295. The Murder of Andreen McDonald

When mother and CEO Andreen McDonald suddenly vanishes, investigators uncover secrets inside her home that point to a chilling truth. The closer they look, the darker her “perfect” life becomes. Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderwithmyhusband NEW HOLIDAY MERCH LINK: https://mwmhshop.com Discount Codes: https://mailchi.mp/c6f48670aeac/oh-no-media-discount-codes Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/themwmh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murderwithmyhusband/ Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@murderwithmyhusband Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/into-the-dark/id1662304327 Listen on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36SDVKB2MEWpFGVs9kRgQ7?si=f5224c9fd99542a7 Sources:CourtListener.com - https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10041084/andre-sean-mcdonald-v-the-state-of-texas/ News4SanAntonio.com - https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/husband-arrested-in-connection-to-remains-found-search-area-for-missing-andreen-mcdonald Kens5.com - https://www.kens5.com/article/news/volunteers-continue-search-for-andreen-mcdonald/273-dcfa9ede-c861-4528-9152-5d046d5a962c KVOA.com - https://www.kvoa.com/news/national/investigators-say-charred-skeletal-remains-found-last-week-are-those-of-andreen-mcdonald-missing-since/article_7dbe9d81-31b8-5d6f-aa53-988a989a844d.html CBSNews.com - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andreen-mcdonald-san-antonio-andre-mcdonald-convicted-manslaughter-48-hours/ Wikipedia.com - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Andreen_McDonald KSAT.com - https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/03/08/family-of-andreen-mcdonald-awarded-210-million-wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-andre-mcdonald/ AETV.com - https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/murder-andreen-mcdonald TheCinemaholic.com - https://thecinemaholic.com/andreen-mcdonald-murder/ Yahoo.com - https://www.yahoo.com/news/key-evidence-disappearance-death-andreen-035800058.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Payton Moreland?

  You're listening to an Ono Media Podcast. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

• 0:06Garrett Moreland?

  And I'm Garrett Moreland.

• 0:07Payton Moreland?

  And he's the husband.

• 0:08Garrett Moreland?

  And I'm the husband.

• 0:09Payton Moreland?

  All right, you guys, I have some exciting news. Our holiday merch is available right now. I know it seems a little early, but we wanted it to be available so that you could get it and then wear it all of December. So go check it out. Also, good news is we have restocked the Murder with My Husband coloring books. I have received a ton of messages asking when those will be restocked and they're restocked right now. So go check it out.

• 0:35Garrett Moreland?

  I don't really have much for my 10 seconds this week. Honestly, just been watching a lot of hockey for those who like hockey out there. Football, I don't know, that's about it. Watching sports, working. I'll update you guys on some bagel stuff coming soon. We have some pretty cool updates. That's all I got. Nothing too crazy this week again. I'm sorry. Peyton's actually recording earlier than we normally do because Peyton is taking off to see her sister. She has to go out there last second for something. Yeah, that's about all I can say. Lots of secrets going on right now. On that note, let's hop into today's case.

• 1:15Payton Moreland?

  Our sources for this episode are courtlistener.com, newsforsanantonio.com, kens5.com, kvoa.com, CBS News, ksat.com, aetv.com, thecinemaholic.com, and Yahoo. Now, obviously, as you guys know, Garrett and I work together every single day. It is amazing that we get to do this together, but don't get me wrong, there are certainly times where it can be challenging and just like any job has its ups and downs, especially when you don't really have those boundaries between work, life, and home life.

• 1:50Payton Moreland?

  If something goes wrong during the workday, it's kind of hard not to take that home with you because you're already in your home. Not to let it trickle down. You're just so intertwined when you do the same thing with each other every day. Which is why we have that age old saying, "Don't mix business with pleasure." Now luckily, Garrett and I have found a dynamic that works for us. It's actually never been too difficult for us, despite the fact that I feel like this situation would typically be difficult. I think working with your significant other takes one of two paths. Either it makes you and your relationship stronger, or it can completely tear you apart,

• 2:32Payton Moreland?

  causing irreparable damage, leading some people to make choices that they never thought were possible. Today, we are headed down to San Antonio, Texas, to meet a 29-year-old mother and successful businesswoman named Andreen McDonald. Andreen was actually born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, back in 1989. Now, growing up in Jamaica, Andreen and her family honestly didn't have much, which was why she kept her head down, focused hard on school. She was an excellent student growing up. Andreen knew she wanted to pursue a better life for her family, and she was really working hard to achieve that goal.

• 3:18Payton Moreland?

  After graduating from high school, Andreen went to a community college in Jamaica to study business and marketing, but her real dream was to transfer to a college in America and start her own successful business there one day. And then, around May of 2009, Andreen met someone, a 29-year-old US Air Force captain who had returned home to Port Antonio, Jamaica, for a funeral.

• 3:50Payton Moreland?

  His name was Andre McDonald. Okay, now, obviously, because of the last names, we know that Andre and Andreen meet in Jamaica. And actually, just a few months after meeting, they get married in July of 2009. There was just one catch. Andre, who was home in Jamaica for a funeral, was actually stationed back in the United States in San Antonio, Texas. Now, I know this is confusing because we have Andre and Andreen, and then also they are in Port Antonio, Jamaica. But he's actually stationed in America in San Antonio, Texas.

