Yup! Agreed the husband and son were in high profile jobs where they’re office is filled w back stabbers and Haters but a blind ad makes me think in other direction just plain evil soullessness maybe gang related crime who knows. Senseless tragedy!
My brother was friends with Jeremy and was on the swim team with him! We’ve been talking about this case a lot lately and how it’s never gotten any real coverage…thank you so much for bringing attention to this horrific case!
I don’t think this was a “hit” at all. A thrill kill, more likely. Look at BTK- one man killed an entire family and befuddled investigators. He was a very intense, organized killer. He stalked his victims. And that was his first kill. I’m sure the “two Caucasian males” seen by the neighbors around the time of this crime were the perpetrators. If only we could get a podcaster involved, someone to reinterview the neighbors and family. I have a feeling that the case could break.
@@viciousdope66 I got thrill kill vibes too. I think it’s possible had they never placed that advert in the paper, they could very well still be alive. But then I struggle with the idea that they knew them like some Cassie Jo Stoddart type of teenage thrill killing. As for the “overkill” that may actually be indicative of their inexperience plus simply ensuring they were dead (c’mon, it was a 22!!) bc they could’ve been easily identified.
i was friend of Greg Woodley''s back when he went to UT. He left me 2 posters which I refuse to throw away in honor of his memory. Very. very tragic. RIP Greg :(
I would say "potentially" that the father or siblings may have witnessed a major league crime and or one of them involved with a major league crime. Furthermore, if the father for example may have experienced threats regarding financial exploitation and failed to comply. The acts and killings were done by "Pros" and was committed for a specific reason and or reasons. Additionally, no defensive wounds were noted regarding the 3 victims which suggests the assailants were very experienced at revenge killings prescribed to them and maintained total control of the victims from start to finish. I would say the assailants were Caucasian and in their late 30s and or total age range of 40s, 50s.
It seems to have been motivated by a very personal hatred of the father who was shot six times. He was also made to suffer more by having to watch his sons die first.
From the description, I gathered that the two perpetrators were younger males. Possibly close to the age of the brothers or even younger…I just have The Hague feeling that this was a bloodlust crime. I have a hard time believing the two young men would target all three to torment or “get back at” the dad. I feel like they wanted to bring death, and they eliminate men in order of biggest to smallest threat. The younger men would have been stronger and faster, the father, a bit older, so he died last…Either way, someone needs to get a fresh set of eyes on this case, and start interviewing locals/neighbors/family members. It can be solved.
That is the question I was wondering....where was the rental truck and the heavies to lift the piano on the truck. It is possible that he needed to bring "relatives" to lift the piano. It must have been an old piano, and those pianos are super heavy.
That was a immediate red flag to me. Most 16 yr. old boys are thinking about cars, women/girlscomputer stuff, etc... I think someone in the family guessed him to be that young. Most likely in his early to mid twenties. I keep thinking Isreal Keyes.
Exactly! As soon as I heard that I thought to myself, wouldn’t they question the same? It could always be excused away I guess ie my parents want to buy me a piano for lessons or something along those lines. Unfortunately we’ll never know. What a shame. RIP🌹
It was an upscale neighbourhood so chances are the parents would have been able to stump up the cash. The 1990s were different times and there was no issue with kids running these sorts of errands by themselves. And all we know is that "Shelby" had said he was coming to collect the piano. We don't know if he would have been coming alone, or had enlisted help and someone had a van etc. We also don't know what sort of piano it was - a simple upright or baby grand wouldn't have needed half as much effort to move.
"Shelby" could have been a scout, checking the layout of the property, and then making the appointment to make sure the Barry and sons were home. He could have asked the men, especially Barry, to be there to help move the piano. It also meant they would open the door to the hitman, expecting it to be Shelby. Absolutely a setup hit.
the boy who came to look at the piano, and then later called to say he was coming over to pay for it on the evening of the murders, sounds very suspicious, especially since they could never locate him after the murders. He might have been sent there by someone to check out the layout of the house, and possibly find out when certain family members were at home. When he called to say he was coming to the house, he might have been trying to find out whether or not the targeted people were there at the house. But why this family was marked for murder, is the big question.
My opinion on this case is yes, it was a professional hit, however, the excess of bullets used indicates that the hitman/men were new to murder for hire. They were positioned "Mafia style", however they were not shot execution style. That small piece of knowledge really makes me think it was either staged to look like a hit, or it was a newgun with some, but very little experience. It's also likely "Shelby" was scouting the property. The lack of forced entry, says to me that they would have been expecting someone, and "Shelby" showed up with someone else. That someone was was perhaps posing as an adult parental figure. Was let in, and boom. The Woodley family wouldn't have been suspicious of either scenario. 1) how would a 16 year old pay for that, 2) how would he move the piano? It would make sense that "Shelby" would have one or more adults with him, and it would have seemed completely normal. As this kid "Shelby" never came forward, it is likely he was involved in the murders. It also seems that because Barry was writing that receipt, and he would have recognised Shelby, they wouldn't have had to force their way in.
Imagine having a normal day of a normal life, coming home from running normal errands and finding your spouse and two of your children executed. How do you get over that initial shock and trauma? How do you deal with the tremendous grief and rage that follows? In a lot of cases, I think that the people left behind are the truest victims. They are the ones who have to live with the loss for the rest of their lives.
@@doxasophosmoros yep a family friend and the whole family really was never the same after his sister was stabbed to death by her tenant. Everyone remembered how she was always so nice and spent time with her grandchildren.
Agree Kari, and I'm just glad the wife had two suviving daughters to help her, and help eachother with the trauma, otherwise.....well, it would be hard to go on.
The Palatine massacre happend in the northwest suburbs of Chicago in 1993. When the two perps were caught in 2002 they admitted their motivation was purely for the thrill. It's very likely the slayings in this video follow the same pattern.
That's what the death penalty is for. There's no reason criminals of this caliber should live a day past their sentences. Convict, give'em stale bread and tepid stale water for a last meal then straight to the firing squad.
It’s so weird that there is no info online about this case. No case files, no evidence report….everything about it just disappeared….thanks for the report
I'm more suprised when cases actually have published evidence. And three news paper reports that say almost the same thing with one sentence changed isn't evidence. That's literally hearsay. Even today it's nasty to read the cheap edits "news" ads just to say something slightly different than the last but they never were there and just spreading godsip. Its not TOO different. Just a line of what could be a fact but is most typically actually just an opinion when you stop to analyze what you're reading. So much reporting is done by people who are never there, never saw, never spoke to anyone that was there. Just one AP release rewritten again and again.
I’m guessing that someone hated the family/father enough to do this. Even the most nice people have enemies. And sometimes you’re not aware of it, they pretend to like you but secretly plan your demise
I feel like either the dad had information he wouldn’t give up or he had done something horrible to someone and kept it a secret. Why else would you kill the weaker kids before the adult father?
Seems like a crime of passion, jealousy and hate. Killing his sons first and then pistol whipping him then killing him was personal. It was more than one killer. Note to self. Never sell anything. Put it out on the curb and wait for folks to pick it up.
The pistol whipping might have been in response to the father maybe attempting to attack the perpetrator while they reloaded after the boys death. I know of no revolvers that can hold 13 rounds. And .22 is a small caliber so multiple shots makes sense as assurance and not overkill so I think it could go either way
Sorta related, back several years ago I had decided last minute to go to Coachella festival and contacted a seller off a website. The seller had me go pick it up from her house as she was out of town and notified me her mother would be doing the transaction. If I remember correctly the ticket was around $800 or so. Anyway when I arrived alone (I’m a guy btw) I fully expecting to do the transaction at the door but the lady was the absolute sweetest and invited me inside and had me sit at her dining room table alone for a minute while she gathered the ticket, even offered me a soda. I actually even chit chatted with her for about 5-6min about the festival. Even though I absolutely adored her and appreciated the hospitality, something about how she nonchalantly brought me into her home without a second thought without knowing me at all gave me a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t have the heart to bring it up to her as I left as she was the nicest person ever but I did send a text to her daughter the original vendor of the ticket and pleaded with her to tell her mom not to be so trusting with strangers as I could’ve been a random psychopath ready to mug her or worse. I wasn’t sure how she would react but was relieved when she responded with a huge “thank you” and promised me she’d sit her down and talk to her about letting her guard down around randos from the internet/off the street. People don’t deserve to be victimized in their own homes. Be careful who you allow into your houses people!
As a Houston native, I have never heard of this case. Such a horrific and unimaginable tragedy to befell a family. What a level of hell to experience and live with. The entire family was destroyed within 10-15 minutes. I hope that this case is solved one day.
I lived in Cypress and looking back, it was bizarre how little coverage this case got. Somebody just said their had been a neighborhood family murdered execution style over drugs. I don't even recall seeing any news coverage and The Chronicle was still mainstream.
