Valerie Rider

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode Summary

Episode: Valerie Ryder (January 25, 2026)

Host: Oxygen
Theme: The disappearance and murder of Whitney Hostler and the investigation into Valerie Ryder and her family in rural Ohio.

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Episode Overview

This episode follows the heartbreaking case of Whitney Hostler, a young mother who vanished from her rural Ohio home in October 2020. Quickly escalating from a missing person case to a homicide investigation, suspicion falls on the family she lived with—her boyfriend Randy Ryder and his parents, Valerie and Rodney Ryder Sr. Through interviews with family, law enforcement, and prosecutors, the episode traces Whitney's tumultuous relationship with the Ryders, the clues leading to her killers, and the aftermath of a crime that shook a small community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Whitney Hostler's Disappearance

• Setting: Champaign County, Ohio—a quiet rural community where crime is rare.
• Initial alarm:
  • Randy Ryder reports Whitney missing after over 12 hours of no contact; he describes her as someone who never "goes off the radar, she doesn't go dark, she doesn't ghost." (00:06)
  • Family concern: Whitney’s mother and sister stress that she always lets someone know where she’s going. (25:42)

2. Whitney’s Background and Relationship Dynamics

• Childhood and personality:
  • Whitney showed creativity and straightforwardness. "Whitney just had her own little personality. If she didn't like something, she would definitely let you know it." (05:41)
• Romance with Randy Ryder:
  • Met as classmates, dated for eight years, had a child, and moved in with Randy’s family for support. However, postpartum depression and familial conflict arose, particularly with Valerie Ryder. (07:33–09:02)
• Struggles at home:
  • Family describes cycles of breakups and reconciliation between Whitney and Randy; tension between Whitney and Valerie over childrearing. Valerie wanted custody of the child, believing Whitney and Randy were not "capable enough of raising her, which was so false." (27:00)

3. The Investigation Unfolds

• Key Timeline:
  • Argument on September 30, 2020, between Whitney, Randy, and Valerie; Randy leaves, Valerie claims Whitney packed belongings and left, but without her child. (03:14, 13:16)
• Suspicious circumstances:
  • Valerie and Rodney Sr. take Whitney’s daughter on a late-night hunt for “deer hunting spots.” Police find this very odd, especially as Whitney would never leave her child behind. (11:11–13:38)
  • Deputies searching the Ryder truck find duct tape with blonde hair, muddy dolly, single flip flop, and gloves. "I drop the tailgate, pull open those trash bags, and I see large clumps of blonde hair stuck in the duct tape." (14:33)
  • Valerie’s explanation: "Today was a cleaning day... Trash bags, duct tape. Yep, there's some hair that's normal in my household." (16:13)

4. Evidence and Discovery

• Search and interviews:
  • Detectives find a nearly empty roll of duct tape in Randy’s room, physical evidence matching Whitney. (15:39)
  • Questioned separately, Rodney Sr. becomes increasingly nervous and unwell, while Valerie keeps talking nervously and inconsistently. (17:00–18:31)
• Whitney’s body is found:
  • 911 call reports a female body in a ravine at Kaiser Lake State Park. Whitney is positively identified, showing evidence of strangulation and "choke marks" consistent with a plastic bag being used. (29:09–30:19, 30:27)
• Significant moment:
  • "Her own daughter, the 2 year old child, is in the vehicle with them when they're trying to get rid of Whitney's body." (34:02)

5. Confessions and Charges

• Rodney Sr.'s Confession:
  • Under pressure, he admits to finding Whitney dead with a "plastic bag over her head" and helps move the body with Valerie. (32:15–33:34)
• Valerie's Version:
  • Valerie eventually admits she killed Whitney in a rage over fear of losing her granddaughter: "I must have squeezed too hard or something because I heard her... that's when I realized she was not brave." (35:12)
  • Valerie claims she only meant to keep Whitney from leaving, not to kill her. (35:24)
• Charges:
  • Both Valerie and Rodney Sr. are charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and gross abuse of a corpse. (35:58)

