Shraman Mitra
David Magnano, Jessica Rosenbeck, and Emily Thibeault were left traumatized when they were forced to witness Jennifer Magnano’s gruesome murder in August 2007. Although the siblings wasted no time calling 911, their mother had always passed by the time help arrived, and the police knew they had a homicide case on their hands. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here: Kill Him, Save Yourself’ chronicles the horrifying tragedy and follows the investigation determined to get to the truth. Let’s study the crime’s details and find out more, shall we?
How Did Jennifer Magnano Die?
A resident of Terryville, Connecticut, Jennifer Magnano was just 42 at the time of her murder. People who knew her described her as a kindhearted and generous individual who was always ready to help others and welcomed everyone with a smile. Being a loving mother of three, Jennifer prioritized her children over everything else and ensured they had everything they needed while growing up. Although a few neighbors mentioned that her relationship with her husband was pretty rocky, they never noticed anything out of the ordinary, which made her death shocking.
On August 23, 2007, 911 operators in Terryville received a frantic phone call from David Magnano, who claimed his mother’s life was in danger. He requested authorities to come as quickly as possible but was soon frightened by a loud gunshot right outside their front door. Fearing the worst, David rushed out to find his mother lying in a pool of blood on the steps leading up to the front door. It was evident that Jennifer had been shot, and although he tried his best to help her, she succumbed before the first responders could reach the crime scene. Later, an autopsy mentioned that she was shot from close range, which led to her death. Further medical examination noticed bruises all over Jennifer’s body, indicating she had fought valiantly for her life.
Who Killed Jennifer Magnano?
It did not take long for the police to come across a breakthrough in the case as both David and his sister, Emily, insisted that their father, Scott Magnano, deliberately murdered Jennifer in cold blood. This view was mirrored by the victim’s elder daughter, Jessica Rosenbeck, and the show mentioned that she even accused her stepfather of sexually abusing her throughout her growing years. The accusations against Scott soon made him a person of interest in the investigation, and authorities were determined to find out the truth.
Once police officers began looking into Scott’s past life, they were alarmed to learn about the turbulent relationship he shared with Jennifer Magnano. While their marriage was happy initially, he got more and more controlling as their family grew, and he did not know how to keep his anger under check. David, Emily, and Jessica mentioned that the abuse started with numerous rules they were forced to maintain when in Scott’s presence. Despite most of these rules having no basis, he would fly into a rage if he caught someone going against this bidding. Besides, he never hesitated to use physical force when disciplining others.
With time, Scott began directing his anger toward Jennifer, and he would often physically abuse her without any reason. He also took away his wife’s freedom to wear makeup or dress as she pleased; going against his wishes would result in further torture. While Jessica mentioned that she returned home from school on one occasion to find her mother hiding her bruises with makeup, David stated that Jennifer would be blamed for the children’s shortcomings. In fact, the beating got so severe on one occasion that the victim ended up screaming her son’s name, hoping it would make Scott stop the abuse.
Eventually, in April 2007, Jennifer realized that escaping was the only way to save herself and her children. Hence, one night, she and her children gathered their belongings before taking the family van and driving away. David later claimed they stayed at a motel the night before taking a train to California. However, Scott soon reported his children missing and insisted that his wife had taken them away against their will. Thus, the law compelled Jennifer to return to Terryville, even though she got a court order forbidding her husband from contacting her until their divorce was finalized.
Nonetheless, Scott was not one to adhere to such an order, and he ambushed the family on August 23, 2007, when they were trying to move out of their Connecticut house for good. After breaking into the residence, he took out a gun and threatened to kill anyone if they tried to call the police. Scott then grabbed Jennifer by her hair and dragged her outside before shooting her dead on the front steps in front of their son, David.
Scott Magnano Died by Suicide
When first responders turned up at the Magnano residence, David mentioned that he witnessed his father, Scott Magnano, kill his mother, Jennifer. He even informed authorities that right after the homicide, the latter got into his car and drove away from the scene. Using witness statements and security footage, the police tracked Scott’s car to an abandoned plot a few blocks away from the house. Albeit, when authorities approached the vehicle, they were surprised to find Scott’s deceased body in the driver’s seat. Eventually, an autopsy determined that he died by suicide as the gunshot wound that claimed his life was self-inflicted.
Read More: Where Are David Magnano and Jessica Rosenbeck Now?
