424: Love You to Death: Playbook for Murder

Summary

True Crime Obsessed - Episode 424: "Love You to Death: Playbook for Murder"

Introduction

In episode 424 of True Crime Obsessed, titled "Love You to Death: Playbook for Murder", the hosts delve into a harrowing true crime case that intertwines love, obsession, and meticulous planning. This episode unpacks the tragic story of Patrick De La Cerda, his fiance Jessica, and the perpetrator Gregory Bender. Through insightful discussions, the hosts explore the complexities of the case, the investigation process, and the aftermath of the legal proceedings.

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Overview of the Case

The episode centers around the brutal murder of Patrick De La Cerda on February 27, 2018, in South Florida. Patrick, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, was found dead on his family's expansive property. The investigation initially left friends and family baffled, as Patrick was perceived as a loving fiance and a respected member of his community.

Key Events and Timeline

1. Background of Patrick and Jessica

   • Patrick De La Cerda was born on June 4, 1992, in Miami. He was deeply involved in his family's construction business alongside his brother Bryce and father Max.
   • In June 2017, Patrick met Jessica Devnani through a dating app. They quickly became engaged after five months of dating, with Jessica describing Patrick as "the extrovert" who complemented her introverted nature. (Timestamp: 12:30)

2. Jessica's Past and Gregory Bender's Obsession

   • Jessica had a tumultuous eight-year relationship with Gregory Bender, a 42-year-old man who became increasingly obsessive after their breakup. Gregory's behavior escalated from persistent calls and texts to threats, culminating in a restraining order filed by Jessica in December 2017. (Timestamp: 37:00)
   • Despite the restraining order, Gregory continued his harassment, violating its terms by calling Jessica on the day of Patrick's murder. (Timestamp: 38:10)

3. The Day of the Murder

   • On the morning of February 27, 2018, South Florida was the setting for Patrick's tragic demise. Gregory posed as a delivery person to gain access to Patrick's home, taking advantage of the family's gated property designed to deter unwanted visitors. (Timestamp: 44:42)
   • Gregory used an AR15 rifle, firing four shots and killing Patrick before attempting to erase evidence by removing camera footage from the property’s surveillance system. (Timestamp: 16:45)

Investigation and Evidence

The investigation into Patrick's murder revealed several critical pieces of evidence linking Gregory Bender to the crime:

• Cell Phone Records: Gregory’s phone location placed him at the scene during the time of the murder. (Timestamp: 34:14)

• Ammunition Traces: Shell casings found at the crime scene matched those found in Gregory’s possession, including a 300 Blackout ammunition type used in assault rifles like the AR15. (Timestamp: 53:26)

• Stalking Notebooks: Authorities discovered multiple notebooks in Gregory’s home detailing his plans to kill Patrick. These notebooks included maps, to-do lists, and strategies to avoid leaving forensic evidence, such as “putting duct tape on the bottom of a second pair of shoes” to prevent leaving footprints. (Timestamp: 54:00)

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Notable Quotes

Throughout the episode, the hosts provide poignant insights and reactions to the unfolding case:

• Julie Metavale: “If you’re listening to this, you’re doing a great job.” (Timestamp: 62:52)

• Patrick Hines: “Most murders are committed by people that you know. But having an entire family involved is definitely a rare sight.” (Timestamp: 64:35)

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Trial and Legal Proceedings

In May 2021, Gregory Bender faced trial for the first-degree murder of Patrick De La Cerda. The prosecution presented compelling evidence, including:

• Handwritten Murder Plot: The detailed notebooks Gregory kept were pivotal in establishing premeditation.

• Physical Evidence: The matching shell casings and Gregory’s arsenal of firearms found in his home solidified the case against him. (Timestamp: 53:26)

• Restraint Order Violations: Gregory’s repeated breaches of the restraining order underscored his persistent obsession and disregard for legal boundaries. (Timestamp: 39:43)

Despite attempts by the defense to downplay the evidence, such as arguing the absence of live surveillance footage and the alleged accidental nature of Gregory’s calls, the jury found Gregory guilty of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (Timestamp: 61:55)

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Conclusions and Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections on the case's profound impact:

• Lack of Closure: While Gregory was convicted, the hosts express frustration over the enduring pain for Jessica and Patrick's family. (Timestamp: 62:24)

• Prevention and Legal Loopholes: The hosts discuss the systemic issues that allowed Gregory to continue his harassment despite legal interventions, questioning why restraining orders do not automatically enforce the surrender of firearms. (Timestamp: 52:06)

• Emotional Toll: Jessica's ordeal highlights the emotional and psychological strain victims of stalking and harassment endure, emphasizing the need for more robust protective measures. (Timestamp: 39:10)

Final Thoughts

"Love You to Death: Playbook for Murder" serves as a stark reminder of how hidden obsessions can lead to unimaginable tragedies. Through engaging storytelling and critical analysis, True Crime Obsessed not only narrates the sequence of events but also prompts listeners to consider the broader implications of such crimes on victims and their loved ones.

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Notable Sections Skipped

The transcript includes multiple segments featuring promotions for various products and services, such as Home Chef, Helix Sleep, Ollie, Chime, and Shopify. These sections were omitted from the summary to maintain focus on the true crime content as per the provided instructions.

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Conclusion

Episode 424 of True Crime Obsessed offers a comprehensive exploration of a meticulously planned murder driven by obsession. By weaving together factual recounting and insightful commentary, the episode sheds light on the complexities of the criminal justice system and the enduring quest for justice and closure among victims' families.

Transcript

[Patrick Hines]

On one of our YouTube videos, there was one of the episodes where I didn't turn my camera on for, like, the first minute. And so it shows you. And then it's like a picture of me being like, I forgot to turn on my camera. And it gets back to you. I forgot to turn on my camera. Aaron is very funny.

[Julie Metavale]

Aaron is very funny. Hi.

[Patrick Hines]

Julie Metavale.

[Julie Metavale]

Hello. Patrick Hines.

[Patrick Hines]

So, fam. As you know, I am on tour right now. The next batch of cities I'm coming to are Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis. So I'm all over the place. I love it so much. The way that it works is I'm doing a little show for like an hour, making a laugh, telling a story about when Bea Arthur got drunk and was really mean to me.

[Julie Metavale]

Okay.

[Patrick Hines]

And then we all go to the bar where we're just, like, hanging out, making friends, taking pictures, drinking all night.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And it's great. I'm just seeing all these new friendships happen. People have stickers to wear if they're traveling solo.

[Julie Metavale]

So nice.

[Patrick Hines]

It's really great. People are just, like, scooping up new people. And it's really good. It's really just meant to bring the TCO fam together for an evening. And we're having a great time. So.

[Julie Metavale]

Amazing.

[Patrick Hines]

Please come and see me. Patricktours.com is where you can get the link for tickets. You can also just click click the link in the show notes.

[Julie Metavale]

I love a really concise website name.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God.

[Julie Metavale]

Tell me exactly what it is.

[Patrick Hines]

But, like, that's all it will ever be.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. But I love it.

[Patrick Hines]

If I ever stop touring, it's like Patrick says, hi dot com.

[Julie Metavale]

Simple, to the point. That's Fiona's Instagram. Fiona's Instagram is. Fiona says hi.

[Patrick Hines]

Is that right?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

I thought it was Fiona, Roy.

[Julie Metavale]

It was. And then I was.

[Patrick Hines]

I always got off steroids.

[Julie Metavale]

And that's exactly why I was like, we got to change this. I never liked it.

[Patrick Hines]

Just quickly. Also, YouTube, please go check out our YouTube channel if you want to see full, full, full episodes. It's really. I watch them. It's really fun.

[Julie Metavale]

They're very fun.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

It's a whole new.

[Patrick Hines]

But it's not for you to watch.

[Julie Metavale]

I watch them because I got a spoiler creek. But it's not, like, for fun.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. You look so pretty on the videos.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, thanks. So do you.

[Patrick Hines]

I always say, I wish you could see you the way I see you. Because I always am like, God damn it, she's so pretty.

[Julie Metavale]

We're Always so amazing to everyone else. And then it comes to ourselves.

[Patrick Hines]

I know.

[Julie Metavale]

Meanest people ever.

[Patrick Hines]

I know. Well, anyway, what are we watching today, girl? What are we talking about today?

[Julie Metavale]

Well, what we watched and then we'll be talking about. It's called love you to death playbook for murder. It is on Amazon. It's on Apple tv.

[Jessica Devnani]

He was lying on the floor with a pool of blood. And that image is never going to be erased from my head.

[Gregory Bender]

This was a planned out execution where somebody did not leave a lot of evidence behind.

[Max]

As police attempt to find the killer, a trio of potential suspects emerges.

[Damara]

The victim thinks she's in her perfect relationship with her dream person and things.

[Julie Metavale]

Are never as they appear.

[Damara]

There was a lot of things that she did not know about him.

[Gregory Bender]

You wouldn't look at him and think, this is the type of man that would murder somebody brutally, coldly.

[Julie Metavale]

In my career over the 30 plus.

[Gregory Bender]

Years I've been in law enforcement, this is the first time I've ever experienced that.

[Damara]

This is one of those true crime cases where it can actually happen to you.

[Patrick Hines]

This one is a real doozy. How did you find this?

[Julie Metavale]

I found it. It was served to me. It was suggested and it was definitely a couple of listeners reached out about it because this piece of shit is such a fudgeing idiot.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

So we love when they literally.

[Patrick Hines]

We do love when they're stupid and.

[Julie Metavale]

This guy is like supremely stupid. Very, very creepy and like the worst. And fudgeing evil, but also a true moron. Yeah, so that's always a little bit we get.

[Patrick Hines]

Somebody kind of tries to nicely compare this guy to Elon Musk. At one point it was like, he's so smart. Just like Elon Musk. I'm like, what it two minutes to catch this guy?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, also Elon Musk.

[Patrick Hines]

I know. It's just like, how old is this thing?

[Julie Metavale]

Guess what, spoiler. It came out last year 2024.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, look, we start on February 27, 2018. Panic is setting in for Jessica Devnani.

[Max]

Despite numerous phone calls over the last three hours, she is unable to reach her fiance, Patrick Delacerta.

[Jessica Devnani]

I knew that something was terribly wrong. I just knew it. And I tried to call Patrick over and over again and there was no answer.

[Patrick Hines]

And then Jessica's here. And I was like, oh, my God, she's not our victim. It's so unusual that it's not. The woman at the center of the.

[Julie Metavale]

Story, she has this very cool and intricate eye makeup on. It's like pink and green.

[Patrick Hines]

It's Beautiful.

[Julie Metavale]

I could never. I'd have to pay someone to do that for me. I could never do that.

[Patrick Hines]

Daisy is Jessica getting into makeup. And because I've never done makeup, I can't really help her. So she's kind of just going into her room.

[Julie Metavale]

That's great.

[Patrick Hines]

And coming out with a face.

[Julie Metavale]

Look, you know me. I'm learn by doing. I love it.

[Patrick Hines]

She also has a bunch of gowns like she wanted, not dresses for Christmas, but, like, gowns. So now when we go out for. For like our casual Mexican on Saturdays, she'll get into one of her gowns with her opera gloves and her face full of makeup, and it's kind of wild.

[Julie Metavale]

Live your life. I love it.

[Patrick Hines]

I know.

[Julie Metavale]

Wear what you want. Live what you want.

[Patrick Hines]

When we walk into, like, the casual Mexican joint with her opera gloves, it's just wild. It's like, tell me you're raising your kid in the gayest part of the gayest city without telling me you're raising your kid in the gayest part of the gayest city.

[Julie Metavale]

You don't have to.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, you just did.

[Julie Metavale]

Or you just did. Whatever the answer is. So Jessica is in a total panic. It's been hours. She can't get ahold of Patrick, so she calls Bryce, who's Patrick's. And Bryce is here with us today.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

So Bryce calls their father, their father calls the father's girlfriend, and her name is Shannon.

[Patrick Hines]

We learned that Patrick has been living on his dad's property. His dad has a sprawling 6 acre property in South Florida.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, he has his own house. It's like the guest house on the property.

[Patrick Hines]

And like, the guest house is like on top of the barn. It's crazy. Like, this property is massive. But Shannon, the dad's girlfriend, goes to see what's going on and gets there, like, just to find Patrick dead, because.

[Julie Metavale]

She lives the closest. So it's kind of an all hands on deck thing. And Shannon. Shannon is like, called up. So Max is the dad, and Max calls Shannon and he's like, shannon, please, like, can you go over? Because everyone is far away.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, and she. Shannon, we hear the 911 call. She, like, everyone on this 911 call is as calm as I've ever heard. Yeah, nine, 1 1.

[Julie Metavale]

Where's your emergency? My boyfriend's son has been shot and killed. When did that happen? I don't know.

[Patrick Hines]

You don't want to drink cpr, correct?

[Julie Metavale]

No. No. He's dead.

[Patrick Hines]

He's cold. It was like, unsettlingly calm, but, like, it's just clear that he's been murdered in a really violent way. He's like on the stairs. We see crime scene photos only from like the waist down. But you can see that this has clearly been a brutal killing.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. Travel down the road.

[Patrick Hines]

Back again, girl. Home Chef is back. You got a story. Didn't Fiona get into your Home Chef?

[Julie Metavale]

Fiona likes. So here's the thing. We love Home Chef at home because it's, you know, users of leading meal kits have rated Home Chef number one in quality, convenience, value, taste, and recipe ease.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, yeah. That came out like nothing.

[Julie Metavale]

I know. And Fiona likes it. Fiona, my dog, likes it because she likes scavenging.

[Patrick Hines]

Yay.

[Julie Metavale]

Even the dogs like it. But you got to be careful. Don't let them have a piece of things that fall on the floor. It's not good for them, but it's good for you and yourself to eat.

[Patrick Hines]

You're really nailing it today.

[Julie Metavale]

Thank you.

[Patrick Hines]

It's going to save you so much money. Not only are there like all different kinds of recipes and all different kinds of things to choose from, it's new, exciting stuff every day, every week. Your dinner is chosen for you ahead of time, but it saves you a ton of money.

[Julie Metavale]

They also have all different options. So you can get like the classic meal kits with pre portioned ingredients. That's like kind of old school. You have the quick 30 minute recipes. You have oven ready options that you just throw in the oven. You have microwavable meals. Guess what? You throw it in the microwave.

[Patrick Hines]

I just want to go back to this. Home Chef customers save an average of $86 per month on groceries. That's not even talking about ordering out like the amount of money you can throw away on seamless if you don't have Home Chef in the fridge.

[Julie Metavale]

And it's also wasteful. Like with this, you're eating everything that is being said to you instead of wasting money and like resources at the grocery store.

[Patrick Hines]

We have literally been on this for years. We are never looking back.

[Julie Metavale]

It's the best. It's the best.

[Patrick Hines]

So vamp. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering our listeners 50% off and free shipping for your first box. Plus free dessert for life.

[Julie Metavale]

Go to homechef.com TCO that's home chef.com.

[Patrick Hines]

TCO for 50% off your first bucks and free dessert for life.

[Julie Metavale]

Homechef.com TCO must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

[Patrick Hines]

You always come up with the rules at the end.

[Julie Metavale]

I know. Also 50% off. 50. That's incredible. My God. So, fiance Jessica arrives and she's, like, heartbroken.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Totally devastated. This image will never be erased from her mind. It's like everyone just is. Is, like, all running to the house. Shannon got there first, sees this horrible scene, calls everyone, and then poor Jessica walks in and, like, her worst nightmare has just come true.

[Patrick Hines]

And, like, we're gonna learn. Patrick and Jessica were, like, soul mates.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

They, like, we'll get there in a minute. But, like, I mean, incredibly devastating to get there and, like, have to see the carnage of your. Like, your.

[Julie Metavale]

And no one knows how or why this happened. Because Patrick's awesome.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

So we learn about Patrick. He was born on June 4, 1992, in Miami. He and his brother Bryce are super close. And Bryce is here to say we were normal kids growing up in a.

[Patrick Hines]

Big house with a big yard, plenty of pets and animals and things to entertain ourselves with. We were always in the garden exploring, looking for bugs and animals and snakes and reptiles.

[Julie Metavale]

Boy, shit, in Florida, I was.

[Patrick Hines]

I've said this, like, in the last couple weeks. That was me. I was, like, running. I mean, I used to collect snakes and toads and salamanders and stuff.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know. Changed, like, when.

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know what changed.

[Patrick Hines]

Jesus decided that I was going to be gay. He made me real gay. And, like, you can't do both. I can't. No, I can't.

[Julie Metavale]

It's like, you can't do both, but you can do both.

[Patrick Hines]

Other gays can do both. Other people gay may not.

[Julie Metavale]

No.

[Patrick Hines]

The joy of it is no longer exists within me.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. No, no, no. I love a good salamander. You, like, you're at a restaurant on the beach, and, like, a little salamander comes up and you're like, hey, girl, want some of this chutney? I probably shouldn't feed you, whatever.

[Patrick Hines]

The chutney. What are you eating that has chutney?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know. Something. That's a very specific experience. Mike and I were on vacation, and there was, like, a little. There' ramekin of, like, something.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay.

[Julie Metavale]

That came with my, like, burrito or something. And this little salamander was super into it. And I was not into it.

[Patrick Hines]

No.

[Julie Metavale]

So I was just like, hey, chubby.

[Patrick Hines]

Can be delicious, but it can also be not delicious.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. I just wasn't into it for whatever reason. I was like, do you have, like, ranch or, like, chipotle mayo for this basic bitch over here? But the salamander was super into it. And then I was torn. Cause I was like, I want this little guy to be happy.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

But I also don't want this little salamander to get sick either. It, like, ruined the whole day.

[Patrick Hines]

Don't feed the salamanders.

[Julie Metavale]

I didn't know what to do. But Bryce and Patrick also really loved anything that had to do with mechanics, cars, motorcycles. They were, like, taking things apart.

[Patrick Hines]

Once again, not my ministry.

[Julie Metavale]

I know they wanted to have their own business together. And I'm like, oh, my Friday Night Lights. People like Riggins Rigs, like Tim Riggins and Billy Riggins were gonna like, I love it. And then it all fell apart.

[Patrick Hines]

Because I want their business to be called, like, Cute Brothers Construction or something. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Cause they were Riggins, so it's like, Riggins Riggs.

[Patrick Hines]

I love that.

[Julie Metavale]

And then Tim would be like, come on. Billy got Riggins Rigs. That's what I'm talking about.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, the thing that really sucks here is that, like, when they're teenagers, their parents get div.

[Julie Metavale]

When their parents got separated, they were in middle school. The two boys were actually split up. One went to live with mom, one went to live with dad. In 2002, Patrick goes to live with their father, and Bryce goes to live with their mother. It sounds like everyone was cool with that plan.

[Patrick Hines]

Well, but there's definitely a little bit of sadness when Bryce is talking about, like, they loved each other.

[Julie Metavale]

It's a bummer. Cause we just got 10 minutes of, like, how they did everything together and they liked all the same things.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

But I wonder if, like, because they thought. I mean, he was only 10. Patrick was only 10 when this happened.

[Patrick Hines]

I just can't imagine splitting at the Brothers. Like, that's terrible.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, I would love to know. I'm not being shady about it. I'm just curious, like, what that conversation was. Like, that's not really why we're here. But I'd just be interested to know if that was okay or, like, how you came to that conclusion. Because Max, the dad, seems great also.

[Patrick Hines]

And they all seem close now. I don't know. But eventually, Patrick does go into business with his dad. Like, in a construction business. Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And Patrick was, like, always had luck with the ladies, as they say.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, one look at this guy, like, he was just, like, a beautiful, young, fit kid. Like, he just. You know, and. But, like, he also. What the word? He's got the Riz.

[Julie Metavale]

He's got.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, he def. You can even just see in the pictures, the Riz oozing out of the pores.

[Julie Metavale]

We Hear a voicemail from him and I'm like, oh, like, you kind of. His personality really comes through in that voicemail, which is a heartbreaking voicemail looking back on it. But you're like, oh, this is the guy.

[Patrick Hines]

And even in pictures, you can just tell, like, he's the guy in the room that's, like, always having a good time and, like, checking on people and just like, you know, like, the good guy. Like, he's the guy. In my opinion, as a dad of a young girl, like, if she ended up, like, dating a boy like that, I'd be thrilled.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Well, In June of 2017, Patrick Cedric meets Jessica, aka the one on an app.

[Patrick Hines]

She decides to date boys. I'm not saying anything about. I'm just saying if she decides to date boys and she ends up with a boy like that, I'd be thrilled.

