Actor Daniel Wozniak had no money, a wedding he could not afford, and a plan that would shock California. Instead of working to fix his problems, he chose murder. His first victim was 26-year-old Army veteran Sam Herr, a friend who trusted him and had more than $60,000 in savings. Wozniak lured Sam to a theater, shot him twice, and began staging a twisted cover-up.

To make Sam look like a killer on the run, Wozniak tricked 23-year-old Julie Kibuishi into visiting Sam’s apartment. He murdered her and staged the scene to look like a jealous rage killing. Then he put on his costume, walked on stage, and performed in a musical as if nothing had happened.

But the illusion fell apart fast. Police traced ATM withdrawals to a teenager who exposed Wozniak’s scheme. Confronted with overwhelming evidence, he confessed. Jurors took only one hour to convict him.

Was this the desperate act of a man cornered by debt, or the performance of a cold-blooded killer who valued applause more than human life?

Follow True Crime Recaps for more stories where the truth is darker than fiction.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices