Hidden True Crime - Blue Barrel Killer: Woman Timothy Haslett Dated & Past Friend SPEAK OUT!

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

*The interviews in this episode were originally recorded in October of 2022. The only edits made were to cut out connection issues.* This is a case Hidden True Crime has been following since the very beginning. If you're new to Timothy Haslett Jr and the Kansas City House of Horrors, begin here. We will be sharing many of our interviews as well as the all of the evidence we have uncovered from the Excelsior Springs, Missouri Kidnapping. About Hidden True Crime: Lauren Matthias was a television reporter for a decade and she and her husband, Dr. John Matthias, a forensic criminal psychologist, started Hidden True Crime in 2020 with their Season, 'Beyond the Veil,' a psychological deep dive into the doomsday murders of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow. What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a forensic criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime Our Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Armoire and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.armoire.style* Check out Effecty and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.effecty.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hidden-a-true-crime-podcast1836/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lately, I've been trying to be more intentional about what I wear, intentional about everything, just choosing pieces that feel effortless, still put together, timeless, but also not overthinking it every morning. It's why I keep going back to quince. Their pieces just make getting dressed easier and I feel so classy. I feel elevated. The fits are flattering. The fabric is really high quality. Everything is wearable day to day. I actually got this really, really, beautiful yellow V-neck midi dress from them, and I paired it with some Italian leather sandals. It's one of those outfits that just works. It feels polished but still comfortable. It's exactly what I've been looking for. What surprises me, though, is the quality for the price.

Quince uses premium materials like European linen, organic cotton, but they cut out the middleman. So everything is priced way lower than you'd expect. Refresh. your every day with luxury you can actually use. Head to quince.com slash hidden true crime for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, quince, q-u-in-c-com slash hidden true crime for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash hidden true crime. I am on the phone with me right now. I have Ashley Neepater. We did try to do this on on streaming. on live and it didn't work as far as technology goes. But I have her on speakerphone right here.

She was a friend of Tim Hasslett Jr. In high school. And I'm so grateful for all the people that are reaching out to share what they know. Because right now, police are not saying much. They said things initially. I will say that. When a woman escaped from there, police initially told us. And they were very forthcoming about what was going on,

that they were searching the house, that they were processing evidence, and what was going on in that the victim, who is from Kansas City, metro area was safe, back with family, and all we have now are people that are coming forward like you,

Ashley, allowing us to understand who Tim is, what's going on, what could possibly have been happening in his residence. So thank you for any information you're about to share with us tonight. With that being said, tell us a little bit about your relationship with Tim. I went to the high school in the neighboring town. We met junior, senior year, and then hung out afterwards.

He was fun, extremely nice, polite. I can't say anything bad about him when we were younger. Okay. Tell me a little bit. You mentioned before we started recording this interview that he was clean. He was good looking. Very good looking. I had actually seen about this on TikTok and I googled it and I seen his picture.

I was very shocked to see that. He was always dressed nice head, nice haircuts, like whatever was in style at the time, very kept up. So it was disturbing to see him look the way. that he did and be described as a mountain man. Are you still in Illinois where you grew up with him? Yep. And so what's the word around town there then? This is a small town, 600 people.

Actually, it's sad because people are attacking innocent people for friendships they had with him and stuff like that. And then there's a lot of people that are shocked because no way possible could we believe any of this. I don't think he's lived around here since he was 19 probably. Okay. Okay. And what are people suspecting? Are they suspecting a serial killer? A mental breakdown. I would like to think there was no other victims, but I wasn't there, so I don't know. Okay. Okay. He was good looking. Did you suggest that some people even thought he was gay due to his good looks? Yeah, because he was just good looking. Okay. Like he dressed very well. Like it was one of them, most of the boys, you know, they just wear. their boots and the wranglers or whatever but not him he was always dressed nicely this was he was good with women good with women okay yes this was a small town again how many would you say in your graduating high school class 30 30 people so would he be considered pop excuse me popular then

um we went to i went to the school next to him i'm not for sure he hung out with all town more than his own, which is like 15 minutes apart and small. Okay. Do you know of any word that he was bullied or anything like that? I've heard those rumors. I've heard that as well. That he was bullied. Yes.

Okay. People are asking who Tim Haslett is. I want to explain that Tim Haslett has been charged with kidnapping and rape. I don't know if there will be additional charges that are going to be coming forward. the house, his residence, has been boarded up right now. Is that right, Ashley? You said that you were watching some of this. Is that correct?

Yep. I've seen that. And did you see that online or were you there earlier? No, online. Online. Are you, those that know him well, what are they saying? What are they expressed? They're shock.

it's mental everybody thinks a mental illness is what I would say something that nobody knew about and it's escalated to something this okay because and let me explain that what you're saying is there are really two theories going around again the public is left to speculating

because law enforcement have really shut down communication we thought for sure that there would be a press conference today after what happened this weekend. Friday, a woman escaped from his house. Nothing's come forward except that they've been processing his home for about three days, now boarding it up, now blocking it. So it's been suspected that there are multiple victims. The woman that escaped, the house alluded to that. She said her friends didn't make it. And the other thing we're hearing from people that knew Tim are suspecting that it's a mental break.

And can you explain that when people say mental break? What is it that they're trying to say that this just happened? I think possibly a mental illness that maybe was untreated, didn't know about, or if he did know it wasn't spoke about. And the way that they're saying he was isolated, he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't in the way that his appearances looked, it just seems that something has triggered something obviously horrible to do something like this. It's wrong. I'm saying that, but it's out of character. Okay. So the way he looks in his mugshot, in other words, he's unkempt,

he's not clean. He wasn't that way. Absolutely not. Okay. He was not that way. And isolated, what are you hearing as far as understanding that he's isolated? I was seeing many TikToks one where he was saying the grub, like the person that delivers food, like it was in no contact, the neighbor's not seeing him having any interactions with him really unlike him because he was a very talkative person. He loved working on vehicles and stuff. He would talk to anybody about stuff like that. Okay.

You mentioned, you know, we've been in contact through a few emails and calls and you mentioned that this was really emotional for you. Can you explain what you're feeling emotionally? about the story said when you grow up with people in such a small area and these people had went through milestones in your life he was when we became really good friends is when we were just starting our adult life so to see something it happened this i feel for like everybody involved because we asked ourselves did we it was there signs that we didn't see should we have reached out to him and asked if he was okay

like keeping in touch, you know. Mm-hmm. And some people have been, I don't have Facebook, I don't have social media like that, but I know other people do and they've been kind of attacked and harassed because of certain things on his Facebook of them having interaction and I think it's all being taken completely out of context and it's just not right. This is kind of what happens when people are left to speculating. They're picking things apart.

He's still somebody's father, son, and friend as well. Even though I don't think anybody agrees, but he did was okay because it's not by any means, but he's still a human. Okay. Do you know what he was bullied for? No. He was the new kid there. It's a small town. I did not hear that until after this.

He never discussed that with me. Okay. Okay. He was his own person with us. Like we were our own little group, a very tight knit group at that. And, no. Okay. Did you keep in contact with him at all after the high school days?

Yes, I did here and there. What was that about? Like, did you get together? Is it catching up and hearing about family? No, actually, I have not seen him in a long time. We would Facebook message here and there, just life in general. He, at the time, worked at Union Pacific. I have a family member that worked at Union Pacific, not the same as him.

He liked talking about the railroad. He went talking politics. And when he went through his divorce, I reached out to him about that. Okay. What did he say? It was hard on him. The divorce was? Yes. And this divorce is this his son's mother?

Yes. Okay. And what, do you know anything about that divorce beyond it being hard for him? No. Not really. I never met her. Okay. Do you know anything about custody of his son or who's caring for his son? Yes, I know that he was fighting for that. And I know he was. he won. One, full custody. Yes.

