Transcript

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Narrator/Host (0:32)

Step into the 2020 True Crime Vault. Listen to our most gripping stories.

Narrator/Commentator (0:44)

From the outside, it honestly looks like a dark Hansel and Gretel kind of house

Interviewer/Detective (0:51)

your dog. Okay, what do they mean, they're not friendly?

Investigator/Assistant (0:57)

As soon as you walk into the house, the hair stands up on the back of your neck. It's pret creepy.

Laura Frizzo (Iron River Police Chief) (1:03)

It really was.

Narrator/Reporter (1:04)

I've come to this remote part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It seems haunting, but maybe that's because this is where the mystery unfolds.

Laura Frizzo (Iron River Police Chief) (1:16)

There's more media attention to our missing person, Chris Reagan.

Interviewer/Detective (1:22)

This doesn't look like Chris's apartment at all. It's all disheveled. He was always very neat. Everything was always put away. The suitcase start dropping,

Interviewer/Detective (1:36)

and no signs of forced entry or chaos.

Laura Frizzo (Iron River Police Chief) (1:39)

Absolutely not.

Terry O'Donnell (Chris Reagan's ex-girlfriend) (1:40)

Something happened to him. I knew that in my heart, and I knew that in my gut he had another side to him.

Interviewer/Detective (1:47)

So immediately, this is a lover's triangle.

Interviewer/Detective (1:51)

How many guys were you actually seeing

Laura Frizzo (Iron River Police Chief) (1:53)

Summary

20/20 True Crime Vault: "Where Monsters Hide"

Podcast: 20/20
Host: ABC News
Date: May 5, 2026
Episode Theme:
A haunting investigation into the disappearance of Chris Reagan in Iron River, Michigan, and the chilling unraveling of the twisted secrets inside the Cochran household.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delves deeply into the baffling disappearance and eventual murder of Chris Reagan, a newcomer to the remote town of Iron River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Through interviews, firsthand accounts, and police records, the episode reveals the tangled relationships, suspicious behaviors, and investigative breakthroughs that led to the conviction of Kelly Cochran in what became one of the region’s most infamous cases. The show exposes not just a grisly crime but also the darkness that can hide within a seemingly quiet community—and the people you least suspect.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Iron River and Chris Reagan’s Disappearance

Atmospheric Introduction: The isolated, eerie backdrop of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is vividly painted—described as “a dark Hansel and Gretel kind of house” (00:44), a small town of 3,000 where people are tight-knit but wary of outsiders.
Meet Chris Reagan: Former military, meticulous, reliable—a well-liked employee at Oldenburg Group, who moved to Iron River for love (04:13–05:12).
Disappearance Unfolds: Chris vanishes in October 2014. His ex-girlfriend, Terry O’Donnell, is alarmed and reports him missing after no contact for weeks (06:46).
Key Quote:

“Something happened to him. I knew that in my heart, and I knew that in my gut.”
—Terry O’Donnell (08:49)

2. Complex Relationships: Love Quadrangle and Suspicions

Multiple Lovers: Initial theories focus on a “lover’s triangle” (01:47) but investigators soon realize it’s more of a “love quadrangle” (02:01)—with Chris, Terry, Kelly Cochran, and her husband Jason all entwined.
Unraveling Alibis and Motives:
- Chris was involved romantically with Kelly Cochran, a married co-worker. Jason, Kelly's husband, is aware of the affairs but stressed and emotionally unstable.
- Investigation highlights jealousy and possible motives—Jason’s distress, text messages about infidelity, and marital breakdowns (21:24–21:58).
- Police also focus on Eric Erickson, another employee romantically linked to Kelly—later cleared via polygraph and alibi (19:55–20:16).

3. The Cochran House: Search and Horrifying Discoveries

Search Warrant Execution (28:32):
- The team finds a house filled with weapons—“an arsenal you see in movies” (30:14), including swords, crossbows, daggers, axes, and firearms.
- Discovery of suspicious stains—painted-over blood spatter on the ceiling confirmed with luminol testing (31:20–32:19).
- A disturbing manuscript found: Jason's journal titled “Where Monsters Hide,” appearing to fantasize about hunting prey (35:42).
Key Quote:

“He had swords, crossbows everywhere you go. … That was a very eerie feeling.”
—Jim McNeil, Private Investigator (30:17)

4. Flight and Tracking: The Cochrans Disappear

After the search, Kelly and Jason flee Iron River (32:51–34:08).
PIs track them via a GPS device secretly attached to their truck—leading police to Hobart, Indiana (36:48–38:05).
Detectives coordinate across jurisdictions to continue the investigation (38:22–41:17).

