Human Wreckage True Crime
Disturbing True Crime Stories, These include, murderers, kidnappings, serial killers. Solved and unsolved.
Human Wreckage True Crime
The Tragic Fate of Daniel Geier and Scot Weaver
How did a tranquil woodland in Virginia Beach become the scene of a brutal double murder? Join us as we unravel the haunting tale of nine-year-old Daniel Geier and seven-year-old Scot Weaver, whose innocent bike ride ended in a shocking tragedy. The community's desperate search turned grim when a volunteer discovered the boys' bodies, casting a dark shadow over the neighborhood known as "our playground." We'll guide you through the eerie details of the crime scene, the boys' final moments, and the forensic findings that left everyone reeling.
In this gripping episode of Human Wreckage, we also delve into the unsettling presence of 16-year-old Shawn Novick, the local teenager who emerged as a key figure in the investigation. His bizarre behaviors and chilling claims soon placed him under the scrutiny of authorities. Hear from classmates and community members as we piece together a profile of Novick and explore how his strange actions caught the attention of investigators. This episode is a deep dive into a community's nightmare and the relentless pursuit of justice for two young lives cut tragically short.
On the 5th of March 1991, daniel Geyer and Scott Weaver were reported missing in Virginia Beach. The following day their bodies were found. An investigation led to a teenage boy who liked to hang out in the woodland. Welcome to this episode of Human Wreckage. This episode is about the gruesome murder of Daniel Geyer and Scott Weaver. Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:It was Monday, the 5th of March 1991, when two boys were reported missing in Virginia Beach. Nine-year-old Daniel Geyer and seven-year-old Christopher Scott Weaver were friends and neighbors living at the Wadsworth Homes Complex, which is an apartment complex of the US Navy Amphibious Base complex, which is an apartment complex of the US Navy amphibious base. They had gone out that afternoon on their bikes and had last been seen at a grocery store at around 5 30 pm that evening. The boys never returned home. Their parents first of all set off searching on foot, checking all of the areas that the boys would typically play. However, there was no sign of Daniel or Scott. There was woodland nearby and a lake, but the boys were told not to go here by their parents. Scott's grandmother commented. I hope to God they didn't go where they went last week over to the lake. The two families set off to the woodland and lake, armed with flashlights but hampered by the dark. They returned home At around 7.40 pm. Police were called and the boys were reported missing.
Speaker 1:The community pulled together to assist in the search and they were joined by military personnel and the American Red Cross. Less than 24 hours later, searchers were focusing their attention on woodland near Bird Neck Lake. Near the lake, volunteers found one of the boys' bikes. One wheel on the bike had been bent. Police divers were brought to the scene to scan the lake. Volunteers found one of the boys' bikes. One wheel on the bike had been bent. Police divers were brought to the scene to scan the lake and the second bike was found in the water.
Speaker 1:The search continued, with scores of volunteers scouring the woodland in search of the boys. James McKenzie, one of the volunteers, was searching the woodland when he spotted a mound of leaves and debris. He could see a hand protruding out from underneath. I stepped up on a log to stay out of the marshy area, he said. I turned back to wait for my wife and just happened to look down and see a hand. He moved away the leaves and debris and recoiled in horror as he saw the bodies of Daniel and Scott. They were lying side by side and there were large gaping wounds to the boys' necks. Their throats had been slashed with so much force that Scott was almost decapitated. An autopsy would confirm that neither boy had been sexually assaulted. There was also no evidence of a struggle at the spot where they were found, indicating they had been killed elsewhere.
Speaker 1:The missing person investigation quickly transformed into a murder investigation and news of the gruesome murders spread like wildfire. The woodland surrounding Bird Neck Lake was a popular haunt for children to ride their bikes and play. They all referred to the woodland as our playground. There were skateboard ramps, forts and tree houses dotted throughout the woodland. No-transcript. A lot of the parents of the children had forbidden them from going into the woodland. Local parents had heard stories from their children about a teenage boy who often hung out in the woodland. This unknown youth reportedly drank in the woodland and smoked cigarettes. According to some children, they had seen him spray painting pentagrams on trees and he sometimes even chased the younger children. Most the time, however, he played with the children and a lot of them looked at him like something of a big brother, albeit a bit strange.
Speaker 1:Investigators wanted to identify this teenage boy. He wasn't a suspect in the murders, but he was a person of interest in the case and could potentially provide some information With the investigation underway. Classmates of 16-year-old Sean Novick listened intently as he bragged that he had found the bodies. Classmates didn't think much of it. Novick had often said things and done things to get attention. According to one of his classmates, he had bragged about killing animals in the past and often carried around animal bones. Novick's claims quickly caught the attention of investigators. They made contact with James, the man who had found the bodies, and showed him photographs of six teenagers, one of whom was Novick. James denied that he was there when he found the two bodies.
Speaker 1:According to local children, novick was the teenager who often hung out in the woodland. Novik was brought down to the police station to be questioned. He told them that Daniel was a kender, a dwarf-like green creature with pointy ears. Novik was obsessed with dungeons and dragons and he had created something of a fantasy life in the woodland. He often hung out with a group of young children in the woodland and he referred to them all as Kender.
Speaker 1:On the afternoon of the murders, novick was hanging out in the woodland like normal. When Daniel and Scott appeared, novick had played with the boys in the past. According to Novick, daniel repeatedly asked him if he could see his knife. He explained that he lifted the knife from his pocket and I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and I dragged him back and I stabbed him four times and I slashed him two. He continued it's a buck knife with a bone handle. Daniel kept bugging me about wanting to see my knife and Daniel had got out my knife and I freaked out and then Scott began to scream. I wasn't mad, I was really scared because I had cut him from the ear. Novick said that after the murders he noticed that he was covered in blood. He washed his knife and hands in a puddle in the woodland.
Speaker 1:On Saturday Novick was arrested and charged with capital murder. Commonwealth's attorney, robert Humphreys, announced that he was seeking to prosecute him as an adult. If convicted as an adult, that meant that Novick could be facing a sentence of life in prison or capital punishment. It was ultimately decided that Novick would be standing trial as an adult. The trial began in March of 1992, and Novick's defense team would argue that he was legally insane.
Speaker 1:They put forward the suggestion he was possessed by the malevolent side of his dual personality when he committed the murders. They called on a doctor, who testified that Novick was suffering from schizophrenia and felt as though he was watching the murders from above looking down. The prosecution, on the other hand, rejected this. They had their own witnesses that testified there was no sign of mental illness in Novick. It was their suggestion that Novick had killed Daniel and Scott in cold blood. Evidence was also presented from an eyewitness who had seen Novick with Daniel and Scott just moments before they were killed.
Speaker 1:The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution and, after deliberating for just 90 minutes, they found Sean Novick guilty of capital murder. Circuit Judge John Kaye Moore ultimately sentenced Novick to life in prison, with a minimum of 25 years, and, handing down the sentence, he said this crime was primarily the product of a very young, very immature and very disturbed man. Novick had his first shot at parole in 2012, when he was 37 years old, he was denied parole. That wraps up this episode of Human Wreckage. If you like what I do, please like and subscribe. Till next time, please take care, thank you.