Casefile True Crime - Case 267: Brian Barrett

Episode Date: November 11, 2023

In the spring of 2005, two 18-year-olds met in an online chat room and immediately hit it off. Jessi went by the username TalHotBlond, while her new friend Tommy called himself MarineSniper. It wasn��t long before the two had fallen in love and gotten engaged… But less than a year into their relationship, the romance would be destroyed by a shocking revelation that ultimately led to devastating consequences… --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-267-brian-barrett

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cases. Along with a local crime reporter, they begin an investigation that unearthed heartbreaking revelations, which no one was prepared for. This is the story behind the Bakersfield 3, the latest original podcast from Case File Presents. This series is the culmination of five years of reporting, research and interviews by award-winning journalist Olivia LaVois. The Bakersfield 3 features exclusive interviews with key players as crucial events unfolded. Listeners will also hear audio from police interrogations, jailhouse phone calls, an explosive trial, and more.

This is like no story you've ever heard before. The entire Bakersfield 3 series is available now. Listen to all 15 episodes of the Bakersfield 3, wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned to the end of today's episode to hear the trailer. Our episodes deal with serious and often-distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content

warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Pogo.com is an online gaming site that provides a platform for strangers and friends to gather together to play a variety of card and board games. Users enter particular rooms to play the game of their choice, and as they play, they can also chat by typing messages to other users. In April 2005, a user with the name Marine Sniper was playing Blackjack in one of Pogo's rooms when he received a message from another player going by the name Tallhot Blonde Big 50. Tallhot Blonde introduced herself as 18-year-old Jesse.

She then informed Marine Sniper that he was in the wrong place. The room they were in was for teenagers, and Marine Sniper's profile clearly stated that he was 46 years old. Marine Sniper reassured Jesse that he wasn't in the wrong room. He was actually 18 like her, but he was using his father's account to play. That's why his profile had him as 46. With that issue addressed turned out of the way, Tall Hoppland and Marine Sniper were free to keep messaging one another. It didn't take long for Marine Snibber to start sharing more information about himself

with the Jesse. His real name was Tommy and he lived in upstate New York near the city of Buffalo. Tommy had big dreams. He was set to join the Marines like his father and wanted to become the best and toughest aversion of himself he could be. Tommy had an always felt this way. He told Jesse that when he was 12, his mother died of cancer, and after this, he never felt love from another person again.

After being betrayed by a couple of different people, Tommy gradually began to switch off his feelings and became a loner. He sometimes thought about taking his own life, but directed his pain and self-hatred outwards instead. When he was 17, he raped a cheerleader from his high school. Tommy explained that he'd reached rock bottom and experienced a sense of total hopelessness. He'd found purpose by enlisting in the Marines and was getting ready to attend boot camp. In two months' time, Tommy would head to Paris Island in South Carolina to undertake his training. Jesse wasn't totally horrified by Tommy's admission that he was a rapist. Instead, she felt compassion for what he'd been through and told him she was proud that

he'd worked to better himself. She knew what it was like to feel a lack of direction. Jesse lived in a state of West Virginia in a small town called O'Kill. Her life was fairly typical. She lived with her parents and younger brother, but often fought with her mum. Jesse loved sports and played softball and basketball. For extra money, she worked part-time as a lifeguard. Jesse was in her final year of high school and getting ready to graduate.

She was set to go to college but didn't really know what she wanted to do with her life. In Tommy, Jesse saw the chance for an exciting future. During their very first conversation, Jesse sent Tommy some bikini-clad photos of herself. Just as her pogo username implied, she was tall and athletic with tanned skin and a long blonde hair. More pictures soon followed. There were glamour shots that had been taken by professional photographers, as well as more relaxed-c relaxed candid photos of

Jesse playing sports. Jesse began making photo slideshows for Tommy set to backgrounds of romantic power ballads such as arrowsmiths I don't want to miss a thing. Jesse was curious to know what Tommy looked like. He described himself as six foot tall and muscular with big shoulders. Jesse was pleased by this, she liked big shoulders. Eventually, Tommy sent Jesse a photo of himself wearing his cadet uniform and a stern expression. Jesse thought he looked handsome. As the days went by, Jesse and Tommy chatted more and more. They communicated by instant message on Pogo, as well as via email and Yahoo. Eventually, the two exchanged phone numbers and began talking over the phone as well.

