The investigation of Jane Bashara’s murder and the trial of her husband Bob Bashara were the focus of a special Dateline NBC that aired Friday night.
Jane’s husband, Bob Bashara’s secret life, mistress, secret sex dungeon and the handyman he hired to kill Jane was all exposed.
Judge Vonda Evans presided over the trial.
“Sex, lies, betrayal and death. That’s something we will always be interested in as a society, unfortunately. And that trial had all of the components,” Evans said.
During the trial, we heard from Bob Bashara’s sex slaves, his motive for murder, his mistress, but it was the testimony from his son and daughter that left the courtroom in tears.
“Real sad part was when the children testified. Half of their DNA was Bob,” Evans said. “I saw his son. He didn’t want to look at him, but I saw him peering over to look at his dad. That was their father.”
Bob Bashara granted interviews to Dateline NBC and Local 4 before he was charged. Those interviews played in court and may have sealed his fate.
“When I ultimately was able to discuss this with the jurors, they said ‘Out of his own month.’ I said ‘Had he not done those interviews, do you think it would have been more challenging to render a verdict?’ They said ‘Absolutely,’” Evans said.
Local 4 was able to speak to Jane Bashara’s family. Although they are still devastated, they are focusing on helping other victims of domestic abuse. Anyone interested in supporting the cause can donate to the local organization, Turning Point, in Jane’s name.
Jane Bashara murder case background
Bob Bashara, the Grosse Pointe Park man convicted of arranging his wife’s 2012 murder, died Aug. 17, 2020 while in prison.
He was sentenced to life in prison in January 2015 after he was convicted of plotting to have his wife killed in 2012. The trial against him in 2014 lasted more than two months and included more than 70 witnesses.
Here is what Bob Bashara was charged with:
- First-degree murder
- Conspiracy to commit first degree murder
- Solicitation to commit murder
- Witness intimidation
- Obstruction of justice
- Judge Vonda Evans dropped a charge of subornation of perjury during a capital trial