84: Deadly Paradise: A Secret Double Life & A BARBARIC Murder
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialist League.

Hey everybody, welcome back to an all new episode of Serialistly with me, your true crime bestie, Annie Elise. Alright guys, I'm gonna keep it real. The case that we are talking about today is one that is pretty messed up and...

honestly pretty freaking grotesque if I'm gonna just be real with you. I was really fascinated with it because I had first heard about it quite some time ago but then new details started coming out as we researched it a little more I was like holy shit this is actually like way crazier than I thought it was and it also piqued my interest because the victim is from Orange County, California which is of course where I am from and where I currently live.

So we are going to get into this case in just a second. Before we do, please do all of the things, rate the podcast, leave a review, like the video on YouTube, comment, subscribe, do all the things, all the things, all the things.

But I really wanted to just kind of preface it because the case that we are discussing today, again, is straight up heinous. It is psychotic. And honestly, it's utterly horrifying. There truly are no words to describe it. It starts out here in sunny Southern California, and it's centered around a beautiful woman from Orange County named Yvonne Bedelli.

Yvonne went missing back in 2011, sparking an investigation that received international media attention. But what was uncovered during the investigation is something that still haunts investigators to this very day. Today, I saw a monster come into the room, chained like an animal, and that is a monster. Stopped contact with her family, phone calls, unanswered, a family reunion.

skipped. She hasn't been seen or heard from. - Yvonne Baldelli vanished five months ago. - FBI is now involved. Why would they get involved in this case? - Remember the FBI involvement in the Natalie Holloway case? - I do. - It seems there's no trace. She even brought a dog with her and the dog has disappeared now. - Even while in Panama, Yvonne Baldelli would email her family every week. So when those messages stopped coming, they knew something just wasn't quite right.

Yvonne Bodelli, whose close friends and family called her Vonnie, was born on March 4th, 1970. She grew up in a divorced family in Southern California, but she was still extremely close with all of her siblings. She had one brother and one sister. Now, Vonnie was gorgeous. She had a very bubbly personality and was just full of energy.

She was 5'2", 120 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and according to everyone who knew her, she was a really fun-loving, free spirit, with a smile and a presence that lit up any single room that she ever entered. Now, Vonnie had previously been married once before to a man named John Baldelli, and this was in 1996. But in 2009, their marriage ultimately ended.

Vonnie was 39 years old, feeling a little lost in her life, to be quite honest, trying to put the pieces back together after her divorce. And that's when she met someone new one night at Hennessy's Tavern in Dana Point. And that special someone that she met was Brian Brimager, a 33-year-old, dark hair, and handsome, newly retired Marine. He had a very charismatic personality, and it drew everyone in, especially Vonnie.

So as they began dating, their romance heated up very, very quickly. Yvonne was infatuated with Brian and constantly gushed to all of her friends and her family about this new guy that she met, her new boyfriend, this wonderful, attractive, amazing man, someone who she really felt like could be the one in this next chapter of her life following her divorce. Now initially, Yvonne's family was surprised that she already had a boyfriend so soon after her divorce.

Most of her family kind of brushed this off, though, as no big deal. They just wanted her to be happy. But Yvonne's sister, Michelle, felt much differently. She had concerns that Yvonne was putting 100% of her energy into Brian, but that Brian was not giving that same effort back to her sister. So the two of them dated for the next two years, and while their relationship was on and off and they did have some rough patches, in 2011, it seemed like they were finally in a good place.

Later on in 2011, Yvonne was no longer working at her previous job in a managerial position at Procter & Gamble. So after this, Yvonne and Brian began to think that maybe this would be a good time to check an item off of their bucket list and make a huge move to finally live together in a house overlooking the beach. However, there was only one problem. Now, if you know Orange County or if you've ever lived here, beachfront properties in Orange County come with a very hefty price tag.

So then they got to thinking, starting to be creative, and they realized how much less expensive it would be to move to another country, somewhere more tropical and with views much better than California anyway. So eventually they decided that they would move to Panama, specifically to a beautiful small island off the coast of Panama, Isle Carinero, a place that seemed so luxurious, peaceful, and private, reachable only by boat.

