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Note to everyone. Don’t answer any questions without a lawyer. Don’t consent to and searching of things without proper paperwork. Most officers are wonderful people but with every profession there will be bad apples that want to pin something on an innocent person.
"He sounded numb when we told him his mother and brothers had been murdered! He has weird Wicca stuff in his house! Neighbors said he was NOT close to his family -- he just came over every Tuesday and cooked supper for them. CLEARLY he's the killer!" Worst. Investigation. Ever.
That is why you don't wave your right to remain silent. I am amazed at how many people talk to detectives that are trained in interrogation techniques. Get a lawyer especially if you are innocent!
Actually, if you watch the entire trial on yt , it was very good detective work, excellent painstaking forensics work and a dynamic prosecutor. This particular video is just typical bullsht sensationalizing. Very very little mention of wicca or witchcraft or dark rituals in the REAL trial. many people wondered what Donald did with the large amount of cash he stole from his mom's safe and it was not found in his home. Locals in the comments believe he gave it to the local wiccan head priest to hide. But the trial never addressed the issue. His son testified against him. Donald was a deadbeat dad, lazy, greedy, violent and abusive to his parents, his brothers and his son for decades. He tried to put the blame for the murders on his own son. His own lawyers tried to quit repeatedly. Donald filed some motions on his own, bcz he is an expert jailhouse lawyer, in his mind. The jury realized that the only reason Donald did the cooking one night a week was to sneak access to mom's files and steal her cash.
As soon as they say Wicca with the implication of violent rituals I immediately begin to think they need to do more research. What else are they glossing over?
I agree wholeheartedly, Dylan. Wicken has nothing to do with violence or violent rituals. They are very connected with Mother Earth and respect all living things.
Im a Christian now, but was a practicing witch for YEARS. Although I no longer follow or believe in the path, it amazes me the misunderstanding of witches. Most are kind and want only good. "And it harm none, do what ye will." Is their golden rule because what you do comes back to you 7 fold. Do evil, and it goes out into the world, becomes stronger and finds the person of origin. During my time as a witch that was a pretty good reason to not be cursing or murdering people. Its only my opinion, which amongst millions isn't that important, witches for the most part are misguided but genuinely good people who only want to ADD good to the world. At least thats what I was.
Are you aware that Witches was title given to single women that didn't want to join any religious cults ? They were exterminated by So-Called followers of God. The religion you claim is full of murders, deception, tortures. The God in that unholy Bible is Baphomet "the blasphemes". If GOD sacrificed his only son to the heathenish men ruling this world ....What chance do you stand with such a cruel being?
Everyone acts different when their told a family is gone. When my momma died I didnt cry till the funeral. When I found out my sister died I didn't cry. As my daddy lay dying the the hospital bed I cried myself crazy. So not everyone acts the same.
You know it's bogus when they say things like 'this ritual took place on what's known as the blue moon...' There's a blue moon every time there are two full moons in a calendar month, which happens a few times a year.
It's a wonder this case was even solved considering the incompetence of the investigators. The guy interrogating the suspect was laughably bad, not just in regard to the interrogation itself, but even just talking on camera in general. Also the whole Wiccan sacrifice angle was just absurd.
Totally absurd 🤦🏻♀️ Ooooh Wicca bad, satan blah blah. Absolutely no research done, Wiccan’s don’t even believe in the devil Ffs. The fact these misconceptions still thrive is pure ignorance and brainwashed fear
This was my former sheriff. He was so embarrassing. He also told the national media we had highly specialized ninjas breaking in and murdering families. It was actually former workers of the family that thought there was a safe with a lot of money in it. No ninjas either.
Most intelligent comment here! That sheriff and his made up pseudo military style costume was a joke. Horrible period in Pensacola history due to his complete incompetence & massive ego.
Police have to come up with a MOTIVE. Satanists traditionally did killings and sacrifice. There was other evidence as well or the charges couldn't have stuck
He doesn't nonchalant he sounds more like he's in shock of the situation. Just because a person reacts a different way to news like that doesn't mean that they're not feeling anything
Aimee, Princess. "In shock" where did you saw that ? you two over here are just cold & heartless, i wouldn't dare turn my back around any of you two, YOU & T M.
LOL if you are being accused of something you really did not do, you would scream, beg and kneel on the floor, seeking for justice.... Not matter how calm you are as a person, if you are wrongly accused, you would 100% show genuine desperate emotion.... That guy did not show any emotion until the end. Even after being convicted and was put in jail for life. How are you still arguing that he is not guilty???
I was surprised to see this prosecutor again randomly pop up on my tv. I’ve seen her before in the murder of the PI by her friend over money she was asked to hold on to. I watch a lot of true crime but I don’t often see the same prosecutor randomly.
We had something very similar happen in Australia... in terms of witch hunting. That was the case where Lindy Chamberlain was hunted and convicted for the death of her new baby when it was many years later found that a dingo had taken her baby, as she claimed from the first moment . She remained dignified and showed very little emotion and was accused of being a dark cult member etc .... the investigation was by keystone cops and public hanging from the horrific rumours that she was a witch . Disgusting .
Yes, fellow Aussie here, and at the time I was also a member of the SDA Church. Any reasonable-minded person in Australia knew, she couldn't possibly have done what she was accused of doing in the ridiculously small timeframe they said she did it in. Just because she didn't break down and cry in public, didn't mean she murdered her own baby. Both her and her Pastor husband did their grieving in private. We all referred to it as a 'witch-hunt'. It was ignorance of what the SDA Church taught and practiced. I would take part in the annual door knock appeal for Missions and I, just because I belonged (at that time) to the same church, was threatened with a rifle, with a lawsuit if I ever walked onto that person's property again, and I was told I was a 'baby-killer' because they stupidly believed my church used to sacrifice babies!! It was the worst miscarriage of justice ever carried out in Australia, but at least in the end, after much suffering, and new evidence coming to light, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain were exonerated and vindicated. American TV sitcoms, like Frasier and Seinfeld, made fun of Lindy's statement 'the dingo's got my baby' which makes my blood boil and shows the utter ignorance and cruelty of all involved with those shows. I boycott any show that makes fun of someone's loss and suffering. JUST. NOT. FUNNY.
@@1974AMDG Fellow Aussie here as well...! Very sorry for what you had to go through.. I can't believe that this comment of yours hasn't received more exposure than it has... Even though it's probably not what your wanting, You where kinda a part of this if you really think of it.. Even if it was indirectly.. Thank you for bringing this to the light for others that didn't truly know what was happening behind the scenes..!!
I remember this all too clearly. Fellow Fair Dinkum, True Blue Ozzie here. I knew then, before even having children that she didn't do it, and was laughed at &/or mocked, and threatened as I am a proud Pagan & Wiccan. The thought that we worship the devil is beyond pathetic & childish. Anyone with any semblance of intelligence will know that we do not believe in 'the' or any 'devil', so how the heck do you worship what doesn't even exist!!???? 🙄 Also, the most fundamental aspect of being Wiccan, is to KNOW that everything come back..threefold, at least. We don't do, say or even think anything negative, let alone heinous! The ignorance is astounding! Blessed Be 💞
when first seeing the interrogation video of the stepbrother I didn't immediately think it was odd how he reacted about the news of his family being murdered. Lots of ppl process shock and grief differently. Assuming because he's a practicing Wicca should not make someone suspect #1. The officer questioning/informing the stepbrother didn't seem like he was skilled at that part of his job. And they wonder why family don't go talking to the police. I'm only 13 minutes in and am already bothered by how this investigation is going. I've known a few Wiccans in my life and they were all the kindest ppl who were more in touch with nature than material things. Ppl know full well ppl tend to put off appearances to the outside world one way but at home things are different. His mom may not have liked him being a practicing Wiccan but she still loved him, he was family. Oh my word how do they calculate when a cigaret was smoked and put out? Dude was already known to be in the home cooking food for his family, soo much reaching.
The cigarette was sitting right on top of the trash outside. It was done afterwards so only he could have done it. It isn't like they looked thru the kitchen trash and found some he threw away that night, this was on top of it, after it was thrown away, AFTER they were dead.
Agreed! Anyone could have dumped an ashtray from the house in the garbage 😑 and there isnt an iota of this case that doesn't include "but WITCHCRAFT!!"
As I'm now disabled I do all my shopping online....groceries and clothes etc are delivered to my door. I had a new wheelchair delivered this morning as my old one fell to bits at a medical centre last week......I've also had numerous disability aids delivered, as well as gifts for my family and friends. But I'm not a hoarder though, I just buy things I need and gifts for birthdays and Xmas.
