November 10, 2025 • 31 mins
Discover the shocking true crime story of Kaylee Danner, a 19-year-old from Lathrop, California, who was brutally murdered in July 2022 after catching STDs from her married lover. This gripping true crime case unravels the dark web of jealousy, betrayal, and revenge, involving her father, local high school coach Brent Danner, wealthy car dealer Russell Baines, and his young wife Alana Baines, who ultimately committed the crime. Explore the investigation, police forensic work, shocking DNA evidence, and the chilling final video that revealed the truth. Follow this California murder case, including the trial, courtroom drama, and sentencing, as detectives work tirelessly to bring justice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is true Crime Case Files. Today we travel to
the central valley town of lafferp California. July twenty twenty two.
A community used to long heat waves and the steady
hum of Interstate five was about to be shaken by
a brutal killing that revealed the world of secrets. When
nineteen year old Kayley Danner was found murdered behind a
shuttered car wash on Yosemite Avenue, what followed was a
(00:22):
case filled with lust, betrayal, and rage, the kind that
leaves even seasoned investigators speechless. In July of twenty twenty two,
the central valley town of laffer California was baking under
triple DIGITITIAT cars hummed along Interstate five, air conditioners buzzed
in every house, and most people were just trying to
stay cool. But for nineteen year old Kayley Danner, life
(00:44):
was moving fast and full of drama. Kaylee lived in
a small two bedroom apartment near Louise Avenue with a
former classmate from sanwalkun Delta College. She had dropped out
just a few months earlier, telling friends she didn't see
the point and wasting money on classes hall Never school
wasn't her passion. She wanted more excitement than textbooks could
give her to pay her bills. Kayleie worked part time
(01:08):
at Hooters in nearby Manteca, about a fifteen minute drive
from her apartment. There, she was hard to miss with
her bright red nails, bold makeup, and a laugh that
carried across the restaurant. Coworkers said customers often requested her section.
She was known for calling everyone well in doubt, a
joke that made her coworkers roll their eyes but also laugh.
(01:28):
She had a confident walk, a curvy figure, and a
way of making people feel noticed. Her manager described her
as fining, fast talking, and a little chaotic, but said
she was also dependable, always showing up on time, even
on the hottest summer days when the air outside shimmered
like glass. Kaylee often arrived in cut off shorts and flipflops,
(01:48):
sipping iced coffee from Dutch bros, her hair piled on
top of her head. Friend said she was sweet and
secure and always chasing older men. She liked expensive perfume,
pink lip glows, and older guys who drove nice cars.
Her social media reflected that side of her life, glossy selfies,
chicken wing specials, and quotes about love and betrayal. Her
(02:11):
Instagram bio read don't fall for words, Fall for Actions.
Kaylie dreamed of moving to Los Angeles to become a model.
She followed influencers, practiced posing in her bedroom mirror, and
even signed up for an online modeling course. She told
her room that she'd leave Lafra by the end of
the year, but deep down she was unsure of herself.
One friend said she wanted love but kept finding trouble instead.
(02:34):
Her family life was complicated. Her father, Brent Danner, was
a high school football coach known around town for his
booming voice and strict attitude. He lived across town with
Kaylee's stepmother. Their relationship had grown tense. Brent didn't approve
of her lifestyle, her older boyfriends, or her social media posts.
He once told a friend, she's a good kid making
(02:55):
bad choices. Her mother, Michelle, lived in Reno and wanted
Kayleie to move in with her for a fresh start,
but Caylee refused. She liked her independence, the apartment, the job,
and the attention she got. In early July twenty twenty two,
which she spent her days working long shifts and her
nights hanging out with friends, driving with the windows down,
(03:15):
listening to the wheatened and do a cat. Her last
Instagram post, made two days before her death, showed her
in a white crop top with the caption some diseases
don't show up on your skin, they live in your soul.
It would later feel like a warning no one understood
in time. Sunday morning, July tenth, twenty twenty two started
(03:36):
out like any other summer day in Laffort, California, already
hot before sunrise, with the air thick and still. The
clock had barely passed six thirty am when Carlos Mendez,
a fifty four year old sanitation worker, pulled his garbage
truck behind an old, shuttered car wash on Yosemit Avenue.
The once busy business had been closed for years, its
faded blue signs and cracked pavement now surrounded by weeds
(03:58):
and empty soda cans. Carlos was used to finding all
kinds of trash there, broken furniture, old tires, even abandoned
shopping carts, but that morning something looked different. As he
backed the truck toward the dumpsters, he noticed what looked
like a mannequin lying near the wall. It was face down,
not moving. He stepped out of the truck to take
a closer look. The rising sun was throwing long orange
(04:21):
shadows across the concrete. That's when he saw it, the
dark red stains spreading beneath the figure's hair. At first,
I didn't believe what I was seeing, he later told police.
Then I saw the blood. The realization hit him all
at once. This wasn't a mannequin. It was a young woman.
Cardlus stumbled backward, his heart racing. He said later that
(04:42):
his hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped his
phone as he dialed nine to one one. The dispatcher
kept him on the line, asking questions. Was the person breathing?
Could he tell how long she been there? Cardlos couldn't answer.
She was gone, he said quietly. He stayed on the phone,
pacing beside the truck as he waited for help to arrive.
Cars sped by on Yosemite Avenue, their drivers unaware of
(05:05):
the horror. Just a few yards away across the street,
the parking lot of seven eleven was filling up with
people grabbing iced coffees and energy drinks before work. Within minutes,
the sound of sirens broke the stillness. Carlos stepped aside
as the first patrol car rolled in, followed by an ambulance.
Paramedics approached quickly, but stopped short when they saw the
condition of the body. One of them whispered, it's too late.
(05:28):
Carlos Mendez later told reporters that he couldn't get the
image out of his mind. I see a lot of
trash out here, he said, but not that, not a person.
He took the rest of the day off, sitting in
his truck in silence, before finally going home to his
wife and Manteca. That morning, as the police began taping
off the area, the people of Lafrab went about their
Sunday routines, mowing lawns, walking dogs, and stopping for coffee,
(05:53):
not yet realizing that a brutal murder had just been
uncovered behind their quiet towns. Forgotten car wash officers from
the Laffer Police Department arrived at the old car wash
on Yosemit Avenue just before seven am on Sunday, July tenth,
twenty twenty two. The air was already warm, climbing toward
ninety degrees, and the smell of motor oil and dust
(06:14):
hung in the air. The flashing red and blue lights
reflected off the metal doors of the long closed building
as officers moved quickly to secure the area. Leading the
investigation were Detective marysol Herrera, a fifteen year veteran known
for her calm and organized approach, and Lieutenant James mccadams,
a quiet, methodical investigator with a strong background in forensic science.
(06:36):
Both had word commicide cases before, but what they found
that morning was especially brutal. The victim, later identified as
nineteen year old Kaylee Danner, was lying face down near
a dumpster, dressed in a rumpled tank top and shorts.
Her long brown hair was matted with blood and dirt.
