Episode 328

Summary

Sword and Scale – Episode 328 Summary

Release Date: November 17, 2025
Host/Narrator: Sword and Scale

---

Episode Overview

In this harrowing episode, Sword and Scale delves into the brutal murder of Brad McGarry, a beloved and well-connected coal miner from Bel Air, Ohio, killed in his own basement in May 2017. The crime not only shocked the tight-knit community but also laid bare a tangled web of secrets, betrayal, hidden relationships, and small-town gossip. Through raw, uncensored 911 calls, police interviews, and expert narration, the episode traces the investigation’s path—from initial confusion to the emotional unraveling of Brad’s closest friend, David Kinney, who would ultimately be convicted of aggravated murder.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: The Discovery of Brad’s Body

• [01:30-03:20] Bel Air is introduced as a fading coal town with rare homicides, making Brad’s murder particularly shocking.
• The Kinney family (David, his wife Sherry, and their daughter) visit Brad’s home with a gift, only to find his door ajar and signs of a struggle inside.
• 911 Call [07:10-13:16]: Sherry’s frantic call captures the chaos and horror of discovering Brad’s body, relayed in real time as police and medical responders are dispatched.

Investigating the Victim

• [15:44-17:15] Detective Ryan Aller recalls Brad as universally liked, outgoing, and loving—“nobody I talked to, not a single soul had a single bad thing to say about him” (Aller, 16:01).
• Initial leads are followed, including a suspicious Craigslist connection and veiled threats from Brad’s troubled ex, Scotty—both quickly ruled out.

The Kinney Family and Brad: Unraveling Relationships

• [19:25-23:54] David Kinney, Brad’s “best friend” and family confidant, is interviewed. David’s recounting of the days prior to the murder is detailed, but inconsistencies emerge regarding his whereabouts and the family’s connection to Brad.

Notable Quote

"He got real close with our families...we did holidays and gatherings and everything together."
—David Kinney ([26:34])

Hidden Depths: The Secret Affair

• [28:11-31:04] Pressure builds as detectives confront David with evidence of an ongoing sexual relationship between him and Brad.

• David tries to minimize the relationship:
  “We never had sex. We would just fool around with each other.”
  —David Kinney ([30:50])

• The text messages and explicit content on David’s phone prove a much deeper, secret connection.

Shifting Stories & Police Interrogation

• [33:14-47:31] Over several grilling interrogations, David cycles through an array of ever-changing stories:
  • He claims Brad had other lovers.
  • He suggests a mysterious third man was present and may have killed Brad.
  • Detectives press David, pointing out flaws (like CCTV footage, lack of evidence for his versions, and the closeness between him and Brad).

Memorable Moment

"You were there when he was killed?"
"No, sir, I was not at his house when that man was murdered."
—Detective/ Kinney, ([39:33])

• Detective Aller and his team realize David’s shifting tales are attempts to hide guilt and protect both himself and his marriage.

The Truth Emerges: Motive & Confession

• [48:12-62:27] Under mounting pressure and evidence, David finally offers a confession—though attempts to justify the killing as self-defense, claiming Brad threatened him with a gun after a heated “breakup” argument.
• Detectives debunk this, pointing out David’s physical advantage and evidence Brad was shot twice in the back of the head with no signs of struggle.

Notable Quote

"He told me, he said, if you end all of this now, then I'm done with you forever...That's when he said: you need to leave your wife. You need to leave your wife."
—David Kinney, ([58:09])

• The narrative concludes that David, unable to face a public outing or the collapse of his double life, executed Brad in cold blood.

Money: The Unspoken Motive

• [55:05-55:52] Discusses Brad’s financial support of the Kinney family—vacations, gifts, birthday parties—raising questions about whether money played a role alongside jealousy and fear.

Detective Aller:

"He paid for a lot of things for the Kinney’s...you're going on a cruise with your wife and your lover at the same time. That made us kind of wonder about Sherry, you know, did she know this was going on?"
—([55:52])

Aftermath: Conviction & Legacy

• [63:37-68:33] David Kinney is found guilty of aggravated murder and sentenced to life without parole; his wife was cleared of involvement but ultimately moved on.
• The episode closes reflecting on the deeper tragedy—trust destroyed not only between lovers but across the entire family and community; the ripple of secrets and lies.

Notable Quote

"I think there's a little bit of a monster in everybody… it's the fact that you gotta… tame your own monster, you know, and you get to that point, you can either be a decent human being or you let the monster win. In this case, David Kenney let the monster win."
—Detective Ryan Aller ([67:52])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment / Content | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | Introduction to Bel Air, Brad, and David’s background | | 07:10 | 911 call: The Kinneys discover Brad’s body | | 15:44 | Detective Aller on Brad’s character | | 19:25 | Recap of time spent with Brad before the murder | | 23:58 | Discussion of Brad’s relationships, introduction of Richie and Scotty | | 28:11 | Kinney confronted with evidence of a sexual relationship | | 33:14 | Detailed timeline—David’s shifting stories | | 41:18 | Detective presses on for confession, discusses possible accident | | 48:12 | David’s semi-confession: “I did not shoot him” | | 55:05 | Exploration of Brad financially supporting the Kinney family | | 55:52 | Detective Aller discusses suspicions of Sherry’s knowledge | | 58:09 | Brad confronts David; the real motive emerges | | 63:37 | The trial, deliberation on aggravated murder | | 64:51 | Revelation: Brad was shot twice, execution style; self-defense dismissed | | 67:52 | Detective Aller’s thoughts on the “monster” in everyone | | 68:33 | Aftermath: David’s sentencing, Sherry’s later life |

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Nobody I talked to, not a single soul had a single bad thing to say about him."
  —Detective Ryan Aller, [16:01]

• "We never had sex. We would just fool around with each other."
  —David Kinney, [30:50]

• "Brad was part of the family and he was David's best friend. The numbness was wearing off for David now. And the realization was setting in that Brad was gone forever."
  —Narrator, [26:56]

• "You were there when he was killed?"
  —Detective, [39:33]

• "You love this man and there's no shame in it. You understand? There ain't no shame in loving somebody, no matter what color they are, they got a dick or three pussies, it doesn't matter."
  —Detective, [47:44]

• "It was just so ridiculous that no one bought it... the evidence won the day and he was convicted on everything we charged him with."
  —Detective Ryan Aller, [63:37]

---

Episode Takeaways

• The episode is a powerful exposé of secrecy, internalized shame, and the devastating fallout of double lives—especially in tight-knit, conservative environments.
• It portrays not just a murder mystery, but a tragic human drama, with themes of love, denial, manipulation, and betrayal cutting across every relationship in the story.
• The investigation’s unyielding pursuit of the truth, counterpointed by David’s repeated lies, reveals the painstaking work detectives must do to uncover reality in the face of deceit.

---

For listeners interested in true-crime stories where the line between victim and perpetrator is blurred by hidden love and fractured identity, this episode delivers a gripping, tragic, and thought-provoking journey into the heart of small-town darkness.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[Detective]

You were there when he was killed?

[David Kinney]

No, sir, I was not at his house when that man was murdered. Sir, I can.

[Detective]

This is the kind of shit that gets people in trouble.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

[911 Dispatcher]

I know.

[Narrator]

Hello and welcome to Sword and scale, episode 328. Let's go.

[David Kinney]

Sam.

[VRBO Advertiser]

VRBO helps you swap gift wrap time. For quality time, go to VRBO now and book a last minute week long stay and save over $390 this holiday season. Book your next vacation rental home on VRBO. Average savings $396. Select homes only.

[Narrator]

43 year old Brad McGarry and 30 year old David Kinney were friends for years. They met while working at a local coal mine in the small town of Ohio called Bel Air. Sounds nice, right? Don't get ahead of yourself though. This is Ohio. Belair sits along the Ohio river and borders West Virginia, another stunning location filled with PhDs. It's a place built on hard work, traditional values, and coal. Yeah, coal. The thing that's probably powering your iPhone. For generations, the mines and the coal in it shaped everything in Bel Air. Those mines offered steady work for anyone willing to face the challenges of being underground all day long. It's dangerous work, probably worth every penny and then some. But by 2017, these jobs were disappearing. Mines were shutting down and operations were scaled back. Work became harder to find and harder to keep. For men like Brad McGarry and David Kinney, getting and keeping a job in the mines made them feel lucky. This is Detective Ryan Aller of Belmont County.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

Belair is one of our bigger municipalities in Belmont County. I wouldn't say it's a high crime rate, but compared to other parts of the county, there's a good bit of drug activity down there. There's been homicides and Blair before, but it's been quite some time. So a case like this is very shocking to our community.

[Narrator]

Brad McGarry wasn't just a friend to David. He was a family friend, sharing holidays, family dinners, and afternoons at each other's homes. To David's kids, Brad was known as Uncle Brad because they loved and trusted him. Brad was single, so he appreciated the opportunity to feel part of a full blown family. And both David and his wife Sherry were happy to have Uncle Brad. Sherry felt almost like she had two responsible men in her life. She was a young single mom when she and David met. David was young too, but in no time they married and he became a father to her. Three kids. By 2017 they'd been together for 10 years and Brad had been part of the family picture for about six years. On May 7, 2017, David, Sherry, and their 13 year old daughter drove half an hour from their town of Brilliant to Brad's Bel air home, a 1950s ranch sitting almost at the end of a residential dead end street. They were stopping by to give Brad a weed trimmer. It was a small gift to repay for some things he'd done for them. Brad was like that. He was a really helpful good friend. Those are hard to come by, so they pull into the driveway, the gravel crunching under the truck's tires. It's a typical quiet Sunday afternoon. Cheri shifts in her seat and takes her seatbelt off while David exits the truck. As they're doing this, they immediately notice that the kitchen door is open just slightly, but it's not normal. It's not like Brad to just leave it open like that. David scrunches his face, squinting towards the house. But their 13 year old daughter is excited to see Uncle Brad, so she darts from the truck. Stay here, sherry says automatically, but the girl's already halfway to the porch where she waits but peers inside. Meanwhile, David starts calling Brad because he's afraid something is off. Brad's phone rings unanswered. Sherry watches David try again, holding his phone up and listening to empty ringing on the other end. She follows her daughter up the steps and her adrenaline is pumping. The door swings inward with a soft creak under her hand. Inside she sees chaos yanked open drawers and gaping cabinets. Papers and belongings were scattered like someone had ransacked the place in a hurry. At that point, Sherry is scared and reaches for David's arm. Go get your gun, she whispers. David doesn't argue. He turns back towards a truck, moving fast but controlled. Sherry stands frozen in the doorway, one arm thrown out to hold her daughter back. Her daughter looks at her in sheer terror. What's happening, Mom? David comes back with his firearm at his side. His face is tight and pale. She's not used to seeing her tall, rugged husband in this state. He tells her to stay there. He's going inside to check. Sherry doesn't move, gripping her daughter's shoulders. She wants to run out, but she can't make herself move. She's frozen like a rabbit in headlights. David's footsteps creak on the basement stairs. A second passes, then another. Then suddenly she hears his panicked voice from the basement, call 91 1. He shouts.

[911 Dispatcher]

Stay here. Stay here. Come here. What's this road? What's this Mount County 91 1. Where is your emergency? Hi, we have an emergency. I don't know. Lesnith, stay there. Where are you at? We in West Belair. I don't even know the road. Right next to Primsy. To come all the way back and up the hill. Okay. What's going on? I don't even know. You don't know what's going on? Where's he at? Oh, my God. My husband's friend is dead. What? Ma', am. Ma', am, we're at West Bel Air. We came to visit my husband's friend. And his back door was cracked open and he wasn't answering his phone. So he came in the house and he's in his basement.

[Narrator]

The dispatcher tries to make sense of what's unfolding on Wagner Avenue. But Sherry is struggling to process it herself.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay. Oh, my God. Okay, calm down. Did you say he's dead? I think so. Oh, my God. I think so. Okay, Ma', am, does it look like something happened to him? Does it look like he fell? He fell over.

[David Kinney]

He's on the floor.

[911 Dispatcher]

There's one everywhere. Okay. What is your name? My name is Sherry Kinney. Sherry Kinney. Yeah. His back door was cracked open. My husband Locked in. And there was stuff all over the place in the kitchen. Okay, Sherry, I need you. I need you to try to find me an address. Can you do that? Oh, God. I don't even know.

[David Kinney]

It's true.

[911 Dispatcher]

They were on this place extra for these markets. What's the address on the house?

[Narrator]

The questions keep coming from the operator, but the whole scene is disorienting for Sherry. She's still trying to make sense of the chaos around her when the most critical question of all waits in the background. Is he dead?

[911 Dispatcher]

Oh, my God. He's just laying there. Okay, sweetheart, listen to me. Okay? Does the back door look like it was forced open? His kitchen door? His kitchen door. Does it look like it was just. Was it cracked open? Yeah, it wasn't forced open. I don't.

[David Kinney]

I don't know to know.

[911 Dispatcher]

Go in here. Okay. It was just cracked. I don't know if it was forced entry. Sherry? Sherry? Is he breathing? Is he breathing? I don't think he's breathing.

[Narrator]

It was looking like they were too late. And Brad was indeed dead. But how did this happen? Did he fall down the stairs or was there a struggle?

[911 Dispatcher]

What is his name? Brad McGarry. Brad McGarry. Brad McGarry. Okay. Is that your husband? My husband's freaking out. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All Right? Oh, yes. Oh, my God. He has a gunshot wound in the back of his head. He has a gunshot wound. Okay, Sherry, Sherry, Sherry, Sherry, I need you to calm down. Is there a gun near him? Okay, Ask your husband if he saw a gun lying on the floor. No, I don't see one. You don't see a gun? No, I don't see a gun. Okay. All right, I need you guys. Listen, I need you and your husband to back out of the residence and wait outside for the officers. Do you hear me? All right. Okay, you, both of you need to go wait outside. I said we're outside. Okay.

[Narrator]

There were a lot of unanswered questions. Apparently Brad knew they were going to stop by and David spoke with him on that very day. But then he didn't answer his phone, so the Kinneys were already on alert. Brad was good at communicating and it just wasn't like him to ignore calls.