6. Trial and Aftermath

• Rumors and polygraph:
  • Some community members suspect Randy was the real killer, but a polygraph clears him. "Upon completing the polygraph exam, it was very clear that Randy was not trying to... cover up any truth that he did not commit the crime." (39:04)
• Legal outcome:
  • Rodney Sr. accepts a plea deal and receives 36 months for obstruction and related charges. (39:30)
  • Valerie is tried and convicted of murder, receiving 21 years to life. (42:26)
• Prosecutorial evidence:
  • Forensic evidence includes DNA from a green glove (Valerie’s DNA inside, Whitney’s outside), hair in duct tape matching Whitney, and both Rodney and Valerie’s confessions. "Valerie's DNA was inside the glove while Whitney's DNA was on the outside of the glove." (40:45)
• Victim impact:
  • Whitney’s sister Chelsea receives custody of Whitney's child. "She was a mother. She was a daughter. She was a granddaughter. She was a great friend. And her daughter has to live the rest of her life without her mother." (43:06)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The Family’s Loss

• "As a parent, you don't want to never, ever think that one of your child is taken from you like that. But it happened to me, my family, and it didn't need to. It was so senseless. Senseless."
  — Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister), (36:32)

On the Evidence

• "I drop the tailgate, pull open those trash bags, and I see large clumps of blonde hair stuck in the duct tape. We knew that Whitney was a blonde female. I noticed that the duct tape had formed almost like a semicircular shape, like it had been wrapped around something."
  — Deputy/Police Officer (14:33)

On Motive and Control

• "The writers seem to have their whole world wrapped up in that granddaughter. I do believe that Valerie felt that she needed to control that situation."
  — Detective/Interviewer (35:35)

Prosecution’s Perspective

• "Her way of control was to murder Whitney."
  — Investigator/Reporter (35:49)

Aftermath for Whitney’s Daughter

• "She was a mother. She was a daughter. She was a granddaughter. She was a great friend. And her daughter has to live the rest of her life without her mother."
  — Whitney’s Sister (Chelsea Hostler), (43:06)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:01–01:01: The case begins—Whitney’s disappearance and early suspicions.
• 14:33: Evidence found in Ryder’s truck implicates foul play.
• 21:25–22:02: Family disputes story that Whitney would have left without her daughter.
• 29:09–30:19: Discovery of Whitney's body in a ravine.
• 32:15–35:12: Confessions from Rodney Sr. and Valerie detailing their role in Whitney’s death.
• 39:30: Rodney Sr. takes plea deal; Valerie stands trial.
• 42:26: Valerie convicted and sentenced.
• 43:06: Reflections from Whitney’s family and future for her daughter.

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Conclusion: Emotional Impact & Justice

The tragic story of Whitney Hostler exposes the dangers of domestic conflict and escalated family tension. The episode lays bare the complex web of relationships and the profound grief left behind, concluding with justice for Whitney but lifelong consequences for all involved.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Narrator]

In rural Ohio, a beautiful young mother goes missing.

[Investigator/Reporter]

In all the time that he's known Whitney, she doesn't go off the radar, she doesn't go dark, she doesn't ghost.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

As a parent you don't want to ever think that when your child is.

[Narrator]

Taken from you, the evidence quickly points to foul play.

[Investigator/Reporter]

They're looking in the windows with flashlights and they start to notice trash bags.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

I drop the tailgate and I see large clothes, clumps of blonde hair.

[Narrator]

As the investigation escalates, an inner circle is thrown into question.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Family members have witnessed them fighting with each other.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

They would break up, get back together, break up, get back together.

[Narrator]

But is this close knit family hiding a killer?

[Detective/Interviewer]

You guys didn't kill her, did you?

[Randy Ryder]

No.

[Detective/Interviewer]

To our knowledge they were the last ones that saw Whitney alive.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Dead body, bottom of the ravine. Yeah, might be that missing girl.

[Narrator]

Champaign County, Ohio is a quiet farming community a few miles north of Springfield.

[Investigator/Reporter]

You would probably describe it mostly as blue collar. There's beautiful farming land, very green in the summer and people think it's a great place to raise a family. There's not much crime here and people feel mostly safe.

[Narrator]

But just after midnight on October 1, 2020, the sense of peace is destroyed by a mysterious 911 call.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

I was dispatched to meet a male in the parking lot of the sheriff's office. I was told by the dispatch center that the mail would not give them any information about what he wanted to report. He just wanted to speak to someone in person. So I go out into the parking lot.

