Decoding Death: The Gruesome Case of Jonathan Willette

Eliza Fletcher, a Memphis teacher and mother, is reported missing the morning of September 2, 2022 after she doesn't return home from her morning jog. A search is launched shortly thereafter and comes to an end on September 5th when her body is found by police. Suspect, Cleotha Abston has been arrested and charged for her murder.  In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss what the autopsy report shows, what her cause of death was determined to be, what drugs were found in her system, and more.   Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:50 - Background and overview of case 1:42 - The autopsy report: how you read it and what you learn from it 16:17 - Eliza’s cause of death 22:16 - What the gunshot wound tells us 26:23 - Internal and external beveling 28:03 - Le Fort fracture 32:25 - Submission 34:10 - Fentanyl  40:13 - Was Eliza Fletcher raped? 43:36 - Wrap up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Okt 202244min

It’s the morning of March 31st, 2020 a jogger finds Dr. Beth Potter and her husband Robin Carre shot in the head execution-style in University of Wisconsin Arboretum. Carre is pronounced dead on the scene by police while his wife, who was still alive, was rushed to the hospital where she also dies. Initially the police believed this to be a random homicide, but after reviewing video surveillance and GPS data, they redirect their sights on a potential suspect: Khari Sanford - the boyfriend of the victim’s adopted daughter Mimi.  In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the gruesome nature of this case, how the cooler temperature affected the crime scene (specifically, the blood), how conscious Dr. Potter was for the hours that she was alive after the attack and the motive of the suspect.  Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 1:32 - Background and overview of the case 5:21 - Did Robin Carre die from his gunshot wound/was it exacerbated from the cold temperature? 7:23 - Was Dr. Potter really still breathing when they found her? 9:34 - The significance of the area where you’re shot 12:01 - How do we know the victims were killed on the pathway where they were found? 16:15 - Would the cooler temperatures affect the state of the blood found at the crime scene? 18:26 - Shell casings 21:10 - Was Dr. Potter in and out of consciousness the whole night before she was found? 25:14 - Finding the suspect, Khari Sanford (the boyfriend of the victim’s daughter) 29:41 - Hearsay and the weight is has in a court of law 33:20 - Sanford and Mimi (the victim’s daughter) reportedly spoke of the parents having “bands of money” and that they were “rich”  36:35 - Wrap up and final detailsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Sep 202237min

Pamela Hargan and her daughter Helen were found dead in their home in McLean, Virginia, the victims of an apparent murder-suicide, in July 2017. Once police investigated further, they realized that the crime scene had been staged and this was a homicide that they were looking at. Eventually, police narrowed it down to one prime suspect - Pamela’s oldest daughter Megan.  In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss how the police realized the crime scene was staged, the significance of where the gun was found, blood spatter patterns, how they came to suspect Pamela’s oldest daughter Megan, and much more.   Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 1:32 - Background and overview of the case 3:35 - How did the police know that the crime scene had been staged? 7:05 - The significance of the location where the gun was found  10:08 - The forces of gravity and homicide v. suicide investigations 15:45 - Gunshot residue 19:30 -  Blood spatter pattern 25:20 - After recreating the crime scene, what did they discover about Pamela’s death? 29:55 - What happens when someone is shot in the head? 34:30 - Pamela’s oldest daughter, Megan, is charged with the murder 38:35 - Megan’s phone call to her boyfriend 40:00 - After the police realized the crime scene was staged, how did they start investigating the case as a homicide? 44:25 -  Wrapping up and final details of the caseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Sep 202246min

Dr. Amie Harwick, a sex therapist and former fiancé of actor Drew Carey, is found unresponsive under a balcony in her Hollywood Hills home on the morning of February 15th, 2020. She is rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, passes away. The evidence at the crime scene and on Harwick’s body indicated signs of a struggle and her having been thrown from the balcony.   In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss blunt force trauma, the difference between falling/being thrown from a great height, how to tell in what order injuries occur, and why a nicotine syringe became a major factor in this case.   Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 1:25 - Background and overview of the case 3:45 - Where do you start with a case like this? 5:10 - Amie Harwick being thrown from her balcony 7:30 - How do we know she was thrown off the balcony? 15:45 - Do the injuries differ depending on whether you are thrown from a great height or fall from one? 19:00 - Blunt force trauma 20:10 -  How does the M.E. go about examining all the injuries? 25:50 - Is it possible that Amie was beaten and that caused the injuries to her liver, not the fall? 29:40 - How can you tell what order the injuries happened in? 32:00 - If Amie fell, and was not thrown, would her death still be considered blunt force trauma? 34:00 - Suspects in Amie’s case  34:55 - How investigators suspect the murder played out 36:40 - Finding a nicotine filled syringe and what that signifies  42:10 - Harwick’s ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, becomes the prime suspect 44:45 - Pursehouse has been charged with murder, first degree residential burglary, and special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Sep 202246min

Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year old mother of Memphis, Tennessee went missing around 4am, September 2nd, 2022 while out for a morning run. CCTV footage shows her being forced into an SUV. An arrest has been made in connection to her disappearance. Eliza Fletcher's remains have now been found and positively identified.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Sep 20228min

