The Misery Machine - The Case of Jessica Rae Sacco

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Starting point is 00:01:50 that made every waking hour of your life absolutely miserable. This is exactly what happened in today's story. We would quickly like to give a special shout out to Terence Scott, who provided the research for you. this case. His background in law enforcement proved to be an invaluable resource for us. If you do find yourself in the situation we just mentioned, there is help available to you. Visit the hotline.org or dial 8007997233 or text Begin 88788. Now without further ado, the story of Jessica Sacco. Jessica Ray Sacco was born on August 28, 1990 in Santa Clara, California to mother Sue Tainer. Her parents,

Starting point is 00:02:31 separated when she was young and she spent parts of her childhood with her father's side of the family. Family and friends recalled that she was close to her grandparents and that she had at least one half-sister. Jessica relocated to Urbana, Ohio, as a teenager where she attended Graham High School and later briefly enrolled at Urbana University. She was described as a petite young woman with a bright smile. Neighbors recalled her as a generally happy, very polite girl with no obvious signs of trouble in her life. Friends remember her as sweet, quirky, and kind of an oddball, as one classmate put it. She had a goofy sense of humor and loved to make people laugh, often acting as the class clown among friends. Despite being occasionally bullied in school, Jessica didn't let it bother

Starting point is 00:03:18 her. Now, Jessica was known for being creative and liked to listen to music and write in her journal. However, she also faced personal struggles. She was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder, which she was prescribed medication for. During her late teens, Jessica's relationship with her mother grew strained. For a time, they were not very close. Jessica sought acceptance in online communities, particularly among the juggalo's. This is for the juggalo's the juggalo. But what is a juggalo?

Starting point is 00:03:48 For those unfamiliar with the subculture, juggaloes are fans of the hip-hop group Insane Clown Posse and their psychopathic records label, known for their distinctive clown-like face paint, a philosophy of family and freedom, and a shared language including the greeting, Woo-Woop. Woo-W-W!

Starting point is 00:04:07 By early 2011, Jessica attempted what would be, for most 20-year-olds, a major life change. That was moving to Florida to live with a boyfriend. That relationship soured within a year, and understandably, Jessica felt lost and ensured what to do next with her life. Her mother took this opportunity to try to rebuild their relationship,

Starting point is 00:04:26 and give Jessica a fresh start. She urged her to come back to Ohio and promised she would do everything she could to help her out. Jessica did return to Ohio in mid-2011 and with her mother's help, secured a small duplex apartment at 625 West Light Street in Urbana. Mother and daughter were repairing their bond and according to Sue, we were just kind of doing well, building back the relationship that was torn apart for all those years. Jessica seemed hopeful about the future.

Starting point is 00:04:54 She was on the proper medication, looking for work. and searching for friends and love online where she felt most at ease. Indeed, being online was her comfort zone. Sue shared that being online, she could beat anyone she wanted. She could meet people. But unfortunately, the next person to enter Jessica's life was someone looking to exploit her trust. Matthew Puccios' upbringing in California was unstable. He said he was raised by his grandparents in Woodland, California,

Starting point is 00:05:23 and attended private Christian schools. His friendship with Andrew Forney, whom you'll learn more about later in the story, began in those school days and through church youth groups. Matthew hinted that violence touched his life early. He claimed that somehow, my life has always involved some form of death. At age 15, he tried living with his biological father in Southern California, but it ended in a physical fight in estrangement. With his grandparents downsizing their home,

Starting point is 00:05:51 Matthew effectively had nowhere stable to stay. He spent ages 15 through 18 drifting through state-run group homes, frequently getting into fights and scrapes with the law. Records of his juvenile offenses are sealed, but Matthew himself recounted multiple incidents that he was involved in. This included one where he smashed a bar stool over another boy's head during an altercation and another fought with a police officer. By the time he was an adult, Matthew had no official criminal record in California.

Starting point is 00:06:22 He hadn't been convicted of any adult crimes, but he carried into adulthood a propensity for violence and anger. After turning 18, he wandered the U.S., never holding a job for long or staying in one place for more than a few months. He traveled to Virginia, where he lived briefly with a brother, then Utah and Montana, and then finally Texas, where he fathered children. His last stop before Ohio was Fort Worth, Texas, where by 2011, he was an unemployed young man dealing with a failed engagement in a custody battle. Matthew was of average build with short dark hair and a prominent tribal tattoo on his right arm, which he claimed tells the story of his life. By the story of his life, I wonder if he means a series of horrible choices.

Starting point is 00:07:07 In a later jailhouse interview, he described himself as having been surrounded by violence for much of his youth. Feeling alone and frustrated, he went online trying to meet new people, make new friends during this rough patch. That is how he connected with Jessica, a friendly voice from Ohio who offered him sympathy and companionship over Facebook chat. The two became close very quickly. Matthew later said Jessica was his star in life and that she gave him emotional support when he was at his lowest. They connected on Facebook around late 2011, bonding over shared interests and mutual loneliness. But unbeknownst to Jessica, while she was working to overcome her challenges, Matthew was bringing his own demons into her life. After months of chatting daily, he traveled from Texas to Ohio to meet Jessica

Starting point is 00:07:56 in person. The two hit it off and quickly began a romantic relationship. By the fall of 2011, he had moved into Jessica's small Urbana duplex. There were some clues that someone else was living there and I finally confronted her. Folks knew the Colonel approved of his new honey chili crisp and jalapeno ranch sauces the moment he tasted them and said, that's right. No notes. Just absolute silence. Turns out some flavors don't need explaining. They just need dipping. It's saucy season at KFC with new honey chili crisp and jalapeno ranch. Get dipping with a boneless bucket today. Prices in participation vary. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client. With Walthfront, it could put money in and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified portfolio. it starts to compound. The compounding compounds on the compounding. Just let it wrong, and it's great.

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Starting point is 00:09:31 Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. She said yes. Matthew is living with me. I said, okay, well, I'm going to go meet him. So we went and we met.

Starting point is 00:09:54 And it didn't go very well. iska's mother recalled meeting Matthew that fall and immediately sensed red flags. She noted that early on I knew there was something I didn't like. He always averted his eyes. When people do that, then I know they are not who they say they are. Matthew was not the only dangerous element to enter Jessica's life. In early 2012, he invited friends to stay with them in Jessica's apartment. essentially turning her tiny home into an increasingly crowded and volatile place.

Starting point is 00:10:25 Although at this point Matthew's own family appeared largely absent from his life, he was still in touch with his old friend Andrew Forney. So when Matthew decided to relocate to Ohio to live with Jessica, he turned the Forneys for support. 26-year-old Andrew and his wife, 25-year-old Candice, moved from their hometown of Fenton, Michigan to live in Jessica's apartment as well. The Forneys had their own backstory. Andrew had served in the U.S. Army and both shared in the juggler lifestyle.

Starting point is 00:10:53 They did not appear to hold jobs and effectively squatted in Jessica's apartment without contributing any rent. Not long after, two more of Matthew's acquaintances moved in, 37-year-old Christopher Wright and 25-year-old Sharon Cook, both of whom were from Urbana. The presence of these four people meant that five additional adults were crammed into Jessica's small duplex, where they would come to create a tense and hostile environment. In February of 2012, a month prior to the events of today's story, a teenage girl from Texas ran away and stayed with Matthew in the apartment for about a week. When police were involved, they found the girl and returned her home. At that time, Matthew was charged with interfering with custody for harboring a minor.

Starting point is 00:11:39 It wasn't until much later that the girl disclosed that Matthew had essayed her during that stay. This would later result in an indictment for essay with a minor. He already began committing serious crimes under her roof. Jessica likely had no idea of this incident, but it speaks to Matthew's dangerous behavior. We'll touch more on this towards the end of our story. By March 2012, things came to a head. Jessica and Matthew's relationship had been deteriorating for weeks. They argued often and neighbors described the relationship as volatile with frequent fights.

Starting point is 00:12:14 Jessica's friend noticed her posting distressing awful things on Facebook around that time. which made her worry that Jessica had stopped taking her medication. As it turned out, Matthew had indeed persuaded her to quit her meds. He basically told me she will not be taking her medication because I don't believe in medication. And she doesn't need medication. And that's really where things got really ugly. Jessica felt increasingly unwelcome in her own home where Matthews friends openly disrespected her. According to later accounts, the others would even sit in the same room texting him nasty messages about Jessica, taunting her indirectly.

Starting point is 00:12:55 Mentions were high in this cramped apartment. Jessica resented the freeloading friends, those friends that mocked her and amplified Matthew's annoyance towards her. Jessica confided to her mother and friends that the situation had become completely unbearable. Friend Amanda remembered advising her, you need to get him out of there. advice she seemed ready to take. By March of 2012, Jessica was reaching a breaking point with Matthew and his entourage. She was asked her mom if she could move back home for a while. Tragically, these pleas for help came just as the violence was about to erupt. By mid-March, she was confiding in friends that she might ask Matthew to leave. March 22nd, 2012, those texts are likely to have

Starting point is 00:13:39 sparked a final confrontation with Matthew later claiming that he discovered text messages on Jessica's phone that upset him. He alleged that she had texted someone saying she wanted him dead. Friends doubt this, suspecting it was either a misinterpretation or an excuse that he simply made up to justify his actions that we are about to cover. Running Jessica about these texts, Matthew flew into a rage, and this fight would escalate into something far, far worse. Matthew characterized it as a heat of the moment attack, though prosecutors would later question that narrative, given the extreme lengths that he went to to cover it up. Meanwhile, Jessica's family had little hint of the extent of the storm brewing inside that duplex.

Starting point is 00:14:26 Her mom recalled trying to reach Jessica by phone that week with no success. She'd gone by the apartment around that time to check on her daughter, only to have Matthew answer the door and tell her that Jessica wasn't home, claiming that she was at a friend's house. Reality. This episode is brought to by Palm Olive. Family time isn't just the big moments. It's weeknight dinners.

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Starting point is 00:15:14 On Thursday, March 22nd, 2012, investigators believe Jessica was brutally attacked inside of her apartment with a violent sequence of events that spanned several hours. It likely began with the argument over the text messages and Jessica's desire to throw him out. During that fight, Matthew stabbed her once in the abdomen with a knife. Jessica was gravely wounded but not immediately killed by this stab wound. Matthew later recounted a chilling version of what happened now. He claimed that after being stabbed, she started crying and in a state of shock and despair begged him to finish her off. He told police, she was pleading with me to slash her throat, do something, asserting that she even pulled his knife hand into her stomach as if to assist

Starting point is 00:16:03 in her own killing. However, this account comes solely from Matthew and is viewed with skepticism, especially in light of prosecutors' remarks that he gave multiple false stories before eventually confessing. What is certain is that Jessica did not die immediately from the stabbing. Crime scene evidence and testimony indicate hours past between the initial stab wound and her death. During this time, all four of Matthew's friends were present in the apartment. In fact, they were allegedly in the living room while she was bleeding and injured in another room with Matthew. Shockingly, he texted his friends to inform them, she stabbed, rather than calling for help. None of the four intervened or called 911. They later admitted they essentially stood by and did

Starting point is 00:16:51 nothing as the assault continued. After some hours, Matthew decided to finish the job. He retrieved plastic bags and attempted to suffocate her. He appeared he initially tried one bag which he managed to claw off. As Champaign County prosecutor Nick Salvagio later remarked, she had fought him off at first, but then Matthew wrapped a second bag around her face tightly, which finally caused her to asphyxiate. According to Matthew, Jessica's last words were, I still love you and I forgive you. That is a haunting statement he recounted to a reporter, though. Again, this is uncorroborated and is likely to be self-serving and quite possibly not true. With Jessica dead, Matthew's crimes, took an even darker turn. He enlisted his four friends to help dispose of the body and cover up the

Starting point is 00:17:42 murder. They decide to dismember her corpse to make it easier to hide. They moved the body into the bathroom and placed it in the bathtub. Using knives, a hacksaw, and pliers, Matthew, and at least one of the other men methodically cut up Jessica's body over an extended period of time. For in Andrew's later court testimony, the dismemberment occurred in multiple sessions and lasted for hours. He admitted that he actively helped Matthew mutilate her remains, committing what the law refers to as a gross abuse of a corpse. Christopher was also charged with gross abuse of a corpse, implying that he too participated in the dismemberment or handling of her body parts. Two women did not physically participate, but they stood by watching and later helped clean up and conceal the

Starting point is 00:18:28 evidence. At one point in a ghastly display of cold-bloodedness, the five perpetrators paused their work, to go out to eat. In their words, they took a break to eat at McDonald's midway through chopping up Jessica's body. This detail later revealed in court documents highlights the shocking indifference the group showed towards Jessica's remains. After eating, they returned and finished cutting her body into pieces. They placed portions of her into garbage bags and plastic storage bins. The group decided to dump Jessica's body parts in various remote locations to avoid detection. The Fourneys owned a green minivan, which became the transport vehicle for the gruesome cargo. In the early morning hours of March 23rd, they loaded the remains, some in bags, and some

Starting point is 00:19:17 possibly in a plastic tote into the van. They departed Urbana, leaving behind a bloody crime scene in the apartment, which they attempted to clean with bleach and cleaners, albeit imperfectly. The group drove south towards the Butler County area of Southwest Ohio, about 70 to 80 miles from Urbana. Sometime over the next day or two, they discarded some of the limbs in rural locations in southern Ohio and across the river in northern Kentucky. Huffington, Kentucky was later identified as one of the dump sites, though police didn't publicly specify what was recovered. It's likely that at least one of Jessica's severed limbs had been discarded there, with other parts being dumped in green and preble counties in Ohio just west of Dayton. The perpetrators thought by spreading remains in different jurisdictions it would be harder to trace the crime. However, not all of the remains left the apartment.

Starting point is 00:20:10 In their haste, they left parts other than her limbs back at the apartment submerged in the bathtub under a pile of clothes and towels. They locked the bathroom door before fleeing Urbana, perhaps hoping to delay the discovery of what was inside. By late March, the five suspects had taken refuge in Hamilton, crashing at the home of a friend of one of the group. They parked the van on the street and laid low, likely planning their next move. The fournies were from Michigan and might have, you know, intended to return there, but for the moment, they stayed with Matthew and the others in Ohio. According to court reports, Andrew and Candace slept in the van with the dismembered body parts still inside.

Starting point is 00:20:50 This lurid detail underscores how far their sense of morality had decayed. Back in Urbana, Jessica's disappearance had not gone unnoticed. By late March, her mother, had grown extremely alarmed. She'd been trying to contact her via phone and text for roughly a week with no answer. Thursday, March 29th, 2012, she went to the duplex to check in person. Matthew and his friends were gone by then. Nothing seemed obviously amiss in the house, aside from one odd thing.

Starting point is 00:21:18 The bathroom door was locked and Jessica was nowhere to be found. Matthew had told her a week earlier that she was staying with a friend, but now her intuition screamed that something was clearly wrong here. She sought out the landlord Gary Zirkle for help. Gary, who lived next door to the duplex, later said he saw the worry in Jessica's mom's face that night. I didn't think that was right, he set up the locked bathroom in Jessica's absence, adding, sometimes you get a gut feeling. Next morning around 9 a.m. on March 30th, Gary decided to take action.

Starting point is 00:21:50 Using his keys, he let himself in and went to the bathroom door. It was still locked from the inside, and he removed the doorknob mechanism to gain entry. As soon as he opened the bathroom door, a putrid smell hit him in the face, noted as a strong, pungent odor and one that Jessica's mom had also noticed the day before, which was seeping under the door. Very cautiously pulled back the shower curtain. What he saw made him instantly recoil in horror. Scribing the shock, he said, I pulled it back, and that was it.

Starting point is 00:22:21 I zoomed out the front door. I was trying to gasp for air. The tub lay Jessica's partial remains, badly, decomposed and dismembered. There were maggots and flies in the room indicating that she had been dead for days. Gary was so shaken he couldn't even describe it to the reporters, and I quote,

Starting point is 00:22:40 all I could think about was the sadness for her mother. Gary immediately called the Urbana police. Officers arrived and quickly confirmed a murder had taken place. Investigators secured the scene and began a frantic effort to track down Jessica's boyfriend and the others who had lived there. Urbana police chief Matt Lingrell summoned the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation or BCI to assist, given the complexity and grisly nature of the case.

Starting point is 00:23:08 BCI agents arrived that Friday. According to Special Agent Michael Trout, from that point, the situation moved quickly. They worked through the day and night of March 30th gathering evidence at the property. The crime scene told part of the story. Forensic texts discovered blood evidence despite attempts to clean, and they found clues like discarded phone numbers that would prove critical. The Columbus dispatch noted specifically that limbs were missing from the body in the tub. No news outlets or public court filings have published the precise forensic account.

Starting point is 00:23:42 The coroner's official autopsy report has not been released online, only summarized. One lead was Matthew's cell phone number and possibly those of his known associates. Matthew's phone was indicating a location in or around the city of Hamilton about 85 miles to the south. Acting on this intelligence, Urbana and state authorities alerted police in the Hamilton area to be on the lookout. By late Friday or early Saturday, Hamilton police spotted a green minivan on a street that matched the description of the Forney's vehicle.

Starting point is 00:24:13 This van was registered to Candace Forney and was known to possibly contain evidence. In fact, some of Jessica's remains were still inside. However, investigators weren't certain where the suspects themselves were. Through background checks and social media, they identified a nearby address of a friend associated with one of the suspects. That turned out to be where the group was hiding. In the early morning hours of March 31st, a multi-agency team descended on a house in Hamilton and took all of the suspects into custody without incident. The entire group was arrested within roughly 24 to 30 hours of the crime scene being discovered. An impressively swift resolution to what could have been discovered.

Starting point is 00:24:57 been a difficult manhunt. Agent Trout noted, the suspects were arrested and in jail by mid to late Saturday morning. Back in Urbana, the community was reeling as news spread that Jessica had been the victim of such a horrific crime. The story made national headlines due to its shocking nature. Initial press reports dubbed it as the dismemberment case, with other key details like the online relationship angle and multiple accomplices also highlighted. A Champaign County prosecutor and the police Chief gave careful statements assuring the public that all responsible parties were in custody and that this was an isolated though gruesome incident. In days of the arrest, all five suspects were formally charged in Champaign County for the roles in the murder. April 2nd, 2012, Matthew was

Starting point is 00:25:43 arraigned in charge with aggravated murder among other felonies. That initial hearing, he told Judge Roger Wilson that he was receiving disability payments because, and I quote, I am clinically insane. This foreshadowed his intended defense. The judge set the bond at $100,000 at that time. The four accomplices were each charged with multiple felonies related to covering up the crime, including failure to report a crime, obstructing justice, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse in various combinations. Their bonds were set between $30,000 and $50,000 each. Notably, Andrew Forney, the closest to Matthew, faced the most charges of the other four. The Champaign County grand jury indicted Matthew and four others on April 3,000.

Starting point is 00:26:27 5th, 2012, listing detailed counts for each. Matthew's indictment included aggravated murder, felonious assault, two counts of gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, misdemeanor abuse of a corpse, and possession of criminal tools. Andrew Forney was indicted on gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and complicity there too, obstructing justice, failure to report a crime, and possession of criminal tools. His wife, Candice, was charged with obstructing justice, failure to report a crime, complicity to tampering with evidence and possession of criminal tools. Christopher Wright was charged with gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, and failure to report a crime.

Starting point is 00:27:01 And Sharon Cook was charged with failure to report a crime, complicity to gross abuse of a corpse, complicity to tampering with evidence, and complicity to obstructing justice. In short, the TLDR is that prosecutors through the book at the group, ensuring each of them would face consequences for either the murder or the cover-up. As the case proceeded, some disturbing insights emerged about Matthew's mindset. investigators revealed that about two weeks after his arrest, Matthew sent a letter from jail bragging about his actions. In this letter, he chillingly mused about getting a tattoo of the Ohio Revised Code section for aggravated murder and referenced a violent song as his theme song. This was cited by prosecutors to counter any notion that he felt true remorse or was insane.

Starting point is 00:27:50 It showed calculation and even pride. It became clear that the initial insanity claim was likely a ploy. A court-ordered psychiatric evaluation found him competent to stand trial by mid-2012. Facing overwhelming evidence, including his own confessions to police after telling multiple lies, Matthew changed his plea. On June 12th, 2012, he pled not guilty by reason of insanity, but this was short-lived. After being ruled fit for trial, he opted to negotiate a plea deal rather than face the jury. On July 11th, 2012, Matthew and all four co-defendants pled guilty in Champaign County Common Police Court. It was a sweeping resolution where the case was effectively settled without a trial. Matthew, 26 at that time, pled guilty to aggravated murder and the slew of accompanying charges.

Starting point is 00:28:41 In exchange, the prosecution did not pursue the death penalty and agreed to dismiss a few of the lesser charges. The four accomplices likewise took plea deals. Andrew Forney pledged. guilty to nine counts. Other charges were merged and dropped in the deal. He admitted that he helped dismember and dispose of Jessica's body. Candice Forney pled guilty to three counts. She essentially acknowledged knowing about the murder and assisting, providing her van for transport without alerting authorities. Her right pled guilty to five counts. Multiple failure to report counts suggest he was aware both during and after the murder and never tried to get help. His gross abuse plea indicates he participated in mistreating the corpse, likely helping with dismemberment

Starting point is 00:29:22 her handling body parts. Sharon Cook pled guilty to five counts. She effectively admitted to being present and assisting in cover-up tasks, such as cleaning or concealing evidence while never reporting the crime. These guilty pleas spared Jessica's family the ordeal of a trial graphic evidence, but even the plea hearing was difficult. And the list of charges and omissions caused her mother tremendous pain. She said it is difficult to frequently hear the disturbing details of her daughter's death. In a description provided to the court, she described Jessica, as a funny, sweet woman who did not deserve her fate. Despite her grief, she showed resilience

Starting point is 00:29:58 and expressed gratitude for the community's support and the swift justice process. This isn't just about me and my family, she said. It's about a community loss. On August 20, 2012, Judge Roger Wilson sentenced the perpetrators during an emotional hearing at Champaign County Courthouse. Matthew, having pled to aggravated murder

Starting point is 00:30:18 and multiple other felonies, face the mandatory sentence for aggravated murder, which was life in prison. Judge Wilson ordered that he served at least 42 years before becoming eligible for parole. This means he will be in his late 60s at minimum if he ever seeks release. The judge made it clear that consecutive sentences for his multiple crimes were justified given the heinousness. In court, Matthew actually addressed the judge and Jessica's family. In a brief, somewhat perplexing statement, he professed that he did love Jessica. Judge Wilson asked how he could kill and butcher someone he claimed to love.

Starting point is 00:30:56 Matthew's reply was muted. That's what I'm still trying to figure out. His response rang hollow to those present. As Jessica's mom sat in the courtroom clutching a red velvet bag containing her ashes on her lap. The man who admitted to stabbing, suffocating and then dismembering his girlfriend, Jessica Sacco, will spend the rest of his life in prison. A judge gave Matthew Puccio a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years. years today. Annette Pegler was in the courtroom and has reaction from Jessica's mother.

Starting point is 00:31:28 Jessica Sacco's mom, Susan Tainer, sat in the front row of the courtroom with her daughter's ashes in her laugh and waited to hear the sentencing for her daughter's murderer. It was an emotional atmosphere as Matthew Puccio gave one last plea to the judge. I'm sorry. I can't believe. I hear back. Take back the pain. I am sorry. Puccio stabbed Sacco at their Abana apartment back in May. He then convinced four other people to help him get rid of her body. Not only that I victimized her friends and her family, but I victimized my own friend and Andrew.

Starting point is 00:32:06 I victimized his wife and the other two involved is her still friends and family. As much as they're paying me to say, I can victimize my own kids. Inside the Champaign County Courthouse, Jessica's mom, told reporters she was pleased with today's sentencing. She also began to tear up as she remembered those most intimate moments she had with her daughter. Personality wise, just fun. She didn't hate anybody. Always saw the good in people.

Starting point is 00:32:45 She wanted others to share her joy for finally getting justice for her daughter. Just give a sense of closure. So many families, unfortunately, do not get this story. get this justice. So many families go without. And we are just very, very lucky. When Matthew spoke, Jessica's mom

Starting point is 00:33:07 wept softly, holding what remained of her daughter. After sentencing, she told reporters she believed he was an expert in knowing how to manipulate people. He had tried multiple stories to escape blame from claiming insanity to blaming Jessica herself. Matthew

Starting point is 00:33:22 was more into emotional cruelty. He liked to emotionally control people, spiritually control them. He gets off on emotionally imprisoning you. He looks for the weakness and he takes it from you. He controls you. He looked and found Jessica a young girl. with very low self-esteem, bipolar, on medicine.

Starting point is 00:34:02 He knew he could control her mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. And he knew from the moment he woke up that morning, he was going to find a victim. The four accomplices were also sentenced on August 20th and 21st, 2012, each receiving prison terms proportional to their involvement. Andrew Forney is the most culpable accomplice received the harshest term. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He could have netted more time, but the judge merged some counts and gave a decade total. Noting that on the disturbing facts of the case, his conduct was far more serious than typical offenses of that kind. Andrew had literally helped carve up the victim.

Starting point is 00:34:48 You received the maximum or near maximum on each count to be served consecutively. So please keep this in mind. A lot of people might think, well, how did he know? not get 25 years or life in prison. He did not actually kill Jessica. This is the maximum he can get for his sentences. Candice was sentenced to six years in prison. Her charges were fewer, but as Andrew's wife and the van owner, she did facilitate the crime. Notably, the court also forfeited her green minivan to the urban police since it was used to transport Jessica's body parts across state lines. This relatively lighter sentence reflected that she did not directly cut the body or plan the murder,

Starting point is 00:35:26 but she failed to report it and helped cover it up. As for Wright received a four-year prison term and a $500 fine. This sentencing was slightly higher than Sharon Cook's due to his gross abuse of a corpse conviction. The judge cited his failure to report and obstruction is serious, but acknowledged he wasn't an instigator. At 37, he was the oldest of the group and offered little in mitigation except perhaps that he had known Matthew only briefly. Still his participation in the crimes after,

Starting point is 00:35:56 crime's aftermath warranted years behind bars. Sharon Cook was sentenced to three years in prison and a $500 fine. Of the five, she got the lightest sentence. Or it likely viewed her as the least culpable, a young local woman who got pulled into a nightmare and failed to act. However, Judge Wilson emphasized that even three years was significant time for her and that failing to report a brutal murder was a serious offense. She hung her head in court reportedly expressing remorse for what she did. None of the defendants received probation or community service. All were sent to the state penitentiary system to serve their time. For perspective, Matthew's earliest parole eligibility will be around 2054 when he will be in his mid-60s. In October of 2013, while in prison,

Starting point is 00:36:43 Matthew was convicted on separate essay-related charges with a minor stemming from the February 2012 incident. He pled guilty in that case and received an additional five years to be. be served consecutively to his murder sentence. This effectively extended his prison time and ensured that he is a registered offender. The minor victim had come forward in late 2012 with the essay allegation and Champaign County prosecutors pursued it even as Matthew was serving life. At the plea hearing, prosecutor Kevin Teleby revealed disturbing details. The 14-year-old girl had run away and stayed with Matthew at Jessica's home just weeks before Jessica's murder. This cast him in an even darker light.

Starting point is 00:37:27 He had victimized a child under the same roof and around the same time he killed Jessica. The judge tacked on those years stating that the pattern of predatory behavior had to be punished. At the hearing, Matthew reportedly said he deserved to die for what he did to Jessica, a statement he hadn't made at the murder sentencing. As for the other offenders, only Andrew 40 appealed his conviction. He filed an appeal arguing that his 10-year sentence. sentence was excessive for someone who did not actually kill Jessica. July of 2013, Ohio's 2nd District Court of Appeals upheld the sentence, noting that many disturbing facts of his

Starting point is 00:38:04 involvement justified the maximum terms. The appellate opinion recounted how Andrew helped dismember and dispose of the body, including sleeping in the van with Jessica's corpse, details that certainly didn't warrant any leniency. Court specifically rejected Andrew's argument that because Jessica was already dead when he acted, that he somehow deserved a lighter penalty. Judges wrote that the seriousness of chopping up and hiding a murder victim goes far beyond a typical crime and the psychological harm to the community and Jessica's family was immense. With that, the 10-year term stood. By the end of 2012, all five perpetrators went off to serve their time in various Ohio prisons. Matthew was sent to the London Correctional Institution,

Starting point is 00:38:49 a facility for long-term inmates where he remains to this. this day. But besides him, we were of the understanding that the other four perpetrators are walking free as of 2025. Jessica's brutal murder had a profound impact on her family, the local community of Urbana, and even on public awareness about the dangers of online relationships. In the immediate aftermath, outpourings of grief and support came from both Ohio and California, where much of the extended family lived. Vigils and memorials were organized to honor her memory and to help the community heal from the shock. On the evening of March 31st, 2012, just one day after her body was found, approximately 50 people gathered outside Jessica's home on West Light Street for a candlelight vigil.

Starting point is 00:39:40 Friends, neighbors, and even strangers touched by the news came to pay respects. They left stuffed animals, wreaths, and crosses on the doorstep, turning the stoop where she last lived, and into a makeshift shrine. A large poster was signed by attendees with messages of love and sorrow, which was later given to Jessica's family. According to one Urbana resident who showed up, despite never having met her in person, it breaks your heart. The sentiment was widely shared. Many simply could not fathom such a violent crime happening in their small town. Lifelong Urbana residents like Jim Astorino expressed disbelief. I didn't, expect such a violent crime to occur in this neighborhood.

