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[bell] >> Pastor? How are you, sir? Thank you for coming out here. >> Inside this church in May, Texas, locals
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are gathering to mourn the tragic death of 25-year-old Shante Blankenship. Somewhere within this crowd is Shante's
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killer, hiding in plain sight and watching town folks pointing suspicions in all directions.
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>> Has she had problems with anybody? >> There's this guy that called and we used
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to have problems cuz he used to ride around with them and stuff. >> Whoever it is is pretty sick person and
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they're still out there somewhere. >> I think it's your boyfriend, Don. >> You know, she's a good-looking girl and
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that makes me a dirty old man. That I think that's what was said. >> As detectives exhaust every lead, the
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case eventually goes cold, [music] leaving this small community questioning if any one of them might be the next
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victim. Yet, for over a year, one unusual witness sits quietly unnoticed, holding the answer detectives had been
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hunting for all along. >> He was so devious and smart. He just didn't know that that was going to be
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the thing that would finally catch him. >> The actions that we're showing on this
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is, man, you're you're off the freaking charts. >> And here he is, right in front of us.
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How did I miss that? >> It's May 15th in the small town of May, Texas. Nearly 48 hours have passed since
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25-year-old Shante Blankenship mysteriously vanished after going on her usual evening walk. Since then, church
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volunteers have searched tirelessly for any sign of her until this Sunday morning, around 11:00 a.m., when one
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couple stumbles upon something. [music] >> Brown County Sheriff's Office, what's
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the location of your emergency? >> I don't have no idea where I'm at. I am in the middle of nowhere.
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>> We were looking for Shantae Golden ship. Okay. >> We found her. >> Okay. >> It's the
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>> Okay, ma'am, it's face down. Face down. Real still for me, okay? I'm going to try to
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ping your location. >> It's actually the the old haunted house is what everybody calls it.
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>> Is she okay? Does she need any medical attention? >> She's alive. She's dead.
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>> What you talking about? >> Oh my god. >> Okay, it's Yeah, I've got everybody headed that direction, okay?
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>> Right away, the Brown County Sheriff's Office dispatches [music] two patrol deputies to the caller's location, an
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abandoned farmhouse nearly 25 miles away. Once they arrive, they find Charlie and Jackie anxiously pacing
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outside, ready to go into detail about the gruesome discovery they had just made inside.
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>> We were just driving around looking for her. They did a a Everybody met at 3:00 at the church to
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go look for her, and we were just driving around. We looked at every creek and >> The uh
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>> culvert. We didn't find her. >> The peel out marks were already here. >> Those over there, yeah.
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>> I've seen those tracks, and they pulled in. They didn't go on through. They would just stop.
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>> These aren't y'alls? >> Uh-uh. No, this is the vehicle we're in. >> Are these Are those over to the gate?
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Are those your shoe prints? >> Probably mine. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Let's stay over here on the rocks and
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not walk around where there's any footprints. >> Don't let them leave there till I get
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out there, please. >> 10-4, they're waiting for everybody. >> To the deputies, this discovery
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immediately raises questions. The farmhouse sits miles out of town in an isolated location that many locals don't
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even know exists. So, while they wait for additional officers to arrive, the deputy begins pressing for answers,
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trying to understand how this couple ended up here in the first place. >> How long did you guess y'all called
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immediately when y'all found her? >> Which gate did y'all jump? I walked around the house. I didn't see nothing
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in there. Then I went out to >> Do what? >> I walked around in the house. >> Uh-huh.
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>> I didn't see nothing in there. Went to all the outbuildings. >> Yeah. >> And I was coming back and that storm
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cellar there had a bunch of grass knocked down. So, I run around and looked and there she is. She's upside
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down in there. And she is beat. >> I got a daughter that age. >> [snorts] >> She's naked. Is this J Burton or she got
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on is that white shirt she was wearing around in probably when I seen her? [ __ ]
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it. My hand on them so Did she done that? I thought They done that right there, flashes. I took them bastard.
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I know Bonnie. She had the mentality of a 9-year-old. >> There's a old house back there?
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They apparently all met up at the church earlier in North Lake and they were just
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coming out driving around looking. She's in a cellar. >> You serious? >> Yeah. I said they were just out looking for a
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place to stay. Yeah, I think so. They said they said they found hair laying out on the ground. They're
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like, "What the heck is that?" So, they've already picked they picked it up. It's like, "That ain't cow hair or
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anything." They were wandering around and found her in the cellar. The gate's locked, [music] so we'll have
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to cut it. But there's tire tracks that pull in there and then pull straight back out.
