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[Music] we were a bunch of women who came from all over the world to Soul in 1988 to
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teach English Korea was transforming and opening up its doors to the West the 1988 Olympics really
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represented South Korea debut on the world stage we were helping teach English to
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Koreans so that they were prepared for the new world coming into their Peninsula it was an interesting time it
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was a dangerous time there was Sandra she took me under her wing and we definitely bonded Kathy
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Patrick she was the head teacher kind of our boss I was definitely a party girl and then there was Carolyn Abel she
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was sparkly she was beautiful really funny she had a wicked sense of humor my sister Caroline was an
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adventure people did notice her she was vibrant she attracted people's attention she had become friends with
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all of us but particularly with Kathy they were like sisters life that year was great we had
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so much fun we worked hard we played hard we party at night everything was going so
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well all our fun came to a sudden crashing halt when one of us Carolyn Abel was murdered it was absolutely horrible
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brutal violent there were multip stab wounds I can't even begin to describe what that loss has
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been like somebody had detonated a nuclear bomb in the middle of the family so whoever killed Carolyn is
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still out there we're at Newark Airport about to head overseas to try to find some
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answers what happened to this woman Carolyn Abel and where did Carolyn live Caroline
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lived over there um out in this direction here out in this direction I've been asking questions for
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30 years what happened the night that Carolyn was killed everybody loved Caroline who was in the
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room who put the knife in why should anybody be able to get away with murdering somebody and never face
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charges more than 30 years later our investigation has brought us here to a university in Bellingham Washington
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where Carolyn Abel's alleged killer works we just got worried we're going to make our move now okay this is the
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building we were so sure the enemy was on the outside that never occurred to any of
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us that the killer was Among Us [Music] [Music] [Music] 48 Hours Out Of Reach reported by Peter
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vanent for writer and author Nancy burha flying to South Korea in the winter of 2018 reopened a painful chapter in her
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life one of murder loss and fear not only were we Deb devastated about the loss of Caroline we of course wondered
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who's [Music] next back and soul where should be our first stop well I think we should go to the
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school to El where we all taught El is the English language school this is is the neighborhood where Nancy met fellow
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teacher Carolyn Abel back in 1988 this is the school and the world was never the same for any of us who
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were in that building together on December 20th the events of that day have haunted
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Carolyn Abel's family for more than 30 years and the Damage that's been done was just so
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devastating Wanda Abel remembers her younger sister Carolyn as the center of attention from an early age this is our
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very first passport photo Carolyn is on the right this is a passport picture with three people in it yeah she was the
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youngest and the cutest and the baby of the family the youngest daughter of professors Dr Francis and Evelyn Abel
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Carolyn had a love of Photography and a wander lust that took her around the world my mother said in
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retrospect it was almost like she knew she didn't have a lot out of time she wanted to do as much as she could in the
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time she had and not waste a second by the time she graduated from college Carolyn had already lived in
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Pakistan East Asia Germany and France she would get Restless she didn't like being just in one place for too long
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that restlessness compelled Carolyn to join the Peace Corp after college serving in Nepal where she taught
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English in 1987 Carolyn took another teaching job in Japan where she met this man tomoyuki aaki a customs agent she's
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always cheerful did she make you laugh yes she's funny Carolyn and tomoyuki began a relationship that very quickly
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became serious did you fall in love with Carolyn oh yes Tomy Yuki did propose to
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Carolyn and what was her answer do you know carollyn was trying to decide whether she would be happy being married
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and staying in Japan well contemplating a future life with tomoyuki Carolyn received an offer for another job 330 Mi
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away and across the Sea of Japan and in the fall of 1988 Carolyn set out on her next great adventure in
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life teaching English here in Soul South Korea and from the minute she walked into the staff room she was just breath
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of fresh air she sort of looked a little bit like Farah faucet that's where Carolyn quickly fell in with Nancy burha
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and the other American teachers at school like Sandra Ames who requested that we alter her current appearance for
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this interview she was making her students laugh and sing and and have fun learning English and Tamara do she made
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friends with everybody she was very very friendly so this is Kathy Carolyn also hit it off with the head teacher at the
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school Kathy Patrick carollyn and Kathy Patrick were extremely good friends they
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were considered if I can use a modern term besties the women taught traveled and
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partied together expat life in Soul in the late 80s was wild and one place where our world's collided and that was
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Ewan the red light district this is where Kathy and Sandra and Carolyn and Tamara and I would come so what we did
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is we danced and drank like crazy [Music] people on the weekend of December 17th
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1988 just 3 days before the murder Sandra Cathy Carolyn and some Korean students took a trip into the mountains
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Carolyn took these pictures we spent the time looking at temples and hiking and then partying in the
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evenings classes were winding down for the winter break tomoyuki was getting ready to fly to Soul hoping to get an
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answer to his marriage proposal on Tuesday December 20th Carolyn never made it to work and a lot of us missed work
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on occasion for various reasons I was not at that point concerned but Kathy was concerned about Carolyn because she
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couldn't get her on the phone Kathy was asking all of us had any of us heard from Carolyn no Kathy was very upset
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convinced that something had happened to Carolyn and I said well maybe we should
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go over there at that point some of our students drove us to Carolyn's apartment we went into the apartment and
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Kathy discovered the body she was murdered brutally and horribly and in a way that she did not
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deserve and we were just all in shock just trying to figure out what [Music] happened I think we all just felt like
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what the heck hell is going to happen now are we in danger how would Sandra and Kathy ever
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recover from the shock of seeing their dead friend where do we go from here [Music]
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carlyn's apartment was on the 15th [Music] floor so here we [Music] are I'm Peter vanand and I'm a reporter
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for CBS News and we are working on a story about a woman named Carolyn who used to live in your apartment and we
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came by to ask you if if we may have permission to come into your apartment to take some video
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pictures early in the afternoon on December 20th 1988 colleagues and students of Carolyn
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Ables came to this apartment building after she failed to show up for work Kathy Sandra and three Korean men
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walked down this hallway surprisingly the door was unlocked and they went [Music]
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inside who was the first person into the apartment Kathy she went did a beline right to the
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bedroom Kathy came out of the room and said Carolyn's dead we need to call an ambulance no we need to call the cops
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and she didn't want me to go look at the body so we have our shoes off and we're ready to check out the
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murder scene this is the room where Carolyn Abel left this world and she put up a
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fight in her last minutes of life she had a number of defensive wounds and she took the brunt of it more than 30 stab
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wounds including a cut from ear to ear on on the throat and there was blood everywhere in here on the walls on the
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bed it was a mess Korean police and press swarmed the apartment which had been rans sacked and
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within hours the murder led the national news in South Korea and I remember watching the news
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and the cameras panning around the room and they kept going in on this teddy bear and it was really
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horrible the impact of seeing her body wheeled out in a body bag really made it quite real it wasn't a
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dream it became the nightmare that it really still is to this day how did you get the news of what had
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happened to your sister I was at home and my mother called me she told me that Carolyn had been murdered and I just I
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screamed we were just crying trying to figure out I mean how could this happen who
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would want to do this to her everybody Lov Carolyn why with the killer still out there
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Carolyn's friends wondered could they be next we were all certain that perhaps a
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Korean had probably killed her if a Korean hated an American this much was he coming after
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the rest of us the shocked friends turned their attention to Kathy and Sandra who had discovered Carolyn's body
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they seemed horrified I was so concerned about them they were hysterical it seemed as if they were
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having a nervous breakdown Days Later Kathy Patrick led a memorial service for Carolyn I think it was quite
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moving even now thinking about it you tear up a bit Kathy also wrote Carolyn's parents Wanda
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still has that letter please know that I love Caroline as a sister and a dear friend my roommate and I are the two
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people who found Caroline in her apartment let me know if I can tell you anything in Japan Tomo Yuki learned the
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love of his life was gone but he decided to make his trip to South Korea any way he stayed with Kathy and
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Sandra even today after all these years 30 years this still gets to you doesn't it
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yeah sorry in Soul rumors were swirling and South Korean police cast a wide net we were all suspects every single
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teacher on the staff was interviewed you know the Korean police were in our faces
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just like where were you how did you know Caroline what's your story why are you here why did you come to our country
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are you secretly FBI we just kept thinking why are you asking me this get out there and find the real
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killer then Nancy took a phone call in the teacher Lounge that moved the investigation in a whole new
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Direction of like a Korean woman and then very quickly she said I know who killed Caroline I said what she said an
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American military officer Nancy told the South Korean police who brought in detectives from the US
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Army and very quickly therea John Boatright walked in John Boatright was a legendary chief of detectives for the
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Army's criminal investigation division in South Korea he quickly eliminated the US military officer who was pegged as a
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suspect by his ex-girlfriend he did not know carollyn abble and it appeared that
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she was just trying to get revenge on him for the bad breakup 3 weeks after the murder an
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autopsy revealed the cause of death a stab wound to her right lung the report also confirmed her throat was cut in my
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opinion her throat was cut after she was deceased after how unusual is that based on your
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experience very unusual so what did happen at Carolyn's apartment and I was convinced that
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whoever did this probably knew Carolyn why because there was no signs for to enter into the apartment it appeared
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that whoever was in that apartment knew her there were two coffee cups found in the room if there's a to break in
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generally a criminal would not say hey let's let's have a cup of coffee before I ransack your place and and attack you
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that certainly would not be normal like his South Korean counterparts boat Wright decided to
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question Carolyn's colleagues who told him you really should look at the two girls who found the
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body those two women Sandra Ames and Kathy Patrick [Music] we assumed that a Korean had probably
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killed her but little did we know that the enemy was inside that staff room with us
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[Music] [Music] just weeks after Carolyn Abel's murder the investigation by John Boatright was
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focusing on the two friends who had discovered her body roommates Kathy Patrick and Sandra Ames and do you get a
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chance to question each of them no Kathy Patrick had already got on a plane left
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Korea we had encouraged her to go she must have lost 15 lbs she just looked like someone who was
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about to to break Kathy returned home to Washington State but Sandra was still in Soul I
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took a statement from her and then I asked her uh did you kill Carol and she just sort of sat there and
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stared at me she's just staring at you that's correct after about 30 seconds she was
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very quiet but she said no that was just just not normal s maintains she had nothing to
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hide so 2 months after the murder she waved her right to an attorney and agreed to take a light detector
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test I remember being hooked up to all the wires in a darkened room he asked her do
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you know where the murder weapon is and she said no and she really peaked out on that
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indicating that she was not being truthful I said I'm not lying I'm telling the truth so we took it again with the same
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results and at that point I said let me tell you about this picture in my head the picture was a dark shape on a
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bed covered in a quilt that I knew was a body Sandra described that picture in her head as a fragmented memory of that
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night as Boatright asked her for more details she told a new story it was nothing short of a bombshell the story
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began with being in bed and having Kathy at the door of my room and coming in and
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saying I think I killed Carolyn what with I asked and she said a knife where is it I asked
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in the kitchen sink Sandra said she was in disbelief and asked Kathy to take her to Carolyn's
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apartment where she saw her friend's brutalized body on the bed covered in blood to the best of my
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recollection we sat in the living room at Carolyn's apartment and she convinced me manipulated me to help her make it
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look like a robbery though she didn't mention it when we spoke with her Boatright says that
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during their interview Sandra made another statement about her own actions that night after she walked in and saw
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Carolyn's body she says I touched her arm and it was warm and at that point I realize that
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she may be still alive and that she might testify against Kathy and so I went to the kitchen got a knife and came
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back and I cut her throat to make sure she was dead remember Boatright believed that
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wound was inflicted after Carolyn was already dead from the stab wound to the lung so what Sandra is telling you is
00:22:47
actually forensically matching up what was done to Carolyn's body absolutely but
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Sandra's story quickly changed in these official statements Sandra wrote that Kathy had admitted to cutting Carolyn's
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throat and today Sandra claims that the only reason she made that admission was due to false memories implanted by
00:23:11
investigators but she doesn't deny going to the crime scene or handling the murder weapon you did tell authorities
00:23:18
at the time that you cleaned a bloody knife I did I did and that was because I remembered putting the clean
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knife into the dish rack Kathy had said that that was the knife she had used to kill
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Carolyn it may seem far-fetched but Sandra claims those memories had been suppressed deep in her subconscious mind
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until the interview with Boatright so are you telling me the truth yes yes because some of these
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lapses in memory are kind of convenient oh they're very convenient but no this is the truth as I lived
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it though Sandra story was bizarre to say the least investigators believed the core
00:24:03
details which never changed that Kathy woke her up and confessed to killing Carolyn and the two of them staged it to
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look like a robbery and the evidence they collected appeared to back that up each time that she was interviewed later
00:24:19
she kept changing the facts to to limit her involvement in the murder but she never denied that uh Kathy did the
00:24:28
murder and she never denied that she was present uh just after the murder who do
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you believe held the knife and murdered Carolyn Abel Kathy Patrick after her confession Sandra Ames
00:24:48
was kept in house arrest here in Soul five months later in July of 1989 she pleaded guilty to harboring a criminal
00:24:57
and depressing evidence I was fingerprinted photographed and put into a holding cell but why would Kathy want
00:25:06
Carolyn dead investigators uncovered a secret which provided a potential motive Kathy really fell for Carolyn Tamara do
00:25:17
was one of the few teachers who knew Kathy was gay and she would confi to me you know I really like this woman I
00:25:24
