45: Online Dating, Murder & A Chilling Double Life. The Mysterious Disappearance of 27-Year-Old Kelly Dwyer
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly.

Hey everybody, welcome back to a brand new episode of Serialistly with me, Annie, your true crime bestie, and I am here to break down another true crime case for you today.

Guys, it has been a while. If you notice, I have like, you're watching the video version of this. You will understand this, but for those of you who are just like listening to the audio, I have like a tan situation going on. I just got back from the Bahamas. I was celebrating my sister's 40th birthday there. We had the best time ever, but...

what i want to say is that due to the lighting a little bit in here i probably look a little bit more tan than usual and i always sunscreen my face so my face probably looks white but just roll with me it's summer it's summertime

But anyways, today we have got a brand new case to discuss. But before we jump right into the craziness that is true crime, please take a quick second, make sure that you are following the podcast on whatever podcast app you use. Just make sure you check that little check mark you're following along so that you don't miss any episodes as they drop. Because if you have been a listener for a while now, you know that in addition to Monday episode drops,

We also now are doing a regular weekly series on Thursdays called Headline Highlights. And in that episode, we go through everything that has happened so far during the week in the true crime world, whether it's case updates, new cases, things like that. Just a quick little bite-sized snapshot of what's come out that week that maybe not necessarily warrants a full episode dedicated to a singular case or singular case update.

So, make sure that you're following along so that you don't miss any of those. Plus, plus, plus, disclaimer.

There is going to be some very exciting news coming up and giveaways on the podcast, so you're going to want to make sure you're following along. But anyways, we will talk about all of that again at the end of the episode. We are going to get into today's case. It is a wild one. So in today's episode, we're going to talk about a case that perplexed investigators for years. Back in 2013, the city of Milwaukee was gripped by a haunting mystery.

The unexplained disappearance of a vivacious 27-year-old named Kelly Dwyer. One normal Friday morning in October, Kelly vanished, leaving behind nothing but a trail of unanswered questions.

As investigators started to piece together her last known activities, a disturbing picture began to form. The last trace of her was around 9 a.m. the next morning, after which she seemed to have vanished into thin air completely.

The trail ran cold and her phone went silent, and every lead seemed to reach a dead end. The mysterious circumstances of her disappearance and Kelly's recent behaviors, including her adventures on an online dating site,

made investigators raise their eyebrows and they quickly began to believe that something far more sinister may have happened to Kelly. The person she had been seeing was also in the news for things that were very bizarre. But no bipolar schizophrenia.

I suppose that's all open to interpretation by somebody. Yeah, you're right. Kelly Dwyer was last seen on Milwaukee's Eastside 19 months ago. He met up with Kelly Dwyer to do drugs, go to a bar, then back to his apartment. The remains were located approximately 20 feet off of the road along a tree line. Speak or read any other language? Finding a gas station or a bibliotheca. They think I carried this girl out of my apartment. She's as big as me. Yeah.

In 2002, Tony and Maureen Dwyer had to break some tough news to their teenage daughters. They were getting a divorce. Now you can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions that both daughters went through after receiving this news. And things were tough, especially for their daughter Kelly Dwyer, who was then 16 years old.

Now, prior to the news of their divorce, Kelly was involved in several extracurricular activities. She played tennis, she wrote for the school newspaper, and she participated in the yearbook club.

But after her parents' divorce, she struggled a lot. It was a lot to process, and after high school graduation in 2004, Kelly was left feeling like she didn't know her place in the world or what she wanted to do, and she kind of just floated aimlessly for a bit until she could find her way. It took her a few years to really find herself again, and eventually she landed in Milwaukee, a whole new place, a whole new vibe, a bunch of new people.

And it was there that she rediscovered herself. She found Kelly again. In 2012, Kelly got a job working at Lululemon. She also kept busy with a couple of side hustles, teaching yoga over at a nearby studio and also nannying for a family just to make some extra money.

There was a noticeable shift in Kelly, not just in her career, but in her overall persona. She uploaded a photo of herself on Facebook, and she was all dolled up in a sleek, strapless black top, and it was a full new look for her, something different than she had ever done before. And she looked happy, and older, in a good way, and truly just growing into her own person, matured, happy, fulfilled.

This change in her signaled a new chapter of Kelly's Milwaukee journey. It genuinely seemed like she was living her best life. She had work friends that she liked to go out with, and she was also active in the dating scene, and quickly becoming somewhat of a regular to a few local spots.

So Kelly, now 27 years old, remained close to her dad, and in 2013 he came to Milwaukee to visit her. Kelly gushed about her new life, her work trip that she got from Lululemon, and a new love interest she had named Chris Zacco. Chris was a well-off but somewhat distant IT executive that she had been dating for about a year at the time. She said that she really liked him and said that Chris had certain characteristics that reminded her of her dad.

So, her dad left that trip feeling hopeful of what her future would entail, and just so extremely proud that she was becoming more independent and truly creating a life for herself. Kelly was overall pretty open with her parents as well about the details of her life.

But of course, you never know how many details someone does share with their parents. We all have certain things that we might omit from our parents out of embarrassment or shame, such as telling your parents if you got in trouble at Lululemon for showing up intoxicated or telling your parents the extent of your partying. Do you tell your parents that all the time or all the frequent late nights involving heavy drinking, sex, and even occasional dabbling in cocaine? Do

Do you tell your parents that even though you have a boyfriend, you still see a few guys that you met on dating apps like OkCupid and Tinder? Maybe not. Maybe those are some secrets that you keep to yourself. And that's kind of what Kelly did. She had this open life with her parents where she confided in them, told them about her new amazing life, her new job, her new boyfriend, but then she still had those secrets that she wasn't as forthcoming with. So I

such as the partying, the drinking, the drugs occasionally, and the dating some other guys aside from just her now over one year boyfriend, Chris. And with this, everything changed in Kelly's life a few months after her dad's visit.

On October 12th, 2013, Kelly mysteriously disappeared. Her mother had said that alarm bells started ringing when Kelly didn't show up for her shift at the Lululemon store in the third ward. A co-worker dropped by her apartment only to learn from Kelly's roommate that she hadn't seen her either.

So Kelly's mom managed to piece together that Kelly had been out at Alien Restaurant and Bar, a bar that she frequented often. And she was there the previous Thursday night, and afterward, she spent the night at her boyfriend's place on the east side of the city.

