Stacey Hanna Murder: Where Are Domica Winkler, Tracy Bitner, Kelly Tibbs, and Stephanie Cull Now? – Richmond, Virginians were terrified when 18-year-old Stacey Hanna was discovered dead next to a slushy logging road in July 1997. Stacey drowned in the end, but there were enough marks on her torso and face to suggest a homicide.
The gruesome murder is detailed in the Investigation Discovery documentary “Murder Among Friends: The Girls of Belmont Avenue,” which also demonstrates how the police were able to apprehend the killers’ thanks to a thorough investigation. We have the information you need if you’re curious about this case and want to know where the murderers are right now.
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Who was Stacey Hanna?
When Stacey Hanna passed away, she was 18 years old. She had just relocated to Richmond, Virginia, where she hoped to live independently and be herself. She met Dana Vaughn, a young woman when she got a job at a nearby restaurant. Dana then introduced Stacey to Kelley “Turtle” Tibbs, a friend of hers. They had a house on Belmont Avenue, and Turtle, the matriarch of the group, invited Stacey to live there.
Belmont Avenue was a fairly upscale area of Richmond that was also said to have a thriving nightlife. The “Belmont girls” also shared the trait of belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Everything in the house appeared to be fine for a while, but emotions got involved. According to what was said in the show, Stacey had a crush on Turtle and did everything in her power to win his attention. Turtle was seeing Tracy Bitner at the time; they were dating. They didn’t get along well, though, and split up for a few weeks.
Turtle said that he and Stacey had an affair during their split. This was Stacey’s first relationship with a woman, but she was extremely into Turtle. Turtle broke their relationship and wished to rekindle his romance with Tracy. Stacey tried to move on after experiencing heartbreak, but she found it difficult, and this created a lot of stress in the home.
The other housemates were particularly enraged by Stacey’s attempts to separate the pair because they were closer with Turtle. The Belmont girls finally lost it when Stacey even made up rumors and lies about Tracy.
How Did Stacey Hanna Die?
Turtle, Tracy, and their other housemates, Stephanie Cull and Domica Winckler, came up with a scheme on July 27, 1997. That evening, they had planned to go drinking at a nearby swimming hole, but this time, they concocted a scheme to convince Stacey to join them. Stacey trusted them when they apologized to her for all the fighting.
Dana was also with them, although she was sick that night and appeared to be in and out of consciousness. Stephanie was the driver. At Marsh Field, the celebration got underway, and after a little bit of alcohol, Turtle gave the all-clear. The attack started after they chanted, “one, two, three, I love you.”
Stacey was kicked and battered. Stacey’s skull was fractured when Domica also picked up a cinder block and whacked her in the face. Stacey survived. Stacey was then placed in the trunk, where she awoke and started yelling for assistance.
Then, after cutting Stacey’s neck and making her believe she was dead, the girls drove to the swimming hole on Nash Road. She wasn’t; in fact, being submerged in water caused her to drown. She had drowned thereafter breathing in murky water.
After several days, Stacey was finally found. With the use of a razor blade and box cutter, she had been stabbed about 60 times. She suffered from a fractured nose, a black eye, and small cuts to her throat and torso due to the cinder block. On her leg, the word “Liar” was also scrawled. When Stacey was being cruelly killed, she cried out for help, and her mother came running.
Who Killed Stacey Hanna and Why?
Unfortunately, because the police had no solid leads to follow, the initial investigation into Stacey’s murder moved somewhat slowly. But after several interviews, they discovered that Stacey had eventually fallen in love with Turtle, who at the time was having an on-again, off-again relationship with Tracy Bitner. Turtle first flirted with Stacey, and the two had a brief romance, but she soon decided she wanted to get back together with Tracy, leaving the 18-year-old Stacey distraught.
The program claimed that Stacey attempted to separate Turtle and Tracy because she was so overcome by love. Furthermore, according to sources, Stacey frequently peered into the romantic relationships of her housemates, much to their annoyance. As a result, Turtle, Tracy, and their pals Stephanie Cull and Domica Winckler decided to take matters into their own hands and come up with a plan to get rid of Stacey.
The authorities maintained a close eye on Stacey’s housemates 24/7, despite the fact that they initially had very little information. They were able to track Stephanie Cull down to a car wash, where they unexpectedly searched her vehicle and discovered the victim’s blood and DNA. Authorities detained all four girls right away and subjected them to severe interrogation until Turtle gave in.
Turtle, unable to conceal the truth any longer, admitted planning the entire assault and even charged Tracy, Stephanie, and Domica with the crime. She even asserted that Tracy’s skull was fractured when a cinderblock was used to strike her in the face, according to Domica. The authorities were able to accuse all four suspects of murder thanks to a full confession from one of the killers.
Kelly Tibbs, Tracy Bitner, Domica Winkler, and Stephanie Cull: Where Are They Now?
When Tracy Bitner and Kelly “Turtle” Tibbs appeared in court, they were found guilty of robbery, kidnapping, and capital murder; as a result, they received numerous life terms without the possibility of parole. Domica Winckler, on the other hand, was found guilty of the same accusations, but the judge gave her a death sentence. However, the program notes that her sentence was eventually upgraded to a life term. Stephanie Cull, who was accused of first-degree murder, was recently given a 20-year prison sentence.
Currently, Kelly’s whereabouts are unknown, but Tracy and Domica are still detained at the Fluvanna Correctional Center in Troy, Virginia. We can still infer that she is incarcerated in a US prison, given her life without parole sentence. Stephanie Cull, on the other side, was released in 2015 after completing 18 of her 20-year sentence. But Stephanie hasn’t revealed anything about her personal life since, so nobody knows where she is right now.
