Peter Van Sant
Appearances
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
All along, Lourdes stuck by Schwartz, and in January 2004, the couple became engaged. But Lourdes says their happiness was marred by his obsession with Brian Stidham.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But her investigation was about to hit a major roadblock. Dr. Schwartz had an ironclad alibi the night Brian Stidham was murdered.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Detective Jill Murphy now had her sights set on a prime suspect, Dr. Bradley Schwartz. And she wasn't the only woman gunning for him.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Months before Brian Stidham's murder, Lourdes broke off her engagement with Dr. Schwartz, tired of his cheating and lies. Now, the murder made her think her ex was also a killer.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Lisa Goldberg had gone out with Dr. Schwartz only five times, but by that fifth date, she knew something wasn't right. It was October 5th, 2004, the night of Brian Stidham's murder.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The friend was introduced as Bruce, an acquaintance from Schwartz's days in rehab.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Their date, along with Bruce, continued after dinner. First, they stopped at an ATM, and then a series of stops in search of a hotel room. Why are you going to hotels?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
It didn't make any sense to Lisa, but she didn't become suspicious until Schwartz called her the next day with the news of Brian Stidham's murder.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
That's when Lisa called police. When Detective Murphy heard Lisa's story, a light went on.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Murphy subpoenaed Schwartz's cell phone records, hoping that information would lead her to Bruce. Instead, it led her to this convenience store.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Jennifer Dainty's description of the man in scrubs was a turning point in Murphy's investigation. It linked curiously to something Lisa Goldberg had told the detective, a bizarre question Schwartz had asked Bruce at the dinner. What does he say to him?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Detective Murphy believed the man in scrubs at the convenience store was the killer. But was he the Bruce who joined Lisa and Dr. Schwartz for dinner?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Detectives look for a connection to Dr. Schwartz and caught a break when one of his employees gave them a name, Ronald Bruce Bigger, a former patient. He had a record and a mugshot detectives could show to store clerk Jennifer Dainty.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Her murder-for-hire theory got a boost when she confirmed Lisa Goldberg's story. Hotel surveillance video captured Schwartz and Bigger looking for a room, which, according to Murphy, was a small part of the payoff.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But Bigger checked out by the time Murphy started looking for him. And now she was worried he might be going after a new target, Lisa. Why are investigators so concerned about you and your safety?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Now Detective Murphy had to find Bigger. Was he on the run? Would he kill again?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Ten days after the murder, investigators captured Bruce Bigger just outside of Tucson. Later that night, police slapped the cuffs on Dr. Schwartz. He was found at home in bed with yet another woman.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Just have a seat. For Lourdes, it was a relief until... I get a phone call, and it's Brad.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Lourdes, help me. Calling from a cell phone in the interrogation room, Schwartz begs his former lover turned defense attorney to be his lawyer. Lourdes recalled that conversation for us. I want you to be my attorney.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
In the weeks after his arrest, Dr. Schwartz's once secret love life became the talk of the town.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
It was the station's Confession Wednesday, and women were burning up the phone lines.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The calls just kept on coming. We've got to pick up another call. Good morning.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
As Detective Murphy prepared for trial, she was learning a lot more about Schwartz's past.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Lourdes introduced her ex-husband to Schwartz. Soon, the two began having secret conversations. Dr. Schwartz gives your ex-husband $5,000. What do you think that money was for?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But Detective Murphy couldn't question Danny Lopez because he was dead. Murdered during a drug deal months before Dr. Stidham's murder. But police from that case gave Detective Murphy Lopez's wallet and inside a bombshell. a picture of Dr. Stidham and Dr. Schwartz's business card.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Detective Murphy's investigation had unearthed a lethal pattern of deceit and rage that would soon be presented at the separate murder trials of Dr. Schwartz and his alleged hitman, Bruce Biggar. The two men would be up against a woman beyond their control, known for her intimidating style. You often wear a dagger.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
When 37-year-old Dr. Brian Stidham was found murdered in the parking lot outside his office on October 5th, 2004, it sent a chill through this desert metropolis.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Prosecutor Sylvia Lafferty has always had a flair for drama. Here, she's acting in the 1960s television western High Chaparral.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And now, on the first day of Dr. Bradley Schwartz's murder trial, Lafferty once again takes center stage.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
One by one, former patients and lovers of Dr. Schwartz take the stand. Some asked that we not show their faces.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
All eyes are now on Lourdes Lopez as she takes the stand, including those of her former fiance, Dr. Schwartz.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But the former assistant DA was about to use Dr. Schwartz's own words against him.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And prosecutors say Bruce Bigger, a drifter with a drug habit, was someone else Schwartz could manipulate.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The state believes Bigger killed Dr. Stidham shortly after the doctor set his office alarm at 7.26 p.m. Then Bigger took off in Stidham's car, drove six miles, and dumped the vehicle. What does Bigger do then?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The prosecution presents bank surveillance video from the day after the murder showing Schwartz cashing a $10,000 check. Look closely as Dr. Schwartz makes a call on his cell phone. Prosecutor Richard Platt.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And two of Bruce Bigger's drug buddies testify that shortly after the murder, the usually struggling drifter was living large.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But Brick Stortz argues that Bruce Bigger's sudden windfall of cash has nothing to do with a payoff from Brad Schwartz.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And Stortz has his own opinion of the state's theory of a man bent on revenge.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Stortz says the cops got it all wrong. They should have been focusing on this man, Dennis Walsh, a convicted carjacker who had been known to use a knife.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But the judge deals a blow to the defense, allowing only limited testimony on Dennis Walsh. Why shouldn't we believe that Dennis Walsh is the man behind this murder?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Throughout Dr. Schwartz's murder trial, Dr. Stidham's family sat in disbelief.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
At first glance, the well-known and respected pediatric eye surgeon appeared to be the victim of a random crime.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But it's the lack of tangible evidence on Bruce Bigger that Brick Stortz zeroes in on. If Bruce Bigger stabbed Dr. Stidham, why wasn't there any blood on him?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The state makes its case not on blood evidence, but on a partial DNA sample they say Bigger left on the radio knob of Stidham's stolen Lexus.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
The state's expert testifies that the odds of the DNA belonging to someone other than Bruce Biggar are overwhelming.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But in a dramatic turn of events, a defense expert forces Sylvia Lafferty to concede that the math was wrong.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
If the DNA is now called into question, maybe Bruce Biggar's not involved. Maybe the jury now has reasonable doubt for a not guilty verdict.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Stortz then attacks the very heart of the state's case. The timeline that Stidham died shortly after setting his office alarm at 7.26 p.m. His expert says Stidham may have died after 9 p.m.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Finally, the jury reaches a decision. And it's a surprise for both sides.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
