ID Go: With hearts of stone, these Deadly Women give their men special send-offs when “Love Leaves Town.” -Love Leaves Town, Deadly Women (S10, E12)
Oxygen:
A mysterious disappearance leads police to a woman pushing a trash can full of body parts down the street. -Carmen Montelongo, Snapped (S16, E4)
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.
With hearts of stone, these Deadly Women give their men special send-offs when “Love Leaves Town.” A young mom prefers her vices to her boyfriend. -Love Leaves Town, Deadly Women (S10, E12)
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.
Air Force veteran Joshua Hilberling, 23, fell to his death from a 25th story window during an argument with his wife Amber on June 7, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Amber was arrested and charged with murder after admitting to family on police video that she pushed and killed Josh. A couple week’s earlier, Joshua had filed for a protection from abuse order after a domestic violence incident and as evidenced by his packed bags, it appeared that he was leaving the couple’s shared residence the day that he died. Amber was charged with first degree murder but found guilty of second degree murder; she was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. Dateline NBC covered the case and the public learned that Amber’s family believe she was wrongly convicted. As a result, Amber’s defense attorney filed an appeal but it was denied. On October 24, 2016, prison officials claimed Amber Hilberling died by suicide (hanging) in her cell. The estate of Amber Hilberling filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Corrections claiming they didn’t do enough to prevent the suicide, however in 2019 that lawsuit was dropped. In an interview with Corey Taylor, Amber’s mother said her daughter was innocent, Josh and Amber were co-combative and this was a terrible accident, and she believes her daughter was murdered in prison.
Joshua and Amber Hilberling (Photo: Reality Tidbit)
In the News:
Amber Hilberling, the 19-year-old accused of pushing her husband out of a 25th story window, appeared in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. -KJRH -TV | Channel 2 (September 7, 2011)
Court documents show Hilberling tested positive for marijuana Dec. 22 and Dec. 28 after being released from jail weeks earlier. -KJRH -TV | Channel 2 (January 7, 2012)
A young pregnant newlywed is accused of pushing her husband out the window of their 25th floor condo, killing him. -HLN (August 22, 2012)
Hilberling court records released 5pm. -KJRH -TV | Channel 2 (April 12, 2013)
The judge in the Amber Hilberling murder trial has released dozens of pictures and video of Amber Hilberling in a police interview room. Amber Hilberling was found guilty of 2nd degree murder on March 18th. -KRMGTulsa (April 12, 2013)
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is investigating after they found Amber Hilberling dead in her prison cell this morning. -KJRH -TV | Channel 2 (October 25, 2016)
The estate of Amber Hilberling is dropping its lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. -News On 6/KOTV (April 17, 2019)
Dr. Phil:
Parents of Amber Hilberling, who was recently found dead in her prison cell, recall what they claim was a struggle to get details about their daughter’s death. -Dr. Phil (November 14, 2016)
The mom of Amber Hilberling, who was recently found dead in her prison cell, describes her daughter’s demeanor in the days leading up to her death. -Dr. Phil (November 14, 2016)
Up Close with Corey Taylor:
This interview is with Rhonda Whitlock Amber Hilberling’s mother. In this video Rhonda exposes what she believe happened to her daughter even up to her death in prison. -Corey D Taylor (February 3, 2018)
Greg Mulvihill and Diana Lovejoy, California (photo: Oxygen)
Date: September 1, 2016 Victim: Greg Mulvihill, Software Engineer Offenders: Diana Lovejoy, Fitness Trainer and Weldon McDavid, Jr., Marine Corps veteran Location: Carlsbad, California Circumstances: Diana Lovejoy was sweet, caring, smart and had a creative gift for writing and music, she was in the marching band in high school and extremely disciplined, she had a healthy lifestyle and good looks, she did several triathlons and was a personal fitness coach, she eventually met Greg Mulvihill, after two years of dating, the couple tied the knot, they wanted a family but Diana had several miscarriages before she finally she got pregnant, it was a difficult high risk pregnancy but she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, but when the child was two, the marriage was falling apart, Diana kicked Greg out and got a restraining order, in court documents, Diana alleged that he wished her dead, sexually molested her in his sleep, and she suspected he molested her son, Greg denied the allegations and fired back, he informed the court of what life was like with Diana who he said verbally abused and belittled him over the last several years, Greg filed for divorce in August of 2014 and the couple fought bitterly over the custody of their son, at first Greg was only allowed supervised visits but after numerous investigations by the court and law enforcement, they found no evidence of abuse, they awarded Greg 50/50 custody with Diana, Diana claimed she was fearful for their lives and started self-defense training at the range, her trainer was a former Marine, this former Marine hated bullies, he joined the USMC and after he got out, he specialized in fire arms instruction, then