APPLETON, Wis. (Court TV) — A 40-year-old Wisconsin woman was sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted her in September of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of her boyfriend.
A judge sentenced Samantha Krebs to life in prison Tuesday, ruling she will not be eligible for extended supervision until she has served 36 years for the stabbing death of her boyfriend.
Samantha Krebs appears in court during her murder trial Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (Court TV)
Samantha Krebs stabbed Joey Carnot on July 18, 2024. Krebs, who referred to Carnot as her boyfriend and fiancé, struck him in the chest and instructed a witness to tell police he killed himself.
According to Appleton Police, officers responded to an apartment complex where they found the victim on the kitchen floor with a stab wound to his left rib area.
A witness who arrived after the stabbing told first responders that Krebs instructed him to tell police that Carnot had stabbed himself. The witness reported that Krebs kissed the victim, told him she loved him, and then left the scene before police arrived.
During their investigation, police found a green binder on Krebs’ bed at an apartment where she was staying after the incident. Investigators described the binder as containing a “play-by-play” of the events from Krebs’ perspective, indicating the couple had fought that night. The notes said that when the author went to leave the apartment, Carnot made a comment that “he would stab himself and make it look like she did it if she left.”
At a preliminary hearing, a police officer testified that two of Carnot’s former coworkers called him in the week following his death to report that his “fiancée” had threatened to stab and kill him multiple times.
Krebs’ $1 million bond was immediately revoked after the verdict was announced.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
SENTENCING – 11/25/25
- A judge sentenced Samantha Krebs to life in prison Tuesday, ruling she will not be eligible for extended supervision until she has served 36 years for the stabbing death of her boyfriend.
- Judge criticized Krebs’ decades-long addiction, dishonesty, and post-crime behavior.
- Called her instinct “always deception” and questioned the sincerity of her statements.
- Cited multiple missed opportunities for Krebs to turn her life around.
- Emphasized the need to protect the public as the driving factor in the sentence.
- Judge noted Carnot was preparing for a July 2024 court date about parenting time.
- Said Krebs pulled him into a destructive drug culture he was trying to escape.
- Victim’s family gave emotional statements urging no chance of release.
- Prosecutors highlighted 20 prior cases, 37 convictions, and lack of remorse.
- Defense argued addiction, sobriety, and emerging insight warranted parole eligibility.
DAY 7 – 9/11/25
- LIVESTREAM: WI v. Samantha Krebs, Day 7 | Kiss & Kill Murder Trial
- Prosecutor Nicholas Grode delivered closing arguments for the state.
- Grode said that Krebs had every reason to make the victim look unstable and suicidal, but the evidence contradicts the narrative. He said that texts show the victim was kind while the defendant was “messed up.”
- The timeline Krebs presented is unreasonable, with too many events allegedly occurring in the 10 minutes before two witnesses arrived.
- The victim’s texts show that he was fighting an addiction relapse while the defendant was using drugs.
- Joey was making plans for the future just 10 minutes before his death (reaching out for clean urine for drug test).
- Video evidence showed the defendant was more concerned with hiding drugs than helping Joey as he lay bleeding.
- The defendant fled the scene without calling 911, taking a bag of clothes with her, and then changed her story multiple times. First, she claimed she wasn’t there, then she claimed the victim fell on a knife and then she said he took his own life.
- Prosecutors say Krebs took steps to conceal evidence: changing her clothes, having Pfeffer remove stickers from her vehicle and sending deceptive texts.
- In their rebuttal closing argument, prosecutors said Joey was trying to get help and get his life together so he could be with his son.
- Krebs was not supportive of Joey while he was having a supposed mental health crisis.
- Krebs’ defense attorney, Kirk Obear, encouraged the jury to find his client not guilty.
- Obear emphasized that the jury should focus on facts, not speculation, which he claimed made up the majority of the prosecution’s case.
- While prosecutors don’t have to prove motive, they do have to prove intent to kill, which Obear said is missing in this case. He said there was no reason for Krebs to want to kill the victim.
- Joey had a history of drug use, mental health issues and was experiencing a “downward spiral” at the time of his death.
