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[Music] the Hudson River Valley is uh just outside of New York City it's a beautiful
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place there's all sorts of activities to enjoy on the Hudson it's a great place to
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kayak but the Hudson River needs to be respected there's a number of very strong currents in the Hudson the Hudson
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can be dangerous on April 19 late in the afternoon Angelica and Vince go kayaking on the Hudson River they
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were kayakers they enjoyed the outdoors they were Outdoors enthusiasts you could tell that they
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were in love that you saw the glisten in their eyes he couldn't keep his hands off of
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her he just loved her April 19th was one of the first nice days milky Skies but otherwise nice this
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afternoon I 66 so they set out for what people call banan's Island there's a castle on it that was
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modeled after the castle in Scotland shortly after 700 p.m. when they went to return home things changed
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thoughts will thicken tonight though and it's going to get windy later on was rough we know that the waves are
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3 to 5 ft how high are you above the water right now uh maybe 4 in so if a twft wave is
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coming across here what's happening wave is going to come and just come right into my lap and then over you'll
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[Music] go Midway through their paddle back to shore Vince ran into trouble his kayak capsized he went into
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the water he wasn't wearing a life Fest it was cold it was 46° it was windy it was getting dark it
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was a dangerous place to be shortly after going into the water he instructed Angelica to call
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911 hi I'm I'm in the Hudson River my fiance fell in the water can you please call anybody I can't get to him it's
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very windy and the waves are coming in and I can't I can't padle to him he's getting further and further away from me
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I I he's going to the body of Vincent V4 is yet to be located this search for him remains
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ongoing on April 29th the New York State Police they interrogated her for over 11 hours okay
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you're lying to me and you're lying to yourself and then they arrested her for the crime of Murder in the second degree
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you killed Vinnie when you you took that plug out to kill him the alleged motive
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for the crime two life insurance policies totaling A4 million dollar and a souring relationship is it the police
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theory of this case is really outrageous my name is Michael Archer I'm a forensic
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scientist I was retained to assist in Angelica's defense they say that she pulled a plug a drain plug from the
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kayak and that caused the kayak to sink I took it out before yes a long time before because you wanted him to
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die yes do you believe that Angelica grasswald may have given a false confession yes in that she admit it to a
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crime that was probably nothing but an accident I want to believe she didn't do it but then again the police know
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something that I don't know I wanted him dead and now he's [Music] [Music] gone [Music]
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I don't know where your emergency he's going to please call somebody you got help on the way
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approximately 7:30 I got a phone call that there was a situation A capsizing of a
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kayak are very strong I can see don't see his cat okay hold on baby it did get choppy
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Out 3 to 4 foot swells uh I would never be out there Jeff shock is Commodore at the Cornwall Yacht Club in New York's
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Hudson Valley they immediately went into the workboat to help rescue this person
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I can't see him anymore you don't see him no Angelica's call for help first obtained by 48 Hours the sun was setting
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the river turning dark they pulled her out of the water they never saw another person in the water Vincent vor's body
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had been swallowed up by the river it all appeared to be a tragic accident but within days investigators began hearing
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disturbing reports that Angelica grasswald seemed oddly unaffected by his death she agreed to be questioned
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tonight you'll see the dramatic police interrogation you wanted him dead you're where
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Angelica's own words turned her from a grieving fiance into a murder suspect she was always very nice bright
