September 29, 2025 • 19 mins
Two days before her wedding, 35-year-old Molly Watson was found shot execution-style on a rural Missouri road, her marriage license with fiancé James Addie still in her car. Investigators quickly discovered that corrections officer James Addie was living a double life—he was already married. What should have been a Beauty-and-the-Beast-themed dream wedding became the shocking Missouri bride-murder case that exposed James’ lies, betrayal, and deadly secret.
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Thanks for stopping by and remember that it’s All Love and No Murder Yall!
Intro music by:
Shalash by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4899-shalash
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Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
************************************************************************************************
Podcast Promo: The Final Trace
*************************************************************************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please take some time to Rate, Share, Subscribe! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for stopping by and remember that it’s All Love and No Murder Yall!
Intro music by:
Shalash by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4899-shalash
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, lambs, Kai here. I just wanted to come on
and say that I'm really, really sick right now. I
was trying to wait it out so I could record
this episode for you, but as the days were on,
my throat got more and more raw, and I just
don't think I'll be able to record the episode. So
in order to get the episode out on time, I
(00:21):
am going to have my AI co hosts do it
for you, Jane, Jessica, and Jensen. This is why I
have them, because you know it's just me who does this.
But rest assured, even though you hear their voices, everything
was researched and written by me. They're just here to
help me out. So I do want to thank you
for your patience, for your understanding, and for helping me
(00:45):
continue to be the voice of the victims even when
I can't be a voice. So without further ado, I'm
gonna let Jensen, Jessica, and Jane take it away now
part of the dark Cast Network. Welcome to Indie Podcasts
with a Dark Side.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
On the night of April twenty seventh, twenty eighteen, on
a gravel road in Monroe County, Missouri, Glenn mcsparon saw
something strange in his headlights.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I saw what appeared to be a body next to
a car. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Glenn pulled over, walked closer and realized she wasn't moving.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I looked in her eyes and I could tell she
was gone.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
He called nine one one Anyway to report what he'd found.
When police arrived, they saw that the victim was positioned
just outside the driver's side of her car. She had
been shot once in the back of the head at
close range, but police were able to identify the victim
as thirty five year old Molly Watson. Officers noted that
she was dressed casually and she still had on her
(01:49):
engagement ring. Inside her car, they found a marriage license
with her name and her fiancees James Addie. Apparently their
wedding was scheduled for two days later.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide, your weekly
true crime podcast that tells you cases of relationships that
can end in betrayal, obsession, and murder. I'm Ai Jensen.
I know that every Monday, Ki brings you your full episode,
but unfortunately this week she's six, So me, Jane and
Jessica are taking over bringing you this case that was
(02:24):
researched and written by Ky. Each episode is always done
with the victim in mind, so you may hear some
ranting and ravings along the way. Before we get into
today's case, a quick reminder that Love and Murder is
listener funded. That means no big network backing us, just you,
the lambfam keeping this podcast alive. That's why Ki started
(02:45):
the Patreon Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. By joining,
you're helping her continue to be a voice for the
victims while getting something in return. Bonus episodes, exclusive case extras,
ad free listening behind the scenes in entire series like
Deadly Duos and serial Killer Corner. You can even join
for free and get a few perks, but if you
(03:07):
want the full experience, sign up for one of our
bonus tiers starting at three dollars per month and above
at Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Now, I
know that you're only used to hearing Kai say this part,
but grab your butts, grab your glass of apple juice,
and let's get into today's case of Love and Murder.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Molly Watson was a single mother who loved singing and
making costumes. Friends said she lived for her son and
her passions. In her early twenties, she married her first husband,
but they divorced after two years. Throughout the divorce process,
Molly found out that she was pregnant with their son.
After the divorce, she dated a childhood friend, Amber Brady,
(03:47):
for five years.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Molly said, she was actually my first girlfriend, and I
was hers. She was married at the time, but I
was too. Things weren't going well for either one of us.
Amba said, I think we could talk, we could communicate.
We liked doing a lot of the same things. It
just seemed to click.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Their relationship ended when Amber found Molly with a man
she didn't recognize. She'd caught them at a motel.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I went up there and knocked on the door, she answered.
James Addie was getting dressed and leaving. That wasn't good.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Molly had met James Addie around twenty eleven at the
Mobile Area Correctional Center, where they both worked as corrections officers,
a new job she had gotten not too long ago.
