The Orchestrated Murder of Ken and Carolyn Stall and a Rare Genetic Diagnosis

Lucy's Challenging Pregnancy & Birth

• ⚠️ June's high-risk pregnancy at 43 years old led to concerns about her unborn child, Lucy, despite previous unsuccessful pregnancies.
• 🔬 An initial ultrasound showed a missing "bubble" in Lucy's brain, a general indicator of normal brain development, prompting further investigation with a fetal MRI.
• ✅ Despite initial fears, the fetal MRI results were normal, and Lucy was born a healthy baby girl, seemingly resolving the early medical concerns.

Unraveling Lucy's Developmental Delays

• 🧠 Lucy was diagnosed with macrocephaly (unusually large head), initially thought to be benign, but later identified as hydrocephalus due to excess cerebrospinal fluid.
• 🛠️ A shunt procedure was performed to drain the fluid and relieve pressure on Lucy's brain, which successfully reduced her head size and corrected eye misalignment.
• 🔍 Despite the shunt, Lucy experienced significant developmental delays, prompting June to notice faint "tiger stripes" or Blaschko lines on her skin, which were initially dismissed as normal.
• 💡 Referred to the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Dr. Chen linked the Blaschko lines to a mutation in the mTor gene, diagnosing Lucy with Smith Kingsmore Syndrome.
• 🌱 Treatment with a drug blocking the mTor gene led to significant developmental progress, allowing Lucy to begin walking and talking, though ongoing treatment is necessary.

The Tragic Discovery: Ken and Carolyn Stall

• 🚨 Deputy Tony Castillo discovered a silver Dodge Stratus on a rural highway with its engine running, high-beams on, and a woman's barefoot sticking out of the open passenger door.
• 🩸 Inside, he found Ken and Carolyn Stall, both shot multiple times, drenched in blood, and deceased, leading to a homicide investigation.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Initial investigation by Detectives Homs and Macdonald found minimal physical evidence, suggesting a professional and thorough killer, with no signs of robbery.

Uncovering Ken's Secret Life

• 💔 Detectives learned that Ken and Carolyn's 14-year marriage was far from perfect, marked by Ken's chronic infidelity and Carolyn's attempts to maintain appearances.
• 📞 Ken's pager records led investigators to Adriana Vasco, a former lover whom Ken had financially supported, raising suspicions about her involvement.
• 🔄 New detectives, Heene and Villa Lobos, revisited Adriana, who initially denied substantive knowledge but was later arrested on an outstanding warrant.

The Truth Behind the Murders

• 🗣️ Adriana's ex-partner implicated her current boyfriend, Tony (Dennis Godley), as the likely killer, revealing his criminal history and temper.
• ✈️ Detectives tracked Tony to North Carolina, but he was uncooperative, prompting Adriana to finally confess after her arrest.
• ⚖️ The investigation revealed that Ken had orchestrated his wife's murder, paying Adriana and Tony $30,000 to kill Carolyn so he could be free of the marriage.
• 🎯 Tony, not trusting Ken, decided to kill Ken as well, making Carolyn an innocent victim in her husband's plot.

Justice Served

• 🏛️ Adriana was convicted of masterminding the murder plot and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
• 🔒 Tony pleaded guilty to the murders, receiving a life sentence instead of the death penalty, maintaining that Adriana was the one who shot Carolyn.
• 💔 Carolyn's friends and family confirmed that despite Ken's infidelity, she still loved him and believed they could repair their marriage, unaware of his deadly intentions.