Law&Crime Sidebar - Jealous Teen Killed Ex, Her New Boyfriend in Front of Baby: Police

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. View Shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

Starting point is 00:00:35 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. I spoke with Chris Pauvey's father at the same, Jeremy Tauvey, and we had a conversation, which led to, you know, let's believe, hey, at Chris Tauvey's. could be a part of this. A 19-year-old man allegedly confessed to a brutal double murder, shooting his ex-girlfriend, beating her new boyfriend to death with a bat and leaving their baby unharmed at the scene.

Starting point is 00:01:12 But chilling details emerged after his arrest, including his father's critical role in the investigation and an alleged hauntingly calm confession. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. All right, let's dive into this. We have a 19-year-old Kentucky. man who is facing two murder charges after allegedly confessing to a brutal. Let me say that again,

Starting point is 00:01:35 brutal double homicide, gunning down his ex-girlfriend and viciously attacking and stabbing her new boyfriend. Those are the accusations. It is a crime that thankfully, I can't believe I'm saying, you know, there's thankfully here, but thankfully there was a baby nearby, left their baby completely unharmed. But what's the reality? Sadly, this baby, a four-month-old boy, is now an orphan, police say. And this night, nightmare, according to police, began at around 2.31 a.m. on April 3rd, after a 911 phone call came in reporting that two bodies were found at a Bourbon County home. And here's the thing about this, when Kentucky State Police Sergeant William Howard arrived at the crime scene that

Starting point is 00:02:15 morning. An unexpected figure was already waiting. Apparently, Jeremy Talby, the father of 19-year-old Christopher Talby, the suspect in this case. And this chance encounter will prove very critical to the investigation because I want you to listen to what starts. Sergeant Howard had to say at a court hearing. So around 3 a.m. I received a call from the dispatch center that said that Burbank County S.O. was requesting a assistant. I spoke with Chris Hawley's father at the same, Jeremy Talby, and we had a conversation which led, you know, let us to believe, pay that Chris could be a part of this. Sergeant Howard recounted how Jeremy Talby quickly offered investigators critical background information,

Starting point is 00:03:01 revealing his son Christopher's rocky history with 20-year-old Dixiana Dixie Brenard, the young woman who had been both Christopher's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child. And Jeremy disclosed that his son's relationship with Dixie had been turbulent, constantly on again, off again. But then he apparently claimed Christopher had visited his home just the night before and apparently had stolen both cash and a handgun. And investigators believe that this was likely the same weapon that was used in the killings. Now, before we get any further into the case, and there is a lot more details we want to get into. I want to bring on back onto the program, Colonel Alex Payne of the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office.

Starting point is 00:03:41 Thank you so much for taking the time. It's good seeing you. Good seeing you, sir. No problem. Thoughts so far on what I've laid out? Just another grisly double homicide in this case. You know, and as you mentioned, you know, thank God the small child is, yes, is an orphan and not the third victim. Yeah, because it could have ended even worse.

Starting point is 00:04:06 When you're talking about somebody who's young like this, right, a 19 year old suspect, allegedly committing this type of violent, violent double homicide and we'll get into more details later, what are the immediate concerns that come to mind when you think about this? Not just the age, you know, it's the overall atrocity of this thing. I don't know that this type of evil has any prerequisites. You know, I've seen this, unfortunately, before. People of this age, I've seen some younger, you know, committing these types of crimes. It truly doesn't say anything good, you know, about our society and the way people choose to use violence as a way of problem solving. And in this case, it was extreme violence. Hey, everybody, this is a law and crime legal alert.

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Starting point is 00:05:14 they are ready to stand up for families who deserve justice. So if your child under 21 has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or fatty liver disease, then visit www.4thepeople.com slash food or scan the QR code on screen to learn more. Do you think it was unusual that the defendant's father was there providing information to police? No. You know, as parents, and I think, you know, any of us that, you know, I myself, for example, I've raised five kids and I have seven grandkids right now. You do the best you can and you pray

Starting point is 00:05:46 and hope they turn out to be good human beings, first and foremost. And, you know, sometimes that doesn't happen. And the parents, still being good human beings, are there and fulfilling that role that, hey, they realize that, you know, when a child has gone wrong, you know, horribly wrong in this case, they're there to provide information that would, that lead to an arrest. I'm going to ask you a difficult question here, Colonel. What is it like responding to a crime scene where you have a homicide scene? And, you know, similar characteristics to this. I mean, again, we'll get into it. We're talking about one victim who was shot. We're talking to about another victim who was stabbed and beaten. What is it like for law enforcement to respond to a scene like that?

