True Crime with Kimbyr - Pregnant Mother Murdered at Home: What Was Michelle Fisher Hiding

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

A young pregnant mother is brutally murdered in what should have been the safety of her home. On the surface, Michelle Fisher's life looked perfect—but was it? In this gripping episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, Kimbyrleigha uncovers the heartbreaking secrets behind Michelle’s seemingly ideal life. With a charming husband, a successful career, and a baby on the way, what could have led to such a tragic end? Conflicting reports, missing details, and suspicious behavior leave more questions than answers. Dive deep into this shocking case and decide for yourself—what really happened to Michelle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young pregnant mother is killed in her home. This is one of those cases that grips the public and leaves them divided. On the surface, Michelle's life seemed perfect. A loving mother, successful career woman, and married to a charming man with a good job. But when she was murdered, a whole new side to what her life really was like came to light. So many questions arose about the events leading up to that tragic fall night. There were conflicting reports, suspicious actions, and missing pieces that made it hard to pin down the truth. So once you've heard the evidence, I want to hear what you think.

Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. My name is Kimberly Leia, and if you've never been here before, it's nice to finally meet you. And if you're anything like me, this video, this story, this case, it's going to make you very angry. Very, very angry. So let's begin. Michelle Marie Fisher was born on February 6th, 17 to 1977 to Linda and Alan Fisher in Long Island, New York. Long Island, if you've never heard of it before, I'm sure you have. It's a suburban hotspot. It's known for its beaches like Jones Beach, Fire Island, and to be a great summer getaway for New Yorkers. In 1980, three years after Michelle was born, she became an older sister when her sibling Meredith came into the world. And like most sisters, they had their bickering and fights, but they also had. a very strong bond. They were always there for each other, especially when it truly mattered. Michelle's mom Linda was a dedicated school teacher at Sayville Junior High School, while her father Alan managed a successful car dealership. From a young age, Michelle had a nurturing nature. She would lovingly care for her cabbage patch dolls. She acted like they were real babies. She displayed

tenderness that hinted at a compassionate person that she would eventually become. Growing up, Michelle was known for her confidence, and and her outgoing personality. She made friends very easily and she kept them forever. Michelle attended Sayville High School, where she was the co-captain of her cheerleading squad. She actually attended the school the same time as actress Melissa Joan Hart.

If you know, you know if you're my age, you probably do. Cheerleading was one of Michelle's passions. And she was very good at it. During her senior year of high school, she was chosen as co-captain of her cheerleading team, and she led that team to win the Long Island Cheerleading Association's Championship, in 1995. Michelle also enjoyed participating in talent shows and musicals. She loved to make other

people laugh as well. She was even a member of a lip-sinking team and they sang, do you love me in a regional competition and that group won, which just goes to show you the fun-loving type of personality that Michelle had. But outside of cheerleading and extracurricular activities, Michelle was a dedicated student. She loved to learn and she genuinely enjoyed serving others. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Michelle's academic journey was as impressive as her vibrant personality. Her intelligence and dedication quickly stood out, particularly in French and Russian, and she showcased her passion for learning other languages. However, as Michelle reached her teenage years, the cracks in her parents' marriage became impossible to ignore. Linda and Allen had been

in marriage counseling for over a decade at this point, and their efforts just faltered. They barely spoke to each other, they slept in separate bedrooms, And although they tried to stay together for the sake of their daughters, the strain was undeniable. And eventually, they ended up getting a divorce. But Michelle had a lot going on to keep her busy at the time and her mind off of it.

In the fall of 1995, after graduating from high school, Michelle chose to attend North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is the capital of the state. It's also part of the Research Triangle, which is a region known for its high concentration of research institutions and tech companies. The city had a population of half a million people, who enjoyed its vibrant mix of history and innovation.

For students, the city offered plenty of opportunities for academic and even personal growth. NC State is actually known for a competitive admissions process, but Michelle's exceptional academic record earned her a spot at the school. It's one of the largest universities in the state with strong programs in engineering, technology, and sciences, and this made it an ideal choice for Michelle. North Carolina State's Wolfpack athletics team

is a big source of pride for the university, and Michelle became an enthusiasm. enthusiastic part of this culture. She joined the university's cheer squad during her freshman year, and in 1996, she experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when the team was selected to perform in Atlanta at the opening ceremony for the Olympics. By the second year of her finance degree, Michelle had pledged to the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, which didn't leave much time for much else. In the end, she decided to give up cheerleading, and she put all of her energy into her coursework and her sorority. However, she remained a loyal fan, cheering on.

on the Wolfpack from the stands. Michelle excelled, like I said, academically, and she earned straight A's every single semester. Her mom supported her education by purchasing a condo for Michelle to live in near the North Carolina State campus. And she was able to do this with money from the divorce settlement.

Michelle lived there with her close friends and sorority sisters, with whom she forged lifelong friendships, including a special bond with another member, Michelle Money, to make sure they could tell them apart since both of their names were Michelle. They called Michelle Fisher, Big Michelle, and Michelle Money, little Michelle, because Michelle Fisher was taller, but she didn't like to be called Big Michelle. So they ended up calling her fish for her last name Fisher.

