48: Wedding Turned Deadly | The Heartbreaking Case of Samantha Miller and Jamie Komoroski

Samantha Miller's wedding night was supposed to end with a newlywed getaway, not a horrific crash that would leave Samantha dead, Aric Hutchinson seriously injured, and multiple others with life-altering injuries. Just hours after saying “I do,” the newlyweds were hit by a drunk driver while leaving their reception. But the crash was only the beginning. Jamie Komoroski's shocking jail calls, years of legal battles, and eventual 25-year sentence kept this case in the headlines. Now, we're reopening Samantha's story and breaking down everything that happened that devastating night and the aftermath that followed.. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise. .🔎Join Our True Crime Club & Get Exclusive Content & Perks..🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to both of my weekly true crime series 10 to Life & Serialously with Annie Elise wherever you get your podcasts on the Annie Elise Channel!🍎 Apple Podcasts | Where you can also unlock access to 100+ and growing extra exclusive deep dives.💚 Spotify🔴 YouTube🎙️ All Other Platforms.📸 Follow Annie on Socials Instagram: @_annieeliseTikTok: @_annieeliseSubstack: @annieeliseFacebook: @10toLife.⭐SponsorsSoFi: Head to http://SoFi.com/10tolife to learn more. Hers WL: Visit http://forhers.com/10tolife to get a personalized, affordable care that gets you. Ollie: Head to http://ollie.com/10tolife, tell them all about your dog, and use code 10TOLIFE to get 70% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe today. Factor: Head to http://factormeals.com/10tolife50off and use code 10tolife50off to get 50% off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year..👗 Shop Annie’s Must-Haves! ShopMY: bit.ly/AnnieElise_ShopMy Amazon: bit.ly/AnnieElise_Amazon.🫵🏻 Get Involved or Recommend a CaseAbout Annie: www.annieelise.comFor Business Inquiries: [email protected].📚 Episode Sources ABC News | Count On News 2 | Court TV | Crime & Cask | Crime Online | Inside Edition | Live 5 News | Martin Summit Media | Phone Calls from Prison | WCNC | WCSC | WDBJ | WSVN-TV | WWNYTV••••••••••••••••••🚨Disclaimers1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me. 2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged until confirmed otherwise. Please remember my videos are my independent opinion and to always do your own research. 3️⃣ The views and opinions expressed in this video are personal and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator(s). These views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and are not to be held in perpetuity. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this video and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. It is the reader’s responsibility to verify their own facts.

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• 0:00Annie Elise?

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• 1:28Speaker 03

  A bride fatally mowed down by an alleged drunk driver on her wedding day. The wedding was beautiful. The couple was so in love, they were just starting the rest of their lives together. Police said she was driving 65 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit. Can I call my dad?

• 1:49Speaker 04

  Not right now. This is a speeding car. Could you arrest? The driver who mowed down a bride and groom on their wedding night begged for mercy as she admitted she was drunk.

• 2:00Speaker 05

  Hopefully one day you will be able to forgive me, but I know forgiveness must be earned.

• 2:08Annie Elise?

  Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, right? You're marrying your best friend, the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with. You're surrounded by friends, family, people just showering you with well wishes and happy thoughts. And it's supposed to be like the peak moment. And I say that knowing that of course childbirth becomes next runner up and all the things that follow. But my point is, getting married and your wedding day, it's definitely in the highlight reel, okay? We know that it is like a very important day. And Samantha Miller and Eric Hutchinson, for them, their wedding day was exactly that. So happy, so blissful, so joyful. And it was a magical celebration of their love. They were surrounded by everyone that they loved

• 2:51Annie Elise?

  in their lives. They were about to start their lives together. They were in one of their most favorite places in the entire world, just surrounded and enveloped in love. And it ended disastrously. Not because somebody objected, not because some mistress or what would you, what's the equivalent of a guy like mister, I guess, whatever. Not because somebody came crashing down the wedding, not because a jealous ex came, but rather because of the actions of one incredibly irresponsible woman. Someone who didn't know it at the time, but because of her actions and her recklessness, she was about to destroy not only this perfect wedding day, but so many lives that were affected through the

• 3:31Annie Elise?

  ripple effect of Samantha and Eric. Within a matter of moments, because of Jamie Komoroski, this once fairy tale life, it turned into an absolute nightmare, leaving one newlywed dead and the other widowed. And this was within literally of just hours of saying I do. Now, what seemed like a pretty straightforward drunk driving case at the time, it quickly evolved into a case that absolutely captured the public's attention. And a big reason for that was because of this woman's attitude, Jamie's attitude. After the crash, her jail calls were released and they painted a picture of someone who didn't seem very remorseful, but was more concerned with how this was going to affect her life, how her life was

• 4:15Annie Elise?

  now in shambles. Very reminiscent, I have to say, of Mackenzie Sharilla. And after hearing a lot of these jail calls, a lot of people were left wondering whether or not Jamie would ever fully understand the devastation that she caused. Now, when I first covered this case back in 2023, we walked through everything together. Sam and Eric's love story, the wedding, the absolutely devastating and senseless crash that changed so many people's lives. And I also broke down everything that happened in the immediate aftermath of the crash, including Jamie's behavior at the scene, at this horrific accident scene, infamous jail calls, which don't worry, we're going to get into those, and so much

• 4:55Annie Elise?

  other stuff that happened that sparked complete public outrage. However, that was a couple of years ago. And at that point, there still were a lot of unanswered questions. The biggest one being, obviously, you know, what's going to happen to Jamie now? This wasn't just a cut and dry DUI case here. Somebody lost their life. This was way reckless when you get into the details of just how much alcohol had been consumed, how the events transpired, which again, we'll get to all of that. But the question was like, what kind of punishment was she actually going to get? And more broadly, what does justice even look like in a case like this? Where someone may possibly not intentionally set out to hurt somebody else, but because of their actions, because of their carelessness and their choices being

• 5:40Annie Elise?

  so reckless and so selfish and so destructive, they ended up causing the worst kind of pain imaginable. And look, the chaos in the public wasn't just because of Jamie and whether or not she had remorse. There also became a huge legal battle between Sam's family and Eric, challenging the validity of the marriage, fighting over money, last names, the legality of it all. It is incredibly messy, very toxic, and there is so much that we need to get into. Now, on top of that, the last time I covered this case, there were also lawsuits flying in every single direction. Tons of questions about how the surviving victims were supposed to move forward with this, with all of these massive physical

• 6:24Annie Elise?

  and emotional injuries. And it was just chaos. That is the best way to describe it. So like I said, since then, a lot has happened. And we finally now have answers to so many of the questions that I had back then. So with that, it felt like the right time to reopen this case. Not to only update you on where this case has now gone, what has happened, and where it stands today, but also to bring back Sam and Eric's story back to the forefront and remind people of the absolutely devastating consequences that drinking and driving can cause. So my plan today, like all reopened cases, is we're going to revert back to my 2023 deep dive. I'm going to take a few pieces from that while also dropping in some real

• 7:05Annie Elise?

  time updates with you right now, just so that way you have the full, total picture, total story, all of the details, all the calls, all, you know, every single thing so that you know it backwards and forwards. Because it's been a few years, and also because if you're watching the video version of this, you can see that I'm traveling right now. Because my equipment has changed a little bit over the years, you may notice slight differences in audio quality. However, I think we've gotten to a point where we pretty much seamlessly have been able to blend them together. But because equipment has changed over time, sometimes, you know, it's unavoidable. But just, I do that and I splice them together again, with the goal in mind, I should say, to really just give you the full, comprehensive overview of the case. So if you're watching the video version of this, you'll see a little

• 7:46Annie Elise?

  bit of old Annie on the screen. Then you're going to see present tense Annie on the screen, a little bit of time travel action, but just wanted to, you know, let you know that in advance. So with all of that being said, we have a lot to get into. You know the drill. Hit that like button, hit that subscribe button if you're watching on YouTube, hit the follow button if you are listening to the podcast. I'm Annie Elise, and today we are reopening the case of Sam and Eric Hutchinson. Let's get right into it.

• 8:25Annie Elise?

  Thirty-six-year-old Eric Hutchinson was born on March 23, 1987, to his parents, Irvin and Annette Hutchinson. Eric is the youngest of three, with an older brother named Adam and an older sister named Alexis. Eric grew up in Ogden, Utah, and played football in high school before going on to play as a defensive back for Snow College and Utah Tech. In college, he majored in communications with an emphasis on business organization, which really prepared him for his career as a sales manager for a construction company called Tucker Kirby. Tucker Kirby deals with concrete and masonry for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Eric often traveled for work to meet with prospective clients.

• 9:09Annie Elise?