The last time anyone reportedly saw her was around 9 a.m. that Friday morning. Now, guys, we are going to take a quick break because I want to talk to you about today's sponsor, who happens to have a product that I am absolutely in love with, and then we're going to come right back.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So Kelly was missing now, and nobody knew where she was. People hadn't seen her. The last known sighting of her was that Friday morning at 9 a.m. Where was Kelly? Three days passed, and still nobody could find Kelly or had any idea where she was.

Police confirmed that Kelly did stay at her boyfriend's house, but they couldn't ignore the fact that she was on multiple dating websites like OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, and eHarmony, where she would meet up with the men that she met online. The thought that maybe she planned to meet someone from one of those websites lingered in everyone's minds, but at this point, getting the word out that Kelly was missing to as many people as possible was the only thing for her loved ones to do.

So friends and family posted flyers all along Brady Street where Kelly lives and in the third ward where she works, all in hopes that somebody saw Kelly and would call in to give the police a lead. Yes, Kelly Dwyer was last seen leaving a home here on Milwaukee's East Side Friday morning. Her whereabouts since have been a mystery. Her mom is working with police and has even hired a private investigator. But she says the more time passes, the more she loses hope.

THIS IS THE MOST AWFUL, INCREDIBLY HORRIBLE THING ANYONE COULD EVER GO THROUGH.

I'm going to help find Kelly. Either way, whatever the outcome is, I just need to find her. Maureen Dwyer says she's pieced together her daughter's last movements before disappearing. She says Kelly went to the bars Thursday, then spent the night at her boyfriend's on the east side. He says Kelly left around 9 a.m. Friday on foot, and that's the last anyone saw her. We don't know how she got home. It's possible she walked home or it's possible she took a cab.

That was the last time she used her phone. She's very attached to her phone like any young person is these days. It's always beside her. She's always on it. Police have not said foul play is to blame, but Kelly's mom believes it is. She thinks her daughter has been meeting men through the website OKCupid. And I think maybe she met up with someone that she couldn't handle. Despite her recent behavior, Maureen Dwyer says her daughter always shows up at work on time. I don't know where my baby is and

I may never see her again. And every day that goes by, it gets harder and harder to believe that she's alive somewhere.

Maureen Dwyer says her daughter was in contact with a man in the Racine Kenosha area before her disappearance, but she was able to speak with that man last night on the phone and she does not believe he's involved in her disappearance. Milwaukee police are investigating. Now we all know Kelly is not the first 27 year old to miss work. It is possible she had her reasons for not telling anyone what she was doing, right? People call out sick all the time. People don't show up, especially when you're relatively young. Who knows?

Now, interestingly, an acquaintance of Kelly's that she knew from the bar told investigators that Kelly told her on Thursday night that she had the next day off of work. So was it possible that Kelly got her work schedule confused and that's why she didn't show up to work that Friday? Maybe, but that wouldn't explain Kelly seemingly vanishing into thin air completely. And now it had been three days.

Nobody heard a word from Kelly. No activity on her phone or her social media, which as her mother said, was extremely unusual and became too much to pass off as a coincidence at that point. There was a legitimate concern that something horrible happened to her.

Yes, the boyfriend, Chris, said that Kelly spent the night and left in the morning. However, there was no proof that Kelly was anywhere past Thursday night besides just his word. And eventually, police decided that they needed to take a closer look at Chris.

Kelly and Chris had met through a mutual friend, and most people thought that they had been dating for almost a year. Kelly was 27 years old, and Chris was 38 years old. According to Kelly's friends, they felt like they for sure knew that Kelly was into Chris, but they questioned if the same level of interest was mutual from Chris's end.

Chris had graduated from Boston University with a degree in international business, and growing up, he was interested in sports, hanging out with friends, and loved to play golf. After graduation, Chris settled in New York and found a job working for the IT department of the New York Yankees, an absolute dream job for him. Later on, he left that job and had aspirations of making an even bigger career move, which ultimately led him to move to Milwaukee.

There, he got a job as a chief information officer at TRC Global Mobility. So when Chris met Kelly, he was definitely easy to like. He was charming, he was educated, had a great job that paid well, a nice car, and a luxury apartment. However, friends of Kelly's said that there were times when they noticed bruises on Kelly's body, especially her neck.

When they asked Kelly about this, Kelly responded and laughed it off, kind of just being like, "Oh, another crazy night," and then would change the conversation. In a formal interview with police in the search for Kelly, Chris described his relationship with Kelly as more of a "friends with benefits" type of scenario rather than seriously dating, which was odd because they had been dating for almost over a year, according to Kelly's friends.

So it became more apparent to investigators when talking to Chris that they really weren't on the same page at all. Kelly was in love with him, according to her friends. But Chris told her that he didn't want to be exclusive. Chris saw other people and so did Kelly. That's why she was on those dating sites.

He also told the police his recollection of the last night that he spent with Kelly and of the morning that she left. Now let's talk about Chris's apartment for a second because Chris's apartment building was bougie. Like I mentioned earlier, he had a luxury apartment and made a good living. With his 18th floor high-priced luxury apartment, Titan Building Security came with it, which in this case included surveillance cameras.

So Chris told detectives that he and Kelly hung out a few nights a week, and he also used the word party, saying, "...we partied together." And by that, he meant that it wasn't uncommon for the two of them to go upstairs, continue drinking after leaving the bars, and also partake in doing lines of cocaine, and then end up having sex.

And apparently that's what they did that Thursday night as well. They went upstairs, had a few more drinks, did some cocaine, had sex, and then passed out on opposite ends of the couch. Detectives were able to go through the security footage from the night that Kelly went missing. And in the footage, Chris and Kelly are seen walking up to the apartment and then Chris opens the door for Kelly.

Then you can see them walking through the lobby and the main entrance of the building, and they are both smiling, appearing to be in a little bit of a flirtatious banter between the two of them as well. Then you can see Chris and Kelly turn the corner to enter the elevator. So this was good. It confirmed Chris's account of that night. That the next morning, Kelly left around 9 a.m., and he remembered it because he heard the door lock click to unlock and then heard the door open and shut.

However, there was only one problem with Chris's story.

While Chris was being interviewed by one detective, another detective was going through the surveillance footage. And the detective noticed something really wrong in that footage and couldn't wrap his mind around what he was seeing. The surveillance footage showed that Chris and Kelly turned that corner to get into the elevator on Thursday night and that that would be the last time Kelly was ever seen alive because

because Kelly wasn't seen walking or leaving on any surveillance footage throughout the entire building on Friday morning, as Chris had indicated. Now, after making this chilling discovery, detectives needed to figure out a way to search Chris's apartment. But right now, they didn't have enough to get a search warrant specifically pertaining to Kelly's disappearance.

