The cases that stick with me the most are the ones that involve children, and particularly children who are betrayed by caregivers in positions of trust.
These sorry excuses for adults forgo their responsibility to work on themselves, and instead unleash their insecurities, shortcomings and inner demons on innocent children. The children they hurt have their whole lives ahead of them. They’re only discovering who they are, what they like and what the world has to offer—and what it doesn’t. And it’s all tragically cut short because the “adult” in question doesn’t take initiative to question their behaviors and seek help. Instead, they choose to express their hatred of themselves and their dissatisfaction with life on the children that stand before them.
And so it goes with the terrible death of 6-year-old Bella Elena Fontenelle.
The Murder of Bella Fontenelle
Bella was beautiful, funny and kind. She loved princesses and playing dress-up. She was a kindergartener at St. Matthew the Apostle School in River Ridge, Louisiana. The mere sight of her was enough to put a smile on someone’s face.
Bella was killed by her father’s longtime girlfriend, 43-year-old Bunnak “Hannah” Landon, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in the New Orleans, Louisiana, suburb of Harahan. She was strangled, beaten and suffered blunt-force trauma. If that isn’t horrible enough, Bunnak subsequently forced Bella’s remains into a white 10-galloon bucket used for pool chlorine. Her body was manipulated into the fetal position. She then loaded the bucket into a wagon, walked a block to Bella’s biological mother’s house, and left the bucket in her front lawn.
A home in the neighborhood caught Bunnak on surveillance around 9:35 pm. She walks steadily with calm eeriness, as if transporting a load of groceries. She’s dressed in a red-orange blouse, black pants and white knee-high boots.
An image captured from a neighbor’s surveillance camera of Bunnak Landon pulling a wagon that contains a bucket, where Bella Fontenelle’s lifeless body is stored. She leaves the bucket on the front lawn of Jennifer Zeledon, Bella’s mother. Photo from Fox 8 Live.
Michael Fontenelle, Bella’s father and Bunnak’s boyfriend, worked until about 10:30 pm that night. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and it was the middle of tax season, so he was busy, overworked and tired. He fell right asleep on the living room couch and didn’t notice Bella and Bunnak’s absence until the next morning. When he awoke on Wednesday, April 26, Michael realized that Bunnak and Bella weren’t home. He arrived at the Hanahan Police Department in Harahan, Louisiana, around 7:30 am to report them missing. A search of the area ensued.
As part of the search, police visited the home of Bella’s mother, Jennifer Zeleden, around 8:30 am. That’s when they discovered Bella’s deceased body wedged inside the bucket. Police located Bunnak around 2 pm at a local hospital. Bunnak was taken to the hospital the night before after walking to the Harahan Police Department. She was in a slightly disoriented state and requested transportation. Bunnak was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correction Center on charges of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. The first-degree murder charges are not because the murder was confirmed to have been planned, but because it was committed on a child under 12 by an adult in a position of trust.
What series of events could have happened to lead Bunnak to betray Bella? Let’s dive into this case. (Keep in mind, this case is ongoing and many details haven’t been made available yet.)
A Family Backstory
Michael Fontenelle and Jennifer Zeledon met in college. Both of them received degrees in accounting and went on to become CPAs. The couple never married, but they remained together for several years.
Michael and Jennifer had two beautiful daughters: Bella, 6, was the youngest, and she was preceded by an older sister, Aria, now age 7. Shortly after the birth of Bella, Michael and Jennifer separated. The separation was difficult, but they maintained joint custody and kept a working relationship for the sake of their kids. Michael and Jennifer lived close by to make parenting easier. Their homes in Harahan, Louisiana, an area characterized as safe and neighborly, are only a block apart. As the girls grew older, they’d be able to walk to their parents’ homes as often as they wished.
Michael Fontenelle with his live-in girlfriend, Bunnak Landon, and daughter, Bella Fontenelle. Photo from Facebook.
Bunnak Lim Enters the Picture
Two years after Michael and Jennifer ended their relationship, Michael began dating Bunnak Lim, who goes by the aliases “Hannah Landon” and “Bunnak Landon.” For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer to her as Bunnak.
At the time of this crime, Michael and Bunnak were together for more than four years. Bunnak has a son of her own, though he lives in Florida. Not much is known about the relationship between Bunnak and her son, or her past life. However, there are claims that she once had a family that she since abandoned.
Bunnak moved into the home that Michael shared with his two daughters on Donelon Drive. Together, they shared the single-story home, and Bunnak assumed the role of a step mother.
Bunnak displayed several unusual characteristics in regards to Bella and Aria. She was known to be very jealous, particularly of Jennifer. Thus, she made it a point to convey that her, Michael, Bella and Aria were a tightknit unit. Part of this strategy involved dressing identically to the children. This wasn’t only done for holidays, but for all sorts of occasions. Friends of the family thought it was unusual, given that Bunnak wasn’t the girls’ biological mother and Jennifer was very much involved in their lives.
Bunnak doesn’t have a social media trail. She didn’t work, but was a homemaker of sorts. It’s believed that she originally emigrated to the U.S. from Thailand, though it hasn’t been confirmed. As stated, few details are known about the relationship between Bunnak and her estranged son, or about Bunnak in general.
Michael’s mother, Barbara Fontenelle, wasn’t fond of Bunnak. Rather, his side of the family found Bunnak to be strange and unsettling. She wasn’t close with anyone in Michael’s family. No one felt like they really “knew” her, despite her being with Michael for several years.
More on Bunnak Lim
So far, the details surrounding Bunnak’s life are hazy. However, there are a few facts that have come to the surface.
Bunnak’s time in Harahan, Louisiana, can be traced back to between 2018 and 2019, when she began a relationship with Michael. Prior to this, she lived in various apartments in the Mobile, Alabama, area, about 150 miles northeast of Harahan. According to sources, Bunnak moved to the Mobile area in April 2006. On May 7, 2013, Bunnak obtained a marriage license with Donald Dewayne Landon, her former spouse.
The Wrath of Bunnak’s Jealousy
Bunnak and Jennifer, the girls’ mother, didn’t get along. It’s believed that as a result of that persisting conflict, Bunnak took her frustrations out on Bella. Coincidently, Bella more closely resembled her mother.
Physical Altercations at a Child’s Swim Meet and Soccer Game
As police investigated, they unearthed a petition for a temporary restraining order, which involved physical conflicts between Bunnak and Jennifer back in 2021.
An incident occurred on June 8, 2021, when Jennifer, Bunnak, Michael, Bella, Aria and Jennifer’s sister, Evlyn Zeleden, attended a child’s swim meet at the Riverside Country Club in Harahan. Jennifer approached her daughters to hug them and bid them a job well done. Bunnak intervened and started a fuss about it being “Michael’s custody day,” even though they shared joint custody. Michael agreed to “let” Jennifer hug her daughter for “one minute,” and Bunnak took out her cell phone to record Jennifer.
Evlyn told Bunnak to stop recording and Bunnak slapped Evlyn’s hand. Evlyn told Bunnak to never do that again, and Bunnak proceeded to pull Evlyn’s hair. Michael was not present at the time, though it’s unknown why. He caught the tail-end of the altercation after a bystander intervened. Police were called and both women were interviewed. Bunnak was described in court documents as being “extremely uncooperative” and persistently blamed Jennifer and Evlyn, who had visible scratch marks on her face and hands. Bunnak refused to provide officers with any information until she was threatened with charges.
Bunnak received a municipal summons for simple battery. However, she subsequently filed a temporary restraining order against Jennifer, citing several claims against her. She also cited a second claim about another altercation on March 17, 2021. On this date, the women were attending a children’s soccer game. Bunnak claimed that Jennifer approached her, grabbed her by the arm and threatened to harm her.
The temporary restraining order was dismissed by Judge Faulkner of the 24th Judicial District Court on August 5, 2021. There were no grounds to verify Bunnak’s claims. No other incidents were subsequently known to police.
Updates
Shortly after Bella’s murder, her aunt, Bianca Z. Cano—another of Jennifer’s sisters—started a GoFundMe on behalf of their family, with Jennifer Zeledon listed as the beneficiary. The GoFundMe, which has since closed, raised more than $41,000.
On the GoFundMe page, Bianca writes:
Where do I start… my beautiful Bella… the world is so unjust. You were given to us for 6 amazing years. You were beyond perfection. Your beautiful little voice, your funny personality, the way you danced, the way you were so delicate and fragile, your smile, your laugh, the way expressed yourself. I can go on and on about how amazing this little soul was. My sister’s two daughters were what gave her life meaning and strength to go on each and everyday. This senseless and heinous act has forever destroyed my family. No words can describe the pain that is running through our bodies. It’s truly inhumane.
This case remains ongoing and Bunnak is set to appear in court in July. As frustrating as the details are, many of them are hazy.
A Possible Theory
There seems to have been an influx in stepparents committing violent crimes against their stepchildren. This “influx” may be the result of social media and heightened coverage, which makes it seem like these tragedies are occurring more often.
However, stepchildren may be particularly vulnerable to violence at the hands of a stepparent, according to Humanium.org. There are several reasons for this, which include:
Stepparents not feeling as connected to their partner’s children as they do their own
Stepparents bringing unresolved personal issues into their new family dynamic
Stepparents having low self-esteem or weak bonds, which are then put onto their stepchildren
The Cinderella Effect
The Cinderella effect is a nod to the 1950 animated musical fantasy by Disney, Cinderella, which depicts the main character, Cinderella, being gravely mistreated by her stepmother, Lady Tremaine. Lady Tremaine has two daughters of her own, Anastasia and Drizella, who she favors, and encourages their mistreatment of Cinderella.
Before it became a Disney classic, Cinderella started as a folktale with thousands of variants worldwide. The oldest Cinderella story dates back to somewhere between 7 BC and AD 23, and tells the story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave woman who married the Pharaoh of Egypt. The story has changed over time to depict the modern-day version of Cinderella recognized in the U.S. today.
‘Survival of the Fittest’
The Cinderella effect is a theory in evolutionary psychology that’s used to explain why stepparents are more likely to abuse stepchildren than biological children. The theory derives from an inherent bias in the wiring of the brain, which suggests that parents are naturally wired to protect and prolong the survival of their own children over children that aren’t biological. It’s a theory that’s linked to survival of the fittest.
Not all stepparents perceive their stepchildren this way. However, for those that don’t have a natural disposition that’s loving, caring and nurturing, the theory states they’re more likely to behave vindictively towards their stepchildren. These vindictive behaviors translate into emotional abuse and, in some cases, the abuse turns physical.
Repressed Emotions
Another contributing factor of the Cinderella Effect involves the stepparent’s emotions. Not all adults are able to cope with emotions in a healthy way. In this context, a stepparent may single out one of the stepchildren, in most instances, to use as a scapegoat to express their repressed emotions.
Tiffany Whitton, 26, went missing from Marietta, Georgia, on September 13, 2013. She was last seen running from a Walmart Supercenter around 2 am, after being confronted by plain-clothes loss-prevention officers for shoplifting. She darted into the night, barefoot and without her purse or cell phone, and was never seen again.
Even though Tiffany has been missing for nearly 10 years, I only learned about her story recently. I believe her case lacks coverage due to her lifestyle. Tiffany fell into addiction and was a regular user of heroin and methamphetamine at the time of her disappearance. She was involved with sleazy characters, which included her boyfriend, a registered felon, and her circle of drug “buddies.” From a young age, she got into a habit of petty theft, stealing mostly low-budget items for seemingly no reason at all; items that were useless or that she didn’t really need. The stealing reflected signs of kleptomania more than anything else; an impulse control disorder characterized by the irresistible urge to steal.
Many times, victims with addictions like Tiffany don’t receive enough attention. There are people who play the blame game and believe those with addictions are the cause of their own demise. In many ways, they are; however, regardless of the struggles someone may experience, no one deserves to be unaccounted for, especially without a thorough investigation. Tiffany has a family and her loved ones, particularly her mother, continue to search for answers. She left behind a daughter, who is now 15, and wonders about her mother.
Here’s more about Tiffany.
Tiffany’s Backstory
Tiffany Michelle Whitton was born on January 30, 1987, in Kennesaw, Georgia, a western suburb of Atlanta. Her mother Lisa Daniels and father (whose name is not mentioned publicly) divorced soon after she was born. She has a younger sister, Summer, and a half-brother, Blake.
As a child, Tiffany was happy, rambunctious, passionate and headstrong. Tiffany and her mother were nearly inseparable. However, Tiffany began showing signs of problematic behavior as young as 2 years old. At this age, Tiffany’s mother would find toys in her daughter’s toy box that didn’t belong there. When confronted, Tiffany lied, claiming that someone gave her the toys. The truth was, she stole them from her daycare center. Tiffany’s pathological lying worsened with age and drug use.
Tiffany Whitton as a child. Photo from Facebook.
Lisa recalled that her daughter loved animals and elderly people. Tiffany had dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but these aspirations fell short when she dropped out of high school as a sophomore. Before that, she was a cheerleader. At age 16, Tiffany gave birth a baby girl, who she gave up for adoption. It was a decision that affected her deeply.
At 21 years old, Tiffany gave birth to her second child, a daughter she named Addison. That same year, in 2008, she began using OxyContin recreationally, a prescription opiate medication, which segued into heroin use. For a few years, Tiffany was able to hide her drug use from her family. But with time, her behavior became more erratic and flighty, Lisa caught on.
Once very close to her mother, Tiffany became estranged from her family and left her daughter in the case of her mom. Lisa used tough love to try to encourage her daughter to swerve back on the right path, but to little avail. Tiffany was stuck in the throes of addiction.
In her late teens and early 20s, she worked as a bartender and waitress at Hooters, a sports bar and grill chain. Around this time, she was caught stealing a $3 pair of flip-flop sandals from a local Walmart. Stealing from department stores like Walmart became a pattern of behavior that Tiffany engaged in up until the last moment she was seen.
Tiffany Falls Into Addiction and Crime
In 2011, at the age of 24, Tiffany was arrested for organizing a home invasion with several other people. The invasion was prompted by unpaid drug dues. Tiffany claimed the victim stole $60 from her and she wanted her money back. However, it was found that the victim owed Tiffany money for drugs.
In late 2012, Tiffany served a brief prison sentence. While incarcerated, Tiffany’s daughter remained in the care of her mother, Lisa. Lisa was stern with her expectations and forbid Tiffany from seeing her 3-year-old until she was clean from drugs.
Tiffany Whitton with her daughter, Addison. Photo from Facebook.
Tiffany’s grandmother, Anita Boyette, stayed in touch with Tiffany throughout her prison stay. She also picked her up when she was released. Anita found a drug rehabilitation center for Tiffany, where she checked herself in. She saw her prison release as an opportunity to change. Her experience at the facility was positive; she stayed clean from drugs, met friends in recovery and started working at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), a restaurant chain, in Marietta, Georgia.
At this time, Tiffany took her sobriety very seriously. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few months.
Tiffany, now 25, was in a seemingly healthy relationship. She met her boyfriend (whose name won’t be mentioned for privacy purposes–and because he has nothing to do with the case) when she was 10 years old, and their relationship spurred from a reunion of sorts. He bought Tiffany a car and a cell phone, and they looked to purchase a home together. However, Tiffany started using drugs again and subsequently cheated on her boyfriend. He ended their relationship because of her infidelity.
In between places to live, Tiffany shared a motel room with Sheila Fuller, another IHOP waitress. She wasn’t there for long, because Sheila kicked her out after Tiffany stole from her.
This series of events led Tiffany to meet Ashley “Red” Christopher Caudle, then 28, her newest boyfriend. They got together only a few months after she was released from prison in the summer of 2012.
A Toxic Union
Like Tiffany, Ashley also had a young daughter, Charlie, though he had full custody.
Tiffany Whitton and her then-boyfriend Ashley Caudle on August 28, 2013. Photo from Facebook. The caption read, “Love him to pieces!”
Together with Ashley, Tiffany started using methamphetamine in the same home they shared with Charlie. Unbeknownst to Ashley, Tiffany was also using heroin. Ashley was against heroin and only learned of Tiffany’s addiction when she began showing signs of opiate withdrawal. Eventually, he became responsible for funding her habit as well as his.
The couple lived somewhat of a transient lifestyle, moving from place to place with Charlie. The three of them transitioned from motels to a trailer park and drug houses. Wherever they went, they were overheard arguing loudly and often. The police were called on several occasions. Their incessant arguing once caused them to be evicted from a trailer home; on another occasion, they were kicked out of a motel. The toxicity kept up until the day Tiffany went missing.
Through the chaos, Tiffany developed a maternal relationship with Charlie, who called her mom. Tiffany taught her how to respond to adults with “yes ma’am,” and yes, sir,” and cared for her lovingly. Nonetheless, Tiffany hadn’t seen her own daughter in months.
Tiffany Faces Consequences of her Drug Use
It wasn’t long before Tiffany’s coworkers caught notice of her addiction. She was notorious for showing up high, sometimes with fresh track marks on her arms. When she did, her supervisors sent her home. However, in August of 2012, Tiffany was caught stealing from IHOP on a restaurant security camera. She was subsequently fired.
