Episode 333

Ready to level up your day? Then join me and my friends at LoneStarCasino.com. That's L-O-N-E-S-T-A-R Casino, where you can experience the thrill of Las Vegas, no matter where you are. LoneStarCasino.com is an absolutely free-to-play social casino with thousands of games, daily bonuses, free spins, and jackpots that pop like fireworks. Hit pause on life and hit play on LoneStarCasino.com. LoneStar Casino is a free-to-play social casino. Voidware prohibited. Visit LoneStarCasino.com for more details. Sign up today for an incredible welcome bonus. Play bold, win big. Crown Coins Casino. Winning never sounded so good. What would you do if you won big? At Crown Coins Casino, real people win real prizes every single day. Hi, this is Chelsea from Dallas. I just hit the jackpot and won over $1,500,000. Visit CrownCoins.com. Sign up in seconds, enter code CROWN, and get a free Lucky Wheel bonus. You may win up to 10,000 Sweeps coins. CrownCoins.com. That's C-R-O-W-N-Coins.com. No purchase needed. Code valid for new users only. Voidware prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and conditions apply. Crown Coins Casino. Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. When you get the lie detector test set up for him, then you'll just have to contact me. Jay, you'll see my place under arrest. No, he can't be. He's 16 years old. Where are you thinking you're going to take him? Juvenile detention. No. Didn't think we'd be back so soon, did ya? Why are we so pessimistic? Why are we so negative, this audience? I don't know what's wrong with you people. Anyway, I hope you had a good holiday season. We have some big news, so don't skip ahead just yet. We, uh, we got something to tell you and I think you're going to like it. Or maybe you won't. Who knows? You guys always complain about everything, so it's hard to tell. It's really a losing battle sometimes with you guys. Such misanthropes. No? Anyway, this is season 13, episode 333 of Sword and Scale, a show that reveals that the worst monsters are. real. And it's a show that's not just about the best of the best. It's about the best of the best. And it's a show that's about the best of the best. Then join me and my friends at LonestarCasino.com That's L-O-N-E-S-T-A-R Casino. That's L-O-N-E-S-T-A-R Casino. Where you can experience the thrill of Las Vegas, no matter where you are. Hit pause on life and hit play on LonestarCasino.com Lonestar Casino is a free-to-play social casino, void where prohibited. LonestarCasino.com is a free-to-play social casino, void where prohibited. Play bold, win big. Victoria's death was investigated by the Hawking County Sheriff's Office and Ohio's Department of Natural Resources. We're right above the top of Old Man's Cave is what I know this as. On top of here to my left is there's a walkway where the tunnel would be located. In front of us is where the tree stump was located and we'll be walking, doing a walk through here. And what we believe is here, located in this section, is where the approximately six foot log was located at, which you can still kind of see where the log was located with discoloration, where it's been there for quite some time. From there, it was carried over approximately about where Nicole and Rose is at, where they're getting ready to go off the side. They're going to do an exact measurement from the edge down to where the, where the female deceased was found. Investigators quickly determined that Victoria's death wasn't a freak accident. This wasn't a case of a tree falling or a log simply rolling off a cliff by itself. All the evidence indicated that someone had moved the log and thrown it over the edge. In other words, Victoria hadn't simply died, she had been murdered. This news not only stunned the community, but it also left Victoria's family, her family completely devastated. When I was told Victoria had died, our family initially believed it had been a natural accident, an act of God, if you will. In my mind, I could have accepted that she died doing what she loved, and that no one was responsible beyond nature itself. It was only days later when investigators told us that they believed that this was no freak accident, that I began to feel differently about how she was killed. The next step for investigators was to figure out who had thrown the log that killed Victoria. And why they had done it. They questioned whether this had been a planned attack, or if someone had simply made a reckless and deadly decision. Initially, only one thing was certain. Whoever threw the log hadn't come forward. They fled the scene without ever saying a word. Eventually, investigators received a tip about a young man who had allegedly taken responsibility for throwing the log. Nineteen-year-old Isaiah Singree had been, at Hocking Hills State Park. And his family had reported expressed concern that he might have been involved. A few days after the incident, investigators went to Isaiah's home to speak with him. Sheriff's office, come to the door. When an officer knocked on Isaiah's door, there was no response. For nearly 15 minutes, about 10 cops searched and, for the first time in a long time, they found Isaiah's house was empty. The police arrived at the scene. They looked inside the house. They saw nothing. Finally, the front door opened. But it wasn't Isaiah who appeared. It was a young woman named Raven. She was Isaiah's girlfriend. Where else does he stay? Uh, he's just here and at his friend's house. So, if he's not here, he probably doesn't know where he is. I know. The truth was, Isaiah, Raven, and Raven's brother hadn't even been at the state park on the day Victoria was killed. They were there on Saturday, two days before the incident. On Labor Day, when Victoria died, both Isaiah and Raven were at home. All day, with their kids. Fortunately for Isaiah, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Unfortunately for Indiana. investigators, they were back to square one. The question of who killed Victoria Schaefer was still unanswered, and it stayed that way for a while. Here at 2nd and Walnut Streets in downtown Chillicothe, just 48 hours after Victoria Schaefer's death, in front of her photography studio here, people have already started to drop off candles and flowers to remember her. It still hits me with a lot of shock that she's just not here, and I feel worse for her family, especially her younger daughters. Hoped for a resolution to the mystery surrounding her death and the apprehension of the person