← Going West: True Crime
Going West: True Crime
Jocelyn Earnest // 567
00:42:31
In December of 2007, a 38-year-old woman was found dead in her Virginia home next to a gun and a typed letter that, at first glance, appeared to be a suicide note. But investigators began to raise questions about the scene she left behind, including whether her body had been moved after her death. If it wasn’t a suicide, then what really happened to her? And who had done it? There were two different people in her life with potential motive, but one of them had far more damning notes to prove their guilt…. This is the murder of Jocelyn Earnest.
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- [00:00]
A
Support for Unwell comes from Google Pixel. Okay, daddy gang, listen to me. Let me set the scene. You are on a girls trip. Everyone's dressed up. It's the perfect golden hour lighting. And somehow it is impossible to get a group photo where everyone looks good. Okay. One person's blinking, another hates their angle. And of course the one where you look amazing is the one that your friends absolutely hate. So relatable. That is where The Google Pixel 10 Pro's camera comes in. This thing is wild. Let me explain it to you. Okay? It has Auto Best Take that automatically finds and combines similar photos into one where everyone looks great. I know this is literally a dream. So all of those blinks and look aways are replaced with picture perfect smiles. And you know how you always take great photos of your friends but they can't seem to take a decent picture of you? Well, the Google Pixel has a feature called Camera Coach that literally coaches you on how to take the best photo. Left, right, zoom in, step back. It maps it all out. So when you ask someone to take a photo of you, you know it's going to look good. It's the girls trip essential I didn't know I needed, but now I've got it. So yeah, get outside of your comfort phone and try the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Check it out at google store.com camera coach results may vary.
- [01:23]
B
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- [01:52]
C
Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.
- [01:57]
B
Oh, right this way.
- [01:58]
C
Who me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band. It's not just you.
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B
With T Mobile everyone can get VIP status. That means access to exclusive events and experiences just for being a customer. At t mobile VIP means y o u. Check out the VIP treatment at t mobile.com benefits. What is going on? True crime fans? I'm your host Teeth.
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C
And I'm your host Daphne.
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B
And you're listening to Going West.
- [02:43]
C
Hello everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We hope you're all having a beautiful holiday. Had will have wherever you are. Heath and I have been hanging out with his family and my family all week here in la. It has been lovely but we are so glad to be back with you guys. And big shout out to Brit Lee for recommending today's case.
- [03:04]
B
Yes, this story is just unbelievable to say the least. I mean the fact that this guy. I don't want to give too much away, but the fact that this guy really thought he was going to get away with it. You fucking idiot.
- [03:16]
C
We got a ridiculous POS today.
- [03:18]
B
Yes we do. So without further ado. Alright guys, this is episode 567 of Going West. So let's get into it.
- [03:38]
C
Sam In December of 2007, a 38 year old woman was found dead in her Virginia home next to a gun and a typed letter that at first glance appeared to be a suicide note. But investigators began to raise questions about the scene she left behind, including whether her body had been moved after her death. So if it wasn't a suicide, then what really happened to her? And who had done it? This is the murder of Jocelyn Ernest. Jocelyn Denise Branham was born on October 13, 1969 in Morgantown, West Virginia to parents Joyce and William, and she was later joined by a little sister named Laura. But Jocelyn's parents divorced when she was about 6 and then her mom, Joyce eventually married the girl sister stepfather Philip. Throughout her life, Jocelyn's friends and family described her as sunny, upbeat and friendly. She grew up playing basketball competitively and was actually known across West Virginia for her talent in the sport. She was also a gifted volleyball player, naturally, and loved spending time outdoors, whether it was fishing or hiking or indulging in her passion for photography. Jocelyn graduated from Hedgesville high school in 1988 and went on to attend West Virginia University on a full ride basketball scholarship.
- [06:07]
B
Go Mountaineers.
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C
Go Mountaineers. And there she pursued degrees in both marketing and economics. As a junior, Jocelyn met her future husband, Wesley Ernest, when she began chatting him up outside of his calculus class. Now Wesley, you know, naturally he's in calculus because he was a mathematics major who also happened to be a fellow basketball enthusiast. So they had some things in common and the two hit it off right away and started dating very quickly. Jocelyn graduated from West Virginia University and went on to attend the prestigious Virginia Tech Go Hokies. He's a man of all the man.
- [06:46]
B
Of all the teams, yes I do.
- [06:48]
C
Pursuing her master's degree in business administration. And Shortly afterwards in 1995, when Jocelyn was about 25 years old, she and Wesley got married. However, though many of their friends and family members saw them as kind of an ideal couple, Jocelyn's sister Laura says that she saw right through this and feels that Wesley exhibited concerning behavior. From the beginning of their relationship, Laura admitted, quote, I never understood it. They were like polar opposites. I had mixed emotions about the wedding. I didn't think it should happen. I didn't think he was right for her. In retrospect, Wesley did acknowledge that they had kind of more of a friendship than a romance or a marriage, and that this was a persistent issue in their relationship, as we're gonna talk about in a few different ways today. But even after things went south between them, Wesley maintained that he loved Jocelyn and had nothing negative to say about her and that everything was fine.
