Coached to Kill

0:07J County 911, where is your emergency? We are on 125 West North. We came upon an individual that is on the bridge, like laying here injured. You said he's injured and needs an ambulance? Yeah, he definitely needs an ambulance. He's alert, but he's not, like he's not coherent. He's not responding. I don't know if it's drugs. I don't know if he's injured.

0:39I was working a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift. It was mid-January in northeast Indiana. It's cold, it's windy. We've had some rains for several days, so we had a lot of flooding in the area. The only thing that dispatch put out was that there was a man down on the roadway. So you had no idea what you were getting into? I had no idea what I was coming on. When I first got to the scene here that night, this is kind of how I approached her. This almost sort of seems like a road to nowhere, really. Yeah, there's really nowhere else to go. And so what can you see? So at 2 o 'clock in the morning, you see absolutely nothing.

1:21There was a vehicle that was pulled up off the side of the road, which was the people that had found him. And then as I came up onto the bridge, he was laying right around here.

1:35What are you doing out here in the cold? We were able to remove his wallet out of his pocket, and then I see the name on the ID, which was Shea Breyer. Breyer, what happened to you? The only thing I'm really getting out of him as far as a response is just moans and groans. There was a little bit of blood underneath his head, but he'd been, you know, hitting his head on the concrete. It was probably another 10, 15 minutes after I got on scene before medics even arrived. They took him straight to the ambulance. What happens with Shea after that? He's immediately transported by ambulance to Adams Memorial Hospital.

2:11It was at the hospital where they ended up finding the bullet wound in his back. There was no exit wound. It was actually in his heart. He passed away. I got a phone call from our sheriff who said, you know, we had a murder. My name's Wes Schemenauer. I'm the elected prosecutor in Jay County. The first thing you do is you start talking to family, those close to him. Who is this person? He was one of a kind. He was the best brother I could ever have. He was fun, very sweet, very caring. Fun-loving and goofy. He was a good kid. He had a kind heart. Everybody that we talked to, we asked if they would have any idea of who would want Shay dead.

3:02Shay didn't have enemies. We talked to his coworkers, probably six or seven of them, and not a single one of them could think of anyone that would want to do him any harm at all. You start investigating, and you end up arresting not one person, not two people, but three Three people. Is that how you expected this to go? No, not at all. The three individuals that were involved, that would have been the last thing on our mind. Normally, when you have a case like this, they've at least been on the radar, and these individuals were not on the radar at all. Did you think when this goes public, this town's going to be shocked?

3:47Absolutely.

3:53On Sunday, January 12, 2020, when 31-year-old Shea Breyer didn't show up for church, Pastor Angela Smiley knew something was wrong. She had just seen him the night before. We served a noodle dinner. He's there walking the old ladies out. We were the last ones in the church. He said, I'll beat you here in the morning. I'm like, you always do. And when I came up over the hill and didn't see his truck, I'm like, this isn't good. For weeks and weeks and months and months, he was always the first one at the church, always. Shea Breyer was not late. In Jay County, Indiana, word travels fast. It wasn't long before Shea's aunt, Tiffany McLaughlin, and his grandmother, Sharon Taylor, heard Shea was missing.

4:42I started calling the hospitals, the sheriff's departments, everybody. And nobody would give me any information. Nobody. But then Shay's roommate called Tiffany, letting her know police were there. When Tiffany arrived at Shay's home, an officer told her the unthinkable. He said that Shay had been shot. And I said, well, is he okay? And he said, no, he died on the operating table. Shay's mother, Tracy Havel, was living all the way in Hawaii at the time. Her sister and mother called her to deliver the news. I'm like, no. I mean, I think I must have screamed so loud. We're in shock. Sydney Havel, Shay's half-sister, was only 17.

5:36I remember my mom just fell over on the couch, basically, like, crying and screaming. I still can't believe it to this day. It doesn't even seem real. At that point, did anyone have any idea what happened to Shea? No, we had no idea what happened to Shea. Ben Schwartz was one of the lead detectives assigned to the case. Jay County is a very rural farming community. It's certainly not like working in a big city where it's back-to-back calls. And as soon as this happened, it was a pretty big deal. It's isolated where he was found. We wondered how he got there. And we just had to start from ground zero.

6:17Ground zero meant digging into who Shea Breyer was and what he had been up to. He was born in Indiana, but was raised in Hawaii by his mom and stepdad. What sort of kid was Shea? A little rascal. He was very polite. He would open doors. He was fun. He loved his G.I. Joes. He always wanted to be in the military from a really small age. So it was no surprise when after high school, Shea joined the Navy. And it was also no surprise when after he was discharged, he returned to live in Jay County. Shea was always an Indiana boy. He loved the tractors. He loved all the land. And that's where he wanted to put down roots.

7:04He really wanted to have a girlfriend, get married, and have a family. But things didn't quite happen in that order. In 2018, Tracy got a phone call from her son. He's like, hey, Mom, guess what? You're going to be a grandma. I was like, what? I didn't even know you had a girlfriend. The future mother of his child was Esther Jane Steven, a local high school softball coach who also ran a daycare and went by the name EJ. I don't think they were boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, I think it was just one of those things. In January 2019, Shay and EJ's daughter was born. It was only after her birth that the two decided to start dating.

