Girl Brutally Murdered at Her Home in Portsmouth and the Heartbreaking Case of Meghan Landowski

What this episode is about

In April 2008, 16-year-old Meghan Landowski was brutally murdered in her Portsmouth home, shocking the community and leaving investigators puzzled by the violent crime scene. As police uncovered evidence of sexual assault and the involvement of an unsuspected perpetrator, the heart-wrenching case revealed the devastating impact of the tragedy on Meghan's family and friends, highlighting her vibrant personality and passion for dance.

Key takeaways

• In a harrowing twist, innocence meets brutality; Megan's murder reveals the darkness lurking where we least expect.
• A window of opportunity turned lethal: Megan's killer exploited vulnerability without a trace of forced entry.
• Family bonds shattered as trust crumbles; even beloved step-parents can harbor unseen dangers.
• Forensic footprints tell a chilling story, highlighting how the smallest trace can unravel a gruesome mystery.
• The duality of a vibrant teen life and tragic fate underscores how quickly everything can change—forever.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Chris Short · 2 min speaking
• Angela Landowski · 1 min speaking
• Doug Funkhouser · 3 min speaking
• Robert Hickey · 1 min speaking
• Robert Lee Barnes · 3 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Megan Landowski, Chris Short, Portsmouth, Guantanamo Bay
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Chris Short, Portsmouth, Doug Funkhouser
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Robert Hickey
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Robert Lee Barnes
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Robert Lee Barnes
6. 15:00 – 17:38: Robert Lee Barnes, Megan Landowski, Red Onion State Prison

Notable quotes from "Girl Brutally Murdered at Her Home in Portsmouth and the Heartbreaking Case of Meghan Landowski"

• Contacted the police who were met with a scene straight from a horror movie upon arrival Megan was found half naked laying in a large pool of blood with multiple stab wounds…

  about Megan Landowski · at 0:15

• Various genres her mother described her as beautiful friendly and talented and Megan seamlessly integrated into her new academic environment at woodro Wilson High School…

  about Woodrow Wilson High School · at 1:50

• Was confronted with a harrowing sight Megan lifeless on the floor a victim of murder Chris would later recall how he found her likening her to a porcelain doll hauntingly still…

  about Chris Short · at 3:29

• Identity they implicated a former acquaintance with a troubled past confident in their belief when Megan had just turned 16 years old she was sexually assaulted by Robert…

  about Robert Hickey · at 6:47

• Confirmed a match between Robert's DNA and the asals undermining his claims Robert Barnes was arrested for the murder of Megan landowski the news left Megan's parents in shock…

  about Robert Lee Barnes · at 15:28

• Turned 18 he admitted guilt to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery Robert Lee Barnes received a 42-year prison sentence and remains incarcerated at the…

  about Red Onion State Prison · at 16:31

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Robert Lee Barnes — Person · Perpetrator / convicted offender · 4 mentions · first at 11:23
  Identified through investigative leads and DNA evidence; arrested and later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery.
• Megan Landowski — Person · Victim / central figure of the case · 3 mentions · first at 0:19
  The episode centers on the 2008 murder and sexual assault of 16-year-old Megan Landowski and the subsequent investigation and conviction.
• Chris Short — Person · Stepfather / key witness and reporting party · 3 mentions · first at 0:06
  Discovered Megan’s body, contacted police, and provided critical background about prior abuse allegations involving Robert Hickey.
• Robert Hickey — Person · Initial suspect / prior alleged abuser · 1 mention · first at 6:56
  Previously accused of sexually assaulting Megan; initially suspected as the murderer but later excluded by DNA; child sexual abuse material was found on his computer per transcript.
• Doug Funkhouser — Person · Detective / responding investigator · 1 mention · first at 4:16
  One of the first investigators described arriving at the scene; his observations frame the brutality and early forensic findings.
  His wife when he received the distressing call about a young girl's murder in town rushing to Robert's Court in Portsmouth he was confronted with a horrifying sight blood…