@@juanitarichards1074 don't you just love the convenience? Millions of things to choose from, from the comfort of you own home. I have no desire to shop any other way. Haven't been to a major shopping mall in 20 years.😆
@@darlapeelman1610 Yes, supermarket shopping had become a drag and then arthritis set in my spine and right hip and I couldn't walk any more even holding onto the trolley for support. I also found i couldn't push a trolley or carry a basket while in a wheelchair. I kept dropping things and I couldn't stand up to reach the higher shelves, and I had my shoulder bag around my neck as if I hung it on the back of the wheelchair handles it could easily be pinched. Going out anywhere at all became an ordeal. But I'm giving my 84 year old dad in his dementia unit a birthday party next week so a friend is taking me shopping to buy all the cakes and goodies which all the wonderful nursing staff will also get to enjoy. I buy them champagne at Xmas and they put on a lovely Xmas dinner for the patients and families.
At 13:23, when she’s speaking on the sons reaction... I hate it when people talk about another’s reaction to the death of loved ones. Everyone reacts differently in these situations. This guy was older and back in the day, older men especially didn’t really show a lot of emotion. Outside of the gentleman jumping up, dancing around and rejoicing at the deaths, I don’t know I would rely on my judgement of someone's reaction to this type of news. It’s a difficult call.
You cant say this man evil smiling etc is not telling ? context is not your experience it is this case . its not same ,stick w his dna in places he says he never touched etc .
The fact that the genius cop is claiming there’s a Wiccan ritual involving murder, let alone embellishing it with details about “keeping them warm”, just shows how ignorant and backwards the authorities are in the area.
@Billy De Beer what does that even mean? There is no intent w/o blood. I intend to have breakfast no blood at all. Please bestow your knowledge of Wicca on us. But please look up the definition of intent. Webster said nothing of blood in the dictionary
When he covered them with clothing, based on temperature and environment, it would affect decomp which would be harder to pinpoint actual time of death. I can't believe the Dr who testified didn't factor that into his conclusion. And the prosecution didn't mention it, at least in this broadcast.
This whole story is farcical. I feel so bad for the victims and their family. Where were the real investigators who have common sense, rational thought, and a brain?
It’s so annoying when people whom are clearly ignorant about a belief that differs from their own try to blame that for somebody’s violent actions. If they did even the smallest amount of research about Wicca without adding their own prejudices, they would have found that wicca is not a belief that involves killing or “sacrificing” anybody.
Sacrifice is 100% not a Wiccan ritual however if mr sherif wants to create hysteria against wiccans man be somebody needs to remind him that there is a pretty long list of so called Christians whom have murdered or committed violent acts against other people and a number of people who have killed in the name of Christianity. Let’s not forget the number of cults formed in the name of Christianity as well.
@@notjoking7773 Your ignorance is what is wrong with society. the truth? Christians have caused more harm and committed more murder than any other group.
I love how the so called “high priestess” denounced him so fast and had the authority to say who’s Wiccan and who’s not lmao. He said he was a solo practitioner
Wicca is the fluffy bunny of witchcraft. They are a nature-loving community, and not violent at all. I have doubts that they put the right person in prison for those murders. The entire case seems very suspect to me. Anyone who ever read Ray Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, would know those practitioners are anything but evil. Very sad all around!
@@gaiagreen2690 you are absolutely correct! Sometimes my thumbs have a mind of their own! Thanks for the correction (my apology to the late Mr. Buckland!)
An organization or movement can appear “fluffy bunny,” but appearances can deceive. People are still people no matter what flag they wave. Evil (as well as good) people are found everywhere and are in every camp and walk of life. Otherwise TH-cam channels like this wouldn’t exist.
Oh my I remember this case, the sheriffs were complete buffoons and it was truly amazing how obvious it all was and how they tried to make a mockery out of the entire investigation and the justice system
He’s a creeper. I see that smirk he tries to hide beneath his hand. And the inmate informant having that information about the pinky finger. Creepy stuff...
So you could kill a family, put cigarette butts of one of the family members who weren't at the house in the garbage before you go, and that apparently "seals the deal" who the murderer is? These detectives are a joke.
so you think this guy would've looked around at all the ppl on the range and thought to himself 'he seems nice, i think i'll confess a death penalty case to him'?
Wow, we've had this type of murders in Romania with innocent young girls, same things, the guy was living in semi-squalor, his house looked like a stable 😳
Let’s separate Wiccan’s from this guy. There is no Wiccan ritual that calls for murder of ANY living thing. I’m not even Wiccan but it makes me sad that people see Wiccan’s as evil..
Wicca is the bottom of the barrel of Satanism..Anton le Vey even said this. You think he is a liar? He also said true witches are hand picked by Satan himself and this is why you never see a let's say, fortunate wiccan they are usually like this guy living in a regular home regular 9 to five living paycheck to paycheck wondering why his rituals for prosperity doesn't work. But bad comes in their lives.
@@TheNiteSkye Me too, I'm a solitaire Luciferian witch! It's hard to believe how many people still believe witchcraft calls for sacrifice and such, even with all of the debunking that's gone on. The people who've done that were either teenagers or young adults that were strung out on drugs and on an ego trip.
Blessed be, everyone! 💚 The amount of ignorance, religious fanaticism and prejudice among both the investigators and the commentators underneath this video is unbelievable. Many are still stuck in the darkness of the Middle Ages, apparently.
I can’t believe they were able to convict him ! What a bunch of crap ! I hope he appealed . People in the United States should be terrified by this case that police are able to convict you with nothing but tunnel vision
@@thegreatselkie6009 I couldn't agree more & sadly "Ignorance & unrealistic fear" seems to be on the rise in the US. This guy did it for the Insurance money it had absolutely nothing to do with Wicca & Witches.
People grieve differently, some would cry, some wouldn’t show emotions and keep it to themselves so to base their investigation on his emotions towards the situation is BS
He even sounded sad when he said “I was the last one to see them alive”, at around the 42:00 mark…. This whole thing was messed up. RIP to the family that is gone. 💔❤️
"The juries may have had enough doubt not to give him the death penalty." What? If there was any doubt then he shouldn't have been found guilty. But, I'm sure he is.
I’ve watched a different video of this and for some reason I thought the victim’s stomach contents helped convict him 🤔 cuz they still had their Tuesday night dinner in their stomachs 🤷♀️
Right. Very true. Do they make propaganda for Satanists? As THT'S wht it is!! Satanists who sacrifice. And Wiccans ...who practice the left evil path aint Wiccans! Wiccans help n heal. NOT HARM anyone! Thts the right good path. Everything else is satanic WHEN one evil person harms others!! Humans or animals! And YES in the end it backfires at THEM! AMEN! 👎
@@theoryofpersonality1420 but you ve a clue, right? Mel is absolutely RIGHT! It s satanic and no Wicca! The Left hand Path IS satanic and nothing else! HARM NO ONE! EVER!
As a journalist, I see some things that gave me pause. What about the murder weapons? Were they located? Was any of the defendant’s DNA on them? What about that safe? Was anything taken, and was any of it located in the defendant’s home? Would the jailhouse snitch’s testimony have not been inadmissible due to the defendant’s religious beliefs, which are protected under the Constitution? What about the snitch’s previous felony conviction for LYING? No? Is it that difficult to believe that the snitch could have been tipped off by someone familiar with the details regarding the cut on the mother’s finger? It doesn’t seem like that cut was significant enough to suggest “torture”, as even the lead detective had apparently “missed” this key detail presented by the convicted liar. And what about the prosecution’s main motive for the murders? That Will did not exclude the defendant, as it apparently excluded the defendant’s son. Another odd thing involved the cigarette butts found in the trash mixed in with and on top of “cleanup from dinner and the murders”. Even the most arrogant and cocky of individuals would know better than to leave cigarette butts in the trash at a crime scene involving multiple murdered people. Finally, the biggest issue I have with this presentation of this homicide trial: One of the sons was a cryptographer with the US NAVY! Is it possible and plausible to believe that he was the real target of this entire event, and the other murders were done to hide this possibility? Ask yourselves, could a foreign government or country hire or send an operative to this cryptographer’s home to extract classified information from him and then stage a mass murder by dropping those cigarette butts into an obvious place where there was a 100% chance they would be found by homicide detectives and forensic officers?
Why is this being explained as a new case? This was out years ago. Please stop the sensationalism and just let this grotesque case stay where it belongs.
@@AA01532 what Lara means is that in previous investigations and documentaries, money was ruled out as the motive for the killings. On a recent cover story like this one, one would expect at least they would've done extensive research on the case and at least come up with new evidence that is factual and logical. Instead they came up with something that was already even ruled out by the jury years ago. In short, the murders have got nothing to do with witchcraft as they put it on this story.
