The Murder of Craig "Cooley" Jackman (Vermont)

Summary

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Dark Downeast: The Murder of Craig "Cooley" Jackman (Vermont)

Release Date: October 23, 2025

Host: Kylie Lowe

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Episode Overview

This Dark Downeast episode, hosted by Kylie Lowe, explores the decades-old unsolved murder of Craig “Cooley” Jackman in Essex Junction, Vermont. The narrative delves into Craig’s sudden disappearance in 1981, the long quest of his family for answers, the tangled investigation that followed, and a justice system that left more questions than closure. Through meticulous research, interviews, and courtroom accounts, the episode honors Craig’s legacy while scrutinizing trust, betrayal, and systemic failure.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance of a Vermont Teen (02:03)

• On January 26, 1981, 16-year-old Craig Jackman vanished after declining a friend's invitation to go bowling. His mother, Carolyn, last saw him just before she left for a short errand; she returned to find him gone.
• Craig left with little money and none of his essential medications, which alarmed his family after he failed to return home. Flyers were distributed, newsletters contacted, and even psychics consulted in the desperate search.

Quote:
"She planned to do it again on her own birthday, January 1st. If Craig didn’t try to make contact with her on either date, she said, she’d know he was really gone."
— Kylie Lowe (07:56)

2. The Discovery of Remains & Autopsy Findings (08:59)

• In November 1985, Craig's skeletal remains were discovered by a hunter in the St. Albans woods, along with his clothing and wallet.
• Dental records confirmed Craig's identity; the autopsy indicated at least four head wounds from a blunt object, possibly an axe — his death was ruled a homicide.

Quote:
"The autopsy showed that Craig suffered at least four wounds to his head, and he was hit once in the jaw and twice in the back. His wounds were consistent with a blunt object, possibly an axe."
— Kylie Lowe (09:21)

3. Shifting Stories, Suspects & Motives (10:30)

• Detective Sergeant Leo Blais identified a recurring rumor centered on a stolen $300 check, cashed by Craig on behalf of Brian Wimble and Timothy Cruz.
• Brian and Timothy, both with criminal records, became key suspects. Both accused each other in separate statements, each attempting to minimize their own involvement.

Competing Accounts

• Brian Wimble’s Story: Claimed Timothy Cruz orchestrated the killing in an act of revenge for being allegedly (incorrectly) blamed for the check theft.
• Timothy Cruz’s Story: Accused Brian of plotting the murder out of fear Craig would expose him as the real thief.

Investigation Steps

• Police used an undercover tactic, sending a letter (purportedly from Brian) to Timothy, prompting Timothy to talk.
• Both suspects gave conflicting accounts but agreed that Craig was lured into the woods under the pretense of retrieving hidden marijuana.

Quote:
"Brian said that the stolen check was the whole reason why Craig was dead, but Brian insisted he wasn’t the one who wanted Craig gone."
— Kylie Lowe (15:11)

Quote:
"Timothy told police in his own interviews that it was Brian who wanted to do away with Craig because he was afraid of Craig telling police about the stolen check."
— Kylie Lowe (16:49)

4. Legal Proceedings: Pleas, Trials, and Tragedy (22:20)

• Both suspects were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
• Cruz accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder, agreeing to testify against Wimble. He was sentenced to 15–30 years and expressed an emotional apology to Craig’s family.

Quote:
"He addressed Craig’s family, telling them he was sorry that Craig’s murder, ‘had to happen.’ He also said that if he could trade his life to get Craig’s life back, he’d do it."
— Kylie Lowe (26:19)

• Wimble’s trial was delayed and contentious. Despite emotional testimony and cross-examinations, the case boiled down to two mutually exclusive accounts.
• The judge refused to include lesser charges (like second-degree murder), so the jury could only convict on first-degree murder or acquit. After 11 hours of deliberation, Wimble was acquitted.

Quote:
"Brian Wimble. Not guilty. The jury acquitted him of first degree murder. Jury members commented in media reports at the time that if lesser charges were available... things may have played out differently."
— Kylie Lowe (36:41)

Quote (Carolyn, Craig’s mother):
"You know you did it, Brian. You know you killed him. You have to live with yourself."
— (38:01)

5. Aftermath and Ongoing Fallout (38:06)

• Both men continued lives marked by crime post-trial. Brian Wimble was later convicted of sexual assault against a minor. Timothy Cruz reoffended, including an accessory to murder conviction in 2004.
• The justice system’s shortcomings allowed these men to harm others after Craig’s murder.

6. Legacy: Family Grief, Advocacy, and Intergenerational Trauma (43:34)

• Craig’s mother and sister became advocates for victims’ families, fighting for policy changes and support.
• Suzanne (Craig's sister) co-founded the Boulder County Hospice Program for families of murder victims and served as a police victim advocate until her own death.
• Kylie interviews Suzanne’s daughter, Tiffany, reflecting on the family’s trauma and resilience.

Quote (Tiffany):
"The trauma is passed down, the sad and the hurt is passed down, but also being a survivor, the strength, the taking the good with the bad... my uncle was a victim. But the rest of us, we can choose to let it define us or do something about it."
— (47:16)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difficulty of finding a missing child:
  “It was easier to find a missing car than it was to find a missing child, pointing to the fact that at the time, there was no national clearinghouse for missing persons.”
  — Kylie Lowe (07:45)

• Judge Mehade’s courtroom logic, as criticized by Suzanne:
  “A person has been violated and hacked to death, an innocent family destroyed by a maniac who is still walking the streets… because a trusted judge... made a decision that was too intellectual for lay people to understand.”
  — Suzanne’s letter, read by Kylie Lowe (44:01)

• Betrayal and deception:
  “When Craig was the best man at his friend’s wedding, the bride was Brian Wimble’s sister. Craig was named the Godfather to their child, Brian’s nephew. It’s an incomprehensible betrayal...”
  — Kylie Lowe (45:13)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Craig’s disappearance and initial search efforts: 02:03 – 08:59
• Discovery of remains & autopsy: 08:59 – 11:51
• Rumors and police focus shifts on suspects: 11:51 – 18:00
• Legal wrangling: Arrests, deals, and trial twists: 22:20 – 36:41
• Acquittal and family’s heartbreak: 36:41 – 38:06
• Aftermath: Later crimes, family advocacy, and legacy: 38:06 – 48:01
• Tiffany on trauma and resilience: 47:16

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Tone and Language

Kylie Lowe’s tone is methodical, respectful, and empathetic. She centers the victims and their families, avoiding sensationalism and providing space for their voices. She highlights systemic flaws but remains heart-centered, honoring the memory of Craig and the advocacy born from his loss.

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Conclusion & Reflection

This episode is a powerful, emotional journey through grief, betrayal, and injustice. It examines the enduring impact of a single crime—not just on one family, but also on an entire community and its justice system. Despite a lack of definitive closure, the advocacy and resilience shown by Craig Jackman’s family ensure his story lives on, serving as a beacon for other families still searching for answers.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

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[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

On a winter night in 1981, a teenager stepped out of his Essex Junction home and never returned. His disappearance unsettled the quiet Vermont town, leaving his family searching for answers that never came. Years later, a hunter in the woods made a discovery that would finally explain what happened to the missing teen, but not why. Whispers of a stolen check, shifting stories and a courtroom battle followed. Yet the truth is still tangled even to this day. This is the story of a teenager whose life ended far too soon, a family's years long fight for justice, and a case that still raises questions about trust, betrayal, and the limits of the system meant to deliver answers. I'm Kylie Lowe and this is the Case of Craig Cooley Jackman on Dark down east the phone rang just after 6:30 on January 26, 1981, inside a Lincoln street home in Essex Junction, Vermont, and Carolyn Damaris picked up the receiver. On the line was a friend asking for her son, 16 year old Craig Jackman Cooley, as his friends called him, according to reporting by Ian Pollenbaum for the Burlington Free Press. Craig was in the bathroom, so Carolyn relayed the message through the door. The invitation was simple. Did he want to go bowling? Craig's answer came back just as simply, no. He wasn't interested in sitting around the bowling alley and watching his friend bowl. Carolyn hung up, slipping on her coat as she headed out for a quick errand. Before she left, she placed a few dollars on the counter in case her son changed his mind. When she returned a short time later and Craig wasn't home, she thought nothing of it. Maybe he had gone out after all. But as the hours ticked by, the silence inside the house grew heavier. 10 o' clock came and went. Craig's curfew passed, and the bed he usually filled sat empty. That night stretched into morning and then into another day. Craig Jackman never came home. When Carolyn went to police with concerns about her son's failure to return home, she told them how he left with practically no money, maybe $2 at most. Jodi Peck reports that Craig didn't bring his asthma medication or the meds he'd need for a bee sting allergy. He didn't even pack a change of clothes. Craig's name and description circulated in town in hopes of tracking down anyone who may have seen him after January 26. He left his house that night wearing a blue corduroy jacket, a tan sweatshirt, jeans and hiking boots. He was 5ft 6 inches tall and 130 pounds. Friends said they never saw him that night. Essex police Lieutenant Robert Gandow talked to Brian, the friend who called Craig about bowling on the night he was last seen. But he didn't have anything to share with police. Brian said he didn't know where Craig might have gone. Craig's mother, Carolyn, and his sister Suzanne, weren't about to sit back and hope the police arrived with answers. They went to work themselves. Carolyn printed flyers with Craig's photo and offered a $1,000 reward for information. At the bottom, she added a plea written in the voice of Craig's godson, a toddler barely old enough to speak, asking for his godfather to come home. Stacks of flyers went out across Vermont, but many were mailed south to Florida. A psychic had told Carolyn that Craig could be out of state and was probably working in a warm climate, maybe even in an orange grove. The psychic felt that Craig may be with an older man who is a, quote, unquote, bad influence. A second psychic also mentioned a man being a bad influence on Craig and specifically identified Florida, too. Carolyn and the rest of Craig's family held onto hope that the visions of psychics would prove to be true. But police hadn't been able to come up with any legitimate leads as to Craig's whereabouts. After almost an entire year of searching, Carolyn made a comment that it was easier to find a missing car than it was to find a missing child, pointing to the fact that at the time, there was no national clearinghouse for missing persons. The national center for Missing and Exploited Children wasn't founded until 1984, and Namis is even more recent in 2007. There were, however, services like Child Find out of New York and Search the National Runaway Missing Persons Report magazine. Carolyn located and leveraged nearly every resource available to get her son's name and face out there. Craig's birthday in December of 1981 came and went without any contact from him. Carolyn told Jodi Peck of the Burlington Free Press that she waited by the phone for her son to call. She planned to do it again on her own birthday, January 1st. If Craig didn't try to make contact with her on either date, she said, she'd know he was really gone. The phone may not have rang on his birthday, but soon after seeing one of the psychics, Carolyn did receive a strange call. The operator said it was from Joe, but Carolyn thought the operator might have meant to say Jose, which was one of Craig's nicknames. When she accepted the call, whoever was on the other end was hung up. Carolyn hoped he'd call again, but she never got another call from that person. Whoever it was, it just didn't make sense to Carolyn that Craig would want to disappear on purpose. He was doing well in school. He was the best man at a friend's wedding recently and was even named the godfather to his friend's son. His friend said that he hadn't even talked about running away either. But if he did, runaway Carolyn and Suzanne's minds swirled with reasons why. Suzanne described her brother as a romantic, a deep feeling individual. She thought that trait might make him susceptible to joining a religious group. As for Carolyn, she considered the possibility that her son could have left home out of fear. She said that he was mixed up in some trouble over a friend who had stolen a check he may have thought that charges would be filed against him in that incident, but as far as Carolyn knew, there were no charges. Two years later, Carolyn's hope was being tested. She was getting married soon and moving out of the house where Craig had once lived. She was worried that the last tie she had to her son would be severed, and she may never hear from him if he tried finding her there. Carolyn's hope clung to the quiet spaces in her home. The chair Craig used to sit in, the sound of the phone that might still ring with his voice on the other end.

