Brittany Killgore, a civilian married to a man serving in the US Marine Corps, was initially reported missing on April 14, 2012 but was later found dead near Lake Skinner in California in 2012. Her husband was deployed at the time she went missing. They were stationed at Camp Pendleton and Brittany was in the process of getting a divorce and moving out of her home. On her last night at Camp Pendleton, another Marine named Sgt Louis Perez, offered to not only help her move but asked her to go out one last time before she left. Brittany was acquaintances with Perez, his live in girlfriend Dorothy Maraglino, and another woman named Jessica Lopez, who also lived at the residence of Maraglino.
After a lengthy investigation by civilian police in San Diego, it was determined that Louis Perez lured Brittany and eventually took her to his home where he and his girlfriend (Maraglino) lived. Perez, Maraglino, and Jessica Lopez all engaged in what is referred to as BDSM and they decided that Brittany would join them whether she wanted to or not. In the course of sexually abusing and torturing Brittany, Louis Perez strangled her to death. Maraglino and Perez decided that Jessica Lopez needed to take the fall for her death and they coerced Jessica into not only admitting to the murder but also to take her own life. She was found near death in a hotel room after a failed suicide attempt. In 2015, Perez, Maraglino, and Lopez were all sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The search for a young missing military wife takes NCIS agents into the dark world of master and slave role playing where they uncover the dual life of a Marine sergeant. -A Date with Evil, 48 Hours NCIS
Tonight’s episode of “48 Hours: NCIS” takes you inside the real-life investigation into a missing Marine wife. “A Date with Evil” follows an agent as he pursues the truth behind her disappearance. -48 Hours NCIS
When the battered corpse of a young woman turns up on the outskirts of Fallbrook, California, detectives unravel a secret world where dominance, sadomasochism, and manipulation reign. -Murder Among Friends, Investigation Discovery
Brittany Killgore’s mother’s first thought is always, “Brittany should have been here. Watch episodes of In Ice Cold Blood, only on Oxygen. -Oxygen Media (April 12, 2018)
It was a case that resonated with just about everyone who followed it. On New Year’s Day 2008, Meredith Emerson set out for a vigorous hike up Union County’s Blood Mountain with her black Labrador retriever mix, Ella. There she encountered a grizzled, toothless drifter searching for his next victim. AJC’s Rhonda Cook and Christian Boone talk about covering that story years ago, as well as talk to the lead GBI agent on the case John Cage, who is still moved by the very thought of Emerson, ten years later. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (December 31, 2017)
Oxygen’s Dateline: Secrets Uncovered featured ‘Mystery on Blood Mountain’ which is the true crime story of the ‘National Forest Serial Killer’ Gary Michael Hilton. The show started with the missing Meredith Emerson of Buford, Georgia who set out on a hike at Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest with her rescue dog Ella. Meredith’s roommate became concerned when she never came back home and never showed up to work the next day. Meredith was reliable and never missed work so her roommate called the police department. Meredith’s friends and family and the local sheriffs office began a search for Meredith who was initially considered a missing hiker. Although the police found some disturbing items during their search for Meredith. The items were located in an area where the ground was disturbed, possibly a sign of a struggle and they were especially concerned about the expandable police baton they found. Witnesses reported seeing Meredith with a strange looking man with a white van. A hiker took a picture of the van and the police sent out a be on the lookout for the van. Police learned that Meredith wasn’t the only missing hiker.
A witness, John Tabor, suspected the description of the unsavory character police were looking for was Gary Hilton and he reported this information to the police. The police showed Hilton’s picture to the hikers who saw Meredith and they identified Gary Hilton as the man they saw with Meredith. The manhunt was on. In the meantime, police learned that Cheryl Dunlap of Florida was missing as well. Cheryl’s daughter-in-law called the police after Cheryl didn’t show up for work. After a search was initiated, the police found Cheryl’s car abandoned and parked well off the highway. It appeared, one of the tires had been purposefully flattened. More people gathered to look for Cheryl after it was confirmed something was definitely. In the meantime, the police looked at Cheryl’s financial activity and found that a male subject was using her ATM card. The police staked out the ATMs, but the man never reappeared. In mid-December 2007, hikers found a female body missing it’s head and hands. The police took a DNA sample and it matched Cheryl Dunlap. Authorities learned of two more homicides in the National Forest in North Carolina and this detective suspected Hilton was involved in these unsolved murders to.
