True Crime
Scarier Than Fiction: Brian Cohee
On March 01, 2021, 54 year old Terri Cohee called 911. She had discovered something disturbing in her son’s closet. When asked what it was, her distraught voice choked back tears as she told the 911 dispatcher she thought it was a human head.
After being sent out to the Cohee home, Mesa County Sheriff’s Department found a severed head and a pair of severed hands in white plastic garbage bags. The body parts had been in the possession of the caller’s 19 year old son, Brian Cohee.
The recent high school graduate calmly and openly admitted the body parts were his, and he accompanied detectives to the station for questioning.
The Murder in Cohee’s own Words
19 year old Brian Cohee told detectives he wondered for years what it would feel like to take someone’s life. Furthermore, he wondered what it would be like to dismember a body.
He openly discussed how he idolized serial killers, including Ted Bundy and the Zodiac Killer. According to them, the act of killing was the best feeling in the world. During his interrogation with police he often quoted these men. From early on, it was apparent he made the connection of notoriety and fame with serial killers and the act of killing.
Cohee showed no remorse during the interrogation. When speaking to the detective, he freely demonstrated the act of killing Warren Barnes, the homeless man who found himself on the opposite end of Cohee’s knife under a bridge.
He explained he pulled back the canvas the 69 year old man had been covering himself with, straddled over him, and stabbed him repeatedly in the neck. Cohee growled and grunted, making animalistic noises as he stabbed Barnes. He then cut open his stomach to see his guts, commenting on how pink they were. Lastly, Cohee removed the head and hands, taking them home with him.
Before he found Barnes, Cohee explained he regularly searched for victims when he drove around Grand Junction, Colorado. His desired targets were prostitutes and the homeless. As he told the detectives;
“Police, they don’t seem to care as much about high-risk individuals. Homeless people, prostitutes, etc.”
It is obvious this crime had been premeditated with the steps he had taken finding a victim. In addition to wearing three sets of gloves to conceal his fingerprints from the scene, he also had clothes chosen for the occasion. On the night of the murder Cohee was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit from the Michael Myers costume he purchased the previous year.
“I just associated that piece of, that article of clothing with violence. That’s why I was wearing it.”
Signs of a Killer
Cohee exhibited early signs of a deprived mind. His internet search history betrayed him, revealing searches on “how to cope with murderous thoughts” and “homicidal thoughts every day.” Other google inquiries included “how do people react at being held at knife point,” and “how deadly is a neck stab wound.”
In addition to questions, he researched notorious killers, such as Andrea Yates. Yates was convicted of killing her five young children in the bathtub in 2001. She contributed the murderous act to her postpartum depression and schizophrenia. Cohee tried to make a connection for his own murderous act with his depression, ADHD, and autism.
Cohee told detectives of past acts of animal cruelty he participated in. He would capture, murder, and dismember neighborhood cats.
During his last year of high school his parents found his kill kit. The backpack contained hammers, shovels, knives, large zip ties, duct tape, and a saw. He admitted the collection was “…meant for hurting people.”
Cohee’s parents gave him an ultimatum; if he didn’t throw away the kit, they would call the police. After the disposal of the items authorities were not alerted and no further action was taken.
Once news of the murder hit the media, Cohee’s high school teachers were not surprised by the atrocity he committed. One teacher claimed;
“I mean, I’ve been doing this for 23 years but it just always felt uneasy around Brian, and just like he needed much more help than we could offer him in a public school setting. And so when I saw that, I hated to say I wasn’t necessarily surprised that his path could have lead to that point.”
When asked if another teacher was surprised, they replied;
“No, I wasn’t. I was more let down by the system because like we had called it out that he needed help. Like with all those kind of flags were going off and it still happened.”
Cohee’s Thoughts on Killing
Cohee told police if he could go back in time, he would probably not commit the murder. Not because it was wrong, not because he took an innocent life, but because it wasn’t what he thought it was going to feel like. When asked by police what he thought it was going to be like, he answered;
“I thought it was going to be the best feeling in the world.”
