The Murder of Jackie Vandagriff | Full Episode

Foreign's mom had texted me because she lived pretty close to Grapevine Lake and said, look what happened in story development right now, a body found on the shores of Grapevine Lake, nothing's happening in Grapevine. , nothing except what he did, the victim was identified as Jacqueline Van de Griff hello everyone, my name is Jacqueline Vandegrift but my friends call me Jackie Jackie Vandegrift was 24 years old. I'm currently a junior here at Texas Women's University and my major is nutrition with an emphasis on wellness and just beyond this area where The Shadow is Pretty Shocking is where we had our crime scene.

There are many things that will surprise you and this is by far the worst thing I have ever seen. My manager sends me a message. Charles has just been arrested. I felt like the world was spinning. everything was out of control it is believed that last Tuesday Jacqueline Vandergriff met with Charles Bryant at a bar in Denton. Surveillance video and cell phone pings linked Vandergriff and Bryant. I remember he was a little quiet. I immediately said there's no way they could have done that. wrong guy there's no way he did this are you telling me there's no evidence that Charles Bryant killed Jackie Vandegrift there's no direct evidence this is my calling dealing with these really strange cases serial killers ritual

murder

s hey, How are you today, Jim? at home with the rangers life is good today or not this is not a normal homicide do you know how to kill someone it seemed like it all started with Caitlyn how screwed are you from Caitlin man in the first few days it was good after the first month that's when I started to see these warning signs that he was manipulative, very controlling.

I just told him I can't do this anymore. This does not work. This is over. He went crazy. He appeared in your bedroom out of nowhere. You never gave him the word. I didn't address, hey, trespass in his mind, he was looking for revenge that they got us for harassing his ex-girlfriend that he had called the police on. The way he was harassing me was completely related to Jackie Vandergriff's death. There are some similarities in the way Vandegrift looks. From the way Brian's ex-girlfriend looked, do you think there's a chance he walked into this bar and saw that someone reminded him of you and took it out on her?

I definitely think he really wanted to kill me. I think he wanted me dead foreigner when I first arrived on the scene I saw a lot of police cars I saw fire trucks there was a lot of activity It was September 14, 2016 Just before dawn when John Luna, a captain with the Grapevine Police Department , responded to a call about a gruesome discovery here on Grapevine Lake, right next to the worn trail, there is an area that is quite overgrown, but you can clearly see a small area that was burned, just beyond where I am standing , there was a body that was obviously charred.

They had set it on fire. The body found inside a blue wading pool was so damaged that police were unable to determine the most basic facts about the victim. We didn't know if it was an adult or a child, a man or a woman. The day police used fingerprints, they were able to identify the victim. She was Jackie Vandegrift, a 24-year-old nutrition student at Texas Woman's University in nearby Denton. I chose this specialty because I realized the importance of nutrition and general health. We are both called Jacqueline. Jacqueline Kennedy, one of Jackie vandegrift's closest friends, Jackie Tan, they met in high school since then we were Jackie squared and I loved it.

She made me feel like she could be myself and just be silly and fun. Jackie Tan remembers her friend as a good student. that I was focused and trusted that girl, the smartest girl I have ever met, she had her whole life ahead of her, she had plans, my detectives and I went there for her funeral and I feel sorry for Captain Luna, the brutality of this crime hit home. close to home. Could it easily be my daughter who happened this to you? Jackie spent the last night of her life in Denton with this man who didn't know his identity right away, but this woman knew him very well, she always gave me flowers, especially if she had something to regret Charles Bryant lived about 20 miles away , but had been frequently visiting Denton trying to rekindle a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Caitlyn Mathis, who had recently moved there to attend the University of North Texas. trying to recover and I thought nothing was going to work.

Caitlyn's relationship with Bryant had begun three months earlier, in June, in the town of Grapevine, when she arrived at the restaurant where Caitlyn was working as a waitress on the day I met him. It was the day after I graduated from high school. He had a lot of muscles and tattoos, which interested me at the time. Bryant was 29 years old at the time and worked as a bartender and personal trainer. You are 18, he is 29, he has muscles and tattoos and must have made your mother crazy, yes, extremely crazy in a good way, although yes, she cared about me.

