Colin Browen
Appearances
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Warning, the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Hey everybody, Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
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Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all. But let's get back to the story.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
From the very beginning, investigators knew that something was wrong here. What were Brittany and Celeste hiding? From here, both women were taken to the police station for questioning, and on multiple occasions, their stories changed. But throughout it all, they both stayed calm and collected.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Now, they had obtained a vacant room list from on-site maintenance, and using this list, they went room to room to make sure Amari wasn't kidnapped or walked into an empty room by herself. They also called guests of the hotel to see if anyone witnessed anything, but unfortunately, no one had seen Amari Hall.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
So, from here, Gwinnett Police issued a public statement that said that they did not have any leads, but were confident that no foul play was involved. Corporal Kylie Boney stated, Miss Hall is new to the area, so she doesn't have a lot of friends or family she would reach out to.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
On October 30, 2013, a little baby girl named Emori Nicole Hall was brought into the world. It was Brittany Hall's first child, and even though the father wasn't in the picture, Brittany was excited to venture into motherhood. But being a single mother isn't easy. Luckily for her, Brittany's mother, Barbara Wright, was more than willing to help her out.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Officers are just patrolling the area, searching the woods, searching different businesses, trying to figure out where she could have gone. Wherever she is, I trust that the public, alongside the police department and our resources, we can locate Nicole and try and give the family some answers.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Once they were at the police station, Celeste Owens was taken into interview room number three, and Brittany Hall was taken into interview room number one. Both children, Zaire and Jakari, were instructed to wait in a waiting room equipped with children's toys, while Brittany and Celeste were questioned. Officer Sorensen and Detective Matthew Conway were assigned to interview Celeste.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
It was obvious from the beginning that Celeste struggled to keep her timeline straight. Here's some footage from Celeste's interview. Now, at points, you'll hear her call Amari, Nicole, because she sometimes went by both names.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Soon after her birth, Brittany and baby Amore moved in with Barbara and her husband, Tony, in their home located in DeKalb County, Georgia. And for the first few years of Amore's life, things were going well. She had a good support system. She was surrounded by people who loved her.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
barbara who amari called gigi said that growing up amore was a curious intelligent and vibrant child who enjoyed playing dress up and helping her grandmother cook barbara said that she will never forget the first time they made cornbread together amore helped her crack the eggs stir the batter and butter the pan and when it was time to pull it out of the oven amore's eyes lit up she was so proud of herself making something with her own two hands and watching it form into what she said looked like a beautiful cake
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
From the moment Detective Conway and Officer Sorenson questioned her, Celeste's story was all over the place. Unsure about timelines, inconsistent, and riddled with lies. But Detective Conway stated that the only thing they wanted to know was what happened to Amari Hall.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
literally think that she just of course ran away but i literally think that god forbid somebody snatched her up so according to celeste amore likely got angry and left the hotel room then somewhere along the way she could have been kidnapped celeste admitted that amari didn't have a history of running away but there was an incident at flat shoals elementary school where amari got angry and left the classroom
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Next, detectives want to know about Brittany and Celeste's parenting methods, specifically if they physically punished Amori when she acted out, but Celeste was adamant that they never did that, although cell phone recordings would later prove this was a lie. So, using a common interrogation tactic, Detective Conway asked if perhaps there had been an accident on the night Amori disappeared.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
They wanted Celeste to provide more information, while also giving her an option to minimize her involvement.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
If you love Murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories and the unknown, then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and The Paranormal Files. On The Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events,
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
pedophile rings, government corruption, ritual sacrifice. No topic is untouched on this show. Everything that we talk about on The Conspiracy Files is backed up with fact. I release reference sheets with every single episode that we do so you guys know everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
It's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories we're presenting you people with facts telling you the story walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with murder in america and then letting the listener decide what they think anyways you should definitely give it a listen it's called the conspiracy files the links are in the description of this show and you can find it on apple podcasts spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and now let's get back to our story
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Detective Conway and Officer Sorensen believed that Celeste knew more than what she was telling them. They told her that they were going to get a search warrant to check her phone to see if her timeline of events matched what was in her phone. Lift rides, her sister calling to babysit, and her exact movements and locations on the night Amari disappeared.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
And it's here where Celeste started to get defensive. which only raised more red flags for investigators. Detective Conway then explained that it was their job to investigate every lead-in statement, even if the statement came from a 6-year-old child.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Amari was also very well-behaved and an excellent student at Flat Shoals Elementary School. Now, according to her mom, Brittany, Amari was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, but the rest of her family never knew about this diagnosis. When Brittany wasn't available to take her children to the pediatrician, Barbara took them and she was never told that Amari was autistic.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Now, the fact that Zier said that Dad, which is what they called Celeste, took Amore out of the room that night was of huge importance to investigators. Kids don't lie about that kind of stuff. But detectives also couldn't help but notice when talking to the children that they had bruises covering their bodies.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Celeste tried to explain away the physical signs of abuse by saying that Amore and Zier often got into fights.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
