Prime Crime: Solved Murders - Stepdad Turned Husband Killed with His Own Knife

Episode Date: February 8, 2026

In January 2019, police in Orlando, Florida were called to a horrific crime scene — the bloody home of Michael Redlick, a University of Central Florida executive. They found Michael's lifeless body covered in blood alongside a grisly kitchen knife used in the attack. This disturbing case took an even more twisted turn when investigators immediately zeroed in on the prime suspect: Michael's own stepdaughter-turned-wife, Danielle Redlick. Find out what happened to Michael Redlick on this episode of Prime Crime with Jesse Weber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On prime crime. My husband's deceased, there's a tragedy at my home. He's stiff and he's wounded. He might have a heart attack. An unconventional relationship ends in tragedy. He poured himself a drink really heavy, and then he started spewing. I didn't realize how much of rage was going on in there.

Leaving behind a broken family and a wife facing serious questions. He would often say everything will be okay as long as I hide this. as I hide this. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th,

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Hey, everybody, I'm Jesse Weber, and Prime Crime is taking over the Solve Murders feed on Spotify. Now, Prime Crime is a true crime docu series. It dives into cases across America. It features exclusive interviews, body cam, interrogations, a lot more. It's all in the pursuit of truth and justice. So join us each week for riveting and respectful storytelling and in-depth reporting. Hey there, everybody. I'm Jesse Weber, and welcome to Prime Crime. This is where we break down some of the most compelling and memorable true crime cases. Marriages, at times, can be pretty rocky, right?

From those little tiffs to the serious arguments, that's normal. Yet the relationship in this story is quite different. It goes from a rather unique beginning to a deadly end. You know? I don't know. My husband's deceased. There's been a tragedy at my home. It's around 9.30 in the morning on January 12, 2019, when 911 dispatchers receive a frantic call from a woman in Winter Park, Florida.

Why do you believe he's deceased? Because he's stiff and he wanted. He might have a heart attack. I don't know. That's the voice of 45-year-old Danielle Redlich, who says she discovered her husband, 65-year-old Michael Redlich, dead on the floor of their home. It was just a bizarre case. Initially, when she called 911, she said that her husband had succumbed to a heart attack. But then she had a different story. She said that Michael stabbed himself to death.

She was in fear of her life. He was actually choking me and trying to suffocate me first. I actually went for the knife, and he was screaming. What are you going to do if he stabbed me? And he grabbed it. And that's when he did it, he made a motion. He stabbed himself. I ran and in the bathroom, when I came out, I was just lying in blood.

You said he tried to help with my husband. Correct, yes. He tried to hurt myself this morning. It doesn't look good for me. In order to understand how we got here, we have to take a step back to the unusual beginning of Danielle and Michael's relationship. I first met Mike, I think it was 1996. He'd come to the golf course and say, I think I'm in love with this.

this woman, Kathleen, but she's dying of cancer. I think I'm gonna marry her. Gonna marry her? Yeah, the benefits that she has are terrible. She's gonna have better treatment, better care, and that's why he, that's why he married them, Kathleen. I'm sure they were in love, but he was all about helping her out. After Kathleen passed away, Mike was basically

providing for two of Kathleen's kids, Danielle and her younger brother. Michael Redlich was an executive for various sports teams. So he had a prominent job doing well, making good money. She found him somewhat exciting. He was 20 years or senior, certainly had more financial resources, and it sounds like he was able to take her around and do different things with her. Somewhere down the road, the relationship started. He married his stepdaughter. We warned him against it. Like, what are you

thinking? In a weird way, it's a love story that most people wouldn't approve of, but it became a love story, a real love story. Well, that's the biggest mistake Mike made in his life. Fast forward 15 years. Michael is dead, and Danielle has taken to the hospital to be evaluated. police pay her a visit to try and piece together what exactly occurred here. We just kind of want to get some type of information as to what happened. If you're willing to talk to us, that'd be good. I'm perfectly willing to say what happened. At the hospital, Danielle was concerned about her kids and about herself.