[911 Dispatcher]

Okay, I know you're upset and I know that this is a horrible, horrible thing, okay? I need you to try to calm down for me, okay? Okay. When was the last time you guys spoke with him? Huh? When was the last time you guys spoke with him? When's the last time you talked to him? DJ he talked to him earlier. He was on. He went to a wedding over the weekend. He was on his way back from his mom and talked to him. Okay, that was today? Yeah, I was earlier today and he told him that we would be coming down and he said just come down whenever. Okay. All right. What? Do you remember what time earlier today you spoke with him? What time was it that you talked to him? Do you remember? It's got to be on his cell phone. Okay. All I know is we. I asked my husband and he has his area. Do you have your gun? Just cuz Brad wasn't answering his phone and he was yelling and he wasn't saying anything. So he went to his truck and got his diagnostic case. You know, cuz he was scared himself. Cuz it's not like Brad wants to answer his phone, okay? Oh, God. Does your husband still have his gun out Hunter proof on his side? Okay, so carry. Just, you know, carry protection for being. Meaning that he wasn't answering and the door was cracked open. We, you know, he got it because he was scared himself.

[Narrator]

Remember kids, if you're ever at a crime scene and you have a gun on you, let the 911 operator know for the safety of everyone, okay?

[911 Dispatcher]

The officer is out there. Okay? Make sure you tell the officer that your husband has a Gun on his side. Okay. Just. All right. Hey, it. I just want to let you know he has car, but. All right. Thank you. Okay. Talk with the officer. Okay.

[Narrator]

As first responders secured the scene, the question wasn't how Brad McGarry died. It was who would want him dead. Foreign.

[VRBO Advertiser]

Save over $200 when you book weekly stays with VRBO this winter. If you need to work, why not work from a chalet? If you haven't seen your college besties since, well, college you need a week to fully catch up in a snowy cabin. And if you have to stay in a remote place with your in laws, you should save over $200 a week. That's the least we can do. So you might as well start digging out the long johns because saving over $200 on a week long snowcation rental is in the cards. Book [e-mail] did you know you can opt out of winter with Vrbo? Save up to $1,500 for booking a month long stay with thousands of sunny homes. Why subject yourself to the cold? Just filter your search by monthly stays and save up to $1,500.

[Elevate Health Advertiser]

Book [e-mail] we all know those GLP1 injections work wonders. But that price tag almost gave me a heart attack. When my insurance denied coverage, I was staring at a choice between paying my mortgage or paying for weight loss. Talk about a rock and a hard place. Then I found Elevate Health Compounded semaglutide at just $58 with payment plans that don't require a second mortgage. Same medication, same results, but a price that real folks can actually afford. Visit joinelevate.com today. That's J O I N E L. Your wallet will be as happy as your waistline. This medication is not FDA approved.

[Narrator]

In May of 2017, Brad McGarry, a resident in the quiet town of Belara, Ohio, was found dead in the basement of his home, face down, surrounded by blood, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

My name is Ryan Aller. I'm the chief investigations of the Belmont County Sheriff's Office. I've been with the Sheriff's office since 1996. I've been a detective since 2005. You know, Brad was. Brad was a coal miner. He had a couple other careers. He seemed to be happy with that job. He was very well liked by his friends and family. They say that he had a very outgoing personality. Kind of lit up any room he walked into. Loved being the center of attention. Nobody I talked to, not a Single soul had a single bad thing to say about him, which I can't always say about the victims that we have. One of the things any good detective will do is they try to get to know their victims, even if they're deceased. And that's one of the most important things to do. Try to get inside the head of your victim. Try to know them. And, you know, sometimes you don't really like your victims. They're not the best people in the world, but, you know, I think I would have liked Brad.

[Narrator]

It was his friend David Kinney and his wife Sherry who made the discovery. As detectives started to dig deeper, they uncovered parts of Brad's life that no one had talked about and people who might have wanted him gone. One of the first leads that came in was from a local cab driver. He told police that a woman he knew named Courtney had asked him for a ride to Wagner avenue. Her plan, she said, was to rob a man she claimed had contacted her through a craigslist modeling ad. According to this guy, the man was going to give her $500 for nude pictures of her. But the deal changed when he added that he'd like to see the pictures of her 3 year old child as well. Courtney saved his number in her phone under the name baby raper. She told the cab driver the man was sick and that he deserved whatever was coming. It was the kind of lead investigators just couldn't ignore. But when they interviewed her further, Courtney said she didn't go through with it. The cab driver said he refused to drive her because he'd been drinking that night. She said she deleted the messages. But she gave the police the man's phone number. And when they traced the number, it led them right back to Bel air. Close enough that police had to Wonder, was Brad McGarry living a life no one knew about? Was he indeed the baby raper on her phone? Or were they just chasing the wrong lead entirely? Detectives started digging and discovered that Brad would probably be the last person who would ask for naked pictures. Courtney's story fell apart, too. Phone numbers didn't match. She gave the wrong street, and she was just kind of a sketchy witness all around. With that lead fading fast, detectives turned to the people who knew Brad best, starting with Brad and Sherry. When was the last time they saw Brad? Well, it was just a day before a Saturday.

[Detective]

What'd you guys do when you got there?

[David Kinney]

Brad made pizza, and we all had some pizza, went down to the basement, was talking about the two spare rooms in the back. He was planning On. We tore all the drywall out of the one room, piled a bunch of stuff up in there. And we were talking about how to dry lock it and, you know, start getting stuff done because he had a company wanting to come in to put rug down and stuff and hung out down there and BSD about that. Come upstairs, played with the dogs, you know, My son and I just. We just hung out. The normal thing you do at your buddy's house.

[Detective]

Your son hang out there a lot?

[David Kinney]

He goes with me.

[Detective]

What's he do while you're there?

[David Kinney]

Usually just hangs out with us.

[Detective]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

I got a house full of girls. He's the only boy. So a lot of times they say, dad, can I go?

[Detective]

Understood.

[Narrator]

That was Saturday, May 6th. They hung out. And then Brad took off for a wedding that evening. When it was over, he stayed with his family overnight. And he called David just to check in.

[David Kinney]

He called me that night when he got back to his mom's house, and we just. He asked about the wedding, and then he called me the next day.

[Detective]

Did he stay at his mom's house?

[David Kinney]

Yes. Yes. Or his mom's or his grandmother's house. I'm not sure which house he stayed at.

[Detective]

Now we're in a Sunday, right?

[Narrator]

Yes, on Sunday. The day of Brad's murder. Brad was excited to get home. The Kinneys had told him they'd be bringing him a gift.

[David Kinney]

Cause I was out running around. Me and my wife did our normal Sunday thing throughout the day and had lunch.

[Detective]

What's that?

[David Kinney]

He texted me again. Hey or hello. I texted hey. He said, don't forget my surprise. I said, we'll be bringing it out.

[Detective]

When was that probably about?

[David Kinney]

Well, he texted me. I would say it was probably one something. And I didn't get right back to him right away. I think by the time I actually got back and texted him back, it was like three o', clock, quarter after three, or something like that. I told him, we'll be bringing it out. I told him, you know, stop by. Drove by earlier. No one's home. Call me whenever you get home and we'll come out.

[Detective]

So where. Where were you and your wife at Sunday afternoon?

[David Kinney]

We went Chinese restaurant. Got some lunch. After, we hung out at the house.

