Being a cheerleader was a big deal in the 80s. I was not a cheerleader, I was an outcast. I was bullied, I didn't murder my bullies. Kirsten didn't deserve to die even if she did bully Bernadette.
Of course she didn’t deserve to be killed but she was killed. She abused an already deranged girl and this was the outcome Just shows you that people need to be careful how they treat others. I’m not saying in defense of a killer, it’s just that you don’t know who you’re fking with. Bullying is abuse. I’m still trying to figure out why she was so sickly obsessed with Kirsten. What did she have that was so striking?
From what I’ve read Kirsten never bullied Bernadette. She made one snide comment about her ski equipment being old and most people would have brushed it off or told her to shut up.
@@Ceridwen-mu7wd isn’t it odd that people hear different stories. I heard that she was an extremely disrespectful person. Mocked and laughed at others who were less fortunate than her.She belittled others. I guess we will never really know. I think Bernadette should have spent the rest of her life in jail. She took a life, she pays with hers. I can’t believe she is a free woman.
Yes... but unfortunately you don't get to decide that only God and he spared her life ..I was bullied from the beginning and bullied now but I never took anyone's life because I serve a big God..some people can't handle being bullied and it drove Bernadette insane i feel for her but wrong is wrong and she paid for her mistake.@@skel760and I don't know why people are only going after Bernadette the victim is accountable of her own actions and Bernadette paid for her and if you were never bullied than of course you make the suspect the villain and the bully is a victim right is right and wrong is wrong but bullying is not OKAY EITHER
This was clearly a premeditated murder… she literally lured her to her death. If you trick someone into hanging out with you and you have an alibi and a knife ready to go this wasn’t just something that happened in the moment!
It’s sick knowing that this girl was allowed to once she served her prison time was legally allowed to get her name changed. She’s now under a new identity living her life acting like it wasn’t a big deal that she murdered another girl. She’s apparently married now, has kids. Scary thought she’s a mom now.
@@terridemaio7334it blows your mind that someone served their time, was rehabilitate, and is now living a normal life? Giving that it’s Americas prison system it blows my mind too considering 85 % of released inmates of even non violent crimes reoffend within the first year because they dont rehabilitate here. They teach people how to be better criminals.
The brutality of the crime should have been considered. She didn't just stab her once and run away. She should have been sentenced to at least 25 years just moved to an adult prison to serve the entire sentence. About the weed, I definitely think she would have smoked it and then if she truly felt guilty for smoking she would have confessed to her priest and done her hail Mary's and been "forgiven". So yeah, it's so sad. Soooooo f*cking sad.
You are very thorough and cover all the bases. I remember your first video on this. I just started. Always love seeing your videos! Thank you for your hard work!
I'm 57 and was in the class of 1984 at Miramonte HIgh School and remember this very well. It was right around the time I graduated that this happened, I forget whether it was slightly before or after. I think it was around a week after. I'm somewhat suprised that people are still talking about this crime 40 years later, but this crime was pretty sensational in the Bay Area at the time, because things like this rarely happen in upper middle class neighborhoods like Orinda. I didn't know either girl personally, but knew who Kirsten was, since as you pointed out in your earlier video, she was one of the school's "superstars".
I grew up in the 80's, and to babysitting at a young age did happen a lot. At age 9 yrs old I would go 4 doors down the road and babysit 4 girls ranging in age from 8 to 2 yrs old. We had so many responsibility's, and forced to grow up alot sooner. We did our chores when asked and we didn't get rewards for doing them, we did it because we respected our parents and did as we were told without talking back or whining.
I started babysitting for money at the age of 11 in the 90s. I used to go to the people's homes and stay for hours until the parents came home. I was good at it 😀
You can come back from bullying. There's things you can do. There's help you can get. There's all of that. You cannot come back from being murdered. There's the difference between the two. Yes. Are they both tragic? Yes, but you can come back from one. You cannot come back from the other
I agree, and I'm going to keep repeating this: I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I know you have no way of knowing, but please don't believe that Kirsten was a bully.
Your telling of this story is so succinct. I can tell you did so much research and put forward so much effort into this. I love the way you tell these stories.
@@laurencerichardgarcia-lore3932 I did not see the second movie. I only saw the first one, which made me sick. I was in the same class as both girls and was an "ear witness" to the murder. I'm probably annoying the heck out of anyone reading this, but I have to let people know. I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I feel like anyone who doesn’t feel remorse or kills for the most irrelevant reason should not be let out of jail , if all it took was some girl to not wanting to be her friend to send her over the edge then she can and would be capable of hurting anyone for the smallest reason .
I believe that the reason people tend to vilify Kirsten is because of the portrayal in the original Death of a Cheerleader that she was supposed to be this mean, nasty person, and the movie portrays Bernadette as a sympathetic character. I don't know why the new Death of a Cheerleader seems to get a lot of hate, because at least in that film, I find the portrayal of Bernadette creepy, and the portrayal of Kirsten is better. Maybe not perfect, but at least she was portrayed as a human being. I think we sometimes forget "based on a true story" isn't an exact retelling, and since it's Lifetime, there's going to be stuff that didn't happen or is embellished for dramatic effect. For instance, Bernadette lived in a better neighborhood than Kirsten, even though she was embarrassed by her house. In the movies it's portrayed that Kirsten lived in this mansion, but she lived in what many would consider a "regular" house in a regular good neighborhood. As far as Bernadette's story, obviously we'll never know for sure, and I think her story is crap. But something happened in that car to make Bernadette scared that Kirsten would tell whatever it was. Some people think she was a lesbian and made a pass at Kirsten. I'm not so sure. I'm more inclined to think she made a fool of herself, which made Kirsten find her "weird," and she snapped. Another part of me thinks it was premeditated and the sister lied on the stand about the knife so that the judge wouldn't find premeditation. Maybe a be my friend or else kind of thing. I definitely don't think she got enough time for it either. She got off very light. I feel a lot for the Costas family that justice was not and will never be truly served.
I prefer the original movie over the remake her character seems so sincere and sorry for what she had done and the way she told her parents what she did and her remorse the remake sucks actually the only sad part of the movie for me is that she killed Kristen who is depicted in the movie by Tori spelling and then attended her funeral Bernadette was played by Kellie Martin
@@juanitamorgan5475 I did not see the second movie. I only saw the first one, which made me sick. I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Good morning friends! Brit thanks for binging so consistent, you help me get up on a Monday morning knowing that even though it’s 5am you will be there to get me through getting ready for work, I love my job, but getting up is still not easy lol. I also watched this as a teenager and I always watched Lifetime movies and I watched the after school specials without fail! ❤love ya girl!
I said this a thousand times here, but I feel very strongly about this: Please do not believe the garbage in that first movie. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Thank you as always for a video...I wait for them each and every week! Bernadette was jealous over cherrleading popularity and other things ...a young girl lost her life over jealousy...terrible...God be with that family
I knew both girls, and just to be clear, Kirsten was not a bully. Bernadette was in the same clique as Kirsten and best friends with the most popular girl in school. I was unpopular, and Kirsten was always nice to me. Bernadette never spoke to me. This wasn't just jealousy over popularity. It goes much deeper than that.
2:54 I was thinking that maybe I had already watched you cover this case but I love your videos and so I’m totally here to watch you cover the case again. Keep being awesome I have a few other videos I need to catch up on. I’ve been crazy busy lately and I have been watching some Reddit videos the last couple weeks to help level out my mental health in short. You are amazing!! Stay awesome!!
The seal of the confessional is absolute. This fosters trust, and makes it possible to confess things one otherwise would not confess, thereby leading to not being absolved. The priest must try his best to convince the person to turn themselves in.
1. I think she meant to kill her. 2. It seemed clearly premeditated. 3. The whole making a pass at her theory seems plausible. Either that, or something similar. 4. No, 7 years is not long enough. She committed straight-up murder. My heart breaks for Kirsten's family. 💔
@@skel760 I knew both girls. I believe it was premeditated, too, based on the fact that she called and lured her away by telling her mom to tell her it was a surprise without giving her name; she had a big knife in the car, followed the car Kirsten was in all the way to Renee's house, got out of the car with the knife, killed her, and then didn't come forward until she was about to get caught. I worked as a court reporter for several years, and premeditation doesn't have to be planned for months and months. It can be in a very short period of time. I believe she had been premeditating it at least from the time she called her house. As I recall, Bernadette didn't even have her license at the time, just her permit, so she was taking a chance by driving the car, and if it's true, her parents broke the law by letting her drive with just a permit. The permit detail was part of the set of rumors going around at the time. I can't confirm that, though, but the rest is pretty incriminating.
Oh, and don't forget she had her dad drive her to her "babysitting job"--which was a lie. She wanted to get access to the car for something she was planning.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 I had not seen the reply from @skel760 until now. You mentioned so much of what I was referring to with the idea of premeditation. 👍 You have a unique perspective because not only did you work in the legal field, but you also knew them! Wow!! You're so right that premeditation can occur in a short amount of time. I just listened to a case today where premeditation was proven even though it occurred within minutes. I really appreciate your input.
Wow! I just looked at your channel for an episode to watch came across this early yay. Sorry I'm a new subscriber and spending all my free time catching up. You're amazing at what you do ❤
I think she had an obsession with her. I think she just freaked her out ranting about how much she adored her . Imagine your fav celebrity that probably who she seen her as . When she seemed horrifed by the obsession and found it weird she said she would tell everyone she was a crazy obsessed freak or whatever. She could not handle that response from her. When she seen the veggie cutter she just was in a primal rage everything connected wrong . The break from reality had happened and she was in full reaction mode and took it out on kirsten during the stabbing. Those moments probably every bot of rejection and inadequacy took physically form on poor Kirsten. It screams rejection to me not just by the girl but by everything she was and everything she would become. In her mind she she wasn't being called werid she was being told in her mind the truth by the one person that would say it allowed in every way. You aren't good enough, you are odd , you arent the caliber of friend a true it girl wants. I believe her mental inadequacy she struggled with was mirrored to clearly back to her that night by Kirsten and a snap happened. I think she should have received more time! Just my opinions obviously!
I agree with many of your points. Just to be clear, it was not a veggie cutter. It was a large knife. I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I know you have no way of knowing, but please don't believe that Kirsten was a bully.
Grew up watching Death Of A Cheerleader as well. Actually it’s streaming on Prime now and I started it recently. Your video on this case is so thorough and showed up in my feed right on time
Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on the girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 That's true the film isn't realistic. A girl who went on to become homecoming or prom queen, I forget which, identified Bernadette as her best friend in an interview after she was exposed as the killer, so it's not like she was some bullied loser at the bottom of the social stratum.
