What happened to Brandon Silverlight? Details explored ahead of Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen
Brandon Silverlight, a 25-year-old man from South Haven, Michigan, was brutally murdered on November 14, 2009, a crime that would lead to convictions and life sentences for two individuals. Silverlight's burned body was discovered beneath a pine tree in Casco Township, just feet away from his torched vehicle, as per a report by MLive.com dated November 19, 2010.
Duct tape was found wrapped around his head and mouth, and dental records were needed to confirm his identity. Prosecutors alleged that Silverlight was lured into meeting the 24-year-old Alison Lane Martin, who promised him a sexual encounter. Once there, Justin Andrew Terpstra, aged 25 at the time, ambushed him.
During the trials, evidence revealed that Silverlight was beaten, duct-taped to a tree, stabbed multiple times, and set on fire, as reported by MLive.com, dated November 24, 2010. Both Martin and Terpstra were convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and torture, receiving life sentences without parole.
Brandon Silverlight's story is the focus of season 18, episode 3 of Snapped: Killer Couples (2025), airing on Oxygen on March 16, 2025. The episode titled Alison Martin and Justin Terpstra explores the harrowing details behind his death.
Brandon Silverlight's burned body was found near his smoldering car on November 14, 2009
Brandon Silverlight's death is a chilling case of premeditated murder, conspiracy, and violence that unfolded in Allegan County, Michigan. According to court testimony, Brandon Silverlight's severely burned body was discovered beneath a pine tree, just a few hundred feet from his incinerated vehicle, which was still smoldering when authorities arrived on the morning of November 14, 2009.
Silverlight's body was bound with duct tape around his head and mouth, necessitating dental records for formal identification, as stated by Allegan County death investigator Bruce Beekman, per an MLive.com report. The crime scene revealed two separate burn sites, one where Silverlight's car was torched and another where his body was set on fire.
Prosecutors alleged that Justin Terpstra and Alison Lane Martin, both from Kalamazoo, lured Brandon Silverlight under the guise of a s*xual encounter, as per MLive.com. Silverlight met Martin following a series of text messages exchanged earlier that day.
According to Detective Len Mathis, the evidence presented in court included two texts to Silverlight from Martin's phone on November 13, 2009, as reported by MLive.com on October 26, 2010. The text sent at 12:14 pm read:
“Are we still on for tonight?”
This was followed by another at 8:18 pm that read:
“We still on for tonight?”
Silverlight agreed to meet Martin at a South Haven restaurant, believing they were headed for a s*xual liaison with a third person. Instead, Terpstra ambushed Silverlight at Martin's parents' trailer, knocked him unconscious with a board, and restrained him with duct tape, as noted in People v. Martin, Michigan Court of Appeals, 2012.
The pair then transported Brandon Silverlight to a vacant lot in Casco Township. Prosecutors asserted that he was stabbed, had his throat slit, and was ultimately set on fire along with his car as per MLive.com report dated November 19, 2010.
Detective Sgt. Scott Leroy from the Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Unit testified in court that no accelerants were recovered, potentially due to them burning off during the blaze. However, Leroy noted that the fire did not account for the deep laceration observed on Silverlight's neck.
Photos presented during the trial showed Terpstra had fresh burns and scratches on his hands, wrists, and right leg. However, his defense claimed these injuries could have resulted from his job as a restaurant cook, per MLive.com.
Jurors later convicted Justin Terpstra on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and torture. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in December 2010. Alison Martin, who was previously romantically involved with Brandon Silverlight, was convicted of the same charges and received an identical sentence.
The case was further complicated by conflicting accounts during trial and appeal. Martin testified that there was no premeditated plan to kill Brandon Silverlight and claimed Terpstra acted independently, as mentioned in People v. Martin, Michigan Court of Appeals, 2012.
However, statements Martin made to acquaintances contradicted this defense. She admitted to taking part in the attack, including stabbing Silverlight and setting him on fire.
The court documents also highlighted an earlier criminal conviction of Brandon Silverlight related to the distribution of s*xually explicit material and using a computer to commit a crime. His wife testified that Martin was his "only enemy," as per MLive.com report dated October 20, 2010, indicating deep-seated animosity from their past relationship.
Despite appeals by Martin, her conviction was upheld in 2012 as per People v. Martin, Michigan Court of Appeals, 2012. Her subsequent habeas petition was denied in 2017 as per the Martin v. Warren, United States District Court, case text on February 13, 2017.
Also read: 5 shocking details about Brandon Silverlight's murder
Stay tuned for more updates.
