Sheila Aidoo

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder

Episode: Sheila Aidoo

Release Date: November 24, 2024

Host/Author: Oxygen

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Sheila Aidoo", Oxygen delves deep into a tragic true crime story that intertwines love, ambition, betrayal, and dark rituals. This detailed summary captures the essence of the case, highlighting the key discussions, investigative breakthroughs, and the unsettling conclusion that points to Sheila Aidoo's involvement in the brutal murders of Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh.

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Background: Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh

Seth Adu, a 40-year-old immigrant from Ghana, moved to the United States in 1992 to pursue a degree in Information Technology at Montgomery College in Maryland. Ambitious and driven, Seth worked tirelessly, balancing full-time employment with his studies. In 1996, Seth married Sheila Culley, a 35-year-old successful daycare business owner from a religious family in Washington D.C. Despite their ten-year age gap, the couple shared a strong bond, rooted in mutual ambition and cultural ties.

After nearly three years of dating, Sheila and Seth married in 1996. One year into their marriage, Seth became a U.S. citizen and continued building his IT career. By the mid-2000s, their success culminated in purchasing a $1 million dream home in the exclusive Oak Creek neighborhood of Prince George's County, Maryland, a testament to their hard work and dedication.

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The Tragic Turn: Separation and New Beginnings

After thirteen years together, in December 2007, Sheila and Seth amicably separated, initiating divorce proceedings. [10:49] Despite the separation appearing peaceful, financial strains soon surfaced. The housing market collapse of 2008 left Seth struggling to manage the mortgage on their million-dollar home, especially after Sheila took her financial contributions upon leaving.

In 2008, Seth met Eunice Baugh, a 36-year-old nurse from Ghana, at a Ghanaian community gathering. Their relationship blossomed quickly, and after a year of dating, on January 10, 2009, Seth and Eunice announced their engagement and Eunice's pregnancy during a celebratory party at their home. This announcement, however, would set the stage for a horrifying tragedy.

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The Murders: A Night of Violence

Just three days after their public announcement, on January 14, 2009, Seth and Eunice were brutally murdered in their Oak Creek home. [03:40] Homicide detectives arrived to find Suleth Adu stabbed over 40 times and Eunice Baugh shot once in the head. The gruesome nature of the attacks suggested a personal vendetta rather than a random act of violence.

Discovery and Initial Investigation

A distress call from David Sarpong, Seth's cousin, prompted the police to investigate. Upon entering the home, detectives found extensive blood evidence indicating a violent struggle. Notably, there were inscriptions on a pillar candle found at the scene that read, "die, die, die, die, die. Seth Ado," hinting at possible occult motives. [03:02], [32:16]

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Investigative Breakthroughs: Unraveling the Mystery

The investigation revealed that the Oak Creek community had stringent security measures, including transponders and surveillance cameras. It was discovered that the third transponder, not in Seth or Eunice's possession, was used on the night of the murders by an unidentified dark minivan. [27:18], [28:14]

Further scrutiny led detectives to Sheila Adu, Seth's estranged wife, and her brother, Samuel Culley. Initial suspicions arose when Samuel admitted to a heated altercation with Seth two years prior over his expulsion from the family home. [21:02], [35:11]

The Occult Connection

A pivotal piece of evidence surfaced during the search of a storage unit linked to Delford Barnes, Sheila's boyfriend from Jamaica, associated with voodoo practices. The discovery of the sinister candle with multiple "die" inscriptions connected to the murders pointed towards a ritualistic motive. [31:38], [32:57]

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The Arrests: Samuel Culley and Delford Barnes

On March 10, 2009, authorities apprehended Samuel Culley in New Jersey. Samuel confessed that Delford Barnes had orchestrated the murders, driven by jealousy and financial desperation stemming from the impending loss of Seth's life insurance benefits. He detailed how Delford entered the home with the intent to kill Seth, leading to the violent altercation that resulted in Seth and Eunice's deaths. [37:16], [39:26]

Subsequently, Delford Barnes was charged and, with forensic evidence tying him to the crime scene—including DNA under Seth's fingernails and matching boot prints—he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. [41:21], [43:04]

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Sheila Aidoo's Involvement and Downfall

Despite the arrests, investigators believed that Sheila Adu played a crucial role as the mastermind behind the murders. Evidence pointed to her financial motives, particularly her swift claim of the life insurance policy shortly after the murders, just before her divorce was finalized, which would have nullified her beneficiary status. [35:35], [36:01]

Additionally, handwriting analysis of the ominous candle matched Sheila's handwriting, further incriminating her involvement. Prosecutors argued that Sheila leveraged her relationship with Delford to orchestrate the murders, ensuring her financial gain while eliminating Seth, whose divorce would strip her of financial benefits. [42:09], [46:14]

On January 10, 2012, Sheila was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. She entered an Alford plea, acknowledging sufficient evidence for a conviction while maintaining her innocence. Sheila was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released in 2021 after serving ten years. [45:07], [46:38], [47:26]

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Conclusion: Justice and Aftermath

While Samuel Culley and Delford Barnes received life sentences for their direct involvement in the murders, Sheila Adu's role remained a complex narrative of ambition, betrayal, and manipulation. Her release in 2021 left many seeking closure, believing that the full extent of her machinations had not been entirely addressed.

