Elise Brantley: I saw a different side of her when she lost her parents. And Steve Crump does something "48 Hours" found remarkable. But investigators didn't believe she voluntarily left. Peter Van Sant [outside court]: "It's kind of a sad day for you. But during what turned out to be Marsha's final hair appointment in April 2009, Kelly saw a side of Marsha that left her concerned. Marsha K Atwood Mary Mull Russell P Mull Shaun P Painter Clarence M Painter . Peter Van Sant: You're convinced you've got the right man. There are receipts to corroborate his story, beginning around October 2009, he said. Kelly DeLude: "I knew that something was very, very wrong.". They still have hope of one day finding her body, her cousin Jana Wills said. But in June 2009, a dark chapter began in Marsha Brantley's life -- with a plot twist right out of a novel -- she seemed to fall off the face of the earth. She attended Lee University and worked as a resident assistant. Biography. As the years went by, the two women grew closer. Months later, newly-elected Prosecutor Steve Crump focuses his legal sights on Donnie Brantley. Jana Wills: Oh yeah, I think about her every day. Back in Cleveland, former writing group member Nansy Grill believes Marsha's story may have one last dramatic chapter. Join host Kristi Bryant, armchair detective and Georgia native, as she investigates missing person cases in the southern United States. She did not have a job. Kelly DeLude: We're in their personal space, so people certainly-- share with us, probably a lot more than they would the clerk at the grocery store, you know [laughs]. Investigators found many receipts that showed Donnie Brantley had bought several items that could have been used to dispose of a body, Crump said. Donnie's lawyers also claim that all those stories he told about where his wife may have gone, were actually suggestions once he realized she truly was missing. Grill and Jay say Marsha was the best of the bunch. Where and when did they find the RV? Marsha Ellen Brantley Marsha, approximately 2009; Donnie Ray Brantley Date reported missing : 05/15/2009 Missing location (approx) : Cleveland, Tennessee Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 02/28/1959 (62) Age at the time of disappearance: 51 years old Height / Weight : 5'8, 125 pounds Peter Van Sant: and she was very regimented in coming to see you. At the time of her disappearance she lived in Cleveland, Tennessee. Disappearance: In late 2008, friends began to suspect that Brantley's marriage was struggling despite what she had claimed. [1], Brantley was originally from Illinois. She can write, this woman. That second chance came in October 2016 when Crump, Bebb's successor, presented a grand jury with evidence leading to Donnie Brantley's second first-degree murder charge. Just months after the post, she disappeared. "I was bustling around getting ready for a wedding. Kelly DeLude: She loved her husband She mentioned him every time. Cart Zach Pike: All of her clothes. "I got the impression that there were [financial problems]," Jay said. But DeLude never got that call. Peter Van Sant: How would you describe her? It was a long conversation, and she allegedly told Shank she was considering leaving her writers' group to join one in Knoxville, 10th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Crump said. Lee Davis: He's 100 percent innocent of these charges. Peter Van Sant: What do you think happened to Marsha Brantley? Medra Justis | Marsha's aunt: I felt like life has been squeezed out of me. Det. Growing up, Jana was especially close to Marsha, her older cousin. And with no body to prove there even was a murder, the investigators' biggest hurdle in solving the disappearance of Marsha Brantley may have been Marsha herself. Peter Van Sant: Cause you get one shot at this. The main argument the defense has is that Marsha Brantley allegedly told Donnie Brantley that she was leaving him and wanted a divorce. Hon. Marsha Brantley in California. Lt. David Shoemaker: He was financially supported by his wife. By looking at the case only through the lens that Donnie Brantley is guilty, they will only find evidence to back up that theory. During a search of the couple's home, Donnie Brantley told investigators his wife had left him and they were planning a divorce. Kelly DeLude: If he did do something to her and if I just let this go, he'll get away with it! Though a civil court ruled that Marsha is deceased, her name can still be found on the National Missing Persons website. to police, who then take it as a statement rather than a question. As for the future of the case, Crump said his office is working to get the FBI's behavioral analysis unit to review Marsha Brantley's writings in her manuscripts, blog, journal and social media "to get a sense of what was going on in her mind.". Reggie Jay: And she just made the comment, "I've been so depressed that I could hardly get off the couch." In Tennessee, first-degree murder is defined as the premeditated, intentional killing of another. Since