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She paid extra to have her same phone number transferred to their new home, just in case.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

For years, her son's absence was a wound that refused to close. But still Carolyn held on, and so did his sister, Suzanne, because hope was the only tether they had left to him. November 18, 1985, was unseasonably warm in northern Vermont, the kind of warmth that made the woods feel strangely out of step with the season. The forest was quiet, each snapped twig sounding sharper than it should. As a hunter moved through the fallen leaves in a wooded area of St. Albans, something pale drew his eye. A stone, maybe. That would make sense for the setting. But when the hunter leaned closer, the truth revealed itself. Resting among the natural debris of the forest floor was a human skull. Ted Tedford and Tim Donahue report for the Burlington Free Press that the hunter stopped what he was doing and gathered the skull from the leaves. He brought it home with him and handed it over to the nearest state police barracks. The next day, state police responded to the area where the skull was recovered to conduct a search led by state Police Detective Sergeant Leo Blaze. By the end of the second day of searching, police had recovered more skeletal remains, as well as clothing and a wallet. The wallet looked like it had been exposed to the elements for quite some time, but there was enough evidence inside to identify the remains. A document from an Essex school tentatively identified the remains as the missing teenager, Craig Jackman. Dental records later confirmed it. Craig died from a head injury. The autopsy showed that Craig suffered at least four wounds to his head, and he was hit once in the jaw and twice in the back. His wounds were consistent with a blunt object, possibly an axe. His death was ruled a homicide. Vermont State Police Detective Blais chased every lead he could find. After Craig's remains were discovered, he sat down with Craig's friends one by one, sometimes circling back to ask the same questions again with witnesses he first met back almost five years earlier, when Craig's case was still a missing Persons investigation. And through those conversations, a pattern began to emerge. A rumor kept rising to the surface. A stolen check that Craig had supposedly cashed for someone else to the tune of 300 bucks. At first, Detective Blaise doubted the story. Could a $300 check really be the motive to kill a 16 year old child? He admitted in 1986 that the idea didn't make sense to him. But the more doors he knocked on, the more times he heard the same story. And with the rumor came a Brian Wimble. The same Brian who phoned Craig about bowling on the night he disappeared.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

Detective Blaise called Brian in for questioning, but he didn't go. Not immediately. Instead, he went to the Chittenden County Public Defender's office and secured a lawyer.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

