We've all done things we wouldn't have otherwise for love. We've faked liking movies we hate, we've found ourselves eating at restauarants we don't like because the other person loves it, we've found ourselves digging up corpses to use in faking the death of our husbands...

OK, maybe not that last one. But Molly Daniels, 24, of Georgetown, Texas did.

There were two motives behind the crime: Daniels both wanted to collect a $110,000 life insurance policy on her husband, Clayton Daniels, and also to hide him from police after he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a probation violation. Clayton Daniels had made a plea bargain to stay out of jail, but like a true dumbass, he'd violated the terms of his probation by failing to report to his probation officer. So rather than let her husband do 30 days in jail, Molly Andrews decided it would be wiser to desecrate a grave, and then fake a fatal car crash by pushing a car with the corpse in it off a cliff.

After that, she introduced a new boyfriend, "Jake Gregg" (no relation to the author of this story). There seemed to be something odd about this "new" boyfriend:

He looked a lot like Clayton Daniels but had dyed black hair. Investigators say Molly Daniels also had forged documents to create a new identity for him, including a fake birth certificate and a Texas drivers' license.

Neighbor Scott Regier said he had barely known Clayton Daniels, and never got a good look at "Jake Gregg" because the man was rarely outdoors.

"Before the whole incident, we'd wave and say hello," Regier said. "Afterward, when they pulled in the driveway, she would get out of the minivan, open the garage, and he would pull in. The guy never got out."

Police were almost immediately suspicious of the crash, and the corpse in the crash, because it didn't quite seem to add up.

The accident scene had no skid marks or signs of a high-speed crash. The hottest spot of the fire was the driver's seat, and charcoal lighter fluid had been used as a fire accelerant. DNA samples from the burned corpse couldn't be matched with one from Clayton's mother.

In searches of the house later, police found searches Molly Daniels had done on faking deaths and getting new identites, as well as searches on plastic surgeons in Mexico.

So, the scheme to have Clayton Daniels duck out on a 30 day sentence has ended very badly for the two of them: Molly Daniels got the maximum 20 year sentence after pleading guilty to insurance fraud and hindering apprehension, and Clayton Daniels awaits trial on arson charges that could get him 20 years in prison as well.

So here's the lesson for the day, kiddies: yeah, things might look bad, you might have to do a little time, but digging up a corpse and setting it on fire isn't a good way out of your troubles.

hermetica

Cook Islands

January 2004

MAY 09, 2005 07:04 AM

Well, there goes MY plans for the weekend.

Love

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

MAY 09, 2005 07:04 AM

Someone dug up a corpse for me? I'm flattered.

Alecks

Visalia, CA

October 2004

MAY 09, 2005 07:07 AM

i guess making everything bigger IS a trend in Texas... even prison sentences

=-> Alecks

bskyb

United Kingdom

April 2004

MAY 09, 2005 07:09 AM

nothing say 'i love you' like a dead body to pass off as your very own!

dpk

Seattle, WA

November 2004

MAY 09, 2005 07:37 AM

20 years seems pretty extreme for "insurance fraud" and "hindering apprehension". Or even digging up a dead body.

I really doubt prison time is going to help her learn right from wrong, heh.

mister_x

Plano, TX

January 2003

MAY 09, 2005 07:51 AM

i'm hoping these two rather dim people do not have children.

[Edited on May 09, 2005 7:51AM]

Alecks

Visalia, CA

October 2004

MAY 09, 2005 08:07 AM

also i hope she doesnt develop a plan to kill someone and dress it up like her and have it sit in the cell so she can escape...honestly wouldnt that be great if that were her answer to everything?

=-> Alecks