Being a mother of adult children is a different role that you must let go so that they can fly away and grow. Caitlyn is the youngest of Karen Hulsey's four children, she says. Caitlyn Fireball was hard to miss, you know, when she was in the house, she never walked anywhere, she ran everywhere, and Caitlyn dove headfirst into her relationship with Charles Bryant that summer of 2016. One of her regular haunts. The photo was taken when Karen found out about the relationship, she asked Caitlin to show her a photo of him. I have this feeling. Deep in my bones, an evil feeling and I told her she's going to hurt you, she's going to do something bad, wow, and she says. oh, he's kind, he's good to me, he makes me feel like an adult.

If you were thinking, you're 18, you're too young to know. Yes, but I didn't want to insult her in a few weeks. Caitlyn had serious doubts. about Brian that's when I started seeing these warning signs that he was manipulative, he was a bit of a narcissistic artist, he thought highly of himself, he said things like oh you'll never find anyone better than me, he was toxic and he was Toxic to mid August 2016 Caitlyn broke up with Brian, she thought it would be the last time she would see him but the next day he showed up uninvited at her mother's house and somehow convinced me to get back with him, I was trying to say .

Oh, I can work on this and I can be better and make all these promises, but Caitlyn realized that she wasn't interested in promises, that was one of the things my mom taught me. People don't change you, you can't change someone in that. He was just waiting for the perfect time to end things a little over a week after Caitlyn moved to school, she told Brian it was over that same night, the police found him on campus just by pure coincidence , I had made a traffic stop. And he was driving that vehicle, right? Jeremy Polk was then a lieutenant in the UNT university police.

He detained Brian early on the morning of August 24. I thought he was a drunk driver because of the way he was driving and that was my approach. right now i'm at the place where you know a race so good you could stay a secret it's all good bryant was not over the legal limit they charged him with some outstanding traffic tickets and let him go later that same day he was back on campus at Caitlyn again, she actually knocked on my bedroom door, she didn't know where I lived before and said, oh, her name was on the door, did that scare you?

I was scared at that moment, Caitlyn. I got him out of there and he called the campus police. Captain Polk recognized Brian's name in the report and went to interview Caitlin the next day. She told us things like: I just didn't like the way Charles spoke to me. I didn't like the way he treated me. Me and I made that decision at that moment, you know he would do everything he could to help her with this situation. Polk issued a non-invasion order banning Charles Bryant from the UNT campus, but once again, Bryant wouldn't take no for an answer, the biggest fear I have.

What I have as a police officer sometimes is excitement because excitement drives people to do things you would never imagine. It was my first day there and he walked through the door and my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. It was August 31, 2016. A week since Charles Bryant had located Caitlyn Mathis in his new bedroom and was now invading his space again upon entering his new restaurant on her first day of work. I was like: I just want you to leave out what he said and what he didn't actually say. anything he seemed upset my new coworkers said yes, he was here yesterday looking for you.

Caitlin asked her manager to keep Bryant out, but her manager said there was nothing he could do. I can't work here. I do not feel safe. enough to work here Caitlyn returned to her old job a half hour drive away her mother found it difficult to watch from a distance I told her to come home it was my maternal instinct to protect her and to protect her I had to have her with me but Caitlyn thought she would be safe in his bedroom a week later, on September 6, on what would have been their three-month anniversary. Bryant returned once again, he appeared in my bedroom, knocked on my door and by that time I was shaking.

I'm all alone. In fact, I hid in my suitemate's closet. You hid. Yeah, when I was on the phone with the police, they told me we can't hear you. You have to talk. I was just afraid that he would hear me. I heard my voice say Caitlin I know you're there just open up I have something for you and I say God what do you have for me? I do not want it. Bryant left flowers and a two page letter the police arrived he was gone I heard him say hey it's Charles he said something for you although I'm sure it was him yes 27 me and 443 the police found him outside ten minutes later you're still here yes, are you?

What's your name running now? clothes and arrested him for trespassing—well, you know, you're not supposed to be here—Brian posted Bond and he was released within hours, even though Caitlyn had already blocked him on her phone, email, and social media. , he created a new email address and later wrote to her that Same day here I am heartbroken and with a criminal record for bringing flowers to the girl I love. That's when he became really serious to me. If an actual physical arrest doesn't stop the behavior, then you know something is wrong. Caitlyn, receive an emergency. protective order and because Brian had continued to try to contact her after her arrest, how is Charles doing?