Tiffany Whitton. Photo from Facebook.
Because of Tiffany’s choices, her mother ceased all contact between her and her young daughter. Tiffany told her mother that she didn’t feel normal without drugs in her system.
Tiffany’s grandmother, Anita, still kept in touch with her. On September 8, 2013, six days before she went missing, Tiffany, Ashley and Charlie went to Anita’s home to do laundry. Anita was the only family member who ever met Ashley.
On one occasion, Tiffany told her grandmother she’d see her in “a month”—a month often being Tiffany’s reference point—and another drug binge began. Anita asked her granddaughter time and again to come home, but she wouldn’t part from Ashley.
Toward the end of August 2013, Tiffany was living with Ashley and his daughter in a house in Powder Springs, a small city in Cobb County, Georgia. It was a home where other drug users couch-surfed and took up residence, as needed.
The Day Tiffany of Tiffany’s Disappearance
Ashley Caudle. Photo from Facebook.
Around midnight on Friday, September 13, 2013, Tiffany and Ashley visited the home of a friend, Stephen Weinstein, to do methamphetamine.
Around 12:30 am, Tiffany and Ashley borrowed Stephen’s truck and drove to a local 24/7 Walmart Supercenter in Marietta; one of Atlanta’s largest suburbs. They arrived a few minutes after 1 am and began shopping. Stephen stayed behind with another friend and drug user, Jason Zuccarini; a man Tiffany dated briefly before moving in with Ashley.
Security officers watched Tiffany and Ashley closely on camera. It was an odd hour to shop for clothes and the couple shopped for nearly an hour without purchasing anything. They suspected from Tiffany’s constant movements that she was high on drugs. She was seen taking clothes off shelves, putting them in her cart, and then placing them back on the shelves, and so on.
Around 2 am, Ashley told Tiffany it was time to leave the store. Tiffany didn’t agree and argued with Ashley. Ashley headed to the truck to charge his phone, leaving Tiffany inside. Momentarily, he returned to the store to pay for his own items, which included a portable speaker and clothes for his daughter. Ashley removed a large wad of cash from his wallet to pay for the items.
On their way out, Tiffany was approached by security officers, who suspected she stole a t-shirt worth less than $15. The officers were dressed in plain clothes and allegedly did not identify themselves as loss-prevention staff. She called for Ashley, who stood ahead of her, seemingly oblivious to what was happening. When he turned around, he saw three men: two were holding Tiffany by the arms and the other was carrying her purse. He threatened them with a knife to let her go.
Marietta, Georgia. This case takes place here.
Tiffany kicked and screamed when the loss-prevention officer grabbed the strap of her purse. She let go of the purse, which contained her cell phone, wallet and identification, and broke free from the guards. She then kicked off her flip-flops and took off running. She ran toward the back of a local Chil-fil-A.
She hasn’t been seen since.
Tiffany was 5’2″ and weighed 100 lbs. She had blonde hair and green eyes, but was known to frequently change her hair color. She had several tattoos, which included Chinese symbols on the inside of her left wrist, a butterfly on her hip, and a tattoo on her lower back, right shoulder blade, right foot and right buttock.
The Investigation
Surveillance footage from inside the Walmart was seized by investigators. The footage showed loss-prevention officers waiting at the door, anticipating Tiffany’s return. (Keep in mind, this footage was seized months later, as Tiffany was reported missing in January 2014.)
The footage revealed that Tiffany was confronted by two loss-prevention officers, not three, as Ashley recalled. He also wasn’t seen holding a knife, as he claimed, but standing passively as the ordeal took place.
A still image from the surveillance footage of Tiffany Whitton and her then-boyfriend Ashley Caudle at the Walmart Supercenter in Marietta, Georgia, before she disappeared. Photo courtesy 11alive.
Shortly after Tiffany fled the scene, Ashley went to the parking lot to look for her. He didn’t re-enter his truck because he was afraid he’d be arrested. The truck contained illicit substances and drug paraphernalia.
Instead, Ashley checked the truck for Tiffany, then crossed Highway 41 (a four-lane parkway, also known as Cobb Parkway) to search the area. Across the street was the IHOP where Tiffany previously worked, as well as other businesses including a Krispy Kreme and a Metro Lodge extended-stay motel.
Outside the IHOP, Ashley sat on a bench and waited for friends to pick him up. Stephen, the friend that he and Tiffany used drugs with earlier, showed up with two unknown females. Stephen later described Ashley as “a charismatic guy,” but also “full of shit and a piece of shit.”
Meanwhile, Sheila, Tiffany’s old roommate, walked from IHOP to Walmart to buy a pack of cigarettes. She noticed a red truck in the parking lot. Soon after, she saw Ashley sitting on the bench outside IHOP. He sat there for one-and-a-half hours.
Ashley asked if she heard from Tiffany, and she said no. She asked Ashley why he didn’t call Tiffany and he said he couldn’t, because he was charging his phone in the car. He also said he had Tiffany’s phone on him—which wasn’t true, because it was in the bag seized by loss-prevention officers.
Ashley returned to Stephen’s house and drove around looking for Tiffany. Ashley ultimately believed Tiffany would return to Stephen’s house. Stephen told police that he genuinely believed Ashley didn’t know where Tiffany was.
The next morning, Ashley returned to his home in Powder Springs. Still, there was no sign of Tiffany. He called a few acquaintances of Tiffany’s, including an ex-boyfriend, along with local hospitals and jails. He also cleaned out his truck to remove the paraphernalia inside. Two weeks later, he told his own probation offers that he was unable to locate Tiffany since that night.
Tiffany’s Family Gets Involved
Tiffany’s family members wondered about her. It wasn’t unlike Tiffany to disappear for months at a time. Family noticed that Tiffany, who had been very active on Facebook, abruptly stopped using the social media platform on September 1, 2013. However, because Tiffany was on parole at the time, her mother suspected she was keeping a low profile to avoid penalty.
Tiffany Whitton. Photo from Facebook.
In November 2013, Tiffany’s grandmother received a letter from a lawyer representing Walmart, requesting $150 for the items Tiffany stole. If the $150 was paid, they would drop the allegations without a civil suit. The letter prompted Anita to contact Ashley, who then informed her, two months later, that Tiffany was missing.
During the conversation, Anita asked Ashley, “You didn’t call us and let us know that she was gone?” He oddly responded, “I wish I had that purse I bought her. It was a Coach purse, and it was really expensive.” Anita replied, “You can’t afford transportation, but you’re buying Coach purses?”
Before Thanksgiving, Tiffany’s mother also contacted Ashley directly. The family waited to hear from Tiffany during the holidays, anticipating her return. But on January 10, 2014, with still no word from her, Lisa contacted police to file a missing person’s report.
Investigators Overlook Tiffany’s Case—at First
Because of Tiffany’s history of substance abuse and criminal activity, the first detective assigned to the case didn’t give it much thought. He believed Tiffany would turn up eventually or she would be arrested somewhere. He told Lisa that Tiffany was a just junkie who was probably on a binge.
A month later, the case was reassigned to another detective, Jonnie Moller, who found the delay in her reported missing person’s status to be concerning. She believed Tiffany was deceased, but the lack of a clear timeline made it difficult to follow. She also felt Ashley had something to do with her disappearance.
As a result of Jonnie’s investigation, the Powder Springs home where Ashley lived with his daughter, and where Tiffany lived before her disappearance, was raided by police in March 2014. Police discovered an environment filled with dog feces and used syringes, and they seized marijuana, methamphetamine and firearms. Eight people, including Ashley, were arrested on charges related to possession. Most of them knew Ashley from childhood. His daughter and another child were placed in the temporary custody of a local social services agency.
As a result of the raid, the same officers retrieved a warrant to search Ashley’s mother’s home in Marietta in July 2014. They brought in cadaver dogs to aid with the search, but nothing of substance was found.
Ashley is Arrested on Other Charges
In late 2015, Ashley pled guilty in Cherokee County, Georgia, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possessing of a firearm as a convicted felon. These charges were in connection with the Powder Springs home raid. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with a minimum of 10 to serve, because the judge believed he was not cooperating in Tiffany’s investigation.
Tiffany’s Case is Transferred to a Third Detective
When Detective Jonnie Moeller left the detective bureau to teach at the city’s police academy, Tiffany’s case was transferred to a third detective. A year later, Detective Mike Freer felt he made a break in the case.
A meth trafficker being prosecuted by the Cobb County district attorney, said he heard from some friends that months after Tiffany disappeared, Ashley and some of his friends drove to Lake Allatoona—which covers more than 12,000 acres and sits 34 miles north of Atlanta—where they threw a concrete-filled barrel over Bethany Bridge. He also said there was damage to the bridge, which Detective Freer confirmed.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources used sonar equipment to search the area and found a large object located 40 feet underneath the bridge. However, when two state patrol divers investigated, they found a large piece of concrete that had fallen during bridge construction.
In 2016, Tiffany’s case was turned over to the new cold case squad in Marietta, Georgia. It has remained a cold case ever since.
Tiffany Makes Contact
On January 5, 2014, four months after Tiffany disappeared, and five days before her family reported her missing, her half-brother, Blake Whitton, received a call. He believes it was from Tiffany.
The call was made via a calling app by an unknown number. When he answered, he says it was Tiffany, who wished him happy birthday and apologized for calling late. He knew it was her because she called him by a nickname, “Mudbug,” that only they would know.
This alleged contact has never been explained.
Contact Authorities With Information On Tiffany Whitton’s Disappearance
If you have any information about Tiffany Whitton’s disappearance, or leading up to her disappearance, contact the Marietta Police Department at 770-794-5300 or the Cobb County District Attorney at 770-528-3032.
My Two Cents Corner ⤵️
Wow, what a sad turn of events.
I’m not an expert on this case by any means. I’m just someone with an interest in true crime, and I know there’s a lot I don’t know about it.
But if I were to support a theory on what might have happened to Tiffany, I believe she was abducted from an area near the Walmart parking lot. I also think it’s possible that she was kidnapped and forced into sex-trafficking.
I read a few comments on Reddit from users who live in the area and have frequented the Walmart in Marietta. They described it as seedy and sketchy, especially at night, and the parking lot as a hotspot for illegal activity. Ashley Caudle, for one, sold drugs in that parking lot. These Reddit users also describe people banging on their vehicle windows, not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions, and furiously begging for a rides.
If Tiffany ran barefoot from the loss-prevention officers, I don’t find it unusual to believe that she banged on the window of whatever car was nearby, begging for a ride home. It’s possible that at 2 am, she ran into an unsavory character who saw an opportunity. The young woman was without her possessions and her location was unaccounted for. It’s also possible that Tiffany wasn’t killed by an unsavory character, but perhaps she did drugs with a group of unfamiliar people—or folks she knew peripherally—and suffered an overdose.
Either way, someone knows something, because there’s no way that a woman just vanishes in thin air. The area where she went missing is lined with numerous restaurants and small businesses. Unfortunately, because the case wasn’t reported until January, none of these locations had the surveillance footage to potentially retrace Tiffany’s steps.
Thank you for reading. May we hope that Tiffany Whitton’s family finds answers soon.
Aric Hutchinson, 36, and Samantha “Sam” Miller, 34, had just said their “I do’s.” The couple wed at a beautiful ceremony in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023. One-hundred and fifty guests were in attendance. Samantha told her sister, Mandi Jenkins, that she wished the night would never end. It was the best night of her life, she said.
Tragically, the couple’s union wouldn’t last for long.
Aric and Sam left their reception on a road-legal golf cart around 10 pm and headed back to their rental house. As Aric and Samantha rode on the back, they waved goodbye to their guests. Aric’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Garrett, drove the golf cart and was accompanied by his 17-year-old son, Brogan Garrett, in the passenger’s seat.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, a vehicle barreled into the back of the golf cart. It was traveling 65 miles per hour and directly impacted Aric and Samantha. The occupants were thrown more than 300 feet, nearly the length of a football field, and the cart rolled several times.
A photo taken just minutes before the deadly crash that killed Samantha Miller. Photo from the family’s GoFundMe.
The driver of the vehicle, a grey rental Toyota Camry, was 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski. Jamie was on her way home from an evening of barhopping on Center Street, Folly Beach’s main strip, and the only road to and from Folly Island. She suffered not a scratch, but was dazed and confused from the impact. Her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.261%, more than three times the legal limit.
Paramedics did what they could, but they couldn’t save Samantha. She was still clad in her wedding dress when she died. The day that Samantha looked forward to and spent so much time planning, was her last. Her and Aric spent mere moments together as husband and wife before he became a widow.
Aric was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was treated for two broken legs, broken bones in his face, broken vertebrae and a brain bleed. Benjamin was treated for severe road rash and open wounds, and Brogan suffered minor injuries.
Ongoing Efforts For Justice
While recovering in the hospital, Aric faced the tough task of preparing for his new wife’s funeral, which was held on May 13, 2023, two weeks after their wedding day. A few days later, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jamie, who remains incarcerated in Charleston County Jail.
The wrongful death suit also involves several bars, which include the establishments that Jamie visited that day. Jaime was recently hired as a server at Taco Boy, a Mexican restaurant, and the eatery hosted a function earlier that day. Allegedly at this function, a Taco Boy supervisor coerced Jaime to drink alcohol. The lawsuits seeks damages on grounds of breach of duty, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, reckless hiring and training, and wrongful death.
Aric blames the four establishments that Jaime visited that day for negligently serving an intoxicated guest. A South Carolina statue prohibits establishments with permits to sell alcoholic beverages from serving guests who are noticeably intoxicated.
The complaint states, ‘Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments, Jamie Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume additional and excessive amounts of alcohol at each of them.’
Lisa Miller, Samantha’s mother, started a GoFundMe to help cover medical and burial costs. So far, more than $720,000 has been raised. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be sent to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The Post-Wedding Collision Culprit: Jamie Lee Komoroski
Jamie Lee Komoroski. Photo from Folly Beach Police.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, is originally from Clinton, New Jersey. She moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend Coastal Carolina University from 2015 to 2020. She was a member of a sorority at her school, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and hotel resort tourism management. After graduation, she remained local. For the last two-and-a-half years, she worked as a logistics account executive for Total Quality Logistics, a truck transportation company.
Jamie spent the greater part of the evening barhopping on Friday, April 28, 2023. She started drinking at El Gallo Bar and Grill in Charleston, and then most likely drove to Center Street, where she visited The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack and Snapper Jack’s. She left before 10 pm. Jaime lived in a one-story home with two roommates in James Island, a 19-minute drive from Folly Island.
When Jamie collided with the golf cart, she was traveling 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. She was also driving on Center Street, which is a dead-end that stops at the beach. It’s in an area known for its vacationers, which include children, families and bicyclists, and where legal golf carts are frequently driven.
Charges Pending
Jamie is being charged with three counts of driving under the influence (DUI) causing serious bodily injury/death and one count of reckless homicide. Jamie told police that she had one beer and one alcoholic beverage that contained tequila an hour before she drove. She was traveling the opposite way of traffic on a dead-end street when this occurred. She received no injuries, though her BAC was 0.216%.
Jamie repeatedly told police that she “did nothing wrong.” She refused to take a field sobriety test and become uncooperative on the scene. She demanded a lawyer and began calling out for her boyfriend, who was not present.
Jamie is being held without bail on suicide watch at the Charleston County Jail. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100 for Samantha’s death. She also faces an additional 15 years and a $10,100 fine injuring the other three passengers. For reckless homicide, she could face an additional 10 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller. Photo from her obituary.
Remembering Samantha ‘Sam’ Miller
Right before she died, Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller, 34, turned to her husband, Aric, and said, “I want this day, this evening, to last forever.” Samantha was the only fatality of the crash.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Samantha loved the beach. At her memorial service, Aric described her as “a beach girl.” She was born on March 27, 1989, to parents Lisa and David Miller. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried her stepfather, Brad Warner. Samantha has four siblings: Nathan and Joseph Miller, Mandi Jenkins and Jake Warner.
Samantha was a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and cat mom.
She considered her mom as one of her best friends. On her wedding day, she surprised her mom with a dance to their song: Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are.” The DJ introduced it as “a dance with the most important person in the bride’s life.”
She believed her husband, Aric, was her soulmate.
Samantha had a contagious smile, she loved to laugh and she exuded natural confidence. As her obituary reads, “She was a beautiful force to be reckoned with. It is impossible to fully capture just how unbelievably special she was.”
Folly Beach, South Carolina. Photo from Wikipedia.
Scene of the Accident: Folly Beach
The fatal crash happened in Folly Beach, a city on Folly Island in South Carolina, just minutes outside of Charleston. Folly Island is a 12-square-mile region surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Folly River, and it’s home to six miles of beautiful beaches.
Folly Beach is a popular area for locals and tourists alike. Center Street, where Jamie was barhopping, has many surf and souvenir shops, and restaurants. Because of the amount of vacationers, pedestrians and children who frequent Folly Beach, the island has a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. It’s also legal to drive certain golf carts on the streets there.
