Suvechha Sarkar
Dana Michelle Mackay was a beloved daughter who lived in Williamsburg, Virginia. However, the 42-year-old never imagined that her life would come to an abrupt halt in July 2023 when she was found dead inside her home. What initially seemed to be a robbery gone wrong soon turned out to be a planned homicide. The episode titled ‘Sick and Twisted’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Married With Secrets’ revisits the case that uncovered a series of lies, betrayal, and fractured relationships. It also features interviews with her loved ones and the detectives who cracked the case.
Dana Mackay’s Remains Were Found When Her Neighbor Checked on Her
Dana Michelle Patterson arrived as a blessing in the lives of her parents, Dwight Tallent Patterson and Sarah Pearson, on July 8, 1971. She grew up in a loving household in Gordon County, Georgia. Unfortunately, due to problems between Dwight and Sarah, they got divorced. Sarah received a second chance at love when she met Steven, and shortly after, they tied the knot. Sarah always described her daughter as kindhearted and deeply devoted to her family. In adulthood, Dana entered a relationship that eventually led to her first marriage. However, according to Sarah, Dana had been divorced from her first husband by 2008. Sarah stated that as Dana struggled to move on, she opened an account on a dating website, where she met John Wayne Mackay.
John was then in the army, deployed in Iraq, and after a long-distance relationship, Dana and John got married. They often moved from place to place, finally settling down when he was stationed at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia. There, Dana began working at a local flooring company. Dana’s life changed in July 2012, when she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, leading her to take a leave of absence from her work. Reports suggest that she underwent surgery in November 2012, leading to the start of financial problems due to the medical bills. John reportedly took up a second job at an AutoZone on Merrimac Trail in York County. On July 26, 2013, Dana spoke with Sarah on the phone before going to sleep. However, Sarah grew concerned when Dana didn’t pick up the call, even around 5:30 pm on July 27.
It prompted Sarah to contact one of Dana’s neighbors. When the neighbor went to check on Dana, she reportedly discovered the house in disarray and Dana’s remains on the bedroom floor. When authorities arrived, they found Dana dead and completely unclothed. They reportedly noticed blood spatter on the wall. Although they initially considered the possibility of a robbery gone wrong, they soon discarded it after finding no signs of forced entry. The forensic experts discovered strands of blonde hair in Dana’s hands and a small piece of blue latex glove. The autopsy reportedly uncovered that Dana had multiple defensive wounds on her hands. Her cause of death was determined to be multiple sharp force and blunt force injuries to her head.
The Investigation Revealed an Affair Between John Mackay and Nicole Houchin
The investigators initially learned that John was away for the week since he was visiting his mother and sister in New York. According to reports, his alibi was verified by speaking with his family. Reports state that officials then questioned Dana’s neighbor, Heidi Teagle, who informed them that although she didn’t see anything suspicious on July 26, 2013, she knew that someone was harassing Dana. In her statements, Heidi told officials that a woman named Nicole Michelle Houchin, reportedly followed Dana in her car, often texted her, and hurled profanities at Dana. As detectives dug deeper, they discovered that Nicole worked at the auto parts store where John had picked up a second job. Court records reveal that they learned that John met Nicole in March 2013, and their friendship soon turned into an affair.
As per investigative reports, when Dana found out about the affair, she reportedly gave John an ultimatum that she wanted to work out their marriage, but he had to break up with Nicole. Moreover, she had allegedly told him that if he continued the affair, she would tell his commanding officer, according to court records. Further reports suggest that John eventually ended his relationship with Nicole, which made the latter frantic, and she reportedly harassed Dana the month leading up to her murder. Court records state that when authorities questioned Nicole about her whereabouts on the day of the murder, she claimed that she was with her co-worker from the auto parts store, Gregory Andrew Crawford. Nicole reportedly gave authorities a hair sample for testing, but it was later revealed that the hair found at the scene was Dana’s.
Messages, Confession Letter, and Witness Statement Uncovered Four People Involved in Dana’s Murder
When John met the investigators on July 29, 2013, he reportedly admitted to having an affair with Nicole but claimed that he broke it off weeks ago. According to official reports, one of John’s friends turned in John’s old phone, which had an active email where John spoke with Nicole. Police records indicate that digital experts uncovered messages between John and Nicole where they planned Dana’s murder because John believed it was the only way to get rid of Dana, since she wouldn’t allegedly give him a divorce. When John and Nicole were questioned, they claimed that those messages were fantasies, as per reports. On July 29, both John and Nicole were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, capital murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Things took a turn on September 17, 2013, when another witness reportedly came forward with new information. According to court records, the witness informed the police that Nicole’s estranged husband, Nace Eugene Houchin, was the witness’ boyfriend. In her statements, the witness told the officials that Nace, Gregory, and Nicole were all involved in the murder. Investigative reports suggest that John had reportedly offered $20,000 to both Nace and Gregory to kill Dana. Nace’s girlfriend also led the detectives to a note in Nace’s car, where he confessed to killing Dana for the money. On September 19, 2013, Nace was arrested, and shortly after, Gregory was also taken into custody. Both of them were indicted on the same charges as John and Nicole.
John, Nicole, Nace, and Gregory Are Incarcerated at Different State Prison Facilities Today
Following their arrest, Nicole, John, Nace, and Gregory all faced the death penalty for their capital murder charge. However, Nicole, John, and Nace cooperated with the authorities and confessed to the role they played in Dana’s murder. Court records state that Nace was the one who broke down Dana’s bedroom door and attacked her multiple times with a breaker bar. Further reports suggest that Nicole and Gregory were present at the scene on that fateful day. Ultimately, John, Nace, and Nicole entered into a plea agreement with the prosecution, which put the death penalty off the table. All three of them pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in May 2015, and the conspiracy and capital murder charges against them were dropped.
On January 26, 2016, John was sentenced to 28 years and 2 months in prison. While Nicole received a 23-year and 11-month term in prison, Nace was sentenced to a 40-year term. Gregory also avoided a jury trial by pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit capital murder and received a 17-year prison term. As of writing, John is serving his sentence at Dillwyn Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Virginia, while Nicole is completing her term at Fluvanna Correctional Center in Troy, Virginia. Nace is currently incarcerated at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia, while Gregory is serving his sentence at St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. John, Nicole, Nace, and Gregory’s release dates are currently set on July 23, 2038, October 10, 2034, August 17, 2048, and December 14, 2026, respectively.
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