True Crime with Kendall Rae

Episode: Killer Pretends He “Forgot” What He Did: The Case of Jackie Vandagriff

Release Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Kendall Rae

Episode Overview

In this deeply empathetic episode, Kendall Rae explores the chilling case of Jackie Vandagriff, a vibrant 24-year-old student whose promising life was brutally cut short by Charles Bryant—a man who later claimed not to remember his actions. Kendall puts the victims and their humanity at the forefront, shining light on Jackie’s life, her aspirations, and the ripple effects on those around her, including another intended victim, Caitlyn Mathis. The episode delves into the investigation, Bryant's manipulative behaviors, his lies and eventual partial confession, and the broader themes of stalking, victim-blaming, and enduring trauma.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Victim-Centered Introduction: Jackie Vandagriff (01:11 – 10:46)

• Kendall opens by expressing frustration over the senselessness of Jackie’s murder and the lack of a clear, satisfying motive.
• Jackie’s Background:
  • Born March 4, 1992, in Carrollton, TX.
  • Described as energetic, patriotic, and passionate about health and wellness.
  • Attended Texas Woman's University, majoring in nutrition and wellness.
• Emotional Moments:
  • Kendall shares a self-introduction clip from Jackie:

    “I am currently a junior here at Texas Women's University and my major is nutrition with an emphasis in wellness. … As far as my career aspirations go, right now I'm most interested in corporate wellness.” (05:35 – 06:30)

  • Jackie’s lighthearted YouTube “beauty haul” video snippet further humanizes her:

    “If I've ever helped you with skincare stuff, I probably told you to buy [CeraVe]…You could probably find some kind of face wash that would turn me into Beyonce or something and I would still be like, no, I'll take this every time.” (09:08 – 09:54)

2. Discovery and Shock (10:46 – 14:44)

• On September 14, 2016, Jackie’s dismembered and burned remains were found in a blue kiddie pool at Acorn Woods Park near Grapevine Lake.
• Initial confusion and devastation among friends and family, as Jackie had no known enemies; the attack appeared completely out of the blue.

3. Constructing a Timeline, Identifying the Suspect (14:44 – 18:20)

• Law enforcement retrieves surveillance:
  • Jackie seen at Fry Street Public House and later at another bar, Shots and Brew, with an older man—Charles Bryant.
  • Around 9:45pm (September 13), last seen in Bryant’s car outside a convenience store.
• Disturbing post-mortem activity:
  • A tweet from Jackie’s account (“never knew I could feel like this”) appeared after her death, believed to be authored by the killer.

4. The Charles Bryant Backstory & Pattern of Stalking (18:20 – 33:06)

• Focus on Caitlyn Mathis:
  • Charles Bryant, then 29, began aggressively pursuing 18-year-old Caitlyn after her high school graduation.
  • Displayed classic signs of manipulation and possessiveness—repeatedly ignoring breakups, showing up unannounced at her dorm and work.
  • Kendall’s commentary:

    “It's very disturbing when a 29-year-old man is going after a woman who just turned 18 and just graduated high school, as in just graduated like the day before.” (17:19)

• Law Enforcement Support:
  • Lt. Jeremy Polk took Caitlyn’s complaints seriously, swiftly instituting no-trespassing orders and helping her obtain an emergency protective order.
  • Bryant's repeated violations led to several arrests, but he kept posting bond and resuming harassment.
  • Armor of victim-blaming from Bryant’s friends and his intense, melodramatic emails to Caitlyn.
• Creeping Parallels: Grapevine Lake, where Jackie’s remains were found, was a place Bryant had frequented with Caitlyn.

5. Investigation and Interrogations (34:40 – 48:27)

• Initial Arrest and Denials:
  • Bryant picked up again after further contact with Caitlyn; questioned about Jackie.
  • Classic deflection:

    (Interrogator): “I want to get to the truth. You telling me you just saw her at a distance is not true.” (37:39)
    (Bryant): “That's like, I don't know her. That's insane… I don’t really remember anything. That's insane.” (38:31 – 39:05)
    Kendall's reaction: “Very convenient. So he basically goes on to say that he was blackout drunk and doesn’t remember anything that happened with her.”

• Evidence Flood:
  • Surveillance showing him with Jackie, buying a shovel and gasoline, and at the dump site; forensic evidence (Jackie’s bag, knife, hacksaw with hair, stun gun) found in Bryant’s possession.
  • Bryant encountered a neighbor at Walmart and bizarrely asked, “how to get away with murder?” (41:52)
• Interrogator’s tactics: Pressuring Bryant with evidence, calling out inconsistencies in his memory and behavior.

