Sarah Andry

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder

Episode: Sarah Andry

Original Air Date: October 12, 2025
Podcast Host: Oxygen

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder investigates the 2017 murder of Darren Atkins in Bird's Eye, Indiana and explores the tangled web of relationships, drug addiction, and deception surrounding his death. At the center of the case is Sarah Andry (also referenced as Andrey/Andrew throughout the show due to inconsistencies in pronunciation/spelling), whose shifting relationships with Darren and Jason Atkins, along with a volatile social circle, ultimately lead to tragedy. Through police interviews, forensic evidence, and courtroom drama, the episode pieces together the events leading to Darren's violent death and the subsequent investigation and trials.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene & 911 Call

• Discovery (01:02–04:36):
  • Sarah Andry makes a panicked 911 call, reporting that her boyfriend, Darren Atkins, is dead.
  • She calls from an intersection miles from the scene, later explained as a move to avoid police due to her outstanding warrants.
  • Quote (Sarah, 05:12): “I should have called 911 right there. But I wasn't thinking. I was scared. I wanted my mom.”
  • Police describe a brutal scene: Darren lying on his bed, having suffered massive blunt force trauma to the head.

2. Backgrounds & Relationships

• Darren Atkins (06:21–09:11):

  • Local, close with family, devastated by the tragic loss of both daughters in a car accident (2006).
  • Turned to drug use and became more reclusive and troubled.

• Sarah Andry (09:33–11:34):

  • Raised in Akron, Indiana; troubled youth and early parenthood.
  • Suffered loss of children to foster care/adoption, struggled with drug addiction and failed marriages.
  • Met Darren via Facebook in 2014: “I was there for a couple days and I just never left. He was a good guy...I just liked everything about him.” (11:34)

• Drug Use & Living Situation (12:01–12:15):

  • Relationship described as “one big party house,” but both resolved to get clean together shortly before the murder.

3. The Investigation Unfolds

• Initial Theories (13:05–15:15):

  • Missing wallet contents suggest a possible robbery, but valuable items were left behind, casting doubt on a straightforward motive.
  • Party at the trailer the night before murder—partygoers become focus of inquiry.

• Alibis & Interview Contradictions (16:03–21:01):

  • Sarah claims to have slept at Darren’s, but evidence shows she was elsewhere in the early morning hours.
  • Jason Bledsoe and Stephen Clapp are considered suspects due to bitterness and past altercations (arson, physical fights).

• Love Triangle Emerges (25:03–26:33):

  • Stephen Clapp’s girlfriend reveals Sarah alternated between Darren and Jason Atkins.
  • Investigation finds Facebook messages expressing Jason’s jealousy:
    Quote (Detective, 25:57): “As long as Darren's around, I'm never gonna have you.”

• Cell Phone and Surveillance Evidence (27:26–31:06):

  • Darren’s phone logs a 4:12am text, contradicting Sarah’s timeline.
  • Surveillance footage shows Jason’s car leaving town at 4:13am with two people inside.
    Quote (Detective, 30:43): “Why is his car going past the library if it didn’t leave his house all night?”

4. Suspect Interrogations & Changing Stories

• Jason Atkins' Confessions (32:29–36:23):

  • Initially denies involvement but later confesses:
    • Sarah allegedly told Jason Darren was abusing her; they went to confront him.
    • Jason claims Darren attacked with a bat; he took it and struck back. Later admits Sarah also struck Darren.
      Quote (Investigator/Jason, 34:28–34:33):
      Investigator: “What happened then?”
      Jason: “I used it.”
    • Jason later claims Sarah delivered the fatal blows, saying, “Sarah Andre is the one that killed [Darren].” (36:23)

• Manipulation Theme (35:28–35:50):

  • Review of social media/communication: Sarah manipulated both men, playing them against each other for her benefit.
    Quote (Witness, 35:28): “She would get them to feel sorry for her, and she would just use that to her advantage.”

• Crime Scene Forensics (35:55–36:11; 42:36–43:25):

  • Forensic evidence (blood spatter, body position) contradicts Jason’s account of struggle/attack dynamics; suggests Darren was under covers when attacked.

5. Legal Proceedings & Outcome

• Arrests & Charges (37:19–38:17):

  • Jason is arrested for murder; Sarah later arrested as well.
  • Jason pleads guilty and agrees to testify against Sarah in exchange for a reduced sentence (40:06).
  • Sarah maintains innocence throughout.

• Courtroom & Verdict (40:13–41:48):

  • Case against Sarah relies on Jason’s testimony, Sarah’s changing stories, and a pattern of manipulation, despite absence of the murder weapon.
  • Defense argues case is circumstantial, highlights inconsistencies in Jason’s statements, and points to lack of forensic evidence tying Sarah directly to the murder.
  • Quote (Sarah, 43:31): “They found me guilty of murder and they sentenced me to 55 years...I never thought in a million years I’d be sitting in prison for a murder charge.”

• Sentencing (43:53–44:05):

  • Jason Atkins: 20 years in prison; 5 years home detention; 20 years probation.
  • Sarah Andry: 55 years for murder, conviction upheld on appeal in 2021.

6. Reflections & Aftermath

• Sarah’s Statement (44:09, 44:33):

  • Sarah maintains innocence, expresses regret and the destructive nature of drugs:
    Quote: “I want the truth to come out...I was on drugs and I wanted everything between the two of them. They gave me everything that I wanted.”

• Victim Impact (44:41):

  • Darren’s family expresses ongoing pain and confusion:
    Quote (Family, 44:41): “I just don’t understand why. I really don’t. He didn’t deserve that. Nobody deserves. Not that nobody.”

---

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Sarah on discovering Darren (05:12):
  “I should have called 911 right there. But I wasn't thinking. I was scared. I wanted my mom.”

• Detective on drug-fueled chaos (19:19):
  “I think it was just, hey, I want my car back, and Jason's not bringing the car back.”

• Investigator on Sarah’s manipulation (35:28):
  “Sarah would make accusations against Darren to Jason...She would get them to feel sorry for her, and she would just use that to her advantage.”

• Jason shifting blame (36:23):
  “Sarah Andre is the one that killed their ass.”

• Sarah’s outlook post-conviction (43:31):
  “They found me guilty of murder and they sentenced me to 55 years...I never thought in a million years I’d be sitting in prison for a murder charge.”

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• Crime discovery and initial response: 01:02–05:31
• Background on Darren and Sarah: 06:21–13:14
• Party and initial suspect theories: 15:15–21:15
• Evidence gathering and the emergence of the love triangle: 25:03–26:33
• Key evidence contradictions and interrogations: 27:26–31:06
• Jason’s confessions and forensic challenges: 32:29–36:23
• Arrest and trial: 37:19–41:48
• Sentencing and appeals: 43:53–44:56

---

Episode Tone and Takeaway

The episode is a sobering, tangled narrative of addiction, small-town relationships, and a love triangle ending in murder. It highlights how trauma, substance abuse, and manipulation can coalesce into tragedy, impacting not only those directly involved but also the families and broader community. The story leaves listeners questioning the reliability of testimony, the impact of drugs, and the elusive nature of truth and justice in such complicated cases.

---

Transcript

[Investigator]

It's time.

[Narrator]

Streaming now only on Peacock. How to Train youn Dragon.

[Family Member or Friend]

Everything we know about dragons is wrong.

[Detective]

Peacock brings the adventure of dragons home.

[Sarah Andrey]

Toothless, you ready? Experience one of the biggest movies of the year. You have something none of us have.

[Family Member or Friend]

It's you and me, bud.

[Narrator]

How to Train youn Dragon. Rated pg. Streaming now only on Peacock.

[Narrator/Host]

We are the Mediterranean crew. We have a standard, and that standard is excellence.

[Narrator]

Below Tech Med raises the anchor.

[Family Member or Friend]

These eight courses, delicious.

[Narrator]

There's drama.

[Investigator]

Go to the captain.

[Sarah Andrey]

Who's got the medical stuff.

[Investigator]

Max needs attention in Espana.

[Narrator]

You really don't want to mess with me.

[Narrator/Host]

Hey, under no circumstances can the guests go in the water.

[Sarah Andrey]

Doug, I gotta let you go.

[Narrator]

The new season of Below Deck Mediterranean.

[Family Member or Friend]

You guys ready?

[Narrator]

Every Monday on Bravo and streaming on peacock.

[Narrator/Host]

A 911 call upends a small Indiana town.

[Investigator]

Oh my God. Was he breathing? No, he's dead.

[Narrator]

He was laying in the middle of the bed with his feet hanging off the bottom. Blood spatter all over the headboard, the walls.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators work to unravel a web of rumor and hearsay.

[Witness or Community Member]

There had been a fight at the party the night before.

[Detective]

By the end of the day, we had several suspects. But we had far more questions than we had answers to.

[Narrator/Host]

A dangerous dynamic points to a potential motive.

[Witness or Community Member]

It was clear there was a love triangle.

[Investigator]

I love the girl. I knew she wasn't good to me. It drove me crazy. Everybody has hated.

[Narrator/Host]

But there is more to this love triangle than meets the eye between the two of them.

[Sarah Andrey]

They gave me everything that I wanted.

[Detective]

There was quite a bit of drug use going on.

[Witness or Community Member]

Nobody was thinking clearly. I think it probably just got out of hand.

[Investigator]

He's swung miss.

[Narrator/Host]

July 19, 2017. It's a quiet summer day in the rural Midwestern community of Bird's Eye, Indiana.

[Family Member or Friend]

It's a little one horse town you'd call, has a post office. We got a family dollar. And it's got a gas station. It's also the home of the dairy barn. It won some kind of a prize for the best ice cream. There's not much in bird's eyes.

[Narrator/Host]

The lazy afternoon is interrupted at around 2. 40 year old Sarah Andrey makes a panicked 911 call. She asks dispatchers to send someone to the home of her boyfriend, Darren Atkins.

[Investigator]

Okay, what happened there? I don't know. Oh my God. Okay, just try to remain calm.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Investigator]

Are you inside the house? I know, I just. Was he breathing? No, he's dancing.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah explains. She and her mom are parked at an intersection called Brettsville Junction, about 11 miles away from Darren's home.

[Investigator]

Stay there, Stay there. We're gonna have an officer meet you there, okay?

