The IHOP Murder

In 1983, Art Venecia owned a restaurant in South Florida, and his much younger partner, James Allen “Alan” Bryant, managed it. Bryant wanted Venecia’s money for himself. He turned to Dee Dyne Casteel, a waitress who worked for him, and she approached Michael Irvine, a mechanic she knew, who brought in his coworker William “Bil” Rhodes to do the killing.

Bryant let Irvine and Rhodes into Venecia’s home, where they killed him. His elderly mother, Bessie Fischer, lived on the same property, and within weeks the same two men killed her as well. Both victims were buried on the grounds, while Bryant forged paperwork so he could sell off Venecia’s assets. The plan came apart the following year, after Casteel talked about the killings while drinking and police went to the property.

All four were tried together in Dade County, convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, and sentenced in 1987. Each got death for one of the killings: Bryant and Rhodes for Venecia, Casteel and Irvine for Fischer. In March 1990, the Florida Supreme Court threw out the convictions, citing unfair jury selection and problems with the joint trial, and ordered new trials. Casteel was later resentenced to life in prison. She died in state custody on October 7, 2002, at 64.