241. The Hat Man Killer

Summary

Podcast Summary: Murder With My Husband – Episode 241: The Hat Man Killer

Introduction In Episode 241 of Murder With My Husband, hosted by Peyton and Garrett Moreland from OH NO MEDIA, the duo delves into the chilling case of Cassandra Contrell, a 33-year-old woman whose mysterious disappearance and subsequent murder captivated the Tacoma, Washington community. This episode, titled "The Hat Man Killer," explores the intricate details of the investigation, the role of technology in solving the crime, and the profound impact on Cassandra’s family.

Background of Cassandra Contrell ([03:48] – [06:51]) Cassandra Contrell was a resident of Tacoma, Washington, where she lived with her mother, Marie Smith, and shared a close bond with her twin brother, Rob. Known for her vivacious spirit and passion for movies, Cassandra was deeply involved in her local theater group and dreamt of opening a collectible shop with Rob. Her life took a significant turn when she discovered she was pregnant in July 2020, a revelation she shared with friends and family, albeit initially withholding the identity of the father.

Disappearance and Initial Investigation ([06:51] – [10:58]) On the morning of August 25, 2020, Cassandra left her home for a shopping day, informing her mother and planning to meet a friend, Alexandra, the following day. However, she never returned. Concern grew when neither Marie nor Alexandra could reach her, and her voicemail was full, a behavior uncharacteristic of Cassandra. At this point, the local police were alerted to her disappearance. Initial searches yielded little, with Cassandra’s car found near the Tacoma Dome devoid of any personal belongings, deepening the mystery.

Role of Technology in the Investigation ([10:58] – [15:13]) Given the pervasive use of technology, investigators swiftly ordered an emergency trace on Cassandra’s cell phone. The data revealed her phone was last located near Point Defiance Park, a scant clue due to the vastness of the Puget Sound area. Determined to utilize all available resources, the police employed a combination of traditional detective work and modern technology, deploying divers to scour the waters and eventually recovering Cassandra’s phone.

Identification of Suspect Colin Dudley ([15:13] – [25:31]) Cassandra’s mother discovered persistent communication with a mysterious number in Cassandra’s phone records, leading to Colin Dudley, a 37-year-old man with a murky past intertwined with Cassandra’s. Colin, who had a history of an on-and-off relationship with Cassandra dating back to their high school years, became the primary suspect, especially after discrepancies emerged between his statements and the digital evidence. Notably, Colin’s contacts listed Cassandra under the pseudonym "Velma," and he had recently febrile remarks about family planning, exacerbating suspicions.

Surveillance footage played a pivotal role. A man matching Colin’s description, donning a black fedora—a nod to Colin’s nickname, “The Hat Man”—was captured near Cassandra’s abandoned car. Additionally, Colin’s actions, such as purchasing substantial trash bags from Costco shortly before Cassandra’s disappearance, fortified the circumstantial evidence against him.

Discovery of the Body and Arrest ([25:31] – [35:23]) Leveraging advanced technology, investigators accessed data from Colin’s vehicle’s dashboard computer, pinpointing his car’s movement to a wooded ravine eight miles from his residence. Rapid deployment of search teams led to the grim discovery of Cassandra’s body, wrapped in trash bags within the treacherous ravine terrain. The autopsy confirmed multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma, solidifying the case for first-degree murder charges against Colin Dudley.

Plea Deal and Conclusion ([35:23] – [38:36]) Despite overwhelming digital evidence, the prosecution opted for a plea deal in November 2022, resulting in Colin receiving a 26-year prison sentence—a decision met with disappointment from Cassandra’s family. The podcast hosts express their agreement with the family’s sentiment, emphasizing the sufficiency of digital footprints in criminal investigations today.

Reflections and Final Thoughts ([38:36] – [End]) Peyton and Garrett conclude the episode by highlighting the transformative role of technology in modern-day investigations. They argue that digital evidence often surpasses traditional forms, serving as the new "smoking gun" in courts. The hosts also pay homage to Cassandra’s resilient spirit and hope, urging listeners to remember her courage and the profound loss her family endures.

Notable Quotes:

• Peyton Moreland ([03:48]):
  “If you're going to commit a murder in this day and age, technology is probably going to be your worst enemy.”

• Garrett Moreland ([15:30]):
  “It's probably not a professional baseball player who can throw it extremely far. It's probably some average guy. Probably below average, probably not athletic, probably a freaking loser.”
  (Note: This comment reflects Garrett’s candid and humorous take during a critical junction in the investigation.)