@@wishtheworldwasdifferent8235 It's not devil worship. I worship gods that existed before Christianity was forced onto people. And I'm pagan because I can be. I was raised Christian but most of the Christians I grew up with were terrible Christians.
Wicca is not satanic ,it’s a relatively mild thing connected with earth magic,love charms ,attracting money etc too. Backward folks think any form of magic is evil ,unless of course it’s turning wine and wafers into blood and flesh of course.
I have been an Initiate of Wicca since 1967, and a High Priestess since 1970. Wiccans do not have killing as part of our practice, and never have. When I went public with my faith, I received numerous death threats…NONE from fellow Wiccans. I was even asked to do an educational program for the Ontario Provincial Police in the early 1980s so they could understand when they came across things at a crime scene that might indicate magical or ritual involvement. They wanted to understand what they were looking at, and be able to distinguish between Wicca, Satanism, Santeria, and other practices as well as mental aberrations so they didn’t wast investigative resources on the wrong things. Occasionally they would ask me to evaluate items found at a crime scene if they were unsure what they were looking at. The “Satanic Panic” that gripped both the US and Canada in the 70s/80s was a difficult time for Wiccans.🖤🇨🇦
This is how this detective questioned this family member? This interrogation or interview was terrible. You really cant go by peoples emotions when they hear news like this, everyone processes information differently. And then the way this detective informs him of how it happened was terrible.
I somehow knew exactly what the rest of that sentence was going to involve: “the same day he made his witchcraft announcement…” yeah I assumed reelection was going to come up…
This reminds me of the Damien Echols case. "We saw three pentagrams in his notebook, it means he is evil, therefore he MUST be the murderer, give him a death sentence, call the sensationalist press and tell everyone he was a witch!😱" 20 years later, the DNA shows he was totally innocent. 🙄
DNA didn't prove their innocence. DNA that didn't match the defendents or the victims was found, so because of that, and jury misconduct (although I cant remmeber what that misconduct was), they were able to enter Alfrod pleas. To this day I still believe they were involved in the those murders. I don't care who advocated for them and fought for them to be freed from prison. It doesn't change the evidence in the case.
@@saddletramp5000 Actually, they DID match the old DNA found on the crime scene to another person, who was also a suspect for a while but was rejected due to overwhelming belief that, because Echols was interested in whichcraft and one of other youngsters knew the elderly suspect, they simply must be bad people and therefore also murderers. The sensationalist media judged and condemned them, pushed all kinds of horror prejudices and greatly influenced the public opinion. You may "not care who advocated for Echols" but the evidence is not about liking or not caring, and that research has shown that Echols was nowhere near the crime scene at the time of the murder. You may chose to reject the evidence but it doesn't make it disappear, you may believe in the years-long smear campaign about Echols and others, but disliking and not understanding another person's beliefs does NOT make them evil or criminal.
@@gaiagreen2690 What evidence "proves" he was nowhere near the crime scene? Listen, I used to believe that they were innocent. I watched all of the documentaries that were made surrounding this case. Most leaned toward their innocence, a few didn't. But I still believed they were given a bad deal. What changed my mind was Echols himself. His behavior while incarcerated, and in particular, once he was free. Knowing the facts of this case that I learned through the years, with a clear mind and a new perspective, I now believe he is guilty of these crimes.
I'm still confused... wheres the evidence he did it though? Theories, his faith, and unlikability? Are you kidding me? Ooo people what hate me on the jury. Prove to me he did it- wheres the evidence otherwise what are we doing here?
dna n lying shows guilt of being there n lied said he was gone but seen still there etc same w dna on things he didnt touch etc . [ps check out more evidence in not just this quick vid. ] opine wen research fully from all sides and understand all no bias]
It is interesting to note that the nephew is the one who received all the money, and a good sum. This was stated by someone on another video. In my case, all my family is gone but me and I live in the remaining house. 2 parents and a brother and sister. We were a dysfunctional family through my younger years. I am the oldest, and all the other members including grandparents are deceased. I never dreamed it would be that way, but is a blessing I have a house to live in and not homeless like so many just now. I am blessed.
This is what is wrong with the justice system.... I'm not saying the man is innocent or that he is a good human being, but to judge someone by the look on his face and his demeanor, then want to put him to death is horrible. In this trial where the date of death was argued to be a day later and the fact that he only showed up on Tuesdays, as well as the fact that there were no witnesses, death would be a pretty extreme form of punishment. He will die in prison anyway according to the prosecutors so why ask for the death penalty at all. There are many cases where a person spent 30+ years in jail for something they didn't do and was exonerated based on DNA. When you are so quick to judge, mistakes can happen. The justice system stole the best years of their lives and that can't be fixed by offering money. On a circumstantial case, death should not be an opetion.
100% of the evidence points to him 0% points to anyone else. No signs of break in, no suspicious characters in the neighborhood even with nosey neighbors watching. Who else should they have looked at? How did his DNA get on the inside of his brother's belt? How did his cellmate know about his Mother having her pinky finger cut off when that information was never released to anyone and only the killer would have known about it?
@@angelahicks963 & North Korea has a constitution that guarantees independence for the citizens. LOL. Some doctrines are lies and do the opposite in practice to what they claim on paper.
@@angelahicks963 yes BUT you can practice those and still hurt people. Because witchcraft and paganism isn't a traditional codified unified religion there can be people who call themselves witches and pagans who do hurt people and do use animal sacrifice under those terms. I think wicca is a little different because I think it is actually a codified religion. But there are people who do use witchcraft for evil just like any other spiritual practice or religion. There will always be people who use their religion to hurt others.
@@angelahicks963 honestly true witchcraft is much much less killing. I use 2 books (one for rules and the other for the steps). Sometimes I take notes and put them into the books because, well, theres always New stuff. Funny enough, you get really close to dangerous things even without any pain and/or wheap and there are people wanting big things. I dont think what they try works because they didnt prepare their Personal books for notes and self/side rules.
he's still in prison. he asked for a mistrial because he waned to testify. it was denied. He said "Judge if my DNA was found at your house where a crime was committed that would be evidence but DNA at my mother's house where I go every day it is not evidence." (Or something to that affect.)
I would never have believed that someone who lost a loved one did not break down and cry. My mother passed in her 40s and my father was beyond out of control. He cried all the time and really could hardly do much more. I have always been emotional so when I got married boy did I not understand what was going on. I have watched as my husband lose both his grandmothers, his father and his mother never shedding a tear for either. I was a blubbering mess at their funerals but he does not grieve that way. We lost out little girl when she was 3 and he did cry then. He allowed himself to break down for 1 day. Then he literally closed the door and cannot allow himself to even think about her anymore bc it hurts too bad. We will watch 20/20, Dateline and such and he always tells me that hes screwed if something happens to me bc he just keeps it in. They will lock him away for sure. Before I met him I never would have believed that someone could act this way but its the only way he has found to save himself from hurt. I guess my dad didn't get the memo. So yes, it always appears at though someone may be guilty bc they do not react as you would expect but it is not against the law to react the way you do. On the heels of that, that guy gave me the creeps. I do not know what it was, but he creeped me out.
My God, the reaction to him NOT being sentenced to death is horrifying to me as a kiwi, with no death penalty. Say I had a grudge against him. I know he cooks for the family Tuesday night (not something I'd expect his mum to endorse if what they said about their relationship was true) so I wait til he cleans up and leaves, commit the crime later that night or the next morning - which is more consistent with the pathologist testimony that they died a day later and plant his cigarette butts - already in the house or the bin or by following him for a day - on top of evidence. He could have grabbed his brother's belt to help him get up, anything. And to call him arrogant after over four YEARS in jail... wouldn't that change you, especially if you were innocent? IS he innocent? Probably NOT. But to even ENTERTAIN the death penalty... the hypocrisy of that is staggering. You can't point a finger at the accused and say 'murder is the WORST!' then based on flimsy evidence KILL them... wtf man.
you'd also hav to get witnesses saying saw him come n go n prison inmates to say he admitted it n hav him do a dupers delight npd grin wen he said it in court. n just hav him say all conflicting evidence to police and just hav him be cut out of will etc an you couldve fit him up easy.
The eldest son is a big red flag to me as it clearly is to the detectives in the interview. His reaction and responses on hearing about the murder of his entire family is quite bizarre to say the least. While some people are strong or don't display emotions easily for different reasons, he doesn't seem shocked at all and seems quite relaxed and distanced from it. It's apparent it's not something he's learning of for the first time and he shows no sign of shock. No normal responses you'd expect from someone receiving this news. I'm surprised at the guilty verdict though. While there's a clear motive and it does seem he most likely carried out the murders, the evidence is not compelling and sound enough. It's largely circumstational. Other than the questionable prisoner witness testimony and DNA evidence, there's no hard evidence to put Donald Hartung at the murder scene or show that he committed the murders beyond any reasonable doubt. The prosecution needed to present some compelling evidence to secure a guilty verdict and seems to have fallen short here leaving grounds for reasonable doubt. The jury made the right call on denying the death sentence on each victim count because of the tenuous evidence and prosecutation case leaving a small element of reasonable doubt. You can't send a man to death on that basis. A prison sentence is more appropriate and leaves the path open for an appeal or further facts and evidence to be presented at a later date. It's always better to send a likely guilty person to prison rather than issue a death sentence without absolutely solid and compelling evidence. Too many innocent people get sentenced to death.