Anyone that is able to plunge a knife or any weapon, into another human being is not mentally stable. Bernadette, IMO was so insecure with an extremely low self esteem. She had skeletons in her closet. Just the thought that you are capable of committing such a horrific act, tells me that the individual is a psychopath, sociopath etc. She had all the makings of a future serial killer, if she would not of been caught. Love you, keep up the good work❤❤
I have to say. I don’t think seven years is near enough time either. And I too know that life is not fair. Not even close. But the fact that the offender got out in seven years, goes on to marry and have children just makes me shake my head. Not that her life should be shitty bc of what she did, but it just seems a bit hard to swallow. Idk, it just all seems so senseless and so sad. ❤️💜💚
What Bernadette did was horrendous; but she was very young, had no previous pattern of violence, paid her debt to society, and apparently (& importantly) never committed a crime again. Her sentence arguably wasn’t long enough, but she served what she was given. She seems to be a poster child for the rehabilitative function of prisons. But with all that said, our hearts must still be with Kirsten’s family.
That town where they lived sounds like a nightmare to me. I am so glad something like that doesn't even exist in my country. It's a very messed up story but the way you described that town and people there just got stuck in my head, what an awful way to live.
I agree with you 100% about “trying to exist” in a town like that, almost like you would need to fill out an application to be accepted by the majority whom set the norms. Unbelievable and kind of sick!
Yes, it was like the show Beverly Hills, 90210, but the kids on that show were nicer. Somehow I came out normal, I think, despite not being popular. I don't know. Maybe because of it.
Hey Brittany! This is a request for a case. Kristen Marie Padilla from big stone Gap VA. It's a sad story and I knew her. Her BF shot her at a storage building. You're amazing BTW!!
Glad to see you re-covering this case. I rewatched the remake of the movie recently because I did a video for my channel on the comparisons between the two versions. I realized I liked the remake better than the original because it tells a much more balanced version of the story and the victim. Also, it portrays the character representing Nancy Kane (the girl who was suspected of the crime initially) as being a three-dimensional person. More in line with how she came across in the documentary I saw on The 1980s: The Deadliest Decade. I think it is possible the murder was premeditated because, from what I've read, she called from a payphone which is really suspicious. I can't think of any reason why someone would wear sweatpants to meet up with someone they're hoping to impress, especially if this person has mocked them in the past for their clothes. But seems more like something you'd wear if you were planning to get dirty. And from what I read, the knife was practically the size of a machete. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I read in places it was 18 inches. At the very least it was like 12-14 inches. It was a huge knife, and I don't believe the average person owns a knife that's 18 inches, let alone uses it to chop vegetables. But yeah, I did a video on the two movies just a week and a half ago. I do agree that this case is absolutely heartbreaking, and I am so annoyed, as an adult, with the way the original movie portrayed Kirsten. I'm sure she was a much more nuanced individual, and it was a classic case of victim blaming. I hated the way the movie made it seem like the town was just ganging up on this poor young killer due to their relentless need to bully and how there was no purpose in seeking a first-degree conviction. But I think there was. Regardless of the sentence, I think it's important to acknowledge that Kirsten was the true victim here and her actions that night did not cause her death.
Also, I think with the verdict, the judge had a chance to send a message out to the public. Are we going to villainize the girl who lost her life? Are we going to place more value on the testimony of her killer? Or are we going to send a message that a 15 yo girl doesn't cause her death just because she doesn't want to be friends with a predatory stalker.
Thank you! I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I remember watching that movie when I was so little. I found it on Tubi within the past few weeks. I've never heard the real story so I'm excited that you are covering it. Thank you ❤
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I left the same comment when you 1st covered this case, but they remade the movie you're talking about, w/ ANOTHER lifetime movie (if not lifetime, it's another made for TV movie, but I THINK lifetime), & it's ALSO excellent....in FACT, I think I liked that 1 BETTER, even😍😍 I'd actually streamed it right before you did the case, the 1st time
@@BeautyIsMyLife aubrey peeple's & Sarah Dugdale star in it, but I still can't find the name of it🤷🏽♀ it just says it's the remake of death of a cheerleader, which is really weird that it's this hard to find
@ssdfgardiner1233 Was it the other way around? I'm just curious because there's a lot of conflicting personal accounts. It would be interesting to have a video with people who were actually there.
@@michellemurry2180 Everyone has their own experience. I never experienced Kirsten being a bully. I never experienced her being mean to anyone. I never experienced Bernadette bullying anyone (other than hearing her kill someone--I was one of the neighbors who heard this, and my dad went to investigate), but she was aloof with me. Unless you knew them, you just wouldn't know or be able to tell how accurate your opinion is. I'm sick of people portraying her this way. She hung out with the Mean Girls, yes, but so did Bernadette. Other people have different experiences, I'm sure. I have never actually written so much on any social platform before this week. I don't think I need to encourage anyone who knew either of them to state their opinion or even care about what anyone says. About every ten years, something reminds me of Kirsten, and I look things up just to find some answers, and there's always someone badmouthing her--someone who wasn't there. This time, this video did a better job, but now with social media, I think if anyone out there who knew everyone involved (including the two girls who had to change schools), and if they think it's unfair, then I think it's time to say something.
14:16 I was just telling my kids that I understand how hard it is to live in our neighborhood and not be well off but I was proud of them for never complaining about it … anyway it’s important to recognize stuff like that as a parent imo 🕊🤘🕊
Just to be clear, I was in the same class as Kirsten and Bernadette and lived on the same street as Kirsten. There are two sides to Orinda (I don't mean figuratively; I mean literally.) Back in those days, people judged people on the southeast side of the freeway to be less than the people on the northwest side. Even today, the houses are more expensive on the side where Bernadette lived. Kirsten's family and my family lived in the less-rich side, which is still expensive, but Kirsten's house was much smaller. Bernadette's family lived in a bigger, "nicer" house in the "nicer" area. Her family had a lot of kids, but don't believe for a second that Bernadette didn't have nice clothes and privilege.
Neither Bernadette nor Nancy was chubby. (I knew them and Nancy.) Bernadette actually had very nice hair. I think she probably was not looking her best in her sweats, but yeah, Nancy was better looking. There was another girl who had always been ostracized who was targeted just as much or even worse than Nancy. The other girl was suspected by people just because she was so unpopular even though she was very thin and had dark curly hair. Nancy was tough and took some time off and then came back the next year like a b*d*ss. She earned my respect after that. The other girl never came back. I don't blame her, though, because I think it was even harder for her.
I graduated in 86..omg Cheerleading and Football made the world go round. The Dallas Cheerleaders were the hottest thing.. I attended boarding school so I didn't get into this mess but I had friends that were so competitive it blew my mind..cat claws came out between best friends..I have always been a no drama queen. I'm a Brat😂
The evil that the cheerleaders got up to in my home town was bad enough but this is entitled like crazy maybe jealousy should be addressed more clearly my grandmother was raised during the depression and her quote after slapping one of her six children was"Who told you that life was fair!!" The people who allow their children to even get to that sociopathic level of jealousy are responsible for their children's behavior. Not saying slapping your kid is ok either but letting them think they should be allowed to kill because they don't know how they feel but they are upset? Fire the judge for ignoring all of the evidence of preplanning! She will have to live this for ever and ever. Definitely not fair for Kirsten and her family. I also agree that the reason she gave is weak. Thank you for sharing your time with us!😊🧡💜🧡
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
You don’t talk too fast. I love what you do and how you do it if people are complaining don’t listen. I think you’re amazing. Keep it up. It’s awesome and you are correct. I love the long videos. They are my favorite but if you did talk slow it would be 2 to 3 hours long but I don’t mind because I really enjoy listening to you that long and I am a great grandma and I think you’re amazingand I have lost. I lost my son again violence two years ago still unsolved. I’m still heartbroken and will never be the same again. I open ears. I take the time to everyone else should do that as well. Keep up the great work. I’m rambling. Take care.
The first video on this case is what brought me to your channel way back when. I was surprised that not many creators had covered it and given how high profile the case was at the time, I was also surprised that I couldn’t find a whole lot about it online. I’m a 90s kid so definitely remember the first movie which was very sympathetic to the killer. I learned a lot of new info from this video and I’m totally torn on whether it was premeditated or not. I feel like someone like Bernadette would’ve had more motive to try and make Kirsten her friend rather than kill her and risk getting caught/the humiliation.
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
@@BRATTERSTEIN terribly! She doesn’t do social media either … so I will mail her fun letters and picture of kids … I sent her a Nicolas cage pillow …. She jacked a post from a movie store when we were little … she is obsessed 🤣🤣🤣
Bernadette seems like the kind of person that is a constant victim in her own head all the time. I understand not getting picked for multiple things can be hard in general and especially as a kid HOWEVER this is no excuse to stab someone. I got passed over for a lot of things in my life that I did deserve and probably some that I wasn’t the most qualified for but I’ve never considered stabbing anybody. Honestly the mental health issues you must have even as a teen to say to yourself “ oh I know I’ll stab my classmate” is fucking bananas. PEOPLE PLEASE THINK IT THROUGH. Whatever you’re upset about is not worth stealing someone else’s life.
She was a child as well at the time. In the 80s and 90s being a cheerleader or football player was everything to teens. Especially in small towns down south.
@AutumnPearly01 I understand feeling rejected doesn't feel good but it's a part of life. Shitty things happen outside of everyone's control. Likewise people do shitty things for no good reason. But just because bad things happen to us is absolutely no excuse for what she did. Some people move past the shitty things that happen in their lives and other people get stuck in it. It's still not a excuse. At the end of the day Bernadette did some shit she can't take back and the reasons were petty. I know what it's like to be the poor kid from a small town. I've had my fair share of bully through out my life. Both of my parents passed away when I was 16 and 27. I'm from 2 large family's but the majority of the family above me and my siblings have all passed away FAR too soon. It's insanely likely that I myself and other people I love will also die early from cancer. My house has burned down on 2 different occasions. I could blab all day about the sht that's gone wrong in my life but focusing on that doesn't do any good. Some people are victims of their own lives and some people try their best to live their lives being as positive as possible. I refuse to be a victim. And I refuse to allow my feelings and insecurity to cause harm to anybody else. I hope that Bernadette is better now. I hope that she's living a life where she doesn't focus on everything negative because at the end of the day dwelling on everything negative does nothing good for any of us. I hope she received the help she clearly needed. She has to live her whole life remembering that she stole another child's life. When she looks at her own kids I'm sure she will be reminded every day what she did. I'm sure it weighs on her heart but at the end of the day she got to grow up. She got to get a higher education. Met a man fell in love got married made a family. She made her parents grandparents. Everything she stole from Kirsten parents bernadette still got to do. They will never be called mom or Dad again. No tny kiddos with ever give them a cute grandparents name like mema or popop. They were robbed of their only child and her future. I hope my blabbering make sense I apologize if they don't I had to stop half way through to help my baby with something and for whatever er reason my phone won't let me scroll back and read the message without glitching.
