According to the 48 Hours podcast, Jocelyn Earnest was found dead in her Forest, Virginia, home on December 20, 2007. Wesley Earnest was her estranged husband. He was eventually found guilty of her murder after an inquiry revealed his involvement.
This mainly included infidelity and financial motives. He is currently jailed for life. 48 Hours delves into crime and justice tales, revealing specifics about investigations through important evidence and interviews.
CBS News journalists investigate each case, which might lead to the reopening of cold cases or exonerations. New episodes are shown on Mondays, with further conversations in the Post Mortem series on Tuesdays. The show airs on Saturdays at 10/9c.
More about Jocelyn Earnest
Jocelyn Earnest was found dead in Forest, Virginia, at home on December 20, 2007, and this was because she was shot in the back of her head. Because a written letter was found next to her body, the authorities initially believed it may have been a suicide.
Investigators began to suspect foul play, nevertheless, after a closer look. There were indications that the corpse had been relocated, and the message didn't match Jocelyn's handwriting. This made it less likely to be a suicide.
The primary suspect was Jocelyn Earnest's estranged husband, Wesley Earnest. The couple was going through a divorce and had been apart for almost two years when she passed away.
They had a tense relationship because of Wesley's infidelity and money troubles. Jocelyn knew that he had an affair with a woman called Shameka Wright. Arguments over money and property, particularly a lake house they purchased together, characterized the acrimonious divorce proceedings.
A further inquiry found that the pistol used in the incident belonged to Wesley. Fingerprints recovered on the message matched him, indicating that it was not printed at Jocelyn's residence, but someplace else.
Wesley was also revealed to be struggling financially, and the couple's lake house burnt down after Jocelyn died. He received an insurance settlement, raising suspicions that he killed Jocelyn for money.
Marcy Shepherd, Jocelyn Earnest's friend, found her dead the previous evening after attempting to contact her. The following day, Marcy used a spare key to go to Jocelyn's house and discovered her buddy dead.
Wesley Earnest is still serving his term in prison today. A broken marriage, adultery, and financial difficulties all contributed to Jocelyn's demise.
Additional details about Wesley Earnest
Jocelyn Denise Branham and Wesley Earnest met while they were both students at West Virginia University. After getting married in 1995, they relocated to Forest, Virginia.
Wesley became the vice principal of a high school, while Jocelyn was employed at Genworth Financial. Before Jocelyn's 2007 murder, their lives appeared to be solid.
As per the 48 Hours podcast, Wesley was found guilty of Jocelyn Earnest's murder. Citing his fingerprints on a suicide note they said was forged, the prosecution claimed he did it for financial gain. The jurors did not accept Wesley's alibi that he was at Taco Bell in Chesapeake that evening.
Trending
After a mistrial in 2009, he was retried in 2010. He was specifically found guilty of murder. In regard to this, he was sentenced to life in prison plus three years. He is still in prison at Sussex I State Prison.
Read More: 10 best True Crime shows to watch in 2024
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