or people the ODNR says are responsible for somehow dislodging the tree limb that fell on Schaefer, killing her as the group hiked Hocking Hills, snapping senior photos along the way. They probably never meant for that to happen because Victoria was so loved, I couldn't think of somebody who would want to hurt her. Just I hope that they come forward, you know, and admit what they've done. Her family deserves that. ODNR, the Hocking County Sheriff's Department. And BCI are all investigating the incident. They're asking anyone that may have seen something suspicious regarding Schaefer's death to call authorities. For over a month, there were no answers to the mystery surrounding Victoria's death. But in early October 2019, the Hocking County Sheriff's Office received a credible tip, this time from a mother and her teenage daughter. She has a friend that she rides the bus with. And this friend's boyfriend had admitted to her that he took part in the death of, I'm trying to think what her name was, Ms. Schaefer. Actually, I'm going to have you speak to my daughter. She can give you the information a little bit better than what I can, okay? Hello. Hi. The girl that the bus with, Bailey Cherry, her now ex-boyfriend, Jordan Buckley, apparently was one of the two boys at the park who partook in the branch falling down and hitting Ms. Schaefer. He says he's not the one who hit it. His friend who he was with was, but I don't know his friend's name. What grade is Jordan in? 10th. And apparently the other boy involved is in 11th grade. But Bailey said his name, but I can't recall it because I've never heard his name before. Investigators were given the name of a suspect, 16-year-old Jordan Buckley, a student at Logan High School in Logan, Ohio. They looked at Jordan and confirmed, he'd been at Hocking Hill State Park on the day Victoria died. Then they got access to his social media messages. That's when it all started to make sense. Victoria's death wasn't the result of a random accident or a planned attack. Her death was caused by two teenage boys who had made one very reckless and irreversible decision. Hey, it's Mario Lopez from the All Mario Lopez Daily Podcast. All right. Quick question. You ever notice how some cars just steal the spotlight? Well, that's the 2026 Toyota RAV4. It's got bold standout style, intuitive tech inside, and now hybrid power standard, which means efficiency without the need to change. It's got a lot of power. It's got a lot of plug-in. So whether you care about looks, smarts, or just everyday practicality, RAV4 brings all of it. If you've been holding out for the right SUV, this is your sign. Check out the 2026 Toyota RAV4 at your local Toyota dealer or visit toyota.com. See packages and options at toyota.com for feature availability. Voidware prohibited. Play bold, win big. Crown Coins Casino. Hi, this is Michael from Georgia. I won 40K and finally renovated my home. Sign up in seconds, enter code CROWN and get a free lucky wheel bonus. crowncoins.com. That's C-R-O-W-N coins.com. No purchase needed. Crown Coins Casino. On September 2nd, 2019, 46-year-old photographer Victoria Schaefer was killed at Hocking Hill State Park when a log fell from a cliff and brutally struck her in the head. At first, this tragedy appeared to be an accident, but it quickly evolved into a murder investigation. This actually happened back on Labor Day of last year in 2019. And at first, everyone thought it was just a terrible act of nature. A log comes rolling off a cliff in a wilderness area, and then it evolves. And we pretty quickly find out from investigators that it was maybe not an accident. And I think that shocked everyone. After weeks with no answers, investigators finally identified a suspect, a 16-year-old high school student named Jordan Buckley. According to one of Jordan's classmates, he had admitted to doing something terrible at the state park. Investigators went to work in high school, took over a conference room, and invited Jordan to have a conversation with them. But now that I know what this is about, this is, I was there that day, I think, I don't remember what day it was, I don't know, it was like September. So this last month, me and my friends were just, I know you're nervous and you're going to get it all out. That's great. We want you to get it all out. Just let me finish up a few things right here, and we'll get, we'll let you talk as much as you want. Yeah, that's great. Nothing really happened. When Jordan was brought in for questioning, he seemed eager to tell his side of the story and talk about the day that Victoria died. That was, of course, perfectly fine with investigators. That day, me and my friends, I don't know if you guys want me to give you their names or not, but it doesn't really matter. J.D. Churches, Miranda Spencer, and A.J. I don't know A.J.'s last name. Jordan explained that he was at Hocking Hill State Park with three of his teenage friends, J.D. Warren. Jordan claimed that while they walked the trails, a man came running past them and warned them not to continue on the path they were on because someone had gotten hurt. So, the four teenagers simply turned around and left. Jordan explained that while they walked the trails, a man came running past them and warned them not to continue on the path they were on because someone had gotten hurt. story tell us about the branch being up one time well that i didn't do anything like i wasn't i just don't like snitching on people that's the problem this is the time this is not about snitching this is about telling the truth and telling the truth gets you further than not telling the truth um we were me and jaden walked all the way farther down like clear to the end not for the metal bridges this guy did say that to us but we did end up going back down but i skipped a part of what we did we walked all the way down to the end of this and jaden kicked off a branch not a branch it was a log it was a big log like right this wide this long we kicked it and it rolled off the cliff and it made a loud bang so we ran and we ran into miranda and aj they had no idea we didn't tell them that love yeah it's that long that long he just kicked it he didn't pick it up push it or anything he just kicked it it took investigators less than 20 minutes to get jordan to break and to get him talking about the log that killed victoria shaffer though his account of how the log ended up rolling off the cliff didn't make much sense he claimed that his friend jaden had simply