Starting point is 00:06:30 Well, the first thing that we try to do is immediately detach our emotional selves and just look at it from a, and I don't want to use the word cold, but more of a logical step by step, almost a scientific type process because we've got a job to do. We have to put together. We have to put together the pieces of this particular puzzle, no matter how grisly the scene might be, you know, we have to do our jobs, and our jobs require that of us. The wrestling with what you see comes, unfortunately, comes later. That's what piles up on many, many first responders, you know, over the years. You know, these things that you'll actually respond to, that you'll witness, that you'll see, you'll hear, you smell them. It's just an assault, you know, on the senses themselves. But while you're there,

Starting point is 00:07:19 you've got a job to do and you have to look at that through a very strategic eye and emotion you know gets in gets in the way of that i understand that it's tough it's tough i've spoken to other first responders and law enforcement it's not an easy thing to do um this is why you guys are the best in the business i mean it's incredible work you're doing um let me ask you this you you i mentioned the father i mentioned the fact that it's being reported this gun was potentially taken away was stolen from the family's residence. That seems very alarming. I don't know what the rules are, what the laws are in the state, but what advice would you give gun owners about securing firearms? Well, that's one of the things about being a responsible gun owner is something you should learn

Starting point is 00:08:05 when you take up the decision to become a gun owner. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with that. And part of that is learning how to secure that firearm to keep anybody else from accessing that except you or those people that you may want to have access to it. And if you skip that step or you even overlook it, you know, we don't have crystal balls. We don't have magic eight balls that, you know, you can sit and shake and say, you know, is anyone going to take my gun today and wait on the answer? You have to take that initial step. You have to have the initiative to lock that thing away and only you or those people you designate have access to it. And unfortunately, people will put guns everywhere and not in a secured manner. A lot of people,

Starting point is 00:08:47 we run into here pretty much on a very regular basis vehicles. There's another place they leave them. It's unbelievable. You know how people actually go in their parking lot, driveways, park in front of their homes, leave loaded weapons inside and expect that thing to be there the next day. You know, we something we tell people here, don't ever leave anything inside your vehicle that you don't mind other people owning because it literally takes seconds from them to bust windows and gain access to the inside of that vehicle. Would a parent like this ever be held responsible? legally liable for what happened here or is it I mean we don't know all the circumstances by how the gun was obtained or whether or not it was actually the murder weapon here but assuming it was have you seen a case in the state where someone's held responsible like that not to my knowledge here in the Commonwealth Kentucky I have seen things now you know where that's sort of a growing trend in other places you know where they have things in effect where the security of the firearm was actually taken into where that individual has some liability as far as what's happened. But I don't recall

Starting point is 00:09:52 anything right now in the Commonwealth, Kentucky, that just comes to mind. I want to go back to this crime scene. Okay. I want to explain what happened here. So as investigators processed this scene, they make this horrific discovery. So they end up concluding that 20-year-old Dixie Brainerd was executed with a close-range gunshot to the head in the car in this pickup truck, feet away, still strapped in the car seat was the couple's four-month-old son. Now, again, he was not physically harmed, but yes, he was apparently exposed to this entire violent episode. Now, according to the arrest affidavit that was obtained by WKYT, the investigator paints a chilling picture of this scene. Quote, the defendant shot her in the head resulting in her death. And officers then say a second

Starting point is 00:10:39 victim was left for dead in a nearby field, 24-year-old Charles Chucky Callaway. The affidavit describes the brutal nature of this killing. The defendant stabbed the unknown male victim in the throat and subsequently struck him with a baseball bat resulting in his death. And by the way, I used the word vicious before. This is vicious. This is vicious. And hours later, miles away in Carter County, WKYT reports that a homeowner called 911 to report a very disturbing site. A naked man asleep in a damaged car parked in their driveway. The vehicle was apparently missing its driver's side door and had a flat tire. And when troopers arrived, they say they found the defendant. Christopher Talby covered in blood, completely unclothed. And rather than resist, he apparently

Starting point is 00:11:24 looked at the officers and allegedly uttered five chilling words, I'll tell you what happened. And what followed was what police say, a calm, detailed confession. Investigators say Tallby recalled his arrival near the Big Stoner Road home, finding Brainerd and Callaway in the pickup truck, shot Brainerd in the head. Investigators say he even admitted to vomiting immediately after the shooting. I'm not sure if they were able to collect evidence of that to corroborate his story. But when Calloway fled into the field, apparently Talby pursued him. The suspect told police that he stabbed him multiple times before retrieving a baseball bat