Around her neck was a guxy bell pulled so tightly
(06:56):
it had left deep bruises on her skin. Near her
body lay the broken neck of a champagne bottle, its
label still visible. Investigators later confirmed it was the weapon
used to fracture her skull. The concrete beneath her head
was smeared with blood, tiny shards of glass glittering in
the sunlight. A few flies had already gathered. The heat
was rising fast, and officers worked quickly to set up
(07:19):
a tent to preserve the evidence from the sun. Detective
Ferriera carefully examined the scene. She noticed small streaks of
blood leading away from the dumpster toward the street. Using
luminal spray and portable UV lights, the forensic team confirmed
that the body had been dragged several feet, likely from
a car, to the place where it was found. Technicians
collected fibers from the belt, hair samples from Kayley's hands,
(07:43):
and blood from the pavement under her fingernails. They discovered
tiny glass fragments and traces of blood that didn't match
her own, suggesting she had fought back against her attacker.
Her phone, purse and keys were missing, possibly taken by
the killer. The entire crime scene documented from every angle
with cameras and drones. The atoms ordered nearby businesses to
(08:05):
hand over surveillance footage. Just hours later, investigators reviewed video
from a vague shop less than a block away. The
footage showed a white Mercedes E Class speeding passed at
one eighteen am, only minutes before the coroner's estimate of
Caylee's time of death. The car's headlights flashed across the
road before disappearing into the darkness, police canvass the area,
(08:25):
knocking on doors of nearby homes and businesses. A gas
station clerk recalled hearing what sounded like a woman shouting
shortly after one am, but no one called it in.
By late afternoon, the car washould become a crime scene,
surrounded by yellow tape and flashing patrol cars. Curious residents
gathered on the sidewalk, whispering and filming with their phones.
(08:46):
Detective Fererra later said, from the start, we knew this
wasn't random. Someone wanted her silenced, and they wanted it
done violently. As the sun set over the Central Valley
that night, the heat still clinging to the pavement, investigators
left WI with more questions than answers, but one thing
was certain. Kaylee's death had been personal. When detectives began
(09:06):
piecing together Kaylee Danner's final days, the first name that
stood out was one already known around town, coach Brent Danner,
her father. At forty seven years old, Brent was a
well known figure and laugher where he coached farsity football
at Joseph Widmer High School. Harns respected him for his
winning record and booming sideline voice players however, described him
(09:27):
as strict, even intimidating. It was the middle of July
twenty twenty two, and football practice had just started for
the upcoming season. Each morning, Brent could be found out
on the school field before sunrise, whistle in his mouth,
barking orders as Sprinkler's hissed nearby. He was known for
his obsession with discipline, often telling his team you don't
win games by being soft off the field, though his
(09:50):
family life was more complicated. Brent and Kaylee had been
fighting for months, according to friends and neighbors. He didn't
approve of her job at Hooters or her relationships with
older men. He told one fellow coach, she's becoming a
great a hussy, but she's still my girl. I'll beat
her back to good behavior if I have to, Though
said half jokingly, it showed how frustrated he become. When
(10:11):
police learned that Brent had confronted Caylee just days before
her death, they took notice. A neighbor reported hearing shouting
one evening the week before the murder, loud enough that
the argument carried into the street. Detectives discovered that during
that fight, Brent had accused Caylee of sleeping with a
man older than him. Brent told investigators that he had
gone to her apartment to talk sense in to her.
(10:34):
According to his statement, the argument got heated and Caylee
stormed out, staying she didn't need him controlling her any more.
He claimed he hadn't seen or spoken to her since.
On July eleventh, the day after Caylee's body was found,
two detectives arrived at Brent's home, a modest beage house
on a quiet cul de sac near River Islands Parkway.
They found him sitting on the porch in his coaching gear,
(10:55):
still in disbelief over the news of his daughter's death.
Detective Mary soul her Rrea later said he seemed visibly
shaken but defensive. When asked where he was on the
night of July ninth, Brent said he had been at
a team barbecue at the assistant coach's house. He provided
names of several witnesses. Detectives noted his large frame, his rough,
sunburned hands, and a faint bruise on his forearm. When
(11:19):
asked about it, he said it was from breaking up
a fight at practice. During the interview, Brent's voice cracked
several times. I was mad, gah, he said, But I'd
never hurt my kid. Never. Still, detectives couldn't ignore the
tension between father and daughter, or the fact that he
seemed embarrassed by her personal choices. That evening, officers checked
(11:40):
his alibi. Multiple teammates and parents confirmed that Brent had
been at the barbecue from about seven p m. To midnight,
grilling burgers and watching game Footage. Phone records later backed
up his story his cell phone pinged off a tower
near the event all night. By July twelfth, police cleared
Brent as a suspect, but for many in Laughrap, the
(12:00):
idea that a father could even be considered in connection
with his daughter's murder left the town uneasy. A fellow
coach later described him best, Brent's a good man who
couldn't handle failure even in his own home. Losing Cayley
broke something inside him. That day, after clearing coach Danner,
detectives turned their focus to Russell Baines, a sixty nine
(12:21):
year old businessman from nearby Stockton. Baines was the owner
of Bains Auto, a longtime local car dealership known for
its flashy ads on late night TV. With his silver hair,
gold watch, and expensive suits. Russell carried himself like someone
who loved attention. He often wore shiny loafers and carried
a cigar he rarely lit, calling himself old school. People
(12:43):
who knew him said Russell had charm, the kind that
made customers trust him and women take notice. His dealership
sat off Pacific Avenue, where red, white and blue streamers
fluttered in the hot July wind. Inside, he liked to
keep the air conditioning turned low and classic rock playing
softly from the showroom speakers. That's where Kayleie Danner met him,
According to records, she came in one afternoon to test
(13:06):
drive a used Toyota Camery employees remembered how Russell followed
her out to the parking by himself, even though he
rarely dealt with small sales. Within weeks, the two were
seen around town together at restaurants in his car, and
even boarding a flight to Reno, where he claimed to
be taking her on business trips. Investigators later found text
messages that showed Russell was paying Kaylee's rent and buying
(13:28):
her expensive gifts, including a gold bracelet from Kay Jewelers
and a designer purse. One friend of Kaylee's said he
treated her like a girlfriend, not just some fling, but
he wanted control too. By early July twenty twenty two,
Russell's personal and professional life were both falling apart. His
dealership had come under IRS investigation for unreported income, and
(13:51):
the stress was building. At the same time, he'd been
diagnosed with flamydia, something that quickly became a source of
rage and humiliation. According to detectives, he told friends that
Kaylie had given it to him. Kaylee, however, told her
friends the opposite, that Russell had infected her and then
tried to blame her to protect his reputation. Text records
from early July showed her sending angry messages to him,
(14:13):
saying you ruin my life. You're disgusting. Russell's wife, Elaine Baines,
had recently discovered the affair after finding credit card statements
showing hotel charges in Reno and Sacramento. Neighbors reported hearing
shouting from their home several nights before Kaylee's death. One
neighbor said Eline was screaming about some girl half her age.
(14:33):
When police brought Russell in for questioning on July thirteenth.
He arrived in a pressed gray suit and expensive cologne.
He appeared confident at first, calling the situation a terrible misunderstanding.
He admitted the affair, but insisted it had ended weeks
before the murder. I cared for that girl, he said,
but I didn't kill her. Detectives noticed scratches on his
(14:54):
right hand, which he claimed came from working on a
car engine. They collected DNA samples and laid confirmed that
none of his fingerprints matched those found of the scene.
His phone data also showed he'd been home during the
time of Cayley's death. Even so, police didn't dismiss him completely.