- Krebs and the victim were engaged and planning for the future, despite the defendant’s admitted drug use and poor choices.
- Obear characterized the prosecution’s case as criticizing how Krebs responded to the situation rather than proving she committed murder.
- No DNA evidence linked Krebs to the knife and the medical examiner found no defensive wounds.
- Obear emphasized that Krebs admitted to lying but took the stand despite not being required to testify.
- Obear emphasized that the state’s own witness said it was “reasonably possible” that the deadly stab wound was self-inflicted.
- After deliberating for just over 5 1/2 hours, the jury of 5 women and 7 men found Samantha Krebs guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the stabbing death of Joey Carnot. The judge scheduled sentencing for the morning of November 25, 2025. Krebs faces up to life without the possibility of parole.
DAY 6 – 9/10/25
- LIVESTREAM: WI v. Samantha Krebs, Day 6 | Kiss & Kill Murder Trial
- Samantha Krebs returned to the stand for cross-examination.
- Krebs said she was looking forward to marrying Joey and becoming a stepmother to his young son, though she admitted she was using meth the day of Joey’s death and that wouldn’t be in the best interest of a child.
- Testified that Joey was not violent or suicidal in March 2024 when he had his incident at the hotel in Wisconsin Rapids, which she had described during direct testimony as his being delusional and acting erratically.
- Krebs clarified that she was on probation at the time of Joey’s death, but he was not. She was smoking meth on the afternoon that he died, but he was not initially smoking with her when he got home.
- Joey wound up smoking meth with her that night, despite her knowing it could mess up his upcoming custody hearing and that he could lose his job with a dirty urine test.
- Prosecutors presented texts where the victim talked about Krebs’ using drugs in the apartment and it triggering his cravings.
- Krebs faced tough cross-examination over her decision not to call 911 and leave the apartment with the drugs because she was more concerned about getting into trouble than Joey’s stabbing.
- Krebs tried to claim that she thought he wasn’t too badly hurt and downplayed the situation, but the prosecutor walked her through the facts that she knew Joey was stabbed under the left nipple, he was “gushing” blood and coming in and out of consciousness and that after she spoke with the police officer, she thought he had a punctured lung.
- Texts sent to Joey’s cousin approximately 30 minutes after the stabbing were shown by prosecutors, who say she was beginning to set up her alibi that she was calling Jeff Hayes and others after she left the apartment but never called 911. Krebs claimed she thought John Pfeffer was calling 911, which is why she didn’t call.
- Prosecutors presented texts Krebs sent to Joey the day after he died, asking what happened and how things were going. Again, prosecutors suggested Krebs knew he was in dire condition when she left the apartment and the texts were an attempt to set up an alibi.
- Prosecutor pointed out that even though Krebs was on probation and says she left the apartment because she couldn’t have police contact, she actually knew she could have police contact she just had to report it to her probation agent within 72 hours.
- Krebs was asked about a text to a friend, Brittany Durant, after Joey died, saying, “Who hasn’t threatened to stab their boyfriend?”
- Krebs described her relationship with Greg Allen as strictly professional despite a recorded conversation where Allen said he wanted to have children with her.
- The defense rested its case.
- Prosecutors called lead detective Sgt. Matt Kuether as a rebuttal witness.
- Kuether walked through evidence photos showing the inside of the home, highlighting the fact that no blood was found on the buzzer, light switch or door.
- Kuether identified timeline contradictions in Krebs’ testimony, and identified an audio recording from a Facebook call on July 18, 2024, that is believed to be the last of four missed calls to Pfeffer before his arrival.
DAY 5 – 9/9/25
- LIVESTREAM: WI v. Samantha Krebs, Day 5 | Kiss & Kill Murder Trial
- Sgt. Chad Riddle, Appleton Police Department, Investigative Services Unit
- Summarized evidence from phone data extraction; reviewed messages concerning possible mental health crisis and potential self-harm in the case.
- Confirmed focus of investigation on communications and timeline verification, raising questions about the accuracy of witness statements.
- Joey Carnot (via VA medical records, context from witness testimony).
