Show Notes
When Jocelyn Earnest was found dead on the floor of her Forest, Virginia home on December 20th, 2007, investigators saw what appeared to be a suicide — a typed note, a gun, a woman in the middle of a painful divorce. But the people who knew Jocelyn best refused to accept that explanation. She had just been offered a promotion at work. She was looking forward to the holidays. She was almost through the divorce. She was making plans.
What followed was a years-long legal battle featuring a staged crime scene, forged documents, a critical error in the jury room, and a moment on the witness stand that stopped the courtroom cold — all centered on a single question: did Jocelyn Earnest take her own life, or did someone who knew her well go to great lengths to make it look that way?
Today's snack: Baklava from St. John's Bakery (thanks Jan!)
Support us on Patreon
Sources: Fanning, Diane. Under Cover of the Night: A True Story of Sex, Greed, and Murder. Berkley Books, Penguin Group, 2014. Crimesider Staff. "83 words and 20 questions: The mysterious suicide note in the Jocelyn Branham Earnest case." CBS News, 4 Jun. 2012. "Earnest trial focuses on frame of mind: During the third day of the murder trial of Wesley Earnest, friends of Jocelyn Earnest described her sunny personality. [The Roanoke Times, Va.]." InsuranceNewsNet, 26 Mar. 2010. "Earnest v. Davis et al, No. 7:2018cv00595 - Document 29 (W.D. Va. 2020)." Justia Law. "Ex-Chesapeake school official found guilty a second time." 13newsnow.com - WVEC. "Landlords: Convicted wife killer violent, vindictive years before murder." 13newsnow.com. "Marriage Secrets." 48 Hours, Apple Podcasts, 19 Dec. 2024. Spencer, Marcelena. "Murder or suicide: How did Jocelyn Earnest die?" CBS News, 2 Jun. 2012. Earnest, Wesley Brian. Petition for Writ of Certiorari. Supreme Court of the United States, 29 Apr. 2021. "Testimony continues in Earnest trial: Evidence presented Friday ruled out suicide in the case of Jocelyn Earnest, prosecutors say. [The Roanoke Times, Va.]." InsuranceNewsNet, 27 Mar. 2010.
More from Love Marry Kill
In January 1897, a young bride, Zona Shue, was found dead on the floor of her home in the mountains of West Virginia. The doctor called it an everlasting faint — an old fashioned term for a sudden, unexplained death from natural causes. Days later, Zona’s mother woke in the cold, dark night to find an apparition standing at the foot of the bed. It was Zona, back to tell the story of how she really died. But would a jury buy it?
On paper, they looked like the perfect couple — a Harvard-educated law professor and a passionate immigration attorney, both brilliant, driven, and devoted to their two little boys. But behind closed doors, their differences were driving them apart. Throw in a mother-in-law who needed to control everything, and a protective older brother with a tough-guy image, and it was a recipe for things to get very ugly. Eventually, it would end with murder. But would there ever be justice?
On paper, they looked like the perfect couple — a Harvard-educated law professor and a passionate immigration attorney, both brilliant, driven, and devoted to their two little boys. But behind closed doors, their differences were driving them apart. Throw in a mother-in-law who needed to control everything, and a protective older brother with a tough-guy image, and it was a recipe for things to get very ugly. Eventually, it would end with murder. But would there ever be justice?
In August 1995, Mark Winger called 911 from his Springfield, Illinois home. His wife, Donnah, had been brutally attacked by an intruder brandishing a hammer. Mark intervened, shooting the man dead. Police ruled the shooting a justifiable homicide. The case was closed, and Mark was labeled a hero. There was little reason to question what had happened inside that house. But years later, the thoroughness and credibility of that investigation would be called into question.
In August 1995, Mark Winger called 911 from his Springfield, Illinois home. His wife, Donnah, had been brutally attacked by an intruder brandishing a hammer. Mark intervened, shooting the man dead. Police ruled the shooting a justifiable homicide. The case was closed, and Mark was labeled a hero. There was little reason to question what had happened inside that house. But years later, the thoroughness and credibility of that investigation would be called into question.