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>> Fresh tracks? >> Yeah, like today fresh. >> Indeed, these are very fresh marks
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planting a terrifying thought in the deputies' minds that Shante's killer could be somewhere nearby keeping a
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close eye on the area. Shortly afterward, more units begin arriving at the scene including the crime scene
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photographer. And as the deputies prepare to head towards the body's location, they'll soon realize that
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whatever the couple told them is nothing compared to what they're about to see. >> What's that wire?
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>> Yeah. >> It's It's on your gun. There you go. You're good. All right. Here, John. Hold this. I'm
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going to I'll step up here and I'll grab the camera and hold it while you >> laying right on the other side on the
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human turf. >> Okay. You said there's a little bracelet. Right here on the other side of the
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gate, you said. Yeah, right over there in the middle of that grass. There's one of those wristbands, those little rubber
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bands like this one. >> It looks, the way this grass is, right here, like someone's been through it recently
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or something. Knife laying on the ground. I don't know if Looks like it's been there a little while.
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>> Yeah, it's been there a while, but we'll go ahead and photograph it just in case.
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>> I don't see any blood anywhere, though. I haven't seen drops. >> Mhm. >> I wonder if someone pulled around to the
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back side of this house where it wasn't as obvious. >> Yeah. Let's just follow this.
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>> We'll follow the dirt tracks. The grass is disturbed. She had her knee pants on.
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>> Oh my goodness. >> Yeah. Video here. I want to say he said he pulled this uh >> Metal bar.
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>> We need to find out I mean, cuz you can see where there's a path right through
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here. >> Mhm. >> Man, this grass is still thick. There's not There's not going to be any prints.
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This metal right here we'll need to process, probably. However, I would say Here's another pink
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band right here, John. >> Oh, yeah. It's a legit homicide, it looks like. >> blood all on that rock right there.
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Once all your guys get out here, I'm sure they'll want to go through this building and make sure that there's not
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something inside here, either. >> Yeah. >> On the ground, halfway inside the cellar, lies Shante's deceased and
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partially clothed body, beaten so severely that she is almost unrecognizable. Beside her is a broken
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lawnmower blade stained [music] with blood. Its condition and placement leave investigators with little doubt that
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they're looking at the murder weapon. All of it, the secluded location, the sheer brutality of the attack, and the
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way Shante's body is positioned leave deputies wondering just what kind of a deranged person could have done this.
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Following this, Shante's body is taken away for autopsy while officers clear the abandoned house. [music] Inside,
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they find trash, empty alcohol bottles, and decay, but no blood or signs of a struggle. The next step for
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investigators is to speak with the remaining search volunteers, so they release the couple who found the body,
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instructing them not to tell anyone about the discovery to avoid alerting the killer. But, that's easier said than
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done because for Brown County discoveries like this carry a familiar weight as the area has been no stranger
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to tragedy. In 1989, 13-year-old Amanda Goodman was abducted while walking home from school
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and murdered. Seven years later, in 1996, 30-year-old Juan Morales was found shot to death beside his burning car.
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Decades [music] later, both cases remain unsolved. And even more recently, police
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recovered the remains of two missing residents in remote areas of Brown County. So, while investigators hope to
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keep details of Shante's murder from spreading, in a town this small news travels extremely fast, and
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investigators are about to learn that the hard way. >> And this is the church North Lake.
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>> Because May, Texas is a [music] deeply religious community, the search for Shante has been organized through the
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local North Lake Community Church. So, investigators head there, but by the time they arrive, the situation has
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already changed dramatically. A volunteer firefighter has just informed Shante's family that her body has been
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found, [music] putting deputies at a significant disadvantage. And as the deputy approaches the church, he's met
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with uneasy stares [music] from the crowd as he scans the room for any potential suspects.
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>> Okay. >> Who are you sir? I'm just looking. >> Oh. >> I'm just making observations.
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>> Oh, appreciate it. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> You're not doing what sir? >> Nothing.
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>> Okay. That's fine. All right, come on. Hey folks, could you have your attention
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just a minute? Folks. Folks. Hello. Ladies, gentlemen. If you're believe you have information
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that will assist in this investigation, >> [music] >> I ask you don't discuss it with anybody
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else. I don't want to mix your notes with anybody else's notes or anybody else's observations. [music] That's
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important because I want your recollections to be your own. Thank you very much for your
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cooperation. >> Pastor. >> How are you sir? >> Good. >> You're doing okay? >> Doing well, sir.