- Individual under discussion, mental health records entered as evidence.
- Medical records show ongoing treatment for mood instability and trauma, including use of Lamotrigine and support from fiancée.
- No documented or self-reported methamphetamine use; only CBD flower noted in records.
- No current suicidal ideation; only one historical mention from 2019.
- Detective Matthew Kuether, Appleton Police Department, Investigative Services Unit
- Led the death investigation for Joseph Carnot, focusing on evidence, timeline, and corroborating witness statements using surveillance video and audio recordings.
- Verified key movements of witnesses and the defendant (especially Samantha Krebs), matched video timestamps to 911 call times, and identified inconsistencies in alibis and demeanor.
- Noted evidence and statements about methamphetamine-related items being hidden, and confirmed vehicle details (no plate, unique stickers), supporting case timeline.
- Reviewed additional bodycam and surveillance footage to fill timeline gaps and verify critical travel and behavioral data.
- Confirmed defendant’s travel path to Jeff Hayes’ apartment and matched phone call records to surveillance footage, strengthening event reconstruction.
- Samantha Krebs, defendant
- Krebs admitted she’s a meth addict and explained how she met Joey Carnot and moved in with him.
- Described Joey as an addict with mental issues and prone to experiences delusions when high.
- Carnot was involved in a custody battle for his son.
- Described the events of July 18, 2024. They were both using and Joey was becoming delusional.
- Was in the living room putting on her sandals when Joey in and said if she left the apartment he was going to kill himself.
- Joey threw a knife sheath at her and she realized he was bleeding.
- Said John Pfeffer arrived and asked if she had called 911, she said no and believed that he had
- Pfeffer asked her if there were drugs in the house so she left Joey with John and gathered up the drugs and prepared to leave.
- Also was concerned about the police and paramedics coming to the house since they were all on probation.
- Another concern was for Joey and what it would do to his custody fight if drugs were found there.
- Said she didn’t think Joey’s injury was life-threatening and that the ambulance would come and he would be in the hospital for several days.
- Denied she said that Joey “fell on a knife,” denied she asked Pfeffer to do anything for her when she left the apartment.
- Described going to Jeff Hayes’ house after she left the apartment and how she stayed there for several days.
- Called Pfieffer from Hayes’ apartment, Pfeffer told her he told the police that she had not been there when Joey was stabbed. Said she stuck with John’s story because she trusted him.
- Said he found out Joey died the next day when Pfieffer and Christie showed up at Jeff Hayes’ apartment the next day.
- MORE: Samantha Krebs denies killing fiancé in emotional testimony
- WATCH: Kiss and Kill Murder Trial: Day 5 Recap
DAY 4 – 9/8/25
- LIVESTREAM: WI v. Samantha Krebs, Day 4 | Kiss & Kill Murder Trial
- Doug Kelley, MD, Milwaukee County Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, testified about the autopsy and forensic evidence concerning the death from a stab wound to the chest.
- Shortage of forensic pathologists in Wisconsin; works cases across counties.
- Autopsy conducted on July 22, 2024; described general autopsy procedures, including use of sensitive photos.
- Explained external and internal examinations, distinguishing between fatal and resuscitation-related injuries.
- Detailed stab wound location (under left nipple), dimensions (6.2 cm), and penetration (through rib cartilage, into pericardial sac).
- Described cardiac tamponade as the cause of death (about 300 mL of blood collected around heart, impeding heart function until failure).
- Clarified that the victim may have survived briefly post-injury but would quickly become unconscious without immediate medical care.
- Analyzed knife and wound, stating the presented knife could have caused such an injury but not definite proof it was the weapon.
- Stated that cause of death is clear (stab wound), but determination of manner (homicide vs. self-inflicted) is inconclusive from autopsy alone.
- No defensive wounds found; absence doesn’t exclude homicide.
- Discussed toxicology findings: methamphetamine, amphetamine, buprenorphine detected; drug levels not the cause of death.
- Most blood loss was internal (pericardial sac); not much blood visible outside the body.
- Reiterated that he could not provide an opinion as to whether the wound was homicide or self-inflicted.
