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“Where Monsters Hide”: 20/20 Revisits the Kelly Cochran Murder Pact That Led to Two Killings July 31 2026

by · July 30, 2026

ABC’s 20/20 presents an encore of Where Monsters Hide on Friday, July 31, 2026, examining one of the most disturbing homicide investigations in recent American history. Reported by John Quiñones, the two-hour special follows the investigation into Kelly Cochran, whose crimes stretched across Michigan and Indiana and revealed a relationship built around violence, deception and an alleged murder pact that prosecutors said ultimately claimed multiple lives.

What began as a missing person investigation after the disappearance of Michigan mechanic Christopher Regan evolved into a complex multi-state murder case. As investigators pieced together evidence over several years, they uncovered allegations of an agreement between Kelly Cochran and her husband Jason that if either spouse had an affair, the other person involved would be killed. The investigation would eventually result in Kelly Cochran receiving a life sentence without parole for one murder and an additional 65-year prison sentence for another.

The Disappearance of Christopher Regan

Christopher Regan was a mechanic living in Iron River, Michigan, where he had built close friendships with many people in the community. In October 2014, those around him became alarmed when he suddenly stopped answering calls and messages. He failed to report to work and disappeared without warning, something friends said was completely out of character.

Initially, investigators had little evidence explaining what had happened. Missing person cases often begin with limited information, and detectives examined Regan’s recent activities, financial records and personal relationships while searching nearby areas for any sign of him. Weeks passed without significant breakthroughs, leaving his family with few answers.

As detectives continued interviewing witnesses, Kelly and Jason Cochran emerged as people of interest. Kelly had worked with Regan, and investigators learned the pair had developed a romantic relationship. That discovery shifted the direction of the investigation and placed the married couple under increasing scrutiny.

Authorities believed Regan had been lured to the Cochran home in Michigan. Prosecutors later alleged that Jason Cochran fatally shot Regan inside the house while Kelly participated in the killing and the efforts to conceal the crime. According to court testimony, Regan’s body was dismembered before being transported and hidden in a remote wooded area.

The Alleged Murder Pact Between Kelly and Jason Cochran

One of the most unusual aspects of the investigation involved an alleged agreement that Kelly and Jason Cochran had made early in their marriage. According to statements presented by prosecutors, the couple agreed that if either spouse had an affair, the other person involved would be killed. Detectives said this alleged pact became central to understanding Christopher Regan’s murder.

Whether the agreement began as fantasy or a serious commitment became a major question during the investigation. Prosecutors argued the affair between Kelly Cochran and Christopher Regan activated that arrangement, leading Jason Cochran to kill Regan while Kelly assisted in carrying out the plan.

Investigators later described the Cochrans’ relationship as controlling and manipulative. Interviews conducted during the investigation suggested both husband and wife maintained an unhealthy dynamic that revolved around secrecy, dominance and mutual loyalty, even when criminal acts were involved.

Kelly Cochran would later provide varying accounts of what happened, at times placing greater responsibility on her husband while acknowledging her own involvement. Detectives said many of her statements conflicted with established evidence, requiring investigators to carefully verify each claim against physical evidence and witness testimony.

Jason Cochran’s Death Changes the Investigation

The case took another dramatic turn in February 2016 after the Cochrans had relocated to Hobart, Indiana. Kelly Cochran called emergency services, reporting that her husband was unconscious after what she claimed was a heroin overdose.

Medical investigators quickly identified inconsistencies in Kelly’s account. The investigation concluded Jason Cochran’s death was not accidental. Prosecutors alleged Kelly had injected him with a lethal dose of heroin before strangling him inside their Indiana home.

According to court documents, Kelly later told investigators she killed Jason because he had taken away “the only good thing” in her life through Christopher Regan’s death. That statement became one of several admissions examined during the criminal proceedings.

Jason’s death transformed what had already been a significant missing person investigation into a two-state homicide case. Law enforcement agencies in Michigan and Indiana began working closely together, sharing evidence and coordinating interviews as detectives attempted to understand the full extent of Kelly Cochran’s crimes.

