Secret Killer Leads Cops Into Her $3,000,000 Murder Mansion
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Craig Thatford was reported missing after friends and family couldn't reach him for months.
- ❖Dena Thatford, Craig's wife, offered contradictory explanations for his absence, ranging from an affair in Mexico to a separation in Texas.
- ❖Dena's ex-husbands and daughter, Leslie, revealed her history of violence, alcoholism, and threats against Craig.
- ❖Financial records showed Dena spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on new assets while Craig was missing.
- ❖Deputy Roger Schoolcraft, a retired homicide detective, subtly revealed his background during an interview with Dena, heightening her visible distress.
- ❖Leslie, Dena's daughter, confessed that Dena admitted to shooting Craig after he pushed her, then wrapping his body and moving it to the carport with a tractor.
- ❖Craig's body was discovered in the carport, concealed under boxes and plastic, with multiple gunshot wounds.
- ❖Dena was arrested for first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, but invoked her right to a lawyer, preventing a confession.
Insights
1Dena's Inconsistent Alibis and Financial Motive
Dena Thatford repeatedly changed her story regarding Craig's disappearance. Initially, she told his grandson Craig was in Mexico for a divorce, then told a neighbor he was with his mother in Texas, and later told Deputy Pinter he left for Mexico after packing. Simultaneously, she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new house and car, suggesting a strong financial motive.
Dena told Craig's grandson Cody that Craig was in Mexico (), told neighbor Heidi he was in Texas (), and told Deputy Pinter he was in Mexico after packing (). Financial review showed Dena spent hundreds of thousands on new assets (). The safe, claimed to hold $1.5 million, contained only $84,200 ().
2Pattern of Violence and Threats Against Husbands
Multiple sources, including Dena's ex-husbands and her daughter Leslie, described Dena as violent, alcoholic, and capable of extreme aggression. Her ex-husbands recounted incidents where she allegedly tried to run one over with a car and chased another with an unloaded pistol. A friend also reported Dena stating she would kill Craig if she could get away with it.
Ex-husband stated Dena tried to run him over with her car (). Another ex-husband reported Dena assaulting him multiple times and trying to kill him (). Scott claimed Dena said, 'If I could kill Craig and get away with it, I'd do it' (). Leslie stated, 'My mom is crazy... she's tried to kill me before. She stabbed one of her other husbands. She tried to run my real dad over with a car' ().
3Daughter's Confession and Body Discovery
Dena's daughter, Leslie, provided the critical breakthrough, confessing that Dena admitted to shooting Craig after he pushed her down the stairs. Dena then wrapped his body in plastic and used a tractor to move it to the carport, hiding it under debris. This detailed account led investigators directly to Craig's body, which was found exactly as described.
Leslie stated Dena told her, 'Craig pushed her down the stairs and she shot him and he fell into the pool room.' Dena then 'wrapped him up... and then they tied that up with a tractor and they moved him with the tractor to the carport' (). The body was subsequently found in the carport, concealed under boxes, rugs, and soil bags ().
Lessons
- Always investigate inconsistencies in missing person reports, especially when the reporting party's story changes or doesn't align with other witnesses.
- Pay close attention to sudden and unexplained financial activity, such as large purchases or asset liquidations, by a spouse or partner of a missing individual.
- When conducting welfare checks, expand the scope beyond the immediate residence to include neighbors and family, as they often hold crucial, unshared information.
Notable Moments
First welfare check officers detect a foul odor but dismiss it.
This was the first indication of Craig's decomposition, unknowingly overlooked by officers who attributed the smell to mountain wildlife, highlighting how initial signs can be missed.
Deputy Roger Schoolcraft reveals his homicide detective background to Dena.
This deliberate reveal, after Dena acknowledged being the 'common denominator' in her failed marriages, visibly unsettled her and underscored the seriousness of the investigation, shifting the dynamic of the interview.
Dena's daughter, Leslie, finally confesses her mother's admission of guilt and the body's location.
This was the critical turning point, providing investigators with the specific details needed to locate Craig's body and confirm the homicide, breaking the elaborate cover-up.
Quotes
"If I could kill Craig and get away with it, I'd do it."
"My mom is crazy. My mom is so crazy. Like, she's tried to kill me before. She stabbed one of her other husbands. She tried to run my real dad over with a car."
"I just It took me a long time to figure out I'm the common denominator."
"Craig pushed her down the stairs and she shot him and he fell into the pool room. She left him laying there on the floor for like a day, two days and a half and then she wrapped him up... and then they tied that up with a tractor and they moved him with the tractor to the carport."
Q&A
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