[Julie Metavale]

Okay, great.

[Patrick Hines]

That's what I'm saying.

[Julie Metavale]

I don't think anyone's really. We're doing that. Everyone. We're nitpicking that Context clues. Media literacy, is it. Fucking dead is dead.

[Patrick Hines]

If my daughter came out of the closet and she was dead to me, like, get out. Not in my house.

[Julie Metavale]

Can we just, like, the context matters. That, like, if she, like, isn't that implied? That if she was dating boys, I.

[Patrick Hines]

Will say, like, with the opera gloves and the tiaras, I think the ship has sailed.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh, yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know. We'll see. So they met on one of the apps, and Jessica wasn't sure if she'd meet anyone really. But I love Jessica. She's got standards. So she wasn't responding to these one liners. If you send her, like, wyd, what you doing? Like, that's not gonna happen. Take a walk.

[Patrick Hines]

That is the equivalent of, like, the honking out in front of the house.

[Julie Metavale]

Keep it moving, pal. Jessica doesn't have time for this show because Patrick, however, took the time to write a real message. And immediately that caught her attention because she's like, oh, made the effort. It's a smart message. It's charming. Like, she got a lot of feeling for his personality in it. And she's like, okay, like this. I'll give a little bit of the time of day because it's not just some stupid one liner.

[Patrick Hines]

I will also say, I think as much as Patrick's got the riz, I think that Jessica also has the riz for sure. I think that she's just one of those people that you're in a room and you're like, who's that?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

You know, but they meet, and they're just like. They're a great match for each other. She says, he was the extrovert, I was the introvert. She needed somebody who had that kind of spark.

[Jessica Devnani]

And she's like, we had so much fun. Like, no matter what we did, I loved everything about him. Just, there was not a mean bone in his body. He was. He treated me like a queen.

[Patrick Hines]

And, like, you see pictures of them, and it does seem like. Like, they would get a flat tire and make it fun.

[Julie Metavale]

They'd have fun, you know? And their relationship took off right away. They had their first date. They were off and running.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Jessica says, oh, my God. She says it. It was as if we were waiting to meet each other. She says, like, they were soulmates. Like, they were.

[Patrick Hines]

What did your queen say? Nice to meet you. Where you been?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. It's true. Like, they just look so happy. They're, like, dancing. And she just. Like. He says he treated me like a queen. They were just super in love. Couldn't wait to start their life together.

[Patrick Hines]

Truly.

[Julie Metavale]

And couldn't wait to build a life together.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, to the point that after dating for just five months, he proposes, and.

[Julie Metavale]

They couldn't wait, like, five months too long. Like, that's. That's the vibe I'm getting from Jessica. Like, they were just like, let's do this. I don't want to play the field. Like, let's go.

[Patrick Hines]

I love them.

[Julie Metavale]

I know. So. But Patrick and Jessica weren't living together.

[Patrick Hines]

Yet because it's only been five months.

[Julie Metavale]

It's only been five months, but. So they're, like, looking for a place to live.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And they decide to move to South Florida, which is where Bright Bryce, Patrick's brother, was already living.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And Jessica is saying she thinks that 2018 is going to be the best year of her life.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

It ends up being the worst.

[Julie Metavale]

I know. But the situation was kind of great. Like, moving to South Florida was great for everyone because they could start fresh at a new place, but also be close to family.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And, like, Patrick and Bryce were going to start this business together. So it was kind of the best of every world in their life.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And so we jump back to the day of the murder. It's February 27, 2018. And, like, Bryce has to be. I don't understand where the authorities are, like, why the family is all arriving on the scene before the authorities. And, like, seeing Patrick, Bryce has got to be the one to call his Mother and tell her, like, that's fucking awful.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. So it's February 27, 2018, 11:38am the cops finally get there.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And we see the actual footage from when they get there because they were doing body cams a little bit.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And their guns are drawn because once again, they don't have a lot of information. They know somebody's been shot, but it's a sprawling property, a huge compound.

[Julie Metavale]

They have no idea.

[Patrick Hines]

They're like, the gunman could. The gunman. The gunman could be anywhere.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And you see them like going into the house, like screaming. If there's anybody else in here, announce your, like busted into rooms.

[Julie Metavale]

Like they have no idea what possibly could have happened. So Rich is here. He's an investigator for the state attorney's office. And he says that Patrick was found on the stairs by the front door. So, like, this is graphic. I'm sorry. His legs were still on the stairs, but his torso and upper body were on the floor.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Gregory Bender]

So they're saying so clearly and fairly obvious to a seasoned investigators that Patrick was coming to the door when he was shot and killed. And he never got outside the door to answer. Answer it.

[Julie Metavale]

He essentially, like, someone came to the door, Patrick went to answer it. He was shot and killed. And he never even made it outside.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. And we learn that the shell casings they find belong to what are called.300 blackout ammunition. I don't know what that means. It sounds fucking awful.

[Julie Metavale]

They're apparently used for assault rifles like the AR15.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

Which is like, there's no reason for a person to have that, a non.

[Patrick Hines]

Military human to have that.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, there's just no way to be like, look at my AR15 in my home. Like, there's no reason for like a normal civilian to have that.

[Patrick Hines]

Absolutely not.

[Julie Metavale]

So the gun isn't on the property.

[Patrick Hines]

There's only. So he's been shot four times, but they only find two shell casing. So they're saying that like the killer like tried to clean up but did it sloppily. Only got two of the shell casings.

[Julie Metavale]

Right.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, why even. Why even bother?

[Julie Metavale]

I mean, assholes. So there's no DNA, no fingerprints. There's really not much to go on. However, there are cameras on the property.

[Patrick Hines]

This is like, it seems like a very big deal at first.

[Julie Metavale]

It is because, like, they're going to sprinkle in why this is all happening and then you're going to look back in hindsight and be like, that's why they had the cameras so just hold tight.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

But there are cameras on the property. Brian Rice, the brother, got the cameras for Patrick, since the house is kind of secluded in the woods, and because of other things we'll discover in a minute.

[Patrick Hines]

So the cops go into, like, where the computer and the hard drive would be that are collecting the images from the camera.

[Damara]

They see, like, an ethernet cord and some power cables, but that is it. The hardware has been removed. Somebody's taken it out the house.

[Patrick Hines]

The computer and the hard drive are gone. To which I'm like, why isn't Bryce and the dad immediately arrested?

[Julie Metavale]

Like, whoever did this took the footage and got rid of it, but had.

[Patrick Hines]

To know where to go within the house to find it.

[Julie Metavale]

So at first it's like, that's really shitty that we don't have the footage, but at the time, it's seen as valuable information. Right. So, like, okay, this person must have known Patrick. They must know the house.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, because you're thinking if you install the cameras, you're gonna put the computer in a place where no one, like, just any random burglar off the street wouldn't be able to just find it.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

And we never really get an answer to this.

[Julie Metavale]

We never get an answer about this.

[Patrick Hines]

About how the person who is the killer actually knew where to go. Like, that's crazy.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. So Jessica obviously is too distraught to speak to police right now because they want to ask a lot of questions about Patrick and his life, and Jessica can't do it right now. Understandably. So they speak to Max, his father, and Max the dad, because it's like, any enemies, any issues, and Max the dad is like, well, we have had some incidents with our neighbors. Travel down the road. Back again, girl.

[Patrick Hines]

Helix is back. Can I tell you this morning, I don't know what it was in particular. It felt. I mean, it always feels great and comfortable, but I could not get out of bed this morning.

[Julie Metavale]

I know, but here's the thing with my Helix mattress. I can't wait to get in bed.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

And then I'm all cozy, but in the morning, if I'm, like, scrolling. And that's the reason I don't want to get out of bed, but I want to get out of bed because I'm rested finally in my life.

[Patrick Hines]

Now, the thing about the Helix mattress that's different is that you take that quiz where you put in your preferences, and then they match it to the perfect mattress. So we are each sleeping in our own perfectly designed for us mattress every single night. It helps with the Temperature, that is everything for me. I needed it to be firm. Steve likes it a little bit soft. They found a perfect medium. Yep.

[Julie Metavale]

We have the midnight lock. So we're. Mike and I are both very different sleepers also. Fiona also loves that she cannot wait to go to bed. She drags us into it.

[Patrick Hines]

She's like, golden is the same.

[Julie Metavale]

And looking back like, hello, Are we all going to bed now in our Helix mattress?

[Patrick Hines]

And let me tell you, sometimes I forget how good it is until I'm, like, sleeping in hotels all over the country now and then I get, like, the difference between my bed and every other. And I sleep in, like, five or six beds a week sometimes.

[Julie Metavale]

And I always sleep hot, no matter what the weather. So this. This Helix mattress has really helped me with that because it sucks when you're. When you're, like, a overly hot sleeper.

[Patrick Hines]

No.

[Julie Metavale]

You can't sleep.

[Patrick Hines]

No.

[Julie Metavale]

But now I can.

[Patrick Hines]

So fam. Get in on the Helix the way that we have been for years. Go to helixsleep.com tco for their spring savings event. It's going to give you 20% off site wide.

[Julie Metavale]

That's helixsleep.com TCO for their spring savings event, which is 20% off site wide.

[Patrick Hines]

Do it. You're gonna thank us.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. Helixsleep.com/tco so what happened was on.

[Patrick Hines]

This is crazy.

[Julie Metavale]

January 24th, a month before the murders.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

This asshole neighbor claims that Patrick, quote, trespassed on his property. And the neighbor fired six or seven rounds. Now the neighbor's like, what? I just shot them into the ground just to scare the kid.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, this is what I'm talking about. In, like, gun country, we're dealing with people like, quote, protecting their land and their. With guns and shit. Like, what is going on?

[Julie Metavale]

And, like, what could Patrick have done that would make anything sense?

[Patrick Hines]

And then when we see the cops taking this neighbor down, it's like, nine cops that tackle this kid.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. Because, like, how many weapons does he have? Like, what's going on?

[Patrick Hines]

It's just crazy.

[Julie Metavale]

Also, I shot them into the ground. No, you didn't.

[Patrick Hines]

No, you absolutely didn't.

[Julie Metavale]

You 100% didn't. So during this incident, Patrick is not injured.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

But the cops are called and the neighbor is arrested.

[Max]

But when police actually question the neighbor, hopes of tying him to the crime are dashed.

