Rich Kids, Financial Scammers, And Greedy Spouses: 8 Money-Motivated Murders To Watch Now

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but as the victims in these cases might agree, it can certainly afford misery.

From August 26 to 30, Oxygen will be airing a slate of the latest in true-crime programming that proves money really is the root of all evil. Episodes from favorite series such as "Snapped," "Killer Couples," and "Criminal Confessions" will follow the rich kids and wannabes who would stop at nothing for a taste of the good life.

It's now easier than ever to dive into Oxygen programming, with full episodes available streaming on your TV, smartphone or computer, wherever you are. Watch episodes with the Oxygen App, available on iOS and Android by simply entering your cable, digital or satellite TV subscription information — or take advantage of three free credits Oxygen offers for watching without signing in. Most shows are also available on AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku and through Chromecast. Individual episodes can be purchased on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play as well. 

Shows that are in-season can be streamed live with your Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV subscription. And you can always watch whole episodes right here at Oxygen.com by entering your cable subscription information. Pick the platform that works for you and start your streaming with Oxygen!

Kevin Foley Photo: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

In 2007, a young Pennsylvania boy peered through the window of his neighbor’s house to find its resident, 39-year-old dentist Dr. John Yelenic, lying in a pool of blood in his living room. As Yelenic’s life was cut short on the day his divorce was to be finalized, authorities initially suspected Yelenic’s soon-to-be-ex-wife, Michelle, who stood to benefit from a life insurance policy exceeding $1 million.

Those close to Yelenic struggled to imagine anyone murdering the amicable dentist, until authorities matched DNA found under his fingerprints to one Kevin Foley, a state trooper and Michelle’s lover. “Killer Affair” examines the grisly crime scene that became the “dawn of DNA computing” for murder investigations across the world.

Gainesville, Florida resident Virginia Grisson was horrified when her neighbor, 78-year-old disabled Navy veteran Paul Quandt Sr., showed up bloody and beaten on her doorstep the night of Jan. 9, 2012. Quandt Sr. lost consciousness before the ambulance arrived, but not before he told his neighbor he had just escaped a brutal home invasion carried out by a man and woman.

When authorities spotted Quandt Sr.’s stolen Cadillac, a high-speed chase ensued. The driver of the stolen vehicle? Austin Jones, the cousin of one of Quandt Sr.’s visiting caregivers, Maranda Martin. “Criminal Confessions” details the cold-blooded torture and robbery that distressed a quiet Florida retirement community. 

When married life wasn’t enough for Kansas resident Alesia Warrior, she began frequenting clubs while her husband was out working. It wasn’t long before Alesia met Darrell Rodgers and began a long-term affair with the 31-year-old.

But when Alesia and husband Jeremy were fired upon while out driving early one morning, their unhappy marriage came to a screeching halt. Jeremy died from his multiple gunshot wounds, whereas Alesia was left paralyzed from the waist down.

After Alesia collected on her husband’s $400,000 life insurance policy, suspicions against the widow were raised when she received a suspicious visitor while recovering in the hospital. “Killer Couples” reveals the get-rich-quick scheme that backfired on the conniving couple.

When Fresno housekeeper Juanita Avinita showed up to the illustrious Ewell family home on the morning of April 19, 1992, she was unprepared for the mess that awaited her. Inside, she found the slain bodies of Ewell patriarch Dale, wife Glee, and daughter Tiffany strewn about the ransacked home.

Missing from the scene was Dale’s son, Dana, who had an airtight alibi despite standing to inherit his family’s $7 to $8 million-dollar estate.

Amid Dana’s erratic behavior, investigators observed the heir apparent paying large amounts of money to his friend Joel Radovcich, who strangely denied maintaining any friendship with the surviving Ewell son. “In Ice Cold Blood” revisits the triple homicide that tore one well-to-do family apart.

Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was a bright girl brought up in a privileged household in Erie, Pennsylvania before her many brushes with the law. Battling mental illness, Diehl-Armstrong seemed to have a black cloud following her and those she became close to.

It wasn’t until 2003, however, that Diehl-Armstrong would make headlines, this time for her role in orchestrating the infamous “Pizza Bomber” plot involving an explosive collar and a botched bank robbery. “Snapped” investigates the mastermind behind one of America’s most complicated crimes to date.

In the early hours of June 29, 2013, employees at the Toys “R” Us in Hamburg, New York were stocking the store’s shelves when they happened upon the body of their manager, Larry Wells, who had been stabbed in his office. With the help of the store’s loss-prevention expert, Bernard Grucza, authorities reviewed security footage to find a masked suspect stalking through the store aisles and skillfully bypassing security cameras shortly before the murder would take place.

Determining that the crime had to have been committed by someone who knew the store well, likely an employee, authorities began to check off their dwindling list of potential suspects until only one remained. “Murdered By Morning” recounts the investigation that led detectives to an unexpected culprit in this “true whodunnit” case.

Keith Alan Jones

After 27-year-old Marine Corps veteran and aspiring police officer Keith Jones was found robbed and shot dead in a Fort Meyers, Florida motel room in 1997, his case went unsolved for more than 20 years. Gentlemen's club dancer Michelle Ashley, who was with Jones at the time of his shooting, claimed four men had burst into the room threatening them with guns before the murder took place, but Jones’ family remained skeptical.

It wasn’t until the case was reinvestigated by veteran prosecutor Kelly Siegler and her team that Jones’ family finally got the answers they were looking for. Tracking down old leads and interrogating long-forgotten suspects in the case, Siegler and her team helped secure an arrest in this stirring episode of “Cold Justice.”

Newlyweds Olga and Joseph Connell were returning home from Olga’s 39th birthday celebration in September 2013 when the couple was gunned down outside of their Wimington, Delaware condominium complex. In the wake of the mysterious shooting, initial theories about the bizarre double-murder ranged from an interfamily dispute over heirloom diamonds to a drug deal gone wrong.

But when Joseph’s business partner, Christopher Rivers, accused the late groom of embezzling from their joint business, authorities learned of the apparent animosity between the two auto-shop co-owners. Even more damning, Rivers stood to collect on a $1 million insurance policy taken out for the mortgage of the shared auto-shop. “A Wedding and a Murder” follows the winding money-trail that led to multiple convictions and a possible framing.