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Hey, how you doing? >> good, boss, and yourself? This is US Marine veteran Eric Banks.
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Moments after this body cam footage, officers would find his horrifying secret stuffed inside his bedroom wall.
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And I did my own What's up? 95 95 We went in there and saw the boy laying there. I'm just
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trying to drug him out where he is now. We did what we could. All right. Are you
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good? All right. I was supposed to call you now. Eric, who is also an active officer for
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Baltimore PD, thinks he can use his experience to cover up his vile murder. What follows is amongst the most
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disturbing collections of criminal case files ever uploaded to YouTube. Stop. I'm buckling. What are
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>> You are risking my life right now. I don't care. Stop. What are you doing? Who is this person?
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Dad. And then he also told me that Daddy made him interested in going in the bathroom
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and cover their eyes. Strangled? I don't know. On July 7th in Millersville, Maryland,
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two officers arrive at the home of Eric Banks Jr. After his wife reported that their 15-year-old son, Dayson, was
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potentially missing. The report was relatively standard for them, but the reality awaiting them is more horrifying
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than they could have imagined. Son not moving. He's laying in the hallway. >> [music]
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>> Officers report hearing loud bangs from the upstairs of the home. However, nobody comes to answer the door. After
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multiple minutes of waiting, an out-of-breath Eric finally greets the officers. Hey, how you doing?
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>> I'm doing good, boss, and yourself? I'm doing good. Uh I had a court warning. I'm out with him.
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What's going on today, man? He's supposed to be serving a peace of order. Supposed to be serving it on you or on
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Both of us. Okay. The judge just ordered us to stay away from [music] each other.
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Okay. Sit down, buddy. Sit down. >> Do you all have some sort of like court order agreement on custody or something?
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My oldest, I know he ran out the back door. Somewhere. All his stuff out the back
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door. He ran out? >> What's going on, boss? I know you get >> DJ. I know you get tired of seeing us.
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Where's DJ? She called him and he went out the back door. >> here. No. You want to come in?
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Just let us know if you're being audited. Oh, hey, I know. I see y'all got the body cam. Yeah. She said he was
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like Does he have a phone? Huh? I took my I took my phones back. Okay. Yeah. So, all the phones are on my plan. I'm
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separating everything. And you have no idea where you just let a 15-year-old walk out of your house with all his bags
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packed. No. His bags out the back door. I would I literally told him wait for your mom to get here. She's supposed the
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police supposed to come here to serve her a piece of protective order. The judge told her to call you guys before
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she comes to I'm not trying to get in trouble. I understand. Eric and his wife, Latrice, had both individually
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filed a protective order against each other, making it illegal to speak to one another without a police escort.
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However, since Eric is not the biological father of Dayson, Latrice had custodial rights to him, which is why he
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was packing his belongings as he and Latrice were preparing to leave the residence. Dayson's disappearance on the
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very day he and his mom were supposed to move out makes the situation even more unusual. So, officers continue speaking
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with Eric hoping to understand the family dynamic and gather any clues that might point to where Dayson is. But,
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what Eric says next only raises their suspicions even further. So, she's supposed to called you to come meet You
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all have no idea where DJ is. Honestly, bro, no. I I I like With no phone or anything. You can check the ADT. It
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shows where he ran out the door. >> you, but I mean I'm not like I'm not going to fight. I'm
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not going to do anything. >> listen, it's a 15-year-old boy having a phone probably would have been if he's
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walking out of the house probably would have been a good idea to leave him where
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they are. Then you can work out those kinks later. Cuz see this is the thing, this is getting messy, man.
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>> Yeah, I tried to tell him. I said I I said sit here, wait for your mom to get
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here. I went upstairs. Before I can come downstairs, he's already going out the back door. So, she I guess she
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coordinated cuz she's somewhere in the area, I'm presuming. Okay. So, she pretty much coordinated with him to come
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out there. Okay. All right, hang tight. >> All right. >> All right. Sitting beside Eric are his
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two sons, 5-year-old Evan Banks and 3-year-old Tristan Banks. Officers didn't know it at the time, but these
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two would play a pivotal role in uncovering the horrifying scene that just happened inside their home. But for
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now, Officer Sutton goes back to his patrol vehicle to run a registration. He identifies the suspect as 34-year-old
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Eric Banks Jr., an officer for the Baltimore Police Department. He's been an active officer since 2018 and also
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carries 10 years of service in the United States Marine Corps. After speaking with neighbors of Eric, who
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provided minimal additional information, officers would confront Eric once again,
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this time sternly, to figure out what was going on. It's here that Eric would explain his alibi, one he had come up
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with just minutes ago. found out about the whole situation. His mom That's that's that's that's
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neither here nor there. It's not >> is it This is what I'm trying to tell you. He was Me and him sat at the table, he
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cried to me yesterday. He said he don't want to He don't want the separation. He
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like he know we separated before. >> he talking about? He said he's tired of it. He's tired of feeling like he has to
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choose sides. He's 50 He's a teeny. He knows where he He don't want to be He's like, "I don't want to be in separate
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homes." like that. And we sat there talking I said, "DJ, it's it's nothing really we could do. I'm not going to
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change the way I love you, care for you." We We had a whole deep heart-to-heart conversation. Today, we
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went to court. The judge awarded him and I called him. I said, "DJ, I guess >> [music]
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>> your mom told you the judge you wanted to go with her and you're going to go there." He's like, "What? I don't" I was
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like, "Well, start packing your bags cuz you're going with her. You're going with
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your mom. It's unfortunately I guess you're not coming back here." And that's that was just that. She called him. They
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had a conversation. I said, "What did your mom say?" She on her way to come pick you up. He said, "Yeah, but she's
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supposed to come here." I said, "Well, we're going to wait cuz before she come here there's some type of altercation,
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there needs to be police here. They can escort her, grab whatever she needs to grab, and we go about this peacefully."
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[music] Next thing you know, I went upstairs. I come down. So, do you think he he leave here
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because he didn't want to go with his mom, either? Uh That could be He could be like hiding
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out at a friend's house? I mean, yes, or no? >> Yeah, that's that's that's what I'm
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saying. Yeah, in my opinion, I think that's That's probably is the best because if he told her he's somewhere
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he's not, he's not here. >> messages from her. I have food for you, okay. So, it sound
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like he wanted to go be with his mom. >> Yeah. So, that's what I'm saying. All right.
