5 chilling details about Angelina O’Mara case as shown in Snapped: Behind Bars

In autumn 2011, the mother of two, Angelina O'Mara, in the middle of a tense divorce, became the unlikely suspect in a double murder investigation that traversed two states. She fatally shot her estranged husband, James O'Mara, in his Minnesota apartment, and days later, her boyfriend, Michael Pies, in a Wisconsin motel room. Both men were killed with single gunshots to the head in what authorities described as execution-style murders. 

The case was touted as one with rapid discoveries and ballistic evidence from Angelina O'Mara's .38-caliber revolver, which linked her to the crimes and subsequently led to her 2013 guilty plea to two consecutive life sentences without parole. Now, 14 years later, in Oxygen's Snapped: Behind Bars season 3, episode 4, Angelina O'Mara, gives her an unprecedented televised prison interview, taped in April 2025 from the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee. 

The episode, which was aired on November 30, 2025, weaves together archival footage, investigator insights, and family perspectives for a revisit into the events. Viewers can catch it on the Oxygen website and Peacock streaming service.

Snapped: Behind Bars: 5 chilling details of Angelina O’Mara’s double murder case 

1. The back-to-back execution-style shootings across state lines

The rapid succession of murders demonstrated how swiftly and, in fact, deliberately these crimes were taking place.  James O'Mara, 43, was shot once in the head on October 30, 2011, while he was asleep in his apartment in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, during what appeared to be a visit from his estranged wife.  

A few days later, on November 2, Michael Pies, 36, and Angelina O'Mara checked into a motel in Ashland, Wisconsin, where Pies was also shot in the head at close range. Indeed, investigators noted the vulnerability of the victims-they were unsuspecting and in private settings-as well as consistency in the methods employed, including no signs of struggle.  

Ballistic tests matched bullets from both scenes to Angelina O'Mara's revolver, recovered after her arrest on November 3. This episode bridges the 200-mile distance between the locations with images from the crime scene and police reports that demonstrate how phone records placed her at each location, as per Oxygen. 

2. Discovery prompted by a foul odor from decomposition

James O'Mara's body was not found for several days, during which time decomposition set in and alerted the authorities. On November 1, 2011, personnel in a Sauk Rapids apartment complex reported a very strong smell, which led them to break into O'Mara's unit. His body was found lying on the bed; the gunshot wound to the head confirmed it was a homicide. 

This episode shows reenactments of the scene and accounts from investigators as to its grimmer reality, saying that the odor, which was overwhelming, was the unfortunate clue that broke the case. In the case of Michael Pies, motel staff found his body later that same day with blood spatter indicating a close-quarters shooting. 

Retired Lt. Greg BeBeau from the Ashland Police Department relates in the program how such finds continue to haunt first responders, illustrating the human toll. Such details demonstrate how delayed findings in secluded settings make the investigation even more challenging, according to Oxygen.

3. The use of a pillow to conceal and silence the first shooting

In James O'Mara's killing, a pillow was placed over his face after the shot, as detailed in autopsy reports featured in the episode. This action likely aimed to muffle the sound and obscure the wound, pointing to forethought despite O'Mara's later claims of impulsivity. The Snapped: Behind Bars installment uses archival trial footage and expert analysis to explain how forensic evidence revealed the pillow's role, with no fibers indicating a struggle. 

Investigators viewed this as evidence of planning, contrasting O'Mara's prison interview, where she describes the act as stemming from a drug-fueled mental break. The detail emerges through interviews with prosecutors, who note it amplified the crime's cold efficiency. Such methods, common in intimate homicides, added to the case's complexity during the 2013 proceedings, where O'Mara pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges, as per Oxygen.

4. O'Mara's claims of psychosis amid prescription drug abuse

During her April 2025 interview, O'Mara attributes the killings to a "psychosis" triggered by heavy prescription drug use, denying any premeditated motive. She states, 

"This wasn’t something that I woke up one day and said, ‘I’m going to harm the father of my children. There was no motive. I was in a psychosis, and events happened."

The episode explores this through clips of her South Dakota traffic stop earlier in 2011, where police found a large quantity of pills, corroborating accounts of her downward spiral during the divorce. Family members and investigators provide context, noting rumors of addiction that escalated tensions over custody and assets. 

While O'Mara expresses remorse, "I took both James’ and Mike’s life," detectives like BeBeau question the narrative, citing evidence of travel and weapon possession, according to  Oxygen. 

5. Her unwavering calm during arrest and trial proceedings

O'Mara displayed little emotion throughout the investigation and court process, a trait highlighted in multiple interviews within the episode. After her November 3, 2011, arrest, she initially claimed Pies's death involved a struggle with outsiders before admitting partial involvement. 

In the 2013 trial, observers noted her blank expression; a victim's family member recalls, 

"Angelina didn't look at any of us... she had no emotions, she didn't shed a tear." 

Archival footage from Snapped: After the Verdict reinforces this, with prosecutors describing four undisclosed reasons for the acts, possibly tied to jealousy or finances. 

BeBeau labels her demeanor as indicative of calculation over crisis. In prison, O'Mara reflects on growth through therapy, but the contrast with her past stoicism raises questions about sincerity, as per  Oxygen. 

Watch Snapped: Behind Bars season 3 available on Oxygen.