Despite their sixteen year age difference, Molly fell in love immediately,
telling family that James was finalizing a divorce. Some time
After the first incident, Amber caught James and Molly together
(04:43):
again at a gas station, which led to Molly and
Amber going their separate ways.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I didn't have any type of friendship or anything to
do with Molly when things ended. She had blocked me
on everything, which that was fine. I mean, it wasn't
a good breakup.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
By two thousand eighteen, after dating for seven years, James
finally told Molly that his divorce was finalized. In October
twenty seventeen, taking the initiative, Molly proposed to James. Her
brother Tim Watson said that she was quote absolutely one
hundred percent in love with James. As an avid Disney fan,
(05:22):
Molly had envisioned a princess themed wedding featuring red and
gold colors like Beauty and the Beast. The wedding was
planned for April twenty eighteen, and she bought two dresses
because she couldn't choose just one. The bride to be
commissioned Crystal Graves, Yazichi and Tabitha Shilb for hair and
makeup services, specifically requesting Disney themed styling.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
She was so excited. We had been working on a
wedding that was beauty and the Beast, and we were like,
we're very familiar with doing this very Disney themed wedding.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Sam Cohen, their wedding planner, said, there was a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Of burgundy and gold. Kind of reminded me of a
rennest Son's kind of themed wedding. From Molly's perspective, it
was going to be a beautiful wedding and the best
day ever. James was kind of the opposite of Molly.
He was very quiet, didn't show much enthusiasm. I just
thought he was just a groom along for the ride.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
But those close to Molly never warmed up to James.
Tim described him.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Saying he could never look you in the eye, he
could never talk to you directly. Everything was very evasive
with him. He was just always very standoffish. He'd looked
down when you talk to him, very short responses. He
put off bad vibes to everybody.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Her parents found him standoffish, and her cousin Jodi Lindbergh,
was so anxious that she told Molly that she wouldn't
attend the wedding.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
In my last text message to Mollie, I said, but
you know how I feel about weddings and funerals. I
kind of have a thing anyway that I just kind
of avoid weddings and funerals. Never would have thought that
I would have been going to her funeral that next
week instead of her wedding.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
James repeated postponed wedding preparation meetings, claiming he needed to
handle funeral arrangements. I know you're asking me funeral, what
funeral when? According to James, when he and Melanie Addie divorced,
she'd been in a car accident and died after being
removed from life support. Finally, on April twenty fifth, Molly
(07:19):
and James went to apply for a marriage license. The
Randolph County Recorder of Deeds, who prepped the couple's license,
Mark Price, said James appeared perturbed by some of his questions.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I asked if he had been married before and how
it ended. He was just like, why do you need
to know that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Two days later, during a final wedding meeting, Sam said
that James had dropped off decorations and centerpieces at the venue.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
He seemed just like he did in every other meeting
that I met him, really quiet, didn't say much, and
I do recall as I was walking him out the door.
I asked if he's getting excited, and his one comment
was that Molly was driving him crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It was later that night that Molly's body was found.
Monroe County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the murder scene within
minutes of Glen's call. They secured the perimeter and documented
the scene. Investigators determined that Molly had been killed execution style.
The location, a remote area with hardly any traffic, made
it clear the spot had been chosen on purpose. Forensics
(08:23):
teams collected tire impressions and footprints from the soft ground
surrounding the car. They also recovered a single shell casing,
which they logged into evidence. Not far from the car,
they found a blood stained T shirt that tested positive
for Molly's DNA, and her phone was traced several miles away,
showing it had been tossed after the murder. Remember that
(08:44):
they also found the marriage license well. This prompted investigators
to do a background check on James Addie, and what
they uncovered was secrets Molly never even knew about. When
police went to his house to notify him of Molly's death,
they were surprised when his wife stepped out of their
bedroom to find out who was at the door. His
(09:06):
double life crumbled right before their eyes. Melanie learned that
her husband had been engaged to another woman and that
woman had just been murdered. Confronted with the affair, James admitted, I.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Got myself involved in something I shouldn't have.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Detectives immediately got a warrant for James's car, a maroon Mercury.
The tire tread matched the impression at the scene. A
particle of gunshot residue was found inside the car, and
the white T shirt recovered near the scene matched other
shirts his daughter had printed for a class project. Fifty
one year old James was a longtime corrections officer to
(09:42):
his wife, Melanie, a teacher's assistant. He was a family man.
