She Staged Her Ex’s Death as a Suicide. A Neighbor’s Wi-Fi Helped Solve the Murder

A Florida murder case that initially appeared to be a suicide was ultimately solved with the help of digital forensic evidence linked to a neighbor’s Wi-Fi network.

The shocking case, which is featured in a recent episode of Oxygen’s Snapped, follows the 2022 killing of 31-year-old detention deputy Cory Schweitzer and the investigation that led authorities to his former girlfriend, Jacqueline Johnson-Cabrera.

Cory Schweitzer’s Family Immediately Suspected Foul Play

On Aug. 19, 2022, Cory Schweitzer’s family went to his home in Citrus County, Florida, after his girlfriend, Ashley Tucker, received breakup text messages that she said didn’t sound like him.

When relatives arrived, they found Schweitzer dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound to the head.

Although the scene appeared to suggest suicide, investigators quickly noticed several inconsistencies.

Schweitzer was left-handed, but the bullet entered through his right cheek. The gun was found near his left leg instead of where detectives believed it would naturally land after a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators also discovered that the shell casing at the scene came from a different ammunition manufacturer than the rounds loaded in the firearm.

Those details immediately shifted the investigation toward homicide.

@oxygennetwork The family of Cory Schweitzer mourn his death and insist to detectives that the respected corrections officer would never commit suicide. Snapped is brand new Sunday 6/5c on Oxygen True Crime. #TrueCrime #CrimeTok ♬ original sound – Oxygen True Crime

Detectives Focused on His Ex-Girlfriend

As detectives interviewed family and friends, they learned that Schweitzer had ended a difficult relationship with fellow detention deputy Jacqueline Johnson-Cabrera earlier that year.

According to investigators, the breakup had been contentious. Family members said Johnson-Cabrera had clashed with them during the relationship, and Schweitzer eventually cut off all contact after receiving anonymous messages that they believed were connected to her.

Ashley Tucker told investigators that Schweitzer had described his ex as unstable and said he had no intention of getting back together with her.

Family members also became suspicious after Johnson-Cabrera appeared to know details about Schweitzer’s death—including that he had been shot in the head—before authorities had publicly released that information.

Text Messages Raised Even More Questions

During her interview with investigators, Johnson-Cabrera denied being near Schweitzer’s home on the day he died.

She also claimed Schweitzer had recently texted her saying he wanted to reconcile their relationship.

Detectives, however, believed the conversations looked suspicious. Investigators said the messages appeared one-sided and suspected someone had been using Schweitzer’s phone after his death to create the appearance that he wanted to rekindle the relationship.

Authorities also discovered that Johnson-Cabrera had purchased a 9 mm handgun just days before the murder. Ballistics testing later confirmed it was the weapon used to kill Schweitzer.

The Neighbor’s Wi-Fi Became the Breakthrough

The biggest break in the case came during the forensic examination of Johnson-Cabrera’s cellphone.

Although much of the phone had been wiped clean, investigators recovered evidence showing that an application linked to her email account had connected to a neighbor’s Wi-Fi network near Schweitzer’s home around the time of the killing.

That digital evidence contradicted her statement that she had never been at the residence that day and placed her in the area when the murder occurred.

Combined with the ballistic evidence, detectives believed they had enough to charge her.

Murder Conviction and Life Sentence

Johnson-Cabrera was arrested on Aug. 24, 2022, and charged with first-degree murder and burglary.

Facing the possibility of the death penalty, she entered an Alford plea in June 2024. The plea allows a defendant to accept a conviction while maintaining their innocence, acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to likely obtain a guilty verdict at trial.

She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

Cory Schweitzer’s Legacy

Schweitzer’s family continues to remember him as a caring son, brother, and friend whose life was cut short by an act investigators described as driven by obsession after a failed relationship.

The case also highlights how digital forensic evidence—even something as seemingly routine as a Wi-Fi connection log—can become the crucial piece of evidence that unravels a carefully staged crime scene.

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