Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was the 9th of April 2021, when Christine
Halseth, the mother of45-year-old Daniel Halseth,
became concerned after she hadnot heard from him for a couple
of days.
She had called him repeatedlybut the phone just rang and rang
, with Daniel never answering.
She had called up his16-year-old daughter, sierra,
and inquired about hiswhereabouts.
She was informed that he was inthe shower and that his phone
(00:23):
was broken.
Welcome to another episode ofHuman Wreckage.
In this episode, we talk aboutthe murder of Daniel Halseth and
the horrific details involvedin his death.
Let's get and.
(01:01):
Landlord Peggy drove over toDaniel's home in Las Vegas, only
to find that the front door waswide open.
As soon as she entered the home, the distinct aroma of fire
wafted up their nostrils.
She proceeded through the homecalling out Daniel's name, but
received no response.
Elizabeth immediately left thehome and called for the fire
brigade.
(01:21):
Firefighters responded to thehome on the 8400 block of Dunphy
Court.
They entered the home and madetheir way to the garage where
the smoke was billowing from.
There was a small fire whichwas extinguished.
As soon as the flames weretamed, the firefighters recoiled
in horror to find the lifelessbody of a man.
It was Daniel.
They could immediately see thatthe fire was not the cause of
(01:44):
his death.
He had sharp force injuries tohis head, neck and torso.
There had also been an attemptto dismember his body.
The fire had then been set inan attempt to conceal the murder
.
Investigators were called tothe scene, where they discovered
blood throughout the home.
They also discovered a sawwhich had apparent blood and
tissue on the blade.
Meanwhile, daniel's body wastransported to the medical
(02:08):
examiner's office, where it wasdiscovered he had been stabbed
and slashed over 70 times.
After his death, his body wasmutilated.
Daniel had previously beenmarried to Nevada State Senator,
elizabeth Halseth, and thecouple had three children.
Their 11-year marriage had beenmarred by allegations of
domestic abuse, and the marriageultimately culminated in a
(02:28):
bitter divorce after Danielpleaded guilty to two counts of
coercion and battery.
Elizabeth had been grantedprimary custody of Sierra and
her two siblings in 2011, but in2020, the couple began
disputing the custodyarrangement.
Shortly before Daniel wasmurdered, he had shared his
displeasure at the relationshipbetween his 16-year-old daughter
(02:48):
, sierra, and her 18-year-oldboyfriend, aaron Guerrero.
The young couple had beendating since June of 2020, and
they had recently just begunplotting to rob their parents
and run away to Los Angeles.
However, daniel caught wind ofthe grim plan and forbade Sierra
from seeing Aaron Undeterred,the couple began plotting
something much more sinister.
(03:09):
In the pre-dawn hours of April 8, 2021, aaron ran away from home
.
Over the next couple of hours,he and Sierra purchased a
chainsaw and a circular saw, aswell as a handsaw and lighter
fluid.
They also bought disposablegloves and a drop cloth.
Sierra and Aaron then stolemore than $1,300 from the
account that Daniel shared withhis ex-wife.
(03:31):
After killing Daniel, thecouple stole some money and his
car before fleeing to Salt LakeCity.
As family tried to get incontact with him, sierra sent
messages to her grandmother inan effort to keep her away from
the home.
In a message, christine wrotehey, sierra, I'm trying to get a
hold of your dad.
Where is he?
Sierra replied His phone hasbeen acting up, but he's okay.
(03:53):
It should be fixed by tomorrownight, no worries.
The charade continued, but bynow, elizabeth had discovered
that money was missing fromtheir joint bank account and
suspicions were mounting.
As the couple were on the run,they recorded a video on
Sierra's cell phone.
In the video, the two laughedand joked about the murder of
Daniel.
They were lying together in atent as they announced that this
(04:15):
was their YouTube channel andthat it had now been three days
since the murder, sierra burstinto laughter and stated Whoa,
don't put that on camera.
The couple then discussed sexbefore.
Aaron said it was worth it.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
They look like young sweethearts just goofing around.
Until this chilling boast, theyadmit to committing a murder
and it's worth it.
The victim?
