Wendy Teal is a mentally unstable triple murderer set up by her brother Dennis Teal.
History[]
Wendy was denied her medication by Dennis, because he was auctioning their family’s belongings behind their back. To avoid taxes, Dennis used the address of two British exchange students, Geraldine Sarfield and Colin Tilbrook, who lived across from Wendy’s boyfriend, Charlie Headlind. Wendy not only grew paranoid, but she grew jealous of Geri and believed she was stealing Charlie from her. Wendy waged a smear campaign on Geri, from falsely reporting her for sexual harassment to creating a fake online account for prostitution in her name.
When Wendy saw Charlie with flowers, which she assumed were about Geri and not herself, she finally snapped. She stabbed Geri and Colin to death with a kitchen knife, then poured grease they were making fuel out of onto them before setting a fire. Charlie saw the arson and tried to intervene, but he was severely burned and walked outside to two patrol cops, who called for an ambulance and backup. Charlie later died at the hospital.
Knowing Charlie had a girlfriend, the detectives tracked Wendy to her job at the tax office, but she lied about who she was to escape. Dennis told the police she slept in a storage unit in Queens where their parents’ furniture was stored. Wendy was peacefully arrested there and was found to be in possession of the murder weapon. She refused medicine and tried to warn the D.A.’s office of Dennis sabotaging her case, but she was medicated. Dennis and her lawyer made her insist on a plea to jail time, Wendy confessing to the prosecutors in full clarity.
Rubirosa wasn’t convinced, but with little evidence to prove Dennis was endangering her by denying her meds even when she was released to his custody, she was ordered to face trial. Wendy had a psychotic episode referring to Dennis’ motives, but she was so distraught from the whole fiasco she lied about needing to call her lawyer. She then hanged herself in prison. Dennis’ schemes were uncovered, and he took a plea to depraved indifference murder and what Wendy would’ve been sentenced to if she were alive, 20 to life. Rubirosa was revolted that Cutter libelously argued Wendy as competent to secure a conviction. (L&O: “Exchange”)
Known Victims[]
- The British exchange students murders (both stabbed to death; burned with grease postmortem):
- Geraldine Sarfield
- Colin Tilbrook
- Charlie Headlind (Wendy’s boyfriend; incidental; burned in the fire: died later in the hospital)