Yvonne thought that maybe while she was there, she could start a clothing business and make bathing suits and sell them on the beach. And with that, all of it started to come together. And on September 26, 2011, Yvonne and Brian took that leap of faith. They sold most of their personal belongings and made the move to Panama. Yvonne even brought her dog with her, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Georgia May.

She brought two sewing machines for her new business venture and her white Sony laptop so that she could of course stay in touch with her family while she's gone, among some other personal items. Once there, Brian and Yvonne settled into their new tropical island life. They were renting a waterfront beautiful apartment, which I will say some sources did call a hostel, and it was located in Casa del Sapo on Caranero Island. Once there, they became friends with the property manager, who lived in the room next door to theirs.

Brian and Yvonne were eager to start this new chapter together in what really felt like a fresh start for both of them. Brian enjoyed playing the guitar and singing in the local bars, and some bars even let him play guitar and sing in exchange for alcohol and food, which he did several times a week. Yvonne was regularly seen with Brian around the island at the bars, having just a great time and enjoying life.

Now, while in Panama, Yvonne regularly kept in touch with her family on the phone and through email, sending pictures of her and Brian, all of her adventures. And she was always telling her family just how happy she really was in her island paradise and how much fun the two of them were having. Yvonne would tell her sister Michelle in depth via email about all of the new adventures that her and Brian were experiencing together.

Emails like, "Hey sis, Brian is already working at local restaurants and bars. We love it. We wake up and go running, then we swim in the ocean every morning." So Yvonne's family thought all was well in paradise, and that Brian really might be the guy for her, the one, the one she had been waiting for. But then, right around Thanksgiving in 2011, emails and calls from Yvonne started to drop off.

On November 21, 2011, Yvonne emailed her cousin after hearing that she was involved in a horrible car accident. She was worried and she wanted to make sure that her cousin was okay. That day they sent a few emails back and forth, but the last email message between them was at 6:30 p.m. And then when Yvonne didn't respond, her cousin thought it was weird, especially since she had been planning for her cousin to come and visit them soon. But still, no response.

So, a couple of days passed and she still hadn't heard back from Yvonne, which was really unlike her, because Yvonne was always known to return calls, text messages, or emails within two days at most.

Becoming increasingly more worried as time passed, her cousin reached out to Yvonne's sister Michelle. Surely she had heard from her, right? But she hadn't. And Michelle told her cousin that not only had she not heard from her lately, but that Yvonne didn't call her for the past two Sundays in a row, like she always had done in the past.

So they became even more concerned now. But what could they do? Yvonne was a grown woman, and in another country. She's allowed to not check her emails. And as uncomfortable and worrisome as it was, for the most part, they weren't overly concerned, and they were hopeful that she would respond when she could, and would tell them about the wild adventure that she surely must have been doing.

But two weeks passed with nothing. Then on December 14th, her sister Michelle finally got a text. And we're going to go over what that text message said and everything that came after that after we take a quick break to hear from today's first sponsor.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

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Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So Yvonne's sister Michelle finally gets a text after radio silence for weeks from her sister. But this text wasn't from Yvonne. Instead, it was from a number that she didn't recognize. And the text message said, this is Brian. May I make arrangements to pick up my truck?

Now, Michelle was absolutely floored because, of course, she was confused as to why Brian sent her a message asking if he could pick up his truck. What does she have to do with any of that? Shouldn't this probably be a question for Yvonne? But more importantly, what the hell was he doing back in the U.S. without Yvonne? That was the first and foremost question here. What was going on?

So Michelle quickly called the number and she asked, "Where's my sister?" To which Brian replied, "Didn't you get my email?" Michelle told him no, she hadn't received any emails from anybody in quite a few weeks. So she quickly got off the phone and immediately went to her computer to scour for this supposed email that Brian had sent. And lo and behold, there was an email that she had somehow missed from Brian.

and the email read, "I'm sure you've heard by now that Vani and I are no longer together." Michelle was flabbergasted and didn't even continue reading the email before calling Brian right back and asking him what had happened.

