1 00:00:14,793 --> 00:00:17,378 [Ashley] Elena experienced a lot of heartbreak. 2 00:00:17,379 --> 00:00:19,723 [Linda] She wanted a family unit, 3 00:00:19,724 --> 00:00:23,448 and she wanted a husband or a partner. 4 00:00:24,275 --> 00:00:27,965 Brandon definitely appeared to have fallen for Elena. 5 00:00:31,379 --> 00:00:34,516 [Nathan] I noticed my mom becoming 6 00:00:34,517 --> 00:00:38,964 increasingly isolated from everybody else. 7 00:00:38,965 --> 00:00:41,172 [Ashley] He was very good at putting up an act. 8 00:00:41,482 --> 00:00:44,723 [Linda] Elena was walking on eggshells. 9 00:00:44,724 --> 00:00:47,447 Anything ticked him off. 10 00:00:47,448 --> 00:00:50,585 Brandon made that decision with her kids in the next room. 11 00:00:50,586 --> 00:00:52,654 [audio from police body cam] 12 00:00:52,655 --> 00:00:58,103 The interviewer asked him to draw pictures of what he saw. 13 00:01:00,172 --> 00:01:03,068 [ominous theme music plays] 14 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,448 [Elena on home video] 15 00:01:38,620 --> 00:01:44,861 [narrator] It's 2018, and 32-year-old Elena Wysong 16 00:01:44,862 --> 00:01:47,724 and her husband, Brandon, spend the day at Virginia Beach. 17 00:01:49,275 --> 00:01:54,205 [Nathan] My mom was very kind and loving. 18 00:01:54,206 --> 00:01:57,412 She had had her fair share of bad relationships. 19 00:01:57,413 --> 00:02:00,102 So I think that when she did find Brandon, 20 00:02:00,103 --> 00:02:02,447 she definitely thought that, you know, this was the guy 21 00:02:02,448 --> 00:02:05,034 that she was going to be with for the rest of her life. 22 00:02:05,586 --> 00:02:07,448 [Linda speaking] 23 00:02:12,379 --> 00:02:17,999 Elena was born October 22, 1985. 24 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,275 She was a very, very, very healthy, happy baby. 25 00:02:21,896 --> 00:02:24,689 [mellow piano music plays] 26 00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:28,034 [indistinct chatting and laughing] 27 00:02:28,931 --> 00:02:32,827 Elena had two older brothers. 28 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,930 My oldest son was Robert, and my youngest son was Darren. 29 00:02:39,931 --> 00:02:43,551 They were kind of thrilled when she joined the family. 30 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,206 [Linda] She was like a doll to them. 31 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,448 [narrator] Two years later, the family get another addition. 32 00:03:00,793 --> 00:03:04,861 [Ashley] We lived in Staten Island, New York. 33 00:03:04,862 --> 00:03:07,999 Elena was actually somebody I considered, like, 34 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,792 a hero at the time, somebody I could look up to, 35 00:03:10,793 --> 00:03:12,758 and I admired her greatly. 36 00:03:14,103 --> 00:03:17,758 [indistinct singing] 37 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,412 [narrator] In August 2000, when Elena is 14, 38 00:03:29,413 --> 00:03:32,723 the Arena family moved to Chesapeake, Virginia. 39 00:03:32,724 --> 00:03:35,516 [Linda] When Elena's hormones kicked in, 40 00:03:35,517 --> 00:03:37,586 I think they kicked in full blast. 41 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,999 Elena fell in love, 42 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:48,309 and she got pregnant when she was 17. 43 00:03:48,310 --> 00:03:54,654 [narrator] On October 9th, 2003, just 13 days before her 18th birthday, 44 00:03:54,655 --> 00:03:57,723 Elena gives birth to a baby girl she names Natalie. 45 00:03:57,724 --> 00:04:01,412 It meant the world to Elena, just being a mom 46 00:04:01,413 --> 00:04:04,999 and just trying to be the best mom that she could be. 47 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,826 [narrator] But the relationship with Natalie's father doesn't last. 48 00:04:08,827 --> 00:04:11,896 They were just too young. Elena was upset. 49 00:04:12,172 --> 00:04:14,585 She wanted a family unit. 50 00:04:14,586 --> 00:04:19,447 She wanted a husband or a partner. 51 00:04:19,448 --> 00:04:24,102 [narrator] In 2005, Elena starts dating someone new. 52 00:04:24,103 --> 00:04:28,309 A year after they started dating, Elena got pregnant. 53 00:04:28,310 --> 00:04:33,964 And Angel was born on August 22nd, 2007. 54 00:04:33,965 --> 00:04:36,240 [narrator] But when Angel is just two years old, 55 00:04:36,241 --> 00:04:38,481 Elena and her father split. 56 00:04:38,482 --> 00:04:40,895 [Ashley] It affected Elena pretty badly. 57 00:04:40,896 --> 00:04:42,688 She really wanted to end up 58 00:04:42,689 --> 00:04:44,930 keeping the whole family unit together. 59 00:04:44,931 --> 00:04:48,205 And I know she tried her hardest to make it work. 60 00:04:48,206 --> 00:04:52,412 [narrator] In 2013, Elena and her daughters, now ten and six, 61 00:04:52,413 --> 00:04:55,067 moved to an apartment in Virginia Beach. 62 00:04:55,068 --> 00:04:57,654 [Nathan] Things started looking up for my mom. 63 00:04:57,655 --> 00:05:00,619 She became vegan, she became very spiritual. 64 00:05:00,620 --> 00:05:02,861 It was a very happy time. 65 00:05:02,862 --> 00:05:07,033 [narrator] In August that year, 27-year-old Elena meets 66 00:05:07,034 --> 00:05:10,965 24-year-old Brandon Wysong through mutual friends. 67 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:18,793 At the time, Brandon was a construction worker. 68 00:05:20,689 --> 00:05:24,619 [Nathan] My mom definitely seemed to fall very quickly 69 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:27,033 in love with him. 70 00:05:27,034 --> 00:05:30,481 He was extremely attentive with her and very loving. 71 00:05:30,482 --> 00:05:32,688 [narrator] Within three months of meeting, 72 00:05:32,689 --> 00:05:36,343 Elena and Brandon are engaged and living together. 73 00:05:36,344 --> 00:05:40,412 [Linda] Brandon had a son around the same age as Angel. 74 00:05:40,413 --> 00:05:42,481 [Nathan] I was pretty excited. 75 00:05:42,482 --> 00:05:46,102 He had a kid of his own, and my mom had two kids. 76 00:05:46,103 --> 00:05:49,448 And we were very excited to just be one big family. 