Interesting case. It does seem as if the Shelby person is involved. He said he would come round the night of the murders "to pay them what he owed" The words could be a coincidence but surely not the date. Did the killer intend to kill the whole family or knew that the mother and daughter would be out? They may not have had known enemies but some people take offence at very little and with the wrong temperament, things could turn. The other possibility is the eldest son worked for Lehman Bros. as a stockbroker. Could there be a connection there?Very sad that Lynne didn't get any answers to an absolutely horrific event. She must have gone through unimaginable trauma. RIP
I think the Lehman Bros angle is much more likely. The son that worked there may have become aware of something criminal his colleagues were up to and needed to eliminate him to ensure their secret didn’t get out.
First, this was no professional hit, no professional shoots a victim 6 times, just using a silencer doesn't make somebody a professional, it was simply a botched robbery, father was struck with gun to give up whatever money he had in the house, shelby the teen was so obviously involved or they could've simply trace the call and question him, the calls where made from a paid phone to avoid tracing, they couldn't create a sketch of the teen bc it was one of the victims who showed him the piano the day before, this was very deranged vicious people, forced entry is dumb to consider since there were 3 awake men, you look at that when people are asleep, you have a gun you knock on the door and just point it to the head of the guy and push him in. No enemy here, it's hard to solve bc there's no connection between victims and killers.
This is such a strange one. Sure, people can have secrets that friends and neighbors don't know, but when there's a murder, the police usually uncover things like affairs, drug or gambling addictions, debts, even weird kinky stuff. They know how to find that kind of thing. At least from everything that's been made public, there doesn't seem to be anything like that. I suppose it's possible one of the guys, most likely the father, could have an enemy that no one realized was homicidal, but it's hard to nurture a grudge for years without leaving any traces that *someone* would pick up on.
I have a husband and two sons at home. I cannot imagine having the strength to keep living if I I lost my boys. Jesus, what an awful crime! And no damn answers! 💔🥺
The overkill is a clue. If it wasn't mistaken identity, then the family isn't being honest about something. And how didn't the neighbors hear 14 shots? Nobody screamed?was it usual for the doors to be unlocked? The Shelby character is a red herring. This was a solvable case, sounds like incomplete police work.
The explanation could simply be, that the one who killed them could be "just" a murderer. A serial killer. It could be a couple and they might have done it before. And even though the piano buyer said he was 16, it doesn't have to be the truth.
@@dmreddragon6 I think this was too quick for Keyes work, he liked to rape and torture, maybe he was expecting the wife and daughter to be there, and to think just minutes later they would have been, I wonder was that going through the husbands mind as he was killed, for he would have known she would return from swimming any minute
Guns especially 22 automatic is a great equalizer when "fear" grips the heart. There is no military training indicated here so the three men became "obedient"!!
When the lives of your loved ones are in danger, you will obey any command if you think there’s any chance at all of them being spared. Physical strength means nothing against the power of a gun
No motive? Who says no motive? The same person who said they were saints and everyone loved them and they were perfect? Same one who collected the estate and has over a million reason why they shouldn't list all the shadey dealings in 6 people's lives? In a Biblical ending of a tribe: there's more detail involved. They're not perfect: regardless of what they alledge and tell the public. They pissed someone off enough that the family name had to be erased.
The son who works as a stock broker for Lehman bros might have lost a significant amount of money for some darker characters. And the killings might be a retaliation for that.
This is so tragic. RIP Barry, Greg and Jeremy. I truly hope that their case would be solved soon. And poor Lyn, who died without knowing who killed her beloved husband and sons.
Two thousand was a chunk of money in 1991. (Edit for year and inflation.). No 16 or 17 yo teen would have been walking around on his own to either look at that piano, or call back about bringing payment. (Nothing is indicated whether he offered cash or personal check. I amgoing to assume cash, since banks did not generally open accounts for minors with out any parent as cosignor.). Too bad nobody in the family smelled a rat. There was another family massacered nearby around the same time. They were Chinese, and believed to have been killed for the husband knowing about crimnal activityin which he was not involved.
I just want to say that you do a wonderful, professional job at telling the crime stories that you choose to tell. You have a soothing, confident style that is a pure joy to listen to. Also, the stories that you tell, flow nicely. You do a great job of researching your information, keeping the content interesting, and to the point. Have a great day, and keep up the fantasic work.
Thank you for doing a video on this. I live in Houston and I live 20 mins from Cypress and little to no stories and videos or articles have been done on this. Ty for keeping their story alive so they aren’t forgotten this is still one of the worst unsolved crimes till date in Houston
This case was so sad. I agree with another comment that if there was family secrets , that may have contributed to their murder, the police investigation would have found something. I believe that this was a case of mistaken identity perpetrated by a hit man and the person wanting to buy the piano.
@@godfreypigott You would move the piano OUT of the house, to a garage or a storage unit or something. You could also sell it to a second hand piano dealer, pawnbroker or suchlike and let them handle it once you've got your cash.
I don’t let anyone in my home. And if a plumber, electrician, etc is needed. My husband is always present and armed. My husband doesn’t like to leave children toys around the front, no school stickers/identifying magnets on car. Paranoid? Definitely with every reason to be hesitant of all. Nefarious intentions are only a thought away.
i think this related ro his job. went looking for more info and found this quote I know Bechtel, the company he worked for. I work for a similar, although much bigger company. The contracts I review are signed by prime ministers and governors. It's big stakes. Projects to build dams, or bridges, or supply trains are worth billions. Enough to kill for. Today, it's more difficult. But the 90's in particular was a hey day for corruption of the sort that seemed ethically dubious but everyone was doing it.
Kate Sarginson, thank you for some inside information pertaining to this profession. I would never imagine that corruption in this field, but anything is possible. I am fairly certain that the killers intended to cause the father as much pain as possible with regards to killing his sons first as he was forced to watch.
@@NatureLover-62 I was thinking the same about why the father was last to die. It seems to have been motivated by a very personal hatred of the father who was shot six times.
@@markus7166 That was my first thought as well but when I heard that the police believed that the killings had all taken place within a ten minute time frame I found it hard to believe that a killer who had planned and executed the killings so perfectly that to this day he has never been caught, would have left himself only ten minutes to obtain the information he wanted so badly that he was prepared to kill three people for it. That just didn't make sense to me. So then I started to think of other revenge killing I had heard about. In these cases the killers had blown a perceived slight out of all proportions in their minds to the point where they begin to obsessively plan their revenge. They get such enjoyment out of this that it becomes like a favorite hobby for them. They stalk their victims making copious notes about their movements and their daily routines. They carefully research the weapons they are going to use. I think that is why it appeared like a professional hit to the police.
So disturbing. Almost like someone wanted to cut that lineage off at the knees. Only the men? Ugh. Horrifying and very scary and frustrating. Thanks DC🙏💔🦌
Based on the form of killing and the order of the murders, the father was the intended audience. It sounds too nice and well thought out to be random or mistaken identity. My hunch is that the father found something out or saw something or simply was so nice that someone who knew him, hated his character. It seems that the person(s) knew that the father wouldn’t fight back. This is such a strange and nonsensical event.
Please keep this alive. I went to school with Jeremy. While I didn’t know him as a friend I knew of him through mutual friends. Every few years I search for a conviction and feel let down every time. I am very over protective with my sons due to this. My boys do not answer doors ever. The rumors at school were frightening and very accurate according to your story. It breaks my heart 30+ yrs later
It is also possible that being on the swim team made "someone" jealous! Nowadays, some parents have connections to drug lords/mafia. The Father might have been totally innocent. What was the type of work the Father did, do you remember?
Agreed. This sounds like a very direct, planned, quick hit, organized by someone who wanted the father dead. It may be that the gunmen were hired by some other party. No money or objects stolen? This wouldn't be stoned heroin addicts trying to score their next fix... I also don't imagine this to be a thrill-kill... When gangs require an "initiation" for membership, it usually involves driving a car and popping off some hapless stranger by the side of the road. This kind of crime happens when you've really pissed someone off, bigtime, and usually over a large sum of money. This kind of execution style killing sounds like Mafia or Mexican Mafia s***. Methodically tying up three men on their knees is not usually the MO of a wandering serial killer. I also think this narrative is missing some more facts that only police detectives knew about; because what we hear here doesn't quite pass the "smell test". As benign as the father is painted to be, I suspect he had some kind of dirty dealings somewhere... that involved money. Also conceivable that Greg had done someone wrong (supposedly) in the high finance biz.
The fact that the 16 year old never came forward is very suspicious. Even if he didn't want to, I would think his parents would make him. They had to have known about him buying the piano. I can see though that there might be a reason of them being scared to come forward so they wouldn't be implicated. Still highly suspicious.
Thank you for another interesting and informative video which no doubt brings much needed attention to these cold unsolved and tragic cases. Love your voice, it's very soothing and perfect for narrating.