• 4:33Payton Moreland?

  Okay, so a lot of similarities, but this young Jamaican couple meet and get married, and he is stationed in the United States. But this actually, obviously, lines up with 19-year-old Andreen's plans to move to America and continue her education there. So it's kind of works out great. She applied to the University of Texas, San Antonio, and was accepted. In no time, she and her newlywed were packing her bags, and she's preparing to get her degree in business and finance in America. Now, a few years later, in 2012, the couple also welcomed a baby girl named Elena. And around that same time, Andreen finished school and got to work starting her own business.

• 5:17Payton Moreland?

  Andreen always knew she wanted to do something to help other people. So she actually chose to get into the assisted living business and open up her own facility. At the time, she was just 22 years old. And since she had come from pretty humble beginnings, finding the money to start this business was going to be the biggest hurdle.

• 5:38Garrett Moreland?

  I've actually heard they should do pretty well, too.

• 5:42Payton Moreland?

  Really?

• 5:42Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah. Don't ask me how I know this, but I know this.

• 5:46Payton Moreland?

  Well, luckily for her, her husband Andre was willing to lend a hand. He liquidated his 401k and sold his car to give Andrean the money she needed to get Starlight Homes, that's what she was naming it, off the ground. Now, at the beginning, Andrean only had three or four residents, but with her wonderful reputation, that actually quickly grew. So, over the years, Starlight Homes Assisted Living becomes a multimillion dollar company. And eventually, Andrean was actually able to open a second location in the San Antonio area.

• 6:17Garrett Moreland?

  By the way, I told you.

• 6:18Payton Moreland?

  By then, Andrean and Andre were equal partners in the business, splitting it 50/50. Andrean managed the business, did most of the work when it came to the day-to-day operations. And meanwhile, Andre took more of a backseat, considering he was still working for the Air Force, having moved up the ranks by that point from captain to major. Though, while the business itself was doing well, the couple was facing some challenges at home, particularly with their daughter. Elena was having a hard time with her speech and was later diagnosed with autism. This couldn't have been easy for the couple or their marriage, but a lot of their friends said,

• 7:00Payton Moreland?

  if that was the case, like this was super hard on them, it really didn't show. Andrean was always volunteering what little free time she had to the causes she cared about. She still found time to show appreciation to her husband. On February 16th, 2019, she threw Andre a lavish 40th birthday party at their beautiful San Antonio home. For a lot of people, that was actually the last time they would see Andrean McDonald smile. And one thing everyone knew about Andrean was she loved working out. For her, going to the gym was equivalent to going to church. She woke up early every morning to get to the gym by 5:30 a.m., so she could still get to work at 8.

• 7:45Payton Moreland?

  She never skipped a day, and she was strong because of this. According to Andre, her husband, she could lift about 300 pounds. Practically a bodybuilder. So she wasn't messing around.

• 7:57Garrett Moreland?

  Dang.

• 7:57Payton Moreland?

  But on the morning of March 1st, 2019, just two weeks after that lavish party, Andreen doesn't show up to work that morning. After a few hours pass, some of her employees called to check on her, but it seems like her cellphone is off. Again, this is 2019. So they called the gym to see if her personal trainer had met with her that morning. And they say the same thing. No, Andre never showed and the trainer hadn't even been able to get in touch with her.

• 8:25Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 8:26Payton Moreland?

  Now by this point, they're also trying to get in touch with Andreen's family. Now eventually, one of Andreen's employees actually gets a hold of her mother, Maureen, who is also living in the San Antonio area now. So she has come to America. And when she says she also hasn't heard from her daughter, they go, the employees go and pick Maureen up and take her back to Andreen's house. They also call Andre, who's like, mm, I haven't seen my wife or heard from her this morning either.

• 8:57Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 8:58Payton Moreland?

  He woke up, got his daughter after school and then went to work over at Lackland Air Force Base. So now he's worried too. He's like, what do you mean she didn't show up to work? So he's rushing back to the house to check, but no one's home. Then he goes over to a local hospital to check for her there. He knows that his wife suffers from really bad migraines. So his theory is maybe she had one so bad, she needed to go to the doctors. When he asks the front desk if anyone has checked in with the last name McDonald, they say, yeah, actually there is someone in room three by the name of McDonald.

• 9:36Garrett Moreland?

  It's gotta be different McDonald.

• 9:37Payton Moreland?

  So instead of going to room three, he's at the hospital, he's driven there. Okay? He leaves the front desk, doesn't go to room three, goes back out to his car and drives back home. Without going in to check if that McDonald is his wife. He says.

• 9:55Garrett Moreland?

  Okay, okay.

• 9:56Payton Moreland?

  He forgot his cellphone and he thought, okay, I've found her. It's more important that.

• 10:01Garrett Moreland?

  Bull.

• 10:02Payton Moreland?

  I let everyone know she's okay because at this point, everyone's looking, everyone's worried. It's more important I let them know she's okay before going in to check on her.

• 10:11Garrett Moreland?

  And that's just crazy because there's no way. If you were to like, take a hundred people and ask them what they would do. I promise you, every single one would say I would be running to that room to see if my significant other was there. Unless they were all murderers, then different story.

• 10:29Payton Moreland?