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All right, just put the bags inside for now and we'll we'll try to figure this thing out.
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>> All right, brother. Yeah. Officers would spend another 15 minutes canvassing the area in hopes of finding
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Dayson, but would again come up clueless. So, they decide to try calling Dayson's mother, Latrice, but are unable
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to get a hold of her either. So, in a desperate attempt relevant lead, they decide to ask Eric if he'd voluntarily
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consent to a search inside the home hoping Dayson may be hiding inside. No one expected that this simple request
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would soon alter both their and Eric's lives forever. I just want to make sure he's not in the house.
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>> That's fine. I'll do it with you then since we're here. Hey Buck, I just want
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to make sure he's not hiding. All right. All right. The two of them The one with the bunk
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bed over there? Yeah. This is the kids' room. DJ! This is my room, right? In Officer Adams' report of the
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incident, he notes that at this point in their home search, Eric's demeanor had changed. He advised Eric to relax and
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let them freely search the home. They proceed to make their way to the third floor of the home, the floor which
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stores Eric's chilling secret. Before we get to that, if you want to start eating
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00:09:02
All right, Dustin. I'll see you inside. Is this always down? No, this is where my This is where my cousin You think I'm
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going to touch that? Come on, man. >> [clears throat] >> So, this is where my cousin Okay.
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You got your little light on your phone? >> Yes, I do. You got a light? Back back
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up. Okay. Can I dim on you? You need to back it up. What's up? All right, bye. I'm going
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to go. All right. What's up, bro? All right, bye. Inside the hole in Eric's bedroom lies
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Dason's deceased body, already cold to the touch, Eric forgot to fully close the hole [music] before meeting with the
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officers. The gruesome discovery would leave the two officers in shock. They try to keep their composure while
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transporting Eric to a patrol vehicle. What's up? They came right now. All right, where we
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starting at again? I have one sock now. All right. DJ DJ He's got one sock on right now. DJ
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What's up? What happened? Let's go to the car, all right? Yeah, let's go to the car.
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You want to in the front of the car. All right, yes. Oh, in the front of the car.
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No, 20. Here, let me move one thing out of your way. All right, great. All right, just let's see if I can move
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it. All right. While Eric is being detained, Officer Vaz attempts life-saving measures on
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Dayson, noting that his condition appeared consistent with an unresponsive individual. He also notes that Dayson
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was shirtless and that his jeans were heavily soaked with moisture from an unknown source. Outside the home, Eric
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is temporarily placed in the patrol vehicle, but within moments, the situation begins to spiral out of the
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officers' control. As well. Stay seated. Yeah, one sock here. All right, yeah. I need you to
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stay seated, okay? >> Okay, I'm going to mark the uh All right, go ahead. I don't want to go to
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Can I can I just kiss my boys real quick? No, no, no, no, no, no, stay seated now. I need you to stay in the
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car, all right? Just let me kiss my boys. Look, listen. Yeah, I got you, bro. Just let me kiss my boys.
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>> Stay in the car. Look, just let me kiss Stay in the car. Just I'm just saying
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like can some kid Just let me kiss my boys real quick, bro. All right, I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell
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him. All right, go ahead. I'm going to tell him. Shut up. Bastard. I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him.
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I think you just Here, I'm going to sit here. I'm going to listen. Just let me All right, stand
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up, turn around. Don't Don't do anything. Stay in the car. Stay in the car. Stay up against the
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All right, good. Okay. All right, now get back in. Hey! Bro, I'm not doing it. Stop
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running. What are you doing? I just want to kiss my boy, bro. My boy. Just let me kiss my boy. Get back in the
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car. All right, come on. Come on. Come on. Hey Eric, stop. The car >> [music] >> is
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parked at the corner of Hilltop. Stay in there. You're not coming out no matter what.
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>> All right, bro. Without additional units on scene, Officer Sutton struggles to keep Eric
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restrained. Sutton attempts to secure Eric's handcuffs using a double lock, a mechanism that prevents cuffs from
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tightening or being manipulated. However, Eric uses his police experience to exploit this, and while his previous
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attempts at evasion have failed, he'd make one more, final, far more violent attempt to get away.
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Hey, boy. Try to grab a gun. Hey, boy. TRY TO GRAB A GUN. STOP! Get in the car, [ __ ]
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Get in the car. I'm in here. Turn him out. Turn him out. Turn him out. Turn him out.
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Want to try him out? I'll try him. 38 10-28 352 on that one. Stop. Stop. Stop. Can't stop. Yes, you can.
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>> My wrist. And my hand's going numb. Put your hands behind your Yeah. I can't. My
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hand's going numb. All right, turn them over. Stop. Hey, hold on. >> you broke it. It's numb. All right.
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Stay where you are. Stay here. I am staying here, but I told you it's broke. All right, I'm moving
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your legs. All right. Take a deep breath. I am. You might listen. If we're going around like this, it's going to
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make it worse. I know. All right. Well, I want you We're done. Just get up. We're not done here. I want you to We're
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not done. All right, see. We're going to take you to the hospital. All right. All
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right. Uh-huh. Well, this is not wrestling anymore. This is kind of [ __ ] that I like.
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You're sweating and I'm sweating. Can we be done? I want to be All right. Well, let's go to the
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hospital. I don't need to wrestle on the ground. Is that helping anything? No, it's not.
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All right. All right. Okay. Okay. Eric attempts to unholster Officer Sutton's service weapon, eventually
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managing to loosen it and nearly knocking [music] it to the ground. Fortunately, Eric's handcuffs prevented
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him from causing any further harm. As the chaotic scene finally settles, officers briefly discuss the frantic
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[music] events that just unfolded. I go up to Subway to meet her. I wanted to make sure he didn't go to Subway in this
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location. Come back here. I said, "Let me just check the house." He started getting real weird. I'm like,
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"Will you just stay back?" He was going to go up and sit down. He started getting real weird. I'm like,
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"No, I can check the house. You stay back. You stay back. Stay back. Stay back." I go up and wait off because he
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wouldn't be up here. There's an attic thing. I'm going to screw in it. Looked in
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there and saw the boy laying there. I was probably going to drag him out where he is now and deal with him.
