Snapped: Women Who Murder - BONUS: Kadie Robinson & Ronnie Welborn (Snapped Killer Couples)

Episode Date: January 18, 2024

We are bringing you a special bonus episode featuring a case from Oxygen's hit series, “Killer Couples.”  When a single mother is discovered murdered in her home, the investigat...ion exposes a twisted love triangle and a murder-for-hire scheme devised to kill the competition. Originally aired: May 8, 2022 Watch full episodes of Killer Couples live or OnDemand for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, I'm Michelle Beato. And I'm Peter Rosenberg. Hey Peter, tell the people about our new podcast. It's called Over the Top. And we cover the biggest topics in sports and pop culture using Royal Rumble rules. Two stories enter, one gets tossed over the top rope until we arrive at the one most important thing
Starting point is 00:00:14 on planet Earth that week. Listen to Over the Top on the Wendry app or wherever you get your podcasts. In the sports world, news happens fast. Keep up with the latest by listening to the lead starting five, a daily podcast from Wondery that breaks down the five biggest sports stories of the day in just 10 minutes. Listen to the lead starting 5 on the Wondery app or whatever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:00:34 The lead starting 5, the sports news you need to start your day. Hi staff listeners, we are bringing you a special bonus episode today from Oxygen's hit series, Snap Killer Couples. You can also watch full episodes on demand on the free Oxygen app or on Peacock by clicking the link in our description. Enjoy! When a young socialite goes missing, her family bows to bring her home. Somebody who's from an affluent, well-known, well-respected family doesn't just disappear. She had the so-called perfect life when she went missing
Starting point is 00:01:14 that was unusual. The search for answers will lead investigators to uncover a disturbing scam by a master manipulator. You understand that you're being charged with obstruction of justice and forgery? Yes, sir. And turn the case of a missing person into a hunt for a killer.
Starting point is 00:01:35 She had no moral compass. There was no such thing as true or false to her. He was gonna do whatever he could do to help protect her. The coldness is beyond my understanding. This is one of the rare cases I've ever seen. You've got the state using their two key witnesses. One of them is honestly one of the greatest people I've ever seen in my life.
Starting point is 00:01:57 Why would you murder your best friend for love? Some people in the world are evil. Carolina is a prominent port city known for its charm and southern hospitality. Charleston life is very laid back, very welcoming, sit on your front porch with your neighbor or stranger and have a glass iced tea. Life in Charleston is one of a slow pace. There's a rich culture and heritage here in Charleston, a lot of history. And Catherine Wearing, known as Kate to friends and family, was a true daughter of Charleston. Kate and her family, they were multi-generational Charlestonians.
Starting point is 00:03:01 She was like eighth or ninth generation here in Charleston. Kate had a very good family. Her dad is an attorney. She grew up downtown Charleston. She and her family, her father and her grandfather and a great-grandfather, has been champions for the underdogs. Even though she lived in the highest society along the battery, you know, they were very humbled and down to earth people. Kate was extremely smart, caring, compassionate. She was college-educated. She was a phenomenal writer.
Starting point is 00:03:40 You know, she had things published in the papers and so forth. She loved the travel. She spoke multiple languages, went to Alaska with her father on a trip that she really loved. I've seen her when a bee in one place, she would leave, and she would take trips all the time. In 2009, Kate returned to school, and her parents supported her as she made plans for her future.
Starting point is 00:04:07 Kate re-enrolled in college to study Russian. She loved Russia. She just came back from a trip from Russia. But life for the 28-year-old jet-setter would take a strange and unsettling turn in the summer of 2009. settling turn in the summer of 2009. On June 15, police in Charleston receive a concerning phone call from Kate
Starting point is 00:04:34 Wearing's parents. In the summer, the Wearing family would live in their summer home with their beach home over on the Alapam's and Kate would occupy the house there on the battery. She would be independent, could take care of herself, but she would contact her family and her parents on a everyday basis to let them know she's doing well.
