Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The bottom line is, Morgan was crazy about Phil. This is going to be their very first visit since he proposed over the phone a few weeks ago. So to them, there's no way she would spend all of that time traveling to see him. Only to take off with two random dudes to go shoot guns somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, like it makes no sense to them." — Ashley Flowers (Host)
"The patents and Phil are so disappointed with how this case has been handled, and they think that the lackluster attitude is due at least in part to the fact that they live hundreds of miles away. It's hard to put pressure on from so far, but they say that regardless of what happens in court, they're not going to stop looking for answers on their own." — Ashley Flowers (Host)
"So the patents contact the Marines, they're told that nothing can be done because Charlie is out of the military now. And that the truthfulness of his statement have no bearing on whether his injuries were sustained in the line of duty, which is all that they were trying to figure out." — Britt (Co-host)
This episode details the investigation into the death of Morgan Patton, who was killed in a car crash on November 8, 2019, in North Carolina. The crash involved a pickup truck driven by Hunter O'Neill Wells, with Marines Charles Edward Cornwall V (Charlie) and Morgan Patton as passengers. Investigators were initially presented with a scenario suggesting a tragic accident, with Hunter O'Neill Wells reportedly driving under the influence. However, Morgan's parents, Steve and Renee Patton, immediately questioned the official narrative, as Morgan was in Jacksonville, North Carolina, to visit her fiancé, Marine Philip Brandon, and had no known connections to the men in the truck.
The investigation revealed numerous discrepancies and unanswered questions. Hunter O'Neill Wells' account of the events, including their alleged plan to go shooting, was met with skepticism by Morgan's family. Furthermore, conflicting information emerged regarding Morgan's presence in the vehicle, her alleged BAC level, and the potential for foul play. Morgan's family, along with her fiancé, pursued their own lines of inquiry, hiring a private investigator and submitting records requests, which uncovered inconsistencies in witness statements and potential mishandling of evidence, particularly concerning the toxicology report and the physical evidence found at the scene.
The narrative highlights the challenges faced by Morgan's family in obtaining a comprehensive and unbiased investigation, especially as the case involved military personnel and jurisdiction. The episode details the legal proceedings against Hunter O'Neill Wells, his multiple charges, and the ongoing quest for truth, emphasizing the family's determination to honor Morgan's memory through their foundation and their continued pursuit of answers.