Michelle and Jason Young - Part 1

0:00 Hi, I'm Tina and I'm Rich. And if there's one thing we've learned in over twenty years of marriage. It's that some days you'll feel like killing your wife. And some days you'll feel like killing your husband. Welcome to love, Mary Kill, Good morning, Rich, Good morning Tina. How are you. I'm doing good? Are you? I'm pretty good. One of our dear listeners, Dianna and Denmark, messaged me last night and asked if you could read her essentially bedtime stories because she really likes your voice.

0:43 She pose the idea of maybe having a separate podcast of you reading a book to her. Oh and what did you say? In response to that? I said no, you said. Absolutely not, which wasn't very nice because Dianna is lovely. Dania Deanna is lovely. But yeah, I just I don't know. I feel like I would feel really weird doing that. I feel like if I did that, I would be reading and I would try to make my voice sound like relaxing, and that I would sound creepy. I didn't give you just talk like you talk normally that I've said before. Your voice was really one of the first things that caught my attention, which sounds so crazy, but you do have like a nice measured way of talking. I need to point out Deanna did not want me to read the story.

1:25 Yeah, how did that make you feel? I totally understand, totally understand, no problem with that whatsoever. But a lot of listeners have listened to all the episodes and they have said, like, you know, could you guys, what more can you give me? And I did think, well, maybe we could have you read like Huckleberry Finn or something like that, but you're not interested. In I don't know. If people really wanted it, I would could do it. I guess it wouldn't be too much work. It would just be reading, right right. Yeah, I'll consider it. So I am going to give you a moment of vulnerability. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I have been obsessed with Love Island. I thought that it was going to be Love Island. So it's a special tree for listeners today because you've been traveling a lot, so I've been able to spend a little more time devoting myself to reality TV. Today's episode, we're just going to talk about the first ten episodes of Love Island, and then Part two will be the next.

2:20 And I'm sure people will love that. That sounds great. I can't wait. So if you are also listening to Love Island and you're over the age of thirty five, let me know, because it makes me feel super creepy. But I'm also really intrigued. It seems like Love Island. I haven't watched it, but it seems like a phenomenon. Like everywhere I go on social media and read it or Blue Sky or whatever, people are talking about it, So it must be a big. It's pretty compelling. And the kids on the show, they're not kids. The people on the show are like our kids age. So it just seems you know. So if I have some words slipping out that are like mid or I can't even think of any other words, But it's because I've been influenced by a bunch of twenty somethings.

3:05 Good to know. So I've been making an effort to eat healthier. You don't like where this is going, do you? Oh? Am I getting broccoli listeners. This could possibly be the episode where Rich quits and the last song Celery or something. Is it? No, but you did do that to me on an episode. I brought you something that I've been enjoying eating, and I feel kind of bad because I'm making you eat something that I really like that I don't think you like. But I've been trying to make you try it. Do you know where I'm going? I don't. I made you some Greek yogurt with honey and cinnamon. And what else did I put in? I put in't usually I put blueberries in it, but I put chocolate chips in it for you because I thought maybe you would like it a little more. But I like it so much. It's just really good. You can put in a bunch of different things. You could put in peanut butter or natella.

3:55 Or I'll try to keep an open mind. Okay, I don't like Greek yogurt, but I like all the other things that you put. So if you put the honey and it's non fat Greek yogurt, and then you just add in whatever you want. And I make homemade granola. I love my homemade granola, so I mixed that into Okay, okay, so you're willing to try it, I am. Okay. Hang in what did you think you were a good boy and you took two big bites? Well, it wasn't bad. But I feel like the only reason it wasn't bad is because you put enough stuff in there to completely overpower the Greek yogurt. So I really didn't get the like much of a sense of the Greek yogurt. I just I don't know what I like regular yogurt, regular yogurt, but yogurt that is like has sugar and fruit and you'll play, yeah, you'll play, but Greek yoga.

4:41 Back in the day, we used to eat you'll play yogurt and think we were eating snows. But it was it was good. Yeah, really, okay, it was good. But like I said, I feel like you might as well not have had the Greek yogurt in there. I could have. No, there's a ton of Greek yogurt in there. Yeah, but I didn't really taste it. Well, I'm very proud of you. A good job. Thank you. I've also added key for to our diet recently, which is like a drinkable yogurt, and you really like that You've taken to that. Yeah, it's a little bit sour, but it's sour in a different way than Greek yogurt. Is. I can't really explain it, but it's uh yeah, I don't mind it. We're just trying to get some healthy bacteria into our guts. Well, enough about that. Well, today I'm going to tell you the story of Michelle and Jason Young, and it was recommended to us by Chelsea and Tracy. Before we get to the case, I just want to ask you, what do you think the worst anniversary present that you have given or received?

5:33 Is? Oh? I we don't. Always give each other in if we don't. And I don't always remember what I've given or received either, So I'm not going to be very good at this. I think normally we just go out to dinner and celebrate. But if it's been You've gotten me a couple of nice pieces of jewelry. Yeah, yeah, I can't think of anything that I've gotten you that's been awful. That time I got you the vacuum cleaner. That was probably he did not do that. We'll get to it later. But the gift that Jason gave Michelle for their third wedding anniversary was not no, not a good gift. On November third, two thousand and six, Jason Young called his sister in law, Meredith Fisher, waking up from a sound sleep. It was highly unusual for him to call her, but this was the second time in a week. Jason thirty two, worked in sales but lived life like a frat boy, going out at night and tailgating on weekends for North Carolina State wolf Pack games, which resulted in frequent arguments with his wife and Meredith's sister, twenty nine year old Michelle Young. Michelle was pregnant with the couple's second child, a boy they planned to name Rylan.

6:41 Jason was thrilled to be having a son to share his love of the outdoors and sports. Michelle and Jason were already parents to an adorable two year old daughter, Cassidy. It was too early for Meredith to take his call. She worked nights as a restaurant manager and had been out with friends until early in the morning the previous night. She rolled over and went act to sleep. She'd deal with Jason later. She was sure he was calling to drag her into another of his and Michelle's disagreements. Two days earlier, Michelle and Jason had a big fight after he angrily threw the TV remote at her. Michelle was tired of the constant bickering and had reached her breaking point. She called Meredith to vent quote, I'm done. I just can't do this anymore. Jason overheard the heated call. At November second, around nine pm, on his way out of town for business. Jason called his sister in law to tell her that Michelle hadn't told her the whole story.

7:33 He was trying to win her over to his side in a marital dispute. In addition to managing the restaurant, Meredith had recently graduated from college and was in the unique position to help her sister and brother in law with their relationship. Her degree was in psychology, and she planned to return to school soon for a master's degree in marriage counseling and social work, so she agreed to act as a stand in marriage counselor for the couple. A bad idea for altitude that sounds like idea. The previous week, they'd had a marathon, four hour session in which they thought about their sex life. Jason wanted more sex and Michelle wanted more romance. When Meredith woke up around noon, she listened to Jason's voicemail. He needed a favor.

8:17 He asked her to go to his house and get some papers off the printer that he didn't want Michelle to see listening to a coach purse he was planning to bid on for Michelle for their third anniversary. From eBay, that doesn't sound like a bad anniversary gift. No, it's not. The gift for your third anniversary is leathers. Okay, we've never done that, No, really have no. I think that every year for us it should be Diamond's just kidding. A thoughtful gift, Meredith thought if he'd follow it through earlier as she drove to her sister's house, but their anniversary had been three weeks before on October tenth. As she drove the fifteen minutes to her sister's house at five to one zero eight birch Leaf Drive, located in the outskirts of Raleigh, she grew more irritated with each mile.

9:01 Her inconsiderate, self involved brother in law was infringing upon her time again. When Meredith arrived at the house at around one fifteen, things instantly seemed off. The front lights were still on, Michele's Lexus SUV was still at home, and the back gate was wide open. It was usually closed so the dog couldn't get out. Michelle should have been at work. Meredith had forgotten her key to the house, but was able to wedge the garage door up from the bottom. As she entered the kitchen from the garage, she shouted out to Michelle in cassidy, but the house was eerily silent, except for the whimpering of the family's black laugh mister Garrison. Meredith's sense of dread grew as she sprinted up the stairs. She was confused when she saw tiny red footprints scattered in the carpet and bathroom.

9:46 When Meredith entered the primary bedroom, she was shocked and horrified by what she saw. The room was a wash and rat the walls, the bed, the carpet, even the ceiling. Michelle's lifeless body lay face down on the blood soaked carpet. Just as she reached for the phone, she noticed a rustling under the comforter on the bed. Cassidy her beautiful kniece. She lunged for her, baring her hat in her hair, kissing her and hugging her tightly. Is she called nine one one, poor little girl. I can't imagine what she witnessed. Oh, but I'm so glad that she was Okay, Yeah, she was okay. While Meredith was on the call with nine one one, Cassidy told her that mommy has booboos everywhere. The nine one one operator asked Meredith to attempt CPR.

10:28 She knew it was too late. Michelle was already cold and stiff. We're going to play most of the call, and I know that they can be triggering for some people. It's about five minutes if you want to fast forward. What address are you at, ma'am? Bert Lee fifty one? Wait, Persley Broad. Can your phone number? Oh my god, ma'am, what's your phone number? You tell me exactly what happened. I think my sister's dead. Oy, tell me what happened? Man, I have no idea. Oh my god. All right, so almost with me. Please. What's your name? Meredith? Meredith? And this is a young address?

11:09 Oh my god, Meredith, listen to me. Please? Yeah. Are you with the patient? Now? Ye have a son? Her daughter? How old is the patient? And there's blood everywhere? She's twenty nine, twenty eight? Should I try to move her? Listen to me, ma'am. I'm gonna tell you what to do that you need to calm down so we can help her. You said, this blood everywhere? Yes? All right? Is she conscious? No? I don't think so. Should I try to help her? Listen to me, ma'am, I'm listening. Is she breathing? I don't think so. Have you jacked Michelle? She's cold? Okay? Listen to me. Did you see what happened? I don't know, Kathy kmire, sweetie, I'm here with her daughter.

11:52 There's like blood footprints all over the house. I do want to like her daughter's b footprints. Okay, to listen to me. What's your first name? Meredith? Did you see what happened? I just came here on a fluke. I usually, you know, don't come here during the day. Okay. She shouldn't be home, she should be at work, like. Okay, listen to me. Yes, but did you say can you tell me why why she looks looks like she's dead? I don't know. I don't I have no idea. There's over Did you say she's cold? Okay? Yes, okay? Yes?

12:33 Why did you what happened to mammy? Did you fall? What do you think? She's beyond any help? I don't know. Honestly, you don't know. All right, I'm normally very good on we're gonna tell you what to do. Then. Okay, are you right by her now? I'm keeping her daughter out of the al so you're not with her. I'm right out by the bedroom. Can you get her daughter security? Can can you carry the phone into where she's at? Yes? All right? Can you secure her daughter? Kathy, sweetie? Can you stay in your room for two seconds? Okay? Okay, okay? Can you close your door for two second? Zombie? Right back? Okay, okay, okay, may okay.

13:22 Yes, okay, you got a cord of s phone? Yeah, all right, say right there, sweetie, Okay, all right? Isn't Is she laying on her back? No, she's laying on her stomach. She's on her stomach. She's face down, yes, all right? Can you can you get her on her back? Okay? Oh my god, sure, I don't think so. She's so heavy. I see if you can get her on her back? I really think she said pardon. I really think she's said okay, are you certain? Hang like Kathy, sweet can you saw in your room? Say? I'm pretty sure you are. I don't know.

14:04 I'm okay, we need to make sure, okay, and you get her on her back for me she's kind. Of twisted in a way that I can't do that. You can't roll her over, not easily. You're going to try hang on me. I'm trying to see if I can get her pulse. We got to try to do CPR for we get her on her back. There so cold, she's cold? Okay, all right? He stiff? Okay, then don't try. If she's cold, then, oh my god, I probably nothing. She can do anything, all right. Try not to touch anything more than you did. Was anything out of place or unusual when you came in this place? Does not look like what it normally looks like.

14:44 Okay, okay, all right, try not to touch anything else. Okay, I just moved a pillow. Just leave you everything exactly where it is then, okay, okay, do you see anything else? You see any it looks unusual? Cassidy, Was anybody here? The dog was freaking out when I got here. Was anybody here? SETI all right, Meredith, all right, I'm gonna get the sheriff's former to pick up on the line with us. Okay. They're going to need to talk to you about what you're seeing, Okay, Okay, I'm gonna brief them on what's happened? And you just down the line. What's your last name, Meredith? Sure, her last name is Young. Are you a relative? I'm her only sister.

15:25 Okay, all right, married, stay with me just a minute a time. Oh boy, that's harrowing hearing that little girl in the background. That's so just heartbreaking. So I've listened to the nine one one call a couple of times, but this is the first time I ever heard of through headphones. So I don't know if you're just listening like on a different device, not with earbuds or you know, headphones, and you'd be able to hear Cassidy, but breaking, Yeah, I mean, what a sweet little girl. And at one point she says, we need to get a washcloth so we can clean mommy. And she's two, I think she's two years and seven months. And she's just very cocious, very verbal. Huh. I don't think that's normal for a child that young to be stringing together full sentences. But she really kind of got what was happening. A lot of people have pointed out that Marredith this behavior on the call is a little suspicious, like she's too calm, But I think that's a woman who, in my opinion, is in shock. Yeah, and she's trying to stay calm, precacity. What do you think?

16:23 Yeah, I thought the same thing. I didn't find her behavior the way she spoke to be suspicious at all. I guess to me, it just seemed like she was freaked out and didn't know how to handle it. I think that I would act similarly. I think you don't know what to say and literally if you're in shock, Like she was stringing words together, but I don't think she was really processing, processing and processing what was happening. Yeah. I mean, it's just brutal and so unexpected, and it's really heartbreaking and said right. Michelle Marie Fisher was born on February seventeenth, nineteen seventy seven, and say the New York to Linda and Allan Fisher. Sayville, once named the friendliest town in America, sits halfway between New York City and the Hamptons. Michelle's younger sister, Meredith, was born three years later. Their father, Allan, worked as a car salesman, while their mother, Linda, was a middle school math teacher and cheerleading coach, a role that inspired both Michelle and Meredith to pursue cheerleading. In her senior year of high school, Michell and her team won the Long Island Cheerleading Championship.

17:27 In nineteen ninety six, Michelle performed during the opening ceremonies at the Atlanta Olympics. That's pretty cool. Yeah. Michelle was not only well liked, but also excelled academically. She became fluent in Russian and French and was a member of the National Honor Society. The Fisher's marriage had been in decline for years. They had been in and out of marriage counseling for thirteen years before finally divorcing in nineteen ninety five when he married his second wife, June. Shortly afterward, his relationship with Michelle became strained. Michelle referred to June as the evils stuff monster. June didn't care much for Michelle either. She even forbade her from entering her house, putting Allan in an uncomfortable position. Alan rarely saw Michelle, and she was deeply hurt by what she saw as her father choosing his new wife over her. Ironically, years later, Alan and Jason grew close. Jason was welcomed into their home while Michelle was not.

