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Bella Fontenelle. Photo from GoFundMe.
In Abuse Cases 11 Mins Read

Stepmother Kills Stepdaughter, 6, Leaves Body in Bucket on Mother’s Lawn

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.
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 XX.
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.

Cinderella. Image from Disney Fandom.
Cinderella. Photo from Disney Fandom.

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.

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Kouri and Eric Richens. Photo from Facebook.
In Love Gone South 12 Mins Read

Children’s Author Kouri Richins Accused of Murdering Husband

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 Richens, a year after her husband's death.
“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 Richens and her late husband Eric Richens. Photo from Facebook.
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 Richens, her late husband Eric Richens, and their three sons. This is the photo that's featured on the back of her children's book, "Are You With Me?"
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. (https://nypost.com/2023/05/11/kouri-richins-fought-with-husband-over-2m-mansion-docs/)
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 Richen photo from George Skordas, a Salt Lake City attorney and acting spokesperson for the Richen family.
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.

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Letecia Stauch in a March 11, 2020 court appearance in Colorado Springs. (Photo Credit: KKTV).
In Abuse Cases 21 Mins Read

StepMONSTER Letecia Stauch Is On Trial; Case and Timeline

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 sin in 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 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 Stauch and Letecia Stauch. Photos from Facebook.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)

Laina and Gannon Stauch. Photo from FindAGrave.com.
Laina and Gannon Stauch. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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
  • Mother From Hell Drugs Stepson | Letecia Stauch Trial Highlights | Gannon Stauch – ICkEdMeL
  • Judge Snaps on Letecia Stauch ‘Have Your Hands Cuffed to That Bolt’ | Gannon Stauch Trial Highlights – ICkEdMeL
  • Letecia Stauch FAKE POLYGRAPH, PHONE CALL RELEASED | Gannon Stauch UPDATES – ICkEdMeL
  • Letecia Stauch FULL Interview Insane Lies Caught on Tape – ICkEdMeL
  • Probable CAUSE AFFIDAVIT | Boy Found in Suitcase | Letecia Stauch Murder Trial of Gannon Stauch – ICkEdMeL
  • Coffee and Crime Time: Letecia Stauch Affidavit Part 2 – Stephanie Harlowe
  • Where Is Gannon Stauch? Seriously, Where Is He? – Stephanie Harlowe
  • Letecia Stauch Wk 2 Trial Recap: INSANE Audio/Video, Polygraph, & Key Takeaways | Gannon Stauch Case – Annie Elise x 10 to Life
  • Letecia Stauch Trial Recap: The Major Bombshells, Highlights and Key Takeaways | Gannon Stauch Case – Annie Elise x 10 to Life
  • Worse Than Casey Anthony? Letecia Stauch EVERY Red Flag, Lie, &The REAL Story | Gannon Stauch Case – Annie Elise x 10 to Life
  • Letecia Stauch Past Criminal History & her ExHusband – Zav Girl
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In Abuse Cases 19 Mins Read

OnlyFans Model to Inmate: Courtney Clenney Fatally Stabs Boyfriend In Miami High-Rise

AT A GLANCE

Victim: Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Ubumseli, 27
Date: Sunday, April 3, 2022
Location: Miami, Florida
Perpetrator: Courtney Taylor Clenney, aka Courtney Tailor, 26
Crimes in sum: Courtney Clenney, 26, was arrested on August 10, 2022 on second-degree murder charges, but some still believe she’s innocent. Do you agree?

Courtney Clenney, a 26-year-old social media influencer and OnlyFans model from Midland, Texas, was a guest on the comedy podcast, We In Miami, in March of 2022. In the episode, she joked about being the “crazy, toxic girlfriend.”

A month later, that remark became an ominous warning when she fatally stabbed her on-again, off-again boyfriend of two years, 27-year-old Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Obumseli.

Unfortunately, hindsight is always 20/20.

What Happened?

The homicide occurred in the early evening on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Courtney and Christian, who went by “Toby,” lived in Apartment 2201 at the One Paraiso Residences, a 53-floor luxury high-rise in the Edgewater community of Miami, Florida. The apartment, located on the 22nd floor, has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, waterfront views and a private elevator. All those amenities and more cost a modest $10,000 per month.

