00:00:00
all right here's the deal you're being
charged with murder I never put my head this is 37-year-old Nicole Woodard just 48
hours ago police discovered her husband Daniel
00:00:15
Rayburn brutally beaten and deceased in the
yard of his own home neighbors said that uh
00:00:22
they heard some subject arguing and possibly
one gunshot last night at first detectives
00:00:28
believed this tragedy was was the result
of a robbery but they would be horribly
00:00:33
wrong as the weeks-long investigation began
detectives would uncover a toxic relationship
00:00:40
and a twisted conspiracy with Nicole at the
very center of it all who's DNA is going to
00:00:47
be on that gun now's the time you need to
tell me cuz there's not going to be another
00:00:50
[Music] opportunity on July 4th officers
in Dublin Georgia received a disturbing
00:01:00
call a passing motorcyclist reported seeing a
motionless body on the front lawn of a nearby
00:01:06
house and urgently requested a welfare
check when First Responders arrived at the scene it quickly became clear the man
was already Beyond saving how y'all [Music]
00:01:20
doing Blood come across his arm right there he's
laying like somebody he was ATT taged or a child
00:01:28
or something that's first respon responders took a
closer look the disturbing condition of the man's
00:01:33
body became clear his skin was covered in bruises
insects crawled across his face and most troubling
00:01:40
a gunshot wound was clearly visible at the back
of his head even more telling was the stiffness
00:01:47
of his body clearly indicating he'd been dead for
several hours to the officers on scene one thing
00:01:53
was immediately clear this was a homicide and they
needed to figure out who this man was and and why
00:02:00
he was so brutally killed luckily it wouldn't
take long before officers began uncovering
00:02:05
crucial details do we even know his we don't know
his name dude yeah we ran um that's as far as that
00:02:12
okay we hav't positively identified you 26 radio
off that 28 that was ran at this location who it
00:02:19
come back to6 come back to a Daniel it has e
the victim was quickly identified as d Rayburn
00:02:30
a 40-year-old father and the homeowner himself
with this in mind officers would approach Daniel's
00:02:37
neighbors who would reveal information that
would prove crucial to solving this case later
00:02:43
on 26 radi 9 CLE oh Sor sorry have
y'all been home all day been to the grocery store have yall heard
anything over there no like today
00:02:56
today bye self or do you know a lady lives there
a lady lives there there's a man deceased in her
00:03:04
yard in yard yeah he's dead right there in her
yard yeah oh my daughter said heard somebody
00:03:13
arguing last night last night said who you call
call me another one and she said she said mom
00:03:21
was firecrackers she said with a gun come here you
see his body oh talking about right here near the
00:03:30
oh wow lady lives there with him I mean she she
can't that's the same lady that came her name is
00:03:37
Nicole Nicole yeah is she younger older or she
younger than us so I'm 43 so she might be her
00:03:44
early 30s early to mid3 oh my God who found him
some passer by just come by he's been there for
00:03:51
a [Music] while across the road heard AR over
here and about 1: a.m. heard one shot they're
00:03:59
supposed to a female that resides here by the name
of Nicole white female to see if she's inside yes
00:04:05
we'll knock on the door and then if it's unlock we
can s and we do a Warfare [ __ ] officers didn't
00:04:09
know who Nicole was yet but she would become a
very familiar figure over the coming days without
00:04:16
wasting any time officers moved to search Daniel's
home and what they would find inside would soon
00:04:21
blow the case wide open but before we continue
it's worth noting that situations like these
00:04:27
can be extremely distressing not only for those
directly involved but also for anyone following
00:04:32
along at home just like you if you've ever felt
that you need help with mental health you should
00:04:37
know that there are always people you can reach
out to that's why I'd like to thank betterhelp
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therapy with that said let's get back to the
investigation officers were about to search
00:05:36
Daniel's home aware there could be another victim
or even someone dangerous hiding inside the door
00:05:44
lock Police Department police
department police department all right so females gone you got a female
00:06:03
name all we know is it's a white female by the
name of Nicole right here suitc Nicole Woodard
00:06:13
fortunately for officers the house turned out
to be empty with no visible signs of violence
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or struggle inside however they did uncover one
crucial clue a letter revealing Nicole's full
00:06:25
identity Branda Lee Nicole watered Daniel's wife
this discovery immediately opened up new leads
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for investigators but officers were about to