Okay. Interesting. To my knowledge. To your knowledge. What else do we need to know right now, Ashley? What do you want to say right now and make it clear while we await? I kind of wish that like one of us from the group was able to talk to him because I think he would tell us, like, if there was. anything else that we're not knowing or they don't know. I think he would maybe shine some light

on the situation, but I mean, we can't. But I do feel like what he did was wrong. But there's, people don't just wake up and do something like that. No, they don't. You're right. They don't just wake up and do something like that. Um, yeah. Um, Ashley, keep in touch with us while this goes on. I know that you are, I think it's important to note that you are in touch with other people that know him. Absolutely. In some ways, you're a spokesperson right now, but you're also keeping, um, those other names private, which I understand. Is that a good way to say it?

I do know that one of them did say recently that they were, he was seeming off. them and they were you know considering somebody go visit him or see him but they didn't express what was off i don't know what was off but it was he was changing his character and it was being noticed so people were noticing a change in him yes what what things do you know what things they were noticing no it wasn't said no they just said that they did notice it okay people are asking about the social... Got it. Some people are mentioning the social media thing. You're not on social media now, but previously you were. Is that a good way to explain it? Because you were talking to him on Facebook. Actually, yes, I was. I got rid of social media for other reasons. But yes, I did keep in touch

with him on social media when I had it. Okay. Is there anything else you want to say right now, Ashley? I think people need to remember that what he did is what he did. The people here in Illinois, they had nothing to do with it. So harassing them and speculating bad things towards them isn't fair. Okay. So in other words, a lot of you and your friends have been getting threatening, harassing emails, messages, people being upset that you were friends with him. Some of them have said some things, yes. Okay.

So in other words. to me personally, but I think people are taking things off of his personal Facebook and taking them out of context, and it's not right. Okay. Thank you for sharing that. Yes, and we are all praying for the victim as well. We are. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day.

Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in. Ora actively removes your data from broker sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But ORA goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance,

all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring or just a VPN. ORA gives you all of it together at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial today at ORA.com slash remove. Protect yourself now atora.com slash remove. What's one financial lesson you learned the hard way? I'll go first. It's not too late to start saving.

Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that matches you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the spare money you have right now. And one of the best things about acorns is they allow you to see projected growth on their website. Simply go online, type in how much money you'd put in and see the potential future balance of your account.

Sign up now and join the over 13 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested over $22 billion with Acorns. Head to Acorns.com slash Hidden True Crime or download the Acorns app to get started. Paid non-client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns, tier one compensation provided. Investing involves risk, Acorns Advisors, LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. A few important disclosures at Acorns.com slash hidden true crime. Has losing weight and getting healthier been on your mind lately? Have you heard about groundbreaking GLP1 treatments like OZMPIC and WeGOV? With Effecti, getting an access to these powerful medications has never been easier or more affordable. Starting a new medication

is always a bit scary when you aren't sure what to expect. And using Effecti makes it so much easier with their hands on support, which gives unlimited access to licensed doctors so you never have to jump through hoops for help with any dosing questions or just other support when you need it. Effecti uses rigorous testing and their products are backed by research so you can rest assured. Ready to level up your weight loss game? Right now, my life. listeners can get $50 off of GLP1 weight loss treatments at effecti.com with code hidden true crime at checkout. That's effecti.com, eFFF, ECTY.com, and use code hidden true crime to get $50 off your first month of GLP1 weight loss treatment, no hassles, no memberships, and no hidden

fees. Get started today. Hey, everyone, I am here with Maggie. Maggie dated casually for a couple of weeks, nothing exclusive, Timothy Haslett. And are here to explain, here to share a little bit more about your experience with him. Can you share a little bit, Maggie? Sure. So we met on a dating site and we went out on a few dates. I went to his house one time and he was literally a perfect gentlemen there was zero red flags um and i was telling you earlier like literally without a real life victim i would not have believed this in a million years okay okay you would have not believed this in a million years without a real life victim how did you see the news how did you learn about it well it was actually kind of weird so i had already seen like you know kmbc nine news stuff

and i didn't recognize him in that picture um it wasn't until i was almost almost my Facebook and a buddy of mine sent a screenshot of a conversation with one of his friends. I think she might live near Excelsior or something like that. I'm not exactly sure. But that's where I read the name Tim Haslett. And I was like, well, that's weird. I wonder if it's the same Tim or whatever. And then I went back to that picture. And I was just like my jaw dropped to the floor because I was in shock. I was in disbelief. Like I didn't even recognize that picture. He did not look like that three, four years ago at all. So you met on a dating side, is that correct?

