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tonight on unsolved mysteries thieves
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target three million dollars in an
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armored car in Las Vegas they steal the
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vehicle then disguise themselves as they
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make their getaway by jet many called it
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the perfect crime perhaps you can help
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bring the thieves to justice on a
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healthy will like 41 year-old man was
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found dead in his bed of apparent
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natural causes few suspicions were
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raised until the autopsy revealed he'd
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been murdered and now a small circle of
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Hood River Oregon residents are finding
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himself under suspicion an innocent
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night out suddenly becomes a battle for
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survival for a young Indiana woman what
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makes this story unique is that she has
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chosen to fight back that the identity
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of one man who was accused of
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terrorizing her is known the forties now
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need your help to catch him before he
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strikes again this single mom had
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everything to live for a beautiful
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daughter and a new man in her life then
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she mysteriously vanished police later
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found her SUV the pie was there no trace
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of Niki McCown anywhere
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with every mystery a single critical
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clue may be the key to a solution
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perhaps you call that key join us
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unsolved mysteries
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[Applause]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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Las Vegas or the lure of the quick score
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entices gamblers to risk it all with a
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pull of a handle or the turn of a card
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for those daring enough to take a much
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greater gamble however the biggest
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payoff is not in the casinos it is in
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the armored vans that supply the casinos
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with millions of dollars in cash Friday
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October 1st 1993 begins like every other
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day
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for 21 year-old Heather Tallchief she
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and her two partners are responsible for
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making the rounds of several casinos
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replenishing their automatic teller
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machines with cash
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Heather would drive to the back portion
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of the casino and drop us off I would be
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carrying the money and my partner I
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wouldn't enter the casino the finally TM
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the guards will service is near the
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casinos side entrance the standard
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procedure calls for Heather to move the
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van there to pick up her partners when
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their job inside is finished when my
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partner and I exited the casino we did
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not see the band anywhere we assumed
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that maybe she'd got lost that she was
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stuck in traffic or that maybe she might
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have been in an accident we didn't know
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so I in joking suggested that she might
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have taken the vehicle a surveillance
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camera recorded the moment when she was
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last seen the tape reveals no sign that
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she had been hijacked were met with any
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sort of foul play the Las Vegas police
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can find no trace of Heather or the van
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ultimately they conclude that she has
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fled by design with three million
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dollars in cash Heather tall chief
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appear still pulled off what many
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consider to be the perfect crime she not
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only got away with the money but managed
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to elude capture for eight years
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according to the FBI it is one of the
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largest armored car robberies in which