Have you ever heard of the Casey Anthony verdict?? Guilty verdict for this guy was a big luck for the 3 victims. Casey's verdict on the other hand, was a big mistake. Casey Anthony was clearly guilty of killing her daughter, but she did not receive any prison time !!!! Can you imagine how suspicious it is that Casey stated she dumped her daughter's body on the swamp and the jury think it's not her fault???
He may well have been a practicing occultist but he was not Wiccan. The Wiccan rede states that you harm none and that everything you do comes back on you threefold. Anyone with even a basic superficial knowledge of Wicca knows this
It's infuriating that people think Wicca is evil. I'm Wiccan, and one of the central tenants is that whatever you do will come back to you threefold. So committing an act of evil, such as murder, will cause evil to come to the perpetrator three times as powerfully! Wicca is a peaceful religion, that focuses on the love of nature, self improvement and finding the sacred in the every day. It's disappointing that people still think it's some kind of devil worshipping, human sacrificing cult!
Weird, his brother, Richard worked for the department of homeland security. Also, there is a fine line between taking care of your family and enabling.
Coming over every Tuesday to cook dinner for the family hardly describes a person with little relationship to his family.
Fty
Agreed
@@Edgeoftown ruuurururururrrururururrurrururrrururururrururrrrrurrrrurrrrr=u=per=perry rrur5⁵return ⁵56666665>6th 6th 6th 6th 9598858 Iowa oops oops oops 958985879898595999588589988599 I 99989858 8th 98599 8th 8989968895989999 I u the have have have or 9899555559 I 958989899998885 I 8998999898888998899i889959998999⁹898658959588989i998898899888998898889889989898999899899988899998699889i8898988999999 p 9999999999999999999999999999999999899999999989998999998999999998999í4 yup u4
Quite the opposite in my opinion.
Seriously, I Wish I could see my family that often 😭
Note to everyone. Don’t answer any questions without a lawyer. Don’t consent to and searching of things without proper paperwork. Most officers are wonderful people but with every profession there will be bad apples that want to pin something on an innocent person.
Excellent advice and 1 I failed to realize until it was too late .
I agree but I think buss versa. There are a few good ones but most are just looking to pin any thing to anybody
Good advice to listen too
If you've committed a crime, man up and confess.
Yes! With any profession, I always remind people, " Not everyone can be, first place. Someone, is last place too. But they both get a job"
This is why you never speak to law enforcement without an attorney present.
What you saying that for they all ready know!!!
"He sounded numb when we told him his mother and brothers had been murdered! He has weird Wicca stuff in his house! Neighbors said he was NOT close to his family -- he just came over every Tuesday and cooked supper for them. CLEARLY he's the killer!" Worst. Investigation. Ever.
Couldn't agree more. The interrogation was a joke too! "So you didn't kill em when you were there? Are you sure?"
But..... the had QVC crap all over the place... they must've been doing human sacrifice or something.
That is why you don't wave your right to remain silent. I am amazed at how many people talk to detectives that are trained in interrogation techniques. Get a lawyer especially if you are innocent!
Actually, if you watch the entire trial on yt , it was very good detective work, excellent painstaking forensics work and a dynamic prosecutor. This particular video is just typical bullsht sensationalizing. Very very little mention of wicca or witchcraft or dark rituals in the REAL trial. many people wondered what Donald did with the large amount of cash he stole from his mom's safe and it was not found in his home. Locals in the comments believe he gave it to the local wiccan head priest to hide. But the trial never addressed the issue. His son testified against him. Donald was a deadbeat dad, lazy, greedy, violent and abusive to his parents, his brothers and his son for decades. He tried to put the blame for the murders on his own son. His own lawyers tried to quit repeatedly. Donald filed some motions on his own, bcz he is an expert jailhouse lawyer, in his mind. The jury realized that the only reason Donald did the cooking one night a week was to sneak access to mom's files and steal her cash.
EXACTLY
As soon as they say Wicca with the implication of violent rituals I immediately begin to think they need to do more research. What else are they glossing over?
thats what real wicca is. the ppl claiming it isnt are not real wiccans lol. its a death cult.
Nothing.... these devil worshipping creeps are satans tools
Wicken doesn't kill yhough
@@marvinabigby5509
Witchcraft is _witchcraft_ .
I agree wholeheartedly, Dylan. Wicken has nothing to do with violence or violent rituals. They are very connected with Mother Earth and respect all living things.
Im a Christian now, but was a practicing witch for YEARS. Although I no longer follow or believe in the path, it amazes me the misunderstanding of witches. Most are kind and want only good.
"And it harm none, do what ye will." Is their golden rule because what you do comes back to you 7 fold. Do evil, and it goes out into the world, becomes stronger and finds the person of origin. During my time as a witch that was a pretty good reason to not be cursing or murdering people. Its only my opinion, which amongst millions isn't that important, witches for the most part are misguided but genuinely good people who only want to ADD good to the world. At least thats what I was.
If you're truly reformed you would know beyond a doubt what wicca is. Anton Le Vey explained it.
Glad you found Jesus✝️
Are you aware that Witches was title given to single women that didn't want to join any religious cults ? They were exterminated by So-Called followers of God. The religion you claim is full of murders, deception, tortures. The God in that unholy Bible is Baphomet "the blasphemes". If GOD sacrificed his only son to the heathenish men ruling this world ....What chance do you stand with such a cruel being?
@@valgambino8292 as yes, Anton Le Vey, the ultimate source. He was the founder of the Church of Satan, not Wicca.
A real witch? Amazing, I thought it is all Fake
Everyone acts different when their told a family is gone. When my momma died I didnt cry till the funeral. When I found out my sister died I didn't cry. As my daddy lay dying the the hospital bed I cried myself crazy. So not everyone acts the same.
I’m the same I don’t cry easily
I agree. Grief hits everyone differently.
I cry easy and could only scream when I got the call that my brother died suddenly. I think the shock wouldn’t allow me to cry the first day.
You know it's bogus when they say things like 'this ritual took place on what's known as the blue moon...' There's a blue moon every time there are two full moons in a calendar month, which happens a few times a year.
lol salaam witch trials all over again
It's a wonder this case was even solved considering the incompetence of the investigators. The guy interrogating the suspect was laughably bad, not just in regard to the interrogation itself, but even just talking on camera in general. Also the whole Wiccan sacrifice angle was just absurd.
thats what real wicca is. the ppl claiming it isnt are not real wiccans lol. its a death cult.
Totally absurd 🤦🏻♀️ Ooooh Wicca bad, satan blah blah. Absolutely no research done, Wiccan’s don’t even believe in the devil Ffs. The fact these misconceptions still thrive is pure ignorance and brainwashed fear
Sorry, it just irritates me 😅 I’m not religious in any way but hate when religions get a bad rap for things that aren’t even true
It wasn't solved it was buried
Just ridiculous! Grasping at straws! Cops start talking like this, lawyer up quick!
This was my former sheriff. He was so embarrassing. He also told the national media we had highly specialized ninjas breaking in and murdering families. It was actually former workers of the family that thought there was a safe with a lot of money in it. No ninjas either.
Most intelligent comment here! That sheriff and his made up pseudo military style costume was a joke. Horrible period in Pensacola history due to his complete incompetence & massive ego.
what?! ninjas? 😩😂
wow lol
Yeah, and this detective is no better...
😅😅😂
That chick that thinks she gets to decide who's Wiccan or not is off her rocker. Nobody needs permission to call themselves Wiccan.
Police have to come up with a MOTIVE. Satanists traditionally did killings and sacrifice. There was other evidence as well or the charges couldn't have stuck
Just seems like an attention seeker to me.
Their fake professional, lol.
He doesn't nonchalant he sounds more like he's in shock of the situation. Just because a person reacts a different way to news like that doesn't mean that they're not feeling anything
That's what I thought. Don't know who did it, but his reaction was not strange.
Aimee, Princess. "In shock" where did you saw that ? you two over here are just cold & heartless, i wouldn't dare turn my back around any of you two, YOU & T M.