On March 7, 2023, Kouri Richins, 33, of Kamas, Utah, self-published a children’s grief book. The illustrated book, Are You With Me?, follows a young boy who wonders how his deceased father’s presence will remain in his life.
A year before, Kouri, a real estate agent and mother of three, lost her husband unexpectedly. Despite being otherwise healthy, 39-year-old Eric Richins died in his sleep on March 4, 2022. The book was borne from Kouri’s longing to help their sons, ages 10, 9 and 6, navigate the challenge of their father’s untimely passing.
“Are You With Me?” the illustrated children’s book written by Kouri Richins, a year after her husband’s death.
From the outside looking in, Kouri’s book is a mother’s effort to guide her children through a difficult time and support others in similar situations. But after the book was published, the truth was exposed…and it was far more calculated than anyone imagined.
When Eric died, he had five times the lethal amount of fentanyl in his body. On May 8, 2023, Kouri was charged with aggravated murder and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, in connection with her husband’s death.
Let’s look into what happened.
Kouri’s Last Night With Her Husband
On the evening of Thursday, March 3, 2022, Kouri and Eric celebrated the closing of a multimillion-dollar home they planned to flip. Kouri and Eric, who co-owned a masonry company, C & E Stone Masonry, had been married for nine years at the time. Their marital home was in Kamas, a small, rural suburb 45 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, where the main industries are lumber and cattle ranching.
To mark the occasion, Kouri made her husband a Moscow Mule—an alcoholic, mixed beverage made from vodka, ginger beer, ice and lime—and gave him a THC-infused gummy around 11 pm. Kouri settled into bed but was called into one of their son’s rooms, who was having a night terror. She fell asleep next to her son and returned to bed around 3:22 am. When Kouri snuggled up to Eric, he was “cold to the touch.” She called 9-1-1.
Kouri told investigators that she left her cell phone plugged in to her bedroom wall. However, it was found that she locked and unlocked her phone multiple times when she claimed to be asleep. She also sent and received text messages, which were deleted. The phone also recorded movement, which indicated Kouri was moving through the home. Reports also state that Eric wasn’t found lying in bed, but at the foot of their bed.
An autopsy was performed on Eric’s body, which found that he had five times the lethal amount of illicit, non-medical-grade fentanyl in his system. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and is used to treat patients with severe pain, particularly after surgery. By evaluating the contents of his stomach, it was determined that Eric ingested the fentanyl orally.
Who Is Kouri Richins?
Kouri Darden Richins was born on April, 20, 1990, in North Carolina, to Ronald Horace and Lisa Darden. She was one of four siblings, which include Ronnie Jr., Renee and Mindy Darden. Kouri and her siblings were primarily raised by their mother. Not much else is known about her childhood.
Kouri holds a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Weber State University and a master’s degree in human resources from Utah State University.
Kouri was long pursuing her own dreams of becoming an entrepreneur before she met Eric. At times, she saw spurts of success. In 2011, she opened a housekeeping service, Kouri Darden Housekeeping Services, which is not defunct. She also worked for her own real estate company, Kouri Richins Realty, where she purchased, flipped and sold luxury homes. She also had brief stints in health care, having worked as an administrator at Park City Hospital and as an enhanced patient services and specialty clinic trainer at Park City Medical Center.
Who Was Eric Richins?
Eric Richins was born on May 13, 1982 in Bountiful, Utah, to Gene and Linda Carter Richins. He was the oldest of three siblings and the only son. From a young age, Eric was loving and protective of his sisters, Katie and Amy.
Kouri Richins and her late husband Eric Richins. Photo from Facebook.
Growing up, Eric dedicated much of his time to helping his father upkeep their family cattle ranch, which involved mending fences, hauling hay and feeding the animals. From these experiences, he developed a strong work ethic from a young age. Eric was also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He participated in a two-year mission trip to Mexico, where he learned how to speak Spanish fluently.
After he returning from the mission trip, Eric attended the University of Utah, where he received a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in Spanish. Two years later, he founded his business, C & E Stone Masonry, with close friend and business partner Cody Wright.
Eric was a natural athlete for all his life. He enjoyed playing basketball, soccer, cross-country and baseball. He served as the head or assistant coach on all his sons’ sports teams. He was also a fervent outdoorsmen and loved hunting and archery.
In addition to running a successful business, being an involved father to three sons and a devoted husband, Eric also found time to volunteer with Summit County Search & Rescue; a
The Start of Eric and Kouri
Eric and Kouri met in the early 2010s at a local Home Depot. They were introduced through Linda King, a colleague of Kouri’s.
Kouri was known locally for being one of the most attractive young women in the town. Eric was a frequent customer of the Home Depot, where he purchased supplies for his masonry business. He was interested in Kouri, but took some time to ask her on a date. As we know, the pair ultimately hit it off.
Kouri and Eric married on June 15, 2013. They wed in the backyard of their Kamas home. It was Eric’s second marriage and Kouri’s first.
Kouri Richins, her late husband Eric Richins, and their three sons. This is the photo that’s featured on the back of her children’s book, “Are You With Me?”
At the encouragement of Eric’s mother, the couple signed a prenuptial agreement. The decision was influenced by the outcome of Eric’s divorce from his first wife, Julie Jorgenson. Eric and Julie were married from 2005 to 2009 and the divorce was taxing both emotionally and financially. Unfortunately, two years after their divorce, Julie, 26, was killed in a car accident in January 2011.
Kouri and Eric went on to have three sons, Carter, Ashton and Weston.
Kouri Develops A Habit of Stealing Her Husband’s Money
Eric first developed suspicions that Kouri was stealing money from him in 2016. To be able to flip houses and finance her personal needs, she started to withdraw large sums of money from his personal bank account. She also took out credit cards under Eric’s name without his knowledge, and began using those, too.
In 2020, Eric learned that Kouri stole more than $100,000 from his accounts and ran up credit card bills in excess of $30,000. That same year, he learned that Kouri borrowed $250,000 using a fraudulent power of attorney. She also signed Eric’s initials on the paperwork without his knowledge, which allowed her to act on his behalf.
Kouri is also under speculation for stealing at least $80,024 that was designated for Eric to pay his federal taxes, and at least $54,322 more for his state taxes.
When Eric confronted Kouri, she admitted to her wrongdoing.
In November 2020, Eric drew up a new living will. He transferred the Kamas family home, all of his personal property and his half of the masonry business under this living will. He made his sister, Katie, power of attorney without telling Kouri.
Eric believes that Kouri attempts to drug him in Greece.
In 2020, Kouri and Eric took a vacation to Greece by themselves. During the trip, Eric fell violently ill after Kouri made him a mixed drink. Eric later told his sisters, Amy and Katie, that he believed Kouri attempted to poison him.
Kouri tries to make herself the beneficiary of Eric’s life insurance policy.
In January 2022, Kouri attempted to change Eric’s life insurance policy and make herself the beneficiary.
Eric shared a life insurance policy with his business partner, Cody. The business partners had each other as beneficiary holders, because it allowed them permission to buy one another out of the business if an unexpected death were to occur. Kouri removed the men as each other’s beneficiary and listed herself as the sole beneficiary of the policy.
The insurance company notified the men of the change, and they changed it back to its original policyholders.
The 22,000 square-foot mansion in Heber City that Kouri Richins closed on the day after her husband’s passing. Photo from Google Maps, courtesy New York Post.
Kouri sets her sights on a 20,000-square-foot mansion.
Leading up to Eric’s death, Kouri had her sights set on purchasing, renovating and flipping an unfinished, 20,0000 square-foot mansion in Heber City, Utah. The $2 million home sits on 8.75 acres of land and includes 11.5 bathrooms, eight bedrooms and a separate 3,000-square-foot guest house. It also has a full-size pool, a therapy pool, a gym, a golf simulator, an indoor volleyball court and a room designed for virtual reality installations.
Eric felt the property was too expensive, and he expressed such to Kouri. But while he frowned upon the decision, Kouri became more focused on acquiring it. Eric planned to tell Kouri they were not going to purchase the home, but he never had the chance to.
He also planned to file for divorce, but died before he could do so. Eric tried to delay the inevitable because he wanted to keep an intact family for their children. In addition to their disagreements, Eric believed Kouri might have been having an affair.
“He hoped to keep his family together,” George Skordas, attorney and acting spokesperson for the Richins, told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He hoped to keep his boys in a nuclear family and he hoped that things would work out.”
Timeline of Events
Eric Richens photo from George Skordas, a Salt Lake City attorney and acting spokesperson for the Richen family.
December 2021-February 2022
Sometime between December 2021 and February 2022, Kouri contacts an acquaintance, referred to in her arrest affidavit as “C.L.” She tells the acquaintance that she is interested in purchasing prescription pain medication. She says the pills are for an investor who suffered a back injury.
A few days later, C.L. supplies Kouri with hydrocodone pills; an opioid medication used to treat pain. The pills are left for Kouri at a home in Midway, Utah, that she was flipping, and which she owned from December 2021 to January 2022. Kouri left money at the home for C.L. to pick up. C.L. acquires the painkillers from a drug dealer in Ogden, Utah.
February 11, 2022
About two weeks later, Kouri contacts C.L. again, this time requesting stronger on the investor’s behalf. She asks for fentanyl and refers to it as “some of the Michael Jackson stuff.” (Note: Michael Jackson died from an overdose of propofol.) C.L. contacts the Ogden dealer on February 11, 2022, to pick up the fentanyl.
Kouri pays C.L. $900 for 15-30 fentanyl pills. She picks up the pills from C.L.’s home in Heber City.
February 14, 2022
On Valentine’s Day, Kouri and Eric have dinner at their home. After eating a sandwich that Kouri prepares for him, Eric suffers an allergic reaction and becomes violently ill after dinner. He breaks out in hives, has trouble breathing and passes out after taking Benadryl and using his son’s EpiPen. Eric later tells his business partner, Cody, he believes Kouri tried to poison him.
February 26, 2022
Kouri contacts C.L. to request another $900 worth of fentanyl pills. C.L. contacts the Ogden dealer on February 26, 2022. The pills are left at the Midway house again, nearby a firepit, at Kouri’s request. She leaves money by the firepit as well.
March 4, 2022
Eric dies from an overdose of fentanyl.
March 5, 2022
Kouri closes on the deal for the 20,000-square-foot mansion. She invites friends over and has a large party to mark the occasion. She drinks with them and celebrates.
Kouri gets into an altercation with one of Eric’s sisters, Katie Richens-Benson. Kouri becomes aware, for the first time, that Eric had removed her from his will, and made Katie power of attorney for his estate. Shortly thereafter, Kouri sues her sister-in-law for control of the estate.
Eric’s sisters allege that he didn’t tell Kouri he removed her from his will, because he believed she might “kill him for the money” and wanted to provide financial security for their children. Kouri claims that their prenuptial agreement deems her entitled to Eric’s assets. In Katie’s response to Kouri’s lawsuit, she cites a pending homicide case.
April 2023
Kouri appears in a segment on KTVX-Channel 4’s “Good Things Utah” to discuss her book, Are You With Me?, which was inspired by Eric’s passing. She describes her conceptualization of the three C’s—connection, continuity and care—which she uses to help her sons cope.
Where The Case Stands Now
Kouri was arrested on May 8, 2023, for aggravated murder and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. In addition to murder, Kouri is also facing charges for possession of GHB, a narcolepsy drug that’s often referred to as liquid ecstasy.
Kouri has a detention hearing scheduled for May 19, 2023.
The brutal death of Madison “Madi” Brooks, a 19-year-old Louisiana State University student, was an absolute worst-case scenario. But with the dangers of our world becoming ever-more apparent, it’s an important case to discuss.
For the millions of young adults who go away to college each year in the U.S., it’s a time like no other. Free from the restricted atmosphere of high school and the watchful eyes of parents, students have the opportunity to delve into classes that pique their interests, and form bonds with like-minded people. With these new friendships experiencing the highs and lows of college life, relationship drama, life changes and self-discovery, many of them evolve into treasured connections that last a lifetime.
Madison was a sophomore pursuing an undergraduate degree in political communication when her life was taken in a devastating way. She’ll never get to see these relationships with her friends flourish to their true potential in the real world. She’ll never have the chance to accept her diploma or go on to make a positive impact on the world. Her family will never see her graduate, start her career, get married or have children.
Instead, she’ll be forever 19, and it wasn’t by choice.
Madison was killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 15, 2023. The night before, she went to Reggie’s Bar in the Tigerland district of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a hotspot for LSU students and locals known for underage drinking. Madison was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and on occasion, she worked behind the bar with her sorority sisters. She also worked as a “door girl” at the beginning of the previous summer but was terminated after an altercation with another female employee.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Instagram.
Madison took a ride-share to the bar. It’s unclear whether she went by herself, but a few of her friends worked there, which included one of the bartenders. When Madison arrived at Reggie’s Bar, she started drinking. The bartenders continued serving Madison, despite her being underage and in an intoxicated state. Surveillance footage from the bar captured Madison stumbling and struggling to stand. It’s believed that she consumed between 15 and 20 drinks in a three-hour timespan.
At Reggie’s Bar, Madison interacted with a group of four men. Three of them were also underage, one of which was a minor. The men were not LSU students, but locals: Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, of Walker; Everette Lee, 28, of Pine Grove, and Kaivon’s uncle; Casen Carver, 18, of Denham Springs, and Desmond Carter, 17, of Walker. At some point, Madison and Desmond danced together. Later on, Madison, in a drunken state, asked Cason for a ride home. He agreed. Between 1 am and 2 am, they all left the bar together.
*TRIGGER WARNING* On the way home, Cason asked Madison what her address was, but she was too intoxicated to answer. After driving a short distance, he pulled over. In the backseat, Desmond asked Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him, to which she allegedly replied, “yes”—again, in a highly intoxicated state, which is not grounds for consent. He had sex with Madison in the backseat and Kaivon subsequently did the same. Casen and Everette were still in the vehicle and did nothing to stop the assault.
After the assault, Cason started to drive again, but it wasn’t for long. Once again, he pulled over, but this time it was to drop Madison off—not at home, but at a random subdivision. She was left by herself on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy, poorly-lit roadway where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. It was the middle of the night and Madison didn’t know where she was.
She wandered about 0.2 miles down the road. Around 2:50 am, Madison was struck by a ride-share driver. She succumbed to her injuries a few days later at Baton Rouge Hospital.
Madison’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.319% when she arrived at the hospital; enough to render a person unconscious. She also had THC, the major psychoactive component in marijuana, in her system.
How and why did this happen? Let’s look into it.
Who Was Madison Brooks?
At 19, Madison Kennedy Brooks was strikingly beautiful, and she had the world at her fingertips.
The young woman from St. Tammy Parish, otherwise known as Northshore, Louisiana, was born on May 7, 2003, to parents Ashley Baustert and Scott Brooks. She has three younger siblings: Aiden, Brady and Kaelyn Baustert.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Facebook.
Madison was an adventure-seeker. She loved to travel and explore new cities, and she was a fan of both sky-diving and skiing. She had a bubbly, contagious personality, and was ready to take the world by storm.
A Powerhouse with a World of Potential
At the time of her passing, Madison was just beginning the second semester of her sophomore year at LSU, where she excelled as a student.
She started college after graduating from St. Scholastica Academy, a small Catholic, all-girls prep school in Covington, where she graduated with 80 other students. In high school, Madison was an honor roll student, a cheerleader and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was also part of the school’s spirit club and Doves for Life initiative.
Madison was highly driven and she brought that drive to college. She was recently accepted into LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication. The year prior, she chose to stay in Baton Rouge for the summer to complete summer courses so she’d be ahead. In addition to schoolwork, Madison was an active member of her school’s Alpha Phi sorority.
After her death, Madison made a lasting impact by donating her heart valves and kidneys to save the lives of others.
Madison’s Last Night: A Timeline of Events
10:06 pm, 1/14/23
On Tuesday, January 14, 2023, Madison arrives at Reggie’s Bar at 10:06 pm. The bar is located on 1176 Bob Petit Boulevard in the Tigerland section of East Baton Rouge; one mile from LSU campus. She uses a fake ID to enter and is issued a 21-and-over wristband.
10:16 pm
The four suspects—Casen Carver, Kaivon Washington, Everette Lee and Desmond Carter—arrive at the bar.
Madison Brooks with members of the Alpha Phi sorority. Photo from Instagram.
1 am, 1/15/23
Madison is seen on surveillance sitting on a barstool. She gets up from the barstool to adjust her pants and stumbles backwards. Three of the men help her regain her footing.
1:34 am
Madison is captured on surveillance sitting on a bench near the bar’s entrance. She falls while attempting to stand up.
Desmond approaches Madison. She is wearing a baseball cap, which he removes. Then, she grabs his hand for support while she stands.
1:49 am
Madison leaves Reggie’s Bar with the four men. Two minutes later, they are seen on surveillance walking towards a parked vehicle. Madison attempts to open the door of another vehicle and the men direct her to their vehicle.
1:54 am
The vehicle is seen leaving the parking lot.
2:50 am
Madison walked a distance of roughly 0.17 miles and was then struck by a ride-share driver on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy highway, 3.5 miles from the bar. The individual who struck Madison is unrelated to the incident and is not intoxicated. Emergency services are called immediately. Two good Samaritans perform CPR on Madison until help arrives.
The road where Madison was struck is a poorly lit, four-to-five-lane highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
When Madison was examined at the hospital, her BAC was 0.319%. With each drink equating about 0.02%, this meant that she consumed between 15 and 20 alcoholic beverages that night.
January 16, 2023
When investigators look into the accident that killed Madison, they learn from surveillance footage that she left Reggie’s Bar with four men. Officials determine the identities of these men and visit them at home.
Casen Carver, 18; Everette Lee, 28, and Kaivon Washington, 18. Photo from Baton Rouge Police Department.
Cason, the driver, is questioned first—and he talks. He confirms to police that he and the three suspects went to Reggie’s Bar on Tuesday, January 14, for a few drinks. It was the first time any of them saw Madison.
He says that Madison walked with the group as they were leaving. He describes her as being “very unstable on her feet,” “not able to keep her balance” and “unable to speak clearly without slurring her words,” according to the affidavit. He says Madison walked with Desmond and he witnessed them hugging. (Cason doesn’t tell police, but earlier that night, Desmond and Madison are seen on surveillance dancing.)
Cason tells police that Madison “asked for a ride home.” He asked Madison where her friends were, but she didn’t know. He agreed to drive her home because he did not want to leave her by herself in an intoxicated state, and while the bar was closing.
Desmond Carter, 17. Photo from East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Cason drove the vehicle and Everette, the 28-year-old and eldest member of the group, sat in the passenger’s seat. Kaivon and Desmond sat in the backseat with Madison. When Cason asked Madison for her address again, he saw she was slumped over and unable to answer him. The four of them drove a short distance before pulling over on a side street.
The assault.
When they pulled over, Cason overheard Desmond ask Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him. He tells police that Madison, despite being intoxicated and slumped over, verbally gave content. Desmond and Kaivon took turns having sex with Madison. The assault stopped after Cason told them, “We got to stop this. Let’s go.”
Even though Cason and Everette did not participate in the assault, they both remained in the vehicle and did nothing to stop it. Cason admits to police that he felt uncomfortable and “hated” what was happening. When asked if he thought Madison was too impaired to give her consent, he said, “I guess.”
January 23, 2023
Desmond, Cason, Kaivon and Everette are booked into East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office jail.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Instagram.
Cason and Everette are charged with principles to third-degree rape. Being principle to a crime means that an individual’s direct actions, or lack thereof, contributed to a crime’s occurrence.
Kaivon is charged with third-degree rape. In the state of Louisiana, third-degree rape is sexual intercourse “when the victim is incapable of resisting or of understanding the nature of the act by reason of a stupor or an abnormal condition of mind produced by an intoxicating agent or any cause, and the offender knew or should have known of the victim’s incapacity.
January 24, 2023
Caison, Kaivon and Everette appear in court for bond hearings. Judge Brad Myers from the 19th Judicial District orders Kaison to be held on $150,000 bond. Cason and Everette are held on $50,000 and $75,000 bond, respectively.
Cason and Everette post bail and are released that day.
Louisiana State officials issue an emergency suspension on the service or sale of alcoholic beverages.
January 26, 2023
Kaivon posts $150,000 bond and is released.
February 28, 2023
Desmond is booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He is being charged with first- and third-degree rape and will be tried as an adult.
More Comes To Light About Kaivon Washington
During the investigation, officials learn that Kaivon was previously charged with two other sexual offenses.
Three years prior, he was charged with the first-degree rape of a 12-year-old female. In May 2020, Kaivon raped the victim at a pool party in Walker, Louisiana. Allegedly, he followed the victim into her room at her family’s apartment, pulled off her towel, threw her on the bed, and raped her while covering her mouth. The victim reported the rape to police in 2021 but no charges were filed.
The second sexual offense occurred in August 2022. Coincidentally, it involved a female that Kaivon and another friend, Karson Jones, 18, met at Reggie’s Bar.
Reggie’s Bar and its Bad Reputation
Reggie’s Bar is located in Tigerland, an area where many LSU students live in off-campus housing. Tigerland is home to many bars that are located within walking distance of the apartment complexes where students live.
Reggie’s Bar is no stranger to underage drinking and crime. In fact, it had a long-standing reputation for serving alcohol to minors. When the bar was open, it permitted entry to guests 18+.
Exterior of Reggie’s bar and Fred’s bar in Tigerland. Photo by Bill Feig. Photo credit: The Advocate.
Reggie’s Bar was owned by two former employees of Sports, which was the name of the bar in the ’90s. The bar is no stranger to serving underage minors. Folks on Reddit (yes, I looked to Reddit as a source) claimed the bar used predatory tactics, such as allowing free entry to underage females and supplying them with free alcoholic beverages.
In June 2017, a sting operation was conducted at Reggie’s Bar, which found 19 people, 17 years old or younger, inside the bar. The bar was was required to shut down twice for periods of 45 days and issued an $8,000 fine.
As a direct result of Madison’s death, Reggie’s Bar lost its liquor license in January 2023 and was issued a $15,000 fine. Shortly after, it closed permanently. The bar’s owner, Darin Adams, is prohibited from opening a bar in the state of Louisiana.
Reddit Users Share Their Experiences At Reggie’s Bar
“My first week of my freshman year I had [to] shield 4 women that I had just met (one of them is now my wife) from gunfire.. while on molly.. at 18 years old. 2 weeks later: Saw a girl get drugged and had to physically remove the scumbag from her side. A few months after: guy gets a beer bottle smashed over his head and nearly bleeds out in the parking lot.”
“I was sexually assaulted here. So were many many others bc an LSU frat encouraged members to drug and assault people here. I am glad to see it shut down but the fact that someone died to make it happen hurts.”
“When I was 18, I used to go there and drink all the time, but it was still called Sports for another year or two. It was pretty well-known that if you were of age you went to Fred’s and if you were under age (or just some skeezy guy trying to fuck a teenager) you went to Sports/Reggies.
Aftermath
Madison Brooks Foundation
The Madison Brooks Foundation was founded by Ashley Baustert, Madison’s mother, in 2023. The foundation provides financial assistance to persons in need, advocates for the safety of young adults and spreads awareness about organ donation.
On April 12, 2023, MBF hosted one of its first events to discuss sexual harassment, relationships and consent. Katherine Koestner, an activist and advocate against sexual assault, and the director of Take Back The Night Foundation, was invited to speak to LSU students on MBF’s behalf.
Madison Brooks with her mother, Ashley Baustert. Photo from Facebook.
Katherine spoke publicly for the first time in 1990 at the age of 18, after she was sexually assaulted on William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, Virginia.
LSU Girls Ride
In the aftermath of Madison’s death, two LSU freshman, Alisha Ortolano and Caitlynn Bakewell, created LSU Girls Ride. LSU Girls Ride is a free service through a GroupMe, a ride-share app, to connects female users with female-only drivers. The effort is to provide female LSU students with a way out of an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation.
Women attending LSU can request a ride through GroupMe, no matter the time.
CARD ‘Em
Following the tragedy, Sen. Beth Mizell of proposed a bill known as “CARD Em.” It stands for Create Alcohol Responsibility and Deterrence. CARD ‘Em would raise the minimum age for those who can work in or enter a bar, including performers, from 18 to 21.
Beth Mizell told WDSU News, “You cannot say, ‘Oh, we’re following the law and we care about our young people—who come into our bar and be totally irresponsible with the way that you serve.”
Unfortunately, the bill did not pass.
Where The Case Stands Now
Defense attorneys have a job to do, and that’s obviously to defend the accused parties. However, one of the more infuriating parts of this case is the claim they are using: that the sexual assault of Madison wasn’t a crime and that she did, indeed, consent.
The defense is claiming that despite Madison’s BAC being 0.319%, she was capable of providing consent, which she did, and the sexual assault was actually conventional. There is a leaked video (which I was unable to find) of Madison apologizing to the driver for offending him before exiting the vehicle. Other surveillance footage captured outside of Reggie’s Bar shows Madison running after the group of men to catch up with them. The defense is claiming that if Madison were able to run and talk (despite stumbling, having slurred speech and being unable to recall her own address), she was able provided them with legal consent.
My Two Cents Corner 💥
Wow….just, wow.
When I think about this case, I can’t help but imagine what Madison might have experienced that night. While in a severely intoxicated state, she was taken advantage of by men she trusted to bring her home. Even though they were strangers, most of them were around her age. In her intoxicated state, she probably didn’t see them as threatening partly for this reason.
The driver of the vehicle, Cason Carver, told police that he agreed to drive Madison home because he didn’t want to leave her at the bar, alone, in such a drunken state. Unfortunately, she might still be with us today if he’d told her no.
All four men are equally culpable, in my opinion. You are the company you keep, as they say, and Cason Carver’s choice in friends is despicable. Also, the fact that Kaivon’s 28-year-old uncle was in the car as his nephew committed a rape and didn’t do anything to intervene, speaks volumes to his own character. Why is a 28-year-old man going to bars with men who are underage anyway—a college bar, at that? Isn’t that out of place for him? By that age, most people tend to grow out of the sloppy college-type bars.
On the internet, this case stands divided. Some people believe this was a tragedy that occurred by happenstance; that the responsibility lies with Madison and her decision to drink excessively, and that her rape and death were separate incidents. However, I don’t see it that way. If her and the suspects were never permitted to enter the bar in the first place, they never would have met, and this wouldn’t have happened.
And I’m not pointing fingers here, but look out for your friends, ladies. Madison had a large friend group and she was even previously employed by Reggie’s Bar, but no one stopped to intervene or help her. Use the buddy system. Always go out together and never leave a friend behind; your life, or hers, could depend on it.
What do you think?
Resources
Madison Brooks LSU Student Taken Advantage of By 4 Men & Then Killed? What Is The Truth?! – Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE
It was a cold November morning in 2011 when Julia Biryukova, 30, held her son for the last time.
Julia woke up to find that Sky Metalwala, 2, had fallen ill during the night. She decided to bring him to the hospital to have him checked. She chose Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington, which operates a level III emergency department. The hospital was a 12-minute drive from her apartment in downtown Redmond.
Julia loaded Sky and her 4-year-old daughter, Maile Metalwala, into her car—a 1998 two-door Acura Integra that she borrowed from her brother—and began the drive.
About 2.2 miles into the seven-mile trip, Julia ran out of gas. It just so happened that she also left her phone, wallet and purse at home, too, so she didn’t have a way to call for help.
Julia’s next thought was to start walking until she came upon a gas station. She took Maile with her and left Sky asleep in the backseat, strapped into his car seat, with the doors unlocked. The car was stopped at the 2400 block of 112th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue, which runs parallel to State Route 520, a busy highway.
A screenshot from Google Maps that shows 112th Northeast, Bellevue, the roadway where Julia Biryukova pulled over and left Sky in the car.
A Chevron gas station sat a mile down the road, but it took Julia and Maile about an hour to get there. They seemed to meander around the area before heading in the direction of the service station. Despite being in a residential neighborhood, Julia didn’t knock on anyone’s door and ask to use a phone or borrow gas.
When Julia and Maile arrived at the gas station, they used the phone there to contact Julia’s friend (whose name is not mentioned in sources). The friend picked them up and brought them back to Julia’s car, still without any gas.
An hour-and-a-half had passed since Julia and Maile left Sky. When they returned to the car, Sky was gone.
Julia used her friend’s phone to call 9-1-1 and Bellevue police quickly arrived on the scene. Sometime after 11 am, Solomon Metalwala, the children’s father and Julia’s ex-husband—who she was in the middle of a heated custody battle with—was contacted. Police searched a 20-block radius around where Julia’s car was parked. There was no trace of Sky and he hasn’t been seen since.
Solomon was very active in the search for Sky, and still is. Julia refused to take a polygraph test and requested a lawyer early on. That was the last time she spoke to police about her missing son.
The Bellevue Police Department has spent more than $2 million, devoted more than 14,000 man hours and followed up on over 2,500 leads to find Sky. Still, what happened to this sweet 2-year-old boy remains unknown.
What do you think happened?
Sky Metalwala. Photo from the Bellevue Police Department.
The Parents: Julia Biryukova and Solomon Metalwala
To better understand Sky and speculate on theories about his fate, we’ll begin where it started: with his parents.
Julia Biryukova and Solomon Metalwala both emigrated to the United States. Julia is Ukranian and was born in Soviet Russia on March 10, 1981. She emigrated to Washington State with her mother when she was 12 and is estranged from her father. Solomon was born on April 15, 1975, and is a Pakistani immigrant.
Julia claimed in court documents that she suffered through much of her childhood in Russia. Her parents were heavy-handed and she was allegedly physically abused. Julia underwent a series of electroconvulsive treatment therapies, not necessarily to help with mental illness but to curb her behavior. She was physically disciplined often and frequently told she was wrong. Unfortunately, Julia experienced lasting trauma that followed her into adulthood.
Julia Biryukova and Solomon Metalwala were married from 1999 to 2010. Photo from King5.
Julia and Solomon met in 1997 at a gas station. He was 21 and ran King Street Kafé, now King Street Bar & Oven, which was owned by his parents. (Located in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, it remains open to this day but under different ownership.) Julia was only 15 and a sophomore at Bellevue High School. Solomon invited Julia to a weekend party and the pair became a couple almost instantly.
As Julia continued school, she also worked as a waitress at King Street Kafé with Solomon. In 1999, Julia, now 17, graduated from high school and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The couple also purchased their first home together, a condominium in Bellevue; one of the more affluent suburbs of Washington.
A Short-Lived Hopeful Start
From the outside, the Metalwala’s life sang to the tune of young success. Julia and Solomon were an active couple and enjoyed jogging, hiking and doing yoga together. However, reality inside their home was much different.
Julia alleged that Solomon was controlling. She admitted that she became emotionally dependent on him, which caused her to isolate herself from family and friends. The couple’s home life wasn’t without loud, heated arguments. On one occasion in 1999, not long after they bought their first home, they attracted the attention of law enforcement while arguing loudly at a gas station. Nothing came of the matter.
Julie Biryukova and her missing son, Sky Metalwala. Photo from Facebook.
Over time the couple’s differences became more obvious to them both. However, they remained committed and got married in February 2003. They had a small ceremony held in Solomon’s mother’s kitchen.
Julia didn’t tell her own family about the marriage for seven years. She later alleged that she didn’t want to marry Solomon, but his family gave her an ultimatum: either marry him or he would be deported to Pakistan. The reason behind the impending deportation was never disclosed to Julia.
Timeline Of Events
2005: Religion Conversion and Early Financial Hardship
Two years into their marriage, Solomon converted to Christianity. The change was allegedly an effort to make the marriage work, which was now undergoing serious difficulties.
Solomon was raised Muslim and his parents, who still practiced the faith, did not support his decision. When the couple began to attend church in Kirkland, their disapproval grew. Solomon’s parents blamed Julia for their son’s decision and it became a source of contention in their marriage. Nonetheless, Solomon remains an active member of his church.
That same year, another deli opened across the street from King Street Kafé. The competitor stole revenue from the deli and led the Metalwala’s into financial hardship.
2006: Birth of First Child and OCD Diagnosis
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, Maile Metalwala in December of 2006. Soon after Maile was born, Julia was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); a mental illness characterized by a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears, which lead to obsessions and repetitive behaviors.
These thoughts create anxiety and stress for the individual and the repetitive behaviors, or rituals, function as an attempt at relief or to prevent something bad from happening.
2008: A New Home
Financial hardship worsened as the deli continued to decline—especially as the Great Recession hit. However, Julia was pregnant with their second child and contrary to their financial situation, the couple decided they needed a bigger home.
Maile and missing Sky Metalwala. Photo from Bellevue Police Department.
Julia and Solomon moved out of their Bellevue condominium and into an $860,000 home in the South Rose Hill neighborhood of Kirkland, which they purchased. They were still responsible for the mortgage payments on their condo. Needless to say, the family accrued a lot of debt in a short period of time.
Solomon allegedly kept their worsening debt a secret from Julia. She later told courts that she didn’t learn how severe their financial problems were until they were six months behind on payments. She described this as being the real tipping point of their marriage.
During her second pregnancy, Julia’s psychiatrist prescribed her antidepressants but she didn’t take the medication because she didn’t think she needed it.
2009: Birth of a Second Child, Financial Ruin and Worsening Symptoms
On September 6, 2009, Sky Elijah Metalwala was born.
Curiously, less than two months later, Julia and Solomon found themselves in trouble with police. The couple left Solomon in their Cadillac Escalade while shopping inside of a Target store. They told police they were inside for only 20 minutes, but video footage indicated it was for 55 minutes. Outside temperatures reached 27°F that day. The Metalwala’s were charged with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle. They were required to take parenting classes in order to have the charges dropped.
It bore a strange similarity to how Sky went missing.
Julie Biryukova and her missing son, Sky Metalwala. Photo from Facebook.
