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[Music] this is definitely one of the stranger cases I've covered it seems like it
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comes right out of a novel on November 12th 2012 Jake Nolan set out to the office
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and home of Dr Michael Weiss Jake had with him a duffel bag with a massive Sledgehammer a steak Knife zip
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ties and he's walking through the streets of Manhattan with this when you walked into Dr Michael
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Weiss's office with that duffel bag with the weapons that were [Music] inside what did you intend to
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do you know I intend did to kill [Music] him this is not a who done it he did what he was accused of doing but the big
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question was why I saw Jake Nolan brainwashed by Dr Pamela buckbinder an ivy trained
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psychiatrist she's brilliant I would have done anything for Pamela it happens so slowly that you
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don't really recognize this growing feeling inside of you that one day you wake wake up and say I'll kill for this
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woman by the end of this manipulation by Dr bookbinder Jake Nolan had become weaponized to attack Dr Weiss the man
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with whom she had been fighting over custody of her son they hated each other and in turn
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she made me hate him she had already told me that she wanted me to hit him over the head playing like you know
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Maxwell's Silver Hammer by the Beatles repeatedly in the [Music] house Jake Nolan suffered from bipolar
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disorder he had these learning problems he had personality problems Pamela took someone who she knew was severely
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mentally ill and she morphed me into whatever she wanted me to be and I obeyed just like a
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puppet she used him for her own benefit she sacrificed him his office door was open and I see
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Michael sitting in a chair I think this is really when I became fully psychotic I don't buy Jake's story that
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he was brainwashed and manipulated he knew exactly what he was doing and do you believe that each step
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of the way Jake could have made the decision to leave of course he could have and Dr bookbinder claims that she
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had no involv ment at all in this that anything Jake Nolan did he did completely on his own 911 wish emergency
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hi I can hear someone out in my hallway screaming in pain but I don't know what's going on out there and I'm afraid
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to go out and what was so odd about this is he didn't try to flee Jake Nolan starts snapping selfies of himself
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covered in blood I mean who would possibly snap a selfie of themselves right after they
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tried to murder someone [Music] [Music] [Music] there's never going to be a night I
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don't fall asleep feeling awful for what I've done to this day Jake Nolan insists
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his mind was not his own when he set out to kill Dr Michael Weiss at his office on November 12th
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2012 the knife was in my pocket and the sledgehammer was over my shoulders he sees the sledgehammer and charges at me
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and I reached for the knife here I am with his knife and the guy's bleeding and I'm bleeding and I'm
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thinking oh my God this is terrifying it's as if I woke up from a bad dream after Jake stabbed him Dr Weiss fought
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back furiously both men ended up in the hallway of the Manhattan highrise 911 V emergency is gu screaming
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like crazy for help both men were rushed to the hospital where Jake was placed under
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arrest for attempted murder and handcuffed to his bed in the weeks ahead said Jake's bizarre story unfolded his
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claim that he had been manipulated to kill by his own cousin psychiatrist Pamela
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bookbinder my experience with Pamela looking back was incredibly frightening incredibly
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frightening Jake's Target that day Michael Weiss was Pamela's ex-boyfriend and another psychiatrist do you believe
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he was brainwashed yes to be honest I try and come in here as little as possible because it's just
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too many memories Debbie and Jim Nolan Jake's parents are devastated he is basically a
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really good kid who doesn't have a mean bone in his body when we met Jake in the summer of
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2016 he seemed rational I've been on meds now for over a year and a half that have finally worked for me but he says
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that wasn't always the case Jake's parents insist that to understand how and why their then 20-year-old son could
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have been conditioned to kill you have to go back to his childhood Jake was our third and our
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youngest child he was a absolute Delight he was gifted he was smart he like to invent
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things but Jake also had problems by the age of five he was diagnosed with ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity
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disorder there was something with him that just wasn't the same as everybody else and we started to notice
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significant changes in his personality and his demeanor around the ages of 145 what did you see he went through these
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large mood swings still Jake had moments of Brilliance while in high school in Miami he made news after he won a
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prestigious contest co-invention a study tool app for iPhones called flash me and
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then a month later I couldn't get out of bed my parents bribed me with everything
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to get out of bed please get out of bed please get out of bed Jake you got to go
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to school please go to school today don't miss another day of school Jake was then diagnosed with depression and
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anxiety these episodes worsen to the point where at the age of 17 Jake threatened to kill himself he got a
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butcher knife from downstairs and he took it upstairs to his room and he said he was going to kill
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himself we were terrified Jake was hospitalized and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder
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bipolar disorder is a severe and chronic mental illness that's characterized by severe mood swings psychiatrist Dr Sasha
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B has evaluated Jake for the defense swings that go from deep dark suicidal depressions to periods of incredible
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Elation grandiose ideas poor judgment he's a mess he's such a prisoner of his own mind that he can't
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he can't get anywhere in life there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of killing myself by the
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Time Jake was in college doctors had prescrib some 30 medications to treat him with little success some of these
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medications change brain chemistry do they not well these are powerful psychotropic medications his disorder
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his problems were so profound sometimes he's taking four five six medications at
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once Jake admits he was also doing legal drugs and drinking barely making it to class the Nolan thought their prayers
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had been answered when Dr Pamela bookbinder Debbie's own niece offered to help we thought this was great I adored
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Pam you trusted her I trusted her with my most prized possession my child the plan Jake would live part-time with
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Pamela in her Manhattan apartment she would give him therapy sessions and monitor his
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meds in in return she proposed he helped take care of her then four-year-old son
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Calder in spite of Jake's mental illness Pamela and I had formed a relationship when I was really young I this is my
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cousin this is someone I really knew and I UST everything into this one woman I mean this woman is going to save my life
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by all accounts the plan seemed to be working I thought he was very happy and I thought he was quite stable so you
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guys must have felt everything's coming together here thank you finally thank you
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right but the Nolan now say sending their son to live with Pamela was the biggest mistake they have ever
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made it's a total horrible nightmare to hear more of the 911 calls join us on Facebook at 48
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Hours when Jake Nolan went to live with his psychiatrist cousin Dr Pamela bookbinder he had no idea he'd end up on
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the front lines of a physical and psychological War there relationship between Dr bookbinder and Dr Weiss was
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very toxic from the outset reporter Rebecca Rosenberg has covered the case for the New York
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Post the relationship was on again off again there were allegations of domestic violence on both sides it definitely got
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physical Roland acedo is an attorney for Dr Michael Weiss is it true that Pam once attacked Michael with broken glass
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she was arrested and charged with an assault he received stitches I mean there's physical proof that he was
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attacked is it true that Michael Weiss has also been arrested in the course of this war with Pam yes Pamela contended
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that Michael threatened her or attempted to assault uh in each incident the charges were
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dismissed but the war of the psychiatrists moved onto another Battlefield the courtroom as Pamela and
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Michael fought over the custody of their son these are two psychiatrists couldn't
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they talk it out there was no communication but back during the times when he and Pamela were
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communicating Big Time Michael Weiss attended family parties including Jake bar mitzvah
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to wish you congratulations on your bar mitzvah um we're both so happy for you we were inspired by all of the speeches
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about opportunity and charm and character and we think you have them all and that
