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Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes

February 08, 2025 / 03:30:23

This episode covers the murder case of Anna Repkina, a Russian woman found dead in Oregon, and the complex relationships involving her fiancé William Hargrove and his other partner Michelle Chavez. Key discussions include the discovery of Anna's body, the investigation led by detectives Chris Duffett and Ryan Joselyn, and the dynamics between Anna, Will, and Michelle. The episode highlights Anna's background, her relationship with Will, and the events leading up to her tragic death.

Anna Repkina, a 27-year-old from Russia, was found dead on April 17, 2017, after being shot. The investigation revealed that she had been in a romantic relationship with William Hargrove, who was also involved with Michelle Chavez. Detectives noted the significance of a KFC receipt found near Anna's body, which helped trace the timeline of events leading to her murder.

Will Hargrove's relationship with both women created a tense love triangle, ultimately leading to Anna's death. Michelle Chavez expressed her feelings about Will and the pressure she felt regarding Anna's presence in their lives. The episode discusses the emotional turmoil experienced by all parties involved, including the aftermath of Anna's murder and the legal proceedings against Will.

The episode features interviews with law enforcement, friends, and family members, providing insight into Anna's life and the events surrounding her tragic end. It emphasizes the complexities of love, jealousy, and betrayal that played a role in this heartbreaking case.

TLDR

Anna Repkina's murder reveals a love triangle involving William Hargrove and Michelle Chavez, leading to tragic consequences.