Starting point is 00:05:00 The wearings tell police that the last time they'd spoken to Kate was the afternoon of Friday, June 12, when she called to check in. It was a normal conversation with her parents. They said there was nothing out of the ordinary. She planned to go to the gym as she pretty much does every day, stopped by the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, and she mentioned she had dinner plans with her friend Ethan Mack. Kate and Ethan were extremely close friends. to pick up a prescription, and she mentioned she had dinner plans with a friend Ethan Mack.
Starting point is 00:05:28 Kate and Ethan were extremely close friends. This was no different than any other night that they would have together, and that they would a lot of times go out for dinner and drinks, socialize. According to Kate's parents, nothing seemed to miss when they spoke to their daughter. When she hadn't called in two days, however, her parents began to worry.
Starting point is 00:05:52 Her father drove into Charleston where Kate was staying. Kate wasn't in the house, but the lights were on. And he thought maybe that meant she was coming back home. The wearings knew Kate didn't go out of town because there was just too many things that were still at the house of her personal belongings. There was medication that was still in a room unused. Her credit cards were not being used. And she relied on her parents
Starting point is 00:06:29 for monetary needs. So once all the communication and lines of communication had been cut and stopped, then the wearings knew that Kate had to have been missing. After taking the missing persons report, Charleston police begin reaching out to Kate's friends, hoping to track her down. They start with her best friend, Ethan Mack. Police confirmed that Ethan lived on John's island with his mother, so they sent a detective out to talk to him. Ethan was Kate's friend. She would always talk about her. They were always really close. They pretty much were two amigos that hung out together. They shared everything in their lives on a friendship level.
Starting point is 00:07:23 everything in their lives, on a friendship level. Police learned like Kate, 30-year-old Ethan was a Charleston native, but he grew up far from the battery. We grew up on Johns Island. Back then it was quiet, it was nice and peaceful and country, if that describes it. It wasn't a city life. Despite their different upbringing, when Kate met Ethan as a young adult,
Starting point is 00:07:49 she was drawn to his strong values and caring nature. Kate really loved Ethan. And Ethan loved Kate. They were like brothers and sisters. Kate was the godparent of Ethan's nephew. She loved the Mac family. She would do anything for them. It's like they adopted her and she adopted them.
Starting point is 00:08:10 Ethan tells detectives that he had last seen Kate on the evening of June 12th, when he and his fiance, Heather and Jessica Camp, had met Kate for dinner. Heather was a pediatric surgeon of an MUSC, the Medical University of New York. and his fiance, Heather Angelica Camp, had met Kate for dinner. Heather was a pediatric surgeon of an MUSC, the Medical University of South Carolina. On June 12th, they were all celebrating because Heather had just found out she was pregnant. Beath and Mike picked up Kate from her house along with Heather Camp and then they drove over to the Wasabi's restaurant. Said that he had dropped Kate wearing back home after 11 p.m.
Starting point is 00:08:53 ... Upon learning that Kate is missing, Ethan tells police he's worried for his friend. Where's Kate from there? Was it a situation where she decided to leave her in her own and fall off the grid? Or was it a situation where something nefarious happened to her? Coming up, police tracked down their first lead.
Starting point is 00:09:25 When they uncover skeletons in Kate's closet. There had been some previous romantic relationship. His wife had recently found out she was very unhappy and she had what a lot of people describe as a fiery temperament. And a disturbing revelation will shine a spotlight on someone close to the missing woman. She was essentially a con artist. Police in Charleston, South Carolina
Starting point is 00:10:02 are searching for 28-year-old Kate Wearing after her parents reported her missing in June 2009. After learning from Kate's friend Ethan Mack that she was last seen sometime before midnight on June 12, police begin reconstructing her movements earlier in the day. That particular day of Kate's disappearance, Kate had took the Black Cat Cab company to the gym. And at some point in time, the taxi cab brought Kate to the CVS pharmacy, where she picked up her prescription.