@@Raraking4796 As I understand the facts regarding the Costas family, they also had a younger son, Paul I believe, so despite the fact that they lost Kirsten in such a tragic manner, their son may very well provide them with grandchildren to keep the family going…..hopefully they loved both of their children equally and that the loss of Kirsten, did not disparage the feelings they had for their only remaining child, which would be tragic. I have read a lot of articles about this case, all over the internet and while many profilers portray Kirsten as “the perfect teenager,” I’ve read quite a few comments from students who attended that highschool in Orinda, who knew Kirsten and commented that she was a total, elitist, snob, whom frequently got off on making put-down, socialist bullying comments toward other students who were not living as affluent a lifestyle as her parents afforded her family. She apparently, “got-off,” on putting down students she perceived, as being less than her equal. These commenters, who lived there, said that this was the prevailing attitude of the “stuck up” Orinda community, where money and social status, were the be all and end all in general. This would be so difficult for everyone who did not live in the overall, upper echelons of the community, which would weigh especially heavily on the young. I blame the parents, teachers and adults, for this highly superficial, prevailing attitude and would be very interested in viewing a documentary about Orinda, comparing the attitudes there, before and after this tragic crime….hopefully attitudes and the teachings of those in authority, have changed, lest these feelings and God forbid, another occurrence, like this one, happen again. Please respect differences, because we are all different and are subject to different life circumstances. Peace to all and never underrate tolerance of those who are different.
@@AutumnPearly01 Just to be clear, I knew both of them. Bernadette was in the same clique. There were plenty of other children who were not popular (including me) who never would have done this.
Case Suggestion: In the late 90s I worked briefly as an after school counselor at Holy Cross Academy. My supervisor was Sister Michelle Lewis. She was murdered on March 25, 2001. There's a book about it: Murder at Holy Cross by Peter Davidson.
The age for parents to leave children alone, depends on the state you live in. Some have exact ages defined, others set it at a subjective "reasonable age". I learned this recently, when "mother" Kristel Candelaria from Cleveland left her 16 month old (! not years) home alone for 10 days, resulting in the death of baby Jailyn. I would love for you to do a video about it, bc I haven't heard other true crimers report on this heartbreaking story... RIP baby Jailyn 💔✨
Love your channel! Could you do one that happened here in Massachusetts in my neck of the woods? The case of Amy Carnevale upon which the Lifetime movie "No one Would Tell" was based. Very sad story, BF still in jail.
I feel its sad that people can hold onto such strong insecurities that it leads to something evil. You have to be pure evil to stab someone numerous times when once is all it takes to disarm them. This is an example that parents have to be more involved in their lives as far as mentoring and help stabilize their children minds with life. Sometimes you need to do more than just send them to church. Especially when materialistic and social popularity is more important than moral responsibliity. Teach your children to love themselves and to accept themselves even if others don't just might make the sting of rejection a little easier to move on from. Now she took a life and her life is gone. Learn to be ok if someone doesn't want to be your friend. If it's meant to be it will but talk to your kids about this kind of thing.
I personally think Bernadette was obsessed with being beautiful,from a rich family,and popular with classmates and successful in school, everything Kirsten represented. Deep down she wanted to BE Kirsten. I graduated in 1984, not in Calif. I’ve was never in a school clique, or had a desire too. I got along with all groups, so popularity didn’t matter to me. I just don’t understand why Bernadette was so obsessed with being Kirsten’s friend if Kirsten more or less hinted to her that she wasn’t interested in being her friend ( based on the ski outfit comment). Everyone is different though, times were different then. RIP Kirsten. You deserved to have the right to grow older. Bernadette deserved much more time than the 7 years she had gotten.
Agreed. Just to be clear since I knew them both, they were in the same clique. Bernadette's family seemed to have more money and lived in a nicer house. Bernadette had all the right clothes and plenty of privilege. True, Kirsten was very cute and athletic. In my estimation, Kirsten was the second most popular girl in school, and Bernadette's best friend was the most popular. This wasn't some unpopular person. There were plenty of us unpopular people (I, too, did not care about popularity.) From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was not a bully. Kirsten was sweet to me. Bernadette never talked to me at all. From my point of view, she was aloof and didn't speak to many of the unpopular kids. I think she really had/has a mental illness. I don't know if it was treated in prison, but this was not as the dumb movie they made would like to portray it.
i genuinely don’t think that her parents were even aware of what their daughter was going to do to her tbh, nonetheless i do see the other side of the parents but that’s just me. she’s dead wrong for taking that little girls life, regardless of the fact of her lack of self worth and esteem, that simply isn’t an excuse for her actions.
I was in their class. Rumor had it (again, rumor) that Bernadette had only a permit and not a driver's license, and her parents let their daughter (who fit the description) have the car (that fit the description) to drive without a license. I think they probably really did not want to believe it was her, and so they just wouldn't even consider it.
Kirsten was a very nice person to me, a nerd, a geek. I know you have no way of knowing that, but I knew her, and I didn't know everything about her, but she was always kind to me.
@@ssdfgardiner1233she was kind to you so that means she was kind to everyone? Sounds like you really want to stick up for someone that you didn’t actually know.
@@Coffeelover406 No, that's not what I said. I knew Kirsten since the fourth grade, and she was my neighbor. I think that's better evidence than a made-for-TV movie. It seems like people want to bash someone they didn't know at all, which I think is worse.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 On the contrary, but I do believe all of us should have room to forgive and give people a chance to be rehabilitated and become productive members of society. She committed a heinous crime that can’t be undone. She was also very young. Bullying and pressures of our society can place immense weights on young people that don’t know how to properly control their emotions. Your posts seem to suggest that since you knew the victim and she was nice to you, she was therefore not a bully to anyone, and the other girl should never be forgiven and vilified for the rest of her life. How does that help our society learn to be better though? I’d agree that the time served does not seem adequate for the crime but our justice system is deeply flawed. We send innocent people to prison and make it impossible for them to get out, even when there’s evidence to show the wrong person has been incarcerated. While that’s not what happened here, it seems like we should let her live and hope she is making amends on the daily by being a better person. Why can’t she now try to move on and live a better life? If she was in her 30s or 40s when the crime was committed that would be a different story. Your logic says if a teenager commits a heinous crime we should lock them up and throw away the key. If those are your beliefs, fine, but I choose to believe that kids and teens, even adults, deserve a chance for redemption.
To be clear, it was so horrific that my parents ordered us in the house, so my brother and I did not go running, but my father did, with my mother shortly behind. In fact, Mr. Hillman's son saw my dad in their yard (my dad knew to go there because he saw Kirsten run there), and his son asked my dad what he was doing there because at first, he was wondering why he just appeared out of the blue. When my mom showed up and then the police and ambulance and everyone started getting their story out, it was very clear my dad was just alarmed. My dad heard Kirsten's last words (not the ones in the video from what he told me, but maybe she said those, too.) He saw her alive, and then he saw her die. My mom was staying back because she had made sure we got in the house, so my dad told her not to come up to where Kirsten was. My parents were there when Mr. and Mrs. Costas arrived, and people are *ssh*l*s for saying anything bad about them because my mom came home crying after she saw what it did to her. My parents were very Catholic, too, and my mom and I thought maybe she was still alive because she had run across the street and that maybe that was a good sign. We stayed up saying the rosary all night (very Catholic). When my parents came back that night, my dad did not want to tell me that he knew she was already gone before she was even in the ambulance. He waited until the next day, and it was announced in church. I had called my best friend that morning to tell her, but I didn't know she had died. It was my friend who also went to the same church as Bernadette and me who got there and knew what had happened and heard in church that she had died. She got home and called me immediately to tell me it was announced. I asked my parents, and that's when my dad told us the details. My friend was actually kind of friends with Bernadette. Neither one of us were interviewed or were suspects until the very day before Bernadette confessed. An investigator called my friend and asked her about Bernadette and questions about how well she knew her and if she knew where she was or if she had said anything that would lead her to believe she was involved. My friend was shocked. Neither of us knew she was a suspect or had thought it was her. It's very fresh in my mind. I still remember exact conversations from that day before it even happened and what I was wearing, how much I weighed, all sorts of stupid unrelated stuff that just froze in my mind because it was one of the most shocking unnatural things I'd experienced.
Thank you for sharing this. It felt very informative. I think it was premeditated, but that is JMO. It could have possibly been that the murderer was gay, but don't feel it's right to make that judgement. Prayers lifted for Kirsten & Bernadette's families. God Bless You & stay safe.
They wanted to sue the Protti family for what their daughter did, and for the way she was raised, but what about their own daughter? They knew EXACTLY how she behaved. She was a BULLY, and every parent who has kids knows this spoiled, entitled behavior, and they allowed it. I was in high school in the 80,s, and to be a cheerleader meant popularity, more friends, and u get to date the jocks. So for a nerd, or outcast, bullying was brutal. I was in pep squad and I know for a FACT some girls would get bullied just for not sharing our same interests. I don't believe in murder, but I have always been against bullying. Some people do SNAP, but she didn't snap without cause. We have ALL known a Kirsten in high school,...this generation calls them MEAN GIRLS.
No, you are so wrong. I was in the same class as both of them. Kirsten was not a bully. Yes,girls get bullied, but STOP dragging Kirsten's name through the mud. YOU DID NOT KNOW HER! Bernadette was in her clique and was really snobby. I was unpopular, and if I passed Bernadette in the hallway and smiled, she would not even acknowledge my existence. Kirsten, on the other hand, was always sweet to me. She snapped without cause, and now you are doing something that is just as bad as bullying--you're being the MEAN GIRL here--to a dead girl. Just stop!!! You know for a fact that some girls would get bullied--yes, everyone knows that. You just don't know these two people, so no, you don't have the facts. Please stop!
@ssdfgardiner1233 I'm supposed to believe u went to the same school as them, um ok🙄 No, I don't know for a fact anything u said is true. Whatever happened between thise 2 girls, it ended badly not because someone was being NICE. I've seen the movie.
How can you insult someone's ski equipment? Why would she take that personally? If it is old, so what as long as it works? It sounds like some narcissistic injury that Kirsten had better equipment. It sounds like she set up Kirsten to go out with her when she wouldn't want to. She wasn't respecting her at all. I think she planned to kill her or challenge her in some way with the knife available.
Its funny u say that..cuz after this video I watched that movie "Death of a cheerleader " and there was a line of dialog between the detectives where one say "I kinda feel bad for this girl" (referring to Burnadette)..the other one then says "who you really should feel bad for is the girl she murdered".
