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In November 2009, a Vermilion, Ohio, resident named Jeremy Simko was gunned down in the second-floor bedroom of the house he shared with his wife Julene, who called authorities to report the murder. According to her, an intruder shot him dead, but authorities found no signs of a break-in or any other unusual DNA or prints inside the house.
With only one suspect in mind, investigators examined the case for years before finally getting a breakthrough in 2013 that revealed dark secrets about the couple's individual past lives and marriage, which suggested a possible murder motive for Julene Simko. She was found guilty of Jeremy's murder in 2017, and sentenced to 28 years to life in prison.
This article will further highlight and discuss a few crucial revelations from the case that helped authorities bring Jeremy Simko's killer to justice ahead of Snapped's upcoming episode titled Julene Simko, which airs on Oxygen this Monday, December 26, at 5 pm ET.
Jeremy Simko murder case: A mysterious case, a bondage agreement, a suspicious wife, and two other facts to know about the killing
1) Jeremy Simko's wife called 911, claiming that she found her husband dead
On November 18, 2009, Jeremy Simko's wife, Julene, hysterically dialed 911, reporting that her husband had been shot dead in the bedroom of their North Ridge Road home and that the assailant was still inside the house. However, when authorities arrived at the crime scene, they discovered no signs of a break-in, and she was the only person present in their house at the time of the murder.
2) Investigators learned about Julene's traumatic past and Jeremy's issues
Investigators who were looking into the murder learned that the victim, Jeremy, was a dominant and aggressive person who was always ready for a fight, and that Julene was s*xually assaulted by her father when she was young. Sources state that her father even served time for his actions. They, however, were a typical, happy couple. Their marriage seemed flawless from the outside.
3) There were two weapons found inside Julene and Jeremy Simko's house
Inside their house, authorities discovered multiple alarms set up on doors, windows, and the garage. They also found a large gun safe beneath the stairs, as well as a .357 magnum revolver in the kitchen, with five live cartridges and one spent. They also found bullet holes and another gun, a 9mm Smith & Wesson, in their bedroom, along with used s*x toys.
Julene Simko told authorities that on the morning of the murder, she woke up and found her husband dead. She allegedly heard someone inside the house and got the Smith & Wesson for protection. It was revealed that neither weapon had any prints on them, suggesting that they might have been wiped clean.
4) Authorities stumbled upon a bondage contract a few years after Jeremy's murder
Years after Jeremy Simko's murder, investigators stumbled upon incriminating evidence, including a 14-page master-slave agreement and BDSM photos and videos of the couple, which led to a significant breakthrough. They felt that Julene was being forced into engaging in s*xual activities with her husband, but she eventually claimed that it was consensual.
The marriage contract was in reality a master-slave agreement, and it stated that Julene would be his daughter and Jeremy would be her father. They had extremely strict rituals and instructions for how each was supposed to act. Authorities were concerned given the fact that Julene went through something similar in her childhood, and they thought that she was once again being forced into it.
5) Julene was found guilty of three counts, including aggravated murder
Investigators alleged that Julene Simko shot her husband in the back of the head with a .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson and then called 911 to report his death. At the age of 39, she was found guilty of three counts, including felonious assault, aggravated murder, and tampering with evidence, and was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison.
Snapped airs the case on Monday, December 26, on Oxygen at 5 pm ET.
