Snapped: Women Who Murder - Hannah Stone

Episode Date: March 24, 2024

When a devout single mother vanishes from her home, investigators fear she's been abducted by a group of teens hell-bent on a devilish plan; they race to find her before it's too late.Season ...25 Episode 13Originally aired: May 26, 2019Watch full episodes of Snapped for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/WatchSnappedPodSee 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 What does it mean to be black in America? In NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of stories as varied, nuanced, and dynamic as black experiences, you'll hear. It means everything. Search NPR Black Stories, Black Truths wherever you get your podcasts. The queen of the courtroom is back. How did I know that? I have crystal ball in my head. New cases. Leave her alone.
Starting point is 00:00:27 So this is not a so. This is a period. Classic Judy. It's streaming. It can say anything. It's an all new season. Judy Justice, only on Freebie. She was a devoted mother who worked
Starting point is 00:00:43 hard to raise a young son and a daughter who struggled to fit in. A good mother that was trying to give her a good life and get her life on the right track. But when mother and daughter both vanish, a secret menace emerges. I was shocked. He was very nervous, very scared for his safety. Nothing happens like that in Middlebury. In the heat of summer, a devilish killer collects his due. They had heard scuffling, they'd heard yelling and screaming. You would look at him and you would see danger. He was growling like a
Starting point is 00:01:21 lion. We're hoping she's in there, but you just never know what's behind the door. Detectives uncover a hotbed of rage, manipulation, and betrayal. There's no remorse at all. That's frightening. It was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. She was just sitting there.
Starting point is 00:01:41 There was no crying, really no emotion. Why did she snap? Nobody will ever know. It's a hot summer day in Middlebury, Indiana. Middlebury is a quaint little town village type community in the heart of Elkhart County, a very rural community. Crime doesn't happen in Middlebury. It's the type of place where you could probably keep your door unlocked and not have to worry about a thing.
Starting point is 00:02:30 On August 5th, 2005, Middlebury police receive a 911 call from a woman who is worried about her sister, 41-year-old Barbara Keim. It was reported she hadn't showed up for work, she hadn't been answering any calls. Barbara was a nurse at Elkhart General Hospital. A very diligent person, very responsible. It was very unusual that she would have not shown up to work. The sister says Barbara has joint custody
Starting point is 00:02:55 of a five-year-old son. But unexpectedly, she missed a custody exchange that day. She failed to pick up her son from her ex-husband's residence. From the information that we were receiving, this was totally out of the norm for Barbara. She was very concerned that something bad had happened at that point.
Starting point is 00:03:17 The caller gives the address of the home Barbara shares with her 17-year-old daughter, Hannah. shares with her 17-year-old daughter, Hannah. Police respond to the address and note that a red Pontiac van registered to Barbara Keim is parked outside. The front door is unlocked. Our initial entry into the house was just to determine that nobody was hurt, injured, unconscious.
Starting point is 00:03:45 The place is eerily quiet. Hannah and Barbara were both gone. There was no forced entry. There was no signs of struggle. There was no damage that would lead us to assume that there was any foul play. They were looking for any kind of unusual signs, unusual activity, missing items, just trying to piece together what may have happened. Then the patrol deputies spot something that could mean trouble.
Starting point is 00:04:14 Harbus purse was there, billfold was outside of the purse, laying next to it. It appeared to be missing money, credit cards, debit cards, things like that. It's not very common for someone to just walk away from their life and leave everything behind, including their ID. It's not very common for someone to just walk away from their life and leave everything behind, including their ID. That's very alarming.