- [07:51]
B
Well, after completing her studies, Jocelyn worked her way up the corporate ladder, becoming a project manager at Genworth, which is an insurance and financial planning firm based in Richmond, Virginia. So they then settled in Bedford, Virginia, where her office was located. And at this point, they were doing so well for themselves that they decided to build a custom vacation home that they could enjoy when they got time off of work, indulging Jocelyn's love of the water and the outdoors. The home was a sprawling seven bedroom wooden house nestled on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake, which is about 35 minutes south of where they lived near Roanoke.
- [08:30]
C
Sounds pretty nice.
- [08:32]
B
Sounds like a dream. Exactly. Something that I would want in the future. Well, despite the outward appearance of having it all, the couple's lack of intimacy remained a stage sticking point between the two. Like, even Wesley said that they didn't have this strong, passionate, intimate love in that way fully. So, also, according to Wesley, Jocelyn actually told him that he should kind of venture out and find someone else to fulfill his physical needs. Though Jocelyn later claimed that she had only said this kind of as a joke, like she didn't really mean it. But regardless of what their actual arrangement was and how it came to pass, Wesley did begin seeing someone outside of the marriage in 2005. So, 10 years into their marriage, he started dating a woman named Shameika Wright. And this quickly turned from just a hookup to a very serious relationship. So much so that Wesley assured Shameika that he was separated and that he and his wife had an arrangement and were good to see other people.
- [09:31]
C
Which one is it, buddy? Separated or open?
- [09:34]
B
Yeah, he's kind of just giving her the run around a little bit. Well, Jocelyn's own actions before her death called these statements into question. In fact, she was so livid when she began catching onto this affair that she and a friend named Jennifer Kearns tracked down Wesley and Shameika at the lake house where they were spending time together. And according to this friend Jennifer, Jocelyn approached the window as they were having sex and knocked on the window, yelling, enjoy. Have fun. So with that, Jocelyn and Wesley officially separated. Around this time, Wesley was hired as the assistant principal of Great Bridge high school in Chesapeake, Virginia, which is nearly four hours east of Bedford. So he's getting work out of the area, and he needs to move. So this really helped cement their split. And then Jocelyn moved to Forest, Virginia, which is still in the vicinity of Lynchburg, where she had been living with Wesley and their main residence so that she could maintain her position at Genworth.
- [10:37]
C
Not a good sitch to just walk in on them like that and see them and have enough suspicion to go and find them there.
- [10:45]
B
Right. But this is the right way to handle the situation, at least at first. You know, separating. You guys clearly are not working. He's moving away where he has another job. You're chilling back near Lynchburg. It's all good. Right?
- [10:59]
C
Right. But Jocelyn was, you know, she. Because she didn't necessarily want to split, like, they were having problems, but clearly she wasn't happy he was cheating because she didn't want him to be cheating on her or with another woman. So even though they did have their issues, she was really struggling with this sudden life change. Obviously, they're married. They've been together for over a decade. They have two houses together. Like, this isn't just, like, okay, we're breaking up. Her whole life is, like, shaking right now. So she started seeing a therapist to kind of help ease this big transition during these sessions, which is a huge point of the trial. Later, actually, she began compiling a timeline of her life and the development of her relationship with Wesley. And these notes did not leave a favorable impression of Wesley or their marriage. They included blurbs such as, still in finance, pure hell, long hours, and Wes spending time with her. So, again, not only had he been having that affair that it seems Jocelyn was not at all okay with, but they also hadn't been spending too much quality time together because of Wesley's demanding job that he had had, obviously, before becoming a vice principal at that school. Jocelyn also detailed how she found foreign hairs in their bed at the lake house. Wondering if there were other women besides Shamika. She alleged that Wesley was no longer staying at the house full time and that he would sometimes disappear for multiple days without an explanation. Jocelyn admitted that the stress caused her to lose weight and added, I thought I would die. Dating back all the way to 1997, just two years after they were married, Jocelyn details that she told Wesley she didn't want to be with him sexually. Jumping forward again to June of 2006, the couple had filed for divorce, and in December of that year, Wesley filed to receive spousal support. Now, Wesley feared that the lake house, which would need to sell by the time their divorce was finalized in March of 2008, wouldn't garner the price he needed for it, and that they would have to cut their losses and sell for a lower price point before splitting it. Cause aside from the affair, the main sticking point of the divorce was their finances, as is quite typical, but. So the mortgage on the lake house alone was $5,700 a month, which is over $9,000 a month by today's standards. And this is just for that vacation house. Well, despite Wesley's desperation to hang on to the lake house, they decided to sell it, but came to the conclusion that they wouldn't be able to bring in anywhere near the almost $3 million asking price. After overspending to impress his new girlfriend, along with the amount that he owed on the house and on his credit cards, which was about $125,000 on its own, Wesley had racked up nearly $1 million in debt, and he even asked.
