In September 2008, a chilling true crime story unfolded at a Missouri rest stop.
A truck driver Valentin Kirilchuk was lured to his death in a fatal shooting orchestrated by Dana Tutor and her boyfriend, John Hughes.
Criminal investigations into the fatal shooting revealed a cross-country crime spree that began with a stabbing in Ohio and ended with Kirilchuk’s murder in Missouri.
Ultimately, their "Bonnie and Clyde crime spree" came to a close with John Hughes serving two life sentences and Dana K. Tutor facing up to 20 years in prison.
Let's get into it
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| Dana Tutor |
A Cross-Country Crime Wave
On September 8, 2008, Valentin Kirilchuk, a 39-year-old immigrant pursuing the American dream, parked his rig at a rest area off I-29.
Dana Tutor, then 32, approached his cab, claiming she needed $100 for her “baby’s diapers.”
Kirilchuk, likely moved by her plea, followed her into the rest stop building after Tutor lured him there under false pretenses.
Little did he know Tutor’s boyfriend, John Hughes, was lying in wait, pretending to use a pay phone.
According to police reports, Hughes then forced Kirilchuk into a restroom at gunpoint.
A struggle ensued, and Hughes fired a 9mm bullet into Kirilchuk’s head, as reported by Daily Mail News.
After the fatal shooting, the pair fled the crime scene, leaving Tutor’s fingerprint on the truck’s window and her DNA on the passenger mirror.
These key pieces of forensic evidence later became very pivotal during the course of this true crime case.
Criminal investigators later discovered that the Missouri murder was just one of the killings committed during Tutor and Hughes’ violent rampage.
On August 29, 2008, just a few days earlier, Hughes had stabbed 53-year-old David Durben to death in Zanesville, Ohio.
After killing Durben, Hughes stole a gun from him which he later used to kill Kirilchuk, according to Kansas City News.
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| This is the rest stop building where Valentin Kirilchuk was killed |
The Investigation Unfolds
John Hughes and Dana Tutor's spree ended abruptly on September 9, 2008, as reported by Nebraska TV.
This was after a Nebraska State Patrol trooper arrested Hughes for a traffic violation near York, Nebraska.
A search of their car uncovered the murder weapon and stolen items tied to Durben’s killing.
Eventually, crime scene investigations in Missouri and Ohio revealed damning connections.
Kirilchuk’s DNA matched traces on Hughes’ 9mm handgun, while Tutor’s fingerprints placed her at the scene.
According to court documents, the couple looked up to famous outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde as idols, and their crime spree was just like theirs.
They even talked about getting Bonnie and Clyde tattoos to celebrate their chaos.
“This defendant wanted to be like Bonnie and Clyde, and she was. Just like Bonnie and Clyde, she and her boyfriend John Hughes are robbers and murderers,” said Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.
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John Hughes |
Legal Reckoning: A Prosecutor’s Fight for Justice
Despite the overwhelming evidence, justice faced delays for many years.
During John Hughes's trial, he was found guilty of multiple felonies, including the murders of Valentin Kirilchuk and David Durben.
He was eventually sentenced to two life sentences for both murders.
After his arrest, John Hughes boasted of committing “at least a dozen other murders” in a chilling jailhouse interview with KMBC.
However, law enforcement officials have yet to verify these numbers.
“I feel like I’m the antichrist,” Hughes confessed during the jailhouse interview.
He also claimed that he would have preferred the death penalty as his punishment for his heinous crimes.
Shockingly, he didn't show any remorse for his actions during the jailhouse interview and even added that if set free, he would most likely kill again.
He also revealed that the Missouri murder was his way of reasserting control over his girlfriend, Tutor, and two other passengers (a couple traveling with them) during their chaotic crime spree.
After extensive investigations, Hughes and Tutor were arrested for the murders, while the couple traveling with them were allowed to go as they were not involved.
Here is a full video of that jailhouse interview.
On the other hand, Dana Tutor’s first trial ended in a mistrial on April 20 after a deadlocked jury.
Dana K Tutor maintained her innocence all through the initial trial but on May 30, 2017, she entered a plea agreement.
Under Missouri law, Tutor’s plea deal caps her sentence at 20 years—a fraction of Hughes’ life term.
Prosecutor Zahnd emphasized Tutor’s role in luring Kirilchuk to his death: “There is no doubt he would be alive today if the defendant had not lured him to his death"
Tutor’s sentencing on July 27, 2017, marked the end of a 9-year saga—one that began with a roadside ambush and a delusional fantasy of outlaw infamy.
Got a tip about a crime? Please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS immediately.
You can also see how to report a crime anonymously online if you wish to remain anonymous.
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