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Sorry for the long comment, I just have a few thoughts to share on this one: I've always had the feeling that whatever "happened" may have had to do with Bernadette either making a pass or even just confiding in Kirsten about her sexuality (it could have even just been mentioning being curious or something, not necessarily "hey super popular girl, I'm a lesbian, please don't tell the whole school!") but if they were having this conversation in the church parking lot, 30 minutes missing from the timeline, that's PLENTY of time to get into a deep talk. ESPECIALLY if there was weed! Maybe Bernadette did accept a hit or two, got a little too open (physically or vocally/emotionally), Kirsten wasn't receptive & left (whether she threatened to say anything or not, the paranoia and apparent threat would've been there), B freaked out thinking her reputation/life was over, so she ran after K and attacked... The only thing I can't quite get over is the knife...but then again, I've had an old typewriter in my trunk for nearly a year (I'm not a writer & have never used it myself 😅), so I guess a person could just have weird/random things in their cars? 🤷🏼♀️ But regardless of what actually happened, the one thing that is irrefutable is that Bernadette murdered Kirsten, and she basically got away with it unfortunately...I think she should've been charged as an adult, 15 is most definitely old enough to know better than to chase down a classmate & stab them to death. I don't think she should've gotten life in prison, or even close to it, but 9 years & only serving 7 for the 2nd degree murder of a CHILD is disgusting and disrespectful to not only the family but to Kirsten herself. I really think the justice system failed on this one...
1,000,000 % hit the nail on the head with this comment. I believe this was the exact scenario and the only one that truly makes sense with all the 'jigsaw pieces' of the case
Ever heard of Chester Stiles? In 2007 news stations broadcast an image of an unknown little girl, urgently seeking public assistance to identify her. The image of the little girl was obtained from a video tape that had been found in the Nevada desert. What was on the video was horrific...
This case has always fascinated me, and I don´t know why. I even have "Death of a cheerleader," from 1994 on dvd. And I´ve watched the new one from lifetime 2019 (it think it was) more times than I can count. But it annoys me that we always has to hear "woe is me-"Bernadette-angle. Somehow Kirsten is much more interesting than her and I really want to know more about Kirsten. Bernadette? Not so much!! As for what I think happend in that car? Well I think Bernadette confessed how much she wants to be Kirstens friend, like in the movies. But she comes on too strong and Kirsten indterpede as Bernadette coming on to her. And Kirsten just found out Bernadette has lied to both Kirsten and to her mother and, rightfully so, knows she needs to get the f*** out of there. Bernadette can´t handle that Kirsten will tell her friends, and that Bernadette is gonna be a social paria, and ends up killing Kirsten. I don´t know why that knife ended up in that car. Maybe Bernadette did ended up bringing it maybe threatening Kirsten? I don´t know. But I always and still feel so sorry for Berit Costas. The amount of guilt she must have had and maybe still has. She did talk to her daughters killer. But how on earth should she have known that she was talking to a sick bastar* kid, who couldn´t handle not being part of the in crowd? I feel absolutely Bernadette got of way to easy. She did get her education. She changed her name (duh) She´s married, had children, but a simple google search give you her new name. She gets to do everything Kirsten didn´t. So no, I don´t think she got the punishment she deserved.
Thank you! Agreed! You're wise for not believing that movie. I'm just going to keep saying this when someone brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I don't understand why this guy that gave Kirsten a ride home. Didn't walk her to the door and stood there until she got inside. Knowing that Kirsten has this weird friend 🥺 RIP Kirsten
In the movie depiction she went over to her neighbor's house so that she could call her parents I just wish she had stayed inside or waited until her parents came home or stay with that couple because in the movie her murderer Bernadette whose character is known as Angela was sitting in her mom's car waiting for her Kristen's character whose name was changed to Stacy to hurt her
@@juanitamorgan5475 I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
in the lifetime movie it was explained better why Kirsten ran off from Bernadette. Bernadette was probably just invited to the party by her friend & Kiersten probably didnt feel like going because of that & took off. i thought that happened in real life, but i feel that Bernadaette would have told them that, so the weed story does seem quite likely. or the lesbian theory even.
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
cribbage and pinochle are definitely not the same, Ive played both, there are two ways too play pinochle depending on if your playing with a single deck or double deck, and this is not your standard 52 card deck, its a 48 card deck with cards 9, 10, j, q, k and the A, w/ 2 of each suit cribbage uses your standard 52 card deck
I fully believe Kirsten bullied Bernadette. Not that it excuses the murder at all, but... I fully believe Kirsten bullied her. I went to high school in the 80s and I knew girls just like Kirsten in high school. They did horrible permanent lifelong psychological damage through bullying to anyone they felt did not conform to thier popularity standards.
I was in the same class as both girls. They were both from the same popular clique. Bernadette was best friends with the most popular girl in the school. I never saw Kirsten bully anyone, and she was very nice to me--someone who was not popular. Bernadette never spoke to me. You did not know Kirsten, and I'm offended by your comment that you knew girls who were like her. I know it's easy to believe what the movies say, but please consider that you may be wrong in this instance. I mean, there are bullies, and back then no one held them accountable, but Kirsten was not a bully. Please don't drag her name through the mud.
no I’m not perfect but I would never take a life and I was severely bullied in school, never accepted, I was beat up, had rocks thrown at me, thrown down a flight of stairs, but it never crossed my mind to take my bullies lives. I grew up, became somewhat attractive, and most of my bullies are either deceased or in prison or not living as good of a life as I am right now. Karma is real. Most of all the girls that were popular in high school are now single mothers, men have hurt them and left them, some of them struggling. So they got hurt back, the way they hurt people. Karma! and some of them when they see me now, some of them have apologized for what they did. The thing about being a teen and high school is that you think that life is gonna last forever, and it’s not, and we need to teach teens not to take what goes on in high school so personally, that it makes you take your life or someone else life. If I had took my life over the bullying or not being accepted, I would’ve missed out on the life I have now. If this woman took that girl’s life over popularity, over wanting her friendship, or over some petty cheerleading stuff, that’s sad, maybe I could sympathize if she was severely physically bullied like I was, but she wasn’t. She took a life out of jealousy and competitiveness. It’s true, we have to forgive and move on, but if you commit a serious sin. You have to ask for forgiveness and right your wrong. Give back in every way you can, spend your life being good to people. She can’t bring her back, but she could educate other girls who are like she was, to keep something like this from happening again. Maybe if she made a public apology people would back off. She didn’t know that one day there would be an internet and social media and people would be talking about this and remember this and a whole new generation would learn about this. Before the Internet, you could hide your identity and no one would ever know who you are and what you did, but not anymore, so if I was you If I was you, I’d stay off social media and keep a low profile like other former teens who took lives because people aren’t going to be kind.
I think she meant to kill her because hurting her would have only made her “reputation” worse. I’m not saying that Bernadette wasn’t dealing with mental health issues and a lack of self esteem or that Kirsten was an angel but killing out of embarrassment or jealousy is not ok. She is a murderer at the end of the day and it’s sad that she only got 7 years.
Personally I think the town itself holds a little bit of blame as well. They had this Persona of perfection, and just the way you described how they selected cheerleaders and put so much value on popularity and money and stuff like that, it's going to affect the people who feel like they are getting the short end of the stick on things like that. That's obviously no excuse for what she did to the poor girl, but I think it was a contributing factor as to why she did it in the first place.
Being a cheerleader was a big deal in the 80s. I was not a cheerleader, I was an outcast. I was bullied, I didn't murder my bullies. Kirsten didn't deserve to die even if she did bully Bernadette.
Of course she didn’t deserve to be killed but she was killed. She abused an already deranged girl and this was the outcome
Just shows you that people need to be careful how they treat others. I’m not saying in defense of a killer, it’s just that you don’t know who you’re fking with. Bullying is abuse. I’m still trying to figure out why she was so sickly obsessed with Kirsten. What did she have that was so striking?
From what I’ve read Kirsten never bullied Bernadette. She made one snide comment about her ski equipment being old and most people would have brushed it off or told her to shut up.
@@Ceridwen-mu7wd isn’t it odd that people hear different stories. I heard that she was an extremely disrespectful person. Mocked and laughed at others who were less fortunate than her.She belittled others. I guess we will never really know. I think Bernadette should have spent the rest of her life in jail. She took a life, she pays with hers. I can’t believe she is a free woman.
Yes... but unfortunately you don't get to decide that only God and he spared her life ..I was bullied from the beginning and bullied now but I never took anyone's life because I serve a big God..some people can't handle being bullied and it drove Bernadette insane i feel for her but wrong is wrong and she paid for her mistake.@@skel760and I don't know why people are only going after Bernadette the victim is accountable of her own actions and Bernadette paid for her and if you were never bullied than of course you make the suspect the villain and the bully is a victim right is right and wrong is wrong but bullying is not OKAY EITHER
@@skel760 I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I don't think Kirsten abused anyone.
This was clearly a premeditated murder… she literally lured her to her death. If you trick someone into hanging out with you and you have an alibi and a knife ready to go this wasn’t just something that happened in the moment!
I agree with you. I think Bernadette made it up in her mind that if Kirsten didn't agree to be her friend she would kill her.
I do the same thing when I get hyped up over something. I can’t help it either. I love hearing the passion in your voice. It means you care.
I get like that too 😂 my family has to remind me sometimes they're not the ppl I'm talking about 😂
My favorite video of yours is the first version of this. So happy you’re doing it again!
It’s sick knowing that this girl was allowed to once she served her prison time was legally allowed to get her name changed. She’s now under a new identity living her life acting like it wasn’t a big deal that she murdered another girl. She’s apparently married now, has kids. Scary thought she’s a mom now.
Holy hell that’s brutal
That Blows me Away
@@terridemaio7334it blows your mind that someone served their time, was rehabilitate, and is now living a normal life? Giving that it’s Americas prison system it blows my mind too considering 85 % of released inmates of even non violent crimes reoffend within the first year because they dont rehabilitate here. They teach people how to be better criminals.
Omg it's Mind Blowing
The brutality of the crime should have been considered. She didn't just stab her once and run away. She should have been sentenced to at least 25 years just moved to an adult prison to serve the entire sentence.
About the weed, I definitely think she would have smoked it and then if she truly felt guilty for smoking she would have confessed to her priest and done her hail Mary's and been "forgiven". So yeah, it's so sad. Soooooo f*cking sad.
"You can slow me down, I can't slow me down," same girl, same.
You are very thorough and cover all the bases. I remember your first video on this. I just started. Always love seeing your videos! Thank you for your hard work!
I'm 57 and was in the class of 1984 at Miramonte HIgh School and remember this very well. It was right around the time I graduated that this happened, I forget whether it was slightly before or after. I think it was around a week after. I'm somewhat suprised that people are still talking about this crime 40 years later, but this crime was pretty sensational in the Bay Area at the time, because things like this rarely happen in upper middle class neighborhoods like Orinda. I didn't know either girl personally, but knew who Kirsten was, since as you pointed out in your earlier video, she was one of the school's "superstars".
Hello, fellow Matador. (They really should change that name.)
@@ssdfgardiner1233 Just out of curiosity, what year did you graduate?
@@robertsutherland7378 1986. I was in their class.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 My sister Christine was in that class.
@@robertsutherland7378 I'm drawing a blank. Did her last name have anything to do with your YT name? It's okay if you'd rather not say.