kicked it but investigators knew that couldn't be possible i don't know if he i wasn't like paying attention to what he was doing so i don't know if he intentionally kicked it or if he like stumbled on it did he pick it up first and carry it no he didn't pick it up at all not but i saw how to get on the other side of the tree i had no idea that long that you just pointed to me all right it was laying right here there was a pile of them right yeah there's three two of them remember those there was a tree on this side and it was in between these trees it was laying like this and he kicked it the evidence at the crime scene told investigators that the log had been moved before it dropped from the cliff its original location was several feet from the cliff's edge there was simply no way that a single kick or even several kicks would have caused it to fall you've been following this on tv following what the story on tv you've seen nothing on tv social media i don't see anything about it nothing you don't even know what happened that day no i didn't just didn't acknowledge it you didn't acknowledge it yeah i just didn't like think anything of it so do you know what what happened not really you have no idea not really so when you sent a text to your girlfriend at the time i mean yeah i got well i knew what happened but i didn't know what happened to cause that like completely what happened like i was there with my friends but i wasn't the one that did it and i know that it killed the woman when it fell down on her and i heard the loud bang and i saw jaden run and i was running with jade so why didn't you why didn't you call 9-1-1 why didn't you do anything because i was freaking out and i thought i was going to get in trouble for it okay and i didn't want to get charged because against me like involuntary manslaughter or something so you have researched this no i just know a lot not only was jordan's story impossible but investigators could tell he had already researched the criminal charges he might face if the truth came out and that wasn't all the investigators knew that jordan and jaden had made a secret pact to stay quiet about what had happened at the park in other words the murder they committed was supposed to stay between them yeah we did say that that's why i told you that story but then after i realized the severity of it i could get in a lot more trouble for his respect his actions if i'm the one not doing anything like and i don't want that to happen so i kind of texted the agent and was like dude something's going to happen this we're going to get caught i said i don't know what you want me to say but i'm not getting in trouble for you i said i won't tell them but if they ask me i'm not going to completely lie and get myself in trouble and then he said okay i'm not really worried about it as you might expect a teenager to do jordan put all the blame on his friend insisting that jaden was solely responsible for what had happened he also claimed that jaden seemed proud of what he had done you could hook me up to a live text because i didn't kick it i didn't throw it almost all jaden told me was i kicked long off like i would i swear on everything he didn't put the lie detector test on me and i'll say the same thing because that's exactly what happened did jayden say he did it yeah jayden says jaden's told me that he did it before and it's completely gross yeah he said that in front of them okay so the girls would say he said i already caught a body by the age of 16. so he thought it was funny he said what i already got a body at the age of 16. i don't think it's funny i think that's the only reason why i'm telling you all this i think it's serious very serious someone lost their life for someone being stupid and messing around according to jordan jaden had said quote i already caught a body at the age of 16. if that was true investigators figured they might be dealing with a complete sociopath but more on jaden in a minute as for jordan investigators already knew he had admitted to throwing the log not to them but to another one of his friends so naturally they wanted answers if he hadn't touched the log why tell someone he did jordan explained he was simply trying to impress a girl because apparently bragging about murder is how you get can we get some dads around here or nah and the only person i told was baby what'd you tell her i told her that me and jaden threw a ball around okay but i was just saying that to a cool because i thought it was cool but it's not after i realized the severity of it and you look cool charges charges murder i know but that's what i'm saying if it comes down to it i would literally take a lot of tech tests before this like if you guys do not believe me i had nothing to do with it and i did not kick or touch that log why didn't you say something because i don't know i was freaked out about it because i thought it was just all going to go away and everybody would have forgot about it you're going to forget it you're going to forget about a death no i just i don't know you ever see what a woman looks like with her head bashed open do you want to see it no yeah that's the thing it's irresponsible act i know four kids without a mom husband without a wife grow up it's time to grow up right now all right if there's anything you got not towards anything anything you don't want to tell us maybe you guys were kicking the wall together you gotta tell us right now i did not kick that ball with him i swear on everything did you touch that wall so i pushed i touched the log to move it out of the area but i just moved it out of the area it was right in between these streets and he pushed it out and then i helped him push it out but he kicked it down i didn't kick it so i didn't touch the wall so you didn't know no i didn't know he was gonna kick it off i helped him pull it out yeah once again jordan's story changed he still insisted he wasn't the one who threw the log but he finally admitted to moving it but even with this admission jordan's story still didn't make much sense so what if i told you that i had a special computer that come in called a total station that reconstructed this whole scene puts the trajectory of the log going over the edge and the possibilities of what that log weighed and what the possibility is of one person throwing it versus two people i i don't i mean if you want to you can't you can do that oh yeah i'm starting to tell the truth i i didn't throw it off i swear on on everything