At the end of the interview the detective asked if he had enjoyed killing Warren Barnes. Surprisingly, for a young man who had so much to say at the ready, Cohee had to stop and think. After a moment reflecting on the question, he answered;
“I don’t know. I’m just sort of neutral on the whole thing. I didn’t enjoy it, but I didn’t hate it.”
Brian Cohee plead not guilty by reason of insanity. In January 2023 he went to trial and was found guilty. Cohee was sentenced to life without parole.
Cohee’s Victim, Never Forgotten
Warren Barnes, a 69 year old homeless man, was Brian Cohee’s unfortunate victim the night of February 27, 2021.
Barnes was known around Grand Junction, Colorado. He was frequently seen outside a bridal store where he sat in a chair and regularly read books. In fact, the community called him ‘The Reading Man.’ The neighborhood merchants would give him books, food, and drink. They described him as “quiet” and “gentle.”
Less than a year after he was killed, a memorial was constructed for Barnes by Tim Navin. The memorial consists of a tree, a replica of the chair he used to sit in, and a stack of books in the seat of the chair. It is located just outside of the bridal store where Barnes regularly sat and read.
Cohee thought no one would miss the homeless man, but he was gravely mistaken and proven wrong by the outpouring of love by the community.
News
‘Scream’ Murder Documentary Released on Hulu
The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story is the latest true crime documentary released on Hulu. High school students Brian Lee Draper and Torey Adamcik’s murder of classmate Cassie Jo Stoddart is examined in the documentary.
Scream writer Kevin Williamson explained his inspiration for the movie came from real life serial killer Danny Rolling. Danny Rolling is also known as the Gainesville Ripper. When coupled with the writer’s own personal fear of home invasion, he found his inspiration for the script to his horror movie Scream.
Little did Williamson know, one decade later life in Pocatello, Idaho would imitate his creation.
The Night the Lights Went Out
In 2006, high school student Cassie Jo Stoddart was murdered by two of her fellow classmates. These two boys are Brian Lee Draper and Torey Michael Adamcik. Not only were they classmates, but they were friends of Stoddart and her boyfriend, Matt Beckham. In fact, it was Beckham who invited them over to Stoddart’s aunt’s house the night they killed her.
The four watched movies at the house until Draper and Adamcik left around 9:30p.m. to go to the movie theater. Little did the couple know, the two boys didn’t really leave the house at all.
Following their “departure”, the lights in the house kept flickering on and off. Furthermore, Beckham reported the two heard strange noises from the basement. He asked his mom if he could stay for the night to quiet Cassie’s fears of being alone. Unfortunately she said no. In addition, Cassie turned down Mrs. Beckham’s counteroffer to spend the night at her home instead. She wanted to stay faithful in her responsibility to watch the home as she promised her aunt.
Once Matt left for the night, the lights went out, and The Scream Killers executed their carefully thought out plan.
The next morning Cassie’s relatives returned home. Her 13 year old cousin found her in a pool of blood in the living room, deceased. The medical examiner later counted approximately 30 stab wounds focused around her upper torso. Twelve of those wounds were potentially fatal.
The Apprehension and Video Tapes
The 16 year old high school students were apprehended soon after the Scream inspired murder. It was when they were in custody when the extent of their sick obsession and plans were discovered. Brian Draper was first to confess to the killing. He led the police to the abandoned area where the two had buried their bloody clothing, masks, boots, and knives they used to kill Cassie.
There was one more thing the police had found. This was perhaps the most important and condemning piece of evidence in the cache; a video tape the two boys had made.
The high school juniors said on these videos how they wanted to recreate the opening Scream murders in real life. On their video they also spoke of their “Death List”. It some became apparent Stoddart was not their only intended victim. On their discovered “death list”, there were at least five names of other fellow students who they planned to kill.
