WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.600 This episode may contain content of a graphic nature, including 2 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:08.560 descriptions of physical and sexual violence against adults, children, and animals. 3 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:10.519 Listener discretion is advised. 4 00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:16.199 Hi everyone, I'm Tanya and I'm Tleah and we are 5 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:33.119 Crimes and Consequences, a true crime podcast. Hey Shannon, Hey Tanya. 6 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:33.719 How are you? 7 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:36.240 I am doing great? How are you? 8 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:40.479 I am doing pretty good myself. Just working on my list? 9 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.719 All right, your list, my list of I guess you 10 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.320 could say it's a bucket list. Very nice. I'd like 11 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:53.439 to accomplish. And I've just added becoming a pro billiards 12 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:59.119 player and a professional darks woman. I'd like to ace. 13 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.920 I would like Yeah, I like to rule the bar scene. 14 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:04.640 Oh and yeah billiards and darts. 15 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:06.239 Yeah, both the last ones. 16 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:07.120 Perfect. 17 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:08.280 What about you? 18 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:13.079 What are you working on? What self improvements are you 19 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:14.239 working on? Oh? 20 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:18.599 Girl, I'm just trying to get through the day. I mean, seriously, you. 21 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:23.239 Know with this that the time change makes it a 22 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:24.319 long week. 23 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:25.480 Yeah. 24 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:27.439 I wake up and I'm like, I can't believe it's 25 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:31.319 only seven forty eight. I feel like and in the morning, 26 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:33.519 I'm like, I don't know what to do. Do I 27 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:37.319 go back to bed or or doom scroll. 28 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:41.400 So what do you not for us today? 29 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:49.319 I have today story about missus Ezra mccandleist and her victim, 30 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:51.319 Alexander Sydney. 31 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:54.359 All right, is this a love triangle? 32 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:59.000 Yes, So we're wherever you're listening right now. You hit 33 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:03.640 subscribe and you can follow us from here to eternity, 34 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:06.840 and we're here for you. We'd love to have your 35 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:08.360 further ride, isn't that right? 36 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:09.719 That's right. 37 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:11.879 You'll get notifications if you follow. 38 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:15.479 Us, that's right. And we're working on our new logo 39 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:20.199 that's coming along just so beautifully and some new swag 40 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:23.439 is very exciting and for sure, for sure. 41 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:23.800 We love you. 42 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:29.000 So well, let me get you started on this story, right. 43 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:30.840 I'm going to give you a little bit of background 44 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:36.960 on Alexander Lehman Sidney Alex Woodworth twenty four years old. 45 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.000 He was born on January first, nineteen ninety four in 46 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.479 Saint Path Paul's, Wisconsin, so he's a Capricorn. And then 47 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:50.360 I also did look up his zodiac Chinese signed browster. 48 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.240 It's a little sketchy around our New Years because their 49 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.479 New Year's sometimes is in February, so in the Year 50 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:04.319 of the Rooster. Now Alex's parents where John and Kimberley 51 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:09.159 Woodworth family lived in o Claire, Wisconsin, and Alex was 52 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:13.120 the oldest of four siblings, and he really enjoyed being 53 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:17.919 the big brother and his extracurricular hobbies and activities. He 54 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.479 loved reading, being at the coffee shop, and just helping 55 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:25.080 people in general. Alex cherished the time he spent with 56 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:27.919 his family and friends. So pretty cool guy, you know. 57 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:28.759 Yeah. 58 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:35.639 Alex attended Ociola Ociola High School and he graduated in 59 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.840 twenty twelve, and then he went on to the University 60 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:43.120 of Wisconsin o'clare where he received his bachelor's degree in 61 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:49.120 philosophy and biology in the spring of twenty seventeen. So 62 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:54.159 that would be before the pandemic. That's the time line 63 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:54.840 of things. 64 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:58.199 Yes, in post. 65 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:03.960 Panties and posts, this is three. He attended and graduated 66 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:07.840 the University of Oregon with intentions of graduating with his 67 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:12.120 master's degree in philosophy. Now we're going to meet Ezra. 68 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:17.360 Ezra Jane McCanless twenty. She was born October sixth, nineteen 69 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.600 ninety seven, in Stanley, Wisconsin, and she was born Monica 70 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:26.480 Kay to a mother. Her mom was only fourteen when 71 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:32.160 she had Ezra. Her name is Rosalina Gunlson. Ezra's biological 72 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.920 father was not part of her life. She was later 73 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:42.439 Monica Carlin after her mother's partner, Jesshane Carlin, adopted her 74 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.279 when she was four years old, and her mom and 75 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:49.800 her stepfather divorced when she was twelve, but she continued 76 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:54.040 to have a close relationship with her adoptive father, Jashane. 