The Heartbreaking Mystery of Justine Vanderschoot

The Heartbreaking Disappearance of Justine Vanderschoot

It was the 2nd of September, 2003, when Lynnette Vanderschoot first began to realize that her daughter was missing. There was no sign of 17-year-old Justine in the family home, and when Lynnette looked outside, she discovered that Justine’s truck was also missing. At first, she wasn’t too concerned, thinking that her daughter had probably just gone to visit a friend or her boyfriend. Shortly after seeing that the truck was gone, Lynnette tried to call Justine, but there was no answer.

Later that day, Lynnette received a call from a different person - 17-year-old Danny Bezemer, who was dating Justine and had spent time with her the previous day. However, just like Lynnette, Danny hadn’t seen Justine or heard from her that day - in fact, the reason he was calling was to ask if she had any idea where Justine had gone. Immediately, at that point, Lynnette began to worry. It wasn’t like Justine to spend the day out of the house without telling her family or Danny where she was going. Lynnette called her husband, her other daughter, and several of Justine’s friends, hoping that one of them would know where she was, but all of them said the same thing: they had no idea.

A Family’s Desperate Search for Answers

Beginning to panic, Lynnette and her husband Don went to the Sheriff’s department to report Justine as missing. After the Sheriff spoke to Justine’s older sister, Christine Vanderschoot, they doubted that they were dealing with a case of a runaway teen. Justine didn’t have personal issues or difficulties with her family. According to Christine, who had called her sister the previous night, their phone conversation had been completely normal. Danny told investigators the same thing: he had seen Justine last night, and everything had seemed fine. He’d gone over to the Vanderschoot house, spent some time with Justine, and then driven home alone.

From the beginning of the investigation, the case was taken seriously, and investigators considered the possibility that somebody had kidnapped Justine. 

 “It was evident,” said Sheriff Edward Bonner, “[That] this [was] not your typical runaway. Everyone starts to think…was she snatched?” Teams of volunteers started to post missing person flyers around the area, and Justine’s family painstakingly drove along nearby roads, wondering if Justine had gotten into a car crash. However, there was no sign of her or her vehicle.

On the 3rd of September, the day after Justine was reported missing, the investigation took a sudden turn when her missing truck was located only a couple of miles away from the Vanderschoot house. It had been left in a park-and-ride lot, parked and locked, with no sign of the keys. The truck was thoroughly searched, but there were no clues in or around it - it was like Justine had just decided to park in this random parking lot, get out of her truck, and disappear into thin air.

The Vigil That Raised Suspicions

Several more days went by, and there was no sign of Justine - and no more leads. Justine’s family and friends began to worry that the case was going cold, and decided to have a vigil at the spot where her truck had been found. Many members of the local community came by to show their support, and investigators took the opportunity to do the thing that they do at these vigils that many people don’t realize they are doing. They watch the people who attend the vigil and see if any of them act suspiciously. They know that it’s common for kidnappers or killers to attend vigils, funerals, and search parties for their victims… and at this point, they were beginning to suspect that Justine Vanderschoot was no longer alive.

Out of all the people at the vigil, one stood out. It was a man that Justine’s family did not recognize, who seemed very distressed, smoking a cigarette and pacing around the park-and-ride lot. When the police spoke to the man, he introduced himself, explaining that one of his own daughters had passed away as a teenager, leading him to feel a connection to Justine’s case. He’d decided to come to the vigil to leave a plaque in his own daughter’s memory, as well as show his support for the Vanderschoot family. That man was telling the truth, and never became a suspect in the case.

Uncovering Secrets: Justine’s Troubled Relationship with Danny Bezemer

By September 13th, Justine had been missing almost two weeks, and investigators decided to dive deeper into her relationships with her friends, hoping that they would be able to uncover some clues. During these conversations with Justine’s friends, a new piece of information was revealed: Justine’s relationship with her boyfriend Danny wasn’t as unproblematic and sweet as it appeared. In fact, they’d been going through a rough patch, and during Spring Break, Justine had gone to Florida and met another boy. Investigators were able to track down the second boy and interviewed him, but discovered that there had been no communication between him and Justine since August. There was no reason to suspect that he’d had anything to do with her disappearance, and he was ruled out as a suspect.

However, investigators did begin to examine Justine and Danny’s relationship more closely. If he had found out that Justine had cheated on him, maybe he had a motive to hurt her after all. 

In the initial police interviews, Danny hadn’t come across as suspicious. Danny shared that as soon as he became aware that Justine’s family hadn’t heard from her, he’d started searching for his girlfriend, going to her workplace and her school to see if anyone had seen her. Investigators had been able to confirm his story.

