Suvechha Sarkar
In September 2003, the residents of Auburn, California, were shaken when 17-year-old Justine Renee Vanderschoot vanished without a trace. Almost three weeks later, her remains were found in a shallow grave. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Justine’s Voice’ revisits the investigation that led the detectives to her boyfriend, Daniel Bezemer, AKA Danny, and his roommate, Brandon Fernandez. It turned out that they were involved in her disappearance and also responsible for her murder. The episode also highlights the legal battle related to the case and how it impacted her loved ones through interviews with her family and the officials.
Daniel Bezemer and Justine Vanderschoot’s Troubled Relationship Was Marked by Frequent Conflicts
Daniel Lee Bezemer, AKA Danny, was born sometime in 1985. He had run-ins with authorities as a juvenile on charges of theft, burglary, and possession of stolen property. However, things seemed to change when Danny was introduced to the Vanderschoot family by his friend, Brandon Alexander Fernandez. In 2002, Danny met Justine Renee Vanderschoot, who was 15 at the time. They began dating and soon became serious. Her father, Don, helped him secure his first job at an automobile dealership. Things completely changed on September 2, 2003, when Justine went missing from her home in Auburn in Placer County, California.
After Justine was reported missing on the same day, an intensive search was conducted. Her car was discovered around 5 miles from her home at a park-and-ride located on Interstate 80. Danny informed the police that Justine had met a Navy sailor in April 2003 who lived in Florida, and they had allegedly grown close. He reportedly claimed that she might be in Florida. Upon speaking with the sailor, officials deduced that he had no involvement. Investigators characterized the relationship as troubled, citing jealousy and controlling behavior on Danny’s end. They further asserted that Justine didn’t like Brandon and had reportedly given Danny an ultimatum to choose between Brandon and her.
Although Danny initially didn’t continue the friendship, he reconnected with Brandon in 2003, and they became roommates. According to Brandon’s former girlfriend, Lindsey Morris, he allegedly expressed resentment toward Justine and believed she ruined his friendship with Danny. Justine had reportedly told Lindsey that she wanted to move on from Danny during a party at his and Brandon’s apartment a few days before she went missing. When they were questioned about their whereabouts on that fateful day, they claimed they were together at their apartment alone. Detectives discovered that Justine’s phone was turned off in the area where her truck was found. They were shocked to find that the last two incoming calls on her phone that night were from Brandon.
A Recorded Call Led to the Unraveling of Danny and Brandon’s Alibi
On September 17, 2003, Danny and Brandon were brought in for questioning. The latter claimed that on September 1, he spent the day jet skiing with his coworkers and then returned home. Brandon alleged that he then went to run some errands because he had the flu. During that time, he was allegedly pulled over for running a stop sign and claimed to have called Justine twice by accident because her number was right next to his girlfriend’s. Brandon claimed that he then returned home and fell asleep. He alleged that Danny was also home that night after the latter returned from dinner at Justine’s home. However, detectives had already received a tip from Brandon’s cousin, Clayton Cole, that he and one of his friends were at Brandon’s apartment that night.
Clayton informed officials that Brandon and Danny left home the night Justine went missing and returned much later. So, they asked him to call Brandon and record it, where the latter repeatedly asked Clayton to lie to the authorities. Brandon ultimately confessed that Danny killed Justine. He claimed that Danny planned the crime and had reportedly tapped her phone to catch her cheating. He further claimed he didn’t know about Danny’s plan and allegedly thought they were meeting with Justine to steal marijuana from a farm. He insisted that his calls on her phone were to reach Danny to stop him. He admitted that they met at the park-and-ride and drove in his car with Danny giving the directions. He continued that when they reached the wooded hills above Applegate, California, Danny wanted to speak to Justine alone.
Although Brandon allegedly left Danny and Justine alone, he claimed to have rushed to the spot when he heard a scream. He said that he discovered Danny had strangled Justine. He initially alleged she had passed away before he reached there. However, he later claimed he saw her dying but didn’t do anything because he was scared that Danny would allegedly kill him too. In his confession, Brandon said Danny poured drain cleaner on Justine’s remains to decompose them. He admitted to helping bury her and later led detectives to the scene. On September 18, 2003, Justine’s remains were discovered from a shallow grave. Ultimately, Danny and Brandon were arrested and charged with her murder.
Danny and Brandon Are Incarcerated at a California Prison Facility Today
During questioning, Danny claimed that he wanted to stop, but his friend allegedly urged him to continue since it was already an attempted murder. He further testified that Brandon wanted to handle the cover-up and poured the drain cleaner down Justine’s throat. On February 24, 2005, Brandon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and one day later, Danny also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. On March 9, they were sentenced to 25 years to life and 15 years to life in prison, respectively. Brandon’s first parole suitability hearing happened on September 1, 2017, but he was denied parole for 5 years.
In 2018, California changed a murder law that reduced the liability of defendants who didn’t actually commit the murder but assisted in things like acting as a getaway driver. Brandon reportedly wished his sentencing for second-degree murder to be overturned. He reportedly requested to be resentenced on the charge of being an accessory after the fact. In 2020, Brandon filed a petition to overturn his conviction, but the court dismissed the motion. The Appellate Court reversed the ruling based on another change in law. The state and Brandon had to seek the judgment in court in an evidentiary hearing. On the other hand, Danny was denied parole for 3 years on August 10, 2022.
On March 23, 2023, he was again denied parole for 5 years. Brandon’s evidentiary hearing began in May 2024, and Danny served as the key witness. Danny reportedly testified that both of them created the plot to lure Justine. Furthermore, he testified that they dug a grave over the course of a few days leading up to the murder. The statement was corroborated by another witness, who said they had seen the freshly dug grave three days before Justine went missing. There was evidence, like a shredded receipt for new tires at Brandon’s workplace and the shovel found at his parents’ home.
Danny testified that Brandon had bought the chemicals that were poured over Justine. On the other hand, the defense claimed that although Brandon tried to hide his role in the cover-up, he didn’t try to hide the murder. They also reportedly insisted that relying on Danny’s testimony was a sign of the prosecution’s desperation. Ultimately, on August 1, 2024, the case went to a judge, who denied Brandon’s motion and upheld his conviction. His tentative date for a parole suitability hearing is set for July 2027. On June 2, 2025, Danny’s petition to advance his next parole suitability hearing was approved, and it is set to happen on December 18, 2025. As of writing, he is serving his time at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, California. Brandon is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, California.
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