Investigators Build Their Case

Breaking through Kelly Cochran’s carefully constructed narrative proved challenging. Detectives described her as highly intelligent, well prepared and familiar with criminal investigations, making interviews particularly difficult.

Former Hobart detective Jeremy Ogden and former Iron River Police Chief Laura Frizzo played leading roles in the investigation. They spent many months interviewing Kelly, comparing statements with forensic evidence and searching for inconsistencies that could move the investigation forward.

Investigators employed psychological interviewing techniques throughout the case. One tactic later revealed publicly involved carving the words “CHRIS IS HERE” into a tree in an area Kelly frequently visited. Detectives hoped the message would increase psychological pressure and encourage her to reveal information about Christopher Regan’s disappearance.

Eventually, Kelly Cochran admitted involvement in Christopher Regan’s killing and later led investigators to the area where his remains had been hidden. The discovery provided crucial physical evidence supporting the prosecution’s case and gave Regan’s family long-awaited answers after more than 18 months of uncertainty.

Laura Frizzo later recalled conversations with Kelly while she awaited trial, describing moments in which Kelly discussed her childhood before ultimately telling investigators that no event had made her the way she was. According to Frizzo, Kelly claimed she simply did not experience remorse or emotional attachment in the way others did, statements detectives later described as among the most unsettling of the investigation.

The Trials and Convictions

Kelly Cochran faced separate prosecutions in Indiana and Michigan because the murders occurred in different states.

In Indiana, Kelly pleaded guilty to murdering Jason Cochran through strangulation. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty, a decision that investigators hoped might encourage future cooperation regarding other unsolved cases. In May 2018, a Lake County judge sentenced her to 65 years in prison for Jason’s murder.

During sentencing, Judge Salvador Vasquez rejected Kelly’s attempts to portray Jason as the true monster in the relationship. The judge stated that he believed Kelly herself was the monster, echoing sentiments expressed by investigators who had spent years working the case.

Michigan prosecutors separately tried Kelly for Christopher Regan’s murder. Evidence presented during the trial included witness testimony, Kelly’s statements, forensic evidence and the recovery of Regan’s remains after Kelly directed investigators to the location.

The jury found Kelly Cochran guilty of first-degree murder in Christopher Regan’s death. She received life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, ensuring she would spend the remainder of her life behind bars. Following her Indiana sentencing, she was transferred back to Michigan to continue serving that life sentence.

Questions About Other Possible Victims

Although Kelly Cochran has only been convicted in the deaths of Christopher Regan and Jason Cochran, investigators have publicly acknowledged that they explored the possibility of additional victims.

Some members of Kelly’s family made claims suggesting she may have been responsible for other disappearances or deaths across the Midwest. Those allegations generated widespread public attention and became the subject of documentaries and television investigations.

Detectives questioned Kelly about several other unsolved cases during the investigation. Former detective Jeremy Ogden has confirmed publicly that he personally asked her about additional cases but said investigators never obtained sufficient evidence to file further criminal charges.

Authorities have never identified evidence supporting many of the more sensational rumours surrounding the case, including claims that Kelly killed numerous additional victims. While investigators have remained open to new information, no further homicide convictions have resulted from those allegations.

A Case That Continues to Fascinate

The Kelly Cochran investigation remains one of the most unusual homicide cases in recent American criminal history because it combined a missing person investigation, an alleged murder pact, two separate homicide prosecutions and a confession that unfolded over several years.

The cooperation between investigators in Michigan and Indiana proved critical to solving both murders. By combining forensic evidence, witness interviews, psychological interviewing techniques and Kelly Cochran’s own admissions, detectives were able to reconstruct what happened to Christopher Regan and Jason Cochran despite the extensive efforts made to conceal both crimes.

20/20: Where Monsters Hide revisits every stage of that investigation through interviews with detectives, prosecutors and others connected to the case. The programme examines not only the evidence that led to Kelly Cochran’s convictions, but also the lasting impact the murders had on the victims’ families and the communities of Iron River, Michigan, and Hobart, Indiana, where the crimes unfolded.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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