In an attempt to escape an abusive relationship, 44-year-old Rachael Madison, a female, fled from her home in Indiana in November 2016. She sought refuge with relatives in Ormond Beach, Florida, hoping to find safety and start a new life. Her estranged husband, Jarvis Wayne Madison, had a history of domestic violence and had threatened to kill her, even firing a gun at her before she managed to get away.
Her hope for a peaceful existence was short-lived.
Over the next two weeks, Jarvis Madison relentlessly tried to contact her through numerous texts and voicemails. He eventually tracked her down to her aunt's home in Florida and began to watch her. His stalking culminated when he confronted Rachael while she was out for a jog. He shot her three times, placed her body in his SUV, and fled the state.
The investigation into Rachael's disappearance quickly pointed to her estranged husband. A few days later, on December 2, 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Jarvis Madison in Louisville, Kentucky. After his capture, he admitted to the murder and led investigators to a remote area off a highway exit in Kodak, Tennessee, where he had buried her body in a shallow grave. Investigators found the murder weapon and her cell phone in his vehicle.
The investigation also revealed that Jarvis Madison had assistance. A former FBI employee, Belenda Sandy, who was romantically involved with him, provided him with money and new tires for his trip to Florida. Sandy was later charged with and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, receiving a sentence of seven years and three months in federal prison. In March 2021, Jarvis Wayne Madison pleaded guilty in federal court to interstate stalking resulting in death. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his estranged wife.