She get his ID. Polk had his officers go to Brian's house the next day and charge him once again, this time with stalking. This was his third arrest in 14 days. I told him that if he continued to communicate with Caitlyn I would use every email I would use every text message I would use every phone call as a reason to re-arrest him two days later Bryant posted five thousand dollar bail and was released from jail. He was telling his roommate that I was the crazy one in this relationship, so all of his friends were coming up to me and saying: Why do you need to drop these charges against him before the deadline?

September 13th? Bryant was back in Denton, just a half mile away. from Caitlyn's bedroom in an area she had told them about when they were still dating. I was talking about going to Fry Street and meeting new people. Bryant went to the Fry Street tavern that night, around 7 p.m. m., an hour later, Jackie Vandegrift walked. I was asked about a job and ended up in a conversation with the bartender and Charles Bryant. About 45 minutes later, Jackie posted a message on her Twitter. I'm glad I decided to get off Tinder and walk to a bar. Jackie's friend Jackie Todd, Jackie was a very social person.

Every time she went out she made friends with everyone and it wasn't even flirty, it was nothing, you know, she was talking to the waiter talking to other people around nine o'clock, Jackie left with Bryant and the waiter, her and Bryant . I went to another nearby bar and started talking to a group of women at 9:45 it was raining and everyone was going out. Jackie left with Charles Bryant. I feel like she felt comfortable enough with him that night because she had been dating him for so long. For a long time she said, Hey, well, whatever he's going to drop me off, it's not that far away and I'll be fine once in his car.

Brian stopped at a convenience store. This was the last time Jackie Vandergriff was seen alive the day after she was found. dead there was a new post on her Twitter I never knew I could feel like this it was really strange the police suspected it was a message from her killer they knew they had to act quickly to identify the man Jackie had been with they had some luck when they located him the women Jackie met that night one of the friends she was with had received a business card from this person because he was a fitness instructor now the Grapevine police had the name Charles Bryant they found out aboutthat restraining order so, in my opinion, that I interpreted as a good suspect.

Grapevine police called Captain Polk, who was in the middle of a road race. The first thing he told me was that Charles Bryant was his prime suspect in Jackie's

murder

, and I immediately sat down on a park bench in the middle of the race. I was surprised that Bryant emerged as a strong suspect, but the Grapevine police he had no physical evidence connecting him to Jackie's death, so for now Bryant was free and Polk was worried about what he might do next. I called Caitlin and he just asked me where are you. I asked him if this has to do with the murder that happened in Grapevine and he said, "I can't say, I can't specify that for you, Caitlyn, but are you safe right now?" I think he might have been wrong in the days after Jackie was murdered.

Charles Bryant sent Caitlin several emails, including this photo, writing on it the first kiss under this tree. Once upon a time that photo was taken at Grapevine Lake. He could have taken that photo that same day. Jackie was murdered in September 2016 and Caitlyn Mathis' ex-girlfriend Charles Bryant was very concerned that he may have been involved in the brutal murder in Grapevine Lake just days before. She was waiting for more news to come out because at that point they hadn't. I haven't even arrested him yet, were you worried he was going to come after you? I thought that was exactly what he was going to do.

The emails in the photo that Bryant had recently sent to Caitlin would prove that he was still thinking about her in the days after Jackie. she was murdered but they were also proof of something else: Charles was forbidden to communicate with her in any way and then, if he did, he would have been violating that order. Captain Poke thought they could use those violations to help the Grapevine police. I still have enough to make an arrest, so I told the detective we can sign a warrant on some evidence we just received and at least you know, get him off the street.

Well, Charles Bryant was arrested on September 18 for violating Caitlyn's restraining order. Grapevine detectives were Hoping to soon find more evidence connecting him to Jackie's death, they brought him to the Grapevine Police Department for an interview and he is immediately beginning to distance himself from having almost any interaction with Jackie. You recognize who she is. Senator and at the same time. As we begin serving a search warrant for her residence, what can you tell me about her? That's all. I guess it had been four days since Jackie's body was found, enough time to get rid of any possible evidence, but Captain Luna at the Grapevine police says they found it. a lot in Brian's house, including a large military style knife, you know what bag was found there too.