no truth i am i'm telling the truth i didn't throw the log off yes i am i'm telling the truth i did not throw that log off you helped me no i did not i did not throw the log off it's impossible for him to pick up a six-foot ball um but i don't know i didn't throw the log off with him i swear on everything did you grab one hand did you grab the other hand no all i did was drag it that's the only thing i did there were several things about jordan's story that were either implausible or impossible first there was the size and weight of the log six feet long 75 pounds it wasn't likely that one person could have thrown it alone especially a scrawny little juvenile like jordan or jaden second just below the cliff where the log came from there was another ledge a protruding rock formation for the log to clear that it would have taken serious effort and force the most likely scenario is that both jordan and jaden moved the log and threw it together just two teenage boys experimenting with gravity because that's the extent of their intellect miranda and aj would tell you that i didn't throw it off too it was jayden he threw the log off Yep, you pulled it back and then you threw it off. Yeah, but I didn't know he was going to throw it off. Like Miranda and AJ watching. So every time we talk, we get a little bit different story. Now Miranda and AJ's there. Initially, Jordan told investigators that the girls he was with that day hadn't seen anything. But like every other part of his story, that turned out to be a lie. His friends, Miranda and AJ, had seen exactly what happened. And investigators questioned them both, starting with the 15-year-old, AJ Warren. What happened to us about going to the park that day? It was me and Miranda and Jaden and Jordan. And we decided to go to the caves. And the boys saw a log and were picking it up. And they were like, you know, they were going to throw it off. And we said not to do that because you don't know what's under there. You don't know what's under there. You know. And so they dropped the log onto the ground, like onto the cliff that we were on. And it rolled back off. So we started walking away. A man started walking or was pacing and running. He said that a woman got hit with a large branch or log. And he believes that she didn't make it. And she was dead. So, you know, we obviously were very, you know, shooken up about it and didn't know what to do. We knew it was wrong. And we knew that whether it wasn't intentional, you know, they weren't trying to hurt somebody. And they weren't trying to kill somebody. Putting it mildly, AJ's version of events made a lot more sense than Jordan's. But one critical question remained. Who actually threw the log? Who touched the log now? Jordan picked it up. Well, didn't pick it up, but he grabbed it from one end to make it stand up. And they were going to push it off. So then Jaden looked and they dropped it on, not off the cliff, but onto the ground. And it rolled. It fell back off the cliff. So let me get this. Straight here. Jordan's holding this log on its end. Okay. He's picked it up. It's standing on the end and he's holding it. You're stating that Jaden went over, looked over the edge to see if anybody was over there and stated that he couldn't see anybody. Is that right? Yes, sir. Okay. Now what happened? Jordan just. Jordan's still holding this log? Yeah, he's still holding it. Okay. And so Jordan let go of the other end, not pushing it. So he's holding up. Yeah, he's holding, let's go, let's go, not pushing it or not kicking it over the edge, but he lets go and it hits the ground. Like if you were, if we were further from the edge and he dropped it, it wouldn't, I don't think it would have rolled off, but it was so it was close to the edge where he dropped it and it like just rolled back off. Jordan, let's go of it. It falls, goes back to the ground and rolls off. Yes, sir. A hundred percent positive. Yes, sir. Absolutely. A hundred percent. That is what happened. Whatever I remember. Yes, sir. But that explanation didn't add up. It wasn't likely that simply releasing the log would have given it enough force to clear the ledge below. To complicate things further, the other witness, 19-year-old Miranda Spencer, gave investigators a similar story, but with the roles reversed. She claimed Jordan only looked over the edge to make sure no one was below. And it was jaded. Who actually sent the log off the cliff. Jordan looks over the cliff and it's like, there's nobody down there like he could do. And then Jaden either kicks it off or pushes it off, I'm not sure, but he definitely, he didn't pick it off, so it was just like rolled off, basically. Jaden picked up the log. Picked it up. I don't think he, he didn't pick it up, but he, he's the one that pushed it off. Jaden pushed it off? Yes, Jaden pushed it off. Jaden was? Yeah, Jaden. Jordan didn't touch the log at all. Had anybody in your party touched it prior to that, to move it to that location? No. Like AJ, Miranda was adamant about what she saw, but their accounts didn't match, and investigators wanted to know why. What I'm saying is what happened, like, like I'm not kidding. How about the log? How long was it? Who held the log? Who moved the log? Jaden. Jaden moved the log. He moved the log. Jaden moved the log. Then what did Jordan do? Jaden, Jordan said that he, like, he looked over the ledge and said that there was nobody down there. So Jaden pushed it off because he didn't think he was going to hurt anybody. But Jaden rolled the log. 100%. These conflicting accounts didn't make sense. AJ was certain that Jordan rolled the log. Miranda was just as sure it was Jaden. How could either of them be wrong? How could either of them be wrong about something like that? And if someone was lying, the question was, why? Your story and Miranda's have one major flaw in principle. You can't figure that out for the life of me. Why? I'm not going to say what it is, but you just can't figure out for the life of me why there's one major difference here. I have no idea. Everything I do is wrong. I told you. That's exactly what I remember from that day. As investigators tried to make sense of the conflicting statements from AJ and Miranda, they also had a decision to make. What should they do with Jordan? And what charges would he face? Am I going to get arrested? For what? I don't know. That's what I'm saying. I don't know if there's any charges that I can get for witnessing a murder. What would you do if you touched a