77 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:58.199 So Ezra later explained that she gave herself a new 78 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:01.519 name at the age of eighteen because she felt Ezra 79 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.319 was a better fit for her than Monica, and she 80 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:08.600 picked the last name McCandless in honor of the free 81 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:13.199 spirit Chris McCanless, whose life was memorialized in the book 82 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:18.839 and film called Into the Wild and Ezra. She lived 83 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:24.279 in Stanley, Wisconsin, and during high school, Ezra she decided 84 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.279 to try out different names and pronouns, you know, finding herself. 85 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:31.120 She dropped out of college and moved to Eau Claire 86 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.040 from Stanley, and she worked at the Stanley Boyd Area 87 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:40.279 School District. Now, Ezra was in a love triangle, well 88 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:43.639 sexually involved with two other men at the same time. 89 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.000 One man his name is John Hanson and the other 90 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:52.959 Jason Mangle. Ezra was very much more attracted to Jason Mongole. 91 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.439 They were on again, off again, and she'd wanted always 92 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:59.839 to go back. Ezra met Alex at a coffee shop 93 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:03.920 he worked as a barista, called Racy Delane's Coffee Lounge. 94 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:07.800 Ezra was in a relationship with Jason Mengel at the time, 95 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.759 and they all three became friends. Jason was a National 96 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:16.600 Guard medic and he told CBS News that Ezra was 97 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:20.839 going through an emotional time emotional things, and that Alex 98 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.560 was a really good friend, and he said, I kind 99 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:26.319 of pushed them together at one time because I knew 100 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:30.160 they both had similar viewpoints. He had some things in 101 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.079 his life that I figured she could help with, and 102 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.920 I thought he could help her with things in her life. 103 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:40.839 So Jason soon discovered that Ezra and Alex had developed 104 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:45.879 a romantic relationship. Ezra then ended her relationships with both 105 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.120 Alex and Jason, but then later attempted to rekindle her 106 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.800 relationship with Jason. So that's what it seems like. You know, 107 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.240 it's I'm with you, I'm not with you. I'm with 108 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.480 but I don't It doesn't sound like other people know 109 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:05.240 that they're only she does, right, you know. So in 110 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.680 mid February, when Jason was gone on two weeks of 111 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:12.399 National Guard duty, Ezra she moved back to her mom's 112 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:16.040 house in Stanley, and when Jason came back, he would 113 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.000 meet up with her at hotels. And during one of 114 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:23.800 the hotel stays, Jason read messages on Ezra's phone and 115 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:28.279 he found out about her relationship with Alex and John Hanson. 116 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:29.800 We got to lock up that. 117 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:35.839 Vulgar oh boy, right who? Now she accused them of 118 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.600 sexual assault of John Hanson of sexual assault. So now 119 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:43.040 Jason he goes out, he confronts both men and where 120 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:46.480 the three men had a public argument at a coffee shop. 121 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:51.480 So Ezra's telling Jason one thing. Everybody's getting different stories 122 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:56.000 from Ezra. Now. Ezra blamed Alex for ending her relationship 123 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:01.199 with Jason. On February twenty fourth, twenty eighteen, Ezra sent 124 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:04.439 Alex attacks that told him not to ever talk to 125 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.560 her again. Ezra then sent Jason journals in which she 126 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:12.680 expressed how such she was for betraying him. Can you 127 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:17.360 imagine that, Tanya you like getting back? Let me show 128 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:20.160 you my journal entries on how tore up I was 129 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.560 for betraying you. So this is proof you got to 130 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:25.360 take me back. 131 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:28.920 You got to take me back because I really was upset. 132 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:35.080 Read it. These are my journals cheering. This is authentic. 