  So by the time he's back at his house, though, so are the police because everyone has been looking for her. They have called the police and that's because while he was at the hospital, her mother, Maureen, had arrived at the home. And she had discovered some pretty scary things around the home called the police because she feels like they are signs of foul play. Now, unfortunately, Andre gets there, he's like, yeah, she's at the hospital, though. So please call the hospital that Andre was just at to confirm whether Andreen had checked in or not and was in room three. They find out, yeah, actually, there is someone in room three with the last name McDonald, but it wasn't Andreen.

• 11:07Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, which he.

• 11:07Payton Moreland?

  So clearly, there's some confusion. Why couldn't he have figured that out at the place over the police figuring out on the phone? But which means Andreen really is still missing. And leaving her daughter and business behind is not something anyone believes she would ever willingly do. This is a theory that's supported by evidence that is left all over the home. So let me get into the crime scene. The fact that her phone, purse, keys, wallet and car are all still at the house in 2019 is a really big deal. There's also blood stains and hair on the light switch of the couple's bathroom.

• 11:49Payton Moreland?

  On top of that, they discover a shovel, two gas cans concealed in trash bags, a torn receipt from a Lowe's hardware store, a hammer in the trash can, and worst of all, a small burnt patch of grass in the backyard with what looks like a piece of one of Andre's shirts in it.

• 12:11Garrett Moreland?

  Okay, okay.

• 12:12Payton Moreland?

  So of course, one of the first people they speak to is Andre. Not only does his story about going to the hospital and coming back seem a little weird, especially about the part how he didn't go in and check on her before he left. He also tells police, well, yeah, we did get in a fight the night before. He says they had been at a tax preparer's office earlier in the day, and that's when he learned that Andre had opened a separate business without his knowledge. He said when they got home that night, they got into an argument, but he got into his car, he drove down to a gas station to cool off. He said they keep arguing over text messages there, but eventually he calmed down, went home to speak to Andre in person, clear the air.

• 12:54Payton Moreland?

  Only by the time he got home, he said Andre was already asleep in the guest room. He figured that's where she was the next morning when he woke up, didn't see her, and left to take his daughter to school. Here's what's weird though about this because obviously Andre's seeming suspicious. But police check out security cameras from the gas station and the hospital, and they confirm that Andre was at both of those locations when he said he was. They also don't notice anything suspicious on Andre. He has no bruising, no scratches, anything indicating he'd been in a fight. Plus, the two did seem to continue their argument over text into the late night hours of February 28th,

• 13:38Payton Moreland?

  just like he said the night before she was reported missing. Not to mention, Andre denies wholeheartedly that he has anything to do with his wife's disappearance.

• 13:48Garrett Moreland?

  This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. There are plenty of reasons we put off getting support, and for a lot of people, cost is one of them. With BetterHelp, insurance options may now be available nationwide with an average copay for eligible members of just $23 per session. And while we're reconsidering old assumptions, maybe there are a few others worth questioning too.

• 14:10Payton Moreland?

  Women inherit a lot of unwritten rules. Be ambitious, but not intimidating. Be there for everyone, but still make time for yourself. Have it all together, but don't look like you're trying too hard. And I have definitely fallen into all of these traps. But if you have been wanting to start therapy, BetterHelp works with more than 125 health plan networks and eligible members have an average copay of just $23 per session with insurance. If you don't have insurance or don't live in the United States, you can still get 10% off your first month.

• 14:42Garrett Moreland?

  And Paige and I are big advocates for therapy. Give it a try. Life can be crazy. There's a lot going on. Like we were talking about, sometimes it feels like you need to have everything figured out. You don't. Go talk to someone. Go see what's going on. Visit betterhelp.com/husband to explore your payment options. That's betterhelp, H E L P dot com slash husband.

• 15:04Payton Moreland?

  This message is sponsored by Greenlight. You know, there were many times growing up in school where I was like, when am I ever going to use this? And let me be real honest with you. A lot of those things have turned out to be true. But you know what I wish they would have taught in school? Financial literacy. So Greenlight takes the mental load of family life and kind of puts it all into one place. It keeps your whole family in sync, money, safety, and everyday life, all in one place. When you're using it, you can see what your kids are spending, right when they spend it. You can also easily send them money via Greenlight instead of like digging around for cash.

• 15:48Payton Moreland?

  And Greenlight just helps your household run smoother. Chores happen without nagging because you can do it all through the Greenlight app. There's also like a schedule that is up to date in real time. So when you're out of milk or someone needs new cleats, it just goes on this shared list that everyone can add to. Join the 6.5 million family members who trust Greenlight. Garrett has younger siblings. They've used Greenlight and it is so amazing to watch them learn about money in the safety of their home. You've got enough on your plate. Greenlight keeps it all in sync. Get started at greenlight.com/husband. That is greenlight.com/husband. Greenlight.com/husband. Go check it out now.

• 16:32Payton Moreland?

  So this whole thing is pretty unusual. Here you have a suspect, an air force major, mind you, admitting to fighting with his wife the night before she disappeared, but there seems to be video evidence corroborating at least part of his story. But at the moment, police weren't even totally sure this was a homicide investigation. So the following day, Saturday, March 2, a team of about 70 people go out searching for Andreen McDonald.

• 17:00Garrett Moreland?