On November 25, 1985, Brian sat with his attorney, Jerry Schwartz, and unburdened himself. He wanted to tell police what he knew about Craig's murder. The attorney didn't fact check his client's story or advise him to stay quiet. He later said Brian hadn't asked for advice, so he didn't offer it. But he did give one piece of instruction, repeated at least four times. If Bryan planned to speak to detectives or the state's Attorney's office, he had better tell the truth.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

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[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

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[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

It wasn't the first time police talked to Brian Wimble about his friend he called Cooley. Remember, local police questioned Brian soon after Craig was reported missing, and Bryan claimed he didn't know anything about the disappearance at the time. The rumors Detective Blace had heard about a stolen check had also come up years earlier during the Missing persons investigation. But Brian denied knowledge of the check back then too. But now Brian told a different story. According to court records, Bryan admitted to stealing a $300 check from Food Science Laboratories, Inc. Where he and his friend Timothy Cruz both worked at the time. Brian said he made the stolen checkout in Craig Jackman's name, and on January 3, 1981, he asked Craig to cash the check and Craig did. Brian said that the stolen check was the whole reason why Craig was dead, but Brian insisted he wasn't the one who wanted Craig gone. Brian claimed it was his friend Timothy Cruz who wanted to hurt Craig. Brian claimed that Timothy wanted to, quote, get even with Craig because his name was on the check and he cashed it. But the employer incorrectly accused Timothy of stealing it. The events of January 26, 1981, according to Brian Wimble, played out like this. Brian said that he and Timothy drove to a store in Essex Junction together and just happened to run into Craig nearby. Brian and Timothy supposedly asked Craig to go with them to get some pot that was hidden in the woods. They got into the car that Brian was driving. Some sources say it belonged to Brian's mother, and they drove out to St. Albans. Brian claimed that after they turned off the Westford Milton Road, Timothy made him and Craig both put bags over their heads so they couldn't see where they were going. Brian said that Timothy carried an ax with him into the woods. It just happened to be in the car that night. And that's when things took a turn for the worse. Brian said he heard Timothy hit Craig with the ax. When he took the bag off his own head, he saw Brian hit Craig again. Craig did not recover from the attack. Brian said they buried Craig in the snow together and left. Anne Marie Christensen reports for the Rutland Herald that Brian claimed he dropped Timothy off at his parents place before returning home himself. He said he put the ax in the basement at his parents house, changed clothes, and then went bowling as planned. Brian also told police in his statement that Timothy threatened him if he told anybody about what happened in the woods that night. Brian would be next. Investigators administered Brian a polygraph examination on November 26, 1985. They asked questions like, did you personally do anything to harm Cooley? And did you hit Cooley with the axe? An examiner concluded that Brian wasn't telling the whole truth about what happened and his part in all of it. But quote, neither polygram indicated deception to questions regarding the subject actually striking Cooley, end quote. Police didn't find a murder weapon near Craig's skeletal remains in the woods, but Brian knew right where it was because he still had it. Brian said it belonged to his family and was typically kept in one of their cars because he routinely used it to chop wood at his girlfriend's house. It was in the vehicle Brian drove that night. When Timothy allegedly decided to turn it into a murder weapon, Brian turned the ax over to Detective Sergeant Leo Blaisz himself. Brian pointed the finger squarely at his friend Timothy Cruz as his accomplice in Craig's murder. So clearly, investigators had plenty of questions for that guy. Vermont State Police tracked Timothy down in a Los Angeles prison. Turns out Timothy was a known element to law enforcement in Vermont and across the country, and he was serving a sentence stemming from a larceny conviction at the time. In an unconventional move, Vermont State Police and prosecutors on the case took a page out of their suspect's own playbook. They forged a letter just as Brian admitted to forging a check and signed the letter with Brian Wimble's name before mailing it off to Timothy in the California penitentiary. After receiving the letter that Timothy thought was written, signed and sent by his friend Brian, he agreed to speak with Vermont State Police as part of the investigation into Craig Jackman's murder. And his story sounded a heck of a lot different from Brian's version. Timothy Cruz told police in his own interviews that it was Brian who wanted to do away with Craig because he was afraid of Craig telling police about the stolen check. Timothy claimed that Brian asked him to help him handle Craig. Timothy said that Brian actually set up the meeting. And it wasn't a coincidence running into him at the store on that January night. However, their stories seemed to align on this point. Brian and Timothy both claimed they told Craig they were going to find some pot they had hidden in the woods and asked him to join the excursion. Timothy also mentioned Craig with a bag over his eyes, but Brian did not wear a bag. There was one more point that Timothy and Brian agreed on in their accounts of the murder. Timothy admitted to police that he hit Craig with the blunt end of the axe first, knocking him down for a moment. After that, a struggle ensued. And according to Timothy, it was Brian who allegedly delivered fatal blows with both the sharp and blunt ends of the axe. For investigators, the picture was coming into focus. Two suspects with long criminal histories tied together by one bad check and a friend who ended up dead. Investigators couldn't prove which version of events was true. Not yet. But By February of 1986, they had enough to move forward with arrests. 