John and Irene Bryant retired in North Carolina close to the hiking trails they loved. They traveled extensively and both loved hiking; John hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. The couple went for a day hike in the Pisgah National Forest and they never came back. One of their sons started looking for them and eventually found their car. And not long after they began their search, they found Irene Bryant’s remains not far from their vehicle. She was bludgeoned to death. The search continued for John Bryant. During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered a male subject was successfully using the Bryant’s ATM card. Meanwhile, detectives in North Carolina noticed similarities in the Bryant’s case and Meredith Emerson’s case. They observed the crimes were all occurring in the National Forests. Gary Hilton was a suspect in the disappearance of Meredith Emerson and a person of interest in other homicides in the National Forest. John Tabor worked with Gary Hilton and he saw things change with him drastically in 2007. Hilton was missing several teeth and claimed he removed his own teeth with a pair of pliers. Tabor fired Hilton and Hilton threatened to kill him. Tabor armed himself and took every precaution including contacting the police and a couple days later, Hilton left.
Tabor said he spent 10 years with Gary Hilton and it wasn’t until the end of their friendship that he noticed the deterioration. A lawyer who represented Hilton claimed he was a conman but admitted that Hilton assisted him with making horror movies. One of the movies they worked on together was called Deadly Run. It featured women who were taken to the woods and murdered. Hilton wanted to make things dark and include rape and more murder. Coincidentally, they shot a scene in the Chattahoochee National Forest where Meredith went missing. The pair eventually had a falling out after Hilton stole his dog. After Meredith’s murder, Gary Hilton called his old boss John Tabor and acted like he knew nothing about the manhunt for him. He said he wanted to get back to work and was looking for money he felt was owed to him. John Tabor agreed to meet with him to give him the money and then called the police. On January 4, 2008, the U.S. Marshall’s Service discovered activity on Meredith’s bank card. They were failed attempts which most likely meant Meredith didn’t give Hilton the right code. Gary didn’t show up to pick up the money. Meanwhile, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) got involved with Meredith Emerson’s missing persons case. Then one day someone reported that a dog was roaming around with no owner. The dog looked like Ella and an identity chip confirmed it.
While police were canvassing the location, they discovered some of Meredith’s belongings in a dumpster including her identification and her bloody clothing. Meanwhile, another person reported a sighting of Gary Hilton and his white van at a gas station. Police quickly arrived a the scene and arrested Hilton. Detectives attempted to interview Gary Hilton so they could find Meredith but he lawyered up. So investigators offered to cut a deal with Gary so they could retrieve Meredith Emerson’s body for her family. Hilton told them where she was located and the police found her remains in a wooded area. Investigators were stunned by Gary Hilton’s confession. He said he ambushed Meredith as she was walking down the trail. She fought back using her martial arts and was able to get two weapons out of his control, a knife and a police baton. Hilton admitted he fought back hard to subdue her. After he wore Meredith down, he tied her to a tree, and told her he was going to shoot her. Later he led her back to his van, tied her up, and then took her ATM cards. Meredith didn’t give him the right numbers, probably in an attempt to stay alive. He made camp with his captive in a remote forest. He tried the ATM card again the next day and still nothing so he returned to his van. He let Ella the dog go because he didn’t have the heart to kill the dog.
Gary Hilton admitted that he bludgeoned Meredith to death, decapitated her, and dumped bleach all over her body. In a stunning twist, Hilton would not talk about any of the other homicides the police believed he was involved in. Hilton was found guilty of Meredith’s murder and sentenced to life in prison in the State of Georgia. The prosecutor honored the plea agreement and removed the death penalty off the table. State and federal investigators in Florida and North Carolina continued their investigation. They learned Hilton was more than a vagrant in a van. He was an Army veteran, a college graduate, he got a pilot’s license on the GI Bill, and was married three times before the wheel’s came off. Hilton was raised by his mother and a step-father he claimed to not get along with. When he was 14 years old, he shot his step-father who lived; Gary was institutionalized. He later joined the Army and admitted his time in the Army was the only time he worked full-time. He admitted to being a career criminal; he was a scam artist. In his interview with the GBI, he had grandiose conversation about his life and touted his exceptionalism. Gary has a very high IQ and believed he was smarter than the investigators.