According to prosecutors thegirl's own father, daniel Halsef
, foot in 25 push-ups huh, how'sthat sound?
(04:51):
The dad was a fitness andtravel buff who loved to post
videos online, including thesemoments.
As a doting dad, thanks, sierra.
But he reportedly didn'tapprove of his 16-year-old
daughter, sierra, dating18-year-old Aaron Guerrero.
And he wasn't alone.
His ex-wife, elizabeth, aformer Nevada Republican state
senator, also had a problem withher daughter's relationship.
(05:14):
After they banned Sierra fromseeing Aaron, sierra's father
disappeared.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's been missing for two days.
His work's called, his family'scalled.
I've called his wife's called.
There's nobody answering thephone.
I know there's something verywrong going on here.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
There was indeed, as friends found out when they
checked in on Hal Seth's home inLas Vegas, that he had been
renovated Another dead body inthe garage.
Hal Seth had been stabbed todeath and his body set on fire.
Cops say Sierra Hal Seth andher boyfriend took off in her
dad's car right after theslaying.
(05:52):
They were arrested days later,400 miles away in Salt Lake City
after apparently trying tododge a train fare.
Prosecutors say they found thatchilling video on the girl's
cell phone.
It appears to have been takenin a tent while they were on the
run.
At one point Aaron put hishands around Sierra's neck.
(06:12):
The two were also caught onsecurity camera buying bleach
and other items cops say wereused to clean up the crime scene
.
I spoke to Dr Keith Abloh abouthow such a girl with a
seemingly idyllic childhoodcould end up charged with
murdering her own father.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
What jumps out at you from the video is the complete
lack of empathy.
There seems to be a disconnectin which the perpetrator or
perpetrators don't even seem toconsider what they're doing to
be real in a certain way, andthat's why they don't emote in a
way that we would consider tobe.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Quote unquote norm the teens haven't entered a plea
.
If convicted of murder, hecould face the death penalty,
but she's too young and faceslife in prison.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
On the 13th of April, Sierra and Aaron were stopped
by transit officers in Salt LakeCity after they got off a light
rail in the downtown areawithout paying for tickets.
The officer ran a backgroundcheck and discovered that they
were wanted for murder in LasVegas.
They immediately called police,who arrested the couple on the
spot.
They eventually tracked downthe couple's car, where they
(07:25):
discovered a bloody rug.
When Sierra's cell phone wasexamined, they found the
incriminating video, which wasessentially a confession.
In Las Vegas, a teenager aged16 years old or older is
automatically charged as anadult.
The couple were extradited toClark County, where they were
both charged with Daniel'smurder, as well as conspiracy,
(07:45):
arson, robbery and fraudulentuse of a credit card.
After the charges were filed,Daniel's family released a
statement which read DanielHouseth was, first and foremost,
a loving father, brother andson who was the heart of the
Houseth family.
To have him taken from us insuch a horrific, savage,
senseless and violent act ofmurder leaves us heartbroken and
(08:06):
our grief is unyielding.
The total lack of remorse ondisplay in the video is both
reprehensible and unforgivable.
While we are grateful for thework of the detective and the
district attorney, we arewaiting for justice to be served
with the maximum accountabilityallowed.
We love Dan very much and wemiss him every moment of the day
.
This is the only statement wewill be making and ask for
(08:30):
privacy and understanding.
Sierra and Aaron subsequentlypleaded not guilty to the murder
of Daniel, but in May of 2022,they appeared in court, where
they changed their pleas fromnot guilty to guilty.
They pleaded guilty to ninecounts, including murder, arson
and robbery.
The couple were sentenced tolife in prison, with the
possibility of parole after 22years.
(08:50):
They were also ordered to pay$5,000 in restitution.
In handing down the sentence,District Judge Tiara Jones said
this is a very, very tragicsituation.
I wish that there was somethingthat I was going to say or
something that I could do thatwould stop all the suffering
that is going on.
Something that I was going tosay or something that I could do
that would stop all thesuffering that is going on.
Thanks for joining me.
What are your thoughts?
(09:11):
If you like what I do, like andsubscribe, please, Till next
time, take care of yourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Thank you you.