Yeah. And tell me about dating. How was he a complete gentleman? He opened up my car door. He paid for dinner. He was really funny and really genuine. And he talked a lot about his son and his job. And I think he was really, he was humorous.

He was very funny. He was very, like, smart. and funny and that's why we kind of clicked and got along so well. Yeah. He literally, like, he was not rude at all. Like, he was not, there was zero red flags. Like, I would not have, I, I, I don't know how long this has been going on, but I would be an even more shock if this has been going on longer than this being like the first occurrence. Okay.

So you suspect there might be one victim. not more that this hasn't been going on for too long, just from your experience? I don't, I mean, I don't know about, I know there's been a lot of confusion about what she had said about her friends that didn't make it. But as for like, people talking about, oh, he was bullied as a kid and, you know, it's not like he's one of those people that had been tormenting cats from six years old and then it progressively grows into this whatever, you know, like, I think a lot of people are, mixing up the popular Dahmer series with like this local thing and then speculation happens and

all I know from my personal experience is from especially just from looking at the most recent pictures something has definitely happened that I don't know of because we haven't spoken but um that was not him four years ago so I don't think that he I could be wrong I could be wrong But if I had to guess, I'd be willing to bet that he has not been kidnapping and raping women for his entire life. What did you talk about when you dated? We talked a lot about his son, the railroad. He loved his job. I think he's going back in forth to Texas at the time. Football, politics.

He was really somebody to have a really great conversation with whenever you have different opinions. opinions because he would listen and reply, not argue. When it came to politics, what would he discuss? You know, I don't really remember the specifics, but I'm pretty sure he was, you know, on the Republican side of the... Yeah. Just whatever you call that. Right, right.

I just know that there was some interest in his politics during the pandemic, and that's why I asked. But this was before the pandemic. Is that correct? Yeah. daughter is three right now. When I dated him, me and her dad were broken up at the time and I had moved out and that's why I was trying to date other people. And then so I'm like I'm trying to remember I ended up blocking him on Facebook to appease my daughter's dad because he knew that I had been talking or dating somebody else. You know, so that was the reason why I blocked him. So we weren't Facebook friends.

anymore. So I don't have the exact time frame of the last time that I spoke with him, but I know it's been at least three years. Okay. Okay. At least three years. And he looks completely different. You didn't even recognize him. He liked football, politics. Did you say you went over once to his

friends home? Yeah, I went to his house and his friends were there. He was during a Skeeler's Chiefs football game. He had a lot of friends, you know. A lot of friends and he was okay. His friend was funny too.

I remember that. His friend was hilarious. And he was okay having friends over at his house. Oh, yeah. And his house looked like a normal bachelor pad that was like cleaned up. It looked like love and family lived there, you know. I mean, I don't know about it needing a feminine touch or whatever, but it looked like a man's house that he lived there. and everything was like cleaned up.

He cooked. His kitchen was immaculate, like, cleanliness-wise, for a single guy, you know. I remember that being like, wow, you live nice, you know. Was it the house he's living in now? So the address, old orchard, sounds familiar. I remember when I went there, I had to put it in my Google Maps to get there. but in the backyard looked like it was the same but I'm not having the best recollection on what the front yard looked like because I would have almost said that doesn't look familiar but I'm pretty

sure that that's the same house I'm just not 100% okay okay I don't think he's lived anywhere else I think he's always lived in that house for as long as I've met I've known him it sounds like you two got along well why didn't it not go forward with with um you know why it ended I do know that nothing particular happened. It wasn't like we got into an argument or an event occurred. It wasn't like that at all. I know that my daughter's father now was trying to get me back and I know that he was gone on the railroad a lot and I'm pretty sure if I can remember accurately that we just kind of slowly and surely fell off. Like there was nothing that it happened. You know what I mean? There wasn't it wasn't like there was an argument.