However, Chris did just admit to investigators that he and Kelly did cocaine that Thursday night, and it was something that they often did, so detectives used the drug use admission as grounds to get that search warrant.

Inside the apartment, detectives were met with quite the scene. There were lines of cocaine everywhere. Canisters of marijuana, marijuana in the fridge, prescription pills in baggies and pipes. And with that, Chris was immediately arrested for possession of drugs and taken into custody, where he now had to answer a lot more questions than what he was just arrested with.

In his interrogation, he seemed aloof, though, or not really taking it seriously. Do you need some water? That'd be great. Do you smoke or no? No. I saw that when we got you from downstairs, there was something off your back. Right, you said? Yes. I got my back six or seven years ago in the gym, training for baseball. So two weeks ago, playing racquetball, I threw it out again, and ever since, I've been like 80 years old. Do you take any prescription drugs at all? No.

You said no mental kind of problems, schizophrenia, anxiety, nothing like that? I have anxiety, I doubt when they're both. Okay, but no bipolar, schizophrenia? I suppose that's all open to interpretation by somebody. Yeah, you're right. Sometimes you gotta lock them down here like this. Yeah, but we're not in a room where we have to lock.

You read and write English fine? Yeah. Okay. Played with the big blocks, all that stuff. How about Lincoln Logs? It was one of my favorite toys when I was a kid. Do you speak or read any other language? I wouldn't say that I'm conversationally grown. I could mangle my way through finding a gas station or a bibliotheca.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All right. You got any kids? Want some? Never. I'll come. I think I'm past those years for me. I'm creeping up on 40. I don't know that I want to be changing diapers and whatnot. You have any sisters? So a little brother then? No. Before I can go into us being at your house, we found in there, you even want to say, well, what kind of drugs did you all find? If you wanted to just know that, I have to read your rights to you. I understand.

What would you like to do at this time? Call my lawyer. But then things took a turn at the end when he requested a lawyer.

While detectives had him in custody, they got a warrant to search his cell phone, and what they found was deeply disturbing. They found videos of Chris and Kelly, and this is a direct quote from that. They were engaged in a sex act where Kelly appears to be in distress. Kelly apparently looked like she couldn't breathe and was straining to take a breath.

But this video wasn't from Thursday night. That video was from weeks before she ever went missing. And that wasn't all. There was much more where that came from. There were several videos and several pictures of many occasions with similar content. And in a lot of it, Kelly looked like she was unconscious on the bed.

Court records say when police searched Zacco's cell phone, they found pictures of 50 shades of gray-style bondage. Dwyer's hands and feet tied to bed by neckties, seemingly unconscious, unaware anyone's taking pictures.

and a video that shows Dwyer gagging and gasping for air as a voice that sounds like Zocco's directs Dwyer to breathe through her nose to ease the suffocation. But again, none of those videos and none of those pictures, as disturbing as they were, none of them had anything to do with the night that she went missing. So detectives were at a standstill. Chris was 100% a person of interest, but they couldn't keep him in custody for anything related to Kelly.

They moved forward with the possession charges and in the meantime they went back to the drawing board and to the surveillance footage to scour every minute from every camera, every angle, every frame with a fine-toothed comb. They wanted to be sure that they hadn't missed something. While at Chris's apartment a couple months later with a new search warrant, there were a few more things that detectives thought were a little bit weird.

One was at the shower curtain, or rather lack thereof, in the guest bathroom. On the shower curtain rod, the hooks were still in place, but it seemed as if a shower curtain had been ripped off.

Detectives also seized some hard drives and CDs used for computer storage inside the apartment. When the hard drive analysis was taking place, investigators felt like there may be more proof of what had happened to Kelly, especially since he had a habit of documenting his sexual behavior. And it turns out they did find something interesting, something more, but it was unrelated to Kelly.

Investigators found extremely disturbing and, I quote, hardcore child pornography. And they found a lot of it. Two weeks after Kelly's disappearance, Chris was charged with multiple possession of pornography charges in addition to the already drug possession charges. While in custody, investigators continued to pour through his apartment and even brought in a cadaver dog.

the cadaver dog alerted in the apartment hallway, in the guest bathroom, in Chris's bedroom, and more. Court records say the dog hit on the scent of Dwyer's remains in Zocco's bed, at the trash chute outside his apartment, and in the garbage room below. This confirmed to police what they had suspected all along, that Kelly was never seen again because Chris had murdered her and had hid her body.

THE BIG QUESTION TONIGHT, WHERE COULD SHE BE? KELLY DWYER HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MORE THAN A MONTH. MILWAUKEE POLICE SAY THEY HAVE NOTHING NEW ON THE INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, DWYER'S FAMILY HOPES MONEY WILL PRODUCE SOME LEADS. FOX 6'S MYRA SANCHIK IS LIVE WITH OUR BIG STORY. MYRA, GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. KELLY DWYER'S MOTHER, MAUREEN, SPOKE TO REPORTERS TODAY. THE FAMILY IS OFFERING UP A REWARD IN HOPES OF INFORMATION THAT WILL LEAD TO FINDING HER MISSING DAUGHTER.

MORRINE DWYER CAME WITH POLICE TO THE AREA NEAR LAFAYETTE AND PROSPECT, THE SAME AREA HER DAUGHTER KELLY DWYER WAS LAST SEEN. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH SINCE KELLY DISAPPEARED. A WORRIED MOTHER TALKED TO REPORTERS. It's been devastating. It's been devastating.

THE FAMILY IS HOPING TO HELP. I'M NOT SURE HOW HARD IT IS. THERE'S NO WORDS. THERE REALLY ARE NO WORDS. IT SOUNDS LIKE A CLICHE BUT THERE ARE NO WORDS TO SAY HOW HORRIBLE IT IS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I'VE SURVIVED A MONTH WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER. THE DWIER FAMILY HOPES THIS WILL HELP.

TO US FINDING KELLY. THIS REWARD IS $10,000. A POLICE SEARCH OF A LANDFILL DID NOT LEAD OFFICIALS TO KELLY. NEITHER DID A VOLUNTEER CITIZEN SEARCH. It is frustrating, but we continue to hold out hope that we will locate her. And we're not giving up. We're still considering this a missing persons investigation. So,

WE'RE HANGING IN THERE AND WE'RE FOLLOWING ANY AND EVERY LEAD. A 38-YEAR-OLD MILWAUKEE MAN, CHRIS ZACO, IS THE LAST PERSON WHO MAY HAVE SEEN KELLY. ZACO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH DRUG AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES, BUT NOT WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE. MAUREEN DWYER SAYS POLICE NEED TO KEEP LOOKING CLOSER AT ZACO, A MAN THE FAMILY THOUGHT KELLY HAD BEEN DATING FOR ABOUT A YEAR. AS FAR AS WE KNEW, HE WAS AN UPSTANDING CITIZEN, HAD A GOOD JOB, PAID HIS BILLS.