Why can't a 16-year-old buy a piano? Perhaps he's a musical savant. There is no reason why a 16-year-old can't save money and buy musical instruments. Maybe the money was a gift from his grandparents and they own a truck. I worked hard when I was 16 about the same time. I, also, practically raised myself and I was pretty mature. Why is everyone so sure that everyone is the same and incapable of doing things that they themselves wouldn't do? Do we even know what type of piano it is? A regular piano isn't that big. Anyway, I think the wife is involved up to her eyeballs. Why is there so little about this case on the interwebs?
The piano buyer probably brought people with him to help with the moving of the piano, that's probably how they got all the guys together too. But it was all a ploy to commit this crime?
The only thing that really says "professional" in this case is being able to control 3 grown men and the bindings. The neighbors wouldn't necessarily have heard a .22 going off either ,Texas is a suppressor friendly state for one and you can get subsonic .22 ammunition that is very quiet even without a suppressor. You state though that no shell casings were found due to the weapon used? How do you know that ?
@@car-less-ness6770 Shell casings cool pretty quick though, it doesn't seem like the killer was in a massive rush either, being able to control and bind the victims, it takes time. ( enough for casings to cool for sure ) What I was referring to more so was the "because of the weapon used, no shell casings were found" part. It sounds like a revolver, but I doubt that was the case.
Not having any experience with "professional hit men" I have to ask - do they always fire so many rounds into their victims? I mean one bullet in the head is more than likely to do the job. Three, four and six rounds (and a beating) doesn't sound "professional" it sounds personal.
I have heard that two shots in the back of the head is a method used by professionals. The police officers who killed Jean Charles de Menezes - whom they mistook for a terrorist - in 2005 in a London tube train fired 11 shots, hitting him seven times in the head.
The only thing "professional" about this was having them kneel, shooting them in the back of the head, and removing evidence. A professional isn't likely to use a .22 as it isn't as effective as a larger caliber.
A lot of people have actually survived getting shot once or even multiple times in the head, the more bullets shot the better the chance the poor victim doesn't make it
I didn’t hear anything that reasonably suggest a professional hit. Neighbors usually do not hear gunshots, for some reason.. even when they are made outdoors…
What a dreadfully sad and baffling case. Poor men. Poor wife to have lost a husband and both sons and in such a ghastly way. Such a strange crime, one without any sense to it…. It’s just so odd that they were killed seemingly with no real motive. I really hope the remaining family gets answers.
I have never heard of a more organized methodical murder ever like this one. And I've read about n watched thousands of murders. This is truly bizarre!
3 members of a family found bound and shot in ritualistic execution style. Sheriff: “whoever came over there, to the Woodley residence, came over there to kill them.” ……. Genius
Shelby is Barry's son out of marriage? Maybe he was angry bc he wasn't acknowledged by his father and didn't have the same opportunities as Barry's other sons.
So obviously it's "Piano Boy" and a friend who show up later. If that seems ridiculous, remember that's how the poor Clutter family ended up murdered -- two idiots looking for a safe full of money that didn't exist.
Terrible tragedy, some people are easily outraged, thinking maybe Barry had a problem with a work colleague or caused one to lose his or her job, I don’t think piano boy is involved, he’s just a coincidence, the worst of it is we don’t know and possibly never will, the presentation of this event was so well done I watched it twice
Wow this is a curious one indeed! There are a few things that caught my eyes and ears but no explanations for them any more than there are explanations for why these 3 male family members were attacked. The first thing that I noticed was what appeared to be a large scar or injury to Jeremy's neck on the right side. The photo is not clear but it looks like a gash wound that was long healed. The second obvious question was the timing of the children's births. The first two were born close together, there is a large gap in time after that and then the last two are also born close together. What was going on during that lapse in time? There are three survivors in this family, all of the women. The oldest daughter's absence is obvious but the timing of the murders coincide with the Mom going to pick up her daughter and daughter's friend. This probably occurs every week which means the house was cased long before the young man showed up to look at the piano. He may have gone in to observe but if so, he was probably casing the occupants and their habits, not the house contents. The killers targeted the males and Barry in particular. The family knew at least one of their assailants or else the kilkers would not have gained such quiet entry into the house. Using several shots from a .22 semi automatic to kill them was the one thing that didn't surprise me. The guns of this type are small, quiet and can be made even quieter with a silencer or even a pillow. The amount of shots looks like a crime of hate or passion but the truth is they may have taken so many shots to ensure the victim's rapid deaths before they left. 22s are notorious for not breaking bone even at close range so to puncture a skull severel shots would have ensured no survivors. The person who did this had intimate knowledge of the gun's capability and put it to use but it still does not feel like a professional. My guess is that a gang commited this act. They would know by previous usage what the gun could or could not do. But who hired them and why? Or were they hired at all? Did Barry have any sports or religious affiliation to the boy's schools or youth church groups? Could Jeremy have angered the wrong person by winning a swim meet? Did Greg's fiancê have a spurned suitor? Or, does this all come back to that long lapse of time between kids? The Codis Index could be of great help here especially if any perps are now incarcerated for other crimes. Has it been used? Apathy of law endorcement seems to be the biggest problem in answering these questions. Codis and re-interviewing known friends of the victims and the remaining family would be the best place to start new leads. I hope they get caught as this poor family deserves some closure and peace.
Did anyone ever consider the wife?? I tried looking for more info online about this case but can’t find anything.. very very odd.. the police and media have failed this family
There isn’t a 16yr in this country, who would negotiate viewing and purchasing anything but a cheeseburger. I wish a 16yr WOULD try to call me about buying a piano. Click.
Two things i have learned in life is,you do not know what goes on in people's minds,also you cannot really understand what there pain unless you have been through it,a 😏🇬🇧 very interesting case,so very sad!!!🤗🇬🇧
Did they ever suspect the wife? She leaves and this happens. There would have been only her word that a Shelby person was interested in the piano (?) Did either he come (or did nobody actually come the first time?) and wife used it as an excuse so that the husband and sons would let a stranger in? Just speculating. I hope she did...it's would be a horrifying betrayal. :(
I cannot honestly see the wife wanting the husband and her two sons dead. Not everyone that goes to church on a regular basis is corrupt. There is corruption in the church but mostly Roman Catholic ( priests fiddling the youth). The Mafia was also connected to the Roman Catholic Church. If this was a professional hit, bullets in the back of the skull, most likely mistaken identity or just the joy of death. The perpetrators were in and out in 10 -12 minutes, so the Mother and her young daughter was not involved in the kill.
It is more than obvious as many pointed out, that they clearly wanted the father to suffer. This also strongly indicates at least two perpetrators. This will sound far-fetched to some but here goes. The teen Shelby, he went to scout the place earlier using the piano as an excuse. He couldn't pull all this off alone, but what if he was the reason for this?? Yes, the killers wanted the father to suffer. The obvious question is WHY? Why would they want him to suffer? What is their point?? Who would benefit from watching the father suffer? Why kill two sons?? Could it be all based on jealousy??? Was this Shelby a secret son of the father, his anger driving him to eliminate the brothers who were acknowledged & loved, forcing their mutual father to watch as punishment??? Since they still don't know what really happened, l'd say my out there idea is worth a thought. Rest In Peace, Jeremy and Gregory.🌹😔🌹. 🇨🇦
I know this is an aside, but I'm amazed by how much time you put into side activities like learning languages in addition to all the research you put into your cases. Wow--thank you! research
I wanna know how they thought this 16 year old boy was supposed to afford to pay for a 2,000 piano on his own. Where was that kid's parents? Maybe the "parents" were the killers?
This case is sad. I pray there will be closer for the two remaining daughters/sisters. I personally don't believe that it was a case of mistaken identity. The Shelby boy was sent to see the layout of the home. One of these guys had an enemy somewhere. They were successful in their own rights, and made an enemy without knowing. Just my opinion.
This seems to be a pure hate crime towards the father. Overkill and the execution of his sons in front of him. They where also shot in the head several times. Witch I found unlikely for a professional hitman to do. Unless he was instructed to do so, but then why. No this person really hated them. Ravished in the power they held over the father, wanting him to suffer profoundly before they finally killed him. As I believe no one can be liked and loved by all. You can be a thorn in ones side without knowing it. Someone can hate you for just having the “perfect” life.