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makes it even more incredible that Jake would Target him this is a man who respected me and who I
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respected [Music] greatly Michael and Pamela never married and broke up for good soon after their
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son Calder was born ready yeah when Calder was four Pamela asked Jake to be her child's Godfather shortly before she
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took Jake in Jake's mother is convinced that is when Pamela began to manipulate his mind Jake had been feeling so bad
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about himself and here all of a sudden I'm so important to called her everything I do has to be right
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this was a kid that I loved more than life Jake wants a normal life defense psychiatrist Sasha B says Pamela knew
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how to give Jake the life he craved he wants to be a successful respected family man with a nuclear
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family and a happy life there's a photograph of the three of you in bed basically in your
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underwear what should we take from that picture I guess that just goes to show you the level of comfort that I really
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felt there it was not unusual in the morning for her to invite me into into bed with Calder and I and to share that
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familiar moment you know really feel like a family together but Dr barde finds these images deeply
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troubling when you think that you're seeing pictures of essentially a a a patient and his
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psychiatrist it's really horrific it's really creepy just as troubling for Jake's
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family were text messages discovered on his cell phone let me read to you some of the texts that Pam bookbinder sent to
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Jake you're just the most fun person to love you're so beautiful she'd call him lovey sweet Jay you are remarkable you
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are brilliant I have so many thoughts about you well this is almost sickening and there
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was never any romantic or sexual relationship ever between these two people so what this is is all
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mental manipulation I miss you terribly she would say when you were away that sounds
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romantic you know it does I don't know what her intentions were to this day I wouldn't be able to
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tell you and as Pamela was apparently building Jake up he says she was tearing Michael Weiss apart claiming Michael was
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refusing to pay cder's child support and worse she had me convinced that he was being molested at his father's home how
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many times did she say this was this repeated over and over oh this was every day has Michael Weiss ever ever abused
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his son in any way absolutely not Michael worships that child Jake what real evidence did you have that Michael
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was sexually abusing his son there was no evidence but at the Time Jake says that's how Pamela was able to pull him
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into the plot to kill Michael Weiss part of the indoctrination process was to get Jake to participate in
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developing the plan and the plan if you believe Jake was horrific pamelo was determined
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for me to torture Michael before killing him she wanted me to inject him with some you know poisonous chemicals she
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wanted to burn him alive in front of a group of people Jake's story is dramatic but is
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it true despite Jake's accusations he was the only one charged but Michael Weiss sued Dr book
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binder for the attack and in court papers she calls the claims against her utterly baseless and states I never
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asked Mr Nolan to attack or harm Mr Weiss Dr bookbinder also claims that there's no Smoking Gun here there
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there's no evidence of emails or text messages that show that she and Jake plotted this together you can't deny the
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footage that shows her in Home Depot buying a sledgehammer Jake in this surveillance video at a Home Depot
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in New York City proves his claims that's Pamela standing next to him paying for the very tool that police
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would find the next morning on the floor of Michael Weiss's office Jake there's no one that really
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disputes that you suffer from Mental Illness but could you have another problem as well could you be a
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sociopath no I could not had I never met Pamela bookbinder this wouldn't be my story
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[Music] [Music] as Jake Nolan's eyes opened on the morning of November 12th 2012 the day he was supposed to kill
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Michael Weiss he says he wasn't alone Pamela was there in bed rubbing my back telling me how much she loved me that I
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was a savior that I was the greatest person ever that no one else understood her just the night before Pamela had
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bought this Sledgehammer at a home Depot in New York that is Pamela bookbinder paying for the sledgehammer she's right
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there she has cash in her hand with plans Jake claims of having him bash her ex-boyfriend in the head you intended to
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kill him Jake says that Pamela's lovey-dovey mood quickly changed as she allegedly packed a duffel
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bag with weapons she was hysterical crying tears as she put the sledgehammer into a duffel bag with the kitchen night
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like she's packing a a bag to head off to school except this is to head off to a murder
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exactly and there was one more item that was vital to the scheme the night before
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she had provided me with the map in igan's apartment she handed me that this map which Pamela Drew herself showed the
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multiple entrances of Michael Weiss's building Michael's attorney Roland ACO do you believe it essentially this was a
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battle plan map I believe it was a map that Jake was provided to allow him to get access to Dr Weiss's apartment
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without going through the normal security measures Pamela says she never gave Jake
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the knife and that the map was given to Jake to help care for caler it had the daycare where he was going
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it had Dr Weiss's building Jake says Pamela said goodbye that morning with just one goal in mind today
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is the day life is going to be so much better after Michael is she used the word
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terminated after Michael has terminated clutching that handdrawn map Jake headed to Michael's Midtown
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Manhattan highrise he kind of scoped out the building on different sides it had two separate
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entrances entered through the business entrance Jake signed in writing that he was heading to a tutoring center in the
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building called bright kids it was marked on the map he didn't even bother using an alias I signed him with my own
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name remember I was willing to die for this woman I wasn't trying to hide anything Jake went straight to the 12th
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floor and walked in on Michael in the middle of a session Jake left the office and waited
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in a stairwell while Michael finished with the patient what are you thinking to yourself what's going through your head
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I think I was really nervous I think I wanted to back out but I didn't have a means to do it cuz I couldn't go back to
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pamelo without this done I felt like I had no choice after the patient left Jake asked
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Michael for some Financial forms for calder's school Pamela claims picking up those forms was the only reason Jake was
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there but Jake says it was Ola ruse to distract Michael while Jake went to the restroom to
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prepare I grabbed the sledgehammer I put the knife in my pocket from here on out it's it's um I
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remember bits and pieces but according to Michael Weiss's attorney Michael remembers it all too
00:23:04
well Jake came out of a bathroom in Michael's office and hit him with a sledgehammer Michael managed to duck
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just in time missing the full brunt of the 10lb tool still the sledgehammer made contact with his shoulder that's
00:23:21
when Michael says Jake reached for the knife that's when I first stabbed Michael Weiss
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and then from there on out it was just it was a fight and then he stabbed Michael seven or eight times in various
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places the stomach the back the chest Michael who's 6'3 and 205 lbs managed to overpower Jake on the ground standing up
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you know I got stabbed multiple times I thought this I thought that someone was bound to Die the two men
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stumbled into the hole hallway where neighbors heard the commotion I think it's a psychologist who might have had a
00:24:03
client who went nut good morning patient breathing yeah but they got a lot of blood they're losing a lot of
00:24:10
blood then as he sat on the floor bleeding Jake lifted his cell phone and took that selfie why did you take a
00:24:19
selfie you know we were sitting right next to each other and I was reporting back to Pamela like what do I do next
00:24:28
Jake says Pamela didn't respond a short time later at the hospital Jake tried texting her again this is what you wrote
00:24:38
in hospital please come Michael bleeding badly same I walked into office he stabbed me with my knife in the
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heart this time Pamela answered with a single word where there was no plan for after the
00:24:57
attack I think it was Pamela's plan to just dismiss me and like oh well he tried to kill him he lost you know try
00:25:06
again later I mean I really believe it's her plan to try again later hospital records say Jake was in a
00:25:14
manic state after the attack Pamela eventually showed up at the ER but was not allowed to see Jake I
00:25:22
was in full-blown psychotic episode I was heavily medicated on morphine Michael Weiss suffered multiple cuts to
00:25:31
his upper torso and legs he was stitched up and released from the hospital Jake was still recovering from
00:25:39
his own wounds to his chest and hand when the reality of his arrest for attempted murder hit
00:25:47
[Applause] him could Jake have backed out of the attack see more of the crime scene
00:25:54
photos at 48 hours.com [Music] after his arrest for attempted murder Jake Nolan spent 4 days recovering in
00:26:12
the hospital he then appeared before a judge and was freed on $200,000 bail pending trial Jake was
00:26:21
allowed to fly home to live with his parents outside of Miami ready what would you have said to cder one day if
00:26:28