murder weapon? I know, but I wasn't the one that voluntarily did it. I didn't. It wasn't my fault that it happened. What happens? You and him go rob a store. He shoots and kills a clerk. Well, I get in trouble for being with him. Do you get charged for murder? So I'm going to get charged for involuntary manslaughter and murder. I consider it just murder. So I'm going to get murdered for this. I can say that. Before investigators could move forward with, any charges against Jordan, there was still one critical step left. They needed to talk to the other teenager. The one who had allegedly bragged about killing someone. They needed to question 16-year-old Jaden Churches. Alright, quick question. It's got bold standout style, intuitive tech inside, and now hybrid power standard, which means efficiency without the need to plug in. Then join me and my friends at Lone Star Casino That's L-O-N-E-S-T-A-R Casino where you can experience the thrill of Las Vegas no matter where you are. Hit pause on life and hit play on LoneStarCasino.com Lone Star Casino is a free-to-play social casino. Void where prohibited. Play bold, win big. Crown Cards Casino Winning now. Never sounded so good. I just hit the jackpot. Won over 1,500,000 K. Sign up in seconds. Enter code CROWN and get a free Lucky Wheel bonus. CrownCoins.com. No purchase needed. Void where prohibited by law. Crown Coins Casino. On Labor Day 2019, 46-year-old Victoria Schaefer was killed when a six-foot log was thrown from a cliff at Hocking Hills State Park. The investigation led to two 16-year-old boys, Jordan Buckley and Jaden Churches. Jordan had already been questioned, but his version of events, wasn't just questionable, it was impossible. Next, investigators sat down with Jaden in the same school conference room where they had questioned Jordan. But this interview came with one key difference. Jaden's mother was also in the room. When Jaden's interview started, there was already a good bit of tension in the air. His mother was frustrated. She'd been waiting for hours before investigators were ready to speak with her and Jaden. And the tension only grew from there. About ten minutes into the interview, and just after investigators read Jaden his Miranda rights, a school employee stepped into the room to bring Jaden some lunch. After Jaden's mom made it clear she was ready to complain about literally everything, the investigators finally got around to asking Jaden some questions. I mean, I like to hunt. I like to duck hunt. I like hiking. I like walking a lot, so I just ride my bike a lot. I just stay in town with my friends. Who's your friends? Johnny, Cole, Garrett Mace. Just a lot of football players. Interestingly, when Jaden was asked about his friends, he left out one important name. Jordan. Jordan? Jordan? He's my friend. What's Jordan, though? I know a lot of people. Jordan. Buckler. Buckler. Buckler. Buckler. I mean, he's a great under me. I hung out with him before. Well, Jaden, we've been beating around the bush, and I'm just going to get straight to it. There was an incident at Hocking Hill State Park. I know that you was there. Yes, I was there. Okay. Tell me about that day. We pulled up. We. We're about to go hike and go down and look around. And then some dude comes running past. And he's like, somebody just got hit with something. And he thinks he's dead. So we're like, what? And we turn around and we leave because we don't even want to go down there and see it or anything. And then once we're walking out, there's, like, ambulance going up and all this. It was with him, isn't it? The Miranda and AJ. The initial stories that both Jaden and Jordan gave investigators were nearly identical. When they were first asked what happened, neither of them mentioned the log being thrown from the cliff. At least, not until investigators confronted them with it directly. It's almost as if they had rehearsed what to say. Before we come in here, we already have all the answers. Might be one or two that we don't know. We've already talked to people. A lot of serious accusations have been brought against you. And this is the time to tell the truth. To help yourself. Because right now, it's really serious. Really, really serious. And you need to be honest. Because we know a lot more than what you think. And you need to talk to me, sir, in private. Was this an accident? Because he's underage. He's underage. And it sounds like you know exactly what happened. So maybe you should go tell me exactly what happened. And then I will talk to him. Because I don't like you saying that you knew what happened. Yes, ma'am. And. Okay, then you know who did it and what happened. So, good. Then we'll go in the other room and you can tell me if he participated in the sin. I don't know how this is going to work. It's not? No. I wonder if this mom's name is Karen. It should be. Your son did something that resulted in a death of a lady. No. Yes, ma'am. No. I can prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Did somebody. That ought to be proving it to me before they're saying something like that to him. Because that is very upsetting to me. What we want to know, was this an accident? There's always two sides of the same story. I'm not liking this. I don't like this from day one. I don't like it either. Neither does the family of the lady that. Excuse me, I know that. I have felt very bad about that. That is sickening to me. And I have even said this is a horrible thing. But for you to sit here and say that he had something to do with this? And marry you to the. Jaden's mom became understandably distraught. She tried. To step in and defend her son. But there wasn't much she could do except sit there. And watch him take the heat. But I want to know, was this an accident? Or is this something that you meant to do? Because that's a big difference. If this is an accident. Or you weren't trying to do this. Is one thing. I didn't do it. I was there. Okay. So tell me what happened, step by step. Like, basically what I was saying. When we walked up by the stairs. Jordan. Walks. Like, we were walking. And then. There was a log. And he kicks it. And it starts to slide. So you say Jordan kicked it? And then it slid. And then he left. Unsurprisingly, Jaden pointed the finger at Jordan. Just like Jordan had done to him. He claimed Jordan had kicked the log. Sending it over the edge of the cliff. So much for that secret pact. That they had made. To keep this quiet. Isn't that right, Jaden? I know about your pact. With