On March 31, 1994, my friend, Kristie Gunderson Lee, 20, was brutually murdered in her own apartment in Pompano Beach, Florida. Kristie was a loving, vivacious young woman who didn’t have an enemy in the world…until that day.
A little history about Kristie…
Kristie was born on September 4, 1973. The second daughter to Barbara Skinner. Kristie had an older sister, Karla. In 1981, they moved to Austin,Texas.
In 1988, she met her future husband, Jeff Lee. In 1992, she became pregnant. At that time, Kristie and Jeff decided to move to Florida, where Jeff’s mother and stepfather, Joe and Kay Petralia, lived. The wanted to begin a new life there. They moved in with the inlaws.
They continued living with the Petralia’s even after the birth of their son. Kristie and Jeff worked full time. Kristie was a hair stylist and Jeff was a travel agent. The Petraila’s watched their grandson daily while his parents worked. Soon after, however, the relationship between Kristie and Kay Petralia became strained. Kay started becoming overbearing with the grandson. This soon got worse as a arguement broke out between the two over baby juice and Kay pulled Kristie’s hair and pushed her down. Jeff and Kristie moved out soon after. Unfortunately, they still used the inlaws as a babysitter. But the relationship still remained very rocky.
The in laws soon got their own key to Jeff and Kristie’s apartment. They would always come over unannounced. On Thursdays, Kristie didn’t have to go to work till 12:45. She looked forward to spending that extra time with her son. But unfortunately, her in laws always made it a point to show up early anyway in the morning to pick up the grandson.This really got on Kristie’s nerves, but she chose to keep quiet.
The Murder
On Thursday, March 31, 1994, Joe and Kay Petralia showed up around 8:30 a.m to pick up the grandson. Witnesses saw Kristie open the door and greet them. Between 8:30 and 9:00, Kristie’s husband received a page on his pager from his home number, but when he called the apartment, no one answered. Then at 9:00 a.m., 2 female roommates next door heard a scream come from Kristie’s apartment. They said they were sure of the time because they were both late for work. They said they really didn’t think much of it because they had heard fighting between Kristie and Jeff before.
At 10:30 a.m. 911 received a call from Kay Petralia saying she found her daughter in law on the floor in her bedroom.
Kristie died from strangulation. She had also been hit on the head twice with a triangle shape tipped object.
The Petralia’s alibi
Arrived at Kristie Lee’s apartment around 8:30 to pick up grandson.
Admitted leaving at 9:30 a.m. (***NOTE: Remember time screaming was heard***)
Went to Walmart to buy Easter outfit for grandson.
When at Walmart, realized they had forgotten their money.
They said they went back to their own apartment to retrieve their money. At their apartment, they said the 20 month old grandson had spilled water on himself, so they said they had to go back to Kristie’s apartment to get more clothes for him.(**NOTE: Who takes a 20 month old child for the rest of the day without extra clothes?**)
They drove back to Kristie’s apartment, they knocked on the door. Nobody answered, so they decided to try their own copy of the door key, but for some reason, it wouldn’t work. So they went to the back of the apartment where they found the sliding glass door open. Kay Petralia called for Kristie, but there was no answer. She suddenly saw blood on the carpet and over certain items in the apartment. She ran through the apartment yelling for Kriste until she went into the bedroom and found Kristie on the floor. She said she tried CPR and then called 911.
The Scene
The crime scene was made to look like a robbery. A pillow case was found near Kristie that contained a few items, but it was nothing that was worth value. Kristie numerous gold rings were found on her dresser. Nothing in the apartment was taken and Kristie had not been sexually assaulted.
Police instantly went to Kristie’s husband work to tell him of his wife’s death and to check on his alilbi. He had been at work all morning and had coworkers statement to verify that.
Police then asked Joe and Kay Petralia to take a polygraph test, but at the time, Kay Petralia said she was too emotionally upset to take one and that she would take one later. That later never came. She told police that “friends” had told them not to take one. They have refused ever since.
After the murder
Jeff Petralia and his son moved from Florida back to Texas. His parents, who hated Texas, decided to follow him there. Kay Petralia soon became livid when her son decided to moved in with Kristie’s parents. Soon afterwards, she called CPS on Jeff saying he was abusing his son and doing drugs in front of him. Nothing was found and no charges were filed.
About 7 months later, Jeff bought a house. Joe and Kay were now living with Kay’s mother in Waxahachie, Texas and would regularly make visits to see their grandson. They would rent a room when in town so they could spend the day with him. One day after his night with his grandparents, he revealed that he went on a long drive with them and had a flat tire. Jeff Lee called the regular hotel they stayed in and was told they had never checked in. He found out that Joe and Kay Petralia had planned on taking him out of town without his permission. Where they were going, we don’t know. He then cut all ties with his parents.
Over the next few months, Jeff would get visits form his neighbors, who he did not know, saying that they had received a phone call from his mother saying for them to check on him..that she was worried about him. That is extremely strange behavior.
Soon after, we learned that the Petralia’s had separated. Joe moved to Riverside, California to live with his elderly mother. Kay moved to states like New York for a short period and then to Bahrain where she claimed she was now a Muslim. She routinely sent birthday and Christmas gifts to her grandson, but through her mothers address.
Joe and Kay Petralia moved back in Pompano Beach, Florida. I guess they thought they were not being looked after all these years. We then also learned that the police were called by Kay after a domestic issue with Joe and he was arrested in 2000. Police at the time didn’t know he was a suspect in a murder so he was not questioned. In August 2004, old DNA was retested using the newest technology, but tests came back inconclusive. Kristie’s case was featured on the show, Unsolved Mysteries in 1995. Her story was on featured in the Sun Sentinel in Florida. Joe Petralia was asked by a reporter for a comment where he responded, “If they have anything on me, tell them to come and get me. Until then, don’t bother my goddamn ass about it”
2012:  We have since learned that Joe Petralia died a couple of years ago.