Uploaded April 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Jennifer Cave and Colton Pitonyak had their addiction to drugs in common, but they were otherwise two very different people. Jennifer was known as a caring person who tried to help everyone she met. Pitonyak was a drug dealer with a growing propensity for violence.
In August of 2005, when Jennifer didn’t show up for her new job working for a law firm in Austin, Texas, her employer called Jennifer’s mother Sharon back in Corpus Christi. Concerned, Sharon called several of Jennifer’s friends. She even called Pitonyak, who lied to her and claimed he had not seen Jennifer. The next day, Sharon and her fiancé, Jim, drove to Austin to look for Jennifer. The crime scene they found in Pitonyak’s apartment was shockingly gruesome.
Join us at the quiet end for When Darkness Fell. Colton Pitonyak was a former rich kid who was used to getting everything he wanted. Jennifer considered herself his friend, but he wanted more from her. He took Jennifer out for dinner to celebrate her new job on August 16th, but something very dark occurred back at his place. There has never been a clear motive for what happened to Jennifer that night, but it soon became clear to investigators that Pitonyak had had a co-conspirator after the fact. Once arrested, Pitonyak and his accomplice turned on each other at trial, further deepening the mystery of motive and blame.
Jennifer Cave and Colton Pitonyak had their addiction to drugs in common, but they were otherwise two very different people. Jennifer was known as a caring person who tried to help everyone she met. Pitonyak was a drug dealer with a growing propensity for violence.
In August of 2005, when Jennifer didn’t show up for her new job working for a law firm in Austin, Texas, her employer called Jennifer’s mother Sharon back in Corpus Christi. Concerned, Sharon called several of Jennifer’s friends. She even called Pitonyak, who lied to her and claimed he had not seen Jennifer. The next day, Sharon and her fiancé, Jim, drove to Austin to look for Jennifer. The crime scene they found in Pitonyak’s apartment was shockingly gruesome.
Join us at the quiet end for When Darkness Fell. Colton Pitonyak was a former rich kid who was used to getting everything he wanted. Jennifer considered herself his friend, but he wanted more from her. He took Jennifer out for dinner to celebrate her new job on August 16th, but something very dark occurred back at his place. There has never been a clear motive for what happened to Jennifer that night, but it soon became clear to investigators that Pitonyak had had a co-conspirator after the fact. Once arrested, Pitonyak and his accomplice turned on each other at trial, further deepening the mystery of motive and blame.