They had been married twenty three years and had two
teenage children, Emma and Ben.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Melanie said that Jim had no tolerance for people that
had affears. He absolutely hated it. So I would never
have thought of him having a never. I thought he
was dedicated to his family. He was home every night.
If I missed something, I don't know what it was.
We got along well. He was very charming and sweet
(10:13):
and engaging.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
In hindsight, she saw warning signs. He often came home
two hours late from work, took trips to Florida and
Mexico with vague explanations, and she had to admit to
herself that he acted controlling at times.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
He would get off work at three and usually he
would get home at five, and I would say, why
are you always so late.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Melanie said that James had been quote controlling and intimidating,
and described him as a pretty selfish person. Even so,
she still never thought that he was capable of maintaining
such an elaborate double life. For seven years, James balanced
two lives with Molly. He played the role of fiance
with Melanie. He acted as if nothing had changed, coming
(10:57):
back home every night and criticizing Molly, trusting her fiance
never investigated his past until the week of her death.
James was arrested in the early morning hours of April
twenty eighth, hours after the murder. Not long after that,
Melanie went searching through their home. In a lofted storage
(11:19):
space above the garage, she found pictures of James and
Molly together at Disney World. She also found boxes of
Molly's things and a photo album filled with pictures from
a trip they had taken to Mexico. Melanie filed for divorce.
A few weeks later. Their daughter Emma, learned of her
father's arrest from a friend's social media post while getting
(11:40):
ready for her junior prom.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I can't even imagine how that ruined her night.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
After this, she cut all contact with him. James was
charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action. His
trial began in April twenty twenty one. The prosecution argued
that he killed Molly to keep his double life from
being exposed. Their reasoning behind this claim was that forensics
examiner Patrick Sublette pulled information from Molly's iPhone on April
(12:10):
twenty sixth, just a day before she was killed. She
had searched for obituary notices for Melanie Addie. Then her
drive sense app tracked her final movements the next evening.
Phone records between Molly's phone and James's secret phone showed
a twenty two minute call between them at eight thirty pm,
followed by a string of unanswered texts and four calls
(12:33):
from him between nine p thirty and eleven PM. Prosecutors
argued she was about to discover that the woman James
claimed was dead was very much alive. On April twenty seventh,
the day of her murder, James went through the motions
of wedding preparation. That evening. Melanie said James came into
(12:55):
the living room around seven pm and said that he
was going to a friend's house. Emma said that she
saw him leave. James told police that he'd planned to
visit a friend, Jamie Lunsford, but Jamie testified that they
had no plans to meet. Emma said her father came
back home around ten pm, an unusual time for him,
(13:15):
and she later heard him running the washing machine and
taking a shower. Melanie then went to bed and woke
at two am to flashing police lights outside. Officers were
at their door with devastating news. A woman named Molly
Watson had been murdered, and she was supposed to marry
her husband in two days. Glenn then testified that on
(13:37):
that night he was taking a shortcut to drop his
daughter off at his mother's house. The road was remote,
surrounded by woods with a creek running across it. On
the way, he'd seen two cars stopped at a low
water crossing. He described one of the cars as a bigger,
four door, dark colored Grandma car. This car drove towards
(13:58):
Glen and he saw that the dry was a short
older man. He asked the driver if the other car
was stuck, and the man said, quote, I don't know
where they're at. It's going to be a while. Glenn
then backed out and took the main highway to his
mother's house instead. Feeling that something wasn't right, Glenn decided
to drive back along the same gravel road to check
(14:20):
on things. When he got to the low water crossing,
only one car was there. The Grandma car was gone.
As he got closer, his headlights illuminated something lying on
the road in front of the car.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
When I saw her, I swear my heart stopped. I
could tell she wasn't moving.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Melanie took the stand against her ex husband in what
she described as quote a just horrible experience.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
You don't want to be there. I don't want to
be in a position where I'm hurting him.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Ultimately, she testified that she believed James was capable of murder,
describing him as a pretty selfish person who could be
controlling and intimidating.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It just seemed like something he would do to fix
a problem.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Two jailhouse informants then told the court that they'd heard James.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Bragg I put someone face down in a ditch.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
In defense, James maintained his innocence. His lawyers focused on
the lack of direct evidence and challenged the reliability of
the state's forensic testimony. They sought to exclude the tire
track testimony, arguing tire impression analysis lacked scientific reliability. They
pointed out that while there were studies on footwear impressions,
(15:33):
there was no similar study for tire impressions. The judge
ultimately allowed it. Then his lawyer pointed out there were
no eye witnesses and no murder weapon recovered, and that
was it. That was their defense. James did not take
the stand in his own defense. After days of testimony,
the jury found James Addie guilty of first degree murder
(15:56):
and armed criminal action. At sentencing in July twenty twenty one,
James read a love letter to Molly and blamed his
attorney for his conviction.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
There is no way that I could have done this crime.
