Latest news with #InvestigationDiscovery
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Killed Jessie Blodgett? What to Know About Daniel Bartelt and Where He Is Now
Jessie Blodgett was found dead in bed in July 2013, and Daniel Bartelt mourned with her familyNEED TO KNOW Investigation Discovery's A Killer Among Friends recounts the true story of Jessie Blodgett's murder at the hands of Daniel Bartelt The 19-year-old theater student was found strangled in her bed in July 2013 Bartelt was arrested for Blodgett's death, and he was sentenced in August 2014Jessie Blodgett was an actress and musician whose life was cut short by Daniel Bartelt. A recent episode of Investigation Discovery's true crime series A Killer Among Friends recounted the 2013 murder of the 19-year-old Wisconsin theater student by her friend and former boyfriend, Bartelt. The incident stunned the town of Hartford, Wis., as Blodgett's friends and family tried to solve who killed her and why. "Prior to Jessie Blodgett's murder, we hadn't had a homicide in almost 30 years," Lt. James Zywicki, Hartford police investigator, said on A Killer Among Friends. The authorities were immediately on the case, and following a 16-day investigation, Bartelt was arrested and charged with the murder of his friend. Here's everything to know about Jessie Blodgett's murder, Daniel Bartelt's conviction and where he is now. Who was Jessie Blodgett? Blodgett was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she was studying theater. On July 14, 2013, Blodgett came home later from a cast party after a performance of Fiddler on the Roof, where she was playing the Fiddler. According to a police affidavit obtained by ABC News, Blodgett returned at 1 a.m., and her mom discovered her lifeless body in Blodgett's bed around 12 p.m. the next day. Investigators stated that there were signs of strangulation on her neck, but couldn't find a weapon in her room. Shortly after, the police got a search warrant to look through the teenager's phone records and Facebook account, on which she wrote about her play and posted a photo of herself with the rest of the cast. An autopsy later confirmed that Blodgett's cause of death was strangulation, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Who is Daniel Bartelt? Blodgett and Bartelt knew each other for several years, and according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, they had previously dated early on in high school. The former couple stayed friends and spoke regularly. "Jessie and Dan sit together at school; he was a straight-A student ... they would write songs together and sing together. He was welcome in our home," Jessie's father, Buck Blodgett, said in A Killer Among Friends. In a twist, after Blodgett was found dead in her bed, Bartelt showed his support to his family. "He was just over, the day after Jessie's murder, sharing hugs and memories and tears with us until his phone rang and he was called in for questioning," Buck explained. While there were unanswered questions about the tragedy, police were piecing together clues and instances related to Bartelt's activity outside of Blodgett's home. Days before her murder, he had attacked a woman in a nearby park on July 12. While the victim was out walking with her dog, Bartelt charged at her with a knife. She was able to wrestle the weapon away from Bartelt, and he drove off in his van. WISN 12 News reported that Bartelt was later questioned on July 16, and he admitted to attacking the woman. He was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor. How did the police catch Daniel Bartelt? Authorities zeroed in on Bartelt as a suspect in Blodgett's killing when he mentioned an element of the crime that had not yet been made public. While being questioned by the police, Bartelt said someone had "raped and murdered" Jessie, but the rape detail was not known to those outside of the investigation, according to A Killer Among Friends. Police were able to obtain video footage of Bartelt walking through Woodlawn Park on the day of Blodgett's murder. They then searched the park's trash cans and found ropes, bloody sanitizing wipes and tape inside a discarded cereal box. Once tested, it was later confirmed that the evidence contained Blodgett and Bartelt's DNA. Per investigators also found "disturbing online search history" on Bartelt's computer, "including multiple queries about serial killers." Why did Daniel Bartelt kill Jessie Blodgett? Bartelt did not give an answer for why he killed Blodgett, and maintains his innocence. "I can't give you the reasons you are looking for. There's no hiding from yourself in a tiny, concrete cell," Bartelt told Blodgett's parents, per Milwaukee's Fox 6. "This jumpsuit that I'm wearing, these shackles don't make me guilty. I know there's evidence that I can't refute that would make you believe that I am guilty." Still, prosecutors stated during the trial that Bartelt likely targeted Blodgett because it was "convenient," according to ABC News reported that Blodgett's friends said Bartelt had tried to get back together with her, but she didn't feel the same way. What was Daniel Bartelt charged with? Bartelt was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide for Blodgett's death, per Milwaukee's Fox 6. He also faced a second count of first-degree intentional homicide, one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of false imprisonment for the alleged attack against the woman with her dog. Where is Daniel Bartelt now? Bartelt was found guilty on Oct. 14, 2014, and was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He's currently imprisoned in the Wisconsin Waupun Correctional Institution and maintains he is innocent. "I find that the gravity of this offense, the premeditation, the brutality, is so overwhelming I think the Blodgetts are entitled to know that even after they're gone, there's no chance the defendant will ever walk the streets again and endanger someone else," judge Todd Martens said at the sentencing, per WISN 12 News. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Buck also told Bartelt he forgave him. "I not only forgive you, I love you," he said. "I didn't mean it like I like him, like I want to hang out and watch Packer games," Buck later explained. "But like a willful act of what I want to bring to this world, which is the opposite of what he brought in and took out of this world." Blodgett's legacy has lived on in the years since her death. In 2016, her father founded the Love Is Greater Than Hate Project in her honor. Buck said his daughter's "last big cause in life was male violence against women. She was just fiercely outspoken about that for a year or two before her death." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chilling Footage Inside Home Where Former Mormon Influencer Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt Carried Out Heinous Abuse Revealed in New Docuseries
The heinous crimes of former Mormon influencer and are set to be laid bare in an upcoming docuseries that will showcase their 'disturbing' relationship as family members reveal how the pair carried out the shocking abuse inside the former family counselor's home. Investigation Discovery will release 'Ruby and Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' on Sept. 1. The four-part docuseries will dive into the 'motivations' that sparked therapist Hildebrandt to influence mommy vlogger Franke to physically abuse her children inside Hildebrandt's $5 million Utah dwelling. The show, which will air on HBO Max, will shine a light on the ConneXions program, the same program Hildebrandt used to assert her power in the Mormon community and influence the members. It will also offer up shocking police footage of the discovery of Franke's daughter Eve, then 10, who was starved and abused inside a closet. Police arrived at the horrifying scene after Franke's son Russell, then 12, miraculously fled the dwelling and ran to a neighboring home, where security footage showed him asking the residents to give him food. During their search of the property, law enforcement officers discovered torture devices, including rope, handcuffs, and cayenne pepper paste. The series will also present Hildebrandt's niece, Jessi, who will lay bare the lifetime of manipulation she saw her aunt carry out until her arrest. 'Delving into Hildebrandt and Franke's relationship from both women's respective rise to power and extensive influence within the Mormon community to their eventual arrests in 2023, the docuseries charts the magnetic connection between the two and how the melding of Franke's strict family values with Hildebrandt's controversial beliefs created a microcosm of control, manipulation, and brutality that led to the devastating emotional and physical abuse of the Franke children,' a press release shared with read. The press release noted that viewers will see extensive 'archival and police footage,' as well as insight from local journalists who covered the case. 'The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public, and this docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship through exclusive interviews with family members, former clients, and experts to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse,' said Jason Sarlanis, president of Investigation Discovery. 'Ruby and Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' will premiere over two nights on Sept. 1 and 2, from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on ID. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max. The trailer for the upcoming series begins with footage of the moment Russell begged a neighbor for food after he fled the house. In the background, the 911 call that the neighbor placed is played. 'He is obviously covered in wounds, Ruby Franke is his mom's name,' the 911 caller said, before the clip cut to a video of the mommy vlogger. The trailer then cut to a various people branding Hildebrandt 'insidious' and even a 'cult leader.' 'This was a wolf in sheep's clothing,' someone else in the trailer said. The five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home in which the pair carried out the horrifying crimes and were arrested belonged to Hildebrandt and was located in Ivins, UT. Both Franke, 42, and Hildebrandt, 55, pleaded guilty to the charges against them and, in February 2024, they were each sentenced to four consecutive prison terms, which could see them serving up to 30 years behind bars. Police video footage revealed officers combing through the dwelling, with one almost breaking down in tears when he discovered a terrified Eve inside the tiny closet. Both Franke and Hildebrandt were held without bail while they awaited the start of their December 2023 plea hearings—with the latter opting to list her home for sale for $5.3 million just weeks before she was sentenced. However, the dwelling was swiftly taken off the market after a judge ruled that Hildebrandt had to wait until her sentencing before selling it. Once listed, the property then sat on the market for quite some time, until it seemed to have finally had a pending sale in March 2025. However, it was put back on the market in May 2025. It might well be that the home's links to the horrifying crimes of Franke and Hildebrandt made buyers shy away—despite being described in its listing as having 'stunning features and finishes that will take your breath away.' According to Franke's former husband, Kevin, and their two older children, Shari and Chad, all of whom had moved out of the family home when the YouTube star was arrested, the mother of six had moved into Hildebrandt's home not long before her arrest, along with her two youngest kids. Not long after the extent of his wife's crimes was revealed to him, Kevin filed for divorce, which was finalized on March 20. According to local news outlet KSL, Kevin was awarded full custody of their four children who are under the age of 18, as well as sole ownership of the $1.3 million Springville, UT, home he once shared with Ruby. Additionally, Kevin was awarded ownership of a 2.8-acre plot of land in Scofield, Carbon County. Related Articles Food Network Star Anne Burrell's Cause Of Death Revealed After Chef Was Found Dead Inside Her Brooklyn Home Kylie Kelce Reveals Surprising Things She Has Banned in Her $6 Million Home Nicole Kidman Applies for Residency in Portugal—but Husband Keith Urban Is Missing From the Documents
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Jodi Hildebrandt's Arrival Led Ruby Franke to Go 'Off the Rails': 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'
A new four-part docuseries explores the abusive partnership between Ruby Franke and Jodi HildebrandtNEED TO KNOW A new four-part docuseries explores the abusive partnership between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt The docuseries debuts Sept. 1 on Investigation Discovery and will stream on HBO Max Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to prison for four convictions of child abuse last yearA new docuseries delves into how a Mormon religious leader influenced a Utah mom whose seemingly wholesome life spiraled into a horrific case of child abuse carried out in the name of God. The series, Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence, will explore the August 2023 arrest of Mormon family influencer Ruby Franke for felony child abuse and how the mother of six was led down a devious and abusive path by Jodi Hildebrandt, a woman Franke met through her local church who promised to help her become a better wife and mother. The four-part docuseries debuts Sept. 1 on Investigation Discovery and will also be available to stream on HBO Max. 'Over the course of four parts, Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence offers extensive insight into Jodi Hildebrandt's rise to power within the Mormon community through her popular ConneXions program – and how that program led her to Franke and laid the foundation for the twisted bond they shared,' Investigation Discovery said in a statement provided to PEOPLE on Monday. 'Featuring extensive interviews with former clients, the docuseries underscores the extent of Hildebrandt's cult-like and manipulative tactics that devastated the lives of the individuals who entrusted her with their struggles in hopes of helping themselves and their marriages.' The network says that the docuseries includes exclusive new interviews with Hildebrandt's niece Jesse Hildebrandt, who PEOPLE previously reported had opened up about her own childhood abuse after her aunt was arrested. "This was a wolf in sheep's clothing," one interviewee says about Hildebrandt in the new ID trailer, released Monday. The series also includes an interview with Adam Steed, a former patient of Hildebrandt, who previously told PEOPLE that the religious leader who branded herself for a time as a 'sex therapist' had 'destroyed' his life through her teachings. Investigation Discovery said in its press release that the insight in the docuseries "underscores Hildebrandt's manipulative and dangerous tendencies and how when combined with Franke's strict family values, they created an environment rife with manipulation, control, and abuse.' Franke and Hildebrandt were both arrested in August 2023 and charged with six felony counts of child abuse after Franke's 12-year-old son had escaped Hildebrandt's home, where he was bound and starved, and made his way to a neighbor's house seeking help. The neighbor called 911, leading local police to then discover Franke's 9-year-old daughter being held captive in a similar situation. The women's arrests uncovered a pattern of abusive teaching by Hildebrandt, and confirmed growing suspicions of critics who long questioned Franke's strict parenting style on her popular 8 Passengers family vlogging page on YouTube. Both women were ultimately sentenced to prison on four convictions of child abuse, PEOPLE reported last year, and were sentenced to serve between four and 30 years in prison. Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence debuts Sept. 1 on Investigation Discovery and will stream on HBO Max. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
New docuseries explores Ruby Franke's 'twisted dynamic' with Jodi Hildebrandt: See trailer
Viewers will learn more about the "twisted dynamic" between infamous mommy vlogger Ruby Franke and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt in a new docuseries from Investigation Discovery. "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence," set to premiere in early September, combines exclusive interviews, commentary, as well as extensive archival and police footage to offer "unprecedented insight" into Hildebrandt's rise to power within the Mormon community through her life improvement program ConneXions and how it led her to Franke. The show, specifically, will chronicle the women's "doomed partnership" and the "dangerous, disturbing results of unchecked influence to reveal the physical and psychological impact of their abusive actions." Franke, who ran a popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers" with her family, and Hildebrandt, Franke's counselor-turned-business partner, were arrested and convicted of child abuse after two of Franke's six children were found abused and malnourished. "The docuseries charts the magnetic connection between the two and how the melding of Franke's strict family values with Hildebrandt's controversial beliefs created a microcosm of control, manipulation, and brutality that led to the devastating emotional and physical abuse of the Franke children," Investigation Discovery said in a news release. Here's what we know about "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence," including how to watch it. Who is Ruby Franke? And what did she do? Ruby Franke, 43, is a former mommy vlogger who lived in Springville, Utah, with her husband Kevin and their six children. The couple ran a popular and