  And on one of these work trips, Eric was winding down for the night by grabbing a drink at the hotel bar where he was staying. There, he saw a beautiful woman with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a smile that lit up the entire room. So he decided to pull up a chair next to hers and quickly found out that this gorgeous woman's name was Samantha Miller, and she was also staying at that hotel on a business trip. Thirty-four-year-old Samantha Miller, who went by Sam, was born on March 27, 1989. She had two older siblings, Joseph and Mandy, and two younger brothers named Nathan and Jake. Samantha's mother, Lisa Miller, said that in the summer of 1988, she met a man

• 9:52Annie Elise?

  named Brad Warner. Lisa and Brad ended up having a one-night-stand, and Lisa became pregnant. Even though they weren't together, Brad and Lisa don't see this unexpected pregnancy as a mistake because it led to them sharing Samantha, which is one of the biggest blessings in their lives. Sam took Lisa's last name, but Brad was involved in raising her, along with Lisa's ex-husband, David Miller. When asked to describe Sam in one word, people have used the word "light" because of how much joy and how much happiness she brought to everyone's lives. She had this infectious laugh and was one of those people who would become your best friend from the moment that you met her. From a young age, Sam was an empathetic and compassionate child,

• 10:37Annie Elise?

  which carried over into adulthood. She always wanted to make sure that everyone was taken care of and felt loved. Sam made friends everywhere she went, but her best friend was undoubtedly her mother Lisa. Everyone had heard Sam say her favorite quote, "Love you more," countless times, and she and Lisa even got matching tattoos of that phrase. After graduating high school, Sam attended East Coast Polytech Institute, also known as ECPI. ECPI has programs focusing on science, technology, health systems, business, criminal justice, and the culinary arts as well. People who knew Sam called her a true free spirit and said that she was the type of person who loved to just start over and reinvent herself all the time.

• 11:23Annie Elise?

  After graduating college, she worked as a medical assistant and then in an orthodontist's office. After that, she wanted to switch gears and she got into marketing, before landing and excelling in sales, in sales enablement for a company called Indexic. Indexic specializes in online booking and reservation software, so Sam would travel to train and coach sales team members for this company. On one of her work trips to Utah, she was approached, in that hotel bar where she was staying, by Eric Hutchinson. So Eric and Samantha struck up a conversation and they talked for hours in this hotel bar. Eric was captivated not only by how beautiful Sam was, but her intelligence and her sharp sense of humor as well.

• 12:06Annie Elise?

  At the end of the night, the two of them exchanged numbers and then headed to their respective hotel rooms. Sam immediately called her mom and told her about how she had just met this amazing guy, but she didn't think that she would ever see him again because they were both just staying at that hotel for work. But surprisingly, that ended up not being the case. The next morning, Sam heard a knock on her door and when she opened it, Eric was standing there with four drinks from Starbucks. And he told her that he wasn't sure what kind of coffee she liked, so he brought her a variety. The two of them drank their coffee together before having to part ways for work, but Eric asked Sam if she would have dinner with him, and she of course was eager and accepted. Even though Sam had been afraid that she'd probably never talk to Eric again,

• 12:51Annie Elise?

  they ended up speaking every single day after they met. When COVID hit, they knew that they wouldn't be able to travel back and forth very much, so Sam decided to move to Utah to live with Eric. Even though Sam grew up in North Carolina, when she was a little girl, her family took a vacation to a city just south of Charleston, South Carolina called Folly Beach. Sam fell in love with this small, eclectic island and she knew that she wanted to live there someday. So Eric and Sam decided to start their lives together in Charleston, along with their two cats. They got an apartment on the nearby James Island specifically because of its close proximity to Folly Beach. It was like all of Sam's dreams were just coming true right in front of her eyes.

• 13:37Annie Elise?

  Everyone who knew Eric and Sam thought that they were the perfect couple and that their love story was like a fairy tale romance. Eric was said to be pretty much the male version of Sam, just kind, funny, and authentic. And life only got better after Eric popped the question and their engagement brought excitement to both of their families who had never seen either of them more happy.

• 14:16Annie Elise?

  Sam and Eric didn't have to think about where they would get married for very long. It was an obvious no-brainer that they would get married on Folly Beach, which has always been Sam's favorite place and was also becoming Eric's as well. They would go there almost every day to walk or run on the beach, lay out, or just to catch the sunrise or the sunset. There were several options for venues, but Sam chose the one that would be closest to the ocean. At the very tip of Folly Beach, where the island dead-ends into the Atlantic Ocean, there is a beautiful secluded wedding venue called the Pelican Watch Pavilion. The beautiful, open-air pavilion overlooks the ocean shoreline, known as the edge of America. Couples often have their wedding ceremonies on the beach

• 14:59Annie Elise?

  and then walk that elevated boardwalk back up to the pavilion for their receptions. Even though all of Sam and Eric's family members lived out of state, along the beach were countless short-term rentals and Airbnbs and beautiful hotels for everybody to stay in. So they planned it and they set their wedding date for Friday, April 28th, 2023. And the weekend was going to be a family and friend reunion, a mini-vacation, and a party to celebrate these two people who were madly in love with each other. Leading up toward the wedding, Eric and Sam chose their food, their songs, their wedding bands, and the decorations. Sam went dress shopping with her mom and her best friend Ashley, who was also going to be by her side on the beach as her maid of honor.

• 15:43Annie Elise?

  When it was finally the week of their wedding, family and friends started making their way into town. The night of their rehearsal dinner, many of Sam and Eric's loved ones were just meeting each other for the first time. But it was like their connection to the couple made everyone feel like they had known each other for years, just two amazing families and friends just merging together. Now, the day of their wedding, though, started with a little bit of a hiccup. Even though it's said to be good luck, no one wants it to rain on their wedding day, especially if your wedding is outside and on the beach. The forecast on Folly Beach said that it was going to rain that day, but Sam didn't freak out. She was the exact opposite of a bridezilla and she remained calm, as if she knew that somehow the day was just going to turn out perfect anyway.

• 16:28Annie Elise?

  And she was right. Throughout the morning and early afternoons, any clouds that were in the sky just slowly disappeared. Sam, her mom Lisa, her sister Mandy, and the rest of the bridal party spent the morning and the afternoon eating charcuterie, drinking mimosas, and just getting so excited for the wedding. Even before she got her makeup done, Sam had an obvious glow about her. The ceremony was set to begin a little after 5:00 PM and at around 4:00 PM, guests started arriving at the beach, taking their sides for the bride and the groom. The weather ended up being absolutely perfect. It was slightly overcast and around 75 degrees. Sam had planned everything to a T,

• 17:09Annie Elise?

  but the one thing that she waited until the last minute to do was to write down her vows. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wanted them to be written perfectly. So minutes before she was supposed to walk down the aisle, Sam laid down on her stomach in the back of her dad's forerunner so that no one would see her in her dress, and she wrote down her vows. Mandy later said that she expected her sister to be a little bit nervous, but that Sam was as peaceful and fearless as ever, smiling from ear to ear. There were no cold feet or even typical wedding jitters. She just couldn't wait to get down the aisle and marry her person, the love of her life, Eric. Eric stood at the end of the aisle, facing the ocean,

• 17:49Annie Elise?

  underneath a beautiful wooden arch in front of over a hundred of he and Sam's family and friends. Sam's bridal party walked down the aisle in different style dresses that matched the blush pink, green, and orange floral decorations, and everyone was completely blown away when Sam made her way toward Eric. She was always beautiful, but she truly looked angelic in her form-fitting white lace wedding dress. Eric and Sam tearfully read each other their vows before officially being pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson. Their family and friends cheered during their first kiss as husband and wife and the reception to follow was just as perfect as the ceremony. While the bridal party took their photos, their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour.

• 18:33Annie Elise?

  Sam and Eric's entrance led right into their first dance, which was to the song "You Move, I Move" by John Legend. Next, Sam did a father-daughter dance with both of the men who raised her, her biological father Brad and her stepdad David. The reception was just as carefree and fun as Eric and Sam were. They served their guests tacos and had a huge spread of desserts, including their five-layer pineapple and coconut wedding cake that Sam's sister Mandy had actually made for them, and everyone spent the rest of the night dancing, laughing, singing, and it could not have been more perfect. After the reception, the plan was for Eric's brother-in-law Ben to drive the newlyweds to their Airbnb, which was really just a few miles down the road.

• 19:14Annie Elise?

  The rest of the family were also staying in rentals along that same long strip of Folly Beach, and they would all get together again in the morning after resting from a long but memorable day. So before they left, everyone made a little walkway, holding sparklers on both sides for Eric and Sam to walk through as they made their exit. They shared one more kiss at the end before hopping on to an LSV, which is a low-speed vehicle and it's kind of basically just like a street-legal version of a golf cart, and then they headed out. And we've all seen people riding in golf carts, segways, scooters, or other little vehicles in beach towns, which makes it easier for tourists to get from place to place and even locals to get around without having to rent a car.

• 19:56Annie Elise?