[Narrator]

The young man who identifies himself as Randy Ryder gets out of the vehicle and tells the deputy why his friends broke brought him there.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Randy stated that an incident had occurred at the house where he lives with his girlfriend Whitney Hossler, his father Rodney Ryder Sr. And his mother Valerie Ryder. He advised that around 11am on September 30th there had been an argument between Whitney, his mother Valerie and him. They were screaming at each other and the argument ended abruptly. Randy then left and he stated to me that his mother Valerie continued to argue with Whitney.

[Narrator]

Now it's midnight on October 1st and over 12 hours have passed since he last heard from Whitney.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Randy said that he had been with his friends all day and someone was supposed to come pick up Whitney. They were not able to get ahold of her. You can tell that he was genuinely worried about her. Well, being.

[Investigator/Reporter]

In all the time that he's known Whitney, she was many years. She doesn't go off the radar, she doesn't go dark, she doesn't ghost. And he hasn't heard from her in all this time.

[Detective/Interviewer]

They just told him to stand by at the sheriff's office and that they would go out to the residence and try to make contact with Whitney.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

We felt like maybe something had happened to her at that point.

[Narrator]

Whitney Lynn Hassler was born on July 27, 1995 in Dayton, Ohio.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

Whitney was the last baby. When she was first born, we lived in a trailer park. Whitney was a little terror. She really was. She liked to run around a lot. She would mess with her sister a lot. They would argue, fight, you know, like little kids do. But she loved her sister, though.

[Narrator]

But when Whitney was 2, her life was upended by her parents divorce.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

I just fell out of love with him. Since I was having, you know, some issues that I needed to work through, I decided to have Chuck take the girls. The girls really didn't understand at first. I mean, they was 2 and 3 years old. I just told them that they had to go with daddy until, you know, mommy got everything together and that I would get them back. That never happened.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Chuck moved around with the girls and basically raised them through the early years of their lives.

[Narrator]

The next time she saw her mother, Whitney was a teenager.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

She was having a lot of behavioral issues. So they thought it would be best if Whitney went and lived with our mother. See if maybe that's why she was acting out.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

Whitney was something else. Whitney just had her own little personality. If she didn't like something, she would definitely let you know it. She was very blunt.

[Investigator/Reporter]

She was a little edgy. She had some facial piercings, blonde hair. She obviously cared about her appearance. She would do kind of some cool tricks with her mascara and eyeliner.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

She's really good at drawing and painting. She liked to do like eyes and like abstract pictures.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

You would not even believe the creativity that girl had in her head. And sometimes I wondered, where did you think of this from Whitney?

[Narrator]

Like many 15 year olds, Whitney's academic goals were eclipsed by other interests.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

It wasn't hard for Whitney to meet guys. Oh my Lord, she had the most prettiest eyes. And that's what attracted a lot of boys to her.

[Narrator]

But only one boy won her heart. Classmate Randy Ryder.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

She liked that he was kind and he'd go out of his way for her to show her that he love her. He said that she was just beautiful. He'd never seen someone so pretty in his life. Randy lived with his parents in St. Paris, Valerie Ryder and Ronnie Sr. Randy had an older sister and two older brothers and he was the baby of the.

[Narrator]

Whitney and Randi dated for the next eight years.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

She turned 22 and then she found out she was pregnant. In the fall of 2017 when she took her pregnancy test, I was happy for her.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

My mom told me that my sister was pregnant and Whitney was excited but scared. But we were all very happy and excited for her.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

She wanted to move out to Saint Paris with Randy to get a job out there and that way they can save up and get their own place. That was the plan.

[Narrator]

After their daughter was born in the summer of 2018, the couple realized they needed help taking care of her. So they moved into Randy's parents house where his brother Rodney Jr. Was also living.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

Randy's parents were really excited about the baby coming and they wanted to help.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Rodney Sr. Worked building tanks and Valerie was into automotive sort of building as well. So they both comfortably retired and for them they had this opportunity in retirement to create this bond with their grandchild.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

From what I saw, Valerie was a very loving grandmother and she liked to do things with them, take them to do things.

[Narrator]

Over the next two years, Whitney and the Ryder family continued to grow closer. Until Whitney suddenly disappears and Randy is worried something has happened to her.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

The deputy caller and I responded to do the welfare check on Whitney when the deputies arrived.

[Detective/Interviewer]

This is after midnight and they were trying to make contact with someone there to see if they could find out what Whitney's status.

