Dr. Phil

Charlie Brandt: Killer Child to Serial Killer? And the Murder of Baby Elaina (12x129)

Air date: Apr 03, 2014

If you knew a dark secret about a friend’s past, would you tell his or her significant other? In 2004, 47-year-old Carl “Charlie” Brandt murdered his wife, Teri, and her niece, Michelle, before hanging himself. But what most of his friends and family didn’t know at the time was that Brandt had killed before. When Brandt was 13, he shot and killed his pregnant mother, shot his father -- who survived -- and attempted to shoot his sister, Angela, who escaped. Brandt was not charged but was placed in a psychiatric facility. After he was released one year later, his family packed up and moved out of state, where no one knew about his past. Members of Teri and Michelle’s family join Dr. Phil in search of answers. Who knew about Brandt’s history, and why didn’t they come forward? Brandt’s ex-brother-in-law, Jim, joins the conversation and admits he knew about Brandt's dark past when he introduced him to Teri. Why does he say he kept the secret from her? And, what red flags does he admit he missed? Plus, authorities say unsolved murders may be connected to Brandt. Was he a serial killer all along? Then, in 2013, the body of missing 18-month-old Elaina was found in a box in a garage. Her mother, Angela Steinfurth, and Angela’s then-boyfriend, Steven King, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with eligibility of parole in 18 and 25 years, respectively. What do they claim caused baby Elaina’s death? Angela’s half-sister, Mary, and Elaina’s father, Terry, say they are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. How can the family move forward after such a devastating loss?