TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein ·Oct 5, 2026 ·36 min

The Bathtub Killer : Dale Devon Scheanette

Evaluation and Summary

6.4/10

TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein covers the case of Dale Devon Scheanette, known as the "Bathtub Killer" for his 1996 murders of two young women in Arlington, Texas. The episode details the crimes against Christine Vu, a 25-year-old elementary school teacher found sexually assaulted, bound with duct tape, strangled, and left face-down in her bathtub on September 17, 1996, and Wendie Prescott, a 22-year-old teacher's aide discovered in similar circumstances on Christmas Eve 1996. The host emphasizes remembering the victims by name at the outset. The episode traces the investigative timeline: how the cases went unsolved for years despite a fingerprint recovered from Prescott's apartment, the breakthrough in 1999 when Scheanette was arrested for car-audio burglary in DeSoto and his prints matched the evidence, and subsequent DNA linking him to both murders and multiple sexual assaults between 1998-1999. It covers the legal resolution: Scheanette's 2003 conviction for capital murder in Prescott's death and his execution by lethal injection on February 10, 2009, at age 35. The show notes indicate the host takes a victim-centered approach, opening with a dedication to remembering Vu and Prescott by name rather than sensationalizing the killer.

Verdict: A competent true crime episode that delivers its promised case with victim-centered framing and solid factual coverage, but limited evidence of distinctive storytelling or original reporting.

True Crime rubric

Research depth 3/5 25%

Shows notes present factual case details including dates, victim names, crime specifics, and investigative timeline, suggesting solid foundational research without evidence of original reporting or exclusive interviews.
Storytelling n/a

Source material provides case facts and structure but contains no information about narrative pacing, dialogue, transitions, or how the host crafts the story across the 36-minute runtime.
Respect for victims 4/5 19%

Host explicitly opens by naming and remembering both victims, centering them rather than the killer; no sensationalism evident in the factual presentation of their deaths and circumstances.
Substance 3/5 19%

Show notes contain solid factual content covering crimes, investigation, and resolution, but without audio evidence it's unclear whether the 36 minutes includes padding, tangents, or filler.
Delivers on its title 5/5 19%

Title promises the Bathtub Killer case; show notes comprehensively cover both bathtub murders, the killer's identity, crimes, investigation, conviction, and execution.
Value for time 3/5 19%

36 minutes for a straightforward case summary with clear timeline suggests reasonable pacing, but without hearing the episode it's unclear if the length is justified or if content drags.

How we score True Crime

Worth it if you want a respectful, factual account of a solved serial murder case with emphasis on remembering the victims.

#serial murder #texas crime #sexual assault #cold case solved #capital punishment

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.

Show notes

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott with me today. In 1996, Dale Devon Scheanette committed two rapes and murders at the same apartment complex in Arlington, Texas, crimes that later led to his nickname, the “Bathtub Killer.” On September 17, 25-year-old elementary-school teacher Christine Vu was found sexually assaulted, bound with duct tape, strangled, and left face-down in a partially filled bathtub in her apartment. About three months later, on Christmas Eve, Scheanette attacked 22-year-old Wendie Prescott, a teacher’s aide. Family members went to check on her after she failed to arrive for a planned holiday gathering and found her body in her apartment bathtub. She had been sexually assaulted, bound, and strangled; the medical examiner found that immersion in the water may also have contributed to her death. The cases remained unsolved for several years. A fingerprint recovered from Prescott’s apartment did not initially match anyone in law-enforcement databases. In 1999, Scheanette was arrested for burglarizing a car-audio business in DeSoto, Texas, and his prints were entered into the system. They matched the evidence from the murders. DNA evidence subsequently linked him to both killings and to multiple sexual assaults committed between 1998 and 1999. In January 2003, a Texas jury convicted Scheanette of capital murder for Prescott’s death during a sexual assault and sentenced him to death. He was also charged with Vu’s murder but was not separately tried for it. Texas executed Scheanette by lethal injection on February 10, 2009, when he was 35.

Episode page

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