American Monster: 5 things to know about the John Eichner case

John Eichner
John Eichner's wife Amber went missing and was found dead in April 2021 (Image via @MichaelTatarTV/Twitter)

John Eichner, who committed suicide in an Ottawa County prison cell, was accused of killing his wife, Amber Eichner, in April 2021. He faced multiple charges including murder, aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and money laundering, among others, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Amber's remains were found buried in the backyard of a south Toledo home.

On Sunday, American Monster will air an episode about the case of John Eichner, whose tragic death while in custody was an "easy" way out for him, claimed his wife Amber's family members.

The episode, titled Rescue Me, will delve further into the recent murder case and provide fresh insights. It airs on October 30, 2022, at 9 pm ET on ID.

The synopsis says:

"John Eichner, his wife and kids look like a happy family in Genoa, Ohio, but behind closed doors a disturbing pattern of torment and gaslighting plays out for years."

Here are some key facts to know about the case ahead of the episode premiere.

1) Amber's body was found in the backyard of John Eichner's friend's property

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A friend of John Eichner tipped cops, claiming that he called her asking permission to bury his dead dog in the backyard of her south Toledo property. Upon investigating the property, authorities found the remains of an unidentified woman on April 26.

An autopsy revealed that she was strangled to death before being buried. Later, a DNA analysis revealed that the body belonged to Amber Eichner.


2) John himself disappeared after dropping off their kids at a relative's place

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Although Amber had sole custody of their four kids, sources claim that a week or so after she vanished, her husband took the girls to live with a family member in Tennessee.

According to reports, John Eichner left them there along with six bags of clothing before he himself disappeared. Two days later, the police were notified that John had "abandoned" their kids and disappeared.


3) His wife was reportedly missing over a week after she originally disappeared

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Amber Eichner, a mother-of-four from Genoa, Ohio, was last seen on April 14, 2021. According to Amanda Kimbrell, Amber's cousin, she was searching for a domestic violence shelter to reside in at the time of her disappearance.

Amber was reported missing by her family on April 23, 2021. Police were informed by a friend of John's that he had asked for and received permission to bury his dead dog on a friend's property in South Tolede.

The unidentified individual informed police about the strange chat she had with John as soon as she learned of Amber's disappearance, after which the victim's body was finally retrieved.


4) Amber's family and Eichner's ex-wife claimed that he was abusive

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Patricia Goldthwaite, John Eichner's ex-wife, said that she suffered years of domestic violence when she was married to John, which is consistent with the accusations made by Amber's family.

She stated that there were frightening instances when John was violent towards her. Patricia even asserted that she feared for her life because of his aggressive conduct.


5) Eichner attempted to kill himself more than once while in custody

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In June 2021, 43-year-old John Eichner was found unconscious inside his prison cell with a noose around his neck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Additionally, it was discovered that he had previously slit his wrists using a razor, following which he was placed under suicide watch before being checked into a mental facility.

A short while later, he returned and was placed on suicide watch. At the time of the incident, authorities revealed that he was no longer under suicide watch, but was receiving treatment.


Learn more about the murder case on American Monster this Sunday.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande