Halee Rathgeber, a 20-year-old nursing student at the University of Southern Indiana, was killed. Her corpse was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head at a soccer facility in Warrick County, some 15 miles from her employer. Authorities also discovered that her things, which included her wallet, phone, and key, had vanished from the scene.
Due to a lack of forensic and physical evidence, authorities started interrogating Halee’s friends and family after learning that she was with Isaiah Hagan on the night of her death. Hagan said he left her off at the soccer facility, but phone records and blood evidence discovered at his home indicated otherwise. On the Outskirts of Town, an episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen will explore Halee Rathgeber’s 2017 shooting death on Wednesday. The program will run on the channel on February 8, 2023, at 11 p.m. ET.
The episode’s summary read:
“Halee Rathgeber likes caring for others and aspires to be a nurse, yet it defies logic that someone would want her dead; the murder scene tells cops nothing, but a jaw-dropping moment in court says plenty.”
Isaiah Hagan’s conviction, Halee Rathgeber’s intentions on the night she died, and further information about the case
1) A gunshot wound to the head was established as the cause of death for Halee Rathgeber.
Halee Rathgeber, a 20-year-old nursing student at the University of Southern Indiana, was discovered shot to death in the parking lot of the Alcoa Soccer Complex in Warrick County on April 24, 2017. A mom and her daughter driving by the parking lot discovered her dead on the gravel. A blue towel was found alongside her corpse, and she seemed to have been shot in the back of the head. Furthermore, none of her items were discovered at the murder site, including her pocketbook, phone, and keys. Her cause of death was determined by two successful autopsies to be a single gunshot wound to the head.
2) The event happened after Halee’s shift at Texas Roadhouse.
Halee was shot to death during her shift at the Texas Roadhouse in Evansville, which is roughly 15 miles from the murder site, according to sources. She was asked to go out for drinks with friends that night, but she rejected, preferring to study in the library with her friend Ansley. But her intentions altered when she went to meet another buddy called Jordan at 10 p.m. to pick up her wallet. Jordan was dating Thaddeus Rice, who was much despised by her peers.
3) Thaddeus Rice was the initial suspect in the murder of Halee Rathgeber.
Because police lacked proof in the early phases of the inquiry, they questioned persons close to the victim. This is when Thaddeus Rice’s name came up as a probable suspect. Authorities discovered that Halee had previously been questioned in connection with a separate murder case involving a suspect and her alleged friend Rice. Thaddeus Rice was subsequently identified as a top suspect in the crime because police felt that if Halee revealed information about Rice at the time, he would have the ideal reason to kill her. When another suspect was identified throughout the inquiry, he was quickly ruled out as the murderer.
4) Halee Rathgeber’s buddy Isaiah Hagan was stationed at the murder site.
The investigation then shifted to Isaiah Hagan, a friend of Halee Rathgeber who had a history of stealing or borrowing money. According to accounts, he also took money from the victim, which officials think started a feud between them. Authorities discovered that Hagan had met the victim the night before the murder. He reportedly said that he dropped Halee off at the soccer facility, where she was supposed to meet someone else. Hagan then stated that he attempted to call Halee at about midnight but she did not respond.
One week after her murder, the FBI, who had been recruited to assist, were able to acquire Halee Rathgeber’s mobile data. The data revealed that their movements on the night of the crime were similar. At roughly 11 p.m., their phones were spotted going to the soccer fields, following which Halee’s phone shut off. However, it was put back on about 3.20 a.m. before being shut off.
5) Hagan’s mother testified at his second trial, which very certainly contributed to his conviction.
The first trial of Isaiah Hagan ended in a mistrial. During the second trial, his mother spoke in court, alleging that he confessed to her about accidentally shooting Halee Rathgeber. She also told the court that Hagan threw away the murder weapon in the garbage. He was convicted guilty of three offenses, including murder, obstruction of justice, and robbery resulting in severe bodily damage, based on his mother’s testimony and other crucial circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to 60 years in jail in 2018.
