The woman's dead body was found at the family farm, and the rightful sentence for the murderer

What this episode is about

In a horrifying murder case in rural Iowa, farmer Todd Mullis meticulously plotted the death of his wife, Amy, using their farm's corn rake as a weapon. The investigation revealed Todd's deceptive nature and secrets, leading to a trial that questioned the morality of justice and the ultimate penalty for his crimes.

Key takeaways

• In Iowa's cornfields, a marriage of convenience turned sinister; love can be more lethal than any farming tool.
• With puncture wounds indicating foul play, even a corn rake becomes a grotesque accomplice in domestic disputes.
• Small-town charm masks big secrets; amidst smiles, sometimes lie tangled webs of betrayal and heartbreak.
• Hardworking farmer or clever murderer? Todd Mullis turned a family tragedy into a perplexing whodunit for the ages.
• Amy's vibrant life starkly contrasts Todd's dark motive, illustrating how love can quickly rot in the face of jealousy.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Todd Mullis · 6 min speaking
• Amy Mullis
• Jerry Frasier (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Tristan Mullis · 1 min speaking
• Detectives · 2 min speaking
• Prosecutor · 2 min speaking
• Defense Attorney · 2 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Todd Mullis, Amy Mullis, Delaware County, University of Iowa
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Todd Mullis, Delaware County, Jerry Frasier
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Jerry Frasier
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Todd Mullis, Jerry Frasier
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Jerry Frasier
6. 15:00 – 18:00: Jerry Frasier
7. 18:00 – 19:28: Amy Mullis, Todd Mullis, Jerry Frasier, COVID-19 pandemic

Notable quotes from "The woman's dead body was found at the family farm, and the rightful sentence for the murderer"

• Carefully plotted his wife's demise using the unassuming corn wreck as his silent accomplice 38-year-old Amy Mullis was a vibrant moment and a former nurse who cherished her…

  about Amy Mullis · at 0:34

• Thriving ecosystem in her backyard coming from the Midwest college sports held a special place in Amy's heart she was a dedicated fan of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes…

  about University of Iowa · at 1:31

• From a Red Shed where Todd would later discover the body of his wife Amy however Tristan insisted that his father Todd was with him the entire time in the barn this claim…

  about Tristan Mullis · at 4:25

• Wondered if one of her lovers could have been involved in her murder however Jerry's cell records cleared him as a suspect in Amy's murder they showed he was 45 miles away from…

  about Jerry Frasier · at 5:12

• Suspicions as the recordings resumed functioning shortly after the incident Todd continued to maintain that Amy's death in the barn was a freak accident he claimed that she had…

  about Todd Mullis · at 9:09

• Overcome with jealous policy during a fight with Amy regarding her affair with Jerry Frasier Todd's sentencing hearing was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic during this…

  about COVID-19 pandemic · at 17:58

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Todd Mullis — Person · Primary subject (accused/convicted perpetrator in case narrative) · 6 mentions · first at 0:11
  Central figure in the episode’s true-crime narrative: husband of Amy Mullis, investigated and convicted for her murder; his behavior, alibi, and digital searches are key evidence discussed.
• Amy Mullis — Person · Victim (murder case focus) · 3 mentions · first at 0:38
  Victim whose death drives the investigation and trial narrative; her relationships, divorce plans, and injuries are used to establish motive and timeline.
• Tristan Mullis — Person · Key witness (son; alibi witness with changed testimony) · 5 mentions
  Amy and Todd’s son who is present during the emergency transport and later provides pivotal trial testimony that changes Todd’s alibi window.
• Jerry Frasier — Person · Key witness / alternative-suspect explored (affair partner) · 8 mentions · first at 5:08
  Amy’s affair partner; initially considered as a possible suspect but cleared by cell records; later testifies and provides alibi and context about Amy’s fear of Todd.

Companies & orgs

• University of Iowa — Company · Referenced institution · 1 mention · first at 1:38
  Mentioned as the college whose sports teams Amy Mullis was a dedicated fan of, reflecting her personal interests.