However, within their luxury lifestyle, the couple lived in their own personal hell. Police visited their apartment at least seven times since they moved there in January 2022. This call would be the last.

Toby suffered a stab wound to the chest that penetrated three inches into his skin. The six-inch kitchen knife punctured an artery and the wound was fatal. Toby was eight shy of his 28th birthday.

Courtney Clenney and Toby Ubumseli. Photo from Instagram.

An Unlikely Story

When police questioned Courtney, she denied stabbing Toby. She said Toby charged at her and she threw the knife at him from across the room, or from about 10 feet away. Courtney said she didn’t intend to hurt Toby, but to scare him away.

However, the model, actress and personal trainer, who earned more than $3 million on OnlyFans from 2020 to 2022, didn’t think her statement through. In court, the medical examiner said that unless Courtney was a professional knife-thrower, it was impossible for the knife to have penetrated Toby’s skin in such a powerful downward motion. Rather, Toby received the fatal wound at close range.

On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, Hawaii police arrested Courtney on a second-degree murder charge. Courtney’s defense team asked for bail and pre-trial release.

The judge denied both requests. Expectedly, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty is preparing to play the self-defense card. She will face trial this year (2023).

Here’s the full story.

Courtney Clenney. Photograph from her Instagram: @courtneytailor.

Who’s Courtney Clenney?

Courtney Taylor Clenney, known on social media as Courtney Tailor, was born on April 21, 1996 to Deborah Bond and Kim Clenney in rural Midland, Texas. Courtney’s parents are entrepreneurs and have owned at least three small businesses, which include a professional organizing company, a roofing contractor and an energy services company. She has one younger sister, Morgan.

At age 7, Courtney and her family moved to Austin. Growing up, Courtney was competitive and actively participated in sports. Her competitiveness followed her into adulthood and drove her short-lived success.

Young Courtney participated in many sports, including soccer, basketball, swimming, gymnastics and horseback riding. As a child, she was a high-diver and considered competing in the olympics. As a teen and young adult, she transitioned into physical fitness. Courtney became a certified personal trainer and competed in a number of athletic bikini competitions, including the NPC West Coast Classic in 2016.

Courtney Clenney. Photo from FitnessVolt.com

Entering the limelight.

Courtney finished about two years of college before dropping out. School wasn’t for her. She dreamt of becoming an entertainer and certainly had the looks, physique and drive to make it happen.

Courtney began to see an acting coach and appeared as an extra in TV commercials for Pepsi, Cirrus Logic, Celebration Church and Discount Dollars. She also fulfilled small roles in American Psycho, The Lying Game, Unstalkable, Boyhood and Everybody Wants Some!!! and in the music video for G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha’s 2015 song, “Me, Myself & I.” Later that year, she posed for Playboy magazine.

In 2017, Courtney moved to Los Angeles, California, for more opportunities. Her social media presence also started to grow. She currently has more than two million followers on her Instagram page: view it here. Courtney also became a brand ambassador for BANG energy drinks, Manscaped razors and The Chive, and advertised clothing from brands including Missguided.

An OnlyFans superstar.

OnlyFans, an internet content subscription service with a reputation for adult content, launched in 2016. The following year, Courtney began selling explicit photos, videos and other content, including subscriptions, on the site. Her father, Kim Clenney, wasn’t aware of his daughter’s online presence until her arrest in 2022.

Courtney meets Toby.

Courtney and Toby met in Austin. The couple began dating sometime in 2020.

Toby was also from Texas, but he grew up in Plano, about 215 miles north of Austin, where Courtney spent her childhood.

Christian Obumseli. Photo from his GoFundMe page.

Toby was born on April 12, 1994 to his parents, Christopher Obumseli and Chio Ndiwe. His parents are from Nigeria, but Toby was born in Dallas, Texas. Toby was the youngest of three children, which includes his sister Jen Adaeze and Jeffrey Obumseli.

Growing up, Toby was an athlete; something he and Courtney shared in common. In high school, he played basketball and football, and was captain of the football team. He went on to attend Texas Tech University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies and business management. In his adult life, Toby held various sales positions, and eventually became a cryptocurrency investor and trader. He also opened his own business, Wiseman & Peachtree LLC.

Friends and family described Toby as loving, carefree, compassionate and gentle-spirited, with a big, beautiful smile.

