The Real Dennis DePue: How a Michigan Murder Inspired "Jeepers Creepers" Horror Classic
In 2001, the horror film "Jeepers Creepers" captivated audiences with its terrifying tale of a mysterious predator. While many viewers enjoyed the film simply as fiction, the opening sequence draws inspiration from a disturbing real-life crime that occurred on Easter Sunday in 1990. The incident involved Ray and Marie Thornton, who witnessed a man with a blood-soaked blanket at an abandoned schoolhouse while driving down South Prairie Road.
The man they spotted was Dennis Depew, who had just murdered his wife Marilyn following a domestic dispute. After an argument at their home, Dennis had shot Marilyn and attempted to dispose of evidence. He remained a fugitive for approximately a year until his case was featured on "Unsolved Mysteries." When his new girlfriend's family recognized him from the television program, authorities were alerted, leading to a police pursuit that ended with Dennis taking his own life. Today, Dennis rests in a family plot in Indiana, while Marilyn lies in an unmarked grave in Oakland Hills Cemetery.
Key Takeaways
The opening scenes of "Jeepers Creepers" were inspired by a real-life encounter between witnesses and a murderer in 1990.
Dennis Depew murdered his wife Marilyn after a domestic dispute, then attempted to dispose of evidence at an abandoned schoolhouse.
After a year as a fugitive and following his case appearing on "Unsolved Mysteries," Depew died by suicide during a police pursuit.
Real Inspiration Behind Jeepers Creepers
The 2001 horror film Jeepers Creepers contains a chilling opening sequence that many viewers don't realize was inspired by actual events. The true crime that likely influenced the movie occurred on Easter Sunday in 1990, involving Dennis Depew and his estranged wife Marilyn.
Ray and Marie Thornton were driving along South Prairie Road when a Chevy van aggressively passed them at high speed. The couple joked about the driver being in a rush after noting the license plate. A few miles down the road, they spotted the same van parked near an abandoned schoolhouse built in 1908.
What they witnessed next was disturbing: a man holding what appeared to be a blood-soaked sheet or blanket. Feeling uneasy, the Thorntons quickly drove away. Their fear intensified when the same van began tailgating them aggressively for several miles.
The brave couple decided to turn around to get a better description of the vehicle after the van pulled off at an intersection. When they returned, they discovered the man switching his license plates, and noticed the passenger door was open, revealing what looked like blood inside.
Rather than fleeing, the Thorntons returned to the schoolhouse to investigate. They found a blood-soaked blanket that the man had apparently tried to stuff down a small animal hole in the ground. Contrary to popular belief, nothing was hidden inside the actual school building.
The events at the schoolhouse occurred shortly after a domestic incident at the Depew residence. Dennis and Marilyn had been married for approximately 18 years before divorcing. On that Easter Sunday, Dennis arrived to pick up their children, but they refused to go with him.
An argument ensued between Dennis and Marilyn that ended with her being injured after either falling or being pushed down stairs. Dennis dragged her out, claiming they were going to the hospital. One of their children managed to call police.
The next day, Marilyn's body was discovered by a road worker. She had been shot in the back of the head, likely inside the van, explaining the blood the Thorntons had seen.
While on the run, Dennis sent strange letters to family and friends, often containing biblical references to justify his actions. He claimed Marilyn had turned his family against him.
The case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries (Season 3, Episode 20), which ultimately led to Dennis's capture. After seeing himself on television, Dennis, who had been living under the alias Hank Queen with a girlfriend in Texas, attempted to flee. His girlfriend's family recognized him from the show and alerted authorities.
Following a police chase where Dennis fired at officers and broke through two roadblocks, he ultimately took his own life with a gunshot to the head—in the same van where he had killed Marilyn.
Dennis is buried with his family in a cemetery just over the border in Indiana. Marilyn, however, appears to rest in an unmarked grave at Oakland Hills Cemetery, possibly because her family couldn't afford a headstone or preferred anonymity.
While the director of Jeepers Creepers has never officially confirmed this case as inspiration, the similarities between the film's opening sequence and the Thorntons' encounter are striking.
Events of Easter Sunday 1990
The Thorntons' Roadside Encounter
On Easter Sunday in 1990, Ray and Marie Thornton were driving along South Prairie Road when a Chevy van aggressively passed them at high speed. Marie made a lighthearted comment about the driver being in a rush after noticing the license plate. The couple continued their journey, unaware of the significance this brief encounter would soon have.
Discovering the Suspicious Activity
A few miles down the road, the Thorntons spotted the same van parked near an abandoned schoolhouse built in 1908. They observed a man handling what appeared to be a blood-soaked sheet or blanket. Marie expressed concern about what they were witnessing, prompting them to quickly leave the area out of caution.
As they drove away, the same Chevy van suddenly appeared behind them, following dangerously close for several miles. The situation became increasingly frightening until the Thorntons turned onto a different road. They noticed the van had stopped at the intersection they had just passed.
The Blood-Stained Vehicle
In a bold decision, the Thorntons turned around to get a better description of the vehicle and its license plate. Upon returning to the intersection, they discovered the man was in the process of changing his license plates. More alarmingly, they could see that the passenger door of the van was open, revealing an interior covered with blood.
Thoroughly disturbed, the couple fled but decided to return to the schoolhouse to investigate what the man had been doing. At the site, they exited their vehicle and discovered the blood-soaked blanket partially stuffed into a small animal hole in the ground. The man had apparently tried unsuccessfully to hide this evidence.
After this discovery, the Thorntons immediately headed to the police to report what they had witnessed. Unknown to them at the time, they had stumbled upon evidence connected to the murder of Marilyn Depew by her ex-husband Dennis Depew, a crime that would later inspire elements of the 2001 horror film "Jeepers Creepers."