he asked you why did you kill my father I don't know I gave everything for this child I
00:26:35
was willing to kill someone for this child that alone can only show how sorry I feel when he finds out about this
00:26:43
later on in life but what of Pamela bookbinder soon after the attack Michael sued for
00:26:52
custody of their son claiming Pamela was The Mastermind a family court judge considered the evidence in that case
00:27:00
including the Home Depot images and granted Michael Weiss full custody of cder and barred Pamela from any contact
00:27:09
for 5 years the evidence showed and the family court agreed that Pamela was involved in the plan or plot to attack
00:27:18
and kill Michael despite the evidence presented in Family Court Pamela was still not
00:27:25
criminally charged in the attack why not not the District Attorney's office will
00:27:30
not comment but Michael Weiss's attorney thinks part of the problem is the key accuser in this
00:27:38
case Jacob because he contends that he has this history of mental illness is perhaps not the most reliable witness
00:27:47
for the prosecution Jake spent much of his time awaiting trial in and out of treatment
00:27:53
centers for both his mental problems and drug and alcohol addiction despite those efforts his life almost
00:28:01
came to a tragic end in May 2015 what happened that caused you to be in this hospital
00:28:10
bed I tried to kill myself I tried to take my own life This Time Jake ended up in a coma after poisoning himself this
00:28:20
was probably the worst day of my life because they told us they didn't think Jake was going to make it
00:28:29
finally in March 2016 3 and 1 half years after the attack Jake's trial gets underway in New York
00:28:38
the prosecution portrayed Jake as kind of a spoiled rich kid just one of many challenges for the defense Jake Nolan
00:28:46
was a very unreliable narrator of this event for one thing it wasn't until weeks after the attack that Jake claimed
00:28:56
Pamela had manipulated him another problem he gave at least three different versions of what happened each
00:29:04
was meant to cast him in the most innocent light possible in one version Jake tried to put the blame on Michael
00:29:12
Weiss when the first responder showed up he immediately pointed the finger at Dr
00:29:16
Weiss and said he stabbed me in another account Jake told investigators he never
00:29:22
swung the sledgehammer this was a big hammer I couldn't even lift the thing up Jake claims he only brought the
00:29:28
sledgehammer and knife because he was afraid of Michael perhaps most stunning of all a
00:29:37
third version he claims that Dr Weiss pulled the sledgehammer out of his bag and attacked him first with it so that
00:29:45
really doesn't make any sense I mean how would Dr Weiss even know that the sledgehammer is in the
00:29:52
bag Jake has said he had been convinced the attack on Michael was the only way to save Calder but at trial prosecutors
00:30:01
hinted at another motive Michael Weiss had taken out a $1.5 million life insurance policy the
00:30:10
beneficiary was his son who probably at the time was 3 or 4 years old but there was a catch just 3 days before the
00:30:19
attack Michael agreed to make Pamela the policy's irrevocable trustee what does that mean in English irrevocable means
00:30:28
can't be taken back so if Michael dies if Michael passed away the child would get the 1.5 million do but she would be
00:30:38
the person that controlled the money for the child Jake insisted he had no clue before the attack that money may have
00:30:47
been involved I had no idea Pima never mentioned that to me her plan was for you to kill him MH but the most damning
00:30:55
evidence came from Jake himself the prosecution psychiatrist interviewed Jake before trial and clips from the
00:31:03
exam were played to jurors in one a shockingly Frank discussion about another item Pamela bought at Home Depot
00:31:13
oh Bo the zip ties for she wanted me to like torture Michael um which I didn't tell her but I wasn't
00:31:21
down to do that so you were down to kill but not torture yeah okay what did she want you to do to to torture
00:31:28
she want me to cut off his balls she said that was a line too far for you yeah how
00:31:35
come I know I've never heard anyone before the prosecution saw this as a stunning admission on tape at least it
00:31:44
appears Jake was a willing participant in planning the attack and could draw a line when he wanted
00:31:52
to the Crux of the prosecution's argument here is that this is not not some babbling idiot that didn't know
00:32:00
which way was up I think I was in control up to a degree but the deal was to kill Michael
00:32:07
Weiss the deal wasn't to torture Michael Weiss it might seem like Jake is splitting hairs but one of Jake's
00:32:16
lawyers Steven Brownstein says that's exactly how Jake's mind was working in fact it's why he and his legal team
00:32:25
argue a risky defense de capacity you're going to have to admit that your client did the crime but his
00:32:32
capacity to establish the intent the motive to commit that crime he lacked and therefore he should be found not
00:32:41
guilty I understand that the prosecution feels that clearly Jake never had a gun
00:32:46
to his head in my opinion psychologically speaking he did Dr Sasha B who testified for the defense at trial
00:32:55
says Pamela had replaced Jake Free Will with her own it's very much like a cult where there is a shaping of the person's
00:33:05
thought processes to meet the cult's ideals it's a small cult it has two people in it there's the cult leader
00:33:12
Pamela bookbinder and the cult member Jake Nolan Jake never takes the stand Pamela bookbinder never even set
00:33:24
foot in the courtroom neither side called her to testify in March of 2016 after a 2-e
00:33:34
trial the jury began its deliberations in less than an hour the jury comes back we have reached a
00:33:43
verdict guilty guilty of attempted murder it's unjust I'm no harm to society and a
00:33:55
little over 3 months later the judge describes the attack as an act of extreme brutality and violence and
00:34:03
sentences Jake Nolan to 9 and a half years in prison you're in just such shock I was like somebody just crushed
00:34:12
me from from top to bottom just just totally took my heart right out of me and what of Michael Weiss the man
00:34:21
Jake Nolan would have killed if the murder plot had succeeded he's been traumatized by this I know what I did
00:34:30
was very serious but there is also another party that needs to take responsibility too and that person is
00:34:37
Pamela bookbinder and her role in this sorted case is about to take let's wait till
00:34:44
she comes down a dramatic turn Pamela bookfinder Peter Van s from 48 hours I have a simple question why did you buy
00:34:52
that sledgehammer Pamela bookbinder the most talked about woman during Jake Nolan's
00:35:10
trial had always managed to elude the public but we caught up with Pamela about 4 months after Jake Nolan was
00:35:20
sentenced I have a simple question why did you buy that Sledgehammer you know what you can answer that question
00:35:29
were you going to do some Home Improvement or were you buying a murder weapon out of her face I can get it out
00:35:35
of her face you can answer that question but on October 19th 2017 almost 5 years after Michael Weiss
00:35:44
was attacked the law finally caught up with Dr Pamela bookbinder bookbinder was arrested at a
00:35:52
friend's house outside Syracuse New York she was charged with second deegree attempt murder and first deegree
00:35:59
attempted Assault The Manhattan district attorney accus bookbinder of masterminding the
00:36:08
plot to send Jake Nolan to murder her ex-boyfriend and the father of her son Michael Weiss I name pamel and I'm not
00:36:17
guilty at the Time Jake Nolan would not comment on Pamela bookbinder arrest but Michael Weiss's attorney did I was not
00:36:26
surprised when she was was indicted and arrested the prosecutor's office said months ago during the Nolan trial that
00:36:34
they thought she was involved and I think the evidence against her is significant Pamela is innocent I'm
00:36:41
telling you that Pamela bookbinder hired two top New York defense attorneys Ronald fet and
00:36:49
Eric frons Pamela bookbinder had nothing to do with that who say that this video
00:36:55
of bookbinder buying that sledg is just a sideshow Pamela buckbinder is an educated psychiatrist not Wy coyote she
00:37:04
didn't plan to orchestrate a murder with a sledgehammer that the man couldn't pick up bookbinder attorneys argued
00:37:11
before two judges that their client should be granted bail and her family offered to put up a $1.5 million bond to
00:37:20
guarantee she wouldn't run off this despite the fact that when she was arrested she had in her possession her
00:37:27
passport birth certificate and her son calder's expired passport the entire world has fallen on this woman
00:37:37
periodically methodically over the last 5 years and what did she do she engaged councel she engaged the bondsman she
00:37:45
stayed around and made no attempts to flee her attorneys contend that the case has essentially been solved and that
00:37:53
Jake Nolan is the sole perpetrator he admitted everything when you walked into Dr Michael Weiss's office with that
00:38:01
duffel bag with the weapons that were [Music] [Applause] inside what did you intend to
00:38:11
do you know I intended to kill [Music] him bookbinder legal team later pointed to what they say is an incriminating new
00:38:23
piece of evidence found buried in their legal file a note allegedly written by Jake Nolan
00:38:31
to his mother Debbie after the attack in 2012 as he recovered in the hospital it
00:38:37
reads Pamela has nothing to do with this this man acted completely on his own so it's a very very crucial piece of
00:38:48
evidence remember Jake's defense team said he wrote this letter while he was in what his doctors called a manic State
00:38:56
and heavily medic at that note probably can't be admitted into evidence in any event cuz it's hearsay after the judge
00:39:04
heard these arguments he refused to Grant bookbinder [Music] baale she was ordered held in New York's
00:39:12
notorious Riker's Island [Music] jail where she remained for 5 years through legal wrangling and the pandemic
00:39:23
then on September 7th 2022 in a pre-trial hearing she made a stunning announcement she accepted a deal to
00:39:32
spend 11 years in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to attempted assault and
00:39:38
a lesser charge in connection with Dr Weiss's attack seemingly bringing her case to a
00:39:47
close but just one month later bookbinder turned her routine sentencing on its head with her lawyers telling
00:39:55
judge Farber that she wanted to withdraw her plea she claimed on the day she agreed to the deal she was exposed to
00:40:03
mace on Riker's Island she did not take her medication and she inadvertently got
00:40:09
a contact high when someone was smoking drugs on her bus ride to court but Judge
00:40:16
Thomas Farber would have none of it he ordered the plea deal to stand and the sentencing to
00:40:23
continue Dr Weiss showed up to make a victim's impact statement he did not want to be recorded while he read his
00:40:31
remarks telling the court that he suffers from PTSD and that he believes bookbinder has so much hatred for him
00:40:39
that she will do anything in her power to harm him even after she is released from
00:40:46
prison prosecutor Joel ciderman was next and he did not hold back I think it's necessary to make the record straight
00:40:56
and defendant tried to have Dr Michael Weiss murdered she hated his guts she sought to destroy him because of their
00:41:05
failed relationship she stood to control $1.5 million in life insurance on his life in
00:41:12
the name of his son she bookbinder's attorney had heard enough I rection your honor has nothing to do with the
00:41:20
underlying allegations in this case a sentencing not a lynching I I understand Mr Mr fron but I don't with the da says
00:41:28
it sentence and ciderman kept going she's on video her all of her genius in terms of academic genius didn't mean
00:41:36
that she could out with the NYPD who immediately went to Home Depot when they saw the sledgehammer and they knew where
00:41:43
it came from and she sent Jacob Nolan with a map bookbinder's lawyer finally had his chance to speak well that was a
00:41:52
rather unpleasant experience following a negotiated disposition the bottom line is her
00:41:58
pleading guilty is not a license to step on her throat and just say whatever you
00:42:04
want that's an injustice she stands ready for sentence your honor Miss bucker you can speak if you wish to you
00:42:11
don't have to she was brief if there was one true statement Mr Sidman said I missed it judge Farber had the final say
00:42:20
there can be no doubt that if you plot to bash somebody's head in with a sledgehammer that the intent is to call
00:42:27
C his death he then reminded everyone that he presided over Jacob Nolan's trial back in 2017 the compelling and
00:42:37