Brian said that while in Panama, he and Yvonne got in a fight because she found out that he had a child from somebody else. Which, uh, yeah. Maybe you would have liked to mention that you had a child before starting your whole new life and your fresh start with Yvonne in another complete country.

And so of course Michelle was obviously even more confused by all of this, because she knew that Brian and Yvonne had been on and off in the past, but nothing like this. Michelle imagined how hard this must have been for Yvonne to hear, especially because she had had a medical issue that prevented her from ever having children. And here she was with the love of her life in what she thought was absolute paradise and their happily ever after, and then had this massive bomb dropped on her.

So Brian continued telling Michelle that Yvonne was upset and that he had no idea where she had gone. Brian said she didn't leave a note and she hadn't tried to call him since she left.

Michelle told him that she hadn't heard from Yvonne either, though, and that she hadn't heard from her for a while, so this was very alarming. And Brian tried to reassure Michelle, telling her, well, you know, I'm sure she's fine. She'll call when she's ready. She's probably just still dealing with the fallout, which, uh, yeah, right, not buying it. And Michelle wasn't buying it either. Even if that story was true, it didn't make sense as to why Yvonne hadn't contacted any

any family or friends, especially given that she must have been having a hard time processing Brian's revelation, this whole secret kid that he had. Michelle knew that all Yvonne ever wanted to do was be a mother. So to find out that Brian had a child after she sold everything she had to go to the ends of the world to be with him, and he didn't even find it important to tell her that he had a child, that would have left her absolutely devastated.

So 10 days passed, and Brian called Michelle again, asking to pick up his truck. But this time, Michelle had a plan. She told Brian that he could come and pick up his truck, and she said that she will be there as well, and that after he picks it up, that they are going to go to the police department together so that they could file a missing persons report, since he was the last one to have seen Yvonne.

In the meantime, Michelle was still left feeling like something was not quite right, so she began to comb through her emails again, just to make sure that she hadn't possibly missed anything. And when she did, she found another email that she had overlooked from a few weeks before. This time, it was an email from Yvonne.

The email read,

Now, Michelle knew that Yvonne's whole world must have been turned upside down. But still, could she have really run away with this new guy to Costa Rica? It just did not add up, and it made no sense whatsoever. Michelle was still worried though, because even if she had run off with another guy, who was this mystery man that she barely knew and then ran off with? Was she safe in Costa Rica? Why couldn't Yvonne have sent an email from Costa Rica to check in, or even call somebody?

It had been weeks and Yvonne never gave a further explanation other than that one email, which was a pretty nonchalant explanation of something that she knew Yvonne would be devastated over. And it was kind of suspicious in the first place.

But then, seemingly out of the blue, Michelle received another email. Again, from her sister, Yvonne. Miss you and everyone at home. I'm starting to get a little homesick. I'm working on plans to get home as early as the second week of January. I've been living with cliffhangers for a while. Love you, sis. Yvonne.

So Michelle began to think, wow, maybe I really did get all worked up for nothing. What a huge relief. She is safe. She's in Costa Rica. She's fine. She's going to come home and visit soon. Finally, she had this sense of comfort throughout all of this confusion. Her sister had just been hanging out with cliffhangers in Costa Rica. Maybe she didn't have a phone signal or even internet.

Plus, Yvonne said that she'd be making plans to travel back to California in January, right on time for a family reunion that had been planned months prior. But little did Michelle know that on that very same day, another unexpected visitor was about to arrive. Brian had made his way to Michelle's home, where he stood at the front door, ready to collect his truck. Michelle said Brian was emotionless and didn't say much, just got his truck as fast as he could and left.

But Michelle wasn't the only person Brian told the story to about Yvonne leaving with another man. He also apparently had told a few acquaintances that Yvonne left him, saying he's, and I quote, "another local sad story." The next time Michelle contacted her sister Yvonne, it was in a very chilling email. And she wrote, "I just want to make sure you weren't kidnapped or someone was pretending to be you. Haha. There's my paranoid, suspicious mind or maybe too many 48 hours."

Yvonne hadn't responded yet, but Michelle was still hopeful that Yvonne would appear at that family reunion. But she never showed up. Yvonne's family talked at the family reunion, and they began to compare stories of when they last heard from her. And everyone had mismatched stories that did not make any sense. And Brian was no longer answering anybody's phone calls.

So at that point, Yvonne's family made the decision to contact the U.S. embassies in Panama and Costa Rica. Michelle was absolutely convinced at this point that Yvonne never ran away to Costa Rica with another man, and that something else far more sinister was going on here. So she went to get some help from a cousin, thinking that maybe if she could get help identifying where the emails from Yvonne's account were sent from, that she could start to figure out what was really going on here.

The cousin, who kind of had a knack for technology, said that all that they needed to do was figure out where the emails were being sent from to narrow down where Yvonne could be. He explained that all he needed were the unique IP addresses connected to those emails. So he rolled up his sleeves and started digging for the emails that Yvonne sent from Panama and Costa Rica. And that's when they made a discovery that they never expected.

The emails from Panama came from Panama. However, the email that was from Yvonne's account while in Costa Rica came from the United States. And not just anywhere in the United States, but from a location chillingly close in Dana Point, California. Michelle was dumbfounded. If Yvonne was back in the United States or in Dana Point, why hadn't they seen or heard from her?

Well, then the cousin decided to track where Brian's email came from, the one telling Michelle that Yvonne had left him. And as the results for the IP address came back, it started to look eerily familiar. It was the exact same IP address as Yvonne's email from Costa Rica, Dana Point. And with that, Michelle went to the FBI.

The FBI began looking into this case closely and very silently for months. Yvonne's family also found out from the U.S. embassies in Costa Rica and in Panama that there was no record of her ever entering Costa Rica or ever leaving Panama, ever. Many members of Yvonne's family traveled to Panama to search for her, and once in Panama, the family handed out flyers and even searched through a swamp near the apartment.

As an investigation began looking into Yvonne's disappearance, witnesses in Panama came forward to talk, talking about what they had seen between Brian and Yvonne. Some people said that they looked like they were just a normal couple, that they were in love and living on island time. But others said that Brian was abusive towards Yvonne.

Police later confirmed this was true, that from the middle of October through late November of 2011, Brian began fighting with and physically abusing Yvonne. In March of 2012, Brian was interviewed by the FBI. He said that Yvonne left Panama for Costa Rica on November 27, 2011, and that she took her white Sony laptop with her.

Brian also said he owned a similar white Sony laptop, but that specific laptop was never in Panama. He also told the FBI that he never had any plans on returning to the US until Yvonne took off to Costa Rica. He denied ever having hit Yvonne in the past or having an abusive relationship of any kind. And he said that he never had access to her email account or ever sent emails pretending to be her.

But then, even more disturbing news about Brian came to light that changed everything. Within two weeks of returning back to the U.S., Brian got engaged. Engaged to be married. And he got married to another woman. And the woman he married is named Kristen. And she was the same woman that he shared a child with.

It turns out that while in Panama with Yvonne, Brian was secretly emailing Kristen, making plans for them to get back together, promising that he wanted to make their family work, help raise their daughter, and said that he would be coming back to California soon, never once saying anything that indicated that he was dating Yvonne, dating someone else, or with another woman in general.

Seems really suspicious, right? Well, it gets even worse. So by April of 2012, the news that Yvonne was missing became public, nearly five months after the family believes they last had contact with her.

Unfortunately, because the investigation into her disappearance was in another country, the FBI did not conduct a formal investigation in Panama until April. The investigators in Panama and the FBI agents searched the apartment that Brian and Yvonne were staying in for blood traces or any other signs of Yvonne. Searches on land and by divers off the coast were also conducted.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Officials in Panama may be close to finding out what happened to a missing Southern California woman, but they're asking for help. Yvonne Baldelli vanished five months ago. Her family and friends have not given up. They'll actually be out searching for her today. Terrell Brown is here with a new turn in the investigation this morning. Terrell, good morning.