or it wasn't like, I don't think I like you anymore or anything like that. I think we just slowly, just one of us stopped initiating contact. You mentioned that there weren't any red flags during that time, looking back with new eyes, wondering, contemplating anything stand out that he ever said or anything he did that was strange to you? No, nothing. No, and honestly, out of all of my dating, history. He was on the,

one of the, you know, the top, the better people, you know, I almost at one point kind of felt like he was almost out of my league, just because, you know, I had a lot of, you know, I was a rebellious teenager and everything. So I wasted my 20s partying.

And so once I got my shit together, basically, you know, I'd wasted a lot of time. And I had dated some, pretty you know not mature male people that I wasted a lot of time with and so he was actually you know before any of this had happened he would have been like on the normal side of things you know people that didn't have addiction problems he didn't do drugs um you know like I think he drank beer every once in a while. But, you know, out of all the people I've dated, he was probably one of the better ones,

you know, or it seemed to be. You mentioned, you know, his son, that he loved his son. Did he talk about an X, Y for, or that situation? Did he have full custody? So he did. I'm not 100% sure if I remember. I don't think at the time that his son lived with him. I think they split custody 50-50.

Okay. So, yeah, I'm not sure what the status of, you know, the mom is, but I'm pretty sure from what I recollect that they got along fine and they shared custody, you know, they co-parented as far as I remember. You know, I never got to me. I never met his son. So, you know, we weren't. weren't like, you know, boyfriend, girlfriend, committed Facebook official or anything like that.

Right. And what's the talk now, you know, in the area, everyone's waiting for police to say something to give us an update. What's the talk? What are you hearing? So I live out in independence, which is a little ways from Excelsior. So my cousin called me and she recognized that name and was like, is that that same guy? you know, because I was living with her at the time, and he came to her house to pick me up. And I was like, yeah, and we were both kind of totally shocked. But I think the local talk is just the presumption of he's just been kidnapping and killing people, you know, and it's like, I don't know if that's the case.

Maybe that is the case. But regardless, from what we do know, I am in complete shock. and I don't think that that would be a lifelong occurrence. I don't know if he had some kind of mental snap or something, but it didn't look like he'd been going to work every day, so I don't know if something had happened with that. I have no idea, but from the stuff that I've been reading about it, it looked like his son lived with him full time.

So I'm not sure where the mom is or what's going on there. But I do know that he didn't speak really badly about her whatsoever. They shared custody. Okay. Thank you. Anything else you'd like to say, Maggie, before we end? This has been helpful. I appreciate you sharing what you know.

I just want everybody to remember that his family is also at a loss. His son, his parents. sure his ex-wife's parents, they are all at a loss because they're losing somebody that they that is not who they thought they were. Oh, good. I'm so glad. You know, and so, yes, we need to stay victim-based, but the way that people speculate and talk about, like, hey, I saw that guy one time at Ace Hardware, he was a weirdo.

You know, people are like, oh, he kept to himself, you know, like, people that know Tim or new Tim know that that's like not Tim and um or at least it wasn't during the time period that I had spent with him okay so um I just wish everybody would be respectful of his um family and everybody on that end that is involved because they are also suffering too they are also going through traumatic things um so especially his eight-year-old son. Thank you for that reminder. Yeah, I appreciate that.

This is multiple lives being affected here. Yeah, he was a great dad, and I know that there's no doubt about it. I am almost dead set that this would be a huge shock and surprise to his son. I don't think that his son was abused in witnessing anything. And if he was, I just, I don't believe that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the information, Maggie. I will sign off here.

And again, thank you for taking the time to share what you know. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammer, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in. Ora actively removes your data from broker sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web.

But ORA goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance, all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring or just a VPN. ORA gives you all of it, together, at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial today atora.com slash remove. Protect yourself now atora.com slash remove.