At this time, the couple was unable to pay their bills, which were placed in arrears. Lenders started to foreclose on their two properties. A year after purchasing their Kirkland home, the family moved back in to their much smaller Bellevue condominium. Now, they risked losing both homes.
Cleanliness obsession.
Now dealing with the stress of having two young children, being in financial trouble and at risk of losing her home, and in a failing marriage, Julia’s OCD intensified. It manifested into an intense obsession with cleaning. Julia spent 6-7 hours a day cleaning their home, which compromised her ability to work.
Julia would clean the same areas over and over again until she was satisfied. She vacuumed frequently, only doing so in perfect, straight lines. The family received three noise complaints from the managing company of their complex due to Julia’s late-night vacuuming. The third time, the family was charged a $300 fee.
The obsession grew so severe that Julia no longer wanted anyone to sleep in the marital bed, so they would avoid dirtying the sheets. She stopped allowing food in the home to avoid crumbs, so her family had to eat outside of the residence. The children were neglected and missed meals because of Julia’s behaviors. Eventually, Julia stopped leaving the house altogether.
From 2009 to 2010, Child Protection Services visited the Metalwala’s home at least six times.
It’s unknown as to how Julia handled dirty diapers. However, Solomon often returned home from work to check on and care for the children.
“I am not exaggerating when I state under oath that Julia cared more about cleaning a countertop than she did about feeding our daughter,” Solomon told The Kirkland Reporter. “The child was ignored, and it became a matter of great concern.”
Even Nadia Biryukova, Julia’s mother, believed Solomon. According to The Kirkland Reporter, court documents stated that Nadia told her daughter:
“Neither your husband nor I would like for you to live with us at your current conditions … All of us (your children including) are suffering from your abuse.”
2010: 3 Trips To The Psych Ward And A Divorce
Early in the year, Julia was committed to a mental health facility. It was the first of three times she would be committed in 2010.
The first hospitalization came when Julia told Solomon she dreamt of killing their children. On another occasion, she told him she had visions of strangling Sky.
Before leaving her second facility, Dr. Stephen A. Sholl, a clinical psychologist, said in a statement: “Although Ms. Biryukova is dealing with a severe form of OCD, I do not believe that this interferes with her ability to be a compassionate, effective parent to her children.”
Solomon files for divorce.
Julia and Solomon separated in March 2010, but he filed for divorce when she returned home from the hospital in June.
Julia’s reaction was worrisome. She sent Solomon a slew of text messages threatening to commit suicide. In the texts, she wrote:
“Please, please I’m begging with my whole heart help me find a peaceful way to die. I cannot live ANOTHER day and cause you, Maile and Sky anymore suffering. I’m dead inside anyway and have been dead for a long time. You will not miss me at all and Maile and Sky have the best daddy in the world so I know they will be okay …”
Solomon knew that Julia was home alone with 6-month-old Sky. Concerned about his son’s welfare, he called the Bellevue Police, who went to the Metalwala’s home. She admitted to police that she was suicidal and was involuntary committed at Overlake Hospital and then Navos Behavior Health Hospital in West Seattle. She told hospital staff that she made these statements only to get Solomon’s attention and that she wasn’t really suicidal.
When she finished her second stay, Solomon and his brother took Julia to the University of Washington Medical Center at her own request. She felt that she wasn’t receiving adequate care and her condition wasn’t being taken seriously at the other facilities. During her third stay, Julia was administered a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), which is a scale used to determine the severity of a mental illness.
Julia’s Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores.
The first time Julia was administered the GAF, she received a score of 15. According to WebMd, it’s a score that suggests:
Some danger of hurting self or others (e.g., suicide attempts without clear expectation of death, frequently violent, manic excitement) OR occasionally fails to maintain minimal personal hygiene (e.g., smears feces) OR gross impairment in communication (e.g., largely incoherent or mute.
Before Julia was released, she was tested again and received a score of 40, which showed some improvement. A GAF score of 40 suggests:
Some impairment in reality testing or communication (e.g., speech is at times illogical, obscure or irrelevant) OR major impairments in several areas, such as work or school, family relations, judgement, thinking or mood (e.g., depressed man avoids friends, neglects family and is unable to work; child frequently beats up younger children, is defiant at home and is failing at school).
Solomon moves out.
While Julia was in the hospital, the Metalwala’s lender foreclosed on the condominium. Solomon and the children moved in with his parents in Kirkland. Now, when Julia was released, she would be on her own.
A nasty separation.
Sky Metalwala. Photo from The Kirkland Reporter.
Julia and Solomon disagreed about the parameters of their divorce. Julia claimed that Solomon abused her and she feared for her life. In turn, Solomon said Julia’s allegations were false. He alleged that Julia’s mental health problems made her unstable, and unable to adequately care for their children.
At many times throughout the divorce proceedings, Julia and Solomon had orders of protection against each other. The couple went back and forth accusing the other of being physically and emotionally abusive toward the children. All the claims were unfounded.
At one point, Julia issued the most serious of the claims that Solomon sexually abused their daughter. CPS ruled this claim unfounded, but Solomon was prohibited from seeing both children for almost a year while the case was investigated.
Julia wins full custody.
In September 2010, Julia was granted full custody of both children. Solomon didn’t have visitation rights and she forbid him from seeing them. Still, he kept fighting in court.
Julia wanted the proceedings to end. She even offered to forego alimony and child support if he allowed her to move to Arizona with the kids, but he refused. In November 2011, the court ordered the couple to attend mediation to resolve their issues. It was later discovered that Julia left both children home alone during that mediation session, something she did often, for some 11 consecutive hours.
The couple finally agreed that Julia would maintain full custody of the children but Solomon would have full visitation. She didn’t like that outcome. On November 3, 2011, three days before Sky disappeared, Julia called her lawyer and said she felt pressured into the agreement. Thus, the agreement for Solomon’s visitation was voided.
Three days later, Sky was gone.
Julia Becomes A Suspect
When a child goes missing, nearly half the time (49%) the disappearance involves a parent, according to Child Watch of North America.
Early into the investigation, police had their eye on Julia. Her story didn’t add up. Here’s a few reasons why.
GAS IN THE CAR.One of the most curious points of evidence was the gas in Julia’s car. When police inspected the Acura Integra that Julia was driving, it still had 2.2 gallons of gas, which was certainly enough to safely reach the hospital. The vehicle also ran normally.
Police vehicles parked outside of Julia Biryukova’s apartment building in Redmond, Washington, the day after Sky was reported missing. Photo from CBS News.
NOT ASKING FOR HELP.Julia told investigators that she searched for help, but she didn’t knock on the doors of any nearby homes.
NO SCENT PICKED UP.Canine units were involved in the investigation. Sky’s scent was not picked up anywhere outside of the vehicle.
SKY WASN’T SEEN FOR WEEKS PRIOR. No one aside from Julia and Maile had seen Sky for two weeks leading up to his disappearance. Residents of the apartment building where Julia lived reported hardly seeing Julia or her children. However, residents also reported that it was normal for Julia to regularly come and go, leaving both children unattended in the apartment.The last time that anyone saw Sky other than Julia and Maile was at a doctor’s appointment eight months earlier.
PHOTOS OF MAILE ARE SHARED BUT NOT SKY.Julia was heavily criticized throughout the investigation for posting far more photos of her and Maile on Facebook than of her and Sky. Many people who followed the case believed it was indicative of Julia having a favorite child, which was clearly Maile.
NO POLYGRAPH TEST. Although Solomon took a polygraph test, Julia refused to. Her lawyer, Veronica Freitas, said it was because Julia was mentally unstable at the time and the tests are notoriously unreliable.
Theories on Sky Metalwala’s Disappearance
Sky’s Disappearance was Planned and Inspired by the Media
Not long before Sky disappeared, an episode of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, depicted a chillingly similar account to what Julia claims had happened. Curiously, the episode, “Missing Pieces,” (season 13, episode 5) premiered two weeks earlier—and also reran in the Seattle area the night before Sky Disappeared. The episode is about a young couple who claimed their son was abducted when their parked car was stolen on Halloween. However, the parents buried their son after he died from sudden infant death syndrome and they fabricated the car theft story as a cover-up.
According to Solomon, Law & Order was also one of Julia’s favorite TV shows.
Sky Was Killed Days Before The Alleged Disappearance
As police began to dig deeper into this case, they learned that none of Sky’s family members had seen him for several weeks prior to his disappearance—with the exception of Julia. It’s possible that Sky died or was killed prior to his disappearance, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and Julia concealed the body.
Sky Was Sent To Live With Family In Russia
Julia Biryukova’s estranged father visited Washington from Ukraine in April 2011. Some speculate that he may have taken Sky back to Ukraine with him.
The Messy Aftermath
After Sky disappeared, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) removed Maile from Julia’s home and placed her into foster care. Solomon was permitted visitation twice a week while he fought in court for full custody of Maile. He was ultimately awarded full custody.
Julia and Solomon’s divorce was finalized in January 2012.
2014-2015: Julia Remarries A Convicted Felon
SeekingArrangements.com
Soon after her divorce was finalized, Julia created a profile on a dating website. She intends to meet a suitor for financial gain. Julia signed up for SeekingArrangements.com. On her profile, she stated that she was seeking out “sugar daddies,” or wealthy men willing to support her financially as part of a relationship. She requested to $3,000 to $5,000 in cash per month.
Her profile read:
Happy, single, Loving, FUN, PASSIONATE, kind, healthy, Beautiful, great cook, blonde hair, blue eyes, slim, very fit, CHRISTIAN, mommy of 2 beautiful babies, I speak fluent Russian, Ukrainian and English, I live in Redmond, WASHINGTON.
I am looking for financial stability and assistance…I am looking for a successful mentor. I am looking for a REAL man. YOU tell me YOUR ‘ideal’ arrangement!
As life would have it, who she met was quite the opposite.
Julia connected with Alan Morgan, a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal record that includes several CPS referrals in Florida for cruelty against a child from a prior relationship, domestic violence, assault, violence against police officers, battery and chemical dependency. Alas, she fell head over heels again.
Alan was a regular methamphetamine user and a heavy drinker of alcohol. He was also periodically homeless.
In December 2014, Julia and Alan married. That same month, she reported him to Redmond police for an alleged assault. Julia was subsequently granted a no-contact order, but continued to visit Alan in jail in Issaquah.
While Alan was in jail, Julia gave birth to her third child, Elijah James Morgan, on July 10, 2015. She later told investigators that her and Alan did not live together, despite using the same address. She also claimed that she didn’t know who the father of her child was, even though Alan’s name is on the birth certificate and the child shares his same middle name.
Almost immediately, Julia was declared an unfit parent by DHSH, and workers tried to have the infant removed from Julia’s care. The child was ultimately removed from Julia’s care and placed in the legal care of her mother. However, both Julia and her young son lived with her mother, Nadia Biryukova, from the time of his birth. The living arrangements were stable enough to satisfy the courts.
2019: Julia Testifies Against New Husband And Is Arrested For Shoplifting
In February 2019, Julia testified in court against Alan for the domestic violence case. There, she told the court that Alan violated the no-contact order that was in place. While it was true that Alan called Julia from jail, she also called him more than 70 times and, on several occasions, she visited him under a different name.
Alan was released on October 15, 2019, and court-ordered to attend drug and alcohol treatment. On November 5, Alan left treatment early and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Also in 2019, Julia was arrested for shoplifting from Costco.
Alan later argued in court that he and Julia’s child was better suited in foster care, because it would provide a neutral environment for him to become reacquainted with his son. The child was under Nadia’s legal guardianship, however, Julia was permitted to live in the home and have supervised interactions with her son. Their contentious relationship played a role in the child being placed into foster care. Julia was no longer permitted to live with her mother and started living with a friend.
On February 24, 2020, Julia filed a motion to reconsider the court’s opinion. The motion was denied.
Report Tips On This Case To:
This case remains open and unsolved!
If anyone has information on the case of missing Sky Metalwala, contact the Bellevue Police Department at 425-577-5656 or email pdtipline@bellevuewa.gov.
My Two Cents Corner
This case is a tough one for me, because I honestly can’t pinpoint what I think happened here.
I can say, and this is purely my own speculation, that I think the dismantled marriage was a long time coming. When I read about the couple’s history, the age difference stood out to me immediately. When Solomon and Julia met, he was 21 and she was only 15. Think about the difference in maturity, life experience and common sense that lies between a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old.
I think that a young Julia got into a relationship with an older man at a young age–perhaps he was her first love–and the control aspect of that relationship was assumed by the older male partner. She married him soon after high school, so whatever unresolved trauma she had from childhood likely followed her into that relationship. When the pair grew more serious and began to involve homes, marriage, children, debt and in-laws that weren’t particularly fond of Julia, it became a recipe for disaster for whatever mental disarray she had lying beneath the surface.
Let’s be honest: the situation that Julia found herself in, as a young wife and mother, was definitely not ideal and would probably be difficult for anyone to work through. For someone that didn’t have strong emotional support, it’s even harder. I’m not defending Julia’s actions or lack thereof by any means, but I feel that a lot of the information about this case caste her in a bad light because of her mental illness. However, she often tried seeking out help for her conditions, which included three hospitalizations.
I think perhaps Julia felt that Solomon was controlling and domineering, as she previously said, and wanted to keep the children away from him. On the other hand, Solomon witnessed her worsening mental illness and saw that she wasn’t mentally stable enough to raise two kids alone. She exhibited that fact outright when her exacerbating OCD caused her to prioritize cleaning over feeding her family or allowing them to sleep in their beds. I think both parents felt fully justified in their case when they went to court for custody.
However, none of this really matters because it still doesn’t determine what happened to Sky.
I think it was incredibly irresponsible to leave a child in a car by themselves, especially a sick 2-year-old. First of all, it was November, and on this particular day it was only 35°F outside when Sky was left in the car.
I think it’s even worse to leave the child in the car with the doors unlocked. This is basically an open invitation for a kidnapping. I read that although Bellevue is an affluent area, it’s also home to many transients. It’s certainly a possibility that someone may have taken the child when Julia was gone, or even that Julia arranged for such an event to happen; an under-the-table adoption of sorts.
Or, it was possible that Sky was already deceased when Julia placed him in the car. Perhaps she never even placed him in there, but wrapped a doll that resembled Sky in a blanket, so Maile, his sister, would suspect that he was indeed in the car–and relay that information to police.
Whatever the case may be, let’s continue to hope and pray that, one day, Sky Metalwala will return home.
Two years after Letecia Stauch was arrested for 1st-degree murder of Gannon Stauch, her 11-year-old stepson, the witch is FINALLY on trial. The day is almost here when Letecia, aka “Tecia” or “Tee,” will be held responsible for her crimes. And crimes, there are many.
Letecia told her ex-husband Al Stauch at least four different stories about what happened to Gannon when he went missing on Monday, January 27, 2020. Some of these tall tales involved Quincy Brown, a Colorado fugitive who’s been on the run for two years; an undocumented Hispanic construction worker named “Edguardo” or “Eduardo,” and Terrance, a getaway driver. Obviously, none of it was true.
Today is the 12th day of CO. v. Letecia Stauch, where Letecia is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Letecia’s plea signifies her admittance to killing Gannon. This means that in 2020, this 35-year-old wife, mother of one, stepmother of two and career schoolteacher, murdered Gannon (and brutally so). Then, she attempted to conceal the evidence by stuffing his body and bedding into a suitcase, and driving 1,500 miles southwest to Pace, Florida, to toss it from a highway overpass.
Yes, she’s on trial, but Letecia is guilty as sinin the eyes of public opinion. Even though she’s clearly crazy, public consensus is that she’s also SANE, and that’s the worst kind of crazy there is.
Let’s dive in to the beginning parts of what we know: who Gannon was, how Letecia met the Stauch’s, what led to this tragedy, and the general timeline up to when Gannon’s body was found.
Who Was Gannon Stauch?
Gannon Stauch. Photo from Facebook.
Gannon Jacob Stauch was born on September 29, 2008, to Eugene Albert “Al” Stauch and Landen Bullard Hiott in Loris, South Carolina. He entered the world as a fighter, which is sadly how he left it. Gannon was born premature; a one-pound six-ounce baby boy.
Because of Gannon’s condition, doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival. They said if he were to survive, he would be severely mentally and physically disabled. Gannon beat all those odds.
In 2020, Gannon was a fifth-grade student at Grand Mountain School in El Paso County. He was known to be kind, shy and quiet. He loved tacos, the color blue and his Nintendo Switch, especially the game Sonic. He was in talented and gifted student programs. He had a circle of friends.
When members of the community gathered to search for Gannon, they used red ribbons to raise awareness. Students wore blue to school in honor of Gannon. Some neighbors also changed their porch lights to blue to “help Gannon find his way home.”
How Did Gannon Meet Letecia?
Al and Letecia Stauch. Photo from Facebook.
Al and then-wife Landen Stauch met Letecia Hardin in 2013 when they all played on a local softball team together. Al and Landen were married for almost 10 years at the time and had two children: Gannon and his younger sister Laina.