Episode

3:30:23
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[Music] so right here in this general area is where the caretaker was living at when he went for a walk up this
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little Offroad when he found her [Music] initially now it wasn't even if was real
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at first I thought it might be some kind of a prank you know actually I did reach down and touch
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her hand that feels like flesh and bone to me when we found Anna rina's body we were able to see that her feet were
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probably down in about this location and her head was pointed back towards the forest here
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one of the first things we noticed when we made it our way to this Landing is there's pieces of trash and there was
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garbage one of the biggest pieces of evidence that we found in this case was a KFC
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[Music] bag along the edge of that clear bag there was a receipt that had the date of
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the 14th so April 14th which is only a few days [Music] prior who was Anna rupina Anna was 27
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years old and she came from a good strong family in Russia she wanted somebody to love her
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wanted to have kids and so that's why she went on to the dating websites she happened to find will
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Hargrove he's always trying to make people laugh making sure that everybody else is happy trying to push them to
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become the better person that they can be he was complimentary to her uh he sent her flowers from the United States
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to Russia he paid attention to her with everything that he had explained to me everything he had told me Anna was the
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love of his life the sense that you got from Anna repina was that she was in love this wasn't coming to the United
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States as some male order bride how does Michelle Chavez fit into this case well Michelle shavez is the
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other woman she is that third part of the triangle he made me feel special he has a Charisma about him it's
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like everything he's saying he truly believes and you believe it he makes you believe it especially if you're in love
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and you want to believe it yeah and you were in love I was and it was always I choose you it
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was how much pressure was he getting from Michelle to end it with Anna I know for a fact that Michelle didn't want
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Anna even over here in the states he was basically given the ultimatum of one or
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the other and 2 days later on it was found dead [Music] [Music] [Music] this is outside of corval quite a ways
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out in the alc area and up a remote Logging [Music] [Applause] Road Ryan Joselyn and Amy matuso both
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Deputy District attorneys in Benton County Oregon received an urgent call that a body had been found on April 17th
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2017 he and I were both on scene to take a look for ourselves it's so important in a prosecutor's role that you
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understand the scene not just from photos but having been there not too many people are going to
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be up in that area but frankly the fact that the body was discovered as quickly as it was uh was pretty
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extraordinary lead detective Lieutenant Chris duffett says a local caretaker happened to be out walking his dog that
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day when he came across the body the caller was walking on this road on a day and a time and a place that he really
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should have never been so we were very very lucky to find her body if it would have been any more time we might have
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never found her the victim was identified as 27-year-old Moscow native Anna repkina she had been
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shot she was smart intelligent she had an office job working for Ikea she loved cats she loved to travel
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Anna had a lot going for her a lot of people liked her so how did a Russian woman who had a seemingly happy life
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meet her end on a remote Logging Road nearly 5500 miles from home she had broken up with her boyfriend of
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seven years and was really looking for that connection a year earlier newly single Anna started looking for love
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online and joined a Russian social networking site she found what she was looking for halfway across the world
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when she met 26-year-old Oregonian William Hargrove then they started really chatting they chatted a lot over
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Facebook then uh they started video conferencing and that was happening on an almost daily
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basis Anna and will found that they had a lot in common they really bonded over music she
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very much loved music she liked to go to rock concerts they would have discussions about bands she had a good
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sense of humor she would constantly send funny memes and she connected with her friends and her family that
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way will and Anna exchanged thousands of messages imagining their future together
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if Anna came to Oregon he definitely had the Gift of Gab The Gift of Gab he could talk a good
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game he could he could talk a very good game Will's friend and former roommate Jamie clz he and I had things in common
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cars he works on cars I work on cars I'm more Harry Potter he's more The Avengers
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kind of genre but we could nerd out on things like that he actually took me to see my first Avengers movie he was a
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likable guy a jokester he just liked to laugh and have fun I enjoyed being around him will worked as a mechanic at
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a local auto dealership in his free time he'd meet up with friends like Joseph Thompson at the peacock Bar and Grill we
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would play pool over there on Sunday nights and just basically ended up hanging out
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doing karaoke I don't know how many times me and him would be sitting there playing pool and he'd just have women
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walk up from the bar just sit there talk to him he was very charismatic he had the personality the presence was he a
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player no not necessarily will was such a good friend that Joseph called him his
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brother we were both in the military a lot of the training and stuff we had went through was similar and it helped
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pull us together what branch of the service were you in Army and will I believe he was Marines he said that he
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used to be stationed in Russia will seemed to have an affinity for all things Russian and his online
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relationship with Anna took off Anna decided to fly to the states to spend the holidays with Will in Oregon
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and see if their virtual love would feel the same in reality December of 2016 she
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traveled here and spent a couple weeks with um William Hargrove but the road to romance had an unexpected
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detour there was a problem when she first came out in December to see Mr harrove she mistakenly mixed up Portland
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Maine for Portland Oregon and she was stranded in Portland Main amidst the chaos of flight changes
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Anna messaged will building the anticipation to finally be together Anna eventually made it to the
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right Portland and into the arms of will Hargrove during her visit she posted highlights of their Whirlwind romance
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including photos of their trips to the coast Will's cars and even a Christmas wish scrolled out to her family back
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home she came here for Love at the conclusion of this trip she actually became engaged to William harro and they
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had plans to get married in the future Anna returned home to Russia after 10 days with a souvenir an engagement ring
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from Will and plans to pack up her life in Russia and move to Oregon with the promise of marriage she was excited
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about the wedding she was talking about um all the different style dresses and what she really wanted but there was
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going to be an obstacle in Anna's path to love I'm Michelle Chavez and I was Will hard Grove's girlfriend
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[Music] [Music] in 2015 33-year-old Michelle shavez was living with her husband and two children
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in Albany Oregon unfortunately all was not right in the marriage our relationship at that point in time
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really wasn't one it was like roommates that just happened to be married slept in the same bed but that was about it
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didn't really talk Michelle met will car Grove while she was working as a cab driver it was a
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kind of slow time in the summer and I was waiting at the bar waiting for people to call to go pick people up what
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was your first impression of him God he short he's short yes God he short yeah um he is
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short but that first impression gave way to something much more for shavez who was so unhappy at home he made you feel
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like you were in the sun when he talked to you he had a way of being able to look at me and I I felt like I was
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actually seen I felt beautiful I felt like I was wanted and so Michelle and will became much more than friends it
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wasn't a planned thing it wasn't like it went off in my head I was like I'm I'm going to have a relationship with him it
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just progressed that way this is one of him and our mutual friend Jamie he was willing to give her what she needed
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affection attention the following year 2016 the relationship grew to a new and somewhat unusual level
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with Will renting a spare bedroom in Michelle's house the same one she shared with her husband and kids though it's
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not clear what Michelle's husband knew about her relationship with will he only had to pay $300 a month and his own food
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unless he liked whatever it was we were making at the time honestly pretty sweet
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deal Michelle even gave will her wedding ring a promise that she'd leave her husband soon but it wasn't enough for
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will if Will had this relationship with Michelle and was in love with Michelle why was he going on internet dating
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sites I think that it had to do with jealousy Michelle was going to leave her husband on her terms and it wasn't going
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fast enough if he could make her jealous then maybe it would speed things up which may explain why when Anna
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visited will over Christmas they stayed at Michelle's house under Michelle's nose it seems Anna knew nothing of
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Will's other relationship they were in his room most of the time on New Year's Eve they were getting ready to go out
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will was like oh maybe I should introduce you guys and then she shook my hand and she said her name was Anna I
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said it was nice to meet her but Michelle wouldn't be quite that welcoming when Anna returned a few
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months later on March 1st 2017 with the intention of becoming coming Will's wife
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I was like well she's not staying here she's not staying in my house so will and Anna rented an apartment in Corvalis
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a small college town not far from Michelle's home with Will working and without a job
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herself Anna spent time on her own even joining the local gym life wasn't as easy for Michelle what did you want
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simple just be happy and you thought you'd found that with him I thought I had but you have to actually know
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somebody to find those things I think turns out actually knowing will was going to be a bit of a challenge for
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everyone even with his new fiance in America he split his nights between his two love interests he really continued
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to float between those two uh places back at Michelle's place and then back at the apartment with Ana with no clue
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as to why will kept disappearing Anna often had to resort to contacting his friends to find her own fiance and she's
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seeing him gone in the text messages she's reaching out to his friends do you know where he is what's going on she's
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becoming suspicious where is he going what is going on with this time as it happened Anna's instincts were right on
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the money this man was a fraud and relied heavily on Deception to convince other
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people he was the type of person he wanted to be perceived as and he wanted to be something greater than he was he
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told a number of people he was in the armed forces he was never in the armed forces then there's the matter of a
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certain engagement ring Anna's ring or was it her and I had friended each other on
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Facebook and then I saw her wearing my wedding ring what yeah the ring that had been Michelle's wedding ring had been
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repurposed when will proposed to Anna will told Anna that this ring belonged to his grandmother and had
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sentimental value to him Anna had no idea she was wearing Michelle's ring and on March 22nd she was shocked to get a
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Facebook message from Michelle about sharing will at this point all Anna knows is
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that Michelle Chavez is the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend because that's what Will harrove has told her and so Anna says no
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way you get out of our life lives something about me being a [ __ ] I believe and I was like I'm just getting
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started being one were you threatening her no just being mouthy I just meant that if you
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think I'm being [ __ ] now like just watch just 3 Days Later Anna and will headed to the Oregon coast for their
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wedding ceremony Anna brought a wedding dress with her from Russia she had her ring
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that William uh preped poos to her with on the way will decided to stop at the local Walmart to buy their wedding
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bands leaving bride to be Anna in the car while he's in Walmart shopping for his wedding ring he is on the phone with
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Michelle Chavez and he is discussing their relationship and whether or not he's going to come see her that
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night and you had no clue when he said he was in Walmart if he was like headed to a wedding no no none at all but as it
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would turn out Anna and will were not headed to a wedding they go to the beach and the officient doesn't show up so he
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has a phone call in which he relays to both the witnesses and to Anna that the officient couldn't make it he was Ill
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something came up and William Haro was actually calling a couple video game stores to presumably
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pretend he was talking to a wedding official to show him how mad he was about the
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day he never arranged for an efficient he never got a marriage license he didn't have anything set
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up sadly there'd be only one portrait of the Bride that day picking up some fast
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food the McDonald's drive-through video is the only video or photo taken on Anna
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rina's wedding day and you can actually see Anna repkina in her wedding dress uh
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in William haro's vehicle seemingly oblivious to Will's feelings for Michelle Anna set her heart on a
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rescheduled wedding date but Michelle had other plans so did you give him an ultimatum at one point I
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did told him it was he had to pick one I didn't want anything bad to happen to her I just didn't want her
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here so you pressured him to choose I did [Music] in April 2017 the relationship between
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Michelle and will hit a Crossroads with Michelle insisting will finally choose between her and
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[Music] Anna will told Michelle she was his choice so April 19th was the deadline right for
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both of you correct you were going to be done with your marriage and he was supposed to she was supposed to be gone
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or whatever he was going to leave her how much pressure did Michelle Put on Will to get rid of Anna a lot there
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was a lot of pressure there's a lot of back and forth in there between all the text messages
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is where one minute it's like clean out your stuff and get out the next minute is I love you I want to be together but
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we can't do that if she's here there are texts between the two of you with you pressuring him to choose
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and at one point you told him to fix it yeah what do you mean by that in the general sense fix it in the
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sense that you would take care of it not take care of it like take somebody out you would end the relationship that you
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would be done will told Michelle he' tried to send Anna packing many times but she wouldn't go so Michelle
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perceived Anna as this girl who kind of never got the hint that she was being told to leave and she kept coming back
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although Anna never knew any of this was really [Music] happening on Saturday night April 15th
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Just 4 days shy of the deadline they'd set Michelle was supposed to have at Will's apartment it wasn't until about
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8:00 p.m. that night that William harrove tells Michelle Chavez that she actually can't come over the Anna showed
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back up the Anna's back again he'll take care of it what followed was yet another heated
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text conversation not a surprise according to Detective Chris Dale who says Michelle
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and will exchanged more than 13,000 texts during their relationship constant check checking in every morning to make
00:21:01
sure that he's woken up on time uh to get to work didn't seem as if there was a an hour and a day that went by where
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they were not uh communicating but on that day there was one critical text so will Hargrove sent
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a message to Miss Chavez I will have this permanently fixed by 1800 tomorrow so he'll have the situation of anarina
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handled by p.m. uh the following day which was Easter Sunday that Assurance was not enough for
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Michelle she continued texting and calling will who turned off his phone as the hours passed with no reply
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Michelle's hope that will was truly fixing the problem with Anna vanished I guess you made your
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choice okay I'll let you be [Music] why I just want to know why I want you be but I just want
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why the next morning Michelle headed to her mother's house for Easter Jamie was there as well she said that she'd spent
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the night ugly crying and even though I knew what the probable answer was going to be I still
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asked her like why and she looks at me and she goes why do you think and I said because of
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will meanwhile back at his apartment will was dealing with a very different but urgent problem his car insurance
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policy they've been sending him notices that if he doesn't have it paid by midnight on the 16th they're going to
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cancel his insurance he tells them that he knows his insurance lapses that evening and he needs to get it uh
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extended uh for free uh because if it doesn't he's going to lose his uh vehicle loan and they're going to
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repossess it immediately okay can you guys hold off until the 21st so I can get you paid um unfortunately once it is
00:23:13
pending cancellation for non-payment we don't have the ability to move the dates
00:23:17
at all um and this one yeah so it'll be effect canceled effective tonight at midnight just after 4:30 p.m. Michelle's
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phone rang it was Will and what did he say that he had been out at the coast he was on his way back in and he almost had
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a deer he ran off the road he had a flat tire and he needed help how did he sound
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shaken sad and so Michelle left her family's Easter celebration to go and meet will in the town of
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Alie he waited for her at a local convenience store you can see him walk to the uh cooler where he gets uh a
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Pepsi he goes and gets his candy bar and then he ultimately gets a pack of cigarettes about an hour later Michelle
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arrived she parks on the side of that store uh we see her get out of her Prius I asked him what what happened where
00:24:16
have you been he told me that he after we had talked that they got into an argument and he said horrible mean
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things to her and that she had turned around and taken her suitcases and had walked out thinking Anna had finally
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left the apartment for good Michelle says she and will got into his car we drove for a little bit and we'd pulled
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off and we were talking for a few and then honestly we end up having sex in the front seat so you had makeup sex
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essentially yeah essentially makeup sacks in the front seat Michelle and will then went their separate ways with
00:24:47
Michelle returning to her family's Easter celebration she came back she was in a good mood she was smiling she was
00:24:56
you know she was happy she looked totally 180 from what she looked like in the morning will headed home but he made
00:25:03
a few stops along the way first at an ATM where he withdrew money from Anna's bank account made a
00:25:12
$200 withdrawal from this machine and then engaged in some conversation with some employees um at that gas station
00:25:20
where he actually ended up hugging one of them and crying about the fact that his girlfriend an a rekina uh had left
00:25:28
him him his girlfriend whose account he just took $200 from yes will then headed to a second ATM he
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goes to the Chase Bank and withdraws an additional $600 of Anar reina's money so
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now William harrove has $800 uh that he stole from Anor reina's bank account at about 9 9:30 p.m. on
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that same night he drives to another bank and he ends up depositing $160 of that cash
00:25:59
uh into his bank account will had just one more chore to take care of that evening thank you for
