In an incident dating back a month before Juri “Julie” Kibuishi and Samuel Herr were killed, Rachel Buffett, prior to her arrest, was reportedly planning her bachelorette party. During this time, she suggested to a former friend, Audrey, to consume ecstasy. Audrey recounted that Buffett mentioned potentially spiking her drink without her knowledge.
Audrey noted that this incident was pivotal in her decision to end their friendship. She shared details of their interactions in the true-crime series “A Killer Among Friends.” According to her, when intoxicated, Rachel and her fiancé, Daniel Wozniak, would often argue aggressively. This led Audrey to disengage from their circle.
“I believed Rachel might have drugged me during her bachelorette party for the fun of it,” Audrey stated.
Buffett later reached out, inviting Audrey to be a bridesmaid. However, shortly after their fallout, Kibuishi was discovered dead in Herr’s apartment, while Herr himself was missing. Although Rachel Buffett was not accused of the killings, she was found guilty as an accessory after the fact in 2018.
Audrey recounted how their friendship began in college through theater studies, describing Buffett as initially fun and sociable. The engagement between Buffett and Wozniak was a significant topic among friends, intended to culminate in a wedding on May 28, 2010. Yet, tragedy struck a week before when Herr and Kibuishi were murdered.
Herr’s father raised the alarm by calling at his son’s apartment, where he discovered Kibuishi’s body. Initially suspecting Herr, the police revised their view upon learning that his bank account was still being accessed. Wesley Freilich was identified as conducting the withdrawals under Wozniak’s orders.
Daniel Wozniak was apprehended during his bachelor party. Under questioning, he confessed to the murders, stating his motivations as “Money and insanity.” He had accrued significant debt, which Audrey considered a poor justification for his actions.
Despite Audrey’s estrangement from Buffett, she attempted to offer condolences after Wozniak’s arrest. Buffett’s response, which accused Audrey of seeking fame, left her astonished. Audrey emphasized that while they shared a close past, Buffett’s reaction was inconsistent with the shock typically associated with discovering a loved one’s criminal actions.
In 2010, authorities accused Wozniak of killing and dismembering Herr to steal $62,000 saved from military service and framing Herr for Kibuishi’s murder. Despite performing in a musical hours after the murders, Wozniak was ultimately sentenced to death in 2016, while Buffett received a jail sentence for accessory charges.
Audrey is left questioning whether messages she received were genuinely from Buffett or potentially Wozniak using her phone. The experience shifted her perspective on friendships, realizing the importance of distinguishing between being nice and genuinely good.