The gruesome murder of 23-year-old Bailey Sharp in 2016 is one of the most haunting cases in California, USA, leaving a lasting impact on the community and raising numerous questions about safety and justice. Dateline covered this murder case in Season 33, Episode 2 titled "Wrong Turns," which aired on NBC yesterday, October 4, 2024.
What made this case even more startling was its connection to another murder of a 25-year-old man named Justin Hilbert, who was leading a normal life with his fiancée and newborn son. These two incidents took place in the same year and were riddled with complications that baffled investigators.
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As revealed in the Dateline episode, Sharp was stabbed almost 20 times and was thrown onto a street corner in Riverside, California. She had blood all over her body, and a Samaritan took her to the hospital. While she was alive on the streets, Bailey Sharp couldn't survive her injuries and died at the hospital.
The police began investigating the case and found that Sharp's death was linked to Hilbert's through her killer. It was revealed that Sharp was murdered by her boyfriend Jared Bischoff, a man with a history of violent acts.
Read more to explore facts about the murder case.
Five disturbing facts about the Bailey Sharp murder case featured in Dateline Season 33
For years, Dateline has covered startling true crime stories that capture the public’s attention, one of which is the chilling story of Bailey Sharp's murder and how her tragic elimination ultimately led to unsettling speculations about another murder of a man. According to the synopsis:
"A new father is found dead on the side of a road. Then the shocking stabbing of a young woman in broad daylight leads police on a high-speed chase. Investigators wonder: are these two chilling murders connected?"
Justin Hilbert's tragic murder on June 21, 2016, became highly controversial and garnered significant media attention, as he was killed in the same brutal manner that Sharp was injured on July 10, 2016.
This unsettling similarity ultimately led the police to find critical evidence against the killer, Jared Bischoff, resulting in his eventual conviction.
Below are the five disturbing facts about the connected murders:
1) Bailey Sharp was involved in Justin Hilbert's murder
The Bailey Sharp murder case featured on Dateline is so shocking and disturbing that viewers who watched the gripping episode are now increasingly curious to delve deep into the intricacies of her tragic story.
As shared by NBC, Bailey Sharp wasn't just a drug addict; she also played an active role in the conspiracy to kill Hilbert, who wasn't even directly connected to her but rather to her boyfriend, Jared Bischoff.
After thoroughly examining the case and the context of Sharp's drug addiction, one of the Southern California prosecutors explained that her motivations were driven by a complex mix of "jealousy, greed, rage, and addiction."
Reports suggest that Sharp actively participated in the conspiracy primarily for financial gain, which involved Jared Bischoff's ex-wife's life insurance policy, highlighting the extent of her involvement and the tragic circumstances surrounding the case.
2) Bailey Sharp faced a similar fate like Justin Hilbert
Another significant fact about the murder case featured on Dateline is the tragic and untimely end of Sharp's life after her involvement in Hilbert's murder.
Little did she know that her overwhelming greed and addiction would lead her to make horrific decisions that would ultimately result in her own brutal murder. In a shocking turn of events, she was stabbed in broad daylight, with no one around to intervene and stop the killer.
Bailey Sharp was the eldest of three siblings and faced various health issues, including depression, lupus, and anxiety, which complicated her life further.
Although Sharp's parents were aware of their daughter's struggles with her mental health and her drug addiction, they had no idea that she would eventually aid someone in the heinous act of killing an innocent man, leading to devastating consequences for all involved.
3) Bailey Sharp's boyfriend was a suspect even before her murder
As previously mentioned, Hilbert was killed a month before Bailey Sharp's murder. During the investigation of Hilbert's murder, the police suspected Jared Bischoff of the crime and even questioned him. However, nothing could prove that Bischoff was the man behind it.
Additionally, the police suspected that Hilbert was killed somewhere else, and then his body was thrown onto the corner. This was due to a lack of evidence around his dead body, making it hard to trace the killer.
4) Bailey Sharp wanted to connect with Jared Bischoff's ex-wife
Just before Justin Hilbert was killed, Bailey Sharp sent him and his wife a friend request on social media. However, the Dateline episodes didn't mention why Bailey was trying to connect with the two.
Additionally, Sharp and Bischoff had a complicated relationship, which might have motivated Bailey Sharp to connect with her boyfriend's ex-wife.
5) Jared Bischoff was found guilty of Bailey Sharp's murder but not Justin Hilbert
Following the investigation, it was revealed that Justin Hilbert was about to marry Jared Bischoff's ex-wife while the killer was pursuing a relationship with Bailey Sharp. Bischoff's actions were motivated by jealousy and greed, and he was finally charged with killing Sharp by stabbing her.
Bischoff is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. However, the police didn't find any evidence that could prove Jared Bischoff was Hilbert's killer as well.
As seen in the Dateline episode, Hilbert's wife, Tonya Reppe, revealed that her ex-husband called her mother during the car chase, but she didn't connect with him.
The Dateline episode also featured the family members of Justin Hilbert and Bailey Sharp, expressing their pain and shock over the murders. So make sure to watch the episode if you haven't already.
Also Read: 5 Brian Shaffer theories that will leave you shook
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