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[Music] Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at
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any time you need support, please contact your local crisis center. For suggested phone numbers, for
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confidential support, and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this
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episode on your app or on our website. At approximately 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2015, 911 dispatchers
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in New York State received a phone call from a distressed sounding woman. Strong winds and rolling waves
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could be heard in the background as the woman immediately explained, "I'm in the Hudson River by
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the Cornwall Yach Club. My fiance fell in the water. Can you please call anybody?"
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The caller identified herself as Angelica. She said that she and her fianceé Vincent had been kayaking back
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from Banaman's Island, also known as Polipel Island, about 50 mi north of New York City, when Vincent's kayak
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capsized. He'd become separated from it, and the current was pulling him south while the waves pushed Angelica in her
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kayak north. "I can't get to him," Angelica said. It's very windy and the waves are coming
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in. I can't paddle to him. He's getting further and further away from me. He's going to drown. Please call
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somebody. The dispatcher urged Angelica to stay calm, reassuring her that help was on the way. Angelica said she could
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still see Vincent's head above the water, but warned that it was getting very bad as the distance between them
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grew. She revealed that Vincent wasn't wearing a life jacket, but was clinging to a
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small buoyant cushion from his kayak. "Hold on, baby!" she shouted to him. As time wore on, Angelica's panic
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escalated. She suddenly screamed, "Oh my god, I can't see him anymore." Angelica said she could see a
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rescue boat approaching, but found little comfort in its arrival. I'm not worried about myself, she told
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the dispatcher. I'm worried about Vince. I think he drowned. I need him to be rescued. Then, without warning, the
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harrowing 15-minute call abruptly cut off. [Music] [Music] [Music] A civilian rescue boat from the Cornwall
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Yacht Club raced toward the unfolding emergency on the Hudson River. By this point, the sun had almost set
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and the wind was picking up as a storm approached. Chilled by recent mountain snow melt, the Hudson was a brisk 46° F
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or just under 8° C. Its surface was choppy with swells reaching 3 to 4 ft high. As the rescuers navigated the
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treacherous conditions, they wondered why anyone in their right mind would have chosen to go kayaking that
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evening. They soon spotted 35-year-old Angelica Grwald struggling in the rough, frigid waters. She was bolstered by a
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life jacket while her red kayak drifted nearby, overturned in the waves. The rescuers pulled Angelica to safety,
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but couldn't see anyone else in the river. Once ashore, the cold and distressed Angelica was rushed to the
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hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia, a life-threatening condition caused by exposure to cold
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temperatures, resulting in the body losing heat faster than it can produce it. Though visibly shaken and in shock,
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Angelica was able to tell the police about the events that had taken place that day. Kayaking on the Hudson was a
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springtime tradition for herself and her 46-year-old fiance, Vincent Vapor. It was their mutual love for
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outdoor adventure that had partly drawn the pair together in the first place. Vincent, known to his friends as Vince
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or Vinnie, grew up by the Hudson River and had a deep love for all things water related, be it fishing, swimming, or
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water sports. Vincent had taken up kayaking with his first wife, a hobby they'd enjoyed together until their amicable
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split. His passion for the sport remained, and he continued to hone his skills over the years, with the Hudson
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River becoming one of his favorite places to paddle. Angelica had grown up in Latvia where
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her childhood was defined by camping, volleyball, swimming, and fishing. Like Vincent, she was a
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seasoned kayaker, and the two hit the water so frequently that they kept their kayaks in their living room.
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Angelica told the police that she and Vincent were nursing hangovers that Sunday, but the unseasonably warm
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weather convinced them to squeeze in their first kayaking trip of the season. While they knew a storm was
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forecast for later that night, they fully intended to finish their outing before
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then. Their plan was to kayak to Banaman's Island, which was named after the ruins of an abandoned military
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surplus warehouse built there in 1901. [Music] The uninhabited island, which was
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roughly 1,000 ft from the river's eastern shore, was only accessible by boat and off limits to visitors outside
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scheduled tours due to the fragile and hazardous condition of the ruins. However, Angelica was intimately
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familiar with the area. For the past 3 years, she had volunteered as a gardener with the
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island's preservation society. She tended to the island every Wednesday and had formed close friendships with
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its caretakers. She adored its natural beauty and rich ornate history. Its crown jewel, the remnants
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of the Scottish inspired Banaman's castle, reminded her of the architecture in Latvia. Despite the restrictions on
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visiting the island, Angelica and Vincent ventured out there anyway. Angelica said she showered as Vincent
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packed their car with their kayaks, two 8 foot6 Clearwater Affinities. Both were Fusion 124 models,
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hers red, his blue. Angelica's kayak was stored inside the vehicle, while Vincent's was
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strapped to the roof. They set off from their apartment in the riverside city of Pikipsy and drove 30
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minutes south to their destination, stopping at a fast food restaurant for a quick bite along the
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[Music] way. It was a little after 400 p.m. when the couple launched their kayaks from
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Plum Point Park, located on the eastern shore of the Hudson River. The water was calm, although colder than
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they anticipated. Angelica took her purse with her cell phone, while Vincent brought a waterproof bag containing a
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camera and a couple of beers. According to Angelica, neither of them typically wore a life jacket, but
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this time Vincent convinced her to wear hers. He didn't own one, so he went without. The journey to Benaman's Island
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was expected to take 30 to 45 minutes at a moderate pace. As they paddled, the couple
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admired the scenic beauty of the Hudson Valley with Breakneck Ridge to the east and Storm King Mountain to the
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west. Banaman's Castle with its lush garden surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot the couple
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had planned that day. Angelica was an avid nature photographer and Vincent shared her love for
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capturing special moments. They were considering using the island for their upcoming wedding
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photos. The trip to the island was smooth and uneventful. Once there, they pulled
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their kayaks ashore and climbed the stairs to explore the castle ruins. They had originally planned a sexy photo
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shoot featuring Angelica in lingerie, fishnet stockings, and heels, but the unexpectedly cold temperature caused
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them to rethink the idea. Instead, they wandered around, enjoyed their beers, and took candid
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photos of one another. Their initial plan was to paddle around to the other side of the island, but as
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the sun began to set, they decided to head back to the mainland instead. By the time they were halfway
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across the river, the tide had shifted and the forecasted storm was rolling in. The growing wind and waves made the
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return trip far more strenuous. Vincent remained upbeat as he paddled ahead of Angelica, navigating the
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rolling waves with his usual playful spirit. "Baby, this is an adventure of a lifetime," he called out. "But
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Angelica's concerns were mounting. The waves were splashing into the cockpit of Vincent's kayak, causing
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it to flood and ride lower in the water. His kayak became increasingly unstable and he struggled in the rough
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conditions. Suddenly, Vincent's kayak flipped, throwing him into the cold, dark water. Angelica watched in horror as he
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clung to his kayak and its buoyant seat cushion. "Just hold on," Angelica yelled
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as she grabbed Vincent's wewood paddle from the river and secured it to her own kayak.
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She tried to paddle toward him, but the gusty wind and choppy waves kept pushing
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them further apart. Though Vincent was athletic and a strong swimmer, the powerful current and
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icy water made it difficult for him to stay afloat. I don't think I am going to make
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it, he shouted. Unwilling to imagine the alternative, Angelica replied with optimism. What are you talking about?