7:49They soon were engaged, but Shay's family felt it was forced. They weren't all lovey-dovey, for the lack of a better word. I tried to tell him, is this how you want to live your life? With someone that's really not who you're meant to be with. We felt that. Oh, definitely, because they did not have a connection. They must have sensed something, because in September 2019, just weeks before the wedding, EJ called it off. Was he disappointed? Yes, because he wanted a family. It was around that time that Angela says Shea began coming to church. He needed God, and he needed a friend. And he started hanging out with men in our church that were active fathers.

8:40And he wanted that for his daughter. But Angela and Shay's family say for reasons unbeknownst to them, EJ made it difficult. After the engagement is broken up, what sort of access does Shay have to his daughter? He doesn't. Done. He went quite a long time without seeing her. And he was trying to see her? Yeah. That's why he finally got a lawyer. Shea told his mother that when EJ found out, she wasn't happy. He told me, she said to him, if you go through with this, you'll be sorry. But that didn't stop Shea. In November 2019, he filed this court document seeking to establish paternity and to provide custody, support, and parenting time.

9:27He wanted to provide for her, and he just really wanted to have some visitation. He also wanted his daughter to have his last name, something EJ had decided against. Why was it important for Shea to be in his daughter's life? Shea really did not know his dad. He just did not want to be his biological dad. He wanted to have a good relationship with his kids and be a good role model. But two months later, before the case made its way to court, Shay was murdered. And Tracy and Tiffany suspected EJ may have had something to do with it. Because there wasn't anyone else. But as it turns out, there would be other suspects.

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10:50Less than 24 hours after Shea Breyer died, Detective Ben Schwartz and his partner called E.J. Stephen, Shea's ex-fiancé and the mother of his child, into the sheriff's office. We talked to her and told her about what happened to Shea. Unfortunately, this morning we were called out because Shea had sustained some injuries. We were life-threatening injuries and we did not make it. She really didn't have a whole lot to say. Did you find her reaction curious? Yeah. I would have expected a little bit of emotion out of her, but that didn't happen. And I would have expected a lot more questions, but she really didn't ask too many questions at all.

11:41And Detective Schwartz says that wasn't the only thing that stuck out. She said that the last time she talked to Shay would have been the week prior. But he knew she was lying. Shea's phone records revealed she was the last person to call him at around midnight, within hours of him being found on that bridge. That was a huge red flag. A red flag, but not proof she committed murder. Detectives chose not to confront her about the phone records that day. I'll give you my card. If there's something you hear that you might think is part of our interest, get us a call.

12:27There was still a lot of work to be done, a lot of questions to be answered. And the next day, a call from this woman would help investigators out. She unloaded and told us a lot of interesting stuff. Christy Sybray has known EJ Steven for years. She used to umpire softball games that EJ played in and took her kids to the daycare that EJ ran out of this church. How would you describe her? Very quiet, great with kids. She's very involved in the community activities. Over the years, Christy says she became a mentor of sorts to EJ. She always would just stop by here and there, say hi, or just stop in if something was bothering her.

13:14Christy had never met Shea Breyer, but she knew he was the father of EJ's daughter. And when she learned he was murdered, she started to panic. I just dropped everything. And I just started screaming. I was like, oh my God, oh my God. And then I contacted a friend that was still in the city police department. And I said, I need to talk. Pick me up now at work. Christy, a former police officer, soon found herself inside a Jay County Sheriff's Office interview room. Start at the beginning and share with us what you want to get off your chest. She began by telling Detective Schwartz and his partner that she received a call from EJ a few days prior to Shay's death.

13:56She said EJ asked her to babysit that weekend, something she had never asked her to do before. And I'm like, yeah, not a problem. So all day Saturday, I'm like, okay, what time am I getting her? I had not heard anything. We were like getting down for the night. About 10, 1030 here, she comes with a child. It was Saturday, January 11th, 2020, just hours before Shay was found shot. She goes, okay, I'll be back in a little bit. And I'm like, okay, what are you doing? And she goes, oh, we're just going out. She came in by herself. Christy says EJ didn't return until around 1 a.m. I had heard her open the back door, so I got up and I met her there.

14:41And I said, EJ, what were you doing? She was nothing. And she was real standoffish. I said, come on, EJ, what were you doing? And she goes, I can't tell you, but I'm sure you'll hear about it in the paper in the next couple days. And she left. You must have been thinking about that all night. Yes. But that was just the beginning of what Christie told police. She said that in the months leading up to Shea's murder, EJ came over a lot. And she wasn't alone. Shelby was always in the car with EJ. Shelby is Shelby Heaston. She was 18 years old. EJ was 29 and used to be her high school softball coach.

15:24After Shelby graduated, she became EJ's assistant coach at another nearby high school.