I grew up in the 80's, and to babysitting at a young age did happen a lot. At age 9 yrs old I would go 4 doors down the road and babysit 4 girls ranging in age from 8 to 2 yrs old. We had so many responsibility's, and forced to grow up alot sooner. We did our chores when asked and we didn't get rewards for doing them, we did it because we respected our parents and did as we were told without talking back or whining.
Me too..I was babysitting my siblings and also cousins at age 9..Also people in my neighborhood I babysat for by age 10..it was such a different time
I started babysitting for money at the age of 11 in the 90s. I used to go to the people's homes and stay for hours until the parents came home. I was good at it 😀
This is very sad, and I'm glad you are covering this case.
You can come back from bullying. There's things you can do. There's help you can get. There's all of that. You cannot come back from being murdered. There's the difference between the two. Yes. Are they both tragic? Yes, but you can come back from one. You cannot come back from the other
100%
I agree, and I'm going to keep repeating this: I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I know you have no way of knowing, but please don't believe that Kirsten was a bully.
Your telling of this story is so succinct. I can tell you did so much research and put forward so much effort into this. I love the way you tell these stories.
thank you so, so much.
I agree. I watched both versions (1994 and 2019) of “Death of a cheerleader.” And it’s amazing and shows the dedication you put forward.
@@laurencerichardgarcia-lore3932 I did not see the second movie. I only saw the first one, which made me sick. I was in the same class as both girls and was an "ear witness" to the murder. I'm probably annoying the heck out of anyone reading this, but I have to let people know. I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 thank you so much for sharing
I feel like anyone who doesn’t feel remorse or kills for the most irrelevant reason should not be let out of jail , if all it took was some girl to not wanting to be her friend to send her over the edge then she can and would be capable of hurting anyone for the smallest reason .
I believe that the reason people tend to vilify Kirsten is because of the portrayal in the original Death of a Cheerleader that she was supposed to be this mean, nasty person, and the movie portrays Bernadette as a sympathetic character. I don't know why the new Death of a Cheerleader seems to get a lot of hate, because at least in that film, I find the portrayal of Bernadette creepy, and the portrayal of Kirsten is better. Maybe not perfect, but at least she was portrayed as a human being. I think we sometimes forget "based on a true story" isn't an exact retelling, and since it's Lifetime, there's going to be stuff that didn't happen or is embellished for dramatic effect. For instance, Bernadette lived in a better neighborhood than Kirsten, even though she was embarrassed by her house. In the movies it's portrayed that Kirsten lived in this mansion, but she lived in what many would consider a "regular" house in a regular good neighborhood.
As far as Bernadette's story, obviously we'll never know for sure, and I think her story is crap. But something happened in that car to make Bernadette scared that Kirsten would tell whatever it was. Some people think she was a lesbian and made a pass at Kirsten. I'm not so sure. I'm more inclined to think she made a fool of herself, which made Kirsten find her "weird," and she snapped. Another part of me thinks it was premeditated and the sister lied on the stand about the knife so that the judge wouldn't find premeditation. Maybe a be my friend or else kind of thing. I definitely don't think she got enough time for it either. She got off very light. I feel a lot for the Costas family that justice was not and will never be truly served.
100%. that's how i feel too. the movie really effected how people say Kirsten.
I prefer the original movie over the remake her character seems so sincere and sorry for what she had done and the way she told her parents what she did and her remorse the remake sucks actually the only sad part of the movie for me is that she killed Kristen who is depicted in the movie by Tori spelling and then attended her funeral Bernadette was played by Kellie Martin
@@juanitamorgan5475 I did not see the second movie. I only saw the first one, which made me sick. I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Thank you!! I recently found my way back after a mental health break. (: I missed your channel, and feel like I’m enjoying it even more now.
Good morning friends! Brit thanks for binging so consistent, you help me get up on a Monday morning knowing that even though it’s 5am you will be there to get me through getting ready for work, I love my job, but getting up is still not easy lol. I also watched this as a teenager and I always watched Lifetime movies and I watched the after school specials without fail! ❤love ya girl!
thank you for always being here!
@@BRATTERSTEIN every Monday at 5AM! If you have not posted yet, I will just go and find one from the way back. And keep going.
I said this a thousand times here, but I feel very strongly about this: Please do not believe the garbage in that first movie. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Thank you as always for a video...I wait for them each and every week! Bernadette was jealous over cherrleading popularity and other things ...a young girl lost her life over jealousy...terrible...God be with that family
It’s incredibly sad.
And thank you for always being here!!
I knew both girls, and just to be clear, Kirsten was not a bully. Bernadette was in the same clique as Kirsten and best friends with the most popular girl in school. I was unpopular, and Kirsten was always nice to me. Bernadette never spoke to me. This wasn't just jealousy over popularity. It goes much deeper than that.
@@ssdfgardiner1233Sure. People don't get murdered for " no reason ".
2:54 I was thinking that maybe I had already watched you cover this case but I love your videos and so I’m totally here to watch you cover the case again. Keep being awesome I have a few other videos I need to catch up on. I’ve been crazy busy lately and I have been watching some Reddit videos the last couple weeks to help level out my mental health in short.
You are amazing!! Stay awesome!!
The seal of the confessional is absolute. This fosters trust, and makes it possible to confess things one otherwise would not confess, thereby leading to not being absolved. The priest must try his best to convince the person to turn themselves in.
I just want to say I love that you are blowing up and getting new subscribers left and right. Your hard work is so apparent! Love you, Bratt 😘
I almost NEVER immediately subscribe after 1 view…you are a doll! Hello from 🇫🇷!
hi hi hi
Heyyyy Momma Bratt ❤ hey Bratt Pack !!! Happy Monday!! Hope y’all have a great week ❤ Love from Florida 🌴
1. I think she meant to kill her.
2. It seemed clearly premeditated.
3. The whole making a pass at her theory seems plausible. Either that, or something similar.
4. No, 7 years is not long enough. She committed straight-up murder.
My heart breaks for Kirsten's family. 💔
@@skel760 I knew both girls. I believe it was premeditated, too, based on the fact that she called and lured her away by telling her mom to tell her it was a surprise without giving her name; she had a big knife in the car, followed the car Kirsten was in all the way to Renee's house, got out of the car with the knife, killed her, and then didn't come forward until she was about to get caught. I worked as a court reporter for several years, and premeditation doesn't have to be planned for months and months. It can be in a very short period of time. I believe she had been premeditating it at least from the time she called her house. As I recall, Bernadette didn't even have her license at the time, just her permit, so she was taking a chance by driving the car, and if it's true, her parents broke the law by letting her drive with just a permit. The permit detail was part of the set of rumors going around at the time. I can't confirm that, though, but the rest is pretty incriminating.
I think @VioletJoy would be a great prosecutor.
Oh, and don't forget she had her dad drive her to her "babysitting job"--which was a lie. She wanted to get access to the car for something she was planning.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 I had not seen the reply from @skel760 until now. You mentioned so much of what I was referring to with the idea of premeditation. 👍
You have a unique perspective because not only did you work in the legal field, but you also knew them! Wow!! You're so right that premeditation can occur in a short amount of time.
I just listened to a case today where premeditation was proven even though it occurred within minutes.
I really appreciate your input.
Wow! I just looked at your channel for an episode to watch came across this early yay. Sorry I'm a new subscriber and spending all my free time catching up. You're amazing at what you do ❤
hi! you'll find a new upload every monday morning!
What a wicked girl 👧 😢
I think she had an obsession with her. I think she just freaked her out ranting about how much she adored her . Imagine your fav celebrity that probably who she seen her as . When she seemed horrifed by the obsession and found it weird she said she would tell everyone she was a crazy obsessed freak or whatever. She could not handle that response from her. When she seen the veggie cutter she just was in a primal rage everything connected wrong . The break from reality had happened and she was in full reaction mode and took it out on kirsten during the stabbing. Those moments probably every bot of rejection and inadequacy took physically form on poor Kirsten. It screams rejection to me not just by the girl but by everything she was and everything she would become. In her mind she she wasn't being called werid she was being told in her mind the truth by the one person that would say it allowed in every way. You aren't good enough, you are odd , you arent the caliber of friend a true it girl wants. I believe her mental inadequacy she struggled with was mirrored to clearly back to her that night by Kirsten and a snap happened. I think she should have received more time! Just my opinions obviously!
I agree with many of your points. Just to be clear, it was not a veggie cutter. It was a large knife. I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I know you have no way of knowing, but please don't believe that Kirsten was a bully.
Bratterstein, you did it again! Love your videos 😊
thank you!!
Grew up watching Death Of A Cheerleader as well. Actually it’s streaming on Prime now and I started it recently. Your video on this case is so thorough and showed up in my feed right on time
Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on the girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 That's true the film isn't realistic. A girl who went on to become homecoming or prom queen, I forget which, identified Bernadette as her best friend in an interview after she was exposed as the killer, so it's not like she was some bullied loser at the bottom of the social stratum.
Thank you for commenting on empathizing with the victim. Kiersten didn’t deserve that.
I’m early but you did amazing on this video
thank you!!
You are seriously my new favorite TH-camr. I’m so glad I have found you. You just seem so down to earth. Love it.
Anyone that is able to plunge a knife or any weapon, into another human being is not mentally stable. Bernadette, IMO was so insecure with an extremely low self esteem. She had skeletons in her closet. Just the thought that you are capable of committing such a horrific act, tells me that the individual is a psychopath, sociopath etc. She had all the makings of a future serial killer, if she would not of been caught.
Love you, keep up the good work❤❤
This incident seems to scream some sort of insanity.
Yes, thank you!
I have to say. I don’t think seven years is near enough time either. And I too know that life is not fair. Not even close. But the fact that the offender got out in seven years, goes on to marry and have children just makes me shake my head. Not that her life should be shitty bc of what she did, but it just seems a bit hard to swallow. Idk, it just all seems so senseless and so sad.
❤️💜💚
Agreed.
Ed Kemper is another example of a kid who killed in their youth then went on to commit horrific murders after he was let out.
What Bernadette did was horrendous; but she was very young, had no previous pattern of violence, paid her debt to society, and apparently (& importantly) never committed a crime again. Her sentence arguably wasn’t long enough, but she served what she was given. She seems to be a poster child for the rehabilitative function of prisons. But with all that said, our hearts must still be with Kirsten’s family.
Meh. She's still a murderer.
I think this too. Such a hard situation to think about
I think she had/has no remorse.
Great job- thanks for all the research and information. Btw, I liked your first video on this case too!
Good Monday morning, Brattpack
GOOD MORNING
That town where they lived sounds like a nightmare to me. I am so glad something like that doesn't even exist in my country. It's a very messed up story but the way you described that town and people there just got stuck in my head, what an awful way to live.
SAME
I agree with you 100% about “trying to exist” in a town like that, almost like you would need to fill out an application to be accepted by the majority whom set the norms. Unbelievable and kind of sick!
Yes, it was like the show Beverly Hills, 90210, but the kids on that show were nicer. Somehow I came out normal, I think, despite not being popular. I don't know. Maybe because of it.