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You're going to make it, of course. Vincent watched on as Angelica fought a losing battle to reach
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him. Soon, he lost contact with his sinking kayak and was left clinging only to the small seat
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cushion. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he yelled at Angelica to call 911. While Angelica was speaking to the
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operator, she too was thrown into the water, losing her cell phone into its icy depth as she
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went. Her life jacket kept her afloat, but she had lost sight of Vincent [Music]
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entirely. The police sympathized with Angelica as the search for her fianceé intensified. While she expressed hope
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that Vincent might still be alive, the authorities weren't as certain. In addition to not wearing a
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life jacket, Vincent hadn't been dressed in appropriate outerear, such as a dry or wet suit, to help him endure the cold
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river. The temperature of the water that evening was low enough to trigger a cold
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shock response, a sudden and involuntary reaction that would have caused Vincent
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to lose control of his breathing. Exacerbated by panic, he would have begun hyperventilating, taking rapid,
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shallow breaths and exhaling more air than he inhaled. This would have left him feeling dizzy, lightaded, and short of
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breath while making him weak and confused. Within minutes of being in the water, Vincent's body temperature would
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have dropped below 95° F or 35° C, putting him at risk of hypothermia. As his core temperature
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plummeted, Vincent's heart, nervous system, and other organs would have functioned less
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efficiently. Even if Vincent had been trained in self-rescue techniques or if Angelica had been able to assist him,
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the situation would have been incredibly difficult to manage. Once Vincent was separated from
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his kayak, reuniting with it would have been almost impossible. As the owner of a Hudson
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River kayaking company explained, "Whatever is in the water is going to go with the current, and
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whatever is on the water will go with the [Music] wind." In other words, the current would
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have dragged Vincent in one direction while the wind pushed his kayak in another.
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As hypothermia set in, numbing Vincent's extremities and slowing his movements, he would have become sluggish, drowsy,
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and lethargic. Save for a miracle, it was highly likely that Vincent Vapor had drowned. By daybreak on Monday, April
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20, approximately 12 hours had passed since the accident, and there was still no sign of Vincent in the Hudson
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River. In what would become the worst phone call of her life, Vincent's mother, Maryanne, received the
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devastating news of her son's disappearance. Vincent's absence was immediately felt by his loved ones.
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As the life of the party, Vincent was the center of attention with his fun-loving, big-hearted
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personality. He was quick to help others and always made people smile, with one friend
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remarking, "You couldn't find anyone who would say a bad word about Vincent." Vincent's friendly, carefree disposition
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had earned him a large group of lifelong friends whom he saw most weekends at one
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of the many bars along Peripsy's main street. There he entertained onlookers with his dancing, karaoke, and billiard
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skills. It was at one of these bars in September 2013 that he had first met Angelica Grasswald.
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Angelica had arrived in the United States 13 years prior at the age of 20 seeking travel and new
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experiences. She initially took up work as a nanny, but caring for three young children proved overwhelming and she
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quit after 6 months. What was only supposed to be a one-year visit turned into an indefinite
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stay as Angelica grew enamored with America and became a permanent resident. Over the next decade, she worked various
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jobs, studied, and dated until she met Vincent Vapor. According to those who witnessed
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their romance, it was love at first [Music] sight. The couple seems like a perfect
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match. In addition to their shared love of the outdoors, Vincent and Angelica were both outgoing and enjoyed a vibrant
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social life. They had both been married twice before and neither had children. After dating for 3 weeks,
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Angelica moved into Vincent's Pikipsy rental apartment. She quit her job as a bartender to focus on her photography
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and to volunteer on Banaman's Island. 5 months later, Vincent proposed to her with an onion ring from a habachi
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grill. Despite the whirlwind pace of their relationship, Vincent's friends could see that he was seriously
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committed to Angelica. For the first time in his life, he spoke about wanting children. He was also learning
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Angelica's native language and even traveled to Latvia to meet her family. Upon greeting Angelica's mother, Vincent
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said, "Hi, Mom." before embracing her warmly. Angelica's family adored Vincent immediately, telling her, "He's one of
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ours." During this time, Vincent posted a photo online of him and Angelica kissing on a
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balcony at sunset with the caption, "The wedding's going to be in Europe on the Baltic Sea, but we plan to
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do a Hudson River cruise party with whatever friends want to party with us." The couple were rarely apart. On
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Saturday, April 18, 2015, the evening before their fateful kayaking trip, Vincent and Angelica went out drinking
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with friends. As the night wore on, Vincent wanted to keep partying, but Angelica,
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who had grown quiet and withdrawn, suggested they call it a night and head home. Vincent eventually
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agreed. Before they left, he looked out over the Hudson River and casually remarked to one of his friends that he
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wanted to go kayaking. "What are you crazy?" his friend replied, knowing the river was
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choppy and cold. His friend cautioned. "You can't go in the water. Don't even think about
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it." But Vincent, ever the free spirit and adventurer, couldn't be talked out of anything.
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[Music] When news of Vincent Vapor's disappearance spread, his family and friends rushed to the shoreline near
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Benamman's Island to join the search efforts. Adverse weather hampered their progress, and the search had to be
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periodically suspended, awaiting better conditions. Meanwhile, members of the local
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community were stunned to learn that experienced kayakers had ventured out on the Hudson River at such a
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time. One local kayaker told reporters that it was far too early in the season and too cold for such an excursion,
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while a spokesperson for the Benaman Castle Trust made it clear that Angelica and Vincent should never have been on
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the island alone. Others criticized Vincent for failing to take proper safety precautions. One kayaking expert told
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the New York Times, "Any experienced paddler wears a personal flotation device all the time,
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every time, period, "You would never see a professional paddler without it. Whether you're on a pond or in the
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Mediterranean, it's a big deal." Some believed the tragedy could have been avoided if Vincent had dawned a
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spray skirt, a flexible waterproof cover that seals around the kayaker's waist and over the cockpit, preventing water
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from entering the vessel. When the couple's kayaks were recovered from the waters near Plumpoint
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Park, the models they were using were determined to be ills suited for the choppy conditions and long distances of
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the Hudson River. Theirs were only 8'6, while longer touring kayaks ranging from 13 to 15 ft
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were typically used in the area as they offered a better buoyancy and stability. Vincent and Angelica's white
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water kayaks provided little to no additional flotation, making them better suited for calmer lakes or
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ponds. Over the coming days, authorities scoured the rocky sandy shorelines and great depths of the river for Vincent
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Vapor. They urged fishermen and other water users to keep an eye out for his body, which could have been carried by
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the current anywhere along a 150 m stretch. The police utilized their scuba, canine, and aviation units, but
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no trace of Vincent was found. His loved ones, accepting that he was likely deceased, could do little but
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hope that his body would be recovered so they could give him a proper farewell. Angelica posted pictures of
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herself and Vincent to social media along with inspirational poetry expressing her hope that he would be
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found alive. Please keep your prayers for Vince. Miracles are possible, she wrote.
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Days after the incident, Angelica appeared in a televised interview, sobbing into her hands and struggling to
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find the words as she described the moment Vincent vanished beneath the waves. "I just kept thinking, "Where?
