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The spine-chilling murder of Charlene Puffenbarger, a 26-year-old woman, is explored and chronicled in the latest episode 3 of the crime docu-series Murder in the Heartland Season 5. The episode makes its arrival on Investigation Discovery, or ID, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 9 pm. Eastern Time (ET).
According to the official Investigation Discovery synopsis for the brand new third episode of Murder in the Heartland's fifth season tilted, Toddlers Terrible Tale:
"In the small town of Twinsburg, Ohio, Charlene Puffenbarger's 3-year-old son is the only witness to her brutal murder; as investigators continue to follow every tip that comes in, an unexpected source leads them to the killer."
Without a shred of doubt, followers of the true-crime series have been quite eager to learn all about the horrifying Charlene Puffenbarger murder case. So, without further delay, let's dive right in to find out some significant facts about the chilling murder case.
Learn 5 vital facts about the bone-chilling Charlene Puffenbarger murder case
Who was Charlene Puffenbarger?
Charlene Puffenbarger was a 26-year-old woman, originally from Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, U.S. Born on August 16, 1965, Charlene was the daughter of Charles Kenneth Puffenbarger (father) and Phyllis Puffenbarger (mother). She had two siblings, Terry and Kenny.
Charlene was the mother to two little boys named Derrek Puffenbarger and Dustin Puffenbarger who were 2 and 3 years of age at the time of the terrible incident.
What happened to the 26-year-old woman?
Puffenbarger had a bright future ahead of her. However, her precious life came to an end after she was brutally killed at her home in Twinsburg Township, Summit County, Ohio, in the United States.
She was cold-bloodedly beaten, then strangled and suffocated to death in a terrible way.
Who murdered Charlene Puffenbarger?
It was reportedly Willard McCarley, Puffenbarger's former boyfriend with whom she had a 2-year-old son, who took away her life on January 22, 1992. According to police reports, the reason behind the murder was McCarley's intention not to pay child support money for their son.
During the court trial, Puffenbarger's mother stated the following about what her daughter said about Willard McCarley:
"He [McCarley] said he would see her dead before he’d pay child support" (Via Akron Beacon Journal)
Who reportedly witnessed the brutal murder?
One of Puffenbarger's sons, the three-year-old D.P., unfortunately, saw the murder of his mother. Both of the victim's sons were there in the apartment when the murder took place.
A few days later, the 3-year-old boy began to talk about her mother's horrible death. He said:
"Policeman got buttons. What do you come to my house for. What you do that to my mom. You break window. Bob. Policeman hit mommy. Put tape on her. Put nuts in her mouth. Bad boy."
The boy also gave testimony in two of the three murder trials of his mother.
What happened to Willard McCarley?
Willard McCarley has stood trial 3 times collectively till now for the monstrous killing of his ex-girlfriend Charlene Puffenbarger in 2005, 2007, and 2017, respectively.
In all three trials, he was found guilty of the heinous crime. However, the man still maintains his innocence. On April 13, 2017, he was given a sentence of a lifetime behind bars with the possibility of parole 20 years later. McCarley, 58, is serving his prison sentence.
Watch episode 3 of Murder in the Heartland season 5, which premieres on Investigation Discovery on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 9 PM ET.