133 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:40.000 So Ezra had moved from eu Claire to Stanley, but 134 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:43.480 had showed up in Eclaire to surprise Jason. She met 135 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:45.840 him at the coffee shop where he worked, and then 136 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:48.559 she told him she wanted to show Alex some of 137 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:53.799 her writings. Jason and Ezra had messaged each other six 138 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:58.000 hundred times the night before she came into town, and 139 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:02.679 Jason claimed that as had been emotionally down, and she 140 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:05.840 told him that that day that she planned to take 141 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.840 her life back and she was going to be Ezra again. Well, 142 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:16.000 Jason became suspicious and he tracked down Ezra to Alex's house, 143 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:20.039 where he confronted them both about the nature of their relationship. 144 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.919 Then the three went their separate ways, and I'll tell 145 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:27.039 you but Ezra shows up to the Simple House three 146 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:31.720 hours later from this meeting. Now, Ezra allegedly planned to 147 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:34.679 speak with Alex to have him admit that their affair 148 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:37.799 was a mistake, which would help her get Jason back. 149 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:42.480 A police officer arrives to Alex's house after a passerby 150 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:46.799 called police to report that Jason was standing outside pacing 151 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:51.200 looking very suspicious. For about forty five minutes, one officer 152 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.600 spoke with Alex, and another spoke with Jason, and another 153 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:57.879 spoke with Ezra, who was waiting in the front seat 154 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:01.080 of her car. Jason I told the officer that he 155 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:04.159 was concerned about Ezra because if she gave me a 156 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.440 vibe today, man, I don't know. It doesn't feel right. 157 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:12.200 Something feels wrong. The bobser concluded that everything seems normal 158 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.840 and then they leave. Now, Ezra, she found out she 159 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:20.879 was pregnant and early fall of twenty seventeen, with Jason's child, 160 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:24.440 she drove to Minneapolis to have an abortion, and not 161 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:29.879 long after the abortion, Ezra began her secret relationship with Alex. 162 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:35.519 And Ezra's previous relationship had deteriorated after she decided to 163 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:40.240 terminate her pregnancy, and she claimed that she was young, confused, 164 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:44.399 and felt rushed into the abortion. She said the decision 165 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:49.080 left her empty and hurt emotionally and physically, and she 166 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:52.600 claimed that she ended the relationship with Jason and the 167 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.440 relationship with Alex was just within a few weeks of 168 00:10:56.519 --> 00:11:02.159 that breakup. Okay, so now it's March twenty second, twenty eighteen, 169 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:06.559 and around four fifteen pm on that day, the dun 170 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:11.000 County Sheriff Office received a call from Don Sipple that 171 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:13.840 a young woman had arrived on foot at his house 172 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:17.759 in the east seventy six hundred block of fortieth Avenue 173 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.679 in the town of Springbrook. Sypple reported that the woman 174 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:25.840 was bloody, barefoot, and muddy. A deputy responded with the 175 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:29.799 Wisconsin State trooper and the woman was later identified as 176 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:34.159 Ezra McCanless now. The deputy found Ezra's hair to be 177 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:38.039 disheveled and noted blood around her mouth, on her knuckles, 178 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:42.080 her left arm, and upper right thigh visible through a 179 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:45.320 hole in her pants. She appeared to be very upset 180 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:49.039 and crying, but the deputy said he didn't see any 181 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:53.639 visible tears. Little asterisk. Ezra was not able to provide 182 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:56.879 her name or address when asked by the trooper. She 183 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.399 did give the name of Jason Mangle of Oak Cleay Is, 184 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:03.960 someone to contact on her behalf. Ezra was taken by 185 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:08.080 ambulance to the mail clinic in Eau Claire, which was 186 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:11.799 followed by a dun County deputy, and at the hospital, 187 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.720 the deputy could see the word boy cut into Ezra's 188 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:20.720 left arm. Ezra claimed that Alex attacked her and after 189 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:24.240 the attack she carved the word boy onto her arm. 190 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:28.360 That this is going to flip flop back and forth 191 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:32.399 this story. While at the hospital, the deputy also learned 192 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:35.159 that Ezra had changed her name from Monica Carlin in 193 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:40.720 twenty fifteen. Ezra initially claimed that Alex attacked her in 194 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:45.720 retaliation after she stopped identifying as a man, which was 195 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:50.759 an identity that she said Alex preferred. Ezra claimed this 196 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.080 is what prompted Alex to carve the word boy in 197 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:57.360 her arm, but then later confessed to marking herself. 