00:26:06
calling Progressive y should have a card on file for me and I need to make a payment please several hours earlier he
00:26:11
has no money all good then everything's done yeah everything is taken care of you are insured as we're
00:26:18
speaking excellent thank you very much ma'am my pleasure have a good night will all of a sudden he has money
00:26:28
and he's taking it out of Honor reina's bank account who's found dead the next day on April 17th 2017 the day after
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Easter Sunday Anna repkina was found with a shotgun blast to the back of her head her body left like one more piece
00:27:00
of garbage Anna was discarded in this Landing with the other trash fast food bags uh cigarette
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cartons candy wrappers uh that were that we here and at that point we don't know
00:27:16
what's evidence and what's not because that could either be huge evidence in this case or it could be just
00:27:23
trash while investigators hope to find a connection to Anna's killer will was sending on a text showing concern about
00:27:31
her whereabouts after the fight he said they'd had the day before will also launched a bizarre Deep dive online
00:27:39
researching time travel he is uh trying to ask for help in how to uh travel back
00:27:47
in time back to April 16th in order to correct a horrible mistake his words correct a horrible mistake yes
00:27:58
even went so far as to message strangers on WhatsApp for advice to help someone he called his best
00:28:05
friend will was apparently so desperate for this information he offered a reward
00:28:11
his [Music] soul in addition to his strange internet search will went on a shopping spree
00:28:19
spending more of that cash he stole from Anna buying candy video games and toys he bought aund and something something
00:28:28
dollar Set of Legos from a Walmart will reached out to a friend named Kevin Thomas saying that he's spending money
00:28:36
he shouldn't trying to distract himself on Wednesday April 19th investigators struck a lead with the trash found next
00:28:45
to Anna's body a KFC receipt from 3 days earlier with a crucial timestamp was there a name on the
00:28:53
receipt so on the receipt there was no name KFC told us that there was uh actually a car that pulled up on that
00:29:00
Friday uh and there was two purchases made from that car there was one made with a debit card that came back to
00:29:08
Kevin Thomas and another uh purchase that was made with cash with only one name to work with
00:29:15
investigators headed to Kevin's Corvalis home was trying to put some pieces together for that case um the garbage we
00:29:22
found was I think some you bought last week from KFC okay do you know about that yeah me and my brother go to KFC go
00:29:30
to KFC on Fridays what's your brother's name Kevin uh will harrove Kevin and will became Pals at
00:29:38
the peacock Bar and Grill Kevin like Joseph Thompson called will his brother police continued talking to Kevin at the
00:29:45
Sheriff's Office where he offered a revelation a few weeks earlier will had asked to borrow something that belonged
00:29:52
to Kevin his shotgun did you say why you wanted to borrow it just said he was going to go up and go shooting in the
00:30:00
woods and just kind of blow off some steam what's more Kevin told police that will had yet to return the gun with this
00:30:07
new information investigators headed straight to Michelle's house where will was staying to question him he answered
00:30:14
the door we're here following up on a case for working and uh uh your name came across and I want to talk to you
00:30:21
okay will then lied to investigators telling them that he and Michelle drove up to Alie together on Easter Sunday
00:30:29
drove into Elsie stopped at the little market there picked up a pack of cigarettes and drove back did you dump
00:30:34
some trash there when you were there yeah I did on the side of the building on the side of the general
00:30:40
storm but that trash that will claimed to have left at the store was the very same that was found next to Anna's body
00:30:48
investigators asked will to come to the Sheriff's Office while will was getting ready to leave he texted Michelle to
00:30:55
ensure their stories matched at the Sheriff's Office investigators got to the question of Anna what do you
00:31:03
know about her oh it's nothing how' you how' you guys meet matter downtown C just walking around yeah Will played
00:31:14
down their relationship even calling Anna psychotic we went on two dates and then decid I I told her it wasn't going
00:31:20
to be anything more than that and I was happy to keep hanging out with her but that was all it was going to be how long
00:31:28
ago was that uh last time I saw her was middle of March middle of March cut it off because she decided to put on
00:31:41
Facebook that we were engaged she posted that yeah after two dayses oh yeah and it brought hell down
00:31:48
upon me from who sure Lieutenant duffett turned up the heat on will and got right to the point
00:31:59
so will your trash was found where somebody was killed I'm sored to what okay that's what we're talking about
00:32:12
here you guys are looking me for this your trash like my partner said was found there and your your stuff was
00:32:20
found at a scene where somebody died yeah okay talking to you there a lot of inconsistencies with your story
00:32:28
about what what happened that's when will stopped talking and asked for a lawyer no offense guys you've been
00:32:36
really kind and I'd like to and I don't mind that but the moment that you say somebody was killed out there no I it's
00:32:46
just no okay so uh William harrove I need you to stand up and put your hands behind your back you're under the arrest
00:32:54
for the murder of Anna Rina will Hargrove was placed under arrest but did police have the right person in
00:33:05
custody if anyone on the face of it looks like they have a motive to kill Anna it's the other woman it's Michelle
00:33:12
how can you be so sure that she had nothing to do with Anna's murder just hours after will Hargrove
00:33:28
was arrested for Anor reina's murder El to go over at this point Michelle Chavez
00:33:34
was brought in for questioning about what she was doing Easter Sunday can you tell me what this is about though she
00:33:40
starts out on the wrong foot telling police what will had texted her to say that they' driven to ALC together and he
00:33:48
picked you up at your mom's house at that time he did okay ask him to take his immediately Michelle reverses
00:33:56
herself admitting what she just stated was false that's a little bit of lie he called me he was going to pick me
00:34:05
up and then he didn't why did you lie to them honestly I wasn't thinking and I don't have a
00:34:11
good answer I want you to know right now the Will's under arrest for murder okay
00:34:21
okay investigators say Michelle didn't seem at all surprised when they told her will had just been been arrested for
00:34:28
killing Anna how are you not extremely upset right now to know that the person who you were romantically involved with
00:34:36
I am very upset right now I'm very upset right now I don't understand how that can be a person that
00:34:44
I have spent the last year and a half with I was numb it didn't make [Music] sense over a year later in July 2018
00:34:56
will was formally indicted for Anna's murder the defense would go on to spin an entirely different theory of the
00:35:04
crime one that had Michelle pulling the trigger after arriving from her family's
00:35:09
Easter celebration according to them the defendant had taken Michelle Chavez up to the location to have a conversation
00:35:16
with Anna and the shelle had taken the gun out from him and shot on him a few pieces of evidence had given
00:35:28
investigators cause for concern for one thing Michelle mysteriously ended up in possession of Anna's phone Michelle
00:35:35
blames will I didn't realize it was hers he had given it to me I guess the night
00:35:41
before he got arrested Michelle's own cell phone records showed that a month before
00:35:48
Anna's body was found Michelle had visited that exact spot on the Logging Road Michelle claims that's only because
00:35:58
will brought her there but could she have been scouting the location the defense says that will loved Anna that
00:36:06
he was starting a life with her that you're the one with all the reasons to kill her what do you say to that I had
00:36:13
no reason to want her dead no reason to kill [Music] her I do get how it looks but her being dead is nothing I
00:36:24
ever wanted wanted to go home did you ever tell Will to kill Anna no days after Will's arrest his friend
00:36:38
Kevin's shotgun was recovered from the back of Will's vehicle evidence supports there had only been one killer will
00:36:45
harro's fingerprint was on the shotgun Michelle Chavez's DNA was never on that shotgun Michelle Chavez's fingerprints
00:36:54
were never on that shotgun piecing together various security cameras investigators tracked Will's
00:37:03
drive with Anna to Alie we see the defendant's car that's distinct for various reasons traveling along a
00:37:10
certain path and gave us location as well as time frames but it was GPS tracking that gave police an even bigger
00:37:18
piece of the puzzle with Will's phone pinging from the murder site from 4:35 to 4:48 that afternoon the reason we
00:37:26
have that it's because he called Michelle Chavez Michelle Chavez who was still at her
00:37:32
mother's house at that Easter celebration we don't have any forensic data or information that was left at
00:37:38
that crime scene to suggest that Michelle was at the crime scene on that day and remember that video of will
00:37:45
shopping at the alc convenience store as he waited for Michelle to arrive towards
00:37:50
the top of his bald head you can see what appears to be smaller black dots raising the question could it have been
00:38:01
blood spatter we can't tell you if that was blood we can't tell you what that was but we can tell you it was there
00:38:08
before he met Michelle Chavez subsequent photo comparison afterwards showed that
00:38:14
those spots weren't moles they weren't anything that was there permanently there was one more
00:38:22
heart-wrenching piece of evidence found in the trash alongside Anna's body from another fast food drive-thru a receipt
00:38:30
from McDonald's uh in Newport Oregon dated on March 25th of 2017 March 25th the day that should have been an his
00:38:40
wedding [Music] day Will's trial got underway in October 2019 the original witness list was 131
00:38:52
people eventually I believe close to 70 people testified the trial took a month will Hargrove was found guilty of
00:39:07
Anna's murder as well as identity theft and two counts of second deegree theft for
00:39:13
stealing that money from Anna's bank account I want to talk about Anna Rina for a minute and I placed her photo on
00:39:20
the witness stand to remind everyone of a life that was lost contrary to specul will sentencing was
00:39:27
held in January 2020 she came here with hopes and dreams to find somebody that was loving
00:39:36
her and start a family she doesn't have that anymore the defendant very nearly got away with this
00:39:44
crime it was his own trash that betrayed him uh you were receiving a sense of life
00:39:51
imprisonment will received a life sentence with a possibility of parole after 25 years
00:39:58
Michelle says living under the scrutiny of people in town wondering what she knew or didn't know became all too much
00:40:07
how bad did it get for you bad enough bad bad she had an incident uh in which she
00:40:23
couldn't take the stress uh anymore um and uh almost didn't get the police there in
00:40:36
time Michelle says that in June 2018 she tried to take her own life I tried to die I'm still here it didn't
00:40:53
work as for the young Moscow native who flew to the US with the promise of love I think you have to remember Anna
00:41:04
as the sweet loving caring person who put herself out there to be loved because Anna was
00:41:18
loved she was loved alive and she was loved after [Music] 48 Hours don't miss an
00:41:56
episode the [Music] [Music] the evil clowns you've seen in the movies well it came to life in this
00:42:40
case when your mom was growing up was she fascinated with clowns she was she even painted pictures of
00:42:50
them my mother Marlene Warren was a beautiful person she was loving caring kind [Music]
00:43:01
on May 26 1990 a woman answered her door in front of her 21-year-old son and saw
00:43:07
a clown at the door handing her balloons and flowers that was the worst day of my
00:43:16
life we were eating breakfast we saw the colors of the reflections through the glass looked like a clown costume my
00:43:24
mother opened the door and I heard how pretty and I heard bang I saw her fall and I ran toward
00:43:39
her as the clown was walking away and I saw that she's been shot in the face at that moment I felt my heart my
00:43:49
soul just rip out of my [Music] body what did you see on the Clown's face well it was a white face nose
00:43:58
orangish red hair and it was just a clown suit what does the clown do calmly walks
00:44:06
right back to the car like nothing happened a person disguised as a clown walked up to Marlene Warren's AOW Club
00:44:13
home in Wellington and shot her in the mouth I was working as a prosecutor here in this office when it happened and it
00:44:21
was big news meanwhile at our home investigators gather evidence searching for Clues killing with a great costume
00:44:29
to conceal one's identity and anybody passing by would probably say oh is that nice somebody's getting flowers it
00:44:38
wouldn't be suspicious and it would certainly make for the Perfect Crime Marlene Warren was someone without
00:44:48
any known enemies someone who cared deeply about her family and they lived in a home in a pretty secluded part of
00:44:56
Palm Beach County Michael Warren was married to marleene Warren Michael was a local businessman
00:45:05
in the car business the Warren's marriage seemed to be an ideal marriage but for the people on the inside that
00:45:12
knew better Marlene was expressing issues with Michael Warren the people closest to Michael
00:45:19
Warren that worked with him knew there was something wrong because they were observing Michael Warren's interactions
00:45:24
with a woman by the name of Sheila Kean and the rumors was what about Sheila and
00:45:30
Mike well it was more than a rumor that Sheila Kean and Michael Warren were having an affair it was not hidden from
00:45:37
any of the employees in the hours after the murder of marleene Warren the suspects became clear it was Sheila Kean
00:45:45
and was Michael waren but Michael waren had an alibi Michael and Sheila thought that
00:45:51
they could get away with anything it took over 30 years to make sense of it all [Music]
00:46:36
[Music] this house was the scene of a bizarre murder that shooter a clown carrying
00:46:52
flowers and balloons it's easy to see why this case has so much interest who isn't afraid of
00:46:58
a killer clown the 1990 murder of marleene Warren shot by someone dressed as a clown
00:47:05
haunted not just the public but the Palm Beach County state attorney's office despite identifying two suspects the
00:47:14
case for decades went unsolved Dave aronberg is the current state attorney this was an assassination this was not a
00:47:23
random act of violence this was not a robbery the unknowingness of this heinous crime
00:47:31
the fear it was hell Joe arens was 21 living at home with his stepfather Mike and his mother
00:47:39
marleene when she was murdered she was a good mother everything she did she took pride
00:47:47
in the morning of May 26th 1990 had started as a cheerful one Joe recuperating from a broken leg was was
00:47:56
having breakfast at home with his mom and three friends when they saw a clown approaching carrying balloons and
00:48:05
flowers and we kind of figured I had cast on somebody was sending to heal and for
00:48:12
gesture this is like oh what a delightful gift to cheer you up with your broken leg
00:48:18
right my mother opened the door and then we heard bang and she fell at that point
00:48:25
we knew something was wrong my mother was struggling to breathe and then I jumped to the phone you know called 911
00:48:32
right away as the clowns slowly and silently walked to a car Joe and some of his friends tried to get a closer look
00:48:40
at anything that might help describe the disguised attacker the only thing didn't
00:48:46
have any color on it was the shoes that were solid black and the white gloves and did you notice anything about the
00:48:54
Clown's eyes I did that that's the most thing I I saw was the big brown eyes and
00:49:00
the clown gets in the car what kind of car was it it was a white the baron and does the car peel off no just goes into
00:49:09
gear and drives off like nothing happened while some of Joe's friends remained at his house waiting for EMS
00:49:18
Joe got into Marlene's car and tried to chase down the clown but he couldn't catch up he is seen here back home after
00:49:26
afterwards where TV news crews were on the scene meanwhile with the clowns balloons and flowers Left Behind Marlene
00:49:35
was rushed to the hospital barely alive where she was put on life support I kept
00:49:41
telling her I love her and I don't want her to go and Please Don't Leave Me 2 days later with no hope of a recovery
00:49:48
life support was removed and Marlene died I knew my life was going to change and I knew it was going to become hell
00:49:57
cuz she wasn't here to help me a top clue the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office had was Joe's description of the
00:50:04
clown about 61 tall skinny with orange hair a red nose and a big orange smile and male and those balloons Left Behind
00:50:16
they now seemed cruy mocking you're the greatest one said the other had a picture of Snow White and the Seven
00:50:24
Dwarfs authorities had also spoken with Joe's stepfather Mike Warren who they learned had an alibi he was in a car
00:50:33
with friends heading to a racetrack when the shooting took place growing up with
00:50:38
Mike Warren what was that like was he a good dad I thought so that's the only father I knew I mean I was really young
00:50:46
when my real father and mother separated marleene and Mike were married when joob was just three they had built
00:50:54
a comfortable life in Wellington Florida an affluence suburb marleene owned several businesses including apartment
00:51:02
complexes and the couple ran bargain Motors specializing in used cars and rentals while business was good the
00:51:11
marriage says Joe was troubled he says his mother became convinced Mike was having an affair making her fearful she
00:51:21
said if anything does happen to me your father did it she said I told her no way
00:51:28
he would never do anything like that she said don't put it past him marleene shared that same fear with her mother
00:51:36
Shirley twing she says if anything happens to me Mike did it we interviewed Shirley in
00:51:46
2017 when 48 Hours started investigating Marlene's murder that's an ominous thing
00:51:52
to say did you sense fear in her voice sure yeah yes I did so when Shirley learned her daughter had been murdered
00:52:01
her mind went to Mike right away I figured Mike had something to do with it that's for damn sure but Mike had that
00:52:10
alibi so authorities were looking for someone else and when they visited bargain Motors Mike's place of business
00:52:18
one name kept popping up that woman with whom Mike was supposedly having an affair everybody at the bargain Motors
00:52:27
were reporting that you should look first at Sheila Kean Altha McRoberts an assistant State
00:52:34
Attorney in Palm Beach county has worked on the case from the beginning and within the next day or so tips were
00:52:42
being called in that you really should investigate Sheila Kean and Michael Warren they were definitely seeing one
00:52:48
another Dela Ward worked at bargain motors with Mike Warren he had a lot of compassion a lot of empathy and people
00:52:57
just were drawn to him especially women one of those women Dela believed was Sheila Keen I found her very nice very
00:53:07
bubbly you knew the way she looked at Michael you just you loved them you could see it Sheila who also had a
00:53:15
reputation for toughness was a repo woman repossessing cars at bargain Motors to do repos you have to you have
00:53:24
to have some kind of guts she told me I keep a gun for my protection cuz people are crazy what they do Sheila told
00:53:32
investigators she was out working at the time of Marlene's murder she claimed that she was looking for repossession
00:53:39
vehicles but she was unable to provide any address that she went to so that they could follow up and confirm it as
00:53:47
for the affair both Sheila and Mike told investigators they were just friends but
00:53:53
that's not what authorities learned when they talked to she Sheila's Neighbors The Neighbors at that apartment complex
00:53:59
believed that Michael Warren and Sheila Kean were husband and wife is there any doubt in your mind that there was a
00:54:04
romantic relationship there's no doubt and they didn't hide it an affair though isn't necessarily a motive for murder
00:54:14
did anyone profit financially from Marlene's death yes so Michael Warren profited largely the properties and
00:54:22
assets that they own together were in her name so by her pred deceasing him he was able to obtain 100% of the
00:54:32
assets investigators were also trying to locate local stores that had recently sold clown outfits Deborah offord had
00:54:41
been working at a costume shop when two nights before Marlene's murder a customer knocked at the door at closing
00:54:49
time she wanted to see the clown costumes I said can you come back tomorrow and she said no I need
00:54:56
something right now Deborah told investigators the customer paid cash buying a clown suit an orange wig makeup
00:55:05
and a red clown nose she was I would say about 510 um long thick straight like chocolate color hair big brown eyes
00:55:21
detectives later presented Deborah with a photo lineup that included a picture of she Shea Kean Deborah identified Kean
00:55:29
and one other woman as possibly being the person who bought the clown costume the Sheriff's Office also believed they
00:55:37
located where the shooter bought those flowers and balloons this Supermarket the buyer described as a white female
00:55:45
with dark brown hair the description of the customer given by the worker at the supermarket brown hair and at the
00:55:53
costume store brown hair brown eyes was consistent with Sheila Kean and there was Sheila's reported affair with Mike
00:56:02
Warren it was intriguing circumstantial evidence but would it be enough to make an arrest
00:56:09
[Music] [Music] before they turn the machine off on my [Music] mother God I wish you could be here with
00:56:42
me I told her that I loved her very much and that we were going to get justice as as Joe arens mourned the loss
00:56:57
of his mother marleene investigators continued looking for additional evidence tying Sheila
00:57:05
Kean to Marlene Warren's murder you talk about this case to anyone and the first
00:57:10
place people go is yeah it's the mistress so investigators focused on Sheila Kean and soon a big break when
00:57:19
detectives located this abandoned white Chrysler learon matching the description
00:57:25
Witnesses gave of the getaway car what was found inside that Chrysler learon there was synthetic fibers similar type
00:57:34
fibers to a clown wig they were orange the same color as the wig Joe Aaron says the as salent was wearing also inside
00:57:44
the car they found a human hair it was brown like Sheila ke's Sheriff's detectives executed a
00:57:53
search warrant at the home of Sheila Keen in inside Sheila's closet detectives say they recovered orange
00:58:00
fibers that a forensic examination later concluded were similar to the ones found
00:58:05
in the Chrysler learon and another breakthrough was made when Sheila's hair from her apartment was compared to the
00:58:13
one recovered from the getaway car that was scientifically microscopically examined and found to be consistent
00:58:22
consistent with Sheila's hair but DNA technology was still in its infancy in 1990 and scientists were unable to make
00:58:31
a definitive connection there were other challenges for investigators the gun used to kill Marlene and the actual
00:58:39
costume the Killer Clown wore were never found and remember Joe thought the attacker was a 6ot tall man Sheila
00:58:48
didn't fit either of those descriptions we're talking about an event that took seconds glances of this CL was a second
00:58:57
or two also McRoberts says any eyewitness would have a hard time describing someone in a baggy clown
00:59:05
costume makeup and a wig it's basically a clown is a clown and there was Sheila's alleged affair
00:59:14
with Mike Warren those fiber and hair results and those sales clerks at the costume and grocery stores whose
00:59:21
description of the customer purchasing the clown outfit balloons and flowers was consistent with Sheila this sounds
00:59:30
like the evidence is really building up it's like you've got enough there to make an arrest what happens well there
00:59:36
was certainly argument about that and opinions that differed at the time and then there's a an indecision about do I
00:59:44
do it now or should we keep trying and get a little bit more as investigators looked for more
00:59:51
evidence they discovered that Mike Warren's business bargain Motors was connected to the suspected getaway
00:59:59
car they learned an employee stole the car from a competitor several weeks before the murder and that's how they
01:00:08
got the chrysal the baron Sheriff's detectives spent about 5 hours Thursday night searching the offices of bargain
01:00:14
Motors at and as they investigated Mike Warren's business they discovered widespread fraud charging him with
01:00:22
racketeering insurance fraud and odometer t pampering he ultimately was convicted on 43 counts of Fraud and sent
01:00:32
to prison it was for fraud and so you know you just can't extrapolate one to the next I mean there's no evidence that
01:00:38
he's a murderer we do have our suspicions though he was not charged with any crime in connection with
01:00:45
Marlene's murder and Warren felt he was a victim in this case sentiments he shared in a radio interview before he
01:00:55
went to prison they wanted to put me out of business Warren speculated that marleene might actually have been the
01:01:02
victim of an angry tenant or car buyer I really can't think of a reason why uh other than the fact of the type of
01:01:11
businesses that we're in as far as them landlords and crossing a few people by repossessing their
01:01:20
car but law enforcement did not think Marlin Warren's murder was the work of a disgruntle tenant or customer and as the
01:01:28
years passed the case grew cold and as for Sheila Keen she seemed to disappear nobody ever brought her name
01:01:39
up again you know for many years I was suffering in in despair after Mike Warren went to prison Joe says he and
01:01:47
his stepfather became aranged and as he continued to grieve the loss of his mother he was consumed by her case going
01:01:57
unsolved and give me a sense of what problems you fell into after your mother's murder ah wow where do we start
01:02:07
alcoholism drugs I mean you name it it was especially painful says Joe on each passing anniversary of the shooting I
01:02:16
would blow up that day and go get drunk you know and just go to her grave site it was sad would you go out to her grave
01:02:23
to talk to her I did I a lot I to try to find answers you know but I was so confused I was getting nothing I was
01:02:30
just lost I miss you I wish you could help me through these Hard Times Joe eventually emerged from the
01:02:40
fog of drugs and despair with that behind him he became increasingly certain of who murdered his mother I
01:02:50
concluded that Sheila was the one that did it she probably never thought in a million years she'd be held accountable
01:02:57
for her crimes she thought she got away with [Music] it these are paintings that Marlin had
01:03:15
painted when she was about 14 years old I kind of grin cuz I can almost see her doing this Shirley twing and her
01:03:24
daughter marleene Shar a fascination with clowns and over here in Shirley's home she even kept a room full of clown
01:03:32
