Episode 444: Rebecca Aylward

On the morning of December 26, 1997, police and fire services responded to a call about a structure fire at the home Bremerton, WA home of Nick and Dawn Hacheney. When they were finally able to extinguish the flames and search the home, they discovered the badly burned body of twenty-eight-year-old Dawn Hachney in her bed, where her husband had left her several hours earlier. After a brief investigation, Dawn’s death was determined to be the result of an accidental fire—a tragic end to a short life, nothing more. The case, which most had considered closed years earlier, was revived in April of 2001, when a woman went to Bremerton Police with a startling statement. She claimed to have been having an affair with Dawn’s husband Nick, at the time of Dawn’s death and that, at some point during their affair, he’d confessed to drugging his wife and setting the house on fire to cover up the murder. Investigators took the woman’s claims very seriously; however, Nick Hacheney was a former minister, which added Thank you to the gorgeous, vibrant and talented David White for Research assistance References: Associated Press. 2002. "Former minister on trial in wife's death." The News Tribune, November 11: 16. Baker, Travis. 2003. "Angry words erupt at Hacheney Sentencing." Kitsap Sun, February 8: 1. —. 2002. "Defense presses woman who pointed finger." Kitsap Sun, November 27: 4. —. 2001. "Ex-minister might face life in prison without parole." Kitsap Sun, October 4: 1. —. 2001. "Ex-minister pleads innocent in wife's death." Kitsap Sun, September 18: 1. —. 2002. "Former minister guilty of murdering wife." Kitsap Sun, December 27: 1. —. 2001. "Hacheney denied reduced bail." Kitsap Sun, October 27: 4. —. 2002. "Judge: Jury will hear of alleged wife killer's affairs." Kitsap Sun, February 28: 10. —. 2002. "Pathologist testifies about changing autopsy results." Kitsap Sun, November 13: 3. —. 2002. "Sexual affairs not relevant, attorney argues." Kitsap Sun, February 9: 5. —. 2002. "Trial begins for ex-minister accused of killing wife." Kitsap Sun, November 4: 1. Kitsap Sun. 1997. "Dawn Hacheney Obituary." Kitsap Sun, December 30: 5. McCormick, Julie. 2001. "Former minister suspect in wife's death." Kitsap Sun, September 14: 1. Olsen, Gregg. 2010. A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder that Destroyed a Church. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. State of Washington, Respondent, v. Nicholas Daniel Hacheney. 2007. 77767-5 (Supreme Court of Washington, May 31). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Wondery and Bloomberg, the makers of The Shrink Next Door, comes a new story of incredible wealth, betrayal, and what happens when “doing good” goes really, really bad. When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes. But when Sam's crypto exchange FTX collapsed, billions of dollars went missing, and Sam was in handcuffs, those who knew him were left wondering — who was Sam really? A well-meaning billionaire who made a mistake? Or a calculated con man? Listen to Spellcaster: Wondery.fm/SC_Morbid See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the evening of February 16, 1981, nineteen-year-old Arne Johnson stabbed his friend and landlord Alan Bono to death during an argument, after which Johnson fled the scene and was arrested several miles away later that night. Under normal circumstances, the murder of one man by another in a small town would hardly register on the scale of national, or even regional news, but if Arne Johnson was to be believed, these weren’t ordinary circumstances. According to Arne, the devil made him do it. Thank you to Dave White for research assistance. References: Associated Press. 1986. "Man released early in 'demon murder case'." Hartford Courant, January 23: 47. Brozek, Diane. 1981. "Teen-ager charged in 'possession' case." Hartford Courant, March 20: 11. Carl Glatzel Jr. et al v. Gerald Brittle et al. 2010. DBCV-08-4008461-S (Connecticut Superior Court Judicial District of Danbury, October 25). Christoffersen, John. 2007. "Suit vs. psychic says demon murder was a hoax." Record-Journal, October 10: M3. Clendinen, Dudley. 1981. "Defendant in murder puts the devil on trial." New York Times, March 23: B1. Galup. n.d. Religion. Accessed May 10, 2023. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx. Harris, John. 1981. "Bizarre happenings surround killing in Brookfield." Hartford Courant, February 27: 2. —. 1981. "Critics bedevil demonolgist, attorney in slaying case ." Hartford Courant, June 22: B1. —. 1981. "'Demon' murder case sent to Danbury jury." Hartford Courant, November 21: 8. —. 1981. "Exorcism, demons' role argued." Hartford Courant, March 15: 1. —. 