“The Cabin Murder: The Night Isaac Pence Took a Life and Disappeared into the Woods”

On April 22, 2023, what began as a birthday celebration in the woods of Hocking County, Ohio, quickly spiraled into a nightmare. In the span of minutes, 20-year-old Isaac Pence would go from an intoxicated party guest to a fugitive murderer—leaving behind chaos, trauma, and the lifeless body of a young man named Charles “Charlie” Starner.

More than twenty college students had gathered at a rented cabin that weekend to celebrate the 23rd birthday of Dalton Flag. Laughter and music filled the rural retreat, surrounded by trees and isolated from immediate help. But behind the revelry, tension was brewing. And by the early hours of Sunday morning, that tension would explode in violence.

The First Sign of Trouble

The night’s peace began to unravel when a drunken Isaac Pence started causing trouble. Surveillance footage from outside the cabin captured a confrontation brewing between Isaac and a group of other guests. Amid the heated exchange, Isaac unexpectedly threw a punch into the crowd, prompting a scuffle. The crowd pushed him back against a car, trying to defuse the situation. Isaac retreated toward his own vehicle—but not to leave.

Witnesses later revealed that Isaac reached into his car, allegedly to grab something. By the time other partygoers tried to prevent him from rejoining the fray, it was already too late. Isaac pulled out a knife and began stabbing.

The Murder of Charlie Starner

Charlie Starner, a student and one of the guests, was on the driver’s side of Isaac’s car, trying to block him from exiting. That’s when Isaac lunged at him, stabbing him six times in quick succession—striking him in the neck and back.

The scene quickly devolved into panic. Blood was everywhere. Charlie, severely wounded, tried to move away as partygoers screamed and scrambled to help him. His friends James and Hannah rushed to his side, pulling him to safety and attempting to apply pressure to his wounds. Hannah, who had EMS training, did everything she could—but Charlie was fading fast.

By the time first responders arrived, it was too late. Charlie Starner died from his injuries on the scene.

The Aftermath and Interrogation

As the initial horror began to settle, authorities arrived to a cabin full of traumatized young adults and an active crime scene. With blood still fresh on clothes and walkways, detectives began separating and interviewing witnesses to determine what had happened—and who had done it.

Two people stood out: James and Hannah. Both were covered in blood, but not in a way that suggested they had inflicted harm. The blood patterns were smooth and smeared, consistent with someone giving aid rather than delivering a fatal attack.

In her recorded interview, Hannah recounted the attack in chilling detail. She recalled the escalating tension, the brief fistfight, and then the sudden violence.

“I heard someone say ‘gun,’” she told police. “That’s when I stayed inside. But then I saw Isaac go for the center console. He came out with a knife and just started stabbing Charlie—straight for the neck and then the back. Over and over. It was so fast, so vicious.”

James, who helped pull Charlie away from the attack, confirmed the same story. Neither had known Isaac prior to the party, but both made it clear: this was not a moment of self-defense. Isaac Pence had meant to kill.

A Killer on the Run

After stabbing Charlie, Isaac immediately fled the scene with his girlfriend, Sabra. He drove off into the woods, vanishing into the darkness before police could arrive. His whereabouts became unknown.

But as authorities dug deeper into Isaac’s past, disturbing patterns emerged. Dalton Flag, the party’s host and Sabra’s brother, revealed Isaac had no business being at the party in the first place.

“He was already drunk and getting aggressive,” Dalton explained. “I told him to leave. But he wouldn’t. He just kept getting worse.”

Dalton shared more troubling details. Just months earlier, Isaac had served time in jail for assaulting Dalton’s own mother. He had also previously put his hands on Sabra, suggesting a long history of violence. The stabbing wasn’t just a spontaneous overreaction—it was a deadly extension of an already dangerous pattern of behavior.

A Looming Threat

As police continued their investigation, a terrifying new detail emerged. Sabra’s mother, who was staying at a nearby hotel, reported that Isaac had returned after fleeing the scene. He gathered their belongings and allegedly made chilling threats about “finishing the job.”

Law enforcement immediately evacuated the premises and locked down the cabin. The fear was real—Isaac was on the run, armed, and potentially planning further violence.

Thankfully, Isaac did not return that night. But the manhunt for him had just begun.

Justice for Charlie

The tragic death of Charlie Starner sent shockwaves through his community. A young man full of promise, with his whole life ahead of him, murdered in the middle of what should have been a joyful celebration.

Witnesses like Hannah and James became critical in helping investigators piece together the truth, dispelling any notion that Isaac’s actions could be seen as defensive. Their bravery—and their heartbreak—formed the backbone of the prosecution’s understanding of that horrific night.

Meanwhile, the memory of Charlie lives on in the hearts of the friends who tried to save him. And for now, they find solace in knowing they helped shine a light on the truth, even amid darkness.

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