catch another clue one of the paramedics on the
00:06:39
scene would recall encountering a woman with the
exact same name just hours earlier let yall know
00:06:45
about it I don't think the neighbors saying
that they heard sub just arguing last night
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and a possible one gunshot see appear yeah they
said it's supposed to be a white female staying
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with him first name by Nicole we went in and
cleared it nobody ain't in there but it's a
00:06:58
letter in there with her name on a piece of paper
with the cold wood on that name we just picked
00:07:02
up a person at Applebee's with the same name
37 years old SE throwing up according to the
00:07:09
paramedic 37-year-old Brandel Nicole Woodard
had been working at a nearby Applebee's when
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she suffered a seizure and was rushed to the
ER earlier that day to detectives this timing
00:07:20
felt a little too convenient Nicole's medical
emergency occurred just hours after Daniel's
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brutal murder potentially giving her an alibi
to distance herself from the crime if this was
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in fact Nicole's plan it wouldn't work out
very well officers were now able to easily
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locate her at the hospital and question
her regarding the actions leading up to
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Daniel's death since her injuries were minor
she was quickly transferred to the station for
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questioning did he have any friends that
came over to visit uh once in a blue moon
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um we'd go over and hang out with Tim
and syvia but we hadn't seen them in a couple of months but other than that you
can't tell me anything else that you might
00:08:08
know CU he was out in the yard when he was
founding the yard this afternoon before they
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called about time after they called you he sign
out in New York nobody called me I mean how did
00:08:21
they get in contact with you the officer showed
up at the hospital I'm saying you got in contact
00:08:27
got in contact with your doctor okay so other
than that you hadn't seen him n before that I
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hadn't seen him at all today even though Nicole
insisted she had no idea what happened to Daniel
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that night her demeanor told the detective a
different story her shaky voice and uneven answers
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indicated extreme nervousness she seemed on edge
uncomfortable and far from natural these subtle
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cues could mean one of two things either Nicole
was genuinely shocked to learn that Daniel was
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killed or she was hiding something this detective
strongly suspected the latter and intended to find
00:09:03
out exactly what Nicole was holding back you want
know anybody that might have been he had problem
00:09:09
with or giving him problems anything like that
how how was he on the job he had problems on the
00:09:18
job anything like that that you know of I mean
we don't know if anybody actually done anything
00:09:24
to him or whether he might have just fell and
passed out or whatever I ask you how much did
00:09:29
drink last night I don't know well you said
you drunk a bottle I I was drinking last night
00:09:35
he drinking he was drinking beer sir has he ever
drunk alcohol to the point where he will fall out
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yes I told you but he hadn't drank like that
S I mean he might drink two or three well if
00:09:47
that's all if that's it anything that you can
tell me according to Nicole she and Daniel had
00:09:55
been drinking the night before when a verbal
argument escalated into a physical altercation
00:10:01
however she still insisted that he was alive
and well when she left ultimately detectives
00:10:06
weren't able to get any useful information
from Nicole and had no choice but to let
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her go however unbeknownst to Nicole this was
only the beginning of a very long week back at
00:10:21
the crime scene officers continued collecting
evidence to determine who had been at the home
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at around 1:00 a.m. now with a search warrant
in hand and officers moved into Daniel's home
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hoping it would hold the evidence they desperately
needed lock this door back I know the pastor out
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there Danny he said he's been counseling
them I guess they oh they been problem he
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said like she clean clean her stuff
out a see no female stuff there they got list his leggings was in here got
l in this but either way shorts and
00:11:05
Capri Comfort pits pants I said the
place ain't to ain't no blood nowhere there unfortunately for officers no evidence
was found inside the home with that in mind
00:11:24
officers expanded their search to the property
outside and that's when they made a critical
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Discovery hey is that piece of dread yes
that ear trying to find fo security with
00:11:47
Bott a severed dreadlock was found just feet
away from where Daniel was killed the hair
00:11:57
clearly didn't match Daniel or Nicole's hair
type confirming that someone else besides
00:12:02
Nicole was present that night detectives now
needed to identify who this unknown person was
00:12:07
and figure out if Nicole might know who he is
but while detectives were finishing up their
00:12:12
search at Daniel's home his family arrived at
the scene and officers had to break the tragic
00:12:18
news hello how's it go I something yeah
this is my son he Mr D let's go go don't
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yeah I remember you but I can't remember your
name right Matthew we had um pass by see somebody
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laying down and they called me out here and that's
when I seen him was he married or anything he was
00:12:39
living with a woman what was that woman's name
Nicole water what to call Po and [ __ ] excuse
00:12:46
me although the family's comments about Nicole
were somewhat vague one thing became clear Daniel
00:12:54
and Nicole likely had a deeply troubled
relationship but suspicions alone weren't
00:12:59
enough and officers needed solid evidence if
they were going to identify Daniel's killer
00:13:04
before wrapping up for the day investigators would
review surveillance footage from the neighbors
00:13:09
across the street and spotted Nicole leaving in
her dad's car earlier that morning additionally
00:13:14
when police analyzed Nicole's phone records they
discovered that she had placed a call shortly
00:13:20
before Daniel's murder with suspicions now firmly
centered on Nicole investigators began questioning
00:13:25
her acquaintances to find out what they knew
about her troubled deteriorating relationship
00:13:30
with Daniel and potential involvement in his death
that's when they first heard the name Misty Edge
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a friend of Nicole's who as it turned out had
received a visit from her just hours after the
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murder they ain't going to B already they no they
a John hang on just a second how are you I'm good
00:14:05
this is Misty Edge Nicole's friend and cooworker
she reached out to police claiming Nicole had
00:14:12
shown up at her house early the previous morning
acting strangely and carrying several bags when
00:14:18
detectives arrived at Misty's house they never
expected the shocking details she was about to
00:14:23
share okay well she messaged me the other night
it was R AV and I see that he had been beaten on
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stuff she called me around 5:00 that morning she
said she was very confused that she didn't know
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what was going on that front door was open that
his car was still crunk everything door was open
00:14:42
yeah we come back and she felt she was still
drunk she fell asleep on the couch and I feel
00:14:46
like I really feel like she was coming off of
something you ain't just going to sit here and
00:14:50
make yourself shake for no reason right I feel
like I really feel like she was trying to hide
00:14:54
something from me this description of Nicole's
demeanor sounded eerily familiar to how she
00:15:00
behaved in the interview room earlier according
to Misty Nicole was visibly shaking nervous and
00:15:07
clearly on edge as if she was hiding something
whatever Nicole had seen or knew clearly made her
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unstable possibly explaining her sudden seizure
and fainting earlier that day but what detectives
00:15:19
quickly realized was that Misty herself knew far
more than she initially let on and for reasons of
00:15:26
her own she decided to drop the biggest bombshell
yet let me ask you when did she tell you about Dan
00:15:33
she told me that she had made a phone call and
what get rid of that she also said she wants him
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dead but then she don't want him dead she walks
in my front door and was like n to hit me my eye
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I said what hit me my eye I said no I'm not doing
that cuz that's not me I don't have nothing I
00:15:53
have no record no I've been good my whole life
but no that's not me she said she needs a alab
00:15:59
detectives now had a testimony supporting
their suspicions that Nicole was at the
00:16:04
house around the time Daniel was killed
even worse Nicole supposedly made some phone calls to quote take Daniel out not only