First, this was no professional hit, no professional shoots a victim 6 times, just using a silencer doesn't make somebody a professional, it was simply a botched robbery, father was struck with gun to give up whatever money he had in the house, shelby the teen was so obviously involved or they could've simply trace the call and question him, the calls where made from a pay phone to avoid tracing, they couldn't create a sketch of the teen bc it was one of the victims who showed him the piano the day before, this was very deranged vicious people, forced entry is dumb to consider since there were 3 awake men, you look at that when people are asleep, you have a gun you knock on the door and just point it to the head of the guy and push him in. No enemy here, it's hard to solve bc there's no connection between victims and killers. The piano related calls were made from a pay phone within a few miles of the murderers home, I don't think they travelled 10 miles just to place the call, one option was to set a perimeter within 2-3 miles of that pay phone and look up criminals with burglaries/robberies records, warrant search silencers, gun, with a teen in the family, etc, another option was to offer a reward for information, I'm sure someone else new something, this is sloppy police work, still a very hard case to solve. They were killed bc they saw their faces, specially Shelby's. Mother and daughter saved their lives by leaving right on time, pure destiny. They targeted this house bc of the luxury item, the piano, gave them the idea of wealth, then they sent the kid to survey the house.
11.58 Are you sure a .22 cal revolver was used if so to kill all three in that manner the perpetrator would have to reload mid execution or use a 2nd gun 🔫
I had this same thought. That and it seems peculiar that any "professional" would choose a .22 for anything intended to be lethal. My other thought was they would likely had used speed loaders or there were 2 guns/2 shooters? I don't feel any "pro" would have chosen this timing, this method of gaining access to the victims. Showing their face during the day, both on the day of coming to view the piano and with the accomplice on the day of the murders. I think the killer(s) were surfing the classifieds for an expensive item that would indicate to them the seller had money. He went and scoped out the house and then returned under the guise of picking it up. It would have been obvious pretty quickly when they arrived in a sedan that they were not prepared to transport it. If they had come with a truck, I feel like it would have been noticed by someone in the neighborhood? If there were 2 perps I tend to lean towards them both shooting. If there were only one shooter, but 2 perps that leaves South potential for one to flip on the other. They are either both responsible for killing or the non-shooter has gotten rid of the one with any motive to turn on him. Or vise versa...
@@Little_Red_Riding_Hoodlum .22 is still lethal and is much easier to make incredibly quiet with pretty standard supressors. It's still a bullet to the head, and .22 makes up a lot more of firearm deaths than you would expect
@@Little_Red_Riding_Hoodlum I'm not trying to solve this but can see your giving it a good crack . If I were interested I'd be less inclined to link the sale of the piano to the murders
, good thought! Unfortunately, the home owner didnot have cameras on the doors and inside the house. Well, it was 1991, Nest Cam had not created home security cameras.
I think that either the dad, or the eldest son was involved in some shady business. The fact that 2 of the sons were murdered makes me believe the wife wasn't involved, because leaving the home right at the time of the murders rises up a red flag, but I doubt she would get her kids killed too. Sad story for sure.
I find it really odd that any 16 year old boy would be shopping for pianos on his own. Not to mention, the price was a lot of money for a teenager to have.
Considering the boy was going to come round and collect the piano and pay for it that evening - and the piano was still there, I would assume that he is somehow connected. How would a 16 year old pay $2,200? I can see a 16 year old wanting a car or some hi tech music system, but a piano?? How was he going to transport this piano home??? That makes me wonder if HE did appear at the home regarding the piano, there would have been someone with him - to help transport the piano. It IS however obvious that the father was made to suffer the most, by killing both boys in front of him, beating him around the head - then using 6 bullets to kill him. Everything was overkill, but the Dad was more so. The piano might have had nothing to do with anything, but I would have expected that if it was all innocent, the boy would have come to collect it, unaware that something else was going on in the house.
Incredibly sad! Did someone (or a couple of people) come in and overpower the younger son, holding him at gunpoint, thus getting the older brother and father to get to comply with their orders? I wonder if we will ever know. Criminals always blab at some point, so I hope that someone comes forward and shares information they may have heard.
a 16 year old can very well overwhelm 3 adults by threatening them with a gun. just say "if one of you moves I'll kill him and the others" and each of the 3 will feel responsible for the fate of their relatives
I imagine you speak Gaelic, I wish I could! I’m a Scot and often curse the Hammer of the Scots for making us stop speaking our native language and effectively wiping it out! I believe Gaelic should be taught in all schools in Scotland. It’s a difficult language to learn, but impossible for me, I’m 70 and have a problem with my memory, so definitely too late ! I’ve not long subscribed to your channel and I’m enjoying your telling of the stories.
I'd say Shelby was used by the hitmen to set it up and ensure that the target would be home at a certain time. Just a hunch, but I just got the impression the older son was the actual target and it involved his job in some way; someone he'd pissed off, probably a business deal of some sort. The other two were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, I could be completely and utterly wrong. I don't understand how the mom and wife could be so " oh, God loves them, too." That in itself is unsettling to me.
I wonder if they ever got prints from the boy on the piano? I would think that a prospective buyer would have played or at least touched it. I’m guessing the father was living some sort of double life that was deeply hidden. How horrific.
I would never discount a potential enemy. You can be the nicest person, and someone is gonna hate your guts for it. you can't win.
So right.
Yup ! Its truly sad...
You couldn't be more correct.
Facts.
Yup! Agreed the husband and son were in high profile jobs where they’re office is filled w back stabbers and Haters but a blind ad makes me think in other direction just plain evil soullessness maybe gang related crime who knows. Senseless tragedy!
My brother was friends with Jeremy and was on the swim team with him! We’ve been talking about this case a lot lately and how it’s never gotten any real coverage…thank you so much for bringing attention to this horrific case!
I feel the same way. even being in Germany. I think it was a hit.
@@fredajordan5704 Yeah but even the theory of a hit is baffling without a known motive.. very strange and horrific case.
I don’t think this was a “hit” at all. A thrill kill, more likely. Look at BTK- one man killed an entire family and befuddled investigators. He was a very intense, organized killer. He stalked his victims. And that was his first kill. I’m sure the “two Caucasian males” seen by the neighbors around the time of this crime were the perpetrators. If only we could get a podcaster involved, someone to reinterview the neighbors and family. I have a feeling that the case could break.
I tried to look up on the internet about this case - there is (almost) zero on it!! What a shame...
@@viciousdope66 I got thrill kill vibes too. I think it’s possible had they never placed that advert in the paper, they could very well still be alive. But then I struggle with the idea that they knew them like some Cassie Jo Stoddart type of teenage thrill killing. As for the “overkill” that may actually be indicative of their inexperience plus simply ensuring they were dead (c’mon, it was a 22!!) bc they could’ve been easily identified.
i was friend of Greg Woodley''s back when he went to UT. He left me 2 posters which I refuse to throw away in honor of his memory. Very. very tragic. RIP Greg :(
Do you know what happened to his Mother she was just 58
😢
Killing the sons in front of the father would be to make him suffer Im guessing
this fact made me think he was the main victim also
I would say "potentially" that the father or siblings may have witnessed a major league crime and or one of them involved with a major league crime. Furthermore, if the father for example may have experienced threats regarding financial exploitation and failed to comply. The acts and killings were done by "Pros" and was committed for a specific reason and or reasons.
Additionally, no defensive wounds were noted regarding the 3 victims which suggests the assailants were very experienced at revenge killings prescribed to them and maintained total control of the victims from start to finish. I would say the assailants were Caucasian and in their late 30s and or total age range of 40s, 50s.
It seems to have been motivated by a very personal hatred of the father who was shot six times. He was also made to suffer more by having to watch his sons die first.
Or the killer had father ussues. But like you I feel like it was the father the killer(s) were focused on.
maybe the father was having an affair with someone's wife or girlfriend and they killed him and his sons.☹️
Most likely the father doing some shady ..Because families/people that look perfect, are the most fucked up ..
From the description, I gathered that the two perpetrators were younger males. Possibly close to the age of the brothers or even younger…I just have The Hague feeling that this was a bloodlust crime. I have a hard time believing the two young men would target all three to torment or “get back at” the dad. I feel like they wanted to bring death, and they eliminate men in order of biggest to smallest threat. The younger men would have been stronger and faster, the father, a bit older, so he died last…Either way, someone needs to get a fresh set of eyes on this case, and start interviewing locals/neighbors/family members. It can be solved.
@@viciousdope66 why did they shoot the father 6 times
What 16 year old boy goes out to buy an over 2000 dollar piano on his own. How was he supposed to transport it?
That is the question I was wondering....where was the rental truck and the heavies to lift the piano on the truck. It is possible that he needed to bring "relatives" to lift the piano. It must have been an old piano, and those pianos are super heavy.
Just because he was supposed to pay for it that day doesn't mean he was going to take it that day.
That was a immediate red flag to me. Most 16 yr. old boys are thinking about cars, women/girlscomputer stuff, etc... I think someone in the family guessed him to be that young. Most likely in his early to mid twenties.
I keep thinking Isreal Keyes.
Exactly! As soon as I heard that I thought to myself, wouldn’t they question the same? It could always be excused away I guess ie my parents want to buy me a piano for lessons or something along those lines. Unfortunately we’ll never know. What a shame. RIP🌹
It was an upscale neighbourhood so chances are the parents would have been able to stump up the cash. The 1990s were different times and there was no issue with kids running these sorts of errands by themselves.
