The Perfect Murder Premiered ‘Whidbey Island Mystery’ on Investigation Discovery: Peggy Sue Thomas Manipulated Jim Huden to Kill Russel Douglas (August 30, 2018)

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Administrator

ID Go: After Christmas in 2003, on Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington State, Russel Douglas is found shot in the head, in his car along a deserted road. It’s the start of a case that will take a decade to solve, and leave many with lingering questions. -Whidbey Island Mystery, The Perfect Murder (S5, E6)

Russel Douglas was found dead in his car on Whidbey Island in Washington on December 26, 2003. It turns out Navy veteran Peggy Sue Thomas lured him to his death. Both Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden conspired to murder Russel Douglas for revenge. Investigators suspect that the duo committed the murder for Peggy’s friend Brenna, who alleged abuse, but there was never enough evidence to charge Brenna Douglas with any crimes. Jim Huden was convicted and sentenced to eighty years in prison. Peggy Thomas agreed to a plea bargain in exchange for a reduced sentence. Thomas was sentenced to four years for her role in the murder. Peggy Thomas continues to deny any involvement in the murder and claims she didn’t know that her boyfriend at the time was going to kill Douglas (despite being the last to text him shortly before he was murdered). Peggy Thomas was released from prison in 2016.

In the News:

From pageants to famous husband to prison, murder suspect allowed to visit NM. -KRQE (October 7, 2011)

48 Hours:

How did a former beauty queen end up at the heart of a murder case? -48 Hours

The true-crime author of over two dozen New York Times bestsellers tells “48 Hours” she couldn’t help but write about the Russel Douglas case. -48 Hours

Gail O’Neil shares memories of her son, Russel Douglas, who was murdered on Sept. 26, 2003, on Whidbey Island, Wash. -48 Hours

Jim Huden’s former band mates talk to “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant about what it was like to find out their one-time lead guitarist was accused of murder. -48 Hours

Detectives allege Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas lured Russel Douglas to his death by asking to drop off a present for Russel’s wife, Brenna. Both Jim and Peggy claim the present was delivered to Russel days before the murder. When investigators surprise their suspects with simultaneous separate interrogations, they discover discrepancies. Do you think Jim and Peggy are making up a story to throw off investigators? -48 Hours

Oxygen:

A Las Vegas red haired siren and her millionaire boyfriend become suspects in a murder, hundreds of miles away. -Peggy Sue Thomas & Jim Huden, Snapped: Killer Couples

Killer Couples: S8 E4 After the Verdict – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen

Killer Couples: S8 E4 Bonus Clip – Peggy’s New Self | Oxygen

A Las Vegas red haired siren and her millionaire boyfriend become suspects in a murder, hundreds of miles away. -Peggy Thomas & Jim Huden, Snapped: Killer Couples (S8, E4)

Investigation Discovery:

ID Go: On tiny Whidbey Island, Washington, beauty queen Peggy Sue Thomas seems to be a perfect wife and mother. But when her best friend’s husband is shot to death, Peggy finds herself on center stage of a murder investigation. -If Looks Could Kill, Beauty Queen Murders (S1, E5)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
Peggy Sue Thomas: Drop-Dead Gorgeous
Documents show victim’s wife is suspect in murder
Washington jury says ‘guilty’ in Russel Douglas murder
Former Washington beauty queen pleads guilty to lesser charge in murder case
Ex-beauty queen gets 4-year sentence in killing
Ex-beauty queen sentenced for role in Whidbey Island murder
48 Hours: Tracing a fugitive killer’s footsteps in Mexico
Man lured to his death by beauty queen and wannabe rockstar on Boxing Day
‘I’m giving up four years of my life for something I didn’t do’: Ex-beauty queen jailed for helping her lover carry out 2003 murder claims she is an innocent ‘victim’
Peggy Sue got released: TV show recounts sensational Whidbey Island murder
Peggy Thomas, Jim Huden: ‘Snapped Killer Couples’ Details Whidbey Island Murder Case Involving Sultry Beauty Queen and Rock Star Lover
Murder of Russel Douglas by Jim Huden spotlighted on The Perfect Murder
Pageants to Famous Husband to Prison
Snapped: Killer Couples ‘Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden’
Sneak Peek: Dangerous Beauty | 48 Hours
Why Ann Rule was intrigued with the Russel Douglas murder case | 48 Hours
Remembering Russel Douglas | 48 Hours
Band mates open up about rocker, murder suspect | 48 Hours
Suspects surprised with simultaneous, separate interrogations | 48 Hours
Killer Couples: S8 E4 Preview – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E4 After the Verdict – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E4 Bonus Clip – Peggy’s New Self | Oxygen
Peggy Thomas & Jim Huden | Snapped: Killer Couples | Oxygen (S8, E4)
If Looks Could Kill | Beauty Queen Murders | Investigation Discovery (S1, E5)
Whidbey Island Mystery | The Perfect Murder | Investigation Discovery (S5, E6)

