The most bizarre murder of all time? Or was it an accident after all? The mysterious case of Barbara Kendhammer.

Hello my dears and welcome to this new video! Today we’re continuing with True Crime on my channel, and with a new case that I’ve chosen and would like to tell you about. I hope you won’t be too bothered by my still somewhat nasal voice during this video. I had a bit of a cold last week, but I’m feeling better now. Unfortunately, my voice is still a little behind. Nevertheless, I hope it doesn’t bother you too much.

Life can change completely in a single moment. That’s a sentence we’ve probably all heard somewhere before, maybe even said it ourselves, or at least thought about it. And even though this sentence is certainly true, very few of us probably believe that it could apply to ourselves because in our routine everyday lives, we simply don’t think that our lives could be completely different from one second to the next, that everything was fine one moment and then disaster strikes the next. Nobody wants to think about it and probably doesn’t, and yet it can happen.

Even 47-year-old Barbara Kendhammer thought it is highly likely that September 16, 2016, was a day like any other when she got into her husband’s car that morning and they drove off together. However, just a short time later, Barbara would be seriously injured, and by the early next morning, she would no longer be alive.

A tragic accident was said to have caused Barbara Kendhammer’s death, but the police had serious doubts about this, which is why they examined this alleged accident more closely. What followed were two completely different versions of the events that took place on the morning of September 16th. What followed were lies, inconsistencies, differing opinions from various experts, and ultimately, a court verdict.

While some believe that justice was finally served for Barbara Kendhammer through this verdict, others say that the real injustice in this case was precisely this, in their eyes, wrong verdict. This case is once again one of those that particularly challenged me during my research because it is incredibly complex in the way it presents itself. But what exactly is the reason for this, and why is Barbara Kendhammer’s death still a subject of controversial discussion to this day?

To find out exactly that, let’s start as always at the very beginning: Who is Barbara Kendhammer? What kind of life did she lead in September 2016? And what do we know about the supposedly mere few seconds in which she was so severely injured on a country road in West Salem that she died?

On the western border of the US state of Wisconsin, directly on the Mississippi River, lies the city of La Crosse, population 50,000. While life is bustling in the city itself, which, thanks to its university, hosts more than 20,000 students every year, the rural, quiet suburban districts of La Crosse are very popular, especially with families. This includes the community of West Salem, about 20 km outside the city. Surrounded by cliffs, forests, farmland, and beautiful landscapes, the area around West Salem is among the most beautiful in the entire state and is not called the county seat for nothing.

The people in this case, Barbara Kendhammer and her husband, are also from La Crosse. Their shared story, how it all began, is one that many often hear. They met at the age of 16 while still in high school, and initially remained close friends for quite some time. However, this friendship soon blossomed into something more. Todd and Barbara spent every free minute together, officially becoming a couple in the summer of 1989 and marrying two years later in August 1991.

After the wedding, the newlyweds bought a beautiful house on the outskirts of West Salem, just outside their hometown of La Crosse. In the years that followed, they started a family. First came their daughter Jessica, and three years later, Todd and Barbara’s son Jordan. According to those who knew them well, the Kendhammers were apparently a perfectly normal, average family with the usual problems and difficulties that everyday life brings.

On the one hand, they stuck together and were always there for each other. While Todd was employed for many years at Branding Packaging, a company specializing in transport packaging, Barbara worked as the cafeteria manager at West Salem Middle School. As the years passed and their two children, Jessica and Jordan, grew older, Todd and Barbara supplemented their well-paid jobs by repeatedly buying, renovating, and later reselling small properties in the area around West Salem and La Crosse.

This was something they had a knack for, which they tackled together as a team, and with which they were apparently very successful. But that’s not all. Besides his work in shipping and the occasional sale of houses, Todd Kendhammer was also passionate about tinkering with cars. He had a great talent for this as well, and for a fee, he regularly repaired cars, replaced parts, and made a name for himself in this field.

It’s safe to say that Todd and Barbara Kendhammer led an extremely comfortable life financially. They had everything one could wish for: two wonderful children, a beautiful house, jobs they were very happy in, financial independence, and they apparently also had a good marriage. In September 2016, Todd and Barbara Kendhammer, both 47, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Just a few weeks prior, they had celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with family and many friends and acquaintances.