[Detective]

What Chinese restaurant in Studioville? Are you guys close to Steuberville? Yeah, I'll try to get the geography.

[David Kinney]

Yes. Like I said, 15 minutes. We're like 15 minutes south of Steubenville.

[Narrator]

She and David had breakfast with the kids, then ran a quick errand to stop and pick up hair dye at Sally's Beauty in Steubenville. Steuben. Am I saying that right? Who cares? It's Ohio. Anyway, they came home and shortly after, David said he had to go help a friend whose car had broken down and he wanted to stop by Rural King, a farm supply store, just to look around. Then David brought up the weed trimmer.

[David Kinney]

And then I talked to a friend of mine and then I went and I went and was gonna go to Roll King, look at some trailers, the truck. I did a little bit of running.

[Detective]

Did you go there?

[David Kinney]

Yeah, I just did my running. I wanted to do.

[Detective]

See. You drove from your home in Brilliant to Rural Kingdom?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Was your wife with you?

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

And this was probably about 1:40, maybe about quarter till 2.

[Detective]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

And I left. I was back home by.

[Detective]

You went back to Brilliant?

[David Kinney]

Yeah, I was back home. I think it was like three. I was back home about three o'. Clock.

[Narrator]

When David got back home, his wife was dyeing her hair. They decided to drive back over to Brad's, thinking he'd be home from the wedding by then. His daughter wanted to go with them because Brad's dog had a litter of puppies she hadn't seen. And Sherry wanted Brad to see her new hair color. Why, you ask, would a male family friend be interested in her hair? Oh, well, that's easy. You see, despite the fact that he now worked in a mine, he had a job before that. He was a hairdresser. And yes, Brad was gay. Since the Kinneys knew this and the detective was asking about Brad's relationships, David had this to say.

[David Kinney]

I can tell you of one person I know that Brad would call on a basis to.

[Detective]

Who's that?

[David Kinney]

Should be a minute. Richard or Richie?

[Detective]

Like a fuck buddy or boyfriend?

[David Kinney]

I think it was more along the lines of just a fuck buddy.

[Detective]

Okay. And that's who he was with recently?

[David Kinney]

I don't know if he was with him recently. I just know that they would. Brad would call him when he wanted him to come over.

[Detective]

Were you ever there when he came over?

[David Kinney]

I think I was there once when he came by.

[Detective]

What he looked like, uh.

[David Kinney]

Medium height, athletic, built, some tattoos.

[Narrator]

And then there was a young guy named Scotty. Friends and family describe Scotty as Brad's ex, someone he was involved with not long before the murder. According to them, it didn't end well. Scotty had a drug problem and legal issues, and Brad didn't need that in his life. Scotty wasn't happy when they broke up. And even Made some veiled threats. It looked like detectives might have found their suspect. But when they tracked Scotty down, he was already in jail, locked up for a probation violation. And that's where he was for the whole weekend of murder. Whatever happened to Brad, it wasn't Scotty. The more detectives questioned David, the more they found out about Brad and his relationships. Investigators had already spoken with Brad's friends and family, and they all hinted at yet another romantic involvement. Someone Brad talked incessantly about during the weekend of the wedding. But David didn't seem to be aware of this person. Or at least he didn't let on that he knew.

[Detective]

How long have you known Brad?

[David Kinney]

Oh, my. Eight years. My daughter was 2 when we first met.

[Detective]

Where'd you meet Brad?

[David Kinney]

Coal mining classes. We carpooled.

[Detective]

Would you say you were his best friend?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

He got real close with our families. Got real close. We did holidays and gatherings and everything together.

[Detective]

Your wife too?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

He came over for like, what, Christmas and stuff?

[David Kinney]

Christmas, Thanksgiving. He certainly did the same with him.

[Detective]

What you kids calling Uncle Brad?

[Narrator]

This was a breaking point for David. His kids called Brad uncle. He was part of the family and he was David's best friend. The numbness was wearing off for David now. And the realization was setting in that Brad was gone forever.

[Detective]

I'm sorry. It's okay. First, cute's being a cry in the street.

[David Kinney]

I've just been trying so hard to.

[Detective]

Okay, it's all right. Take some deep breath.

[Narrator]

The detective had obviously seen people cry before, but it seemed like David had been holding a whole lot of tears back for some reason. He was a big lumberjack looking guy, at least 6ft tall. But in the police station, he was reduced to the sobs of a child over the loss of his best friend.

[Detective]

You guys were pretty close, weren't you?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

What? How close were you and Brad?

[David Kinney]

Very close.

[Detective]

How close were you guys?

[David Kinney]

We were very close. Devon's my best friend.

[Narrator]

Have you ever lost a best friend? I'm sure it's really hard, but being best friends with someone and being really close to them or. Two kind of very different things.

[Detective]

David, there's some. There's some stuff on your phone that's a little. A little questionable.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Kinda sounds like you and Brad were. Boyfriend. Boyfriend?

[David Kinney]

I don't know, sir. We weren't boyfriend boyfriend. It was.

[Detective]

I think he kind of shocked us. But you guys. To have sex together.

[David Kinney]

There's a few times in the past where, you know, he's attempted a lot and we've Kind of fooled around a little bit in the past.

[Detective]

It's okay.

[Narrator]

But was it okay? David was married with kids, a wife and a life built around routine and appearances. Brad was his best friend. According to detectives, that part didn't matter. This wasn't about judgment. It was about honesty.

[David Kinney]

Hey, look, I'm being honest.

[Detective]

What year is it?

[David Kinney]

Well, this is 2017.

[Detective]

This is between us, okay?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

There's some stuff on your phone. Do you. Do anybody know about you guys?

[David Kinney]

My wife doesn't know that we fool around before. I mean, that was.

[Detective]

When was the last time you guys phoned? Right now?

[David Kinney]

It's. It's been a while. It hasn't been recently.

[Detective]

I know that. Said. What's on your phone? The guy. The video you took of the guys having sex. Is that Brad and you or.

[David Kinney]

Video I took?

[Detective]

Yeah, it's on your phone.

[David Kinney]

I know the, the.

[Detective]

The machine we use is. Sir, I understand it brings all of.

[David Kinney]

The devices and stuff.

[Detective]

Suck the whole phone out. Stuff he deleted.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir, I understand.

[Detective]

Listen. So text messages too?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir, I understand.

[Narrator]

The text messages paint a picture of a whole lot more than friendship, put it that way. It was a very deep, deep friendship, if you catch my drift. They were basically. Not only did David try to minimize the activities in their relationship, but he also denied that these activities were sex.

[Detective]

When's the last time you had sex with him?

[David Kinney]

We never had sex. We would just fool around with each other.

[Detective]

Just like sung each other.

[David Kinney]

He would jerk me off and I would jerk him off and he would fuck him.

[Detective]

Okay, I, you know, I. I never had a bad blow job. It's nothing to be ashamed about it. Are you ashamed about it?

[David Kinney]

I'm sorry, but.

[Detective]

But what?

[David Kinney]

Probably doesn't know.

[Detective]

What does it know?

[911 Dispatcher]

I'm.

[David Kinney]

Sir.

[Detective]

Was. Was Brad in love with you? David.

[David Kinney]

I couldn't tell you that he.