They act like everybody’s supposed to just start blubbering
Some people have experienced death before and arent going to react completely shocked or distraught as others
LOL if you are being accused of something you really did not do, you would scream, beg and kneel on the floor, seeking for justice.... Not matter how calm you are as a person, if you are wrongly accused, you would 100% show genuine desperate emotion.... That guy did not show any emotion until the end.
Even after being convicted and was put in jail for life.
How are you still arguing that he is not guilty???
Being from Pensacola, it's crazy how many stories on this channel happened in or near my city.
I was surprised to see this prosecutor again randomly pop up on my tv. I’ve seen her before in the murder of the PI by her friend over money she was asked to hold on to. I watch a lot of true crime but I don’t often see the same prosecutor randomly.
love that a cop who is not wiccan, is telling someone who is wiccan, how their own religion works
Well telling how he thinks it works based on misinformation
We had something very similar happen in Australia... in terms of witch hunting. That was the case where Lindy Chamberlain was hunted and convicted for the death of her new baby when it was many years later found that a dingo had taken her baby, as she claimed from the first moment . She remained dignified and showed very little emotion and was accused of being a dark cult member etc .... the investigation was by keystone cops and public hanging from the horrific rumours that she was a witch . Disgusting .
Yes, fellow Aussie here, and at the time I was also a member of the SDA Church. Any reasonable-minded person in Australia knew, she couldn't possibly have done what she was accused of doing in the ridiculously small timeframe they said she did it in. Just because she didn't break down and cry in public, didn't mean she murdered her own baby. Both her and her Pastor husband did their grieving in private. We all referred to it as a 'witch-hunt'. It was ignorance of what the SDA Church taught and practiced. I would take part in the annual door knock appeal for Missions and I, just because I belonged (at that time) to the same church, was threatened with a rifle, with a lawsuit if I ever walked onto that person's property again, and I was told I was a 'baby-killer' because they stupidly believed my church used to sacrifice babies!! It was the worst miscarriage of justice ever carried out in Australia, but at least in the end, after much suffering, and new evidence coming to light, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain were exonerated and vindicated. American TV sitcoms, like Frasier and Seinfeld, made fun of Lindy's statement 'the dingo's got my baby' which makes my blood boil and shows the utter ignorance and cruelty of all involved with those shows. I boycott any show that makes fun of someone's loss and suffering. JUST. NOT. FUNNY.
@Anna Harrison Thanks, Anna. We really saw the ugliness of human nature during that time. People can be horrible.
@@1974AMDG Fellow Aussie here as well...! Very sorry for what you had to go through.. I can't believe that this comment of yours hasn't received more exposure than it has... Even though it's probably not what your wanting, You where kinda a part of this if you really think of it.. Even if it was indirectly.. Thank you for bringing this to the light for others that didn't truly know what was happening behind the scenes..!!
I remember this all too clearly. Fellow Fair Dinkum, True Blue Ozzie here. I knew then, before even having children that she didn't do it, and was laughed at &/or mocked, and threatened as I am a proud Pagan & Wiccan. The thought that we worship the devil is beyond pathetic & childish. Anyone with any semblance of intelligence will know that we do not believe in 'the' or any 'devil', so how the heck do you worship what doesn't even exist!!???? 🙄
Also, the most fundamental aspect of being Wiccan, is to KNOW that everything come back..threefold, at least. We don't do, say or even think anything negative, let alone heinous! The ignorance is astounding!
Blessed Be 💞
EXACTLY!!!
Even TODAY these people are discriminated for their faiths
Which is unacceptable
when first seeing the interrogation video of the stepbrother I didn't immediately think it was odd how he reacted about the news of his family being murdered. Lots of ppl process shock and grief differently. Assuming because he's a practicing Wicca should not make someone suspect #1. The officer questioning/informing the stepbrother didn't seem like he was skilled at that part of his job. And they wonder why family don't go talking to the police. I'm only 13 minutes in and am already bothered by how this investigation is going. I've known a few Wiccans in my life and they were all the kindest ppl who were more in touch with nature than material things. Ppl know full well ppl tend to put off appearances to the outside world one way but at home things are different. His mom may not have liked him being a practicing Wiccan but she still loved him, he was family. Oh my word how do they calculate when a cigaret was smoked and put out? Dude was already known to be in the home cooking food for his family, soo much reaching.
The cigarette was sitting right on top of the trash outside. It was done afterwards so only he could have done it. It isn't like they looked thru the kitchen trash and found some he threw away that night, this was on top of it, after it was thrown away, AFTER they were dead.
Excellent comment! What a botched interview.
Agreed! Anyone could have dumped an ashtray from the house in the garbage 😑 and there isnt an iota of this case that doesn't include "but WITCHCRAFT!!"
Poor woman. She was born too soon. No one would blink an eye at someone getting a ton of packages everyday in this age.
🤣👍
🤣👍
As I'm now disabled I do all my shopping online....groceries and clothes etc are delivered to my door. I had a new wheelchair delivered this morning as my old one fell to bits at a medical centre last week......I've also had numerous disability aids delivered, as well as gifts for my family and friends. But I'm not a hoarder though, I just buy things I need and gifts for birthdays and Xmas.
@@juanitarichards1074 don't you just love the convenience? Millions of things to choose from, from the comfort of you own home. I have no desire to shop any other way. Haven't been to a major shopping mall in 20 years.😆
@@darlapeelman1610 Yes, supermarket shopping had become a drag and then arthritis set in my spine and right hip and I couldn't walk any more even holding onto the trolley for support. I also found i couldn't push a trolley or carry a basket while in a wheelchair. I kept dropping things and I couldn't stand up to reach the higher shelves, and I had my shoulder bag around my neck as if I hung it on the back of the wheelchair handles it could easily be pinched. Going out anywhere at all became an ordeal. But I'm giving my 84 year old dad in his dementia unit a birthday party next week so a friend is taking me shopping to buy all the cakes and goodies which all the wonderful nursing staff will also get to enjoy. I buy them champagne at Xmas and they put on a lovely Xmas dinner for the patients and families.
At 13:23, when she’s speaking on the sons reaction... I hate it when people talk about another’s reaction to the death of loved ones. Everyone reacts differently in these situations. This guy was older and back in the day, older men especially didn’t really show a lot of emotion. Outside of the gentleman jumping up, dancing around and rejoicing at the deaths, I don’t know I would rely on my judgement of someone's reaction to this type of news. It’s a difficult call.
You cant say this man evil smiling etc is not telling ? context is not your experience it is this case . its not same ,stick w his dna in places he says he never touched etc .
When i am in shock i go into robo mode. No emotion, no tears, just nothing.
I feel his reaction was completely normal for a man of his generation. He was adamant that he would not hurt his family. I believed him.
yeah they always spin it how they want. no reaction? "he doesnt care!" reaction? "very fake and unnatural"
The fact that the genius cop is claiming there’s a Wiccan ritual involving murder, let alone embellishing it with details about “keeping them warm”, just shows how ignorant and backwards the authorities are in the area.
So go on then, bestow us with the knowledge they apparently lack... you can't tell us that much & expect us to assume!
Yes bcz the wiccan nonsense is totally uniform no sects or denominations there totally legit
@Billy De Beer what does that even mean? There is no intent w/o blood. I intend to have breakfast no blood at all. Please bestow your knowledge of Wicca on us. But please look up the definition of intent. Webster said nothing of blood in the dictionary
@@johnfrancis5673 Wiccans don't practice human sacrifice.
You can look it up.
@Billy De Beer still waiting for your explanation of why your coven is doing blood magic.
l can deduce that this detictive NEVER cooked once a week for anyone! He would khow it takes time, effort and a bond.
The detective who learned more about his case from a jailhouse snitch than from his own interview with the suspect
For real 🤦🏼♂️
Yea this detective musta got his position cuz daddy is the chief or attorney general or something. Definitely not due to skill.
@@maximiliankolbe_NIN mmm them good ol boys
When he covered them with clothing, based on temperature and environment, it would affect decomp which would be harder to pinpoint actual time of death. I can't believe the Dr who testified didn't factor that into his conclusion. And the prosecution didn't mention it, at least in this broadcast.
I was thinking the same thing
Just being covered is not going to have that great an impact on decomp. The body no longer makes heat. If they were tightly wrapped up maybe.
Good point!
@@ereman6 being under a pile of clothes in a house could effect decomp.
@@ereman6 covering the bodies would retain heat longer, that's why you use hot/cold bags to transport food, which also doesn't produce its own heat.
But I do agree you cannot base a case off of witchcraft claims. It just doesn't go over well.
Especially as the Vader’s are misinformed and ignorant of the practises of the religion they’re trying to pin it on
I’ve seen this story before with absolutely zero mention of witchcraft or moons ffs.