In January 2008, Mr. Bryant’s remains were discovered in the National Forest in North Carolina. And investigators in Florida believed Cheryl Dunlap’s case fit Gary Hilton’s modus operandi. The State of Florida indicted Gary Hilton in a capital murder trial for Cheryl Dunlap’s homicide but they were not allowed to enter any of the other suspected homicides or the Meredith Emerson case into evidence even to establish a pattern. In addition, the prosecution was not allowed to refer to the horror movie Hilton was involved with. A month after Cheryl went missing, Meredith went missing. So investigators went deep in the woods hoping to find additional evidence and they stumbled upon the head and hands of Cheryl Dunlap in a fire. It appeared someone had worked hard to destroy evidence. Unfortunately, no witnesses came forward to put Cheryl Dunlap with Gary Hilton so the prosecution had to make a connection in some other way. After they found the knife that Meredith wrestled away from Hilton, they found the link they needed to make the connection between Gary and Cheryl. The knife used in the Meredith Emerson abduction was the same knife used to decapitate Cheryl Dunlap.
Hilton’s homicide case for the murder of Cheryl Dunlap in Florida started in February 2011. This was a capital murder case and a death penalty case. Investigators left no stone unturned. They searched all of Gary Hilton’s belongings and his van and were able to make another connection. Cheryl’s DNA was found on Gary’s boots and his sleeping bag. In his defense, Gary Hilton declined to take the stand and his attorney claimed there was no direct evidence linking Gary Hilton to Cheryl Dunlap’s murder. The prosecution’s argument was compelling because Hilton was found guilty of first degree murder. And the prosecution was allowed to talk about Meredith Emerson’s homicide in the sentencing phase of the trial. The defense claimed Hilton suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury when he was a child and was also abused as a child. He was diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder and schizoaffective disorder. The prosecution’s rebuttal witnessed claimed Hilton was a psychopath who knew right from wrong. Gary Hilton was sentenced to death to by lethal injection in the State of Florida on April 21, 2011. Hilton was indicted in federal court in North Carolina for the murders of John and Irene Bryant and was a person of interest in other cases. Hilton filed an appeal in the State of Florida to have his death sentenced conviction overturned but the appeal was denied.
UPDATE: Gary Michael Hilton was found guilty of murdering Rossana Miliani, 26, Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, 46, John, 80, and Irene Bryant, 84, Michael Scot Louis, 27, and Meredith Hope Emerson, 24, between December 7, 2005 and January 4, 2008. Gary Hilton was sentenced to life in prison in Georgia on January 31, 2008, sentenced to death in Florida on April 21, 2011, and sentenced to four life sentences in North Carolina on April 25, 2013.
Source: ‘Mystery on Blood Mountain’ Dateline
Authorities met Tuesday to discuss possible links between Georgia murder suspect Gary Michael Hilton and cases in other states. -Associated Press (January 16, 2008)
Authorities say they have linked Gary Michael Hilton to the the slaying of a N.C. hiker and the disappearance of her husband. Earlier this month, he w as charged with killing a 24-year old female Georgia hiker. – Associated Press (January 17, 2008)
The man accused of killing a Hendersonville couple in the Pisgah National Forest was in court Monday morning. -WYFF News 4 (July 25, 2011)
A confessed serial killer, who pleaded guilty to killing two hikers from Henderson County, is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole. Last year, Gary Hilton admitted to killing John and Irene Bryant as they hiked in the Pisgah National Forest in October 2007. -WLOS News 13 (April 25, 2013)
Gary Hilton was sentenced today for killing John and Irene Bryant from Henderson County in the Pisgah National Forest back in 2007. A federal judge gave Hilton four more life terms without parole. That’s on top of his Florida death sentence for a killing there, and a life term for a killing in Georgia. -WLOS News 13 (April 26, 2013)
A double murder case in the mountains involving a serial killer finally comes to a close almost six years later. Gary Hilton was sentenced today for killing John and Irene Bryant from Henderson County in the Pisgah National Forest back in 2007. A federal judge gave Hilton four more life terms without parole. -WLOS News 13 (April 29, 2013)
