Rhode Island: The Arruda Family and The Brendel Family
United States of Murder
Ashley and Lacey
4.6 • 564 Ratings
🗓️ 9 March 2026
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we’re in Rhode Island discussing a familicide. Then we’ll talk about a killer conman who masqueraded as a church leader. So buckle up and join us on this dark and twisted ride through the Ocean State.
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Sources: Boston Globe, Memories of Danielle Arruda, Go Local Prov, Christopher Hightower v. State, LA Times
Music by Pixabay
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast may contain adult language and situations, graphic, gory details, and other not-so-nice things. |
| 0:07.5 | Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:19.1 | I'm Lacey. |
| 0:20.5 | And I'm Ashley, and this is United States of murder. This week we're in |
| 0:25.3 | Rhode Island discussing a familicide. Then we'll talk about a killer con man who |
| 0:31.9 | masqueraded as a church leader so buckle up and join us on this dark and |
| 0:36.4 | twisted ride through the ocean state. |
| 0:39.9 | So my case this week is a little short. On Friday, January 3rd, 2025, around 10 a.m., the West Greenwich |
| 0:50.2 | Police Department received a phone call from Danielle Aruta's co-workers requesting a well-being |
| 0:57.6 | check at their home on Cheyenne Trail. They said she had not shown up for work on Thursday, |
| 1:03.8 | and then when she didn't come in on Friday or call, they knew something was wrong. She never missed |
| 1:10.5 | work. Even at seven months pregnant, she was there. She never missed work. |
| 1:11.3 | Even at seven months pregnant, she was there. |
| 1:14.0 | She was dependable. |
| 1:16.0 | This, something was up. |
| 1:18.8 | So police arrive at the home around 10.15, and there are two cars in the driveway. |
| 1:25.0 | So everything looks normal, right? |
| 1:28.7 | They go ring the doorbell, no one comes to the door. |
| 1:32.0 | They decide to basically break inside what's going on. |
| 1:36.7 | No one's coming to the door. |
| 1:37.8 | No one's seen or heard from these folks. |
| 1:39.8 | What's happening? |
... |
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