Starting point is 00:04:35 Barbara Jo Neff had always lived in Elkhart, Indiana. Barbara was born on May 1st, 1964. I know she had one brother and four sisters. She had a very significant, close-knit relationship with her sisters. Barbara was a nurturer, always caring for those around her. Everybody said she was one of the wonderful, wonderful person. Her compassionate spirit eventually led her to pursue a career in nursing. When Barbara met fellow Elkhart native Alex Stone, an aspiring minister,
Starting point is 00:05:15 the two quickly fell in love and married. Soon, the couple had a little girl, Hannah Lynn Stone. Hannah was born March 22, 1988. Her mom, she was happy. Sadly, over the next two years, the couple drifted from each other. Barbara and Alex amicably divorced in 1991 and agreed to share joint custody of Hannah. Five years later, Barbara seized a second chance at happiness when she married Robert Keim, though Hannah didn't always agree with her stepfather. Robert was a deputy for the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department. Him being a cop, he
Starting point is 00:05:59 was very stern on Hannah. In 2000, Barbara and Robert welcomed a son into the world. By then, Hannah was nearly a teenager. Hannah absolutely adored her little brother. But as much as she loved her little brother, she would tell me all the time, my mom loves him more than she loves me. Barbara reassured Hannah she loved both her children equally,
Starting point is 00:06:23 and the little family settled into a new normal. But then, Barbara and Robert's relationship took a turn, and before Hannah entered high school, the couple filed for divorce. I don't know what really honestly led to the divorce of her husband. I just know that Hannah had told me at one point that they had to move to a very tiny two-bedroom apartment in Middlebury. Once again, Barbara became a single working mother.
Starting point is 00:06:58 Barbara was a nurse on the maternity floor at Elkhart General Hospital. She probably delivered thousands of babies. She had a huge impact on a lot of people's lives. Barbara was also an active member of the Brennanman Memorial Missionary Church. Barb was pretty well involved and she did have support of the patrons of Brennanman. Hannah went to a couple of youth group stuff there. Hannah's dad, Alex, was a Methodist minister
Starting point is 00:07:25 at another church. At her last school, Hannah was known as the preacher's daughter. So when she entered high school in her new hometown of Middlebury, she decided to rebel. Freshman year in high school, she had transferred and she kind of meshed in with our group of friends because even though we were emo or even goth
Starting point is 00:07:48 she kind of found us as a family and She blended in very well Hannah who had struggled with feeling loved finally found a group she connected with We just honestly go out driving around Blasting music along the back country roads, speeding, you know, typical teenager stuff. We just thought we were the coolest kids on the block. Despite the teen rebellion,
Starting point is 00:08:14 Barbara loved Hannah unconditionally. She loved her mom, but you could tell there was kind of like this invisible wall type deal. She didn't have the same mother daughter relationship that most mothers have with their daughters. But they had their moments. They had their good moments. Barb, she was trying exceptionally hard, you know, between working tons of hours, taking care of a five-year-old, trying to deal with Hannah, keeping her in line. It wasn't the easiest life for Barbara, but she loved her kids and she had her faith.
Starting point is 00:08:47 It seemed like a new beginning. But one hot day in August 2005, both Barbara and Hannah vanish from their home. Any person has the right to disappear if they want to and not be contacted if they don't want to. I've done investigations like that before where people have walked away, and I've made contact with them and they've said, I'm all right, I just want some time by myself, I don't want family to contact me,
Starting point is 00:09:14 and I've dropped it from there. But you never wanna just assume that everything's okay. You want to investigate until you find out that that person is okay. While searching the apartment, police note every detail, not knowing what might become relevant. There were some cigarette butts that were in a glass in the living room.
Starting point is 00:09:35 The cigarette butts seemed to stand out in the otherwise neatly kept home. Investigators check in with the original 911 caller. Barbara's sisters pointed out Barbara detested cigarette smoke. Barb hated smoking. You know, her being a nurse, she knows how bad it is for you. And she would not allow cigarettes in that apartment. We weren't sure if those could have been Hannah's, some friends of hers. With this kind of night at home at that time, we didn't know.
Starting point is 00:10:07 At that point, there was some suspicious activity, but nothing that screamed out that there had been foul play. Without a search warrant, investigators cannot process the apartment further, but they do what they can. We did attempt to go ahead and put out an ATL, an attempt to locate with her description. The daughter was missing.
Starting point is 00:10:30 Mother was missing. Started thinking there's more to this than just a missing person, that everything's not right. After a few hours or overnight, sometimes you don't know. We're putting the vehicle description out there, talking to hospitals, other departments. Seeking witnesses, police also question neighbors. We did have an officer go out there and try to, you know, get information what they heard during
Starting point is 00:10:58 the time period, that Thursday night to Friday morning. And there was one gentleman that said that he heard something going on in the hallway or in the apartment below. They heard scuffling. They'd heard yelling, and they thought it was just a domestic fight. Now detectives worry that something sinister happened inside the apartment. Coming up, investigators discover the first indications happened inside the apartment.