  I was gonna say, so there's no body right now, which is kind of a big issue.

• 17:06Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, just that.

• 17:09Payton Moreland?

  Now meanwhile, police are looking deeper into Andre's story. And honestly, just the history of the couple in general, trying to figure out everything about them. This is always the first step in a missing persons investigation where they have a spouse. What are the finances? What are, is there, you know, an affair going on? What are the dirty secrets? Do they fight a lot? How do friends see their relationship? So police find while their businesses were doing well, it seems Andreen wasn't interested in always working with her husband. During that meeting, the day before she went missing, like I mentioned, Andreen had opened a new business and had omitted Andre's name from the paperwork.

• 17:50Payton Moreland?

  Apparently Andre felt like Andreen was trying to secretly squirrel away some earnings for herself into this new business account, even though the two were married. And in the state of Texas, he would still be entitled to have her earnings. So police have to wonder though, would this have been enough to set Andre off? This hardly seems like a motive for murder, more just kind of like a marital hiccup. Though apparently there's a lot more to the story. Turns out the marriage itself had been on shaky ground for a while. And according to some, Andre had been physically abusive toward Andreen in the past during their relationship, which may be why she started to stray from the marriage.

• 18:33Payton Moreland?

  Police find out Andreen had sought comfort in an old flame, an ex named Aubin Hall. He was a busy- Man who had been living in her hometown of Port Antonio, Jamaica. The two had dated back when they were teenagers and two years prior, back in 2017. They had actually reunited while Andre was home in Jamaica doing some charity work. And then they kind of just keep talking. It's long distance. That's until 2018. Andre gets two new tattoos. And one includes a date on her wrist, but she doesn't tell Andre what the date is for.

• 19:14Garrett Moreland?

  That's, that's

• 19:16Payton Moreland?

  It's a bold choice.

• 19:17Garrett Moreland?

  That's, that's, that's wild.

• 19:19Payton Moreland?

  It's a bold choice.

• 19:20Garrett Moreland?

  Pretty insane. Also, it seems like every time you do a case like this, like same, it's all just the same.

• 19:27Payton Moreland?

  Money issues, infidelity.

• 19:29Garrett Moreland?

  Infidelity, like it all seems to wrap up the same.

• 19:33Payton Moreland?

  Domestic abuse.

• 19:34Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 19:35Payton Moreland?

  It's always the same aisle.

• 19:36Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, it always is. Yep.

• 19:38Payton Moreland?

  So this whole date on her wrist that she can't explain made Andre suspicious, especially when he kept asking, what's the significance of this? No real answer. So after some social media digging, Andre discovers the truth. The date was Aubin's birthday.

• 19:55Garrett Moreland?

  Oh my gosh, dude, that's, to be married to someone and do that?

• 19:59Payton Moreland?

  Have a tattoo. The other thing is

• 20:02Garrett Moreland?

  Like that might be worse than like, like having an affair. You know what I'm saying?

• 20:06Payton Moreland?

  Cause you're like making it permanent on your body.

• 20:08Garrett Moreland?

  That's crazy. That's crazy.

• 20:10Payton Moreland?

  Also, the second tattoo she got, when Andre's going through social media, he realizes that it's like a replica of one of Aubin's. So now they have matching tattoos. They share the same tattoo. Does that make sense?

• 20:25Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, that makes sense. Yes.

• 20:26Payton Moreland?

  So this sets Andre off, who told her to call off the affair, get the tattoos covered immediately. Either that or they were getting a divorce.

• 20:35Garrett Moreland?

  Which, yeah, duh.

• 20:36Payton Moreland?

  Fair. He told her that she was never allowed to go to Jamaica again without him. Which again, fair.

• 20:43Garrett Moreland?

  Fair, okay.

• 20:44Payton Moreland?

  It's just hard because that's also her hometown.

• 20:46Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, I mean.

• 20:47Payton Moreland?

  So, Andre.

• 20:48Garrett Moreland?

  Consequences to actions.

• 20:49Payton Moreland?

  Not wanting to risk her business and everything she'd built over the years, did what she was told. She got the tattoos covered up. She cut off contact with Aubin, or so she said. Apparently, she also told a friend around this time that if anything were to happen to her, it would be because of Andre.

• 21:05Garrett Moreland?

  Interesting.

• 21:05Payton Moreland?

  In fact, the couple's friend, Andrew Russell, showed police text messages between him and Andre. Messages where she said, quote, "Someone's gonna snap." Andrew said he had even seen it for himself recently. Andrew was at the couple's home in December of 2018 when the two got into a physical fight. He actually walked into the kitchen and found the couple, Andre and Andre, wrestling each other on their floor. He said the next day, the couple was just laughing it off, like it was, happened all the time type thing.

• 21:36Garrett Moreland?

  No.

• 21:37Payton Moreland?

  And Andrew's sitting here like, "No, this is dangerous. Like, that's not normal behavior."

• 21:42Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, it's not okay.

• 21:43Payton Moreland?

  So, knowing that Andre had motive and had been physically abusive towards his wife in the past, police are ready to secure an arrest warrant. Especially because by that afternoon of March 2nd, Andre was no longer willing to speak to police. He had lawyered up, stopped answering questions. He appeared to just kind of be closing in. So that same day around 2:00 PM, investigators tailed him to a gun shop where he purchased a 9mm handgun and bullets. So, when police see this, they're like, "We gotta, we gotta step in." Like, where, where is he going with this gun? When he knows he's a suspect? Like, is he going back to his house? He has a daughter there.