This neighborhood frequently makes lists of one of the best places to live in both the state of California and the United States.
Hey Brittany! This is a request for a case. Kristen Marie Padilla from big stone Gap VA. It's a sad story and I knew her. Her BF shot her at a storage building. You're amazing BTW!!
Glad to see you re-covering this case. I rewatched the remake of the movie recently because I did a video for my channel on the comparisons between the two versions. I realized I liked the remake better than the original because it tells a much more balanced version of the story and the victim. Also, it portrays the character representing Nancy Kane (the girl who was suspected of the crime initially) as being a three-dimensional person. More in line with how she came across in the documentary I saw on The 1980s: The Deadliest Decade. I think it is possible the murder was premeditated because, from what I've read, she called from a payphone which is really suspicious. I can't think of any reason why someone would wear sweatpants to meet up with someone they're hoping to impress, especially if this person has mocked them in the past for their clothes. But seems more like something you'd wear if you were planning to get dirty. And from what I read, the knife was practically the size of a machete. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I read in places it was 18 inches. At the very least it was like 12-14 inches. It was a huge knife, and I don't believe the average person owns a knife that's 18 inches, let alone uses it to chop vegetables. But yeah, I did a video on the two movies just a week and a half ago. I do agree that this case is absolutely heartbreaking, and I am so annoyed, as an adult, with the way the original movie portrayed Kirsten. I'm sure she was a much more nuanced individual, and it was a classic case of victim blaming. I hated the way the movie made it seem like the town was just ganging up on this poor young killer due to their relentless need to bully and how there was no purpose in seeking a first-degree conviction. But I think there was. Regardless of the sentence, I think it's important to acknowledge that Kirsten was the true victim here and her actions that night did not cause her death.
Also, I think with the verdict, the judge had a chance to send a message out to the public. Are we going to villainize the girl who lost her life? Are we going to place more value on the testimony of her killer? Or are we going to send a message that a 15 yo girl doesn't cause her death just because she doesn't want to be friends with a predatory stalker.
Thank you! I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
And thank you for not believing it!
I remember watching that movie when I was so little. I found it on Tubi within the past few weeks. I've never heard the real story so I'm excited that you are covering it. Thank you ❤
i am really, really sorry about your son. i can't even imagine.
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I left the same comment when you 1st covered this case, but they remade the movie you're talking about, w/ ANOTHER lifetime movie (if not lifetime, it's another made for TV movie, but I THINK lifetime), & it's ALSO excellent....in FACT, I think I liked that 1 BETTER, even😍😍 I'd actually streamed it right before you did the case, the 1st time
What's the name of the other movie? I did a search but I could only find a friend to die for the Tori Spelling one.
@@BeautyIsMyLife I have no idea I don't remember but I'll see if I can find it and if I can I'll leave it here
@@BeautyIsMyLife aubrey peeple's & Sarah Dugdale star in it, but I still can't find the name of it🤷🏽♀ it just says it's the remake of death of a cheerleader, which is really weird that it's this hard to find
@@BeautyIsMyLife apparently it too is called death of a cheerleader but it was released in 2019
@courtneymatta7288 thanks!
Leave people alone and we wouldn't have these situations. I feel for all parties involved.
It's Sunday over here in my country and it's June 23rd the month that Kirsten died😢
I knew Kirsten and Bernadette. I know you have no way of knowing, but please don't believe that Kirsten was a bully and that Bernadette was a victim.
@ssdfgardiner1233 Was it the other way around? I'm just curious because there's a lot of conflicting personal accounts. It would be interesting to have a video with people who were actually there.
@@michellemurry2180 Everyone has their own experience. I never experienced Kirsten being a bully. I never experienced her being mean to anyone. I never experienced Bernadette bullying anyone (other than hearing her kill someone--I was one of the neighbors who heard this, and my dad went to investigate), but she was aloof with me. Unless you knew them, you just wouldn't know or be able to tell how accurate your opinion is. I'm sick of people portraying her this way. She hung out with the Mean Girls, yes, but so did Bernadette. Other people have different experiences, I'm sure. I have never actually written so much on any social platform before this week. I don't think I need to encourage anyone who knew either of them to state their opinion or even care about what anyone says. About every ten years, something reminds me of Kirsten, and I look things up just to find some answers, and there's always someone badmouthing her--someone who wasn't there. This time, this video did a better job, but now with social media, I think if anyone out there who knew everyone involved (including the two girls who had to change schools), and if they think it's unfair, then I think it's time to say something.
14:16 I was just telling my kids that I understand how hard it is to live in our neighborhood and not be well off but I was proud of them for never complaining about it … anyway it’s important to recognize stuff like that as a parent imo
🕊🤘🕊
Just to be clear, I was in the same class as Kirsten and Bernadette and lived on the same street as Kirsten. There are two sides to Orinda (I don't mean figuratively; I mean literally.) Back in those days, people judged people on the southeast side of the freeway to be less than the people on the northwest side. Even today, the houses are more expensive on the side where Bernadette lived. Kirsten's family and my family lived in the less-rich side, which is still expensive, but Kirsten's house was much smaller. Bernadette's family lived in a bigger, "nicer" house in the "nicer" area. Her family had a lot of kids, but don't believe for a second that Bernadette didn't have nice clothes and privilege.
If i was Nancy i'd be pissed they think i looked like a chubby girl with stringy blonde hair
Neither Bernadette nor Nancy was chubby. (I knew them and Nancy.) Bernadette actually had very nice hair. I think she probably was not looking her best in her sweats, but yeah, Nancy was better looking. There was another girl who had always been ostracized who was targeted just as much or even worse than Nancy. The other girl was suspected by people just because she was so unpopular even though she was very thin and had dark curly hair. Nancy was tough and took some time off and then came back the next year like a b*d*ss. She earned my respect after that. The other girl never came back. I don't blame her, though, because I think it was even harder for her.
I graduated in 86..omg Cheerleading and Football made the world go round. The Dallas Cheerleaders were the hottest thing.. I attended boarding school so I didn't get into this mess but I had friends that were so competitive it blew my mind..cat claws came out between best friends..I have always been a no drama queen. I'm a Brat😂
I'm a Brat too lmao
The evil that the cheerleaders got up to in my home town was bad enough but this is entitled like crazy maybe jealousy should be addressed more clearly my grandmother was raised during the depression and her quote after slapping one of her six children was"Who told you that life was fair!!" The people who allow their children to even get to that sociopathic level of jealousy are responsible for their children's behavior. Not saying slapping your kid is ok either but letting them think they should be allowed to kill because they don't know how they feel but they are upset? Fire the judge for ignoring all of the evidence of preplanning! She will have to live this for ever and ever. Definitely not fair for Kirsten and her family. I also agree that the reason she gave is weak. Thank you for sharing your time with us!😊🧡💜🧡
The LMN “But I’m a cheerleader”
Death Of A Cheerleader… But I’m A Cheerleader was a very different movie… lol (a great indie film!)
@@rubygirl214 soo right my bad thank you
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Oooh I love it when I find a new true crime channel! Excellent content ❤
Personally, I love how fast you talk! maybe it’s the ADHD, but most people I have to speed up. Your speed is great 😊
Ok I thought you did this case before. Starting now. I look forward to hearing you tell her story again ❤
Kind of mind-blowing that a young teen girl probably would have gotten away with murder if she hadn't confessed.
Can you please do the Alice crimmins case
You don’t talk too fast. I love what you do and how you do it if people are complaining don’t listen. I think you’re amazing. Keep it up. It’s awesome and you are correct. I love the long videos. They are my favorite but if you did talk slow it would be 2 to 3 hours long but I don’t mind because I really enjoy listening to you that long and I am a great grandma and I think you’re amazingand I have lost. I lost my son again violence two years ago still unsolved. I’m still heartbroken and will never be the same again. I open ears. I take the time to everyone else should do that as well. Keep up the great work. I’m rambling. Take care.
i am so, so sorry about your son. i cannot even imagine.
I'm so sorry!
The first video on this case is what brought me to your channel way back when. I was surprised that not many creators had covered it and given how high profile the case was at the time, I was also surprised that I couldn’t find a whole lot about it online. I’m a 90s kid so definitely remember the first movie which was very sympathetic to the killer. I learned a lot of new info from this video and I’m totally torn on whether it was premeditated or not. I feel like someone like Bernadette would’ve had more motive to try and make Kirsten her friend rather than kill her and risk getting caught/the humiliation.
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I love that you are a fast talker! You remind me of my best friend in high school! She lives in Ireland now 😢
oh no! you must miss her so much.
@@BRATTERSTEIN terribly! She doesn’t do social media either … so I will mail her fun letters and picture of kids … I sent her a Nicolas cage pillow …. She jacked a post from a movie store when we were little … she is obsessed 🤣🤣🤣
So I saw your original video for this for the first time this morning and then I saw it upload again lol 😂
Bernadette seems like the kind of person that is a constant victim in her own head all the time. I understand not getting picked for multiple things can be hard in general and especially as a kid HOWEVER this is no excuse to stab someone. I got passed over for a lot of things in my life that I did deserve and probably some that I wasn’t the most qualified for but I’ve never considered stabbing anybody.
Honestly the mental health issues you must have even as a teen to say to yourself “ oh I know I’ll stab my classmate” is fucking bananas.
PEOPLE PLEASE THINK IT THROUGH. Whatever you’re upset about is not worth stealing someone else’s life.
She was a child as well at the time. In the 80s and 90s being a cheerleader or football player was everything to teens. Especially in small towns down south.
Also, how can you hear everything Brittany said about her and say that? She had the lowest self esteem of anyone around. She just wanted to be liked.
@AutumnPearly01 I understand feeling rejected doesn't feel good but it's a part of life. Shitty things happen outside of everyone's control. Likewise people do shitty things for no good reason. But just because bad things happen to us is absolutely no excuse for what she did. Some people move past the shitty things that happen in their lives and other people get stuck in it. It's still not a excuse. At the end of the day Bernadette did some shit she can't take back and the reasons were petty. I know what it's like to be the poor kid from a small town. I've had my fair share of bully through out my life. Both of my parents passed away when I was 16 and 27. I'm from 2 large family's but the majority of the family above me and my siblings have all passed away FAR too soon. It's insanely likely that I myself and other people I love will also die early from cancer. My house has burned down on 2 different occasions. I could blab all day about the sht that's gone wrong in my life but focusing on that doesn't do any good. Some people are victims of their own lives and some people try their best to live their lives being as positive as possible. I refuse to be a victim. And I refuse to allow my feelings and insecurity to cause harm to anybody else.
I hope that Bernadette is better now. I hope that she's living a life where she doesn't focus on everything negative because at the end of the day dwelling on everything negative does nothing good for any of us. I hope she received the help she clearly needed. She has to live her whole life remembering that she stole another child's life. When she looks at her own kids I'm sure she will be reminded every day what she did. I'm sure it weighs on her heart but at the end of the day she got to grow up. She got to get a higher education. Met a man fell in love got married made a family. She made her parents grandparents. Everything she stole from Kirsten parents bernadette still got to do.
