302. Murdered By An Angel - The death of Milton Sawyer

Summary

Murder With My Husband – Episode 302: Murdered By An Angel – The Death of Milton Sawyer

Release Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Peyton Moreland & Garrett Moreland
Podcast Theme: A true crime deep dive, blending Peyton’s fascination with cases and Garrett’s reluctant participation

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Main Theme and Purpose

This episode explores the chilling 2018 murder of Milton Sawyer, a beloved pillar of the small North Carolina community of Elizabeth City. The hosts unravel the layers of a crime that at first glance seemed like a robbery-gone-wrong, ultimately exposing a devastating love triangle, betrayal, and shocking confessions.

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Episode Structure and Key Segments

1. Introduction & Scene Setting ([03:01]–[05:00])

• Peyton introduces the case by painting Milton Sawyer as the “mascot” of Elizabeth City—a man admired by all, known for his kindness, love of antiques, and involvement with his local community.

“It’s these friendly faces that make a community feel like a home... when something tragic and seemingly random happens to one of these people... it feels personal.” – Peyton [03:11]

• Background: Milton’s personal life, first marriage, affair, and eventual marriage to Angel Marie Wilson.

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2. Milton & Angel: Marriage and Early Signs of Trouble ([06:27]–[10:22])

• Despite his positive public persona, Milton’s relationships were complex.
• Angel Marie Wilson, his second wife, played an active role in his antique store but the relationship, burdened by managing seven children and business challenges, eventually faced routine and distance.
• Milton publicly posts affectionate messages about Angel on Facebook just days before the incident.

“Every man deserves a real woman that makes you forget every other woman on the planet. Okay, I found mine.” – Milton (read by Peyton) [08:01]

• The hosts reflect on the contrast between public declarations of love and private struggles.

“I do find his post kind of funny considering, like, his history in life.” – Peyton [09:48]

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3. The Night of the Murder: Events Unfold ([10:22]–[14:41])

• August 2, 2018: Around 2am, neighbor Carl is awoken by Angel frantically banging on his door, covered in blood.
• Angel claims: A masked intruder broke in, tied both her and Milton up, assaulted them, and stole valuable jewelry.
• EMTs and police arrive to a chaotic, ransacked house, discovering Milton face down, hands duct-taped, dead in the bathroom.

"Dude, a hundred thousand dollars in jewelry? I know a lot." – Garrett [16:08]

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4. The Investigation: Initial Clues & Suspicions ([15:41]–[21:10])

• The crime scene initially appears to confirm Angel's robbery story—except for a crucial clue: a key left on a table, likely used by the perpetrator to enter.
• Angel's injuries are real but her memory of the assailant is vague: a masked white male, possibly targeting the couple due to their business dealings.
• Angel references a yard sale post with their public address, suggesting a motive for a targeted robbery.
• Milton had met a man named Dylan Hostettier that night—a known criminal, but Dylan’s alibi checks out.

“She’s got to be involved. I know that sounds crazy to say right now, but... we’re 300 episodes in. She’s got to be involved.” – Garrett [21:57]

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5. Doubts About the Robbery Theory ([23:12]–[26:25])

• No DNA, fingerprints, or evidence left at the scene; the only sign is the use of manual strangulation—a highly personal means of killing.
• Family and friends indicate cracks in Milton and Angel’s relationship—Angel was never satisfied, Milton reportedly hadn't been enough for her.

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6. Angel’s Affairs & The Love Triangle ([26:25]–[30:17])

• Police uncover Angel's affair with Dylan and, more importantly, a deeper ongoing affair with her physical therapist, Isaac Melcher, who had his own family.
• Tension boiled over; Angel’s daughter warned Isaac about Milton’s suspicions.
• Isaac is evasive during police questioning—denies the affair and claims a lost phone as an alibi, raising red flags for investigators.

“Anytime someone has an issue with their phone, this is gonna look suspicious in a murder case.” – Peyton [30:20]

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7. Confession: The Breaking Point ([33:42]–[35:12])

• In Oregon, Isaac confides in his former pastor, admitting not only to the affair but to strangling Milton—claiming Angel was in danger from her husband, though allegations of abuse are unsubstantiated.

“I reached the place where I asked the devil to help me because I knew I had to so fully turn my back on God to do this.” – Isaac (confession replayed by Peyton and read aloud) [35:47]

• Police, with the pastor’s help, record multiple confessions, including Isaac stating Angel helped plan everything and that they could only be together if Milton was gone.

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8. The Plot Unravels: Arrests and Trials ([36:41]–[42:33])

• Isaac and Angel are both arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
• Investigation reveals they had planned the murder for weeks: attempts to poison Milton, setting up the house for a staged robbery, leaving a key for Isaac.
• On the murder night: Isaac strangles Milton, they stage the scene, Angel self-inflicts wounds (and has Isaac help) to fake a robbery assault.
• Angel attempts to shift the blame in later police interviews, but details—including her actions and relationship with Isaac—point to her involvement.

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9. The Aftermath: Justice and Consequences ([42:33]–[44:43])

• Court Outcome: Isaac takes a plea deal for second-degree murder (20 years), agrees to testify against Angel, who is found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life.
• The hosts reflect on the tragedy, particularly how the aftermath ruins not just Milton’s memory but devastates the children and families involved.