barbara spent a lot of time with the child in fact for the entire year of 2020 and in the beginning of 2021 barbara took care of all three of brittany's children but for years it had been this back and forth of sending her kids to live with grandma but finally in 2021 brittany decided that she wanted them back so that's what she did
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
The investigators were very patient with Celeste. They let her ramble on about her innocence for hours, but the one thing they kept coming back to was her whereabouts that night. Celeste's story about her babysitting her nieces and nephews was a flat-out lie. In fact, investigators spoke to her family, and they claimed that they hadn't seen Celeste in months. So, they confront her about this.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Now, interestingly, there isn't a lot of information about Brittany Hall and what was happening with her during this time. But by Monday, November 22nd, there were still no signs of Amaury Hall. For days, investigators had been searching for the eight-year-old girl with no luck. And by 1015, they had to call off the search until the following day.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
However, this time, they issued a statement saying that they believed Amaury was in danger.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Back at the Gwinnett County Police Department, Celeste's cell phone was in the process of being searched. According to Officer Sorenson, it took a few hours to extract the data, but by the morning of Monday, November 22nd, around 9 a.m., they had uncovered some videos that disturbed them to their core.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
It was footage of all three of Brittany's children, Amori, Zaire, and Jakari, being subjected to cruel physical and mental abuse. The dates of the abuse range from July 20th, 2021 to August 9th, 2021. We're going to play some of the audio that they found from the videos on Celeste's phone.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
And they're a little hard to hear, but trigger warning, you will hear the sounds of the children being physically abused.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
In these absolutely horrific videos, Jakari was shown on the floor as his mother Brittany walked past him and said, you're stupid as fuck, before hitting him 11 times on the back. Another video showed Jakari blindfolded on the floor and Celeste walked up to him, tightening the cloth around his eyes, and proceeded to slap him across the face and kick him while he was on the ground.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Another video showed one of the young girls getting slapped across the face with such force that her head was knocked sideways. After reviewing the shocking footage taken from Celeste's cell phone, investigators located Brittany Hall and she was also arrested and booked at the Gwinnett County Jail on child cruelty charges.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Barbara never knew why Brittany stopped communication and stated that the two never even had a falling out. She said that although the two had disagreements, there was never a moment where she pushed her daughter away. The last holiday she spent with Brittany, Amori, Zier, and Jakari, Christmas 2020, had been a happy occasion.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
People suspected that Celeste Owens was the one who killed Amari and that Brittany Hall, Amari's mother, helped her conceal the crime. Now, Celeste, who was in police custody, was now facing 11 cruelty to children charges, falsely reporting a crime, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, and felony and malice murder.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Brittany Hall was now charged with felony child cruelty charges, falsely reporting a crime, and concealing the death of her own daughter. Both women were held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond. Following the discovery of Amaury Hall, her body was taken to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office for a complete and thorough autopsy.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
On the morning of November 24th, Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. James Downs was the physician in charge of determining the cause and manner of death. Upon review of the child's body, Dr. Downs discovered several blunt force injuries and extreme malnutrition. He determined that Amore's cause of death was battered child syndrome and the manner was homicide.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
After the shocking details emerged of Amore Hall's final hours of life, investigators were hard at work trying to find out the timeline of events in regards to Celeste Owens and Brittany Hall. One of the detectives assigned to go through Celeste's cell phone, Detective Randy Blackburn, discovered concerning searches that were conducted a few days before Amore was reported missing.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
on november 19th 2021 around 4 a.m celeste google searched what to do when a child just won't listen a few minutes later she searched what to do when a child doesn't listen around noon celeste google searched lakes in the area apparently investigators also discovered that celeste deleted her search history prior to giving her cell phone to law enforcement other google searches on november 19th were how do sewers on the street work
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Why do kids run away? How do I report someone missing? What to do if a loved one goes missing? Why is it so hard to find missing people? How do sewer drains work? And U-Haul customer account. Obviously, investigators were interested in why Celeste wanted to access her U-Haul account.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
They also discovered that on the same day, Celeste's cell phone locator showed that she had visited an A1 storage facility off Lawrenceville Highway. When investigators arrived at the location, store employees were able to provide a receipt that showed Celeste had rented a U-Haul van on that same date.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
They also provided call logs that showed Celeste's name and phone number where she had called multiple times to inquire about renting a van.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
ultimately celeste rented a van on november 19th at 106 pm she returned the van on the same day at 7 36 pm the total number of miles driven within the six hour time frame was 27. surveillance footage showed that celeste showed up at the a1 storage around 12 50 pm via uber waited in line for roughly 15 minutes and then left the location in the u-haul van at around 109 pm
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Detective Blackburn indicated that after Brittany Hall was arrested on November 22nd, she provided crucial information as to where Amari's body might be located. She also admitted that she was aware of the abuse by Celeste, downplaying her own involvement, and that she did not go with Celeste to dispose of her daughter's body.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Unfortunately, after several hours of extensive searching, they were unable to locate her due to the sun going down. However, the next morning, November 23rd, they successfully located her body in the same vicinity where Brittany said she might be. And the evidence against Celeste Owen was damning.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
In fact, the U-Haul tracked that Celeste had traveled 27 miles, which happened to be the exact mileage from the hometown studios to the dump site and then back to the A1 storage facility. Now, investigators did have a cadaver dog named Sierra, who's a blonde Labrador retriever, come sniff the van for any sign of human remains.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