[Narrator]

As soon as deputies arrive, they sense something is wrong.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

We began knocking on the door. No lights on in the residence. His brother Rodney Jr. Then came to the front door. Deputy Kohler and I asked Rodney Jr. Where his parents were and where Whitney was. Stated that none of them were at the residence.

[Investigator/Reporter]

He stated they were going for a drive to look for hunting spots and they were taking the two year old with them. But six to seven hours later they still weren't home.

[Detective/Interviewer]

At that point we became more and more confident that something bad could have actually happened to Whitney and the riders and her child.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a homestead search unearths new leads.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

They found a nearly empty roll of duct tape in Randy's room that he shared with Whitney.

[Narrator]

And the truth begins to surface.

[Randy Ryder]

Grab me by my wrist, pulled me up, he said, you need to leave.

[Narrator]

Champaign county sheriff's deputies are at the home of Randy Ryder looking for his missing girlfriend Whitney Hostler. But as officers talk to Randy's brother Rodney, it seems their parents may have vanished as well.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Rodney Jr. Said he didn't have an idea where Whitney was. She had left earlier that day. And he had not seen her since. He also explained that his parents had left that evening to drive around and try to find some new deer hunting locations and that they had taken the granddaughter with them. The deputies asked if that was something that they normally did, left that that late at night, especially with the child, to go look for hunting areas. And Rodney Jr. Did say that that was somewhat unusual.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

We asked what kind of vehicle Rodney Jr. S parents would be driving, and he stated it would be a white Ford pickup. Deputy Culler and I asked that Rodney Jr. Have Valerie and Rodney Sr. Contact us when they arrived at the residence. Then we observe the white Ford truck pull into the front yard.

[Investigator/Reporter]

They see a truck pull up and they notice, wait, that's got to be Rodney Sr. S truck.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

We both approached the vehicle and made contact with Rodney Ryder Sr. Who was driving, and Valerie Rider, who was in the passenger seat. While looking in the vehicle, I observed a small female child sitting in the back middle seat. Deputy Culler asked about Whitney's whereabouts or when the last time they had seen Whitney. And Valerie stated that a maroon car had picked her up sometime in the afternoon. She said that the windows were tinted and they couldn't see the driver.

[Investigator/Reporter]

According to Valerie, they had their granddaughter because Whitney and Randy had had a fight, and that wasn't unusual. They unfortunately fought a lot. However, they usually go their separate ways. They'll cool down. They'll be back together tomorrow. It'll blow over.

[Narrator]

The riders say they last heard from Whitney that afternoon.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Valerie Ryder stated that she had received a text from Whitney saying that she was going to be gone for a period of time and that she would contact her, let her know where she was at and when she would be coming back to pick up the child and that everything was okay.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Deputy Culler asked where Valerie and Rodney had been prior to arriving at the residence.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Valerie advised that Rodney Sr. Wanted to go out and scout out some new deer hunting locations. So they drove around for several hours trying to find new hunting sites. It was after that that they went down to a gas station in the city of New Carlisle to buy some cherry coke and then returned a short time later to find the deputies there at the residence.

[Narrator]

Despite supporting Rodney Jr. S account, deputies find the story odd, even under normal circumstances, considering Whitney's disappearance. The rider's late night trip sounds even more suspicious.

[Investigator/Reporter]

They walk around the truck and at this point they're just kind of checking it out. They're looking in the windows with flashlights and they start to notice trash bags.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

I looked in the bed Cap and I could see in the bed that there were wadded up trash bags with duct tape stuck to. I drop the tailgate, pull open those trash bags, and I see large clumps of blonde hair stuck in the duct tape. We knew that Whitney was a blonde female. I noticed that the duct tape had formed almost like a semicircular shape, like it had been wrapped around something. When I saw the duct tape and the hair, I just had that feeling that this was not going to end well. Deputy Culler went to make a phone call to Chief Deputy Holmes, advise him of the situation. After he made that phone call, he asked Valerie if he would walk through the house and make sure that everything looked okay.

[Detective/Interviewer]

The writers said that they would be happy to consent to search, and the deputies went ahead and went through the residence.

[Narrator]

During the search, deputies find more incriminating evidence.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Deputy Culler came back out of the residence and he placed a nearly empty roll of duct tape on the tailgate and stated that he had found that next to the bed in Randy's room that he shared with Whitney. Also in the bed of the truck, I located a two wheel dolly, which the tires were covered in mud. It was wet still, and a single flip flop laying under the dolly. I also located a thick green rubber glove.

