This episode contains details of graphic and disturbing violence.

Please listen with care.

Welcome to method and madness.

This is callous.

The murder of Adrian Reynolds I'm your host Dawn.

On Friday, January twenty first, two thousand and five, Officer Joshua Allen of the East Moleen Police Department responded to a call from Tony Reynolds, a panicked father reporting his sixteen year old daughter missing.

Officer Allen arrived at the Reynolds home on Seventh Street just before ten pm.

There, he learned that Adrian hadn't been seen or heard from since earlier that afternoon, and this wasn't like her.

She wasn't the type to just disappear.

Adrian had gone to school that morning, attending classes from eight thirty until her early dismissal at twelve thirty, but she never showed up for her five p m shift at Chequers, the fast food restaurant where she worked part time.

Her parents, Tony and Joanne, were already in full panic mode.

Adrian was new to town, she didn't have many friends yet, and they had no idea where she could have gone.

Officer Allan took a recent photo, a description of what she'd been wearing, an orange hoodie, and details about her health and characteristics.

Adrian had a history of depression and bore scars on her wrists from previous suicide attempts.

The department took the concerns seriously, listing her as endangered due to possible suicide.

Over the next several hours, officers followed up with her employer, coworkers, classmates, and friends.

No one had seen Adrian since around twelve forty five.

That afternoon, there were rumors she was dating an older man from work, but he told police he hadn't seen her either.

Some wondered if she was homesick, missing her old life in Texas, but checks with the airlines showed no recent travel and no one back home in Texas had heard from her either.

That night, Tony and Joanne drove around.

They called every contact they could think.

Of Adrian's orange hoodie they thought would make her easy for anyone to spot, but deep down, Tony feared the worst.

Four days after Adrian went missing, the truth came out and someone had been lying.

This is Adrian's story.

This episode is being released alongside a brand new installment of the TV series Mean Girl Murders, now airing on Investigation Discovery and streaming on Max.

I was honored to appear as a contributor on that episode titled Tears of a Clown, and even more honored to know that Adrian Reynolds's family took part in sharing her story.

I hope this podcast episode offers deeper context, more reflection, and a continued call for empathy.

One more note.

The case you're about to hear took place in two thousand and five and involves an individual who at the time was a seventeen year old male named Corey Gregory.

Since then, Corey has transitioned and now identifies as a transgender woman named Harley Quinn.

Out of respect for her current identity, I want to acknowledge that at the start you may hear this individual referred to by their previous name and other media, including the Mean Girl Murder's episode.

For the sake of narrative clarity and because the events took place prior to the transition, I will refer to Cory by the name and pronouns used at the time.

This decision was made thoughtfully in order to both tell the story accurately and show respect for gender identity and the trans community.

Her favorite color was pink.

Adrian Lee Reynolds was born on September twelfth, nineteen eighty eight, in El Dorado, Arkansas, to sixteen year old Carolyn Franco.

Still a child herself and not yet ready to be a full time mother, Adrian was officially adopted by Carolyn's mother, Beverly and Beverly's new husband, Tony Reynolds.

They became the primary caregivers during Adrian's earliest years.

When Adrian was three, Beverly and Tony divorced.

Still, Tony remain involved in Adrian's life and continued to treat her as his daughter.

Not long after, Beverly moved with Caroline and Adrian to Longview, Texas.

There, Carolyn got married and six year old Adrian was brought to live with her biological mom and new stepfather, But the stability Carolyn hoped for didn't last.

A divorce followed, then a new stepfather for Adrian.

Those years were turbulent, filled with frequent moves, shifting caregivers, and little consistency.

She was often left alone, and by the time she reached her early teens, she'd begun experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

But Adrian wasn't lost.

She was searching.

She was funny, bright, charismatic, and despite the instability, she still had dreams.

In November two thousand and four, shortly after turning sixteen, Adrian was in need of a fresh start.

She left Texas behind, leaving her biological mother, her adoptive mother Beverly, her friends, and her best friend Carleen.

She moved north to East Moleen, Illinois, to live with her adoptive father, Tony Reynolds, and his new wife, Joanne.

East Moleen is a small city in northwestern Illinois, home to about twenty thousand people.

For Adrian, the move meant a big adjustment.

She was now living in a new home with her dad, Tony, her stepmother Joanne, and Joanne's twin sons.

