Amber Andrews

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode Summary: Amber Andrews

Podcast Title: Snapped: Women Who Murder
Host/Author: Oxygen
Episode Title: Amber Andrews
Release Date: February 9, 2025

Introduction

In this chilling episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder, Oxygen delves into the tragic and complex case of Amber Andrews, whose actions led to the murder of her ex-husband, Brandon Duran. The episode meticulously unpacks the events leading up to the crime, the ensuing investigation, and the courtroom drama that followed. Through interviews, police reports, and firsthand accounts, listeners gain an in-depth understanding of the motives and machinations behind this heinous act.

The Crime Scene Unveiled

Timestamp [02:11]:
The story unfolds in Garvin County, Oklahoma, a community known for its small-town values. Sheriff Larry Rhodes receives a disturbing tip from Van Emblem, a local man who believes he has witnessed the disposal of a murdered body.

Van Emblem ([02:11] – [02:25]):
"I'm thinking, how terrible of a crime do I have here in Garvin County."

Upon arriving at the scene, Van and the authorities discover gruesome evidence, including dismembered body parts in 5-gallon buckets and a dog kennel covered with a tarp.

Sarah Gibson Tuttle ([02:44] – [03:18]):
"A little south of Oklahoma City, Garvin County is the kind of place where folks take pride in their small-town values."

The Victim: Brandon Duran

Timestamp [07:07] – [09:07]:
Brandon Duran, born in 1980 in San Diego, California, was an adventurous spirit with a passion for motorcycles, influenced heavily by his father, a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. After his father's untimely death in 2005, Brandon sought solace in Las Vegas, immersing himself in the local Bandidos chapter.

Brandon's Family Member ([08:12] – [08:38]):
"He got his own custom Fly Rite chopper. It was an amazing, beautiful motorcycle. He had his leather seat with his name stitched on it."

Brandon married Amber Andrews in a rebellious ceremony in Las Vegas on June 6, 2006. Their union produced a son, Brando, born on December 15, 2006. However, marital strains led to their divorce in 2010, with Brandon being granted full custody of Brando due to his responsible nature.

Reconciliation and the Fateful Trip

Timestamp [11:37] – [12:50]:
In the summer of 2012, Amber returned to San Diego, seeking to rekindle her relationship with Brandon. They decided to make a fresh start in San Diego, with Amber requesting that their son Brando visit her family in Oklahoma before starting school.

Amber Andrews ([12:05] – [12:25]):
"I want you back. I just, I want that life that we initially had."

However, this trip would become the backdrop for the tragic events that followed. Amber and Brandon left San Diego on what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Oklahoma, but tragically, Brando never returned.

The Investigation Begins

Timestamp [13:03] – [16:37]:
A week after Amber and Brandon left, Van Emblem approaches the police with suspicions about Justin Hammer, Amber's on-again, off-again boyfriend. Under interrogation, Justin admits to killing Brandon but claims it was in self-defense.

Justin Hammer ([15:14] – [16:37]):
"I can't do this. You're just gonna have to take me home."

He describes a confrontation where Brandon allegedly broke into his home, leading to a heated altercation that resulted in Brandon's death. Justin further claims that Brandon made threats involving the Bandidos Motorcycle Club to take care of him, which fueled his panic and subsequent actions.

Unraveling the Truth

Timestamp [17:02] – [22:32]:
As the investigation progresses, inconsistencies in Justin's story begin to surface. Evidence such as shoe prints matching Justin's sneakers, a gun safe containing a pistol and a damning shopping list for dismemberment tools, and surveillance footage placing Justin at a hardware store purchasing relevant items, all point towards premeditation rather than self-defense.

Van Emblem ([22:32] – [23:10]):
"This crime was not perpetrated by someone who did it on the spur of the moment."

Additionally, forensic analysis of the crime scene reveals that Brandon was killed using two different firearms, further discrediting Justin's self-defense claim.

The Role of Amber Andrews

Timestamp [28:00] – [34:16]:
Investigators shift focus towards Amber Andrews, uncovering her tumultuous relationship with Brandon. Amber's alibi is flimsy, with evidence suggesting she had a significant role in orchestrating the murder. Handwriting analysis links Amber to the shopping list found in Justin's home, and surveillance footage corroborates her potential involvement.

Amber Andrews ([32:36] – [34:16]):
"We got into a fight, and he got on his motorcycle and left."

Text messages and phone records indicate that Amber had communications with Justin around the time of the murder, raising suspicions about a possible conspiracy between the two.