think she's into me and and I'm like Kathy I don't really think she's gay you should really be careful Kathy told me
00:25:33
that she was in love with Carolyn and that her feelings were not necessarily returned I believe that Kathy and
00:25:43
Carolyn were alone uh during that initial attack the thing that makes most sense
00:25:50
to me is Kathy tried to kiss Carolyn and Carolyn pushed her away and rejected that kiss I think Kathy was so enraged
00:26:00
and angry that she lost control Kathy Patrick was now the prime suspect in Carolyn ael's murder a murder
00:26:09
warrant for her arrest was issued in South Korea back in Japan Carolyn's boyfriend
00:26:16
tomoyuki heard the news you stayed with Kathy at her apartment yes for her part in the alleged crimes
00:26:39
Sandra was sentenced to one year in prison meanwhile Kathy Patrick was back at home in Washington
00:26:49
state the South Korean government made diplomatic requests to return her to soul from the US to face a murder charge
00:26:58
but hit a wall there was no extradition treaty with Korea at the time and when she left they couldn't get her back
00:27:06
there why couldn't we see through Kathy and Sandra it's just unreal you know so in in one Fell Swoop you learn that your
00:27:16
friends are involved in this crime and that the one who might have been the Killer is free because of this loophole
00:27:25
and American law in the States Carolyn's family pushed for an arrest the US attorney in
00:27:33
Washington state said no you can't arrest her because she hasn't committed a crime in the United States there was
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no jurisdiction to arrest her for murder and that's what pushed my family to say
00:27:47
wait a minute this isn't right but American authorities weren't finished with Cathy Patrick and soon
00:27:57
they would come fa face to face with her did you ask Kathy Patrick flat out did you murder Carolyn Abel yes I
00:28:13
[Music] did so this is one of the last pictures taken of her alive right right [Music]
00:28:31
in the days after Carolyn's murder Wanda worked overtime during the holidays to bring her
00:28:38
home we got her back in time to hold the funeral on New Year's Eve gone but never
00:28:47
forgotten Wanda Abel and her family were pushing the government to pursue a case
00:28:53
against Kathy Patrick who had left South Korea just weeks after Carol L's murder so do you believe this sudden
00:29:02
move from South Korea to the United States was in a way a an expression of consciousness of guilt yes well Kathy
00:29:08
knew she did it so she had to suspect that sooner or later somebody was going to put it together or the sander was
00:29:16
going to crack and tell on her so she spent as little time in South Korea as possible after she killed
00:29:23
Carolyn with Kathy Patrick back in Washington state Carolyn Abel's family was fearful they could be
00:29:32
targeted I was worried that Kathy would try to kill us because Kathy wrote these
00:29:39
letters to my parents that she was her great friend and that you know she'd loved to meet them and I was working
00:29:47
through my mind what would I do if I saw this person or if she showed up at my house despite the lack of an extradition
00:29:55
treaty there was still that South Korean arrest warrant for murder for Kathy Patrick my name is Steven schroer I'm a
00:30:04
retired assistant United States Attorney and I worked in Seattle they also asked
00:30:08
the US government for help what did the South Koreans want you to do among other
00:30:15
things they wanted me to take a deposition of Kathy Patrick and ask her some questions about the murder that
00:30:22
occurred in Soul it was 1989 when Scher was assigned the case with John Boatright and FBI
00:30:32
agents along with her lawyer Kathy Patrick willingly sat down with them to be questioned did you ask Kathy Patrick
00:30:41
flat out did you murder Carolyn Abel yes I did what did she say she said she did
00:30:46
not and did you present her with what her roommate had said yes and what did she say about that simply it wasn't true
00:30:54
and did Kathy try to shift blame at all did she point the Finger of Suspicion at
00:30:59
all at Sandra not with me Kathy also denied under oath that she was in love with Carolyn
00:31:08
Abel do you believe Kathy Patrick lied to you there was enough indication of that
00:31:16
to justify us doing further investigation yes my strategy at that point was if the
00:31:24
Koreans did not prosecute her then to look whether we could for basically false statements perjury
00:31:30
obstruction and Justice even though lie detector tests are inadmissible in federal court they
00:31:37
are a tool used by investigators to confirm deception Kathy Patrick willingly agreed
00:31:44
to take one and answer questions about Carolyn's murder The Examiner concluded that she was deceptive and deception is
00:31:54
why lying after the polygraph Kathy Patrick whom South Korea still wanted to arrest
00:32:01
for murder was free to leave is that frustrating it was very frustrating compounding Carolyn's
00:32:12
family's grief Sandra AMS was released from a South Korean prison after serving just 6 months of her one-year sentence
00:32:20
and it wasn't because of good behavior is it true you got out of prison because someone bribed a judge to
00:32:28
get you out yep absolutely we just couldn't believe it I mean 6 months for assisting a murderer and
00:32:42
covering up the crime scene and making it look like a burglary and not even telling anybody not talking I I don't
00:32:49
understand I when Sandra returned to the United States she was recruited by the FBI to
00:32:57
to go undercover and secretly record a reunion with Kathy Patrick in hopes of eliciting a
00:33:06
confession I didn't even call I simply went to her house and what does she say to you Sandra what are you doing here
00:33:16
probably and I think I said something along the lines of how could you have done that how could you have killed
00:33:25
Carolyn and she said I don't know what you're talking about without incriminating statements
00:33:32
from Kathy the feds were not able to press charges for perjury as long as she stays Within
00:33:40
These borders she's a free woman that's that's correct yes and with no extradition treaty in
00:33:48
Place South Korean authorities put the murder case on the Shelf I think the South Koreans were
00:33:57
taking the attit ude that this is a US problem it's two US citizens meanwhile Carolyn's family carried on with their
00:34:06
Quest For Justice my dad contacting every Congressman every Senator he wrote to news stations 60 minutes because he
00:34:17
was hoping that if that happened then there would be more publicity more pressure while Kathy Patrick carried on
00:34:27
with her life if it is true that Kathy Patrick murdered your sister is she a a danger today to the public I I think she
00:34:38
probably is and who knows what would trigger some kind that kind of violence again Kathy declined to meet with 48
00:34:46
hours so we went to her in Bellingham Washington where today she's a counselor at Western Washington
00:34:54
University okay guys we're going to make our move now to Kathy Patrick's office hi hi Kathy Patrick hi hi Peter
00:35:06
Van sand with CBS [Music] News my sister never got to live her life why does Kathy get to live a full
00:35:25
life for almost three decades Kathy Patrick has lived a quiet life in Bellingham
00:35:33
Washington north of Seattle where for the last 18 years she has worked as a student adviser at Western Washington
00:35:44
University okay this is the building okay so when we get in let's move quickly to her office Cathy turned
00:35:52
down our request for an interview saying Carolyn's murder was too painful to talk
00:35:57
about but on this day her past was fast approaching hi Kathy Patrick Peter Van Sant with CBS News there are
00:36:05
investigators from two countries that have now are certain that you murdered Carolyn Abel what do you have to say um
00:36:16
I have to say that I'm innocent and that I don't know what happened after I found
00:36:24
Carolyn's body these are Kathy Patrick's first public words on the murder of Carolyn Abel in 30 years now your
00:36:33
roommate says just the opposite that you confessed to her and that the two of you
00:36:38
then went back over to Carolyn's apartment and staged the scene as a burglary no that never happened no so
00:36:47
she's lying to us when she told us that I believe she is you flunked a polygraph
00:36:53
test how did that happen I don't know the science of poly graphs I'm not surprised that I would um flunk it in
00:37:02
retrospect given how clammy and nervous I am right now and I'm even shaking it was a frightening
00:37:11
experience and I absolutely do not know what happened before I went to her apartment
00:37:20
and found her body it has been it has been 30 years since this isn't it time to come clean about this investigators are
00:37:33
certain that you committed this murder they are wrong if you didn't who did I believe it
00:37:41
must have been GES Sandra ases she says you did it and you had her go over and help manipulate
00:37:51
the room to make it look like a burglary that's not true another circumstance in all of this is that
00:37:57
people have you want these people to leave um can we stop right now these are important questions to be asked about
00:38:04
this um there were 30 stab WS on Carolyn's body and friends say that you attacked her after she rejected you your
00:38:11
romantic advances no this has to stop now please um you're really sidelining me here and I'm not prepared to answer
00:38:21
questions here at my place of work this happened 30 years ago I have been a available to investigators in Korea and
00:38:31
in the US in her interviews with South Korean police a deposition and a polygraph test with American
00:38:39
investigators Kathy Patrick did not point a finger at Sandra Ames Steven schroer had a question about that for
00:38:48
Kathy well why didn't you tell us that 29 years ago when we recently contacted Sandra
00:38:55
Ames she told us she wasn't so surprised that Cathy tried to blame her and denied
00:39:01
having participated in Carolyn's murder if it went to trial I would be willing to testify I would need to
00:39:10
testify where should Kathy Patrick be today in your opinion she should be in prison plain and
00:39:19
simple thanks to the able family's lobbying efforts in 1994 Congress passed a law that allows for the US prosecution
00:39:29
of us Nationals who kill other Americans in foreign countries and so today American families if their loved ones
00:39:37
are murdered abroad by an American um will have a very different experience in Carolyn Abel's family did
00:39:45
and I think I think we all owe them a debt of gratitude but in Carolyn Abel's case any trial seems highly unlikely in
00:39:54
South Korea the statute of limitations for her murder M has expired and the AEL family says investigators told them the
00:40:03
physical evidence in the case has been destroyed evidence that would have been crucial for a trial in the United
00:40:12
States no one should have to go through what my family went through how do we live in a world where a US citizen can
00:40:18
go murder a US citizen and then come back and live like nothing happened that's the outrage of this in a
00:40:27
case where nothing is simple the long path to Justice may never reach its destination I honestly can't picture
00:40:40
[Music] old cuz she was just always so so vibrant and so energetic and I I I think she still
00:40:50
would be you know I miss her she was like my best friend we've all continued Our Lives as adventurous
00:41:04
people but you know we kind of carry the memory of Carolyn behind us whatever ground we
00:41:13
walk on it's hard not to remember that there's another one of us who could be out there on the same path
00:41:30
48 Hours don't miss an episode [Music] people perceive me as being a billionaires and this entitled spoiled
00:42:28
rich girl this wild crazy party girl that's hanging from Rafters that's not it at
00:42:38
all I'm a business woman I'm a mother I'm a friend I'm a wife there are a few that think that I'm
00:42:46