Starting point is 00:12:00 to continue this attack. Colonel, back to you, when you hear this level of attack in what I think could arguably be a domestic violence sort of relation, a domestic violence kind of incident. Does this strike you as different or is this very consistent with what you've seen and in this manner of attack? Well, what it tells me just right off the bat that this attack was very, very personal to Talby. And the reason I say that is the methods and more importantly, the distance that he wanted

Starting point is 00:12:36 to commit this crime in close range, gunshot wound. He wants to there be no doubt to that particular victim that this is it for them. And he wants to see it. He's going to be so close. You know, he'll see the fear in their eyes or whatever reaction that that poor young lady might have had in her last few seconds of life on this earth. And then, to be even more personal, then he chases a guy and uses a knife. And so a knife is as personal as it gets because now you're going to wear that individual.

Starting point is 00:13:06 There's no using a knife on somebody and not getting that somebody on you. That's just the way it is. And he wanted to literally feel, watch, hear everything there was going to be about that particular individual dying underneath his hand. And so it just screams that the attacks on both these people were extremely, extremely personal. And then to come back, you know, when he didn't finish the job with the knife and actually finish him off with a baseball bat. So he did not want this individual to go quietly into the night. You know, he could have actually, you know, taken the gun, shot it, ended it, probably been a grace, you know, thing to do with this guy by that time, sitting there bleeding out from a knife attack.

Starting point is 00:13:46 But instead, what's he do? He chooses another personal weapon, an impact weapon, a baseball bat, to finish the job. It's just, it's entirely personally brutal. And I want to talk about that evidence. And I want to talk about that attack in a minute and how law enforcement are going to collect evidence here and get into more details about that. But just going back to him, found allegedly naked, covered in blood, damage vehicle. What does that suggest to you?

Starting point is 00:14:12 Yeah, that's just the aftermath of his attacks. You know, he was probably trying to get out of the clothes that were, well, I, you know, pretty much guarantee you we're covered in blood from probably both of those attacks. And, you know, covered to the point where, you know, even with his clothes off, he's still covered in blood. Like I said, that's the aftermath of that up close personal attack. Do you find it surprising that he allegedly confessed? No, I've seen these things before.

Starting point is 00:14:37 He accomplished what he set out to do, and that was kill those people. With his job being done, in his mind, there's nothing left for him to do. And it's not a smoking gun, you know, it's, there's no doubt, you know, this guy did what he did. And so what you says there, he's not really trying to run. He's, he's done. And, you know, I've seen it before. Sometimes they just, they just quit. They're done to give up like that.

Starting point is 00:15:00 So it doesn't surprise me. I didn't even get into what maybe is the most chilling revelation was that Talby, in his alleged mission, said that after initially fleeing the scene, he deliberately returned with another person. Yeah, the arrest affidavit states coldly after committing the murders. The defendant notified a witness of his actions, picked up the witness and brought the witness to the scene. And that witness reportedly provided just horrifying details to police.

Starting point is 00:15:26 Calloway was still alive, okay? This guy was still alive, despite being stabbed and beaten. still clinging to life, but according to this witness, it was, sadly, not for long. Because according to the affidavit, it reads, the witness stated to law enforcement that upon arriving at the scene, he observed the defendant strike the unknown male victim who was still alive numerous times in the head with a baseball bat. By the way, talking about evidence, according to Lex 18, authorities found bloody clothes, a knife, a bloodstained baseball bat, all in the suspect's car too.

Starting point is 00:16:00 Let me just stop there. Colonel, how do you process evidence like this, collecting evidence like this, it becomes key, right? Yes. And there again, you know, there's where I talked about earlier, you know, detaching yourself and doing your job. Well, here you're dealing with pathogenic material. You're dealing with bodily fluids. So as investigators, not only do you have to capture that particular scene in the different various ways that we do that, but now you have to collect that evidence. And you need to be on your game because there's certain ways that we have to do that with that particular type of. evidence to keep ourselves and the people that are around us healthy, especially when you're, you know, involved, you know, that amount of blood or bodily fluids or things of that nature. Now, now this part's a little strange. So let me just clarify. Investigators, they believe that Talby later moved both of the victim's bodies inside the home. The timing surrounding that's

Starting point is 00:16:50 kind of unclear. The specifics of it are a little unclear in reporting or in the affidavit. But Lex 18 reports that the bodies were just moved sometime after these people were killed. And that And he also discarded the murder weapon, allegedly, that his father's gun along U.S. 60 between Bourbon and Carter counties, apparently still hasn't been found. Colonel, you have faith in that gun being found? Well, I know the organization that's investigating this particular crime with the Kentucky State Police and having retired from there, I feel very comfortable in saying they have an outstanding group of personnel at that agency.

