Kimberly Compton

**Kimberly Wilma Compton** (February 28, 1963 - June 3, 1981) was a recent high school graduate from Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the first murder victim of Paul Michael Stephani, nicknamed "The Weepy-Voiced Killer".

## Backstory

Kimberly Compton was from the small town of Pepin, Wisconsin with a population of less than 1000 people. After graduating from high school, Kimberly packed her bags and got on a bus headed to Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul. Like so many other small town high school graduates before and after her, she couldn't wait to leave and start the next chapter of a life in the city.

## Events

On the 3rd of June, 1981, Kimberly arrived by bus to downtown Saint Paul. She hired a locker at the bus station for her bags and went off in search for something to eat. Directly across the road from the bus depot, was "Mickey's Diner". Kimberly ordered the special of the day "BBQ Beef and Fries" and sat in a booth to enjoy her meal. Sitting a few booths away from her, was a lone man also enjoying a meal. He noticed Kimberly sitting alone and he walked over and struck up a conversation with her. This man would later transpire to be Kimberly's killer, Paul Stephani.

Kimberly told Paul that she had only just arrived to the city and didn't know her way around yet. Paul was only too happy to offer to drive Kimberly around and show her the sights of Saint Paul. Kimberly eagerly accepted, she couldn't wait to explore the city and was happy that she had a local to help show her around. Kimberly and her new friend, Paul, finished their meals and then left Mickey's diner together.

A few hours after they left the diner, police received an anonymous 9-1-1 call from Paul Stefani, admitting to the murder and giving police the location of the body.

Police responded and found Kimberly Compton laying face down near an unfinished freeway, just south of Saint Paul. There was a secluded area where you could catch a nice view of the Mississippi river. The killer had driven Kimberly there and then used the promise of that nice view to lure Kimberly out of the car.

She was then savagely attacked. Kimberly was stabbed 61 times with an ice pick and was dead when police arrived.

Kimberly had no identification on her, but police found her key for her locker at the bus station. They found her locker and her bags, and that's how the initial identification was done. The autopsy showed an undigested meal in her stomach, which is how police were able to piece together their movements. They knew that Mickey's Diner was across the road from the bus station and when they saw the special they had on the night that Kimberly arrived in town, matched what was in her stomach, they were able to piece some movements together.

They, immediately, interviewed the staff of Mickey's diner and appealed for anybody who may have seen Kimberly to come forward. But they couldn't find any witnesses that progress the investigation any further. There were no suspects , no physical evidence, so the investigation stalled.

## Aftermath

In 1997, after a diagnosis of terminal melanoma, Paul Stephani admitted to the murder of Kimberly Compton. Paul Stephani was already serving a 58 year sentence at the time of this confession. He died of cancer whilst incarcerated at Oak Park Heights Prison, Minnesota on June 12, 1998.

## Other Victims of Paul Stephani

* Kathleen Greening
* Barbara Simons