It wasn't far into her investigation that Detective Murphy discovered that Dr. Brian Stidham was adored by the Tucson community.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But Schwartz is found guilty of conspiring with Bruce Biggar to murder Dr. Brian Stidham. Four weeks later, Dr. Schwartz, the once prominent doctor who threw it all away because of a misguided sense of revenge, is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. But it's little consolation to Dr. Brian Stidham's family.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And all who have been touched by this tragedy are haunted by the what-ifs. As an assistant DA, you must have taken some sort of oath in office to enforce the laws to protect the people of Pima County.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Today, hundreds of people... Two months after Dr. Stidham's death, his sister Andrea says his patients and friends paid tribute to him with a memorial walk in his favorite place, Sabino Canyon.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Born and raised in Longview, Texas, Brian Stidham was the only son of Joyce and Max Stidham. How would you describe your son?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
After graduating with honors from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Brian Stidham began his career in Dallas, where he met his wife, Daphne. What was the wedding like?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
In 2001, Brian Stidham gets an offer to move to the desert. The offer is to work here in Tucson alongside one of the finest eye surgeons in the country. Stidham and his wife visit, fall in love with the beauty here, and decide to take the job. So this was a move he was really looking forward to.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Where Brian teamed up with a renowned surgeon named Bradley Schwartz. So, very successful business.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Office manager Lori Espinoza says in 2001, Schwartz's practice was pulling in more than a million dollars a year.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Nearly a year into the job, Dr. Stidham decided to start his own practice.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Friend and colleague Dr. Joe Miller remembers when Stidham began seeing patients at his new office. And he was doing well. He had a good location and patients were coming to see him in droves. As his practice continued to expand, so did his family. Daphne gave birth to a daughter in August of 2003. Family was putting in roots here? Yes. developing a circle of friends?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But those dreams were shattered on a night in October 2004. When the news is broken to Daphne that her husband is dead, how does she react?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
And this investigation was about to get even more unusual. What was Daphne doing that night? What did your officers learn?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Just hours after the murder of Dr. Brian Stidham, his wife Daphne was ruled out as a suspect after questioning by detectives. But the case took an unexpected twist when they asked Daphne a routine question. Did her husband have any enemies?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Detective Murphy initially discounted the comments. After all, Schwartz and Stidham hadn't worked together in almost two years.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Besides, Murphy had already developed a theory of the crime. Stidham had been ambushed in a violent carjacking.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
There's a clue in the mystery surrounding a murder... But in less than 24 hours, there was a break in the case when investigators found Dr. Stidham's Lexus just six miles from the crime scene.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
News of the murder generated a slew of tips to police. One of them came from one of Brad Schwartz's ex-girlfriends.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But why would Schwartz want Stidham dead? Murphy's team began an intensive investigation that soon discovered that Bradley Schwartz was having problems long before Brian Stidham arrived.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
According to office manager Lori Espinoza, Dr. Schwartz, who was married with three children, had developed a wandering eye.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Espinoza believes Dr. Schwartz had affairs with at least 50 different women and sometimes even had sex in his office.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
As her investigation continued, Detective Murphy got a call from yet another woman, Lourdes Lopez, an assistant DA and a single mother who met Dr. Schwartz when her daughter became his patient in December of 2000.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But while Lourdes Lopez was falling for Dr. Schwartz, Dr. Schwartz was falling apart.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
By 2001, Schwartz claimed to be suffering from chronic back pain and had become secretly addicted to Vicodin. His chronic pain problems soon became... Lori Espinoza's. How often did he have you fill these prescriptions?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Lourdes knew about Schwartz's use of painkillers, but she says she never knew he was addicted. She even let him fill two prescriptions under her name. Was he getting high off of these pain killers?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
In November of 2001, Dr. Schwartz was juggling both his worsening addiction and his booming medical practice. That's when he hired Brian Stidham.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But just four weeks after Brian Stidham's arrival, armed agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency raided Schwartz's office.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But the lies don't protect anyone. Nine months after the DEA raid, both Dr. Schwartz and Lourdes Lopez are indicted for their roles in the prescription drug scam. Dr. Schwartz has his medical license suspended and is ordered into a drug rehab facility. Lourdes loses her job in the DA's office. Both agree to plea bargains that keep them out of jail.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
Why didn't you at that time say, you've been dishonest with me about these drugs. You've been using me, manipulating me to commit an illegal act. I'm the assistant DA of Pima County. How can you do this to me and walk away from this guy?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
After the Schwartz indictment, Brian Stidham had enough. He gave 30 days notice and made plans to open his own practice. What does Dr. Schwartz think of the fact that his employee, Dr. Stidham, has now made the decision to leave, to start his own practice?
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
But before Stidham was able to quit, an enraged Brad Schwartz called his office manager, Lori, from rehab.
48 Hours
An Eye For Murder
By all accounts, Schwartz's life was in turmoil. His wife filed for divorce, and he was broke. He's lost his income. He's lost his medical license. He's lost his wife. He's lost his kids. Almost a year would pass before the medical board returned Schwartz's license. In August of 2003, he set about the slow process of rebuilding his practice.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Nach ihrer ersten Ausflüge in Kalifornien unter dem Namen Natalie Bowman wollte Esther Reed mehr.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
In fact, Esther wanted to go to Harvard. She asked her professor, Mitch Avila, to write her a letter of recommendation. But there was a catch.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Es war Esther noch nicht die wichtigste Identitätsverletzung. Und eine, die sie als schuldig war. Was war das? Brooke Henson. Brooke Henson. Eine junge Frau aus Südamerika, die vermutlich verletzt wurde, aber verurteilt wurde.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
And I would have a new life. In 2004, Esther fulfilled her childhood dream. She applied and was accepted to Harvard University. It's Extension School anyway.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther hatte große Pläne für ihre neue Identität. Als Brooke Henson wollte sie in eine Gerichtsschule. Sie wollte schon seit sie sehr klein war, ein Arbeiter werden. Esther hat Harvard verarscht, aber sie wollte mehr. Sie hat gut auf der SAT gespielt und hat sich bald auf eine andere Ivy League Schule eingeladen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
The high school dropout from Townsend, Montana was in the big leagues. What was it like for you to walk the campus of Columbia University as a full fledged student?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther financed her new life by acquiring more than $100,000 in fraudulent student loans.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
After months with no contact, Esther was now back in touch with her friend in California, Bita Shigaghi.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Bita besuchte sie am 4. Juli 2005. Hast du sie Brooke oder Natalie genannt? Nein, Natalie.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Das selbe 4. Juli war auch das sechste Geburtstag der echten Verlust von Brooke Henson.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Back up at Columbia, the fake Brooke Henson was making the most of her new life. She had a 3.22 GPA, an apartment near Central Park, and was dating a West Point cadet. In den Textbüchern studiertest du Psychologie und Kriminalität. Ja. Und logischerweise würde jemand sagen, was für perfekte zwei Kurse für eine Kon-Frau zu nehmen, um ihre Kreativität zu verbessern.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Was für perfekte zwei Kurse für einen Lehrer zu nehmen. Im Juli 2006, nach zwei Jahren in Kolumbien, fühlte ich mich selbstbewusst.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther hat sich für einen Job eingeladen. Durch einen Hintergrundschritt hat der Mitarbeiter Brooke Henson gegoogelt. Er hat herausgefunden, dass sie eine Missbraucherin war und hat die South Carolina Authorities schnell angerufen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Aber dann wieder, das ist genau das, was dieser Hochschulabschluss gemacht hat.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Ich habe gesagt, mein Name ist Brooke Henson. Und sie hat sie ein paar Fragen, die Lisa Henson, Brooks Tochter, vorbereitet hat.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