It didn't take long, though, for Adrian to make her presence known.

The house was soon filled with music.

She had a beautiful voice, and her rendition of amazing grace never failed to bring tears to her father's eyes.

Adrian dreamed of going to Chicago one day to audition for American Idol, but first she had a plan earn her ged and then enlist in the United States Marine Coup.

She enrolled at the Blackhawk College Outreach Center, an alternative high school in East Moleen designed for students who struggled in traditional classroom settings.

Being the new kid is never easy.

On that first day, Adrian was nervous.

She didn't want to be the strange new girl.

She just wanted to belong.

Her fears faded quickly.

The other teens were drawn to Adrian's outgoing personality in southern charm.

Before long, she had earned the nickname Texas.

One student in particular took a special interest in her.

It was sixteen year old Sarah Coleb, one of the more influential figures at black Hawk.

Sarah had carved out a kind of social dominance at the school.

She was the unspoken leader of a tight knit group known for being controlling and territorial.

She was openly bisexual and told several classmates she was attracted to the new girl.

Adrian's own orientation wasn't exactly clear.

She seemed to flirt back, and the two quickly grew close.

Before long, Adrian was welcomed into Sara's inner circle.

That circle also included seventeen year old Corey Gregory.

He and Sarah had met at a shopping mall and hit it off instantly.

Corey later said Sarah was exactly his type.

They shared the same style, the same music tastes, especially love for the Detroit hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse.

Though Sara eventually told Corey she wanted to just be friends, Corey stayed devoted.

He agreed to keep things platonic as long as he could stay close to her, still holding out hope that she might change her mind.

Sarah Corey and their group, identified as Juggalos and Juggalettes, devoted fans of Insane Clown Posse.

They built their identity around the idea that outcasts are treated like clowns by society, so they leaned into it with horror core lyrics, violent imagery, and face paint to match.

For many fans, the Juggalo subculture offered more than just music.

It was a chosen family, a community of misfits, often from turbulent backgrounds, who saw themselves reflected in the chaos and rebellion of ICP.

Their look was distinct red and black haired, eye combat boots, clown makeup, but at its core Being a Juggalo was about belonging.

Sarah brought Adrian into that world in December.

She took her to a party at a house on Rock Island, a known hangout for local juggalos where the group would drink, play music, and claim a little space of their own.

But shortly after that party, Sarah suddenly cut off all communication with Adrian.

There was no explanation, just silence.

At school, Adrian began noticing the stairs, She heard the whispers in the hallway.

The shift felt abrupt and confusing.

She didn't understand what she'd done wrong.

She tried several times to reach out to Sarah, hoping to smooth things over, but each attempt was met with silence.

In the meantime, Adrian grew closer to Corey Gregory.

The two started spending more time together in January, bonding over music, talking for hours.

There were even a few romantic moments between the two.

Still, Adrian hadn't given up on mending things with Sarah.

She reached out again.

This time Sarah responded.

On Friday, January twenty first, Sarah invited Adrian to lunch.

On the morning of Friday, January twenty first, two thousand and five, Joanne Reynolds woke Adrian for school.

She asked if Adrian had worked that afternoon, and she replied yes, She was scheduled for a five pm shift.

Adrian got dressed and left for school.

It seemed like the other weekday.

That afternoon, Joanne returned home from work and went to check on Adrian's chores.

But on Adrian's bed lay her work uniform, exactly as it had been that morning.

Joanne's stomach dropped.

It was immediately clear something was wrong.

Adrian had never failed to come home after school.

Joanne and Tony both felt it in their guts something was terribly wrong.

They got in the car and drove to Checkers, hoping Adrian might have gone straight to work, But when they arrived, the staff told them Adrian hadn't shown up for her shift.

That was deeply alarming.

Adrian loved her job, was always early, and it was payday.

She never would have missed picking up her check.

Panicked, Joanne and Tony started calling friends, classmates, anyone who might know where Adrian was.

They split up, each taking a car scouring the area in a desperate search for their daughter.

By eight pm, with no sign of Adrian, they called police to report her missing.

When the responding officer suggested Adrian might have run away, Tony refused to believe it.

She hadn't picked up her paycheck, she had I'm packed a single belonging.

She wouldn't just leave.

Soon as Tony and Joanne spoke with Adrian's friends and classmates, a timeline of that day began to take shape.