Jordan. You guys already had this reversed. Did you touch the log? Because we've talked to Jordan. I grabbed the log. Okay. So you touched the log. I touched it, but I didn't knock it off or throw it. You know what happened to it? How did that smash leave? He got kicked off the edge. Who kicked it? Jordan. Jordan kicked it? Yes. Are you sure? Yes. I'm sure. Once again, investigators were put in a difficult spot. Each suspect was blaming the other, and all they could do was keep pressing Jaden for the truth. Yeah, I did not kick it off. Did you throw it off? No, sir. I'm not trying to hide anything. I'm giving you the answers you're asking for. Truthful answers. Yes. Do you know what? You guys, I'm being very patient with this, but it sounds like you're trying to talk him into saying something that he's not. I'm trying to talk him into telling me the truth. I'm trying to get him to say something that's not the truth. I'm trying to get him to tell us the truth. That's what I'm trying to do. Not a trick. Not a trade. I don't understand. You have his phone. You have. We're just trying to get him to tell us what happened. He just told you three times. It's not the truth. At the end of the day, that lady lost her life. I know that. I'm very sad for that with you. I'm very sad for Sammy. I was sick to my stomach when I heard about this. The investigators kept pushing back, but having Jaden's mom in the room didn't make their job any easier. The investigators found Jaden's mother's body in the room and found Jaden's mother's name in the room. responsible for making the ball go over the the club exactly i agree with that 100 yes you know whether the kids were playing whether it was i'm sure they didn't do it on purpose because they were playing if they were saying that this was an accident i'm sure they don't just say i want to kill some lady that's great lol on her head i mean who does that jayden's mom and the investigators continued to butt heads but in the end it was a losing battle for both sides jayden's mom couldn't stop her son from being arrested and investigators couldn't get him to admit he had thrown the log eventually jayden and his mom were informed that a judge had already signed off on jayden's arrest he was going to jail and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it you know what that's doing to me that's hitting me in the head with a long you cannot do that because you can't take him to jail there's bad people there well there's not good people in jail there's bad people there why did you say him being the log in the head because you're trying you're trying to take him away for something that you can't take and again this is not me this is the prosecutor's office this is the actual prosecutor and the juvenile court judge this is out of my hands you're just going to take him out of here with him right now through this school how's that make you feel it hasn't made me feel very good at all since the beginning of this is september 2nd and 620 when i got that phone call and i seen that lady it has not made me feel good at all this doesn't make me feel good do you know what i have raised this boy for 17 years by myself and this does not make me feel good why would you take him out of the school like this in front of these people he's never been away from me you can't just take him down there yes ma'am we can so stay in the building please no you guys you're going to have a court date jayden was officially placed under arrest and when the handcuffs came out his mom all but lost it you're not going to pay handcuffs or something on him oh my gosh what a great way to start off your life when you're 17 can't you just like walk him out there he's not a criminal in the shape of 46 years old pardon me in the shape of 46 years old i know how old she is i've read jayden had the benefit of having his mom in the room during his interview while jordan had to face investigators on his own though jordan did get to call his mother and the difference between the two parents couldn't have been more stark Stark. On one hand, Jaden's mom was ready to defend her son no matter what he may have done. Jordan's mom, however, seemed ready to hand Jordan over to the police on a silver platter. I'm not a parent, so I'll reserve my judgment on this one. You guys don't like it when I judge anyway, so you judge for yourselves. Who handled it better? Who is the better parent in this situation? I know you'll have your own thoughts. Leave them in the comments. After Jaden was arrested, investigators took Jordan back to Hocking Hill State Park. Once there, they walked him through his version of what happened the day Victoria Shaffer was killed, though much of his story still didn't add up. How did you move it? With my foot? Well, I grabbed it at first, and it wouldn't move, so I took my foot and I pushed it like this with my foot. I was just messing around. I wasn't even going to. I was going to put it back. It's on the board. And he was high. That's probably why he did it. And then after it went off, it rolled and it bounced again after this. That's where. I kind of went over that and bounced. There was a lip right there, so it hit the lip and it bounced. That's why it bounced. I knew it bounced, but I didn't know why, so that's why I thought he threw it. But he did say, I'm going to throw it. After this happened, I kind of just realized the severity of it and how someone lost their life. Like, how would I feel if that would have happened to my mom when she was taking pictures of me or something from my senior pictures? That's not fair to them to not know the answer to it. And that's why I feel bad. During this walkthrough, Jordan claimed he felt bad about what happened. But let's be honest. It was a little late for that. If he really felt bad, he would have come forward. Instead, he made a pact with Jaden to keep the murder quiet and even bragged about it later to impress a girl he liked. Not exactly the behavior of someone with a guilty conscience. Not exactly the behavior of someone with a conscience, period. So what do you think should happen to you? Um. Well, I'm hoping that I don't see anything too extreme, but I know that I probably am going to get charged for being a witness. Well, being a witness, you know. Saying anything about it. Well, being a witness, you don't get charged for being a witness. Yeah, but. You get charged if you did something or if you lied about it. Well, that's what gets you in trouble. I haven't lied about anything