ID Go: An elite California Lakeside Community is rocked to its core when two well-to-do gentlemen go to war over an 18-inch property line discrepancy. One neighbor takes the dispute to new levels when he hires a hitman to permanently solve the problem. -Welcome to Murder Street, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E6)
Year: 2003 Murder-for-Hire Victim: Tom Wess, Jr. Offender: William Weismann, Navy veteran, Retiree, 66 (assault charge on record, restraining orders, lost court case, someone trashed property, revenge) Location: Lake of the Pines, Nevada County, California Circumstances: Escalating property line dispute, attempted murder-for-hire Disposition: Plea deal, 2 counts of solicitation to commit murder, sentenced to 5 years in prison (2004)
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.
Date: May 2, 2013 Victim: Maribel Ramos, 33, Army veteran, college student Offender: Kwang Chol “K.C.” Joy, 53, software engineer, unemployed Location: Santa Ana, California Circumstances: Maribel was close with her family, she was positive, caring, loving, supportive and encouraging, Maribel was a Sergeant in the Army, she was in supply and logistics, she wanted to be the female that set the example, she did approximately 160 missions overseas, Maribel had PTSD, one of her fellow comrades lost his life on a mission, she had survivor’s guilt, after 8 years, Maribel left the Army and moved in with her boyfriend, being around people bothered her but she was set on a career in law enforcement, Maribel & her boyfriend broke up, she didn’t feel he was supportive, he was heartbroken, she pursued a degree in criminal justice because she wanted to be a police officer, she took her studies seriously, one month into her studies, her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer, Maribel stepped up to help her mom, 3 months after her diagnosis, Maribel’s mom died in hospice, Maribel was destroyed, it was a huge loss for the family, Maribel regrouped and bounced back, she continued her schooling so she could get her degree, she joined the student veterans association on campus at California State University Fullerton, she addressed her issues and became a veteran advocate, a student in her veterans group started stalking her, he was obsessed with her, she was not interested and he scared her, 3 years after her mom passed, Maribel grew tired of living alone and went on-line looking for a roommate, KC Joy moved in, they were very comfortable together and became great friends and roommates, Maribel was not interested in KC romantically, Maribel wanted to find love and started dating again, she went on Plenty of Fish, meanwhile Maribel’s roommate was a big hit with Maribel’s family, Maribel met Paul, after dating for a month, he started hanging out with the family, he made Maribel laugh but she had doubts about the relationship, he wasn’t that serious about making a commitment, Maribel went back on line looking for love, she met a new guy, a photographer, but Maribel’s ex-boyfriend Chris never gave up, Maribel and KC shared their apartment for 18 months when KC reported to her family that she was missing, he then called the authorities, no one had heard from Maribel, her phone was going straight to voicemail, police receive multiple phone calls from Maribel’s family and friends, she was missing, she didn’t just get up and go, the police went to her apartment to investigate, there were no signs of struggle, or a break in, but her cellphone, keys and ID were missing, KC appeared to be very worried about Maribel, the police asked KC to go back to the police department, he was cooperative, very concerned for Maribel, and he said she must have gone out on a date and didn’t return, that was his concern, the family began an active campaign to look for Maribel, the police started investigating the last people she was with, she was supposed to speak at an event and she missed it, now the police were concerned that she ran into some foul play, the first 48 hours are crucial in any investigation, they needed to act quickly but they found no trace of Maribel’s movements, there was no activity in Maribel’s life, they checked in with her ex-boyfriend Paul, he was on their radar immediately because he was the last person to speak with Maribel, he cooperated with the police and his alibi checked out, the family had an awareness walk looking for more information because they knew Maribel was in trouble, the police looked at video surveillance from the apartment complex, they saw Maribel paying her rent and then was never heard from again, someone from the student vets association called police to tell them about Raymond (the guy stalking her) but they learned he moved back to Japan and wasn’t in the US at the time of her disappearance, analysis of Maribel’s computer lead them to the photographer but he too had an alibi, they went back to roommate KC Joy, he came off as a very concerned friend, they noticed some scratches on his arms, he said he got them in a park after stumbling, the police didn’t believe him, they put him under 24 hour surveillance, they followed him to the public library where he used a public computer, detectives set up a sting across the street from the library, when he went on