And all we know is that "Shelby" had said he was coming to collect the piano. We don't know if he would have been coming alone, or had enlisted help and someone had a van etc. We also don't know what sort of piano it was - a simple upright or baby grand wouldn't have needed half as much effort to move.
"Shelby" could have been a scout, checking the layout of the property, and then making the appointment to make sure the Barry and sons were home. He could have asked the men, especially Barry, to be there to help move the piano. It also meant they would open the door to the hitman, expecting it to be Shelby. Absolutely a setup hit.
the boy who came to look at the piano, and then later called to say he was coming over to pay for it on the evening of the murders, sounds very suspicious, especially since they could never locate him after the murders. He might have been sent there by someone to check out the layout of the house, and possibly find out when certain family members were at home. When he called to say he was coming to the house, he might have been trying to find out whether or not the targeted people were there at the house. But why this family was marked for murder, is the big question.
My opinion on this case is yes, it was a professional hit, however, the excess of bullets used indicates that the hitman/men were new to murder for hire. They were positioned "Mafia style", however they were not shot execution style. That small piece of knowledge really makes me think it was either staged to look like a hit, or it was a newgun with some, but very little experience.
It's also likely "Shelby" was scouting the property.
The lack of forced entry, says to me that they would have been expecting someone, and "Shelby" showed up with someone else. That someone was was perhaps posing as an adult parental figure. Was let in, and boom. The Woodley family wouldn't have been suspicious of either scenario. 1) how would a 16 year old pay for that, 2) how would he move the piano? It would make sense that "Shelby" would have one or more adults with him, and it would have seemed completely normal. As this kid "Shelby" never came forward, it is likely he was involved in the murders. It also seems that because Barry was writing that receipt, and he would have recognised Shelby, they wouldn't have had to force their way in.
I read a comment stating that we don't know that Shelby was 16 either. He could have simply lied. What an eerie case.
Sounds to me that “Shelby” had something to do with the murders and there was no intention on buying the piano
Exactly my thought too.
Weren't shot execution style? Uhh back of the head with a silencer IS execution style in case ya didn't know
For sure sounds like a professional to me with the main aim on the father.
Imagine having a normal day of a normal life, coming home from running normal errands and finding your spouse and two of your children executed. How do you get over that initial shock and trauma? How do you deal with the tremendous grief and rage that follows? In a lot of cases, I think that the people left behind are the truest victims. They are the ones who have to live with the loss for the rest of their lives.
They never get over it.
you choose to take it 1 day at a time, or you check out of the game
@@doxasophosmoros yep a family friend and the whole family really was never the same after his sister was stabbed to death by her tenant. Everyone remembered how she was always so nice and spent time with her grandchildren.
Agree Kari, and I'm just glad the wife had two suviving daughters to help her, and help eachother with the trauma, otherwise.....well, it would be hard to go on.
I believe that some killers just kill for the thrill. No reason.
The Palatine massacre happend in the northwest suburbs of Chicago in 1993. When the two perps were caught in 2002 they admitted their motivation was purely for the thrill. It's very likely the slayings in this video follow the same pattern.
I live in Chicago I remember that very well.. are you talking about the Brown's Chicken murder. Very sick people out there
Browns chicken, right?
Yes mixed with jealousy perhaps. Seeing a successful apparently happy family.
That's what the death penalty is for. There's no reason criminals of this caliber should live a day past their sentences. Convict, give'em stale bread and tepid stale water for a last meal then straight to the firing squad.
Another weird case in the chicago burbs is the multiple murders of people and workers of Lane Bryant clothing store. Id like to see a video on this.
It’s so weird that there is no info online about this case. No case files, no evidence report….everything about it just disappeared….thanks for the report
Yeah, that also boggles my mind, I couldn't find much on the internet about this case.
I'm more suprised when cases actually have published evidence. And three news paper reports that say almost the same thing with one sentence changed isn't evidence. That's literally hearsay. Even today it's nasty to read the cheap edits "news" ads just to say something slightly different than the last but they never were there and just spreading godsip. Its not TOO different. Just a line of what could be a fact but is most typically actually just an opinion when you stop to analyze what you're reading.
So much reporting is done by people who are never there, never saw, never spoke to anyone that was there. Just one AP release rewritten again and again.
I’m guessing that someone hated the family/father enough to do this. Even the most nice people have enemies. And sometimes you’re not aware of it, they pretend to like you but secretly plan your demise
That is a good possibility, sadly. There are miserable hateful people out there that can do terrible stuff to nice people.
So true, unfortunately!!!🙏😢
I feel like either the dad had information he wouldn’t give up or he had done something horrible to someone and kept it a secret. Why else would you kill the weaker kids before the adult father?
True. People don’t need a good reason to hate you, sometimes they’re just nuts and that’s reason enough 😬
Unfortunately sad but true have to agree with you 💯
Your narration is clear, intelligent and adds that bit of mystery to these stories.
Seems like a crime of passion, jealousy and hate. Killing his sons first and then pistol whipping him then killing him was personal. It was more than one killer.
Note to self. Never sell anything. Put it out on the curb and wait for folks to pick it up.
I donate. 😉
You worded it perfectly. It has jealousy tones for sure.... 👍👍👍👍
@@user-mv9tt4st9k Well, you can donate curbside, you just don't get a document for taxes.
The pistol whipping might have been in response to the father maybe attempting to attack the perpetrator while they reloaded after the boys death. I know of no revolvers that can hold 13 rounds.
And .22 is a small caliber so multiple shots makes sense as assurance and not overkill so I think it could go either way
Sorta related, back several years ago I had decided last minute to go to Coachella festival and contacted a seller off a website. The seller had me go pick it up from her house as she was out of town and notified me her mother would be doing the transaction. If I remember correctly the ticket was around $800 or so. Anyway when I arrived alone (I’m a guy btw) I fully expecting to do the transaction at the door but the lady was the absolute sweetest and invited me inside and had me sit at her dining room table alone for a minute while she gathered the ticket, even offered me a soda. I actually even chit chatted with her for about 5-6min about the festival. Even though I absolutely adored her and appreciated the hospitality, something about how she nonchalantly brought me into her home without a second thought without knowing me at all gave me a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t have the heart to bring it up to her as I left as she was the nicest person ever but I did send a text to her daughter the original vendor of the ticket and pleaded with her to tell her mom not to be so trusting with strangers as I could’ve been a random psychopath ready to mug her or worse. I wasn’t sure how she would react but was relieved when she responded with a huge “thank you” and promised me she’d sit her down and talk to her about letting her guard down around randos from the internet/off the street. People don’t deserve to be victimized in their own homes. Be careful who you allow into your houses people!
As a Houston native, I have never heard of this case. Such a horrific and unimaginable tragedy to befell a family. What a level of hell to experience and live with. The entire family was destroyed within 10-15 minutes. I hope that this case is solved one day.
Neither have I.
Ikr I live in Spring right up the road from Cypress crazy. I’ve never heard of this case. I pray they solve it one day
I lived in Cypress and looking back, it was bizarre how little coverage this case got. Somebody just said their had been a neighborhood family murdered execution style over drugs. I don't even recall seeing any news coverage and The Chronicle was still mainstream.
I am the same, grew up in Houston, clear lake, and live in Montgomery and never Ever Heard of this ever!! So sad.
My thoughts exactly. 😥
What 16 year old is running around with 2300$ to buy a piano in the 90s. Definitely suspect.
Oh. You're not rich
Welcome to Walnut Creek.
Interesting case. It does seem as if the Shelby person is involved. He said he would come round the night of the murders "to pay them what he owed" The words could be a coincidence but surely not the date. Did the killer intend to kill the whole family or knew that the mother and daughter would be out? They may not have had known enemies but some people take offence at very little and with the wrong temperament, things could turn. The other possibility is the eldest son worked for Lehman Bros. as a stockbroker. Could there be a connection there?Very sad that Lynne didn't get any answers to an absolutely horrific event. She must have gone through unimaginable trauma. RIP
I think the Lehman Bros angle is much more likely. The son that worked there may have become aware of something criminal his colleagues were up to and needed to eliminate him to ensure their secret didn’t get out.
Killing the sons for the father to witness appears intentionally targeted toward the suffering of the father.
First, this was no professional hit, no professional shoots a victim 6 times, just using a silencer doesn't make somebody a professional, it was simply a botched robbery, father was struck with gun to give up whatever money he had in the house, shelby the teen was so obviously involved or they could've simply trace the call and question him, the calls where made from a paid phone to avoid tracing, they couldn't create a sketch of the teen bc it was one of the victims who showed him the piano the day before, this was very deranged vicious people, forced entry is dumb to consider since there were 3 awake men, you look at that when people are asleep, you have a gun you knock on the door and just point it to the head of the guy and push him in. No enemy here, it's hard to solve bc there's no connection between victims and killers.