After completing her studies, Michelle passed a CPA exam on her very first try, and soon she began her professional career in downtown Raleigh at a firm called Deloitte and Touche. As she transitioned from a student to a young professional, Michelle's discipline, charm, and ambition continued to define her path. forward. By the time graduation rolled around in 2001, Michelle had completed a bachelor's and a master's degree in tax law, and that's why it didn't take her long to land that job. She was finally beginning to forge ahead as an independent career woman. In February of 2001, as she was approaching her 21st birthday, Michelle Fisher had a chance encounter. She was enjoying a night out with her friends at Have a Nice Day Cafe in Raleigh when fate intervened, while just messing around with his college buddies, a man named Jason Young accidentally bumped into Michelle, which caused her to spill her wine.

Jason, as charming as he was, he immediately offered to replace her drink. And this small act led to the two of them chatting for a while. Then Michelle pulled him onto the dance floor and they spent the rest of the night together. That's when they discovered they had some things in common. They were both recent graduates of North Carolina State University and were avid Wolfpack fans. At the time, Michelle was living with her roommate and very good friend, Shelly, and it was raining really hard, so they decided that night to all go back to their place, including Jason Young. They spent the rest of the night, just hanging out and getting to know one another, and eventually this sparked the beginning of a new relationship. And they made a really attractive pair. Michelle with her big white smile,

dark brown almond-shaped eyes, and her wavy brown hair, and Jason's blonde, shaggy hair, his blue eyes and his chisel jaw line, they were opposites and looks, and someone even even say personality, but they made a good match. Even though he was three years older than Michelle, though, Jason was a lot more carefree and not as sophisticated as she was. Michelle was way more serious, although she did have a fun side as well. But Jason, he was like the life of the party. It was loud, outgoing, and definitely over the top. He was different from the guys that Michelle usually dated. Later that night, Michelle handed her phone number over to him to tell him to call her her the next day, which he did. Then they went on several dates and it didn't take long before

Michelle fell hard for Jason. She began telling all of her friends about her new boyfriend. And they were having a lot of fun together. They were both in the early stages of starting their post-college careers. They love the outdoors and they love football. One of their favorite dates was to attend their college football teams games as often as they could. At the time, Jason was living in Bervard, North Carolina with his mom and his stepdad. But he was willing to be to make the nearly five-hour drive to Raleigh to visit Michelle very frequently. He worked at Black & Decker and he used his earnings to fund these visits. And before long, Jason decided to move closer to Michelle and he relocated to Raleigh with one of his friends. That friend was Ryan Shad.

At this point, Jason was working at Pan American Labs. But let's talk about his past for a moment. Jason's background was rooted in a close-knit family. His mother, Pat Young, was a fifth-grade teacher in a small elementary school in Transylvania County, and Jason Lynn Young was the middle child of three siblings. He was born in 1974. Jason had an older sister Kim and a younger sister Heather. But then tragedy struck the young family early on when Jason's father Bob passed away from cancer when Jason was only five years old. The loss left the family struggling financially. And a year later, Pat remarried, bringing George McIntyre into Jason's life as his stepdad. Growing up, Jason was the typical pest of a brother.

He would often tease his sisters, but his magnetic personality made up for it. It was hard for anyone to stay mad at him for long. He had the natural ability to make people laugh, and it was this charisma that made him very popular at Brevard High School, where he was voted best all-around student during his senior year. His teachers even nominated him for the school's Hall of Fame.

Now, during the summers, Jason worked at a camp. It was an all-girls Christian camp, where he was adored by a lot of the campers, especially a girl named Carol Ann Sowerby, who had known him since she was six years old. Jason had been her swim instructor, and she had a childhood crush on him that went into adulthood. This wasn't actually uncommon. Jason was very popular with the ladies. When it was time to go to college, Jason had always been a loyal Wolfpack fan, and he decided to go to North Carolina State University. That was a dream come true for him. In 1993, he got to go to

he completed his freshman year, but then he took a year off to go hiking in the Appalachian Trail with a high school friend before returning to NC State in 1994. Once back at the school, however, Jason's focus wasn't entirely on academics. He wasn't the worst student, but his grades definitely took a backseat to his real interest, which was partying, attending Wolfpack games, and meeting women. In 1998, Jason graduated from NC State, but he and his friends, they were still clinging to their college days. They pulled all of their money together to buy lifetime season tickets to the Wolfpack games so they could continue tailgating and partying even though they weren't in college anymore. Jason's friends actually referred to

him, wait for it, as Horn Dog. Okay, this was a nod to his disinterest in serious relationships. He was a player. And I haven't heard that nickname in years, maybe even decades. Horn Dog? I think you know what it refers to though. During his time at NC State, he was actually an RA, a resident advisor for a dormitory there. And as the horn dog that he was, he used this position to get closer to the female students. Classy. Jason didn't have a good reputation for being an all-around good guy or someone that was even going places in life. He was known more for his reputation as being a frat boy, having the frat boy mentality, where success is measured by how much and how often you can drink and how many women you can sleep with. But in 1997,

Jason's carefree days of partying were briefly interrupted when he met a woman named Genevieve Cargol, and the two of them began a serious romance. So I guess they can be tamed. Well, I guess maybe not, because in October of 1999, Jason proposed to Genevieve, but their relationship was rocky. And despite multiple conversations about Jason's love for partying and how it was getting in the way of their relationship, Jason wasn't interested in stopping, which led Genevieve to break off their engagement in January of 2000. Jason was known for his wild sense of humor, and he liked to play practical jokes, which often bordered on being inappropriate. These included sexual innuendo jokes, and it was usually around the wrong audience.