so far. Jordan claimed he hadn't lied about anything so far. In reality, he'd lied about nearly everything. Right up until investigators called him out. At first, he left out the log entirely. Then he claimed Miranda and AJ hadn't seen what happened. After that, he insisted he never touched the log at all. None of this was true. All of this begged a question. What else was Jordan lying about? Our victim was down here with her head bashed in. Okay? So it's impossible for that log to roll off and then we landed. Here. It had to have trajectory. It had to have force. Some kind of force to get out this 10 foot where she was at. So right now, this is the time. I'm trying to beat Walker. I understand you're trying to beat Walker with me. I need the truth right now. I'm trying to tell you. I'm trying to thank you. So if you're standing there and I'm holding this log that he was thrown out. Woo! And where she was at. He is 100% right. So this is the point in time where you tell us either you seen him do it, you both did it, or it was more than that. It was more than two of you. But whatever happened needs to come out now because we can't help you if you don't know. I did not do it. I did not do it. And Miranda and AJ had nothing to do with it. One of the strangest parts of this case was how all four teenagers described the log as simply rolling off the cliff and not being thrown. But that didn't make sense. For the log to land where it did, it would have taken considerable force. The reality was someone or multiple people had to have thrown it. And none of the teenagers could explain that inconsistency. The only thing that made sense was that both Jordan and Jaden picked up the log together and flung it off the cliff. I didn't help him do it. I don't remember what he did to get it off. I just know Jaden did it. Why don't you remember? I don't know. You can't remember everything. I don't know. You can't remember that specific detail. Yes, that's the only thing that I've had trouble remembering the whole time. That's the only thing. Be in my shoes right now. Okay? You can remember everything, but you can't remember that specific detail. So I'm sitting here thinking, man, Jaden told me that Jordan did it. It happened so fast. It happened so fast. I turned around. He said, I'm going to throw it off. I turned back around and it was already going down. Another unanswered question was why the two female witnesses pointed fingers at different people. Miranda said Jaden threw the log. AJ claimed it was Jordan. Miranda even went as far as saying Jordan never touched the log. He didn't touch the log at all, which made no sense, considering Jordan himself admitted that he helped move it. Jordan has admitted. Really? Jordan didn't move the log? He admitted to me. But? Why would he admit to me that he moved the log? I'm telling you that Jordan, Jaden, was the one that moved the log. Like, that's what I remember. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Like, me and Jordan have no connection. Like, I don't like Jordan at all. Miranda, I took Jordan to the scene. We got a walkthrough. I'm just telling you what I remember. You know, he was telling us how he moved the log, where he was standing. I'm not lying, though. I'm telling you what I remember. And if what I remember is wrong, then I can't help that. But I'm trying to tell you as much as I know. Like, I can't help that. Investigators later suspected that Miranda was lying to protect herself because of a prior romantic relationship she had with Jordan. When they dated, Jordan may not have reached Ohio's age of consent, which was 16, by the way. Yeah. Ohio sucks. It's possible Miranda did not want to implicate Jordan, fearing he might turn around and expose her. She may have been trying to avoid facing statutory rape charges. Do you have any relationships with the boys? Jordan. Jordan? Yeah. Do you understand that we're not here about you having sex with Jordan? Yes, and I'm talking about having sex with Jordan. Miranda admitted she'd been in a relationship with Jordan, but denied ever having sex with him. Nonetheless, Miranda was never charged with any form of sexual assault. Instead, she was charged with obstruction for lying during the investigation of Victoria Schaefer's murder. Miranda Spencer of Nelsonville received a suspended 90-day sentence. She pled guilty to obstructing official business. In court, Miranda changed her story. Instead of blaming Jaden, she claimed she couldn't remember who touched the log or which of the boys had sent it over the cliff. As for Jaden and Jordan, both were indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide. Despite being just 16, both were charged as adults, meaning they were now facing the full weight of the criminal justice system. They ended up both taking. They ended up both taking plea deals where they would plead only to involuntary manslaughter in exchange for having the other charges, murder and reckless homicide, dropped. 17-year-old Jordan Buckley walked into court with his family and pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. How do you plead? I plead guilty now. Buckley then stood up, turned, and addressed Victoria's family, including her husband Fritz. I understand that my actions that day has caused your pain. It's life to change. And my vote from all of this is to use this trauma to learn and live the rest of my life in a way that will honor my shakers. Both teens took plea deals. In exchange, the murder and homicide charges were dropped, and their cases were sent back to juvenile court. At their sentencing hearings, both Jaden and Jordan offered weak apologies. To Victoria's family. First, I wanted to apologize to Ms. Shakers' family. I know that no matter what I say, nothing will bring your loved one back. I know what I did was wrong. I hope that you know I never intended to hurt anyone that day at Hawkinsville. However, I realize now that my actions can have unintended consequences. I want to let you know that I think about this decision for the rest of my life. I have learned from my wrongful actions. And I will take this opportunity to become a better person. And hopefully use this experience to help others. At the sentencing, Victoria's family members took turns speaking. Her younger sister was first to address the court. I'm confronted daily by ways in which my sister is missing. I'm sent mindedly thinking of texting her when she crosses my mind. Missing her encouragement when I need it most. And the guidance that only an older sister can provide. Even catching glimpses of her face in my own reflection. I believe that is why, over one year later, I'm not only still heartbroken over the loss of someone so critically important in my life, but I'm angry that the individuals responsible did not immediately come forward. In fact, hiding the secret among them for over a month until someone else turned them in. Next to speak and deliver a truly heartbreaking impact statement was Victoria's husband. Victoria's death was so tragic, so devastating. devastating and so senseless. It's unimaginable. And whatever I say here today won't come even close to describing how painful this has been for me and for my family. The night before she died, we were up late. She was editing photos. It was probably after 1 a.m. She didn't have to get up early. The next day was Labor Day. She was looking forward to going to Old Man's Cave and doing the photo shoot with her senior reps. We were lying in bed and she was in my arms. And she told me something she never told me before. She said the happiest part of her day was at the end of the night when she was in my arms. She told me she loved me and couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with me. I loved her more at that moment than ever before. And the next night she was gone. The loss Victoria's family endured was unimaginable. But despite their grief, they agreed to the plea deals that had been offered to Jaden and Jordan. Then a second chance. In the end, it was the compassion Victoria had instilled in those around her that likely spared Jaden and Jordan from a lifetime behind bars. During sentencing, Victoria's daughter read an impact statement written by Victoria's mother. In it, Jaden and Jordan were offered only one path to redemption. I need to know that you will do your very best to turn your life around. I need to know that when you are released from the sentence, you will have become a man who will make a contribution to the society, not just take from it. This is an early chapter in your book of life. I sincerely pray for you that Victoria's loss will not be in vain. Let this tragic circumstance catapult you to even greater goals that you can imagine today. That you will dig in and dig deep to meet the challenge of becoming a great man, a man who will bring honor to Victoria, to make up in some way for one you so carelessly have taken from all of us. Let the story of your life proclaim to all that you understood the gravity of your actions and that you did all in your power to be a credit to society. Only that will satisfy. The forgiveness and the compassion that Victoria's family showed in the court was truly remarkable. Far more than they would have gotten from me. That's for sure. The guilty pleas were entered and the impact statements were made. All that was left was for a judge to deliver a sentence. The pain that you heard from them, indescribable. I can't, I got, I get angry listening to it. So I don't know if I could be as forgiving as they are. Do you understand? Do you understand that you took a mother of children your age? Your same age, you took their mother. Do you understand that? Yes, Your Honor. A wife, sister. And that's a void that can never be filled for them. Now you're going to have some time to sit in DYS, do you understand that, right? Yes, Your Honor. But you understand, you're getting a second chance here now because they are forgiving. You understand that, correct? Yes, Your Honor, I do. You understand. Didn't you understand that that's not an option to Mrs. Shaffer? You're getting a second chance that she did not get. In the end, both Jordan Buckley and Jayden Churches were sentenced to just three years in juvenile detention. A slap on the wrist, if there ever was one. As for the biggest question of all, who actually threw the log? The truth is, no one seems to know. Investigators couldn't prove it either way, and neither Jayden nor Jordan ever admitted to it in court. Maybe Jayden did it. Maybe Jordan did it. Maybe they both did. Or maybe that detail doesn't matter as much as we think. Because at the end of the day, both teenagers were legally responsible. Both of them made a choice to move, shove, kick, roll, or throw a seventy-five pound log off a cliff. A log that came crashing down with enough force to shatter a skull and take Victoria Shaffer's life. And both were held accountable in a way that reflected the wishes of Victoria's family. So what else is there to do? The conclusion of this case doesn't come with a whole lot of satisfaction. That's for sure. It's messy. But usually murder is messy. There are still unanswered questions, and the whole thing feels unfinished. But sometimes, that's the only justice there is. And sometimes, you know, that's just life. If you like this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel so you won't miss out on any future videos. I'll see you in the next video. Thanks for watching. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. can't believe this is our 13th year it's absolutely madness i did not think this is how my life was gonna go let's put it that way anyway thank you so much for being here thank you so much for being a fan a listener supporter whatever any little thing you guys do we appreciate i promise you even if it's just hitting a like button on a video or uh leaving a comment it's all very much appreciated thank you so much for being here i hope 2026 is a wonderful year for all of you winning never sounded so good what would you do if you want big at crown coins casino real people win real prizes every single day hi this is chelsea from dallas i just hit the jackpot won over 1 million 500k visit crowncoins.com sign up in seconds enter code crown and get a free lucky wheel bonus you may win up to 10 000 sweeps coins crowncoins.com that's c-r-o-w-n coins.com no purchase needed code valid for new users only void were prohibited by law 18 plus terms and conditions apply crown coins casino l-e-t-e-n-b-t your night in just got legendary get ready to chase the rush spin win and redeem instantly straight to your bank account at legends with a z.com with free to play slots blackjack keno roulette and more experience all the thrills of vegas without leaving your couch legends has it all legends is a free to play social casino void prohibited must be 18 plus play responsibly visit legends.com for full details get in the game now and score a 100 match on your first purchase only at legends with a z.com