The video then cuts to footage from the night of the murder. The video picks up right after the two got into Torey’s car. The boys were clearly exhilarated from their kill. Draper boasted jubilantly;
“We just killed Cassie. We just left her house. This is not a fucking joke. …I stabbed her in the throat. I saw her lifeless body. It just disappeared. Dude. I just killed Cassie. Oh, oh fuck. That felt like it wasn’t even real. I mean it went by so fast.”
Draper and Adamcik’s goal was to start with Cassie’s murder, and then go out in a blaze of glory that would put the Columbine High School shootings to shame.
Consequences and Punishment
No longer was this like the horror movies they loved so much. These confessions sealed their fate, and the evidence was inescapable for the high school juniors.
The judge who presided over both of their trials showed his humane side when he regretted the fact both Draper and Adamcik were so young when they committed their crime. Nevertheless, he had a job to do, and both received life sentences without parole. The judge followed up his sentence with “I’m convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that if you were released that you’d kill again.”
Currently Draper and Adamcik are serving their life sentences at Idaho State Correctional Institute in Ada County, Idaho.
True Crime
Killer Wade Wilson: Just Desserts
A majority of the world got to know Wade Wilson as the ‘Deadpool Killer’ when he went to court for the 2019 murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. Wilson’s nickname was coined from the fact he shares the same name as the Marvel anti-hero.
Viewers avidly watched the courtroom circus unfold. Each day Wilson was dressed in stylish and attention grabbing suits provided to him from his previous girlfriend. He had a court approved fresh haircut slicked back, and had planned to use a tattoo cover-up cream now that the whole world was watching him. However, according to his attorney the ink was still visible beneath the makeup, so the morning of court his client decided to forgo the coverup attempt.
Despite the heinous crimes he committed, the overwhelming evidence against him, and even his own recorded confession to his biological father, women liked what they saw.
Wade’s Wives
After the media sensationalized Wilson’s handsome good looks, women responded in droves. They deemed themselves ‘Wade’s Wives’ and clamoured for the attention of death row’s newest inmate.
They occupied his time with racy and salacious video calls, sent him sexually charged letters, and filled his commissary account with more money than he could possibly spend behind bars.
His wives then took their devotion for the killer outside of the prison walls.
Dedication Beyond Monetary Measure
Websites declaring Wilson’s innocence were established. TikTok videos edited his walks into the courtroom, slowing them down to a sexy saunter and putting them to music. Wade Wilson had become a killer thirst trap by the same gender he slaughtered. The good looks and charisma he used to lure in his victims were now helping him reel in hundreds more from around the world.
A GoFundMe campaign was started in Wade Wilson’s name, Save Wade Steven Wilson. One woman in particular donated a whopping $24,000 to save the convicted killer and afford him a new defense team.
When all said and done, the campaign raised more than $70,000!
As you scroll down the list of more than 370 donations you will see a strongly established pattern; those who donated were either “guest”, “anonymous” and women. Lots and lots of women.
“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”
If it wasn’t for the tattoos Wilson acquired behind bars, the convicted murderer is nearly unrecognizable today. The inmate is missing teeth, his hair is unkempt, and his weight gain has dissolved his once chiseled good looks. The bad boy good looks that had women flocking to him have vanished.
His commissary account is overflowing, and there is only so much you can buy in prison. Toiletry items, snacks, and phone calls is what a majority of inmates use their money on. In Wade’s case, it appears honey buns could be a favorite.
Ironically, it is the money showered upon Wilson that is at the root of his own undoing.
Make your own conclusions as you watch the new Paramount documentary; Handsome Devil: Charming Killer.
News
How a Horror Movie Helped Solve a Real-Life Murder
In 1985, a murder case rocked the small town of Niantic, Connecticut. A pregnant wife was found strangled in the bedroom while her husband was away on a sailing trip. The crime went unsolved until a witness came forward to give investigators a clue, in of all places, a VHS copy of a horror movie.