6. The Partial Confession & Texas Ranger Jim Holland (48:27 – 52:30)

• Enter Texas Ranger Jim "Serial Killer Whisperer" Holland:
  • Uses buddy-buddy, non-threatening approach, even aligning with Bryant’s misogynistic worldview to extract a confession.
  • Bryant bumblingly confesses:

    “Turns out it was me. It's totally me. There's no doubt about it. But I just want to go forward with it … It's jail. I'm fine with that.” (46:57 – 47:53)

• Kendall’s disgust at self-victimization:

  “He can't just be a man and fully confess and own up to what he did…. Now I'm going to die in jail or maybe get the death penalty. Poor me.” (48:27 – 48:47)

• Holland suggests possible mitigating scenarios, encourages Bryant to remember, who finally tells a story blaming Jackie for her own death (consensual "kinky sex gone wrong"). He describes dismemberment and burning in detail.

7. Lack of Motive, Community Impact, and Trial (52:30 – 59:30)

• Motive remains unclear:
  • Kendall posits jealousy, anger at Caitlyn, or lack of control may have driven Bryant, but concludes “there’s no super clear motive.”
• Ripple effects:
  • Caitlyn discovers Jackie’s killer used Jackie’s phone to friend her on Facebook after the murder.
  • The trauma extends; Caitlyn struggles with survivor’s guilt.

    “She wishes this happened to her and not Jackie, and that's not something anyone should feel.” (59:00)

• Jackie’s legacy:
  • Vigil held; an endowment established at Texas Woman's University in her name.
  • Family encourages donations to Operation Kindness, an animal shelter, honoring Jackie’s compassion for animals.

8. Trial Details & Outcome (59:30 – End)

• Trial (April 2018):
  • Despite surveillance, physical evidence, and confession, Bryant pleads not guilty, claims accidental death.
  • Defense pushes “kinky sex” argument despite lack of biological evidence and overwhelming circumstantial proof.
  • Caitlyn’s testimony barred from jury consideration, further traumatizing her.
• Verdict:
  • Jury convicts Bryant of murder and tampering with evidence.
  • Sentence: Life in prison with possible parole after 30 years; plus 20 years (to be served concurrently) for evidence tampering.
  • Discovery of child sexual abuse material on Bryant's phone adds another layer of horror.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kendall Rae on incomprehensible evil (01:11):

  “Sometimes with some killers there is no way to make sense of the things that they do … they are just pure evil and come out of deep rooted insecurities and just being a total freak if I'm being honest.”

• Jackie, sharing her future (05:35):

  “I am currently a junior here at Texas Women's University and my major is nutrition with an emphasis in wellness….”

• On Bryant’s narcissism (17:28):

  “He tried to pull this whole 'you'll never find anyone better than me' kind of bullshit, and that’s something that only the most insecure of men manage to find the audacity to say.”

• Kendall calling out Bryant's memory charade (39:05):

  “So insane. I just remember nothing. Very convenient.”

• Texas Ranger Jim Holland gets a confession (46:57):

  “[Bryant]: ...Turns out it was me. It's totally me. There's no doubt about it…”

• Kendall on the trial’s outcome (61:16):

  “He was sentenced to life in prison, thankfully, but he unfortunately has the possibility of parole in 30 years...With good behavior, there’s a chance that he will walk free one day.”

• On Caitlyn’s survivor's guilt (60:01):

  “Caitlyn feels guilty for what happened … I hope with time, she’s been able to understand that she had no fault in this…”

• On family empathy and healing (62:10):

  “...Jackie's grandma actually went up to Caitlyn and told her that she had been super worried about her over the past two years.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:11 | Introduction & Jackie’s background | | 05:35 | Audio from Jackie’s introduction video | | 09:08 | Audio from Jackie’s beauty haul video | | 10:46 | Discovery of Jackie’s body & initial investigation | | 14:44 | Timeline of events & identification of Charles Bryant | | 18:20 | Caitlyn Mathis’ history with Bryant & escalation | | 21:27 | Bryant’s stalking, police reactions, campus protections | | 34:40 | Bryant’s arrest, initial interrogations | | 36:07 | Bryant’s denials and contradictions under police questioning | | 39:05 | Review of overwhelming evidence against Bryant | | 46:37 | Texas Ranger Jim Holland’s interrogation; partial confession | | 51:53 | Jim Holland’s tactics and drawing out more of Bryant’s account | | 52:30 | Theories on motive; emotional impact on Caitlyn, family response, Jackie’s legacy | | 59:30 | Trial, defense tactics, barring of Caitlyn’s testimony | | 61:16 | Sentencing details and aftermath | | 62:10 | Moment between Jackie’s family and Caitlyn, ongoing empathy and support |

Episode Tone and Conclusion

Kendall Rae’s storytelling embodies compassion for the victim, unwavering critique of the perpetrator, and insight into the systemic issues of stalking, violence, and the criminal justice system. Her candid, sometimes blunt observations ("I think Charles is truly evil" [61:15]) and focus on both emotional impact and practical legacy (endowment, donations) leave listeners with a sense of personal loss, community resilience, and a call to remember and honor victims beyond their tragedy.