art and figurin this one says to me things will get better the sad sometimes unsettling
01:03:41
images brought Comfort to Shirley despite the fact that a clown had so brutally ended her daughter's life I
01:03:50
don't hate clowns I just hate one although the Palm Beach County sh Sheriff's Office hadn't given up on
01:03:57
solving Marlene's murder 27 long years had passed without an arrest then by 2017 a Cold Case unit
01:04:07
made a breakthrough State Attorney Dave aronburg finally had new important evidence the hairs that were found in
01:04:16
the learon were able to be traced to Sheila Keen through DNA technology with that new DNA match
01:04:24
detectives believe they could now definitively connect Sheila to the alleged getaway car and to marleene
01:04:31
Warren's murder and when Sheriff's found suspect Sheila Kain they were blown away to
01:04:39
learn whom she had married after Michael Warren got out of prison he reconnected with Sheila Keen
01:04:47
here's someone whose wife had been murdered and he just married the chief suspect what did that tell you when you
01:04:54
combine the fact that the two of them were in a fair at the time of the murder and then later they got married it did
01:05:00
seem like mission accomplished that marriage was in 2002 the Warren now middle-aged settled into
01:05:09
a new life in Tennessee running this burger joint called Purple Cow she took Mike's last name but in an interesting
01:05:18
twist assistant State Attorney Altha McRoberts says she changed her first name she and Warren introduced herself
01:05:27
to their friends in that life that her name was Debbie she had dyed her hair blonde changed her name and was living a
01:05:36
full life we would have dinners they were wonderful Cooks the Warren befriended Brook bevens this is Mike
01:05:43
Warren's house a neighbor at a weekend property the couple purchased in the Virginia mountains when we spoke to
01:05:50
Brooke in 2018 she said she knew Mike's wife as Debbie and was told it was a childhood nickname her dad nicknamed her
01:06:00
that when she was small I never caught her Sheila always called her Debbie former Purple Cow employees Ashley sexon
01:06:08
and Cynthia Swafford say they knew Debbie as a tough boss I mean she was awful aggressive mean and even heard an
01:06:17
alarming rumor about her past the rumor around Purple Cow when we worked there was Debbie killed Mike's
01:06:30
ex-wife I thought they was blowing off steam I was like okay whatever but the rumors said it more
01:06:37
than once even to where we know she dressed up like a clown according to an employee Sheila
01:06:45
had appeared in clown makeup at the restaurant one year during Halloween by the fall of 2017 the warrant had sold
01:06:54
the business and retired fulltime to the house in Virginia meanwhile State Attorney
01:07:01
aronburg felt the case against Sheila had only gotten stronger when you combine the fact that they got married
01:07:09
and seemingly lived happily ever after with the new DNA breakthrough we're able to get enough evidence to make an
01:07:16
arrest on September 26 2017 27 years after Marlene's murder authorities arrested Sheila Warren
01:07:26
driving on a Road near their home she was charged with first-degree murder Sheila did not murder Marlene
01:07:36
Warren Greg Rosenfeld Sheila Keen Warren's defense attorney says Sheila was not the shooter everything was so
01:07:45
methodical this person walking up to the house committing the shooting and then slowly walking
01:07:53
away we're dealing with someone who had experience in committing a hit or a murder that's not Sheila that is not
01:08:03
Sheila shortly after Sheila's arrest Dave aronberg addressed reporters today we filed notice intent to seek the death
01:08:12
penalty in this case can you say whether Michael Warren is a suspect I can't say
01:08:17
that Altha mcrobert says there was something Sheila asked as she was being taken into custody that caught
01:08:25
Prosecutor's attention one of the first things she said is well are you going to
01:08:30
arrest him too pointing to her husband which suggests what to you that she knew exactly what she was being arrested for
01:08:37
and they had done it together Joe had come to the same conclusion that his stepfather and Sheila were both involved
01:08:45
in his mother's murder would you like to see Mike Warren charged in the murder of
01:08:51
your mother yes I would with Sheila in custody we wanted to speak with Mike Warren we're going to go to his front
01:09:00
door give it a knock see if he'll answer a couple of questions [Music] [Music] after the arrest of Sheila Warren in
01:09:32
2017 48 Hours wanted to talk to Mike Warren about what he knew about his wife's murder here he
01:09:40
comes hey Mike I'm Peter vanent with CBS News he wouldn't open the door but we spoke through it for several minutes
01:09:49
competing with a barking dog did you have anything to do with planning the murder of your wife
01:09:58
Marlene you did not he was adamant that neither he nor Sheila Keen Warren had anything to do
01:10:07
with Marlene's murder did you suggest to Sheila that she dress in a clown outfit
01:10:12
you're saying she she who I don't think thought do you believe based on the evidence over the years that Mike Warren
01:10:28
knew what was going to happen that day I don't believe there's any direct evidence of that there just wasn't
01:10:34
enough evidence to prosecute Michael Warren but if evidence emerges we'll pursue
01:10:40
it as they prepared for trial despite never recovering the clown disguise or the gun prosecutors were confident they
01:10:48
could prove that Sheila Keen Warren committed the murder so that she could marry Mike Warren Sheila Keen Warren had
01:10:56
the means the motive and the opportunity to do this we will never know who killed
01:11:02
marleene Warren because the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the state attorney's office did such a poor job
01:11:12
investigating this case I can tell you without question that it was not Sheila Keen Sheila Keen
01:11:20
Warren's defense attorney Greg Rosenfeld says she's innocent a victim of the state attorney's Reckless desire to
01:11:28
close a notorious Cold Case and they said you know what this is our suspect we're going to stick with it even though
01:11:36
the pieces of the puzzle didn't fit the puzzle Rosenfeld says there were other potential suspects authorities ignored
01:11:45
including an inmate who supposedly bragged in prison about murdering marleene but prosecutors say he was
01:11:53
investigated and cleared it's not surprising that they would try to point the finger at law enforcement for not
01:12:00
looking at every potential suspect but if you look at the evidence it pointed to one person all along Sheila Keen
01:12:07
Warren the state was confident Sheila Keen Warren was responsible for Marlene's murder but Rosenfeld plans to
01:12:15
poke holes in its case at trial how do you overcome DNA evidence the state attorney's office should be embarrassed
01:12:24
about the DNA evidence in this case Rosenfeld agrees the hair prosecutors say was found in the learon getaway car
01:12:32
could be from Sheila King Warren but he says it could also be from about 4% of the US Caucasian population they
01:12:42
couldn't exclude marleene Warren from that hair sample so that was their groundbreaking DNA evidence and if you
01:12:49
con see that the hair is from Sheila Keen Warren says Rosenfeld there's an innocent explanation as to how it got
01:12:56
there the labarin was on the lot at bargain Motors where she worked Sheila may have been in the
01:13:04
car used in this murder that's it the defense attorney says well of course her hair might be in there it doesn't
01:13:12
suggest that she was driving at the time of the murder what do you say to that it's just one more link once you put
01:13:19
that one thing with the totality of all the circumstances then it starts become overwhelming Rosenfeld says the orange
01:13:29
fibers found in the car which prosecutors say could be from the clown costume should also be excluded so the
01:13:39
fibers found in the car were synthetic fibers that same type of fiber can be used in thousands of different products
01:13:48
so the state likes to present it as clown wig fibers but that's factually incorrect
01:13:55
even more troubling than the evidence gathered says Rosenfeld is how it was handled over the decades what are we
01:14:02
looking at here these are evidence bags at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office evidence unit torn
01:14:11
open just gaping holes in these evidence bags if there's gaping holes what can that do to the evidence
01:14:19
inside that's precisely how how you have cross-contamination now look at if I can zoom in here this bag contains
01:14:28
a clown wig investigators purchased similar to the one they believed was worn by the as salent they used it to
01:14:36
compare to the fibers found in the learon and in Sheila's home this is an open evidence bag with the wig sticking
01:14:44
out this is horrifying and so your bottom line is is that this evidence is unreliable now
01:14:51
with without question can it not be argued that some of the evidence in this case was indeed bungled you know it's
01:15:00
you're asking a lot of law enforcement to be perfect from 1990 to today some of the evidence was kept in an Evidence
01:15:09
storage area that wasn't ideal any mistake any small opening will be exploited by defense
01:15:20
lawyers prosecutors were still certain they had the right person for Marlene murder but in February 2020 after a
01:15:28
re-evaluation of Sheila Keen Warren's case they announced they would no longer seek the death penalty were you told by
01:15:36
the prosecutor's office that there was always a chance in a jury trial that she might even be
01:15:44
acquitted yes when you think of your mom today what do you think about what images come to
01:16:03
mind well she was robbed and so was I it is said the wheels of Justice turn slowly and when it came to the murder of
01:16:12
marleene Warren that grind often seemed to come to a halt after the 27e wait for
01:16:19
an arrest Sheila keing Warren's trial kept getting delayed by 22 she had spent 5 years in jail her trial postponed six
01:16:31
times and then we had covid so it just was one thing after another Decades of accumulation of files and photographs
01:16:41
and mountains of evidence and documents defense attorney Greg Rosenfeld was also trying to work his
01:16:48
way through all that evidence and he says adding to the delays was a lack of cooperation from the state evidence kept
01:16:57
I'd say disappearing Rosenfeld says one crucial piece of evidence for the defense that
01:17:04
disappeared for years was what investigators called the clown sighting file these were all the tips about
01:17:12
people who alleged to have seen clowns in the area that opens up for you new avenues as to possible suspects
01:17:21
absolutely absolutely I think the sheriff's off office and the state attorney's office just decided they
01:17:27
didn't want to look for this evidence but then suddenly in October of 20122 as another trial date neared the
01:17:36
file was found it was located not with the sheilan clown murder boxes it was actually a file out of place they find
01:17:46
this clown setting file and there's 35 tips we begin to investigate them now we're 32 years after the murder you know
01:17:55
we couldn't track down these Witnesses I've seen it and it's silly things clearly clown sightings that had nothing
01:18:02
to do with marlein Warren and it wasn't being intentionally hidden from the defense absolutely not we were
01:18:08
meticulous about making sure they had everything though as the trial neared the Decades of delays were causing
01:18:16
problems for the prosecution as well every day that went by it was a tougher case Witnesses die memories fade
01:18:25
evidence spoils one of our key Witnesses passed away he was the one who compiled
01:18:30
the evidence and without him we lost a chain of custody for some crucial evidence relating to the fibers if I can
01:18:37
zoom in here this is an open evidence bag evidence the defense already claimed had been poorly stored and mishandled
01:18:46
contaminated inadmissible unreliable it just goes to show you how poor of an investigation that was done they were
01:18:54
going to be able to argue that because of the opening of the bags that the evidence was spoiled and because of the
01:18:59
break in the chain of custody because of the death of our Witnesses it shouldn't
01:19:03
even be admitted so you had some real potential for Reasonable Doubt there was beyond Reasonable Doubt on April 25th
01:19:13
2023 2 weeks before Sheila Keen Warren's trial for the murder of Marlene Warren was to begin there was yet another
01:19:21
surprise in a case that had been filled with the unexpected a plea deal was reached Miss
01:19:29
Keen Warren the defendant herein will agree to withdraw her previously in her plea of not guilty in her plea of guilty
01:19:35
Sheila Keen Warren whose case at one time included the death penalty then life in prison would now plead guilty to
01:19:43
second degree murder and be sentenced to 12 years in prison under sentencing guidelines for time served she is
01:19:52
expected to be released in 2025 perhaps sooner we had to make a judgment based on what we had because
01:20:00
the fear is what if you take this to tral the worst thing that could happen would be that Sheila Keen Warren would
01:20:07
be found not guilty not because she was innocent but because after 33 years we could not prove Beyond a reasonable
01:20:14
doubt that she was the one who did it but Sheila Keen Warren did have to publicly pay a price for this plea deal
01:20:23
admitting in open court that she in fact did murder marleene Warren if this case
01:20:29
were to proceed to jury trial the state would present evidence that honor about May the 26th of 1990 the defendant was
01:20:36
responsible for the death of Marlene Warren Warren did you hear all that yes sir and do you agree with that factual
01:20:41
basis yes despite admitting her crime Sheila Keen Warren through her attorney still maintains she is innocent Sheila
01:20:52
did not commit this murder it was was very difficult for her to admit to committing a crime that she did not
01:21:00
commit but as a matter of law she has admitted to committing The Murder by saying yes correct for the purpose of so
01:21:10
she is a convicted murderer and so far as the laog go sure but when you're told you could be home or you know you can
01:21:21
play Russian Roulette and risk spending the rest of your life in prison it's kind of a no-brainer the defense cannot
01:21:27
have it both ways so she will be a murderer for every day for the rest of her life even when she gets out of
01:21:33
prison one day she'll still be a convicted murderer when she does get out of prison
01:21:38
she will reunite with her husband Michael Warren Sheila is going home to Tennessee
01:21:45
she's going back to her life Michael Warren in a statement provided 2 48 Hours regarding the polia
01:21:53
said my wife wife did not commit this crime it was difficult to see her plea to a crime she did not commit but it
01:22:01
wasn't worth the gamble when she was offered a deal that'll have her home in 16 to 18 months with this deal there is
01:22:11
a chance that Sheila might get out of prison within the next year or two are you all right with
01:22:19
that well I'm not all right with it but I have to be still Joe erens approved the plea deal feeling it wasn't worth
01:22:29
the gamble of going to trial that was very emotional because that was the end of something so huge That Grew for 33
01:22:38
years of my life finally it's over finally you know it [Music] was the demons that once occupied Joe's
01:22:48
mind are gone replaced with loving memories of how his mother Marlene lived lived rather than how that life was so
01:22:57
violently taken what would you say to your mother if you could speak to her today wow what
01:23:04
can I say to my mother thank you for showing me how to love and be peaceful and thank you for being in my
01:23:12
life hurts [Music] 48 hours to miss it would be a crime were you at all prepared for what
01:23:38
happened in this case [Music] here with the fabulous Mo Wilson you are like ready I'm ready yeah I'm so excited
01:24:35
to be here um feels like the first big race of the year so um yeah ready to kick it
01:24:43
off I'm still getting better I'm still learning it's an exciting time there's still so much for me to learn her name
01:24:49
was Mariah but everybody called her Mo my name is Po Mendes and I am a senior reporter with The Daily
01:24:58
Beast funny and friendly and smart and driven Mo was a rising star she graduated from Dartmouth in
01:25:07
engineering everyone thought she was about to make her big break in cycling I have always relied on other
01:25:16
people to push myself what happened to Mo was a tragedy they found Mo inside the
01:25:30
residence who is pretty grizzly scene she had been shot multiple times at first detectives
01:25:37
thought it was a robbery you're looking into this possibility of a robbery or a burglary but parallel to that there is
01:25:44
this name Colin Strickland my name is Colin Strickland I am a bicycle racer Colin Strickland was a top biker and he
01:25:59
was also friends with Mo I mean Colin you know he was an interesting character had a lot of like
01:26:06
you know cool qualities about him motorcycled professional athlete I mean Colin had dated like a few girls in the
01:26:14
cycling scene you know girlfriends here and there but you know pretty standard stuff Colin's relationship with Mo like
01:26:22
was like they were both bike Racers they had like a romantic relationship there had definitely been
01:26:30
something romantic between them Colin said they had broken up the situation was complicated there was another woman in
01:26:42
Colin's life her name was Caitlyn Armstrong Caitlyn you know first impressions she was really nice glow
01:26:53
hopping around the world was you know really interested in yoga like very attractive person uh both inside and out
01:26:59
at least the Caitlyn and I you know initially knew homicide detectives were very
01:27:08
interested in talking to Caitlyn Armstrong he's starting to get the sense that there could be some jealousy to it
01:27:15
she has a gun few things like that start to paint a picture of like it could definitely be
01:27:21
her we were still trying to figure out are they going to enough information to sit down and scratch out a
01:27:28
warrant at this point she kind of disappears no one knows where she [Music] is Caitlyn Armstrong vanished seemingly
01:27:42
in a thin air sparking what would become an international Manhunt first leading authorities across the United States and
01:27:49
then eventually here to the beaches of Costa Rica along the way she used multiple identities and changed her
01:27:55
appearance even getting plastic surgery how smart was Kaitlyn Armstrong she did some pretty intelligent things
01:28:06
the thing that people don't know is you don't have to be just smarter than one two three or four of us cuz there's a
01:28:14
team of 20 plus people you have to be smarter than a lot of people to get away with it m it almost worked it almost
01:28:23
worked [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] hello I'm here with the fabulous Mo Wilson you are like ready I'm ready
01:29:16
ready in March of 2022 upand cominging PR gravel bike racer 25-year-old Anna Mariah Wilson known as Mo to some
01:29:26
appeared on the pre-ride show an online program about cycling so excited to be here um feels like the first big race of
01:29:33
the year so um yeah I'm ready to kick it off just two months later Mariah was found murdered the news shocking the
01:29:44
cycling Community I don't think anybody could really believe it at first you know why
01:29:50
would anybody want to hurt or harm or kill this lovely talented young woman Lisa Goslin Lynn is the editor of
01:29:59
Vermont Sports magazine and Vermont ski and Ride magazine she's also a CBS News consultant Mariah Wilson right there
01:30:06
coming in Lynn had been following Mariah Wilson's career for many months before her tragic death it is all Mariah Wilson
01:30:14
as she is snaking through into the Finish Mariah was pretty much winning every race that she entered Mariah
01:30:23
Wilson the winner of round one of winning or finishing in the top two and the races
01:30:29
that she entered were top tier in first place Mo Wilson Mariah had the potential
01:30:36
to be one of the top bike racers definitely in the country and probably in the world Mo phenomenal race
01:30:44
remarkably Lynn says that Mariah was new to the procycling world her first Passion had been downhill ski racing a
01:30:52
love shared by her close family she was born into a family of really great athletes her father Eric had been on the
01:31:00
US ski team and Mariah's Aunt actually was a two-time Olympic Nordic ski racer and it's no surprise that Mariah was
01:31:09
drawn to outdoor Endurance Sports she was raised in Northern Vermont next to Kingdom Trails a mecca for skiers and
01:31:16
mountain bikers and that was her playground Mariah attended Burke Mountain Academy
01:31:22
an elite ski school that produced Olympic rates like two-time gold medalist Michaela schiffren Mariah had
01:31:28
hoped to make the US ski team but knee injuries eventually ended her skiing career that's when she switched Sports
01:31:36
she had used cycling as a way for rehabbing and kind of building back her strength what was fascinating to me was
01:31:44
she then went on to Dartmouth she got an engineering degree and after doing that
01:31:49
she went to her mother and said hey Mom I think I want to be professional cycl [Music]
01:31:56
and Mariah told the podcast we got to hang out that she wanted to do much more than just win
01:32:02
races how can I inspire people how can I give back to the cycling Community how can I bring more people into the sport
01:32:09
how can I make it more inclusive like I want to find meaning and purpose in cycling that goes like far beyond the
01:32:17
the result Mariah eventually moved to San Francisco where she focused on cycling
01:32:23
and quickly Rose to the top of the sport Mariah was forging her own path she knew
01:32:29
what she wanted to do and she was working hard to pursue [Music] it on May 10th 2022 just one week before
01:32:41
her 26th birthday Mariah arrived in Austin Texas to prepare for the gravel Loos bike race a race she was favored to
01:32:49
win Mariah stayed with a close friend in this Austin apartment but the next evening just before 1 p.m.
01:32:57
the friend returned home and discovered Mariah who had been shot multiple times she called 911 she's laying on the
01:33:06
bathroom floor and there's blood everywhere Maria's friend tried CPR but it was too late it sound like started
01:33:15
off near the door and went backwards like she was trying to get away or there was some sort of struggle or a Austin
01:33:20
police officers Mark McLoud and Jonathan r worked the case from the beginning whoever shot her at that point stood
01:33:28
over top of her and shot her at least once you're in a 1 investigators wondered who could have murdered this
01:33:35
promising young athlete as they canvased the immediate area police discovered a possible clue 432 I located the bike
01:33:44
Mariah's expensive racing bicycle had been discarded in the bushes so at that point okay is this a burglary a robbery
01:33:52
gone wrong but that theory was quickly dismissed because there was no sign of a Breakin then police learned that just
01:34:00
hours before Mariah was found murdered at around 8:30 p.m. she had been dropped off by another professional bike racer
01:34:08
named Colin Strickland so obviously the focus would be who's this Colin Strickland Colin Strickland was a very
01:34:16
good grapple racer he was at the top Echelon Colin Strickland who was 35 was considered a a Pioneer in the sport he
01:34:25
had won some of the most prestigious races and was sponsored by the industry's top brands like Red Bull my
01:34:32
name is Colin Strickland I am a bicycle racer and general Entertainer in 20120 he appeared in an
01:34:41
online video called Wahoo Frontiers about his long and successful career pretty early on I looked up to Colin
01:34:48
when I was coming up in the scene please welcome for Chris colie Chris T is friends with Colin
01:34:55
Strickland they met on the racetrack he was the one to beat he loved to kind of create a show around bike racing uh kind
01:35:03
of selling bike racing he was really passionate about it and tal said although his friend had
01:35:09
been popular with women he eventually became serious with a woman named Caitlyn Armstrong however in a social
01:35:16
media post after the crime Strickland wrote that about 6 months before Mariah's murder during a short breakup
01:35:23
with Armstrong he did have a brief romantic relationship with Mariah that spanned a week or so he said that it
01:35:31
ended and their relationship had turned into a platonic and professional one he just wanted to be friends with like
01:35:39
someone who was going to do great things in cycling the day after Mariah's murder
01:35:45
police visited and spoke to Colin Strickland at his home my personal take was he's being very Cooperative being
01:35:52
very forthcoming um obviously he was in shock being very transparent very transparent yeah an investigator say
01:35:59
when he agreed to go down to the police station to be interviewed he didn't seem
01:36:04
to hold back when telling them about the day he spent with Mariah a day that would end up being her last that day in
01:36:12
May it was hot in the80s and this story started with a swim right here it's a famous old outdoor pool and Colin
01:36:20
Strickland told detectives he took the victim Mo Wilson on on the back of his motorcycle here to cool off they went
01:36:27
swimming then they got food Mariah and Strickland are seen here on the restaurant's security camera I know he's
01:36:34
being transparent at this point during this questioning but what he's saying is starting to sound a lot like a date oh
01:36:42
yeah 100% investigators had a lot of questions and their prior visit to Strickland's home had raised even more
01:36:51
on the night of Mariah's murder police discovered an important clue on video from a neighbor security camera the
01:36:58
video was taken just 1 minute after Mariah was dropped off there's a video from a ring doorbell camera that clearly
01:37:05
shows like a black SUV with a bike rack can't see the license plate because of the bike rack on it so it was obviously
01:37:11
like we need to focus on this and a vehicle that fit that description was outside Strickland's house who was
01:37:19
driving the black Jeep SUV with the bike rack the answer would lead directly to another
01:37:27
[Music] woman the day after Mariah Wilson's murder investigators quickly had an answer to who could have been driving
01:37:49
that black Jeep that was seen on security cameras shortly before her death investigators had spotted a similar
01:37:57
looking Jeep in Colin Strickland's driveway when they spoke to him they see a black jeep with the bike rack on the
01:38:04
back of it so at that point we run the license plate and it comes back that it's registered to Caitlyn
01:38:11
Armstrong Caitlyn Armstrong Colin Strickland's Girlfriend Chris tally says he knew her very well you know we
01:38:19
connected pretty early on Caitlyn and I became friends they were both from the mid West we kind of had a similar uh
01:38:25
like upbringing and so I think that kind of uh you know helped us become like even better friends she'd come over to
01:38:31
parties I would have Armstrong had a background in finance and loved yoga she had a really strong you know kind of uh
01:38:40
you know love for travel love you know she spent time pretty much you know Globe hopping around the world really
01:38:46
you know kind of interesting person Armstrong got certified as a yoga instructor in Bali after she met Colin
01:38:52
Strickland in 200 19 she also started getting into cycling he was very willing to kind of show her you know what his
01:39:00
passions were and how passion he was for cycling and you know get her involved with it and she also became you know
01:39:06
kind of addicted to cycling along with Colin Armstrong even started racing on an amateur level at the end of the day
01:39:13
like I feel like they had a pretty like normal relationship they both ride bikes
01:39:17
together they would you know do fun stuff and you know then 2020 happened and the pandemic started so everyone
