Murder Sheet Podcast: "The Cheat Sheets: Pictures and Pastures" – Detailed Summary
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Hosts:
- Áine Cain – Journalist
- Kevin Greenlee – Attorney
Introduction
In this episode of Murder Sheet, hosts Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee delve into four compelling true crime cases, each with its unique complexities and legal intricacies. Due to their current commitment to both the podcast and their upcoming book, "Shadow of the Bridge", Áine takes the lead in presenting the cases, which were recommended by their listeners.
Case 1: The Disappearance of Marina Bolter (Indiana, 2014)
Overview: Marina Bolter, an 18-year-old woman from Indiana, vanished on December 31, 2014, after leaving her shift at an IGA grocery store in Bloomfield, Greene County. Standing at 5'3" with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, Marina was last seen walking across a gravel parking lot at a gas station.
Key Details:
- Background: Marina had moved to Bloomfield to live with her mother and was working hard to stabilize her life, including managing personal struggles.
- Last Seen: On New Year's Eve, around 6 PM, Marina was spotted entering a car with a middle-aged man after declining a ride from her ex-boyfriend, DJ Lockhart.
- Skepticism of Witness Statement: Marina's family doubted Lockhart's account of offering her a ride, leading them to initiate their own search efforts.
Quote: Áine Cain reflects on societal reactions and emotional responses:
"If you're a family member and your baby is missing, you know this 18-year-old young woman is gone... it's not as if Marina was like in a park or in a specific area... It's very difficult to search for someone in that." (Timestamp: 02:24)
Developments:
- Witness Death: In February 2015, DJ Lockhart was found dead from a stab wound to the heart under mysterious circumstances, adding a disturbing twist to Marina's disappearance.
Discussion – Chain of Custody: Kevin elaborates on the importance of professional involvement in searches to maintain the integrity of evidence:
"If people with potential biases or grudges conduct a search, the evidence can be compromised, affecting its legitimacy in court." (Timestamp: 10:56)
Case 2: The Murder of Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelly (Oklahoma/Kansas)
Overview: Veronica Butler, a 27-year-old mother of two, and Jillian Kelly, a 39-year-old pastor's wife, were brutally murdered during what was supposed to be a custody exchange in the remote areas of the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Key Details:
- Circumstances: The exchange was orchestrated by Tiffany Adams and her associates on a secluded dirt road, transforming a routine custody meeting into a deadly trap.
- Perpetrators: The group included Tiffany Adams, her boyfriend Tad Bert Cullum, Cole and Cora Twoley, and Paul Grice. They belonged to a group known as "God's Misfits," linked to the sovereign citizen movement.
- Modus Operandi: Butler and Kelly were brutally beaten and stabbed, their bodies concealed in a freezer before being buried in a pasture.
- Sovereign Citizen Connection: The perpetrators' affiliation with this movement, which believes they are exempt from U.S. laws, adds a layer of ideological motive to the crime.
Quote: Kevin questions the effectiveness of sovereign citizen beliefs:
"You can't unilaterally secede from the country and form your own one-woman country." (Timestamp: 22:38)
Discussion – Sovereign Citizen Movement: The hosts explore the irrationality and legal misconceptions of the movement:
"They believe they're exempt from laws in the United States. They think the federal government doesn't have domain over them." (Timestamp: 21:13)
Legal Proceedings: Several members have made plea deals, providing testimony against the ringleader, Tiffany Adams, ensuring the prosecution of the primary instigator despite the heinous nature of the crimes.
Case 3: The Kidnapping and Murder of Jamie Fedden (Pennsylvania to Nevada)
Overview: Jamie Fedden, a 33-year-old woman from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, disappeared in 2019. Her boyfriend, John Matthew Chapman, became the prime suspect after inconsistencies in her disappearance surfaced.
Key Details:
- Disappearance: Although Jamie's Facebook messenger remained active, she was not seen after late November 2019.
- Investigation: Neighbors reported seeing Chapman frequently at Jamie's residence but no sign of Jamie herself.
- Confession: Chapman confessed to kidnapping Jamie under false pretenses, luring her to Nevada with the intent to kill and dispose of her body.
- Trial and Sentencing: In May 2024, Chapman was convicted of kidnapping resulting in death and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Quote: Kevin clarifies the legal definition of kidnapping:
"If you are tricking someone to go somewhere, I mean, that's essentially kidnapping." (Timestamp: 36:00)
Discussion – Legal Aspects of Kidnapping: The conversation highlights that kidnapping doesn't always involve physical force but can also result from deceitful tactics used to control the victim's movement.
Case 4: Amber Peary's Car Crash (Kansas, 2022)
Overview: On October 8, 2022, Amber Peary was involved in a tragic car crash on the Kansas Turnpike while en route to a Girl Scouts event. The incident resulted in the deaths of three children: nine-year-old Kyle Lunn, nine-year-old Layla El Azra Anasari, and eight-year-old Brooklyn Peary, Amber's daughter.
Key Details:
- The Crash: Amber made an illegal U-turn through a concrete barrier, leading to her collision with a semi-truck.
- Survivors: Two children survived the crash: nine-year-old Gabriella Casas and five-year-old Carrington Perry.
- Legal Outcome: Amber was convicted of three counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated battery, receiving a sentence of 64 months (approximately five years).
- Community Reaction: A Change.org petition gathered 881 signatures requesting leniency for Amber, emphasizing the devastating loss and her responsibility as a mother.
Quote: Kevin shares his perspective on judicial independence:
"We put judges in this place because we trust their judgment. We don't want a judge's opinion to be swayed by popular opinion." (Timestamp: 43:57)
Discussion – Influence of Public Opinion on Sentencing: The hosts debate the efficacy and appropriateness of online petitions in influencing judicial decisions, stressing the importance of judges basing their rulings on facts and law rather than public pressure.
Prosecutor's Behavior: Amber's prosecutor, Lauren E.M. Ryan, faced backlash for her comments recorded in jailhouse calls, including derogatory remarks about the jail facilities and the fairness of the trial, which were publicly accessible and damaged public perception.
Legal Insights and Discussions
Chain of Custody: Kevin emphasizes the critical role of maintaining a proper chain of custody in criminal investigations to ensure evidence integrity. Any breach can lead to contested evidence in court.
Sovereign Citizen Movement: The hosts dissect the flawed ideology of the sovereign citizen movement, highlighting its impact on criminal behavior and the challenges it poses to law enforcement and the legal system.
Plea Deals in Conspiracies: Kevin explains the strategic use of plea deals in prosecuting conspiracies, where lower-level participants may provide pivotal testimony against higher-ranking members to dismantle the criminal network effectively.
Judicial Independence: The episode underscores the necessity for judicial decisions to remain impartial and free from external influences, safeguarding the fairness and integrity of the legal process.
Conclusion
Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee provide an in-depth exploration of each case, intertwining factual recounting with legal analysis and personal insights. Their discussions highlight the multifaceted nature of true crime investigations, the complexities of legal proceedings, and the profound human emotions intertwined with such tragedies. The episode serves as a comprehensive guide for listeners seeking to understand not only the details of these cases but also the broader legal principles at play.
Note: This summary intentionally excludes advertisements, promos, and non-content segments to focus solely on the substantive discussions and analyses presented in the episode.