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Where? Where is he?" she said solemnly. [Music] But while Angelica appeared to be
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devastated, her behavior elsewhere was drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. When friends called to check in
00:22:23
on Angelica, they noted that she seemed unusually calm. She didn't shed any tears in front of Vincent's distraught
00:22:30
family either. When asked about the accident, Angelica coolly replied, "You know, it's a tragic thing. What can I
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say about it? Some of Angelica's friends thought that she seemed at peace, as though a
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heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. A memorial night was held for Vincent at a local bar during which
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Angelica performed a karaoke version of Hotel California by American rock band The Eagles.
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Some viewed her performance as a little too happy for someone who had just lost their
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fianceé. Angelica's heartfelt social media posts about Vincent soon gave way to pictures and videos of herself doing
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alcoholic shots, smoking cigars, performing cartwheels, smiling in selfies, and even doing yoga by the
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Hudson River. In a move considered by many as distasteful, she uploaded an old picture
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of herself kayaking in stormy weather without a life jacket on with the seemingly sarcastic caption referencing
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Vincent's ordeal. If only I could have paddled harder, "Damn it." Some interpreted Angelica's behavior as
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an attempt to put on a brave face as she continued to tell friends, "There's still a chance they'll
00:23:54
find Vincent, there's still a chance." Others felt Angelica was being marketkedly insensitive, and they were
00:24:03
perplexed by what they viewed as her lack of genuine emotion in response to the tragedy.
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At one point, Angelica even suggested that investigators suspend the search for Vincent to join her for drinks at a
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party she was hosting to celebrate Vincent's life. She also missed an appointment
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with police to discuss the case because she said she was having a good time at an animal sanctuary.
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They rescheduled for the following day, but Angelica failed to show up for that appointment too, repeating the same
00:24:38
excuse. The police had to reiterate the importance of the appointment and stressed that it should be a priority
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before Angelica apologized and arrived to speak with them later that day. The police knew that people coped with
00:24:53
the trauma and grief differently, sometimes in ways that didn't entirely make sense. They treated Angelica kindly,
00:25:02
apologizing profusely for making her relive her painful experience in order to assist their
00:25:09
investigation. Angelica told them she understood why they wanted to question her, saying that the incident had
00:25:15
occurred under quote suspicious circumstances. The police asked what she meant by
00:25:24
that. She didn't provide a clear answer and instead steered the conversation in a different
00:25:31
direction. Throughout the police interview, Angelica smoked cigarettes, breathed heavily, and repeatedly
00:25:38
mentioned that she didn't feel well. At the end, she offered the interviewing detective a $10 Google Play
00:25:46
gift card as a thank you for his help. When he explained that he couldn't accept it, she attempted to give him a
00:25:53
homemade figurine, which he also declined. On her way out, she was overheard asking a companion if they
00:26:02
would go out with her that night for a steak and some wine. Suspicions toward Angelica heightened
00:26:13
when a rescuer from the Cornwall Yacht Club stated that they believed she had intentionally flipped her kayak just
00:26:20
moments before they arrived. Then there was the matter of the cell phone Angelica had used to call
00:26:27
911 on the night Vincent disappeared. She claimed to have lost it in the water when she capsized, but an eyewitness
00:26:36
from the rescue boat reported seeing it in her possession as they headed to shore. Some of Vincent's friends were
00:26:44
also dubious about Angelica's version of events. While they acknowledged that Vincent could be a bit of an adrenaline
00:26:51
junkie, they also knew that he always took precautions. One friend remarked that Angelica's
00:26:58
account, quote, just didn't jive with me. But there was no clear motive for Angelica wanting Vincent out of the
00:27:09
picture, at least not initially. It wasn't until the police spoke with Vincent's sister that they
00:27:16
uncovered a startling detail. 6 months before Vincent disappeared, Angelica had become the primary
00:27:24
beneficiary of two of his life insurance policies with a combined total of $550,000. Vincent told his sister that
00:27:35
he'd made the change in order to designate Angelica as his domestic partner so she could be added to his
00:27:40
health insurance plan. However, after Vincent went missing, Angelica had reportedly talked about
00:27:48
what she could do with the money. As police dug further, they discovered that Angelica had a tendency
00:27:56
to become violent with Vincent when she was drunk. She had been witnessed slapping
00:28:02
him hard across the face multiple times. Vincent never reacted, but just looked at her and remained calm.
00:28:11
Two weeks before the kayaking accident, Vincent texted a friend expressing doubts about his relationship, admitting
00:28:18
that he didn't think it was going to work out. The next day, he had a change of heart, saying that Angelica had become
00:28:26
so afraid of losing him that they had managed to sort their problems out. While Vincent's long-term position as a
00:28:34
project manager with the state of New York paid well, it emerged that he'd been struggling financially and had even
00:28:41
declared bankruptcy in 2010. His liabilities far exceeded his assets with a deficit of more than
00:28:51
$26,000. As a result, his Jeep Grand Cherokee Sport utility vehicle and Stingray power boat had been
00:28:58
repossessed. These financial issues seemed to have impacted Vincent's relationship with
00:29:06
Angelica. According to friends of the couple, Vincent had postponed their wedding several
00:29:13
times. Eventually, he gave Angelica an ultimatum, find a job by the end of the month, or he would kick her out of his
00:29:24
apartment. When the search for Vincent Vapor's body reached its ninth fruitless day, investigators contacted Angelica to
00:29:32
inform her of their plans to return to Banaman's Island for a more thorough examination of the
00:29:38
site. "Oh, good," she replied. "Maybe I'll see you out there." Angelica intended to lay a
00:29:46
wreath in the water as a tribute to Vincent. The following morning, three case detectives conducted a search of the
00:29:54
island as planned, but found nothing of significance. Angelica arrived at around
00:30:01
noon. She greeted the waiting detectives with hugs before they asked her to retrace her steps from the day Vincent
00:30:09
vanished. During Angelica's reenactment, the detectives highlighted the inconsistencies they had uncovered in
00:30:16
her story, including the conflicting accounts about her dropping her cell phone. In response, Angelica's behavior
00:30:24
grew increasingly erratic. She appeared to lose focus and chain smoked two cigarettes before
00:30:31
clutching her stomach as though in pain and repeatedly asking to use the bathroom.
00:30:38
Eventually, she began to cry. Angelica, something is not right. One of the detectives said, "You are not
00:30:47
being honest with us. It's important to tell the truth. We need to know what happened." Angelica agreed, but said
00:30:56
that she wasn't ready. She was asked if she would feel more comfortable speaking with the
00:31:02
detective alone rather than in front of the group. She agreed and detective Donald Duoto
00:31:09
was selected to speak with her privately. The pair had a near hour-ong conversation before Detective Duoto
00:31:18
regrouped with the other investigators and announced, "You're not going to believe
00:31:25
this." According to Dutoto, when he and Angelica were alone, she sat down and lit another cigarette.