a murderer surely the crime of the young decade a respected senior officer dead he was hoping to be promoted to senior
00:42:56
superintendent but the Lord Our God wanted to promote him to become an angel my brother he was
00:43:10
playful he was a very happy person Henry jamot from everything we know was a very
00:43:16
jovial guy he loved his family he loved Sports he Lov music he go all the way for his friend Henry was my
00:43:28
friend that was an accident terrible accident I it will haunt me for the rest of my life the shooting took place where
00:43:38
at that dock these two people wind up on a lonely peer in the dark together why are
00:43:46
they there I I remember saying you really need your gun just we're going right here to the
00:43:51
pier and he's like I always have my gun and so he brought it with him the moon was beautiful so we just wanted to come
00:44:00
sit by the pier put our feet in the water was there anyone else on that Pier besides the two of you no did you have a
00:44:07
finger around the trigger not that I thought I just remember trying to see next thing I know
00:44:15
the gun went off he fell on top of me and all I could feel was warmth and I later then
00:44:24
realized he was bleeding on me she feels this warmth you know when we talk about
00:44:30
warmth we think about warm cookies or a blanket we don't think about the warmth of
00:44:37
death didn't know if he was dead there's not a night that goes by I don't dream about that incident and relive it people
00:44:46
are wondering was this an accident was this murder Jasmine Harden was arraigned in
00:44:52
the San Pedro magistrates court on a single charge of manslaughter by negligent my brother was shot behind the air
00:45:00
execution style she should be charged for murder murder murder I'm not a murderer that's
00:45:10
ridiculous miss Aron do you have anything to see my freedom is at stake my relationship with my children is at
00:45:16
stake why won't you let me see the kids Andrew she gives so many stories so who knows when she's telling
00:45:24
the truth [Music] [Music] I think a lot of people misjudge me her name is jasman Haron seen by many
00:46:23
as one of the most wealthy and controversial people they don't see my wholesome side in one of the most
00:46:31
alluring places on Earth when I decided to come to bise I thought that I was moving from the cold
00:46:38
North into a paradise bise is a tiny Central American Tourist Mecca that's also a Haven for the super rich where
00:46:46
jet Setters and Beach comers rub elbows every day and it's where Jasmine 32 was Raising twins with her partner Andrew
00:46:55
Ashcraft a real estate developer and Son of a British billionaire a woman with one of the most prominent names on the
00:47:03
island is at the police station I've never had a story like this before Sharice houseall is a news reporter and
00:47:10
anchor at Channel 7 in believ and a CBS News consultant she has been covering the case since it broke on May 28th 2021
00:47:20
reports tonight are that Harton was flattered in the officer's blood authorities detain Jasmine Harton after
00:47:27
finding her dazed and drenched in blood on a deserted pier near her exclusive beachfront Resort home it's a mystery
00:47:34
for which the Intrigue is escalating in the water was Police Superintendent Henry jamat with a fatal gunshot wound
00:47:42
behind his right ear a man beloved by his five children and says his sister Cherry by the
00:47:51
country he'd spent his life serving he had done a great job for the country of B we will purchase Shoes for some of the
00:48:01
needy kids within the villages around with a respected police officer dead and a wealthy powerful woman in a
00:48:09
concrete jail cell there were rampant rumors about Jasmine Harton and Henry jamat were drugs or infidelity
00:48:19
involved the speculation was fueled by reports that Jasmine's account of that night had changed according to channel 7
00:48:28
the first account she told was the Fatal shot may have come from a passing boat why would she have ever told such a
00:48:37
wild story about a boat after a jailhouse visit with a lawyer Harton admitted she fired the Fatal shot
00:48:47
accidentally Harton was charged with manslaughter by negligence and eventually released on
00:48:54
bail the things that are at stake right now is my relationship with my children my
00:49:00
freedom my business my money my my character my reputation and my my life is at [Music]
00:49:12
stake tonight you will hear Jasmine Harton tell her side of the story it's a story that begins in her childhood she
00:49:20
insists she was never a spoiled rich kid I think because I grew up the way I did
00:49:27
all of that has prepared me for what I've just endured she says she grew up poor in Canada as one of nine siblings
00:49:34
in a small farming Community do you remember being hungry as a child of course yeah many times Jasmine's mother
00:49:42
Candace cleone says food was in such short supply she'd trick a local doughnut shop to give her stale pastries
00:49:51
to feed her kids I went in and told them I was a pig farmer I needed the for my pigs the kids thought it was
00:49:59
awesome she went to high school in a hard scrabbled neighborhood of Kingston onario and set her sights on a career in
00:50:07
dentistry hoping to help the needy I started to do dental missions and Biz I saw an opportunity to come
00:50:18
down and do a mission here for Dentistry she arrived in bise in 2014 she set up shop on an excl exclusive
00:50:27
island called Amber key and made a splash on the social scene acquiring a reputation as a party
00:50:35
girl and in 2015 she met someone who would change her life by then she was working as a realtor and he was a
00:50:45
potential client there was something intriguing about his level of confidence it was Andrew
00:50:52
Ashcroft I thought he was very clever very funny very witty Andrew is a son of Lord Michael Ashcroft a well-known
00:51:00
conservative political figure in his native Great Britain who built a billion dooll business Empire with extensive
00:51:08
Holdings in B they reportedly have included ownership stakes in the phone company two of the biggest banks a TV
00:51:17
station even the main Port once you learned that Andrew Ashcraft is the son of a billionaire how
00:51:26
did that impact you in your relationship so I was curious about it were you in any way attracted to his wallet no but
00:51:34
the potential I wanted to build something together I wanted us to be partners they got engaged in 2016 and
00:51:42
the next year had twins Charlie and Ella it was just months earlier at a brunch that Jasmine had met the other man who'
00:51:51
become a central figure in her future a high-ranking police official on the island Henry jamat Henry is a lot of fun
00:51:59
and we would get together often um with groups Jasmine says he was on the island
00:52:05
for about another year before being transferred and they got to know each other well he loved his food loved my
00:52:13
cooking often came to the house for dinner she says Andrew ashro already knew Henry so jamaat's name was on the
00:52:21
invite list in May 2021 when the couple cut the ribbon on their professional dream thank you a Marriott branded
00:52:31
Resort worth millions it was just weeks before the shooting for Jasmine and I it
00:52:37
marks the Fulfillment of a dream to create the eliar resort Jasmine Harton seemed to have it all opulent lifestyle
00:52:44
lovely family and links to a powerful Dynasty her life may have looked perfect but she says by then behind the curtains
00:52:53
of the five bedroomroom beachfront condos she shared with Andrew and the children there was trouble Andrew and I
00:53:01
have had a very Rocky Road they tried to make it work says Jasmine though they never officially
00:53:08
married we weren't even sleeping in the same rooms and she says they were essentially leading separate lives so on
00:53:17
a dark night in May 2021 when Jasmine Harton suddenly found herself in trouble at a party she called for her friend
00:53:26
Henry jamat I said please come pick me up this is [Music] [Music] bad set the scene for us this is a very
00:53:54
special place for you yeah it used to be a very special place but now brings back
00:53:58
a lot of very sad sad memories this is Grand Colony so that building in the back is
00:54:08
where I lived at the glittering Center of jasman Harton's world was a fantasy the luxurious beachfront hotels
00:54:20
of the Ashcraft Empire in San Pedro on ambergis key believ San is where all that money comes in rolls in and rolls
00:54:30
out here accommodations can go for upwards of $11,000 a night it is just a few Barefoot steps across the sand but a
00:54:41
world away from everyday life in this Central American Nation where the average salary is around $800 a month
00:54:50
there's an element of race in that expats do not tend to socialize Within in the black community I'm standing in
00:54:59
but reporter Sharice housea says Jasmine Harton and Henry jamaat's life Journeys
00:55:05
cut a path that straddled Both Worlds Henry jamat is friends with a wide range of bisan
00:55:14
society as at ease with the ashcs and their enormous wealth as he was with the workingclass people he grew up with you
00:55:22
called him King yes he's the king yes he's the king my parents name him King because
00:55:31
he's one and only boy in the family a king who followed in the footsteps of his sister Cherry yes we are both police
00:55:40
officers and was your brother a good cop a very good cop very strict we're trying to bridge the gap
00:55:50
between the community and the police Henry jamat is an upstanding officer and I believe that
00:55:56
by a senior police official and a family man dedicated father to four girls and a
00:56:06
boy son brother friend to many like Jean Lopez he was a big fellow but he was friendly but Stern tell me about the
00:56:16
Henry that you knew he would assist anybody if they need assistance he's a very good man loved by
00:56:24
many he have a extended his love beyond the family limits did you become good friends well
00:56:34
yes the more I got to know him we had a lot in common there has been a lot of talk around bise that you and Henry
00:56:43
jamont were more than friends that you may have been lovers that's not true that's not true at all you guys never
00:56:51
had a sexual relationship no still the nature of their relationship would become the heart of this story and the
00:56:59
question is what was such a prominent man prominent yes but working class middle class doing on a pair with
00:57:09
someone who's from the 0.01% of wealthy expats it just seemed like a mashup and a friendship that
00:57:20
almost shouldn't exist whatever their relationship it was Jasmine's reliance on the Man known as
00:57:27
king that set in motion the final days of Henry jamaat's life it was May 22nd 2021 Jasmine says she was at a party
00:57:37
some 70 M from home a man followed me into the room and was quite aggressive with me verbally physically physically
00:57:47
um in a sexual manner so in that moment I fought him off me I called jamut right
00:57:54
away the man Jasmine calls her protector didn't hesitate he drove an hour to come
00:58:00
pick me up and he kept saying we need to really work on getting your firearms license she says Henry jamont wanted her
00:58:06
to have a gun for protection and you agreed to that yes and when he had that conversation did he show you his Glock
00:58:14
pistol yes he wanted me to handle it to get a feel for it this is what a Glock 17 looks like when you got home did you
00:58:25
share what happened happened to you with Andrew no we weren't really sharing a lot with each other at all and Henry
00:58:32
jamat posted on Facebook that he was now single he posted something about being single like after 14
00:58:40
years and so some 3 days later it was Jasmine's turn to help her friend the next thing I know I get a text message
00:58:50
from Henry saying hey can you hook me up at Grand Colony I need to come out there
00:58:55
for a couple days and just blow off some steam he checked in on Wednesday May 26
00:59:00
correct the next day Henry went fishing with his best friend Francisco Penny Aro