there is no body and no crime scene, the case has revolved around two alleged motives and enough circumstantial evidence to uphold a conviction, according to current and former district attorneys general. Peter Van Sant: As a hairstylist, are you also a therapist? ", Peter Van Sant: She writes, "No one in the group is responsible for my MIA, missing in action, status. You're good at that. Marsha Brantley first came in for a cut in the year 2000, and the two came together like scissors and hair. Marsha Rader Brantley disappeared from Tennessee in the spring of 2009 but it took more than six months before it was reported. Account & Lists Returns & Orders. Marsha Brantley's family did not remember authorities organizing any large search parties, but the family did pass out fliers in hopes of jogging people's memories. She was an amateur writer, and was fond of her dogs and outdoor activities. . "We can prove that she's deceased," Crump said. That's terrible. The investigation was full of seeming contradictions from the start. ", "Bradley County officers search basement for missing woman", "Family relieved by Cleveland murder arrest", "Bradley Co murder charge dropped against accused husband", "Husband of missing woman arrested in Ga", "DA drops charges against Donnie Brantley", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Marsha_Brantley&oldid=1131471830, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 08:55. The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Investigators with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Bradley County sheriff's and district attorney's offices do not seem to be any closer to answering those questions than they were when the first charge of first-degree murder was brought against her husband, Donnie Brantley, nearly a decade ago. Lee Davis: No. Roy was born on 18 January 1922, in Rock Hill, York, South Carolina, United States of America. I had no peace about it. Jerry Hoffer: Right after I got my haircut I walked in the D.A. He also had an account on a dating website for several months. "I wasn't trying to be a detective. that there was a lot more underneath there than she was willing to share with me. But Davis said that was as far as the encounter went. "My wonderful husband brought me roses home at lunch just because," one of her last Facebook posts reads. But that hasn't happened, and the case has drawn national attention, including from the CBS News program "48 Hours.". One article in the series details what defense attorneys claimed were prosecutors' missteps or misconduct, including withholding evidence and violating defendants' rights. Kelly DeLude: A lotta people know one another and we do have a lot of older homes and a lot of history here I'm very proud of our town. [Reading aloud] "The sun rose above the Kudzu covered trees as I swept the house and chased the dust outta the front door and across the porch with a broom.". Chattanooga Singles line. "Except for the roses your hubby gave you just because. Asked if any other people were considered people of interest, Crump said no. Those things were disclosed in 2010 to law enforcement and from all I can tell, they've never been investigated. Est conformada por cinco modalidades de tratamiento: terapia individual, contacto telefnico, consulta del terapeuta, entrenamiento grupal en habilidades y estructuracin del ambiente. Surprisingly, he accepts. DeLude says Marsha couldn't say enough nice things about her marriage and her husband. Then, during that 2013 videotaped deposition, Donnie refused to answer --"I plead the Fifth" -- or said he "couldn't recall" more than 100 times. We would critique each other's work and we would say, "Put your big girl panties on because, you know, you might get your feelings hurt.". It read: "Things are better for me now.". They only met Donnie Brantley a handful of times in the nine years the couple had been married, and each time he didn't say much, both her cousin Jana Wills and her aunt Medra Justis said. Looking for Marsha Brantley? Marsha Brantley's friends said she would have been angry and devastated if she had found out about an alleged affair. And she said, "I want you to meet him.". Her age is 48. Crump said that email appeared to be a spam email that contained several forwards. ;-)," wrote one friend. That is odd.". Medra Justis: We're just lookin' forward to bringing this thing to a close. "I have the best husband in the world," a Nov. 27, 2008, blog entry reads. Marsha Brantley is a 1990 graduate of Charles Henderson Middle School in Troy, AL. Sign up on Classmates for free to reconnect with Marsha Brantley and other high school alumni. DeLude found a member of Marsha's writing club and got more disturbing news. But of the hundreds of clients DeLude has cut and consoled over the years, there has been only one whose face haunts her dreams. So that really concerned me. Contact staff writer Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327. Still, DeLude expected Marsha to call about six weeks later to set up her next appointment. He