Sword and Scale, Episode 326: Cabin Murder in Sugar Grove, Ohio

Release Date: November 2, 2025

Overview

This episode of Sword and Scale recounts the harrowing chain of events that began as a birthday weekend cabin party and ended with a fatal stabbing in Sugar Grove, Ohio, in April 2023. Through raw 911 calls, witness interviews, and pointed detective interrogations, the show reconstructs how a night of youthful revelry devolved into tragedy, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Charlie Starner at the hands of Isaac Pence — a troubled, violent young man with a history of alcohol-fueled aggression and a toxic relationship with his fiancee, Sabra Flagg. The episode exposes layers of denial, deception, and dysfunctional relationships, ultimately reflecting on the unpredictability and randomness of lethal violence.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Night Unravels: From Celebration to Chaos

• Cabin Party Setting

  • Dalton Flagg rents a remote cabin to celebrate his 23rd birthday, inviting friends and family. (06:05)
  • The party atmosphere is "everything you'd expect" from young adults—alcohol, weed, even open cocaine use. (07:35)
  • Among the guests: Charlie Starner, a well-liked new father and pizzeria manager, and Isaac Pence, Dalton's sister Sabra's volatile fiance.

• The Turning Point

  • Isaac arrives later in the evening with Sabra. He starts drinking — against the wishes of host Dalton, who only allowed his attendance on the condition he remain sober due to past violent incidents. (10:28, 11:06)
  • As the night wears on, Isaac becomes "beyond drunk" and antagonistic, culminating in him physically attacking Dalton's girlfriend, Horizon (Horizon/Orison), by shoving her to the ground. (14:17, 65:07)
  • The partygoers, in response to seeing a woman assaulted and facing Isaac’s escalating aggression, demand that Isaac leave. A tense confrontation ensues both inside and outside the cabin. (15:01–16:57)

2. The Fatal Encounter

• Attempt to Defuse the Situation

  • A group of friends physically drags Isaac to his car to get him to leave. Sabra gets into the passenger seat. (17:12)
  • As friends try to keep Isaac in the car or urge him to leave, he suddenly grabs a work knife from the center console and violently attacks the nearest person: Charlie Starner, stabbing him multiple times, including in the neck and back. (17:34, Narrator at 18:20)

• Immediate Aftermath and Efforts to Save Charlie

  • Charlie collapses; friends, including a trained EMS guest, Amanda Chapman, desperately try to stem the bleeding and offer support, waiting for paramedics. (04:05, 19:16)
  • The urgency and chaos of the scene are captured in 911 audio and the panicked encouragement from friends:
    “You are the strongest person I have ever known. If anybody can make this and fight this, it’s you.” —Partygoer (03:34)
  • Charlie is airlifted to the hospital but succumbs to his wounds hours later. (47:12, 47:43)

3. Investigation and Interrogation: Lies and Evidence

• Initial Confusion and Identification of the Suspect

  • With many guests unfamiliar with each other and under the influence, details are murky at first. Nevertheless, witnesses consistently name Isaac Pence as the perpetrator. (09:19–12:38)

• Sabra and Isaac’s Deflections

  • Both Sabra and Isaac repeatedly lie to detectives, minimizing Isaac’s violence and blaming others, attempting to portray Isaac as a victim who was attacked first. (33:54, 36:51, 63:31)
  • Key memorable exchanges:
    “I didn’t even know someone got stabbed until way after we left.” —Sabra Flagg (33:16)
    “I just tried to, like, poke, like, hey, I have a knife. Calm down. They wouldn’t stop.” —Isaac Pence (38:38)

• Physical Evidence and Witness Testimony

  • Surveillance and cell phone footage definitively shows Isaac to be the aggressor, directly contradicting both his and Sabra's stories. Amanda Chapman's video is especially damning, showing that no one was attacking Isaac and people were in fact trying to close his door and get him to leave. (43:13–46:29, 39:39)
  • Detectives expose lies and inconsistencies:
    “You stabbed a guy in the arm one time? I think it was twice. Are you sure it wasn’t more than that? Because there are more stab wounds than that.” —Detective to Isaac (39:38)

• After the Stabbing: Flight and Disposal of Evidence

  • Isaac and Sabra flee, stopping at a friend’s (Justin) house, where Isaac disposes of the bloody knife in a bush, then to Sabra's mother's before going home. (33:32, 41:10)
  • Surveillance at Justin’s house confirms Isaac’s actions. Justin also testifies Isaac talked about returning to do further harm. (41:53)