Powerful evidence at that trial supported Mr Nolan's account that Miss buckbinder planned to brutally murder Dr
00:42:45
Weiss Barber then sentenced bookbinder to serve 11 years in prison and he also issued an order of protection for Dr
00:42:54
Weiss and just before officers took bookbinder away she turned to her family and friends who blew kisses at her
00:43:05
defense attorney Monica neame says that in 2027 Pamela bookbinder will be free to
00:43:11
start her life over and even reach out to her son there's no question about her love for her son
00:43:23
[Music] a son with Secrets he just lied to everybody his parents vanish you know
00:43:37
cars go off the road things happen what happened to the holders not making any sense and it's taking weirder and
00:43:44
weirder turns nobody saw this coming 48 Hours next on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus
00:43:52
[Music] 48 Hours presents this is Officer the Houston Police Department major fend division
00:44:06
career chal [Music] Squad hey my name is Valerie McDaniel I've always tried to be an
00:44:18
honest kind person I've try to live the best life I can Valerie wound up being the top of the
00:44:30
class the valedictorian the valedictorian in our 1987 High School graduating class she sure did my name is
00:44:39
Megan she's my second cousin she's generous and creative smart nice and sweet she would always like take care of
00:44:54
my dog [Music] I wasn't sure if I should be a vet anymore and Valerie brought that passion
00:45:05
back I know that Valerie made an audio recording of all of her memorable moments in life I met through friends a
00:45:15
man named M MCD and I thought he was the cutest thing tall and skinny with his boots
00:45:28
Valerie and Mac lived a lavish lifestyle a high-end life you know a life of luxury a life of beauty Great Cars
00:45:35
Valley had a Mercedes daughter went to a great school they worked a lot it was a big
00:45:41
thing they both be working and but did they seem happy together yeah yeah it seemed
00:45:46
[Music] great one morning at work there was a a not on my desk that said Dr McDaniel call Miss
00:46:02
Brown she said I've been your husband's lover it tore up divorce is never an easy
00:46:16
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
00:46:23
cardio and transplant [Music] I looked at him and smiled and he smiled back and just a beautiful
00:46:33
person her face her smile she had this outwardly exuberance of energy that I really can't describe she fell for Leon
00:46:41
she was madly in love with him we were um planning on getting [Music] married Mac always wanted more more more
00:46:54
at the detriment of their daughter my name is MZ azi and Leon Jacob tried to hire me as a
00:47:06
Hitman in the car did he give you $2,500 he paid the 2,500 cash yes in cash right and what did you see on his
00:47:15
face excitement he was enjoying it like he actually was excited about the whole thing I could never hurt the man that my
00:47:25
daughter loves so much the male subject he's gone he's done all right this is been a long drawn out
00:47:37
story that's led to an unbelievable conclusion when he came into my office he shut the door he said I'm Dr Leon
00:47:48
Jacob I felt like I was talking to Satan himself [Music] [Music] 48 hours operation murder reported by
00:48:14
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
00:48:49
March 10th 2017 Houston police are making their way to the seventh floor condo of beloved
00:48:56
tarian Valerie McDaniel I'm afraid we have some bad news bad doesn't begin to describe
00:49:05
what's about to be revealed it turns out to be a fatality Valerie's ex-husband Mack
00:49:18
police tell her was dead just 6 months after their divorce had become final you have anybody you can call to to help you
00:49:26
to St to stay with you but how could Valerie's life have arrived at this Dreadful
00:49:33
[Music] moment Valerie earned her degree in veterinary medicine at Texas A&M it was
00:49:41
during that time she met Mack McDaniel Valerie's friend Greg Holloway my impression of ma is that he was a a good
00:49:51
man he was a standup guy Mac proposed and Valerie had the man of her dreams as she describes in that recording of her
00:50:01
memories we did get married we had a beautiful fairy tale wedding moved into a house that my
00:50:07
parents had bought me to live in not long after that Valerie decided to open her own
00:50:14
Clinic Valerie's cousin Cody Bernard I admired her it sunk something inside of me I wanted to I want to do that one day
00:50:22
something big you know Mac was her office manager but even as the vet clinic thrived the two longed
00:50:29
for something more they said she couldn't have any children so the only option was to
00:50:36
adopt in 2008 the couple adopted a daughter when she was just 2 days old but as their new family came together
00:50:45
their marriage began to fall apart it started Valerie says with a phone call from a stranger the woman who claimed to
00:50:53
have been Max's lover but Valerie said says that wasn't all she gave me lists of women that he had stuck
00:51:02
with Valerie says she confronted Mack and forgave him but claims it wasn't long before Mac cheated
00:51:11
again and that was the first time I ever said the word divorce and I yelled it at
00:51:15
him outside and I yelled it and I yelled it Valerie says she forgave ma yet again
00:51:22
but then a chance encounter would change the course of her life Leon J Jacob the
00:51:27
son of Valerie's neighbor Golda Jacob stopped by he ran up to me and um stuck his hand out and introduced himself the
00:51:36
cockiest mother ever met in my life Valerie was in her mid-40s but she was stunning um both inside and out the
00:51:47
attraction was Mutual you could tell he knew how beautiful he was and I was lonely
00:51:57
Leon Jacob was eight years younger than Valerie and a doctor what type of surgeries have you done all kinds of
00:52:05
surgeries I've assisted in heart kidney pancreas transplants with a strained home life
00:52:13
and an attractive new friend what happened next may have been inevitable and he sat across from me and we had
00:52:20
some wine and I had my feet out on the chair next to him just out of the blue he reached out and just
00:52:27
ran his finger up my left foot and that was it it was like a movie moment it's quite an interlude according
00:52:37
to what she described yeah compliments uh all around I guess in December 2014 Valerie filed for divorce claiming ma
00:52:47
committed adultery Ma's attorneys told us Mac had no comment about the divorce petition and the claims Valerie made in
00:52:56
her audio diary between Max alleged cheating and Valerie's new love interest both wanted
00:53:04
out of the marriage the divorce was finalized in August 2016 Valerie and her daughter then moved
00:53:11
into this building in the upscale River Oak section of Houston not long after Leon joined them
00:53:20
here the relationship really Blossom quickly because we had been very close friends for so long
00:53:27
Dr Britney King worked alongside Valerie at the vet clinic I seem very much in love um holding hands and and loving
00:53:35
towards each other but there was one old problem in Valerie and Leon's new relationship and his name was
00:53:45
Mac there were multiple times in the clinic where she would just be in tears um was everything okay and it was
00:53:52
something surrounding um her ex-husband Mac had found out that Leon was staying with me it be arguments or stuff with
00:54:02
the the child visitation but Leon had his own issues with past loves one involving extreme mental cruelty and
00:54:11
another assault and stalking charges Leon Jacob is a predator he's scary Samantha connect is a Harris County
00:54:20
assistant district attorney he wants what he wants and he'll stop at nothing to get it could there be more to
00:54:27
Valerie's new love than she can imagine he has no problem using women um in fact I I think he enjoys
00:54:52
it Valerie McDaniel's new Livin boyfriend grew grew up in a Texas sized world of beauty opulence and opportunity
00:55:01
I always wanted to be a doctor my whole life ever since I was about three or four as he pursued his degrees Leon met
00:55:09
and married his college sweetheart they had two boys we had a happy loving family I got two great kids two
00:55:18
boys they're the most important things to me in my life a good family and now with an MD
00:55:26
after his name Lon was well on his way but Leon's picture perfect life disguised a troubled
00:55:37
relationship after 12 years of marriage his wife filed for divorce citing extreme mental cruelty and one year
00:55:45
later Leon was arrested for stalking his now ex Leon has to be in control when his ex-wife went to end their
00:55:54
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
00:56:00
you've had brushes with the law involving stalking cyber stalking intimidation uh physical harassment
00:56:08
assault aren't all those true I pled guilty to a attempted cyber harassment charge that
00:56:17
was stemming from an acrimonious divorce that I went through with the my previous
00:56:21
wife Leon admits that he called often but he claims it was simply to speak with his Boys I Tried desperately to
00:56:30
contact my kids over and over and over again and I'm not going to apologize for that Leon finally moved on to a new
00:56:37
residency and was living in Pittsburgh where he met this woman 33-year-old Megan veras I met Megan in a hotel in
00:56:49
Pittsburgh she was the assistant general manager there the new couple moved to Houston
00:56:56
there were lavish vacations family get togethers and yet another residency Leon's seventh he's a
00:57:07
failed doctor he's been kicked out of every Residency program he's ever been a part of and what's the problem what was
00:57:13
the basis of these dismissals do you know the belief that he was the smartest guy in the room in ability to get along
00:57:20
with people um inability to get along with patients and in fact one of the records that we found said that they
00:57:26
believe that he was a danger to patients and that he would be a liability for them to keep
00:57:30
around 3 years into their relationship Megan vericast thought leyon was a threat to her too Megan kicked Leon out
00:57:39
of their apartment later accusing him of assaulting her she wanted me to move all my stuff
00:57:46
out she came there and was very hostile the police uh were called there was no violence of any kind and a day later she
00:57:53
claimed that I had hit her and that you'd put your hand over her mouth yeah which is not true Leon is about Leon
00:58:00
smile smile it frustrated him to know in that Megan veros would not forgive him and the fact that he couldn't get Megan
00:58:08
back frustrated him and angered him Leon was arrested in February 2017 for assault and stalking you can
00:58:17
charge anybody with anything it doesn't mean that you're guilty of that the DA's
00:58:21
office has been on this case since its Inception we help prosecutors are convinced that LE knew his future as a
00:58:27
doctor would be destroyed if Megan testified against him so they believe he planned a little operation to make his
00:58:36
pain go away he feels like if Megan disappears if she goes away that his criminal case will go away and he can
00:58:46
resume his career as this beloved surgeon that he thinks that he is prosecutors claim leyon decided what he
00:58:52
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
00:59:05
money no no no no I would never do something like that Taz aay was introduced to Leon by a mutual
00:59:14
acquaintance did Leon ever tell you how he wanted his ex-girlfriend to be killed
00:59:20
yes he he actually offered suggestions one of them was a syringe to the heart with potassium would give her a heart
00:59:28
attack and that would actually kill her Taz is a decorated former US Army soldier who saw Leon's deadly demand as
00:59:38
an opportunity to Save a Life I saw somebody in danger and I knew that I can do something about it and I did
00:59:46
something about it Leon new Taz by the code name Zach he says Leon wanted him to kidnap Megan first to talk her into
00:59:56
to taking him back and if that didn't work leaving town but that wasn't all if she doesn't leave what are you going to
01:00:04
do and he was like I want you to kill her I'm not going to comment on any of this it's just
01:00:09
ridiculous Taz says Leon paid him $99,000 which he happily spent to be honest I don't feel bad that I spent
01:00:19
Jacob's money matter of fact I feel really good I spent his money then the man Leon knew as Zach
01:00:27
vanished Leon Jacob was one of the most Unique Individuals I'd ever met Bill bondman Michael kubos this guy was
01:00:36
focused was very intimidating didn't shake my hand just wanted to know one thing I want Zach's number he said I've
01:00:44
paid Zach a lot of money to take care of this I felt like I was talking to the Devil Himself
01:00:56
[Music] tucked away on a side street in Houston is perhaps the most colorful bail
01:01:10
bondsman in all of Texas having hung out a bit with you you are the Elvis of bale
01:01:17
