Peter Van Sant: And what are you holding in your hand? We don't have what you normally think of in terms of a homicide case. DEPOSITION ATTORNEY: OK, when did she stop being the love of your life? Education. See what you can get for it.". Details of Disappearance Marsha was last seen in Cleveland, Tennessee sometime in late May or early June 2009. I believe that she was very depressed. But they don't think she would have left. And Davis says there was one thing Marsha definitely didn't leave behind: a wad of cash they kept hidden in the attic. Investigators determined from cell phone records that Brantley most likely disappeared around June 2, 2009, possibly as late as July. Jana Wills | Marsha's cousin: She was fun. Phone records show that incoming calls stopped on June 2, which is probably the last day Marsha Brantley had her phone, Crump said. 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 Kelly DeLude: She told me that Marsha was no longer coming. She had extended family spread across the country, but she hadn't spoken to them in years, friends and family said. Peter Van Sant: How big a case is this among people here? Meanwhile, Marsha Brantley's family and friends still don't have closure, and Donnie Brantley's life has been put on hold twice - and could be for a third time. Peter Van Sant: You've become a detective at this point. Reggie Jay and Nansy Grill were bewildered and concerned. He regularly bought items such as tarps and plastic drop cloths for work. Peter Van Sant: So Marsha said to you she was experiencing severe depression? 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. When Marsha Brantley, 50, of Cleveland, Tenn., suddenly vanished in 2009, her husband Donnie eventually became a suspect in her murder. DEPOSITION ATTORNEY: Do you know how a card got in Stephanie Richardson's mailbox on the morning of June the 3rd, 2009? Zach Pike: We have a guy who's told numerous lies about where his wife went, and we can prove otherwise. [7] The charges were dropped again in February 2018 due to lack of evidence. It read: "Things are better for me now.". He didn't say a word and went directly to a back room to change clothes. Kelly DeLude: Well, he's disposed of her body very well. [5] In October 2016, Brantley was again arrested in Kingston, Georgia. As for the camper, there is conflicting information about when and where the camper was found. You all need to be looking for her.". Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Still, there was almost no physical evidence of a crime no blood, no fingerprints, no crime scene at all. Prosecutor Steve Crump: This is an unusual case. "I wasn't trying to be a detective. It's a good question -- especially since the man they believe knows what happened to Marsha has, in their opinion, never offered to help. In June 2009, right around the time authorities think Marsha disappeared, they say Donnie used her phone to make a highly suspicious call. Had it not perhaps been for her low-level profile compounded by her McCarthy-era blacklisting in the early 1950s, there is no telling what higher tier Marsha Hunt might have attained. "Family arrived at intervals throughout the day, meals were shared and then there was the big event itself It was great! Prosecutor Steve Crump: This has got to be done exactly right. Crump did not disclose what, if any, new evidence had come to light, and since the case is still open, investigators have declined to discuss any details. Robin Terrero: Yes. Donnie Brantley was indicted for first-degree murder in 2009, but the charge was dropped. Though a civil court ruled that Marsha is deceased, her name can still be found on the National Missing Persons website. I opened my mouth and let the flakes melt on my tongue and eyelashes. One of the strangest things about this case is that for months, nobody reported Marsha Brantley missing. 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. Jana Wills | Marsha's cousin: She would never have left her family, she would never have left her home, she would never have left her friends and just disappeared and contacted no one. Kim Shank: She called me and she said, "Well I've met someone," and it was getting really serious. The new medical director breaks the rules to heal the system at America's oldest public hospital. Lee Davis: The man runs a home repair business! A friend reported Marsha missing in November 2009, after months without contact. I never thought that that was the real answer. And that new phone Donnie Brantley bought for her? That performance, combined with circumstantial evidence, helped convince police in August 2013 to arrest Donnie Brantley and charge him with the murder of his wife. she wrote in a March 31, 2009, blog post for their ninth anniversary. DONNIE BRANTLEY [pauses, reaches for a bottle of water before answering]: I plead the Fifth. And there was something else Marsha left behind that friends and family say she valued more than all the material possessions in the world. Each episode features a different missing person case and . She was an avid hiker, while Donnie was a competitive bicycle rider. Steve Crump [to judge]: I made the decision on Saturday that we would not go forward with this case. 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. She was also a former director of housing at Lee University. I thought, "How dare you do that to us. Peter Van Sant: I have some rather startling news to tell you. Then, police say he lied repeatedly about where she had gone and what she'd taken with her. Prosecutor Steve Crump: This is a receipt for for a torch kit -- for a welder. It's a place that I like to call home and hopefully this is where I'll remain. Lt. David Shoemaker: At her house -- at their house. But was Marsha even dead? In 2011, the Bradley County Sheriff's Office became involved, and in November 2012, the Brantley's home was searched again, this time with cadaver dogs. But Donnie Brantley's attorney, Lee Davis, said his client didn't do that until after his wife disappeared. Peter Van Sant: I've heard you have an announcement to make. But neither side in the legal case agrees with her. Peter Van Sant: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Kelly DeLude: She was asking me if the economy had affected the business here, and I said, certainly, it had, you know? "I know we all looked at her, 'cause it was just an unusual statement coming from Marsha," said Reggie Jay. When the auto-complete results are available, use the up and down arrows to review and Enter to select. Lee Davis: When your wife tells you she's leaving the marriage, you don't call the police or 911. There is a huge world of difference between somebody who lies about a cellphone and proof of a first-degree murder. And there was other suspicious behavior. [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.". Jana Wills: She would come and pick me up from high school sometimes and we would go get ice cream. That is so unusual. Contact staff writer Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327. Right now that's open. They shared hundreds of images showing broken windows, black mould, disabled smoke detectors, water leaking through a light fixture, crumbling walls and rusty appliances. Three people commented on the post. Robin Terrero | Former pharmacist: I think that there was a whole lot going on with Marsha that she didn't tell anyone, even the people in her writing group. "I was bustling around getting ready for a wedding. Friends said she told them the death of her parents was the most difficult point in her life. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Donnie Brantley claimed he hadn't reported Marsha missing because she had left him. Davis has explained Donnie Brantley's differing stories as a man wanting to get "nosy people" to leave him alone after his wife left him. There wasn't a lot of happiness after that. The Times Free Press could not reach Richardson for comment. Robin Terrero: What concerned me more with Marsha was not what she shared, but what she didn't share. They say Donnie's failing business franchise was draining Marsha's inheritance. But the longer she was gone and when I talked to the TBI and they told me that Donnie had told so many lies, then I began to wonder that maybe she, maybe she wasn't gone away.". Crump said they also found a landfill ticket that showed Donnie Brantley had dumped some questionable items. I knew he didn't. 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. I knew that something was very, very wrong. Mine!" As the years went by, the two women grew closer. First published on April 7, 2018 / 11:05 PM. Reggie Jay: "Dirty Little Secrets" is a story that Marsha wrote. Maybe it was incompetence. "[Dodd] went and knocked on [Donnie Brantley's] door and said, 'Where is Marsha?'" See more ideas about east coast road trip, trip, new england travel. She had been taking hormone shots in hopes of regulating the depression, records and her agenda show. Kim Shank: She was 5'10" Even though she seemed to kind of command the room she was probably one of the more shy people to be that commanding with her physical presence. They didn't find anything. Mr. Blizzard died Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at his home. Lee Davis: Probably talkin' between $100,000 and $110,000. He hopes that by showing the evidence, a viewer may remember something important and call in a tip. Peter Van Sant: The prosecutor's claiming that there was an affair. She had the entire month of June planned out in her agenda and had just come in second place in a national competition for her short story, "Dirty Little Secrets." The prosecution says she only sent it because she planned to quit her writing group, and the email itself proves she wasn't actually going anywhere. She left her car. Jul 17, 2020 - Explore Marsha Brantley's board "East coast road trip", followed by 105 people on Pinterest. Marsha's neighbor was concerned too -- so much so that she decided to confront Donnie in person at his house. MARSHA BEVERIDGE is a company officer. Peter Van Sant [in car]: We've decided to drive out to her neighborhood to try to speak to her I'm gonna go up to the door, and knock, and see if Stephanie is home. "I got the impression that there were [financial problems]," Jay said. Peter Van Sant [outside courthouse]: This is a very important day for Donnie Brantley. Documents important to her. Brantley was living in Cartersville, Ga., when he was re-arrested. She married Donnie Brantley on March 28, 2000. I really have no idea, Peter Van Sant: Did you ever just look him in the eye, daughter to father, and say, "Dad, did you do this? Southern Gone is a true crime podcast that believes every missing person deserves to be found. That's terrible. No contracts or. Months later, newly-elected Prosecutor Steve Crump focuses his legal sights on Donnie Brantley. At another event, there was notable tension between the couple. She would have kicked Donnie Brantley out rather than let him have the house to live in with a new woman, they said. She grew up in an affluent family, an only child with no children of her own. You're good at that. It's somethin' that no one should have to experience, or no one should have to go through. Crump raised the family's hopes that he could win a conviction in a case guaranteed to be an uphill battle for the prosecution, because Marsha Brantley had simply vanished. At 41, this was Marsha's first serious relationship. Peter Van Sant: When you read that, what'd you think? Now, after nine long years, a jury will hear both sides of Marsha Brantley's mysterious disappearance. A look at the evidence: Did Donnie Brantley conceal a crime? Marsha is connected to five people through the previous addresses Peggy Hight Joyner, Ricky L Brantley, Beth B Barlow. Richardson says she did date Donnie, but not while Marsha was in his life. DeLude says Marsha couldn't say enough nice things about her marriage and her husband. She was very invested in her rescue dogs - she had three fosters. I must have missed when they found it. There is conflicting information about whether authorities looked for a body. Can we get her back? Peter Van Sant: Not a phone call, not an email, not a text message? He had always denied any role in his wife's disappearance, but he'd lied when he claimed that Marsha had taken her phone. Prosecutor Steve Crump to reporters: I was interested in it from the very beginning. She was strong-willed, opinionated, had a "no- nonsense" personality and loved her foster dogs, walking, gardening and writing. Prosecutor Steve Crump: Ultimately, I believe we will be able to do justice in this case. Donnie's daughter Elise was happy her dad had found a soul mate. But DeLude never got that call. Especially to her parents. Lee Davis: He's 100 percent innocent of these charges. 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. DEPOSITION ATTORNEY: Are there other items of hers which you sold when she disappeared? Because Donnie Brantley couldn't keep the camper at his house, it was kept at a storage lot across from the campsite or at his parents' property. 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. In late 2012, the couple's home was searched again. "My initial feeling was that Marsha deliberately left and was, was going to go away and be that best-selling author," she told investigators. " Later that month, the judge orders Donnie's record of criminal charges in Bradley County to be erased. This time, the sheriff's office brought cadaver dogs down to the basement. In any case, charges were dismissed again in February 2018, the day jury selection was set to begin. From a young age, Marsha had an endearing passion for pets. 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