• 22:24Payton Moreland?

  So, they confront Andre outside the gun store as he was walking back to his car. And after a somewhat pretty violent confrontation, police get him in handcuffs, turn him over to military authorities so they can perform a mental evaluation.

• 22:39Garrett Moreland?

  I wonder if he, I assume he was gonna go take his own life.

• 22:41Payton Moreland?

  That's what they were thinking.

• 22:42Garrett Moreland?

  Possibly the life of.

• 22:43Payton Moreland?

  The daughter.

• 22:44Garrett Moreland?

  The daughter as well.

• 22:45Payton Moreland?

  So, at the same time, investigators continued to compile evidence against Andre. And they found the evidence. Pretty quickly. You remember, police found a ripped up Lowe's hardware receipt at the couple's home. So they go to the store, ask to check security footage. Sure enough, Andre is on camera on March 1st, buying a bunch of really suspicious things. We've seen this 100 times. He buys a hatchet, heavy duty trash bags, gloves, an axe, a log splitter, two five gallon gas cans, all things you might need if you were gonna, I don't know, kill someone and get rid of the body.

• 23:18Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, basically.

• 23:20Payton Moreland?

  Please keep in mind, they found that patch of burnt grass in the McDonald's backyard that had a piece of Andre's clothing in it.

• 23:26Garrett Moreland?

  They should almost, I mean, there's nothing you can do about it and it's so far and few in between. But this actually happened, so I understand why it's not a thing. But like anytime someone's in Lowe's buying anything that looks like a kill kit, it's like, no.

• 23:40Payton Moreland?

  Flagged.

• 23:41Garrett Moreland?

  Like, sorry, you can't buy it, or the police are coming, I don't know.

• 23:44Payton Moreland?

  You just have to do an interview to get check. I mean, they could put it in place.

• 23:48Garrett Moreland?

  It's just, it's, it's so far and few in between.

• 23:49Payton Moreland?

  And it's like, a kill kit can look similar to other things.

• 23:53Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah, it can look like a bunch of different things, so, yeah.

• 23:57Payton Moreland?

  What do they do next? Police go back to the house with a search warrant to collect these specific items, or at least any that they hadn't recovered. And when they get there, they check Andre's car and they find that shovel, the axe, the trash bags, honestly, a lot of items from that purchase from Lowe's. And even more damning, they discover a pile of clothes in the garage. Clothes that belonged to Andre and had traces of blood on them. By this point, they also have some information that came back about the hammer they found in the trash the day before. The lab says it has traces of DNA on it and it appears to be a match to Andre's. So not only do they have evidence that Andre bought all this stuff,

• 24:40Payton Moreland?

  that looks like you're gonna try to dispose of a body, they also have a hammer with her DNA on it, which feels like a murder weapon.

• 24:49Garrett Moreland?

  Yep.

• 24:51Payton Moreland?

  Obviously, they just need to confirm that this is more than a missing persons case. Because it's only day two, and while investigators are moving pretty fast gathering evidence, a suspect, it's proving to take a bit longer to find Andre or rather her body. The only thing everyone knows, however, is there's no way that this mother left her businesses and her young daughter behind with no notice. Well, the following day, March 3rd, the Air Force finishes their mental evaluation on Major Andre McDonald. Well, I'm not totally sure what the results are. I know that they do release him.

• 25:25Garrett Moreland?

  It's hard because, I mean, let's be honest, I feel like it is pretty easy to lie and cheat your way through mental evaluations.

• 25:35Payton Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 25:35Garrett Moreland?

  You know, like-

• 25:36Payton Moreland?

  I think a psychi- I don't know.

• 25:39Garrett Moreland?

  It's hard. It's hard because I think every- yeah, I just think it's something that's probably pretty easy to do, and I could be wrong, but-

• 25:45Payton Moreland?

  Because low key, you just lie. How are they gonna diagnose you if you're lying about your symptoms or your reasoning?

• 25:51Garrett Moreland?

  Exactly what I'm saying. Unless that person knows you're lying, and even then, like, it's an opinion.

• 25:59Payton Moreland?

  It's kind of like when you take those, I don't know if I'm outing myself here, but when you take those behavioral, like, oh, what's your score? What type of, what's your love language?

• 26:10Garrett Moreland?

  Yes, yeah, you could lie on those.

• 26:11Payton Moreland?

  Yeah, and you're taking it and you're like, well, what's the, like, right answer? Not necessarily right answer, but like, as a perfectionist, sometimes when I see those questions, I'm like, well, the person I want to be, like, the perfection person of me wants this to be the answer.

• 26:25Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 26:25Payton Moreland?

  So I have to be, like, really honest with myself.

• 26:28Garrett Moreland?

  And granted, yeah, you could, yeah, I mean, you can analyze someone's body language, you can analyze how they're answering the questions. I mean, there's a lot you can analyze, but I also feel like it's also easy to lie on them. Just my opinion, my two cents.

• 26:42Payton Moreland?