00:59:07
he was happy as happy I said so what's up tonight he said will I have a date I said who he said that one I'm taking it
00:59:14
to my grave but he was smiling when he tell me that were you that date that's hard to say if he called me a date he
00:59:22
may have just been pulling their leg or exaggerating truth I'm not sure her but I'm I'm definitely not a date she says
00:59:30
Andrew was supposed to join them but as a full moon settled over the tropical Caribbean night Jasmine met Henry
00:59:38
alone I had a police report that superintendent jamot had been killed on a pier in San
00:59:44
Pedro just offshore from this pier floating in the dark Caribbean Sea Henry jamat shot dead next thing I know the
00:59:53
police are there she had called the police herself they took her into custody where Jasmine reportedly spun
01:00:01
her first version of how Henry jamat Died her story is that a passing boat shot jam and that story is from Jasmine
01:00:10
herself from Jasmine herself I don't remember saying that like it was such a blur um you know and I think I was in
01:00:20
shock were you intentionally trying to mislead police at that moment to protect yourself no not at
01:00:27
all later on the day of the shooting Henry jamaat's body was brought across the shimmering Waters and home by his
01:00:35
best friend panny in this same boat they'd been fishing in just a day before I said can't be cannot be I'm
01:00:44
still still hurt still bothered still very hurt you were crying yeah of course yes the King was dead the woman with
01:00:53
connections to a wealthy powerful family sat in a Cell at the police station and
01:01:00
then reportedly that story she told about the bullet fired from the boat began to change it's past midnight now
01:01:08
at the end of the pier what happens [Music] there are only two people who know what
01:01:30
happened on that Pier on ambergris key one is forever silenced allegedly shot with his own gun a Glock 17 like this
01:01:40
one 42-year-old superintendent of police Henry jamut is dead more than 2 days after being taken into police custody
01:01:49
the other person in this Twisted drama Jasmine Harton made a startling admission you have admitted shooting and
01:01:57
killing Henry jamat yes so but let me just finish my question was it an accident or was it murder it was
01:02:06
absolutely not murder Henry was my friend that day changed everyone's lives documents from the cops courts and
01:02:15
forensic experts in Jasmine Harton's case have not been made public so much of her account of that night cannot be
01:02:23
independently corroborated she told her story in detail for the first time on TV to 48
01:02:31
Hours how did you and Henry jamat end up on that Pier well we were sitting on the
01:02:36
balcony of unit 1 which is ocean front she says they were drinking cinnamon whiskey yeah he
01:02:44
took his like a shot you know I was sipping on mine then we went it was a full moon the
01:02:53
stars were gorgeous so we decided let's go down sit on the pier we were sitting on the edge our legs kind of dangling
01:03:00
just talking as he done after rescuing her from that party Jasmine says Henry jamat
01:03:07
again pulled out his 9mm Glock 17 and handed it to her I am not an expert with 9 mm by any means so Jasmine says Henry
01:03:17
began teaching her how to eject and reload the magazine clip and bullets he said let's see if you can do you know
01:03:24
unload the clip load it so helped me get the clip out I was unloading it then he
01:03:30
took the bullets and put them beside him I was under the impression that the gun
01:03:34
was completely empty at the time it doesn't make sense to people why are you doing this in the
01:03:41
darkness it just kind of happened in that moment Jasmine claims Henry was a little
01:03:48
inebriated but says she wasn't I had had a few drinks yeah I wasn't drunk it's past midnight now we're approaching
01:03:57
12:45 a.m. mhm what happens what unfolds we're sitting on the end of the pier together he makes the comment about how
01:04:05
his shoulder's really stiff and he's like just rub my shoulder so I kind of scooched back behind him Jasmine says
01:04:13
she agreed to give Henry jamat a shoulder massage and then let's head inside he said so I said okay so he has
01:04:21
the bullets to his left he asked me to hand him the clip from the gun and that's when I picked it up I'm still
01:04:28
kind of behind him a little bit like he's sitting like this I'm kind of sitting like this who's holding the
01:04:35
gun at that point me so I reached for the gun to take the magazine or the clip out cuz he was going to reload it he had
01:04:43
the bullets there and all of a sudden it went off and yeah he it's it's hard to talk about
01:04:53
this still take me through that moment by moment so I lean over I pick up the gun and I'm
01:05:01
trying to click out the magazine and it's not working so I'm holding it like this and I'm trying to use the Moonlight
01:05:07
or whatever to see if I'm clicking the right button Jasmine says the barrel of the
01:05:13
gun was pointed to the left where Henry was sitting next thing I know the gun went off and did you have a finger
01:05:22
around the trigger not that I thought somehow you must have pulled the trigger I I I don't
01:05:30
know I I I mean it was an accident or the gun misfired but consciously did I pull the trigger no she says Henry jamat
01:05:40
never made a sound so the shot went off and he fell on top of me and all I could feel was warmth and I
01:05:51
later then realized he was bleeding on me Jasmine says after the shot she struggled to get out from under Henry I
01:06:03
was shaking him I didn't know what to do as I'm trying to wiggle my way free to render
01:06:09
Aid his body was slipping into the water from the dog I didn't know what to do I
01:06:14
didn't know if he was dead she says it took time to make sense of what had happened it was a horrible
01:06:23
accident taking Jack into custody authorities discovered she was carrying a small amount of cocaine they didn't
01:06:32
charge her with possession that night because it hadn't been tested yet had you used cocaine that evening no do you
01:06:39
use cocaine do you have a drug problem I definitely do not have a drug problem at
01:06:44
all and I will say that the substance that they found was not mine whose was it then I don't think I can say that she
01:06:55
said it wasn't hers it's in her purse Cherry jamat the police officer who inspired her younger brother King to get
01:07:04
his badge isn't buying any of it do you believe that your brother on a darken night at the end of a pier at 12:45 in
01:07:13
the morning was actually showing her how to use his Glock 9mm pistol my brother would never do a thing like that when it
01:07:23
comes to firearm he is so skillful and he is so careful you don't believe in any possible way this could have been an
01:07:30
accident I cannot believe that cherry is hopeful that when the ballistics report is revealed it will
01:07:38
lead prosecutors to upgrade the charge Jasmine Hardin should be charged for murder and not
01:07:49
manslaughter either way Jasmine Harton was about to run into a world of trouble a lot Clos closer to home this is
01:07:57
absolutely war war with the billionaire family she once called her own tonight we continue with The Saga of Jasmine
01:08:06
Harton versus Andrew ashro Andrew is inside hiding my kids inside why won't you let me see the kids
01:08:13
Andrew why won't you let me see the children [Music] [Music] from the swaying Palms to the silent roads journalist
01:08:39
Sharice Hol and I went looking for Henry jamaat's Hometown routs Peter this is the hummingbird
01:08:47
Highway in Biz and it's the road to the culture Capital which is dangriga that's
01:08:52
where Henry jamot grew up and where his family still lives we followed the dusty
01:08:57
colorful streets of Dan griga let's stop at that greenhous there I'm looking for
01:09:03
where Henry jamot used to live and we led to Henry Jam's nephew eel this is it he is clear on how his uncle died murder
01:09:15
and the whole family feels that way everybody feels that way but authorities charge Jasmine Harton with manslaughter
01:09:23
not murder and publicly investigators have never suggested any motive for her to have intentionally killed Henry I had
01:09:31
no motive to do that to my friend but Henry's family believes the truth is revealed in how and where he was shot my
01:09:39
brother was shot behind the air execution style that shot echoed through a town famous for its music and drums the beat
01:09:51
Henry jamont loved the Heritage he was passing on to his children we're getting close to the
01:09:59
church where Henry jamat Funeral was held as he had in life the 42-year-old public
01:10:07
servant United the people of Biz wherever he goes wherever he did he shared that love with all of us but how
01:10:16
to comfort sisters who lost the brother they lovingly called King and how to answer 6-year-old Henry
01:10:25
III's question how comes my dad haven't called me well Henry jamat was mourned by a
01:10:35
nation Jasmine Harton was getting a different kind of attention and according to a prison
01:10:43
official the 32-year-old who will be dealt with like any other untried prisoner will become the only Caucasian
01:10:50
among 1,041 inmates still the people of B couldn't help but wonder if Jasmine's race stature and wealth might benefit
01:11:00
her then she was locked up for 13 days myself was infested with cockroaches Miss Aron do you have
01:11:10
anything to see when she finally made bail roughly $15,000 it was paid for by an employee
01:11:19
of the ashcs but Jasmine was already getting the feeling that her partner Andrew wanted her out of sight the day
01:11:27
that I got out I was expecting to be reunited with my children at home but instead I was sent to a house in the
01:11:35
middle of nowhere by myself without my children without a phone Andrew arranged for the house and for the twins to visit
01:11:44
but Jasmine claims he only allowed them to see her one time Andrew claims Jasmine left the house before he could
01:11:52
arrange another visit and being apart from your children what has that been like for you that's one that will get me
01:12:00
to cry um 2 weeks after making bail Jasmine tried to visit the twins herself my son and my daughter at the
01:12:09
Grand colony where she had lived with Andrew Ashcroft it was then that chaos broke out so this is me recording this
01:12:19
is part of the video Jasmine shot Andrew's running so I can't see my children security is literally stopping
01:12:26
me from seeing my children right now in a statement Andrew later wrote that Jasmine was shouting and cursing
01:12:34
and behaving aggressively toward the hotel staff you've been instructed by Andrew to stop me from seeing my
01:12:40
children that's correct he's inside hiding why won't you let me see the children she is startled 2 days later
01:12:48
when she's arrested again this time for assaulting a hotel staff member that day
01:12:54
all I did was tried to collect my personal belongings and see my children and authorities at a charge for cocaine
01:13:02
possession from the night of the Henry jamat shooting this is absolutely ridiculous her bail is then revoked and
01:13:09
she's locked up again but not for long tonight after four more nights Behind Bars Jasmine was out again her bail
01:13:18
restrictions mandated she check in with police every day a 4-Hour round trip drive across believes from where she is
01:13:26
staying and so when you go in what do you say um they ask me a series of questions where I'm staying uh my date
01:13:35
of birth but this day's check-in just two weeks after the confrontation at the hotel why are you keeping my children
01:13:42
from me Andrew would prove anything but routine authorities hand her an order to
01:13:49
appear at a custody hearing reciting Andrew's allegations for reason that that the mother of the children hardly
01:13:57
spends any time with the children first of all I was in jail Andrew Ashcraft seeks full custody of
01:14:06
his children because Jasmine is charged with causing the death of a police officer by negligence as well as the
