Small Town Murder - #406 - Not Even A Little Sorry - Flagstaff, Arizona

Episode Date: July 21, 2023

This week, in Flagstaff, Arizona, a move across the country doesn't quite cure the relationship between a young couple, instead causing an attempted break up. This results in terribly brutal ...murder, complete with a horrifying final deed. Surprisingly, the not remorseful killer not only wants the death penalty, he demands it! Will the court give him what he wants, after they read some of his crazy writings? It's a very cruel murder, committed by a very strange person!! Along the way, we find out that sometimes it snows when you're high in the mountains, that you shouldn't listen to any imaginary interplanetary gods that tell you to kill, and that there really is no limit for how low a human being can sink! Hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie WhismanNew episodes every Thursday!Donate at: patreon.com/crimeinsports or go to paypal.com and use our email: crimeinsports@gmail.comGo to shutupandgivememurder.com for all things Small Town Murder & Crime In Sports!Follow us on...twitter.com/@murdersmallfacebook.com/smalltownpodinstagram.com/smalltownmurderAlso, check out James & Jimmie's other show, Crime In Sports! On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Wondery, Wondery+, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening early and ad-free on Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Small Town Murder Express. Yay! Choo-choo! Ah choo ah yay indeed jimmy yay indeed my name is james petra gallo i'm here with my co-host i'm jimmy wissman thank you folks so much for joining us all aboard the murder train pulling away from the station we have an absolutely bonkers episode this week this guy is next level crazy crazy. Some crazy good fun today. And it's Arizona, so we can pick on that. We always have the most fun with Arizona
Starting point is 00:01:09 considering all the time that we have both collectively spent there. That said, quickly, head over to ShutUpAndGiveMeMurder.com. Get your tickets to Chicago! Hey! August 12th, Chicago. We will be there. Please get your tickets right now. They're going fast. Right now, as we speak, it is our biggest show ever. So thankth, Chicago. We will be there. Please get your tickets right now. They're going fast.
Starting point is 00:01:25 Right now, as we speak, it is our biggest show ever. So thank you, Chicago. You've already surpassed every other city in the country as far as tickets go, and they're going fast. So get in there August 12th. We're going to do a Chicago-only live show. You can only see it in Chicago this year. Great. So come out and see that show, and also get your tickets for the rest of the year.
Starting point is 00:01:44 Most of the shows are sold out. I know DC just sold out. Philly is very close to selling out and we have Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, everything else sold out. So get your tickets right now before they are gone. Shut up and give me murder.com,
Starting point is 00:01:57 patrion.com slash crime and sports. Get your bonus material. Yeah. And it's the best bargain you're going to find anywhere. And if an audio, put it that way, if for $5 a month or more or whatever you want to do, Get your bonus material. It's the best bargain you're going to find anywhere in audio. Put it that way. For $5 a month or more or whatever you want to do, you get, first of all, the entire back catalog of bonus stuff. It's a couple hundred episodes.
Starting point is 00:02:14 And then new ones every other week. Two new episodes. One crime and sports. One small town murder. And you get it all. That's right. This week for crime and sports, what we're going to talk about is the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Oh.
Starting point is 00:02:26 Which is a lot of fun. We're talking about mafia stuff and throwing a World Series and there's movies made about it. Very fun stuff. Then for Small Town Murder, the whole thing, we're going back to the 19-teens. It's a theme this week. We're going to talk about weird Titanic stories. There's so many stories that are not in the movie or any of that stuff. These survivors and all these different people. There's a lady threw a baby in the movie or any of that stuff that these survivors and all
Starting point is 00:02:45 these different people and there's a lady threw a baby in a garden the garbage it's insane we'll talk all about it and we'll get into a couple other sea mysteries so that'll be fun there patreon.com slash crime and sports and you get a shout out at the end of the regular show jimmy will mess your name up terribly while trying to get it correct also your stupid opinions is coming and now it's coming soon, we just found out. All the business stuff apparently has gone through and everything's fine and we're ready to roll here. The episodes are done
Starting point is 00:03:11 but we're ready to actually show them to you. So this is great. We're very excited. Keep an eye out, Your Stupid Opinions. That's good there. So that said, I think it's time, Jimmy. Let's do this. I think it's time to sit back. We need to clear the lungs here, everybody. That's right. Arms time jimmy let's do this i think it's time to sit back we need to we need to clear the lungs here everybody that's right arms to the sky and let's all shout for it let's shout
Starting point is 00:03:31 let's do this jimmy let's go on a trip shall we let's go not far. Let's go on up the road here. We're going to Flagstaff, Arizona. Oh, yeah. A place we both know very well. Oh, it's gorgeous. And if you've ever driven across the country on the 40, you've passed through Flagstaff because the 40 goes right through there. And so a lot of people have passed through Flagstaff and they went, wow, that's pretty nice trees.
Starting point is 00:04:00 Wow, where the hell did it go? Now it's gone. Now it's fast. It goes fast. Yeah. So this is a little over two hours to Phoenix, depending on how you drive. You know what I mean? It's one of those where I got there in like an hour 45 before, but it also sometimes takes 220.
Starting point is 00:04:15 Pop it in neutral and let it just roll. Oh, you could fly down that hill. It's a little over an hour and a half to Prescott, Arizona, which was on the last Arizona episode, Crushed Skulls and Missing Golf Clubs. Oh, yeah. Current population here now is higher than we usually do, 76,228. But also 30,000 of those are college kids. There's 30,000 students in NAU. So that is a big skew.
Starting point is 00:04:42 And then during this murder, there was only about 35,000 people here, and half of those were college kids. So it was still a very small town when this murder happened because it was in the 80s. And wow, is it nuts. So median household income here is a little lower than the national average, $51,758. But the median home cost is almost double the national average. Astronomical. Bonkers. $565,400 is the median cost piece of
Starting point is 00:05:07 shit to live somewhere there you there's no jobs up there no there's no like you can't you can't work anywhere up that's what i mean you can't commute to phoenix i don't know ski lodge who can afford to live there that's i don't understand it you have to either be like very rich and retired or i have no idea most people have just like a fucking house there and they live elsewhere that's it wow that seems that's super rich people yeah it's quite the life that's like sedona too yeah those yeah so the motto of this town they have mottos two of them actually yeah the city of seven wonders i don't think there's seven other six i guess san francisco peaks but what the fuck else I don't think there's seven wonders. What are the other six? I don't know. I guess San Francisco Peaks, but what the fuck else?
Starting point is 00:05:46 I don't think all seven wonders are there. I know that. Where's Andre the Giant? Where's the eighth? And also Dark Sky City, because that's actually an official designation they've gotten for stargazing and all that. Yeah. No streetlights.
Starting point is 00:05:59 Yeah. Yeah. Originally settled all the way back in the day here, because there was fertile land from volcanic ash eruptions in the 11th century. So, yeah, it was settled way back because there was fertile land. And then it became its present-day city in about 1876. So in 1894, it was recommended to Percival Lowell as the site of the Lowell Observatory. Oh! And then they built it on Mars Hill. Yeah. amended to Percival Lowell as the site of the Lowell Observatory. That's where they built it on Mars Hill.
Starting point is 00:06:28 Yeah. Flagstaff became a town that year in 1894, grew very rapidly because this is when a lot of people were going back and forth and the railroad was going through. So a lot of stuff was popping off here. Also, local businessmen lobbied for Route 66 to pass through the city. And it did. And that helped a lot as well. In 1930, Pluto was discovered from Flagstaff. Get the fuck out of here.
Starting point is 00:06:51 They discovered Pluto there at the observatory, absolutely. And the city further developed, and they had various observations, and the observatories chose the moon landing sites for the Apollo moon missions as well. Is that right? They watched the moon and were like, that place looks smooth. That looks perfect, right? Do you want to land over in that section here? There's a runway over there. Check it out.