25 year old Brian L. Wimble faced a first degree murder charge. Charges were also expected to follow for 25 year old Timothy D. Cruz. Brian was no stranger to the justice system. At the time of his arrest, he was already on probation for altering a $10.95-cent check to $210 and cashing it. He was also serving probation for leaving the scene of an accident. Timothy's record was even longer. Not only was he incarcerated in California, when he spoke to Vermont authorities about Craig's case, his criminal record stretched back to 1977, including convictions for five break ins and three burglaries. He had three active warrants for probation violations and a history of burglary, disorderly conduct and obstructing police. Brian pointed to Timothy. He told police that Timothy wanted Craig dead to, quote, get even with him after he was mistakenly accused of stealing the check. But Timothy pointed right back. He accused Brian of orchestrating Craig's murder to silence him, afraid Craig would go to the police with the truth about who had stolen the check. So whose story was more credible? The justice system gave its own clue when prosecutors offered a plea deal to one of the suspects. Brian Wimble entered a not guilty plea to a first degree murder charge and was released after posting $50,000 bail. In August of 1986, Timothy Cruz was finally taken into custody after fighting extradition for several months, he too entered a not guilty plea to first degree murder. His bail was initially set at $250,000 but later lowered to $100,000. He was unable to post either amount about nine months after Timothy was removed from California and extradited to Vermont, he changed his plea. According to Richard Cowperthwaite's reporting for the Burlington Free Press, Timothy had been given an opportunity to plead to the lesser charge of second degree murder, which with the possibility of a 15 to 30 year sentence and credit for time served Since January of 86, also part of the deal, the two other charges pending against him in Chittenden county, impeding a police officer and disorderly conduct, would be dropped. In exchange, he had to testify against Brian Wimble. The court accepted the plea deal, and In July of 1987, Timothy Cruz was sentenced to that 15 to 30 year sentence. Danica Kirka reports for the Free Press that Craig's mother, Carolyn, was at the sentencing hearing and she gave an emotional victim impact statement. She spoke of her life since Craig disappeared and his remains were found. She called it a living nightmare and an emotional seesaw. Timothy was also granted the chance to speak in court that day. He addressed Craig's family, telling him he was sorry that Craig's murder, quote, had to happen. He also said that if he could trade his life to get Craig's life back for his family, he'd do it. But since that was impossible, he promised to lead a good life from that point forward. With Timothy's deal sealed, attention shifted back to Brian Wimble. Timothy's cooperation had bought him a reduced sentence, but it also set the stage for Bryan's day in court, for a trial that would test whose story the jury believed. Before Bryan Wimble faced a judge and a jury, his new attorney, not the public defender he initially lawyered up with, tried to get his statements to police early on in the investigation thrown out. The attorney argued that Bryan's first lawyer gave him bad advice and didn't warn him of the consequences of talking to police, and that if his story didn't hold water, he could be charged with a crime. A judge rejected the motion. Everything Brian said during that early questioning would still be admissible at trial. As reported by Mark Johnson for the Rutland Herald, the very night before jury selection was set to begin for a trial that had already been delayed years was halted once again due in part to an article printed in the Burlington Free Press that essentially presented alleged details of the state's case as fact, which was a problem for a potential jury pool. So instead, the trial of Brian Wimble began in Rutland county during the last week of October 1988. The jury heard testimony from the medical examiner, who explained that the autopsy found Craig had several injuries to his head, jaw and back, consistent with strikes of an axe. The axe that investigators had in evidence was consistent with Craig's wounds, but the M.E. couldn't say if that specific ax was the murder weapon. It was also impossible to say if more than one person caused those wounds or which of the wounds were fatal and in what sequence they were received. This was a significant part of the case because, as you'll remember, Timothy admitted to hitting Craig first, but accused Brian of being the one who actually caused Timothy the fatal injuries. Brian struggled at the defense table as photos of the skull were shown to the courtroom. He appeared to be crying and kept looking away from the exhibits. The motive in this case has always been thought to be the 300 check that was reportedly stolen from Brian and Timothy's employer and made out to Craig, who cashed it. According to Brian, Timothy claimed he was wrongfully accused of of stealing the check, probably because of his history of property crimes, and that's why he wanted to harm Craig. But Brian and Timothy's old boss testified that no one accused Timothy of stealing the check. That part of Brian's story never happened, at least according to the boss. Speaking of Timothy Cruz, he followed through on his plea agreement and took the stand against Brian Wimbledon. Timothy testified that Brian approached him at work and said they had to get rid of Craig Jackman. He claimed he understood that to mean Craig had to be silenced before he could talk to police about the stolen check. Timothy said he didn't even know Craig before that night, but Brian offered him 1,000 bucks to help. He admitted, though, that he never received the money and that he hadn't mentioned the alleged payment until just days before trial. According to Timothy, it was Brian who arranged the meeting with Craig in town. Timothy told the jury they lured Craig into the woods under the pretense of retrieving hidden pot, covering Craig's eyes with a bag so he wouldn't know the location. Once inside, Timothy admitted he struck Craig first, but insisted Brian carried out the fatal blows and then asked for his help hiding the body. On cross examination, Timothy conceded a key detail. No one had told him to hit Craig the first time he acted on his own, unprompted. Even though affidavits suggested his supposed motive, revenge for being wrongly accused of stealing the check, didn't actually apply. By his own testimony, Timothy had never been accused of stealing it at all. While on the stand, Timothy pointed out that he told Sergeant Leo Blaise about his role in the murder long before he was offered any leniency or a deal. When I'm guilty of something, I'll be the first to admit it. End quote.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

