SERIALously - 342: Parents Butcher Rebecca Park & Cut Out Her Baby, Parents Burned Alive, & Body Parts Found in Truck

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, true crime besties, welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly. Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialessly. me, your host, Annie Elise, your true crime bestie, here to break down everything that is going on this week in the true crime world. And I know that I say it every week, but we have a lot that is going on this week. I don't know if people were just like too much time on their hands from the long holiday weekend or what is going on, but there are so many new cases that we need to talk about. But you know the drill. Before we get into all of the new cases, we have to go through the updates and some new information that is coming out regarding some previous cases that we've

Starting point is 00:01:03 covered. And joining me today to nobody's surprise in the entire world is Amy. She is back and welcome. Thanks. Good morning. Good morning. So we're going to start with some updates and I know you have an update that you're going to share. But first, I have two updates that I want to share with you guys about like some of these sleesiest men that I think I have ever, I don't want to say encountered because luckily I've never had to see these pieces of shit, but that I've ever covered. And we're going to start with Alex Murdoch. Now, you guys know his name. You probably have seen the Lifetime movie, the documentary, the trial, all of these things. But here's why I'm bringing his douche canoe face up again. He has filed an appeal for a new trial. And there is now going

Starting point is 00:01:49 to be a hearing for that. And it has been set for February 11th, 2026. So the South Carolina Supreme Court is going to hear his appeal for his double murder convictions just in a couple of months. Now, his defense team is arguing that the conviction should be overturned due to alleged jury tampering by the former court clerk, which if you remember that whole debacle, she was like writing a book. It was what was her name, Becky Hill, I believe. It was like this whole thing. They also are going to be arguing the improper admission of evidence that is related to the financial crimes of all of it, and also investigative failures. As a reminder, if you have not followed that case, which I feel like it's kind of like the name

Starting point is 00:02:30 everybody knows. Everybody, I feel like, knows about the case in one way or another. But he was convicted back in March of 2023 for murdering his wife, Maggie, and his son Paul. He was sentenced to two life sentences. His family just kind of feels very privileged, very grimy. His son has a lot of weird history. It's just, it's not good. Now, let me go back and break down a little bit more about what the exact appeal is going to be about. So I mentioned jury tampering. So the central argument is that the clerk of court, Becky Hill, allegedly made improper comments to jurors about his testimony. His lawyers claim that she was motivated by that book deal that she had and also some media appearances that I guess she had been securing. In regards to the improper evidence, the appeal also

Starting point is 00:03:19 contends that the trial judge improperly allowed evidence about Alex's financial crimes in, arguing that it lacked evidentiary support as motive for the actual murders itself. They also are going to be pointing to the investigative failures saying that critical forensic evidence was mishandled and that the crime scene was contaminated, suggesting, of course, a flawed investigation. Still to this day, Alex is maintaining his innocence, which you know what? I always get confused on the name, and I feel like everybody pronounces it differently. It's spelled Alex with an ex-merda with an H.

Starting point is 00:03:54 But I have heard Alec with a C. I have heard Murdoch with a K. I don't even know what the right pronunciation is, but we're just going to say Alex Murdoch. And if I say it fast enough, hopefully it sounds right. But he's maintaining his innocence through all of this, which I think all of us can collectively give a huge eye roll to. I don't think anybody believes that. But we will see what happens in that hearing come February.

Starting point is 00:04:17 Now into the next loser on my list, Brian Walsh. I briefly mentioned him either last week or the week before. But Brian, his trial is fully underway. It actually officially began earlier this week on Monday with opening statements and now they're getting into the testimony. But Brian is accused of killing and dismembering his wife, Anna. This was back in January of 2023, though I want to be clear, her body has never been found. He also had very weird internet search history from the jump, which, in my opinion, definitely signals that he's guilty. He had searches. such as how to dismember a body? Can you be charged with murder without a body? Can somebody be

Starting point is 00:05:00 identified through broken teeth? I mean, a lot of very gruesome searches where it's like, hi, nobody's searching that unless you're actively trying to get away with murder or you're, you know, planning a murder. So before the jury selection began, Brian had pleaded guilty to two related counts involved in this trial, but not the main one. He pleaded guilty to misleading police and also unlawful disposal of a body. However, he's currently now standing trial for first-degree murder charges, which let me just pause there for a moment. He pled guilty to misleading the police and unlawful disposal,