Starting point is 00:10:38 We saw her own video at the CVS pharmacy downtown. She gets the prescription. She comes out of the pharmacy. She has no contact with anybody else. When police reach out to Kate's gym, the manager confirms that Kate had been there. But he informs detectives that Kate had been involved in a troubling altercation.
Starting point is 00:11:06 Witnesses told them on the day that Kate disappeared. They said she was on the stairmaster when a woman approaches her and starts yelling. There was a confrontation in regards to her believing that Kate was having and a farewell with her husband. Detectives learned the woman is married to a gym employee and MMA instructor named Howard Gatch. There had been some previous romantic relationship.
Starting point is 00:11:39 His wife had recently found out. Needless to say, she was very unhappy and she had what people described His wife had recently found out. Needless to say, she was very unhappy, and she had what people described as a fiery temperament. She had some words for Kate to stay away from Howard, on his wife, and she lived. Police quickly tracked down Howard Gatch's wife and asked her to come to the station for an interview.
Starting point is 00:12:09 She came in freely to talk to police. She was questioned at length. She did admit that she was in the middle of a contentious divorce, and she saw Kate as a distraction to that process. She did admit that they had a confrontation at the gym, but by all means, she had absolutely nothing to do with her disappearance. She said, I had nothing to do with any of this.
Starting point is 00:12:30 Don't bother me. She provided information about who she was with. Her friend she was with, where she was, and those on her paddoth. So, Ms. Guatt was eliminated as a suspect in doing anything to have harm Kate. When police asked Mrs. Gatt about her husband, they're surprised to learn that he'd
Starting point is 00:12:55 recently left the country. The day before Kate was reported missing. He ended up going on a cruise to the Baham. Detectives attempts to contact Howard go straight to voicemail, which only adds fuel to their growing suspicions. A week later, detectives finally get a call back. When I returned, I had a message from the police department. They asked me if I'd be willing to come in,
Starting point is 00:13:31 talk to them, I said, yep, I'll be there immediately. From a police perspective, you know, doesn't take a rocket science to figure out, this does not look good for you, Howard. But my trip had been planned for six months. When police sit down with Howard for a formal interview, they press him about his relationship with Kate. He doesn't deny the affair, but he claims he and his wife
Starting point is 00:14:00 were already separated when he began dating Kate a month earlier. Kate and I first met at a gym. I worked out and she came in. And we just sort of hit it off and sort of train in and we just became best friends from there on out. I cared deeply for Kate. I loved Kate.
Starting point is 00:14:22 Howard tells police he spoke to Kate several times on June 12th. Kate and Howard together that afternoon, we saw each other at the gym, and we talked at 10 p.m. She was right, yeah, I'm riding around with Heather and Ethan. According to Howard, he received one last message from Kate's phone late that same night. I got a weird text around midnight. She sent me text and said, I'm going to Greenville
Starting point is 00:14:53 to pick up some lovely. I'm like, what is lovely? And why are you going to Greenville? That next morning, I woke up and I looked at my phone. She hadn't texted me back. So it was busy because it was getting ready to leave to go out of the country. And then the following morning, I got a call from Mr. Waring.
Starting point is 00:15:15 You know, Kate's dad. And he asked me, have you seen or taught the Kate? And I said, no, Mr. Waring. When I got that call from him, I knew something was wrong because I knew for a fact that Kate admired and adored her dad. And she spoke with him daily. One of the things that really struck me
Starting point is 00:15:37 is like, my God, I've not known what happened to someone. And I'm only her boyfriend. What is her father and her mother and her brothers going through? Unimaginable. Investigators find it suspicious that Howard would leave town knowing his girlfriend was missing. But Howard is adamant that he does not know where Kate is now. He asked me if I'd be willing to take a polygraph.
Starting point is 00:16:09 I said absolutely. He passed the polygraph test, and his alibi checked out for the most part by police, and Howard seemed genuinely concerned about where Kate was. He had an alibi, but where he was. So he was eliminated as a suspect. As police continue talking to Kate's friends, they learn others had received a similar text from her around midnight on June 13th.