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the perpetrator has not been brought to
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justice perhaps you can help authorities
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finally track Heather down no one
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suspected that Heather Tallchief had the
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inclination or the audacity to commit
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such a brazen crime she was a nurse from
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Buffalo New York of Seneca Indian
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descent building a promising career in
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medicine then inexplicably
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she surfaced in Las Vegas seeking a new
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job Heather Tallchief
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applied for the job with the armored car
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company approximately two months before
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the robbery and the investigation has
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led us to believe that this entire event
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from the moment of applying for the job
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to the robbery was all planned in
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advance for the sole purpose of
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committing this crime shortly after the
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robbery investigators searched all
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Chiefs apartment they discovered
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fingerprints that provided an important
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clue Heather it seemed had not acted
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alone the prints are identified as those
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of Roberto Solis a convicted murderer
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who had been released from prison six
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years earlier in 1969 he had shot and
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killed an armored car guard during an
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unsuccessful robbery intelligent and
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articulate Solis used his time in prison
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wisely over 17 years he authored five
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books his achievement was heralded by
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professional writers as proof of his
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rehabilitation that's how he got an
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early release from the State
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Penitentiary a lot of well-known poets
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would write in his behalf and he was
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allowed to be released early Tallchief
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and solace met in San Francisco where
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they began a relationship and
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subsequently planned this crime into a
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novel car company
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- fun I know hire me I know what to put
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down in the application 48 year old
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Solis and 21 year old Heather were an
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unlikely romantic couple and adept
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partners in crime investigators learned
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that they designed their scheme with
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meticulous care they recognized that the
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most difficult challenge on a
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multi-million dollar robbery is often
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not the theft itself but the getaway two
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hours after Heather sped the armored van
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from the casino an unusual couple
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arrived at Las Vegas as Hughes Airport
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they had charted a private jet to Denver
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Colorado they were very well disguised
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SOLAS looked like an older gentleman a
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doctor at all chief like a sickly
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infolet older lady there's only three
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small suitcases were taken aboard the
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craft when they traveled from Las Vegas
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to Colorado if he had a million dollars
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at three million dollars it would take
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approximately 8 to 10 suitcases to
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transport that much money we surmise
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that they must have shipped the money on
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ahead
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three days later the FBI traced Heather
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and Solis to Denver but by then it was
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too late
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Denver they believed had been only a
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brief stopover for the fugitives before
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they continued on to their final
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destination but where was it
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investigators found an address that
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indicated they may have fled to Florida
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but that address turned out to be merely
