June 22, 2025 • 45 mins
A suspicious fire at the home of a beloved neighbor brought about a tragic discovery. No one could figure out who would dare hurt the swwet lady that took care of everyone. That was until the neighbors began to talk to the police.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
For over three hundred and fifty years, the state of
South Carolina has been the setting for some of the
most horrendous crimes ever committed. Some have gained global notoriety,
some have been forgotten, and others have been swept under
the rug completely. Now, two South Carolina natives and true
(00:26):
crime enthusiasts have teamed up to examine these heinous acts
in detail, giving their perspective of the evil that has
resided in the Palmetto State. You're listening to Carolina Crimes.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And welcome back to Carolina Crimes. I'm one of your hosts,
Matt Hyres, along with Daniel Myers, and we're over the
moon thrilled that you joined us here for this week's
episode on location in Buford County, Oh start of an Earth,
end of a good week. Yes, yes, yes, much deserved.
And this is episode two twenty seven, two to seven,
(01:06):
one of my favorite shows all time. What was that?
You shut your mouth? You don't know what two to
two seven is with a jack a and you know, hey, Mary,
you don't well, you need to go, you need to
do you need to throw that in your Google machine.
But nevertheless, episode two to seven from Bufort, South Carolina,
(01:30):
and this is gonna be a tough one. Go ahead
right out of the gate and tell you just tragedy
befalling a nice person. Thank you so much. We hope everybody,
all our listeners they had a great Father's Day last weekend,
Special special guys in our lives. Thank you so much
for all you do for us. Thank you to all
(01:51):
of you for reaching out with your feedback. The story
of the Fords, Robert and Robbie as a greedy murder
for hire. There's no other way to explain it. But
before we get started with this week's episode, as we
always do one when we're out of town together on location,
(02:13):
just want to get a few housekeeping items out of
the way. If you're not already following us on social media,
check us out at Carolina Crimes Podcast on Facebook, at
sc Crimes Pod on Twitter. If you're listening on Apple
iTunes or Apple Podcasts, make sure to throw us a
five star review, mash that purple subscribe button, and tell
us a little something you like about the show, what
(02:36):
you're having for dinner, your pets names, We love those.
We love giving those fur babies some shout outs, so
load it up. Also, if you're looking to get some
nice summerware, and we're working on the hoodie jackets with
zippers that somebody wanted. Go ahead over to Carolina crimestore
dot com and we'll be putting those out soon. I
(02:58):
certainly appreciate it. Finally had some downtime where we could
work on the store and put some new merch out there. Yeah,
it's getting a little stale, but it's still good. Yeah
over there. But yeah, okay, So, as we mentioned, this
week's episode is going to be coming from Beaufort County,
South Carolina. And for those of you not familiar with
(03:18):
the location of everything in the state, Beaufort is in
the south eastern corner of the state, just north of Savannah, Georgia.
Now Beaufort, it actually has the distinction of being the
home to South Carolina's second oldest city, which it's also
(03:38):
the county seat and shares the name with the county
Charleston's first oldest city. Beaufort is the second. Now this area,
we've been to Buford a couple times, we've gone through
the history. We will give a little bit about how
it changed hands several times throughout its history, but the
area was first Lord in fifteen fourteen wow, by the
(04:04):
Spanish captain Pedro de Salazar, who initially named the area
Santa Elena, which is derived in the future as Saint Helena.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Okay, I thought that that's what that was.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yes, So the area was called by Captain Salazar Sena
Santa Elena, and the Spanish settlement that he set up.
I'm not going to mince words. It failed. It was not.
It did not take hold and become a permanent colony.
(04:40):
And in fifteen sixty two, Captain Jean Rabeau of France
with a bevy of French pop Protestants in two they
founded a settlement and named the harbor there. They called
it one of the grandest harbors they'd ever seen, that
any ship of any size could anchor, and they decided
(05:01):
to name it Port Royal. Oh and I think that
Jean Ribau Freeway. It's it's still there. I think that's
a name of a bridge or a road something around there. Yeah,
I forgot where I saw that, well, Ribaut. After he
set up these Protestants there in what would become Buford County,
(05:22):
he returned to France for supplies, but those left behind
were in pretty bad shape. They ended up having some
internal quarrels between themselves and they were constantly falling victim
to attacks from Native Americans MC Indians that were around
(05:43):
that around that area at that time. So the French
that were left behind, they soon built their own boat
while they were there. They were actually located where Paris
Island is today, and they built their own boat to
sail back to France.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And I'm not waiting for you.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
When Raboad turned he came back, he decided to go
to Florida instead and not try the South Carolina coast anymore. Well,
the French, I'm sorry. In fifteen point eighty the Spanish,
they then returned to Port Royal to re establish Santa Atlanta.
Now this effort it went a little better than the
(06:23):
first time, but it was soon quelled by the English,
who were led by Captain William Hilton Hilton Head, who
took control of the area in sixteen sixty three. Well
on into the seventeen hundreds. The area that is Buford County.
(06:48):
It was dominated by rice and Sea Island cotton plantations.
Rice and Sea Island cotton. They reigned supreme and they
brought about the construction of several multiple plantations, and they
prospered there. It became really the seat of aristocracy besides Charleston.
(07:13):
A lot of very rich people, a lot of people
that enslaved human beings. Unfortunately they made their money off
the backs of other people. But it was a very
prominent and very affluent area in the southeast. Now, through
most of the Civil War, Beaufort County and Port Royal
(07:36):
it was occupied by Union troops. Now, after the war,
Beaufort was a refuge for many freedmen, and the Port
Royal Experiment that was the name for it, was an
early effort to educate newly freed slaves. Now, while the
war and the decline of cotton really crippled the economy
(07:59):
there in u they were on hard times and the
eighteen ninety three Sea Island's Hurricane almost completely wiped Beauford
County off the map. But Beaufort proved resilient. In the
early nineteen hundreds, this beautiful county that we're in now,
it played to its strengths. They decided to set aside
(08:22):
Parris Island, which was founded in nineteen seventeen as the
United States Marine Corps training depot. They had a revitalization
of their commerce and they decided to play to their
strengths and start resort development, also fishing and shrimping from Beauford.
They played a huge role in the economy and getting
(08:42):
it back on its feet. And today Beauford County is
thet is thriving and it's home to about one hundred
and eighty seven thousand residents. So more of the famed
residents and famed folks from Beauford County. First off is
Robert Small. He was an escaped slave who commandeered a
(09:02):
Confederate ship to free others and broke past the Union
Navy blockade to take them to freedom. He was a
member of the US Navy, eventually the South Carolina State
House and the South Carolina State Senate. And I always
say when I bring him up, there has got to
be an action movie made about this guy. Yeah, it's incredible.
Also from Beauford County, someone that we probably have met
(09:28):
and didn't know it before she was famous, Candice Glover,
the winner of American Idol Season twelve. She rented golf
carts for ip Island.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Really yeah wow, he probably did.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah. Also from Beauford County, smoking Joe Frasier, heavyweight Boxing
Champion of the World. He won it nineteen seventy He
ended up defeating Muhammad Ali in nineteen seventy one's Fight
of the Century, but then subsequently lost to him in
nineteen seventy five in the Thrilla in Manila. And he
(09:59):
was also a nineteen sixty four Olympic gold medalist in
the heavyweight boxing division. And also someone that is not
from Beauford County but made his home there. Author friend
Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides, the Great Santini,
and The Water Is Wide. So our story is going
(10:21):
to start today in December of twenty sixteen in a
Beauford County community called shell Point. It's just north of
Paris Island. I think it's described as the Burton community.
And we're talking about a lady that was absolutely fantastic,
(10:43):
fifty six year old Teresa. She went by riesa Siegler.
She lived on Falls Road there in shell Point, and
she had experienced some serious challenges with her health reesa.
Her mobile ability was limited. In most days she was
confined to her wheelchair, her easy chair recliner, or sometimes
(11:08):
she couldn't even get out of bed, and constant pain
and really really struggle with that. But while Reesa may
have had health struggles, that never stopped her from spreading
kindness and generosity throughout the community. She was a woman
of strong faith. She wanted to try to be the
(11:29):
hands and feet of Christ and help others, and while
she had children of her own, she kind of acted
as the de facto mom to her neighbors. Yeah, she's
always kind of looking out for everybody, and just some examples,
when anyone was in need, she would provide them with food,
(11:50):
a place to stay or crash. And she would even
let neighbors come over and shower when they could not
afford to pay their utility bills and their services were
turned all right, I mean that's you can't ask for
a better neighbor than that letting you come and shower. Yes,
But while she was so generous, Reesa, she wasn't wealthy.
(12:12):
She relied on her monthly disabilities checks to survive, and
with her honest and generous heart, she would literally give
you the shirt off her back to those in need.
Neighbors in need knew they could depend on Reesa Siegler,
and they got to know her well, and most of
(12:34):
them looked out for her and got to know her routine.
You know, some would provide her rides or even run
errands for her, the sweet lady, and they really respected
and took her in. They knew, Hey, if I don't
have anybody to look out for me, I know she will.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
It's like I'm gonna I'll help you out because you
do so much to help others.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yes, and that's what everyone really seemed and shot. The
morning of Wednesday, December seventh, twenty sixteen, when smoke was
seen coming from Miss Siegler's mobile home, nine one one
was called and fire trucks arrived at around eleven o
(13:17):
eight am to her address one twenty six False Road,
and neighbors and onlookers, you know, firefighters were saying, hey,
is there anyone inside, and they were saying, yes, yes,
miss Reese's inside. She's disabled. Please help her. She's not ambulatory,
she can't get around. You got to go in and
help her. So a firefighter man, he showed his bravery
(13:43):
and he entered the home into the master bedroom through
a window. I mean, places still on fire, they're trying
to get it out, smoke everywhere. But he was on
the mission. To save miss Siegler. Well, he looked around.
He didn't see anything in the bedroom at first, but
he noticed that the bed it had clothes clutter, and
(14:07):
he was actually able to make out through the smoke
what looked like a human form her laying in the bed.
He could tell it was something large and he couldn't
really pull the blankets off, but then he noticed it
was a blanket wrapped around something with duct tape on it.
Oh like holding it together. He radioed out to some
(14:30):
more firefighters and they came in to assist in getting
what he assumed was possibly a human out of the home.
So when the firefighters they were able to manoeuver this
figure outside, they cut the tape, unrolled the blanket and
discovered it was Teresa Siegler inside. It was disturbing enough
(14:56):
to find that she had been wrapped in a blanket
and duct taped, but they also found that her wrist
were bound and duct taped as well. First responders they
attempted to resuscitate her, but they could not, and the
firefighters continued with the blaze and when it was out,
they started to assess the scene and they were like, okay,
(15:17):
we've got to call law enforcement out here. This is
she didn't wrap herself in this blanket and duct tape
her own wrist and duct tape this. So we've got
to get we got to get some law enforcement eyes
on this situation.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
This is definitely a crime scene.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yes, so investigators they started to, you know, do a
cursory search. One thing they really found interesting in the hall,
right outside Reese's bedroom door was a half melted gas can,
red gas can plastic like you get in any AutoZone
or anywhere like that. It was. It was there outside
(15:56):
our door. And like you said, this was very obviously
a crime scene that someone had tried to cover up.
And when we get back from this short break, we're
gonna get into more of this story and try to
figure out exactly what happened to this sweet lady, Miss
Teresa Siegler. Folks will be right back after this quick
word from our sponsors, Hi friends, Matt Hires here. One
(16:26):
of my favorite parts of bringing you Carolina Crimes each
week is spotlighting the many wonderful towns and communities within
our great state. And today I'm proud to encourage you
all to check out one of my personal favorites rather
on a road trip or a weekend getaway, discover Mullins,
Once a vibrant depot town and the former tobacco capital
(16:48):
of South Carolina. Mullins is a hidden treasure in the
PD region. Explore our offerings by savoring a cup of
coffee at our delightful coffee shop, enjoying lunch at any
of our charming restaurants, visiting old Brick Square, and shopping
on our quaint retail stores, which include an antique market
located in a repurposed tobacco warehouse. Your visit would not
(17:11):
be complete without a stop at the South Carolina Tobacco Museum,
situated in the historic train depot in downtown Mullins, South Carolina.
Here you can explore various exhibits such as models of
tobacco plants at each growth stage, a blacksmith shop, a
log tobacco barn filled with cure tobacco, a farmhouse kitchen
(17:32):
showcasing vintage equipment, and a photo gallery highlighting contemporary tobacco practices.
The Mullins Room honors our town's origins and its swift
growth driven by the railroad and the tobacco industry. Additionally,
in late June, twenty twenty five, the Reverend Daniel Simmons
Museum will open its doors to the public. Within the
(17:53):
Tobacco Museum, Reverend Simmons was one of the victims of
the Mother Emmanuel nine tragedy, and he spent his childhood
in Mullins and worked in its tobacco warehouses. Thanks to
a generous loan from his daughter Rose, we will exhibit
many of his personal belongings, including his beloved Bible. The
documentary of his life, One Last Breath, will be continuously
(18:15):
streamed in the museum. Rather it's for a road trip
or a weekend getaway, Mullins is a perfect place to
visit and a place to call home. Visit Mullins, South Carolina,
(18:51):
and welcome back to Carolina Crimes Episode two two seven
out of Buford County, South Carolina. And when we left off,
a very obvious crime scene was coming into the picture
at Miss Teresa Siegler's house and she was found inside.
Nine one one was called because smoke was seen coming
(19:12):
from her mobile home. Firefighters found her inside, wrapped in
a blanket and duct taped up. When they cut the
tape and unrolled it, they found that she was bound
as well inside the blanket. Well slid was called into
the scene as well as fire investigators, and they were
(19:33):
able to determine that the gasoline from that gas can
found outside her bedroom door was used as an accelerant
and it had actually been poured on the bed as well. Oh,
so someone was trying to cover something Miss Siegler. She
was taken for autopsy at musc and it was revealed
(19:56):
that she did not die of burns nor of inhalation,
but they determined that missus Siegler had been deceased close
to twenty four hours prior to being found. All accounts
showed that she was possibly a bludgeoned to death. So
(20:20):
who in the world? We went into pretty good depth
giving you the depth of Reesa Siegler's character. Who would
do something like this to the lady there in the
neighborhood that looked out for everybody else, always put others
before herself. Just a gem of.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
A woman's never had a reason to have an enemy.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
No no, and if she did, the rest of the
community would have probably stuck up or is a no,
not her? She ain't the one. You're not gonna You're
not gonna mess with with her. Well, it didn't take
long for a leaded device OLP. Neighbors started being questions questioned,
(21:05):
and there were several in the neighbors that said, you
know what, this morning we did see John who lived
a couple houses down, twenty seven year old John Priester
walking with two teens and they were carrying a red
(21:27):
gas can which was very similar to the one found
at the crime scene toward Miss Reese's house.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
It's pretty good lead.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yes it was. And now John Priester, twenty seven years old,
he lived only two lots away from Miss Siegler on
Falls Road. In what I put in quotes and my
air quotes here, a very unique living situation.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Now, the mobile home that Priester had lived in was
officially on paper rented by thirty five year old Brian
David Walls, who really the home was kind of open.