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I I knew where he used to live when I was little boy living there. I mean, 5 minutes.
00:14:28
15 and a half year. I mean, asked for more units to start to see if he was drug or not and start to see if he
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Okay. All right. Are you good? >> I almost fell you out. You're good. You're not hurt.
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No, I'm Should have done that If I had known If I had just did that first. Almost
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I'm going to take the whole block off. Fix you. Hey. Hey. My app Steve, heck yeah. Come on. I was going I
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was going to do do still CPR. Sorry, partner. You know that It's a What's the 10-7?
00:15:05
Uh 1448 [music] inside. Yeah, like Apparently, well, he went upstairs to check the house.
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>> in the attic. I was already in the attic. So, apparently, yeah. What's up? There's like a kind of steep area and my
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partner went by. My partner looked in there. He was a 95. I don't know if he was going to line up
00:15:17
with me and took him to my car. He unbuckled. I I [music] gave him an opportunity
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because I needed to double lock his and then he he unbuckled himself went out of it.
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Crap. EMS attempted [music] to perform CPR on Dayson, but it was too late. Dayson was
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declared deceased shortly after by EMS. What officers uncovered with Dayson was only the beginning. As [music] the
00:15:39
investigation deepens, Eric's children would reveal further secrets painting an even darker picture of the reality
00:15:46
behind closed doors. For now, the decision is made to take Eric, his children, and his ex-wife
00:15:53
Latrice to the police station. Everyone would eventually make it to the station.
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Each separated into their own individual rooms awaiting intense interrogation. Eric would be left alone to hopefully
00:16:04
calm down and collect his thoughts. Meanwhile, detectives speak with both Latrice and her child Evan hoping to
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collect more information that can be used when speaking with their main suspect. They start with Latrice asking
00:16:17
her what kind of person Dayson was. At this point, detectives are considering the possibility that he and Eric may
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have gotten into a fight that somehow escalated into tragedy. But what Latrice describes denies that theory completely
00:16:31
and makes Dayson's case even more heartbreaking. Can you sit a little bit closer over here with me?
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>> Yeah. There's a lot of specific questions that I wanted to talk to you about. Can you
00:16:45
describe DJ? Was he an argumentative person? Was he a quiet person? So, Dayson was more of a quiet person. Mhm.
00:16:56
Um until he got to know you, but he was always mannered. [music] He talked to a lot of adults.
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He but he's never was disrespectful or any of that. I had teachers from his elementary, the principal, middle
00:17:09
school, they all showed up for my son. He was that type of child. You know when teachers come.
00:17:15
Would you say he was a sweet boy? He was very sweet and always willing to help. That was one of the things across the
00:17:21
board. Always willing to help. In the loft? In the crawl [music] space in the loft?
00:17:28
What was normally kept in there? Nothing. Uh safes? Nothing. Was that ever left open?
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>> No. It was always [music] screwed It was always closed. Okay. >> Cuz I don't like it. Like it it freaked
00:17:41
me out. There is a light switch in there? Okay. So I was like, where's that light coming from? And I turned [music]
00:17:46
the light switch off. But I don't know, maybe it was him. So let's talk about that. You called me and you said that
00:17:52
you saw him, you viewed him at the funeral home. Are you okay? Yeah. [music] Okay. And it was before he was
00:17:57
embalmed because I wanted to see him. Right. And you saw new bruises? >> Yes. Where did you see new bruises? On
00:18:04
his nose. Like that circular dark mark on his upper nose. His lip lip busted also. Mhm. Like that
00:18:16
wasn't there. And then his eyes were like purple. I don't like They were puffy and purple.
00:18:22
>> Yeah. It it looked to me like he was in a fight. And my son doesn't fight. Dayson's autopsy report ruled his cause
00:18:31
of death as asphyxiation, which in combination with the bruises and marks on his face implied he was likely
00:18:38
strangled [music] to death. I knew it. And he was my baby. So I knew it. >> [music]
00:18:44
>> I I still have those feelings that No, I'm not happy with cuz to me it [music] doesn't say I
00:18:49
did it, but it says there's enough evidence to say I did it. So, you know, let's just say you did it then. Latrice
00:18:55
[music] makes it clear she believes Eric is responsible, even though she didn't witness the incident [music] herself.
00:19:02
But her son Evan, seated just three doors down in his own interview room, has information that could take the
00:19:08
investigation even further. How are you? Good. Good. You said your name is Evan, is that correct? And do
00:19:16
you know how to spell your name? You can go ahead and write it down. Evan, okay. Nice handwriting. And how
00:19:26
old are you? Seven. Seven? You want to write seven for me? Okay. So I I don't forget. Sometimes I forget. Notice the
00:19:34
harsh contrast between interview rooms. Evan is sitting in the department's safety room, a space created to provide
00:19:40
comfort and reduce stress for victims and young children involved in sensitive cases. His interviewer, Miwa, is a
00:19:47
forensic interviewer for Maryland, trained specifically to speak with children and family members connected to
00:19:53
a criminal investigation. And because Evan is only 7 years old, you'll notice a drastic difference in how his
00:19:59
interview is conducted. >> My job is to talk to kids and families all the time, and today I get to talk to
00:20:04
you. Mhm. And I, you know, we talk about a lot of different things in this room,
00:20:09
and this is called the safe room because um anything we talk about is always safe, and you're not in any trouble.
00:20:16
You're just I'm just here to listen to you and talk to you. Okay. Miwa explains to Evan that everything is being
00:20:22
recorded and that he is not in trouble, but rather just there to help him out. She spends 15 minutes talking about
00:20:27
movies and more of Evan's interests to help him get more comfortable before discussing the day of Dayson's murder.
00:20:33
And Evan, who do you live with? Mhm, my mom. Your mom? And Tristan. Mhm. Anyone else?
