Ep 19. Ann Trexler

Ann Trexler was a seemingly ordinary housewife, living with her family in rural Pennsylvania. But on August 24, 2004, everything changed when her husband, retired Navy veteran, Tom Trexler, was found dead in their home.

Ann called 911 claiming she found her husband unresponsive on the floor, but upon further inspection, police found evidence of foul play. An autopsy revealed that Tom had been suffocated with a plastic bag over his head, and strangulation marks were also present on his neck.

As investigators dug deeper, they discovered that Ann had a motive for murder. She had been having an affair with her husband's best friend, Robert Purnell, and they planned to run away together. But to do so, Ann needed to be free from her marriage.

Further evidence against Ann surfaced when police found Robert's fingerprints on the plastic bag that was used to suffocate Tom. This led them to believe that Ann and Robert had acted together to kill Tom. However, Ann denied any involvement in the murder and claimed Robert acted alone.

During the trial, the prosecution argued that Ann's web of lies and deceit pointed to her guilt. They showed evidence of Ann using her husband's credit card to purchase items for her and Robert's future life together, including a new car and rental properties.

The defense argued that there was not enough physical evidence to link Ann to the crime, and that Robert had acted alone. They claimed that Ann's affair was not enough to prove that she would commit murder.

In the end, Ann Trexler was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Robert Purnell was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

This episode of Snapped takes viewers through the investigation, the trial, and the aftermath of a murder that shocked a small town in Pennsylvania. It explores the lengths people will go to for love and the devastating consequences of deceit.