“Dude, they all have kids. That is so messed up... Combined, there’s like ten kids alone that are involved.” – Garrett [42:33, 43:56]

• They lament that, had Angel and Isaac just left their spouses, so much devastation could have been avoided.

“If you care about your affair that much, just move on.” – Garrett [44:20]
“It’s easier than killing someone, in my opinion.” – Peyton [44:31]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Human Imperfection:
  “Everyone’s been the villain.” – Peyton [09:46]

• On the Irony of Social Media Posts:
  “No woman is going to do that for you. You got to do that yourself.” – Peyton, about Milton’s Facebook post [10:17]

• On the Impact of True Crime:
  “People don’t remember Milton as this man who always said hello... They now have this tainted view of him.” – Peyton [43:18]

• On Love Triangle Motives:
  “Every time they go to trial... this relationship that they killed for, it falls apart.” – Peyton [41:32]

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Timeline & Timestamps of Key Segments

• [03:00] – Milton's character, background, and community status
• [08:01] – Milton’s affectionate Facebook post about Angel
• [10:22] – The night of the murder: neighbor finds Angel covered in blood
• [13:21] – Discovery of Milton’s body & initial investigation
• [16:18] – Clue: The key left in the lock, suggesting inside knowledge
• [21:57] – Suspicions about Angel’s involvement raised
• [23:57] – Discovery of manual strangulation as cause of death
• [26:25] – Angel’s affairs with Dylan and Isaac exposed
• [30:01] – Isaac’s suspicious lost phone alibi and denial
• [33:42] – Isaac’s confessions to his pastor
• [35:47] – Isaac’s explicit admission of asking “the devil” for help, and the role of Angel
• [36:41] – Arrests & charges for both Isaac and Angel
• [41:14] – Isaac pleads to lesser charge, Angel stands trial
• [41:50] – Jury quickly convicts Angel after Isaac testifies
• [42:33] – Aftermath for families and children; hosts' reflective discussion
• [43:56] – “Combined, there’s like ten kids alone that are involved.” – Garrett

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Closing Thoughts

The case of Milton Sawyer’s murder reveals the dangers of love triangles, unchecked desires, and the tragic ripple effects of one night’s decision on entire families. Peyton and Garrett maintain a conversational, slightly irreverent but respectful tone—mixing compassion for the victim with some darkly comedic marital banter. Their main takeaway: “Just leave. It’s easier than killing someone.”

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Episode Status: Highly recommended for fans of true crime that blends thorough research with a relatable, dialogue-driven narrative.

Transcript

[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

You'Re listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he's the husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

I'm the husband. Welcome back. Another Monday, another podcast. Hope everyone had a good new year. We did nothing. We sat inside and you play video games. I don't know. Maybe we're old. We didn't really do anything, to be honest.

[Peyton Moreland]

You know, Daisy's scared of the fireworks, so we had to stay home, make sure she's safe. Yeah, we're just parents. At some point, you have to grow up, right?

[Garrett Moreland]

You know, I feel like ever since 20. 20 years just don't really count. I feel like we should all subtract, like, three years from our lives.

[Peyton Moreland]

That's because we all died. And now we're in a simulation.

[Garrett Moreland]

Maybe it's like we're all in Lost. Yeah, seriously, though, we're all actually dead, and we're just. It's one big Lost. Has anyone seen Lost?

[Peyton Moreland]

No, seriously, though, like, you guys, you can't. You can't lie. Like, what's up. It's been like that time has been weird. It's been warped.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, just everything changed. And here we are doing a. Doing a podcast. I don't know. Life's crazy. Anyways, bagel shops, open it up and we'll keep everyone updated. Don't have any updates yet, but it's coming. Just lots of stuff behind the scenes, other news in our lives. Nothing too much here we are recording, making a podcast. We love you guys. Thank you for being here. Thank you for supporting us. I think on that note, we're just gonna hop into today's case.

[Peyton Moreland]

Our sources for this episode are oxygen.com wtkr.com medium.com daily advance.com, thesun.com, wavy.com, the cinemaholic, case law.findlaw.com and dateline. Every small town has that one very beloved local the older man who bags groceries down at the supermarket, the school principal who all the kids admire and respect, the neighbor who always greets you with a smile and never says no to lending a hand. It's these friendly faces that make a community feel like a home. That makes us feel comfortable, loved, welcomed. That gives us hope in humanity. So when something tragic and seemingly random happens to one of these people, the pillars of our community, it feels personal, even to those who only knew these people in passing. Because it leads us to wonder if someone so admired, so well known, can be targeted by a random act of violence in their own home. Are any of us really safe? Or is nothing in this world truly random? So let's head back to the year 2018, to a quiet North Carolina community along the river known as Elizabeth City. It is here that a 55 year old man named Milton Henry Sawyer Jr calls home. In fact, he has for his entire life, which is probably why he is such a pillar of the community. Milton came from a big family full of siblings, half siblings, step siblings, most of which he remained close with his entire life. But that probably wasn't hard for Milton. Everybody who knew this guy said they loved him. He was the kind of person who always had a smile on his face, who, who loved cracking jokes and keeping the mood light. The guy who everyone would pat on the back and ask, when are you going to run for mayor, Milton? In many ways, Milton kind of seemed to be the mascot of this small city, Elizabeth City. He was always a great student and was the drum major in his high school marching band. And after graduating, he got a degree in math and computer science and worked in data management at the University of North Carolina. But Milton, just being a simple man, always had one dream, and it was one that he eventually chose to pursue that was in the world of collectibles. Milton loved antiques and sports memorabilia so much that he actually ended up opening his own little antique store in his hometown of Elizabeth City. It was just three miles from his home, and he called it Treasure Hunter. Now, by this point, Milton was married to his high school sweetheart. They had two children. And while things at the antique shop seemed to be going well, his marriage at this point wasn't. Now, reportedly, Milton had a bit of a wandering eye, and the romance had come to a bit of standstill with his first wife.

