5 chilling details about Dennis Wood case on Who Hired the Hitman?

The chilling case of Dennis Wood, a 52 year old occurred in April 2004. This is one of the rare cases where as more information one caters, the more horrifying it becomes. Daniel Wood was found brutally murdered inside his Moorpark, California, home after almost two weeks.

This case seemed like a well-planned murder but left investigators confused with unsolved problems that persisted for over 20 years because there was no direct evidence of unlawful entry and no proof of theft. Finally on November 4, 2025, new episodes of the true-crime series Who Hired the Hitman? will premiere on Investigation Discovery (ID).

Who Hired the Hitman? – The Crime Scene 

On April 16, 2004, when deputies visited Dennis Wood's home, they found a welfare check request from worried neighbours, as well as some very unsettling circumstances. Wood's death seemed deliberate. The major evidence was the bullet wounds to his head and chest on his decaying body which was found close to the front entrance. However, the absence of stolen goods or forced entrance pointed to something darker than an impulsive act of violence.

Despite examining Wood's relationships, routines and business activities, investigators were unable to identify an attacker or a motive. Since there were no traces of theft, forced entry or struggle, the investigation came to a standstill. Detectives were troubled by the fact that Wood's murder went unexplained for almost 19 years because they thought the murderer was either a friend or someone who had been acknowledged.

Who Hired the Hitman? – What was the Final Verdict

This case took a dramatic turn in 2023 when Alex Bracamonte, a prisoner serving time for a different murder, admitted to killing a man in Moorpark a long time back. He was immediately confronted by the police and Bracamonte confessed to being the shooter and the information that he gave exactly matched the description of the murder scene. After elaborating on the crime, it was very clear that Antoine Nehme was the hit's mastermind.

Wood had given US $28,700 to Nehme, a previous client of his prepaid phone card company for a business endeavour. Nehme allegedly hired Bracamonte to assassinate Wood to make the debt disappear forever once the business failed.

It was a well publicised trial and a jury found Nehme guilty in March 2025 of first degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation. After more than 20 years, Wood's family finally received justice when he was given a life sentence without the possibility of release.

Who Was the Hitman Hired? tells this sinister story of avarice, treachery and long-kept secrets, demonstrating how a cold case can be solved with a single confession, regardless of the amount of time that has passed.

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