The Misery Machine - The Horrific Crimes of Jack Owen Spillman III

Episode Date: August 24, 2026

This week, Drewby and Yergy head to Washington state to discuss the crimes of Jack Owen Spillman III. Known as the "Werewolf Butcher," Jack is a serial killer and rapist from Spokane, Washington, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Washington State Penitentiary. In April 1995, Jack murdered 48-year-old Rita Huffman and her 15-year-old daughter, Mandy Huffman, in East Wenatchee, Washington. Following his arrest for those crimes, he also confessed to the 1994 slaying of 9-year-old Penny Davis in Tonasket, Washington. Jack broke into homes, brutally slaughtered his victims, and subsequently engaged in gruesome post-mortem sexual mutilation and theatrical staging. He once told a cellmate that he imagined himself as a werewolf stalking its prey. His personal journals, later recovered by investigators, detailed dark fantasies of consumption, transformation, and primitive animalistic dominance. While in custody, he openly declared to a cellmate that his ultimate ambition was to become "the world's greatest serial killer."Support Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachineJoin Our Facebook Group: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachineOfficial Merch Store: https://miserymachine-shop.fourthwall.com/Instagram: miserymachinepodcastTwitter: misery_podcast#documentary #themiserymachine #truecrime 🚨 EDUCATIONAL, DOCUMENTARY, SCIENTIFIC, OR ARTISTIC CONTENT DISCLAIMER 🚨CONTENT WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT A SENSITIVE TOPIC INVOLVING LOSS OF LIFE. WE'VE REMOVED ANY GRAPHIC CONTENT TO COMPLY WITH YOUTUBE'S GUIDELINES. WE AIM TO PROVIDE INFORMATIVE, FACTUAL JOURNALISM ON A TRAGIC EVENT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST THAT DOES NOT DISMISS ITS SERIOUSNESS. ALL CLIPS ARE USED UNDER THE DOCTRINE OF FAIR USE FOR NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS.Fair Use Disclaimer: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."THE CONTENT IN THIS VIDEO IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, BASED ON BELIEVED RELIABLE SOURCES. THEY MAY NOT BE CURRENT OR FULLY ACCURATE. VIEWERS SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AND NOT SOLELY RELY ON THIS INFORMATION. WE'RE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INACCURACIES OR OMISSIONS. WE DO NOT CONDONE, ENDORSE, OR ENCOURAGE ANY OF THE BEHAVIORS OR ACTIVITIES SHOWN. WE URGE EVERYONE TO ALWAYS ACT RESPONSIBLY AND WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW.

Rita Marie Goginola was born on February 14th, 1947 in Myrtle Creek, Oregon to parents Paulino and Francis. When Rita was three years old, her family moved to any out. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers. in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire

and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca. Washington. Her first jobs were in local apple picking sheds. She then moved on to working at a car dealership and was the first woman to sell cars in that part of Washington. Rita married Dennis Brown in 1964, but the marriage didn't last.

On February 14th, 1979, married a man named Jim Huffman, but that marriage was also short-lived. With Jim, Rita had two daughters, Angie and Amanda. Rita spoke with Angie regularly, usually by phone. That was their routine, and if Angie couldn't reach her mother, she knew something was wrong. Amanda Marie Huffman, also known as Mandy, was born on December 4, 1979 in Winachi, Washington. Mandy was a freshman at Eastmont Junior High School, where she was an honor student and a member of the point date. Club. She received various awards, especially for her writing, and she had been recently named

student of the month. Mandy loved sports, including softball, soccer, hockey, and karate. That year, she earned a spot in the junior varsity softball team. Penny Lynn Davis was born on May 26, 1985, in Tacoma, Washington. Her mother, Dana, was a single parent raising four children on her own. Her father lived in Texas, and both parents hadn't been in contact in some time. In July of 19, Dana moved her family from Tacoma to Ennis Valley in Okanogon County, where she had purchased 20 acres of land. The home was rustic and completely off the grid. The family relied on welfare benefits and were scraping by.

Jack Owen Spillman III was born on August 30th, 1969 in Spokane, Washington. It was originally named Roy Wilson, but was later renamed after being adopted by one of his mother's various husbands. His sisters all called him Roy. His mother had four husbands and four children. According to the siblings, they never knew which husband had fathered which child. The family moved to Tanaska in northern Okanagan County, where Jack grew up with his sisters. According to his sisters, he would bring home and show off dead rabbits and animals that he had strangled with his bare hands.