Was in love with me. I mean, we did the whole alright, bud, love you, I love you too kind of thing. Like you could ask my son when we left Saturday.

[Narrator]

So they told each other casually, love you, bud. I don't know, but maybe that's what Bros do in 2017. I'm really not sure. I'm really too old for that. But all the other stuff, I'll tell you right now, that's not something bros do. Pretty sure. Pretty sure about that one. The next question the detective asked was even more personal and would be an essential part of the investigation.

[Detective]

There's a used condom in his trash can that's going to the lab. I got a feeling your DNA's gonna be on that condom?

[David Kinney]

Oh, no, sir.

[Detective]

No. You sure?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir. Never noticed.

[Narrator]

So Brad and David may have been fooling around, to put it lightly, but DNA analysis confirmed he was telling the truth. The contents of the condoms were someone else's, maybe Richie, a guy Brad would call sometimes for company. And it wasn't like Brad was slutting around. In fact, he didn't want another boyfriend. He wanted David. But David asked him to find boyfriends from time to time, almost like decoys, to keep people from knowing about the two of them. So the police would check into this Richie lead and anyone else who might have been there recently. But for now, the detectives would squeeze as much as they could out of David.

[Detective]

How many times? For how long?

[David Kinney]

It was off and on for a long time. It was just kind of like a.

[Detective]

Did he ever tell you he had feelings for you?

[David Kinney]

It was a while back. He came out and, you know, it was me and my wife both. You know, my wife even knows he come out. At one point in time, I did have feelings for him. He said, I understand that you're married and have kids, and my wife was part of that whole situation.

[Detective]

Does she know you guys ever did anything together? When was the last time you guys didn't do anything together?

[David Kinney]

Um, it's been a little while.

[Narrator]

When asked to clarify, it turns out that a little means a few weeks. If you believe him, that is. And when asked the burning question, David said that one thing was off limits. At least that's what he said. Then again, he lied a lot. To his wife and kid. To everyone, actually.

[Detective]

Never had any butt sacks?

[David Kinney]

No, sir. The one thing that was kind of big, he tried to get me, and I told him I didn't want to.

[Detective]

He tried to.

[David Kinney]

He asked me to.

[Detective]

To tune him in the butt?

[David Kinney]

No, he just asked me to. To have sex. Never got to that point.

[Detective]

Never?

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

Okay, well. So you sure it's not going to be your DNA on that call?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

I mean, you need to realize that it is or it isn't.

[Narrator]

The detective was good at making David relax. Probably not as good as Brad was. But I digress. He needed all the information to get to the bottom of what was becoming a mystery. No detail was untouchable, as personal and as explicit as it might be. But there was one thing that David was particularly concerned about his wife finding out. And this was odd, because all of Brad's friends seemed to think she already knew about her husband's affair with him.

[David Kinney]

I don't Know who would have told you that?

[Detective]

She knows four different people unrelated.

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

Brad told them.

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

Brad told them this.

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

Brad lost all that weight because he wanted to keep you.

[David Kinney]

No, sir. My wife has no idea about this.

[Detective]

Brad, did you leave her?

[David Kinney]

No, sir. He's even told me before. Like, I understand. You're not going to leave your wife and kids.

[Narrator]

This interview made soap operas seem boring. So Brad is in love with David, and David is married to a woman with kids. David and Brad are best friends, though. And David appreciates the friendship as well as the favors Brad does for him. Cookouts, holidays and barbecues, a little smoke and a lot of heat. But the interrogation room was a pressure cooker, and the detective was about to crank it up to 11. David was brought in as a witness, but he was starting to look like something else.

[Detective]

You got this wall. Oh, that's not my hand on that guy's ass having sex with him. But look, is there some other dude with your tattoo?

[David Kinney]

No, sir. You showed me that picture. I could hear it. Yeah, I wish you would. That's the picture of it.

[Detective]

It's coming. I'll show you. It's you.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

[Detective]

It's coming.

[Narrator]

It's.

[Detective]

But it's you. I mean, do you think I'm making this shit up?

[David Kinney]

No, sir, But I've never taken any pictures. Pictures of me having sex with something? I have pictures on my phone of me fucking my wife.

[Narrator]

David was telling the truth about that. The picture the detective was describing happened to be a picture of David having sex with his wife. Not a man easy to mistake, I guess, depending on the angle. Yikes. So far, David hadn't confessed. The killer may have been someone else, but David still had some explaining to do. And it was complicated when he had so much more to hide.

[David Kinney]

So you.

[Detective]

You drove by his house. You didn't stop?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir. I drove by his house and he was not home. I put it, and it's in my phone. Sir, I swear to God.

[Detective]

Listen, you drove by, he wasn't home. How long were you there?

[David Kinney]

I wasn't there that long.

[Detective]

How long?

[David Kinney]

I could. I don't know. This is.

Oh, my God.

[Detective]

You're telling me you just drove by. Did you stop at all?

[David Kinney]

I drove by the house.

I pulled off. He was not home.

[Detective]

We're talking seconds, minutes?

[David Kinney]

A couple minutes.

[Detective]

That's it?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir. I even sat there on my phone. I sat there on my phone.

[Narrator]

David said this occurred after he went to Rural King. He stopped by Brad's, waited around For a few minutes and then went home.

[David Kinney]

You guys really. Tim.

[Detective]

David, Kevin. Okay.

[David Kinney]

You guys really think.

[Detective]

Seriously, I'm not going to tell you a thing. I'm going to tell you. David, look at me. I'm gonna tell you. I know. I knew you had something to do with Rastel. What else could it be?

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Sir, I understand how this looks. I've known the man eight years.

[Detective]

Right now, they're gps.

[David Kinney]

Gps?

[Detective]

In your whole day?

[David Kinney]

I've known the man eight years.

[Detective]

How long you were at that house? I'm gonna tell you right now, she is your chance to get in front of this.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

You're not the type of guy that would do something like this.

[David Kinney]

No, sir, I would not kill him.

[Detective]

There's got to be something to it. There's got to be a reason.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God. I would not do this. I would not do this.

[Detective]

You're a father.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

You're a husband.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

You can get in front of this and tell me what the hell happened before I got to put it together.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

We got it all.

[Detective]

It's all on the phone.

[David Kinney]

I do, sir.

Oh, my God.

[Detective]

We know exactly when he was killed.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir, I know.

[Detective]

You were there when he was killed.

[David Kinney]

No, sir. I was not at his house when that man was murdered. Sir, I can.

[Detective]

This is the kind of shit that gets people in trouble.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

[911 Dispatcher]

I know.

[Detective]

Had to get with it, buddy.

[David Kinney]

Sir, what do you want me. I'll tell you anything. I don't know what happened. Oh, my God.

[Detective]

What aren't you telling me?

[David Kinney]

There's nothing I'm not telling you. I did not kill Brad. I did not kill Brad. Oh, my God. No.

[Detective]

What the hell's going on?

[Narrator]

I don't know about the rest of you fellow cis males out there, but listening to Mr. Mackey here wail uncontrollably is a little uncomfortable. Either David was hiding something huge or he was the killer. By the way, what are the awards? Soap operas give out the daytime Emmys. David gets a daytime Emmy. Remember how a minute ago he said, I'll tell you everything? He was just about to do that.