Starting point is 00:17:26 And if that gun can be found, they'll find it. And I'm sure they'll do also do an outstanding job of putting this particular case together and being the best witnesses that they can possibly be for the prosecution. It's important for a prosecution. You obviously don't need the potential murder weapon to secure a prosecution, but, you know, to tie the gun to the shell casings, to the bullets, to the wounds, it definitely helps because obviously it could raise reasonable doubt for a defense attorney. But according to reporting from WKYT, Talby has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and following a hearing on Wednesday, Talby's case was sent to a grand

Starting point is 00:18:04 jury, meaning the prosecution in this case is requesting for a jury to review the evidence, decide if there is enough tangible evidence to support the charges. Colonel, what does it suggest about a suspect state of mind when they allegedly returned to a scene with a witness after committing violent attacks like this? Well, it's obviously probably somebody he thought he could trust. and he needed help, you know, because now he's basically, he has an area that contains two dead bodies and there's a child there and whether he remembers seeing the child or not. But I think it's just an attempt to try to clean up the mess that he's left behind.

Starting point is 00:18:42 And fortunately, that witness was of sound enough mind to report what they reported to authorities. It seems to me that maybe the, if this is true, moving the bodies would have been a way to stage the scene. Is that a fair characterization, fair assumption? Could be. Yeah, it could. be and you know there's there's a lot of things you know that you know who knows really you know what was going through that idiot's mind you know what he was doing that type of stuff but that could

Starting point is 00:19:06 be one of the reasons yes and what are we left with at the end right according to reporting from Alex 18 you have two families they were one strangers and now unfortunately they're united in their grief you have Dixie's father Daniel Brainerd cradled his grandson vowed to reporters quote we're not going to let her memory die in the way that he wanted her to go away that's not going to be Dixie's story. Chuckie's brother Tyler Norman, his rage was palpable because he said, if I could get my hands on him, I'd take him out myself. So Talby's now held on $2 million bond. He's awaiting trial. Two families, they are left to pick up the pieces. They have to raise this small child now

Starting point is 00:19:43 and what they tell this child in the future is going to be a very difficult conversation. And by the way, I should tell you that Talby's also facing charges in Carter County because that's where he was arrested for several traffic violations, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, if convicted, of the murder charges. Yes, he could face life in prison. The one thing that I'm not sure about, Colonel, is whether or not the death penalty could be on the table and whether or not the prosecution could pursue that. What do you think? Again, I'm not an attorney, but as far as a capital offense, you know, I believe it, you know, if the decision is made to pursue that channel, I believe, you know, they have an opportunity to do so.

Starting point is 00:20:22 You know, it doesn't surprise me that he pleaded not guilty. That's pretty much par for the course, especially if public defender or whoever he has representing them again. You know, in our system, it's, you know, innocent until proven guilty, no matter how bad it may look, you know, from the get-go. But that would be the normal response. And then to take that to a grand jury to get that indictment, you know, handed down. And I'm glad to see the high bail. But my heart goes out to those families.

Starting point is 00:20:45 I mean, there are so many victims in so many different places. And, you know, they're left behind to carry on, you know, I'll pray for them. And, I mean, these people that commit these types of crimes, that just shows you the degree of selfishness. It's all about them and their particular feelings at the moment and the things that they decide to do to help in their minds, you know, with those feelings. And he resorted to this type of brutality. It's a shame. I wish those families the best. And it sounds like they're doing the best that they can in order to cope. Yeah, we're sending our hearts and prayers out to them as well. This is an incredibly difficult situation and a tragedy on

Starting point is 00:21:25 so many different levels. It's difficult to even talk about what happened to these two individuals. And again, I keep thinking about what that conversation's going to be like when that child grows up. It's hard to fathom. Colonel Alex Payne, thank you so much for taking the time. It was great seeing you. Yes, sir. You too. Take care. All right, everybody. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time. You can binge all episodes of this law and crime series

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Law&Crime Sidebar - Jealous Teen Killed Ex, Her New Boyfriend in Front of Baby: Police

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