That's all I knew about him. With $10,000 behind it, Maureen Dwyer hopes she will soon know more about where her daughter is. Now, as if this wasn't bad enough, there was even worse news on the horizon for Chris. Chris, this guy that didn't want to be tied down, supposedly dating a few people, including Kelly, had yet another secret and again lied to detectives.

Before he asked for a lawyer in his interrogation, Chris was asked if he had a girlfriend. And he said,

Okay, alright, really? Well, this is interesting because after Chris was charged with that disgusting material on his laptop while being investigated for murder, there was a lot of news coverage on Chris, who he was and what his possible involvement was. And there was so much news coverage, in fact, that a man came forward to investigators and told officers that Chris was his sister Megan's boyfriend.

a long-term boyfriend at that. So everything at this point was starting to blow up for Chris because apparently Chris and Megan had been dating since 2009, about four years at this point. And as if it wasn't already pretty clear who Chris was and the type of person he is just based on his phone and his hard drives alone, it was now crystal clear to detectives.

Chris was not the person that he was charmingly presenting himself to be, not in the slightest. He had been living a full-blown double life, which was now about to come crashing down on him.

So Megan met with investigators who showed her pictures of Chris's apartment that were taken while conducting the search warrant. And Megan confirmed to investigators that, of course, yes, there was a shower curtain missing in the guest bathroom. But also, some bathroom rugs and decorative towels were also missing.

And there was another thing that Megan had noticed that was missing, a large golf travel bag that had been lying on the floor of the living room near the guest bathroom. And she remembered this because it was something that they had to step over for weeks. And now it was gone.

Now with this new information and the cadaver dog hitting inside the apartment, the stark reality of what may have happened to Kelly was starting to set in. The mother of missing Milwaukee woman Kelly Dwyer speaks out about recent findings by police. WISN 12 News reporter Ben Hutchison tells us she's upset that her daughter's boyfriend Chris Zacco is still a free man.

SITTING A FEW FEET AWAY, MAUREEN DWYER, THE MOTHER OF KELLY DWYER, HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO VANISHED IN OCTOBER. SHOWING THE POLICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THAT WE STILL THINK THERE IS A CONNECTION AND MAYBE THEY'LL KEEP WORKING TO FIND A CONNECTION. A RECENT SEARCH WARRANT EXECUTED INSIDE ZACO'S EAST SIDE APARTMENT REVEALED THAT POLICE FOUND GUNS AND A MISSING SHOWER CURTAIN.

ALSO, A CADAVER DOG PICKED UP ON DWYER'S SENT FIVE TIMES NEAR A GARBAGE CHUTE IN THE BUILDING. INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO HIM, THE CADAVER DOGS, THE SHOWER CURTAIN, THE FACT THAT HE'S A GUN AT HOME. WHILE ZAKO IS NOT CHARGED WITH ANYTHING RELATED TO DWYER'S DISAPPEARANCE, THE WOMAN'S MOM BELIEVES SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN THE TWO. ALL THIS OVER AND ABOVE THE PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES AND THE DOG CHARGES,

JUST MADE US REALIZE THAT HE KNOWS HE DID SOMETHING TO KELLY. ZACO HELPED PASS OUT FLIERS AFTER KELLY DWYER'S DISAPPEARANCE. THAT'S THE ONLY TIME HER MOTHER HAS CROSSED PATHS WITH HIM. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY CONTACT WITH HIM. A REPORTER ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO TALK TO HIM. I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO HIM. I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO HIS FAMILY. I COULDN'T IMAGINE WHAT I WOULD SAY TO HIM. THE DWYER FAMILY SAYS THEY'RE FOCUSED ON HOLDING OUT HOPE AND FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO KELLY. IN MILWAUKEE, BEN HUTCHISON, WISN 12 NEWS.

Now at today's court appearance, the judge agreed to combine Chris Zacco's child pornography and drug charges. The trial date is now set for June 2nd. Zacco's defense team also asked for permission for him to access the internet from his apartment so he can work from home. The judge granted permission but is requiring a written explanation of how Zacco will be monitored. Investigators now knew what they needed to look for next, which was any surveillance footage

of Chris taking this huge golf travel bag with a body inside of it out of his apartment, which surely wouldn't be hard to find since the entire building had 28 surveillance cameras, including parking garage cams.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

paid for by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Yet somehow, investigators were unable to see any video footage of Chris leaving his apartment with that golf travel bag.

Investigators combed over the footage for months, almost puzzled. How could that be? And not only that, but when Chris's car was hauled in for processing, the cadaver dog also alerted in the trunk of the car and the driver's side backseat door handle. So how could Chris get into the parking garage, walk all the way to his car on video, but at no point is he trying to lift a body in a golf travel bag into his car?

Investigators found out that some of the cameras were motion activated and maybe Chris just happened to get lucky, which didn't make a lot of sense because there was footage of him walking with a set of golf clubs to put into his trunk later that day on Friday.

Investigators were at a loss, but there really wasn't much to work with. And not only that, but Kelly's body also hadn't been recovered. Chris was finally seen leaving his apartment around 6:30 p.m. that Friday after loading a set of golf clubs into his trunk. Now, I know this is a little bit confusing because it definitely seems like this surveillance showed it was possibly that travel golf bag. However, the travel golf bag was already in his trunk before he loaded these clubs.

After leaving his apartment, Chris drove to his mom's house to drop off some golf clubs and baseball equipment, which Chris's mom said wasn't unusual for him to do. Even so, she said he did not drop off the large golf travel bag, which was in question. Now, this part is even crazier because apparently after making that pit stop at his mom's house, Chris had a 7.30 p.m. dinner reservation with his girlfriend Megan and with her parents.

He was late to dinner, though, which investigators thought could be because he was looking for a place to dump that travel golf bag. But this is just a theory. Megan said that when Chris did show up, he wasn't himself. He seemed nervous, almost sweating, and acting strangely.

After learning this, detectives began to believe that maybe the reason why he was so nervous was that Chris still had the golf bag with Kelly's body in it in his trunk because he couldn't risk leaving her body in his apartment. But at this point, this was just a theory.