77 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,240 I don't think I had seen my mom this happy in a while. 78 00:05:55,241 --> 00:05:57,378 He seemed to be very good for her. 79 00:05:57,379 --> 00:06:00,274 My sister liked him a lot. 80 00:06:00,275 --> 00:06:02,999 My mom's friends seemed to like him a lot. 81 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,896 My grandma liked him a lot. So I was hopeful for it. 82 00:06:07,827 --> 00:06:11,827 [clapping and cheering] 83 00:06:14,068 --> 00:06:17,378 [narrator] In the fall of 2013, 84 00:06:17,379 --> 00:06:19,895 Elena attends a Buddhist ceremony. 85 00:06:19,896 --> 00:06:23,205 My mom was very involved in Buddhism, 86 00:06:23,206 --> 00:06:25,586 and she practiced it daily. 87 00:06:26,172 --> 00:06:29,895 Brandon definitely did seem 88 00:06:29,896 --> 00:06:33,619 like this very supportive man for my mom. 89 00:06:33,620 --> 00:06:38,481 He was very invested in her religion 90 00:06:38,482 --> 00:06:40,931 and her spiritual journey. 91 00:06:41,482 --> 00:06:47,067 It seems like he was gonna be this super awesome, 92 00:06:47,068 --> 00:06:48,034 great stepdad. 93 00:06:51,689 --> 00:06:54,999 Brandon would take us to the beach a lot. 94 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,688 He'd buy us, you know, ice cream on the boardwalk 95 00:06:57,689 --> 00:07:00,103 and pizza for dinner while my mom was at work. 96 00:07:04,482 --> 00:07:09,240 Brandon was a really big part of Angel's life, 97 00:07:09,241 --> 00:07:11,896 a very big father figure for her. 98 00:07:12,103 --> 00:07:15,379 He'd do just about anything for her. 99 00:07:16,413 --> 00:07:19,102 [narrator] At the end of 2013, 100 00:07:19,103 --> 00:07:21,274 just four months into their relationship, 101 00:07:21,275 --> 00:07:24,757 Elena discovers she is pregnant. 102 00:07:24,758 --> 00:07:26,758 [Ashley] Elena was extremely excited. 103 00:07:27,172 --> 00:07:30,171 She was all ready to have another little one 104 00:07:30,172 --> 00:07:32,274 back in the house. 105 00:07:32,275 --> 00:07:35,205 [Nathan] My mom was very much a family person. 106 00:07:35,206 --> 00:07:37,895 And I think that them having a baby together 107 00:07:37,896 --> 00:07:40,275 kind of just brought the families together. 108 00:07:41,103 --> 00:07:43,240 [narrator] Elena and Brandon tie the knot 109 00:07:43,241 --> 00:07:46,482 in a courthouse in Virginia Beach. 110 00:07:46,655 --> 00:07:50,171 [Nathan] A few months after my mom and Brandon got married, 111 00:07:50,172 --> 00:07:53,136 Brandon had a accident at work 112 00:07:53,137 --> 00:07:55,655 that completely crushed his leg. 113 00:07:56,172 --> 00:07:59,241 He was not able to work anymore. 114 00:08:01,413 --> 00:08:06,136 My mom was very stressed out. 115 00:08:06,137 --> 00:08:08,550 She was freaking out trying to figure out how they were gonna 116 00:08:08,551 --> 00:08:11,274 get money now, how they're gonna make rent and, you know, 117 00:08:11,275 --> 00:08:13,205 how they're gonna put food on the table. 118 00:08:13,206 --> 00:08:17,930 [narrator] The family are forced to move into a cheaper home, 119 00:08:17,931 --> 00:08:21,551 and in August 2014, Elena gives birth to a son named Bobby. 120 00:08:27,482 --> 00:08:31,551 [cooing and laughing] 121 00:08:31,896 --> 00:08:34,895 When Bobby was born, 122 00:08:34,896 --> 00:08:38,826 me, Angel, Brandon's son, Brandon, and my mom 123 00:08:38,827 --> 00:08:40,723 were all living in the house. 124 00:08:40,724 --> 00:08:42,447 Everything was pretty good, 125 00:08:42,448 --> 00:08:45,930 when we brought Bobby back home from the hospital. 126 00:08:45,931 --> 00:08:47,965 Everybody seemed to be in good spirits. 127 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,827 - [mocking gobbling sounds] - [baby laughs] 128 00:08:57,172 --> 00:09:03,103 [Nathan] Brandon was really excited, especially to have another son. 129 00:09:04,482 --> 00:09:08,689 [Linda] Bobby was three months old when Elena fell pregnant again. 130 00:09:10,172 --> 00:09:12,654 I think she was in shock. 131 00:09:12,655 --> 00:09:15,964 It was going to be a lot of work to have, like, 132 00:09:15,965 --> 00:09:18,654 a one-year-old and then a newborn. 133 00:09:18,655 --> 00:09:24,447 [narrator] Shortly after, Natalie shares some news with her mom. 134 00:09:24,448 --> 00:09:29,343 When I was about 12 or 13, I came out to my mom as trans. 135 00:09:29,344 --> 00:09:31,688 My mom was very supportive, 136 00:09:31,689 --> 00:09:36,171 and she had picked out the name Nathan Andrew Nagle, 137 00:09:36,172 --> 00:09:38,620 and that's just kind of what stuck. 138 00:09:40,172 --> 00:09:44,274 I noticed that Brandon had started to change 139 00:09:44,275 --> 00:09:46,344 a few weeks after Bobby was born. 140 00:09:46,517 --> 00:09:49,723 Brandon had had surgery on his leg, 141 00:09:49,724 --> 00:09:54,102 and he was kind of a little more mad than usual. 142 00:09:54,103 --> 00:09:57,689 He just seemed very irritated, even at the smallest things. 143 00:09:58,172 --> 00:10:02,585 [Linda] Laura was born on September 28th, 2015. 144 00:10:02,586 --> 00:10:04,758 [Linda on video] 145 00:10:06,103 --> 00:10:10,757 At this point Elena and Brandon had just been together 146 00:10:10,758 --> 00:10:12,826 for about two years, 147 00:10:12,827 --> 00:10:15,343 and now they had two children who were very close in age. 148 00:10:15,344 --> 00:10:16,275 [Elena on video] 149 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,965 [babbling] 150 00:10:26,896 --> 00:10:33,103 Brandon seemed to be a lot more agitated, more on edge. 151 00:10:33,896 --> 00:10:37,067 A lot of the smaller things 152 00:10:37,068 --> 00:10:40,620 seemed to bother him a lot more than they usually did. 153 00:10:41,172 --> 00:10:44,205 When Alura was about a month old, 154 00:10:44,206 --> 00:10:45,964 my mom and Brandon had 155 00:10:45,965 --> 00:10:48,274 gotten into an argument in front of all of us, 156 00:10:48,275 --> 00:10:50,103 and he had thrown a chair. 157 00:10:51,172 --> 00:10:55,067 That chair had hit Alura's bassinet. 158 00:10:55,068 --> 00:11:00,620 That was the first time I had seen him get aggressive. 