Places & events

• Portsmouth — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at 1:30
  The city where the tragic murder of Megan Landowski took place, also home to a naval hospital and the US Navy.
  Suspected this is the hotw wrenching case of Megan lowski nestled by the Chesapeake Bay in Port smouth Virginia stands a bustling Seaport Town renowned for hosting both the US…
• Woodrow Wilson High School — Place · Setting · 4 mentions
  The high school where Megan Landowski attended and integrated well, making friends and pursuing her passion for dance.
• Red Onion State Prison — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at 16:41
  The prison where Robert Lee Barnes is incarcerated after being convicted for the murder of Megan Landowski.
• Guantanamo Bay — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at 1:23
  The location where Megan's stepfather, Chris Short, was stationed before being transferred to Portsmouth.
  Stepchildren Elizabeth Gable Megan landowski and Corey landowski having spent a year stationed in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba Chris was transferred to a naval hospital in Portsmouth much to the relief of the family the eldest among the siblings.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:06 on April 10th 2008 when Chris short returned home in the afternoon he was horrified to discover his step-daughter collapsed on the floor Chris immediately contacted the police who were met with a scene straight from a horror movie upon arrival Megan was found half naked laying in a large pool of blood with multiple stab wounds and she was pronounced deceased on the spot her limbs were bound with tape and initial medical assessments hinted at signs of sexual assault the detectives were deeply disturbed by the brutality of the crime and questions lingered in the minds of everyone who could commit such an atrocity against an innocent girl beloved by all investigations were carried out eventually leading to the revealing of the shocking culprit no one had even suspected this is the hotw wrenching case of Megan lowski nestled by the Chesapeake Bay in Port smouth Virginia stands a bustling Seaport Town renowned for hosting both

1:04 the US Navy and Coast Guard its streets adorned with trees provide home to the naval officers and their families among them was Navy officer Chris short alongside his wife Angela and three stepchildren Elizabeth Gable Megan landowski and Corey landowski having spent a year stationed in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba Chris was transferred to a naval hospital in Portsmouth much to the relief of the family the eldest among the siblings 16-year-old Megan landowski wasted no time in enrolling in dance classes upon their relocation Megan harbored a deep passion for dance showcasing remarkable talent and aptitude from the outset starting with ballet she swiftly expanded her repertoire to Encompass various genres her mother described her as beautiful friendly and talented and Megan seamlessly integrated into her new academic environment at woodro Wilson High School possessing a Magnetic Personality Megan effortlessly attracted

2:05 classmates quickly forging friendships despite attending a prestigious High School primarily for dance Megan expressed a desire to attend a regular High School to be with friends from her neighborhood described as vivacious and kind Megan had a natural inclination for making connections embracing friendships with everyone she encountered Thursday April 10th 2008 dawned like any other bright spring morning Megan woke up early for school engaging in a conversation with her mother regarding an impending test before heading off for her classes after exchanging farewells they went their separate ways unbeknownst to Angela this would be the last time she laid her eyes on her daughter alive Megan's school day ended early and she went home her mother told her that she expected her call when she reached home upon arrival Megan left a voicemail detailing how her day went reass assuring her mother of her safe

3:01 return and ended by telling her she loved her she then went on to begin preparing lunch for herself however things took a dark and disturbing turn around 400 p.m. that afternoon Chris Megan's stepfather returned home to find the door open though initially unconcerned knowing Megan had been warned about leaving it open he intended to reprimand her calling out her name yielded only silence as he moved through the house upon entering the kitchen he was confronted with a harrowing sight Megan lifeless on the floor a victim of murder Chris would later recall how he found her likening her to a porcelain doll hauntingly still and staring out to space local detective Doug funa was on route to celebrate his anniversary with his wife when he received the distressing call about a young girl's murder in town rushing to Robert's Court in Portsmouth he was confronted with a horrifying sight blood stains on the