[Investigator/Reporter]

They're asking, what are these items for? And Valerie said, well, today was a cleaning day. I clean often. I've got, you know, grandkids. They've got a lot of hair. That's just what this is. Trash bags, duct tape. Yep, there's some hair that's normal in my household.

[Narrator]

Rodney Jr. Confirmed, confirms his mother's explanation.

[Investigator/Reporter]

He says, no, that actually does make sense because my daughter visits a lot and she has some hair loss. In fact, we call her Rapunzel. So deputies say, well, could you walk with us out to the truck and take a look at it? And the hair is kind of, you know, kind of a blondish brown color. He looks at it and says, yeah, that's probably my daughter's hair.

[Narrator]

Throughout the questioning, Valerie Ryder remains cooperative. Her husband, Rodney Sr. However, doesn't seem as calm.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Rodney Sr. Appeared to be very nervous, and as time went on, he continued to become more nervous to the point where he started to begin to hyperventilate and actually had to go sit down because he was becoming so upset.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Based on what was found in the bed of the truck, Valerie and Rodney Sr's actions, their demeanor, the nervousness, their story, we felt concerned enough that we needed to get detectives involved at that point. You know, something had happened to Whitney and we needed to get to the bottom of that.

[Investigator/Reporter]

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[Narrator]

Just over 12 hours after Whitney Hassler was last reportedly seen, sheriff's deputies find human hair in the rider's truck and call in homicide detectives.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

We took everything from the search of the truck's evidence and submitted it to the crime lab to check for DNA. I spoke with the deputies that were out there and they voiced their concerns at that time. They led me into the residence. The deputies did and showed me the general area. And then I came outside and I spoke with Valerie and Rodney Sr. On the porch. Mr. Ryder seemed kind of hesitant and quiet. He really didn't say a whole lot. He was very vague in his. In his answers. When I spoke with Valerie next, she started talking and she continued to talk and talk and talk. It was a nervous talk. And based on that, that kind of made me think they're lying. I said, something's not right with what we found in the bed of the truck and the statements that you guys are making. And we need to talk a little further in a better setting.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Valerie, Rodney Sr. Rodney Jr. The little girl, they're all taken into the station for questioning.

[Detective/Interviewer]

We decided to interview Rodney Jr. First to kind of establish a baseline of what had occurred that day. Hey there, young man. Rodney had been at work on September 30th of 2020. Did mom have any more conversation with you about what happened with Randy or Whitney? No. He said Whitney had left earlier that day and he had not seen her during the rest of that day. Come for me from out here. After completing the interview, Rodney Jr. Was released.

[Narrator]

Randi Ryder continues to to stand by at the station while Rodney Sr. And Valerie tell detectives about the argument that led up to Whitney's disappearance.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Can you tell me, walk me through what happened that morning? I wish I could. Only I know is my wife said they were screaming and yelling one another and cussing, fighting.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

What were they fighting about?

[Detective/Interviewer]

Apparently she found out that he's been sleeping with another girl. My dad are pregnant. She was done. She was taking the baby and moving to her mom's.

[Narrator]

Rodney Sr. Says that his wife told him that she tried to calm Whitney down. But she was too angry.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Whitney's tired of putting up with you. She wants to think about it, have a little time to think about everything. So he flipped.

[Narrator]

According to Valerie, as soon as Randy left, Whitney packed up her belongings as well.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

Valerie said that Whitney contacted a friend of hers that was going to come and pick her up and they were going to leave that night.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

She had her stuff bagged and, and it was about 11:30. The baby had laid down finally to take a nap. I was in the kitchen starting the dishes and stuff and vacuuming. And that's when I looked out and seen her walk down.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

There was a car. Okay.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

And she went down, walked around and got in the car.

[Narrator]

The idea that Whitney left without her 2 year old child doesn't sit right with investigators.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Can you tell me what kind of mom is Whitney? Whitney, in my opinion, loves that little girl as much as anybody. So in regard to Whitney, I mean, she's at your house and now we can't find her. Did you do something to Whitney?

[Randy Ryder]

Nope.

[Detective/Interviewer]

You guys didn't kill her, did you? Okay.

[Narrator]

Randy Ryder has been voluntarily waiting at the station after reporting Whitney missing. When detectives ask him to give a statement, officers are eager to hear his version of events.