Starting point is 00:05:39 which, okay, yes, that is a lesser crime than homicide, obviously, but what's the story going to be that the defense spins during this? That she accidentally died and that he just panicked and then covered it up and disposed of her body, and then looked up, you know, can you be charged with murder without a body? How to, can somebody be identified with broken teeth? That feels a little more sinister to me, but this is what the defense is going with. So it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out. But also, as a sidebar, get this. The same former state lead police investigator, Michael Proctor, might be a name that

Starting point is 00:06:18 sounds very familiar to you. He was involved in the investigation of both cases Karen Reed, and Brian Walsh. As a reminder, he was later fired by the state police after some really horrible text messages surfaced and just like some piss poor mishandling of the Karen Reid case in general. But now it has kind of become this point of contention and a potential area of defense for Brian Walsh and his legal team, because his defense team is planning on using Michael Proctor's controversial history to really question the integrity and the thoroughness of the investigation into Brian's case, Anna's case, all of the things that came from that investigation. They argue that the biases and the lack of supervision revealed in the Karen Reed case

Starting point is 00:07:03 could have also tainted the Brian Walsh investigation as well. Which it's like this guy, Michael Proctor, the gift that keeps on giving, even though it's like, it's not a gift. You are literally ruining so many investigations, so many cases, and so, like, justice for so many victims. So it's going to be interesting. I was going to say weird, but the better word. is interesting. It's going to be really interesting. Once it gets to that point in the trial,

Starting point is 00:07:29 what the defense tries to say about Michael Proctor's involvement in Brian Walsh's case. And by the way, this is happening in the same county, same courthouse. In fact, Judge Kenone, the judge that was over the Karen Reed case, she was also supposed to be the judge in Brian Walsh's case. But then they ended up switching it for whatever reason. But it's all going down. It's like everybody's seeing Fannie Elise spinning on the ceiling of that court. room. I mean, it's going down right now. So I will put a link to our deep dive on the Bryan case so that you can get fully caught up because this trial is already exploding. That way you can follow along. And do me a favor if you do want weekly recaps or maybe even biweekly recaps,

Starting point is 00:08:11 like every Friday where we recap like in a quick 20 minute episode, everything that happened that week during the trial, the big bombshells, big takeaways. If you're interested in keeping up with it that way, we definitely can do it. So just let me know either, I guess, either in the comment section on YouTube or the Q&A section on Spotify so that we know if we should be doing that or not. And we'll see what happens. I am confident that he will be found guilty. I just think that there is way too much evidence against him. Although, yes, I guess circumstantial, considering a body has not yet been recovered.

Starting point is 00:08:43 But we'll see what happens. Now, moving along into other updates, you've been keeping a close eye on this Anna Kempner case. I know. It's wild. I know. There's so much happening. And I know that there's been like an outpouring of information over the weekend. So break it down for us. And just as a reminder, this is the 18 year old girl that was found dead last month in her cabin on a cruise ship that she was on with her family. She was found by staff on the ship and buried in life jackets and a blanket in her cabin. And now more of Anna's family is speaking out. And they're pretty confused and frustrated why her stepbrother hasn't been

Starting point is 00:09:22 arrested. In fact, Anna's aunt, Crystal Wright, recently shared how the family is handling everything and what they've learned so far. And just a quick reminder, Anna's death was ruled a homicide, and the medical examiner listed her cause of death as mechanical exfixation by another person. In fact, they referenced a bar hold type position. And Crystal says she's confident that Anna really fought for her life. There's also been a lot of chatter online accusing the family of protecting the stepbrother, who many believe now is the key suspect. But Crystal is saying the exact opposite. According to her, the family just wants answers as badly as everyone else does,

Starting point is 00:09:59 saying, quote, we don't understand why. If the boy is a suspect, why has he not been charged yet? What's happening there? Anna's dad also spoke out, which remember last week we kind of chatted a little bit about his history and why there may be speculation around him. But what he says really puts things into perspective. He confirmed that the stepbrother was the only other person in the room when Anna died. He explained that the FBI is still investigating and that they'll eventually have to show their evidence,

