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- [00:00]
Shopify Representative
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- [01:12]
Monday.com Representative
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- [01:40]
Peyton Moreland
You're listening to an ONO Media Podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the into the Dark podcast. I'm your host Peyton Moreland and I am so happy that you are here listening to this show. Into the Dark is a true crime podcast that also ventures into all things spooky dark haunted aliens, ghost stories, tinfoil tales. Everything dark and spooky is what we do over here on this show. So if you're into that, you are definitely in the right place. Thank you for all of the amazing reviews that we have been getting and for the comments and interactions with the YouTube video. It honestly means so much that you guys are willing to support this show and I can't thank you enough. Okay, so before we jump into the episode, we are going to start with my 10 seconds and I went to a pottery class and it was so fun except I do have claws on my fingernails. I just have long fingernails and so I had to use these little sponges because you literally use the tips of your fingers to mold pottery. So I kept stabbing it so I had to use these sponges. But honestly it was so fun and therapeutic to just kind of sit there and work with this clay. I don't know if you've never taken a pottery class, look up in your local area, see if there is one. It was just like a two hour experience. You don't have to know anything. I knew absolutely nothing. And they just kind of did a quick walk through. They guide you through the whole thing and where I went, you got to paint it and then you go back and pick it up. I made a bowl because I'm a beginner and honestly was a little lopsided. But I can't wait to go back. I have decided that I'm going to try new things and find new hobbies in this era of life, just for some sanity and for some grounding to get off social media and the television and pottery was such a fun one that I'm definitely going to go back and try it again. So yeah, if you needed the urge or the push to book that class or go for that hot girl walk, this is your sign to just do it. Going and deciding to do it is the hardest part. But once you get there, you won't regret it. I promise. Now that we are getting into the episode, I did want to give a trigger warning. This episode includes discussions of pregnancy loss and suicide. So please listen with care. Now, let's be honest, rejection sucks. Almost all of us have been there. When you like someone and they don't like you back in the same way, it really can feel like the end of the world. And in today's case, someone was rejected by their crush and it set in motion a chain of events that did mean the end of one person's world. And that end was a horrific murder. You might be confused. Let's get into it. So it begins on July 20, 2019 at 10:30am A police officer is on a routine patrol near an abandoned fishing camp at Sardis Lake. And this is a remote wooded area in Mississippi. But the deputy on patrol isn't expecting to find anything surprising or exciting. They're just going about their normal morning routine checking wooded area. Except along the way, they stumble across the body of a young woman who's recently been shot to death. She's lying on the ground like her killer just left her there without trying to hide or dispose or bury the remains. This is definitely not what this deputy thought he would stumble upon. So right away he calls for backup and crime scene investigators rush to the scene and they determine that the woman has been shot to death. At least nine bullets hit her, possibly more. It's hard to say for sure, but most of the injuries these gunshots are to her back, as though the killer Just kept firing at her even after she fell onto the ground. The police are shocked. They have never seen a body that has been shot this many times in this area. And it's so cruel and senseless. All they can do now is try to solve the case. So they find 11 spent shells scattered around on the ground near the woman. She's actually lying near a picnic table. And given the shell's position, the police actually believe early on that the murderer killed the woman while they were both actually sitting at the table. Because there are some empty white claws around, suggesting that this murder victim and her killer might have been sitting at this picnic table in this wooded area in Mississippi in 2019, drinking together, when the shooter attacked her, struck her with that first bullet, and then walked around the table to continue firing at the woman that was now on the ground. So after a brief search, the police also find a purse not too far away from the woman's body. Body. Now, there isn't a cell phone in it, but there is a wallet. It is the victim's wallet. And it kind of suggests to police that this was probably not a robbery gone wrong. As if that isn't clear enough, given how remote and isolated this