5 chilling details about the mysterious death of Michelle O'Connell

Michelle O'Connell returns to prime time as Crime Scene Confidential reopens a case that still draws questions. The episode titled Investigating the Investigation follows the records, the timeline, and the physical clues tied to her death in St. Augustine, Florida, in 2010. Law enforcement called it a suicide. Her family disagreed from day one.

The re-air of Crime Scene Confidential Season 2 Episode 6 is set for Investigation Discovery on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 4:00 am ET. The episode centers on how evidence was collected and what subsequent reviews found as new tools emerged.

Michelle O’Connell died from a gunshot wound inside the home. (Image via Pixels)

---

Michelle O'Connell Case background

Michelle O’Connell, 24, died from a gunshot wound inside the home of her boyfriend, St. Johns County deputy Jeremy Banks. The death was ruled a suicide by the sheriff’s office. Pressure from relatives led to a separate look by state investigators. That second pass flagged issues in the early work, and debate over the cause never fully faded.

New York Times reporting has cited the right-handed victim with the handgun photographed near her left hand, the absence of blood on the weapon in scene images, and later findings of a cracked jaw after exhumation, which family members view as consistent with blunt-force trauma. A subsequent media review also examined lab reports and photos, highlighting points that remain at the core of the dispute. Friends and relatives also described controlling behavior and frequent arguments in the relationship, a claim Banks has denied.

According to PBS FRONTLINE (April 2018), a federal judge later dismissed a civil suit against the state agent who pursued a homicide inquiry, finding there was probable cause to investigate. The New York Times (May 2019) detailed the intraoral wound, the left-hand placement of the gun, and the cracked jaw noted years later.

---

Five details that frame the Michelle O'Connell case

1) Reports of cries for help before gunfire

Two neighbors told an investigator they heard a woman yelling for help, then gunshots, on the night Michelle O'Connell died. The sheriff’s office did not interview those neighbors in its first round.

Investigation scene from Crime Scene Confidential (Image via @investigationdiscovery YouTube)

---

2) Scene and autopsy questions that do not line up cleanly

Crime scene photos showed the gun near Michelle O'Connell’s left hand, though she was right-handed. The handgun reportedly had no blood on it. Years later, after exhumation, a fractured jaw was noted, which can match blunt-force trauma.

The medical and scene notes fed public doubt about the suicide ruling and became a focus for outside reviewers, according to The New York Times (May 2019).

---

3) A later death that kept the story in the news

In early 2019, a local resident who had been collecting records on Michelle O'Connell’s case was found dead from a gunshot wound at home. The case shifted to a neighboring agency to avoid a conflict. At that stage, police described it as a suspicious death, with no suspect named and no clear tie to Michelle O'Connell’s case, as per CBS News.

---

4) Split between the official finding and the family’s view

The sheriff’s office stood by the alleged story of Michelle O'Connell’s suicide, while relatives kept pushing for a homicide charge. That split drives much of the episode. It explains why each lab result, each interview, and each photo still gets fresh attention on screen.

---

5) What the TV reexamination adds

CSI Alina Burroughs returns to the scene of work with newer tech and a slow walk through the chain of evidence. The goal is to test earlier steps, not to replace them. The episode focuses on where the collection and analysis were strong, where gaps appeared, and what that means for the original call.

As of this broadcast, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office still classifies the death as a suicide, and no criminal charges have been filed in the case. The television review does not change that status.

---

Where to watch Crime Scene Confidential

The re-air of Investigating the Investigation runs on Investigation Discovery at 4:00 am ET on September 2. Crime Scene Confidential is available to stream on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Discovery+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Philo, and Discovery+.

It can also be watched for free with ads on Investigation Discovery and on Spectrum On Demand. Purchase options include Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, and Apple TV.

---