- [14:03]
B
Shamika to step in and help pay. And she did, claiming to have loaned him thousands of dollars, which only made a little dent in his very large debt. Once Wesley's affair became known and the divorce proceedings were underway, and Wesley and Jocelyn were still married, but more so estranged. Jocelyn had also been fostering a new relationship, but this one was more of a secret. She and a friend named Marcie shepherd, who would later be the one to find Jocelyn's body, had realized their feelings for each other. So this possibly could explain why Jocelyn just wasn't really interested in Wesley in that way, because she had stronger feelings towards women, and she hadn't explored that enough yet. But according to Marcy, she and Jocelyn had only kissed a few times, and their feelings for each other were more of a crush born from curiosity than anything serious just yet, they were very much still seeing it through. So Jocelyn met marcy back in 2005 while paired together for a project at Genworth where they worked, and they had hit it off instantly. Marcy remembered it was very stressful. We just tried to make it fun. Like Jocelyn, Marcy was married to a man at the time and she even had children, but was separated from her husband despite living in the same home. And then she found herself developing feelings for her new friend. Remembering Jocelyn was a wonderful person. There was a lot to respect about Jocelyn. That same year, after Marcy drove Jocelyn home from a party, they kissed on the couch for the very first time. And though Marcy remembers that they only kissed about three times in total and that there was no other romantic development, she added, there was definitely an emotional attachment. Marcy noted that in the months before her death, Jocelyn had been focusing on taking care of herself and centering her care and well being above that of her husband's for once, which is part of why they were taking things slow. In December of 2007, 38 year old Jocelyn seemed to be happier than she had the entire time I knew her. In the days leading up to her death, her coworkers remembered her persistent bubbly spirit and her upbeat attitude, as well as her eager anticipation of the holidays. A coworker recalled, most days she came in with a smile on her face. Just happy to see you. Good morning always.
- [16:36]
C
On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, Jocelyn and Marcy had plans to meet up in the evening to exchange Christmas gifts and they were planning to hang out after Marcy put her kids to bed. She last received a text from Jocelyn around 7:30pm that evening, and while she waited to hear back, Marcy headed out to cvs, the retail and drug store, to run an errand and then briefly stop by the office. At this point she's kind of starting to grow concerned because she hasn't gotten a response back from Jocelyn. Obviously they're supposed to hang out, so she's not necessarily worried. She's more so noting that that's kind of weird that she hasn't gotten back to me. So she just decided to stop by Jocelyn's house, kind of hoping to catch her and just drop off her present. But when she arrives, she noticed that Jocelyn's car was in the driveway, but the house was still and dark and Jocelyn wasn't coming to the door. So not knowing where she was or what was going on, Marcy left. Obviously, like I said, she wasn't worried at this point necessarily thinking that something happened to Jocelyn. She just doesn't know if maybe she's busy with something else or forgot about their plan or what. Well, meanwhile, Wesley left work that same day complaining of a sore throat. So Wesley leaves work early this same day and though he was supposed to attend a wrestling match, he Claims that he went home to where he was staying for a nap. He Left School around 4pm Again, he works at the school, remember? And was not seen until arriving back at school the next morning. That following day, which was Thursday, December 20, 2007, Marcy still hadn't heard back from her friend. So at this point, finally beginning to panic, she stopped by 38 year old Jocelyn's home again. But absolutely nothing had changed. Like Jocelyn's car was still parked outside, the doors were still locked and the lights were still off. She called a mutual friend of theirs at this point, Mesa Muncie, who knew the code to the shed in the back where there was a spare key for emergencies. And after helping her access the key, their friend Mesa stayed on the phone with Marcy as she gained access to the house. The first thing that Marcy noticed was the extreme heat inside, which was cranked up to 90 degrees. Marcy recalled. As soon as I opened the door, a wall of hot air hit me in the face. I could see Jocelyn's legs and it just didn't look right. She was lying on her back. She wasn't moving. There was blood on her face. So terrified, Marcy hung up the phone with mesa and dialed 911. When asked if she could find a heartbeat, she placed her hand on her friend's stomach and claimed that she knew that Jocelyn was gone. That was when she noticed the gun discarded near her friend's body.
- [19:41]
B
Now, sadly, upstairs, Jocelyn's beloved dog, Rufus had been left alone in his crate despite the stifling heat.
- [19:48]
C
And 90 degrees inside is so hot. That's about 32 degrees Celsius, by the way. That is hot.
