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Halee Rathgeber, a nursing student at the University of Southern Indiana, was murdered at the age of 20. Her body was found with a gunshot wound to the head near a soccer complex about 15 miles from her workplace in Warrick County. Authorities also realized that her belongings, including her wallet, phone, and key, were missing from the scene.
Due to a lack of forensic and physical evidence, investigators began interviewing people connected to Halee when they found out that she was with Isaiah Hagan on the night of her death. Hagan claimed that he dropped her off at the soccer complex, but his phone records and blood evidence found at his house suggested otherwise.
On Wednesday, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen will revisit Halee Rathgeber's 2017 shooting death in an episode titled On the Outskirts of Town. The episode will air on the channel at 11.00 pm ET on February 8, 2023.
The synopsis of the episode read:
"Halee Rathgeber enjoys taking care of others and hopes to become a nurse, but what makes no sense is that someone wants her dead; the crime scene tells detectives little, but a jaw-dropping moment in the courtroom speaks volumes."
Isaiah Hagan's conviction, Halee Rathgeber's plans on the night of her death, and more details about the case
1) Halee Rathgeber's cause of death was confirmed to be a gunshot wound to the head
On April 24, 2017, Halee Rathgeber, a 20-year-old nursing student at the University of Southern Indiana, was found shot to death in the parking lot of the Alcoa Soccer Complex in Warrick County. Her body was found in the gravel in the parking lot by a woman and her daughter driving past the area.
A blue towel was discovered near her body, and it seemed like she had been shot in the back of the head. Moreover, none of her belongings - her purse, phone, or keys - were recovered from the crime scene. Two successful autopsies were able to determine her cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the head.
2) The incident occurred after Halee's work shift at Texas Roadhouse
According to reports, Halee was shot to death after her shift at the Texas Roadhouse in Evansville, which is about 15 miles from the crime scene. She was invited to go out for drinks with friends that night, but declined, and instead, made plans to head to the library with her friend Ansley to study.
But her plans changed given that she went to see another friend named Jordan to pick up her wallet at 10 pm. Jordan was dating someone named Thaddeus Rice, who was highly disliked by her friends.
3) Thaddeus Rice was the first suspect in Halee Rathgeber's murder
Since authorities did not have any evidence during the initial stages of the investigation, they resorted to questioning those close to the victim. This was when the name Thaddeus Rice surfaced as a possible suspect. Authorities learned that Halee had previously been questioned in connection with an unrelated murder investigation involving a suspect and her so-called friend Rice.
Thaddeus Rice then became a prime suspect in the case because detectives believed that if Halee disclosed information about Rice back then, he would have the perfect motive to murder her. But he was soon ruled out as the killer when another suspect was named during the investigation.
4) Halee Rathgeber's friend Isaiah Hagan was placed at the scene of the crime
The focus then turned to Isaiah Hagan, a friend of Halee Rathgeber who had a reputation for stealing or borrowing money. According to sources, he had also taken money from the victim, which authorities believe may have sparked a dispute between them.
Authorities learned that Hagan met the victim on the night of the murder. He allegedly said that he dropped Halee off at the soccer complex, where he claimed that she was scheduled to meet someone else. Hagan then claimed that he even tried contacting Halee around midnight, but she didn’t answer.
The FBI, who had been enlisted to help, were ultimately able to retrieve Halee Rathgeber's cellphone data one week after her murder. The data showed that both their movements were identical on the night of the crime. Their phones were seen moving to the soccer grounds at around 11 pm, after which Halee's phone went off. However, it was turned on again at around 3.20 am before being switched off.
5) Hagan's mother testified at his second trial which likely helped in his conviction
Isaiah Hagan's first trial resulted in a mistrial. However, his mother testified in court during the second trial, claiming that he had confessed to her about accidentally shooting Halee Rathgeber. She further disclosed to the court that Hagan disposed of the murder weapon in the dumpster.
Due to his mother's testimony and other key circumstantial evidence, he was found guilty of three charges, including murder, obstruction of justice, and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. In 2018, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will revisit the murder of Halee at 11.00 pm ET on February 8, 2023.