The next morning on Saturday, Chris apparently drove to a cheese shop called the Mouse House, which was 80 miles away from Milwaukee. Now, Wisconsin locals listening, let me know over on the YouTube side of this in the comments about this. But from what I understand, there are cheese shops everywhere. So if this is true, why on earth would he drive so far just to get some cheese?

Was he looking for a specific cheese that only that location had? I don't know, but Chris did have an explanation for this. He said that he drove out there because he was looking to buy cheese for his girlfriend Megan's parents.

But investigators weren't buying it. Why would someone take a 160-mile round-trip errand to get some cheese? Which, honestly, that's a really great question. So they believed that Chris used this as an opportunity to travel through rural farm areas to dump Kelly's body.

This way, he wouldn't be spotted by anyone dumping the body, but also to create an alibi, like, oh yeah, I was only over in that direction because I was buying cheese, that kind of thing. But again, this was just a theory at this point. Chris's movements and locations were tracked after he left the Mouse House. Police believe that after dumping Kelly's body, Chris made his way back to Milwaukee, but first stopped at a shopping center to go to a sports authority.

There, Chris once again used his credit card, but this time, he bought a new pair of tennis shoes.

This doesn't seem like a big deal at face value, but to investigators, they now believed that this was an intentional purchase and that now Chris needed new shoes, possibly trying to get rid of any dirt, mud, blood, or any evidence whatsoever that may have gotten onto his shoes from dumping Kelly's body somewhere out in the farmland. And this was not the only issue that investigators had with this purchase.

Chris made the credit card transaction to purchase those shoes at 12.11 p.m. The purchase at the cheese shop, however, was at 9.55 a.m. The only problem now with it is that the distance between the cheese shop and the sports authority was approximately 54 miles from each other, a trip that should have taken 47 minutes if he went straight there, but now he had a 90-minute time gap that was unaccounted for.

During this gap, was Chris driving through farmland or back roads looking for a spot to conceal a body? It seems likely, but it's also possible that maybe he stopped to pull over for a bit. Maybe he stopped somewhere else and used cash. But again, police went back to thinking about that cadaver dog, alerting them for signs of decomposition in the trunk and in the backseat of the car.

And now they were convinced that this unnecessary detour across the state to run errands that he could have done far closer to home proved that he did this in a calculated way to get rid of Kelly's body. Investigators searched some of the areas where Chris may have driven, but because his trip covered so many miles, it was extremely difficult to guess where Kelly's body could have essentially been dumped.

And unfortunately, they didn't find her. In November of 2014, just one year after Kelly's disappearance, Chris was on trial. And his defense argued that Chris had no idea what was on his hard drives. Jury deliberations start tomorrow on the child pornography case of Chris Zacco, the person of interest in last year's disappearance of Kelly Dwyer. 12 News reporter Nick Bohr is live at the courthouse tonight where the defense just rested their case. And Nick, did Zacco take the stand at all?

THE DRIVER WAS TOLD TO BE A CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VICTIM. HE DID NOT TESTIFY EVEN THOUGH HIS DEFENSE HINGES ON THE JURY BELIEVING HIS HONESTY. HE IS ADMITTING THAT THE DATA FOUND ON A DRIVE IN HIS APARTMENT IS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KELLY DWYER A YEAR AGO IS A SUBTEXT TO THIS TRIAL, BUT SHE HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED ONCE. INSTEAD, THE SO-CALLED PERSON OF INTEREST IN HER DISAPPEARANCE, CHRIS ZACO, IS HERE BECAUSE OF CHILD PINOGRAPHY POLICE FOUND ON A COMPUTER HARD DRIVE IN HIS APARTMENT WHILE SEARCHING FOR CLUES ABOUT DWYER.

THE FAMILY'S FAMILY. THE FAMILY'S FAMILY. LATE TODAY HIS DEFENSE ATTORNEY MOVED TO DISMISS SAYING THERE'S NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROVE ZACO KNEW THE CHILD PORN WAS THERE. ASIDE FROM THE FACT OF THE POSSESSION OF THE HARD DRIVE ITSELF CAN'T ESTABLISH THAT MR. ZACO IS THE PERSON OR THE

INDIVIDUAL, I GUESS, WHO WOULD HAVE DOWNLOADED FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE. BUT THE PROSECUTOR SUCCESSFULLY ARGUED THAT THE CASE SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED AND THE JURY SHOULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO DECIDE. THE DEFENDANT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THAT RESIDENCE. THE STATE IS PROCEEDING ON A THEORY OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, NOT ON A THEORY OF ACCESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRIEND. THE FAMILY'S FRI

THE FAMILY. DO YOU THINK THE JURY WILL BE ABLE TO HIDE THOSE FILES EITHER THROUGH ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUES OR FILE CHANGING OR NAME CHANGING OF FILES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO. JURORS WILL RETURN TOMORROW MORNING. THEY WILL HEAR CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND BEGIN DELIBERATIONS. WE COULD HAVE A VERDICT BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

LIVE HERE AT THE COURTHOUSE, NICK FORD, WISN 12 NEWS. ZACO IS ALSO FACING DRUG CHARGES. DURING THE SEARCH, POLICE SAY THEY FOUND COCAINE AND MARIJUANA. HE'S FACING THREE FELONIES AND TWO MISDEMEANORS, INCLUDING MAINTAINING A DRUG TRAFFICKING PLACE. THERE IS A HEARING SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW. AGAIN, ZACO WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SEE KELLY DWYER. MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, WHEN ZACO WAS FIRST ARRESTED, POLICE SAY HE ADMITTED TO DOING COCAINE WITH DWYER A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.

Dwyer's family has been in many of Zacco's court hearings, including this trial. Chris was convicted of all pornography charges except for one, and he later pled guilty to the drug charges. The man who may have been the last person to see Kelly Dwyer is found guilty on 16 felony counts.

The verdict is not related to Dwyer's disappearance, but for possession of child pornography. Fox 6's Ashley Sears, live in the newsroom with the latest. Good evening. Even though this case did not involve their daughter, Dwyer's family members were still in court today saying this verdict reinforces an effort to find out what happened to Kelly Dwyer. I'm here for my daughter Kelly. It is not the trial the Dwyer family wanted. We'll proceed aggressively.