The "Sheila Aidoo" episode serves as a haunting reminder of how personal vendettas and financial desperation can culminate in unimaginable violence. Oxygen's meticulous recounting of the case highlights the intricate web of relationships and motives that ultimately led to justice, albeit with lingering questions about the depths of Sheila's involvement.

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Notable Quotes

• Detective ([05:36]): "Seth had been stabbed a number of times and his body was very bloodied. Eunice was shot once in the head. So there was no question this was a double murder and one that was so violent there was no gun on the scene, there was no knife left on the scene."

• Family Member ([07:34]): "Seth was working in this grocery store to pay for college. It's always tough to do when you're working full time and going to school part time. That's hard."

• Expert ([32:16]): "There was some suggestion that this could have been part of some voodoo ritual. Police know that Delford is from Jamaica and some people in Jamaica practice voodoo. So there's at least a suspicion that voodoo could be part of what's going on here."

• Detective ([35:35]): "Sheila put in a claim for the insurance policy within a day of finding out that Seth had been murdered."

• Friend ([46:52]): "Life isn't valued and she didn't value his life. She didn't value the life of fiance when the girl was pregnant with a baby. She didn't value that baby life even so hell with her."

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This episode of "Snapped: Women Who Murder" masterfully weaves the narrative of Sheila Aidoo, presenting a comprehensive view of the motivations and actions that led to the tragic demise of Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh. Through a meticulous examination of evidence, witness testimonies, and expert insights, Oxygen delivers a compelling story that underscores the complexities of human relationships and the darkness that can lie beneath the surface.

Transcript

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A vibrant couple from a foreign land find love in their new country.

[Detective]

He was originally from Ghana. He moved to the United States.

[Family Member]

She's from Ghana and she knows the culture. They can speak, you know, their dialect together. It was a match made in heaven for him.

[Narrator]

But just days after a big announcement.

[Detective]

They had a number of their friends over to celebrate. That they were expecting.

[Narrator]

A horrific discovery changes everything.

[Witness]

There was a body at the bottom of the stairs.

[Detective]

He was covered in blood and she had been shot. So there was no Question. This was a double murder and one that was so violent, it's a crime.

[Narrator]

Too heartbreaking to believe.

[Friend]

How could this happen here? Girls pregnant with a baby.

[Narrator]

The tragedy turns twisted when detectives uncover ev of dark magic at play.

[Detective]

There was a pillar candle and it had writing etched into it and it said, die, die, die, die, die. Seth Ado.

[Expert]

This could have been part of some voodoo ritual.

[Narrator]

Was this some kind of sacrifice? Or a murder motivated by revenge?

[Witness]

Reggie's done.

[Narrator]

January 14, 2009. At 10:30am, Prince George's County, MD 911 gets a distressing call from a man at the upscale gated community of Oak Creek.

[Detective]

Someone by the name of David Sarpong contacted the Prince George's County Police department telling them that he was at the home of Seth the DO because he hadn't heard from Seth in a few days and that was unusual.

[Interviewer]

David, how do you know Seth?

[Detective]

That's my cousin. Your cousin?

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Detective]

I just got a phone call from.

[Narrator]

One of our cousins that, you know, they can't find.

[Detective]

He's living, trying to call him and they can't find him.

[Narrator]

She called his office, they say he's not there. Okay.

[Detective]

I just came to his house.

[Narrator]

His car that he drives every day.

[Detective]

Is sitting in front of his parking lot or probably.

[Narrator]

When officers arrive. David explains he's even more worried now because Seth's pregnant fiance, Eunice Ba is not returning his calls.

[Detective]

Either Eunice and Seth lived at the house together and David had concerns that Seth or Eunice had fallen or had become injured or something was going on with them.

[Narrator]

Since a pregnant woman might be in trouble, officers do not need a warrant to enter Seth's and Eunice's residence. Inside, they make a disturbing find.

[Interviewer]

There was a significant amount of blood all over the first floor in multiple places in the house. And it indicated that there was a struggle.