Police were able to confirm that Adrian had been at school from eight thirty am to twelve thirty pm, the regular dismissal time for ged students.

After school, she went to lunch with a few classmates that was dropped off near her home at the MacDonald's just across the street.

That was the last confirmed sighting of Adrian.

After that, she simply vanished.

Since her last known contact had been with friends from school, investigators turned their focus to those lunch companions.

They soon learned that Adrian had gone to Taco Bell with Sarah Cole.

Sarah was driving her red nineteen ninety one geoprism.

Also in the car were Corey Gregory and another student named Sean McKittrick.

Officer Allen called Sarah at nine forty that night.

On a recorded line, Sarah confirmed she'd been with Adrian that afternoon between twelve thirty and one pm.

She said that after lunch, she offered to drive Adrian home.

Here's a portion of the phone call between Sarah and Officer Allan.

Are you friends with Adrian Reynolds?

To be honest, no, I don't like her.

Okay, you had contact with her today?

Yes?

I did?

When was that?

And between twelve thirty and one o'clock?

Were you and Corey giving her a ride somewhere and you'd got up at McDonald's or something like that?

She said, okay?

Why because she said that she didn't want her parents to see that she was in a car with a boy.

And before when I had hung out with her one time and she told her parents that Corey was my brother and me she's not okay?

So I dropped around the dogs, which is like right across the street from her house, right that was the last time I saw her.

No, I haven't is?

Sir Alan pushed further.

If she and Adrian weren't even friends, then why take her to lunch in the first place.

I try not to talk to her because we don't get along.

How is it that she was in the car with you today.

Were you supposed to give her a ride or something.

I wasn't supposed to give her a ride.

The guy usually gives her a ride.

I wasn't here today.

She'd be really cold out and we got into an argument at school in between classes, and she was crying to me and kept going on and on about all these stories, which I already spoke to with her brother about it, and he already told me that she's a liar.

She but she had just been crying to me about it, and I was like, well, so let's talk it over at lunch.

I'll drive you home.

I should talk about it.

And she had been hanging out with my friend who likes me and I like him, but she likes him, and we got an argument about that because she wouldn't let him alone when we were When we were in my car, we got into an argument about it, and it just went on and on and on, and I was like, you know what, I don't I don't even want to.

Be your friend.

I don't want anything to do with it.

And basically we just apologize.

She said she was sorry.

I said I was sorry for being tracking the way that I did, because I know I overreacted, and I said, I'm gonna take you home now, and she's like, you know, my dad can't see that.

I'm in the car the boy, you know, So I'll drop you off McDonald's.

Then, was it?

I mean, he'd probably just assumed she would just walk right home Rati and say a thing about doing anywhere else or any of their friends to hang out with or anything like that.

No, I thought she had to work tonight.

I was aware.

I was under the impression that she's going to work today.

She hadn't said anything to me.

I dropped her off.

That was it.

Sarah also told police that after lunch, she and Corey drove to a birthday party for Sarah's grandmother.

Later that night.

When Sarah got home, she said she noticed fifteen missed calls, along with several voice messages.

Adrian's family had been trying frantically to reach her.

Tony Reynolds, however, wasn't convinced of Sarah's story.

He found it strange that Adrian, if she was just getting dropped off, would choose the McDonald's across the street from home.

Both he and Joanne were at work, so why would Adrian be worried about being seen with anyone.

Tony admitted he hadn't cared much for Sarah from the start.

He'd only met her once, but something about her rubbed him the wrong way.

All black clothing, heavy makeup, face piercings.

It wasn't a look he was used to, and he wondered what kind of influence she might be having on his daughter.

When police asked Sarah if she'd be willing to take a polygraph test, she declined.

By Saturday morning, there was still no sign of Adrian.

Tony and Joanne hadn't slept.

They spent the weekend blanketing East Moleen with missing persons flyers, hundreds of them.

On Sunday, a local newspaper ran a brief story about the missing teen, along with a photo of Adrian.

By Monday, Tony was back in his work truck.

As he drove, he scanned every car he passed, hoping for a glimpse of his daughter.

Desperate, he and Joanne even visited a psychic who told them Adrian was alive and being kept in someone's basement.

It gave them just enough hope to keep going.

On Tuesday, Tony appeared in the local paper holding a framed photo of Adrian and the stuffed animal she slept with every night.

