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Jerry Palensky was only out of prison for a few weeks, starting his new job as a ranch hand on the Elko County property of John and Linda Fields, when he disappeared in December 2003. The following January, his battered body was found in the frozen Jordan River near Salt Lake City. An autopsy confirmed that the immigrant from the Czech Republic died of blunt force trauma to the head.
A thorough investigation and a crucial tip led authorities to the ranch owners, who were eventually convicted in the case. It was alleged that Linda Fields, who was the beneficiary of Palensky’s $300,000 life insurance policy, either killed him or had her husband kill him to claim the money. However, she was released from prison after a fresh trial in 2013, although her husband John Fields continues to serve time.
On Tuesday, February 21, ID's Calls From the Inside will air a brand-new episode titled Murdered by Manipulation to chronicle Jerry Palensky's brutal death. The synopsis of the upcoming episode states:
"When a ranch hand is found dead in a river outside of Salt Lake City, investigators across two states must work together to catch the killer; searching for the truth uncovers a trail of fraud, deception and adultery, shocking a small town in Nevada."
The upcoming episode will air on ID at 9.00 pm ET.
Jerry Palensky's murder: Five quick facts to know about the Elko County ranch hand's murder
1) Palensky's body was found in the Jordan River weeks after his disappearance
Jerry Palensky, who worked as a ranch hand in John and Linda Fields' Elko County, Nevada, property was last seen on December 18, 2003, as per the couple. The Fields claimed that Palensky, who had an alcohol-abuse problem, was very drunk, and they had to send him back to his trailer, which was located within the premises of the same ranch.
Palensky's body was found submerged in the frozen Jordan River about 15 miles outside Salt Lake City, Utah, weeks later on January 14 of the following year. According to reports, a birdwatcher first spotted the body in a rarely accessible river area filled with snow and called the Elko County Sheriff’s Department to report it.
2) Jerry Palensky's skull was completely crushed, and his clothes were still on
When Palensky's body was found, upon detailed examination, authorities realized that he was not wearing any boots, although he was fully clothed, and that he had been dead for over a week. Moreover, his skull had been completely crushed. A subsequent autopsy confirmed that he sustained multiple fractures to the skull, which suggested that he had been fatally struck in the back and front of the head.
Following the autopsy results, the medical examiner was able to confirm that Jerry Palensky died of four fatal blows to the back of his head delivered using a blunt instrument, which was never found. The coroner also determined that his body may have been submerged in the river for up to 24 days.
3) The victim had been released from prison a few weeks prior to his disappearance
According to records, Jerry Palensky was allegedly an alcoholic who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2002 for DUI.
After his release in October 2003, Palensky moved into his trailer on John and Linda Fields' ranch and started working there as the couple's ranch hand until his disappearance on December 18. That was the day the Fields claimed they last saw him.
4) Palensky had given Linda Fields power of the attorney, who then took out a hefty insurance policy in his name
John Fields got to know Jerry Palensky when they first met in New Mexico long before he moved to Nevada and married Linda in 1995. The couple were well acquainted with Palensky and even provided him with shelter during frigid cold winters when it was too chilly to stay in the trailer home. He also gave Linda Fields power of attorney due to his flimsy hold over the English language.
Linda and Palensky even had an agreement, following which she liquidated all of his assets after his 2002 DUI conviction to settle his gambling debts and other loans. She allegedly sold all of his properties in Utah, paid off any outstanding debts and utility costs for his trailer space and had his trailer relocated to the ranch.
Fields claimed that she also took out a hefty $300,000 life insurance policy in Palensky's name as per his request, since she was the sole beneficiary. Authorities alleged that this life insurance money was the motive behind the murder.
5) John and Linda Fields were convicted in Jerry Palensky's murder case
Jerry Palensky's case initially went cold due to insufficient evidence, but was re-opened in September 2006 after Linda Fields' brother tipped off authorities, claiming that she later confessed to murdering the ranch hand. Authorities found the information credible after locating the red Toyota pick-up truck the source claimed his sister used to move Jerry’s body.
Linda was convicted on an open murder charge in March 2007, receiving life in prison without parole. Her husband John Fields' trial followed in August when he was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and use of a deadly weapon in October of that year, receiving two life terms in prison with an additional 10 years.
However, the former's conviction was overturned, and she was found guilty of a lesser charge in 2013, receiving 10 years. Linda was released from prison days after her sentencing after she was given credit for the time already served.
