Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Is That Blood’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes,’ the primary focus is on the mysterious disappearance and killing of a mother of three named Danielle Pruett in Tazewell, Virginia, in March 2016. While investigating the doting mother’s murder, the detectives got an unlikely lead from a woman who cracked the case wide open. Soon, they tracked down the killer using surveillance footage and DNA evidence. The documentary also features insightful interviews with Danielle’s loved ones and the officials linked to the investigation.
Danielle Pruett Was Found Dead in a Remote Area Near Her Abandoned Car
On January 17, 1987, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Charlene Russell Pruett and Randall Pruett welcomed Danielle Louise Pruett into the world as a little bundle of joy. Accompanied by her twin sister, Nikki Garnett, and two other sisters, Tonya DeGallery and Heather Church, Danielle grew up in a seemingly loving and supportive household. Later, she embraced motherhood, becoming a mother to three children — two sons, Isaiah Pruett-Saunders and Ca’ron Martin, and a daughter, Tylee Pruett. The doting mother loved spending time with her children and attending the sporting events that they participated in.
By 2016, the single mother of three was living in an apartment in Tazewell, Virginia, with her two roommates — her ex-boyfriend, Chris, and best friend, Savannah Jones. Her dreams and aspirations regarding her kids came to a sudden halt on the afternoon of March 17, 2016. When her family couldn’t get in touch with her, they called 911 and reported Danielle missing that same evening. Her twin sister told the officer that Danielle seemed to receive a phone call and told the caller to meet her on the next street over. The following morning, the detectives found her car abandoned at an auto body shop near Graham Recreational Park in Bluefield, Virginia, just off Governor G.C. Perry Highway.
Although there was no sign of the 29-year-old missing woman inside the car, they noticed traces of blood on the trunk of the car. The detectives and K-9 units canvassed the area and searched for evidence at the Graham Recreational Park. A while later, they discovered Danielle’s remains covered with a blanket in a secluded area of the park. Upon inspecting her remains, they noticed injuries to her face and skull and numerous lacerations, cuts, scrapes, and drag marks. The autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was blunt force trauma. At the scene, the authorities found no murder weapon.
Danielle Pruett’s Killer Met Her to Allegedly Buy Drugs From Her
While the police were searching for Danielle Pruett, they received a call from her roommate, Chris, on the morning of March 18, 2016, which led them to her car at the auto body shop. It raised suspicion against him as he didn’t cooperate with the officers the previous night when they wanted to search the house he shared with Danielle and Savannah. When Savannah showed up at the site where her car was found, she told the police that Danielle had gone to meet someone after a phone call. She also alleged that she sold drugs to make extra money to provide a better life for her kids. After Chris was brought in for questioning, he cooperated with the detectives fully and was eliminated as a potential suspect.
Soon, a woman came into the police station and led them to her friend, Shaun Matthew Wakefield, who she claimed had asked for a shirt on the evening Danielle went missing. She also told the police that he had asked her to tell anyone who asked about his whereabouts that he was at her house since 2 pm. As per her account, Shaun picked her up the following morning and drove her to run an errand. She claimed that when he saw a cop car behind him, he tried to get off the highway and asked her to throw off some clothes out of the window. Upon reaching the location where she threw the clothes from the car window, the police found Shaun’s pullover shirt, jeans, and a sock. There were red stains on the articles of clothing, which were sent to the lab for forensic testing.
Forensic Evidence Eventually Connected the Killer to Danielle’s Murder
As Shaun was considered a possible suspect, the authorities dug into his past and realized that he had been picked up the previous day on a probation violation. They easily located him at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Tazewell. During the first interview, he provided specific details of his alibi but left large gaps in his story. When the detective asked him about inconsistencies in his version of events, his lawyer shut down the interview. Since Shaun was wearing an ankle bracelet the whole time, the investigators downloaded the map of his GPS coordinates from his ankle monitor to review his whereabouts. While cross-referencing the same through surveillance footage, they spotted him driving Danielle’s car.
Furthermore, as they reviewed the security camera footage of the construction site next to the site where Danielle’s car was found, they saw Danielle and Shaun arrive in their respective cars on the afternoon of March 17. After that, Danielle couldn’t be seen in the footage, while Shaun drove away in his car before returning to the spot to drive away in her car. The police got enough evidence against Shaun when the forensic results showed that his clothes contained his and Danielle’s DNA on them. Thus, on March 29, 2016, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of Danielle Pruett.
Shaun Wakefield Died From an Undisclosed Illness in Prison
On April 1, 2016, Shaun Wakefield was officially arraigned in Tazewell County General District Court in connection with the homicide of Danielle Pruett. In order to avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, grand larceny of an automobile, and concealing a dead body. Thus, on September 24, 2018, the killer was sentenced to 57 years in prison without the possibility of parole. However, while serving his sentence, Shaun passed away in prison in November 2019 at the age of 36 after battling an illness.
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