[Garrett Moreland]

A wandering eye, okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah, that's what they be calling it.

[Garrett Moreland]

He used to call it. Right. Wandering eye, Like a polite way to put it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right, yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

You know, he just had a wandering eye. What can you say that's better than.

[Peyton Moreland]

Being like, you know, you just like to sleep with other people.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yes. I mean, yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So Milton began looking outside the marriage, and he eventually found it with another woman, who he then had a third child with another daughter. So after the affair, Milton and his wife chose to part ways, but they stayed on good terms for the sake of their children. For a few years, Milton dated around, but in 2011, he met someone 10 years younger. It would kind of change his life entirely. Her name was Angel Marie Wilson. Again, this is 2011. Angel was the daughter of a pastor who was raising four children after her own failed marriage. So she and Milton actually confided a lot in each other. They shared a lot of the same challenges. Plus, they were falling in love fast. A year later, in 2012, they tied the knot, and angel became a part of Milton's business, helping him run the antique store. Now Milton was head over heels for angel as the two acted like teenagers in love. He showered her with gifts. He did everything he could to protect and nurture Angel. And meanwhile, angel seemed to be doing whatever she could to keep the business thriving. She was organizing, staging, inventory to make the space more inviting. She worked the cash register, that sort of stuff. But as the years passed, this couple fell into a routine. And with seven kids between the two of them to manage, their relationship lost its spark, as did the treasure hunter. By 2018, the business was starting to flounder. Not many people were shopping at the store. And regardless of how well liked Milton was in the city, it was becoming difficult to turn a profit. But still, Milton seemed like a loving husband committed to overcoming the challenges that life gave them. So on July 23, 2018, he posted on Facebook saying, quote, every man deserves a real woman. That makes you forget every other woman on the planet. Okay, I found mine. And she is all that and more. I love you, my Angel. And then around July 30, 2018, Milton and Angel went to visit Milton's son, Caleb. Caleb was now 20 years old and an engineering student living in Raleigh, North Carolina, studying for his degree. And Milton and Angel made the two and a half hour trip to help Caleb move into his new house. And Caleb said the trip with his dad and stepmom was perfect. Everything seemed great between Milton and Angel. They were giggly happy. Honestly, Caleb, the son, thought it was kind of similar to when they first got together. So Caleb thought, okay. They had a rough patch, but they're turning a corner. The spark seemed to be coming back between the two of them.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's interesting because this is not a knock on Milton, but just in general, like, no one's perfect. And I don't know how to say this without maybe it coming off rude, but there are skeletons in everybody's closet and those skeletons don't have to be extremely bad. Doesn't have to mean that person's killing someone or doing something illegal. But like, we're all human.

[Peyton Moreland]

Everyone's been the villain. Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

Like, like there's just, it's.

[Peyton Moreland]

I know. I do find his post kind of funny considering, like his history in life.

[Garrett Moreland]

Well, I mean, it's a good example. Right? Like, he had a wandering eye.

[Peyton Moreland]

Like, Right.

[Garrett Moreland]

People paint him as. Or currently, we're like, oh, he's perfect and he's so nice. It's okay. Well, he cheated on his wife.

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, and also like his post being like, every guy deserves a woman who makes him forget that other women exist.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. It's kind of funny, huh?

[Peyton Moreland]

I'm like, no, bro, that's. No woman is going to do that for you. You got to do that yourself.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

