Preview: 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
“Over the objections of the victim’s daughters and prosecutors, a two-member panel of the Board of Parole Hearings granted parole to Susan Lee Russo, who masterminded the murder-for-hire of her husband in the 1990s…Russo, 62, was originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death of David Russo, a senior chief petty officer at Lemoore Naval Air Station…Last year, the sentence was commuted to 25 years to life in prison by Gov. Jerry Brown, making her eligible for parole…Russo was convicted on Jan. 30, 1996, of first-degree murder and conspiracy. The Lemoore Naval Air Station serviceman, 43, was shot in the back of the head on July 14, 1994, while asleep in his Riverdale home. Two of the Russo children were asleep in another room.”
When Special Forces Major David Shannon is fatally shot in his family home, investigators wonder if his job made him a target. But a deeper inspection of his personal life reveals sordid secrets… possibly leading to his murder. -She Loves Me Not, Married with Secrets (S2,E3)
Preview: Joan wants to kill her husband, and her daughter may be the perfect hitman. -Behind the Picket Fence, Scorned: Love Kills (S1, E1)
An Army Major lay lifeless in his bed, shot twice at close range while sleeping next to his wife. Investigators would soon uncover an intricately planned murder plot involving sex parties, adultery and coercion. -Behind the Picket Fence, Scorned: Love Kills (S1, E1)
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.
Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead. These Deadly Women think they’ve committed the perfect murders when they “Hit and Run.” -Hit and Run, Deadly Women (S11, E6)
Dateline:
Preview: The death of a beloved Tennessee man is believed to be a suicide. But when a son questions his mother, he uncovers a dark family conspiracy. Keith Morrison reports. -Secrets in the Smoky Mountains, Dateline NBC (October 24, 2016)
Oxygen:
Preview: Robert McClancy was found dead in his home, but was it suicide triggered from his PTSD, did his best friend who found him turn out to be the one who killed him, or was it his seemingly loving wife behind it all? -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
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.
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
Investigation Discovery:
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)
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.
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)
Some women can’t resist boy toys. But fur flies when these Deadly Women reveal they’re “Killer Cougars.” -Deadly Women (S10,E1)
Kevin and Gina Spann know that life in the military is anything but easy. But when Kevin goes away, Gina plays. Adam Kostewicz and Grace Pianka are trying to live the American dream. But when that dream turns into a nightmare, someone ends up dead. -Special Delivery, Deadly Affairs (S2,E9)
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.
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.
In the News:
Richie Wilder, Jr Murder Trial -KFYR TV (January 17, 2017)
Cynthia Wilder Sentenced -KFYR TV (December 24, 2018)
Dateline NBC:
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)
Ashley Melnyczok, Colorado Springs, Colorado (photo: Investigation Discovery)
On June 3, 2015, Ashley Melnyczok was found stabbed to death in her Colorado Springs, Colorado apartment. She had been stabbed four times, twice in the neck and twice in the back; the killer also put a plastic bag over her head causing suffocation. Ashley was discovered by her friend who was initially considered a suspect but he was quickly ruled out. With no known suspects, detectives started doing a victimology to learn more about Ashley and her life. They learned that Ashely had a rocky relationship with the father of her daughter, Jason Connor, and had lost custody as a result of the tumultuous relationship. But Ashley was determined to get custody of her daughter and began to make positive changes to improve her life. She got a new waitressing job, a new apartment, and was determined to fight off depression in an effort to provide stability for her daughter. Jason was also ruled out as a suspect.
When investigators looked into Ashley’s criminal history, they found multiple domestic violence incidents and a pending domestic violence case against Joseph Kimsey. Kimsey, 23, was an Army soldier stationed at Fort Carson and according to Army leadership was nowhere to be found and considered Absent without Leave (AWOL). In the course of the investigation, investigators also learned that Ashley’s car was missing so they were on the hunt for it. And eventually, two individuals were pulled over in the stolen car. When police asked where they got the car, the pair claimed that Jonathon “JP” Nelson gave it to them. This was the same person a witness said answered Ashley’s door on June 1st. According to records, JP Nelson was dishonorably discharged from the Army a couple years earlier and had a pending criminal case; he was accused of hitting a female in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. JP was apprehended and arrested by police after trying to make entry into Ashley’s apartment with a large duffel bag.
While JP Nelson was in county jail, an inmate contacted detectives to inform them JP had confessed to the murder and said he didn’t do it alone. They knew the inmate was being truthful because he revealed a detail about the homicide that had been kept from the press. When pressed for a name, he could only provide them with a nickname “Pony Boy” so police set out to find out who Pony Boy was. About a month after the homicide, Ashley’s ex-boyfriend Joseph Kimsey was arrested for failure to appear in court. When interviewed, police learned that Kimsey was Pony Boy and that Nelson and Kimsey served in the Army together at Fort Carson. They were also both in county jail at the same time. JP Nelson bonded out on May 1st but he continued to stay in contact with Kimsey who was still in jail. The two of them initially schemed to rob Ashley to get money for Kimsey’s bond but Ashley didn’t take the bait.
Kimsey was released from county jail on June 1st. He made contact with Ashley and she agreed to meet with him at her new apartment, but he didn’t go alone. Once inside, Kimsey and JP Nelson demanded that Ashley open her safe but she refused so the pair attacked her. Ashley fought hard for her life and as a result it took two of them to kill her. The prosecution theorized that the bag was put over her head to keep her quiet. Both Jonathon Nelson and Joseph Kimsey were charged with first degree murder. A fingerprint in Ashley’s blood tied Jonathon Nelson directly to the murder. Investigators ascertained that JP returned to Ashley’s apartment two days later to dismember and dispose of Ashley’s body, instead he was spotted and arrested. In 2017, both Jonathon Nelson and Joseph Kimsey were found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Jonathon Nelson (Dishonorably Discharged Army Veteran)
Joseph Kimsey, U.S. Army
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: 27 year-old Ashley Melnyczok is a single mother. Her daughter is her life’s joy. In June 2015, Ashley is murdered in her Colorado Springs home. While hunting for clues, police hunt down a cast of dangerous characters and uncover a heinous plot. -Murder Behind Closed Doors, Grave Mysteries (S2,E3)
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.
Sgt. Johnny Herrera, US Army, SSgt. Benjamin Cardwell, US Army, and Todd Crow, US Army Veteran
Two Fort Carson Army soldiers, Sgt. Johnny Herrera, 29, and SSgt. Benjamin Cardwell, 41, and a former Army soldier Todd Crow, 34, were among four people charged in connection with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of military weapons, gear and robots, then selling them to a middle man Daniel Francis, 50, who sold them on eBay for a fraction of their worth. Sgt. Johnny Herrera, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cardwell, Todd Crow, and Daniel Francis were all charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government property. If convicted of this crime, each defendant faces not more than five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. All four defendants were scheduled to appear before the U.S. Magistrate Judge on April 21, 2015 for detention hearings.
Retired military leaders say the string of theft allegations raises serious concerns over how the post keeps track of weapons, including items deemed too sensitive to leave military control. “If that stuff wound up in the wrong hands, it could really hurt us,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, who heads the National Homeland Defense Foundation in Colorado Springs. –Colorado Gazette