[Editor’s Note: This article is taken from our archives. It was originally published in 2022]
Ed and Ellen Sherman appeared to be a happy couple around town, both professionals; Ellen a publisher, Ed a teacher at the local community college. Although they appeared to be the epitome of community grace, their private lives told a different story. Ed was a philanderer who often partook in wife swapping and sex parties. Ellen seemed not to mind and often engaged in the activities herself.
Enter Nancy Prescott, Ed’s mistress, who became pregnant and had a child during their affair. Ellen, at her limi,t told Ed to leave Nancy so they could start afresh.
Ed agreed, and the couple tried to reignite their marriage, Ellen herself becoming pregnant.
But on a Sunday in August 1985, while Ed had gone on a sailing trip with four friends, he got a call from police on the boat’s radio, saying his pregnant wife was dead. She was discovered by a male family friend whom Ed had asked to look in on her that night.
At first glance, it indeed looked as if an intruder had come into their home and squeezed the life out of Ellen, then made a hasty retreat; in fact, the air conditioner was still turned on.
Ligatures around Ellen’s neck provided the medical examiner with enough proof to determine she had been strangled with her own underwear. But the further investigation would also show that she had been strangled before the panties had gone around her neck. Medical examiners determined that she had been killed earlier that Sunday.
The question remained: who would do this? And as is usually the case, investigators look first to the spouse as a suspect. But Ed had been away on a sailing trip on Sunday; he had a solid alibi, with four witnesses. He couldn’t have done it. How could he be in two places at once?
Ed had even spoken to his wife on the night of the murder at a friend’s house, and they all heard him on the phone.
Forensic scientists were baffled, especially Dr. Henry Lee of the Connecticut State Crime Lab. That i,s until someone came forward with a tip that would blow the lid off the case.
The witness said she had run into Ed at the local video store on the morning of his sailing trip. She says Ed recommended a horror movie called Blackout, a mystery about a disfigured man named Allen Devlin, who, early on, may have brutally killed his wife and children and then manipulated the crime scene to thwart investigators.
In the film, Richard Widmark, Detective Joe Steiner, is confounded and sets out to prove that Allen is, in fact, responsible for the brutal killings.
Spoiler: Remember the air conditioner? In “Blackout,” the killer uses a clever trick to throw investigators off. He turns up the appliance to its highest setting and leaves it running.
The extremely cold temperatures slow down the rigor mortis process and the body’s decomposition, which can cause investigators to inaccurately estimate the true time of death.
Both Widmark in the film and real-life investigators in the Sherman case discover this murderous hack. In the Sherman case, where the coroner determined the time of death to be Sunday, they surmised that with the air conditioner running, the time of death was actually two days prior, on Friday. This means Ed could have done it before leaving for his fishing trip.
Still, Ed had called his wife from miles away the night of the murder and his friends could attest to that. Except unbeknownst to Ed, there was someone else on the phone, one of the gentleman’s daughters who reported that she picked up the receiver to make a call and heard him talking, only he wasn’t talking to his wife, he was talking over the ringing on the other end: the call was a fake.
According to the show Forensic Files (full episode below), Ed strangled his wife to death with his bare hands after dinner on Friday. He then wrapped the underwear around her throat to try and mislead investigators into thinking it was a sex crime.
After that, and inspired by the movie Blackout, he then turned the air conditioner to high to slow down the decomposition process ultimately misdirecting the Coroner and the true time of death. He then left for his friend’s house for the fishing trip and mocked a call later that night all within earshot of his friends, but unaware someone else was listening.
Ultimately, thanks to the movie Blackout, investigators concluded that with the frigid temperatures, the actual time of death was not on Sunday, but two days earlier, when Ed was still at home.
Ed Sherman was arrested for murder. Prosecutors argued that Ellen had given up on their marriage and wanted a divorce. She, being the primary owner of the business, told Ed he could have his girlfriend and the sailboat, and nothing else.
During the trial, jurors were very interested in knowing more about Ellen’s time of death. Based on the forensic evidence, they determined that Ed had the time and the motive to commit the murder, and six years after the crime, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Ed never admitted guilt, and three years after the conviction, he died in prison after suffering a heart attack.
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