She was worried of what would happen to her, and who would tell the kids that Michael was dead. I'm just really concerned about my kids knowing that their dad's calling. Well, who tells them this? My husband's gone. We're just going to tell them that their father passed away and that you're in the hospital under care. No details will be given out. Can't you believe us.

What struck me was there were some times that she shed some tears, but I thought that she was rather calm and cool and collected to be in that situation. Were people being told? We haven't talked to anybody. We wanted to talk to you first if you're willing to talk to us. I mean, I'm definitely willing. I'm just afraid should I have legal representation?

Is that what was you telling me? That's up to you. This may seem odd, but it's the police that are interviewing you. So I understand. You say I'm not being held, but the doctors are evaluating my... Not being held by the police department? Is it the hospital? Correct.

You know, it seems like a normal question, but she did ask if I was free to leave. by under arrest, right? So she must have known that there was some suspicion. Yet there is much more to Michael and Danielle's relationship, accusations and allegations. You want me to describe what happened? I want you to tell me whatever you feel comfortable to me. Thursday, my husband was very belligerent and distraught. Well, at first, the relationship was fine, but then over time, there are allegations of controlling behaviors.

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Dpop, where taste, recognizes taste. A drinking problem. He was following me around the house and I was trying not to engage. I locked myself in the bathroom. He broke the door open. He was scaring me. So I decided to leave. And he was drinking heavily.

I'm not a rocket scientist, but wait a minute. There's eight empty bottles of wine in the garbage. Mike didn't like wine. So those bottles got empty by somebody other than Mike. We had some issues last year. He basically cheated on me and it was a big long shot out of thing. And I found a slew of emails of him carrying on with another woman. And I just crushed me.

Mike was trying to understand and he must have been going to some meetings with Al-Anon. And along the way, he met a woman. They became friends. Friends. It was somebody that he could talk. that he could talk to about dealing with her. No infidelity at all on Mike's part. I'm convinced to that.

He found a text from another man to me. That really angered him. Danielle had social media messages. It was kind of right in the middle of where these communications for social nature or was she looking for employment. She alluded to the fact that she was looking to further her career.

And it sounds like he was somewhat jealous that she also, was interested in other men. Thursday, I ended up leaving the home to avoid any kind of distress in for the kids. My daughter, the two of them were yelling at each other, and I said, okay, that's it. We're leaving.

So I took her with me to a friend's house, and my son went to see. He was belligerent, but he wasn't being physically harmful to the kids. That's where things began to go somewhat awry in the marriage. She complained that as a result, he was both physically and emotionally abusive.

And unfortunately, we live in a society where domestic violence still occurs. And we're not so quick to disbelieve a woman who was smaller than her husband. At his funeral, Danielle delivered the eulogy and told everyone in the congregation that Mike was her best friend and talked about all the things that he had

had done for her and the kids. No way if you listen to that eulogy you could ever think that this guy would lay a hand on her. Police need to get the full story of how Michael Redlich died. Coming up, can detectives figure out what actually happened between the couple? I did not murder my husband please I don't understand. This is a tragedy. I can't put it. Everyone in the congregation at his funeral is looking at her delivering a eulogy and they're all saying that the same thing. Why isn't she behind bars? It's January 2019 and 45-year-old Danielle Redlich is being questioned after calling 911, saying her stepfather turned husband, 65-year-old Michael Redlich,

died in their Winter Park, Florida home. After telling dispatchers several versions of what happened, investigators talked to Danielle at the hospital, where she says Michael was aggressive and intimidating. He continued on his day Friday to work, and I continued my day. I got some snide texts from him during the day. We attended our sons' football game together that evening, and it was after the football game work. Once again, he poured himself a drink, and really heavy,

and it just started from there. He started spewing, I didn't realize how much of rage was going on in there. She had previously filed a police report against Michael. against Michael for domestic abuse. And because of that, it led Kreenas to her claim later that she was in fear of her life and then Michael was added again. But Danielle starts to shut down.