159 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:03,862 That was the start. 160 00:11:12,275 --> 00:11:15,172 [Elena on video] 161 00:11:18,482 --> 00:11:21,137 [Brandon on video] 162 00:11:25,896 --> 00:11:30,723 Brandon was under the impression that because of the accident, 163 00:11:30,724 --> 00:11:34,310 he was gonna make a huge amount of a settlement. 164 00:11:35,275 --> 00:11:37,482 That did not happen. 165 00:11:37,896 --> 00:11:40,931 [Brandon on home video] 166 00:11:45,482 --> 00:11:49,067 OK, Dada. 167 00:11:49,068 --> 00:11:53,412 [Nathan] He would sell business classes to people on how to make 168 00:11:53,413 --> 00:11:55,517 a bunch of money through Bitcoin. 169 00:11:55,896 --> 00:11:58,999 He'd find, like, images off of Google of, like, 170 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,274 money spreads on the table, 171 00:12:00,275 --> 00:12:01,861 and he'd post it and be like, 172 00:12:01,862 --> 00:12:03,481 "Look how much money I'm making." 173 00:12:03,482 --> 00:12:06,067 Like, "You can make this money too." 174 00:12:06,068 --> 00:12:08,447 [narrator] When Brandon's new business venture isn't delivering, 175 00:12:08,448 --> 00:12:11,550 Elena steps in to try and help. 176 00:12:11,551 --> 00:12:14,757 [Nathan] My mom and Brandon were arguing frequently 177 00:12:14,758 --> 00:12:18,861 about sales and how much money they were making. 178 00:12:18,862 --> 00:12:21,517 [Linda] He was very irritable at times. 179 00:12:23,482 --> 00:12:26,758 [babbling] 180 00:12:28,620 --> 00:12:31,757 [Linda] There was a lot of things going on 181 00:12:31,758 --> 00:12:35,378 that he just kind of dumped on Elena. 182 00:12:35,379 --> 00:12:40,343 And I think things started to unravel even faster between 183 00:12:40,344 --> 00:12:42,861 the two of them. 184 00:12:42,862 --> 00:12:47,136 [narrator] Brandon's temper escalates, and by the summer of 2017, 185 00:12:47,137 --> 00:12:49,033 Elena becomes deeply depressed. 186 00:12:49,034 --> 00:12:52,723 [Nathan] When I was about 14, 187 00:12:52,724 --> 00:12:55,999 I noticed my mom becoming increasingly isolated 188 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,689 from everybody else. 189 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,964 It was kind of hard for her 190 00:13:01,965 --> 00:13:04,757 to do a lot of stuff around the house. 191 00:13:04,758 --> 00:13:07,655 We didn't really go out anywhere. 192 00:13:08,172 --> 00:13:10,861 [Linda] Elena was walking on eggshells, 193 00:13:10,862 --> 00:13:14,136 because anything ticked him off. 194 00:13:14,137 --> 00:13:17,240 She would do anything just to keep him, you know, happy, 195 00:13:17,241 --> 00:13:20,310 so he would not start with her. 196 00:13:20,793 --> 00:13:25,205 Elena was desperately trying to keep the family together, 197 00:13:25,206 --> 00:13:28,206 even though Brandon was really making it fall apart. 198 00:13:28,793 --> 00:13:31,757 [Elena on video] 199 00:13:31,758 --> 00:13:34,585 [narrator] On social media, Elena portrays Brandon 200 00:13:34,586 --> 00:13:36,034 to be a perfect husband and father. 201 00:13:40,862 --> 00:13:43,551 [children laughing] 202 00:13:52,689 --> 00:13:57,792 I do think that she just did ignore a lot of the abuse 203 00:13:57,793 --> 00:13:59,378 because, you know, for the most part he was very good 204 00:13:59,379 --> 00:14:01,240 at putting up an act. 205 00:14:01,241 --> 00:14:04,378 I think she was ashamed to let anybody know 206 00:14:04,379 --> 00:14:07,240 what was really going on and how hard she was struggling 207 00:14:07,241 --> 00:14:09,585 just to keep her family together. 208 00:14:09,586 --> 00:14:12,309 [narrator] Despite the issues in her marriage, 209 00:14:12,310 --> 00:14:16,378 Elena makes time for her children whenever she can. 210 00:14:16,379 --> 00:14:19,862 [Nathan] This is when my mom took me to my first Pride. 211 00:14:22,275 --> 00:14:25,654 We had walked around for a bit, 212 00:14:25,655 --> 00:14:28,688 and my mom had bought me my first Pride flag. 213 00:14:28,689 --> 00:14:32,275 She had danced around with me and Alura. 214 00:14:32,448 --> 00:14:35,999 And I remember that at the end of the day, 215 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,240 me, her, and Alura had all sat down on the grass, 216 00:14:40,241 --> 00:14:42,586 and it was just happy. 217 00:14:43,068 --> 00:14:45,102 There was no stress. 218 00:14:45,103 --> 00:14:48,792 There was no Brandon ruining the moment. 219 00:14:48,793 --> 00:14:53,344 It was just me, my mom, and Alura, and it felt great. 220 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,654 [mellow piano music] 221 00:14:57,655 --> 00:15:00,723 [narrator] In the summer of 2018, 222 00:15:00,724 --> 00:15:04,619 Linda invites Elena and her family to Florida. 223 00:15:04,620 --> 00:15:07,274 When they arrived, the kids got ready 224 00:15:07,275 --> 00:15:08,172 and they went to the pool. 225 00:15:12,103 --> 00:15:16,033 And some type of an incident happened at the pool, 226 00:15:16,034 --> 00:15:18,172 where Brandon struck Bobby. 227 00:15:18,758 --> 00:15:22,792 And the children were very upset. 228 00:15:22,793 --> 00:15:25,826 The kids came back and they told their mother, 229 00:15:25,827 --> 00:15:28,723 and of course, she was very upset. 230 00:15:28,724 --> 00:15:30,481 She was telling him off, you know, 231 00:15:30,482 --> 00:15:31,999 "Why are you hitting him? 232 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,931 Why are you putting your hands on him?" 233 00:15:34,586 --> 00:15:37,585 Brandon was angry. 234 00:15:37,586 --> 00:15:39,826 He went outside. 235 00:15:39,827 --> 00:15:42,999 He called someone on the phone, screaming and yelling. 236 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,309 I was extremely concerned. 237 00:15:46,310 --> 00:15:49,550 I said, "Elena, this is a bad situation. 238 00:15:49,551 --> 00:15:52,310 You need to get out of this situation." 239 00:15:53,172 --> 00:15:58,619 I told her that I would get her an apartment. 240 00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:00,792 She just couldn't tell him where she lived. 