Bryant had no way to answer for any of it, including two more items that police found while he was in custody. Video of him buying a shovel that night. Jackie disappeared and a wading pool that matched the one in Jackie's body was missing from her backyard. We have a video of you with this girl. You're at the bar. You're walking through Walmart at four in the morning buying a shovel. She was found dead in a pool coming from her backyard, she even got to the point at the end of her interview with our detective where she said well, I must have done it.

I don't remember doing anything, everything points to me, it's as if she did it. Having made it an open and shut case or even a closed one, although there was overwhelming evidence that Bryant had disposed of Jackie's body, there was still no evidence to confirm how Jackie had died with him. Bryant had killed her and that's when they approached me and asked if I could spend some time with him and interview him and see what I could get because you have experience dealing with this type of personality. This is my vocation. Jim Holland is the lead member of an elite team of the Texas Rangers, a select division of the Texas State Police, specializing in interviewing some of the country's most prolific killers and analyzing their thoughts, hey, how are you doing today? ? and Charles Bryant seemed to fit the bill.

Jackie's body had been dismembered before being attacked. fire, how do you begin to understand a mind that would do that? a lot of these people I really want to tell you they want to tell someone at first Bryant stood by his claim that he didn't remember anything yeah that's crazy because you don't really remind me of the idea that he doesn't remember doing it um no that's absolute nonsense so you knew that Charles Bryant remembered exactly what had happened oh yes absolutely and your job was to just get that out of him right? You're not a violent guy, you haven't really been in trouble.

Holland says his strategy was to try to befriend Bryant and get him to talk, obviously it works, I mean, you're right, you don't want him to do it. he looks at you like an officer of the law you want him to think of you as a friend a compadre a drinking buddy you know you're going back to what two guys would talk about in a high school locker room you know about the girl I made out with on Friday at night you don't have any problem with girls it just blows my mind and Holland suggested possible scenarios to see if Bryant would take control from there okay then something happens bam there's a snap and we have to figure out what is. and maybe you know she got angry, maybe she's giving you all the signs and then she interrupts you.

I mean, there could be all kinds of different things going on here, right, I mean, girls, you know, girls, you know, as we go through the interview, I'm looking at it. I'm um, I guess in a way a human lie detector. I'm um, I'm reading it and I'm throwing things at you that I know the answer to and I'm looking for yours. answers whether true or false under the pretext of helping Bryant remember what happened. Holland suggested they do a memory exercise. What we're going to do are these mental exercises, which means we're going to go back in time, Bryant, who was the first.

He claimed that he didn't know who Jackie was and then he seemed to remember her; he said that he could see her walking into the bar. I think he was looking for a job and offering to take her home. There are tons of things in this that I can tell you well. while he ate pizza while Holland tried to convince Brian to confess, he was asked about a possible motive, but what does everyone want to know? Holland finally moved on to Chase and asked if what happened with Jackie was really about Caitlyn. Was there a moment when you imagined her as?

This girlfriend who did you wrong or did something like that comes into play the level of nonsense that came out of her mouth at different points about that was just amazing. Do you think Charles Bryant looks around the bar and sees Jacqueline Vandegrift? Oh, he looks like Caitlyn. I wouldn't be surprised if you really confused her at first, you know, that he saw her from behind and thought, man, you know my ex is here, I think in her mind that whole night I think that's what she imagined after the murder, right? after the murder. she took Jackie's phone and used it to add me on Facebook when Texas Ranger Jim Holland was brought in to question Charles Bryant.

The nature of the crime made him wonder if Brian's brain was wired like that of the serial killers he had encountered. How is the mind of a serial killer different from a common criminal, you know, generally people like that tend to have a sociopathic or psychopathic mentality and it's just a different game. A psychopath would be someone who is basically born with a scar on their brain, so a sociopathic mentality is something that society has. caused something to happen to them that changed their psyche something perhaps had happened in their childhood Christy Dixon got a first hand glimpse into Charles Bryant's psyche she met him on a dating app the year before Jackie vandegrift died he seemed quite quiet and reserved almost like I was Shy, the second or third time we dated I noticed he was getting attached pretty quickly and I just wasn't there, it was very casual to me after she broke up he continued to pursue her.