Starting point is 00:11:29 Coming up, investigators discovered the first indications of a possible abduction. We found some ATM controls, and this is not normal behavior. And detectives realize they're on the trail of a monster. Their worst nightmares are coming to fruition. As an Indiana summer heats up, relatives are worried about 41-year-old Barbara Keim and her 17-year-old daughter, Hannah. The call came out as a welfare check, which means usually to check on a person they haven't been able to contact. Responding investigators have found cigarette butts in a glass inside their apartment.
Starting point is 00:12:14 Barbara's sisters, they found that to be unusual because she didn't allow smoking in her home. And Barbara's purse was lying on her bed. It was open. Her billfold was outside of the purse. The credit card was missing, and some cash was missing from her wallet. When somebody leaves behind any means of getting through the day, their money, billfold, ID, that's alarming in itself. When you have red flags like that,
Starting point is 00:12:42 you want to err on the side of caution. You have to carry everything to the fullest to make sure that person's all right. Neighbors have reported hearing sounds of a struggle coming from Barb and Hannah's apartment. They did not want to call the police department because they don't want to bother anybody with it. Smaller towns, the people tend not to call the police because they don't want to bother anybody with it. Smaller towns, the people tend not to call the police
Starting point is 00:13:06 because they don't want to cause any ruckus or report something that's not necessary or waste our time. I've told people millions of times, you know, hey, this is our job. Call us any time. Let us decide whether or not something should be done about it.
Starting point is 00:13:20 Middlebury police ask surrounding agencies to be on the lookout for Barbara and Hannah, and Middlebury deputies keep a watch on the home. Checked on the residents a few times during the night, looking for any kind of movement. Anybody who'd come back and did not observe any. We were still interviewing people, friends, relatives, and things of that nature. From the first of an investigation into someone being missing, you want to try to identify the last persons that would have had information on those folks that's verifiable.
Starting point is 00:13:56 As another stifling August day begins, Barbara's ex-husband, Robert Keim, contacts Middlebury Police. Barbara's ex-husband, Robert Keim, contacts Middlebury Police. Mr. Keim was a law enforcement officer at that time, and he called us with concerns. Robert confirms that Barbara was supposed to pick up their five-year-old son from his house the previous day. But she never showed up. From what we had been told, this is not normal behavior.
Starting point is 00:14:26 Robert tells police he's very worried. We knew that they were friends, even though they were no longer together. He gave us her cell phone number to try to contact her and all this. And he was very helpful in the investigation. I don't believe that he was ever a suspect in the crime. Next, police question Alex Stone, Barbara's first husband
Starting point is 00:14:52 and Hannah's father. Alex says he doesn't know where Barbara or Hannah are. The worried father agrees to file an official missing persons report for his missing teen daughter. But without more evidence or a witness coming forward, there's little more police can do. Then, less than 24 hours after the initial 911 call that first sent police to Barbara's apartment, investigators receive another call
Starting point is 00:15:26 from one of Barbara's neighbors who say they just witnessed a new development in the case moments earlier. There was some folks in the neighborhood who had observed a couple of people who were taking out trash to the dumpster. The neighbor explains they also saw the people load boxes into Barbara's red van. They described the female as dark hair and heavy, and the man that was with her as a thin dude.
Starting point is 00:15:56 Neighbors reported them taking one of the vehicles that didn't belong to Barbara. Patrol deputies rush back to the apartment they'd checked earlier to investigate the new lead. We gained entry to the apartment by a family member and found that the house had been cleaned. The cigarette butts were gone. Her purse and the keys to the vehicle were all gone.
Starting point is 00:16:24 Why would someone clean the home and then take the van? Authorities believe it may have been an attempt to get rid of evidence. But evidence of what? Somebody had came back later and cleaned up the apartment stuff to try to hide any evidence. And we didn't know we really had a crime until that point. Things started to kind of speed up after that. You know, this is definitely escalating. I mean, this is really serious.
Starting point is 00:16:50 You know, what we're working here is we're pretty sure we got a kidnapping, abduction type situation. Investigators update the Be on the Lookout alert to include Barbara's red van, as well as Hannah's vehicle. The new witness statements also allow authorities to subpoena Barbara's cell phone and financial records. We were able to contact the phone company and they were able to give us a detailed record of times and places that the phone had been used within that period of time.