• Peyton Moreland ([21:10]):
  “He did something to her and doesn't want proof that she was with him.”

• Peyton Moreland ([28:10]):
  “What's my next question. Obviously, police know Colin Dudley was the one to get rid of the cell phone.”

Conclusion Episode 241 of Murder With My Husband masterfully intertwines a gripping true crime narrative with insightful commentary on the evolution of investigative techniques in the digital age. Peyton and Garrett Moreland not only recount the harrowing details of Cassandra Contrell’s case but also provoke thought on the broader implications of technology in solving crimes and delivering justice.

Transcript

[A]

Are you a professional pillow fighter or a 9 to 5 low cost time travel agent? Or maybe real estate sales on Mars is your profession? It doesn't matter. Whatever it is you do, however Complexplex or intricate, Monday.com can help you organize, orchestrate and make it more efficient. Monday.com is the 1 centralized platform for everything work related and with Monday.com work is just easier. Monday.com for whatever you run. Go to Monday.com to learn more. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[B]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[A]

And he's the husband.

[B]

I'm the husband. Hey everybody. Thank you for being here. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for listening. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for following. If you don't follow the show, please follow the show on Apple or Spotify or wherever you're listening. It makes a difference. If you want bonus content, we have Patreon, we have Apple subscriptions, Spotify subscriptions, two bonus episodes a month and add free content. And Peyton and I did have to get a new Rodecaster because.

[A]

Wait, Is this your 10 seconds?

[B]

I don't know. I guess so. I was just kind of talking.

[A]

Okay, you go for it.

[B]

Okay. Peyton and I did have to get a new Rodecaster because they might not.

[A]

Know what a roadcaster is.

[B]

Oh well, if you go look at our stories or if you're on social media and you look at our latest Instagram post, you will see that Garrett me spilled a Dutch Bros coffee all over our Rodecaster.

[A]

Basically, it's just a very expensive soundboard that we record through. So our headphones go in, our voices go in it. It. It captures our entire audio and there's.

[B]

Other ways to do it, but this is just simple for us. It's kind of plug and play anyways dropped on it. We thought it would still work. We came down to record today and everything was buzzing. Things were going crazy. But to be honest, we have extras of these because one, we're smart and we plan ahead in two. Garrett has a little bit of an issue where sometimes he'll buy multiple things at once. But guess what? It always pays off always pays off.

[A]

We definitely need the 5 extra pair of devil horns that he ordered for.

[B]

Our Halloween costume, but I promise we're gonna need those one day anyways. The rodecaster's working well. The new one's working. You can hear us. Everything is good.

[A]

Well, I think it's important to note that we. We spilled on it in the middle of the episode and we kept. And we kept recording and the episode worked fine. So we. We thought we would come down today to record another episode and it would be fine.

[B]

But it wasn't.

[A]

It wasn't.

[B]

That's kind of what I got for my 10 seconds. I spilled. And then the next day, I probably shouldn't admit this, I spilled again on myself in the car. I don't know, man. Dutch Bros Is just not liking me recently. I like it. It doesn't like me, but that's okay.

[A]

And Dutch Bros. Commented on our video they did on Instagram. Go check out and tell them that we need a collab.

[B]

We need a sponsor. We need a collab. I don't even care about sponsor. We need a collab. Sticker something.

[A]

Yeah. At this point, they owe us a new roadcaster.

[B]

They do owe us new roadcaster. Actually, you're right. Dutch Bros. Roadcaster. That's what I got for my 10 seconds this week. I hope everyone is doing amazing. I hope everyone has a great week. It's cold here.

[A]

It's Christmas.

[B]

Christmas. Yeah. On that note, let's hop into today's episode.

[A]

Our sources for this episode are oxygen.com people.com cbs news.com fox13seattle.com, thenewstribune.com cairo7.com king5.com and Pierce County Sheriff's Department Facebook page. All right, so sometimes I stop and think about how far technology has come in just my lifetime. To think that many of us were part of a generation where social media, online shopping, even cell phones weren't part of our daily lives. And now it is. Is pretty mind blowing. And it makes me wonder, what will we see in the rest of our lifetime that we haven't even like conceived of yet? What will our kids and grandkids be using on a day to day basis? Will that be an iPhone? Will it be Instagram? I think about this a lot, but not just in the context of my own life. I think about it in the context of true crime as well. There's been so many cases we've covered where I stop and think if there was just a security camera on that street corner at the time. Maybe we would know who Jack the Ripper was. Or if O.J. simpson had, I don't know, GPS on his cell phone, would he be in jail? Point being, a lot of today's cases would run cold if it weren't for the technology we have now. Which is why today's story proves, if you're going to commit a murder in this day and age, technology is probably going to be your worst enemy.