Furthermore, the two had recently become grandparents for the first time, as their eldest daughter Jessica, who had since moved out and was married herself, had given birth to a daughter. This was another reason to celebrate for Todd and Barbara, who, as one can imagine, were absolutely smitten with their granddaughter. They also had every reason to be proud of their son Jordan, who had been studying away from home for some time.

Jessica Kendhammer later described her parents’ relationship during this period:

“They were happier than ever, and everything was simply perfect.”

Until, just one month after Todd and Barbara celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, everything would change forever on a seemingly ordinary morning in the autumn of 2016.

It was Friday, September 16, 2016. Very early that morning, Todd and Barbara Kendhammer got up together and had breakfast in the kitchen of their house. This was later confirmed by Jordan Kendhammer, who was staying at his parents’ house during his semester break and overheard them downstairs in the kitchen having breakfast and chatting.

Even though Todd and Barbara were planning to leave for a weekend camping trip late Friday afternoon, it was still a completely normal workday for Barbara, at least since Todd had the day off. He didn’t have to work, but Barbara had to start her shift at 8:00 a.m. as usual in the cafeteria at West Salem Middle School.

The plan for that morning was that after they had breakfast, Todd would drive his wife to work and pick her up later, so they would both be home in the late afternoon to finish the remaining preparations for the camping trip. It wasn’t unusual for Todd to drive Barbara to work; according to their children, when Todd had Fridays off, he would often drive Barbara to work and pick her up again later.

Todd and Barbara’s son, Jordan, later confirmed that the couple had left together. He heard the garage door open shortly after 7:30 a.m., his father getting behind the wheel of his gray Toyota Camry, his mother getting into the passenger seat, and both of them driving off.

After Todd and Barbara set off, they stopped at one of their neighbors’ houses at 7:45 a.m., just under 10 minutes later. The two had agreed to check on things while this neighbor was on vacation. They only stopped there for a few minutes and then drove on because Barbara had to be at work at 8:00 a.m. It was now 15 minutes to 8:00 a.m., and since she was never late, the two had to hurry a bit.

But it’s precisely at this point that things start to get strange. Instead of heading straight to West Salem Middle School to drop his wife off at work as agreed, Todd Kendhammer drove north towards La Crosse County Road, a country road that lay in the complete opposite direction to his actual destination. Why he did exactly that will be just one of the many questions surrounding the events of this day.

Fifteen minutes passed. At exactly 8:05 a.m., a call came into the La Crosse emergency call center. On the phone was 47-year-old Todd Kendhammer, so panicked and distraught that the 911 dispatcher could barely understand him. Todd reported that there had been an accident, that his wife Barbara had been seriously injured, that he believed she was no longer breathing, and that he was trying to resuscitate her.

He gave his location, whereupon a few minutes later, both the emergency services and the police arrived at the section of the County Road described by Todd. Upon arrival, they saw Todd Kendhammer’s gray Toyota on its side, with the rear end in the ditch. The windshield appeared to be broken, and Barbara lay seriously injured on the ground.

While the paramedics continued trying to revive Barbara and simultaneously prepared her for transport to the hospital, the police officers spoke with Todd to determine what had happened.

Todd, who was still very agitated and panicked even as he spoke to the police for the first time, reported that he and his wife had been driving along this county road when another vehicle, a truck, was approaching them. As this truck passed his gray Toyota, a long metal pipe fell from the truck’s bed onto his windshield. This pipe shattered the windshield and struck his wife, Barbara, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

Todd further reported that after the pipe shattered his windshield, he immediately stopped in the road, got out, pulled the pipe out of the windshield, threw it down, and then lifted his wife Barbara out of the Toyota and laid her on the road. Todd stated:

“I had to pull the pipe out of the windshield because otherwise it would have been impossible to get Barbara out of the car.”

After laying his wife on the road, he tried to revive her, but quickly realized that she was severely injured because she was bleeding heavily, which prompted him to immediately call 911.

Barbara Kendhammer was taken directly from the accident scene to the nearest hospital, where doctors did everything they could to save her life. In vain, she died in the early morning hours of the following day, September 17, 2016, at the age of 47.

