The Misery Machine - The Case of Elyse Pahler

Starting point is 00:00:00 Elise Marie Paler was born on April 24th, 1980 in Templeton, California to parents Lizanne and David. She was the eldest of the couple's four children. Her sister, Jenny Lee, was just a year younger, followed by brother Ryan, who was three years younger, and Christina, who was eight years younger. Elise grew up in the city of Arroyo Grande, located 195 miles north of Los Angeles. The city is part of a geographical group known as the five cities, which are, located in southern San Luis Obispo County. The five cities are known for their sandy beaches, rolling hills, and rich soil for agriculture. They include Grover Beach, Oceano, Fair Oaks, Halcyon, and of course, Arroyo Grande. Elise grew up to be a vibrant teenager with blonde

Starting point is 00:00:49 hair and blue eyes. She liked to sew her own dresses and was quite talented at it. Like many girls in California, Elise dreamt of participating in beauty pageants and being an actress. Her family was very religious, so she spent a lot of time going to church with them. Now, like many teens, Elise also had a curious and rebellious streak. She began experimenting with pot and got caught several times by her parents. Some sources even say that they took her to a drug rehab center where she met 15-year-old Jacob Delashmutt. However, other sources say they actually met on a school bus. By the time Elise was 15, she had developed a friendship with Jacob and two other boys.

Starting point is 00:01:30 16-year-old Royce Casey and 14-year-old Joseph Fiorella. It seemed that their common interest was getting high together. There is no evidence that Elise ever used anything stronger than weed. However, the other boys admitted to using meth and LSD. On the night of July 22nd, 1995, Elise was home with her family watching a movie. She received a phone call and then promptly excused herself to go to bed early. However, the very next morning, Elise was not in her room. and her family reported her missing to the police.

Starting point is 00:02:03 The family began searching for her, but the police seemed uninterested. It is unclear if this was just the general stance of this police department on teens at the time, or if Elisa's history of minor infractions had anything to do with their response. Either way, they insisted that she was just a runaway, so they did not immediately launch a search, as you might expect for a missing person. Elisa's family insisted that she was a good girl and would never, run away. To support their claim, it was noted that she had disappeared without taking anything with her. Her backpack, clothes, toothbrush, and even her shoes were still at home. However, without any sign of

Starting point is 00:02:43 their house being broken into, police still assumed she had run away. David and Luzan talked to everyone they could to try to get information, including the trio of boys. And they questioned Royce, Joseph, and Jacob, the boys told the Paler family they agreed with police and they believed that she had run away. As the weeks passed, the police and family both received several unconfirmed tips saying that Elise had been seen. However, months went by without any contact from Elise or any solid clues that she was absent of her own volition. On December 25, 1995, her parents prepared for Christmas with a hope that they would see, or at least hear from their daughter. One of the tips had claimed that Elise had run away with a carnival that was traveling through Colorado. The tip said that

Starting point is 00:03:29 she would likely reach out on Christmas. Full of hope, the family waited, but Elise did not call. It seemed that Elise had disappeared without a trace. Elise's case remained cold as the months passed, with no evidence to lead her family or police to uncover what had happened to her. But everything changed on March 14, 1996, when Royce Casey came to the police with a confession. The three boys formed a death metal band together that they called

Starting point is 00:03:59 hatred. For those unfamiliar, death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music. The big difference tends to be faster tempos with abrupt changes, distort guitars that are tuned to lower, drums with blast beats, and vocals featuring guttural growls or shrieks. It is not uncommon to see lyrics, including themes involving serial killers, torture, occultism, and religion. Notable bands in the subgenre include death, which the genre is named after, suffocation, deacide, morbid, obituary, cannibal corpse, and mortician. However, the band they were most obsessed with was not a death metal band. It was a popular thrash metal band called Slayer. This will play an important part in the story. Boys listen to Slayer often, and they cited them as a huge inspiration. As the boys continued to

Starting point is 00:04:48 try to improve as musicians, they continued to listen to death metal and thrash metal and use drugs, and they began to hatch a plan. The boys identified. identified themselves as worshippers of Satan, thought if they made the perfect sacrifice to the devil, it would grant them the powers to play guitar better, would launch them into fame and fortune. They decided they needed to find the perfect sacrifice, whatever or whoever they killed needed to be so pure and perfect, it would be an ultimate sin against God in their words. Royce told police that they had chosen Elise as their perfect sacrifice. They believed that due to her blonde hair, blue eyes, and reputation as a virgin, that she was the perfect candidate.

Starting point is 00:05:41 They had concocted a plan to murder and essay her as a sacrifice to Satan. They took their time. In fact, it was over a month of planning, before they even took any little bit of action. On the night of Elisa's disappearance, they had alert her out of her home with the promise of hanging out and sharing some weed. They took her to a eucalyptus grove on the Napomo Mesa less than a mile from her home. After smoking together, Jacob made the first move. He removed his belt and snuck up behind her, looping the belt around her neck in an attempt to strangle her. Royce then pounced and held her down while Joseph removed a hunting knife from a sheath.

Starting point is 00:06:21 Joseph proceeded to stab Elise repeatedly in the neck. The boys then took turns stabbing her, first Joseph, then Jacob stabbed her, and then finally Royce. None of the knife wounds were deep enough to kill her, and the strangulation hadn't worked either. Elise lay on the ground praying and calling out to her mother as the boys continued to stab her, kick her, and stomp on her neck. Eventually, after an unknown amount of time, she bled to death.

Starting point is 00:06:48 After Elise was dead, the boys took turns violating her breast. body. There are also some accounts where the boys claim to return to the eucalyptus grow for weeks after her death to continue the violation. Royce's original confession had actually been made to a priest. Then taking the encouragement of his priest, he decided to also confess to the police. After his confession, Royce led police to Elisa's remains. Some sources describe her body as being partially clothed when found. Her body, having been out in the elements for eight months was in an advanced state of decomposition and she was partially mummified. Her body was identified on March 20th by dental records and by a red, beaded bracelet that her family verified belonged to Elise.

Starting point is 00:07:35 Due to the advanced decomposition, the coroner was unable to confirm with physical evidence that the boys had participated in the violation of Elise's body post-mortem. Some sources say there were signs which perhaps they were referring to the fact that Elise's pants were missing. Despite the uncertain proof of the essay that she may have endured, they were able to corroborate Royce's other claims by identifying the 12 stab wounds. Elise had indeed bled to death, and her death was ruled a homicide, and all three boys were arrested and charged with her killing. At this point, Royce was 17, Jacob 16, and Joseph 15 years old. After eight months of laying cold and alone in the elements,

Starting point is 00:08:17 Elise was finally laid to rest at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Ballard, California. Upon initially finding Elisa's body, the general consensus was grief at her loss, but also relief that there were finally answers. The Paler family no longer had to live in limbo waiting for clues about their daughter. When the community learned of the arrest of the three boys, the reaction was mixed. No one seemed surprised to see that Joseph and Jacob were involved, but Royce, however, was viewed as a good kid and his involvement came as more of a shock. Of course, after Elisa's death, Royce had converted to Christianity, which ultimately led to his confession.

Starting point is 00:08:58 Royce not only felt guilty for what he had done, it was also worried that the other two boys were going to target him for his change of faith. He quoted a slayer lyric, which is, if you're not with us, you may no longer exist, as one of the reasons he came forward to confess. He was beginning to worry that his own accomplices would turn on him now that he was not. no longer identifying as a worshiper of Satan, especially since they were now talking of killing again. As details continued to emerge, the shock of the public and the paler family grew. Royce confessed that July 22nd was not the first time the boys had attempted to kill Elise. About a month prior, Elise had been out with Jacob Joseph and another boy named Travis Williams. On that occasion, Travis pretended to slip down a ravine. He convinced Elise to follow him down to assist

Starting point is 00:09:50 and getting him out. However, once Elise was in the ravine, Joseph threw Travis the same hunting knife that would later be used to murder police. Travis grabbed the knife and the other boys chanted, do it, do it, but Travis froze up and just couldn't bring himself to stab her. The boys played it off as a joke and apparently police believe them because she never reported it to anybody. When it was finally released to the public that the boys claimed her murder was part of an alleged satanic ritual. It unleashed a whole other reaction. Now keep in mind, 1995 was also right in the middle of the satanic panic craze. The term satanic panic is used to describe a cultural phenomenon said to have started in the early 1980s and the book Michelle remembers was released. This was a book

Starting point is 00:10:41 co-written by Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence Paster and his patient, future wife, Michelle Smith. This book started the now discredited movement of recovered memory therapy to implant or fabricate memories of children being abused as a form of a satanic ritual. This triggered approximately 12,000 unsubstantiated claims of satanic ritual abuse. People in Christian communities in particular were especially susceptible to additional fear associated with a murder in the name of Satan. The claims that Elisa's murder was in the name of the devil added a new level of horror to the reaction of her family and the community. In addition, the boys spent a good deal of time talking about their adoration of the band Slayer and their lyrics.

Starting point is 00:11:28 Slayer had several songs that the boys seemed to take inspiration from. In the hours they spent using drugs and listening to this music, the boys seemed to take the lyrics seriously. There are several songs that come up over and over in connection to this case, including alter of sacrifice, kill again, post-mortem, and dead skin mask. To me, the premise is extremely stupid. I've seen Slayer twice and I haven't killed anyone. This connection to the band Slayer led the paler family to the scapegoat that every family understandably would want when face was such unimaginable grief. In the eyes of the palers, this evil music was to blame for their daughter's death. Over the years, they filed several lawsuits against Slayer and the musical companies that

Starting point is 00:12:16 helped to record, publish, and distribute their music. One such lawsuit stated the following. None of the vicious crimes committed against Elise Marie Paler would have occurred without the intentional marketing strategy of the death metal band Slayer. This seems like a major stretch to us. Music does not kill people. People kill people. The responsible parties in this murder, are the three boys that ended up behind bars. The band came out on several occasions to speak out against these lawsuits. You also find that much of the metal community also does not buy into these accusations. Slayer has defended their music and also stated, we're part-time evil.

Starting point is 00:12:58 If we were really evil, we would be doing everything we're writing about. They also supported the sentences against the boys, adding that if you do these types of crimes, you deserve to get in trouble. interviewed about whether or not they felt metal was satanic. Harry King and Tom Mariah shared their thoughts. I like to take pot shots of religion because I think it's the biggest brainwashing thing that is totally acceptable in America and probably most every place else in the world. I just, I think it's a load. Tom, another well-tread path with you is your Christian background. Yeah. And the juxtaposition with your music. Catholic. What place do your personal beliefs?

Starting point is 00:13:40 have in Slayer. I consider what we do art, right? And art can be a reflection of society. You know, I mean, and we're picking up the dark reflections. You know, and that's what we're reflecting. But evil's everywhere, man. Everybody's got it. It sits really deep in everybody.

Starting point is 00:14:02 Some people can't control it as much as others. But I think it's there. Regardless of whatever religion you believe in, whatever it is you feel is right, everybody knows what's wrong. Everybody knows that there's wrong things. There's just things you do not do. And the people that don't understand that or don't believe that, then they're not really connected with themselves spiritually. It doesn't matter what the fuck you believe. Ultimately, none of the cases against Slayer amounted to anything. Eventually, they were all thrown out. Though people can agree that the lyrics are violent,

Starting point is 00:14:40 None of them give instructions or encourage people to actually harm anybody. In fact, many self-proclaimed metalheads, Yergi and I included, would argue that music like this can actually be a good way to release anger. Now, 18 years after Elisa's death, their lyrics are still protected under their First Amendment rights. Elisa's tragic death wasn't the last time that Slayer would be thrust into the spotlight either. In 2014, Leroy Smith III killed and decided. dismembered his father in Gardner in our home state of Maine. He disposed of his remains in trash bags which he first put in a dumpster and then later dumped in the woods in nearby Richmond. He too blamed his actions on Slayer.

Starting point is 00:15:23 Back in the matter in 2011, he was sworn to keep secret of what I am. He refused investigating any person that are responsible with us. The whole entire music group Slayer was there. I'm the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. The father alike. What happened, Reroy? They're holding my life is alive. B. Roy was found, not guilty, by reason of insanity, and was initially held at the Riverview

Starting point is 00:15:58 Psychiatric Center in Augusta. As of the date of this recording, Beroy now lives in a supervised group home and is allowed up to six hours a day with a one-to-three supervision ratio. At the time of our story in 1995, the quaint city of Arroyo Grande was starting, to change. In many places, it's solicitors having a low crime rate, whereas other sources say that there was a rise of gang activity and violent crime in the area. Now, what we do know is that there were several cases of extreme violence from teens. The same year that Elise was killed, Travis Williams, who was the other boy who almost killed Elise and his friend Tommy Trauber, broke into the house of a woman

Starting point is 00:16:39 and shot her in the head. In addition, Joseph's older brother, Anthony, was charged with killing a 15-year-old. He had run from police and was missing at the time of Elisa's murder. In another instance, two other teens broke into a woman's home and beat her with a bat. Thankfully, she survived. Even with all of these extremely violent crimes by teens, the sheriff stated the killings were an anomaly, more typical for the children of that area. Harvard has also noted that things in the area had gotten increasingly weird as heavier drugs came to the area. Now, regardless of the opinions about whether crime was getting worse in the area, there were lots of warning signs of trouble with these boys leading up to Elisa's death.

Starting point is 00:17:26 All of the boys struggled with behavior in school. Royce had been kicked out of high school and was enrolled in an alternative school. Joseph and Jacob were both being homeschooled after being expelled. Records show that Jacob was expelled for possessing drugs and swearing at a teacher. In addition, Joseph's mother, Betsy Leo, blamed the city for letting her down. She went to the police saying that she couldn't control her children anymore. She had gone to the police when Anthony allegedly tried to kill Joseph in their home before Elisa's death. Betsy called the police to have him arrested. After she refused to pick him up from jail, the police threatened her with a child abandonment charge if she didn't come get him.

Starting point is 00:18:09 The police ultimately referred Anthony to the probation department and that did not help. We know he went on to murder another teen. In addition, Betsy said that the other boys in Joseph's band had bragged about violating Elisa's body after she was dead. All boys had told at least two people and no one reported to the police as they thought the boys were just making stuff up. Despite being the youngest, it also seemed that Joseph seemed to be the most unhinged of the group and seemed to be calling the shots. According to Royce, Joseph had several books on Satanism. The boys also claimed later that targeting Elise was Joseph's idea as he was obsessed with her, in their own words.

Starting point is 00:18:55 On May 3, 1996, the judge issued a gag order to all attorneys in the case. All three boys were originally charged with first-degree homicide. Later that month, the charges were amended to include essay, torture, and conspiracy to commit homicide. In February of 1997, all boys confessed and pled no contest to the charges. Since there was no testimony in the trial, most information has remained sealed. All boys were minors at the time, though they were being tried as adults. And without their public testimony, all we can work off are the quotes that have been released to the press. One investigator said, one of my specific questions was why.

Starting point is 00:19:37 Casey answered it was to receive power from the devil to have. help them play guitar better. By making this perfect sacrifice to the devil, they would gain more craziness or nuts, as he said. That would make them play harder, play faster, and by making this perfect sacrifice to the devil, it might help them go, quote, professional. In March of 1997, Joseph received his sentence. As part of his agreement, Joseph pled guilty to homicide in the first degree in exchange for the other charges being dropped. It was ultimately sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. He was later quoted as saying, I wish it never happened. Since it's happened, I always wish that God can bring her back to life. I can imagine how her family must feel. Another time he said,