American Monster Premiered ‘Watch Your Back’ on ID: Michelle Paet Pleaded Guilty to Conspiring to Murder Husband Nathan Paet (August 19, 2018)

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Administrator

US Air Force sergeant Nathan Paet and his family appear to live a blissfully normal life – as these never-before-aired home videos attest. But blind greed would bring about the destruction of this loving family. -Watch Your Back, American Monster (S3, E6)

Oxygen:

A happy military family kept walls up that were soon to be knocked down. Did Michelle’s husband bring his fate upon himself, or was she behind the whole thing? -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Those involved with the case give their input on the verdict and Michelle’s future. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Michelle Fleck details all the ways Michelle Paet plotted to “get rid” of her late husband, Nathan. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Michelle’s sister, Melissa, speaks fondly of Michelle. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

An Air Force sergeant is gunned down in his garage revealing an elaborate conspiracy with an unlikely mastermind. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Watch Your Back | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (S3, E6)
Watch Your Back | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (website)
Watch Your Back | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Michelle Paet | Snapped | Oxygen (S21, E8)
Michelle Paet | Snapped | Oxygen (Amazon)
Snapped: Sneak Peek – Did Michelle Do It? (Season 21, Episode 8) | Oxygen
Snapped: After The Verdict – Michelle Paet (Season 21, Episode 8) | Oxygen
Snapped: Bonus Clip – Prosecutor Michelle Fleck (Season 21, Episode 8) | Oxygen
Snapped: Bonus Clip – Kind Words for Michelle (Season 21, Episode 8) | Oxygen
Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Paet Shot & Killed as He Got Ready to Leave for Work; Spouse Michelle Paet Sentenced to Life, No Parole for Murder (December 1, 2010)
Snapped Premiered ‘Michelle Paet’ on Oxygen: Air Force Sergeant Gunned Down in Garage Reveals Baffling Conspiracy (September 24, 2017)

The Strange & Unexplained: ‘The Biggest Suspicious Unsolved Military Mysteries’ (August 15, 2018)

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Administrator

(photo courtesy of India Today)

10. Paul Whipkey, U.S. Army (missing since July 10, 1958)
9. Chad Langford, U.S. Army (found dead March 12, 1992)
8. Kirk Vanderbur, U.S. Marine Corps (died on February 16, 1992)
7. James Sabow, U.S. Marine Corps (found dead January 22, 1991)
6. Yosef Alon, Israeli Diplomat (found dead on July 1, 1973)
5. William Miller, U.S. Marine Corps (found dead on September 16, 1972)
4. Gareth Williams, MI6 spy (found dead in London on August 23, 2010)
3. Ralph Sigler, U.S. Army (found dead in motel on April 13, 1976)
2. David Cox, U.S. Marine Corps (murdered on January 5, 1994)
1. LaVena Johnson, U.S. Army (found raped & murdered on July 19, 2005)

Related Links:
7 Eerie Military Stories from Unsolved Mysteries That Still Haunt us
10 Suspicious Unsolved Military Mysteries
National Security Blanket Hides Murders of US Military Personnel
The Mysterious Disappearance of Paul Whipkey (Unsolved Mysteries)
The Mysterious Death of Chad Langford (Unsolved Mysteries)
Kirk’s Story, U.S. Marine Corps, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
The Homicide of United States Marine Corps Colonel, James E. Sabow: A Forensic Analysis Submitted to the United States Congress
FBI reopens case of 1973 assassination of Israeli diplomat
Cold-case trial, Did wife, pals kill Marine?
‘Spy in bag’ Gareth Williams was ‘murdered by Russian hitmen after sexual photo blackmail plot’
Tales from the Morgue: Ft. Bliss Spy: Suicide or Murder?
New England’s Unsolved: Who killed US Marine David Cox?
Army Pfc LaVena Johnson Died of Non Combat Related Injuries in Iraq, Death Ruled Suicide But Independent Autopsy Revealed Rape & Murder (July 19, 2005)

Dateline NBC Premiered ‘Prairie Confidential’: Nursing Student & Mom Angila Wilder Found Stabbed to Death in Minot, North Dakota Home (August 13, 2018)

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Administrator

Trailer: A murder case considered closed by North Dakota detectives is suddenly reopened when a confidential informant comes forward with a tip about an unlikely suspect. -Dateline NBC (S26,E51)

