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In October 2014, Air Force veteran Christopher Regan disappeared without prior notice and was only reported missing by his former partner Terri O’Donnel ten days later. His abandoned car was found, and a note discovered inside led authorities to the home of Regan's alleged girlfriend Kelly Cochran and her husband Jason.
However, due to a lack of evidence, the case went cold thereafter and was only reopened in 2016 after Jason died of an apparent heroin overdose. Kelly soon became a suspect until she confessed to first killing her husband by giving him an overdose before suffocating him to death. She was also found guilty in Regan's murder and dismemberment case, despite putting the blame on her dead husband.
The case will be explored in Snapped's upcoming episode titled Kelly Cochran, which airs on Oxygen this Friday, December 30, at 7 pm ET.
Christopher Regan murder: Five quick facts to know about the shooting and subsequent dismemberment of the Air Force veteran
1) Clue found inside Christopher Regan's car led authorities to the Cochrans
Regan, who reportedly disappeared on October 14, 2014, was only reported missing ten days after his former partner, with whom he was scheduled to meet to patch things up, failed to hear from him. Authorities soon found his abandoned car and, upon searching, discovered a note with Kelly and Jason Cochran's home address. Police soon arrived at the couple's doorstep.
2) Authorities soon learned about an affair between Regan and Kelly Cochran
Upon interrogating the couple regarding Christopher Regan's disappearance, authorities learned that he was allegedly having an affair with Kelly Cochran, who was married at the time. The two first met while working at a factory job manufacturing naval ship parts in Iron River, Michigan, and soon became lovers despite their 20-year age difference. Regan was dating Terri O’Donnel back then.
3) Kelly and Jason Cochran moved to Indiana, where the latter was killed
After an FBI investigation at the Cochrans' house in March 2015 drove the scared couple out of town, Christopher's case ultimately went cold, and they relocated to Hobart, Indiana. Following their relocation, Kelly allegedly killed her husband in February 2016.
When EMTs arrived at the scene at the couple's Mississippi Street residence, they found Jason Cochran unresponsive, and his cause of death was determined to be an overdose. It was later revealed after Kelly's confession to police that she gave her husband a fatal amount of heroin on purpose, causing him to overdose, and then smothered him to death.
4) Christopher Regan's murder details only surfaced after Jason Cochran's killing
Kelly Cochran admitted to luring Christopher into their house, where Jason shot him. The two then dismembered his body and disposed of the body parts in the woods. She further disclosed to police that her lover's death was clearly fueled by a pact she and her husband made on the night of their wedding to "kill off anyone involved in their extramarital affairs."
According to reports, Jason unintentionally learned about Christopher Regan and Kelly's relationship of over a year in October 2014. He allegedly saw a notification on her phone from him and demanded that she fix things by luring him into their house with a promise of s*x. He then hid inside the room and emerged from the shadows and shot Regan in the head at point blank range.
5) Kelly was found guilty in Regan's case and pleaded guilty to Jason's murder
After confessing to her role in Christopher Regan's murder, Kelly Cochran helped the police locate the spot where they found the victim's severed head with a noticeable gunshot wound, a broken weapon, and a pair of glasses they believe belonged to Regan. A.22 caliber bullet from the suspected murder weapon was also recovered. The victim's remains were identified using dental records.
Cochran was found guilty of first-degree murder and multiple other charges in Regan's case and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in May 2017. While already serving a lengthy sentence, she pleaded guilty to her husband's murder and was given an additional 65-year term.
