a vacation. Tim was concerned because he knew that Rachel was scheduled to testify in a few days and had started a new job a few days before.

When Rachel didn't show up for court on June 5, charges against Marvin were dropped. The prosecutor received a letter 11-days later. Claiming to be Rachel, the letter was postmarked from Little Rock, AR, and described how the rape allegations were all “made up” because she was angry Marvin refused to have sex with her.

The prosecutor was confident Rachel did not write the letter.

Boaters Find Rachel's Body

Two weeks later, boaters found a decomposing body in Oxford Lake. It was later identified as Rachel. She had been wrapped in chains that had cement blocks padlocked to them. Her mouth and eyes were duct-taped. The autopsy revealed that Rachel was still alive when she was tossed into the lake.

Police have never located Shannon's remains.

No-Show at Court

Police suspected Marvin of the murders from the start. They found cinder blocks on his property matching those used to tie down Rachel. Since Wayne Davis also failed to show up for court to testify against Marvin that day, things were even more suspicious. Marvin was nowhere to be found -and no one had seen him since a few days after he bonded out of jail.

Steven was also gone. The last time anyone saw him was on June 22.

The FBI began an investigation into the murder and disappearances. They learned that Marvin used the name Robert Allen, a homeless man who vanished in 1995. Police suspect Marvin murdered Allen and the other two missing men.

Marvin Arrested

In October 1997, police arrested Marvin in Sherman, New York, after they discovered he had been cashing Allen’s social security checks. He denied that his name was Marvin at his court hearing but it did not take authorities long to identify him. He still was not charged with Rachel’s murder.

Police finally got the break they needed two years later. In June 1999, Marvin was indicted on murder charges. Several witnesses testified to seeing him dragging boats and boxes across his driveway.

A search of the home revealed many evidentiary items, including two keys that matched the padlocks chained to Rachel’s body and concrete blocks stained with the same materials found on Rachel’s body. When Marvin’s nephew took the police to his uncle’s campsite, they found chains, duct tape, a woman’s hair clip, silicone nipples for a baby bottle, and bolt cutters.

Marvin Convicted

In March 2002, Marvin was convicted of Rachel’s murder and sentenced to death. He twice appealed the conviction. It was upheld in 2006 and overturned in 2011. His sentence was then converted to life in prison. However, the death sentence was again reinstated in 2013.

In July 2002, Wayne Davis’s body was recovered. Marvin is the prime suspect in his murder but has never been charged.

Baby Shannon, Robert Allen, and John Weeks are still missing. Police are certain all three people, including baby Shannon, are deceased. While incarcerated, Marvin gave another inmate a map of Oxford Lake. Written on it were the words “body of 3, 1 found.” He also confessed to two inmates that he killed the baby because he did not have anywhere else to put it.

Resources & Additional Case Information:

http://cedarspringspost.com/2013/06/07/court-of-appeals-affirms-death-penalty-for-gabrion/

https://casetext.com/case/gabrion-v-united-states-3

https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/13a0151p-06.pdf

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/2022/06/03/michigan-girl-still-missing-25-years-after-mother-murdered-found-dead-in-lake-killer-on-death-row/

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2017/01/father_of_murder_victim_rachel.html