Starting point is 00:10:26 which will either prove that the stepbrother was responsible or involved or rule him out entirely. But here's the kicker. The family has been given no additional information outside of what the public has been given. They feel like they've just been waiting around, no real direction, no updates, and no idea what's going to happen next. And from their point of view, everything feels stalled, which we do see commonly when there's an act of investigation and, and when they don't quite have all the answers and they're piecing things together. So we will be keeping up on this. And over the weekend, we also saw some speculation online

Starting point is 00:11:02 kind of providing more context about the timeline from that night and potentially some additional video footage. But we wanted to really vet that before we included that and shared that with you. So we have filed all the FOIA requests. And as soon as we're able to vet that information, we'll include that in our next update. I think it's interesting on two sides of it.

Starting point is 00:11:20 One, that the family is saying, look, if they think it's him, why hasn't he been charged yet? Charge him. It's almost like they want justice. But then I can also see on the flip side of that, which I've seen in so many cases I've covered, where the reason the FBI is not sharing information with them is because the stepbrother is a family member. And that if they share too much, who knows if they really are aligning with justice for Anna or protection of him, they could tip him off. We saw what happened with fucking Brian Laundry and what his scumbag parent. did. So it's like, I definitely see why they're not sharing information with the family yet because it's a very complicated situation. Yeah. And I mean, but we also did see the grandparents in that

Starting point is 00:12:00 interview and they said like, well, you know, the writing is kind of on the wall. And so while we don't understand why, I feel like they're open. The family felt open to hearing the truth. So I did see a lot of comments on that episode that we put out last week. And not to say that I agree with this, I don't know if you agree with this, but I will say the general consensus from the comments, everybody is very angry at that family, all of the family members saying that every single family member failed Anna in one way or another throughout her life, which is kind of difficult to argue. Right. And we'll see more information as to how that whole thing played out. And like, I'm wondering if we can get more context on that timeline and just if there was some sort

Starting point is 00:12:41 of motive or planning involved. I know. And if it does end up panning out that the footage and the timeline that we saw are accurate. Again, like Amy said, we're vetting that. It's pretty horrific. It is pretty horrific. So we, I'm guessing, I'm confident 99.8% that a deep dive is in the near future once we get all that back. But you also have to remember it's tough because although we have filed the FOIAs, we have reached out to law enforcement, we're doing all of our due diligence. It is still an active investigation. So there's only so much information that we will be able to obtain before an arrest is made or, you know, anything like that. Which again, I think we probably all know where this is going. I'm sure as this has gone on, they've been speaking out

Starting point is 00:13:25 with like family and friends and getting more context to maybe what was going on at home. So I think as those things come to the forefront, we'll be able to share more too. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So now let's get into the new cases because like I said, it has been a long week, long weekend. And there is so much that we need. need to talk about. And this first case is wild. And honestly, it's one of those where the more you hear, the more you're kind of like, how does something like this even freaking happen? It's early morning on November 24th in North Adams, Massachusetts. Everyone's asleep, it's quiet, nothing out of the ordinary. But inside the Hazard family home, things were the complete opposite.

Starting point is 00:14:05 Police say that 44-year-old Darius Hazard suddenly just turned on his parents. 76-year-old Venture and 83-year-old Donald. No warning, no long build-up that anybody is aware of, just this violent, brutal attack that left both of them on the floor and unable to get up. And then, Darius took it to a whole different level. According to prosecutors, after beating his parents, he poured gasoline throughout the first level floor of their home. Then he set it on fire. He also didn't stick around. He didn't call for help. He just bailed, left. Now here's the part that hits the heart Venture and Donald were still alive when that fire started. They were awake, they knew what was happening,

Starting point is 00:14:51 and they physically could not move because he had beat them so badly. The probable cause affidavit even says that they were yelling things like, quote, come back, quote, help me, help us, we're in trouble. Which that detail, I mean, that detail right there, it says so much. Because even in that moment, they were calling out for him, calling out for their son. they were still expecting their son to come back and help them, not realizing that he is the one who started this fire and inflicted this, you know, horrific attack. It wasn't until smoke started pouring out of the house later that morning that anybody outside even realized that something was wrong. So neighbors finally called 911, fire crews went in, and that's when they found Venture and Donald in the living room.

Starting point is 00:15:36 The medical examiner later confirmed that they had died from smoke inhalation, not from the beating. meaning that they were burned alive and burned to death. Now, meanwhile, police were already out looking for Darius, and they ended up finding him in a Walmart parking lot after they put out a bolo allure on him, beyond the lookout. And when the officers questioned him, he didn't really hold back. He allegedly just told them that he, quote, snapped. He said that his mom apparently had fallen.

Starting point is 00:16:03 He got frustrated while trying to help her, and then it all just spiraled from there. Like he was resentful towards her because she needed his help. I don't really know. He also did admit to having a temper to yelling and breaking things, but nothing that ever suggested that he had physically hurt his parents before. Which, let's just pause and take a beat for a moment and kind of call it what it is, right? Something definitely does not add up here. People don't go from yelling and breaking stuff to then killing their parents through a savage physical hands-on beating and then burning down the

Starting point is 00:16:36 house. Like, that doesn't happen overnight. It seems to me it's more likely Something was probably brewing under the surface, whether that was anger, resentment, mental health issues. I mean, something, right? Some sort of catalyst and something that was going on through all of this. And investigators, they clearly felt the same because within a day, the charges jumped from arson to two counts of first-degree murder, and he was ordered held without bail. Now, let's talk about the hazard family for a moment here, because they had lived in that house since the early 90s.

Starting point is 00:17:09 And neighbors described them as nice, grounded, the type of family that you would wave to while you're outside grabbing your mail or in the front yard or walking the dog. So for this to happen, I mean, not just a crime, but something this violent and this intentional, it completely rocked this community and just, like, shattered this neighborhood.

Starting point is 00:17:28 Right now, the case is still open. The investigators say that the fire was absolutely deliberate, and they're working through forensic evidence and waiting on more autopsy details. Darius is due back in court on December 29th, which that's likely where we will start to see what his angle is going to be with his defense and what the angle the whole defense team is going to take,

Starting point is 00:17:49 whether they go from the mental health aspect to family dynamics, maybe it's self-defense in some weird way, which I don't see that panning out, or something that maybe nobody has even mentioned yet. But I think that we all can agree whatever explanation he gives, it certainly is not going to undo the fact that his parents were constantly, out for him while he was walking away, while he had his back to them,

Starting point is 00:18:11 lit the match or put the lighter down, whatever he did, turned his back and just walked away, hearing them screaming out. It's disgusting. And it's like, I feel like it's every parent's worst nightmare that your kids are going to turn on you like that. But like, can you imagine they're older? I mean, I guess you could classify them as elderly, 76 and 83 years old. So to think that like they had gotten through so many milestones and maybe tough things throughout their lives to now where it's like it should be smooth sailing, like easy coasting, and now it's your own son who's turning against you and not only turning against you, but like barbarically savagely beating you and then lighting your house on fire, it's awful.

Starting point is 00:18:49 It makes me sick. When you were reading what they were calling out to him, I got chills and like started tearing up, just picturing parents, like screaming out desperation and just you're probably in shock and just how could your own son be doing this to you? And just that, that's your last image. And just, that is so incredibly awful. I know, like, wondering, why isn't he coming back? Why isn't he helping us? And, like, reality setting. And how does he do that? I mean, that, it's just crazy. It's sick. It is sick. Well, this next case out of Toledo, Ohio is equally sick. And this one is where the facts have been coming

Starting point is 00:19:26 out super fast. And each one just feels worse and worse. And as I was reading and doing research, I was feeling the same way. So this is the case of Malachi Calder, who is a 27-year-old man who everyone described as being hardworking and just a genuinely kind person. He had recently graduated from the University of Toledo and had completely rebuilt his life from the ground up by working for everything he had. Because Malachi had actually once faced homelessness and almost had nothing to his name at that time. But over the course of just a few years, he worked his way out of it, earned his master degree, and by all accounts, his friend said this was one of his most proudest achievements. People close to him actually said Malachi didn't just rise above his circumstances.