1981. "Johnson guilty in demons case." Hartford Courant, November 25: 1. —. 1981. "Judge bars demonic possession defense." Hartford Courant, October 29: 1. Healion, James. 1981. "A barmaid testified Thursday that murder suspect Arne Cheyenne..." United Press International, November 5. —. 1981. "A judge Wednesday threw out the 'demon defense'." United Press International, October 28. —. 1981. "Judge Robert J. Callahan Thursday refused to reconsider his decision." United Press International, October 29. —. 1981. "The murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in Danbury." United Press International, November 13. Pionzio, Melissa. 2007. "'Factual' exorcism book evokes past pain." Hartford Courant, October 14: B1. Putcamp, Luise. 1981. "Supernatural episodes form prelude to killing." Buffalo Evening News, July 30: 1. —. 1981. "Suspect's alibi: He was possessed." Buffalo Evening News, August 5: 2. Stagis, Julie. 2014. "Killer's defense: He was possessed." Hartford Courant, April 22: B1. 2006. A Haunting. Directed by Stuart Taylor. Produced by Tom Naughton. United Press International. 1981. "'Demon slayer' gets 10-to-20 year sentence." United Press International, December 18. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. n.d. Exorcism. Accessed May 8, 2023. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/sacramentals-blessings/exorcism. Walzer, E.B. 1982. "Appeal dropped in 'demon' case." The Reporter Dispatch, March 19: 2. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A little after 10:00 pm on the evening of May 1, 1990, Pamela Smart returned home from work to find her husband, twenty-four-year-old Gregg Smart, lying dead just beyond the front door of their condominium, a single bullet hole in his head. Detectives from the small town of Derry, NH arrived to find what appeared to be the scene of a robbery; though, very little looked to have been stolen and to investigators the scene felt staged. Two days later, Derry Police Captain Loring Jackson announced that Gregg Smart’s death wasn’t a random attacked, he’d been murdered by someone who knew him. The murder of Gregg Smart, and the trial that followed, shocked the population of New Hampshire, where it remains perhaps the most notorious criminal trial in the state’s history. As the first criminal trial to be televised from beginning to end, the case of Pamela Smart and her teenage lover captivated a national audience, leading to television and feature films, several nonfiction books, and countless television specials in the decades that followed. Special thank you to the brilliant David White for research assistance References Baker, Frank. 1990. "Smart to be jailed until trial." Concord Monitor, August 14: 1. —. 1990. "Widow charged as accomplice." Concord Monitor, August 2: 14. Carton, Barbara. 1991. "The Pamela Smart story." Boston Globe, Marcg 21. 1991. NH v. Smart: Opening Statements. Directed by Court TV. Performed by Court TV. Derry News. 1990. "Family and friends puzzle over murder." Derry News, May 4: 1. Englade, Ken. 1991. Deadly Lessons. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. Gaines, Judith, and Alexander Reid. 1991. "Jurors say tales a key to their decision." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. Hernandez, Monica. 2023. Accomplice in Smart murder asks for sentence reduction. January 10. Accessed May 1, 2023. https://www.wmur.com/article/smart-murder-vance-lattime-sentence-reduction/42449265. Hohler, Bob. 1991. "3 guilty in N.H. killing." Boston Globe, January 30: 1. —. 1991. "Confidant was wired by police." Boston Globe, March 15: 21. —. 1991. "Smart is found guilty." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. —. 1991. "Smart pleaded for life, N.H. teen-ager testifies." Boston Globe, March 6: 19. —. 1991. "Tales of seduction." Boston Globe, March 12: 1. —. 1990. "Tape offered at Smart hearing." Boston Globe, August 14. —. 1991. "Witness: Smart asked for tips on reaction." Boston Globe, March 3: 27. —. 1991. "Youth says blood flowed, tears did not." Boston Globe, March 13: 35. Kilgannon, Corey. 2023. "Smart, who plotted with a teen lover to kill her husband, loses a parole bid." New York Times, March 30. Kittredge, Clare. 1991. "A verdict to take to son's grave." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. —. 1991. "Smart trial garners big TV audience." Boston Globe, March 17: 1. Richardson, Franci. 1990. "Mrs. Smart absolutely convinced husband surprised thief." Derry News, May 9: 1. Sawicki, Stephen. 1991. Teach Me to Kill: The Shocking True Story of the Pamela Smart Murder Case. New York, NY: Avon Books. Schweitzer, Sarah. 2015. "5 years later, shooter to go free: William Flynn was 16 when he was lured into murder by Pamela Smart." Boston Globe, March 13: A1. State of New Hampshire v. Pamela Smart. 