Erica, good morning. Police made a major announcement yesterday that gave hope to the people who've been looking for her. Even while in Panama, Yvonne Baldelli would email her family every week. So when those messages stopped coming, they knew something just wasn't quite right. Last September, Yvonne Baldelli moved to Panama looking for a fresh start. Along for the journey, her dog, Georgia Mae, and boyfriend, Brian Brimager.

But at the airport, when her sister Michelle Valenzuela took one last picture with her phone, she had an ominous feeling. Because for some reason, this emotion came over me, and I had this horrible feeling when I saw my phone that I was never gonna see her again. Just divorced and laid off from Proctor and Gamble, 41-year-old Baldelli settled into this house on a lush tropical island on the Caribbean Sea.

They wanted a simple life. Brimager, a former Marine, would live off singing at local bars. Baldelli would make and sell swimwear to tourists. All seemed to be going well until one day, Baldelli stopped contact with her family. Phone calls unanswered, a family reunion skipped. She hasn't been seen or heard from since last November.

What we want is to bring Yvonne home and show that she's loved and cared about. Her boyfriend said she up and left for Costa Rica with another man. Within weeks of her disappearance, Brimager returned to the U.S., got engaged, and married another woman. Since Baldelli vanished, her family has been a near constant presence on the island. As part of the search, they're looking for her dog and a necklace she always wore. But so far, nothing.

Yesterday, local authorities announced a new turn in their investigation. The FBI is investigating a person of interest in the case, a Panamanian official says. The investigation will take place in the United States. That person of interest, Baldelli's boyfriend, Brian Brimager.

A CBS News producer tried to reach Brian Brimmager yesterday at his new wife's apartment outside San Diego. She answered the door... Hi, Christian. ...but refused to talk to us. Brimmager has also taken down his Facebook page. As for Baldelli's family, they hope a cash reward will turn up clues about what happened. All I know is my sister went down there and she did not come home. And obviously I'm hopeful that she will come home.

The family has set up a Facebook page to solicit volunteers for their search efforts. Police now say they believe Baldelli and Brimmager had a violent relationship. They won't even rule out that this was a crime of passion.

the FBI is reportedly sending divers. Now that Brian was officially a person of interest, his whereabouts and movements before and after the last time that Yvonne was actually known to contact her family were being looked into much more closely. And what was found was far more sinister than anyone could have ever imagined.

After arriving in Panama on September 26, 2011, Brian was immediately in touch with Kristen, as if he never skipped a beat in continuing his relationship with her while also with Yvonne. In November of 2011, Brian sent emails to Kristen, to his mother, and to a friend saying how bored he was with life in Panama and that he would be coming back to California soon, which was the complete polar opposite of the life he was carrying out in Panama.

So what else was Brian hiding? Who was he really? According to locals, Brian was known to buy large amounts of cocaine from people on the island and told one acquaintance that he had to actually leave the island because his nose was going to fall off. That is a direct quote.

Now, you have that, coupled with the witnesses saying that Yvonne was abused. It's not looking good. So police looked further into what the allegations were about, and apparently, around mid-October, Brian and Yvonne got in a fight, and neighbors could hear an altercation ongoing since they lived in a five-unit hostel, apartment unit-style building, and the neighbors were all extremely close by one another, including that property manager who lived right next door.

Neighbors heard yelling, loud noises, and Brian punched Yvonne in the face, causing bruising around her eyes and on her arms. Yvonne ended up taking photos of this injury, which was later found during the investigation into her disappearance.

Police knew that Yvonne's last known communication was via email and on November 21st, from that email exchange with her cousin. So now they had to work to figure out the last time that she was actually physically seen. So as they were doing their digging, they confirmed that Brian and Yvonne were confirmed to have gone to dinner at Carlos' Steakhouse, a local restaurant, on November 26th, 2011, and they were also seen leaving together. But it

But it seems like after that, Yvonne was physically a ghost. At least nobody had seen or spoken to her, but her online communication and her bank activity were still ongoing. On November 27th, there was money withdrawn from her bank account. Two days later, on the 29th, there was an email from Yvonne's account.

A couple of weeks later, on December 11th, another email from Yvonne's account. More money was withdrawn from her bank account that same day. And then a week later, Brian emailed Yvonne. That same day, there was an email from Yvonne's account.

