By Arvind Singh
Copyright sportskeeda
The death of Bryan Capnerhurst in 2012 shocked the community in Columbia, South Carolina. Capnerhurst, 46, was found dead in the home of his friend and business associate, Brett Parker. Also killed that night was Parker’s wife, Tammy Jo Parker, 44. Brett Parker told police that Bryan Capnerhurst had come to the house to collect a debt from their shared illegal gambling business.According to Parker, Capnerhurst shot Tammy during a confrontation, and Parker then shot Capnerhurst in self-defense. Investigators soon questioned this account due to inconsistencies at the scene. The case exposed a hidden world of underground betting, financial troubles, and personal relationships that deepened the mystery. It also raised questions about self-defense laws in South Carolina.The story was featured on NBC’s Dateline in the episode The Mystery at Ascot Estates, which first aired in 2013. The episode will re-air on Oxygen on September 20, 2025, as part of its true crime lineup.The actual cause of Bryan Capnerhurst’s passingBrett Parker owed money to Bryan Capnerhurst (Image via Unsplash/@Alexander Grey)Bryan Capnerhurst and Tammy Jo Parker were both connected to Brett Parker through work and personal ties. Brett, who worked in pharmaceutical sales, also ran an illegal sports betting operation with his father, Jack Parker, and Capnerhurst. Capnerhurst helped manage the betting business and was a close family friend. The operation involved handling large sums of money, leading to debts among those involved. Brett owed Capnerhurst about $21,300 from gambling losses, as per CBS News.Tammy Jo Parker was a successful sales representative and mother to the couple’s two children. She was unaware of the full extent of her husband’s illegal activities. The family lived in the quiet Ascot Estates neighborhood in Irmo, near Columbia. Financial pressures mounted within the betting ring, and Bryan Capnerhurst himself was struggling with money. He believed a large amount of cash was kept in the Parkers’ home safe.Brett was also involved in an extramarital affair with a woman named Lindsay Mullins, whom he met through the business, according to CBS News. This relationship added further strain to his marriage. Reports from local news stations detailed the family’s public image versus their private struggles. After the murder investigation, federal charges for illegal gambling were filed against Brett and his father.Also Read: Brandy Daniels’s murder – A detailed case overview about the single mother shot dead ahead of Dateline episodeThe night of the murdersDateline: season 3, episode 7 (Image via Unsplash/@Max Kleinen)On April 13, 2012, tragedy struck at the Parker home in Ascot Estates. Tammy Jo Parker was working in an upstairs office when Capnerhurst arrived around 9 p.m. He carried a duffel bag with bullets. Brett Parker said he was in the bathroom at the time and directed Bryan Capnerhurst upstairs to discuss the debt. According to Brett, Capnerhurst shot Tammy once in the chest with a 9mm pistol. He then allegedly forced Brett at gunpoint into the attic safe, as per CBS News.Brett claimed he grabbed a hidden revolver from the safe and shot Capnerhurst four times. Capnerhurst’s body was found in the attic, still holding the 9mm pistol, while Tammy was discovered in the office. Surveillance footage from the home showed movement in the office blinds minutes before Capnerhurst’s arrival. After the shootings, Brett called 911, reporting the incident as a home invasion gone wrong.The safe contained only a small amount of cash, far less than Capnerhurst expected. Earlier that day, Brett had met with his mistress, but this did not directly tie to the evening’s events. Police arrived to find the scene as described, but details soon raised questions, according to CBS News.Also Read: A detailed case overview of The Zombie Hunter ahead of Dateline: Secrets UncoveredThe investigation and arrestBrett Praker was having an affair with Lindsay Mullins (Image via Unsplash/@Volodymyr Hryshchenko)The Richland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene on April 13, 2012. At first, Brett Parker’s self-defense claim seemed possible, but evidence quickly raised doubts. Gunpowder residue on the office blinds suggested someone had fired a shot and then checked outside. While Bryan Capnerhurst had residue on his hands, an autopsy showed a prior arm injury that made it hard for him to grip the pistol found in his hand. Investigators discovered that bullets in Capnerhurst’s bag had Brett’s fingerprint, as per CBS News.Investigators also looked into the gambling business, finding debts and motives. Brett’s affair with Lindsay Mullins came to light, though she denied any role in the deaths. After 97 days of investigation, on July 20, 2012, Brett was arrested for two counts of murder. Sheriff Leon Lott stated there was no love triangle involved.Prosecutors argued that Brett shot Tammy first, then killed Capnerhurst and staged the scene to look like a robbery. Forensic experts testified about ballistics and the improbability of Bryan Capnerhurst holding the gun tightly. The case also prompted federal probes into the illegal betting.Also Read: Deedee Keller’s murder – A detailed case overview ahead of Dateline episodeThe trial and convictionBrett was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison (Image via Unsplash/@Emiliano Bar)Brett Parker’s trial began in May 2013 in Richland County and lasted nearly three weeks. Prosecutors argued that he planned the murders due to financial and personal issues and then staged the scene. The defense claimed that Bryan Capnerhurst was the aggressor in a botched robbery, invoking self-defense under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law, as per The State.However, the illegal gambling disqualified a full pretrial hearing on that law. Witnesses included Lindsay Mullins, who testified about the affair, and Capnerhurst’s widow. Parker’s daughter also testified that her father had given Capnerhurst the 9mm pistol earlier. After about three hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Brett on both murder counts on May 28, 2013. He was given two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of release.In 2014, Brett and his father faced federal convictions for illegal gambling, according to The State. Jack’s conviction was overturned in 2015 due to prosecutorial issues, but Brett’s murder appeal was denied in 2016 by the South Carolina Court of Appeals. The case remains closed, with Brett in prison.Also Read: The true story behind Heidy Truman’s mysterious death ahead of Dateline
