
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Trey Zwicker, 14, was beaten to death in May 2011.
He spent time with both parents and at the time of his murder he was staying at this mother Amanda McFarland’s residence. The McFarland home included Trey’s stepsister McKenzie Savage, his mother’s husband Josh Grouker and Grouker’s son, Josh Young, who was 15 years old at the time of Zwicker’s murder.
Young had a rough upbringing. His mother died from a drug overdose and his father was not around much. He spent years in the foster care system being shuttled from home to home. After his father was released from his latest stint in prison, he sought and was granted custody of Young in March 2011.
Two months later, Trey Zwicker was dead.
Trey Zwicker appears to have a very caring, responsible father, Terry Zwicker. Unfortunately, the younger Zwicker was staying with his mother and her less than desirable surroundings when he was murdered.
His mother appeared to have been very wrapped up with her then husband, Josh Gouker. She allegedly smoked pot with him and made “porno” tapes with him. McFarland went on record to say that she didn’t know how he would be able to support her but she quit her job at McDonald’s because he said he would take care of her.
Her own mother Shelly Stewart said, “Amanda has always been about Amanda.”
Perhaps all the drug use befuddled her mind as well since she willingly shared her husband with his first cousin, Cassi Gouker, and he would move back and forth between homes.
Depending on who’s story you believe, McFarland did not even notice her own son wasn’t home. If you do believe that she noticed he wasn’t home, she didn’t seem too concerned and even went out the very day her son’s body was found purportedly to look at homes with her then husband.
Josh Gouker has already been arrested and convicted for the murder of Trey Zwicker and received a life sentence. Initially he tried to blame his son Josh Young but later accepted full responsibility for the crime.
Josh Young was found not guilty in the murder of his stepbrother.
As part of the investigation, Young took two lie detector tests. Both results were inconclusive.
Trey Zwicker’s father, stepmother and Cassi Gouker appeared on the Dr. Phil show, and Young agreed to take a polygraph. He backed out at the last minute although he maintains his innocence.
Cousin Cassi Gouker failed her polygraph but has faced no charges connected to Zwicker’s death including the disposal of any evidence.
McFarland seems to have moved on. Less than six months after her son’s death and Gouker’s conviction for murdering her son, she found a new man.
Josh Young, now 18, is a free man.
As for Terry Zwicker, he is glad the trial is over and continues to keep his son’s memory alive.
He believes that Josh Young got away with murder.