260. What Happened To Diana Duve?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Murder With My Husband - Episode 260: What Happened To Diana Duve?

Podcast Information

• Title: Murder With My Husband
• Host/Author: OH NO MEDIA
• Description: A true crime podcast that ventures into the darkest crimes with a wife who loves it and a husband who hates it.
• Episode: 260. What Happened To Diana Duve?
• Release Date: March 17, 2025

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1. Introduction

In Episode 260 of "Murder With My Husband," hosts Peyton and Gary Moreland delve into the mysterious disappearance and subsequent murder of Diana Duve. This episode examines the intricate details of Diana's relationship with Mike Jones, the ensuing investigation, and the courtroom drama that unfolded. The hosts also discuss broader themes of domestic violence and its deadly consequences.

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2. Background of Diana Duve

Diana Duve, a 26-year-old woman originally from Maldiva (a country situated between Romania and Ukraine), relocated to Vero Beach, Florida, with her mother, Lena, when she was 13. By the time she graduated high school, Diana had assimilated well into American life, excelling academically with aspirations of becoming a nurse. After earning her nursing degree in Gainesville, Florida, Diana returned to Vero Beach, securing a position at Sebastian Medical Center. Her long-term dream was to obtain a nursing license in California and relocate westward.

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3. Relationship with Mike Jones

In 2013, Diana met Mike Jones at a local bar. Mike, six years her senior, was a wealth manager at a prominent PNC bank branch. On paper, Mike was the epitome of success: he held advanced degrees, managed multi-million-dollar accounts, and maintained an impeccable public image. Friends described him as a "genius," "trustworthy," and "ambitious."

Despite initial reservations, Diana was charmed by Mike's charisma and professionalism. Within months, their relationship became intense, with friends noting their constant companionship. However, signs of possessiveness began to surface. Diana's friend Chelsea observed that Mike's controlling behavior often kept Diana from socializing independently.

On April 30, 2014 at 00:57, Diana attempted to end the relationship and move back in with her parents. Despite her decision, intermittent contact with Mike persisted, leading to an on-again, off-again dynamic.

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4. The Disappearance of Diana Duve

On the night of June 19, 2014, Diana went out with friends but remained fixated on her phone, heavily engaged in communication with Mike. Despite claiming to have broken up, Diana left her friends early to meet Mike at a local bar, What a Tavern. Surveillance footage later captured them leaving the bar together around 1:15 AM, heading to Mike's residence.

Diana sent a text in Russian at 1:45 AM, stating she wouldn't be coming home. When Lena, Diana's mother, tried to contact her, Mike provided vague excuses about Diana being with him. Growing concerned, Lena and her husband Bill decided to visit Mike's home, only to find neither Mia nor Diana present.

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5. Investigation and Arrest of Mike Jones

Police initiated a search for Mike Jones after discovering inconsistencies in his alibis and uncovering his criminal past. Notably, Mike had a history of aggravated stalking in Fort Lauderdale, where he had threatened an ex-girlfriend. At the time of Diana's disappearance, Mike was on probation and had not obtained permission to leave Vero Beach, making him a fugitive under probation violation.

Key developments in the investigation included:

• Surveillance Footage: Mike was seen withdrawing $2,500 from an ATM and later purchasing a burner phone at Walmart in Palm Bay around 7:00 AM.
• Suspicious Behavior: Neighbors reported seeing Mike driving away in Diana's black Nissan Altima.
• Evidence Collection: Blood traces matching Diana's DNA were found in Mike's home garage.

By June 25, 2014, Mike was apprehended at a Hampton Inn hotel, where he had checked in alone using cash and a burner phone. Confronted with evidence and witness testimonies, Mike refused to cooperate, leading to his arrest for first-degree murder.

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6. Trial and Verdict

The trial commenced in October 2019, with the prosecution presenting a compelling case outlining Mike's controlling behavior, prior criminal history, and opportunities to harm Diana. The defense attempted to mitigate responsibility by citing Mike's traumatic upbringing and alleged chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to his motocross activities. However, no medical records substantiated the CTE claim, weakening the defense's position.

A pivotal moment in the trial was Lena Duve's heartfelt statement during sentencing:

Lena Duve: "Look at me. You came to my home, you sat at my table, and you took my daughter away from me. There is no punishment harsh enough for what you took from me. Nothing can happen to you that will satisfy me ever again. Because you're a coward. If hate could kill, you would be dead now for what you took from me." [43:23]

The jury deliberated for only 45 minutes before finding Mike Jones guilty of first-degree murder, indicating premeditation. While the death penalty was an option, the jury opted for a life sentence instead.

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7. Discussion on Domestic Violence

Throughout the episode, Peyton and Gary emphasize the dangers of domestic violence (DV), highlighting its potential to escalate into fatal outcomes. They discuss how controlling and abusive behaviors, often masked by charm, can lead to tragic ends. The hosts share personal reflections and listener comments, underscoring the importance of recognizing and addressing DV early to prevent such tragedies.