The Trials

Justin Hammer's Conviction

Timestamp [35:10] – [40:55]:
Justin Hammer is tried and convicted of first-degree murder, receiving a life sentence without parole. Despite his claims of acting alone, the overwhelming evidence against him leads to his conviction, leaving the community grappling with the truth behind the crime.

Van Emblem ([40:55] – [41:11]):
"They found him guilty of murder in the first degree. We really felt like justice was served with that sentence."

Amber Andrews' Trial

Timestamp [42:16] – [45:54]:
Prosecutors bring forward a strong case against Amber Andrews, presenting evidence that portrays her as the mastermind behind Brandon's murder. Although there was initially limited physical evidence, further analysis and corroborative testimonies strengthen the case against her.

Amber Andrews ([45:09] – [45:24]):
"She killed him because he had full custody. She couldn't win anymore through the courts or any other way. So she killed him to get Brando."

Ultimately, Amber is found guilty of first-degree murder, felony desecration of a corpse, and felony conspiracy. She receives a life sentence without the possibility of parole, ensuring that justice is served for Brandon and his family.

Conclusion

Timestamp [46:17] – [48:08]:
The episode concludes by reflecting on the aftermath of the trials. Brandon's son, Brando, is being raised by his family, striving to honor his father's memory. Both Justin Hammer and Amber Andrews are serving their sentences, with no hope for parole.

Brando ([46:35] – [46:50]):
"He's so much like his dad. He has this quiet confidence, that humility. He is always looking out for the other guy. He is a leader beyond compare."

The story serves as a sobering reminder of the complexities of human relationships and the lengths to which some will go when driven by obsession and vengeance.

Notable Quotes

• Van Emblem ([02:11]):
  "I'm thinking, how terrible of a crime do I have here in Garvin County."

• Amber Andrews ([12:05]):
  "I want you back. I just, I want that life that we initially had."

• Justin Hammer ([15:14]):
  "I can't do this. You're just gonna have to take me home."

• Van Emblem ([22:32]):
  "This crime was not perpetrated by someone who did it on the spur of the moment."

• Amber Andrews ([45:09]):
  "She killed him because he had full custody. She couldn't win anymore through the courts or any other way. So she killed him to get Brando."

• Brando ([46:35]):
  "He's so much like his dad. He has this quiet confidence, that humility. He is always looking out for the other guy. He is a leader beyond compare."

Final Thoughts

This episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder intricately weaves the narrative of Amber Andrews, showcasing the dark path from a troubled marriage to a meticulously planned murder. Through detailed storytelling and compelling evidence, listeners are left contemplating the intricate motivations and consequences of Amber's actions.

For those intrigued by true crime and the psychological depths of such cases, this episode offers a comprehensive and gripping exploration of one woman's descent into darkness.

Transcript

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[Justin Hammer]

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[Justin Hammer]

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[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

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[Van Emblem]

I'm thinking, how terrible of a crime do I have Here in Garvin county.

[Justin Hammer]

They take off one of the lids and they see body parts.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Police land on a suspect with a harrowing account.

[Justin Hammer]

He said he broke into his home. He just, you know, blew the door open.

[Van Emblem]

He said he was this biker guy that was dangerous and just a bad dude.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But with time, investigators uncover the dark truth behind this gruesome vendetta.

[Amber Andrews]

More and more evil and more evil and evil things started coming up.

[Brandon Duran]

She could approach a man and be very sultry. She could get quick results.

[Amber Andrews]

She had him wrapped around her little finger. He'll do anything that she asks. She just waited and waited till it was her time to strike.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

A little south of Oklahoma City, Garvin county is the kind of place where folks take pride in their small town values.

[Brandon Duran]

Garvin County, Oklahoma is the little hole on the belt of the buckle of the Bible belt. We do our best to be hardworking, honest, handshake agreement, you know, devout and law abiding.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But on August 8, 2012, Garvin County Sheriff Larry Rhodes gets a phone call from the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation that they have received a disturbing tip from a local man, 31 year old Van Enblum.

[Van Emblem]

Van disclosed that he had seen what he thought was the disposing of a murdered body.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators with the OSBI and Sheriff Rhodes convene in an emergency meeting with Van the sole focus. Van tells them that the night before his childhood best friend called him with a chilling request.

[Van Emblem]

Van emblem said that he was called over to help dispose of a body.

[Justin Hammer]

He originally thought the friend was joking around until he walked into the home and saw the buckets and saw blood running down one of the buckets.

[Brandon Duran]

He was presented with five gallon buckets and a dog kennel. The dog kennel was covered with a tarp.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Van tells investigators that when he realized what he was looking at, he froze.

