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People Magazine Investigates season 5, episode 11 delved into the case of four co-conspirators, Andrew Wamsley, Chelsea Richardson, Susana Toledano, and Hilario Cardenas, killing a Texas couple to inherit their estate back in 2003. The case gained national recognition mainly due to the brutal manner of the murder and the involvement of Andrew Wamsley, who is the biological child of the murdered couple, Rick and Suzanne Wamsley.
The case could be solved because of Susana Toledano, who was the friend of Chelsea Richardson, one of the accused of masterminding the entire ordeal. At the time of the crime, Chelsea was dating Andrew, and after Andrew's parents cut him off for dropping out of college, the duo came up with this scheme. The murder was preceded by two failed attempts, in which Toledano also participated.
According to reports, Susana Toledano was the only one linked to the crime due to physical evidence. Strands of her hair were found in the clutches of Rick Wamsley's closed fist. When the police took her into custody, she confessed to the crime and agreed to testify against the other three to avoid the death penalty. She was sentenced to life in prison. She is currently at William P. Hobby Unit in Falls County, Texas.
Who is Susana Toledano and what did she do?
Susana Toledano was a 19-year-old Texas native who studied at Everman Joe C. Bean High School with Chelsea Richardson. She was Chelsea's best friend and also her roommate. She was reportedly working part-time at a fast-food restaurant and having a hard time finishing school.
It was perhaps her financial condition that drew her to her roommates' fatal plan. Susana later claimed that the duo forced her to shoot and kill the old couple but she was also the one who shot their car in the group's second attempt to assassinate Rick and Suzanna Wamsley.
As soon as the investigation kicked off, there were some latent doubts about Andrew Wamsley, whose sister also allegedly stated that she feared for her life and suspected her brother's involvement in the double homicide. Thankfully, there was physical evidence for the police to follow.
When the police found a DNA match with Susana Toledano, she was extradited to Texas and taken into custody. She confessed to the crime and revealed the names of her co-conspirators. She also agreed to testify against Andrew Wamsley, Chelsea Richardson, and Hilario Cardenas to avoid the death penalty.
In exchange for this, she was sentenced to life in prison by the jury with the possibility of parole after 30 years. Her testimony was crucial in sentencing Andrew and Chelsea for the murders of Rick and Suzanna Wamsley.
Susana Toledano maintained that she was forced by her friends to commit the crime but she also told a psychiatrist before the court proceedings that she considers herself more guilty than the others as she knew what she was doing was wrong but did it anyway. She also allegedly claimed that she could have prevented the murders but did not.
As of now, Susana Toledano remains incarcerated in William P. Hobby Unit in Falls County, Texas.
More details about the case are available in People Magazine Investigates season 5, episode 11, titled Red Christmas, which is scheduled for a rerun on December 19, 2022, on ID.