Starting point is 00:40:24 I just feel so bad for her. The community also rallied to create a permanent memorial for Jessica. In June 2nd, 2012, the family hosted a public memorial service and garden dedication. It chose a location in Concord Township just outside of Urbana, the home of a family relative. There they planted a memorial garden filled with Jessica's favorite flowers, lavender and day lilies, symbolizing that her spirit will forever be a part of the community that loved her. This became her final resting place. Her mom described the location as not just a garden.

Starting point is 00:40:55 It's a memory for a lot of people and how this has affected a community. There were no major political actions or laws passed as a direct result of Jessica's case, but it did influence public discussion on a few fronts. First, the fact that four bystanders were criminally charged for failing to help or report the crime was somewhat unusual and drew attention to Ohio's failure to report a felony law. Many people weren't aware that in Ohio, simply witnessing a serious crime and not reporting it in itself is a crime. Champaign County's aggressive prosecution of the accomplices sent a message that standing by and doing nothing in the face of evil is not acceptable. It's hard to quantify, but local officials believe this case made people more willing to speak up if they see something wrong.

Starting point is 00:41:40 Secondly, Jessica's story became a cautionary tale about the dangers of meeting people online. 2015, the Investigation Discovery Channel's TV series Web of Lies featured Jessica's case in an episode titled Crowded House. The episode recounted how Jessica sought companionship on the internet and tragically fell into the wrong crowd. Jessica's mom appeared in the episode bravely retelling what happened and warning others to be careful with online relationships. The Ohio Attorney General's Office cooperated with the production. BCI agents who worked with the case were interviewed and highlighted the fast police work that solved it. The episode has since been used in some internet safety programs to illustrate how vulnerable young people can be to predators or toxic individuals met via social media.

Starting point is 00:42:22 Additionally, true crime podcasts and shows have revisited Jessica's case ensuring that her memory was not forgotten. This ongoing media attention has kept her story alive and has often been accompanied by messages about mental health, the warning signs of controlling partners, and the importance of speaking out if someone is in danger. The Urbana community also took concrete steps to remember Jessica. Besides the garden, a public vigil was held each March for a couple of years after 2012 on the anniversary of her deathware. Community members would light candles in her memory and renew calls against family violence.

Starting point is 00:42:59 Champaign County residents organized a charity drive in Jessica's name to support local women's shelters, under the logic that helping even one person escape a violent situation honors Jessica's legacy. As for the perpetrators, there was no vigilante justice or inmate retribution reported. However, one noteworthy incident occurred involving Matthew Puccio. Late 2012, while awaiting trial and jail, he was attacked by another inmate during a transport, according to an offhand mention in local news. He was not seriously harmed. And officials did not confirm if it was related to the nature of his crime, as inmate culture often looks down on those who harm women and children.

Starting point is 00:43:36 On the prison, Matthew kept a very low profile. In the end of 2013, all the legal proceedings were finished. City of Urbana tried to move forward. The duplex did not remain a gruesome landmark for very long as the landlord Gary Zirkle had the bathroom gutted and cleaned days after the body was found. He also had nearly everything in Jessica's apartment removed and destroyed due to the biohazard contamination.

Starting point is 00:44:00 Gary saved only two items that he found. Jessica's birth certificate in her baby photo album, which he returned to Jessica's mother as mementos of her daughter. That simple kindness by the landlord meant the whole world to the family. Jessica's Find a Grave Online Memorial has dozens of notes from strangers expressing sorrow and prayers, showing how her story touched people far and wide. The memorial simply states, Jessica, 21 years old, was found dead in the small Ohio town of Urbana, about 50 miles northwest of Columbus. Rest in peace, Jessica. In the end, the murder of Jessica Ray Sacco stands as a heartbreaking tale of a young woman whose kindness and openness were exploited by a cruel man. It is also the story of a

Starting point is 00:44:47 community's love overcoming horror. Urbana will always remember her as a vibrant 21-year-old with an infectious laugh, not just a victim of a terrible crime. Her memorial garden and her eulogy were written in those memories of those who knew her, but Jessica's impact lives on.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Jessica Rae Sacco

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