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a postal drop containing two forged
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passports both were for entry into the
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South American nation of Suriname but
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the FBI questioned whether this had
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truly been tall Chiefs and so Lisa's
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destination it was possible that they
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had intended for the documents to be
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found as part of an elaborate effort to
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mislead their pursuers thirteen days
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after the robbery investigators
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discovered the armored van in a
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commercial rental site in Las Vegas
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inside the building they rented were
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packing materials this confirmed the FBI
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suspicions that the $3,000,000 had been
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shipped to some unknown destination they
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learned that Heather and Solis had set
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up a phony business here so that they
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could abandon the van in plain view
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without attracting suspicion solace
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opened this business under the guise of
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retrofitting vehicles to be used as
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armored car vehicles in that manner
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didn't draw any attention to the other
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people in the area when a real armored
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vehicle was brought into the facility
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the ploy was one of many carefully
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crafted details to a seemingly flawless
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crime I think that it was well thought
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out well conceived and well executed
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but crime doesn't pay and I don't think
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it's a perfect crime I think that will
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still get them they only have to make a
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mistake one time and we've got them
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[Music]
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[Music]
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[Music]
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so what else do you want to know about
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me
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although Hood River Oregon residents
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every Tommy Yasu and Diana Anderson had
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known each other for years this was
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their first date it was just kind of you
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know checking each other out and seeing
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if maybe this is someone that I would
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like to spend more time with and I think
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it was the same for both of us what do
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you do for fun golf Eric was an
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attentive host and the date seemed to be
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going well
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however beginning at 11 p.m. the couple
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was harassed by mysterious tapping
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noises outside and the sound of someone
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apparently at the front door the second
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time the doorbell rang footsteps could
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be heard running away but there was no
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sign of anyone it was not funny at that
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time a night when I have to get my car
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and drive home by myself that was the
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last time Dianna Anderson saw Eric Tommy
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Yasu
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Erick's home is located in a remote area
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outside of town next to the fruit
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orchard business he owned and operated a
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week after Eric's date with Diana Don
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Dixon a friend and business consultant
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drove out to Eric's house to check on
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him according to Dixon for several days
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he had fielded phone calls from other
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friends of Eric's who had not been able
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to reach him Dixon used the key Eric had
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given him to enter the home through a
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back door he was greeted by an
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overpowering smell it was an odor that
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I'd never smelled before
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my initial hope was that this was the
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garbage
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that I had seen left out getting no
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response
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Dixon headed upstairs to the master
