236 replies to this topic

[Old_Abe]

Snapped. The half-hour true crime show about women who, *SNAP*, yo, and become killers. Or at least, accused killers.

While the show is a bit short and overly-padded -- it suffers from that FOX habit of previewing upcoming material and then reviewing things after commercial breaks -- I do find myself seeking it out.

One that stands out in my mind right now:

Debra Lynn Baker. The bookkeeper to the millionaire Texas plumber? She moved in with him and his wife, and became a sort of confidant to the missus. He expressed fear that the two women were trying to kill him, and soon enough he was dead. They found a lethal dose of arsenic in his system. Arsenic was found in Debra's room, as well as on the jar of cranberry juice that the guy drank from each morning. She was found guilty of murder.

Nothing WAY of the the ordinary, until the sentencing ... and some strange Texas-style justice. The sentence? 10 years.... of probation. Oh, and a $10,000 fine. Weird, wild stuff. Apparently the outcome was affected by a parade of character witnesses who testified that the deceased was an overbearing, foul-tempered, ornery pain-in-the-ass.

(Huh. Reminds me of that City Confidential about the town who collectively offed one of its pain-in-the-ass citizens. A real bully, this guy just consistently made life difficult for people in this town ... Anyway, someone shotgunned him in a parking lot and then everyone present at the scene claimed to have been 'under the table' in the nearby store. Mighty big table, that. The whole town managed to keep silent about what happened that day, despite the widow's complaints and the FBI investigating...)

Anyway it seems being a total jerk can result in a 'justifiable homicide' in the eyes of some.

Anyone else checking this show out?

Edited by Old_Abe, Aug 18, 2005 @ 2:03 PM.

[sej208]

I've been watching this show for a while and my friends and I often reference it. As in "uh oh, I see a Snapped episode coming up" whenever someone is fighting with their man.

Anyway, I kind of like it except I find it a little unsettling because I get the feeling you're supposed to be rooting for these women a little bit. Maybe because they've been screwed over by men or something. Anyway, its definitely a bit cartoon-y compared to City Confidential or something like that, but I like it and will almost always watch it when its on.

[Old_Abe]

Anyway, I kind of like it except I find it a little unsettling because I get the feeling you're supposed to be rooting for these women a little bit. Maybe because they've been screwed over by men or something.

From the Snapped website:

"These shocking but true stories turn common assumptions about crime and criminals upside down, conclusively proving that there's often something far more sinister to the fairer sex than 'sugar and spice and everything nice.'"

Yeah, there's a little sense of "these aren't your shrinking violets of yesteryear!" attitude going on, I agree.

"Produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment, the creators of City Confidential, and narrated by Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me)..."

"Just Shoot Me." Heh. Didn't recognize the CIty Confidential connection or the narrator. Like her, though.

[lk201317]

I recently discovered this show - I guess the new season starts this weekend. It's interesting, but boy they have the most graphic pictures! Crime scene photos like I've never seen before. But I like the psychologists they have on to comment on the Snapper.

[ebonygoddess]

Anyway it seems being a total jerk can result in a 'justifiable homicide' in the eyes of some.

Down South that's known as the "S/he needed killin" defense.

[michaeldh8]

I like this show but aside from the woman who ran over her husband (several times) with her car have any of them actually "Snapped". All the other women have seemed to be pretty calculating.

[sej208]

I agree that few of the women actually 'snapped'. It also bugs me that lately they've been doing cases that I've seen covered on a lot of other true crime shows without adding anything new to them. Maybe I just watch too much of this genre though.

[kasarah]

I just "discovered" this show after a guy at work talked about it. I like it, but I'm not sure about my husband, though. He's not got a lot to worry about though, he doesn't beat me, and we're broke folks.

"Produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment, the creators of City Confidential, and narrated by Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me)..."

I immediately recognized the connection-- just a feeling I had, plus half of the cases I've seen have been profiled on City Confidential. I miss City Confidential.

[wormlegs]

I am so glad to find this thread, since I watch this show all the damn time. I have, what is for me, an exciting brush with fame. A couple weeks ago there was an episode featuring Sheila Davaloo (sp?), a scientist who nearly stabbed her husband to death in a sex game. Anyway, she worked at the same company as my mom used to, so at Thanksgiving I asked my mother about her and if she knew her. Well, our gal Sheila reported to my mom! I was so shocked. And then we started talking about the case and my mom had to explain that there was sex involved (and my mom is not a very open woman with things like that so she was terribly embarrassed) and it was so awkward and totally awesome. My mother was trying to be all "Wormlegs, you shouldn't talk about this. Nice girls don't talk about this." and I was all "Mommy, tell us more about the crazy lady who snapped!"