[Randy Ryder]

I heard Whitney in my room saying, like, we won't ever see her, that she was taking me to court for child support and all that. Saying that she hates our family and that we're disgusting, knowing that my parents have done everything they can for her and it's never been good enough.

[Detective/Interviewer]

You didn't see Whitney after that?

[Randy Ryder]

No.

[Detective/Interviewer]

According to Randy, Rodney Sr. And Valerie had the baby with them virtually all the time. They were the caretakers of that child. The child frequently would sleep in their room with them. Everything in his parents world revolved around that little girl.

[Narrator]

To investigators, it doesn't sound like his mother was going to let her go that easily.

[Randy Ryder]

But all I could hear for about five minutes at least was the screaming and yelling in the room, like some crying and stuff, but like I was like, what's going on? And then it was just absolutely silent back.

[Narrator]

A few moments later, Randy says his father emerged from the bedroom, grabbed me.

[Randy Ryder]

By my wrist, pulled me up. He said, literally word for word, told me, you need to leave for a few days and make sure everyone knows where you're at. In my head, I took it as I needed, like an alibi or something. He looks like he just walked in and seen something that he probably never thought he'd ever seen.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Okay, so did you ever go back to the bedroom or what did you do? I didn't.

[Randy Ryder]

They kept telling me that she didn't want to hear my voice. That's what I needed to be.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Speaking with Randy. He. He seemed to be generally concerned for the welfare of Whitney. He seemed to be concerned for his daughter. He seemed to be very suspicious of the situation involving his parents. That, coupled with the physical evidence that we believed we had found in the truck and in the house gave us great concern. But we at that point had nothing to support that a crime had actually been committed.

[Narrator]

It's been almost 24 hours since Whitney was last seen. Investigators return the riders to their home, but consider them to be persons of interest. Looking for more information, detectives turn to Whitney's family next.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

The morning of October 1st, there was a cop outside that needed to talk to me. So I go outside, and he asked me if I knew a girl named Whitney Hostler. And I said, yes, I do. That is my daughter. What's going on? And he told me that she was being reported missing. That was not her. She would always let someone know where she was going, whether it be me or, you know, Randy.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Whitney's family did not know what her current location was.

[Narrator]

However, they do know something about Whitney and Randy's volatile relationship.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

They would break up, get back together, break up, get back together. She would get with someone, and he would get with someone, but then that wouldn't last long. But the last couple years just got really rocky, especially after she had the baby.

[Narrator]

But Whitney's loved ones say Valerie Ryder was the one she had the biggest problem with.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

Whitney suffered really bad from postpartum depression. It was hard on her. Whitney would sleep a lot, so it would make it hard to take care of her daughter.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

Whitney had issues with Valerie on the point that she was trying to take over her daughter and keep her for herself. At one time, I guess she wanted Randy and Whitney to sign her over to them so they can raise her, because they, I guess they felt that Whitney and Randy wasn't capable enough of raising her, which was so false. So false.

[Narrator]

According to her family, Whitney had been quietly making plans to leave for several weeks.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

She was supposed to move out on October 1st. She was supposed to get her apartment that day and sign the papers at 10 that morning.

[Narrator]

Whitney never arrived.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

I just knew something was wrong. She was going to take her daughter with her. Didn't make no sense to me that Whitney was missing, because that's not like Whitney to be missing at all. At all. She would let someone know. She always called me and Let me know.

[Narrator]

Coming up, a local resident makes a gruesome discovery.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Just found a body laying down here at the bottom of this ravine.

[Narrator]

And investigators move in on their suspects.

[Detective/Interviewer]

I knew what had happened. I just wasn't clear on why it happen.

[Narrator]

After questioning those closest to her, investigators fear Whitney Hostler might have been the victim of foul play. In a last ditch effort to find her, they release details of the case to the media and open a tip line to the public. But their break comes from a 911 call.

[Detective/Interviewer]

The afternoon of October 1st, the Champaign County Community Communications center received a call from an individual in the area of Kaiser Lake Road near Kaiser Lake State Park.

[Investigator/Reporter]

911 was the location of your emergency.

[Detective/Interviewer]

I just found a body laying down here at the bottom of the ravine. It looks like it's a female.

[Randy Ryder]

She's laying face down.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

Okay.

[Investigator/Reporter]

All right. If you want to step out towards the road, I'm going to send someone out there. Do you think that she's alive and breathing?