- [19:54]
B
Yeah. And on top of that, there's also no breeze. It's not like you're getting any wind flow through there. It's just stagnant hot air. But thankfully, Rufus was okay. But those who knew Jocelyn maintained that she would have never left him behind in a position like that, even if she had chosen to take her own life. As we will discuss now. After police arrived on the scene, Marcy was quickly shuffled to the deck as investigators arrived to process the scene. Next to her body, in addition to the gun, was a typed note that read, mom, I just can't take it anymore. I've tried so hard to be strong, but it's too hard to continue. The ups and downs are too much to deal with. I keep trying to appear as though I'm doing fine, but the bad days are so overwhelming and lonely. My new love will never leave the family. Wes has buried us in debt and starting over is too much. I'm so sorry, Mom. I am so sorry, everyone. Jocelyn. But despite the initial suspicion of suicide, the assistant Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Amy Tharp, later testified her belief that the gun was held two inches away from Jocelyn's head before she was shot. Despite the fact that most suicides are very close to the head, Jocelyn was shot through the back right side of her head and had exited through her left temple. The bullet was shot at what Dr. Tharp called an awkward angle, and she concluded her belief that the shot was not fired in a suicide attempt. Additionally, gunpowder was found on Jocelyn's right hand, which would actually be consistent with her holding up her dominant hand to shield herself from this incoming shot. The gun was believed to have fired two rounds, according to investigators, and there were three still left in the chamber of that gun. But only lead fragments were found on the floor and no bullet from the second shot, so this remained unconfirmed. Now, upstairs, there was a used condom wrapper whose presence could not be explained as well as bullets from a gun that was not the magnum.357 that was used to take Jocelyn's life. According to the blood spatter on the carpet and on the back of the coat that she had been wearing, the blood left behind from her death was consistent with having been dragged across the carpet. Forensic scientist Marjorie Harris noted the deceased was actually pulled across the existing stain of the carpet. So based on analysis of the blood on Jocelyn's face, forensic scientist Marjorie Harris believed that Jocelyn had been moved to at least three positions after she died. Marjorie concluded once she went down, she was pulled and moved. She asserted her belief that whomever moved Jocelyn would have been there when she was shot. And on top of all this, there was also instant suspicion about the note that she supposedly left behind. Because although most suicide notes are handwritten, this one had been typed and was left face down near the body. Handwriting experts pored over Jocelyn's note to track consistency as well as syntax between the note and previous letters and journal entries that she had written. And she found them to be mismatched. So they're basically saying, even though this is a handwriting expert, they can still judge the way she's using words that she used to use in her diaries and stuff like that. And they're like, yeah, this is just not the language that Jocelyn would use. And they also had a lot of material because Jocelyn was an avid writer who kept meticulous notes and wrote in her journal on a regular basis. So they had a lot of comparisons that they could make to prove that the language was just not hers. Like, because she was known to love writing, she left behind over a dozen journals, which investigators took in to pore over in order to decide if they believed that she was capable of taking her own life. She had a backstock of 17 journals that experts looked over and came to the conclusion that the note and the journals were inconsistent and that most likely the author of the alleged suicide note had not been 38 year old Jocelyn Ernest.
- [24:46]
A
Support for Unwell Comes from Google Pixel okay, so I recently had one of those Sundays where I convinced myself it was a great idea to reorganize my entire closet. And of course halfway through I found myself sitting on the floor surrounded by clothes, completely overwhelmed. So I pulled out my Google Pixel 10 Pro because it comes with Gemini built in on the phone. I launched my camera using Gemini Live, showed it my crazy closet and I asked for help and immediately it hit me up with all sorts of pro organizing tips like what to hang, how to fold stuff, and even helped me decide which items to donate and where to drop them off. It was a lifesaver, ladies okay, but while I was neck deep in hoodies, I totally lost track of time until I got a text from Matt saying hey, what is the address for dinner tonight? Fortunately, the Google Pixel has this feature called Magic Cue that just pulls up the info you need without you having to dig through old emails and stuff. It popped the address right into my text for me and tap it was sent. Daddy. Gang, we could all use a little help making Sundays less scary. So get outside of your comfort phone and try the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Check it out@googlestore.com and these AI features are for users. 18/ check responses. Availability and results vary.
- [26:09]
C
This episode is brought to you by El Mayor Tequila, A clean premium tequila that proves less really is more. El Mayor Tequila is crafted using only three ingredients, 100% blue Weber agave water and heirloom yeast. The latest release, El Mayor Cafe Reposado takes that same clean Tequila and rests it in coffee seasoned bourbon barrels, adding a natural coffee kiss flavor.
- [26:38]
B
Whether you're mixing up espresso martinis for the holidays or sipping it fireside, it's absolutely perfect for this time of year. Their award winning tequila is clean, smooth and always worth the pour. It's award winning Tequila without the inflated price Look.