[Detective]

But what I saw there, what I read, what I've been trained to read.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

What I saw, what I believe is somebody panicked and opened all the doors in the house to make it look like something. And it was like, shit, shit, shit, shit. What do I do?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

But I want you to look me straight in the eye and look you. And I want to tell You. If you had anything to do with Brad's death, we will bring you to jail.

[David Kinney]

I know.

[Detective]

So listen to me now and listen to me good. Like you never listen to anybody in your whole life. You understand?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

I'm probably gonna get a lot of grief over this, but I got a theory. I think it might have been an accident.

[Narrator]

David is unraveling, but even now he denies that he killed Brad. Instead, he starts to talk about that day. And now it sounds like maybe there's more to this than anyone realized.

[David Kinney]

When Brad called me, he wanted me to meet up with him at his house before me and the wife and kids came out. Great. So I went to his house and I sat there and I waited on him and I waited on him. And he shows up. He had another guy with him.

I don't know who he was.

I don't know his name. I've sweared on everything that's fucking holy right now.

[Detective]

What happened?

[David Kinney]

He was. They get out of the car, I go walking over. Brad unload the back of his BMW.

[Detective]

And what happened? This is the horror part, isn't it? Damn it.

[David Kinney]

Let it go. I can't.

[Detective]

Look at me. Let it go. Hand it off that chest. You'll feel better, I guarantee.

[David Kinney]

God.

You heard a gunshot.

[Detective]

You were to come.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Then what happened?

[David Kinney]

I went running back to my car.

[Detective]

Uh huh.

[David Kinney]

And the guy came running out of the garage.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

And he got into Brad's BMW.

[Detective]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

And then I left.

[Detective]

Oh, okay, okay.

[David Kinney]

I was so scared.

[Detective]

It's okay.

[David Kinney]

He knew. He knew what I looked like. He eyed my vision, vehicle was there. I did not know what to do.

[Narrator]

At one point, after Detective Alar, here's about the third person, he turns towards the camera and makes a what the fuck? Kind of face.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

So one of the first stories he gave me was, oh, well, I was there and this mysterious person was with Brad. And I heard a gunshot. So I left. And I'm like, okay, well, David, I said, so you hear a gunshot, your dear friends inside, you think something's going on. So you leave, you go home, you get your wife and kid and come back. And he's like, well, this is what happened. So then he's like, well, I was in the basement and this guy got out of Brad's car and you know, he just went crazy and he shot Brad. And he put a gun to my head and told me if I said anything, I'm next. Like, okay, so you go home, you leave there this mysterious one armed man. And he, he didn't really have one arm in the story.

[David Kinney]

Just.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

That's a. That's a reference to the fugitive. I said, so. So. So this guy kills Brad, tells him he's going to kill you, and you leave. He's like, yeah.

[Detective]

I said, so you go home and.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

Get your family and come back to find Brad's body.

[Narrator]

Why? It was still possible that David had just been a bystander, but with every new detail, that was less and less likely.

[Detective]

So a quarter till 10 till 1.

[David Kinney]

Oh, God. I kept saying, I need to call the cops. I need to call the cops. I need to call the cops. I didn't know what happened.

[Detective]

Look at it.

[911 Dispatcher]

I'm a cop.

[Detective]

You're telling me now.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

You know.

[Detective]

Do you know why this guy shot. Shot Brad?

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

What did Brad say this guy was?

[Narrator]

He. It was time to call David out on his.

[Detective]

List.

[David Kinney]

I did not kill Brad. You guys are gonna try to put this on me now?

[Detective]

We gotta one. Armand shows up.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God.

[Detective]

David.

[David Kinney]

The evidence clearly shows me that this guy wasn't there. There was.

[Detective]

Where did he go?

[David Kinney]

Did he fly? Why else. What else would I have?

[911 Dispatcher]

You got the shovel out? What?

[David Kinney]

No, sir. I swear to God, sir, I swear to God, I'll keep it away from.

[Detective]

You because you're gonna get struck by lightning.

[David Kinney]

Oh, my God. This is all coming down on me now because you did it. Oh, sir, I did not kill my danger.

[Detective]

Listen, like I told you, I was all with you there for a while.

[David Kinney]

Sir, I did not kill my best friend.

[Detective]

You're kind of insulting me.

[David Kinney]

I didn't know I killed him, I swear. He's gone, sir. I don't know. Is it your wife? No, sir. You sure? Yes, sir.

[Detective]

I'm gonna have to go ask her.

[David Kinney]

No, sir, that's fine.

[Narrator]

The detective was using every tactic he had, and still David insisted that he wasn't Brad's killer.

[Detective]

I mean, let's level each other. Two guys having a beer at a bar. What the fuck?

[Narrator]

What the fuck indeed. I mean, you could do whatever you want, and I hope you have the right to do whatever you want. And all of the rights that everyone else has, of course, but still. Ew, Right? Next, he points out that the chief of police lives on Brad street and happens to have cameras everywhere. He tells Brad that if he pulls out that footage, he's pretty sure he'll see a BMW pull into the driveway and Brad will be in it, but the seat next to him will be empty. He had just given David numerous opportunities to be truthful his life actually depended on it. But David just wouldn't be straight with him. Pun intended.

[Detective]

I'm not talking. Cause I like to hear me talk. This is serious goddamn shit. You gotta see that. The things you keep telling me. And listen, I'm at the point now. I don't think that you're telling me this stuff because you care about what I think. I'm gonna tell you something. I still hold down a hook. You're not an ass. I'm not taking it. You can't admit it to yourself, what happened. Cause you immediately made up this grandiose story right away.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

And you believed it.

[Detective]

You believed it. You made yourself believe it. Because you can't live with yourself about what happened. Cause he was your best friend and you loved him. He was more than your friend. He was your heart, wasn't he?

[David Kinney]

He and Brad loved each other, but you loved. He was my heart.

[Detective]

You love this man and there's no shame in it. You understand? There ain't no shame in loving somebody, no matter what color they are. They got a dick or three pussies, it doesn't matter.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

You love them.

[Detective]

You love them.

[Narrator]

Those are some pearls of wisdom right there. Finally, it seemed like David was ready to confront himself and tell the detectives what actually happened.

[Detective]

Tell me what happened in front of it.

[David Kinney]

Me and Brad, we were really close.

[Detective]

I know.

[David Kinney]

You know I love them. Not like I do my wife, you know what I mean? But I know I loved him.

[Detective]

What happened?

[David Kinney]

I want you to know before anything, I. I didn't shoot him.

[Detective]

Did you shoot him?

[David Kinney]

I did not shoot him.

[Detective]

Tell me what happened.

[David Kinney]

Somebody did shoot him.

[Detective]

Tell me what happened.

[Narrator]

David tells them that while he's at Brad's, a man he doesn't know comes into the place and starts an argument. And Brad accuses him of taking money. It turns violent.

[Detective]

Listen, I'm gonna run this down.

[David Kinney]

What I'm gonna tell you, sir, it looks like I don't want to shoot him. I can't bring myself to shoot anybody unless my life is threatened.

[VRBO Advertiser]

Okay.

[David Kinney]

There was a big argument.

[911 Dispatcher]

There was.

[David Kinney]

Between whose dick is bigger and the money.

[Detective]

Okay with. Is this guy real?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That guy is real. He and Brad have argued about it before.

[Narrator]

I'm assuming he means that he and Brad argued about this guy before. I wonder what they argued about. Not sure. In any case, it was another false lead. The detective was again sure that footage would show only two people on 358 Wagner Avenue that day. Brad and David. This was a personal issue. Between the two of them. And Detective Villar had a theory it involved stolen money, which was one of the few truths in David's story.

[Detective]

This is some fucking TV movie of the shit stuff here.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

I'm worried. Here's what I think happened. They think that this guy here that you're coming up with and creating. Okay, I'm thinking this is you putting all your guilt into this guy because you can't live with yourself of what happened. Brad's mad at this guy. And you're mad at this guy for stealing Brad's money. Brad accused you of stealing his money. If he did or didn't, that's irrelevant. But Brad accused you taking your money. You were so upset that the man in love thought you accused you, and he's dead, that you totally dumped all your guilt and your accountability into this dude who doesn't exist.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

Okay.

[Detective]

That's some crazy shit, man. I ain't never seen anybody so upset or sick of themselves that they went to this extreme. I was crazy, sir.

[David Kinney]

I didn't shoot him.

[Narrator]

This was yet another lie. And there was still one lie left. This one David hadn't said out loud. Not yet, anyway.

[Elevate Health Advertiser]

We all know those GLP1 injections work wonders. But that price tag almost gave me a heart attack. When my insurance denied coverage, I was staring at a choice between paying my mortgage or paying for weight loss. Talk about a rock and a hard place. Then I found Elevate Health, compounded at just $58 with payment plans that don't require a second mortgage. Same medication, same results, but a price that real folks can actually afford. Visit joinelevate.com today. That's J-O-I-N-E-L-E-V-A T E.com. your wallet will be as happy as your waistline. This medication is not FDA approved.

[Narrator]

Two men in Ohio. David is straight, allegedly married, and has children, and his best friend, Brad, is gay. Somewhere along the way, their friendship crosses a line into a sexual affair. All of Brad's friends know this dj, this man Brad is in love with. But is David in love with Brad? This may never be known. He claims he loves him, but not like he loves his wife. They all say David's wife is onto the whole thing. But David insists she knows nothing other than David confessing to her that Brad has told him how he feels about him. But, hey, honey, no worries, he tells her. I'm not going anywhere and there's nothing going on between us. Winky face, winky face. Now Brad Is dead. And it's looking very much like David is the killer. At the very least, he was present during the time of the murder. So he's either guilty of being an accomplice since he waited to call police, or he's just guilty all the way around. In any case, he knew Brad was lying face down in a pool of blood, dead of gunshot wounds to his head in his basement. And what does David do? He takes his wife and younger daughter to the house, pretending he doesn't know any of this. He subjects his young daughter to the trauma of seeing dead Uncle Brad. But after all the stories and all the lies, Detective Alar was closing in, and David was about to reveal the final version of. Of his truth.

[Detective]

You took your own daughter past the body of a man you knew was dead. And maybe. I don't know if your wife's involved with it or not yet. Okay?

[David Kinney]

No, sir.

[Detective]

We're gonna find out.

[David Kinney]

No, sir, she is not.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

Sir.

[Detective]

We're gonna find this out very shortly. Yes, sir. Do you understand?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

I told you I was gonna look you in the eye and tell you.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

If I had to tell her about you and Brad or not, I heard she already knows. That's what I kept being told today. And listen, these people that I'm talking to and my team's talking to, they don't know each other.

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Okay. It's like Brad's friend from when he was a hairdresser and he worked at a gym salon that doesn't know Brad's cousin who came in from Florida who talked to Brad about all the problems he's having with you at the wedding. Okay, and wait for it. Brad abruptly leaves his dinner with his family, saying he's going to meet. Guess who. Who's he going to meet?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

He's not going to pick up another dude to bring to your house. He says he's going to meet with you because he wants to have sex with you.

[Narrator]

You heard Detective Alar ask if David's wife Sherry was involved. That brings in a whole new layer of suspicion. Though she was never brought in as a suspect, there could only be one reason she would know about this and go along with her husband having a gay affair. The reason is the same reason people have been doing shady things for millennia. Do I have to spell it out?

[911 Dispatcher]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Narrator]

It's money. It's money. The root of all evil. You know, all that. Apparently, Brad paid for all kinds of things for the Kinney family, not just for David. He provided elaborate Birthday parties for the kids. Bought them household gifts, took them out to eat a lot. And get this.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

So one of the things we found out was that, you know, Brad was. Was essentially a part of David's family. The kids called him Uncle Brad. He paid for a lot of things for the Kenny's vacations, birthday parties, things of that nature. Both Sherry and David told us that they were getting ready to go on a cruise together. All of them together, you know, which you think, you know, you're going on a cruise with your wife and your. Your lover at the same time. That made us kind of wonder about Sherry, you know, did she know this was going on?

[Narrator]

So while Sherry's involvement is unconfirmed to this day, that gun is smoking. Speaking of guns, it definitely did not go down the way Brad described. That was his last lie. Trying to say that Brad was waving it at him and he felt threatened, so he took the gun from him. But then what? The threat is gone, right? No more gun pointing at him. So why shoot him not once, but twice.

[David Kinney]

It's hard, you know, when you're with, like, our situation, me and him. I love my wife and kids to death.

[Detective]

You love Brad, too?

[David Kinney]

I did. I mean, real tight, man, real tight.

[Detective]

Did sometimes you think about leaving your wife for him? Okay?

[David Kinney]

I told him numerous times, man, I'm not gonna leave my wife. And they come and come to the conclusion that he understood, okay? But I told him, I said, you know, things are gonna have to start to stop.

[Narrator]

No doubt it was hard, as David put it, but self defense was out of the question. He tried to allege that Brad was slapping him around before pointing the gun in his direction. Keep in mind that Brad was about a foot shorter than David. And not only was David a big guy, a bear, you might say, he was also rugged and muscular, unlike Brad. All he had to do was walk out of the house.

[David Kinney]

He told me, he said, if you end all of this now, then I'm done with you forever. He said, that's it. And I told him, I said, man, we can't just drop each other like this. I said, you're my best friend. I'm your best friend. That's when he said, you need to leave your wife. He said, this has been going on for too long. You need to leave your wife.

[Detective]

Okay?

[David Kinney]

I told him, I said, I'm done. I'm not doing this no more.

[911 Dispatcher]

I'm done.

[Narrator]

David claimed that Brad was guilt tripping him and accusing him of playing with his emotions that he couldn't believe he Wouldn't leave his wife. David claimed he never said anything different than that. And Brad always knew. Maybe parts of this version were true. Maybe David was the man arguing with Brad. Brad wanted him to leave his wife, But David refused. And rather than split up and risk their relationship being outed, he shot him in the head. It's also possible that David was milking Brad for everything he had, including stealing money from him. Someone had stolen money, but the culprit was never proven. And maybe Brad finally called him out on his thievery.

[Detective]

What shooting?

[David Kinney]

He's coming at me with his gun, man. What?

[Detective]

I thought you said you took his gun from him.

[David Kinney]

I did.

[Detective]

So you had another gun?

[David Kinney]

No, the Derringer.