But Lisa and Detective Campbell wanted more information. Technically she is a suspect until we can clear her.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Campbell asked a New York detective to call Brooke and request a DNA sample. What are you going through at that moment? Are you panicked? Sure. Esther decided to flee. She quickly went out and rented a U-Haul truck. Als Esther's cons made headlines, she went underground. 48 Hours then set out to find her, hiring renowned private investigator Steve Rombach.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Steve Rombom schlägt Gold. Das ist das zertifizierte Artikel von Brooke Henson. Ein Papier-Trail von Esthers Leben als Brooke.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und einige ihrer Zielgruppen waren die Männer, mit denen sie verheiratet war. Wie viele Männer glaubst du, dass Esther Reed durchgegangen ist? Ich weiß von etwa einer Dutzend. Was war es an Esther, das sie so attraktiv gemacht hat?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Mindestens fünf von Esthers Freundinnen waren Kadetten und Mitfahrerinnen aus West Point und Annapolis. Es gibt Gefühle, dass Esther ihre Verbrechen auf ein ganz neues Niveau nehmen wird.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Es war Juli 2006. Nachdem sie ihre Identität als Brooke Hanson, Esther Reed, verlassen hat, ist sie aus New York geflogen. Wo bist du hin?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und dann war sie weg. Aber die Behörden schlossen sich ab. Ein federales Großjury in Südkorea beurteilte dieses Beurteilung, um Esther Reed mit Fälschung von Identitätsverletzungen und Studentenlohn-Fraude zu beurteilen. Mit den vollen investigativen Kräften des Geheimdienstes, der jetzt verabschiedet ist, sah es sich so aus, als würde Esther schnell verhaftet werden.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
US Attorney Walt Wilkins. Der Fakt, dass Esther einen Passwort unter dem Namen Brooke Hanson bekam, war das ein fadlerischer Fehler für sie?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Hot on Esther's trail is 48-hours private investigator Steve Rombom. He tracked Esther all the way from Vermont to Florida to California.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Pouring over Esther's old cell phone records, Rombom decided to head for Chicago.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Diese Rekorde führten uns zu diesem Mann, Stephen Fouts, einem verurteilten sexuellen Predator. Wir fuhren ihn in seine Lieblingsbar. Stephen Fouts, sagst du? Es gab mehr als 100 Telefonrufe zwischen dir und Esther Reed. Auf deinem Telefon und ihres. Fouts sagt, eine Frau namens Wanda hat seinen Telefon benutzt, um Esther zu beantworten.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
No, I don't. The Fouts' lead is a dead end. So Rombom next zeroes in on Steven Donald, an old boyfriend of Esters, also in Chicago.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
After observing Donald in his apartment, Rombom coaxes him outside. We then decided to move in ourselves. Here we go. Do it. Steven, Peter Van Sand. Are you in contact with Esther Reed today?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Do you have any idea where she is? No. Sie verstehen, dass sie in illegalen Aktivitäten involviert sein könnte und dass diejenigen, die mit ihr verabschiedet sind, wahrscheinlich beantwortet werden. Und ich gebe Ihnen die Möglichkeit, uns zu erzählen, was Sie von ihr wissen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
But Donald goes back on his word. Authorities say he refused to cooperate. And while Rambam was in Chicago, Esther was still at large.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und wenn die Punkte verbunden sind und Esther's Pattern klar wird, sind die Behörden alarmiert. Esther hat eine Reihe von militärischen Männern. Aber niemand weiß, warum.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
In den Staaten fokussierten sich die Investitionen auf Kyle Bringle, einen Westpoint-Kadett, mit dem Esther romantisch beteiligt war. Kyle Bringle.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Mit Kyle Brengel hast du IMs, in denen du ihn fragst, was er studiert. Wenn er dir diese Informationen geben könnte, inklusive potenzieller Kampfpläne. Warum hast du ihn dafür gefragt?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
But her instant messages with Kyle say otherwise. Kyle, training briefing. Got lots of maps and timelines. Esther, is it for a class or something real? Kyle, yeah, for my military science class. Just like what I'll do as an infantry platoon leader. Esther, I want to see it when you're finished. Kyle, I'll send it to you.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Again, her IMs to Kyle Bringle conflict with her story. Esther, I'd so love to be James Bond. Kyle, really? You want to be a spy? Esther, oh please, that would be a dream job.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Why shouldn't I think you're just BSing me right now? That the master con woman is just conning me and conning this audience.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Frank Abagnale, der selbst Sex verwendet hat, um Informationen zu bekommen, als er ein Kon-Mann war, denkt, er weiß, warum Esther mit so vielen militärischen Studenten romantisch beteiligt war.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und sie hat sie überall gefunden. Um die ganze Welt zu reisen, war Esther mit Männern zusammen. In Connecticut, New York und Florida.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
In February 2008, investigators get a huge break. They link Esther to a car purchased in the greater Chicago area.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Sie tun es, aber in einer Art und Weise, die niemand jemals erwartet hätte.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Despite being hunted by the Secret Service and US Marshals... Esther Reed could be anywhere right now. ...investigated by a US attorney and hounded by private investigator Steve Rombom... I think Saddam Hussein changed his sleeping arrangements less often than she did.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
...Esther Reed was still at large, more than a year and a half after her escape from New York, still changing identities to keep one step ahead of her pursuers.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Ähm, ich fuhr. Unbekannt zu Esther entdeckten die Berichterstatter ihre neue Identität. Und US-Marshal John Bridge war schnell am Schluss.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und Tinley Park, ein Dorf in Chicago, war am 2. Februar 2008 der schlechteste Ort im Land, um Esther zu sein. Was hast du da gemacht? Ich habe in einem Hotel geblieben.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Die Polizisten suchten überall in der Stadt nach fünf Frauen, die in einem Lane Bryant Store verurteilt wurden. Der Täter war noch nicht weg.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Police began cruising parking lots, running checks on all out-of-state license plates. Just by chance, they came across Esther's car.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther Reed hat 48 Stunden Zeit, ihr erstes Interview zu machen. Die Situationen, wie wir Esther gefunden haben, werden klar werden, als wir dieses Geheimnis entdecken.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Nach neun langen Jahren hat Esther mit ihrer Schwester Edna von einem Telefon aus dem Gefängnis gesprochen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Social Anxiety Disorder is a very common phobia and defined as an excessive or irrational fear of being watched, judged and criticized by others. How convenient. Social Anxiety Disorder. Boy, it seems to explain all the bad decisions you made in your life.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
I just plead guilty to four felonies. Esther, now 30 years old, is sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. In your opinion, was Esther Reed a spy?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Federal Investigators concluded that Kyle Bringle did nothing wrong. And the Lane Bryant Killer has never been found. Do you think Esther Reed knows the difference between right and wrong?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Brooke Henson's Aunt Lisa had to live with the pain of not knowing what happened to her niece, who remains missing.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
And if I could fix it, I would. I don't know how to make it better. Esther agreed to this interview after her sentencing. Es gibt nur eine Frage, die sich alle überlegen. Viele fragen sich, warum man das nicht nur als Esther Reed machen könnte. Du hattest so viel Intellekt, so viel Talent, so viel Fähigkeit. Mach das einfach selbst.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Nach fast einer Dekade von ihrer Familie, der Glauben und sich selbst, was wird von Esther Reed?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Privat-Investigator Steve Rombom, der 48 Stunden arbeitete, und US-Marshal John Bridge suchten alle nach der elusiven Esther Reed.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Nach dem Stehlen von vielen Identitäten und dem Rennen von vielen brillanten Verbrechen, hat diese Master-Con-Frau einen Platz auf der US-Secret-Services 10 Best-Wanted-Liste gewonnen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Walt Wilkins, ein US-Autor, hat die Hintergründe von Esther untersucht. Wie gut ist Esther? Sie ist gut. Sie ist wirklich gut. Um zu verstehen, was Esther Reed macht, reisen wir zu ihrer Heimatstadt in Townsend, Montana.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Edna hat Esther vor fast einer Dekade nicht persönlich gesehen, aber sie hat uns das Familienhaus gezeigt. Was haben wir hier?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Der Trunk ist der erste in einer Reihe von Zeichen, die unsere Investition entdecken wird. Das ist Esther's Dress. Wie alt ist Esther? Ich würde sagen, sie ist vier oder fünf.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Hat sie mit dir argumentiert? Ja, sie hat an mir gearbeitet. Hat sie diese Argumente gewonnen? Sie hat sie gewonnen. E.J. Reed ist Esthers Bruder. Sie waren sehr nahe und E.J. fühlte Esthers Brillanz jeden Tag, besonders als die beiden Chess spielten. Sie blutete mich weg. Ich meine, ich konnte nicht mal eine Flasche für sie halten.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Aber so klug wie sie war, fuhr Esther aus der Hochschule und fuhr mit ihrer Mutter nach Seattle. Dann, 1998, fuhr Esthers Mutter weg. Meine Mutter liebte mich immer nur.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther's Metamorphosis from small town girl to big city con woman had begun. And so did her life of crime.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