[Narrator]

Several other deputies, including myself, went to where the deceased male was. It's a trailer that sits on a little lot. There was just a very short hallway that opened up into the master bedroom. There you saw the body. It was very clear that there was some type of a blunt force object used because his whole side of his face was bashed in. And the amount of blood spatter all over the headboard, the walls. He was laying in the middle of the bed with his feet hanging off the bottom.

[Witness or Community Member]

They confirmed he was deceased. They immediately made sure there was nobody else in there and waited to have crime scene come.

[Narrator/Host]

As the crime scene investigation gets underway, a Du Bois county deputy meets Sarah and her mother at Brettsville Junction.

[Detective]

So Sarah's demeanor at the Brettsville Junction was kind of all over the place. She was crying. She was visibly upset.

[Sarah Andrey]

I'd never seen a dead person before, and I was just freaked out.

[Narrator/Host]

The deputy asks Sarah why she didn't call 911 from Darren's home.

[Detective]

Sarah had active warrants, and that's why Sarah didn't want to call the police.

[Witness or Community Member]

She had two outstanding warrants for failure to appears.

[Sarah Andrey]

I should have called 911 right there. But I wasn't thinking. I was scared. I wanted my mom. My mom lives right on the road. I went to her. I was crying. And we stopped on the side of the road and called 911.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah recounts to the deputy what she saw inside Darren's trailer.

[Sarah Andrey]

I tried to go in the door. The door was locked. We always had windows we could get in, you know, because sometimes I would get locked out or he would get locked out. So I go through the kitchen window. I went in the house and I seen him laying in the bed. I seen blood on him. And then I was like. He was like, baby. I was like, wake up.

[Witness or Community Member]

Oh, Shay.

[Sarah Andrey]

I was like, wake up. I started getting louder and louder. I shook him and he wouldn't wake up. I should have called 911 right there whenever I was down there. But I'd never seen a dead body before. Nonetheless, one that I loved. So I wasn't thinking. I can't believe it. And I was in shock.

[Narrator/Host]

Born on September 21, 1967, Darren Atkins grew up on the outskirts of Birdseye.

[Family Member or Friend]

Darren was real close with his family. Marilyn and Jack were good parents, and his brother David. They were all really close.

[Narrator/Host]

Soon after high school, Darren met Sherry Cravens.

[Family Member or Friend]

I was Working at Sunoco in bird's eye. And he used to come in all time and flirt.

[Narrator/Host]

The flirtation quickly led to Moore.

[Family Member or Friend]

Me and Darren, we were just sitting there talking and, you know, he just leaned over and he said, I love you because I love you too. Will you do me the honors of being my wife? And I said yes.

[Narrator/Host]

They married on April 16, 1988.

[Family Member or Friend]

Darren's dad gave us an acre of land that was our wedding present. And that's where we put our first home. Like good old days. September 1, 1988. Tiffany Leona Atkins came along. Mine and Darren's oldest daughter, they were very happy. She was a little firecracker. And then a year later, Brittany came in February. His lifelong dream was to be a truck driver. He went to truck driving school. He got a cdl and he was very happy.

[Narrator/Host]

The local hauling fit Darren's family lifestyle.

[Family Member or Friend]

He was home every night. He didn't like the idea of being away from home, which was good.

[Narrator/Host]

After nearly two decades together, the couple amicably divorced in 2003.

[Family Member or Friend]

Me and Darren had a good relationship, but there was three people on our marriage bed. There was me, there was Darren, and there was his mother. His mom always meddled. Just got tired of it. She won, I moved on. Was sad because me and Darren did have a good relationship. We did.

[Narrator/Host]

But the divorce wouldn't be the biggest challenge Sherry and Darren would face.

[Family Member or Friend]

Me and Darren ended up losing both of our daughters. June 19, 2006, car wreck. Lee was out cruising, you know, Tiffany's boyfriend, and he was driving at a high rate of speed. We didn't know they were gone until we got to the hospital. It was very hard on our family. It was just horrible.

[Narrator/Host]

Darren was devastated after, you know, he.

[Family Member or Friend]

Got with just a bad crowd and I know he started probably doing drugs. He just changed, you know, he wasn't the same Darren anymore.

[Narrator/Host]

In 2014, Darren met Sarah Andrey, who was a salve for his hurting heart.

[Investigator]

She's a bubbly, kind of shy, but bubbly and energetic, kind of all in one big bundle. But she was always really nice to people.

[Narrator/Host]

Born in 1976, Sarah and her three siblings were raised by her mom and stepfather in the tiny town of Akron, Indiana.

[Sarah Andrey]

My mom worked at a dairy farm and my dad sold insurance. Me and my mom's always been really close. I mean, she's my best friend. I love her.

[Narrator/Host]

She enjoyed a carefree small town childhood until she got pregnant as a high school freshman.

[Sarah Andrey]

He took me and moved to Florida. I married the first man I ever Kissed. I was really excited when my oldest daughter was born. My boys were born in 93. The last daughter was born in 95. At that time I was introduced to weed and cocaine and meth. And when my kids were 8, 11 and 12, I lost my kids. They got put into foster care and then they got adopted. Well, it was a horrible marriage. He filed for divorce finally and I signed the papers and that was the end of that.

[Narrator/Host]

Looking for a fresh start, Sarah headed back to Indiana.