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8. Conclusion

The tragic case of Diana Duve serves as a stark reminder of the lethal consequences that can arise from abusive relationships. Through meticulous investigation and compelling courtroom proceedings, justice was served for Diana, albeit after immense loss and suffering for her family. The episode underscores the critical need for awareness and intervention in domestic abuse situations to safeguard lives.

Call to Action:
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support and assistance.

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Notable Quotes:

• Lena Duve on Sentencing:

  "Look at me. You came to my home, you sat at my table, and you took my daughter away from me. There is no punishment harsh enough for what you took from me. Nothing can happen to you that will satisfy me ever again. Because you're a coward. If hate could kill, you would be dead now for what you took from me." [43:23]

• Gary Moreland Reflecting on Domestic Violence Statistics:

  "I'm fairly convinced that 70% of DV cases would probably end up in murder if they went down long enough." [36:17]

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Section-Timestamps Overview:

• Introduction:
  02:31 – 03:30

• Background of Diana Duve:
  03:30 – 08:25

• Relationship with Mike Jones:
  08:25 – 12:42

• The Disappearance of Diana Duve:
  12:43 – 23:42

• Investigation and Arrest of Mike Jones:
  23:42 – 35:57

• Trial and Verdict:
  35:58 – 42:47

• Discussion on Domestic Violence:
  42:47 – 45:56

• Conclusion:
  45:56 – 46:03

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key elements of Episode 260, providing listeners with a clear understanding of Diana Duve's case, the ensuing investigation, and the broader implications concerning domestic violence.

Transcript

[Peyton Moreland]

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[Gary Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Gary Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Gary Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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.

[Gary Moreland]

And I'm Gary Moreland.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he's the husband.

[Gary Moreland]

I'm the husband. Just real quick, we got some. Some comments and messages about it. Our patreon wasn't linked below, so if you're curious about bonus content and you're not on Apple or don't want to do Apple subscriptions, our bonus content will be linked below. You can click that and you can check it out. Yeah, that's about it for announcements this week. For my 10 seconds. Peyton and I actually we finished it pretty quick, which means that we really liked it and that it does not happen very often to us. It was a new series. It's on Hulu. If you haven't seen it, you really need to go watch it. It's called. It's called paradise, right?

[Peyton Moreland]

Yep.

[Gary Moreland]

It's good.

[Peyton Moreland]

I would dare say episode seven is one of the best episodes that has ever aired on tv.

[Gary Moreland]

I would. Payton and I were watching seven and we were just glued.

[Peyton Moreland]

It felt like in one episode, an entire just like movie.

[Gary Moreland]

It was so good. So good. So we finished that, but now we're mad because then you have to wait for the second season. It's going to take year and a half for it to come out. And then are you going to watch it by then? Anyways, it was really good. We loved it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Have you been keeping up with severance?

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah, Severance has been good. I don't know. Something about the first season sucked me.

[Peyton Moreland]

In a lot more.

[Gary Moreland]

The second season's good, don't get me wrong. But I don't know. I think paradise really kind of took the cake for me. It was just so good that I was like, dang, I want another season of Paradise. Any other. Nothing else? I really been watching just that. Trying to think if there's any other series that Peyton and I need to watch together. Probably some movies we need to catch up on, but we don't watch a ton of series or shows together in general. So it was kind of nice to watch that together because we both really liked it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah, we watch a lot of separate stuff.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah, that's kind of what we got going on in our lives. Nothing too crazy. I'm drinking some coffee right here because I'm trying to wake up because I'm supposed to start driving to Vegas tonight at 10 o'clock tonight and I have a five hour drive ahead of me. Yep, you know me.

[Peyton Moreland]

Oh, and before we get into the episode, just a reminder that I have a Twitch account where I live stream. I do get ready with me sometimes. I'll play games. It just kind of depends. But if you want to come hang out with me and the community over there, it's so fun. It's just randomly throughout the day. But yeah, I live stream over there sometimes. Well, majority of the time Garrett's on with me as well. So yeah, come hang out. That should also be linked below. Our sources for this episode are CBS News, CBS12.com, WPTV.com TCPOM.com Sportskeeda.com the Sun.com Florida Today.com Legacy VeroneNews.com and FLCourts.gov okay, so when it comes to a courtroom defense, we've heard a lot of pretty wild things on this show. Whether that's self defense, insanity, please, blaming someone else entirely. You would think that we've heard pretty much any excuse there is for a defense in court.

[Gary Moreland]

In fact, just the other week we covered a case where they allowed the prosecution to bring a bed in the courtroom.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yes.

[Gary Moreland]

So insane.

[Peyton Moreland]

Today's case, though, I think might actually be a first on this show as far as the defense goes. And Garrett's gonna know about this, but if you follow football at all, then you've probably heard this term before. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or as it's more commonly known, C T E. Yes. It is a disease that is linked to repeated head trauma and it can cause a lot of really complicated issues. I would say football is the thing that really brought this to the surface of people recognizing this disease. But it also can happen in boxing, mma, fighting. Honestly, any contact sport where there is repeated hitting to the head. CTE can be a common disease.