[Patrick Hines]

He was still sitting in jail from that firearms incident where he fired the shots, thinking Patrick was an intruder. So they were able to eliminate him as a suspect because he's sitting in the cooler at the time the neighbor.

[Julie Metavale]

Is still sitting in jail from this.

[Patrick Hines]

Very incident, which, like, thank God. And it's like also the best alibi on the books, you know, like, I couldn't.

[Julie Metavale]

I was in jail. I couldn't have died.

[Patrick Hines]

I'll put it past this kid and get out of jail and then be the one to kill Patrick. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, anybody who's just gonna willy nilly take their gun out into the yard and like, fire in any direction to like, like, prove what a fucking man you are. Like, not. Stop it.

[Julie Metavale]

Stop, stop.

[Patrick Hines]

Guns. Like, I just. Guns. That's all I know.

[Julie Metavale]

That's all I know. It's too much.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

I made the note here in talking about the next door neighbor. One of the reporters says he was still sitting in the cooler.

[Julie Metavale]

In the cooler.

[Patrick Hines]

I've never heard that expression for jail before, the cooler.

[Julie Metavale]

But that either means that, like, he probably had a long rap sheet or our system is very flawed to have him sit in jail for a month. I don't really care because this guy sounds like a dick.

[Patrick Hines]

The worst.

[Julie Metavale]

But there were things where I'm like.

[Patrick Hines]

Is it like the cooler, like, because we put you there to cool off? Is that what.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, probably. Or like, you just keep them fresh for a while until they need to go to.

[Patrick Hines]

To where? Or whatever. Can you tell that you and I have never, like, we've never tussled with that part of the justice system?

[Julie Metavale]

No.

[Patrick Hines]

Can you imagine? I. I had a friend once whose boyfriend went to jail. Like they were on a cruise. And when the cruise docked in New York, they called the guy by name to, like, the captain's office. They took him off in handcuffs. We never found. Found out, but he went down to the tombs in New York City. Like, that's where, like, they hold you. It's like. It's scary. Fucking shit. But like, I. All of a sudden I knew a person who was in jail. That had never happened before.

[Julie Metavale]

That's crazy. Or since I. I've known people who have spent time in the drunk tank.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, yeah. I can't believe I haven't.

[Julie Metavale]

I do that. But I did have to go to a police department to have some conversations. And it's wild because where they wanted me to have the conversation was in the interrogation room with the double sided glass.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God. You could have gotten some great content out of that girl.

[Julie Metavale]

And it was a shithole. It was uglier than the SVU were. Much smaller, about half the size. And a bunch of fucking cigarettes, like in an ashtray. So they were talking to someone getting that before me?

[Patrick Hines]

No, I wasn't in there for any.

[Julie Metavale]

I was, you know, report. I was. Whatever.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

But, yeah, the closest I've ever come to, like, actually experiencing the true crime world was I was on a jury once and I loved it. Yeah, that's like, as close as I got. But I knew once a gay guy that went to jail, which is wild.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh, my God.

[Patrick Hines]

I know.

[Julie Metavale]

Anyway. Anyway, so the stupid neighbor has been ruled out. So it's like, well, was there a jealous ex girlfriend? And I'm like, well, definitely not. But let's talk to Keandra Jackson anyway. She's a marriage and family counselor.

[Patrick Hines]

This is so stupid. They honestly are, like, actually putting us through the paces of entertaining the idea that a woman who was so mad that Patrick broke up with her brought an AR15 to his house and shot him four times. Am I allowed to say that? That is just ridiculous.

[Julie Metavale]

I mean. I mean, women definitely kill, but it seems like they wanted to hit the 50 minute mark with this thing.

[Patrick Hines]

I just do. Women kill with AR15s. Probably not on the reg. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know. Who knows? I don't know.

[Patrick Hines]

See you soon, Orlando.

[Julie Metavale]

Depending on how far into gun country you are.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know, I just couldn't imagine a gunslinging lady. Not that I can't imagine a gunsling lady. I totally can. But just, I guess my point was, like, Patrick, you weren't. The idea that he was such a great lover, he was such a prize a lady to bring an AR15.

[Julie Metavale]

Well, because what they're doing is planting the seeds for what actually happened.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So we hear from this relationship expert who's like, hey, you know, Patrick dated around a lot, so if he was dating someone five months ago, right before he met Jessica, and now, like, they're getting married.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

That would sort of trigger someone to be like, what? That, Like, I thought he was the one. And now, like, five months?

[Patrick Hines]

No. And, like, I know lady. Remember that other lady in Florida who, like, had her boyfriend killed, but then he walked into the interrogation room?

[Julie Metavale]

Oh, yeah, Remember that one?

[Patrick Hines]

Like, I mean, I know that they can do it.

[Julie Metavale]

It happens. Yeah, it happens all the time. Okay, so they speak to all of his recent exes or whatever. None of them are a person of interest. Everyone's clear.

[Patrick Hines]

I always love it when you're just bored with a part of the story.

[Julie Metavale]

I know.

[Patrick Hines]

There are. There are times I'm like, jillian's gonna be bored of this. I barely have to take notes on it.

[Julie Metavale]

Boring. So just because, like, I want to get the son of a bitch, and you're wasting my time. You're wasting my time.

[Patrick Hines]

Right?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. So the cops finally sit down with Jessica because she's, like, ready to speak to them.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

She tells them about this guy named Gregory Bender. He is her ex and a total fucking creep.

[Patrick Hines]

They say Jessica's ex, Gregory Bender, had.

[Julie Metavale]

Been persistently coming after Jessica, trying to win her back.

[Patrick Hines]

That's an interesting way of saying stalking her.

[Julie Metavale]

Stalking and harassing her on a regular basis.

[Patrick Hines]

So why would a true crime show present it like that?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know.

[Patrick Hines]

It makes me crazy.

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know. So Jessica was with this guy for eight years, and he's much older than she is.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So she was 20, he was 42.

[Patrick Hines]

And they say when they broke up, she was, quote, determined to never see him again.

[Julie Metavale]

She goes, no contact immediately.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, that's significant. That tells you a lot.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. And we'll get into exactly why. But this guy is so obsessed with her. He sees and watches everything Jessica is doing online.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Stalking her relationships. And, like, the amazing relationship that she's in that she's screaming from the rooftops because she's so happy is making this guy furious.

[Patrick Hines]

This is where we meet Less Gregory's, quote, former friend. I thought you'd like that. Former co worker did take the opportunity to say former friend and former co worker.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

This is where he compares this piece of shit to Elon Musk. Another piece of shit. He compares him to him like it's a good thing. He goes, he's got that personality type. Highly intelligent, but a little bit quirky. I was like, girl, this did not age well.

[Julie Metavale]

I would call less quirky. Or intelligent, for that matter. Why don't you have another stupid, ugly fucking car that falls apart? Why don't you just continue ruining everything?

[Patrick Hines]

Can I tell you, there's this lady.

[Julie Metavale]

Who'S on Ugliest Thing I've ever Seen. I hate those.

[Patrick Hines]

They're so ugly. But there's a lady on the board of directors of AS4, which is this organization I'm on the board of as well. I won't say her name in case she doesn't want me to, but she goes down to the Tesla dealership and gets arrested every weekend.

[Julie Metavale]

Good for her.

[Patrick Hines]

She's one of the ones that gets arrested every week.

[Julie Metavale]

She's just sitting there screaming.

[Patrick Hines]

She's doing. I think she threw paint on the building. Like, they're really acting out. Wow.

[Julie Metavale]

She's in the cooler for sure. But Jessica's like, my entire relationship with this guy was a lie. Like, everything about it was a lie.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So Jessica's dating this guy for eight years. After four years, they get engaged. And then she goes, immediately after we got engaged, she starts acting strange. And I'm like, that train's never late.

[Patrick Hines]

Never late.

[Julie Metavale]

So. But this stuff is fucking weird. So he's engaged to Jessica?

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

They've been together for four years. He's 42 years old.

[Patrick Hines]

I stopped trying to make this story make sense.

[Julie Metavale]

So you guys, he's 42 years old. They've been dating for four years. Yeah, no, he's probably 46 now. Because they started dating when he was 42.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

They are engaged.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, one more time. What's their relationship status?

[Julie Metavale]

They married imminently.

[Jessica Devnani]

All of a sudden, like, he told me that I can't come over his house anymore because he got a roommate and he doesn't want any girls coming over to the house. And I said to him, but I'm not, like, a girl. I'm here, a fiance. Like, how can you not tell your roommate that? That doesn't make any sense.

[Patrick Hines]

First I was like, are we wandering into gay territory? For one second, I thought that was Jessica's.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, I'm not a girl, I'm a fiance.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, what are you talking about? So by 2016, which then is like, oh, Jessica. Like, if we're looking back on it, it's like, how often were you at his house? Really? Like, this room? Like, he just. And I'm sure there was like, my enemies are. I'm so special. A million reasons why she couldn't be. They're all getting fumigated. Oh, this, that, whatever.

[Patrick Hines]

His house is one of those, like, shitty, quote, Tuscan villas that looks like an Olive Garden, which are awesome, don't get me wrong. But, like, it's one of those. Like, he thinks it looks fancy and it just looks shitty, you know?

[Julie Metavale]

So 2016, shocking. The relationship reaches a quote, tipping point. Greg, for whatever reason, is admitted to the hospital. I'm like, deathbed. Is he dying?

[Patrick Hines]

Girl, you dying? Like, deathbed. I know, I know. We're very hopeful.

[Julie Metavale]

He's not, but. So Jessica visits him. Like, of course she does. Because she's a good person and she cares about him and she's his fiance and she's been manipulated by this guy. She walks in and there's another woman already sitting at his bedside. Guess what? It's his wife, AKA the roommate.

[Patrick Hines]

Everyone in this room knew it except for Jessica. You know what I mean? We all knew this is where this was going.

[Julie Metavale]

Gregory.

[Patrick Hines]

For one second, I thought maybe it was a boyfriend. No.

[Julie Metavale]

Greg kicks Jessica out of the room.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God.

[Julie Metavale]

He tells her to get out. She leaves a few days later. I mean, think about that. You're with this guy for fucking eight years, and you're like, wait, what?

[Patrick Hines]

Right?

[Julie Metavale]

And so a few days later, the creep calls to apologize, totally ignores the fact that he's been married this entire time. He's like, jessica, I'm so sorry that I told you to leave the room, but my wife.

