[narrator] A trustworthy neighbor is a stroke of good luck.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
You should meet the rest of the family.
It was something new and fresh and we loved it.
[narrator] But luck can quickly be reversed.
He was not very responsible with finances.
What about the rent?
He would go and borrow money from somebody.
What the hell?
[man] I want my freakin' money!
[narrator] And soon enough, you are buried in more than just debt.
I can't give you the money that I don't have.
That's all we can afford.
Satanic markings on the windows.
I do not know what possessed her
I was just shocked.
Shocked.
The worst house I've ever been in.
The most gruesome case that I've been a part of.
A literal house of horrors.
[woman] Good to see you.
[woman speaking indistinctly]
[man] I know what you did.
-[woman] Stay away from my neighborhood. -[man] Get away from my wife!
What about now?
[woman screams]
[narrator] Far from busy Orlando,
the sunny town of Deltona is a family community.
Nestled in the peaceful Florida scrub.
[Joseph Riley] Deltona, Florida is a relatively large community.
Built back in the '70s and '80s,
mainly, as a bedroom-type community
for, you know the growing Orlando area.
[narrator] Enjoying life here is Angela Stoldt,
who settled in the area after years of instability.
Angela, she was a military brat
and she did-- she grew up at different military bases throughout the world.
[Brent Curtis] She was in some very rocky relationships
before she ended up in Florida.
I'm off to work, babe.
[narrator] But Angela has found love with husband, Steven,
who works in the city.
Angela's marriage to Steve was actually a happy one.
Steven, he seemed all right.
Pretty normal.
[narrator] The wife and mother spends much of her time
caring for her two teenagers from previous marriages.
She had two kids. A boy and a girl.
[narrator] She also helps her elderly father,
who resides nearby.
-Mom. Mom. -Can we stay at our friend's tonight.
-Oh, sure. I know I can use the break. -[boy] Thanks.
When she arrived in Florida, I think she was happy.
Angela, she had found a place where she
could exist without anxiety and fear.
[narrator] When not looking after her kids,
Angela spends much of her time on her own.
She was very much the introvert type of person.
[narrator] But when a new family moved in across the street,
Angela feels a push to introduce herself.
Angela met James Sheaffer as him and his family were unpacking their belongings.
[narrator] The Sheaffer family has just arrived here from North Carolina.
Oh, hi. I'm Angela.
Hello. James.
Great to meet you.
James was the opposite of Angela.
Outgoing, extrovert, confident.
He was more of, like, wild, crazy, outgoing,
loudest guy in the room, party animal-like type guy, bruh.
[narrator] James' outgoing personality
immediately helps met the ice between him and his neighbor.
Wow. Well, welcome to the neighborhood.
Love it. You should meet the rest of the family.
Candy, Tyler, come on over.
[narrator] Joining James is his common-law wife, Candy and his on Tyler.
We all talked, like, very briefly outside.
What brings you to Deltona?
You know, I lived in Fayetteville for ten years.
But I was definitely ready for a change, you know?
Well I can only listen to so much gunfire before I get tired of it.
What Candy means is, we just needed something new.
We just wanted to be somewhere else.
And Florida was definitely that.
The brightness and everything just cheered us all up.
You know what I mean? It was...
Something new and fresh and we loved it.
Well, we should get back to our boxes.
Um, but let's get together sometime.
My dad, he was just a good guy, man. He had a lot of friends.
[narrator] Both neighbors believe Florida offers aa change of fortune.
But fortune can also change for the worse.
I was just shocked. I was shocked.
-Who's hungry? -Pizza.
[narrator] James works hard to provide for his family
and their new home.
Congratulate your dad, Tyler.
This pizza is from his new job.
[narrator] Yet his colorful record
makes it difficult to secure employment.
He couldn't get away with a full-time job
so he just did what he could do on the side
to get that money without being on the books.
-New job? -[James] Yeah.
How'd that happen so fast?
Well, you know me, son.
Gotta give 'em some of that good old Jimmy Charm.
[Tyler] This man delivering pizzas
and convinced these people to hire him under the table.
And that was it.
He was straight from there so, yeah, he used to bring home pizzas.
[narrator] Thanks to James' efforts,
the Sheaffers lived comfortably.
He always made sure our rent's paid and we had food all the time.
[narrator] Life gets even better
when James lands a second job
as a nighttime limo driver.
He liked doing the limos. It was cool.