He was also infamous for his genitalia tricks, dick tricks, if you will. The Batwing, if you know, you know. That was classic Jason, but these jokes were not well received by everyone viewing them. But to his friends, these antics were just part of his fun-loving, mischievous personality. Yeah, I don't think that would go over well with many people, but with his like frat boyfriends. They thought it was really funny. And even though Jason often came across as immature and impulsive, his charm and charisma made it difficult for people to resist his company. I wish it wasn't true, but you'll see that it definitely is for some reason, especially women. And when Michelle and Jason met, she wasn't looking for anything serious.

So maybe his character traits or his lack of a decent paying job didn't bother her at the time. At this point, Michelle was in her early 20s, and she was in her early 20s. and she didn't need to see him every evening and weekend. She had plenty of friends to do social activities with that were keeping her very busy and also, of course, her career. So the casual arrangement seemed to work out for both of them, at least initially. But all of that changed in 2003.

When Michelle found out, she was pregnant with Jason's child. She knew right away that she was going to go through with this pregnancy with or without Jason's support. She had a strong network of family and friends who would help her. But, of course, she hoped that Jason would stand. by her side and take this surprise seriously. She had been unsure of how he was going to react, and she was devastated by his initial response.

When Michelle told Jason she was pregnant, he was shocked to say the least. He told Michelle that he enjoyed his freedom, and he wasn't ready for a child or for marriage. Jason was terrified at the thought of becoming a father. He told Michelle there was no way he could handle the responsibilities of both fatherhood and marriage. And this news left Michelle heartbroken.

But Jason did say that he would support any decision she made. Michelle told him how she felt, and they agreed to give the relationship a serious shot. Just one month after this conversation, Jason appeared to have a major change of heart. He ended up proposing to Michelle with a makeshift rubber band ring, explaining it was just a placeholder while he was waiting for the diamond one. Michelle was overwhelmed with joy, and she accepted his proposal. She was hopeful that this marked a turning point in the relationship. On August 12, 2003, the couple was married in a quiet private ceremony at the Wake County Public Safety Center in downtown Raleigh. Just a justice apiece, Michelle's mother Linda, and a stranger served as witnesses.

Even though this was a very low-key event, Michelle had much bigger plans for more elaborate celebration later on. She wanted to share this moment with her friends and her family, and she quickly began organizing a second lavish ceremony for October. With her pregnancy progressing, she was eager for the wedding to happen to see. soon as possible. I think she gave her friends just three weeks notice that it was going to happen. This might sound quite romantic, but there was a much more practical reason for their nuptials. Other than just the fact that she was pregnant, Michelle had a good job, but it didn't come with benefits like health insurance, but Jason's job did. So by getting married, Michelle and their unborn child would be covered. For those of you that are watching and are not in the United States

over here, it can cost upward of $10,000. and that's with no complications. Here in L.A., it's usually closer to $30,000. At least it was for me recently. So if you don't have insurance, that's what you're going to pay. Jason, with his usual carefree attitude, he allowed Michelle and her sister and her mom to take full control over the wedding planning.

He only had three stipulations. The ceremony couldn't fall on a Wolfpack game day because he had to go to every game. He could invite as many guests as he wanted and there had to be unlimited beer. I guess once you're a frat boy, you're always a frat boy. But anyway, on October 10, 2003, Michelle and Jason tied the knot once more, and this time in a grand ceremony held at the luxurious Longview Center in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jason's rescue dog, a black Labrador named Mr. Garrison, even served as the ring bearer and he carried the rings down the aisle, dressed in a custom doggy tuxedo. It was clear that there was nothing surface level about their affection. It might have seemed like this was a marriage of comedian, at first, but anyone who would have thought that way would change their mind after witnessing this wedding. Michelle and Jason seemed very much in love. Michelle's professional life flourished after this, even more, when she secured a role as a

financial specialist in the accounting department at Progress Energy. This is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest utilities in the Southeast. Known for her drive and meticulous planning, Michelle had always balanced her career aspirations with her personal goals. And even during her pregnancy, she was really ready to just get back to work as soon as possible after giving birth. It was clear that Michelle balancing her career in motherhood was very important. As Michelle prepared for motherhood,

her younger sister Meredith offered to support her by actually moving to Raleigh to help her care for the baby. This was a gesture that Michelle greatly appreciated. And by now, Jason and Michelle were living together. And on March 29, 2004, they welcomed their daughter Cassidy Elizabeth Young into the world. The birth was a little more complicated than expected, as Cassidy turned breach in the final week

of Michelle's pregnancy, requiring her to undergo a C-section. But despite the unexpected turn of events, Michelle embraced motherhood wholeheartedly. From breastfeeding to changing diapers and dressing Cassidy and cute little onesies, Michelle found joy in every aspect of caring for her daughter. Michelle was compassionate when it came to motherhood. She truly understood the meaning of living in the moment.

