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Episode 5: Glenna - The Peacemaker | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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Episode 5: Glenna

The Peacemaker

Tue Nov 11 2025

Summary

The Peacemaker – Episode 5: Glenna (November 11, 2025)

Episode Overview

Episode 5 of The Peacemaker, hosted by Ben Westhoff and Ryan Krull, shifts focus from the infamous suicide cluster at Truman State University's Alpha Kappa Lambda house to a tragic related death—that of Glenna Hott. Glenna was a 29-year-old bartender and dog trainer, who died of liver failure in the same Kirksville apartment where one of the fraternity suicides occurred, and under circumstances that again involved Brandon Grossheim, the recurring central figure of the series. This episode explores Glenna's troubled life, her struggles with addiction, her connection to Brandon, and the lingering suspicions and controversies surrounding her final hours.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Glenna as the "Fifth" Death

Glenna Hott's death is introduced as both similar to and different from the previous suicides: she was not a young male college student and didn't die by suicide in the classical sense, but was still tied to the broader milieu of tragedy around the Alpha Kappa Lambda cluster (03:05).
Notably, she died in the same room as Alex Vogt, the third suicide victim, just five months after his death.

2. Glenna's Backstory: A Troubled Young Woman

Interview with her father, Skip, and stepmother, Gayla, paints a portrait of Glenna as an animal-loving "wild child" shaped by chaotic and alcoholic family dynamics on both parental sides (06:43–07:47).
- Skip: "She was a wild child. Not in a bad way, but, you know, and she didn't study well." (07:09)
Glenna struggled with both alcoholism and heroin addiction, leading her from St. Louis to Kirksville in an attempt to escape the substances that consumed her (08:09–08:55).

3. Love, Isolation, and Attempts at Recovery

After a stint in rehab and ongoing struggles with alcohol, Glenna followed her then-boyfriend Cody to Kirksville, both eventually working at local bar The Wooden Nickel (08:55–10:03).
Glenna formed a new relationship with Terry Yardley, a local motorcycle club member ("Smokey"), who recounts their whirlwind romance and attempts to help her recover (10:18–11:49).
The environment at the Journal Building, where much of the tragedy occurred, is depicted as a hub of "non-stop debauchery," substance use, and easy access to alcohol (12:09–15:08).

4. The Journal Building: A Cursed Environment?

The Journal Building, across from The Wooden Nickel, becomes a focal point—a beautiful historic building on the outside, but "party central" and deeply troubled within (12:09–15:08).
After Alex Vogt's suicide, Glenna's ex-boyfriend Cody moves into his old room, which soon becomes Glenna's final place of residence as well (16:12–16:36).

5. Glenna’s Final Days and Declining Health

Glenna's alcoholism reaches life-threatening levels. A doctor at DePaul Hospital warns Terry that if she drinks again, she’ll die from liver failure (17:33).
- Terry: "If she drinks again, she will die." (17:33)
Despite this, Glenna relapses on July 3, 2017, leading to a breakup with Terry and her moving back to Cody's apartment with plans to talk things out later (18:36–19:22).

6. The Fatal Afternoon: What Happened?

Disputes persist about Glenna's last hours. She is left at Cody’s (who is away), while Terry expects to see her later that day—only to find police at the scene when he arrives (19:43).
Brandon Grossheim is revealed, once again, as the last person to see the victim alive (19:43).

7. Brandon Grossheim’s Account

Brandon claims he heard a loud thump and went to check on Glenna, finding her lying on the floor, wincing in pain from an apparent fall. He asks if she’s okay; she insists she is and requests him to leave, which he does without calling 911 (25:28–27:18).
- Brandon: "She said that she tripped and fell and hit her head... she said, yeah, I promise you, I'm fine. Just go." (26:41–27:18)
The police question why he did not summon help for someone clearly in distress, especially given her imminently fatal condition (27:42).

8. The Investigation and Unanswered Questions

Glenna’s ex-boyfriend Cody finds her body upon returning at 4:30 p.m.—she is naked except for underwear, with bruises and surrounded by medication and empty alcohol bottles (32:04).
Police question Brandon about scratches and possible involvement. He claims they’re from cats and a work accident, and resists providing a DNA sample without further cause (33:52–36:44).
Brandon notably insists he didn't know Glenna personally, despite evidence to the contrary and shared friend circles (38:02–39:46).
- Terry: "There's no way he didn't know who she was... wouldn't he have acted a little bit different when he walked into Cody's apartment and saw somebody he didn't know?" (39:13)