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bedroom
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[Music]
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there
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there was no question in my mind that he
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was dead so I said a prayer said a
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prayer I went downstairs and I called
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911 for assistance investigators from
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the Hood River County Sheriff's
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Department quickly arrived on the scene
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when I first walked in and peered to me
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that we were dealing with an unattended
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death that something had happened
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whether it was a medical problem or you
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know a heart attack those kind of things
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there was no sign of trauma
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that we could see right off nothing
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didn't indicate that they was any kind
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of foul play at the time of his death
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Eric tell me how sue didn't seem to have
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an enemy in the world but not Topsy
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would reveal that he did not die of
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natural causes in fact he was killed by
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three gunshots to the head incredibly
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the advanced state of decomposition of
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the body had disguised the true nature
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of his death who killed Eric Tommy
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assume at this time the investigation
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has focused on three potential suspects
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all of whom have agreed to be
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interviewed one of them happens to be
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the sheriff overseeing the murder
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investigation
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[Music]
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as Eric Tommy whose body was being
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removed from his house and the day it
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was discovered Sheriff Joe Wampler
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approached Eric's friend Don Dixon with
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what Don considered a strange request
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every type of burnt powder around here
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and he said we looked for a gun we've
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looked for bullet holes we've looked for
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shells and to spare the family grief and
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discomfort we're going to bring the
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bedding out and we want you to burn it
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Keith over there I could burn it there
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and I said if it will help the family I
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would be happy to do what I can to
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assist a sunrise a following morning Don
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Dixon set fire to the soil bedding that
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had been removed from Eric's room
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[Music]
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when he was done there was nothing left
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behind but a metal frame and of pile of
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ashes
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a day later during Eric Tommy Otto's
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autopsy Hood River County investigators
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were stunned to learn three small
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caliber bullets were lodged in his head
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investigators now had a homicide on
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their hands and theories begin to emerge
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because of sheriff Joel Walker's
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decision to burn the bed potentially
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valuable clues had been destroyed based
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on the lack of evidence that this was
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going to turn into a criminal case it
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was my decision to burn the bed it was
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my decision at that time because the the
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family they might just actually
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appreciate not having to go through the
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trauma of viewing the horrid things that
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were left behind but could the sheriff
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have had a more sinister motive for
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destroying potential evidence a possible
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answer may have come up in a
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conversation Don Dixon city had with
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Eric regarding a new romantic
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relationship there's this a Polynesian
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woman I've been seeing a little bit this
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Polynesian woman described as older than