[Gary Moreland]

There's actually, if you want like a good summary on kind of what it is, there's a good movie on it with Will Smith. I forget what it's called, but it kind of explains the whole process of when everything was was going down.

[Peyton Moreland]

So basically, cte, a recognized disease, can cause mood swings, problems with memory and rationalization, irritability. Now, like I said, while football isn't the only sport that CTEs are seen in, it is definitely brought the most attention to the condition, which is what Garrett's talking about. Yet despite how well known it is, very little is still understood about the disease itself because it is very case to case and that's even today. Which may be why the perpetrator in today's case thought it would make for a pretty convincing defense. But the question is, can CTEs really explain away a history of violent abuse and murder?

[Gary Moreland]

I'm curious if I know what case this is already.

[Peyton Moreland]

So today I want to introduce you to a 26 year old woman named Diana Duvet. Now, Diana lives in Vero Beach, Florida, on the eastern coast of the state. But she's not originally from America. She was actually born in a small little country in Eastern Europe called Maldiva, nestled between Romania and Ukraine. Now, Diana moved to Vero Beach, Florida with her mom, Lena, when she was around 13, after her mom met and fell in love with an American man named Bill. And then they all go to Florida together.

[Gary Moreland]

Of course, his name's Bill.

[Peyton Moreland]

So for the teenaged Diana, that move must have felt like moving to an entirely different planet. She didn't even speak a word of English. Yet she adapted fast. Impressively fast. Two months after starting her new school, Diana was enrolling in English speaking classes. And a few years later, those who knew her said you couldn't even tell the English wasn't her first language. By the time she graduated high school, she had plenty of friends and a bright future ahead of her in America, because Diana was dedicated to her dream of one day becoming a nurse. So she graduates, she moves away to Gainesville, Florida in 2007 to begin her nursing degree. But after she graduated, Diana was eager to return home and actually be close to her mother again. So she graduates nursing school, she moves back home, and she gets a job at Sebastian Medical Center. It's just a half hour away from home. But Diana was already dreaming of what the next chapter would bring in her life. She was working on obtaining her nursing license in the state of California with hopes of one day moving west. So from Florida to California. But in 2013, Diana met someone at a local bar who would complicate that dream that she had. It was a man named Mike Jones. Now, Mike was slightly older than Diana by about six years, but that might have been what drew Diana in. Mike was a wealth manager at a local PNC bank branch, meaning he handled giant multi million dollar accounts for very wealthy people. And he was one of the top workers at that branch. So he brought in a ton of great clients. He said he knew a bunch of different celebrities that he could bring into the bank, that his sister was married to the country singer Jason Aldean, and that he himself was adopted by Ronald Reagan's Son as a kid. On top of that, Mike received excellent performance reviews. Even the clients raved about him. It certainly helped that he had a master's degree and a law degree. Plus he seemed to have a really great reputation around Vero Beach. Not only did he dress to impress, Michael was always attending charity events, trying to give back to his community. Friends of his used words like genius, trustworthy, ambitious. So on paper, Michael Jones seemed like a really stand up guy. He, he seems to be this social butterfly which really helps him in his career. But Diana wasn't completely sold on Michael. Not right away at least. Even after what seemed like a few dates, Diana told a friend she still wasn't sure she wasn't head over heels for him yet, but she'd continue to give him a chance, and Michael made sure she did. He charmed Diana every chance he got. He charmed her parents too. When he met them, he was dressed to the nines. He was well spoken, he was polite. He presented himself as everything you would ever want in a partner for your daughter. And as a result, Diana started to fall for Mike. Just a few months after they started dating, she told her parents that she was planning to move in with Mike. And they had no objections. The two seemed happy, they seemed in love, and they were definitely working towards a bright future together. A few friends said that they were truly inseparable after that. Arm in arm, constantly, but not in a way that felt totally healthy. According to Diana's friend Chelsea. She said it almost felt like they were together all the time in a controlling way. Like the reason they're together all the time is because Mike wouldn't let Diana out of his sight. When Chelsea met with Diana for lunch one day, just the two of them, Diana sort of hinted that she might be in trouble for going to lunch with her without him. But on April 30, 2014, that issue almost seemed like it was going to work itself out because Diana decided to break it off with Mike and move back in with her parents.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

She didn't tell her mother why they had broken up, but her mother didn't pry. Lena, her mother did notice, however, that it didn't really seem completely over yet. Mike was still texting Diana constantly trying to get her back. And they sort of remained in that limbo for the next few months of being on again, off again, seeing each other, but not actually dating. Sometimes trying to make it work, other times saying, nope, we're done. But Diana didn't move back in with Mike. She stayed living with her mother and Stepfather until June of 2014. And on the night of the 19th, 2014, she went out with a few friends, hoping to take her mind off of the mic situation just for a little while. Of course, that's easier said than done. Diana's friends noticed she was glued to her phone all evening, barely able to hold a conversation with the rest of the group. So they're all out. They're hanging out. Diana's supposed to be broken up with Mike, but she won't get off her phone. And, you know, we've all either been there or been with a friend who's in this on again, off again relationship with someone. And even when you're hanging out, that's all they can think about.

