Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"I mean, he's no criminal mastermind clearly." — Brett
"The way he was able to just go perform like nothing happened is wild, absolutely chilling." — Ashley Flowers
"At the end of the day, when you put aside the flashy headlines in the Salacious Details, two people were murdered in what should have been the prime of their lives. For f*cking nothing, for money." — Ashley Flowers
This episode chronicles the investigation into the murder of Julie Kibbleeshi, found dead in her friend Sam Hare's apartment. Initially, suspicion falls on Sam due to text messages and his history, including a past murder charge and PTSD. However, Sam's father's persistent doubts and his own investigation uncover evidence suggesting Sam is not the killer, pointing to the use of Sam's credit card by an unknown individual. This leads investigators to Wesley, a teenager who admits to withdrawing money from Sam's account under the pretense of helping a bail bond agency. Further investigation reveals that Dan Wozniak, Sam's neighbor and friend, orchestrated this scheme with Wesley, initially to defraud Sam's bank account.
The narrative takes a sharp turn when Dan confesses, first claiming Sam killed Julie in a drug-fueled rage and threatened him and Rachel, his fiancée. His story continuously evolves, placing him closer to the crime scene and implicating him more directly. The discovery of two gunshot wounds on Julie, not one as initially apparent, and the presence of Dan's DNA, further incriminate him. Ultimately, Dan confesses to murdering both Sam and Julie, detailing a plan to kill Sam first, dismember his body, and then murder Julie to frame Sam and cover up his own actions, all driven by financial distress and the need to avoid eviction.
The investigation also scrutinizes Dan's fiancée, Rachel, for her potential involvement and inconsistent statements, suggesting she may have known more than she initially disclosed. Despite her claims of ignorance, inconsistencies in her accounts and overheard conversations raise suspicion about her complicity. Dan Wozniak is convicted of two counts of felony murder and sentenced to death. His brother, Tim, receives probation for accessory after the fact, while Rachel is found guilty of two counts of accessory after the fact and sentenced to prison. The episode concludes by emphasizing the tragic loss of life for financial gain and the devastating impact on the victims' families.