The next matter is State of Washington versus Esther Reed. During this period, Esther stole a co-worker's purse. Guilty. Esther even took Ednas purse and drained her checking account of thousands of dollars. It was like somebody slugged me in the stomach.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
I never saw her again. Esther Reed had ceased to exist. By 1999, Esther Reed knew she needed to leave town.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Now a convicted criminal with family problems, 21-year-old Esther decided it was time to ditch her old life and find a new identity.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Und es war an dieser Zeit, während dieser Zeit, dass du die Entscheidung gemacht hast, Natalie Fischer zu werden?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Erkennst du die echte Natalie Fischer, die Schwester von Esthers alten Freund? Sieh sie dir freundlich aus?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Quiet, but cunning. Before long, Esther had gotten a hold of Natalie's social security number and began using it to rip her off.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther got a driver's license in Natalie's name and proceeded to live as Natalie. Esther left Seattle in 2000 and spent much of the next two years traveling cross country in a car like this. in günstigen Motels zu bleiben. Aber trotz ihres lebensweiten und fehlenden Verbrechens wollte noch ein Teil von Esther einen Weg zum Erfolg finden und ein Ort, wo sie wirklich gehörte.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Forced to live by her wits, Esther needed a way to make money any way she could. She perfectly forged these J.C. Penny receipts and used them to return items for more than they were worth. Esther pocketed tens of thousands of dollars. I'm not going to discuss money of any sort. Okay, but you managed to make some money, somehow.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Sie hat mehr als überlebt, sie hat sich verändert. Sie hat Gewicht verloren und hat Kosmetik-Suchsen gemacht. Wer ist diese Frau?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Sie war eine sehr nette Person, sie ist sehr freundlich. Zwei Jahre später hat sie Brandy Olson getroffen. In einer Debatte in Tempe, Arizona. Brandy sagt, Natalie Fischer hatte immer viel Geld und eine klare Erklärung, woher sie kam.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Brandy war auf einem College-Debate-Team. Und Natalie nutzte ihren neuen Freund, um Leute an Debattournamenten zu treffen.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esthers Ruse hat funktioniert. Sie hat den Debatte-Coach John Bruschke getroffen. Und 2002 hat er Natalie auf die Debatte eingeladen. in Cal State Fullerton. ...whether it's embracing Micha or not... ...and asked her to join his team. She agreed, but by the time she got there, she had a different name. Natalie was very guarded about her past.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
I mean, I once in fact asked her the question, you know, is your last name Fischer or Bowman? While you were at Cal State Fullerton, you make a decision to change your identity from Natalie Fischer to Natalie Bowman. Why?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
That's because Natalie Fisher was monitoring her credit report and realized someone was stealing from her. Esther needed to refine her scam and get someone's social security number.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Seine Erfolge als junger Kon-Mann inspirierten den Film Catch Me If You Can.
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Without a Trace
Abagnale hat jahrelang als Pilot, Arzt und Arbeiter vorgesehen. Er sagt, er weiß, warum Esther so gerne debattiert.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Bita Shigagi, Esthers Freundin bei Cal State Fullerton, hatte keine Ahnung, dass ihre Freundin ein Imposter war.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Bita vertraute Esther komplett und sie verbunden, nachdem sie lernte, dass beide ihrer Mütter von Krebs gestorben sind.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
But back in Seattle, three years had passed since Esther's family had heard from her.
48 Hours
Without a Trace
The family filed a missing persons report and Edna wondered if she'd ever see Esther again. What are you thinking to yourselves?
48 Hours
Without a Trace
Esther war sehr lebendig und sie ging weiter mit einer anderen Identität. Im Frühjahr 2003 hat Esther den Namen Natalie Bowman verlassen, nach Cal State Fullerton geflogen und auf die Straße gefahren. Sie hat Bita erzählt, dass sie gestoppt wurde und ihr Name wieder geändert wurde. Bita glaubte ihr. Und was war ihr neues Name?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
And something else troubled Terrell. Unusual purchases on Stephanie's credit card the weekend she disappeared. Nearly $5,000 worth of golf clothing and equipment, all for delivery to Wayne Guidry. And on the very day Stephanie's parents reported her missing, Wayne Guidry, seen here in bank surveillance photos, cashed a $3,000 check Stephanie had made out to him.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Then, Wayne left town, heading home to Luling, just outside New Orleans. He went straight to see his lifelong friend, Eric Dufresne.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Eric and Wayne grew up playing Little League together. As adults, they became hunting and golfing buddies.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
In fact, Eric was about to become involved. Investigators approached him hoping he might provide clues to prove their developing theory. that Wayne had killed Stephanie. What was your reaction when you heard that? I was shocked. I didn't want to believe it. Investigators knew Wayne liked the outdoors and sometimes took Stephanie into the woods to make love.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
The Jackson Bienville Management Preserve is 30,000 acres of dense woods. To find a body in such a massive area, police needed Eric to help them narrow the search.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Eric had a vague memory of a place in the woods that fascinated Wayne.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
So Detective Terrell turned to another man who had often hunted with Wayne, his own father, Wayne Guidry Sr.,
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
He told us what road it was off of, a little logging road. Wayne Guidry Sr. then drew this map with an X marking the spot. It was like, you know, this may be it. Investigators had long suspected that Stephanie was somewhere in this vast wildlife preserve. Now, with that hand-drawn map from Guidry's father, authorities could finally focus their search.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
About 150 people walked side by side through these woods until right here. They discovered the hole, the one that had so fascinated Wayne Guidry Jr. And at the bottom of this hole, hidden by some brush, was the decaying body of Stephanie Pepper Sims.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
A warrant was issued immediately for Wayne Guidry, and within hours, he was arrested. 300 miles away on a New Orleans golf course.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Wayne Guidry swears he's innocent. So are you telling me it's just a coincidence that her body ends up in the hole that you had pointed out to your good friend, the hole that your own father knew about?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Is there an arrogance with Wayne, in your opinion? Oh, yeah, but I'm going to take that out of it. I want you to list for me all of the forensic evidence that links Wayne Guidry to the murder of Stephanie. None. Zip. Nothing. Why were you so attracted to Stephanie?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Wayne Guidry says his affair with Stephanie Sims was overwhelming right from the start. Why'd you get emotional when you're thinking about this?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Guidry also had other needs. And at the time you met Stephanie, what were you doing for a living?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
So financially, what was Wayne contributing to this relationship?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Guidry was happy to be a kept man. While Stephanie went to work, he stayed in her apartment, spending hours on her computer. And you're looking at pornography and golf sites.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Guidry says Stephanie was ready to divorce her husband, David Sims.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
On the last day Stephanie Sims was seen alive, Wayne Guidry says they spent a typical Sunday afternoon together.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Store clerk Sarah Fitzpatrick remembers Stephanie coming in that Sunday and that everything seemed fine.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
That night, Guidry claims that he and Stephanie had an argument and that Stephanie threw him out of the apartment. He says he drove around in her white Taurus all night long until morning.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Holland's theory of the crime is that right after the stop at the convenience store, Guidry took Stephanie into the woods and shot her.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
A forensic examination of the hard drive in Stephanie's computer revealed that during the exact time period Wayne Guidry says he was driving around after Stephanie kicked him out of the apartment, someone was in the apartment, surfing the web for 11 hours.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
As for the $3,000 check Stephanie gave Guidry the day before she disappeared? Why'd she do that?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Wayne did hear criticism after he cashed Stephanie's check and left town. You know that sounds terrible. It does. And it looks terrible. You've got $3,000 cash in your pocket.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