Starting point is 00:20:11 He refused to let them define him. He was reliable, grounded, and loved by everyone around him. And that's why it was so disturbing when suddenly he stopped answering his calls and messages on November 15th. People noticed immediately because it wasn't like him, not even a little bit. And after a few days on November 21st, Malachi's family asked police to check on his apartment. So officers did do a welfare check. But at that point, nothing really stood out. The report said that the shower was running, the TV was on, and the dog was barking. But there were no foul odors or anything that would have indicated that something had actually happened to Malachi.

Starting point is 00:20:48 But that didn't last long because three days later on November 25th, police tracked down a truck registered to Malachi. And when they arrived and pulled the truck over, it wasn't Malachi that. was the one driving. Behind the wheel was 33-year-old Martell Huggins, a man with a documented history of violence, including a stalking charge from 2024. And inside that truck is where investigators found a truly disturbing scene. According to the police and the coroner's office, parts of Malachi's body were discovered inside the vehicle. The medical examiner later ruled Malachi's death as a homicide, noting that he had both gunshot and stab wounds to the head. And after that, He had been dismembered.

Starting point is 00:21:30 Remember how I said the details just kept getting worse and worse? And his cause and time of death are still unknown. But obviously with this discovery, Martel was arrested on the spot and later charged with murder and felonious assault. The judge has set his bond at $1 million. Thank God. But what investigators have yet to figure out is what Martel's motive was, which was my question also,

Starting point is 00:21:52 or if he and Malachi even knew each other at all. This felt super gruesome and this timeline has some big gaps, including what happened in between the time Malachi disappeared and the time when Martel was found driving his truck. So there's just so many questions. What happened? How did it escalate to this point? Was this planned? But right now, investigators say they're still processing evidence, conducting interviews, and piecing together the digital data to figure out what happened in the days leading up to this. But for this community in Toledo and for all that loved Malachi, this has already left a really huge mark. He had survived so much in his life.

Starting point is 00:22:28 rebuilt it, worked so hard to get his degree. And for this all to end like this, it's just truly heartbreaking. Kind of like what you were saying with that previous case. It's like you work so hard. You feel like you've accomplished. You're like living. You're doing all the right things. You're doing all the right thing. And then this happens. I know. I wonder, I mean, I'm just kind of spiraling here, but I wonder if they will find out that there's any sort of connection. If maybe like Martel knew him from the days of him being homeless maybe or if they were friends and if this was like out of anger. I mean, to shoot someone and stab someone in the head and dismembered. Multiple times. Yeah. And then dismembering. Look, this is going to probably

Starting point is 00:23:09 come out the wrong way. I get that that is personal, savage, barbaric and disgusting. But I also can understand where somebody gets to that point if they're trying to cover up and conceal their crime. It's not like they necessarily have the intention of dismembering this person because of how evil they are, unless they do it while that person's alive, obviously. But to stab someone in the head, that is a very up close and personal and, like, not crime of passion, but like a very direct act of violence. And so I would imagine that there is some sort of, I don't know, not relationship. Like crime of passion or like some sort of. And maybe not, but like the first case that comes to mind is Tristan Bailey and Aiden Fucci. He's the one. He's 14 years old. Tristan was

Starting point is 00:23:55 13. She was his classmate, a cheerleader. He lured her out to the woods, and he stabbed her over like 118 times, including to the head. And it was personal. It was targeted. We know Kaylee Gonzalez and the other Idaho four students who were stabbed in the head as well, some of them, not all of them, by Brian Coburger. It was intentional. It was targeted. It wasn't like this random thing where it's a carjacking gone wrong, and that's what you do, which, I mean, now that I say it out loud, I guess that could happen if you're just like using every time. But a gunshot wound. If you have a gun, you don't necessarily need to go stabbing, which was first. I don't know.

Starting point is 00:24:29 It just feels super personal. Well, but they describe his apartment as being like the shower running, like nothing wrong. So I'm just wondering, like, was it a burglary gone wrong? Maybe. Well, was the shower running or was there water on the shower walls from a fresh shower? I can't remember. It says that the shower was running, TV was on, dog was barking. So it's almost like everything just, yeah, taken by surprise.

Starting point is 00:24:52 So it was like maybe it wasn't planned or someone that knew him at all. just someone maybe that had been watching him and thought it was a good time to get rid of the body. But then it's like, why leave the body parts in the truck and what? You're just like cruising around town. Taking all evidence with you. Yeah. Like just rolling through red lights with body parts in your car. Traffic camps are going to get you.