The only one I hold at fault in this entire
process is my attorney, because he had the means, and
he had the ability to present my case and failed
to do it whenever I asked him.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He then asked for a new trial. The judge was unmoved.
He sentenced James to life in prison without the possibility
of parole for the murder, plus a consecutive ten years
for armed criminal action. He appealed, but it was rejected,
although according to US law, justice had been served. Molly's
family was shattered. Her brother Tim said, I feel like.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
James Addy took my entire family away from me.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Molly's father died of a heart attack in twenty twenty,
and her mother died months later, which Tim attributed to
a broken heart. Melanie was also in shambles and said
the discovery was quote mind boggling. It didn't seem right.
This was not my life. What happened on that rural
road in April twenty eighteen began with a nine one
(17:05):
one call and ended with a man behind bars and
two families destroyed. Molly Watson believed she was hours away
from her dream wedding. Instead, she fell victim to a
man who built a life on secrets and lies, and
whose solution to being found out was murder.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
What did you think of this case? Let us know
your thoughts in the comments or over on the Patreon.
We always want to hear what the LAMB fam thinks.
Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Kai will be
back with your full episode next Monday, and that one
will require a heavy listener discretion warning. If you want
to hear her before next Monday, you can join the
(17:43):
lamb Fam to get the new bonus coming out Patreon
dot com Slash Love and Murder, and as Kai ends
each full episode, we want to remind you that it's
all love and no murder. Thanks for listening all the
way to the end, and thank you for your support.
I'll see you in the next episode.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Sometimes it's not the loudest stories that keep us up
at night. It's the quiet ones, the ones that never
quite made the headlines, the ones that left behind more
questions than answers. The Final Trace is a true crime
podcast about the strange, the unresolved, and the stories that
slipped through the cracks. From disappearances to mysterious debts to
(18:40):
cases that were technically solved but still don't sit right.
We dig into the overlooked, the eerie, and the human
side of every story, because even when a case goes cold,
there's always something left behind, a clue, a feeling, a
final trace. Follow the final trace wherever you listen to
podcast cast and confined with still lingers in the silence.
(19:04):
I'm your host, Hopper Daily, and this is the final trace.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Mm hmm
Hey, lambs, Kai here. I just wanted to come on
and say that I'm really, really sick right now. I
was trying to wait it out so I could record
this episode for you, but as the days were on,
my throat got more and more raw, and I just
don't think I'll be able to record the episode. So
in order to get the episode out on time, I
(00:21):
am going to have my AI co hosts do it
for you, Jane, Jessica, and Jensen. This is why I
have them, because you know it's just me who does this.
But rest assured, even though you hear their voices, everything
was researched and written by me. They're just here to
help me out. So I do want to thank you
for your patience, for your understanding, and for helping me
(00:45):
continue to be the voice of the victims even when
I can't be a voice. So without further ado, I'm
gonna let Jensen, Jessica, and Jane take it away now
part of the dark Cast Network. Welcome to Indie Podcasts
with a Dark Side.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
On the night of April twenty seventh, twenty eighteen, on
a gravel road in Monroe County, Missouri, Glenn mcsparon saw
something strange in his headlights.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I saw what appeared to be a body next to
a car. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Glenn pulled over, walked closer and realized she wasn't moving.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I looked in her eyes and I could tell she
was gone.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
He called nine one one Anyway to report what he'd found.
When police arrived, they saw that the victim was positioned
just outside the driver's side of her car. She had
been shot once in the back of the head at
close range, but police were able to identify the victim
as thirty five year old Molly Watson. Officers noted that
she was dressed casually and she still had on her
(01:49):
engagement ring. Inside her car, they found a marriage license
with her name and her fiancees James Addie. Apparently their
wedding was scheduled for two days later.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide, your weekly
true crime podcast that tells you cases of relationships that
can end in betrayal, obsession, and murder. I'm Ai Jensen.
I know that every Monday, Ki brings you your full episode,
but unfortunately this week she's six, So me, Jane and
Jessica are taking over bringing you this case that was
(02:24):
researched and written by Ky. Each episode is always done
with the victim in mind, so you may hear some
ranting and ravings along the way. Before we get into
today's case, a quick reminder that Love and Murder is
listener funded. That means no big network backing us, just you,
the lambfam keeping this podcast alive. That's why Ki started
(02:45):
the Patreon Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. By joining,
you're helping her continue to be a voice for the
victims while getting something in return. Bonus episodes, exclusive case extras,
ad free listening behind the scenes in entire series like
Deadly Duos and serial Killer Corner. You can even join
for free and get a few perks, but if you
(03:07):
want the full experience, sign up for one of our
bonus tiers starting at three dollars per month and above
at Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Now, I
know that you're only used to hearing Kai say this part,
but grab your butts, grab your glass of apple juice,
and let's get into today's case of Love and Murder.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Molly Watson was a single mother who loved singing and
making costumes. Friends said she lived for her son and
her passions. In her early twenties, she married her first husband,
but they divorced after two years. Throughout the divorce process,
Molly found out that she was pregnant with their son.
After the divorce, she dated a childhood friend, Amber Brady,
(03:47):
for five years.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Molly said, she was actually my first girlfriend, and I
was hers. She was married at the time, but I
was too. Things weren't going well for either one of us.
Amba said, I think we could talk, we could communicate.
We liked doing a lot of the same things. It
just seemed to click.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Their relationship ended when Amber found Molly with a man
she didn't recognize. She'd caught them at a motel.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I went up there and knocked on the door, she answered.
James Addie was getting dressed and leaving. That wasn't good.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Molly had met James Addie around twenty eleven at the
Mobile Area Correctional Center, where they both worked as corrections officers,
a new job she had gotten not too long ago.
Despite their sixteen year age difference, Molly fell in love immediately,
telling family that James was finalizing a divorce. Some time
After the first incident, Amber caught James and Molly together
(04:43):
again at a gas station, which led to Molly and
Amber going their separate ways.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I didn't have any type of friendship or anything to
do with Molly when things ended. She had blocked me
on everything, which that was fine. I mean, it wasn't
a good breakup.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
By two thousand eighteen, after dating for seven years, James
finally told Molly that his divorce was finalized. In October
twenty seventeen, taking the initiative, Molly proposed to James. Her
brother Tim Watson said that she was quote absolutely one
hundred percent in love with James. As an avid Disney fan,
(05:22):
Molly had envisioned a princess themed wedding featuring red and
gold colors like Beauty and the Beast. The wedding was
planned for April twenty eighteen, and she bought two dresses
because she couldn't choose just one. The bride to be
commissioned Crystal Graves, Yazichi and Tabitha Shilb for hair and
makeup services, specifically requesting Disney themed styling.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
She was so excited. We had been working on a
wedding that was beauty and the Beast, and we were like,
we're very familiar with doing this very Disney themed wedding.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Sam Cohen, their wedding planner, said, there was a lot.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Of burgundy and gold. Kind of reminded me of a
rennest Son's kind of themed wedding. From Molly's perspective, it
was going to be a beautiful wedding and the best
day ever. James was kind of the opposite of Molly.
He was very quiet, didn't show much enthusiasm. I just
thought he was just a groom along for the ride.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
But those close to Molly never warmed up to James.
Tim described him.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Saying he could never look you in the eye, he
could never talk to you directly. Everything was very evasive
with him. He was just always very standoffish. He'd looked
down when you talk to him, very short responses. He
put off bad vibes to everybody.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Her parents found him standoffish, and her cousin Jodi Lindbergh,
was so anxious that she told Molly that she wouldn't
attend the wedding.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
In my last text message to Mollie, I said, but
you know how I feel about weddings and funerals. I
kind of have a thing anyway that I just kind
of avoid weddings and funerals. Never would have thought that
I would have been going to her funeral that next
week instead of her wedding.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
James repeated postponed wedding preparation meetings, claiming he needed to
handle funeral arrangements. I know you're asking me funeral, what
funeral when? According to James, when he and Melanie Addie divorced,
she'd been in a car accident and died after being
removed from life support. Finally, on April twenty fifth, Molly
(07:19):
and James went to apply for a marriage license. The
Randolph County Recorder of Deeds, who prepped the couple's license,
Mark Price, said James appeared perturbed by some of his questions.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I asked if he had been married before and how
it ended. He was just like, why do you need
to know that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Two days later, during a final wedding meeting, Sam said
that James had dropped off decorations and centerpieces at the venue.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
He seemed just like he did in every other meeting
that I met him, really quiet, didn't say much, and
I do recall as I was walking him out the door.