I think that's about what I'm comfortable talking about currently. With Danielle not giving police much to go on, days later they returned to the Redlick's home, this time with a warrant in hand. Can you get the kids away, Dad? Yes, yes. Just get the kids. Danielle, I just want to talk to you.

Okay, right now you're not under arrest, but we just secured you for our safety. We do have a search warrant for your house, and I also have a search warrant for your DNA. While the detective collects the DNA sample, Danielle seems shocked to learn what investigators may be thinking. Two bucle swabs, saliva standards from Danielle Justine Redlich, which is believed to be evidence relevant to proving that a felony crime has. has been committed, death investigation, second degree murder, are located in the person.

You're saying the saliva when I tried to, when there was resuscitation done, that that's second degree murder? No, I'm collecting saliva standards from you. Because of the resuscitation? Because of other evidence that we have collected. She also said that she tried to save Michael's life, giving him CPR, and passed out because of her Herculean efforts.

she tried CPR and couldn't find her phone to call 911. Hmm, I think that's somebody dancing, dancing and just changing the story as much as she could. So you're saying that once this DNA is confirmed as mine, I'm being charged a second degree of her, is that what I'm hearing? That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I'm collecting this to be tested.

From what we collected from the house, we need to be able to differentiate your, DNA from your husband's DNA. That's when Danielle starts getting defiant. How do you guys looking for? I don't understand this. I'll tell you what freaking happened. I don't understand.

What are you looking for? Can you tell me what they're looking for? I might be able to help. Is that a no? We also have a search warrant to collect any other evidence that we think is necessary. Trying to charge me to second. I did not murder my husband. Please.

I don't understand. And you live directly across the street from the Red Litch. Correct. Little did Danielle know there were others who for a long time noticed issues between her and Michael, issues that become critical in understanding the complexity of this case. The whole neighborhood knows that they for the house. Police speak with the Redlick's neighbors and learn even more about the tumultuous relationship. We are very aware of the peering and fighting in that type of thing.

Most of the time, it was screaming to one another, but primarily it was her screaming at him. These are two people that were not getting along. The relationship started off in a very strange manner, and they probably should have never been together in the first place. When you hear them fighting outside, did you ever hear the nature of what they were arguing about, or just kind of little bits and pieces?

I think a couple of times she'd scream get out of here or that type of thing, but not to the extent of what the, where the issue was. He knew she represented not only in danger to him, but to herself. Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney Plus. Let's go! Get ready for a new case. We're going to crack this case and prove our decoranist partners of all time. New friends.

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so my guess is he was just trying to keep her in check. I didn't see any altercation with hitting my wife. as also on occasion. Her hitting him, I don't know whether he's hit her or what over the scenario is from that standpoint. Dr. Hsuem argues on answer. Has it been verbal or physical? But it wasn't on his part.

So she's initiated it or she's been yelling? Okay. When it's physical, what have you seen? Her slapping him around in the face. Some of us saw some danieling. some dangers there. If you would have asked me six years ago, did I have any friends whose spouse

were capable of killing them? I'd say only one, and that would be Danielle. How would you describe Michael? He always seemed very laid back. I never saw any kind of aggression or anything. And how would you describe Daniel? Solical. But I don't know what happened behind closed doors.

Then detectives learned there's been run-ins with the redlicks in the past, including the year earlier when Michael actually called 911 on Danielle. 911, Janone, police, fire, medical. We need a car here. There's a woman that's a danger to herself and to others right now. My sense on calling 911 was to show her that, look, I'm not going to abuse you. I'm not going to hit you, but I've had it. You better go in this room. Please, please.