But it's believed that the van had been thoroughly cleaned with that bleach that Celeste bought, so the dog wouldn't have been able to sniff out decomposition. However, using Celebrite's software, investigators were able to download and review Celeste's geolocation data on November 19th. Between 1241 p.m.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
and 1259 p.m., Celeste's location traveled from the hometown studios to the A1 storage facility, evidence that was backed up with surveillance video and a receipt. And although there was no geolocation between 546 p.m. and 727 p.m., Flock cameras continued to capture the U-Haul van moving south towards DeKalb County.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
According to court records, Celeste arrived in DeKalb County at around 6.35 p.m., and Celeste was also tracked traveling to the same general vicinity where Amore's body would later be discovered. Also, according to cell phone data, Celeste made an outgoing phone call to a number listed under the name My Lady at 6.58 p.m.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
around 7 pm flock cameras were able to capture celeste and the u-haul van heading back north away from decalb county according to investigators celeste had triggered specific preference settings on her cell phone during the time her geolocation was untraceable
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
but despite all the evidence against them celeste's defense attorney robert greenwald fought to show the jury that there was reasonable doubt he argued that there was no evidence to suggest that celeste was responsible for amari's murder instead he blamed brittany hall for killing her own daughter and instructed the jurors to look at evidence and not to rely on emotion or sympathy and you may be wondering how do investigators know that celeste was the one who killed amari
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Well, during the trial, multiple witnesses took the stand for the prosecution, pointing the finger at Celeste. But the most crucial witness was Omari's younger sister, Zaire.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
on the floor assistant district attorney brian brown asked zaire about the last night she had seen amari but zaire was having some trouble remembering so they ended up showing her this video of her interview with investigators on the morning that amore went missing and this seemed to help jog her memory that night i ate real food and and my brother and my sister didn't get they no real food and then my sister wanted
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
signed and dated this 13th day of december 2024 by the poor person before judge angela duncan sentenced celeste owens prosecutor sabrina nazim asked for the harshest sentence possible life in prison without the possibility of parole plus an extra 235 years amari's loved ones including her grandmother and grandfather barbara and tony wright and amari's aunt takara wright were also able to read their victims impact statements to the court
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin Gatson stated, "...this was a horrible way to treat these children and a tragedy that Amore Hill was killed as a result. We pray that her sister and brother are able to heal from the abuse they endured and that their extended family can get a sense of closure."
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Following her sentencing, Celeste was escorted out of the courtroom and immediately taken into custody. Today, Celeste is housed at the Arendelle State Prison in Georgia, where she will remain for the rest of her life. As for Brittany Hall, her charges were upgraded to include malice murder and felony murder.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
She's currently residing at the Gwinnett County Jail until her trial, which has yet to be scheduled.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Today we will be making a donation to the National Child Abuse Coalition An organization that aims to prevent and address child abuse and neglect They also work to reform federal policies within the child welfare system Hey everybody, it's Colin here.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America from both Courtney and I. We are actually recording this episode in Colorado. We've been on our yearly anniversary vacation, still working on all of our shows and our projects. So we didn't really take the week off. We've just been enjoying some time together out in the Colorado wilderness.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
And yeah, we're going to be back next week with an episode that I've wanted to share and talk about for a long time. So I'm really excited to get this story back out into the world. If you guys don't like the ads on our show and you want to get early access to all of the episodes, please consider joining us on Patreon.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
On Patreon, you can get access to ad-free versions of every episode of the show, and there's also tons of bonus episodes. So if you've listened to every episode of Murder in America and you want more, Go check out our Patreon. There's going to be a new episode added this week for Certain Tears.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
The Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services had a history with Brittany and her oldest child, Amori. There were three investigations of abuse and neglect opened in 2015, 2017, and 2021. Ultimately, DHS never found enough evidence to charge Brittany, and she was allowed to keep her three children.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Of course, the truth would finally be revealed on the morning of Sunday, November 21, 2021.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
It wasn't long before police officers arrived at the hometown studios to speak with Brittany and her partner Celeste, and immediately, they started searching nearby areas for any signs of 8-year-old Amari Hall. Officer Jonathan Sorensen was the on-call detective for the Special Victims Unit that weekend, and arrived at room 251 around noon.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Before he was dispatched to the scene, Officer Sorensen issued a BOLO alert with a description of the area and what Amari was last seen wearing. It read, The Gwinnett County Police Department is searching for eight-year-old female Nicole Hall. Hall was last seen by her mother between midnight and 1 a.m. this morning. Hall went missing from the Homewood Studios at 7049 Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
And I'm Colin Browen.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Hall has autism and is new to the Peachtree Corners area. Hall was last seen wearing a blue Tweety Bird jacket with a blue and white pajama set. She is possibly wearing her glasses and her rainbow light-up shoes. Hall is 4 foot 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 80 pounds. She's a black female with brown eyes and black shoulder-length hair.
Murder In America
EP. 191: GEORGIA - The Child In The Trash Bag: The Disturbing Murder of Amari Hall
Hall's mother is extremely concerned for her daughter's safety. Anyone who may come into contact with her or learn of her whereabouts to call the police immediately.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
Warning, the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
Soon after the divorce, Kathy prided herself in being an important member of the feminist movement and for becoming a modern, self-reliant woman. Her obituary described her as, "...at once bold, colorful, simple, direct, and easy. A quintessentially modern California individual, living life on her own terms and loving her life with many friends and extended family."