Starting point is 00:17:24 There was nothing there. There hadn't been any activity. Barbara's cell phone use had been steady before she was reported missing. Then, it stopped abruptly on August 4th. I decided to go ahead and get a hold of her bank and see if any transactions had occurred on her account in the last 24 hours. My chief was able to get a bank manager to come in on a Saturday, I believe, and pull some records, and we found some ATM controls.
Starting point is 00:17:56 According to the bank records, someone withdrew the money from a teacher's credit union in Middlebury. The transaction was made shortly after 10 p.m. on August 4th, one day before Barbara was reported missing. Barbara's records reveal another ominous fact. She almost never took money out of ATMs. First thing you think is a kidnapped and being taken to ATMs forced to withdraw money. A lot of ATM machines do have surveillance, so that's easy to find out if she's withdrawing
Starting point is 00:18:30 her own money or if somebody else is withdrawing money. Unfortunately, getting the surveillance video will take time. This happened on a Saturday. We were doing all this on a Saturday when things were closed. So we were trying to get some information compiled and brought together to continue with more ways of finding her. Bank records also show another suspicious transaction on the day Barbara was reported missing. The police were able to determine that a check had been
Starting point is 00:19:07 cashed from her TCU account in the amount of $800. The check was made out for vehicle repair. And that check had been made payable to Aaron McDonald. Coming up, investigators race to interrogate a new suspect. He thought harm was going to come to him by talking to us and giving us the truth. And everyone fears that Barbara's time is running out. I think the theme here would be good versus evil.
Starting point is 00:19:37 I got on the radio and called anybody who was available to come help me. ["The Daily Show Theme"] One hot Indiana summer, after Barbara Keim and her teenage daughter, Hannah, were reported missing, Middlebury, Indiana police trace a check cashed on Barbara's account to a man named Aaron McDonald. Police went looking for Aaron McDonald to ask him questions about where he came into
Starting point is 00:20:11 his money. We were very fortunate with Mr. McDonald. We had contact before on minor issues and we were able to locate him. And I think Officer Jerrick found him at a friend's house somewhere outside of town, but brought him back in and I think that's where things him at a friend's house somewhere outside of town, but brought him back in. And I think that's where things really started to turn when we brought Aaron in. On August 7, 2005, at the Middlebury Police Department, investigators questioned the 17-year-old.
Starting point is 00:20:42 Aaron explains he knows Hannah through church and school. Aaron McDonald, he went to church too. You know, I have a couple friends that said, you know, he was in my youth group with me. He was such a great kid, and he was. Aaron insists he knows nothing about the disappearance of Barbara or Hannah. He claims he didn't even know they were missing. He explains the check by saying that he and his friend Nate of Barbara or Hannah. He claims he didn't even know they were missing.
Starting point is 00:21:09 He explains the check by saying that he and his friend, Nate, recently did some transmission work on Barbara's van. Authorities don't buy it. We knew Mr. McDonald was not a mechanic, licensed in any way. We found that highly suspicious. Investigators ask Aaron to provide contact information for his friend Nate. It's all a lighthearted nightmare on our podcast, Morbid. We're your hosts.
Starting point is 00:21:37 I'm Alina Urquhart. And I'm Ash Kelly. And our show is part true crime, part spooky, and part comedy. The stories we cover are well researched. He claimed and confessed to officially killing up to 28 people. With a touch of humor. I'd just like to go ahead and say that
Starting point is 00:21:52 if there's no band called Malevolent Deity, that is pretty great. A dash of sarcasm and just garnished a bit with a little bit of cursing. This mother-fucker lied. Like a liar. Like a liar. Like a liar. And if you're a weirdo like us and love to cozy up
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Starting point is 00:22:22 by joining Wondery Plus and the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad free by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Hey, grownups, the Cat in the Hat cast is a new podcast from Wondery perfect for the whole family. Join the Cat in the Hat and your favorite Dr. Seuss characters as they get whisked away on a new adventure every week. Fish dreams of creating his very own polite and quiet podcast. That is, until he gets a surprise visit to his fishbowl podcast studio from the cat in the hat himself. And it becomes very clear that the cat has other plans for the podcast. And those plans are the opposite of quiet.
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Starting point is 00:23:27 ["Wonderful Kids Plus Theme"] Moving quickly in hopes of finding the mother and daughter before it's too late, police track down and interview Nate within 20 minutes. His mom was there, and I do remember that he was very nervous. Nate was kind of Aaron's alibi. But when they had interviewed Nate, he said, no. Aaron was definitely not with me at this time, at this date.
Starting point is 00:23:58 Investigators press him for more. He thought harm was going to come to him by talking to us and giving us the truth. What is the truth that Nate is so afraid to tell? His mom really encouraged him to tell us what happened for the benefit of Barbara and to find out if she's safe or not. So that's when then Nate came forward and told us what he had heard. to find out if she's safe or not. So that's when then Nate came forward
Starting point is 00:24:25 and told us what he had heard. Nate claims that Aaron asked him to lie about receiving the $800 for automotive work. He adds that Aaron told him about a crime, one involving Barbara's daughter, Hannah, and Hannah's boyfriend, 18-year-old Spencer Crimpets. Police know Spencer from previous run-ins. He would walk around downtown in a black trench coat
Starting point is 00:24:57 and just cause alarm in a small town. The way he dressed, the way he walked, his demeanor, he wanted to make a statement. He wanted to intimidate people. Spencer Crumpets just had a very, I hate to say the word, an evil look in his eye. Hannah had met Spencer a few months earlier at a place called The Post. The Post basically was a place for teenagers to hang out.
Starting point is 00:25:22 They always had local bands playing there. They had little kids playing. They had a little band. a place called The Post. The Post basically was a place for teenagers to hang out. They always had local bands playing there. They had a little kitchen cafe-type deal down in the basement. And Hannah was hanging out with a group of friends at The Post, and she had met Spencer. And a couple weeks later, she tells me, hey,
Starting point is 00:25:41 there's this guy. He's going to take me out on a date and everything. And I'm like, oh, cool. What's his name? And she was like, oh, it's this guy. He's going to take me out on a date and everything. And I'm like, oh, cool. What's his name? And she was like, oh, it's Spencer. When I met Spencer, he just kind of offered me a cigarette. And I said, no, thank you. I don't smoke.
Starting point is 00:25:53 He's like, why? We're all going to die anyways. Doesn't matter. Barbara Kine had real concerns about Spencer that the subject of their arguments had largely centered on Hannah's relationship with Spencer Krempitz. Hannah changed, and everybody knew it.
Starting point is 00:26:12 She kind of became withdrawn from our group of friends. And Barb was concerned that Hannah was dating a guy that was a couple of years older than her. And she felt like he was kind of steering her down a path that Barb didn't quite agree with. She just had a bad feeling about the guy. Did not like him, didn't like his attitude towards her, towards Hannah. Barb didn't want Hannah to be with Spencer anymore. She had forbade them from seeing each other. But the warm freedom of summer brought the teens closer
Starting point is 00:26:51 than ever. Hannah knew she could get away with it during the summer. Nate claims that this is why Barbara Kime has disappeared. Finally, Nate reveals to police what Aaron allegedly told him. He said that Aaron and Spencer and Hannah had taken Barbara against her will out into a cornfield and shot her. It's a stunning new claim, one that rattles authorities.
Starting point is 00:27:24 I remember throughout the initial part of the investigation thinking maybe these kids took Barbara and forced her to give them money. And then all of a sudden, the oh wow factor kicks in that this is a homicide investigation. But why would a teen girl, her boyfriend, and a friend from church murder the girl's mom? We have the same crimes as the bigger cities, just on a smaller scale. You know, theft and burglary and everything else. But it's definitely rare to have a murder there. As Middlebury authorities question Nate, police in the nearby town of Goshen
Starting point is 00:28:05 are helping out on the search for Barbara and Hannah. When we came to work that night, Middlebury gave us a description of the vehicles, looking for Barb Kime, and then we got license plate numbers too. That muggy evening, Goshen officers make a crucial discovery in the parking lot of a motel.