You know that Stephanie is missing, and you continue on your trip to southern Louisiana.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Guidry, playing a guitar he fashioned himself in jail from cardboard and dental floss, now admits he may be guilty of bad manners, but not of murder. Do you have anything to do with her disappearance, with her murder? If you didn't kill Stephanie, who did? I don't know. I can't tell you that.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
It could have been almost anyone, says Guidry, including David Sims, Stephanie's husband.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
David, did you have anything to do with the disappearance of your wife, Stephanie?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
And why, Guidry asks, would he kill the one woman who really loved him?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
What the investigators saw was the face of a stone-cold killer. And prosecutor Hugo Holland says he's got an eyewitness, not to the crime, but to a confession. Do you believe Wayne Guidry Jr. is a murderer? Yes. I don't believe it, I know it. Barbara Pepper will be haunted forever by her daughter Stephanie's last phone call.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie never called back. On the day that Stephanie disappeared, she spoke with her mother, Barbara, on the telephone. Quote, Wayne has a surprise for me. What was the surprise, Wayne?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Terry Coleman says Guidry was cooking up more than lunch that day, that the surprise was a plan to lure Stephanie out into the woods. And so he tells you he heads out to the woods. What does he do?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Coleman says Guidry then made a deadly proposal, marriage or murder.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
When Guidry Jr. tells you that it was Stephanie's gun that he used. Yes.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Sometimes I feel like I'm partially responsible for death because of that. Do you believe that Stephanie was shot with the gun that you gave her?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
In an eight-page handwritten letter provided to investigators, Coleman detailed Wayne's alleged confession.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Hugo Holland admits... that Coleman, who has been found to be both mentally competent and incompetent at various times, will be a tough sell to a jury.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
But Holland believes that in this case, Coleman, who has not offered a deal to come forward, is credible.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
So what you're telling me is that you're an honest man, but you wouldn't necessarily believe what comes out of your own mouth. No, I wouldn't. If I was a juror, I wouldn't take a word. Are we supposed to believe you or not? That's up to you. Wayne, did you take Stephanie's .25 caliber pistol and shoot her in the chest?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Do you take her out into the woods, take her out to your favorite hole, dump her body in that hole?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Joseph Clark, Wayne Guidry's court-appointed attorney, says relying on a jailhouse snitch shows that Holland doesn't have any solid proof against his client.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
At this historic courthouse in Homer, Louisiana, a jury hears the arguments over who's responsible for the death of Stephanie Pepper Sims. Prosecutor Hugo Holland presents his key witnesses, Detective Jeff Terrell, Ginger Stewart, Eric Dufresne, and Wayne Guidry, Sr. hoping to convince the jury that the only man with a motive for murder was Wayne Guidry Jr. You're a snitch.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
A jailhouse snitch. Sure. The worst kind of human being in a jail, correct? Right.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
And Terry Coleman, Guidry's former cellmate, provides the jury with his unique perspective, as the man Guidry supposedly confessed to.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Defense attorney Joseph Clark tells the jury Coleman can't be trusted. He also says police failed to properly investigate David Sims, the scorned husband.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
But the prosecution presents compelling evidence. Computer records show Guidry was surfing the net the night he claimed Stephanie threw him out. Credit card purchases and cashing a $3,000 check from Stephanie after she went missing were also damaging. And most importantly, that hole in the woods, Wayne's hole, where Stephanie's body was found.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
So ultimately, as the jurors go to deliberate, it all comes down to that hole in the ground.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
The trial lasted for seven days. The jury came back in just two hours with their verdict. Guilty.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
It will be a long time. 30-year-old Wayne Guidry is sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
No doubt in your mind, justice was served. I believe that with all my heart. What do you miss most about Stephanie?
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
But one question remains, motive. Holland says Wayne Guidry may have answered that early on.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
At the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, a piano was dedicated in Stephanie's memory.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Howard and Barbara Pepper have always believed their only child, Stephanie, was living proof that miracles do happen.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie grew up in tiny Jonesboro, Louisiana. Her parents were both teachers.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
And Stephanie was at the head of the class. Highest academic achievement.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie was at the heart of her parents' lives, and they'll admit they spoiled her a bit. But all that love paid off. Stephanie was graduated with honors from college, and following in her parents' footsteps, became an English instructor at Louisiana Tech University. She had everything, except a serious relationship in her life. But at age 25, that was about to change.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie caught the eye of a local accountant, David Sims. Hey, Boo-Boo. Ten years older than she was, David was a former student of her father's.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
And on February 27th, 1999, after just six months of dating, I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. David Sands. David and Stephanie became husband and wife, but the honeymoon didn't last. Barbara, how long after David and Stephanie were married did she tell you that there were problems?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
About two years into the marriage, David says they stopped communicating.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Pretty soon, it wasn't just the checking accounts they were keeping separate. Is it true the two of you slept in separate beds?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
It was now November 2002. Stephanie confided in her good friend, Ginger Stewart, that she was unhappy.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
One night after finals week at Louisiana Tech, Stephanie joined Ginger at a local bar.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Less than a week after meeting this handsome golfer, Stephanie told her husband that she wanted to separate.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
By giving Stephanie some space, David hoped he could save their marriage. Honestly, did you think the marriage was over at that point? Oh, no.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
He even helped Stephanie move into her own apartment. This is the woman you love, right? Right. This had to hurt.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
But Stephanie failed to tell her husband what the real reason was for separating, Wayne Guidry.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie remained in occasional contact with David. But she was having trouble keeping her affair private.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
A male voice on the phone and another man's hat in the trunk of Stephanie's car.
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A Love Affair Turned Deadly
For five weeks, Stephanie lived a double life, a secret lover in a shared apartment, a husband left alone to worry about what was really going on. Then on January 5th, 2003, Stephanie's mom got a terrible feeling. Her daily telephone calls from Stephanie had abruptly stopped.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Barbara's premonition was right. Stephanie had vanished. Monroe Police Department. The missing person case was assigned to lead detective Jeff Terrell. Jeff, how you doing? All right. Who focused his attention on David Sims. Are you thinking there could be a jealous husband situation here as a potential motive? Yeah. Aren't you the one with the motive to kill her?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
While Stephanie Pepper Sims sounded like she was looking forward to the new year, her best friend Ginger Stewart says inside she was struggling with her secret life. Was Stephanie troubled by this affair she was having on a moral basis?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
How many people knew about the affair between Wayne Guidry and Stephanie?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Stephanie's mother, Barbara, knew only that her daughter had a new friend. Did any of your radar go off as a mom when she said, my friend?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Then, on the morning Stephanie failed to show up at Louisiana Tech to teach her class, the Peppers went to their daughter's new apartment looking for her. Minutes later, the phone rang. It was Wayne.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
As the days went by with no sign of Stephanie, her parents became desperate.