  Yeah. So, the Air Force releases him, and then the local authorities arrest him, but not for killing Andre. Instead, they arrest him for evidence tampering since they found the Lowe's receipt was torn up in the family's trash. Of course, this is just a precursor until they find the body. That's what they're hoping for. But we know how hard that is when you don't have a body. Unfortunately, Andre doesn't stay behind bars for long. He's released on $300,000 bail and is placed under house arrest. He's only allowed to go to and from work with an equal monitor.

• 27:20Garrett Moreland?

  I feel like I should know the answer to this and it's been five years into this. I've never asked this question. So hopefully you know the answer. If not, I will look it up real quick. When you release on bail, right? Or bond, whatever you want to call it. Say it's half a million dollars. Are you required to put up that half a million dollars in cash then? Or can you, because I know there's places that also do like will bond, like there's places that will do loans for it. So I assume they'll put up the money and you pay them back.

• 27:50Payton Moreland?

  That's what I think it is.

• 27:51Garrett Moreland?

  I mean, it's both. I'm sure there's.

• 27:53Payton Moreland?

  Or.

• 27:54Garrett Moreland?

  I'm sure it's both. Obviously there's both options, but because sometimes we're doing cases and someone's on like a million dollars. And they pay it.

• 28:02Payton Moreland?

  I feel like that's so rare.

• 28:04Garrett Moreland?

  Like, how do they have a million dollars? Cash, just sitting around like, here you go.

• 28:08Payton Moreland?

  You know what's also crazy about bail?

• 28:10Garrett Moreland?

  I need to look this up real quick.

• 28:12Payton Moreland?

  They determine bail based off of you, like your history. So obviously like flight risk and stuff like you won't really get a chance for bail if they feel like you're a flight risk, but. For me, because he was arrested at the gun store, I'm shocked he got bail. Because what's to say he's just not going to go buy another gun? Second, they base it off of like how much money you have. So they just try to make it difficult based on that. That's why like sometimes people with severe charges aren't in the millions because the state doesn't think they'll even have a.

• 28:49Garrett Moreland?

  Oh my gosh. Okay. Sorry to interrupt.

• 28:52Payton Moreland?

  Go ahead.

• 28:53Garrett Moreland?

  So there's a couple of different things I didn't know, and this could be wrong. This is what I found on mine doing some research real quick. Couple of things, right? Bail is money the court requires to release someone from jail while they wait for court. Okay. If they show up to all court dates, the bail money gets returned. Minus small fees. If they skip court, the bail is lost. I don't know how I didn't know this.

• 29:16Payton Moreland?

  Is this state by state?

• 29:17Garrett Moreland?

  I think this is how it works everywhere. I guess we'll find out. Example, a listener will correct us. A example, bail is $5,000. You pay $5,000 directly to the court in jail. You get most of it back at the end, as long as the person goes to court. Hundred percent upfront, yes. B, use a bail bondsman. Bondsman. This is what most people do. This is basically a loan, but the part you pay is a fee you won't get back. Example, bail is $5,000. You pay the bondsman 10%, 500. They cover the 5,000 to the court. The 500 is not refundable. And then the person has to show up to court. If you don't show up to court, then they can come after you for the full amount.

• 30:01Payton Moreland?

  Interesting.

• 30:02Garrett Moreland?

  That's crazy. And yeah, anyway, so in case those who didn't know that, I didn't know that. For some reason, I thought that like the $300,000 or whatever you paid, I thought that they kept. I guess it makes way more sense now that they get it back. I don't know how I'm five years into this and I never looked this up.

• 30:20Payton Moreland?

  Imagine you're like a

• 30:21Garrett Moreland?

  Crazy.

• 30:22Payton Moreland?

  A bondsman for someone who has charges of like financial fraud.

• 30:27Garrett Moreland?

  Oh, yeah.

• 30:28Payton Moreland?

  And it's like their charges is like taking people's money and not paying it back and going on the run. And then as the bondsman, you're like, you have to show up and also

• 30:35Garrett Moreland?

  They don't get it. I bet you they're like, sorry dude, I'm not doing this for you. That's funny, actually. Okay. Anyways, some good information.

• 30:42Payton Moreland?

  I tracked.

• 30:42Garrett Moreland?

  Yep.

• 30:43Payton Moreland?

  I used to think a camera or video doorbell was home security. And then I realized those can only record a break in. They literally can't stop one. And that is the difference with Simply Safe. When an intruder steps onto your property, Simply Safe's AI-powered cameras detect the threat and alert a live US-based agent who can then intervene to stop them before they even get into your door. Because it's not my house or valuables that I'm even worried about. It's a stranger getting anywhere close to the people I love. And I'm obviously taking this way more seriously now, which I already did. But now more than ever with a baby on the way. Like I said, unlike traditional security cameras that only alert you after a break in,

• 31:27Payton Moreland?

  Simply Safe is built to stop it before it starts. And they have so many different options. If you haven't got on and checked it out, just do it, guys. If you've been waiting for a sign to get some security, this is it. Join the more than 6 million people who entrust Simply Safe with their home security. Right now, save 60% off with professional monitoring when you visit simplysafe.com/husband. That is an amazing code, guys, 60% off. That is simplysafe.com/husband. And when you order, again, just please let them know Murder With My Husband sent you. Write it in at the checkout survey. It just lets them know we sent you and it helps support the show. Simply Safe, ahead of crime and in real time.

