Every Town - The DISTURBING Truth behind Stacy Hanna's Tragic End

Episode Date: June 2, 2023

Today, I’m going to bring you the harrowing story centered around 18-year-old Stacey Hanna who, in July of 1997 got herself involved in a lesbian love triangle. Love and jealousy mixed in a bad way for the trio and it clouded the minds of Stacey’s friends which ultimately culminated in her violent murder down in good old Richmond, Virginia.   💥 Watch On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scarymysteries🎧 Our Other Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1235579💀 Follow Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scarymysteries 💀 Follow Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrew.fitzg👁 Follow Our TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewfitzgerald💥 Follow Our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarymysteriesofficial🗣 Business Inquiries: [e-mail] Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Every town has a dark side. Pay to each their own. No matter who you find sexually attractive, love can be a tricky thing for all of us to find. It's one of the best things on earth when you got it, and as painful as anything when you lose it. You can drive people to madness, and today's story is an example of just that.

I'm Anderidge-Gerald, and thanks for tuning in to another episode of Everytown. Today, I'm going to bring you the harrowing story centered around 18-year-old Stacey Hannah when July of 1997 got herself involved in a lesbian love triangle, love and jealousy mixed in a bad way for the trio, and it clouded the minds of Stacy's friends, which ultimately culminated in her extremely violent murder down in good old Richmond, Virginia. Most likely, seeking an adventure and independence with the same. The factors that made Stacey decide to pack up her bags and leave her hometown.

It was July 4th of that year when she moved 113 miles away from Lynchburg, headed to Richmond, Virginia, for greener pastures. Her story went down fast. Didn't take long for Stacey to find friends from the LGBTQ-plus community in town, fall in love with a woman, and get killed by the same people she trusted within a three-week span. Stacey found some work at a local bagel shop, spent the first few days couch surfing as she figured out plans for a more long-term place to stay. Her co-worker, Dana Vaughn, introduced her to her friend, Kellyanne Tibbs, who people called Turtle.

Shortly after that, Stacey moved into a townhouse on South Belmont Avenue with Kelly and another girl named Tracy Bittner, both of whom were 19 years old. Kelly was a sort of well-known ringleader of the teenage lesbian scene there in the city's predominantly gay, Kerrytown district. And during the time when Stacey moved in, she had an ongoing on-and-off relationship with Tracy, but on the surface, things between them seemed pretty casual. In the beginning, things were going well among the group of friends, which also included Stephanie Kull from Chester and Domeika Wickler, who lived just around the corner. These girls were frequent gas at Turtle's apartment, and collectively they were known as the girls of Belmont Avenue. Stacey was described by friends as a kind-hearted and generous individual who never hesitated to extend a helping hand. But she was also known to become a bit clingy when she fell in love with someone. Nothing outright negative, just that when she fell, she fell hard, to the point of obsessing a bit over that person.

as young women out in the real world for the first time, romping around the streets of Richmond at night and having fun, Stacey and Kelly pretty naturally were attracted to one another. Just weeks after getting to know and living with Turtle, Stacy was enamored by her leadership qualities. It was at the right moment when Kelly and Tracy were in a cooling off period, so Stacy tried her luck to woo Turtle. And she reciprocated Stacy's advances, and they had a brief and passionate fling, but Kelly's, soon realized she wanted to rekindle her romance with Tracy, and this left Stacey devastated and heartbroken. Miss Hannah was so blinded by love or lust that she actually exerted some effort into splitting up the pair when one day she told Turtle that Tracy had found a new girlfriend

and essentially didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Turtle, of course, spoke to Tracy about it, and that's when she realized Stacy's web of lies. It was clear that Stacy was desperate to pursue a relationship with turtle tibs. There were also allegations that someone was stealing in the house, which they assumed was Stacey since it started around the time she moved in. The other girls in a group of friends noticed that Stacey had been poking her way into her housemates' love affairs. That really rubbed them the wrong way. Stacey came in hot and was causing problems and so the girls of Belmont Avenue decided to teach her a lesson. By giving her, as they described it, a good, ass kicking. So on July 26 of 1997, after a night out drinking on the town, Kelly, Tracy,

Stephanie, and Domeca drove Stacey to an isolated but popular drinking spot off Cogbill Road near the Chesterfield Airport. They said they were going to an after party out there when the girls stepped out of the car. The four friends shouted all together, one, two, three, four, I love you, right before they started to beat Stacey up. She was defenseless against the onslaught of punches and kicks being thrown her way. And a sort of mob friend mentality took over the crew and things got out of hand fast. Soon D'emika picked up a nearby cinder block and threw it on Hannah's head, which fractured her skull. As Stacey was crouching in fear curled up in the fetal position, the girl was a girl.

found a box cutter, and then they took turns stabbing and slashing the poor victim. The four friends then walked towards the car before they decided to return to the badly bruised and bloodied Stacy. They hoisted her up and shoved her into the car's trunk. After the adrenaline had died down a bit, they realized what they had done. They crossed their minds to bring the poor girl to the hospital, but they decided against that. They then figured together, we got to get rid of her, or she's going to rat us out. The group continued driving for half an hour, stopping at one point so D'emika could stab Stacey, who was screaming loudly in the trunk.

The gang finally stopped at a logging trail off Nash Road, and at this second crime scene, all four women stood over Stacey and spit on her, while they removed her clothes and watched, which belonged to Kelly, so that they couldn't be used as evidence against them. Stephanie then got back into her car while the three other women dragged Stacey into a puddle of mud where they ripped her t-shirt and shorts off, leaving her in just her underwear. As Hannah lay semi-naked in the mud, she was stabbed and slashed again at least 65 times in total. Two of the wounds ran all the way from her shoulder to her lower back. Stacey had a last wish before the attack killed her.