01:39:23
would was kind of you know forced with uh you know Close Quarters with their significant others the couple eventually
01:39:28
moved in together the moment I I saw the relationship become more serious is you
01:39:32
know they talked about uh that they purchased a house recently uh together which I thought you know was a pretty
01:39:38
big indication that a you know a serious relationship they also started a business together restoring classic
01:39:44
trailers I think she was helping with the finance side of things Colin was doing a lot of the operations their
01:39:50
relationship went from you know just a normal couple to also owning a business together but things got bumpy in late
01:39:58
2021 the breakup I personally didn't know like they were split up at the time neither of them mentioned anything to me
01:40:06
it was during this time that Colin Strickland and Mariah Wilson had briefly dated although Strickland had said they
01:40:13
had broken It Off Mariah seemed confused in the aftermath polar Mendez covered the case
01:40:19
for The Daily Beast around this time I think Mo was pretty Prett confused by her the status of her relationship with
01:40:26
Colin and she literally wrote this weekend was strange for me if you just want to be friends that's cool honestly
01:40:34
my mind has been going in circles it sounds like someone who's in her early 20s who just wants to know the status of
01:40:40
her relationship with someone that's confusing her and it seems totally reasonable that she might be
01:40:47
confused Strickland had a lot to say about his relationship with Caitlyn Armstrong he starts to portray her as
01:40:55
being the jealous type even saying things like I can't keep people in my phone like Mo's not in my phone is Mo
01:41:03
Strickland told investigators he kept marah's phone number under an alias in his contacts and on that evening after
01:41:10
he'd been out with Mariah at the pool he texted Armstrong that he'd been running
01:41:14
an errand and that his phone had died that was not true investigators say there were other
01:41:22
Clues pointing toward Caitlyn Armstrong on the night of the murder Caitlyn Armstrong's phone was not
01:41:31
connected to a cell network not connected correct so whether she powered it off whether she put it in Airplane
01:41:38
Mode uh there's some something happened that her phone was not communicating with any cell phone towers do you think
01:41:45
this was on purpose absolutely in this day and age if your phone is off and not connected to a network you're either the
01:41:53
victim of a crime or you're probably committing one a silent phone speaks louder in some cases than actions oh
01:42:01
absolutely Strickland also shared that he had bought handguns for Armstrong and himself for personal security he talks
01:42:09
about how they purchased guns and that there are these two guns and that she has a gun um they've taken lessons and
01:42:17
that th these guns are back at the house and so few things like that start to paint a picture of like this could it
01:42:24
could definitely be her police worked quickly that same day investigators picked Caitlyn Armstrong up on an old
01:42:32
warrant for failing to pay for a Botox treatment she's just kind of sitting there and she's not showing very much
01:42:39
emotion at all what were you doing yesterday I would like to leave I think typically when we see some interviews
01:42:45
going on and if you didn't do it this is your like you're going to be like you know not me not it I want out of this
01:42:52
room what do you want to know so you don't come back looking for me and there was none of that is there any
01:42:57
explanation as far as why the vehicle would be over there I would like to leave she was almost completely
01:43:03
disinterested in in hearing what the detectives had to say so it sounds like this is a big red flag immediately oh oh
01:43:10
absolutely absolutely but investigators had to let Armstrong go there was a problem Armstrong's birth date did not
01:43:18
match the date on the warrant so the warrant wasn't valid and police didn't have enough to charge charger with
01:43:23
anything else 2 days after that interview police got an unexpected call it was from a
01:43:31
friend of Caitlyn Armstrong police say the caller told them that Armstrong was so angry about Strickland's relationship
01:43:38
with Mariah that she wanted to kill her it was yet another indication that they were on the right
01:43:45
track a few days later an arrest warrant was issued but when police went looking
01:43:50
for Caitlyn Armstrong she was [Music] gone after Caitlyn Armstrong vanished US Marshals got the job of
01:44:11
tracking her down plain and simply the Marshals are manhunters Chris godet hosts and
01:44:20
produces a podcast with the US Marshal service I'm Chris goik and this is chasing
01:44:27
evil his podcast tells the stories of some of the US Marshals biggest cases including the hunt for Caitlyn
01:44:36
Armstrong nobody thought Caitlyn Armstrong was going to run and she surprised them all she disappeared
01:44:42
Caitlyn Armstrong ran from a murder charge but the US Marshals Lone Star fugitive task force had a different
01:44:50
plan so take me through this where do you begin when you're looking for somebody that does not want to be found
01:44:57
you know it depends on the case honestly we look for friends sometimes we look for family one of the things that I did
01:45:04
was collect as many photos as I could Damen Fernandez and Amir Perez are Deputy US Marshals they joined ausome
01:45:12
police officers Jonathan Riley the and Mark McLoud on the case watch the house the team based in Texas is known as the
01:45:20
Lone Star fugitive task force with no sign of Caitlyn Armstrong the task force suspected Armstrong may have
01:45:27
left town headed for her sister Christy's place in Upstate New York we were thinking maybe she's
01:45:34
driving cross country we didn't know their instincts were right and Upstate New York another deputy Marshall managed
01:45:41
to track down Armstrong's sister what did the sister say the sister ultimately said that her sister had come to visit
01:45:48
her had stayed with her a couple of days but that she had dropped her off at the
01:45:52
end airport in New York and uh last she heard she was going to board a flight back to Austin but then called her back
01:46:01
later and said that she decided that she was going to drive back and which made Absolut no sense to
01:46:09
any of us that you would just drive back when the task force checked outbound flights at Newark Airport No
01:46:18
Reservations had been made in Caitlyn Armstrong's name we never got a hit on on Caitlyn Armstrong's passport but the
01:46:25
team had a hunch unaware of because Christy told the deputy Marshall in New York that she didn't know where her
01:46:31
passport was so they checked with their contact at Homeland Security and within minutes of reaching out to him he got
01:46:38
back to me and he's like yes we're showing uh Christy Armstrong traveled out of Newark New Jersey International
01:46:43
Airport on a one-way flight to Costa ricao you knew it and I said there's no way that the sister left and we're
01:46:51
looking for her we can't F Caitlyn no that's Caitlyn the Marshall suspected that Caitlyn Armstrong had used her
01:46:59
sister's passport to flee Christy Armstrong later emphasized to authorities she did not give her sister
01:47:05
the passport she has never been charged with any crime related to this [Music] case and this is where Caitlyn Armstrong
01:47:22
landed Costa Rica Gem of Central America home to mountains tropical rainforests and white sand beaches as far as the eye
01:47:32
can see but she didn't spend much time here in San Jose shortly after arriving Caitlyn Armstrong disappeared again and
01:47:43
she had a huge lead on the US Marshals Marshalls Amir Perez and Damen Fernandez arrived in Costa Rica a month
01:47:53
after Armstrong this is you guys now on the hunt how intense is it once you touch
01:48:01
down in Costa Rica what happens you're on a timeline I hear timeline and I hear the pressure's on pressure's on I know
01:48:09
we were sitting in the plane and we're talking what's the game plan although they would have help from
01:48:16
the Costa Rican authorities and US state department officers on the ground they knew finding Armstrong was going to be a
01:48:23
big challenge we had other intelligence indicating that she was staying in hosts
01:48:29
in Costa Rica and I don't know if you know anything about Costa Rica but Costa Rica has a lot of hostiles a lot an
01:48:37
unbelievable amount of hostiles the marshals wouldn't tell us exactly how their intelligence gathering
01:48:44
worked but their team back in the States had managed to track down the phone number for an American businessman they
01:48:50
believed had connected with Caitlyn Armstrong at some point we didn't know what city he was in so we decided hey
01:48:57
let's just cold call him so we call him and we're on the conference room he answers and we're like hey it's the US
01:49:02
Marshals U my name is Mark and he goes I don't want any click just hangs up like
01:49:06
it's a like a telar telemarker call yeah after three or four call attempts the businessman finally stayed on the line
01:49:15
to answer the Marshall's questions and we actually end up sending a picture of Caitlyn while we're on the phone with
01:49:21
him he looks at it and goes yes but she doesn't look like that and she's not using that name and did he tell you her
01:49:28
new name he did it was bad B going by bath and the businessman said Armstrong no longer looked like this she had cut
01:49:38
her hair and changed its color went Brown instead of red she dyed her hair the businessman told the marshals he had
01:49:46
no idea that the woman who called herself Beth was actually Caitlyn Armstrong but he did tell them where
01:49:53
they might find her he's like well I met her at a yoga studio in [Music] hako this is hako a popular tourist
01:50:05
destination known for its nightlife and its beaches and the perfect place to hide it was the Marshall's first real
01:50:12
tip so they rushed out here they canvased the area combed through hours of surveillance video but
01:50:20
could not find a single sign of Caitlyn Armstrong anywhere it was a bust but the Marshalls have one more
01:50:30
solid lead and that takes them to a beautiful touristy Beach Town a one street town called Santa Teresa
01:50:38
[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] one month after Caitlyn Armstrong disappeared the US Marshals were in Hot
01:51:07
Pursuit of her and another area of Costa Rica a source had suggested she might have gone to a small village on the
01:51:16
Pacific coast the marshals took a fairy like this one to reach a remote Peninsula one there they drove by car
01:51:23
through those mountains to the Tiny Town of Santa Teresa but when they finally arrived they ran into an unexpected
01:51:33
problem get to Santa Teresa was it easy to identify her there from the other people that were there I think from the
01:51:42
get-go we were told you're going to be in for a surprise cuz a lot of the women in Santa Teresa look just like Kate a
01:51:50
lot of them and it turns out that that advice was right the town was full of foreign
01:51:56
tourists Deputy Marshals Fernandez and Perez arrived in Santa Teresa after dark so we get there and he starts walking
01:52:05
down a main strip that's there uh like down the street there's only one road on on that town and he sees Main Road he
01:52:13
sees a girl and he says you know that looks just like her well couple of minutes later we see another one and
01:52:20
it's late at night and we're like well oh man that's two and then there's another
01:52:25
one as the marshals tried to find Armstrong they even had one of their female operatives start going to yoga
01:52:32
classes to see if they could spot her she actually did three different classes for us and they tapped into
01:52:40
local contacts oh yeah we made friends with people there that would send us pictures
01:52:45
oh look I I think I saw her at this restaurant yesterday and she's in the back in the background of a photo that I
01:52:51
took stuff like that [Music] in fact people had seen Caitlyn Armstrong at local spots in Santa Teresa
01:52:59
but they didn't realize who she was Armstrong was hiding in plain sight using different
01:53:06
names she had like multiple names yeah um she came in Beth um Beth it wasn't Beth Ari Ari Ari Ari right so she came
01:53:17
in as re Greg Haber is an American from the New York area who owns a restaurant called Cook's Smokehouse and bar here in
01:53:23
Santa Teresa Ari what did Ari look like did she stand out to you pretty came in introduced herself as a yoga teacher
01:53:32
which is basically anybody else down here hey I moved here teaching yoga down the street and that was it what was her
01:53:39
General Vibe like she definitely seemed like she was trying to establish Roots here like this was going to be her new
01:53:45
home and Haber says one day he noticed something different about her I saw her on the beach I walk my dog on the beach
01:53:51
every night for Sunset and you're walking through and you see the bandage on her face it's like ah what happened
01:53:57
she like ah surfboard hit me in the face it's like well happens to everybody right at least once so you wouldn't even
01:54:03
question that story here like you see people all the time turns out that bandage would later prove to be an
01:54:10
important part of this story and one of the reasons the Marshalls say Armstrong was so hard to find so you're this close
01:54:18
to giving up yes finally they decided on one one last tactic they turned to a local Facebook page we decided we were
01:54:26
going to put an ad out for a yoga instructor and see what would happen so this is the equivalent of Craigslist yes
01:54:34
correct pretty much and a little of a more lively but yes and just saying ay we're this hostel we're looking for a
01:54:41
yoga instructor the soon as the possible please contact us at this number but after almost a week of hunting even that
01:54:49
didn't seem to be working Sunday we decided we haven't gotten any response back from anything we're so Sunday are
01:54:57
like okay we're done none of them have panned out so we're going back to San Jose now back in San Jose the marshals
01:55:05
were getting ready to head home when suddenly we got a bite somebody that identified herself as a yoga instructor
01:55:13
and said that wanted to meet with us at a particular hostel and we said this is this is our chance Deputy Marshall's and
01:55:22
Fernandez rush back to Santa Teresa just ahead of a tropical storm caroso tourism police Lieutenant Juan
01:55:34
Carlos solano's team helped the marshals in their search for Caitlyn Armstrong they did surveillance on a hostel called
01:55:41
Don John's where the yoga instructor the one who answered the online ad was believed to be so there is this massive
01:55:49
International Manhunt and of all places in the world it ends in this very discreet
01:56:00
hostel it was now time for the marshals to make their move so I walked up and I got in they decided that Deputy Marshall
01:56:09
Perez would approach the woman alone they didn't want to scare her off he would pretend to be a tourist and try to
01:56:16
get a really good look at her face and I saw two individuals sitting there at a table off to the the left uh as soon as
01:56:23
I walked in he says one was a woman she looked like Caitlyn but not 100% so I thought well how can I approach her or
01:56:33
get close enough where I start asking questions where she doesn't suspect something so I decided that I was going
01:56:40
to speak to her in Spanish so I spoke to her in nothing but Spanish so you're communicating she goes to use her phone
01:56:47
for Google translate and then so I got a little closer cuz I saw that she was trying to get to Google Translate on on
01:56:52
her phone and she'd raised it up to me and I got even closer and I noticed that she had a bandage on her nose and
01:56:59
possibly her lips were swollen and I saw her eyes the eyes are the exact same ones that I saw in the picture and this
01:57:08
is her 100% he gets in the car and he's like that's her she's in there local police moved in to make the
01:57:16
actual arrest and soon the marshals discovered why Armstrong had been so hard to find
01:57:23
she had been getting plastic surgery when they first arrived in Santa Teresa at the hospital they found a
01:57:31
receipt the receipt for surgery plastic surgery plastic surgery in these side bys side photos you can see that
01:57:39
Armstrong changed the shape of her nose the deputy Marshall said their female operative the woman they sent to
01:57:46
yoga classes to try to find Armstrong told them Armstrong's New Look would have tricked her she told me I think if
01:57:53
I would have run into her at the yoga studio I don't think I would have recognized her wow it almost worked it
01:58:01
almost worked the marshals took Armstrong back to Texas where she was charged and held
01:58:09
in jail but just weeks before she was due to stand trial for the murder of Mori Wilson Caitlyn Armstrong escaped
01:58:16
again almost 3 weeks before her trial former fugitive Caitlyn Armstrong somehow managed to escape from custody she was
01:58:41
at a doctor's appointment and tried to escape as they were walking out parar Melendez from The Daily Beast says
01:58:48
Armstrong didn't get far before deputies caught her it was pretty astonishing that she did that given the fact that
01:58:54
she had tried to escape prosecution prior this was just more evidence of her guilt Jose Garza is Travis County's
01:59:03
district attorney he says his team of prosecutors Ricky Jones and gal Gonzalez were more than ready to try the case
01:59:11
when we learned that um she had tried to escape um it just added to our confidence level in the facts of this
01:59:18
case that we would be able to secure Justice for Ryan her family on November 1st
01:59:25
2023 Armstrong's trial began the Last Thing mo did on this Earth was scam and Terror in opening
01:59:37
statement Jones told the jury about chilling audio from a security camera that captured the last moments of
01:59:44
Mariah's life those screams are followed by two gunshots kayen Armstrong stood over Mo Wilson and put a
01:59:57
third shot right in MO Wilson prosecutors said Armstrong had been tracking Mariah Wilson using a
02:00:06
sports app Caitlyn prior to the murder had been following Mo on a straa app which is basically an app that athletes
02:00:12
USS to track their miles running biking and she knew exactly where she was and they said that Armstrong on the
02:00:20
night of the murder was most likely tracking Colin Strickland as well she did have the ability to monitor his
02:00:29
Communications she had access to all of his passwords so she had access to um his Instagram account I believe that
02:00:38
when Mo sent Colin a text letting him know the address where she was I believe that Kaylin Armstrong was at home on
02:00:49
Colin Strickland's laptop she saw that message after murdering Mariah and before leaving the scene Jones told the
02:00:57
jury that Armstrong took Mariah's bike and discarded it in the bushes just yards away from where her Jeep was
02:01:05
parked our belief is that she maybe stag it to look like a robbery or something or another theory is Mo Wilson's
02:01:15
bike is a tool of her trade it might have been like the bullet shot in the heart
02:01:22
I'm going to shoot you in the heart I'm going to throw away your bike but they said Armstrong made one
02:01:30
big mistake she left her DNA behind on the handlebars and seat of Mariah's bike and that's on all the evidence
02:01:38
prosecutors had against Armstrong there was that receipt that showed Armstrong had received plastic surgery while
02:01:44
hiding out in Costa Rica everything she does it's all consistent with trying to evade the authorities but when it was
02:01:52
the defense's turn attorney Jeffrey puer told the jury there was no direct evidence including security footage that
02:01:59
actually showed Armstrong was at the scene of the crime not one witness saw Caitlyn Armstrong allegedly Commit This
02:02:10
murder then why would Armstrong flee and hide from the authorities defense attorney Rick kofer pointed the finger
02:02:17
at Colin Strickland was she scared what do you think think do you think that she may
02:02:24
have been concerned a little bit that her boyfriend had killed someone fear results in fight or
02:02:32
flight and it was flight but Janes said there was a big problem with this Theory
02:02:37
because Strickland had nothing to do with the murder of Mariah Wilson in fact at the time of the murder
02:02:44
he was actually on the phone speaking with someone it wasn't Colin Strickland Armstrong's defend team did
02:02:52
not respond to our request for an interview after a twoe trial the defendant will please rise it took the
02:03:01
jury around 2 hours to decide Armstrong's feate we the jury find the defendant Caitlin Armstrong guilty of
02:03:09
the offense of murder as a prosecutor the first row right behind you is the family and you
02:03:19
began to feel their pain and their desire for a just outcome for their loved ones one day after her conviction
02:03:28
Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years behind bars you may be seated but before the case came to an
02:03:37
end judge Brenda Kennedy allowed Caitlyn cash Mariah's close friend whose apartment she'd been staying at and who
02:03:44
had found Mariah's body to take the stand and speak directly to Armstrong so many people in this room
02:03:53
have lost so much I'm angry at you at the UT utter tragic nature at the senselessness at not being able to hear
02:04:06
Mo's voice again I feel deep sadness for the road ahead then it was Mariah's mother's turn
02:04:16
I hate what you did to my beautiful daughter it was very selfish and cowardly that violent act on May 11th it
02:04:27
was cowardly because you never chose to face her woman to woman in a civil conversation she would have
02:04:38
listened she was an amazing listener she would have cared about your [Music] feelings but despite the pain Karen
02:04:48
Wilson closed with words of love and optimism because she said that's how Mariah would have wanted it you killed
02:04:57
her Earthly body but her spirit is so very much alive and you can never change that today in Kingdom trails in Northern
02:05:10
Vermont a place that was sacred to Mariah a trail was built in her honor it's called Mariah's
02:05:18
Ascent Mariah was a vermonter she was giving she was hardworking she was honest she was caring and she came
02:05:28
from a wonderful family and that family really wants that Legacy and all of her good qualities to inspire others
02:05:42
[Music] 48 Hours don't miss an episode [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
02:06:43
[Music] did you have anything to do with the death of your wife Cory I did not two minutes I'm with the CBS affiliate
02:06:56
in Quincy so we've been covering this from day one I was a journalist in Quincy for 25 years and I'm now writing
02:07:04
a book on the CH save the [Music] touchdown Curtis Loveless was a center on the Quincy High football team the
02:07:16
offensive line Kurt L went to the University of Illinois and became an all big 10 Center well we're just underway I
02:07:24
think we all understand the concept of the play more than in the past he was hired in the Adams County
02:07:31
State's Attorney's office as an assistant State's Attorney she was a beautiful blond-haired blue-eyed woman
02:07:38
thin perfect face essentially what it was it's you have like the star football player dating the cheerleader that's
02:07:45
what Cory and Curtis were and then they get married and they have these kids everybody thinking he had it all
02:07:52
do you have good memories of any of the time together I do there were good times
02:07:57
uh and bad I mean it wasn't a perfect [Music] marriage on Valentine's Day 2006 Curtis
02:08:09
Loveless found his wife Corey dead in the bedroom of their home on Kentucky Street in Quincy what was your reaction
02:08:17
just utter shock just not knowing what to do at what point does it change from being this Blissful you know storybook
02:08:27
relationship to death on Valentine's Day I think the volatility you know sort of
02:08:32
built over time it did escalate to a point where there was a lot of Gossip in the community about him the case was
02:08:39
quickly closed there was no determination for a cause of death and Curtis went on with his life that's when
02:08:46
the Quincy gossip mil got started going people wanted to know what happened to her
02:08:54
I was sitting in my Newsroom and uh got the call and they said sounds like Curtis less has been
02:09:01
arrested Curtis less was arrested this afternoon and less is accused of suffocating his former wife Cory
02:09:07
Loveless in 20 We Begin tonight with the start of a Curtis Loveless murder trial
02:09:13
to not only be called a murder but to say that I murdered the mother of my children it's horrible this is a
02:09:20
prosecution that should have never been brought there never should have been an indictment breaking news here inside the
02:09:32
Adams County Courthouse judge Hardwick did just now declare a mistrial it set for retrial we plan to retry
02:09:39
[Music] it here we are again the beginning of another Loveless trial the retrial we a
02:09:48
year after the first one defendant's first wife Cory Loveless will suffocate that will be our medical
02:10:00
evidence you know in the age of supposed fake news this is a fake case and there
02:10:04
are fake Witnesses no evidence of any Jenny what do you see as the big difference this time around lovel's
02:10:12
second wife Erica Gomez as we know she was banned from this first trial she is the biggest difference in this case a
02:10:18
lot of people saying that she was the missing puzzle piece to why we're even here to begin with you come up here and
02:10:23
be sworn May 2012 is the first time that he attacked me he ripped my shirt and he tried to
02:10:32
grab me again and I kept on trying to fight him off the children were called down to stop me from calling the
02:10:42
police they were lies I told them multiple times that I had nothing to do with Cory's death so
02:10:50
how do you find yourself in this position it's a good question and it's a question that we've been asking for the
02:10:56
last two and a half years [Music] [Music] [Music] the way I describe circumstantial
02:11:29
evidence says as follows I like to look at it as pebbles in a mosaic and you're going to step
02:11:36
away from that Mosaic you know what it's going to say murder opening statements are about what
02:11:47
the evidence is going to show the state had an opportunity to explain to you what evidence they have
02:11:55
that c love murdered his wife for love and they didn't present him because there
02:12:03
is for Curtis Loveless and his family February 14th 2006 might seem like a long time ago but for the second time in
02:12:13
two years the husband and children of Corey Loveless are about to relive those difficult days after she died with yet
02:12:21
another murder trial this time it's in a different courthouse in a different city
02:12:28
but first you need to know how this all [Music] started it's Friday night in Quincy
02:12:49
Illinois [Applause] and hundreds have come out for the home [Music] team local journalist Bob gof swaps his
02:13:01
keyboard for a microphone and moonlights as an announcer score Quincy 28 if you're a
02:13:09
local sports star people are always uh wanting to know about you and at Quincy High in the 80s there was no bigger star
02:13:17
than blue Devil's Hall of Famer Curtis Loveless both on the field and in the classroom
02:13:25
Curtis Loveless was a very hardworking kid smart kid the fight L the University of Illinois gave Loveless number 54 a
02:13:33
scholarship to play football but he wasn't just any player Loveless a business administration major
02:13:41
was considered one of the top offensive linemen in the Big 10 a team captain who
02:13:47
led the fighting Aline ey to the conference Championship his senior year he even got a look in free agent camp in
02:13:54
the NFL with the Patriots had a bad knee injury which uh not sure if he would have made it or not but that certainly
02:14:00
didn't help the situation but being a smart kid you know Curtis Loveless already had other goals in mind while
02:14:07
still in college Curtis started a long-distance relationship with high school classmate Corey dedrickson who