[Patrick Hines]

Stop being hysterical.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, my wife would have gone crazy if you stayed. Jessica's like, you have a wife. Let's start there.

[Patrick Hines]

I'm also like, jessic, why are we taking the call? Like, oh, God.

[Julie Metavale]

Because she needs answers for what she just did. For the eight years of her life, of course. But we hear voicemails that he left Jessica.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And, like, real voicemails that he left. And, you know, my wife is super pissed. She wants to get back at me and back at you. And now it's like, all this drama with a wife who's also in her 40s. Like, wake up.

[Patrick Hines]

But at the same time, he's also.

[Damara]

Saying, and this is a business arrangement. The only reason I married her was because she needed her son to go to a better school district. So I'm just doing her a favor in return.

[Max]

Gregory says his wife, Damara, agreed to help out with the mortgage on his multimillion dollar residence.

[Patrick Hines]

Her son wanted to go to the good school in my district.

[Julie Metavale]

None of this makes sense.

[Patrick Hines]

Agreeing to pay some of the mortgage. Girl, I thought you were a millionaire.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, these liars don't understand that that's not how this works. Because if that were actually true, which is impossible, Jessica would have known about it, Right? Like, they all would have met. It's still an insane lie that makes no sense. And even if he told Jessica, that would be a major red. But, like, that's not how this works. Liars of the world.

[Patrick Hines]

No.

[Julie Metavale]

So Jessica is like, okay, fine. Prove it. Leave.

[Patrick Hines]

Your wife gives him to the end of the year to leave her. He doesn't do it. And then. And then he says to her, there is no circumstances under which you are allowed to leave me. If you do, I'll kill you and I'll kill myself.

[Julie Metavale]

She says this to Jessica?

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So I hope the wife got out of here, too. I don't think she did.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, she's going to make a guess appearance at the end of this thing later.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, but. So Gregory starts harassing and threatening Jessica. He doesn't. He won't allow her to dump him. We went on for months.

[Patrick Hines]

We hear of voicemail where he says, I made a call putting a plan into action. Call me back or I'm just gonna let it happen.

[Julie Metavale]

So what he's saying is he's gonna kill himself or her or both. And he's manipulating her to get a response.

[Patrick Hines]

And, like, what do you do in that? I mean, she does the best thing she can do, which she gets a restraining order.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

But, like, I was really putting myself in her shoes. Like, I don't know. That's so scary. And what the hell do you do? You do.

[Julie Metavale]

If you file a restraining order and the cops say, well, when he kill. Like, when he hurts you or kills you, then we'll do something. Until then, we can't do it.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, that's what they will say.

[Patrick Hines]

I just. At that point, I hope I've heard them say it.

[Julie Metavale]

They've said it to my face. Unless something like, come back when you're dead.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God. I know what. And that's what I'm just like. Like, we never meet Jessica's family. We don't know if she's close with them. It feels like Jessica's alone. It feels like she's alone in the world. And that just scares me.

[Julie Metavale]

It's lonely. Like, it's really lonely. But again, this called playbook for murder. This guy is telling her all of his plans. I'm like. And the threats are very real. And he's leaving voicemail. So, like, Jessica has all of. Yes, like, the audio of him saying, I'm going to hire a hitman. I'm going to do this. Like, really off the fucking deep end, this guy.

[Patrick Hines]

Then she meets Patrick, and, like, things moved so quickly. They were so happy. But she's begging Patrick, like, we got to keep this relationship off social media. We can't let him find out. Patrick, of course, doesn't understand the actual danger. And it's just kind of like, I'm not going to hide. I'm not afraid of this guy. Like. And convinces her to put a picture of them on Facebook. Now, Jessica.

[Max]

Before posting the picture, Jessica created a new profile, deleted her old profile, and blocked Gregory altogether. It wasn't enough.

[Jessica Devnani]

He had found out about me and Patrick through Facebook. And I found my profile.

[Julie Metavale]

She makes all new accounts, insta new everything.

[Patrick Hines]

She thinks that this is gonna. Like, somehow he's not gonna be able to find Her. He finds her.

[Julie Metavale]

In two seconds, he finds her. So this creep saw a photo of them on Jessica's new Facebook page, and then he ramps up the harassment of Jessica, and now he's starting to threaten her fiance, Patrick and his family.

[Patrick Hines]

He's saying, I know where his mother lives.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, that should be illegal that someone can just go online and address.

[Patrick Hines]

Especially, don't we know it. Like, but, like, especially since it happened, if. If one time one creep has followed through on actually doing the murder they say they're going to do, there should be a million laws in place to prevent the next creep from doing it.

[Julie Metavale]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Yes. And all Jessica can do is just collect the evidence for when the worst happens. And that's all she can do is just have a file of papers and audio files or whatever of this guy being an insane, violent person so that, like, when someone dies, there's like a bunch of paperwork for the cops to go through.

[Patrick Hines]

And like, Patrick isn't understanding how dangerous this guy is, you know, and it like. And that's what's. That's what's also so scary because he's not going to live his life in secret. Like, he loves this woman that he wants. Like they want to spend the rest of their lives together, Right?

[Julie Metavale]

Travel down, girl.

[Patrick Hines]

Ollie is back. Look, let me tell you this. If dogs could talk, they'd warn you about what's lurking in their bowl. Mass produced kibble isn't just an appealing girl. It's a crime against canine health.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, we're not doing this anymore. So here's how Ollie works. You introduce them to your pup. So you fill out Ollie's 32nd quiz.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, they keep it real short and sweet.

[Julie Metavale]

I love a quiz. Especially when you know all the answers. So they'll create a customized meal plan based on your pup's weight, activity level, and all this other health info. That only takes 30 seconds.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. And then you get your welcome kit. So for any first timers, Ollie sends out your pup's first box with two weeks worth of meals, a free storage container for mess free serving, and a guide of how to gradually switch them over to their new diet.

[Julie Metavale]

That's really important. You can't just, like, give them brand new food. You have to switch them over, introduce it. Yeah, and also you'll see, like, more excitement at mealtime, a shinier coat, solid, easy to pick up poops, which, if you're a dog owner, you know can be a thing.

[Patrick Hines]

Golden loves the Ollie so much, at mealtime, he starts banging his teeth against the bowl.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh my God.

[Patrick Hines]

So like, I'm like, girl, continue. It's as though he's my dog or something.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh my God. Also, you can customize your plan. So Ollie offers three meal plans to choose from. So you can choose between a full fresh plan, a fresh topper plan, which is just, you know, like putting on top of the food your dog eats, or a mixed plan with their freshly baked recipes for your special fur baby.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

So only Ollie is the fresh dog food that comes with unlimited routine health screening so you can get your pup on track to living their healthiest, happiest life.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. That's amazing.

[Patrick Hines]

That's incredible.

[Julie Metavale]

So dogs deserve the best and that means fresh, healthy food. Head to ollie.com TCO tell them all about your dog and use code TCO to get 60% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today.

[Patrick Hines]

Plus they offer happiness guarantee on the first box. So if you're not completely satisfied, you'll get your money back.

[Julie Metavale]

That's O l l I e.com tco and enter code tco to get 60% off your first box.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, do it.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. Your dog's going to be happy. That's really the whole point of existing.

[Patrick Hines]

That is the point, girl. Chime is back. Look, fam, when you open a Chime checking account, you're one step closer to a better financial future.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. So they have no more maintenance fees. Yeah, they have fee free overdrafts up to 200 bucks.

[Patrick Hines]

Don't get me started. I could talk about that for days.

[Julie Metavale]

You could also get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Yeah, I mean, come on.

[Patrick Hines]

You can learn more about all of [e-mail] TCO I want to talk about that overdraft for Jessica.

[Julie Metavale]

The fee free overdraft.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. When I was younger, I would overdraft $5 and get charged $25 and then get charged another $25. Like $5 could ruin me financially. Compare that to Chime allowing you to overdraft up to $200 with no fees. That would have saved my life.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. And they have the spot me thing. That's the whole thing. So you can get spotted on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, what more is there to life?

[Julie Metavale]

Actually, there's more.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay.

[Julie Metavale]

Because they have no monthly fees, no maintenance FEES, and over 50,000 fee free ATMs. The ATMs are the biggest racket in town.

[Patrick Hines]

I told you one time I paid $6 to get $20 cuz I needed cash.

[Julie Metavale]

Well, you didn't have time.

[Patrick Hines]

No. And I didn't have time. $6 free ATMs. Chime, you are changing the world. Fam. Make progress towards a better financial future with Chime.

[Julie Metavale]

Open your account in 2 minutes at.

[Patrick Hines]

Chime.com TCO that's Chime.com TCO Chime feels like progress.

[Julie Metavale]

Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA Members. Fdic Spot Me. Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Fees apply at out of network ATMs. MyPay eligibility requirements. Credit limits range $20 to $500. $2 fee applies to get funds instantly. Chime checking account required. Go to chime.com/disclosures for details. So December 2017. That's when Jessica files the restraining order against Gregory. This guy has been just, like, sucking her energy and everything dry for, like, 10 years now.

[Patrick Hines]

The restraining order covers everything. He can't call, he can't text. He can't show up in person.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. And so we hear. This is when we hear Patrick's voice, and he's leaving her a voicemail. And it's just so sad because he's like, no worries.

[Patrick Hines]

I'm stressed about it.

[Julie Metavale]

It's not the big deal.

[Patrick Hines]

I'm not going anywhere.

[Bryce]

There's nothing else he can do.

[Julie Metavale]

I'm not going anywhere. There's nothing he can do to us. And it's so hard. Cause, like, I know that tone. Of course I've used that tone.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, of course we all have.

[Julie Metavale]

I've heard that tone used on me. And it was really jarring to hear Patrick so confident that, like, they're gonna be okay. Like, we have this restraining order, and, like, there's a point where it's like, well, what else can you do and say?

[Patrick Hines]

That's what I was just gonna say. Like, what are you supposed. Like, because Patrick looks at this guy, he just looks like a herb. He looks like a total loser.

[Julie Metavale]

And he is.

[Patrick Hines]

And he totally is, right? And it's like, he doesn't look threatening or scary. I don't know if he's got a history of violence. Like, what's this guy's background? Has he been to prison for doing this to other people? I don't know. But, like, how is there not some kind of. I mean, I guess the restraining order, but, like, a piece of paper that's not you? Like, yeah, we're here because it didn't work, Right?