15:34Just over the border in Fort Recovery, Ohio. Shelby also worked at the daycare with EJ. Did you think it was odd that here's EJ hanging out with Shelby? There's a good 10 years between the two. I think everybody thought it was odd. From what I have been told, they were pretty well inseparable. Detectives had heard Shelby's name before. Jay's family had mentioned her. Shelby was always around in the picture. I think there was some major jealousy between Shelby and Shay. You know, he never came out and said it, but he kind of insinuated things. What did he insinuate? He thought maybe there was something more going on.

16:15More than a friendship? Possibly. And Shay wasn't the only one who suspected something. I just assumed that maybe they were a couple. EJ and Shelby would later deny being anything more than friends. Christy told investigators that the two began stopping by shortly after Shea filed that court document to establish paternity. Shelby pretty much stayed with the child, and EJ would sit with me at the kitchen table. And she said EJ wanted advice. She just asked me, what do I do? Because I have been divorced. She didn't want to share the baby. That was her baby. That was her child. Some of the conversations at the table would be, how can we get rid of him so we don't have to go to court?

16:58And I'm like, how do you get rid of him? You're not going to get rid of him. Christy insists she didn't think anything at the time. Anybody who goes through a breakup don't think they didn't say, oh, I wish she was gone. Or I wish she was dead. But do we act on it? And that's why I'm thinking, I've been divorced, so I'll tell you, I probably said it. And Christy says she had that same mindset when, over time, the conversations grew more detailed and various methods were discussed. I just really thought she was vending. I did not think this was for real. But when Christy heard Shay was murdered, she says she immediately viewed all those conversations in a different light.

17:37At that point, do you think EJ is involved in this somehow? Yes. and she knew she had to go to police. I didn't even think about it. As a police officer standpoint, I felt like I failed because how did I miss this? How did I miss these signs? I could have prevented this and I didn't because I didn't think she could. And this was your opportunity to do something? Yeah. Sorry.

18:11It was just kind of unbelievable. After Christy was done talking, Detective Schwartz says there was one thing on his mind. We've got to get EJ back in here. So you say, come on in, EJ. Yep. We just want to know the truth and what happened to Shay.

18:44on January 14th 2020 just two days after Shay Breyer was murdered EJ Steven was back inside the Jay County Sheriff's Office. Detective Ben Schwartz and his partner first confronted her about those phone records which revealed she called Shay shortly before he died something she had previously been dishonest about. Midnight, you called his phone. We were just kind of wondering how that conversation went. I did not talk to him. I didn't recall. I'd like to have him. She said that she butt-dialed Shay. Did you believe her? No. We kind of pressed her on that a little bit, and then finally she said, okay, yeah, we talked, but it wasn't for very long.

19:29EJ insisted she didn't see Shay that night, but detectives didn't believe her.

19:38And soon, they told her her friend, Shelby Heaston, was also being questioned. Her demeanor kind of changed a little bit, and that was a turning point. In a cool and calm tone, EJ cracked and began to tell detectives what happened that night, starting with how she dropped her daughter off at Christie's Cybrae's. She told them Shelby was in the car waiting. From there, we retraced their steps based on EJ's account. How does she tell you the night unfolds? From there, they came to the church. At the time, it was a daycare also. It was the daycare where EJ and Shelby worked. EJ said they had to move furniture before church the next day, and that another friend, 18-year-old Hannah Kanapke, met them there.

20:35Hannah also sometimes worked at the daycare, and EJ used to coach her in softball, too. So this is the daycare. What do they do here after they move that furniture? After they move the furniture, they were planning on how to get rid of Shea, basically.

21:03She said earlier that day, she had picked Shelby's rifle up from Shelby's house, and that while in the daycare parking lot, Shelby got the gun out and fired a round.

21:18According to EJ, after Shelby fired that shot, all three of them got into Hannah's parents' van with a rifle in the back. So where did they go from the daycare? From the daycare, they drove around, still discussing whether or not they should follow through with killing Shay. And somewhere along the line, EJ called Shay.

21:48After they picked Shea up, with Shelby driving, EJ said they headed to that bridge. So about what time do they get out here? I think it's right around 1 o 'clock in the morning. They stop the van right over here. EJ and Shea get out of the van.

22:11What happened? We're right there. We are. We're right here. Finish it. I'm trying to remember. Who shot him? Did Shelby shoot him?

22:23There was no tears or any remorse that I saw. She's talking about the father of her child being shot in the back next to her. Right. Yeah, it was shocking. EJ told detectives she didn't know Shelby was going to shoot Shay, despite conversations they had had earlier.

22:59But detectives believe EJ knew exactly what was going to happen that night. They believe she cold-heartedly planned it, and that the cruelty continued after Shay was shot. because when police located Shea, his cell phone was nowhere to be found.

23:34EJ said that after they began driving away from the bridge that night, they turned around. They drive right past them through here and they stop right there where my car is sitting. And EJ and Shelby get out.

23:53Are you scared that he could call 911? Okay. EJ said she knew Shay was still alive. He would lay on that bridge, helpless, for about an hour before he was found clinging to life.