Shocking Family Feud: Daughter Murders Mom Over Eviction
For Kathy Kraynik, 46, family was everything. She worked tirelessly to support her children and grandchildren, but by late 2000, tensions at home had reached a boiling point. On Dec. 14, 2000, Kraynik vanished, leaving behind a muddy car, a suspicious trash can fire, and a daughter — 25- year-old Jennifer Blake — whose story quickly unraveled. Twelve days later, nearly 100 miles away from her home in Virginia, investigators found Kraynik's body in a wooded area in North Carolina, her life brutally stolen in a crime that shattered her community.
The Discovery That Shattered a Community
A woman's body, wrapped in sheets and bearing the telltale marks of strangulation, lay discarded in the woods. Whoever had left her there had tried — and failed — to destroy the evidence. The victim's fingerprints had been burned, but investigators still were able to connect the remains to Kathy Kraynik.
"All of this is unfolding around Christmastime," John Hopkins, a former journalist with the Virginian Pilot, said on the hit true crime TV series "Snapped," as reported by Oxygen. "And it just makes a horrible, unthinkable story."
At first glance, Kraynik's life seemed picturesque. She was a loving grandmother, the kind of woman people described as a pillar of her Virginia community. But the investigation revealed something far darker beneath the surface — a family dynamic teetering on the edge of collapse.
When Family Drama Turns Fatal
Jennifer Blake and her two children lived with Kraynik, but the arrangement had become strained. Jennifer wasn't working or contributing to the household, and her choices — such as smoking weed and letting her boyfriend, Corey Jackson, break house rules — only added to the tension. Kraynik had reached her limit.
"She was telling me that my sister wasn't going to work," Michael Kraynik, Kathy's son, said on "Snapped," according to Oxygen. "Wasn't doing anything for the kids. The kids would get off the bus and she would be sleeping ... she was smoking weed at the time. My mom didn't like that."
By December 2000, Kathy had begun drafting an eviction notice. To make matters worse for Jennifer, Kathy planned to testify against her in a custody dispute over one of Jennifer's children. As Jennifer saw it, her mother wasn't just kicking her out — she was taking away her entire life.
A Twisted Plot Unravels
On Dec. 10, 2000, Jennifer confided in her boyfriend Corey about her troubles. According to his later confession, Jennifer broke down, telling him, "Mom's testifying. They're going to take my kids away," as reported by Oxygen. That night, the pair devised a horrific plan.
The next day, Corey held Kathy down while Jennifer strangled her. When Kathy struggled, Corey reportedly pulled off her sock and stuffed it in her mouth to silence her.
Their attempts to burn Kathy's body failed, so they dumped her in a wooded area. Their cover-up crumbled when a witness came forward, recognizing Jennifer and Corey as the people who had asked for help pulling their car from a muddy field near the crime scene.
Justice for Kathy
Corey Jackson took a plea deal, receiving 35 years in prison. He testified against Jennifer, who was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. The most chilling testimony came from Jennifer's 7-year-old daughter, who told the court she heard her grandmother pleading for Jennifer to "stop" the night of the murder, as reported by Oxygen.
Jennifer Blake's actions left a community reeling and a family broken. Kathy Kraynik, remembered as a loving mother and grandmother, paid the ultimate price for her desire to protect her family and stand up for what was right.
Lessons From a Life Cut Short
This case serves as a tragic reminder of how unresolved conflict and desperation can spiral into violence. Kathy's story, though devastating, underscores the importance of addressing family issues before they explode. For Kathy's surviving family, the scars of this senseless act will remain, but so will the memory of her love and resilience — a legacy no one can erase.
References: Who is Jennifer Blake and what happened to her? Details explored ahead of Snapped on Oxygen | "Devious" Daughter Strangles Her Mother to Avoid Eviction: "Textbook Pathological"