02:14:14
was studying Communications at the University of Iowa she just had a perfect smile Marty
02:14:21
dedrickson Corey's mother spoke to our CBS affiliate khqa and she just smiled at everybody
02:14:28
and she just did stuff Cory was vibrant Dynamic a little bit of stubbornness and
02:14:36
she was a pistol and I loved her for that Steve Belo Beth doisy and Brett Shader grew up with Corey and Curtis in
02:14:43
Quincy Kurt was easygoing he was a gentleman funloving intelligent uh a gentleman did you think
02:14:51
they were well matched I did I did they well they looked great together they had
02:14:57
a lot of similarities and they seemed to have fun together in 1991 just one year
02:15:03
after graduation they were married Steve was Kurt's best man and Beth was Cory's
02:15:09
bridesmaid it one of the best days you know in our lives they were very happy the pictures you could see on their
02:15:17
faces it was a magical night with Corey by his side Loveless had Grand plans he attended law school and
02:15:28
eventually became an assistant State's Attorney in the city they both loved Quincy what did Corey want to do with
02:15:36
her life what were her dreams Corey was all about family she wanted the big family the happy marriage being involved
02:15:44
in Quincy Corey's Dream came true in 1993 when their first child Lindsay was born what are you doing Lindsay that's
02:15:54
an ugly dog you got there and continued with the addition of Three Sons Logan Logan say something
02:16:01
he Lincoln hey Lincoln smile and lson Lindsay is now in her 20s she was a loving person she was involved head room
02:16:13
mother PTA always there at our games dance recital everything um our number one cheerlead later do you have a
02:16:21
fondest memory of her I always say dancing to Aba in the kitchen um she always played ABA and we
02:16:29
always sang along and twirling around and it was just special and I still listen because it's everything to me and
02:16:39
Curtis continued to chase his dreams as well in 2005 while still at the State's Attorney's office he started his own law
02:16:48
firm and as if he wasn't busy enough Loveless was elected president of the school board became a captain in the
02:16:56
Illinois National Guard and an Adjunct professor at Quincy University Big Man on Campus and he always kind of had that
02:17:04
air about him was he arrogant he became arrogant more and more yes there was a little bit of a holier than now maybe
02:17:12
you were entitled to this living I I think he lost friends over time because of that and the situation at home was
02:17:19
changing as well Curtis's working long hours away from Corey and the kids was taking a toll on their personal
02:17:27
life they fought as at a young age I thought it was normal but then growing up later on after she was gone I
02:17:35
realized that it wasn't normal neighbors around the Loveless house here on Kentucky Street say that in the months
02:17:43
leading up to her death they had heard loud and contentious arguments between Corey and Curtis by many accounts counts
02:17:51
both were heavy Drinkers and in this small community it was known that at times there was a tremendous amount of
02:17:59
turmoil in their home I knew that uh she wasn't taking care of herself Cory's family acknowledges she was suffering
02:18:07
with an eating disorder bulimia I was aware of the bulimia aing and the purging late in the day Cory was an
02:18:16
alcoholic and unfortunately so much of alcoholism all of alcohol ism is not it's not pretty it's it's it's ugly and
02:18:25
it brings out often times the worst in people and it was something that she she struggled with you said you drank would
02:18:33
you describe yourself as an alcoholic I do describe myself as an alcoholic and I
02:18:37
stopped drinking was Corey's death the result of her alcohol abuse or was it murder it was a question that would go
02:18:47
unanswered for almost 8 years until a rookie detective would take a new look at this old case that's when I went to
02:18:56
the Chief and asked him if if I could take a look at it again and when you saw the pictures what was your first
02:19:04
reaction it did not appear to me that that could have been a natural death I was at the office just reading old
02:19:28
case files and the Loveless case popped into my head in 2014 Adam Gibson as a newly promoted
02:19:36
detective decided to take a look at a file of a case he'd always been curious about the death of Cory Loveless 8 years
02:19:45
earlier a death ruled as undetermined after seeing the photo that's when I went to the Chief and
02:19:53
asked him if if I could take a look at it again the photos of Cory's body show her arms slightly elevated above her
02:20:01
chest it didn't really make sense and there was no real explanation for him in reopening the case Gibson first
02:20:08
consulted Adams County coroner James Keller who was the deputy coroner in 2006 when he was called to the Loveless
02:20:17
house the morning of February 14th upon entering the bedroom I notice the um female lying on the bed on her back with
02:20:26
her hands kind of in an upright position a body always tells a story the way you
02:20:31
find them what is the story that Cory's body was telling you that she had passed
02:20:39
earlier that prior evening or day Gibson contacted Dr Jane Turner an assistant medical examiner in St Louis who agreed
02:20:50
with k tell's assessment that Cory's body had stiffened a condition called rigor mortise which only happens over an
02:20:59
extended period of time in my report I stated 10 to 12 hours rigor mortise develops maximally at 12 hours and it
02:21:07
was the position of Cory's arms that led Dr Turner to the theory that Corey had been suffocated what did you determine
02:21:17
would have caused the Suffocation well with the position of the hands it suggests that there was an
02:21:23
object between her hands and her body and it appears that there's a pillow missing so I suppose that a pillow was
02:21:32
used to suffocate her Turner theorized that the pillow had not been removed until much later her after Cory's arms
02:21:41
had Frozen around it that her dead body had laid in bed all night Gibson and Turner's theory of murder was a a very
02:21:51
different account than the one Curtis Loveless gave police Curtis says it all started the weekend before Valentine's
02:21:59
Day she had become ill um she uh appeared to have the flu Curtis insists Corey was very much
02:22:09
alive that morning the vivid memory is is her coming down one of the one of the kids needed uh a pair of
02:22:18
pants she wasn't feeling any better and we we made the decision that I would take the kids to
02:22:23
school 4-year-old Larson stayed home while Curtis dropped off the other kids lson would later tell police that on
02:22:32
that morning he couldn't wake mommy up frightened he waited at the top of the stairs for his dad by 9:00 a.m. Curtis
02:22:41
returned and that's when he found Corey dead in their bed what was your reaction um just utter shock uh I in
02:22:53
fact uh I'm not even sure how I reacted I know what I did oddly Curtis did not react by calling 911 what I saw was
02:23:04
someone who didn't need help um I just saw my wife who who had passed away Loveless says at that moment his main
02:23:14
concern was to get his youngest child Larson out of the house at trial Cory's mother Marty testifies that Curtis
02:23:22
brought him over to her house which was just around the corner sometime after nine Curtis's knocks on the
02:23:30
door and he asked if I would watch Larson so I take Larson and he turns and he said oh by
02:23:40
the way Cory's dead then what did Mr he turned to leave and I'm trying to think I I I
02:23:51
think I think I remember the the fact that on the way I said I want to go and he said everything's been taken care of
02:23:57
and he left did he stay there and explain to you you no nothing no did you have anything to do with the death of your
02:24:06
wife Cory I did not but detective Gibson wasn't buying it his investigation would
02:24:13
lead to an indictment Curtis Loveless was arrested afternoon in connection and Curtis less' first trial 10 years after
02:24:21
his wife's death following breaking news outside of the Adams County Courthouse where a mistrial has been declared the
02:24:26
jury deadlocked on able to decide if Corey was murdered how does it feel to be released
02:24:33
finally Curtis Loveless was out of jail but for how long one year later a new trial a very
02:24:42
dramatic day today here in the segment County a new jury but the same question did Cory die from alcohol abuse or
02:24:50
something more Sinister right see folks the second trial would be the culmination of events that began 11
02:25:01
years ago that Valentine's Day morning she was laying in the bed and her arms were drawn up by her chest the Grim
02:25:10
details of that morning would be embedded in the minds of those who were there EMT Cole Miller was among the
02:25:18
first on the scene I went in there to check for signs of life and checked her cored pulse in her neck and then checked
02:25:26
her wrist and saw that it was cold and stiff I'm Jeff be be was the lead detective in the case in 2006 you
02:25:36
determined that this investigation should be closed because there was no evidence that is what we determined
02:25:42
defense attorney John Loy asks him to describe the scene did you find anything whatsoever that seem consistent with any
02:25:49
kind of no did you find any evidence of a homicide no no signs of homicide because
02:25:58
the cause of death was ruled undetermined were you surprised she came back undetermined I think it was
02:26:05
unexpected I was expecting to see a death from natural causes related to a health condition be also didn't expect
02:26:16
to see on the day he discovered Corey the condition of her hands and arms and her arms were up in an unnatural
02:26:24
position her hands and arms from the elbow to the hands were leaning or resting against her abdomen and appear
02:26:33
to be up it is this strange position of Cory's arms that would become a critical
02:26:40
and controversial piece of this case there was mild rigor in one of her arms and moderate rigor in the other uh
02:26:50
rigger was also forming in her legs let's be real clear were her arms still pliable at 105 yes tell the jury what
02:26:59
pliable we could move them the defense argues if Cory's arms were pliable it would indicate she could have died that
02:27:08
morning and that is in direct contrast to James Keller's testimony the body was in a full state of rigor rigor mortise
02:27:18
however long Cory Loveless had been dead to Keller it certainly appeared that medical rigor mortise had set in the
02:27:26
state of rigor mortise to get in that position um generally the rulle of stum of anywhere from 8 to 12 hours did it
02:27:33
make any sense to you that they were saying it was that morning it did not it just didn't seem to add up 2 days after
02:27:42
Cory's death her body was cremated and the case was closed a 38-year-old woman was suddenly dead for seemingly no
02:27:53
apparent reason we assume that uh that her her eating disorder that her alcoholism um somehow caused her death
02:28:04
and whether it was checked undetermined uh or natural death really wasn't something that we were concerned about
02:28:13
life went on 6 months later Loveless started dating Erica Gomez who he later married
02:28:20
Gomez would become an explosive figure in his second trial his parents knew that he was abusive that's why they came
02:28:29
and got him his parents probably knew that he killed his first [Music] wife after his wife Cory mysteriously
02:28:49
pass passed away in 2006 it took Curtis Loveless less than 6 months to find love
02:28:57
again this time with one of his students at Quincy University Erica Gomez I remember my dad coming up to me and
02:29:06
saying hey just so you know I've been seeing this woman and what was your reaction I was shocked but couldn't
02:29:15
process it at the same time because what 12-year-old's going to process apparent
02:29:20
dating mhm especially so quickly after the loss and looking back it was I think properly characterized as a rebound
02:29:28
relationship I regret starting the relationship were you lonely absolutely two years later Loveless and Gomez were
02:29:36
married what was your relationship like with Erica not good at all um for some reason there was some hatred towards my
02:29:45
mom like she was Public Enemy Number One so I would tell her heard who stop like
02:29:51
it's not fair and then I would get punished for that by whom by Erica and what scared me more was that my dad
02:30:00
would sit there and watch it it didn't take long for things to go from bad to much worse it was Christmas Eve and my
02:30:09
mom's side of the family invited all of us to come for family dinner Christmas was my
02:30:15
mom's favorite holiday and I Was Cry cuz I missed her and I wanted her there and all of a
02:30:22
sudden Erica walks in and says we're leaving now so I get 3 to 5 minutes to calm down get ready go to walk out the
02:30:31
door find out that my dad Erica the boys had left my family was not happy with them
02:30:41
leaving me and that set off a bomb a bomb that blew her family apart it blew up to the point where when I
02:30:51
returned home that evening uh Miss Gomez was throwing Lindsay's stuff out of the
02:30:57
house my clothes were in the street my room is completely trashed I knew my life was never going to be normal ever
02:31:04
again and that's when you moved in with your mom's mom yeah Loveless and Gomez divorced in
02:31:11
2013 I decided that IID made a a poor decision um and tried to end that relationship as peacefully and as
02:31:21
amicably as possible unfortunately it just didn't didn't end as peacefully and amicably as it as it should have on the
02:31:31
stand in front of the jury Erica gave the courtroom a sample of her explosive personality he threatened me he
02:31:39
controlled me he is physically abusive to me he had hurling a variety of accusations against Loveless I watched
02:31:48
him get rid of evidence have you watched him use his children to get rid of evidence he used my social security
02:31:55
number to try and Ste money out of my account he did you have any concern that they
02:32:04
would buy into what she was saying I didn't have that concern because I knew they were lies he was
02:32:11
poisoning me there was my hair was falling out with were white lines on my fingers I was extremely sick I had to
02:32:22
you were aware Miss Gomez that you were not supposed to mention that because there was no evidence well Gomez was a
02:32:27
witness for the prosecution ultimately her testimony may have done more for the defense I had a hard time believing that
02:32:36
the prosecution actually wanted to put her on the stand also in the courtroom Curtis Loveless is third wife Christine
02:32:45
who like Corey Curtis knew from Quincy High they were married in 2013 just months after his divorce from
02:32:54
Gomez the behavior was so outlandish the accusations were so outlandish the fake
02:33:01
tears the children were called down to stop me from calling the police so you felt that the jury would
02:33:10
have zero credibility with absolutely on the stand for the prosecution detective
02:33:15
Adam Gibson would have to defend his credibility and explained just how he found an expert to support his belief
02:33:23
that Corey was murdered it's been implied that you did some doctor shoing yes do you think that's what you did
02:33:32
absolutely not remember Dr Jane Turner cided with Detective Gibson after studying the evidence Turner believed
02:33:41
that Corey had died the night before police arrived given the circumstances of the state in which her body was found
02:33:48
and the altered that it it appears that she did die of homicide from Suffocation a logical
02:33:56
conclusion except for the fact that when questioned by Quincy police the Loveless
02:34:02
children except lson said they saw their mother alive on the stairs before going
02:34:07
off to school the morning Gibson believed Corey was already dead when Adam Gibson came to speak to you and he
02:34:15
asked you do you remember you told him that you did you remembered seeing her that morning and you came to believe
02:34:22
that the children were wrong correct I didn't say they were wrong I don't know what they saw and maybe
02:34:29
neither did they I had had a story in my head of I saw her sitting on the stairs
02:34:37
waving to us goodbye I love you left and I always said oh it was great I got to say I love you do you remember seeing
02:34:44
your mother that Valentine's Day morning it's a black hole you don't know no how
02:34:50
certain are you now that Curtis Loveless murdered his wife Corey I'm 100% certain
02:34:56
but defense attorney John Loy was about to challenge everything detective Adam Gibson believed about the death of Corey
02:35:05
lovess Adam Gibson decided to create a crime where one didn't exist you knew that the case had been closed because
02:35:14
nobody found sufficient evidence of corre s read that it was closed prosecutor Ed Parkinson brings in three
02:35:33
forensic Pathologists to prove detective Gibson's theory that Corey was murdered
02:35:40
from world-renowned Doctor wner Spitz Miss Lov died in my view of Suffocation to Dr Scott Denton the pathologist was
02:35:49
first consulted when the case was reopened I would determine her cause of death to be Suffocation and finally to
02:35:56
Dr Jane Turner the outof state expert who also believes Corey was suffocated defense attorney ly tries to discredit
02:36:05
Turner saying she never saw Cory's body and her opinion that Cory's body was in full rigor Morse conflicts with the
02:36:14
First Responders on the scene for you to be right Jeff be has to be wrong about his assessment cor that's correct right
02:36:22
yes for you to be right paramedic Ballard has to be wrong about his assessment that the arm was still
02:36:27
correct yes if Cory less' body was pliable as the defense claims full Ram mortis had not set in and she did not
02:36:38
die the night before when coroner Keller is cross-examined ly belittles his role in
02:36:46
the case you're at the scene of Cory death for all of five minutes right sir probably yes sir lby comes down
02:36:56
hardest on detective Gibson you continue to pursue Mr love all right because you
02:37:02
had already decided that this man must be guilty no he grills Gibson about rigor mortise at what point did you
02:37:09
learn that you were wrong that the body was in full rigor at the scene I don't know to the to this day
02:37:17
that I'm wrong I'm going to show you a copy then a new twist ly accuses Gibson of withholding evidence emails that
02:37:27
never made it into the first trial you did delete all your emails in January 2015 did you not yes the defense was
02:37:35
able to recover those emails Loy reads one email from a pathologist who told Gibson he could never make a good murder
02:37:44
case since Corey's death had originally been ruled undetermined that is more than Reasonable Doubt in any reasonable
02:37:52
person's mind all right this email should have been turned over right I believe so it should
02:37:57
yes you didn't turn it over did you I did not but Gibson testified that he never
02:38:05
engaged in any intentional wrongdoing and have you ever intentionally deleted or modified emails to manipulating
02:38:15
investigation no this time we call Dr calls to the stand his own noted pathologist Dr William Oliver who was on
02:38:25
the OJ Simpson case Oliver had no doubt how Corey died it is my opinion that she
02:38:31
died of the complication of alcohol withdrawal known as a cute fatty liver after a battle of the
02:38:44
experts the defense gambles that the most believable Witness might be the accused killer
02:38:53
himself as I approached the bed I could I could see I could see her hands um I could see um I could see her eyes were
02:39:02
open um and she was she was very pale and there was just there was nothing there Cory was dead um that's that's
02:39:13
what I saw um that's what I saw I told them multiple times that I had nothing to do
02:39:21
with Corey's death being accused of a cold blooded murderer of your wife that reduces your liability Factor
02:39:28
correct a little bit do you feel like every thing you said every decision you made is now being picked over and
02:39:37
twisted unfairly um we've been doing this for two and a half years and it was remembering the time
02:39:50
right after Corey died that Curtis became most emotional one of our high school classmates who was a pastor um he
02:39:58
he's he's the one that that that delivered the eulogy I wrote it but I couldn't couldn't deliver
02:40:10
it all three Loveless boys continue to support their father the two oldest testified they saw their mother that
02:40:18
valent Val 's morning I remember getting ready for school walking back and forth
02:40:23
getting stuff done sitting on the stairs with my mother um and heading out the door how confident are you though from
02:40:29
your memory itself that you saw your mother 100% was this the last time you ever saw
02:40:35
your mother yes their sister Lindsay was not called to testify by either side as the trial goes to final
02:40:45
arguments you A Reasonable Doubt ladies and gentlemen is the standard those words don't have a dictionary definition
02:40:52
you're all going to have to apply your life experiences beyond the Reasonable Doubt doesn't mean probably doesn't mean
02:40:58
Beyond a reasonable what's that mean because really what the case is about is that
02:41:08
lady Cory that's who the case is about she died at age 38 because a 6'4 in former
02:41:17
football player standing over her muffled her and and forgot to take the pillow away the question is whether any jury
02:41:30
can sort out what exactly happened that Valentine's Day morning do you think we'll ever know what happened with your
02:41:39
mom no if a verdict comes out this round it comes out I don't think we'll ever fully
02:41:48
know [Music] all murder trials have their clashes between the prosecution and defense I
02:42:06
would like to know who's coming like you Bard pretend but the spats between Ed Parkinson and John ly morning were more
02:42:19
contentious I've objected to his Antics I told him to shut up I don't like him after 7 Days of testimony in Curtis
02:42:31
less' second murder trial the jury continues hearing closing arguments so here we are what is the
02:42:41
state showing died from Suffocation and he didn't prosecutor David Robinson he had
02:42:51
a motive she was an alcoholic she yelled at him she yelled at the kids and that night he had
02:42:58
enough the state has to find C was guilty of Mur there is no evidence in this case
02:43:09
that this woman was smothered she died a natural death they have no murder weapon
02:43:14
they have no forensic evidence I me he went out trying to prove a case where there was no
02:43:20
crime this is rebuttal and I won't keep you on I got good news for you I'm not going to take
02:43:26
long because he committed a stupid crime this B smart smart man here you can do your job now because the
02:43:35
only thing that makes sense here is that she was suffocated thank and with that the jury
02:43:42
began their deliberations this case is stated in these instructions and it's your duty to
02:43:48
follow all I believe in everything we did um every step that we took it was a search for the
02:43:59
truth then in little more than two hours all parties were called back to the courthouse unlike in the first trial
02:44:09
this time the jury had reached a verdict we were prepared um uh in our minds in our heart for for whatever the
02:44:21
verdict was so this time at least you know there's going to be an answer we know there's going to be an answer but
02:44:28
still knowing that 12 people have our fate in our future and our children's future in their hands is
02:44:40
scary we the jury defendant ctis L Not Guilty by person and 11 thank you anybody like
02:44:57
[Music] to more than 10 years after Corey died and two trials accusing him for the
02:45:07
murder of his wife Curtis Loveless surrounded by his three sons walks out of the courtroom a free man we put our
02:45:17
trust in God and and uh and we put our trust in the legal system and uh we weren't let down and so it's a a great
02:45:25
day for uh our family um a great day um for all of our friends and uh we're just
02:45:33
we're just thankful Kurt had absolutely nothing to do with his wife's death and the jury saw that prosecutor Ed
02:45:40
Parkinson is clearly upset by the quick decision uh disappointed but but the jury is so that
02:45:49
it's the end of it but just days after the verdict Curtis Loveless told 48 hours that he and Christine still have a
02:45:58
lot of questions about detective Adam Gibson's investigation cor I don't appreciate
02:46:05
what he's done to uh to me and my family and um uh whatever happens with Adam Gibson um happens with Adam Gibson
02:46:15
there's truth and uh and I believe the truth will come out you intend to pursue how and why this all
02:46:22
happened I I think those are questions we want answered the family remains deeply divided by the legal Saga now
02:46:31
behind them Curtis Christine and the three boys have not spoken to Lindsay since the day Curtis was arrested in
02:46:42
2014 I I don't think by our choice we were advised not to engage in a relationship with people who were
02:46:51
possibly against Kurt so do you see a day when we hope so together we talk about it often is that on the docket of
02:47:00
things to do you know I I think we we'd all like to see reconciliation I'm just not sure
02:47:07
how that happens it's it's it it it I'm sure it's going to be difficult for now Lindsay says she is
02:47:15
working to move forward with her own life inspired by her mother's memory my mom was a beautiful
02:47:27
person she touched so many people she was passionate but that's the kind of person she was and that's the kind of
02:47:35
person I try to be [Music] [Music] 48 Hours presents this is Officer the Houston
02:48:30
Police Department major offenders division career criminal [Music] Squad hey my name is Valerie
02:48:42
McDaniel I've always tried to be an honest kind person I've tried to live the best life
02:48:49
I can Valerie wound up being the top of the class the valedictorian the valedictorian in our 1987 High School
02:49:00
graduating class she sure did my name is Megan she's my second cousin she's generous and creative smart
02:49:14
nice and sweet she would always like to take care of my dog I wasn't sure if I should be a vet
02:49:25
anymore and Valerie brought that passion back I know that Valerie made an audio recording of all of her memorable
02:49:36
moments in life I met through friends a man named Max mcdel and thought was the cutest thing
02:49:50
tall and skinny with his [Applause] boots Valerie and Mac Liv a lavish lifestyle a high-end life you know a
02:49:58
life of luxury a life of beauty Great Cars Valley had a Mercedes daughter went to a great
02:50:05
school they worked a lot that was a big thing they' both be working and but did they seem happy together yeah yeah it
02:50:11
seemed [Music] great one morning work there was a a note on my desk that said Dr McDaniel call Miss
02:50:28
Brown she said I've been your husband's lover it tore up divorce is never an easy
02:50:42
thing she met Leon a medical doctor he actually went to the same school I did a little bit of ER but then also like like
02:50:48
cardio and Transplant I looked at him and smiled and he smiled back and just a beautiful
02:50:59
person her face her smile she had this outwardly exuberance of energy that I really can't describe she fell for Leon
02:51:07
she was madly in love with him we were um planning on getting [Music] married Mac always wanted more more more
02:51:20
at the detriment of their daughter my name is MZ Ai and Le Jacob tried to hire me as a
02:51:32
Hitman in the car did he give you $2,500 he paid the $ 2,5 in cash yes in cash right and what did you see on his
02:51:41
face excitement he was enjoying it like he actually was excited about the whole thing I could never hurt the man that my
02:51:51
daughter loves so much the male subject he's gone he's done all right this is been a long drawn out
02:52:02
story that's led to an unbelievable conclusion when he came into my office he shut the door he said I'm Dr Leon
02:52:14
Jacob I felt like I was talking to Satan himself [Music] [Music] 48 hours operation murder reported by
02:52:40
Peter vanent [Music] 2453 2453 yes ma'am it's going to be a major offenders investigation it's 3:00 a.m. on Friday