[Sarah Andrey]

I was really happy to move back around my family. I moved in with my mom. I started working at the little dairy farm where my mom worked milk cows.

[Narrator/Host]

But 37 year old Sarah was lonely when she met 46 year old Darren in 2014.

[Sarah Andrey]

I met Darren on Facebook. Was up late. He came and picked me up and went down there that night and talked to him. He said that he'd had a hard time, had a hard life. His two daughters got killed in a bad car accident. And I was there for a couple days and I just never left. He was a good guy. I don't know, I just liked everything about him.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah moved in and the couple looked to bury their pain in a good time.

[Investigator]

The place they was at was just a big party house.

[Family Member or Friend]

I mean, it was drugs and having fun.

[Narrator/Host]

But after three years, they were ready for a change.

[Sarah Andrey]

Me and Darren just broke down to each other and who said, you know, we couldn't do this anymore. We was living the wrong kind of life with all the drugs and everything else.

[Narrator/Host]

On July 19, 2017, their dream of a sober future ends in bloodshed. A Dubois county deputy continues to speak with Sarah after she discovered Darren's battered body.

[Sarah Andrey]

He was laying in tent like he'd been just sleeping and somebody come in.

[Investigator]

And beat him to death.

[Detective]

Sarah at that point is taken to the sheriff's department.

[Narrator/Host]

At Darren's trailer, homicide investigators continue searching for clues.

[Narrator]

We found the wallet. It was partially opened, laying on top of a trash bag. There was no money in the wallet.

[Witness or Community Member]

Somebody either stealing his money or there was something out of his wallet that they wanted.

[Detective]

I mean, they made it look like it's a robbery gone wrong. When a homicide takes place, it's kind of a big deal, especially a small community like Dubois. We just don't have a lot of violent crime.

[Narrator/Host]

Coming up. Investigators turn to Sarah for answers.

[Investigator]

If you suspect someone of doing this to their. Could you answer that?

[Family Member or Friend]

Yes.

[Witness or Community Member]

There had been a fight at the.

[Narrator/Host]

Party the night before and uncover a grudge.

[Witness or Community Member]

Darren had burned his trailer. That was motive.

[Narrator/Host]

July 19, 2017 Investigators in Bird's Eye Indiana continue processing the home of four 49 year old Darren Atkins, who was found beaten to death in his bedroom.

[Narrator]

No murder weapon was located. We just knew that it was a blunt force object.

[Detective]

You had a pool of blood in one location on the Mattress. You had Mr. Atkins body in a different location.

[Witness or Community Member]

There was also a bloody blanket on the floor and a bloody pillow on the floor. It almost appeared as if somebody had attempted to take the body out of there. But I think they realized that it was way too difficult.

[Narrator/Host]

Though the attacker did not remove Darren's body, they did take the contents of his wallet. Investigators consider whether robbery was the motive or an afterthought.

[Detective]

A robbery gone wrong wasn't necessarily ruled out, but different pieces of that particular puzzle just didn't add up.

[Narrator]

The TV was there and then I don't believe there was a lot in the residence that someone would have broken and stole.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators head back to the sheriff's office to speak with Darren's girlfriend, Sarah Andrey. She says she and Darren were trying to get clean, build a future together.

[Sarah Andrey]

He had asked me to marry him. I said yes, but it's just the drugs and the life we was living just wasn't happening.

[Investigator]

Okay, so who did you spend the.

[Sarah Andrey]

Night with last night with Darren?

[Investigator]

There was a party going on.

[Narrator]

It was determined that there was a so called party there the night before with maybe eight individuals that were at that party.

[Sarah Andrey]

People kept showing up. I mean, there was people in and out.

[Narrator]

Sarah said the people at the party, they all were gone by midnight. The only one there past that was Sarah.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah says she stayed the night at Darren's and left around 8am to go to her friend Jason Atkins house. Though Darren and Jason share the same last name, they are not related.

[Narrator]

Darren lived about a mile or so away from where Jason Atkins residence was. Darren and Jason knew each other for a very long time. They both grew up in that community. Sarah took her laundry basket and all of her laundry to Jason's to do laundry. And then when she returned, that's when she noticed that Darren was deceased.

[Investigator]

If you had to say you really, really, truly suspect someone of doing this to Darren, could you answer that? Yes, you could. Who do you suspect?

[Witness or Community Member]

She said that there had been a fight at the party the night before. Something about Jason Bledsoe using Darren's car and not bringing the car back. And there was bad blood between the two of them.

[Narrator/Host]

Before investigators tracked down Jason Bledsoe, they inform Sarah that she will have to remain at the Du Bois County Jail.

[Detective]

She had some minor theft charges at the time. She had an outstanding warrant when we arrested her for this.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators are eager to speak with Jason Bledsoe as well as the other partygoers.

[Detective]

By the end of the day on July 19, we had several suspects, people that was at the trailer that you normally want to include in your suspect pool. But also at the end of the day on July 19, we had far more questions than we had answers to.

[Narrator/Host]

The following day, investigators received Darren's autopsy.

[Narrator]

He died from a blunt force trauma to the head.

[Detective]

Darren Atkins had a lot of trauma to the left side of his face. He also noted several small cuts. In all likelihood, that was the barbed wire bat that was used to kill Darren.