fishing camp is. Luckily, there are two IDs in the purse, and the investigators quickly confirm that they belong to the woman. She's actually a student from the University of Mississippi, which is just a 45 minute drive away from this fishing camp. And this deceased victim is named Allie Costell. So police begin figuring out who is Ali. So before her death, Ali was 21 years old. She was actually a senior in college. And to all outward appearances, she'd been living her best life at the University of Mississippi. It was a perfect reflection of who she was. Your typical pretty, popular girl with a bright future ahead of her. In high school, Ali had actually never had a serious boyfriend. But she did go to prom with a friend named Maddie Norris. Since neither of them had a date, they actually wore matching dresses with patterned tops and solid colored skirts. But Ali's was red and Maddie's was blue and white. And according to Maddie, she and Ali loved rom coms. They'd watch movies like Legally Bl and Over Again. Other times, they'd cruise up and down the road in a convertible. This is all to say that, according to her friends, Ali loved things that were girly and light hearted. Her dream was actually to eventually do some kind of marketing work in the fashion industry. And when it came time to pick a college, Ali knew she wanted that classic university experience. She wanted to go to a big school with a good football team, sorority life, and lots of other students so she could make plenty of friends and even date around a little bit. And the University of Mississippi was exactly what she was looking for. When Ali actually visited the campus for the first time, it was just blooming. Ally was all about the flowers, and she fell in love with the grounds as soon as she saw all of the plants and gardens. So, needless to say, she was thrilled to get accepted. And once she enrolled, she was very active and involved in on campus life. Ali joined a sorority. She had a lot of friends, and she kept busy teaching yoga and Pilates classes. She was even a regular on the golf course. And by the time she was an upperclassman, she had an apartment that was decorated with, like, a beach theme. And she was known as a nice dresser who was regularly seen wearing pearls to and from class. And on top of all of that, Ally already knew exactly what she wanted out of life after she graduated college. Even though she had never dated seriously before, she knew that she wanted to meet her future husband soon. While she was still in school. According to her closest friends, she saw herself settling down with a nice Southern boy and eventually having kids. And Ali believed she was one step closer to that goal in her freshman year. And Allie believed she was one step closer to that goal when she met a boy named Brandon Threesfeld. So, like a lot of college students, they actually met at a bar. And Brandon had a lot of those nice southern boy qualities that Ali was presumably looking for. He was outdoorsy, athletic. He grew up religious. And like her, he was also a student at the University of Mississippi. So right away, Ali developed a huge crush on Brandon. Except if Ali was hoping to settle down and eventually get married, I don't think Brandon was the guy she should have set her sights on. While apparently she wanted a serious relationship with him, Brandon honestly treated Ali more like a casual hookup. He did make it very clear that he did not want to commit. And when Ali asked him why they couldn't just be together, he gave the same answer to her over and over again. According to Brandon, he wasn't good enough for Ali. Of course she liked him. She. She thought he was good enough. But he didn't budge. He was like, it's not gonna happen. I am not up to your level now. Some of Ali's friends were like, hey, Brandon's just making excuses. He was leading her on, finding a way to av being in a real relationship while still getting to hang out and hook up. And looking like a good guy saying, I'm not good enough for you. So once it became obvious that they wanted fundamentally different things, Ali and Brandon broke up. And then they got back together and then they broke up again. And on it went, and on again, off again relationship where Ali really liked Brandon and kept pressuring him for more and he just continued to lead her on and then shut her down. So I do think it's important to note. So while Brandon and Ali were together, they were never actually an official couple because Brandon didn't want to be. They never went on a single date. Their relationship seemed to be strictly sexual when it was going on. And Allie wasn't quite able to call it quits for good. Now, at one point, her close friend from high school, Maddie, came to the campus to visit her best friend, who she hadn't seen in a long time. And before Maddie had even finished planning the trip, Allie ended up telling her all about Brandon and how great he was and how they'd been seeing each other for a while. And Allie promised Maddie that they'd all have a chance