His motive, anger, jealousy, and exposure fit the crime. As
(15:15):
Detective Ferrera later said, Russell Baines had every reason to
be desperate. His business was sinking, his wife was furious,
and his secrets were catching up to him. By mid July,
the public began speculating about him online, with locals posting
photos of his dealership and gossiping about the rich guy
and the waitress. But without physical evidence, Russell remained only
(15:36):
a person of interest, not a charged suspect, a slick
man whose charm could no longer hide the trouble closing
in around him. By July eighteenth, twenty twenty two, the
central Valley was baking under one hundred degree heat. The
air smelled faintly of dust and cut grass as residents
tried to escape the summer sun. Around two thirty that afternoon,
(15:57):
a local fisherman named Brick Porter sixty two was checking
his lines along a drainage canal about two miles east
of the old car wash on Yosemit Avenue when something
shiny caught his eye. Floating near a clump of reeds
was a cracked iPhone twelve with a pink glitter case.
Porter fished it out with his net and noticed a
faint hooter's sticker on the back. He called police immediately.
(16:18):
Hours later, detectives confirmed it was Kayleie Danner's missing phone,
the one that had vanished the night she was killed.
Technicians carefully dried the phone and retrieved data from its
internal memory. What they found stunned the department. Inside the
camera roll was a video recorded the night of her death,
timestamped at one six a m. On July tenth. The
footage showed Kaylee wearing red in injury and playfully posing
(16:41):
in a large master bedroom. Detectives quickly recognized the room
from earlier photos. It was inside Russell and Elaine Bain
stocked him on. In the video, Kaylee laughed and twirled
her hair, teasing the camera. Then within seconds, the bedroom
door flew open. A woman's voice screamed, you disease sprang
ding fluesy. The phone jerked, the image flipped, and the
(17:03):
video ended with the sound of something crashing, possibly glass breaking.
When detectives ran DNA tests on the Guxy bell found
at the crime scene, results confirmed a shocking discovery. Skin
cells matched Dolana Bayans, Russell's twenty three year old wife.
The glamorous young woman had often been seen driving his
white Mercedes E Class, the same model caught speeding away
(17:25):
from the scene that night. But the case took an
even darker turn when toxicology and medical records from the
autopsy came back. They showed that Kaylee was pregnant at
the time of her death, but not with Russell's child.
DNA testing later revealed the father was her ex boyfriend,
a twenty one year old mechanic from Tracy named Ethan Rouse,
who had broken up with her months earlier after learning
(17:47):
he'd contracted an STD. Investigators later discovered through text messages
that Russell knew about the pregnancy weeks before Kaylee's death.
He had reportedly told a friend he planned to use
it to keep her quiet. According to Detective Ferrara's notes,
Russell intended to blackmail Cayley, threatening to tell Ethan and
others that she had been spreading diseases unless she stopped
(18:08):
contacting him and deleted proof of their relationship. Police now
believed that Alena may have found the video and confronted
Caylee in person after learning of the pregnancy. The broken
champagne bottle used in the attack was consistent with one
missing from the Baines home bar. Detective Herrera described the
case as a perfect storm of jealousy, betrayal, and fear
of exposure. By late July, with DNA, video evidence, and
(18:33):
motive all pointing towards Elana and Russell, the story that
began with a missing phone had unraveled into a web
of lies, and the real truth about Kaylee Danner's final
hours was finally beginning to surface. By mid July twenty
twenty two, Laffort was sticky with heat, and people were
trying to stay cool. The case had already turned heads
across town. The next person detectives brought in was Elana Bains,
(18:56):
twenty four years old. She was nearly fifty years younger
than her husband, Brussel. Elena had once worked as a
cocktail waitress. She married Russell when she was very young.
In public, she liked fancy things, design her handbags, right lipstick,
and high heels. Neighbors often saw her in expensive clothes
and heard her arguing with Russell on the street. People
who knew her called her fiery and bold. At first,
(19:19):
Elena tried to act like she did not care about
the affair. She told friends and family she had her
own fun and did not need to be jealous. But
the way she spoke did not match what messages on
her foam later showed. Detectives found text messages she had
sent to a close friend in early July. One message read,
if that bleeping flat bleak bimbo comes near my bleeping
(19:40):
house again, I'll make her choke on her own bleeping
lip gloss. The language was angry and meant to hurt.
Those texts made police take her more seriously When detectives
asked Eleana to come to the station, she agreed. It
was July and the air in the interview room fell thick.
She wore a tight dress and a steady face. Detectives
sat across from her. Detective mariusol Herrera led the interview.
(20:04):
Herrera spoke calmly. She had years of experience and knew
how to keep a hard case moving forward. Lieutenant James
McAdams watched the room and took notes. They had evidence
the phone found in the drainage canal that had Kaylee's
final video, traces of glass and blood that matched glass
from the Bain's home, and DNA from the belt that
matched Elena. At first, Alana sing brave. She said she
(20:28):
did not know what had happened and claimed she was
not the kind of person to do such a thing.
She said she knew Kaylee had been around her husband,
but she pretended not to be upset. Her voice was
loud and quick. She told police she had not been
near the car washed that night and that she would
never hurt anyone. Detectives did not believe her story. They
played the video recovered from Kaylee's phone. In the footage,
(20:51):
Kaylee was in injury in a bedroom. A woman's voice
could be heard screaming, you disease, spreading floozy. The camera
wobbled and then the picture ended. The room in the
video matched the layout of the bains master bedroom. The
detectives placed the phone on the table and watched Golana's face.
At first, she stared at the screen. Her jaw tightened,
then her eyes filled with tears. They also told her
(21:13):
about the DNA found on the guxy belt around Kaylee's neck.
The lad had matched skin cells on the belt. To Elena,
they showed her photos of the broken champagne bottle and
told her the glass fragments under Kaylee's nails were the
same type from the Bain's house. The room felt very
quiet outside the heat pressed on the city. At that point,
Elana's confidence crumbled. Her voice went soft. She started to cry.
(21:37):
She said she had not meant to do it. In
a shaky voice, she said, I just snapped. She said
she had come home and found Kaylee in the bedroom.
She told them she hit Kaylee with the bottle and
then used the belt. She said she could not remember
all the details. She said she was sorry. Her confession
came after hours of questions and after detectives showed clear evidence.
(21:59):
For many people in Laughreb, the idea that a young
woman known for shopping and parties could end up admitting
to such violence was hard to take in. Detectives wrote
down every word, then read her rights and placed her
under arrest. The small town that July watched as a
dramatic chapter in the case closed and the long work
of trial preparation began. By the third week of July
(22:20):
twenty twenty two, the Central Valley heat was heavy and dry,
and people in Lafrab were still talking about the murder
that had rocked their quiet town. Investigators had spent days
following every lead, from tire tracks near the car washed
to cell phone tower pings, but it was the discovery
of Kaylee's missing phone that finally cracked the case. On
July eighteenth, a city maintenance worker cleaning out a drainage
(22:42):
canal off Louise Avenue spotted a cracked iPhone tangled in weeds.
Detectives confirmed it was Kayleie Danner's phone. The case had
a pink glitter case and a small hooter's keychain still attached.
The device was water damaged, but partially recoverable. When investigators
pulled the data, they found it chilling. Final video that
would reveal the truth. The video, recorded around one ten
(23:05):
am on July tenth, showed Kaylee laughing in Russell Bain's
master bedroom. She wore l injury and held her phone
up like a mirror, teasing the camera. As she spun
around in front of the bed. She could be heard
joking he set his wife's out of town. Seconds later,
the bedroom door burst open. A woman's furious voice screamed,
you disease spreading fluozy. The phone fell to the carpet,
(23:27):
its lens sideways. The screen showed only blurred movement and
then silence. When detectives compared the voice in the video
to recordings of Alana Baines, the match was undeniable. DNA
tests came back soon after. Skin cells and fingerprints on
the guxy belt wrapped around Kaylee's neck matched to Lana.