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Thank you for coming out here. >> While the community may not trust the deputy yet, they do trust Pastor Ron
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Keener. Having spent nearly five decades in ministry and years helping local charities, he knows this town inside and
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out, and having him on their side could prove invaluable to the investigation. As the deputy continues moving through
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the church, he notices people beginning to leave. With no legal authority to stop them, he urges Pastor Keener to
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help gather Shante's family and those closest to her. But as detectives begin speaking with the people who knew Shante
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best, one person quickly draws their attention, her boyfriend, John Adams. And as they sit down with him, his
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00:13:30
investigation where Shontae's boyfriend, John, is about to exhibit some behavior
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that detectives would find highly suspicious. >> My name's John Harper. I'm an investigator with Bracket Insurance
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Agency. >> Okay. >> get in trouble anymore. >> What does that mean? >> Well, me and Bracket Sales are over one
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time. >> Now, now now I remember who you are. Yes, now I remember who you are. How long have you been with her?
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>> A little over 3 years. October 7th, 2012. >> Okay. How was you How did you How did
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you and her How did you and her get along? >> How did you get along? >> Yeah. >> I mean like we
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There was times, I ain't going to lie, we'd argue, I mean like, but she's not capable of
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handling things. I mean like, she has mental problems, I mean like I try to cut She has a habit of yelling and
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stuff, and I just try to Sometimes I leave, and then sometimes I could just talk her out
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and be nice, and she'd calm down. >> Mhm. >> But she just has I mean like I can't say it.
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She'd express herself different, I mean like, just Sometimes there's like a wall, but like
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I mean like, she showed me love, you know what I mean? >> Despite just learning that Shontae has
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been found dead, John doesn't ask a single question about what happened to her that night, leaving detectives to
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wonder if he somehow already knows. At this stage, deputies are looking for anyone who may have had a reason to harm
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Shontae. And without hesitation, John would point investigators towards another man, someone who had just
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slipped out of the church the moment the deputy arrived. >> Anything else you can Has she had
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problems with anybody? >> Basically, this guy, yeah. Or this guy, Colin. >> Guy where?
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>> Colin. >> Yeah. >> What about Colon Smith? >> Well, me and we used to have problems
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cuz he used to chase the ride around with him and stuff. And he used to just do stupid stuff and he like driving
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drunk. >> Mhm. >> Stuff like that and I didn't like that and he like I shouldn't hang around and stuff but
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it's pretty much me and him got into it one time cuz he came up to the house. She was drunk, uh,
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drunk or off drunk. >> Mhm. >> I'm off of work. I mean, I'm thinking, "What the hell?"
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And me and her stood out there and we were out there and straightened out and I never heard much
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out of him. He [music] He pretty much turned his nose and at me. >> Okay. >> And then I've heard off and on she goes
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over there, I mean, but it's just something I can't really get myself upset about and
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I mean, but and that fool was over. >> As John's interview comes to an end, deputies still aren't sure what to make
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of him. Although he agreed to speak with him voluntarily and remains cooperative,
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detectives find his behavior oddly unconcerned. For now, John points investigators towards the only possible
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suspect he can think of, Colon Smith, a man deputies soon learn is no longer at the church. And as the church empties
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and the night comes to an end, detectives decide to wrap up the interviews and continue the
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investigation at first light. But when the community finally learns who the killer really is, they would be left
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speechless that someone they thought they could trust was capable of such evil. >> I mean, we've got her's been brutally
00:17:00
murdered. And here he is right in front of us. How did I miss that? How did I miss that?
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>> The next morning, just as deputies prepare to head back into town, they receive a major update from the forensic
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team. The initial autopsy results are in. Shante's cause of death is determined to be blunt force trauma to
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the head and neck. Her injuries are consistent with the broken lawnmower blade found at the scene. She has no
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defensive wounds. While bruising on her arms suggests she had been dragged by the elbows, but investigators uncover
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something even more disturbing. Shante's body had been violated as she was dying
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or even after her death. Male DNA is recovered giving detectives their first concrete clue about the person they're
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looking for. And combined with the sheer brutality of the attack, investigators begin to suspect that this was not the
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killer's first time and that other victims may still be hidden somewhere. At 10:00 a.m., deputies make their way
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into town and split up interviewing men throughout the area and collecting DNA samples in hopes of identifying the
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killer. Suspecting they're dealing with a serial killer, they know they can't afford to waste time as anyone could be
00:18:18
a potential suspect. But the terrifying part is that they have no idea which of those encounters will be the one with
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the killer. >> I guess you know why I'm here. >> Well, I'm sure it has nothing to do with
00:18:29
Shante. >> Yes, sir. What do you know about Shante, sir? >> I've lived here about 4 years and she
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walks up and down the streets every day. >> Something was said and I'm not sure about the source cuz it I was just
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assigned to come out. >> Okay. >> Something about, you know, that uh you had said that you get excited
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when you see her. >> Uh there might have been a comment made to say that you know, she's a good looking girl and
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that makes me a dirty old man. That I think that's what was said. And I don't give a [ __ ] if you're male and you
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ain't, you're going to look at a young lady and say, "Well, damn, she's pretty." You know.