Starting point is 00:07:14 Look at this. Someone must have been here. In the 70s and 80s, downtown turned into a piece of shit, apparently. But then in the 90s, it was revitalized and all that kind of thing. And now it's also recognized in 2001 as the world's first international dark sky city by the International Dark Sky Association. Those people sound scary. Yeah. Turn off your lights. I'm trying to look at stars.
Starting point is 00:07:40 I'm trying to read. The stars aren't bright enough. I need my light on right now. Turn off your lights. It makes it easier for you not to see me when I look through your windows. I'm looking out. Turn on your lights if you want to see from outside. But I don't want you to see me.
Starting point is 00:07:55 Wait, turn on. Well, you wouldn't if I'm outside and you're inside and your light's on. You can't see me at all. But the lights come through the window. Oh, you got to. Yeah, I guess that's a good point. That's how people snoop. I can't really see.
Starting point is 00:08:03 Yeah. Reviews of this town. Here's a couple of them. I can't really see. Reviews of this town. Here's a couple of them. Five stars, number one. A lot of five stars. The nature here is so beautiful and everyone is so friendly. I would not change a thing here in Flagstaff. Oh, man.
Starting point is 00:08:17 And here's five stars from a Phoenix transplant. I moved here from the Phoenix area and I absolutely love my transition here. There's nothing more peaceful than moving into the fresh pine air. However, there can be a lot going on in downtown area and with the college. Yeah. Yeah. It's downtown and a college. What do you expect?
Starting point is 00:08:38 Also, everybody in your neighborhood hates that you moved there. Yeah, they all hate you. That's the other thing. Everyone up there hates you. Here's three stars. Flagstaff is fun and great at times, but at others it sucks. Yeah, because it's a place. It doesn't exist.
Starting point is 00:08:54 The weather for the most part and the seasonal changes are amazing and beautiful. Downtown is very fun. Snowball is a thrill, and you can relax if you want to. However, the snow can get bad, and that causes icy roads and results in days where you cannot do anything. It is 7,000 feet of elevation. What do you want? It's literally 7,000 feet of elevation. Anybody that lives in Arizona, you ask them, where does it snow?
Starting point is 00:09:19 And they go, well, Flagstaff. Yeah, obviously. Tons of it up in Flagstaff. Everybody knows that. Here's one star. Okay. High alcoholism, high child abuse, little groups that try to hide everything. High cost of living, bad streets, not a good place to live or raise a family.
Starting point is 00:09:36 Only one star because there is no place for zero stars. Jesus Christ. I couldn't give it to you. What? High alcoholism and high child abuse. How do you know that? Looking in windows. Dark sky.
Starting point is 00:09:48 That's what it is. They're looking in everybody's window. And there's another one that's really long and very much complaining about if you're not wealthy, don't bother coming here. And it says the last line is pretty sad what Flagstaff has turned into. Is it though? Pretty sad. You can't even have a nice trailer park anymore here. So things to do here, quickly.
Starting point is 00:10:11 Picking in the Pines, Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival. I'm on the fence, James. Sounds fun. You went to go there, then you're like, oh, that could be bad, though. That could be shit. It could be fun, but it could be terrible. I heard you. I watched your face.
Starting point is 00:10:29 I want the music, not those people playing it. Yeah. It features the best traditional and contemporary bluegrass music, complimented by other styles of acoustic music and dance. It was voted best festival for the last five years by readers of the arizona daily sun which i've never heard of i don't know what that is with seven readers i don't know who where that's distributed i have no idea they say although bluegrass is the primary focus they also feature other forms like celtic gypsy jazz and more gypsy jazz What the fuck is that? And this year's stellar lineup includes Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway,
Starting point is 00:11:09 Sister Sadie, which I think is a Charles Manson family reference. It sounds like it, yeah. I think it is. East Nash Grass. Okay. Lonesome Ace String Band. That sounds like a bunch of old men. Yeah, it does.
Starting point is 00:11:23 The Blue Canyon Boys. Yeah. It sounds like they're going to men. Yeah, it does. The Blue Canyon Boys. Yeah. It sounds like they're going to be brought up on charges for dragging someone behind a truck. The Blue Canyon Boys from Flagstaff. Railroad Earth. The Jacob Joliff Band. Jesus. Damn tall buildings. And
Starting point is 00:11:39 finally, closing it all out, the Cross-Eyed Possum. Alright. Gotta have the Cross-E-eyed possum in there. Have we had them somewhere else? I swear to God we have. I think there's just a lot of bands who like to claim possum lineage, I feel like. That's maybe what it is. That said, let's talk about a murder and one crazy son of a bitch.
Starting point is 00:12:00 Okay. Let's go back to 1987 here. Okay. Start in 87. That's where this whole thing takes place let's talk about a young lady rita kathleen brier b-r-i-e-r yeah she's 23 years old rita uh in 1987 she's pregnant here as we'll talk about she's about 22 weeks pregnant at this point so getting there yeah right right up the middle. Yeah, right up the middle, huh? Yeah, right up the middle.
Starting point is 00:12:26 That's a single up the middle, babe. Good job. So she is from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and she lived with her mother in New Stanton, Pennsylvania, for a little while here. When she lived in Pennsylvania, she worked at a fast food restaurant called Eaton Park near Stanton off the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Yikes. she worked in uh lived in pennsylvania she worked at a fast food restaurant called eaton park oh
Starting point is 00:12:45 near stanton off the pennsylvania turnpike yikes yeah that sounds to be a to be a pregnant young lady working at the eaton park off the turnpike is just that's just sad isn't it that just doesn't sound it's the beginning of a movie you know what i mean where this girl's gonna have a hell of an adventure because this this can't be everything right shouldn't be called the park and eat eat and put you know eat and park eat and then park eight and then park you gotta drive around while you're eating then you park to let it digest that's how it works now yeah now her boyfriend and fiance at this point and father of her unborn child is john george brewer and he's 22 years old.
Starting point is 00:13:25 Brewer, and it's brew like you're brewing beer. Yeah. Yeah. So Brewer here, he's actually not living up to his potential. Let's just say that. He went to college for two and a half years. Okay. So that's a good more than halfway.
Starting point is 00:13:43 It's a good chunk, yeah. You dropped out. You got all your prereqs done. Absolutely. He has an IQ of 132, which is well above average. Genius is 140. So 132 is well above average. Like, you know, average is in the 100, 110 range.
Starting point is 00:13:59 He can certainly handle another year and a half of college. That's what I mean. He's a smart guy. This ranks him this ranks him in the quote superior range of intellectual functioning oh i don't like that before genius superior yeah um he also suffers from borderline personality disorder as well he's a bit of a troubled background mainly a strange and really like fucking Norman Bates-esque pull to his mother. Really?
Starting point is 00:14:27 I mean, he is just enmeshed in his mother, which is a little bit weird. And she's all enmeshed in him. He's got his dad around? No, I don't think so. I don't think so. His dad left a long time ago, I would imagine, based on how these two are. Because no one wants to be. They're insufferable, the two of them.
Starting point is 00:14:47 Because it causes problems in his relationship with Rita as well here. So we'll talk about that. His mother describes him as suffering from asthma and needing her constant attention. Oh, for Christ's sake. So I feel like she's got a little one of these, like, even if he's breathing fine that day. Oh, no, honey, you need to be right next to me and make sure you don't have any flare-ups. He doesn't have asthma while you're suffocating him. Yeah, exactly.
Starting point is 00:15:14 So she said, quote, John was a beautiful boy. He was a child you couldn't believe. He was very loving and a kind boy, she said, and also that he was a superb student in school. Yeah. Perfect child, she's describing. also that he was a superb student in school. Yeah. Perfect child, she's describing. Everything I wish my ex-husband was, his dad. She said he even helped his grandmother when she broke her leg, and, you know, when he was little and just a sweet boy. She said he did become suicidal at age eight or nine after his grandmother died.
Starting point is 00:15:44 What? Yeah, that's not normal that's too young you don't even think about life you don't even have any idea of any of that at nine eight you don't want to join your grandparents in death at eight that's insane no um she said he would start crying so hard that he couldn't catch his breath just out of nowhere. So he's very coddled and all that sort of thing. She said that, quote, he had to depend on me more than the average child due to his health, which is, from what I understand, mild asthma, by the way. So tons of kids. Yeah, I remember kids running around in the woods and shit,
Starting point is 00:16:21 out there playing, and every once in a while they'd have to whip that inhaler out. But their mom wasn't next to them you know what i mean they were still like out riding their bikes and flipping over the handlebars and shit and this is 1987 we're talking so this he grew up in the 70s i've never seen an asthma attack i know that they that they happen and i know that my friends that had asthma had them yeah but they never had them when we were like doing physical shit you know i mean i never saw it in pe or whatever they'd always come to school and be like i had an asthma attack last night watching tv but we just played basketball for two hours kickball's fine though you just ran the bases like you just went from first to third and like you know 4.2 what happened there why was that okay i don't get it so november 1987 um they're going to
Starting point is 00:17:09 move to flagstaff rita just rita and john now leaving mom behind it says also here that his mom and he both say that in the time before he moves to flagstaff from the time he's a child he tried to commit suicide between 20 and 30 times what so many that he's everyone's lost count that's how many times that's wow that's 20 to 30 yeah that's either you don't really want to kill yourself or you're not good at stuff because are they are 20 to 30 yeah you think you do it by accident right well you know 20 30 times you couldn't get it right any of those times? Yeah. How fucking smart are you?
Starting point is 00:17:50 That's, yeah, 132. Are you smart or not? Come on here. I get that people are suicidal and they do things for a lot of, and sometimes it's for not to actually, to cry for help and all that. I don't know if that's what it is, 20 to 30 cry, but 20 to 30 starting to go okay yeah sure you are like by now because it's that feels like it's something with the attention with mom that's that's uh not necessarily creating it but certainly don't know yeah i don't know we're not psychologists but still it's i wasn't there oh yeah that's exactly
Starting point is 00:18:20 what i mean so we're like we're ready so don't know. But that seems like a lot. It does, yeah. To try something, to try anything and not be successful at it, really. Successful at it, right. So November 1987 is when Rita and John moved to Flagstaff. So they get an apartment at 1629 Northeast Street. And they move in, they get a job and move in with one of their coworkers, a young lady. So three of them live there.
Starting point is 00:18:45 It's a two-bedroom apartment. And they work at the Jack in the Box, all three of them, at 3620 East Santa Fe Avenue. Don't know if it's still there or not, but there you go. So that's where they're all working. The three of them are working. Santa Fe, that's in downtown. Yeah, yeah. I would imagine.
Starting point is 00:19:03 That can't be there now. No, probably not. There's probably not. I have no clue. But there we go. That's the three of them that's in downtown yeah i would imagine now no i'm probably not there's probably no i have no clue but there we go that's the three of them they're working a jack in the box she's pregnant they're living in this apartment i don't know what the what the like goal of moving here was to right work a jack in the box and have a baby that's a fascinating landing spot from pennsylvania that's a weird pivot to land in flagstaff no one knows why that's the other thing they have no connections here they don't have friends here there's no family here there's not like they have an aunt here they're gonna stay with for a couple weeks
Starting point is 00:19:33 it seems like they literally threw a dart and we're like flagstaff perfect what is that not going to school sounds great it's interesting so So November 11th, 1987 here. They're living, like I said, in this apartment with the roommate. Rita's pregnant and everything like that. So they, for some reason, the night before, because we're going to talk about early morning November 11th, but the late night of November 10th, they had been arguing, Rita and John, about going for a walk. They somehow got in an argument about that. I don't know how.
Starting point is 00:20:08 I don't know when you don't and we're going to fight? Where are we walking? I don't know what the argument's over. But it somehow deteriorates into this whole thing where both the women, both Rita and the roommate, are both, like, talking to John and, like, trying to browbeat him about the fact that he's too dependent on his mother. So he's arguing with two people, one of which he just met and is not in any relationship with other than they share a bedroom in the same domicile. And they serve egg rolls together. That's it. They know that tacos are two for a dollar back then.
Starting point is 00:20:48 Like, that's all there is to it. Wow. Yeah. So they're having, this is a huge argument that goes on from, like, midnight to five in the morning. How? Over you're too dependent on his mother. And he is too dependent on his mother. So I don't even know what he's arguing about. Like, that's the other thing.
Starting point is 00:21:08 What's the contrary? Well, it was started. This whole thing was started by a telephone conversation between he and his mother the night before, which left him feeling very depressed. And I guess his you know, it made him very sad for some reason. She was like, why do you let your mother make you sad? Like you're a grown man. Why don't you you're going to be a father? And then the other one chimed in. And yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:32 So, yeah, this is it's a lot. So apparently at one point he said, all you do is depend on her. And now you're here and now you're depending on me like I'm your mother. Like to, you know, they've been here like a week and a half by the way right she's saying for your emotional support and all this shit so she said what would happen if i died what if i were to die then what would happen that's what she's saying so he he had no answer for this one because it's a ridiculous question right but and it's but he had no answer i guess he ended up according to the roommate here just crying his eyes out and running into an adjoining room over this whole thing he can't
Starting point is 00:22:11 handle it yeah very mature very mature here so after getting his shit together he he and rita apparently patched things up according to the roommate quote-unquote patched things up, according to the roommate, quote-unquote, patched things up, and then they went to bed around 5.30 a.m. Jesus. Quite the wild-style life they got here, arguing all night. It's a pregnant woman who needs her sleep, and she's going to browbeat him about that. And he's going to cry all night. It's really going to be a lot. What a scene.
Starting point is 00:22:40 Man. So he wakes up at 11.15 a.m. to take a leak or something and tells the roommate, hey, you need to go to work. You're going to be late for work. Yeah. You know, what's up here? You're working. You got the shift. And she's like, oh, shit, that's right.
Starting point is 00:22:52 So she takes off, goes to work. He goes back to sleep with Rita. They both go back to sleep. They get up around 130. Very leisurely. What a life. Very leisurely life they have going on here. And they wake up and immediately continue their discussion from the night
Starting point is 00:23:09 before, which is always good. Just an eight hour break. Let's just a break. Yeah. Let's talk about it some more. Yeah. So at some point in this exchange,
Starting point is 00:23:20 Rita tells John that she loves him. And because she loves him so very, very much, she's going to leave him so he could prove that he could live by himself. Since he says he could make it by himself if he had to, and she says, well, you've got to prove it here. I love you so much, I'm going to leave you so you can prove this to me. Sink or swim, babe. Let's get after it. That is... Is that strange?
Starting point is 00:23:49 Interesting conclusion of a fight. Right. Is it not? Am I wrong here? That's fascinating. I thought so. So that's how this goes. So he gets enraged about this.
Starting point is 00:24:01 You're going to leave me to do this? So he ends up taking the roommate's dog don't worry he doesn't hurt the dog he takes a roommate's dog who's like barking during the argument and all running around and puts it locks it in the roommate's room so it's just in the bedroom it's got a bed to sleep on it's doing great so then he screams why think about if you were dead i'll kill you i don't it's a very odd statement but that's what he yelled yeah then he physically attacks her and starts fighting with her beating her okay pregnant woman this is by the way rita's no you know shrinking violet here she she throws down um she certainly gets her shots in here this fight lasts between 30 and 45 minutes
Starting point is 00:24:48 of a physical fight that they're in this is insane heavyweight bouts don't go that way yeah first of all yeah three minutes around 10 rounds is 30 minutes not to mention what kind of a pussy are you you're a grown man and not only getting the best of you not only are you crying about your mommy but you're letting a pregnant woman hold her own with you for 45 minutes this isn't layla ali for christ's sake it's some chick that works the jack in the box you should be able to fucking take her i think he's an actor i got a feeling that's the thing he's getting what he deserves he bit off more of that monster taco than he can chew more of that jumbo jack than he can chew right now that's what's happening that's if you don't have jack in the box where you live you have no idea how funny that is
Starting point is 00:25:35 so it's all a light-hearted nightmare on our podcast morbid we're your hosts i'm alina urquhart and i'm ash kelly and our show is part true crime, part spooky, and part comedy. The stories we cover are well-researched. He claimed and confessed to officially killing up to 28 people. With a touch of humor. I'd just like to go ahead and say that if there's no band called Malevolent Deity, that is pretty great. A dash of sarcasm and just garnished a bit with a little bit of cursing. This mother f***er lied. Like a liar. Like a liar.
Starting point is 00:26:10 And if you're a weirdo like us and love to cozy up to a creepy tale of the paranormal. Or you love to hop in the Wayback Machine and dissect the details of some of history's most notorious crimes. You should tune in to our podcast, Morbid. Follow Morbid on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. In May of 1980, near Anaheim, California, Dorothy Jane Scott noticed her friend had an inflamed red wound on his arm and seemed unwell. She insisted on driving him to the local hospital to get treatment. While he waited for his prescription, Dorothy went to grab her car to pick him up at the exit,
Starting point is 00:26:49 but would never be seen alive again, leaving us to wonder, decades later, what really happened to Dorothy Jane Scott? From Wondery, Generation Y is a podcast that covers notable true crime cases like this one and many more. Every week, hosts Aaron and Justin sit down to discuss a new case, covering every angle and theory, walking through the forensic evidence and interviewing those close to the case to try to discover what happened. And with over 450 episodes, there's a case for every true crime listener. Follow the Generation Y podcast on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Generation Y ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus.
Starting point is 00:27:32 I love how we're laughing in the middle of this horrible mess. In the middle of a scene of a man beating a pregnant woman. It's because we're making fun of the man beating a pregnant woman. I'm uncomfortable with a man beating a pregnant woman, so I have no recourse but to make fun of him that's all i got in my quiver you know i got jokes about him he's an asshole so he's he's trying to strangle her her with his bare hands yeah he's choking her but she gouges his eyes with her nails. She grabs his ears and tries to pull them off. She grabs and twists his nutsack.
Starting point is 00:28:09 That a girl. Repeatedly. Like tries to twist it right off like she's picking a fruit off a tree. Like it's apple season. Just popping them off. She escaped from him, got to the front door. Every time he pulled her back though this happened several times he got she got away from him and she he pulled her back and each time
Starting point is 00:28:31 he continued to beat her he against quote whatever he could find so he hit her on the counter he's beat he's beating her it's fucking horrible he bent her fingers back and pushed his. He tried to gouge her eyeballs out with his thumb. Yeah, they're doing the most three stooges fight in the history of fights. This is crazy. This is like two hell's angels are fighting each other on a bar floor. This is street fighting. There's ball twisting and fucking I'm going to gouge your eyeball out. And like this is this is wild shit, man.
Starting point is 00:29:03 So he does all of this he's attempting to dislodge her eyeballs yeah she yells that if he kills her he's gonna go to jail if you kill me you're gonna go to jail she yells he said quote so what at least you'd be dead oh my god which is he is he has gone past the point of logic at this point. He's just, I don't care anymore. That's where he is. So out of control. Out of control. Eventually, he can't really get a good strangle on her, is what it is, with his bare hands.
Starting point is 00:29:36 This guy's a pussy. Let's be realistic here. So he ends up finding a necktie nearby, wraps it around her neck yeah and repeatedly strangles her twice he thought she was dead but he removed the necktie and she started breathing again so then he'd have to go back and do it again three times he had to strangle her a pregnant woman a pregnant woman keep in mind this is all and all this this is a pregnant woman with a jack-in-the-box hat on you know what i mean like this is sad shit a young lady so after the third strangulation rita finally dies here so he kills rita he then because there's blood on him right he then undresses and throws his clothes on top
Starting point is 00:30:19 of rita which is psychologically is interesting covering her face or just the body oh just throwing them on top of her covering her all up which is i don't know if every square inch of her but that's a he's making the whole thing disappear covering the face is a very big yeah big thing he's there's shame there that's what that is come with regret remorse shame all of it yeah there's a lot of shame but that shame will go away within 15 minutes, as we'll find out here. He's beyond shame within the next 15 minutes. So he throws all his clothes on top of her and goes and takes a shower.
Starting point is 00:30:51 Okay. Gotta take a shower. Okay, so 15 minutes later, he comes back and has sex with Rita's corpse. What? Yes. That's what I mean, heat there's shame covering her with the clothes but at the same time uh the shame is he washed it right away in the shower there
Starting point is 00:31:12 the Irish spring that fucking shame right away clean he is zestfully not remorseful anymore and he is you're not fully fully remorseful till you're not zestfully remorseful. So he has sex with a dead pregnant woman. I don't understand that much myself. I guess we had to be there? I don't understand how you do this. I don't understand how any of this happened. This is the thing here.
Starting point is 00:31:40 I don't know how we got from you're too close to your mom to this. This is a really big stretch here so wow so 30 minutes later after he's done he is sitting around 30 he just sits around for a half hour trying to figure out what to do with himself now doesn't know what to do contemplating so he checks her pupils for signs of life at this point he said 30 minutes later then he leaves and walks to a nearby bowling alley wow where he calls the police and says that he witnessed a man assaulting a woman calls 9-1-1 yeah says i saw a man assaulting a woman when the 9-1-1 dispatcher pressed for further details as they do right what do they look like where are they things to pass along to police to help he finally is too frustrated by this can't hold up the ruse any longer over the phone to a stranger and says fine i beat and strangled my
Starting point is 00:32:38 girlfriend to death he didn't just hang off just bursts out with that fine you got me i didn't think this far into the phone call i thought i thought i could just say that and you'd show up i didn't know i had to wow so cops from the flagstaff pd arrive to the 911 call when they arrive at the bowling alley there he takes them over to the apartment he leads them to the bedroom, to their bedroom, where her nude body is dead on the floor. Right. You know, she's pronounced dead at the scene, obviously. Physical injuries here. They found that her body was beaten badly here.
Starting point is 00:33:17 Her pants and underwear were rolled up near her head, like just rolled down and thrown over by her head there. They also found the dog in an adjoining room, completely fine. They noticed scratch marks around his eyes and ears, not the dog, John. And her autopsy says, quote, it's a myriad of contusions,
Starting point is 00:33:38 abrasions, and lesions covering a large portion of her body, including severe swelling and hemorrhages on the scalp and in the eyes and bite marks on the right hand, right arm, and upper part of the right breast. He was biting her. That's fucking weird. Wow.
Starting point is 00:33:55 You don't want myriad of contusions in your fucking autopsy. Myriad of any. Jesus. The examiners described her face as profusely swollen and impressions from manual and multiple ligature strangulation were found on her neck it's fucking horrible uh it's horrible so obviously the cause of death is ruled uh strangulation they said at one point too he attempted to break her arms so she couldn't fight back and couldn't do it yeah couldn't do it so holy shit this is fucking ridiculous now they bring john to the station and they wonder if he's going to talk or not they read him his rights which he immediately waves
Starting point is 00:34:36 none of that shit no no no all about talking right now nope nope those are for suckers that's what that is i talked for five hours prior to this. I'm ready to go. I got some talking to do. So now someone's going to listen to me, damn it. So he confesses to the crime. He doesn't mind at all. He confesses at the scene, and then they take him to the police station where he makes a hand-typed confession.
Starting point is 00:35:02 Not even hand, he types it up himself. He grabbed the go ahead go ahead and slide that selectric over here let me get going here let's go sit down uh where that guy's typing a report and just do this yourself just do it yourself fuck he said quote this is what he this is his deal quote she said she loved me and because she loved me she was leaving me to show me how I could live by myself if I had to. She wouldn't move from their residence. She would still stay there, but I couldn't rely on her for anything. She would be like a roommate or another person. Oh, so we got to a point where we were going to know what this looks like when we break up.
Starting point is 00:35:39 But they weren't going to move out because they all work a jack-in-the-box. Yeah, because collectively we make 9 45 an hour together in 1987 especially yeah so they were gonna quote break up but live in the same apartment but he like wouldn't but they'd pretend they weren't together like that's what the fuck so that's odd uh he said quote well that was it i started screaming and yelling and um so i began to strangle her it's a big stretch from it's a jump from screaming and yelling and um so i began to strangle her it's a big stretch from it's a jump from screaming and yelling to strangling that's he left out a whole lot a whole lot so he typed the confession up and he said quote i could not repeat could not break this
Starting point is 00:36:17 mental hold my mother has on me even now she's telling me to write this wow very norman bates this guy i mean this is hardcore shit here this is very ed gain is the vibe i'm getting from this guy so like smart ed gain because that game was a moron really yeah smart ed gain is what we have here so they uh he said that he waited some time after he thought she was dead took a shower this is his quote quote waited some time after i thought she was dead took a shower had sex with her checked her pupils dressed and called the police he just put that in a list of things just necrophilia in the middle of all this um so he jesus christ he said that, he said he killed her to continue the relationship, which I don't know how that works. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:37:12 I mean, he has some, some flashes of stupidity. That's the thing. Well, it's in his mind. He's got a real weird thought process and like reality structure. He says he was afraid she'd eventually leave him for good so he said quote i finally got something i wanted permanent security she's not going anywhere now yeah yeah um he again reiterated that he definitely had sex with her because they're like you really had sex with her after he's like oh yeah i did so it's it's such an
Starting point is 00:37:42 odd interview the detective detective michael terran said that it was as cool and calm a demeanor as anybody he's ever talked to. Just just real matter of fact. And just, yeah, I mean, you know, you had to strangle her. And that's what I did. I said to strangle her. Good. It's crazy. He said, quote, I've never had contact with a more cool, calm, non remorseful murderer than John Brewer.
Starting point is 00:38:13 So he's charged with first degree murder now there's a huge outcry in flagstaff because in the last couple months then including four days before rita was murdered there's been two other murders of young women by strangulation oh or one strangulation, one was stab wounds, but there was bite marks on both of them as well. So they think he's a serial guy. They think maybe that's it, but they found out the first one he absolutely was in Pennsylvania for. He couldn't have done that. And then the second one, I think he was at work
Starting point is 00:38:37 at Jack in the Box when it happened. And they ended up arresting somebody else for it. So it would happen like... Three different guys do terrible things probably. It's just three different pieces of shit. Absolutely. That's all it is. One was Ina Langstaff was killed on November 7th, 87.
Starting point is 00:38:54 Stab wounds. No evidence of sexual assault, but bite marks. And then Saganisto was murdered on June 13th, 87. Suffocation and bite marks as well but they already had arrested somebody for that so but the press and people there was like people writing you know to the editor and shit like how do you not put these together he's a serial killer like what the fuck i have a day job and i already detected all this up. That's what it is. I've been looking through the paper and I think I summed it all up now. They said that they suffered body mutilated by bite marks described by an examiner as vicious.
Starting point is 00:39:35 And so that's why people were putting these together because there's bite marks on all three. Just sick fucks. That's all it was. The one was George Abney, apparently. He was one of the suspects that was arrested. So, first of all, is our guy, is John competent here? That's going to come up. That's going to be a coin flip, right?
Starting point is 00:39:57 Because he's competent as fuck. Seems like a crap shoot. I mean, he's got the home row keys going on the typewriter, typing up what he did. That's as competent as it gets. To not take a big thing when talking about having sex with a dead body. Yeah. Just casually throw that in there. Like, you know, I went here, then I got my laundry and I took it to the dry cleaner.
Starting point is 00:40:18 Then I raped a corpse. I had to pick the kid up from school, raped a corpse. I had to pick up dinner because my husband didn't do it. So, you know like that's what it sounds like it's like a lady describing her day like it's fucking weird as shit very flippant so there's a dr bayless i hope not skips one of skips relatives skips kid skips kid he said quote mr brewer is not suffering from any mental disease or defect that would render him incompetent as stated mr brewer is definitely competent to stand trial
Starting point is 00:40:46 and has the ability at this time to understand the nature of the proceedings against him, as well as the ability to assist his attorney in the preparation of his own defense. Further, if Mr. Brewer chooses to plead guilty, he does have the ability to make a competent decision concerning the waiver of his rights, as well as a rational, factual understanding of the consequences of entering a plea of guilty in a court of law. Another doctor said Mr. Brewer is seen to be alert, well-oriented, and cooperative. He has no evidence of delusional thinking and is not seen to have any signs of thought disorder. He understands the charges against him and is also aware of the
Starting point is 00:41:24 possible outcome of the legal proceedings against him. he is competent to change his plea should he decide to do so yeah so at first dr bayliss is going to say he doesn't think he said i don't think he really had sex with the corpse he said i i think that he fabricated that act because he's trying to get the death penalty to fulfill a homicide suicide mission. Like he failed 30 times. So maybe the state can get this right. If I leave it in somebody else's hands. Yeah. Sure.
Starting point is 00:41:54 Sure. Fire away. Maybe I'm the fuck up here. So Dr. Bayless also says that John recanted the necrophilia portion of his confession during a psychiatric evaluation. John recanted the necrophilia portion of his confession during a psychiatric evaluation. However, during the pre-sentencing hearing, he explained that he changed his confession during the examination because he was afraid Dr. Bayless would find him insane if he told him that he had sex with the corpse. He thought that was the bridge too far. So he said, no, I didn't have sex with the corpse.
Starting point is 00:42:23 That was so the doctor could find him sane so he could do what he wanted. Wow. He lied to him. He said, he goes, I only told you that for that. He goes, I definitely had sex with the corpse. Like, absolutely. So this is unbelievable. This is it gets crazier.
Starting point is 00:42:45 He said it's a defective personality to structure or not destructure structure, immaturity, suicidal impulses, phobic reactions, detachment, and feelings of depression, dependency, and inadequacy. Both mental experts diagnosed his condition as borderline personality disorder stemming from a lack of social interplay during childhood and a dysfunctional relationship with his fucking mother. His mother babied him into being like this. His childhood was a nightmare and that's what created this. And yeah, which doesn't excuse it still. No. He still can't str a nightmare and that's what created this. And yeah, which doesn't excuse it still.
Starting point is 00:43:07 No. He still can't strangle people and have sex with their bodies. That's crazy. Read books and figure out how to cope, friend. Yeah, sorry, but come on.
Starting point is 00:43:14 He pleads guilty. He says he wants to plead guilty. He said, I'll plead guilty. They're like, you're charged with first degree murder. That's death penalty. That's not good, man.
Starting point is 00:43:21 He goes, I'll fucking plead guilty. Give it to me. I'll plead guilty. it to me i'll plead guilty so he says he wants to change his plea to guilty despite the potential death penalty he said to the judge on the day quote rita breyer is dead and i'm the one who killed her there you go so the he there's a questioning from the judge and him during this the judge is trying to find out am i talking to a lucid person here or what?
Starting point is 00:43:45 So he says, quote, this is Brewer, quote, it is my honored belief that life sentence or death sentence is the proper punishment for a murderer. That's what he says about himself, John. The judge says, but is it for you, sir? Do you understand that may well be the punishment to you? We are not dealing in abstract. We are dealing with you. So I get your theories, but we're talking about reality here. He said, quote, I killed her.
Starting point is 00:44:11 I'm very sorry I killed her. This court is fully aware that I have my entire run in with the police is basically between two traffic violations. So he's like, I've never had a record is what he's saying. Just because the sentence deals with me doesn't necessarily make it wrong. I feel it's right and I feel it's right for somebody else. If it's right for somebody else, it's right for me. Okay. So the judge says, what I'm trying to get at, Mr. Brewer.
Starting point is 00:44:35 Listen. You can hear us. Is that I want to make sure that you have a full understanding. I think you do. I've got to make sure for the record that you have a full understanding that I think you do. I've got to make sure for the record that you have a full understanding that by entering into the submission, you may well be subjecting yourself to the death penalty. He says, I've been informed by my attorney that he feels I am a prime candidate. I believe the word that he used was for the death sentence. I believe that was the word he used
Starting point is 00:45:01 for the death sentence if I do plead guilty, the judge says, and you understand that? And he says, yes, I do. Your honor. Yeah, sure do. So at the end of all this, the judge said, I mean, he really wants to do it. So sure, I guess. Fuck it. Let him do it.
Starting point is 00:45:15 So he pleads guilty to first degree murder. He initially faced first degree murder for for the verita and second degree for the unborn child. Yeah. But the judge threw out the charge of the unborn child because there's a lot of different statutes and it muddies the waters with the second degree. It muddies everything. If he's pleading guilty to first degree in a death penalty case and just saying everything he fucking did. That's good enough. So he's super pissed, by the way, John.
Starting point is 00:45:46 He's very pissed off at his lawyer. Okay. He told his lawyer not to, in a letter to his lawyer on July 1st, he tells his lawyer not to argue against the two murder charges. He said, let him bring both charges against me. He said that the, he argued that the fetus was not, they said, well, the fetus wasn't viable at the time in the state. Manslaughter statutes should pertain to such a death. He's saying he's arguing with his lawyer. He says that he realizes that something that is legal is not necessarily right.
Starting point is 00:46:16 And that, quote, criminals belong in prisons is what he says. John. OK. He said, I broke the law, my beliefs when I killed the baby and I will continue to fight you and anyone else who tries to say, especially in my name or in my interest that no crime was committed. So, wow. The judge is like you got a judge here going, I don't know, he it's already. This argument is very indicative of why he got into a fight that culminated in death because he's a fucking confusing son of a bitch. He's a real he is a real mystery. He's a real enigma. This guy like to be left in a room with a silk tie with this guy.
Starting point is 00:46:58 He's a human. Whatchamacallit. This guy, you know what's in there. You don't know what's in there. So he is the attorney then tries to persuade the court to allow him to withdraw from the case two different times because he says, my client is insisting he wants to ignore my advice all the time. So what the fuck am I here for? My client's a giant pain in the ass. This guy's an asshole.
Starting point is 00:47:20 His lawyer said that the state courts oppose his wish. He wants to be executed. And Brewer said, I want to be the first guy executed since 1963. Fucking line me up in Arizona. He wants to be executed and he's brewer said i want to be the first guy executed since 1963 fucking line me up in arizona he wants to be the guy even looked at when the last time yes he says my fears don't matter one way or the other the fact is that i killed and the right and just punishment for someone who kills is execution that's what he says um okay the assistant general uh assistant attorney general paul mcmurdy he agrees he said it was a pretty heinous crime he beat her for 45 minutes strangled her took a shower then had sex with the corpse this is pretty much it's pretty this is textbook babe he said uh
Starting point is 00:47:57 how much worse could it be and she was pregnant she was pregnant yeah, that's not good. He said, I'll tell you this. He said, as I was performing it. Oh, the murder. That's what he said. He said, as I was performing it, she said to me, you kill me, you'll go to jail. My response was, so what? At least she'll be dead. That's what the attorney read from a thing. And then he said, the assistant attorney general, then he said, the interesting thing about that is he goes on to this whole thing about that.
Starting point is 00:48:25 Obviously, this guy should get the death penalty. He said Brewer said he's frustrated because his attorney is opposing his wishes. Brewer said it is my case. And even though I don't sign her paychecks because it's a court appointed attorney, she's still representing me in the matter and therefore must concede to my wishes, which is which she's not doing and which she never did. There is no need for a trial. I'm guilty. must concede to my wishes, which she's not doing and which she never did. There is no need for a trial. I'm guilty. Trials and lawyers are only needed for those who are innocent when they are accused of things.
Starting point is 00:48:55 What's most upsetting for my mental stability is to be challenged. Am I textbook normal? Of course not. Textbook normal people do not go around killing people. Okay, that's fine. It's all a lighthearted nightmare on our podcast, Morbid. We're your hosts. I'm Alina Urquhart.
Starting point is 00:49:10 And I'm Ash Kelly. And our show is part true crime, part spooky, and part comedy. The stories we cover are well-researched. He claimed and confessed to officially killing up to 28 people. With a touch of humor. I'd just like to go ahead and say that
Starting point is 00:49:24 if there's no band called Malevolent Deity, that is pretty great. A dash of sarcasm and just garnished a bit with a little bit of cursing. This mother****er lied. Like a liar.
Starting point is 00:49:36 Like a liar. And if you're a weirdo like us and love to cozy up to a creepy tale of the paranormal. Or you love to hop in the Wayback Machine and dissect the details
Starting point is 00:49:44 of some of history's most notorious crimes. You should tune in to our podcast, Morbid. Welcome to the small town of Chinook, where faith runs deep and secrets run deeper. In this new thriller, available exclusively on Wondery+, religion and crime collide when a gruesome murder rocks the isolated Montana community. Everyone is quick to point their fingers at a drug-addicted teenager, but local deputy Ruth Vogel isn't convinced. She suspects connections to a powerful religious group. convinced. She suspects connections to a powerful religious group. Enter federal agent V.B. Loro, who has been investigating a local church for possible criminal activity. The pair form an unlikely partnership to catch the killer, unearthing secrets that leave Ruth torn between her duty to the law, her religious convictions, and her very own family. But something more sinister
Starting point is 00:50:41 than murder is afoot, and someone is watching Ruth. With an all-star cast led by Emmy nominee Sanaa Lathan and Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran, Chinook is available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. I understand that anybody who's paid attention to the media would have to come to the conclusion that I killed my wife. Hi, my name is Zach Stewart-Pontier. I'm one of the filmmakers behind The Jinx, and I'm excited to bring you the official Jinx podcast.
Starting point is 00:51:16 We'll be revisiting all six episodes of Part 1 and watching along with Part 2 as it airs on Max, starting April 21st. Bye-bye. The official Jinx podcast. Listen on Max or wherever you get your podcasts. So you're not helping yourself, man. No.
Starting point is 00:51:33 So they let him plead guilty. The judge said he seems fucking lucid enough to do this. So let's get it on, motherfucker. Let's come on. So the pre-sentencing report comes in and they say that he's unnaturally close to his mother. Presentencing report comes in and they say that he's unnaturally close to his mother. Mental experts suggest that that Rita took the place of Brewer's mother when they moved to Flagstaff. And that's what happened here.
Starting point is 00:51:56 So that's the presentencing report during sentencing. This is great. The other Dr. Bayless again. He's a psychologist. He said that he had a dependency on his mother, a phobia of being alone, borderline personality disorder. Like we said, they said he also had developed a pathological dependency on Rita. Nonetheless, they said Brewer, with an IQ of 132, was legally competent and can distinguish between right and wrong. He stated that when Rita told John that she was going to leave him, his willingness to look at reasonable solutions to depend on himself became impaired, and he lashed out in anger and killed Rita.
Starting point is 00:52:30 He said that Brewer was oriented to reality and definitely had a capacity to appreciate his actions. So his mitigating people are his mom, of course. Oh, don't do that. His mom comes out, and just the headlines were, Mom says killer is a good boy, I believe was the headline. It's ridiculous. He's got asthma, you guys.
Starting point is 00:52:50 Come on, guys. He needed an inhaler when he was eight. He couldn't play soccer. So this is Elsie Brewer. She comes in and says, wow. She says, you want me to say John did things wrong, but he didn't. Meaning when she was he was a kid, not in this case. She said that her son isn't disturbed and she hates that he's being depicted as disturbed. She said he's a loving, kind boy who should not receive the death penalty.
Starting point is 00:53:17 She said she would like to see her son receive psychological treatment and not be sent to prison or put to death. However, she was not allowed to complete her statement regarding him receiving mental treatment because they objected. So considering a life sentence, she said, she said he'll be eligible for parole in 25 years. She said, I might not be alive in 25 years. So? And then she said she also does not believe in the death penalty.
Starting point is 00:53:41 Then we get a surprise here. So the prosecutor here starts waving around a book that he has in his hand full of profiles of all the murderers on death row in arizona okay and he says when you look at the people now on death row they're not the same kind of people as mr as mr brewer he said that the persons on now death row are, quote, thugs who have a history of abusing other people's rights. He also noted that Brewer does not have such a criminal history and a matter of fact, no criminal history and does not have a profile of taking advantage of other people. He also said that he appreciated Brewer's honesty with the police during the investigation. He said, I looked at a case of honesty that i've never seen before
Starting point is 00:54:25 the prosecutor also pointed out that brewer maintained that he was sane and guilty of killing rita he contrasted brewer to other criminals who use insanity as a defense he said quote john brewer chose not to do this although his crime is terrible his honesty is somewhat refreshing this is the prosecutor not the defense attorney you gotta understand james we had to prove that this guy raped a corpse he just told us it was very nice and then it made sure to really tell us exactly how it was so normally in court the prosecutor gets up and says we should kill this guy right then the guy gets up and says you shouldn't kill me please don't kill me complete opposite goes, please don't kill this man.
Starting point is 00:55:06 And then he gets up and says, fucking kill me. What are you talking about? He even said, yeah, my mom testified. He said, but I don't even I'm not even close to many other family members. So no one gives a shit about me. He said, quote, he said, their parents, his parents are extremely distraught over his plea. He said, there's much grief. Beyond that, I really can't say how they've been affected by this.
Starting point is 00:55:28 Actually, I have no close family outside my mother and father. I guess his father's around somewhere. He had a rambling 50-minute statement. Headlining set. Headlining set that always comes back to the point of he wants the death penalty. Please kill him. Yeah. He said, quote, I feel the death penalty is proper for the taking of a human the death penalty please kill him yeah he said quote i feel the
Starting point is 00:55:45 death penalty is proper for take the taking of a human life do i miss rita no not one bit i'm not in the least bit unhappy she's dead wow he said that he was quote shaking in his boots about a death sentence or serving 25 years in prison but that the death chamber is, quote, where I belong. This is exactly why cameras need to be in every courtroom. Yes. I want this so bad. This is all crazy. For every 30 stinkers you have of just stupid cases. A 50-minute crazy man begging for death.
Starting point is 00:56:17 You get this. This. This is what we need. I want all interrogations in this on camera. He said, I don't believe that mitigation realizes the gravity of this crime. He said that he deserves whatever sentence he gets, including death. He also said that the psychological documentation about his tough life shouldn't lessen any sentence. He said, quote, how many other children had a tough life?
Starting point is 00:56:43 He's the prosecutor. Off with my head. They said, sir, we've decided to not put you to death and actually to hire you as the county prosecutor because it's exactly. You're really good at this. This is this is you're convincing me. I'll tell you what. He said that in no form of restitution can be made for the killing of Rita and the unborn baby. He said he referred to the, the,
Starting point is 00:57:07 uh, Dr. Michael Bayless's testimony that said he had a personality disorder. And he said, if I'm cured of that illness, I'm still guilty of that murder. It doesn't fucking matter. He said,
Starting point is 00:57:17 what I did was a terrible, terrible crime. I did kill her. And I'm very upset about the pain and sorrow. I put her family through as far as her death is concerned, I'm not upset about that. I don't care. I'm just not upset at all. Just as a lot of Americans who would not be upset at the death of the Ayatollah or Gaddafi or Castro.
Starting point is 00:57:38 He compared her to a dictator. He said, I'm as upset as people would if fucking castro died or the ayatollah died that is fascinating he said he believed that he's again deserving of the death penalty he said he was deserving of it from the moment he killed her he said it's the position i've had since about a half hour after the incident occurred he sat around thought about it and was like i should call the, go get the death penalty for this. He said, I do not like the sentence such that I'm going to be put to death, but I feel the
Starting point is 00:58:12 sentence is right. It's like a report card. You don't like it, but you deserve it. What the fuck? Hire this man as the county prosecutor, I'm telling you, because he could get people put to death. I got an F in life choices. I mean'm terrible obviously then he goes on to say quote i'm rather strongly anti-abortive which is i guess abortion is what he's talking about which is the most ironic thing i've ever heard in my fucking life um but you know once you kill the baby you should
Starting point is 00:58:43 have sex with the fucking mother. That's fine. He said that he recognized his case created a furor between forces for and against abortion. And he said, this is a very unusual case. This was a point used by my attorney. His words were that he's never had a case like this. Most go before the court and plead innocence. I was guilty no matter what. My past and the points brought up by the psychologist won't change anything.
Starting point is 00:59:08 Rita will be just as dead and I'll be just as guilty. I'll be just as happy. Then he closes it like this. Okay, here it comes. Quote, I'm very upset with myself that I breached this law, not just because it's a law in the state of Arizona and because I believe just about every single place in the world, not a lot of places, murdering a pregnant woman and having necrophilic sex with her corpse is allowed. That's usually frowned upon, right?
Starting point is 00:59:34 I think it's illegal everywhere. I think it's probably a good base of societal. Did he say probably? He said, and I believe just about every single place in the world. We'll go ahead and, yes, that's true. You're right, sir. I believe, Fred. He said, but because it's an act against God in just about every religion, I believe.
Starting point is 00:59:53 But I still have a hard, I still, I still have, it's hard to separate those feelings. He trails off there. Because I am upset about that I killed, that I took a life. He said, I'm upset about that. I killed that. I took a life. He said, I'm upset about the good times. I miss with Rita, the times when we would go horseback riding and when we would take our girl scout troops on various activities,
Starting point is 01:00:13 when we would go whitewater rafting or just sitting around playing computer games. I miss those greatly, but do I miss Rita? No, not one bit. He then says, quote, perhaps glad is too positive of a word. I am not in the least bit unhappy she's dead.