02:53:15
March 10th 2017 Houston police are making their way to the seventh floor condo of beloved
02:53:22
veterinarian Valerie McDaniel bad doesn't begin to describe what's about to be revealed found it looks like
02:53:39
it turns out to be a fatality Valerie's ex-husband Mack police tell her was dead just 6 months
02:53:47
after their divorce had become final do you have anybody you can call to to help
02:53:52
you to stay to stay with you but how could Valerie's life have arrived at this Dreadful
02:53:59
[Music] moment Valerie earned her degree in veterinary medicine at Texas A&M it was
02:54:07
during that time she met Mack McDaniel Valerie's friend Greg Holloway my impression of Mac is that he was a a
02:54:17
good man he was a stand up guy Mac proposed and Valerie had the man of her dreams as she describes in that
02:54:25
recording of her memories we did get married we had a beautiful fairy tale wedding moved into a house that my
02:54:33
parents had bought for me to live in not long after that Valerie decided to open
02:54:38
her own Clinic Valerie's cousin Cody Bernard I admired her it sunk something inside of
02:54:46
me I want to I want to do that one day something big you know Mack was her office manager but
02:54:52
even as the vet clinic thrived the two longed for something more he said she couldn't have any children so the only
02:55:00
option was to adopt in 2008 the couple adopted a daughter when she was just 2 days old
02:55:08
but as their new family came together their marriage began to fall apart it started Valerie says with a phone call
02:55:16
from a stranger the woman who claimed to have been Max's lover but Valerie says that wasn't all she gave me L of women
02:55:26
that he had slept with Valerie says she confronted Mac and forgave him but claims it wasn't long
02:55:34
before Mack cheated again and that was the first time I ever said the word divorce and I yeled at him
02:55:41
outside and I yelled it and I yelled it Valerie says she forgave Mac yet again but then a chance encounter would
02:55:49
change the course of her life Leon Jacob the son of Valerie's neighbor Golda Jacob stopped by he ran up to me and um
02:55:59
stuck his hand out and introduced himself the cockiest mother ever met in my life Valerie was in her mid-40s but
02:56:09
she was stunning um both inside and out the attraction was Mutual you could tell
02:56:15
he knew how beautiful he was and I was lonely Leon Jacob was 8 years younger than Valery and a doctor what type of
02:56:29
surgeries have you done all kinds of surgeries I've assisted in heart kidney pancreas
02:56:36
transplants with a strained home life and an attractive new friend what happened next may have been inevitable
02:56:44
and he sat across from me and we had some wine and I had my feet out on the chair next to him just out of the blue
02:56:50
he reached out and just ran his finger up my left foot and that was it it was like
02:57:00
a movie moment it's quite an interlude according to what she described yeah compliments
02:57:07
uh all around I guess in December 2014 Valerie filed for divorce claiming Mac committed adultery Mac's attorneys told
02:57:16
us Mac had no comment about the divorce petition and the claims Valerie made in her audio
02:57:24
diary between Max alleged cheating and Valerie's new love interest both wanted out of the marriage the divorce was
02:57:32
finalized in August 2016 Valerie and her daughter then moved into this building in the upscale River
02:57:40
Oak section of Houston not long after Leon joined them here the RO ship really Blossom quickly
02:57:50
because we had been very close friends for so long Dr Britney King worked alongside Valerie at the vet clinic I
02:57:57
seem very much in love um holding hands and and loving towards each other but there was one old problem in Valerie and
02:58:05
Leon's new relationship and his name was Mac there were multiple times in the clinic where she would just be in tears
02:58:16
um was say everything okay and it was was something surrounding um her ex-husband Mac had found out that Leon
02:58:24
was staying with me it be arguments or uh stuff with the the child of visitation but Leon had his own issues
02:58:32
with past loves one involving extreme mental cruelty and another assault and stalking charges Leon Jacob is a
02:58:41
predator he's scary Samantha connect is a Harris County assistant district attorney he wants what he wants and
02:58:49
he'll stop at nothing to get it could there be more to Valerie's new love than she can
02:58:57
imagine he has no problem using women um in fact I I think he enjoys it Valerie McDaniel's new live-in boyfriend
02:59:22
grew up in a Texas sized world of beauty opulence and opportunity I always wanted
02:59:28
to be a doctor my whole life ever since I was about three or four as he pursued his degrees Leon met
02:59:35
and married his college sweetheart they had two boys we had a happy loving family I got two great kids two
02:59:44
boys they're the most important things to me in my life a good family and now with an MD after
02:59:53
his name Leon was well on his way but Leon's picture perfect life disguised a troubled
03:00:03
relationship after 12 years of marriage his wife filed for divorce citing extreme mental cruelty and one year
03:00:11
later Leon was arrested for stalking his now ex Leon has to be in control when his ex-wife went to end their
03:00:20
relationship he wasn't going to have it um and he wasn't going to go down without a fight Leon isn't it true that
03:00:26
you've had brushes with the law involving stalking cyber stalking intimidation uh physical harassment
03:00:34
assault aren't all those true I plad guilty to a attempted cyber harassment charge that
03:00:43
was stemming from an acrimonious divorce that I went through with a my previous wife Leon admits that he called often
03:00:50
but he claims it was simply to speak with his Boys I Tried desperately to contact my kids over and over and over
03:00:58
again and I'm not going to apologize for that Leon finally moved on to a new residency and was living in Pittsburgh
03:01:06
where he met this woman 33-year-old Megan veras I met Megan in a hotel in Pittsburgh she was the assistant general
03:01:17
manager there the new couple moved to Houston there were lavish vacations family get togethers and yet
03:01:29
another residency Leon's seventh he's a failed doctor he's been kicked out of every Residency program he's ever been a
03:01:37
part of and what's the problem what was the basis of these dismissals do you know the belief that he was the smartest
03:01:43
guy in the room in ability to get along with people um and ability to get along with patients and in fact one of the
03:01:50
records that we found said that they believe that he was a danger to patients and that he would be a liability for
03:01:55
them to keep around three years into their relationship Megan vericast thought Leon
03:02:01
was a threat to her too Megan kicked Leon out of their apartment later accusing him of assaulting
03:02:09
her she wanted me to move all my stuff out she came there was very hostile the police uh were called there was no
03:02:18
violence of any kind and a day later she claimed that I had hit her and that you'd put your hand over her mouth yeah
03:02:23
which is not true Leon is about Leon smile D smile it frustrated him to know in that Megan varos would not forgive
03:02:31
him and the fact that he couldn't get Megan back frustrated him and angered him Leon was arrested in February
03:02:39
2017 for assault and stalking you can charge anybody with anything it doesn't mean that you're guilty of that the DA's
03:02:47
officers has been on this case since its Inception uh we help prosecutors are convinced that Lon knew his future as a
03:02:53
doctor would be destroyed if Megan testified against him so they believe he planned a little operation to make his
03:03:02
pain go away he feels like if Megan disappears if she goes away that his criminal case will go away and he can
03:03:12
resume his career as this beloved surgeon that he thinks that he is prosecutors claim Le decided what he
03:03:18
needed was a hitman and he thought he'd found one Taz are you a Hitman no were you ever willing to murder anyone for
03:03:31
money no no no no I would never do something like that Taz aay was introduced to Leon by a mutual
03:03:40
acquaintance did Leon ever tell you how he wanted his ex-girlfriend to be killed
03:03:46
yes he he actually offered suggestions one of them was a syringe to the heart with potassium
03:03:53
would give her a heart attack and that would actually kill her Taz is a decorated former US Army soldier who saw
03:04:02
Leon's deadly demand as an opportunity to Save a Life I saw somebody in danger and I knew that I can do something about
03:04:10
it and I did something about it Leon knew Taz by the code name Zach he says Leon wanted him to kidnap Megan first to
03:04:21
talk her into taking him back and if that didn't work leaving town but that wasn't all if she doesn't leave what are
03:04:29
you going to do and he was like I want you to kill her I'm not going to comment on any of this it's just
03:04:35
ridiculous Taz says Leon paid him $99,000 which he happily spat to be honest I don't feel bad that I spent
03:04:45
Jacob's money matter of fact I feel really good I spent thisy money then the man Leon knew as Zach
03:04:53
vanished Leon Jacob was one of the most Unique Individuals I'd ever met bale bondsman Michael kubos this guy was
03:05:02
focused was very intimidating didn't shake my hand just wanted to know one thing I want Zach's number he said I've
03:05:10
paid Zach a lot of money to take care of this I felt like I was talking to the Devil Himself
03:05:23
[Music] tucked away on a side street in Houston is perhaps the most colorful bail
03:05:36
bondsman in all of Texas having hung out a bit with you you are the Elvis of bale
03:05:43
bondsman you have his name is Michael kubos these are people that we're looking for fugitives and he understands
03:05:51
the Criminal Mind I deal with the nicest the kindest and the meanest people on the face of the Earth I've bonded out
03:05:58
judges prostitutes preachers missionaries he's also a larger than life member of the Houston city council
03:06:11
who helped saved lives during Hurricane Harvey I can see you've been really working hard I know all the Major law
03:06:17
enforcement people in in the whole County Leon had stormed into kash's office he said I've paid Zach a lot of
03:06:27
money to take care of this said take care of what he said I want her out of the picture and and and I she can't be
03:06:36
testifying against me out of the picture out of the picture I believe that he meant ill toward this woman and that's
03:06:43
why I call the chief the chief of the chief of police in Houston Texas a search for the mysterious Zach was
03:06:51
triggered and investigators quickly learned his real name Taz a a name that kubos did recognize as a former military
03:07:00
man who is facing a misdemeanor theft charge for stealing from his roommate he was on bond with me he was still
03:07:11
free it took Houston police about a week to find Taz and that's when things got really
03:07:19
interesting to me Taz seemed genuinely concerned for Megan this man is an undercover officer with the Houston
03:07:28
Police Department who goes by the name detective Javier he didn't want to see her hurt so Taz agreed to participate in
03:07:37
a sting operation to help catch Leon Jacob in the act of soliciting a murder hello hey what's up man
03:07:48
how you doing Budd Taz told Leon that he felt he had grown too close to him and Valerie and thought it best to hire
03:07:56
another Hitman and he knew just the right guy can you meet me tomorrow yeah I I'll C my schedule no
03:08:05
problem the next day Taz would introduce leyon to his new Hitman undercover detective Javier but before Taz could
03:08:14
hang up Leon Dropped a Bomb we're taking care of both problems what both problems
03:08:21
both of the individuals that we're talking about uh okay Valerie McDaniel Leon's new
03:08:31
girlfriend The mild-mannered veteranarian Who friends had described as an angel wanted her ex-husband
03:08:39
murdered Valerie wants to talk to you about what he want she wants to do with her ex-husband okay that's good all
03:08:45
right just bring her with you tomorrow the next day Leon and Valerie met with Taz and detective Javier at this Olive
03:08:53
Garden to discuss the fate of both their exes over lunch the entire operation was
03:09:00
recorded the meeting lasted nearly 2 hours and began with Leon's Target Megan I don't want you to hurt her but I want
03:09:09
her to go he told me that he wanted me to run her off the road and threaten her but
03:09:17
then he would say to me if she does not understand that then you do what you have to do those options don't
03:09:25
work I don't we got we got do there was no doubt in my mind that Leon wanted Megan killed the subject
03:09:38
then turned to Valerie's Target her ex-husband Mac say if something would happen to
03:09:45
him be like car wreck or it could be a car wreck it could be a robbery going WR she was under the Bel that I was going
03:09:56
to carjack him and I was going to put a bullet in his head which is exactly what
03:10:02
I told her I was going to do but you need to give me to go ahead want to do that going take my
03:10:13
daughter the next day March 9th 2017 detective Javier called Leon to say he had good news that he insisted on
03:10:23
delivering in person are you afraid he went to their home where he informed them Mac was dead neither
03:10:32
wanted to see this photo which seemed to show Mac with a gunshot to the head when Valerie got the
03:10:41
news that her husband was dead was she emotional about it did she say say oh my God I never wanted to go this far she
03:10:50
did not show that what they didn't know is that Mac was alive and well he'd posed for those photos as part of this
03:10:58
elaborate sting operation believing Mack was dead Leon set his sights on Megan so you're going
03:11:08
to snatch her and you're going to bring her some and talk to her that's the plan I need to show up you call me later
03:11:15
that night these staged photographs of Megan were texted to Leon and he was told she was
03:11:25
so out of control she had to be killed she's dead she's gone I don't want to know
03:11:35
anything on that scale of good to evil in your mind what is Leon Jacob Leon is a very evil person he was
03:11:45
willing to do whatever he needed to do to [Music] [Music] survive it was probably around 2: or 3:
03:12:10
in the morning on March 10th 2017 Valerie McDaniel and her Livin boyfriend Leon Jacob get a wakeup call from
03:12:18
Sergeant Frank Quinn that will soon lead to an Oscar winning performance what's going on she lets them inside but she FS
03:12:29
surprise she can't understand why they're there remember just hours before detective Javier posing as a Hitman had
03:12:36
told her that Mack was dead but now Valerie has to convince police she is hearing it for the first time sorry I
03:12:45
had to tell you you heard from you recently she pretends to be upset she puts her head in her
03:12:52
hands uh she sits down and she acts like she's completely shocked and surprised that her ex-husband is dead is your
03:13:01
boyfriend here with you you think you can kind of be a little help [Music] to this surreal scene caught by the body
03:13:13
cameras of Houston Police is about to reach its climax [Music] we were hoping you could help us we had
03:13:21
to deliver some bad news to H oh my God [Music] like might have been a robbery going
03:13:33
wrong trying if anybody knows anything or no we to help us are you okay baby we've been here all
03:13:45
night we were here all they with and their their daughter and we were watching movies we haven't been out of the house
03:13:52
all day except then the cops decide to call cut on all this bad acting right now we're going to read you your rights
03:14:00
both of you have being arrested it is only then that the couple learns that both their intended targets
03:14:08
are alive and well I don't know why I'm being arrested Leon is Led Out can I get us sure I'm already cold
03:14:19
and Valerie has a much bigger concern her daughter who's been asleep in the apartment this whole time although not
03:14:28
caught on camera Mac arrives to pick up their 8-year-old and what did Valerie say to
03:14:35
her you know something along the lines of just you know taking you to your dad he's outside and he's going to take you
03:14:41
and it was very benign and you know just normal as could be and so all of a sudden sudden on the news media came the
03:14:49
arrest of two doctors a Houston woman and her boyfriend were charged with trying to have their exes killed and I'm
03:14:56
laying there thinking well that's not the Valerie I know and they show the film of her going up for her arraignment
03:15:05
you about fall out of your chair that almost rolled out of the bed because Leon has those other pending charges
03:15:12
related to Megan he doesn't make bail but Valerie does Valerie was rushed out the jail alongside family after and goes
03:15:20
home to wait for the legal process to play out I remember texting her throughout the week and calling her and
03:15:27
constantly sending her I love you you know we can get through this so happy you're
03:15:32
out Valerie's Veterinary license got suspended because of the charges Britney says Valerie was weighed down by her
03:15:40
arrest and the prospect she wouldn't be seeing her daughter for a long long time
03:15:48
she visited Valerie at her high-rise condo but I remember giving her a hug goodbye and I just felt the life in the
03:15:55
eyes was not there it's weird things it wasn't like Bam Bam Bam progression things just
03:16:03
gradually happened two weeks after the shock and shame of being charged with solicitation of capital murder Valerie
03:16:12
McDaniel used her iPad March 25th it's been a few days to record her side of the story I didn't wake up one day and
03:16:21
just say hey I want to kill my ex-husband for Valerie everything she loved was slipping
03:16:33
away I want to talk to my daughter I want to talk to [Music] Leon this I'm just not strong enough I
03:16:43
wish I were I just can't do it two days after her final recording on March 27th 2017 Valerie who once seemed Unstoppable
03:17:02
did the unthinkable she climbed over this very railing and jumped seven stories to her
03:17:13
death she wanted me to be home with her and we were going to get through this and it was devastating and
03:17:20
[Music] shocking I think that she was in a very vulnerable position when she met Leon
03:17:28
Jacob but I think he influenced her and brainwashed her I'm innocent and um as a human being
03:17:38
and as a physician that thought of killing somebody else is just goes against everything in my my nature it really
03:17:46
depends on what they Leon has hired one of the top defense attorneys in Texas George parum who says
03:17:53
Valerie McDaniel was the one calling all the shots I'm sorry for her demise but I
03:18:01
believe that Valerie uh is and was responsible for this entire scenario that she was the driver she was the
03:18:11
financier of all of this that that is my understanding the question now what will
03:18:18
a jury think on March 20th 2018 a week before the first anniversary of Valerie's
03:18:26
suicide this is a state of Texas versus Leon Philip Jacob Leon alone stands trial on two counts of solicitation of
03:18:36
capital murder one of the things you learn about Leon Jacob is he has to be in control ma
03:18:42
was going to die and Megan was going to die Cameron cigan is antha con's co-prosecutor he says Leon's motive was
03:18:51
clear there was two obstacles to the defendant's new life with Valerie mcdan it was Ma and it was Megan Mack could
03:19:00
keep Valerie away from him by making Valerie choose between the defendant and her daughter and Megan could make him
03:19:08
end up in prison George Pam's co-counsel Matthew ppil claims that it was the undercover
03:19:16
officer whose identity were protecting by calling detective Javier who pushed FY and Lon to make a deadly choice if it
03:19:25
was not her offic trying to make this into a television story and force his own narrative Leon would not be forced
03:19:31
here today to tell his story all right thank you all please be seated let's continue testimony begins with some of
03:19:38
the early stops on this long road to Justice starting with Megan he didn't want her to testify against him and he
03:19:45
had paid some a lot of money to make sure that she wouldn't be here to testify against him he actually wanted
03:19:52
me to um make her disappear oh basically he wanted to gone like dead call your next witness please before the trial
03:20:00
concludes two potential victims will rise from the dead to take the stand could you please introduce yourself to
03:20:07
the members of our jury and the jury will hear from Leon who says he's only guilty of being a Casanova I have no
03:20:16
problem sitting here and saying that I slept with Valerie 7 days after Megan and I broke up but I'm not on trial for
03:20:23
being a womanizer I'm on trial for solicitation of capital murder so you can assassinate my character all you
03:20:28
want up here doesn't make me guilty of what You' charged me with [Music] one of the prosecution's strongest
03:20:49
Witnesses Megan veros Leon's ex-girlfriend who had filed assault charges against him in January
03:20:57
2017 takes the stand it was a long time coming um I tried to leave several times
03:21:03
she recalls Leon coming to the house where she was staying just after the alleged incident I
03:21:10
obviously didn't want to be near him so I hid in a closet why did you hide in a closet because I was afraid of Leon he
03:21:20
came in and was screaming and yelling and he said I know that that [ __ ] is here Megan says Leon kept pursuing her
03:21:28
when she was at work he was in the bushes outside um on a cell phone um waiting for me and when she drove to her
03:21:36
new home at that point I called 911 to let them know um that you know my ex-boyfriend who assaulted me was um in
03:21:46
a car behind me and then some point Leon had gotten out of his vehicle in front of mine just
03:21:52
yelling and waving his hand saying you know just talk to me just talk to me I need to talk to you Leon was arrested a
03:22:00
second time on stalking charges on February 16th 2017 less than 10 days after that Megan
03:22:08
was contacted by police and warned her life could be in danger she fled to her hometown of Pittsburgh but police soon
03:22:17
called her to return to Houston to be part of that sting operation I sat in a chair in a warehouse and um they zip
03:22:26
tied my hands and my feet um and put duct tap around my mouth to make me look as if I had been kidnapped I was crying
03:22:34
and really upset next it was Valerie's ex-husband Mac McDaniel's turn we were married for
03:22:41
17 years and divorced in 2016 he recalled finding out his ex-wife was living with leyon what was your initial
03:22:50
reaction to that my initial reaction was not good and why was that because I was
03:22:56
aware of his history his criminal history did you convey to Valerie that you did not want the defendant around
03:23:03
your daughter on the weeks that she had custody yes ma'am and did she agree to that she did at some point did you learn
03:23:11
that she was not abiding by the agreement I did Mack tells the jury he too was is notified he was the target of
03:23:18
a murder plot then the prosecution shows the jury that photo can you describe for
03:23:24
the members of the jury what you're doing here staging my own death did they pour blood on you Pig's
03:23:31
blood 3 days into the 5-day long trial it's the defense's turn they call their star
03:23:41
witness I never asked anybody to kill anybody does the word kill kill hurt harm in any way shape or form appear at
03:23:50
any of those recorded conversations not on my behalf except for to exclude them from
03:23:56
things I want done I never asked to have anybody hurt killed hared um kidnapped I never asked for anybody to
03:24:08
be in any way physically hurt but the prosecution says that's not true she's dead she's gone
03:24:17
I don't want to know anything and they claim those undercover tapes back that up did you not want anybody hurt when
03:24:23
you said inject her with potassium chloride stop her heart untraceable I said that was a something
03:24:33
you could do I didn't say that for him to do that did you recall telling the undercover officer if those options
03:24:41
don't work I don't give a then you got to do what you got to do because my survival is more important
03:24:48
yes Leon's own words come back to haunt him regarding Mack as well after the undercover officer proposed a fatal
03:24:56
carjacking it could be a robbery Leon offered $110,000 in four weekly installments so you're agreeing to give
03:25:08
him $2500 just after he tells you I'm going to put a bullet in his head and throw
03:25:14
him on the street if that's what you say well that's in the recording it's not what I say it's
03:25:21
what Javier and you said right I guess Leon and the defense team tried to make their point that the
03:25:30
undercover officer was pressuring them into making deadly decisions I kept on telling them I didn't want anybody hurt
03:25:37
and they kept on going back to the theme of killing people I felt a lot of pressure from them to sort of commit to
03:25:45
this idea killing people and that was never my intent were you asking them just to threaten
03:25:56
people essentially yes did you actually want any harm to come to anybody no but the prosecution points out that when
03:26:04
Leon thought Megan was tied up and refusing to cooperate he did nothing to stop the lethal final step you'd agree
03:26:13
with me that you never said no no I don't want you to do anything stop this you didn't say anything like that did
03:26:20
you no the jury gets the case has the jury reached unanimous verdicts and takes just an hour and 15 minutes before
03:26:32
returning to the courtroom we the jury find the defendant Leon Philip Jacob guilty of solicitation
03:26:38
of capit to murderers charged in the indictment Leon is found guilty on both counts of conspiring to have men Megan
03:26:46
and Mack kill the trial moves to the sentencing phase the same jury that found Leon
03:26:54
guilty will decide his punishment new testimony begins I have no sense of trust um just constantly afraid that something
03:27:07
else is going to happen the only thing that might impact Leon's sentence more than the words of his
03:27:13
exgirlfriend may end up being the words of his ex-wife State calls Annie Morrison Annie Morrison has flown in
03:27:21
from Chicago to testify yes there was a time that we got into a fight and he pulled a knife on me there was one time
03:27:29
he pushed my head down onto the counter and and bruised my face near my eye Annie recounts an incident she says
03:27:37
occurred when she was 7 months pregnant with their second child he threatened to punch me in the
03:27:44
stomach um he kicked my legs I remember I remember bringing my legs up as far as
03:27:52
I could toward my chest to try to protect my stomach he threatened that if I ever left that he would kill
03:28:00
me he said that nobody would ever find my body because he was a doctor and he had access to chemicals that
03:28:08
would that would dissolve my body Annie did leave moving to her parents' home in Chicago that's when Lon
03:28:18
started threatening her parents thank you judge may I publish st's exhibit number 81 to the jury as the jury heard
03:28:24
in this recording Annie made of a phone call with Leon I will torture them in front of
03:28:36
you the defendant please St the jury took just 1 hour to decide Leon Jacob's sentence life in prison on each
03:28:48
count solicitation of capital murder for Megan veros and Mac McDaniel Victim Impact statement
03:28:58
please in Texas the victim impact statements come after the sentence Megan takes the stand one last time you will
03:29:08
never see your children grow up you will not be a part of their lives and they will be F better for it you destroy me
03:29:16
financially and took away my sense of security but you can do that no more while you sit in jail I hope you think
03:29:22
of me the girl that you called poor and uneducated because it's because of me you will be in prison for life
03:29:32
[Music] [Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 80
    Most heartbreaking
  • 75
    Most shocking
  • 75
    Most intense
  • 70
    Most dramatic