Letecia was skilled at softball, having played recreationally and competitively throughout grade school. She grew up around the area of Lumberton, North Carolina, where she attended high school. At the time, Letecia had a 12-year-old daughter, Hailey Hunt.
Al and Landen separated at some point in 2014. Before a divorce was finalized, Al and Letecia started dating. Allegedly, the Stauch’s marriage was failing and both Landen and Al cheated on each other.
By January 2015, Al and Letecia were married.
Initially, Gannon and Laina lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with their mother Landen, who was a health and physical education teacher at the time, and her new husband Mike Hiott.
Al and Letecia Stauch. Photo from Facebook.
For a few years, the kids shuffled back and forth between households for holidays and summer breaks. It was stressful all around for both sides of the family.
Over time, Al grew concerned about the children’s safety over at Landen’s home. He worried about drugs being around them, which was presumably related to Mike Hiott. At the time, Landen was pregnant with her third child, a daughter she named Novah (Gannon’s half-sister). The pregnancy was high-risk and she was hospitalized for a time because of it. Landen was also given strict orders to be on bed rest, which affected her ability to fully care for Gannon and Laina. (Landen and Mike Hiott have since divorced.)
Al and Letecia were awarded full custody of Gannon and Laina in 2018. The kids then moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to live together as a full-time family of five.
Little did they know, who they were moving in with.
Letecia’s Past
The late Chance Hunt, ex-husband of Letecia Stauch. Photograph his from his obituary.
Letecia’s criminal dates back to before she graduated from Lumberton High School in 2001. There, she excelled in sports and academics, and she also made a fake bomb threat.
Later that year, after graduation, Letecia was charged with simple assault and communicating threats, though the charges were dropped. She was also arrested for car theft and sentenced to 45 days in jail, issued a $1,000 fine and placed on an 18-month probation.
From 2002 to 2011, Letecia was in an on- and off-relationship with Chance Hunt, the father of her daughter, Harley Hunt. (Harley was born on May 1, 2002.) In 2010, Letecia was arrested for domestic violence and domestic abuse in Horry County, South Carolina. After that arrest, she went by “Tecia.” (Chance also had over 70 criminal offenses to his name.)
Harley Hunt. Letecia Stauch’s daughter. Photo from Instagram.
Letecia went on to receive a doctorate in education from Liberty University. Her teaching certificate was suspended in North Carolina and terminated in South Carolina due to several offenses.
Less than a year after she divorced Chance, Letecia and Al started dating. In 2014, Chance then, 34, died from a drug overdose. He tested positive for benzodiazepines (Xanax), THC, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and alcohol.
Letecia told her daughter Harley that Chance died during a home-invasion-gone-wrong. She learned about the real nature of his death from the Internet when she was 20 years old, during her mother’s trial. It was one of many truths that would come to light about her mom, and still more will be revealed.
Letecia Moves To Alaska With Al And Kids
Al started working for the U.S. National Guard in 2005. He is currently an operations officer in the 100th Missile Defense Brigade.
In 2017, Al was stationed in Alaska, and the family had to relocate from South Carolina. Letecia begrudgingly moved with the kids, but she hated it. In court, Harley testified that Letecia made comments about committing suicide if she had to live in Alaska any longer. Initially, Gannon and Laina spent summers in Alaska and were with their mother, Landen, during the school year.
Coincidentally, Letecia filed a claim of sexual assault on her by two of Al’s coworkers, one of whom was his captain. The motive is believed to have been to relocate Al to a different base—and it worked. In 2019, the Stauch’s returned to South Carolina and then relocated to Colorado Springs, which is in-between three military bases.
(It’s also around this time that Letecia tells Al she’s pregnant with twins. Hint: She wasn’t.)
Al Stauch and Letecia Stauch. Photo from Facebook.
Letecia Resents The Responsibilities Of A Stepmom
Letecia felt like a “glorified babysitter,” a term later uncovered in her Google search history. She was resentful toward Al about being the primary caretaker of Gannon and Laina. She felt Al didn’t return her affections or give her the attention she so desperately pined for. The couple fought often. Letecia frequently accused Al of being with other women.
Al’s job required him to be away from home often, anywhere from three to 14 days at a time. This meant that Letecia, who worked full time as a teacher, was often singlehandedly responsible for all three children. Letecia misdirected much of her anger at Al toward Landen, the kids’ mother, and then toward Gannon.
It wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t sexy. It wasn’t what she thought she signed up for. Life was more hectic with all three kids around, and it wasn’t so easy having a partner whose job kept him away from home.
Letecia wanted excitement. First, she started to seek it out by changing her career. Not long before these crimes occurred, Letecia started the process of becoming a flight attendant. Though it paid less than working as a teacher, the job would allow her to travel the world. In other words, it would require her to be out of the house and free from the responsibilities she didn’t want. Letecia said that Al discouraged it.
Letecia also filed two false burglary reports during the course of their marriage. Why? Who knows.
It’s also important to mention that Al allegedly started an affair with another woman toward the end of their relationship, and that Letecia was suspicious about it. (Al is now married to his third wife, Heather Whitworth, who was supposedly that other woman.)
Now bearing all this in mind, here’s a timeline of the what happened during Gannon’s disappearance and up to when his body was discovered.
Gannon Stauch: Timeline Before, During and After His Disappearance and Discovery
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Al is scheduled to go to Oklahoma for training. He allegedly spends the night at the Colorado Springs Airport, where he also brings his mother, who was visiting, to board an 8:30 pm flight. (It’s been said that he spent the night with his then-girlfriend, Heather Whitmore, who arrived home at 4:15 am.)
That afternoon, Letecia starts a string of Google searches on her phone, which later becomes evidence in Gannon’s missing person investigation. Written verbatim, that day these searches were:
12:16 pm: find real military singles
1:40 pm: parenting should be four people not one
1:41 pm: im over doing all the work for my step kids and their mom doesnt help
1:42 pm: mom advice from stepmom
1:49 pm: if you aren’t involved it (sic) your kids life you are shitty
1:50 pm: my husbands ex wife does nothing for her lids (sic)
1:51 pm: i wonder if my husbands ex wife is sending me a card since i.raise.her.kids
1:52 pm: i wonder if my husbands ex wife is sending me a valentines card since i.raise.her.kids
1:54 pm: one day some people will.wish they treated you differently
3:36pm: wjy should my husband chose.me ober family
7:57 pm: find me a rich guy who.wants me to take care of his kids
7:58 pm: find a guy who wants me to take care of.his.kids and get paid
There were also deleted search terms found on Letecia’s iPhone:
find me a new husband book
I feel like im just a nanny not a step mom
husband uses me to babysit his kids
are there any free money to move away from bad situation
my husband never post about me but does everything else
my husband only cleans up for the army not me
im jusg (sic) a glorified babysittef
find a new husband
sent my husband sexual messages and he ignores them
make my husband want me more
I feel like my husband uses me to babysit his kid
find a guy without kids
A photo of Laina, Gannon and Letecia, that was taken on Sunday, January 26, during their hike. Photo from Facebook.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
In the morning, Letecia takes Gannon and Laina on a hike at Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, a 1,341-acre public park. Harley plans to go with them, but is called in to work. (She was a receptionist at a nearby Massage Envy.)
Gannon struggles on the hike, according to Letecia. He injured his foot the night before on wooden boards left on the garage floor. His foot starts to bother him during the hike and he also starts having stomach pains. He defecates in his pants. The three of them plan to eat at Burger King but return home early so Gannon can shower.
Later that night, the “candle incident” occurs. Gannon allegedly lights a candle to conceal the smell of diarrhea, and he drops the candle and candle wax on the carpet. The candle smoke signals the smoke detector and Letecia says she saw two- to three-foot-tall flames. Al later remarks that it’s out of character for Gannon to light a candle for any reason. Letecia extinguishes the fire.
Garden of the Gods. Photo from Wikipedia.
Letecia, Gannon and Laina get into her car, a black Volkswagen Tiguan, and drive around the block to “calm down.” When they return, Letecia cuts out the piece of carpet where the candle wax fell. She plans to replace it the next day. She is allegedly very nervous about Al finding out what happened.
Gannon’s forearms are burned from the incident. Letecia says that he gets blood on the walls from his burns.
Letecia tries airing out the basement to dissipate the smell of smoke. Harley, who normally sleeps downstairs, sleeps upstairs with her mother because it’s too cold downstairs. Curiously, Gannon remains downstairs in the cold by himself.
Letecia’s Google searches from that morning include:
9:25 am: its crappy some parents dont care for their kids or buy them presents
9:27 pm: parents are those who put thwir (sic) kids before their nails
Monday, January 27, 2020
Letecia is expected to start a new job at Mountain Ridge Middle School. Curiously, instead of telling the school her stepson is sick and she needs to stay home, she lies and says her stepfather was killed in a car accident. (One of her stepfathers was hit by a car and killed, but that was many years ago.)
According to Letecia, Gannon stays home from school with a stomach ache. She doesn’t mention his burns to Al. Gannon accompanies Letecia as she visits Petco twice to buy costumes for the family dogs, because the store is having a sale. They leave home around 10:15 am and Gannon appears on a neighbor’s security footage. The way he walks suggests he is drowsy. Gannon’s phone is left behind at Petco.
Letecia also brings Gannon to meet someone she connected with on Craiglist, so she can check out a bicycle she wants to surprise Al with. They return home around 2:15 pm. In later surveillance footage, only Letecia is seen exiting the car.
Between 3-4 pm, Letecia says that Gannon leaves the home to walk to a friend’s house. She says he doesn’t communicate the name of his friend or provide her with an address. Gannon is not captured on any of the neighbors’ security cameras.
Around 5 pm
Harley returns home from work. Letecia sends her and Laina to dollar store to pick up carpet cleaner, trash bags and baking soda.
6:55 pm
Gannon Stauch. Photo from FindAGrave.com.
Letecia calls 9-1-1 to report Gannon missing. She alerts Al and he books the next available flight home. Authorities are under the impression that Gannon is a runaway.
10 pm
Deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department arrives at the Stauch residence.
A six-week-long investigation effort kicks off to find Gannon. Canine units, drones, hundreds of volunteers, personnel from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Police Department and the FBI are involved.
Letecia’s Google searches from that day include:
12:10 am: my son.burned the carpet how.do I fix it
12:43 am: will.humidifier.help if exposed to smoke
12:43 am: smoke affects will humidifier help
12:44 am: smoke from fire affects will humidifier help
12:56 am: Colorado law for kid stating (sic) at home
12:57 am: School is out. is it okay for my kid to stay home alone?
1:01 am: son is sick but I have to go to work
1:03 am: son sick can he stay home
4:41 am: suede repair kit for sofa
6:55 pm: el paso sheriffs office number
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Letecia picks up Al at the Colorado Springs airport at 9 am. She isn’t driving her car, but a red Kia Rio. It’s a rental.
Letecia tells Al that she’s nearing the mileage cutoff for her lease. She rented a car to avoid extra charges. She says she left her vehicle in the parking lot of a local elementary school, and a coworker drove her to Avis, a car rental chain with a store at the airport. Al finds the scenario odd. He later drives through the parking lot of the school to see if Letecia’s car is there. It isn’t.
Around 10:30 pm, Harley, picks up her mom in her own car, a white Volkswagen Jetta, and brings her back home. They stay in a nearby hotel that night.
Skipping ahead::: Investigators later determine that Letecia drove her car to the airport and parked in a short-term parking lot. She returned to the lot at 7 pm that night. It’s believed that Letecia likely hid Gannon’s body in her car to prevent Al from finding out. She may have moved the body at this time.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Letecia returns the rental car at 9 am. She only drove it for a total of 70 miles. (For the record, if you exceed lease mileage by 70 miles, it would cost less than $20.)
On Tuesday, Letecia scheduled a meeting with investigators at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office at 10 am. She arrives at two hours late. Before the interview, she goes to a car wash. Her car is seized that day.
The First Of Many Fabricated Stories
During the interview, Letecia tells investigators what “really” happened. This is story No. 1. There are at least four stories in total.
Letecia tells Lead Detective Jessica Bethel that she returned home from Petco with Gannon around 2:15 pm. They visit Petco twice that day to purchase outfits for the family dogs.
Earlier that day, Letecia said she passes by an area of her complex that was under construction. She speaks to a laborer, “Edguardo,” about paying him to replace the section of the carpet that was burned the night before. She provides him with her garage door code.
When Letecia and Gannon return home, Edguardo is still there. He is armed with one of Letecia or Al’s guns and threatens her with it repeatedly. Letecia says that Edguardo sexually assaults her and subsequently kidnaps Gannon. She doesn’t call 9-1-1 to report the assault or abduction. Instead, she cleans up the scene to prevent Harley or Laina from knowing what happened.
During the meeting, investigators seize Letecia’s cell phone and apply for a warrant to take DNA samples from her. Letecia then shoves tissues into her pants while saying that she peed herself and had chest pains. She is brought to a local hospital and evaluated. She is fine.
The plan is for Letecia to have a rape kit done. She tells the nurse that she wants to have Harley in the room for support. She goes to the waiting room to get Harley, but sneaks out of the hospital. Harley picks her up at a nearby Taco Bell. Letecia wasn’t under arrest so she cannot be charged with leaving.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
The status of Gannon’s case is changed from runway to endangered missing child. Because of the change, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is able to notify the FBI and the National Center for Miseimf & Exploited Children.
Letecia’s strange interview with Spencer Wilson of KKTV.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Letecia is not yet a suspect, but she chooses to do a live interview with reporter Spencer Wilson of KKTV, a local CBS affiliate. During the interview, she has her back facing the camera, which is strikingly odd. She tells Spencer that her family has received more than 20 death threats and repeatedly proclaims her innocence. She mentions how she expects an apology from her family, and especially from Al. Letecia says that she can’t wait for Gannon to come home so he can tell everyone the truth about what happened to him; another odd statement. Spencer later testifies in her trial.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Letecia and Harley travel cross-country. The plan is to return to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Letecia feels uncomfortable staying at her marital home because Landen, Gannon’s mother and Al’s ex-wife, is currently staying there due to the ongoing investigation. She takes it upon herself to remove her and Harley from the situation instead of staying to support the effort to find Gannon.
Letecia rents a Budget van to move her and Harley’s belongings out of the home.
It’s believed that Gannon’s deceased body was inside of a suitcase, which Letecia kept in the trunk. Harley said she blasted the air conditioner for the whole trip, even when it wasn’t cold. (It was supposedly an effort to mask the smell.)
Here is a map of the route that Letecia and Harley took.
The route that Letecia and Harley drove her van on their road trip to Myrtle Beach. Photo from Crime Curious.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
A neighbor of the Stauch’s, Roderrick Drayton, comes forward with his home surveillance footage, which depicts Letecia coming and going on the day of Gannon’s disappearance. The footage shows Letecia and Gannon leaving in Al’s red Nissan Frontier around 10:15 am on Monday, January 27, 2020, but it only shows Letecia returning.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Letecia is arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She is charged with the following:
First-degree murder of a child under 12 by someone in a position of trust
First-degree murder
Child abuse resulting in death
Tampering with a deceased human body
Tampering with physical evidence
Crime of violence (8 counts)
Attempted escape
Landen Hiott (center) is comforted by her aunt, Veronica Birkenstock, and Albert Stauch, after the announcement that Letecia Stauch was arrested and charged with the 1st-degree murder of Gannon Stauch. Photo Credit: Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Gannon’s remains are located. His body is found in a pink suitcase, in the fetal position, inside of his bed sheets and comfortable. The suitcase is found underneath a bridge on the Florida Panhandle, 1,500 miles from his home in Colorado Springs.
Gannon suggested 18 stab wounds and a gunshot wound to his lower jaw.
Rest in peace, Gannon. May justice finally be served.
Resources
WTAF was going on in the Stauch Marriage? Gannon Stauch Case Update – Wicked Truth
Justice for Gannon Stauch Timeline to Trial – Fox 21 News
IF LOOKS COULD KILL: Heartbroken mother of Gannon Stauch stares down Letecia Stauch in court as she is charged with his murder – The Sun
Letecia Stauch MURDER TRIAL DAY 1, Jury SELECTION | Gannon Stauch Case – ICkEdMeL
INSANE AUDIO, Letecia Stauch MURDER TRIAL DAY 11 | Gannon Stauch CASE PT – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch DAUGHTER TESTIFIES! HARLEY HUNT MURDER TRIAL DAY 9 | Gannon Stauch CASE – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch ATTACKS OFFICER ON VIDEO! MURDER TRIAL DAY 8 | Gannon Stauch CASE – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch INTERROGATION VIDEO? MURDER TRIAL DAY 7 | Gannon Stauch CASE – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch BROTHER TESTIFIES! MURDER TRIAL DAY 6 | Gannon Stauch CASE – ICkEdMeL
Coroner Witness & AUDIO Letecia Stauch MURDER TRIAL DAY 5 | Gannon Stauch CASE | WARNING GRAPHIC – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch MURDER TRIAL DAY 4 | Gannon Stauch CASE PT. 2 – ICkEdMeL
Letecia Stauch MURDER TRIAL DAY 4 | Gannon Stauch CASE PT. 1 – ICkEdMeL
The recent crimes of 43-year-old Oklahoma schoolteacher Serena Cator are unsettling, but they’re not the first of their kind. Considering the seemingly recent influx of female schoolteachers whose names have gleaned headlines nationwide—Sandy Carazas-Pinez, 33, of Yonkers, New York; Jacqueline Ma, 34, of San Diego, California; and Cali Heikes, 25, of Winside Nebraska, for instance—she won’t be the last either.