00:20:41
Mhm, I live with Tristan. Mhm. And then my dad. Okay. Okay. And do you know what you're here to talk
00:20:49
about today? Mhm. >> [clears throat] >> No? So, um tell me a little bit about your family.
00:20:55
Mhm, Tristan. Tristan he likes to fight and plays and steal toys from others. I like the color and then I also like kids
00:21:10
pop interesting. And you said you also live with the DJ, is that right? Mhm, and then mom and Tristan. So, DJ, how
00:21:21
old is DJ? Uh 15. 15? Um tell me about DJ. DJ like going in the water, giggling.
00:21:31
And he can't really remember all the stuff he needs to do. But he love playing Roblox games. Tell
00:21:39
me about the last time you saw DJ. Mhm. My mom wasn't at the house. Tell me who was at the house.
00:21:48
Dad and then DJ. Mhm. And then me. DJ was going in his room with mommy. And then daddy was waiting at the door
00:22:00
with DJ. [music] DJ put his bags in the basement and then I don't remember what happened next.
00:22:07
That's all I remember. Okay. Miwah would tell Evan to draw the last time he saw Dayson and he'd draw the staircase
00:22:15
leading to the home's loft. The same staircase Eric has dragged Dayson's body up. And so, who is this person?
00:22:23
That was DJ. That was DJ? Where was dad? Right here. Oh, okay. So, dad was up here and then DJ was right there?
00:22:32
Okay. Where did they go after? And they never went anywhere. They were just waiting up the steps. Oh, they were
00:22:39
waiting up the steps? Who was he waiting for or what was he waiting for? >> And he was waiting till mom came. Oh.
00:22:45
Like DJ. Did that happen? Mhm, not yet. Not yet? Was there anything that you worried
00:22:52
about on that day? Mhm, no. I wonder if there's anything that you were scared about that day.
00:23:00
Mhm, I wasn't scared. Evan struggles to reveal the details of the events he saw that day, likely due [music] to the
00:23:07
discomfort of speaking with a stranger in a police station, but the information he gave his mother on the day of the
00:23:12
incident provides far clearer insight into the disturbing events he saw. >> You said that one of your children said
00:23:19
something to you? Evan. Evan, and what did Evan say? That he saw Daddy bring DJ upstairs.
00:23:26
And I said, "Where were you?" And he said he was in the living room. I just didn't want to pry too much, but
00:23:32
then I said, "Oh, was DJ sleeping?" He said, "No, he wasn't snoring." And then I said, "Was he moving?"
00:23:40
And he was just like, "No." And then he also told me that Daddy made him and Tristan go in the bathroom
00:23:48
and cover their eyes. Okay. >> But this was before. This was when the police first knocked at the door. Okay.
00:23:54
Evan didn't say anything about the knock because he told them to go in the bathroom first. So, I'm a little
00:24:00
confused of like the order, so I don't know if that's maybe when he was going to let [clears throat] the police in,
00:24:06
but Evan did say he saw that. Um and he he was in the living room cuz he told me he was watching Loki. In
00:24:13
addition to these grim details, Latrice would go on to explain how Eric's life had begun to collapse all in synchrony.
00:24:20
Due to the protective peace order Latrice had filed, Eric was suspended from the Baltimore Police Department the
00:24:26
very same day of Jason's death. He had just separated from his wife, was about to lose his children, and was now left
00:24:35
without a job. Latrice also explained that the peace order she filed was not her first attempt [music] to separate
00:24:42
herself from Eric. Months prior, Latrice filed her first peace protective order writing, [music] "I am in fear for my
00:24:48
life and well-being because Eric Banks keeps trying to control, follow, and emotionally abuse myself and my sons."
00:24:56
The order was denied, however, and it wasn't until months later that her second attempt was granted. It was clear
00:25:04
Eric's life was falling apart leading up to Dayson's death. Eric had hidden his body, lied to officers regarding his
00:25:11
whereabouts, and had a violent outburst once the body was discovered. It'd be hard to assume that he wasn't directly
00:25:17
implicated in Dayson's death. But, evidence alone wouldn't be nearly enough to get him to confess. After all, he was
00:25:24
a police officer of 10 years and knew how the criminal justice system worked just as well as any interrogator working
00:25:30
against him. But, unfortunately for Eric, the interrogation he was about to undergo would crack even the most
00:25:37
well-trained of suspects. Eric is placed into an Anne Arundel County interview room 2B. This room was
00:25:45
designed for priority matters, exclusive to high-profile cases. Because Eric had
00:25:50
attempted to attack an officer earlier in the day, he's been handcuffed to the table to restrict movement. Eric is left
00:25:57
alone for multiple hours as the detectives prepare for his interrogation. While waiting, he can be
00:26:03
seen glancing around the room multiple times, likely searching for a camera. What Eric didn't know is interview room
00:26:10
2B has a small camera placed in an unusual location, which Eric never managed to
00:26:16
spot. The primary investigator assigned to this case is [music] Detective Lewis Adrian. His prior service in the United
00:26:23
States military likely factored into the department's strategic choice to have him conduct the interview. This shared
00:26:29
background enables Adrian to establish rapport with Eric, a key component in the upcoming interaction.
