A Home Invasion Story That Fell Apart Under Scrutiny

In the early morning hours, a woman called 911 to report that an intruder had broken into her home, struck her with an object, and shot her husband dead in their bedroom. But within hours of taking her statement, the lead investigator laid out the problem plainly: nearly every physical detail at the scene contradicted the story she was telling. The gun was found by the back door. The shell casing was found by the back door. The wrench believed to be the striking weapon was found by the back door. And there was no sign of forced entry anywhere in the house.

The Narrative the Wife Gave

The woman told detectives that she and her husband Greg had gone to bed around 11:30 p.m. after a normal evening. They had eaten Taco Bell, she cleaned the house because it had just gone on the market, and their daughter Michaela was asleep on the living room couch. Greg took his usual sleep aids—natural vitamins around 10 or 11 p.m., then three capsules of L-theanine around 1 a.m.

She said she woke sometime after 4 a.m. to a noise. When she opened the bedroom door, she was struck by something and knocked briefly unconscious. When she came to, she saw a male figure in dark clothing standing at the foot of the bed. She heard talking—"very country," she said—then a gunshot. The man then struggled with the back door and fled.