Please, don't you run. Will you stop? All right. I will call you back. I'll call you back in five minutes. What is going on there? Hello? You can see in a domestic situation

where someone is looking at their wife acting crazily that they would call police and because they didn't know what her intentions were that they wouldn't ask police to come over right away and said he would call them back, but he never did. This was not Danielle's first brush with the law. She actually was previously charged with getting into an altercation with a couple of deputies. She was even accused of biting one of the deputies, and she received probation.

It's still not clear, though, what truly happened in the Redlick's home that January night when Michael died. But up next, investigators speak with someone else who maybe can provide some answers. She was like, when dad comes home, he's angry with me right now. So if you like sense tension, I'm just warning you, me and dad aren't on good terms right now. We started struggling about five years or so, but he started getting some medical problems and ED. Nothing like a male ego. Now this, it's a mental shock. It's January 2019, and police set their sights on Danielle Redlick, a woman on probation,

as they think she stabbed her husband, Michael Redlich, to death, all amid a heated argument in the couple's Winter Park, Florida home. Over the 15-year marriage, this relationship has been rocky for the stepdaughter-turned-wife, who says Michael, 20 years her senior, physically and verbally abused her. Police need to determine if there's any truth to what Danielle is saying. So they speak with the Redlick's son, then 11-year-old Sawyer, to get a better picture of what their family life was like and what may have gone down the night Michael died. How did you get to your friend's house yesterday?

I had a football game last night, and I had a sleepover with him. Was he supposed to coach this morning at your football? And he just didn't show up? Yeah, no one showed up. It was a Little League coach and the night of the occurrence, there was a flag football game. How was your parents' relationship that night? I think there was some tension between them. I don't know what, but I could see the anger. Who appeared angry?

My dad. You know, if anybody was toxic in a relationship, it was Danielle. Go back and look at all the things before he came back into the house that night. What did she do to him as he was getting out of the car? She threw eggs at the car. She egged her husband. This is not a sane woman. Have they ever gotten into arguments that you actually saw them physically fighting?

Yes. They were pushing each other. Have you ever seen anything more than just pushing between the two of them? Scratching. Okay. Who would scratch you? I guess my mom and my dad would push away. Investigators then learn even more about Michael and Danielle's troubling marriage.

from their daughter, 15-year-old Jaden. My parents used to be separated. They're obviously not divorced, but as like a family, we've been through a lot this past year. I know they were kind of in heated argument this week about something. Jaden's interview with the police was what I would expect, basically, that her parents did not get along. My dad moved out in April of last year, and he moved back in in, I think, I think late October. They've always had like an off and on relationship for like, I think the past five or six years.

It's interesting for someone so young that's getting information from both parties. Clearly the father communicated to her that he didn't necessarily get along with his mother and the mother was communicating to her that she didn't necessarily get along with her father. So she was kind of stuck in the middle. Last year my dad met this woman and my parents were separated at that time and that was when they were saying, okay, we're going to get a divorce. And my mom, like, was really hurt by that. If you know the people close to both of them,

Mike Redlich was not the kind of guy that was going to be cheating on his wife. No way. She had, like, an app on her phone, not a dating app. She showed me the app. It was for, like, work or something. She had messages where some gentleman mentioned that he found her.

As the Krispy Chicken Sandwich from 7-Eleven, People always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect. Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy.

Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me, and baby, I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4. Quiet, no. Krispy, saucy, and $4? Very. Only at 711. Valley 36, 2326, participating stores only well supplies lastly out for full terms. Attractive and he liked her photo.

Some random guy was like flirting with her or something, but she didn't respond and my dad saw that and I think that's what caused like an argument. I have a really close relationship with my mom. She told me that she didn't have anything going on with this guy. Obviously this was a source of tension between her and her husband. At some point, she even deleted messages off of her phone. These messages certainly did not help her. You have mentioned they had fights in the past. Has anything been physical?