“He was a military man, a respected Major in the US Army. When he was attacked in the middle of the night, police launched an investigation that would reveal wild secrets – secrets that might hold the key to murder.” –The Mystery of the Murdered Major, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, Oxygen
A young woman’s scrapbook offers insight into a shocking crime. -Erika Sifrit, Snapped (S8,E11)
A vacationing couple’s disappearance exposes the horrific crimes of a murderous husband and wife. -Erika and BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (S11,E2)
Oxygen (Previews & Bonus Clips):
Erica Sifrit was your typical girl next door during high school, but experienced issues with anxiety and OCD at Mary Washington College. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 29, 2019)
Erika and Benjamin Sifrit’s marriage ended in thrill killings, pain, and anguish. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 29, 2019)
Scott Bernal, Ocean City Lead Detective discusses the murder trials of Erika and Benjamin Sifrit’s for the death two tourists. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)
Ocean City Detectives Brett Case and Scott Bernal reflect on the murder of Joshua Edward Ford and the acquittal of Benjamin Sifrit, and his potential release. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)
Kristen Heinbaugh, a high school friend of Erika Sifrit, reflects on the character of the person she used to know before the murders of Joshua Edward Ford and Martha Margene Crutchley. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)
Forensic Files:
Full Episode: The couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped them to solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. -Dirty Little Seacret, Forensic Files (S13, E46)
Podcast:
Once Upon A Crime – Episode 112: Listener Suggestions: Erika and Benjamin Sifrit – Killer Couple (December 22, 2018)
Army Vietnam veteran Samuel Wiggins, Jr., 63, was found dead in Diamond Bar, California on May 29, 2011 after police found his body parts in a trash can. Carmen Montelongo (Montenegro) was caught red-handed by the police wheeling around a trash can with Samuel’s remains. Samuel met Carmen a couple years earlier. The family shared that Samuel waited 60 years for the right woman and Carmen would be the biggest mistake of his life. He was good to her from the beginning even offering to pay for her daughter’s college and a vehicle. Carmen started stealing from him immediately, taking little things. Samuel noticed but Carmen became angry when Samuel accused her. This was their first fight so Samuel forgave her and they continued the affair. And eventually Samuel asked Carmen to marry him. But Carmen continued to steal from him. Samuel caught her again and this time he finally had enough; he ended the relationship.
Samuel was last seen by relatives on May 1, 2011. The family became concerned and his nephew went looking for him at his house. Samuel’s nephew witnessed fine blood spray on the walls and doors of his home. Carmen had to think fast because she knew the police were going to be notified. Carmen panicked and started digging up Samuel’s remains in the backyard so she could move the body. Carmen was putting Samuel’s body parts in a trash can when some of her family members showed up to the house unannounced. She began offering to pay them to help her move the garbage bags. In the course of moving the garbage bags from the garden to the trash can, one of the bags came open and her family saw a body part. They refused to help, left, and called the police. When the police showed up, they found Carmen wheeling a trash can down the road and the stink of death was following her.
Court testimony revealed that Carmen snapped after Samuel decided to end the relationship and stabbed him to death. An autopsy revealed that Samuel was fatally stabbed twice in the chest and then Carmen stabbed him 22 more times in the back post mortem. Carmen had to get rid of the body so she dismembered Samuel with a chainsaw. She cut off his head, arms, and legs. She buried his head and arms in potted plants and buried the rest of his body (torso and legs) in the garden in the backyard. She gave the potted plants as a gift to her cousin. Then she immediately drained Samuel’s bank accounts and made it look like he was alive for over a month. The District Attorney declared that the motive for murder was financial gain. Carmen Montelongo was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison.
A mysterious disappearance leads police to a woman pushing a trash can full of body parts down the street. -Carmen Montelongo, Snapped (S16, E4)
Investigation Discovery:
With hearts of stone, these Deadly Women give their men special send-offs when “Love Leaves Town.” -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.
