07/29/2025
Brooke Slocum, 18 and eight months pregnant, and her boyfriend Charles Oppenneer, 25, were looking to spice things up and add a secret thrill to their lives. They turned to Craigslist, hoping to meet someone new. But this is how they ended up at Brady Oestrike’s house - in this CCTV footage, he is seen preparing his basement, setting the stage for a trap they would never escape.
Brooke Slocum and her boyfriend, Charles Oppenneer, were looking for excitement and new experiences. In July 2014, they turned to Craigslist, seeking someone to join them for a sexual encounter. Brooke was 18 and eight months pregnant; Charles was 25. They posted in the “casual encounters” section, hoping to find adventure and connect with someone who would respect their limits.
They found Brady Oestrike, a 31-year-old man from Wyoming, Michigan, who seemed interested. Messages went back and forth, and eventually, they agreed to meet at his house on July 16, 2014. They thought it would be a controlled, consensual meeting — not knowing they were walking into a carefully laid trap.
When they arrived, Oestrike turned violent almost immediately. He killed Charles first — his decapitated body would later be found in Gezon Park. Brooke was then held captive in Oestrike’s basement, a room he had set up with chains, ropes, and other restraints. Surveillance footage later showed him preparing the space in advance.
Brooke was kept alive for a short time before she was strangled. When police finally tracked Oestrike down after a chase, they found Brooke dead in the trunk of his car. Her unborn baby did not survive. Oestrike shot himself before officers could arrest him.