[Gary Moreland]

It was more of like when I was in high school, though. Yeah, I'm mature now. No, I'm just kidding.

[Peyton Moreland]

So eventually, Diana left the night earlier than planned, telling her friends that she was actually gonna go meet up with Mike and just talk. So Diana got in her car and made the few minutes drive over to a bar called what a tavern in Vero Beach. Now, surveillance footage shows her taking a seat next to Mike at the bar. Sometime before midnight, she leaves her friends. She's now at a bar with Mike. Other people at the bar said for the most part, it looked like the couple was honestly having a nice time. They were talking, they were laughing. Though there was a point in the night where Diana did get visibly upset and might have actually been crying.

[Gary Moreland]

So I was gonna say, you know what's interesting is I used to always wonder, how are people. Like, how do people know this? How are they looking at someone now? Now they notice someone's crying. They notice someone's happy. They notice. They notice someone's upset, whatever it may be. But I'm not gonna lie. Peyton and I do this at restaurants sometimes. We'll just be eating. We'll both go silent, and we'll just be both staring at a couple thinking, wonder what they're talking about. Is this their first date? What are they doing? Oh, they look like they're fighting. Yeah, they look like they're happy.

[Peyton Moreland]

I mean, if I noticed a girl crying at a restaurant, I would probably remember it by the time police came and talked me and said, you were at this place at the same time as this couple. Did you notice anything? And if I had seen her crying, I would have remembered that.

[Gary Moreland]

So I think whether we all do it or not, I feel like subconsciously a lot of us do it.

[Peyton Moreland]

But I'm not going to lie. Eyewitness accounts are like the most unstable. That counts. There are.

[Gary Moreland]

That's true.

[Peyton Moreland]

So she might be crying, but around 1:15am, Diana and Mike were actually seen on the same surveillance footage of the bar leaving the bar now Mike's place, presumably the one that he used to share with Diana. So where she had moved in with him was just four miles from that bar. And Diana texted her mother around 1:45am that night saying she wasn't going to be coming home. She sends that message in Russian. That is their native language. Now, Lena doesn't see that text until she wakes up the next morning for work because it came in at 1:45am but to her, this isn't unusual. Diana has been known to just go spend random nights at Mike's house. She, she just assumes, okay, that's where she is. Plus, because it's written in Russian, Lena knows Diana was obviously the person who sent it. Right? But just to be sure, she messages her back that morning and says, where are you? Though the hours start ticking by and there's no response from Diana.

[Gary Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Gary Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

So by the time the entire day has gone by, Lena has come and gone from work. And the clock strikes 11:30pm and there is still no word from her daughter. Lena is past worried. So what does she do? She decides to call Mike. Remember, she's met Mike. He's been introduced to the family, and the family liked him. So she calls Mike, and Mike is cool as a cucumber. He's like, oh, yeah, you know, Lena's just here with me. Don't worry. She can't get to the phone. She's sleeping. But I'll have her call you back.

[Gary Moreland]

No way. I'd be like, wake my daughter up right now.

[Peyton Moreland]

Diana doesn't call, so Lena tries again. She's like, mike, enough. Wake her up. Like, let me talk to her. She never called me. Let me talk to her. And she's met with another excuse. He's like, oh, well, I actually am not home anymore. She's back at my place. I'll wake her up and have her call you as soon as I get there. That'll be around 30 minutes. Again, there's no call. So Lena and her husband Bill are shaking in fear and rage by this point. Which is why they decide we're just gonna drive to Mike's house and knock on the door.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

When they get there, there's no Diana. There's also no Mike. Neither one of them nor their cars are at the house.

[Gary Moreland]

Gosh.

[Peyton Moreland]

Selena's like, that's it. I'm done. I don't care. I'm Going to the police. And I'm reporting my daughter missing. So it's now Saturday, June 21, 2014. This is about 36 hours, give or take, since Diana was last seen or heard from that last message. And detectives are knocking on Michael Jones's door to find he is still not home. And there's still no sign of Diana. So she. Her mom, Lena goes to police is like, my daughter's missing. Her boyfriend on off again boyfriend. Mike said she was there, but when we got there, they weren't there. So detectives go, and they're still not there. So they return to the station with plans to secure a search warrant, and they get one, and they head back to the house the following afternoon. When they get there, though, they're surprised to see that Lena and Bill, this is her mom, and Bill, the American man that they moved to America with, have just been parked outside of Mike's house, watching and waiting for any signs of him or their daughter. Which, honestly, same good for them. Same.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

And I mean, what else are you gonna do, right? But the police get inside Michael's house and they expect to find something, anything to tell where Diana is, what might have happened to her, but there's nothing. There's not even any belongings of Diana's to show that she might have spent the night there. That's when they realize that the only way they're probably gonna find Diana, considering that Michael told Lena that she was with him during the time that she was missing, they realize they need to find Michael. And the more they look into him, his behavior in the hours before he met up with Diana that night was pretty alarming to say the least. So just 12 hours before Mike had Diana meet him at the what, a tavern bar? He was actually spotted on surveillance footage at his own PNC bank withdrawing money from an atm. Okay, we're not talking a couple hundred bucks. He took out twenty five hundred dollars in cash.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay. I think I thought you're going to say 25,000.