[Narrator]

The trail of blood leads to the stairs to the basement. At the bottom, officers see two people matching the description of 40 year old Seth Adu and 36 year old Eunice B.

[Detective]

Seth had been stabbed a number of times and his body was very bloodied. Eunice was shot once in the head. So there was no question this was a double murder and one that was so violent there was no gun on the scene, there was no knife left on the scene. Homicide was called in right away.

[Narrator]

When Seth's cousin learns the tragic news, he shares it with family and friends who had only recently learned of Eunice's pregnancy.

[Family Member]

It was so painful, so painful because I was like, my God, he had his life in front of him. And she did too.

[Narrator]

Born in 1969 in Kumasi, Ghana, Seth was the youngest of six children and grew up with a drive to succeed. In 1992, at the age of 23, Seth immigrated from Ghana to the United States to pursue a degree in Information Technology at Montgomery College outside Washington D.C. an area with a burgeoning Ghanaian immigrant community.

[Family Member]

I think that his identity was vastly involved with the Ghanaian community, whether it was socially or at church. So it was a very big part of him. He stayed very true to his culture.

[Narrator]

Though he found comfort in the community of fellow Ghanaians. He longed to achieve the American dream.

[Family Member]

I know that he had aspirations to be in a better position than he was, so I think that drive is probably what just went with him from Ghana to the States.

[Friend]

He was just a cool guy. He's ambitious. You could tell he had that eye of the tiger. You could tell he was a go getter.

[Family Member]

Seth was working in this grocery store to pay for college. It's always tough to do when you're working full time and going to school part time. That's hard.

[Narrator]

One of the regulars at the store where Seth worked was then 35 year old Sheila Culley. After a few months, casual conversation evolved into flirtation.

[Family Member]

Sheila was born into a religious family in Washington D.C. she was active in the church, worked in the church nursery and even helped to take care of her own younger siblings. When she became an adult, she opened up her own daycare business.

[Narrator]

Sheila owned a successful home daycare with two employees and a waiting list for incoming kids.

[Friend]

She was a business owner that had a very profitable business.

[Family Member]

She already was established, she was older than us, she had a house.

[Narrator]

Despite their 10 year age gap, 25 year old Seth and 35 year old Sheila quickly forged a bond.

[Family Member]

Sheila and Seth grew up worlds apart. When they got together though, they were a really great couple. They both were go getters, workaholics. Sheila also seemed to really love having a younger man.

[Friend]

He was an attractive guy, the type of person that could light up a room when they walked in the room.

[Narrator]

After nearly three years of dating, 38 year old Sheila Culley and 28 year old Seth Adew married in 1996. One year later, Seth officially became a US citizen and was still working on his degree.

[Family Member]

Education was very important. He wanted to get an IT degree and that's what his focus was, to finish his associates and go on and get his undergrad and that was where he was laser focused on.

[Detective]

Sheila supported him through his education and Seth Once he graduated and got his degree, he began his company in it and made quite a lot of money and was very successful. They were not afraid to spend the money that they had.

[Narrator]

In the mid 2000s, they bought their dream home in one of the premier neighborhoods in Prince George's County, Oak Creek, to the tune of $1 million.

[Friend]

This area is probably one of the nicest in Prince George's County. That was a gated community. It's just the place that everyone you know would like to be in.

[Family Member]

These two people really started out in life with not a lot of anything, but here they are living in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods.

[Narrator]

The couple even turned the spacious basement into a separate apartment. And the very first tenant was Sheila's younger brother, Samuel Culley.

[Family Member]

Sheila was happy to continue to care for him. She'd been doing it since he was a little boy. And Seth was happy to give Samuel a place to stay.

[Narrator]

Despite their successful outward appearance, after 13 years together, Seth and Sheila began to grow apart. And in December 2007, the couple amicably separated and started divorce proceedings.

[Detective]

They had a prenuptial agreement. There weren't going to be fights about assets or who would get to keep what and who had to pay somebody else for anything. It seemed like everything had been agreed to.

[Narrator]

While the divorce had not yet been finalized, Sheila moved out of the home and back into the house where she had her daycare business.

[Family Member]

At this point in her life, Sheila had a thriving business and a life completely apart from Seth.

[Narrator]

Seth, on the other hand, got another chance at Love in 2008 when he met 35 year old Eunice Baugh at a Ghanaian community gathering.

[Detective]

Eunice was stunning. Eunice had dark skin, long hair. She just had an elegance about her, an easy elegance, just like Seth.

[Family Member]

Eunice had emigrated from Ghana. She got here in 1996 and lived with family who had come before her.

[Expert]

She was a nurse, somebody who was also well known and well liked in the Ghanaian community.

