Where this was said
Jason Hans: The Ex-Husband with a Haunted Past
At 6:43 · chapter starts 6:35
Just when Glenn looked like the obvious suspect, Blayne reveals a fact that genuinely shocked Andrea: Jason Hans had already lost a first wife, Irina, to an unsolved murder more than two decades earlier. Lightning, it seemed, had struck twice. Investigators knew they couldn't ignore the coincidence [1] — Blayne Alexander "Jason Hans, Ella's ex-husband and close friend, also lost his first wife Irina to an unsolved murder more than 20 years ago. The coincidenc…" 06:35 . But when Blayne sat down with Jason, he offered a poignant and unexpected distinction: Irina's murder, however devastating, felt like a product of some societal failure — a stranger's violence. Ella's murder, killed by the man who was supposed to keep her safest, filled him with a different kind of rage [2] — Blayne Alexander "He said, but when he talks about Ella, the fact that she was killed by somebody with whom she was supposed to have been the safest, her spo…" 07:27 . He still teared up talking about Irina, even 20 years removed from the crime — something that caught even him by surprise.
Jason Hans, Ella's ex-husband and close friend, also lost his first wife Irina to an unsolved murder more than 20 years ago. The coincidence made investigators look hard at him — but it also gave him a harrowing frame of reference for understanding what Ella suffered.
Jason Hans told Blayne that Ella's murder — being killed by her own spouse — was the more enraging of the two tragedies because marriage is supposed to be where you're safest. The randomness of Irina's death was a societal failure; Ella's was a personal betrayal.
Jason Hans' first wife, Irina Hans, was shot and killed near a DC metro station over 20 years ago and the case remains unsolved to this day.
Irina Hans was killed during the DC sniper investigation in 2002, leading detectives to initially wonder if she was a sniper victim before ruling it out.
Irina Hans was shot point blank near the Green Line metro in the DC area in 2002, during the height of the DC sniper panic. Nothing was taken. A can of mace was found in her hand. Investigators believe someone knew her routine. Prince George's County Police are still seeking tips at 1-866-411-TIPS.