You know that feeling when the air gets crisp, pumpkin flavored, things are everywhere and you're finally wearing oversized sweaters again?

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

Yeah, fall is a total vibe.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

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[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

And then it was time for Brian Wimble to testify in his own defense. As the sole defense witness, Brian was emotional on the stand. He described his own fear and panic on the night Timothy led him and Craig into the woods with garbage bags on their heads and the exchange he had with Craig after Timothy hit him with the axe the first time. Brian testified that he watched as Timothy continued to harm Craig with the axe and then threatened him if he dared tell anybody about it. When asked if he ever hit Craig with the axe, Brian said, quote, no way, and no, I did not strike my friend Cooley.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

No.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

End quote. On cross examination, the prosecution tried to point out holes in Brian's testimony for the jury. They questioned his emotional response on the stand, despite witness statements that he showed no mood changes or emotion. Back in 1981, after Craig disappeared, the prosecutor asked, if Brian was really so distraught over the loss of his friend and the violent circumstances of his death, why did he keep quiet until Craig's remains were found five years later? What's more, Brian admitted that after changing his clothes and shoes, he went straight to the bowling alley for his previously scheduled plans, and he went to work as usual the next day. He even continued using the same ax, the murder weapon, to chop wood. Later on, Brian's simple answer was that he feared Timothy Cruz. He testified that his behavior and decisions in the immediate aftermath and in the years before Craig's remains were recovered was all an attempt to act normal and not draw attention to himself or bring suspicion. But that fear dissipated, and in its place came a constant, unavoidable weight on his conscience. Brian claimed that he just couldn't live with it anymore. He said he went through hell seeing his friend die, and he wanted to talk. That's why he finally came forward, despite his fear, after Craig's remains were recovered. In closing arguments, the prosecution asked the jury to convict Bryan to finally deliver the justice that Craig and his family were due after years of unknown. The state asked the jury to question Brian's story on every level. Brian was apparently a former Golden Gloves boxer, and so the prosecutor posed the question, would someone with that experience really be afraid to intervene if a friend was being beaten to death before his eyes? The prosecutor also suggested that it was hard to believe that someone like Timothy Cruz, who already had plenty of felonies on his record, would be upset enough about a potential forgery charge to the point of killing someone. A child, no less. As the prosecutor pointed out, even if Timothy was wrongfully accused of stealing the check, something the boss said never happened, Craig was the one person who could clear Timothy's name and tell police that it was actually Brian who stole the check. So why kill the person who could tell the truth about everything? The prosecutor also pointed out that according to testimony from the medical examiner and the findings of the autopsy, it was Timothy's version of events that fit with the injuries, not Brian's. When the defense addressed the jury. Bryan's attorney basically said the only murderer in this case was Timothy Cruz, and he alone was responsible for Craig Jackman's death. But thanks to the deal he got in exchange for a lesser charge and sentence, he had no choice but to testify against Bryan and offer up a version of events that fit the case. The jury only had two options when it came time for convict Bryan of first degree murder, which is premeditated, or acquit him. Prosecutors wanted jurors to have the option to convict on second degree murder, which didn't require evidence of premeditation, but a judge denied the request. The judge didn't want to open up the opportunity for compromise verdicts, which he later described as an abomination, because they allowed juries to convict innocent people of lesser offenses or guilty parties to walk free on a lesser crime than which they were charged. However, even if the jury decided that Brian didn't hit Craig and cause the fatal injuries, they could still find him guilty of murder under the theory of accomplice liability, meaning he was part of a plot that resulted in Craig's death. The jury deliberated for 11 hours over two days, and it was anyone's guess where the verdict would land. This was a case of he said, he said, Brian and Timothy's stories being in direct contrast to one another, aligning only on a few points. They couldn't both be true. So who did the jury believe? The jury delivered their verdict on November 3, 1988. Brian Wimble. Not guilty. The jury acquitted him of first degree murder. Jury members commented in media reports at the time that if lesser charges were available, such as second degree murder, things may have played out differently. The verdict devastated Craig's family. It left them wondering what justice really meant. When a murder trial ends in acquittal, it is not unusual for prosecutors to close the case and move on. They tried to get the person their investigation showed was responsible for the crime, but a jury did not agree, and that's that. It's not possible to try someone again on the same charges. You know, that whole double jeopardy thing. However, in Craig's case, the Chittenden County Deputy state's attorney was not finished with the pursuit of justice for Craig and his family. As part of an appeal, Deputy State's Attorney John Churchill argued in Vermont District Court that the judge in Bryan's murder trial erred when he refused to allow the jury to consider lesser charges, such as second degree murder. The deputy DA wanted a second chance at trying Bryan for Craig's murder and argued There was evidence he did participate in killing Craig, even if there wasn't strong proof of premeditation. Bryan's attorney, of course, opposed the request for a second trial on the grounds that it would be unconstitutional double jeopardy. The Vermont district court judge, Frank Mehade, ruled that he had no authority to grant an appeal based on the jury instructions in Brian Wimble's murder trial, and the state would not be given a second chance at conviction. The decision once again rattled Craig's family. His mother, Carolyn, shouted at Bryan in the courtroom, saying, quote, you know you did it, Brian. You know you killed him. You have to live with yourself, end quote. Carolyn's husband pointed at Brian's lawyer and said, quote, you are scum. I'm going to shave that mustache off your face, end quote. Despite the failed appeal, legal trouble wasn't over for Brian Wimble or Timothy Cruz. In June of 1989, Brian pleaded guilty to an uttering charge. The unrelated case went back to 1982 after Craig had disappeared, but before Brian was ever charged with murder, he had altered that check for $10.59 to read $210.59, and he cashed it. Brian was also convicted of other misdemeanor and felony offenses over the years.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