[Narrator]

Seth fell hard and fast for Eunice. After dating for a few months, Eunice moved into the Oak Creek home with Seth.

[Family Member]

He definitely seemed to love her. She's from Ghana, you know, she was closer to his age. She knows the culture, they can speak, you know, their dialect together. Probably it was a match made in heaven for him.

[Narrator]

After dating for a year, on January 10, 2009, the couple invited their friends and family to their home for a party and a special announcement.

[Detective]

Seth and Eunice had a number of their friends over to celebrate Seth's birthday. And also some news that nobody knew that Eunice and Seth were both engaged and that Eunice was pregnant.

[Family Member]

I wish I had a recording of his voice and how excited he was. You could see the close, intimate relationship that they had together. Very apparent that they were very, very close. And she was, she was excited, he was happy.

[Narrator]

Just three days after their big announcement, the couple is found murdered in their home. Homicide detectives arrive and survey the viciousness of the attack.

[Detective]

Eunice was shot once in the head. Seth was stabbed over 40 times.

[Narrator]

With two victims killed in two different ways, investigators begin to interpret the blood evidence to determine how the crime unfolded.

[Detective]

You could see the smears of blood along the floor and along furniture.

[Interviewer]

You look at the totality of what the scene looked like and what Sethodou's body looked like and the only conclusion was that he did fight for his life and he was in a violent struggle with at least one or more individuals.

[Narrator]

One distinct piece of evidence clues detectives in on how many people might have been present for the attack.

[Expert]

The killers left boot prints in two distinct patterns, which was helpful evidence for detectives because they knew since there were two distinct patterns, that they were looking for two suspects.

[Narrator]

Coming up. Could Seth and Eunice have been the victims of a violent robbery?

[Witness]

We thought it could be robbery because it was such an affluent neighborhood.

[Narrator]

Or would the evidence prove something more personal?

[Detective]

The nature of Seth's injuries indicated that this was likely a personal murder. We believe that's who the target was.

[Friend]

This person they killed. Actually three people altogether. What kind of person could do something like that?

[Narrator]

On January 14, 2009, Prince George's county homicide detectives are examining the bodies of 40 year old Ghanaian immigrant Seth Adu and his 36 year old pregnant fiance, Eunice Baugh. Blood evidence suggests there was a violent struggle during the attack.

[Witness]

The foyer was at the front door and it split into stairs going upstairs and stairs going down into the basement. And at that entrance, it was a hardwood floor that had the bloody footprints. The stairs appeared to be smeared with blood, as though a body had been dragged down them.

[Narrator]

Based on the amount of blood found in the dining room, it appears the attack on Seth began in there and he didn't go down without a fight.

[Witness]

There were also drag marks on the floor as well. There was a lot of blood in the area. Given the amount of blood, it was presumed that the victim struggled as he was being stabbed, as most people would, but eventually he would have succumbed to his injuries and he was dragged down the stairs by his feet.

[Interviewer]

What the police then did after they removed the bodies is they sprayed luminol all over that the house in order to identify and that's how they found blood marks that had been cleaned up.

[Narrator]

Detectives turned to the man who called 911, Seth's cousin David Sarpong, to see if he knows of anyone hostile towards Seth or Eunice. According to David, the only problem Seth was having was with the mortgage on his million dollar home.

[Family Member]

Seth was gainfully employ working in it. Eunice was working as a nurse. They were doing well, but not well enough. The mortgage was more than they could handle.

He was stressed out about not being able to afford the house. He didn't want to lose the house.

[Narrator]

David informs police the mortgage woes started when Seth had separated from his first wife, Sheila Adu in December of 2007.

[Family Member]

When they separated and then later filed for divorce, Sheila took her money with her. There was no way Seth was going to afford a million dollar home without Sheila's money.

[Narrator]

Although their split had seemed amicable, the housing collapse of 2008 had put newly single Seth in a tight spot.

[Friend]

He said, look, you know, we're underwater. We may have to end up selling this short sale. He didn't think that it would sell for what they owed on it.

[Family Member]

To have a home like that, of course to him that's, that's a dream come true. And then to feel like you're going to lose that. He seemed desperate. He just couldn't let it go.

[Narrator]

David doesn't know if the money trouble could be related to the murders, but he explains that one item of value has been taken. Eunice's Mercedes Benz.

[Detective]

Based on the fact that Eunice's car was missing, detectives determined that it was likely that the killer or killers drove Eunice's car out of the area.

[Narrator]

With the elevated police presence, word of the couple's tragic end quickly spreads to their friends.

[Friend]

People in this area said, how could this happen here? We have security guards, we have gates, we have cameras. This person, they killed actually three people altogether. What kind of person could do something like that? I mean, this is horrible.