When Tommy headed to South Carolina for boot camp, his time became somewhat limited, but he always made time to talk with Jesse. It wasn't long before the two teenagers declared their love for each other. Their conversations became racial and they engaged in cyber sex. Tommy told Jesse that he'd gotten a tattoo on his arm in honor of their relationship. It featured the words always and forever alongside a heart with Jesse's name inside. Always and forever was both a nod to the Marine's motto, Semper Fidelis, and a special saying that Tommy and Jesse used to refer to their love.

After Tommy's bootcamp training was complete, he received a word that it was being deployed to fight in the Iraq war, which the United States had initiated more than two years earlier. He told Jesse that his internet access would be restricted during this time. Jesse that his internet access would be restricted during this time. If she needed to reach him urgently while he was out on a dangerous mission, or wanted to send him a care package, she could do so via his father, Tom Sr. Tom Sr.'s Marine contacts meant he could get packages delivered to Iraq faster than the US Postal Service. Jesse sent Tom Sr Senior letters and photographs

which she forwarded to his son. But being far away from Jesse and unable to see her in person ignited Tommy's jealous streak. He accused her of flirting with other men from their gaming community and sending them pictures. This led to the young couple's first argument. Eager for them to make up, Jessie sent Tommy a special parcel that included a necklace

with a pendant in the shape of half a heart. She kept the other half for herself. Jessie also included a pair of her underwear. Tommy got over their brief argument, but his father didn't. Tom's senior didn't agree with Tommy and to Jesse's relationship. He discouraged to Jesse from pursuing his son any further, telling her he would no longer relay any messages between the couple. He thought the relationship should end, and told Jesse, quote, You will hurt him and he's an idiot and will believe you're lying us. Jesse wasn't dissuaded. She continued contacting Tommy, telling him she was worried about his safety while he was fighting in Iraq.

In one message, she wrote, I know you're being careful, honey, and you have the best with you, but I also know anything can happen. Tommy kept replying to Jesse, reassuring her, and saying she was the best thing that ever happened to him. He also told her about the battles he was fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. As December rolled around, the couple had been in contact for roughly eight months. At Christmas, Tommy surprised Jesse by proposing to her. She accepted.

To mark their engagement, Tommy sent Jesse some red point sentiers, flowers that are popular at Christmas time. Jesse mailed Tommy another care package with more of her underwear, as well as dog tags engraved with the words, Tom and Jesse always sent forever. The couple agreed to marry when Tommy returned home from Iraq. Jesse wrote excitedly about how she would take Tommy's last name, which was Montgomery. She also imagined what their wedding night would be like. In their communications to each other, they talked about how their future together would be incredibly bright.

Two months later, in February 2006, Jesse received an envelope in the mail. Inside was what appeared to be a family photograph taken in a professional studio. A middle-aged woman with shoulder length at dark blonde hair stood in the center, sitting behind her was a middle-aged boarding man wearing glasses. I need the sight of the couple stood two girls who looked to be in their early to mid-attiends. Along with the photo was a handwritten letter. It opened with the words. Jesse, enclosed you will find a picture of my family. Let me introduce you to these people.

The man in the center is Tom, my husband. The writer explained that her name was Cindy Montgomery and she was the woman in the picture. The two girls were their daughters who were aged 12 and 14. Cindy explained that she and Tom didn't have any sons. Tommy, the young cadet Jesse had been having a relationship with for almost a year, didn't exist. Jesse had been speaking to 46-year-old Tom the entire time. Cindy had uncovered the ruse when she stumbled across some of Jesse's letters to Tommy, which

Tom had stashed away. Cindy was concerned for the young woman and decided to let her know what had been going on. She closed her letter with the following message. From what I am pulling from your letters, you are much closer to my daughter's age than mine, let alone Tom's. Are you over the age of 18? In this alone, he can be prosecuted as a child predator.

He is taking advantage of you. You need to be much more cautious with your safety. You will only be hurt by a man who has mastered the art of manipulation and lies. Do not trust words on a computer. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. This episode of Casefile is sponsored by BetterHelp. This time of year can be a lot, and it's natural to feel some sadness or anxiety about it all. But adding something new and positive to your life can counteract some of those feelings.

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into your lifestyle. To get started, all you have to do is fill out a brief question air and you'll be matched with a license to therapist, and you can switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Find your bright spot this season with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com-casefile today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp-h-e-l-p-dot-com-P dot com slash case file. When two friends go missing back to back and in between their disappearances, a third friend is murdered, their mothers are the first to find connections between the three cases.