line, the police used special software to secretly monitor his computer activity, KC Joy was a suspect after this sting, they realized he killed her and dumped her body, he googled ‘how long does it take for a human body to decay,’ he observed Maribel’s facebook page and pulled up the location of where the awareness walk was, he then zoomed in on a remote canyon and the authorities believed KC showed them where the body was (Modjeska Canyon, California), police searched the area and within an hour reported that they found Maribel, she was buried under some small rocks, her body was badly decomposed, forensic testing confirmed it was Maribel, police were never able to determine the cause of death, but circumstantial evidence pointed to KC Joy, the detectives gave KC one last chance to come clean but they don’t let him know they found the body, he pointed to Maribel’s ex-boyfriends again and continued to deny knowing where Maribel was, he got up, walked out, and the police arrested him, but no one knows how KC killed Maribel, authorities theorized by August 2012, KC Joy had grown intense feelings for Maribel, he was obsessed, he even spent $12,000 on cosmetic surgery to make himself look younger, he was wildly jealous of Maribel’s boyfriends, by April 2013, his life was falling apart, KC Joy lost his job and told Maribel he couldn’t pay the rent, she told him if you can’t pay your rent, you have to move out, on the day Maribel disappeared, tensions were thick and they were arguing about the rent, KC Joy didn’t want to move out, Maribel wanted him to move out, she locked herself in her room and called Paul, that same night KC Joy sneaked in her room and killed her, he most likely suffocated her and then dumped her body in a remote location, if I can’t have her, no one can have her Disposition: KC Joy was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison
Source: Control Alt Delete, Web of Lies
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.
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: In California, a woman disappears without a trace. Police suspect her roommate knows more than he claims, but without any hard evidence they become locked in a vicious game of cat and mouse. Aphrodite Jones uncovers a tale of fatal obsession and murder. -Virtual Drive-By, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones (S5, E9)
ID Go: Maribel Ramos is a US army veteran with a complicated love life. When she arranges to meet an online date, she disappears, leaving family and friends desperate for news. Detectives are left to uncover a twisted tale of jealousy and rage. -Control Alt Delete, Web of Lies (S5, E6)
Podcasts:
On this week’s episode, a soldier goes missing but is it a kidnapping or murder? -Maribel Ramos, Queens of Crime
Soldier and young father Layne Schmidtke is brutally beaten to death by a mob of teenagers. Kenda must reconstruct the chaotic scene through forensic evidence and witness testimonies, which reveals an unlikely suspect as the murderous ringleader. -Slaughterhouse Six, Homicide Hunter (S2, 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.
Preview: The Ballad of Billi-Jo, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones (S4,E9)
On May 29, 2007, Billi Jo and Wayne Smallwood experienced a fire in their Fort Campbell, Kentucky home. They had three children living with them at the time of the fire: Sam, Rebekah, and Nevaeh. The neighbors ran outside to see what was going on only to find a chaotic scene. Wayne was on the ground with a broken ankle and Billi Jo was still on the roof attempting to escape the smoke and fire and screaming for help; she was holding her 14 month old Nevaeh. After passing the child down to firefighters, Billi Jo was reluctant to get off the roof because her other children were still in the home. Firefighters entered the burning home and found Rebekah but she was already dead and Sam was still alive when they carried him out of the house but he wasn’t stable enough to fly to the burn unit in Nashville. He died of his injuries at the local hospital. Billi Jo was airlifted to a Nashville hospital with second and third degree burns on her legs and one of her arms. Wayne arrived later in Nashville with a shattered ankle.
Before the fire, Wayne and Billi Jo had a pretty normal life. Wayne returned from his first deployment to Iraq nine months earlier. Like most military families, the Smallwood family struggled with their finances and the stresses of military life too. Both Billi Jo and Wayne had children from other relationships. Rebekah and Sam were Billi Jo’s kids and they stayed with her and Wayne’s son Cote lived with his mother. And just over a year before the fire, the couple had their own baby together: Nevaeh. Local authorities brought in federal authorities to investigate the burned out home. They found that one of the smoke detectors had been taken down and placed on a baby highchair. ATF also found a partly burned spout on a gasoline can. They brought in a working dog and the dog discovered an accelerant; the ATF believed gas had been used to start the fire and this was arson. They also found the Smallwood’s car had been vandalized, all the tires had been slashed, and someone left a threatening note keyed on the car.