[Witness or Community Member]

They were able to determine that when he was discovered at noon, he'd been dead for quite a period of time before that.

[Narrator]

Our pathologist who came in and performed the autopsy stated that it was probably presumably sometime between 4 and 8 o'clock in the morning.

[Witness or Community Member]

Sarah originally said that she had been at Darren's house all night and that she left around 8 o' clock that morning to go to Jason Adkins to do some laundry. So we had to try to nail down when he was alive.

[Narrator/Host]

With new insight into the crime's timeline, investigators next locate the man Sarah named in her statement. Jason Bledsoe.

[Narrator]

I met with him in a parking lot of an antique store. He corroborated some of what Sarah said about the car.

[Witness or Community Member]

Darren was mad that Jason wasn't bringing his car back, but I don't think it rose to the level of violence. I think it was just, hey, I want my car back, and Jason's not bringing the car back.

[Narrator/Host]

Jason Bledsoe admits to being at the party, but says he left sometime before midnight and never returned.

[Narrator]

He was at his girlfriend's residence. There was numerous people there, so there.

[Witness or Community Member]

Were other individuals that saw them there and confirmed that they had been there since around dark on the night before.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators begin moving through the list of partygoers, tracking them down one by one.

[Witness or Community Member]

According to everyone that knew Darren, Darren Adkins was a really nice guy. And they said that he would help anybody, he would do anything for anybody.

[Narrator/Host]

They also learned that Darren kept a unique weapon inside the trailer for protection.

[Detective]

There were several different people that had told us that Darrin Atkins had had a bat at one time that he had wrapped in barbed wire.

[Narrator]

Darren had a baseball bat that he always had at that house that was never located, that was never recovered.

[Narrator/Host]

As authorities talk to the partygoers, they learn of a conflict between Darren and a man at the party named Steve. Stephen Clapp.

[Witness or Community Member]

Stephen Clapp's trailer in Bird's Eye, had burned at one point in time.

[Detective]

Property that belonged to Stephen prior to the arson ended up in the possession of Darren Atkins.

[Witness or Community Member]

Stephen Clapp believed that Darren had burned.

[Narrator]

His trailer, but there was some time that had passed. So Stephen Clapp was also in that group that went to Darren's to frequent Darren's.

[Narrator/Host]

According to several guests, Stephen left the party in a huff and walked home. The partygoers allege Stephen had assaulted another man previously with a weapon. That raises investigators interest.

[Narrator]

We started looking into it and found out Stephen did hit this gentleman with the baseball bat. So we thought it could have been Stephen Clapp. He had motive to do this.

[Narrator/Host]

Coming up, investigators learn more about Stephen's night.

[Witness or Community Member]

Steven was mad at his girlfriend and he started walking home.

[Narrator/Host]

And a twist reveals a romantic rivalry.

[Sarah Andrey]

Nobody told me you went to Verdarin. I'd be with you.

[Narrator/Host]

I'd have you. The detective said. Missing kids usually come home. What happens when they don't?

[Detective]

Based on a true story.

[Narrator]

Police looking for John Gacy.

[Investigator]

We discovered bodies.

[Detective]

By the looks of it, they're younger men.

[Investigator]

The things he did to those kids. He's sick.

[Narrator/Host]

The system failed these families.

[Detective]

Devil in disguise. John wayne Gacy. Streaming October 16th, only on Peacock.

[Narrator/Host]

Do you know how many there are?

[Narrator]

Up to you to find out.

[Family Member or Friend]

Do I have time for men?

[Narrator/Host]

Yes, I do. Let's party. I'm a baddie. The Real Housewives of Potomac are back. I know she ain't bring CJ around.

[Investigator]

Just to get back with her man.

[Narrator/Host]

Oh, my God.

[Sarah Andrey]

Lied for a year.

[Narrator/Host]

Stacy, are we still talking about your situation? Don't let this accent fool you.

[Investigator]

I never touched around my husband.

[Narrator/Host]

You don't have one.

[Family Member or Friend]

I'm so confused.

[Narrator/Host]

All new the Real Housewives of Potomac. Mondays watch Bravo on Peacock. Investigators in Bird's Eye, Indiana are chasing down Leeds in the brutal beating death of Darren Atkins.

[Detective]

Stephen Klapp was a suspect. There was an arson that took place at his trailer and he had suspected Darren Atkins of it.

[Narrator/Host]

Stephen is brought into the police station for questioning. He admits he did storm out of the party, but not because he was angry with Darren.

[Witness or Community Member]

Stephen was mad at his girlfriend and he left Darren's trailer and he started walking home. And then she'd picked him up. But they went back to Stephen Klapp's mother's trailer and they had been there all night.

[Narrator/Host]

Steven claims that the following morning. Morning. He got up early and went to work.

[Narrator]

Darren died early morning hours on the 19th, and according to Stephen, he had went to work early morning of the hours of the 19th.

[Narrator/Host]

When Stephen's interview is over, the first priority is verifying his alibi.

[Narrator]

We went to his work and we got information on when he punched in. It wasn't until later on that morning, more like towards the 10 o', clock, that he went to work. So he was lying to us about that.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators track down Stephen's girlfriend. She confirmed Stephen's story, saying she spent the night in question with him. But there is something else she is eager to share with detectives.