00:26:36
So, um you know why we're here. We want to talk about what happened. Mhm. Um why it
00:26:43
happened, and anything surrounding that whole situation. But, you know as well as all of us that we have to go through
00:26:50
Miranda with you. Um so, what I'm going to do is we're just going to go through Miranda first of all and then I'll start
00:26:55
getting all the other information, okay? After reading Eric his rights, the detectives would spend nearly an hour
00:27:01
[music] connecting with Eric and bonding over their shared military experience. He's like, "No, you come in. You're in
00:27:06
front." Okay, we go back in the We're about to go in the building like, "You're in front." She's like, "But I
00:27:11
thought you said you were like, uh-uh. There's some people who were made to do you know to do certain things." And then
00:27:14
I said, "I'm not made to be a front person." >> [laughter] >> Yeah, but so I'm running a block and and
00:27:20
I remember it. So, I was like, "Hey, whoever that officer is right there running, just keep going. Keep going cuz
00:27:24
you're about to run right to him." And out of nowhere these two guys just come out, pop out and I'm like, "Okay, I got
00:27:29
him." And he just fell over and he was like, he was like, he was like, "Yeah, whoever
00:27:33
that was running, he was moving and you just ran." And I was like, he was like, "Don't." Cuz I was slowing down like
00:27:37
trying to look. He was like, "No, keep going." And I'm running like, "Okay, you're going to tell me when?" This
00:27:42
friendly conversation appeared to take Eric out of the intense mental [music] state. It appeared that Eric sharing his
00:27:47
favorite moments from the military gave him a sense of importance, like he had an identity he was proud of or at least
00:27:55
used to be. But that moment is short-lived as he's quickly brought back to the reality of why he's sitting
00:28:01
inside a police interrogation room. So, you you spent 3 years and you at you're still active in the Baltimore City
00:28:08
Police Department. Yes, sir. Has So, from what I hear, you're suspended. >> No, I'm not suspended now. I'm going to
00:28:13
be suspended, yes. Okay. Why? Can you tell me what's what's going on with that? May 8th, I got a peace and protect
00:28:19
order against my wife. Okay. Um And you've got one against her? Yeah, I got one against her.
00:28:24
Uh same day, she took the firearms out the house. She took the safe out of our home. You know, Anne Arundel County did
00:28:29
press charges. Um was it a They pressed charges against you guys or Her for taking
00:28:34
the safe with the firearms. The firearms. Yes, sir. And were they your duty firearms?
00:28:39
>> Duty firearm. My whole full duty belt was in there. Okay. Um firearm, taser, magazine pouches, everything was in
00:28:46
there. She turned around and went and got a peace order on me Okay. saying that I was following her. But when she
00:28:51
got it, that's when pretty much after she got the peace order, her mom sent my mom something talking about I was
00:28:57
following her, this and that. I'm like, "How? I'm here at work. How are you saying that I was following?" I was
00:29:03
like, "There's no way." That's when we both ended up at the courthouse and I was and I was like, cuz I have like,
00:29:08
"I'm going to put a stop to this." So I let the clerk know and I'm like, "I don't know what's going on, but every
00:29:12
time that um my wife trying to leave or something or something's trying to happen
00:29:17
secretly, there's a peace order for me to get kicked out the house." And I was like, "That's your people." And that's
00:29:23
when they brought us both in. So we both got seen by the judge and he granted us
00:29:26
a peace order for both of us to stay away from each other. >> Okay. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
00:29:30
That was just was it 2 days ago? Okay. >> Or was it No. Monday? No, no, yesterday.
00:29:35
It was just yesterday. Yesterday. >> Tuesday, yeah. So y'all met with the judge Tuesday. And you're still
00:29:39
suspended up until this point? >> Yeah, I'm still suspended. So when maybe I I maybe it's the way Baltimore works
00:29:44
and also the way our stuff is. So you have the peace order, she gets one on you and then it gets denied. denied. And
00:29:50
then I I have to do that for parole. Yeah, they said I >> you're still suspended even though it's
00:29:55
been cleared up. >> Yes. Got you. Okay. At this point, the detectives had no reason to assume Eric
00:30:01
was lying. He'd been open and honest with them the entire time and seemed rather friendly. It isn't until they
00:30:07
begin discussing the day of the incident that investigators realize Eric's perceived honesty had all been a
00:30:13
calculated act. So yesterday we go Yesterday we go to court, get the peace and protective orders. They grant the
00:30:19
whole motion, I mean, for us to stay away from each other. Two youngest boys both stay with me. The oldest, he's
00:30:25
going to Arizona with his mother. And she's like she tells the judge like that's what he want to do but something.
00:30:29
So right after that, you know, call him and say, "Hey, start packing your bags. You know, you're going to be going with
00:30:33
your mom." He's like, "Why? Why?" I'm like, "Your mom said you wanted this. This is what you're supposed to do you
00:30:39
know, I guess I I know. I didn't have that conversation." Previously to that, me and him had literally just sat down
00:30:44
at the table cuz I could tell that my son was like depressed and he was going through some like that's really what our
00:30:48
trip to on the first was like just to try to get him away, get him out. We sat down at the table and I'm like, "What's
00:30:54
going on with you? How do How are you feeling about this? Where are you at with this?" And he's like, "Um honestly
00:31:00
I don't know." He's like, "I hate it. I don't feel like I I don't want to feel like I'm choosing sides.
00:31:04
Um I just want to be left alone by everybody cuz then it's like they're calling me telling me this and this and
00:31:08
this and that and it's like I got to um keep certain things from you so like I don't
00:31:13
want to keep I don't want to be a part of this. Um he's like, "I'm tired." So I said, "You just go and start packing
00:31:18
your bags." And he's like, "Okay." We wait, I get my paperwork. I come home and on my way home it's like I just feel
00:31:26
like I was done. Like, you know what? Today's going to be the day I'm going to do it. Two two.
00:31:32
Okay. Yeah. Um I feel like my family was falling apart. I'm suspended from work.
00:31:37
Um possibly going to leave my job. So it was like Just building. Keep Keep Just keep going. So he goes like vendetta. I
00:31:45
even sent a text to say I don't know why we we feel like we have to be at war. Like we shouldn't have to be at war. I
00:31:50
was like, "If you I would [music] lying to these guys so like you got to get you
00:31:54
What are you like What are you trying to move in with them? You know, telling them that you're living in hotels when
00:31:57
you're not, you're staying with your mom. Like what are you doing?" So at this point he's like, "You know what?
