Snapped season 28 episode 1: Karina Rafter's crime - A detailed case overview

Amid a bitter divorce, Karina Rafter’s name would soon be tied to one of Powhatan County’s most shocking crimes. In December 2016, her husband, John Rafter Jr., a 48-year-old Capital One employee and father of three, was found dead in his home. He had suffered a fatal shotgun wound to the head, his body severely damaged with blood splattered across the bedroom walls, and an antique shotgun lying on the bed beside him.

The horrific scene was discovered around 8:45 am by the couple’s 13-year-old son, who awoke late for school and went into his father’s room to wake him. The boy immediately called 911, telling operators he had heard a loud noise earlier that morning but went back to sleep. According to Oxygen, investigators determined the death was homicide, not suicide, based on the wound and weapon evidence.

The case is featured in the episode titled Karina Rafter from Oxygen's Snapped, season 28, episode 1, which is re-airing on Monday, August 18, 2025, at noon on the Oxygen channel.

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The discovery and 911 call: Karina Rafter's crime

Oxygen's Snapped: Karina Rafter. (Representative image via Unsplash/Lalithmalhaar Gudi)

The morning of December 9, 2016, started normally for John's 13-year-old son in their home on Flint Hill Road. John Rafter Jr. usually woke his son for school, but that day, he did not. Around 8:45 am, the boy went into his father's bedroom and found a terrible scene. John lay dead with a shotgun wound to the head, blood spattered on the walls, and part of his face missing, as per Oxygen.

An antique 16-gauge double-barrel shotgun, a family heirloom, was on the bed. A hatchet was under the pillow, which made the authorities suspect that John Rafter Jr. had felt unsafe. The boy called 911 right away. He told the dispatcher he had last seen his father alive at 11 pm the night before and heard a bang early in the morning, but ignored it. He mentioned no guns were kept in the house. Emergency teams arrived quickly, finding John's alarm still ringing from 6 am. His last text was at 1 am, placing the death between then and morning, as per Oxygen.

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Family background and divorce proceedings

Oxygen's Snapped: Karina Rafter (Representative image via Unsplash/@Romain Dancre)

According to Oxygen, John Rafter Jr., born in 1968 in Colonial Heights, Virginia, had been working at Capital One when he met Karina Lewelt. He and Karina Rafter married soon after, and they lived with their three children: Maja Parrish (John's stepdaughter through Karina), a son, and a daughter. However, his and Karina Rafter's relationship soured within a few years, and they divorced in 2006, but remarried in 2014. In July 2016, John filed for divorce, citing Karina's alcohol problems and past assaults on him and the kids. In 2015, Karina was convicted of assaulting John and put on probation, according to Oxygen.

The divorce was heated. John Rafter Jr. wanted full custody, saying Karina was unfit. Court hearings took place, including one the week before his death. Karina Rafter fought back, claiming John had mental health struggles and past suicidal thoughts. She claimed that she took his shotgun from him in 2015 at his therapist's advice, but returned it a month before the incident. Friends said John feared harm during the split. He slept with a hatchet and thought about buying a gun. Text messages showed Karina wanting to fix things, but John refused.

On November 30, 2016, after her lawyer said the case would turn tough, Karina bought shotgun shells at Walmart and left them in John's garage. Fingerprints on the bag were only hers. This backdrop of custody fights and tensions shaped the case's direction, according to Oxygen.

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Investigation and key evidence

Oxygen's Snapped: Karina Rafter (Representative image via Unsplash/@Markus Winkler)

After the discovery, investigators examined the scene carefully. The shotgun was the weapon, fired at close range. The medical examiner confirmed homicide: John's arm length and the gun's setup made suicide impossible. Evidence included blood patterns, the hatchet, and shells from the bag Karina bought. Phone records were also checked, revealing that John's last activity was at 1 am, and Karina's phone had no location data during the likely time frame, suggesting it was left behind, as per Oxygen.

Detectives did not find any other fingerprints on the shells that pointed to outsiders. They interviewed family and friends, during which John's pals revealed that he was fearful for his life and also that he had not had the gun recently. However, Karina claimed that she returned it and bought shells for him. But gaps appeared in her story: she bought them after a court warning, and her texts revealed her to be upset. The probe lasted years, as per Oxygen.

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Trial, verdict, and aftermath

Oxygen's Snapped: Karina Rafter (Representative image via Unsplash/@Emiliano Bar)

Karina Rafter was taken into custody in February 2019 and was charged with first-degree murder and one count of use of a firearm. Her trial started in October 2019 in Powhatan County, and she pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors presented their case and evidence, which included the shells, fingerprints, phone data, and John's fears. They argued motives from the custody battle and divorce stress. The defense claimed innocence, suggesting other possibilities like the son's involvement. However, no proof supported those theories. The witnesses included family, friends, and experts on forensics, as per Oxygen.

The jury also heard about the 911 call and scene details. After the testimony, the jury deliberated for five hours and found Karina guilty of both first-degree murder and the firearm charge. In sentencing, she got 20 years for murder and 3 years for the gun, served one after the other, totaling 23 years.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on Oxygen's Snapped, available to watch on Oxygen and to stream on Peacock.