[Detective]

We found out through her that Sarah Andrew was dating Jason Atkins.

[Narrator/Host]

Stephen's girlfriend says that for the last couple of years, Sarah switched back and forth between the two men on a whim.

[Narrator]

She lived with Jason for a period of time, and then she would move down to Darren's and Darren and Jason knew people that knew Darren and people that knew Jason thought Sarah was manipulative. So whoever was nice to her or whoever had the drugs, that's where she kind of gravitated towards.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators attempt to sort fact from fiction by collecting the cell phones of everyone in the friend circle who could be involved.

[Witness or Community Member]

All their cell phones were taken, got search warrants on all those phones, and then extracted all the information off the phones.

[Narrator/Host]

The love triangle quickly takes center stage.

[Detective]

Going through social media records from Jason Atkins and Sarah Andrew, we found that he had made comments that, as long as Darren's around, I'm never gonna have you.

[Defense Attorney]

When you read those Facebook messages, it's very clear to me that Jason wanted Sarah and he didn't want to lose Sarah, and he was jealous of the love that she evidently at that time had for Darren.

[Witness or Community Member]

Jason would have motive to kill Darren, because if Darren's out of the picture, then he can have Sarah, which is what he wanted.

[Narrator/Host]

As Jason Atkins moves to the top of the suspect list, Stephen Clapp falls off.

[Narrator]

The locations data that we were able to get from cell phones was proof that Stephen Klapp was not at Darren's location at the time of the homicide.

[Narrator/Host]

But Darren's phone reveals more than just that.

[Witness or Community Member]

There was a text sent from his phone at 4:12am using a derogatory name for Sarah, saying that she was still at Brain's, and Brain was a nickname for Jason Adkins. So Darren was clearly mad at that point that Sarah was still at Jason's. So we knew then that Sarah wasn't at Darren's like she said she was. Sarah says that she left about 8 o' clock that morning to go do laundry. Clearly, she was lying.

[Narrator/Host]

After realizing Sarah wasn't being entirely honest, detectives meet with her on July 28th at the DU Bois County Jail, where she remains in custody on the outstanding warrants. Sarah admits to the love triangle.

[Sarah Andrey]

I started seeing both of them. Like, if I wasn't with one of them, I was with the other one of them. They knew it ended up choosing Darren. I'd finally told Jason, and he wasn't happy.

[Family Member or Friend]

It drove me crazy. Now I know everybody has hated.

[Sarah Andrey]

I never talk about human heart, but he'll make comments like, if Darren is whatever, Darren, I'd be with you.

[Narrator/Host]

I'd have you.

[Investigator]

Darren is dead or anything.

[Sarah Andrey]

Yeah, but not yeah, because he's upset.

[Narrator/Host]

They confront her about the text found on Darren's phone.

[Detective]

Results Investigation verbally indicate that you're not being totally honest with us.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Investigator]

4:12 in the morning. He says the is still at brains. Who's he talking about?

[Narrator/Host]

Me.

[Investigator]

I don't think you killed Darren. Okay. But you're trying to protect brain and it can't happen anymore.

[Sarah Andrey]

I thought they were more after Jason or trying to say Jason did it than me.

[Investigator]

I'm not protective of Sarah. Take a second. Gather yourself. Okay?

[Narrator]

Look at me.

[Investigator]

It's done. It's over.

[Sarah Andrey]

I don't think I want to know.

[Investigator]

Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.

[Sarah Andrey]

I didn't understand. I thought they were trying to say Jason did it, then me. You're making me feel like I'm crazy.

[Investigator]

Because I think it's a little foggy. And we're hoping that the more time.

[Narrator]

Passes, the more that you're going to remember.

[Narrator/Host]

After getting nowhere with Sarah, investigators bring Jason Atkins into the station to try their luck with him.

[Investigator]

Yeah, I love the girl. I knew she wasn't good to me. I can't help who I love. And yes, I do love her.

[Detective]

Would you do any quarter?

[Sarah Andrey]

No.

[Investigator]

No, I would not.

[Detective]

Jason Atkins's account of where he was at that night is he's at his house. He doesn't leave anywhere.

[Narrator/Host]

With Sarah and Jason sticking by their stories, investigators get creative.

[Narrator]

Birdseye is not that big. The Bird's Eye Library sits right there on State Road 145. Has a great view. They do have a camera that we've seen.

[Narrator/Host]

To travel from Jason's house to Darren's would require driving past the library and the camera.

[Narrator]

We were able to get all of the footage from the library in a camera that was basically one way in and one way out of town.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators focus on the footage from the early morning hours of July 19, we.

[Detective]

See Jason Atkins car at about 4:13 going northbound past the library. His interviews, he said he was staying home all night and that nobody had taken his car. Why is his car going past the library if it didn't leave his house all night?

[Narrator/Host]

That's not all the footage has to offer.

[Narrator]

We're able to see that there's two people in the car, but we can't see who they are.

[Narrator/Host]

If Jason is the killer, it appears, appears he had an accomplice.

[Narrator]

So we're going to try to talk to him and give him an opportunity one more time to tell the truth that someone else was involved in the homicide.

[Narrator/Host]

Coming up, investigators confront Jason.

