It is a disturbing truth to realize just how many acts of violence can be traced back to passionate love affairs, but Ezra McCandless took it to a new level. This tiny female killer was so comfortable living a life that she made up, that you almost have to wonder if she eventually lost track of reality. In the beginning, the tale of her transition from a lost young woman to a murderer would start with a crush on one man: Jason Mengel. In this article, we will discuss what finally pushed Ezra McCandless over the edge.
Who Was Ezra McCandless?
Ezra McCandless was a person who was created during the later years of Monica Kay’s wife. Monica never really felt that the name Monica Kay suited her, which is why she made the decision to change her name and moved away to a new city. The life of Monica Kay, Ezra felt, had been lived enough. Now, it was time to show the world a version of herself that she was truly proud of. Unfortunately, it seems that this was just one of Ezra’s many odd behaviors.
According to friends who knew her, Ezra displayed a wide range of attention-seeking behaviors. She did not like to be missed in a crowd and often spent her time embracing loud behaviors that would get her attention. Whether it was drawing absurd images all over her car or talking to strangers in public places, Ezra couldn’t help but pull the attention of a room to herself.
Dating Jason Mengel
At the age of nineteen, Ezra first began to date thirty-three-year-old Jason Mengel. Though they had a wide age gap, Mengel felt that the two of them filled it in well. He kept her energized, and she allowed him to be more spontaneous. They were together for a while, even going so far as to move in together and contemplate marriage. Everything changed when they began to hang out with Alex Woodworth.
The Affair
Jason and Ezra were both friends with Alex, and they loved his company. Alex was a smart and vivacious young man. He had a good relationship with his family, plenty of friends, and spent his time talking about philosophy, which he was deeply passionate about. Jason encouraged Alex and Ezra to be close since they were closer in age and had shared interests. Unfortunately, one thing led to another, and before long Jason knew that something was going on. He calmly approached them about the matter, and Alex apologetically admitted the truth. Caught in a role in a story that she did not like, Ezra decided to end it with both men.
The Rape Allegation
After it was clear that Ezra had been cast in such an unfavorable role, she decided on a better narrative. In this new version of history, one of Jason’s friends had raped her at a party. According to Ezra, she was drunk and passed out, and something happened to her while she slept. Unfortunately for Ezra, police did their due diligence and quickly unveiled a wide range of messages to Jason’s friends and her attempts to seduce them. The real nail in the coffin came when Alex confirmed to police that she had sex with the person willingly and admitted that she just regretted it. All charges were dropped.
A Twisted Plot
Ezra moved away for a while and became fixated on the idea of winning Jason back. In her mind, the only thing standing in her way was Alex. Jason learned that Ezra was in town when she arrived at his work acting agitated before heading over to Alex’s. Jason sensed that something was wrong and went after her, stating that the two shouldn’t be alone because something wasn’t right with her. Ultimately, they agreed but did not listen to his warning.
Murder and Lies
The next event occurred when Ezra showed up on the porch of a neighbor claiming that she had been assaulted. Police took her statements, but Ezra reportedly didn’t remember anything beyond her fear of Alex. Police found Alex’s body hanging out of the back of Ezra’s car in some mud on the side of the road. He had been stabbed sixteen times in total. According to the police, he could have lived with medical intervention.
Ezra claimed that Alex attacked her and she defended herself in the only way that she knew how. Regardless, she was caught lying about the word “boy” being scratched into her arm, which was a self-inflicted wound. Every step of the way, her story did not match up. According to police, Ezra staged an entire crime scene and a story to go with it.
In her version, Alex tried to rape her and then began to attack her. The evidence shows that she attacked him from behind and left him for dead before blaming him for his own murder. Police strongly believe that she thought that if she could make Alex disappear, Jason would take her back.
Other media & documents related to the case
Ezra McCandleless Google doc journals
Sexual assault exam done on Ezra (Graphic photos)
Ezra McCandless Instagram page (still active)
GoFundMe for Ezra
Full 911 call
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