48 Hours: Family Affair - Full timeline of the deadly Heidt murder case

Family Affair takes on a much darker meaning in the Heidt murder case, which began with a family tragedy in 2008. In 2008, real estate developer Philip Heidt and his son Carey were murdered in Georgia. The news came as a shock to the whole community and later also became the focus of a 48 Hours investigation titled Family Affair.

At first, the case looked like a late-night home robbery. But as the investigation continued, the authorities learned that it was the story of betrayal and family tension. Months after their murders, Philip's son Craig Heidt was arrested and charged with the murder of his father and brother. From the initial investigation to Craig Heidt's arrest, each development added another layer to the case.

Continue reading for the complete timeline of the Family Affair case.

48 Hours "Family Affair" looks at the timeline of the Philip and Carey Heidt murders

48 Hours "Family Affair" (Image via YouTube/@48 Hours)

A background on the family

Philip Heidt was a famous real estate developer who resided in Effingham County, Georgia. He was married to Linda. Their son, Carey, was married to Robin, who was his love from high school in the early 1990s, according to 48 Hours. And together, the couple had three children. Their other son, Craig, was a divorced father of two and was receiving disability benefits after a back injury.

However, Robin started developing feelings for her brother-in-law Craig, and according to the reports, he also said that he had feelings for her. The two soon started a secret relationship behind their family's back.

Once Carey learned about the family affair, he changed his life insurance plans so the $3.5 million would go to his children instead. Robin also testified later, according to Oxygen, by saying:

"He was very upset, and he said, um, that if I was going to have an affair he wished it would have been with anybody else except his brother"

On the other hand, Philip reportedly confronted Robin and told her to end things with his son and even decided that Craig would no longer receive anything from his will.

Days before the murders

It was also revealed during the trial that this was not the first time Craig had brought a gun into the house. He once confronted his brother Carey with a gun in front of their father Philip, shortly before the murders.

August 25, 2008 - The night of the murder

On August 25, 2008, when Philip, his wife Linda, and their son Carey were sleeping, a person entered the Heidt house and shot the son and father, which led to their deaths, according to 48 Hours "Family Affair." Philip's wife, Linda, was also shot in the face, but she survived the attack and called the authorities, after which she was taken to the medical facility.

As reported by Oxygen, their son, Carey, was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun while he was sleeping in the guest bedroom. At first, investigators feared the killer had poured gasoline around the house to start a fire or attack anyone who came inside.

Given Philip's successful real estate career, investigators also looked into whether a business dispute or someone from his past or a neighbor could have played a role in his and his son's killing. Speaking of the scene, GBI agent Eugene Howard told Dateline's Dennis Murphy that it appeared to have been "staged" to look like a robbery, but nothing important was stolen.

Craig becomes a suspect

Authorities suspected Craig after learning about the family affair between him and Robin. To support his claim of innocence that he had not been connected to the murders, Craig said he had been watching hunting and fishing shows at his cabin that night. According to his statement, he was about thirty minutes from their house, where the murder took place.

Craig said the 12-gauge shotgun that was used to kill his brother was missing from a shed on his family's property. Investigators later checked his cabin, and only 12-gauge shells were found in his pickup.

However, Craig was not arrested at the time because there was no physical evidence linking him to the murders, according to 48 Hours "Family Affair." Additionally, he continued to deny the charges and his relationship with Robin, saying that "I couldn’t do that to my brother," according to the taped interview.

Craig gets arrested nine months after the murder

Nine months after Philip and Carey were murdered, investigators found new evidence that led them to believe that the murderer was their family member, Craig. However, Craig still had Linda on his side, as she refused to believe he was responsible for the killings of her husband and son.

Robin also spoke in court about Carey, describing him as a good husband and "the best father, a wonderful father."

However, Robin also revealed that her family affair with her brother-in-law started in May 2008, around four months before the murders. She also explained that her relationship with her husband was falling apart because of financial problems.

During the trial, prosecutor Michael Muldrew reportedly explained what Carey did, stating that Carey had hired someone to fly a helicopter over Craig's cabin and take pictures of Craig and Robin's vehicles parked outside, which angered Craig. Authorities also found bruises on Craig's upper arms, which they linked to the force from firing a shotgun.

While no physical evidence was found against Craig, in the end, he was found guilty of killing his father, Philip, and brother, Carey, and was sentenced to two life terms plus 85 years for other charges, including attempting to murder his own mother, Linda.