5 chilling details about Brad McGarry's murder 

The murder of Brad McGarry in Bellaire, Ohio, stunned the community and will be revisited on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered when the episode Dangerous Secret (Season 15, Episode 3) airs Wednesday, June 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Oxygen.

Investigators found the 43-year-old coal miner and hairdresser face-down in his basement, shot twice in the back of the head, yet expensive collectibles and his 9 mm pistol were untouched, indicating a staged burglary, as per Oxygen.com report dated Oct 20, 2018.

Within forty-eight hours, detectives learned Brad McGarry had secretly dated his married best friend, David “DJ” Kinney, after cousin Schuyler Strawser disclosed the affair, according to The Intelligencer report dated May 19, 2017. Phone data, surveillance images, and Kinney’s shifting statements placed him at the scene before the shooting, leading to his arrest on May 9.

A jury in Belmont County ultimately reached a verdict, convicting Kinney of aggravated murder. Judge Frank Fregiato imposed life without parole plus three years for a gun specification, as per a WTOV-9 report dated Feb 15, 2018. The weapon remains missing, and renewed coverage hopes to clarify why Brad McGarry’s life ended so violently.

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5 key details about Brad McGarry's murder explored

1) A basement execution disguised as a burglary

Brad McGarry was found fatally shot in the back of the head twice inside the basement of his Bellaire, Ohio, home on May 7, 2017, after authorities responded to the scene. Investigators noted overturned furniture yet untouched valuables, signalling a staged break-in. As per the Oxygen.com report dated Oct 20 2018, Detective Ryan Allar stated,

“The more and more we get into this, the more and more it looks like this is a prop left for us, to throw us off the trail.”

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2) The secret relationship that upended the timeline

Within 24 hours, police hit a breakthrough when cousin Schuyler Strawser disclosed that Brad McGarry had arranged an afternoon meeting with “DJ,” later identified as best friend David Kinney. This hidden affair of “years” provided motive and narrowed the suspect pool, shifting Kinney from witness to primary target, according to The Intelligencer report dated May 19, 2017.

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3) Kinney’s shifting narratives versus digital evidence

During interrogation on May 9, Kinney offered multiple accounts-robbery witness, third-man shooter, and finally self-defense. Cell-phone pings and a neighbour’s security footage placed him at the residence before and after the homicide, contradicting every version. As per The Intelligencer report dated May 19, 2017, Detective Allar remarked,

“Constantly, the defendant’s narrative changed. As I was talking to him I started to suspect that he was the one that had killed Brad McGarry,...I began to point out things that I knew to be true that conflicted with the defendant’s statements. … There were various stories told”

GPS data and the absence of forced entry convinced detectives that the murder was premeditated rather than impulsive.

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4) Indictment, trial, and life-without-parole sentence

Judge Albert Davies ruled the evidence sufficient for a murder charge. A grand jury soon indicted Kinney, who was held on a USD 1 million bond with a firearm specification. The eight-day trial in February 2018 detailed how Brad McGarry’s threat to reveal their relationship pushed Kinney to kill.

Jurors found Kinney guilty of aggravated murder. Judge Frank Fregiato imposed life without parole plus three years. As per the WTOV-9 report dated Feb 15, 2018, Prosecutor Dan Fry stated,

“The jury unanimously found him guilty of aggravated murder, a pre-meditated execution-style murder, shooting his supposed friend in the back of the head twice. Only Mr. Kinney knows why,”

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5) Unanswered questions and renewed scrutiny

The .22-calibre pistol Kinney claimed to discard along Route 7 has never been recovered, leaving a key piece of forensic evidence missing. Detectives continue to seek tips on the weapon’s location, while Brad McGarry’s friends struggle with the betrayal.

The episode Dangerous Secret in Dateline: Secrets Uncovered airs Wednesday, June 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET, revisiting how an outward friendship masked lethal intent and why Brad McGarry’s plea for honesty ended in silence. The broadcast aims to clarify lingering gaps, ensuring Brad remains central to the search for every remaining fact in this chilling Ohio case.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Bharath S