This is such a strange one. Sure, people can have secrets that friends and neighbors don't know, but when there's a murder, the police usually uncover things like affairs, drug or gambling addictions, debts, even weird kinky stuff. They know how to find that kind of thing. At least from everything that's been made public, there doesn't seem to be anything like that. I suppose it's possible one of the guys, most likely the father, could have an enemy that no one realized was homicidal, but it's hard to nurture a grudge for years without leaving any traces that *someone* would pick up on.
I have a husband and two sons at home. I cannot imagine having the strength to keep living if I I lost my boys. Jesus, what an awful crime! And no damn answers! 💔🥺
Linn walked into anyone's nightmare. Imagine losing almost your whole family in one night!!
i did imagine it, but only for an instant! The way that poor woman had been shattered was more pain than i can bear!:-)
Super sad
I just can't imagine how difficult this was for her. It is just heartbreaking.
Indeed. Horrible
that's forever trauma sad 😔
The overkill is a clue. If it wasn't mistaken identity, then the family isn't being honest about something. And how didn't the neighbors hear 14 shots? Nobody screamed?was it usual for the doors to be unlocked? The Shelby character is a red herring. This was a solvable case, sounds like incomplete police work.
The fact that the boy who was planning to buy the piano never came forward implies that he was involved.
Or was frightened enough to stay out of the investigation.
Agree. The murders occurred around the time of piano viewing. Shelby was there to case the house
Agree as well .
*SUGGESTS* not implies.
I SUGGEST you get a life Godfrey 😁
The explanation could simply be, that the one who killed them could be "just" a murderer. A serial killer. It could be a couple and they might have done it before. And even though the piano buyer said he was 16, it doesn't have to be the truth.
It doesn't make much sense for the buyer of a $2,000+ piano to be a sixteen year old boy. I'm getting Isreal Keyes vibes from this case.
@@dmreddragon6 I think this was too quick for Keyes work, he liked to rape and torture, maybe he was expecting the wife and daughter to be there, and to think just minutes later they would have been, I wonder was that going through the husbands mind as he was killed, for he would have known she would return from swimming any minute
You know, this is the kind of case that keeps me awake at nights.. It seems so random, so senseless and so violent 😔
It really pisses me off how the perpetrators got away with it pisses me off big time.
So weird. Absolutely no motive, yet the killer(s) must have been powerful enough to scare three strong men into kneeling to be shot.
Guns especially 22 automatic is a great equalizer when "fear" grips the heart. There is no military training indicated here so the three men became "obedient"!!
When the lives of your loved ones are in danger, you will obey any command if you think there’s any chance at all of them being spared. Physical strength means nothing against the power of a gun
We don't know there was no motive - we just don't know the motive itself.
No motive? Who says no motive? The same person who said they were saints and everyone loved them and they were perfect? Same one who collected the estate and has over a million reason why they shouldn't list all the shadey dealings in 6 people's lives?
In a Biblical ending of a tribe: there's more detail involved. They're not perfect: regardless of what they alledge and tell the public.
They pissed someone off enough that the family name had to be erased.
The son who works as a stock broker for Lehman bros might have lost a significant amount of money for some darker characters. And the killings might be a retaliation for that.
Maybe, but if he was shot first, he essentially got off the easiest.
This is my initial thought as well
Or he became aware of some financial crime committed by colleagues.
@@dmreddragon6 or they were just getting rid of the most important target first.
This is so tragic. RIP Barry, Greg and Jeremy. I truly hope that their case would be solved soon. And poor Lyn, who died without knowing who killed her beloved husband and sons.
Two thousand was a chunk of money in 1991. (Edit for year and inflation.). No 16 or 17 yo teen would have been walking around on his own to either look at that piano, or call back about bringing payment. (Nothing is indicated whether he offered cash or personal check. I amgoing to assume cash, since banks did not generally open accounts for minors with out any parent as cosignor.). Too bad nobody in the family smelled a rat.
There was another family massacered nearby around the same time. They were Chinese, and believed to have been killed for the husband knowing about crimnal activityin which he was not involved.
@@_outofphase5480 Oops! Thank you. Will edit above. The last name Woodley turned up several family massacres. Weird,huh?
I just want to say that you do a wonderful, professional job at telling the crime stories that you choose to tell. You have a soothing, confident style that is a pure joy to listen to. Also, the stories that you tell, flow nicely. You do a great job of researching your information, keeping the content interesting, and to the point. Have a great day, and keep up the fantasic work.
It wasnt just the torture he went through but also the torture of watching his sons being murdered before he was murdered.
This is so very tragic. I hope the remaining family members and friends can find answers someday soon.
Thank you for doing a video on this. I live in Houston and I live 20 mins from Cypress and little to no stories and videos or articles have been done on this. Ty for keeping their story alive so they aren’t forgotten this is still one of the worst unsolved crimes till date in Houston
It could have been someone who was simply jealous of someone else who had the perfect home life and wanted to take it all away from them.
This case was so sad. I agree with another comment that if there was family secrets , that may have contributed to their murder, the police investigation would have found something. I believe that this was a case of mistaken identity perpetrated by a hit man and the person wanting to buy the piano.
Do Not EVER let a stranger into your house under these circumstances
So how would you sell a piano?
Or ANY circumstances, really, with the state of our world now.
@@godfreypigott You would move the piano OUT of the house, to a garage or a storage unit or something. You could also sell it to a second hand piano dealer, pawnbroker or suchlike and let them handle it once you've got your cash.
@@halfbakedproductions7887 Still involves letting strangers into the house, merely not the same strangers.
I don’t let anyone in my home. And if a plumber, electrician, etc is needed. My husband is always present and armed. My husband doesn’t like to leave children toys around the front, no school stickers/identifying magnets on car. Paranoid? Definitely with every reason to be hesitant of all. Nefarious intentions are only a thought away.
Shelby checked out the piano~ no finger prints?????
Did he even exist?
Consistently the best narration on all of RUclips.
i think this related ro his job. went looking for more info and found this quote I know Bechtel, the company he worked for. I work for a similar, although much bigger company.
The contracts I review are signed by prime ministers and governors. It's big stakes.
Projects to build dams, or bridges, or supply trains are worth billions. Enough to kill for. Today, it's more difficult. But the 90's in particular was a hey day for corruption of the sort that seemed ethically dubious but everyone was doing it.
Kate Sarginson, thank you for some inside information pertaining to this profession. I would never imagine that corruption in this field, but anything is possible. I am fairly certain that the killers intended to cause the father as much pain as possible with regards to killing his sons first as he was forced to watch.
@@NatureLover-62 I was thinking the same about why the father was last to die. It seems to have been motivated by a very personal hatred of the father who was shot six times.
Not everyone was doing it maybe a lot where however there are some honest companies.
@@MegaDublinguy Wasn't he also beaten? Seems this horrible incident was some kind of payback to the dad. What a terrible case.
@@markus7166 That was my first thought as well but when I heard that the police believed that the killings had all taken place within a ten minute time frame I found it hard to believe that a killer who had planned and executed the killings so perfectly that to this day he has never been caught, would have left himself only ten minutes to obtain the information he wanted so badly that he was prepared to kill three people for it. That just didn't make sense to me. So then I started to think of other revenge killing I had heard about. In these cases the killers had blown a perceived slight out of all proportions in their minds to the point where they begin to obsessively plan their revenge. They get such enjoyment out of this that it becomes like a favorite hobby for them. They stalk their victims making copious notes about their movements and their daily routines. They carefully research the weapons they are going to use. I think that is why it appeared like a professional hit to the police.
So disturbing. Almost like someone wanted to cut that lineage off at the knees. Only the men? Ugh. Horrifying and very scary and frustrating. Thanks DC🙏💔🦌
Based on the form of killing and the order of the murders, the father was the intended audience. It sounds too nice and well thought out to be random or mistaken identity. My hunch is that the father found something out or saw something or simply was so nice that someone who knew him, hated his character. It seems that the person(s) knew that the father wouldn’t fight back. This is such a strange and nonsensical event.
Please keep this alive. I went to school with Jeremy. While I didn’t know him as a friend I knew of him through mutual friends. Every few years I search for a conviction and feel let down every time. I am very over protective with my sons due to this. My boys do not answer doors ever. The rumors at school were frightening and very accurate according to your story. It breaks my heart 30+ yrs later
This feels like revenge for something Dad did.
It is also possible that being on the swim team made "someone" jealous! Nowadays, some parents have connections to drug lords/mafia. The Father might have been totally innocent. What was the type of work the Father did, do you remember?