Tiny glass fragments from a broken champagne bottle found near
(23:50):
Kaylee's body were consistent with bottles in the Bain's home bar.
On July twenty, at eight forty five am, officers arrived
at the Baines gated home in Manteca with a warrant
for Alana's arrest. The neighborhood was quiet, sprinkler's running the
air already hot. Detectives mariusol Herrera and James mccadams knocked
on the door. Elena answered, wearing a white robe, her
(24:12):
hair pulled back, her eyes hollow. She didn't resist as
they read her rights. She stayed silent and calm. Almost detached.
Neighbors watched from across the street, whispering. Once said later
she looked like she didn't even know what planet she
was on. At the lath Of Police department, Alana was
interrogated for hours. At first, she denied everything. She said
(24:33):
she had been home all night and had nothing to
do with Kaylee's death, But when detectives played the video
from Kaylee's phone, her demeanor changed. Her shoulders slumped, and
tears began to fall. She whispered, I just snapped through sobs.
Elena explained she had come home hurrily from a friend's
birthday dinner and found Kaylee in her bed, wearing her
(24:53):
robe and laughing. He told me she was just a phase,
She said, I walked in and she was in my
bed wearing my things, she smirked at me, and I
just lost it. She admitted to hitting Kayley with the
champagne bottle, and when the younger woman tried to fight back,
she used the belt from the floor to strangle her.
She said she blacked out and didn't remember dragging the
(25:14):
body behind the car wash. When Alana was handcuffed and
led from the interrogation room, she looked dazed and pale.
Reporters gathered outside the station as the news broke. Kaylee's father,
coach Brent Danner, wept when told of the confession. She
didn't deserve to die for a man's lives, he said quietly.
By that night, the story had spread across Sandwalking County,
(25:36):
marking the end of one of the most shocking murder
investigations the valley had ever seen. By June twenty twenty four,
nearly two years after the brutal killing of Kaylee Danner,
the Central Valley's long awaited trial finally began inside the
San Joquin County Superior Court in Stockton. The weather outside
was hot and bright, with news vans parked along the
(25:58):
curb and locals standing in line to get a seat
in the courtroom. Inside the air conditioning hummed quietly as
jurors took their seats and the judge called the case
to order. The prosecutor, Dana Keller forty one, was known
for her sharp focus and calm confidence. A career attorney
with a background in domestic violence cases, she told the
(26:18):
jury that jealousy, rage, and humiliation had driven Elana Bains
to murder. Keller described how Elena had discovered Kaylee in
her home wearing her robe and let fury take the
place of reason. She showed photos of the crime scene,
the broken champagne bottle, and the Gutchy belt found around
Kaylee's neck. During the second day of testimony, Keller played
(26:39):
the final video from Kaylee's phone, the one recorded just
minutes before her death. The courtroom fell silent except for
the sound of Kaylee's laughter and then Alana's screaming voice.
You disease spreading fluzy. As the video played, Kaylee's mother,
Michelle Danner, sobbed quietly in the front row. Her ex husband,
coach Brent Danner, sat beside her, staring down at his hands.
(27:01):
The defense attorney, Michael Trent fifty two, took a different approach.
He argued that Elana was not in her right mind
that night. He claimed she had suffered a temporary mental
breakdown caused by emotional betrayal, stressed and prescription medication. He
told the jury this was a crime of passion, not
of planning. Trent pointed to Elana's youth or toxic marriage
(27:22):
and the humiliation she faced after learning of her husband's
affair with a teenage girl. Elena herself took the stand
in the second week of the trial, wearing a baige
sweater and minimal makeup. She looked smaller than she had
during her arrest two years earlier. Her voice shook as
she told the jury, I didn't mean to kill her.
I just snapped. I saw her there and everything went black.
(27:45):
But the prosecution pushed back hard. Keller reminded the jury
that Elena had cleaned up the scene from Kaylee's phone
in a drainage caneal and lied to police for over
a week. That's not a blackout, Keller said, that's guilt.
After seven hours of liberation, the jury returned with their
verdict on June fourteenth, twenty twenty four. They found Alana
(28:06):
Banes guilty of second degree murder. As the words were read.
Alana stood still, eyes wet, but face expressionless. Her attorney
placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't move.
Judge Robert Heinsley sentenced her to twenty five years to
life in state prison. He called the crime vicious and senseless.
The courtroom was silent except for quiet crying from Cayley's family.
(28:28):
Michele Danner whispered finally as she clutched a photo of
her daughter. Outside the courthouse, the summer air felt heavy again.
Reporters gathered around the steps as family members said they
hoped the verdict would bring peace for many in Laughra.
Justice had been served, but no one could forget how
a small town scandal had turned into a tragedy that
changed so many lives. By June twenty twenty four, the
(28:51):
trial of Alana Baines had concluded, and the Central Valley
was beginning to adjust to life after the tragedy. Alana
was transferred to the Central California Women's Facility in Chauchilla,
a maximum security prison for female inmates. Reports indicated that
she kept mostly to herself, spending time in counseling sessions
and attending group programs designed to manage anger and trauma.
(29:14):
Prison staff described her as quiet and withdrawn, a stark
contrast to the fiery woman seen in the courtroom. Meanwhile,
Russell Baines quietly closed the chapter on his life in Stockton.
He sold Baines Auto and left California, moving to Arizona.
Sources say that he kept a low profile, rarely attending
public events were speaking to the press. Notably, he did
(29:34):
not attend a single day of Elna's trial, and neighbors
in LAUGHRP described him as gone and invisible, a man
trying to escape the scandal that had engulfed him. The
police officers who had worked tirelessly on the case also
moved forward in their careers. Detective Marisol Herrera received a
formal commendation from the Sandwal Queen County Sheriff's Office for
her meticulous work in piecing together the evidence and securing
(29:57):
a confession from Milana. Lieutenant James mccadams accepted a position
with a statewide task force focused on domestic violence homicides,
using the experience from the Danner case to help prevent
future tragedies. Kaylee's family also sought ways to honor her
memory and rebuild their lives. Her father, Brent Danner, left
his longtime coaching position at Joseph Widmer High School. He
(30:19):
began volunteering at a local youth center, focusing on mentoring
teens who struggled with anger or poor decision making. Brent
told reporters, I'd lost my daughter, but I want to
help other kids avoid the mistakes that cost her life.
Her mother, Michelle Danner, created a scholarship in Kaylee's name
for young women interested in pursuing careers in modeling and fashion.
She said the scholarship was meant to celebrate Kaylee's creativity
(30:42):
and ambition, giving other young women opportunities her daughter had
dreamed about but never fully realized. The town of Laffruck
continued to carry reminders of the tragedy. The shuttered car
wash on Yosemit Avenue where Kaylee's body had been discovered,
remained empty. Locals often passed by, reflecting on how a
mixture of jealousy, deceit, and poor choices could destroy more
(31:05):
than one life. Though time moved forward, the story of
Cayley Danner remained a cautionary tale in the community, a
reminder of both the fragility of life and the importance
of confronting lies before they turned deadly. By mid twenty
twenty four, life in the Central Valley slowly regained the
sense of normalcy. The streets were filled with the summer
(31:25):
heat and traffic from I five. But for those who
had lived through the case, the memory of July twenty
twenty two lingered a chapter of loss, justice, and the
enduring impact of one young woman's life cut tragically short.
This is true Crime Case Files. Today we travel to
the central valley town of lafferp California. July twenty twenty two.
A community used to long heat waves and the steady
hum of Interstate five was about to be shaken by
a brutal killing that revealed the world of secrets. When
nineteen year old Kayley Danner was found murdered behind a
shuttered car wash on Yosemite Avenue, what followed was a
(00:22):
case filled with lust, betrayal, and rage, the kind that
leaves even seasoned investigators speechless. In July of twenty twenty two,
the central valley town of laffer California was baking under
triple DIGITITIAT cars hummed along Interstate five, air conditioners buzzed
in every house, and most people were just trying to
stay cool. But for nineteen year old Kayley Danner, life
(00:44):
was moving fast and full of drama. Kaylee lived in
a small two bedroom apartment near Louise Avenue with a
former classmate from sanwalkun Delta College. She had dropped out
just a few months earlier, telling friends she didn't see
the point and wasting money on classes hall Never school
wasn't her passion. She wanted more excitement than textbooks could
give her to pay her bills. Kayleie worked part time
(01:08):
at Hooters in nearby Manteca, about a fifteen minute drive
from her apartment. There, she was hard to miss with
her bright red nails, bold makeup, and a laugh that
carried across the restaurant. Coworkers said customers often requested her section.
She was known for calling everyone well in doubt, a
joke that made her coworkers roll their eyes but also laugh.
(01:28):
She had a confident walk, a curvy figure, and a
way of making people feel noticed. Her manager described her
as fining, fast talking, and a little chaotic, but said
she was also dependable, always showing up on time, even
on the hottest summer days when the air outside shimmered
like glass. Kaylee often arrived in cut off shorts and flipflops,
(01:48):
sipping iced coffee from Dutch bros, her hair piled on
top of her head. Friend said she was sweet and
secure and always chasing older men. She liked expensive perfume,
pink lip glows, and older guys who drove nice cars.
Her social media reflected that side of her life, glossy selfies,
chicken wing specials, and quotes about love and betrayal. Her
(02:11):
Instagram bio read don't fall for words, Fall for Actions.
Kaylie dreamed of moving to Los Angeles to become a model.
She followed influencers, practiced posing in her bedroom mirror, and
even signed up for an online modeling course. She told
her room that she'd leave Lafra by the end of
the year, but deep down she was unsure of herself.
One friend said she wanted love but kept finding trouble instead.
(02:34):
Her family life was complicated. Her father, Brent Danner, was
a high school football coach known around town for his
booming voice and strict attitude. He lived across town with
Kaylee's stepmother. Their relationship had grown tense. Brent didn't approve
of her lifestyle, her older boyfriends, or her social media posts.
He once told a friend, she's a good kid making
(02:55):
bad choices. Her mother, Michelle, lived in Reno and wanted
Kayleie to move in with her for a fresh start,
but Caylee refused. She liked her independence, the apartment, the job,
and the attention she got. In early July twenty twenty two,
which she spent her days working long shifts and her
nights hanging out with friends, driving with the windows down,
(03:15):
listening to the wheatened and do a cat. Her last
Instagram post, made two days before her death, showed her
in a white crop top with the caption some diseases
don't show up on your skin, they live in your soul.
It would later feel like a warning no one understood
in time. Sunday morning, July tenth, twenty twenty two started
(03:36):
out like any other summer day in Laffort, California, already
hot before sunrise, with the air thick and still. The
clock had barely passed six thirty am when Carlos Mendez,
a fifty four year old sanitation worker, pulled his garbage
truck behind an old, shuttered car wash on Yosemit Avenue.
The once busy business had been closed for years, its
faded blue signs and cracked pavement now surrounded by weeds
(03:58):
and empty soda cans. Carlos was used to finding all
kinds of trash there, broken furniture, old tires, even abandoned
shopping carts, but that morning something looked different. As he
backed the truck toward the dumpsters, he noticed what looked
like a mannequin lying near the wall. It was face down,
not moving. He stepped out of the truck to take
a closer look. The rising sun was throwing long orange
(04:21):
shadows across the concrete. That's when he saw it, the
dark red stains spreading beneath the figure's hair. At first,
I didn't believe what I was seeing, he later told police.
Then I saw the blood. The realization hit him all
at once. This wasn't a mannequin. It was a young woman.
Cardlus stumbled backward, his heart racing. He said later that
(04:42):
his hands were shaking so badly he almost dropped his
phone as he dialed nine to one one. The dispatcher
kept him on the line, asking questions. Was the person breathing?
Could he tell how long she been there? Cardlos couldn't answer.
She was gone, he said quietly. He stayed on the phone,
pacing beside the truck as he waited for help to arrive.
Cars sped by on Yosemite Avenue, their drivers unaware of
(05:05):
the horror. Just a few yards away across the street,
the parking lot of seven eleven was filling up with
people grabbing iced coffees and energy drinks before work. Within minutes,
the sound of sirens broke the stillness. Carlos stepped aside
as the first patrol car rolled in, followed by an ambulance.
Paramedics approached quickly, but stopped short when they saw the
condition of the body. One of them whispered, it's too late.
(05:28):
Carlos Mendez later told reporters that he couldn't get the
image out of his mind. I see a lot of
trash out here, he said, but not that, not a person.
He took the rest of the day off, sitting in
his truck in silence, before finally going home to his
wife and Manteca. That morning, as the police began taping
off the area, the people of Lafrab went about their
Sunday routines, mowing lawns, walking dogs, and stopping for coffee,
(05:53):
not yet realizing that a brutal murder had just been
uncovered behind their quiet towns. Forgotten car wash officers from
the Laffer Police Department arrived at the old car wash
on Yosemit Avenue just before seven am on Sunday, July tenth,
twenty twenty two. The air was already warm, climbing toward
ninety degrees, and the smell of motor oil and dust
(06:14):
hung in the air. The flashing red and blue lights
reflected off the metal doors of the long closed building
as officers moved quickly to secure the area. Leading the
investigation were Detective marysol Herrera, a fifteen year veteran known
for her calm and organized approach, and Lieutenant James mccadams,
a quiet, methodical investigator with a strong background in forensic science.
(06:36):
Both had word commicide cases before, but what they found
that morning was especially brutal. The victim, later identified as
nineteen year old Kaylee Danner, was lying face down near
a dumpster, dressed in a rumpled tank top and shorts.
Her long brown hair was matted with blood and dirt.
Around her neck was a guxy bell pulled so tightly
(06:56):
it had left deep bruises on her skin. Near her
body lay the broken neck of a champagne bottle, its
label still visible. Investigators later confirmed it was the weapon
used to fracture her skull. The concrete beneath her head
was smeared with blood, tiny shards of glass glittering in
the sunlight. A few flies had already gathered. The heat
was rising fast, and officers worked quickly to set up
(07:19):
a tent to preserve the evidence from the sun. Detective
Ferriera carefully examined the scene. She noticed small streaks of
blood leading away from the dumpster toward the street. Using
luminal spray and portable UV lights, the forensic team confirmed
that the body had been dragged several feet, likely from
a car, to the place where it was found. Technicians
collected fibers from the belt, hair samples from Kayley's hands,
(07:43):
and blood from the pavement under her fingernails. They discovered
tiny glass fragments and traces of blood that didn't match
her own, suggesting she had fought back against her attacker.