First responders arrive at a “battle scene” in 77-year-old Barbara Steele's West Virginia home. Her body is beaten, eviscerated, and positioned on a makeshift altar by 28-year-old Joshua Drennen, who after leaving her residence, continues his string of assaults on unsuspecting civilians, until immobilized by a Charleston police officer.  In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the antique item used in the physical attacks and injuries sustained by Barbara Steele and two other individuals in the community.   Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 2:46 - Description of an antique iron owned and utilized by 77-year-old Barbara Steele 6:47 - Police are alerted to a criminal act committed by Joshua Drennen inside Barbara Steele’s home 8:03 - Joe describes the crime scene, the assault on Barbara Steele’s vehicle, and her participation within the community. 10:45 - Jackie and Joe discuss the continued acts of violence by Joshua Drennen against a woman inside her parked vehicle 9:23 - An explanation of cubing injuries to a body from an explosion of safety glass and how investigators use that information to determine a body’s position within a vehicle 13:31 - Joshua Drennen’s continued acts of violence throughout the community  17:29 - Charleston Police Patrolman Terrence Casto stops the threat by Joshua Drennen 18:24 - Joe describes the violent crime scene and the horrendous blunt force trauma Barbara Steele’s body experienced 26:21 - Beyond the trauma to her face and head, the police noticed Barbara's body had been eviscerated, as well as sexually assaulted post-mortem 31:33 - Joe and Jackie discuss the way Barbara Steele’s body was positioned and items located near her after the attack 35:49 - Why Barbara Steele and the woman in the parking lot? 37:24 - Overview of Joshua Drennen’s trial and convictionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Sep 202238min

Christian Obumseli, boyfriend of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney is found by police in their Miami apartment fatally stabbed. The pair have been dating for approximately two years and have a reportedly “tumultuous” relationship. Courtney Clenney claims to have been acting out of self defense, but the physical evidence may seem to suggest something else. Courtney Clenney has since been charged with second degree murder. In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the details of the stabbing, the physical evidence found at the crime scene, the injuries sustained by Christian Obumseli that led to his death, and how witness testimony will play into this ongoing case.   Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 2:09 - Courtney Clenney’s OnlyFans account and relationship with Christian Obumseli 3:44 - Video and pictures of Courtney Clenney covered in blood 5:00 - Courtney Clenney and Christian Obumseli’s lavish lifestyle  7:32 - The 911 call and the physical evidence of the crime scene 12:02 - What are the police seeing at the crime scene? 18:58 - What it means for blood to “leech out” 22:03 - How the blood appeared on Courtney Clenney  25:36 - The timeline of the crime 29:05 - Injuries sustained by Christian Obumseli 35:34 - Knowing what we know now, is Courtney Clenney claim that she threw the knife while acting in self defense possible? 40:51 - If what Courtney Clenney claims happened is true, would the remaining blood patterns be different? 44:20 -  How will the video evidence and witness statements of assault play into the case? 48:28 - How do you approach a “he said, she said” court case? 51:14 - Final thoughts and wrapping up the show  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Aug 202251min

Video surveillance captures the final images of 80-year-old Edna Suttles alive in a hotel parking lot in one of the most beautiful places in the United States, a tiny South Carolina town called Travelers Rest. Nearly a month after her disappearance, Edna's body is found buried across state lines in a wooded area of North Carolina. Investigators work tirelessly to piece together the events that lead to her death, and in the process, realize they’re dealing with a serial killer. In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the details of Edna Suttles’ death and the unexpected discovery during the investigation. They talk about the similarities between the four confirmed victims, the behavior of serial killers, and the methods Daniel Printz used to murder his victims. Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 3:16 - Joseph Scott and Jackie discuss the details of Edna Suttles’ disappearance 4:20 - Discussion about Edna Suttles as South Carolina’s first female bail bondsman, and the heightened awareness that someone develops while working in that career 5:55 - Who reported Edna as a missing person? 7:12 - The discovery of Edna’s body and why the FBI was involved in this case 9:23 - The ominous findings by the medical examiner  11:52 - Surveillance video confirms Edna Suttles and Daniel Printz were in the same place and had some type of relationship 14:01 - The lethal cocktail that was given to Edna and how a body reacts when administered in those doses 15:22 - The unusual location on Daniel Printz’s property where he stored Edna’s belongings 18:34 - Using cadaver dogs to facilitate the discovery and recovery of remains 22:40 - The massive discovery by police at Daniel Printz’s home while investigating Edna’s death 25:56 - Connecting Daniel Printz to multiple murders through evidence found and commentary he made 28:42 - Analysis of serial killers’ behaviors and the unusual deviation Daniel Printz took in the murder of Nancy Rego 34:55 - Investigators learn of a fourth murder victim, Leigh Goodman 36:17 - Joe talks about Daniel Printz as a predator and the relationship between him and Leigh Goodman 39:04 - What sets these murders apart? 40:46 - Daniel Printz’s case is tried in the federal district court 42:27 - Where else has Daniel Printz been and who else has he impacted?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Aug 202236min