She was deeply connected to her child, and she never complained about the sleepless nights or the toll that pregnancy took on her body. I could tell by the pictures that I saw, she loved this little girl more than anything in this world. Those early months were made even better by the support that she knew she would get from her mom and sister. The three of them were very close. Her sister Meredith did end up moving to Raleigh to help out. And when Michelle returned to work as a senior financial consultant in the Tax Department of Progress Energy,

Meredith took on the role of a nanny. But a townhouse or an apartment that they were living in could feel really cramped with a growing family. So by 2005, Michelle and Jason had settled. into life as a family of three and were eagerly searching for the perfect home to raise their daughter Cassidy. Michelle had long dreamed of owning a classic home with shutters, a white picket fence, and a large backyard, a place where Cassidy could play and they could build their future together. This dream came true when they discovered a colonial-style brick home in the Enchanted Oaks subdivision nestled in South Raleigh. This home at the time was close to $400,000. It had three stories.

it was a four-bedroom, three-bathroom brick home at 5108 Birchleaf Drive, and it had everything they wanted. A spacious front and backyard that her daughter and dog could enjoy with an attached garage, a fireplace, a back porch with a barbecue grill, and so much more. Michelle even got the shutters that she wanted. She didn't have the white picket fence, but there was a nice size front porch with a white railing and rocking chairs. Plus, it was only a short walk to the community pool and the tennis courts. Just before Memorial Day weekend, Michelle and Jason became the the proud owners of their new home. Jason made a very sweet gesture by planting yellow and orange daisies, Michelle's favorite flowers by the mailbox, a personal touch that made their new home feel

even more special. Everything was really coming together, except there was one thing, or I should say one person, that seemed to be coming between the couple. Michelle remained incredibly close to her mother Linda. She had always been a guiding figure in Michelle's life. Even after becoming a mother herself, Michelle relied on Linda for advice. The two of them spoke every single day, sometimes multiple times a day with Michelle often calling her mom on her drive home from work. Linda was a junior high school teacher in New York, and she took full advantage of her summers off. She would travel to Raleigh to spend extended time with Michelle and her new baby. During the summer of 2004, Linda had stayed with them for weeks, helping Michelle adjust to life as a new baby.

mom. However, as many people do know, dealing with the in-laws can be difficult, and as Linda got to know Jason more and more, their relationship was far from harmonious. Their personalities clash from the very beginning, and things only worsened when Linda lived with them for that summer. Jason had started working from home at this time. He had gotten a job as a traveling pharmaceutical sales rep. So while he was home and Linda was staying with them, he found her to be overbearing and critical, especially when it came to how he would care for Cassidy. He felt that Linda was constantly judging him and it created a lot of tension in the household. And even when Linda went back home to New York, the distance did little to ease the strain between them because Michelle had the habit of calling her mom to vent if something wasn't going right between her and Jason. Whenever the couple disagreed and got into a big argument, Michelle

would immediately call her mom. She would often yell and cry as she was sharing all of her frustrations. The postpartum period can be really tough in and of itself. And the couple really hadn't known each other that long before so many changes happened in their lives. Jason found these calls to be unbearable. When he would hear Michelle talking to her mom, it took an emotional toll on him. And it further strained his already rocky relationship with Michelle's mom. He'd even ask Michelle to please stop involving her mother in their disputes, knowing it only solidifies Linda's low opinion of him. Linda never thought that Jason was good enough for her daughter or for her granddaughter. She viewed him as lazy and immature.

And despite Jason's pleas, Michelle continued turning to her mom for comfort, creating a growing divide in their marriage. Linda's influence, whether intentional or not, fueled the friction between Michelle and Jason, leaving him feeling isolated in his very own home. This constant back and forth between Michelle and her mother and Jason, it only added more pressure to an already tense situation. And before long, it wasn't just Linda. who had a poor opinion of Jason. Meredith wasn't a big fan of him either.

She and her mother saw him for what he was before the couple got together, a player, someone who was more likely to put himself first rather than Michelle. Even though Michelle had agreed to marry him, and they were playing happy family together. Michelle and Linda's opinion of him hadn't changed that much over the years.

One thing that really bothered Michelle and that she expressed to her mom and her sister was that even though Jason said he would support Michelle and her decision to continue with the pregnancy, It seemed like he resented her for it. Whenever they would get into an argument about something, he would get so angry and he would blame her for tying him down.

But of course, many of us can say things in anger that we don't really mean. I think we've all been guilty of that. But as time went on and everyone settled into the changes, things seemed to get back on track. They weren't great, but Michelle told her mom that she was holding on to a vision for a perfect family with a loving father and mother for Cassidy.