Starting point is 00:16:42 I received a text message from Kate's phone saying that she was going out of town for a while. Some business she had to handle. And I thought it was strange because she never contacted me letting me know when she was going out of town or why like that. It just didn't seem like her words, a text at her back, and I got no response. Kate's friends knew that she would just not up and leave without any explanation. Her family also knew she would just not up and leave.
Starting point is 00:17:10 The more days that went by, police were certainly concerned that the more difficult it might be to bring her home safely. The holidays usually include hours on planes, cars, trains, flying baby next to you, put on those noise-counseling headphones. Mom and dad arguing about directions in the car, air pods in. No matter how you listen, we have the perfect headphones on distraction. A new season of the critically acclaimed Dr. Death Podcast is back with a story of
Starting point is 00:17:42 miraculous cures, magic, and murder. When a charismatic hot shot doctor announced revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, it seemed like the world had been given a miracle cure. Medical experts rushed to praise Dr. Serhat Gumbu as a genius. But when the company stalks Guy Rocketed to over half a billion dollars, a team of private researchers dive into Serhat's background and they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a shot in secret. Finge Dr. Death's bad magic right now exclusively and add free on Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Or if you have a whole cross-country
Starting point is 00:18:17 drive in front of you, catch up on all four hit seasons of Dr. Death only on Wondery Plus. Hey, I'm Michelle Beetle. And I'm Peter Rosenberg. Hey Peter, tell the people about our new podcast. Dr. Death only on Wendry Plus. the other stories with ruthless aggression. Oh, but it never stops because every 90 seconds after that. We stand in the fire. Oh God, whose music is that? Another story comes down to the ring. Rinse and repeat until we arrive at the one most important thing on planet Earth that week.
Starting point is 00:18:59 Follow over the top on the Wondering app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to over the top, add free right now by joining Wondering Plus. For the record, this is not a wrestling podcast. No, no, but it is inspired by wrestling. Is it everything inspired by wrestling, Beetle? Fair point. Yeah!
Starting point is 00:19:20 Yeah! It's been a week since the family of Kate Wearing reported her missing in Charleston, South Carolina. And local police are no closer to finding the 28-year-old socialite. Without any solid evidence that Kate's been harmed, police must consider that she may have left town without telling anyone. There was no indication she was in danger.
Starting point is 00:19:51 There was no indication she was going to harm herself with adult missing persons. If there was no indication if I would play her danger, nothing really happens. Weeks pass with no word from Kate wearing and the case to find her grows cold. Her parents become increasingly afraid and frustrated. Once the family members were frustrated with the police's mode of operation, Andy Savage was put on notice. Andy Savage is one of, if not the best criminal defense attorney in the Charleston area.
Starting point is 00:20:31 I was a very good investigator and hard-knosed police officer on the city of Charleston police department. And once we met, I started working for Andy. We formed a pretty good team. I started working for Andy. We formed a pretty good team. They had worked on other important cases in the past, and they were considered so good they were called unofficially the A team. When Kate's family reaches out to the team, Andy Savage is quick to offer his assistance.
Starting point is 00:21:02 Andy made contact with me and said, let's put our heads together and figure out how we can help this family resolve the issue of their child being listening. Private investigators Bill Caps and James Randolph begin building their own case outside the police investigation. They quickly come to the same conclusion as Kate's family. Kate would not have left town and leave all of her medications.
Starting point is 00:21:43 Cut off communication with her cell phones, not user credit card, not contact her parents. That in itself was very troubling. When private investigators obtained Kate's cell phone records, however, they're able to track her movements out of Charleston on the night of June 12th. She had been downtown all evening because only activity using her phone had been using towers downtown She went out to dinner down in the market area about the time that they left the restaurant shortly thereafter her signal changed She used a cell phone sometimes after 11 p.m. and the
Starting point is 00:22:29 records from the towers of the cell phone, sometimes after 11 p.m. And the records from the towers of the cell phone, show with her phone, transmitting from a James Island area. The investigative team begins canvassing the island, hoping that someone may have seen Kate wearing. hoping that someone may have seen Kate wearing. Within days, they get a promising tip from a local landlord. The owner of the property said, hey, this guy told the police that he's living in his mom's house from John's Island. He's not. He's written a little house right behind my house here on James Island. He's not. He's written a little house right behind my house here on James Island.