He was just, like, a people person. That's where he...
I felt like he shined the best.
[narrator] James' new occupation
and more income for his dependents.
But it comes with a catch.
Can you give him a tip?
Uh, thanks, boss.
When he was a limo driver, that's when he did his partying.
He was in-- very much In the Orlando nightlife scene.
VIPs, people who are willing to, you know,
party and have a good time.
[narrator] James enjoys his exciting new lifestyle...
[James] Damn kids.
...except for how it clashes with his home life.
That was where his lifestyle was, really, at work.
'Cause when he was at home, he was present to be a father, a husband.
[narrator] The husband and father maintained sobriety at home.
But the night shift took its toll.
Working third shift alone,
is hard on the body and mind.
Damn it.
It was "go to sleep, wake up and go to work."
You're at odd with everybody else in your life.
[narrator] The exhausted family man needs an outlet.
There aren't a lot of people awake at 3:00 in the morning,
So, when James got home,
one night, he decided to wander
next door and spend time with his neighbor.
-Hey. -Hey.
Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang.
Come on in.
[narrator] James quickly notices something unusual about Angela.
Are you normally up this late?
[Brent] Angela is a night owl.
She sleeps all day and she's up all night.
As long as the TV is low, the kids and hubby, they sleep right through it.
Oh. You must drink a lot of coffee.
Do you want some coffee?
I'm sorry I don't make anything stronger.
Ah,, it's funny you should mention that.
[narrator] James has found a way to relax.
And Angela is happy to go along for the ride.
Companionship was something that was lacking in Angela's life.
Uh, being a reclusive, she had withdrawn from everybody
except for her family.
She'd just seen a friend in him.
[narrator] Now, whenever the limo driver works late,
he stops at his neighbor's on the way home.
Angela and James having a drink at her house
was not something out of the ordinary.
[narrator] Yet he keeps his new routine a secret.
You should bring Candy over some night.
Uh, I don't think that's gonna happen.
It's hard to say why James withheld from his family
his interactions with Angela
It could have been that he was drinking
significant amounts of alcohol.
Maybe he felt ashamed of it, you know.
[narrator] James' new friendship was mutually beneficial.
But between his late nights with Angela
and drinking on the job,
the house of cards he's built is a shaly one.
And soon, he wracks up a massive credit card bill
from his nocturnal habits.
Sometimes, being in the nightlife maybe got the better of him.
He spent more money than he should have, you know.
$200 on liquor?
Are you kidding me?
Come on, it's not that bad.
I mean, we still even have money for groceries.
James, what about the rent?
We had several arguments because of finances
What about water, gas?
My disability checks won't cover everything, James.
I received SSI
because I have several sicknesses.
He was more of the provider, yeah.
[narrator] It's up to James alone
to pull himself out of his financial hole.
I will fix this.
You better.
[narrator] To buffer his income,
James successfully applies for monthly social security payments.
Yeah, this is James Sheaffer
calling about Claim 348, please.
[narrator] However, his hopes are soon dashed.
Wait, what?
His credit was bad enough
He couldn't open a-- the type of bank account
that he needed to have those funds deposited in.
[narrator] He needs someone to co-sign his account.
And Candy isn't an option.
They wouldn't allow somebody who is on disability
to be someone else's payee.
[narrator] With nowhere else to turn,
the family man makes a desperate move.
-Hey. -Hey, what's going on, buddy?
I got a little bit of a tight spot with my bank.
And, you know, if you're-- If your credit would be okay...
[narrator] James boldly asks his neighbor
for a big favor.
Angela was hesitant to be his payee
on a social security disability check.
You want me to co-sin a bank account?
Her concerns were not unmerited.
As a cosigner, she takes on risk with no reward.
Come on, give me a chance.
So you can rob me blind?
I have a family to take care of. No, thanks.
Any overdraft on that account
would be a penalty on her credit
and financial burden.
But it's for my family.
He was not easy to give up. He was persistent.
So?
So, don't you think that you owe me
for drinking all of my booze?
[narrator] James desperately needs access to this payout...
Come on.
...and he'll do anything to secure it.
I thought we were friends.
It just was...
it-- undescribable.
Get out!
[Brent] There was definitely extra stress put upon James
He was the sole breadwinner.
That was just his personality that...
If he saw that he could get an advantage,
he would-- he would do so.
[narrator] Soon after their blowout,
James attempts to reconcile with Angela.