241 00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:02,619 If he wanted to see the children, 242 00:16:02,620 --> 00:16:04,481 it would have to be at my house. 243 00:16:04,482 --> 00:16:07,999 And she wanted to do it, and then she was afraid. 244 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,688 She said, you know, 245 00:16:10,689 --> 00:16:12,723 "I don't want the kids to grow up without a father." 246 00:16:12,724 --> 00:16:14,723 She wanted them to be together. 247 00:16:14,724 --> 00:16:17,240 She was trying to make it better, 248 00:16:17,241 --> 00:16:18,481 even as it was falling apart. 249 00:16:18,482 --> 00:16:21,481 [cellphone rings] 250 00:16:21,482 --> 00:16:26,136 [narrator] Six months later, Elena calls her mom. 251 00:16:26,137 --> 00:16:29,102 Brandon had actually smashed the window of the family car 252 00:16:29,103 --> 00:16:30,689 and slashed the tires. 253 00:16:31,172 --> 00:16:35,861 So I volunteered to go over there. 254 00:16:35,862 --> 00:16:39,550 And the police were already there when we arrived. 255 00:16:39,551 --> 00:16:40,999 The officers were telling her that they couldn't remove 256 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,585 Brandon out of the house. 257 00:16:42,586 --> 00:16:44,826 The only way they would be able to do that 258 00:16:44,827 --> 00:16:46,551 is if she got a restraining order against him. 259 00:16:47,482 --> 00:16:49,655 Elena was devastated. 260 00:16:49,827 --> 00:16:52,964 I was going to keep an eye on the kids, 261 00:16:52,965 --> 00:16:54,654 and my sister was going to take the car 262 00:16:54,655 --> 00:16:57,343 to go get the restraining order. 263 00:16:57,344 --> 00:17:01,205 So my sister left shortly after the police. 264 00:17:01,206 --> 00:17:04,205 Brandon continued to get more irate, started grabbing 265 00:17:04,206 --> 00:17:06,792 the toys and smashing them into pieces on the ground. 266 00:17:06,793 --> 00:17:10,102 And then he went to the back porch area 267 00:17:10,103 --> 00:17:11,793 and grabbed the machete. 268 00:17:12,896 --> 00:17:16,964 I went downstairs and stood in the hallway, 269 00:17:16,965 --> 00:17:20,240 so he couldn't get upstairs where the children were. 270 00:17:20,241 --> 00:17:22,930 He held the machete in his hand. 271 00:17:22,931 --> 00:17:26,241 I put him in a bear hug, and he head-butted me. 272 00:17:27,586 --> 00:17:30,171 I hear... 273 00:17:30,172 --> 00:17:34,516 yelling and screaming coming from downstairs. 274 00:17:34,517 --> 00:17:38,067 My siblings are now crying because this is happening, 275 00:17:38,068 --> 00:17:41,930 literally on the other side of the door. 276 00:17:41,931 --> 00:17:44,343 I'm freaking out, because I don't know what to do. 277 00:17:44,344 --> 00:17:46,205 I don't know what's happening downstairs, 278 00:17:46,206 --> 00:17:48,723 and I'm scared if I don't call 911, 279 00:17:48,724 --> 00:17:50,551 it'll be too late. 280 00:17:50,793 --> 00:17:53,447 So Nathan called the police. 281 00:17:53,448 --> 00:17:55,792 And then I had said to Brandon, 282 00:17:55,793 --> 00:17:58,136 "This is assault with a deadly weapon." 283 00:17:58,137 --> 00:18:00,309 Just something to get him to snap out of it, 284 00:18:00,310 --> 00:18:01,895 because I was terrified. 285 00:18:01,896 --> 00:18:03,861 I was completely terrified, 286 00:18:03,862 --> 00:18:05,792 but I couldn't afford to be terrified, 287 00:18:05,793 --> 00:18:07,758 because there were children involved. 288 00:18:07,931 --> 00:18:11,930 Something, I must have said, must have snapped in his brain, 289 00:18:11,931 --> 00:18:14,964 because he took off with the machete and fled. 290 00:18:14,965 --> 00:18:15,827 [Nathan] So I call 911, 291 00:18:16,413 --> 00:18:18,000 and I... 292 00:18:18,896 --> 00:18:21,275 am crying 293 00:18:21,689 --> 00:18:24,447 through the phone call, 294 00:18:24,448 --> 00:18:27,688 telling them that my stepfather 295 00:18:27,689 --> 00:18:29,895 is hurting my aunt. 296 00:18:29,896 --> 00:18:32,033 And I tell them my address. 297 00:18:32,034 --> 00:18:35,206 [police sirens wailing] 298 00:18:37,103 --> 00:18:40,861 [Nathan] And my mom came back into the house, 299 00:18:40,862 --> 00:18:42,378 and she said, "They're gonna take Brandon away, 300 00:18:42,379 --> 00:18:43,378 "and he's going to go to jail. 301 00:18:43,379 --> 00:18:44,895 You need to hang up right now." 302 00:18:44,896 --> 00:18:46,551 [sirens wailing] 303 00:18:46,724 --> 00:18:49,482 [Ashley] And then the police arrived. 304 00:18:51,482 --> 00:18:55,585 Elena had asked if I would just not say anything, 305 00:18:55,586 --> 00:18:58,309 because she didn't want the kids to lose their father, 306 00:18:58,310 --> 00:19:00,930 and she didn't want to lose her kids to CPS, 307 00:19:00,931 --> 00:19:03,724 because she wasn't there for the incident. 308 00:19:03,896 --> 00:19:06,930 No matter how many times I'd try to tell her, I'm like, 309 00:19:06,931 --> 00:19:09,688 "No, this is a good thing. We can get him away." 310 00:19:09,689 --> 00:19:12,343 She didn't wanna hear it. 311 00:19:12,344 --> 00:19:15,343 She just thought that CPS was gonna take her kids away. 312 00:19:15,344 --> 00:19:18,965 So I chose to remain silent to try to protect my sister. 313 00:19:20,862 --> 00:19:25,654 I hated him. I absolutely hated him. 314 00:19:25,655 --> 00:19:28,723 And I saw how dangerous and how violent he could end up being. 315 00:19:28,724 --> 00:19:31,688 And I tried to warn my family, 316 00:19:31,689 --> 00:19:33,688 "If we don't let me press charges, 317 00:19:33,689 --> 00:19:35,378 "he's gonna kill her. 318 00:19:35,379 --> 00:19:36,758 He is going to kill her." 319 00:19:45,758 --> 00:19:50,517 [narrator] Elena is granted a 72-hour emergency protective order. 320 00:19:51,896 --> 00:19:54,861 [Linda] I hated Brandon. 321 00:19:54,862 --> 00:19:58,412 I was just hoping that he just wouldn't come back. 322 00:19:58,413 --> 00:20:01,793 [narrator] But just three days later, Brandon is back in the home. 323 00:20:02,275 --> 00:20:05,723 [Linda] I was very concerned for Elena. 324 00:20:05,724 --> 00:20:08,309 I begged her to move in with me, 325 00:20:08,310 --> 00:20:10,688 and she would say yes. 326 00:20:10,689 --> 00:20:13,309 And then I guess he would talk to her, 327 00:20:13,310 --> 00:20:14,792 tell her things were gonna get better. 