compared the case to the movie "My Cousin Vinny," during which Billy Gambini, played by Ralph Macchio, inadvertently "confesses" to shooting a convenience store clerk by saying, "I shot the clerk?" Peter Van Sant: Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't have any room for error. says Davis. Genres. Lt. David Shoemaker: She took a camper and moved to Townsend, Tennessee. Marsha even wrote poetry for Donnie: "with love so pure and true, I can but only thank my God I fell in love with you.". You're calling various people, right. Jeffrey Brantley, MD, DFAPA, founder and director of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program at Duke Integrative Medicine and author of Calming Your Anxious Mind "The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Anxiety is concise, well organized, easy to read, and will likely be a lifeline of relief for many people. Nearly a decade later, Brantley's disappearance remains unsolved. General would you like to approach? Peter Van Sant [outside court:] Hey Zach. In July or August 2009, one of Brantley's neighbors reported that she had not seen Brantley for a long time and that Brantley had apparently not been doing her regular activities. Donnie Brantley's lawyers, Lee Davis and Janie Parks Varnell, say their client should never have been charged with murder once, let alone twice. She was very invested in her rescue dogs - she had three fosters. She was an avid hiker, while Donnie was a competitive bicycle rider. DEPOSITION ATTORNEY: Did she keep the money or you? Elise Brantley: I did not. Marsha Ellen Brantley (ne Rader; born February 28, 1959) was an American woman who disappeared around May to June 2009. Stephanie Richardson: No. Explore. Well, and -- and I -- I can appreciate that. She was also a former director of housing at Lee University. For days, she called again and again -- and no Marsha. And she said, "She has not been walking her dogs. He also hopes to regain access to the camper and search it again. Reconnect with friends from high school, find reunions, view yearbook photos and more. Donnie, Marsha's husband, said she had left him and he hadn't seen her since May or June 2009. [6] He was charged for the murder in December 2016. As per the sources, Mark Brantley, who is currently the Premier of Nevis and the leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement, was chosen to be the face of the upcoming general elections 2020. This time, the sheriff's office brought cadaver dogs down to the basement. The group of four friends had gathered for their monthly meeting of the Thunder Rock Writers' Group, a group formed by Brantley, at Nansy Grill's home in Cleveland, Tenn. That would be the last time the women saw Brantley. We don't have what you normally think of in terms of a homicide case. Kelly DeLude: Well, he's disposed of her body very well. Peter Van Sant: When you read that, what'd you think? At one point, word got out that Donnie Brantley had allegedly lied about where Marsha Brantley had gone. In October 2016, Brantley was again arrested in Kingston, Georgia. The case was featured in an April 2018 episode of the CBS documentary show 48 Hours. Jana Wills: We didn't think that it was time yet. Peter Van Sant: Had she ever talked about trouble in the marriage? Rent value for a two bedroom unit in the zip code 90404 is estimated at $2,170 a month. Yeah, she -- she colored her hair -- so most women are, sure. Kelly DeLude: I felt compelled to find out what happened to her. They were upset by the chaos they found. Search for someone and rate them. Two other things the prosecution has pointed to are that Donnie Brantley allegedly kept changing his story about what happened to Marsha Brantley and, according to investigators, lied about where he kept the couple's camper, which prosecutors thought would crack the case. Prosecutor Steve Crump: This was delivered, we believe, the day after Marsha Brantley disappeared. Peter Van Sant: Do you believe that one day, Marsha Brantley may re-emerge? Please enter valid email address to continue. David Shoemaker: The things that he did, things he said-- all point toward a guilty man. Brown didn't tell the others because it was a private conversation. Reggie Jay: "Dirty Little Secrets" is a story that Marsha wrote. I believe that she was very depressed. In late 2012, the couple's home was searched again. I actually called Donnie's business, and the phone was disconnected. Find Marsha Brantley's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. DeLude shared the story with local attorney Jerry Hoffer in October, and he told then-District Attorney General Steve Bebb, who called the TBI. Peter Van Sant: In some ways is this personal for you? Marsha told her Donnie's handyman business was failing and money was tight. Prosecutor Steve Crump: This is an unusual case. "Things are better for me now!!" My parents raised their family here and their parents raised their family here! Do you have a motion to make? Reggie Jay and Nansy Grill were bewildered and concerned. The