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Case 314: Yarmila Falater (Patreon)

Published:
2025-04-05 06:55:32
Imported:
2026-06
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On a January night in 1997, Yarmila Falater was brutally stabbed and drowned in the family’s backyard pool. Her husband, Scott Falater, was caught red-handed, but claimed he had no memory of the crime. What followed was a high-profile trial that pitted science against suspicion, as experts debated whether Yarmila’s death was a tragic accident or deliberate murder.

Team:

Anonymous Host - narration

Milly Raso - research, writing, creative direction

Mike Migas - production, music

Anthony Telfer - audio editing

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Comments

Storme

I don’t know what to believe!

A

Having lived with a dad he was a prolific walker and my husband is one too, they do really odd things. My dad tried to go to the toilet on the TV and then smashed it to pieces in front of my mum, he also used to speak in Russian in his. He was the most mild mannered man when away

Michael

Even though Casefile is the best at telling these crime stories, it's always a little difficult to give the 'Heart' like for any of these given the crime itself. It's like saying "I LOVE this brutal bloody murder story". Maybe use skull and crossbones for a 'like', haha.

Bob Trenwith

I have to wonder, was the witness investigated to any extent? It just seems weird to spy on a neighbour late at night based on what he thought sounded like a couple having sex. I wondered how he could identify the person as a woman in an unlit backyard, but I checked the moon phase and it was gibbous, and the sky was mostly clear. But how could he identify the person in the bedroom as Scott Falater based on a silhouette? On the other hand, assuming he was being truthful, a sleepwalker would not respond in panic to the noise he made. Shifting again, did the police check whether the dog actually obeyed as was claimed? Not sure what relevance it might have, but I see that the witness started a construction company 3 months after the death, which he still runs to this day.

Monica

Intentionally hiding evidence seems to me he knew what he did was wrong and warranted a cover up.. also acknowledging his dog, etc. either he’s a master manipulator and liar who was very much aware of his actions or he hurt her, panicked and then went on to cover up what he did. I lean more towards him knowingly and intentionally killing her. He wasn’t expecting to get caught in the middle of his coverup plan.

Amber

I'm from Arizona and after this several other DV murders attempted the same defense. No one really thinks he was sleepwalking, but even if he was there's responsibility that needs to be taken for a murder.

Melissa Vizza

Two things can be true at the same time. Sure, he has a sleepwalking problem. However, his intentional (rational) attempts at changing out his bloody clothes, hiding the knife, returning to her body while she is still hanging on to life, to drown her in the pool do not sit right with me. I feel the jury got it right and he is where is he supposed to be!

Monica

He responded to his girlfriend claiming she heard a woman moaning or crying and screaming “please no or please don’t” He wasn’t spying on them because he “heard them having sex” in fact, he couldn’t even hear the neighbours due to his hearing damage from his construction job, his girlfriend raised the alarm. Also, during the trial the defence stated he left the pool light on which illuminated her body so it was not an unlit backyard. This is mentioned at 59:01 minutes into the episode.

Bob Trenwith

At the start of the episode it does say that the backyard was unlit (according to the witness). So which one is lying, the witness or Falater?

Monica

Maybe neither one is lying? Idk maybe the backyard lights were unlit but the pool light was lit? I mean there had to have been enough light for him to see something was seriously wrong and call the police, however witness testimony are notoriously inaccurate or unintentionally misleading

Bob Trenwith

But you're assuming he wasn't concocting a story. I'm asking COULD he have concocted the story, in which case such assumptions should not be made.

Iain Strachan

Here for the comments from the somnambulism experts.

Monica

Fair question, just unlikely in my opinion. What motive would he have to lie? They apparently never had any problems with their neighbours… Given the other evidence along with the witness testimony I think he’s guilty as charged.

Bob Trenwith

A motive would be that he had something to do with it. The statement that they didn't have any issues with this neighbour is again coming from him. I'm not accusing anyone, simply wondering whether it is possible and whether the police did their job by checking all information, or whether they had tunnel vision - which seems to be a common theme with the police.

Demi V

I feel like there should be a whole case devoted to the woman trying to save her baby from a fire. The 18th century, I'd expect them to just as likely accuse her of witchcraft as acquit her for sleepwalking. Poor Yarmila and her children who are left with a huge hole in their lives, no matter how the jury decision came back.

Monica

So he convinced his girlfriend to go along with his plot by lying to police about hearing the attack, killed the neighbour’s wife, planted evidence, faked a 911 call while the husband happened to have an injury consistent with a knife and also had blood on his neck? Come on, not everything is a conspiracy with a botched police investigation.

Hailey Mills

I remember watching a Lifetime movie on the man who killed his mother in law while sleep walking. He got in his car, stopped at traffic lights, made all the correct turns to get there etc. The defence talked about how people do things on muscle memory and talked about how people drive in auto pilot.

Fleur White

Fascinating episode, & definitely thought provoking. As he had a history with sleepwalking to some extent, I believe that it was his responsibility to have managed this condition better. Knowing that he had grabbed his wife in the past during an episode, shows that he was aware that it could be dangerous. I’m neurodivergent, and I know what situations can bring on an episode for example. Stress is probably the number one reason, therefore I have to try to avoid stressful situations where I can. I get that it was a different time, but he seems like a highly intelligent & successful man. Surly either his family or himself would have asked more questions? Either way, his penalty was fair IMO

Bob Trenwith

How does one manage stress brought on by outside influences. Should he have quit his job?

Bob Trenwith

I'm not suggesting any particular scenario. I am merely asking whether police did their job by examining every possibility. Once someone makes an assumption, conscious or otherwise, they tend to base everything that they learn afterwards on their assumption, forgetting they even made an assumption. It is a common theme in these comments. It's why fresh eyes in a case often brings results.

Alex Ryan

This guy 100% killed his wife, felt bad about it after, didn’t think he’d been seen, and didn’t have time to come up with an explanation. If he had a history of sleepwalking, wouldn’t he or someone in his family think of this outright, without trawling desperately through case law looking for a plausible defence?? Interesting that his sister suddenly remembers this alleged violent sleepwalking episode after the murder. Obviously there are people who sleepwalk, commit crimes, and aren’t legally responsible. I don’t believe this guy is one of them. Oh ok, my rational, decision-making brain is asleep but let me just sneak one eye open for a minute to change my clothes, remove rivers of blood from my body, go back to the body and make it look like she drowned somehow, find Tupperware that the knife will fit in, hide this in my car (and not just in the back of the car like really hide). Nice try, no.

Parrots Liz

People can learn stress management techniques through basic therapy

Katie Melaugh

Allegedly grabbed his wife! For all we know he made that up too.

Mr Chips

In the United States, there is no need to establish a motive for murder to achieve a conviction. However, I am on the fence about his guilt because I didn’t hear anything about his motive for killing his wife (often that’s a big one in cases like these) and also my younger brother would sleepwalk when we were kids and it’s so convincing he looked like he was awake.

paleoleigh

Honestly I'm shocked it wasn't the neighbor. The whole episode I was convinced the neighbor was going to be revealed as the real killer and only realized I was wrong when I saw there was 5 minutes left in the episode. Not sure what I believe now

Green Thumb

The gators need to be fed.

Kate Coen

And get my dog to sit down in the middle of it all! I don’t buy it either.

Sarah

Him being startled by a sound and trying to find out what it was by looking around was questionable. Idk what side I’m on here.

Sarah

I see it as sending love to the team for another good cover

Ira Finn

You’re a meanie bo beanie :)