I went too far.
I'm sorry.
He was smooth.
You know what I mean?
Uh, he definitely had the gift of the gab.
I know what I did was wrong.
But if you give me another chance
it will never happen again.
[narrator] Lucky for him, his neighbor is in a forgiving mood.
Okay, We're cool.
You know, I think Angela had somebody in James
that she was comfortable talking with and interacting with.
Okay.
[narrator] While their friendship recovers,
she finds herself a single mother once more.
[Brent] Angela woke up and Steve was gone.
He moved out and was never heard from again.
[narrator] The incident triggers the PTSD
caused by her prior bad relationships.
Angela had a number of psychological problems.
Before Steve left,
his departure
exacerbated those tenfold.
Hey, Angela.
She became inert, unable to perform the self-care that was needed
to keep her home clean,
to keep herself clean,
keep her kids fed and in order.
She was very to herself and weird
and everything.
[Brent] She fell apart.
There.
Eat up.
[narrator] Angela is barely able to care for herself.
And struggles to put food on the table.
Angela was struggling financially, at that time.
Raising children as a single mother
on a fixed income,
it must have been incalculable harder.
[sniffs]
Um...
Is this dinner?
That's all we can afford.
So stop complaining.
They were eating boiled potatoes in a can.
Like, that's-- that's it for dinner, you know what I mean?
Sorry, I got no TV.
Cable didn't make the cut.
[narrator] Angela's new circumstances
gave James an angle to incentivize his neighbor.
Well, if you need help,
I still need help with my bank account.
How do you mean?
[narrator] He, once again, implores her to co-sign an account.
This time, with an added benefit.
I cut you a payment every time.
In exchange for being a guarantor on his account,
he would give her $100 out of every month's
social security deposit.
You wanna pay me to share my bank account?
Yeah.
Yeah. 100 bucks. Cash. Every month.
Which doesn't seem like a significant money to most of is
but for Angela that was a big deal.
I could use the money for some real food.
Angela is a stay at home mom.
Her PTSD makes it impossible for her to work.
There was no option for her to get outside
and actually have a-- a normal career.
Take the deal.
It'll help you out.
Come on.
Trust me.
[narrator] Angela takes James up on his offer,
making herself vulnerable to his financial choices.
[Brent] She needed the money.
She was in dire straits of her own.
[narrator] James has every intention
of honoring his commitment to his neighbor.
But his history with money is problematic.
He was not very responsible with finances.
[narrator] With the account finally set up,
James immediately starts spending,
and spending.
When he got money, he took us into the mall
and got us all a pair of Jordans.
-Yeah. -Whoa!
-Thanks, Dad. -Eh, you're welcome.
[Tyler] We was enjoying ourselves.
And he was providing for us, you know.
James...
How much did those cost?
It's so worth it.
He's so happy.
He was really just bad with money, man.
I really just think...
Like, I just don't think he had a good budget.
Food cost a lot of money.
You know what I mean?
Raising kids costs a lot of money.
[narrator] But to James, extra expenses
are just the price of being a good dad,
It's okay to have fun.
We'll figure out the money stuff later.
So he definitely was always trying to spoil the family, you know.
Oh, Ty.
Don't forget your jersey.
[narrator] What his family doesn't know
is the James can only lavish gifts
by exploiting his arrangement with Angela.
Almost as soon as the account was set up,
James began overdrafting.
Hello?
[narrator] She is quick to learn of her neighbor's betrayal.
-Yes. - [John] That was Angela's bank account.
You know, the bank wasn't looking
to, you know, put extra charges on anybody else.
No, no, no, no.
This must be some kind of mistake.
She is on the hook for any overdrafts on the account.
There's late fees.
Forget it.
[Brent] It outraged Angela.
There were a number of stressors in her life,
and I think this was probably close to the top.
[narrator] James has crossed a line,
and Angela isn't about to let it slide.
James!
What's the meaning of this?
She was outraged, of course.
Okay, okay, relax.
Are you kidding?
It was pretty bad.
I don't think he had any kind of ill intent towards Angela.
You overdrafted my bank account. What the hell?
Angela certainly believed that James was taking advantage of her goodwill.
[narrator] James readily owns up to his mistakes.
Sorry. I'm sorry.
[John] That was just his personality
that he just manages money poorly.
You should be sorry.
How could you be so irresponsible?
You're right. I just wasn't thinking.