  And this is why the speed limit on beach strips and tourist little towns is usually so low. On the back of the golf cart, there was a little "Just Married" sign hanging off the bumper. Eric's brother-in-law Ben Garrett and his 17-year-old nephew Brogan Garrett sat in the front seats of the golf cart, and Eric and Sam sat on the back so that they could wave goodbye to their guests as they drove down the road.

• 20:24Annie Elise?

  Right as they left the parking lot, Sam turned to Eric and said, "I wish that this night never had to end." And that was the last thing that Eric remembers Sam saying to him, before their lives changed forever.

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• 21:35Annie Elise?

  Less than two miles away from the wedding at the Pelican Watch Pavilion is a road called Center Street. Center Street is known as the main drag of Folly Beach. It's where all of the main shops and restaurants are located and where beach bars and rooftop clubs light up the island's nightlife. Young adults from surrounding cities come to Center Street to bar hop. And that's exactly what 25-year-old Jamie Komoroski was doing that Friday night in April. Jamie was born on September 15, 1997, to parents Charles and Tracy Komoroski. She is the middle child, with an older sister named Kelsey and a younger brother named CJ. Jamie and her siblings grew up in Clinton, New Jersey, where they were an extremely close and tight-knit family.

• 22:20Annie Elise?

  She was especially known to be a daddy's girl. And even though she was definitely a little spoiled by her parents, people who know Jamie have said that she has a very big heart. In high school, Jamie played sports like lacrosse. She liked to snowboard and has always been a competitive athlete. After high school, she was accepted into Coastal Carolina University. There, she joined a sorority and held several jobs in the food service industry. She worked at a daycare. She interned at a real estate company, kind of dabbled in a bunch of different things. Now, Jamie was definitely known to be a party girl and had a very busy social life. But she managed to remain on the dean's list with a 4.0 grade point average through college. She graduated with a degree in hotel, resort, and tourism management

• 23:05Annie Elise?

  and ended up landing a job with a company called Total Quality Logistics. Jamie worked as a logistics account executive and met her current boyfriend Evan Tatro over there at that company as well. In April 2023, she left her job at the logistics company to go work at a restaurant called Taco Boy, just off Center Street on Folly Beach. Like Sam and Eric, Jamie lived on James Island and only had completed two days of training at the restaurant just a couple minutes from the house that she shared with some friends. On Friday, April 28, Jamie headed to a Mexican restaurant called El Gallo Bar and Grill, which is located near Daniel Island and about a 25-minute drive. I looked up this restaurant,

• 23:48Annie Elise?

  which is in this kind of isolated, sketchy, industrial area, kind of. And I know a lot of the best and most authentic restaurants can sometimes look a little bit questionable on the outside. But I was trying to figure out why Jamie would make a nearly 30-minute drive when there are so many great places to go much closer. Maybe some of her friends asked her to go out to dinner, or maybe it's one of their hangout spots, because on their Facebook, you can tell that inside, it's definitely a lot of fun. They have two dance floors. One is outside on this really cool patio area. And they do salsa dancing and have parties. They also have Thirsty Thursdays. And on Fridays, they have karaoke and free tequila shots. With free tequila shots, margarita specials, and karaoke, it makes sense why Jamie and her friends would like to go there. And Jamie has said

• 24:33Annie Elise?

  that at Taco Boy, the restaurant where she had recently been hired, it was really the common place for the employees to meet up after work or go on their days off to just party on Center Street together. She said that everyone, from managers to servers, go together. And if you want to get closer to the higher-ups, you should definitely hang out with them. There's no telling how much Jamie had to drink at El Gallo. But I'm sure with the drink specials going on, it was probably more than one. Now, it hasn't been clarified why, but Jamie was driving a gray rental Toyota Camry. And she decided to drive herself to Center Street to meet up with people. On Center Street, she went to several different bars, like the Drop-In, the Crab Shacks, and Snapper Jacks. Even though Jamie became more visibly intoxicated

• 25:18Annie Elise?

  throughout the night, she continued to be served drinks at each of the bars that she went to. Considering her size and overall small frame, just one drink per bar would have pushed Jamie far over the legal limit to drive. Regardless, instead of calling an Uber, a Lyft, or even a friend, Jamie decided that she could make the 10- to 15-minute drive home. Snapper Jacks and Taco Boy share a parking lot. And from there, all Jamie would have needed to do was make one turn onto State Highway 171, and it would have been a near straight shot to James Island. A little before 10:00 PM, Jamie pulled out of the parking lot. But instead of going west toward the highway, she accidentally made a wrong turn

• 26:01Annie Elise?

  and started heading on East Ashley Avenue. Now, usually, if you make a wrong turn, there will be some side street that you can cut through to get back on the right track or an obvious place to make a U-turn. However, each end of East Ashley Avenue literally dead ends into the Atlantic Ocean with a lighthouse on one side and the Pelican Watch Pavilion on the other. So Jamie started driving in the direction toward the lighthouse, which seemed odd since that wasn't the direction she should have been going in. It just so happened that newlyweds Eric and Sam Hutchinson were riding in that same direction on a golf cart toward their rented Airbnb for the night. If Jamie had driven to and from Folly Beach several times before, she probably would have been highly confused

• 26:46Annie Elise?

  as to why she was speeding down a cramped, dark, two-lane road surrounded by houses. Maybe she hadn't even noticed that she had taken a wrong turn yet. Or maybe she was just trying to figure out which direction she was going and which driveway to turn into to turn around. Whatever she was thinking, it wasn't about the speed limit. I mentioned that most beach towns have a low speed limit due to low-speed vehicles. Bikes, people walking, and residential streets typically have low-speed limits anyway. On East Ashley Avenue and throughout all of Folly Island, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour and only increases to 35 miles per hour when you get out of the main beach area. So there was absolutely no time anywhere between Jamie's house and Folly Beach

• 27:30Annie Elise?

  where she should have been driving over 60 miles per hour. But she was. On that dark, narrow road, Jamie was going 65 miles per hour. Now, most of us know that alcohol causes blurred vision, reduces motor skills and your coordination. It causes delayed reaction and impairs judgment and so many other issues when it comes to being able to drive safely. One of the most important things a person needs to have while driving is a quick reaction time in order for your brain to tell your foot in a split second to slam on the brakes, to veer out of the way, or to anticipate an accident. Intoxicated drivers may not even realize they've been in an accident until it's already over. This is tragic.

• 28:13Annie Elise?

  But 100% preventable set of circumstances is exactly what took place that night after Jamie made the choice to get behind the wheel. Flying down the road at 65 miles per hour, Jamie slammed into the golf cart that was carrying Samantha and Eric Hutchinson and Ben and Brogan Garrett. By the time they had made it almost three miles going 25 miles per hour, most of Sam and Eric's family members had already made it to their rentals and had started getting undressed and winding down. That wasn't until everyone in the surrounding houses heard what sounded like a bomb go off somewhere outside. A resident on East Ashley Avenue came out of her house to see what was going on. And she was faced with

• 28:56Annie Elise?

  one of the most horrific accidents that she had ever seen. You can imagine how horrible accidents are when someone plows into a regular, stationary, or slow-moving car at high speeds. Those cars typically have doors, seat belts, airbags, and protection. A golf cart has seats, a plastic roof, wheels, and that's about it. When the car Jamie was driving made contact, there would have been nothing in between the car and Sam and Eric. Now, if you've ever heard or witnessed a car accident, it truly does sound like an explosion. The golf cart and the passengers in it were launched 100 yards, which is about the length of a football field.

• 29:39Annie Elise?

  The golf cart rolled several times and when the neighbors came outside to look, they saw people lying in various places on the ground and a mangled mess of metal. The woman who came out of her house first ran over to Eric, whose face was so badly injured, the woman couldn't even tell if he was alive. She found a pulse on him, so she went to check on the other victims. Brogan was miraculously able to stand up, but was clearly injured, walking unsteady and very confused. The woman then checked Ben, who had severe injuries and horrible road rash, but the woman was able to find a pulse. She then made her way over to Samantha, who was laying on the ground still in her wedding dress. However, the woman wasn't able to find a pulse on Sam.

• 30:24Annie Elise?