Doubts began to surface shortly after the police arrived at this section of the County Road regarding Todd Kendhammer’s version of events. This was due, firstly, to the nature of the Toyota’s broken windshield and the way the individual fractures appeared in the glass. Secondly, it was due to Todd himself. When the police officers first spoke to him at the scene, they immediately noticed that the knuckles of both his hands were injured.

The bloody marks on his knuckles looked as if they had been caused by blows. Furthermore, the officers noticed various scratches on Todd Kendhammer’s neck and chest, which were later photographed at the hospital. One can certainly ask why, if a metal pipe from a passing vehicle struck Todd Kendhammer’s windshield and seriously injured his wife on the passenger side, he looked as if he had just been involved in a fistfight.

According to Todd Kendhammer’s description, the vehicle that passed him and his wife on the other side of the road was a truck or a van. The metal pipe fell off the truck bed, but Todd couldn’t remember the color, size, appearance, or make of the truck—nothing at all.

All transport companies in the West Salem and La Crosse area were contacted, and the police attempted to track the routes of truck drivers who had been on the road that morning. However, there were no matches. The West Salem community was also involved in the search for the truck. There was never much traffic on that county road early in the morning, leading the police to believe that a single open-bed truck might have caught someone’s attention. Countless people were questioned, but no one had noticed such a truck.

The police reviewed and analyzed video footage from all gas stations, parking lots, and other buildings in the hope of finding the mysterious truck, but it was nowhere to be seen. There was also a large riding stable directly on the county road equipped with cameras, one of which faced directly onto the road.

The footage from this camera was of particular interest to the police, as it should have shown all the vehicles that passed that morning. Indeed, the riding stable’s camera recorded Todd and Barbara Kendhammer’s gray Toyota at 7:57 a.m. as it drove directly past. However, the rest of the tape showed no truck, which, if Todd’s statement were true, should have passed the riding stable shortly after losing the pipe.

Considering all of this—that no transport company in the area had records of drivers on this road, that no one traveling in the area that morning saw a vehicle of this type, and that not a single surveillance camera recorded such a truck—investigators concluded that there simply was no truck.

Four days after Barbara Kendhammer’s death, the police received the results of her autopsy, which also contradicted Todd’s story. Forensic pathologist Dr. Kathleen McCubbin documented numerous injuries on Barbara’s body that, in her opinion, could not be explained by the impact of a metal pipe through the windshield.

Firstly, Barbara had three large lacerations on the back of her head. If the metal pipe came through the windshield from the front, how could she have sustained this type of injury to the back of her head? Furthermore, Barbara’s cricoid cartilage, which forms the end of the larynx, was fractured, possibly indicating strangulation, as manual attacks on the neck often result in injuries to soft tissues, cartilage, or bones in that area.

In addition, Barbara had countless other injuries on her body: a broken nose, several bruises on her face and body, contusions, scratches on her neck, several broken fingernails, and a large laceration on her forehead. Dr. McCubbin noted that Barbara had injuries specifically to her hands and fingers that could certainly be interpreted as defensive wounds.

Todd, as we recall, was found with bloody knuckles and scratches on his neck and chest. Barbara had defensive wounds, broken fingernails, facial bruises, and cuts on the back of her head. Both sets of injuries suggested to investigators that a struggle took place between the two before Todd called 911 at 8:05 a.m. Furthermore, Todd’s DNA was found under Barbara’s fingernails during the autopsy.

A witness also came forward with critical information regarding the scene. The witness stated that he was driving along County Road on his way to work at exactly 8:00 a.m. on the morning of September 16th, just five minutes before Todd called 911. This witness drove past the exact site and saw the Kendhammers’ gray Toyota Camry with its rear end in the ditch, precisely where it was when police arrived.

The witness stated that he drove slowly past the Toyota to see if anyone needed help, but saw no one inside or outside the car. Crucially, according to the witness, the windshield was completely intact at that time. Because there seemed to be no one around and the windshield was not broken, the witness simply drove on.

If this witness’s statement is accurate, it means that just five minutes before Todd called 911, neither he nor Barbara were visible at the car, and no pipe had crashed through the windshield yet. Therefore, the logical conclusion reached by investigators was that the windshield must have been broken after the witness passed by.