[Detective/Interviewer]

No, I don't think at all.

[Narrator]

Sheriff's deputies are immediately sent to the location.

[Deputy/Police Officer]

Deputy Sheila and I responded to the area. When we got there, Saint Paris EMS was already on scene. They had pointed out to where the body was at. Dead body, bottom of the ravine? Yeah. Might be that missing girl. It was off the north side of the roadway about 75ft down into a ravine. EMT and I secured a rope to a tree and we went down to the body.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Nipples, golden heart nipples. When they rolled her over, I mean, you could see her face. And it was Whitney.

[Narrator]

The deputies notify homicide detectives who secure the area and begin searching for clues.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

There was a log that was laying across what appeared as the entrance to the hill where she was dumped down. And there was a red mark that was on a log right up by the entrance to that and looked like blood to me. You could see leaves and dirt had been moved from coming down the hill. To me, it didn't look like she had been killed there. It appeared that she had been dumped there. The medical examiner determined that Whitney had been strangled due to the evidence around her neck and the redness, choke marks in addition to the petechial hemorrhaging in her eyes.

[Detective/Interviewer]

To our knowledge, the writers were the last ones that had contact with Whitney and saw Whitney alive. So at that point, coupled with the evidence that had already been found at the residence, we felt that we really needed to focus our efforts on the rioters.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

At that time. They were brought in for second interviews.

[Narrator]

This time, detectives focus on Valerie Ryder's. Husband, Rodney Sr.

[Investigator/Reporter]

They really start to kind of push him because they have picked up on this nervous demeanor and. And they think of a tactic.

[Detective/Interviewer]

I actually showed him some autopsy photos. Rania, I think. I think you know in your heart you're a good man and I think you want to do the right thing. Oh, Jesus Christ. I don't think anybody meant for this to happen.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

But.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Would I be right when I said that? Do you see those marks? Those are hand marks, Riley. I said, obviously Whitney was killed. And I asked him if. If he knew who killed Whitney. Do you know who strangled Whitney? All right. He stated he'd been asleep in his bed and woke up to the argument. And that when he came out of the bedroom, he went into where Whitney's bedroom was and where Valerie was and. And he found Whitney laying on the bed with a plastic bag over her head. And it appeared that it had been taped. Valerie told you that she started clearing? Yes, yes. So then what did you. What did you and Valerie do with Whitney at that point? I already put her in a trash bag. You put her in a trash bag?

[Randy Ryder]

I already put her in a trash bag.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Randy Ryder]

I couldn't do it.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Rodney Sr. Stated that even though he knew he shouldn't help, he assisted Valerie in placing Whitney into the pickup truck outside the residence. And then later they went out to try to find a location in order to dispose of Whitney's body. Where did you end up? My railroad. Which was where.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

Got your leg?

[Investigator/Reporter]

What sticks out to me from the whole story at this time is her own daughter, the 2 year old child, is in the vehicle with them when they're trying to get rid of Whitney's body.

[Narrator]

Armed with this information, investigators question Valerie again.

[Detective/Interviewer]

I confronted Valerie with the fact that I'd already spoke with Rodney Sr. And that I knew what had happened. I knew where it happened, I knew how it happened. I just wasn't clear on why it happened. I said, was it an accident? Did you accidentally kill Whitney?

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

I had.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

I took Mark and it went up because she moved and she tried to get me off and everything. And that was. I mean, I must have squeezed too hard or something because I heard her. I don't know. It wasn't a gag or cough or whatever. And that's when I realized.

[Detective/Interviewer]

You realized what?

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

That she was not brave.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Do you remember how the bag got over again?

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

No.

[Narrator]

Valerie claims she only meant to keep Whitney from leaving. But the thought of never seeing her granddaughter again sent her into a rage.

[Detective/Interviewer]

The writers seem to have their whole world wrapped up in that granddaughter. I do believe that Valerie felt that she needed to control that situation, and.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Her way of control was to murder Whitney.

[Detective/Interviewer]

After we completed the interview with Valerie, the writers were charged with felony murder and, I believe, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

[Narrator]

When Whitney's loved ones learn of the arrests, they are devastated.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

I tried to keep it together because my mom was crying. She lost it. So I felt like I had to be the strong one.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

As a parent, you don't want to never, ever think that one of your child is taken from you like that. But it happened to me, my family, and it didn't need to. It was so senseless. Senseless.

