July 17, 2025

The 'Wife Swap' Murders | The Stockdale Family

51 minutes

Timestamps:

(7:58) - Stockdale Family

In 2008, the Stockdale family from Ohio appeared on the reality TV show ‘Wife Swap.’

Kathy and Timothy Stockdale were raising their four sons in a very strict, conservative manner. This is an excerpt from the family manual Kathy prepared for ‘Wife Swap.’

We moved to the country to get the boys away from the city. Our children are being raised away from violent language, sexual influences, drinking, smoking, drugs, rap music all the things we left behind in the city. Instead we are raising our children on a diet of wholesome activities and farm work; keeping their minds pure and their bodies healthy and keeping out the influences of modern society. That is why we home-school.

By 2017, two of the children remained in the family home - Jacob and James. One day that year, while Timothy was at work, Jacob fatally shot his brother James and his mother Kathy. He then attempted to take his own life by shooting himself in the head. He survived and was hospitalised for many months.

After he recovered, Jacob was charged with the murders of his mother and brother. No motive for the killings has ever been revealed.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the murder/suicide involving the Stockdale family from ‘Wife Swap.’

Read our blog for this case

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