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>> Yeah, I hear you. Somebody reported a dead body hanging in there. And they got on that gate there and came
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up and went in. He told me she's sleeping. Now, look what they told me. Oh, ago was that?
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>> Oh, that's been >> 10 years. >> Oh, okay. And you just you just seen her and waved
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to her. You didn't stop and talk to >> I did stop and talk to her. I had stopped and talked to her in the past
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some. She's a good little girl. >> You know, there's boys that were you know, wanting to be with her or
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and John said that he was her boyfriend and she'd say Colin was her boyfriend. You never know. You didn't.
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>> After speaking with more than a dozen residents, detectives uncover a troubling reality. There is no shortage
00:19:47
of men who knew Shantae, knew her routine, and may have had the opportunity to harm her. Meaning there
00:19:53
are still too many possibilities and no clear suspect. So, in search of a breakthrough, the lead detective
00:20:00
contacts Shantae's family and learns from her mother, Michelle, that the last person likely to have seen her before
00:20:06
she disappeared was her closest friend, [music] Caitlyn. After getting Caitlyn's
00:20:10
address, detectives drive to her house, unaware that the woman they're about to meet may hold the key to unraveling the
00:20:17
entire case. Because no one in this house knows Shantae better than she does, or the three strange men who had
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recently entered her life. >> Caitlyn, we're just trying to get as much information on this as we can. Can
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you just kind of tell me about Friday? What was she talking about? >> She was talking to me about a whole
00:20:34
bunch of different stuff. One thing that really got me was she told me her and Colin got back together. Her and her
00:20:41
boyfriend, John, talked about how they broke up because she didn't like him. And then said that uh actually Colin
00:20:49
told her yeah, told her to meet him in the shed behind his house that night. Sorry.
00:20:56
>> It's okay. Take your time. >> And then this guy he drove by us in Bronco. It's white and red. You You when
00:21:05
you see somebody you think is really creepy, you kind of get this feeling. He looked kind of creepy and he waved at
00:21:11
her and she was like, "Yeah, that's so-and-so, but he really creeps me out." >> Caitlin points to the three men who may
00:21:19
have been involved in Shanti's disappearance, John, Colin, and a third man she can't remember, except for one
00:21:26
detail, a red and white Ford Bronco. Once investigators locate the only matching vehicle registered in the area,
00:21:33
the name comes [music] back as Bobby Sosa. So, with three potential suspects now at the forefront of the
00:21:39
investigation, John, Colin, and Bobby, deputies split up and head out to each of their homes. The first team makes
00:21:45
their way to Bobby's property, and when officers arrive, they're immediately struck by something unusual, a strong
00:21:52
odor coming from inside the trailer. >> Uh just follow up on everything. I think
00:21:59
I mean, I don't think you're being, you know, misleading with us or anything, but just for us to cover anything since
00:22:08
the vehicle's in the area, do you mind if we go in your in your trailer and just make sure everything's okay and
00:22:12
there's nobody in there? >> Yeah, you can check. There's nobody in here, but it's a mess.
00:22:15
>> It's just It's just more just to cover all of our bases. >> Sure, I mean, I'll show you
00:22:18
No problem. >> Any guns in there, anything like that? >> No, no weapons. >> No weapons?
00:22:23
>> Maybe a pocket knife here or there. >> All right. How long you lived out here, man?
00:22:31
>> Uh like I said, man, a month. >> Oh, yeah? >> It's a mess. >> Oh, okay. >> Let's follow him.
00:22:37
>> Surely you've been in worse. >> I don't know. Not unless you got a hoarder around here.
00:22:42
>> Do what? >> Oh, we got we got plenty of those, man. Hoarders. >> Oh, yeah? Yeah, freezer looks like it works good,
00:22:48
man. >> It runs on propane. >> Do what? >> It runs on propane. >> Really? Hey, as long as we're here real quick,
00:22:56
your storage unit shed right here, is that cool? Appreciate it, man. >> You got it.
00:23:06
>> You know what a dog did? >> No. That smell coming from the dog being in your stomach there.
00:23:11
>> You know what that is? >> I got to use that little thing there cuz I'm out of gas.
00:23:15
Go and haul it to that place down the street. >> Oh, really? You got to dump it in there
00:23:19
and haul it down there? >> Yes, sir. >> Awesome, man. >> I'm sorry about the smell. I just I'm
00:23:24
trying to get everything good if it's >> You're good, man. >> Despite the strong odor on the property,
00:23:29
which Bobby claims is gasoline, officers failed to find anything that [music] connects him to Shante's murder. And
00:23:35
while officers continue questioning Bobby, another team makes its way to Colin's house. At first, they're
00:23:41
prepared to treat him like any other potential witness, but [music] Colin's behavior and his refusal to cooperate
00:23:47
would soon shoot him to the top of the suspect list. >> How you doing, sir? What's your name?
00:23:53
>> Colin. >> You mind if I You want to ride with me up to the SO and then Yeah, and I'll
00:23:58
bring >> I'll go and do it. >> Okay, you don't want to go with me? >> I mean, it's ridiculous that I'm even
00:24:03
being looked at. She's got a boyfriend or a husband, John Adams. >> Mhm. >> She's like infatuated with me. She'll
00:24:10
just walk up and down. >> Did y'all have any type of physical relationship at all? Cuz some of the
00:24:15
people we talked to is that y'all had a relationship at one time. So, never? >> Nope.
00:24:21
>> What What kind of relationship did she and the boyfriend have? >> He'd always pick her up and tell her to
00:24:28
go get her belongings. He treated her like a dog. And every There's a lot of people that are kind of looking at him.
00:24:34
I mean, it's >> Yeah, well, he's I mean, he's one of the people I need to I'm going to have to
00:24:37
interview. Are you working anywhere right now? >> I do lawn mowing out here. >> Okay.
00:24:43
>> According to Colin, he never had any kind of relationship with Shante, but detectives aren't buying it. And when
00:24:49
the conversation turns to his job, Colin reveals he works in lawn care, giving him access to the same type of weapon
00:24:57
detectives believe was used to murder Shante. But, seeing how defensive Cullen is becoming, detectives decide to leave,
00:25:05
asking him to come to the station the following day to provide a DNA sample and answer a few more questions. So, now
00:25:12
with three key figures firmly on the investigators' radar, detectives back at the station begin taking a closer look
00:25:19
at each of them, and what they uncover is peculiar, to say the least. John has prior burglary and assault
00:25:27
charges and withheld critical details about his relationship with Shante. Bobby has a previous assault charge
00:25:33
against a woman and was known to spend time near the area where Shante's body was found. And Cullen, while having no
00:25:40
known criminal history, has long been the subject of rumors about his violent temper. And this is when detectives
00:25:47
realize that any one of these men could be Shante's killer, but figuring out which one will prove far more difficult
00:25:55
than they expected. As the day comes to an end, rumors begin spreading throughout the community and
00:26:02
neighbors start keeping a watchful eye on one another. And with Shante's funeral set for the following day,
00:26:08
detectives will be doing the same, watching the crowd for a killer hiding in plain [music] sight.
00:26:15
>> I've always had this different part of me. It just wants nothing but destruction and evil. It wanted to kill
00:26:22
somebody. >> The following morning, medical examiners release Shante's body to her family for
00:26:28
the funeral, but not before delivering one final unexpected update. Examiners have discovered unusual markings on
00:26:37
Shante's chest, markings investigators cannot explain and believe may point to something ritualistic.
00:26:46
To make matters even more unsettling, detectives realize Shante had been murdered on Friday the 13th, a detail
00:26:55
that only adds a weight [music] to this theory. But with no way of knowing whether the markings are significant or
00:27:02
simply a coincidence, investigators file the possibility away as the community prepares [music] to say its final
00:27:08
goodbye. Around 11:00 a.m., nearly 100 churchgoers begin gathering for Shante's funeral. The church is so crowded that
00:27:18
some are forced to wait outside, and among them, patiently waiting, is Shante's killer. Inside, Pastor Keener
00:27:25
leads the service as the family and friends pay their final respects. The ceremony lasts for hours, though a
00:27:31
handful of attendees quietly slip away before it ends, including the men responsible for Shante's death.
00:27:39
A short time later, Shante's coffin is carried to Pleasant Valley Cemetery, where she's finally laid to rest.
00:27:45
[music] And despite all their best efforts, police fail to recognize the killer.
00:27:51
With the funeral over, detectives turn their attention back to the investigation. They call all three key
00:27:57
suspects and ask them to come to the station for questioning. Around 4:00 p.m., Bobby and John are first to arrive
00:28:04
at the station, handing over their phones to be searched for potential evidence. And as detectives sit down
00:28:09
with both men, it quickly becomes clear that they both have some explaining to do.
00:28:15
>> Uh of course, I guess they told you when they download the phone they get everything. They get pictures, they get
00:28:20
text messages, they get phone calls, all that stuff. All right? Have you ever Do you delete
00:28:25
your text messages? >> Yeah. But I was like long places and they want my phone out there.
00:28:31
>> No, that's not what this these text messages uh that you deleted. And you know what
00:28:36
I'm talking about, because you even told somebody, "Hey, my phone's clean." What
00:28:40
are you worried about DNA so bad about? >> I don't know what you're worried about.