[B]

I think about this quite a bit. What technology is going to look like in the next 10, 15, 20 years. I don't know. I guess we'll find out. Will we still be doing a podcast? Stay tuned.

[A]

Don't say that. So right now we are going to travel northwest to the state of Washington. This is a place we actually don't cover too often on this show. We are going to a port city just south of Seattle known as tacoma. Now, in 2020, this is where 33 year old Cassandra Contrell calls home. She has pretty much lived here her entire life. See, Cassandra never ventured far from the nest. She's incredibly close with her family. She still lives with her mother, Marie Smith, who she helps take care of. And she has a twin brother named Rob, who she shares a really special bond with. Growing up, Cassandra and her twin brother Rob were thick as thieves. They were best friends who would stay up late into the night. Despite their mother's insistence that they had school the next morning. They wanted to stay up and watch scary movies on the couch. And Rob was always amazed at how his sister Cassandra seemed to never be shaken by these scary movies. Maybe it was her light, free spirit, the fact that she always saw the good and the humor in things. In fact, Cassandra turned this passion for movies into her own little hobby. She and Rob began collecting movie memorabilia with dreams of one day opening up a collectible shop, which is honestly, like such a fun dream to have.

[B]

Yeah, I. Oh, I can't watch scary movies, by the way.

[A]

Me either.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So as Cassandra reached her teens, she also found she had an interest in being in the movies. Well, at least in acting. So she joined a local theater company and really started to grow into her own skin. She found a group of people who were quirky, outgoing, and shared a lot of the same interests as she did. So Cassandra joins theater and she gains a lot of confidence there. As a teenager, her friends said she became the kind of person who didn't care what others thought about her. If she was too loud, if she was too opinionated. Cassandra was unapologetically herself because she accepted herself and she wasn't afraid to wear that on her sleeve. Quite literally. Actually, Cassandra got a tattoo that summed up her life motto pretty efficiently. It was a quote from playwright George Bernard Shaw that read, we don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing. And the only place Cassandra's friends said she was a bit more reserved was when it came to dating. She'd had a boyfriend or two here or there. She'd used dating apps in the past. But nothing was ever that serious. At least not that Cassandra's friends or family were aware of. So the morning of August 25, 2020. Remember, she's in her 30s by now. It probably felt like any day in Cassandra and Marie's home. Cassandra's mom got up that morning and the two chatted. Before Marie headed out for work, Cassandra told her that she had a shopping day planned for that afternoon and that tomorrow she was planning to meet up with her friend Alexandra. Now, at around 8:25am that day, Cassandra hopped in her white Mazda and took off from the house. And when Marie, her mother, came home later that day, Cassandra hadn't returned yet. But Marie wondered who she went off to meet because Marie noticed that Cassandra had used her master bathroom to get ready. Her makeup was still all over the counter, as if Cassandra had been getting ready to meet with someone important because this wasn't really normal behavior. Now, Marie tries to call Cassandra a few times that day, but doesn't hear back. It seems she wasn't totally panicked though. I mean, after all, Cassandra's a 33 year old woman with a life of her own. But the following day, August 26, her friend Alexandra starts to get concerned as well. Alexandra had been texting Cassandra that day to say, hey, I'm running late, we still good to meet up, I will probably be late. But when she didn't hear back from her friend, she tried calling her repeatedly only to realize that her voicemail box was full.

[B]

Which, I'll be honest, sometimes my voicemail box is full. It happens.

[A]

So popular.

[B]

I'm just so popular.

[A]

So over the course of the afternoon, Alexandra got increasingly worried. But the following morning, things took a turn for the worst when Alexandra woke up to a frenzy of panicked texts from Cassandra's mom, Marie. She was wondering if Cassandra was with Alexandra, had she spent the night at her place. Remember, this is two nights in a row. Now that she hasn't been home, her mom explains that she couldn't get in touch with her. And that's when Alexandra picked up the phone and told Marie, Hey. Not only is she not here, she also went dark on me too. She never showed up to hang out with me as we had planned. Now, knowing this was completely out of character for her, the two decide to call police. Now, of course, like any of us would in those first few hours. They're hoping for the best, right? Like Cassandra just lost her phone. Maybe her car broke down somewhere, she didn't have money, someone was helping her out. Really? Any scenario that could explain that she's safe out there somewhere and this is just all a big misunderstanding. But the police are like, okay, it's been a few days now. We have a young woman who was seen on a neighbor's security camera driving away from her home on the morning of August 25th around 8:30am and then she's never seen returning on that footage.