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
Hundreds of people were now searching for the 29-year-old college professor. Yeah, that'd be fine. Detective Jeff Terrell first questioned Stephanie's husband, David. Did you interview David Sims yourself?
48 Hours
A Love Affair Turned Deadly
David was given a polygraph test. He passed. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna need this. Terrell then conducted a series of interviews with the last person to see Stephanie alive, Wayne Guidry. Terrell says Guidry's rambling answers raised red flags.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
You know, when a defense team builds a lot of their case on she couldn't have done it, she physically couldn't have moved that body, they had to suggest a potential other suspect. When they cross-examined Scott, they really went after him. You are physically able. You are the only one on that farm that could move that body. You had issues with your father or financial issues.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
You had told people that one day this farm would be yours. They suggested all these things that he had a motive. to kill. So you knew it was out there in the ether, but it wasn't until this moment that you knew for sure that his mom thought the wrong person has been convicted of this crime. The real killer is just sitting right behind me off to the side. And that killer is my own son.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Hi, Anne-Marie. It's great to be here again. And they called this the Ferris wheel, so hop on and enjoy the ride, folks.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Absolutely. It was profound for him. And for him, it was also just one more betrayal because he claims that Melody's story about Scott's relationship with his father is a lie, according to Scott. He got along with his dad. They loved each other very much.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
He worked hard at that farm, that his father had not talked to him about cutting off his funds and things, that she had made up a relationship that simply...
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
didn't exist and for scott then to hear all of this was just another turn of the knife that was already you know in his back and it was um it was a tragedy it was this ferris wheel uh taking one last evil turn isn't that the truth okay so let us talk about your exclusive interview with melody
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Well, this has happened once before in all my years at 48 Hours. And through our producers that work this, they had made contact with defense attorneys, had a good relationship with them and proposed this interview and Melody agreed to it. It did occur so quickly that after the drama in the courtroom, I dashed to the back. We had set up a room there at the courthouse to do this interview.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And I'm sitting in a chair, looking down at my notes, getting ready for Melody to come in. I look up and she's already in the chair, sitting there staring at me with that face that I had seen on TV screens. And she was raring to go. And I told her, I just listened to one of the most dramatic sentencing hearings of my career. Tell this audience what you want them to know. And it all came out.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
The flood of this came out in which she now claimed that her dead mother had told her, we both know that Scott did this. I know that Scott did this, but I want you to protect my grandson. This is what Melody claimed. and that Melody had agreed to do that. Melody didn't take the stand and tell the story.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
When I asked her that, it was the classical, my attorneys didn't want me to, my attorneys didn't want me to. Keep in mind, as Melody is making all of these claims, this case had been exhaustively investigated, and police have told us that for them, All of the evidence led to one person, and that person was Melody.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
But we sat down and had a really spirited interview, to say the least, where I pressed her on her accusations, and it was fascinating.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Her bringing in her mother, who is dead and cannot speak for herself, that was a big surprise, saying that she had made this promise, but now she had to speak up. The thing, I spent a lot of time challenging her just about how does a mother go after her own son when what's the evidence that he did this beyond the fact that she's created this narrative. But she's really stuck with it.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
She doubled down on that. Scott is the killer. She said over and over again, it's not me. I'll have a new day in court. I will be, we will one day be able to prove that Scott did this. I don't know how that's going to happen. But she claims this case is not over. And she looks forward to the day that her own son is in chains being led away.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Well, Scott says that things with Amanda have not healed as yet. That division still remains. Amanda testified that she believes in her mother. The other three children are just certain. They say Melody Ferris was a contentious person, had anger issues, was betraying their father, humiliated their father by bringing her lover to their...
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
one of the daughter's wedding receptions, dancing with him, partying with him, holding him. The family has blown apart. And as I said, when I went out to this bucolic farm, about 10 acres, this beautiful pond, old barn, a mansion that's there, and to have all this hatred, animosity, and ultimately death and the burning of a corpse on that property is just mind-boggling to me.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
If I can just mention one other thing, too, that's always baffled me. The weekend in which he died, the grandkids were visiting the farm. Who plans a murder when their grandchildren are there? Whether that family will ever come back together, all of them, I don't know.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Scott was questioned. He was never charged with any crime whatsoever. And during the course of the trial, defense attorneys, there was all this innuendo out there, and they're questioning that he must have had something to do with his father's murder. But in fact,
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
On July 3rd, 2018, the day that authorities believe Gary Ferris was murdered, Scott's cell phone and Scott were far away from the family farm. He didn't return until about 1130 that night, so he simply wasn't there. Sitting across from him, though...
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
You know, people like you and me who've interviewed so many people, we have a belief that we have a sense that we can judge a person's veracity, their honesty. He looked me right in the eye. He has told a consistent story throughout. People who are lying oftentimes will tell different versions of what happened because they can't quite keep their story straight. Not with Scott.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
I challenged him with lots of tough questions and he took them on with a great spirit, answered everything. There was nothing that... that was off limits with Scott, which was fantastic. The defense tried to raise suspicions that he was involved with all of this. We didn't get into this a lot in the hour, but it is interesting. Scott Ferris lived in an apartment at the very top of the barn.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And his mother complained that investigators didn't do a good job of searching that barn. Well, it turns out that some .38 caliber ammunition was found in the barn. And remember, Gary Ferris's bullet that was found on his ribcage was a .38 caliber. And yet in the barn, there was no firearm that could shoot a .38 caliber bullet.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
So in Melody's mind, well, clearly her son must have used a gun, disposed of that weapon. But it turns out that Scott Ferris had a buddy who did have a gun, fired a .38, they'd get together and do some target practice. And that the bullets, the ammunition they found inside that barn was explained to the satisfaction of investigators.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
On top of everything else, in the end, the .38 caliber bullets found in the barn was actually a different type of .38 caliber slug than what was found in Gary Ferris' body.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
One of the big issues in this case, which for me is still unresolved, is how does a 120-pound Melody Ferris manage to get, if she murdered her husband, a 300-pound body into that burn pile? And one of the things that investigators looked at, there were two... farm vehicles that they had. One was called an RTV, a rough terrain vehicle.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And what investigators were wondering, and by the way, Melody knew how to use both of these vehicles. So they were wondering, did she take the RTV... and drag him out to the pile. So they went and checked the RTV and there was no DNA at all of Gary Farris on there. There was a single drop of blood. It turned out to be Melody's blood on the shifter.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
But as somebody that, you know, we have a place out in the country and when you're out there, I mean, every time I go out there, I cut myself on something. So they just didn't think that was significant. The other vehicle was a tractor with a small shovel in the front, but large enough to carry a human being.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And investigators checked it out to see if there was any DNA inside that shovel that matched Gary Ferris. and they found nothing there. So there was just no evidence at all that a body had been dragged from the house up to the burn pile, had been dragged anywhere, and there were no tire marks that went directly from the house to the burn pile.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
So to this day, it's like a space alien came down and somehow scooped up his body and put him in that pile. And for me and for 48 Hours producers who were there at the trial, it just eats away at us. How did she get that body in that burn pile?