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he was and the rumor mill has that the
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sheriff's wife is Polynesian and older
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than Eric but that could be purely
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coincidental I've heard a rumor that my
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wife was having an affair with mr. Tomio
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Hsu
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and out of retaliation for that and I
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went up there and did these things even
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went to the trouble of destroying the
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evidence burning the bed and all that
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stuff all I can say is they're looking
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in the wrong direction
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if sheriff Wampler had nothing to do
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with the murderer who did Eric Smith
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Eric Tommy House's lifelong friend is
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considered potential suspect number two
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there's two Jean Dixon's occupied an
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office in the same building says he
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overheard a heated argument Eric Smith
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had with a victim just days before the
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murders he and Eric Smith had been in
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business together in Eric Tommy hace
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felt that Eric was pocketing money that
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he owed him between fifty and sixty
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thousand dollars and he needed to
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collect it because the orchard business
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was really on a downslide and he needed
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the money to finish the crop year hey
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Eric is everything okay according to
00:17:26
Dixon after Tommy Elsa confronted Smith
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about the money Eric Tommy Yasu was
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clearly upset I asked him if he was okay
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if everything was all right he said that
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son of a [ __ ] and got into his car and
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that's the last words that I heard from
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Eric Tommy how soon I can tell you flat
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out for a fact Eric and I did not have
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an argument Eric didn't owe me money I
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didn't know him money
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Don lives in a fantasy world
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but it was no fantasy that every Tommy
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Yasu and Eric Smith did at one time have
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a site business together selling used
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cars however police believe that the
00:18:04
amount invested was far less than Don
00:18:06
Dixon claimed when I check into the
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business dealings with Eric Smith and
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Eric
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Tommy Otsu we found out they both
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invested the same amount of money which
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was probably fifteen thousand dollars to
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start this business not fifty or sixty
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thousand and and it kind of went
00:18:20
downhill and they had to go out of
00:18:22
business if Eric Smith was not involved
00:18:25
in Eric Tommy ISU's death who else might
00:18:28
have been potential suspect number three
00:18:30
the man who discovered the body Don
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Dixon as questions began to mount some
00:18:37
began to wonder whether Dixon Tommy
00:18:39
house was orchard consultant was as
00:18:41
close to him as he claimed to be what
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Eric told me was that Don is somebody he
00:18:47
bought spray from period talk to anyone
00:18:54
Eric's friends most of them don't even
00:18:55
know who Don is it was Don Dixon who
00:19:01
notified Eric's sister Ramona Tommy a
00:19:03
CEO of her brother's death just minutes
00:19:05
after he discovered the body she
00:19:11
recalled it what he said next struck her
00:19:13
as very strange he said it didn't look
00:19:17
like there was any foul play and it also
00:19:20
appeared that there weren't any exit
00:19:22
wounds and I said what do you tell put
00:19:23
her eggs Arwen's what are you talking
00:19:25
about I said what why would there be
00:19:30
gunshot wounds well I
00:19:33
I clearly looked closely at the body to
00:19:35
try and see if he had shot himself I
00:19:38
mean because that was one of my first
00:19:39
reactions was it was it was suicide he
00:19:43
had been very depressed and I had looked
00:19:48
closely because of that I mean I
00:19:50
honestly believe that a logical reason
00:19:54
Eric was daddy in bed was Susan
00:19:57
but Eric Tommy Elsa had been shot three
00:20:00
times his death was clearly not a case
00:20:02
of suicide
00:20:07
investigators theorized that the killer
00:20:09
knew not only the remote location of the
00:20:11
Tommy Yasu home but also its layout the
00:20:15
murder weapon believed to be a small
00:20:17
caliber handgun was not found could one
00:20:22
of these men have murdered Eric Tommy
00:20:24
Yasu or could someone else have pulled
00:20:26
the trigger in one final twist to this
00:20:31
classic whodunit Dianna Anderson says
00:20:33
that during her date with Eric Tommy azu
00:20:35
they went outside to look for the source
00:20:37
of the strange noises and found a single
00:20:40
unexplained shoe print could that have
00:20:43
been the shoe print of Eric Tommy house