00:28:43
I don't like needles. I don't like stuff like that. >> Well, she was alive. I don't know why
00:28:47
she's worried >> What do you mean? >> She said you were texting her and asked her what they wanted my DNA. Why do they
00:28:55
want my DNA? >> I'm sure why they do. That's what the text message just said. That's strange.
00:29:03
I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. I smoke. I just don't want that. I'm telling you
00:29:09
it's not a time thing with me. Like I just might go to a friend's or something like that.
00:29:14
>> I don't care. I don't care if you smoke. I don't care if you smoke or something.
00:29:19
I don't care if you blaze all the time. Well, I I I don't care about that. I'm talking about what we got going on right
00:29:25
now and then that we find your phone and you knew we were fixing to look at everything that and then we find the
00:29:31
message going or cuz they can tell what's been deleted and what hadn't been deleted. And then they look and they
00:29:37
like deleted deleted deleted. If if you did have something to do with this, you need to let me know now.
00:29:43
>> have told you if I knew what it was. Okay? If I would have been around anything serious like that or knew
00:29:46
anything or anybody >> or knew anybody that had anything to do with it. >> Cuz if I had anything to help out, you
00:29:54
know, I have I have nieces out there. I have my sister up there. Until we figure
00:29:58
out who this person is, I mean, everything's kind of like you said, kind of locked down cuz everybody's
00:30:03
scared to death right now. >> Shantae told um one of the girls that she was walking
00:30:11
with that night that she was supposed to be coming back to meet Colin Smith. >> Yeah, that's what we heard.
00:30:18
>> Does that make you jealous if she's going to go over there and meet with Colin?
00:30:22
>> Yeah, that makes me jealous, but I have to say but it was still in a way that I can't do anything about
00:30:28
it. I mean >> So, it wouldn't make you mad if she was hooking up with somebody else?
00:30:34
It wouldn't make you mad? >> It would, but not to to the extent of this far away. A mother and her
00:30:39
daughter, I mean. I'll never be that federal. I don't really have much family around here. My
00:30:45
dad's in a nursing home. Sister's in Dallas. >> Well, that would make it even worse
00:30:49
though, because the one person that you care about and she's sleeping around with somebody
00:30:54
else, that would Now, the only connection you got out here. >> Yeah. I'd just move on.
00:31:01
>> Upon speaking with both men, detectives notice they appear more nervous than before. That said, they also know both
00:31:09
have prior run-ins with law enforcement and could simply be wary of being wrongly targeted. But, one detail stands
00:31:16
out. Only John appears to have deleted messages from his phone. By the end of both interrogations, only circumstantial
00:31:24
evidence remains. So, detectives release the men while instructing them to provide DNA samples. Shortly afterwards,
00:31:31
Colin arrives at the station and this time things would take a very different turn.
00:31:37
Feeling as though he may be their strongest suspect yet, investigators immediately ask him to take a polygraph
00:31:44
test. And as they sit down with him, it doesn't take long before Colin admits he
00:31:49
hasn't been entirely honest with them. >> Whoever it is is pretty sick person and
00:31:56
they're still out there somewhere, whether it's a guy or a girl. I mean >> What do you think it's going to take to
00:32:00
pass the test today? >> To pass the test? What do you mean? >> What do you think it's going to take to
00:32:06
pass the polygraph? >> Honestly? >> Honestly, yeah. Yeah, that's going to be the
00:32:10
>> I'm an honest person, so >> I I I don't know. When she was with John, she always had advantages [music] in
00:32:15
John. Always looked like something was wrong with her. She was always telling me about him putting her hands on her.
00:32:21
>> Were you all uh pretty sexual back then? >> I had sex a couple of times and then I
00:32:25
told him no the other day just cuz I was scared. >> As far as uh how she died, what all do
00:32:31
you know about how she died? >> This is the first first story we got, all right? This
00:32:36
sitting honestly. Sorry for cussing, but It's always sick to think of how many people out there have been gossiping and
00:32:43
like making their own stories up, you know what I mean? Like >> What do you think the person that that
00:32:49
killed her is feeling right now? >> I don't know. >> Think they're feeling a little guilty
00:32:53
[snorts] about it? Do you think >> it's her boyfriend, Dylan. Only thing I can say is maybe Dylan did it out of
00:33:00
like a crime of passion, you know. It >> Interestingly, Colin admits that he was,
00:33:06
in fact, involved in an intimate relationship with Shontae, but he insists that he has been truthful about
00:33:12
everything else. However, that claim would soon be put to the test when the polygraph examination begins. And before
00:33:19
long, something would happen that would cause Colin to abruptly end the interview.
00:33:26
>> Hey, uh Colin, when we take this test, man, I'm starting to see some things in here
00:33:31
that's a little bit concerning to me. You know, you got to be sure to be still when we take the test.