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and clever and uh perky Joel Goss has known Angelica for almost 7 years he saw Angelica toiling in local restaurants
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but knew she had bigger dreams photography she really wanted to do photography absolutely blissful when she
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was doing that she'd always take pictures of the sky or something know flowers she always found beauty in that
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Sherry party tended the bar I felt that she had a good heart you know I don't have friends that don't have good Hearts
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you know she was born Angelica lipska in lvia when it was still part of the Soviet Union when the Iron Curtain
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lifted Angelica sought opportunity a nanny job bringing her to the United States and by the the time she met
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Vincent via for Angelica had been married and divorced twice but then so had he Love at First Love It First Sight
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nearly 11 years older than Angelica 46-year-old Vincent vifor was a project manager with the state of New York and
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one of Sherry's closest friends what was it about her personality that he fell in
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love with she's very spunky like him they just knew that they wanted to be together Amanda ho Strat was Vincent's
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roommate at the time he loved her he wanted to be around her all the time within weeks Angelica moved in did he
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want to marry Angel yeah he was even talking about having kids yeah and he he hadn't done that before one
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two cut cut known for his barbecue ribs his dance moves and his partying Vincent was as generous and fun
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as they come and Vinnie had a lot of friends a lot of friends like the party's here let's take a shot you guys
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want a shot his other little nickname is Vinnie shot Vin like in this photo on Saturday night
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April 18th Vincent was out to party with his friends it was just 24 hours before
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he would go kaying Vinnie wanted to stay out having drinks with us because that was like we
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hadn't gotten together in a couple weeks maybe even go to a strip club but Angelica wasn't interested she wanted to
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go home she was quiet you know she wasn't really talking to anyone before Vincent took her home he told sher's
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boyfriend Monty he had wanted to go kaying I was like what are you crazy look behind you the water was shoppy it
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was really cold you can't go in this water don't even think about it you can't talk to V out of anything he's
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he's he's very you know he loves uh Adventure Angelica herself would take police through the very same Saturday
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night in this interrogation first obtained by 48 hours did you guys get did he get in
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h that's Saturday night yeah yeah he did Angelica tells the investigator things between her and Vincent were
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tense they argued but then made up have the end going to bed nothing the next day Sunday April 19th
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Vincent was determined she says to go kaying we're going we're going year after year it was something of a spring
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ritual for the couple kayaking on the Hudson the days were warming but the river still
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cold that day Angelica says Vincent pack their gear traffic cameras caught his vehicle heading out I had my life LIF I
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had my purse but Angelica says Vincent didn't take a life Fest for himself their plan this trip was to head to
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Bannerman's castle in the middle of the Hudson River where Angelica would change
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into something sexy for photos well I wanted to clean themselves just after 400 p.m. they launched bringing alcohol
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the beer seen in this evidence photo and when they arrived they headed up these stairs but because it was very cold and
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windy Angelica says they decided to start the journey home around 700 p.m. at first Angelica says Vincent was
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enjoying the rough water playing around then he pulled forward in front of me said baby this is an adventure of a
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lifetime Angelica tells police she knew Vincent's kayak was missing this plug it's supposed to cover a hole in his
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kayak and she says while Vincent's kayak worked fine without it on the way out to
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the island in a calmer River now with the waves she was concerned about him the waves are doing their thing up
