Devon Guzman, Michelle Hetzel: ‘Grave Secrets’ Unearths Lesbian Murder Of Teen Found Dead In Trunk On Investigation Discovery
Devon Guzman was a 19-year-old teen who was found dead in her car trunk at a deserted park in Pennsylvania. The murder will be profiled on Investigation Discovery’s Grave Secrets, a crime show about the consequences of living secret lives. Michelle Hetzel, 19, and her husband, Brandon Bloss, 26, were found guilty in Devon’s murder. They are now serving a life sentence in a Pennsylvania correctional facility.
In an episode of ID’s Grave Secrets, titled “Secret Vows,” Devon’s story will be told through interviews with family and friends, along with law enforcement officials.
Lover's murder of Devon Guzman to be featured on Lifetime's 'I killed my BFF' http://t.co/p2W53iNiaV
— lehighvalleylive.com (@lehighvalley) November 3, 2014
Grave Secrets: “Secret Vows” on Investigation Discovery
When a lesbian couple secretly marries out of the country, one of them will end up dead. The profile of a killer emerges after a bite mark and an empty needle syringe points to murder instead of suicide.
Teen Found Dead In Car Trunk
Grave Secrets starts their story in June of 2000 with the discovery of Devon Guzman’s dead body, which was found in her car trunk at Hugh Moore Park Canal off Route 611 in Easton, Pennsylvania. When police came out to the scene, they found the 19-year-old woman sprawled on the backseat with a jacket covering the top portion of her body. A knife and an empty syringe were also found at the scene.
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According to the Morning Call, the two women who found the car, Michelle Mae Hetzel and Keary Renner, stated that they went looking for her after she failed to return home.
Immediately, police knew that the scene was staged to look like a suicide. An autopsy report confirmed that Devon Guzman’s throat was slashed, and she had also been beaten.
As police dug into Guzman’s life, they found that she was involved in a sexual and lesbian relationship with two women: Keary Renner and Michelle Hetzel, the same women who found the body. Keary Renner was the prime suspect but was eventually ruled out, Grave Secrets’ episode will highlight.
Police honed in on Devon Guzman’s relationship with Michelle Hetzel, who was married to a man named Brandon Bloss. Investigators found that Brandon was jealous and resentful that his wife, Michelle Hetzel, had secretly exchanged vows with her lesbian lover and had used his money to fund an exotic vacation.
Michelle Hetzel and Brandon Bloss both denied killing Devon Guzman. However, the top cap of the empty syringe found at the death scene was located in Michelle Hetzel’s pocket. A bite mark on Brandon Paul Bloss’ arm matched the bite impression of Devon Guzman.
Prosecutors theorized that Devon Guzman was lured to Michelle Hetzel’s home, where she was taken to the backyard and murdered.
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The story has been featured on several true-crime documentaries, including Forensic Files. The book, Lipstick and Blood by John Kearney, is also based on the case. Here is an excerpt from that book, according to Amazon.
“Michelle Hetzel, Keary Renner, and Devon Guzman were three high school girls who shared a secret: their lesbian desires. After high school, Michelle married Brandon Bloss, 25, while Keary and Devon lived together. Michelle used her husband’s credit card to finance a trip for herself and Devon to the island of St. Croix, where they were secretly wed. Back home in Easton, Pennsylvania, on a night in June 2000, Devon broke up with Michelle, and a series of violent quarrels ensued among the foursome. The next day, Devon was found dead in her car.”
Grave Secrets premiered on Investigation Discovery on November 2. It presents stories of murder with secrets that lead to deadly consequences. Grave Secrets is produced by Red Marble Media. In the first episode, the case of Shauna Tiaffay was featured.
Watch Grave Secrets tonight at 9/8 p.m. Central on Investigation Discovery (ID).
[Featured Image by Carlos Osori/AP Images]