[Van Emblem]

It was a dismembered body.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In a state of shock, Van helped load the buckets and dog crate into his friend's truck. But once he realized that he was now an accessory, he took a stand.

[Justin Hammer]

Van finally says, you know, I can't do this. You're just gonna have to take me home. You're gonna have to figure this out on your own. And so he goes home.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Once home, Vann couldn't shake what he had just witnessed.

[Justin Hammer]

It was within 24 hours that Vann went to one of our local defense attorneys here in Garvin county and said, you know, I don't know what to do but here, but here's what's happened.

[Van Emblem]

Van disclosed that he had seen what he thought was the disposing of a murdered body. He made the right decision that he wanted no part of this and to come forward so he was treated as a witness.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In this case, Vann names the killer as 30 year old Justin Hammer. Authorities press Vann for the identity of the Victim. And while he can't be sure, he believes it was a man named Brandon Duran.

[Justin Hammer]

He knew that there was bad blood between Justin and Brandon. He's like, well, Justin's finally done it. He's finally killed Brandon. So that's how it got found out that Brandon Duran was the potential victim.

[Van Emblem]

Brandon Duran was not from Garvin County. He was from California.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators reach out to Brandon's friends and family. They quickly learn that no one has heard from him nor his ex wife Amber Andrews.

[Justin Hammer]

In five days, Brandon and Amber had gone to Oklahoma. They were at her parents house and so little Brando was with them too.

[Brando]

I didn't hear from him on the road when he went to Oklahoma with her for five days, which was unusual because my son always had his phone on.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Born in 1980 in San Diego, California, Brandon Duran had an adventurous spirit from the start.

[Brando]

Brandon loved San Diego. There's lots of places that kids can just be kids. You know, there's fields and there's horses and there's places they can skateboard and ride their bikes.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Brandon's parents divorced while he was young. With his mom living in San Diego and his dad in New Mexico. However, they remained dedicated to their son.

[Brando]

We tried to give him the best of both worlds.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

When Brandon was in New Mexico, his father shared his lifelong passion with his son.

[Brandon's Family Member]

He started working on motorcycles with his dad at a young age. Every time he would see his dad, he would help him work on his bike.

[Justin Hammer]

His father had been a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle club.

[Brandon's Family Member]

He wanted to be just like his dad and he was really successful at that.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

By the time Brandon was 25, he was successful enough to make an enduring dream come true.

[Brandon's Family Member]

He got his own custom Fly Rite chopper.

[Amber Andrews]

It was an amazing, beautiful motorcycle. He had his leather seat with his name stitched on it. He had this big trailer. He would, you know, cart around his motorcycle. They wouldn't leave his motorcycle anywhere.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But In April of 2005, tragedy struck when 25 year old Brandon lost his father.

[Brandon's Family Member]

His dad went in for a liver biopsy and he just didn't make.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Was.

[Brando]

Very difficult for Brandon to lose his father. They were very close and it was devastating for him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Still reeling and in need of a fresh start, Brandon loaded up his bike and moved to Vegas. There he started spending time with the local chapter of the Bandidos Brando. Lift him up. Oh you guys, lift him up.

[Brandon's Family Member]

It broke him definitely because his dad was his hero. My brother wasn't a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle club, but the Club saw how it devastated my brother. I think that's why they had a soft spot besides the fact that he was a legacy, that they allowed him to hang out with him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Less than a year after his dad's death, Brandon found a distraction from his grief when he met 24 year old Tattoo artist Amber Andrews.

[Brando]

Brannon had met Amber on a motorcycle run to Red River. Brannon really was smitten with Amber because.

[Amber Andrews]

She was beautiful, she was attractive. Tattoos, the way she dressed, it was just right up Brandon's alley.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Within a few months, the two married in Las Vegas. And the wedding was fashioned after their own rebellious tastes, complete with the date of June 6, 2006. 666. As a local minister and the authority given to me by the state of Nevada, it is my honor and privilege to announce to you as husband and wife.

[Justin Hammer]

And Brandon, you may now kiss your beautiful bride.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Congratulations. Soon after, on December 15, 2006, their son Brando was born in the heart of Sin City.

[Brando]

Brandon got it. He knew the most important things as to being a father.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But four years into their marriage, it became clear that while Brandon embraced family life, Amber struggled to settle down.

[Justin Hammer]

She would go out at all hours of the night and that ultimately led to their divorce.

[Brandon's Family Member]

Brandon is granted full custody. The reason my brother got custody is because he was a responsible person. He had a full time job, well paid, he had a vehicle, he had all his ducks in a row.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Following the divorce in 2010, Amber moved back to her hometown of Meeker, Oklahoma. Brandon also decided to leave Vegas and.