By Wednesday, the Illinois State Police had joined the investigation, and then on Thursday, January twenty seventh, two thousand and five, the front page of the Dispatch delivered the news no one wanted to believe.

Search has grizzly end classmate sixteen arrested.

Let's take a break.

Adrian had been excited when she first met Sarah back in November.

Sarah was the popular one at black Hawk Outreach, the center of attention, the leader of a tight knit crew.

What Adrian didn't know was that Sarah ran hot and cold.

She could be your closest friend one moment and your fears enemy the next.

She had a reputation for a quick temper, small things set her off, and classmates knew better than to cross her.

Sarah was initially drawn to Adrian romantically.

Adrian, still figuring herself out, was curious, but open to the idea of what a relationship with a girl might be like.

Once Adrian was reported missing, leeds came pouring in.

As detectives conducted interviews throughout the weekend.

They started piecing together the history between the two girls, how the friendship had started, why it soured, and how it had seemingly smoothed over just enough for Sarah to invite Adrian to lunch on January twenty first.

But to really understand the shift in Sara's behavior, we need to go back to December two thousand and four, to the first time Sarah brought Adrian to a party with her Juggalo friends.

At that party, Adrian made an impression.

She was new, outgoing, cute.

She got attention, especially from the guys.

But according to some classmates, that party wasn't just a fun outing.

It was a test.

Bringing Adrian into the group, they said, wasn't an act of friendship, it was a setup, a loyalty test.

On the one hand, Sarah had encouraged Adrian to meet people, be friendly, maybe even find a romantic partner.

But if Adriane hooked up with anyone at the party, she'd be seen as disloyal, promiscuous, and unworthy of Sarah's trust.

If she didn't, then maybe, just maybe she'd passed.

Adrian, unaware she was being tested, did hook up with someone that night.

A few days later, she returned to the same party house.

When Sarah found out, she drove straight there.

Witnesses say she confronted Adrian in front of everyone, humiliating her, calling her names, turning the room against her.

By the time school resumed the following Monday, Sarah had made her feelings clear.

She launched a campaign to isolate Adriane, turning friends into enemies, whispers into rumors.

Sarah Colb was a study in contradictions.

At sixteen, she was already well known in the halls of black Hawk Outreach, not just for her popularity, but for the way she wielded it.

She projected confidence, often too much, but beneath that veneer was a girl driven by deep insecurities.

Sarah's need for control wasn't just about status.

It was a defense mechanism.

She had learned early on that the only way to survive her world was to dominate it.

Her circle wasn't just a group of friends, It was a tightly controlled territory, romantic relationships, friendships, even who got to talk to whom.

Sarah kept a rigid grip on all of it.

Her obsession with insane clown posse and the juggalo lifestyle fed in to this identity.

The painted faces, the tough talk, the violent imagery.

They were all armor, a way to mask vulnerability and intimidate anyone who might threaten her reign.

Those closest to Sarah described her as loyal as long as you stayed in line.

But cross her or fail her loyalty test, and the consequences were swift and brutal.

Interviews revealed a girl who could flip at an instant from charm and warmth to coldness and even rage.

Small slights became unforgivable betrayals in her eyes.

For Sarah, Adrian wasn't just a new friend or crush.

She was a challenge, a threat to the carefully constructed order Sarah had built around herself.

When Adrian failed the loyalty test at that December party, Sarah's control slipped into something dark, a blend of jealousy, fear, and a desperate need to punish.

Hurt and Confused by the sudden shift in their relationship, Adrian kept trying to reach out to Sarah, asking what she'd done wrong, how she could fix it.

When Sarah wasn't giving a cold shoulder, Her responses were cruel and unrelenting.

She called Adrian a slot and a whore, told friends the new girl from Texas was annoying, and she spread rumors designed to isolate her.

By New Year's Eve, Adrian confided in her stepmother Joanne, that she was afraid of Sarah.

The second time Adrian had gone to the Juggalo house, Sarah had shown up and pulled out a knife.

The harassment had escalated to threats, including a chilling command.

Sarah had told Adrian to kill herself, which sent her into a dark depression.

But when the new year began and classes resumed in January two thousand and five, Adrian was feeling better and had found some solace in a growing friendship with Sarah's best friend, Corey Gregory.

They talked on the phone for hours until Sarah caught wind of it.

Incensed that Corey was paying attention to Adrian, Sarah demanded he cut ties with her.