Starting point is 01:00:32 I'm not glad she's dead, but I'm not mad about it. You know when you have an ultimate cheeseburger with a side of curly fries and a strawberry shake? You're not happy with yourself, but you're satisfied. You're certainly full. That's what I'm getting at. So the judge, after hearing this for 50 minutes, imagine being this judge, and you're like,
Starting point is 01:00:55 is a camera going to pop out? Is this a joke? Is this a new TV show? What the fuck are we doing here? He said, I've considered the fear and anguish of the victim during those 45 minutes. There was no reason the fear and anguish of the victim during those 45 minutes there was no reason for the murder other than paying the victim back for you know leaving
Starting point is 01:01:10 he said that he took into consideration mitigating factors including brewer being under stress that his personality disorder the fact that brewer had no prior felony convictions and he also found the death of the unborn child as an aggravating factor, clearly, and says, you, sir, may fuck off death penalty. There you go. You get what you want. You get what you want. The judge then talks to the press afterwards, which doesn't happen very often. What the fuck?
Starting point is 01:01:36 Weird, right? Isn't that strange? Did they interview Judge Ito? The judges never talked to him. This is a small town thing. He came outside the court like, all right, everybody, come on up. Let's talk about it. Normally no one gives a fuck what I have to say.
Starting point is 01:01:49 Bring the gaggle up here. Let's go. Let's do it, Betty. He told the court, the paper after the sentencing, that he did not consider the profiles of the other death row inmates when sentencing Brewer, that the prosecutor tried to say here. He said Brewer's statements about the death penalty being proper punishment also didn't influence him. He said the prospect of Brewer killing again didn't influence his decision decision much either. He said, however, quote, he's a dangerous person. I think he's capable of killing again.
Starting point is 01:02:18 He said he used Arizona law in determining the proper the proper sentence. He says it's almost like a mathematical computation. Yeah, that's that. law in determining the proper sentence. He says it's almost like a mathematical computation. Yeah. That's that. He said that he did not feel it had even been a close case to decide whether the death penalty should be imposed, even though the prosecutor had recommended life. He said, quote, hey, this man Brewer has no remorse. He said that Breyer was brutally murdered and she was allowed to suffer a long time
Starting point is 01:02:42 before her death. So John also talks after sentencing and he tells the paper he believes he's been treated fairly in the course of the case. He says, quote, I feel the judge did a very fair evaluation. I cannot find fault at all in his findings. Not one bit. I don't believe that there has been any infraction upon my rights. None whatsoever. I waived most of my rights or rather I have not invoked them.
Starting point is 01:03:06 I am open about this. It does me good to know, it does me no good to hold it in, come what may. I have been made to feel like a criminal because I am guilty. Yeah, he said that is why I've been made to feel like a criminal.
Starting point is 01:03:22 Yeah, he said I've been treated rather well, all things considered. Where I am, semi-solitary. I am with a maximum of four other people, so I don't know how many of my statements or plea has been felt by the jail population. So he's like, nobody even knows me. It doesn't matter. So there's an automatic appeal. Obviously, all death penalty cases.
Starting point is 01:03:41 That's upheld. Then he starts writing letters from death row. To who? To his friend Keith. Okay. Here is one where he says, quote, I am the one who killed Fro, the savior of Terrasia. Fro was to become a man elf when we got to Terrasia. However, I knew her only as a woman. however i knew her only as a woman it is hard to explain what i understand dantain's teachings to be d-a-n-t-a-i-n is dantain dantain's teachings to be and my reaction to them
Starting point is 01:04:17 dantain told me i would be executed in one to seven years i keep finding myself praying to christ to forgive me for worshiping other gods then he said may the blessings of dantane our lord and fro his holy son our savior be upon thee be upon thee so he killed dantane's son what the fuck are you talking about he's got some alternate fucking reality going on here the The second letter written in early 1992, he writes a second letter saying, quote, I killed Fro because she was going to follow Dantain's command for me to live separate of not from her. And I didn't want to saw her as Fro and Dantain is his God. I don't know what the fuck is going on. is his god i don't know what the fuck is going on so with this his mom and his and his friend who got these letters they end up trying to i guess that his friend brian mckeece told his mom that john had told him that he believed dantane is the god of terracia and then when he dies he will go
Starting point is 01:05:19 to terracia john that is will go to terria, where Rita is waiting for him up there. McKee also said Brewer claimed that Dantane would speak to Brewer and Rita through each other. OK, yes, that's what we're talking about here. So did prison make him insane? Was he already insane? I don't know. Nuts. So they take the judge, an arizona judge after questioning brewer
Starting point is 01:05:47 found him to be competent again and to wreck because in another appeal he wanted to represent himself and they let him oh boy and in in his capacity as his own attorney waives his right to any review of the conviction or sentence that's how he gets it so no no attorney will argue with him but february of 93 his mom files an appeal based on all these crazy fucking letters in the federal court system she wrote these letters about talking about god dantane who rules the planet terrasia and fro and all this shit and uh at this point now they show those letters to dr michael bayless the psychologist from before after reviewing these letters along with other new materials, he says, he's not competent now.
Starting point is 01:06:26 He goes, he's definitely nuts now. If he wasn't before, he was hiding it because he's out there. So they go to the board of pardons. And mom says, I've been trying to prevent him from committing suicide ever since he was a small child. Today I'm trying to prevent him from committing suicide again. But Brewer said, I committed this crime and I feel it's an appropriate penalty for the crime fucking kill me so they went again they said kill me they said no problem request granted fucker march 3rd 93 execution day really he's not going to be the first guy executed in Arizona. He's actually the second now because the first guy was executed with the gas chamber.
Starting point is 01:07:08 And now he's going to be the first lethal injection in Arizona history. Ever? Ever. They held a big vigil outside. When you look at the papers from back then in the early 90s, there was way more anti-death penalty shit than there is now. Like people were against it a lot more like it's gotten to be like a just used to it now i feel like people turned into a fucking game show it's yeah it's the people are used to it one lady said our society is violent enough as it is
Starting point is 01:07:35 violence begets violence it's not our job to decide who lives or dies that's the lord's decision okay there's all church people out there don't like that argument his last meal yes is it oh is it james is it it's a good one it's a good one last meal three grilled pork chops with gravy now we're talking none of this fucking regular prison shit so i'm having one tonight yeah it's not bad quarter pound of Okay, wow. Six fried breaded shrimp. Beef rice-a-roni. What? I guess he loves it.
Starting point is 01:08:11 His favorite. Two to three slices of French bread with butter. Applesauce. Two cans of Canada dry ginger ale with ice. One slice of coconut cream pie. One pint of orange juice, one can of chicken noodle soup with crackers, one can of pear halves with syrup, and Maxwell House coffee with cream and sugar.
Starting point is 01:08:34 The man went hard. He went hard. He ordered like an entire Denny's menu. Dude, at the grocery store today, that's like $180. That's so much, yeah. Wow. So witnesses to the execution, because it's the first lethal injection they see, they described, yeah, it didn't look like he was suffering or anything like that. He just kind of went to sleep.
Starting point is 01:08:58 But everybody described it as very disturbing. Yeah. They said it was less violent. Yeah. We need more blood. They said it happened. The gas chamber, it was a real bad one, the last one, too. That's why they switched lethal injection.
Starting point is 01:09:12 Really? And one of the reporters here said it was difficult at times to realize that this was a man dying. It all happened so fast. Yeah. So John Brewer is currently buried in the Westmoreland County Memorial Park Cemetery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Wow. And Rita is buried in the St. Pius X Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Wow.
Starting point is 01:09:35 They took her back home, too. And that, everybody, is Flagstaff, Arizona. Holy. I mean, that's just fucking bonkers, right? Holy shit. That's a handful right there that is that's 10 pounds of lightning in a two-pound bag like we say about this show that's express right there that is 80 worth of jack-in-the-box in a five-dollar bag
Starting point is 01:09:57 that's a lot yeah it's just bursting at the seams with tacos falling out and i really expected him to get jack in the Box for his last meal. That would have been amazing. I dropped a chicken fajita pita out of the side here. There we go, everybody. If you like that show or anything that we do or anything that you've heard ever, go on whatever app you're listening on and give us five stars. It really helps a lot to review the show.
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