But why?
For about three years, Serena was known as Mrs. Cator to her students at McLoud High School in McLoud, Oklahoma, roughly 26 miles east of Oklahoma City. She was hired as a paraprofessional in the 2020-2021 academic year but served as a home economics teacher at the time of her termination.
On March 16, 2023, Mrs. Cator was arrested and charged with three felonies for using the social media app Snapchat to illicit sexual conduct with at least 10 male students. Her victims ranged in age from 14 to 18, and included two former boyfriends of her own daughter. Mrs. Cator also sent explicit photographs of herself and requested the same from at least three victims.
Mrs. Cator’s Consequences Are Still To Come
Officials from McLoud High School began investigating Mrs. Cator in November 2022, when a parent came forward after their teenage daughter said her teacher was having sexual relations with several students. Mrs. Cator was terminated on December 20, 2022.
Serena Cantor. Photo from Facebook.
Mrs. Cator was interviewed by the school district, during which she signed her signature on a document that indicated she “willingly admitted she had been sending and receiving lewd and indecent messages and pictures from several of her male students.”
Mrs. Cator told administrators that she believed she suffered from a mental illness that made it difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. She also admitted to drinking alcohol “way too much” and admitted that she needed help. Officials turned the investigation over to the McLoud Police Department.
Mrs. Cator stalks and grooms her victims.
Mrs. Cator purportedly used the same grooming process with each of her 10 victims.
First, she approached them at school and then requested to add them on Snapchat. The role of Snapchat here is significant because it has a popular feature that allows users to have their messages and photos disappear after a few seconds. Mrs. Cator likely chose the app, in my opinion, because she believed that incriminating evidence would be deleted.
Both of these actions followed up with Mrs. Cator attempting to establish relationships with the mothers of these male students. She did so by photographing the students in class and sending the photos to their moms, stating how “great” of students their sons were, and also by attending out-of-school sporting events.
Many of these parents later recalled Mrs. Cator’s behaviors as unusual, but were not overly suspicious because it was a female teacher communicating with male students—and not the other way around.
Mrs. Cator’s arrest affidavit states:
Serena Cator is a predator, a stalker and a pedophile, stalking young boys from the age of 14 and up. Most of the young victims said they found the situation extremely weird and cut off correspondence before they got lured to Snapchat or just after…
Most of the parents felt uneasy about the constant texts and pictures from class and from sporting events, where Cator was bragging on the students. All the parents said if it had been their daughter and a male teacher, they would have been alarmed, but each said they pushed down the ‘weirdness’ of it because it was their sons and a female teacher, who they ‘thought’ they knew.”
Serena Cator was released from the Pottawatomie County Detention Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma, after posting $15,000 bond.
More About Mrs. Cator
Serena Cator was born Serena Merrill to her parents Ruth and Alan Merrill. She was raised in Big Sandy, Montana alongside her brother on their family farm, where her responsibilities included cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn and “running meals out to the men.”
Serena is an athlete and lover of the outdoors. She attended Big Sandy High School, where she was the first student to receive the newly-created Duane Olson Memorial Athletic Scholarship in 1997 for her commitment to athletics.
Serena attended Montana State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family science. Ironically, she dreamt of joining the FBI, but instead she joined the U.S. Army after college, where she worked in military intelligence. It was there she met her husband, Kody Cator, who served six years in infantry; Serena served four. The couple married in 2008 and currently have two children.
The family initially returned to Big Sandy to live on the family farm. For a time, Serena worked at a local grocery store and was involved in girl’s youth basketball, and even held the position of head coach. Her and Kody were longtime members of the Montana Farmer’s Union, where Serena’s father served as president for 14 years.
Serena was hired to work as a paraprofessional at McLoud High School for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Victim: Hazana Anderson, age 2 Date: Friday, October 19, 2018 Location: Houston, Texas Perpetrator(s): Tiaundra Kae Christon, 21, and Kenny D’Shawn Hewett, 32 Relationship to victim: mother and mother’s boyfriend Crimes in sum: Tiaundra Christon, 21, brought her daughter, Hazana Anderson, 2, on a trip to visit her boyfriend, Kenny Hewett, 32, an hour and a half from their home. The toddler took her last breaths in a Houston hotel room after Tiaundra and Kenny beat her for not eating—but they didn’t stop there.
TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD ABUSE RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIFE.
Hazana Anderson was a beautiful baby girl from College Park, Texas; a city in central Texas that sits midway between Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. She was a winter baby, born on January 18, 2017, Martin Luther King Day in the U.S. Her birth wasn’t planned and her death, presumed to be on Friday, October 19, 2018, was untimely. However, the actions that followed Hazana’s passing were indeed premeditated.
Hazana didn’t make it to her second birthday. She didn’t get to experience Halloween that year even though her mother already bought her a costume. Instead, on October 31, 2018, officials recovered Hazana’s remains from a Texas lake where her discarded body laid submerged for nearly 10 days.
Hazana Anderson. Photo credit: Café Mom, from KCEN News; YouTube
Tiaundra Kae Christon, 21, called 9-1-1 on the morning of Sunday, October 28, 2010, to report her only child missing. The scene was a sinister one masked by the backdrop of a bright, sunny and warm Texas day. Hazana’s mother was distraught when she spoke with dispatchers.
Through exasperated breaths and hysterical pleas, Tiaundra told the dispatcher that she and Hazana went for a walk in Gabbard Park around 8 am; a public park in College Station, Texas, and nearby Tiaundra and Hazana’s home. The two of them settled at an playground in the park.
Around 9 am, Tiaundra ran back to her car to retrieve a bottle of milk for Hazana. Her car was parked some 1,800 feet away (0.3 miles) and it was out of view of the playground. Hazana sat in her stroller, alone and unrestrained. The stroller was also about 120 feet from a pond.
When Tiaunda returned, Hazana wasn’t there. She called 9-1-1 to report her missing at 9:21 am.
At least 163 officials, including higher-ups from the Houston law enforcement scene, met with volunteers and worried friends and family to scour the park for Hazana. Divers, canines and drones aided in the search. Still, there was no sign of the 2-year-old. Police grew suspicious.
Where was baby Hazana?
An image of Gabbard Park in Houston, where Hazana Anderson was reported missing . Photo credit: Foursquare.com
Police Interrogate Tiaundra on Hazana’s Whereabouts
Tiaundra thought her account was foolproof, but police poked holes in her story.
One of their curiosities speculated on the timespan that Hazana purportedly disappeared. Police spoke with several fisherman at the park that morning and none of them reported hearing or seeing a small child, or noticing any suspicious activity.
Tiaunda’s behavior as a mother was another curiosity. Why would a mother leave her toddler unattended in a public park and run a quarter-mile to her car? At the very least, her actions demonstrated poor parenting.
A doll that resembles Hazana.
The last time Tiaundra saw her daughter, Hazana wore a green jacket, cream-colored pants and a purple beanie. So, it was ironic when investigators found a life-sized baby doll wearing a similar outfit in a dumpster across the street from Tiaundra’s parked car. The doll was located inside of a large black handbag.
The stroller that Tiaundra Christon said her daughter, Hazanna Anderson, was seated in when she disappeared on October 28, 2018, from Gibbard Park in Houston. Photo credit: Café Mom, from KCEN News; YouTube.
Tiaundra claimed to have no knowledge of the doll or its clothing. However, at this point, police had enough evidence to arrest Tiaundra on charges of filing a false police report and endangering/abandoning a child. She was booked to Brazos County Jail in Bryan, Texas.
Hazana’s missing person’s case officially became a criminal investigation.
Tiaundra Prioritizes A New Relationship Over Hazana
As standard procedure, police collected Tiaundra’s phone as evidence. From her phone records, they learned Tiaundra communicated frequently via texts and calls with Kenny D’Shawn Hewett, a 32-year-old man from Houston. She identified the man as her boyfriend.
Kenny, who was 11 years older than Tiaundra, had a lengthy criminal past that included violent behavior.
Kenny and Tiaundra dated for a few months, but loved ones already noticed changes in Tiaundra. Prior to having Hazana with ex-boyfriend Tobodrick Anderson, Tiaundra was in school for radiology. When she had Hazana, she paused her studies to dedicate herself to her daughter—for a time. After she met Kenny, Tiaundra lost all interest in her family life and baby girl.
Kenny Hewett. Photograph from Galveston County Court Records.
Tiaundra became distant. When she was physically with Kenny, she was difficult to get ahold of. Tiaundra often ignored phone calls from her parents, regardless of whether it concerned Hazana. It didn’t help that Kenny kept himself away from Tiaundra’s family. When he picked up the 21-year-old, he waited in his car. He never went out of his way to greet or get to know her parents.
On Thursday, October 18, 2018, Tiaundra took Hazana with her to visit Kenny 1.5 hours away in Houston. The three of them planned to stay at a Houston Downtowner Inn & Suites from Oct. 18-20, 2018. Although Tiaundra’s mother lived in Houston and invited them to stay with her, Kenny and Tiaundra denied her request. They wanted to be alone. On the following day, they would be.
On Friday, October 19, 2018, Kenny took Hazana with him to a taco restaurant to pick up food while Tiaundra stayed behind in the hotel. During this 30-minute outing, Hazana refused to eat and it made Kenny angry—very angry. When the two of them returned to the hotel, Hazana was crying and noticeably uncomfortable. Then, the night became especially grim.
Kenny told Tiaundra that she didn’t do a good job “disciplining” her child. He took his belt and used it to beat Hazana on her arms, legs and face, leaving behind welts. He handed Tiaundra the belt and demanded she do the same. Tiaundra used the belt to hit her 2-year-old daughter, but Kenny didn’t think it was hard enough, so he continued. Then, Kenny and Tiaundra placed Hazana in the bathtub, where Kenny waterboarded the child. As she struggled to breathe, Hazana threw up bits of food and defecated in the tub.
After the beating, Hazana started to drift in and out of consciousness. Kenny suggested she take Tylenol and a laxative. When Hazana became cold to the touch, Tiaundra put her back in the bath tub, hoping it would warm her. It didn’t. Tiaundra’s watched her daughter’s eyes roll to the back of her head.
Hazana’s condition deteriorates.
While Hazana was in the bath tub, Tiaundra noticed one detail she didn’t want to believe: her daughter’s anus was gaping. She later told investigators that Hazana’s “butt hole was so huge” and questioned again and again how it happened. Sexual abuse allegations were never confirmed nor denied.
Hazana Anderson. Photo from YouTube, credit Mamas Uncut.
After the bath, Hazana’s skin still felt cold to the touch. Instead of wrapping the toddler in blankets—or bringing her to the hospital—Tiaundra and Kenny used a hair dryer to warm her. They left the hair dryer on all night and kept it pointed in Hazana’s direction. The hair dryer did nothing but burn Hazana’s skin, thereby worsening her condition.
Noticing little to no improvement, Tiaundra tucked her daughter in to bed, hoping that somehow, some way, she would recover. Hazana’s shallow breathing grew softer and slower. Still, neither adult called 9-1-1.
When Tiaundra and Kenny woke the next morning, Hazana was dead. The medical examiner was never able to determine a cause of death, which played an adverse role in the case.
Tiaundra uses a a toy doll to impersonate Hazana.
Tiaundra and Kenny didn’t want to take responsibility for Hazana’s death. Instead, they concocted a disgraceful plan to conceal her body.
Hazana Anderson. Photo from Facebook.
With her daughter now dead, Tiaundra wrapped her body in a plastic bag. She kept that plastic bag on the passenger-side floorboard of her car for three days. She tossed clothing and other items overtop the bag to hide the body from view.
Three days later, her and Kenny purchased chicken feet to add to the bag. Then, they tied it shut with a rope, attached it to a heavy rock and dumped the body in Moses Lake near Texas City.
Why the chicken feet, you ask? Tiaundra and Kenny used it as bait for fish and other water critters. They purposely wanted to attract sea life to Hazana’s body to eliminate potential evidence.
And that’s how Tiaundra bid farewell to her daughter; her only child here on this earth. She tossed her dead body in the water with a bunch of raw chicken feet.
Tiaundra attempts to cover up Hazana’s death.
On October 20, 2018, Tiaundra returned to College Station without Hazana. To avoid questions, she dressed a life-sized doll like Hazana and walked around with the toy in a stroller.
Tiaundra went to a friend’s house, who saw the doll in the backseat and assumed it was Hazana sleeping. She told her mother, who kept asking to see her granddaughter, that Hazana was napping. Other excuses followed. She sent her friends and family old photographs of Hazana and claimed they were current. Surveillance footage from a local Wax-Mart even captured Tiaundra pushing a stroller that contained a motionless “child.”
Tiaundra Christon. Photo credit: Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.
Tiaundra and Kenny’s Sentencing
Police arrested Tiaundra on October 29, 2019 and Kenny on October 31.
On November 8, 2019, Kenny pled guilty to tampering with a human corpse. He received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He will most likely serve most of this sentence due to his prior record.
Tiaundra entered a plea of not guilty to tampering with a human corpse.
Tiaundra’s trial began on December 8, 2019. Three days later, a jury found her guilty after only 40 minutes of deliberation. Tiaundra received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Unfortunately, she may only serve three years of her sentence, or 15%, before she is eligible for parole due to state criminal laws.
Hazana’s cause of death is undetermined. Neither Kenny nor Tiaundra were charged with her murder.
My Two Cents Corner
I wonder how much Tiaundra will regret so desperately wanting to be with a man that it cost her her daughter’s life. I say “a man” and not Kenny, because considering her age, recent behavior and decision to be with a person like Kenny, I think her choices were about being with someone in general; the feeling of being wanted and needed, and it being intoxicating like a drug. It wasn’t about love.
Tiaundra had a beautiful daughter. She lived with her grandmother. She had family members willing to help her. The father of her child loved his daughter and wanted to be present in her life. He even preferred having Hazana most of the time. She was in the midst of pursuing a degree in radiology. She had opportunities at her fingertips.
Tiaundra handed over her blessings for a man and it landed her a jail sentence and the permanent label of being a mother who killed her child. I don’t think it’s an excuse, but I personally believe that Tiaundra was naïve.
Kenny had a criminal record that included felony charges. He was also 11 years older than Tiaundra, which is a red flag—no, not for every age gap relationship, but for this one. The age gap placed Kenny in a position to manipulate Tiaundra, which is what I believe happened. I won’t speak too much on Kenny’s behavior in this case, because it is absolutely disgusting in every way. A grown man should never treat a child, especially a precious little girl.
Why didn’t Kenny date a woman closer to him in age? Because he couldn’t. Women his age have more life experience and are thus less willing (or unwilling) to deal with drama. A young, naïve woman may not know better. It probably fed Tiaundra’s ego to date an older “bad boy” and it definitely fed Kenny’s ego to date a younger woman. I’m sure Tiaundra wasn’t his first.
I don’t believe this was the first time Tiaundra saw Kenny express anger violently. I also don’t believe it’s the first time he was violent towards Hazana. In the sources I read, Tiaundra never expressed that it was the first time Kenny behaved that way or that she was shocked at his actions. However, I do think—and this is only my opinion—they were both irritated at the responsibility of caring for a toddler, especially for days in a row. I think Tiaundra was also probably in denial about how toxic the relationship was, also because of naïveté. I think she was also so desperate to please him that she was willing to do anything—clearly.
Again, these are only my speculations. Regardless, it’s an incredible shame that a precious child was taken from this world at the hands of selfish, inept adults.
Victims: Bart Halderson, 50, and Krista Halderson, 53 Date: Thursday, July 1, 2021 Location: Village of DeForest, Wisconsin Perpetrator: Chandler “Chaz” Michael Halderson, 23 Crimes in sum: Chandler Halderson fabricated lie after lie because he didn’t want to assume the responsibilities of an adult. But for him to continue playing video games and living at home rent-free, he had to remove the obstacles that stood in his way: his loving and devoted parents.
This crime takes place here:
Chandler Halderson, 23, started the summer of 2021 with a shadow cast on him, or so it seemed.
For several months, Chandler, or “Chaz,” planned to move out of his parents’ home in the Village of DeForest, Wisconsin, and relocate to Titusville, Florida, with his girlfriend. He recently started working remotely for SpaceX, the renowned company owned by tech mogul Elon Musk, and needed to relocate for the position.
It was exciting news for Chandler. He was on the cusp of adulthood.
Chandler kept busy in the months leading up to the move. For nearly a year, he worked remotely for American Family Insurance. For at least two years, he volunteered for the Madison Police Department’s scuba diver search and rescue team, and assisted with many efforts. He also prepared to receive a certificate in solar panel installation from Madison Area Technical College (MATC), which he attended for the last two years.