Like, that doesn't exist. That's a fairy tale. That's a fantasy. I don't know. So they are here with Caleb visiting him. Everything seems to be going good. But just three days later, everything would come to a screeching halt. It was around 2am on Aug. 2, 2018, when Milton and Angel's neighbor, a man named Carl, heard a frantic banging on his door. And when he answered, he saw Angel, Milton's wife, hysterical, screaming and covered in blood at 2am on his doorstep. Okay, now, she said a man dressed in all black and wearing a mask had broken into their home a little after midnight. He had stolen some things before attacking both her and Milton. She claimed the robber had tied her and Milton up, binding them with duct tape. The intruder then hit her in the face with a pistol. Demanded they tell him where their money was. And after they did, she tells her neighbor the guy did something terrible to Milton. But she doesn't give any details about what it is, Just basically saying, like, no, like Milton's in trouble. Now, hearing Angel's story, the neighbor dialed 911 right away, and police rushed over to the residence. Now, one of the earliest deputies at the scene was Sergeant Jason Wilbarger. And he was terrified of what he might find in the home because, like I said, he knew Milton. When police were responding, they knew this was the guy who had grown up here in this smaller town. Everyone knew him, and he always thought Milton was a lovely guy. In fact, he actually saw Milton and Angel earlier at a local Italian restaurant. This was just a few hours before getting the call and responding. So the police make their way over to the Sawyer's house. There doesn't appear to be any forced entry, but this is a relatively safe town. Maybe they actually had their doors unlocked on this summer night. So police enter through the back doors, guns drawn, because they aren't sure what's going on. And everything inside is completely quiet and still when they walk in. But the place is a mess. It looks totally ransacked. Drawers and cabinets opened with their contents everywhere. And there's jewelry and other valuables spread out on the floor. Police said you could barely walk on the carpet without stepping on something. And when the detective gets to the bathroom, that's where he eventually finds Milton. He is face down on the floor, lying motionless. His hands are duct taped behind his back, and jeez, man, he no longer has a Pulse. Okay, so 55 year old Milton Sawyer is dead. Is dead in his own home.

[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

Just like his wife had said, it appears to be a very obvious robbery gone wrong, Milton's cause of death wasn't totally identifiable just from looking at the crime scene alone. But it did seem to be clear what the intruder was after. Angel claims she had a lot of her expensive jewelry stolen. Between 50 and $100,000 worth of jewelry. And as far as evidence was concerned, there honestly wasn't a whole lot.

[Garrett Moreland]

Dude, a hundred thousand dollars in jewelry? I know a lot.

[Peyton Moreland]

I think I have to remember. These are people who run an antique store. They're collectibles.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So the one thing that was strange was a key that was left out on a table. Investigators later learned the back door actually had been locked after all, and this key had been used to open it and then left inside by the assailant. So whoever did this literally had a key to the home. Had they stolen it? Is this someone that the Sawyers knew. And was there more to the story than just a robbery gone wrong? Well, the police's best witness right now is Angel Sawyer. She'd gotten a look at the intruder, so police went to speak to her at the hospital where she was being treated for a head wound. And by the time they spoke, angel was also in a neck brace and awaiting a CAT scan. So her injuries didn't seem superficial. But she wasn't as helpful as the police had hoped. She could only describe the robber as a white male since he was wearing a mask. She said the night started out with her and Milton having some quiet time alone while their two youngest daughters were actually away as sleepovers. They were lying in bed binge watching Game of Thrones when she got up to get a snack.

[Garrett Moreland]

Games of Thrones is so good.

[Peyton Moreland]

She claims, though, when she opened the door to her bedroom, there was a masked intruder standing there, and he came storming in, asking her to hand over her jewelry. She said the man then grabbed Milton and tied him up first before moving on to her. He left Milton in the bathroom and then brought angel into the bedroom, where he forced her to hand over some of her belongings. Now, at one point, she said she tried to grab Milton's cell phone, which was on the floor, but the assailant came and saw her. He hit her head so hard, she nearly lost consciousness. And during all of that, she could hear a commotion in the bathroom. That's when she realized Milton had probably been hurt in there. She said this is when she saw an opportunity to run to a neighbor's house to escape, she claimed. First, she tried a sheriff who lived a couple houses down from them, but he didn't answer. And then some friends who also weren't home before finally making it to the neighbor that answered. And what she supposedly didn't know at this point while being questioned was that Milton wasn't just injured in the bathroom. He had died. And while police are talking to her, she apparently has no idea.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

So investigators break the news to her in the hospital. She becomes a total wreck. And when angel finally calms down and gathers her thoughts, she gives the detectives some theories on who she thinks the intruder was, which isn't abnormal. They're gonna ask, is there anyone who wants to hurt you? Who do you think could have done this? So she said she believed the attacker knew that they owned the Treasure hunter and was targeting them deliberately. It wasn't a random attack. Apparently, Milton had recently advertised that they were having a yard sale at their house and had made their address Public on Facebook, which she actually got mad at Milton at the time for doing. And then when the police asked her, okay, well, what happened earlier in the evening before the robbery? Like, we want a whole timeline of your day leading up to this. She tells them about the dinner they had, and that's where the sergeant had saw them and could confirm this. But after that, angel said Milton went to meet up with someone. It was a guy named Dylan who was actually trying to sell him a tv. Milton told angel it would be quick, just a public stop. They would meet him in a fast food parking lot. Supposedly, Dylan was actually a regular around the store. But angel told police she found him to be a bit shady. Actually, there were quite a few people that Milton dealt with that she thought were pretty shady. Most of them treated their store like a pawn shop to try and sell stolen goods.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

So understandably, angel didn't love the fact that Milton was working these deals outside of the store. She thought it could be dangerous and that it was very possible. From there, they were followed home. In fact, angel said she and Milton got into a pretty heated argument about it on their way home, but they made up shortly after. However, there was one other thing detectives needed her to explain. Hey, so at your house, we actually found a key that was used to get into your home.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay. Yeah. And.