And seriously, if someone who reported to you were convicted of attempted murder, wouldn't you mention it to your husband or adult children, conversationally, before they bring it up at Thanksgiving dinner in front of company?

[smileystar78]

I like it, but I'm not sure about my husband, though. He's not got a lot to worry about though, he doesn't beat me, and we're broke folks.

Lol, same with my bf. I think he thinks I'll get ideas.

I like the narration. In one recent episode I watched, they called someone a "manipulative bitch". I am not use to hearing a narrator be so snarky.

[Taylorh2]

Deidra Lane, killed her husband, Fred Lane in 2000. He was a running back for the Carolina Panthers

She dropped him where he stood, right after he returned home (his keys still in the lock) and walked into the bedroom. She tried to claim self defense, saying that she out ran him (remember he's a NFL running back) to the bedroom, where she was able to get a shotgun, LOAD IT and fire, all before he made it to the bedroom.

RIGHT!!!!

But wait!!! Before the cops could charge her with murder, the Feds charged her with bank robbery, one she and a friend (bank teller) did in 1998.


Deidra pled guilty to larceny (bank robbery) and involuntary manslaughter. for the murder of her husband.

She recieved 8 years for BOTH crimes. Which was the maximum sentence alllowed.


?????????

[shootingstar]

I like it, but I'm not sure about my husband, though. He's not got a lot to worry about though, he doesn't beat me, and we're broke folks.

There was a time after watching so many crime shows that me and the mister both were looking at each other funny. I had to take a break from them. All the fictional and non-fictional shows seem to feature the same plot: husband or wife cheats and kills spouse for the insurance money etc. It’s sort of depressing how many have been caught (or not caught) doing this.

[katymo]

Are they ever going to make new episodes of Snapped? I've seen every on so many times because of all the marathons. I like the show but they need some new ones. Surely there are plenty of women who have snapped.

[smileystar78]

husband or wife cheats and kills spouse for the insurance money etc. It’s sort of depressing how many have been caught (or not caught) doing this.

Yeah, there is. I find myself getting paranoid after a while that my boyfriend is acting strangely and then he'll tell me to calm down and stopping watching stupid Snapped. lol

New season starts May 6th!

She recieved 8 years for BOTH crimes. Which was the maximum sentence alllowed.


?????????

It amazes me how varied the sentences are in the different states. I remember one episode where a woman who was a victim of extreme domestic violence killed her husband (imo justfiably so) and she got some insane sentence like 50 years in prison.

[TedHinD]

The Jeff Wright case is the most perplexing. Stab the guy, what, one hundred and eighty six times and then bury him in the yard? I understand abuse can make one a mental case but the tying him up, the over-over kill, the yard grave? Just weird. Weird.
It's interesting to read the profiles on the Snapped site just to see the varying degree of punishment each crime netted. (I also heard that Stephanie Stephens died in prison. Sad ending to a sad and twisted life, one that victimized a whole lot of people.)

Edited by TedHinD, Apr 28, 2007 @ 7:02 AM.

[katymo]

Whoa she died? Did you hear what it was from because she was young. I'm so excited for the new episode coming up, I finally saw a commercial for it. About time!

[smileystar78]

Deidra Lane, killed her husband, Fred Lane in 2000. He was a running back for the Carolina Panthers

She dropped him where he stood, right after he returned home (his keys still in the lock) and walked into the bedroom. She tried to claim self defense, saying that she out ran him (remember he's a NFL running back) to the bedroom, where she was able to get a shotgun, LOAD IT and fire, all before he made it to the bedroom.

RIGHT!!!!

But wait!!! Before the cops could charge her with murder, the Feds charged her with bank robbery, one she and a friend (bank teller) did in 1998.

Deidra pled guilty to larceny (bank robbery) and involuntary manslaughter. for the murder of her husband.

She recieved 8 years for BOTH crimes. Which was the maximum sentence alllowed.

Ok, I just saw this one. That is crazy! She robbed banks too! And only got 8 years with credit for time served? Freakin' unbelievable. Note to future Snapped women, only kill your husband if he plays professional sports. You'll get off easy because the prosecution is afraid your husband's occupation will overshadow the case.

What I don't understand is why so many of these women have their husbands killed by others, but don't bother to make it look like a robbery. They always seem to mention that the cops see no sign of of burglary and it leads them to think it's a crime of passion. But, I guess there's no sense trying to figure out what goes on in the heads of murderers.

Edited by smileystar78, Apr 28, 2007 @ 9:43 PM.

[BostonTeaParty]

Whoa she died? Did you hear what it was from because she was young.

I just saw her case on 'American Justice' - what a crazy, crazy bitch. She apparently died of pnuemonia.

I'm wondering if they're going to profile the preacher's wife who was convicted of killing her husband. She shot her husband in the back with a shotgun. Left him while he was still alive, loaded her girls into the car, took off for Georgia (I think). The day she shot her husband, she was $5,000 overdrawn at her bank because she got caught up in the Nigerian money scam. What was her defense? Self-defense because he abused her. Sorry for my skepticism, but I don't think so. The bank told her she had to bring her husband to the bank the next day or they were going to contact the authorities. So she shoots him in the back that night. She only got 8 or 10 years. Seriously? WTF?! How can a self-defense argument be success when you shoot someone in the back?!

[jackassboy]

I like this show, so I'm looking forward to new episodes next Sunday :) Anyway this morning they showed back to back episodes of
Jenna Han, the one who "tried" to kill her twin sister Sunny Han. THey also showed the episode of Dora Cisneros .

Edited by jackassboy, Apr 29, 2007 @ 3:34 PM.

[smileystar78]

Those Han girls were seriously fucked up. I wonder where they went wrong. They seemed like , good, smart students and then became wild and crazy criminals.

[jackassboy]

I have to agree with what you wrote smileystar78. Both of the Han girls got in trouble with the law example: stealing or using their friends credit cards.

Edited by jackassboy, May 3, 2007 @ 10:50 PM.

[HAB]

I'm wondering if they're going to profile the preacher's wife who was convicted of killing her husband.

Her name is Mary Winkler and I've wondered the same thing. BTW the condo where she ran off to was in Gulf Shores Alabama, and she had rented it before she shot him and ran. She also claimed she was sexually abused by him because he made her wear wigs and stripper shoes. But remember this is the South and I'm sure the jury was reluctant to send a preacher's wife with small children to jail for life. I mean, that's got to be the only reason she was found guilty for manslaughter instead of murder. I hated how they dragged the victim through the mud when she was, in my mind at least, the one who messed up. I'm sure he wasn't perfect but she knew what she was getting into when she married a minister and to blame him for holding her to high standards. She tried to insinuate he abused their child which probably involved spanking. It was ugly, ugly, ugly and I thought she should have gotten a stiffer sentence.

[kasarah]

I woke up one morning with CourtTv on, and the first thing I saw was her sitting up on the stand with those stripper shoes (where did they get those, and how did she walk in them?)and that wig in front of her. She reminded me so much of AJ Soprano with her hair and the slight moustache forming on her lip. I kind of felt bad for her, but I will say that she got off really lightly for what she did.

[Sterling Blue]

Oxygen has been showing marathons of "Snapped" with a new episode at 10 p.m. ET.

[cheer67]

Was the Kristin Rossum one they showed this weekend one of the new ones? Cause I hadn't seen it before. I've seen other news shows on her though and for some reason I am sort of fascinated by her and what she did. It's totally screwed up.

I also saw the one this weekend where the lady in Tennessee shot her BIL 8 times for raping/molesting her daughter. That one was pretty weird too. Did I miss where her actual husband was? I thought they had moved as a family out of the small town, but they never mentioned a husband after she shot the BIL.

[michaeldh8]

Was the Kristin Rossum one they showed this weekend one of the new ones?

No, it was from season one.

[katymo]

I love this show, but I really wish they would stay away from women like Jane Dorotik, the new one from last night, because they've been done to death on every other show out there. I've seen it on Forensic Files, American Justice, 48 Hours Mystery and at least a couple of others. They have nothing new to add to it. I really enjoyed the one where the Tennessee lady shot the molester, now that is snapped. I can't imagine anything more horrible.

[Medi]

"Produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment, the creators of City Confidential, and narrated by Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me)..."

I'm watching it right now, and would NEVER peg Laura as the narrator.

[katymo]

Whoa...me neither! I had no idea, what a strange fact it doesn't even sound like her until you think about it.

[Prada]

I remember this one case of the woman who's husband sexually abused her daughter (her stepdad). She didn't believe her at first and even the authorities who were called in believed him! Then he raped her repeatedly and she got pregnant, which he VIDEOTAPED! When her mom saw the video, after the daughter told her, she flipped out and killed the asshole. She was accuited. I don't remember her name though.