Starting point is 00:23:07 One of our investigative team members was able to come up with the information that Ethan Michaels living on James Island. The private investigators know that Ethan had told police that he lived on John's island more than 10 miles away. They knew that Kate's phone had last pinged on James Island. And now they're learning that Ethan lived on James Island with his fiance, Heather Camp.
Starting point is 00:23:34 So why would Ethan hide this information in the wake of Kate's disappearance? While investigators begin surveilling Ethan and Heather, they deep, deeper into the couple's life. They learned Kate Wearing had introduced them after Kate befriended Heather in May 2009. Heather Camp had claimed that she had some sort of medical degree that she was a doctor
Starting point is 00:24:04 and she could take sort of medical degree that she was a doctor, and she could take care of sick people. Kate Wearing offered to get her a job here. She offered her home, she offered her friendship. Ethan was the best friend that Kate had in the world, and now she meets this new person, Heather. And so, Kate's thinking, well, listen, you know, I've got my two best friends.
Starting point is 00:24:32 Let me introduce him to each other because maybe they'll hit it off, maybe they'll be good for each other. You know, Ethan needs somebody, Heather needs somebody. Ethan and Heather hit it off immediately once Kate introduced it to them. They were inseparable. It was love at first sight.
Starting point is 00:24:49 But the private investigators quickly discovered that Heather isn't the person she had claimed to be. Police began digging into Heather Camp's life. They found out she had a pretty lengthy rap sheet, including being charged with three counts of armed robbery in 2000. By 2006, she was arrested for forging her a grandmother's name on a check. Forgery was a running theme with pretty much everybody that she came into contact with. Heather was essentially a con artist.
Starting point is 00:25:27 The private investigators know that Ethan had told police that he lived on John's island more than 10 miles away. Heather would portray herself as either a doctor or a nurse. That was a roof she had used several times. Heathers could convince most people pretty much anything she wanted to. Investigators decide to focus on Kate Wearing's financial records. That's when Kate's father tells them about a suspicious transaction that
Starting point is 00:26:05 had occurred three days after Kate went missing. On June 15th, someone tried to cash a check for $4,500 signed by Kate Wearing and dated June 12th. They only failed because Kate had less than $200 in her bank account. You have some very smart and observant tellers who know the wearing family, know that the transaction that was being made was out of character for Kate's checkbook. So you have the teller who observed that that particular check was not written by Kate Weir. Once we became aware of this I contacted a acquaintance of
Starting point is 00:26:52 mine who was in charge of security for the Southland Federal Credit Union and as a listen could you check your James Island branch on Folly Road and see if you have any video of anybody trying to cash this forged check. And I gave him the time and date, Nick. He sent his office and looking at his system. He says, hey, I can send you a couple of screenshots right now.
Starting point is 00:27:14 And there was Ethan Mac on camera. Dan and he are trying to cash that $4,500 forged check. When you see someone on a camera, caching a check, a forged check of a woman who just went missing, look, he looks very obviously fully guilty. Coming up, as investigators, zero in on their suspects, an unexpected affair comes into focus.
Starting point is 00:27:39 She is straightening up her clothes with only two of them in there. She doesn't have a clue that she's going to be in the hospital. She is straightening up her clothes. It only had two of them in there. She goes from town to town, destroying things. She creates this fantasy world. He had caught up. He got manipulated.
Starting point is 00:27:55 And had destroyed his life. Two months after Kate wearing went missing and she was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency. She was in a state of emergency Charleston home, a team of private investigators have found evidence that Kate's best friend, Ethan Mack and his fiance, Heather Camp, had attempted to cash a forged check three days after her disappearance.
