Corey Wieneke, a 22-year-old young man, was found dead in his room in 1992. Police were sure he was murdered but could not find the lead until 2017.
After 25 years of the murder of Corey Wieneke, his murderer was sentenced to prison life. The cold case was finally solved, and the victim and his family got the long-awaited justice.
What Happened To Corey Wieneke?
On October 13, 1992, Jody Hotz, fiance of Corey Wieneke, called 911 and told them about his death. When the responders first reached his home, they found his body lying on a floor covered with blood in his room.
With an immediate look, one could tell that he was killed because of a blunt force and beating. When they asked Jody about her whereabouts, she said she was at work. After getting an alibi from her co-workers, she was ruled out as a suspect.
Police also thought it could be robbery or home invasion but soon ruled out the possibility. The next morning, one of the reporters notified that a bloody aluminum baseball bat was on the road nearby, which turned out to be a murder weapon.
Investigators found their way to Annette Cahill (Hazen at that time) through investigation. On the morning of October 13 ( during the time of closing the bar), she had met up with Corey and even had a confrontation with him as per another co-worker of Wieneke.
But before authorities could call Annette for interrogation, she showed up at the police station and told them that she and Wieneke were in a casual relationship. She was enraged that morning because they had plans to hook up, but she saw him with another female co-worker making her jealous.
But she said that they made up later and even hooked up. But, after that, she went to work a roofing job with her sister-in-law, who supported her statement. She also added she had gone to his home that morning to get back the book she had left, but he did not respond to the door.
She was also made to take a polygraph test, but she did not show any kind of guilt and was let go. Thus, his death remained a cold case until 2017, when Jessica Becker came up with a traumatizing childhood memory.
Corey Wieneke Murder Update On NBC Dateline
In one of the episodes of NB’s Dateline named The Black Candle Confession, an update about Corey Wieneke’s murder is showcased. It explores how the man was killed and explains that despite several efforts, investigators could not find the murderer until a lead came by in 2017.
Becker went to the investigators and confessed that she was a friend of Annette’s niece. When she was nine years old, she had gone to her home for a sleepover and heard Cahill crying while holding a black candle and apologizing to Cahill, saying she never meant to hurt him.
Becker had told about the confession to her mother, but they were afraid to report it because of the cruelty of murder. Although the accused gave out a different version of the event after police confronted her, she was later found guilty in 2019 and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Where is Annette Cahill Now?
The Iowa Supreme Court convicted Annette Dee Cahill for second-degree murder after she beat down her 22-year-old Corey Wieneke to death on October 13, 1992.
She avoided protection and police for several years before police finally got the lead in 2019. After a failed trial in early 2019, a retrial on September 19, 2019, found her guilty of second-degree murder.
District Court Judge Patrick McElyea sentenced her to the maximum 50-year prison sentence during a sentencing hearing in Muscatine County District Court on November 22, 2019, as per KWQC.
She must complete 70 percent of her sentence, or 35 years, before being eligible for parole. Although she requested a retrial, her request was denied, and she is currently serving her jail sentence.