'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACBAAAgIBAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAFBhMHCBIhMQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMRAAICAwADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAEiIhMXH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AKG3r0d29t81F02KtdaMT1+G/XRlItofJmlAZiQV9AjIqn7PKcs8rprHEruxWNSSEBPwErjGVoU64MsmnTN5OxxWLc7pGrMCF9cj5n//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When Vietnam War veteran Bob McClancy was found dead inside his home in 2006 with a bottle of pills scattered around him and a gun on his lap, his family, friends, and deputies from the sheriff's department believed that the 56-year-old died by suicide. McClancy was reportedly suffering from PTSD and struggled with mental health issues, which made suicide more probable.
However, a deeper investigation into the former marine's life, his then-wife Martha Ann McClancy, and the questionable activities of his good friend and bogus war veteran Chuck Kaczmarczyk dismantled the suicide theory and unraveled the truth behind his suspicious death years later.
A tale of fraud, infidelity, greed, and deception summed up the murder of Bob McClancy, who was delivered a lethal dose of prescribed medication by his wife to get him out of the way so she could be with her lover Kaczmarczyk. The duo was convicted for their crimes.
On Tuesday, January 10, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will further explore McClancy's captivating case in an upcoming episode titled Secrets In The Smoky Mountains. The episode will air at 11.00 pm ET on Oxygen and its synopsis reads:
"Bob McClancy was a beloved detective. His death was ruled a suicide. Loved ones were suspicious. United by grief, his widow and good friend found themselves falling in love. Then Bob's son started asking questions and uncovered a secret."
Bob McClancy's death was initially ruled a suicide caused by an apparent overdose of antidepressants
Bob McClancy, a former marine and Vietnam War veteran who also worked as a sheriff’s detective in Florida, retired in Tennessee with his wife, Martha Ann McClancy, whom he met while serving in law enforcement. According to sources, McClancy suffered from PTSD as a result of his time in the military.
His stepson, Martha's son Sean McGavic claimed that "certain type of trigger noises would just cause him to have a freak-out moment" and that "PTSD affected Bob pretty bad."
In 2006, McClancy was prompted to enroll in an in-patient program for therapy. It was then that he first met Chuck Kaczmarczyk, a fellow war veteran who was also receiving treatment for PTSD. The two became close, remaining good friends even after they left the institute. However, Bob’s continued to suffer from mental health issues.
On the afternoon of May 15, 2006, Kaczmarczyk found 56-year-old McClancy dead at his home in Coker Creek, Tennessee, and called 911. At the scene, authorities found him lying dead on his recliner with a gun, which had not been used, and pills scattered around him with white foam coming out of his mouth.
Since there were no signs of a break-in or struggle, and given the victim's history of mental health problems, the incident was initially ruled a suicide from an overdose of antidepressants by the medical examiner. His wife Martha Ann further claimed that he would frequently abuse his medication and that he most likely overdosed. However, his cause of death remained undetermined.
Bob McClancy's wife Martha Ann married his good friend Chuck Kaczmarczyk and plotted his murder for financial gain
The events that occurred after his death eventually revealed a sinister murder plot that circled around a love triangle and years of lies when Bob McClancy's wife Martha Ann married his good friend Chuck Kaczmarczyk. Authorities discovered that the two were defrauding the government of Social Security and veteran benefits based on bogus claims and lies.
Furthermore, it was Martha Ann's son and Bob's stepson Sean McGavic who helped authorities find evidence that would incriminate his mom and Kaczmarczyk in the death of the war veteran. Sean used photos found on his mother's computer of the murder scene. Later, a confession from Kaczmarczyk revealed that the two poisoned Bob by using his own medication for financial gain.
It was revealed that the two began their affair when Bob McClancy was still alive and plotted his murder together. Martha had been hiding Bob's prescribed pills in his food, which eventually led to an overdose that killed him. The two later staged the crime scene and documented it by taking pictures using a digital camera and saving them on Martha's computer.
Chuck Kaczmarczyk pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while Martha Anna denied her involvement and was eventually found guilty in her November 2015 trial. She was found guilty of attempting to commit first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Learn more about the case on Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered this Tuesday at 11 pm ET.