he met a girl named Crystal Harris (story featured on Dateline), Crystal wanted to buy a gun for protection because her husband was abusive and violent, Weldon taught her how to use a gun, even how to use it under stressful situations, one night, Crystal captured on tape her husband raping her, she played the tape for Weldon, Crystal later called the police and reported him for rape, Weldon went to her house to teach her what to do if her husband shows up, Crystal never needed to use the gun because her husband was convicted of a forcible sex crime and served more than three years in prison, she was thankful for what Weldon did for her and what he taught her, she could call him anytime and he was there for her, she moved on with her life, Weldon moved on too and a few years later, Weldon found romance, she too was someone who met him while she was at the range for self-defense training, the new girl wasn’t interested at first but we was witty and intelligent and caught her attention, she too felt empowered around Weldon, he was strong and made her feel safe, they got married and had a son, then he told her about another woman he was training at the range named Diana Lovejoy, but something with her didn’t feel right, she would text Weldon at all hours and his new wife didn’t like that and didn’t feel that it was professional, on September 1, 2016, Greg was shot by what appeared to be a sniper, detectives looked for the shooter who vanished, Greg called 911 earlier in the evening to ask for advice, he said someone wanted to meet with him, they had documents he needed for the custody battle with Diana, Greg asked if he should go, the person claimed to be a private investigator, Greg went to meet with the caller looking for the documents and they saw someone in a sniper position, they started running away but Greg was shot once, Greg’s friend called 911 and Greg survived his injuries, Greg had no idea who could do this, he didn’t think Diana had anything to do with it despite a bitter custody battle, police traced the phone call to a trac-phone, they investigated where it was purchased, and it was Diana Lovejoy, they searched for evidence in DLs home, they had enough to arrest her and bring her to the station, she denied everything, they asked her if she hired someone to kill Greg and she denied it, she described her relationship with her self defense trainer, Weldon McDavid, Diana told police Weldon was going to scare Greg into dropping the custody battle and go away, she paid him to scare him, on Sept 1, he got into her car with his gun and she dropped him off at the location, he said things went wrong and he had to shoot him, she said she hired him to intimidate him only, Weldon’s home was searched for guns and the police found a portion of an AR-15 in the garage, there were 7 spent shell casings, the same number of shots fired that night, police arrested Weldon and initially he denied everything, police believe DL fabricated the abuse allegations against Greg, DL used Weldon to carry this murder out, she slept with him and used her sexuality to manipulate Weldon, the two faced trial together, Weldon admitted to being at the scene of the shooting, Diana admitted to hiring Weldon to intimidate him, the prosecutor confronted DLs false allegations against Greg in the trial, DL asked her aunt to find a hitman, she refused and DL found Weldon, Weldon testified on his own behalf that he was hired by DL, he said he wasn’t planning on firing any shots, he thought he heard one of them say they had a gun, he said he did not aim at Greg to kill him, lawyer said he had misguided hero complex, DL picked the night of the new moon when it was the most dark out, Weldon said he was just trying to help DL and her son, DL said she didn’t have any control over Weldon’s actions Disposition: Diana Lovejoy was found guilty of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, she was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison; Weldon McDavid, Jr. was found guilty of attempted murder and conspiracy, he was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison
Source: ‘The Night of the New Moon’ Dateline
True Crime Daily:
Diana Lovejoy is accused of trying to kill her ex-husband Greg Mulvihill. -True Crime Daily
Greg Mulvihill and his estranged wife Diana Lovejoy went through eight miscarriages before the birth of their little boy. Then, Lovejoy allegedly tried to have the father of her only child killed. What would motivate a mother to do this? Crime Watch Daily’s Ana Garcia has the story. -True Crime Daily
Pt. 2: Woman Tries to Have Estranged Husband Killed -True Crime Daily
Pt. 3: Woman Tries to Have Estranged Husband Killed -True Crime Daily
Pt. 4: Woman Tries to Have Estranged Husband Killed -True Crime Daily
In the San Diego area, a secretive mission in the middle of the night ends with one man in the hospital and two unlikely suspects in handcuffs. -True Crime Daily
True Crime:
A former marine, who once was the hero for a woman in an abusive marriage, is back on ‘Dateline.’ But this time, has his desire to help gone too far? -The Night of the New Moon, Dateline NBC
A contentious divorce and custody battle lands one father in the crosshairs of a sniper. -Diana Lovejoy, Snapped (S24, E7)
US Army veteran, Robert Burgess, 56, is accused of fatally shooting William Charles Smith in the head during an attempted robbery on August 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. He is awaiting trial and being held in prison without bail.