[Peyton Moreland]

And they're like, how does an intruder have a key for your back door? And angel is like, oh, no, this is very simple. Her kids were always forgetting their keys, so they often hid one out by the back door for them to use. She's like, it would be a simple look, and you could find the key. So at this point, police feel it's pretty likely that Milton was targeted by someone because of his. After all, the store didn't just sell antiques. They bought and sold a lot of golden jewelry as well. And one of the first people they actually wanted to speak with was the man that angel said Milton had met up with earlier that night. His name, Dylan Hostettier. Now, Dylan wasn't just another client. He had committed a couple of robberies before he was caught, so police knew his rap sheet. So when his name got brought up, they were like, hey, yeah, we need to talk to him. And they figured it wasn't hard to imagine Dylan following the couple home that night and waiting for the right time to strike. But this wasn't a guy who was going to come in willingly and talk to the police. So I'm not sure how. But they ended up arresting him for possession of drugs. And that's when they get him to come down to the station to talk about Milton.

[Garrett Moreland]

She's got to be involved. I know that sounds crazy to say right now, but, I mean, come on, we're 300 episodes in on murder with my husband. She's got to be involved.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah. I mean, I think you always look at the partner, have to. So at first, Dylan tells police what angel said, that he met up with Milton around 8:30pm in a fast food parking lot to sell him a tv, and that his girlfriend was actually there with him. Dylan said after he and his girlfriend parted ways and spent the night separately. But eventually, after some more questioning, Dylan changes his story and says, okay, actually, we didn't go home. We went and bought drugs together from a dealer. And then he and his girlfriend went back to his house. But what strange is, when police bring him in for questioning, Dylan has a black eye. Now, this is not a good look when you're being questioned in a murder investigation. But Dylan insisted he was innocent, that he and Milton were just friends, that he loved Milton just as much as the next guy. He had no reason to go after him. The problem was his alibi was, I was at home doing drugs. This is not exactly an alibi, okay. However, when police go to speak with Dylan's family, who he still lives with, they all vouch for him. They're like, yeah, we saw him come home that night.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, we saw him at home doing drugs.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah. So police take a sample of Dylan's DNA just in case, and in the meantime, they move on to other suspects. But DNA actually is a pretty big problem in this case in general because they find no DNA at the crime scene. Killer did a pretty good job of covering their tracks. There was no shell casings, no blood, footprints, or fingerprints. And Again, this is 2018. Not so much as even a hair seemed to be left behind. Even Milton's cause of death was kind of still a bit of a mystery, at least until the autopsy was over. So what they discover is that Milton died from manual strangulation. This is an interesting method for a robbery gone wrong.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, that doesn't really make sense, right?

[Peyton Moreland]

Not just because it's time intensive, but as we know, strangulation is typically deliberate, personal, a little rageful. So now the police are starting to wonder, okay, is this not a robbery gone wrong? And was there a more personal connection to whoever did this? Was there more to the story than angel was letting on? Now, after angel recovers, she takes police to the treasure hunter to see if anything might be missing. There as well. She's like, maybe they robbed the store and the house. But nothing seems to be out of place. So a day or so later, police go to visit angel again at the home where she's staying with a few friends. And when she comes out to greet them, they notice that she seems like a shell of herself. She's holding a teddy bear, she's holding a photo of Milton. She's crying uncontrollably. It almost seems like everything had kind of hit her. When they go to ask her for more details about the night in question, she starts giving some strange answers. When asked about the fight they had over buying the tv, angel was like, nope, we made up straight away. We even had sex that night. And then she proceeds to tell the police that they actually had sex every single morning and every single night, every single day.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, man. They're just nice.

[Peyton Moreland]

But sometimes joked with Milton that he must be getting tired of her. But they were still madly in love. However, she said it hasn't always been this way. There was a time after they got engaged that she found out Milton had been seeing another woman.

[Garrett Moreland]

I mean, surprise, surprise.

[Peyton Moreland]

And while she was able to move past it, she claimed Milton didn't really return the favor. She said he was incredibly jealous whenever a man looked her way. Now, all of this does make sense to police because they'd heard from Milton's family who said, you know, this marriage wasn't perfect. Cracks had formed, but Milton had told his brother that it was because no matter what he did, angel never seemed to be happy with him. She always wanted more. More attention, more gifts, more money, just more. He was never enough. And according to other witnesses, angel found more just like Milton had.

[Garrett Moreland]

Ooh.

[Peyton Moreland]

Turns out Milton was not the only one with a wandering eye in this.

[Garrett Moreland]

Marriage, which is, like I said, you just. I have said it before. You never ever know what's going on behind closed doors with anyone. Married, not married, single, just people in general. You never. Honestly, I know it might sound negative, but you never truly know somebody. You just don't.