[B]

So interesting. And I feel like we're in a day and age where you don't have your phone with you.

[A]

It's a little weird.

[B]

And you don't answer for honestly, like two days and your location's not on and people can't see where you are. Something's going on.

[A]

I think, especially for a 33 year old woman who isn't known to go spend nights places like she lives at home, she's pretty consistent. I do think this is worrisome. So police start speaking with Cassandra's family and friends. Now, when they talk to her twin brother, Rob, they learn he's especially distressed, and not only because his sister is missing, but because the two of them had had an argument just before she disappeared. I'm not sure what the fight was about, but I know it was still ongoing the morning that she left and never came back. Because Cassandra texted him before she left the house asking if she could come by later to clear the air. Only seemingly still tender from the fight, Rob never replied to his sister. Now, I need to state Rob is not a person of interest in this case, but it does create a problem. Because if Rob had replied to Cassandra, it's possible he would have known what else was on her agenda that day. He might have been the last person to talk to her. It might have offered some sort of timeline to her case. But since that wasn't what happened, no one was certain where Cassandra drove off to that morning. All she told her mom was that she was planning on going shopping. So there's not a ton to work off of here. But on the following day, August 28, police get their first major clue. Cassandra's car is found parked downtown on East 25th. Street near an event venue called the Tacoma Dome. Now, nothing seems off about her vehicle itself. There's no damage, there's no blood. The weird part is, though, this isn't a place that Cassandra would ever really go, let alone park her car and leave, according to her mother. Plus, there's no sign of Cassandra inside. I mean, her car is basically just abandoned. There's no purse, her cell phone, or any clues to indicate where she might have gone. Police figure this is probably just another dead end. So what they focus on next is actually the lack of clues. Because this case happened in 2020, we are in the height of the pandemic. Everyone is glued to their cell phones.

[B]

That's true. And think about that.

[A]

So they're like, cassandra's got to be no different.

[B]

Also, no one's really outside doing anything.

[A]

No.

[B]

Like, everyone was kind of inside ordering doordash, ordering instacart. We didn't have toilet paper, yada, yada, yada. Yeah, you know.

[A]

So police actually order an emergency trace on her cell to see if they can find her last known location. And it's definitely not where you'd expect. Her phone last pinged two towers around the Puget Sound, which is an area. And when they triangulate it, they find it was most likely on the shores of Point Defiance Park.

[B]

Okay. Which is that far from them.

[A]

I mean, it's a hundred mile stretch of water. Oh, so it's not looking good that this is where her phone lasts.

[B]

No, that's not good at all.

[A]

So when police get there, because they're like, well, we're going to go search, their first instinct is someone probably threw her cell phone in the sound, which is what they call this body of water. So they have to decide, is it worth it to get a diving team down here and try to find a cell phone, or are we looking for a body first? They don't even know for sure if it's in the water. This is just where it pinged the towers last. Second, even if it is in these waters, it's going to be like finding a needle in a haystack if they're looking for a cell phone. But they decide, yeah, I mean, we have nothing to go on, we have no clues, and this woman's life is on the line, and it is definitely worth it. So thankfully, it's low tide when they go out there, which makes things a little easier on them. But still, they know what a long shot this is. And one of the detectives has this pretty smart idea. He says, let's throw Stones out into the water from the dock to see how far someone could have thrown this cell phone if they threw it. So he's like, let's just grab some stones and throw it and then we'll search that area, which. Which is like such old school detective work, but also smart.

[B]

I mean, I guess it could work because you just take the average, right? Like, it's probably not a professional baseball player who can throw it right extremely far. It's probably some average guy. Probably below average, probably not athletic, Probably a freaking loser. You know what I'm saying? Anyways, I'm sure it didn't go that far, so good idea.

[A]

What did you say? I think I zoned out and then all I heard you say was a freaking loser.

[B]

Okay, whoever did this obviously killed her or.

[A]

No, you're not talking about the police throwing the rock. You're talking about the phone.

[B]

Correct? Correct.

[A]

I'm following. I was like, wait, why is the cop a loser now? I'm.

[B]

It makes you feel better. I zone out all the time while you're talking.

[A]

It's because I was reading in my next. I was prepping for the next part. I'm sorry. That's.

[B]

That's okay. The listeners heard it and that's all that matters.