[Detective]

Oh. You take his gun from him?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

You said you shot him?

[David Kinney]

Yes, sir.

[Detective]

Tell me why you shot him.

[David Kinney]

I felt threatened. I'm not gonna lie to you.

[Narrator]

He claimed. I'm not gonna lie to you. Not only did David sit there for hours and hours telling one lie after another, but his whole life was a lie. His whole marriage was tainted with lies. If he felt threatened, it was because he was scared he couldn't have his way. Scared his wife would leave him. Or scared of admitting that maybe he was actually gay. Gasp. I don't know if you know it or not, but it's 2025. Nobody gives a shit. Do whatever you want. Maybe just don't lie to your family and make them live a whole lie that they don't even know about. You know, Be a decent human being. Detective Alar promised David he'd let him know if he had to tell his wife about the affair, assuming she didn't already know. Well, that time had come. It was time to tell his wife.

[Detective]

What the hell is going on?

[David Kinney]

I need to know that you have my back and that everything I'm telling you is the truth. From here. Okay? I love you and the kids. I don't want you to be there for me. Okay? Brad had another gun at the house. He had a.22 Derringer. I went to Brad's house to meet up with him after the wedding. He was fighting with me because he had some money come up missing. And I didn't take no money off Brad. I never stole money from Brad. He always gave me money.

[Detective]

You're done to be.

[David Kinney]

Fuck you. Just listen to me. I went to his house and I told him. I said, listen, from here on out, it's just friends, you and me. It can't be anything more else because Brad is. You know how Brad goes with me. Okay? He flipped out. Listen to me. Please. Just let me talk. Sherry, will you please let me talk? He flipped out on me and he grabbed the.22 Derringer. And before he even did that, he slapped me around a little bit. After I told him this was it, okay?

[Detective]

You were fucking kidding me.

[David Kinney]

Listen.

I kidding.

[Narrator]

I wouldn't.

[David Kinney]

He came at me with that gun, okay? He came at me with that gun because he wanted me to leave you guys. I told him no, he'd come at me with that gun. I defeated myself.

No, don't.

Sherry. I was fucking scared. I didn't know what to do. I was scared. I didn't know what to do.

[Narrator]

She knew. She knew. You can tell. She may have been lying to herself and everyone around her, but she knew deep down David was scared. But he wasn't scared of Brad. He was scared of everything but Brad. He continued to lie repeatedly to his wife for the next half an hour, only admitting what she probably already knew, that he and Brad had fooled around. But it had been a while, he said, since they had. The only real question she had for David was how long had it been? She desperately wanted to know the last time they had sex together. Probably because she did know about the affair. And David had likely made promises of stopping before, but didn't. But Sherry finally gave in and told him she'd be there for him and to stay strong. They embraced each other for a long hug, they kissed several times, they told each other they loved each other. And David went to jail.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

You know, I've had harder trials, but it was a rough trial. We thought we had a, you know, still think we had a really good case, but you never know. You never know what a jury's going to do. But at the end of the day, you know, you present a good case, you get a good result. And this was a good case. I mean, everybody played by the rules, colored in the lines. There was nothing out there that we were worried about. I think David thought that his self defense story would win the day, but it was just so ridiculous that no one bought it. I know one thing that that was talked about or prosecutor deciding to charge David with aggravated murder. We believe that's what it was. But could we prove prior calculation and design? Can we prove that he went there with the intention to kill? There was a lot of evidence support that, but that, that was definitely a hot topic issue with the trial. And defense counsel, who did an excellent job, really tried to keep that from happening, but, you know, the evidence won the day and he was convicted on everything we charged him with.

[Narrator]

Finally we get to the truth of what actually happened. Here it is. Brad was shot twice in the back of the head. The first bullet entered near the crown at a downward angle, as if he were turning or crouching. He would have lived after this one. The second one hit lower, driving forward into his skull. He never saw it coming. Brad was found face down in the basement, lying in his blood near his hot tub. There were bruises on his face. His phone was still in his pocket. Nothing in the house had been stolen, but the drawers were open, like someone had tried to make it look that way. David Kinney would claim it was self defense and that Brad had confronted him, things had gotten heated, and he pulled the trigger out of fear. But the evidence suggested a very different story. There were zero signs of a struggle. No defensive wounds, Just two bullets to the back of the head. And David had brought the gun with him that day. To anyone's best guess, Brad didn't even own a derringer.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

So, I mean, the only other thing about the scene that we had was that basement was very cluttered. And we knew at the time we were dealing with a small caliber, but we didn't know how small. But typically, laws of averages, when you're dealing with small caliber, it's probably gonna be a.22. So we're looking for shell casings. And I think for the next week, we, we searched that basement. At one point, we actually took everything out of that basement. Every thing, every box, everything, period. And look for shell casings. Never found any. So typically that'll tell us that you're probably dealing with a revolver or someone found the shell casings and picked them up. One of David's many stories was that he took Brad's derringer off of him, which, which is a revolver or a contained weapon, depending on the model and where the casings stay in the weapon after they're fired. And that's what he. He shot him with. But I, you know, I just don't know. I know. I believe that David took a weapon there to kill Brad. You know, it was his plan to kill him. I mean, I think that the evidence supports that most definitely. So we don't know what kind of gun it was. Just it was a.22. Not for sure.

[Narrator]

To detectives, it wasn't panic, it was fear. It was a plan. David claimed he chucked the gun in a certain location along the highway, but it was never found. We asked Detective Alar for his take on David's character.

[Detective Ryan Aller]

I think there's a little bit of a monster in everybody and some are worse than others. And, you know, like I said before, I understand. You know, I know I've been. There's been several times in my life where if things blew a different way, I might have been capable of murder. I think everybody, if they're honest with their self, they can agree with that. And, you know, it's the fact that you gotta. You gotta tame your own monster, you know, and you get to that point, you know, you can either be a decent human being and you let the monster win. And in this case, you know, David Kenney let the monster win.

[Narrator]

David Kinney, the Flaming Queen was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus three years for the firearm. His wife was cleared of any involvement with the murder. For a time, it appears she stayed by his side. They were still married for several years after his conviction. But by 2024, her life had taken a different turn. Public posts suggested she eventually remarried quietly. Moving on from the man at the center of one of Ohio's most intimate betrayals. There's no public word on how her children have coped either by the loss of their dad or Uncle Brad. But one can only hope they've had support and counseling needed to navigate away from something so ugly. This wasn't just a story about murder. It was a story about betrayal. It was about trust fractured across every layer of small town life. It was about the damage that a secret can do to a family when it's fed, protected, and finally exposed. That does it for another one. Go check out our merch store now that the holidays are coming up. And if you like what we do here, you can find a whole lot more of it on our iPhone and Android app or our website, swordandscale.com.

[Elevate Health Advertiser]

We all know those GLP1 injections work wonders. But that price tag almost gave me a heart attack. When my insurance denied coverage, I was staring at a choice between paying my mortgage or paying for weight loss. Talk about a rock and a hard place. Then I found Elevate Health compounded semaglutide at just $58 with payment plans that don't require a second mortgage. Same medication, same results, but a price that real folks can actually afford. Visit joinelevate.com today. That's J O I N E L E V A T e dot com. Your wallet will be as happy as your waistline. This medication is not FDA approved.