328 00:20:14,793 --> 00:20:16,205 And then she would say, 329 00:20:16,206 --> 00:20:17,723 "No, things are working out. 330 00:20:17,724 --> 00:20:19,343 I'm gonna stay here." 331 00:20:19,344 --> 00:20:21,551 It was like a cycle. 332 00:20:22,965 --> 00:20:26,171 [Nathan] One night I was spending a night at home, 333 00:20:26,172 --> 00:20:28,274 and my mom and Brandon 334 00:20:28,275 --> 00:20:30,517 had gotten into a pretty big argument. 335 00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:32,757 My mom said, "I'm gonna take the kids 336 00:20:32,758 --> 00:20:34,586 to a hotel for a night." 337 00:20:35,034 --> 00:20:38,481 So we all get into our car, 338 00:20:38,482 --> 00:20:41,034 and she drives us out to the ocean front. 339 00:20:47,896 --> 00:20:51,619 And I remember it was like, 340 00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:53,550 one of the first times in a long time 341 00:20:53,551 --> 00:20:57,034 that I had even seen my mom take a deep breath. 342 00:21:00,068 --> 00:21:03,481 So the following day, 343 00:21:03,482 --> 00:21:05,034 she gets a phone call, and it's from Brandon. - [phone ringing] 344 00:21:05,896 --> 00:21:08,309 He's just basically saying, 345 00:21:08,310 --> 00:21:10,688 "You can't take my kids away from me. 346 00:21:10,689 --> 00:21:12,412 "I'm gonna get you arrested. 347 00:21:12,413 --> 00:21:14,724 You need to come back home." 348 00:21:14,896 --> 00:21:18,310 She went back to him the very next day. 349 00:21:18,862 --> 00:21:22,205 And I remember talking to her, just you know, 350 00:21:22,206 --> 00:21:24,205 "It's OK to start new, 351 00:21:24,206 --> 00:21:26,171 "and, you know, Mom will help you. 352 00:21:26,172 --> 00:21:27,412 "You know, we'll do anything to end up helping you 353 00:21:27,413 --> 00:21:29,861 to get away from this." 354 00:21:29,862 --> 00:21:32,826 But she didn't want to take the kids away from their dad. 355 00:21:32,827 --> 00:21:36,619 [narrator] Unable to cope with Brandon's violent temper, 356 00:21:36,620 --> 00:21:40,275 Nathan spends most of his time at a friend's home. 357 00:21:40,793 --> 00:21:45,171 [Ashley] I went to the magistrate and pressed charges against him, 358 00:21:45,172 --> 00:21:47,551 but my sister had second thoughts. 359 00:21:48,793 --> 00:21:52,895 I was torn because I had 360 00:21:52,896 --> 00:21:55,585 one daughter screaming and carrying on. 361 00:21:55,586 --> 00:21:58,136 She did not want her husband in jail. 362 00:21:58,137 --> 00:22:00,999 And then I had another daughter, who said, 363 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,517 "He needs to go to jail. He's dangerous." 364 00:22:04,482 --> 00:22:08,172 It caused a lot of family issues. 365 00:22:09,068 --> 00:22:13,102 [Ashley] My sister was by his side, 366 00:22:13,103 --> 00:22:17,274 and I remember outside of the courtroom, 367 00:22:17,275 --> 00:22:20,310 Elena tried to come up to me to try to talk to me. 368 00:22:20,862 --> 00:22:24,689 [melancholic piano music] 369 00:22:25,793 --> 00:22:28,862 I actually walked away from them. 370 00:22:30,689 --> 00:22:34,171 You're willing to go ahead and back him, 371 00:22:34,172 --> 00:22:36,481 and not your sister, 372 00:22:36,482 --> 00:22:39,585 who has been there with you through everything. 373 00:22:39,586 --> 00:22:42,655 I was completely devastated. 374 00:22:44,068 --> 00:22:48,964 Once everything was going to the second trial date, 375 00:22:48,965 --> 00:22:51,309 I tried to stick it out, but in the end, 376 00:22:51,310 --> 00:22:55,723 it cost me so much mentally and emotionally, 377 00:22:55,724 --> 00:22:57,551 I couldn't do it, and I dropped the charges. 378 00:22:59,793 --> 00:23:02,274 [narrator] Six months later, 379 00:23:02,275 --> 00:23:05,482 Linda receives a Facebook message from Elena. 380 00:23:06,586 --> 00:23:10,619 [Linda] She told me first that she tripped, 381 00:23:10,620 --> 00:23:12,412 and then I told her, 382 00:23:12,413 --> 00:23:14,068 "Elena, I don't believe you." 383 00:23:14,793 --> 00:23:18,171 I said, "He must be hitting you. 384 00:23:18,172 --> 00:23:21,171 And then, you know, she finally told me, 385 00:23:21,172 --> 00:23:23,412 "Oh, well, he got mad, but he didn't mean it. 386 00:23:23,413 --> 00:23:25,689 He was sorry." 387 00:23:25,862 --> 00:23:29,275 But she always had an excuse for him. 388 00:23:31,344 --> 00:23:35,655 On November 4th, 2019, 389 00:23:35,827 --> 00:23:40,516 I got home to my mom and Brandon's house. 390 00:23:40,517 --> 00:23:45,172 And I walk in, and the entire place is trashed. 391 00:23:47,034 --> 00:23:49,792 10, 15 minutes after, 392 00:23:49,793 --> 00:23:52,378 my mom pulled up in front of the house. 393 00:23:52,379 --> 00:23:56,309 It was her, Brandon, all of my siblings. 394 00:23:56,310 --> 00:23:59,171 And it looked like my mom and Brandon were arguing 395 00:23:59,172 --> 00:24:00,585 outside of their car. 396 00:24:00,586 --> 00:24:02,137 [crickets chirping] 397 00:24:03,379 --> 00:24:06,792 And she said, "Just get in the car. 398 00:24:06,793 --> 00:24:08,793 I'll take you to your friend's house." 399 00:24:09,896 --> 00:24:13,413 [ominous music playing] 400 00:24:15,275 --> 00:24:17,964 [Nathan] We pulled into the parking garage 401 00:24:17,965 --> 00:24:22,136 of my friend's apartment complex. 402 00:24:22,137 --> 00:24:23,964 And she had told me that she'd see me tomorrow 403 00:24:23,965 --> 00:24:25,343 and that she loves me. 404 00:24:25,344 --> 00:24:26,655 And I told her I love her too. 405 00:24:30,482 --> 00:24:33,171 [narrator] Two hours later, 406 00:24:33,172 --> 00:24:36,550 Nathan receives news about a disturbance at home. 407 00:24:36,551 --> 00:24:39,137 So, I called my sister. 408 00:24:40,344 --> 00:24:44,068 And as soon as I answer the phone, 409 00:24:44,586 --> 00:24:46,655 all I hear is screaming. 410 00:24:54,172 --> 00:24:58,826 [Officer Brenya] On November 4th, 2019, 411 00:24:58,827 --> 00:25:01,309 around 6:34 p.m., 412 00:25:01,310 --> 00:25:04,274 we got a call from dispatch, 413 00:25:04,275 --> 00:25:06,964 letting us know that we had a gunshot wound. 414 00:25:06,965 --> 00:25:09,171 [police sirens wailing] 415 00:25:09,172 --> 00:25:10,896 The victim was a female, 416 00:25:11,034 --> 00:25:13,655 and the suspect was not on scene. 417 00:25:23,172 --> 00:25:26,481 So immediately as I arrived on scene, 418 00:25:26,482 --> 00:25:31,619 I saw three younger children running towards me, screaming, 419 00:25:31,620 --> 00:25:32,999 "She's back there, she's back there. 420 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,551 You need to help her." 421 00:25:36,103 --> 00:25:38,930 [banging] 422 00:25:38,931 --> 00:25:39,895 [Officer Brenya] Started going towards the house. 423 00:25:39,896 --> 00:25:42,378 My partner, Officer Wadsworth, 424 00:25:42,379 --> 00:25:45,723 was in the back laundry room of the house 425 00:25:45,724 --> 00:25:48,827 with the victim and was attempting CPR. 426 00:25:53,068 --> 00:25:58,309 It looked like somebody had purposefully upturned, 427 00:25:58,310 --> 00:26:01,792 uprooted everything in the house onto the floor. 428 00:26:01,793 --> 00:26:06,550 And when I got to the door of the laundry room, 429 00:26:06,551 --> 00:26:10,447 I could see the victim laying down in a pool of blood, 430 00:26:10,448 --> 00:26:12,620 with my partner conducting the CPR. 431 00:26:18,896 --> 00:26:22,033 [Officer Brenya] So when I went back outside, 432 00:26:22,034 --> 00:26:26,447 that's when I made contact with the eldest child, Angel. 433 00:26:26,448 --> 00:26:30,344 And I learned that the victim was their mother, Elena Wysong. 434 00:26:36,551 --> 00:26:40,827 various voices overlapping] 435 00:27:10,758 --> 00:27:14,033 [Officer Brenya] He's armed and dangerous, 436 00:27:14,034 --> 00:27:18,034 so it was important for us to locate and apprehend him. 437 00:27:19,275 --> 00:27:21,550 [Nathan] My friend and his mom, 438 00:27:21,551 --> 00:27:23,172 we pull up to the house. 439 00:27:25,137 --> 00:27:29,102 There's, like, four cop cars. 440 00:27:29,103 --> 00:27:32,274 And my siblings are, all three of them are, 441 00:27:32,275 --> 00:27:34,136 in the back of a cop car. 442 00:27:34,137 --> 00:27:38,067 And Angel is covered in blood. 443 00:27:38,068 --> 00:27:40,136 She's freaking out, and she's crying, 444 00:27:40,137 --> 00:27:41,619 And Alura and Bobby are crying. 445 00:27:41,620 --> 00:27:43,724 They don't have any clothes on. 446 00:27:46,103 --> 00:27:52,344 I could still not grasp what was going on. 447 00:27:53,172 --> 00:27:56,827 And it all... 448 00:27:57,344 --> 00:27:59,861 felt like a dream. 449 00:27:59,862 --> 00:28:04,793 [narrator] Elena Wysong is pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m. 450 00:28:05,137 --> 00:28:08,309 [Sgt. Jerry] When we have a possibly armed and dangerous suspect 451 00:28:08,310 --> 00:28:09,757 who's fled the scene, 452 00:28:09,758 --> 00:28:11,619 it's imperative for us to-- 453 00:28:11,620 --> 00:28:13,310 to start tracking that guy down. 454 00:28:15,793 --> 00:28:19,619 If they were just able to commit this horrendous act, 455 00:28:19,620 --> 00:28:20,723 who knows what they'll do. 456 00:28:20,724 --> 00:28:22,205 [narrator] At 6:52 p.m., 457 00:28:22,206 --> 00:28:24,378 Officer Butler arrives on scene, 458 00:28:24,379 --> 00:28:26,723 with his canine, Nemo. 459 00:28:26,724 --> 00:28:29,274 Most of the search occurred in the residential area. 460 00:28:29,275 --> 00:28:32,412 Just after 7 p.m., a man arrives on scene 461 00:28:32,413 --> 00:28:36,171 and identifies himself as Brandon's stepfather. 462 00:28:36,172 --> 00:28:38,550 So Brandon's stepfather tells the officer 463 00:28:38,551 --> 00:28:40,861 that Brandon wants to turn himself in, 464 00:28:40,862 --> 00:28:44,930 and he wants to lead the officers to Brandon himself. 465 00:28:44,931 --> 00:28:47,447 So K-9 immediately heads to the area, 466 00:28:47,448 --> 00:28:50,481 and the dog picks up a scent. 467 00:28:50,482 --> 00:28:53,413 [dog barking and growling] 468 00:28:58,482 --> 00:29:02,516 Brandon pops up out of the wood line with his hands up. 469 00:29:02,517 --> 00:29:05,343 [police radio] He's in custody on the scene of the accident. 470 00:29:05,344 --> 00:29:07,862 - [dog barking] - [officers speaking over radio] 471 00:29:17,137 --> 00:29:18,965 All right, cool. 472 00:29:20,241 --> 00:29:22,172 [radio beeping] 473 00:29:28,275 --> 00:29:31,723 [Officer Brenya] Whenever we arrest someone, we do an immediate search 474 00:29:31,724 --> 00:29:33,861 of that person in the waist area, 475 00:29:33,862 --> 00:29:35,895 and Brandon didn't have a weapon on him. 476 00:29:35,896 --> 00:29:38,964 Now, the first thing that goes in my head is, 477 00:29:38,965 --> 00:29:41,310 "Where's this weapon at?" 478 00:29:41,793 --> 00:29:46,550 [narrator] The forensic team arrive on scene at 8:35 p.m. 479 00:29:46,551 --> 00:29:48,586 and start collecting evidence. 480 00:29:49,689 --> 00:29:51,723 [Megan Lang] In the laundry room, 481 00:29:51,724 --> 00:29:54,481 they find a box of ammunition, 482 00:29:54,482 --> 00:29:58,102 a.380 pistol magazine, 483 00:29:58,103 --> 00:30:01,378 two deformed bullets, which I believe were found 484 00:30:01,379 --> 00:30:04,412 behind the dryer, by the dryer duct. 485 00:30:04,413 --> 00:30:06,619 and then three shell casings, 486 00:30:06,620 --> 00:30:09,447 which indicate that three shots had been fired. 487 00:30:09,448 --> 00:30:13,137 In the home, there was also three cellphones recovered. 488 00:30:13,310 --> 00:30:17,309 The evidence that the police have at that time 489 00:30:17,310 --> 00:30:21,206 all point to Brandon having a firearm, a.380 pistol. 490 00:30:22,793 --> 00:30:25,895 [Ashley] I had gotten off of work, 491 00:30:25,896 --> 00:30:30,482 and I got a phone call from one of my family members. 492 00:30:30,965 --> 00:30:34,033 And they told me that, 493 00:30:34,034 --> 00:30:36,172 "You were right, he killed her." 494 00:30:36,586 --> 00:30:40,206 I was completely devastated. 495 00:30:40,379 --> 00:30:45,136 Got a phone call from Angel's other grandmother, 496 00:30:45,137 --> 00:30:48,413 and she said to me, "Elena's been shot." 497 00:30:48,689 --> 00:30:51,447 And I knew. I knew she was gone. 498 00:30:51,448 --> 00:30:53,137 I knew it. 499 00:30:54,172 --> 00:30:56,550 Yeah, they wouldn't let me in the house. 