Investigators interviewed Billi Jo and Wayne Smallwood in the hospital. Billi Jo told them earlier in the day they had driven back from Georgia after visiting Wayne’s family. On this day, Wayne was being especially nice to Sam which was atypical because he was usually pretty hard on him. According to Billi Jo, when they returned home, Wayne took the last of the cash and headed down to a bar on base to drink with his friends; the couple struggled financially. Billi Jo claims that while Wayne was gone, a man called the house threatening to harm Wayne. Billi Jo called the military police to report the threatening phone call, then she called Wayne at the bar. Instead of rushing home to check on his family, Wayne stayed at the bar. The MP’s checked in with Billi Jo but they told her soldier’s quite often played pranks on one another. Eventually, Billi Jo fell asleep with Nevaeh and Wayne fell asleep with Rebekah. When Billi Jo realized the house was on fire, she grabbed Nevaeh so they could get to safety yet Wayne jumped from the second story floor without any of the children.
ATF Agents interviewed the Smallwood’s small circle of family and friends to see if they could find anyone who had a reason to commit this crime. They learned that Wayne was embroiled in a contentious custody battle with his ex-wife. According to Billi Jo, Wayne had recently met with his ex-wife about their son and it lead to an argument; the two fought often. In the meantime, arson investigators determined that because all the locks were engaged downstairs, someone from inside the house had to have started the fire. Agents scrutinized both Billi Jo and Wayne looking for any inconsistencies. Billi Jo told them she went to Wal-Mart earlier in the evening to pick up some items for the baby but when they checked surveillance footage, there was no sign of Billi Jo at the Wal-Mart. When investigators questioned her about the inconsistency, she told them that it was a K-Mart, not Wal-Mart. The second time Billi Jo told the investigators what she bought, it included a gas can. This was a disturbing revelation but Billi Jo’s explanation was simple: military members are fined if they don’t mow the grass.
Billi Jo Smallwood
Samuel Fagan (9)
Rebekah Smallwood (2)
Prosecutors wanted to prove that Billi Jo torched her home on base in an effort to kill her husband Wayne and collect the $400,000 life insurance pay-out. When constructing their arguments, they noted that the Smallwood’s already had a couple gas cans in the back yard therefore Billi Jo didn’t need to purchase another one. Billi Jo said she forgot to bring a gas can with her when she ran errands and it was easier to just buy another one. ATF Agents visited K-Mart and learned that BJ had in fact visited the store that day. They also learned that the the nozzle on the gas can she bought matched the one found in the fire. And although Billi Jo said she needed to mow the grass, it had not been mowed that day. Federal investigators suspected someone who lived in the house started the fire so they interviewed Wayne and gave him a polygraph; he passed. In a separate interview, Billi Jo admitted she saw blue flames and this was a moment of revelation for the investigators because you are only going to see blue flame when the fire is first lit.
Billi Jo and Wayne argued a lot and Billi Jo testified that Wayne had a violent side too. Billi Jo admitted to confronting Wayne numerous times about his inability to manage money; Wayne’s gambling caused problems too. Investigators theorized Billi Jo had enough of Wayne and this was her motive. On the same night as the fire, the Smallwood’s were overdrawn on their bank account and Wayne had spent the last of their money on alcohol. If Wayne died in the fire, Billi Jo would receive $400,000. Hoping to find out who made the threatening phone calls, prosecutors subpoenaed the telephone records and found no threatening call had been made. Billi Jo says there was a phone call but the phone company said their records are almost 99% accurate. Prosecutors believe everything that comes out of Billi Jo’s mouth is a lie. Billi Jo’s injuries to the legs and one arm were also suspicious. They believed these burns were caused when a fire was ignited in front of her; they believe she was kneeling when she lit the fire.
In preparation for trial, the remains of the Smallwood’s home were removed and taken to a crime lab. It was at this time that forensic experts found overlooked evidence. They determined that the dining room window had been up about 6-8 inches at the time of the fire. This information damaged the prosecution’s theory to an extent because Billi-Jo believed a stranger entered the home and started the fire. The investigators believed either Wayne or Billi Jo started the fire because the house was locked up. Prosecutors moved forward with Billi Jo as their prime suspect because of her connection to a gas can and a financial motive to kill her husband. The prosecution took a look at the intruder theory and couldn’t understand how an adult got through the window and didn’t break or knock anything over. Investigators deduced it was highly unlikely that an intruder would enter the home and not alert the family dog.