bondsman you have his name is Michael kubos these are people that we're looking for fugitives and he understands
01:01:25
the Criminal Mind I deal with the nicest the kindest and the meanest people on the face of the Earth I've bonded out
01:01:32
judges prostitutes preachers missionaries he's also a larger than life member of the Houston city council
01:01:45
who helped save lives during Hurricane Harvey I can see you really working hard I know all the major law enforcement
01:01:52
people in in the whole County Leon had stormed into kubash his office he said I paid Zach a lot of
01:02:01
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
01:02:10
testifying against me out of the picture out of the picture I believe that he meant ill toward this woman and that's
01:02:17
why I call the chief the chief of the chief of police in Houston Texas a search for the mysterious sack
01:02:25
was triggered and investigators quickly learned his real name Taz a a name that kubash did recognize as a former
01:02:34
military man who is facing a misdemeanor theft charge for stealing from his roommate he was on bond with me he was
01:02:42
still free it took Houston police about a week to find Taz and that's when things got
01:02:51
really interesting to me Tass seemed genuinely concerned for Megan this man is an
01:03:00
undercover officer with the Houston Police Department who goes by the name detective Javier he didn't want to see
01:03:08
her hurt so Taz agreed to participate in a sting operation to help catch Leon Jacob in the act of soliciting a
01:03:19
murder hello hey what's up man how you doing B Taz told Leon that he felt he had grown too close to him and Valerie
01:03:28
and thought it best to hire another Hitman and he knew just the right guy can you meet me tomorrow yeah I I'll
01:03:37
clear my schedule no problem the next day tazwood introduced Leon to his new Hitman undercover
01:03:45
detective Javier but before Taz could hang up Leon Dropped a Bomb we're taking care of both problems what both problems
01:03:55
both of the the individuals that we're talking about uh okay Valerie McDaniel Leon's new
01:04:05
girlfriend the mild-mannered veterinarian who friends had described as an angel wanted her ex-husband
01:04:13
murdered Valerie wants to talk to you about what he want she wants to do with her ex-husband okay that's good all
01:04:19
right just bring it with you tomorrow the next day Leon and Valerie met with Taz and Detective aier at this Olive
01:04:27
Garden to discuss the fate of both their exes over lunch the entire operation was
01:04:34
recorded the meeting lasted nearly 2 hours and began with Leon's Target Megan I don't want you to Hur her but I want
01:04:43
her to go he told me that he wanted me to run her off the road and threaten her but
01:04:51
then he would say to me if she does not understand that then do what you have to
01:04:56
do those options don't work I got got there was no doubt in my mind that Leon wanted Megan killed the subject
01:05:12
then turned to Valerie's Target her ex-husband Mack say if something would happen to
01:05:20
him car W or it could be a car wreck it could be robbery she was under the Bel that I was
01:05:30
going to carjack him and I was going to put a bullet in his head which is exactly what I told her I was going to
01:05:37
do but you need to me to go ahead you got I take my the next day March 9th 2017 detective Javier called Leon to say
01:05:54
he had good good news that he insisted on delivering in person are you AF he went to their home where he
01:06:03
informed them Mac was dead neither wanted to see this photo which seemed to show Mac with a
01:06:12
gunshot to the head when Valerie got the news that her husband was dead was she emotional about it did she say oh my God
01:06:22
I never wanted to go this far she did not show that what they didn't know is that Mac was
01:06:28
alive and well he' posed for those photos as part of this elaborate sting operation believing Mack was dead Leon
01:06:39
set his sights on Megan so you're going to snatch her and you're going to bring her somewhere and talk to her that's the
01:06:46
plan if I need to show up you call me later that night these staged photograph of Megan
01:06:56
were texted to leyon and he was told she was so out of control she had to be killed she's dead she's
01:07:07
gone I don't want to know anything on that scale of good to evil in your mind what is Leon
01:07:16
Jacob Leon is a very evil person he was willing to do whatever he needed to do to survive
01:07:34
[Music] it was probably around 2: or 3: in the morning on March 10th 2017 Valerie
01:07:48
McDaniel and her living boyfriend Leon Jacob get a wakeup call from Sergeant Frank Quinn that will soon lead to an
01:07:56
Oscar winning performance what's going on she lets them inside but she FS surprise she can't understand why
01:08:04
they're there remember just hours before detective Javier posing as a Hitman had
01:08:11
told her that Mack was dead but now Valerie has to convince police she is hearing it for the first time sorry I to
01:08:19
tell you have you heard from him recently she pretends to be upset she puts her head in her hands uh she sits
01:08:28
down and she acts like she's completely shocked and surprised that her ex-husband is dead uh is your boyfriend
01:08:35
here with you you think you can kind of be a little help [Music] toight this surreal scene caught by the
01:08:46
body cameras of Houston Police is about to reach its climax we were hoping you could help us
01:08:55
with over some bad news to exhb oh my God looks [Music] like might have been a robbery gone WR
01:09:08
just trying if anybody knows anything or no we I'll help are you okay baby we've been here all
01:09:19
night we were here all day with and their their daughter and we were watching movies
01:09:25
we haven't been out of the house on then the cops decide to call cut on all this
01:09:31
bad acting right now we're going to read you your rights both of you being arrested
01:09:37
solicitation it is only then that the couple learns that both their intended targets are alive and well I don't know
01:09:46
why I'm being arrested Leon is Led Out can I get a sweatshirt I'm already cold and Valerie has a much bigger
01:09:55
concern her daughter who's been asleep in the apartment this whole time although not caught on camera Mac
01:10:04
arrives to pick up their 8-year-old and what did Valerie say to her you know something along the lines
01:10:11
so I'm just you know taking you to your dad he's outside and he's going to take you and it was very benign and you know
01:10:17
just normal as could be and so all of a sudden on the news media came the arrest
01:10:23
of two doctors and a Houston woman and her boyfriend were charged with trying to have their exes killed and I'm laying
01:10:30
there thinking well that's not Valerie I know and they show the film of her going
01:10:36
up for her arraignment you about fall out of your chair that almost rolled out of the bed because leyon has those other
01:10:45
pending charges related to Megan he doesn't make bail but Valerie does Valerie was rushed out the jail
01:10:52
alongside family after and goes home to wait for the legal process to play out I
01:10:57
remember texting her throughout the week and calling her and constantly sending her I love you you know we can get
01:11:04
through this so happy you're out Valerie's Veterinary license got suspended because of the charges Britney
01:11:12
says Valerie was weighed down by her arrest and the prospect she wouldn't be seeing her daughter for a long long
01:11:21
time she visited Valerie at her high-rise con but I remember giving her a hug goodbye
01:11:28
and I just felt the life in the eyes was not there it's weird things it wasn't like
01:11:36
Bam Bam Bam progression things just gradually happened 2 weeks after the shock and shame of being charged with
01:11:43
solicitation of capital murder Valerie McDaniel used her iPad March 20 it's been a few days to record her side of
01:11:52
the story I didn't wake up one day and just say hey I want to kill my ex-husband for Valerie everything she
01:12:04
loved was slipping away I want to talk to my daughter I want to talk to [Music] Leon this I'm just not strong enough I
01:12:17
wish I were a just can't do it just can't do it 2 days after her final recording on March 27th
01:12:32
2017 Valerie who once seemed Unstoppable did the unthinkable she climbed over this very
01:12:41
railing and jumped seven stories to her death she wanted me to be home with her and we were going to get through this
01:12:52
and it was devastating and shocking I think that she was in a very vulnerable position when she met Leon
01:13:02
Jacob but I think he influenced her and brainwashed her I'm innocent and um as a human being
01:13:12
and as a physician that thought of killing somebody else is just goes against everything in my my nature it really
01:13:20
depends on what they find Leon has hired one of the top defense attorneys in Texas
01:13:25
George parum who says Valerie McDaniel was the one calling all the shots I'm sorry for her demise but I believe that
01:13:36
Valerie uh is and was responsible for this entire scenario that she was the driver she was the finance year of all
01:13:46
of this that that is my understanding the question now what will a jury think on March 20th 2018 a week before
01:13:58
the first anniversary of Valerie's suicide this is a state of Texas versus Leon Philip Jacob Leon alone stands
01:14:07
trial on two counts of solicitation of capital murder one of the things you'll learn
01:14:13
about Leon Jacob is he has to be in control Mack was going to die and Megan was going to die Cameron cigan is
01:14:20
Samantha connect's co-prosecutor he says Leon's motive was clear there was two obstacles to the defendant's new life
01:14:29
with Valerie mcdan it was Mac and it was Megan ma could keep Valerie away from him by making Valerie choose between the
01:14:38
defendant and her daughter and Megan could make him end up in prison George parham's co-counsel
01:14:46
Matthew ppil claims that it was the undercover officer whose identity were protecting by calling detective Javier
01:14:54
who who pushed Ferry and Leon to make a deadly choice if it was not her offic trying to make this into a television
01:15:02
story en Force his own narrative Leon would not be forced here today to tell his story all right thank you all please
01:15:08
be seated let's continue testimony begins with some of the early stops on this long road to Justice starting with
01:15:16
Megan he didn't want her to testify against him and he had paid somebody a lot of money to make sure that she
01:15:23
wouldn't be here to testify against him he actually wanted me to um make her disappear oh basically he wanted their
01:15:30
gun like that call your next witness please before the trial concludes two potential victims will rise from the
01:15:38
dead to take the stand could you please introduce herself to the members of our jury and the jury will hear from Leon
01:15:46
who says he's only guilty of being a Casanova I have no problem sitting here and saying that I slept with Valerie 7
01:15:53
days after making I broke up but I'm not on trial for being a womanizer I'm on trial for solitation of capital murder
01:16:01
so you can assassinate my character all you want up here doesn't make me guilty of what you've charged me
01:16:16
[Music] with one of the prosecution's strongest Witnesses Megan veros Leon's ex-girlfriend who had filed assault
01:16:28
charges against him in January 2017 takes the stand it was a long time coming um I tried to leave several times
01:16:37
she recalls Leon coming to the house where she was staying just after the alleged incident I
01:16:44
obviously didn't want to be near him so I hid in a closet why did you hide in a closet
01:16:52
because I was afraid of Leon he came in and was screaming and yelling and he said I know that that [ __ ] is here
01:16:59
Megan says Leon kept pursuing her when she was at work he was in the bushes outside um on a cell phone um waiting
01:17:08
for me and when she drove to her new home at that point I called 911 to let them know um that you know my
01:17:17
ex-boyfriend who assaulted me was um in a car behind me and then some point Leon had gotten
01:17:24
out of his vehicle in front of mine just yelling and waving his hands saying you
01:17:29
know just talk to me just talk to me I need to talk to you Leon was arrested a second time on stalking charges on
01:17:37
February 16th 2017 less than 10 days after that Megan was contacted by police and warned her
01:17:45
life could be in danger she fled to her hometown of Pittsburgh but police soon called her to return to Houston to be
01:17:54
part part of that sting operation I sat in a chair in a warehouse and um they zip tied my hands and my feet um and put
01:18:03
duct tap around my mouth to make me look as if I had been kidnapped I was crying
01:18:08
and really upset next it was Valerie's ex-husband Mac McDaniel's turn we were married for
01:18:15
17 years and divorced in uh 2016 he recalled finding out his ex-wife was living with Lyon what was your initial
01:18:24