[Narrator]

Investigators put out an APB on Eunice's car and are surprised to learn it has recently been recovered 10 miles away.

[Detective]

Her car had actually been found the day before. The bodies were found in another area of Prince George's county, just parked on the street with the keys in it and her purse in it with her wallet still in it, her credit cards, her cash, everything intact. There might as well have been a sign on the car that said, please take me. But a good Samaritan came along and reported it to the police.

[Interviewer]

So it became very clear that without any forced entry and without things of value being taken and then the car being found and it had not been taken too far from the house, that robbery was not the motive for this crime.

[Narrator]

With one motive ruled out, detectives are hopeful that forensic processing of the Mercedes or the medical examination of Seth and Eunice might hold the next lead in their case.

[Detective]

Eunice was shot once in the head. While personal, it didn't have the same amount of passion as the murder of Seth. Seth was stabbed over 40 times. The nature of Seth's injuries, the number of stab wounds, indicated that this was likely a personal murder. We believe that's who the target was.

[Narrator]

The medical examiner determines that there was not a final strike that would have instantly killed Seth Adu, but that he bled out and fought until the end.

[Interviewer]

One of the things that occurred in this case, which happens in most cases, were most homicide cases, especially of a violent struggle. Seth Adu had a number of defensive wounds, and for those reasons, they took any DNA they could find from underneath his fingernails.

[Narrator]

While detectives await the DNA results, they receive a call from Seth's nephew, Daniel Poku. He tells investigators about an altercation Seth had with someone in his home shortly after Sheila had moved out two years earlier.

[Detective]

Detectives pretty quickly learned that Seth had a fight with someone by the name of Samuel Culley. Samuel Culley was his estranged wife Sheila's brother.

[Family Member]

This is an awkward situation for both. Sheila's moved back into the house where she runs her daycare business. The marriage is effectively over. Yet here's her little brother still living with Seth.

[Expert]

I do believe at a certain point that they weren't getting along anymore, and Mr. Culley was told that he had to leave.

[Narrator]

Daniel says that Seth's ultimatum led to a knockdown, drag out fight. Could Samuel have held a grudge?

[Expert]

Sam may have felt some lingering animus toward Seth about being kicked out of the house.

[Narrator]

Detectives now need to locate Samuel Culley, but finding him will open new doors police had never expected. Coming up, detectives get their first look at the killers.

[Detective]

Eunice's car was spotted leaving on the video. At this point, detectives believe that both Eunice and Seth had already been murdered.

[Narrator]

And the case takes an unexpected and bizarre turn into the realm of the occult.

[Interviewer]

It had Seth Adieu's name on it. It had the word die multiple times. It had the address of where the murders took place.

[Detective]

Whoever had this definitely hit something to do with the murders of Seth and Eunice.

[Narrator]

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Days after the January 2009 murders of Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh, Prince George's county detectives go to speak with Seth's estranged wife, Sheila Adu.

[Detective]

They want to notify Sheila of the murders. Sheila seemed to be forthcoming and seemed to be saddened about this and surprised by the fact that Seth had been murdered.

[Family Member]

According to Sheila, they had the divorce pretty much locked up. They had a final court date of April 29, 2009. Some conversations happened here and again, but nothing really serious.

[Narrator]

Sheila confirms that her brother, Samuel Culley, had argued with Seth when he was kicked out, but that's where the trouble ended.

[Detective]

She told the detectives that her brother had left town prior to the murders to visit friends and was in New Jersey. He was not even in the state of Maryland at the time of the murders. She also told the detectives that he no longer had a cell phone or any way to be contacted.

[Narrator]

Seeking more information, detectives try to determine how the killers could have gained access to Seth and Eunice's home.

[Interviewer]

The Oak Creek community is a gated community. It has a high level of security. It has a physical gate. It also has cameras. There was a very elaborate process that you needed in order to secure a transponder and to be able to get access to the community.

[Detective]

You either had to be let in through security or by security, or you had to have a transponder, just a button that in your car that you would push that would open the gate automatically. The community had a way of recording each time a transponder was used to open the gate. When Seth and Sheila moved into the house, they were given three transponders. Seth had one on his car, Eunice had one on her car. So it left one extra transponder.

[Narrator]

Detectives immediately call Sheila and ask her if she still has the transponder that opens the gate.

[Detective]

She told detectives that she no longer had one.

[Expert]

Investigators checked transponder records, and there was also video surveillance.

[Narrator]

Records show that the third transponder was used at 6pm on the night of January 12, 2009, two days before the bodies were discovered.