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and down like that but then I saw that it started to fill up and I knew that the fug wasn't
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there then Vincent was suddenly in the water holding this seat cushion that floats she says his kayak and a dry bag
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Angelica took his paddle and hooked it to her kayak he's in the water I'm got the both
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paddles and I get I keep the wav pulling me away from him further and further and
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that's when he yells call 911 oh no baby I don't see him anymore okay where are you exactly right now in
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the minutes and hours following that 911 call Angelica's every action would be closely screwed ized it was Monday
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morning when Sher heard the news call Angelica she picks up I said I'm freaking out I'm like Isa what's going
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on like is there something wrong she's like Vinnie is missing but Angel she says was bizarrely
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calm while divers searched for Vincent's body Angelica posted this video of herself doing cartwheels woo I thought
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thought it was a little insensitive she also posted an old picture of herself kaying in bad weather kind of creepy
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that she's there alone and it's a stormy day it was kind of freaky but Joel gos didn't see Angelica
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in the same light I believe she was absolutely in pain that Vincent was gone he says Angelica was really trying to
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put on a happy Brave face so she was very hopeful there's still a chance there's still a chance they'll find him
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I should put flowers where we where I last saw him I should put flowers there so 10 days after her fiance went
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missing Angelica went back with flowers in hand to Bannerman's Island police were there too not to comfort Angelica
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but to confront her I don't want to admit that killed them okay I understand that okay but you
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did a state police Marine boat with sonar spent the day in the rain fog and choppy
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water conditions searching for a missing kayaker for days on end the scenic River
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where Vincent via for love to fish and kayak teamed with rescue boats and helicopters looking for his
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body I prayed every day to help us find him whether he was alive or not to to bring him home Vincent's mother Maryanne
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you woke up anxious you know hopefully is this the day you're going to find him while search Crews comb the waters
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Vincent vor's loved ones got news that left them reeling what first seemed like an accident now appears to be something
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much more Sinister stun ly police now believe Vincent was murdered on the river and that his fiance Angelica
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grasswald killed him investigators say that when they questioned Angelica on Bannerman's Island she gave them some
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extremely incriminating answers she made statements that implicated herself in in
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this crime authorities say Angelica admitted she removed the drain plug like this one from Vincent's kayak
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investigators believe that caused the boat to fill up with water they also believe that she tampered with his
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paddle removing a ring like this one which helps keep the paddle securely together and then when Vincent went into
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the water they say that Angelica took the paddle away from him so he couldn't use it as a flotation device it was a
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complete shock and I was devastated that that she would do that to my son who was
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so good to her 35-year-old Angelica grasswald was charged with second deegree murder and later manslaughter if
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somebody told me this was in her future I wouldn't have believed it for a second
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Michael kin who lived with Angelica in 2009 cannot imagine that his ex-girlfriend is a killer but he does
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remember she had a dark side did Angelica have a temper absolutely she certainly had an anger streak culvin
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witnessed that anger right here in his driveway shortly after they broke up it involved mka the cat they had adopted
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together she insisted on getting the cat and threatened to break into the house if I didn't give it to her the car is
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running I'm getting into the car she laid down just like this in the driveway flat like this give me the Kat give me
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the Kat to which of course I you know finally at this point she's laying down on my driveway I'm not going to run her