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
And I'm Colin Browen.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
now eventually her daughter would grow and move out she left home to attend georgetown and from there miss kathy had a desire to help other young artists in fact she often opened her doors to actors writers singers and directors welcoming them to rent her rooms and live in a supportive creative environment with a hollywood mom and if you're trying to break into hollywood you need a hollywood mom
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
This kind of supportive environment is what drew Johnny Lewis to the writer's villa. After speaking with Miss Kathy, he was promptly offered one of the suites, known as the Red Room. But rent wasn't cheap, hovering anywhere between $1650 and $3,000 a month for one bedroom with a private bathroom, sitting room, and access to the rest of the home.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
For perspective, at the time, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in LA was about $1,200. Yet, the writer's villa offered things nowhere else seemed to. For Johnny and many others, that was priceless. So, he moved in. And at first, it seemed to be working out for him. His friend Bo Garrett told LA Mag, I remember all the nice things he said about Miss Kathy.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
But interestingly, he wouldn't stay very long. He would end up moving later that year, not because of any disagreements or unhappiness. He left because he discovered that his girlfriend was pregnant.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
late 2010 johnny traveled to hagerstown maryland a historic town on the panhandle of virginia right near the border of west virginia he was there to star in a horror movie directed by eduardo sanchez the same guy who wrote directed and edited the wildly popular and groundbreaking movie the blair witch project in 1999 the movie titled lovely molly revolves around johnny's wife
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
played by Gretchen Lodge, who's corrupted by a demon and tormented by the memory of an assault committed against her when she was a child. The movie is psychologically twisted, dark, and truly fits the label of a horror film. Filming took place over 21 days, during which time the crew grew incredibly close.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
Johnny and Gretchen seemed to have even begun dating during this time or soon after filming wrapped. which makes sense when you look at the scenes they were filming. When you have a twisted horror film about lovers, every scene is juxtaposed with the next.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
It ends up being a mix of loving, sensual, and connected scenes, clashing against scary, vulnerable, and intense scenes where actors are forced to truly bear it all, both emotionally and physically. In many scenes, Gretchen, who had never acted in a feature-length film before, had to be naked, covered in blood, screaming, and acting as though she was possessed.
Murder In America
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In one scene, she had to bite off Johnny's lip. And, spoiler alert, in the end, Johnny's character is brutally killed with a blow to the head.
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Hey, everybody. Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review.
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Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program, so definitely If you're listening and you're loving what we're doing here, share us on your Instagram story, shout us out on X, post one of our shows on your Facebook, and let the world, your friends, your family know that you're listening to Murder in America. It seriously helps us so much. It helps us grow the show.
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We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all. But let's get back to the story. If Johnny was tested for a concussion, which is just a mild form of a traumatic brain injury, doctors likely would have looked at his eye movement, reflexes, and memory recall to diagnose him.
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If all of these appeared normal, doctors could have determined that he didn't have any noticeable or impactful head injury. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, some traumatic brain injuries are primary, meaning that the damage is immediate and noticeable.
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Others can be secondary, which means they occur over the course of hours, days, or weeks after the initial impact. Those who knew Johnny suggest that he was suffering from a secondary traumatic brain injury. And when you look at the months that immediately followed the crash, it's easy to see why.
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In December of 2011, two months after the crash, Johnny was attending an acting class that he frequented. According to his close friend, Jonathan Tucker, Johnny was using a strange British accent for the entirety of the class. His friend later told LA Mag, I asked him about it because I was confused, but he shrugged it off.
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Jonathan had known him for several years, and according to him, this kind of behavior was incredibly unusual.
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From the very beginning, it seems that Johnny Lewis was destined for the spotlight. Born Jonathan Kendrick Lewis in the San Fernando Valley on October 29, 1983, he was the son of Devona and Michael Lewis, who had both moved to Los Angeles to follow their own dreams. His father, Michael, had journeyed to the City of Angels to work as a playwright, screenwriter, and counselor.
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After 27 years of displaying no violence whatsoever and committing no crimes, Johnny was suddenly behind bars after what his family and friends described as an uncharacteristically violent act. Three days later, he allegedly turned that violence on himself by attempting to jump from the second story level at the jail.
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This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
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This, along with his repeated attempts to bash his head against the concrete wall of his cell, resulted in him being transferred to a psychiatric ward on a 72-hour hold. In California, this is referred to as a 5150. Now, when his 72 hours in the ward was up, his father bailed him out.
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Once more, his parents brought him to their condo in Northridge to monitor him, but this time, things were undeniably worse. His older sister Anna told L.A. Mag, "...he looked like a wounded, broken animal." He repeatedly disabled the fuse box to the condo in order to prevent his parents from turning the lights on and refused to let anyone touch him or get near him.
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For a moment, just imagine that. Less than a year prior, Johnny had been sitting in a cafe in Berlin working on a novel he wanted to write. Smiling and well-groomed, he made this video for a loved one.
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I don't know about you guys, but I like keeping my money where I can see it. Unfortunately, traditional big wireless carriers also seem to like keeping my money too. After years of overpaying for wireless, I finally got fed up from crazy high wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks that actually cost more in the long run and switched to Mint Mobile.
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It's crazy how much these big carriers like to charge you for every little thing. It's like clockwork. When it's time to pay my wireless bill, I'm like, oh my god. God, this is crazy you're charging me for this and that, but not with Mint Mobile.
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You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your phone number along with all of your existing contacts. So it's incredibly easy and painless to switch over. And I think it's about time to ditch overpriced wireless and get three months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for just 15 bucks a month. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you.
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Shop plans at mintmobile.com slash america. That's mintmobile.com slash america. Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month 5GB plan required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. And now, let's get back to our story.
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Devona, who had grown up on a farm in a town of just 60 people in Alberta, Canada, was an English and drama teacher. Like thousands of dreamers before them, they settled down and bought a house in what locals refer to as the Valley, putting them a stone's throw away from the glitz and glamour of the world-famous studios.