AND WE'LL PROCEED ACCORDINGLY. BUT IT IS A VERDICT. THEY WERE HAPPY TO SEE. WE'VE TAKEN SOMEBODY AFTER THE JURY'S CAREFUL DELIBERATION AND SENSITIVE DELIBERATION OFF THE STREETS. IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS, A JURY FINDS CHRIS ZACCO GUILTY OF 16 OF 17 COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. THE STATE'S PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY FOUND THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON ZACO'S COMPUTER WHILE LOOKING INTO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 27-YEAR-OLD KELLY DWYER. AFTER THE VERDICT WAS READ, ZACO WAS CUFFED AND ESCORTED FROM THE COURTROOM. HIS FATHER WOULD NOT SPEAK TO FOX 6

THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE CASE. THE FAMILY IS IN THE C

who may be able to tell us that. Hopeful time will bring them the trial and the justice they want. The only situation like that that will satisfy us is when he's in handcuffs for an association with Kelly's disappearance.

Zacco faces 3 to 15 years in prison for each guilty count he will be sentenced in mid-January. At sentencing, Chris received 19 years in prison for those charges, but still nothing relating to Kelly. But I have to say, although at this point it was still unsolved with Kelly, at least you got this creep pedo off the streets for all of those child pornography charges and discovery made.

So police also still believed that Chris was 100% involved in the disappearance and murder and disposal of Kelly. But could they prove it? Could they prove it in court, without a body, without more physical evidence that a crime had occurred? Because we do know that, yes, people can be charged with murder without a body. But at this point, investigators and the district attorney felt like this wasn't enough to charge Chris.

and to then later get a conviction. So with that, investigators weren't sure what to do.

It was beginning to seem more and more that if Chris was involved, he wasn't going to be charged for it. And eventually, the case became cold. However, six months after Chris had been convicted in May of 2015, police had a huge break in the case. She vanished more than a year and a half ago. Tonight, part of the mystery solved. The remains of Kelly Dwyer identified.

For more than a year and a half, a family has been asking, where is our daughter? Now, Kelly Dwyer's parents have that answer. We have live team coverage. We begin with 12 News investigative reporter Colleen Henry. And Colleen, we are waiting for a news conference in just about an hour, but you've uncovered new information in this case.

THE DENTAL RECORDS. THE 27-YEAR-OLD EASTSIDER WENT MISSING IN OCTOBER OF 2013. SHE WAS LAST SEEN ON VIDEO ENTERING THE APARTMENT OF A MAN SHE WAS DATING. CAMERAS NEVER DOCUMENTED HER LEAVE. A CADAVER DOG PICKED UP KELLY DWYER'S CENT IN THE BUILDING'S TRASH AREA AND PARKING GARAGE. CRISACO TOLD POLICE SHE LEFT.

THE MAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND HE WAS LEFT WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING AFTER A NIGHT OF PARTYING. HE IS SERVING TIME FOR THE DRUGS AND PORN DISCOVERED IN HIS APARTMENT DURING THE SEARCH FOR THE YOUNG WOMAN. NOW THIS DISCOVERY OPENS A NEW CHAPTER IN THIS INVESTIGATION AS JEFFERSON COUNTY JOINS MILWAUKEE POLICE TO INVESTIGATE KELLY DWYER'S DEATH.

Yeah, Joyce, 12 News has learned that there were no obvious signs of trauma discovered during the autopsy. At this point, there's no proof of homicide. Of course, you can't rule it out either. Experts say it's not uncommon to find no evidence when you only have skeletal remains like this. All right, thank you very much, Colleen. And you saw him just moments ago, but 12 News' Ben Hutchison continues our live team coverage from Jefferson County, where her body was found.

I'm along Inland Road here in the town of Sullivan. It's a very rural area. It's a dead end street. I'm going to step out of the way. There are very few houses where I am, but this is the area the remains were found in. Just last Thursday, Dwyer's family announced they hired a private investigator who would be searching 45 miles outside the city for Dwyer's remains.

Then on Friday, a neighbor taking a walk on Inland Road coincidentally came across a skeleton just a few feet from the street. He was not part of any formal search. We did find that person who discovered those remains, but he has been told to not comment. Just for perspective, the skeleton was found 40 miles from where Dwyer was last seen on Milwaukee's east side. Now, because the remains were discovered here in Jefferson County, investigators here are handling the case. I did speak with a couple of neighbors out here. They say hopefully this brings some sort of closure.

and peace to the family. A young beauty, an ugly end. Nothing but bones and unanswered questions. How did Kelly Dwyer die? And who left her like roadkill on a dead-end road? Michael Simley is a forensic investigator at Milwaukee County's Medical Examiner's Office, where an autopsy of Dwyer's skeleton revealed no obvious cause of death. Simley can't discuss her case specifically, but says her bones may still spill secrets.

BONE. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CASE. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CASE. BONE CAN TELL US A LOT. HER BONE, SPECIFICALLY HER TEETH, REVEALED THE MOST CRITICAL CLUE, HER IDENTITY. WHAT CAN THE BONES TELL YOU ABOUT THE CAUSE OF DEATH? SINLEY SAYS SOME CAUSES OF DEATH ARE EASY TO IDENTIFY. KNIFE WOUNDS, GUNFIRE. YOU CAN SEE THE BULLET FRAGMENTS STILL.

It's the last thing we can possibly do to see if there's a cause of death or if there's anything that could maybe lead us to what happened to the person. Dwyer's skeleton is now at the University of North Texas, where forensic anthropologists will microscopically analyze each bone for clues about her final hours. Zacco was an IT executive. Court records show he told police he and Dwyer were friends with benefits, spent that night drinking, snorting cocaine, and having sex.

THAT SHE LEFT IN THE MORNING. ZACO IS NOW IN PRISON FOR DRUGS AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FOUND DURING THE SEARCH FOR DWIRE. SEARCH WARRANTS ALSO IDENTIFY ZACO AS A SUSPECT IN THE CRIMES OF HOMICIDE, HIDING A CORPSE AND TAKING NUDE PHOTOS WITHOUT CONSENT. NOW INVESTIGATORS HAVE A SKELETON, WHICH MAY OFFER CLUES, BUT MAY NOT IF SUFFOCATION OR DRUGS KILLED HER.

DRUG OVERDOSE. YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO LEARN THAT FROM A SKELETON. NO. MICHAEL SINLEY SAYS EVEN WHEN FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGISTS CAN'T DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEATH, THEY CAN FIND OTHER CLOSES. It might not be the cause of death. It might be something that might help the investigation for the police. It might not affect anything or it may change the whole scheme of things.

The forensic exam at the University of North Texas could take months. Dreyer's family isn't ready to talk about the discovery of her skeleton. They're still planning a proper memorial here in Milwaukee that will come once her remains are finally released to her family. At the crime scene, there wasn't a trace of tangible evidence to be found. There was no shower curtain, no clothing, not even a travel golf bag. However, the detectives did notice something. The peculiar positioning of Kelly's skeleton.

