Podcast Summary: Scams, Money, & Murder

Episode: Wedding Fund Murder Fraud Pt. 2

Hosts: Vanessa Richardson, Carter Roy
Guest: Dr. Tristan Engels (Forensic Psychologist)
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This gripping episode concludes the chilling tale of Daniel Wozniak, a community theater actor whose desperate quest to fund a lavish wedding with his fiancée led him down a path of betrayal, manipulation, and ultimately, murder. Hosts Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy, joined by forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels, untangle Wozniak’s psychological profile and walk listeners through the investigation, the shocking confessions, and the final legal reckoning.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Psychology of Daniel Wozniak

• Nurture and Personality Disorders
  • Dr. Engels recaps Wozniak’s upbringing under “helicopter parenting,” highlighting how this contributed to his sense of entitlement and ego-driven personality.
  • Wozniak displays symptoms consistent with antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders, evidenced by his pathological lying, lack of empathy, and manipulative behaviors.
  • Quote [05:56]:
    “He is preoccupied with material things... preoccupied with success, he's self-centered and entitled, he lacks empathy...”
    — Dr. Tristan Engels

The Plot Unfolds: The Murders of Julie Kibuishi and Sam Herr

• Initial Deception and Setup

  • On May 21, 2010, Wozniak orchestrates events to lure Julie Kibuishi, using texts from her friend Sam Herr’s phone that seem suspicious but believable due to Sam’s PTSD. Julie responds out of concern.
  • The next day, her body is discovered; Sam is missing. Investigators initially suspect a love triangle and focus on Sam.
  • Notable Moment [07:28]:
    “They just didn’t sound like him... but those strange details made Julie even more willing to help Sam.” — Vanessa Richardson

• Crime Scene Staging & Investigation

  • Julie was found shot in the back of the head, pants pulled down, with a lewd message scrawled on her sweater, meant to mislead police.
  • Dr. Engels emphasizes the organized and arrogant nature of the killer, noting their “comfort in returning to the scene hours later to re-stage the body” [12:15-12:22].

• Following the Money

  • Investigators trace Sam’s debit card to a local ATM and pizza order. Surveillance leads them to 17-year-old Wesley, who reveals Wozniak enlisted him under false pretenses to withdraw funds.
  • Dr. Engels explores why teens like Wesley are especially vulnerable to adult manipulation [16:25-17:28].

The Interrogation and Wozniak’s Lies

• Multiple Fabrications

  • When questioned, Wozniak continually shifts his narrative—from claiming Sam masterminded a theft scheme, to admitting limited involvement, to accessory to murder, and finally confessing direct knowledge of Julie’s body [17:57-22:29].
  • Key Quote [20:56]:
    “Whenever pathological liars are confronted with evidence that contradicts their lies, their immediate reaction is typically defensiveness... then they often change the story to cover up the initial deception…”
    — Dr. Tristan Engels

• The Break in the Case

  • Wozniak slips by revealing details about Julie’s wounds that only the killer—or law enforcement—would know.
  • This pivotal “second shot” revelation [22:29] solidifies police suspicions that he murdered Julie.

The Full Confession and Motive

• Wozniak’s Radical Admission

  • After his arrest and hearing his fiancée’s recorded jail call, Wozniak confesses to police:
    Quote [25:33]:
    “I'm crazy and I did it. I killed Julie and I killed Sam.” — Daniel Wozniak (as recounted by Vanessa Richardson)

• Insanity Defense Debunked

  • Dr. Engels explains how Wozniak’s behaviors—covering his tracks, enlisting helpers, and performing on stage after the murders—demonstrate clear understanding of his actions, refuting an insanity plea [26:20-28:40].
  • Only a small percentage (<1%) of criminal cases attempt or succeed with an insanity defense.

The Harrowing Details of the Crimes

• Step-by-Step:

  • Wozniak lured Sam to a theater attic under the pretense of moving equipment, killed him, then later performed in a play on the stage below.

  • He uses Sam’s phone to lure Julie to Sam’s apartment and murders her, staging a crime of passion to frame Sam.

  • The next day, Wozniak returns to the attic, dismembers Sam’s body to aid disposal and prevent identification [31:26-32:57].

  • Quote [32:59]:
    “This just really illustrates how apathetic and calloused he is... All of his relationships are a means to an end for him, and it's as if he's lacking a conscience.” — Dr. Tristan Engels

The Aftermath and Legal Consequences

• Wozniak’s subsequent behavior is described as attention-seeking; he appears on the TV show “Lockup” and revels in his media notoriety.

• Despite his confession, Wozniak pleads not guilty at trial but is convicted on both counts of first-degree murder.

• Originally sentenced to death, the abolition of California’s death penalty means he will spend life in prison [36:34].

  • Quote [36:24]:
    “That alone is very telling... that he's looking up that and then honeymoon. Like how he can easily just switch between the two, like it's the same thing.”
    — Dr. Tristan Engels

• Reflection:
  The hosts underscore the shocking, senseless nature of the murders: Wozniak killed purely for money he imagined would fund his ideal wedding—a fantasy he pursued without any empathy for his victims. As Vanessa notes in closing:
  [36:34]:
  “His crimes were shocking, not just for the brutality, but for the pointlessness of it all... all because Dan was willing to do whatever it took to have his.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They were only pawns and he was willing to sacrifice them in order to get everything he wanted.” — Vanessa Richardson [00:55]
• “Teenagers generally are susceptible to influence and manipulation because... their brains are still developing... making them more emotionally vulnerable.” — Dr. Tristan Engels [16:25]
• “Killing Sam and Julie wasn't personal to him. It was business. It was transactional...” — Dr. Tristan Engels [32:59]
• “Nobody was forcing Dan to pay for an extravagant wedding, and certainly nobody made him kill two innocent people for it...” — Vanessa Richardson [36:34]

Key Timestamps

• 00:55 — Vanessa introduces the dynamic of friendship and betrayal
• 03:42 — Dr. Engels on Wozniak’s manipulation and personality
• 05:56 — Psychological profile and diagnostic impressions
• 07:28–11:13 — The chilling setup and discovery of Julie’s body
• 12:22 — Dr. Engels on revisiting the crime scene
• 16:25–17:19 — Mechanics of Wesley’s manipulation and teenage vulnerability
• 17:57–22:29 — Wozniak’s shifting stories and interrogation reaction
• 25:33 — The confession: “I'm crazy and I did it.”
• 26:20–28:40 — Discussion of the insanity plea and legal standards
• 31:26–32:57 — Dismemberment and emotional detachment
• 36:24–36:34 — Wozniak’s conviction, sentence, and aftermath

Tone and Language

Vanessa Richardson’s delivery is empathetic but precise, while Dr. Tristan Engels provides clear, clinical insights with accessible language. The episode is somber, insightful, and at times chilling—on par with the seriousness of the case.

Summary Takeaway

This episode methodically unpacks the dark psychology and actions of Daniel Wozniak—a man who weaponized trust and friendship for personal gain, taking two lives for the sake of a wedding fantasy. The hosts and their expert guest pierce through the spectacle to illuminate the cold rationality behind the brutality and offer listeners a layered understanding of the interplay between personality disorders, manipulation, and murder.