Starting point is 00:25:10 What? And like he had a previous stocking charge, but that doesn't feel like that aligns with something this. That's where I'm like maybe it was a robbery going on. Well, you said more information is like pouring out. So at the time of this recording, that's what we know. But hopefully we'll have a better update. for everybody next week. Yes.

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Starting point is 00:30:23 It was late, it was quiet, and nothing about that night really stood out until, of course, it did. She stepped outside and allegedly told her mom that somebody was coming to pick her up, and then she walked directly toward a dark-colored vehicle that pulled up to the driveway. She got into the passenger seat, didn't say who was driving, didn't say where she was going, and then that was it. That was the last time that anybody saw her alive. She never came back. The next morning, her phone, something that her fiancé said,

Starting point is 00:30:53 she never, ever went anywhere without, it turned up ditched on the side of the road across from the house. No Rebecca, though, no vehicle, no explanation. So, obviously, right away, she was reported as missing. And then, slowly but surely, little pieces of context started falling into place. The first was that Rebecca had been to the hospital just hours before she vanished because she was worried about her pregnancy. Remember, she was almost full term. That's when like Braxton Hicks start. That's when you feel like you might be going into labor, but you're really not. And you just get hyper paranoid. At least I did. But the second thing was that she had received $2,000 in inheritance money that same day. So investigators noted that this cash could have made it easier for Rebecca to disappear without leaving a digital trail. I mean, if she wanted to. She wouldn't need to go to an ATM. She wouldn't need to be using her credit card. She could get by with cash for a little while. So as these things are being uncovered,

Starting point is 00:31:52 meanwhile, deputies started searching the area. And as you can imagine, the internet lost its motherfucking mind with this, especially the true crime community. Rumors, accusations, theories, it all spiraled so incredibly fast that the sheriff actually had to step in and just shut everything down publicly, saying there's no evidence of an assault, there's no, quote, bloody clothing, because that was a rumor going around. Nothing that was matching what social media was insisting was the reality. They even said that the misinformation was actively hurting the case. So after that, updates basically stopped because the internet just kind of went wild and started creating their own theories. But then everything changed on November 25th. A volunteer search group,

Starting point is 00:32:40 not law enforcement, but civilians who refused to give up, they went out into the national forest, that same general area where Rebecca was last seen. Think like deep woods, rural roads, old logging paths, the kind of place that you could walk for hours and really see nobody. And sure enough, that is where they found a body. Deputies got there very quickly and they confirmed that the body resembled Rebecca, but they knew that they needed the autopsy before they could say it outright. And days later, that confirmation came. But with it, something even more devastating. The baby that Rebecca was pregnant with was not found with her. No sign of the child, no indication of where the baby could be, and still no public cause of death. Investigators said that they are searching for the baby,

Starting point is 00:33:29 that they're waiting on forensic results, and because this is extremely sensitive, they obviously can't release much of anything. But while all of that was unfolding and the devastation, that that involves, people around Rebecca started being arrested, and not just for homicide. Her fiancé, 43-year-old Richard Fowler, was arrested the same night that her body was found. He was arrested on two counts of delivering methamphetamine, and because he is listed as a habitual offender with at least three prior felonies, those charges could potentially carry a life sentence. His bond was set at one million cash. Then, just hours later, her 21-year-old sister, Kimberly, was also arrested on three felonies,

Starting point is 00:34:17 evidence tampering, lying to police during a violent crime investigation, and filing a false report. Her bond was set at $750,000. Now, according to multiple reports, within days, Rebecca's mother and stepfather, Courtney and Brad, were also taken into custody, with arraignments pending and charges still being finalized. Now, one of the louder theories online is that the investigators are hitting all of these people with whatever charges that they possibly can just to make sure that nobody runs,

Starting point is 00:34:49 which I think we've seen that in a lot of cases. I actually kind of think that's what happened in the Melody Buzzard case and when they first arrested her mom Ashley, but people have not confirmed any of that. It's just the timing certainly is notable. But then a major bombshell dropped that kind of not only like changed the course,