500 00:30:56,551 --> 00:30:57,896 They wouldn't let me see her. 501 00:30:58,793 --> 00:31:01,482 The kids were in the police car, 502 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,688 and Angel was screaming, 503 00:31:05,689 --> 00:31:08,723 and the little ones were crying, 504 00:31:08,724 --> 00:31:13,965 and the police took us all to the station house. 505 00:31:14,482 --> 00:31:20,136 Angel tells Detective Hosang that earlier in that evening, 506 00:31:20,137 --> 00:31:23,620 that there was a fight between her mother and Brandon. 507 00:31:24,551 --> 00:31:27,447 And that because of that argument, 508 00:31:27,448 --> 00:31:30,309 Elena packed up her and her children 509 00:31:30,310 --> 00:31:32,482 and left to go to her mother's house. 510 00:31:32,965 --> 00:31:35,067 They ultimately ended up 511 00:31:35,068 --> 00:31:37,412 turning around and going back home 512 00:31:37,413 --> 00:31:40,379 because Angel wanted to get her pregnant cat. 513 00:31:42,172 --> 00:31:44,861 That is when Elena discovers 514 00:31:44,862 --> 00:31:47,757 that Brandon had destroyed the house. 515 00:31:47,758 --> 00:31:50,343 Elena is then headbutted in the face, 516 00:31:50,344 --> 00:31:53,033 in front of the children by Brandon. 517 00:31:53,034 --> 00:31:56,205 At that point she walks into the laundry room. 518 00:31:56,206 --> 00:31:58,343 Brandon Wysong follows her into the laundry room, 519 00:31:58,344 --> 00:31:59,654 slams the door. 520 00:31:59,655 --> 00:32:02,240 [gunshots blast] 521 00:32:02,241 --> 00:32:05,343 The children hear three gunshots 522 00:32:05,344 --> 00:32:09,103 and see Brandon run out of the back of the house. 523 00:32:09,965 --> 00:32:15,378 Angel was able to break through the laundry room 524 00:32:15,379 --> 00:32:17,482 and crawl through the hole in the door. 525 00:32:17,793 --> 00:32:22,619 She then grabs some towels and tries to use them 526 00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:24,067 to put pressure on her mom's head 527 00:32:24,068 --> 00:32:27,136 to stop the bleeding. 528 00:32:27,137 --> 00:32:29,448 It was at that point she used her mother's phone to call 911. 529 00:32:32,862 --> 00:32:36,447 Bobby was five years old at the time, 530 00:32:36,448 --> 00:32:39,930 and the interviewer asked him 531 00:32:39,931 --> 00:32:42,688 to draw pictures of what he saw. 532 00:32:42,689 --> 00:32:45,827 And what he drew was very disturbing. 533 00:32:46,275 --> 00:32:49,000 Bobby drew several photos. 534 00:32:49,448 --> 00:32:53,171 One of them was his mother... 535 00:32:53,172 --> 00:32:55,137 lying in a pool of blood, 536 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,516 Brandon with a firearm. 537 00:32:58,517 --> 00:33:01,619 There was also another photo 538 00:33:01,620 --> 00:33:03,309 that he described as his mother, 539 00:33:03,310 --> 00:33:05,550 which was a photo of someone 540 00:33:05,551 --> 00:33:06,862 with a gunshot wound to the head. 541 00:33:12,034 --> 00:33:15,102 [narrator] At 10:28 p.m., 542 00:33:15,103 --> 00:33:17,861 Detective Andre Jerry and Detective Jachimiak 543 00:33:17,862 --> 00:33:19,034 interview Brandon Wysong. 544 00:33:28,482 --> 00:33:31,999 [Sgt. Jerry] I had no doubt in my mind that he'd done it, 545 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,827 just from the totality of all the circumstances. 546 00:33:38,586 --> 00:33:40,826 [Sgt. Jerry] So during the interview, 547 00:33:40,827 --> 00:33:42,724 Brandon was just hot and cold. 548 00:33:47,172 --> 00:33:50,067 But then a lot of the times in the interview, 549 00:33:50,068 --> 00:33:51,792 he would put the blame on her. 550 00:33:51,793 --> 00:33:54,654 He would say things like, "She made me do it," 551 00:33:54,655 --> 00:33:56,758 and "I told her this was coming, it's her fault." 552 00:34:05,344 --> 00:34:07,723 At one point in time, he said, 553 00:34:07,724 --> 00:34:08,758 "I did it, there's no question." 554 00:34:26,896 --> 00:34:29,551 [gunshots blast] 555 00:34:31,172 --> 00:34:33,481 Going into this interview, 556 00:34:33,482 --> 00:34:35,447 it was two major goals. 557 00:34:35,448 --> 00:34:38,999 It was, one was to find out why he did what he did, 558 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:40,481 and the second one was to find out where 559 00:34:40,482 --> 00:34:41,551 the murder weapon was. 560 00:35:11,689 --> 00:35:14,205 [Sgt. Jerry] You could tell he was just thinking about himself. 561 00:35:14,206 --> 00:35:17,033 He was trying to cut a deal. 562 00:35:17,034 --> 00:35:19,309 I told him that if you show us where the weapon is, 563 00:35:19,310 --> 00:35:20,344 they're willing to work with you. 564 00:35:35,275 --> 00:35:40,412 [Megan] Brandon believes that he is making this deal. 565 00:35:40,413 --> 00:35:42,999 And in exchange, 566 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,447 he says he will lead them to the murder weapon. 567 00:35:45,448 --> 00:35:48,516 [Officer Brenya] So on the way to find the murder weapon, 568 00:35:48,517 --> 00:35:50,757 he just acted like he didn't have a care in the world. 569 00:35:50,758 --> 00:35:53,309 There was no remorse. 570 00:35:53,310 --> 00:35:55,895 You could tell he was just thinking about himself. 571 00:35:55,896 --> 00:35:59,447 I mean, to be able to shoot and kill your wife, 572 00:35:59,448 --> 00:36:01,447 and then not have a care in the world, 573 00:36:01,448 --> 00:36:03,688 especially when you got kids with that person, 574 00:36:03,689 --> 00:36:05,930 it just, I mean, he had no soul, 575 00:36:05,931 --> 00:36:07,758 no-- no conscience. 576 00:36:09,586 --> 00:36:12,688 So Brandon leads us to the wooded area, 577 00:36:12,689 --> 00:36:14,931 maybe 20 feet from where he surrendered. 578 00:36:15,793 --> 00:36:21,067 We find a black Ruger.380, 579 00:36:21,068 --> 00:36:24,379 which matched the cell casings that we found on scene 580 00:36:24,551 --> 00:36:26,655 and the box of ammo that was in the house. 581 00:36:30,379 --> 00:36:33,516 Once the gun is found, we turn it over forensics. 