Case 314: Yarmila Falater

Him being startled by a sound and trying to find out what it was by looking around was questionable. Idk what side I’m on here.

Honestly I'm shocked it wasn't the neighbor. The whole episode I was convinced the neighbor was going to be revealed as the real killer and only realized I was wrong when I saw there was 5 minutes left in the episode. Not sure what I believe now

In the United States, there is no need to establish a motive for murder to achieve a conviction. However, I am on the fence about his guilt because I didn’t hear anything about his motive for killing his wife (often that’s a big one in cases like these) and also my younger brother would sleepwalk when we were kids and it’s so convincing he looked like he was awake.

This guy 100% killed his wife, felt bad about it after, didn’t think he’d been seen, and didn’t have time to come up with an explanation. If he had a history of sleepwalking, wouldn’t he or someone in his family think of this outright, without trawling desperately through case law looking for a plausible defence?? Interesting that his sister suddenly remembers this alleged violent sleepwalking episode after the murder. Obviously there are people who sleepwalk, commit crimes, and aren’t legally responsible. I don’t believe this guy is one of them. Oh ok, my rational, decision-making brain is asleep but let me just sneak one eye open for a minute to change my clothes, remove rivers of blood from my body, go back to the body and make it look like she drowned somehow, find Tupperware that the knife will fit in, hide this in my car (and not just in the back of the car like really hide). Nice try, no.

Fascinating episode, & definitely thought provoking. As he had a history with sleepwalking to some extent, I believe that it was his responsibility to have managed this condition better. Knowing that he had grabbed his wife in the past during an episode, shows that he was aware that it could be dangerous. I’m neurodivergent, and I know what situations can bring on an episode for example. Stress is probably the number one reason, therefore I have to try to avoid stressful situations where I can. I get that it was a different time, but he seems like a highly intelligent & successful man. Surly either his family or himself would have asked more questions? Either way, his penalty was fair IMO

I remember watching a Lifetime movie on the man who killed his mother in law while sleep walking. He got in his car, stopped at traffic lights, made all the correct turns to get there etc. The defence talked about how people do things on muscle memory and talked about how people drive in auto pilot.

I feel like there should be a whole case devoted to the woman trying to save her baby from a fire. The 18th century, I'd expect them to just as likely accuse her of witchcraft as acquit her for sleepwalking. Poor Yarmila and her children who are left with a huge hole in their lives, no matter how the jury decision came back.

Here for the comments from the somnambulism experts.

Two things can be true at the same time. Sure, he has a sleepwalking problem. However, his intentional (rational) attempts at changing out his bloody clothes, hiding the knife, returning to her body while she is still hanging on to life, to drown her in the pool do not sit right with me. I feel the jury got it right and he is where is he supposed to be!

I'm from Arizona and after this several other DV murders attempted the same defense. No one really thinks he was sleepwalking, but even if he was there's responsibility that needs to be taken for a murder.

Intentionally hiding evidence seems to me he knew what he did was wrong and warranted a cover up.. also acknowledging his dog, etc. either he’s a master manipulator and liar who was very much aware of his actions or he hurt her, panicked and then went on to cover up what he did. I lean more towards him knowingly and intentionally killing her. He wasn’t expecting to get caught in the middle of his coverup plan.

I have to wonder, was the witness investigated to any extent? It just seems weird to spy on a neighbour late at night based on what he thought sounded like a couple having sex. I wondered how he could identify the person as a woman in an unlit backyard, but I checked the moon phase and it was gibbous, and the sky was mostly clear. But how could he identify the person in the bedroom as Scott Falater based on a silhouette? On the other hand, assuming he was being truthful, a sleepwalker would not respond in panic to the noise he made. Shifting again, did the police check whether the dog actually obeyed as was claimed? Not sure what relevance it might have, but I see that the witness started a construction company 3 months after the death, which he still runs to this day.

Even though Casefile is the best at telling these crime stories, it's always a little difficult to give the 'Heart' like for any of these given the crime itself. It's like saying "I LOVE this brutal bloody murder story". Maybe use skull and crossbones for a 'like', haha.

Having lived with a dad he was a prolific walker and my husband is one too, they do really odd things. My dad tried to go to the toilet on the TV and then smashed it to pieces in front of my mum, he also used to speak in Russian in his. He was the most mild mannered man when away

I don’t know what to believe!