The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable aims to revisit the attack on an Iowa mother named Tracey Richter and her children. The episode, titled “Twisted,” will air on the channel this Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET.
Richter, who resided with her family in an apartment in Early, Iowa, fatally shot her 20-year-old neighbor Dustin Wehde on December 13, 2001. The mother-of-three claimed that Wehde and another man broke into her home and tried to strangle her with pantyhose. She allegedly committed the crime to defend herself and her children from the home invaders.
After a decade, i.e., in 2011, a jury convicted the 45-year-old of murder after several delays. She was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Who was Dustin Wehde and how did he attack Tracey Richter?
Tracey Richter’s neighbor, Dustin Wahde, 20, reportedly broke into her Early apartment with another man and tried to strangle her. At the time, she was in the house with her three children and married to Michael Roberts. The mother was also battling for custody with her first husband, John Pitman.
According to CBS News, Richter’s eldest son, Bert Pitman, recounted the alleged house invasion and claimed that his mother was being strangled with pantyhose. He further alleged that his mother only shot the victim to protect herself and his step-siblings. Pitman also suggested the involvement of his stepfather, Michael Roberts, in the attack. Shortly after the shooting, she appeared on national television, telling people her version of the events.
Police arrested and charged Richter with the crime in the summer of 2010. Prosecutors alleged that she killed her neighbor as part of a sinister plot to frame her ex-husband. The former couple were embroiled in an intense custody battle at the time. They further stated that the mother-of-three was trying to gain an advantage prior to a court hearing to avoid losing the custody of her son and prevent paying $1,000 on monthly child support payments.
Then, on December 7 of the following year, a jury found the then-45-year-old guilty of first-degree murder after rejecting her self-defense claim. A judge eventually sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