18:22 It's kind of crazy. Yeah. Michelle attended North Carolina State, where she earned both an undergraduate and master's degree in accounting. She was a cheerleader and member of the Alpha Delta High sorority, where she met her best friend and roommate, Shelley, who later said quote, Michelle was beautiful, she was intelligent, she was determined. She was completely Type A, so much that we called her the camp director. Michelle formed a close bond with three of her sorority sisters. They named their friend group the mc Broad's. The group consisted of Michelle, Susan, Lisa, and another Michelle. After college, they all dispersed to different locations, but they remained close and got together several times a year.

19:02 We were talking about the term broads the other day as a term for women. It's it's such a strange. It's a strange word. My grandpa used to call women broads and I never liked it. I think it's a derogatory term. But when women own it, you know, it's like, it's okay, then sure, if you want to call each other. I don't know why that was the name that they chose, but it's kind of pertinent to the rest of the story, So that's why I wanted to mention it. Okay, In the year two thousand, Michelle passed the CPA exam on her first try and began working for Deloitte and Touche in downtown Raleigh. Do you think it's pretty rare to pass the CPA on your first try. I don't know. I would imagine it is. I know the BAR exam is very difficult to pass, and I guess the CPA exam is probably also difficult, but I don't know a lot about that.

19:50 I think it's all relative. But I read that the CPA exam is actually more challenging. Oh wow, I'm sure they're both super super super challenging. Yeah. And I think the fact that Michelle, you know, did her undergrad and then she did her masters and then she you know, she dissive. She did it all, you know, very young and very quickly, and she was very decisive in what she wanted to do with her life and her career. We'll be back after a break. Jason Lynn Young was born in nineteen seventy four to Pat and Bob Young in the small mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina. He was the middle child, with an older sister, Kim, and a younger sister, Heather, each two years apart. When Jason was five years old, tragedy struck when Bob died of cancer. His death deeply affected the family, but brought them closer together. Pat returned to her job teaching fifth grade, doing her best to support her three children on a modest teacher's salary, often struggling to make ends meet as a single mother. A year later, Pat began dating a man named Gerald McIntyre, whom she married when Jason was in college. Jerald worked for the Winchester Corps, one of the leading manufacturers of guns and AMMO in the US.

21:04 After his dad's death, Jason craved a father figure, and Gerald fit the bill. He taught Jason how to hunt and fish. He loved being outdoors and playing sports. From an early age, Jason learned to use humor and practical jokes to entertain his family and diffuse tense situations, like the time he lightened the mood by mooning his eighty year old grandmother. His sister said quote, people were drawn to him because he was so much fun and you could never stay mad at him. For very long, because he'd have you laughing within minutes. During summers, Jason worked at a Christian camp as a kayak and mountain climbing instructor, where he met some lifelong friends. His senior class voted him best all around, and his teachers nominated him for the Brevard High Hall of Fame. Jason attended North Carolina State University, where it took him six years to graduate, partially because he took a year off to hike the Appalachian Trail with a friend, and partially because he was not a serious student. He loved attending the wolf Pack sporting events, but loved tailgating even more. Sometimes he never even made it into the stadium. He began dating a woman named Genevieve his junior year. A fellow ARA I.

22:12 Was very surprised to find that Jason was a Resident advisor or RA. That's a job usually that you have to be very responsible for, and it sounds like Jason really loved to party. It must have been great to live on his floor. I would guess if you were a college freshman. Yeah, yeah, Myra. In our freshman year, Russell, he was very straight laced and responsible. He is not a fun party kind of guy. My aris were pretty fun. Jason and Genevieve got engaged in October nineteen ninety nine, but she soon broke off the engagement because of his hard partying ways and bad temper. After graduating in two thousand, Jason got a job with Nike, working in sales. This job at Nike for Jason seemed like the perfect fit because he loved sports so much, but he changed jobs a lot. That's pretty common for salespeople to change joh In my.

23:01 Experience, yeah, it's pretty common. I its sales. It's a very cutthroat thing. You have a number to hit, and if you don't hit the number, you're probably not gonna last very long. In February two thousand and one, on her twenty fourth birthday, Michelle Fisher met Jason Young at the Poorhouse, a bar in Raleigh. After he spilled her glass of wine. Michelle and Jason struck up a conversation that blossomed into romance. I think he spilled her wine intentionally to strike up a conversation. I don't know. At the time, Jason worked in sales at Black and Decker, but later moved to pharmaceutical sales. The couple were a study of opposites. Jason was the life of the party and loved to spend time with his old college buddies reliving their glory days. Michelle was more career oriented and subdued well compared to Jason.

23:45 I don't mean to make it sound like Michelle wasn't fun. I think she was also very fun, but no one was as fun as Jason was. Gotcha. Michelle was a planner who had the next ten years of her life mapped out. She preferred quiet nights at home to night's out, but Jason invoked a sense of spontaneity within her that she liked because it got her out of her head. Jason and his friend Ryan Shod bought a town house in Raleigh. Michelle moved in with them soon after. She and Jason began dating. Two years into their relationship, Michell discovered that she was pregnant. This was not part of her tenure plan. She and Jason hadn't yet broached the idea of marriage. Michelle was all in, but Jason was harder to read regarding the future.

24:26 She was nervous to tell him about the pregnancy, and she was right to be nervous. Initially, Jason freaked out and told Michele he wasn't ready for marriage or a baby, but he slowly warmed to the idea. He proposed to Michelle with a rubber band, promising to replace it soon with a diamond ring. When they told Michelle's mother about their plans to get married, one not to mince words, Linda Fisher said, quote, if you don't love her, don't marry her. She'll survive. On August twelfth, two thousand three, they got married by a magistrate judge at the John Baker Public Safety Center in Raleigh. Linda and a stranger off the street were the only witnesses. Not exactly the wedding that Michelle had been dreaming of since she was a little girl.

25:07 It's so funny to me that they just pulled a stranger off the street. They rushed the marriage because with the baby on the way, Michelle needed health insurance immediately. She had recently left her high pressure job at Deloitte and Touche. A more elaborate wedding was planned for October tenth. Even though it was a short timeline, Michelle planned every last detail of her big day. Meredith was the maid of honor and their dog, Mister Garrison was ring bearer wearing a doggye tuxedo. I really like mister Garrison as a name for a dog. I don't know where it came from. Was there a sports legend with the last name Garrison? I know, maybe a TV show like maybe I'm thinking of Missus Garrison from Faxaphone boy.

25:50 Missus Garrett. Oh, is it really yes? I can't believe you're so embarrassed to be married. Michelle got a new job working for Progress Energy as a tax specialist. She loved the job and planned on returning after her maternity leave. Meredith, who had just graduated from college, agreed to move to Raleigh and be the baby's nanny. Cassidy Elizabeth Young was born on Mars twenty ninth, two thousand and four. Michelle loved being a mother and doated on the baby. Jason was a very hands on dad too. His sister Heather said, quote it was like a big kid having a little kid. He had loved making the baby laugh. Not long after Cassidy was born, Michelle and Jason purchased life insurance policies for two million dollars for each of them. That's a lot of insurance.

