The Todd Kendhammer Case: A Tragic Death, a Controversial Conviction, and the Search for Justice

The death of Barbara Kendhammer on September 16, 2016, was a heart-wrenching tragedy that left her family and the community in shock. Barbara’s husband, Todd Kendhammer, claimed that a pipe had come loose from a truck and shattered the windshield of the car they were driving. According to Todd, the pipe struck his wife, leading to her fatal injuries. However, the investigation into Barbara’s death quickly unraveled several inconsistencies in Todd’s story, leading to his arrest and conviction for her murder. But is Todd really guilty, or is this a case of a wrongful conviction?

The Incident: A Story That Didn’t Add Up

On that fateful morning, Todd and Barbara were on their way to work. Todd claimed that while driving, a pipe came loose from a truck and crashed through the windshield, injuring Barbara so severely that she later died in the hospital. This pipe, according to Todd, was the cause of the fatal injuries.

However, several elements of Todd’s story raised questions. For one, Todd couldn’t provide a clear description of the truck that allegedly lost the pipe, despite claiming it was a significant part of the incident. Additionally, law enforcement found no evidence of the truck in question, despite conducting an extensive search in the area.

Surveillance footage showed the Kendhammer car passing a nearby ranch shortly before the incident, but no truck that could have matched Todd’s description was observed. Furthermore, Todd’s behavior seemed suspicious. When police arrived at the scene, they noted that Todd had bloody knuckles and scratches on his neck—injuries that were inconsistent with his story of hitting the windshield when the pipe struck.

The Autopsy: Uncovering the Truth

As the investigation continued, Barbara’s autopsy provided further clues that didn’t align with Todd’s account. The medical examiner found multiple injuries on Barbara’s body, including scratches on her neck and a broken nose, indicating there had been a struggle before her death. The cause of death was ultimately determined to be blunt trauma to the head and neck, with skull fractures and damage to her airway cartilage, injuries that were consistent with strangulation rather than a pipe hitting her.

These findings cast doubt on Todd’s story, suggesting that Barbara’s death was not an accident but a result of a deliberate act of violence.

The Motive: A Lack of Evidence

What was Todd’s motive? The prosecution struggled to find a clear reason for the murder. There were no signs of infidelity, financial trouble, or domestic abuse in the Kendhammer marriage. In fact, Todd and Barbara had been together for over 25 years, and their children described their relationship as loving and stable. This raised further doubts about the likelihood of Todd suddenly snapping and killing his wife in such a brutal way.

Still, the prosecution argued that Todd had staged the accident to cover up his crime. The theory was that he used the pipe to create the illusion of an accidental death, but the evidence suggested otherwise. Police found no traces of the truck Todd described, and the injuries on Barbara’s body didn’t match the scenario he painted.

The Trial: A Narrow View of the Evidence

At trial, the prosecution painted a picture of a man who had murdered his wife and tried to cover it up by fabricating the pipe accident. But Todd’s defense team, led by attorney Jerry Bey, best known for his work on the Steven Avery case, contended that this was a tragic accident, not a murder. They argued that the evidence against Todd was circumstantial and that the story of a pipe causing Barbara’s death was simply implausible.

Bey and his team pointed out the lack of concrete evidence and the absence of any clear motive. They argued that Todd’s behavior after the incident was consistent with someone who had just experienced a traumatic event, not someone who had just committed murder. The defense also emphasized the couple’s strong relationship, suggesting that it was unlikely Todd would suddenly kill his wife after so many years of love and commitment.

The Conviction: A Controversial Outcome

Despite the defense’s arguments, Todd Kendhammer was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide in 2017. The prosecution's narrative—of a man killing his wife and staging an accident—seemed to have won over the jury, who found Todd guilty based on the circumstantial evidence presented.

However, many, including Todd’s supporters and his defense team, believe that this conviction was a miscarriage of justice. They argue that the evidence against Todd was not conclusive and that the true cause of Barbara’s death remains uncertain. Todd’s family insists that he is innocent and that this tragedy was simply an accident that went horribly wrong.

The Appeal: A Fight for Justice

Since Todd’s conviction, his defense team has been working tirelessly to get his case reopened. They believe that the conviction was flawed and that Todd’s story—while tragic—was not one of murder. They argue that if Todd can receive a fair trial, the truth will come to light, and the wrongful conviction will be overturned.

Jerry Bey and his wife, Kathleen Stilling, who also works as an attorney, have taken on Todd’s case, advocating for a new trial and the chance for Todd to prove his innocence. The case has garnered attention from people who believe in Todd’s innocence and those who think that the justice system needs to be more careful when convicting individuals based on circumstantial evidence.

Conclusion: A Case That Raises Questions

The Todd Kendhammer case is one that raises difficult questions about justice, motive, and the reliability of circumstantial evidence. Was Todd truly responsible for the death of his wife, or was he wrongfully convicted based on a tragic, but ultimately accidental, death?

The evidence against Todd is far from definitive, and the story of Barbara’s death remains a tragic mystery. As Todd’s appeal continues, the case serves as a reminder of the complexities of the criminal justice system and the importance of ensuring that every individual receives a fair trial.

While Todd Kendhammer remains in prison, his defenders continue to fight for his freedom, hoping that the truth will eventually come to light and that justice will prevail. In the meantime, the memory of Barbara Kendhammer remains a reminder of the tragedy that changed a family’s life forever.