Her phone, purse and keys were missing, possibly taken by
the killer. The entire crime scene documented from every angle
with cameras and drones. The atoms ordered nearby businesses to
(08:05):
hand over surveillance footage. Just hours later, investigators reviewed video
from a vague shop less than a block away. The
footage showed a white Mercedes E Class speeding passed at
one eighteen am, only minutes before the coroner's estimate of
Caylee's time of death. The car's headlights flashed across the
road before disappearing into the darkness, police canvass the area,
(08:25):
knocking on doors of nearby homes and businesses. A gas
station clerk recalled hearing what sounded like a woman shouting
shortly after one am, but no one called it in.
By late afternoon, the car washould become a crime scene,
surrounded by yellow tape and flashing patrol cars. Curious residents
gathered on the sidewalk, whispering and filming with their phones.
(08:46):
Detective Fererra later said, from the start, we knew this
wasn't random. Someone wanted her silenced, and they wanted it
done violently. As the sun set over the Central Valley
that night, the heat still clinging to the pavement, investigators
left WI with more questions than answers, but one thing
was certain. Kaylee's death had been personal. When detectives began
(09:06):
piecing together Kaylee Danner's final days, the first name that
stood out was one already known around town, coach Brent Danner,
her father. At forty seven years old, Brent was a
well known figure and laugher where he coached farsity football
at Joseph Widmer High School. Harns respected him for his
winning record and booming sideline voice players however, described him
(09:27):
as strict, even intimidating. It was the middle of July
twenty twenty two, and football practice had just started for
the upcoming season. Each morning, Brent could be found out
on the school field before sunrise, whistle in his mouth,
barking orders as Sprinkler's hissed nearby. He was known for
his obsession with discipline, often telling his team you don't
win games by being soft off the field, though his
(09:50):
family life was more complicated. Brent and Kaylee had been
fighting for months, according to friends and neighbors. He didn't
approve of her job at Hooters or her relationships with
older men. He told one fellow coach, she's becoming a
great a hussy, but she's still my girl. I'll beat
her back to good behavior if I have to, Though
said half jokingly, it showed how frustrated he become. When
(10:11):
police learned that Brent had confronted Caylee just days before
her death, they took notice. A neighbor reported hearing shouting
one evening the week before the murder, loud enough that
the argument carried into the street. Detectives discovered that during
that fight, Brent had accused Caylee of sleeping with a
man older than him. Brent told investigators that he had
gone to her apartment to talk sense in to her.
(10:34):
According to his statement, the argument got heated and Caylee
stormed out, staying she didn't need him controlling her any more.
He claimed he hadn't seen or spoken to her since.
On July eleventh, the day after Caylee's body was found,
two detectives arrived at Brent's home, a modest beage house
on a quiet cul de sac near River Islands Parkway.
They found him sitting on the porch in his coaching gear,
(10:55):
still in disbelief over the news of his daughter's death.
Detective Mary soul her Rrea later said he seemed visibly
shaken but defensive. When asked where he was on the
night of July ninth, Brent said he had been at
a team barbecue at the assistant coach's house. He provided
names of several witnesses. Detectives noted his large frame, his rough,
sunburned hands, and a faint bruise on his forearm. When
(11:19):
asked about it, he said it was from breaking up
a fight at practice. During the interview, Brent's voice cracked
several times. I was mad, gah, he said, But I'd
never hurt my kid. Never. Still, detectives couldn't ignore the
tension between father and daughter, or the fact that he
seemed embarrassed by her personal choices. That evening, officers checked
(11:40):
his alibi. Multiple teammates and parents confirmed that Brent had
been at the barbecue from about seven p m. To midnight,
grilling burgers and watching game Footage. Phone records later backed
up his story his cell phone pinged off a tower
near the event all night. By July twelfth, police cleared
Brent as a suspect, but for many in Laughrap, the
(12:00):
idea that a father could even be considered in connection
with his daughter's murder left the town uneasy. A fellow
coach later described him best, Brent's a good man who
couldn't handle failure even in his own home. Losing Cayley
broke something inside him. That day, after clearing coach Danner,
detectives turned their focus to Russell Baines, a sixty nine
(12:21):
year old businessman from nearby Stockton. Baines was the owner
of Bains Auto, a longtime local car dealership known for
its flashy ads on late night TV. With his silver hair,
gold watch, and expensive suits. Russell carried himself like someone
who loved attention. He often wore shiny loafers and carried
a cigar he rarely lit, calling himself old school. People
(12:43):
who knew him said Russell had charm, the kind that
made customers trust him and women take notice. His dealership
sat off Pacific Avenue, where red, white and blue streamers
fluttered in the hot July wind. Inside, he liked to
keep the air conditioning turned low and classic rock playing
softly from the showroom speakers. That's where Kayleie Danner met him,
According to records, she came in one afternoon to test
(13:06):
drive a used Toyota Camery employees remembered how Russell followed
her out to the parking by himself, even though he
rarely dealt with small sales. Within weeks, the two were
seen around town together at restaurants in his car, and
even boarding a flight to Reno, where he claimed to
be taking her on business trips. Investigators later found text
messages that showed Russell was paying Kaylee's rent and buying
(13:28):
her expensive gifts, including a gold bracelet from Kay Jewelers
and a designer purse. One friend of Kaylee's said he
treated her like a girlfriend, not just some fling, but
he wanted control too. By early July twenty twenty two,
Russell's personal and professional life were both falling apart. His
dealership had come under IRS investigation for unreported income, and
(13:51):
the stress was building. At the same time, he'd been
diagnosed with flamydia, something that quickly became a source of
rage and humiliation. According to detectives, he told friends that
Kaylie had given it to him. Kaylee, however, told her
friends the opposite, that Russell had infected her and then
tried to blame her to protect his reputation. Text records
from early July showed her sending angry messages to him,
(14:13):
saying you ruin my life. You're disgusting. Russell's wife, Elaine Baines,
had recently discovered the affair after finding credit card statements
showing hotel charges in Reno and Sacramento. Neighbors reported hearing
shouting from their home several nights before Kaylee's death. One
neighbor said Eline was screaming about some girl half her age.
(14:33):
When police brought Russell in for questioning on July thirteenth.
He arrived in a pressed gray suit and expensive cologne.
He appeared confident at first, calling the situation a terrible misunderstanding.
He admitted the affair, but insisted it had ended weeks
before the murder. I cared for that girl, he said,
but I didn't kill her. Detectives noticed scratches on his
(14:54):
right hand, which he claimed came from working on a
car engine. They collected DNA samples and laid confirmed that
none of his fingerprints matched those found of the scene.
His phone data also showed he'd been home during the
time of Cayley's death. Even so, police didn't dismiss him completely.
His motive, anger, jealousy, and exposure fit the crime. As
(15:15):
Detective Ferrera later said, Russell Baines had every reason to
be desperate. His business was sinking, his wife was furious,
and his secrets were catching up to him. By mid July,
the public began speculating about him online, with locals posting
photos of his dealership and gossiping about the rich guy
and the waitress. But without physical evidence, Russell remained only
(15:36):
a person of interest, not a charged suspect, a slick
man whose charm could no longer hide the trouble closing
in around him. By July eighteenth, twenty twenty two, the
central Valley was baking under one hundred degree heat. The
air smelled faintly of dust and cut grass as residents
tried to escape the summer sun. Around two thirty that afternoon,
(15:57):
a local fisherman named Brick Porter sixty two was checking
his lines along a drainage canal about two miles east
of the old car wash on Yosemit Avenue when something
shiny caught his eye. Floating near a clump of reeds
was a cracked iPhone twelve with a pink glitter case.
Porter fished it out with his net and noticed a
faint hooter's sticker on the back. He called police immediately.
(16:18):
Hours later, detectives confirmed it was Kayleie Danner's missing phone,
the one that had vanished the night she was killed.
Technicians carefully dried the phone and retrieved data from its
internal memory. What they found stunned the department. Inside the
camera roll was a video recorded the night of her death,
timestamped at one six a m. On July tenth. The
footage showed Kaylee wearing red in injury and playfully posing
(16:41):
in a large master bedroom. Detectives quickly recognized the room
from earlier photos. It was inside Russell and Elaine Bain
stocked him on. In the video, Kaylee laughed and twirled
her hair, teasing the camera. Then within seconds, the bedroom
door flew open. A woman's voice screamed, you disease sprang
ding fluesy. The phone jerked, the image flipped, and the
(17:03):
video ended with the sound of something crashing, possibly glass breaking.
When detectives ran DNA tests on the Guxy bell found
at the crime scene, results confirmed a shocking discovery. Skin
cells matched Dolana Bayans, Russell's twenty three year old wife.
The glamorous young woman had often been seen driving his
white Mercedes E Class, the same model caught speeding away
(17:25):
from the scene that night. But the case took an
even darker turn when toxicology and medical records from the
autopsy came back. They showed that Kaylee was pregnant at
the time of her death, but not with Russell's child.
DNA testing later revealed the father was her ex boyfriend,
a twenty one year old mechanic from Tracy named Ethan Rouse,
who had broken up with her months earlier after learning
(17:47):
he'd contracted an STD. Investigators later discovered through text messages
that Russell knew about the pregnancy weeks before Kaylee's death.
He had reportedly told a friend he planned to use
it to keep her quiet. According to Detective Ferrara's notes,
Russell intended to blackmail Cayley, threatening to tell Ethan and
others that she had been spreading diseases unless she stopped
(18:08):
contacting him and deleted proof of their relationship. Police now
believed that Alena may have found the video and confronted
Caylee in person after learning of the pregnancy. The broken
champagne bottle used in the attack was consistent with one
missing from the Baines home bar. Detective Herrera described the
case as a perfect storm of jealousy, betrayal, and fear
of exposure. By late July, with DNA, video evidence, and
(18:33):
motive all pointing towards Elana and Russell, the story that
began with a missing phone had unraveled into a web
of lies, and the real truth about Kaylee Danner's final
hours was finally beginning to surface. By mid July twenty
twenty two, Laffort was sticky with heat, and people were
trying to stay cool. The case had already turned heads
across town. The next person detectives brought in was Elana Bains,
(18:56):
twenty four years old. She was nearly fifty years younger
than her husband, Brussel. Elena had once worked as a
cocktail waitress. She married Russell when she was very young.
In public, she liked fancy things, design her handbags, right lipstick,
and high heels. Neighbors often saw her in expensive clothes
and heard her arguing with Russell on the street. People
who knew her called her fiery and bold. At first,
(19:19):
Elena tried to act like she did not care about
the affair. She told friends and family she had her
own fun and did not need to be jealous. But
the way she spoke did not match what messages on
her foam later showed. Detectives found text messages she had
sent to a close friend in early July. One message read,
if that bleeping flat bleak bimbo comes near my bleeping
(19:40):
house again, I'll make her choke on her own bleeping
lip gloss. The language was angry and meant to hurt.
Those texts made police take her more seriously When detectives
asked Eleana to come to the station, she agreed. It
was July and the air in the interview room fell thick.
She wore a tight dress and a steady face. Detectives
sat across from her. Detective mariusol Herrera led the interview.
(20:04):
Herrera spoke calmly. She had years of experience and knew
how to keep a hard case moving forward. Lieutenant James
McAdams watched the room and took notes. They had evidence
the phone found in the drainage canal that had Kaylee's
final video, traces of glass and blood that matched glass
from the Bain's home, and DNA from the belt that
matched Elena. At first, Alana sing brave. She said she
(20:28):
did not know what had happened and claimed she was
not the kind of person to do such a thing.
She said she knew Kaylee had been around her husband,
but she pretended not to be upset. Her voice was
loud and quick. She told police she had not been
near the car washed that night and that she would
never hurt anyone. Detectives did not believe her story. They
played the video recovered from Kaylee's phone. In the footage,
(20:51):
Kaylee was in injury in a bedroom. A woman's voice
could be heard screaming, you disease, spreading floozy. The camera
wobbled and then the picture ended. The room in the
video matched the layout of the bains master bedroom. The
detectives placed the phone on the table and watched Golana's face.
At first, she stared at the screen. Her jaw tightened,
then her eyes filled with tears. They also told her
(21:13):
about the DNA found on the guxy belt around Kaylee's neck.
The lad had matched skin cells on the belt. To Elena,
they showed her photos of the broken champagne bottle and
told her the glass fragments under Kaylee's nails were the
same type from the Bain's house. The room felt very
quiet outside the heat pressed on the city. At that point,
Elana's confidence crumbled. Her voice went soft. She started to cry.
(21:37):
She said she had not meant to do it. In
a shaky voice, she said, I just snapped. She said
she had come home and found Kaylee in the bedroom.
She told them she hit Kaylee with the bottle and
then used the belt. She said she could not remember
all the details. She said she was sorry. Her confession
came after hours of questions and after detectives showed clear evidence.
(21:59):
For many people in Laughreb, the idea that a young
woman known for shopping and parties could end up admitting
to such violence was hard to take in. Detectives wrote
down every word, then read her rights and placed her
under arrest. The small town that July watched as a
dramatic chapter in the case closed and the long work
of trial preparation began. By the third week of July
(22:20):
twenty twenty two, the Central Valley heat was heavy and dry,
and people in Lafrab were still talking about the murder
that had rocked their quiet town. Investigators had spent days
following every lead, from tire tracks near the car washed
to cell phone tower pings, but it was the discovery
of Kaylee's missing phone that finally cracked the case. On
July eighteenth, a city maintenance worker cleaning out a drainage
(22:42):
canal off Louise Avenue spotted a cracked iPhone tangled in weeds.
Detectives confirmed it was Kayleie Danner's phone. The case had
a pink glitter case and a small hooter's keychain still attached.
The device was water damaged, but partially recoverable. When investigators
pulled the data, they found it chilling. Final video that
would reveal the truth. The video, recorded around one ten
(23:05):
am on July tenth, showed Kaylee laughing in Russell Bain's
master bedroom. She wore l injury and held her phone
up like a mirror, teasing the camera. As she spun
around in front of the bed. She could be heard
joking he set his wife's out of town. Seconds later,
the bedroom door burst open. A woman's furious voice screamed,
you disease spreading fluozy. The phone fell to the carpet,
(23:27):
its lens sideways. The screen showed only blurred movement and
then silence. When detectives compared the voice in the video
to recordings of Alana Baines, the match was undeniable. DNA
tests came back soon after. Skin cells and fingerprints on
the guxy belt wrapped around Kaylee's neck matched to Lana.
Tiny glass fragments from a broken champagne bottle found near
(23:50):
Kaylee's body were consistent with bottles in the Bain's home bar.
On July twenty, at eight forty five am, officers arrived
at the Baines gated home in Manteca with a warrant
for Alana's arrest. The neighborhood was quiet, sprinkler's running the
air already hot. Detectives mariusol Herrera and James mccadams knocked
on the door. Elena answered, wearing a white robe, her
(24:12):
hair pulled back, her eyes hollow. She didn't resist as
they read her rights. She stayed silent and calm. Almost detached.
Neighbors watched from across the street, whispering. Once said later
she looked like she didn't even know what planet she
was on. At the lath Of Police department, Alana was
interrogated for hours. At first, she denied everything. She said
(24:33):
she had been home all night and had nothing to
do with Kaylee's death, But when detectives played the video
from Kaylee's phone, her demeanor changed. Her shoulders slumped, and
tears began to fall. She whispered, I just snapped through sobs.
Elena explained she had come home hurrily from a friend's
birthday dinner and found Kaylee in her bed, wearing her
(24:53):
robe and laughing. He told me she was just a phase,
She said, I walked in and she was in my
bed wearing my things, she smirked at me, and I
just lost it. She admitted to hitting Kayley with the
champagne bottle, and when the younger woman tried to fight back,
she used the belt from the floor to strangle her.
She said she blacked out and didn't remember dragging the
(25:14):
body behind the car wash. When Alana was handcuffed and
led from the interrogation room, she looked dazed and pale.
Reporters gathered outside the station as the news broke. Kaylee's father,
coach Brent Danner, wept when told of the confession. She
didn't deserve to die for a man's lives, he said quietly.
By that night, the story had spread across Sandwalking County,
(25:36):
marking the end of one of the most shocking murder
investigations the valley had ever seen. By June twenty twenty four,
nearly two years after the brutal killing of Kaylee Danner,
the Central Valley's long awaited trial finally began inside the
San Joquin County Superior Court in Stockton. The weather outside
was hot and bright, with news vans parked along the
(25:58):
curb and locals standing in line to get a seat
in the courtroom. Inside the air conditioning hummed quietly as
jurors took their seats and the judge called the case
to order. The prosecutor, Dana Keller forty one, was known
for her sharp focus and calm confidence. A career attorney
with a background in domestic violence cases, she told the
(26:18):
jury that jealousy, rage, and humiliation had driven Elana Bains
to murder. Keller described how Elena had discovered Kaylee in
her home wearing her robe and let fury take the
place of reason. She showed photos of the crime scene,
the broken champagne bottle, and the Gutchy belt found around
Kaylee's neck. During the second day of testimony, Keller played
(26:39):
the final video from Kaylee's phone, the one recorded just
minutes before her death. The courtroom fell silent except for
the sound of Kaylee's laughter and then Alana's screaming voice.
You disease spreading fluzy. As the video played, Kaylee's mother,
Michelle Danner, sobbed quietly in the front row. Her ex husband,
coach Brent Danner, sat beside her, staring down at his hands.
(27:01):
The defense attorney, Michael Trent fifty two, took a different approach.
He argued that Elana was not in her right mind
that night. He claimed she had suffered a temporary mental
breakdown caused by emotional betrayal, stressed and prescription medication. He
told the jury this was a crime of passion, not
of planning. Trent pointed to Elana's youth or toxic marriage
(27:22):
and the humiliation she faced after learning of her husband's
affair with a teenage girl. Elena herself took the stand
in the second week of the trial, wearing a baige
sweater and minimal makeup. She looked smaller than she had
during her arrest two years earlier. Her voice shook as
she told the jury, I didn't mean to kill her.
I just snapped. I saw her there and everything went black.
(27:45):
But the prosecution pushed back hard. Keller reminded the jury
that Elena had cleaned up the scene from Kaylee's phone
in a drainage caneal and lied to police for over
a week. That's not a blackout, Keller said, that's guilt.
After seven hours of liberation, the jury returned with their
verdict on June fourteenth, twenty twenty four. They found Alana
(28:06):
Banes guilty of second degree murder. As the words were read.
Alana stood still, eyes wet, but face expressionless. Her attorney
placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't move.
Judge Robert Heinsley sentenced her to twenty five years to
life in state prison. He called the crime vicious and senseless.
The courtroom was silent except for quiet crying from Cayley's family.
(28:28):
Michele Danner whispered finally as she clutched a photo of
her daughter. Outside the courthouse, the summer air felt heavy again.
Reporters gathered around the steps as family members said they
hoped the verdict would bring peace for many in Laughra.
Justice had been served, but no one could forget how
a small town scandal had turned into a tragedy that
changed so many lives. By June twenty twenty four, the
(28:51):
trial of Alana Baines had concluded, and the Central Valley
was beginning to adjust to life after the tragedy. Alana
was transferred to the Central California Women's Facility in Chauchilla,
a maximum security prison for female inmates. Reports indicated that
she kept mostly to herself, spending time in counseling sessions
and attending group programs designed to manage anger and trauma.
(29:14):
Prison staff described her as quiet and withdrawn, a stark
contrast to the fiery woman seen in the courtroom. Meanwhile,
Russell Baines quietly closed the chapter on his life in Stockton.
He sold Baines Auto and left California, moving to Arizona.
Sources say that he kept a low profile, rarely attending
public events were speaking to the press. Notably, he did
(29:34):
not attend a single day of Elna's trial, and neighbors
in LAUGHRP described him as gone and invisible, a man
trying to escape the scandal that had engulfed him. The
police officers who had worked tirelessly on the case also
moved forward in their careers. Detective Marisol Herrera received a
formal commendation from the Sandwal Queen County Sheriff's Office for
her meticulous work in piecing together the evidence and securing
(29:57):
a confession from Milana. Lieutenant James mccadams accepted a position
with a statewide task force focused on domestic violence homicides,
using the experience from the Danner case to help prevent
future tragedies. Kaylee's family also sought ways to honor her
memory and rebuild their lives. Her father, Brent Danner, left
his longtime coaching position at Joseph Widmer High School. He
(30:19):
began volunteering at a local youth center, focusing on mentoring
teens who struggled with anger or poor decision making. Brent
told reporters, I'd lost my daughter, but I want to
help other kids avoid the mistakes that cost her life.
Her mother, Michelle Danner, created a scholarship in Kaylee's name
for young women interested in pursuing careers in modeling and fashion.
She said the scholarship was meant to celebrate Kaylee's creativity
(30:42):
and ambition, giving other young women opportunities her daughter had
dreamed about but never fully realized. The town of Laffruck
continued to carry reminders of the tragedy. The shuttered car
wash on Yosemit Avenue where Kaylee's body had been discovered,
remained empty. Locals often passed by, reflecting on how a
mixture of jealousy, deceit, and poor choices could destroy more
(31:05):
than one life. Though time moved forward, the story of
Cayley Danner remained a cautionary tale in the community, a
reminder of both the fragility of life and the importance
of confronting lies before they turned deadly. By mid twenty
twenty four, life in the Central Valley slowly regained the
sense of normalcy. The streets were filled with the summer
(31:25):
heat and traffic from I five. But for those who
had lived through the case, the memory of July twenty
twenty two lingered a chapter of loss, justice, and the
enduring impact of one young woman's life cut tragically short.
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