At points, yeah. When's the last time you saw them get until a physical confrontation? Not for a while. Sometime last year. Jaden blamed her mom for being the instigator, that if there was any violence between them, it was her mother, Danielle, who instigated it. In the times in the past,

that they had this physical confrontation that you've observed, who would be the more aggressive one? I've never seen him hurt my mom, like physically. It's rare for a daughter to point the finger at her mother for being the violent one, but that's what happened here. The one time that I saw like a mark on my dad's face was because they were arguing and my mom had a ring on. Has he ever hit her or left any marks on her? I think so. I remember just my mom saying my dad pushed her. Do you think the push was in self-defense because she was coming at him or...

push because he was upset at her. I read both. You had a verbal and physical abuse being alleged. You had cheating being alleged. So you had all this in a combustible mix that led to the tragedy that ensued. He said to me on several occasions, everything will be okay as long as I hide the steak knives. I was driving from Charlotte up to Cleveland.

Got a call from a good friend of mine that let me know what happened. They said he was found dead. I was in shock, but at the same time I wasn't surprised. Oh, my God. He didn't hide the steak knives. Detectives put two and two together, and they begin to realize that perhaps Danielle's story that Michael stabbed himself doesn't quite add up.

Maybe Danielle was the aggressor. They begin to build a case against her, starting with something police noticed at the very start of this whole investigation. Michael was stabbed once in the shoulder. It was originally a bloody crime scene, but when investigators walked into the house, they smelled disinfectant, bleach.

It was clear that the husband had bled out. There was evidence that she even attempted to clean up. By the time they arrived and the fact that the wounds had dried, it led the investigators to believe that this had taken place hours prior to her calling 911. And let's go back to that 911 phone call that Danielle made after the stabbing. There was one important detail that caught investigators' attention. Did you just find him?

No, actually. What happened last night? Did you see him last night? Was he okay or was... He was not okay last night. We had altercation. What is interesting, of course, is that she waited 11 hours to call the police after what was ultimately discovered

to be an altercation between the two. Is there a reason why you didn't call last night? I'm on probation, and I was really afraid, and anybody would believe me? Her initial story was that he killed himself. Okay, so if your husband kills himself, why wouldn't you call 911 right away? Why would you tamper with evidence?

Why wouldn't you call EMS and see what you could do to save him. About a week after the stabbing, Danielle is arrested for violating her probation, and that's when police press her even further on Michael's death. But with Danielle Redlick not giving into questioning, it's the evidence that starts doing the talking. The Texas focus on the 11 hours, where Danielle said that she was hiding in the bathroom because she was in fear of her life. Meanwhile, in those 11 hours, she was cleaning up the crime scene. Plus, she was surfing the web on a dating site looking to meet new men

while he's bleeding to death. That's the kind of stuff that makes headlines and will stick in a juror's mind to show that someone has a cold and depraved heart. She did all types of odd behavior, but I just want to point out that it's not absolutely this positive because we all react differently. Taking of a human life is one of the most traumatic events that one can engage in. And it's very difficult to know what normal behavior is. So kind of a mixed bag here. About a month after Michael Redlick's death, Danielle is officially arrested and charged with murder and tampering with evidence. Danielle was charged with a second-degree murder, which doesn't require premeditation.

It could just be that she killed someone with the department. preyed mind, but didn't necessarily plan it in advance. It's then when Danielle is locked up in jail that she does something which raises even more suspicion. I told you that I had to plea offer, right? Mm-hmm. Well, it was basically they dropped the charge to manslaughter 10 years. According to, you know, my lawyers, it was a good offer.

But then today it seems like they had bad news. They're like, well, no, the plea is not. He doesn't want to negotiate to plea now, and now he wishes he didn't give it to you. Most of us thought, you know, this is an airtight case, and she's going to be found guilty. If anything, maybe they let her plead out to a lesser degree. That offer was on the table. Danielle made the decision to decline the manslaughter deal, where she would have served 10 years in prison. There's some evidence they keep getting, but it's just stuff they took out of his desk when he was writing down stuff about when I had filed for divorce.

