Oxygen is re-airing Snapped season 31, episode 7, Willa Blanc on Friday, August 15 at 1 p.m. (ET). The episode revisits the murder of retired nuclear scientist Walter K. Sartory and the investigation that followed. It focuses on house cleaner Willa Blanc, whose actions turned a missing person call into a homicide case.The production places the facts back on screen for viewers of true-crime television. Detectives linked Blanc to Sartory after friends reported him missing in early March 2009. Financial flags, interviews, and a burn site in Indiana formed the backbone of the case file. Sentencing later closed the case while confirming motive and method, according to Oxygen’s reporting on the case.Disclaimer: Spoilers of Snapped season 31, episode 7 ahead. Reader's discretion advised.Willa Blanc case returns on SnappedThe Willa Blanc reair steps through the timeline. Sartory, a 73-year-old Ph.D. who worked three decades at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, lived alone in Hebron, Kentucky. Friends who spoke to him often said contact stopped in mid-February 2009. Deputies checking his home found his daily medications left behind and no sign of travel. That detail raised concern. Neighbors had seen a cleaner, Willa, at the house. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostInvestigators looked into recent account activity, and the paper trail revealed that Blanc had taken control of Sartory’s money and initiated large transfers. Surveillance and interviews all pointed at Willa and her adult son, Louis Wilkinson. Officers tracked movements, cars, and lodging, then zeroed in on a rural burn site. It later produced remains that were identified as Sartory's, according to the Los Angeles Times account of the investigation and arrests (Jan 7, 2010).The abduction and eventual killing of Walter K. SartoryCase records describe a forced confinement. Wilkinson told detectives he found Sartory bound to a chair in the Blanc home’s basement. He said his mother controlled access to the room. During searches, investigators seized a photo of Sartory, copies of financial statements, and a book on choosing victims. The file also notes a crash report from late February. Responding officers documented a large plastic trash can in the cleaner's vehicle, which was later moved by a rental van. That container was tied to the burn site through witness accounts and debris collections, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.Money trail tied to the eponymous killer of Willa BlancThe police found that the money transfer preceded Blanc's recent travel and purchases. Records show a power of attorney, wire transfers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, and attempts to pull more before brokers froze the accounts. A car salesman recounted, describing an imminent windfall while shopping for a high-end Corvette. These financial steps occurred as friends tried to reach Sartory and deputies were returning to his address for welfare checks, according to the Los Angeles Times (January 7, 2010).Verdicts: Willa Blanc on SnappedWilla Blanc was arrested on 14, 2009. Charges included murder, kidnapping, exploitation, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and theft by deception. To avoid a capital trial, she later pleaded guilty to all counts and received life in prison without the possibility of parole. Wilkinson entered pleas on related counts and received a lengthy term.Snapped episode airs on August 15, 2025 (Image via @pixels)Snapped episode, Willa Blanc, airs Friday, August 15 at 1 p.m. ET on Oxygen. The listing notes a reclusive physicist reported missing and the probe that uncovered a homicide, per the Oxygen TV schedule (Aug 2025).