[Detective]

They saw a dark minivan going through the gates. They weren't able to tell how many people were in it or if even anyone other than the driver was in it. The license plate was obscured. They had either been taken off or been covered in some way. So it was clearly an attempt to make sure that no one could figure out whose van this was.

[Narrator]

The dark van then and leaves just minutes later. Nearly two hours later, at 7:47pm cameras capture Eunice Baugh pulling into the community.

[Interviewer]

When Eunice Bach came through the gate, we then kind of were able to deduct that she was the first one to arrive home.

[Narrator]

At 8.29pm, Seth's car pulls into the neighborhood.

[Detective]

A few hours after. After the van was spotted leaving. On the video, Eunice's car also left. At this point, detectives believed that both Eunice and Seth had already been murdered. So that means that the killer or killers had to lay in wait and hang out at the house waiting for Seth to come home. That also gave detectives a big clue that Seth was the intended victim.

[Narrator]

Detectives now believe Seth and Eunice were killed on January 12th and that Seth was the intended target and Eunice. Collateral damage records show that before that night, the third transponder had been used just one other time, 11 days earlier, on January 1, 2009.

[Detective]

On that date, the car that entered did not have its plates blacked out.

[Expert]

They saw that it had been used by someone in a vehicle registered to Delford Barnes.

[Narrator]

Detectives look up Delford's last known address and it turns out they had already been there.

[Detective]

And they were shocked to discover that his address was the same as Sheila's.

[Expert]

Immediately, not only is Mr. Mr. Barnes somebody who has suspicion put on him, but now police are raising questions about, well, what is Sheila's involvement, if any.

[Narrator]

On February 18, 2009, detectives return to Sheila's residence armed with a search warrant for her home and Delford Barnes car. They also bring Delford to the station for questioning.

[Detective]

Sheila was asked about who Delford Barnes was and why his address was hers. She said that Delford was her boyfriend and had been for some time.

[Family Member]

She said that Delford had been living with her for a couple of months. Detectives asked if Delford would have any reason to want Seth and Eunice dead. Sheila said she couldn't think of any.

[Narrator]

Investigators process every corner of the house but are unable to locate the transponder. But they don't leave empty handed.

[Expert]

They found a pair of lug sole boots that could be consistent with the blood pattern left behind at the crime scene.

[Narrator]

Detectives find no other incriminating evidence at Sheila's house, nor either of the murder weapons. But they do identify a new location to search.

[Detective]

While they were doing the search warrant of the house, they found a receipt for a storage unit. The storage unit was in Delford's name.

[Narrator]

When detectives check the unit, the case takes a surreal turn they never expected.

[Interviewer]

During the search of the storage unit, the investigators found a number of items that were, I would say, indicative of some sort of unusual religion or some unusual practices.

[Detective]

There was a pillar candle and it had writing Etched into it and it said, die, die, die, die, die, die, die. Set the dew. It was something that none of us had ever seen before.

[Expert]

There was some suggestion that this could have been part of some voodoo ritual. Police know that Delford is from Jamaica and some people in Jamaica practice voodoo. So there's at least a suspicion that voodoo could be part of what's going on here.

[Detective]

So the question was, did Delford write this? Did Sheila, did Samuel? It was really creepy. And also a clear indication that whoever had this candle definitely had something to do with the murder of Seth Adew.

[Narrator]

Coming up, detectives learn that Seth and Sheila's split wasn't so amicable after all.

[Interviewer]

She had provided Seth this incredible opportunity to gain an education. Sheila was not going to allow him just to throw her to the side after everything she had done and walk away.

[Narrator]

And police get a shocking firsthand account of the murder.

[Witness]

That's when they came and did all hell broke out.

[Narrator]

Discoveries made in a storage unit registered to 50 year old Delford Barnes shine a disturbing new light on the murders of Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh.

[Detective]

Found in the storage locker was the candle that had Seth's murder kind of written out on it. A candle with inscription that is frequently associated with the practice of voodoo.

[Narrator]

But religious fervor doesn't make him a killer. Investigators attempt to question Delford at the station.

[Detective]

At that point, they didn't have enough evidence to be able to charge him, to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Delford was in fact one of the killers. So they had to let him go. Unfortunately.

[Narrator]

While they wait for a warrant to test Delford's DNA, detectives shift their focus to Samuel Culley, who Sheila claimed has no phone. They question Sheila's two daycare workers, hoping they have more information.

[Detective]

Right away, they asked if Sheila could have been at that murder, and they found out that she couldn't have been. The daycare workers said that she was at home, so there was no way she could have been in that house committing the murders.

[Narrator]

Sheila's daycare workers provide her with an alibi for January 12. The workers also offer up Samuel's phone number, something his sister Sheila claimed not to have.

