Dateline: Who was Lisa Jennings and what happened to her? Shocking details of the death, revealed

The Dateline episode titled “A Crack in Everything” was first aired in 2018 and examines the case of Lisa Jennings, which first seemed like a suicide. The episode also explores the emotional impact on Lisa's children, who woke to horror and confusion, along with the interviews of the police, family, and legal experts involved in the case.

Lisa Jennings was murdered in the bedroom of her farmhouse with a gunshot wound to her head. She was 39, and a wife, sister, daughter, and mother of three kids. The authorities received a call from her home around 2 am on the day of the attack and found that her body was unresponsive, lying near the closet area.

Later, the investigation led to Brad, her husband, with whom she had a fight the previous night, but in 2018, even Brad was acquitted, leaving the fate of the case unknown. Read on to know more.

Who was Lisa Jennings, & What happened to her, as shown in Dateline?

Lisa Marie Sample Jennings was 39 at the time of the murder and lived in Dallas County, Missouri, with her husband, Brad, and three children. A former hair salon owner was then a computer technician. In 2006, during the early hours of Christmas Day, Brad and Lisa argued at home, and later Lisa was found dead in their farmhouse bedroom. She had a gunshot wound to her head.

Authorities initially concluded it was suicide, as a .38 revolver was found under her body. Gun was prematurely ruled that the muzzle was pressed to her head, and residue was confirmed. The medical reports later revealed that Lisa's blood alcohol level was approximately 0.15%, per reports, which is considered high.

Here are some shocking details of the death, as shown on Dateline

It was Lisa's sister, Shawn, who questioned the verdict and pressed law enforcement to revisit the case. Eventually, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reopened the investigation and conducted a blood spatter analysis. It was observed that Lisa's hand had only a drop, which is not possible in the case of suicide. This ruled out self-inflicted harm. Moreover, her blood on Brad's bathrobe suggested proximity at the time of shooting.

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During the investigation, evidence surfaced that Lisa was allegedly having an affair and considering leaving Brad. This made him the prime suspect in the case. In 2009, Brad was arrested, tried, and convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving a 25-year prison sentence.

But here's the twist: in 2018, the conviction was overturned due to suppressed evidence, including a negative gunshot residue test on Brad’s clothes and questionable spatter testimony. Brad was released on bail, and prosecutors ultimately dismissed the charges.

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