She had the dog, the house, the base, All she really needed was for Jason to get fully on board. And Michelle was willing to wait for that to happen, because she believed wholeheartedly that one day, Jason would change. And actually it did seem like he was finally coming around. In the spring of 2006, when Little Cassidy was about two, Michelle discovered she was pregnant with baby number two. And this time, things were a lot more stable than before.

And both she and Jason were overjoyed by the prospect of expanding their family even more. Michelle's hope for a perfect future was, perfect future was renewed. And at this time, Jason was more excited than ever about the new addition to their family. They had been talking about having another baby. And with Jason's positive reaction, Michelle felt one step closer to her dreams. And Jason was desperately wanting a son to preserve his family name since he was the only son born to his deceased father. He also wanted Cassidy to have a brother close in age so they could be raised close together like he was with his sister's Heather and Kim. They were so excited to share the news with their families. The couple decided

they wanted to tell them in person. Jason's family was going to be first. So they made that 280-mile drive to Jason's parents' home in Brevard for the weekend. The visit was pleasant, and Jason's parents shared in the couple's excitement about the pregnancy. On the Sunday morning, a few hours before the family

were due to drive back home, Jason's parents offered to watch Cassidy while Jason and Michelle went out for coffee by themselves, which was a very rare treat for parents of a busy toddler. So they jumped at the opportunity and they enjoyed a relaxed breakfast in the downtown area. However, what started as a celebration soon turned into a nightmare. It's crazy how fast our lives can change. It can happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye.

On that drive back to his parents' place, Jason lost control of the SUV he was driving. They were on a mountain road, and the vehicle veered sharply to the right, nearly careening off of the side of the road. In a split second, as Jason attempted to correct the steering wheel, the vehicle slid off the road and plunged down a steep, 100-foot embankment and crashed into the slow-moving French Brab River. Panic set in as water quickly began to flood the vehicle, and the couple was faced with the real possibility that they would drown. What was meant to be a quiet moment for the couple took this terrifying turn. But in an incredible stroke of luck,

someone had seen the accident and they called 911. Emergency services arrived in time to pull Jason and Michelle from the partially submerged vehicle, and despite the trauma of the crash, Neither Michelle or Jason appeared to have suffered any serious physical injuries. They found themselves very fortunate that they'd escaped unharmed, or at least they thought they had. But as the initial shock wore off, Michelle began to feel that something was wrong.

She was concerned about her baby, so she immediately went to the hospital for an exam. It was there that Michelle and Jason received the devastating news. The pregnancy was not progressing. The baby wasn't growing. And essentially, they had lost, The baby. What started as a joyful visit to share this pregnancy news turned into them grieving the loss

of it. That excitement of their growing family was replaced with heartache, and they were trying to come to terms with their new reality. This loss was devastating for Michelle. She wanted this baby so badly. She wanted what it meant for their marriage. So she pushed through, eager to try again as soon as she could. Once Michelle was medically cleared, she and Jason began trying for another baby, and within

just a few months, Michelle received the news that she had hoped for, a positive pregnancy test. But despite their shared desire to grow their family, Michelle was unsure again how Jason would react. To share the news in a special way, Michelle dressed Cassidy in a shirt that read, I'm the big sister to surprise Jason when he came home from work. I'd say that Jason had mixed feelings. He wasn't upset like he was the first time Michelle announced her pregnancy with Cassidy, but he wasn't as excited as she thought he would be. He was still very happy, but he seemed really stressed out.

Michelle knew they were both still dealing with the grief over their lost child, and the fear that something would go wrong again. So it made sense that Jason may not have been too excited. Plus, he had been under a lot more stress recently because he started a new job as a traveling sales rep for a medical record software company. His new job had come with enough of a raise that Michelle had actually been able to drop down to part-time hours, so she could spend more time with Cassidy and their new baby when they arrived. Jason's excitement only grew as he attended every doctor's appointment with Michelle, eager to

to learn the gender of their second child. That day finally came when the ultrasound technician confirmed that they were expecting a baby boy. Jason was overjoyed. They actually chose a name for their son, Rylan. He was going to be the perfect addition to their family. However, despite their shared happiness about the pregnancy, cracks in their marriage began to deepen.

Michelle returned to work quickly after Cassidy was born. But this time, she was determined not to make that same mistake, and she saw it as a mistake, because she was, felt she missed out on so many of Cassidy's milestones. She wanted to be present for her son's early years. So after negotiating with her boss, Michelle struck that deal to work part-time just three days a week, 10 hours a day, so she could spend more time at home with Cassidy and their future son Ryland. As she prepared for Ryland's arrival, Michelle envisioned her mom Linda actually moving into the Raleigh home to help care for the children, especially because Linda was retiring

from teaching, but you already know how Jason feels about Linda. For Michelle, having her mom around would provide the support that she really needed, both emotionally and practically. Plus, they had a third floor of their home with enough room to create a separate living space for Linda. They could even build a bathroom up there. Well, Jason was strongly in opposition to this arrangement. He felt like she was always undermining his role as a father and a husband.

