Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen - What happened to Amyjane Brandhagen and where was she found?

Modified Sep 07, 2023 03:03 GMT

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's new episode, Someone Was Out There, will revisit the shocking 2012 murder case of 19-year-old Amyjane Brandhagen. The episode will not only feature a detailed inspection and insight into the events that led up to the incident but will also shed light on the aftermath of Brandhagen's death and how her family is doing today. The episode is slated to premiere on Oxygen on September 6, 2023, at 7 pm ET.

The official synopsis of the episode, as per IMDb, reads:

"One murder in broad daylight, then another brutal attack almost exactly a year later; police discover a chilling connection between the victims, and many fear they had a serial killer on their hands."

The Cinemaholic reveals that Amyjane worked part-time at Pendleton Travelodge and Subway. Her relatives recounted how she frequently made eye contact with others, leaving an impression on them with her accepting, open, and loving nature. Therefore, it came as a shock when the dead body of the 19-year-old Christian teen was found on August 14, 2012, in a motel room's restroom.

Amyjane Brandhagen's body was discovered by the detectives lying on the restroom floor with about a dozen stab wounds, the majority of them close to her heart. According to reports, there was no proof of a s*xual assault.

Amyjane Brandhagen's murder was solved after a year of investigating

CBS News reports that Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts revealed that the police were unable to find any viable suspects in the case. He commented:

"Everybody knew her characterized her in the same way. She knew no stranger and didn’t have an evil bone in her body.”

Additionally, the forensic team discovered a skin sample under Amy's fingernails, suggesting that she had struggled in her final moments. None of the DNA samples provided by her employees or visitors matched the DNA under Amyjane's fingernails. Eventually, the case went cold for a year as no new developments were made.

It wasn't until August 2013 that the police were able to make a major breakthrough. Karen Lange, a coworker of Amyjane Brandhagen who had left her house to take a walk, was found unconscious on a street near her house. Due to a heavy blow on the head, Lang had lost a lot of blood and was in a critical condition. However, she was given prompt medical attention that saved her and prevented her from going into a coma.

While investigating Lange's case, the police pulled up surveillance footage of the area where Lang took her walks. Upon checking, they spotted a man who had been following Lang for several blocks while concealing a metal pipe. Shockingly, as the police tried to discover more about the man, they came to the realization that his description matched the exact description of the man they had suspected in Amyjane Brandhagen's case.

The Cinemaholic reveals that during the investigation into the man's identity and whereabouts, an officer at the Pendleton Police Station recognized him as Danny Woo. Woo had been arrested and prosecuted numerous times for petty crimes.

Their suspicions were finally confirmed when the bloody pipe they spotted in the surveillance footage was found in a nearby baseball field. The DNA retrieved from the pipe matched the sample found under the fingernails of Amyjane Brandhagen.

Danny Woo was finally arrested and charged by the police on the counts of murder and attempted murder. Not only did Woo confess to both crimes, but he also revealed to the police that he had no ulterior motive to kill Brandhagen and claimed that he just wanted to see how it felt to take someone's life.

Danny Woo was sentenced to 35 years in prison and is currently incarcerated.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's new episode arrives on Oxygen on September 6, 2023, at 7 pm ET.

Edited by Siddharth Satish