Places & events

• Delaware County — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at 0:52
  The county where the tragic events of the Amy Mullis murder case took place, providing the geographical context for the story.
  Her three children she was married to Todd Mullis the owner of a successful hog farm in the area known among residents of Delaware County Iowa as a hard worker Todd was known…
• COVID-19 pandemic — Event · Contextual event · 1 mention · first at 18:03
  Mentioned as the reason for the delay in Todd Mullis's sentencing hearing, impacting the timeline of the legal proceedings.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:04 in the desolate Countryside of Iowa the chilling tale of murder unfolded the once promising farmer Todd Mullis found himself at the center of a chilling crime the Red Barn once a place of Tranquility now held the darkest Secrets as the story developed the detectives discovered a web of Secrets lies and a twisted mind Todd a meticulous planner carefully plotted his wife's demise using the unassuming corn wreck as his silent accomplice 38-year-old Amy Mullis was a vibrant moment and a former nurse who cherished her role as a mother to her three children she was married to Todd Mullis the owner of a successful hog farm in the area known among residents of Delaware County Iowa as a hard worker Todd was known for his dedication and commitment to his family and farm as a hog farmer Amy demonstrated a deep passion for agriculture farming was her true calling Amy took great pride in her farming

1:07 skills and was committed to the well-being of her animals she derived immense Joy from seeing her Farm Thrive Amy also had a fondness for fishing and camping spending time Outdoors was one of her greatest passions and Amy cherished every moment she spent in nature her love for the outdoors extended to her garden where Amy spent hours tending to her plants she loved nothing more than creating a thriving ecosystem in her backyard coming from the Midwest college sports held a special place in Amy's heart she was a dedicated fan of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes cheering on her favorite teams with passion and enthusiasm her love for athletics extended Beyond football and basketball she closely followed all the sports played at the college despite her tomboyish demeanor Amy had a unique creative side one of her many passions was designing and making t-shirts whether she designed t-shirts for

2:02 herself for friends sent her family or created custom designs for clients Amy's creativity sha through and each unique t-shirt she crafted November 10th 2018 was a chilly day on the mlles hog farm and it should have been just like any other day however this day took a tragic turn when Todd Mullis called 911 as he raced his truck to the hospital with his injured wife Amy in the back of the pickup Amy and Todd's son Tristan sat side Amy holding her in his arms according to Todd he found Amy non-responsive and not breathing in the barn on their Farm the dispatcher instructed Todd to pull the truck over to the side of the road and perform CPR on Amy Todd could be heard heavily breathing as he followed the dispatcher's instructions with each compression Todd counted aloud with a dispatcher unfortunately Amy molus passed away at the hospital the same hospital where Amy had once spent a nurse dedicated to saving lives he was a

2:59 heartbreaking irony that she was now receiving care there but unable to be saved farm accidents are not uncommon in Delaware County Iowa and the consequences can be devastating unfortunately many accidents result in death and emergency room doctors are all too familiar with the gruesome aftermath from overturned tractors to Farmers suffocating in Grain bins these tragedies are all too common however the injury suffered by Amy during a recent visit to the emergency room did not appear to be the results of an accident instead the doctors noticed that something was a miss the medical examiner's examination of Amy's body revealed a shocking Discovery there were six puncture wounds on her back yet the corn wreck that Amy's husband Todd claimed he pulled out of her back had only four times it seemed unlikely that Amy had fallen on the fork not once but twice with such force that it pierced her body this information raised

3:55 suspicions and the medical examiner determined Amy's manner of death as a h side with this information an investigation was launched to determine who had committed this heinous crime Todd Mullis who found Amy's body was the first person detectives wanted to speak with Todd being Amy's husband held immense importance in unraveling the truth behind her murder Todd and his son Tristan made a claim during their initial interview with the police they stated that they were working in a barn located approximately 100 yards away from a Red Shed where Todd would later discover the body of his wife Amy however Tristan insisted that his father Todd was with him the entire time in the barn this claim sparked suspicion among the detectives who began to question the possibility of an intruder sneaking into the farm and killing Amy their investigation LED them to consider if an intruder had indeed entered the property

4:45 and used the corn rake found inside the Red Shed to carry out the murder if that was the case then what motive could an intruder have to want Amy dead the detectives learned that Amy and Todd's relationship wasn't all Sunshine rainbows and Blissful Farm Life during Amy and Todd's marriage Amy had an extra marital Affair in 2013 and in 2018 Amy started to see a local Farm manager Jerry Frasier after the detectives learned about Amy's indiscretion they wondered if one of her lovers could have been involved in her murder however Jerry's cell records cleared him as a suspect in Amy's murder they showed he was 45 miles away from the farm where Amy died as the detectives continued their investigation into the murder of Amy they uncovered important information about her marriage to Todd Amy's friend and family revealed that she often expressed unhappiness in her relationship with Todd but he would not