[Amber Andrews]

That'S when he came back to San Diego. And I think he was at first living with Cindy, Brandon's mom.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In the summer of 2012, after being apart from Brando and Brandon for a year, Amber showed up in San Diego hoping to put the past behind them.

[Amber Andrews]

She said, I want you back. I just, I want that life that we initially had.

[Brando]

He loved his wife and he wanted his family unit.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Together, the couple decided to make their fresh start in San Diego. But Amber asked for one favor before their son started school.

[Brando]

She's like, can we just take Brando back to Oklahoma to see my family before he starts kindergarten?

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Brandon agreed.

[Amber Andrews]

He had this trailer that he'd pull his motorcycle in and load it up and was on his way to Oklahoma.

[Brando]

They were only supposed to be gone for a week and they went and my son never came back.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Now, nearly a week after the young family left California, a man named Van Emblem sits before police, claiming his friend Justin Hammer may have killed Brandon.

[Van Emblem]

Van Emblem didn't believe that happened until he saw it with his own eyes and that's when he freaked out. With the passage of time and the potential for someone to be altering a crime scene, that was very important to us to act quickly with such an experience.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Extraordinarily violent crime being reported. Investigators prioritize finding Justin Hammer.

[Justin Hammer]

They wanted to get him in custody. He's obviously a danger to the community.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Coming up, authorities get one side of the story.

[Justin Hammer]

He had stated that Brandon broke into.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

His home and learn of a love triangle with a dangerous.

[Justin Hammer]

He said Brandon had made threats that he would essentially have the banditos take care of him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

August 8, 2012. Acting on a tip from Van Emblem, Garvin county investigators believe 30 year old Justin Hammer may have committed a grisly murder. Investigators ask Van to help them bring Justin in.

[Justin Hammer]

They had Van call him as a ruse to set up a time to get together so that they could hang out. And while they were doing that, the police were following him and when he got to a stop sign they surrounded him.

[Van Emblem]

We pulled him over that night at 1:30am Justin was very quiet, strangely enough, you know, it's almost like I felt like Justin thought I'm caught.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Under questioning, police press Justin for the name of his victim. Justin quickly admits it was Brandon Duran, just as Vann had suspected. But he says he didn't want to kill Brandon. He was forced to.

[Amber Andrews]

I'm freaked out, okay? I didn't call the cops. I should have called the cops.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Was it self defense?

[Amber Andrews]

Did he come to your house looking for a fight?

[Van Emblem]

I don't want to go to jail.

[Amber Andrews]

It was pure self defense.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin says around 6pm the day before, Brandon showed up to his house to deliver a message. Was he on his bike?

[Van Emblem]

Yeah.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

What did he want?

[Amber Andrews]

I don't know.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Did he get into the house?

[Amber Andrews]

He kicked open the door and he said, hey mother, it's your day.

[Brandon Duran]

Did he have anything with him? Weapons?

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

He didn't see anything.

[Amber Andrews]

Okay.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

And he kept coming?

[Amber Andrews]

Yeah.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

When detectives ask what motivated Brandon's threat, Justin reveals a mutual connection between them.

[Van Emblem]

Brandon Duran is the ex husband of Amber Andrews. After their breakup, Amber and Justin Hambur began a relationship.

[Justin Hammer]

He had stated that when Brandon broke into his home, Brandon said, amber, it's with me. She's going to be with me. We're going to be a family and you know, you're basically done.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin claims he and Amber have seen each other on and off for the past couple of months and Brandon was insanely jealous.

[Justin Hammer]

Justin said Brandon had made threats to him that if he didn't leave him and Amber alone, that he would essentially have the Bandidos motorcycle club take care of him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

He says that when Brandon showed up threatening to sic a notorious biker gang on him, he panicked.

[Amber Andrews]

And I grabbed that shotgun and I said, you need to back the up. And he said, you ain't gonna do, mother. I'm a 1 percenter. Your whole family will die. And that's when I shot him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin claims once he realized what he had done, the fear of retribution from the Bandidos forced him to conceal the shooting.

[Brandon Duran]

The Bandidos are a 1 percenter gang. They're considered from the American motorcycle association, the 1% that is the criminal element.

[Van Emblem]

Justin Hammer had told the OSBI investigator he feared Brandon Duran.

[Brandon Duran]

Where's all the stuff that you used to clean up?

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

I want you to walk me through step by step.

[Van Emblem]

How many pieces did you take off of his body?

[Amber Andrews]

I didn't count them. I don't know.

