Ep. 021 | TikTok Discovery: The Murders of Austin Wenner & Jessica Lewis
In 2020, 35-year-old Jessica Lewis and 27-year-old Austin Wenner were shot and killed by their landlord, Michael Dudley. Dudley then dismembered their bodies, put them into dufflebags and suitcases, and scattered their remains across bodies of water and forested areas in and around Seattle.
The first set of remains was discovered by a group of teenagers, who posted a series of TikTok videos documenting their discovery. In this episode, not only do we tell Jessica and Austin’s story, but we discuss what is the proper way to act if you ever were to (God-forbid) discover human remains.
SOURCES:
BBC News. (2022, December 9). Michael Dudley sentenced for murders of Jessica Lewis and Austin Wenner. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63912186
Forbes. (2024, October 4). TikTok user goes viral for finding buried rug in her yard, sparking police investigation but no body was found. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/10/04/tiktok-user-goes-viral-for-finding-buried-rug-in-her-yard-sparking-police-investigation-but-no-body-was-found/
KOMO News. (2022, September 2). Michael Dudley sentenced in West Seattle suitcase murder case. Retrieved from https://komonews.com/news/local/michael-dudley-sentenced-west-seattle-human-remains-suitcase-alki-beach-tiktok-murder-jessica-lewis-austin-wenner-burien-landlord-crime-violence-homicide-king-county-superior-court
Netflix Documentary. (n.d.). Worst Roommate Ever: Lethal Landlord [Episode]. Netflix.
Randonautica. (n.d.). Homepage. Retrieved from https://www.randonautica.com/
Seattle Times. (2020, August 21). Burien man charged with murder in deaths of two people found in bags on West Seattle beach. Retrieved from https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/burien-man-charged-with-murder-in-deaths-of-two-people-found-in-bags-on-west-seattle-beach/
West Seattle Blog. (2020, July 2). Crime watch follow-up: Victims found off Duwamish Head were shot to death. Retrieved from https://westseattleblog.com/2020/07/crime-watch-followup-victims-found-off-duwamish-head-were-shot-to-death/
Westside Seattle. (2024, June 30). “Lethal Landlord” provides a complete picture of gruesome murders. Retrieved from https://www.westsideseattle.com/highline-times/2024/06/30/lethal-landlord-provides-complete-picture-gruesome-murders
