Brett Parker called 911 operators on April 13, 2012, claiming his friend, Bryan Capnerhurst, had murdered his wife, Tammy Jo Parker, inside his house. Brett also went on to mention that he shot Bryan in self-defense before asking for immediate help. Once first responders reached the crime scene, they found Bryan and Tammy shot dead inside the Irmo, South Carolina, home while Brett appeared utterly distraught. ‘Dateline: Mystery at Ascot Estates’ takes the viewer through the gruesome murder and even showcases how the investigation led straight to Brett.
Who Is Brett Parker?
A pretty popular local resident, Brett Parker, resided with his wife, Tammy Jo Parker, and their two children in the Ascot neighborhood of Irmo, South Carolina. Brett, who had been a star athlete in high school, grew up to become a successful medical supplier, and people who knew the family described them as jovial and kindhearted folks who welcomed everyone with a smile and were always ready to help. On top of it, even their marriage appeared to be perfect, and there was nothing that could have hinted at a possible fallout or separation. That being said, Brett did have a secret life, and the show mentioned how he made some money on the side as an illegal sports bookie.
Yet, the local residents did not think much of it, as Brett was always respectful in his dealings and never betrayed anyone over money. On April 13, 2012, Brett Parker dialed 911 from his own cell phone and claimed that his friend, Bryan Capnerhurst, had shot his wife in cold blood. Police records later stated that Brett sounded absolutely distraught on the phone, and home CCTV footage showed him collapsing in his front yard while still talking to the police. Brett further mentioned that he had shot Bryan in self-defense but began panicking when he fell completely unresponsive.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Tammy Jo Parker lying in a pool of her own blood in a second-floor bathroom while Bryan’s body lay outside in the corridor. Moreover, while medical investigators noticed a single bullet wound on Tammy’s back, Bryan was shot multiple times all over his legs and torso. Subsequently, an autopsy determined that both victims had died of gunshot wounds, while authorities even found the gun used to kill Tammy in Bryan’s hands. When authorities began talking to Brett, he turned over the gun he had used to shoot Bryan before mentioning how he let Bryan into the house before going to the toilet on the bottom floor.
However, shortly afterward, Bryan heard gunshots upstairs and made his way up to find his wife already dead. Brett also claimed Bryan had ordered him to open a safe with money, but he somehow got hold of a gun and shot the supposed assailant in self-defense. Interestingly, the crime scene matched Brett’s statement, and the police even found Bryan’s gym bag with a box of ammo inside. Yet, something about the story seemed vaguely off, and the lies began to crumble once a police officer noticed that despite Brett using the bottom floor bathroom, the toilet seat was turned up.
Moreover, while the box of ammo in the gym bag appeared to be planted, a home CCTV footage showed that Brett called the police almost 10 minutes after Bryan walked through the front door. Since the ordeal would have taken just a minute or so, the timeline of the murders did not match up. Further investigation would soon bring the heat on Brett as authorities discovered how he was planning on divorcing his wife. On top of it, even Tammy was unhappy in the marriage, and a few witnesses claimed Brett would often treat her unkindly.
On the other hand, Brett even had a motive to murder Bryan since he got to know him through the bookie network and owed the latter about $21,000. Nevertheless, cops got their most awaited breakthrough when they found gunshot residue on a bottom-floor window blind, which indicated Brett had already murdered Tammy before setting Bryan up to take the fall. Hence, with enough evidence for trial, Brett Parker was arrested and charged with double murder.
Brett Parker is Serving His Life Sentence Today
When presented in court, Brett insisted on his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. However, the jury didn’t seem to accept the self-defense theory, and even though his lawyers argued that Bryan Capnerhurst had a perfectly good motive to murder Tammy Parker, Brett was eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree murder. As a result, the judge decided to hand him the maximum punishment and sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in 2016. Thus, with parole completely out of the picture, Brett currently spends his days incarcerated at the Perry Corrections Department in Pelzer, South Carolina.
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