3:58 door handle caught his attention as he approached the residence inside in the kitchen he discovered the grizzly scene the teenager's partially naked body sprawled on the floor Megan Lay amidst a sizable pool of blood bearing multiple stab wounds across her back neck face and throat with her mouth sealed shut with tape for detective Funkhouser who was a seasoned investigator this case stood out as one of the most brutal he had ever encountered compounded by the fact that the victim was a young child the thought of his own three children intensified his determination to bring the perpetrator to Justice despite Megan not having invited the killer into the house there were no signs of forced entry however a leaf discovered inside traced back to the bush by the window indicated that the as salant had gained access through the first floor window upon entry the assault initiated in an upstairs bedroom evident from the

4:52 disarrayed bed that suggested a struggle had ensued her underwear lay discarded on the floor and beneath the left corner of the bed was a tape dispenser that seemingly matched the tape used to bind her arms and face blood stains on the tape were collected for analysis additionally police gathered pillows sheets and blankets from the bed as forensic experts delved deeper the bedroom yielded increasingly disturbing evidence seminal fluid discovered on the duvet and in Megan's underwear indicated she had been sexually assaulted before the vicious attack downstairs Megan sustained 43 stab wounds 11 inflicted after her death as mentioned earlier she was found naked from the waist down with her arms bound behind her using tape it didn't take long for the forensic team to identify the potential murder weapon they noticed a knife was missing from the holder on the kitchen counter later locating it in the sink it was

5:47 determined that Megan was initially attacked in her room but managed to run downstairs before being fatally assaulted the perpetrator then traversed the house leaving behind Footprints they then washed their hands in the sink leaving leaving behind one of the two knives used in the murder the other knife taken from the kitchen knife block was discovered in a storm drain nearby detectives knew that they needed to arrest the Killer and they had to do it urgently the investigation commenced quickly with officers canvasing the neighborhood diligently seeking Witnesses who might have observed or heard anything un during the time of the crime alarmingly no one came forward with any pertinent information it appeared the perpetrator had managed to escape in broad daylight fear gripped the town with parents anxiously concerned for the safety of their children many too frightened to sleep at night knowing a killer was still at

6:38 large following the initial shock after their daughter's murder Angela and Chris promptly informed the police of their suspicion regarding the perpetrator's identity they implicated a former acquaintance with a troubled past confident in their belief when Megan had just turned 16 years old she was sexually assaulted by Robert hickey a Navy colleague of her stepfather Chris Robert served as a fellow Navy Tech alongside Chris Chris mentioned that they quickly developed a close Bond and regularly extended invitations to the hickey family following this Megan's demeanor had changed characterized by being withdrawn and a decline in academic performance Chris inquired about her well-being but Megan initially hesitated to confide in him eventually Chris persuaded Megan to share what bothered her and she opened up Robert was secretly sexually assaulting her Chris was angered and disgusted immediately cutting off all connections

7:35 with the hickey family and Reporting the abuse at this point Megan's parents had initiated legal action just 5 months before her murder with a trial awaiting they now suspected that Robert had killed Megan to prevent her from testifying against him fearing the potential damage to his reputation and the risk of incarceration Megan had even voiced concerns about him coming after her and tragically it appeared her apprehensions had materialized officers were dispatched to hickey's residence for a search but unfortunately they found no incriminating evidence linking him to the murder however upon later examination of his computer clear signs of an attempt to erase the hard drive were discovered a recently deleted file was uncovered during the search revealing illicit photos of underage children and resulting in hickey being found in possession of child pwn this discovery elevated Robert as the primary

