LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AZFamily) – In 1997, a young Las Vegas woman vanished inside a spy shop, leading to a frantic search for months. The shop owner, John Flowers, claimed Ginger Rios left his store that day.
Her disappearance led to the unraveling of so much more.
Several months later, Flowers’ wife accidentally reveals to detectives the horror she witnessed when her husband killed Ginger Rios. She led investigators to a remote part of the Arizona desert, where Rios’ body not only is found, but another unidentified victim is found too.
PART 1: True Crime Arizona Podcast: SPYKILLER – The Spy Shop Disappearance
It would take years and the invention of the former social platform MySpace to uncover who that second victim was and identify her as teenager Christina Martinez, who detectives believe was killed by John Flowers inside his Phoenix spy shop location.
Flowers manipulated the legal system, first ruled incompetent to stand trial, then ruled he was faking it. He ended up with two plea deals for the deaths but alluded to authorities that there were other victims.
Witnesses, physical evidence, and expert psychological analysis have led detectives to believe there are other unknown victims of John Flowers, but he’s only years away from finishing serving his sentences for the deaths of Ginger Rios and Christina Martinez.
While everyone knew him as John Flowers, his real name is Craig Jacobsen, though he went by 13 different aliases over two decades.
PART 2: True Crime Arizona Podcast: SPYKILLER: A Bizarre Confession
‘Spy killer: The Girls in the Desert’ is the latest True Crime Arizona documentary. It’s the culmination of a year-long investigation into a deranged spy shop owner, two missing girls, horrific discoveries in the desert, and a race against time before the believed serial killer is set free.
As he sits in a prison cell, he emailed documentary host and True Crime Correspondent Briana Whitney during the production of this documentary. Police believe half of the details he discusses are true, mixed with lies and falsehoods.
Below is their full email correspondence through the Arizona Dept. of Corrections system:
Craig Jacobsen email #1:
March 9th, 2024
Greetings!! This is Craig Jacobsen and I truly appreciate you filling out visiting forms and registering with inmate e-mail capabilities for the downtrodden, such as myself! Please, how may I assist you?
Jacobsen
#353588
Browning Unit Formerly a Death Row area!
Jpay.com
Briana’s response:
March 11th, 2024
Hi Craig – Thank you for the message. I am a reporter working on a story about Ginger Rios and Christina Martinez. I am hoping you can provide more insight and detail into how and why they died, and tell us more about the crimes from your perspective.
Thank you,
Briana Whitney
Craig Jacobsen response #2:
March 11th, 2024:
Hello! I’ll give you multiple interviews concerning all aspects of my life, the untold reasons for countless human killings, and I must be compensated monetarily. Unfortunately, my life of crime started early with theft in excess of 100 million(San Jose Mercury News, reporter Sandra Gonzales, year 1991, February/March, 10 million theft, my last name spelled JACOBSON.) Next, I progressed into smuggling cocaine by private plane from South America to the Florida Everglades. I then accelerated more so into the criminal arena of contract killing by influential organized crime figures I befriended in federal prison. Again, I graduated into the “big time” by opening four spy shops that had connections to the sarin gas attacks in Tokyo to the Oklahoma City bombings. My life history, my reasons for purposely taking multiple human lives, and my reasons for wanting to be compensated are obviously apparent. Certainly, I will be released… the latest 2031 and I will probably be an unparalleled monster! I’m also a paid F.B.I informant with a code name!
Jacobsen #353588
Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman
Browning Unit
www.jpay.com
P.S. Check out my penpal site that is 85% true Craig jacobsen@ conpals.com www.convictpenpals.com
Briana doesn’t respond.
Craig Jacobsen sends a follow-up message with an E-Card attached:
March 14, 2024
Any comments?
Jacobsen #353588
Briana doesn’t respond.
Craig Jacobsen sends a final email:
April 10th, 2024
Hello, this is Craig Jacobsen #353588 Arizona State prisoner. Of interest, you can locate lost video footage of Ginger Rios and Christina Martinez with Fox TV Phoenix, who, back in 1997(May, June, or July), are in the backdrop with my ex-wife filming what I sold in the store Spycraft 702 West Camelback, Phoenix. I am the person being pepper gassed and stunned with an electrical device to test the efficacy of the devices. The man with them is the other person missing!
Jacobsen #353588
*Craig Jacobsen sends an email hours after the documentary premieres on YouTube:*
September 13th, 2024
There will be more in a few weeks concerning criminal acts from my past.
Craig Jacobsen #353588
Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman
Browning unit
Post Office Box 350
Florence, Arizona 85132
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