  One or more of the onlookers called 911 immediately, who arrived just minutes later. An officer began working on Sam by performing chest compressions until the fire department arrived. They took over, trying everything they could to save Sam's life, but it was clear that she was gone and had been killed on impact. Either one of the family members staying close by had realized what was going on, or Brogan called his mom, but soon the family was starting to show up to the chaotic scene of sirens, flashing lights, crying, yelling, and just complete and utter mayhem. Lisa and Mandy went out on the balcony of their beach rental and could see the flashing lights, when a moment later Eric's sister-in-law came speeding up to them and told them to

• 31:08Annie Elise?

  get in the truck. At that moment, they knew that something had happened to Sam. They drove the one mile of the scene and Lisa and Mandy jumped out of the truck and started running and screaming Sam's name. When they got there, they were told by someone that everyone had been taken to the hospital, but since they didn't have any of their IDs, they would be under Jane and John Doe's. There was still so much going on and the middle of the scene had been roped off by caution tape, so they weren't really able to see much other than the mangled vehicles. They jumped back in the truck and raced to the closest hospital, but since the hospital hadn't been told anyone's names yet, they had to just wait to hear anything. They had been waiting for over an hour when Lisa got a call from her ex-husband, telling

• 31:52Annie Elise?

  her that Sam hadn't actually been taken to the hospital. She was still at the scene in an ambulance, and she didn't make it. The only way he was able to identify her for the police was by looking at her tattoo. Eric, Ben, and Brogan had also been taken to a different hospital with a trauma center due to the severity of their injuries. Now, I don't think there are words to describe the way that Sam's family felt at that moment, so I'm not even going to try. To say they were devastated, angry, confused, and heartbroken wouldn't even begin to cover it. Right after the initial accident took place and people made their way out of their houses to try to assist the victims, before emergency personnel arrived, Jamie sat in her car,

• 32:36Annie Elise?

  dazed and confused for a few minutes before exiting the vehicle. She was completely uninjured, but the people around the scene began asking her if she was okay. They said that when Jamie saw the people on the ground, she began crying and screaming, "Who is that?" Then she wandered around confused and then would start screaming again. When the officer on the scene was relieved by the fire department and EMTs, he went to first check on Jamie, and then to try to find out what had happened. She was sitting down and the officer immediately noticed that she smelled like alcohol. He went and asked another officer to join him so that someone else could confirm what he believed he was witnessing, which isn't uncommon in potential DUI situations.

• 33:20Annie Elise?

  The officer asked Jamie what happened, and she said that she was driving home when all of a sudden, something hit her. He asked Jamie if she had anything to drink, and she said, "Oh, uh, I had a tequila shot and a mixed drink about an hour ago." The officer asked Jamie how she felt on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the most sober and 10 being the most intoxicated. Now surprisingly, Jamie told him she felt like an 8, even though she had supposedly only had two drinks. While Jamie was talking to officers, she kept her head down and wouldn't make any eye contact. The officer asked her if he could see her eyes, but when Jamie realized that she might be in trouble, she said no.

• 34:04Annie Elise?

  After that, she just became more and more uncooperative. The officer then asked her if she would be willing to do a field sobriety test, to which Jamie said no. He asked her if she would be willing to take a breathalyzer, and again, Jamie said no. But this time she added, "I think I want a lawyer." The officer asked Jamie to stand up, and when she stood, she almost fell over from being so unsteady on her feet. He had to hold on to her arm to make sure that she didn't fall over, and he told her that she was going to be placed under arrest for refusing a breathalyzer. When he turned Jamie around to put the handcuffs on, that's when she became very uncooperative and borderline combative. She started yelling and screaming, "Why am I being arrested?

• 34:49Annie Elise?

  I didn't do anything wrong." And Jamie kept pulling her arm away from the officer, saying that she wanted to call her boyfriend and that she wanted to go home. The officer realized that with everything going on, he needed to put her in his car for her safety and for everyone else's safety, but Jamie refused to put her legs and feet inside the car. No matter how many times the officer explained it, Jamie kept asking over and over, "Why am I being arrested?" Finally, one of the female officers on the scene had to go through the other side of the car and the other door to pull Jamie inside the car because she wouldn't bring in her feet and legs. When the officer arrived at the jail with Jamie, he asked her if she would consent to doing a blood alcohol test.

• 35:31Annie Elise?

  Jamie, of course, said no, but he told her that this was her opportunity to prove that she wasn't really drunk, but Jamie kept refusing, so the officer had to call a judge to come down to the station to sign a warrant to collect a blood sample. Now that late at night, a judge probably isn't just sitting by the police station, so it would have taken him a while to get dressed and get down there to sign the papers. Even after it had been a few hours since the accident, when results of the blood test came back, it showed that Jamie had a blood alcohol content of .261, which is nearly three times the legal limit. She was then taken to the county jail and was ultimately charged with one count of

• 36:14Annie Elise?

  reckless homicide resulting in death and three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury or death. She immediately had to be booked and placed under watch for self-harm risk after she threatened to take her own life on the way to the jail. When Eric and Sam's family had finally figured out where everyone had actually been taken, they waited at the hospital for news about their injuries. While Eric was still unconscious, a nurse handed his mother Annette his wedding ring that Samantha had just placed on his finger hours before. When he woke up the next morning, he was confused and in a daze, but the first question he asked was, "Where is Sam?"

• 36:55Annie Elise?

  Annette was faced with the excruciating task of telling her son that the love of his life was gone. Overall, Eric had suffered two broken legs, broken bones in his face, broken vertebrae in his back, brain bleeds, and numerous wounds. He needed multiple surgeries for his injuries, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional anguish he was now in without Sam. Ben Garrett, Eric's brother-in-law, suffered severe road rash and lacerations during the accident, and his son Brogan thankfully escaped with only minor injuries. Eric's mother set up a GoFundMe to assist with the medical expenses as well as the funeral arrangements for Sam.

• 37:37Annie Elise?

  He spent weeks in the hospital before he was released, and even though he continued his recovery at home, he will still need more surgeries in the future for all of the damage that was caused by the accident. Just when everyone thought that Jamie's actions couldn't get any worse, they did. Instead of just taking responsibility for drinking and driving, and released jailhouse phone calls between Jamie, her parents, and her boyfriend, people believe that she comes off incredibly unsympathetic, selfish, and just completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation. The calls with her dad seemed like he was enabling her behavior and more worried about fixing Jamie's jail problem than helping her come to terms with what she did and accepting

• 38:22Annie Elise?

  the responsibility. Why have they put me away for a really long time? Um, well, we're trying to avoid that, aren't we?

• 38:33Speaker 04

  We can't, cannot do anything more than what we're doing.

• 38:39Annie Elise?

  As a parent, it's our instinct, of course, to protect our children and to help them out of or through tough situations. I can completely understand not wanting your child to sit in jail, and dads especially are usually the ones who swoop in and make everything okay. But many people think that Jamie's father, Charles, isn't doing her any favor as by minimizing what his daughter did. In one of the released calls, Jamie literally said this sentence: "Why did this have to happen to me?" And her dad's response was because bad things happened to good people, honey.

• 39:14Speaker 07

  I just don't know why this had to happen to me.

• 39:17Speaker 04

  Because bad things happen to good people, honey. That's why. It's just, it's just me. It's just something that happened to you and we are going to deal with it the best we can, okay?

• 39:32Annie Elise?

  Instead of saying something like, "Honey, this didn't happen to you. You made a mistake and now we're dealing with the consequences." It's like they're not understanding that something bad happened to Sam, to Sam's family, to her, to Eric's family, to Eric. Like, this isn't about you. It's something you did. Now, I understand that as her dad, he wants to comfort her and remind her that this doesn't make her a bad person, in his eyes at least, but still. And here you can kind of see that he tries to tell it like it is, but he's talking to her like she's in middle school or something and got suspended for a fight, not like she killed someone while driving drunk.

• 40:11Speaker 04

  And it's life-altering. You're going to, you know, experience stuff that you've never thought of, and when it's all over and done with and everything is finished, you're going to be a better person.

• 40:30Annie Elise?

  In this next part of the clip, Charles asks Jamie what she thinks about the lawyers that he hired, and here's what she had to say about them.

• 40:37Speaker 07

  The lawyers today?

• 40:39Speaker 04

  I know. How do you like them?

• 40:43Speaker 07

  I like them.

• 40:46Speaker 04

  They're top-notch. They're not the job.

• 40:50Speaker 07

  They seem really good.

• 40:52Speaker 04

  Who?

• 40:54Speaker 07

  They seem really good.

• 40:56Speaker 04

  They are really good. At the same time, we can't be doing any better than what we're doing. We got the best team to help you, okay? You know what they said about your attorneys, right?

• 41:13Speaker 07

  What?

• 41:16Speaker 04

  They said, "The family must be wealthy to hire them to be here."

• 41:26Speaker 04

  The other thing-

• 41:27Speaker 07

  I didn't say that.

• 41:28Speaker 04

  I swear to God.

• 41:30Annie Elise?

  You can see why this portion of the call made a lot of people angry with their laughing, the mafia joke, and how it really just sounds like he's more concerned with getting her out of this than helping her through this, if that makes sense. And as it turns out, Jamie's dad wasn't the only family member who seemed to be excusing her behavior. And shockingly, Jamie wasn't even the only person in her family who had a connection to a crash that ended with someone dead. Because get this, shortly after Jamie's jail calls were released, reports surfaced that her mother, Tracy, had also been involved in a fatal crash back in 2013, so 10 years earlier. Now, in that case, her mom, Tracy, was driving near the scene of a fire when she swerved to avoid hitting a fire truck,

• 42:15Annie Elise?

  but instead crashed into a fire warden himself, named Jeff, and ultimately killed him.