Now that we understand what went on between Sarah and Adrian, let's move on to another interview police conducted while Adrian was missing.

Blackhawks student Sean McKittrick agreed to a polygraph exam and described to the police the events of that Friday afternoon at Taco Bell.

At twelve thirty, the fourteens left school and got into Sarah's car.

The plan had been to use the drive through at Taco Bell, but it was backed up, so Sarah parked in the lot instead.

Adrian sat in the front passenger seat, Sean behind her, and Corey next to him.

Once parked, Sean said Sarah and Adrian got into a physical altercation.

He saw Sarah pulling Adrian's hair and yelling.

Adrian kept asking why are you doing this.

Sean told Sarah to stop, that this wasn't right, but she snapped back, quote, if you don't like it, get out.

Sean did.

He out of the car and walked back to school.

When Corey was questioned about the day, his story largely matched Shaan's, but he added that after Sean left, Sarah and Adrian made up.

After dropping Adrian off at the McDonald's near her house, Sarah and Corey went through the drive through, ordered two double cheeseburgers each, and when they came back around, Adrian was gone.

Corey was free to go.

After his police interview, there were no warrants out for anyone's arrest, at least not yet.

On January twenty fifth, the East Mouleen Police received a phone call from Charles Gregory, Corey's father.

The message was clear it was time for Corey to speak, this time with lawyers present.

That evening, Corey Gregory told police what no one wanted to hear.

Sarah Cole had murdered Adrian Reynolds in the car while parked at Taco Bell.

Corey said his memory of the attack was hazy.

He recalled looking out the window as the two girls fought, grappling choking each other.

Then Sarah grabbed a wooden stick she kept in her car for protection.

Corey described it to the police as looking like the handle of an axe.

Sarah struck Adrian on the back of the head and continued choking her as she lay unconscious.

Finally, Corey said Adrian was dead.

Afterward, the teens transported Adrian's body to Sarah's grandparents farm in Millersburg.

There, they attempted to destroy the evidence.

They poured gasolene over the body and set it ablaze with a small lighter.

Hours later, Corey said he witnessed Sarah dismembering Adrian's remains.

Together, they disposed of the body parts in two separate locations.

With his attorney by his side, Corey led police to the sites where Adrian's remains were found.

It had been four days since Adrian went missing.

At two a m.

On January twenty sixth, Joanne received a call from the police.

They were at her front door.

Joanne felt sick.

Every instinct told her to run, to do anything but open that door and face the news.

She feared, but she called out for Tony and let the officers inside.

Adrian's parents finally had their answer.

Their daughter was dead.

The only comfort Tony could hold on to was knowing the last thing he said to Adrian was I love you.

Later that day, police arrested sixteen year old Sarah calb.

She was charged with two counts of first degree murder and one count of concealing a homicide.

Bond was set at one million dollars and she was sent to juvenile attention to await trial.

January twenty seventh, seventeen year old Corey Gregory was arrested and faced the same charges, with bond also set at one million dollars.

Four days later, a woman made a disturbing discovery at her home.

Pat Corbyn's grandson, sixteen year old Nathan Gaudet, had been living with her for the past couple of weeks.

She noticed his strange behavior, frequent trips down to the basement and odd comings and goings.

When Pat learned that Nathan's friend Sarah and Corey were involved in Adrian's disappearance, her suspicion grew.

She decided to check the basement.

There on a treadmill.

Hidden under a pillow was a backpack inside a handsaw.

Pat called the police immediately.

Nathan Gaudet was arrested and charged as a juvenile with concealing a homicide.

In February two thousand and five, Nathan Gaudet pleaded guilty to concealing a homicide.

He was ordered to remain in juvenile detention, with his release date yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, Sarah Colb, who previously only had a traffic citation on her record, was now facing trial for first degree murder.

The trial began on October thirty first, two thousand and five, at the Rock Island County Justice Center.

State's attorney Jeff Taranis led the prosecution.

Adrian's family attended every day, though her biological mother, Carolyn, remained in Texas under doctor's orders.

She was six and a half months pregnant at the time.

Over the course of the trial, prosecutor Taranas called forty three witnesses to the stand.

One man who was at Taco Bell on that fateful day, testified that he saw the geoprism parked in the lot.

He said the car was rocking back and forth as if a fight was happening inside, but he dismissed it as just teenagers fooling around.