He was literally the kind of guy that was all over the place
with both, personal relationships and personal finances.
[narrator] The family man is desperate to make things right.
Listen, I'll pay you back, I swear.
Just give me three-- No, give me five days.
Okay?
[narrator] Without savings of her own,
Angela has no choice
but to take her neighbor at his word.
Angela didn't have a lot of money.
It seemed like they didn't celebrate
any holidays or birthdays or anything.
You'll pay it all back?
Even with interest, yes.
[sighs]
Fine.
Oh, thank God.
But I won't forget.
i don't know what in the world she was thinking.
But clearly, she must have been upset.
[narrator] James makes good on his promise to pay Angela back.
But soon, the hustler hits his latest snag.
So, at some point, James' truck breaks down.
Piece of junk.
The truck, it wasn't always in the greatest shape.
So, sometimes it needed something
Mechanic's an hour away.
What?
I'll be late for work.
[narrator] James has no ride to work.
But can't afford to miss a paycheck.
He wasn't making crazy amounts of money being a limo driver.
He probably made 100 bucks a night, maybe.
No, wait.
Don't worry, babe.
I got this.
And he has to call in Angela for another favor.
[narrator] James is shameless in using Angela to solve his problems.
Jimmy, what's going on?
Just about to head to bed.
Uh...
-I need an emergency lift to work. -Seriously?
I'm in my PJs.
I think James was the type of person
that would take advantage
or kind of glom on to somebody
if they showed some kind of kindness to him.
Come on.
I thought we were friends.
That doesn't mean I'm your servant.
He was willing to do whatever it took
to get what he needed for his family.
Listen, you're a mom.
You get it.
[Brent] And if that meant
putting Angela at a disadvantage.
So be it.
Fine.
[Candy] She gave him a ride.
She was just being neighborly.
[narrator] But even after James' truck is repaired,
Angela's supposed one-time favor,
becomes a recurring chore.
She now acts as his personal chauffer.
James would get dropped off and picked up there at the house.
And the family would use his truck.
Not normally up this early.
You sure Candy needed the car?
Groceries won't get themselves.
Really tired though.
For Angela, it was like having a job herself.
Ah, this'll wake you up.
[horn honks]
[laughs]Come on, let's go.
[narrator] Day after day, James wears his neighbor down.
James was definitely taking advantage
of-- of Angela's kindness.
I'm just tired. I really am. I--
She had a hard time saying no.
[Tyler] I think he may be just seeing her
as somebody who is dumb enough
that he could manipulate.
[narrator] Yet James' financial scheming
is finally catching up with him.
So his bills were one thing but his loans were another thing.
-[banging on door] -[man] James!
Open up!
[narrator] Apparently Angela isn't the only person James relies on
to supplement his income.
[man] I want my freaking money!
He was always borrowing money from somebody.
Sometime you get a loan and you go down that wormhole
to where yo gotta keep getting loans.
[narrator] He must find more money.
And fast.
He just kept getting them loans and then he just, like,
got buried in it.
[narrator] Angela's bank account is James' last resort.
James!
What's the meaning of this?
Okay, okay, relax.
Are you kidding? You withdrew thousands of dollars.
Angela, she complained that...
At least several occasions that
James overdrew the bank account.
Not to mention my interest,
my overdraft fees.
It was pretty bad.
He did spend a lot of money.
Okay. I paid you back before.
And I'll do it again.
End of story.
You get back here, James.
[sighs]
40 bucks?
You owe me way more than that!
I have a family that I need to feed.
What about my family?
Okay, listen.
I know I messed up.
But I always pay you back, right?
Sure.
I guess.
This became a cycle where he would
overdraw and then he'd pay it back.
Resulting in a number of arguments and disagreements
between the two of them.
[narrator] Angela has no choice but to wait for James' repayments.
Which makes her increasingly angry.
I can't give you the money that I don't have.
he'd get upset and then he'd...
She'd relent.
[narrator] Angela is hopelessly ensnared
in her neighbor's reckless ways.
The one certainty he had was that Angela would bail him out.
[narrator] There appears no escape
from the arrangement she foolishly signed on to.
It became a pattern and she fell into it.
How could the overdrafts not add to her mental problems.
All of us feel the stress of finances.
[narrator] As a result,
Angela's home transforms into a disheveled mess.
[John] Disarray everywhere you look.
It-- It literally looked like dishes hadn't been done in years.