Starting point is 00:28:28 When I drove in there, I saw both vehicles immediately. The plate numbers were identical to what we had been given. One of them had a broken-out window. Plus there was a bunch of vomit on the side of one of the vehicles. Authorities cannot waste a single moment in determining why those vans are there. The Goshen Police Department decided they wanted to go ahead and make entry because it was some distance between our town.
Starting point is 00:28:57 It was a good 20 minutes, which can make a difference. I got on the radio and called anybody who was available to come help me. I got three or four guys right away, and we put people at the exits and entrance of the hotels and then we went inside to the front desk, asked if Spencer had registered there. The motel clerk tells police that Spencer Crimpets is registered. The clerk doesn't know who might be in his room with him. It has been two days since anyone has seen Barbara Keim. We're hoping she's in there and still alive, of course,
Starting point is 00:29:33 but you just never know what's behind the door. Two days after Barbara Keim and her daughter Hannah Stone were reported missing, investigators believe they have tracked Hannah's boyfriend, 18-year-old Spencer Crimpets, to a motel in Goshen, Indiana. Goshen police suspect Spencer might be armed, so they hope to surprise him. We entered unannounced and quickly because we don't know who's on that room. The officers find two people inside. We were both laying in bed,
Starting point is 00:30:24 and we announced ourselves police. No resistance at all. Officers quickly identify the two as Spencer Crimpets and Hannah Stone. Hannah or Spencer didn't say a word, didn't ask why we were coming in there, didn't ask why they were being handcuffed or nothing. Authorities transport the suspects
Starting point is 00:30:47 to the Goshen Police Department for questioning. Twelve miles away in Middlebury, investigators seek to re-interview Aaron McDonald. But before they find Aaron, his conscience gets the better of him. Aaron had called me at 5 o'clock in the morning on Sunday and asked me if I would come to his house in Middlebury. I walked in and he was crying and I hugged him
Starting point is 00:31:18 and I said, what's the matter? And he said, uh, you know, he said Spencer killed somebody, killed a lady. He goes, answer, I was, I was with him. And immediately, I went in, I went into, like, a shock. He wanted to leave. He said, take me to your house. And I figured that that wasn't a good idea.
Starting point is 00:31:42 Shortly thereafter, I was maybe 15, 20 minutes, the police came to the door. [♪pensive music playing in background with sirens wailing and sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with sirens wailing in background with and Spencer Crimpets are being held. Now that Aaron knew that the other two were found, he came clean and told more of the truth. Aaron was more of a follower, I believe. He was just a loner, somebody that wanted to be a part of something and be with people. Aaron, he had a good childhood, he had a good family, but as he progressed through elementary school,
Starting point is 00:32:24 he started falling behind, and he was struggling. And he'd come home after school, and he would be sad and cry because the kids said he was stupid. He wanted so much to be accepted. He wanted to have friends. I think that played a lot into when he finally was accepted by Spencer. You know, people like Spencer, they prey on people like Aaron.
Starting point is 00:32:49 Aaron tells investigators that Hannah told him she was having problems with her mother, and Hannah was ready to end those problems. Aaron said that Hannah had planned to have her mom killed. They had came over to Erin's house prior to going to get Mrs. Kime, and they were smoking marijuana with Erin, and they kept asking Erin to go with them. There was a plan to secure a gun,
Starting point is 00:33:20 and Erin McDonald was able to secure a gun from someone he knew. I think they were holding out to Aaron, hey, you know what, she's got a lot of money. Aaron went for money because in Aaron's mind, if they said that he could get $400, they'd give him 400. I mean, he would have thought, wow, you know, that's like a million bucks to him. I mean, it's not right, and I'm not defending him,
Starting point is 00:33:45 but he went to take money. Erin tells police that the three of them drove to Barbara's apartment, and Hannah came up with a way to get inside without a struggle. Hannah Stone knocked on the door so that her mother would not be suspicious, and Barbara answered the door for Hanna. Hanna was at the door, and Hanna said that she needed to get some clothes. At that point, Spencer and Erin, who had been hiding near the door, pounced, jumped on her. When they jumped on her, she had made some screaming noises.