• 32:11Payton Moreland?

  Guys, I'm not sure if I have talked about this, but I have been put on an extremely restrictive diet while being pregnant. And you know what has helped me so much? Hungry Root. I know, I know, you knew that was coming. It is so nice to be able to still shop, but get on and put in my preferences, put exactly what I'm looking for, pick out recipes that fit my dietary restrictions. I love Hungry Root. We've actually been using them since like, I think 2022 was when I first started using them. That was before they were even a sponsor of the show. Okay, if you've never checked it out, you're interested in online grocery delivery that has quality products.

• 32:56Payton Moreland?

  I'm talking healthier alternatives. They're very transparent with what is in the ingredients. You can trust that what you're getting from Hungry Root is top notch. It completely changes the way of shopping. And also for me, has really helped ease my mind when it comes to this new diet. So you're going to love Hungry Root as much as I do. For a limited time, you can get 40 40% off your first order plus get a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.com/husband and use code HUSBAND for that, you guys. That is hungryroot.com/husband code HUSBAND to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life. So obviously he's released. He also can't have any contact with his daughter.

• 33:41Payton Moreland?

  And throughout his bond hearing, he's like laughing and smiling. It's, it's odd. Meanwhile, his wife, the mother of his child, is still missing and he's at court presumably because he killed her. So around the same time, the sheriff's office holds a news conference encouraging anyone with more information on Andreen and her whereabouts to come forward. At this point, droves of people around the San Antonio area start coming out to help search for the missing mother. This includes the Texas search and rescue teams and a volunteer search party formed by ex-air force airman Bobby Green, who may have known the couple personally. Even the FBI gets involved in the investigation and a $5,000 reward is offered to anyone with valuable information.

• 34:26Payton Moreland?

  Unfortunately, none of these, none of these actions turn up anything of value. That is until April 4th, 2019. This is five weeks after Andreen's disappearance. That day, a hiker is walking along a trail adjacent to a highway and they come across some charred human remains. The sheriff's department is called out to the scene, feeling optimistic that this was Andreen. However, they determine the remains belong to someone of much smaller stature, a female around five foot two or five foot four. They were eventually identified as 39-year-old Norma Pacheco. So while one missing person might have been found that day, the search for Andreen McDonald continues.

• 35:08Payton Moreland?

  Still, Andreen's family and friends never give up hope and on July 11th, 2019, 133 days after her disappearance. Everything changes. That day, a man named Clifton Klubundy went out to a 50 acre private ranch just six miles from Andre's home. He said he was wandering around the property, looking for a cow skull to use as a decoration. When he was met with an overwhelming stench. He did find a skull. It was just not a cow skull. He realized it was human and immediately called the police. When the sheriff's office arrived, they found a body buried under wood and other animal parts. They believed it had been set on fire.

• 35:50Payton Moreland?

  Amongst that was a wig that was believed to be Andre's as well as a body part with a cross tattoo which Andre had. The remains were collected and examined by a medical examiner shortly after. And after confirming dental records, they were certain they had found the body of 29 year old Andre McDonald.

• 36:11Garrett Moreland?

  Okay.

• 36:12Payton Moreland?

  Now, because she'd been out in the field so long.

• 36:14Garrett Moreland?

  That's insane dude.

• 36:15Payton Moreland?

  And partially burned. The medical examiner was really unable to say exactly what caused Andre's death, but she had many injuries that suggested it had been a blunt object, like a hammer, maybe the one that her DNA was on back at home. She also had a fractured spinal cord.

• 36:34Garrett Moreland?

  Oh my God.

• 36:35Payton Moreland?

  A broken rib, a broken jaw. And with that, police were more than able to secure a new arrest warrant for Andre, this time for murder charges. With his GPS ankle bracelet on, it was easy for officers to find him at his house. Two days later, on July 13th, he was taken into custody where this time his bail was set at $2 million. For the next two years, he sat behind bars until his bail was reduced, finally getting out on bond while he waited his court date in 2023. Meanwhile, the prosecution began putting together their theories on what had happened, mainly because Andre was pleading not guilty and was refusing to talk about what had happened the night his wife died.

• 37:18Payton Moreland?

  The state was basically hinging their case on domestic violence and the fact that he was essentially losing his wife. She was keeping secrets. Opening new business accounts. But when it came time for Andre's court appearance, he took the stand as the only witness for his defense.

• 37:35Garrett Moreland?

  No.

• 37:36Payton Moreland?

  And he tells a story that paints himself as the victim. So here's what he says at court.

• 37:41Garrett Moreland?

  Of course, dude, of course.

• 37:43Payton Moreland?

  He claimed that on the night of February 28th, 2019, he and Andreen had that appointment at their tax preparer's office, where he found out that she'd started a new company without his knowledge. But the way Andre saw it, Andreen was stealing money from him. Back at the house, the two got into a heated argument, which was when he left to go to the gas station to cool down. That's obviously shown on security footage. However, he said when he was finally home, Andreen was waiting for him, not asleep in the guest room, like he'd originally said. He said Andreen was angrier than before. He said he spoke about how they should just get divorced, split their business in half, go their separate ways, but that enraged his wife. He claims that's when she charged him.

• 38:28Payton Moreland?