[Candy] I do not know what possessed her
to think that it's okay
to live like that.
[narrator] Her situation is dire.
And it just keeps getting worse.
[Angela] Who's in here?
On one occasion, she found him rifling through her purse.
What the hell?
Get out.
[screaming]
This was a...
Certainly a case for the ages.
She was outraged, of course,
as anybody would be,
of someone, even a good friend,
looking through their belongings.
[narrator] Angela confronts her neighbor for breaking into her home.
Are you robbing me?
I just... I just... needed a bank card.
He is taking excessive liberties at this point.
Get out!
[narrator] She prevents James from making off with the bank card.
But her mental health continues its descent.
Resulting in increasingly disturbing behavior.
[Tyler] I remember she was drawing devil's symbols on her windows and stuff.
You know, pentagrams on her window and stuff like that. I don't know.
Satanic markings on the...
Both, on the walls and whatever she had covering the windows.
[narrator] She appears to be falling apart,
on even the most basic level.
[Tyler] I've met people that, you know,
be in depression and they don't care for their hygiene.
She looked like, a wisp
or some of that dust bunny from under your-- your couches.
And, um, like, some horrid creature
[narrator] Completely isolated and alone,
Angela goes to extremes to treat her depression.
At some point after the troubles with James began,
she began taking some of her father's medication.
Specifically Flexeril, which is a muscle relaxer.
[narrator] Her filthy living conditions
take a toll on her kids as well.
[Tyler] Their kids, they were getting bullied hardcore, man.
Kids ain't nice down here.
Her son, we called him "Stinky" at school.
It-- It-- It was bad for him.
I even stuck up for his some,
when he was getting bullied and stuff.
[narrator] James' spending habits finally catch up with him.
There is no more hiding.
How can they just kick us out?
Maybe we missed a few rent payments?
Him and his family are in danger of being evicted from their home.
Evicted?
It was just very, very, very hard.
Trying to stay strong.
Your dad will fix it.
[Candy] Man, I was just stressed, stressed, stressed out.
[narrator] James has to act quickly.
Or his family will be homeless.
He was under a lot of pressure to pay bills.
[narrator] Misery grabs hold of both he and Angela.
She spiraled very quickly to a point where
she became unraveled.
I have nothing to say to you.
Please.
I'm desperate.
[narrator] With James' decisions
ruining everyone's lives,
he arrives at Angela's door,
begging for one more favor.
[John] James had gone to Angela
and asked for the loan, uh, from her father.
First you ruin my credit.
Now you want four grand?
What the hell?
Apparently, her father had some money.
[James] Angela.
This is an emergency.
This loan would help keep him afloat
for a little while longer.
[narrator] Shockingly, Angela agrees.
Fine.
We'll swing by my dad's after I pick you up from work.
I think he was relieved that he could pay off whoever he owed at the time.
Oh, Angie, you're a peach. Thank you.
[narrator] Yet his neighbor is sick of being exploited.
She was gonna draw the line here. This was it.
[narrator] After Angela picks James up for work this night,
she takes him directly back to her house.
You look like you need a double.
James wanted to go, right away, to get the money
but her father was asleep.
They would go to her house first and travel later.
Triple, if you got it.
Mmm-hmm.
I think Angela knew that James liked to drink
So, if he was offered a free drink,
he would never turn it down.
[narrator] This time Angela is serving more than just alcohol.
She mixed up a drink with Flexeril.
Oh, yes.
[Brent] A muscle relaxer will make you, uh, drowsy,
less coordinated.
When you mix it with alcohol
it enhances the effect.
[narrator] Once Angela is sure the drugs have taken effect,
her plan is put in motion.
Time to go for a drive.
Angela drives him
where he thinks they are going to, her father's house.
But she ends up taking him to a remote cemetery.
[narrator] And she has a surprise in store.
This doesn't look like your dad's place.
'Cause it's not.
I'm gonna give you a taste of your own medicine!
She concocted this idea
that she would tell him that her father
was going to give him the loan.
Um, only to tell him,
at the last minute...
"No."
You tricked me.
How does it feel being lied to?
She was just fed up with him.
She was-- She was angry with all of his lies.
She was just sick of Jimmy's lies
and this was it.
[narrator] Angela thinks she's had the last laugh.
But her neighbor is enraged.
Screw you.
[choking]
[Brent] She said that he swore at her.
Threatened to kill her.
Attacked her.