198 00:12:57.559 --> 00:13:03.080 Okay, so she so, Ezra identified as a man at 199 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.320 one point and Alex really liked that, and now that 200 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.399 she identifies as a girl, he carved the word boy 201 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:09.919 in her. 202 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:12.080 Arm in a spiteful way. 203 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:14.799 Yes, okay, okay, after the. 204 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:17.240 Attack, Yes, on her left arm. 205 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:18.000 Okay. 206 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.960 Now. She said that in high school she had often 207 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:27.519 questioned her gender. Ezra told detectives that Alex had picked 208 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:30.240 up on that and he used to call me like 209 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:33.919 boy a lot and just say stuff like that. But 210 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:37.519 I don't really identify that way anymore. That's what. Yeah, 211 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:40.799 her thing is that he would call her a boy 212 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:46.039 or however she identified as in changing. That was very upsetting. 213 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:49.240 So what happened. 214 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:53.000 The doctor who examined Ezra on March twenty second noted 215 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:56.240 that the angle of the wounds indicated that they could 216 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:59.440 be self inflicted, and the letters carved in her left 217 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:04.159 arm were orientated for her to look at. Ezra. I 218 00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:06.360 was like, oh, I'm also a right hander. 219 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:10.320 You're a lustee, yes, you know, so harving up my 220 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:11.840 right arm, yeah. 221 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:15.759 In a way that you could see. Yeah, Like now 222 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.159 see that gives me a new perspective. I'm like, Wow, 223 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:20.840 if I really wanted to sell it, you got to 224 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:24.879 do backwards, yeah, or backwards or. 225 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:27.159 Just yeah in the mirror something. 226 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:32.480 I think that's diabolically clever to have that much planning. 227 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.519 But she did it. She had it, Yes, she had 228 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:36.639 it to where you could easily see it for her. 229 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:40.679 So Ezra admitted to the hospital staff that she had 230 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.919 self harm in the past. Then, while being treated at 231 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:48.480 the hospital, Ezra was interviewed by detectives. Investigators at the 232 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.879 scene realized that Alex was missing and contacted his family. 233 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.200 Oh well yeah. 234 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:58.679 The dun County deputy reached out to the Eau Claire 235 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:02.639 Police Department for help finding Jason Mengele, and an officer 236 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.039 said earlier that day, around twelve thirty pm, police made 237 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:11.559 contact with Ezra, Jason, and Alex remember in the driveway 238 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.480 of Alex's home. So, when asked what happened that day, 239 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.240 Ezra admitted that she was at Alex's house and left 240 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:21.639 to go to Owen Park in the city, where she 241 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:25.600 claimed that Alex allegedly attacked her and cut boy into 242 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.879 her arm. Now, in an interview review of cameras in 243 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.840 the area, the officer could find no evidence of Ezra's 244 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.879 car coming or going from the park, noting that the 245 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:39.679 alleged assault took place near a busy intersection with lots 246 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:45.240 of vehicles in pedestrian traffic. So at this point an 247 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:49.559 investigator took over the investigation and observed that a significant 248 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.840 amount of time had taken place between the time Ezra 249 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.960 was found at the Sivil residence and the last time 250 00:15:57.480 --> 00:16:03.039 she was seen with Alex. For his safety, an unsuccessful 251 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:06.679 search for Alex was initiated by the city and the 252 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:10.799 County of Eau Claire. On March twenty third, twenty eighteen, 253 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:15.320 around three pm, the investigators went to Sipples home to 254 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.279 interview on a second time, and as they drove up, 255 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:21.120 they noticed a mud covered road leading off to the 256 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:25.279 south of four hundred and thirtieth Avenue, about a forty 257 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:28.360 acre parcel east of the Sipple home. One of the 258 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:32.240 investigators returned to the dirt road and found a single 259 00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:35.799 set of bare footprints in the mud that lacked the 260 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:39.559 ridge detail found in a shoe pattern. He also observed 261 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.159 tire tracks leading up to the muddy road. Now walking 262 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.240 up the side of the road, the detectives located a 263 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:49.799 two thousand and three Chevy and pala with license plate 264 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:53.399 that later confirmed it as Ezra's car. The car also 265 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.759 had multiple colorful drawings on the exterior. The driver's side 266 00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:01.799 rear door was standing open and clothing could be seen 267 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.240 lying on the ground outside, so the detectives could see 268 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:09.759 that what appeared to be the head and upper body 269 00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:13.799 of a person lying partly outside the door. With blood 270 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.920 around the car and no signs of