The thought of Linda, moving in full-time, filled Jason. Jason with dread. He refused to even consider it. He had been there, done that, and it wasn't good. This disagreement about Linda's involvement placed even more strain on their already fragile marriage. Both Michelle and Jason recognized that their relationship was in trouble, but Jason was reluctant to speak to a professional because they had tried therapy once before, and it didn't go well because neither one of them could agree on the counselor that both of them liked. So instead, they turned to Michelle's sister Meredith. She was studying to become a counselor at the time with a specialization in marriage and family dynamics. Meredith had gotten close to Jason when she was Cassidy's nanny. She got to see both sides of the situation.

She witnessed the petty disagreements, the silent treatments that would ensue, and she agreed to mediate their discussions, even though she knew that they would probably need professional intervention. And this was because she was an interested party. I think it would be very hard not to be biased in the situation, but at least was a starting point. Maybe they could just get to the bottom of why both of them felt and acted the way that they did towards one another. And during these sessions with Meredith, the long, simmering frustrations came to light. You know those ones where the little things, they just keep adding up over time and they become bigger and bigger. It was like that. First, Michelle expressed

her deep dissatisfaction with Jason's lack of responsibility when it came to things around the house. She felt like she had to pick up the slack all of the time. And she really wished he would just be be more active in helping with the household tasks, and in understanding her emotional needs as well, because Michelle often felt like Jason wouldn't make the same compromises. For example, they were both huge North Carolina State Wolfpack College football fans,

and as I mentioned, they had lifetime passes, which included specific seats in the stadium for the games. Before Cassidy came along, the couple enjoyed tailgating together with their friends for every single game. But now, Michelle would be the one that had to hang back and take care of Cassie. Jason still went by himself.

And she didn't really think that was fair. If they couldn't find a babysitter, Jason wouldn't choose to stay home. So it was like Michelle really never got the chance to kick back and have fun with her friends at a game. And this bothered her. And for Jason, his major issue, why they would fight so much,

was in his perspective their diminishing sex life. That was the problem he felt couldn't be ignored. It's not uncommon for a lot of new parents to go through a period of time when sex takes a back seat to the new baby with the diaper duties, the sleepless nights, the feedings around the clock, it's kind of hard to work in together time, but it's also a valid concern. Additionally, Jason's resentment over Michelle's constant calls to her mom whenever they had a fight surfaced once again. He felt that it undermined his ability to resolve their conflicts privately, making it harder for them

to strengthen their relationship. Again, another valid point. Both of them had their concerns, and this was a chance for them to lay it out on the table in a safe place. At times, Jason even admitted to to feeling overwhelmed and even considered giving up in the marriage altogether. Remember, he had been a party boy before this, but he was genuinely trying to give it his best shot. But it was a lot all at once. When it came down to it, he said that he couldn't bear the thought of a divorce. The idea of being separated from Michelle would be more difficult than the challenges they were facing together. So despite the mounting tension, both Michelle and Jason seemed to be committed to finding a solution, even as their relationship was being pushed to its limits.

They wanted this marriage to work. But Meredith described the way they would argue. It was like teenagers would, slamming doors and never being able to resolve their issues. They were trying to work it out, but it just didn't seem like things were working for the couple. So through her job at Progress Energy, Michelle was allowed to do counseling sessions

and she started doing them with Kimball Jane Sargent. This was a nurse psychotherapist, and Michelle finally opened up about a deeply troubling thing from her process. past. During her college years, Michelle had actually been violated, and the scars of that event were lingering. She confided in Kimball that even though she was now married to Jason, she didn't feel secure in their intimate relationship because of the panic and fear she'd experienced during that violation in college. It kept resurfacing when she was having intercourse with Jason. So to Michelle,

what should have been an expression of love with her husband felt like an invasion, like he was forcing himself on her, even though he wasn't. So despite these intense emotional struggles, Michelle was clear about one thing. She didn't want a divorce. Her priority was ensuring that Cassidy and her unborn son had a stable and complete family. Keeping her family together mattered more than any of the cracks in the marriage. So essentially, even though she wasn't 100% happy, she was going through the motions and going with the flow, make things work out for the sake of her family. Michelle was still trying to find joy in other parts of her life. She had an exciting plan on the horizon, including a much anticipated trip to Disney World to set up

celebrate her mother's retirement. At the end of that week, she would be joined by her sorority sisters for a spa weekend in honor of their upcoming 30th birthdays. This would be a brief glimmer of happiness in an uncertain home life. Tuesday, October 10th, 2006, marked Michelle and Jason's third wedding anniversary. But that day passed without celebration.