Starting point is 00:34:31 Spencer tied her up with duct tape, taped her mouth. While they're doing that, Erin's going through the house to try to find some money. And they get her debit card. That's when Aaron and Spencer went ahead and took physical force of Mrs. Kimes. Then they proceeded to take her out to her vehicle. They put her in the van and drove around. Hannah stayed behind. Her purpose in staying behind was so that neighbors
Starting point is 00:35:03 wouldn't be alerted. They were concerned that someone might have heard or may come looking for her. According to Aaron, the men followed Hannah's plan to get cash from Barbara. They went to various ATM machines to access her account in efforts to get money. Aaron claims that Spencer then began driving
Starting point is 00:35:27 as if he were scouting for a specific place. ... Spencer drives around, Aaron said, quite a bit, and keeps driving around, and finally, they go to Napanee and Cosiasco County. They were just probably a mile or two past the county line into Cosiasco County. According to Erin, Spencer parked near a field
Starting point is 00:35:57 and pulled Barbara out of the van. She was wondering where she was. She was begging and pleading Spencer, asking where she was. Like, she was begging and pleading Spencer, asking where she was. Erin says that Spencer began walking Barbara into the field. Erin had started to walk in. He had a bad feeling. He got some cold feet, went back to the van and waited. MUSIC
Starting point is 00:36:21 Erin hears a gunshot. Spencer comes back, and Aaron said he was growling like a lion or something. And he was growling, and he had blood all over his face and all over him. Investigators tell Aaron he needs to take them to the site where Barbara was allegedly shot. He had given information to police that the body was located in a cornfield.
Starting point is 00:36:51 He wasn't quite sure, but he felt he could map it out if they drove him. And so they put him in a car. We left Elkhart County and crossed over into Cosiasco County. He had described a bridge of some sort near where he believed the murder took place. And as we crossed over a little bridge, he had indicated that this was the location. Coming up, police discover the brutal truth about the fate of Barbara Keim. Asked her if she knew the Lord's Prayer, she said she did. And he said, well, you better start saying it. How could somebody do this?
Starting point is 00:37:29 It just seems so unbelievable. As temperatures and tensions rise in rural Indiana, Aaron McDonald leads police to what he claims is the location of the body of missing nurse Barbara Keim. The police officers, at his instruction or direction, went into the field. As you got closer, there certainly was the unmistakable presence of a figure
Starting point is 00:38:01 that was on the ground. She was on her back. The body will later be identified as that of Barbara Keim. From that point forward, all of the work went back into how did we get here? To get answers, police interrogate Spencer. Confronted with Aaron's statement and the and finally tells investigators everything, including the parts Aaron did not see. They take her to a cornfield. Spencer put her on her knees, and Spencer was behind her. Spencer tells her he's going to kill her,
Starting point is 00:38:38 says to her, you want to pray, and then he says, I'm going to kill you. And then he says, I'm going to kill you. And then he says her he's going to kill her, says to her, you want to pray. He asked her if she knew the Lord's Prayer. She said she did, and he said, well, you better start staying in it. It had to be a very terrorizing situation
Starting point is 00:38:59 to have a considerable amount of time with people knowing that you're not coming out of this situation alive. She shakily said the Lord's prayer, but didn't say amen at the end and he said you're not gonna say amen. And then when she says amen, he fires a shot in the back of her head. And was fascinated by watching her body fall to the ground. My chief, when he came out of the interview with Spencer, he was like, wow, that kid scares me.
Starting point is 00:39:34 He said, that boy's evil. But the plan to murder Barbara Keim came from her daughter, Hannah Stone. Both Spencer and Aaron said that Hannah was the mastermind behind this plan. Barb didn't like Spencer and didn't like them being together. So Hannah was just, you know, we can solve all this by just getting rid of my mom. So they concocted this idea to get rid of Barb. Investigators confront Hannah Stone about her role
Starting point is 00:40:07 in the death of her mother. At first, she denies everything. She didn't know anything and didn't know what was going on. Like she was trying to play the victim. I don't know what happened. Eventually, Hannah admits she was there at the apartment. But she claims it was Spencer's idea to rob her mother, and she never thought he would kill her.