to meet and get to know one another during her visit. Except once Maddie arrived on campus, Brandon was nowhere to be seen. He completely ghosted Ally the entire time Maddie was in town. Like, he couldn't even be bothered to take a few hours to get to know one of Ali's best friends. So this obviously sent a pretty clear message that Ali wasn't a priority for him. But still, even after all of this, Ally was head over heels for Brandon. And I think we've all been there. She could not get over him. The crush was serious enough that Ali's friends were actually becoming worried about her. It was so obvious that Brandon was never going to be the boyfriend she wanted him to be. It really seemed like he was using her, but Ali wouldn't accept it. She kept trying to pressure him into being with her. And her behavior, according to friends, was kind of becoming almost obsessive, if you will. Sometimes she would text him to brag about how much she had drunk at a party and the amounts of alcohol she described were dangerous. Maybe she was trying to get a reaction out of him or force him into some kind of response, make him feel like he needed to swoop in and rescue her or like she was having a lot of fun without him. So despite all of this, Ali actually never mentioned Brandon to her parents at all. She seemed to know that there was nothing serious or worth telling about him. Or maybe she was embarrassed. But her friends suspected that Ali really dreamed of someday marrying Brandon, a man who she'd still never actually been on a single official date with except by April of 2019. To all appearances, Ali and Brandon were finally done for good. This toxic on again, off again, stringing along becoming obsessive relationship had kind of ended around that time. Brandon had stopped coming over and hanging out with Ali altogether. And as near as Ali's friends could tell, things between the two of them were completely over. And they must have breathed a sigh of relief because this had been going on for four years now. All of college Brandon and Ali had begun hooking up during their freshman year and now both of them were seniors. Have you ever tried a one size fits all weight loss plan that just doesn't work for you? Noom understands that everyone's journey is different and that's why Noom creates personalized programs tailored to your psychology and biology. It's a plan that meets you where you are, factoring in your unique dietary needs, health goals and lifestyle. Numa's helped me redefine my relationship with food. It's not about restrictions or shame, it's about building healthier habits that actually stick. 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Don't miss out on this opportunity to invest in your health without overspending. So police learn all of this and it sounds like Ali had a rocky history as far as her romantic life goes. But by the time of her murder, according to friends, Brandon has apparently been out of the picture for about three months. Plus he has no criminal history and nothing about his background suggests he's violent or dangerous. Now, even though he clearly has a heated past with Ali, kind of a toxic relationship, there isn't anything concrete to make the police suspect him at this point. And relationship drama aside, police learn that Ali doesn't have any real enemies. It's hard for them to say who would want to hurt her. They do track down an ear witness. Yeah, an ear witness who says they were walking their dog outside not too far from the fishing camp on the night of the murder. They were actually walking their dog around 2:15 or 2:30am So a very late night early morning walk. But according to the witness, they heard gunshots during that window. So between 2:15 and 2:30am the night slash morning of the murder, this person heard gunshots. And this is helpful for the police in terms of establishing a timeline. But since the witness didn't see anyone flee the scene and honestly wasn't eager to go investigate these gunshot sounds at 2:15am There was no way of knowing who shot the gun and it really doesn't get them much closer to solving the case. And with no leads, the next move for police is to search Ali's apartment. The hope at this point is that there will be some clue about who she was talking to on the night she died, who was sitting across from her at that picnic table. Honestly, who took her to that abandoned fishing camp, how she even ended up there? Now, even though the investigators search all through the apartment, they never managed to actually track down Ally's cell phone. It's 2019, you'll remember it wasn't in her purse either. And that is strange for a College student in 2019. The cell phone seems to be just missing. But they do spot something that's almost just as good. It's Allie's Apple Watch. And it's still synced with her phone, which means the police can actually read her texts from her Apple Watch. So this is how they learned that despite what all of her friends had said, Ali and Brandon didn't actually stop talking three months ago in April. Around