00:33:37
>> All right. Sounds good. >> First off, secondly, you know, you got to be keep everything the same
00:33:44
as far as when you're answering. There's a little bit of movement going on, okay?
00:33:48
So, just, you know, everything you do, just just be yourself, okay? That's all all we're asking. [snorts] Colin, what
00:33:54
what do you think the best uh question to ask you is going to be today? >> Did I kill Shontae Black and tell you?
00:34:02
>> Whether it be through strangulation, whether it be through what, through what, whether it be through whatever.
00:34:07
Did you physically cause the death of Shontae is what I'm asking, okay? So, your response is no.
00:34:13
What have you not been honest with me about? >> I've been honest to you about everything.
00:34:17
>> Okay. So, why why is it showing that you're being deceptive about this? >> I guess cuz
00:34:23
I don't understand how it's what's showing. Tell me what's showing. >> You're not even You're not even showing
00:34:27
any reactions to those questions where I'm telling you to lie about it, where I'm telling you
00:34:31
>> Cuz you told me to stay as calm as I can and look at the board, so I'm just saying yes and no.
00:34:36
>> Yeah. And you know what? The reactions that we're showing on this is man, you're
00:34:41
you're off the freaking charts. >> I'm telling you, I didn't do anything wrong and I'm I'm not I'm about to
00:34:47
leave. >> And that's up to you. I can't force you to be here, but you know, you're the one
00:34:52
that's that that needs to clear this thing up. >> I I did come in here to clear it. I gave
00:34:57
DNA right off the bat, the very first one to test for DNA and I came in here and like this is a bunch of crap, man.
00:35:04
>> Yeah, there's the door. >> [snorts] >> I did what I was supposed to do. I was
00:35:08
100% cooperative. >> As Colin walks out of the room, detectives begin to believe they may
00:35:15
have found their killer. Because while Colin had been adamant that he had nothing to do with Shante's death,
00:35:21
[music] his polygraph results appear to tell a very different story. His elevated emotional responses, reflected
00:35:28
in changes to his breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and perspiration, suggest
00:35:33
he may not have been entirely truthful when answering questions about Shante's death. [music] That said, polygraph
00:35:39
results aren't foolproof and aren't admissible in court as proof of guilt. DNA, however, is a very different story
00:35:47
and with DNA samples now collected from John, Colin and Bobby, detectives believe the answer to who killed Shante
00:35:55
must lie with one of them. The samples are sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's laboratory in
00:36:02
Fort Worth, more than 100 miles away. And while detectives and the entire community wait for answers, the killer
00:36:10
remains free to roam the streets. A month passes and the DNA results finally arrive. But [music] when the DNA
00:36:21
profile is entered to the national DNA database, there are no matches. No match to John, Colin, or Bobby and no matches
00:36:31
to any known offenders in the area. Detectives are left with a troubling possibility. Perhaps their killer wasn't
00:36:39
a local, but someone passing through town who had already disappeared for good. More than a year into the investigation,
00:36:50
in October 2017, another investigator who had worked on Shante's case, Carlyle Gover, would make an incredible
00:36:58
discovery. While watching a true crime show, Gover learns about an emerging technology known as DNA phenotyping, a
00:37:06
technique that had successfully solved another cold case by generating a snapshot prediction of what a person may
00:37:12
look like using only their DNA. The next day, Gover rushes to tell the lead detective, Scott Byrd. Within
00:37:20
hours, the $4,000 needed for the testing is secured and the DNA is submitted. And
00:37:25
as the image slowly begins to take shape, suspects would be eliminated one by one until the true killer turns out
00:37:33
to be someone no one ever expected. >> Yeah, by the time that the Blankenship case came along, we had a couple of
00:37:41
cases that had used the phenotyping information to help solve their cases, given the investigative capabilities
00:37:51
that they had [music] at that time, which were not DNA. He managed to avoid leaving any clues that got him caught,
00:37:59
but he did leave DNA. He just didn't know that that was going to be the thing that
00:38:04
would finally catch him. >> This is Dr. Ellen Greytak, director of bioinformatics at Parabon NanoLabs, the
00:38:11
company behind the snapshot technology detectives used in the hunt for Shante's killer. Within weeks of receiving the
00:38:17
DNA evidence, Parabon's team analyzes the sample and generates a snapshot report predicting the unknown suspects
00:38:23
physical appearance. And as soon as it lands on Scott Bird's desk, he immediately recognizes the man,
00:38:30
21-year-old Ryan Riggs. Years earlier, before entering law enforcement, Bird had taught Ryan in the fifth grade. When
00:38:39
detectives dig deeper, they discover Ryan had been there the entire time. He was a long-time family friend, attended
00:38:46
Shante's funeral, rode around with John calling out her name during search parties, and even hugged her parents at
00:38:52
the wake. Detectives now know it was all an act, a years-long act that Ryan managed to maintain perfectly.