00:31:33
Dartto firmly told Angelica, "Just tell me what's going on." She replied cryptically. "You know about the plug,
00:31:50
right?" Detective Dorto had no idea what Angelica was talking about and asked her
00:31:56
to tell him more. Angelica responded. Vincent didn't have the plug in his kayak. She was referring to the drain
00:32:07
plug, a small but crucial part located on the top side of the stern above the water
00:32:14
line. Drain plugs are screwed into place and removed on dry land to expel water that's caught inside the kayak by
00:32:21
flipping it over. When Vincent's kayak was recovered, the plug was notably missing. Without it, the kayak had an
00:32:31
open hole about the size of a nickel on top. While this wouldn't have been a problem during the karma paddle to
00:32:38
Banaman's Island, the worsening conditions on the return trip could have splashed water into the hole,
00:32:45
theoretically sinking the kayak. Detective Duoto asked Angelica, "Is that why Vincent's kayak
00:32:55
sank?" "Yes," she replied. Dortto then asked if Angelica had taken the plug out. "Yes, I think I did," she
00:33:08
answered. But that wasn't all. Vincent used a two-piece paddle, which was designed to be taken apart for
00:33:16
easier transportation and storage. The rods of the two halves were clipped together and tightened in place
00:33:24
with two safety rings, ensuring they stayed securely connected during use. Angelica told Detective Dorto that
00:33:33
she had removed one of the safety rings from Vincent's paddle, making it less stable and difficult to use effectively.
00:33:41
Once again, this was news to Detective Dartto. Angelica had managed to recover Vincent's paddle during their ordeal and
00:33:51
had clipped it to her own kayak. When her kayak was retrieved from the river, investigators hadn't been
00:33:58
aware of the safety rings and therefore hadn't noticed if one was missing from Vincent's paddle at the time.
00:34:07
Detective Duoto asked Angelica, "Did you take the plug out and remove the ring from the paddle because
00:34:14
you wanted Vincent dead?" She responded bluntly, "Yes, I guess I did." Dartau continued, "Was there a point you could
00:34:26
have helped Vincent or saved him, but you didn't?" "Yes," she answered. Angelica divulged that Vincent had been
00:34:37
clinging to his paddle in the water to help keep himself afloat and she had taken it away from
00:34:43
him. "So you didn't help him," Duardo clarified. "No," Angelica confirmed. "I wanted him gone. I wanted to be free. I
00:34:55
wanted to be myself." When Detective Duoto recounted Angelica's confession to his team on
00:35:04
Banaman's Island, they were shocked. Unprepared for this turn of events, they hadn't bought any recording devices or
00:35:12
pens and paper to document her statement. Regardless, their investigation promptly shifted to a
00:35:20
murder inquiry. Angelica willingly got on a police boat to be taken to the New York State Police
00:35:27
Barracks for a formal interview. It seemed she didn't fully grasp the gravity of the
00:35:35
situation. During the boat trip, Angelica appeared completely unbothered, enjoying the wind, smiling, and even
00:35:43
whistling. The detectives exchanged puzzled looks when she suddenly threw up her hands and
00:35:50
announced, "I'm free." Angelica's carefree attitude remained when she arrived at the police
00:36:00
barracks at around 3:30 p.m. Casually telling Detective Dartto, "When I first saw you, I thought
00:36:08
you were cute." Unsure of how to respond to the inappropriate remark, Dortto simply
00:36:15
said, "Thank you." He then proceeded to read Angelica her Miranda rights, which she said she
00:36:24
understood. Given that Detective Duoto had no proof of Angelica's earlier confession on Banaman's Island, he
00:36:31
initiated the formal interview, hoping she would repeat her claims while being recorded.
00:36:38
So, we had a good discussion up there, Dortto began. We did, Angelica agreed. I think you feel a lot
00:36:48
better. Yeah, I do. Thanks, Angelica confirmed, rubbing her hands together, Dortto
00:36:57
continued. I know you probably don't want to run through it again, but this is what we have to do. I understand,
00:37:05
Angelica replied. It's therapy for you, Quarter assured Angelica. You'll feel better. At ease, Angelica opened up
00:37:16
about her relationship with Vincent. She confessed that she felt trapped because he made frequent sexual
00:37:23
demands that left her feeling uncomfortable. She said Vincent wanted to have threesomes, watch pornography together,
00:37:31
engage in a dominant submissive dynamic, and have Angelica pose for racy photographs. If she refused to entertain
00:37:39
his requests, he would postpone their wedding or threaten to call it off entirely.
00:37:46
While this angered Angelica, she said she stayed with Vincent because she was quote, "A very spiritual person and knew
00:37:54
he would never really be gone." Angelica admitted that there had been tension between her and Vincent the
00:38:02
night before their kayaking trip. While out drinking with friends, she said they
00:38:08
began arguing because Vincent wanted to visit a strip club while Angelica just wanted to go home.
00:38:15
She also thought he was too inebriated to drive. Angelica told the police that they made up before going to bed that
00:38:24
night and it was Vincent who insisted on going kayaking the next morning. It was also his idea to do the
00:38:32
sexy photo shoot on Benaman's Island and she went along with it just to please him.
00:38:39
Angelica admitted that their relationship wasn't perfect, with most of their conflict stemming from
00:38:45
Vincent's sexual desires. Still, she said she'd been committed to working things out as she
00:38:52
envisioned a future together and wanted to have his children. Despite these revelations,
00:39:01
Angelica didn't repeat what she had allegedly told Detective Dart one Banaman's Islands.
00:39:08
He prodded further, asking, "What could you have done physically that caused Vincent to drown?
00:39:15
Let's see if you remember what you told me." Angelica replied, "No." Dart reminded her, "You said by
00:39:27
taking the plug out of the kayak and taking the paddle away from him. Does that sound correct?"
00:39:34
Yeah, Angelica agreed before adding, "But I didn't intend to have it happen that
00:39:41
way." She said that she had removed Vincent's drain plug well before the trip sometime during the off season in
00:39:49
winter so that her cat could play with it. Afterward, she put it either in a drawer in Vincent's apartment or in the
00:39:57
car. Angelica claimed that Vincent knew the plug wasn't in his kayak when they headed for Benaman's Island and that he
00:40:06
wasn't bothered by its absence. She maintained that she didn't remove the plug with any intention of
00:40:13
causing harm, emphasizing. I didn't want to kill Vincent or anything like that. Detective Duoto pressed Angelica
00:40:23
about the comment she had made on Banaman's Island about wanting Vincent gone. Isn't that what you said? He
00:40:31
asked. I did, Angelica agreed. Dartto asked if she had taken the plug out as a means to escape her
00:40:39
troubled relationship. Angelica admitted that it could be viewed that way, but she said
00:40:46
it wasn't her intention. Jubious of her innocent act? Duoto asked, "When you watched Vincent in the
00:40:55
water, was a part of you saying, "My worries are gone now and I'm free." "And were you
00:41:02
almost euphoric?" Angelica interrupted casually, finishing his sentence. She nodded, saying she felt
00:41:11
euphoric watching Vincent struggle in the river because she knew he was going to be gone.
00:41:18
She added that she still felt euphoric about it over a week later. However, within an hour of making
00:41:29
these admissions, Angelica maintained that she had done everything she could to save
00:41:35
Vincent. "I didn't just watch him drown," she asserted. "I tried to do something about it."