[Justin Hammer]

Justin said he was using what they call a sawzall blade to cut his body into pieces and put into the paint buckets and dog crate.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

According to Justin, Van helped him load the remains into his truck. But that's when Van panicked and left. Justin then drove to a pond on the backside of his property, where he dumped the buckets and dog crate.

[Brandon Duran]

Anybody help you?

[Van Emblem]

No.

[Brandon Duran]

Van wasn't out there with you?

[Amber Andrews]

No, sir.

[Justin Hammer]

He put him in concrete in the buckets, hoping that the concrete would set up and just completely sink the buckets to the bottom of the pond.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

He also got rid of Brandon's beloved motorcycle. Here's his bike.

[Van Emblem]

It's gone. He had contacted a family member of his and asked him if he wanted the parts to a motorcycle. And the family member came and got the motorcycle.

[Brandon Duran]

He doesn't know anything.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

He just knows that you got a bike to him.

[Amber Andrews]

He don't know nothing except for I called him and told him that somebody brought me a bike that I didn't want.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin is placed in lockup as a team is dispatched to his property to recover the remains of Brandon Duran. As for the source of the men's rivalry, another team of officers find Amber Andrews and her son safe at her mother's house in Meeker, Oklahoma, 99 miles from where Brandon was killed. Amber is visibly shocked to learn that the father of her child is dead.

[Justin Hammer]

She said that she had been with him, that they were contemplating getting back together, and that she was upset.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Amber admits that the reconciliation had been bumpy because she hadn't completely cut ties with her on and off boyfriend Justin. In fact, only a few days into the Oklahoma trip with Brandon, Amber claims that they'd gotten into a heated argument about Justin the day before.

[Justin Hammer]

She'd had to go to a doctor's appointment. And she claims that once they got down to Garvin county, he got mad at her, Took his motorcycle off the back of the truck and just drove off.

[Brandon's Family Member]

She claimed that he left in a rage to confront her boyfriend to tell him to back off.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

After the argument, Amber says she went back to her mother's house to meet a friend.

[Justin Hammer]

Aaron Smith was a friend of Amber's. She'd gone over to Amber's mother's home to have Amber work on a tattoo.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators leave Amber to grieve and meet the other team of officers at the home of Justin Hammer. During the search of the house, they quickly find evidence that seems to contradict Justin's version of events. Starting with the claim Brandon kicked the door in.

[Justin Hammer]

They could tell from the way the door had been kicked that it had actually been kicked from the inside, not from the outside.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

There is a distinct shoe print on the door.

[Justin Hammer]

Sure enough, we find a pair of Nike shoes in Justin Hammer's home that had that exact same pattern on them.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators also locate a gun Safe.

[Brandon Duran]

There was a.410 shotgun there, and Justin admitted to using a.410 shotgun.

[Justin Hammer]

Inside the gun safe, they found the pistol.

[Van Emblem]

That was our first indication that two different weapons may have been used.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Then investigators find something in the safe that further pokes holes in Justin's story.

[Justin Hammer]

Right next to that pistol was a list of all of the things they needed to buy to dismember Brandon's body.

[Van Emblem]

The buckets, the saw blades, the materials and cleaners to clean up the crime scene.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Between the two guns, the staged break in, and now the shopping list, Justin's self defense claim is quickly falling apart.

[Van Emblem]

This crime was not perpetrated by someone who did it. On spur of the moment.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators collect both guns for DNA and fingerprint testing. Then they shift their focus to the pond behind Justin's house. Under the COVID of night, the team is able to recover the first bucket.

[Justin Hammer]

They take off one of the lids and they see body parts.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In total, they pull five sealed buckets from the pond. As CSI assess the buckets, they find one includes more than just body parts.

[Justin Hammer]

The blades that were used to dismember Brandon were found in the buckets.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

They also locate the dog crate and a nearly indescribable scene.

[Justin Hammer]

The dog crate, we believe came from Hammer's property and that was what Brandon's torso was in.

[Van Emblem]

A lot more happened at that house than just a tragic act of self defense.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Back at the station, officers charge Justin with first degree murder.

[Justin Hammer]

The medical examiner's office took the buckets, took the dog kennel with the body inside so that we could do an autopsy.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Coming up. The autopsy points to a stunning new theory.

[Van Emblem]

Someone else may have been involved in the murder.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

And investigators learn to swear disturbing details of a romance gone off the rails.

[Amber Andrews]

He was telling me that she just goes off and hits me and hits me and won't stop.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

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[Amber Andrews]

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[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

It'S been 72 hours since Justin Hammer shot his romantic rival Brandon Duran and dumped his dismembered body parts in a pond behind his house. After investigators recover the remains, the medical examiner begins the daunting task of an autopsy.