A military wife is caught in deadly love triangle. -Monique Berkley, Snapped, Oxygen (S8,E8)
Investigation Discovery:
The young and wild Monique Wallace is married to 40-year-old Paul Berkley, a navy reservist and father of two in suburban North Carolina. But with Paul leaving on a mission overseas, temptation and lust will lead them all down a dark path to murder. -Rules of Engagement, Scorned: Love Kills (S2,E7)
Some women like others to do their dirty work. A drama queen brings her love triangle to a permanent end; an intimate betrayal turns friends into deadly foes; and a loose woman will do anything to protect her freedom. -Murder for Me, Deadly Women (S9,E11)
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 Retiree Michael Giles, 46, of Garland, Texas disappeared on July 4, 2006. He was supposed to attend a Fourth of July event with his family but he never showed up. He texted his sister informing her he was staying home. On October 12, 2007, Veterans Affairs agents contacted a detective in Garland because they were concerned about the missing veteran, who the same month he went missing, stopped making payments on his VA home loan which wasn’t like him. VA agents were investigating his foreclosure because he was never late and sometime made double payments but they were unable to get ahold of him since he stopped making payments one year earlier. The VA agents noticed a concrete slab of cement in the backyard that looked random, it had no useful purpose. The detective who was called to investigate the circumstances immediately suspected the concrete slab was a grave. They learned the current tenant didn’t know Michael Giles and that he was renting from Kwaneta Harris, who lived in Detroit, Michigan.
Kwaneta Harris met Michael Giles in England where both of them lived. Kwaneta was married to an Air Force service member and they were in the middle of a divorce when she met Michael Giles. Giles was also stationed in England with the Air Force where he worked on overhauling engines for helicopters. He was Kwaneta’s husband’s supervisor and felt for her because she didn’t have a place to live after her husband kicked her out. The pair quickly became friends and eventually began a romantic relationship. In 1996, Kwaneta Harris moved back to Detroit, Michigan and Michael Giles finished up a twenty year career and retired from the Air Force. He bought a home in Garland, Texas and it wasn’t until 2002 that he began having conversations with Kwaneta again. Michael was excited about his new life and new job and between his Air Force pension and his salary, he did well. He began a long distance relationship with Kwaneta Harris again and she began flying back and forth between Michigan and Texas. Kwaneta was also dating Deandre Knight in Michigan at the same time.
After VA agents contacted detectives, they initiated a search of the backyard with a cadaver dog. The dog hit on the area where the random concrete slab was placed. They needed a warrant but they needed more evidence before they could begin digging in Michael’s backyard. They contacted Michael’s family and learned they had not seen him since July 2006, although they didn’t report him missing because he continued to text them to let them know he was okay but needed some time to himself. This was not like Michael and the family was concerned but they were lead to believe that he was still alive when they received the texts so they never filed a missing person’s report. When detectives began digging deeper into Michael’s life, they learned that Kwaneta Harris had systematically drained all of Michael’s bank accounts and liquidated his assets. Kwaneta Harris stole $200,000 from Michael since the time of his disappearance. As a result of this new information, investigators were able to search the backyard and recovered Michael’s body underneath the concrete slab. His badly decomposed body was found with a bullet in his head. Kwaneta Harris was arrested and extradited to Texas.
In a search of Kwaneta’s home in Michigan, investigators discovered all of Michael Gile’s personal belongings including his personal information, bank account passwords, cell phone, and official documents. Kwaneta was charged with murder. In the middle of the trial, Kwaneta plead guilty and was sentenced to fifty years in prison. In September 2015, Kwaneta Harris received a court order reducing her sentence from 50 years to 8 years, meaning she would be eligible for parole immediately. But as it turns out this court order was not real because she forged the judge’s signature. This was one more con in a long history of evil doing and conniving. Kwaneta’s husband, Deandre Knight, was also arrested for his role in the fraud. He wasn’t involved in the murder but he was involved in the elaborate fraud schemes to steal money and assets from Michael Giles. If not for the VA agents caring about the Air Force veteran who stopped making his VA home loan payments all of a sudden, this case may never have been solved. The VA home loan agents went above and beyond unlike a regular bank would have and reported their suspicions about the sudden disappearance of the homeowner Air Force retiree Michael Giles.
Kwaneta Yatrice Harris, a licensed nurse, shot Michael Giles, her on-again, off-again lover of a decade, in the back of the head in 2006. She then cooked up an elaborate ploy to cover up the killing of Giles, a military retiree who lived in Garland. Harris hired someone to dig Giles’ grave under the ruse that she was installing a pond, then got a man to pour a 3-by-15-foot concrete slab on top. She posed as Giles in emails and texts, telling his family he was in New Mexico and needed some time away. Prosecutors say she even had a new boyfriend pretend to be Giles, dressed up in bandages after a supposed car accident, so she could gain access to Giles’ financial accounts. Authorities excavated Giles’ body from his own backyard in 2007. –Dallas News (April 2016)
Snapped: After The Verdict – Kwaneta Harris, Snapped, Oxygen
“Monroe County judge calls crime the most evil he’s seen.” -WATE.com
Robert ‘Bob’ McClancy, 47, and Martha Ann McClancy worked in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. Martha was a secretary and Bob was a detective. They fell in love later in life and Bob decided to take an early retirement from his job. The two decided to move away from the fast paced life in Florida and settled in Tellico Plains, Tennessee which is nestled in the Smoky Mountains. Bob suffered with severe stress after years of working as a detective and his time in the Marines. Bob was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Bob went through some very traumatic combat experiences and was on strong medications. Bob would often take the wrong dose so Martha Ann decided it was time for her to take control.
In the meantime, Bob was grateful for his friend and fellow veteran Charles Kaczmarczyk because he understood what Bob was going through. Chuck said he had seen combat as well and was also awarded the Purple Heart. The pair had a lot in common. Over the course of time, Martha Ann quickly warmed up to Chuck, the “military hero.” Their relationship blossomed beyond a friendship over time and Bob was never aware of their ongoing affair. Martha Ann and Chuck frequently got together in Bob’s home. They fell in love and soon Bob was looking increasingly like a troubled third wheel. Martha often told Chuck things would be better if Bob went away. One night, Martha claimed to find Bob barely conscious after he had taken an accidental overdose of his medications for PTSD. When she got to the hospital, she claimed Bob was always messing up his medications.
On May 15, 2006, Chuck said he discovered Bob dead after another accidental overdose on his medications. Chuck found his friend dead in his chair with an empty pill bottle in one hand and a 38 revolver in the other hand. Chuck appeared distraught after finding his friend as did the sobbing Martha Ann after she found out. Everything pointed to a tragic suicide and Martha Ann leaned harder on her friend Chuck. Five months later, Martha and Chuck got married and embarked on a new life with a whole new look. They didn’t even look like the same people when they started their new careers as fraudsters. Martha Ann took on the role of a veteran pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient and claimed she earned it after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. And Chuck doesn’t have PTSD, he was faking it for the veteran benefits. Chuck had been in the military but he never saw a day of combat.
Martha Ann and Chuck both faked permanent injuries and had this whole scam going at the Department of Veterans Affairs. They used a wheelchair or a cane to make it appear they had physical injuries as well. Over six years, the two defrauded the federal government of nearly $800,000 dollars until Chuck told one war story too many. Other veterans came forward and said he was lying because what he was describing was not what happened as they were there. Martha Ann and Charles both ended up behind bars and their criminal history was over. And then one day, Martha Ann’s son made a surprise discovery on her computer. Martha Ann’s son found pictures of his step-father, Bob, dead in a chair. In each picture, Bob was in a different position. There were pictures of Bob with the gun in his hand, then there were pictures of Bob without the gun in his hand.
Martha Ann’s son knew the photos would implicate his mother in the murder of his step-father Bob but he loved Bob and didn’t hesitate to contact authorities. Martha Ann’s son cooperated with the police fully in a sting operation to nail his mother. Martha Ann asked him to get rid of all the photos. The police knew where to find the person who took the pictures because Chuck was spending 30 months in jail for his part in the disability fraud. Chuck immediately wanted to know what was in it for him so the police agreed to tell the district attorney that Chuck cooperated with them in the investigation. Chuck confessed that Martha Ann had crushed up Bob’s pills and put them in his drink and then confessed to the entire twisted tail. Martha called the crushed pills her “magic dust.”
The police would learn that Martha Ann crushed up the medication and put it in Bob’s drinks in an effort to slowly kill him. And on May 15, 2006, Martha gave Bob a lethal dose of “magic dust” and then went to work to create her alibi. Chuck was supposed to check in on Bob later that afternoon and it was his job to pretend to find him dead. Martha Ann was sure Bob would be dead by then. But when Chuck arrived to check in on Bob, he was laying on the floor and wasn’t dead yet. So Chuck lifted him up, placed him in the chair, and fed him more of the crushed pills. Then Chuck sat there and waited until he died. Martha Ann told Chuck to keep it simple and make it look like a suicide. But Chuck went overboard, placed a gun in his hand, and took pictures of Bob in various positions. Martha wanted to see the pictures.
Despite Chuck’s confession, Martha Ann claimed Bob took the wrong medication and she had nothing to do with it. She never admitted to any involvement whatsoever. The detectives said she was one of the coldest people they had ever interviewed. In 2013, Charles Kaczmarczyk pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder and was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in federal prison. Nine years after her husband’s death, Martha Ann McClancy was convicted of attempted first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. She was sentenced to the maximum of fifty years in prison and is eligible for parole in 2028. Those involved with the investigation claimed Martha Ann never showed an ounce of regret or remorse or guilt for what she did to her husband.
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. -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)
Investigation Discovery:
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)
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.
Navy Reservist Paul Berkley was murdered by his wife, Monique Wallace Berkley, her teenage lover, and his friend in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 18, 2005. Paul was home for Christmas on leave from a deployment in the Middle East. Monique, Andrew Deshawn Canty, and Latwon Darrell Johnson were all charged with first degree murder. The motive was the $400,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance payout. Monique pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The state announced it was going to seek the death penalty if Berkley had gone to trial. Andrew Canty pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Latwon Darrell Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Johnson appealed his sentence claiming that it was too harsh given his role in the slaying and his cooperation with police and prosecutors.
Paul Berkley survived his deployment in the Middle East without any injury, but he couldn’t survive one week with his wife Monique. -Profiler Candice DeLong
Oxygen:
A military wife is caught in deadly love triangle. -Monique Berkley, Snapped, Oxygen (S8,E8)
Investigation Discovery:
The young and wild Monique Wallace is married to 40-year-old Paul Berkley, a navy reservist and father of two in suburban North Carolina. But with Paul leaving on a mission overseas, temptation and lust will lead them all down a dark path to murder. -Rules of Engagement, Scorned: Love Kills (S2,E7)
Some women like others to do their dirty work. A drama queen brings her love triangle to a permanent end; an intimate betrayal turns friends into deadly foes; and a loose woman will do anything to protect her freedom. -Murder for Me, Deadly Women (S9,E11)
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.
Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer was indicted in 2002 for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of her husband Air Force Captain Marty Theer on December 17, 2000. Theer was accused of killing her husband with her lover, Army Special Forces soldier John Diamond. In August 2001, John Diamond was found guilty by a military jury of first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Around the date of the 2002 indictment, Michelle, who had moved to New Orleans since the murder, left Louisiana to “start a new life.” Michelle moved to Florida where she rented an apartment and had plastic surgery performed under an assumed name.
The police located and arrested Michelle Theer in August 2002 and her trial concluded on December 3, 2004. The jury returned verdicts of guilty of first-degree murder by aiding and abetting and of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The motive for the homicide was an early attempt to collect Marty’s $500,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance policy. The prosecutor ascertained Michelle manipulated John Diamond into murdering her husband. Diamond was accused of shooting Marty multiple times execution style as he ascended a stairwell at Michelle’s place of employment in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The civilian trial court sentenced Michelle Theer to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Investigation Discovery:
In 2000, Michelle Theer was an Air Force wife in the military town of Fayetteville until a fatal shooting made her a widow. The investigation into her husband’s death led police to the door of an Army Ranger – taking orders from very unlikely accomplices. -Fayetteville, Sins and Secrets (S2,E3)
Sexy psychologist and doting Air Force wife Michelle begins a swinging affair with Army Sgt. Diamond while her husband, Captain Marty Theer, is away. But all’s fair in love and war, and Marty’s return will remind them that love is a battlefield. -Sergeant Swinger, Scorned: Love Kills (S4,E1)
Oxygen:
A frantic, distraught woman runs into a video rental store screaming that her husband has been shot. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Psychologist Debbie Layton-Tholl talks about her experience meeting with Michelle Theer. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples
A lonely military wife and psychologist go searching for sex on the Internet with deadly results. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples (S8,E5)
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.