[Peyton Moreland]

Angel was also guilty of it. In fact, Dylan guy that they met up that at first she was like, this guy's so shady. The guy that police kind of feel like they ruled out. Apparently he and angel had had a little fling after she met him down at the Treasure Hunter. Okay, sounds like it was brief, but that might be because angel set her sights on someone else the year prior. Back in 2017, 44 year old angel was in a car accident that required her to start some physical therapy. She met a 37 year old therapist named Isaac Melcher. As the two worked together, angel said her pain wasn't getting any better. So Isaac recommended a treatment called dry needling of like, acupuncture. So it's a closed door kind of thing. And it was behind those closed doors that this relationship blossomed. She began telling him intimate details of her life. She started sending him naked pictures. And soon this conversation turned into, we're having a full blown affair. By the way, Isaac also had a wife and three kids of his own at the time. But it wasn't long until angel and Isaac began having sex, meeting up about three times a week. And most of them were during these treatments. Now, then came January of 2018. This is eight months before Milton's death. That is when angel went to Isaac to say she no longer would be going to therapy because Milton believed she was having an affair with him. Which she was like, Milton wasn't wrong.

[Garrett Moreland]

He was right. Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

This didn't put a stop to things. They kept finding new and creative ways to see each other outside of, like, going to therapy. And by May, they were really testing the boundaries. When angel told Isaac that she and her family were going to a particular beach that afternoon, she's like, you just bring your family there too. And that day, together with their families, they literally walked past one another. And Milton notices, obviously, like, he knows who Isaac is.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

Milton doesn't say anything that day. But the following Tuesday, Milton's daughter called Isaac's office and said, hey, you better watch out. My father's gonna come into your office and confront you. Like, he knows what's going on. He's angry. And that's when Isaac called the police. And an officer went down to Milton's store to say, yeah, don't go to his office and confront him. Maybe don't do that. Now what's weird is after this, angel just sort of ghosts Isaac. Like, almost like all this drama had been too much. And she was like, okay, she's over it. Yeah. Throughout June, two months before the murder, he tries to get in touch with her through Facebook. She doesn't respond. And then he calls her using the office phone line. He's like, hey, I still love you. And finally, by the end of that month, angel was coming back around. And that's when Isaac told her he was willing to leave his wife and kids for her and would take her away from Milton.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, no, this. This never works.

[Peyton Moreland]

So, honestly, pretty quickly, police learn about this affair. They kind of already knew. They realize there's some motive going on. Yes, Isaac, we need to look into him. But when they do, they find out this guy is totally clean. He's a wife and kids, a good job, he's involved with the church. He has no criminal record. Plus, angel says she's pretty positive that Isaac was not the man who came into her home and attacked her and killed her husband. Still, they try to track Isaac down, and when they speak to him, he claims there was no affair. He tells police, I don't know what you're talking about. There was no contact between me and Angel. It was all professional.

[Garrett Moreland]

No, because he was trying to hide it from his wife.

[Peyton Moreland]

He also says he was home the night of the murder with his wife and kids. He only left for a short window to go to Walmart because he spilled water on his phone and needed a new one. Which is why police aren't even able to take a peek at his old cell phone because he had thrown it out.

[Garrett Moreland]

All right, well, red flags all over the place.

[Peyton Moreland]

Anytime someone has an issue with their phone, this is gonna look suspicious in a murder case.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

But it gets worse. Shortly after this brief conversation with police, Isaac actually leaves North Carolina. He goes to Oregon, where he's originally from, to visit his mother. And it's there, on the opposite side of the country, that the truth finally does start to emerge.

[Garrett Moreland]

What's crazy? If he would have just been like, yeah, we had an affair, yada, yada, yada, but I didn't do anything, the police probably would have been less suspicious.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

And they probably wouldn't have looked into him anymore.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right. It's the denial when literally I've been.

[Garrett Moreland]

Moving out of the state, had called.

[Peyton Moreland]

Police and said, hey, Milton's gonna come down to my store.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's crazy.

[Peyton Moreland]

All right, you guys. We are getting into an ad and people keep asking about 20, 26 resolutions. Obviously you have the usual goals, but this year there's a new goal at the top of my list, and that is to get comfy. And that's where Bombas comes in. They're bringing serious comfort to all of my everyday go tos. The all new Bombas sport socks are engineered with sport specific comfort for running, golf, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and all sport. This year, I actually do really want to try to get into a more physical hobby. And these socks are perfect for it. They're cushioned where I need it most, sweat, wicking, and loaded with other tech features to keep me comfy and locked in. And for those everyday around the house resolutions, Bombas also has you covered with the comfiest footwear imaginable and underneath it all the softest base layers that will have you rethinking your entire wardrobe. Bombas underwear and T shirts are flexible, breathable and buttery smooth. And my favorite part is for every item you purchase, an essential clothing item is donated to someone facing housing insecurity. One purchased one donated with over 150 million donations and counting.

[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

Quint.com husband so while Isaac is in Oregon, he calls his former youth pastor turned dairy farmer, a man named Lou Kazumir, and he says, hey, I'm in town. Can we meet up for a bit? The two are very close. The pastor said he saw Isaac as his own son. Didn't seem odd. That was until he actually lays eyes on Isaac and he says he looks broken. According to the pastor, Isaac is slumped over. His eyes are shifting. So Louis invites him into his backyard because Isaac says he has something that he needs to discuss with him in private. And that's when he tells Louis, hay, I had an affair, I'm in love and I may have strangled her husband to death.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh my Gosh.

[Peyton Moreland]

But Isaac also tells the pastor something, too. He said angel had told him that Milton was abusive and was going to kill either of them if he found out about the affair.