life, it was 271 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.559 clear the person was deceased. Once they confirmed that there 272 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:24.400 were no other victims in the scene, the detectives backed 273 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.799 out of the area to preserve the crime scene, and 274 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.960 they called the dun County Sheriff's office to complete the investigation, 275 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:34.880 and the body was identified as Alex Woodworth and he 276 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:39.440 was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office the 277 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:45.039 following day, March twenty fourth, for his autopsy examination. According 278 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.680 to the autopsy report, the cause of death was multiple 279 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:53.480 sharp force injuries sixteen total and the manner of death 280 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:57.480 was homicide and a scarf was found around Alex's neck 281 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:01.519 in a parent attempt to stop his bleeding. H Now, 282 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:06.839 March twenty fourth, Ezra McCanless was interviewed by investigators and 283 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:10.240 she told them she drove to Alex's house to return 284 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:13.200 some things to him, and she said they wanted to 285 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:15.680 talk with each other and decided to go to a 286 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:19.480 public place. Initially, she was in the driver's seat with 287 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:23.519 Alex in the passenger seat, and then Ezra became anxious 288 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:28.039 and had Alex drive instead. So Ezra claimed that they 289 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.039 ended up on a dirt road on that four hundred 290 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:35.279 and thirtieth Avenue in Springbrook in dun County, where they 291 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:38.519 got stuck in the mud and she alleged that Alex 292 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:42.000 attacked her in the vehicle and carved the word boy 293 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:45.599 in her arm. Ezra claimed that she had betrayed Alex 294 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.200 and he attempted to rape her with a knife in 295 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.799 the back seat of the car. She said he cut 296 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.839 her clothes off with the knife, but Ezra them meet 297 00:18:54.920 --> 00:18:58.440 him in the groin and then grabbing the blade side 298 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:00.720 of the knife. She said she was able to take 299 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:05.079 the blade from Alex and admitted to stabbing him anywhere 300 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:09.160 and everywhere now. The knife involved in the incident had 301 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.359 been in the trunk of Ezra's car. Ezra had been 302 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:15.480 working for her father's tree service, and the knife was 303 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.160 constantly being put in and taken out of the vehicle. 304 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:23.000 Ezra later testified that her father said the knife could 305 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.400 be used to break glass or to cut a seatbelt. 306 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.440 She also stated that her father also thought she should 307 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:33.519 be prepared for anything if she encountered a situation where 308 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:36.359 she was in danger and she needed to do anything 309 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:37.039 to get away. 310 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.000 So it was why she got this knife in her car. 311 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:44.640 It's always on the ready, exactly. So. Ezra believed that 312 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:49.559 she stabbed Alex in the Genitalia area bya's leigh. The stomach, 313 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.880 neck back by the ribs inside of his head. She 314 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.599 did not respond when asked how the word boy got 315 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.960 put onto her arm, but latermitted she put it there 316 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.480 after she stabbed Alex. So, if you're gonna change. 317 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:06.960 Her story again, if you're gonna. 318 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:09.319 Use you know, you're going to plant some evidence that 319 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:14.799 has gotta be a solid ass story, right, never changes, ever, 320 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:18.519 not ever. And then it feels, yeah, it is so 321 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:21.000 waterproof air for air tights. 322 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:22.440 She's all over the place. 323 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:26.759 Yeah, I did it. He did it. Now she's arrested. 324 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:31.839 Ezra McCanless was suspected in Alex's death and was in 325 00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:34.559 custody at the dun County Jail scheduled to attend a 326 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:38.759 bond hearing on March twenty eighth of twenty eighteen on 327 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:43.240 the charge of first degree intentional homicide, and according to 328 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:47.880 dun County District Attorney Andrea Nadell, Ezra McCandless confessed to 329 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:52.359 killing Alex after being interviewed by investigators from dun County 330 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.759 and the Eau Claire Police Department, and a cash bond 331 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:58.599 of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was set for 332 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:03.440 Ezra in Dune County attorney Nodall asked that a bond 333 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:06.960 of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars be set, in 334 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:10.880 amount that Ezra's attorney called ridiculous in light of what 335 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.799 he called a lack of evidence and the fact that 336 00:21:13.880 --> 00:21:18.160 Ezra had no prior record. Ezra's defense attorney asked that 337 