Starting point is 00:28:27 An order for the handwriting expert to determine that the check was not written by Kate Weren, we need exemplar writings from Ethan Mack, Heather Camp to figure out whether or not they were actually the ones that had signed the check that Mack was trying to cash. In order to keep their suspects in the dark, the private investigators decided to contact Ethan and Heather's landlord to see if he can obtain a handwriting sample. They learned that the couple is several months behind on their rent. Their rent was in serious arrays. So their landlord was in the process of evicting them. We would lose sight of them if they were evicted. We wouldn't have a way of knowing where they was,
Starting point is 00:29:18 and then they could scatter. We concocted a plan for the landlord to have them handwrite out a document using both of their hand writings and agreeing, you know, to give them some more time to pay on the rent. The plan worked. Ethan and Heather both signed individual promissory notes that had their signatures on them and gave those to their landlord. And he turned that over to us, which we asked him to do.
Starting point is 00:29:46 So we had all the exemplars that we needed for the handwriting expert. When the notice forensically examined, the expert confirms a match. Looked at it immediately, said, yep, no question. That handwriting was done by Heather Camp. As investigators continue to surveil Ethan and Heather, they catch a surprise break. There were two houses in total behind the landlord's house on James Island where they were living. General of my name is Terry Williams, who was living there.
Starting point is 00:30:30 He was, I guess, an old friend and acquaintance, perhaps, of Ethan's. While Ethan is at work one day, they spot Heather sneaking over into their neighbor's apartment. So, investigators decide to focus their attention on Terry. The next day, we knocked on Terry's door, Terry came to the door. We started talking to Terry and said, hey, listen man, you look close to these folks. They come and go in your spot all the time.
Starting point is 00:31:02 We know you have a good idea of what happened. While we're talking to Terry Williams to talk to the bedroom, open up, and come flying out is Heather Camp, yelling and screaming. She's straightening up her clothes. There's only two of them in there. Apparently, Heather was also romantically involved with Terry Williams. Apparently, Heather was also romantically involved
Starting point is 00:31:25 with Terry Williamson. That's when Heather makes a telling admission. She makes a call to Ethan Mack. So, hey, Andy Savage is investigating this here, trying to get Terry to roll on us. When she said, roll on us. And when she stayed, roll on us. In our mind, that was a confession of guilt. We knew for Terry to roll on you,
Starting point is 00:31:53 you had to have done something for Terry to roll. Sensing the private investigators are closing in, Heather Camp makes an unexpected move. She actually called the Charleston Police Department soon after, and told the detective in charge of the case she wanted to talk to. On August 17, 10 weeks after Kate wearing vanished, Heather Camp meets with Charleston police. She begins her statement by admitting that she and Ethan had been stealing from Kate
Starting point is 00:32:28 for several weeks. Kate was aware that her and Ethan had been stealing checks out of her checkbook. She and Ethan knew that Kate had found out about all the forged checks they were attempting to cash from her account, and that Heather had taken out a credit card in Kate's name.
Starting point is 00:32:51 Kate told them she would not press charges, but that they must return the money. Mac felt pressured because Kate was putting her parents on notice that there's some money he had been taken without my permission, that infuriated Mack. According to Heather, on the night of June 12, Ethan had invited Kate to dinner so he could confront her. I once they completed their meal and left the downtown area,
Starting point is 00:33:26 they returned to the home that Ethan was sharing with Heather. This again was something that would be pretty normal to occur. She claimed that once in Ethan's apartment, they were drinking. There was an argument and Ethan attacked Kate and hit her in the head with a wine bottle. He then filled up the bathtub, took Kate to the bathtub and drowned her. Heather said that she didn't try and stop it because she was afraid at the same thing would happen to her.
Starting point is 00:34:05 If she did not cooperate with Ethan, while he was killing Kate. ... Police press Heather about the location of Kate's body, but she claims she doesn't know where Ethan left the body. Still, police place Heather under arrest for forgery and obstruction of justice and take Ethan Mack into custody.