Danny had also been upfront about visiting Justine the night before she disappeared, and was able to prove that he had gone home alone - he’d gone to 7-Eleven during his drive to buy a drink, and police once again confirmed his story. He also had an alibi for the rest of the night: after going to the 7-Eleven, he had gone back to the apartment that he shared with his roommate, 20-year-old Brandon Fernandez. Brandon confirmed that he and Danny had been in the apartment for the rest of that night, and neither of them left.

Cracks in the Alibi: How the Investigation Turned to Danny and Brandon

However, once investigators started to look more closely at Danny, they also became aware that Justine hadn’t gotten along with his roommate Brandon, because she found out that he was cheating on his girlfriend. It turned out that Danny and Brandon’s alibi wasn’t actually airtight - instead of spending time at their apartment alone, they’d been with two other friends. When the additional two friends were interviewed, they initially tried to back up Danny and Brandon’s alibi, but their story quickly fell apart, and one of them - a young man named Clayton - agreed to help the cops.

Clayton phoned Brandon, telling him that he thought that he should talk to the police “about what he knew.” Brandon was quick to reply, saying, “No, don’t go talk to the police. Stick to the plan.” The whole conversation was recorded by the police. Now knowing that Brandon wasn’t telling them the whole truth, the police contacted a profiler from the FBI to help them re-interview Brandon and Justine’s boyfriend, Danny.

The Shocking Confession: How Brandon Led Police to Justine

The FBI profiler used different techniques to interview Brandon, eventually asking him, “Have you ever seen anyone die?” The question shook up Brandon, and then the FBI agent immediately played the recording of the incriminating phone conversation. Finally, Brandon admitted the truth: he’d tapped Justine’s phone to prove that she was cheating on Danny, and then the two of them had decided to punish her. 

They had convinced Justine to come for a ride in Brandon’s car, and then they played a mix-tape, which wasn’t filled with sentimental love songs… it was actually recordings of her phone conversations with the boy she was cheating on Danny with. Finally, they’d parked in an isolated area where Danny zapped Justine with a taser, and then strangled her.

Brandon agreed to lead investigators to the site where he and Danny had disposed of Justine, taking them to a spot on the hillside. The police found Justine’s necklace lying on the ground, as well as a patch of disturbed ground that looked as if somebody had recently dug and then filled in a hole. In the morning, investigators carefully unearthed the contents of the hole. They found Justine’s body, covered in a thick tar-like substance.

A Horrifying Truth: Justine Was Buried Alive

Brandon and Danny dug a grave for Justine, and then they had poured the tar-like liquid onto her, hoping that it would make her decompose faster so that she couldn’t be identified. Then, they’d filled in the hole with dirt, as well as covering her with an old mattress.

However, Justine’s autopsy revealed that Brandon and Danny had been wrong about one thing: they hadn’t actually killed her before burying her. Her throat and digestive system were full of dirt from the grave…she had been buried alive. 

Although Danny insisted that Brandon had been the one to strangle Justine, both men had admitted to digging the grave and burying her, which was ultimately the cause of her death. Both killers were charged with murder, and there was plenty of evidence to show that it was premeditated. Brandon’s sentence was 15 years to life, and Danny’s was 25 years to life. Both men have tried to apply for parole, but each time, the requests were denied.

Conclusion: A Heartbreaking Loss and the Pursuit of Justice

The tragic death of Justine Vanderschoot is a story that lingers in the hearts of many—a devastating reminder of how trust and love can be manipulated into cruelty and betrayal. At just 17 years old, Justine’s life was stolen in a horrifying act of premeditated violence, carried out by the very people she believed she could trust.

Her murder underscores the fragility of safety and the depth of human cruelty. The sheer brutality of her final moments—being buried alive—makes this case not only one of heartbreak but also one of haunting injustice. No one should ever endure what Justine did, and no family should have to suffer the loss and horror that the Vanderschoots experienced.

For her killers, Danny Bezemer and Brandon Fernandez, justice was served, but no sentence could ever truly account for the pain they inflicted. The denial of their parole requests ensures that they remain behind bars, but it cannot undo the profound loss of Justine’s bright, promising life.

This case also serves as a cautionary tale about toxic relationships and the devastating consequences of jealousy, manipulation, and violence. It’s a reminder to recognize the warning signs and seek help before situations escalate into tragedy.

As true crime enthusiasts, we are drawn to cases like Justine’s not just for their shocking details but for the lessons they leave behind. Her story stands as a testament to the importance of vigilance, community, and advocacy for those who can no longer speak for themselves. While the Vanderschoot family may never fully heal from their loss, they continue to honor Justine’s memory, ensuring that her light is never forgotten.

In remembering Justine Vanderschoot, we honor not only her life but the enduring pursuit of justice for all victims of violence. Her story reminds us of the power of love, the resilience of a grieving family, and the necessity of holding perpetrators accountable, no matter how long it takes.