The Michigan Murder Case That Inspired Jeepers Creepers

In this case, the truth is darker than fiction. I'll bet most horror movie fans don't know the real story behind a Coldwater, Michigan murder case that inspired the Jeepers Creepers franchise.

The True Crime Story That Connects Coldwater to Hollywood

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A contentious divorce between a Coldwater couple turned deadly on Easter Sunday in 1990, when 46 year-old Dennis DePue fatally attacked his 48 year-old ex-wife, Marilynn, while picking up their children.

Jeepers Creepers Schoolhouse Coldwater Michigan

Sadly, the children were witness to the attack. After pushing Marilynn down the stairs, Dennis told them he was taking their mother to the hospital, leaving the children behind at the house. Marilynn was never seen alive again.

What happened next would help connect this Coldwater murder case to one of the most recognizable scenes of 2000s horror movies.

Two innocent passersby noticed a man in a van (DePue) parked near an abandoned schoolhouse in rural Bronson, Michigan with what appeared to be a blood-soaked blanket. As seen in the Unsolved Mysteries episode, the couple were so unsettled by what they saw, they jotted down a few observations and eventually went back to check on the site.

There, they found the bloody blanket, which investigators later confirmed to be Marilynn's. The next day, her body was discovered along a deserted road between the schoolhouse and her home. Dennis was found living under a new identity in Dallas, but ended his life to escape authorities.

For Hollywood horror fans this may sound familiar, as this is how the 2001 film Jeepers Creepers begins.

Jeepers Creepers Schoolhouse Coldwater Michigan

And that's pretty much where the similarities end. The rest of the film is about a demonic flesh-eating creature on a feeding spree and stars actor Justin Long. The movie has since spawned a four-film franchise.

The Coldwater-area schoolhouse where DePue was spotted with the bloody blanket is still standing today. Each year, die-hard horror fans visit the site to see the eerie location for themselves. Note: the schoolhouse is private property and is under surveillance. Do not trespass.