- Brittney Hietpas, mother of the decedent’s child, testified about her relationship with Joey Carnot, his struggles with addiction, and co-parenting challenges.
- Described meeting Joey, dating, living together, and becoming parents; noted Joey successfully completed drug court and seemed clean during much of their relationship.
- Shared positive memories: Joey was fun, kind, caring, and a dedicated father.
- After a work injury, Joey’s behavior changed and addiction issues resurfaced; periods of disappearing and poor communication followed.
- Joey never threatened self-harm or suicide, according to Brittney.
- Recounted Joey’s efforts at treatment, with cycling relapse and periods of sobriety.
- Co-parenting relationship was initially good after breakup, with respectful custody exchanges.
- Described concerns and challenges after Joey started dating Samantha, particularly around summer 2023; exchanges became strained, communication reduced, and Joey was frequently late or missed visits.
- Samantha often present during visits and phone calls; Brittney felt uneasy not knowing who was around her child.
- Shifted to a coparenting app for communication due to increased concerns.
- Noted further behavioral decline and missed visits coming into 2024; suspected renewed substance use and initiated mediation for custody.
- Joey acknowledged his struggles in a February 2024 phone call, saying he was working with the VA, attending meetings, and aiming to get clean for his son.
- Brittney stopped child support due to Joey’s lost jobs and inability to sustain employment.
- She took steps to restrict visitation after Joey failed a drug test in June 2024, citing safety concerns.
- Allowed calls between Joey and their son, but stopped in-person visits about a month before Joey’s death; informed police as needed and was preparing for court over custody.
- Recounted last communication between Joey and their son as positive (“good conversation”) in early July 2024.
- Joey never discussed suicide, self-harm, or wanting to die; was mainly focused on getting help.
- During cross-examination, confirmed Joey had once jumped off a balcony under the influence (delusional/paranoid), but had not directly witnessed these periods.
- Acknowledged a long-standing log of coparenting incidents dating back to 2022, occasional police involvement, and ongoing concerns before and during Joey’s relationship with Samantha.
- Reiterated that concerns about Joey’s behavior and relapse increased as his relationship with Samantha progressed but issues predated it as well.
- Sgt. Chad Riddle, Appleton Police Department, Investigative Services Unit, testified about the investigation, evidence collection, digital forensic analysis, and timing/location details related to the death of Joey Carnot.
- Described his background, training, and duties as an investigator.
- Outlined initial response to the scene and submission of video/audio evidence (including veterinary clinic footage and a phone recording from John Pfeffer) to the state crime lab for analysis.
- Submitted a couple of knives related to the case to the crime lab.
- Described documentation, authentication, and procedural steps for physical and digital evidence.
- Explained how timestamp discrepancies in surveillance footage were discovered (clinic video was 38 minutes fast).
- Identified individuals from surveillance stills and connected evidence (such as sandals found at Jeff Hayes’ apartment that matched clothing seen on Samantha Krebs).
- Arrested the defendant outside Jeff Hayes’ apartment on July 22, 2024, following execution of a search warrant there.
- Walked through specific photos and exhibits, including items found at Hayes’ apartment (e.g., orthopedic clinic bag, sandals under bed).
- Provided details on the process of digital evidence collection, storage, and extraction from DVR systems.
- Explained the discovery and examination of communications on Jeff Hayes’ phone and the connection to the defendant’s actions post-incident.
- Discussed phone message and social media logs that placed the defendant at relevant locations and times, including communications as the defendant left the apartment building.
- Confirmed forensic findings on clothing, such as Joey Carnot’s shirt, and the location/characteristics of the knife wound as shown on the shirt.
- Outlined installation of the “Scanner Radio” app on Hayes’ phone shortly after the incident, which provided access to police radio codes, and expressed suspicion about its timing.
- Provided context for admissibility hearings regarding various jail calls and digital messages (jury-out portions).
- Jail calls included statements made by the defendant (“who doesn’t stab their boyfriend at some point in their life?”), discussions with her mother, and reactions to law enforcement discovery of her phone.
