How a “throuple” relationship ended in a Florida murder mystery

From reality television, to the plot of “Bridgerton,” 2024 might very well be the year of the “throuple.” The polyamorous relationship involving three romantic partners, instead of the more conventional two, seems to be popping up everywhere. 

And a throuple is at the center of a murder investigated by “48 Hours” and correspondent Peter Van Sant in “Who Killed Aileen Seiden in Room 15?” airing Saturday, Oct. 19 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. 

“We needed to know what happened inside that hotel room outside of three people entered and two came out carrying a body,” said Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Jarred Patterson. 

The case began when investigators learned of a bloody crime scene in room 15 at a Florida motel and the remains of a woman dumped by the side of a road about six miles away. 

“She had bruises … from head to toe, covering her entire body,” lead investigator Ronnie Jones told Van Sant. “She suffered … I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Jones, now retired from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, says that not long after the woman’s remains were discovered at an abandoned cul-de-sac on April 23, 2018, he connected it to the bloody motel room. 

“I just put two and two together,” Jones said. “It wasn’t just somebody cut theirself and bled a little bit on the bed. I mean the amount of blood … tells me that whoever was here was probably deceased.” 

The woman was soon identified as Aileen Seiden, a 31-year-old from about 400 miles away in Miami. Investigators learned that Seiden had been visiting Franklin County and stayed at the motel in room 15, with two other people — Zachary Abell and Christina Araujo. Learning what happened inside the motel room would mean first understanding the dynamic of Seiden, Abell and Araujo’s relationship.  

Seiden’s best friend spoke to “48 Hours” asking that we do not to use her real name and to refer to her as “Allie.” She says that when Seiden began dating both Abell and Araujo in 2017, it didn’t take long for trouble to start.  

“This whole dynamic started to change where one of them always seemed to be the odd man out or was jealous,” said Allie. “And at that point it just started to spiral out of control.” 

Allie says that Seiden would tell her that Abell would physically abuse her.  

“Aileen would call me… and say, ‘You have to come over here, like he hurt me again,'” Allie said.  

Seiden also had physical altercations with Araujo, says Allie, but her friend was afraid to call 911 or go to police for help.  

“She wouldn’t tolerate being messed with usually by anyone,” said Allie. “However, there was something different about this.” 

Allie says she learned that Seiden’s fear about going to police stemmed from threats made by Araujo. According to Allie, Araujo would often say her father — who has a high position at a south Florida sheriff’s department — could make her problems go away. 

“And the same answer was always that she came from police royalty that she had gotten away with … everything in the past,” said Allie.  “And there was going to be no solutions to… someone like Aileen getting hit.” 

Allie says Seiden suffered through the relationship until the throuple went on a road trip that led them to Franklin County. That was when Allie says Aileen called her saying she needed to find a way out.  

“She said, ‘I need your help.'” 

Allie crafted a plan to help Seiden get away from Abell and Araujo, but it wasn’t long after that she learned Seiden was dead.  

Abell and  Araujo were both charged in Seiden’s murder. For years, they claimed their innocence. It would take almost six years to bring the case to court, but by then only one of them would be on trial.