00:41:44
She also denied having removed the safety ring from Vincent's paddle, even though an examination of the paddle
00:41:50
confirmed that the safety ring was indeed missing, just like Angelica had said. "That's a little different from
00:41:59
what you told me earlier, though," Detective Duoto pointed out to her. "Why? Why do you keep changing what you
00:42:06
were saying?" Angelica apologized, saying, "I'm just tired." When asked what she wanted that
00:42:16
day out on the Hudson River, Angelica repeated that she wanted to be free. She kept saying she wanted Vincent gone, but
00:42:25
maintained that she didn't kill him. She described feeling as though she had been torn in too by an angel and a
00:42:33
demon as she watched him struggle in the water. What was the demon side saying? The
00:42:40
detective asked. It's not a good side, Angelica sighed. You don't want to see that side
00:42:48
of me. Nobody does. Now, that side was telling me this is really like going to happen. Just let
00:42:57
it. But the good side was saying save him. Save him. You can do it. You can do it. You're strong.
00:43:08
When asked why the demonside one, Angelica responded matterof factly. Because of the way Vincent
00:43:16
treated me, you know. As for whether the way she acted was a means to get back at Vincent,
00:43:24
Angelica said, "Kind of. Yeah." The interview stretched into the night with breaks interspersed
00:43:36
throughout. During these pauses, Angelica appeared to show complete indifference and a lack of concern for
00:43:43
her predicament. She practiced yoga, smoked cigarettes, meditated, ate pizza, and even played
00:43:51
hopscotch. She also drew a picture of a palm fringed island alongside the word free.
00:43:59
When the interview recommenced, she kept talking about going home to feed her cat. As the hours dragged on, Angelica
00:44:09
began making some bizarre remarks. She said that she had sensed that Vincent would die that day because
00:44:16
she was quote in tune with the other side. She also said she was glad that she had fallen into the water, too,
00:44:25
because she wanted to feel what Vincent had felt. When the questioning continued with
00:44:31
Detective Duoto's partner, Angelica remarked, "I don't want to admit that I killed
00:44:39
Vincent." The detective responded, "Okay, I understand that, but you did. The reality is you took that
00:44:49
plug out because you wanted to kill him. You wanted him to be dead. You wanted to
00:44:54
be free." Angelica replied, "I took it out before a long time ago." The detective agreed, adding,
00:45:06
"Because you wanted him to die." Angelica nodded, "Yes, at some point." "Yes." The detective asked point blank.
00:45:19
"You killed Vinnie, right?" You're the one telling me," Angelica replied flatly. "No," the detective interjected.
00:45:28
"I'm asking you the question." "You want me to admit it?" Angelica asked. The detective replied that he
00:45:37
just wanted Angelica to tell the truth. "I am telling you the truth," she asserted.
00:45:45
As the detective continued to pry, Angelica's frustrations grew and her answers became
00:45:52
heated. "All right, I'll give you your [ __ ] statement," she snapped. "I wanted him dead and now he's gone and
00:46:00
I'm okay with it. I am okay with that." After 11 hours of intense questioning, Angelica Grwald had admitted to removing
00:46:16
the drain plug from Vincent Vapor's kayak and wanting him to die. But she'd stopped short of making an outright
00:46:23
confession to his murder. Even though Vincent's body was still missing, investigators felt
00:46:30
satisfied that Angelica had intentionally caused his death. They charged her with seconddegree
00:46:37
murder as well as seconddegree manslaughter. If found guilty, she faced a possible 25 years to life in
00:46:47
prison. The charges sparked mixed reactions among those who knew Angelica and Vincent. Some believed there was no way
00:46:55
Angelica could have caused Vincent any harm, with one friend remarking, "Vincent always had his arm
00:47:03
around her. They were loveydovey. I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I think Vincent would want
00:47:11
everyone to give Angelica the benefit of the doubt. He really did love her. A fellow volunteer on Banaman's
00:47:19
Island described Angelica as always seeming happy and in love with Vincent, noting that she never spoke negatively
00:47:27
about him. Most people knew Angelica to be kind-hearted, bright, and mildmannered,
00:47:34
not a cold-blooded killer. The couple's neighbors had never even heard them argue. However, an ex-boyfriend of
00:47:44
Angelica's painted a very different picture. He claimed that Angelica had a violent streak when she didn't get her
00:47:51
way, describing her behavior as a way of reacting when she feels threatened. When they broke up, he said Angelica lay
00:48:00
behind his car to prevent him from leaving with their pet cat, even though she didn't have a place to house
00:48:07
it. She threatened to break into the house to retrieve the cat until he relented and handed it
00:48:14
over. After separating from her second husband, Angelica reportedly took many of his belongings, only returning them
00:48:22
after a court order forced her to do so. Although Vincent's mother, Maryanne, was
00:48:29
shocked to learn about the charges against Angelica, it explained her callous behavior in the aftermath of
00:48:35
Vincent's disappearance. Maryanne told the TV show 48 hours, "I do not believe that this was
00:48:43
an accident. I was devastated that Angelica would do that to my son, who was so good to her."
00:48:53
Many Hudson River locals thought the case was suspicious from the start with one telling the Washington
00:49:01
Post. It didn't add up. From day one, I thought it had to be a murder myself, "I
00:49:08
really did." The bizarre case became a media sensation with Angelica Grassworld dubbed the Kayak Killer.
00:49:19
The apparent financial motive for the killing, combined with scandalous rumors about the couple's sex life, fueled
00:49:26
dramatic and provocative headlines. Angelica's innocent, youthful looks and gentle nature contrasted
00:49:33
sharply with the unapologetically insensitive way she spoke about Vincent, turning her into a highly contentious
00:49:40
figure. Her behavior continued to mystify those around her with a prison officer noting that despite her
00:49:48
predicament, she often appeared almost cheerful. In the court of public opinion, Vincent was seen as a likable
00:49:57
everyman, while Angelica was painted as a manipulative and calculating foreign vixen.