Along with a local crime reporter, they begin an investigation that unearthed heartbreaking revelations, which no one was prepared for. This is the story behind the Bakersfield 3, the latest original podcast from Case File Presents. This series is the culmination of five years of reporting, research and interviews by award-winning journalist Olivia LaVois. The Bakersfield 3 features exclusive interviews with key players as crucial events unfolded. Listeners will also hear audio from police interrogations, jailhouse phone calls,

an explosive trial, and more. This is like no story you've ever heard before. The entire Bakersfield 3 series is available now. Listen to all 15 episodes of the Bakersfield 3 wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support CaseFile to continue to deliver quality content. As a young man in the 1970s, Tom Montgomery had enlisted in the Marines, but he never saw active combat.

By the time he was discharged, he developed a drinking problem. When he married Cindy and had his first daughter, Montgomery found the time he was discharged, he developed a drinking problem. When he married Cindy and had his first daughter, Monk Gummery found the motivation he needed to address his addiction. A few years later, he and Cindy welcomed their second child. Tom Monk Gummery became a dedicated father who volunteered with his daughter's swimming club and taught Sunday school at the family's church. He provided for his family by working as a machinist at Dynabrate, a power tool company with headquarters in the New York town of Clarence. The job had didn't engage him in the same way that the military did, but he made a goal of it and became friends with some of his co-workers.

Over the years, Montgomery began to struggle again. He had difficulties with erectile dysfunction and his marriage suffered both physically and emotionally. Communication between him and Cindy dropped to an all-time low and Montgomery sought refuge on the internet. He spent countless hours in online gaming rooms, playing games and chatting with strangers, as it was easier confiding in people he didn't know via words on a screen. Montgomery was careful not to share any information about his wife and daughters, but he opened up about some of his problems with the other gamers he met. about some of his problems with the other gamers he met. The first time Jesse reached out to him in Pogo's blackjack room, Montgomery was enticed

by the thought of an attractive young woman. But when Jesse asked why he was in a room for kids when his profile listed him as 46, Montgomery panicked. He'd heard about sting operations where undercover agents infiltrated online spaces looking for sexual predators. Acting on impulse, Montgomery lied to Jesse, telling her he was 18 and using his dad's account. When Jesse sent him photos of herself wearing swimsuits, he was entranced. He began concocting the character of Tommy so he could keep talking with her.

Montgomery made up stories about Tommy's past and gave his alter ego a troubled background to help win Jesse's sympathy. The photo he'd sent her was actually a 30 yearold photo of Montgomery in his own Marines uniform. As time passed, Montgomery battled with whether or not he should put a stop to these antics. He created the personality of Tommy's father to maintain contact with the Jesse, even when Tommy was supposedly on dangerous missions with the Marines. But he also used this persona to try to break things off between the teenagers. Ultimately, it didn't work.

His obsession with his fantasy life was too strong. Cindy Montgomery noticed her husband's fixation with the internet. He would kick their daughters off the computer so he could use it himself and then stay up typing well into the night. The truth was exposed in February 2006 when Cindy stumbled across a parcel Jesse had sent her husband. Inside was a ladder and some red underwear that clearly belonged to a teenage girl. Cindy was disgusted and horrified to learn what Montgomery had done.

Not only was he lying to her and to their children, he was also manipulating an 18-year-old. Cindy confronted her husband and the couple agreed to divorce. In the meantime, Montgomery would move into the basement. Cindy was disturbed by the thought that Jesse was blissfully unaware that her young fiance was actually a middle-aged man. As a mother to young girls herself, she felt she had to do something. Cindy wrote a letter to Jesse and posted it to the return address listed on the parcel, exposing all of Tom Montgomery's lies.

After Jessie read the letter, she immediately sent Montgomery an angry text message, telling him he should be in jail. The pair then met in a private chat room. Jesse was furious and hurt. She asked Montgomery why he'd done what he did. Montgomery couldn't provide a satisfactory answer. He said he wished he could explain it, but he didn't have any answers. He'd planned to kill Tommy off by saying he'd died during combat in Iraq, but Cindy had discovered he's secret before he had the chance. Jesse didn't know what to think. She decided to reach out to a third party who might be able to shed some light on the

situation. Jesse recalled that Montgomery had mentioned a friend of his named Brian who was also active on Pogo. She even remembered Brian's username, Beefcake1572. 22-year-old Brian Barrett was a college student who worked part-time with Tom Montgomery at Dinerbraid to pay for his tuition. He still lived at home with his parents and 15-year-old brother. Every weekday, Brian got up at 6.30am, spent the day at college,

and then headed straight to DinerBraid for an evening shift that finished at 10pm. Jesse sent Brian a message telling him what Montgomery had done. Brian was shocked by his co-workers' actions and provided Jesse with a sympathetic ear. The two began messaging each other often, growing closer and closer. Jesse was just Brian's type. Not only was he attracted to blondes, he'd played football and baseball in school, and he found Jesse's athleticism very appealing. Just as she'd done with Tommy, Jesse sent Brian photos of herself and handwritten cards telling him how much he meant to her.