1993. 622 A.2d 1197 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, February 26). Wang, Beverley. 2005. "Pamela Smart accomplice released." Concord Monitor, June 15: 10. West, Nancy. 2016. Breaking Silence: Cecelia Pierce Speaks. October 12. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.nhmagazine.com/breaking-silence-cecelia-pierce-speaks/. West, Nancy, and David Mendelsohn. 2016. Pamela Smart: innocent of (still) guilty. October 13. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://www.nhmagazine.com/pamela-smart-innocent-or-still-guilty/   https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/03/09/brother-of-pamela-smarts-victim-killer-did-his-time/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mention the Pamela Smart case to someone in New Hampshire, and they'll know exactly what you're talking about. The case captivated the nation in the early 90's and at the center of it all, of course, was Pamela. A New Hampshire native, she had big dreams of becoming somebody and making a name for herself. She moved away from her small town and almost did, but in the name of love she moved back home and settled into her career as a School Administrator. It was via that position that she would meet young sophomore in High School, Billy Flynn. Pam groomed the boy, and had him thinking they were fully in love before she asked him a question that would change both of their lives forever: Would he murder her husband? In part one we'll cover the early life of both Pam and her husband, Gregg Smart, we'll break down how Pam and Billy became involved with each other and just how Pam got Billy to believe that murdering her husband was what it would take for them to be together forever. Special thank you to the brilliant David White for research assistance References Baker, Frank. 1990. "Smart to be jailed until trial." Concord Monitor, August 14: 1. —. 1990. "Widow charged as accomplice." Concord Monitor, August 2: 14. Carton, Barbara. 1991. "The Pamela Smart story." Boston Globe, Marcg 21. 1991. NH v. Smart: Opening Statements. Directed by Court TV. Performed by Court TV. Derry News. 1990. "Family and friends puzzle over murder." Derry News, May 4: 1. Englade, Ken. 1991. Deadly Lessons. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. Gaines, Judith, and Alexander Reid. 1991. "Jurors say tales a key to their decision." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. Hernandez, Monica. 2023. Accomplice in Smart murder asks for sentence reduction. January 10. Accessed May 1, 2023. https://www.wmur.com/article/smart-murder-vance-lattime-sentence-reduction/42449265. Hohler, Bob. 1991. "3 guilty in N.H. killing." Boston Globe, January 30: 1. —. 1991. "Confidant was wired by police." Boston Globe, March 15: 21. —. 1991. "Smart is found guilty." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. —. 1991. "Smart pleaded for life, N.H. teen-ager testifies." Boston Globe, March 6: 19. —. 1991. "Tales of seduction." Boston Globe, March 12: 1. —. 1990. "Tape offered at Smart hearing." Boston Globe, August 14. —. 1991. "Witness: Smart asked for tips on reaction." Boston Globe, March 3: 27. —. 1991. "Youth says blood flowed, tears did not." Boston Globe, March 13: 35. Kilgannon, Corey. 2023. "Smart, who plotted with a teen lover to kill her husband, loses a parole bid." New York Times, March 30. Kittredge, Clare. 1991. "A verdict to take to son's grave." Boston Globe, March 23: 1. —. 1991. "Smart trial garners big TV audience." Boston Globe, March 17: 1. Richardson, Franci. 1990. "Mrs. Smart absolutely convinced husband surprised thief." Derry News, May 9: 1. Sawicki, Stephen. 1991. Teach Me to Kill: The Shocking True Story of the Pamela Smart Murder Case. New York, NY: Avon Books. Schweitzer, Sarah. 2015. "5 years later, shooter to go free: William Flynn was 16 when he was lured into murder by Pamela Smart." Boston Globe, March 13: A1. State of New Hampshire v. Pamela Smart. 1993. 622 A.2d 1197 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, February 26). Wang, Beverley. 2005. "Pamela Smart accomplice released." Concord Monitor, June 15: 10. West, Nancy. 2016. Breaking Silence: Cecelia Pierce Speaks. October 12. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.nhmagazine.com/breaking-silence-cecelia-pierce-speaks/. West, Nancy, and David Mendelsohn. 2016. Pamela Smart: innocent of (still) guilty. October 13. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://www.nhmagazine.com/pamela-smart-innocent-or-still-guilty/   https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/03/09/brother-of-pamela-smarts-victim-killer-did-his-time/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.