00:50:06
Angelica denied ever making a confession to detective Donald Duoto on Banaman's Island and claimed that she was being
00:50:13
wrongfully accused, insisting, "I didn't kill Vincent. I loved him. I'm not a killer. I'm a good
00:50:23
person." She ultimately pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. The judge agreed with the prosecution
00:50:32
that Angelica posed a flight risk and set her bail at $3 million in cash or a $9 million
00:50:40
bond. Unable to pay, Angelica remained in custody awaiting her trial, which was scheduled for 2017, nearly 2 years after
00:50:49
Vincent disappeared. In the meantime, investigators continued to build their case against
00:51:01
her. A search of Angelica's car uncovered the drain plug from Vincent's kayak and the safety ring from his
00:51:10
paddle. Investigators conducted repeated tests to determine whether Vincent's kayak could have sunk with the drain
00:51:17
plug missing. Their results showed that the small hole consistently allowed water to enter the
00:51:24
vessel and it would only take 7 to 10 minutes for the kayak to sink. They also tested the use of a
00:51:31
paddle without a safety ring and confirmed that it would have been extremely difficult to paddle without
00:51:37
it, even in calm waters. Data from Angelica's 911 call was compared to her version of events, with
00:51:46
investigators believing that the call was placed approximately 15 minutes after Vincent's kayak had already
00:51:53
sunk. Her personal diary also revealed entries venting about Vincent's sexual demands and how they made her wish he
00:52:01
was dead. With all this in mind, investigators were convinced that Angelica had coaxed
00:52:08
Vincent into kayaking to Banaman's Island under the false pretense of a sexy photo
00:52:14
shoot. Everything from sabotaging his paddle and kayak to plying him with alcohol as a storm approached to knowing
00:52:22
he wouldn't be wearing a life jacket or any other protective gear was part of Angelica's premeditated plan to kill
00:52:28
Vincent while making it look like an accident. When Vincent inevitably capsized,
00:52:35
investigators believed that Angelica snatched his paddle away to prevent him from using it to stay
00:52:42
afloat. She watched as Vincent perished, then called 911, figning panic, to make
00:52:48
it appear as though he was still alive. It wasn't until the rescue boat neared that Angelica threw herself into the
00:52:56
water, reinforcing her story that the whole incident had been a tragic accident, one she had barely survived
00:53:05
herself. In the eyes of detectives, Angelica was a sociopath. From behind bars, Angelica
00:53:16
filled interviews in which she maintained her calm, soft-spoken demeanor. She continued to deny any involvement in
00:53:24
Vincent's death, insisting, "Of course I didn't do it. He was the love of my life." She acknowledged the
00:53:34
inconsistencies in her story, but attributed them to a crazy time in her life. From Angelica's perspective, her
00:53:43
actions didn't align with the prosecution's narrative. Before she and Vincent left
00:53:50
Benaman's Island, she had texted a friend who lived across the river to let them know they were about to
00:53:56
depart. The friend and her husband used a telescope and saw Angelica dancing on the dock as Vincent took her
00:54:05
photo. The friend texted Angelica to let her know that they could see her, and Angelica waved back.
00:54:13
If Angelica had been planning to murder Vincent straight after this, why would she have so openly set herself up with
00:54:20
potential witnesses? Angelica's defense attorney, Richard Potale, argued that investigators had either ignored or
00:54:29
distorted key facts to fit their narrative. In an interview with Crime Watch Daily,
00:54:36
Portale contended that detectives had already decided on Angelica's guilt before gathering any solid evidence to
00:54:43
support it. He claimed that the detectives had fabricated the entire story about
00:54:49
Angelica's so-called confession on Benaman's Island. As Portal pointed out, if Angelica had truly confessed, why didn't
00:54:59
the police arrest her immediately? And why didn't they confront her outright with the confession during her
00:55:06
lengthy recorded interview at the police barracks? Portal called the detectives a
00:55:13
pack of wolves who emotionally beat Angelica up in an attempt to extract a recorded confession.
00:55:21
He highlighted comments made by detective Donald Duoto in which he tried to reconcile discrepancies between
00:55:27
Angelica's version of events and the alleged island confession. Over the 11-hour interview,
00:55:36
Angelica still couldn't replicate her supposed confession, even after repeated prompting.
00:55:44
Richard Portal also argued that the integrity of Angelica's police interview was flawed due to a significant language
00:55:52
barrier. Given that English was not Angelica's first language, she was led to believe she was communicating
00:55:59
effectively when in fact she wasn't. Portal said that Angelica wanted to appear confident, so she often responded
00:56:08
affirmatively to questions even when she didn't fully understand them. About 7 hours into the interview,
00:56:17
she asked what Miranda rights were, indicating that she hadn't fully understood them when they were initially
00:56:23
read to her. Furthermore, Angelica entered the interview unaware that she was a suspect.
00:56:31
As a result, she didn't request legal counsel beforehand. Having grown up around
00:56:37
police with a father who was an officer in Latvia, she inherently trusted law enforcement. She later admitted to Well
00:56:47
magazine. That was my fault. I was naive. Very naive. At the start of the interview,
00:56:56
detectives told Angelica that the process was therapy and they continuously reassured her that honesty
00:57:02
would lead to leniency and no judgment. This encouraged her to speak openly about her conflicting feelings
00:57:10
toward Vincent, unaware that her words could be used against her. It was only after hours of continuously
00:57:18
answering the same questions that Angelica snapped in frustration and harshly stated that she was glad Vincent
00:57:24
was dead. Richard Portal likened it to the kind of language seen in gangster movies
00:57:31
where a character might admit to wanting someone dead without being directly responsible for their
00:57:38
death. That's not a confession, he stated. [Music] Former detective and false confession
00:57:49
expert Jim Traum reviewed Angelica Grisswald's police interview for the investigative television show 48
00:57:56
Hours. He explained that interrogators often manipulate suspects into believing it's in their best interest to give the
00:58:04
desired answers, saying anyone can fall victim to it. Traum noted that the interview served as
00:58:13
a cautionary example for police officers on how not to conduct interrogations. He explained that the
00:58:21
detectives had used leading questions to pressure Angelica into agreeing that Vincent didn't love her and that she had
00:58:28
removed the kayak plug to get back at him when she had never made such claims herself. While she accepted the
00:58:38
detective's theory that the missing drain plug might have caused Vincent's kayak to sink, she never admitted to
00:58:44
removing it for that purpose. Jim Traum also believed that the detectives had misinterpreted
00:58:51
Angelica's words. When she said she wanted Vincent gone, she meant out of her life. Her desire to be free referred
00:59:01
to the end of their troubled relationship. Even if she felt obliterated by his death, it didn't mean she'd plotted his
00:59:10
murder. The detectives also misunderstood the physical evidence, repeatedly stating the drain plug hole
00:59:17
was beneath the kayak, despite Angelica correcting them. Traum agreed with Angelica's
00:59:25
attorney that her most damaging comments were made when she was worn down and desperate to end the
00:59:32
interrogation. When Angelica's repeated requests to go home and feed her cat were denied, Trina believed that she
00:59:39
accepted the police's narrative just to escape. He concluded this is a non-crime. This is an accident the
00:59:50
police turned into a criminal offense because of their gut feeling. Another expert on false confessions
00:59:59
explained to L magazine that confessions tend to become false in longer interrogations, particularly those
01:00:06
lasting over 8 hours. He noted that people who falsely confess to crimes are not stupid, but
01:00:14
are often misled into believing their confession won't have serious consequences.
01:00:20
ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams described the case as tricky because the
01:00:26
key piece of evidence was Angelica's own words and her own words are not entirely
01:00:33
clear. He pointed out that she doesn't come out and say, "I did it." One veteran homicide investigator
01:00:42
praised the detectives for doing what he perceived to be an excellent job of the
01:00:47
interrogation as it resulted in some incriminating comments from Angelica. However, he also
01:00:54
stated, "But is it a confession? No." Angelica was subject to a psychological evaluation shortly after her arrest with
01:01:07
the forensic psychologist concluding that she suffered from paranoid ideiation and hypomomanic
01:01:14
trends. Hypomomania is a milder form of the manic episodes experienced by people
01:01:20
with bipolar disorder and it can be triggered by traumatic events. The forensic psychologist found Angelica
01:01:28
to be impulsive and lacking in judgment, traits commonly seen in individuals who
01:01:33
tend to quote run off at the mouth. In the psychologist's view, her poor judgment likely played a role
01:01:42
during her interrogation. while he also identified her to have several psychological traits that were linked to
01:01:49
false confessions. The psychologist determined that Angelica was not sadistic, cruel,
01:01:57
or vindictive, but had learned to numb herself emotionally after having had traumatic experiences with other people.