[Julie Metavale]

And, like, you're saying. You want to say, like, it's so, like, heavy and exhausting for Jessica to be living like this.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So I think that voicemail was just sweet because he's trying to be like, we're here.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, we're good. Don't, like, don't let him.

[Patrick Hines]

But like, she knows the truth.

[Julie Metavale]

Of course.

[Patrick Hines]

You know what I mean? Like, she sees what's going to happen here.

[Julie Metavale]

Right. So the day of Patrick's murder, this creep violates the restraining order and he calls Jessica at least twice. Yes, she ignored the call. But because the creep violated the restraining order, the cops already have cause to arrest him, making this very easy for everyone. Thank you, asshole. Keep it up.

[Patrick Hines]

Which is almost never happens that everyone's kind of in sync where they're like, well, he's probably the killer now. We have caused to arrest him and now we're going to do that. I feel like this never happens.

[Julie Metavale]

And it's very clear because he's spiraling. He's breaking the restraining order the day that this guy that he's been also harassing.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Has been murdered.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, exactly. And the other thing is, like, they want a warrant for his house. The timeline of this is kind of crazy.

[Gregory Bender]

They know they've got maybe 24 hours till he postponed and before he can get back into his house and potentially alter, destroy, conceal evidence. So as that clock's ticking, law enforcement knows they've got to get a judge to say you can legally go into that house and find whatever it is is evidence of the crime.

[Patrick Hines]

So they need a judge to sign this warrant so they can go search his house while they still have him in custody. So, like, the clock is ticking on that. Meanwhile, they sit down with his piece of shit for a formal interview. He refuses to talk on the advice of his attorney.

[Julie Metavale]

Fine. So he gets, he says lawyer. He won't talk. His lawyer comes in. He says the calls were made accidentally.

[Patrick Hines]

A but dial.

[Julie Metavale]

The guy you've been threatening for a year has been killed. You break your restraining order that morning, but it's all just a misunderstanding. Also, you shouldn't even have her number in your phone. This mistake shouldn't even been able to happen.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

That number should not have been in your phone.

[Patrick Hines]

Can I just say it's not true here. Butt dials are a real thing. I on tour.

[Julie Metavale]

Happens to Mike all the time. I but dial people butt dial Mike a lot.

[Patrick Hines]

I butt dial Tom almost every day. I'm on Twitter, our editors.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah.

[Patrick Hines]

One day I just hear Tom going, hello. Hello. From my back pocket. He's like, I thought you were just calling to say hi. I'm Like, I'm going into the venue. Tom, I love you. Bye.

[Julie Metavale]

But why are you doing this?

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know. But my phone just. But dial sim. All my phone loves Tom.

[Julie Metavale]

Do you not? I mean, I get it.

[Patrick Hines]

Who doesn't love Tom?

[Julie Metavale]

But do you not, like, lock the screen or something?

[Patrick Hines]

I think I do, but I don't know.

[Julie Metavale]

How do you lock screen?

[Patrick Hines]

How do you lock a screen?

[Julie Metavale]

You just click the thing on the side.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, well, that's awesome.

[Julie Metavale]

And then you make the thing where you have to put in your password.

[Patrick Hines]

See, I don't know about that.

[Julie Metavale]

You know that you have to put your password in to open your phone. I guess just click at the thing on the side.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, Tom, I'm clicking the thing on the side. It's never gonna happen again.

[Julie Metavale]

Poor Tom. He's so sweet.

[Patrick Hines]

He's so sweet. Hi.

[Julie Metavale]

I love you, Tom. That's so cute.

[Patrick Hines]

I just love when I was. I remember in Indianapolis. Hello?

[Julie Metavale]

Poor Tom.

[Patrick Hines]

Patrick, Hello. I was like, tom, is that you?

[Julie Metavale]

Also, a little bit of advice. Just hang up and text. But Tom's so sweet.

[Patrick Hines]

He thought he would think that I would think that was right. No, it's all. We're all good, Tommy.

[Julie Metavale]

So. But to make things worse, this piece of shit lawyer accuses Patrick's own father of killing him.

[Damara]

They say, well, you know, Jessica is very beautiful. And from what I hear, Max was trying to kind of hit on Jessica, and he wanted his son out of the picture so that he could have Jessica all to himself.

[Julie Metavale]

Max was jealous of his own son, so he killed him to get him out of the picture. Vile, disgusting humans.

[Patrick Hines]

It's absolutely. But like, the cops, knowing that this isn't the case, still have to bring the dad in for questioning, right? On the worst day of his life.

[Julie Metavale]

So, yeah, they drag him down for questioning to ask him if he killed his own son, which he 10 million, thousand percent did not do.

[Patrick Hines]

Is me where he's throwing his phone at the cop, being like, girl, click that thing on the side like Jillian says, open it up and see where I was.

[Julie Metavale]

And, well, he's 90 minutes away, which is why he had to call his girlfriend, who was closer to check on Patrick. Hello.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

Right. I don't wear my Colombo shirt, but, my God, it's not that hard.

[Patrick Hines]

No. And the cops know he didn't do it, but they just got to, like, dot their I's and cross their T's or whatever.

[Julie Metavale]

They can hand it to the prosecutor.

[Patrick Hines]

And say, look like, that's not what happened.

[Julie Metavale]

You Know.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Now it's the morning of Patrick's murder. Max, the dad, was getting calls from a strange number saying that someone was trying to deliver a package.

[Patrick Hines]

Now just remember that their property is sprawling and they've had to install a gate because of the harassment from this piece of shit.

[Julie Metavale]

Now that is brand new information we're just learning about.

[Patrick Hines]

Just learning.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So this gate is existing in the first place because of the harassment from the fucking murderer. The thing about the gate is that it makes it really annoying and hard to deliver packages. So they have a sign with Max's phone number on it to be like, hi, when you're coming for a delivery call. Which is so annoying for Max to have to deal with also, but it's for the safety of his son. Like, I get it, but it's like, imagine every single time we do need.

[Patrick Hines]

To discuss the wisdom of this, because it's like, well, okay, you put in a gate to keep the bad guy out, but now anybody can pretend to not. Like, the bad guy can just pretend to not be the bad guy. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Only if you're a stalker and, you know, to do that.

[Patrick Hines]

I, yeah, I, I, but, like, isn't that why they put the gate up? You know what I mean? Yeah, it just, like, to me, I'm like, this isn't a good system.

[Julie Metavale]

I mean, I think it happened because there were so many missed packages. Like, it was. They're just fucking trying to figure it out.

[Patrick Hines]

And that's the thing. It's further to the point of what do you do? Nothing works.

[Julie Metavale]

Nothing works.

[Patrick Hines]

You just like, nothing works.

[Julie Metavale]

So, like, like for Max to get a call about a missed package or a package issue is not uncommon at all. It happens all the time.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So, like, unknown numbers are always calling him about package deliveries.

[Patrick Hines]

And like, on this day in particular.

[Max]

We learn Max tells detectives that the call didn't seem strange because Patrick was expecting a delivery of a surprise custom engagement ring he designed to replace the one he originally gave Jessica.

[Patrick Hines]

When they're getting a call saying, like, hey, there's somebody at the gate delivering a package for Patrick, for Jessica, they're.

[Julie Metavale]

Expecting a delivery anyway.

[Patrick Hines]

They're expecting it.

[Julie Metavale]

So everyone was really excited about the ring coming.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

So that's why Max, the dad, told the person how to get in and deliver this package, because that's what they thought it was.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. And we don't focus on this long enough, but this sweet boy had, like, a typical engagement ring for his girlfriend, but wanted to do something really special. And had a custom engagement ring made for.

[Julie Metavale]

And, like, everyone knew about it, and everyone was really excited about it.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't mean to ruin all the days of all the women who I am currently in the shower with, because I hear about that all the time.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh, great.

[Patrick Hines]

Good morning.

[Julie Metavale]

Hi.

[Patrick Hines]

But, like, this man made a custom engagement ring for his. That's amazing.

[Julie Metavale]

He loves her. He wants her to have everything she wants.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, amazing.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God.

[Julie Metavale]

So Max tells the delivery person how to make the delivery, which she does all the time. And then he calls Patrick to let him know that, like, the really important and special and exciting delivery has arrived.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

So we're in the.

[Patrick Hines]

We're in the shower with people right now. Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Hi.

[Patrick Hines]

That you gave a great shower voice.

[Julie Metavale]

Hello.

[Patrick Hines]

Hi.

[Julie Metavale]

Am I bouncing off the tiles?

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know.

[Julie Metavale]

Who knows? Anyway, so Max, the dad, checks in with Patrick and is like, hey, you got. Did you get the package? Is it there? Like, is the ring. Is it beautiful? Do you have it? What's the plan? Like, again, everyone is really excited about this ring coming.

[Patrick Hines]

But, like, now Patrick isn't responding, Right. So then a little while later, the dad sends another text, like, hey, I'm texting you, and you're not responding. Like, what's going on?

[Julie Metavale]

So now that the cops know all of this.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

They want to track the number that called Max about the package. Because there's no way a random delivery person did this, Right. Like, this was not a delivery person. There was no package. It's just a horrifying, awful coincidence. Or they were expecting this package.

[Patrick Hines]

It's either that or the bad guy knew that they were expecting the package. And that's another detail that we don't really get.

[Julie Metavale]

I think he saw a sign that said, call for entry, and then he.

[Patrick Hines]

Just got fucking lucky.

[Julie Metavale]

He just called. Or. Well, he's been stalked. We'll learn later, is that he's been stalking the property.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

So he's seen people go in for packages.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Four times.

[Patrick Hines]

Totally.

[Julie Metavale]

So now we got to dive into all the records, all the phone records, and that takes time.

[Patrick Hines]

It's pretty obvious, but very obvious.

[Julie Metavale]

So the creep's phone was at home when the murder happened. But either he could have left the phone or people have more than one phone.

[Patrick Hines]

It was like that. That idiot on the Patreon that was like, I am Definitely the killermail.com. if an email comes from an email address like that. If the. If this person that we think did it didn't have their phone on them, like, on the morning of the murder.

[Julie Metavale]

They're like, everyone else in the world does.

[Patrick Hines]

It just, to me is like. It's so clear that that was done on purpose.

[Julie Metavale]

Yes. We just needed to make the case. We need it for court.