It wasn't long before the two declared their love for one another. before the two declared their love for one another. The pair also bonded over their disgust at Tom Montgomery. They went into the online chat room she frequented and told others what he'd done, calling him a loser and a predator. As a result, Montgomery was temporarily suspended from playing on Pogo. Jesse also shared her login details with Brian so that he could use her account to pose as her and send Montgomery mocking messages. Jesse and Brian decided that Montgomery's colleagues needed to know about this incident as well.

They debated how Brian should tell them, with Brian asking Jesse, What should I say? Up to you baby, she replied, I have to fuck with him, Brian typed it back. You were so bad, Jesse answered. Brian told people at Dynabrade what Montgomery had been up to and to left printouts of Montgomery into Jesse's conversations lying around the factory. Montgomery's colleagues were aware he'd been flirting with a much younger woman as he'd

been bragging about his relationship with the Jesse for months, but they didn't know that he'd been lying and posing as a teenager. The fallout was swift. A furious Montgomery sent Jesse a private message, letting her know that because of her and Brian's actions, many of his coworkers thought he was a sexual predator. People no longer trusted him to bear around their kids. As far as Tom Montgomery was concerned,

his life had been destroyed. Montgomery told both Brian and DeGessie to leave him alone. He would no longer talk to Brian online or when they crossed paths at work. When Brian told other colleagues that he hoped to drive down to West Virginia to meet up with her Jesse, the news made its way back to Montgomery. This upset him even more. He knew that Jesse was a virgin and he was fixated with the idea of being her first. Now it sounded like she was planning to have sex with Brian. But Jesse wasn't done with Tom Montgomery.

After two weeks of silence she began messaging him again, saying that she missed the Tommy alter ego. Jesse explained that she had truly fallen in love with the 18-year-old Marine sniper she'd believed was real. She'd never felt the same way about Brian and had only really flirted with him to get revenge against Montgomery. The revelation that Tommy never existed had left her in despair and unable to believe in true love. She believed, quote, If he existed, I would still be holding him every night and sharing dreams with him every night. Tom Montgomery found himself drawn back in.

He alternated between making hostile digs about Jesse's relationship with Brian and apologizing for having lied to her. Jesse asked if they could be friends. Monk Gummery was her only connection to Tommy, whom she still loved. Monk Gummery admitted he missed Tommy too, typing, I still feel Tommy in my heart. He added that he never stopped caring for Jesse. The two agreed to start over as friends.

The new friendship was fragile and fraught with issues from the get-go. For starters, it was clear that Montgomery still wanted a romantic relationship with Jesse. During their long late-night chat sessions, he sent her self-pitting messages about how he wanted more than she could give. Whenever he caught wind of Jesse's online friendships with other men, Montgomery's sweet tone switched in an instant. He descended Jesse a barrage of angry messages, calling her a whore and using racial slurs as he described how he hoped she would be raped by black men.

Montgomery stalked Jesse's account on the social media networking site MySpace and grilled her about who she'd been talking to. He reserved a large portion of his rage for his colleague, Brian Barrett. Montgomery told Jesse, I hate him with a passion, and for ten cents I would eliminate him. Jesse replied, That's a little drastic, isn't it? Montgomery responded,

Payback is a mother fucker, Jesse. I am the ultimate weapon. I am a Marine. Brian will pay him blood. Montgomery also had a confession for Jesse. After Brian outed his catfishing of Jesse to their colleagues, Montgomery had seriously considered shooting him. Despite these threats and admissions, Jesse said nothing to Brian or the police. Instead, she merely promised Montgomery that she wouldn't talk to Brian again. Over the following few months, Jesse and Montgomery's relationship fell into a toxic pattern. Sometimes they get along and even engage in roleplay where Montgomery pretended to be Tommy again,

during which they'd engage in cyber-sex. At the same time, Jesse continued to message other men. Montgomery found out about this through their online community and was riddled with the jealousy. He sent Jesse abusive messages, threatening to publish her address online. Eventually, Montgomery told Jesse that if she didn't leave him alone, he'd travel to West Virginia and physically heard her. He also made a veiled threat against Jesse's mother. Jesse backed off, but only for a while.