[Justin Hammer]

She said that the body was cut up, I believe into 25 pieces. He was using the sawzall blade to do that to cut his body. His head, his arms, his legs were cut into pieces.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

The autopsy reveals Brandon was gunned down not by one weapon, but two.

[Van Emblem]

There were two different calibers used to kill Brandon Duran.

[Justin Hammer]

They found four bullet holes. Three of them are from the pistol. One of them's from a shotgun.

[Brandon Duran]

According to the medical examiner's office, the.22 bullets entered the top right of his head over in this area. And then when he was in a side recumbent position, he was already down and somebody stood over him Bonnie and Clyde style and shot him in the face with a 410 shotgun.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators find it unlikely that Justin took the time to switch weapons after the first three shots. That leaves them with a new working theory.

[Van Emblem]

There was the potential that someone else may have been involved in the murder of Brandon. Traffic in.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Was Justin covering for someone? He'd made it clear that Van Emblem was not an accomplice.

[Van Emblem]

There was no reason not to believe Van Emblem and what he told us that he witnessed, he gave details that were believable. But it was still unbelievable that he acted alone.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

With more questions than answers, investigators dig deeper into Brandon's personal life. They start by reaching out to Brandon's family in San Diego to deliver the tragic news.

[Brando]

I was writhing on the floor. I was. My whole world ended. My children are my everything.

[Brandon's Family Member]

My mom got through call. She was hysterically saying, he's dead. They killed him. And I'm like, what are you talking about? And she had to reiterate, your brother is dead.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators ask Brandon's family about his affiliation with the Bandidos.

[Van Emblem]

Justin Hammer portrayed Brandon Duran as just a bad dude. Brandon Duran wasn't that. He was a motorcycle enthusiast.

[Brandon's Family Member]

My brother wasn't a member of the Bandidos at all. He was. He wasn't even a prospect. He was just a supporter. The reason he was allowed to hang out with them is because he was his dad's legacy.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

They tell investigators that the only person Brandon had ever had issues with was his ex wife Amber. According to his family, Brandon's relationship with Amber had been marred by violence. And infidelity from the start.

[Amber Andrews]

When he was in Las Vegas, he would call me quite a bit, and the phone calls were always, I don't know what to do with this woman.

[Brando]

She would purposely start a fight so that she could go and leave and do what she wanted to do.

[Brandon's Family Member]

When she would come home, she would have smeared makeup and her hair would be messed up and she'd still be wasted.

[Amber Andrews]

He was telling me that she just goes off and hits me and hits me and won't stop.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Brandon divorced Amber in 2010 and was awarded full custody of their son.

[Amber Andrews]

Him gaining full custody of Brando obviously shows that he was not the aggressor.

[Brando]

We didn't hear from her for a while, and we were so grateful. And I kind of was afraid to ask if you heard from her, because I didn't want her to be around.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But in July 2012, over a year after their divorce was final, relatives say Amber came back into Brandon's life begging for one last chance.

[Brandon's Family Member]

My brother, being the responsible, loving father and husband that he was, said, yeah, let's do this. I don't want my son to have a broken home.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Having reconciled, Amber wanted to take their son to Oklahoma to visit her family.

[Brando]

When they were leaving here in San Diego, he put his motorcycle in the back of his truck and strapped it down, and that's how it got out there.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

The family tells police Brandon planned to work on the bike once he got to Oklahoma.

[Brandon's Family Member]

It wasn't working. I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but it wasn't a quick fix kind of thing.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

To authorities, the fact that Brandon's motorcycle wasn't running raises an immediate red flag.

[Justin Hammer]

A negated Amber story that, oh, the last I knew is that he rode off on a motorcycle because he was mad. It also negates what Justin said. He didn't drive up in the motorcycle to Justin's house if it's not working.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

If Brandon didn't ride off on his motorcycle to confront Justin, what happened to him? Amber told investigators that after Brandon left, she went to a doctor's appointment.

[Justin Hammer]

We called the doctor's office and confirmed that she never made it there.

[Van Emblem]

We now had another party, Amber Andrews, in this equation. We knew that she may have been involved. We felt like there was more to the story.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Authorities reach out to Erin Smith, Amber's alibi for the night of the murder. Aaron tells police that when she arrived at Amber's mother's house that day, both Amber and Brandon were there.

[Justin Hammer]

During the tattoo, Aaron says that Amber gets a ding on her Cell phone gets a text message, and she goes and looks at the phone. She goes, oh, we've got to go.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Aaron agreed to watch the couple's. Amber hurried Brandon out the door for what she said was a doctor's appointment around 3pm Erin realized as soon as the couple left that Amber took Erin's phone by mistake and left her own phone at her mom's with Erin.