[Detective]

They told detectives that Samuel had a new cell phone and they had spoken to him on it and had that number.

[Narrator]

Detectives suspect Sheila may be hiding more than her brother's contact info. And when warrants for her financial records finally come through, new clues emerge.

[Detective]

Sheila and Seth had a number of policies together, naming the other as beneficiary.

[Interviewer]

If Seth Adu predeceased Sheila Adu then. First she was the beneficiary of a million dollar life insurance policy.

[Narrator]

But the policies had a very suspicious expiration date.

[Detective]

The final divorce hearing was scheduled for February of 2009, one month after Seth was murdered.

[Narrator]

And conveniently enough, if the divorce had been finalized before Seth's death, then Sheila would no longer be the beneficiary of those policies.

[Detective]

Sheila put in a claim for the insurance policy within a day of finding out that Seth had been murdered.

[Narrator]

Detectives find it suspicious that Sheila would file a claim so quickly after finding out about Seth's murder. With a potential greed motive in hand, detectives get a warrant for Samuel Culley's cell phone GPS records.

[Interviewer]

Prince George's county police then used that to locate Samuel Culley, or at least the area he was located in, New Jersey. They went to that area, they found him.

[Narrator]

On March 10, 2009, New Jersey authorities take Samuel Culley into custody, and he immediately caves.

[Witness]

I got a feeling.

[Expert]

Once authorities had Sam Culley in custody, the case broke open. Sam Culley began talking about details about how the killings occurred.

[Narrator]

Samuel says it all began on January 12, when Delford Barnes asked him to go with him to run an errand.

[Interviewer]

Prince George county police learned from Samuel Culley that this murder started with a request from Delph to go with him to the Oak Creek house and get mail.

[Witness]

If I hadn't known what I know now would have never went.

[Detective]

Samuel told the detectives that Delford had the transponder to get into the gated community and that once they got to the house, Delford had a garage door opener.

[Narrator]

That's how the two men entered the home. They were only there for Seth, but.

[Expert]

Things changed by Sam's account. While they're there, Eunice comes home, surprises them, starts yelling at them.

[Witness]

She's in the stirrups. I got away from her.

[Narrator]

Samuel says Delford had a gun with him and Eunice's panic set him off.

[Expert]

Eunice was at the top of the stairs to the basement, and Delford shot her in the back of the head.

[Witness]

I said, oh, my God. They started looking at her step. She was rolling down the steps.

[Narrator]

Samuel says that after Eunice was dead, Delford insisted that they lie in wait for Seth.

[Witness]

I heard him when he drove up. Seth comes in. What does he do? Oh, my God. He went off. And then all hell broke off.

[Detective]

As soon as Seth came in and saw them, the fight began. He describes the fight as going throughout the house.

[Narrator]

Samuel explains that he and Delford both had knives, but Delford did Most of the stabbing did go for him.

[Witness]

Arm himself with a knife first. I don't know. They have the sofa. Not over the knife that you had. What did that look like that you got from the kitchen? It's a kitchen knife. Yeah. Where did you stand?

[Interviewer]

Samuel Culley admits to his involvement in the attack, but says that Delford Barnes was the main attacker.

[Expert]

Seth is fatally wounded and Delford drags his body into the basement near Eunice's body.

[Narrator]

From there, they took Eunice's car and abandoned it in the hope that it would be stolen by another party. But they did not account for the surveillance footage. They then walked the final few blocks back to Sheila's house.

[Interviewer]

Samuel Culley never said his sister was involved in any of this. He would never discuss it. He would never talk about it.

[Witness]

It was my sister. You're not trying to protect your sister.

[Narrator]

But then Samuel lets his guard down, revealing an incriminating detail.

[Witness]

When you guys came home that night, do you remember what happened to the garage door remote and the transponder? You must have gave it back to her, right? In half.

[Detective]

He admitted that when they got back to the house after the murders, the transponder and the garage door opener were both given to Sheila.

[Family Member]

This points to Sheila probably knowing more than she's letting on.

[Narrator]

After his confession, Samuel Culley is charged with first degree murder. The next day, authorities arrest Delford Barnes, who still refuses to speak to police.

[Witness]

Willing to sign informed that you don't want to talk to me, I'm not signing anything.

[Narrator]

Even without a statement, the case against Delford grows stronger when the forensic analysis of his boots found at Sheila's home comes back.

[Expert]

The disaster distinctive pattern of those boots were in fact a match for one of the boot prints found at the murder scene.

[Narrator]

And now that he's officially charged, police have the authority to test his DNA against the DNA recovered from the autopsy.