[Garrett Moreland]

I don't know if I don't believe this right now.

[Peyton Moreland]

So Isaac basically confesses to murder, but then tells his pastor. I'm basically like the night in shining armor.

[Garrett Moreland]

Armor. Oh, my gosh, dude, get out of here.

[Peyton Moreland]

I saved angel from her monstrous husband. Now, I want to say this abuse was never confirmed to be true. So after Isaac leaves that day, Louis is like, okay, yeah, I know that this is like, my son, and I'm a pat. Like, was his youth pastor.

[Garrett Moreland]

You just killed somebody.

[Peyton Moreland]

I gotta call police. Like, I'm not just gonna keep this a secret. So he gets in touch with the sheriff's department dealing with the case back in North Carolina. And he's like, hey, Isaac just came to my house and confessed to murdering his mistress's husband. And right away, officers hop on a plane to Oregon. They meet up with Louis, and that's when they ask him for his help one more time. They are going to try to catch Isaac, but they need him to get that confession on tape. They're like, hey, if he's already confessed to you once, invite him over. We'll record it and get him talking about it again. So over the next few days, Louis agrees to record three different phone calls with Isaac. And Isaac tells him a similar story. He confesses to Milton's murder. He says that he believed he was helping Angel. He was in love with her. And he adds, quote, I reached the.

[Garrett Moreland]

Place where I asked the devil to help me because I knew that I had to so fully turn my back on God, do this.

[Peyton Moreland]

I reached the place where I asked the devil to help me.

[Garrett Moreland]

What is up?

[Peyton Moreland]

Because, I mean, because I knew I had to fully turn my back on God to be able to do this. Oh, and by the way, Isaac's wife, Freak Darlene, is actually on the line during one of these phone calls, apparently hearing all of this for the first time.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, for the first time? I thought you meant that she had been, like, okay with it.

[Peyton Moreland]

No.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

But Isaac makes a few more explosive statements during these recordings. He didn't want to turn himself in because there was evidence of premeditation that if he got away with it, he still wanted to be with Angel. His wife hears this part, too, and he says, angel helped me plan this whole thing.

[Garrett Moreland]

Holy crap.

[Peyton Moreland]

She was in on it. I didn't do this alone. He claimed that there was no other way out. According to Angel, Milton would never let her go. Divorce was not an option, and the only way forward was killing him. Now, with these taped confessions as evidence, police arrested Isaac Melcher on August 21st. This is 19 days after Milton's murder. He was charged with first degree murder, and they arrest Angel Sawyer with the exact same charges.

[Garrett Moreland]

Super curious where this goes, because how.

[Peyton Moreland]

Do you prove this?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, how do you prove it?

[Peyton Moreland]

Right.

[Garrett Moreland]

Proving this is so hard.

[Peyton Moreland]

Now, as they're both awaiting trial, obviously more details start to come to light. We see this often in cases like exactly how the murder plan was set in motion in the weeks before Milton died. Turns out about a month before the murder, back in July, Isaac began talking to angel about killing her husband. By this point, Isaac had already committed to leaving. His wife was preparing for separation. And while he kept asking angel to do the same, she told him she couldn't. She was too afraid of what Milton might do. So when Isaac spoke about a way to get rid of him for good, he says she willingly went along with it. They talked about mixing Milton's medication with alcohol, trying to fake an overdose, and at one point, angel apparently even tried to do this. But it only made Milton sleep till noon the following day.

[Garrett Moreland]

Do. Do. Is any of this over text? Is it all phone calls? Do they have proof of it, like texting each other or.

[Peyton Moreland]

No, I don't think they have messages, because I think they would have come up in reporting, but I think this is all just based on interrogations. Them talking to police. Now, after the yard cell where angel got annoyed with Milton for publicly listing their address on Facebook, she's like, wait, this is perfect. She told Isaac he could pretend to be a burglar and rob them because he got their address off Facebook, and then he could kill Milton in the process. The thing was, they never actually set a date for the plan. But on August 1st, Isaac was ready to go. He had already had a bag prepared with duct tape, rags, bottles of alcohol, a pistol. And then he used a key that angel had set out by the back door in anticipation.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay, this is the key.

[Peyton Moreland]

They didn't set a date, but she was like, while talking about the plans, like, oh, yeah, I put a key out there for when this happens.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's so diabolical.

[Peyton Moreland]

So the day comes, he breaks in. He goes into the bedroom, forced Milton into the bathroom, put him in a chokehold until he stopped breathing. Then he and angel grabbed cash from Milton's nightstand, emptied her jewelry stand to make it look realistic. And after that, angel smacked her own Head on the table to make it look like she'd been beaten up. I just. Okay. I think about this often when we cover cases where someone is staging and, like, has to hurt themselves. Like, at some point, like, think she's standing there before she's about to swing her head. Is there a part of her that's like, what am I doing?

[Garrett Moreland]

No, I think there's so much adrenaline. Adrenaline and just other emotions going on. I bet you doesn't even cross their mind.

[Peyton Moreland]

Like, you're so far in deep that you're willingly going to smash your head into a table.

[Garrett Moreland]

For sure.