26:36 That is a lot. Yeah, they were each other's only beneficiary. Jason knew what it was like to grow up pinching pennies after his father died, and he wanted his children to be provided for and the event that he wasn't there. In April two thousand and five, the Youngs purchased a beautiful three thousand, three hundred square foot brick colonial home on Birch Leaf Drive and Raleigh for three hundred and seventy nine thousand dollars. The house featured four bedrooms, two and a half baths, and sat on two wooded acres. It looked like a really beautiful home, especially considered how young they were. Raleigh, North Carolina, is the state capitol and one of the fastest growing cities in the country. As part of the Research Triangle along with Durham and Chapel Hill. It's known for its strong economy, top tier universities, and booming tech and health care sectors. As of twenty twenty five, Raleigh's population is nearly five hundred thousand, and the larger metruro area is home to about one point sixty six million people and has a relatively young, well educated population, with a median age of thirty four and over half of the adults holding at least a bachelor's degree. The median household income is about eighty five thousand dollars. The city blends southern charm with modern energy, offering vibrant neighborhoods, a thriving downtown, and a growing food and craft beer scene, But like many urban areas, Rally faces challenges with crime. Overall, it remains relatively safe compared to cities of similar size.

28:01 Those certain types of crime, like autofefts and assaults, have seen an uptick in recent years. Violent crime is slightly above the national average, but local officials have been investing in public safety efforts, including increased patrols and community programs. With its mix of opportunity, culture, and liveability, Raleigh continues to attract newcomers from across the country and has often ranked among the best places to live in the US. Well it sounds lovely, it does? Do you want to go visit? Sure? Michelle and Jason had a rocky relationship and fought often even around their friends. Their biggest disagreements often centered around their families. Once they became parents and homeowners, Michelle decided they should draw up their wills, a ruling decision for any parent, but for most people it's a hypothetical question.

28:48 Michelle was adamant that Meredith should be Cassidy's guardian because she knew her best after being her nanny for a year, but Jason was just as firmed that his sister Heather and her husband Joe should be Cassidy's guardian. In the end, Jason won the dispute. Remember when our kids were both over the age of eighteen, I was so grateful that we were both here to raise both of our kids together. Yeah, I was too. In May two thousand and six, the mcbrod's got together with her husbands in Myrtle Beach. Jason and the other Michelle Michelle Money initiated a flirtation that would continue into the fall. When the friend group reunited for a wolf packed tailgate at the Young's new home, Michelle Money confided in Jason that she believed her husband Steve was having an affair with Lisa, another McBride. Oh, so these four women are really good friends.

29:39 It's just that doesn't sound good. No, if you're a reality TV fan, especially if you are familiar with the Bachelor universe. The name Michelle Money might mean something to you. It is not the Michelle Money from The Bachelor. Oh okay, it's a great name. Yeah. When I first saw the name, I was so excited. I was like, oh my god, Michelle Money. I know her, but it is not this same Sometime in the fall, while at another tailgate party at Shelley and Ryan's house, Jason got so drunk keep pete on one of their extensive rugs. Ryan gently ushered him out of the room to help him shower and loaned him some clothing, but Jason ran out of the bathroom and rejoined the party, sitting on the couch nacd good Michelle was not there.

30:22 Jason had been flirting with a friend of Shelley's the whole night. To prevent any late night visits from Jason, Ryan slept with him to keep him away. From the woman a friend. In the spring of two thousand and six, Michelle found out that she was pregnant again and she was over the moon, But not long after, she and Jason were in a car accident and she sadly lost the baby. Heartbroken but still determined to grow their family Michelle became pregnant again soon after. When they learned they were expecting a boy, Jason was thrilled, although he had one strict rule, no light blue baby clothes would be allowed. He didn't want anyone mistaking his son for a fan of UNC's tar heels. Linda had just retired from her job as a school teacher, and Michelle had plans to convert the attic into a room for her so she could move in and help care for the children from Tuesday to Thursday.

31:11 Michelle planned to reduce her work week to three days to spend more time with the children, while Linda planned to buy a beach house where she'd spend weekends, giving the whole family a place to enjoy It. Sounds like a great idea, sounds nice arrangement. Jason, however, was strongly opposed to the idea. He couldn't stand the thought of having his mother in law around so often. He found Linda overbearing, judgmental, and controlling, and he deeply resented the close bond she shared with Michelle. In fact, Linda was the center of many of the couple's arguments. Linda found Jason to be childless and impetuous. She thought his first priority wasn't his family, but his social life. He went out most nights, played in two softball leagues in the summer and two basketball leagues in the winter. Meredith said, quote, my mom is a strong personality, and they'd butt head.

32:00 I mean initially they kind of got along, and quickly it became when Michelle and him would get into a fight. Michelle would call my mom and cry and scream and yell and event to my mom. So as a mom, she's you know, disappointed and aggravated and frustrated with the way that her son in law is treating her daughter. In my opinion, I think that Jason didn't want Linda around because she kept him accountable, or Michelle was maybe sometimes like okay, you know, go ahead and go out. It's all right. Yeah, you can. Pretty much do what he wanted. On Tuesday, October tenth, two thousand and six, the Young's third wedding anniversary, Michelle was home with Cassidy while Jason was out of town for business. Jason had recently started working for a new company called chart One, selling medical charting software. He had left for Orlando on Saturday and then had flown to Denver, so.

32:47 There's a lot of business meetings in Orlando on Saturdays. I'm sure probably not very likely. Jason mailed Michelle an anniversary card from Orlando along with a twenty five dollars Starbucks gift card. Okay, this is the anniversary present that I have a hard time with. Yeah, I think even just getting a card is fine. Having to mail a card to your spouse is weird, But the twenty five dollary Starbucks gift card, Yeah, I don't know. That's just the only thing worse I can think of is to give like a put a twenty dollars bill in the car. That would be bad too. She was very hurt. Understandably, Her spirits, though, were lifted because later her mother and grandmother were flying in for a ten day visit, in part to stay with Cassidy while she and Jason went to a wedding that weekend in Winston Salem. They're best friends, Shelley and Ryan were getting married. The engaged couple were introduced by Michelle and Jason at an NHL playoff game between the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Detroit Red Wings in two thousand and two.

33:47 I try my very best to weep Michigan into every episode. I'm not even that's great. Those were the red Wings glory years. They really were. They were dominant for ten years, well at least. When Jason returned home on Thursday, he picked Michelle up from work and took her to dinner at their favorite restaurant, Bella Monica. When she got into his suv, excited to see him after almost six days apart, he was on the phone and didn't acknowledge her for the entire fifteen minute drive. Not a good start to their anniversary celebration. Well, and later his phone records indicated that he had been on the phone for twenty five minutes and it wasn't a business call. He was on the phone with Michelle money Oh.

34:28 After Jason put down his phone, tempers flared when he told Michelle that he was leaving early with friends to head to Shelley and Ryan's wedding so they could get in a round of golf, diverting from Michelle's plan to drive together. She was hurt. She had been hoping for a romantic weekend with her husband, but Jason clearly had his mind set on another wild weekend, being the life of the party. That night, when they returned home, the fight escalated. Jason stormed out and went to a bar with friends. Michelle followed him there and insisted he come home. They reached an uneasy truce, and Jason agreed to stick to the original plan and drive with her to Winston Salem the next day, but the tension lingered and they argued the entire two hour drive. The rest of the weekend wasn't much better. Jason acted like he was still in college, drinking more than anyone else and acting a fool.

35:18 Michelle was mostly by herself, feeling sad, lonely, and withdrawn. But friends say by the end of the wedding they had made up, and Jason said, quote, I love my wife. She's crazy, but I love her. But Michelle's friends and family began worrying about her. Her disintegrating marriage was chipping away at her normally bubbly personality. Jason is thirty two at this point, and it seemed like a lot of his friends were getting married and having children, and he was married and had children, right, but he still had this mindset of, you know, partying and getting drunk, and it seemed like a lot of people in his life. Started to find it distasteful and just kind of gross that he always had to be the drunkest and the lowest. Yeah, you don't want to be that guy.

35:59 I want to be the guy. On November second, at six thirty, Shelley Shod rang the doorbell at her best friend's house. She and her new husband, Ryan had just returned from their two week Italian honeymoon. She brought Italian takeout and honeymoon pictures to show Michelle. Shelley had been worried about Michelle because she had recently seemed depressed. Later, Shelley said, quote, she was just in a dark hole, and you know, she kind of turned off. She briefly saw Jason before she and Michelle sat down to eat their dinner. Jason declined the invitation to eat with them, saying he needed to get ready for his trip. He had planned to stop for a bite to eat at a cracker barrel in Greensboro and then drive another three hours to Galax, Virginia. He had a sales call the next morning at ten a m. He left at about seven fifteen, gassed up, and then hit the road.

36:45 He called his mom and talked for About an hour meanwhile, Michelle and Shelley gave Cassidy a bath and put her about in pink, fleeced pajamas before snuggling on the couch and watching their favorite show, Gray's Anatomy. Just a few minutes into the episode, Michelle's father, Alan Fisher called. He let her know that he wouldn't be coming to Raleigh that weekend. He wasn't feeling well. He had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Michelle was disappointed. She had been looking forward to the visit and wanted him to spend as much time with Cassidy as possible. A tailgate party was planned for that Saturday, November fourth, and several friends were coming into town to stay with the youngs, including Alan. She and Jason knew that Allen might cancel, and before Jason left, he was very adamant, Well, let me know if your dad cancels and it can't help. But think Alan had come that maybe we'd have a different outcome, okay.

37:38 At ten thirty, Shelley left. She had an eerie feeling all evening and asked Michelle to walk her to her car. At eleven, Jason called Michelle to let her know that he had made it to Hillsville, Virginia and had checked into a Hampton Inn. She let him know that her father had called earlier and had canceled his trip that weekend because he wasn't feeling well, and as you just mentioned, Jason had been very into if Alan would be coming into town. They talked for a few minutes before Jason worked on his sales presentation for the next day. He worked until midnight and then called it a night. The next morning, he was half an hour late to the sales call he had scheduled for ten am. Later, the person he met with said he seemed fine, maybe a bit nervous, but it was his first solo sales call since he had worked with the company. After the appointment, he called Michelle's work phone. When she didn't answer, he tried her cell phone and again got her voicemail. Jason assumed that she was in meetings, and that's when he called Meredith and asked her to get the papers that he had left on his home printer about the coach bag.

38:38 When she didn't answer, he called his mother and asked her to keep trying Meredith. He elaborated how important it was that she get those papers off the printer. At one thirty seven, he called Meredith again and left her the following message quote, Hey, it's Jason, just calling you back. I wanted to get an update, and I also wanted to let you know. I called my mom and I gave her that message. My phone has been a time total suck up. Don't know if you heard the whole thing. So I told her the deal. I think she's going to try to call you. I tried to call Michelle, but not super aggressively because I want to find out for sure if you've taken those papers or not. Anyway, I will talk to you again later if you get a chance, call me bye. Jason is really worried about these eBay printouts, Yeah, that have this coach perse on them. Seems like it, doesn't That seem a little odd to you that he's so worried about it that his mom is even calling Meredith, like, oh, Meredith, make sure you get those prints, you know. Yeah, I think this.

39:31 Is so really sort of seems like I guess what you're getting at is he wanted someone to go to the house. And he really wanted someone to go to the house. Yeah, yeah, Jason made a few more sales calls at nearby hospitals before driving to his mother and stepfather's home in the mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina. He was planning on spending the night with them before driving back to Raleigh the next morning to get home in time for the NC State game. When he arrived, his mother and stepfather, Pat and Gerald looked pale and overwraw with emotion. They had the impossible task of telling Jason that his wife and unborn son were dead. He fell to his knees and sobbed. His mother put him in a recliner and covered him with a blanket while he wept. Soon his sister, Heather and her husband Joe arrived. They offered to drive Jason back to Raleigh. Joe and Heather sat in the front seat while Jason and Pat sat in the back, his head cradled in her lap while she stroked his hair. Meredith called Jason to let him know that the police were at the house and needed to talk to him as soon as possible. Two friends of Jason's called to give him a heads up that the police were being aggressive and it seemed as if they already had him pinned as the prime suspect. Ryan secured an attorney for him, Roger Smith, but he wasn't available until the following Monday. Ryan cautioned Jason not to speak to the police without counsel. They drove to Meredith's house.

40:50 Linda Fisher had already flown into town. Jason gave them all hugs and then laid down next to his daughter and fell asleep. He did not talk with anyone about what happened. He didn't ask any questions. Meredith, Pat Heather, and Joe were all taken in for questioning. Not asking the police any questions, not at all, after your wife has found dad brutally murdered. Yeah, that's really that's a big red flag. I would think I understand the importance of having counsel with you while you're being questioned, but just answering a few questions for a few hours, I think you would want to help with the investigation. Yeah, I would think so too. We'll be back after a break.

41:36 Before we jump back to the case, I feel a little guilty about giving you a healthy snack. Wasn't that healthy? It was pretty healthy. I mean it's non fat yogurt with like a teaspoon of honey in it. All right, Well, I brought you a new Reese's peanut butter cup. It's called peanut butter pie. Okay. I saw them yesterday at the store, and I think they're pretty yummy. I think they're delici. Actually, all right, I'll give it a try. Did you like that? It was good? Wasn't It's not that different from a regular pan fired cup. I had the crunchy bits in it. Oh, Okay, I guess, but they. Were kind of like a toffee taste to it. I don't know. Again, I don't know why they're called peanut butter pie.

42:20 I think I preferred the regular peanut. But I prefer these. Interesting. We're so different. I don't know how we stay married. I don't know. Two hundred people gathered for Michelle's funeral a week after her death on November ninth. It was an especially grueling day, as both Michelle and Rylan were being mourned. Years earlier, Michelle had written out the words to the song A Bushel and a Peck and placed it in Jason's wallet so he'd always be reminded of how much she loved him. At their funeral, he put it into her hands as he kneeled in front of her casket, rubbing her belly and November thirteenth, Linda spoke to the media from the cemetery where Michelle was buried. She begged the public to come forward if they had any information to find her daughter's killer, quote, I loved my Michelle and she is gone.

43:05 At this point, everyone is in support of Jason. Yeah, and it seems like he was out of town, so I can see that he probably wasn't Even a lot of people probably didn't even consider that he might have done it because they were like, oh, he was out of town, right exactly. This case is very similar to the last case that we did, the David Hendrick's case. Several days after the funeral, Jason's sister, Heather and her husband Joe took Cassidy out of town with them, cutting Meredith and Linda Fisher from her. But Cassidy had returned to daycare for a few days before being whisked away. Her teacher spoke about an upsetting incident while Cassidy was playing with her two dollars. While she was hitting the doll she said, Mommy's getting a spanking for biting and then when she laid the.

43:51 Doll down is when she said, Mommy has booboos all over, Mommy has read stuff all over. She was very withdrawn. She was always playing with at least one or two other kids, but she kept more to herself. The teacher said that Cassidy normally was a happy, outgoing child, and was very sad and withdrawn on those few days that she saw her after Michelle's death. If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what does. For sure. Meredith was like a second mother to Cassidy. She'd been her nanny during the first year of her life and made sure to see her several times each week. Jason said he sent her away because he wanted Cassidy away from the prying eyes of the media. Years later, Pat Young testified that a friend overheard Meredith and Linda plotting at the funeral to take Cassidy and run away with her, and that's why she was taken away. Losing contact with Cassidy while grieving Michelle and Rylan was devastating to Meredith and Linda. Jason allowed them a few short supervised visits, meeting up at a holiday inn in Brevard, but they knew Michelle would want them to have custody of the little girl. Linda and Meredith went to visit an attorney to discuss their rights. They were surprised to learn that Jason was within his rights to withhold visitation. They had no legal standing. Jason had all of the power. The best advice that the attorney could give them was to stay on Jason's good side and maybe you'll get to see Cassidy more. During one visit, supervised by Jason's mother, Pat, she pressured them to publicly support him. Meredith said, quote,

45:21 We'd be happy to support Jason publicly once he starts cooperating with the police. Pat replied, if you won't retract that statement, If you won't support Jason publicly, I'm afraid that we can't arrange for any more visits with Cassidy. And that was that. Pat severed ties with them, and any contact with Cassidy ended for over a year, until her fourth birthday in March two thousand and eight. What Linda and Meredith did next was underhanded, but they were desperate to see Cassidy so she could see them and remember how much they loved her. She's still so young, it's so important in those first years too. Yeah, have some kind of continuity with people that she spent time with them.

46:02 Yeah. So they showed up at her daycare with presents, balloons, and cupcakes for the whole class. Surprisingly, they were allowed to see her and spend the afternoon with her in the classroom. Days before Mother's Day, they were again allowed to see Cassidy at the daycare. It was spa day for all of the mothers, and the moms were there to be pampered by their preschoolers, and no one was there for Cassidy that day. Had they not been there, can you imagine how broken hearted she would have been. So they hired an attorney who was able to negotiate with Jason for more time with Cassidy, and they even had an unsupervised weekend in New York with her. But Jason still held all the cards and refused to enter into any kind of formal agreement. After Meredith found Michelle dead and called nine one one, the investigation quickly ensued.

46:49 Twenty investigators were assigned to the case that was receiving a lot of attention from the public and the media. There were no signs of forced entry or missing items. Actually that's not right. We'll get to that in a minute. And the crime scene appeared remarkably clean. The only blood discovered on the first floor consisted of two small droplets on the doorknob leading from the kitchen to the garage. What does that say to you If the blood is on the door from the kitchen to the garage. It says that someone was going out from the kitchen to the garage. Well, who uses the door between the kitchen and the garage and. Most homes the people that live there. There the second floor was a heartbreaking scene. Small bloody footprints and handprints from Cassidy were all over. One thing that baffled investigators is that, considering what she'd been through and the bloody state of the crime scene, Cassidy was found in Michelle's bed. She was clean and dry, and half of Michelle's bed had her blood in it, but Jason's side did not. So Cassidy was only two and a half, she wasn't wearing a diaper, and she hadn't soiled herself. I'm not sure how long Cassidy was left alone, but it was a long time. Shelley left at ten thirty, so We're not sure what time Michelle.

48:02 Was killed, but so Shelley left at ten thirty the night before, right her body was found and Cassidy was found at what. Time Meredith got to the house around one fifteen? Okay, And so Cassidy, I've heard different differing accounts. But she was a really smart little girl. Yeah she was. I think she was potty training. I'm not sure if she was completely potty trained, but for two and a half year old to be dry all night. Yeah, very unusually fifteen hours. So yeah, it's quite a bit. And also, mister Garrison, the dog hadn't left any bloody footprints in the house, and how is that possible? I wonder how it's possible that there weren't bloody footprints from the perpetrator too, I mean, just in a scene that's that bloody.

48:44 You were again, it really hard, very similar to the David Hunters. Yes, there's no how does that happen? I'm wondering if mister Garrison was one of those dogs that was super well trained and wasn't allowed to go upstairs. Oh maybe, which. Seems unlikely that there's you know, a murder happy that the dog you wouldn't try to do yeah, but maybe he was outside. In the primary bedroom, it looked as if Michelle had been attacked in her sleep. Her side of the bed was soaked in blood, and it had dripped out of the carpet blow and even through the ceiling. Michelle was lying face down on the floor between the bed and the closet. Cassidy had placed a baby dell by her mother's head as if to comfort her. The door.

49:24 You're gonna make me cry with yours, you know, it's really sad. Someone had opened the closet door, but during the murder, the door had been closed. Because there was blood spatter on it, the closet looked like it had been ransacked. Detective Sergeant Richard Spidey later said Michelle's murder was quote the most severe physical beating I've ever seen someone encounter. Pretty extreme, a pretty vicious attack that she underwent. All of the blood found upstairs was Michelle's. The only clue was a decorative white pillow that had been stepped on, revealing two blood each. Shoe imprints. The bathrooms were free from blood evidence other than Cassidy's footprints. There was a hose outside in the walkway in the rear of the house that had a slow trickle. Well, no blood was found there either had someone tried to clean up outside and left the hose trickling, so it would have washed away any blood evidence. So I said earlier that nothing was missing from the house, but there were two drawers from Michelle's jewelry rocks that were missing, as were her engagement and wedding ring. The listings from eBay that Jason had so desperately wanted Meredith to find were still on the printer. They'd been printed out at seven oh eight pm, just before Jason left on November two, and the auctions closed at eight pm. This whole coach perse eBay auction really has me suspicious. First of all, why would you need to print out an eBay auction?

50:52 Right, Yeah, that doesn't make a lot of sense. And why would you leave? So the auction was at. Eight the auction ended it, So why. Wouldn't he just wait, like if he really wanted it, wouldn't he stick around and see if anybody out bid him or try to, you know, make sure he got it well. Later he said that he was just printing them off as examples of purses that he liked to show. I think he was going to show them to Meredith and get her approval on them, but yeah, it's all just weak to me. After two weeks, the house was turned back over to Jason. At that point, his sister Kim paid for doctor Maurice Godwin to analyze the crime scene.

51:33 If you're a fan of true crime podcast, you might have listened to Up and Vanished and doctor Maurice Godwin is heavily featured in that show and really smart guy. But Godwin found a few interesting things, one of Michelle's teeth, an unidentified hair in the bedroom, and two cigarette butts from two unidentified males. When the remaining drawers of Michelle's jewelry box were swabbed for DNA, there was also unknown DNA there. Jason's two thousand and four white Ford Explorer and cell phone were seized. The vehicle was clean as could be, not a speck of blood inside. There were directions printed from map Quest and Atlas, a hotel receipt, and a copy of the November third, two thousand and six edition of The USA Today from the Hampton Inn.

52:19 I read a couple of articles from newspapers dot com that actually is said that blood was found in the suv, but it must have been something else other than blood after the analysis came back, because initially they were like blood, you know, blood found in Jason's car, but it was not Michelle's blood. The newspaper delivery person was in the Young's neighborhood sometime between three and four am and recalled the Young's house being lit up brightly for that time of the day and also noticed in suv parked in front of the house and a grave aand parked across the street. The autopsy revealed that Michelle had been brutally attacked and beaten. She had defensive wounds, scratches and abrasions on her right hand and bruising on her left hand. She had as many is thirty separate points of trauma on her head from a blunt object and thirteen lacerations in a few spots you could see her skull, and there was evidence of brain hemorrhage. There was hair in Michelle's hand, but it was found to be her own. The exact murder weapon could not be identified, but the crescent shaped lacerations suggested it was a heavy blunt object with a rounded edge.