- [26:54]
C
Heath said it best. Making an espresso Martini out of this El Mayor Cafe Reposado is so freaking delicious. It's so unique. We just made it for a bunch of our friends for this holiday party we went to and everybody was obsessed and for good reason. I mean it's just so high quality and you can really taste the freshness.
- [27:13]
B
Discover more@el mayor.com and find El Mayor Tequila at a retailer near you.
- [27:19]
C
Please enjoy responsibly. Your home should show off who you are and Ashley has styles that balance timeless appeal and modern trends to bring your personal look to home. Me and Heath's house is so us. It's filled with books and horror movie posters and chic furniture. It's so cozy. You will find us curled up on our sectional couch any night of the week. I mean it's an extension of our.
- [27:44]
B
Style and Ashley offers well crafted affordable pieces for any style. Built to stand up to real life with great looks that are made to.
- [27:53]
C
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- [28:12]
B
Ashley.com is easy to shop with so many stylish options to choose from and the ordering process is smooth from start to finish. Plus Ashley provides fast, reliable white glove delivery right to your door.
- [28:26]
C
Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style. When you finally take a break from diving into some of these intense cases, there's nothing better than relaxing with a glass of wine that you can count on. That's why we want to share Riva de la Rosa, an Italian white wine brand that's elegant, refreshing and easy to enjoy.
- [28:52]
B
Each glass of Riva Della Rosa feels like being transported to Italy. Bright, refreshing and completely effortless.
- [29:00]
C
They have two standout wines that we think you guys will love. Vermentino, which is crisp, vibrant and smooth, and Gavi, which is bright, kind of flirty and just the right touch of elegance.
- [29:13]
B
And the best part is that every bottle has a screw cap so it's easy to open anywhere, anytime, no corkscrew required.
- [29:22]
C
Enjoy quality wine that pairs perfectly with a quiet dinner this fall or winter time with friends or simply winding down after a long day. Which is exactly what Heath and I did this weekend with a bottle of Vermentino. We made this beautiful fall fettuccine. It paired so well. It was so delicious. We had the whole bottle over dinner and we had just great conversation. You guys would love this wine.
- [29:45]
B
Bring a little taste of Italy to your next wine night. Check out rivadellarosawine.com to find a bottle near you.
- [29:52]
C
Disclaimer must be 21 plus. Please drink responsibly. Do you love true crime but find yourself wanting every single detail? From the social media rabbit holes to the red flags and details the headlines never tell you? Then you need to check out Serial Lessly with Annie Elise.
- [30:12]
B
Whether it's everything that's been going on with the Idaho four case now that more documents have been unsealed, or a deep dive into a case that you've never even heard of that's packed with love triangles, red flags and drama. I mean, Annie has it all.
- [30:27]
C
Topping the charts with over 1 million weekly downloads, Annie gives you the full story the way that you'd actually want to hear it. Like your best friend is filling you in on everything, with every single detail sleuthed out.
- [30:39]
B
So if you've been looking for someone to chat all things true crime with, and a community just as obsessed as you are, this is where you need to be.
- [30:47]
C
Listen to all new episodes of Serial Less Ly every Monday and Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.
- [30:54]
B
Taking your business to the next level is a goal that many of us share, but often remains just a dream. But what if you stopped thinking what if? And started doing? One of the easiest ways to do that is with Shopify.
- [31:08]
C
Shopify's point of sale system is a unified command center for your business that brings together in store and online operations. With Shopify, you can keep people coming back with personalized experiences and first party data that gives marketing teams this kind of competitive edge. I used Shopify when I had a coffee company and I could not recommend it. More like it was just the perfect place to launch my small business. Their system is so user friendly, the customer service is beyond if you're not using Shopify for your business yet, what are you doing? You. But it's not too late. Let's turn those what ifs into why nots and keep giving those big dreams the best shot with Shopify.
- [31:51]
B
Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com goingwest go to shopify.com goingwest shopify.com goingwest.
- [32:09]
C
Foreign. Of the investigation Detectives suspected that the scene of the alleged suicide was staged and that the thermostat had actually been cranked up in order to speed up decomposition and mislead investigators about Jocelyn's actual time of death. Which is crazy that the heat in the house is like playing a role in this entire scheme. Though Wesley was questioned and denied any knowledge of or any involvement in her murder. He, of course, topped the list of persons of interest for the police. James Fitzgerald, who is a forensic linguist who worked with the FBI's Criminal Profiling Unit, later testified his belief that Jocelyn had not been the one to write the note. James tediously compared the note to 250 samples of Jocelyn's handwriting and 77 of Wesley's and concluded that the writing style matched that of her ex husband. According to James, Jocelyn's note lacked the depth and warmth that her other letters and journal entries expressed and failed to name anybody except for Wes and her mom, which also apparently would have been unheard of for her because of her many, many dear friends. The assistant Bedford prosecutor, Wes Nance, maintained, quote, that's not a suicide note, that's a homicide note, which, you gotta hand it to them. I feel like we've seen a lot of cases on this show where people are believed to have taken their own lives and they write a note and we're over here screaming, no, that's obviously not what happened. And they are very much acknowledging that from the onset. But according to Wesley's mom, there were multiple errors in the punctuation that he never would have made. So in her opinion, she's like, he couldn't have been the author because he would have never misspelled that word. But it's like maybe he did that on purpose. Like maybe he's not trying to sound like himself.
- [34:16]
B
Well, and also it's his mom, so of course she's going to take his side and not want to believe that her son could be capable of doing something like this.
- [34:25]
C
Yeah, that is very typical behavior. Well, the note was retained for more analysis while investigators built out a profile of who may have been responsible. They're keeping an open mind here. They're also noting that her two laptop computers, which were forensically processed, by the way, for any sign that she had written that note on the computer. There was no, no evidence to support this being true. There was no proof that this letter came from either of her computers.
- [34:54]
B
Yeah. And on top of that, her printer was not even functional at that time and it hadn't been used recently. So they're like, okay, so where would she have even written this note and printed it out?
- [35:04]
C
Yeah. And you imagine if she's writing her suicide note, if she's not going to use her own hand to do it, that she's going to do it on her personal computer.
- [35:13]
B
Yeah.
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C
Not do it at work.
- [35:14]
B
I would imagine she's not going to like the library to go print out her own suicide note, you know?
- [35:18]
C
Yeah. So true. But get this. In one damning journal entry, Jocelyn wrote, quote, if I die, Wesley killed me, and he probably shot me.
- [35:31]
B
That is insanely foreshadowing.
- [35:34]
C
She also once admitted to Marcy that she was actually afraid of Wesley and that she was concerned that he was dangerous. But the most shocking discovery, in my opinion, aside from if I die, Wesley killed me and he probably shot me, was a letter that seemed to indicate that he was trying to win her back, despite the fact that he was seeing somebody else and obviously cheating on her willingly. Now, this letter, posthumously found among her personal effects, read, quote, I still continue to hold you in high regard. You are an incredible person. I screwed up our marriage. I still do not want a divorce. I want you. I can't believe some of the things I said and did. So that proves that he had a lot of regrets with the way that he treated Jocelyn, the way their marriage unraveled, and that he wants her back. But it seems like she's exploring something with Marcy, and she doesn't want Wesley back. As you were saying, Heath, right before she died, she was doing well for herself, and she was really focusing on her. And as if all of this is not enough, though, Wesley's girlfriend Shameika, and his family maintain that he could have never done anything like this. He would have never had anything to do with the murder or the composition of the note. Wesley's fingerprints were found on the paper.
- [36:58]
B
I mean, that is just extremely damning. I don't know how you're gonna defend.
- [37:02]
C
That, especially because they weren't even living together at the time. They weren't married. There's no reason his fingerprints should be on this paper at the scene of her murder for any reason. But even without all this evidence that seems to be mounting against Wesley, his behavior in the aftermath of her death is remembered as very strange, even for a couple who was separated. Like, one teacher at a school named Molly Sullivan offered her condolences after hearing about Jocelyn's death, and Wesley apparently snapped at her and said that they were no longer married. Instead of just doing the normal thing and saying, thank you so much, and then moving forward, he was, like, getting mad about it, which.
- [37:44]
B
Yeah, why? That just kind of shows his personality.
- [37:47]
C
His aggression towards the situation, maybe his anxiety towards it.
- [37:51]
B
Because he's guilty. Yeah, exactly. I mean, and if he was feeling like police were on his tail at this point, you know, he's. He's probably gonna be pretty anxious about somebody bringing it up. So as investigators zeroed in on Wesley and attempted to build their case against him, another curious development presented itself. His prized lake house burned to the ground.
- [38:14]
C
You don't say.
- [38:16]
B
And I want to say that the fire was so intense that it quickly engulfed the entire house, and it had been so encompassing that a cause could not be determined.
- [38:26]
C
And remember, this is December in Virginia, so it would have been very cold. Weather reports state that around this time, the area was experiencing light snow. So this is not fire weather, where a natural fire would have been more likely to start itself due to, like, wind and also the rural nature around.
- [38:44]
B
The home or just, like, the natural heat of, like, the summertime or something like that.
- [38:49]
C
Yeah, this would not be typical for the time.