Dennis Depew's Life Story
Marriage to Marilyn
Dennis and Marilyn Depew shared an 18-year marriage before their relationship ultimately ended in divorce. During their years together, they built a family with children, living in the Midwest region. Their relationship appeared normal from the outside, but beneath the surface, problems were developing. Dennis was reportedly controlling, a factor that would later play a significant role in their marital breakdown. The couple maintained their family life for nearly two decades despite these underlying tensions.
Marital Problems and Separation
The Depews' marriage deteriorated to the point where Marilyn sought divorce, which Dennis strongly opposed. On Easter Sunday in 1990, tensions escalated dramatically when Dennis arrived to exercise his visitation rights with their children. When the children refused to go with him, an argument erupted between Dennis and Marilyn. The confrontation turned violent when Marilyn fell down the stairs, suffering serious injuries. Dennis dragged her from the house, telling the children they were going to the hospital. One child managed to escape and call the police.
Instead of seeking medical help, Dennis took a shocking action—he shot Marilyn in the back of the head in his Chevy van and later attempted to dispose of evidence, including a blood-soaked blanket, at an abandoned schoolhouse built in 1908. A couple driving on South Prairie Road, Ray and Marie Thornton, witnessed Dennis acting suspiciously at this location and later observed him changing his license plates on his blood-stained van. After the murder, Dennis fled and remained a fugitive for approximately one year, sending bizarre letters with biblical references to family and friends, attempting to justify his actions.
Murder and Tragic Events
Marilyn's Fatal Encounter
On Easter Sunday 1990, Dennis Depew visited his ex-wife Marilyn's home to pick up their children for visitation. When the children refused to go with him, an argument erupted between Dennis and Marilyn. During the confrontation, Marilyn fell down the stairs, sustaining serious injuries. Dennis then dragged her from the house, telling the children they were going to the hospital. One of the children managed to escape and call authorities. Instead of seeking medical help, Dennis took Marilyn to his van where he shot her in the back of the head.
Body Found Roadside
Approximately one day after the incident, a town road worker discovered Marilyn Depew's body discarded alongside a road. The location was between the abandoned schoolhouse and the former Depew residence. Investigators determined she had been killed by a gunshot wound to the back of the head, likely inside Dennis's Chevy van, explaining the blood-soaked interior later witnessed by others.
Dennis's Time as a Fugitive
After the murder, Dennis Depew disappeared, becoming a fugitive from justice. During his time on the run, he sent multiple disturbing letters to family members and friends. These letters contained biblical references and attempted to justify his actions, claiming Marilyn had turned his family against him. Dennis maintained that he had "lost everything" because of her and used religious language to rationalize the murder.
Television Show Exposure
About a year after the murder, the case was featured on the television program "Unsolved Mysteries" (Season 3, Episode 20). The episode detailed the circumstances surrounding Marilyn's death and Dennis's fugitive status. By this time, Dennis had established a new life in Dallas, Texas, living under the alias "Hank Queen" with a girlfriend. When the episode aired, Dennis saw it and immediately prepared to flee his new identity.
The End of Dennis Depew
The television exposure led directly to Dennis's capture. His girlfriend's family members recognized him from the broadcast and alerted authorities. As police closed in, Dennis attempted to escape, initiating a high-speed pursuit across state lines. During this chase, he fired at officers and crashed through two police roadblocks. The pursuit ended in Mississippi when Dennis took his own life with a gunshot to the head while still in the same van where he had killed Marilyn a year earlier. Dennis was later buried in a family plot just across the Indiana border, while Marilyn reportedly rests in an unmarked grave in Oakland Hills Cemetery.
Depew Family Grave Site
The Depew family burial site is located just across the Indiana border, not far from the historic schoolhouse tied to this tragic case. Dennis Depew's final resting place sits among his family members, including his parents. His father lived until 2005, while his mother passed away in 1997. Dennis himself died in 1991 when he took his own life following a police pursuit.
The cemetery plot appears to be reasonably maintained, with flowers and plants adorning some of the family graves, suggesting relatives still visit and care for the site. This stands in stark contrast to Marilyn Depew's burial situation at Oakland Hills Cemetery.
Despite extensive searching and assistance from cemetery staff, Marilyn's grave couldn't be located. It's believed she lies in an unmarked grave in a specific area of Oakland Hills Cemetery. This may have been due to financial constraints or perhaps her family's wishes following the traumatic circumstances of her death.
The stark difference between these final resting places reflects the tragic end to an 18-year marriage that dissolved into violence on Easter Sunday 1990. While Dennis has a permanent marker among family, Marilyn rests without identification—a final inequity in their troubled relationship.
Marilyn Depew's Unmarked Grave
In the quiet hills of Oakland Cemetery, there lies no visible marker for Marilyn Depew, victim of a tragic murder in 1990. Despite thorough searches and multiple visits to the cemetery office, her final resting place remains unmarked. Cemetery staff have indicated she is buried in a specific area, though without any headstone or memorial to acknowledge her presence.
The absence of a marker may be due to financial constraints or perhaps a family decision following the traumatic circumstances of her death. Even decades after her passing on Easter Sunday 1990, Marilyn's grave remains anonymous among the many headstones of Oakland Hills.
This stands in stark contrast to her husband and murderer, Dennis Depew, who is buried with his family just across the border in Indiana. His family plot includes his parents and possibly other relatives, with his father having lived until 2005 and his mother until 1997. Dennis himself died in 1991 by suicide following a police pursuit after being featured on "Unsolved Mysteries."
The well-maintained family plot of the Depews, adorned with flowers and plants, suggests they continue to have relatives in the area who tend to their graves. Meanwhile, Marilyn's unmarked burial site represents a somber epilogue to her story, a final injustice following her violent end at the hands of her ex-husband.