Michael was so angry, he was keeping a log of stuff. Like, you know, he was just being addictive. Like, oh, today Danielle did this. And it's like all this stuff this did to me. I better not share too much, but there's something really bad about him that he did when he was younger. They're trying to keep all that out. She obviously thought she could convince a jury

that she believed she was in fear of her life. She could use Michael's past against him. Then it got all these hearsay stuff. When people they were talking, you know, He was talking to at work that don't even know me. Oh, well, Danielle had problems. Meanwhile, this son of a f*** is drinking his ass off. Smacking me around.

Smacking the kids around, too. Go ahead with me. You know, well, unfortunately, a lot of people aren't stepping forward because they didn't see anything. No one sees the abuse. You know, I was mentally abused, like, psychologically. I'm not kidding you. Sexually. I mean, he, oh, boy, he was a mastermind.

Keep in mind that even when one flees self-defense, they are not claiming that they did not kill. someone. They are merely saying I am not crimly liable because I had to. Trying to be a bit more mindful of things you buy for you and your family? Well, when it comes to laundry, choose All Free Clear. 100% free from dyes and perfumes. All Free Clear uses only essential ingredients that tackle tough stains and odors. And it's gentle on the skin. It's a powerful clean you can feel good about. So go on. Pick up a bottle of All Free clear for your next laundry day.

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Class dismissed! Savings of up to $1 per gallon redeemable with $20 rewards dollars in your loyalty account at participating locations, terms, conditions apply. Kill this person in order to save my life. They had another stupid charge in there for tampering because there was so much blood when I was trying to, anyway, without saying a lot, I was slipping on it, so I used a towel, so they were saying, you know, that kind of thing to be tampering. So that's kind of a BS. The max for that is five years alone. She was also charged with tampering

when someone dies. The police have to conduct an investigation. So it's a crime. to impede that investigation and tamper with a crime scene. When you walk into a crime scene, you smell bleach. Generally, that's tampering with the evidence. And so that's the one that all along we knew she would be convicted of. The bigger question is, would they get her for murder? That's the question. Would a jury believe Danielle Redlich murdered her husband?

They did a hell of a job banging up some evidence. A lot of it hearsay. A neighbor saw me hit him on the outside one time. If I go to trial, I could definitely lose or I could win. When we return, Danielle Redlich heads to trial. To put a mother of Marquez in jail after her husband died, it's fabulous. It's a really great karma for you, guys. I mean, I know you're doing your job, but at the same time, I haven't had no chance for defense or anything.

In June 2022, prosecutors are set to bring Danielle Redlich's second-degree murder and tampering with evidence case before a jury for the death of her state. stepfather turned husband, Michael Redlich. Investigators believe Danielle stabbed him after their 15-year marriage turned to arguments and alleged abuse. Up until now, not much is clear of what actually went on in their suburban home the day of Michael's death, but it was at trial where new details came to light. That defendant plunged a knife into the shoulder of Michael Redlich, which would cause him

to bleed to death. The home that she is standing in looks like something from a horror movie. The prosecution's strongest evidence at trial was the argument that manipulating the crime scene, hiding the crime evidence is a guilty mind. This defendant did everything she could to avoid responsibility for her actions.

The evidence will show that she engages in a significant, but failed attempt to clean up the scene. Danielle's alibi never made any sense. She only claimed self-defense after she first said that Michael had a heart attack, or that Michael stabbed himself, which is really bizarre. Based of all the information that you had from the 911 call,

your conversation with Ms. Redlich, did you believe her to be claiming that Mr. Redlich basically brought about his own death? Yes. Did the autopsy result as shared to you by the medical examiner give you reason to believe that that was not true. Yes. Danielle kept changing her story.