had she likely witness the murder but she may
00:16:16
have even coordinated it it was time to find
Nicole this time there would be no walking
00:16:23
away how are you the next day investigators set up a meeting with
Nicole at her sister's house prepared to see just
00:16:36
how much her story would hold up under pressure
the goal was to pressure her into revealing the
00:16:41
names of the people she called that night and
what exactly she had told them all right here's
00:16:47
the deal you know why we here yes ma'am then
unfortunately what be here about Daniel and him
00:16:54
not being here anymore and yall suspect because
of the fact that me and him have been busting and
00:17:00
fighting and stuff so much lately that I may have
had something to do with it and I swear I don't I
00:17:05
mean I I've told him at times yeah you're going to
keep on on [ __ ] ass or some [ __ ] like that but
00:17:11
I swear I've never put my hands on him the first
furthest I've done is I pushed him backwards I've
00:17:17
never put my hands on him and I never would
he's the one that beat the crap out of me
00:17:21
back in November I was in wngs although detectives
hadn't openly accused Nicole of anything yet she
00:17:27
immediately began defending herself self almost
as if she knew suspicion would inevitably fall on
00:17:32
her her husband had just been brutally murdered
yet Nicole seemed less concerned with helping
00:17:38
the investigation and more focused on clearing
her name has anything been physical since then
00:17:44
no I mean we screamed and hollered at each other
a little bit and sent some nasty messages back
00:17:49
and forth thing with us I mean if we were not ging
at each other there was something wrong as Nicole
00:17:57
painted a har growing picture of domestic abuse
her explanation seemed carefully chosen to cast
00:18:04
Daniel in a negative light almost as if she had
hoped investigators would see her as the victim
00:18:10
and while parts of her story May indeed Be True
Detective sensed that she was subtly deflecting
00:18:15
blame and possibly laying the groundwork for a
future legal defense but investigators would see
00:18:21
right through this tactic and it only made them
push harder to uncover what Nicole was really
00:18:27
hiding have to be done you just said just we in
fighting I don't know but you just said just a
00:18:33
second ago you know what we're here you think we
to do with I've been told three different things
00:18:38
I've been told he may have had a heart attack in
the yard I've been told he was beat up and I've
00:18:44
been told that they don't know what the hell
happened just that he was found in the yard
00:18:49
why do we know more I don't listen to me listen
to him it's always better and I know you talked
00:18:56
to detective the other day he still that things
have changed and we know some stuff that you did
00:19:02
we need you to come forward and tell the TRU all
I mean I've called and talked to people and stuff
00:19:08
and I've told them at times I I I I love him I
hate him get me out of here stuff like that but
00:19:14
I've never hurt him I swear I would never put my
hands on him I him L look at me look at me like
00:19:23
Sergeant Rose just told you we no more we want
to hear your sh and I'm telling you I didn't you
00:19:30
didn't mean to Hur him I did not touch him I did
not go help I did not you know who did and it's
00:19:38
time for you to tell us who did this to him the
stress was clearly getting to Nicole detectives
00:19:44
made it obvious they knew she wasn't telling them
everything and the pressure was starting to show
00:19:51
visibly nervous and beginning to break Nicole
was about to give detectives exactly what they
00:19:57
came here for I suspect that my foster brother
may have had some or adopted brother may have
00:20:03
had something to do with it because I did call
them and I did ask them for help to get me out
00:20:07
of there why do you suspect that he had something
because he they've all said before if he kept on
00:20:13
hurting me they were going to do something and I
the last time that we had a fat that he come up
00:20:18
he bitched him out and that was it gr we know
that you have made a phone call to somebody I
00:20:25
called pops which is C look green and I him if
he would come over and take and calm me down and
00:20:31
stuff and I called Andrew and TomTom and told
them to come over and find out what the f was
00:20:36
going on and Andrew and TomTom said they couldn't
get there anytime soon why were you wanting them
00:20:42
to come over there what were you wanting them to
take care of not him not like that I swear nothing
00:20:47
like that that's what you just said I wanted them
to calm him down I wanted what is that not like
00:20:54
that we know you sat want them to no I did not all
right so did not listen there was camera footage
00:21:02
across the street so let's talk about it okay
I never saw anything happened I heard him out
00:21:08
there fussing and stuff and then they left listen
to me you know more about what happened I have my
00:21:14