that time, he stopped coming over to visit in person. But he and Ali were still having conversations with each other a lot. And based on the texts that they were sending each other during this three month period, their relationship was much more heated than anything the friends or detectives might have suspected. See, back toward the beginning of that month, Ali sent Brandon a picture of a pregnancy test that she had taken. The results were inconclusive. The line that would indicate a pregnancy was visible but very faded, so it was hard to tell whether it was actually supposed to be filled in or not. So to be clear, Ali didn't know for sure, according to these texts, if she was expecting. And along with the picture, she wrote, don't share this with anyone. Like it's a very faint blue line, but I don't know, I guess I can wait and see if my period comes. She also dropped some hints that this was the time for Brandon to make a commitment to her. Now that a baby could possibly be in the picture for them, she says it was time for him to step up. Now, before I continue this story, I want to make something very clear. Ali's autopsy said she was not pregnant at the time of her death, which doesn't prove anything. Automatically, Ali could have lost the baby at some point earlier in the pregnancy. So it is possible she was expecting at the time of these texts, but not when she was murdered. Or maybe she was never pregnant, but she believed she was or wanted to be. According to Ali's close friend Maddie, Ali really longed to be a mother, and she would have been a good one. So maybe when she took the test and got an inconclusive result, her wishful thinking got the better of her. She may have even convinced herself that it was basically positive. One other theory is that Ali was maybe pretending to be pregnant, which might sound wild, especially because Ali's mother later told a report that she did not believe Ali would ever lie about something like that. It wasn't her personality at all. But according to Brandon, he had suspicions from the get go from these first texts that Ali was faking it, that this was just one more attempt on her part to try and get his attention. Except the texts he exchanged with Ali at the time suggested he was very worried about an unplanned pregnancy. He didn't act like she was lying. He acted like this was a very real situation that needed to be dealt with. He was not ready to be a father. And from the sounds of it, Ali's news sent him into a panic. So when Ali texts him and sends him the picture of the test, he replies and tells her not to keep the baby. He actually orders her to get a pill that would terminate the pregnancy instead. So over the course of the next few days, he kept repeating that instruction, and Ali wanted to talk about what was going on and what they should do. But Brandon had already made up his mind. He said, quote, it is so early. You just take a pill, not keeping it at all. I do not want a kid at all. And then in a later message from the same day, he added, quote, I am serious. No kid at all. It will ruin my life, and I will not help at all. He said, not to be mean, but this is how I feel, and I'm not changing my mind. So no matter how much he repeated himself, Ali honestly just keeps pushing him to talk to her. In these texts, have one conversation, Consider all of their options, which Brandon did not want to do. Now, earlier I mentioned that around April, Brandon began avoiding Ali entirely. Remember, he wasn't coming over anymore, and her friends thought it was because they had finally broken up, but it wasn't because they actually agreed to break up. Instead, Brandon would tell Ali that he was finally going to come over and that they would sit down and work things out. But then he wouldn't show up. At the time he'd promised to, he was avoiding this difficult conversation and ghosting over and over. He would tell Ali what she wanted to hear to get rid of her in the moment and then dodge her for the next few days or weeks. So in the meantime, she'd keep reaching out, asking him to meet up and talk, and eventually, her constant texts would become too much for him to ignore, and then the whole process would just begin again. He'd agree to meet up, he'd blow her off, he didn't order texts, and then plan another meetup. And on it went. So while this was going on, Ally actually opened up to several of her sorority sisters, and she finally tells them that she was carrying Brandon's baby. And she was upset about the situation. And from the way she talked, she apparently didn't know what to do so. Hurt and confused, Ali continued texting Brandon, constantly caught up in this cycle. And then three months later, she was still sending Brandon pregnancy test pictures, all of which were inconclusive. Ali would have been several months into the pregnancy by this time. If it's real, she should have been getting close to the end of her first trimester. And that's a point where she should have been talking to a doctor instead of taking pregnancy tests, which, again, might