Bryant even told her that he loved her. His Christy says they had never kissed, it was too much, too soon, too fast. I work with abused children and that caught my attention. Christie says that was when she asked Brian about his childhood, he told her that he had been sexually abused, a claim that 48 Hours was unable to independently verify. I remember thinking that makes sense. I'm not a psychologist or anything, but his behavior seemed to me like maybe an abused child or someone who just needs that extra love that most people probably aren't looking for yet Christy thought it was harmless and kept in touch I thought that he was just a really nice guy and I felt sorry for him I'm not an angry guy I'm not aggressive As Ranger Holland continued his interrogation he wanted to see if Bryant would answer the key question: how did Jackie Vandegrift die? his autopsy didn't provide many answers there's a lot we didn't know we didn't know where it happened we didn't know exactly how it was broken and that's What was my goal Holland wondered if the crime had a sexual element, but Bryant initially denied that anything sexual had occurred.

I usually don't remember having sex after three more hours of interrogation. Brian said they did have sex. Perverted sex according to Bryant. Jackie wanted to. being suffocated with an oversized zip tie that just happened to be in her car, she didn't fight you in any way when you put it in the consensual sexual aspect was one of those things that no, I felt strongly that he was lying and Bryant also claimed that neither He nor Jackie had intentionally tightened the bridle, okay, so you think it tightened on its own, basically it's not a Shadow. I could have a problem with something or, well, then what happened?

You know she doesn't respond. you're just thinking this is a complete and total lie, yes it's a total fabrication. Diddy Killer, yes, absolutely, when you deal with these people, it's so rare that you sit down with them and they tell you from A to Z, this is what happened and they We're always going to leave out things that make them really look bad, in other words, there is an excuse, I'm not a bad person, I didn't mean for this to happen, it was an accident, although Bryant was evasive about how Jackie died like Holland. He guided him through the memory exercise.

Bryant went into gruesome detail about how he disposed of her body. Okay, what do you see in the pool with the originals? Now tell me exactly what you see happening after that. I'm going to analyze that truth and what happens next? Let's put fire to the fire. Why do you burn the body? Even if he couldn't admit to the murder. Bryant seemed to vacillate between denial and acceptance at one point and admitted that the evidence showed he had to have done it. "I can". I can't fight it, obviously it is after an intense six hour interrogation and with mounting evidence, Charles Bryant was finally charged with the murder of Jackie Vandegrift.

Christy Dixon couldn't believe the news that night. She was actually afraid to go to sleep. I had nightmares. He had never threatened me. before, but just the fact that someone she felt like she knew had murdered someone, she was potentially terrified of Caitlyn Mathis, her worst fears were confirmed and when she tried to learn more about the woman Bryant killed, she made a shocking discovery on Facebook. I looked up Jackie Vandergriff and realized about her, oh my gosh, I'm already friends with her. Caitlyn says the digital friendship began after Jackie died. You received a friend request from Jackie Vandegrift.

Yes, Caitlyn thinks the Facebook friend request could only have come from one person, Charles Bryant, which really sounds diabolical. It was Brian who pleaded not guilty to Jackie's murder. His defense was the same story he told Ranger Holland. These two young people met and consumed a lot of alcohol. Our position is that they had kinky sex even though she died. Brian's court-appointed defense attorney, Glennis. McGinty says Jackie Vandegrift's death was a tragic accident. Is he telling me that there is no evidence that Charles Bryant killed Jackie Vandegrift? There is no direct evidence. Prosecutors Lucas Allen and Anna Hernández believed that the evidence they had would be sufficient.

They also knew that most jurors want to motivate them. They weren't sure they could tell the jury why they thought Jackie was the target. One has to wonder what drives this person to do something like this. There is no doubt that the murder of Jackie Vandergriff is related to the stalking of Caitlyn Mathis yes, I think we believe that she definitely could have been victim number one and Caitlyn was victim number two to help prove this. Prosecutors hoped the judge would allow Caitlyn to testify against her ex-boyfriend-turned-stalker in open court. I felt bad. What do you think is the most revealing part of Charles's interview?Bryant?