00:32:00
I'm just tired." Yeah, and tired of it. It's It's It's a way out to get peace, I
00:32:05
guess. Yeah, a lot of people go through that, man. And it was just was like nothing. I felt like everything was just
00:32:10
coming to an end. And I feel like that now. Like honestly I'm everything's coming to an end. I was like, "You know
00:32:14
what? You're just going to do it." He is He is um So when you got home yesterday,
00:32:18
Mhm. um was there anyone in the house? Yes, it was um the son was in the house. Okay. Everyone was in the house and
00:32:24
Tristan was in the house. >> So you go in there and you're doing all this stuff, right? I go in there and I
00:32:28
go Yeah, I go in there um I see him upstairs like he got his bags packed. I had to go and take your stuff downstairs
00:32:34
when your mom's come. And she called him. He's like, "Mom's calling." He was like, "What do I say to her?" I say,
00:32:38
"You know, tell her what do you know, just talk to her like you know what she told you whatever." And he answers the
00:32:43
phone and they have a conversation. I was like, "Okay, what she say?" She said she said she said she's going to be in
00:32:49
the area just bring my stuff downstairs. I said, "Okay, cool." I said, "So the police should be coming and when they
00:32:53
come everything will go smoothly." This is the moment where Eric's act begins. Notice how he begins looking blankly
00:33:00
into the ceiling as he recounts critical moments. For the last hour, Eric hardly
00:33:06
looked up to the ceiling once. >> I go downstairs and I'm in the kitchen. I just made a [music] big bowl of uh
00:33:12
Who was it? Gatorade. Not a big bowl but a big pitcher of Gatorade. It's blue. It's
00:33:17
probably still I believe it's still on the counter. >> Mhm. But I like I said, you said you
00:33:20
never went to the hospital. Um the bag of crushed up pills that I had was right there.
00:33:27
The son came downstairs. He He asked me something. He was like um What is it he say? [music]
00:33:35
He came downstairs before he came downstairs he asked me something. And I can't remember what he said exactly but
00:33:40
he was like asked me uh what was it? About uh I think it was believe it was something
00:33:46
like that. I said, "The son just wait just we're not going to like cuz he was like I don't want to go he was just
00:33:50
telling me that he didn't want to go and [ __ ] like that. I said, "Look, just wait. We're not going to talk about [ __ ]
00:33:53
cuz I like I'll take your brothers to your mom's house and I'll be coming back." I said, "If your mom gets here
00:33:57
with the police you probably get back and force you got to go with her. That's just the way it is." He's upstairs. I'm
00:34:02
on the mattress. I told Tristan I said, "Tristan, go get your shoes." Tristan said, "Okay." So Tristan goes he goes
00:34:08
upstairs he gets his shoes. >> [music] >> He comes he's like, "Daddy, what's wrong
00:34:11
with DJ?" I'm like, "Huh?" So then I go upstairs and DJ's in the He's in the bath He's in the bathroom.
00:34:18
He's in the tub. That's when I seen him. I was like, "What the fuck?" I That's when I pulled him out the tub
00:34:27
and as I'm pulling him out the tub I laid him flat on his back on the floor. Mhm.
00:34:31
And then What is it uh uh at that time, then I was not sure, I think it was El Atrisco. He was like, "There's somebody
00:34:41
at the door." And I'm just looking at my feet and I'm like, "What the [ __ ] is this?"
00:34:47
I'm like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" Eric makes [music] his story clear. He had planned to end his life, but
00:34:54
coincidentally, Jason had the same plan and did it first. That's an extremely complex alibi and only becomes more
00:35:01
unlikely after Eric explains why Jason's body ended up hidden inside his bedroom.
00:35:07
So, I go downstairs, go to the front door. The officer said, Okay. And I panicked. I was like, "I don't
00:35:14
know what the [ __ ] to say." So, he asked me, he was like, "Hey, um what's going
00:35:19
on?" I start talking to him, telling him what's going on. He was it What did he say?
00:35:24
He said, "So, what's the situation?" And I tell him on the situation. I was like, "Uh you know, my wife, she's
00:35:30
we were waiting on y'all to come, you know, y'all were supposed to be serving her with a piece of protective order."
00:35:34
And when I He's like, "She was Yeah, she was supposed She was supposed to be like, "Yeah, she was supposed to be
00:35:38
picking up outside." And he was like, "Uh is she here?" And at the time, he was still [music] He was upstairs on the
00:35:42
floor. Okay. In the bathroom. When he said, "Was she here?" My mind I was like, "No."
00:35:49
Okay. >> Yeah. You panicked. [music] Yeah. Um cuz it already looked bad. I already moved
00:35:53
him. And I was like, "What are you going to do about it?" Yeah. >> Um was it And when [music]
00:36:00
was it uh when I got out of the bathtub, I asked the officer and some other officer came
00:36:04
and joined and you could see I asked him like, "Can I go in the house, you know,
00:36:07
use the bathroom real quick?" I remember I was asking that and he was like, he was like, "No, no, just wait. Just wait.
00:36:11
Just wait. Okay." Then the other officer showed up. And then when he showed up, he's asking, he's like, "So, um is the
00:36:16
son here?" Still the same thing. I told him, "No." I I should have said, "Yes." You know, sh
00:36:21
Yeah, I mean, in a perfect world, I knew my state of mind. My state of mind was to kill Eric. Okay.
00:36:28
And now let me ask you this, is that why um cuz I did watch some of the footage when they went to loosen your handcuffs,
00:36:35
you kind of got a little silly on them. Do you remember that? Yeah. What was your I mean, you went for the officer's
00:36:40
gun. What was up with that? Well, when I first before we get to that, when I first went back in the house, when the
00:36:46
officer told me I had to tall officer, he told me um he said uh go get the son's phone.
00:36:50
>> Mhm. I ran upstairs. His phone was in the in the bathroom on the counter. Okay. So I run upstairs
00:36:56
and I get the phone. Cuz he wait wait let me back up before I did that. I asked him, I said, "Can I go upstairs?
00:37:01
Can I use the Can I go and use the bathroom?" So that means he wanted to shut the door. He said he said, "No, no,
00:37:05
just wait." And then the other officer he was like, "Well, go um I need you to go grab the son's phone." I ran up grab
00:37:09
it. And I'm still and I shut the bathroom door. And I'm still nervous. >> Which bathroom was it? Was it the one in
00:37:14
the master or the small? >> No, the small one. The small one in the hallway. And I'm still shaking up.
00:37:18
Um and then when uh come back downstairs, I go I was I go out the door. I give him the phone.
00:37:27
And I'm still shaking my hand like and everything's in my head saying like, all right, just
00:37:31
just say what you saw. But then then my other part of me is like, my son just did this. Right.