00:20:44
whose killer investigators will never
00:20:47
know heavy rains in the days following
00:20:49
their date washed away any potential
00:20:51
evidence left that night I don't know if
00:20:57
the events on Saturday night had
00:20:59
anything to do with Eric's murder or if
00:21:02
it was just coincidence I think it's a
00:21:05
possibility but I don't know for now
00:21:11
many unanswered questions still hang
00:21:14
over the town of Hood River
00:21:16
did the sheriff deliberately destroy
00:21:18
evidence in the case I did not have
00:21:21
anything to do with the dust with the
00:21:23
death of Eric Tommy Asuna could every
00:21:26
dismiss have wanted every Tommy house
00:21:28
who dead
00:21:29
Eric was my best friend I mean he's the
00:21:31
best man at my wedding he was like a
00:21:33
brother did Don Dixon tell the truth
00:21:37
about his connection to the murder I
00:21:39
have no way of knowing who was involved
00:21:42
with Eric Tommy else's death the only
00:21:44
ones that I know that didn't do it or my
00:21:47
wife and myself other than that
00:21:49
everybody else in my mind is suspect
00:21:52
all the principal's in this case have
00:21:55
taken and passed polygraph tests
00:21:57
arranged by the Hood River County
00:21:58
Sheriff's Department
00:22:00
except Don Dixon Dixon recently took an
00:22:04
independently administered polygraph the
00:22:07
results were deemed inconclusive by the
00:22:08
Sheriff's Department
00:22:12
[Music]
00:22:20
a local hangout popular with college
00:22:22
students in Mishawaka Indiana a lung
00:22:28
woman and a friend have come here for a
00:22:30
night out at her request we've changed
00:22:35
her name we will call her Lauren we did
00:22:40
our usual setting up the pool table
00:22:42
while making little jokes where I'll bet
00:22:46
you that I'll beat you two best out of
00:22:48
three and whoever wins that would get a
00:22:55
free drink though Lori wasn't aware of
00:23:00
it she had caught the attention of some
00:23:02
other men in the bar
00:23:09
they go Laurie briefly left her friend
00:23:13
and went to the bar to order her victory
00:23:14
drink she now noticed that the men at
00:23:23
the bar seemed fixated on her
00:23:27
uncomfortable she walked away as she
00:23:30
moved through the bar Laurie pause near
00:23:32
and exit
00:23:33
she had no inkling of what was about to
00:23:36
happen what had begun as a simple
00:23:41
evening a friendly billiards would soon
00:23:43
become a night of Terror for Laurie over
00:23:46
the next few hours she would experience
00:23:47
every woman's worst nightmare
00:23:49
Lori is bravely chosen to tell her
00:23:52
traumatic story to help police
00:23:54
investigators need your help to track
00:23:57
down the individuals responsible for the
00:23:59
suffering at Laurie ultimately endured
00:24:00
and survived
00:24:07
without warning a group of men
00:24:10
surrounded Laurie and they abducted her
00:24:17
from the bar I was taken to a car that
00:24:23
was no more than six feet from that
00:24:25
final door and it was two men pushing me
00:24:29
into this car I screamed but that scream
00:24:33
was very short and fleeting because so
00:24:37
quick they had me in that car in quicker
00:24:41
than I could snap my fingers we were
00:24:43
backing up a terrified Laurie was
00:24:49
restrained by the man in the back seat
00:24:52
after about 20 minutes the two
00:24:54
kidnappers who conversed in Spanish got
00:24:56
into an argument
00:24:58
[Music]
00:25:01
then the driver suddenly pulled the car
00:25:03
over and left I believe that the man in
00:25:09
the front had decided not to carry on
00:25:12
from this point the remaining man pulled
00:25:16
lorry into the front seat and drove her
00:25:18
to a nearby apartment as her abductor
00:25:23
dragged her through the door lorry
00:25:25
desperately sought anything she could
00:25:27
use as a weapon at Laurie's attempt to
00:25:39
fight back only served a further and
00:25:41
rager assailant he dragged me into a
00:25:54
bedroom and that is where he was able to
00:25:56
overpower me and he violently raped me
00:26:00
there after the assault I got this fire
00:26:07
inside of me no more was all I could
00:26:11
hear in my brain so I just took that
00:26:15
power and I gave him a kick my knees I
00:26:19
brought my knees up and kicked him off
00:26:21
of me and it gave me enough time to get
00:26:25
up out for that nasty mattress and dirt
00:26:30
and filth and I ran through into the
00:26:34
living room
00:26:35
I just thought get out to the door
00:26:38
[Music]
00:26:41
hoping to hamper her attackers pursuit
00:26:44
Laurie threw furniture in his path
00:26:47
but he easily ran over and he threw me
00:26:52
up against this wall by my neck I could
00:26:56
hear the bones in there
00:26:59
crunching and I could feel the pain was
00:27:03
overwhelming and I couldn't breathe and
00:27:06
the lights were going dark I knew he's
00:27:09
killing me and I said no I have more to
00:27:14
life than this I brought that knee up
00:27:17
and as hard as I could bang I took that
00:27:22
foot into his gut and it threw him back
00:27:26
made him fall to his butt and I just
00:27:30
booked it for all everything I had I was
00:27:33
a track star that day I ran for that
00:27:37
back kitchen door and by the grace of
00:27:39
God I was able to get the door out ran
00:27:41
out that door and I can hear him coming
00:27:49
he's screaming you know and it's getting
00:27:51
louder I mean he is right on my tip and
00:27:54
I ran and I scream
00:27:59
and I could hear him coming through that
00:28:03
gate there was a dumpster at the end of
00:28:07
this alley
00:28:08
I ran real quick around behind that
00:28:11
dumpster squatting and I sat there and I
00:28:14
listened and I could hear the gravel
00:28:16
coming I know he was out there looking
00:28:21
for me so I tried to just hold my breath
00:28:25
and he her so hysterical that was the
00:28:28
hardest thing to control my breathing
00:28:31
because I didn't want him to hear me
00:28:36
petrified with fear
00:28:38
Laurie waited twenty minutes before she
00:28:40
fled the safety of her hiding place and
00:28:41
located a payphone
00:29:05
police responded to the scene
00:29:07
immediately ha what a relief that was
00:29:12
and I could just feel my body just
00:29:14
drained of exhaustion from the fear
00:29:18
[Music]
00:29:20
Laurie next retraced her escape route to
00:29:23
lead authorities back to the scene of
00:29:25
her brutal assault she was going through
00:29:29
the most traumatic time in her life but
00:29:31
yet she was able to give us the location
00:29:33
the residence where it took place
00:29:35
she was able to give us a description of
00:29:37
her attacker
00:29:40
within a few hours of Laurie's escape
00:29:42
police secured a search warrant and
00:29:44
enter the property with the attack
00:29:46
occurred
00:29:49