- Testimony was used to support analysis of motive, relationships between parties, and to establish the defendant’s movements and communications related to the crime.
DAY 3 – 9/5/25
- John Pfeffer, immunized witness, friend of Samantha and Joey who gave multiple versions of events surrounding Joey’s stabbing, admitted meth use, actions to “protect” Samantha, and deleting evidence.
- Gave inconsistent and shifting stories to police about incident.
- Found Joey bleeding, told Christy to apply pressure, called paramedic friend then 911.
- Expressed concern for Samantha and “Joey’s killer” (bodycam statements).
- Admitted Samantha told him to say “Joey stabbed himself.”
- Stated he concealed meth pipes belonging to group, deleted phone messages and data (not at Samantha’s request).
- Had romantic feelings for Samantha; she did not reciprocate.
- Admitted intent to use meth at apartment and regular drug use among group.
- No personal knowledge of actual stabbing; Joey was manic, off medication, and delusional.
- Did not witness the wound being inflicted or Samantha confessing.
- Officer Brady Felmer, Appleton Police Dept., first responder who interacted with John Pfeffer and Samantha Krebs at the scene.
- Spoke to Samantha via speakerphone; gave brief info on Joey’s condition.
- Samantha described Joey as “manic, acting crazy,” upset about court issues, off meds.
- Samantha expressed concern about violating probation if returning to apartment.
- Pressed Samantha repeatedly to return; she agreed after several asks.
- Det. Dustin Yule, Appleton Police Dept., tracked movements of a van of interest using traffic and surveillance cameras.
- Used traffic and surveillance video to trace van implicated in incident.
- Revealed van was located at Veterans Villages apartments, Grand Chute, WI.
- Provided satellite/aerial imagery of apartment complex and surrounding area to illustrate vehicle’s path.
- Most info about movements came from witness Christy Cleland.
- Christy did not report Samantha Krebs was at apartment at time in question.
- Kellie Gasser, property manager, apartment complex where Joey Carnot lived
- Managed apartment 5 rented by Joey for three years.
- Met Joey’s girlfriend Samantha Krebs a few times.
- Had locks changed after Joey’s death (he was only tenant on lease).
- Samantha left voicemail at office about retrieving her belongings.
- Found it unusual Samantha called corporate office about belongings.
- Confirmed voicemail was just three days after Joey’s death.
- Officer Bryce Rudebeck, Appleton Police Dept., Special Investigations Unit
- Conducted surveillance at Veterans Village apartments following incident.
- Vehicle of interest found at apartment associated with Jeff Hayes.
- Observed Jeff Hayes acting suspiciously, placing items in his GMC Arcadia.
- Later spotted Hayes exit with Samantha Krebs following behind.
- Arrested Samantha Krebs due to active felony warrant.
- Surveillance footage timestamp noted as approximately 38 minutes fast.
- Nicole del Plaine, Appleton Police Dept., Forensic Evidence Specialist
- Assisted with search warrant execution at W Glenpark Drive (near Grand Chute/Appleton).
- Provided wide photo of Jeff Hayes’ apartment complex.
- Identified Defendant’s Dodge Journey at parking spot linked to Jeff Hayes’ apartment, next to Hayes’ vehicle.
- Observed no tags or obscured VIN on Defendant’s vehicle.
- Falynne Gerisch (Recall), Forensic Evidence Specialist, Appleton Police Dept.
- ID’d photos taken of Defendant (Samantha Krebs) on July 22, 2024.
- Jury shown photos of Defendant, reviewed for injuries.
- Observed phone numbers written on Defendant in Sharpie.
- Noticed bruising on back side of hand.
- Photos of Defendant’s Dodge Journey and materials removed from VIN.
- Darrel Kortbein, former co-worker of Joey Carnot
- Worked with Joey Carnot in trucking/snow removal.
- Joey was transferred due to probable drug abuse.
- Relationship was work-focused, described as stressful due to Joey’s issues (wanting to leave for his child, lateness).
- Recalled Joey mentioning threats by a woman he was seeing (sometimes called girlfriend/fiance).
- Joey said girlfriend threatened to stab him during arguments.