Agreed. This sounds like a very direct, planned, quick hit, organized by someone who wanted the father dead. It may be that the gunmen were hired by some other party. No money or objects stolen? This wouldn't be stoned heroin addicts trying to score their next fix... I also don't imagine this to be a thrill-kill... When gangs require an "initiation" for membership, it usually involves driving a car and popping off some hapless stranger by the side of the road. This kind of crime happens when you've really pissed someone off, bigtime, and usually over a large sum of money. This kind of execution style killing sounds like Mafia or Mexican Mafia s***. Methodically tying up three men on their knees is not usually the MO of a wandering serial killer. I also think this narrative is missing some more facts that only police detectives knew about; because what we hear here doesn't quite pass the "smell test". As benign as the father is painted to be, I suspect he had some kind of dirty dealings somewhere... that involved money. Also conceivable that Greg had done someone wrong (supposedly) in the high finance biz.
@@car-less-ness6770 that is schizophrenic
Just horrific!! Can’t imagine how the remaining family coped?
So many very sick people about, very depressing !!!
The fact that the 16 year old never came forward is very suspicious. Even if he didn't want to, I would think his parents would make him. They had to have known about him buying the piano.
I can see though that there might be a reason of them being scared to come forward so they wouldn't be implicated. Still highly suspicious.
Wow, what a tragic case.
Thankyou for your great content.
So terrible. I will never understand why or how anyone could hurt anyone. 😕
Thank you for another interesting and informative video which no doubt brings much needed attention to these cold unsolved and tragic cases. Love your voice, it's very soothing and perfect for narrating.
Why can't a 16-year-old buy a piano? Perhaps he's a musical savant. There is no reason why a 16-year-old can't save money and buy musical instruments. Maybe the money was a gift from his grandparents and they own a truck. I worked hard when I was 16 about the same time. I, also, practically raised myself and I was pretty mature. Why is everyone so sure that everyone is the same and incapable of doing things that they themselves wouldn't do? Do we even know what type of piano it is? A regular piano isn't that big. Anyway, I think the wife is involved up to her eyeballs. Why is there so little about this case on the interwebs?
The piano buyer probably brought people with him to help with the moving of the piano, that's probably how they got all the guys together too. But it was all a ploy to commit this crime?
I was today years old when I found out “fingerprint bombs” were a thing.
Thank You. How very Sad!💔💔💔🙏🙏🙏 So many questions! Prayers for the Family.
The only thing that really says "professional" in this case is being able to control 3 grown men and the bindings. The neighbors wouldn't necessarily have heard a .22 going off either ,Texas is a suppressor friendly state for one and you can get subsonic .22 ammunition that is very quiet even without a suppressor. You state though that no shell casings were found due to the weapon used? How do you know that ?
The bullet casings were most likely pick up from the living room floor. The bullet casings would have been hot, so the killers wore gloves.
@@car-less-ness6770
Shell casings cool pretty quick though, it doesn't seem like the killer was in a massive rush either, being able to control and bind the victims, it takes time. ( enough for casings to cool for sure )
What I was referring to more so was the "because of the weapon used, no shell casings were found" part. It sounds like a revolver, but I doubt that was the case.
@@dashippo she states it was a revolver but shows a pistol when saying it.
Not having any experience with "professional hit men" I have to ask - do they always fire so many rounds into their victims? I mean one bullet in the head is more than likely to do the job. Three, four and six rounds (and a beating) doesn't sound "professional" it sounds personal.
I have heard that two shots in the back of the head is a method used by professionals. The police officers who killed Jean Charles de Menezes - whom they mistook for a terrorist - in 2005 in a London tube train fired 11 shots, hitting him seven times in the head.
The only thing "professional" about this was having them kneel, shooting them in the back of the head, and removing evidence. A professional isn't likely to use a .22 as it isn't as effective as a larger caliber.
It was .22 caliber. You need several shots to kill someone with that caliber, unless you´re an excellent shot.
A lot of people have actually survived getting shot once or even multiple times in the head, the more bullets shot the better the chance the poor victim doesn't make it
I didn’t hear anything that reasonably suggest a professional hit. Neighbors usually do not hear gunshots, for some reason.. even when they are made outdoors…
What a dreadfully sad and baffling case. Poor men. Poor wife to have lost a husband and both sons and in such a ghastly way. Such a strange crime, one without any sense to it…. It’s just so odd that they were killed seemingly with no real motive. I really hope the remaining family gets answers.
A 16 year old kid looking to buy a 2000 plus dollar piano would be a red flag for me.
I have never heard of a more organized methodical murder ever like this one. And I've read about n watched thousands of murders. This is truly bizarre!
Starts at 2:52 ! Don't hate me!!😊🤗
3 members of a family found bound and shot in ritualistic execution style.
Sheriff: “whoever came over there, to the Woodley residence, came over there to kill them.”
……. Genius
Yay! Thank you for a new video!
Wow, what an interesting case! I nvr heard of this one. Great job. Baffling mystery. Very good presentation.
Great to see your wonderful content. Thank you xx
Shelby is Barry's son out of marriage? Maybe he was angry bc he wasn't acknowledged by his father and didn't have the same opportunities as Barry's other sons.
really?
So obviously it's "Piano Boy" and a friend who show up later. If that seems ridiculous, remember that's how the poor Clutter family ended up murdered -- two idiots looking for a safe full of money that didn't exist.
Terrible tragedy, some people are easily outraged, thinking maybe Barry had a problem with a work colleague or caused one to lose his or her job, I don’t think piano boy is involved, he’s just a coincidence, the worst of it is we don’t know and possibly never will, the presentation of this event was so well done I watched it twice
Horribly tragic and senseless case. 💔💔💔 Your accent makes it more bearable. ❤️
Thank you for sharing this video. Please send some love to your sister.❤️
Your narration is beautiful. I love your accent.
Wow this is a curious one indeed! There are a few things that caught my eyes and ears but no explanations for them any more than there are explanations for why these 3 male family members were attacked. The first thing that I noticed was what appeared to be a large scar or injury to Jeremy's neck on the right side. The photo is not clear but it looks like a gash wound that was long healed. The second obvious question was the timing of the children's births. The first two were born close together, there is a large gap in time after that and then the last two are also born close together. What was going on during that lapse in time? There are three survivors in this family, all of the women. The oldest daughter's absence is obvious but the timing of the murders coincide with the Mom going to pick up her daughter and daughter's friend. This probably occurs every week which means the house was cased long before the young man showed up to look at the piano. He may have gone in to observe but if so, he was probably casing the occupants and their habits, not the house contents. The killers targeted the males and Barry in particular. The family knew at least one of their assailants or else the kilkers would not have gained such quiet entry into the house. Using several shots from a .22 semi automatic to kill them was the one thing that didn't surprise me. The guns of this type are small, quiet and can be made even quieter with a silencer or even a pillow. The amount of shots looks like a crime of hate or passion but the truth is they may have taken so many shots to ensure the victim's rapid deaths before they left. 22s are notorious for not breaking bone even at close range so to puncture a skull severel shots would have ensured no survivors. The person who did this had intimate knowledge of the gun's capability and put it to use but it still does not feel like a professional. My guess is that a gang commited this act. They would know by previous usage what the gun could or could not do. But who hired them and why? Or were they hired at all? Did Barry have any sports or religious affiliation to the boy's schools or youth church groups? Could Jeremy have angered the wrong person by winning a swim meet? Did Greg's fiancê have a spurned suitor? Or, does this all come back to that long lapse of time between kids? The Codis Index could be of great help here especially if any perps are now incarcerated for other crimes. Has it been used? Apathy of law endorcement seems to be the biggest problem in answering these questions. Codis and re-interviewing known friends of the victims and the remaining family would be the best place to start new leads. I hope they get caught as this poor family deserves some closure and peace.
Greetings from Bonnie Scotland Xxx 🙏🏼 ❤️ 🗺️ 🍀 🏴🕊️⚖️
I Love your accent 🤗
The father worked for Bechtel... he knew something he shouldn't.... dig into that company.
Same can be said about the son that worked for Lehman Bros...
What a terrible crime, the poor survivors.
I went to Las Lomas HS in Walnut Creek, CA and worked at Contra Costa Mall right around the same time'ish.
I played at Walnut Creek Nordstrom when this murder happened!
😱 shockingly interesting story, may they all rest in peace, 🙏 great video thanks 🖤
I can't find anything on this case online!? Thanks for bringing a new case to my attention :D
Did anyone ever consider the wife?? I tried looking for more info online about this case but can’t find anything.. very very odd.. the police and media have failed this family
There isn’t a 16yr in this country, who would negotiate viewing and purchasing anything but a cheeseburger.
I wish a 16yr WOULD try to call me about buying a piano. Click.