It was like a free for all. He had family
members staying there, friends crashing there, which Priester was one
(22:23):
of those. And I put flophouse kind of in the
side because it was very It was well known that
a lot of drug activity went on there. It was
a party house. There was always some kind of drama
happening there. It was you know, loud, it drew attention
(22:44):
to itself.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Oh yeah, Like there's always I don't want to say always,
but a lot of times in my personal experience, there's
usually at least one house where you're like, that's the one, Yeah,
you know, that's that's the one that's got some stuff
going on. Let's you know, try.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
To Yeah, and Walls he lived there as well. He
had two sons that didn't really say their ages, but
they were around their teenage years. So when Bufford County
Sheriff's office they started looking into this and they found
(23:20):
out who lived at this address and the name Brian
David Walls was said. Their ears perked up. They knew
the name well, and they said, you know, we probably
need to speak to him about this fire, and in fact,
(23:40):
we need to speak to him about something that happened
the night before too. Oh okay, we'll get to that.
Brian David Walls he had a pretty extensive rap sheet.
He had been the subject of multiple arrests over the years,
about fifteen years and convictions. It's I mean, this is
(24:01):
a probably one of the most diverse and I don't
want to use the word well accomplished, but probably the
biggest litany and collection of crimes attached to one person
we've ever had on here. Drug possession a couple times,
marijuana contributing to the delinquency of a minor accessory before
(24:27):
the fact, to a felony, criminal, domestic violence, salt and battery.
I mean, he really was well known to law enforcement.
Oh yeah, he was also well known to have a
drug habit. One of the deputy solicitors there of the
fourteenth Circuit she went on record saying, you know, he
(24:47):
would steal anything he could that he could sell for drugs.
So not an exemplary citizen. But the mobile home at
one thirty Falls Road, Walls or I'm sorry, Walls rented
that from his brother, and like I said, it was
(25:10):
serving as kind of a party house. Yeah, he is
a revolving door. You never really knew who was staying there.
There's a couple, couple family members, a couple of different people, but.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
It was he probably didn't even know who was staying.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
In his house.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
That's probably That's probably a good assumption.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Like if law enforcement were to show up and be like,
who all is in your home and be like, I
really don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I don't know right now, let me check the back bedroom,
you know, let's see.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
You have to bring them out, and I have no clue.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Now, the reputation of that address at one thirty Falls Road,
it kind of got around the neighborhood. Miss Siegler, she
had a daughter who had even warned her about the
folks there at one thirty. She said, look, Mom, I
know you love taking care of people. You love trying
(26:03):
to make people that are down on their luck their
lives a little easier. That's great, but I really want
you to be careful around these people. They may want
to take advantage of you at some point.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Well.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And also she's a woman that lives by herself, she's disabled,
and they know that she's willing to help anybody, and
they can use that to get into the door and
overpower her. And if these are people who are willing
to steal anything for drugs, yes, I mean she's a
pretty good target.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yes. So when investigators started talking to more neighbors, the
picture of what happened to Miss Reesa it really started
to take shape. Now, one neighbor that spoke to the police,
she said that a few days before the fire, and
it came like clockwork. Now, this was on the seventh
(26:59):
of December, around the first of the month. Fifth of
the month, Miss Siegler had received her monthly disability check.
At that time in the month, she would usually have
someone go to the pharmacy or get a ride to
the pharmacy to go and pick up her pills which
(27:20):
she needed for her medical challenges. She was described as
being in constant pain immobile, so she was she did
have a prescription for pain pills and opioids. Well. The
neighbor that drove Miss Reesa to get her prescriptions, she
(27:41):
said that she took her to the pharmacy, got everything
else squared away, took care of her, and when she
brought her back home and dropped her off. Afterwards, she
said that she was approached by Brian Wallas, who was
waiting in the yard for when she got back. He
(28:01):
asked her, he said, do you have any of the
pills on you? And she said no, I just took
her to the pharmacy, dude, And he then asked her,
would you help me to steal Miss Reesa's medication? She
told him no, I mean absolutely not. This is she's
(28:24):
not elder at least fifty six's. You know, she's an
older lady and she needs these. I mean, this is
a doctor prescribed her these things for her pain and
for her disability.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
She's taking them for their intended purpose, not.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
To get high. And Brian Wallace got furious just that
she wouldn't help him out, wouldn't help a brother. How
dare you not steal pills from a older lady from me?
So it was at this time that Sheriff's deputies in
Beauford County they're like, okay, we need to find a
(29:00):
John Priester who was carrying this gas can and be
Brian Walls, because it sounded like he wanted something from
Mss Siegler that he couldn't get. But it would be
it would prove hard to find Brian Walls. And when
we get back from this short break, we'll continue this
(29:22):
story and let you know all the awful things that
he's been up to. Folks will be right back after
this quick word from our sponsors, and welcome back to
(29:54):
Carolina Crimes, Episode two twenty seven from Beaufort, South Carolina,
and the picture revolving around Miss Teresa Siegler's death was
starting to get a lot more clear, and as we
mentioned before, the break police were suspecting Brian David Walls
(30:14):
of perhaps having something to do with her death, but
they really wanted to talk to him about an episode
that happened the night before Miss Siegler's body was found.
On the evening of December sixth, twenty sixteen, the night
before the body of Teresa Siegler was discovered Buford County
(30:35):
Sheriff's office, they received a nine to one to one call.
The call came in from a frantic young woman who
was saying that she had just been raped at the
Howard Johnson's at thirty six fifty one Trask Parkway. She
said she had escaped from her attacker and ran into
the nearby pluff mud march nearby. The young lady. When
(31:01):
deputies arrived on the scene, she had bruising, busted lip
and was covered in mud, and they arranged for treatment
for the nineteen year old. But she bravely gave her
story and she has gone public with it. She has
given her own name. We won't hear. I don't know
(31:21):
how she feels about it now, but out of respect
for the victim, we won't give that out But the
young lady said that evening she got a phone call
from a family friend who said he and his teen
sons and a female friend they needed a ride to
the motel. Now, the young lady, she was hesitant and
(31:45):
didn't want to give the man a ride. She was like, yeah,
that's you know, I've known him since I was born,
But I don't really why is he calling me for
a ride? But he had other people with him, so
she was like, okay, I mean I'm not that creeped out.
I mean I'll go ahead and do it. Sure, so
she agreed. Once this party got to the motel, the
(32:07):
man asked the young lady. She said, can you help
carry my beer and my groceries into the room? Okay,
So she was like, you know, you're a man. I
just gave you a ride, you're asking me for help
for her groceries. But she didn't want to make a stink.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
She was like, okay, but yeah, and he had other
people with him, right, so that would be weird to think,
why are you asking me?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Right? So the young lady she got the beer, whatever
snacks or anything they had, and went into the room
with the man. The two boys and the young and
the lady that accompanied them. Now, when this young lady
turned to leave, the man that had called her that
(32:53):
she'd done all her life ended up slapping her across
the face. Oh my gosh, and he said, don't scream.
I mean it. I'll kill you. He then forced her
into the bathroom and raped her more than likely with
his sons and the other lady outside in the room.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
After the assault, the man walked outside in the nineteen
year old victim, and she took that opportunity to sprint
out into the marsh to escape and call nine one one.
She also related to police that the original man that
had called her and the woman they also stole her
(33:34):
Toyota sedan. And the man, of course that we were
talking about was Brian David Walls. The woman that he
was with was Courtney Brock, who also lived in his
home along with John Priester at the home on Falls Road,
and she was allegedly dating one of Walls's sons. Okay,
(34:00):
so the police in Beaufort, they were already looking for
Walls when Missus Siegler's home was set on fire. So
all this information that's coming forward, they had enough to
issue warrants for the arrest of these folks. For John Priester,
the guy with a gas can, he warrant was put
(34:23):
out for him for arson and also as being a
murder suspect. Courtney Brock for a stolen vehicle. Brian David
Walls for rape and about asking for Miss Siegler's pills.
He was wanted to he was wanted for questioning and
her death as well. And the two juveniles that were
(34:44):
seeing with John Priester when he had the gas can. Yeah,
so a bolo was put out for the rape victims,
stolen Toyota sedan, and on December twelfth, that Toyota was
spotted in Marlborough County, South Carolina. Now there are conflicting reports.
(35:05):
News articles say Marlborough County, the fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's office
is Chesterfield County. But either way it was in northern
South Carolina.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, it's still in the PD region.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Yes, well, sure enough. Driving that stolen Toyota was Brian
David Walls. He was driving and Courtney Brock was writing.
Shotgun in the car was found Teresa Siegler's prescriptions, her
debit card, gloves and ductdate. So the two were taken
(35:44):
into custody and police finally got their opportunity to question
Brian David Walls. When he was questioned about miss Siegler's death,
he denied knowing anything about it. There is actual video
of him that the Solicitor's Office published where he was saying,
(36:04):
this is the first I've heard about the death of
miss Reesa, and I can't believe that, and this is
the first ti I'm hearing about it. He even went
as far to say that he would visit with miss
Siegler every day and read the Bible with her.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Okay, then how do you explain all the items in
the car?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Right? So, even as Walls he continued to spend this webelized,
forensic evidence started to roll in and proved otherwise. The
duct tape that was found to bind Teresa Siegler's body
had Brian Walls DNA all over. Guess what else was
(36:53):
on there on portions of the duct tape. John Priester's
fingerprint was on there. Courtney Brock's palm print was on
there as well. So all three of these people had
a hand in rather the murder or definitely the cover
(37:14):
up in trying to wrap her body and bound it
and duct tape so Walls he ended up being charged
with murder. Brock Courtney Brock also with murder, and John
Priester with murder and second degree arson, and he was
apprehended as well again the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's office. They
(37:39):
pieced together a pretty apparent timeline because none of them
were really talking. Yeah, the three were most likely high
on methamphetamines. It was suspected that they had been awake
close to two weeks.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
On December sixth, the day of the rape that we discussed,
it was believed that they killed miss Siegler. They stole
her prescriptions and they bound her body up. Walls and Brock.
After the murder, they got a ride to the Howard
Johnson's by way of the rape victim. The rape occurred,
(38:22):
and Walls and Brock left and went on the run.
Then on December seventh, John Priester he went behind the
whole thing and tried to burn all the evidence up
in what would he wanted to look like a house fire. Okay,
he wanted to cover up the evidence.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
So when he went to try to start or when
he did start the fire in the house. That was
when the other two were Walls and brock Roady on
the run.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
On the run, Yes, and it was determined that Brian
David Walls was the ringleader of this case. Now, as
I mentioned, no confessions came out, but forensics more than
told the story of what happened. Plus all the evidence
found in that stolen Toyota, the prescription pills, miss Siegler's
(39:11):
debor card, the duct tape, the gloves, everything pointed to them.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
And then you also have witnesses who saw a priest
walking with a gas can. And then you have another
witness who's saw Walls get upset, Yes about the pills.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
He actually asked her to steal pills for him. Yes.
So on April eleventh, twenty nineteen, Brian David Walls he
went on trial and was found guilty of murder and
given forty years. On October twenty fifth of twenty nineteen,
Courtney Brock She was found guilty of murder and was
(39:53):
given thirty years. And on January twenty first, twenty twenty,
the only one to plead guilty was John Priester, and
he pled guilty to murder and second degree arson and
was given thirty years for the murder twenty years for
the second degree arson, but they were to be served
(40:14):
concurrently two teens that were unnamed, they were juveniles. They
were also charged with arson in the fire to cover
it up, But what about the rape? Finally, on August
twenty eighth, twenty twenty four, after COVID delays Hurricane delays,
(40:35):
Brian Walls he went on trial and was found guilty
of first degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and the use of
a vehicle without permission. And for those offenses he already
had forty years. He was given life without the possibility
of parole. So on top of a forty pack, he's
(40:56):
got a life sentence now. So terrible story about loss
of life and we excuse me. On a lot of
these shows where they talk about true crime, and we
talk about it here, of course it's Carolina crimes. We
talk about the victims and people always speak glowingly of them,
(41:20):
but that's kind of the, I guess, the default thing
to do. But in this case it was more than that.
Teresa Siegler seemed like just an angel on earth. Yeah
she really did sound like it. Yeah, I mean, as
much pain and medical troubles as she was going through
(41:41):
financial troubles that she was going through, not being able
to work to her disability, she still gave to others.
She still poured her heart out to her community and
helped those in need. And for these folks to take
advantage of her just to kind of keep their high
going and chase that dragon.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
And she chose the route. There are some people who
were in similar situations to her, and they will wallow
and just woe is me, and they just want to
be there and not try to do anything about it.
And for her to still want to be able to
help and do what she can with what little she's
able to do, you know, speaks volumes.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Yeah, and it just that tears me up. And she
had a surviving daughter and son as well, and they
lost their mom, community lost a good person, and she
was even somebody that these three people would count on
as well. When they needed stuff, they used to go
to her, and I guess they just decided or it
(42:48):
was the drugs. Talking Walls obviously had a terrible addiction
problem m hm, but they decided to take advantage of her.
And I just just go after some bottles full of pills.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
It just makes me you know, with her disability, they
would be able to overpower her if it was just
one on one, much less with three people, and get
what they need and get out of there. It's like,
why did you have to kill her?
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (43:21):
And then it makes you wonder too the assault victim.
Would he have killed her she could identify him?
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yeah? Or I mean what was that even all about it?
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I mean, are you going to just let her go
and then you hoping she doesn't say anything because she
can clearly identify you.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
She's not a stranger, she's known you all her life,
and so you commit a murder. According to the autopsy,
wrap this poor lady in a blanket, duct taper up
and then and you're like, hey, let's go get some
(44:01):
beer snacks and oh, by the way, I think I'm
gonna rape somebody. What kind of line of thinking is that?
Speaker 3 (44:08):
And that's where you have to go back. Is it
the drugs talking? Or are they just that evil of
people and that was exacerbated by the drugs? I mean, well,
you know, because then you can argue there are a
lot of people who have heavy addictions who don't do
things like that.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
Yes, yes, so terrible, terrible story, but we wanted to
do one, and we always do one this time of
year when we're together in Beaufort on location, and we
appreciate you listening to this one. Had a wonderful time
down here this week as always. Yeah, and we look
(44:46):
forward to getting back getting back on the stick next
week and bringing you some more Carolina Crimes. But before
we do, just a few words. If you would like
to see some pictures from this episode, put some names
with some faces, check us out on Facebook at Carolina
Crimes Podcast. Also over on Twitter at sc Crimes Pod.
(45:06):
We would appreciate it if you're listening on Apple iTunes,
Apple Podcasts, or Spotify to throw us a five star review,
mash that purple subscribe button and tell us your pets names.
