Warning: This article discusses domestic violence, which may be distressing for some readers.
A father mourning the loss of his daughter, who was tragically murdered just three weeks after her college graduation, has shared four unsettling events that occurred following her death. These included unusual electrical issues and the unexpected reassignment of her phone number.
Kristin Mitchell, whom her father Bill describes as “very smart and extremely creative,” had recently completed her degree on a food marketing scholarship and secured a position with General Mills.
On the day she received her diploma, the 21-year-old introduced her parents to her new boyfriend, Brian David Landau.
During an appearance on the What Was That Like podcast, Bill recounted meeting Brian, who was about 27 years old at the time, and had an immediate instinct that he was someone to be cautious of.
“I probably only had that feeling a few times in my life,” Bill mentioned.
He reflected on the encounter, noting it was an intuition he should have acted on.
Twenty days later, police informed Bill that Kristin’s boyfriend had killed her in her Conshohocken, PA apartment after she tried to end their relationship. She suffered 55 stab wounds.
Brian pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and received a 30-year prison sentence.
Reflecting on the events following her death in June 2005, Bill revealed a series of peculiar incidents that unfolded after he learned of his daughter’s passing.
Following Kristin’s death, Bill and his wife Michele decided to discontinue her cell phone service. They were notified that her number would be reassigned in about two months.
“I found out that Kristin’s number was retired or suspended in late June of 2005, and was reassigned in late August of 2005,” Bill explained.
Kevin Welsh, a jeweler who was also in an abusive relationship, was the new recipient of her number.
Remarkably, the Mitchell family knew Kevin, as he had previously been commissioned to create a locket with Kristin’s hair inside.
After learning her story, Kevin referred to Kristin as his “angel protector,” believing her tragic story served as a warning for him to leave his dangerous relationship.
Bill recounted his realization that Kevin had acquired Kristin’s phone number: “Here’s the guy with an abusive relationship, needing to change his number, and of all possible numbers, he gets the one connected to a girl he was linked to, murdered by her boyfriend.”
“I don’t even know if you’d call it a coincidence. It just is what it is,” he remarked.
In the week of Kristin’s death, Bill noticed numerous technical oddities, such as nine light bulbs burning out in their home.
These occurrences began on the day she was killed and continued for several days.
“I kept thinking: ‘I gotta get another light bulb for that lamp.’ Then, hours later, another room’s light would blow out,” he explained.
“It was absurd,” he added.
In addition to the lights, Bill mentioned another peculiar electrical issue affecting the family vehicles.
He described how some cars wouldn’t start on a particular day but would start without issue the following day.
“There was some electrical issue, and three of our four cars wouldn’t start for a day. Then, the next day, they’d start fine. There was a lot happening,” he said.
After Kristin’s passing, Bill experienced a vivid dream of her approaching him at a county fair.
“She came up and we didn’t say much, it was just understood,” he recounted.
“’It’s so great under the circumstances to see you,’ is what I was trying to convey, and she understood.”
When Bill realized he was dreaming, Kristin’s image began to fade until she was transparent.
He felt as though his daughter had visited him in the night, providing comfort despite the circumstances.
Since that dream, Kristin has appeared in others, including scenarios at a motel, a marketplace, and one where she is saved by Philadelphia practitioners.
“It was incredible. All I wanted was to bring her back and introduce her to her mother and David. It felt as real as speaking to you right now.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please remember you are not alone. You can confidentially contact the national domestic violence helpline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) any time, day or night. A list of local resources can be found here.