Said that he was going to kill her family as well.
He had a temper no better than anyone else walking this Earth.
[choking]
[narrator] According to Angela,
James quickly gets the upper hand.
She claimed that James was choking her.
[whimpering]
She flailed about,
seeking some way to defend herself.
She reached into the backseat
and grabbed an ice pick.
And she raised that ice pick and struck him,
in the right eye.
[yells]
[narrator] And the violence doesn't stop there.
She managed to get her hands on a rope,
and wrapped it around James' neck.
[choking]
I think this easily could have been resolved with a...
"I'm gonna stop taking you checks into my bank account.
"We're not gonna talk anymore."
But instead, it turned into something
far more gruesome.
Far more disturbing.
[Angela grunting]
As James was struggling with this ice pick in his eye,
Angela was somehow able to choke him.
She choked him and came out on top.
[narrator] The struggle has come to an end.
But Angela still isn't convinced
her neighbor is truly gone.
[Brent] After choking James with a rope,
Angela said that she wasn't sure if he was dead
so she took the ice pick out of his right eye,
and jabbed it into his left.
When he didn't move then, she knew that he was dead.
[narrator] The next morning,
the Sheaffer family awakens to find that James never returned from work.
When I woke up early that morning,
I'm like, "He's not here.
"He was supposed to be here last night."
Did he not come home last night?
No.
And he didn't call.
That's not like him.
I went to go report him missing.
[narrator] Law enforcement canvases the area,
soon arriving on Angela's doorstep.
Yeah?
Have you seen your neighbor from across the street?
James Sheaffer?
No.
It was just a very unusual conversation.
How well do you know James?
Kind of. Sort of.
I don't know.
Ma'am, this is critical information.
Is there anything you can tell us about the whereabouts of your neighbor?
[John] Now when we pressed her a little bit harder for answers,
she just-- she didn't want to talk to us anymore.
Ma'am?
Sorry, it's been a long day.
[narrator] Police are suspicious of Angela.
And they soon uncover text messages
between the former friends.
Cell phone records had somehow tied them together.
We recognized that Angela was the last person to see James alive.
[narrator] Investigators return a week later,
to question James' neighbor again.
Yeah, what?
Ms. Stoldt, we know that you and James had frequent contact,
including on the night he disappeared.
I don't know about that.
I mean, I'm sure James texted me
but I don't know where he is.
We'd like to come inside.
And then we said,
"Angela, can you please just let us look through your house?"
Fine.
[narrator] Surprisingly,
Angela welcomes them in.
So she granted us consent.
[narrator] As soon as they enter the home,
detectives are overwhelmed
by a horrible smell.
[John] I could tell you
that's the worst house I've ever been in.
A literal house of horrors.
It just smelled like
animal waste
and, uh, garbage.
If it was a pristine house,
we might have seen something.
This house was the farthest from pristine that I've ever seen.
But we didn't find Jimmy.
[narrator] Despite Angelas's suspicious behavior,
she appears to be telling the truth.
We'll be on our way.
[John] We didn't find anything
that led us to believe
that any significant crime has occurred in that house.
We believe it was in large part due to the fact
that the house was in complete disarray.
This was a-- Certainly, a case for the ages.
[narrator] Long after James' disappearance,
the investigation take a turn when Tyler receives a text message
from his father's phone.
Tyler had received multiple messages from his father
claiming that he was hiding
from creditors,
uh, who were threatening him.
What?
"I really f-up up this time. Won't be coming home."
You know, "Need to go on a run. Please don't call the cops,"
I don't believe this.
[narrator] Unable to avoid eviction,
Candy and Tyler are forced from their home
only days later.
I felt like I was losing everything, um...
Freaking out 'cause I don't know where he's at.
I'm freaking out 'cause I have to put a roof over my kid's head.
[narrator] Things seem hopeless.
Until, 16 days after James went missing,
Angela suffers a nervous breakdown,
and is involuntarily committed.
What's going on?
Help!
Your sister called in a Baker Act.
In the state of Florida,
a Baker Act is a involuntary commitment
for mental health issues.
My sister?
Why?
Apparently, you confessed to some pretty concerning things.
Angela had disclosed to her sister
that she had killed James
and that she wanted to--
to kill herself.
I think, what she did was finally weighing on her.
And I think she needed to get it out.
You have anything you wanna tell me?
After she was committed, she confessed to killing James.
I'm like, "What's going on?"