8:29 ECT he was brought in for questioning regarding the murder with authorities hoping for a confession despite appearing visibly nervous during the interview Robert claimed to have been at the Navy base the entire day of Megan's murder denying any involvement and asserting that he had not left the base on the day of the incident after corroborating his timeline with his colleagues the police realized that there was a period of time during which Robert hadn't been seen raising the possibility of his involvement in the murder surveillance footage from the base was obtained but no sign of Robert leaving was observed nevertheless he remained a suspect and couldn't be entirely ruled out a DNA swab was taken from Robert to compare with the DNA found at the crime scene the results came as a surprise there was no match Robert was not Megan's killer this setback left officers feeling disheartened as they found

9:22 themselves without leads or suspects attention shifted towards Chris who had found her body after obtaining a DNA sound he was swiftly ruled out as a suspect additionally all of Megan's family members including her younger brother Corey were cleared an autopsy later revealed the brutality of the murder with Megan being subjected to what was termed as an Overkill the level of violence suggested intense Anger from the perpetrator raising questions about their motive given Megan's popularity and lack of enemies it seemed likely that the culprit was someone known to her but with no apparent en enemies the mystery deepened regarding who would commit such a horrific act as the investigation yielded no suspects Megan's parents grappled with the unsettling Prospect of her case remaining unresolved depriving them of justice for their daughter detectives decided to delve deeper into Megan's school life considering the prospect of

10:17 a clandestine boyfriend an admirer or an adversary within her school Community they interrogated Megan's close friend in hopes of uncovering potential leads but she was unable to offer any valuable insight ites subsequently police interviewed other acquaintances from woodro Wilson High School revealing that Megan had engaged in a few romantic relationships but none of them were really serious while none of these individuals emerged as suspects authorities opted to collect DNA samples from them as a precautionary measure to eliminate any potential connections forensic experts specializing in biogeographical analysis reexamined the DNA evidence collected from the crime scene in an effort to determine the geographical origin of the perpet tror their analysis indicated that they were seeking an African-American male despite 6 months elapsing with no significant breakthroughs in the case a breakthrough

11:09 occurred when a Cooperative classmate provided the police with valuable information a list of boys who Megan had occasionally engaged in flutatious interactions upon review all individuals on the list except one had already been interviewed this exception was 17-year-old Robert Lee Barnes apart from her actual school education Megan had also been enrolled in a performing arts program at Churchill High School where Robert Barnes was also a participant Megan had once told her close friend that she believed Robert had feelings for her feelings she did not reciprocate Robert Barnes a talented violinist was regarded as a diligent student who never encountered any disciplinary issues at school and was not known to cause trouble he shared a close friendship with Megan and had even visited her home on several occasions according to her parents he was always polite and very kind when police located

12:04 him for questioning regarding Megan the interview followed the standard procedure just like the other previous interviews they had carried out Robert informed investigators that Megan was a kind and pleasant individual expressing disbelief at the notion of anyone wishing her harm he mentioned their participation in recital together and their occasional Hangouts police didn't find anything suspicious during the interview until towards the end of it when asked if he would provide a DNA sample Robert hesitated before refusing which raised eyebrows among investigators since all of Megan's other classmates had been Cooperative Robert politely explained that his mother wouldn't agree to it but police clarified that parental consent wasn't necessary especially considering Robert was now 17 years old despite this Robert declined once again investigators couldn't shake the feeling that something was a Miss with Robert barns

12:58 after concluding the interview they instructed him to seek his mother's consent for the DNA sample and to contact them afterward the following day investigators received a call from Robert requesting a meeting when asked if he had sought his mother's consent he replied no but you can have my bubble gum Robert removed the gum from his mouth placed it in a latex glove and handed it over despite his change of heart investigators still remained suspicious of Robert later on the detective received a call from the lab analy izing the bubble gum they inquired about the sample's origin after confirming that he had observed Robert placing the gum into the glove they questioned whether he had been under constant observation as the DNA much to their surprise matched that of a female Robert had switched the gum he was chewing with a different piece that he provided as his sample on October 23rd 2008 Robert Barnes was summoned for

