It was Halloween day when Jade Olmstead plead guilty to her part in the crime that took Brandy's life. Two weeks before the trial date; a trial that would include over 900 photographic pieces of evidence and a list of 29 witnesses, including Brandy's mother and grandmother.
Olmstead's plea would be answered with the dismissal of two "lesser" charges of conspiracy to commit criminal homicide and tampering with evidence, and a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It was during this plea hearing that some of the pieces of the puzzle were glued together for me. When we went searching for Brandy in Meadville, PA, we stopped at the Barber residence, the address Brandy had been going to the day she went missing, and we spoke with Barber and Olmstead on the front lawn. Barber's forearms were solid bruises. She held them up as a defense, to show us that they were at the hospital the day Brandy had planned to come over. She openly claimed to us, the family and friends (I think there were six of us) that these bruises were from a fall down the basement stairs...
Well, before the judge gave Olmstead her sentence, the District Attorney read an entry from her diary, dated 5/18/2012. A sick and demented Olmstead used the word "beautiful" to describe the murder in this entry. She made mention of a "mistake," saying something along the lines of; "I didn't mean to hit her, but this is only our first. Next time we will not make any mistakes."
I cringe at the lack of humanity, but know that it is now time for Brandy to rest in peace.
There is only one more thing to be done, one more monster to address, and she will speak very soon.
And then so will I. Once this is all over with in the courts, I feel as though I will be able to much more openly explain this story... and also continue to let my friend's voice resonate throughout the years that she should still be living in.