  She spit in his face. He grabbed her head. They head butted each other accidentally, splitting open her face. And when Andreen realized she was bleeding, she began yelling that Andre had attacked her. And that's when she began throwing punches. He says he finally got her to the ground and kicked her a few times to protect himself. So the whole thing was self-defense.

• 38:46Garrett Moreland?

  Which is so funny because dude, I mean, no offense. I mean, I mean, I guess offense because he killed someone, so I don't really care. But like she obviously didn't want to be in the marriage. I mean, she was having an affair with him, so it just.

• 39:02Payton Moreland?

  Is a little ironic.

• 39:02Garrett Moreland?

  His story is just so ironic. Exactly.

• 39:05Payton Moreland?

  Also, the next part of his story, he claims that it's all self-defense. She's on the floor, she's wheezing, and that's when their seven-year-old daughter enters the room. So Andre is like, oh, he sees Elena, he picks her up, he takes her back to bed. He sits in there, tries to calm her down for 30 minutes, and by the time he gets back out, his wife has died. So he wasn't even in the room when she took her last breath. This is what he's saying at trial. To try and support this, the defense played several videos that showed Andre in working out, how strong she was. Basically, they were like, even though she's the girl and he's the guy, she was stronger than him. But when the prosecution asked, well, then why did you never call 911? He was like, well, you know,

• 39:48Payton Moreland?

  I just had to get my wife out of there before my daughter could see. Andre said, he took her to the field, stripped her naked, burned her clothes. But this is not adding up.

• 39:57Garrett Moreland?

  No, and then also like, why would you strip her naked? Like, what is all this?

• 40:02Payton Moreland?

  Well, also, like, a hammer with DNA on it is not kicking someone's belly till they die.

• 40:08Garrett Moreland?

  No, it's, you're not getting out of this one. That's cra- that's crazy.

• 40:12Payton Moreland?

  And then also, we know Andre went to Lowe's the next day to buy all of the products. So there's, there's no way he took the body to the field while his daughter was asleep because he didn't buy the products to get rid of the body until the next day. It's a whole thing. Basically, the jury returned with a verdict finding Andre McDonald, the Air Force major, guilty of manslaughter. He was given the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and given an additional five years for tampering with evidence.

• 40:45Garrett Moreland?

  Wow, so he'll get out in 25 years?

• 40:47Payton Moreland?

  Unfortunately, and I don't know exactly what a trial convinced the jury that this wasn't pre, maybe because he bought the supplies after, but wasn't premeditated. They had to have come up with a reason for it to be manslaughter.

• 41:01Garrett Moreland?

  I guess I could see, but it still sucks.

• 41:04Payton Moreland?

  If they do believe his story, that could still be considered manslaughter. That kind of she left him no choice type thing, but not necessarily self-defense.

• 41:16Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 41:17Payton Moreland?

  Unfortunately, in the wake of Andre's conviction, the businesses were closed. Andreen's parents did get a few small wins. They were awarded custody of their granddaughter. They also pursued a civil suit against Andre. That same year as his conviction in 2023, Andreen's estate was awarded $210 million in damages, which Andre was responsible for. The real interesting reveal to come out of all of this was just a day after Andre was sentenced, news broke that his father back in Jamaica was also awaiting trial. So he gets sentenced and then the news is like, oh, this guy that just got sentenced for

• 41:56Garrett Moreland?

  Murder.

• 41:56Payton Moreland?

  murdering his wife. His father is in Jamaica awaiting trial for the murder of his ex-wife and the murder for hire of his current wife.

• 42:05Garrett Moreland?

  The apple does not fall far from the tree, does it?

• 42:08Payton Moreland?

  So in 20-

• 42:09Garrett Moreland?

  That's crazy, actually.

• 42:10Payton Moreland?

  In 2024, his father was found guilty of murdering the ex-wife and murder for hire for the current wife and sentenced to life in prison.

• 42:17Garrett Moreland?

  What are the chances? That's gotta be like first time ever. If we're speaking like analytically.

• 42:24Payton Moreland?

  Hmm.

• 42:25Garrett Moreland?

  That's gotta be like very rare.

• 42:27Payton Moreland?

  For father and son.

• 42:28Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah. Crazy.

• 42:30Payton Moreland?

  Andre has filed a pill. It's been denied. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking parts of all of this, though, is that the daughter has been through all of this. During Andre's sentencing hearing, his daughter wrote him a letter that was read. It said, "To my dad, you killed my mother. You took away my life and you broke my heart. You hurt my feelings. You'll pay for what you did. You'll be punished forever."

• 42:50Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 42:51Payton Moreland?

  Elena has since gotten some help through a foundation called Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, which lends support to people living, struggling with autism. And if you would like to look into that organization, you can find them at eaglesflightsa.com. And that is the murder of Andreen McDonald.

• 43:11Garrett Moreland?

  It would be really hard to be a child and not to deal with that the rest of your life. That'd be extremely difficult. The whole situation would be extremely difficult.

• 43:21Payton Moreland?

  That level of betrayal.

• 43:22Garrett Moreland?

  Yeah.

• 43:23Payton Moreland?

  All right, you guys, that was our episode and we will see you next time with another one. I love it.

• 43:27Garrett Moreland?

  And I hate it.

• 43:28Payton Moreland?

  Goodbye.