Starting point is 00:35:07 of the investigation, but it also kind of solidified a lot of the online chatter, because on December 2nd, Rebecca's mother, Courtney, and her stepfather, Brad, they were charged with first-degree murder. They were also charged with torture and assault of a pregnant individual resulting in a possible miscarriage or stillbirth. Both of them are currently being held without bond due to the severity of the charges, and Rebecca's baby is still missing. So, I don't know, it is just wild to think about because the fact that this information just happened and her mom and stepdad are being charged, what motivation would they have for killing her own daughter and then stealing her baby unless, of course, it somehow ties into the drug use of it all. And, you know, what's happening

Starting point is 00:35:55 there to where did they take the baby and trade it for payment for drugs or in exchange? What, like, what is happening? Which at the time of this recording, we don't know the details. The baby is still missing hopefully by the time this publishes there will be answers and if there are I will add them to the show notes but I mean for your parents to be involved the sister the fiancee getting charged I mean this poor woman this poor woman and remember in the very beginning too when we were talking about this case how we said that she allegedly told her mom that somebody was coming to pick her up walked toward this dark color vehicle that pulled directly in her driveway and then vanished so is that the story that the mom was telling the police which if so obviously

Starting point is 00:36:37 The mom knew whose car she was getting into or what was going on or maybe that whole story. It's complete BS from the jump. I don't know. But there are details coming out every single minute. So we will definitely be keeping an eye on this one. And hopefully this baby is found quickly. How do people do this? I don't understand.

Starting point is 00:36:56 Honestly, welcome to the dark side, Amy, because this is like a daily occurrence. Literally. And it just every time you unravel more of the details, there's more and more. It just gets worse and worse. It's like now the family's being arrested. I know. Like the sister, the 21-year-old sister, too. It's like, which not necessarily directly with crimes relating to Rebecca, but like impeding

Starting point is 00:37:17 an investigation, false statements like, what false statements are talking about? Why are you lying? Why are you a liar? Kimberly. Tell us. Tell us Kimberly. Kimberlea. No, I'm just kidding.

Starting point is 00:37:28 No, I'm just kidding. I love Kimberlea. Don't spread rumors. Yeah. Speaking of rumors, I just look down while you're talking because you like to talk with your animated hands. And I noticed you're not wearing your ring today. And I was like, oh, God. No, I know I should. Let the rumors. The rumors. The husbands. Bonus points if you know what I'm talking about. Well, let me just tell you. First of all, I know I talk with my hands and people

Starting point is 00:37:52 hate that and troll me for it. They're like, slow down your hands. But like, I don't know how. I had to take off all my rings because I don't know if this is a sign of old age or what is happening. And for any of you doctors watching, maybe you can diagnose me. But and started with one finger. Then it started spreading. And let me, before anybody spreads any other rumors, I have high quality jewelry, okay? But I don't know if you can see. Maybe editor, can we do a close-up on these fingers?

Starting point is 00:38:19 They're starting to get like red where it looks like a scar, but it's like dry. And I obviously, and it's happening now on these two fingers. So I obviously talked to my like trusty best friend, chat GPT, and he said, or she, that it could be dermatitis, contact dermatitis or eczema. or eczema. But it's only happening on these three ring fingers now, kind of a little bit this one. So the reason I took them all off. I'm just glad it's a rash and not marital problems. That's all I'm saying. Okay. Can you never say the word rash again, please? I'm just going to put desic hands away and not touch my keyboard. I'm trying to give them a break and some breathing room,

Starting point is 00:38:56 but like if I end up having to be one of those people who goes to sleep with hand cream and gloves? I have to because I have the, no, you're just catching up. your fears behind me. Wait, with gloves too? Yes. I wake up like Mickey Mouse. All right. What do we got next day? Well, so this next story also has to do with an expectant mother. Great. I know. Have you ever heard something just so awful, so unbelievably cruel that it almost feels unreal, which I feel like most of our stories do? But then out of nowhere turns into a full-blown miracle. That's what happened in this case, which was very fortunate. But what happened before that was very terrible. In the early morning of November 22nd, just before 5.20 a.m., staff

Starting point is 00:39:40 at the Brandon Regional Hospital in Florida called the police. A woman who was eight months pregnant had been dropped off at the emergency room with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. And the man who brought her in? He didn't stay to answer a single question. In fact, he drove off immediately. According to detectives, that man was 44-year-old Eric Patterson, a 15-time convicted felon, and the victim's boyfriend. Investigators say the woman had been asleep in bed with her two children right next to her when Eric allegedly opened fire.