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So, sure, Johnny was out of jail twice, but that didn't stop the court dates from coming, nor from his mental health deteriorating even more. In May, his friend Jonathan Tucker picked him up to take him to one of his court hearings. Remember, this is the same friend that had noticed Johnny speaking in a strange accent, months prior in their acting class.
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Within seconds of having Johnny in his car, it was clear how much worse things had gotten. He told LA Mag, It was another person completely. He had a look I have only seen with disturbed veterans of war. His memory was scattered. He vacillated between lucid conversation and incoherence. It was clear to his family, friends, and professionals that Johnny needed help.
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But of course, there was another thing that drew them to Los Angeles, their ties to Scientology. But we'll get into that a little bit later.
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On May 17, 2012, Johnny's probation officer wrote as follows in his official report, The defendant suffers from some form of chemical dependency, mental health issue, and a lack of permanent housing. Given this, Lewis will continue to be a threat to any community he may reside. And yet, little was done.
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This brings us to one of the most challenging parts of this story, one that has received a lot of attention in the media. Johnny's parents were Scientologists. Not just Scientologists, though. They were top-level Scientologists. They were what is referred to as Operating Thetan Level 8, which is the highest level of spiritual freedom in the Scientology Church.
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Apparently, this level can only be acquired by taking a trip on the Freewinds, a Scientology cruise ship. Now, there have been some serious claims of abuse and kidnapping taking place on the Freewind, but we'll save that for a Conspiracy Files episode.
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However, it's widely known that Scientology as a religion denounces psychiatric problems and disapproves of mental health and medication being used at all. To people living a secular life, it's probably hard to imagine how anyone could be manipulated into thinking that way. However, a look at the Scientology website shows what kind of tactics are being used to sway their members.
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Consider this section, straight from their website under a page labeled, Why is Scientology Opposed to Psychiatric Abuses? The Scientology objection to psychiatry does not stem from any desire to deny the insane treatment. Rather, the Church objects to the mistreatment of the insane, which is a psychohistorical hallmark.
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Nor do Scientologists believe people should be stigmatized with labels and treated with cures that have no basis in science and are brutal in the extreme. Through its long and tragic history, psychiatry has invented numerous cures which eventually proved destructive in the extreme. In the 18th and 19th centuries, mentally troubled patients were literally subjected to torture devices.
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Next, it was ice baths and insulin shock.
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then electroconvulsive therapy that caused broken teeth and bones as well as loss of memory and regression into comatose states next it was prefrontal lobotomies with an ice pick through the eye socket today it is drugs it is now routine psychiatric practice to label and stigmatize youth with wholesale diagnosis of mental disorders it is a staggeringly profitable business
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But while psychiatrists rake in billions, society receives a new generation of lifelong drug addicts and thus still more customers for psychotropic drugs. Today, the market of antidepressants has likewise reached nightmarish proportions, and the scenario becomes even more disturbing when one considers the explosively violent episodes such drugs precipitate.
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Moreover, there is categorically no evidence that diseases such drugs claim to treat even exist, which is to say, it's all an elaborate and deadly hoax. This is not Scientology belief or opinion. This is fact, and this is why Scientologists oppose psychiatric abuse.
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If you love Murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories and the unknown, then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Browen, from Murder in America and The Paranormal Files. On The Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events...
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pedophile rings government corruption ritual sacrifice no topic is untouched on this show everything that we talk about on the conspiracy files is backed up with fact i release reference sheets with every single episode that we do so you guys know everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real it's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories
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Instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories, we're presenting you people with facts, telling you the story, walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with Murder in America, and then letting the listener decide what they think. Anyways, you should definitely give it a listen. It's called The Conspiracy Files.
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The links are in the description of this show, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now let's get back to our story.
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Because of the crowding at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Johnny only served a total of six weeks before he was released on September 21st, 2012. As soon as he got out, he went to Atwater Village to stay at the Los Feliz Hotel. Two days later, on September 23rd, 2012, Johnny's father picked him up.
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Little's known about what Johnny's disposition was on that day, but he apparently went shopping for new clothes with his dad and was brought back to the Valley so he could pick up his motorcycle. which he had left at his parents' condo in Northridge.
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Johnny was evidently reluctant to go back to Ridgeview, in spite of his parents' insistence, but it was clear that he needed a place to stay at, and that's where the writer's villa came back into the picture. Johnny apparently asked his father if he could call Miss Kathy and see if there was a spot for him there. Naturally, she agreed and quickly got his old room ready for his arrival.
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The writer's villa was a place for creatives to lick their wounds and heal their souls, and it apparently seemed like the perfect place to help Johnny get back on his feet. To Miss Kathy, who had no idea he had been in prison or was struggling with his mental health, it seemed like the return of a beloved guest and friend.
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Now, Jonathan Tucker missed the call and only heard the voicemail about an hour after Johnny left it. The two had been close friends for quite some time. Just a few years prior, Johnny had stayed with Tucker in New York. Tucker claimed that he was a perfect guest.
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When he woke up in the morning, his entire apartment would be clean and Johnny would already be out the door, exploring the neighborhood and bringing back bagels for breakfast. He spent the whole trip trying out different restaurants, going to museums, and writing in the same bars that the Beatniks did in the 50s and 60s. But by 2012, Jonathan decided he couldn't risk letting Johnny stay with him.
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Jonathan's eyes well with tears as he says it, as he struggles to look at the camera, instead looking down and out of frame. It's clear it's a decision that he struggled with, but he states that it isn't one he regretted.
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The three siblings were tight-knit from a young age. Old family videos taken from the bulky camcorders of the 80s show snapshots of their seemingly idyllic childhood. Johnny's hair is so blonde that it's almost white. His eyes are bright blue and always crinkled from the toothless grin on his face. There are videos of him singing his ABCs, hugging and dancing with his sister.
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Videos of him giggling beside her, both of them happily twirling in fairy costumes. Videos of him teetering around the yard barefoot and swinging on the swing set with a lack of grace that only a toddler can make cute.
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It only took minutes for LAPD to arrive at the writer's villa where Dan had seen Johnny flee after his brutal and unprovoked attack. But in those few minutes, something horrible had happened. Police arrived to find Johnny Lewis laying in a pool of his own blood in the driveway of the writer's villa. By 10.57 a.m., he was pronounced dead.
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He was discovered lying face up, his eyes towards the blue sky, and the back of his head smashed against the concrete. In the photos that we'll link on our Patreon, you can see the spatter of the impact and the sheer amount that he bled.
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His autopsy report reads, "...it appears that the decedent jumped over the wrought iron railing at the top of the terrace to drop to the driveway below during an attempt to flee the location." During this jump, the decedent lost his balance and landed on the driveway head first. A blood splatter is noted on the driveway below the railing.
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The momentum caused him to slide across the driveway where he came to rest along the outside edge of the driveway. In other words, according to the deputy medical examiner, Johnny died in an accidental fall while he was attempting to flee the scene of multiple crimes that he committed.
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They stated that there was no definitive evidence that the fall was intentional, and no evidence that he had been pushed. He died of multiple traumatic injuries, including hemorrhagic fractures of the skull and fractures of his spine. On his body, clear fingernail marks were visible, and it seemed that he had suffered from partial strangulation.
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Now, this next part involves animal cruelty, but in the shower in the adjoining bathroom, over the shattered pieces of the broken mirror, there was another horrific discovery awaiting law enforcement. In the shower was the body of Miss Kathy's beloved gray and white cat. He had been beaten and dismembered by Johnny.
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The brutality and senselessness of the scene is something that still haunts everyone who knows this case.
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this day there are several sources articles and biographies about johnny that state he was on drugs at the time of the incident many of these statements seem to stem from the reports about johnny being in a rehab facility ridgeview just prior to his death but the narrative about johnny being addicted to drugs in general isn't as clear-cut as the media has suggested his father and friends have stated that at ridgeview johnny needed to state that he had an addiction in addition to his mental health problems in order to be admitted
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At first, he tried to state that he had a marijuana addiction. He wrote to his friends in an email. On a side note, we're pleading rehab to avoid trial. Addicted to marijuana, what a trip. But upon arrival at Ridgeview, his claim that he was addicted to marijuana didn't fly with staff. Instead, he started to claim that he was an alcoholic.
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According to many of Johnny's friends, he had dabbled with drugs in the past, but he wasn't an active user or ever struggling with addiction. Jonathan Tucker told LA Mag that Johnny was the type to stay up late playing chess and drinking tea, ever to party. He stated, "...that's what made Johnny special." No drugs, no alcohol, just poetry and philosophy.
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Tim Woodhead, a fellow inmate that became friends with Johnny at Twin Towers Correctional Facility, also commented on Johnny's drug use, stating, I did a lot of drug seeking at that place. There were a lot of opportunities that he turned down multiple times. At the time of his death, there were no drugs or alcohol in Johnny's system.
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He was tested for synthetics, PCP, marijuana, ecstasy, just about every drug you can possibly imagine. And every single one came back negative.
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In the wake of Miss Kathy's loss, several of her former Hollywood children have tried to carry on her spirit with them, promoting arts programs and encouraging youth to follow their dreams.
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So in honor of Miss Kathy and her mission to the arts, we will be making a donation to Inner City Arts, an organization dedicated to engaging underprivileged youth in the creative process of various art forms to shape a more confident and collaborative society.
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Yeah, congratulations to you two from obviously both Courtney and I. Thank you for listening to our show. And we wish you the happiest marriage. Yeah, congratulations. Hey everybody, it's Colin. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. This story is one that I've wanted to tell for a very long time. I just could not believe that this happened.
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When I was younger, I watched Sons of Anarchy. It was my favorite show. I was absolutely obsessed with the show. In a weird twist, a lot of people still to this day tell me that I bear a slight resemblance to Jax. I think they're being very kind, but it's something that I'm told pretty frequently.
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And when I first heard about Johnny, you know, having done these things, it was really, really shocking as someone that loved that show and essentially grew up with it. It's such a sad story all the way around. But if you enjoy these episodes and you want to get access to bonus episodes of Murder in America,
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consider joining us on our patreon if you sign up for patreon you can get access instantly to a library of over a hundred episodes of murder in america that will never be posted on our main feed these are full-length episodes of the show edited just like every other episode that we post so if you love the show and you want to hear more stories consider joining us on patreon you can also get access to every single episode of the show early and ad free
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Just in case you don't like the advertisements and you want just a clean listening experience. I want to thank everybody who joined us on Patreon over the last few years. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at Murder in America to see photos from every single case that we cover. Thank you all once again for listening this week. We appreciate you all so very much from the bottom of our hearts.
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From the time he was 18 well into his early 20s, Johnny lived in what was known in the industry as the Wilton Hilton, a five-bedroom craftsman house on North Wilton Place in Hollywood. In an interview with L.A. Mag, one of Johnny's roommates at the time, Doug Usher, stated, it was the frat row of young Hollywood.
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In the 1970s and 80s, the Wilton Hilton was best known for being party central for the punk rock bands of the time. The influential band The Screamers called it home for several years, inviting groups like Blondie and The Ramones over for wild multi-day parties.
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It seems that by the 90s and early 2000s, when Johnny called it home, it had calmed down slightly, but was still a gathering place for parties and up-and-coming artists to let off some steam. Doug Usher reported to LA Mag that he and Johnny lived in the home with actors Adam Brody, Bret Harrison, and Ashley Simpson, as they were all working their way towards fame.
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This kind of environment, surrounded by other artists, is one that Johnny seems to have chased for the rest of his life. Around 2005, Johnny was a frequent face at local acoustic nights, where fledgling stars would gather to perform their music, writing, and poetry to a like-minded crowd.
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Though Johnny loved acting and did it for nearly his entire life, it was poetry and writing that was his true passion, and it seems that his passion at one of these events is what caught Katy Perry's eye.
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In September of 2006, Johnny hopped on a plane and left sunny Los Angeles for the fog-shrouded rainforests of Vancouver, Canada to film Alien vs. Predator, Requiem, which he had a starring role in. At that point, it was the most popular movie or television show he had ever been in.
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Racking in 130 million dollars in the box office against a 40 million dollar budget Yet his biggest role was still yet to come and it came where he least expected it in February of 2008 a show called Sons of Anarchy began filming its very first season and no one had any idea at the time that the crime drama about an outlaw motorcycle gang would go on to become one of the most popular shows of the 2000s averaging anywhere from 2.2 to
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to 4.6 million viewers per episode, and snagging Golden Globes along the way. Now, I do have to say, Sons of Anarchy is truly one of my favorite shows of all time, and in it, Johnny plays the role of Kip Halfsack Epps, a prospect in the motorcycle gang.
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Essentially, he was the wannabe member tasked with all the jobs and obligations that none of the higher-ranking members wanted to take, kind of like a pledge in a fraternity. It's undeniable that Johnny nailed the role from the very beginning. His loyalty, naivete, and charm quickly made him a fan favorite. But the role was not a favorite of Johnny's.
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At the time, Sons of Anarchy was promoted as one of the darkest, most violent shows on TV. And indeed, looking back at it, the violence is pretty intense. There's a scene where a father is forced to watch his daughter burn to death. Dozens of violent stabbings, a school shooting, torture scenes, drowning scenes, rape scenes. There's even a scene where they murder a pedophile in cold blood.
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The show revolves around a violent gang, so clearly it's not for everyone. And that seemed to be the case for Johnny.
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I've given our chat a lot of thought over the past few days. I want to thank you for being honest. I respect your deep commitment to your creative process and honor your needs as an artist. I tried to look ahead to see what was in store for Half-Sack and I'm not sure I will be able to fulfill your creative needs. I'd hate to be having the same conversation with you at the end of Season 3.
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so I believe it's in everyone's best creative interests to say goodbye to Kip Halfsack Epps. As you requested, I found a cool heroic way for him to go out in 213. He dies in the service of Jackson the Club, saving Abel's life. It's a bloody and honorable death.
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In April of 2009, soon after wrapping his final scenes in Sons of Anarchy, Johnny was looking to find a home. And soon enough, he learned about the Writer's Villa, which is a beautiful home located at 3605 Lowry Road. And it's exactly what you picture when you think of a house in the most expensive neighborhood in LA.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
Leading up to it, there are palm and jacaranda trees lining the impossibly narrow mountain roads, hedges and intricate wrought iron fences that separate those winding streets from the multi-million dollar homes hiding in the hillsides. Now, the home itself is a 3,000 square foot mansion designed to look like an Italian villa. It sat high up on the street, looming above all of the other homes.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
It had steep stairs and a nearly vertical driveway leading up to the house. On the inside, it was beautiful yet cozy, the embodiment of warmth. The walls were painted in inviting shades of cream, yellow, and red. Tiles traced the inside of the home, and the huge windows not only overlooked a courtyard, but the breathtaking San Gabriel Mountains.
Murder In America
EP. 190: CALIFORNIA - Hollywood Celebrity Turned Ruthless Killer: The Tragic Tale of Johnny Lewis
And when Johnny saw this home for the first time, he wanted to live there. Not only was it exactly what he was looking for, but it was also in an area where other celebrities were located, and it seemed like a perfect match.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
And I'm Colin Brown.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
So there it is, the confession that ultimately got Donovan Holt arrested. After recording it, Jamie immediately handed it over to the police, and thankfully she did, or Donovan Holt probably never would have been behind bars in the first place for killing his wife. Jamie Dickerson is the sole reason that there's any semblance of justice here, for lack of a better word.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
But like we mentioned, the outcome of this case is not what anybody wanted. If you love Murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories, and the unknown, then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and The Paranormal Files.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
the conspiracy files we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events pedophile rings government corruption ritual sacrifice no topic is untouched on this show everything that we talk about on the conspiracy files is backed up with fact i release
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
reference sheets with every single episode that we do so you guys know everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real it's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories we're presenting you people with facts telling you the story walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with murder in america
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
and then letting the listener decide what they think anyways you should definitely give it a listen it's called the conspiracy files the links are in the description of this show and you can find it on apple podcasts spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and now let's get back to our story following donovan's sentence courtney and i called jamie and her husband jeremiah on zoom to discuss everything so here are some parts of that interview
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
The whole thing is insane.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
None of it makes sense. I can't understand why they have such a hard time seeing the truth, especially when it's all there.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
It's right in front of them. It's right here in front of them. Like the way that you guys spelled it out, the way that we spelled it out in the podcast, it's like very, very obvious what actually happened. So it's one of those things where for us, it's like sitting and actually analyzing what they said and what they've done. It just makes no sense at all whatsoever.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
They give people with DUIs more time.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
He used to play video games?
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
I don't know about you guys, but I like keeping my money where I can see it. Unfortunately, traditional big wireless carriers also seem to like keeping my money too. After years of overpaying for wireless, I finally got fed up from crazy high wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks that actually cost more in the long run and switched to Mint Mobile.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
It's crazy how much these big carriers like to charge you for every little thing. It's like clockwork. When it's time to pay my wireless bill, I'm like, oh my. Hey, God, this is crazy. You're charging me for this and that, but not with Mint Mobile.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
You can say bye-bye to your overpriced wireless plans, jaw-dropping monthly bills, and unexpected overages because Mint Mobile is here to rescue you with premium wireless plans starting at 15 bucks a month. All plans come with high-speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your phone number along with all of your existing contacts. So it's incredibly easy and painless to switch over. And I think it's about time to ditch overpriced wireless and get three months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for just 15 bucks a month. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Shop plans at mintmobile.com slash america. That's mintmobile.com slash america. Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month 5GB plan required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. And now, let's get back to our story.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
In this next part, Jamie talks about a paper that the police department sent her and attached with something called a tort act, where it essentially says that the police department can't be held liable for their mistakes in the investigation.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
I hate corruption.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
More than anything, especially from these people that are supposed to protect. Yeah. And they protect themselves. It's just. Yeah. Yes. If they protect and serve, who are they protecting? Yeah. It really makes me wonder why? Like, why?
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
I just don't even get how... he can't be charged and like given a longer sentence just based on the lying to police.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Yeah. Yeah.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
those are changes that we can get made and if they can use her as a case study nationwide then go for it i said i'm all for that now jamie didn't end up going to donovan's sentencing trial it was too disappointing of a day and she was afraid of how donovan would react she said that one look in her direction one facial expression might have set her off so she decided not to so if you would have gone to the hearing you would have been able to read
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Here's the video that Jamie posted of her victim impact statement.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Jamie said that although she didn't get to confront him in court, she has written to him several times since he's been in jail. Donovan also has written Serenity and Denzel.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
We put like the help in the community.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline number is 1-800-799-7233. If you are in a situation where you can't call, you can also text them to get help. All you have to do is text the word START to 88788. Hey everybody, it's Colin here. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
I know this wasn't like a typical episode of our show, but we were incredibly involved with telling this story and you know. But when we first decided to cover the April Holt story, we dove headfirst into everything. And now at this point, we're very good friends with Jamie, her husband Jeremiah, their family. And we felt that an update like this was definitely warranted.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Because if there's one word I can use to describe this entire case and affair, I would choose the word injustice. It is absolutely crazy to me to see how this case turned out. with all of the evidence, everything that was found and discovered, but it's inspired Courtney and I to continue fighting, and I hope that Jamie's words can inspire you guys at home as well.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
If you want to join us on Patreon, just head to patreon.com and search for Murder in America, You can get access to bonus episodes of the show on there, plus ad-free early access to all of our main feed episodes. So if you don't like the ads, consider joining us on Patreon.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
If you haven't followed us on Instagram yet, make sure to follow us at Murder in America to see photos from every single case that we cover. And also be sure to leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to this show. It really helps us out a lot. Anyways, y'all, we will be back next week with a regular episode of the show.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
But next week is that story that I've wanted to share for a long time that I definitely feel needs more awareness raised around it. Anyways, y'all, have a great weekend. I'll catch y'all on the next one.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Their investigation from the very beginning was one of the most flawed investigations I have ever seen, and I think that they know that. We of course went into more detail on that throughout our coverage of the case, but maybe a reckless homicide charge was just the easiest way to put this all behind them. So that's exactly what they charged him with.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
For months, Jamie Dickerson has been on edge, waiting to find out the fate of Donovan Holt, her daughter's killer. and on february 18th 2025 that day finally came but it was not at all what anyone wanted horrifically donovan was sentenced to two years in jail and eight years in community corrections now we didn't really know what community corrections was
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
but it's essentially a place where prisoners go after prison where they're supervised but they can still work they can still go out into the community and it's pretty much like they're on parole sadly donovan's sentence also included time served so he will be out in community corrections in just 18 months keep in mind this is the same man who strangled his wife to death staged her suicide sent their son in to find her body
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
and then lied to the police and the family about it for an entire year. Now, let's just hypothesize for a second and say that April's death was an accident. Courtney and I personally don't believe that it was, but for storytelling purposes, let's just say that he did kill her during sex. In our opinion, it's crazy that he got two years, even for everything he did afterwards.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
Tampering with evidence, child endangerment for sending Denzel in there that day, lying to the police. There were so many crimes committed trying to cover up what was done. And at the end of the day, Donovan only got two years. Hey, everybody. Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review. Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program, so please
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
If you're listening and you're loving what we're doing here, share us on your Instagram story, shout us out on X, post one of our shows on your Facebook and let the world, your friends, your family know that you're listening to Murder in America. It seriously helps us so much. It helps us grow the show. We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
But let's get back to the story.
Murder In America
EP. 192: TENNESSEE - The Confession: A Massive Update In The April Holt Case
She had to have more.