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over so I gave the cat to her the woman definitely has a way of reacting when she feels threatened there's no question
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about that cvan's wife Heather to lay behind the car to threaten to break in and you don't even have a place to house
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this cat that's the extreme side I think Vincent's friend Sher party says Angelica could violently turn on him
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when she was drunk she would smack him so hard across his face and and he would just look at her and be like you would
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not get mad and she'd do it again and she'd do it again just 2 weeks before his kayak
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capsized Amanda hoist Strat says Vince texted her expressing some doubts about his relationship with Angelica you know
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he didn't think it was going to work but the very next day she says he changed his mind he's like oh well she must be
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really afraid of losing me because she wants me to stay home and we're going to make
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up in the 11-hour interrogation Angelica told police they were having problems she said Vincent was pressuring her for
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things she wasn't comfortable with he pushed for everything he pushed for for sex for sexual stuff he always wanted
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sex you to do sexual things well yeah okay he wanted three por everything Angelica said they thought about it how
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does it make you feel angry I was angry very angry yeah and admitted that she often felt trapped in the
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relationship sometimes wishing Vincent was dead why did you want him to die how could you best put it he wanted to be
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free I wanted to be free as startling as that admission was Angelica made even more disturbing comments to
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investigators and you feel happy and relieved that it happened that he's dead when you watched him in the war
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with a the part of you saying my worries are going away now and I'm free and were you
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almost for euphoric that he was going to be gone I you felt that way still along with anger prosecutors say
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Angelica's other motive for murder was money Angelica stood to gain $250,000 from two of Vincent's life
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insurance policies a financial windfall for someone who had no money of her own did you really admit those things that
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prosecutors said in court Angelica grasswald pleaded not guilty and was now on her way to jail to await trial her
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bond $9 million prosecutors considered the lvia native a serious Flight Risk and a judge
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agreed it's like how how dare you feel that you can play God to decide when somebody's time is
00:19:03
up but defense expert Michael Archer says Angelica's alleged confession during that lengthy interrogation is
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meaningless he says the forensic evidence tells the true story I haven't seen all the evidence but the evidence
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I've seen certainly does not support a homicide this is by all accounts a tragic accident and Archer says he can
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prove prove what really caused Vincent's kayak to capsize Fired Up Skipper and let's
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go Peter come look at how our wake fills this [Music] [Music] boat the water is somewhere around
00:20:00
46° at the warmest you know this is very cold water it's frigid water it's getting dark it's windy the waves are 3
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to 5T high he has no life vest on and he has some level of impairment by alcohol
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all of those fit that this is an accidental death forensic scientist Michael Archer
00:20:21
grew up in the Hudson Valley and knows this beautiful River can be treacherous I'm not going to blame Mr vior but he
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certainly wasn't as cautious as he should have been so what's your plan for today sure so we have the gentleman who
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operates the kayak Archer working for the defense has spent months examining the prosecutor's evidence against
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Angelica buddy how much do you weigh um about 180 185 so Peter here's a a gentleman who's significantly smaller
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than Mr vior and I just want you to see how low that kayak is in the water and and I'm not going to say this water's
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like glass but it's pretty calm today Archer asked buddy bany of mountaintops Outfitters to paddle out on
00:21:05
the Hudson River in the same model kayak as Vincent vfor did bany is an experienced kayaker if you were in
00:21:13
rougher water would you be struggling to remain upright absolutely yeah just awake from that boat uh had me a little
