Brenda Sue Schaefer disappeared in 1988, after planning to end her engagement to Mel Ignatow. She was never seen alive again, and double jeopardy, a law meant to protect Americans, ensured that justice would never be served.
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Sources for this episode:
- “Accused Killer Wants to Dress for Court.” Daily News, 18 Jan. 1990. https://books.google.com/books?id=ceYcAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer+body+found&article_id=2148,2493899&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiImdWTieeRAxX5kokEHXCfJiIQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=Brenda%20Sue%20Schaefer%20body%20found&f=false
- “Authorities Await Ignatow’s Extradition From Michigan .” The Madison Courier, 31 Oct. 1997. https://books.google.com/books?id=w4djAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA3&dq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer+trial&article_id=4060,2253477&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiky5nvyOiRAxVu4skDHWksKCA4ChDoAXoECA0QAw#v=onepage&q=Brenda%20Sue%20Schaefer%20trial&f=false
- “Brenda Sue Schaefer (1952-1988) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20392578/brenda_sue-schaefer. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- Burgin, Steve. “FBI Releases Files on Mel Ignatow Investigation.” WLKY, WLKY, 29 Oct. 2012, https://www.wlky.com/article/fbi-releases-files-on-mel-ignatow-investigation-1/3741093.
- “Cadaver Sniffing Dog Has Penchant for Getting His Man.” Daily News, 25 Jan. 1990. https://books.google.com/books?id=G2xCAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer+body+found&article_id=4181,1294283&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiImdWTieeRAxX5kokEHXCfJiIQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=Brenda%20Sue%20Schaefer%20body%20found%20dog&f=false
- “Catt’s True Crime Corner Hidden in Plain Sight.” Catt’s True Crime Corner , 10 Feb. 2021, https://cattstruecrimecorner.com/hidden-in-plain-sight/#:~:text=When%20Brenda%20didn’t%20return,that%20wasn’t%20what%20happened.
- “Double Jeopardy - CBS News.” CBS News | Breaking News, Top Stories & Today’s Latest Headlines, https://www.facebook.com/48hours/, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/double-jeopardy/. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “Double Jeopardy: Obsession, Murder, and Justice Denied | Office of Justice Programs.” Home | Office of Justice Programs, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/double-jeopardy-obsession-murder-and-justice-denied. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “Double Jeopardy: Obsession, Murder, and Justice Denied - Bob Hill - Google Books.” Google Books, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Double_Jeopardy/rITaAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer&dq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer&printsec=frontcover. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “Double Jeopardy Pt. II: Can A Murderer Avoid Prison? - CBS News.” CBS News | Breaking News, Top Stories & Today’s Latest Headlines, https://www.facebook.com/48hours/, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/double-jeopardy-pt-ii-can-a-murderer-avoid-prison/. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “Getting Away With Murder : MSNBCW : November 5, 2011 10:00am-11:00am PDT : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive.” Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20111105_170000_Getting_Away_With_Murder/start/2220/end/2280. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
- Goldfarb, Kara. “How Mel Ignatow Got Away With Killing Brenda Sue Schaefer.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 13 Jan. 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/mel-ignatow.
- “Ignatow Timeline - Newspapers.ComTM.” Newspapers.Com, 3 Dec. 2001, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-ignatow-timeline/98157251/.
- “Key Witness Needs to Be Evaluated .” Daily News, 25 July 1990.
- https://books.google.com/books?id=T_gaAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=Brenda+Sue+Schaefer+trial&article_id=4076,4658796&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiky5nvyOiRAxVu4skDHWksKCA4ChDoAXoECAYQAw#v=onepage&q=Brenda%20Sue%20Schaefer%20trial&f=false
- “Mel Ignatow — Justice Does Not Always Serve the Just — Crime Library.” Crime Library – Crime News and Stories, https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/mel-ignatow/1-justice-does-not-always-serve-the-just.html. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “Murder They Wrote: Double Jeopardy.” 48 Hours, 17 Aug. 2001, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31044853/.
- Pence Report. https://juryverdicts.net/PenceReport.pdf. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
- “She Died Peacefully — Mel Ignatow — Crime Library.” Crime Library – Crime News and Stories, https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/mel-ignatow/12-she-died-peacefully.html. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