[Justin Hammer]

Erin was calling her own phone with Amber's phone, and the phone itself was completely turned off. It was not normal that her phone would be off and not be active for, you know, eight to nine hours.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Coming up, Erin's interview leads to a disturbing conclusion.

[Justin Hammer]

Aaron said that she looked disheveled, she looked exhausted, that her hair was all messed up.

[Van Emblem]

She really had no alibi when the homicide was taking place.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Authorities in Garvin County, Oklahoma, are honing in on Amber Andrews as a possible accomplice in the murder of her ex husband. Amber's alibi for the night. Her friend Aaron says Amber showed back up at her mother's house around 11pm after leaving Aaron to babysit her son for nearly eight hours with no ex explanation.

[Van Emblem]

It just struck me odd that she shows back up at home in the pickup absent Brandon and absent the motorcycle.

[Justin Hammer]

Erin said that she looked disheveled. Aaron inquired, well, where's Brandon? She said, well, we got into a fight, and he got in his motorcycle and left.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Then Amber made a strange request, and.

[Justin Hammer]

She'S like, oh, by the way, do you have a receipt? Did you go out tonight? And she goes, I'm really needing a receipt to show that I was up here. She's like, well, no, I don't have a receipt. Why in the world do you need a receipt if you haven't done anything that you need to conceal?

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Police secure phone records for both Aaron and Amber's phones. It's clear from the records that Amber turned Erin's phone off when she left her mom's house at around 3pm and it wasn't turned back on until an hour before she returned.

[Van Emblem]

So Amber had a period that she really had no alibi for. And we know now that that's when the homicide was taking place.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

On Amber's phone, investigators find a single text message From Justin at 3pm the exact time Amber rushed Brandon out the door for the alleged doctor's appointment.

[Justin Hammer]

The text message was a text message from just a hammer that said, the ink is ready. We think that was code for, everything's ready. Get Brandon down here so we can murder him.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

While Aaron statement and the text Message all point to Amber's involvement. Authorities still can't place her at the crime scene. And calls to Amber's friends reveal that her reconciliation with Brandon was fake.

[Justin Hammer]

It was in fact a ruse. And not to get her family back together, but so that they could kill him. One thing that the friends that were interviewed had always said is Amber would work up Justin and really bad mouth Brandon and it would get him fired up. And he'd start saying, you know, I'm going to kill that mfer. And then Amber would chime in, yeah, we're going to kill him, you know, and he even said, I'm going to shoot that in the face.

[Van Emblem]

We knew that she may have been involved, but we did not have any evidence to make an arrest of Amber in this case.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Investigators revisit the evidence collected during the search of Justin's home. They hone in on the macabre shopping list found in the gun safe. Investigators compare the handwriting to a signed document Amber had left in Justin's home.

[Brandon Duran]

They did handwriting analysis, they compared, and they were similar. And this is her hand running on both.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Further proof comes when investigators contact the local hardware store. They find Justin Hammer on surveillance footage the night before the murder, purchasing the items from Amber's list.

[Brandon Duran]

Justin Hammer was on video buying the buckets, buying reciprocating saw blades of several kinds.

[Van Emblem]

He was driving his pickup. And that evidence at Ace hardware and the video at Ace hardware really solidified this was a very deliberate and planned murder of Brandon Duran.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

With only circumstantial evidence against Amber, Prosecutors first focus on Justin's trial and conviction.

[Justin Hammer]

He really wanted us to focus on Justin's trial and to get Justin Hammer's case through the criminal justice process so then we can then focus solely on Amber.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

For two years. Prosecutors prepare for Justin's trial while Amber remains a free woman.

[Justin Hammer]

The department of human services had taken custody of Brando when this happened because when it happened, of course, his father's murdered and his mother was being questioned by police.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In July of 2014, Justin Hammer's trial gets underway. Even though a mountain of evidence says otherwise. Justin takes the stand and continues to claim that he acted alone and out of self defense.

[Justin Hammer]

Justin never, ever threw ambrenner the best, Never implicated Amber at all.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

He attempts to explain the two different guns used to kill Brandon.

[Van Emblem]

Justin Hammer did say that he had used two weapons, one in each hand. Kind of strange that, you know, someone acting in self defense would get two different type weapons. That was odd in itself.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

When confronted with the footprint evidence, Justin Has a new explanation for what happened.

[Justin Hammer]

He tried to then say that Brandon forced the door open with a shoulder.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin also claims that the items on the list written by Amber were intended for a home improvement project, not to cover up a murder.