Her limbs were twisted in unnatural ways, almost as if she had been forced into a container, like a golf travel bag. It seemed like enough evidence to take Chris to court for Kelly's death, but still, a lot of what they had was circumstantial. Her body was discovered close to where he'd been shopping the day after she disappeared, but this coincidence wasn't enough for the assistant district attorney, who was after solid proof that would make the case bulletproof.

The aim was to uncover every shred of evidence that could be found, especially since they were relying on a case that was largely based on circumstantial evidence.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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With Chris already behind bars, they didn't need to rush things. It took an additional two years of detailed investigation before Wisconsin formally charged Chris for Kelly's death. And even then, it was another year and a half before the case finally went to trial. The man accused of killing 27-year-old Kelly Dwyer and hiding her body is going to face a jury on Monday. Fox 6's Brett Lemoine is live at the Milwaukee County Courthouse with the new charge Chris Zacco will also contend with in the morning.

This new charge alleges that Zacco tried to hire someone to intimidate one of his ex-girlfriends. Last year, prosecutors said they ruled out any other possible suspects and charged Zacco with first-degree reckless homicide, hiding a corpse, and strangulation and suffocation.

But in another twist, this month prosecutors added a new charge of intimidation of a witness. Investigators say an inmate at the Waupon Correctional Institution told him that Zacco was concerned about one of his ex-girlfriends being a potential witness at trial. The inmate allegedly told police that Zacco admitted to hiding Dwyer's body after rough sex

and that Zacco offered up to $5,000 for a hit to intimidate potential witnesses at Zacco's felony jury trial. I asked when he last saw her, and he said they went out.

had been drinking, partying. She didn't have to work on Friday and she left sometime in the morning. Karen Horton was Kelly Dwyer's boss at Lululemon who eventually found Chris Zacco's number and called him after Dwyer didn't show up for work. A voicemail Zacco left Karen was played for the jury.

Karen says Zacco came to Lululemon shortly before a group was meeting to post flyers with Kelly's photo. Zacco didn't stay to help. And said, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. And at that point, I just, again, got a very strong body sensation and thought, like, I don't trust him. At least twice he had asked if police...

looked at the videos, the surveillance tapes from the apartment. MPD Detective Eric Gulbranson shared some of the surveillance video from Zacco's apartment building garage, showing Zacco putting a large bag into his trunk. It sets the bag down on the ground that he appears to be

fumbling or to me it's almost like he's buying time as the car is passing. He does a look over his right shoulder directly at that car to note that the car had passed. As the car passes he then

opens the trunk and then he will grab the bag that he is pushing this in. Objection. Attorneys for Zacco argue that the cameras don't show everything. Speculation is not enough and evidence does not directly link Zacco to Dwyer's death. Chris Zacco's ex-girlfriend Megan P is blurred so she cannot be identified.

He told me that he was at home working that night, so I wasn't planning on seeing him. She claims that was Zacco's reasoning as to why he couldn't see her on the night of Thursday, October 10, 2013. Prosecutors believe instead he met up with Kelly Dwyer to do drugs, go to a bar, then back to his apartment, where he's accused of strangling and suffocating her during the early morning hours.

Megan P claims they had a date planned that Friday night, to which he showed up several hours late with no warning. He had mentioned that he was bringing sporting equipment up to his mother's house. Megan P says not only was she frustrated by his late appearance, she was taken aback by his behavior. I remember while I was making dinner, he was kind of futzing with his phone, so...

I assumed that he was changing out the SIM card. Prosecutors accused Zacco of hiding Dwyer's body in a golf travel bag and dumping it in rural Jefferson County. I woke up to head to the gym in the morning. He had been

very sweaty, actually to the point that he sweat through the sheets that night. And so I asked him if he was feeling okay because I ended up having to change the bed sheets. When Detective Vincent Fonte performed a search warrant at Zacco's apartment, he said the place was spotless. The full bathroom had a strong odor of bleach.

as it had been recently cleaned. - Yeah, during search warrants on Crisaco's apartment, police took lots of stuff and now it'll be up to a jury to decide if any of it is evidence of a crime.

The pictures from items discovered in Chris Zacco's apartment after Kelly Dwyer went missing in October of 2013. Cleaning supplies, items that a cadaver dog led them to. Ultimately, no DNA was found. Detectives went to Zacco's East Milwaukee apartment because video outside and inside his building showed this video of the couple entering the morning of October 11, 2013. Dwyer was never seen alive again.

police looked for clues. The search for items of neckties, scarves, ligatures or any other items that could be used to bind the arms and legs of a human being. Police took 109 pieces of evidence from Zocco's apartment. Neckties, hard drives, cameras, rope,

and a set of metal handcuffs. Chris Zacco is not only charged with reckless homicide in the death of Kelly Dwyer, but also strangulation and suffocation. After his arrest, Zacco bailed out of jail and went to his ex-girlfriend's condo. A friend was there and spoke to Zacco about the crime. He said a group of us went together and then he just added like, what, you think I carried her out of my apartment? Like that would have been like an impossible feat.

And the defense was questioning a detective for quite some time who looked at all the video surveillance, suggesting that perhaps he didn't look at enough of it to actually find Kelly Dwyer leaving on her own when she went missing. Did you discover anything on that date? I guess I knew. That day was May 1st, 2015. Christopher Fontaine spotted a bone near a dead-end road in rural Jefferson County. Looking closer, he noticed a human skull. It wasn't making sense.

making sense of this number we're looking at. - Jurors today viewed pictures of Kelly Dwyer's remains as seen by the medical examiner. They're too graphic to show on TV. Prosecutors think Zacco transported Dwyer in a golf bag. The medical examiner testified about the state of her body when it was discovered. - I noted that her right arm was

uh underneath her torso but her left arm was bent backwards and resting on her back and it was stuck there although during questioning from zacco's lawyer she acknowledged she ruled the manner of death undetermined not a homicide or an accident for you to make an undetermined determination uh

for manner of death as you did in this case. I believe that your standards require you to say that you have less than 50% certainty regarding another cause of manner of death. Is that correct? Yes.

Some of the photos shown in court today were so graphic that Dwyer's mother had to leave the courtroom. The media is ordered not to identify a woman called just Miss C. The woman says she met Chris Zacco in 2011 through Craigslist for a bondage type of sexual relationship. When I got to a point where I needed to breathe,

I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TAKING A BREATH. I WAS TAKING

I was using every ounce of my own strength to get away so that I could breathe. - Testimony revealed that Zacco and Dwyer had a similar type of relationship. A theory of what Chris Zacco did the day after Kelly Dwyer went missing. Charge card statements show Chris Zacco bought cheese at a Dane County store and shoes in Delafield.