A tumultuous union.

After the murder, Toby’s family appeared on the Dr. Phil talk show to discuss their terrible experience. A friend, who wished to remain anonymous, described the couple as very much “in love” in the beginning of their relationship. But within a few months, the union became combative, unstable, hostile and tempestuous.

Courtney and Toby argued a lot. They also broke up a lot, but they always got back together. Their relationship worsened because of Courtney’s drinking. When Courtney drank alcohol, she was violent and impulsive. It was often during her drunken stupors that fights started between her and Toby.

Minor occurrences usually triggered their fights, such as Toby looking at or talking to another woman. Meanwhile, Courtney was the one with a history of infidelity toward Toby.

Form bad to worse.

The constant arguing affected Toby. Many of his friends noticed. Once upbeat, positive and full of energy, he became stressed, quiet and withdrawn. Courtney started to pull Toby away from his friends, which was accompanied by her intensifying jealousy.

Courtney Clenney pictured in her booking photo when she was arrested in July 2021 in Las Vegas for domestic battery. Photograph from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Eventually, the arguments became physical, with Courtney as both the aggressor and the abuser. Courtney started to hit Toby on the arms and chest, slap him across the face and pull his hair, all while verbally berating him. The behavior escalated to Courtney stabbing Toby in the leg on one occasion and cutting his cheek on another.

The couple first moved into a penthouse apartment together iin South Austin, Texas. Neighbors there complained about their fighting. One neighbor on the 10th floor found a tiger painting on the balcony that Courtney threw from their apartment.

After the couple moved to another penthouse in Miami, Florida, neighbors there complained about yelling, slamming of doors and breaking objects, including neighbors who lived two floors above them. The police visited the apartment often. Courtney often trashed the apartment during their fights and left shambles in her wake.

During a trip to Las Vegas in July 2021, police arrested Courtney for domestic battery against Toby. While staying at The Cosmopolitan hotel, Courtney threw a glass at Toby, barely missing his head. Toby chose not to press charges and police released Courtney the following day.

A female abuser with no accountability.

Toby made excuses for Courtney. He was quick to blame her hostile behavior on her drinking and claimed their relationship was good when Courtney was sober. Unfortunately, with her growing fame and cash flow, Courtney was sober less and less often. People in the Austin and Miami night life scenes knew about Courtney and not for good reasons.

Elevator video footage shows Courtney Clenney and Christian Obumseli in an altercation, with Courtney as the aggressor.

Friends said Toby never retaliated. Rather, he stood there “like a stick figure” and took Courtney’s abuse. He’d try to block her swings or hold her arms so she’d stop swinging, but never fought back. Instead, Toby always tried to appease Courtney and calm her down.

Friends who partied and traveled with Toby and Courtney recall Courtney often pulling Toby to the side, and starting fights with him that involved slapping, pushing, shoving and spitting on him. On at least one occasion, she yelled at him for looking at other women. On another, Courtney pushed Toby down the stairs at a house party.

Escalating violence and abuse.

There is telling video footage captured from the elevator of their Miami penthouse, that shows an altercation between Toby and Courtney. In the video, Courtney hits Toby, pulls his hair and yells at him. Toby, on the other hand, tries to calm Courtney down and shield himself from her blows. View it here.

In February 2022, two months before Toby died, Courtney cheated on him, tried stabbing him (but the knife missed and sliced his beard and cheek), called him the n***** word (which she did repeatedly) and kicked him out of the apartment several times. Toby had to get stitches in his face, which reopened several times due to Courtney slapping him.

Toby wrote text messages to Courtney, pleading for change and trying to reason with her. He never stopped trying to be on her side.

Stuck under Courtney’s grasp.

Because of Courtney’s growing success and opportunities, the couple decided Toby would work as her personal assistant. Now, Toby waited on hand and foot for Courtney, managing photo shoots and her schedule. In return, Courtney promised him a percentage of the revenue from her OnlyFans account. It’s unknown as to whether Courtney paid Toby, but it seems unlikely.

Courtney Clenney and Toby Obumseli. Photo originally from Instagram.