Bart and Krista Halderson. Photo from Facebook.
Unfortunately, on June 17, 2021, Chandler suffered severe injuries after falling down the stairs at home. No one was there to witness the fall, so Chandler drove himself to the emergency room. The news was devastating: he suffered nerve damage to his spine and a brain bleed. The health complications forced Chandler to pass up the opportunity with SpaceX and cancel the move.
It looked like Chandler was right back where he started—in his parents’ house. However, his parents, Bart and Krista Halderson, didn’t realize their son planned it all along.
A Pathological Liar for a Son
Chandler lied to his parents and girlfriend of two years, Cathryn “Cat” Mellender, about everything. He never worked for American Family Insurance, he failed out of school after only a semester, and SpaceX didn’t hire him. The fall and corresponding injuries? He made that up, too.
Chandler wanted an excuse to stay homeand play video games. He used lies to stir sympathy and manipulate his loved ones into believing him. Chandler didn’t have a history of crime or malicious behavior, so he was given the benefit of the doubt. For a few years, his plan worked.
However, on Thursday, July 1, 2021, the jig was up. In light of some issues with American Family Insurance, Bart wanted to help his son find another job, but he needed a copy of Chandler’s certificate from MATC. In typical Chandler fashion, he drummed up excuse after excuse, complaining about how the school refused to send him copies of his transcript or certificate. Bart then called MATC and spoke with an enrollment advisor while impersonating his son. During the call, Bart learned there was no certificate, Chandler hadn’t attended the school since 2020, and he owed over $2,000. Bart scheduled an in-person meeting with the advisor and Chandler on July 1 to discuss the matter further.
Needless to say, Chandler and Bart didn’t make the appointment, and no one saw Bart or Krista again—at least not alive.
Chandler Halderson, left, with his father, Bart, and older brother Mitchell, on Father’s Day 2021. Photo from Facebook.
Chandler told concerned friends and family that his parents left the morning of Friday, July 2, 2021, for a long weekend at their cabin in White Lake, Wisconsin. According to Chandler, another couple picked up Bart and Krista Halderson around 6-7 am, so they could take the three-hour trip north together.
But when Chandler’s older brother, Mitchell, didn’t hear from his mom, and one of Krista’s close friends grew particularly worried, they urged him to call police. On Wednesday, July 7, 2021, he finally did. Just 32 hours later, police arrested Chandler for the murder of his parents.
Keep reading to learn about the nitty-gritty details on how it all happened.
Who is Chandler Halderson?
Chandler “Chaz” Michael Halderson was born on March 15, 1998, to parents Krista and Bart Halderson.
Bart Halderson and Krista Frater met in the early 1990s, when they worked at the same department store in a local mall. The couple married on July 30, 1994 and settled in Windsor, Wisconsin. Both Bart and Krista were native Wisconsinites and they both earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Chandler Halderson. Photo from Fox 47.
In 1996, the Halderson’s had their first child, a son named Mitchell, and 18 months later, they welcomed Chandler in 1998. Friends and family knew of Bart and Krista to be loving and devoted parents. Loved ones said that Krista never even raised her voice at her sons.
Throughout Chandler’s childhood, Bart worked as an accountant with BDO, USA. He saw success in his position, which allowed Krista to be a stay-at-home mom. Though Bart worked long hours, Krista was “helicopter parent,” as Mitchell later told courts. She fulfilled that role proudly until her sons reached adulthood and she returned to the workforce as an administrative assistant for Zimbrick Automotive; a role she learned about from a friend. Both parents had great reputations at their jobs and were known for being overall pleasant people.
At the time of these crimes, Bart was 50 and Krista, 53.
Chandler lies about his job.
Despite working full time, Chandler never received a paycheck—in about a year. Naturally, his parents were concerned. Bart often probed his son about paying rent and asked where his money was. But not to worry, because Chandler had an answer for everything.
The logo for American Family Insurance, the employer that Chandler Halderson claimed to work remotely for. He was never employed by the company.
Chandler blamed his missing paychecks on American Family Insurance (AMI), a company founded in 1927 with more than 13,000 employees. First, he said AMI incorrectly filed him as an hourly employee instead of a salaried employee. Chandler would be paid when his paperwork was updated.
When that excuse was played out, Chandler said he mistakenly provided AFI with the wrong direct deposit information, which delayed payment further. Then, he said AFI owed him so much money that the bank flagged his paychecks as fraudulent, which delayed the process yet again.
Bart contacts Chandler’s ’employer.’
Bart became suspicious enough to take initiative. As an accountant, he didn’t want the company taking advantage of his son.
Bart communicated with AMI personnel, including an individual named Tom Sellsnick, a human resources manager. For months, their email exchanges went back and forth. Curiously, Tom misspelled his own title in his email signature as “human recourses” manager and his emails were also riddled with spelling errors.
It’s no surprise that Chandler made up the name Tom Sellsnick and the email address, a Gmail account, to correspond with his father and keep up the guise about his job.
Chandler lies about his fall.
After Chandler fell down the stairs (picture shown), he told his family and girlfriend that he suffered nerve and spinal damage, as well as a brain bleed. He said he experienced numbness in his legs and frequent lightheadedness, and was told he couldn’t drive or fly. Doctors told him the damage to his legs was likely permanent and eventually he would need brain surgery and a colostomy bag.
The staircase Chandler Halderson claimed to have fallen down. Photo presented as evidence during court. Image from The Scales of Justice 2, YouTube.
It was a trying time for the family. Shortly before Chandler fell, Krista was diagnosed with skin cancer and his brother Mitchell was admitted to to the hospital for undiagnosed diabetes. Perhaps Chandler felt that with so much going on, no one would scrutinize his health issues.
During this time, Chandler pretended to start working for SpaceX. He reassured Cat and his parents that SpaceX permitted him to work from home during the hiring process. He was eventually “fired” from SpaceX due to poor performance and too many errors after the “fall.”
In reality, Chandler was only diagnosed with a mild concussion.
Chandler lies about school.
Because of the concerning experience at Chandler’s “job,” Bart tried to help his son find another job. To do so, he needed a copy of Chandler’s college transcripts, which provided proof of his certificate. Unsurprisingly, that was also problematic.
MATC is a two-year community college and technical school, but Chandler took a bit longer to graduate. He was now in his third year. Chandler claimed that MATC refused to release his transcripts because he didn’t complete his certificate yet. Bart corresponded via email with people he believed were MATC enrollment advisors, including Alyssa Brandt and David Speith. These individuals also had Gmail accounts and were also created by Chandler.
On June 29, 2021, Bart called the school directly and pretended to be Chandler. He spoke with Omar Jobe, an actual enrollment coordinator there, who told him the truth: Chandler had an outstanding balance of $2,000, he hadn’t taken classes since the fall of 2020 and he never earned his certificate. He hardly even took any classes in his desired field. He also learned that Chandler never had an internship with American Family Insurance, which is how he “learned about the job.” Now, Bart officially became aware of Chandler’s lies.
Chandler gets ahold of a gun.
Andrew Smith and Chandler Halderson. Photo from Law & Crime.
Remember when we mentioned that Chandler loved playing video games? Chandler especially loved to play first-person shooter games. His favorite game was Escape from Tarkov.
Chandler played online with other players and formed friendships with a few of them. One of these friendships was with Andrew Smith, who later testified in court.
Chandler and Andrew, a former U.S. Army soldier, played video games together on a daily basis. When they “met” sometime in 2018 or 2019, Andrew was stationed overseas. Shortly after, he returned to his home in Kansas on an honorable discharge. Andrew suffered a head injury after being in a Humvee crash in Germany. Now that Andrew and Chandler were in the same time zone, they played together even more.
Chandler also lied to Andrew. He told Andrew he was attending school, was recently hired by SpaceX and injured his head after a fall down the stairs.
In June 2021, Andrew visited Chandler at his home in Wisconsin. During the visit, Andrew gifted Chandler a rifle and 480 rounds of ammunition. The rifle was a Russian-designed SKS rifle, which is the weapon Chandler preferred to use in the game. Andrew collected guns but didn’t particularly like that one and thought Chandler might appreciate it more. He took a photo of Chandler’s Wisconsin ID with the serial number of the rifle to document the transfer.
The Unraveling
As mentioned earlier, Bart made an in-person appointment with Chandler and enrollment counselor Omar Jobe on Thursday, July 1, 2021. At 2:15 pm that day, Bart texted Chandler, “I’m ready when you are.” After that, Bart’s phone went dark and no other activity was recorded.
Chandler texted his mother afterwards to say “Dad’s phone died,” and “Text or call and get soda on your way home, I have an extra hour of work.” Krista arrived at the Halderson home around 5:12 pm.
That was the last time anyone saw the Krista and Bart Halderson aside from Chandler.
The Weekend Getaway That Never Was
Chandler’s parents had plans for the Fourth of July weekend—at least according to Chandler. Because he was such a kind, caring son (please note the sarcasm here), he helped them pack for a weekend at the family cabin in White Lake, Wisconsin. The cabin was passed down to Krista from her father, who built it himself in the 1940s. The family of four shared many fond memories in that cabin, and Bart and Krista continued to visit several times a year.
The Halderson’s cabin on Sawyer Lake Road in White Lake, Wisconsin. Photo from Dane County Sheriff’s Office.
In the morning of Friday, July 2, 2021 around 6 am, Chandler said that another couple, friends of his parents, picked them up. His parents were going to repair a water pump and fire pit that were damaged in a recent storm, and enjoy Fourth of July festivities.
His explanation also justified why both of the Halderson’s vehicles remained in their driveway.
Out of character behavior for Bart and Krista.
Chandler said he didn’t know who who his parents went upstate with. Krista’s best friend of 30 years, Jane Hilgendorf, who she met in middle school, felt the situation didn’t make any sense. Krista told her everything and they communicated often. Jane also spent the weekend with her husband, Michael, at their cabin up north, which they would have shared in common.
Chandler said his parents brought $4,000 in cash and a significant amount of alcohol. Bart was a known penny-pincher and neither of them were drinkers, so this didn’t make sense either.
Also, neither Krista or Bart took off work that Friday, which was alarming. Krista was so meticulous with her work schedule that she requested all her vacation days for 2021 in January. For her to be a no-show without calling suggested an emergency. Krista worked with a close friend, Daniel Kroniger, who was so worried that he went to the Halderson’s house to check on her. Chandler answered the front door dripping wet and wearing only a towel, and casually told Dan about their weekend trip.
When Chandler called police on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, he said he last heard from his mom that Sunday, July 4. He said Krista texted him around 11 am to say that her and Bart were attending a Fourth of July parade in White Lake. However, that parade was held the previous day, July 3.
Krista’s best friend gets involved.
With Bart and Krista missing, investigators took a ride to the family’s cabin. Their visit proceeded with a visit from Jane and Michael Hilgendorf, who drove 88 miles from their own cabin to check on their friends. When they arrived, they noticed a large fallen tree trunk blocked the driveway, the grounds were overgrown and the inside was undisturbed. It was clear no one visited there in quite some time.
Krista Halderson.
Jane called Chandler to say that Krista and Bart weren’t at their cabin. Chandler’s responses were unsettling, as he asked Jane if she found any “bullet casings” or “blood.”
The Hilgendorfs’ twin daughters, Hailey and Hanna, were Mitchell’s age, and the children grew up together. When the twins heard that Bart and Krista were missing, they drove to the Halderson’s home to check on Chandler. The sisters immediately noticed something off about his demeanor.
Chandler enjoys his July Fourth weekend.
Even though Krista was the kind of mom who spoke to her sons throughout the day, every day, Chandler wasn’t overly concerned with his parents’ absence. In fact, despite his head and back injury, he enjoyed his weekend thoroughly. Suddenly, he felt well enough to ditch the neck brace and drive on his own.
Chandler spent his weekend swimming and watching fireworks with Cat. On July 4, he went swam at Cat’s parents’ pool, located on a small farm in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, that spans 30 to 40 acres. Kind people they are, Cat’s parents invited Chandler to use the pool whenever he needed, suggesting it might be therapeutic for him post-injury. The family was surprised when he returned by himself the very next day. Nonetheless, they welcomed him with open arms.
After an hour or so, Cat’s mother, Dulce Mellender, peeked out the window to check on Chandler. She noticed he wasn’t in the pool, but had driven his parents’ SUV into the woods behind the house. The car had its hatch open. Dulce was worried that, with so much going on, Chandler was using drugs. She later relayed this information to police.
On Wednesday, July 7, 2021, Chandler traipsed through the doors of the Dane County Police Department around 11:25 am to file a missing person’s report.
Detectives went to the Halderson home to interview Chandler that day. Immediately, they noticed areas of the floor were missing and there was an outline of what appeared to be a half-wall, now removed, near the front door.
Later that day, Chandler walked door-to-door around the neighborhood to ask neighbors if they had surveillance footage. Chandler wanted to know if their surveillance cameras captured any unknown vehicles coming or going from on July 2 between 6-7 am. Neighbors reported Chandler’s demeanor as unusual.
Police canvas the neighborhood.
While Chandler asked neighbors for their surveillance footage, police did the same. The footage revealed to investigators what everyone feared: Bart and Krista never left their home that Friday or any day afterwards. Chandler was the only person who came and went from the Halderson home, and did so at all hours.
One neighbor had a surveillance camera in his backyard that faced his pool. By enhancing the footage, flames could be seen through one of the windows of the Halderson home. The flames poured out of the fireplace and glowed wildly, which continued all night on Friday, July 2. Remember, it was early July, and there was no reason to use a fireplace. Neighbors, many of which were retired police officers, reported a smell similar to a pig roast.
Cat and Dulce speak to investigators.
Shortly thereafter, police questioned Cat and her mother Dulce. Both women were forthcoming and provided important information. Cat told them Chandler had to do chores on Friday. When she checked his location via Snapchat Map, she noticed he was in a remote area; a place in the woods they occasionally visited together near the Wisconsin River. Cat worried Chandler was there with another woman and took a screenshot of his location to confront him later. She didn’t know it then, but the screenshot played a major part in cracking this case.
Dulce told police about Chandler parking his SUV in the woods behind her home, and how it was out of character for him. Police went to Dulce’s to search the wooded area and saw turkey vultures flying overhead; birds that are attracted to the smell of decay. In this spot, they located Bart Halderson’s torso. At a later date, they also found the SXS rifle.
Chandler Halderson. Photo from Fox 47.
Chandler is arrested.
Chandler was brought in to the police station for what he believed was routine questioning. After a short time, detectives asked him to tell the the truth about his parents’ deaths. This was supposedly the first time Chandler heard about their deaths, and he hardly reacted to the news. In fact, he hardly reacted to anything.
Chandler was arrested on Thursday, July 8, 2021, the day after he reported his parents missing.
The Truth
Chandler didn’t want to fess up to his lies on Thursday, July 1, 2021, though he knew the time was near. After lying to his parents, brother, friends and girlfriend for years at this point, he foresaw the outcome of that meeting as catastrophic to his fragile ego. Chandler knew the truth, and the truth was that he achieved nothing in life.
Before him and his father could leave for their appointment, he took that SXS rifle that his friend gifted to him and shot his father two or three times in the back. Then, he waited for his mother to return home from work, and it’s presumed he shot her as well.
With the bodies in the basement just a few feet away, Chandler slept downstairs with girlfriend that night. He claimed that, because of his injuries, he had to sleep closest to the only working bathroom in the house. That was another lie meant to prevent Cat from entering the basement where his parents’ dead bodies lay in an ice-packed freezer.
On Friday, July 2, 2021, Chandler set out to get rid of the bodies. Using every tool he could find, from saws to scissors to knives and shears, he dismembered his parents. Then, he took their body parts and attempted to burn them in the fireplace. He used a fan to increase the heat of the fire to burn the bodies faster, which still wasn’t very successful. Police later found over 200 bone fragments in the ash of that fireplace, which included a knee bone, pieces of a human skull and teeth.
The next day, Chandler took what remained of his parents’ bodies and scattered them throughout the area. He dumped his father’s remains on the family farm of his girlfriend’s family, and his mother’s in a wooded area near the Wisconsin River that he frequented with Cat and friends.
The Trial and Verdict.
Despite the mountain of evidence, narcissistic and delusional Chandler pled not guilty. The trial was in the state’s favor from the start, which is quite apparent from the attorneys’ opening statements.
William Brown, attorney for the state, explained his case for 50 minutes. Speaking in a soft, inviting voice, he presented all sorts of evidence that explained why Chandler was guilty of murdering and dismembering his parents. Chandler’s attorney, Crystal Vera, spoke for about 10 minutes. It was a feeble attempt, but there was hardly anything she could say. No one spoke on Chandler’s behalf.
The jury deliberated for two hours. On March 17, 2022, Chandler was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder and dismemberment of his parents. He is on the lookout for a new attorney to appeal his conviction.
Here are his charges:
Two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the murders of Bart and Krista Halderson
Two counts of giving false information to police on a kidnapped/missing person