A classmate testified that Friday morning before the murder, Sarah Colb had asked if hitting someone on the back of the head could be fatal, and that she planned to take a girl to a park and beat her with a stick.

Another classmate recalled Sarah saying she was going to beat Adrian's ass.

Then came Shaan mckittrick's testimony.

He said he'd been in Sarah's car that day at lunch, sitting in the back seat while Sarah drove and Adrian sat up front.

Sean, who was dating Sarah at the time, recounted that after she'd parked the car, Sarah asked Adrian for a hug.

When Adrian moved closer, Sarah suddenly grabbed her hair and started yelling.

Sean told Sarah to stop, and she told him, if you don't like it, get out.

Sarah's Auntossa, testified, saying that she saw her niece that afternoon with a fresh scratch on her cheek.

Sarah told her it happened during a wrestling match with Corey.

Two of us Sarah's family members confirmed seeing her and Corey on the Millersburg farm just after six pm that Friday night.

Sarah claimed she was simply showing Corey around to teenagers who'd been detained with Sarah later testified that she talked openly about the fight in the car and said Adrian had passed out.

As the prosecution pieced together the timeline, a clear narrative emerged, supported by witness testimony and physical evidence.

Sarah invited Adrian to lunch that day under the pretense of reconciliation, but once they were parked at Taco Bell, Sarah's anger erupted.

She resented Adrian, especially since there were rumors that Adrian and Corey were casually dating.

After Sarah grabbed Adrian's hair, a violent fight ensued.

Adrian pleaded, asking why Sarah was doing this.

After Sean left the car, Sarah and Corey forced a Adrian into the back seat.

Sarah struck her in the face, then hid her over the head with the wooden stick she kept in her back seat.

Corey held Adrian's arms down while Sarah strangled her.

Despite Adrian's desperate resistance, she was overpowered.

Corey then wrapped his belt around Adrian's neck as they drove to a nearby park, placing her body in the trunk of the geoprism.

Sarah proposed bearing the body at her grandparents farm, thinking no one would suspect her if she was seen there and the body would never be found, but when they arrived, the frozen ground made digging impossible.

They had already wrapped Adrian's body in a tarp.

Now they poured gasolene over it and Corey lit it with a buttane lighter.

Sarah leaned on his shoulder as they watched the flames flicker, but the fire didn't consume the body as they'd hoped.

Faced with failure, they decided to enlist help, and they knew just who to call.

They called their friend Nathan Godey, who had a reputation for cruelty towards animals and they believed would assist with dismembering the body.

Nathan, testifying for the prosecution under a plea deal, recounted meeting Sarah and Corey that Saturday.

They asked him what would you do if you killed somebody?

On Sunday, Sarah picked up Nathan from his grandmother's house, where he was ready and armed with a saw.

Back at the farm, Nathan dismembered Adrian's body while Sarah and Corey looked on.

Most of the remains were dumped into a ravine on the property, while the rest were sealed in a trash bag and stored in the trunk of Sarah's car.

Everyone in the courtroom listened shocked as Nathan testified that afterward, the trio stopped at mac donald's for a meal.

Later, they drove to Black Hawk Historic Site and found a wooded area.

There, they lifted a manhole cover, dropped in the remaining body parts, replaced the cover, and shoveled dirt over it.

Sarah had insisted on disposing the remains in two separate locations to make identification more difficult.

Now, In an unorthodox move, Sarah Colb took the stand to testify in her own defense.

She appeared unfazed, calmly answering questions from her court appointed defense attorney, David Hoffman.

Sarah admitted to inviting Adrian to lunch and driving her to Taco Bell.

She also acknowledged grabbing Adrian's hair and warning her to stay away from Sarah's friends, but she insisted that was the only time she got physical with Adrian.

According to Sarah, it was Corey who attacked, dragging Adrian into the back seat and strangling her with a belt.

Sarah claimed she just sat there, shocked and frozen, denying any involvement in the murder.

She said she stayed silent because Corey threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone or if she didn't help conceal the crime.

But a witness contradicted the story, testifying that just hours after the murder, Sarah was seen on Corey's lap at a party, hardly the behavior of someone living in fear.

The prosecution wasn't buying Sarah's attempt to minimize her role.

State's attorney Jeff Taranas had Sarah read aloud from a journal entry she wrote hours before the murder.