She soon reached out again, explaining to Montgomery that her mother Mary wanted to speak to him. Mary then contacted Montgomery and demanded he stay away from her daughter. Montgomery agreed, but told Mary he also wanted Jesse to stay away from her daughter. Montgomery agreed, but told Mary he also wanted Jesse to stay away from him. A couple of weeks went by before Jesse sent Montgomery another message. He pointed out that her mother had forbidden her from speaking to him, but Jesse shrugged it off, writing, well, she'll never know.

Jesse had promised Montgomery she was no longer speaking to Brian Barrett, but in September 2006, Montgomery was looking at Jesse's MySpace page when he noticed something in raging. Brian Barrett was listed as one of her friends and the two had been messaging each other there. Montgomery confronted Jesse, asking if she and Brian were back together. I can handle you with anyone but him, he messaged. Jesse insisted that the two weren't together but had just talked. But there was someone else. Jesse had met a new guy who went by the nickname Shake and she thought the two of them had something

special. Montgomery didn't believe her. He was convinced that Shake was actually Brian and that the two were in a romantic relationship. Montgomery also believed that Brian had plans to drive down to West Virginia in two months time to spend Thanksgiving with Jesse. You better be very afraid now, he warned. I told you what would happen if you and Brian got together. At around midnight on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, Jesse and Montgomery began chatting online.

Jesse repeatedly insisted that Shake and Bryan were not the same person and asked Montgomery to leave her alone. She told him, I'm asking you to love me enough to let me go. Jesse announced that she was going to delete her accounts on Pogo and Yahoo before signing off with one final message. I love you and will miss you Tom, goodbye baby, I'm leaving now. At 136am Montgomery replied, quote, "'Run to Brian, you cockaw. He is waiting for you.'

Four hours later, Montgomery checked back online to see if Jesse had indeed deleted her profiles. She hadn't. He sent her several abusive messages calling her a liar. Then he messaged Brian, stating, �Your girlfriend is just like you, nothing but lies. Keep her the fuck away from me. You wanted her. You got her.� Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors.

Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support CaseFile to continue to deliver quality content. On the morning of Sunday, September 17, 2006, Brian Barrett's parents and younger brother walked through the door of their home in Lockport, New York, and immediately knew something was wrong. The trio had spent the weekend camping with some family friends while 22-year-old Brian stayed at home. But there was no sign of Brian anywhere, and it was clear that the family's cats hadn't been fed in a couple of days. This was completely unlike Brian, who was typically reliable and responsible. Even if he'd planned to go out, he would have made sure to feed the pets.

Roughly an hour later, there was a knock at the front door. When Brian's father, Daniel Barrett, went to answer it, he saw officers from the local police department standing there. Realising something must have happened to his son, Daniel immediately began to scream. About 36 hours earlier, at 10.16pm on Friday, September 15, Brian Barrett finished his shift at Dinerbrate. He punched out and headed towards his white Ford Ranger truck, which was parked near the back of the employee parking lot.

He climbed behind the wheel and was preparing to leave when the sharp sound of gunshots pierced the night air. The driver's side window was shot at three times, shattering the glass. One of the bullets landed him Brian's upper left arm, while the other two went into his neck. He slumped over towards the passenger seat. Dead. Because Brian's family was away and to know one was at the Dinerbraid factory over the weekend, it took two days before his body was discovered. Detectives found witnesses who'd heard the gunshots and seen an individual dressed in camouflage

and a ski mask lurking in the area. This, along with Brian's time card, helped narrow down the time of the murder. Along with Brian's time card, helped narrow down the time of the murder. The killer had used a 30-calibre carbine rifle, but there was no sign of the spent shell casings. The only clues recovered were a gun clip with what appeared to be dog hairs on it, and a peach pit which was found lying nearby. To police, the crime looked like a sniper-style shooting. Bryant's family members couldn't imagine who would want to harm the 22-year-old.

Brian was a happy-go-lucky, well-liked young man with no known enemies. But his co-workers told police about the bizarre online love triangle involving Brian, Tom Montgomery, and a 18-year-old girl. They said that not only had Montgomery being badmouthing Brian for months, he'd recently made some disturbing comments. According to one colleague, Montgomery said that if he ever killed someone, he'd use an M1A1 military rifle and wouldn't be stupid

enough to leave any shell casings lying around. This was significant given that the bullets found in Brian's body matched this type of rifle. According to the colleague, Montgomery had also made inquiries about what time Brian's shifts ended. Investigators were eager to speak to Tom Montgomery for themselves, but they couldn't track him down. They began to worry that perhaps Montgomery had left the state to take revenge against Jesse as well.