[Narrator]

Now it's up to prosecutors to get justice for Whitney's family.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

To sit in that courtroom looking at her was the hardest thing I think I've ever had to do. I wanted them to get the most years that they could get, which was hopefully forever. And I'm gonna make sure that happens.

[Narrator]

Days after Whitney Hossler's body was found, Valerie and Rodney Ryder Sr. Are both in jail awaiting trial for her murder. But some question whether they are truly the ones responsible for her death.

[Detective/Interviewer]

After the arrest of both Rodney Sr. And Valerie, we obviously were continuing to receive information or calls indicating that they believed that Randy probably killed Whitney himself and that Valerie and Rodney Sr. Were simply claiming responsibility so they could protect their son.

[Investigator/Reporter]

So there's history there between Whitney and Randy. We know that family members have witnessed them fighting with each other, and they started thinking about, well, what really happened.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

We continue to look into Randy's and possible involvement in it just to make sure that nothing come up down the road.

[Narrator]

To investigators surprise, Randy is happy to cooperate.

[Detective/Interviewer]

We interviewed Randy, and we said, well, would you be willing to take a polygraph? And he said, absolutely. Detective Kemp and I drove Randy over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation in London, Ohio, where he was subjected to a polygraph exam by one of the BCI polygraph investigators.

[Narrator]

All right, are you ready to get started then? Randy, did you kill Whitney?

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

No.

[Narrator]

Did you help kill Whitney?

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

No.

[Narrator]

Did you help dump Whitney's body?

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

No.

[Detective/Interviewer]

Upon completing the polygraph exam, it was very clear that Randy was not trying to. Trying to lie. He was not trying to cover up any truth that he did not commit the crime.

[Narrator]

Two months later, in December 2020, Rodney Ryder Sr. Enters a plea deal.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

Rodney Sr. Was convicted of possession of criminal tools, obstructing justice, and tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

[Narrator]

That leads the confessed killer, Valerie Ryder to stand trial alone. When her trial begins in February 2021, both her son and her husband are witnesses for the prosecution.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Here's what they had hair in the duct tape that was the same color as Whitney's. They had statements from Rodney saying, look, my wife did it. Then they have Valerie sort of breaking down and admitting things that proved or at least pointed to her involvement in Whitney's death. Not only that, this big piece of evidence happened to be one green glove that was found in the truck. And this is the golden part for prosecutors. Valerie's DNA was inside the glove while Whitney's DNA was on the outside of the glove.

[Narrator]

While the case against Valerie seems straightforward, her lawyers insist she didn't do it. Despite the results of Randy's polygraph test, they maintain he was the one who asked, actually killed Whitney.

[Investigator/Reporter]

The defense said, not a chance. Valerie is innocent. In fact, she's taking the fall for her son Randy. And in that defense, they called Randy's siblings Valerie and Rodney Senior's children. And they came to the stand and they argued that their mother was kind and caring. And in fact, rather than being an instigator, she tried to always calm people down.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

Brandy's many things, but Brandy's not a murderer. Okay? Wanting to put her own son under the bus to save her own skin. Yeah, what mother does that? That's no mother to me. She acted like she had no care in the world and denied it. Denied it all the way to the end. All the way to the end.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

She didn't show any type of remorse. She just acted like she would never hurt my sister. But she did.

[Narrator]

The jury agrees. On February 25, 2021, they find Valerie guilty.

[Homicide Detective/Prosecutor]

Valerie Ryder was convicted of murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence, and gross abuse of a corpse. She received 21 years in prison to life.

[Whitney's Sister (Chelsea Hostler)]

I was happy that my sister got justice, not that her serving 21 years to life is ever going to bring my sister back. She was a mother. She was a daughter. She was a granddaughter. She was a great friend. And her daughter has to live the rest of her life without her mother.

[Whitney's Family Member (possibly mother or sister)]

My daughter didn't have to die. No, she didn't. But there's nothing that can be done now about that except for we love her. We miss her every day. Every day.

[Investigator/Reporter]

Randy Ryder has never been charged in connection with Whitney's murder. Whitney's sister, Chelsea Hostler, was given custody of Whitney and Randy's 2 year old daughter. Rodney Ryder Sr. Was released from prison on March 28, 2023. Valerie Ryder will be eligible for parole in 2041.