Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"I mean, first of all, feels relevant. But did, that's what I don't understand. Like, so we know she's shot, right? So like, this could make sense, but was she shot at 11? Did anyone else hear this gunshot? I mean, I feel like someone would." — Ash
"The defense wants to show that Kelly is essentially an unreliable witness with a substance use disorder. And they're like, no, no, no. We don't need any details about her or how we got here, just what she's willing to say about the night and who did it." — Ash
"And the jury deliberates for over three hours before coming back with a verdict. They find Byron Case guilty of murder in the first degree and armed criminal action. And the judge senses Byron to two concurrent life terms." — Britt Praylott
The episode begins with the discovery of Anastasia Whitbull's body in Lincoln Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri, on October 23rd, 1997. Initial investigation reveals she died from a gunshot wound to the face. The property manager of an adjacent cemetery, Mount Washington, provides a crucial timeline, having seen Anastasia with three other individuals the previous evening before she was reported missing by her father, Robert "Bob" Whitbull. Dental records confirm the victim's identity.
The investigation quickly focuses on Anastasia's boyfriend, Justin Bruton, who was with her shortly before her disappearance. Bruton's story of an argument leading to Anastasia leaving the car alone is met with suspicion, especially as he becomes unreachable. Further complicating matters, two friends, Byron Case and Kelly Moffitt, come forward, corroborating parts of Justin's account but also introducing conflicting details about the sequence of events and the presence of others. The autopsy reveals a close-range gunshot wound, but no murder weapon is found at the scene.
The narrative takes a sharp turn when Justin Bruton is found dead from a gunshot wound to the head approximately 30 miles away, his car discovered abandoned. Authorities rule his death a suicide, and a shotgun is found near his body. However, evidence suggests Justin purchased this shotgun after Anastasia's death, raising questions about whether he used a different weapon for her murder and then bought a new one for his own suicide. This leads to a murder-suicide theory, but inconsistencies persist.
Years later, Kelly Moffitt, now 17 years old, comes forward seeking transactional immunity and implicates Byron Case, claiming he, with Justin's direction, shot Anastasia. She further states that Justin and Byron planned the murder. This testimony, despite its later inconsistencies regarding who pulled the trigger and the initial misleading statements from Kelly, becomes a cornerstone of the prosecution against Byron. The lack of physical evidence connecting Byron directly to the murder and questions surrounding Kelly's reliability are highlighted, but Byron is ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The episode concludes by examining alternative theories and the ongoing efforts of Byron's defense team to prove his innocence, emphasizing the enduring questions surrounding the investigation and the true sequence of events.