everything was as she said it would be
00:29:52
[Music]
00:29:55
there were key pieces for clothing that
00:29:58
were found in this bedroom she said she
00:30:01
was wearing beige pants it was important
00:30:03
that she remembered where this attack
00:30:04
took place because that's how we were
00:30:06
able then to identify the suspect
00:30:08
because we could link the suspect to the
00:30:11
residence we were then able to identify
00:30:15
a person named of rafino Castaneda
00:30:18
as a potential suspect in this case he
00:30:21
had a history of choking and assaulting
00:30:25
at least one other woman tell me if you
00:30:28
recognize any of these people okay the
00:30:32
day after the abduction detective
00:30:34
Whitfield included custody ADA's prior
00:30:36
booking photo in our lineup he showed to
00:30:38
Lori that's him
00:30:41
[Music]
00:30:45
now that Rufino Castaneda was positively
00:30:48
identified tracking him down became a
00:30:50
priority
00:30:51
the Castaneda had apparently vanished
00:30:54
the day after Laurie's kidnapping
00:30:58
investigators learned he abruptly
00:31:00
resigned from his job following a visit
00:31:03
by two unknown individuals costanera has
00:31:07
not been seen since investigators
00:31:11
suspect Castellanos partner in the
00:31:13
abduction was a relative however there
00:31:16
is not currently sufficient evidence to
00:31:18
make an arrest
00:31:21
Lori continues to be haunted by the
00:31:24
horrifying attack
00:31:27
you might be out in public and there
00:31:30
might be a smell of something that takes
00:31:33
you right back to it and it's just like
00:31:36
you're right back there living it I
00:31:38
remember every single thing I don't
00:31:43
remember bits and pieces I remember
00:31:45
everything
00:31:46
right down to the smell of that man to
00:31:49
the sweat that was on my body all of
00:31:51
that
00:31:53
this man needs to get off the streets
00:31:55
before he does this again cuz I don't
00:31:58
believe the next woman will make it and
00:32:01
nor do I believe that I was the first
00:32:04
[Music]
00:32:12
[Music]
00:32:17
[Music]
00:32:22
July 22nd 2001 it was a sweltering day
00:32:27
in Richmond Indiana but when 20-year old
00:32:29
Nicky McGowan walked into her mother's
00:32:31
house it wasn't only the weather that
00:32:34
had her hot under the collar would not
00:32:37
leave me alone
00:32:38
well you're a very beautiful girl I can
00:32:42
understand that she just was really
00:32:45
upset I don't want to go back down I got
00:32:48
my laundry and I laughed at first you
00:32:50
know because she's such a pretty girl
00:32:51
just all did some man was making a play
00:32:54
you know I said Nikki just calm down
00:32:58
because she really was really upset
00:33:02
authorities believe Nikki McGowan did
00:33:05
return to the laundromat a short time
00:33:06
later but no one knows for sure
00:33:10
Nikki mysteriously disappeared that
00:33:12
muggy summer day she has not been seen
00:33:14
or heard from since
00:33:19
police suspected foul play however two
00:33:23
elements essential is solving most
00:33:24
homicides were missing there was no body
00:33:27
and no parent motives Nikki was friendly
00:33:30
had no known enemies and looked forward
00:33:32
a great anticipation to her upcoming
00:33:34
wedding that never happened leaving
00:33:37
detectives with a complex puzzle and
00:33:39
pieces that simply didn't fit Sunday
00:33:48
July 22nd began routinely enough after
00:33:52
attending church Nicky set off to do the
00:33:54
laundry but her fiance Bobby Webster met
00:33:57
the best man at his wedding
00:33:58
at a local tuxedo shop Bobby and Nikki
00:34:02
planned to get together later that
00:34:04
afternoon the big event was just three
00:34:07
weeks off from the bride-to-be one of
00:34:09
the special day to be extra special
00:34:12
Nikki had a nine-year-old daughter from
00:34:15
a prior relationship and even her
00:34:17
ex-boyfriend seemed happy for her she
00:34:20
spent so much money put so much into
00:34:23
this wedding she wanted it to be the
00:34:25
most perfect wedding she wanted her face
00:34:28
to be perfect her hair to be perfect her
00:34:30
body to be perfect she was everything to
00:34:33
be perfect
00:34:34
Nikki had always been a perfectionist
00:34:37
despite being the youngest and most
00:34:39
precocious of 10 kids on a close-knit
00:34:41
family she was a daredevil she would try
00:34:46
anything
00:34:46
she loved sports she's very academically
00:34:50
inclined to I mean she made the honor
00:34:53
roll all the time she's made the Dean's
00:34:56
List here recently over in college you
00:34:59
might you mind if I just jump in that on
00:35:00
who's that machine right there real
00:35:01
quick so what happened to Nikki that
00:35:05
summer day in 2001 that you returned to
00:35:12
the laundromat where she was confronted
00:35:13
by two strangers up to no good
00:35:17
and stuff what and why did those close
00:35:22
to Nikki find no trace of her anywhere
00:35:24
LaBarbara is the body have you seen
00:35:27
Nikki the day after Nikki's disappears
00:35:29
Monday July 23rd her fiance contacted
00:35:32
the Richmond Police Department
00:35:34
yeah I tried them but filling all that
00:35:37
information that missing-persons report
00:35:39
was very difficult it was because a
00:35:42
situation like this you just see
00:35:44
happening on like a TV movie or
00:35:46
something you never really think in your
00:35:48
wildest imagination he'd be in a
00:35:50
situation into it it really happens and
00:35:52
it's it's really confusing really over
00:35:57
the next week detectives looked into the
00:35:59
alleged incident at the laundromat and
00:36:01
the possibility that Nikki had been
00:36:02
abducted they also had questions for her
00:36:07
fiance Bobby Webster according to police
00:36:10
Bobby had begun acting very strangely in
00:36:13
the days immediately following Nikki's
00:36:14
disappearance
00:36:16
instead of postponing the wedding he
00:36:19
cancelled it entirely demanding a full
00:36:21
refund from the reception hall Bobby
00:36:26
then tried to return his wedding band
00:36:28
also for cash your policy clearly states
00:36:32
that if I bring back the ring and the
00:36:34
ring is not damaged sir
00:36:35
please the manager refused Nikki had
00:36:38
paid for the ring and her name was on
00:36:40
the receipt allegedly the heated
00:36:43
argument nearly turned violent
00:36:44
Bobby had to be escorted from the store
00:36:46
I'm gonna have to ask you to leave Bobby
00:36:49
said he needed the money to help find
00:36:50
Nikki to pay for fliers and a cell phone
00:36:53
sorry I was to the point was like you
00:36:56
know doesn't matter right now this
00:36:57
wedding doesn't matter
00:36:58
Nikki's well-being is what matters right
00:37:00
now detectives weren't convinced and
00:37:03
pressed Bobby to take a polygraph test
00:37:06