reaction to that my initial reaction was not good and why was that because I was aware of
01:18:32
his history this criminal history did you convey to Valerie that you did not want the defendant around your daughter
01:18:38
on the weeks that she had custody yes ma'am and did she agree to that she did at some point did you learn that she was
01:18:45
not abiding by the agreement I did M tells the jury he too was notified he was the target of a murder plot then the
01:18:54
pro ution shows the jury that photo can you describe for the members of the jury
01:18:59
what you're doing here staging my own death did they pour blood on you Pig's blood 3 days into the 5day long trial
01:19:09
it's the defenses turn they call their star witness I never asked anybody to kill
01:19:18
anybody does the word kill hurt harm in any way shape or form appear any of those recorded conversations not on my
01:19:28
behalf except for to exclude them from things I want done I never asked to have anybody hurt
01:19:35
killed harmed um kidnapped I never asked for anybody to be in any way physically hurt but the
01:19:46
prosecution says that's not true she's dead she's gone I don't want to know anything and
01:19:53
they claim those Undercover tapes back that up did you not want anybody hurt when you said inject her with potassium
01:20:00
chloride stop her heart untraceable I said that was a something you could do I didn't say that for him
01:20:10
to do that did you recall telling the undercover officer if those options don't work I don't give a then you got
01:20:17
to do what you got to do because my survival is more important yes Leon's own words come back to haunt
01:20:25
him regarding Mac as well after the undercover officer proposed a fatal carjacking it could be
01:20:34
robbery Leon offered $10,000 in four weekly installments so you're agreeing to give
01:20:42
him $2,500 just after he tells you I'm going to put a bullet in his head and throw
01:20:48
him on the street if that's what you say well that's in the recording it's not what I
01:20:55
say it's what Javier and you said right I guess Leon and the defense team tried to make their point that the
01:21:05
undercover officer was pressuring them into making deadly decisions I kept on telling them I didn't want anybody hurt
01:21:12
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
01:21:19
this idea of killing people and that was never my intent were you asking them just to threaten
01:21:30
people essentially yes did you actually want any harm to come to anybody no but the prosecution points out that when
01:21:39
leyon thought Megan was tied up and refusing to cooperate he did nothing to stop the lethal final step you'd agree
01:21:47
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
01:21:53
you no the jury gets the case has the jury reach unanimous verdict it takes just an
01:22:04
hour and 15 minutes before returning to the courtroom we the jury find the defendant
01:22:10
Leon Philip Jacob guilty of solicitation of capital murder is charged in the indictment Leon is found guilty on both
01:22:18
counts of conspiring to have Megan and Mack kill the trial moves to the sentencing
01:22:25
phase the same jury that found Leon guilty will decide his punishment new testimony begins I have
01:22:34
no sense of trust um just constantly afraid that something else is going to happen the only thing
01:22:44
that might impact Leon's sentence more than the words of his exgirlfriend may end up being the words
01:22:50
of his exwife State calls Annie Morrison Annie Mor has flown in from Chicago to testify yes
01:22:58
there was a time that we got into a fight and he pulled a knife on me there was one time he pushed my head down onto
01:23:05
the counter and and bruised my face near my eye any recounts an incident she says
01:23:11
occurred when she was 7 months pregnant with their second child he threatened to punch me in the
01:23:18
stomach um he kicked my legs I remember I remember bringing my legs up as far as
01:23:26
I could toward my chest to try to protect my stomach he threatened that if I ever left that he would kill
01:23:34
me he said that nobody would ever find my body because he was a doctor and he had access to chemicals that
01:23:43
would that would dissolve my body Annie did leave moving to her parents' home in Chicago that's when
01:23:51
leyon started threatening her parents thank you judge may I publish st's exhibit number 81 to the jury as the
01:23:57
jury heard in this recording Annie made of a phone call with Leon I will torture
01:24:04
them in you the defendant please St the jury took just one hour to decide Leon Jacob's
01:24:18
sentence life in prison on each count solicitation of capital murder for Megan veros and Mac
01:24:29
McDaniel victim M statement please in Texas the victim impact statements come after the sentence Megan
01:24:39
takes the stand one last time you will never see your children grow up you will not be a part of their lives and they
01:24:47
will be F better for it you destroyed me financially and took away my sense of security but you can do that no more
01:24:55
while you sit in jail I hope you think of me the girl that you called poor and uneducated because it's because of me
01:25:02
you will be in prison for life [Music] [Music] where is your emergency okay my mother's
01:26:17
I don't know if she's breathing but she's laying on the ground in the shower I need to go over there see if
01:26:23
she's okay okay how do you know she's down there my dad my dad's over there he's in the bathroom I'm not in
01:26:31
the bathroom okay I need to put you on hold and not it's like a house [Music] pH the actual call came out where the
01:26:44
victim fell in the shower oh just [Music] everywhere supervisor at the scene called and said I think you're going to
01:26:56
want to come up here there's quite a bit of blood I'm thinking this had to have been
01:27:01
some fall Dr newlander said that he removed his wife from the shower and ultimately took her into the bedroom in
01:27:08
order to perform CPR emergency Personnel determined that she was dead shortly after they arrived Leslie was so well
01:27:16
known they were both very active in the philanthropic Community he's delivered thousands of babies so if you you know
01:27:23
you just multiply that out there's literally tens of thousands of people that have some connection to Dr
01:27:29
newlander the medical examiner makes a ruling she slipped and fell in the shower accidental death right I thought
01:27:36
you know how sad and then went about doing the other things that I am supposed to
01:27:42
[Music] do you know this was supposed to be a fall in the shower but we've got blood
01:27:48
on this wall some blood spatter up on uh on an angled wall and then my suspicions began to rise and
01:27:59
I'm wondering if if if we miss something here do you have any explanation as to how that run got on the
01:28:17
wall the best explanation to me is an impact event [Music] on or near the South side of the bed
01:28:27
impacts batter Force impacting liquid blood there was obviously a violent encounter in that bedroom inconsistent
01:28:36
with a scenario where she wakes up goes into the shower slips and is discovered by her
01:28:44
[Music] husband it's a homicide it's an arrest 18 months in the making it was originally ruled an accident but police
01:28:53
have been investigating ever since I don't think people kill people without some reason so why did he do it
01:29:04
maam maam one of the absolute major major points of the prosecution's case was the
01:29:14
911 call from the daughter oh my God my mother my momy Jenna newlander was important to the prosecution and the
01:29:23
defense because she was the only other person in the house at the time of these events
01:29:32
[Music] [Music] inside this Grand Home on the morning of September 17th 2012 is someone
01:30:31
coming a disturbing scene was unfolding my mom my mom my M okay as 23-year-old Jenna newlander frantically called 911
01:30:43
[Music] she Jenna oh my God Jenna's father Dr Robert newlander had screamed to her for help
01:30:57
he said he just found his wife on the floor of the bathroom shower within minutes paramedics arrived
01:31:05
at the house 61-year-old Leslie newlander had suffered a massive head wound she was pronounced dead at the
01:31:13
scene you get a call fall in the shower you show up expecting to see the accident victim near the shower that's
01:31:22
right the expectations are that she's going to be either in the shower or immediately right outside the shower
01:31:29
instead former dwit New York police Sergeant Scott cael found Leslie in the bedroom on the floor close to the bed I
01:31:38
walk into the actual bedroom and that's when I catch all the blood Cil noticed blood in different areas of the bedroom
01:31:45
pulled on the rug and spattered on the wall next to the bed my radar is going off as far as saying uh we need to
01:31:54
answer why why all this blood is here Cil had plenty of questions but Dr newlander seemed to have all the answers
01:32:02
telling investigators that after finding Leslie on the shower floor he carried her out of the bathroom some 60 ft into
01:32:11
the bedroom where he could more comfortably perform CPR something he did despite Jenna's
01:32:22
protests as he's relaying the story about what had occurred and as the medical examiner digesting it and as
01:32:29
we're all digesting it his actual story of step-by-step process fit the pattern of where you saw these different pools
01:32:39
of blood the medical examiner on the scene examined Leslie's injuries and ruled they matched up with Dr newlander
01:32:47
account the death a tragic accident Leslie newlander died from hitting her head on the shower bench the whole thing
01:32:56
was was uh the whole thing was out of uh character with a fall in the shower you've been a cop 20 years had you ever
01:33:03
seen head trauma like that before well not from a fall but as we're listening to the medical examiner explain what
01:33:10
what he feels could have happened you know we're not Physicians we're not forensic Pathologists we're we're police
01:33:16
officers we're investigators so we certainly defer to him the account of Jenna newlander an eyewitness I see
01:33:25
him actually caring her seemed to back up the medical examiner ruling that this was an accident when police interviewed
01:33:32
her as part of their routine investigation he was like putting his face up to her to see if she was
01:33:40
breathing the death of Leslie newlander shook the community everyone knew the newlanders
01:33:48
Mary jellic was a good friend of the newlanders they seemed like the perfect couple the perfect marriage the perfect
01:33:55
family really Leslie was a fabulous woman very vivacious energetic unpretentious she was switched
01:34:02
on yes I know people always speak well of the dead but truly this was her personality to be so giving and
01:34:12
Alive Leslie and Bob gave generously both their time and money they were well known for their philanthropy their
01:34:20
social prominence dovetailed with Robert newlander 's professional standing one of the most highly regarded
01:34:27
gynecologists and Obstetricians in the Syracuse area he delivered a lot of babies around here many many with a lot
01:34:35
of good feelings toward the care he gave those patients for many many years my interactions with Dr nander were joyful
01:34:42
with these wonderful things that were happening and welcoming their baby becoming a family Julie Crosby who
01:34:49
worked with Dr newlander assisting pregnant women says patients were drawn to his supportive demeanor I found Dr
01:34:57
newlander to be compassionate kind knowledgeable that caring way say those who knew them best was a defining value
01:35:06
for this tightly knit family the closeness is plain to see in these birthday tributes for Robert and Leslie
01:35:14
made by their children Emily and Brian from Robert's first marriage and Ari and Jenna from Leslie and Robert's 28-year
01:35:22
marriage mixed with loving teasing for their mother she's like how does everyone know I'm from New York I don't
01:35:28
understand how does everyone know I'm from New York is a deep appreciation thank you for being you I love you the
01:35:38
newlander thoughtfulness was something Mary jellic experienced firsthand after becoming Gravely ill with an infection
01:35:46
while on vacation in the Czech Republic in the summer of 2012 I was in a coma and then in the hospital for 3 weeks
01:35:54
when she finally returned home the first neighbors to check on her were the newlanders I remember hugging everybody
01:36:03
and I remember Leslie saying we're so glad that you made it just 2 Days Later Mary received the devastating news
01:36:12
Leslie was dead a freak accident she'd slipped in the shower I couldn't believe that she had just been to see me and
01:36:20
tell me how grateful she is that I'm alive and she's dead it was shocking it was
01:36:28
overwhelming what did you think about that well at the time I thought I guess that can happen even to a 61-year-old
01:36:35
very healthy athletic person that was the same conclusion onandaga County district