01:14:13
assault of that hotel employee and claims she is addicted to nonprescription and illegal drugs and a
01:14:21
habitual drunkard it's a vividly different description of the woman Andrew once welcomed into his rarified
01:14:30
world in my opinion this is absolutely War this is absolutely gloves are off the war would be about the custody of
01:14:38
the children a powerful family and a building International Scandal money power image and reputation
01:14:49
mean absolutely everything to that family next up in the war of the Ash cof's money according to Jasmine she's
01:14:58
been cut off financially you didn't have a bank account a trust fund nothing that you
01:15:05
could draw upon not at all Mr Ash is she an mother Andrew Ashcraft declined to speak with 48 hours and his attorney
01:15:13
says with legal proceedings underway it would be quite ill advised to Grant an interview the wheels had come off
01:15:23
Jasmine Harton's life in paradise and she was running scared I've been through what I would
01:15:32
consider hell on Earth but the jamat family says they're the ones going through hell as they continue to mourn
01:15:40
the kind conscientious man they believe Jasmine murdered she gave so many stories so who knows when she's telling
01:15:48
the truth Central to Jasmine's story is that she knew very little about handguns and
01:15:55
that Henry wanted to teach her but recently images have appeared of jasmine in Biz with a
01:16:04
shotgun what does that video tell you that video tell me that Jasmine is well ver have wide knowledge of bigger
01:16:16
Firearms this is you with a semi automatic rifle yes it has a magazine a clip so I'm guessing you know how how to
01:16:25
take out a magazine and reinsert it into a weapon that picture was from 2012 when I was at a Las Vegas shooting
01:16:35
range they don't let you load your Firearms what the video doesn't show is that it really was probably my 10th
01:16:43
attempt at the watermelon I'm not very good with Firearms Jasmine says she knew next to
01:16:50
nothing about handguns I do not know how to handle a 9mm properly at all as we can tell it would come down to this was
01:17:01
the gun used to kill Henry jamat fired by accident we asked an expert is it easy
01:17:11
to accidentally fire this weapon [Music] there's a lot writing on Jasmine Harton's account of Henry jamaat's
01:17:39
shooting so we wanted an expert opinion about whether her story lines up what are you holding in your hand
01:17:51
this is a Glock 17 9mm pistol it's the same type of weapon that was used in the shooting incident that occurred in bise
01:17:58
David Katz is a former DEA agent and a veteran Firearms instructor who taught at the FBI DEA Academy in
01:18:14
Quantico if used properly how safe is a Glock 17 these are an extremely safe cat
01:18:21
says Glock handguns are designed to withstand almost any amount of jostling without accidentally firing I could bang
01:18:29
it I could drop it it's not going to go off but cat says there's one notable exception a potential key to
01:18:39
understanding what happened on that Pier we showed him portions of my interview with Jasmine I'm trying to get
01:18:50
the magazine out as you can see from Jasmine's gestures she says she was fumbling around to release the Guns
01:18:57
Magazine if her finger was on the trigger and the trigger moved to the rear with 5 lbs of pressure the gun's
01:19:03
going to go bang pulling the trigger on Glock pistols can be easier than on some other handguns says
01:19:14
cats this is a GL for and accidental trigger pulls could happen to anyone even to Veterans like this DEA agent who
01:19:24
who accidentally shot himself let me get a sense of how much force it'll take to to fire this
01:19:37
weapon that feels pretty light to me yeah it's 5.5 lb consciously did I pull the trigger no even though Jasmine says
01:19:46
she doesn't remember she had to have pulled the trigger there's no doubt about it she pulled the
01:19:51
trigger cat says trigger accidents can result from something called sympathetic contraction in which Contracting one
01:19:59
hand muscle triggers others too let's assume you put your finger on the trigger in this position you squeeze the
01:20:05
bottom fingers your trigger finger is going to similarly squeeze as well another possible Factor alcohol Jasmine
01:20:13
says both she and Henry jamat had been drinking that night there is no better way to get
01:20:22
yourself hurt than by messing with firearm when you are impaired I was under the impression that the gun was
01:20:29
completely empty at the time one or both of them could have unloaded the magazine
01:20:33
says Catz forgetting there was a bullet ready to fire in the chamber based on what you've heard her
01:20:40
say and what you know about the Glock 17 could this have been an accidental shooting yeah it could have been it's a
01:20:47
troubling story from so many aspects starting with why why know why she practicing in the dark but then when she
01:20:53
talks about where her hand was when the round went off could it have been an accidental discharge absolutely yes we
01:20:59
don't know what forensics ballistics or other tests authorities have conducted prosecutors aren't saying I have no idea
01:21:07
what evidence they have against me because they haven't released any of it [Music]
01:21:13
yet but Jasmine says Henry's sister Cherry confronted her when the two women met by chance in July of
01:21:22
2021 I said Jasmine why did you kill my brother her response was I'm sorry it was an accident I told
01:21:34
her Jasmine you don't know what you have done to my family do you believe you deserve any sort of legal punishment for
01:21:44
what happened on that Pier I believe that it's an it's it was an accident and I do accept any punishment M that comes
01:21:56
my way under basian law she could get as much as 5 years for negligent manslaughter but also as little as a
01:22:04
fine without any more jail time it would be an injustice to the family ever since his funeral Henry
01:22:15
jamat has watched over his family from a portrait on the wall the children would
01:22:22
sit in the sofa and they play with him up there Jasmine lost custody of her children in
01:22:32
2022 and is not allowed to visit them anymore and giving the enduring mystery of exactly what happened that night
01:22:42
Jasmine Harton May forever live under a cloud of Suspicion It's haunting me I think about how his poor kids must
01:22:51
feel being without their dad and I wish I could take it back [Music] 48 Hours don't miss an episode
01:23:17
[Music] he was brilliant phenomenally handsome he was everything that to me symbolized a future with a capital
01:24:10
f it just clicked and from that first day there was never any doubt that we were meant to meet
01:24:19
[Music] I saw the outline of the gun he was going to die that night no matter what this is a story about two people
01:24:40
John and Anne Bender Who from the outside world seemed perfect John Bender was a Wall Street genius and very
01:24:48
quickly made upwards of half a billion dollars by the time he was in his early 30s there whole worlds were each other
01:24:56
and when they found each other they really didn't need anything else we built the house with the idea of
01:25:10
it being our home to our taste they said let's Retreat to Costa Rica to the deepest part of the
01:25:19
rainforest and set up a nature preserve not many people are willing or want to live in a house that has no
01:25:35
walls our architect said we were nuts you were happy I loved it and John was happy yes as happy as John could
01:25:46
be what you think is Paradise isn't necessarily paradise John and an had problems that money just couldn't fix
01:25:53
they were living a very inward life they had cut off the world he had decided that the world would be better off
01:26:02
without it there were no lights on all I knew was he had a gun and I tried to get it
01:26:09
away from him and I couldn't and it went off it comes down to basically two people in a room with a gun I tried to
01:26:18
stop him it sure looked like this guy was shot in the back of his head while was
01:26:25
sleeping I was framed I was set up to be accused of the death of my [Music] husband I refuse to give up I'm I'm just
01:26:39
not going to [Music] [Music] [Music] 48 Hours Paradise [Music] Lost I had accepted the fact that I
01:27:15
would have to live the rest of my life with somewhat of a question mark over my head Anne Bender has lived under a cloud
01:27:22
of Suspicion since 2010 when her husband John was shot to death in the Costa Rican
01:27:30
rainforest in 2015 she went to prison for murder but now says total Vindication is so close she can taste it
01:27:41
I've been waiting a long time for [Music] this it was in 2001 that the Benders moved to this remote corner of Central
01:27:53
America to live an extravagant idilic dream in a way the strip is like going home it is going home home was this
01:28:07
that's the house oh my Lord called borak Kayan rising from the middle of the Costa Rican
01:28:16
rainforest it was once an and John Bender's vision of paradise the phrase over the the top
01:28:24
doesn't begin to do this house Justice it's like some bizarre combination of Disneyland an art museum and something
01:28:32
you'd really only see in a James Bond [Applause] [Music] movie does this strike you as
01:28:46
astonishing every time you're here or are you just totally used to it I'm used to it by now it's home you can see four
01:28:54
floors there he oh my goodness I just saw a bird nearly 50,000 Square ft this is your kitchen tons of gleaming Granite
01:29:03
kitchen that was the dining room and the living room is on the other side and no
01:29:08
windows or walls at all I think that's one of the things I miss the most is the sounds of the
01:29:15
birds where is the bathroom right here we built the house to our taste which is crazy John and and always had
01:29:25
been a bit eccentric from the moment a friend introduced them in Virginia in 1998 it was love at first sight for both
01:29:34
of us the daughter of an international Banker she'd grown up all over the world and he was smitten he proposed after
01:29:42
just two weeks they married the next year we both found in each other a future they shared many interests and
01:29:53
one un fortunate problem both struggled with depression specifically in an's case with bipolar mood disorder I had
01:30:02
just been diagnosed with bipolarity he could go from being extremely happy to extremely sad very
01:30:10
quick his friend Pete delisi says John hated doctors and dealt with his problems mostly in private he was
01:30:19
absolutely a genius John Bender had been a math and science whiz in high school then studied physics at the University
01:30:26
of Pennsylvania his looks got him work as a male model and his smarts helped him
01:30:32
beat the odds of the local casinos he had an unusual talent for making money a talent that blossomed at the
01:30:41
Philadelphia Stock Exchange in just about 5 minutes he developed a way of trading options that had never been done
01:30:48
before and within just a few years he was one of the top Traders by the time he was 25 I think he had amassed about
01:30:53
80 million by the time he was in his early 30s uh he set up a hedge fund that was worth 5 to 600
01:31:01
million Ned Zan is a reporter and CBS News consultant he says that by 1998 Bender was looking for both a safe haven
01:31:10
for his money and a purpose for his life and that for all his Brilliance and his
01:31:16
bank balance he never really fit in with the Wall Street crowd he just walks away
01:31:22
from it just walked away but not without a plan he and an both animal lovers decided to use their
01:31:32
Fortune to start a refuge for wildlife in the dense rainforest of Costa Rica they found the ideal location 5,000
01:31:42
pristine Acres they named it boracayan after a native plant I mean this is as out there as you can get
01:31:51
setting up a sanctuary for wildlife gave the vendors a sanctuary too an escape to
01:31:57
an extravagant private Universe of exotic flowers animals and waterfalls here nothing was ordinary not
01:32:06