[MIDI Health Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

You're playing the part at that point. So, I mean, it's wild.

[Peyton Moreland]

I couldn't do it if I was there. I mean, I would never get to this point. But if I was at that point before swinging my head into the table, I would probably laugh because I'd be like, how insane is this? Like, this is actually crazy.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's so insane.

[Peyton Moreland]

I'm just like, oh, my gosh. You had every opportunity to just.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is wild.

[Peyton Moreland]

Stop. Okay, so she what, idiot? Smashes her head into the table? Apparently before that, she actually had Isaac hit her, too, though she said it wasn't hard enough. Then she ran to the neighbor's house, claimed an intruder had robbed them, hurt her husband. You know where the story goes from there. Now when angel is confronted with this entire thing, she tells police, yeah, I did know about the plan. She's like, I did know. Like, Isaac had told me he wanted to kill my husband, but he also threatened to kill me if I ever spoke about it. And she's like, so it's not really all it's claiming to be. Like, Isaac was just really greedy. He wanted me to himself.

[Garrett Moreland]

I just don't believe it. I don't believe it.

[Peyton Moreland]

And so she's not taking Isaac's side on this. She's kind of throwing him under the bus. Now, ultimately, Isaac agreed to a deal. He was willing to testify against angel in court in exchange for a lesser sentence. He pleaded guilty to the lighter charge of second degree murder and was given 20 years in prison. But angel would have her date in court also in September of 2021.

[Garrett Moreland]

Now, I'm. I mean, I'm glad he went to jail, obviously. I'm really curious what happened to angel, though.

[Peyton Moreland]

Here's the thing about these cases that always shock me when it is like a love triangle case. Every time they go to trial. This love, this relationship that they killed.

[Garrett Moreland]

For, oh, it falls apart.

[Peyton Moreland]

They testify against each. I'm like, was that really worth it? I mean, like, it was. It was enough to kill someone. But now at trial, it makes sense.

[Garrett Moreland]

Like, when push comes to shove, can they actually handle it?

[Peyton Moreland]

No, I'm like, it really. It obviously wasn't a love worth fighting for.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Peyton Moreland]

So after hearing Isaac's testimony, his relationship with angel, how she'd given him her perfume, lotion and jewelry the night of the murder and left a key, the jury didn't need very long to decide her role in it. It took them just 20 minutes to come back with a verdict of her trial. Thank goodness Angel Sawyer was also guilty of first degree murder, sentenced to life behind bars. And what became clear was angel didn't just take Milton's life. She broke his heart. For a time. She stole his reputation. I mean, no one ever confirmed the details angel shared with Isaac about domestic abuse. No one ever came forward to say the threats he made against angel were valid. That she, you know, he would kill them.

[Garrett Moreland]

Dude, they all have kids. Yeah, like, that is so messed up. Angel has kids. Her kids don't have a mom now because her mom's evil. Isaac has kids.

[Peyton Moreland]

They have kids together.

[Garrett Moreland]

Their kids don't have a dad. Yeah, they don't have a dad now because the dad's evil.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Isaac has a wife.

[Garrett Moreland]

Milton had kids.

[Peyton Moreland]

Isaac has a wife who now has to raise her kids alone because her husband killed his mistress. His husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

Milton's kids grew up without a dad because someone decided to kill him.

[Peyton Moreland]

And here's the thing, Insane Garrett said this earlier. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Yeah, everyone has made mistakes. Milton made mistakes. And you know what this case did? Not only did they kill Milton, they put all of his mistakes on display for people.

[Garrett Moreland]

Which sucks, because we're all human, right?

[Peyton Moreland]

So people now don't remember Milton as this man who always said hello to you, who asked how your family was, how your kids were doing, who remembered little details of conversations. The man who was always smiling, who was in love with his wife, who would have done anything to make her happy. They now have this tainted view of him, of this case that has spilled over. But as we know, none of this Milton was enough for Angel Sawyer. She wanted it all so badly, she ended up losing it all. Including a man that everyone really did love. And that is the murder story of Milton Sawyer.

[Garrett Moreland]

Once again, like we always say, there's just so many people involved with cases like this. Like, combined, there's like, 10 kids alone that are involved.

[Peyton Moreland]

Love triangle cases always just. I'm like, dude, if you had just taken like gone to therapy. Like this motive that seems so intense in the moment.

[Garrett Moreland]

Leave. Your significant other.

[Peyton Moreland]

Literally would go away.

[Garrett Moreland]

We don't need to kill people. If you care about your affair that much, just move on.

[Peyton Moreland]

Just leave.

[Garrett Moreland]

Leave.

[Peyton Moreland]

Like, if you want to be together, just. And I know that's easier said than.

[Garrett Moreland]

Done, but like, go for it.

[Peyton Moreland]

It's easier than killing someone, in my opinion.

[Garrett Moreland]

But I think they get to a point where it's like they're delusional. Killing someone is easier.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah. And that's why I'm saying, like these love affair things. I'm like, it is always so pointless.

[Garrett Moreland]

Wild.

[Peyton Moreland]

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

[Garrett Moreland]

I hate it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Goodbye.

[MIDI Health Advertiser]

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