• 42:21Speaker 06

  We've all heard those scary IRS radio ads that try to frighten you into calling, but Tax Relief Advocates is different. If you owe the IRS $5,000, $50,000, or even $500,000, TRA has a solution for your tax problem. It doesn't matter if you're in your car, at work, or with your kids. No matter where you are, visit TRA.com. Don't lose hope. TRA could reduce or even eliminate what you owe. Their passion is taxes and helping people and businesses fix IRS problems. They have over 1,000 5-star Google reviews and an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. You no longer need to fear the IRS. Generous tax relief programs are available now to give you a fresh start, so don't wait.

• 43:04Speaker 06

  Simply visit TRA.com. That's TRA.com, or call 800-583-6429. Once again, that's 800-583-6429. Tax Relief Advocates: Real Solutions for Real People.

• 43:20Annie Elise?

  Now, to be fair, see, Tracy wasn't accused of being drunk, and ultimately, she wasn't even charged because police agreed that the smoke had obscured her vision. So as she was swerving, it was because she was, again, trying to avoid the fire truck. The smoke was blocking her vision, and she accidentally hit Jeff, the warden, and killed him. However, the reason I bring it up is because it did get a lot of people talking, and it is not, I don't want to say like crazy or coincidental, but it is interesting that the mother and daughter, tragically, were both involved in separate reckless crashes that ended with innocent people losing their lives. It's tragic, it's eerie, and, like I said, the reason I mention it is because a lot of people were talking about it at the time.

• 44:03Annie Elise?

  Calls were also released between Jamie and her boyfriend, Evan. She talks to him about how awful the food is in jail, how she likes the soap, and just from the look on his face, you can see that he really wants to roll his eyes at some of these parts.

• 44:18Speaker 07

  Lunch today was, and it was two slices of white bread, an uncooked piece of bologna, like, very big, uncooked piece of bologna, and then like cabbage and two cookies.

• 44:41Speaker 04

  Oh, you got two cookies? Do you get any like condiments, like mayonnaise or mustard?

• 44:45Speaker 07

  No, no. They fed us hot dogs one night, two hot dogs, and no ketchup or anything.

• 44:56Speaker 04

  Oh my gosh.

• 44:57Speaker 07

  No buns or anything. It's so, it's so bad. But I just got my snack back in the mail today, so I have Doritos and cookies. These cookies are so addicting. I already ate like 20 of them today. So the cookies that they give you for dessert, sometimes you get cookies and sometimes you get cake. These cookies that they give you at this jail, I'm gonna start buying them when I come home. I'm not getting them.

• 45:25Speaker 04

  Oh my gosh.

• 45:27Speaker 07

  And I really like their soap.

• 45:30Annie Elise?

  Now, in other calls with both Evan and her dad, Jamie began discussing her own wedding, which, yes, you heard that right. She started planning her wedding from behind bars after just killing a woman on her wedding night, which, to me, I understand at some point, life goes on, but also it feels very insensitive, very cold, and very like, read the room, right? The portion of the calls that made people the most upset has caused more controversy in the public and possibly even more legal implications for people other than just Jamie. She discusses how the Charleston County Sheriff, Kristin Graziano, came to visit her in person and offered to help her out. Okay, now I want to give a little bit of context for this next clip that I'm going

• 46:15Annie Elise?

  to play, because I want to remind you that when this originally took place, COVID was still a pretty big concern in South Carolina. So inmates weren't allowed to have in-person visits with their families, and for some of them, it had been years since their last physical visit. However, allegedly, Sheriff Graziano arranged for Jamie's parents to be able to come and see her in person, which isn't a privilege awarded to other inmates. Many people believe this portion of the call shows that Jamie is being given preferential treatment.

• 46:45Speaker 07

  The deputy sheriff, like, whatever, like the head person of Charleston County, I met with her today, and she's like trying to help me out.

• 46:56Speaker 04

  That's good.

• 46:58Speaker 07

  And she like, is like, "You don't need, like, I don't want you in here. Like, you should be with your family," like, blah, blah, blah. So that's like really good.

• 47:07Speaker 04

  That is good.

• 47:11Speaker 04

  Yeah, the...

• 47:14Speaker 07

  So then I can hopefully be home to her. She's the head deputy, whatever. She was really nice, too. I think her name is Kirsten Demontez or something. But, um, she was, she's really nice and, um, I think she's gonna help me. So I think things are looking up. Things are looking up. Something similar happened, I guess, like to someone that she knew personally. And so she, like, related to her story. And like, she like, was just like really relating to me. And she just seemed really like sincere and like she really wants to help. And like, so I'm really happy.

• 47:57Speaker 07

  And, um, she also is the one that got my mom and dad able to like, visit me like, in person.

• 48:05Annie Elise?

  Now, you may be wondering how the media was even able to get their hands on these phone calls before the trial has even begun. At the beginning, during, and after any jail phone calls, there is an automated message that says something like, "Hey, these calls will be recorded and they are subject to review by law enforcement, yada, yada." So I think inmates, especially ones who have never been to jail before, might assume that if the calls are reviewed, they will only be reviewed by law enforcement, like the message said, not the whole world. But jailhouse recordings fall under the Freedom of Information Act, and the media and anyone else who submits a FOIA request can get them. Now, at first, only one news station requested the calls.

• 48:46Annie Elise?

  And after reviewing them, they realized that Jamie might be getting preferential treatment from Sheriff Graziano. Publicizing this would obviously outrage not only the public, but other inmates as well, who haven't been able to see their families. When the sheriff's office realized that these calls could paint Sheriff Graziano in a bad light, they decided that releasing them may not have been the best idea. However, they really didn't have a choice. And soon, more and more media outlets were requesting access to the calls. At first, the sheriff's office tried to stonewall the media and said that after further review, the calls could contain privacy concerns, AKA could make the sheriff look really bad. Their argument that the release of the phone calls

• 49:30Annie Elise?

  could interfere with the administration of justice. After denying media outlets access to the calls, one news channel filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Graziano for violating the Freedom of Information Act. The judge found the sheriff guilty of breaking the FOIA law and ordered her to pay for the news station's legal fees, which amounted to a little over $33,000. The footage was ultimately released, but the public outrage for the sheriff showing preferential treatment toward a defendant in the high-profile case didn't just go away after the ruling. Some people were even calling for Sheriff Graziano to be removed from office. And there were allegations floating around that Graziano had some kind of working relationship with Jamie's attorneys.

• 50:14Annie Elise?

  But the sheriff's office denied any wrongdoing. Their explanation was basically that, you know, Graziano visited the jail to check on the conditions, to make sure that the people being held there were being properly cared for, not just Jamie, but everybody in custody. So ultimately, the petition, it didn't really go anywhere. And Sheriff Graziano stayed in office, at least for the time being, until she lost her reelection bid a few months later in 2024. So now, switching back to Jamie's case. On August 1st, 2023, she had her first bond hearing, and that was to determine if she would remain in jail until her trial. Her attorneys filed a motion saying that Jamie was not a flight risk or a danger to the community, and asked that she be released on bond so that she could be admitted into a rehab facility.

• 50:59Annie Elise?

  They claimed that Jamie suffers from substance abuse and alcohol dependency, and needs to get help. Members of her family gave heartfelt statements assuring the judge that they would be her support system to help her through her recovery, and also would be responsible for her until a trial date. Samantha and Eric's family had words for the court as well, and they obviously did not share the same sentiment. They believe that Jamie made a choice to drink and drive, and knew the potential consequences of those actions. They believe that she does pose a risk to the community, especially if she has access to a vehicle.

• 51:33Speaker 05

  I'm Sam's mom.

• 51:36Speaker 05

  I've known you for longer than anybody in this courtroom.

• 51:41Speaker 05

  And yes, the defendants.

• 51:45Speaker 05

  I made a conscious decision to get into her vehicle after drinking all day and take away my daughter.

• 51:57Speaker 05

  I do believe she'd be a danger to the community because I wouldn't want anybody else to go through this. It's torn for our family.

• 52:08Speaker 05

  Other families, it's like, you, you didn't... I'm sorry. She didn't just kill my daughter.

• 52:16Speaker 05

  She killed us, all of us.

• 52:18Annie Elise?

  Jamie was sobbing during the bond hearing, but ultimately, the judge decided not to grant bond. And when Jamie heard the judge's decision, well, let's just say she was not too happy.

• 52:30Speaker 07

  Chelsea? Hi. Chelsea. Hi. Yeah. What happened? I, like, lost? What happened? You didn't get it.

• 52:44Speaker 07

  I'm sorry, Jamie.

• 52:50Speaker 07

  I'm sorry. We're all devastated.

• 52:53Speaker 07

  It's okay, Jamie. Call her.

• 52:56Speaker 07

  Jamie, you gotta calm down.

• 53:02Speaker 07

  Please, for us.

• 53:12Speaker 07

  Jamie, it's okay.

• 53:15Speaker 07

  Listen.

• 53:20Speaker 07

  It's okay, Jamie. Just breathe. And, you know, we're just calming down day by day. That's all we're gonna do.

• 53:32Speaker 07

  Jamie, please be careful. I know this is hard news.

• 53:43Speaker 07

  I know. It's okay, though. We're all here. We are all here, and you're gonna trip away at this day by day. And that's all we can do.

• 53:55Speaker 07

  Jamie.

• 54:04Annie Elise?

  Now, to me, that clip reflects exactly what Jamie's priorities were. Herself, and not much else. Certainly not the person that she just killed. However, just a short time later, Jamie actually got her wish. Part of the judge's original decision was that Jamie could only be held without bond for 10 months. He basically said that if the attorneys couldn't get their act together and be ready for trial within that timeframe, then Jamie would be allowed out on a $150,000 bond. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. And on March 1st, 2024, Jamie was released from jail with a GPS monitor and an alcohol monitor. But other than that, she was allowed to go home. Immediately following this horrific tragedy,

• 54:49Annie Elise?

  Sam's family said that they were committed to helping Eric through his physical and emotional recovery so that they could be there for each other during the inevitable traumatic grieving process of the person that they all loved more than anyone in the world. But some comments made by Lisa Miller, Sam's mother, caused some people to believe that there might be a rift building between the Miller and the Hutchinson families.

• 55:14Speaker 06

  I want to address one more thing here. Yes. Y'all don't have to ask me, but honestly, Samantha's name is Samantha Miller. She got married. She died on her wedding night.

• 55:30Speaker 06

  I'm sorry, but that is her legal name. And I would appreciate all the media to use her name out of respect for her family. It's no disrespect to the Hutchinsons. I'm, you know, glad that they had a ceremony. Um, but when we're talking stories and news stories and legal things, her name needs to be her name. And she didn't make it to the Social Security Office, so please, respect us and Sam, and call her what her name is.

• 55:59Speaker 06

  In your stories.

• 56:00Annie Elise?

  However, many people have sounded off online stating that this is clearly disrespectful toward Eric, who just lost his wife and Sam as well. In another interview, Lisa strangely explained that she really didn't want Sam to change her last name even before the wedding. She wanted her to keep the last name Miller, or at least hyphenate the two names. Some people believe that this was a very bizarre request, especially since she has a son who will carry on the Miller last name. And Samantha expressed to her mother that she wanted to change her last name to be Hutchinson, but that to make her happy, she and Eric decided that if they had a son, they would name him Miller. The growing tension between Eric and Sam's families became even more obvious in July

• 56:44Annie Elise?

  of 2024, because that is when Lisa filed a petition against Eric in court. Now, the legal issues between Lisa and Eric had actually started long before that. In fact, because just three weeks after Sam died, Lisa tried to challenge Sam and Eric's marriage, which this shocked a lot of people. People were like, how are you being so insensitive? Obviously, your daughter loved this man. Why are you trying to challenge the validity of their marriage? She would have stayed married to him had there not been this horrific disastrous, you know, tragic accident. And it put a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. But her argument was basically that because Sam and Eric hadn't consummated the marriage, it shouldn't count legally. Which if that were the case, and if the marriage, you know, was null and void, that would mean

• 57:28Annie Elise?

  that her mother Lisa would be the one managing Sam's estate, not Eric. So Eric's legal team responded by sending Lisa a proposal that she would get 50% of any money recovered from Sam's estate, so long as she agreed to not challenge Sam and Eric's marriage. So basically saying like, look, I love this woman. I don't want, I want to be married to her on paper still. We don't want to challenge the marriage. She meant the world to me. I get that you want to manage the estate. I will still give you 50% of her entire estate, but please just don't challenge the marriage. But even that, it still didn't satisfy Lisa. So in July of 2024, she filed that petition against Eric, accusing him of acting fraudulently in how he was managing Sam's assets.

• 58:13Annie Elise?

  Then about a month later, Eric and Lisa went to mediation, where Eric's lawyers pointed out that Lisa's petitions hadn't been filed with the right paperwork, and also pointing out that there was no South Carolina law saying that a marriage had to be consummated in order to be valid. So that detail right there ended up being enough for Lisa to withdraw her petition. So with that, a lot of people assumed that this disagreement had just been resolved right then and there, that there was nothing left to argue about, that it was kind of just like done. But apparently not, because just a few months later, in October of 2024, Lisa filed the same petition all over again. Now, some people think that the reason that Lisa was not satisfied with just 50% of Sam's

• 58:55Annie Elise?

  estate is because her estate doesn't only include things like her car and her insurance policies, but it would also include any money that was recovered through lawsuits filed on Sam's behalf against Jamie. And considering the way that Sam died, that had the potential to be a very large amount of money. And that's actually exactly what happened. Eric, who at that point was still the representative of Sam's estate, he filed a huge lawsuit on her behalf. And this lawsuit wasn't just against Jamie. It was against a lot of the different people who somehow were weaved into this horrific accident. Restaurants, rental car companies, you name it. He filed a wrongful death suit against not only Jamie, but all of the restaurants, bars, bartenders, and waiters that served her.

• 59:41Annie Elise?

  The lawsuit claims that these establishments continue to serve Jamie despite being visibly intoxicated, and that the businesses and staff have a duty of care not to allow customers to become intoxicated and not to serve alcohol to intoxicated persons. The lawsuit is also against Taco Boy, Jamie's new employer, accusing them of pressuring Jamie to attend a function that night and consume excessive amounts of alcohol. However, the management of Taco Boy claimed that they don't have any organized functions where employees drink together, and that Jamie never stepped foot in the restaurant that night. According to them, if Jamie went out that night, it was on her own accord and not as a result of any related work event.

• 1:00:23Annie Elise?

  Eventually, the courts agreed with the arguments, and they removed them from the lawsuit. Then, in June of 2024, Eric reached a settlement with several of the other companies that were named in the suit. That included Sam's life insurance policy, the rental car company that gave Jamie a car that night, and three of the restaurants that served Jamie before the crash. And a year later, Jamie's car insurance policy also agreed to a settlement. So those six companies, they agreed to pay out more than $1.7 million. We've all heard those scary IRS radio ads that try to frighten you into calling, but Tax Relief Advocates is different.

• 1:01:04Annie Elise?

  If you owe the IRS $5,000, $50,000, or even $500,000, TRA has a solution for your tax problem. It doesn't matter if you're in your car, at work, or with your kids. No matter where you are, visit TRA.com. Don't lose hope. TRA could reduce or even eliminate what you owe. Their passion is taxes and helping people and businesses fix IRS problems. They have over 1,000 5-star Google reviews and an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. You no longer need to fear the IRS. Generous tax relief programs are available now to give you a fresh start, so don't wait. Simply visit TRA.com. That's TRA.com, or call 800-583-6429.

• 1:01:47Annie Elise?

  Once again, that's 800-583-6429. Tax Relief Advocates, real solutions for real people. Eric received about half of that money, and then the rest, which was more than $700,000, it went toward legal and estate fees so that it could resolve the conflict with Lisa. In the end, Lisa didn't receive any money from Sam's estate, which I have to say is pretty interesting, considering that she had turned down Eric's initial offer for half of the money, only for her to then end up with nothing, while almost 3/4 of a million dollars went to lawyers just to settle this disagreement. And I have to say, even back then, when I first covered this case, and now, when money gets involved, I understand it.

• 1:02:31Annie Elise?

  Even when I was in my car accident, we sued the insurance and we got a little bit of money, and that went towards some of the medical bills that were not covered and different things like that. And then you also get the pain and suffering money attached to it. But there's something about this particular case, and tell me if you agree or disagree, because I think both opinions are, quite honestly, completely valid, but there's something about it that just feels a little gross to me, about duking it out over money that is money being obtained on behalf of someone else's death. And I don't know if I'm explaining that right, but the fact that Eric and Lisa were arguing over this money, who was going to get money, where the only reason there was any money

• 1:03:12Annie Elise?

  is because his wife and her daughter was killed, and they're fighting over it, it just feels gross to me, almost like you're losing sight of things. And I understand too, you hold people, you want to hold people accountable, lawsuits are the way to do that sometimes, all the things. So I'm not saying there shouldn't have been lawsuits, absolutely, but it starts to feel a little greedy and a little bit misguided, as though you're not fully realizing, you know, the severity, not the severity of what happened, but just like, I don't know, there's something gross about it to me. And I know I'm doing a really shit job explaining this right now, but let me know if you guys agree or disagree, because I'm sure you understand what I'm saying. So, and the truth is, no matter whose side you're on between Eric and Lisa, the reality

• 1:03:54Annie Elise?

  is that they both did lose somebody incredibly important to them. And no settlement, no lawsuit, and no amount of money could ever bring Sam back. Just as the lawsuits were being resolved, the biggest update yet in this case, it came. And this was on December 2, 2024. That day, Jamie decided to plead guilty. Now, it's not totally clear whether she truly understood the damage that she had caused, and she wanted to take accountability for it, or if she just realized that she didn't have a shot in hell in front of a jury. But either way, Jamie admitted that she was guilty of felony DUI resulting in a death, also reckless homicide, and two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury.