Starting point is 00:34:30 You understand that you're being charged with obstruction of justice and forgery? Yes, sir. Okay. You've not been charged with murder. You ought to put that on me not yet, but it's him. Not necessarily. He wouldn't talk without an attorney. He only admitted to forging a check,
Starting point is 00:34:51 but he claimed he never knew what happened to Kate Waring. Without a body, prosecutors are unable to charge Heather and Ethan with murder. Looking for a break, the private investigation team pay Heather a jailhouse visit and get a surprise opportunity that convinces Heather to talk. That was an open Bay area. They happen to bring Ethan out at the same time to be interviewed by law enforcement.
Starting point is 00:35:23 We immediately tell Heather Camp, hey, those investigators from the police department in Max rolling on you, he's telling the cops all about you over there. Eson's giving you up. I think it was our turn. Telling him that you did it all, and it was all on you. She could see Eson over there, and she's trying to get his attention
Starting point is 00:35:47 so I'm standing in between the two of them so he can't see her. We've planted a seed that, hey, Max rolling on you now. He's got the cops in there and he's telling everything he knows. So, at that point in time, he'll say, hey, I know what Kate's body is. I was there when Ethan dumped her body. [♪ Music playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background, playing in background Wow, and we went back again to interview her and this time I had to use Google Earth. I blew the map of that area in much better detail. She was able to indicate to us where we would find Kate. We went out the next morning after notifying one of the detectives at the police department. Warm love's pretty remote island. A lot of property with not as many homes on it.
Starting point is 00:36:50 Heather Camp had vividly recall when Kate's body was placed. It was close to the water as they were scouring the area. The team saw some skeletal remains. Immediately, we put the Charleston County Police Department on notice. We immediately backed out of the area. This is an actual crime scene that doesn't belong now any longer.
Starting point is 00:37:24 We were positive that those remains was that of Kate Weir. On October 10, 2009, nearly four months after Kate Weir went missing in Charleston, South Carolina, authorities believe they have just found her remains on neighboring Wadmala Island. Charleston bullies took control of the crime scene. Other than the skeletal remains,
Starting point is 00:37:56 there wasn't much evidence to be found. And the state of decay was so extreme, the coroner couldn't determine the cause of death. was so extreme, the coroner couldn't determine the cause of death. Once the coroner officially confirms the remains belong to Kate Wearing, both Ethan Mack and Heather Camp are charged with her murder, prompting Heather to cut a deal. She had accepted a reduced sentence, as long as she fully and honestly cooperated. Heather changed her story so many times.
Starting point is 00:38:31 She had different scenarios on why somebody was after Kate. She claimed that she had family in Puerto Rico that was going to get Kate. She claimed that there's some drug dealer that was after Kate for something. She had no barometer for truth. There was no such thing as true or false to her. It was just whatever she is going to say
Starting point is 00:38:55 to take her to the next step. On October 5, 2010, nearly a year and a half after Kate's murder, Ethan Mack goes on trial. Ethan's defense team doesn't deny Ethan was present when Kate died. Instead, they claim Heather was the killer. The perspective that Ethan Mack laid out at trial was one that he was a facilitator, but he didn't actually do what Heather Camp alleged that he did. He played a role in getting keyed there to their house, but then said it was Heather Camp that it did the bludgeoning with the bottle,
Starting point is 00:39:45 and that he went in another room and covered his ears. Let's look at mode. Who's got mode of in this case? Heather's a person that creates her own worlds. She creates places where she's important. She goes from town to town. She's like a cancer to be honest. She goes from town to town, destroying things.
Starting point is 00:40:04 But what she does originally is she creates this fantasy world. Ethan's attorney claims that like Kate, Ethan was victimized by Heather Camp. Ethan Mack never had a girlfriend. He never had a one-on-one relationship with someone that he loved or loved him. Heather Camp had him smith. He fell for Heather Camp hook line and sinker.