According to an article by Mike Donahue for the Burlington Free Press, in The spring of 1994, Brian's wife turned him in when she found out he sexually assaulted a child younger than 13 in their home. He was charged with two counts of sexual assault on a minor and would have gotten up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of both counts.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

But he got one of the charges.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

Dismissed as part of a plea deal.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

And instead only received a four to eight year suspended sentence for pleading guilty.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

To a sexual assault charge. As for Timothy Cruz, despite the remorse he expressed at his sentencing in 1987, he did not live up to his promise of a, quote, unquote, good life. After serving nine years, just nine years on his second degree murder conviction for Craig's death, Timothy got out of prison on supervised release in December of 1996. He quickly found himself back in custody multiple times for violating release conditions. In 2004, Timothy was accused of helping dispose of the body of 25 year old Legia Ray Collins, who was beaten to death by a woman named Ellen Ducharme, who was convicted of the murder. He pleaded guilty to accessory to murder. A habitual offender charge was dismissed and he was sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison. Now, if Timothy's name sounds familiar, at all. It's because I've actually talked about him and the case of Ligeia Ray Collins on Dark down east before, when I covered the disappearance of Brianna Maitland. During the investigation of Ligeia's murder, Timothee was accused by Ellen Ducharme's sister, Debbie Gorton, of being involved in Brianna's disappearance. Debbie made the claim in 2006 as police arrested her son on unrelated charges, offering up Timothy's name as a bargaining chip. She alleged that Timothy, along with two other men implicated in Ligeia Collins case, killed Brianna and disposed of her body. She said Ellen told her this information directly. But according to a private investigator who works on Brianna's case, those accusations were unfounded. No evidence has ever linked Timothy to Brianna's disappearance, and he has not been charged in connection with her case. In 2011, Timothy was arrested for felony possession of stolen property after a stolen guitar was traced to him, a guitar once owned and autographed by Pearl Jam. Originally given to a young man through the Make a Wish program before his death from a brain tumor. The guitar was recovered, but the signatures had been removed. Then in 2019, Timothy pleaded guilty to felony forgery and false pretenses. He received a suspended one to five year sentence with 74 days on work crew and five years of probation. That same year, he called police with a tip about a series of convenience store burglaries and then admitted to driving an accomplice to three of the stores that were burglarized. Though charges were filed, it appears they were later dismissed. Vermont Vital records show that Timothy Duane Cruz died in January of 2021. Records also show that Bryan Lee Wimble died in November of 2020. Both men are gone now, their lives marked by crimes that stretched across decades. The justice system's failure to hold them fully accountable meant they were free to harm and victimize others. But the story doesn't and should not end with them. What remains is Craig, his life, his absence, and the people who loved him. After more than five years of searching, waiting and hoping, Craig's family was finally able to give him a proper farewell. On May 10, 1986, they gathered for a graveside service in Essex Junction to lay him to rest. Craig is remembered as determined and loyal. He was sweet and kind. He liked to go fishing. And although school wasn't easy for him, he was focused on finishing high school. Craig was deeply devoted to the people he loved, both friends and family. For his mother, Carolyn, and sister Suzanne, grief became fuel for action. Both women turned their pain into Advocacy, speaking out on behalf of other families who knew the same kind of laws. They pushed for legislation to provide services and financial support for victims of crime and their loved ones. Suzanne, who later moved to Colorado, co founded the Boulder County Hospice Program for families of murder victims. She went on to serve as the Boulder Police Department's victim advocate, dedicating her life to supporting others even as she carried her own family's tragedy. Suzanne died in 1997 at just 36 years old. I was able to speak to Suzanne's daughter Tiffany as part of of my reporting for this episode. She was born in 1983, and so, sadly, she never got to meet her uncle Craig. She told me how her arrival in the family was a shining light in the darkness, a source of joy amidst it all. Her grandmother Carolyn, who is still alive, still talks about Craig. At moments. She's even told Tiffany that she reminds her of Craig.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