[Investigator]

He's like, dude, you gotta tell him the truth. If you don't, you're gonna go to jail for something you didn't do.

[Interviewer]

Did she show you bruises?

[Investigator]

I said you gotta go to the law.

[Narrator/Host]

Months after the murder of Darren Atkins, Sarah Andry has been released from jail where she'd been held on unrelated outstanding warrants.

[Narrator]

She was released and she was back into the Bird's eye community.

[Narrator/Host]

With a potential murder suspect. In the community, investigators waste no time. And on May 24, 2018, they speak with Jason again, this time in the Pike County Jail where he is being held on unrelated charges.

[Detective]

Jason Atkins was in jail for narcotics charges in a different county.

[Witness or Community Member]

We had what we called the murder box. It was this giant box of everything that we'd collected. And they just confronted him with different pieces of evidence.

[Narrator]

This is pretty much everything with the whole Darren Atkins homicide. Okay? There's, there's interviews, taped interviews, there's records, there's phone records, there's Facebook records.

[Interviewer]

But at that time, time, I wanted him to also know we believe there was another player that helped him out. Another thing I don't want, Jason, is if somebody was with you, that deserves to be locked up. Also with you, be able to walk through you.

[Investigator]

Sarah deserves to be locked up.

[Interviewer]

Okay, now let's get to that.

[Witness or Community Member]

Why?

[Investigator]

Cuz she's the mastermind behind it all. It all boils around her somehow.

[Narrator]

Well, tell us how it boils around her.

[Investigator]

Because she's a denied the evil person.

[Narrator/Host]

Jason says that in the early morning hours of July 19, after the party at Darren's place, Sarah showed up at his house.

[Narrator]

He said that Sarah was telling him that Darren beats her. And so they made a pact that they were going to go down and confront him about the abuse.

[Defense Attorney]

According to Jason, they left he and Sarah in Jason's car. They arrive at the mobile home. And Jason remains outside while Sarah allegedly walks in without Jason. Jason waits a few minutes and then enters.

[Investigator]

What happened? And then he come at me.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Investigator]

He grabbed that bat.

[Interviewer]

Becomes what, Matt?

[Investigator]

The one that he kept down there, and come at me with it. And he swung and missed, and I took it from him back.

[Interviewer]

You took it from there?

[Investigator]

What happened then? I used it.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Narrator]

And where did you hit it?

[Investigator]

Beside the head.

[Narrator/Host]

I did hit.

[Investigator]

Just once.

[Narrator]

We know that there was a couple. Do you think you possibly could have hit him more than once?

[Investigator]

Swim one time.

[Interviewer]

What did Sarah do? Was she in the house?

[Expert/Analyst]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

He told me that after he hit him that he was unconscious, but he was still alive. They get into the car. Sarah is driving the car, and they leave.

[Investigator]

Sarah put me up to going down there to confront Darren about beating on her.

[Narrator]

I did. Do you really think he was beating her? Do you think she was?

[Investigator]

I think she's making it up on a statement. She bruised real easy.

[Interviewer]

Did she show you bruises?

[Investigator]

No, she had bruises on her. I wouldn't have done this without her.

[Interviewer]

Exactly.

[Witness or Community Member]

The Facebook records and the phone records, they all indicated a lot of manipulation on her part, and she was playing them against each other. Sarah would make accusations against Darren to Jason, and she would make accusations against Jason to Darren. She would get them to feel sorry for her, and she would just use that to her advantage.

[Narrator/Host]

What doesn't match is what Jason says happened inside the home.

[Expert/Analyst]

There was certainly multiple blows. That was clear. There was nothing about the crime scene evidence that was consistent with the story that Jason Atkins had given.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators know they don't have the whole story. Five days later, Jason reaches out. This time, he says he is ready to tell them everything.

[Investigator]

I was teared up, and my bunkies sitting there tell me. He's like, dude, you gotta tell them the truth, right? He said, if you don't, you're gonna go to jail for something you didn't do. Sarah Andre is the one that killed their ass.

[Narrator]

He said that, in his words, I hit him in the head. I know that it knocked him out. He was out, but I know that he was still alive. When Sarah picked up the bat.

[Investigator]

I watched her strike Darren Atkins. As I was walking out of that house. I heard her striking two more times before I walk out that day. I said, you've got to go to the law, Sarah. Plain and simple. We went down there to confront Gary, to talk to him about him being on it. And she took it too far.

[Interviewer]

She just.

[Investigator]

She up on the drugs, and the drugs had Taken her over.

[Narrator]

At that point, Jason was arrested for the murder, and we opted to go and file for a warrant for the arrest of Sarah.

[Narrator/Host]

Investigators learn that after Sarah's release from jail earlier in the year, she quickly married an old high school friend, Eddie Andrey. But Sarah's attempt at domestic life comes to an end on June 11, 2018, when deputies arrive at her home with an arrest warrant.

[Investigator]

He was asleep.

[Family Member or Friend]

Next thing I know, I've got three.

[Narrator]

Or four officers standing around my couch screaming with guns drawn, telling us to get up.

[Investigator]

Don't see your hands.

[Sarah Andrey]

They just come in and said, you're under arrest. They handcuffed me and put me in the car. So they was arresting me for murder.

