Suvechha Sarkar
Sidnee Edith Cheyenne Stephens was a 15-year-old girl with a promising life ahead of her. However, things took a turn in July 2010 when she was brutally killed in Pinckneyville, Illinois. Following that, the investigation revealed a devastating story of betrayal and unimaginable cruelty, leaving her family members and friends grief-stricken. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Twisted Sisters: The Patio Door’ delves deeper into how a group of young people became connected to the incident. It also features interviews with her loved ones and the officials who worked on the case.
Sidnee Stephens’ Remains Were Found in a Creek in Illinois
The beloved daughter of Tracy Stephens, Sidnee Edith Cheyenne Stephens was born on May 15, 1995, in Murphysboro, Illinois. At the time of her birth, the former was married to Timothy Hall. Together, they were raising Sidnee, her brother, Zach Jeremiah, and her half-sister, Dakota Wall. However, the couple soon saw trouble in their relationship and decided to split up. On the show, Timothy mentioned that not long after their divorce in 1996, he took a paternity test, which reportedly revealed Sidnee wasn’t his biological daughter. However, it didn’t impact his love and affection for the young girl. It was ultimately confirmed that Jason Tritschler was Sidnee’s real father.
Jason’s equation with Tracy eventually brought a stepmother, Connie Tritschler, and step-siblings, Tristin and Taylor Tritschler, into Sidnee’s life. Sidnee was a part of the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Pinckneyville, Illinois, and was in her sophomore year at Pinckneyville Community High School. She loved spending her time outdoors, doing activities like camping, swimming, and fishing. Sidnee was also a music fan who often attended concerts. On the show, Tracy claimed that Sidnee was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in her early teens. She further added that when Sidnee realized things were allegedly getting out of hand, she sought help.
According to Tracy, in June 2010, her daughter had suddenly gone missing. When she returned, Tracy said that Sidnee had told her she was alone in the woods camping. Hence, Tracy grounded her; around that time, Dakota reportedly began taking care of her sister as their mother was often out for work. Everything was going well until Tracy went to Sidnee’s room at 5:40 am on July 19, 2010, to find it empty. She noticed that the sliding door of the living room was half open and the air conditioner was running. Since Sidnee was missing for the entire day and reportedly left her purse and phone in her bedroom, Tracy realized that her daughter had not run away.
When her family failed to find her on July 19, they alerted the authorities. On July 25, two fishermen reportedly discovered remains of a girl in Beaucoup Creek under a bridge on Cudge Town Road. When officials arrived at the scene, they found that the remains were weighed down with orange straps tied to a cinder block. The coroner reportedly deduced from the decomposition that the individual was in water for an extended period. On the road near the bridge, police found multiple .22 caliber shell cases. She was finally identified as Sidnee when her mother recognized a necklace she was wearing. The autopsy determined her cause of death to be homicidal violence, including strangulation and gunshot wounds.
Investigation Revealed the Murder Was Connected to a Local Gang
Upon questioning Tracy, detectives learned Sidnee often hung out with Carl Dane. As per reports, he was from a local gang, P-Town Saints, that was run by Chad Bennett II and had Robbie Mueller and James Glazier as the members. On July 28, 2010, Carl was brought in for questioning, and he claimed that he and Sidnee were allegedly dating but broke up two months prior. He denied having any involvement in the crime, but when his grandfather’s house was searched, investigators discovered a stack of cinder blocks and similar orange straps that were found at the scene. He was again brought in the following day, and he reportedly confessed that he killed Sidnee. Carl claimed that he entered through the porch, as the doors of her house were unlocked. He continued that he then woke her up and choked her when she refused to go with him before getting her into his car.
Detectives then questioned the other gang members because they suspected Carl received help. According to police records, when James was interrogated, he confessed that he was at the scene on that day. He admitted that Robbie and Carl helped him get up to the patio, and he then unlocked the front door. He continued that he took Sidnee by surprise, and to prevent her from alerting her mother. He then taped her hands and mouth according to Carl’s directions. Robbie was questioned next, and as per reports, he confessed that he, Carl, and James dragged Sidnee out. He admitted that James reportedly choked her because she kept becoming conscious. Robbie continued that they had driven to the creek. Upon reaching there, he claimed that it was probably Carl who shot Sidnee around three times. Robbie confessed that he and James then pushed Sidnee off the bridge on Carl’s instructions.
Carl and James were arrested on July 30, 2010, and were charged with first-degree murder. Robbie was arrested shortly after and faced the charges of accountability for first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and home invasion. Officials also questioned Dakota when they learned that she was dating Chad. She initially claimed that he was not the gang leader. However, she later confessed that he had told her how the others killed Sidnee, but she did not notify the authorities. Dakota was charged with obstruction of an investigation. On October 5, 2012, Dakota was again questioned, and she confessed that Chad had asked her to keep the door of their house unlocked. She admitted being present during the planning of the crime. Chad was arrested in October 2016 and charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping, home invasion, residential burglary, and kidnapping, while Dakota was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, home invasion, and burglary.
Carl Passed Away in Custody, James Remains in Prison, While Chad, Robbie, and Dakota Are Out on Parole
Following his arrest, Carl pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on June 23, 2011, and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. On the morning of August 5, 2011, he was scheduled to be transferred to state prison. However, he was found dead in his cell in Perry County Jail. According to official reports, he had died by suicide as he had hung himself. On the other hand, James had a bench trial, and he was convicted of first-degree murder on July 30, 2012. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison without the possibility of parole in September 2012. In 2015, he had appealed his conviction, but the court affirmed the judgment on August 20, 2015. However, they remanded for a determination of whether he should register as a sex offender. On January 28, 2022, James appealed his conviction for insufficient evidence and violation of his Eighth Amendment.
Although the court affirmed the conviction, his 60-year sentence was vacated. The case was returned to the lower court for a resentencing hearing. In 2023, James was sentenced to 40 years in prison. His projected parole date is July 29, 2050, and he is set to be released on July 29, 2053. Robbie entered into a stipulated bench trial on September 13, 2012. The court reportedly found him guilty of first-degree murder (accountability) and sentenced him to 37 years in prison. He had filed an appeal on December 26, 2013, but the authorities denied rehearing on January 24, 2014. In late 2015, Robbie filed a petition claiming ineffective assistance of counsel, and his sentence was vacated. Ultimately, he was resentenced on the charge of home invasion to 26 years in prison with credit for the time served on April 20, 2018. Chad pleaded guilty to the reduced home invasion charge on March 13, 2018, and the other charges against him were dismissed as per the plea.
Chad was sentenced to 20 years in prison on July 20, 2018, and 3 years of mandatory supervised release. He appealed his judgment in 2021, but the court upheld the conviction on October 15, 2021. Lastly, Dakota entered an open guilty plea to the lesser charge of home invasion (accountability) on April 8, 2014, in return for the other charges to be dropped. She was sentenced to 26 years in prison with eligibility for parole in 10 years and credits on May 30, 2014. While James is currently serving his time at Western Illinois Correctional in Mount Sterling, Illinois, Robbie has been out on parole since October 19, 2022, and is set to be discharged on October 19, 2025. Chad was released on parole on July 18, 2025, with his projected release date being July 20, 2028. According to records, Dakota is presently out of custody and maintains a low profile.