He Looked More Evil in the Trial than in the Police Interview! Usually they try to make the Defendant look more Likeable 😁
Looks much thinner in trial.
He looked psycho the way he smiled. I'd convict him for being a lunatic weirdo for sure.
after years in prison
This whole story is farcical. I feel so bad for the victims and their family. Where were the real investigators who have common sense, rational thought, and a brain?
It’s so annoying when people whom are clearly ignorant about a belief that differs from their own try to blame that for somebody’s violent actions. If they did even the smallest amount of research about Wicca without adding their own prejudices, they would have found that wicca is not a belief that involves killing or “sacrificing” anybody.
All withcraft is out of rebellion of God. There is no such thing as magic that aligns with God or goodness.
@@notjoking7773 oh for the love of God.
So annoying and just perpetuates ignorance
Sacrifice is 100% not a Wiccan ritual however if mr sherif wants to create hysteria against wiccans man be somebody needs to remind him that there is a pretty long list of so called Christians whom have murdered or committed violent acts against other people and a number of people who have killed in the name of Christianity. Let’s not forget the number of cults formed in the name of Christianity as well.
@@notjoking7773 Your ignorance is what is wrong with society. the truth? Christians have caused more harm and committed more murder than any other group.
The detective looks like they just went out, grabbed a random garbage man and put a suit on him
Yup, 😂😂😂😂they do….and they seem about as smart as a box of rocks
I love how the so called “high priestess” denounced him so fast and had the authority to say who’s Wiccan and who’s not lmao. He said he was a solo practitioner
They don't exactly have a Pope. There is always Satan though
@@amartin9293 yr ignorance is clear
Good catch, perhaps one of the court officials did it.
This case just gets more and more ridiculous as the story goes on. I swear all the investigators are inbred
Right?! I'm embarrassed for her, lol.
Wicca is the fluffy bunny of witchcraft. They are a nature-loving community, and not violent at all. I have doubts that they put the right person in prison for those murders. The entire case seems very suspect to me. Anyone who ever read Ray Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, would know those practitioners are anything but evil. Very sad all around!
Yeah right.
His name is Ray(mond) Buckland... 🥰
@@gaiagreen2690 you are absolutely correct! Sometimes my thumbs have a mind of their own! Thanks for the correction (my apology to the late Mr. Buckland!)
@@spookshow6999 look it up.
An organization or movement can appear “fluffy bunny,” but appearances can deceive. People are still people no matter what flag they wave. Evil (as well as good) people are found everywhere and are in every camp and walk of life. Otherwise TH-cam channels like this wouldn’t exist.
“Do I look like some kind of blooming maniac to you???”
Investigator: You do to me. 😳🤭
LMAO
appearances really do deceive. Especially lately, some of the most handsome men are committing atrocious murders!
😂😂😂😂😂
Oh my I remember this case, the sheriffs were complete buffoons and it was truly amazing how obvious it all was and how they tried to make a mockery out of the entire investigation and the justice system
JUST 😊 🙏 THA K JESUS CHRIST IT IS ALL OVER WITH...THE TRUTH CAME OUT!!
David Morgan is definately a buffoon
Complete buffoons or completely implicated?
Look upl..up the chain
They did make a mockery of it.
The man wanted life insurance money. That's what it's always about. The end.
Money, custody, jealousy, and impulsive rage seem to all be common motives. The stigma of divorce also seems to be a motive in some communities.
THANKYOU! Finally someone realizes !!!!!!
Period
It’s always about the money.💰
@@vixtex "The love of money is the root of all evil." Some things never change.
Florida is a weird place. Couldn’t pay me to set foot in that state
I agree…
People are a different species for sure.
😂😂😂
He’s a creeper. I see that smirk he tries to hide beneath his hand. And the inmate informant having that information about the pinky finger. Creepy stuff...
Yeah, he looks very psycho.
Wicca doesn’t hurt people. We understand that what we put out, we get back 10 fold.
So you could kill a family, put cigarette butts of one of the family members who weren't at the house in the garbage before you go, and that apparently "seals the deal" who the murderer is? These detectives are a joke.
Exactly- like most detectives….
When someone slams a machete on the dining table... its time to leave.... even if you live there lol
Agreed!
I'll just go in the other room and return with something a lot worse.
@@michellelambert8729 Hastening the end is a strat.
That inmate didn't seem like he was trying to sell anything to anyone he sounded actually truthful.
@#PrisonForJohnnyDepp Reported for spamming on a completely unrelated video
You'd be a perfect prize for any lonely criminal on parole.
@@oceansoflorewi I mean he had information that he otherwise couldn’t have gotten so shush 😂
@@Alex-pk7uk Because police and Attorneys don;t have access to prisoners......
so you think this guy would've looked around at all the ppl on the range and thought to himself 'he seems nice, i think i'll confess a death penalty case to him'?
Very compelling! Better than 99% of the films I've seen all year.
So you’ve watched 100+ films this year?
@@jamesodom4980 %%%%%%%%%%%
@@jamesodom4980 Yes.
@@jamesodom4980 If I was given 20 movies to watch and I watched them, then I watched 100% of the movies I was given to watch.
@@katpleroux7756 Right, in order to like 99% of movies, you have to watch at least 100.
Wicca and ritual sacrifices... Yeah right. Sounds like they had zero clue what wicca is. lol
True!
Yeah
Wicca is demon worship
@@babagandu If wicca is demon worship than Christianity is too.
Yup.
That jailhouse snitch was fed the information about the finger and the safe. I don't believe he told anyone he killed his family members
How can a prosecutor say he did it %100 and yet have nothing solid
Wow, we've had this type of murders in Romania with innocent young girls, same things, the guy was living in semi-squalor, his house looked like a stable 😳
Let’s separate Wiccan’s from this guy. There is no Wiccan ritual that calls for murder of ANY living thing. I’m not even Wiccan but it makes me sad that people see Wiccan’s as evil..
me too. some of these people are disgusting. I'm an eclectic solitaire. blessed be ☺️
Wicca is the bottom of the barrel of Satanism..Anton le Vey even said this. You think he is a liar? He also said true witches are hand picked by Satan himself and this is why you never see a let's say, fortunate wiccan they are usually like this guy living in a regular home regular 9 to five living paycheck to paycheck wondering why his rituals for prosperity doesn't work. But bad comes in their lives.
@@TheNiteSkye Me too, I'm a solitaire Luciferian witch! It's hard to believe how many people still believe witchcraft calls for sacrifice and such, even with all of the debunking that's gone on. The people who've done that were either teenagers or young adults that were strung out on drugs and on an ego trip.
Blessed be sisters
Blessed be, everyone! 💚 The amount of ignorance, religious fanaticism and prejudice among both the investigators and the commentators underneath this video is unbelievable. Many are still stuck in the darkness of the Middle Ages, apparently.
I can’t believe they were able to convict him ! What a bunch of crap ! I hope he appealed . People in the United States should be terrified by this case that police are able to convict you with nothing but tunnel vision
Krispy kritters. Maybe you did it since you're so sure it wasn't him.
I'm struggling to understand why they introduced Wicca & ritualistic murder?
@@johnmichaelson9173 it’s pure ignorance and unrealistic fear.
@@thegreatselkie6009 I couldn't agree more & sadly "Ignorance & unrealistic fear" seems to be on the rise in the US. This guy did it for the Insurance money it had absolutely nothing to do with Wicca & Witches.
@@johnmichaelson9173 I have friends around the globe who are witches and a few Wiccan as well. You’re absolutely right!
17:44 when he said “ the radio was talking about the blue moon all week “ that’s when you know the media was a big part of this killing smh ..
People grieve differently, some would cry, some wouldn’t show emotions and keep it to themselves so to base their investigation on his emotions towards the situation is BS
He even sounded sad when he said “I was the last one to see them alive”, at around the 42:00 mark…. This whole thing was messed up. RIP to the family that is gone. 💔❤️
wrong time mark?
Wiccan’s motto is harm to none.
What’d you expect it to be? Really.
"The juries may have had enough doubt not to give him the death penalty." What? If there was any doubt then he shouldn't have been found guilty. But, I'm sure he is.
When there are no witnesses and just circumstantial evidence, there is room for doubt
Hello, and Thank You for the video.
Hey shocker - I’ve been involved in Wicca, never once have I seen anything like this.
You're a witch
Check out the cartel in Mexico. Lots of satanist killings
I don’t know but I don’t feel 100% convinced about his guilt. 🤔🤔
Nothing is 100% until it happens!!!
I’ve watched a different video of this and for some reason I thought the victim’s stomach contents helped convict him 🤔 cuz they still had their Tuesday night dinner in their stomachs 🤷♀️
Yes, peas were involved somehow.
Yes me too
I think on A&E
That’s right. And the leftovers were in the oven.