Russel Douglas was found murdered in his car in a remote location on Whidbey Island in Washington on December 26, 2003. Russel was shot execution style in the head and there were few clues at the scene but the police knew it was a murder because they couldn’t find the gun. It took the police a few years but eventually they got a phone call from someone who said they had information about a murder. Investigators learned that a man by the name of Jim Huden admitted that he wanted to kill someone and did in fact kill someone. Through the course of the investigation, they also learned that Jim, who was married, had been having an affair with Peggy Thomas, a Navy veteran and former beauty queen in Washington. Peggy was the connection to Russel Douglas because she once worked with his wife Brenna at a hair salon and Russel’s wife was renting a home from her on Whidbey Island. When Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas were interviewed by the police, they didn’t admit to anything and would not cooperate. Therefore, detectives didn’t have enough evidence to arrest them.
After being questioned by police, Jim Huden started drinking more and fled to Mexico; Peggy Thomas got married and divorced; and the police continued investigating Russel Douglas’ murder. And then the unexpected happened. Jim’s estranged wife was arrested for drugs and check fraud. Detectives offered her a deal and promised if she gave them information about the Russel Douglas’ murder and where Jim was located, they would drop the charges against her; she gave them the information. Investigators began developing a theory based on the witnesses they had interviewed and the evidence they gathered. They believed the end game was money for Peggy and she was the one that put things in motion. Russel and his wife were having marital problems and investigators believe that Peggy offered to help Brenna murder her husband in return for some of the life insurance pay out. They theorized that Peggy convinced Jim that Russel was abusive so he would want to kill him. Jim was abused as a child so he was easily manipulated to believe that Russel deserved to die. In the end, both Peggy and Jim conspired to murder Russel Douglas for different motives.
Jim Huden wanted revenge for his childhood abuses and Peggy Thomas wanted cash. Investigators suspected the duo committed the murder for Brenna who claimed Russel abused her but there was no past history of domestic violence or child abuse on record; Jim didn’t know that and most likely went on the word of Peggy who used it to manipulate him. In court, Brenna testified that Russel mentally abused her but never admitted to any physical abuse. Unfortunately, police didn’t have enough evidence to charge Brenna Douglas with any crimes because both Jim and Peggy refused to talk. Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas were charged with Russel Douglas’ murder. In July 2012, Jim Huden was found guilty and sentenced to eighty years in prison. A month later, Peggy Thomas agreed to a plea deal in exchange for a reduced sentence and was given four years in prison for her role in the murder. Jim refused to testify against Peggy and pleaded the fifth at her trial. Peggy continues to deny any involvement in the murder and claims she didn’t know Jim was going to kill Russel. Peggy Thomas was released from prison in 2016.
Peggy Thomas, U.S. Navy Veteran
Jim Huden
Killer Couples (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
Full Episode: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)
In the News:
From pageants to famous husband to prison, murder suspect allowed to visit NM. -KRQE (October 7, 2011)
California student Julie Kibuishi is found dead in the bed of her friend, Sam Herr, a decorated war hero. But Sam is nowhere to be found. As police hunt for their prime suspect, they’ll find this case is far more complicated than it first appeared. -Curtain Call, The Perfect Murder (S3,E13)
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.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department says a man who engaged in an hours-long standoff with law enforcement agents on August 8th was a former member of the military and suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. James Jennings Jr., 69, died from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body, one self-inflicted. Police were called to a domestic situation at Jennings’ residence. Jennings barricaded himself inside his home and police responded after he pointed a weapon at his wife and threatened to kill her. “He wanted us to kill him,” said the Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. After he went down, he was transported to the hospital where he later died from the injuries. The Sheriff’s Department said that Jennings suffered from PTSD after serving in the military and believes it played a role in his death.
“It is real, these people are suffering and they need help.” Sheriff Lott
Steensland said his client is a disabled veteran of the U.S. military: “It’s my understanding he’s 100 percent disabled, and diagnosed with PTSD,” Steensland said. “I believe he served a 15-month tour in Iraq, and served approximately eight years in the Army.” Read more from Dothan Eaglehere.
The Department of Defense Inspector General’s office held a Worldwide Hotline Outreach Conference today July 28, 2016. One of their keynote speakers was Lt Col Teresa James, US Army, Retired, highlighted before on this site. The DoD IG twitter feed shared excerpts from her presentation summarized below. As she spoke, I tweeted with them to bring awareness to the specifics that Lt Col James noted and why they are so important. For a complete listing of the tweets by the DoD IG, please visit their Twitter feed here.