Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall Season 2 Episode 6 Harvesting Murder

In season 2 episode 6 of Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall, titled "Harvesting Murder," true crime journalist Tamron Hall explores the gruesome murder of 25-year-old college student, Kathy Blair.

The episode takes place in Sarasota, Florida and opens with a 911 call from Blair's boyfriend, Jonathan Suitor, reporting that he had discovered her dead in their home. Hall introduces us to the key players in the investigation, including lead detective Tom Shanafelt and prosecutor Karen Fraivillig. Hall delves into Blair's life, painting a portrait of a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, who was loved by everyone she knew. Blair was a straight-A student studying to become a nurse, and worked as an intern at a local hospital.

As Shanafelt investigates the crime scene, he quickly realizes that this is no ordinary murder. Blair's body has been dismembered and her remains are scattered throughout different parts of the city. Shanafelt and his team begin the difficult task of piecing together the clues to try and solve the case. The investigation leads them to the local funeral home owner, David Onstott, who had been on Blair's radar for a while, and also had a mysterious connection to one of the lead investigators.

Through interviews with family and friends, Hall uncovers Blair's relationship with Onstott. The embalmer had befriended the young nursing student and even helped her with funeral arrangements for a close friend, cultivating a friendship with her. Onstott, himself a convicted sex offender, soon became infatuated with Blair. She realized his intentions were not entirely pure and began to distance herself.

Hall also interviews law enforcement officers who explain how bodies are embalmed, and how Onstott's knowledge of the process allowed him to dismember Blair's body and dispose of the remains without being detected. They also reveal that the motive for the murder was sexual in nature, and that Onstott had killed Blair because she had rejected his advances.

As Shanafelt and his team work tirelessly to build a case against Onstott, Hall speaks with Fraivillig about the challenges of prosecuting a case where the evidence is spread out throughout the city, and where the cause of death is not immediately clear. She also explores the impact that Blair's murder had on the community, particularly given that a convicted sex offender had been allowed to work with dead bodies.

"Harvesting Murder" is a chilling episode that explores the disturbing reality of sexual predators who operate within the funeral industry. Through careful investigation and close collaboration between law enforcement and prosecutors, justice is ultimately served for Kathy Blair, but not before her family and friends are forced to endure unimaginable pain and horror.