even the lights in the house many were customade of stained glass how many lamps are we talking about here
01:32:13
approximately 400 you just said 400 yeah she says John thought the lamps would brighten her outlook on the
01:32:22
world Depression was an immense bond between them it's a very isolating disease and people tend to pull away
01:32:30
from society although construction of the house brought in running water reliable
01:32:42
electricity and dozens of jobs to the area the project and the vendors got a chilly reception there was definitely a
01:32:51
degree of who are these rich Ringo and who the hell do they think they are coming down and doing all of
01:32:58
this then came April 2001 it happened on this Mountain Road an says armed men in an unmarked car
01:33:09
forced them onto the shoulder the men claimed to be police but wore no uniforms I thought it was a
01:33:16
kidnapping one pulled Jon from his car and when he protested this guy fired the gun between Jon's legs and held up the
01:33:24
gun to John's head I was terrified that's when our entire lives changed she says an attempted Breakin at
01:33:36
the house months later only made things worse the couple bought guns hired guards and turned the Refuge into a
01:33:44
virtual Fortress they lived in fear it makes me very sad to think back on how painful
01:33:54
life could be for him in 2005 perhaps trying to write the ship Bender set up a $70 million trust to manage The Refuge
01:34:04
and provide for an's living expenses he named this man attorney Juan Alvarez to run it Alvarez was then a trusted
01:34:14
advisor later Ann would point to him as a key figure in the events surrounding Jon's
01:34:21
death but neither the trust nor nor the guards nor the guns stopped the couple's
01:34:26
continuing slide into depression and says John saw a psychiatrist but refused anti-depressants she however was taking
01:34:36
an enormous amount of medication and by the fall of 2009 says she had all but stopped eating I was 40
01:34:46
lbs lighter than I am now by the next year they had become prisoners in their own par Paradise the
01:34:55
natural beauty that brought them here lost in irrational despair an says John became convinced
01:35:03
that every problem her illness even the death of a pet bird was his fault he became suicidally
01:35:16
depressed the stage was set he wanted to die [Music] I'm sure this seems as real to you today
01:35:42
as it did that night so what happened John brought a gun to bed it was January 7th 2010 I opened my eyes
01:35:54
and I saw the outline of the trigger of the gun and he had it pointed at his head at his
01:36:05
at himself horrified Anne Bender says she recognized their 9mm Ruger pistol from what I could tell he was holding it
01:36:14
with both hands and what' you do I got up on my knees and reared towards him and I tried to grab the gun were you
01:36:24
able to get it no I was able to get my hands around his and the gun slipped and it went
01:36:35
off just minutes later their security guard asalo agular was first on the scene she said to me I tried to stop him
01:36:46
and I couldn't do it he told us was there a long Struggle No was it just instant almost instantaneous
01:36:54
I remember it as being instantaneous it couldn't have been any more than 2 seconds when it went off who was holding
01:37:04
it I don't think anyone was holding it how does a gun go off when no one's holding it I think that it fell he
01:37:12
dropped it I never touched the gun and told roughly the same story to the First Responders who arrived here at
01:37:21
boracayan some 2 hours later but reporter Ned Zan says that their examination of the scene actually raised
01:37:29
more questions than it answered why does somebody who's suicidal shoot himself back here they said first of all that
01:37:37
John was left-handed and how does a left-handed person lying in bed shoot himself here
01:37:44
prosecutor Edgar Ramirez has a simple answer he doesn't if somebody wanted to commit
01:37:51
suicide he says the way do it is here here or here but if a left-handed person did
01:38:01
fatally shoot himself behind the right ear the gun presumably would end up on the same side as The Bullet Hole just to
01:38:08
be clear the gun is on the opposite side from the wound yes the the wound is on this side of Jon's head he's laying on
01:38:14
his back the gun is over there on this side of his bed near his arm so you know that doesn't look good there were no
01:38:21
lights on all I knew is he had a gun and I tried to get it away from him and I couldn't and it went
01:38:29
off but investigators puzzled over the bullet's path entering just below the right ear and ending up behind the left
01:38:38
eye odd to was the location of a spent cartridge found some 13 ft behind the bed all they thought inconsistent with
01:38:48
an's story of a struggle did you move anything touch anything change anything in that room the only thing I remember
01:38:58
doing is using the radio unlocking the elevator and touching John but as far as the gun the shell
01:39:11
casings pillow remember I don't remember anything a pillow near Jon's head had a
01:39:16
tear with gunpowder in it which means the pillow was positioned over his head and the gun was fired the prosecutor
01:39:24
told us within hours investigators began to think John Bender may have been shot in
01:39:31
his sleep and died where he lay there were pools of blood on both sides of his body the earplugs he always wor still in
01:39:43
place starting from the fourth floor down we started looking says inspector Luis agular who led a sweep of the house
01:39:51
and quickly discovered something that stopped him cold we found a great amount of jewels
01:40:00
precious stones gems thousands of them diamonds rubies Opals some on display others in suitcases worth roughly $20
01:40:11
million when you talk about the jewelry collection you know I have jewelry I don't think that's what you're talking
01:40:17
about no no no in no way shape or form investigators didn't see it as a jewelry collection either to them it looked a
01:40:25
lot more like a smuggling operation do you think that the fact that when the police got here they find all these
01:40:32
amazing Jewels do you think that it it prejudiced them um you know so what strange doesn't mean that you're a
01:40:39
criminal an says the gems were merely a hobby and an investment and says she did
01:40:46
her best to cooperate that night I was falling to pieces within hours of Jon's death after calling her family and
01:40:57
Juan Alvarez the trustee of boracayan I went into some sort of shock mode she was rushed to the hospital
01:41:07
emaciated and covered with sores my understanding is they were giving me a 40% chance of survival for the first two
01:41:15
weeks what was her condition then terrible in what way dehydrated extremely thin her
01:41:23
psychiatrist Carlos Lano who Anne authorized to speak with us met her in intensive care just hours later was she
01:41:32
in touch with reality in and doubt do you think she was even physically capable of doing
01:41:39
what the prosecution alleged no and could not even hold a fork when she was here Ann Bender would
01:41:50
remain hospitalized for 7 months under Dr lano's care and under a growing cloud of
01:42:00
Suspicion they were beginning to say this doesn't look like an accident this doesn't look like suicide this looks
01:42:05
like a lot like a murder and they began looking at her as a suspect did you for one second until it actually happened
01:42:11
think that you were going to be charged no [Music] she was Skin and Bones I mean she looked
01:42:31
horrid the Bender friend Paul Meyer visited an in the hospital just days after her arrival she weighed 84 lbs she
01:42:41
literally looked like someone who had just walked out of a concentration camp sick or not she already was
01:42:47
investigator's number one murder suspect police confiscated her clothes and her computer
01:42:53
but it's unclear if they examined John's messages or ever saw these chilling excerpts dated just weeks before he died
01:43:03
I wish I were effing dead it reads I feel so effing horrible I want to kill everyone and then myself a window an
01:43:13
says on a tormented soul John was the most tortured person I've ever met he had been wanting to kill himself for
01:43:21
weeks she thinks the lawyers Bender trustee Juan Alvarez hired for her should have used Jon's messages in her
01:43:28
defense they wouldn't comment on strategy they never manifested that I was innocent so their position was oh
01:43:36
yeah she did do this by not doing anything they were making it inevitable that I would be charged 19 months after
01:43:45
Bender died an was officially charged with murder convinced the jams have been smuggled into the country
01:43:53
authorities later also charged her with possessing Contraband all she is sure just what
01:44:00
Juan Alvarez wanted why to hide the fact she claims that he had siphoned money from the 70 million
01:44:10
Bender trust I'm the only person that can stop him or bring scrutiny into what he's
01:44:17
done in July 2012 with murder charges hanging over her head an Bender took Juan Alvarez to court for
01:44:26
fraud the suit claimed Alvarez used the Bender trust as his personal piggy bank buying horses for his horse farm and
01:44:36
paying his credit card bills authorities raided his office and confiscated 135 boxes of documents the court then
01:44:46
removed Alvarez as trustee this investigation will go nowhere because the accusations are
01:44:54
bogus he told us but whatever Juan Alvarez did or did not do he did not shoot John Bender and
01:45:04
prosecutors see an's lawsuit as an attempt to distract them from their firm belief that she did they just didn't see
01:45:13
how that gunshot could have been in that part of his head by Suicide was this suicide or an accident
01:45:23
or murder the forensic evidence is so vital in this case it's incredible we brought in outside experts to Bora Kion
01:45:32
and ask them to take a look at it this was the bedroom this is where John Bender died in the rarified world of
01:45:39
forensic science you can see there's a lot of blood on the crime scene Selma and Richard eelen bom are
01:45:44
internationally recognized but sometimes controversial experts known for stirring
01:45:50
debate in high-profile cases once thought open and shut like this and this one from the start they say some Costa
01:45:58
Rican authorities had a preconceived idea that this was murder the pathology report is very straight from the
01:46:06
beginning this is a homicide and let's prove it's a homicide he does look like he's sleeping a lot of people who die
01:46:14
with their eyes closed look like they're sleeping and they might have been wide awake when it happened the prosecutor
01:46:20
said if you're going to shoot yourself everyone knows it's here or it's here or it's here well that's completely
01:46:27
unscientific if that's an example of the logic they used in this case then I'm really very worried they cite other
01:46:34
Monumental mistakes not immediately testing for gunpowder residue not fingerprinting the gun not testing the
01:46:42
sheets for blood spatter what is the most vital thing that they missed I think the trajectory then you can place
01:46:50
the shooter on the scene in relation to the victim it's like this they told us the trajectory the path the bullet
01:46:58
followed was critical to understanding where the gun was when it was fired and if an or John fired it looking at this
01:47:07
investigation how would you grade it um very [Music] poor in January 2013 a three-judge panel acquitted Anne
01:47:20
Bender of murder she was safe but not for [Music] long after her AC quiddle Anne Bender
01:47:43
hoped for a new start hey uh-uh but never thought of leaving Costa Rica moving instead to a small apartment when
01:47:52
the truck trust stopped paying her bills friends and family helped she began dating a new boyfriend another American
01:48:00
Greg Fisher she has never not done what his court system has asked her to do never not done what his government has
01:48:05
asked her to do so she says she was shocked in May 2014 when the Costa Rican government put
01:48:13
her on trial for murder a second time it may seem odd to Americans but in Costa Rica there is no Double Jeopardy
01:48:23
rule so if a prosecutor doesn't like a verdict he can appeal and if he wins try the defendant all over again with the
01:48:32
same charges the same evidence and the same Witnesses this time there are new judges
01:48:42
but prosecutors repeat their case arguing that the evidence from the body the bullet casing the entry wound blood
01:48:51
stains and pillow case prove this was murder defense attorney Fabio okon Trio is just as insistent it was suicide in
01:49:03
all homicide there's a reason in this case there's no reason and in a risky move he decides
01:49:11
there is nobody better able to make that point than Anne Bender herself I want to
01:49:17
make a statement and make a statement she certainly does I was so happy here when we moved here she stays on the
01:49:25
stand the entire day he was talking about suicide every day for at least 4 weeks it was an issue of getting through
01:49:39
every day you you seem to be saying that there was no way to prevent him from attempting
01:49:45
suicide I tried my hardest not saying just no way for you there was no Avenue open no period this was this was
01:49:54
destined to be he wanted to [Music] die in his testimony security guard and first responder Oswaldo agular describes
01:50:06
the scene but he also raises questions about one of the prosecutor's key assumptions the main point of evidence
01:50:14
for the prosecution was Jon was left-handed the bullet wound is behind the right side of his head you're lying
01:50:20
in bed how does a suicidal man possibly end up shooting himself like this agular
01:50:27
has an answer pointing out that though a lefty John Bender carried his gun on the
01:50:33
right side but testifying for the prosecution forensic pathologist Gretchen Flores
01:50:42
doesn't care if John Bender was right or left-handed she and says suicide is inconceivable another person she says
01:50:52
would have have to fire the weapon her conclusion from the blood evidence and the position of the body John Bender
01:50:59
never saw the shot coming it's 6 cm from the midline at boracayan our independent
01:51:06
forensics experts Richard and Selma iin bom tested that idea that Jon's body never moved it would explain the blood
01:51:14
we find over here but it doesn't explain the blood over there in their view it had to have moved for the blood to have
01:51:21
pulled as it did on both sides of his body so his head was completely different this was the position of his
01:51:27
head when he was shot the blood PN analysis uh support the hypothesis that there was some sort of fight they showed
01:51:34
us how a struggle could have happened how Ann's efforts to get the gun could make it
01:51:40
fire vle goes like this and he start bleeding oozing how John's body then might have moved and he slowly falls
01:51:48
back in this position which accounts for the blood on this side on this side I lunged forward towards him with my hands
01:51:57
I fell towards the center of the bed and the gun went off the hypothesis that he was shut in
01:52:09
the position he was found is not supported by this evidence also unlikely the eand bom say is the prosecutor's
01:52:16
theory that Anne shot her husband from behind the bed this trajectory is not very likely it doesn't make any sense no
01:52:23
I mean just look at me if if I would shoot him through the head I would go like this and they showed us why they
01:52:28
think the odd location of the spent cartridge such damning proof according to the
01:52:36
prosecution really proves nothing at all the casing can end up in that position if the gun is Twisted far enough around
01:52:44
correct there is no chance she murdered her husband an's family and friends want
01:52:50
to make sure the judges think so two if I thought an had anything to do with this in any way shape or form I wouldn't
01:52:57
be here but for Ned Zan the case is no longer clear so you can see a scenario where it's an accident yes where it's
01:53:05
suicide and where it might be murder you can see all these yes I absolutely can and I think anybody who sat in that
01:53:13
courtroom would probably say the same thing except for maybe an and her attorney um because it's any of those
01:53:20
make sense in his closing prosecutor Ramirez insists there is only one plausible
01:53:30
scenario an Bender shot her husband defense attorney okono Trio pleads for reason saying an is not an
01:53:41
assassin facing a possible 25 years in prison an herself has the last word I did not kill John
01:53:53
but even after four years and two trials she is unprepared for this verdict translation guilty of
01:54:11
[Music] murder her friends and family sit stunned she is sentenced immediately to 22 years
01:54:27
in prison and she is Led away I really don't remember much after that except the police officers
01:54:36
surrounding me her boyfriend Greg Fisher is devastated I don't think she's going
01:54:40
to live I don't think she's going to survive the reality that I could be here for 22 years have I accepted that I
01:54:49
don't think there's any way that I can [Music] immediately after being sentenced to 22
01:55:05
years for murder Anne Bender appealed her conviction there's no evidence that proves Beyond a reasonable doubt that I
01:55:14
killed John the evidence doesn't exist we met with her 6 weeks later in prison I'm still surviving and I refuse to give
01:55:23
up I'm I'm just not going to and giving up in this place would be tempting there are about 50 women per
01:55:31
room three toilets no hot water no privacy none zero n and no guarantee she won't spend the rest of her life Behind
01:55:45
Bars how did you fight back from something like that when in those surroundings you surviv you do what you
01:55:52
got to do then in the winter of 2015 after 9 months in prison a development almost as stunning as an's conviction
01:56:02
she wins her appeal the court annuls the verdict she will have to face yet another trial but she is released for
01:56:10
now she learns all this from a friendly guard I said you're kidding I can leave and she said yeah you're free I fell to
01:56:19
the ground complet I just lost it but in this story bad news always seems to follow the good and an soon learns she
01:56:28
is not off the hook prosecutors have decided to try her for a third time her third trial begins about 6
01:56:41
months later and not only is an physically more fragile than ever she has suffered a major personal setback
01:56:49
her boyfriend Greg fiser died of an Asma attack while she was in prison but at this trial there is no
01:56:58
shortage of people to lean on an's parents her best friend Seline she's the best human being that I've ever met a
01:57:07
lot of people that are close to me are very invested in my my getting out of this John Bender's old friend Pete
01:57:15
delisi has called in legal reinforcements too two lawyers from the UK and two from the US
01:57:22
paid by an they'll advise her local attorney and closely monitor the trial making sure the judges know they're
01:57:32
watching an's biggest challenge may be just holding herself together in court in contrast to her dayong
01:57:44
testimony in previous trials she is on the stand for only 2 hours and this time she tries to appeal to the
01:57:57
judges by testifying in Spanish once again telling her story is an emotional [Music]
01:58:14
[Music] ordeal prosecutor Edgar Ramirez's approach to this trial is much the same
01:58:25
but he appears to be minus several key Witnesses including his star medical examiner Gretchen Flores she has
01:58:34
mysteriously gone missing and supporters call it an obvious delaying tactic it's part of
01:58:44
their strategy they drag this out as long as they can so that everyone leaves but this time team Bender has some star
01:58:55
Witnesses of its own so he's lying like this and and that's what they say we've come here to uh participate in the truth
01:59:04
finding Selma and Richard Eland B high powerered and controversial they investigated the clothing and there was
01:59:11
no blood there Ann's lawyers hired the Dutch forensic experts after the iand bomes completed their independent
01:59:18
analysis for 48 hours but for the C boms to testify the Costa Rican judges must agree to make an exception
01:59:29
and allow new Witnesses Selma yoland Maria we don't know if we can testify or or not the
01:59:38
prosecution strenuously object the judges decide that Selma can testify here you see the bullet Richard
01:59:52
canot would say okay was this gun but the defense still can use him he will be allowed to cross-examine the state's
02:00:00
medical examiner Gretchen Flores finally has resurfaced after two weeks Richard ikan bom's chance to question this
02:00:08
witness is an opportunity but also a big challenge Flores is as certain as ever that Anne Bender killed
02:00:19
[Music] John we're not lawyers so it's it's a new role here you have a photo Costa
02:00:26
Rican law prohibits American style cross-examination in which lawyers use questions suggesting the answers they
02:00:34
want so Ann's legal team quickly has to train this Dutch scientist to think like
02:00:42
a Costa Rican attorney we have absolutely a lot of work to do to help an he'll have to pointedly ask medical
02:00:49
examiner Flores about her experience expent without seeming to have an opinion either way it seems to me what
02:00:56
we can do is explore what experiments the crown have so the prosecution have not done when did you do this you didn't
02:01:04
do you didn't do this that's fine is providing information and we're not allow it's providing information yes
02:01:13
indirectly how do you get that information after working all weekend the team is
02:01:19
ready now we have to play lawyer games do you know um if this gun was tested for uh the distance of a
02:01:30
missile flame no I don't know am I allowed to show a picture yes go ahead Richard Iken bom
02:01:41
has to tread carefully and the constraints limit what he can accomplish but next it's Selma's turn
02:01:50
she is a witness I remember her walking in and the reaction of the judges you know just seeing her cuz she has such an
02:01:57
amazing presence in the courtroom and as a witness she can go much further I see
02:02:03
no support for the scenario of a homicide her testimony was amazing in my opinion as an
02:02:12
expert all the evidence that is available points clearly in the direction of a suicide
02:02:22
the prosecutor makes a last ditch effort to strike Selma's testimony from the record but for now the judges decide it
02:02:32
can stay you can't unring the Bell they heard what she said it's been three long
02:02:40
weeks at last they are ready to vote on a verdict after three trials and nearly 10
02:02:50
years the judges are looking at me and I hear the words not guilty ab and that translates
02:03:02
absolved absolved [Music] yeah the world believes me finally this time an takes no chance
02:03:22
Es as soon as Costa Rican authorities return her passport she flies home to the US with no intention of ever going
02:03:31
back to Costa Rica regardless of what zealous prosecutors do we caught up with her in Washington I don't see you flying
02:03:41
down to Costa Rica for a fourth trial I don't see it either not a chance no not so fast in a jaw-dropping decision
02:03:52
months later a Costa Rican Court announces yes it intends to try and Bender a fourth time her stunned lawyers
02:04:01
immediately appeal but win or lose it's doubtful prosecutors actually could try her again trials in obena are not
02:04:11
allowed in Costa Rica while there is an extradition treaty in place legal experts say that after three trials they
02:04:19
would be shocked to see the us extradite Anne Bender for a fourth in fact an seems finally to have
02:04:30
put this one-time Paradise behind her her past there as haunted as the abandoned overgrown jungle compound she
02:04:40
left behind I'll never get back everything that was taken for me obviously I'll never get back my husband now it's time
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to go after what can be recovered and find a life again [Music]