[Patrick Hines]

You're right. I'm so. I'll go fuck myself. You let me know when I'm fucking.

[Julie Metavale]

Guess who calls the cops out of the clear. Police. Loose guy. This guy's wife, Daimara. Finally, the bad guy's wife. Now she meets with investigators, and she's like, hey, I dumped his ass. I moved out of the house. But before I moved out, I did some snooping. And this fucking creep, moron, dingbat, kept tons of notebooks, and Damara looked through all of them.

[Patrick Hines]

I read something about getting close, driving.

[Julie Metavale]

In the car, getting off with it or cc how many car are.

[Patrick Hines]

This was like, a plan.

[Gregory Bender]

What kind of plan? Like a plan to do what?

[Julie Metavale]

I guess to kill. To kill who?

[Patrick Hines]

Patrick. This idiot is keeping notebooks on Patrick, on how to get to his house, on how to kill him.

[Julie Metavale]

All his, like, stalking notes, his harassment notes. It's all there.

[Patrick Hines]

Literally. It's like. It's like a big journal. And on the front, it says, stalking journal?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, basically, you know, like, remember, like, directions to the house. Now, De Mara, the wife, tell me.

[Patrick Hines]

Again, former friend and coworker, how brilliant this guy is. Like, who? What? Kind of. Like, even the cops are gonna be like, well, he's kind of smart. He wrote it all down. I'm like, guys, what are you talking about?

[Julie Metavale]

He's an idiot.

[Patrick Hines]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[Julie Metavale]

He's an idiot.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

So the wife confronts him, and he lies and says it was just a fantasy. Notebooks upon notebooks upon notebooks of just this fantasy of being, like, a violent killer and a stalker and harassing these people. But it's just a fantasy.

[Patrick Hines]

What shocks me about these cases is how this man is 48 years old and he's about to commit murder. How did he get through 48 years of life without committing murder? He's gonna do it one. One time and one time only. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

I think he's been just getting worse and worse and worse with stalking and harassment and being a total asshole.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, I think this guy is insufferable.

[Patrick Hines]

To be around, and it's like, I know that there are experts out there who can tell us. Like, here are all the red flags. Here are all the warning signs that this is exactly what he was always going to do. I'd say like, and there's no stopping him.

[Julie Metavale]

10 notebooks detailing harassment and stalking and murder is like a pret red flag.

[Patrick Hines]

So the notebook is one of the things they're hoping to find at the house when they get the warrant. Guess what? They get the warrant.

[Julie Metavale]

Travel down the road.

[Damara]

Back again, girl.

[Patrick Hines]

Shopify is back. Look, we've both opened small businesses. We know how difficult that can be. So I'm here to tell you that finding the right tool that not only helps you out, but simplifies everything can be such a game changer for millions of businesses. That tool is Shopify.

[Julie Metavale]

So Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the U.S. wow. Yeah. They have household names like Mattel, Gymshark.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. Plus us. We've been using Shopify on our website from the beginning. Like, I remember when we started, Steve was blown away by how simple it was.

[Julie Metavale]

And if you're just getting started, Shopify's for you.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly fam. You can get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store to match your brand's style.

[Julie Metavale]

Accelerate your content creator creation too. Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography.

[Patrick Hines]

Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling and strolling.

[Julie Metavale]

Oh, my goodness. And best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond.

[Patrick Hines]

If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify.

[Julie Metavale]

Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for.

[Patrick Hines]

Your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com obsessed.

[Julie Metavale]

Go to shopify.com obsessed.

[Patrick Hines]

Shopify.com obsessed there's that sound. We love it.

[Julie Metavale]

So the creep is in custody because he violated the restraining order on the day of the murder by calling Jessica.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

The cops get the search warrant for the house and they bring the same unit that investigated the crime scene. It's all the same in the house.

[Gregory Bender]

They found a arsenal of ammunition in Gregory Bender's closet. Multiple firearms, different caliber. They found body armor.

[Patrick Hines]

We see pictures of it and it took my breath away. I understand that there are gun collectors. I understand that people have guns. There are people in my life that I love that have guns. I'm not a like, take away all the guns person. I don't understand why anybody needs this? Hundreds of guns.

[Julie Metavale]

Well, and the bullets and the body armor.

[Patrick Hines]

Can we stop on that for a second?

[Julie Metavale]

Sure.

[Patrick Hines]

Body armor. You only need body armor if you're going into combat. If you. If you only need body armor if you're in a situation where you're going to be shot on. Yeah, you know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

All of that aside, that's all valid. But all of that aside, it's another violation of the restraining order.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly.

[Julie Metavale]

Because they tell us that he should have turned over his, quote, entire arsenal to police within 24 hours of the restraining order being put in place. And he didn't do that. So that's another hit against him.

[Patrick Hines]

Let me ask you this, though. If we always know that these pieces of shit are never going to do it, why does not a restraining order automatically come with a. And we're going to serve your house for guns? You know what I mean? It'd be one thing for what.

[Julie Metavale]

What's your cause?

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, if. If we need a restrain. If. If a restraining order says you have to turn your guns in, why can't I say we. We're going to come and take them? You know what I mean? The restraining order says you have to turn your guns in. Nobody ever does it, but we know they're going to probably use them. My, my. Like, it'd be one thing if he had a gun that he could hide. That'd be hard to find. This man had a literal arsenal.

[Julie Metavale]

They call it a arsenal.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't understand why we can't go to there. If the restraining order says you have to turn your guns in, why can't we just go and take them?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know.

[Patrick Hines]

It makes me crazy. Let's change to laws.

[Julie Metavale]

Okay, great. Let's do that.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay. And also, nobody gets body armor. You don't get it. The military gets body armor. That's it.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah, well, it's like fucking black market weird.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, I know. Like, when I saw that he had body armor, I was like, oh, my God. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

It's awful. And now, like, they know this guy did it, but we're all about building the case. So they want the murder weapon, they want this AR15, and they can't find it at the house.

[Max]

However, in one kitchen drawer, they make a crucial discovery.

[Gregory Bender]

They found in a kind of a junk drawer, one single casing for.300 Blackout ammunition. The same caliber of shell casing that they found at the crime scene and outside the barn when Patrick was murdered.

[Patrick Hines]

The ammo found in this Guy's junk drawer matches the ammo found at the scene.

[Julie Metavale]

Right? Now they also find all the fucking notebooks.

[Patrick Hines]

But this is. Okay, this is the thing that really, truly was the most curious of all of it to me. Because he kept these meticulous notebooks about how he was gonna do it. He goes and does it, he thinks he's gonna get. He tears the pages out of the notebook and throws it away in his own garbage.

[Julie Metavale]

Crumpled up piece of paper lying there.

[Patrick Hines]

I just don't understand. I get that he thought he was gonna get away with it. He never thought the cops would get a warrant, they'd come and search us out. Why not just put it through the shredder?

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know.

[Patrick Hines]

Why not just put it down the garbage disposal, Burn the books. There is no difference between having them in the notebook on the front of your desk and having the pages in the garbage dishes.

[Julie Metavale]

I think because he wanted it. I think cause he wanted to read it back. And I think he just wanted to be close to it.

[Patrick Hines]

It's mind boggling to me that the idiot with the Jew who like, spent all those months and years, like, hiding in air conditioning ducks only to rent a car in his own name and leave it on the property.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, crumpled it up and put it in like the wastebasket.

[Patrick Hines]

I mean, in his own garbage and.

[Julie Metavale]

Throw a match in there.

[Patrick Hines]

Joy. It doesn't burn the house. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[Julie Metavale]

But also my favorite part is that this creep has been released from the county jail. But he has to wait outside his own house because they're still in there searching it.

[Patrick Hines]

I just had this image of the cop with the head with the hand on his forehead while the guy's trying to get past him. Idiot.

[Julie Metavale]

Fucking loser. So let's dive into this plan. He's got to do lists. He's got maps, drawings. Put duct tape on the bottom of a second pair of shoes so you don't leave prints. Useful to have a gps. Not on your phone.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh my God.

[Julie Metavale]

It's clear. He's been stalking Patrick.

[Bryce]

Yes.

[Julie Metavale]

Like, the map is very accurate. This is very much planned out. He wrote very specific directions because he can't use his phone, right? So he's writing like, take turnpike south to exit 259, Route 4. Stay right onto Howland and drive east about four miles. Like, he can't have his phone and his GPS, so he's got to write it all out. So he says, like, make a noise. So he comes out, get control of him, search for A gun?

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, it says make a noise. So he just got lucky with the package thing.

[Julie Metavale]

Avoid the dog. His name is Optimus. He's old and slow. We never hear about Optimus again. I guess he made it out safely. Take his phone and leave it in the kitchen. Do it. Leave meaning kill him. Kill him. Get back on route A, heading south now. The plan was to pretend to rob Patrick and fake a hero heroin overdose.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God.

[Julie Metavale]

Like it says, there are details in there about injecting him with junk and stuff, which never happened. Oh, because we don't hear about that?

[Patrick Hines]

No, because he shot him. You know what I mean?

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. It says, like, mix some extra junk in one of the spoons and leave it in the bathroom.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, my God.

[Julie Metavale]

It's like, what are you got heroin too now?

[Patrick Hines]

Because I.

[Julie Metavale]

Or is it fake heroin?

[Patrick Hines]

You look at the Patrick and you look at the killer and you're like, patrick would beat your. Of course you had to bring an AR15. You idiot.

[Julie Metavale]

You fucking idiot. But this guy has been stalking him and really planned this out, and that's really important for the case.

[Patrick Hines]

I cannot imagine what it might must be like to be living with a murder plot in your head for weeks.

[Julie Metavale]

Exhausting.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, just knowing that you're going to.

[Julie Metavale]

Kill somebody, like, at the very least, I think it's exhausting.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And I think that's why they want to talk about it. I think the, like, the relief and the freedom of just having it out there, I think is sometimes appeals to these people. That's why they want to talk. They want to confess. They want you to know. Because it's like, a lot. Like, it must be a lot to hold in there.

[Patrick Hines]

I guess.

[Julie Metavale]

And I'm a good secret keeper when it comes to, like, surprise parties, but.

[Patrick Hines]

I'm like, are you? I feel like when you have the murder plot in your head, your body is rotting from the inside out. Like, you must be. You must look disheveled. You must be exhausted. Like.