How can you dispute the fact that you had someone who claimed to be a victim of domestic violence, who claimed to be acting in self-defense, who then didn't claim self-defense when she spoke to law enforcement? Did you actually locate some evidence? Yes, I did. There was towels that were piled up next to the stair. There was a mop that had blood on it and a bucket full of like pink liquid. by the stairs. There was also knives. There was a knife in the doorway, knives in the kitchen sink. I think the prosecution relied more on the physical evidence of her manipulation of the crime scene than anything else.

Prosecutors also tried to show evidence of problems in the marriage. An email from months before the stabbing from Danielle to Michael was particularly chilling. I know I'm bitter at times, I admit, but you have a lot of of nerve as well. Although my words may be cutting, they are only sounds, a dull knife compared to the sharp, disloyal, deceiving, phony, and never-ending, selfish knife you continue to twist in my back. Of course, someone would be messed up, traumatized, and may act out. She used a large knife to stab Michael to death, who then slowly bled out for the next 11 hours. It looked like someone who wanted Michael dead and was trying to hide her tracks. Then it comes time for the defense to show jurors that Danielle killed Michael in self-defense.

Everybody thought it would be a layup, but the one thing they were worried about was how people would portray Mike. If I'm the defense attorney, I'm going to paint this story about this guy that married a stepdaughter, right? We're going to make him look like a predator that was abusive. January 11th, 2019, someone was very, very angry. This someone started to physically attack their spouse. They had rage. They were choking their spouse, smothering their spouse. That someone was Michael Redlich.

And Daniel Redlich had no choice but to defend herself because she was afraid she was going to die. The other argument for self-defense, is that she stabbed Michael in the shoulder. It wasn't a kill shot that you would normally think of as an attempt to murder someone would be in the heart. Yes, Daniel Redlich did stab Michael Redlich.

Daniel Redlich knew and recognized that the danger that she was facing that night was different than the other incidents of abuse that had happened throughout their marriage. You can see why you're going to see why. jurors could buy the story that she acted in self-defense because she had a prior complaint of domestic violence against Michael. At one point during the trial, Danielle Redlich takes the stand herself, telling the jury her version of events the night Michael died.

Ms. Redlich, on January 11th, 2019, did you stab your husband? I did. Yes. She got to take the stand in her own defense, And it was no one there to defend Michael because Michael's dead. He was suffocating me. I couldn't breathe and he had me pinned down. I was scared and, you know, it's just in fear for my life. I thought he snapped and I could die. Do you have any choice about to use a weapon to get away? No.

She is painting a story that isn't true. She's using her manipulation. manipulation to try to convince the jury that she's the victim. I walk through the kitchen and that's when he comes up behind me and grabs me. I just trip up on my feet and I follow the ground. At that point, I grab the Center Island and I reach up to pull myself up to face him. He grabs me here and slams me down onto the Center Island counter. There were times we say, Mike, now you've never hit her when he's

never hit her when she starts going off the wall. His response was, I just put my hands up for self-defense. He called me a b-hs, holding my head down on the counter. So I'm just pinned up against the counter like this, and he's straddling my body here and has me pinned. I've got a free arm here, and the drawer in front of me is the only thing I can do. So I use my free arm to push open the drawer ahead of me.

I think he was just trying to hold her back, talk her down off the ledge, and she got carried away, and she killed him. Pulled a knife out. He released my head. He says, what are you going to stab me? And I take the knife, and I position it and face it toward him. He immediately just goes to my chin and floges me back, and I stabbed him at that point. Prior to stabbing him with a knife, are you able to remove yourself? No. Are you able to get out without using a weapon? No, I was trying. What are you trying to do?

To get away from him. Why? If you don't do that, what is your belief that will happen? That he might smother me to death. Danielle was the best witness for the defense. She advocated for herself. But prosecutors still needed some questions answered. A life without Michael Redlich was a life that you were looking for.

to living. Well, life at peace with Michael Redlake. You wanted a life beyond Michael, correct? Yes, at that point, yes. If a defendant can stand up against cross-examination, I think it can really hurt the prosecution's case. So you stood in that home with the power to call for help and you let your husband bleed to death on that floor.