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tipsy a little nervous at one point it's definitely more designed for U you know
00:21:25
Small Ponds Lakes things that you know water that's generally calm all the time buddy paddled from Bannerman's Island to
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the area where Vincent and Angelica launched about a mile away with the drain plug open remember Angelica is
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accused of removing the plug from Vincent's kayak do you feel the boat is filling with water because the plug is
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out if there's any water getting in there at all it's very minimal I don't I don't feel it I don't notice it I don't
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see anything that may sound surprising until you take a closer look this is the kayak this photo is taken by the New
00:21:58
York police this is the kayak that Vinnie was in yes the Mr V for was in so he's sitting here the plug is on the top
00:22:05
of the boat and the point of the plug wait the plug is on the top of the boat the plug is on the top of the boat well
00:22:10
how can it fill up with water if the plug is on top it doesn't what's more the plug is about the size of my pinky
00:22:16
about this big about this big around yes what's funny is when the case first came
00:22:20
about I had believed also that the uh drain plug was in the bottom of the kayak Jeff chartier is one of Angelica's
00:22:27
defense attorneys he says the fusion 124 model kayak was designed with the plug on top so once back on land it can be
00:22:37
easily flipped and drained where do you believe the water actually came into this boat well I
00:22:45
think it's pretty clear and look at this big giant hole this is what led to the tragedy absolutely no doubt that's the
00:22:52
defense Theory and while Archer can't recreate the exact conditions of Vincent's drowning he did design an
00:22:58
experiment to prove the defense's point we're going to restore this kayak to the
00:23:04
way Vince used it that day on April 19th strapping the kayak to the back of a boat and then creating an artificial
00:23:12
wave with the plug out the plug out and the cockpit area here wide open we're going to see how much of that wake comes
00:23:18
in and how much water gets in the cockpit area and how much water gets in the plug area got the plug Fired Up
00:23:23
Skipper and let's go Peter come look at how our wake fills this boat and that was about a
00:23:39
three-footer coming into this and that's just that's just one wave coming in here
00:23:45
take a look at this this this looks to me to be a quarter a quarter full with just one wave Archer then devised a test
00:23:52
to see how much water could actually enter the kayak through that tiny hole so Peter what I want to do is I'm going
00:23:59
to dry the boat out so we put a cockpit seal over top we've sealed up the cockpit area we've
00:24:08
taped it up so it's on there good it's tight and we've left the plug open and we're going to have the water come over
00:24:13
the kayak and see just how much water goes into the plug sounds good let's check it out and see how much
00:24:30
water we got inside what do you see there's not that much Peter let's uh let's get that 5
00:24:39
gallon bucket see if we can throw it [Music] up I have an empty water bottle nice and
00:24:51
slow sure this bottle is 16.9 o that's less than an ounce it that's it what does this tell
00:25:03
you that for what wouldn't fill a shot glass a woman sitting in jail being charged with a murder but Angelica is
00:25:12
also accused of tampering with Vincent's paddle removing this ring that police believe holds the two sides of the
00:25:20
paddle together Archer ask Buddy to paddle the journey with the ring removed how is it holding up it's fine yeah no
00:25:28
problem no problem you don't need the ring to use the paddle the other damning allegation against Angelica is that she
00:25:35
took the paddle from Vincent after he went into the river denying him something to hang on to but could it
00:25:43
have saved his life I've taped a 4B brick to the paddle and we're going to see whether or not it sinks or if it
00:25:48
floats if it sinks with a 4B brick attached it's certainly not going to support a full grown
00:25:54
[Applause] man and there you have it another one of their theories that just doesn't hold
00:26:02
water but what this forensic scientist can't explain is what Angelica said to police but 48 Hours spoke with an
00:26:11
interrogation expert who believes he can you haven't been hired by the defense team correct no not at all do you
00:26:18
believe that Angelica grasswald may have given a false [Music] confession this is your typical police style
00:26:40
interrogation room four walls no windows and a door but very sparse very bare no
00:26:47
clocks nothing to distract you Jim Trum knows a lot about interrogation rooms we
00:26:53
want to get you into our environment so that we have control over the situation for 27 years the former detective for
00:27:01
the DC metropolitan police department conducted hundreds of interviews and interrogations but there's one
00:27:08
interrogation that still haunts him when he unwittingly got an innocent woman to
00:27:14
confess to Murder She later sued him and the police department we get the person
00:27:20
to believe at least temporarily that it's in their best interest to tell us what we want to hear anybody can fall
00:27:28
victim to it and every single person can potentially give a false confession Trum
00:27:33
is now considered a national expert on false confessions teaching writing and testifying in high-profile cases we
00:27:42
asked him to review the case against Angelica and you've come in with no bias I have no dog in this fight he watched
00:27:50
every moment of Angelica's 11-hour interrogation would you use this to teach other cops how to do a proper
