Shraman Mitra
Jarret Clark’s disappearance and subsequent murder in May 2006 initially baffled investigators. However, they soon realized that the group he was with, which included Brandon Hargrove, Dayna Hargrove, and Courtney Manzer, was responsible for the crime. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Swamp Murders: What Happened In the Woods’ takes the viewer through the horrifying incident and shows how the police reopened a cold case and brought the perpetrators to justice. If you are intrigued by this case and want to know where Brandon, Dayna, and Courtney are at present, we have you covered.
Who Are Brandon Hargrove, Dayna Hargrove, and Courtney Manzer?
As locals of Wahoo Bay, Oklahoma, Brandon Hargrove, his sister, Dayna, and his girlfriend, Courtney Manzer, were all acquainted with Jarret Clark. On the day Jarret went missing, he had planned to camp overnight with all three as well as Anthony Wallen and Wayne Humphrey. As scheduled, Jarret met the group on May 13, 2006, and the teenagers even had some fun initially. However, it was mentioned on the show that many believed Jarret was trying to flirt with Courtney, which ended up angering quite a few of them. Thus, Wallen decided to take matters into his own hands.
Wallen asked Humphrey to hold Jarret’s arms while he punched and kicked the teen mercilessly. When questioned later, Humphrey mentioned that Wallen’s blows were so hard that he could feel the impact through his body. After beating Jarret into almost an unconscious state, Brandon, Dayna, and Courtney decided to bundle his body inside their truck and drive to a nearby lake to dump him off. Reports mention that Jarret was still alive when they tossed him into the lake but later died because the water filled his lungs.
On the other hand, Jarret’s family was distraught when the teen did not return home the following day and immediately contacted authorities. Although the police were quite meticulous in their search, they got no news about the missing boy for days until his body was spotted floating in the nearby lake. Unfortunately, neither the crime scene nor the campsite provided a lot of leads to the police, and the case sat unsolved for years until it was reopened in 2012.
After reopening the case, authorities learned that Jarret’s girlfriend had gotten strange text messages from his number on the day of his disappearance. Besides, a witness also came forward and claimed that she witnessed a truck driving up to the lakeside on the night of May 13, 2006, before hearing a splash in the water. However, the most significant breakthrough occurred when a second witness claimed that Courtney Manzer had confessed to the murder. Thus, confident about the group’s involvement in Jarret’s death, authorities arrested Dayna Hargrove and Courtney Manzer.
Where Are Brandon Hargrove, Dayna Hargrove, and Courtney Manzer Now?
According to the show, Brandon Hargrove never stood trial because he passed away in a car accident in 2008. On the other hand, Courtney and Dayna signed a plea deal and agreed to testify for the prosecution against Anthony Wallen. Ultimately, in 2014, Dayna Hargrove pleaded guilty to obstruction and was handed a two-year probated sentence.
On the other hand, Courtney was convicted of conspiring to be an accessory after the fact and given a 2-year sentence followed by a five-year probation period. Although the show mentioned that Dayna and Courtney have since been released, both women prefer to stay under the radar and have a limited presence on social media. Hence, their current whereabouts remain unclear. However, we do know that Dayna Hargrove now goes by the last name Miller.
Read More: Jarret Clark Murder: Where Is Anthony Wallen Now?