Episode Highlights

  • The Shocking Revelation
    Anna discovered she was wearing Michelle's wedding ring, unaware of the deception.
    “The ring that had been Michelle's wedding ring had been repurposed.”
    @ 15m 22s
    February 08, 2025
  • The ATM Withdrawals
    William Harrove withdrew $800 from Anna's bank account before her body was found.
    “Will all of a sudden he has money and he's taking it out of Anna's bank account.”
    @ 26m 28s
    February 08, 2025
  • Will's Arrest
    William Harrove was arrested for the murder of Anna Repkina after inconsistencies in his story.
    “You're under arrest for the murder of Anna Rina.”
    @ 32m 52s
    February 08, 2025
  • Breakthrough in the Case
    In 2017, new DNA evidence connects Sheila Keen to the murder of Marlene Warren, leading to her arrest.
    “With that new DNA match, detectives believe they could now definitively connect Sheila to the alleged getaway car.”
    @ 01h 04m 24s
    February 08, 2025
  • Sheila Keen Warren's Plea Deal
    Two weeks before her trial, Sheila Keen Warren pleads guilty to second-degree murder, avoiding a potential life sentence.
    “We had to make a judgment based on what we had.”
    @ 01h 19m 58s
    February 08, 2025
  • Mariah Wilson's Tragic Murder
    Promising cyclist Mariah Wilson is found murdered just before a major race, shocking the cycling community.
    “I don't think anybody could really believe it at first.”
    @ 01h 29m 44s
    February 08, 2025
  • Armstrong's Capture
    Caitlyn Armstrong was finally captured after undergoing plastic surgery in Costa Rica.
    “She had been getting plastic surgery.”
    @ 01h 57m 23s
    February 08, 2025
  • A Mother's Heartbreak
    A mother expresses her deep sadness and anger over her daughter's tragic death.
    “You killed her Earthly body but her spirit is so very much alive.”
    @ 02h 04m 54s
    February 08, 2025
  • A Family Torn Apart
    The sudden departure of family members leads to chaos and destruction.
    “It blew up to the point where... my clothes were in the street.”
    @ 02h 30m 48s
    February 08, 2025
  • A Long Legal Saga
    Curtis Loveless walks out a free man after years of legal battles.
    “We put our trust in God and the legal system...”
    @ 02h 45m 17s
    February 08, 2025
  • The Dark Side of Love
    Leon Jacob's obsession leads to a deadly plot against his ex-girlfriend and her husband.
    “Leon wanted Megan killed.”
    @ 03h 09m 38s
    February 08, 2025
  • Leon Jacob Found Guilty
    The jury finds Leon Jacob guilty of solicitation of capital murder after a brief deliberation.
    “We the jury find the defendant Leon Philip Jacob guilty.”
    @ 03h 26m 34s
    February 08, 2025

Episode Quotes

  • This man was a fraud and relied heavily on deception.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes
  • I miss you. I wish you could help me through these hard times.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes
  • Thank you for showing me how to love and be peaceful.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes
  • So many people in this room have lost so much.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes
  • I don't think we'll ever fully know.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes
  • Leon is a very evil person.
    Crimes of Passion | “48 Hours" Full Episodes

Key Moments

  • Investigation Leads28:40
  • Sheila's Affair54:03
  • Cold Case Breakthrough1:04:07
  • Murder Charge1:44:44
  • Shock and Grief2:23:11
  • Trial Turmoil2:32:36
  • Verdict Reached2:44:14
  • Testimony of Abuse3:28:00

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown