Murder Tapes on ID: Where is Kemia Hassel now?

The upcoming re-airing of Murder Tapes on Investigation Discovery is all set to shed light on the murder of Sergeant Tyrone Hassel III, who was killed by Kemia Hassel, his wife and an active-duty soldier, and her lover, Jeremy Cuellar. The shocking case still reverberates in the town of Berrien County, Michigan, despite the two culprits getting their punishments.

Dating back to New Year's Eve of 2018, this brutal case was the subject of Murder Tapes season 7 episode 8, which originally aired on October 22, 2022, and is set to re-air on January 16, 2024, at 7 pm EST. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"Officers find Tyrone Hassel III shot to death outside his father's home while on holiday leave from the Army; investigators must unravel a real whodunit, and when the killer finally reveals themselves, the detectives can't hide their shock."

Shortly after the murder, Jeremy Cuellar was arrested and charged after he confessed nearly everything. Kemia Hassel's arrest and conviction followed, with the soldier initially refusing to let the truth out.

Ultimately, Kemia was charged and convicted following a lie detection test. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2019, where she continues to be in the present.

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Why did Kemia Hassel kill her husband, Sergeant Tyrone Hassel III?

Kemia and Tyrone got married young and shared a 2-year-old child at the time. Things seemed to be going perfectly for the couple, who were both in the army, but Kemia Hassel was allegedly not very satisfied with the marriage, mainly because of Tyrone's workaholic nature.

Soon, Kemia allegedly started an affair with Private Jeremy Cuellar. The Hassels and Cuellar were all stationed in South Korea, where Kemia and Cuellar reportedly continued their affair. An army personnel also spotted this flirtatious behavior and reportedly informed Tyrone, but he turned a blind eye to it.

After allegedly planning for months, during which Kemia would often inform Cuellar about Tyrone's movements, on New Year's Eve of 2018, Tyrone was gunned down right outside his father's house by Cuellar while Tyrone returned home with some food for his wife from a cookout that his father hosted. Tyrone was shot three times.

Tyrone and Kemia (Image via Oxygen/Youtube)

The initial investigation drew a blank until Jeremy Cuellar reportedly revealed the incident to a fellow soldier. The soldier immediately informed the authorities and Cuellar was arrested. He confessed that Kemia had orchestrated the whole plot. Kemia Hassel did not want to confess, and it took a polygraph test to ultimately charge her.

Kemia was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder as well as conspiracy to commit murder. Her sentence also included no parole. Cuellar was sentenced to 65 to 90 years in prison for second-degree murder.

Kemia submitted a petition seeking a retrial, claiming that she was a victim of Battered Woman Syndrome, but Tyrone's father vehemently denied that his son was capable of violence.

Kemia Hassel is currently housed at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan.