Investigators found Wesley Earnest's fingerprints on the suicide note, which was typed and not signed by Jocelyn. This, combined with his financial struggles and the contentious divorce over their lake house, made him a prime suspect.
The lake house was a multi-million dollar property that Wesley considered his prized possession and a status symbol. Jocelyn wanted to sell it to alleviate their financial troubles, but Wesley refused, leading to a major point of conflict during their divorce.
The bullet wound was found at the back of her head, not the temple, indicating she was shot from behind. Additionally, the scene was staged to look like a suicide, with a typed suicide note and the thermostat set to 90 degrees to make it appear she died earlier.
Wesley was over $1 million in debt, with significant loans and a $6,000 monthly mortgage on the lake house. His financial desperation, coupled with his refusal to sell the house, was seen as a potential motive for murder.
Jocelyn's journals detailed her fear of Wesley and her struggles in the marriage. However, the journals were ruled inadmissible as evidence because they were considered hearsay. Despite this, they were accidentally taken to the jury room during deliberations, leading to a mistrial.
Fifteen months after Jocelyn's death, the lake house mysteriously burned down while Wesley was out on bond awaiting trial. The fire was inconclusive, but it eliminated the debt on the house and left Wesley with the valuable land.
Marcy Shepard claimed to have a romantic relationship with Jocelyn, which was used by the prosecution to suggest Jocelyn was not suicidal. However, the defense argued that their relationship was not serious and did not contribute to Jocelyn's death.
The mistrial occurred because the jury accidentally read Jocelyn's journals, which were inadmissible as evidence. This led to the verdict being overturned, and Wesley was granted a second trial.
The prosecution presented evidence that Wesley had altered Jocelyn's handwritten timeline, suggesting he had impersonated her. This, combined with his financial motives and the staged crime scene, was used to argue his guilt.
Wesley Earnest was found guilty of first-degree murder in the second trial. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison plus three years, which the judge upheld.
In December of 2007, Jocelyn Earnest was found dead from a gunshot wound in her Virginia home. Beside her was a revolver and a suicide note. But investigators believed that the scene was staged and found fingerprints on the note that matched her estranged husband, Wesley Earnest. Amidst a divorce, it was the lake house they fought over: Jocelyn wanted it sold and Earnest didn’t want to let it go. Investigators charged Wesley for murder, and then fifteen months after the death, another bizarre twist: the lake house burned down while Wesley was out on bond awaiting trial. “48 Hours" correspondent Tracy Smith reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 6/2/2012. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.
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