It already bled to death. I was wondering if I could recover him or something. Which one is it? Is he dead or you think it's possible to save him? Well, if he could be recovered, something would have to be done immediately. And so, yes, I thought perhaps I should do that. So in these fleeting moments, you think Mr. Redlich can be saved, you choose not to save him. I wouldn't put it that way now.

When someone waits 11 hours to call 911, she was no longer in fear of her safety when he was lying on the floor bleeding to death. And yet, she let him die, while she was surfing the web looking for dates. Standing there, having mopped up all that blood, taking all these towels and soaked them through with Michael's blood, you thought that it was possible

he had died of a heart attack? Thought there was a possibility. You did not believe that your husband had a heart attack in this brother. Actually, I did. Well, I was hoping, too. We were hoping. Not in the morbid sense that I wanted him dead,

But if you had a heart attack, you wouldn't have been responsible for his death. Yes, to an extent. Juries, I think, are rather sophisticated. And I think that she really helped herself by getting on the stand because they provided her with an opportunity to tell her story and to talk about the tumultuous relationship and to explain why she took all the actions that she did. My understanding is that you have reached a verdict. Is that correct? Yes. Once the case was finally handed over to the jury, it took them just four hours of deliberating to come back with a major decision. Verdict as to count one, we the jury find the defendant not guilty.

Verdict as to count two, we the jury find the defendant guilty of tampering with physical evidence. I was sad. In my opinion, justice wasn't served and I couldn't be. believe she got away with it. You have to respect jury decisions. These are 12 men and women that give up their time to do their civic duty. And I'm not in the habit of questioning a jury's decision.

It's a very interesting decision. It's very interesting that all these things can occur and someone can clean up a crime scene after killing another person and be acquitted of murder. It's not something that we see often at all. Danielle Redlich dodges a control. of second-degree murder, but is sentenced to almost a year in jail for tampering with evidence with credit for time served.

The jury decided not necessarily that she was innocent, but the jury decided that they didn't have enough evidence that she was a murderer beyond any reasonable doubt. So in the end, she bet on herself and she won. Mike made one mistake. Wasn't being a good father, wasn't being a good husband, wasn't being good to Danielle's mother. he married a stepdaughter, should have never have done it. We could go back in time and talk them out of it. I wish we had that opportunity.

With her jail sentence completed, Danielle Redlick is released from custody on 12 months probation. My focus is trying to be there for the kids. What would Mike want me to do? He'd want me to help take care of his kids. Just thinking back of how much pride he had in both of them. He'd be bragging about the kids got an arm or how well

Jaden was doing in school. You know, I'm very proud of his kids and it was just getting to know him before he ever met Danielle. He would come to our house. And the way he treated my kids, oh, my kids thought the world of him. There's still a little bit more to this story. night. Well, that's cool. No, you don't understand. It went perfectly. Real offer, down to the penny. They're picking it up tomorrow. Nothing went wrong. So, what's the problem? That is the problem. Nothing in my life goes a smoothie. I'm waiting for the catch. Maybe there's no catch. That's exactly what a catch would want me to think. Wow, you need to relax. I need a knock on wood. Do we have wood? Is this table wood?

I think it's lamated. Okay, yeah, that's good. That's close enough. Car selling without a catch. Sell your car today on on. Pick up fees may apply. absolutely ripped into her mother in a letter to the court saying she wants nothing to do with Danielle. She wrote, quote, you may all be fooled by the incredible mask this woman presents to you all, but I am not. And Jaden even asked for a no-contact order for her and her brother Sawyer, but it appears that wasn't successful. Look, the truth is, the jury, they believed Danielle Redlich's story. Yes. But what's left in the wake of this whole case is,

is unfortunately a broken family. That's all we have for you here on this episode of Prime Crime, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, stay safe.