Starting point is 00:40:31 Prosecutors decide to charge Hannah, Spencer, and Aaron equally. Based upon the evidence, we determined that there were three charges, criminal confinement, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder. And so all three were charged with the same offense. They all initially pled not guilty. News of the arrests leaves the small community of Middlebury reeling. Currently, we have in custody
Starting point is 00:40:57 of preliminary charges of murder, three individuals. I heard it over the news, and I just dropped to my knees, and I screamed to the point where I was hoarse. I couldn't understand why, what, how. At the arraignment, Spencer Crimpett seems to enjoy the attention. I will never forget seeing Spencer. That image will be stuck in my head forever.
Starting point is 00:41:26 He was transported from the jail to the courthouse and the way that he came out of that car, he stuck his tongue out and his tongue, I felt like it came all the way down to his chin almost. His eyes were blazed over. He just looked like he was possessed by the devil. It was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. I was shocked. Nothing happens like that in Middlebury. In early 2006, Aaron McDonald pleads guilty. Aaron McDonald was given an opportunity to enter a plea to the three charges,
Starting point is 00:42:00 and he gets 65 years for his participation. Did he pull the trigger? No, but he was as responsible as the trigger puller because of 65 years for his participation. Did he pull the trigger? No, but he was as responsible as the trigger puller because of his engagement in his activity. I don't know Spencer and I don't know Hannah, but I know Aaron. I just, I can't wrap my head around how the kid I know
Starting point is 00:42:17 and love ended up in that situation. You know, I just, I can't figure it out. On March 10th, 2006, Spencer Krimpitz pleads guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon. He said that he basically pulled the trigger, killed Barb Keim to please the girl he loved. On March 30, 2006, Spencer Crimpets is sentenced for his crimes. I do remember at his sentencing that he said,
Starting point is 00:42:59 if you're going to give me life in prison without parole, then you might as well just give me the death sentence. But the judge made the determination that it would in prison without parole, then you might as well just give me the death sentence. But the judge made the determination that it would be life without parole. Spencer decides to give himself a death sentence. Spencer committed suicide. You know, he took the coward's way out. You decided to take someone's life,
Starting point is 00:43:18 and then you're going to take your own life because you can't deal with the repercussions? No. that you can't deal with the repercussions? No. In March 2006, Hannah Stone also pleads guilty to the same charges as Spencer. Hannah Stone, through her counsel, we gave her an offer that she could enter a plea of guilty
Starting point is 00:43:39 to the three offenses and face a stipulated sentence of 100 years. None of this happens without Hannah Stone, because Hannah Stone is ultimately the one who made the decision to kill her mother. There's no question about that. She is someone who committed a horrendous act, and you can't help but wonder what happened that she could have such an expression of hatred
Starting point is 00:44:04 for the woman who gave her life. She knew Spencer was gonna kill her mother. that she could have such an expression of hatred for the woman who gave her life. She knew Spencer was gonna kill her mother. She knew what she was doing, and her mom's not here because of her actions and the actions of Spencer. Hannah's callous actions also left a young boy, her little brother, heartbroken and motherless. The son cries. The son would wake up in the middle of the night crying, mommy, mommy, right after the
Starting point is 00:44:35 killing happened. I just want to end this by expressing my condolences to the family of Barbara Kime. I'm sorry that Barbara was taken from them. I know the pain that they've suffered is certainly a very hard, hard loss. Barbara may not have thought she had such a huge impact, you know, because she was such a humble person, but I think if she had seen how many people
Starting point is 00:45:01 who actually turned out at her viewing and funeral, She would have seen a lot of people that care. A lot of people did care and love her. She was just this devout Christian woman who just loved helping other people out. I feel like the community definitely lost an angel. Hannah Stone is scheduled to be released in 2053. She will be 65 years old. She is forbidden to have any in 2053. She will be 65 years old. She is forbidden to have any contact with her younger brother.
Starting point is 00:45:33 Hey, it's Guy Raz here, the host of How I Built This, a podcast that gives you a front row seat to how some of the biggest products were built and the innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists behind them. Every week I speak to someone new. Stories like Justin Wolverton's, a lawyer who just wanted a healthy alternative to ice cream, so he created Halo Top in his Cuisinart. Or Todd Graves, who grew his fried chicken restaurant Raising Canes into one of the most successful fast food chains in the US. All of these great conversations can help you learn how to think big,
Starting point is 00:46:08 take risks, and navigate crises in life and work from people who've done all of that and more. Follow How I Built This on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to How I Built This early and add free right now on Wondery Plus.

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