00:27:58
interrogation of a suspect I would use it to teach him how not to tram's investigation began with this document
00:28:06
first obtained by 48 Hours a record of what Angelica allegedly told investigators on Bannerman's Island
00:28:15
you've read this document any red flags there a lot of red flags according to this Angelica essentially admits
00:28:23
tampering with Vincent's paddle and the drain plug to kill kill him what did you
00:28:29
do to make him drown they ask I took the plug out of his kayak she answers precise perfect questions precise
00:28:39
incriminating answers from Angelica right and you would expect the video interrogation of Angelica to mirror that
00:28:47
but it doesn't if you compare the statement it doesn't match the video at all Ang police took Angelica from the
00:28:57
island and read her her Miranda rights the right to remain silent and have a lawyer you understand it they tried over
00:29:06
and over to get her to repeat on camera what she supposedly told them on the island what could you have done
00:29:13
physically that caused him to drown and let's see if you remember what he told me he said by taking the plug out of the
00:29:22
kayak and take the paddle away from him does that sound correct yeah but I didn't intent to have it happen that way
00:29:30
so there's definitely clear signs of manipulation here they want a specific answer from her the investigator tries a
00:29:39
gentle approach it's therapy for you and like I said you feel better the way that
00:29:44
they approached her this is therapy we're just trying to get to the bottom of this this is going to help you
00:29:51
Angelica reveals intimate details of her life claiming Vincent demanded that she
00:29:56
participate in in a threesome a demand that made her angry by the way he treated you you taking that plug out was
00:30:04
a reaction of of way the way he treated you right they've been trying to establish motive
00:30:11
the entire time they're asking numerous leading questions they're telling her the direction that they want the answer
00:30:18
to go they're often giving her the answer if that was almost like a way to get back at them kind of yeah you see
00:30:25
where they think that they have her that they have an admission and then three or
00:30:30
four you know questions down the road she's going no I didn't want him dead he watch him drown I know it's difficult I
00:30:37
know I didn't just watched him drown I tried to do something about it a second investigator comes in typically this is
00:30:48
done because the first interrogator is getting nowhere and as you'll see he's more the bad cop and the first guy is
00:30:55
more the good cop you killed him repeatedly trying to get her to own what he believes she did when did you in your
00:31:03
mind make the decision vny needs to die and I'm going to take some steps to make
00:31:08
sure that happens and be free and be free and be out of this controlling possessive relationship I wasn't
00:31:16
thinking that at all what did you want that day that day I wanted to be free and you wanted him to
00:31:24
die you put it that way I put it that way what's the answer you know what the answer is what's the answer Angelica
00:31:33
want and that would set you free I didn't want him like Gone Gone to them that you know that Gone Part meant
00:31:42
you wanted him dead and I think she means something totally different when she's saying it she's using the term
00:31:49
gone as out of the relationship analyzing this video Trum believes the investigators had tunnel vision he says
00:31:58
entire case is built on a false premise they think that they know the truth that
00:32:04
she pulled a plug in his kayak and it caused it to flood with water but Trum says the investigators are clearly
00:32:12
confused believing the drain plug is on the bottom of the kayak when it's on the
00:32:18
top where does that plug go on theay it goes all the way in the back it like underneath it no no he thinks it's on
00:32:25
the bottom yes and in fact later on uh he again brings it up and then it's underneath no no it's on the top on top
00:32:34
I think a good defense attorney could have a field day with this if that plug being out did not cause that kayak to
00:32:42
fill up with water it doesn't mean a damn thing what's more Angelica insists she removed the plug months before the
00:32:51
April incident in the winter when her kitten seen here in Vincent's kayak was plain with with it it doesn't help their
00:32:59
case if she took out that plug so long ago if she's telling the truth Trum asserts it's hard to argue she planned
00:33:09
to kill him when did you take it out on Sunday I did not take it out on Sunday the plug was already out the reality is
00:33:18
you took that plug out because you wanted to kill him you wanted him to be dead you want it to be free I took it
00:33:24
out before yes a long time before because you wanted him to die yes at some point yes so in essence this is
00:33:32
exactly what we're saying is we're we're like talking semantics they've been twisting her responses but hours into
00:33:39
the interrogation Angelica finally sort of agrees with them you took the FL out April April the month the tragedy
00:33:49
occurred Trum says don't trust that do you believe that every person has a Breaking Point in an interrogation oh
00:33:57
absolutely repeatedly throughout the long interrogation Angelica says she needs to go care for her beloved cat so
00:34:06
why don't need W up and I need to see my cat she's worried about her cat she's going to agree to their narrative in
00:34:13
order for her to get out of there and Trum says she does just that by taking that plug out you killed Vinnie correct
00:34:24
correct and you wanted that to happen correct correct and you feel happy and relieved
00:34:33
that it happened that he's dead yes tell me the truth Angelica has now been in this room almost 6 hours you killed