13:54 questioning once more and this time accompanied by his mother to confront him with the DNA findings during the interview after he was questioned about the bubble gum Robert slipped up by stating this happened on a Thursday up to that point none of the individuals interviewed by the police had been aware of the exact day and date of the murder when officers pointed this out to him he offered an absurd explanation he spun a tale alleging that on that particular day Megan had asked him to come by her home upon arrival he allegedly discovered Megan being held at gunpoint by a masked individual according to Robert the as salent then turned the firearm on him coercing him to tie Megan up he further claimed that he was compelled to commit sexual assault on Megan under duress subsequently he asserted that they all went downstairs where the gunman proceeded to stab Megan after seizing a knife Robert asserted that the asent

14:49 then forced him to cut himself ensuring his blood would be present at the crime scene Robert had fabricated this narrative in an attempt to portray himself as a victim and expain away any potential incriminating evidence against him however law enforcement remained skeptical of his account and did not buy any of his claims presenting him with the evidence of footprints they questioned why only his Footprints were found and not those of the alleged as salant Robert's mother intervened advising him to stop speaking and vouched for his character claiming he was a good and innocent kid the police took a sample of his actual DNA this time round upon DNA analysis the results confirmed a match between Robert's DNA and the asals undermining his claims Robert Barnes was arrested for the murder of Megan landowski the news left Megan's parents in shock as they couldn't fathom that the quiet boy who

15:40 used to ride the school bus with their daughter could be capable of such violence according to police Robert likely gained entry to the home through the window that afternoon surprising Megan in her bedroom before committing the atrocious acts Megan managed to flee downstairs but Robert pursued her stabbing her with a kitchen knife and continued to do so even after her death afterward he Departed the scene tearing on with his life as if nothing had occurred the investigators speculated that Robert developed an unhealthy obsession over Megan while Megan only desired a platonic relationship between them when Robert's advances were rebuffed he resorted to coercion ultimately spiraling down a destructive path that culminated in tragedy in September 2009 Robert opted for a special plea Arrangement that spared him from being tried as an adult as he had turned 18 he admitted guilt to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated

16:36 sexual battery Robert Lee Barnes received a 42-year prison sentence and remains incarcerated at the Red Onion State Prison in Wise County Virginia whether driven by love desire bitterness or the sting of rejection none of these Justified Robert's actions and his atrocious Deeds to someone he claimed to love and care for instead of of accepting to move on he chose a dark path that led to a tragic fate ending the life of an innocent soul and in the process ruining his life and affecting the lives of Megan's loved ones Megan landow's tragic story mirrors countless others highlighting the perilous consequences that can arise from such situations we extend our heartfelt prayers and thoughts to her departed soul and the loved ones she left behind if you found this video compelling be sure to like And subscribe to our Channel and check out our other videos thank you for watching

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Girl Brutally Murdered at Her Home in Portsmouth and the Heartbreaking Case of Meghan Landowski"?

Chris Short, Angela Landowski, Doug Funkhouser, Robert Hickey, Robert Lee Barnes.

What is "Girl Brutally Murdered at Her Home in Portsmouth and the Heartbreaking Case of Meghan Landowski" about?

In April 2008, 16-year-old Meghan Landowski was brutally murdered in her Portsmouth home, shocking the community and leaving investigators puzzled by the violent crime scene. As police uncovered evidence of sexual assault and the involvement of an unsuspected perpetrator, the heart-wrenching case revealed the devastating impact of the tragedy on Meghan's family and friends, highlighting her…

What is mentioned in this Casefile True Crime episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Robert Lee Barnes, Megan Landowski, Chris Short, Portsmouth, Woodrow Wilson High School, Robert Hickey. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Girl Brutally Murdered at Her Home in Portsmouth and the Heartbreaking Case of Meghan Landowski"?

The episode runs 18 min; the transcript is about 2,866 words in 19 timestamped sections.

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