- April 2024 phone call: heard female voice making violent or threatening remarks over phone.
- Threat to stab was relayed both directly and overheard during calls.
- Randall Mayer, former co-worker and brief employer of Joey Carnot
- Hired Joey for about a month of dump truck work in April; noted Joey struggled with tasks and attendance.
- Joey confided his fiance (Samantha Krebs) threatened to stab him multiple times.
- Upwards of ten occasions Joey mentioned being threatened.
- Issues between them spilled over into work days (calls, three-way calls involving Mayer).
- Ordered a drug test: came back positive for meth; Mayer fired Joey.
- Never personally heard a threat; only relayed what Joey told him.
- Only told law enforcement after learning Joey was stabbed.
- Pam Pfeffer, Mother of John Pfeffer (testified in jail garb earlier)
- Recounted John’s “excited utterance” after incident, July 19, 2024.
- John came to her home early morning, sobbing and shaking—”this guy shouldn’t have died.”
- Described John as emotionally distraught, which was highly unusual for him.
- John stated he and a girl entered apartment, found Joey bleeding on floor, knife nearby; John moved knife/potentially prevented further injury.
- Christy (female companion) was performing chest compressions.
- John said woman present was named Samantha.
- John relayed that Samantha said she had stabbed Joey (directly or by implication).
- Emotional state and recounting led to hearsay exception for her testimony.
DAY 2 – 9/4/25
- The jury heard an audio recording from a surveillance video that captured the moments before the 911 call was placed.
- Sgt. Kong Lee of the Appleton Police Department said he was refueling his squad car around 9:30 p.m. when he heard a dispatch call about a disturbance involving a weapon and someone who had been stabbed.
- In a 911 call, a male reported finding the victim stabbed in the chest and unconscious.
- Lee said when he arrived at the scene, he observed a male subject lying on his back with a female inside the room actively applying pressure to his rib section. The caller was standing outside the apartment, waving officers down.
- Officer Yeeleng Thor, also with the Appleton Police Department, testified he applied a chest seal to the injury before EMS personnel arrived and took over lifesaving measures.
- Thor observed a kitchen knife in the sink at the residence. A photo of the knife in the kitchen sink was presented as evidence.
- Forensic Evidence Specialist Falynne Gerisch from the Appleton Police Department testified about collecting evidence at the scene. She presented multiple crime scene photos, including images of the kitchen area where a knife was collected and photos showing red spatter marks on the walls.
- Building residents living near Apartment 5 testified they could often hear argument and loud voices, especially from a male, increasing in frequency leading up to 7/18/2024.
- No one reported hearing an actual disturbance or argument in Apartment 5 the day of the incident.
- Observations included noticing Joey Carnot’s declining appearance (weight gain, unshaven, unkempt) before the incident.
- Christy Cleland testified that she was on probation at the time; dated John Pfeffer, lived with parents.
- Did not know Samantha Krebs prior to July 18, 2024; only knew John said they were “good friends.”
- Arrived at Apartment 5, saw Joey Carnot on the floor, Samantha Krebs atop him, her legs straddling him.
- Heard Krebs repeatedly say “I can’t go back to prison” and “I’m sorry” to Joey.
- Cleland rendered aid (sternum rubs), noticed blood; tried to keep Carnot alive.
- Called paramedic friend before 911; eventually called 911 upon Cleland’s insistence.
- Noted Krebs kissed Joey on the cheek and expressed emotional distress.
- Admitted not telling law enforcement the whole truth in initial interview due to confusion/fear; followed John Pfeffer’s lead in initial statements.
- Clarified her own actions in rendering aid, denied using drugs during events, and described her focus was purely on saving Joey.
- Cross-examination corroborated some confusion about phone ownership, actions taken, and details forgotten until subsequent interviews.
- John Pfeffer testified under “use immunity”; pending charges.
- Admitted he knew both Carnot and Krebs; described them as friends.
- Arrived at Carnot’s apartment July 18, 2024, with Samantha and Christy Cleland.
- Scene details: Carnot was on the floor, wounded and bleeding; Samantha present, kneeling by him.