When they told their mother, she simply dismissed it as a phase, but this wasn't a phase that he was ever going to grow out of. Some sources claim he was committing burglaries as early as age 13 and was later caught exposing himself in public multiple times. Jack was a high school dropout. He quit when he was a freshman and never went. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk.

21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. He moved around a lot as an adult. Several years, he lived in a trailer in Spokane Valley. Worked as a roofer sometimes, but he was regularly unemployed. There, his criminal behavior quickly escalated. In 1985, when Jack was 16 years,

years old, he was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor child. The details of that case were not made public, assumedly because Jack himself was a minor at the time. Two years later in July of 1987, he was released from a juvenile facility in Centralia, Washington. He was 18 years old when he got out. Just five months after his release, Gunnoggin County Sheriff's deputies arrested him on numerous charges, being burglary, theft, and vehicle prowling, all of which were in the second degree. He pled guilty to theft and burglary and was sentenced to 25 months in prison. He only served 21 months, however, and was released in September of 1989 when he was 20 years old. This is when a community corrections officer wrote this about him. It appears Mr. Spillman reads, writes, and comprehends at a

fourth grade level. He doesn't have any job skills in little, if any, community support. Based on his behavior at work release and his 1985 conviction for indecent liberties, I believe he is a sexual deviant. It is my opinion that he will be a threat to the community upon release. In April of 1990, Jack was sentenced to 33 months in Yakima County for second-degree burglary. While he was still supposed to be serving his sentence, he was arrested for second-degree escape in October of 1991 after he had walked away from a work release program at a minimum security facility.

Before this, he was sentenced to 17 months, but ended up serving 26 months, likely because of disciplinary. reasons. He was released in February of 1993. Seven months after his release, Jack and a 26-year-old male roommate met a woman at a downtown Spokane bar. It was late in the bar was closing. The woman had been drinking and was tired, so when the men offered her a ride home, she accepted, but they didn't take her home. He took her to a trailer where the roommate essayed her while Jack held her down and kissed her. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters.

On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer.

Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca. The woman fought back and managed to escape before Jack could essay her as well. She reported to the police. and both men were arrested, but their charges were later pled down. Jack was sentenced to a year in the Spokane County Jail for fourth degree assault, but only ended up serving 124 days. Should be noted that from July of 1993 to February of 1994,

Jack's cellmate was a man named Mark Miller. According to Mark, Jack spent his time reading books about serial killers. He told him that he wanted to be, and I quote, the world's greatest serial killer. He said that he identified as a werewolf. Talked about stalking his prey and cutting victims' hearts out so he could eat them. And about keeping victims alive in caves so he could torture them for longer before he murdered them. In April of 1994, a man walked into a Nutrisystem storefront in Kent during normal business hours,

an essayed a young woman using the barrel of his gun. This case remained unsolved for a year until Jack's photograph began circulating due to the crimes that will get to later that led. to his arrest. In the summer of 1994, Jack was living in the Aeneas Valley. He was dating a woman whose mother lived there, and he sometimes stayed at her home. Other times, he stayed with the Davis family, who we mentioned at the beginning of our story. This family that showed Jack kindness and often took him in when he was down on his luck was who he was looking at in finding his next victim. On the early evening of September 17th, 1994, Penny Davis was playing outside with her seven-year-old brother near their home. The brother came back inside and told their mother that Penny had walked off.

Dana wasn't immediately worried because Penny was nine years old and knew the area. A few hours later when she didn't appear, her mother went outside to look for her. She spent hours searching the area on horseback, but Penny was nowhere to be found. Since the home had no telephone, she had to judge. drive the 16 miles into Tenasket to report Penny missing. At the time she got back, it was already dark outside. Sheriff's deputies initially treated the report as a missing person's case and considered the possibility that maybe Penny had run away from home. When they still couldn't find her, they treated it as a kidnapping case. And as it turned out, that's exactly what had happened.

When deputies first arrived at the Davis home that evening, they passed a man driving along Patterson Creek Road. He stopped when he saw the patrol cars and introduced himself as Jack Spillman. He said he had heard that Penny was missing and that he wanted to help look for her. Deputies took his name down and moved on. They returned at about 1 a.m. to interview him more thoroughly. The time, he was staying at his girlfriend's mother's house in the valley, not far from the Davis. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research.

Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.com. Jack claimed that he had been at a party earlier that evening. He said he left around 5 p.m. and drove to his girlfriend's mother's house to take a nap. The thing is, no one saw him at the house. Months passed, and the investigation into Penny's disappearance went cold. However, on March 28, 1995, hikers walking in McLaughlin Canyon, about five miles south of Tenasket, found a piece of human jawbone on the ground. Sheriff's deputies later discovered a shallow grave nearby where Penny's partially decomposed body was found. It's only nine years old, time for death. At autopsy, Penny's cause of death could not be determined.

But when forensic endemologists were brought in, they analyzed the insects found on Penny's body and determined that she had been buried somewhere else for at least two weeks before being moved to McLaughlin Canyon. Her jawbone had apparently fallen away during the transfer, and that's why the hikers found it separately from the rest of her body. Her original burial site was never found. By the spring of 1995, Jack already had another indecent exposure,

charge under his belt. Unbeknownst to the police, he was also the man responsible for a string of unsolved indecent exposure and stalking incidents. He also attacked a girl outside of her home and ran away, but was never identified until much later. Jack had moved to East Winachi, the same town where the Huffman family lived. He was sharing an apartment just a few blocks away from a VFW hall, and the only possession he had was a dark-colored short-bed Chevy truck with a crows. roll bar and oversized tires. At around 11 p.m. on April 12, 1995, Jack told his roommate that he was going out for a drive. 30 minutes later, a neighbor saw his truck in a school parking lot behind the Huffman home.

Inside, Rita Huffman was in the living room. The rear of the house had a sliding glass door, which led into the backyard. There, Jack entered and stabbed Rita 31 times in the back, neck, arms, chest and her left leg. Defensive wounds showed that she fought back. She was just 48 years old. Investigators were later able to determine the time of the stabbing as her wristwatch had shattered during the attack and stopped at 1130. 15-year-old Mandy was in the master bedroom when Jack attacked her. He crushed the left side of her skull with a blunt object and stabbed her 16 times in the neck. Much like her mother, she had defensive wounds on her hands and her forearms. But killing

Rita and Mandy wasn't enough for him. I don't normally believe in content warnings and true crime, but just know this next bit of information is a lot. After Mandy was dead, Jack mutilated her body. He removed the skin from her privates and placed them over her face. He then forced a baseball bat inside of her and posed her nude body on the bed. You all see. Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk.

Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. Visit betmgm casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor. Free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with eye gaming Ontario. So cut off Rita's breasts and placed them near Mandy's body. He carved out her privates and stuffed them inside of her mouth. He then posed her body on the sofa. Dr. Gerald Rapp, who carried out the autopsies, later confirmed that most of the extreme mutilations happened

after both Rita and Mandy were already dead. Around 1.30 a.m. on April 13th, Officer Dan Rearsen was on patrol. He was driving through the area near the VAL FW when he noticed a black pickup truck parked alone in the parking lot. As he approached, the man in the truck immediately got out with his hands up as if he was being arrested. Officer Reerson asked the man his name. Told the officer that his name was Jack Spillman and that he was just cooling off. Officer Reerson made a note of the encounter and left. Around 8 a.m. that same morning, Angie called her mom, but there was no response. She called her sister Mandy as well. There was nothing, since that something was wrong. She drove to her mom's

on the 600 block of North Jerome Street. She discovered what had been done to her mother and her sister. She ran in a panic to her neighbor's house, pounded on the door and managed to tell them, call the police. Call the police now, something's happened to my mom and sister. The neighbor called 911,

and deputies arrived within minutes and secured the scene. The following day, a 12-inch knife was found in a garbage can outside the VFW hall. The blade appeared to have dried blood on it and matched one missing from a three-piece set inside the Huffman home. With that, clues started pointing directly at Jack. They didn't have enough to arrest him just yet, so they started watching his every move. During the surveillance, Jack left his apartment, walked to a dumpster, and threw something away.

The detectives retrieved it. They found that it was a ski mask covered in dried blood. April 19th, nearly a week after the murders, it was determined that the blood on the knife found in the VFW garbage can match the victim's blood. Well, and the ski mask was a match as well, and Jack's DNA was found around the mouth open. After obtaining a warrant, the officer searched his apartment and his pickup truck and found more blood evidence. Jack Spillman was arrested without incident at his rented apartment a few blocks away from the crime scene. On April 20th, Jack appeared via CCTV for a 15-minute bail hearing before Douglas County District Court Judge Judith McCauley. He was held without bail while he

waited for his formal arraignment. Jack was formally... Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have... of cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer.

Register today at pmcfwalk.ca. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The price is right fortune pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you,

please contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor. Free of charge. BetMGEMD operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming, Ontario. Charge with two counts of aggravated first-degree murder for the Huffman homicides. In Washington State, aggravated first-degree murder carries two possible sentences. Life in prison without the possibility of parole or death. He was also charged with essay, burglary, and robbery all in the first degree. Jack also faced outstanding charges in King County for the essay of the Nutrisystem Clerk in April of 1994.

He also faced a burglary charge in Spokane County. Prosecutors publicly stated that they would seek the death penalty, and his trial was set for August of 1996 in Douglas County Superior Court with Steve Clem set to leave the prosecution. One year in 10 days after his arrest, a plea agreement was reached on April 29, 1996. In exchange for pleading guilty to first-degree murder, the state would not pursue capital punishment. Instead, Jack would get life in prison. He entered his guilty plea the following day, and then also confessed the murder of Penny Lynn Davis. The confession shocked authorities.

They suspected him, but they didn't have enough evidence to prove it in court until he confessed. Jack told investigators what he had done to Penny. He had been watching the Davis home from a distance even after he moved out of the area. He said he was originally interested in Penny's older sister, who was 10 years old at the time, but on September 17, 1994, only Penny was outside. He carried Penny on his shoulders to his vehicle. He drove around for a while, took her to an undisclosed location, and tortured her for two hours.

Then he essayed her and killed her by slitting her throat and placed her body in the water along the riverbank. Then he returned the next day and buried her in a hand-dog grave. He claimed that the last thing Penny said was that she forgave him, but we only have Jack's account to go buy in. This isn't an uncommon thing that killers claim their victim's last words were. Over the next two weeks, he came back several more times. Each time he exhumed her body, he used it for what he called sexual purposes before reburying her.

After about two weeks, he dug her up one final time and moved her to McLaughlin Canyon, where he reburied her in a shallow grave. That's where the hikers found her six months later. Judge Carol Wardell of Douglas County Superior Court handed down the sentence on May 1, 1996. Life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Rita Huffman, 70 years for the murder of Mandy Huffman, and 45 and a half years for the murder of Penny Davis to run consecutively. Douglas County prosecutor Steve Clem spoke to reporters after the sentencing saying,

for the law enforcement officers, for the families, for the prosecutors, we all feel good about it. Okanagan County prosecutor Rick Weber also spoke to reporters. He said, I believe we are satisfied with the outcome. Mr. Spillman will never be on the streets again. We're guaranteed that. And as of the date of this recording, Jack is now 56 years old and has been in the Washington state prison system for almost 30 years.

He will thankfully never be released. Forensic psychiatrist Michael Stone developed something called the gradations of evil scale, which he laid out in his book The Anatomy of Evil. The scale ranges from Category 1, which he dubs people who kill in self-defense, to Category 22, which would be your serial torturer murderers. Michael Stone ranked Jack Spillman at Category 22, the worst of the worst. Rita Marie Goginola Huffman and Amanda Marie Huffman are both buried at Eniont Cemetery. Rita's simple headstone is flanked on both sides by bundles of wheat,

which generally symbolizes a long, fruitful life that has reached a full harvest. Mandy Stone is etched with images of things she enjoyed in life. Books, a softball mitt, a soccer ball, a quill for writing, and a flying dove, which can symbolize the soul ascending to heaven or freedom from earthly struggles. Penny Lynn Davis is buried at Tonasket Cemetery. The epitaph on her grave reads, It's not goodbye, it's see you later. along with images of lilies and hummingbirds and a picture of Penny smiling.

In April of 2005, a decade after Penny's death, the Wenatchie world interviewed her mother. The reporter asked Dana whether she could forgive Jack Spillman for what he did to her daughter. Dana said, it's not for me to forgive. He's going to have to deal with God and the Bible is very clear on that issue. When the reporter asked about the lasting grief, Dana said, it's very life-altering when your child never grows up. You never get beyond it. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters.

On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca.ca.ca.ca.