00:34:43
Vinnie right you want no I want you to tell me the truth I am telling you the truth
00:34:50
what is the answer to that question I didn't I didn't want him Angelica what is the true answer to that question all
00:34:58
right we need a statement what is it I wanted him dead and now he's gone and okay I think she's done she's
00:35:10
now getting more and more desperate to get out of that room I sense the more you watch this the more you're becoming
00:35:17
convinced this is a false confession yes to me this is a non crime this is uh an
00:35:24
accident that they made into a criminal uh offense because of their gut feelings
00:35:30
because of her not acting appropriately 48 Hours wanted to question prosecutors about the allegation that the state's
00:35:38
case may be founded on a false confession a spokesman said no comment will be made before trial Angel do you
00:35:47
miss should Angelica grasswald be in a jail right now as we speak absolutely not absolutely
00:35:54
[Music] not [Music] Amanda hoist Strat and Sheri party have been living a life of Torment since the
00:36:15
Terrible Day their friend went missing the fact that it was so mysterious and nobody could figure it out and yeah we
00:36:25
were wishful thinking and going on searches for him and looking for him it was it was like we didn't have a sense
00:36:31
of Peace we haven't had that closure that people get when you lose somebody you know we haven't had
00:36:38
that and calling the state police for any news became a sad routine for Vincent's
00:36:45
mom Maryanne I talked to the state police a couple of times a week it was hard we were all
00:36:55
praying on Saturday morning May 23rd 2015 the agonizing weight came to an end the victim's body was recovered Saturday
00:37:07
a month after kayaker Vincent vf4 went missing on the Hudson River I was both sad and happy sad that
00:37:15
uh there was no hope and happy that at least we found him and can bring him home Vincent vor's body was found by a
00:37:24
boater about a mile Downstream from Bannerman's Island but just Weeks Later the medical
00:37:30
examiner report confirmed that Vincent vfor died by drowning and that he had a blood alcohol level of
00:37:40
06 which is considered being impaired yet the manner of death was ruled a homicide the medical examiner noting
00:37:49
that the drain plug had been intentionally removed Angelica's lead defense attorney
00:37:56
Richard portali insists that Angelica is not to blame here Mr VOR was responsible for that
00:38:04
kayak and you know that you're the captain of your own ship and he left Plum Point on April 19th and he had no
00:38:10
life vest he knew what the temperature of that water was and so he was responsible for his conduct on that
00:38:16
day I do not believe that this was an accident I'd like to see Justice done for Vinnie as I guess
00:38:27
any parent would for their child his birthday is August 22nd he would have been 47 years
00:38:37
old his life was cut too short and she is now forced to honor her son's birthday at his
00:38:46
grave and I know that we'll see each other again one day and I look forward to that
00:38:54
[Music] day no matter how this plays out Vincent's loved ones have vowed to keep his memory
00:39:04
and Spirit [Music] Alive we had so many memories together just everywhere just like little things
00:39:12
that remind me of him and I sometimes I just laugh to myself you know just thinking about him and just thinking
00:39:18
about the fun times that we had so I I feel happy that I got to have six years with him come
00:39:26
on [Applause] [Music] 2 after years of claiming to be innocent Angelica graswald pleaded guilty to
00:39:58
criminally negligent homicide in the death of her fiance Vincent via 4 it is a stunning reversal but with the murder
00:40:05
trial looming Angelica grasswald tearfully agrees to plead guilty to criminally negligent homicide she pled
00:40:14
guilty on the agreement that she be sentenced at a maximum state prison sentence for that charge of one and
00:40:19
oneir years to four years in state prison Orange County district attorney David hoverer explained his decision to
00:40:28
downgrade the charges saying it would have been difficult to prove Angelica intended to kill her boyfriend Vincent
00:40:36
VOR even though she did admit pulling the plug from his kayak unlike shooting a victim with a gun or stabbing someone
00:40:43
with a knife removing a plug would only cause the death when it's combined with a number of other factors such as the
00:40:50
water temperature the wind as well as the state of the victim he was not wearing a
00:40:57
life jacket or a wet suit also alcohol was present as for what Angelica said to police during that 11-hour interrogation
00:41:07
he wanted to and that would set you free I didn't want him like Gone Gone none of the defendants vacillating
00:41:16
statements constituted a direct confession for intentional murder that left prosecutors uncertain of a guilty
00:41:24
verdict at trial The Plea eliminated any chance whatsoever the defendant could Escape conviction by a jury acquitting
00:41:32
her the police spared the victim's family of the uncertainty and emotional trauma of a trial which was discussed
00:41:38
with them at [Music] length The Plea also spared Angelica a possible sentence of 25 years to life in
00:41:51
prison instead with time served she faced only the remainder of the one and a3d to 4year sentence four years for
00:42:00
taking someone's life no way my son was a good man and everybody loved him and we miss him very much so that's all we
00:42:10
have to say last question because Angelica is so grateful to be here today on December 21st 2017
00:42:27
Angelica grasswald was released on parole she had served less than 32 months behind bars she's grateful to be
00:42:36
able to breathe in the Fresh Air Walk in the fresh air [Music] thank [Music] he