- Directed Cleland to apply pressure; instructed Samantha to leave and “go get a lawyer.”
- Multiple “versions” of events given to law enforcement—originally claimed Samantha wasn’t present, fabricated statements to protect her.
- Bodycam footage played: Pfeffer claimed Samantha wasn’t at scene, described pressure on wound, and made calls mentioning loving “Sam.”
- Admitted in court both initial statements and second version were false, crafted to protect Samantha Krebs; acknowledged only later did he tell the truth.
- Questioning clarified discrepancies between his initial story to police/bodycam statements and later admissions.
DAY 1 – 9/3/25
- Prosecutor Mindy Tempelis delivered the State’s opening.
- Tempelis told jurors their job was to search for the truth, emphasizing that the truth did not change.
- She stated the trial was about the July homicide of JC in Appleton.
- John and Christy had known each other, and John and Sam (the defendant) had a close, at times romantic, relationship.
- On the night of the crime, Christy and John arrived at Joey’s apartment at 9:46 PM, got buzzed up, and entered, with John going in first.
- Upon entry, they saw Joey lying on the floor; Christy attempted to render aid, using towels and relying on her nursing experience.
- The pathologist later determined Joey died from a knife wound to the chest, which punctured his heart, causing internal bleeding.
- John did not call 911 until 9:54 PM, seven minutes after arrival, telling dispatch he thought Joey fell on a knife; evidence showed the knife was placed in the sink.
- Police responded at 9:59 PM, finding John and Christy rendering aid. Officers administered care and recovered knives from the scene for DNA testing.
- DNA analysis placed Joey’s DNA on the blade and both Joey and Sam’s DNA on the handle of the knife.
- Tempelis stressed there were witnesses who did not hear a commotion, and others tried to render aid.
- Video evidence showed Sam’s demeanor and actions after leaving the scene, and indicated that John and Jeff Hayes (another friend) helped protect Sam.
- Jeff Hayes went to great lengths to conceal Sam’s car and its identifying decals.
- John and Kristy also went to Hayes’ apartment after police interviews, continuing to assist Sam, including wiping her cell phone.
- Surveillance, phone records, and crime lab evidence pieced together the night’s sequence, supporting the prosecution’s narrative.
- Phone calls and audio captured Sam panicking and discussing what story to tell, with both John and Sam suggesting a cover story about Joey falling on the knife.
- Eventually, Sam was taken into custody; Tempelis alleged she changed her story and confessed to stabbing Joey.
- Tempelis concluded by stating that, despite attempted cover-ups, evidence corroborated that Sam was responsible, and asked jurors to find her guilty of first-degree intentional homicide.
- Defense attorney Stephanie Rock delivered her opening statement.
- Rock portrayed Sam and Joey as deeply in love but dealing with mental health and addiction issues.
- She explained Sam was under supervision and Joey was engaged in a stressful custody battle.
- According to Rock, on the night in question, a normal evening shifted after an argument about Joey meeting an uncle, leading to the stabbing.
- Sam, in shock, tried to help Joey, using towels to stop the bleeding.
- Sam had invited John and Kristy to visit, and let them in, expecting a normal gathering.
- Rock asserted that Sam did not immediately say “Tell cops he stabbed himself,” and that prosecution witness John frequently changed his story.
- The defense argued that John directed statements to police and advised Sam to leave due to her supervision status.
- Sam went to Jeff Hayes’ house, not to hide but to seek safety and to cope with the traumatic event.
- Rock emphasized that John didn’t call 911 for several minutes, and initial statements falsely claimed Sam wasn’t present.
- John subsequently coached Sam on what to say, suggesting she would be the prime suspect.
- Rock challenged Tempelis’ claim that Sam set up cover stories, insisting Sam simply responded to advice from friends.
- The defense told jurors they would hear no evidence of conspiracy, no physical altercation, and no defensive wounds, just one stab wound.
- Rock concluded the incident was a tragic accident or suicide, not homicide, and that Sam did not harm Joey.
- She asked the jury to find Sam not guilty at the end of the case.
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