- [38:51]
B
Well, regarding Wesley's whereabouts, when the fire actually broke out, he said that he was in Northern Virginia with Shameika. But investigators noted that the rental listing, which Wesley had set up in hopes of kind of recouping some of the money that he was going to lose on the house, was taken down as soon as the blaze broke out, which was obviously quite suspicious. Now, Wesley did receive a pretty handsome payout for the insurance on the home. I mean, motive much. Remember, he is in debt, and he was actually able to maintain ownership over the pristine piece of lakefront property. But none of that would matter soon enough, because largely due to the evidence presented by the phony suicide letter, Wesley was arrested on February 27, 2008, with Shamika and his family standing by his side in support. But what's really interesting here is that the defense leaned on the presence of an anonymous man being responsible for Jocelyn's murder, because they couldn't really figure out what was going on with those condoms that were found in her bedroom, because obviously, she's no longer with Wesley, so why would there be these, like, condoms in her room? So they're kind of using that as their defense. And the defense also alleged that the visits to her therapist, who was helping her through her divorce, and the fact that she took medication to help with anxiety and depression were an indication that she was in the midst of a mental health crisis. But her therapist was questioned by investigators and maintains that Jocelyn was not suicidal in any way. And Jocelyn's friends and family also asserted the same thing. But get this, though. The search of Shameka's home later revealed the holster for the magnum. 300 and. 57 that killed Jocelyn, the gun that was listed in Westley's will as his gun, despite Wesley telling police that he had actually purchased the gun for Jocelyn for her protection.
- [40:48]
C
I've heard that one before. Well, additionally, Shamika admitted that she had been unable to make contact with Wesley on the night of the murder.
- [40:56]
A
Murder.
- [40:56]
C
But remember, he said that they had been together in Northern Virginia, and she's kind of saying, oh, well, this was due to spotty reception in the neighborhood, so she's trying to. To have his back. But clearly they were not actually together that night. Now, he says Wesley says that he borrowed a pickup truck from his friend named David Hall a few days before the murder. So David is believed to have unknowingly provided the getaway vehicle. David was a teacher at the school where Wesley was the assistant principal, and he loaned the truck to Wesley for three days that December in order to, quote, move furniture.
- [41:36]
B
And I'm sure that this teacher was thinking, oh, man, this is the assistant principal. Like, I'm gonna do him a solid. You know, Obviously, he's lower on the totem pole as far as the school goes.
- [41:45]
C
Absolutely. So he wants to help him out. So they swapped vehicles in the school parking lot on December 17 and then switched them back on December 20, which happened to be the day after Jocelyn was believed to have been murdered. According to David's wife, Wesley apologized for having left a spot of bleach on the carpet floor. But he explained that he always tried to return things better than he found them, which was a lesson that his father had taught him, and that he had gone over bored with the cleaning and accidentally spilled the bleach, leaving a stain. I don't know about you, Heath, but I don't clean the car with bleach. You know, maybe a little upholstery spray. But the fact that he's saying he borrowed a car to move furniture for three days, and you're cleaning it with bleach?
- [42:34]
B
Yeah, I don't think so. I mean, that's just. It just makes him look even more suspicious.
- [42:39]
C
Yeah, all while he's making himself out to be morally rich. Like, I'm. I'm just returning it better than I.
- [42:45]
B
Found it when we know that this guy is very clearly immoral and a big piece of shit.
- [42:51]
C
Well, this wasn't even the last time he used this truck, because in early January, he borrowed it again, and this time he returned it the same day. But the hulls noticed that he had swapped out all four tires.
- [43:06]
B
What a weird thing to do.
- [43:09]
C
Tires are really expensive. Right. So they question. Obviously they're noticing that they have brand new tires on the car. They're questioning why he did this. And he explained that he had blown out one of the tires after driving over a nail and that he didn't want them to have to deal with getting replacements. So he just replaced all four of them. Which is not a normal thing to do to replace all four tires. If you have one flat, you replace the flat.
- [43:33]
B
Well, I gotta say, Wesley, for, you know, this guy who claims that he returns to things better than he found them, you're over two here, bud. I mean, you literally left a bleach stain and now you're replacing all of their tires, like, what the hell?
- [43:46]
C
But masking it, like, oh, I gave you all new tires. What a nice thing for me to do because I blew one of them out. And for anybody wondering, it's not like the tires were old because Wesley visited the Kramer tire company in Chesapeake for the replacements. And according to the owner, Rick Kuhn, who later testified against him, Wesley had introduced himself as Tom Dunbar. And he also said that he hadn't needed new tires at all. He said, quote, the tread was smooth all the way across, the tires were almost new, so they didn't need to be replaced.
- [44:21]
B
And that's what I mean by like, you know, because it's obviously like, oh, I'm replacing the tires, you're getting brand new tires, but it's like my tires were new.
- [44:29]
C
Right. And he's saying his name is Tom Dunbar. So why are you giving a fake name to the tire guy? It's because you're doing something really suspicious.
- [44:39]
B
Yeah. You're clearly trying to cover for yourself.
- [44:41]
C
So then this makes us wonder if he borrowed the truck again to dispose of evidence, maybe. And then my thought is that he replaced the tires so that they couldn't match the tread if they found, you know, the tracks and the evidence that he disposed of later on.