Dateline featured ‘Prairie Confidential’ on August 13, 2018. It was a 2015 homicide case out of Minot, North Dakota. Nursing student and mom of three Angila Wilder didn’t show up for an important exam at school and her professor knew something was wrong. Angila was discovered stabbed to death in her bedroom in her North Dakota home. The crime appeared personal so the police started their investigation with Angila’s boyfriend and ex-husband. When Angila’s boyfriend Chris Jackson was interviewed, he pointed the finger at her ex-husband Richie Wilder, Jr. Angila met Richie in high school and soon after they married, they had a couple children together. Richie joined the Air Force and was stationed at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. But during their time there, things went awry with the marriage. Richie was court-martialed and convicted of domestic abuse. As a result, he was discharged from the Air Force and soon divorce followed. Richie remarried Cynthia, a kindergarten teacher, and they had a child together. Angila also moved on with Chris Jackson and they too had a child together. Angila was pregnant at the time of her murder.

Investigators found Angila’s blood in Richie’s car and Richie’s DNA was found under Angila’s fingernails. As a result, Richie Wilder was charged with murder and ordered to pre-trial confinement on a 2 million dollar bond. After a couple days in jail, Richie came forward with a “confession.” Richie told police he and Chris learned Angela was cheating on Chris and they hoped to catch her in the act so they could then have custody of their children. Richie said he picked up Chris at his place of employment, drove to Angila’s home, killed her together (an attempt to minimize his involvement yet explain DNA), and then dropped Chris back off at Wal-Mart. But the police looked at the video at Wal-Mart and it blew Richie’s “confession” out of the water. Chris was at work all night and never left the property. In December 2016, Richie Wilder Jr. was convicted of Angila’s murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In May 2018, Cynthia Wilder took an Alford plea hoping the judge would go lenient on her but she was sentenced to life in prison without parole for conspiracy to commit murder. In the course of the investigation, police learned Cynthia and Richie Wilder planned Angila’s murder for two years.

Unsolved Homicide: Army Veteran Cleveland Jermaine “CJ” Lewis Fatally Shot & Killed in Front of Home in Killeen, Texas Neighborhood (August 4, 2018)

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Administrator

Cleveland Jermaine Lewis, U.S. Army Veteran

On August 4, 2018, Army veteran Cleveland Jermaine Lewis, 33, was fatally shot in front of his house in a Killeen, Texas neighborhood. This is an unsolved homicide case and strikingly similar to the unsolved homicide of 19-year-old Fort Hood Army Pvt. Justin Lewis. Pvt. Lewis was also fatally shot and killed in a Killeen, Texas neighborhood on April 17, 2017.

If you have any information that can help investigators solve these two homicides, please contact the Killeen Police Department, Crime Stoppers, and/or report a crime tip to the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

“Detectives are asking anyone who has information about this Murder, to contact Crime Stoppers at 254-526-TIPS (8477) or go online at http://www.bellcountycrimestoppers.com. You can also download the P3Tips App for IOS or Android and give an anonymous tip. All information is confidential and anonymous and if your tip leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible, you could be eligible to receive a reward up to $1,000 in cash.” –Killeen PD Press Release (August 6, 2018)

KPD Press Release

Seven (7) criminal homicides were reported in 2018:

Lamar Marcell Roberson, 32, was shot and killed Feb. 28 in the 900 block of Culp Avenue.

Owen-Palacios Hernandez, 35, was shot and killed April 23 in the 800 block of Root Avenue.

Heather Mae Walker, 29, stabbed to death on June 9 in 2800 block of Phoenix Drive. Police have not released the manner of death in Walker’s case.

Cleveland Jermaine Lewis, 33, known as “C.J.”, was shot and killed Aug. 4 in front of his house in the 4500 block of Alan Kent Drive.

Deandre Patrick Thomas, 41, was shot and killed Aug. 18 in the 2800 block of South Fort Hood Street at a nightclub.

Marquis Demps, 21, was shot and killed on Dec. 3 in the 400 block of Root Avenue near local Boys & Girls Club.

Yorrick Michaels-Toms, 24, was shot and killed on Dec. 20 at an apartment in the 4500 block of Westcliff Road.

Source: Argument leads to fatal shooting Saturday in Killeen (Killeen Daily Herald, August 18, 2018)

Related Links:
Murdered in Killeen
Cleveland Jermaine Lewis Funeral (GoFundMe)
Killeen police looking for shooter involved in homicide
Victim of deadly shooting in local neighborhood identified
Friends and family remember C.J., Killeen homicide victim
Family mourns death of Killeen man gunned down in neighborhood shooting
KPD Investigates a Murder on Alan Kent
Year in Crime: Homicides decreased in 2018 in Killeen
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

No affiliation with the Department of Defense or any of the Armed Forces.

Monthly Archives: August 2018