Jeanne Smith and Michael Alan Iseman married on October 3, 2013; however, it was to be a short-lived marriage that ended in the violent murder of the bride and a vicious attack on Jeanne’s daughter, Marie Wood.
Your Worst Nightmare on ID is traveling to Roanoke, Virginia, to investigate the case of Michael Iseman, who, in a very short period, unleashed his brutal attack on this close-knit family.
On November 6, 2013, Iseman attacked his new wife with a Phillips screwdriver in an apartment she was sharing with her daughter, Marie. He stabbed her multiple times and choked her before leaving her to die on the bedroom floor.
A few hours later, at approximately 5 am, Marie, who was sleeping on a sofa in the same room as her infant nephew, awoke to discover Iseman lying right beside her.
He asked her, “do you love me?” but before Marie could answer, he began to stab her with the same screwdriver that he’d used to kill Jeanne. Marie called to her mother for help, but Iseman told her, “your mom gone.”
Iseman fled the scene in his own car and with Jeanne’s credit card. Despite being stabbed 22 times, Marie survived the horrific attack and managed to raise the alarm making it downstairs and alerting a neighbor.
Police quickly caught up to Michael Iseman
The next day, the police were able to track Iseman’s movements through his cellphone and his use of Jeanne’s credit cards. He was subsequently arrested in a traffic stop in Henry County. It’s unclear if he was attempting to flee the state. The police discovered evidence of hard drugs use in his car.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelIseman subsequently pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and attempting to kill his stepdaughter and was sentenced to life plus 20 years. He blamed his actions on mental health problems coupled with drug abuse. In the weeks prior to the attack, he had been binging on crystal meth.
Two weeks before the murder, a court had ordered that Iseman stay away from the apartment due to the presence of Marie’s infant nephew because he had a prior assault conviction. He was allegedly angered when his new wife agreed with the ruling and stated that she wanted to leave him.
More from Your Worst Nightmare
Follow the links to read about more horrific crimes profiled on Your Worst Nightmare.
Allan Sinclair managed to talk his way into the Florida home of past acquaintance, Christine Kent, and once inside, he pulled a gun on her. Christine tried to flee the scene but was shot in the back, leaving her permanently paralyzed.
Tammy Craycraft Smith was stabbed over 30 times by her ex-boyfriend Christopher Burns and his new girlfriend, Christy Williams. Williams had persuaded Burns to kill and rob his former ex.
Your Worst Nightmare airs at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.