5:35 let her go they stated that Todd begged Amy to stay but at the same time he did not trust her and constantly monitored her activities to delve deeper into Amy's life and uncover any potential motives for a murder the detectives invited Todd to the police station for questioning they conducted the interview in an interrogation room to better understand their marriage over the past 5 years Todd assured the detectives that things between him and Amy had been pretty tight with a few ups and downs like any couple however the detectives were aware of Amy's affair with Jerry Frasier messages on Amy's phone indicated that she felt Todd was on to her and suspected that he knew about the affair the detectives discovered that Amy had been actively making plans to leave Todd including filing for divorce and making plans to move out if Amy had successfully ended her relationship with Todd she would have been entitled to a

6:26 significant amount of money which the detective believed could have been a motive for Todd to murder her Todd continued to deny that he killed Amy during the 2-hour interrogation he insisted that Amy had fallen on the corn R despite evidence to the contrary the detective determines to elicit a confession from Todd mentioning Amy's affair with Jerry Frasier however Todd denied having any knowledge of this affair despite the denials the detective continued to press Todd suggesting that Todd feared Amy leaving him and gaining custody of the children as well as ownership of the farm Todd maintained his innocence throughout sticking to his story that Amy's death was an accident because of the lack of conclusive evidence to hold Todd the detectives ended the interview with him still a free man when the detectives questioned Amy and Todd moll's neighbors they learned that Todd could sometimes be inhumane to

7:16 the animals on his farm these incidents would occur in front of the children raising concerns about Todd's Behavior one of the neighbors described Todd as scary which added to the detective suspicions further investigation revealed that many people who had been close to Todd in the past had cut him out of their lives the detectives discovered that 5 years after Amy's first Affair the couple sought Counseling in an attempt to fix their marriage Amy quit her job at the hospital where she was a nurse according to Todd he claimed she did this to spend more time with him and their children however Amy's friends have a different story to tell they claimed that the couple made a deal under the terms of which Amy agreed to stop working outside of the home Todd told her that she needed to remain on the farm with him where he could keep a watch on her Todd's reason for monitoring Amy's every move stems from his mistrust of her he

8:07 believed that Amy betrayed their trust to their marriage compelling him to surveil her constantly according to those who knew Amy and Todd Todd never truly trusted Amy again this lack of trust created a suffocating environment for Amy who began feeling trapped within the confines of her own home Amy confided in her friends that Todd had an approved friend list for her and he timed her exits and returns to ensure she didn't have any stops in between Emy expressed to her confidence that she felt like a captive in her Mar unable to break free from her husband's control although Todd claimed to have an alibi the detectives were skeptical of his story Todd and his son Tristan maintained that Todd had been 100 yards away from him at the time of the murder however the detectives were concerned about the strong bond between Todd and his son fearing that Todd could potentially coach his children in a way

8:57 that benefited his case compounding their concerns the detectives discovered security cameras around the farm however none of the cameras were functioning during the time of Amy's murder this info raised suspicions as the recordings resumed functioning shortly after the incident Todd continued to maintain that Amy's death in the barn was a freak accident he claimed that she had an operation several days earlier which left her unsteady at her feet and that she could have tripped to her gotten dizzy leading her to fall in the corn rake despite Todd's claims of innocence the detectives continued to investigate and gather evidence focusing on any potential links between Todd and Amy's death the detectives eventually discovered crucial evidence on electronic devices seized from am and Todd's home they found a series of disturbing searches through their access to Todd's iPad Todd's iPad revealed

9:50 Google searches for topics such as what did the Aztec do with cheating spouses placements of the organs in the body 16 facts about cheating women once a cheater always a cheater did ancient cultures kill adulterers Thrill of the kill killing Unfaithful women and punishment is 18 months for killing a cheating wife these searches raised suspicions and cast doubt on Todd's claim that Amy's death was purely accidental the content of the searches particularly those related to cheating spouses and murder suggested a Sinister motive behind Amy's death further the detectives found the timing of these search engine results suspicious as they started when Amy started her affair with Jerry with those incriminating Google searches the detectives made their way to Todd moll's Farm upon entering the barn they located Todd inside the detective asked him to step outside where they could talk once Todd complied

