California Couple Convicted of Murdering Woman’s Ex-Husband for Insurance

August 10, 2004

  • December 9, 2008 at 6:16 am
    Rhonda says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 3

    Joel was a very good friend. He and I graduated the police academy together. He was a very good person, and worked hard to not only support his family, but his wife’s parents, as well.

    I’m wondering what kind of circumstantial evidence was presented to the jury to garner a conviction. I can’t find any details about evidence.

    Jennifer is where she belongs. I intend to write to her, and let her know how much Joel loved her, and that he never strayed. I never trusted that woman, but couldn’t, in my wildest dreams, imagine her capable of something this heinous.

    From what I’ve read, her mother was also a conspirator, but was granted immunity for her testimony. It wasn’t enough that Joel was supporting her lazy ***. She wanted more. Like mother, like daughter.

    I feel for the three kids.

    • December 13, 2013 at 3:31 am
      Trina says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 3
      Thumb down 0

      If you want to know everything about this case, watch the DATELINE episode on youtube, called, “Along Came A Spider” and it describes EVERYTHING about the murder, trial and so forth.
      Very sorry for the loss of Joel. I was disgusted by watching the above-mentioned episode and the facts within.
      Take care
      Trina

  • December 14, 2008 at 3:49 am
    TJ says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 1
    Thumb down 3

    Perhaps there were circumstances that you were not aware of.NO, you don’t know all of the circumstances. I know the mother and she is one of the kindest, most decent people I have ever met. Anything I have ever heard about Joel points to the fact that he was a great person, husband, and father. It is just a very sad situation for everyone involved.Did you even know the person that you are slandering?

    • April 6, 2011 at 11:50 pm
      jeff says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 3
      Thumb down 1

      oh please grow up already tj. “circumstances we’re not aware of”??? you need to bust that bubble of denial the size of montana u live in. she helped cover up the murder of her son in law for god’s sake…so we know all we need to know about her disgusting excuse for a mother. there are no other “circumstances” to know. i think the grand jury summed it up perfectly when they asked her ” if she always lied or just in front of the grand jury”. like mother like daughter sums it up perfectly. they both come from the same block of evil.

      • January 20, 2018 at 2:41 pm
        Linda Uribe says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 0

        OH I so agree..guilty

    • December 10, 2012 at 10:31 pm
      Matt says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      It’s not slander if its true….your obviously a moron who has no idea about first amendment law.

  • December 27, 2008 at 8:20 am
    lollypop says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    when i read this story, it truly sickens me what this woman and her bigamist lover did.
    good for the lapd for putting them where they belong. why not the death penalty?
    it would save our taxpaying money.
    his n her license plates that say “quit working” and “create wealth”.
    she didn’t create but destroyed to get it.
    his plate tells it like it is–the lazy a$$ that he is.

    i hope jacob can find peace in all this.
    i feel truly sad for him.

  • January 23, 2009 at 12:18 pm
    Sue says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 3
    Thumb down 1

    It also sickened me to read about this senseless crime. How do people grow up to be so greedy and evil? I don’t care if I inherited $100 million from the death of someone. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy 1 penney of it – the guilt would eat me alive. Yes, Jennifer and Matt are exactly where they belong, so they can’t hurt anyone else ever again, including the 3 innocent children.

  • February 19, 2009 at 10:32 am
    DD says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    Well, I knew Joel, Jennifer and her mother very well. Only met Matt a couple times. Joel was the kindest person you would have ever met, he treated everyone with respect and would give you the shirt off his back. The world lost a great person the day Joel died, and a piece of me, and all his family, dies as well that day. Jennifers mom was an interesting person, no one thought Jennifer was capable of doing this, but, money can make people do or even conspire to do, horrible things. Dont think for 1 minutes that because her mom “seems” to be the sweetest, nicest person you met, that she was not capable of this, or knowing of it. I will never meet another person in my lifetime thats even close to how Joel was.

    R.I.P Joel, I love you and miss you very much.

  • February 19, 2009 at 11:16 am
    Carolyn D says:
    Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 16
    Thumb down 1

    For the last 10 years I have watched my husband grieve over the death of his BEST friend Joel. Danny was there with Joel throughout his courtship with Jennifer and and then the marriage and the birth of Jacob. There is not a day that he does not think of Joel. And how someone he trusted (Jennifer) could be such a horrible human. I hope Jennifer sees Joels haunts within the prison walks.

    R.I.P Joel, You have 2 beautiful little girls here (Danny’s Girls) Please watch over them.
    I love you Joey…

    Carolyn D.

    • April 7, 2011 at 12:10 am
      jeff says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 1
      Thumb down 1

      i don’t know how beautiful his daughters can be since they come from their disgusting excuse for a mother. genetics is inescapable. it also seems he should watch over jacob as well and not just “danny’s girls”. that’s assuming of course that ANY of those kids are actually HIS. knowing jennifer’s track record those kids need to have a dna test….like yesterday.