[Detective]

Under Seth's fingernails, they found Delford's DNA. There was no question that both Samuel and Delford committed these murders.

[Narrator]

Coming up, the last piece of the puzzle is connecting Sheila Adu to the crime.

[Detective]

We frequently said to each other that Sheila should be sitting at that defendant's table too.

[Interviewer]

She doesn't have to be there to be an accomplice.

[Narrator]

But one crucial piece of evidence would come back to haunt her.

[Detective]

I remember the examiner coming back and you could just tell as soon as he burst into to the room that we had it.

[Narrator]

In March of 2009, Samuel Culley pleads guilty to the murders of his brother in law, Seth Adu. And Seth's pregnant fiance, Eunice Baugh. In August of 2010, Delford Barnes case goes to trial. Samuel is the state's star witness.

[Detective]

The trial lasted a little over two weeks. Delford, at the conclusion of the trial, was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder and was given a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

[Narrator]

Even with two men behind bars, prosecutors, along with Seth and Eunice's friends and family, believe justice hasn't fully been served.

[Detective]

Throughout the trial of Delford, we frequently said to each other that Sheila should be sitting at that defendant's table too.

[Narrator]

While prosecutors believe Sheila was the mastermind, she did an excellent job of covering her tracks.

[Expert]

There was no evidence that she was at the scene of the crime, certainly no evidence that she directly physically harmed either of the victims.

[Narrator]

While building their case against Sheila, prosecutors interview friends of Seth and discover his divorce from Sheila was not as amicable as she led officials to believe.

[Interviewer]

Sheila had spent all this time investing in him and supporting him with her business. She had provided Seth this incredible opportunity to gain an education. Sheila was not going to allow him just to throw her to the side after everything she had done and walk away. I think the last straw was their engagement and then the announcement that Eunice B. Was pregnant.

[Narrator]

While jealousy seems a strong motive given the extreme violence of the crime, prosecutors believe that the fact Sheila was about to be excluded as a beneficiary of Seth's life insurance policies was a motive as well.

[Detective]

Motive alone doesn't allow you to charge someone with murder. But we had her relationship with Delford. We had these insurance policies, so we had a lot of pieces, but we didn't have a full puzzle. But it was enough to charge her with conspiracy to commit murder.

[Interviewer]

She doesn't have to be there to be an accomplice. The transponder that she had issued to her was utilized to get into the community, was given to the individuals to commit the murders.

[Narrator]

On January 10, 2012, three years after the murders of Seth Adu and Eunice Baugh, Sheila Adu is charged for her role in their deaths. But before trial, they have one last loose end to tie up. Who inscribed the voodoo candle?

[Detective]

As part of getting ready for trial, we had the handwriting exemplar done to see who was handwriting. It was on that candle and we had it done twice. Once with Delford and once with Sheila. She would be writing and writing and this process takes, as you can imagine, in quite some time. But I remember the examiner coming back and you could just tell as soon as he burst into the room that we had it, that her handwriting was the handwriting on that candle. I think that it was clear to all of us that Sheila was not just the accidental beneficiary of Seth's death, but actually had intended for him to die.

[Narrator]

Prosecutors suspect that when her curses failed, Sheila solicited the help of her boyfriend and brother to take care of things more directly. They confront Sheila's defense attorney with the new evidence. On June 1, 2012, Sheila enters an Alford plea for conspiracy to commit murder.

[Detective]

An Alford plea means that someone acknowledges there's enough evidence that they could be found guilty, but they don't acknowledge their guilt. Sheila was given a 20 year sentence.

[Friend]

Life isn't valued and she didn't value his life. She didn't value the life of fiance when the girl was pregnant with a baby. She didn't value that baby life even so hell with her.

[Family Member]

I mean, the impact, I'm sure, was very shocking through the Ghanaian community. A lot of people were hurt by it. I think he should be remembered as someone who was true to his country. He stayed true to who he was from day one, but he also looked for a better life and he made that life.

[Narrator]

Samuel Culley and Delford Barnes are currently serving life sentences. Sheila Adew was released in 2021 after serving 10 years in jail.

[Interviewer]

What's up everybody? It's Jason Kelce and I'm here with my slightly famous little brother, Travis, AKA Big Yeti Kelsey. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we're.

[Friend]

Here to bring you a next level.

[Narrator]

Entertainment experience with our show, New Heights.

[Interviewer]

We're covering all the hardest hitting topics in order of importance. UFO sightings, the ideal PB&J combo, and of course, next level access to life inside the NFL and in the booth. Listen to watch New Heights wherever you get your podcasts and if you want to listen to us first without any interruptions and get bonus content, join Wonder plus in the Wondering app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.