Starting point is 00:40:12 The bullet went through her and struck her unborn baby. So just picture that for a second. You have a mother shot, a baby hit before even taking its first breath, and just two kids sleeping inches away from her. It's one of those cases, like we were saying in the beginning, just kind of stops you dead in your tracks and you're like, why did this all happen?

Starting point is 00:40:33 How did this occur? But I do have some good news. Against all odds, somehow, both the mother and the baby survived. Doctors performed emergency surgery, delivered the baby early, and then the newborn had to be airlifted to another hospital where surgeons removed the bullet from its abdomen, which is unbelievable but extremely heroic. In fact, it's nothing short of extraordinary in this case.

Starting point is 00:40:58 So now while all of that was happening, detectives were already starting to piece this whole situation together. Surveillance video from both the apartment hallway and the hospital showed Eric and the victim leaving their home after the shooting and arriving at the hospital in her car. Then showed Eric driving away alone. Investigators say that footage was a key part in identifying him as the shooter. And three days later, on November 25th, deputies found him and placed him under arrest.

Starting point is 00:41:26 And the charges, they're extensive as you can imagine. He's facing aggravated battery on a pregnant woman with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, felon in possession of a firearm, shooting into a dwelling, possession of a firearm during a felony, and two counts of child neglect. The sheriff called it a miracle story of survival and resilience. And honestly, when you think of what actually happened in that bedroom, that's exactly what it was. It's hard to disagree with that. This had every possibility of becoming a double homicide, and instead both the mother and baby are alive. But still a lot is unknown. We don't have a confirmed motive, and we don't know what led up to the shooting.

Starting point is 00:42:07 And the identities of the mother and children have not yet been released, which is completely understandable for their safety. So while this is one of the more disturbing and heartbreaking cases that we've heard, now this is obviously a story that's very disturbing and heartbreaking, but it's also a story of survival and just thinking. Thankfully, the pregnant woman who was shot in her sleep and the poor baby who was shot prior to even being born and those two little kids that were sleeping in bed, they all survived. And those kids were really the most vulnerable. So, I mean, thank God they're okay. And this all had a happy ending. But it also makes you think, and I'm sure you would agree, it kind of is giving a little bit of a manual harrow vibes in the sense of like, you know this person you're with has been convicted in the past. multiple times. In this case, 15 times. And then you're getting pregnant by this person and sleeping near them. You've got other children involved. And I just, I don't understand. It's hard to wrap my head around this. And I mean, again, thankfully she's okay and I don't want a victim blame and sensitive about that, but also just. I think it's like a trait, though, for females, at least

Starting point is 00:43:19 being for myself, but we always think we can save them or we always think it'll be different with us. And so I'm sure that's what a lot of these women in these situations think. And then they realize, unfortunately, they're no different. But yeah, when you said he's a 15-time convicted felon, why is this guy on the street? Yeah. Like, why is he still out there? I know. And, yeah, the two kids sleeping next to me. I mean, it could have been a quadruple homicide easily.

Starting point is 00:43:41 And just, I mean, the trauma they've experienced even through, I mean, surviving that. I know. What a story that baby's going to have growing up. I know. I was shot by my father before I, while I was still in my mom's stomach. like what? Oh, God. I mean, it's disgusting to your point, but it is also a story of like survival, resilience, uplifting a little bit. And it shows us like miracles to do happen. So at least that is a good note to end on after all of the other crappy ones. And for some reason, Brian Walsh's douchebag face just entered my mind. Like, get out. Get out. All right, guys. Well, thank you so much for listening. As a reminder, Tendal Life is also now a podcast. uncensored, uncensored, because YouTube likes to piss me off. So if you feel like you need more deep dives every week, we have new episodes that come out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and every

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SERIALously - 342: Parents Butcher Rebecca Park & Cut Out Her Baby, Parents Burned Alive, & Body Parts Found in Truck

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