9. The Aftermath: Anguish, Skepticism, and Suspicions

Glenna’s family and boyfriend continue to doubt the completeness and integrity of the investigation, asking basic questions like why Brandon didn’t call 911:
- Skip: "If she's alive when the guy supposedly left... why didn't he call 911? That has always boggled my mind." (41:06–41:31)
Terry expresses his continuing anger and frustration:
- Terry: "What the fuck happened? That would be my main and only question, really. Why didn't you do more?" (43:32)
The hosts and family all note the disturbing pattern of deaths in proximity to Brandon Grossheim and the recurring oddities in his behavior, suggesting more questions than answers persist (44:05).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Glenna's background:
- Skip: "Her mother was a very bad mother. And her stepfather, they were both alcoholics to the extreme... I think that really shaped Glenna's outlook on life to some extent." (07:24)
On attempts to save her:
- Terry: "If she drinks again, she will die." (17:33)
- Ben (reflecting): "If I came across somebody that was obviously that intoxicated and had taken a bad fall, I don't think I would just leave. Even if they said, don't call 911..." (41:31)
On Brandon’s denial:
- Brandon: "I want to say her name is Cara. I'm not really sure... I just knew she looked familiar. I figured she was one of Cody's friends." (38:05–38:25)
Terry’s anger:
- Terry: "I better hope I never run into him ever again because I have a lot of questions that need answered..." (43:18)
- "What the fuck happened? Why didn't you do more?" (43:32)
On the investigation's shortcomings:
- Ben: "I wasn't really satisfied with the investigation of her death. Again, just too many unanswered questions." (44:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

03:05 – Introduction to Glenna Hott and the circumstances of her death
06:43 – Interview with Glenna’s father and discussion of her childhood
08:55 – Glenna’s move to Kirksville to escape heroin addiction
10:18 – Terry describes meeting and falling for Glenna
12:09 – The Journal Building’s party scene and residents
17:33 – The medical warning: Glenna’s life in jeopardy due to alcohol
18:36 – Glenna’s relapse, breakup, and being dropped off at Cody’s
19:43 – Last known hours before death and Brandon’s involvement
25:28 – Brandon’s account of his interaction with Glenna
32:04 – Discovery of Glenna’s body and police arrival
38:02 – Brandon’s interviews with police (claims not to know Glenna)
41:06 – Glenna’s father and family’s unanswered questions
43:18 – Terry’s fury and unresolved questions for Brandon
44:05 – Host Ben expresses lingering doubts; foreshadowing next episode

Episode Tone and Language

The language is frank, empathetic, and at times blunt, reflecting both the grief of Glenna’s loved ones and the ongoing confusion and suspicion around her death. The hosts blend investigative skepticism with sensitivity—never shying away from the tough, awkward truths, but giving plenty of space for the personal pain and frustration of the families involved.

Conclusion

Episode 5 deepens the complex tragedy surrounding Kirksville’s suicide cluster, broadening its scope to include those drawn into its orbit. Glenna’s story is one of generational addiction, missed opportunities for intervention, overlapping relationships—and the shadowy presence of Brandon Grossheim. The investigation’s ambiguities and loose ends leave listeners with the same aching questions as Glenna’s family and friends, setting up further exploration in subsequent episodes.

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Transcript

Ben Westoff (0:00)

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Ryan Krall (0:02)

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Narrator / Host (Ben Westoff) (3:05)

A warning. This episode discusses youth, depression and suicide. These topics may be distressing for some listeners. When I first heard about the Kirksville suicide cluster, I could hardly believe it. The fact that four young men killed themselves in such quick succession was incredibly tragic. And the fact that they all had a friend in common, Brandon Grossheim, was quite eerie. But in a way, it was the fifth Kirksville death that was the most shocking to me. While in some ways it was completely different than the others, in some ways it wasn't. You might be wondering why we haven't discussed the fifth death on this podcast yet. Well, for one thing, that's because it wasn't a suicide. At least not a suicide in the way we usually think about suicides. The victim died of liver failure. It seems she drank herself to death. And she was an outlier in other ways too. The first four victims all killed themselves by hanging. They were all guys. Many of them knew each other. But this fifth victim, this young woman, was an outsider. She had no connection to the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house. She was not a high flying Truman State student with a potentially bright future ahead of her. Her name was Glenna Haught. She was a 29 year old bartender and dog trainer, a down on her luck troubled soul who'd come to Kirksville for a fresh start. And yet, despite having a different background than the other victims, she still managed to get caught up in the same toxic milieu. In fact, Glenna died in the same Kirksville apartment as the third suicide victim, Alex Vogt. The exact same room. And it happened just five months after Alex's death. But to me, the strangest part was what happened just before her death. Because right before she died, and I'm talking like minutes before her death, she had a bizarre interaction with one of the apartment building's tenants. Guess who? Yep, it was Brandon Grossheim. This podcast series Tells the story of the most infamous suicide cluster in American history. It's a production of I Heart podcasts and Cool Fire Studios. I'm your host, Ben Westoff, along with Ryan Krall. This is the Peacemaker. I wanted to try to understand Glenna and her situation, to know how she got caught up with Brandon and his tragedy. And so producer Ryan and I sat down with her father, known as Skip, and her stepmother named Gayla, who live in St. Louis, where Glenna grew up. They'd, of course, been grieving since her death in 2017, but had never spoken publicly about Glenna. When we welcomed Skip into our studio, he seemed overwhelmed. Perhaps it was all the microphones and equipment, or perhaps it was the fact that someone was finally invested in his daughter's story. But soon, Skip and Gayla settled in and talked to us about Glenna's childhood.