[Peyton Moreland]

Then he told a coworker, can't do.

[Gary Moreland]

That because he'd have to go talk to a tell. Anyways, keep going.

[Peyton Moreland]

Hey, I'm actually not feeling well, so I'm going to be taking the next few days off. So this is. This is 12 hours before he even meets her at the bar. He takes twenty five hundred dollars out and then tells his co worker, I'm going to be sick for the next few days. But then he tells another co worker, I'm taking the next few days off to go to a wedding. So he's now told two different co workers, two different stories.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

However, on the morning of the 21st, it appears Mike was still at his house or at least stopped by to gather some things before the police would arrive that day because a neighbor said they saw someone with an odd freaked out demeanor walking around behind Mike's building and afterwards notice the man get into and drive away in a black Nissan Altima. And you know who drove a black Nissan Altima? Diana.

[Gary Moreland]

Of course she did.

[Peyton Moreland]

So they're thinking, okay, so before we got here that day, Michael was here and his neighbors saw him acting weird and then drive away in Diana's car when Diana is nowhere to be found.

[Gary Moreland]

I'm curious when the CTE comes into play because, gosh, I can't remember the movie and I obviously I'm not an expert on this. It's just honestly what I remember from the movie and I guess different articles I've read here and there. But it's interesting because it sounds like this is being planned out and I.

[Peyton Moreland]

Am not sure murder via CTE is premeditated.

[Gary Moreland]

And I'm not sure Murder, yeah, via the complications due to CTE is planned out and premeditated. I was under the impression and thought it was more of a snap in the moment type thing, not making good decisions close to in the moment type things, not planning this out 24 hours in advance.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right. And then around 7am, shortly after that, witness sighting, Mike's spotted on surveillance footage at a Walmart in Palm bay. It's about 45 minutes away. There he actually buys a Samsung flip phone and a prepaid Verizon card.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

He's then spotted on parking lot footage going back to the car, grabbing a plastic bag, trying to throw something in the dumpster by Walmart, which is locked. So he puts it back in the car and drives away. Now, all of this is shady enough. I mean, if this guy knows his girlfriend is missing, he should be helping her parents look for her. But it gets a lot more suspicious when police look into Mike Jones's background and find he has a criminal record. So before living in Vero Beach, Mike lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This was back in 2012, so only like two years prior. And there he was charged with, get this, aggravated stalking after he threatened to kill an ex girlfriend. So police look Mike up and they realize he's already been charged for wanting to harm an ex girlfriend.

[Gary Moreland]

My kids are going to hate me because I'm going to do a background check on every single person they ever date.

[Peyton Moreland]

As you should Yep. So for this crime, Mike pleaded no contest and was only given five years probation. By the time of sentencing, though, he was living in Vero Beach. And he was told if he left the Vero beach area without getting permission from his probation officer, he could be placed under arrest. So when detectives learn all this, they decide to call this probation office because Mike is nowhere to be found. And it seems he's gotten the heck out of Vero beach by this point. And the probation officer is like, no, he definitely didn't get permission from me to leave. So now police have caused to arrest Mike the second they find him, if they can find him. Now, Lena and Bill are totally shocked by this news that Mike has this criminal record. According to them, they had no idea that Mike was at all possessive or abusive in any way. Definitely not towards their daughter. But according to some of Diana's friends, Mike kind of did some of the same things in his relationship with her. The most notable was on April 30, 2014. This is just two months before Diana went missing. Early that morning, a little before 1am Mike Jones's neighbor made a call to 91 1, and he's like, hey, yeah, I think I have a domestic disturbance call for you. My next door neighbor and his girlfriend have been screaming at each other for an hour. Then he says, and this is a direct quote, it sounds like he's trying to dominate the crap out of her. Now, the police show up at the house minutes later, and when they knock on the door, Mike answers. At first he's like, I was asleep. He pretends that he was sleeping, and he doesn't know what the neighbor's referring to. And then they're like, well, the neighbor didn't make it up. And he's like, oh, okay, yeah, me and Diana, we were just having rough sex. So they asked to speak with her. She comes to the door in her pajamas, and police say while she looks frustrated with the situation, she doesn't appear to have any marks on her. Right before the officers are about to leave, Diana says, wait, please don't go. I want to get my things and I don't want to do it alone. So one of the officers says she practically begs them to stay with her and let her get out of the house safely, which they definitely find alarming.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah, DV101.