10:45 the detective informed him that they had an arrest warrant for him on charges of first-degree murder in relation to Amy's death Todd was arrested and taken into custody where he pled not guilty and was subsequently held Behind Bars until its trial in 2019 during his time in prison Todd gained a surprising amount of support and followers a large portion of his supporters were women who formed a Facebook group dedicated to sharing their thoughts and promoting his innocence the group became a platform where members discussed Todd's situation voicing their belief in his innocence and advocating for his release as Todd's trial unfolded the courtroom was packed with his and Amy's loved ones the gallery was divided with Todd's family and friends sitting on one side of the courtroom and Amy's loved ones the other there was a palpable tension in the air that could be cut with a knife as the emotions ran high on both sides in his

11:36 opening statements Todd's defense attorneys put forth the argument that he was a dedicated husband and father while claiming that Amy had been engaging in a sexual affair with Jerry Frasier behind Todd's back the defense team came prepared with a surprise abruptly changing their position and stating that Amy did not die accidentally but was murdered with a corn rake in the barn however they maintained that it was not Todd who who killed her the defense argued that Todd's initial statement that Amy died by accidentally falling on the corn rake was an honest mistake they contended that Todd had misunderstood the situation believing it to be an accident on the other hand the prosecution had to prove Beyond reasonable doubt that Amy's affair with Jerry Frasier her intention to divorce Todd take the kids and half the farm was the motive behind Todd murdering her friends of Amy testified on behalf of

12:26 the prosecution alleging that Amy had been constantly upset and crying about her marriage with Todd these Friends Revealed that Amy had confided in him that Todd had told her that the farm had been in his family since he was 11 years old and that he would not give even an acre up to her if she was to divorce him this Revelation painted a chilling picture of Todd's possessive and controlling Behavior leaving Amy's friends concerned about her safety one friend who had witnessed Amy's distress was particularly worried she told Amy that she feared Todd was going to kill her this friend knew that Todd was not the type of person person who could be messed with and she had a genuine concern for Amy's well-being unfortunately her fears proved to be prophetic one of the key Witnesses in Todd's trial was Jerry Frasier Amy's lover Jerry took the stand and confirmed his Alibi providing proof to the jury

13:16 that he had no opportunity to murder Amy Jerry told the jury that he and Amy met regularly perhaps more than once per week for clandestine Rendevous these meetings took place in Secret locations primarily on their Farms s along back roads sometimes they utilized motels as meeting places Jerry revealed to the jury that Amy had confided at him that if Todd were to find out about their Affair he would make Amy disappear that confession shed light on the intensity of Todd's jealousy and his anger towards Amy it painted a picture of a violent and dangerous relationship where Amy feared for her life if her secret were exposed Tristan Amy and Todd's oldest son and Todd's alivi testified from a remote location via the Internet on the day Amy died in 2018 Tristan had maintained that he was with his father Todd the entire time in the barn located 100 yards away from the crime scene however when Tristan testified in 2019

14:11 during Todd's trial his story changed instead of asserting that his father was with him the entire day Tristan claimed that he had gone inside the house to get water while Todd remained alone in the barn this revision and his testimony presented a significant blow to the defense as it provided Todd with some time time to walk to the Red Shed where Amy was working killer with the corn wank had returned to the barn 100 yards away all before Tristan arrived back from getting water to try and bolster his defense Todd decided to testify although defense attorne is usually advised against that Todd believed that by directly telling his story to the jury he would be able to communicate his innocence more effectively he argued that his son Tristan was only out of the barn for a matter of seconds during that time he remained in the barn working and never for left the prosecutor however was not convinced by Todd's testimony during

15:04 cross-examination the prosecutor brought up the suspicious Google searches that investigators had recovered from Todd's iPad these searches suggested Todd's interest in obtaining information about infidelity Todd denied doing those searches and claimed he had no idea how they ended up on his device however Todd's denial did not deter the prosecutor who had access to additional evidence the state attorney received a phone call from someone who had watched the Tri at home on court TV this person claimed to have analyzed Todd's 911 call to the dispatcher and felt they had detected Whispering under Todd's breath as he performed CPR on Amy according to the caller they had heard Todd saying cheating horror and go to hell cheating whor during the call this information surprised everyone involved in the case if the caller's claim were true it could have significant implications for Todd's defense the prosecutor would now have to