01:02:07
This could also help explain her strangely upbeat conduct after Vincent's disappearance, with the psychologist
01:02:13
describing her behavior as being overactive, energetic, and self-dramatizing. Defense attorney
01:02:22
Richard Portal emphasized this behavior also came down to cultural differences. he
01:02:30
said. Everyone criticized Angelica for doing a cartwheel, assuming if she's happy, she must have killed Vincent. But
01:02:39
in Latvia, open grieving isn't an option. You don't cry in public. Angelica detailed her upbringing
01:02:48
in an interview with the magazine, saying, "Women are not meant to be seen crying or as weak or broken."
01:02:58
While she was devastated about losing Vincent, she didn't feel comfortable showing emotions
01:03:04
publicly. "I was in shock," she explained. "I was in denial. I much rather put on a happy
01:03:13
face." As for her claim of feeling euphoric after Vincent's death, Angelica told L that she had read a book on
01:03:20
grief, which suggested that experiencing euphoric feelings after the death of a loved one was normal.
01:03:29
Had this little known fact been more widely understood, she believed it might have shifted public perception of
01:03:39
her. One of the key elements of the prosecution's case against Angelica was the missing drain plug, which they
01:03:46
claimed Angelica removed to intentionally sink Vincent's kayak. But Richard Portal pointed out that
01:03:53
Vincent often kayaked without the plug in order to secure the kayak to his car. Surveillance footage from traffic
01:04:02
cameras on the afternoon that Vincent and Angelica drove to Plum Point Park showed Vincent's kayak strapped to the
01:04:08
roof of his car through the drain plug hole. Portal argued that the missing drain plug was a red herring and it
01:04:17
hadn't even contributed to Vincent's death. He explained, "When waves hit the kayak,
01:04:24
they crash into the cockpit, not the drain plug hole. Water wouldn't enter it significantly enough to submerge the
01:04:34
kayak." To test the theory, ABC's 2020 program, Mystery on the Hudson, as well as 48 hours program, Death on the
01:04:42
Hudson, both carried out their own recreations. In both programs, experts found that even in choppy waters, only a
01:04:52
small amount of water entered the kayak through the drain plug hole. Nowhere near enough to sink the
01:04:58
vessel. The majority of the water entered through the cockpit, just like Angelica claimed had happened to
01:05:06
Vincent. 48 hours also conducted a test where the cockpit was completely sealed,
01:05:13
leaving only the drain plug hole open. In this scenario, less than an ounce of water, not even the size of a shot
01:05:21
glass, entered the kayak. Tests were also done to see how effectively a person could kayak using a
01:05:30
paddle that was missing one of its safety rings. It turned out to be no trouble at
01:05:36
all. The prosecution also claimed that Angelica had taken the paddle from Vincent, so he couldn't use it to keep
01:05:43
himself afloat. testing conducted by 48 hours concluded that a paddle alone wasn't enough to
01:05:51
keep a fully grown man afloat. Anyway, in all the testing conducted by various media outlets and news programs,
01:06:00
none were able to replicate the results claimed by the case investigators. Angelica agreed to an
01:06:08
interview for the 2020 segment. When asked why she chose to speak publicly, she stated, "I just
01:06:16
needed a chance to let people know I'm innocent. I'm being accused of murder, which I'm not capable of
01:06:24
doing." She explained that her comments about wanting to be free of Vincent related to the lifestyle they were
01:06:31
living, not Vincent himself. In another interview with News12, Angelica said that her incriminating
01:06:39
diary entries about wanting Vincent dead were outdated and written in anger during a difficult
01:06:47
time. I didn't really mean it, she said. I was very much in love with Vincent and
01:06:53
would never have hurt him. Richard Portal dismissed the alleged motive of Vincent's life insurance
01:07:02
policy, arguing it didn't align with Angelica's character, saying she's not someone who cares about
01:07:09
money. She's a simple girl from a simple country, more interested in flowers, photographs, and sunsets than in
01:07:17
financial gain. Portal asserted that Vincent's death was an accident caused by a combination of
01:07:25
factors, including his own failure to respect the dangers of the water. After all, Vincent had entered
01:07:32
the tumultuous river after drinking a few beers without a life jacket, wets suit, spray skirt, or drain
01:07:40
plug. In Portal's opinion, the idea that Angelica had meticulously planned the killing was absurd.
01:07:49
She had no control over the weather, the river conditions, or Vincent's decisions
01:07:54
and actions that day. Referring to Vincent as the captain of his own ship, Portal told
01:08:03
2020, "I'm not here to blame Mr. Vapor for his own death, but Ms. Grwald is not his mother. He's a grown man, and that's
01:08:13
really his responsibility. On Saturday, May 23, 2015, 34 days after Vincent Vapor's disappearance, a
01:08:25
recreational boater spotted Vincent's body floating face down in the Hudson River, about a mile downstream from
01:08:33
Banaman's Island. He hadn't drifted far from where his kayak had capsized. The discovery brought
01:08:42
bittersweet relief to Vincent's loved ones. I was both sad and happy, his mother,
01:08:49
Maryanne, told 48 hours. Sad that there was no hope and happy that at least we found him and
01:08:57
could bring him home. As Vincent's body underwent an autopsy, Richard Portal expressed
01:09:05
confidence that the findings wouldn't harm Angelica's case. He expected the cause of Vincent's death
01:09:12
would be classified as accidental drowning or hypothermia with alcohol as a factor, which would lead to the
01:09:19
charges against Angelica being dropped. The autopsy confirmed Vincent's cause of death as drowning with a blood
01:09:28
alcohol concentration of 006, indicating early stage intoxication. However, the medical examiner ultimately
01:09:38
ruled Vincent's death a homicide, stating it was caused by a kayak drain plug intentionally removed by
01:09:51
another. The result left many stunned. For those who believed Vincent's death was an accident, the
01:09:59
autopsy failed to provide crucial evidence of foul play. Richard Portal argued that the findings
01:10:06
were based on statements from New York State Police and didn't reflect the tests, expert opinions, or evidence at
01:10:14
hand. He questioned how the medical examiner could have used the word intentionally in connection with the
01:10:20
missing drain plug. "Did she find that under a microscope?" he asked before adding.
01:10:28
In New York, a medical examiner properly relies on medical evidence. They can consider other factors, but the issue of
01:10:36
intent is for the jury to decide. While the autopsy's findings strengthened the prosecution's case for
01:10:44
murder, Angelica's legal team prepared their false confession defense. Then, just weeks before her
01:10:52
trial, Angelica made a stunning decision. She tearfully pleaded guilty to a lesser
01:10:59
felony charge of criminally negligent homicide. As part of the plea deal, she admitted to engaging in blameworthy
01:11:09
conduct so serious that it contributed to a substantial and unjustifiable risk of Vincent's death.
01:11:17
This included removing the drain plug from Vincent's kayak, knowing the safety ring was missing from his paddle and
01:11:24
being aware of the hazardous weather conditions. She also knew that Vincent wasn't wearing a life vest or wet suit
01:11:33
had been drinking and that the cold, treacherous waters of the Hudson River posed a significant danger.