4. Detention, Family Dynamics, and Further Violence

• Home Life Exposed

  • Police discover Isaac and Sabra’s children live in squalid conditions: a filthy house, neglected pets, and an environment dangerous for children. (26:14–29:22)
  • Most childcare falls on Isaac's mother. Both Isaac and Sabra's histories of drinking and violent behavior are acknowledged by family members. (26:18, 27:18, 27:51)

• Detective Pressure and the Collapse of Lies

  • With overwhelming evidence, detectives confront Isaac and Sabra separately with the truth about Charlie’s death and the consequences they now face.
    “You’re going to jail today. If I have my way, you’re going as an accomplice to murder.” —Detective to Sabra (59:37, Opening)
  • Both try to downplay or forget their actions:
    “I kind of blacked out after I got him the second time because I stabbed him on some point. … I just kind of blacked out. I think I just done twice and then left.” —Isaac (61:10)

5. Legal Outcomes and Reflections

• Charging and Sentencing

  • Isaac Pence charged with murder and related felonies; Sabra is initially charged as an accomplice but eventually pleads to obstruction of justice, serving six months. Isaac is sentenced to 18 years to life. (73:23–73:44)
  • The host decries the leniency as insufficient for such a senseless, random act of violence. (73:44)

• Victim’s Innocence and Randomness of Violence

  • Charlie and Isaac were strangers; Charlie was simply trying to deescalate the situation.
    “Charlie Starner was just 22 years old… All of a sudden, it was stolen in an instant… That one moment of courage cost him everything.” (75:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Some nights start with laughter and end with sirens. No one sees it coming until it’s too late." —Narrator (00:47)

• On Isaac's history of violence:
  “By nearly all accounts, Isaac Pence had a reputation for being a violent drunk. He had only just recently been released from jail for assaulting Sabra and Dalton’s mother.” —Narrator (11:37)

• On the attempt to keep Isaac away:
  “A group surrounded Isaac, telling him to leave. At the same time, a smaller group held Dalton back, trying to stop him from launching into a fistfight with Isaac.” —Narrator (15:18)

• On the random nature of Charlie's death:
  “Charlie died because he happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, at the hands of a violent man that he had never met. That’s how easy it is, folks. That’s how quickly it can all end.” —Narrator (74:24)

• On the lack of remorse:
  “Not one time today have you or Sabra asked how that kid is. … You have no care or concern for him? … Did you know that he has a 10 month old son? … So now you left another baby without a parent. Just like your kids are gonna be left without their parents.” —Detective to Sabra and Isaac (54:54, 55:04, 55:10, 55:14, 55:16)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Setting the Scene & The Stabbing: 00:15–18:55
• Initial Investigation and Witness Interviews: 05:00–13:33
• Revelations about Isaac's History: 10:28–12:38
• Sabra and Isaac's Initial Police Interviews: 29:47–34:14, 34:25–41:10
• Justin's Disclosure and Murder Weapon Recovery: 41:10–41:53
• Phone & Surveillance Footage Breakdown: 43:13–46:29
• Detectives Deliver News of Charlie’s Death: 47:12–47:43, 49:52–50:54
• Detective Deconstruction of Lies: 55:27–57:18
• Sentencing and Legal Outcome: 73:23–74:24
• Reflection on Charlie’s Innocence: 75:04–75:27

Tone and Language

• The episode maintains Sword and Scale’s signature unsparing, sometimes caustic tone, highlighting the stupidity, selfishness, and denial of the perpetrators while clearly sympathizing with Charlie Starner and his family. The host is openly critical, particularly when describing Sabra and Isaac or the conditions in which their children lived, often employing biting sarcasm and dark humor:
  “This dumb bitch was handcuffed and taken to jail.” (59:41)
  “I swear, you’ll never convince a retard they’re not a genius.” (35:37)

Summary Takeaway

Sword and Scale Episode 326 serves as a chilling reminder of the unpredictability of violence and the fragility of life. A single night of drinking, compounded by longstanding dysfunction and unchecked rage, destroyed multiple lives. The episode's raw testimony, combined with unvarnished host commentary, paints a bleak, honest picture of the ripple effects of impulsive brutality — and how, sometimes, the "worst monsters are real."