Check out the evidence in the case against Bryant on Facebook within 48 hours. Jackie was the most special person. I know I will never meet someone like her again in April. 2018, a year and a half after Jackie Vandegrift's untimely death, Charles Bryant was on trial for her murder, his friend Jackie Tan couldn't bring himself to be there. I wanted to go, but I'll be honest, I couldn't look at it, Charles. Bryant would have to answer for a long list of items that the prosecution had collected, including that giant zip tie, the shovel he bought the night Jackie died and that large knife that police believe he used to cut up her body, all found in his home. "May you pray every night" doesn't happen to his son when they go to school.

Investigators also found a stun gun in her car with Jackie's DNA on it, but it appears Jackie escaped at least one harm. Prosecutors Anna Hernandez and Lucas Allen said the medical examiner was able to perform tests on Jackie's remains and found no evidence of sexual assault. There was no evidence to support that they had any type of sexual encounter. Prosecutors say this undermines Brian's story that it was kinky sex gone wrong. His lawyer Glennis McGinty, how could he? have had sex if there is no evidence there is no evidence to the point that no sperm was found on her that doesn't mean they didn't have some type of consensual sexual encounter uh she likes it prosecutors decided not to reproduce that interrogation tape for the jury. which meant that Bryant would have to take the stand if he wanted the jurors to hear his side of the events that he chose not to hear, shouldn't he explain to the jury why he is not guilty of his death and that goes against of our Constitution? rights, but the defense knows they have an uphill battle convincing the jury that Brian is not guilty of murder while also admitting that he disposed of Jackie's body, if he says it was just an accident, why didn't he ask aid?

Sure, fair question, intoxicated, he panicked and his mind wouldn't process all that to make a rational decision that you or I would have made, call the police, but Bryant went beyond simply dismissing Jackie's body much further and the Prosecutors wanted the jury to hear her theory, a big part of that story was harassment, but before the jury could hear from Caitlyn the judge would have to decide whether or not to allow this evidence. How is your boyfriend? Local television cameras were there when, with no jury present, Caitlyn took the stand and confronted her ex. She disgusted me just seeing her face.

Did she look at you? Did you look into her eyes at any point? We had to do it when they made me describe to the court what he was wearing and he just had this smile on her face. There's nothing really that can prepare you for that. No? The moment I walked out those doors. I started to cry at the end the judge ruled against Caitlyn being able to tell her story to the jury it was definitely a real blow to us that was the right decision why she had not been convicted of anything with Caitlyn when the jury came out to deliberate the defense had hopes.

I don't think they could prove that he murdered her. I don't think they can prove that, but would the jury agree that they were gone for just over two hours and even without hearing Caitlyn's story? We, the jury, find. the accused Charleston Bryant Jr guilty of the crime of murder Charles Bryant was found guilty of the murder and dismemberment of Jackie vandegrift to his way of thinking it was Justice Done yes I knew she was there and I said thank you because the prosecutors had no evidence that Bryant committed another crime at the same time as Jackie's murder like the kidnapping of the rapper, he was not eligible for the death penalty, he was sentenced to life in prison, as terrible as it is, but he wanted the death penalty under Texas law.

Bryant could be eligible for parole after 30 years, Caitlyn says. She feels that she is still looking over her shoulder and she always will be. I'm afraid that when he gets out he'll come looking for me and do something to me or someone I love, that's my biggest fear since this happened to Caitlyn and her mother. I've been thinking about Jackie and her family this whole time. I wanted to reach out to them, but I didn't know how they felt almost two years after Jackie died. They finally met his grandmother. Bless you. She immediately walked over to us and Caitlyn and hugged us. to her and said: I have been very worried about you these last two years.

Wow Karen, why is this the part that gets you? She took the little one away from her in the pain I saw in her eyes. She could feel her pain and yet Grandma told me. Caitlin was worried about Caitlyn yes you sound like very special people they say she fought he survived and Jackie didn't this could so easily have been you and some days I wish it was it's just the guilt that eats me up sometimes I would have done it. she would have easily taken her place if she had the chance Jackie Vandegrift's family has awarded a health and wellness internship at Texas Woman's University in her name a young mother murdered there was only one suspect in this case who else would want this sweet young woman was murdered for decades.

The main suspect was later arrested, but one witness changes everything. I kept the secret for 30 years, 48 ​​hours on Saturday at 10 9 Central on CBS Foreign.