53:23 There was a gouge on one of the bedroom walls that matched the shape. Michelle also suffered at least one devastating blow to the face, which broke her jaw and knocked out several of her teeth. There was also bruising on her neck and evidence of imprints from her own fingernails trying to loosen the strangler's grasp. There was no evidence of sexual assault. Her time of death was unable to be determined, but likely between midnight and six am. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the manner of death homicide. A brutal beating. Really brutal, and usually when you hear that type of thing, it's something personal, a random intruder. Right to make those wounds and lacerations, you have to be pretty close up, and I think that's usually indicative of a personal attack.

54:11 Yeah. Investigators headed to the Hampton Inn in Virginia, where Jason had stayed, one hundred and sixty nine miles from Raleigh, about a two hour and forty five minute drive, but it could be done in as short as two hours and twenty five minutes. Could Jason have checked in driven back to Raleigh killed Michelle driven back to the Hampton in and then checked out the following morning. That's what law enforcement was trying to find out. His room had been cleaned, but no blood evidence was found. Thanks to hotel surveillance and his key card, we know that Jason arrived at the hotel at ten to fifty pm on November two and opened the door to his room at ten fifty six. It was the only time he used the key card during his stay. At midnight, Jason was seen at the hotel's front desk and again shortly after at the west side entrance, this time wearing a different shirt than he had worn it check in a dark colored sweater with a thin white stripe. This was the last time that Jason appeared on the hotel's surveillance camera.

55:09 All right, so I'm a little bit confused. So he used his key card to get into his room at ten fifty six pm, and that was the only time he used his key card, Yes, But he was seen at the front desk at midnight. Yes, So that's implying that he never went like he left his room, and he never went back after ten fifty six or whenever he left. I think that he did go back, but he didn't let the door latch. Oh, it's like. When he left the room, you know how you can kind of leave. It, Yeah, just prop open just a little bit. Yeah, yeah, and I believe that's what he did, so there would be him coming and going. Interesting later he would say that, you know, I didn't want to disturb anyone by using my key card. But that's really not very disruptive to hear.

55:52 So he admitted that he did leave the door cracked open, but he said, I just did it because I didn't want to disturb anyone. Yes, okay, interesting, but is. That disruptive to hear someone open their door with a key card? Hotels can be Hotel doors can be loud when they close, yeah for sure. But yeah, but you can you can also make sure it doesn't close loudly if you don't want to disturb anything. Yeah, but the you know, the noise that your key card makes is usually you know, that was not disruptive, No. For sure. Early the next morning, around four am, a hotel employee found a small red landscaping rock propping the side entrance door open and the security camera unplugged. The maintenance man plugged the camera in and went to the office to ensure the camera was positioned at the right angle to capture the door, But by six thirty five am, someone had repositioned the camera and pointed it at the ceiling.

56:42 So if Jason had left the hotel, driven to Raleigh, killed Michelle, and durned back to the Hampton in this does fit the timeline. He'd been gone for about six and a half hours. Remember he the last time he was seen was eleven to fifty nine at the front desk. Okay, Yeah, Jason never checked out of the hotel, but cell phone records showed that his phone pinged a tower in Wytheville, Virginia, twenty seven miles from Hillsville, at seven forty am on November third. He would have had plenty of time to shower and get ready before hitting the road. One thing that hung up investigators, however, was that they couldn't find proof that Jason had refueled he had filled up his tank on his way out of town on November two. Investigators were fairly certain that he would have needed to refuel the twenty two and a half gallon gas tank of his white Ford Explorer on the way back to Hillsville sometime between four and six am on November third. He did fill up later around noon that day.

57:40 Investigators went to every gas station along the highway on Jason's route to see if a gas station employee could id him. They got lucky when a young woman in king North Carolina working at a BP station remembered a man matching Jason's description pulling up to a pump around five point thirty. When she didn't turn the pump on, he walked in to the station, cursed at her angrily and demanded that she turn on the pump, throwing a twenty dollars bill in her face. So, at that time of the day, when you're getting gased, you need to provide some sort of id uh huh, And he didn't want. To do that. Okay. If that was Jason, though, I'll just say that it seems it would seem odd for him to like curse at someone angrily because then they'd be more likely to remember him.

58:23 Yeah. Absolutely, But a narcissist doesn't think about things like that. Okay, Yeah, it could be. The man filled his tank with fifteen dollars of gas and then drove off. He didn't re enter the store to get his change. Do we know how how sure this gas station employee was that it was Jason, Like, looking at the picture, was it a positive identification or was it more tentative. I believe she was like, yes, that's him. But we will get to that in part two. Okay, And this gas station visit fits the timeline too. King North Carolina is about fifty minutes from Hillsville, Virginia. Police soon discovered Michelle's two million dollar life insurance policy with Jason as the sole beneficiary. Due to a double indemnity clause, Jason could receive four million dollars at six point four million adjusted for inflation, that's a lot of money.

59:13 That is a lot. But it was likely that the insurer Prudential would dispute that the policy had been purchased under fraudulent circumstances. In other words, he had planned to kill Michelle. So just a few days into the investigation, the police were feeling good about the case. Although Jason refused, on the advice of his attorney, to cooperate with their investigation, he had not been questioned at all, nor had he asked for any information about the investigation. Is shocking that he never answered a question. That's so far. To me, that is probably the biggest red flag. Yeah, as the investigation into Jason heated up, law enforcement focused on his cell phone. In two thousand and six, around seventy eight percent of US adults owned a cell phone, and that year marked a turning point for text messaging in the United States. Roughly two hundred and eighteen billion text messages were sent in the US, up from one hundred and fifty eight billion the previous year. I'm just taking you on a little bit of a rabbit hole because this time in our history is really interesting to me.

1:00:18 When communication really changed. Globally, over one point eight trillion text messages were sent about five billion per day, with SMS technology having taken off earlier and quicker in Asia and Europe. The launch of the iPhone in two thousand and seven accelerated mobile communication trends, setting this stage for the explosive growth of texting and smartphone use in the years that followed, and forever making telephone conversations awkward. I always try to remember this in cases. Two thousand and seven is when the iPhone was invented, and that really changed a lot because we all had GPS technology on our phone. And it changed the world of true crime a lot. Yeah, absolutely, people became easier to track the Jason's cell phone usage revealed a disturbing truth. He and Michelle Money had been carrying on an affair. There were more than four hundred text messages between them, fifty alone on the day of Michelle's murder. He hadn't done anything else to delete the messages. A two thousand and six cell phone could delete texts from the user's view, but the deletion wasn't always permanent, especially if law enforcement had access to the device and used forensic tools before the data was overwritten. Jason and Michelle Money had spoken on the phone about fifteen minutes before he allegedly left the Hampton and to travel back to Raleigh, and then called her again the next morning at seven forty nine am, and several more times throughout the day as he drove

1:01:49 to his mother's house after his sales calls. His phone records indicate that between seven forty am and one thirty seven pm, there were twenty eight calls to his mother. Wow, I know, I don't know how that's even possible. That's yeah, well, Signs pointed to Jason as Michelle's killer. The case against him was built entirely on circumstantial evidence and coincidence. There was no murder weapon, no white witness, and no forensic evidence directly linking him to the crime, at least not yet intriguing. Are you ready to put your thinking cap on? And asks answers some quse, I always have my thinking cap on. So so far, what is the evidence against Jason's.

1:02:30 Not much, there's none. I mean, well, there's the gas station witness. I mean, if she really saw him, that's obviously very very suspicious. And everything else is very circumstantial. Life insurance policy girlfriend, yes, you know those type of things. His contentious relationship with Linda, his hard partying lifestyle. Yeah, he was seen leaving the hotel. The whole hotel security camera was unplugged and moved the rock in the side door of the Hampton Inn. He only used his key card once. I would venture. I guess a lot of people put a rock in the door of the Hampton In though, Like people go out for a cigarette or something, and I've seen that happen a lot of times at hotels I've been out. We actually said they had never seen that happen. Before.