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
The strap that Scott is talking about is a strong nylon strap. You can hook it on the back of an RTV. There's usually an eyelet there. They'll use it oftentimes if they're out deer hunting, let's say, and they want to bring a carcass back, or if they're hauling waste materials from the farm, if they're pruning trees or whatever, and they'll take things to the burn pile.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
That strap may be missing, and it's one of many unanswered questions in the course of this case, but it doesn't count as evidence. And this is important. No remnants of that strap was ever found on that burn pile.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
It's interesting because I was getting briefings from producers who were at the trial, and they felt as though it was going Melody's way, in that this unanswered question of how she could have gotten the body from the house to the burn pile was huge. Right.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
So during the defense close, there was a moment of real drama because the big question, how could she have possibly gotten that 300 pound body to the burn pile? And the attorney brings in these large sacks of rock salt, one bag at a time, dumps it in front of the jury and then keeps talking. Then the next one, boomf.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
eventually getting up to around that 300-pound mark to try to demonstrate whether a person would be able, especially someone of that weight, 120 pounds, would be able to move that weight. But I believe that strategically, this is where the defense attorney made an enormous mistake. What he should have had done then is say, Here's someone from my office. Here's Carol. She's 120 pounds.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Carol, I'd like you to try to move this. Instead, he pulled the tarp. And this is a courtroom. It's a flat floor. It's lacquered. And he pulled it. It was a dramatic... stunt that backfired. There was also this issue of there was just a couple spots of blood inside the house. Prosecutors seized on that and said, well, that's where he must have been shot.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And the blood started in the kitchen, went down some steps into this lower area where that was his bedroom. And there was a door out there that led outside. According to the defense, why wouldn't there have been a bunch more blood there and some blood spatter if he had been shot And also, and this was confirmed by the Ferris daughter, Amanda, just a few days prior to his disappearance.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Her father had been bitten by Melody's dog on the ankle in the kitchen, and he had bled. And so when our people heard this stuff, for them, there was reasonable doubt out there. But what became the biggest piece of evidence for the jurors was when one of these electronics cell phone experts testified
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
that Gary Ferris' cell phone shows that the day after they believe he had been placed in that burn pile, his phone moved from the house to the burn pile and back to the house. And at that time, there was only one person that was on the property who could have done that. And that person was Melody.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And for jurors, that was the single most important piece of information for them that said, well, no one was at the farm at that time except Melody.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Yeah. And also that expert analyzed the phone relationship between Melody and her lover, Rusty Barton. They'd had a relationship for several years and they tended to always speak at a certain time in the evening. But on July 3rd, these phone calls went on through the night. There were several of them. And the last call was made around 2.30 in the morning, which was highly unusual.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And it suggested to people, well, what were they talking about? What had just occurred that might demand a phone call like this? And the speculation is a murder.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
Well, this was high drama. I've been to so many sentencing hearings and none of us knew this was coming. Melody comes alive. She'd been silent throughout this entire trial, unemotional, stoic, not reacting to some of the things that are being said. And all of a sudden, It was like Mount St. Helens, you know, that lava dome had built up and built up.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And now this was her moment and it exploded, it erupted. And she dramatically accuses her own son of being the killer. And the judge, you could tell, was stunned. Everyone was stunned in that room. And looking over at them, they were physically reacting. You know, when you say something so stunning to someone, it's so hurtful. There's a shudder that people will do.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Farris Wheel
And they were all looking at each other and they were having that shudder reaction. And it was so powerful. And then to have the mother that brought you into this world and raised you and say, not only that, but I can't wait until you are in handcuffs, being led away to prison to spend the rest of your life behind bars. It was absolutely breathtaking experience.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
During the course of our show we played some of the audio that was recorded at the scene after the takedown of John Blauvelt at that woman's property right outside her front door. And one of the marshals interviewed her and we have more sound from that talk that just gives you a sense of the shock that she was experiencing to learn that her partner in life was a killer.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Well, he's going to appeal his conviction. And then, Kat, you want to talk about what's happening with Hannah?
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
She was a sweetheart of a young woman. Those who knew her, she loved animals. She just wanted to get married. She wanted to have a family. Just the shock of what she had hoped for and what her life became. How it ended in this tragic murder is just heartbreaking.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
It's a real solemn, heartbreaking moment. This is the weapon that was one of the last things that Katie Blauvelt saw on this earth. It was selected by her killer. This killer was a trained soldier. He knew how to use knives. And Kinley Abey, the prosecutor, she suggested to me that he knew this would be a painful death.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
And Blauvelt left the knife in her neck, because we know now this was a revenge killing, that he did that on purpose.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
War es also, hat es dich so erstaunt, dass John und Katie hier einander gefunden haben? Es gab dieses Abenteuer. Ich hatte keine Ahnung, woher das kam, was der Plan war. War es seltsam für dich?
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Ali Somerville, one of Katie's friends, told me that he partied with them. And it's shocking behavior.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Ja, absolut. Das sind 17-Jährige. Und als Vater von einigen Kindern, das ist eine sehr vulnerable Zeit für die Menschen. Und er hat sich nur dafür vorgenommen. Es ist... Ich denke, viele von diesen Kindern haben viel Selbstvertrauen, so wie wir es gesehen haben, und sie haben diesen älteren Lebensstil genossen, den ihre Eltern nicht wussten.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
I don't know. You watch it in the show. I look like Lurch. I'm like nine feet tall.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
I'm six foot three. That's not too tall. But yeah, it looks silly. We had a good laugh in the screening room when we took a look at that. But she was a terrific investigator. Her heart was so into solving this case. The kind of people you want to have in law enforcement.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Richtig. Und es gibt einen Niveau, einen Niveau der Beweise, der einem Gericht vorgegeben werden muss, um eine Warnung zu bekommen. Das hatten sie nicht ganz, an diesem Punkt. Sie hatten dieses Interview, das ihre Überraschungen sehr erhöhte. Sie wussten, dass das Körper, wo das Körper gefunden wurde, ein Ort war, wo Kinder mit John verheiratet waren.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
So they had pieces of this puzzle, but they just didn't quite have enough. And Blauvelt takes off and he takes off with a 17-year-old girl, Hannah Thompson, with them. They're heading out on the road and this is where a 17-year-old, I think, can be brought into a circumstance psychologically from an adult of his age and his sophistication and his training and all of that.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
I think she was a real victim at this point, being pulled into this horrible situation with a man how much she knew at that point that he had committed murder she learned a lot more later on was the whole thing was just a tragic situation but off she goes in his car and they're heading west
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Well, they supposedly were in love at that point. She told authorities later that she was in love with him.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Ich habe es nie gemacht. Ich meine, ich fuhr mehrere tausend Meilen und sie haben den Westpazifik und er bekommt sein... Sein Auto ist in der Mütze nahe Walla Walla, Washington. Du erinnerst dich wahrscheinlich von Bugs Bunny-Kartons. Und sie müssen weglaufen. Und sie leben ihre Leben im Grunde als unabhängige Menschen. Sie haben Geld für Essen gekostet. Sie schliefen ziemlich viel draußen.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Und etwa einen Monat später, in dieser Reise, geht er weg, laut ihr. Und sie ruft ihre Eltern an.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
um uns zu vermeiden, denn diese US-Marschallen sind unglaubliche Investitionen. Ich habe viele Stunden mit diesen Leuten gearbeitet und es gibt etwas über sie, dass sie sehr ruhig sind. Ihre Persönlichkeiten dominieren keine Raum, aber sie sind so fixiert.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Wenn ich eine kurze Geschichte machen kann, was sie mich erinnern, als ich jung war, als ich ein Teenager war, hatten wir ein paar Küken in unserem Haus. Wir hatten einen namens Charlie und wir haben uns entschieden, Charlie wegzugeben. Meine Mutter fand eine Familie und führte Charlie drei Meilen nach Hause. Am nächsten Tag sagt die Familie, Charlie ist weg.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Zwei Tage später zeigt Charlie unser Haus auf. Das ist ein US Marshal. Sie erscheinen plötzlich aus der Blut. Wie hat das geschehen? Und diese Leute sind patient und sie finden diese kleinen Zeichen und sie fangen Leute auf dem Selbstvertrauen-Niveau herunter. Und es kann einige Jahre dauern. Ich habe sie gefunden, einen Mann in einem berühmten mexikanischen Dorf. Und in diesem Fall