5. Breakthrough: Interrogations, Confessions, and The Pact

Detective Jeremy Ogden leads the charge in Indiana—expertly playing psychological “cat and mouse” (50:46–54:35).
Manipulative Games:
- Ogden employs unorthodox tactics: fake letters, tree carvings (“Chris is here”), and recorded undercover conversations to psychologically pressure Kelly (55:28–57:18).
Kelly's Gradual Confession:
- Kelly portrays herself as a victim, forced by Jason to help kill and dismember Chris—using euphemisms (“downsized him”) (58:53–59:04).
- Reveals she pulled a bullet from Chris’s body with forceps (59:08).
Shocking “Wedding Pact”:
- Kelly claims she and Jason agreed on their wedding day: if one cheated, the other was responsible for killing the lover, or risk being killed themselves (66:28–66:42).
Key Quote:

“With her, it was like, lie, lie, lie, truth, lie, truth, lie, lie, lie, truth. You gotta figure it out.”
—Laura Frizzo (62:58)

6. Closure: Discovery, Trial, and Verdict

Locating the Remains:
- After multiple attempts, Kelly leads investigators to Chris’s skull and other remains near Iron River (69:39–70:00).
The Trial:
- Despite her detailed confessions, Kelly pleads not guilty (70:30).
- Prosecution and defense spar over Kelly’s credibility, her shifting stories, and the evidence (71:02–74:44).
Conviction:
- Kelly Cochran found guilty of five felonies, including first-degree premeditated murder, and sentenced to life without parole (76:20–77:00).
Aftermath:
- Later, Kelly also pleads guilty to murdering Jason Cochran and receives another 65 years (81:07–81:18).

7. Lingering Darkness and Unanswered Questions

Dark Neighborhood Rumors:
- Neighbors recall strange late-night noises and an unusually large amount of meat at a post-murder dinner, fueling rumors of cannibalism (77:55–78:28).
Serial Killer Allegations:
- Kelly suggests, then denies, that there are more victims—at one point referencing “nine total” (79:28).
- Investigators and Kelly’s own family express horror and disbelief at her shifting stories (79:39–80:05).
- Kelly later recants claims of other murders, denying having killed anyone but maintaining her story of being a coerced victim (82:04–82:38).

8. Emotional Toll and a Surprising Love Story

Personal Costs:
- Laura Frizzo, the dedicated police chief, loses her job following the investigation but finds new love with Detective Ogden—proving an unexpected bright spot amid the darkness (83:27–84:13).

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

On discovering Chris’s intentions to move, not run:

“So not a guy who’s running away.”
—Interviewer/Detective (08:07)
On the love quadrangle:

“Not a love triangle, but a love quadrangle.”
—Narrator/Commentator (02:01)
After luminol reveals blood in the Cochran house:

“They got a positive reaction from that area above the doorway where it looked like something happened right under the door and kind of spread as it went back on the ceiling.”
—Laura Frizzo (32:19)
On the manuscript “Where Monsters Hide”:

“He goes on to talking about being a hunter ... it’s kind of eerie, almost like he was writing about this situation.”
—Laura Frizzo (35:42)
Kelly’s shifting stories:

“With her, it was like, lie, lie, lie, truth, lie, truth, lie, lie, lie, truth. You gotta figure it out.”
—Laura Frizzo (62:58)
Validation of the investigation upon discovering the burn barrel clues:

“We found a saw blade, components to a pair of jeans … we felt confident ... this was likely their burn barrel.”
—Laura Frizzo (47:15)
On the alleged wedding pact:

“From the time you were married … it’s your responsibility to kill off that person [if you cheated]. Or he would kill you. Vice versa.”
—Detective Jeremy Ogden and Kelly Cochran (66:30–66:42)
On the emotional impact for Chris’s family:

“That was a very sobering moment ... the only bright spot ... they could link Kelly Cochran into his murder.”
—Terry O’Donnell (70:00)
Final words from Chris’s ex-girlfriend:

“For me, it’s not going to change anything. You know, Chris is gone and what she did is just horrible. I hope she rots in hell.”
—Terry O’Donnell (77:00)

Important Segment Timestamps

00:44 – First chills: Describing the “Hansel and Gretel” home
06:33 – Terry O’Donnell reports Chris missing
12:05 – Introduction of Kelly Cochran and her affair with Chris
28:32 – Execution of the search warrant at the Cochran home
31:20 – Discovery of blood evidence in house
32:51 & 34:00 – Cochrans skip town and are tracked
55:28 – The fake letter and tree carving tactics succeed in cracking Kelly
69:39 – Discovery of Chris Reagan’s remains
76:20 – Guilty verdict, sentencing
79:28 – Kelly’s suggestion of multiple victims, later recanted

Conclusion & Aftermath

The Iron River case stands out for its disturbing blend of meticulous investigation and unsettling human psychology. The podcast uncovers how small-town facades can hide monstrous truths and how unrelenting determination uncovers them. Kelly Cochran and her husband sit at the dark heart of the story—a story punctuated by jealousy, obsession, and deceit. The episode closes with a hint of hope: the unlikely romance between two investigators forged in hardship, a small redemption following the case’s grim resolution.

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True Crime Vault: Where Monsters Hide