The jury heard her chilling words I'll fucking kill her and frankly, the way Sarah spoke about Adrian on the stand disparaging and cold spoke volumes without needing further elaboration here.

Forensic pathologist Jessica Bowman testified that she could not pinpoint a definitive cause of death, but suggested Adrian may have died from smothering or strangulation.

She also noted a laceration on Adrian's head consistent with a blow.

After two weeks of testimony, the jury retired to deliberate, with Juror Mark Curdy serving as foreman.

Juror Steve Haskins recalled numerous inconsistencies in the witness's accounts, but believed that when pieced together, they pointed clearly to Sarah Kulb's guilt for first degree murder.

Jur Jeff Paul expected a swift verdict.

He was confident the twelve jurors would review the facts and unanimously convict Sarah Colb, but after two days, the jury returned with the deadlock.

Eleven jurors were convinced of Sarah's guilt.

One juror, Mark Curdy, stood alone, refusing to budge.

Hurdy insisted that the prosecution hadn't met the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Despite repeated efforts by the other jurors to convince him, his refrain remained proved to me She's guilty.

Hurdy later explained that the jury instructions were unclear and he didn't realize he could convict them the concealment charge alone, while deadlocking and murder.

Jury instructions are intended to guide jurors through legal definitions and standards, helping them understand how to apply the law to the evidence presented, but when those instructions are confusing or incomplete, justice can stall.

Those following the twenty twenty five Karen Reid trial may recall similar concerns over jury instructions, but that jury ultimately overcame their confusion and reached a verdict.

On Wednesday, November sixteenth, two thousand and five, Adrian's family sat in the courtroom, all wearing pink shirts with their daughter's photo on them.

They anxiously awaited a verdict, but were stunned when a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury.

Tears flowed freely.

This was not the justice they'd hoped for.

How with so much evidence could one juror still have reasonable doubt about Sarah Kolb's guilt.

Afterward, Mark Hurdy spoke to media outlets explaining his decision.

He said he believed Sarah had concealed the murder, but was not convinced the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that she committed the murder.

Hurdie's decision ignited public outcry.

Callers to radio shows where he appeared accused him of bragging about hanging the jury.

For Adrian's family and for the community.

The mistrial was another painful chapter in a case marked by tragedy and frustration.

The second trial was moved from Rock Island County to Dixon, a decision made to reduce the influence of intense media coverage on the jury.

Adrian's family faced another agonizing chapter, reliving the horrific details of the murder and cover up all over again, starting from scratch, But there was a glimmer of hope.

At the first trial, eleven jurors had found Sarah Colb guilty.

Joanne Reynolds chose to cling to that hope.

On Wednesday, February twenty second, two thousand and six, after ten hours of deliberation, the jury in Sarah Colb's second trial reached a unanimous verdict.

Sarah Colb was convicted of concealing a homicide and convicted of two counts of first degree murder.

When the verdict was read aloud in court, she showed no visible emotion.

The two counts of murder were based on two legal theories, first that Sarah intended to kill Adrian Reynolds, and second that her actions had a strong probability of resulting in death.

Although convicted on two counts, Sarah would only be sentenced for one.

Adrian's biological mother, Carolin Franco, expressed relief at the verdict.

She hoped that justice had finally been served and that her daughter's killer would spend the rest of her life behind bars.

After the verdict, Tony and jo Anne Reynolds drove quietly to Riverside Cemetery in Moline, where they placed flowers on Adrian's grave, a small gesture of love and remembrance amid the pain.

On the day of sentencing, Joanne Reynolds read a victim impact statement in court.

After expressing her grief, She said, the following, Adrian was a normal sixteen year old girl who liked boys.

Adrian came here from Texas to start her life over.

Like most families, we had problems, but together we were going through counseling.

Adrian got through to my heart and I never got the chance to tell her I loved her.

I miss her, Your Honor, Adrian had dreams.

She wanted to be on American Idol.

She loved to sing.

Adrian wanted to be a designer that did detail painting on cars.

We were planning a graduation party for Adrian.

She was working very hard to get her ged.

Adrian had dreams of being a Marine Honor.

Since January twenty first, two thousand and five, I have not been able to stop thinking what horror Adrian had to go through.

Later in her statement, Joanne said, the following, your honor.

Sarah asked for a fair trial, and she got it.

What about Adrian.

Sarah didn't give Adrian a fair trial.