  • September 6, 2009 at 11:56 am
    Jacob S says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    Hey tj I don’t think you know what your saying. I think all of this slander is true. You should watch what you say because almost all of this is true… You should definitely reconsider your words the next time you post something that is not true. I know almost exactly what happened cause I lived it. Oh also thanks to the people who wished me a good life I’ve really had a really good new life

  • September 7, 2009 at 12:05 pm
    Jacob Shanbrom says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    And yes I am Jacob Robert Shanbrom (Joel Andrew Shanbrom’s son)

  • December 14, 2009 at 7:29 am
    Jay Williams says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 3
    Thumb down 0

    Hello Jacob,
    I doubt that you’d remember me but I used to work with Matt (I hope that name doesn’t bring up any bad memories) over at World Financial Group. I came to several of what WFG used to call BPM (Business Presentation Meetings) over at the house in Chatsworth. I’ve got to say, I thought about you and your 2 sisters a lot over the years, always wondering if you all were alright. I’m not going to go into anything regarding Matt & Jennifer, you probably have your own feelings and opinions about that, I just wanted to say that it’s nice to know that you are able to move on with your life and make something of yourself. Young man, you’ve had to endure hardships and dangers that most people 3 times you’re age will never see. I wish you well, I really do. Jacob, in case you get this and we never get to speak again, I want you to remember one thing, Where you come from has nothing to do with where you’re going. Have a great life young man, if anyone deserves it, it’s most definately you.

    Take Care.

    Jay Williams

  • January 5, 2010 at 10:56 am
    Joel's Friend says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 2

    I first met Joel when we were 12 and we become very good friends when we were in our early twenties.
    I was there the day he met Jennifer and from that first day you could feel the chemistry between them. I got to know Jennifer while Joel was in the Navy and at sea for six months. Jen really, really missed Joel and you could see the love in her eyes every time she spoke of him – which was often.
    Joel loved Jennifer and Jennifer loved Joel. Beautiful on the inside and the outside – both of them.
    When Jacob came along… well I think you would be hard pressed to find prouder parents. They BOTH worked three jobs to try and have the “American Dream” – a home of their own and financial stability.
    When Joel’s family members needed a place to live Jen welcomed them and when Jen’s mom needed a place to live Joel welcomed her. Jen and Joel – together – helping their family members.

    There is NO evidence to support that Jennifer had anything to do with Joel’s death. The point of entry (the sliding glass door) was the MO of gang members in the area and several neighbors saw two strangers – both young men – in the neighborhood the night of Joel’s murder. We may never know if those men killed Joel and the guilty person (or people) may never go to jail for what they did to him.

    Everyone reading this may want to go and pick up a couple of books about wrongful convictions – it is scary. If this can happen to Jen, this can happen to anyone!

    Jennifer did not kill Joel and, Jacob, if you read this, it is very sad that anyone has led you to believe that she did. Your mom loves you and your two sisters more than you know. A mom, a good loving mom like your mom, would never do anything to hurt her child. You were so young when your dad passed away and it is heartbreaking – even worse is for anyone to lead you to believe that your mom would ever hurt you by hurting your dad.

    I hope and pray that one day you will have access to all of the information… You may need to be 18 to request the trial transcripts (and there are a lot), but I would recommend that you do request and read them (when you are ready) and then you will read for yourself that there is no evidence to support that your mom had anything to do with your dad’s death.

    Jen’s only “mistake” was to fall in love with Matt (several months AFTER Joel passed away) – that was hard for me too, because I still missed Joel (I still do) and it was hard to see Jen with anyone else. My cousin opened my eyes… He said that when you are in a really GREAT mariage then you want to be in that type of loving relationship again (words I had to remember when my dad started dating only eight weeks afer my mom died due to complications from surgery).
    People can be very narrowminded – when my dad started dating so quickly – and then got married only two months after the engagement – I had people ask me if my father had been having an affair! So ridiculous – you would only have to know the man and the relationship he had with my mom to know how absurd the notion is that he would have an affair. The same goes for Jennifer – you only had to see Jen and Joel together to know how ridiculous it is to think that Jen would have an affair.

    I think of you so often Jacob and I am always so happy to hear when you and your sisters are enjoying your lives. To quote my grandfather “Be Happy” – its a good way to approach life, even when life is difficult.

    • April 7, 2011 at 12:30 am
      jeff says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      boy, mr. or mrs. “joels friend”, do u need to somehow bust that bubble of denial you live in. it’s either that or your iq hovers around 70. jacob should pay no attention to your foolish and inept rant about his mom being innocent. anybody with even a SHRED of common sense (and decency) can see she’s guilty. you really do have to be an unbelievable moron to think otherwise. i mean it is just beyond laughable that you’d even be such a fool to think she fell in love with matt AFTER joel passed away. talk about someone being narrow minded, my gosh you just described yourself to a t. it’s amazing how nauseatingly naive people can be. yeah, “your cousin opened your eyes” about that huh? stupidity must run in the family.

      people really need to realize that just because THEY would never do something so despicable themselves such as murder, having an affair, or both, that doesn’t mean by a LONGSHOT that everybody thinks like you do. get it through your skull joel’s friend, yes, people, even people you know ,or are related to, can and do sickening, evil, ugly, awful things. it’s grotesque how easily people are fooled. grow up already……really.



Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*