Two things i have learned in life is,you do not know what goes on in people's minds,also you cannot really understand what there pain unless you have been through it,a 😏🇬🇧 very interesting case,so very sad!!!🤗🇬🇧
Did they ever suspect the wife? She leaves and this happens. There would have been only her word that a Shelby person was interested in the piano (?) Did either he come (or did nobody actually come the first time?) and wife used it as an excuse so that the husband and sons would let a stranger in? Just speculating. I hope she did...it's would be a horrifying betrayal. :(
I cannot honestly see the wife wanting the husband and her two sons dead. Not everyone that goes to church on a regular basis is corrupt. There is corruption in the church but mostly Roman Catholic ( priests fiddling the youth). The Mafia was also connected to the Roman Catholic Church. If this was a professional
hit, bullets in the back of the skull, most likely mistaken identity or just the joy of death. The perpetrators were in and out in 10 -12 minutes, so the Mother and her young daughter was not involved in the kill.
@@car-less-ness6770 "Fiddling" is not confined to Catholics. There have been plenty of Protestant examples.
@@car-less-ness6770 A lot of good detectives say before going after outlaws they like to check out the in laws.
@@godfreypigott
Agree, a LOT of Protestant examples.
@@car-less-ness6770 it’s called life insurance money
It is more than obvious as many pointed out, that they clearly wanted the father to suffer. This also strongly indicates at least two perpetrators.
This will sound far-fetched to some but here goes. The teen Shelby, he went to scout the place earlier using the piano as an excuse. He couldn't pull all this off alone, but what if he was the reason for this??
Yes, the killers wanted the father to suffer. The obvious question is WHY? Why would they want him to suffer? What is their point?? Who would benefit from watching the father suffer? Why kill two sons?? Could it be all based on jealousy???
Was this Shelby a secret son of the father, his anger driving him to eliminate the brothers who were acknowledged & loved, forcing their mutual father to watch as punishment???
Since they still don't know what really happened, l'd say my out there idea is worth a thought.
Rest In Peace, Jeremy and Gregory.🌹😔🌹. 🇨🇦
Thanks for the video
Hey Caddy Xxx 🙏🏼 ❤️
I know this is an aside, but I'm amazed by how much time you put into side activities like learning languages in addition to all the research you put into your cases. Wow--thank you! research
I wanna know how they thought this 16 year old boy was supposed to afford to pay for a 2,000 piano on his own. Where was that kid's parents? Maybe the "parents" were the killers?
This case is sad. I pray there will be closer for the two remaining daughters/sisters. I personally don't believe that it was a case of mistaken identity. The Shelby boy was sent to see the layout of the home. One of these guys had an enemy somewhere. They were successful in their own rights, and made an enemy without knowing. Just my opinion.
Jealousy of some sort is my guess. They all were pretty handsome (minus the dad's glasses).
Ok mr ripley
@@chrisrandall2710 🤓. I’m Dickie not Tom.
@Dickie Greenleaf nice, the crazy one
This seems to be a pure hate crime towards the father. Overkill and the execution of his sons in front of him. They where also shot in the head several times. Witch I found unlikely for a professional hitman to do. Unless he was instructed to do so, but then why. No this person really hated them. Ravished in the power they held over the father, wanting him to suffer profoundly before they finally killed him.
As I believe no one can be liked and loved by all. You can be a thorn in ones side without knowing it. Someone can hate you for just having the “perfect” life.
Could've been a disgruntled co-worker, someone the dad supervised or beat out of a promotion.
@@dwayneeutsey8162I was thinking the same, this seemed like a personal revenge
First, this was no professional hit, no professional shoots a victim 6 times, just using a silencer doesn't make somebody a professional, it was simply a botched robbery, father was struck with gun to give up whatever money he had in the house, shelby the teen was so obviously involved or they could've simply trace the call and question him, the calls where made from a pay phone to avoid tracing, they couldn't create a sketch of the teen bc it was one of the victims who showed him the piano the day before, this was very deranged vicious people, forced entry is dumb to consider since there were 3 awake men, you look at that when people are asleep, you have a gun you knock on the door and just point it to the head of the guy and push him in. No enemy here, it's hard to solve bc there's no connection between victims and killers. The piano related calls were made from a pay phone within a few miles of the murderers home, I don't think they travelled 10 miles just to place the call, one option was to set a perimeter within 2-3 miles of that pay phone and look up criminals with burglaries/robberies records, warrant search silencers, gun, with a teen in the family, etc, another option was to offer a reward for information, I'm sure someone else new something, this is sloppy police work, still a very hard case to solve. They were killed bc they saw their faces, specially Shelby's. Mother and daughter saved their lives by leaving right on time, pure destiny. They targeted this house bc of the luxury item, the piano, gave them the idea of wealth, then they sent the kid to survey the house.
How have I never heard of this and how on earth is this not solved?? I am surprised this hasn’t being news.
How could they not trace the incoming phone number of "Shelby" from the monthly phone bill?
11.58 Are you sure a .22 cal revolver was used if so to kill all three in that manner the perpetrator would have to reload mid execution or use a 2nd gun 🔫
I had this same thought. That and it seems peculiar that any "professional" would choose a .22 for anything intended to be lethal. My other thought was they would likely had used speed loaders or there were 2 guns/2 shooters? I don't feel any "pro" would have chosen this timing, this method of gaining access to the victims. Showing their face during the day, both on the day of coming to view the piano and with the accomplice on the day of the murders.
I think the killer(s) were surfing the classifieds for an expensive item that would indicate to them the seller had money. He went and scoped out the house and then returned under the guise of picking it up. It would have been obvious pretty quickly when they arrived in a sedan that they were not prepared to transport it. If they had come with a truck, I feel like it would have been noticed by someone in the neighborhood? If there were 2 perps I tend to lean towards them both shooting. If there were only one shooter, but 2 perps that leaves South potential for one to flip on the other. They are either both responsible for killing or the non-shooter has gotten rid of the one with any motive to turn on him. Or vise versa...
@@Little_Red_Riding_Hoodlum .22 is still lethal and is much easier to make incredibly quiet with pretty standard supressors. It's still a bullet to the head, and .22 makes up a lot more of firearm deaths than you would expect
@@Little_Red_Riding_Hoodlum I'm not trying to solve this but can see your giving it a good crack . If I were interested I'd be less inclined to link the sale of the piano to the murders
@@gregorybathurst4326 Understood. Was just thinking out loud and was in agreement with your thoughts. Have a good night. 🙂
, good thought! Unfortunately, the home owner didnot have cameras on the doors and inside the house. Well, it was 1991, Nest Cam had not created home security cameras.
I think that either the dad, or the eldest son was involved in some shady business. The fact that 2 of the sons were murdered makes me believe the wife wasn't involved, because leaving the home right at the time of the murders rises up a red flag, but I doubt she would get her kids killed too. Sad story for sure.
I find it really odd that any 16 year old boy would be shopping for pianos on his own. Not to mention, the price was a lot of money for a teenager to have.
Considering the boy was going to come round and collect the piano and pay for it that evening - and the piano was still there, I would assume that he is somehow connected. How would a 16 year old pay $2,200? I can see a 16 year old wanting a car or some hi tech music system, but a piano?? How was he going to transport this piano home??? That makes me wonder if HE did appear at the home regarding the piano, there would have been someone with him - to help transport the piano.
It IS however obvious that the father was made to suffer the most, by killing both boys in front of him, beating him around the head - then using 6 bullets to kill him. Everything was overkill, but the Dad was more so. The piano might have had nothing to do with anything, but I would have expected that if it was all innocent, the boy would have come to collect it, unaware that something else was going on in the house.
Incredibly sad! Did someone (or a couple of people) come in and overpower the younger son, holding him at gunpoint, thus getting the older brother and father to get to comply with their orders? I wonder if we will ever know. Criminals always blab at some point, so I hope that someone comes forward and shares information they may have heard.
a 16 year old can very well overwhelm 3 adults by threatening them with a gun. just say "if one of you moves I'll kill him and the others" and each of the 3 will feel responsible for the fate of their relatives
I imagine you speak Gaelic, I wish I could! I’m a Scot and often curse the Hammer of the Scots for making us stop speaking our native language and effectively wiping it out! I believe Gaelic should be taught in all schools in Scotland. It’s a difficult language to learn, but impossible for me, I’m 70 and have a problem with my memory, so definitely too late ! I’ve not long subscribed to your channel and I’m enjoying your telling of the stories.
You got that language from Eire.
I'd say Shelby was used by the hitmen to set it up and ensure that the target would be home at a certain time. Just a hunch, but I just got the impression the older son was the actual target and it involved his job in some way; someone he'd pissed off, probably a business deal of some sort. The other two were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, I could be completely and utterly wrong. I don't understand how the mom and wife could be so " oh, God loves them, too." That in itself is unsettling to me.
I wonder if they ever got prints from the boy on the piano? I would think that a prospective buyer would have played or at least touched it.
I’m guessing the father was living some sort of double life that was deeply hidden.
How horrific.
No! He loved his wife, he went to his job, and he went to church. If he lived a double life, the neighbours would have known about it !
I doubt he was living a double life.
@@car-less-ness6770 yes….. because that’s how double lives work.
Thanks Babel great news