She tried and convicted her and gave Adrian the death penalty.

Adrian just wanted to be Sarah's friend.

Because Sarah cannot receive the death penalty, because she has laws to protect her.

I ask you give her the max.

Because she is evil enough to have someone cut up Adrian's body.

I ask you give her the max.

Because Sarah shows no remorse, I ask you give her the max.

Because Adrian is not ever coming home.

I ask you to give her the max.

Adrian wasn't just anybody.

She was Adrian Lee Reynolds, and I want her to come home, Your Honor, this could have been anybody's daughter.

Please give her the max.

Sarah Colb is a cold blooded killer.

She shows no emotion.

She is not sorry that she killed Adrian.

She's sorry she got caught in her phone call to the police.

She was cool as ice.

Sarah Coleb was in control of the whole situation, Your Honor.

Sixty years is nothing compared to what Adrian Reynolds got.

I just want her to come home.

Please give Sarah the max.

Before announcing the sentence, the court described Sarah Colb's actions as cold and callous.

She was the aggressor, the judge said, with no regard for the life she took, only concerned with avoiding capture.

The judge also warned there was a strong likelihood Sarah's criminal behavior could happen again.

Her age and clean record were considered, but they didn't absolve her of responsibility.

This wasn't just a tragedy.

It was a stark warning about a dangerous young person who showed no remorse for what she'd done.

The court sentenced Sarah Klb to forty eight years in prison for first degree murder, with an additional three years a mandatory supervised release.

She also received a consecutive five year sentence for concealing a homicide.

Corey Gregory had been scheduled for trial on May first of two thousand and five in Rock County, but a month before he pleaded guilty to murder and concealment of a homicide.

This was part of a plea deal agreed upon with the Reynolds family in July.

During his sentencing hearing, Corey expressed remorse, telling Adrian's family he was sorry and wished he could undo what had happened.

He was sentenced to forty five years in prison.

Nathan Gaudet pleaded guilty to concealing a homicide and was sentenced to up to five years in juvenile detention.

He served nearly four years and was released on November eleventh, two thousand and eight.

Tragically, on April sixteenth, twenty twelve, Gaudet died in a car accident in Bloomingdale, Indiana.

The vehicle shruck a tree and caught fire, killing Gaudet and his two friends.

All three were burned beyond recognition.

A lot of media coverage has placed heavy emphasis on Sarah and Corey's connection to insane clown Posse and their identification with the Juggalo community.

In some reports, loose associations are drawn between the group's horror core lyrics and the brutality of Adrian's murder.

I want to be clear here, I don't believe that listening to a certain type of music or being part of a subculture like the Juggalos makes someone inherently violent.

Millions of people connect with that music and that identity without ever committing harm.

What happened to Adrian wasn't about music.

It was about choices, cruelty, and a complete disregard for human life.

Twenty years later, at the Reynolds home in East Moleen, Adrian's bedroom remains just as she left it on that cold January morning in two thousand and five.

A strip of warning tape still hangs across the door disaster, do not enter, something her dad had jokingly placed there, teasing her about the messs she never quite got around to cleaning up.

Inside.

Adrian's guitar still leans against the wall, her posters are still up.

It's a pink room full of dreams.

Paused in mid sentence, her family often lets themselves imagine a different timeline, one where Adrian got her GED, passed her driving test, and bought her first car, one where she joined the Marines, just like she talked about.

They watch American idol and wonder out loud how far she could have gone.

They're certain she'd have made it past the first round at least.

Tony and Joanne Reynolds took their grief and turned it outward, raising funds in Adrian's name for black Hawk Outreach, helping other young people pay for their GEDs, carrying forward the very future that was taken from their daughter.

Adrian's life was short, but it mattered, and while her story ends far too soon, her family is making sure that her voice and her dreams are still heard.

Thank you so much for listening.

Method and Madness is a completely independent podcast, written, produced and hosted by me.

To find out more about the show, including access to all episodes, visit Method and Madness podcast dot com.

To support the show, consider leaving a rating or a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

To connect, I'm on Instagram at Method and Madness Pod, and you can find me on TikTok and Facebook as well.

To chat, suggest a case, or discuss the episode.

Reach out to me at Methodanmadness podat gmail dot com.

That's it for this week.

Until next time, take care of yourself.

You matter.

For crisis support, text hello to seven four one seven four one