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The upcoming episode of Homicide Hunter: American Detective on Investigation Discovery is all set to focus on the brutal murder of Tera Lewandowski at the hands of DJ Meyer, Crystal Griffin, and a few of their accomplices in what can be considered a needless scenario. This case remains one of the strangest in the history of Colorado as a woman with no particular enmity with anyone became the victim of a "gang."
The upcoming episode of Homicide Hunter: American Detective, which premieres on July 10, 2024, at 9.00 pm EST, will cover this case in detail and will take a look at all the perpetrators involved in this grizzly crime. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"A mother raises the alarm when her daughter goes missing from the Colorado house she had recently moved into; while Det. Ben Endreson is investigating, an unusual suspect comes forward to confess her involvement, but her story doesn't quite add up."
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While none of it initially made sense, the authorities finally narrowed down on the subjects when Crystal Griffin, DJ Meyer's girlfriend and one of the "21 gang" members, came forward to tell the story. Later, Scott Hanchett, another of the people involved in the murder, confessed to the police, leading to multiple arrests.
DJ Meyer was sentenced to life in prison. Every other accused, including Crystal Griffin, was also sentenced to prison for 12 to 50 years.
Who were DJ Meyer and Crystal Griffin and what did they do to Tera Lewandowski?
Tera Lewandowski was a warm 34-year-old woman who loved animals and had suffered enough in life owing to two back-to-back car accidents that made her undergo big surgeries. She also got addicted to pain medications during this and had to give up her hopes of becoming a veterinarian.
Looking for a fresh start, she decided to move in with Crystal Griffin and Daniel "DJ" Meyer after meeting them at her rehabilitation center. She rented a room in DJ's Pierce house, but things did not go so smoothly for long.
Within ten days of her moving in, Tera Lewandowski's mother received a concerning text from her. When she went to her Pierce home, she had disappeared. It would be over seven months before the police would find her dead body in Laramie County, Wyoming.
As authorities dug deeper, they found out that DJ Meyer used to hang out with kids much younger than him and was allegedly a part of a gang. They called themselves the 21 gang. This included Michael Vassil, Chad Iler, and Karly Hanchett.
After weeks of no lead, Crystal's brother allegedly reached out to the police, saying he knew what happened to Tera Lewandowski. But before that, Crystal agreed to confess. She revealed that Tera had fallen on the bad side of the gang and had a heated argument with Karly Hanchett, whose boyfriend, Michael, was the gang's alleged leader. She also revealed about Scott Hanchett, Karly's brother and one of the people involved in the murder.
Scott Hanchett was allegedly the one to deliver the fatal blow, and he was also the one to confess to the police about the murder. He revealed that DJ Meyer stabbed Tera in the chest, he stabbed her in the spine, and Karly beat her with a pipe. They later rolled her body in a carpet and disposed of the body in Wyoming.
Crystal Griffin revealed that she was not part of the murder but helped dispose of the body. Chad Iler, Michael Vassil, Scott Hanchett, and Karly Hanchett were all arrested along with DJ Meyer for the murder of Tera Lewandowski.
Where is DJ Meyer and his accomplices now?
Following Scott Hanchett and Crystal Griffin's confessions, the police arrested and charged all of them with murder. DJ Meyer stood trial in May 2017 and was almost immediately convicted to life in prison. He continues to serve in Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Colorado.
Crystal Griffin took a plea deal and received 12 years in prison at a halfway house. All the other accused, Michael Vassil, Karly Hanchett, Scott Hanchett, and Chad Iler, were also sentenced to 12 to 50 years.
The upcoming episode of Homicide Hunter: American Detective will cover this case in more detail.