Sometimes, Courtney felt bad for treating Toby so poorly. Because she had the money, Courtney tried to compensate for her foul behavior with expensive gifts. On at least one occasion, Courtney threw Toby’s luggage and all his belongings off the balcony of their Miami penthouse. To make up for what she did, she bought him new belongings, along with a brand new luggage set from Louie Vuitton worth about $10,000.

Final days.

Courtney’s behavior became more unstable, aggressive and unhinged by the day.

On Friday, April 1, 2022, three days before Toby died, police visited the apartment on a domestic dispute. Courtney had bruises all over her arms and legs.

Apartment management received many complaints about the couple. The couple was also months behind on their rent. Consequently, Aleros Capital Investments, which represented their apartment building, filed a case against Courtney in Miami Court on March 21, 2022 for eviction.

A Pattern of Behavior

Courtney’s behavior towards Toby escalated over their relationship, but the young woman displayed signs of problematic behavior leading up to this point, including a history of domestic violence. Her violent past includes allegedly stabbing her previous boyfriend before Toby. And then, there’s Shawn Rhoden.

A photo of Shawn Rhoden and Courtney Tailor during a 20XX fitness competition after Courtney won the MPC Class Bikini. Photo from Muscle Insider.

Courtney’s relationship with Shawn Rhoden.

In 2022, bodybuilder Nick Trigili shared a video to his YouTube channel BodyBuilding & BS (which has over 106,000 subscribers) about Courtney physically assaulting bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden and shattering his jaw in 2017.

In 2017, Shawn, known in the bodybuilding community as Mr. Olympia, was married to his then-wife Michelle Sugar, who he also shared a child with. That same year, he started an affair with Courtney. Sadly, Shawn passed away from a heart attack in November 2021.

Courtney and Shawn trained at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California, where they met. Shawn provided Courtney with nutritional information and helped her prepare for upcoming competitions. Over time, it evolved into a sexual relationship. Courtney didn’t know about Shawn being married, but she allegedly shattered his jaw when she found out.

Shawn never pressed charges against Courtney due to it being an affair. He also never publicly discussed his broken jaw, but people presumed it was from a car accident. While recovering, Shawn had to blend his food and eat through a straw. Nick and two of Shawn’s ex-wives corroborated the story.

2018.

A woman in Austin, Texas, sued Courtney on August 30, 2018 for an incident involving a car crash. The woman accused Courtney of personal injuries, property damage and loss of use of a vehicle. The case was settled out of court and ultimately dismissed.

A photo of Courtney Clenney taken at the Hawaii Police Department after her arrest on August 10, 2022.

2020.

On September 16, 2020, police arrested Courtney, also in Texas, for driving while intoxicated. Her first DUI charge came at age 18, so this was her second. Courtney’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.30, more than times the legal limit. Police released Courtney on a $8,000 bond. As a condition of her release, Courtney had an ignition interlock device installed in her car to measure her alcohol level. 

The Night of the Murder

On Sunday, April 3, 2022, Toby left their Miami apartment around 1:15 pm and returned at 4:33 pm with sandwiches from Subway for him and Courtney. At 4:01 pm, Courtney live-streamed herself on Instagram, in what seemed to be a Q&A session with fans. She wore the same outfit that police photographed her in later that day. Her behavior on that live was suggestive of her being on substances.

Courtney called Christian right before the live at 4:01 pm and again at 4:33 pm.

When he left, Courtney realized that Toby stopped sharing his location with her. Because Courtney didn’t trust Toby and was exceptionally jealous, this was a major source of contention. When Toby returned, he shared his location again with Courtney, but she didn’t do the same.

Fast-escalating and deadly.

Within the next half hour, Courtney called her mother at 4:43 pm and chatted for six minutes. Then, she called her mom again at 4:49 pm and spoke for seven minutes. At some point between 4:43 pm and 4:57 pm, Courtney stabbed Toby in the chest with a six-inch serrated kitchen knife. The knife pierced three inches into his skin, just below a tattoo of Courtney’s name, and hit an artery. Courtney’s mother, Deborah Bond, later said she heard Courtney say that Toby was “lying.”

At 4:57 pm, Courtney called 9-1-1 to ask for paramedics. At the same time, neighbors reported a disturbance to building management, who then phoned security and also called police.