582 00:36:33,517 --> 00:36:36,033 They'll dust it for prints, 583 00:36:36,034 --> 00:36:38,033 and then it gets run through our NIBIN, 584 00:36:38,034 --> 00:36:39,447 where they'll do a test fire, 585 00:36:39,448 --> 00:36:41,274 and they'll match the casing, 586 00:36:41,275 --> 00:36:42,723 and that's where they're able to tell 587 00:36:42,724 --> 00:36:45,206 it's a direct match. 588 00:36:45,586 --> 00:36:49,274 [narrator] Brandon is charged with the second-degree murder 589 00:36:49,275 --> 00:36:53,309 of Elena Wysong and transported to Virginia Beach City Jail. 590 00:36:53,310 --> 00:36:57,033 [Megan] The next day, an autopsy of Elena was performed 591 00:36:57,034 --> 00:37:00,447 at the office of the chief medical examiner in Norfolk. 592 00:37:00,448 --> 00:37:02,792 And the medical examiner determined 593 00:37:02,793 --> 00:37:06,931 that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. 594 00:37:07,896 --> 00:37:11,171 When we receive our case file, 595 00:37:11,172 --> 00:37:16,102 we received a cellphone dump of Brandon's phone. 596 00:37:16,103 --> 00:37:20,551 And what I found on the phone was disturbing. 597 00:37:21,586 --> 00:37:25,931 There were text messages that showed 598 00:37:26,103 --> 00:37:29,000 the abuse that was occurring. 599 00:37:29,379 --> 00:37:36,620 He had photos saved of Elena's black eyes and bruises. 600 00:37:36,793 --> 00:37:43,343 There was some very, very disturbing things in that phone. 601 00:37:43,344 --> 00:37:45,964 When determining whether we should take something to trial, 602 00:37:45,965 --> 00:37:47,826 there are so many different considerations 603 00:37:47,827 --> 00:37:49,757 that go into play. 604 00:37:49,758 --> 00:37:52,102 And one of the main ones in this case 605 00:37:52,103 --> 00:37:55,655 was saving Angel from having to testify, 606 00:37:55,827 --> 00:38:00,723 because I truly believe I would have been re-victimizing Angel, 607 00:38:00,724 --> 00:38:02,792 to put her on a stand, 608 00:38:02,793 --> 00:38:04,654 in front of 14 strangers she doesn't know, 609 00:38:04,655 --> 00:38:08,688 to explain in excruciating detail 610 00:38:08,689 --> 00:38:10,758 the worst day of her life. 611 00:38:11,275 --> 00:38:13,757 After speaking with Elena's family, 612 00:38:13,758 --> 00:38:16,102 we ultimately came to the decision 613 00:38:16,103 --> 00:38:18,827 to offer the-- the defendant a plea agreement. 614 00:38:19,448 --> 00:38:21,309 Under the plea agreement, 615 00:38:21,310 --> 00:38:24,274 the maximum active time 616 00:38:24,275 --> 00:38:26,827 Brandon could get to serve was 30 years. 617 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:33,862 After Brandon accepts the plea for 30 years, 618 00:38:34,344 --> 00:38:37,585 I start pulling up jail calls. 619 00:38:37,586 --> 00:38:41,447 And I do that because, a lot of times, 620 00:38:41,448 --> 00:38:43,481 people are more willing to talk 621 00:38:43,482 --> 00:38:46,102 after they know that they have a plea agreement 622 00:38:46,103 --> 00:38:47,275 and their case is not going to trial. 623 00:39:08,482 --> 00:39:11,447 [gunshots blasting] 624 00:39:11,448 --> 00:39:13,861 [Megan Lang] I can't say that I've ever heard anything like that. 625 00:39:13,862 --> 00:39:16,619 And he made that decision at that moment, 626 00:39:16,620 --> 00:39:19,343 to shoot her execution-style, 627 00:39:19,344 --> 00:39:21,343 with her kids in the next room, 628 00:39:21,344 --> 00:39:23,517 was shocking. 629 00:39:25,275 --> 00:39:28,274 [narrator] Four years after Elena's murder, 630 00:39:28,275 --> 00:39:31,378 her family attend Brandon's sentencing hearing. 631 00:39:31,379 --> 00:39:36,067 I remember me and Angel were holding on to each other. 632 00:39:36,068 --> 00:39:38,619 I don't think I've ever had held her hand 633 00:39:38,620 --> 00:39:41,378 that tightly before. 634 00:39:41,379 --> 00:39:44,619 And I remember both of us were shaking. 635 00:39:44,620 --> 00:39:48,723 We were waiting for him to step out from behind that door 636 00:39:48,724 --> 00:39:50,827 and look at us both in the face. 637 00:39:52,758 --> 00:39:55,481 [Megan Lang] At the sentencing hearing, 638 00:39:55,482 --> 00:39:57,999 we put on a lot of evidence, 639 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,826 because we wanted to convince the judge 640 00:40:00,827 --> 00:40:03,309 that he should sentence Brandon 641 00:40:03,310 --> 00:40:06,516 to the maximum amount of time allowable under 642 00:40:06,517 --> 00:40:08,895 the plea agreement and sentence him to 30 years. 643 00:40:08,896 --> 00:40:11,861 I also offered into evidence the jail calls, 644 00:40:11,862 --> 00:40:15,792 where he describes in excruciating detail 645 00:40:15,793 --> 00:40:19,723 how he execution-style shot Elena in the back of her head 646 00:40:19,724 --> 00:40:21,344 as she's cowering in the corner. 647 00:40:22,172 --> 00:40:25,516 [narrator] The judge sentences Brandon Wysong 648 00:40:25,517 --> 00:40:29,136 to serve the full 30 years under the plea agreement 649 00:40:29,137 --> 00:40:32,964 for the second-degree murder of Elena Wysong. 650 00:40:32,965 --> 00:40:35,757 I would have loved it if he had gotten a life sentence, 651 00:40:35,758 --> 00:40:38,137 because that's what I think he deserves. 652 00:40:38,310 --> 00:40:42,964 I miss her laugh. I miss her phone calls. 653 00:40:42,965 --> 00:40:47,585 I miss her coming over, and we just laugh and talk. 654 00:40:47,586 --> 00:40:51,448 I miss going out with her to do things with the kids. 655 00:40:52,482 --> 00:40:57,412 [Nathan] She wasn't there for a lot of the big things in my life. 656 00:40:57,413 --> 00:41:00,516 When I first got my license, when I got my name legally changed, 657 00:41:00,517 --> 00:41:02,550 when I graduated high school, 658 00:41:02,551 --> 00:41:05,517 when I took my first testosterone shot. 659 00:41:05,793 --> 00:41:08,792 [Elena on home video] So how are you doing today? 660 00:41:08,793 --> 00:41:13,274 There's no substitution for that loss. 661 00:41:13,275 --> 00:41:15,413 The hole is always there. 662 00:41:16,034 --> 00:41:19,343 Sometimes you just have to say, 663 00:41:19,344 --> 00:41:21,482 "Screw it all, let's just go do something fun."