Christopher Regan vanished in 2014, leading Iron River detectives on a twisted journey that ultimately revealed two murders committed by a bored wife.
The notorious “devil woman of Michigan” has finally been caught after a nine-year investigation into the disappearance of a divorced father in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Kelly Cochran, Regan’s lover, was sentenced to life in prison for his murder in 2017. A year later, she received a 65-year prison sentence for killing her husband, Jason Cochran. Cochran spoke out about her actions in an episode of “20/20” titled “Where Monsters Hide,” revealing her boredom with marriage and the mundane routine of work.
Iron River investigators quickly identified Kelly and Jason Cochran, Regan’s coworker, as persons of interest in the case, but it took substantial time to gather enough evidence for charges. Former Iron River Police Chief Laura Frizzo explained that Jason had a motive due to Kelly’s infidelity, describing their troubled marriage and Kelly’s single-person lifestyle.
During a search of the Cochrans’ home, investigators discovered blood splatter, a cracked doorframe, and a journal entry by Jason hinting at a crime. They later learned that Kelly had killed Regan, an Air Force veteran, inside the house. Suspicion arose among neighbors when they heard the couple using power tools at night and were invited to a barbecue featuring an abundance of meat the following day.
One neighbor even speculated about the possibility of the couple butchering the missing man and serving him as dinner
Private investigators eventually located the Cochrans in Hobart, Indiana, nearly two years after Regan’s disappearance. Kelly called 911 to report her husband’s apparent death, but an autopsy revealed he died of asphyxiation. This development prompted investigators to focus on Kelly as a suspect in the murders of both men. Kelly later confessed to injecting her husband with heroin and smothering him.
Detective Jeremy Ogden from the Hobart Police Department employed various psychological tactics to coax Kelly into admitting her crimes. Observing her frequent visits to a specific tree in a park, Ogden carved the phrase “CHRIS IS HERE” into it. That evening, Kelly confessed to Regan’s murder for the first time, initially claiming that Jason killed him and forced her to dismember the body. In court, she also alleged that Jason had been abusive.
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