have cemented Brandon's opinion that this was all fake. It's hard to say what either of them were thinking in this moment, but as police are going through these texts, it does appear that by July 12, Brandon decided that he had had enough. He was sick of Ali's constant texts, tired of second guessing whether she was pregnant or not, and he decided he was going to take matters into his own hands. So that day, he made the long drive all the way to Fort Worth, Texas. This is where he grew up and where his family still lives. So he went home, and while he was there, he grabbed a.40 caliber gun from their house and posted a picture of himself holding it. On his Snapchat story, he wrote a caption where he called the gun his, quote, baby, and said he was bringing it back to campus with him. Now, this might seem like very odd to a lot of us, and it does feel like very odd behavior, but you have to keep in mind, this kid is from Texas, okay? A lot of kids have guns, and it's kind of like prized possessions to them. So his friends might not have been alarmed of him taking a picture of his gun and saying, it's his baby and he wants to bring it to campus with him. Now, the whole time he was driving back and forth to and from Texas, Ali was still texting him. She sent him even more pictures of inconclusive pregnancy tests and more demands that they meet in person and talk all during the course of this drive home and back. So on July 18, just under one week later, Ali sent Brandon a picture of her stomach. And the day after that, she texted him, quote, I'm not that small anymore, and I can pretend I'm fat right now, but I don't know, it's getting hard again. Just kind of like questioning whether she's pregnant or not. And that same day, Rannon agreed once again to talk to her. But this time around, he'd also made a point of asking her if she'd be home alone when they met up. He made it sound like he was just worried about having privacy for what was Going to be a tense, emotionally charged conversation. So Ali assures him, no, nobody else is going to be around. So, very early the next morning, at around 1:30am on July 20, it seems like Brandon picked up Ally in his truck. She'd been at a bar earlier that night, and she was a bit tipsy when she agreed to get into the vehicle with him. So security cameras show him driving away with her. And this is the morning of July 20, which means it was the last time that Ali was ever seen alive again on security footage. So about an hour after Brandon picked her up, that ear witness heard those gunshots by the old fishing camp, meaning the two of them were probably together at the time of the murder, because there's only an hour between that footage and the gunshots of when we know Ali died. Obviously, we know. The following morning, her body was found and the investigation began. So police learn all of this, and they realize, according to these texts, that Brandon was definitely with her that night. They find the surveillance footage, and they see him picking her up just an hour before she died. And they know, according to the text, that Brandon and Ally were definitely meeting up to talk about a possible baby that Brandon did not want. So this is all enough for the police to see Brandon as their top suspect pretty much right away. Clearly, he did have motive. He was sick of Ali's constant pursuit, afraid that she'd destroy his life with a pregnancy. So despite the fact that he didn't have a violent history, police believe this is enough to make him snap. And he had the opportunity and the means since Ali got into his truck, while he did have that.40 caliber rifle with him. So when the police go to his place to try and bring Brannon in for interrogation, he's not there. But they do search his apartment, and they find either a handwritten letter that's either a suicide note or a written confession. So in this letter they find at Brandon's house, he says that he's been abusing both alcohol and cocaine, and he believes these substances are making him act more violently. And at one point in the note, it says, I think this is the end for me. I'm either going to prison or I'm going to die. So right away, the police decide to call Brandon. And the good news is, is that he answers. So he hasn't harmed himself. And he's not avoiding the investigators either. The detectives explain that they just want to discuss a murder investigation with him. And right away, Brandon assures the police, yep, I'll call. I'll cooperate. He agrees to voluntarily come to the station on Monday morning at 8:30 for an interrogation. Except I mean, just like all the times before when he blew off plans with Ali, he fails to show up to this appointment too. And I do think this is a little on police to assume that Brandon was at the point of writing a suicide note and might have murdered someone and that he's just going to show up to the police. I think that maybe he's a danger to himself or possibly others and instead of asking him to come in, they maybe should have tried to collect him, but.