To police, Courtney claimed that Toby charged at her, pushed her and attacked her in retaliation. After the stabbing, Courtney called her mother for support, while Toby bled out in the background. Thirteen minutes later, she called 9-1-1. By the time the paramedics arrived, Toby suffered excessive blood loss.

Courtney Clenney on the night of April 3, 2022. Photograph from the Miami-Date State Attorney’s Office.

When authorities came to the apartment, Courtney was covered in blood and curiously kissing her dogs in the hallway.

Courtney is hospitalized.

During the 3.5-hour police interrogation, Courtney threatened to kill herself. As a result, police followed the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971. Also known as the Baker Act, this law empowers law enforcement, health care professionals, judges and/or family members to have an individual or loved one involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for up to 72 hours to receive emergency treatment for a suspected mental health issue. Immediate crisis prevention is the main goal.

Officials held Courtney at a mental hospital for less than 48 hours. She walked free under the guise of innocence and with minimal investigation outright.

Five days after the stabbing, a member of the public spotted Courtney at a hotel bar in Miami. Courtney was with her father, ordering alcohol beverages at the bar. The member of the public told Courtney to leave because she just killed her boyfriend. Courtney turned to this individual and said, “He lied to me,” referring to Toby.

The blood-soaked pants that Courtney wore on the night of Christian’s murder. Photograph from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Courtney remains free, for now.

Because of Courtney’s wealth, she got ahold of an elite lawyer who painted a picture of domestic violence, with Courtney on the receiving end of that violence. So, she was free to go. She didn’t spend time in jail and she continued to drink excessively, which worsened after the murder.

In June 2022, three months after killing Toby, Courtney moved back to Austin, Texas, to be closer to her parents. She purchased a lavish, 3080-foot, $1.35 million-dollar home in Lake Pointe, Texas, located in the Bee Cave community of Austin. The home had four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a media room, a game room, a hot tub and three large deck areas. She also transferred $1.5 million into her father’s bank account for him to oversee as her mental health continued to decline.

Toby’s family fights for justice.

Toby’s mother, Chio Ndiwe, learned about her youngest son’s death the following day, Monday, April 4, 2022. While she was at work, Chio received a call asking about Toby’s status as an organ donor. She hadn’t heard anything about his murder the day before.

His family went onto the Dr Phil talk show to share their side of the story. They also created a GoFundMe page to help pay for Toby’s funeral expenses, and hired a lawyer to fight against the case. The amount of evidence against Courtney is insurmountable, and with the help of eye-witness accounts, 12,000 text messages, the footage from the elevator of Courtney attacking Christian, and letters, audio recordings and photos, Toby’s team put together an unshakeable case.

Courtney Clenney. (Image via Miami Herald/ Getty Images)

Five months later, police detained Courtney on August 10, 2022, in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. She flew to Laupahoehoe to attend rehabilitation for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She returned to Florida on August 11 and was arrested on second-degree murder charges.

Courtney entered a plea of not guilty and will remain incarcerated until her trial and subsequent sentencing date this year.

My Two Cents Corner

I’ve done a lot of research into this case and listened to quite a few audio recordings that Toby Obumseli took of him and Courtney’s arguments. In one of these arguments, Courtney calls him the n***** word, while screaming at the top of her lungs and threatening to slap Toby. The reason for this behavior was because Toby said “hello” to another woman that passed him while he was riding a bike, and that he heard her and Courtney were doing a “live” (meaning if they were going to be live-streaming content on social media together.)

If this isn’t the most insecure-sounding woman out there, than I don’t know who is. It’s both ironic and sad that someone who put so much effort into her looks and also made so much money off of them, had so little self-esteem that it turned her into a monster. In my opinion, it sounded like Courtney used her looks as leverage and her high-paying and recent fame to imagine herself superior to Toby, and also to others. Her “success” gave her permission to behave ever-more inexcusably and do so without accountability. Courtney used her wealth to physically and mentally abuse Christian, and as a way to control him during her arguments.

Inside, it sounds like Courtney was an empty shell looking for some sort of constant gratification or escape. She never held herself accountable and neither did many people in her life (or so it seems). She truly believed that she would be able to use her looks, wealth and status as a young and beautiful white woman, to escape the consequences of her actions, which robbed family and friends of their beloved Toby. Considering the pattern of her behaviors, I believe it was only a matter of time until Courtney committed some sort of tragic offense if she continued on this path without changing her behaviors.

Allegedly and in my own opinion!

Thank you for reading.

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Photo credit: Omurden Cengiz, Unsplash.com
In Texas State Crimes 12 Mins Read

Crimes of Taylor Parker, Part II: Perpetual Liar Murders To Keep Boyfriend

In Part I, we left off with Taylor Rene Parker, 29, receiving the death penalty in November 2022. Taylor was charged with the murder of Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock, and for kidnapping her unborn fetus. The crimes occurred on Sunday, October 9, 2020, the same day of Taylor’s scheduled induction. She was nearly 10 months pregnant.

Well, that appointment was a big problem for Taylor, because she wasn’t pregnant and never was.

A photo of Wade Griffin and Taylor Parker taken during a “maternity” photoshoot Taylor arranged in August of 2022.

It’s hard to imagine what might provoke a 29-year-old, twice-divorced woman and mother of two to fabricate a third pregnancy with a man she barely knew. But in February 2020, Taylor did just that and told Wade she was pregnant—for the second time. The first pregnancy announcement was only weeks after Taylor and Wade started dating—and that was a lie, too.

What’s more, is Taylor didn’t have custody of the two children she already had. By many accounts, she was especially neglectful towards her son, her youngest child. So, why a third?

As we’d come to find out, Taylor wasn’t after the prospect of another baby or experiencing motherhood for a third time. She only wanted Wade. A master manipulator, Taylor created fake scenarios to present herself as a totally different person. She wanted Wade to find her utterly irresistible, so he would never leave her.

And she was willing to do anything to keep him around, including murder.

Bottled Blonde Meets Country Boy

On Thursday, July 25, 2019, a typical humid summer’s day in East Texas, Taylor met Wade Griffin, 27, at a rodeo. The Annual Naples Rodeo & Watermelon Festival, held at the Naples Rodeo Club, is a big to-do in Texarkana. Then in its 81st year, the event features barrel racing, steer wrestling and team roping, along with a king and queen crowning and mounds of fresh and delicious watermelon.

The rodeo was held three weeks after Taylor divorced her second husband, Hunter Parker. She was officially single and ready to mingle. And that’s when she ran into Wade, a tall, burly, red-haired country boy.

Wade worked hard and long hours. Never married and without children, he had a reputation for being a hard worker and an all-around good guy. Wade was a roofing supervisor, and he also bought and sold wild hogs to a meat-processing plant. He lived in a modest cabin in Simms, a small town in Bowie County that’s home to some 1,400 residents. He enjoyed a simple, quiet life.

Wade had no idea what he signed up for when he met Taylor.

Where Control Meets Psychopathy.

Every relationship is different…obviously.

Some people are slow to warm up to each another, while others jump headfirst into intense, can’t-live-without-you romances seemingly overnight. Over the course of our lives, some of us will experience both kinds of relationships—from the perspective of others as well as our own. Taylor has a tendency to rush, but Wade didn’t reciprocate fast enough for her liking. So, she manipulated everything about their relationship from the start, without giving it a fair chance to grow.

Less than a month into dating, Taylor decided she wanted to live with Wade. She decided, because he wasn’t allowed much input at all. Instead of them of making a shared decision, Taylor fabricated a completely outlandish story to manipulate Wade into inviting her to stay. She gave him no choice. And what do you know—it worked.

It was the first of many lies she told and continues to tell.

Making Her Mother The Villain.

Taylor Parker and Wade Griffin. Photo from Facebook.

Theatrically, which is typical of Taylor’s behavior, she told Wade she feared for her life. She explained that her mother, Shona Prior, hired a hitman to murder her. Shona wanted to access a bank account in Taylor’s name—that had $6 million in it.

Having Taylor killed was the fastest way for Shona to get ahold of the money, she said.

Here’s the story Taylor told Wade:

Taylor explained that her family owned a significant amount of oil-producing land throughout Texas. Her family leased their land to companies and collected weekly royalty checks from theses oil and gas leases. The money accrued from the royalty checks made-up her family’s multi-million-dollar fortune.

Recently, Taylor’s grandparents transferred $6 million to her bank account. Taylor’s grandparents wanted her to maintain a property known as Nolan Place, which they could no longer maintain themselves. The large sum of money was exclusively to upkeep Nolan Place.