[Justin Hammer]

He just so happens to buy these things right before he kills Brandon. We didn't think that that was very credible.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In the end, the jury agrees.

[Van Emblem]

They find him guilty of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. We really felt like justice was served with that sentence.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

But investigators and Brandon's family worry that justice won't be served. When it comes to Amber.

[Brando]

I was very worried that she would get off. A lot of times women do because they just don't believe that a woman could be capable of this kind of thing. But I was not going to stop.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Coming up. Investigators and prosecutors fight for the chance to see Amber in court.

[Brandon Duran]

She orchestrated this whole thing.

[Justin Hammer]

She was very good at manipulating men. A master of it.

[Van Emblem]

In fact, I don't think there was any stopping Amber Andrews.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

October 2014. After Justin Hammer is convicted of the 2012 murder and dismembering of Brandon Duran, authorities remain determined to see his alleged co conspirator Amber Andrews behind bars with.

[Justin Hammer]

No physical evidence against Amber. We didn't know if that would happen.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Prosecutors take Amber's case to a multi county grand jury.

[Justin Hammer]

That grand jury heard the evidence against her and rendered an indictment for murder in the first degree, Felony desecration of corpse, and felony conspiracy.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In April of 2015, nearly three years after Brandon's murder, Amber is arrested at her mother's home.

[Brandon Duran]

After they arrested her, prosecutors spent almost two years building this case. They were able to basically very patiently cross all their t's and dot their I's to make sure they had the goods on her.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In the spring of 2017, Amber's trial is finally underway.

[Justin Hammer]

She pled not guilty. The defense was simply that she was not there. She did not do it, and she had no prior knowledge that it was going to occur. That Justin Hammer acted of his own volition.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Prosecutors counter by painting Amber not only as an accomplishment, but the mastermind.

[Justin Hammer]

Amber is a woman who was very good at manipulating men to get what she wants. A master of it.

[Amber Andrews]

In fact, she just used this Justin Hammer guy to do her dirty work for her.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

It was Amber, prosecutors allege, who lured Brandon to his death on August 6th 7th, 2012.

[Van Emblem]

I believe Amber Andrews convinced Brandon to go to Justin Hammers with me. I'm done with him. I have belongings there. Let's Go get my belongings. And I think that's how she lured Brandon to Justin's, where actually Justin was lying in wait for Brandon to murder.

[Justin Hammer]

Him, where he's then shot by, we believe, Justin with Amber shooting him as well. And then they together helped dismember the body.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

The fact that Amber's fingerprints weren't on the guns doesn't diminish her guilt in the eyes of the law.

[Brandon Duran]

They never proved whether Amber's the one that fired the.22 pistol or the shotgun. They didn't have to place her as one of the gunmen. If you aid in a bet in the premeditated homicide with malice before thought in the commission of a crime with a firearm, it's first degree murder.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

When it comes to Amber's motive, prosecutors allege it's nothing less than pure evil.

[Justin Hammer]

I think she was resentful that Brandon was a better parent than she was, that he was more stable, provided a better life for little Brando. And I think she wanted Brando at all cost.

[Amber Andrews]

She killed him because he had full custody. She couldn't win anymore through the courts or any other way. So she killed him to get Brando. She wanted to have him a possession. I win, I get Brando. You lose.

[Van Emblem]

I don't think there was any stopping Amber Andrews.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

In the end, the jury sides with the prosecution.

[Brando]

I was very pleased that she was found guilty and they saw past all the charade that she was putting up.

[Justin Hammer]

On murder in the first degree. She got a life without parole, sentence on desecration of corpse. She got seven years on conspiracy. She got 10 years. So Amber will die in prison.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

While Amber's conviction was a long awaited victory for Brandon's family, the real triumph lies in how they've chosen to move forward.

[Amber Andrews]

She might have taken my best friend, but he lives through Brando every single day. And this kid is amazing.

[Brando]

He's so much like his dad. He has this quiet confidence, that humility. He is always looking out for the other guy. He is a leader beyond compare.

[Amber Andrews]

I try to live as good a life as I can live my life for him. I know his family does the same.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Justin Hammer is serving his life sentence at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Amber Andrews is currently housed at the Mabel Bassett Correctional center in McLeod, Oklahoma. Neither are eligible for parole. Brando is being raised by Brandon's family. At 24, I lost my narrative, or rather it was stolen from me. And the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes, and politics. I would define Reclaiming as to take back what was yours.

[Amber Andrews]

Something you possess is lost or stolen.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

And ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up, they connected with the people that I'm talking to.

[Amber Andrews]

And leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful.

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle]

Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to episodes everywhere. On February 18th.