Starting point is 00:20:24 it was a stupid mistake. When Royce was sentenced in September of 1997, he pled no contest to the charge of first-degree homicide. This plea was to avoid a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Instead, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with a mandatory 21 years before parole would become available. In October of 1997, Jacob's sentencing went similarly to his co-defendants. He was sentenced to 26 years to life, of which he would have to serve 85% of the term before he became eligible for parole. Luckily, all the boys were tried as adults. In Joseph, who was only 14 at the time of Elisa's death, had they been tried as juveniles,

Starting point is 00:21:09 they likely would have only received seven years in prison and been walking among us today. It has now been 28 years since Elisa's death. Though several of the boys have become eligible for parole, so far, their parole has been denied every time. In the case of Royce, his parole has even made it past the initial approval stage, but was denied at a later stage in the process. As of the date of this recording in 2023, all three men remain behind bars in California. After the death of their beloved daughter,

Starting point is 00:21:44 the paler family suffered greatly. Some sources say that the palers moved as soon as they realized their daughter's body had been lying less than a mile away from their home for all of that time. In other accounts, the parents became so depressed

Starting point is 00:21:57 that they really left the house. This caused a huge, loss of income and ultimately they lost their house and ended up on state benefits. Before Elisa's death, David had been a very successful general contractor, making between $75,000 and $100,000 per year in the early 90s. The palers spent several years in and out of lawsuits against Slayer, which ultimately did not amount to anything. The palers blamed three things for the behavior of the boys, lack of supervision, drugs, and the music they were listening to. Lazzan, advise parents to give their adolescents no privacy to prevent these situations. The Palers formed the

Starting point is 00:22:37 Elise Marie Paler Foundation after the death of their daughter. However, it appears that the foundation was dissolved in 2014, and there was little evidence to show what the goal of the foundation was, or if it ever achieved anything. The disillusionment of the foundation also came in the same year that David was involved in a road rage incident. According to the police report, after being cut off by another vehicle, David followed the driver to a nearby right-aid parking lot before getting out of his car to yell at them. The driver, a 37-year-old woman, refused to get out of the car as David yelled and pounded on the windshield. He also slammed his knee into the door, leaving dents in the panel. David then reached through the driver's side window and pulled the woman from her car by her shirt.

Starting point is 00:23:21 This incident was video recorded by a bystander. David was arrested on a charge of battery. He ultimately said he was suffering from PTSD after the death of the death of the accident. his daughter. He was never convicted and the charges were later dropped. In 2017, the Paler family received a total of $34,871 for the cost of counseling and funeral expenses. A request was also made for restitution for the loss of wages that David Paler suffered. As far as we know, this has never been paid. Given that it's been nearly three decades since Elise's tragic and senseless death, Her story has been covered by many sources. Some folks even claimed that the 2009 film Jennifer's Body was inspired by Elise's death,

Starting point is 00:24:05 but if you've ever seen that movie, you'd know that's totally ridiculous. Anyway, some sources spend a great deal of time talking about the satanic connections, while others give a great deal of focus to the lyrics of Slayer's music. However, after all of our research, there is one glaring area that seems to be most concerning, yet we did not see it focused on anywhere else. What about the police? How is it that Lisa's body could be less than a mile from her home and not be discovered? She wasn't buried, dismembered, burned, sunk to the bottom of a river, or otherwise masterfully hidden?

Starting point is 00:24:45 We would assume that a search with cadaver dogs or search and rescue dogs would have easily discovered her body. with so many bizarrely violent crimes by teens, some of which were performed by teens with direct connections to Elise, how were the police not more diligent? Granted, good police work would have not changed the outcome for Elise's life. However, it might have brought peace to her family sooner, a family that waited night and day for eight months, hoping that their daughter might walk back through the door.

Starting point is 00:25:19 They waited for a chance that she might call. However, it seems though the police made no effort to find her. If Royce had never come forward, how long would it have been before her body was found? And if it was ever found, would the killers have been brought to justice? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Elyse Pahler

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