suspicions but I don't want to accuse anybody
of anything you know more about what happened
00:21:20
now you give us the runaround already no you
have and that points fingers at you that raises
00:21:28
flags with you Nicole would finally loosen up a
bit giving detectives a couple of names but that
00:21:35
alone wasn't enough detectives still needed to
find out who actually pulled the trigger what did
00:21:42
you see and what did you hear I heard shouting and
I've heard all the fireworks and all that [ __ ]
00:21:48
that is all I've heard what kind of shouting you
called something and ordered something on that
00:21:53
phone what did I order because I haven't ordered
anything why do you think you're your the guys
00:21:59
would have come over there and done something
because he was being an [ __ ] to me again I
00:22:03
mean I just told him I said y'all just get him to
stop y'all I I can't take it anymore y'all come
00:22:08
get me y'all just get me out of here don't you
want Justice for him yes that's why I'm telling
00:22:13
you he was left laying in the yard this what I'm
telling you I'm giving you the names that I have
00:22:21
do I need a lawyer despite Nicole bringing up her
right to legal counsel detectives weren't ready
00:22:27
to give up yet and moved in closer physically
encircling her and increasing the pressure and
00:22:32
it's a good thing they did because Nicole was
seconds away from finally breaking down and
00:22:38
confessing I called them and told them to come
beit his ass I was [ __ ] tired of the [ __ ]
00:22:46
but I didn't think that they would do it they've
never done it before and then I was scared and I
00:22:53
didn't know that he was dead I swear to God I
did not know that he was [ __ ] dead I did not
00:23:00
I thought maybe they just fing rubed him up just rub up a little bit and they
come in in a little while that's why
00:23:14
St now I come in and be like
yeah your brother fing big ass I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean to to but I was Scar and
they had already told me before that if they beat
00:23:39
him up and they got told on I was in trouble
but like I said they never did it before and
00:23:47
I've told him multiple times I just could his ass
a [ __ ] tired of it and nobody ever did the only
00:23:55
thing that's ever happened was I ended up calling
the did you go out check on him and make sure he
00:24:01
was all right no I did not did you see him out
there in the yard I did not you're almost there
00:24:08
you got about 10 15% that you're not telling
us of what happened after the fact no I don't
00:24:15
you got one or two more I promise I don't none
that I know of just sit there and think about it
00:24:21
even if parts of Nicole's story were true her
overwhelming emotional reaction seemed driven
00:24:26
more by Panic and fear than genuine sorrow and by
now detectives had everything they needed to move
00:24:32
forward and Nicole would be arrested and taken to
[Music] prison while officers had enough evidence
00:24:41
for an arrest and were nearly certain of brandle
Le's involvement in the murder whether she had
00:24:45
actually wanted Daniel dead remained unclear to
solve this detectives now turned their attention
00:24:51
to Thomas Harper and Andrew Huber the two men
Nicole claimed carried out the attack fortunately
00:24:58
locating them didn't take long and due to their
High likelihood of involvement both men would
00:25:02
be arrested immediately and questioned the very
next day during their arrest police discovered
00:25:08
a piece of clothing with blood stains at Andrew
Huber's residence after running a DNA test this
00:25:14
would prove to be Daniel's blood confirming that
Andrew was present that night and he would be
00:25:20
charged with murder still there was one person
left and a final nail in the coffin for Nicole
00:25:27
her adopted brother brother Thomas Harper during
his arrest officers discovered a handgun along
00:25:33
with four spent casings directly matching the
bullet fired into Daniel's head on top of that
00:25:39
the dreadlock found at the crime scene would turn
out to be a direct match to Thomas himself neither
00:25:45
Andrew nor Thomas ever claimed Nicole was outside
during the fight however police could confirm that
00:25:51
Nicole had seen Daniel leave and heard gunshots
yet she never checked on him and never called 911
00:25:58
won instead she simply walked away choosing
to protect Andrew and Thomas this paired with
00:26:05
Misty's disturbing witness statement and the phone
logs confirming the timeline was more than enough
00:26:11
evidence for police Nicole may not have pulled the
trigger herself but she set it all into motion and
00:26:17
because of her actions Daniel was killed in the
end Justice caught up with all three Andrew Huber
00:26:24
was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to
life in prison without the possibility of parole
00:26:29
Nicole and Thomas Harper both pleaded guilty
to voluntary manslaughter likely receiving
00:26:34
sentences ranging anywhere from 10 to 20 years in
prison for their roles in Daniel's brutal death