I asked if he's getting excited, and his one comment
was that Molly was driving him crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It was later that night that Molly's body was found.
Monroe County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the murder scene within
minutes of Glen's call. They secured the perimeter and documented
the scene. Investigators determined that Molly had been killed execution style.
The location, a remote area with hardly any traffic, made
it clear the spot had been chosen on purpose. Forensics
(08:23):
teams collected tire impressions and footprints from the soft ground
surrounding the car. They also recovered a single shell casing,
which they logged into evidence. Not far from the car,
they found a blood stained T shirt that tested positive
for Molly's DNA, and her phone was traced several miles away,
showing it had been tossed after the murder. Remember that
(08:44):
they also found the marriage license well. This prompted investigators
to do a background check on James Addie, and what
they uncovered was secrets Molly never even knew about. When
police went to his house to notify him of Molly's death,
they were surprised when his wife stepped out of their
bedroom to find out who was at the door. His
(09:06):
double life crumbled right before their eyes. Melanie learned that
her husband had been engaged to another woman and that
woman had just been murdered. Confronted with the affair, James admitted, I.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Got myself involved in something I shouldn't have.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Detectives immediately got a warrant for James's car, a maroon Mercury.
The tire tread matched the impression at the scene. A
particle of gunshot residue was found inside the car, and
the white T shirt recovered near the scene matched other
shirts his daughter had printed for a class project. Fifty
one year old James was a longtime corrections officer to
(09:42):
his wife, Melanie, a teacher's assistant. He was a family man.
They had been married twenty three years and had two
teenage children, Emma and Ben.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Melanie said that Jim had no tolerance for people that
had affears. He absolutely hated it. So I would never
have thought of him having a never. I thought he
was dedicated to his family. He was home every night.
If I missed something, I don't know what it was.
We got along well. He was very charming and sweet
(10:13):
and engaging.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
In hindsight, she saw warning signs. He often came home
two hours late from work, took trips to Florida and
Mexico with vague explanations, and she had to admit to
herself that he acted controlling at times.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
He would get off work at three and usually he
would get home at five, and I would say, why
are you always so late.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Melanie said that James had been quote controlling and intimidating,
and described him as a pretty selfish person. Even so,
she still never thought that he was capable of maintaining
such an elaborate double life. For seven years, James balanced
two lives with Molly. He played the role of fiance
with Melanie. He acted as if nothing had changed, coming
(10:57):
back home every night and criticizing Molly, trusting her fiance
never investigated his past until the week of her death.
James was arrested in the early morning hours of April
twenty eighth, hours after the murder. Not long after that,
Melanie went searching through their home. In a lofted storage
(11:19):
space above the garage, she found pictures of James and
Molly together at Disney World. She also found boxes of
Molly's things and a photo album filled with pictures from
a trip they had taken to Mexico. Melanie filed for divorce.
A few weeks later. Their daughter Emma, learned of her
father's arrest from a friend's social media post while getting
(11:40):
ready for her junior prom.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I can't even imagine how that ruined her night.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
After this, she cut all contact with him. James was
charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action. His
trial began in April twenty twenty one. The prosecution argued
that he killed Molly to keep his double life from
being exposed. Their reasoning behind this claim was that forensics
examiner Patrick Sublette pulled information from Molly's iPhone on April
(12:10):
twenty sixth, just a day before she was killed. She
had searched for obituary notices for Melanie Addie. Then her
drive sense app tracked her final movements the next evening.