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:22.240 she be released on co signature bond with her mother now. 338 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.480 Judge Smeltzer noticed that there had been an extensive investigation 339 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:30.359 and found probable cause that Ezra had committed the crime, 340 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:33.079 and he set the bond to two hundred and fifty 341 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:37.759 thousand dollars, with the condition that she neither leave Done 342 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:42.640 County or Chippewa County. So the preliminary hearing that's going 343 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:47.200 to be on Wednesday, the twenty fifth, the Dunn County 344 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:52.279 Judge James Peterson found probable cause that Ezra committed first 345 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:56.720 degree intentional homicide using a dangerous weapon and bound her 346 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:01.359 over for trial. He stated that based on Ezra's mental 347 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:04.960 state and statements that she made during her initial court 348 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:08.720 appearance on the sixth April sixth, he had questions about 349 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.880 whether she was competent to stand for trial, and he 350 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:17.160 ordered that she undergo a competency evaluation now May twenty second, 351 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:22.440 twenty eighteen the competency hearing. A status conference was held 352 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:26.039 on that day, where Judge Peterson announced that, according to 353 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.640 the evaluation report from the clinical psychologists and a consultant 354 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:34.559 with the Wisconsin Forensic Unit, Ezra was mentally fit to 355 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:38.400 stand trial on charges of first degree intentional homicide and 356 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.319 use of a deadly weapon. In a letter to the 357 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:46.039 Judge James Peterson, Ezra's defense attorney stated that she wanted 358 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.799 to change her plea from not guilty to not guilty 359 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:53.759 by reason of mental disease or defect. This change in 360 00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:57.480 plea occurred even after Ezra had already passed all of 361 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:03.000 her mental evaluations. So the hearing, Yeah, it's like, wow, 362 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.519 didn't you guys get this paperwork? Hi? 363 00:23:05.960 --> 00:23:08.400 You got the connectioncy evaluation? 364 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:13.960 I doubt I would a judge look at that. You think, well, 365 00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.519 you're the judge and you're. 366 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.319 Like, what is this flying? 367 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:22.119 Soay right, and the prosecutor is going to bring that 368 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:27.759 exam into the trial. So what the jury's going to say? 369 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.640 Thank you? Yeah? Now, December third, that's the hearing. And 370 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:37.319 during the court hearing, Judge Peterson denied motions to suppress 371 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:42.279 audio recordings of Ezra's interview with authorities, determining that her 372 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:46.079 March twenty third interview with detectives was voluntary and not 373 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:50.880 an interrogation. The March twenty fourth interview with investigators was 374 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:54.440 deemed to be an interrogation, but Ezra was able to 375 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:57.920 leave it anytime. So now Ezra's trial was set to 376 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:04.079 begin April second, Toy nineteen. She withdrew her plea of 377 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:07.599 not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. On 378 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:12.839 February sixth, in a court hearing, Ezra's defense attorney stated 379 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:16.400 that he expects her to testify at her trial. In April. 380 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:19.640 Ezra told multiple people that she was assaulted by two 381 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:23.920 people as a child, by a man in twenty seventeen 382 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:28.160 and by another man in twenty eighteen, just one month 383 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:33.680 before Alex was stabbed. Now supposedly, Ezra told Jason that 384 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:38.240 one of his friends raped her in twenty seventeen. Jason 385 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:41.519 went to the Oak Claire Police Department, who investigated the 386 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:45.039 claim but did not charge the man. The Oak Claire 387 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:50.119 Police Department investigated the twenty eighteen assault allegation against one 388 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:53.680 of the men The man's lawyer said that if called 389 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:56.519 as a witness in the trial, the man will invoke 390 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:59.920 his right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. 391 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:03.680 The report filed against this man was false and was 392 00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:07.640 an attempt to cover up a consensual sexual relationship with 393 00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:12.000 a different man. Wow, sounds familiar. That's her game. 394 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:14.359 Yeah right, you know she's got. 395 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:16.680 One of them as the fall guy. Someone's going to 396 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.440 be the fall guy. 397 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.079 Yeah. 398 00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:22.640 So the sexually graphic text messages between Ezra and the 399 00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:27.160 man accused of the assault proved that the encounter was consensual. 400 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:32.000 The prosecutors alleged that Ezra was sexually involved with three 401 00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:36.400