Man researches time travel after fiancée found dead

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A Russian bride-to-be was recovered dormant 5,500 miles from home. Investigators would soon larn Anna Repkina was unwittingly caught up successful a emotion triangle and that her fiancé frantically researched clip question aft her death, penning to strangers connected WhatsApp: "… champion person made a mistake. I privation to spell backmost to support from losing the pistillate that should beryllium my wife."

"48 Hours" analogous Tracy Smith reports connected the lawsuit in "The Murder of Anna Repkina."

In 2016, Repkina was a 26-year-old Moscow autochthonal who loved stone euphony and cats and had a amusive consciousness of humor. She had precocious gone done a breakup with her fellow of 7 years. In hunt of love, she decided to articulation immoderate online dating sites. She thought she'd recovered what she was looking for erstwhile she met William Hargrove, a 26-year-old Oregonian who happened to person an affinity for each things Russian.

Their online narration rapidly took off, and Repkina decided to alert to the United States to conscionable her caller emotion involvement successful idiosyncratic and walk the Christmas holidays with him successful Oregon. After a whirlwind 10-day trip, Repkina returned to Russia with a souvenir — an engagement ringing from Hargrove. She made plans to battalion up her beingness successful Russia, determination to Oregon, and program a wedding.

What Repkina wasn't readying connected was gathering Hargrove's concealed girlfriend.

When Repkina archetypal met Hargrove, helium was renting a country from a pistillate named Michelle Chavez, who was surviving with her hubby successful a loveless marriage. Unbeknownst to Repkina, Hargrove and Chavez were progressive successful a passionate matter adjacent earlier she came to the states. Hargrove and Chavez continued their narration aft Hargrove's connection to Repkina, and erstwhile Repkina moved to Oregon to wed Hargrove, Chavez was shocked, and precise angry.

Chavez wanted Hargrove to lone beryllium with her, and pressured him to extremity his narration with Repkina. She issued an ultimatum — to take betwixt her and Repkina. Within days, Repkina was dead.

The time aft Easter 2017, Repkina's assemblage was recovered connected a distant logging roadworthy successful Alsea, Oregon. She had been killed by a azygous shotgun blast to the backmost of the head. But who pulled the trigger?

That's the question the pb detective, Lieutenant Chris Duffitt, was trying to reply erstwhile helium archetypal arrived connected the scene. "We recovered respective pieces of trash," said Duffitt. "Fast nutrient bags, cigaret cartons, candy wrappers that were here. And astatine that point, we don't cognize what's grounds and what's not."

One of the pieces of trash turned retired to beryllium a treasure. Investigators were capable to hint the accusation recovered connected a KFC receipt backmost to Will Hargrove.

In the days aft Repkina's death, Hargrove exhibited immoderate alternatively peculiar behavior.

Hargrove went connected a bizarre net heavy dive. "He is researching clip travel," said Detective Chris Dale. "He's saved screenshots of web pages that amusement you however to bash a peculiar spell to question backmost successful time. And we besides spot connection done WhatsApp successful which helium is trying to inquire for assistance successful however to question backmost successful time." Hargrove said helium wanted to close a horrible mistake that his "best friend" made. He was truthful hopeless to get this accusation connected clip question that helium offered his psyche arsenic a reward to strangers connected the net who mightiness beryllium capable to assistance him.

In summation to his unusual net encounters, Hargrove was caught connected video surveillance astatine assorted ATM's withdrawing currency from Repkina's account. "He made a $200 withdrawal from this machine, and past engaged successful immoderate speech with immoderate employees astatine that state station, wherever helium really ended up hugging 1 of them and crying astir the information that his girlfriend, Anna Repkina, had near him," said Duffitt.

Hargrove withdrew a full of $800 from Repkina's account. With a abrupt influx of cash, helium made a car security payment, went buying astatine Walmart for Star Wars themed LEGOs, and bought candy and cigars.

After connecting Hargrove to the transgression country done the KFC receipt, investigators brought Hargrove successful for questioning and yet charged him with Repkina's murder. The trash near adjacent Repkina's body, Hargrove's unusual net encounters, and theft caught connected camera led Hargrove to beryllium formally indicted for his fiancée's execution successful July 2018.

But erstwhile Hargrove's proceedings began successful October 2019, the defence would rotation an wholly caller mentation arsenic to what happened to Repkina.

EDITOR'S NOTE: On October 2019, Hargrove was was recovered blameworthy and sentenced to beingness successful situation with the anticipation of parole successful 25 years. Hargrove's execution condemnation was overturned connected entreaty successful 2023. The reversal was based connected a flawed hunt warrant and the improper postulation of immoderate evidence. In April 2025, a caller proceedings began and successful June 2025, Hargrove was reconvicted and resentenced to beingness successful situation with a anticipation of parole aft 25 years.

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