[Julie Metavale]

Yeah. Here's an example. So Aaron and Megan, who do social media for us, they're married.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Aaron was going to throw Megan a surprise party. I couldn't make the surprise party. I wrote notes on my reminder, my reminder app, to be like, text Meghan happy birthday. Don't mention the surprise party, because I was. I was seeing in my head, happy birthday. So sorry I can't make it.

[Patrick Hines]

I can understand how you were living with that Terry. For weeks.

[Julie Metavale]

For weeks. I had notes. It was in the calendar. It was in the reminder app. There was an Alarm set, don't mention the party.

[Patrick Hines]

But like, then you're gonna mention it with your eyes.

[Julie Metavale]

You know what I mean? I texted, but like, that is what haunts me and keeps me up at night in a cold sweat. Ah, I'm gonna tell her. I didn't. I just said, happy birthday. Have a great day.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't have that fear.

[Julie Metavale]

I do.

[Patrick Hines]

I don't know. I mean, I forget everything anyway, so. You know what I Learned about meetings 10 minutes before? When they pop up on my birthday.

[Julie Metavale]

Party, does that mean that you would ruin the surprise then? Cause you forgot.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, I mean, I knew about her surprise party, but I don't think I was afraid I was gonna tell her.

[Julie Metavale]

I was so scared I was gonna ruin the whole thing and then it would be like some idiot ruining her birthday party.

[Patrick Hines]

It's okay. It's all right.

[Julie Metavale]

I didn't do it. Point is, uh huh. That's the kind of shit that I like. So imagine this horrifying. These notebooks upon notebooks of stalking and a murder plan. So he writes like all these lists and maps and these drawings and then just like leaves it out there for everyone to see.

[Patrick Hines]

And this is where his, that former coworker, former friend Les goes. I'm not surprised he's so successful. You can't become successful if you're sloppy.

[Julie Metavale]

He's saying, les, you don't know what the word quirky means. And you don't know what the word successful means.

[Patrick Hines]

You don't know what you're talking about.

[Julie Metavale]

I don't know what words mean that.

[Patrick Hines]

He's like, he was so smart to write it all out. So then he knew exactly what he was doing. I'm like, girl, he wrote a. He wrote a confession.

[Julie Metavale]

What are you, one of these guys who's like, has got like a. Like a man crush on the murderer?

[Patrick Hines]

Literally.

[Julie Metavale]

What's going on here?

[Patrick Hines]

I'm like, what he wrote was a. Like it was his plan, which equals confession. And then he threw it away in his own garbage. Less. What. What is wrong with you?

[Julie Metavale]

And like, which one of this is a quirk? Which one of these behaviors is a quirk?

[Patrick Hines]

My God.

[Julie Metavale]

So the day of the murder, this asshole gets up full of rage.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

Leaves his phone at home, bought the burner phone, drives 45 minutes to Patrick's house, tricked Patrick's father into thinking he was a delivery guy, shot and killed Patrick, goes in and removes the camera footage, which we never find or hear about again.

[Patrick Hines]

And we never learn how he knew where it was. I mean, Unless it was in a super obvious place. But like, we never learn how he knew which computer and which hard drive to take.

[Julie Metavale]

Unless he was like, really, like, really stalking and like in the house when no one was home.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, yeah, maybe.

[Julie Metavale]

And just like, creeping around because he was doing this. He was meticulous. Ugh, that's the word you meant, Former friend.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah, exactly. But, you know, he was convinced he was gonna get away with it.

[Max]

But on March 1, 2018, less than 48 hours after Patrick De La Cerda's death, Gregory Bender is charged with first degree murder.

[Patrick Hines]

Gregory Bender is charged with first degree.

[Julie Metavale]

Murder because all the cell phone information comes back. So now we have, like, things we can prove.

[Patrick Hines]

Right? We got it. Like, he was so convinced he was gon away with it. We caught him in 40. We actually, they caught him in like.

[Julie Metavale]

Two hours, like two seconds.

[Patrick Hines]

But like, in 48 hours they were able to prove it.

[Julie Metavale]

Idiot. So May 25, 2021 years later, it's the trial.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

The prosecutors lead with the handwritten murder plot.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah. Plus, why would they need anything more than that? Like, come on.

[Julie Metavale]

Well, guess what? They have plenty. The shell casings and the cell phone records and the restraining order and the stalking. I mean, we got the son of a bitch.

[Patrick Hines]

And then like, the defense tries to argue once again that they don't have a murder weapon, they don't have the.

[Julie Metavale]

Surveillance video, which are things I'd like to know the answer to as well. Sure.

[Patrick Hines]

But then they. Then they put the. The. How do you think this is going to play with the jury? I mean, they put the dad on the stand and accuse him of killing his own son. The dad is sobbing.

[Julie Metavale]

I understand you guys are desperate on the defense side, but there is no reason to. To drag Max through hell. That is cruel and heartless. And for what?

[Patrick Hines]

And it was never going to work.

[Julie Metavale]

A last ditch effort to try to get your guy, like, no, do something else.

[Patrick Hines]

Right.

[Julie Metavale]

Say that the phone records are a lie. Say, or really rely on the fact that you don't have the murder weapon and you don't know where the footage went. Like, lean on that. But to drag this poor guy through this again is so cruel.

[Patrick Hines]

It could be anybody else. Right. Like, why point to the dad? Say, like, we don't have the murder weapon, we don't have the surveillance video. It could have been anybody.

[Julie Metavale]

The salacious story that he wanted Jessica all to himself. It's not just that he killed his own son, which he did not do, obviously, of course, and we never believed. But then it has to be some salacious, like, love triangle bullshit. Like it's a tabloid.

[Patrick Hines]

How do you go home to your spouse and tell them, no, I really believe it was the dad.

[Julie Metavale]

How was your day at work today?

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, well, you know what? I got to question that piece of shit dad that I think actually killed.

[Julie Metavale]

His kid and made him cry on.

[Patrick Hines]

The st. Poor, wrongfully convicted client. Like, what?

[Julie Metavale]

And re traumatized?

[Patrick Hines]

How do you live with yourself?

[Julie Metavale]

It's crazy.

[Patrick Hines]

And it's only because this guy is rich. And I'm sure these. These lawyers are expensive. It's like the almighty dollar, right?

[Max]

So on May 28, 2021, the trial reaches its conclusion.

[Julie Metavale]

We the jury find the defendant guilty of the charge of first degree murder at Gregory sentencing hearing. A short time later, he was sentenced.

[Patrick Hines]

To life in prison without parole.

[Julie Metavale]

Life in prison without parole.

[Bryce]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And then it just ends with like, the custom ring did arrive and Jessica still wears it every day and she's.

[Patrick Hines]

Like, tight with Bryce. Like. Like he's got. He has the business he was going to start with Patrick, and she does their social media work together, which I think is so great.

[Julie Metavale]

I think it's so sweet.

[Patrick Hines]

Yeah.

[Julie Metavale]

And we get like the on screen text that this asshole is incarcerated in the maximum security wing of a state correctional facility.

[Patrick Hines]

He's exhausted all of his appeals, will spend the rest of his life behind bars. But, like, nothing will bring Patrick back. It's like, I just. I totally understand when the families are like. Right. But it's not justice. There's no justice.

[Julie Metavale]

There's no closure. There's no justice.

[Patrick Hines]

It's like 25 years old.

[Julie Metavale]

I know, I know. And great. But like, the good we got the guy. But also the other frustrating thing is, like, so what's going to change? Exactly. Nothing.

[Patrick Hines]

Exactly like what?

[Julie Metavale]

Like, what have we learned from this, really?

[Patrick Hines]

Right?

[Julie Metavale]

Anything.

[Patrick Hines]

Right. Exactly.

[Julie Metavale]

Stay stupid. Keep writing everything down in your notebook, you fucking losers. You herb losers. Keep writing it down.

[Patrick Hines]

Leave.

[Julie Metavale]

And then leave it for all of us to see. Keep that up. You know what? Keep doing that.

[Patrick Hines]

If you're listening to this, you're doing a great job.

[Julie Metavale]

Take nothing, you creep.

[Patrick Hines]

Murderer.

[Julie Metavale]

Herb. Loser. Keep writing it down.

[Patrick Hines]

Keep.

[Julie Metavale]

That's it. And leave voicemail so we have your voice and all of your threats. Put them on voicemails, please. Thank you. We're going to get you.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, girl, we did. What's it called?

[Julie Metavale]

It's called love you to death playbook for murder.

[Patrick Hines]

Ugh. It was. I mean, just so sad.

[Julie Metavale]

I know, I know.

[Patrick Hines]

Once again, I'm out on tour. The next cities I'm coming to are Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis. Come to hang out with me.

[Julie Metavale]

They're a good chunk of cities I.

[Patrick Hines]

Know and I love them and I love going out there and listen. I'm like out with the people the whole time. I'm never like when the doors open at 5:00, I'm there. I go up and do the Q and a. I come back down, the show starts, I go up to the stage, I come back down for the hangout. We're just hanging out the whole time. It's super, super fun. People are making friends and I'm making you laugh for an hour. So patricktours.com where you can click on the link in the show notes. What are we doing next, girl?

[Julie Metavale]

Well, weirdly enough, there's actually it's worst ex ever three killing for custody. And once again, there's another very long and detailed checklist. Oh, and in this one we also have the search history.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, great.

[Julie Metavale]

So thank you for taking my notes immediately.

[Patrick Hines]

We do love a search history as.

[Julie Metavale]

I'm giving them to you. Checklist notes.

[Patrick Hines]

Wow.

[Julie Metavale]

Search history.

[Patrick Hines]

Okay, great.

[Julie Metavale]

Another one and done. Open and check case. We'll talk to you next week.

[Patrick Hines]

Oh, God. All right, fam. We love you so much. Stay tuned for the trailer for that.

[Julie Metavale]

Yes.

[Patrick Hines]

Stay safe out there.

[Julie Metavale]

Stay safe, please.

[Jessica Devnani]

My God.

[Patrick Hines]

We love you. All right, bye bye. Most murders are committed by people that you know. But having an entire family involved is definitely a rare sight of.

[Julie Metavale]

A sudden we started screaming, what are you doing?

[Patrick Hines]

It sound like a shock. He's got his little two year old daughter with him. We had no idea what we had. Who's my suspect? Who's my victim? I am very lucky to be alive life today. If they had gotten away with it, my daughter would never know who I was. But I did step up to this challenge and I did persevere.