A detective testified Zacco had enough time to stop in Sullivan, where Dwyer's remains were eventually discovered. Was it your opinion that it was possible and that there was actually sufficient time for the defendant to have potentially deposited the remains of Kelly Dwyer after leaving the Mouse House but before purchasing the shoes? Yes, it would be possible.

And the woman referred to as Miss C told jurors she decided to end the relationship with Zacco in 2012 after Zacco, she said, raped her. During the trial, the prosecutor was relentless in conveying to the jury that all of the circumstantial evidence pointed to one conclusion. Kelly's death occurred during a choking-related sexual act, and Chris concealed her remains.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They painted a very vivid picture of a cover-up and what they thought happened. According to the prosecution's scenario, Chris, in a panic after the incident, washed Kelly's body in a spare bathroom, then enclosed it in his shower curtain and packed it into that sizable travel golf bag.

Then, before 7:20 a.m., he wheeled to his parking space and put the golf bag in the trunk of his Audi, all while an SUV driving by conveniently obscured the garage's security camera. The following day, he went on that supposed shopping excursion near Madison, seizing the opportunity to dispose of the body in a secluded spot off that dead-end road in Sullivan.

The detective accused both the prosecution and investigators of being single-mindedly focused on Chris. They acknowledged that he and Kelly had engaged in cocaine use and sexual activities that night, but firmly maintained that she departed on her own the next morning. A significant point in the prosecution's case was that there was no visual proof of Kelly ever leaving the apartment.

The defense countered this by alleging that not all cameras were examined and that Kelly was familiar with the building and could have left through a different exit that investigators never found. In closing arguments, the prosecution played audio of a video that Chris made about three weeks before Kelly disappeared. The audio was from her gasping during extreme oral sex while bound.

The prosecution also brought up the still photos also from Chris's phone from the same date where Kelly was unconscious, saying that she was lucky to wake up from that and that on October 11th, 2013, Kelly Dwyer's luck ran out.

After the trial, Chris was convicted of the 2013 murder of Kelly and of hiding her body in rural Jefferson County. The jury didn't need long to deliberate and came back with their verdict, finding Chris guilty of first-degree reckless homicide, concealing a corpse, and strangulation. At his sentencing a few months later, Kelly's father spoke. Kelly was not the only woman victimized by this evil man.

Other female victims have come forward to speak out against him. He is a serial sexual predator as well as a killer. The actions of this devil have shattered so many lives. Our family, the Milwaukee community will never be the same. Our hearts are broken to the core. Our relationships with one another have been pushed to the very limits of endurance in our family and our friends.

The past five years of suffering have been overwhelming, and this demon has destroyed us in ways that we haven't fully realized yet. He must suffer as we are suffering, but he sits there remorseless, continuing to scheme his way out of the fate that he richly deserves. Judge, I ask that you sentence this monster to the maximum time allowed by law.

for each of the charges against him, not only for Kelly's sake, but in the name of all the women he has victimized in the community and will continue if allowed. Thank you. Thank you. Chris was given a 31-year sentence to be served after the 19-year sentence he was previously in custody for.

Chris's conviction may have closed a legal chapter, but it didn't close the book on the pain and the puzzlement that many feel about what happened to Kelly. We saw glimpses of her final hours on surveillance footage, yet those images only deepened the mystery. How did a casual evening turn into something so tragic? How could a person like Chris, who seemed to be ordinary, be responsible for something so horrifying?

It's another situation where if something accidentally happened, why on earth wouldn't you call the police? Luckily, investigators worked tirelessly to piece together the puzzle in this case, and their determination led to justice for Kelly's family five years later. But even now, this case leaves us with many unsettling questions about trust, safety, and the hidden sides of people that we might think we know.

Kelly's story isn't just a senseless tragedy, but a reflection of the complex and sometimes scary world that we live in. It's a reminder to stay vigilant, to question, and to never take anything or anyone at face value. What do you think of Chris's double life? How did it go under the radar of his girlfriend Megan, who he was with for over four years?

How did she not know? And that's not to shame her in any way, but I'm just curious. After being with somebody for four years and you see things missing in the apartment, what are the excuses that they have for why those items are missing? How do you not know what's on the hard drive? How do you not know that he's dating other people and bringing women to the apartment? And again, I want to be clear. I'm not trying to shame her in any way. I'm just curious as to how he got away with all of this for so long, how he was able to successfully live this double life.

Have you ever been conned like that? Has there ever been a situation in which you thought you knew someone and they turned out to be a completely different person? If so, I definitely want to hear from you. So please either email your story over if you're comfortable sharing it or leave it in the comment section over on YouTube. But I always get fascinated by these cases of what I call con men, even though it's not like a con that he pulled, but it is living a double life and it is a con to an extent.

So if you're comfortable sharing a con that happened to you or somebody close to you, let me know. Shoot me over an email at tentolifeinfo at gmail.com.

Alright guys, thanks for tuning in with this case. I'm curious to know your thoughts, so make sure to leave your feedback. Please also take a quick second, rate this podcast on whatever podcast app you are listening to it on, and take an extra 15 seconds to leave a review letting me know your thoughts on this case and your thoughts on what you like about the podcast, what type of cases you want me to cover in the future, do you want me to focus on cults, cons,

write any true crime cases let me know what it is you like and what you want to hear more about and what fascinates you so that I can know how to refine the podcast and of course deliver the content that you guys like so please leave a quick review with that information and a rating if you would be so so kind

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All of those discount codes are in the show notes, hooking you up, snag the offers while they're there. You know I'm obsessed with all of them. So go check it out. All right, guys, I will be talking to you guys again very soon. I will for sure see you this Thursday with headline highlights and maybe even a bonus episode between now and then. But you'll never know unless you follow the podcast and get notified of it. All right, guys, thanks again for tuning in. And I will talk with you again very soon. It is time for me to sign off. Have a good rest of your day. All right, bye.

The person she had been seeing was also in the news for things that were very bizarre. But no bipolar schizophrenia.

I suppose that's all open to interpretation by somebody. Yeah, you're right. Kelly Dwyer was last seen on Milwaukee's Eastside 19 months ago. He met up with Kelly Dwyer to do drugs, go to a bar, then back to his apartment. The remains were located approximately 20 feet off of the road along a tree line. Speak or read any other language? Finding a gas station or a bibliotheca. They think I carried this girl out of my apartment. She's as big as me. Yeah.

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