01:11:41
Angelica conceded that with this knowledge, she should have acted differently to prevent harm and save
01:11:47
Vincent's life. Explaining how they reached the plea deal, the district attorney said
01:11:55
that proving intentional murder would have been challenging in court given the lack of eyewitnesses and limited
01:12:01
physical evidence. The case relied heavily on Angelica's alleged confession on Banaman's Island
01:12:09
and her 11-hour recorded interview, but none of her vacasillating statements constituted a direct confession for
01:12:16
intentional murder. Due to the significant amount of time that had passed since her arrest, the
01:12:24
opportunity to have Angelica evaluated by the prosecution's psychiatric experts, who could have potentially
01:12:31
counted claims that she had made a false confession, was no longer feasible. The plea deal ultimately
01:12:39
removed the uncertainty of a lengthy trial in which Angelica could escape conviction and spared Vincent's family
01:12:46
from further emotional distress. At Angelica's sentencing, the judge made it clear the court didn't accept her
01:12:56
version of events and believed she acted maliciously. You could have walked out on Vincent if you were unhappy instead
01:13:05
of whatever it was in your mind that led to removing the plug and taking other actions.
01:13:13
The judge emphasized that it was ultimately Angelica's failure to assist Vincent when he was struggling in the
01:13:19
water that led to his death. You certainly have a lack of understanding of other people's
01:13:26
feelings, he said, noting Angelica's excessive need for admiration and pointing to her exaggerated feelings of
01:13:34
self-worth. He characterized Vincent as an unnecessary victim of Angelica's mindset, suggesting that her failure to
01:13:44
help him was driven by her own self-centered motivations. Angelica Grisswald was
01:13:52
sentenced to 16 to 48 months in prison, the maximum for criminally negligent homicide.
01:13:59
The outcome was criticized in the media with many viewing the kayak killer as receiving little more than a slap on the
01:14:07
wrist. Vincent's mother, Maryanne, was equally dissatisfied, stating, "Four years for taking someone's life. No way.
01:14:18
My son was a good man and everyone loved him." In a statement read by her legal council
01:14:25
outside the courthouse, Angelica said, "I loved Vince very much and miss him terribly. I don't believe I was treated
01:14:35
fairly. The entire process was one-sided and unjust. I've learned you're not innocent
01:14:42
until proven guilty. I'm not a murderer. I've said that from the beginning. If I could
01:14:49
bring Vince back, I would. With time served, Angelica was released on parole in December 2017 after
01:14:59
spending 32 months in prison. In an interview with 2020, she explained that she took the plea deal to
01:15:08
avoid a life sentence for a crime she didn't commit. Despite her plea, Angelica said
01:15:15
she didn't feel guilty. I have to let it go, she said. I can't live with that all the time. They
01:15:24
can say whatever they want. I know the truth and God knows the truth. Angelica intended to use
01:15:37
Vincent's life insurance payout to pay for her legal fees, but Vincent's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against
01:15:44
her to prevent her from collecting the money. The case was settled confidentially. Vincent's family
01:15:53
maintained their belief that Angelica was responsible for his death with his mother Maryanne vowing never to see her
01:16:00
again. Vincent's sister said, "When I think of my brother's last moments, I imagine him
01:16:08
struggling to survive in the freezing cold, confused and unable to understand why the woman who said she loved him did
01:16:16
nothing to help." Although Vincent's family felt that justice hadn't been served, they
01:16:24
vowed to keep Vincent's spirit alive by living their lives with the same boundless joy that he did.
01:16:31
Vincent's sister said, "The world has lost a truly amazing person, and we can never get him
01:16:40
back." While public opinion remains divided over whether Vincent's death was an accident or intentional, Angelica
01:16:48
told L magazine that through her growing faith, she no longer cares what others think.
01:16:55
Bottom line, I'm the only living person who's still here, and I am the only one who knows. She said, "Vincent loved me.
01:17:05
I loved him. He had said he would die for me if need be, and I feel like he did so I could live. He saved me in a
01:17:15
way." Angelica explained that although she was willing to drown to save Vincent, it was
01:17:23
he who urged her to call 911. The dispatcher had then instructed Angelica to paddle toward the shore
01:17:32
where an emergency vehicle had just arrived instead of continuing her efforts to rescue Vincent and risk her
01:17:38
own life. I've been in these situations on the Hudson before where it was dangerous and
01:17:45
I always got out of it. So I felt like at that night I could too. She said, "You know how you get careless? I
01:17:54
was careless. So was he. We both were. It cost him. It cost him his life." Angelica's supporters have compared her
01:18:07
case to that of Amanda Knox, who was accused of murdering Meredith Kercher, as detailed in episode 270 of Case File.
01:18:16
While Vincent's case lacked the same gruesome sexualized violence as Meredith's, both involved women accused
01:18:23
of murder who were heavily scrutinized and judged based on their unconventional emotional responses, body language,
01:18:31
personality traits, and cultural differences. L magazine explored why such cases
01:18:38
capture public attention with their article stating, "When women stand accused in
01:18:45
the death of a loved one, stereotypes about how they should act intervene. Alleged female criminals
01:18:52
receive more gender-based media coverage than their male counterparts, fueling the news cycle, poisoning public opinion
01:19:00
and making it harder to find impartial juries. As a result, women are often judged for
01:19:07
two crimes. Whether they committed the alleged crime and whether they failed in their traditional caregiving
01:19:16
role. Since Vincent's death, Angelica has largely kept a low profile, speaking about the aftermath of the controversial
01:19:24
case in only a few interviews. She says that she continues to kayak and has even returned to Banaman's Island,
01:19:32
describing it as a way of confronting her fear and completing the circle. In August 2015, 4 months after
01:19:44
Vincent Vapor's death, 32-year-old photographer and model Ian Jones and his 22-year-old girlfriend Tarly Lennox
01:19:52
Frooman attended a night-long birthday party at a Hudson River waterfront mansion. The couple, who had been
01:20:00
together for 2 years and considered each other their perfect match, were planning
01:20:04
to wed. The morning after the party, they decided to go for a romantic kayak trip
01:20:12
together. The couple climbed into a two-seater kayak and headed toward a distant
01:20:18
lighthouse. Ian, a strong swimmer with experience in kayaking, considered the trip low
01:20:25
risk. It was summertime, the water was calm, and Ian was doing all the paddling.
01:20:32
Neither he nor Tarly wore life jackets. During their journey, the kayak was caught in a current in the middle of
01:20:40
the river and capsized. Neither Ian nor Tarly fully understood the deceptive danger of the
01:20:48
river. The current moving at 4 mph swept Ian away. 2 days later, his body was found
01:20:57
near the Pikipsy Yach Club. Tarly, who was picked up by a passing boat, later said that Ian died trying to
01:21:07
save her. She was an emotional wreck after the experience, posting a heartfelt tribute on social
01:21:14
media. My heart is shattered. My best friend, my soulmate, my partner in crime and creativity, the love and light of my
01:21:24
life, is no longer with me. Ian Jones's death was immediately considered a tragic
01:21:32
accident. No foul play was suspected and the matter wasn't investigated further by
01:21:39
police. Meanwhile, Angelica Grwald remained in prison awaiting trial for the murder of Vincent Vapor.
01:21:48
[Music] [Music]