Using a number saved in Brian's cell phone, officers were able to reach Jesse. She was safe and well. Jesse confirmed that she'd been involved with both Brian Barrett and Tom Montgomery, and that she'd been increasingly concerned about Montgomery's erratic behaviour. According to Jesse, Brian told her that Montgomery had tried to hit him with his car in their work parking lot on several occasions. He never spoke or made eye contact, just set behind the wheel with a stony expression on his face.

When Jesse warned Brian that Montgomery was making violent threats against him. Brian asked if he should report this to his boss or another co-worker. Jesse didn't directly reply, instead saying she was very scared of Montgomery. Brian replied, Yeah, me too. He's crazy. The last that Jesse had heard from Tom Montgomery was on Friday, September 15. Having finally cut ties with him two days prior, Montgomery had continued to message her, saying things like,

Hey, whore, you suck your boyfriend Brian's cock today. Jesse never replied. Early on Friday morning she awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Tom Montgomery was on the other line screaming obscenities in a wild rage. Jesse hung up on him, but he'd reached out again later that night, about an hour and a half after Brian Barrett was killed. Jesse received an online message from Montgomery asking, you waiting for your boyfriend?

Just over two hours later, he tried again, typing, come on, Brian won't mind you talking to me. Or are you talking to your boyfriend here? Officers in New York were worried that Jesse might be in danger. They contacted the police in West Virginia and asked them to visit Jesse at home. At around 6am, Officer Lee Kirk and his partner arrived at the address Jesse provided. It was a white house with peeling paint in the small town of O'Kill. A short, middle-aged woman with a bobbed hair cut answered the door. She identified herself as 45-year-old Mary Sheerlow.

The officers asked if anyone named Jesse lived at the home. Mary replied that her daughter Jesse no longer resided there as she was away at college. Officer Kirk reported this back to the police in New York, who told him they'd spoken with Jesse just hours earlier, and she'd told them she was at home. Officer Kirk returned to the house and asked Mary if Jessie had been home recently. Mary said no. She didn't have a phone number for Jessie either. Officer Kirk found this hard to believe.

He told Mary they were concerned that her daughter could be in danger and they needed to talk to her right away. Mary looked nervous. Officer Kerr could tell something was bothering her. As he continued to press her for information, Mary began to cry. I'm Jesse, she said. I've been using my daughter's name on the internet. As Mary Sheeler would later explain in an interview with Wyatt Magazine, she claimed to have signed up for an account on Pogo to play games as a way of relaxing.

It was only after paying a fee for a premium service that she realized she'd inadvertently used the Jessie's name and details, and it was therefore directed to the site's room for teenagers. Mary said she was happily married to her husband and had no romantic feelings for anyone else. She'd only started talking to Tom Montgomery's alter ego of Tommy because Tommy seemed to trouble and didn't need of care. Mary offered no explanation for why she'd sent him photos of her daughter wearing a bikini,

engaged in cyber sex with him, or agreed to marry him. After learning from Cindy Montgomery that Tommy wasn't real, Mary said she became concerned that Montgomery might be talking to other young women online. She therefore decided to keep communicating with him as a way to distract him from other girls. As his temper flared and he became increasingly jealous, Mary continued speaking to him out of fear he might harm himself or others if she didn't.

Mary said she'd never had feelings for Brian Barrett either. He was simply a sweet kid who started flirting with her, and she hadn't known what to do without exposing her true identity. The investigators in New York who had been communicating with the Jesse were stunned to learn about this revelation. Mary Sheeler had sounded just like a teenage girl during their phone conversations. One detective was so disbelieving that he drove down to West Virginia to meet Mary for himself.

There, Mary Sheeler's computer was confiscated. By this point, she had been communicating with Tom Montgomery for roughly a year and a half. On the computer, investigators found hundreds of images of Mary's daughter, Jessie, many which were clearly taken without Jessie's knowledge. Some photos focused on particular body parts and were taken from behind. In a video that Mary had clearly filmed without her daughter's knowledge or consent, she aimed to the camera up at Jessie's skirt.

She then sent the footage to several individuals, asking, do you like it? It turned out that Mary had been talking to more men than just Tom Montgomery and Brian Barrett. She had sent photos of her daughter and pairs of Jessie's underwear to multiple online admirers. Jessie's MySpace page had actually been a fake maintained by Mary. Investigators also gained access to the chat logs between her, Tom Montgomery and Brian Barrett.