01:36:43
attorney Bill Fitzpatrick reached when he first heard about Leslie's death he believed it was a tragic accident until
01:36:51
a few months later when a tip changed everything I'm going to get to the bottom of
01:37:13
this 3 months after Leslie newlander sudden death Mary jellic began getting some unusual calls from friends what are
01:37:22
they saying we don't think it was an accident and who better to share their concerns with
01:37:28
than a forensic scientist for 11 years Dr Mary jelik was the County's chief medical examiner until she retired in
01:37:38
2009 my focus for my entire career has been to speak for the dead Dr jellic listened carefully there were questions
01:37:47
about all that blood and whispers about the newlander personal life are you hearing about a troubled marriage yes
01:37:55
are you hearing about financial problems yes in recent years Dr newlander thriving practice had been derailed by a
01:38:04
battle with an insurance company and he was now delivering half the number of babies he did
01:38:10
previously Dr jelik was reluctant to get involved but she finally picked up the phone and called her old colleague da
01:38:19
Bill Fitzpatrick did you feel in some way you were betraying the newlanders I felt I was responding
01:38:26
to gossip as it turns out the da had also been hearing things he'd received an anonymous letter just before Jim
01:38:35
bellic's call suggesting a different side to Dr newlander that he's not the you know the good guy that that people
01:38:43
are making him out to be Leslie was trying to break away from this guy jamel's initial Hope was she could soon
01:38:51
put all the speculation to arrest and she volunteers you know pro bono to take a look at the case and would I make the
01:38:59
file available to her and I said absolutely is you began to look at this file what jumped out at you the severity
01:39:06
of the injuries compared to the explanation Leslie had suffered a penetrating wound toward the back of her
01:39:13
head so severe the blood pulled in her eye had you seen head wounds like this before of course in what kind of
01:39:24
cases uh car accidents Falls from uh you know 20 story building um beatings what
01:39:34
might cause this kind of injury a heavy object of some sort you're talking about
01:39:40
getting hit with some object yes what do you tell the district attorney after reviewing the file that this is a
01:39:47
homicide blun head trauma from an assault half a year after Leslie newlander death the investigation picked
01:39:56
up steam police Revisited the death scene to collect more evidence from the now unoccupied newlander home which had
01:40:04
been sold one of the things we find is blood all over the back of a headboard on the bed we also found blood spatter
01:40:11
on the blinds that were behind the bed Dr newlander was living in a new apartment which was also searched by now
01:40:19
he had retained one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the city Edward Menin
01:40:24
this has been an Open Secret and a subject of uh Gossip and irresponsible rumor now for months Dr newlander has
01:40:32
not been charged with any kind of offense M assured the da his client had nothing to hide so much so that 15
01:40:41
months after Leslie's death Dr newlander now retired voluntarily sat for an interview with prosecutors and
01:40:50
investigators even acknowledging there had been problems in their marriage but you were sleeping separately okay what
01:40:58
was the reason for that uh we had uh the thought about a trial separation yet Robert newlander portrays the home as
01:41:07
peaceful and loving despite the issues in their marriage the night before lesli died the couple along with their son Ari
01:41:15
and daughter Jenna had a family dinner at a friend's home after Ari headed back to his college dorm and Jenna went back
01:41:24
home with her parents we said good night to each other we loved each other and everybody kissed and went to their
01:41:31
perspective bedrooms Dr newlander tells the da that early the next morning he went for a jog
01:41:38
at a nearby State Park Green Lakes and then brought Leslie her usual cup of morning coffee when he got back the
01:41:46
shower is on I hear the water running and I place it on the nightstand about an hour later he says
01:41:55
he returned to check on Leslie and there she was lying on the shower floor Dr newlander says he started CPR
01:42:04
and tried to call 911 but the bathroom phone wasn't working so he ran toward Jenna's bedroom yelling for her to call
01:42:12
911 the time 8:25 a.m. my mother's I don't know if she's breathing but she's laying on the ground in the shower he
01:42:21
said he then went back to Leslie and began to move her he says he can't see the lighting is not uh very good in the
01:42:33
bathroom he then put Leslie down just outside the bathroom to give her mouth to mouth before moving her
01:42:44
again I don't know at what age we all learn that you don't move somebody with a serious head or neck injury but we we
01:42:53
all know it and here's a guy that's been practicing medicine for 30 years finally
01:42:58
Dr newlander says he placed his wife next to the bed to continue CPR there's you know more red flags than a bull
01:43:06
fight going off in my head when I hear that story for the first time Fitzpatrick develops his own theory that
01:43:12
hours before that 911 call Dr newlander assaulted his wife in the bedroom and then likely chased her into the bathroom
01:43:22
I think that he struck her on that shower bench she may have already been in the process of dying at that point
01:43:28
Fitzpatrick believes newlander made up the story of finding Leslie in the shower and called for Jenna so he'd have
01:43:35
a witness as he carried his wife back to the bedroom what do you think he was doing when he was moving her I think now
01:43:42
he has got to explain the blood trail from The Assault that took place in the bedroom that eventually made its way
01:43:49
into the bathroom and he's got to do it in reverse he had to move that body himself to explain that blood as for the
01:43:57
blood spattered in the bedroom the da believes Dr newlander didn't realize some of it was there because the
01:44:04
violence took place before the sun was up and don't forget he's committing this crime it's dark he doesn't know where
01:44:11
all the blood is but if Leslie newlander was attacked in her bedroom why were the
01:44:17
sheets nearly pristine the newlanders longtime housekeeper provided a clue to to investigators she looked at the bed
01:44:25
and got upset and said those are not the sheets that were on that bed that Friday
01:44:29
um she was very confident of that the da believes that Dr newlander got rid of the sheets and the weapon on that
01:44:37
alleged morning run I think the murder weapon is at the bottom of Green Lake somewhere along with the the missing
01:44:44
sheets with evidence now mounting the medical examiner changed his original report from accidental death to homicide
01:44:53
nearly 2 years after Leslie new Lander's death her husband Dr Robert newlander was charged with her
01:45:01
murder the defendant moved the body of Leslie newlander after her death to make it appear as if she had died from an
01:45:09
accidental fall in the shower but Dr newlander family says Fitzpatrick has it all wrong Leslie's
01:45:17
own children Stand United with the man accused of murdering their mother [Music]
01:45:33
[Music] in March of 2015 2 and 1/2 years after the death of Leslie newlander high drama
01:45:42
was about to unfold in the onandaga county courthouse has all the elements the rich
01:45:49
defendant a beautiful wife and the Mystery surrounding it was it an accident was it a homicide so it was
01:45:55
huge it was huge for this community Not only was a prominent doctor on trial but
01:46:00
two of Syracuse's top trial lawyers were squaring off to determine his guilt or innocence people were stopping you on
01:46:08
the street you know hey Fitz uh how's it look or go get him or I hope you lose I
01:46:14
have never had a client whose innocence I believe in more firmly than him Ed Menin spoke to local reporters but
01:46:22
declined find our request for an interview if either one of them finds blood in the water they go right for it
01:46:30
we asked retired local attorney Jim Stevens to explain the defense's case he's a CBS News consultant who attended
01:46:37
the trial it was going to be riveting it was a top-notch trial all the way around each day in court began with the
01:46:45
same scene in the hallways free on a $100,000 bail the doctor would arrive flanked not only by his children but by
01:46:54
Leslie's sister and brother he didn't do it that's the message he didn't do it it
01:47:01
was not a crime the state has bigger hurdles to contend with than just images prosecutors have no weapon and no
01:47:10
clear-cut motive is it risky to go to a jury without those things sure sure they
01:47:16
I mean the jurors you know they're not any different than you and I they want they want answers Fitzpatrick believes
01:47:22
the evidence like the blood spatter in the bedroom will tell the jury that this was no accident and he's Enlisted the
01:47:29
help of forensic scientist Karen green to make his case blood stains can tell you a lot they can tell you a lot and
01:47:37
they're associated with just about every crime scene that we go to there were no
01:47:41
cameras in the courtroom so we asked green to take us through her blood spatter analysis there was spatter on
01:47:48
the headboard there was spatter on items on the nightstand just south of the bed
01:47:52
spatter on the blinds above the bed and there were spatter on the south wall that was about seven feet to the south
01:47:59
of the bed tell us about the South Wall we've been referencing it what are the two spatters that are marked sbd1 that's
01:48:07
an area where we saw over 100 spatter stains the prosecution contends the spatter was primarily something called
01:48:16
impact spatter created when Leslie was attacked in the bedroom to better understand the terminology we built a
01:48:23
set and supplied Karen green with Stage blood to give us a rudimentary lesson when we talk about impact spatter what
01:48:32
does that mean impact spatter is force supplied to liquid blood so I'm going to pour some of our artificial blood here
01:48:39
into my hand and I'm going to punch it and that's Force going into a blood Source the force impacts the blood and
01:48:46
the blood spatters yes and then the blood breaks up into smaller drops it's impact that's one way blood gets
01:49:00
out you can see how it's it's radiating out we have some smaller stains with some directionality up to the top for
01:49:07
the newlander case green conducted various experiments trying to recreate the spatter in the bedroom going so far
01:49:14
as placing a rock covered in plastic and a wig on a bed to simulate Leslie's head
01:49:20
I had a location that that was similar to the newlander bedroom with the slanted ceiling I used all the
01:49:26
measurements that were in the scene the approximate height of the bed I had a nightstand and then I put liquid blood
01:49:34
and I impacted it I just had to verify that an impact on or near the South side of the bed could create spatter six to
01:49:43
7even feet away in the same distribution and could it I was able to recreate with
01:49:48
an impact event an impact scenario all of the spatter that I saw in this bedroom but the defense mocked
01:49:55
Green's methods and said they amounted to nothing more than whacking a mannequin over the head the defense had
01:50:03
their own blood spatter expert he testified it was not possible to determine if lesli's death had been an
01:50:09
accident or a homicide because the investigation had been flawed there were not enough closeup pictures of the blood
01:50:17
some of the evidence in question like the headboard and the blinds had been collected months after after the
01:50:23
incident emergency Personnel had walked all over the scene in fact the defense suggested that EMTs may have been
01:50:31
responsible for some of the blood spatter First Responders probably had blood on their hands and that the gloves
01:50:38
were just peeled off and in so doing the blood flies from the gloves and you don't have an impact but you have a cast
01:50:45
off the defense also argued that the blood could have been cast off by Dr newlander himself the doctor doctor said
01:50:53
he'd been wearing a longsleeve shirt that became so wet and bloody as he tried to frantically save his wife's
01:50:59
life that he pulled it off those spatters by the bed were caused by him removing a shirt Fitzpatrick scoffs at
01:51:08
those theories pointing out that paramedics are trained to carefully remove their gloves and that no gloves
01:51:15
or shirt could account for the amount of blood in that room that doesn't explain
01:51:20
any of the blood it's a significant amount of blood the defense insists it was an accident and that there may have
01:51:26
been a good reason why Leslie newlander fell that morning she had vertigo a dizziness disorder Leslie's personal