case was featured in an April 2018 episode of the CBS documentary show 48 Hours. DONNIE BRANTLEY [pauses, reaches for a bottle of water before answering]: I plead the Fifth. With Detective Pike guarding the evidence, Crump showed "48 Hours" what a jury never got to see. She left her car. Marsha uses P.O. Friends said she told them the death of her parents was the most difficult point in her life. Jana Wills: She was beautiful She was always kind. Peter Van Sant [in salon]: What was it about Marsha that made the two of you click? I don't believe-- we have the wrong set of facts. Her parents built their house and it was in her name. Kelly DeLude: He said, "Well, ma'am, if he says she's gone, and that she left him, she left him. It was a lot of sadness, I mean, it was just heartbreaking. Prosecutor Steve Crump: He murdered her. "She's leaving me. Medra Justis: This is the home where Marsha and Donnie lived for nine years. Maybe it was incompetence. Mr. Blizzard died Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at his home. When the auto-complete results are available, use the up and down arrows to review and Enter to select. But what is for sure is that Donnie Brantley told investigators the camper was at a campground. NEWS REPORT: A Bradley County cold case from nearly a decade ago heads to trial next week. Kelly DeLude: It struck me, oh, my goodness -- she's, you know, she's not been in, that is odd and I said, you know, she's overdue. Brantley Gilbert. Kelly DeLude: One night I decided, "Well, I'm gonna call Donnie and ask him if he knows where Marsha is. "My initial feeling was that Marsha deliberately left and was, was going to go away and be that best-selling author," she told investigators. " I was trying to be a concerned friend.". And there was other suspicious behavior. The housing market tanked in 2009, leaving him without much work in his home repair business, House Doctors. New Amsterdam (2018) Rated: 8.2 out of 10 with 39,502 votes. Elise Brantley: That's crazy. And when I would wake up in the morning, I would think of Marsha. In July 2013, a grand jury indicted Donnie Brantley for the murder of his wife. But was Marsha even dead? He said that is not normal. In 2012, the same year investigators searched the Brantleys' basement, allegations of misconduct in the 10th Judicial District under then-District Attorney General Bebb came to light in a six-day Times Free Press series. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Prosecutor Steve Crump: Maybe I should have done it earlier. Not a murdered person. Elise Brantley: I wish I knew. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. to exit. Walt Hunt: He was pretty cool, and maybe a little cooler than I might expect. Obviously with the money problems. It's somethin' that no one should have to experience, or no one should have to go through. She's she's not been in. Elise Brantley | Donnie Brantley's daughter: when I think of her, my first few words would not be giving, loving. DEPOSITION ATTORNEY: Do you know Stephanie Richardson? The episode cites financial incentives as a possible motive for Brantley's murder. I must have missed when they found it. Maybe you're right. Crump said Donnie Brantley contacted a singles' dating line with the new phone he bought for Marsha Brantley, despite having told police she had taken it with her. There's no trace evidence, there's no blood, no fingerprints, no DNA, no fiber analysis. Reggie Jay [reading email]: She says, "Ladies I just wanted to let you all know that I'd be missing for some time" without explaining. Her parents are deceased, and she has no siblings or children. Phone records show that incoming calls stopped on June 2, which is probably the last day Marsha Brantley had her phone, Crump said. Zach Pike | Bradley County Sheriff's Office: I'm raisin' my family here. "It was a complete shock.". At the time of her disappearance, she lived in Cleveland, Tennessee. And that new phone Donnie Brantley bought for her? "Call me if you can," with his number. "I don't ever remember sitting down and having a conversation with him, because I don't ever know of a time that he was ever anywhere that we actually sat down and could have had a conversation," Wills said. During the encounter, the two allegedly shared a kiss. Lee Davis: Probably talkin' between $100,000 and $110,000. Investigators say they are now certain Marsha Brantley is dead. The new medical director breaks the rules to heal the system at America's oldest public hospital. If Donnie Brantley did kill his wife, they say a look at the family finances may provide a motive. she wrote in a March 31, 2009, blog post for their ninth anniversary. Peter Van Sant: It's really nice to meet you. The case was unusual from the. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She uses her tenacity, inability to hear no, and southern charm to shed light on past and present cases. A marsha brantley 2020 man, view yearbook photos and more time yet of in terms of homicide! 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