It was the 9th of April 2021, when Christine
Halseth, the mother of45-year-old Daniel Halseth,
became concerned after she hadnot heard from him for a couple
of days.
She had called him repeatedlybut the phone just rang and rang
, with Daniel never answering.
She had called up his16-year-old daughter, sierra,
and inquired about hiswhereabouts.
She was informed that he was inthe shower and that his phone
(00:23):
was broken.
Welcome to another episode ofHuman Wreckage.
In this episode, we talk aboutthe murder of Daniel Halseth and
the horrific details involvedin his death.
Let's get and.
(01:01):
Landlord Peggy drove over toDaniel's home in Las Vegas, only
to find that the front door waswide open.
As soon as she entered the home, the distinct aroma of fire
wafted up their nostrils.
She proceeded through the homecalling out Daniel's name, but
received no response.
Elizabeth immediately left thehome and called for the fire
brigade.
(01:21):
Firefighters responded to thehome on the 8400 block of Dunphy
Court.
They entered the home and madetheir way to the garage where
the smoke was billowing from.
There was a small fire whichwas extinguished.
As soon as the flames weretamed, the firefighters recoiled
in horror to find the lifelessbody of a man.
It was Daniel.
They could immediately see thatthe fire was not the cause of
(01:44):
his death.
He had sharp force injuries tohis head, neck and torso.
There had also been an attemptto dismember his body.
The fire had then been set inan attempt to conceal the murder
.
Investigators were called tothe scene, where they discovered
blood throughout the home.
They also discovered a sawwhich had apparent blood and
tissue on the blade.
Meanwhile, daniel's body wastransported to the medical
(02:08):
examiner's office, where it wasdiscovered he had been stabbed
and slashed over 70 times.
After his death, his body wasmutilated.
Daniel had previously beenmarried to Nevada State Senator,
elizabeth Halseth, and thecouple had three children.
Their 11-year marriage had beenmarred by allegations of
domestic abuse, and the marriageultimately culminated in a
(02:28):
bitter divorce after Danielpleaded guilty to two counts of
coercion and battery.
Elizabeth had been grantedprimary custody of Sierra and
her two siblings in 2011, but in2020, the couple began
disputing the custodyarrangement.
Shortly before Daniel wasmurdered, he had shared his
displeasure at the relationshipbetween his 16-year-old daughter
(02:48):
, sierra, and her 18-year-oldboyfriend, aaron Guerrero.
The young couple had beendating since June of 2020, and
they had recently just begunplotting to rob their parents
and run away to Los Angeles.
However, daniel caught wind ofthe grim plan and forbade Sierra
from seeing Aaron Undeterred,the couple began plotting
something much more sinister.
(03:09):
In the pre-dawn hours of April 8, 2021, aaron ran away from home
.
Over the next couple of hours,he and Sierra purchased a
chainsaw and a circular saw, aswell as a handsaw and lighter
fluid.
They also bought disposablegloves and a drop cloth.
Sierra and Aaron then stolemore than $1,300 from the
account that Daniel shared withhis ex-wife.
(03:31):
After killing Daniel, thecouple stole some money and his
car before fleeing to Salt LakeCity.
As family tried to get incontact with him, sierra sent
messages to her grandmother inan effort to keep her away from
the home.
In a message, christine wrotehey, sierra, I'm trying to get a
hold of your dad.
Where is he?
Sierra replied His phone hasbeen acting up, but he's okay.
(03:53):
It should be fixed by tomorrownight, no worries.
The charade continued, but bynow, elizabeth had discovered
that money was missing fromtheir joint bank account and
suspicions were mounting.
As the couple were on the run,they recorded a video on
Sierra's cell phone.
In the video, the two laughedand joked about the murder of
Daniel.
They were lying together in atent as they announced that this
(04:15):
was their YouTube channel andthat it had now been three days
since the murder, sierra burstinto laughter and stated Whoa,
don't put that on camera.
The couple then discussed sexbefore.
Aaron said it was worth it.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
They look like young sweethearts just goofing around.
Until this chilling boast, theyadmit to committing a murder
and it's worth it.
The victim?