00:37:39
Objectively, Eric's story hits all the points. He has an excuse for almost every suspicious detail, even finding a
00:37:46
way to explain why blood was found all over his house. The issue is that these details are simply too coincidental to
00:37:54
ever And even Eric knows this. I don't know why I just was like, I got to move him.
00:38:00
I did the picked him up, did the fireman carry. Took him out of the bathroom into the master bedroom up the stairs.
00:38:07
And I was like, [music] cuz I know they're going to want to come back in the house and search it.
00:38:10
I was like, "I'm going to be cool. I'm fine with that." I'm I was going to let them search it. And I talked him in
00:38:15
>> [music] >> shoo. I talked him in the the area. And then and I left the thing over it. So when you
00:38:20
sitting there and you talking like the little >> pros crawl space. All right. Yeah. All
00:38:23
right. [music] But getting back to that when he came in, they searched the house. They went upstairs.
00:38:27
And he seen the thing open up from the officer. When he asked, I panicked and I was like,
00:38:32
>> [music] >> "Yeah, this is where I keep my safe." Well, whatever. But just something was
00:38:36
in there. >> Just something was in there. And >> [music] >> they put the handcuffs on me.
00:38:40
I went back downstairs. When they brought me downstairs, I was like, "My life is over." Because it looks
00:38:45
different. It's [music] no matter what I say from this point, it looks like I'm lying. I was like, "I lied because I
00:38:50
already lied twice." You asked me to sign anything else. I said, "No." You asked me did I know where he went. I
00:38:55
said, "No, I think he he probably went back there or something." And you know, so it always looked bad because I'm
00:39:00
already done told you a lie. Even though in my head it's like, "You probably should have just said the
00:39:05
truth. You probably only should have just left him where he was at." >> [music] >> Call the Call Call police or done fire
00:39:10
fire or whatever. Yeah, call the police or But the times we But I was already in I
00:39:14
was I mean I I wasn't even I was already in the master bedroom. Eric's going to die
00:39:18
today. Okay. The detectives decide to take a break and discuss what their next plans
00:39:23
would be. At this point, they both know Eric is lying to their faces. So, the goal for the rest of the interrogation
00:39:30
will be to get Eric to admit to his lies and ultimately confess to the murder. To
00:39:34
do this, they decide on Detective Adrian conducting the rest of the interrogation
00:39:38
alone since one-on-one confrontation is generally considered to be more effective. Adrian would return with a
00:39:45
clearly [music] different demeanor from earlier. He's stern and wastes no time in asserting that his [music] nice cop
00:39:51
act is over. Are you good? You need anything before we get started again? >> No, I'm good. Are you sure?
00:39:57
All right. So, Detective uh Detective Pizarro had to step aside just for a second.
00:40:02
Um but what I wanted to do, like I told you, I wanted to come back and go back over some things with you. I actually
00:40:09
wanted wanted to go back and in detail just go through [music] some of these steps. Um Eric would
00:40:15
recount his story exactly the same as before, claiming he simply found Jason dead and had nothing to do with it. And
00:40:22
it seemed as though Detective Adrian had nothing concrete to combat Eric's lies.
00:40:26
That was until he brought out Jason's autopsy report. [music] >> I'm going to tell you this. I know that
00:40:32
you spent 10 years in the military. >> Mhm. And [clears throat] you you were in the Marines, weren't
00:40:37
you? >> Yes. What's their whole thing in the Marines? Like [music] What what do they always teach?
00:40:43
Honor, integrity. Honor, courage, commitment. >> Yeah. And to be honest with you, I don't see
00:40:49
that from you right now based on what you're telling me. I think you're telling me something different. Okay.
00:40:54
>> But I know you're a Marine. Okay. I know a lot of people that's Marines, man.
00:40:59
And and that's one thing that they would like integrity, honor. No, you don't mess with that if you're a Marine.
00:41:04
>> Yes. I know you want to tell me the truth and and you're sitting here like giving me a story. You're giving me
00:41:11
you're giving me what I want to hear just to sound good, but it's not it. That's not it. Trust me, I'm not trying
00:41:17
to sound good to you. And then I'm going to tell you the I'm going to tell you the other thing.
00:41:20
And I'm going to be straight up with you. >> Yeah. You keep talking about the autopsy.
00:41:25
>> [music] >> The autopsy said he was strangled. Hell, no. The autopsy said he was strangled. Hell,
00:41:33
no. Hell to the no, no, no. Hell to the no, DJ was not strangled. Hell to the no.
00:41:42
I'm going to just let it sink in and and let you you decide what you're going to
00:41:46
do. Explain that to His No, DJ wasn't strangled. Well, then what happened? Tell me what
00:41:54
happened. >> There's no No. DJ was not strangled. DJ, like I told you, DJ went downstairs, he
00:41:59
came back upstairs, and DJ was he was in that tub. I like I said, when I came in that room,
00:42:05
he was in the tub. When I when I grabbed him out, I grabbed him like this. Like he was put him in the fireman's carry.
00:42:11
When they left, I could drag him up to my room. If If that's the case, I would have
00:42:17
left him in there and I would have said or had them come in there to be like, "But DJ wasn't no strangle."
00:42:24
There was no way No, there was no way he was DJ wasn't no strangle. Mhm. That's your boy. You had pride in him.
00:42:31
>> Yeah. But you had You had pride in him. You were trying to help him out with his
00:42:34
grades. You were getting him in his STEM classes and then this happened. >> But you're saying DJ was strangled? No.
00:42:41
Well, then tell me what happened. >> [music] >> This didn't happen. I'm going to tell
00:42:44
you that right now. This didn't happen. You're saying he wasn't a So No, no, I'm
00:42:47
not saying that. >> [music] >> I'm not saying that. I believe that part. But I believe something else happened.
00:42:54
Note Eric's lack of emotion when hearing this information. No tears are shed, but
00:42:59
rather an array of defensive rage. This, alongside the other countless red flags
00:43:05
Eric is portraying, is a telltale sign for detectives that a suspect is lying. You need to tell me the whole story.