And that's because Jason's new job required him to travel all the time, and he was away on back-to-back business trips, first in Orlando and then in Denver. He had managed to at least give Michelle an anniversary card with a $25 gift card to Starbucks inside. But honestly, this left her feeling very disappointed. She hoped for something more meaningful, a gesture that it would acknowledge

the importance of their relationship. When Jason finally returned home, they made plans to celebrate their belated anniversary with dinner at Bella Monica, their favorite Italian restaurant. Michelle's mother, Linda, who was visiting at the time, offered to watch Cassie's mother, for that evening. The day of the dinner, Linda drove Michelle to work and then Jason picked her up afterwards. However, what should have been a romantic reunion quickly went downhill. Jason, who hadn't seen

his pregnant wife in nearly a week, spent the entire 15-minute drive to the restaurant on a call. Yes, a business call. He ignored Michelle completely. And when he finally hung up, an argument erupted not only over their anniversary, but their upcoming plans for attending their friend Ryan and Shelley's wedding that weekend. They had gone to college with the couple. Michelle actually lived with Shelley and he had lived with Ryan. Michelle wanted this weekend to be a romantic getaway for them, especially with their strained anniversary. But Jason had other plans. He explained that he would be spending the entire time with the guys, that they were going to have a guy's weekend with all of his college friends. And then he informed Michelle that he was actually

going to be driving to the wedding with the guys and that she would be traveling separately with their wives. Jason claimed one of the wives had already gone over all this with her, but Michelle denied ever receiving such a call. Michelle was a planner. Jason wasn't. He was known to wait to the very last minute to decide to do something and it usually had something to do with fun over being something practical. Well, this accusation that Michelle was lying or didn't know already quickly escalated into a full blown fight with Jason calling her selfish. By the end of their argument, Jason reluctantly agreed to drive to the wedding with Michelle and not his friends. But it was clear by his mood that he wasn't happy. His behavior that weekend only added to the tension.

During the bachelor party, Jason drank in excess, and he ended up urinating all over himself in a dare. He was dared to pee his pants. So then he ended up having to borrow clothes from the groom. This wasn't a new occurrence. At parties, he would be known for these type of antics. And that night, he peed all over Ryan's carpet. Ryan ended up putting him in the shower only for him to run out, completely nude, in front of everyone, including other wives, other women, and exposing himself. It was embarrassing for Michelle, and this kind of reckless behavior had become typical of Jason during any of their nights out, leaving Michelle feeling isolated and frustrated. Throughout their rehearsal dinner, she sat all alone while Jason spent that evening with his friends

barely acknowledging her presence. When they got home after that weekend, things reached a boiling point. What began as a verbal argument escalated. And Michelle later told her sister that during their fight, Jason threw a remote control at her. So the cracks in their marriage were no longer subtle. They'd become deep holes that threatened to engulf everything they built together.

It seemed like it was only a matter of time before everything fell apart. Several days after that tense wedding weekend, on November 2nd, 2006, Jason was preparing for yet another business trip, and Michelle was close to her six months of pregnancy. at the time. Jason's frequent business trips left Michelle at home alone with Cassidy carrying the weight of their household, and Michelle tried to convince herself that Jason wasn't being selfish. He was just trying to make a

good impression to his new job and to ensure that they were financially stable before their second child arrived. This time, Jason told her he had a sales trip to attend in Clintwood, Virginia, early on the morning of Friday the 3rd of November. Clintwood was more than 300 miles away from their home, which meant a very long and exhausting drive. There was no way that Jason was going to drive there all in the same day. So to break up the trip, he booked a hotel in Hillsville, which was roughly halfway between their home and Climwood. Jason told Michelle he was going to attend his sales meeting on Friday morning

and then visit his parents in Bervard before driving home in time for the weekend. In the early evening of Thursday the 2nd of November, he packed up his Ford Explorer outside their home on Birchleaf Drive, preparing to leave Raleigh. Before he left, he kissed Michelle and Cassidy goodbye, before heading off into the desk that evening. It was a routine goodbye. But this time, Michelle's best friend, Shelly, was also there.

I mentioned Shelley already. She was the bride in the wedding that they attended the weekend before. She actually made plans to come over to watch Grey's Anatomy with Michelle because her husband was also going to be out of town. So the girls decided to get together that night. She was also there to retrieve her husband's clothing, the ones that Jason had to borrow during, his drunken mishap at the bachelor party.

Once Jason left, the girls had dinner together, and after the meal, they put Cassidy to bed and Michelle and Jason's bed. The two friends then settled in front of the TV. Michelle was excited. She shared the news about the nursery theme that she chose for baby Rylan, and then they chatted about life.

After a while, the conversation came around to Michelle's marriage, and Michelle shared that she and Jason were arguing more than ever. He was making all of these sales trips would left her feeling like a single mom. And her sister Meredith, even though she was living close by, she was busy getting her master's degree, so she couldn't play an active role as Cassidy's nanny. As they were watching the show together,

an uneasy feeling began to creep over Shelley. She actually asked Michelle if she ever felt scared to be here alone. As they sat together in that cozy living room, Shelly couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. Throughout their time living on Birchleaf Drive, Michelle and Jason had occasionally heard some strange noises outside their home. footsteps rustling in the bushes, but they would dismiss these as ordinary sounds of their neighborhood, which was surrounded by a lot of empty wooded areas, with homes being spread apart.