Hundreds and hundreds of pages documented the countless hours Mary had spent talking with the two men. Montgomery's messages made it clear how much he'd hated Bryant Barrett for becoming involved with the Jesse. He'd made repeated threats against both Brian and the Jesse's lives, and it was clear he fantasized about committing violent acts. He talked about how he was a former Marine and knew how to assassinate people. Investigators finally managed to track Tom Montgomery down. He hadn't gone down to seek revenge against Jesse after all, but was still in the buffalo area and showed up for a shift at Dinerbraid as normal. Detectives visited him at work and asked if he could accompany them for questioning. Montgomery agreed, but asked if he could go to his car to retrieve his lunch first.

He explained that he'd brought peaches and didn't want them to spoil while left in the car. Detectives took note of this, fully aware that a peach pit had been found at the scene of Brian Barrett's murder. Tom Montgomery denied any involvement in the crime. He said that on the night in question, he'd gone out to eat at a local restaurant. He'd arrived home sometime between 10pm and 10pm, at least six minutes before Brian was

killed. Montgomery's wife refuted this, saying he'd arrived home at least half an hour later than he claimed. Cell phone records are also confirmed that Montgomery was in the vicinity of Dynabrade at this time. Testing of the peach pit left next to Brian's truck was tested for DNA. It came back a positive match for Tom Montgomery. A search warrant was obtained for the Montgomery family home. On the computer, investigators recovered hundreds of pages of conversations between Jesse

and Montgomery, as well as photos of Jesse. lingerie that Mary Sheeler had sent him while pretending to be Jesse was found stashed amongst Montgomery's belongings. Investigators also noted that the Montgomery family had a pet dog with fur that looked to match the dog hairs found on the gun clip recovered at the crime scene. Montgomery owned several firearms, but there was no M1A1 rifle in his gun cabinet. However, investigators did find an interesting picture in one of the family albums. In one old photo of Cindy Montgomery, the gun cabinet was visible in the background.

And there it was in the photograph, an M1A1 rifle. Montgomery's work items were also seized. Tucked away in a toolbox, investigators found a note that it scribbled on Diner-Braid stationery. It read, On January 2, 2006, Tom Montgomery, 46 years old, ceases to exist and is replaced by an 18-year-old battle scarred marine. He is moving to West Virginia to be with the love of his life. The note described how 18-year-old Tommy had a black belt in karate, two and a half million dollars in the bank, and looked like a red-headed Harrison Ford.

It appeared to be some kind of attempt by Montgomery to manifest himself into an entirely different person. As detectives sat Tom Montgomery down for an interview, they revealed that the woman he'd killed Brian Barrett over wasn't who Montgomery thought she was. She was a woman around his age who had been posing as her 18-year-old daughter. The blood drained from Montgomery's face. It was obvious that he was completely shocked. On November 27, 2006, Tom Montgomery was charged with the murder of Brian Barrett and

told in Remand. In a recorded phone conversation to his wife Cindy from jail, Montgomery seemingly admitted that the gun clip found near Brian's truck was his. He explained that the case had been covered in their dog's fur because his car was filthy. Yet, he also maintained that he hadn't killed Brian. According to Montgomery, Brian had been receiving

phone calls at work from people who disliked him, and he believed one of these individuals must be responsible. Montgomery claimed he didn't mind when Jesse became involved with Brian. He was just happy that she'd found someone closer to her own age. As Montgomery's trial date loomed, both Cindy and the couple's daughters cut all ties with him. Montgomery attempted to take his own life as a result, and his weight plummeted. Eventually, he agreed to plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter, wanting to spare his daughters from the ordeal of a criminal trial. During sentencing, the judge described the crime as, quote, a totally senseless killing, the result of a non-existent relationship, a love triangle between three people who did not even know each other. Tom Montgomery was sentenced to 20 years in prison, making him eligible for parole in 2024

at the age of 65. In 2009, director Barbara Schroder made a documentary about Brian Barrett's murder. She called the film Tall Hot Blonde after Mary Sheeler's online username. director Barbara Schroder made a documentary about Brian Barrett's murder. She called the film Tall Hot Blonde after Mary Sheeler's online username. During an interview for the documentary, Tom Montgomery didn't express remorse for Brian's murder, or even discussed the crime directly. Instead, he focused on his state of mind at the time and his relationship with Jesse. Montgomery said he never doubted that Jesse was anyone other than who she said she was.