- [44:58]
B
Sure. Because again, he said he was in northern Virginia when that fire broke out. But if they were able to track those or match the tire tracks, he'd be caught basically red handed. So I think this was his attempt to make sure that that didn't happen. Well, In March of 2010, Wesley's trial was underway, and his defense team leaned on unsubstantiated theories and finger pointing, Blaming Jocelyn's friends for her death. Marcie Shepard was grilled by the defense for her deletion of a few text messages that she had exchanged with with Jocelyn in the days leading up to her death. Though Marcy said that this was innocent and a frequent habit of hers, she explained that her connection with Jocelyn was more emotional than physical and that we talked about that and said that we couldn't act on it. The defense also accused her of stopping by the Genworth office that night specifically to type up that suicide note, and then going inside to kill Jocelyn, leave the note behind. Mesa Muncie, who was the second of Jocelyn's friends to arrive on the scene of Jocelyn's discovery, was also brought up as a possible scapegoat, given that she knew how to gain access to the shed where Jocelyn kept her spare set of keys. So basically, before Jocelyn's death, Mesa, who also worked at Genworth, had been involved in an illegal scheme to pilfer Social Security numbers from. From their office files. So she was later charged with identity theft for this. But obviously this does not mean that she had motive or the capability to murder her friend and former colleague. And yet Wesley's attorney, Joseph Sanzone, openly accused her of killing Jocelyn, with the motive being to silence her about her role in the theft, which Jocelyn may have had knowledge of prior to her death.
- [46:50]
C
It's just so clear that Wesley had all. All the motive and connections to commit this crime. But I did look into this as well, and there's no official date available for when Mesa was charged for this. And the news really only hit when this trial was underway. So we can't show how close her arrest was to Jocelyn's murder. But I'm sure the defense was really happy about this angle, that they had something to try to use some. Some scapegoat, like you said.
- [47:19]
B
Exactly. Then now they're able to point fingers in different directions, even though, again, it's.
- [47:24]
C
So obvious that Wesley is the one here.
- [47:27]
B
Yeah. I mean, come on. So after a two week trial, Wesley was found guilty of his wife's murder. But despite a positive prognosis for the prosecution, the judge had dealt them a harsh blow before the trial even began. Because to the dismay of the prosecution, a judge ruled that Jocelyn's copious journal entries, many of which featured damning accounts of Wesley's treatment of and behavior toward her, were inadmissible in court due to the fact that no one could be sure what Jocelyn's intentions were in these passages.
- [47:59]
C
Yeah. So unfortunately for Jocelyn's loved ones, this decision would set forth a chain of events that would drag out the justice for Jocelyn indefinitely. Because the jury had already seen some of the journal samples from her journal when the local newspaper had published some of its contents. And jury jurors were pretty honest when they reported that it had swayed their decision. And multiple people claimed that they had based their decision on passages from her journal. So this was a big, big, big piece of the trial. So the judge was forced to declare a mistrial, and a retrial would have to be ordered. Wesley's second trial began in November of 2010, so just seven months after the first First. Obviously, this could have been worse, could have been pushed even more, but still, the fact that her family has to go through this again was a lot. But even without the admission of the journals, there was plenty of damning evidence, including the fact that the handwritten timeline Jocelyn had been keeping in therapy was found to be a ruse. Or at the very least, certain editions of it were falsified. Like handwriting. Experts actually believe that Wesley had written in certain things, such as the passage about discovering that she did not want to be with him sexually, which she had supposedly written back in 1997. They actually believe that Wesley wrote that. But of course, Wesley didn't have an explanation for the motivation behind this ruse. On November 19, 2010, he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, plus three years. But to this day, his family maintains his innocence. But Shameika and Wesley have since concluded their relationship, since he'll be behind bars forever. But everyone else in Jocelyn's family and her circle know that the jury made the right decision that day. Thank you so much, everybody, for listening to this episode of Going West.
- [50:15]
B
Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I really feel like the smoking gun in this case was the fact that his fingerprints were on that typed letter. Had he not been such a dumbass and. And not maybe worn gloves or something, I don't know. He probably. It probably could have gone either way.
- [50:34]
C
It's so messed up to think, though, that he turned up the heat on the house and that could have killed the dog. Like the fact that the dog was in there for a day. Yeah.
- [50:43]
B
I mean, the guy's a monster.
- [50:44]
C
Yeah, he is. And, like, the. All this stuff with the tires and the borrowing of the truck, like, what a dummy. Thank you so much to Brit Lee for putting this case on our radar. Thank you, everybody, for listening. If you have a case that you want us to cover on the show, send us an email. Going west podcastmail.com We have such a long list, but we always appreciate or appreciate these suggestions. So thank you, guys. Happy holidays, and we'll see you on Tuesday.
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B
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C
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