They will never be called mom or Dad again. No tny kiddos with ever give them a cute grandparents name like mema or popop. They were robbed of their only child and her future. I hope my blabbering make sense I apologize if they don't I had to stop half way through to help my baby with something and for whatever er reason my phone won't let me scroll back and read the message without glitching.
@@Raraking4796 As I understand the facts regarding the Costas family, they also had a younger son, Paul I believe, so despite the fact that they lost Kirsten in such a tragic manner, their son may very well provide them with grandchildren to keep the family going…..hopefully they loved both of their children equally and that the loss of Kirsten, did not disparage the feelings they had for their only remaining child, which would be tragic. I have read a lot of articles about this case, all over the internet and while many profilers portray Kirsten as “the perfect teenager,” I’ve read quite a few comments from students who attended that highschool in Orinda, who knew Kirsten and commented that she was a total, elitist, snob, whom frequently got off on making put-down, socialist bullying comments toward other students who were not living as affluent a lifestyle as her parents afforded her family. She apparently, “got-off,” on putting down students she perceived, as being less than her equal. These commenters, who lived there, said that this was the prevailing attitude of the “stuck up” Orinda community, where money and social status, were the be all and end all in general. This would be so difficult for everyone who did not live in the overall, upper echelons of the community, which would weigh especially heavily on the young. I blame the parents, teachers and adults, for this highly superficial, prevailing attitude and would be very interested in viewing a documentary about Orinda, comparing the attitudes there, before and after this tragic crime….hopefully attitudes and the teachings of those in authority, have changed, lest these feelings and God forbid, another occurrence, like this one, happen again. Please respect differences, because we are all different and are subject to different life circumstances. Peace to all and never underrate tolerance of those who are different.
@@AutumnPearly01 Just to be clear, I knew both of them. Bernadette was in the same clique. There were plenty of other children who were not popular (including me) who never would have done this.
Case Suggestion: In the late 90s I worked briefly as an after school counselor at Holy Cross Academy. My supervisor was Sister Michelle Lewis. She was murdered on March 25, 2001. There's a book about it: Murder at Holy Cross by Peter Davidson.
The age for parents to leave children alone, depends on the state you live in. Some have exact ages defined, others set it at a subjective "reasonable age". I learned this recently, when "mother" Kristel Candelaria from Cleveland left her 16 month old (! not years) home alone for 10 days, resulting in the death of baby Jailyn. I would love for you to do a video about it, bc I haven't heard other true crimers report on this heartbreaking story... RIP baby Jailyn 💔✨
i can't even with that case and that woman. maybe one day but it makes me so, so angry.
@@BRATTERSTEIN Totally understandable. I had to take in the story in pieces, bc I couldn't handle it in one take. So heartbreaking 😪
I love how informative your stories are. I also like the speed in which you tell them. I have 1 for you but I can't put it here. Do you have an email?
Love your channel! Could you do one that happened here in Massachusetts in my neck of the woods? The case of Amy Carnevale upon which the Lifetime movie "No one Would Tell" was based. Very sad story, BF still in jail.
There is NO such thing as being sentenced to jail for murder.
I feel its sad that people can hold onto such strong insecurities that it leads to something evil. You have to be pure evil to stab someone numerous times when once is all it takes to disarm them. This is an example that parents have to be more involved in their lives as far as mentoring and help stabilize their children minds with life. Sometimes you need to do more than just send them to church. Especially when materialistic and social popularity is more important than moral responsibliity. Teach your children to love themselves and to accept themselves even if others don't just might make the sting of rejection a little easier to move on from. Now she took a life and her life is gone. Learn to be ok if someone doesn't want to be your friend. If it's meant to be it will but talk to your kids about this kind of thing.
Agreed. Well-said!
I personally think Bernadette was obsessed with being beautiful,from a rich family,and popular with classmates and successful in school, everything Kirsten represented. Deep down she wanted to BE Kirsten. I graduated in 1984, not in Calif. I’ve was never in a school clique, or had a desire too. I got along with all groups, so popularity didn’t matter to me. I just don’t understand why Bernadette was so obsessed with being Kirsten’s friend if Kirsten more or less hinted to her that she wasn’t interested in being her friend ( based on the ski outfit comment). Everyone is different though, times were different then. RIP Kirsten. You deserved to have the right to grow older. Bernadette deserved much more time than the 7 years she had gotten.
Agreed. Just to be clear since I knew them both, they were in the same clique. Bernadette's family seemed to have more money and lived in a nicer house. Bernadette had all the right clothes and plenty of privilege. True, Kirsten was very cute and athletic. In my estimation, Kirsten was the second most popular girl in school, and Bernadette's best friend was the most popular. This wasn't some unpopular person. There were plenty of us unpopular people (I, too, did not care about popularity.) From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was not a bully. Kirsten was sweet to me. Bernadette never talked to me at all. From my point of view, she was aloof and didn't speak to many of the unpopular kids. I think she really had/has a mental illness. I don't know if it was treated in prison, but this was not as the dumb movie they made would like to portray it.
i genuinely don’t think that her parents were even aware of what their daughter was going to do to her tbh, nonetheless i do see the other side of the parents but that’s just me. she’s dead wrong for taking that little girls life, regardless of the fact of her lack of self worth and esteem, that simply isn’t an excuse for her actions.
I was in their class. Rumor had it (again, rumor) that Bernadette had only a permit and not a driver's license, and her parents let their daughter (who fit the description) have the car (that fit the description) to drive without a license. I think they probably really did not want to believe it was her, and so they just wouldn't even consider it.
The latter of the reasons she committed this murder makes the most sense. Considering the over stabbing of the girl. I believe she made a pass at her.
Agree 100%
Your talk speed is fine. You are very articulate
I’m all about a second draft, I think it’s awesome you’re covering this case again with your current expertise 🫶
Even if she wasn’t a particularly nice person, she deserved the chance to grow up, reflect on it, and probably outgrow it :(
Kirsten was a very nice person to me, a nerd, a geek. I know you have no way of knowing that, but I knew her, and I didn't know everything about her, but she was always kind to me.
@@ssdfgardiner1233she was kind to you so that means she was kind to everyone? Sounds like you really want to stick up for someone that you didn’t actually know.
@@Coffeelover406 No, that's not what I said. I knew Kirsten since the fourth grade, and she was my neighbor. I think that's better evidence than a made-for-TV movie. It seems like people want to bash someone they didn't know at all, which I think is worse.
@@Coffeelover406 Actually, now that I think about it, using your logic, it sounds like you want to stick up for a murderer you didn't know.
@@ssdfgardiner1233 On the contrary, but I do believe all of us should have room to forgive and give people a chance to be rehabilitated and become productive members of society. She committed a heinous crime that can’t be undone. She was also very young. Bullying and pressures of our society can place immense weights on young people that don’t know how to properly control their emotions. Your posts seem to suggest that since you knew the victim and she was nice to you, she was therefore not a bully to anyone, and the other girl should never be forgiven and vilified for the rest of her life. How does that help our society learn to be better though? I’d agree that the time served does not seem adequate for the crime but our justice system is deeply flawed. We send innocent people to prison and make it impossible for them to get out, even when there’s evidence to show the wrong person has been incarcerated. While that’s not what happened here, it seems like we should let her live and hope she is making amends on the daily by being a better person. Why can’t she now try to move on and live a better life? If she was in her 30s or 40s when the crime was committed that would be a different story. Your logic says if a teenager commits a heinous crime we should lock them up and throw away the key. If those are your beliefs, fine, but I choose to believe that kids and teens, even adults, deserve a chance for redemption.
I came from the smallest town ever, and the cheerleaders didn’t even get that treatment/ no wonder they’re unaliving each other
QOTD-
She definitely planned it! I have carried a paring knife for veggies… never a freakin butcher knife! Big difference!
right??
It’s so awful that she got away and still Bernadette followed her and killed her in front of witnesses. HOW?
Just one eyewitness. Everyone else heard the screams and came running. (I know because I was one of those who heard them.)
To be clear, it was so horrific that my parents ordered us in the house, so my brother and I did not go running, but my father did, with my mother shortly behind. In fact, Mr. Hillman's son saw my dad in their yard (my dad knew to go there because he saw Kirsten run there), and his son asked my dad what he was doing there because at first, he was wondering why he just appeared out of the blue. When my mom showed up and then the police and ambulance and everyone started getting their story out, it was very clear my dad was just alarmed. My dad heard Kirsten's last words (not the ones in the video from what he told me, but maybe she said those, too.) He saw her alive, and then he saw her die. My mom was staying back because she had made sure we got in the house, so my dad told her not to come up to where Kirsten was. My parents were there when Mr. and Mrs. Costas arrived, and people are *ssh*l*s for saying anything bad about them because my mom came home crying after she saw what it did to her. My parents were very Catholic, too, and my mom and I thought maybe she was still alive because she had run across the street and that maybe that was a good sign. We stayed up saying the rosary all night (very Catholic). When my parents came back that night, my dad did not want to tell me that he knew she was already gone before she was even in the ambulance. He waited until the next day, and it was announced in church. I had called my best friend that morning to tell her, but I didn't know she had died. It was my friend who also went to the same church as Bernadette and me who got there and knew what had happened and heard in church that she had died. She got home and called me immediately to tell me it was announced. I asked my parents, and that's when my dad told us the details. My friend was actually kind of friends with Bernadette. Neither one of us were interviewed or were suspects until the very day before Bernadette confessed. An investigator called my friend and asked her about Bernadette and questions about how well she knew her and if she knew where she was or if she had said anything that would lead her to believe she was involved. My friend was shocked. Neither of us knew she was a suspect or had thought it was her. It's very fresh in my mind. I still remember exact conversations from that day before it even happened and what I was wearing, how much I weighed, all sorts of stupid unrelated stuff that just froze in my mind because it was one of the most shocking unnatural things I'd experienced.
Thank you for sharing this. It felt very informative. I think it was premeditated, but that is JMO. It could have possibly been that the murderer was gay, but don't feel it's right to make that judgement. Prayers lifted for Kirsten & Bernadette's families. God Bless You & stay safe.
I wish Bernadette knew how beautiful she was. And knew how amazing she was .I feel bad for both families but
False she wasn't a beautiful person, and you wouldn't be saying that if she victimized one of your family member!
If this happened now in the US I believe she would have served a longer prison time. I can't believe she's out it blows my mind!
i think she might have too.
