Nishitha Dutta
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Your Worst Nightmare’ features true crime stories as viewers get a chance to see the larger picture behind gruesome murders. The show arranges these stories into narratives that uncover factual details about the killings. The episode titled ‘Come With Me’ depicts the murder of Jennifer Hitchcock, a 22-year-old girl from Lincoln, Nebraska. But what caused the murder? Let’s find out.
How Did Jennifer Hitchcock Die?
Jennifer Hitchcock was a 22-year-old girl from Lincoln, Nebraska. She was on a trip to Delton Lake, Wisconsin, with her boyfriend in late October 2004. Her family was aware of her whereabouts, although they never heard from her during that phase. On October 24 of the same year, Hitchcock was brought back to Lincoln by her relatives. But she disappeared again, the next day.
Investigators soon discovered that Hitchcock was abducted by two men in her car, where she was locked up. The car was stopped in an alley, and Hitchcock momentarily managed to escape. A struggle ensued thereafter, and her skull was hit with a 40-ounce beer bottle. Her face was also smashed with a brick as she was forced to re-enter her car. They stayed in a hotel in Lincoln for a day before heading towards Wisconsin. On the way, they were reportedly stuck in rural Sank County, where they entered a bar and called a cab.
On November 3, 2004, they took a ride to Middleton, and in a wooded lot on a hillside near Pleasant View Road, Jennifer Hitchcock was shot in the head, which caused her to die. Quite surprisingly, the killers turned themselves in the same day at a nearby hotel called Marriott Madison West and took the authorities to Hitchcock’s body dumped in a shack in Juneau County. It was stated that she was also sexually assaulted before her death.
Who Killed Jennifer Hitchcock?
Jennifer Hitchcock was killed by two men, Maurice Mason, 38, and his nephew, Bennie Frier, 24. Mason was in a relationship with her before going ahead and kidnapping her on two occasions. First, on their trip to Wisconsin, which was supposed to be a family visit, and second, after her relatives brought her back to Lincoln. On being interrogated, Maurice mentioned that he was compelled to kill her because she had destroyed his life by getting him involved in drugs and crime. He said that her commitment to him was a ploy for unrestricted access to drugs.
They were also accused of two more crimes that happened simultaneously during Hitchcock’s abduction. On November 3, 2004, Mason allegedly convinced Frier to shoot her because he couldn’t do it on his own. During an interview on December 9, 2004, he said that he did not want her to roam freely while he served his time in prison. He stole cash from David Kline of Mauston and tied him up in a remote shed in the town of Summit that he justified by blaming Hitchcock. He was kept in the shed for six days as they knew he had immediate access to money and, in due time, was left there to die.
Eventually, Kline lost his hands because of a block in circulation as a result of the twine with which he was bound. Maurice showed no remorse during his interrogations and boasted about his nephew’s involvement saying that he was ready to do anything he wanted him to. He also expressed his annoyance when the police implied that the sex that they had with Hitchcock was forced. Frier did not provide any statements.
They were ultimately charged with the murder and sexual assault of Hitchcock. The prison sentences that they received marked the end of the rampant crime spree that they embarked upon. In late November 2005, Mason, 38, was given a life sentence without parole for Hitchcock’s murder with an additional 33 years with regards to kidnapping and weapon charges.
Frier, 25, was given a 40-year prison sentence for the first-degree murder of Hitchcock and other sentences for sexually assaulting her. However, Frier’s sentence was later reduced to 30 years. Both of them also received separate sentences for the murder of cab driver Romberg and the abduction of Kline. Mason is currently serving his sentence at the Waupun Correctional Institution, Wisconsin, while Frier is locked up in Columbia Correctional Institution, Wisconsin.
Read More: Where is Maurice Mason Now?