I'll go ahead and give you direct instructions, and if
you would like to get any Carolina Crimes paraphernalia, head
on over to Carolina Crimestore dot com and check that
out as well. So until next time, thank you so
(45:27):
much for listening to this week's edition of Carolina Crimes
For over three hundred and fifty years, the state of
South Carolina has been the setting for some of the
most horrendous crimes ever committed. Some have gained global notoriety,
some have been forgotten, and others have been swept under
the rug completely. Now, two South Carolina natives and true
(00:26):
crime enthusiasts have teamed up to examine these heinous acts
in detail, giving their perspective of the evil that has
resided in the Palmetto State. You're listening to Carolina Crimes.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And welcome back to Carolina Crimes. I'm one of your hosts,
Matt Hyres, along with Daniel Myers, and we're over the
moon thrilled that you joined us here for this week's
episode on location in Buford County, Oh start of an Earth,
end of a good week. Yes, yes, yes, much deserved.
And this is episode two twenty seven, two to seven,
(01:06):
one of my favorite shows all time. What was that?
You shut your mouth? You don't know what two to
two seven is with a jack a and you know, hey, Mary,
you don't well, you need to go, you need to
do you need to throw that in your Google machine.
But nevertheless, episode two to seven from Bufort, South Carolina,
(01:30):
and this is gonna be a tough one. Go ahead
right out of the gate and tell you just tragedy
befalling a nice person. Thank you so much. We hope everybody,
all our listeners they had a great Father's Day last weekend,
Special special guys in our lives. Thank you so much
for all you do for us. Thank you to all
(01:51):
of you for reaching out with your feedback. The story
of the Fords, Robert and Robbie as a greedy murder
for hire. There's no other way to explain it. But
before we get started with this week's episode, as we
always do one when we're out of town together on location,
(02:13):
just want to get a few housekeeping items out of
the way. If you're not already following us on social media,
check us out at Carolina Crimes Podcast on Facebook, at
sc Crimes Pod on Twitter. If you're listening on Apple
iTunes or Apple Podcasts, make sure to throw us a
five star review, mash that purple subscribe button, and tell
us a little something you like about the show, what
(02:36):
you're having for dinner, your pets names, We love those.
We love giving those fur babies some shout outs, so
load it up. Also, if you're looking to get some
nice summerware, and we're working on the hoodie jackets with
zippers that somebody wanted. Go ahead over to Carolina crimestore
dot com and we'll be putting those out soon. I
(02:58):
certainly appreciate it. Finally had some downtime where we could
work on the store and put some new merch out there. Yeah,
it's getting a little stale, but it's still good. Yeah
over there. But yeah, okay, So, as we mentioned, this
week's episode is going to be coming from Beaufort County,
South Carolina. And for those of you not familiar with
(03:18):
the location of everything in the state, Beaufort is in
the south eastern corner of the state, just north of Savannah, Georgia.
Now Beaufort, it actually has the distinction of being the
home to South Carolina's second oldest city, which it's also
(03:38):
the county seat and shares the name with the county
Charleston's first oldest city. Beaufort is the second. Now this area,
we've been to Buford a couple times, we've gone through
the history. We will give a little bit about how
it changed hands several times throughout its history, but the
area was first Lord in fifteen fourteen wow, by the
(04:04):
Spanish captain Pedro de Salazar, who initially named the area
Santa Elena, which is derived in the future as Saint Helena.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Okay, I thought that that's what that was.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yes, So the area was called by Captain Salazar Sena
Santa Elena, and the Spanish settlement that he set up.
I'm not going to mince words. It failed. It was not.
It did not take hold and become a permanent colony.
(04:40):
And in fifteen sixty two, Captain Jean Rabeau of France
with a bevy of French pop Protestants in two they
founded a settlement and named the harbor there. They called
it one of the grandest harbors they'd ever seen, that
any ship of any size could anchor, and they decided
(05:01):
to name it Port Royal. Oh and I think that
Jean Ribau Freeway. It's it's still there. I think that's
a name of a bridge or a road something around there. Yeah,
I forgot where I saw that, well, Ribaut. After he
set up these Protestants there in what would become Buford County,
(05:22):
he returned to France for supplies, but those left behind
were in pretty bad shape. They ended up having some
internal quarrels between themselves and they were constantly falling victim
to attacks from Native Americans MC Indians that were around
(05:43):
that around that area at that time. So the French
that were left behind, they soon built their own boat
while they were there. They were actually located where Paris
Island is today, and they built their own boat to
sail back to France.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And I'm not waiting for you.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
When Raboad turned he came back, he decided to go
to Florida instead and not try the South Carolina coast anymore. Well,
the French, I'm sorry. In fifteen point eighty the Spanish,
they then returned to Port Royal to re establish Santa Atlanta.
Now this effort it went a little better than the
(06:23):
first time, but it was soon quelled by the English,
who were led by Captain William Hilton Hilton Head, who
took control of the area in sixteen sixty three. Well
on into the seventeen hundreds. The area that is Buford County.
(06:48):
It was dominated by rice and Sea Island cotton plantations.
Rice and Sea Island cotton. They reigned supreme and they
brought about the construction of several multiple plantations, and they
prospered there. It became really the seat of aristocracy besides Charleston.
(07:13):
A lot of very rich people, a lot of people
that enslaved human beings. Unfortunately they made their money off
the backs of other people. But it was a very
prominent and very affluent area in the southeast. Now, through
most of the Civil War, Beaufort County and Port Royal
(07:36):
it was occupied by Union troops. Now, after the war,
Beaufort was a refuge for many freedmen, and the Port
Royal Experiment that was the name for it, was an
early effort to educate newly freed slaves. Now, while the
war and the decline of cotton really crippled the economy
(07:59):
there in u they were on hard times and the
eighteen ninety three Sea Island's Hurricane almost completely wiped Beauford
County off the map. But Beaufort proved resilient. In the
early nineteen hundreds, this beautiful county that we're in now,
it played to its strengths. They decided to set aside
(08:22):
Parris Island, which was founded in nineteen seventeen as the
United States Marine Corps training depot. They had a revitalization
of their commerce and they decided to play to their
strengths and start resort development, also fishing and shrimping from Beauford.
They played a huge role in the economy and getting
(08:42):
it back on its feet. And today Beauford County is
thet is thriving and it's home to about one hundred
and eighty seven thousand residents. So more of the famed
residents and famed folks from Beauford County. First off is
Robert Small. He was an escaped slave who commandeered a
(09:02):
Confederate ship to free others and broke past the Union
Navy blockade to take them to freedom. He was a
member of the US Navy, eventually the South Carolina State
House and the South Carolina State Senate. And I always
say when I bring him up, there has got to
be an action movie made about this guy. Yeah, it's incredible.
Also from Beauford County, someone that we probably have met
(09:28):
and didn't know it before she was famous, Candice Glover,
the winner of American Idol Season twelve. She rented golf
carts for ip Island.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Really yeah wow, he probably did.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah. Also from Beauford County, smoking Joe Frasier, heavyweight Boxing
Champion of the World. He won it nineteen seventy He
ended up defeating Muhammad Ali in nineteen seventy one's Fight
of the Century, but then subsequently lost to him in
nineteen seventy five in the Thrilla in Manila. And he
(09:59):
was also a nineteen sixty four Olympic gold medalist in
the heavyweight boxing division. And also someone that is not
from Beauford County but made his home there. Author friend
Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides, the Great Santini,
and The Water Is Wide. So our story is going
(10:21):
to start today in December of twenty sixteen in a
Beauford County community called shell Point. It's just north of
Paris Island. I think it's described as the Burton community.
And we're talking about a lady that was absolutely fantastic,
(10:43):
fifty six year old Teresa. She went by riesa Siegler.
She lived on Falls Road there in shell Point, and
she had experienced some serious challenges with her health reesa.
Her mobile ability was limited. In most days she was
confined to her wheelchair, her easy chair recliner, or sometimes
(11:08):
she couldn't even get out of bed, and constant pain
and really really struggle with that. But while Reesa may
have had health struggles, that never stopped her from spreading
kindness and generosity throughout the community. She was a woman
of strong faith. She wanted to try to be the
(11:29):
hands and feet of Christ and help others, and while
she had children of her own, she kind of acted
as the de facto mom to her neighbors. Yeah, she's
always kind of looking out for everybody, and just some examples,
when anyone was in need, she would provide them with food,
(11:50):
a place to stay or crash. And she would even
let neighbors come over and shower when they could not
afford to pay their utility bills and their services were
turned all right, I mean that's you can't ask for
a better neighbor than that letting you come and shower. Yes,
But while she was so generous, Reesa, she wasn't wealthy.
(12:12):
She relied on her monthly disabilities checks to survive, and
with her honest and generous heart, she would literally give
you the shirt off her back to those in need.
Neighbors in need knew they could depend on Reesa Siegler,
and they got to know her well, and most of
(12:34):
them looked out for her and got to know her routine.
You know, some would provide her rides or even run
errands for her, the sweet lady, and they really respected
and took her in. They knew, Hey, if I don't
have anybody to look out for me, I know she will.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
It's like I'm gonna I'll help you out because you
do so much to help others.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yes, and that's what everyone really seemed and shot. The
morning of Wednesday, December seventh, twenty sixteen, when smoke was
seen coming from Miss Siegler's mobile home, nine one one
was called and fire trucks arrived at around eleven o
(13:17):
eight am to her address one twenty six False Road,
and neighbors and onlookers, you know, firefighters were saying, hey,
is there anyone inside, and they were saying, yes, yes,
miss Reese's inside. She's disabled. Please help her. She's not ambulatory,
she can't get around. You got to go in and
help her. So a firefighter man, he showed his bravery
(13:43):
and he entered the home into the master bedroom through
a window. I mean, places still on fire, they're trying
to get it out, smoke everywhere. But he was on
the mission. To save miss Siegler. Well, he looked around.
He didn't see anything in the bedroom at first, but
he noticed that the bed it had clothes clutter, and
(14:07):
he was actually able to make out through the smoke
what looked like a human form her laying in the bed.
He could tell it was something large and he couldn't
really pull the blankets off, but then he noticed it
was a blanket wrapped around something with duct tape on it.
Oh like holding it together. He radioed out to some
(14:30):
more firefighters and they came in to assist in getting
what he assumed was possibly a human out of the home.
So when the firefighters they were able to manoeuver this
figure outside, they cut the tape, unrolled the blanket and
discovered it was Teresa Siegler inside. It was disturbing enough
(14:56):
to find that she had been wrapped in a blanket
and duct taped, but they also found that her wrist
were bound and duct taped as well. First responders they
attempted to resuscitate her, but they could not, and the
firefighters continued with the blaze and when it was out,
they started to assess the scene and they were like, okay,
(15:17):
we've got to call law enforcement out here. This is
she didn't wrap herself in this blanket and duct tape
her own wrist and duct tape this. So we've got
to get we got to get some law enforcement eyes
on this situation.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
This is definitely a crime scene.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yes, so investigators they started to, you know, do a
cursory search. One thing they really found interesting in the hall,
right outside Reese's bedroom door was a half melted gas can,
red gas can plastic like you get in any AutoZone
or anywhere like that. It was. It was there outside
(15:56):
our door. And like you said, this was very obviously
a crime scene that someone had tried to cover up.
And when we get back from this short break, we're
gonna get into more of this story and try to
figure out exactly what happened to this sweet lady, Miss
Teresa Siegler. Folks will be right back after this quick
word from our sponsors, Hi friends, Matt Hires here. One
(16:26):
of my favorite parts of bringing you Carolina Crimes each
week is spotlighting the many wonderful towns and communities within
our great state. And today I'm proud to encourage you
all to check out one of my personal favorites rather
on a road trip or a weekend getaway, discover Mullins,
Once a vibrant depot town and the former tobacco capital
(16:48):
of South Carolina. Mullins is a hidden treasure in the
PD region. Explore our offerings by savoring a cup of
coffee at our delightful coffee shop, enjoying lunch at any
of our charming restaurants, visiting old Brick Square, and shopping
on our quaint retail stores, which include an antique market
located in a repurposed tobacco warehouse. Your visit would not
(17:11):
be complete without a stop at the South Carolina Tobacco Museum,
situated in the historic train depot in downtown Mullins, South Carolina.
Here you can explore various exhibits such as models of
tobacco plants at each growth stage, a blacksmith shop, a
log tobacco barn filled with cure tobacco, a farmhouse kitchen
(17:32):
showcasing vintage equipment, and a photo gallery highlighting contemporary tobacco practices.
The Mullins Room honors our town's origins and its swift
growth driven by the railroad and the tobacco industry. Additionally,
in late June, twenty twenty five, the Reverend Daniel Simmons
Museum will open its doors to the public. Within the
(17:53):
Tobacco Museum, Reverend Simmons was one of the victims of
the Mother Emmanuel nine tragedy, and he spent his childhood
in Mullins and worked in its tobacco warehouses. Thanks to
a generous loan from his daughter Rose, we will exhibit
many of his personal belongings, including his beloved Bible. The
documentary of his life, One Last Breath, will be continuously
(18:15):
streamed in the museum. Rather it's for a road trip
or a weekend getaway, Mullins is a perfect place to
visit and a place to call home. Visit Mullins, South Carolina,
(18:51):
and welcome back to Carolina Crimes Episode two two seven
out of Buford County, South Carolina. And when we left off,
a very obvious crime scene was coming into the picture
at Miss Teresa Siegler's house and she was found inside.
Nine one one was called because smoke was seen coming
(19:12):
from her mobile home. Firefighters found her inside, wrapped in
a blanket and duct taped up. When they cut the
tape and unrolled it, they found that she was bound
as well inside the blanket. Well slid was called into
the scene as well as fire investigators, and they were
(19:33):
able to determine that the gasoline from that gas can
found outside her bedroom door was used as an accelerant
and it had actually been poured on the bed as well. Oh,
so someone was trying to cover something Miss Siegler. She
was taken for autopsy at musc and it was revealed
(19:56):
that she did not die of burns nor of inhalation,
but they determined that missus Siegler had been deceased close
to twenty four hours prior to being found. All accounts
showed that she was possibly a bludgeoned to death. So
(20:20):
who in the world? We went into pretty good depth
giving you the depth of Reesa Siegler's character. Who would
do something like this to the lady there in the
neighborhood that looked out for everybody else, always put others
before herself. Just a gem of.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
A woman's never had a reason to have an enemy.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
No no, and if she did, the rest of the
community would have probably stuck up or is a no,
not her? She ain't the one. You're not gonna You're
not gonna mess with with her. Well, it didn't take
long for a leaded device OLP. Neighbors started being questions questioned,
(21:05):
and there were several in the neighbors that said, you
know what, this morning we did see John who lived
a couple houses down, twenty seven year old John Priester
walking with two teens and they were carrying a red
(21:27):
gas can which was very similar to the one found
at the crime scene toward Miss Reese's house.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
It's pretty good lead.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yes it was. And now John Priester, twenty seven years old,
he lived only two lots away from Miss Siegler on
Falls Road. In what I put in quotes and my
air quotes here, a very unique living situation.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Now, the mobile home that Priester had lived in was
officially on paper rented by thirty five year old Brian
David Walls, who really the home was kind of open.
It was like a free for all. He had family
members staying there, friends crashing there, which Priester was one
(22:23):
of those. And I put flophouse kind of in the
side because it was very It was well known that
a lot of drug activity went on there. It was
a party house. There was always some kind of drama
happening there. It was you know, loud, it drew attention
(22:44):
to itself.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Oh yeah, Like there's always I don't want to say always,
but a lot of times in my personal experience, there's
usually at least one house where you're like, that's the one, Yeah,
you know, that's that's the one that's got some stuff
going on. Let's you know, try.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
To Yeah, and Walls he lived there as well. He
had two sons that didn't really say their ages, but
they were around their teenage years. So when Bufford County
Sheriff's office they started looking into this and they found
(23:20):
out who lived at this address and the name Brian
David Walls was said. Their ears perked up. They knew
the name well, and they said, you know, we probably
need to speak to him about this fire, and in fact,
(23:40):
we need to speak to him about something that happened
the night before too. Oh okay, we'll get to that.
Brian David Walls he had a pretty extensive rap sheet.
He had been the subject of multiple arrests over the years,
about fifteen years and convictions. It's I mean, this is
(24:01):
a probably one of the most diverse and I don't
want to use the word well accomplished, but probably the
biggest litany and collection of crimes attached to one person
we've ever had on here. Drug possession a couple times,
marijuana contributing to the delinquency of a minor accessory before
(24:27):
the fact, to a felony, criminal, domestic violence, salt and battery.
I mean, he really was well known to law enforcement.
Oh yeah, he was also well known to have a
drug habit. One of the deputy solicitors there of the
fourteenth Circuit she went on record saying, you know, he
(24:47):
would steal anything he could that he could sell for drugs.
So not an exemplary citizen. But the mobile home at
one thirty Falls Road, Walls or I'm sorry, Walls rented
that from his brother, and like I said, it was
(25:10):
serving as kind of a party house. Yeah, he is
a revolving door. You never really knew who was staying there.
There's a couple, couple family members, a couple of different people, but.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
It was he probably didn't even know who was staying.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
In his house.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
That's probably That's probably a good assumption.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Like if law enforcement were to show up and be like,
who all is in your home and be like, I
really don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
I don't know right now, let me check the back bedroom,
you know, let's see.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
You have to bring them out, and I have no clue.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Now, the reputation of that address at one thirty Falls Road,
it kind of got around the neighborhood. Miss Siegler, she
had a daughter who had even warned her about the
folks there at one thirty. She said, look, Mom, I
know you love taking care of people. You love trying
(26:03):
to make people that are down on their luck their
lives a little easier. That's great, but I really want
you to be careful around these people. They may want
to take advantage of you at some point.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Well.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And also she's a woman that lives by herself, she's disabled,
and they know that she's willing to help anybody, and
they can use that to get into the door and
overpower her. And if these are people who are willing
to steal anything for drugs, yes, I mean she's a
pretty good target.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yes. So when investigators started talking to more neighbors, the
picture of what happened to Miss Reesa it really started
to take shape. Now, one neighbor that spoke to the police,
she said that a few days before the fire, and
it came like clockwork. Now, this was on the seventh
(26:59):
of December, around the first of the month. Fifth of
the month, Miss Siegler had received her monthly disability check.
At that time in the month, she would usually have
someone go to the pharmacy or get a ride to
the pharmacy to go and pick up her pills which
(27:20):
she needed for her medical challenges. She was described as
being in constant pain immobile, so she was she did
have a prescription for pain pills and opioids. Well. The
neighbor that drove Miss Reesa to get her prescriptions, she
(27:41):
said that she took her to the pharmacy, got everything
else squared away, took care of her, and when she
brought her back home and dropped her off. Afterwards, she
said that she was approached by Brian Wallas, who was
waiting in the yard for when she got back. He
(28:01):
asked her, he said, do you have any of the
pills on you? And she said no, I just took
her to the pharmacy, dude, And he then asked her,
would you help me to steal Miss Reesa's medication? She
told him no, I mean absolutely not. This is she's
(28:24):
not elder at least fifty six's. You know, she's an
older lady and she needs these. I mean, this is
a doctor prescribed her these things for her pain and
for her disability.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
She's taking them for their intended purpose, not.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
To get high. And Brian Wallace got furious just that
she wouldn't help him out, wouldn't help a brother. How
dare you not steal pills from a older lady from me?
So it was at this time that Sheriff's deputies in
Beauford County they're like, okay, we need to find a
(29:00):
John Priester who was carrying this gas can and be
Brian Walls, because it sounded like he wanted something from
Mss Siegler that he couldn't get. But it would be
it would prove hard to find Brian Walls. And when
we get back from this short break, we'll continue this
(29:22):
story and let you know all the awful things that
he's been up to. Folks will be right back after
this quick word from our sponsors, and welcome back to
(29:54):
Carolina Crimes, Episode two twenty seven from Beaufort, South Carolina,
and the picture revolving around Miss Teresa Siegler's death was
starting to get a lot more clear, and as we
mentioned before, the break police were suspecting Brian David Walls
(30:14):
of perhaps having something to do with her death, but
they really wanted to talk to him about an episode
that happened the night before Miss Siegler's body was found.
On the evening of December sixth, twenty sixteen, the night
before the body of Teresa Siegler was discovered Buford County
(30:35):
Sheriff's office, they received a nine to one to one call.
The call came in from a frantic young woman who
was saying that she had just been raped at the
Howard Johnson's at thirty six fifty one Trask Parkway. She
said she had escaped from her attacker and ran into
the nearby pluff mud march nearby. The young lady. When
(31:01):
deputies arrived on the scene, she had bruising, busted lip
and was covered in mud, and they arranged for treatment
for the nineteen year old. But she bravely gave her
story and she has gone public with it. She has
given her own name. We won't hear. I don't know
(31:21):
how she feels about it now, but out of respect
for the victim, we won't give that out But the
young lady said that evening she got a phone call
from a family friend who said he and his teen
sons and a female friend they needed a ride to
the motel. Now, the young lady, she was hesitant and
(31:45):
didn't want to give the man a ride. She was like, yeah,
that's you know, I've known him since I was born,
But I don't really why is he calling me for
a ride? But he had other people with him, so
she was like, okay, I mean I'm not that creeped out.
I mean I'll go ahead and do it. Sure, so
she agreed. Once this party got to the motel, the
(32:07):
man asked the young lady. She said, can you help
carry my beer and my groceries into the room? Okay,
So she was like, you know, you're a man. I
just gave you a ride, you're asking me for help
for her groceries. But she didn't want to make a stink.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
She was like, okay, but yeah, and he had other
people with him, right, so that would be weird to think,
why are you asking me?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Right? So the young lady she got the beer, whatever
snacks or anything they had, and went into the room
with the man. The two boys and the young and
the lady that accompanied them. Now, when this young lady
turned to leave, the man that had called her that
(32:53):
she'd done all her life ended up slapping her across
the face. Oh my gosh, and he said, don't scream.
I mean it. I'll kill you. He then forced her
into the bathroom and raped her more than likely with
his sons and the other lady outside in the room.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
After the assault, the man walked outside in the nineteen
year old victim, and she took that opportunity to sprint
out into the marsh to escape and call nine one one.
She also related to police that the original man that
had called her and the woman they also stole her
(33:34):
Toyota sedan. And the man, of course that we were
talking about was Brian David Walls. The woman that he
was with was Courtney Brock, who also lived in his
home along with John Priester at the home on Falls Road,
and she was allegedly dating one of Walls's sons. Okay,
(34:00):
so the police in Beaufort, they were already looking for
Walls when Missus Siegler's home was set on fire. So
all this information that's coming forward, they had enough to
issue warrants for the arrest of these folks. For John Priester,
the guy with a gas can, he warrant was put
(34:23):
out for him for arson and also as being a
murder suspect. Courtney Brock for a stolen vehicle. Brian David
Walls for rape and about asking for Miss Siegler's pills.
He was wanted to he was wanted for questioning and
her death as well. And the two juveniles that were
(34:44):
seeing with John Priester when he had the gas can. Yeah,
so a bolo was put out for the rape victims,
stolen Toyota sedan, and on December twelfth, that Toyota was
spotted in Marlborough County, South Carolina. Now there are conflicting reports.
(35:05):
News articles say Marlborough County, the fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's office
is Chesterfield County. But either way it was in northern
South Carolina.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, it's still in the PD region.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Yes, well, sure enough. Driving that stolen Toyota was Brian
David Walls. He was driving and Courtney Brock was writing.
Shotgun in the car was found Teresa Siegler's prescriptions, her
debit card, gloves and ductdate. So the two were taken
(35:44):
into custody and police finally got their opportunity to question
Brian David Walls. When he was questioned about miss Siegler's death,
he denied knowing anything about it. There is actual video
of him that the Solicitor's Office published where he was saying,
(36:04):
this is the first I've heard about the death of
miss Reesa, and I can't believe that, and this is
the first ti I'm hearing about it. He even went
as far to say that he would visit with miss
Siegler every day and read the Bible with her.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Okay, then how do you explain all the items in
the car?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Right? So, even as Walls he continued to spend this webelized,
forensic evidence started to roll in and proved otherwise. The
duct tape that was found to bind Teresa Siegler's body
had Brian Walls DNA all over. Guess what else was
(36:53):
on there on portions of the duct tape. John Priester's
fingerprint was on there. Courtney Brock's palm print was on
there as well. So all three of these people had
a hand in rather the murder or definitely the cover
(37:14):
up in trying to wrap her body and bound it
and duct tape so Walls he ended up being charged
with murder. Brock Courtney Brock also with murder, and John
Priester with murder and second degree arson, and he was
apprehended as well again the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor's office. They
(37:39):
pieced together a pretty apparent timeline because none of them
were really talking. Yeah, the three were most likely high
on methamphetamines. It was suspected that they had been awake
close to two weeks.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
On December sixth, the day of the rape that we discussed,
it was believed that they killed miss Siegler. They stole
her prescriptions and they bound her body up. Walls and Brock.
After the murder, they got a ride to the Howard
Johnson's by way of the rape victim. The rape occurred,
(38:22):
and Walls and Brock left and went on the run.
Then on December seventh, John Priester he went behind the
whole thing and tried to burn all the evidence up
in what would he wanted to look like a house fire. Okay,
he wanted to cover up the evidence.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
So when he went to try to start or when
he did start the fire in the house. That was
when the other two were Walls and brock Roady on
the run.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
On the run, Yes, and it was determined that Brian
David Walls was the ringleader of this case. Now, as
I mentioned, no confessions came out, but forensics more than
told the story of what happened. Plus all the evidence
found in that stolen Toyota, the prescription pills, miss Siegler's
(39:11):
debor card, the duct tape, the gloves, everything pointed to them.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
And then you also have witnesses who saw a priest
walking with a gas can. And then you have another
witness who's saw Walls get upset, Yes about the pills.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
He actually asked her to steal pills for him. Yes.
So on April eleventh, twenty nineteen, Brian David Walls he
went on trial and was found guilty of murder and
given forty years. On October twenty fifth of twenty nineteen,
Courtney Brock She was found guilty of murder and was
(39:53):
given thirty years. And on January twenty first, twenty twenty,
the only one to plead guilty was John Priester, and
he pled guilty to murder and second degree arson and
was given thirty years for the murder twenty years for
the second degree arson, but they were to be served
(40:14):
concurrently two teens that were unnamed, they were juveniles. They
were also charged with arson in the fire to cover
it up, But what about the rape? Finally, on August
twenty eighth, twenty twenty four, after COVID delays Hurricane delays,
(40:35):
Brian Walls he went on trial and was found guilty
of first degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and the use of
a vehicle without permission. And for those offenses he already
had forty years. He was given life without the possibility
of parole. So on top of a forty pack, he's
(40:56):
got a life sentence now. So terrible story about loss
of life and we excuse me. On a lot of
these shows where they talk about true crime, and we
talk about it here, of course it's Carolina crimes. We
talk about the victims and people always speak glowingly of them,
(41:20):
but that's kind of the, I guess, the default thing
to do. But in this case it was more than that.
Teresa Siegler seemed like just an angel on earth. Yeah
she really did sound like it. Yeah, I mean, as
much pain and medical troubles as she was going through
(41:41):
financial troubles that she was going through, not being able
to work to her disability, she still gave to others.
She still poured her heart out to her community and
helped those in need. And for these folks to take
advantage of her just to kind of keep their high
going and chase that dragon.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
And she chose the route. There are some people who
were in similar situations to her, and they will wallow
and just woe is me, and they just want to
be there and not try to do anything about it.
And for her to still want to be able to
help and do what she can with what little she's
able to do, you know, speaks volumes.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
Yeah, and it just that tears me up. And she
had a surviving daughter and son as well, and they
lost their mom, community lost a good person, and she
was even somebody that these three people would count on
as well. When they needed stuff, they used to go
to her, and I guess they just decided or it
(42:48):
was the drugs. Talking Walls obviously had a terrible addiction
problem m hm, but they decided to take advantage of her.
And I just just go after some bottles full of pills.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
It just makes me you know, with her disability, they
would be able to overpower her if it was just
one on one, much less with three people, and get
what they need and get out of there. It's like,
why did you have to kill her?
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (43:21):
And then it makes you wonder too the assault victim.
Would he have killed her she could identify him?
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yeah? Or I mean what was that even all about it?
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I mean, are you going to just let her go
and then you hoping she doesn't say anything because she
can clearly identify you.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
She's not a stranger, she's known you all her life,
and so you commit a murder. According to the autopsy,
wrap this poor lady in a blanket, duct taper up
and then and you're like, hey, let's go get some
(44:01):
beer snacks and oh, by the way, I think I'm
gonna rape somebody. What kind of line of thinking is that?
Speaker 3 (44:08):
And that's where you have to go back. Is it
the drugs talking? Or are they just that evil of
people and that was exacerbated by the drugs? I mean, well,
you know, because then you can argue there are a
lot of people who have heavy addictions who don't do
things like that.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
Yes, yes, so terrible, terrible story, but we wanted to
do one, and we always do one this time of
year when we're together in Beaufort on location, and we
appreciate you listening to this one. Had a wonderful time
down here this week as always. Yeah, and we look
(44:46):
forward to getting back getting back on the stick next
week and bringing you some more Carolina Crimes. But before
we do, just a few words. If you would like
to see some pictures from this episode, put some names
with some faces, check us out on Facebook at Carolina
Crimes Podcast. Also over on Twitter at sc Crimes Pod.
(45:06):
We would appreciate it if you're listening on Apple iTunes,
Apple Podcasts, or Spotify to throw us a five star review,
mash that purple subscribe button and tell us your pets names.
I'll go ahead and give you direct instructions, and if
you would like to get any Carolina Crimes paraphernalia, head
on over to Carolina Crimestore dot com and check that
out as well. So until next time, thank you so
(45:27):
much for listening to this week's edition of Carolina Crimes
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