TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Marilynn Lee McClenahen with me today.

On April 15, 1990, 48-year-old Marilynn Lee McClenahen, also known as Marilynn DePue, disappeared from her home in Coldwater, Michigan, after a heated argument with her ex-husband, Dennis DePue. That afternoon, Dennis came to pick up their children, but when they refused to go with him, the situation escalated. He brutally beat Marilynn in the basement before loading her into his van and driving away.

The next day, her body was discovered off the side of a rural road, she had been shot in the back of the head. Dennis went on the run, sparking a statewide manhunt. The case gained national attention when it was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1991, leading to numerous tips that eventually exposed his location. When police surrounded him in Mississippi, Dennis took his own life before he could be arrested.

This case remains one of the most haunting domestic homicide stories of the early 1990s, a chilling reminder of how rage, loss, and control can end in irreversible tragedy.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lauren Hugelmaier with me today.
In September 2017, 29-year-old Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps was found brutally murdered in her Raleigh, North Carolina home. Her husband, Matthew Phelps, called 911 claiming he “had a dream” and found her dead, with blood all over him and a knife on the bed.

The autopsy revealed Lauren had been stabbed 123 times, her body riddled with wounds to her head, neck, torso, and arms. Evidence would later show Matthew had financial conflicts and secret obsessions that fueled the violence.

At trial, Phelps pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2018, foregoing the death penalty, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Shanda Renee Sharer with me today.

In January 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Renee Sharer was brutally abducted, tortured, and murdered by four teenage girls in Madison, Indiana. The crime was fueled by jealousy and rivalry, one girl believed Shanda was encroaching on her romantic relationship.

Shanda was lured under false pretenses, restrained, beaten, stabbed, and ultimately set on fire. The perpetrators left her body in a remote field; investigators believed they tried to conceal her identity by burning her face and hands.

All four assailants were charged as adults. Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett received 60-year sentences; Hope Rippey got 35 years; Toni Lawrence was sentenced to 20 years.

In 2008 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, 18-year-old Kia Johnson, who was 36 weeks pregnant, disappeared. She was later found murdered, and her unborn child was stolen from her womb. The perpetrator, Andrea Curry-Demus, had lured Kia to her apartment under false pretenses, then performed the horrific act before attempting to pass the baby off as her own. Kia’s body was discovered in Curry-Demus’s apartment.

Curry-Demus was found guilty of second-degree murder with a verdict of “guilty, mentally ill.”

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Steven Robards with me today. Dorothy Marie Robards was just 16 years old when she secretly laced her father’s dinner with barium acetate, a toxic chemical she stole from her high school chemistry lab. What seemed like a sudden heart attack in 1993 turned out to be a carefully planned murder, committed by an honor roll student who wanted only one thing, to live with her mother. For over a year, Marie Robards’ dark secret stayed buried… until a tearful confession to a friend unraveled the entire case.In this disturbing episode, we dive deep into the shocking true crime story of Marie Robards, the Texas teen who poisoned her father and nearly got away with it. We'll explore how forensic science, a preserved tissue sample, and one friend's conscience brought the truth to light. If you're interested in true crime cases involving teenage killers, parent-child murders, and chilling stories of high-achieving students turned murderers, this is a case you won’t forget.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Dawn and Richard Heikkila with me today. On January 30, 1991, Dawn and Richard Heikkila were discovered murdered after a welfare check was requested by Dawn's coworkers. Their son, Matthew Heikkila, initially told coworkers his parents had left due to a family emergency involving his brother at Dartmouth, but immediately, they were not buying it. When police entered the couple's New Jersey home, they found Dawn, a successful real estate agent, and Richard, a prominent Parkinson’s disease researcher, shot to death.. with a sawed-off shotgun and slugs that were labeled.. "Mom" and "Mom and Dad." This gruesome double murder stunned the local community and led investigators to quickly focus on the couples own son, Matthew, as the prime suspect.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Adrianne Jones with me today. In December 1995, the brutal murder of 16-year-old Adrianne Jones shocked the quiet town of Mansfield, Texas. Adrianne was a bright high school student whose life was tragically cut short when her body was discovered near Joe Pool Lake. Investigators learned she had been lured out of her home under false pretenses, beaten, and then executed with gunshots to the head. The case quickly gained national attention, not only for the heartbreaking loss of such a young life but also because of the shocking identities of her killers, Diane Zamora, a Naval Academy midshipman, and David Graham, a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet.Dubbed the “Texas Cadet Murder” case, the crime exposed a deadly love triangle fueled by jealousy, obsession, and betrayal. Zamora allegedly ordered Graham to kill Adrianne after learning of his brief romantic encounter with her. Their arrest in 1996 and subsequent murder trials captivated the media, leading to convictions that put both behind bars for life. The tragic story of Adrianne Jones continues to stand as one of Texas’ most infamous true crime cases, often featured in documentaries, news specials, and the made-for-TV film Love’s Deadly Triangle.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lauren Landavazo with me today.

In September 2016, 13-year-old Lauren Landavazo was walking home from school in Wichita Falls, Texas, with her best friend when she was ambushed and shot multiple times. Her friend, Makayla Smith, survived the attack.

The perpetrator, 20-year-old Kody Lott, later confessed that his crime was driven by jealousy, he was upset Lauren had a boyfriend. He admitted to planning the shooting and claiming he spoke with “the devil” before carrying it out.

At trial, Lott was convicted for Lauren’s murder and also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for wounding Makayla. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years for the assault charge.

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Felicia Marie Johnson with me today. GOFUNDME for Felicia's Family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/x7jqsf-family-in-need

In April 2022, 24-year-old Felicia Johnson flew from San Diego to Houston to celebrate her birthday and look for work. After arranging a meeting via Snapchat, she vanished. Her phone and purse were later found, abandoned and bloodied, near a Houston park.

Months later, human remains discovered in the Sam Houston National Forest were confirmed by dental records to be Felicia’s. Police identified Chukwuebuka Nwobodo, 28, as the prime suspect. Evidence suggests he picked her up, killed and dismembered her in his apartment, then attempted to dispose of the body and conceal the crime.

Investigators found disturbing clues during the investigation: items like a saw, trash bags, and latex gloves in Nwobodo’s possession, Felicia’s blood in his car, and internet searches tied to violent crimes.Though he has been charged, he remains a fugitive.

In February 2008, 36-year-old father Ben Oxley was brutally murdered in his own home in Minden, Nevada. While he slept in bed next to his wife Melissa Oxley, an intruder entered the bedroom and shot him point-blank in the head with a shotgun. What made this case even more chilling was that his young daughter was also in the house that night. Melissa woke up covered in blood, but with no idea what had just happened, leaving investigators to wonder if the killer had been right beside her all along. At first, suspicion fell on Melissa and her teenage brother, who lived with them, but as detectives dug deeper, a shocking trail of evidence began to point elsewhere.The truth unraveled into a dark story of custody battles, jealousy, and deadly betrayal. Investigators discovered that Ben’s ex-wife, Dawn Oxley, and her boyfriend James Matlean had conspired to get Ben out of the picture. Matlean eventually confessed to pulling the trigger after Dawn allegedly encouraged the murder and even drew him a map of the home. In 2012, James Matlean was sentenced to life in prison without parole, while Dawn avoided murder charges by testifying against him. The case of Ben Oxley’s murder is one of the most haunting true crime stories of a father executed in his sleep, a wife under suspicion, and a family torn apart by violence.