And then, you know, Dad's dead and it's like...
At first, they didn't wanna tell me what happened.
So, it was hard, man.
[narrator] Angela Stoldt is charged with second degree murder of James Sheaffer.
And she confesses gruesome details about his death.
You know, she would, slowly, kind of give piece by piece of how he killed James.
[narrator] After murdering her neighbor and driving home with his body,
Angela dismembered James that night, in her garage.
[Joseph] Angela put him in the kiddie pool,
obviously to contain, um, any evidence
from the dismemberment
into a single place.
She knew that she needed to, in her words,
"make James smaller."
[squelching]
[Brent] With a hacksaw, she began to dismember
James Sheaffer's body.
He was chopped into pieces.
[narrator] And Angela is just getting started.
[Brent] She poured some kind of salt
in an effort to make his body smaller.
[narrator] Even this grisly effort proves not to be enough.
In her next desperate attempt
to get rid of James' body parts,
Angela cooks his head and limbs.
Angela decided to try to reduce the remains.
[Tyler] Ah, that's hard-- That's the hardest part to think about.
The way she tried to dispose of the body.
I mean, it's just, like, sick, man.
[Brent] She put his head in a pot on her stove,
his arms and legs into the oven.
-[knock on door] -[narrator] In a shocking twist,
Angela reveals that James was simmering in her kitchen
when police first came to her door.
[Joseph] Unbeknownst to us,
you know, there's body parts of James Sheaffer in the oven.
She was surprised we didn't smell it in the front yard
hat first day that we met her.
If myself and Sgt Paul had observed a smell,
we would have-- we would have entered the house.
We just simply didn't smell anything.
[narrator] Angela then confesses
to scattering the remaining pieces of James
all over Deltona.
[John] She also thought that if she bagged up these body parts,
they would only discover
part of a body here and part of a body here
and not be able to put two and two together.
[narrator] She next reveals that she texted James' family from his phone
to throw police off her tail.
Angela took James' phone
and at times would go to where she hid the phone.
This is still a missing persons case
and we can get some sort of confirmation that James is alive.
You know, maybe we back down a little bit
in our-- in our searches.
But obviously that was not the case.
[narrator] During her trial,
Angela claimed she only meant to drug and trick her neighbor,
as a prank.
Then was forced to act in self defense
when things went wrong.
One of Angela's, kind of, rationala--
rationalizations or justifications,
was that this was just an April Fool's day gone bad.
[narrator] But the prosecution offer a different story.
In my opinion, I believe that Angela Stoldt planned
and carried out the murder of James Sheaffer, 100%.
[narrator] The DA argued that Angela planned to kill James,
and keep his social security checks for herself.
[Brent] From the prosecutor's point of view,
this case came down to money.
And that she could acquire
on a re-- monthly basis,
from James' social security.
[narrator] Angela's purchase history
also cast doubt on her story.
Angela had gone and purchased a number of items
that were used either in the commission of the crime,
or the cleanup of the crime
before the event.
[narrator] The nail in the coffin
comes when a surprise witness corroborates
the prosecution's argument.
Angela's own sister was a key witness in the case.
When Angela confessed her murder to her sister,
she said that she had explicitly spiked
James' drink with the Flexeril that night.
[narrator] Angela's sister claims that Angela deliberately used the Flexeril
to make James easier to overpower.
[John] We strongly believe that Angela gave him this drink
to lower his defenses so she could attack him.
This has by far been the most gruesome case that I've been a part of.
[narrator] On December 5th, 2014,
a jury finds Angela Stoldt guilty of first degree murder.
[Brent] The impact for James' family
to so unexpectedly lose a husband and a father
must have been devastating.
[Tyler] That's the worst possible way you could lose somebody is like...
It's just terrible.
She cooked his head. on the [bleep]-- the damn [bleep] stove, it's like...
She chopped him up. She-- She did that [bleep].
[Candy] I mean, I'm glad that she's in jail.
I'm glad that, you know, it's for life
and no possibility of parole.
Uh, cause that's what she deserves,
'cause clearly she planned it.
[Tyler] She took him from us.
I hate her, um...
I hope she stays in jail forever, at least, man.
[narrator] To this day, the Sheaffers keep James' memory alive.
[Candy] He was a wonderful person.
He loved his baseball.
When he was young, he used to love his sports.
He was a great guy.
He tried to do everything for his family
and now he can do nothing again.