Six months after the fire, Billi Jo reported that Wayne was acting erratically and in November 2007, he attacked Billi Jo with a knife. He was convicted of assault and spent eleven months in jail. Billi Jo and Nevaeh move to Georgia with her mother. Two weeks after Wayne was released from jail, Billi Jo was arrested for setting the fire that killed her two children Sam and Rebekah. Five years after the fire that killed Sam and Rebekah, Billi Jo went to trial. The prosecution claimed Billi Jo’s motive was to kill her husband for the life insurance money but the plan backfired and she accidentally killed two of her children. In court, the defense attacked the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence but the jury wasn’t buying it. Billi Jo Smallwood was found guilty and sentenced to twenty-five years in federal prison. Billi Jo’s mother believes she is innocent and that someone out there knows something.
Source: The Ballad of Billi-Jo, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: When a house fire takes the lives of Wayne and Billi Jo Smallwood’s two young children, everyone on the Fort Campbell military base is grief-stricken for them. But when it turns out the fire was intentionally set – grief turns to outrage. -The Ballad of Billi-Jo, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones (S4,E9)
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.
The backwoods brush of Chulitna is the perfect spot for rafting, panning for gold, fishing and murder. When one couple is reported missing, troopers discover theyre the victims of cold-blooded murder and must begin a manhunt for the killer. -Mountain Man, Ice Cold Killers (S1,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.
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.
Preview: This cougar uses her feminine wiles to get the attention of young men, breaks them down and leaves their remains. -Master Manipulators, Deadly Women (S4,E6)
Podcast:
14 :: Sheila LaBarre Part 1 :: w\ Kate from Ignorance Was Bliss
15 :: Sheila LaBarre Part 2 :: w\ Kate from Ignorance Was Bliss
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.
Army veteran Allan Kowalski, 51, was found buried in a shallow grave on his Ingram, Texas property on November 6, 2008. A routine traffic stop on October 22, 2008 lead police to learn of Al’s fate. Charlie Tidwell was pulled over by the police and presented with Al’s identification. The police found Al’s birth certificate, credit cards, and Tidwell was driving Al’s vehicle. Charlie Tidwell also forged Army 1st Lt. Al Kowalski’s active military ID by cutting out Al’s picture and inserting his own. As a result, Charlie Tidwell was arrested for failure to present an ID and an outstanding warrant. Initially, Charlie Tidwell told investigators Al was in Africa. The police were concerned about him because no one had seen or heard from Al since August 26 and his dog was still at his house. Al never went anywhere without his dog. Police visited Al’s house and it was ransacked, furniture had been stolen, and all of Al’s cars were gone.
They also found most of Al’s personal effects in trash bags. The police suspected a murder but now they had to find the body. They brought in a cadaver dog and the dog hit on a spot on the property; Al was buried in a shallow grave not far from the house. Charles Tidwell was charged with murder and after several interviews, Charlie admitted shooting Al but he claimed it was self-defense. An autopsy revealed Al was shot twice in the back of the head; authorities were unclear of motive. In the end, twelve people were indicted in the theft of Al’s property including Charlie’s wife Lisa. Lisa Rassi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for organized crime; Jeremiah McGregor was sentenced to 10 years in prison; and Wayne Christiansen was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2010, Charlie Tidwell was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Other individuals who were indicted are: Wayne Earl Christiansen, 35 and Jeremiah Jason McGregor, 31 (both charged with aggravated assault and organized crime). The rest have been charged with organized crime: Theresa Jo Bruffett, 43; Elizabeth D. Carmona, 43; Amanda Rassi Contreras, 20; Raymundo Daniel Contreras, 24; Andrea Helen Cooper, 25; Michael Rene Garcia, 25; Richard Alcorta Garza, 39; Silver Star Hernandez, 24; Danita Dee Horner, 20; Kelli Rae Lagrone, 52; John Centeno Moreno, Jr., 26; and Lisa Gale Rassi, 41. Charles Tidwell and Ricado Ricky Giovannetti are both being held on charges of murder, with a $500,000 bond, and of organized crime (theft) with another $100,000 bond. Hierholzer said that there are likely more charges to be filed on several defendants. –West Kerr Current (2008)
Investigation Discovery:
Al Kowalski is new to Hill Country, Texas. He plans to spend his early retirement hunting and fixing his vintage vehicles. Al welcomes meth-addicted mechanic Charlie Tidwell into his home to help with the cars, but Charlie has a different plan. -Buried Secrets, A Stranger in My Home (S1,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.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Amy Ignatowski was found murdered on May 31, 2008 in her apartment in Corpus Christi, Texas. Micah Spanutius was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the strangling death of Amy Ignatowski.