The forensic team examined the windshield of the gray Toyota very closely. Two distinct impact marks were clearly visible. If a metal pipe measuring 1.34 meters and weighing four and a half kilograms fell from a truck, how could there be two different impact points? To the police, it appeared that the windshield was deliberately smashed from the outside by Todd Kendhammer himself.

The interior of the vehicle was also scrutinized. No blood was found on the passenger-side headrest, on the inside of the windshield, on the passenger seat itself, or on the passenger door. If Barbara had suffered all her injuries inside the car from a pipe coming through the windshield, there should have been substantial blood evidence there. Only small traces of blood were found on the passenger seatbelt and center console.

Furthermore, numerous pieces of broken glass were found throughout the front of the car, with an unusually large concentration of shards directly on the passenger seat cushion. If Barbara had been seated there when the glass broke, the shards would have landed on her body, clothing, and hair, rather than accumulating on the seat beneath and behind her.

Additionally, while glass fragments were scattered throughout the cabin, not a single shard was found in the storage pocket of the passenger door. Forensic investigators concluded that the passenger door must have been open at the moment the windshield shattered; had it been closed while driving down the road, glass fragments would have inevitably fallen into the door pocket.

When emergency personnel first arrived, they also noted that there was no glass found on Barbara’s clothing or body, further supporting the theory that she was not sitting in the passenger seat when the glass shattered.

The metal pipe itself was examined forensically. Rust patterns on both ends of the pipe matched rust traces found inside the trunk of Todd’s Toyota, suggesting the pipe had already been in the vehicle rather than falling from an oncoming truck. While heavy rust prevented conclusive blood testing, DNA from both Todd and Barbara was identified on the pipe.

In addition to the physical evidence, investigators questioned the route taken that morning. After stopping briefly at their neighbor’s house, Todd turned north onto County Road M at 7:45 a.m., heading away from West Salem Middle School where Barbara was expected to report for duty at 8:00 a.m. Barbara was known for her absolute punctuality, having never been late or absent without notice during her entire career.

Todd was summoned to the La Crosse Police Department for formal interrogation. When confronted with the evidence, he initially maintained his story: the pipe fell from a truck, shattered the windshield, struck Barbara, and he subsequently pulled the pipe out, removed Barbara from the car, attempted CPR, and called 911.

When investigators questioned him about his bloody knuckles, Todd claimed:

“The moment the pipe fell from the passing truck, I reflexively extended my fists forward and punched the windshield from the inside to stop the oncoming pipe. That is why there are two impact marks on the glass—one from the pipe, and one from my fists striking from the inside.”

Regarding the scratches on his neck and chest, Todd stated:

“I repair cars regularly and frequently handle glass, including replacing windshields. Those scratches came from my repair work.”

Investigators found these explanations implausible. Forensic analysis proved that both impact points on the windshield originated from the exterior, not the interior. Moreover, police confirmed Todd had not performed any auto glass repair work in the days preceding the incident, and the marks on his neck and chest were fingernail scratches rather than glass cuts.

When asked why he drove north onto the country road instead of taking Barbara to work, Todd stated:

“After checking on the neighbor’s house, I spontaneously decided to drive to the home of an acquaintance, Justin Heim, whose truck I was scheduled to repair that Friday since I had the day off.”

However, when investigators interviewed Justin Heim, Heim contradicted Todd’s claim entirely, stating that his truck was not in need of repair, that he had not spoken to Todd in three weeks, and that he had no agreement with Todd to pick up his vehicle that morning.

District Attorney Tim Gruenke summarized the state’s position during an interview:

“We can’t say exactly how this act unfolded point by point, but what we can say for sure is that Barbara Kendhammer didn’t die because a pipe fell off a truck and flew through her windshield, because there was no truck there, and nothing Todd told us was true.”

On December 5, 2017, Todd Kendhammer’s trial began at the La Crosse County Courthouse, where he was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

District Attorney Tim Gruenke argued to the jury that Todd’s account contradicted the physical evidence and that he had fabricated his destination for that morning. Justin Heim testified that he had not arranged for any vehicle repairs with Todd. The passing motorist reiterated under oath that the Toyota’s windshield was fully intact at 8:00 a.m. and the vehicle appeared unoccupied.

Medical examiner Dr. Kathleen McCubbin testified regarding Barbara’s extensive injuries, stating that the blunt force trauma to her head, facial fractures, and fractured cricoid cartilage were indicative of a violent assault and manual strangulation rather than a single projectile impact.