00:39:03
On November 9th, officers head straight to his address, but instead, they're met
00:39:07
by Ryan's parents, who reveal that he has already fled. Within hours of the image being released, Ryan manages to
00:39:15
slip away, and once again, police are back at square one until the following evening at a church service, when Ryan
00:39:23
decides to do something completely unexpected. >> As I do before every service, God, I
00:39:29
stand in the parking lot greeting people, and there was Ryan standing there with his mother, Michelle, and he
00:39:35
said, "Um I'm going to turn myself in tonight." He said, "I murdered her." And I said, "At that point, I'm going to
00:39:41
step out in the parking lot and call Sheriff Hill. We're going to take you to the law enforcement center." He said,
00:39:46
"Yes, sir. I want to confess to them." >> To detectives' surprise, less than an hour ago, Ryan had unexpectedly shown up
00:39:54
at a Wednesday night service, where he made a horrifying confession. He was responsible for murdering Shante. Not
00:40:04
only that, he had just walked into the sheriff's office alongside Pastor Keener, saying he wants to turn himself
00:40:10
in. Baffled by the situation, detectives bring Ryan into the interrogation room.
00:40:15
And when they sit down with him, they let him speak trying to determine whether this young man in front of them
00:40:20
is truly the dangerous killer they've been hunting for nearly 2 years. >> So, this happened on Friday the 13th.
00:40:29
Tell me about that day. How did you start that day out? >> I don't remember how I started the day.
00:40:38
It was just like an average day to me up until I did what I did. I had stopped her. She
00:40:45
needed a ride. And she got in my truck. And then out of nowhere, I just put my left arm
00:40:53
around her. I began to strangle her. I went back to my truck and got a lawn mower blade out
00:40:59
of the back of my truck. And I went back to where she was. I beat her to death with it to make sure
00:41:08
that she was dead. I've always had this It's like this different part of me that
00:41:16
it just wants nothing but destruction and evil. And whenever I saw her that day, it's
00:41:23
just it took over. So, I was I knew what I was trying to get. It wanted to kill somebody.
00:41:32
>> Ryan's description of what he did to Shante perfectly matches the details from the crime scene. Details that had
00:41:39
never been made public. To detectives, it leaves little doubt that he is in fact the killer.
00:41:47
>> If you could [snorts] say something right now to Shante, what would you say? >> That I'm sorry that I did what I did.
00:41:56
And I whatever I have coming towards me, I deserve. >> What do you think you deserve?
00:42:03
>> Death for sure. >> Anything else? >> No. >> All right, Ryan. You [clears throat] are
00:42:09
officially under arrest for capital murder. >> With the charges laid bare, Ryan Riggs
00:42:14
ultimately pleads guilty to the capital murder of Shante. When news of Ryan's arrest reaches Shante's mother,
00:42:21
Michelle, she releases an emotional statement thanking the community for its support. [music]
00:42:27
>> Hey everyone. Um I don't know if everybody knows, but we caught him. We got him tonight for a capital murder
00:42:35
trial. God has blessed us with him. And it breaks my heart because this man went
00:42:41
to church with her and he's just a kid himself. I wanted everyone to know that we appreciate everything you all have
00:42:48
done. >> In 2019, Ryan is ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility
00:42:54
of parole. But even with Ryan behind bars, [music] the abandoned property where Shante was found continues to
00:43:01
haunt the town. The site became infamously known as the haunted house. People regularly jumped the fence to
00:43:07
explore the property, reopening old wounds for Shante's family. Eventually, in 2025, both the house and the storm
00:43:16
shelter were demolished in an effort to finally bring peace to the community and
00:43:20
allow it to move forward. And while this case left Texas shaken by a killer hiding in plain sight, our next
00:43:27
case takes us to Florida where the warning signs were always there, but no one could do anything to stop what was
00:43:35
coming. >> 4250 14 have a lengthy blood trail leading to several houses. >> Yeah.
00:43:41
>> Oh my god. >> Inside this family home, 21-year-old Dima Tower has just committed the most
00:43:46
heinous crime imaginable against his own parents. >> 4250 14 >> North Court police, armed male.
00:43:55
I see bodies. >> Lying inside are two deceased bodies with over 100 stab wounds. But the man
00:44:03
responsible is already on on run, leading officers on a dangerous multi-hour manhunt as Deema stops at
00:44:10
nothing to escape the country. To watch this exclusive Dr. Insanity episode along with three more episodes from our
00:44:17
new Tubi series, click the link below and check it out now for free on Tubi.