- [31:50]
Arm & Hammer Representative
Oh sheet.
- [31:51]
Honey, chill.
- [31:52]
Peyton Moreland
It's just laundry.
- [31:53]
Arm & Hammer Representative
Not that I'm talking about these Arm.
- [31:55]
Peyton Moreland
And Hammer power sheets. All the power of arm and hammer.
- [31:58]
Arm & Hammer Representative
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- [32:01]
Oh sheet.
- [32:02]
Peyton Moreland
That's what I'm saying.
- [32:04]
Arm & Hammer Representative
And Arm and Hammer power sheets deliver an effective clean at a great price. Think of all the laundry we'll do.
- [32:09]
And all the money we'll save.
- [32:12]
Peyton Moreland
Oh sheet Arm and hammer more power she to you.
- [32:18]
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- [32:48]
Peyton Moreland
Either way, Brandon is still not at home at this time and he won't answer his phone anymore when the police call to check up on him. So this is when it becomes clear to the investigators that Brandon has either hurt himself or has fled. So they waste no time in getting a warrant that gives them permission to track his phone signal. And based on the pings from his phone, they realize he hasn't hurt himself and they find him driving down a freeway that runs from Mississippi to his home state of Texas. So presumably Brandon skipped out on this police interrogation and is kind of going on the run back to his parents house. He's already made it to Tennessee. But the good news is that the Mississippi police call the local authorities in Tennessee and alert them to the fugitive that's passing through their state on the way to Texas. And then officers pull him over at a gas station in the Memphis area and they arrest him. So by this time there are no serious questions about whether Brandon is guilty or not. I mean, we have the letter he wrote, we have the texts, we have the security camera footage of Allie getting into his truck the night she was killed. But on top of all of that, according to some reports, when Brandon is arrested, he has blood on his clothes. And when this blood is tested, it is Allie's blood that is on Brandon's clothes. Plus, the investigators search Brandon's truck after he's apprehended, and inside, they literally find the murder weapon. It is the exact gun that Brandon used to kill Ally. So it seems like this case against Brandon is airtight, but he still tries to claim that he didn't do it. He also announces his plan to plead not guilty. He's being charged with capital murder, and his defense is basically that he did not plan to hurt Ali and nothing was premeditated. Instead, he claims that he's the victim of a series of unfortunate coincidences. Says, yes, he did drive home and pick up a gun only one week before the murder. But according to him, it was because he loves guns and he loves shooting ranges. He only brought it to campus because he was planning on getting in some target practice. Kind of hard to believe that excuse, because the evidence suggests that Brandon isn't a regular at shooting ranges at all. Actually. Honestly, it kind of seems like he barely knows how to use a gun. And in the week leading up to the murder, he made several incriminating Google searches about how to shoot rifles, what kind of gunshots are fatal. And in the week before the murder, he spent a lot of time researching Ted Bundy, the serial killer, which I know a lot of us have probably spent time researching Ted Bundy. I definitely have. But it's a little different when you're a suspect in a murder case and you've been researching Ted Bundy. So according to the prosecution, Brandon got the gun specifically to use it as a murder weapon. I mean, that is premeditation. So, as for the night of the crime, Brandon claims, yes, Ali got into his truck. Obviously, it's on surveillance footage, but he says she did so willingly. He's like, I didn't kidnap her or force her to go anywhere. And his intention really was just to chat with her by the lake that night, early morning. Everything that happened after that was because things got out of hand. This is according to Brandon. He says, okay, I will admit to shooting and killing Ally. There's a lot of evidence against him. But he's like, but it wasn't my fault. He says, drunk and high on cocaine, he was not thinking straight. So his defense, basically, is that he never went to get that gun because of premeditation he just got it to go target practicing. And he says that he may have committed manslaughter or second degree murder, but he cannot be found guilty of the most serious charge, Capital murder. So on the other side of the debate, the prosecutors say no. Brandon planned and executed the perfect crime. The only part he didn't anticipate was getting