he refused at first but later said yes
00:37:10
one of the questions that was asked to
00:37:13
mr. Webster was did you have anything to
00:37:16
do with the disappearance of Nikki
00:37:18
McAllen and he says no according to the
00:37:22
operator the meeting about jumps off the
00:37:23
chart
00:37:24
so not only did he fail it I mean he
00:37:27
failed that miserably Bobbie denies that
00:37:30
accusation he claims neither he nor his
00:37:34
lawyer ever saw the results I said look
00:37:37
you only got to give it to me to send it
00:37:38
to my lawyer but they don't do stuff
00:37:41
like that around here that's what they
00:37:42
told me more than three months past
00:37:46
still no sign of Nicky McCown then on
00:37:50
November 5th 2001 detectives caught a
00:37:52
break
00:37:53
Nicki's SUV was found parked at a
00:37:56
sprawling apartment complex in Dayton
00:37:58
Ohio 45 minutes east of her home in
00:38:01
Indiana it had apparently been abandoned
00:38:04
for some time police found a punched out
00:38:08
door lock an ignition that had been
00:38:10
tampered with and a missing stereo
00:38:12
system we kept getting told by the
00:38:16
police you know we got to locate this
00:38:18
truck it's the big piece of the puzzle
00:38:20
and when they located it it was a little
00:38:24
relief that now they can find Nicky
00:38:28
unfortunately locating the SUV raised
00:38:31
more questions than it answered police
00:38:33
found no fingerprints or the promising
00:38:36
leads that might help them find Nicky
00:38:38
however they did make one important
00:38:40
discovery her laundry the clothes
00:38:44
appeared that they've come just from the
00:38:46
laundromat they were folded neatly they
00:38:48
hadn't did not have the parents that
00:38:51
someone had went through the clothing or
00:38:52
taken any any of the items that seemed
00:38:56
to rule out the abduction theory if
00:38:58
Nicky had been forcibly removed from the
00:39:00
laundromat why would her clothes be in
00:39:02
the back of the SUV even more puzzling
00:39:05
was this who drove the vehicle from
00:39:07
Richmond to Dayton and why detectives
00:39:12
canvassed the area and soon found that
00:39:14
Nicky's ex-boyfriend lived in another
00:39:16
part of the large apartment complex
00:39:18
where the SUV was found we talked to the
00:39:22
father of her child and he was very
00:39:25
cooperative we checked his alibi we
00:39:27
found out he wasn't work at the time
00:39:29
that she was reported missing he agreed
00:39:32
to take a lie-detector test and come
00:39:34
through that fine
00:39:36
so we we could eliminate him as a
00:39:39
suspect another dead end
00:39:43
however investigators discovered that
00:39:45
Niki did make a phone call to Dayton the
00:39:47
day she disappeared
00:39:49
- a co-worker who lived about a mile
00:39:51
from where the SUV was found they talked
00:39:57
about some specialty hair and nail
00:39:58
products and Nikki was told she could
00:40:01
purchase the items at his store in
00:40:02
Dayton this leads us to think that we've
00:40:07
got two different scenarios something
00:40:09
happened to her over here in Richmond
00:40:10
Indiana or she drove over to Ohio and
00:40:15
something happened to her over there
00:40:17
there was also a third possible scenario
00:40:20
if Nikki did drive to Dayton at Sunday
00:40:23
afternoon perhaps something tragic
00:40:25
happened on the way but how did her SUV
00:40:28
end up in the parking lot of her
00:40:30
ex-boyfriends apartment complex was a
00:40:33
simply an unbelievable coincidence I
00:40:36
find it hard to believe and then if it's
00:40:39
not coincidental then what better way to
00:40:41
throw suspicion off of somebody's over
00:40:45
here in Richmond by taking the vehicle
00:40:47
and putting it over words say her her
00:40:49
ex-boyfriend and the father of her child
00:40:51
lives clearly think that theory led
00:40:54
detectives right back to Bobby Webster
00:40:56
and a suspicious behavior following
00:40:58
Nikki's disappearance but Nikki's sister
00:41:02
believes Bobby is innocent of any
00:41:04
wrongdoing I love Bobby to death and
00:41:08
there's no way you'd do this he'd have
00:41:10
to be the devil himself to be able to
00:41:11
walk around here and still see us face
00:41:14
to face you know I mean everybody has
00:41:16
their limits Nikki's mother however
00:41:19
isn't so sure about Bobby
00:41:21
Nikki isn't wise a woman once told me
00:41:24
keep your friends close and your enemies
00:41:27
even closer so I stuck with him like
00:41:30
glue because I figured if Bobby did do
00:41:33
this or if he knew anybody did do it he
00:41:36
would come to me police continue to
00:41:40
follow up on other possible suspects
00:41:42
while also keeping a close eye on Bobby
00:41:44
Webster I believe that based on all the
00:41:48
information we have so far that if mr.
00:41:50
Webster did not have anything to do with
00:41:52
the disappearance of Nikki McCown he
00:41:54
does know quite a bit about what did
00:41:57
happen to her I don't know anything
00:41:59
about Nikki's disappearance or
00:42:02
whereabouts nothing to do with it I mean
00:42:06
I love Nikki more and I love myself
00:42:09
and all I wanted to do was just be the
00:42:12
best man I could and you know it feels
00:42:16
unfair that I'm in this situation I mean
00:42:18
now just because I love so much you know
00:42:21
I just understand it being one a
00:42:27
distraught family and a heartbroken
00:42:29
young child wait and hope there's a
00:42:33
little girl 9 years old here every night
00:42:38
after she gets in the bed says grandma
00:42:40
said my prayers for mommy how much
00:42:42
longer are we getting any closer and I
00:42:46
keep telling her every day's closer and
00:42:48
closer I just want somebody somewhere
00:42:55
that come clean because there is
00:42:58
somebody out there that knows something
00:43:00
Nicky didn't service Nicky macau's fate
00:43:05
remains a mystery friends say she adored
00:43:08
her daughter would never run off by
00:43:09
herself
00:43:10
perhaps a fiancee had something to do
00:43:13
with the disappearance but what possible
00:43:15
motive did he have
00:43:16
and what about Nicky's ex-boyfriend he
00:43:19
cooperated fully and passed a polygraph
00:43:21
test could it have been a random act of
00:43:24
violence if that was a case why was
00:43:27
Nicky's vehicle found abandoned at the
00:43:28
apartment complex in Dayton perplexing
00:43:32
questions without any good answers
00:43:36
Nikki McGowan as five feet two inches
00:43:39
tall and weighs 115 pounds she has brown
00:43:43
eyes brown hair and a small scar over
00:43:45
her left eye Nikki was last seen on July
00:43:49
22nd 2001 in Richmond Indiana
00:43:52
[Music]
00:44:21
join me for the next fascinating edition
00:44:24
of unsolved mysteries
00:44:26
[Music]
00:44:38
[Music]
00:45:01
[Applause]
00:45:02
[Music]
00:45:02
[Applause]
00:45:05
[Music]