Tiffany sent me a copy of a story statement her mother typed and submitted to Vermont's Judicial Retention Committee regarding Judge Mehade, whose decision to disallow lesser included offenses in Bryan Wimble's trial changed the course of the entire case and, in Suzanne's view, allowed a killer to walk free. I wish I could have spoken to Suzanne for this episode. But in place of that, her letter.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

Dated March 30, 1989, is a raw.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

Look into her experience navigating the loss.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

Of her brother and and the frustration.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

She felt with the system that failed him. It begins, quote, recently my family and I were involved in a murder trial that Judge Mehade presided over. We feel that despite his nice courtroom manner, his apparent unfeeling intellectual attitude has allowed a murderer to go free. He was quoted in Vanguard Press as stating, intellectually, I have no problem with the decision not to allow lesser inclusion included offenses, but explaining it to laypeople would be hell, end quote. She lays out the details of his case over more than 10 typed pages with handwritten notes in the margins. Before signing her name in black ink, Suzanne closes the letter. A person has been violated and hacked to death in an innocent family, destroyed by a maniac who is still walking the streets and who will never know the difference between. Between right and wrong because a trusted judge in a trusted position made a decision that was too intellectual for lay people to understand. There is nothing difficult in understanding that the accused got away with murder. From Suzanne's letter, I learned that when Craig was the best man at his friend's wedding, the bride was Brian Wimble's sister. Craig was named the Godfather to their child, Brian's nephew. It's an incomprehensible betrayal that Brian would be, by his own admission, wrapped up in the murder of a person who was clearly so important to his own sister. Suzanne also writes that when she and her mother were printing and distributing flyers while Craig was still missing, Ryan called and offered to hang some up where he worked out in the Midwest where he'd moved since Craig's disappearance. Brian knew exactly where to find Craig, and yet he played along in some sick, twisted game. Brian kept up the facade for years. Suzanne wrote that before Craig was found, Brian always made a point to approach her, chat about life and work and family. Even after Craig's remains were recovered and the case became a homicide investigation, Suzanne had a run in with Brian at a company holiday party. She wrote in her statement, he looked me straight in the eyes, put his hand on my shoulder, and told me to take care of myself, end quote. Brian was already under investigation at that point. Suzanne remembered her brother as a mellow young boy who liked to listen to music and smoke a little pot. He wouldn't harm a flea, she wrote. She explained that he didn't even know how to fight, and she herself got beat up several times protecting him at school. Tiffany was still young when her mother passed away, and so she never got to hear the story of her uncle Craig from Suzanne herself.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

But she's heard the best parts about.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

How her mother stood up for and protected not only her brother, but anyone who needed it. It's a legacy she's carried on in her own life life. She sees that protector and helper trait show up in her own children. She's recognized other things that have been passed down, too.

[Family Member/Interviewee (Tiffany)]

Trauma does get passed down. You know, what our grandparents experienced affects us today. And one of my big takeaways from all of it is really like as an adult, as a mother, having been through the different phases of my life, is that yes, the trauma is passed down, the sad and the heart is passed down, but also being a survivor, the strength, the taking, the good with the bad, the finding the positive and finding a way to be a helper and to not be a victim. Because, you know, my uncle was a victim. But the rest of us, we can choose to let it define us or do something about it.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

Foreign.

[Narrator/Host (Kylie Lowe)]

Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this [e-mail] be sure to follow the show on Instagram at darkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones. And for those who are still searching for answers, I'm not about to let those names or their spirit stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is Dark Down East. Dark down east is a production of Kylie Media and audio.

[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

Check.

[Supporting Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Main Story Narrator (Kylie Lowe)]

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