According to prosecutors thegirl's own father, daniel Halsef
, foot in 25 push-ups huh, how'sthat sound?
(04:51):
The dad was a fitness andtravel buff who loved to post
videos online, including thesemoments.
As a doting dad, thanks, sierra.
But he reportedly didn'tapprove of his 16-year-old
daughter, sierra, dating18-year-old Aaron Guerrero.
And he wasn't alone.
His ex-wife, elizabeth, aformer Nevada Republican state
senator, also had a problem withher daughter's relationship.
(05:14):
After they banned Sierra fromseeing Aaron, sierra's father
disappeared.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's been missing for two days.
His work's called, his family'scalled.
I've called his wife's called.
There's nobody answering thephone.
I know there's something verywrong going on here.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
There was indeed, as friends found out when they
checked in on Hal Seth's home inLas Vegas, that he had been
renovated Another dead body inthe garage.
Hal Seth had been stabbed todeath and his body set on fire.
Cops say Sierra Hal Seth andher boyfriend took off in her
dad's car right after theslaying.
(05:52):
They were arrested days later,400 miles away in Salt Lake City
after apparently trying tododge a train fare.
Prosecutors say they found thatchilling video on the girl's
cell phone.
It appears to have been takenin a tent while they were on the
run.
At one point Aaron put hishands around Sierra's neck.
(06:12):
The two were also caught onsecurity camera buying bleach
and other items cops say wereused to clean up the crime scene
.
I spoke to Dr Keith Abloh abouthow such a girl with a
seemingly idyllic childhoodcould end up charged with
murdering her own father.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
What jumps out at you from the video is the complete
lack of empathy.
There seems to be a disconnectin which the perpetrator or
perpetrators don't even seem toconsider what they're doing to
be real in a certain way, andthat's why they don't emote in a
way that we would consider tobe.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Quote unquote norm the teens haven't entered a plea
.
If convicted of murder, hecould face the death penalty,
but she's too young and faceslife in prison.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
On the 13th of April, Sierra and Aaron were stopped
by transit officers in Salt LakeCity after they got off a light
rail in the downtown areawithout paying for tickets.
The officer ran a backgroundcheck and discovered that they
were wanted for murder in LasVegas.
They immediately called police,who arrested the couple on the
spot.
They eventually tracked downthe couple's car, where they
(07:25):
discovered a bloody rug.
When Sierra's cell phone wasexamined, they found the
incriminating video, which wasessentially a confession.
In Las Vegas, a teenager aged16 years old or older is
automatically charged as anadult.
The couple were extradited toClark County, where they were
both charged with Daniel'smurder, as well as conspiracy,
(07:45):
arson, robbery and fraudulentuse of a credit card.
After the charges were filed,Daniel's family released a
statement which read DanielHouseth was, first and foremost,
a loving father, brother andson who was the heart of the
Houseth family.
To have him taken from us insuch a horrific, savage,
senseless and violent act ofmurder leaves us heartbroken and
(08:06):
our grief is unyielding.
The total lack of remorse ondisplay in the video is both
reprehensible and unforgivable.
While we are grateful for thework of the detective and the
district attorney, we arewaiting for justice to be served
with the maximum accountabilityallowed.
We love Dan very much and wemiss him every moment of the day
.
This is the only statement wewill be making and ask for
(08:30):
privacy and understanding.
Sierra and Aaron subsequentlypleaded not guilty to the murder
of Daniel, but in May of 2022,they appeared in court, where
they changed their pleas fromnot guilty to guilty.
They pleaded guilty to ninecounts, including murder, arson
and robbery.
The couple were sentenced tolife in prison, with the
possibility of parole after 22years.
(08:50):
They were also ordered to pay$5,000 in restitution.
In handing down the sentence,District Judge Tiara Jones said
this is a very, very tragicsituation.
I wish that there was somethingthat I was going to say or
something that I could do thatwould stop all the suffering
that is going on.
Something that I was going tosay or something that I could do
that would stop all thesuffering that is going on.
Thanks for joining me.
What are your thoughts?
(09:11):
If you like what I do, like andsubscribe, please, Till next
time, take care of yourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Thank you you.
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