Distraught over not having access to the account, Shona hired a hitman to murder Taylor. Just in time, Texas police caught up with the hired hitman and a shootout ensued between him and the Mexican Mafia. Shona was arrested and jailed, where she committed suicide while awaiting trial. The crimes weren’t covered by local media because it was “under wraps,” Taylor said.

None of this was true.

There was no family fortune. There is no oil-producing land, leases or royalty checks. Shona did not hire a hitman to murder her daughter. Taylor’s mother was completely oblivious to all the slanderous lies her daughter said about her.

Holding On By A Thread.

When Wade’s mother, Connie Griffin, learned Taylor didn’t have custody of her own kids, it rubbed her the wrong way. She and many others wondered, why? What happened?

What happened, is that Taylor is pathological. She lies and lies, and then creates more lies to backtrack out of lies. She uses these lies to emotionally enrapture the people around her and garner control over them. As they say, there’s nothing like a mother’s intuition, and Connie was spot-on about there being something “off” about Taylor.

Not long after Taylor lied about her and Wade’s first pregnancy, she lied again and claimed to suffer a miscarriage. Taylor felt the “experience” brought them closer together.

Because of Wade’s busy schedule, he wasn’t home too much. When he was home, he expressed little interest in Taylor’s drama, personal and family-related. He didn’t know her for long, so he trusted her that Shona, Taylor’s mom, was “crazy.” Whenever something went wrong, Taylor seemed to connect it back to Shona. Besides, why would Taylor lie about something so ridiculous?

In the beginning of their relationship, Taylor was a decent houseguest. She made herself constantly available to Wade, after all. While he worked, Taylor cared for his property and livestock. He looked forward to steamy, home-cooked meals that she prepared every night for dinner. He thought she was one of the best cooks around.

Taylor Parker. Photo credit: Tyler Paper.

A Crisis Waiting To Happen.

Try as she might, Wade wasn’t in love with Taylor. While she was head-over-heels, Wade was hardly invested. He told his mother he cared for Taylor, but he didn’t love her.

Connie wasn’t happy to see her son settling, but he cruised along. Taylor fed Wade promise after promise of land, lucrative business opportunities, a family estate, after all. Eventually, the news came of “another” pregnancy. Wade stuck around to eventually find himself “stuck” with Taylor.

As time wore on, Taylor felt the space growing between her and Wade. It rattled her nerves. Taylor’s constant drama turned Wade off from the relationship and from Taylor in general. He wanted to disengage.

Taylor complained to Wade about their lack of intimacy. Despite her pleading, he still hardly reciprocated . So, you can imagine Wade was less than enthused when Taylor turned up pregnant “again” in late February 2020.

A Fake Pregnancy And No Intent To Come Clean

Taylor told friends, family, Facebook followers and Wade that their baby was due September 28, 2020. As the date drew closer, she announced they were having a girl they’d name Clancy Gail.

Physically, Taylor progressed in her pregnancy as well—which was yet another lie.

Taylor wore maternity clothes and regularly posted detailed updates about her pregnancy on Facebook. In these posts and to whoever asked, she shared sonogram photos of her growing baby; fake images she purchased from fakeababy.com. She customized the baby’s gender and gestational period, as well as the clinic and physician’s name.

A photo of the Moon Bump Silicone Fake Pregnancy Belly – 20 to 25 Week Stage Baby Bump sold on fakeababy.com, and an example of the fake pregnancy belly worn by Taylor Parker.

To dissuade growing suspicions, Taylor ordered a silicon pregnancy belly from that same website. She wore it during her and Wade’s maternity photoshoot in August of 2020, and also for her gender reveal party and baby shower.

Conveniently, because Taylor was “pregnant” during the pandemic, she met with her doctors alone while Wade waited outside. No one accompanied her due to coronavirus safety precautions. Privacy laws, like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), also kept everyone, including Wade, from accessing her medical information. He called the OBGYN for updates with no such luck.

Obviously Taylor’s OBGYN doctor knew she was faking a pregnancy, and office staff assumed she would claim a miscarriage. Her family did, too. Taylor was ballsy enough to invite her doctor to her “gender reveal” party, despite her knowing the truth. The OBGYN office eventually discontinued their patient-provider relationship with her.