Starting point is 00:40:35 Heather convinced Ethan that she was carrying his baby. And so he believed that his child know, his child was coming. She told him that she eventually lost the baby in jail. But there was never any medical evidence that she was pregnant with his child. It's mind-blowing that Ethan, who was described by friends is very reliable, dependable, a good-man or guy, would betray his best friend, Kate.
Starting point is 00:41:07 And it really goes to show just how powerful Heather's manipulation over Ethan was. When Heather Camp takes the stand for the prosecution, Ethan's defense team uses her testimony to their benefit. David, Ailer, crossed Heather Camp on the stand for a day and a half in court. And it was basically a clown show. I thought our line on the stand more times that I could count. A lot of witnesses are flawed, but she was probably one
Starting point is 00:41:45 of the worst I've ever seen. Again, Miss Camp, I'm going to ask you about some statements and I would like you to tell me whether or not you made those statements. I don't recall saying any, but I mean, it's possible. I said any, but I don't recall. Could it be that you told so many lives you couldn't remember what they all were?
Starting point is 00:42:05 No. Well, then why couldn't you recall what you'd said? Because it's been a while, too. It'd been a while. Since October 2, January was a while. Yeah, for me, it is. The only part that had any credibility, whatsoever, was that she knew the location of Kate's body.
Starting point is 00:42:27 In their closing statements, the defense's message to the jury is clear. Heather must have been involved, but you cannot trust what she's saying about Ethan. After three days of testimony, the case goes to the jury. After three days of testimony, the case goes to the jury. After nearly 14 hours of deliberation, the jury announces their verdict.
Starting point is 00:42:54 We, the jury by unanimous consent, find an offended, guilty, an obstruction of justice. We, the jury by unanimous consent, find the defendant, guilty of forgery. Ethan was found guilty of forgery and obstruction of justice, but the jury deadlocked on the murder charge. The trial was hung, so essentially it considered a mistrial because the jury has to be unanimous. The two jurors who voted not guilty told us that they voted that way because they saw Heather Camp. They saw how deceptive she was.
Starting point is 00:43:36 Prosecutors announced plans to try Ethan again, but they never get the chance. His mother went to talk to him, and she stole him basically as I understand it. I didn't raise you like this. You need to do the right thing. And he did. On April 1, 2011, nearly two years
Starting point is 00:43:58 after the death of his best friend, Kate Wearing, Ethan Mac accepts a plea bargain. He pled under an offered plea, which essentially means that he's not admitting guilt. But he is saying that he believes he would be found guilty. Ethan did express remorse and apologize directly to the family of the victim at the time of his plea. He was sentenced to 25 years.
Starting point is 00:44:29 Heather Camp, however, is denied any bargain. She ascends to 39 years in prison. She had made a deal for leniency for her cooperation, and then she continued to lie to them about pretty much everything. So she lost her plea deal. In my opinion, had Kate not met Heather Camp, she might still be with us today.
Starting point is 00:45:03 Six weeks from the time they met. Kate was deceased. Six weeks. And she had known Ethan for years. Ethan was Kate's friend. Ethan was supposed to be the one to protect her, not herder. It has greed. Greed makes people change and it made Ethan change. He killed his friend for it.
Starting point is 00:45:33 If I could talk to Ethan and say one thing, why? Why would you murder your best friend for love? Kate really cared for him and he got caught up. He got manipulated and it destroyed his life. Kate's life, Kate's family's life, and his family's life. The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The The worst part is, if they step out of line or fall in love with the wrong person, it changes the course of history. I'm Aresha Skidmore Williams, and I'm Brooke Sifrin. We've been telling the stories of the rich and famous on the hit Wondery Show, even
Starting point is 00:46:34 the rich, and talking about the latest celebrity news on Rich and Daily. We're going all over the world, on our new show, Even the Royals. We'll be diving headfirst into the lives of the world's kings, queens, and all the wannabes in their orbit throughout history. Think succession meets the crown meets real life. We're going to pull back the gilded curtain and show how royal status might be bright and shiny, but it comes at the expense of, well, everything else. Like your freedom, your privacy, and sometimes even your head.
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