People are often drawn into crime dramas by their tangled plots and shocking turns, but sometimes the most interesting stories come from real life. Misty Morse’s tragic death was the main topic of THE REAL CSI: MIAMI’s “Lady in the Lagoon” episode. This episode goes into great detail about the careful work that crime scene investigators do as they keep looking for justice.
Who was Misty Morse?
Misty April Morse was a 22-year-old woman with a lively personality who was always making new friends. Lisa Morse and Bob Morse loved their daughter Misty very much. She was born on April 10, 1978, in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio. According to her dad Bob, she was a carefree spirit who was always with friends and could brighten up any room just by being there. It looked like Misty’s life would be great. Like all young women her age, she had hopes and dreams.
This was Misty’s home on Indian Harbor Beach in Florida in July 2000. Sandra was her mother. People knew her for being friendly and able to make friends wherever she went. Misty was getting ready for a night out with friends on July 20, 2000, just after midnight, when her mother said she was taking a shower and drying her hair. It’s sad to say that Misty’s mother never saw her daughter again after she told her she would be home by morning.
What happened to Misty Morse?
The police found her naked, decomposing body in the Indian River on July 23, 2000. It was tied together with red and white nautical rope in a unique double-diamond pattern. The hands and feet were tied together with a cow hitch knot, which is mostly taught and used by the Coast Guard. This suggests that there may be a link to someone with a background in sailing.
The medical examiner had a hard time figuring out when or why Misty died because of the way her body was. Because of the water and the extreme decomposition, it was hard to use traditional methods of identification. However, investigators were able to identify Misty by using a forensic method called “degloving,” which involves shaving off the top layer of skin to reveal fingerprints. The prints she left on the ground matched those from a previous misdemeanor arrest.
The police saw a very bad scene. Two plastic bags from Publix Supermarket were tied together with a black rubber cord, probably to weigh the body down. White duct tape was found on her head and neck. These details painted a horrifying picture of how Misty died and how hard the killer tried to hide the crime. Her family and friends were questioned, but no clear suspects or reasons were found right away. It was hard to believe that someone would want to hurt Misty because she was always nice to everyone.
The killer may have had a military background or at least knew the area well because they used nautical rope and threw away the body in a certain way. Because of this, the police thought that the killer might have known Misty and had access to a boat. Even though they didn’t have any new information right away, the detectives were still determined to find the truth and catch Misty’s killer.
Who Killed Misty Morse?
There was a shocking discovery that came out of the long and difficult search for Misty Morse’s killer. At first, investigators thought that Bobby Cooper and Teddy Underwood, two of Misty’s ex-boyfriends, might be involved, but they were quickly ruled out as possible suspects. The detectives made a big step forward when they found a piece of important evidence: a black dog hair on the duct tape that was used to hold Misty down.
At that time, forensic technology wasn’t good enough to test dog hair for DNA, so the police looked at Misty’s phone records to find clues. On the night she went missing, they found two short calls from her ex-boyfriend Brent Robert Huck. When they went to Brent’s house, they were greeted by Cheba, a black Rottweiler-German Shepherd mix. Her coat was the same type of hair that was on the duct tape.
When the police asked Brent about this link, they learned that he and Misty had met about a year and a half before she died. Brent said they broke up because he caught her sleeping with his roommate, but he also said they carried on sleeping together after they broke up. Brent said that he slept with Misty on July 11, 2000, nine days before she went missing.
Brent also said that he was at home on July 20th night and with his fiancée from July 21st to July 24th. Investigators found white duct tape and plastic bags from Publix Supermarket that looked like the ones used to weigh down Misty’s body after he agreed to a search of his home and his parents’ home. All of these clues, though, were not enough to prove that Brent was directly responsible for the murder.
Two years later, when forensic science had improved enough to test the dog hairs that were taken out of the duct tape, the case took a big turn for the better. Based on the DNA test, the strands of fur from Brent’s dog Cheba were a direct match. With this new information and other important proof, the police were able to charge Brent on October 23, 2002, with felony kidnapping and murder.
Where is Misty Morse’s Killer Brent Huck Now?
Brent Being charged with killing Misty Morse in a brutal way changed Robert Huck’s life for good. Brent turned himself in to the police on October 23, 2002. He was being held without bail at the Brevard County jail in Cocoa, Florida. Brent was sure he was innocent and thought his lawyers would get him released. Brent said in his story that he was at his home on Merritt Island on the night of July 20.
However, there was a lot of evidence against him, and he was found guilty and given a life sentence without the chance of parole in 2003. When Misty Morse was trying to get justice, the conviction was a big step forward. Forensic evidence, like the DNA match from Brent’s dog Cheba, was very important in securing the conviction. Despite Brent’s efforts to appeal his sentence, he was found guilty and remains in jail to this day. In 2004, he tried to get his sentence shortened but was turned down.
The Apalachee Correctional Institution, East Unit, in Jackson County, Florida, is where Brent Huck is serving his time right now. Because of the horrible crime he committed, he now spends most of his time in prison.
Visit tvacute.com again soon for more updates on real crime stories, TV show recaps, and the latest news in entertainment.
- Who is Tyler Perry’s biological father? Has he been found?
- Where is Kavin Von Erich’s Wife Pam Adkisson Now?
- Where is Dancer Anson “Buzz” Clinton’s Wife Kim Carpenter?