• 1:04:37Annie Elise?

  So that just left sentencing, which this was the victim's final opportunity to really drive home the point that, yes, maybe Jamie didn't intend for any of this to happen, but her choices were so reckless, so negligent, and so devastating that she still does need to be punished. There needs to be justice and accountability. And during victim impact statements, Eric and Sam's families did exactly that. Lisa pointed out that no matter what sentence Jamie received, it would never be enough to repay the lifetime that she took from Sam.

• 1:05:10Speaker 05

  She doesn't get a part of it. She doesn't get to come back for like 10 years, 40, 20 years, and we don't get to come back, okay, 25 years.

• 1:05:28Speaker 05

  This is a lifetime.

• 1:05:29Annie Elise?

  Brogan, who remember was a passenger in the cart and just 17 years old when his life was changed forever, he shared how this impacted him as well.

• 1:05:39Speaker 06

  These are the things I have to say about me, the fear of getting there as a victim has caused me to feel so bad. I can't stop shaking my head, you know, while I'm crying. You know, I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going

• 1:06:24Speaker 06

  to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going to die, and I'm going

• 1:06:30Speaker 06

  Leaving the driver, did there was something that I could have done? Something I could have done different? I replayed those events leading up to a constant pain in my mind. Like, "Bro, go back, we did self-stand so long." How long was that, that stoplight, listening to this all? Could I have gone a different path? Could I have gone slower? Could I have gone faster? These are the things that I struggle with.

• 1:07:15Speaker 06

  Every day. Every day, I'm in constant pain and have no way to get through it. I have to go to work, I have family support, and I work in a truck and the drive along. So I can't take pain through it. When I get up in the morning, I say a prayer that the pain today will not be that bad and that I'll be able to do the things that I need to do to take care of my kid. It is a daily struggle. Some days, it's hours. But I'm not the James choice to drink and drive that night.

• 1:07:58Speaker 06

  He did try every day to get better.

• 1:08:02Annie Elise?

  And then Ben said what all of us were probably thinking. And he called Jamie out on all of those insanely cruel and honestly stupid jail calls.

• 1:08:12Speaker 06

  There is a statement that Jamie made, one of the calls to her father, where she asked, "Why did this happen to me?" Like, she didn't have control over this. Your Honor, nothing happened to Jamie. Jamie happened to Sam. Jamie happened to Eric. Jamie happened to broken. Jamie happened to me. Jamie happened to everybody that was in fact, like this. She chose well before that night to drink and drive, and it would be okay. It was gone.

• 1:08:49Annie Elise?

  Of course, all of the victim impact statements were incredibly moving. But the two of them that really got to me were from Sam's biological dad, Brad, and from Eric himself. Because you could just tell that these were two men who absolutely loved Sam from the bottom of their hearts, with their whole hearts. And their pain was just absolutely palpable. You could feel it. Brad said that he hated Jamie. And honestly, I can't say that I blame him.

• 1:09:21Speaker 06

  I've never felt this much weight. This person. He's such a beautiful person, white. She is loved by so many. I didn't realize how many people over the past year and a half I've earned from people that actually hate you. I may love Sam, may have met Sam, know him, know Sam. For the rest of my life, I'm gonna hate you.

• 1:10:04Speaker 06

  And when I arrive in hell, if you come there, I'll open the door for you. You have ruined so many people's lives. And I hope you understand what you did, because you've taken no responsibility for what you've done. You can apologize all you want later. I will not listen to your word. It's not working.

• 1:10:34Annie Elise?

  Then came Eric's statement, and it was absolutely devastating to hear. He said that he wished that he had died that night so that Sam didn't have to die alone. And this moved everyone in the courtroom. Even the court reporter started crying. And I'd be lying if I said that it didn't make me emotional too, to just be like, not even to say like, "I wish it was me instead of her," or "I wish I had died too so I didn't have to live with this pain and this loss." But that wasn't it. It was, "I wish that I had died too so that she didn't have to be alone." Still thinking about her and what her experience was in all of this. It's heartbreaking.

• 1:11:12Speaker 06

  I was north of the age, you have a feeling that Sam. Ever said die that night? For a minute to go alone? Or for a study to come? Because I felt like all starts, you would only run the ocean. And pray God, maybe you miss that all starts. We did not get it. We got ran through at 65 miles per hour.

• 1:11:56Speaker 06

  There's no way, any four of us, any three of us to be alive. All four of us should have died that night. But I'm a firm believer, Sam stayed up, that if you see it, she was a big one for all of us. That takes me, takes me, uh... The guilt of death that I live with, every single second of every day is unbearable. You take a great human being and go to bed. She's not coming back. Gone.

• 1:12:39Speaker 06

  You're in my world. And I give anything just for one part of the whole reason. If there are things that can't be helped. I wish every day. Do you know what it's like to vow to protect your wife? To do anything for her? And then the losers, hours after that? Something that was anything to go through.

• 1:13:12Annie Elise?

  After all of those incredibly emotional statements, it was the defense's turn. They needed to put up some sort of argument to try to get a lesser sentence for Jamie. They argued that Jamie deserved a lighter sentence because she didn't have a previous criminal record, aside from a couple of traffic violations. They also acknowledged that Jamie had a severe addiction to alcohol, which honestly, I don't doubt that at all. However, I do have to say that the way that they framed it, it definitely felt like an excuse. It kind of came across to me like, "Well, you know, she shouldn't be punished too harshly because she was really drunk and she has a dependency on alcohol." Which, that doesn't matter. Get drunk all you want. Get drunk until you blackout inside your own home.

• 1:13:55Annie Elise?

  You don't operate a vehicle if you're getting that drunk, alcohol problem or not. And I get it, it impairs your decision-making and all of that. But still, it's like, that is not an excuse. Or that shouldn't be used as an excuse for a lighter sentence. To me, it's just completely ass-backwards. I mean, in my opinion, the fact that she was drunk, it doesn't make her less responsible. It makes her more responsible. She still chose to drink. She chose to get behind the wheel. And because of that, Sam is gone. And the judge seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Because she started pressing the defense about why Jamie hadn't sought out treatment for her addiction while she was in jail. Saying, you know, "Okay, well, if she really does have such a huge addiction, why isn't she getting treatment now that she's behind bars?"

• 1:14:39Annie Elise?

  Now Jamie responded that the alcohol recovery program was never offered to her. And the judge was kind of basically like, "You know, girl, it's your responsibility to sign up for that. You don't need somebody to hold your hand, offer it to you, and force you to do it. You're an adult, you can figure it out. You can't just sit around waiting for the program to come find you." However, the defense did say that Jamie had been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous. But again, the judge was skeptical. She said that if Jamie's addiction was really as severe as the defense was saying, then she needed something more involved. Something like inpatient treatment, which she had never gone to. So after all of that back and forth, Jamie ended up taking the stand herself. And this is something that really did surprise me at the time.

• 1:15:20Annie Elise?

  Because a lot of times when we see a defendant take a guilty plea, whether it's in exchange for a certain sentence or to avoid the death penalty or whatever it is, they don't often either take the stand at sentencing or allocate or do anything because they take the plea as a way to just not take accountability. And I know that's weird because they're pleading guilty, but like, they're to not have to face the music. So when Jamie took the stand during this, I was kind of like, "Oh, wow. Okay, what's gonna happen here?" And she said that she was accepting responsibility for her actions and that she was committed to treatment for her alcohol issues. She also said that she hoped that she would be released soon so that she could start a master's program and help other people who are struggling with addiction.

• 1:16:03Annie Elise?

  And listen, Jamie's statement, it was well-written, okay? I'll give her that. But it's hard to not compare that version of Jamie to the version of Jamie that we heard in the jail calls. The one giggling, complaining, asking, "Why did this have to happen to me?" Plus, where's the justice for Sam in all? Jamie wants to get out so that she can go get her master's degree, start a career, build a new chapter of her life, all these things. Which, great, yeah, that sounds ideal, that sounds perfect. But those are opportunities that Sam will never get. It was all taken from her because of your actions, your choices. So after weighing everything from the prosecution, the defense, and the victim impact statements, the judge was ready to hand down Jamie's sentence.

• 1:16:45Annie Elise?