You can say a lot about wiccans but human sacrifice isn’t anything in their playbook. It’s giving big satanic panic vibes from LE.
Right. Very true. Do they make propaganda for Satanists? As THT'S wht it is!! Satanists who sacrifice. And Wiccans ...who practice the left evil path aint Wiccans!
Wiccans help n heal. NOT HARM anyone! Thts the right good path. Everything else is satanic WHEN one evil person harms others!! Humans or animals! And YES in the end it backfires at THEM! AMEN! 👎
@@theoryofpersonality1420 but you ve a clue, right? Mel is absolutely RIGHT! It s satanic and no Wicca! The Left hand Path IS satanic and nothing else! HARM NO ONE! EVER!
Sacrifice is more of a Catholic thing
@@kokokat584 Lmao! NO! Yeah, sacrifices for the LORD! Which is totally different! You intelligence beast lols!
@@KatharinaK117 no they killed billions for not being christians do some reading
As a journalist, I see some things that gave me pause. What about the murder weapons? Were they located? Was any of the defendant’s DNA on them? What about that safe? Was anything taken, and was any of it located in the defendant’s home? Would the jailhouse snitch’s testimony have not been inadmissible due to the defendant’s religious beliefs, which are protected under the Constitution? What about the snitch’s previous felony conviction for LYING? No? Is it that difficult to believe that the snitch could have been tipped off by someone familiar with the details regarding the cut on the mother’s finger? It doesn’t seem like that cut was significant enough to suggest “torture”, as even the lead detective had apparently “missed” this key detail presented by the convicted liar.
And what about the prosecution’s main motive for the murders? That Will did not exclude the defendant, as it apparently excluded the defendant’s son.
Another odd thing involved the cigarette butts found in the trash mixed in with and on top of “cleanup from dinner and the murders”. Even the most arrogant and cocky of individuals would know better than to leave cigarette butts in the trash at a crime scene involving multiple murdered people.
Finally, the biggest issue I have with this presentation of this homicide trial:
One of the sons was a cryptographer with the US NAVY!
Is it possible and plausible to believe that he was the real target of this entire event, and the other murders were done to hide this possibility? Ask yourselves, could a foreign government or country hire or send an operative to this cryptographer’s home to extract classified information from him and then stage a mass murder by dropping those cigarette butts into an obvious place where there was a 100% chance they would be found by homicide detectives and forensic officers?
I'm surprised that he actually cooked dinner for them. Clearly he is the killer. This cop is horrible with interrogation. Thanks for sharing ☺
An innocent man was convicted of murdering his family and its so obvious 😢
Why do even bother showing pictures if they are just blurring it. Wicca is actually about Harming None so they are not Wiccan.
Thank you.
His defence lawyer looked offended. I was really contemplating anything until that point. I really wasn’t swayed. But the way he turned. Ooh.
Why is this being explained as a new case? This was out years ago. Please stop the sensationalism and just let this grotesque case stay where it belongs.
Because there’s people who have never heard of this case before..
@@AA01532 what Lara means is that in previous investigations and documentaries, money was ruled out as the motive for the killings. On a recent cover story like this one, one would expect at least they would've done extensive research on the case and at least come up with new evidence that is factual and logical. Instead they came up with something that was already even ruled out by the jury years ago. In short, the murders have got nothing to do with witchcraft as they put it on this story.
Too many heartless people in the world & they keep breeding.
As a pagan/Wiccan myself, I can confidently say that we don't sacrifice people. This is ridiculous.
Why are you pagan? Pagan is devil worship, no?
@@wishtheworldwasdifferent8235
It's not devil worship. I worship gods that existed before Christianity was forced onto people. And I'm pagan because I can be. I was raised Christian but most of the Christians I grew up with were terrible Christians.
@@erinw.9256 I'm going to use your words against you, are all Wiccans good or just Christians who are evil?
Yes, killing people is serving a whole different master!
@@lisamarie8700 and
Wicca is not satanic ,it’s a relatively mild thing connected with earth magic,love charms ,attracting money etc too.
Backward folks think any form of magic is evil ,unless of course it’s turning wine and wafers into blood and flesh of course.
Well first off it's Florida. I remember the satanic panic scare. Kind of like the Salem witch trials. Philadelphia USA
Because Florida has the big Scientology headquarters and MY opinion is Satanic. I think the guy did it, hands down.
I have been an Initiate of Wicca since 1967, and a High Priestess since 1970. Wiccans do not have killing as part of our practice, and never have. When I went public with my faith, I received numerous death threats…NONE from fellow Wiccans.
I was even asked to do an educational program for the Ontario Provincial Police in the early 1980s so they could understand when they came across things at a crime scene that might indicate magical or ritual involvement.
They wanted to understand what they were looking at, and be able to distinguish between Wicca, Satanism, Santeria, and other practices as well as mental aberrations so they didn’t wast investigative resources on the wrong things.
Occasionally they would ask me to evaluate items found at a crime scene if they were unsure what they were looking at. The “Satanic Panic” that gripped both the US and Canada in the 70s/80s was a difficult time for Wiccans.🖤🇨🇦
They guessed at what happened and added the rest to fit. God forbid someone be different. Makes them guilty until proven innocent.
As a fellow detective......the lead Detective in this investigation is horrible with his interrogation
This is how this detective questioned this family member? This interrogation or interview was terrible. You really cant go by peoples emotions when they hear news like this, everyone processes information differently. And then the way this detective informs him of how it happened was terrible.
"We seem to find ourselves in the paper, probably more than we would like." Hey I felt the same way about being on the news.
"Do I look like a blooming maniac to you???"
*Cop
"You do to me!" 🤣🤣🤣
I laughed out loud which I didn’t expect upon clicking on the video
@@AllysonKing yeah, very interesting response there. 🤣
I don't think I was ready for that either.
😂😂😂
I’m crying , face full of dried tears 😂
I somehow knew exactly what the rest of that sentence was going to involve: “the same day he made his witchcraft announcement…” yeah I assumed reelection was going to come up…
The man seems like he was in shock!
May have been..I'd be in a situation like this!
This is so sad 😞 Watching from Nigeria 🇳🇬
They worshiping Satan means bloodline was involved
This reminds me of the Damien Echols case.
"We saw three pentagrams in his notebook, it means he is evil, therefore he MUST be the murderer, give him a death sentence, call the sensationalist press and tell everyone he was a witch!😱"
20 years later, the DNA shows he was totally innocent. 🙄
DNA didn't prove their innocence. DNA that didn't match the defendents or the victims was found, so because of that, and jury misconduct (although I cant remmeber what that misconduct was), they were able to enter Alfrod pleas.
To this day I still believe they were involved in the those murders. I don't care who advocated for them and fought for them to be freed from prison. It doesn't change the evidence in the case.
@@saddletramp5000 Actually, they DID match the old DNA found on the crime scene to another person, who was also a suspect for a while but was rejected due to overwhelming belief that, because Echols was interested in whichcraft and one of other youngsters knew the elderly suspect, they simply must be bad people and therefore also murderers. The sensationalist media judged and condemned them, pushed all kinds of horror prejudices and greatly influenced the public opinion. You may "not care who advocated for Echols" but the evidence is not about liking or not caring, and that research has shown that Echols was nowhere near the crime scene at the time of the murder. You may chose to reject the evidence but it doesn't make it disappear, you may believe in the years-long smear campaign about Echols and others, but disliking and not understanding another person's beliefs does NOT make them evil or criminal.
@@gaiagreen2690
What evidence "proves" he was nowhere near the crime scene?
Listen, I used to believe that they were innocent. I watched all of the documentaries that were made surrounding this case. Most leaned toward their innocence, a few didn't. But I still believed they were given a bad deal. What changed my mind was Echols himself. His behavior while incarcerated, and in particular, once he was free. Knowing the facts of this case that I learned through the years, with a clear mind and a new perspective, I now believe he is guilty of these crimes.
There was a lot more evidence than that. But they eventually got released , so the guy with the horns wins again.
@@RedLeo-pf9yo
He does. For now. But we know how it ends.
I'm still confused... wheres the evidence he did it though? Theories, his faith, and unlikability? Are you kidding me? Ooo people what hate me on the jury. Prove to me he did it- wheres the evidence otherwise what are we doing here?
dna n lying shows guilt of being there n lied said he was gone but seen still there etc same w dna on things he didnt touch etc . [ps check out more evidence in not just this quick vid. ] opine wen research fully from all sides and understand all no bias]
Wait. Are they trying to call Wiccan, the most peaceful, and loving of all the witchcraft practices, evil?!?
Maybe it was outright Satanism?
It's called witchcraft, so there for yes its evil.
@@tattoogypsy1970 no. But, cool story.
Wiccan is witchcraft, stop the cap
It is interesting to note that the nephew is the one who received all the money, and a good sum. This was stated by someone on another video. In my case, all my family is gone but me and I live in the remaining house. 2 parents and a brother and sister. We were a dysfunctional family through my younger years. I am the oldest, and all the other members including grandparents are deceased. I never dreamed it would be that way, but is a blessing I have a house to live in and not homeless like so many just now. I am blessed.
"As a high priestess of this community..." Lol, come now.
The "religious people" on here and their comments I have to say are INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING...LOL...
This is what is wrong with the justice system.... I'm not saying the man is innocent or that he is a good human being, but to judge someone by the look on his face and his demeanor, then want to put him to death is horrible. In this trial where the date of death was argued to be a day later and the fact that he only showed up on Tuesdays, as well as the fact that there were no witnesses, death would be a pretty extreme form of punishment. He will die in prison anyway according to the prosecutors so why ask for the death penalty at all. There are many cases where a person spent 30+ years in jail for something they didn't do and was exonerated based on DNA. When you are so quick to judge, mistakes can happen. The justice system stole the best years of their lives and that can't be fixed by offering money. On a circumstantial case, death should not be an opetion.
They use your sense against you!!!
They obviously knew nothing about Wicca and it was very evident. You just showed your hand to a possible murderer. Congrats.
I'm not sure he did it. They were awful quick to blame him and not even look for anyone else.
100% of the evidence points to him 0% points to anyone else. No signs of break in, no suspicious characters in the neighborhood even with nosey neighbors watching. Who else should they have looked at? How did his DNA get on the inside of his brother's belt? How did his cellmate know about his Mother having her pinky finger cut off when that information was never released to anyone and only the killer would have known about it?
tunnel vision
@@darthmcgee2216 what evidence? no physical evidence no murder weapon nothing
What's done in the dark will always come to light
He doesn't even change his posture while being informed his family was killed. he had no curiosity about how they were killed at all....
huh he asked how a few times
That was evil grinning at the jury.
"If you put something out good, expect good. If you put out something bad, expect bad. That's how it works." - Wiccan High Priestess
Just an FYI, witches do not do things like this. Not real ones anyways. This is just horrible people.
He wasn’t really practicing Wicca if he hurt someone
I think people need to be educated on Wicca and Pagan magic. I’m Pagan and the motto is “harm none”.
@@angelahicks963 & North Korea has a constitution that guarantees independence for the citizens. LOL. Some doctrines are lies and do the opposite in practice to what they claim on paper.
@@angelahicks963 yes BUT you can practice those and still hurt people. Because witchcraft and paganism isn't a traditional codified unified religion there can be people who call themselves witches and pagans who do hurt people and do use animal sacrifice under those terms. I think wicca is a little different because I think it is actually a codified religion. But there are people who do use witchcraft for evil just like any other spiritual practice or religion. There will always be people who use their religion to hurt others.
@@angelahicks963 honestly true witchcraft is much much less killing. I use 2 books (one for rules and the other for the steps). Sometimes I take notes and put them into the books because, well, theres always New stuff. Funny enough, you get really close to dangerous things even without any pain and/or wheap and there are people wanting big things. I dont think what they try works because they didnt prepare their Personal books for notes and self/side rules.
You might not but it doesn't mean it's not involved.
he's still in prison. he asked for a mistrial because he waned to testify. it was denied. He said "Judge if my DNA was found at your house where a crime was committed that would be evidence but DNA at my mother's house where I go every day it is not evidence." (Or something to that affect.)
I would never have believed that someone who lost a loved one did not break down and cry. My mother passed in her 40s and my father was beyond out of control. He cried all the time and really could hardly do much more. I have always been emotional so when I got married boy did I not understand what was going on. I have watched as my husband lose both his grandmothers, his father and his mother never shedding a tear for either. I was a blubbering mess at their funerals but he does not grieve that way. We lost out little girl when she was 3 and he did cry then. He allowed himself to break down for 1 day. Then he literally closed the door and cannot allow himself to even think about her anymore bc it hurts too bad. We will watch 20/20, Dateline and such and he always tells me that hes screwed if something happens to me bc he just keeps it in. They will lock him away for sure.
Before I met him I never would have believed that someone could act this way but its the only way he has found to save himself from hurt. I guess my dad didn't get the memo. So yes, it always appears at though someone may be guilty bc they do not react as you would expect but it is not against the law to react the way you do.
On the heels of that, that guy gave me the creeps. I do not know what it was, but he creeped me out.
I have never cried over any death, except my dogs. I must be a serial killer.
Some people have self control.
He's a man UNDERSTAND MEN DONT REACT LIKE WOMAN OR OTHER MEN....JESUS WHATS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!
My God, the reaction to him NOT being sentenced to death is horrifying to me as a kiwi, with no death penalty. Say I had a grudge against him. I know he cooks for the family Tuesday night (not something I'd expect his mum to endorse if what they said about their relationship was true) so I wait til he cleans up and leaves, commit the crime later that night or the next morning - which is more consistent with the pathologist testimony that they died a day later and plant his cigarette butts - already in the house or the bin or by following him for a day - on top of evidence. He could have grabbed his brother's belt to help him get up, anything. And to call him arrogant after over four YEARS in jail... wouldn't that change you, especially if you were innocent? IS he innocent? Probably NOT. But to even ENTERTAIN the death penalty... the hypocrisy of that is staggering. You can't point a finger at the accused and say 'murder is the WORST!' then based on flimsy evidence KILL them... wtf man.
Bro it's Florida. We in the States call it Floriduh because of the amount of really ignorant people in that State. Nothing in that State makes sense.
@@MrChowbaby69
Florida is full of people who left other states 😒😉
@@MrChowbaby69 We don't call it Floriduh. Stop lying.
you'd also hav to get witnesses saying saw him come n go n prison inmates to say he admitted it n hav him do a dupers delight npd grin wen he said it in court. n just hav him say all conflicting evidence to police and just hav him be cut out of will etc an you couldve fit him up easy.
Let’s not pretend every time we see or hear the words “ A Florida man” we know it’s going to be entertaining at the very least!
The eldest son is a big red flag to me as it clearly is to the detectives in the interview. His reaction and responses on hearing about the murder of his entire family is quite bizarre to say the least. While some people are strong or don't display emotions easily for different reasons, he doesn't seem shocked at all and seems quite relaxed and distanced from it. It's apparent it's not something he's learning of for the first time and he shows no sign of shock. No normal responses you'd expect from someone receiving this news.
I'm surprised at the guilty verdict though. While there's a clear motive and it does seem he most likely carried out the murders, the evidence is not compelling and sound enough. It's largely circumstational. Other than the questionable prisoner witness testimony and DNA evidence, there's no hard evidence to put Donald Hartung at the murder scene or show that he committed the murders beyond any reasonable doubt. The prosecution needed to present some compelling evidence to secure a guilty verdict and seems to have fallen short here leaving grounds for reasonable doubt.
The jury made the right call on denying the death sentence on each victim count because of the tenuous evidence and prosecutation case leaving a small element of reasonable doubt. You can't send a man to death on that basis. A prison sentence is more appropriate and leaves the path open for an appeal or further facts and evidence to be presented at a later date. It's always better to send a likely guilty person to prison rather than issue a death sentence without absolutely solid and compelling evidence. Too many innocent people get sentenced to death.
Have you ever heard of the Casey Anthony verdict??
Guilty verdict for this guy was a big luck for the 3 victims. Casey's verdict on the other hand, was a big mistake.
Casey Anthony was clearly guilty of killing her daughter, but she did not receive any prison time !!!! Can you imagine how suspicious it is that Casey stated she dumped her daughter's body on the swamp and the jury think it's not her fault???
Other than the DNA evidence...lol
What is in the water in Florida?😞
Saline & silt. What's in your water?
He may well have been a practicing occultist but he was not Wiccan. The Wiccan rede states that you harm none and that everything you do comes back on you threefold. Anyone with even a basic superficial knowledge of Wicca knows this
Some detectives use the Reid Technique….these guys use the Smoke A Bowl technique!
Geeze anything to fill up 45 minutes
It's infuriating that people think Wicca is evil. I'm Wiccan, and one of the central tenants is that whatever you do will come back to you threefold. So committing an act of evil, such as murder, will cause evil to come to the perpetrator three times as powerfully! Wicca is a peaceful religion, that focuses on the love of nature, self improvement and finding the sacred in the every day. It's disappointing that people still think it's some kind of devil worshipping, human sacrificing cult!
Weird, his brother, Richard worked for the department of homeland security.
Also, there is a fine line between taking care of your family and enabling.
Homeland security👀👀very interesting… IYKYK 👁