On April 10, 2008, Navy sailor Chris Shortt discovered his step-daughter Meghan Landowski stabbed to death in their Portsmouth, Virginia home. Meghan was 16 years old and from the looks of the crime scene, there was a struggle; Meghan fought back. Investigators learned the killer used a knife from the family’s kitchen. They found it in a gutter down the street. The police didn’t know who committed the murder but they believed it was personal and Meghan knew her attacker. Chris and Angie Shortt believed Robert Hickey killed Meghan and they called NCIS at Naval Station Norfolk to let them know what happened. NCIS questioned Hickey. Robert Hickey was a military officer who was on his way to the rank of Captain when he was accused of sexual assault by Meghan. Robert was a close friend of the family and NCIS believe he groomed Meghan for a sexual relationship. Meghan said Rob began touching her when she was 14 and by age 15, Meghan was having a sexual relationship with a 30-year-old man.
The family supported Meghan as she pressed charges against Robert but they learned from civilian investigators that Hickey’s crimes amounted to a misdemeanor in Virginia; he would spend 12 months maximum in prison. But Robert Hickey was a Navy sailor and subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Navy was investigating and planning to prosecute the case. When NCIS questioned Robert Hickey about Meghan’s murder, he invoked his right to silence. NCIS considered Hickey a person of interest because he had a lot to gain if Meghan died. Meghan feared Hickey because he had a lot to lose. But Hickey’s DNA didn’t match the DNA collected at the crime scene and NCIS had no proof that Hickey committed the crime. Nonetheless, Hickey was given an other than honorable discharge from Navy. The police also suspected Meghan’s high school friend Donald because they dated in the past but the DNA didn’t match him either. At least 80 people volunteered DNA. Investigators sent the DNA for further testing to determine the geographic ancestry identity and learned the DNA belonged to an African American.
This changed the direction of the investigation and detectives began looking for African Americans in Meghan’s life. One person who became a person of interest was a counselor at Norfolk Naval Station but this individual wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation. Five months after Meghan’s murder, every lead dried up and fear was building in the community. Then a community member planned a memorial walk to help generate new leads. It was at this point someone came forward with Robert Barnes’ name. Investigators learned Meghan and Barnes were on the same bus and both participated in an exclusive arts program at school. Robert played the violin and was on his way to becoming a success story. Robert was described as a nice guy who blended in; he was fully committed to his violin music. A friend suspected Robert liked Meghan and when she asked him, he admitted it. Detectives went to the school to speak to Robert Lee Barnes and asked for a DNA sample. Eventually he acquiesced and gave investigators a used piece of gum.
The DNA was tested and the crime scene investigators reported the DNA submitted by Robert Barnes actually belonged to a girl; the police needed to talk to Robert again. In this interview, Robert Barnes admitted he was in Meghan’s house on the day of the murder. He said he went to Meghan’s house and climbed through the window after no one answered the door. He said he walked into a crime in progress; the perpetrator was wearing a mask and holding Meghan at gun point. Robert said the masked man asked him to have sex with Meghan, asked him to stab Meghan, and cut him to leave his DNA at the scene. The police believed that Robert Barnes was making this all up and arrested him. Robert’s DNA matched the DNA at the crime scene. Given the mountain of evidence against him, Robert’s defense attorney asked for a plea deal. Robert Lee Barnes pleaded guilty to first degree murder, attempted rape, aggravated sexual battery, abduction, and statutory burglary. In return, Barnes will be eligible for early release from prison in 42 years. Meghan’s parents were relieved there would be no trial.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 