The defense maintained that Barbara’s death was a tragic freak accident. Defense attorney Stephen Hurley emphasized the prosecution’s lack of an established motive and specific timeline of the physical attack. The Kendhammers had been married for 25 years with no history of domestic disputes, no financial distress, and no life insurance policies from which Todd could benefit.

Addressing the timeline and motive, District Attorney Tim Gruenke stated:

“A person can cause massive damage in just a few minutes. Men kill their wives time and again. Do I know Todd’s motive? No, but men kill their wives for reasons only they themselves know. This happens every day.”

Jessica Kendhammer spoke out in defense of her father during an interview:

“They never told us how our father supposedly killed our mother. If he wanted to kill her, why would he do it in this way, carrying a metal pipe in the trunk, driving on this country road where he didn’t know if someone might have seen it all? He must have killed her and staged everything at the scene almost simultaneously. The timeline just doesn’t add up. He simply wouldn’t have had enough time to do all that.”

During the trial, the defense called glass expert Mark Jerry, who testified that it was theoretically possible for an internal blow to have weakened the windshield prior to external impact.

The defense also introduced a theory concerning Barbara’s large, rigid travel mug found in the passenger footwell, which had a broken plastic rim. Defense attorney Stephen Hurley argued that as the pipe struck the windshield, Barbara reflexively ducked, violently striking her face and throat against the solid cup, which caused her facial lacerations, broken nose, and fractured cricoid cartilage before the pipe penetrated the glass and struck the back of her head. When cross-examined, Dr. McCubbin conceded that she could not completely rule out that specific sequence of blunt force mechanisms.

Todd Kendhammer took the witness stand in his own defense, professing his innocence:

“I did not kill Barbara. I could never have harmed her.”

Under cross-examination regarding inconsistencies in his earlier statements to police, Todd stated:

“I was in severe shock on the day I was questioned at the police station, to the point that I did not recognize myself in the video recordings.”

When pressed on specific details, Todd repeatedly responded:

“I can’t remember anymore.”

After a trial lasting nearly two weeks, the jury deliberated for a few hours before finding Todd Kendhammer guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 30 years.

Both of Todd’s children, along with members of Barbara’s family, continued to believe in his innocence and maintained that the incident was an accident. Todd’s family retained appellate attorneys Jerome Buting and Coleen Stein to pursue an evidentiary hearing for a new trial.

At the post-conviction hearing before the original trial judge, the defense presented testimony from forensic pathologist Dr. Sharlene Tess.

When asked:

“Did you see any injuries on Barbara Kendhammer’s body that you believe were caused by punches?”

Dr. Tess answered:

“No.”

When asked:

“Did you see any injuries on Barbara’s body that you believe indicate she was involved in a fight before her death?”

Dr. Tess answered:

“No.”

Dr. Tess testified that the fractured cricoid cartilage and facial injuries were consistent with high-energy impact against the travel mug during the collision, concluding that the manner of death was consistent with an accident.

The defense also presented reconstruction test footage and nationwide photographic records of road debris penetrating vehicle windshields to demonstrate the unpredictable physics of falling objects. However, the circuit court denied the motion for a new trial, a ruling subsequently upheld by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Todd Kendhammer remains incarcerated.

Reconstructing the state’s theory of that morning suggests a possible sequence: an argument may have begun early during their drive, escalating after the stop at the neighbor’s house. Instead of proceeding to the school, Todd turned onto County Road M. Barbara may have realized the diversion, leading to a physical struggle over the steering wheel that forced the Camry into the roadside ditch.

As Barbara attempted to flee through the passenger door, a violent physical confrontation ensued in the tall grass of the ditch, resulting in her fatal injuries and leaving Todd with scratched arms and bruised knuckles. When the passing motorist drove by at 8:00 a.m., both individuals were concealed in the ditch. After the car passed, the scene was staged using the metal pipe from the trunk to shatter the windshield from the outside before placing the 911 call at 8:05 a.m.

Whether the death of Barbara Kendhammer was the result of a bizarre, catastrophic accident or a staged homicide committed within an exceptionally narrow window of time remains one of the most intensely debated cases in recent legal history.

I wish you a lovely rest of your day, and until next time, take care.