Yet that night, something felt different. There was an eerie feeling that intensified for Shelley. She kept glancing nervously toward the window. There were no window coverings on the windows and the doors that led out to the backyard. And Michelle explained that there was something that was kind of unsettling about the house. It was its proximity to a trailer park, behind them. It was only 400 feet away from their backyard. With the cold November air outside and the bare trees, it made the trailer park feel uncomfortably close. That anxiety resurfaced especially because Jason was far away. But at least he was keeping in touch by calling over the course of that evening. Jason called Michelle about seven times just to check in.

But thoroughly spooked and unable to shake this ominous feeling, Shelley decided to leave earlier than she had planned. Shelly felt so uncomfortable about the way that the house felt the night that as soon as Michelle walked her to her car, she quickly called her husband and she talked to him the entire drive home. It was just an eerie feeling. By the time, Shelley left, it was around 10.30 and then Michelle went upstairs to get in bed and go to sleep. The next day on Friday, November 3rd, 2006, Michelle would be expected at work after dropping Cassidy off at daycare and then return home in the evening. Meredith, on the other hand, was typically off work on Fridays, and she would sleep in for a bit. Around noon, she woke up to her cell phone ringing,

but she wasn't fast enough to answer it in time, so it went to voicemail. It was Jason, and he was calling with a request for context. About a week prior, Meredith and Jason had a discussion about Jason getting Michelle a nicer anniversary gift to kind of make up for that lame Starbucks gift card. And Meredith mentioned that traditionally,

you gift your partner something leather for your third year anniversary. You've never heard this before. The first year you gift them something paper. The second year is cotton. The third is leather. for his fruit, so on and so forth. So Meredith mentioned to Jason that he should get her a nice designer handbag

because recently Meredith had gotten one and it didn't fit right so she gave it to her sister, Michelle and she really liked it. So taking this tip into consideration, Jason was calling Meredith that morning because he needed a huge favor. It was the day after he left for his business trip and he had been searching online for a coach handbag on eBay. He wanted wanted to get it as a surprise gift for Michelle. Surprises were a big deal to her. So his voice message mentioned that he had printed out auction details for all these different listings, but he forgot it on the printer in the home office. And now he was so stressed out because he didn't want Michelle to go in the office and find it. He wanted to keep it a surprise. So he was wondering if Meredith could just swing

by the house before Michelle came home from work and grab those papers from the printer in their upstairs home office. And even though Meredith didn't usually come over in the middle of the day like that. She was supposed to meet her sister and Cassidy later that day anyway, and it wasn't a problem if she dropped by unannounced. Plus, she knew that Jason and Michelle were really trying to make the effort to rebuild their marriage, and Michelle asked Jason to be more romantic. So here was Meredith thinking, you know what? The least she could do was help. She didn't even shower. She just left because she figured she would be right back. She headed over to her sister's home at 5108, Birchleaf Drive in the Enchanted Oak subdivision. And on the way there, Meredith and her mom talked on the

phone, but they hung up as soon as Meredith arrived around 1 p.m. Before even getting to the driveway, Meredith was already struck by something that seemed kind of odd. At the end of the driveway, there were lamp post, and these lamps were on. Michelle would typically turn them off when she headed to bed, or at the latest when she left the next morning when she was getting ready for work. So it was something that stood out to her sister, and she thought that it was really weird that the lights were on. She wondered why. Then she proceeded to drive down the long driveway, up towards a house, and parked in front of the garage door. That's when she noticed the next unsettling anomaly.

The gate to the backyard was wide open. The family's black lab, Mr. Garrison, often spent time outside in the yard, and Michelle was always careful to keep that gate closed. So that seemed really out of the ordinary. Now, once Meredith got out of the car, she closed the gate, and then she headed to the front door. But unfortunately, it was at that time that she realized she left in such a rush, she forgot to bring Michelle's spare housekey to get in.

So she proceeded to the back door of the house, back door of the house, but it was locked. And when she was over there, she heard something that sounded like running water, like a hose was lightly running, but she didn't stop to inspect it at the time. She could also hear the faint sound of the dog howling, but she couldn't see the dog anywhere. He hardly barked, so that too seemed a bit strange. At that point, she remembered that the garage door was actually broken. It could easily be picked up from the bottom, and it would just roll up without the remote. So she figured she would give it a try, and sure enough, she was able to get inside the garage. That's when she had an increasingly uneasy feeling because Michelle's Lexus SUV was parked in the garage,

a sign that Michelle was still at home, even though she should have been at work, so that was odd. Meredith entered the house through the mudroom door and proceeded into the kitchen area where she put her keys on the counter. That's when she saw the purse she had gifted to her sister on the floor. Now, she knew at this point that Michelle had to be home because she wouldn't have left her purse there, without being there. So she called out her name a few times saying, Michelle, Michelle, but she got no response. So she made her way to the main staircase where the front door is located. There were two staircases in this house. One was by the mudroom door that led up to the den area, and there was another staircase in the main portion of the house that led up to the bedrooms

and the office where she was headed. Slowly she began climbing the stairs to the second floor, calling for Michelle once again. As she neared the top, something strange caught her eye.