Phone records between Molly's phone and James's secret phone showed
a twenty two minute call between them at eight thirty pm,
followed by a string of unanswered texts and four calls
(12:33):
from him between nine p thirty and eleven PM. Prosecutors
argued she was about to discover that the woman James
claimed was dead was very much alive. On April twenty seventh,
the day of her murder, James went through the motions
of wedding preparation. That evening. Melanie said James came into
(12:55):
the living room around seven pm and said that he
was going to a friend's house. Emma said that she
saw him leave. James told police that he'd planned to
visit a friend, Jamie Lunsford, but Jamie testified that they
had no plans to meet. Emma said her father came
back home around ten pm, an unusual time for him,
(13:15):
and she later heard him running the washing machine and
taking a shower. Melanie then went to bed and woke
at two am to flashing police lights outside. Officers were
at their door with devastating news. A woman named Molly
Watson had been murdered, and she was supposed to marry
her husband in two days. Glenn then testified that on
(13:37):
that night he was taking a shortcut to drop his
daughter off at his mother's house. The road was remote,
surrounded by woods with a creek running across it. On
the way, he'd seen two cars stopped at a low
water crossing. He described one of the cars as a bigger,
four door, dark colored Grandma car. This car drove towards
(13:58):
Glen and he saw that the dry was a short
older man. He asked the driver if the other car
was stuck, and the man said, quote, I don't know
where they're at. It's going to be a while. Glenn
then backed out and took the main highway to his
mother's house instead. Feeling that something wasn't right, Glenn decided
to drive back along the same gravel road to check
(14:20):
on things. When he got to the low water crossing,
only one car was there. The Grandma car was gone.
As he got closer, his headlights illuminated something lying on
the road in front of the car.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
When I saw her, I swear my heart stopped. I
could tell she wasn't moving.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Melanie took the stand against her ex husband in what
she described as quote a just horrible experience.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
You don't want to be there. I don't want to
be in a position where I'm hurting him.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Ultimately, she testified that she believed James was capable of murder,
describing him as a pretty selfish person who could be
controlling and intimidating.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It just seemed like something he would do to fix
a problem.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Two jailhouse informants then told the court that they'd heard James.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Bragg I put someone face down in a ditch.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
In defense, James maintained his innocence. His lawyers focused on
the lack of direct evidence and challenged the reliability of
the state's forensic testimony. They sought to exclude the tire
track testimony, arguing tire impression analysis lacked scientific reliability. They
pointed out that while there were studies on footwear impressions,
(15:33):
there was no similar study for tire impressions. The judge
ultimately allowed it. Then his lawyer pointed out there were
no eye witnesses and no murder weapon recovered, and that
was it. That was their defense. James did not take
the stand in his own defense. After days of testimony,
the jury found James Addie guilty of first degree murder
(15:56):
and armed criminal action. At sentencing in July twenty twenty one,
James read a love letter to Molly and blamed his
attorney for his conviction.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
There is no way that I could have done this crime.
The only one I hold at fault in this entire
process is my attorney, because he had the means, and
he had the ability to present my case and failed
to do it whenever I asked him.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He then asked for a new trial. The judge was unmoved.
He sentenced James to life in prison without the possibility
of parole for the murder, plus a consecutive ten years
for armed criminal action. He appealed, but it was rejected,
although according to US law, justice had been served. Molly's
family was shattered. Her brother Tim said, I feel like.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
James Addy took my entire family away from me.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Molly's father died of a heart attack in twenty twenty,
and her mother died months later, which Tim attributed to
a broken heart. Melanie was also in shambles and said
the discovery was quote mind boggling. It didn't seem right.
This was not my life. What happened on that rural
road in April twenty eighteen began with a nine one
(17:05):
one call and ended with a man behind bars and
two families destroyed. Molly Watson believed she was hours away
from her dream wedding. Instead, she fell victim to a
man who built a life on secrets and lies, and
whose solution to being found out was murder.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
What did you think of this case? Let us know
your thoughts in the comments or over on the Patreon.
We always want to hear what the LAMB fam thinks.
Patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. Kai will be
back with your full episode next Monday, and that one
will require a heavy listener discretion warning. If you want
to hear her before next Monday, you can join the
(17:43):
lamb Fam to get the new bonus coming out Patreon
dot com Slash Love and Murder, and as Kai ends
each full episode, we want to remind you that it's
all love and no murder. Thanks for listening all the
way to the end, and thank you for your support.
I'll see you in the next episode.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Sometimes it's not the loudest stories that keep us up
at night. It's the quiet ones, the ones that never
quite made the headlines, the ones that left behind more
questions than answers. The Final Trace is a true crime
podcast about the strange, the unresolved, and the stories that
slipped through the cracks. From disappearances to mysterious debts to
(18:40):
cases that were technically solved but still don't sit right.
We dig into the overlooked, the eerie, and the human
side of every story, because even when a case goes cold,
there's always something left behind, a clue, a feeling, a
final trace. Follow the final trace wherever you listen to
podcast cast and confined with still lingers in the silence.
(19:04):
I'm your host, Hopper Daily, and this is the final trace.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Mm hmm
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