  Now Jamie was facing anywhere from one to 25 years in prison. And even though she pleaded guilty without a deal, meaning the prosecution, you know, didn't come to her and say, "Hey, plead guilty and we'll recommend five years," or anything like that, it was pretty clear that Jamie's team was expecting a sentence that would be on the lower end because she pled guilty. Again, even though nothing was definitively agreed to or there wasn't any sort of deal exchange, it was their assumption that, okay, she's taking accountability, she's pleading guilty, they'll go easy on her. So, what I want you to do, for those of you who are watching the video version of this, and for all my podcast listeners, you can look at the timestamp right now and go watch the video version when you're done with this episode.

• 1:17:26Annie Elise?

  But knowing that detail, I want you to keep an eye on Jamie's face when her sentence is read.

• 1:17:38Speaker 05

  I'm listening very intently to everything that has been presented to the order. And I have taken into consideration the mitigation that has been presented.

• 1:17:51Speaker 05

  And based on what has been presented to the court, I find it following appropriate in the nature of sentencing on the offense of reckless driving reckless homicide, which is 2023 GS 10-3895, you're sentenced to the State Department of Corrections for a period of 10 years and $5,000 provided upon the service of 10 years.

• 1:18:17Speaker 05

  For you.

• 1:18:20Speaker 05

  On both counts of felony DUI grade bodily injury, you're sentenced to the State Department of Corrections for a period of 15 years and $5,100 provided upon the service of 15 years. And on the offense of felony DUI with death, you're sentenced to the State Department of Corrections for a period of 25 years and $10,100 provided upon the service of 25 years. These sentences are concurrent with one another and you'll get credit for suing to 241340 if that becomes applicable.

• 1:18:52Annie Elise?

  Jamie received the maximum sentence, 25 years in prison. Now, when the judge read that sentence, you could see it all over Jamie's face. That's why I said, if you want to go watch the video for my podcast listeners, you can see it all over her face. She was completely shocked. She really seemed to believe that the judge was going to go easy on her, probably because everyone had gone easy on her her entire life, but not this time. Now, we obviously know that 25 years, that will never bring Sam back. It won't erase the trauma that Eric, Brogan, Ben, that they survived that night and that everybody had to survive after losing Sam. It won't undo the pain that Sam's family has to carry every single day since that happened.

• 1:19:34Annie Elise?

  However, it was the strongest sentence that the judge could give, which sent a very clear message. What Jamie did was unacceptable. It was cruel, it was reckless, and it destroyed lives. But of course, in true Jamie fashion, she did not see it that way because just 10 days later, her team filed an appeal. They argued that her sentence was disproportionate compared to other similar DUI cases in the area. They cited a case of Lisa Pistolas, a drunk driver who sped over a median and killed another driver and only received six years in prison because of that, saying, you know, look at that situation, six years to 25 years, you know, obviously they're not, it's not

• 1:20:18Annie Elise?

  apples to apples, which, listen, to me, it sounds less like Jamie's sentence was too harsh and more like that other sentence was probably way too light, in my opinion. I think drunk driving needs to be, you know, harsher, no matter what, even if somebody doesn't lose their lives, but especially if somebody loses their lives. I mean, it's just, it's the most selfish decision somebody can make in a day and age of Ubers, ride shares, walking, scooters, which I know scooters can cause accidents too, but like, there are so many options at our fingertips with technology and with choices. It's like, it's selfish from A to Z. It's selfish to drink, it's selfish to not call an Uber, it's selfish to get behind

• 1:21:00Annie Elise?

  the wheel, it's selfish to maybe be on your phone while you're driving and you're drunk too. Like, it's just, there needs to be harsher punishment, in my opinion, because it is the ultimate act of selfishness. Either way, the state argued that Jamie's sentence was in line with the sentencing guidelines and ultimately, a different judge agreed. So Jamie's sentence was upheld, meaning that those 25 years are going to stand. Jamie is not eligible for parole and she will remain in prison until April of 2045, when she will be 47 years old, which that's an age that Sam will never reach. Sam will never get to go on her honeymoon with Eric, she'll never get to snuggle with her cats or have children of her own or continue her career or give her mom a hug.

• 1:21:44Annie Elise?

  Her entire future was ripped away from her, all because of this woman's reckless choices that night. And look, even though I'm glad she still has the max of 25 years, she's going to be 47 when she gets out. She still is going to have such a big life ahead of her. She can get married, she can maybe have children and different ways to have children too, but like, she can have a life. It's not like she's not going to get out until she's 90 years old. It's just, I don't know, I get it, it's a long time, but still, to me, it is a just punishment. That being said, I hope that this tragedy can help put into perspective the devastation that drinking and driving can cause. And hopefully, before someone gets behind the wheel, they will remember Sam and find another ride.

• 1:22:27Annie Elise?

  The day Sam passed away, she was the happiest she had ever been. She got to experience what she wanted to do more than anything, which was to marry Eric and become Samantha Hutchinson. She had a positive and long-lasting effect on everyone during her life, and I know she will continue to do so in death. I'm curious to know what you guys think. I mean, first and foremost, thank you for listening. I really appreciate you listening to Sam and Eric's story, but I am curious to know what you think about it. Do you think that Jamie's sentence was too harsh, especially compared to what a lot of drunk drivers receive? Or do you think that that's exactly what she deserved? And where do you stand on that divide between Eric and Sam's mom, Lisa? Do you think that there was some weirdness with that and the validity of the marriage

• 1:23:11Annie Elise?

  being called into question and the money and all of that? Or maybe am I just such a pessimist because of so many cases I've covered that I see it differently? Let me know what you think, either in the comment section on YouTube, Q and A section on Spotify, or if you're listening on Apple, you can leave a review if you scroll down to the bottom of the podcast page, hint, hint, leave a five-star review. No, but you can type in, in the review section, what you think about this case. So, I appreciate you listening to their story and I just, again, I wanted to reopen this case because I think it serves as a reminder for so many of us that it's fun to go out, to drink, to party, to be careless, but even if you think you're okay to drive, whether you've only had one or two, err on the side of caution. We live in a day and age again where we have so many different tools accessible at our

• 1:23:56Annie Elise?

  fingertips. And I get it, things are expensive right now, inflation, not everybody can afford an Uber or a ride share, but my point is drunk driving is the most reckless and selfish choice that somebody can make. And I think that Eric and Sam's story, it serves as a reminder for all of us to just be more cautious and careful. And heck, even being out on the road late at night, even if you're not driving. I was out on the road with my husband and my sister on the 4th of July. We left the restaurant at, gosh, it was before midnight, it was like 11:45. We were in an Uber, I had had, I had had half a cocktail that night, but we still called an Uber regardless. But the amount of crazy people on the road that late, because it was the 4th of July,

• 1:24:39Annie Elise?

  people driving without their headlights on, people swerving, people like, like weaving in and out, it's just scary. So, I know the expression when I was growing up is like, nothing good happens after midnight, but like, I think this episode and knowing their story can serve as like two reminders. Don't drink and drive and be extra cautious. Also, if you're going out and out late at night, if you're younger, older, whatever, just know that those sometimes are the kinds of people on the road and so you need to be on high alert because it is scary. It's a scary place to be. I know I just went off on a tangent, so I'm really sorry for that. Now, really quickly before we go, over the last couple of days, a ton of footage has been released regarding this case.

• 1:25:21Annie Elise?

  I'm talking body cam footage, interrogation footage, so many pieces of information and video that, in my opinion, illustrate not only the entitlement, but the lack of remorse. And I wish that I could play them for you all here, they just do not unfortunately translate well for my audio-only listeners. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to do a bonus episode on YouTube this Friday where I walk you through all the body cam footage, the interrogation footage, everything so you can get a visual, you can hear it, you can see it, because I really think you need to see her body movements, her attitude, how she is trying to play this down, how she feels like she deserves more rights and nice treatment and all of the things.

• 1:26:04Annie Elise?

  So, if you are a podcast listener, this is your sign to go, make sure you're subscribed to my YouTube channel, it's Annie E. Lise, and subscribe so that you get the notification for Friday. And for all my YouTube viewers, another reminder, if you're not subscribed yet, subscribe now so that you don't miss it. Friday, it will come out, 9:00 AM Pacific time, you are going to want to see this because although there have been clips going around on social media, when you see the whole thing, you are not going to believe it. And I'm going to pull like the five to 10 biggest what the hell is going on moments and break it down for you. So, little added bonus for you there. Make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss it, Friday, 9:00 AM. Thank you guys so much for listening.

• 1:26:49Annie Elise?

  If you're watching this on YouTube, don't forget, hit that subscribe button, hit that like button, share it with a friend. And if you're watching this episode and you are a boomer or an adult like me and you have kids or you have teens, share this episode link with them just to help educate on the dangers of drinking and driving. Thank you so much and I will be back with you next week with an all-new case. Until then, stay safe. Bye.

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