When I Met a Murderer

People used to ask if I met any famous people while working in the security industry. Yes, I met many famous people. Some of the most notable are Kid Rock, Senator John McCain, Stevie Nicks, NBA players, and Major League Baseball players. The famous person I met that holds the distinction of being the most bizarre though is a cold-blooded murderer.

Remember Stephen Grant? Yes, the guy in Macomb County that killed his wife in 2007, cut her body into pieces at his father's shop, and discarded them into a Stoney Creek Park. Well, not all of the pieces. The imbecile put her torso in the garage of the family home. Believe it or not, I met Grant just a few days after he committed that horrendous act. I've only told a few people until now.

The reason I never told many people is because I met Grant in the spy shop I was managing. My former employer didn't want law enforcement, the attorneys, and the media to know that he had been in our store. He didn't want himself or his business dragged into the situation. The day that he came in was only a few days before he fled for northern Michigan. As you will recall he was apprehended in freezing temperatures later in the evening.

When Stephen Grant entered the store I was helping another customer and I didn't recognize him at first. As time went on his face and clothing began to become more familiar. If you watched the news coverage of his wife's disappearance you might remember that Grant was often wearing a heavy red jacket. Well, he had that same jacket on in my store and that is what was catching my eye. The other customer eventually left and I asked Grant if I could help him, still unsure of who he was. He explained to me that he was interested in voice recording devices. As I shared information with him about voice recorders he came right out and told me that he was "the guy who has been on TV lately." I instantly realized why he looked familiar to me.

The reason Stephen Grant was asking about voice recording devices was because his attorney instructed him to purchase one to record his telephone calls. At least that's what he told me. You may recall that one of the things that made Grant look bad in the public eye was the revelation that he had been communicating with a former girlfriend via the computer and the woman had supplied the emails to the media. Grant was very flirtatious with the woman and this, of course, made him look really bad in light of his wife missing. Remember that Grant was adamant about his innocence in his wife's disappearance, even though anyone with half of a brain knew there was something not right about his demeanor. Well, Grant told me that the former girlfriend had called him to apologize for sharing their personal emails. He, of course, had no way of proving that. Hence, the need for a telephone recording device. The voice recorders that I sold can record telephone and cell phone conversations.

Stephen Grant left my store without purchasing a recorder. He claimed that he was going to tell his attorney what he found out about the devices and that he wanted to find out if his attorney wanted him to buy a tape recorder or a digital recorder. Some judges don't like to accept digital recordings because they can be easily altered by computer software.

So, there it is. I looked into the face of a murderer for 15-20 minutes and had a normal conversation with him. It wasn't known until a few days later that he had actually committed the crime but, come on, it was pretty certain that he had done it. I still can't believe to this day that that happened to me. I'm sure I'll never forget it.