caught. Based on the ballistics evidence, the note and the injuries on Ali's body, they think the story of the murder went something like this. Brandon picked Ali up in his truck and drove out to the fishing camp. And the entire time, Ali does not suspect a thing. She thinks that he's just taking her to talk somewhere private. It. Like they've planned on doing for months. They sat at a picnic table near the lake and started chatting. And like old times, they were getting along. They drank some White Claws. She was facing the lake and Brandon was across the table from her. But then Brandon got up to walk back to the truck. He had some cocaine stash there and he wanted a hit. Now, I know you might be thinking what I was thinking, which is, if Ali does believe she's pregnant and Brandon believes that they're there because she's pregnant, why would they be drinking White Claws? Honestly, this is never really addressed, and I do find it odd, but I don't have an answer for you. And this next part must be based on evidence. But the prosecution says while he was high, he grabbed the gun, he aimed and fired. Except he didn't fire at Alley. They claim he shot the gun out toward the water, where the bullet just landed harmlessly. He was showing off, according to the state. And Ali still wasn't in any fear. She actually was laughing at Brandon, maybe thinking he was goofing around. But then he took the gun with him when he went back to the picnic table. And this time, no joking around, no showing off. He gets up, he aims across the table, and he shoots at Ally. She was hit. She fell down off the table. And Brandon got up, adjusted his position and fired again. He walked all the way around the table until he reached her side, shooting the entire time. Nine bullets hit Allie. Each one fired from a different angle. And once he'd confirmed that she was too badly hurt to recover, Brandon calmly walked over, climbed into his truck and drove away. He spent the next few days in hiding, staying with different friends and keeping a low profile until that attempt to escape to Texas. According to the state, all Ali wanted was to be loved by Brandon. And instead, he left her there in that wooded area to die alone. So by the time of his trial, it sounds like Brandon is rethinking his defense strategy. Maybe he realizes that he doesn't have a very good shot at winning his case. And if he's found guilty, he will possibly be facing the death penalty. So rather than risk it, he accepts a plea deal and pleads guilty to first degree murder, which is a bit less serious than the original capital murder charge against him. He also reads an apology in the courtroom. He says, quote, there is no excuse for my actions. I have asked God for forgiveness, and I hope one day that you will find it in your hearts to forgive me. Now. In spite of Brandon's words, the judge sentences him to life in prison with no chance of parole. I will note, though, that even though Brandon can't technically be paroled, he could still go free on or after his 65th birthday. And that's because a law in Mississippi allows elderly people to be released so long as they're at least 65 years old and they've served at least 15 years of their sentence. So that is one situation that might let Brandon get out earlier. But even if that law is in effect, Brandon won't turn 65 for decades. As of this recording, he's 27 years old. So he has a long, slow sentence ahead of him. This is a lot of time to think about what he did. And because he pled guilty, it's not alleged anymore. Brandon killed Allie, and it's possibly because he thought a baby was going to ruin his life. Now his life is still ruined, and it's all because of him. So that's the story of the murder of Ali Costell. She thought that she would spend the rest of her life with Brandon, but instead, she was murdered by him. I will admit their relationship was messy, but almost everyone has handled rejection badly at some point. Almost everyone has not been able to let go of someone that they probably should have. So while it sounds like Ally made some poor decisions, she did not deserve to be murdered over them. She deserved to learn from the experience and grow and keep on living her life. Now her friends and loved ones have to grapple with grief and loss and the reality that they'll never see her again. And that is the case of Ali Costell. I am devastated for not only Ali, but for her friends and family. And once again, a toxic relationship where someone chooses murder over just walking away. It will never make sense to me. But I will see you next time with another episode. Thank you so much for tuning in to into the Dark. Goodbye.
- [42:16]
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