[Interviewer]

There was no upset. There was no, I didn't do it. All she did was just stand up, put her arms behind her back and said, okay. And never said another word to us.

[Sarah Andrey]

I just got caught up in the drug life, and this is where it got me.

[Narrator/Host]

Coming up, prosecutors zero in on Sarah.

[Witness or Community Member]

We think she acted on impulse, and all these emotions were fueled by drugs.

[Narrator/Host]

But Sarah sees freedom within reach.

[Witness or Community Member]

It was a big roadblock to us that we never found the murder weapon.

[Narrator/Host]

Dubois county authorities have arrested Sarah Andree and Jason Atkins for the beating death of Darren Atkins. As prosecutors prepare for trial, it becomes apparent that drugs fueled this love triangle turned deadly.

[Witness or Community Member]

I would tend to say that Sarah didn't go there with the intentions that Darren was going to die. All these emotions were fueled by drugs, and nobody was thinking clearly. I think it probably just got out of hand.

[Interviewer]

It's hard to tell whether the first hit when Jason swung the bat killed him, or if when Sarah steps up, grabs a baseball bat, knocks him two more times over the head, if that's what killed him.

[Narrator/Host]

With one of Sarah's lovers dead, the other turns against her.

[Witness or Community Member]

Jason Atkins didn't go to trial. Jason Atkins pled guilty and took a reduced sentence in exchange for him testifying against Sarah.

[Sarah Andrey]

I never believed that he could even do it until I actually heard it come out of his mouth.

[Narrator/Host]

In September 2020, Sarah sees her day in court. The prosecution's case hinges on a star witness. Jason testifies that Sarah urged him to confront Darren.

[Interviewer]

Sarah told Jason that she was getting beat by Darren and he was going to go down there, confront him about it.

[Narrator/Host]

Allegations, prosecutors argue, are unfounded.

[Detective]

As far as Darren Atkins committed any type of assaults on Sarah Andrew, there was never any police reports going through different social medias. There was never anything that we found where she was telling people that Taryn was Beating on her.

[Narrator/Host]

Prosecutors believe Sarah's true motive may never be entirely clear.

[Witness or Community Member]

Other than Jason saying Sarah was there. I think the biggest piece of evidence that we had against Sarah was all these wildly inconsistent stories. We got thousands of pages of Facebook records and phone records. It was just a consistent pattern of over several years time, her manipulating both of them to get whatever she wanted or needed at the time, whether that was food or drugs or a place to live. It was just the totality of everything. It wasn't any one particular piece of evidence. Everything pointed in the direction that Sarah was guilty.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah's defense points out that one crucial piece of evidence is missing.

[Witness or Community Member]

It was a big roadblock to us that we never found the murder weapon.

[Narrator/Host]

The defense argues that Jason acted alone to eliminate a romantic rival, pointing out that his statement is all that places Sarah at the scene.

[Defense Attorney]

The police clearly made a big deal out of the surveillance video. Without question, Jason is observed in the video. But in no time during July 19, 2017 was Sarah Andre observed in the surveillance video.

[Narrator/Host]

They also note a problem with one important piece of Jason's statement.

[Expert/Analyst]

He basically said that Darren was coming at him with a baseball bat in his bedroom, that he took the baseball bat away from Darren.

[Defense Attorney]

That was not consistent with the blood stain pattern analysis, the blanket that was.

[Expert/Analyst]

Pulled down to the floor. You could also see these impact stains, which suggest that Darren was under the covers when the beating occurred. And so how do you reconcile that with Jason's statement that he's standing up and he disarms him? They just don't add up. And so it begs the question, if he's lying about that, is he being truthful about Sarah being the person that inflicted these fatal blows?

[Narrator/Host]

It's a purely circumstantial case, but the judge believes it's enough.

[Sarah Andrey]

They found me guilty of murder and they sentenced me to 55 years. They had Jason's word against mine. I never thought in a million years I'd be sitting in prison for a murder charge. Never. But what drugs did for me.

[Witness or Community Member]

Jason Atkins received 20 years in prison, followed by five years on home detention and then 20 years on probation after that.

[Narrator/Host]

Sarah continues to stand by her innocence.

[Sarah Andrey]

I want the truth to come out, too, for real. I want Darren's mom to know that I didn't do it. I ain't proud of it, but it's just. I was on drugs and I wanted everything between the two of them. They gave me everything that I wanted.

[Narrator/Host]

But there is no denying the pain Darren's family continues to suffer over the loss of a man they love.

[Family Member or Friend]

Darren was a good guy. He didn't do nothing wrong. I just don't understand why. I really don't. He didn't deserve that. Nobody deserves. Not that nobody.

[Narrator/Host]

In July 2021, Sarah Andrey appealed her conviction in the Indiana Court of Appeals. They upheld her conviction. Sarah remains married to Eddie Andre. Jason Atkins serves his 20 year sentence at Miami Correctional Facility. He will be eligible for parole on April 24, 2036. You open the fridge, there's nothing there. So what's it gonna be? Greasy pizza? Sad drive thru burgers. Dish by Blue Apron is for nights like that. These are the pre made meals of your dreams. At least 20 grams of protein. No artificial flavors or colors. No chopping, no cleanup. No guilt. Keep the flavor, ditch the subscription. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more.