They wanted to sue the Protti family for what their daughter did, and for the way she was raised, but what about their own daughter? They knew EXACTLY how she behaved. She was a BULLY, and every parent who has kids knows this spoiled, entitled behavior, and they allowed it. I was in high school in the 80,s, and to be a cheerleader meant popularity, more friends, and u get to date the jocks. So for a nerd, or outcast, bullying was brutal. I was in pep squad and I know for a FACT some girls would get bullied just for not sharing our same interests. I don't believe in murder, but I have always been against bullying. Some people do SNAP, but she didn't snap without cause. We have ALL known a Kirsten in high school,...this generation calls them MEAN GIRLS.
No, you are so wrong. I was in the same class as both of them. Kirsten was not a bully. Yes,girls get bullied, but STOP dragging Kirsten's name through the mud. YOU DID NOT KNOW HER! Bernadette was in her clique and was really snobby. I was unpopular, and if I passed Bernadette in the hallway and smiled, she would not even acknowledge my existence. Kirsten, on the other hand, was always sweet to me. She snapped without cause, and now you are doing something that is just as bad as bullying--you're being the MEAN GIRL here--to a dead girl. Just stop!!! You know for a fact that some girls would get bullied--yes, everyone knows that. You just don't know these two people, so no, you don't have the facts. Please stop!
The Costas family were kind neighbors. They were victims, and now you are bullying the victim. Just stop!!!
@ssdfgardiner1233 I'm supposed to believe u went to the same school as them, um ok🙄 No, I don't know for a fact anything u said is true. Whatever happened between thise 2 girls, it ended badly not because someone was being NICE. I've seen the movie.
@@SirenSalvitore You saw the movie. That says it all.
How can you insult someone's ski equipment? Why would she take that personally? If it is old, so what as long as it works? It sounds like some narcissistic injury that Kirsten had better equipment. It sounds like she set up Kirsten to go out with her when she wouldn't want to. She wasn't respecting her at all. I think she planned to kill her or challenge her in some way with the knife available.
Agreed.
Even though she was raising a horrible person, she did not deserve to lose her daughter. People can change.
Its funny u say that..cuz after this video I watched that movie "Death of a cheerleader " and there was a line of dialog between the detectives where one say "I kinda feel bad for this girl" (referring to Burnadette)..the other one then says "who you really should feel bad for is the girl she murdered".
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
Sorry for the long comment, I just have a few thoughts to share on this one:
I've always had the feeling that whatever "happened" may have had to do with Bernadette either making a pass or even just confiding in Kirsten about her sexuality (it could have even just been mentioning being curious or something, not necessarily "hey super popular girl, I'm a lesbian, please don't tell the whole school!") but if they were having this conversation in the church parking lot, 30 minutes missing from the timeline, that's PLENTY of time to get into a deep talk. ESPECIALLY if there was weed! Maybe Bernadette did accept a hit or two, got a little too open (physically or vocally/emotionally), Kirsten wasn't receptive & left (whether she threatened to say anything or not, the paranoia and apparent threat would've been there), B freaked out thinking her reputation/life was over, so she ran after K and attacked...
The only thing I can't quite get over is the knife...but then again, I've had an old typewriter in my trunk for nearly a year (I'm not a writer & have never used it myself 😅), so I guess a person could just have weird/random things in their cars? 🤷🏼♀️
But regardless of what actually happened, the one thing that is irrefutable is that Bernadette murdered Kirsten, and she basically got away with it unfortunately...I think she should've been charged as an adult, 15 is most definitely old enough to know better than to chase down a classmate & stab them to death. I don't think she should've gotten life in prison, or even close to it, but 9 years & only serving 7 for the 2nd degree murder of a CHILD is disgusting and disrespectful to not only the family but to Kirsten herself. I really think the justice system failed on this one...
1,000,000 % hit the nail on the head with this comment. I believe this was the exact scenario and the only one that truly makes sense with all the 'jigsaw pieces' of the case
You just said 1984 was 40 years ago. 😳 I feel so old now. That seems impossible...😂
Ever heard of Chester Stiles? In 2007 news stations broadcast an image of an unknown little girl, urgently seeking public assistance to identify her.
The image of the little girl was obtained from a video tape that had been found in the Nevada desert. What was on the video was horrific...
This case has always fascinated me, and I don´t know why. I even have "Death of a cheerleader," from 1994 on dvd. And I´ve watched the new one from lifetime 2019 (it think it was) more times than I can count. But it annoys me that we always has to hear "woe is me-"Bernadette-angle. Somehow Kirsten is much more interesting than her and I really want to know more about Kirsten. Bernadette? Not so much!!
As for what I think happend in that car? Well I think Bernadette confessed how much she wants to be Kirstens friend, like in the movies. But she comes on too strong and Kirsten indterpede as Bernadette coming on to her. And Kirsten just found out Bernadette has lied to both Kirsten and to her mother and, rightfully so, knows she needs to get the f*** out of there. Bernadette can´t handle that Kirsten will tell her friends, and that Bernadette is gonna be a social paria, and ends up killing Kirsten. I don´t know why that knife ended up in that car. Maybe Bernadette did ended up bringing it maybe threatening Kirsten? I don´t know.
But I always and still feel so sorry for Berit Costas. The amount of guilt she must have had and maybe still has. She did talk to her daughters killer. But how on earth should she have known that she was talking to a sick bastar* kid, who couldn´t handle not being part of the in crowd?
I feel absolutely Bernadette got of way to easy. She did get her education. She changed her name (duh) She´s married, had children, but a simple google search give you her new name. She gets to do everything Kirsten didn´t. So no, I don´t think she got the punishment she deserved.
dude, i know. her poor mother. i cannot even imagine.
Thank you! Agreed! You're wise for not believing that movie. I'm just going to keep saying this when someone brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
I have a topic suggestion: The unsolved murder of Leota Camp, which happened in 1967 in Des Moines, IA.
Definitely watched "Death of a cheerleader".
same! oh, and wait until you see my new chair i put together last night!~!
@@BRATTERSTEIN I'm convinced u have buns if steel.. lmao
I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
its been awhile, like seeing an old friend 💗
hi!!
$500 in the 80’s is approximately $1500 now!!!
I don't understand why this guy that gave Kirsten a ride home. Didn't walk her to the door and stood there until she got inside. Knowing that Kirsten has this weird friend 🥺 RIP Kirsten
In the movie depiction she went over to her neighbor's house so that she could call her parents I just wish she had stayed inside or waited until her parents came home or stay with that couple because in the movie her murderer Bernadette whose character is known as Angela was sitting in her mom's car waiting for her Kristen's character whose name was changed to Stacy to hurt her
Yeah, I always thought that was not a good call. (My family and I were outside five houses away when this happened and saw the two cars.)
@@juanitamorgan5475 I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
in the lifetime movie it was explained better why Kirsten ran off from Bernadette. Bernadette was probably just invited to the party by her friend & Kiersten probably didnt feel like going because of that & took off. i thought that happened in real life, but i feel that Bernadaette would have told them that, so the weed story does seem quite likely. or the lesbian theory even.
I didn't see the second movie, but I saw the first, and I'm just going to keep saying this to everyone who brings up the first movie: Please do not believe that garbage. Both girls are portrayed as very different from who they were. The killer in that was based on a girl (not Nancy) who was severely bullied. From everything I remember about Kirsten, she was very sweet. I didn't know Bernadette as well, but she was in the same clique.
cribbage and pinochle are definitely not the same, Ive played both, there are two ways too play pinochle depending on if your playing with a single deck or double deck, and this is not your standard 52 card deck, its a 48 card deck with cards 9, 10, j, q, k and the A, w/ 2 of each suit cribbage uses your standard 52 card deck
The movie made “ Stacy” Kirsten looks so mean and bernadette look like she was perfect and just messed up. Thank you for this video,
I fully believe Kirsten bullied Bernadette. Not that it excuses the murder at all, but...
I fully believe Kirsten bullied her. I went to high school in the 80s and I knew girls just like Kirsten in high school. They did horrible permanent lifelong psychological damage through bullying to anyone they felt did not conform to thier popularity standards.
I was in the same class as both girls. They were both from the same popular clique. Bernadette was best friends with the most popular girl in the school. I never saw Kirsten bully anyone, and she was very nice to me--someone who was not popular. Bernadette never spoke to me. You did not know Kirsten, and I'm offended by your comment that you knew girls who were like her. I know it's easy to believe what the movies say, but please consider that you may be wrong in this instance. I mean, there are bullies, and back then no one held them accountable, but Kirsten was not a bully. Please don't drag her name through the mud.
And I fully believe you need therapy, a good diet, and exercise regime !
no I’m not perfect but I would never take a life and I was severely bullied in school, never accepted, I was beat up, had rocks thrown at me, thrown down a flight of stairs, but it never crossed my mind to take my bullies lives. I grew up, became somewhat attractive, and most of my bullies are either deceased or in prison or not living as good of a life as I am right now. Karma is real. Most of all the girls that were popular in high school are now single mothers, men have hurt them and left them, some of them struggling. So they got hurt back, the way they hurt people. Karma! and some of them when they see me now, some of them have apologized for what they did. The thing about being a teen and high school is that you think that life is gonna last forever, and it’s not, and we need to teach teens not to take what goes on in high school so personally, that it makes you take your life or someone else life. If I had took my life over the bullying or not being accepted, I would’ve missed out on the life I have now. If this woman took that girl’s life over popularity, over wanting her friendship, or over some petty cheerleading stuff, that’s sad, maybe I could sympathize if she was severely physically bullied like I was, but she wasn’t. She took a life out of jealousy and competitiveness. It’s true, we have to forgive and move on, but if you commit a serious sin. You have to ask for forgiveness and right your wrong. Give back in every way you can, spend your life being good to people. She can’t bring her back, but she could educate other girls who are like she was, to keep something like this from happening again. Maybe if she made a public apology people would back off. She didn’t know that one day there would be an internet and social media and people would be talking about this and remember this and a whole new generation would learn about this. Before the Internet, you could hide your identity and no one would ever know who you are and what you did, but not anymore, so if I was you If I was you, I’d stay off social media and keep a low profile like other former teens who took lives because people aren’t going to be kind.
I think she meant to kill her because hurting her would have only made her “reputation” worse. I’m not saying that Bernadette wasn’t dealing with mental health issues and a lack of self esteem or that Kirsten was an angel but killing out of embarrassment or jealousy is not ok. She is a murderer at the end of the day and it’s sad that she only got 7 years.
Agreed.
Bernadette absolutely did not serve enough time, it was premeditated, and either she was immensely jealous or had an attraction to Kirsten. Dub
Get bratterstein to 100k!!!
Is this a reupload? Either way, watching while prepping for work. ❤ edit- you answered!
Personally I think the town itself holds a little bit of blame as well. They had this Persona of perfection, and just the way you described how they selected cheerleaders and put so much value on popularity and money and stuff like that, it's going to affect the people who feel like they are getting the short end of the stick on things like that. That's obviously no excuse for what she did to the poor girl, but I think it was a contributing factor as to why she did it in the first place.
Luke 11:4
“And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
So so very sad
Should have been more time in person..smh 😢