5 key details about the Rachel Buffett case ahead of Dateline episode explored

The Rachel Buffett case involves a double homicide in Costa Mesa, California, in May 2010. Daniel Wozniak, an actor in a local community theater, murdered his neighbor, Samuel Herr, an Army veteran, to steal his savings. He then murdered college student Julie Kibuishi and staged the crime scene to make Herr appear guilty of her murder.

Wozniak dismembered Herr's body and used the stolen money for personal projects, including his wedding. His then-fiancée, Rachel Buffett, also an actor, was implicated when police accused her of lying to cover for him.

The couple had performed in a musical on the night of one of the murders, adding a dramatic twist. Rachel Buffett claimed she didn't know anything about the crimes but was convicted of being an accessory after the fact in 2018.

Viewers can watch the case in season 3, episode 45, titled The Plot Twist of Dateline, which reairs on September 19, 2025, on Oxygen.

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Five crucial details regarding the Rachel Buffett case

1) The victims and the murderer

Dateline: season 3, episode 45 (Image via Unsplash/@JOSHUA COLEMAN)

Samuel Herr, 26, was an Army veteran who had saved money from his service. He lived in the same apartment complex as Daniel Wozniak and Rachel Buffett in Costa Mesa.

On May 21, 2010, Wozniak lured Herr to a theater attic at a military base and shot him in the head to steal his ATM card and phone. Later that day, Wozniak used Herr's phone to text Julie Kibuishi, 23, a student and dancer, asking her to come to Herr's apartment, as reported by ABC News. There, he shot her twice and staged the scene to make it look like Herr had assaulted and killed her before fleeing.

Wozniak then dismembered Herr's body and hid parts in a park in Long Beach. Over the following days, he withdrew cash from Herr's account, using some to pay bills. The murders stemmed from Wozniak's financial troubles due to eviction and wedding expenses. Police discovered Kibuishi's body first, initially suspecting Herr, according to the NY Post.

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2) Daniel Wozniak's role and arrest

Daniel Wozniak murdered two people for financial debt (Image via Unsplash/@Michael Förtsch)

Daniel Wozniak, then 26, was a community theater actor engaged to Rachel Buffett. Facing debt, he planned the killings to access Herr's $62,000 in savings. After the murders, Wozniak and Rachel Buffett performed in the musical "Nine" that same evening at the theater where he had killed Herr earlier. Wozniak enlisted a teenager to make ATM withdrawals using Herr's card, which helped police trace him, according to ABC News.

He was arrested on May 26, 2010, at his bachelor party. During a recorded jail phone call with Buffett, he confessed to both murders. Wozniak was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, including murder for financial gain.

In 2015, a jury convicted him, and in 2016, he received a death sentence. However, California's 2019 moratorium on executions means he remains on death row without an execution date, as reported by the LA Times.

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3) Rachel Buffett's involvement

Daniel Wozniak and Rachel Buffett were getting married (Image via Unsplash/@Fred Moon)

Rachel Buffett, who was 23 at the time, was Wozniak's fiancée and a co-performer in local theater. Authorities charged her with being an accessory after the fact for lying during police interviews in May 2010. She repeated Wozniak's false story about seeing Herr with an unknown man in a black hat. Buffett also omitted details about a witness who saw Wozniak return emotional after one murder.

During interrogations, she denied any knowledge of the crimes, but a voice stress test suggested she was lying. Rachel Buffett said she withheld information out of fear but insisted she was unaware of the murders. She contacted police after Wozniak's arrest and prompted his confession in a call, which her defense used to argue she did not intend to hinder the investigation.

Prosecutors said her statements delayed the case and caused additional pain to the victims' families, according to ABC News.

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4) The investigation and charges

Rachel Buffett was charged as an accessory in the case (Image via Unsplash/@Markus Winkler)

Costa Mesa police began investigating after discovering Kibuishi's body on May 22, 2010, initially suspecting Herr was the killer and had fled. ATM activity led to a teenager who implicated Wozniak. After his arrest and confession, the focus shifted to Buffett's statements. She was interviewed multiple times, and discrepancies surfaced, according to ABC News.

In December 2012, she faced two felony counts of accessory after the fact. Rachel Buffett was arrested but released on bail. Wozniak's brother also pleaded guilty to a lesser accessory charge in 2016.

The case drew attention because of the couple's theater background and the timing of the crimes around their wedding. Media coverage highlighted interrogation tapes where Rachel Buffett denied involvement. No evidence linked her directly to the murders, only to post-crime deception.

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5) Trial, sentencing, and aftermath

Rachel was sentenced to 32 months in prison (Image via Unsplash/@7500 RPM)

Rachel Buffett's trial began in 2018 in Orange County. She pleaded not guilty, and her defense argued that she was coerced by Wozniak and had acted in cooperation overall. A jury found her guilty on both charges after a brief deliberation in September 2018.

In November 2018, she was sentenced to 32 months in jail, with credit for time served and good behavior, roughly one to two years of custody, according to the LA Times. At her sentencing, Rachel apologized and expressed remorse, telling the families she wished she could have stopped the killings. Victims' relatives criticized her for decades of denial. She was released somewhere between 2020 and 2021.

The case has been covered in the press, including a 2024 play based on the events. Wozniak remains on death row under the moratorium.

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