1:03:11 But the door, and this is important, we're going to talk about it more in part two. The door was only locked between eleven PM and six am, Okay, so most people would be sleeping during that time, So maybe that's why it hadn't been an issue previously. The other things I find suspicious are that he used his key card once he changed his shirt, he didn't cooperate with the police investigation, and he took the map quest directions off of the printer but left the eBay thing there. That didn't make any sense. All right, But yeah, that's pretty weird. And the fact that he was so insistent on calling Meredith and telling her to go over and get the eBay thing, it just seems a little suspicious as well.

1:03:51 And how much do you hate him for leaving sweet little Cassidy alone? Well? Yeah, if he, assuming he did the crime, that. Is, Yeah, that's unforgivable. Well, the whole thing is unforgivable. Yeah, leaving a two to two and a half year old at that scene, I mean, that's just that's that's really really bad, right. And who else would have had a motive in this situation? Yeah, nobody would have. Do you think that this circumstantial evidence is enough to arrest Jason. It doesn't really seem like it to me so far. I am still baffled that there was no forensic evidence. Obviously, Jason lived in the house, so his DNA is going to be there, and you know, his fingerprints are going to be all over the house. But just with a beating that brutal and with that much blood, it's just pretty amazing to me that they didn't find more.

1:04:40 Again, like David Hendrick, because I spent a lot of time thinking about how they possibly could get away with this, and I'm wondering, if you know, he worked with a lot of hospitals, could he have had some sort of hasmat suit, covered himself up, warren gloves and you know, had some towel or a trash bag or something there that after he did the murder, he could put, you know, take it all off, carefully, put it into the trash band bag and take it with him maybe and dump it somewhere along the route. Yeah, I mean that would require a lot of planning and very meticulously well thought out, you know, approach to it. But yeah, it certainly makes sense that that might have happened.

1:05:24 In my thinking, The only way that I can eliminate Jason as a suspect is if he said, oh, well, I was going to go meet with this other woman. Mm hmmm, And so far he has not said that. Well. I do think though the fact that he called her the other woman a lot. He called her a lot the next day, right, mm hmm. That seems if you were with another woman and you killed your wife, I would think you would be like, I'm not going to call Michelle money anymore because I'm not. I don't want to appear suspicious. So it almost seems but. It would have appeared suspicious if he didn't call her. Yeah, I guess if he thought through it that much, he you know, he would have wanted to act the same way he would have acted if nothing had if he hadn't done anything. So I guess.

1:06:06 But it's two thousand and six also, and I think today we know that your cell phone is a key in the investigation, but maybe in two thousand and six he wasn't as aware of But we don't have his location like we don't have he must have been smart enough to leave the cell phone and the Hampton in if he's always put the cart before that. You seem like he did it. You seem like you've decided. I'm still trying really hard to like not reveal that until the end of episode two. I'm still on the fence. So far, I'm leaning toward you probably did, but I'm anxious to hear. Yeah, You're gonna hear a lot more in part two. Yeah, I'm sorry to leave you all in a cliffhanger again.

1:06:47 I don't think you are actually no, I really yeah, I do feel bad, but you know. Well, it's really interesting. I will definitely come back for a part two. As if Michelle seemed like just a gem of a woman. Well and to and a half year old daughter, and the fact that, yeah, the whole thing is very heartbreaking. It sounds like Jason Young was on his phone all the time, having actual at a lot of times with his month. He really did love his mom, so I do like that for him. Yeah, but he was on his phone all the time talking to people, and it made me feel like I almost never talked to it.

1:07:30 I am not a millennial. That is like a millennial trait like millennials, you know, you see a lot of memes about it. Millennials get anxious about being you know, on an actual phone conversation. Yeah, we used to talk for hours. Yeah, like when we first met, you know, we were separated. You were here and I was you know, in Illinois, and the amount that we used to have to pay for a long distance was criminal, honestly, I mean hundreds of dollars a month. And you were already in your life and graduated from col and you took the wordin't of that, but that was tricky. But just what what the heck did we talk about? We didn't even have Love Island to talk about? You know, there is just like hours but not just do like you know a lot of different I called friends and relatives.

1:08:13 And now I just rarely talk on the phone anymore. Have we lost the ability to talk in real time? I think maybe we? I think I have Well. I think it's funny. When I travel for work, we rarely speak on the phone. We text all the time. Oh yeah, we never talk in the If you called me, it'd be like, oh my god, what hospital are you in? Are you okay? Did you have heart attack? It would be really weird. I mean you do once in a great while, like if you're if you're driving. Sometimes we'll talk. You know, it's really funny. I wonder if other couples do this. But a lot of time you're in your office and I'll call you from the bedroom. I'll be like, oh, hey, how much time do you get for manslaughter in the state of California or whatever? It is, like, it'll be something that I don't want to type.

1:08:56 That's true. We probably talk more on the phone when I'm traveling. I think we talk, But yeah, just in general, I remember there were a few times that I literally talked to people on the phone, like all night long. Yeah, which it's baffling to me. I just don't have as much to say anymore. Yes, yeah, it is. Really things have changed very dramatically when it comes to communication. Well, on the iPhone, the iPhone, and you had a BlackBerry before you had an iPhone, and you really loved your BlackBerry. When did you have that? Loved because I could play brick Breaker on it and I was really really good. I knew you couldn't say brick Baker without saying that you were globally ranked or whatever. What was the other game that you were like, globally rigked Doodles?

1:09:41 That was after the iPhone. But yeah, yeah, I do miss playing those insipid games. Like I played doodle Jump on my flight home. Did you really? I haven't played it in ages and ages school is still up there. I was a little stressed out because I knew we were going to be flying through like thunderstorms and stuff like it really anxious and suddenly, but I'm just I need something to distract me. And I still got it. You're such a humble man. So you still had doodle Jump on your phone? Yeah, it's still on that, okay. Because I used to play a ton of games like Candy Crush. I played a little bit, but there was some game with a panda. There's the Fruits, the fruit Ninja game. There was just a ton of them and we loved them and we played them with their kids, and are they still out there? And I just took them off my phone.

1:10:32 I'm just assume. So I was thinking about Angry Birds the other day, because yeah, that was a fun one. Everybody went through a big Angry Birds phase. It was such a fun. No, let's bring it back. Let's have like a group We'll have a group game and we'll start out Angry Birds community. But maybe it was just old apps. Yeah, what was the one? The bird one that like everyone was obsessed with, super hard flatty Bird and then they took it out of the store. We have one of our bunch. Of get out of the store. I can't remember. I don't know if there was a controversy or yeah there. Was something if, I don't remember, but I was never that into that one. What was really hard? One of our iPads somewhere has it on it. But anyway, good times, good time. Well, thank you again to Tracy and Chelsea for recommending this episode.

1:11:19 If you would like to listen to the conclusion of this episode right now, please join us on Patreon dot com slash Lovemrykill for five dollars a month. You get early add free access and a monthly bonus episode. Thank you so much for your support. The only reason that we continue to make this podcast is because you continue to listen and support us. Please rate, review, follow, and subscribe. Find us on social media, or send us an email at Lovemarykill at gmail dot com. And if you're listening on Spotify, leave us a comment because we'd love to read your comments. We do, and thanks to everyone who's given us a shout out on reddit like, especially in the True Crime podcast subreddit. We always appreciate seeing our name mentioned there when people are looking for recommendations.

1:12:02 Until next time, don't kill your wife and don't kill your husband.