[Peyton Moreland]

But they help her out once again outside of the house. They ask her, are you sure you're okay that nothing has happened? They examine her again for cuts and bruises, and she's like, I'm Fine. I just want to go home. So they let her leave. But Diana doesn't go home. She calls her friend Chelsea, who works at a bar nearby. Now, Chelsea says Diana was hysterically crying on this phone call, and she told Chelsea she was coming to work to see her. She gets there a few minutes later. Chelsea says she's inconsolable. She's hyperventilating. Her face is puffy and swollen from crying. Plus, she's standing at this bar in her pajamas. And Chelsea sees this as a big red flag because Diana would never be out in public in her pajamas unless this was an emergency of some sort. So Chelsea rushes her into the bathroom, and that's when Diana opens up to her friend about what actually happened earlier. She says that they got into an argument. Mike pushed her down, he got on top of her. He started choking her while saying over and over, I'll effing kill you.

[Gary Moreland]

Holy. Holy.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Chelsea can see red marks all over Diana's neck. So clearly the officers missed this or didn't look very hard. She tells Diana, we need to take pictures of this. So Chelsea takes pictures of these marks. Chelsea's like, look, you have to go back to the police and file a complaint. You can't let this side. But Diana's like, no. Which is not unusual in cases like this, though that is the time that she moves out of the house and back with her parents. So remember how I told you earlier that they had split, and she didn't tell anyone, really why? Chelsea knew why, and it was because he had been physically violent with her and told her he was going to kill her. But as we know, Diana and Mike kept talking on and off for the next several months until that night in June when they meet up. And then Diana was never seen again. By the way, this wasn't just Diana, and it wasn't just the woman he was dating in Fort Lauderdale either. The one who he had stalked and been charged with. As the police dig, they find there's been abuse in almost all of Mike's past relationships. Patterns are always the same. Charm the pants off them, start to tighten the reins. Control, control, control. Escalate to violence. This is a clear sign of a predator. Police no longer have any doubts that Mike is the reason for Diana's disappearance. And as much as they want to bring her home to her parents, it's not looking good now that they know the truth about Mike's background. So the pressure is on. They need to find Mike Jones. It has now been three days since Diana was last Seen. And they know they need to step it up. So on the afternoon of June 22, they begin analyzing Mike and Diana's cell phone data to see what towers her phone last pinged. And they find that Mike made one of his most Recent calls near Fort Pierce, Florida. This is about 25 minutes from Vero Beach. So Vero beach police contact the officers there and tell them to be on the lookout for either Diana's black Nissan or Mike's gold Honda. And just a few hours later, they get a call back. Mike's car has been spotted in the parking lot of a Hampton Inn hotel.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

So officers rush over there to speak with the front desk. They find Mike Jones had checked in about 24 hours after Diana disappeared. They also learned he had paid in cash for a two night stay. And he told the front desk not to tell anyone he was there and not to transfer any calls to his room.

[Gary Moreland]

That's so funny. Like the front desk cares to keep this a secret.

[Peyton Moreland]

So police are like, let's see your cameras. They look at, at the surveillance footage and see that Mike checked in alone. Diana is not with him, which is not a good sign. So the front desk gives the police a key card, offer up his room number, and basically are like, yeah, go do whatever you need to do. I don't know. So police go up, they go up to his floor, they get up to his door of his hotel room, and they just use the key card and let themselves. Okay, and there he is. He's sitting on the bed, talking on his burner phone that he was seen on surveillance buying to someone. Which, by the way, he has this burner phone. But he's also still using his regular phone, too, because that's how they found him there. Which means Mike's really not the smartest criminal. But when they berate him with questions about Diana, Mike refuses to offer up any information. Here's the thing, though. They have Mike backed into a corner. They say to him, look, you can answer our questions or we can place you under arrest since you violated your parole. But Mike still doesn't budge, which means he's placed in handcuffs and taken down to the station for booking. However, the question remains, where is Diana? Yeah.

[Gary Moreland]

Can they charge him for Diana or you guys?

[Peyton Moreland]

I just wanted to take a moment to talk about something that has become an essential part of my daily peace of mind. You've heard us talk about it before. It is simply safe. You know, it's kind of like a comforting ritual. Now, every night as I get ready for bed, I engage my sibly Safe home security system and fill that instant reassurance wash over me. And there's nothing like it. And why do we trust Simply Safe? Unlike traditional security systems that only react after a break in has occurred, Simply Safe's innovative active Guard outdoor protection helps prevent intrusions before they even happen. I mean, how cool is that? With their AI powered cameras backed by real time professional monitoring agents, they detect and react to suspicious activity right away. So if someone's sneaking up and coming in, normally you have to wait for them to break in before the alarm sounds. But with Simplisafe they can do it while they're at the window. So you don't have to worry about long term commitments either. Simplisafe offers affordable monitoring plans starting at just around $1 a day. Plus they have this incredible 60 day satisfaction guarantee. So it's pretty much a win win situation.

[Gary Moreland]

Peyton I love SimpliSafe. We've been using it for years. We have family and friends that use it. We promise he will not regret it. Check it out. Everything is super user friendly, high quality. We love it. Get 50% off your new SimpliSafe system with the professional monitoring and your first month [e-mail] husband that's 50% off of a new Simply Safe system with professional monitoring and your first month free by visiting simplisafe.com husband there's no safe like Simplisafe.

[Peyton Moreland]

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[Gary Moreland]

Nothing.

[Peyton Moreland]

Oh, Diana is dead.

[Gary Moreland]

Holy sh.

[Peyton Moreland]

In her own trunk. Her body is sitting.

[Gary Moreland]

Holy crap.

[Peyton Moreland]

In her car's trunk.

[Gary Moreland]

That's horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

In this parking lot of a random Publix grocery store.

[Gary Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

Which means that Diana's missing person case is now officially a homicide.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

And the autopsy indicated that whatever happened to Diana was not an accident. She had multiple defensive wounds. Well, as red marks around her knees and ankles that told detectives she had likely been tied up. She'd suffered blunt force trauma to the head, and her cause of death was strangulation.

[Gary Moreland]

This is why the other week when we were talking about domestic violence, it is so. It's just so dangerous.

[Peyton Moreland]

So dangerous.

[Gary Moreland]

Because honestly, I'm fairly convinced that every single. Sorry, not every single. I'm fairly convinced that. 75, as it goes. All right, let's go. 70. 70 of DV cases would probably end up in murder if they went down long enough. Yeah, I just think that.

[Peyton Moreland]

I mean, I don't know the statistics on that, but I do know it's.

[Gary Moreland]

I just think it. Well, I think people.

[Peyton Moreland]

The most dangerous thing.

[Gary Moreland]

I think people get out. I think people leave. But I think if someone stayed long enough or. I don't know, it's just. It's so dangerous. DV is extremely dangerous.

[Peyton Moreland]

Actually, attempting to leave is the. One of the strongest triggers for a. Oh, I'm sure. Because they don't want you to.

[Gary Moreland]

I'm sure if you were. Attempt to leave in the wrong situation, majority of people who are committing the domestic violence would probably kill someone.

[Peyton Moreland]

So they're like, okay, we need to prove that. If he drove her here with her body in the trunk and left it here. We need to prove that he then somehow got home. Because how did he get home from here? So they begin calling taxi companies around the area, seeing if anyone picked up a guy fitting Mike's description from that Publix parking lot. And they get lucky again. They find one taxi driver who says he picked up a guy in the exact same clothes Mike was seen wearing in surveillance footage that day. Now, during that nearly hour ride back to Vero beach, the cab driver said he was trying to chat with Mike, asking him what brought him there. Mike told him he and his friend had gotten into a fight and she had left him. But the real kicker was when they presented the cab driver with a lineup of suspects. They're like, can you do. Can you try to identify him? He picks Mike out right away. So now they have a witness, a strong witness, who's gonna say, I drove Mike from that Publix back to Vero Beach. And he told me in the car that he'd gotten in a fight with a friend and she had left him. But nothing beats physical DNA evidence in court. And when police do a search of Mike's home and garage, they find a few small drops of blood. When they test it, they prove it's Diana's DNA. So on June 25, 2014, Mike Jones is charged with first degree murder for killing Diana. And his plan is to maintain his innocence through and through. But as we know, the trial will bring forth a bunch of other surprises. Now as the prosecution begins digging into Mike's background to build out a case against him for trial, they learn this guy wasn't just abusive to the people in his life. He also made up many elaborate lies to rope people in and keep them close. Remember, Mike had a lot of really interesting facts about himself that he shared with people. That his brother in law was country singer Jason Aldean. That he was adopted by the Reagan's. And that he played minor league baseball. That he had a penthouse in Fort Lauderdale. He had a Porsche that he only drove on the weekends.

[Gary Moreland]

Oh my gosh.

[Peyton Moreland]

None of this is true. Mike Jones was a pathological liar. In fact, he was so good at it that he'd even conned the bank he worked at. Remember, before he got the job, Mike was a convicted felon. Banks don't usually let convicted felons manage multi million dollar accounts. Yet Mike somehow weaseled his way in there. Actually, that job might have been one of the only real things about Mike's life. Well, that and his really prestigious academic career. Because it appears Mike really did get a master's and a Law degree. But when it came to his social life and a lot of other personal details, they all just seemed to be a lie. The prosecution was ready to tell the jury this, so they knew they could not trust Mike. So Mike Jones's trial began in October of 2019, and the prosecution painted a solid picture of what they're pretty sure happened that night. They think Mike, who had always tried to control the narrative and control his sexual partners, snapped after Diana told him she no longer wanted to be with him. They think she called it off later that night when they got back to his place. And Mike refused to accept it, including the part where she told him she had plans to move out west to California. But Mike's defense team argued there was so much more to the story and that the jury should have a little bit of sympathy for him because of two very traumatic things that had happened to Mike. Prior abuse and a traumatic brain injury. This is where the defense comes in. Mike's defense claimed that Mike himself was a victim of abuse growing up and that it had even pushed him into doing the same. Mike's uncle, Teddy Jones, even took the stand to support this. So Teddy says he remembers there's an incident when Mike was in his early 20s. Teddy arrives at the house to find Michael's father holding him up against a wall by his throat. Teddy screamed at Mike's father to let him go and eventually took Mike home with him because he was scared for his nephew's life. Now, I know hurt people, hurt people. Is that an excuse for murder?

[Gary Moreland]

Never.

[Peyton Moreland]

No. But the defense said that prior abuse wasn't the only factor. Michael was an avid motocross rider and sustained so many injuries over the years that he suffered from cte.

[Gary Moreland]

Here's the hard thing is, if we compare this to the case we did the other week where the girl was actually being abused and killed her abuser, and she's in jail.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right.

[Gary Moreland]

I have zero sympathy for this.

[Peyton Moreland]

But here's the thing. There is no medical records ever presented as evidence to show that Michael had repeated head trauma, that he had been diagnosed with them. But the prosecution had an excellent rebuttal for all this. If the plan was to argue that Michael Jones had some sort of cognitive deficiency that made him take his girlfriend's life, well, then that same cognitive deficiency would have made it hard for him to do his job, to get all of those accolades he received doing such.

[Gary Moreland]

An amazing job becoming getting a law degree. Yeah, you're right.

[Peyton Moreland]

So they tell the jury, this is just another elaborate lie. Like, this is not Even real, he was trying to fool the jury using the same tactics he had used to fool his friends, his colleagues, and his girlfriends. They shouldn't fall for it. Turns out they didn't. After deliberating for only 45 minutes.

[Gary Moreland]

Sheesh.

[Peyton Moreland]

The jury was back with a verdict. Michael Jones was guilty of first degree murder. Meaning premeditation.

[Gary Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

And with that, the jury also had the option of recommending the death penalty.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

However, they chose to. To show Mike some mercy. He got a life sentence instead.

[Gary Moreland]

Nope.

[Peyton Moreland]

Diana's mother, Lena, had a lot to say about Michael's punishment, though. And she put it in words that I think any mother or loved one could relate to. During his sentencing hearing, this was the statement she read directly to Michael. Look at me. You came to my home, you sat at my table, and you took my daughter away from me. There is no punishment harsh enough for what you took from me. Nothing can happen to you that will satisfy me ever again. Because you're a coward. If hate could kill, you would be dead now for what you took from me.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah. I mean, I don't even. I'd feel the same way.

[Peyton Moreland]

Before I wrap this up, I want you to know if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, please call the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-72333. And that is the case of Diana Duvet.

[Gary Moreland]

Do have to say I was reading the YouTube comments. We've done a couple DV cases recently, and it's sad and blows my mind on how many of our listeners, as well, have been through domestic violence. I don't know if you've read some of the YouTube comments. It was crazy. And first of all, I'm so sorry. And second of all, it sounds like a lot of you have gotten out of those relationships, so I'm happy for you. It's wild. It's wild. It's wild. And yes, I know it does happen to men, too, but I feel like the majority of it, at least from our comments and our YouTube videos, was. Was females. And I'm just like, what's going on, man?

[Peyton Moreland]

And you might get it out, but you don't get out unscathed.

[Gary Moreland]

Oh, talk about the emotional mental trauma.

[Peyton Moreland]

And you could have physical trauma as well. I mean, it just. It's. It's a thing that keeps on happening over and over.

[Gary Moreland]

It's just crazy. I think. I think domestic violence is one of the things that. Because, look, I mean, we. A lot of us are in relationships. We've been in relationships and we understand being upset with our partner and, you know, being angry and being frustrated, but to take it to the level that to get physical at all is not. It's just not okay. Not okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

It's not down that you're not gonna.

[Gary Moreland]

And I know there's, like, a meant mental abuse as well. I think that could be a little more complicated, so I'll leave that out for now. But just being physically harmful to your partner, to anyone, unless you're. Unless I'm watching a pay per view UFC fight, is just not okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

This is my biggest argument of why we should teach kids from a young age that physical harm is not the option. Which is, in my opinion, why we shouldn't spank children, because those children can't grow up and then spank people. You're teaching them that this is how you punish people. You're teaching them that physical violence is a punishment, but when you're an adult, you can't physically punish someone. It's literally illegal. And so it's like any type of physical violence is just not acceptable.

[Gary Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

All right, you guys, that is our case for today, and we will see you next time with another. I love it.

[Gary Moreland]

I hate it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Goodbye.

[Gary Moreland]

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