Taylor’s due date came and went, and all eyes were on her to explain herself or turn up with a baby. She was unwilling to sacrifice her pride, worried she could lose Wade. Taylor was determined to preserve her relationship; it was more important to her than anything else.

An Ex-Husband’s Ominous Warning.

Taylor’s first husband, Tommy Wacasey, with whom she shares a son, learned Taylor was “pregnant.” He knew without communicating with Taylor, that it was a lie. He texted Wade to warn him about Taylor’s tendencies.

Her ex told Wade that area hospitals were on “high alert,” because of concern that Taylor might attempt to kidnap a newborn from a maternity ward.

He told him something else, but keep reading to find that out.

A Plan For Murder.

Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock with husband Homer Hancock and daughter Kynlee. Photo from Facebook.

On the day of Taylor’s scheduled delivery, she unfriended her mother from Facebook, as well as Homer Hancock, the husband of Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock. But it was three days before that, on September 14, 2020, that Taylor’s internet search history revealed her premeditated plan.

Scouting Her Victims.

On this Monday, Sept. 14, Taylor searched the web for local places that pregnant women frequent. Results turned up for maternity consignment stores and OBGYN clinics throughout East Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana. Taylor made appointments at these clinics and was seen both outside and inside. At some of the clinics, she sat outside for a time, observing pregnant women come and go.

Taylor wrote down the license plates of these women and later searched them in Google to locate their addresses. Less than 10 days before the murder of Reagan Hancock, she looked up teen pregnancy support groups in Texarkana and allegedly attended a meeting.

Fortunately for investigators, Taylor used her phone for all her research. These searches helped incriminate her.

Taylor’s phone revealed searches for information on midwifery certification and private adoptions. While deciding on a plan, it’s believed Taylor considered posing as a midwife to gain access to a newborn. She also searched for instructions on how to complete an out-of-hospital birth certificate, and watched YouTube videos on vaginal and C-section births. Some of the videos discussed performing C-section deliveries and delivery of the placenta.

On October 7, Taylor searched Reagan’s current and former addresses, and the address of Reagan’s OBGYN office. On the morning of October 9, she looked up information about giving birth vaginally at 35 weeks and also how to perform a physical exam of a 35-week infant.

And she kept going, despite all the evidence she left in her wake.

Arson And A Bomb Threat.

Remember, Taylor’s due date was scheduled for September 28, 2020, but she didn’t “give birth” on this day. She had to think fast to find an excuse to prolong her birth.

Taylor Parker. Photo credit: Texarkana Today.

So, she started a fire in Wade’s home.

The fire on October 5, 2020 caused pipe damage, which prevented the home from having running water or power. Fortunately, State Farm, Wade’s home insurance, hired a fire analyst to investigate the origins of the fire. The analyst determined the fire was not electrical, as originally believed, but it was intentionally set using a lighter. Investigators ultimately connected Taylor to the arson.

The following day, Taylor was scheduled to be induced again, but couldn’t because someone called in a bomb threat to Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, around 5 am. That “someone” was obviously Taylor, but the false alarm required hospital staff to evaluate more than 100 patients. She used a voice-changing app to disguise her voice by sounding masculine.

And If That Isn’t Enough…

What makes this case even crazier, is that Taylor couldn’t pregnant, even if she wanted to. Taylor worked at an OBGYN clinic in 2014, and not long after she gave birth to her son, she had her tubes tied. A subsequent and unrelated medical complication resulted in Taylor having a full hysterectomy in 2015—and other people were aware of this, like Taylor’s entire family.

In August of 2015, Taylor received care for pelvic pain and bleeding. The doctor found that Taylor suffered an ectopic pregnancy, and that she also had endometriosis. Because of the condition of her uterus, the doctor suggested a full hysterectomy for her safety and wellbeing. While Taylor was still under anesthesia, Shona allegedly gave the doctor permission to perform the hysterectomy. Taylor blamed her mother for years, but she voluntary underwent a surgery in 2014 to have her tubes tied.

This is the information her ex-husband, Tommy, relayed to Wade via text. Wade didn’t believe him.

Stay tuned for Part III, where we delve into Taylor’s financial frauds against Wade and the trouble she stirred with her own employers.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to read Part I of this case coverage, here.

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