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ID's Murder in the Heartland recently covered the brutal 2012 murder of Elizabeth Baune at the hands of Michael Culley and Jonathan Hernandez.
The episode, titled The Kind Sister, was shocking to a great degree as Elizabeth was a kind relative who offered Michael Culley and his mother a place at her home due to their unfortunate circumstances at the time. However, Michael paid back this favor with a burglary attempt and a subsequent murder with the help of his accomplice Jonathan Hernandez.
Both Michael and Jonathan were struggling drug addicts, which was also possibly the driving force behind the robbery attempt that killed Elizabeth. They were eventually arrested for the murder, and sentenced to 45 years to life in prison.
Michael Culley is currently incarcerated at Saguaro Correctional Center under the Idaho Department of Correction, while Jonathon Hernandez is at Idaho State Correctional Institution.
Michael Culley's mother discovered Elizabeth's body
Michael Culley was Elizabeth's relative and suffered from a drug addiction problem from a very young age. Elizabeth, a teacher known for her kindness and generosity, opened the doors of her house to Michael and his mother so they could take refuge there.
However, Michael Culley's mother, Brenda Jo Cloud, called the Payette Police Department on November 7, 2012, and reported that Elizabeth was dead in her house. Police found that the teacher had been stabbed 29 times. The authorities deduced that it was an attempted robbery gone wrong.
Michael Culley and Jonathan Hernandez could not evade the law for long. Both of them were arrested in connection to the murder that same month. Throughout the trial, they maintained that their primary motive was robbery. Michael used to sporadically live at Elizabeth's house at the time and had decided to rob it with his friend to make some money.
Culley and Hernandez's testimonies after their arrest were different by some considerable degree. However, both of them admitted that the plan was robbery. It seems that they also confirmed killing Elizabeth because she had woken up in the midst of the burglary.
Both of them were found guilty of the murder and sentenced to 45 years to life in prison. According to reports, Hernandez punched a Payette County jailer during his time. Culley, on the other hand, tried to sue his jailors to get a reduced sentence. They ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Culley is currently serving his sentence at the Saguaro Correctional Center under the Idaho Department of Correction, whereas Hernandez is incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution. They will both be eligible for parole in 2057.
Murder in the Heartland season 1, episode 2 covers this in detail. It is scheduled for a rerun on December 12, 2022, on ID and is also available for streaming on Apple TV. Stay tuned for more updates.