This was partly because of the enormous number of photographs Mary Sheila had sent of her daughter. Montgomery believes his problem stemmed from seeking solace online, instead of talking to his family about his issues. Rex Bieber, a clinical psychologist who appears in the documentary, has speculated that a part of Tom Montgomery truly believed in his fantasy life as Tommy. This was evidenced by the note he wrote to himself about his imagined transformation into the 18-year-old marine. When that fantasy was shattered, Montgomery saw himself as victimized. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Rax Bebuss stated, Breaking the fantasy and his ability to live in it, Mary was killing any hope he had to save himself.

From a psychological perspective, she engaged in cyber homicide. Mary Shilla also spoke to Barbara Shroder, but refused to be filmed or recorded. She told Barbara that all she ever wanted was to be a good mother. After her children grew up, she became bored and lonely, leading her to seek company online. She maintained that she'd only spoken to Tom Montgomery to prevent him from talking to real teenagers.

Mary intended to write a book about the dangers of the internet. Mary never apologized to her daughter, Jessie, or acknowledged that she'd done anything wrong. She never told her family about what she'd been doing, not even after police came to speak with her about Brian Barrett's murder. When she had to fly to New York to testify in front of Tom Montgomery's grand jury, she finally told her husband that she'd done something bad. She said she'd been chatting online to two different men who worked together, and one had become jealous and killed the other. Mary insisted there was nothing sexual or romantic to these conversations.

It had just been chitchat about online games and the weather. The truth came out when some of Jessie's friends heard about the case and Jessie decided to google her mother's name. The search returned to news stories about Brian Barrett's murder roughly 400 miles away in upstate New York. Jesse was horrified to discover exactly what had happened and how her mother had used her identity. Not only had Jesse's photos been shared with numerous men, they were also splashed all

over the internet in coverage of the case. Jesse told her father, who was equally destroyed. He divorced Mary and to Jesse cut off all communication with her mother. Despite Mary's shield as actions, she didn't technically commit any crimes and therefore cannot be charged in relation to Brian's murder. Tom Montgomery feels that Mary should be incarcerated for the role she played, as do Brian Barrett's parents. The Barrett's have also advocated for laws requiring greater accountability online. They remember their son as being shy and quiet, despite his tall stature and athletic build.

At the time of his death, Brian was gaining confidence and discovering who he wanted to be. On weekends he spent his time volunteering as a coach for a little league baseball team. Brian loved working with kids so much that he decided to become an industrial arts teacher, teaching students to work with the wood and metal. Brian's father Daniel has occasionally blamed himself for his son's death. It was Daniel who had found the advertisement for the job at Dinerbrade and encouraged his son to apply. Daniel also worked in IT and was the reason the family had a computer and the internet at home.

But ultimately, the baritone know that those responsible for Brian's murder are the two middle aged individuals who talk their fantasies too far. They believe that what might have saved their son was communication. If Mary Schiller or their son's co-workers had reported Tom Montgomery's death threats, The first to go missing was Micah. I need to get an officer out to my house. There's a woman that won't stop coming in my house. What is your name? My missing was Micah. I need to get an officer out to my house because the woman that will not stop coming in my house. What is your name?

My name is Micah. M-I-C-A-H. Two weeks after his disappearance, his friend James was murdered. He was scared because he knew who shot him. And two weeks after that, their friend Bailey seemingly vanished. She is legitimately missing, like gone off the face of this earth. These three people knew each other and they're all either at this point dead or missing. There are three mothers began connecting the dots.

We had no proof of anything. We just knew they were gone. Oh my God, this is bigger than we thought it was. What was uncovered was more devastating than anyone could have ever imagined. I thought that they were just normal American couple. Not knowing the type of underground world that they were living and the things that they were doing. They come off at very polite and well mannered, but they'll tell you the truth before you

can even blink an eye. It's one of the few times in my career where I've been warring. Hey, you don't want to dig too deep on this one. Kidnap, torture, murder, and ultimately just memorandum. They lived in a very great neighborhood. Beautiful homes, nice people. That kind of stuff doesn't happen here.

Oh, yes, it does. And it's all connected to these crimes of guns and rates and everything else. There's something big about what's going on. There's something crazy about this case. Yeah, I wouldn't chop up a friend of mine. I might put a bullet in his leg. I need to do everything that he tells me to do, and I need to do it now, and I need to do it fast. Because if I don't, I'm next.

I'm trying to be a good person, okay? I want you to be a good person, theater. Yeah, I should get a good person, just confess all the sins, ask you to come clean about everything. Just somebody tell me where they are and we will go get them. I will go dig, I will go dig and I will find them. I got to finder to hold her one last time, even if it is just her bones. This is the story of the Bakersfield 3.