Then a few days later, the day after Christmas, another email from Yvonne's account. But then investigators made a very grim discovery. Not only was the white Sony laptop that Brian insisted wasn't Yvonne's actually Yvonne's, but internet searches were found on the laptop.

We always say Google searches will be the death of any suspect. Why people aren't smarter by now in this day and age, I don't know. But once again, thank you for being a complete moron, Brian, because the Google searches were extremely telling.

There was a search for washing mattress and another search for washing mattress bloodstain. So at this point, investigators started to realize that they were beginning to uncover Brian's elaborate scheme to cover up whatever he did to Yvonne.

The FBI knew Brian knew way more than he was telling, and in June of 2013, Brian was hit with an indictment of numerous federal obstruction of justice charges, giving false statements to federal officers, and falsifying records after his web of lies became completely exposed. In total, he was charged with 13 felonies related to covering up Yvonne's death.

But Brian insisted he was not guilty, and his new wife, Kristen, stood right by his side as he remained in custody. Yvonne's family still had been searching for her, including her sister, Michelle. They had no answers, and her sister never stopped advocating for Yvonne or getting Yvonne's story out in the public. They knew that Yvonne wouldn't be coming home alive at this point, but they were still determined to find her and to bring her home.

However, the search for Yvonne on the island proved to be extremely difficult, given the climate, the dense jungle areas, and of course, the ocean. Yvonne could have been anywhere.

The search for Yvonne lasted almost two years when finally major news broke. - There is a dramatic development this morning in the case of a missing California woman who's been missing for almost two years. Yvonne Bedelli disappeared after traveling from California to Panama with her boyfriend. They had decided to live there,

Now, he's accused of covering up her disappearance, and the FBI is involved. 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Zandt has reported on the case since it began. Peter, good morning to you. Good morning, Gayle and Anthony. Earlier this week, a worker clearing some land made a shocking discovery. Human remains found not far from where Baldelli was living. Now, through dental records, authorities in Panama have confirmed those remains are Baldelli's.

We spoke to her sister just hours after she heard the news. We've worked so hard for justice. We have done everything we can, we could do for her. And this means the world. And she was so in love with this man. And all she wanted to do was

Just be happy. Sounds silly, but that's all she wanted. The information that you give may be what gives our family some peace in this ongoing horror. Maybe we'll make it through this. The family traveled to Panama, scoured the island, and found nothing. According to an indictment unsealed, Breminger sent a series of emails from Baldelli's laptop in an attempt to trick her friends and family into believing she was still alive.

I kind of felt maybe like I was a bad sister because I never had enough hope that she was out there, but it never made sense to me that she would be. I knew from the beginning that he did something to her. Brian Breminger stood in that courtroom and said forcefully not guilty to that courtroom. Right. What do you say? You're a damn liar. You're a damn liar. So just fess up. What did you do and where did you put her?

That's what I want to know. Where is she? And let's bring her home. Nearly one week ago, a worker in Panama made a gruesome discovery. While clearing brush, he stumbled upon a military-style duffel bag. Inside, the remains of Yvonne Baldelli. Just as much as we want Yvonne to be remembered...

for her spirit and for who she is. We want everybody to know just as well as what kind of man he is and what he did to her. He never should be able to pick up and pick up with his life and move on with his life as if nothing happened. - Yvonne's remains are still in Panama, but it's expected they'll be brought home soon. Panamanian authorities plan on charging Brian Brimiger with murder and will seek his extradition to stand trial in Panama.

Must be a relief for the family. They finally found her, but you say it was actually very close to where they'd been looking. About 70 yards from where they were looking on that island, and they did one of those locking arms, walking through this muddy area. They just missed her. Yes, feels so badly for the family who's always suspected. What can you tell us about Brian?

Brian Brimager is a former Marine. He served in Iraq. He was trying to eke out a living playing guitar and singing at local bars on this island where they lived. He was reportedly terrible at that. But he had told a number of people when he drank a lot that he was one of the 5% on earth who could kill a human being without conscience.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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Also details into Brian and what the police had discovered, which ultimately led to Brian being indicted for Yvonne's murder.

See, Brian was already in custody on the federal charges for the lying in the cover-up. And he was already in custody when he had his first court appearance, where he pled not guilty. And all of Yvonne's family showed up for this. He seemed to be very arrogant to me. To say the least, it's very offensive and disturbing. Yvonne's father and niece recalling his carriage in court, ramrods straight and speaking forcefully as might a Marine still serving.

Lauren Beyer thought back to her childhood with Auntie Vaughn. When I was a little girl and when I would be afraid of monsters, she would say monsters don't exist. But, you know, today I saw a monster come into the room chained like an animal, and that is a monster. Now, a report from Panama that Brimmager has been charged with murder, and extradition papers are in the works.

U.S. charges total 13 so far, including 10 counts of obstruction of justice worth 20 years in prison each. Yvonne's father wants the maximum. Even though that individual may have two children, he doesn't deserve to have a chance to be with his daughters. He deprived me and the family of being with our daughter, Yvonne. Just a...

amazing gift from God and we all miss her very much. It's terrible that she's gone. Terrible.

So the charges here could bring him over 200 years in prison. He could also go to Panama. The family very excited about that possibility. There is no death penalty in Panama, though. The FBI believed that on the evening of November 26, 2011, that after dinner that night or early the next morning, Brian killed Yvonne, dismembered her body with a machete, and disposed of her body parts in a remote wooded area on the island. He also killed her dog.

And in a chilling detail, a few hours later, Brian allegedly sent an email to a friend saying, And then he later joked on a social media post where he said he had a machete for sale.

The same machete used to kill Yvonne. And in the post, he said, apparently, I bought it in the States before I moved down there. Don't worry. I only dismembered one stripper with it. So it's hardly used. Smiley face.

I mean, the absolute arrogance and ick about this guy to not only be such a complete and utter complete fucking moron to post that murder weapon for sale and post this funny kitschy caption you think is funny with it, but like, just the arrogance of it all. To say, oh, I only dismembered one stripper. It's almost kind of like you're telling on yourself thinking you're funny, but you're really a complete idiot because...

Of course, digital footprints always come back to haunt you. Always. So once again, Brian, you are proving to be just a complete idiot. But thank you for that because you're giving Yvonne's family the answers and the FBI investigators the answers they so desperately need. So investigators say that at 1030 the next morning, he searched for how to clean that mattress. And after Brian could not clean the mattress, he bought a new one and then told the hostel manager that he had thrown the old one in the ocean because his dog had urinated on it.

Later that day, he traveled to Bocas, and he withdrew money from Yvonne's bank accounts to make it appear that she had traveled through Bocas on her way to Costa Rica. For the next two days, Brian disposed of physical evidence of the crime, including putting all of Yvonne's personal belongings into 10 large black trash bags, and then putting those bags on the hostel's dock for disposal. The bags contained things like Yvonne's clothing, cosmetics, and even jewelry.

Then, apparently on November 29th, 2011, Brian accessed Yvonne's personal email account. At about 9:15 a.m., posing as Yvonne, he sent an email to Yvonne's sister Michelle, stating that Yvonne had broken up with Brian and was headed off to Costa Rica with this new man that she had met named Tony Gonzalez.

At around 9:30 a.m., Brian sent two emails from Yvonne's account to the manager of the hostel stating that Yvonne had already arrived in Costa Rica and that she wanted to give the manager her two high-end sewing machines. That afternoon, Brian sent an email from his own account to Yvonne's email pretending that he thought that she had left Panama. On December 10th, Brian flew back to the United States with a layover in Costa Rica.

On December 11th, while still on that layover in Costa Rica, he posed as Yvonne and sent an email from her account to one of her friends, stating that she was traveling in Costa Rica and having the time of her life, having a great time as quoted.

Later that afternoon, while still in Costa Rica, Brian conducted an internet search on Yvonne's laptop for Festival de la Luz. He then wrote but did not send an email from Yvonne's account to her sister Michelle, stating that Yvonne and Tony Gonzalez were having fun at the festival in San Jose, Costa Rica, and that they were planning to return to the United States in January 2012.

That afternoon, Brian visited an ATM and withdrew $200 from Yvonne's bank account to make it appear that she was alive and well, living in San Jose, Costa Rica, living life as normal. The next day, on December 12th, at about 6:20 p.m., Brian checked Yvonne's email account while on a layover in Atlanta, Georgia. That night, he landed in San Diego, and he was picked up at the airport by his now-wife, Kristen. He proposed to Kristen.

two days later. After returning to the United States, Brian received an email from another friend who told him to say hello to Yvonne. And in his reply, guess what he wrote?

He wrote, he, and I quote, ditched that bitch. I mean, all in all, not looking good for dear old Brian boy. He is just kind of leaving a digital trail left and right. Not very smart. And again, thank you for that, Brian. So he had first pled and said that he was not guilty. But then Brian ended up changing his tune and later admitted to all of this because Yvonne's blood DNA was found on that very machete that he tried to get rid of.

Brian said that he stabbed Yvonne in the back on November 27th and then used the machete to chop up her body. According to prosecutors, he also said that he drugged her and beat her, breaking her nose before stabbing her.

After dismembering Yvonne's body, Brian stuffed her remains into a military-style duffel bag and into garbage bags. He then hiked a mile and a half to the other side of the island, where he threw the bags down an embankment into the remote Panama jungle.

A few days later, after he had disposed of Yvonne's body in the jungle, he used some of the money that he had been withdrawing to buy groups of chicks some drinks at a bar. And while he bought those drinks, they all were cheersing, thanks, Vonnie, as he raised his glass in a toast. Then the rest of the money he used on drugs and alcohol later on. Just a complete emotionless, callous prick.

So it is sentencing Yvonne's family, many of whom were of course in tears, addressed to the court and Brian directly, calling him evil and saying that his lies over the years tormented Yvonne's family, prolonging the entire painful ordeal. Brian spoke as well, and he said he was sorry, but Yvonne's family said it was the most meaningless, insincere apology they had ever heard, and it was only a hollow attempt to save himself.

Brian was sentenced in 2016 to 26 years in prison. In addition to his 26-year sentence, he was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and pay restitution of more than $11,000 to Yvonne's father.

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy released a statement following his sentencing, saying, "...the day of reckoning has come for Brian. Not only did he show a callous disregard for Yvonne's life by viciously beating, stabbing, and dismembering her and then dumping her in the jungle, but his words and actions in the hours, days, and months following his horrendous crime exhibited an extreme lack of remorse. He stole a precious daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, and now he is paying the price."

Now, in a very wild twist that is unrelated to this specific case, according to CBS, and I quote, eerily the home where Yvonne and Brian lived in Panama once belonged to American serial killer Wild Bill Holbert, who was arrested for the murders of at least five Americans. He was known for using his victims' online identities to communicate with their families after their murders.

literally almost a carbon copy of what Brian did with Yvonne and her family. It's a really eerie twist and kind of gives me the chills. Literally, if you had Zoom right now, you'd be able to see it. If you could Zoom in, I have the chills all over my body. It is so creepy to think about. All right, guys, don't forget to check out the show notes for all of the deals on today's amazing sponsors. Get those deals while you can. They are all linked in the show notes below.

All right, guys, thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Serialistly with me, your true crime bestie. If you want even more access, access to merch giveaways, bonus episodes, ad-free video episodes, private one-on-one talks, our group chat where we talk all things true crime, make sure to head over to Patreon where you can get all access to all of the things. I will link it in the show notes below.

Thank you again for tuning in to today's episode. Don't forget, Headline Highlights will be here bright and early on Thursday. And please don't forget to rate and review this podcast on your way out. It helps the algorithm and helps push the podcast out there. And the ultimate goal, as you know, if you've been listening for a while, is to get these victims' stories heard as much as possible to generate more awareness, give them a voice, and hopefully, in turn, hold some people more accountable and help people identify the red flags to look for.

So please do what you can to help share this. All right. Thank you guys so much. And I will be talking with you very soon. But until then, it is your true crime bestie signing off. All right. Take care, guys. Bye. An official message from Medicare.

A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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