00:43:11
Like I said, DJ when I When we came When I came in there, DJ was DJ was literally
00:43:16
in that tub. There was no way I'm going to sit there and strangle DJ. Not in my home, Tristan. Why would I I don't even
00:43:22
have no I'm I'm going to want to strangle this boy. I have no nothing against him to want to
00:43:28
strangle him. Nothing. Okay. No anger in my heart, no nothing. Cuz then like I said, if I was
00:43:34
going to do that, why would I leave my other two boys? If I was going to do that, I would have
00:43:38
took all of us out. DJ was not no strangle. So then what happened? Tell me the story. You need to start.
00:43:47
You start from scratch. Tell me the story. DJ was not no strangle. >> Well, then tell me what happened.
00:43:52
You're not telling me the truth. Tell me what happened. Bro, I'm telling you >> here standing right now. Giving you a
00:43:57
chance right now. You tell You asked me to tell you that I strangled myself. No,
00:44:01
I didn't. Eric understands the legal system well, well enough to avoid offering a direct
00:44:06
confession when confronted. From investigators perspective, he knows that admitting involvement is the worst thing
00:44:13
he can possibly do. Well, besides not asking for an attorney. Regardless, it's going to take more than just a heated
00:44:21
confrontation to make Eric crack. So, Detective Adrian resorts to a completely different approach, empathy. I'm going
00:44:28
to tell you right now the the way This is going to be something you have to live with for the rest of your life.
00:44:34
>> Yes, sir. This is something you are going to have to think about every night before you
00:44:40
close your eyes. And when you close your eyes, you're going to think about what you did
00:44:45
to him. That's what you're going to think about. That's what you're going to think about
00:44:49
what you did to him. And it's going to haunt you for the rest [music] of your life. Or what you can do
00:44:55
is you can talk to me. You can You can tell You can tell me what really happened, and at least that load will be
00:45:00
off your chest. >> See, you're I'm telling you right now there's no like [music] you're telling
00:45:04
me to say I strangled my son. I did not strangle my son. That's what you're asking me. I understand you're
00:45:10
trying to lie with me and you know and show the compassion trying to like give me But there's no
00:45:14
There's [music] no There's no me and strangling DJ at all. >> Okay, so let's take strangle out.
00:45:21
There's no me strangling DJ. >> We're taking strangle out of the equation now. Okay. What [music]
00:45:26
happened? I told you what happened. We're taking strangle out. What happened? He was upstairs in that tub.
00:45:32
DJ was literally in that tub. >> You didn't put him there. I did not put him there. No. DJ was physically in that
00:45:38
tub already. When I came to that bathroom, DJ was in there. Did you assist him [music] at all? No.
00:45:43
>> With anything? No, I didn't assist him at all with nothing. Nothing. I did not
00:45:46
assist him to get in that bathroom. Did not assist him going in that bathroom. He was upstairs already. Like I said,
00:45:51
when I When he went downstairs, he was downstairs for a good period of time. He was upstairs in the what's his name? I
00:45:56
was down. Tristan was down. Tristan was trying to go what's his name with his shoe. I was I told him and that's what I
00:46:02
heard said out of his mouth, "Daddy, what's wrong with DJ?" Tristan literally said that out of his mouth. And I went
00:46:08
up there to check on I didn't see I don't recall seeing him don't recall him removing a belt. I
00:46:14
don't recall removing anything that could have been around his neck. I don't recall removing a
00:46:18
So So here's the thing and and I hate to frustrate you and I hate to but I also have a job to do and I also and also
00:46:25
have to get down to the bottom of this. And when I walk through the door Mhm. and when I hear everything that happened
00:46:33
things don't add up. Things don't make sense. [music] Okay. They don't make sense at all. If you would have done
00:46:38
things different, if you would have been like yes, my son I just found my son in
00:46:43
the tub. I helped him out and told the officer you know this. Mhm. If you would have done it that way it would have been
00:46:47
different. But the fact that you didn't, now you're sitting here trying to explain yourself.
00:46:53
Well, I'm sitting here cuz the whole situation I'm sitting here because I lied and said he wasn't in the
00:46:58
house. I'm sitting here because I didn't tell the officer like you said it's straight forward what was going on.
00:47:03
That's two lies right there. How how Like you said earlier, how are we supposed to believe you now? Yeah, and
00:47:07
like I said So you tell you telling me how am I supposed to strangle How how did I not assist him [music]
00:47:13
in getting in the tub and I don't know possibly drowning him? I don't know. No. I don't know.
00:47:18
>> [music] >> But all >> Cuz even if he even if I drowned him but here's the thing All I know is that you
00:47:23
keep lying. No, bro. >> You lied initially twice. How do I know you're not lying right now? Because like
00:47:29
I told you straight forward. I said And I And I told you straight forward Bro, because that's why I said in the
00:47:35
beginning I said straight forward I there's nothing I can say. I said I already know y'all have done y'all
00:47:41
homework. Laid it all out on the table. I said because there's nothing I can say
00:47:46
that's because I already lied to you twice. I said he wasn't in the home. I identified that. I messed that up
00:47:51
because then I see my son is dead. Okay. All right. Do you um I'm going to I'm going to leave you
00:47:58
alone for a little bit um to think about things, but do you want anything else to drink or anything
00:48:03
to eat? Um I'm good with the water and the chips. Okay, give me just a second. All
00:48:07
right. All right. You need anything else? Um no, sir. All right. As the detective leaves, Eric
00:48:14
scans the room thoroughly and finally notices the camera hidden inside room 2B. Moments after making eye contact
00:48:21
with the camera, he lets out one last desperate act. >> [music] >> Strangled? I don't know.
00:48:36
Unfortunately, it'd be too late to act his way out of the murder. Eric's testimony was flimsy at best and
00:48:43
Detective Adrian decided he'd gotten enough to wrap the nearly 5-hour interview up. Shortly thereafter, Eric
00:48:49
was booked into the Anne Arundel County Detention Center under charges of first-degree murder, second-degree
00:48:54
murder, and child abuse resulting in death. >> [music] >> At trial, Eric would quickly accept a
00:48:59
plea deal to second-degree murder as well as attempting to disarm a police officer. And on October 4th, 2022, he
00:49:06
was sentenced to 42 years in prison. If Eric serves his full sentence, he'll be released in 2064.