15:57 consider this new evidence at its potential impact on the case the prosecution confronted Todd with the alleged Whispers on the 911 call and asked him about it but Todd claimed he did not remember what he was whispering under his breath during that time despite Todd's denial the prosecution was certain that he was uttering those awful things to Amy as she was dying their reasoning was based on the belief that Todd the person who murdered Amy was furious with her for cheating on him with Jerry Frasier at the end of the trial the jury found Todd guilty according to the jurors who spoke 48 hours after the trial during Del liberations they explored various scenarios in an attempt to make sense of tald ms's peculiar behavior on the day Amy died however they were unable to establish a plausible explanation for his actions one perplexing aspect was Todd's decision to remove the corn rake from Amy's back this action raised doubt

16:50 about his motives and intentions the jurors could not understand why he would remove the rake pick her up Place her in his pickup truck and then drive her to the hospital before calling 911 it seemed to the jurors that Todd's actions were driven by a desire to quickly remove Amy from the farm and take her away from the crime scene furthermore the jurors believed Todd did not do himself any favors when he testified in his defense they found him cold and detached displaying little emotions even when discussing his deceased wife and children this lack of emotional connection further fueled speculation about his guilt what sealed Todd's Fade with a guilty verdict from murdering his wife Amy was the incre minating internet searches he made according to the jurors these search results were pivotal in proving that Todd's actions were premeditated and driven by a desire to carry out a cold-blooded murder the

17:40 jurors believed the Todd's internet searches which delved into disturbing information regarding cheating spouses and killing were significant evidence against him these searches according to the jurors painted a picture of a calculated in deliberate attempts to gain information about murder rather than a crime of passion where Todd was overcome with jealous policy during a fight with Amy regarding her affair with Jerry Frasier Todd's sentencing hearing was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic during this period Todd hired a new defense attorney who filed a motion seeking to dismiss the conviction based on prosecutorial misconduct however the judge dismissed this motion and Todd was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of Parole in 2023 Todd Mullis filed a petition for a retrial arguing that the material facts had not been presented or heard during the original trial which necessitated a

18:31 reversal of his conviction Todd asserted that his trial counil had failed to follow the defense strategy he had requested and he wanted to present the argument that Amy's death was accidental rather than a murder however his defense attorney instead pursued the theory that Amy's death was a homicide the Todd mullus case is a chilling and tragic tale of Love betrayal and ultimately murder Todd's actions were driven by jealousy and a desire to control his wife he constantly monitored her every move seeking out any perceived signs of infidelity testimony from Amy's friends and family painted a disturbing picture of Todd's erratic behavior and violent tendencies in conclusion Amy mullis's murder serves as a compelling reminder of the darkness that can lurp behind closed doors with dedication and determination of law enforcement coupled with the power of evidence allowed Justice to be served

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The woman's dead body was found at the family farm, and the rightful sentence for the murderer"?

Todd Mullis, Amy Mullis, Jerry Frasier (Guest), Tristan Mullis, Detectives, Prosecutor, Defense Attorney.

What is "The woman's dead body was found at the family farm, and the rightful sentence for the murderer" about?

In a horrifying murder case in rural Iowa, farmer Todd Mullis meticulously plotted the death of his wife, Amy, using their farm's corn rake as a weapon. The investigation revealed Todd's deceptive nature and secrets, leading to a trial that questioned the morality of justice and the ultimate penalty for his crimes.

What is mentioned in this Casefile True Crime episode?

7 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Todd Mullis, Amy Mullis, Tristan Mullis, Jerry Frasier, Delaware County, University of Iowa. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The woman's dead body was found at the family farm, and the rightful sentence for the murderer"?

The episode runs 19 min; the transcript is about 3,469 words in 22 timestamped sections.

More from Casefile True Crime

• All analyzed episodes
• Books mentioned on Casefile True Crime
• People mentioned on Casefile True Crime
• Topics mentioned on Casefile True Crime