now-defunct YouTube channel called "8 Passengers," which showed snippets of the family's daily life online to an audience of millions beginning in early 2015. Franke later became the subject of widespread criticism online for her parenting choices, particularly her discipline methods that some considered borderline abusive. The pushback intensified when Franke co-founded ConneXions with Hildebrandt, a family counselor turned business partner. Many found that the "parenting style" the pair promoted was extreme and harsh. The frequent inclusion of what has been called homophobic, racist and transphobic comments did not help their popularity. In one often-referenced example, Franke told viewers that children do not deserve, and should not receive, unconditional love. Both women were arrested and initially charged with six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in September 2023 after two of Franke's six children were found abused and malnourished, the office of Eric Clarke, the Washington County Attorney in St. Georiga, Utah, announced at the time. They both pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four of the six counts as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, USA TODAY previously reported. Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced to prison time ranging from four to 60 years in February 2024 and are currently serving their respective sentences. What will be in 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence'? The four-part docuseries "underscores Hildebrandt's manipulative and dangerous tendencies and how when combined with Franke's strict family values, they created an environment rife with manipulation, control, and abuse," according to Investigation Discovery. "Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence" does feature "extensive interviews with former clients." Jessi Hildebrandt, Hildebrandt's niece, and others, including local journalists as well as current and former members of the Mormon faith, will also offer "additional and exclusive insight" throughout the docuseries, the TV network said. Jason Sarlanis, president of Investigation Discovery, said in a statement, "The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public, and this docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship through exclusive interviews with family members, former clients, and experts to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse." Watch 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' trailer How to watch 'Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence' The four-part Investigation Discovery docuseries will premiere over two nights, Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, at 9 p.m. ET/midnight PT. Episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE College football star's brutal murder laid bare by traumatized friends in chilling new documentary
A new true crime documentary is set to unpack the shocking murder of college student and football star Trent DiGiuro, who was shot dead at a party just days before he was due to turn 21. Offensive lineman DiGiuro was killed in July 1994. It was almost two in the morning, and the sporting hopeful had been sitting outside on the porch with his friend, Sean, when a gun went off, striking him. No one knew who fired the gun, and a grueling police investigation followed. Investigation Discovery's new documentary series, A Killer Among Friends, unpicks DiGiuro's final moments from the hours leading up to the party, his subsequent murder, and the desperate four-year hunt to find the assailant. In an exclusive clip shared with Daily Mail ahead of the episode's premiere on July 14, DiGiuro's friend Sean remembered the terrible night. 'It was pandemonium because it was just so random. I called 911.' He explained that it took the emergency services 'ten minutes' to arrive to the scene of the crime, but sadly DiGiuro had already passed. Visibly overcome with emotion, Sean recalled the moment he realized that DiGiuro had died. 'I knew he had passed when I came back outside, picked up my sweatshirt, and really looked and you just knew,' he said. 'You just knew… no one could take that kind of… you can't live through that. 'The next thing that I remember is the policeman came up and took my sweatshirt.' Lead investigator, Don Evans, remembered turning up at the crime scene and described the situation as 'chaotic.' He said: 'Just after two o'clock in the morning, Lexington Police dispatcher received a call from what was a frantic male subject who said something had happened to his friend. 'I was a fairly new detective at the time, but I learned pretty quickly the victim was a 20-year-old soon to be 21-year-old football player who actually played for University of Kentucky.' 'It was pretty chaotic, lots of people around and the patrol officers briefed me that they'd actually found a gun at the party,' he continued. 'Antonio O'Ferral, who was a quarterback of the UK football team at that time, admitted to having procession of the gun.' Indeed, Antonio's handprints were on a gun that night, but crucially it wasn't his, nor did he fire it. Instead, the gun belonged to another friend at the party, Chris Davies, who had kept the weapon in the glovebox of his car, which Antiono had taken. 'I think they might have asked us if there were any weapons in the house, and before the police officers got there I was very much in crisis mode,' he said. 'My handprints were going to be all over that gun, so I just told them that it was there.' DiGiuro's murder continued to be one of the most mysterious whodunnits for six years, until a woman came forward to turn in her ex-boyfriend, Shane Ragland. Ragland was eventually found guilty of killing DiGiuro and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. After several years, however, the conviction was overturned, and Ragland pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter instead. He has since been released for time served.