01:51:34
trainer told the jury that Leslie's condition had grown worse and her sister Joanne testified that it ran in the
01:51:42
family and that she herself suffered from it the idea of her sister testifying is
01:51:49
that affecting your view of the case sure why wouldn't she be mad in hell and why wouldn't she be saying I'm not
01:51:57
testifying for you what are you crazy you killed my sister to bolster their case of an accidental death the defense
01:52:04
hired Dr Daniel Spitz a medical examiner working in Michigan who's seen more than
01:52:10
a share of traumatic head injuries his testimony basically is the massive head wound that caused her death was caused
01:52:19
as a result of her falling in the shower show against the stone bench if Leslie sustained an injury in the shower by her
01:52:27
head striking the stone bench what does this do for Dr newlander defense the home run but the prosecution countered
01:52:36
that Leslie suffered at least two blows to her skull and that the wounds were not consistent with her head striking a
01:52:43
straight edge like a stone shower bench it should be like a simple linear fracture uh with some bleeding
01:52:50
underneath of it but you don't get the complex depressed fracture like this Dr jimell did not testify a trial but
01:52:59
consulted with the prosecution Leslie's other injuries they say don't add up to a slip and fall there were abrasions
01:53:08
scrapes of the skin on her cheek bruising on her nose more on the left side of the cheek as well bruising and
01:53:16
scraping on her neck if she slipped and fell in the shower why aren't there any injuries to her back neck or her legs
01:53:24
her knees her elbows critical to the prosecution's case not just how Leslie newlander died but when Dr Spitz
01:53:33
estimated Leslie died around 7:30 a.m. but the da makes the case that her death could have occurred as early as
01:53:42
4:15 which fits his theory of a pre-dawn assault the time of death is absolutely
01:53:49
inconsistent with the defendant story there is now now just one more witness left to testify the doctor's daughter
01:53:57
what did she see that terrible morning oh my God she was there she was there [Music]
01:54:27
the day that Jenna was to testify The Spectators were lined up in anticipation of what she was going to say 2 and a
01:54:34
half years after Jenna newlander beloved mother Leslie died thank you for being you I love you the now 25-year-old
01:54:43
devoted daughter is about to take the stand to defend her father there was no doubt there was pain in that courtroom
01:54:51
when she testified she's trying to secure her father's freedom and she's dealing with the death of her mother
01:55:00
right I don't know how she got on the stand to do it she's the only other eyewitness she was very very important
01:55:06
to the outcome of this case with all eyes on her Jenna tearfully describes the mother she lost
01:55:15
she was genuinely upset and mournful about testifying the testimony forced her to bring some memories to the
01:55:24
surface of her mother who she clearly loved very very much Jenna then tells the jury what happened in the newlanders
01:55:31
home in the hours before her mother died she says she was with her mom in Leslie's bedroom until 2 a.m. and Jenna
01:55:40
clearly remembers the sheets on her mother's bed that night she says they're the same ones in the death scene photos
01:55:47
sheets the housekeeper said had been changed the changing of the sheets was a significant issue and why would you
01:55:56
change the sheets change the sheets because there was blood on it no bloody sheets there's no impact event right on
01:56:02
the bed I need to go over there and see if she's okay okay then there's perhaps the most critically important piece of
01:56:09
evidence I need to be on hold I'm not it's like a house pH the later part of the 911 call Jenna
01:56:18
put the call on hold in her mother's office to get closer to the bathroom room where Leslie
01:56:23
was oh my God everywhere you both sides argue Jenna's cry there's blood everywhere is key and supports their
01:56:35
case to demonstrate the arguments we made an animation of parts of the newlander home based on evidence the
01:56:43
prosecution presented at trial the prosecution believes as Jenna was running into the bathroom she passes
01:56:51
blood here and here a trail of blood that could not yet exist unless Robert newlander attacked
01:57:03
Leslie earlier in the bedroom and then left her in the shower she has passed the entrance to the bathroom where uh
01:57:12
there's a significant amount of Blood on the wall that only could have come from
01:57:16
Leslie's head perhaps uh by being pushed against that wall or perhaps being chased the da says Jenna then grabbed
01:57:25
the landline phone in the water closet to reconnect with 911 and yells there's blood everywhere oh god there blood
01:57:34
everywhere you you're saying it's a big deal how she even phrased oh my God there's blood
01:57:42
everywhere that her mother's not part of that sentence exactly her initial response would have been oh my God my
01:57:51
mother's bleeding my mother's on the ground she would have referenced what she was seeing Fitzpatrick believes
01:57:57
Jenna drops the phone and the call captures seconds later the exact moment when she first sees her mom as Dr
01:58:05
newlander starts to carry Leslie's body around the corner out of the shower and into Jenna's view it is then she lets
01:58:14
loose a cry of pure anguish oh my God oh my God my my m as painful as it is to listen through it
01:58:25
is inconceivable that that call is anything other than a declaration of guilt against her father but the defense
01:58:34
says the same call proves Dr newlander innocence that when Jenna runs into the bathroom there is no blood on the walls
01:58:42
yet Jenna testifies she picks up the phone by the toilet drops it because it isn't working while rushing to help her
01:58:50
father they carry her mother to this area right outside the bathroom and Jenna says it is at that point she takes
01:58:58
a cordless phone from her mother's dressing room and reconnects with the 911 operator in the defense view this is
01:59:06
when Jenna sees blood on and around her mother this is when she yells there's blood everywhere oh my god there blood
01:59:15
everywhere you the defenses take on that is that her mother is present in front of her and she's reacting to her mother
01:59:24
the blood that's on her mother and maybe Blood on the wall and on the on the floor as well Jen was asked on the stand
01:59:31
did you see blood on your way to the water closet correct she answered what she said no that supports the notion
01:59:40
that the first time she saw blood she was looking at her mother correct the da though doesn't believe
01:59:46
Jenna could do everything she claims to have done during the 13 seconds the 911 call was on hold Fitzpatrick tried it
01:59:55
himself and says it took him about 50 seconds it is not physically possible to do that in 13 seconds it's not even a
02:00:04
close question there is one other part of Jenna's testimony that may be crucial Jenna tells the jury that as her father
02:00:14
was tending to her mother in the bedroom she saw him take off a blood soaked shirt and throw it to the side now
02:00:21
remember the defense suggested that tossing this bloody shirt may have caused some of the
02:00:27
blood spatter in the bedroom but the shirt has never been found there isn't a single witness that
02:00:37
saw him with a long sleeve shirt on other than Jenna if we injected Jenna newlander
02:00:44
with truth serum and said did your father kill your mother she would say no I don't think in her mind
02:00:52
Jenna believes that her father did this I think she is created a protective World in her mind where Mom slipped and
02:01:00
fell in the [Music] shower but the question now isn't what Jenna believes it's what the jury
02:01:11
believes I'm worried that they're having an emotional reaction to the agony of this
02:01:19
girl they know that this girl wants them to vote not guilty and they know that this 60 plusy old defendant is unlikely
02:01:32
to reoffend and all of those emotions can play to the detriment of a case that has
02:01:42
to be proven Beyond A Reasonable Doubt [Music] [Music] after eight grueling days of testimony
02:02:04
district attorney Bill Fitzpatrick addressed the jury one last time for closing arguments asking them to pay
02:02:11
close attention to the physical evidence specifically the blood spatter on the walls and the injuries to Leslie
02:02:18
newlander body as I said many in a trial Leslie will speak to you ladies and gentlemen
02:02:24
you have to listen to her and also to listen carefully to the words of Jenna nander in that critical 911 call oh
02:02:33
everywhere it proves his guilt Beyond any shout of a doubt but there's one thing the da could not share with the
02:02:40
jury what he suspects was the motive that sent Robert newlander into a murderous rage that morning
02:02:47
investigators learned from a friend of the newlander family that Leslie was planning on signing a lease for a new
02:02:53
apartment on the day she died Leslie was on her way out and this is not a guy that can deal with that but this was not
02:03:03
presented at trial Fitzpatrick says because the memory of that witness changed she later said the apartment was
02:03:10
for both Leslie and Robert Ed M strongly denies these accusations and insists there was no motive in the summation he
02:03:20
didn't just say not guilty he said innocent innocent he said innocent throughout the jury would deliberate for
02:03:30
3 days before alerting the judge they had reached a verdict Robert newlander returned to the
02:03:37
courthouse once again arm in-arm with his family the pain etched on his children's
02:03:46
Faces 2 and 1/2 years after Leslie newlander death the jury found Robert newlander guilty of her
02:03:55
murder a heartbroken Jenna newlander broke the Silence of the hushed courtroom crying out loud to her father
02:04:03
I was there you didn't do it let me know when everybody said I'm only saying it once outside the
02:04:11
courtroom of visibly shaken Ed Menin addressed the media Bob nolander is the most honorable person I have ever met
02:04:21
this case this has been a travesty from start to finish it is not finished and so the newlander children
02:04:31
turned to attorney Gerald charel legendary for his defense of my boss John Gotti to handle their father's
02:04:38
appeal charel wasted little time calling for a hearing to throw out newlander conviction alleging there was serious
02:04:46
juror misconduct in the spotlight a juror named Jonna Lorraine according to an alternate juror Lorraine had received
02:04:56
texts and other Communications about the case during trial against judge Miller's
02:05:02
orders not to discuss the case a search of the accused juror's phone revealed she had received some potentially
02:05:10
prejudicial texts including one from her father which read make sure he's guilty
02:05:16
but Weeks Later the judge upheld Dr new Lander's conviction pointing out the jur
02:05:22
had been undecided in early stages of deliberations and in the end the judge ruled she had taken her role
02:05:33
seriously almost 4 months after the verdict sentencing would finely commence with family photos on display
02:05:43
the newlander children return to the courthouse for the first time all right cameras are allowed in court
02:05:53
facing a maximum sentence of 25 years to Life newlander Family begged the judge for the minimum sentence of 15 years
02:06:01
Leslie's sister Joanne spoke on the Family's behalf had any of us even slightly suspected Foul Play of any sort
02:06:09
we would not be here today on B's behalf and then it was time for Robert newlander to address the court my head
02:06:18
is unbowed by the verdict of this court for an innocent man has been wrongfully convicted I would not it did not take a
02:06:30
life I love my wife Leslie very much and I mourn her every day now and forever the judge sentenced Robert newlander to
02:06:41
20 years to life in a New York state prison in the jury's eyes Dr newlander you intentionally murdered your wife and
02:06:48
then attempted to use your own daughter to cover a daughter who most clearly Ador you
02:06:55
which is as diabolical as a against as drct newlander is escorted out of the courtroom to begin his sentence Jenna
02:07:04
calls out love you Dad the newlander children have now lost not only their mother but their father
02:07:12
as well I I I hate what this is done to Jenna that's probably the most painful thing of all he brought Jenna into that
02:07:21
process he made her a witness for his own purposes and that is cruel but Dr Mary jellic knows she has
02:07:33
also played a role in their suffering do you have any regret about your involvement in this
02:07:40
case no this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my whole career however it was the right thing to
02:07:49
do and I hold on to that we are finally giving Leslie the acknowledgment of what
02:07:58
happened to her [Music] [Music] he [Music]