[A]

Yes. Okay. Well, it turns out that the cop is not a loser and he's actually super smart because they start searching the area. They get divers into the water, they start dragging nets along the bottom of the sound. And lo and behold, after only about an hour searching the water, they scoop up a phone with a glitter case and it's Cassandra's. All right, here's something I'm really looking forward to. As the weather turns cooler and starting to get cold. The great food that comes with the holiday season, Hot cocoa, and also slipping into a cozy sweater from Quint. You guys know I love Quint. I would never leave you astray. And honestly, it is the perfect season to go in for one of their most well known products. Their Mongolian cashmere sweaters from $50, you guys. It really is real cashmere for that cheap. And the reason they do that is they partner directly with top factories. That cuts out the cost of the middleman. And then they pass those savings onto you. And it is not just their cashmere sweaters, you guys. They have beautiful leather jackets, cotton cardigans, soft denim, so much more. As you guys know, I wear the short silk skirt a lot in the summer, but with the seasons changing, I am now going to change out to my longer silk skirt from Quint. It's black, it's beautiful. I love it.

[B]

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[A]

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[A]

Phone out to a specialist for processing. But in the meantime, Marie, Cassandra's mom, has been doing some sleuthing of her own. She went through Cassandra's phone bills and found some mystery number that just kept popping up. Cassandra had been calling and texting with this number for months. Most importantly, it was the last number Cassandra had corresponded with before her disappearance on the morning of August 25th, which, I mean, this is a major clue. So when police search the number, they find it belongs to a 37 year old man named Colin Dudley. Now, it turns out Colin and Cassandra had known each other for years. They met back in 2006 when she was just 18 years old. It was through that local theater group I told you she participated in as a teenager.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Both were in a production of the Rocky Horror Picture show together, and they really hit it off. At first they dated briefly, pretty casually, but then Colin broke it off after just a few short months. Now, from what I can tell, this was maybe one of the closest things that Cassandra had to a serious relationship. So over the years, even into her 30s, she kept thinking about Colin. And then in 2020, when the pandemic hit, a Friend said she likely got lonely and reached out to Colin to reconnect. But Colin says differently. So police show up at his doorstep. They're like, hey, this girl Cassandra is missing. And we have got a hold of her phone records and see that you guys have been texting and calling for a bit. And it's. It's a lot. So how do you know her? You were the last person she talked to. At least over the phone. But the weird thing is, Colin says he hasn't seen or spoken to Cassandra in years. Well, actually, he says there was this one time that he ran into her at the mall, but other than that, they'd had zero contact. The day she disappeared, he says he was at home doing some spring cleaning. He put some gas in his truck, took the trash to a dumpster, got his bike fixed, went to Costco. He's like, it was pretty uneventful day. What he doesn't know is that the police have Cassandra's cell phone data putting her at his house. So not only have they been talking, her phone pings at his house. This is the same house they're questioning him in at this moment on the morning she disappeared. And he's saying, I've had no contact with her.

[B]

He'll never understand. I mean, you'd think by now. I mean, I get it. I guess you have to lie, right? Like, he. Like, you have to lie like if you're. If you actually did a crime.

[A]

Yeah, but if you know that there's cell phone data.

[B]

I know. I think it's just human nature to be like, well, I. I have to get out of this. Like, I have to lie.

[A]

Well, so, look, Colin doesn't have a criminal history. He actually has a squeaky clean record.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

So they take that into consideration. But they know this guy is lying about seeing and talking to Cassandra. So that doesn't look great. Which is probably why they even were able to get a search warrant for Colin Dudley's cell phone, which they seized from him that day. And what they find is more evidence that Colin knew Cassandra a lot better than what he told police. So one of the first things they notice is that Colin doesn't have Cassandra's number saved as her name. Cassandra is actually listed as Velma in his phone. So first red flag, right? Second.

[B]

Velma? Like, from Scooby Doo?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

An analyst, after comparing Colin's records to Cassandra's, notices that he's deleted some text messages from her once from the morning Cassandra disappeared. So Cassandra texted him and it said, I'm A bit early. Is that okay? And then Colin replies to Cassandra and says, yep, come on down. Okay, so he's deleted those, but her phone then spends the next few hours at Colin's house, after which Cassandra's cell phone ends up in the Puget Sound.

[B]

It's funny that. I guess people just aren't aware deleted messages, they're there. It doesn't mean they're deleted. Everybody. I mean, yes, maybe you can delete them from friends, seeing a significant other, seeing yada yada yada, but it doesn't mean they're gone.

[A]

Well, I also think it's important to note that there's a couple of reasons that Colin could have deleted these messages. One, because he did something to her.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And doesn't want proof that she was with him. And two, he actually lives with his girlfriend and has been living with her for years. Oh, so it's a woman named Rebecca Fisher.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

So suddenly Velma makes a little sense. Because, of course, he's not going to save her contact as Cassandra. As does the lying about when he last saw Cassandra. But police don't think that's quite enough to pin a murder on him. Not yet. But they have an idea of what to do next. Remember how I told you the police found Cassandra's car near the Tacoma Dome?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, there happens to be a train that runs right along the street there, next to where her vehicle was parked. And those trains and the train stations in 2020 closed have cameras.

[B]

Oh, that's what I was going to say.

[A]

So police get all of the footage from August 25th to see if they can spot when her car arrived and who might have parked it there. And they get lucky because on tape from 11:50am that morning, they spot a man getting out of the driver's side of Cassandra's car, clearly not her, and walking away. It's pretty hard to make out the guy's identity, though, because he's wearing all black. He has black shoes, black T shirt, black pants, a black rim hat.

[B]

Sounds like you, babe.

[A]

A mask. Oh, obviously it's pandemic.

[B]

Oh, yeah. 2020.

[A]

And blue surgical gloves, which, yeah, people also wore those in the pandemic. So it might not be that weird in public, but I guess it's also for a killer to have a mask and surgical gloves. But the footage continues. The guy crosses the street over to the train stop and actually takes a seat on a bench there for about four minutes. Almost like he's catching his breath. He looks a little exhausted. He's composing himself. So he waits there on that bench for four minutes, and then he gets up and he keeps walking. And surveillance footage captures him next in another parking garage just down the street. He walks in that garage, he gets into a truck, and he exits the parking garage sometime before 12:30pm this is clearly the person of interest. But the next thing is identifying who this person of interest is, which ends up being pretty easy for police, because not only does that person have a familiar build, they're wearing that black hat. It's a fedora, to be specific. And Colin Dudley, well, he had a nickname. He liked to be called the Hat Man.

[B]

Why? Nothing. I'm not going to say anything. Why are we wearing nothing?

[A]

Mainly because one of his favorite movies was A Clockwork Orange. It's a dystopian Stanley Kubrick film about a gang that goes on this violent crime spree. But let me just say, if that hat wasn't a dead giveaway, the plates on Colin's truck would have done the trick, because this is his own truck that he's driving out, and the plates match.

[B]

So, I mean, it's open and shut.

[A]

Yes. Officers, get a clear view from the footage, and once they run those plates, the truck is registered to call in. Now, here's where it gets even worse. Colin seemed to have Cassandra's phone on and with him this entire time. Because from that parking garage, police realize it moves to the Puget Sound to Owen beach, where it last pinged Those towers at 12:45pm why?

[B]

Is it because he had a girlfriend? Like, why did he do this?

[A]

Motive, right? I mean, you just answered my next question. Obviously, police know Colin Dudley was the one to get rid of the cell phone. They had their guy. But why? Yeah, what did he do to her? And why? So about a month before Cassandra disappeared, she pulled her friend Alexandra aside and told her a secret. She said that she had just taken a pregnancy test, and it was positive. So the day after Cassandra disappeared, on August 26, Alexandra was supposed to meet Cassandra. Remember, for their little hangout, she never showed. Well, they were actually going to an ultrasound appointment together. That's where Alexandra was meeting Cassandra. This is something Cassandra definitely wouldn't have wanted to miss. Which is why it was very alarming. Cassandra had also told her mother about the pregnancy that July. But when her mom asked her who the father was, Cassandra's like, it was a one night stand. I met him on a dating app.

[B]

So she was pregnant?

[A]

Yes. Cause Sandra was like, I don't care though, Mom. Like, I'm excited to be a mother. I'm more than happy to do it on my own. I don't care that it was a one night stand. She was already thinking of baby names. She was assembling her online baby registry. There was just one problem, though. She wasn't being honest about who the father was because it was actually Colin Dudley, her high school boyfriend who has a living girlfriend. Now. Alexandra knew that Cassandra told her friend everything. She's like, it was, it's Colin's baby. Including the fact that she and Colin had started seeing each other. Back around February, Colin would sneak off from his girlfriend Rebecca to go meet Cassandra at a movie or dinner. But it didn't seem like he had any plans to leave Rebecca for her. In his mind, and seemingly in Cassandra's, this was just casual. That was until she found out she was pregnant with his child on July 16, 2020.

[B]

Just casually having sex.

[A]

When Cassandra's OBGYN was questioned, she said Cassandra had listed Colin as the father during her initial appointment.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

The notes also included the pregnancy was not planned. The patient was feeling overwhelmed. The father of the baby was supportive of pregnancy, but not planning to be involved with the raising of the child. He and the mom were on good terms. So yeah, this paperwork proves Colin knew about the baby.

[B]

So motive? Obviously she was pregnant. He didn't want to break up with Rebecca, didn't want anyone to find out. So he's like, I'm going to kill her. Insane.

[A]

So Cassandra actually told Colin about the pregnancy August 12th. This would be 13 days before she disappeared. She must have been pretty nervous about this though, because Cassandra had hypothetical conversations with Colin before the matter and allegedly he told her he never wanted kids. So she was kind of like putting fillers out about it. He said he never wanted kids. He even went as far to say, if any girlfriend of mine got pregnant and wouldn't get an abortion, I would sue to get full custody. Just to spite the mother for having a child.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. What? What?

[A]

That's a pretty monstrous thing to say.

[B]

Also, you're not going to get full custody. What an idiot.

[A]

So you can see why Cassandra was probably dreading breaking the news to him. She wanted to do the right thing. She felt like he had a right to know.

[B]

Poor Cassandra, man.

[A]

And maybe he would change his mind if the situation became a reality. So she went to Colin and told him he didn't need to be involved. Like, I'm pregnant. I don't care if you're involved. I am going to have the baby, though. She even said, you can, like Sign over your parental rights. Like I won't pressure you for child support. And to her surprise, it went better than expected. At least that's what she told Alexandra when she called her after the meeting. He said not to worry about it, that they would talk more about it soon. Then two weeks later, Cassandra vanished.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

By this point, the police don't have a weapon. They don't have a body. All they have is a lot of digital evidence. But in this day and age, that is enough to get a search warrant. Which is exactly what happens on September 1, 2020. About a week after Cassandra's disappearance. They show up to Colin and Rebecca's house with a SWAT team, the FBI and a canine unit. They search his truck and his home for any sign of her. And the dogs immediately lead them to the basement, particularly to a brown sofa.

[B]

Oh, man.

[A]

They don't find any concrete signs of her though.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What they do learn is remember how Colin said on the day of the 25th he didn't do much really than go to Costco? Well, the police found out that at costco he bought 50 gallon trash bags. Yeah, not a great thing to buy in the hours before you're pregnant. Mistress, girlfriend goes missing. Yeah, but that means this wasn't a spur of the moment decision. Something that's confirmed further when police learn after that Costco run, he went to the parking garage and dropped his truck off there. This is before he met up with her. You guys know I love Quint's clothing. And with the holidays coming up, dang, is it a good gift to give yourself or someone else? Something everyone needs in their closet in my opinion is Quince's iconic Mongolian cashmere sweaters that start at 50 doll. And the reason they're able to do that is because they partner directly with top factories that cut out the cost of the middleman, which passes the savings on to you. I have told you guys a thousand times that their silk skirts, the long version and the short version, are my favorite black skirts and I wear them at least once a week. Quint is on the nice list. They only work with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices. Gift luxury this holiday season without the luxury price tag, go to quint.comhusband for 365 day return returns plus free shipping on your order. That's q.comhusband to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.comhusband you know when you discover a new binge worthy show or a song that you bump on, repeat and you have to share it with your friends so they can experience just how awesome it is. Well, that's what it kind of feels like when you discover that Mint Mobile offers Premium Wireless for $15 a month when you purchase a three month plan. It's such an awesome deal. There is no way you can keep it to yourself.

[B]

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[A]

It's a great price.

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[A]

Meets up with her that morning, he goes to Costco and buys 50 gallon trash bags and drops his truck off in the parking garage that he's later going to go to.

[B]

It's obviously premeditated first degree murder. I mean everything's there.

[A]

Yes. He then biked out of the garage and made the 20 minute trip back home. So he thought this plan, he thought it out well in advance.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

Now, during the search of his property, police also asked Colin's current girlfriend Rebecca to come down to the station because here's the thing, she was supposedly home the afternoon he met up with Cassandra. Which makes you wonder if A she knows about the affair, B she knows if Cassandra was pregnant, C she knows about the murder. Well, when detectives question her and ask if she thinks Colin is capable of hurting Cassandra, she doesn't answer right away. She actually sits there quietly for 13, 13 seconds. So they say, do you think he could have killed her? 13 seconds go by.

[B]

Was she just in shock? Maybe.

[A]

And then she says physics would say yes.

[B]

He's got size and strength on her. I don't think he would. No, he would not do that. What now?

[A]

Police.

[B]

That's freaking weird. That's. No.

[A]

They don't have any evidence to assume Rebecca's involved. But this answer definitely raised eyebrows.

[B]

I don't even Care if Rebecca hears this. That's weird. That is a weird answer.

[A]

And really they need a body before they want to arrest Colin because they know he's guilty. But is it murder? Is it kidnapping? It's hard to say until they find her, which is why their next move is pretty genius. Now, technology has been proving pretty fruitful throughout this entire investigation. It's definitely been Colin's Achilles heel. So they figure, let's keep down this path. Now, newer cars like the one Colin owned all have this essentially black box inside of them. Now, those dashboard computers that have Apple CarPlay calling capabilities, GPS, you've seen them. And while you might be able to turn off your cell phone, there's no easy way to turn those bad boys off if your engine is running. So in the same way you can track a cell phone, you can actually track those little computers that's in a car. And so they get it and they send it off to analysis. And here's what they find. The day after Cassandra's disappearance, August 26th, Colin's car drove out to a wooded area eight miles from his house around six in the morning. And it stopped there. Now, it takes a few weeks to get this information back from specialists, but on September 22, 2020 hours after they get these details, police race down to this location where Colin's truck went the morning after she disappeared. And after only minutes scouring the area, defend her body.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

In a ravine, there is a body wrapped in trash bags.

[B]

Oh, gosh.

[A]

A search and rescue team actually has to use what they call a high angle ropes operation to get down because it's a very steep ravine and recover the body. And when they open up the bag, they found a distinctive mark that proves it was Cassandra. It was that quote, that tattoo she had. We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing. So now there's more than enough to arrest 37 year old Colin Dudley, which they do later that evening. He's charged with first degree murder of 33 year old Cassandra Cantrell. Now, when they do the autopsy, they find that she had been stabbed several times. She had sustained multiple injuries to the head and her cause of death was ultimately ruled as blunt force trauma. They believe he killed her in his basement, kept her body there overnight and then dumped her the next morning. But that brings us back to Rebecca, Colin's girlfriend. I mean, I don't know how you can sleep in a house with a dead body and not know it's there, but it is in the basement. Police have no indication of if she knew or not. So police just assume because of lack of evidence, Rebecca has no idea that any of this happened. So after months of back and forth, postponements and Covid delays, there was finally some movement on the case on November 14, 2022. This is two years after Colin was arrested. Prosecutors felt they had an extremely strong case in terms of the digital evidence, but they decide to work out a plea deal with Colin. He ultimately accepted. In exchange for his plea, he was given only 26 years behind bars for his murder. Now, Cassandra's family did not agree with any of this. They felt the digital evidence was extremely strong. And I have to agree with them. I think if this case went to trial, Colin Dudley would have gotten what he deserved, which is a heck of a lot more than 26 years behind bars. He'll be in his 60s when he's released. That could be 2044 on good behavior. That's a lot of life left to live. A life that Cassandra will never get to have and her unborn child won't get to have either. We can't forget 26 years for killing a pregnant, soon to be mother. So I don't blame Cassandra's family for being upset about this. Still, moral of the story is I think we need to trust that digital evidence is just as, if not better than the evidence we had 30, 20, even 10 years ago. Sometimes it's even better than a murder weapon. And I think we need to get used to digital evidence being the new smoking guns in a courtroom, because right now, it's considered circumstantial evidence. The way I see it, technology is only making these cases stronger. And I remain optimistic that more cases will get solved because of it. But you know who else was an optimist? Cassandra. In a rocky and unknown time in her life, she chose to have hope, to see a bright and happy future for herself, and she seized it. She didn't care what anyone else was going to think of her. And her courage is something to be remembered and admired. And that is our case for this week. I think we can all learn a thing or two from Cassandra, and I hope we can spend the day thinking about her and her family.

[B]

Yeah, I just think. I mean, I guess a lot of these cases are pointless, but it's just pointless. She's pregnant, too.

[A]

She said he could sign his parental rights away also, too.

[B]

Like, you were the one dude. You were the one that was cheating. Like. Like what? Yeah, like, take some freaking responsibility.

[A]

Yeah, it makes you mad, all right. You guys. That is our case for this week, and we will see you next time with another one. I love it and I hate it. Goodbye. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.

[B]

With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a thing Mint Mobile unlimited premium wireless. 30. 30. Get 30. Better 20. 20. 20. Better get 20. 20. Biddy get 15. 15.

[A]

15. 15.

[B]

Just 15 bucks a month.

[A]

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