And that was to call her mother so she could tell her she loved her, but that request was denied by the crew. Tracy and cut Stacy's throat, and they left her laying. face down in the murky waters. On a muddy logging road curled up as though asleep with her hands folded under her head like a pillow, as how a police found her. When they turned her body over, they began to unravel one of the more violent and unusual murder cases in Virginia's history. The following day, back at home, the group told eerie stories from their savage evening. Tracy boasted to Dana Vaughn, the other roommate of Stacey and Kelly, saying, I cut her throat and it felt good.

Dana had come along in the car but hadn't left the vehicle all throughout the entire ordeal and claim she wasn't aware of the seriousness of the circumstances. Kelly also took pride and slashing Stacey while screaming at her, "'Give me your heart, bitch. Why won't you die?' One of the young women suggested that they finished what they started, said John B. Boatwright III, Tracy's attorney.

No one spoke of her. up loudly enough to say no, I am firmly convinced that they can't believe what they collectively did and they are remorseful. Later, an autopsy determined that drowning, along with blood loss, were the reasons behind Stacey's death. Authorities had initially few leads to go on, so they kept 24-7 surveillance on Stacey's housemates. Fortunately, they were able to track down Stephanie's car to car cleaning service, while conducting a surprise search of the vehicle, they found Stacey's blood and DNA inside. So fairly quickly, the authorities apprehended D'emiko Winkler,

Tracy Bittner, Kellyanne Tibbs, and Stephanie Cull, and subjected them to a harsh interrogation until Turtle Tibbs finally cracked. Under pressure, Kelly couldn't hold in the truth any longer. She devolved that she was the mastermind of the whole attack, and then indicted the other three girls in the crime. Boarover, Turtle told Chesterfield Police Detective Rick Murmanda, We were all kind of feeding off each other because when Domeika hit her, I was like, yeah, you know?

And I kicked her and I hit her twice. And then Tracy was like, yeah, you know? We were just going to kick her around. Domeca was the one who bashed Stacey in the face with a cinder block, fracturing her skull. Thus, with a complete confession from one of the perpetrators, the police were able to charge all four suspects with murder. as Domeca said the police detective Mormondo. I mean nobody deserved to die, but it was just one of those times. One of those times for what?

Questioned Morando. When somebody had to die, she responded. Domega also explained on why they had killed Stacey, and that it was to teach her a lesson because D'emika said, she has a problem with trying to get everybody to turn against everybody. It was like she was telling sob stories. and lies trying to fit in with everybody else. Prosecutor Warren B. V. Vons-Schusch believed in seeking the death penalty for Domeca and Tracy

because of their roles in the attack, which was deliberated on for hours. The only woman ever put to death in Virginia's electric chair was 17-year-old Virginia Christian, and that was back in 1912. David Bockins, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections said, you just don't hear about such heinous, violent, predatory type behavior on the part of young females. Ultimately, Turtle, Tracy and Domeca were all sentenced to life behind bars and confessed to taking part in Stacey's killing. Their attorney said they believe that their clients never intended to kill anybody and were not known to be violent people. Tracy was a talented basketball player in high school while Domeca excelled in bowling.

They neither had serious nemesis as Domeca's fan. family would attest that she was one who often ran from fights, according to her attorney, Gregory Carr. He said, she had a dry sense of humor and was affectionate. On the other hand, Stephanie was given a lesser sentence because the jury found she was the least liable among the four women and was caught up in the violence that got out of hand. Stephanie claimed she was not a participant in the murder of Stacey and acted only as a driver, as her car was used by the gang. However, she did confess to slashing Stacey on the thigh and down her back.

When it was Kelly's turn to be sentenced, she was crying while addressing Stacey's mother Kathy and said, I would like to say I'm extremely sorry for what I've done. It's not only your loss, it's my loss too. Outside the courtroom, Mrs. Hannah said of Turtle's apology. It's a joke. I don't think she's sorry at all. for what she did.

She could have kept her apology. It didn't mean nothing. Why is it her loss? It was her decision to take part in the murder. I'd like to tell Kelly Tibbs, have a nice life. And this could have been a landmark case, had one of the girls been sentenced to death.

According to the dean of the law college at Ohio Northern University, Victor L. Streb, and the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s, about 390 people have been executed nationwide, and only one was female. We are very reluctant to sentence females to death and certainly to execute them, Mr. Streb said. But a factor that tended to lean towards giving Kelly and Domeca the death penalty was that the crime was just so horribly brutal. Fast forward 18 years later to 2015, disappointment in anger enveloped Kathy Hanna and her family upon learning that one of the convicted women,

and Stephanie called, had been released from prison on the 18th anniversary of the crime. Now 36 years old, Stephanie had served 18 years of her 20-year sentence, and this disgusted Stacey's mother. She said, She's getting out in 18 years? Well, my daughter didn't get to live for 18 years. Mrs. Anna said she was awarded money in a wrongful death suit, filed against the killers and vowed to collect every bit of it.

And she firmly stated, I promise my daughter I'd get justice for her, and I will. So that's going to do it for this week's episode of Everytown, guys. Hope you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for tuning in. Remember, come back next week for another episode filled with scary, strange, and mysterious stories because you never know.

Maybe your town will be next.