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
John Blauvelt hat all his training used and brilliantly ended up in Medford, Oregon with a woman who had no idea who he was and was living low and thought, I'm sure, that there was no way they would find him.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Ah, aber er hatte eine identifizierende Fähigkeit, die er nicht verschwenden konnte, die er nicht ändern konnte. Und das war ein Piraten-Tattoo, das auf seinem Arm war. Er hatte auch andere Tattoos. Ja. Aber als er für seine Interview auf der Kamera ging, die Interview, bevor er flieg, hat er eine kurze Schuhe geschnitten. Erinnere dich, ob er eine lange Schuhe geschnitten hätte.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Und sie wussten das nicht. Aber da haben sie die Tattoos erkannt. Und diese Marshalen, sie fokussieren sich darauf. Wir haben einen Identifizierer.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Es ist schwierig, Annemarie, weil sie weiß, dass sie ihre Star-Witness sein wird in jedem Gerichtsverfahren gegen Blau-Welt. Und es ist also ein leckerer Tanz hier.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Und wo sie einige der Punkte hier verbunden haben, erinnere dich daran, dass sein Fahrrad in Washington in den Müll gefangen wurde. Als Hannah ihre Eltern angerufen hat, war sie in Oregon. Und so, als sie auf diesem Telefon entdeckt haben, dass er diese Frau geschrieben hat, lebte diese Frau in Medford, Oregon, also geografisch. The news was tightening.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
They said, this must be the area that he is in. And don't forget, at this point, he was Ben Klein. He was not John Blauvelt. He had changed his name, which would make it even more difficult to try to identify this guy. But they were able to get her address and she was an upstanding woman in the community, a full-time job.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
She was the breadwinner in the family and John was sort of a stay-at-home partner for her. In fact, when they observed him one day, I think he was putting together, was it a portable swimming pool out on the yard? Do you remember that cat?
48 Hours
Post Mortem | Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Jemand, den ich nicht kennen würde, außer für das Tattoo. Also, diese neue Freundin ist überrascht.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
and then get away with it for almost 28 years, had plenty of chances to do it again. Wow.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
Well, it all depends on who you talk to. And we spoke with a lot of people involved in this investigation. And I have to admit, I remain baffled to this day. Why not say that this was a murder? The killer knew it was a murder, right? I understand details of the investigation. You may not want a suspect to know, right? But just the basic fact as to whether or not it's a murder is
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
I've never seen anybody quite melt down like that. It was like the Wicked Witch and the Wizard of Oz melting down at the end. That's what I saw. He went from being calm and collected to sweating. He was very nervous. They pointed out that he leaned back in the chair to get as far away from them as he possibly could. Psychologically, he wanted out of that room.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
I thought one thing that was profound that I just wanted to read is almost kind of a final thought from Stephanie. This was at the press conference. She said, I celebrate that a violent predator is no longer able to victimize other women and girls. I celebrate that my fight for my sister is over. celebration for me is short-lived.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
It's quickly replaced with a tangled mess of frustration, disbelief, and anger." Of course, that is part of the profound nature of murder, isn't it? It just never quite goes away inside any of these victims. But in this case, I think Stephanie really accomplished this extraordinary feat in her life and gave honor to her sister's memory.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
That still baffles me to this day. And it baffled people back in the day in 1996 in Montana. Deputy Farquhar could not believe what his sheriff's department was putting out there. He still can't explain. He's still baffled. And Deputy Farquhar, who today is a veterinarian, ended up leaving eventually the sheriff's department out of frustration in all of this. So
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
It is one of these things that is baffling to me. But some of our people ended up speaking to the sheriff back in the day.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And back in 1996, he told the media that there was no evidence of foul play. And we can say we know today that simply was not true.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And again, this is a first for me. I've never known a law enforcement agency at any level to withhold from the public that it was a murder, to suggest that it was an accident or may have been an accident. As you said, everyone downshifts, Anne Marie, right? They're not as concerned. They don't have a threat in the community. They're not racking their brains.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
What did I see that day in that area, in this public fishing area? And there could have been opportunity lost there.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And the thing about Stephanie, all these years, she had always promised her sister in her thoughts that she was not going to let this case die. And it just reached a point where now was the time, as Lauren said, for her to move forward. And she is the champion in this and one of the most compelling characters I have ever interviewed for a 48 Hours episode.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
I think everyone touched by this case was haunted by it all this time. Keep in mind, Sheriff Dan Springer, he'd just been on the job for five days with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department when Danny's body was found. And if there's one thing that we learned in this, Sheriff Dan Springer's a man of absolute integrity.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And once he became the big dog, you know, the sheriff in the department, this case that haunted him as well He wanted to return to it and looked Stephanie in the eye and said, we are going to solve this. He played such a crucial role in this.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
Well, meeting this guy, you instantly love him. I mean, Lauren was there too. We're just having a brief conversation about how he got involved with this. He starts talking about Danny and tears come to his eyes. He tears up. This is a guy who was a tough LAPD police captain, right? He'd seen everything in Los Angeles County. and investigated every kind of crime.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
But when law enforcement people retire, they oftentimes get in the private security business. He has a business, a number of employees, so he kept his network of contacts out there. And eventually, Sheriff Springer learns of his presence, this wealth of experience and investigative talent, is, you know, living on the top of a mountain just outside of town.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And Springer reached out to him and Elfmont said yes, which is, of course, crucial in this case.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
It's like a time machine. They're able to go back generations and then work their way forward to find someone. It's almost magic. It really is.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
Well, remember, once they get that DNA readings, they're able to then get into DNA databases, and they found this link to the suspect Hutchinson. So for CeCe, who's been doing this for a while, it's extraordinarily exciting. It's what she lives for. But it's also a very sobering thing because now you can go to that person's social media. She learned that Hutchinson was a big time hunter.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
He's married, has two kids, and she realizes that these people's lives are about to go off a cliff when she brings this forward. So it's excitement and that is tempered a bit with this sobering reality of what the consequences will be. But finally, it is the path to justice.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | It’s About Danni
And also the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, they sent out a bulletin to other law enforcement agencies in the state of Montana to see if they have any cold cases linked to Hutchinson. And that's the big question is, will they find other cases in this? And Stephanie herself, she ends up saying in our hour, I think that anyone who is able to rape and murder a young girl
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And remember, Matthew Edgar's defense and his story was so outrageous and offensive to the family that he was so drunk that he doesn't remember this killing. Right. Despite the fact that while he was inebriated, he was sending text messages and talking to people and driving an automobile and stuff. It was a ridiculous story.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Yeah. And she was an outlier in that she was academically accomplished. She had goals in life. She was going to university and she had her escape. It was right there in front of her. And yet that That culture pulled her back in.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
It was really heartbreaking. We got to know Darcy, who admits in her own life she's made a lot of mistakes, but Livy for her was her accomplishment. giving birth, raising that young girl who became successful. She was her dream child. And it was everything in her life that gave her meaning is that I raised this extraordinary person.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
With all the mistakes that I made along the way, look what I've produced. And to have that taken away. When you're at that little memorial, for Darcy, it means just everything. It's just precious. And she tends to it. And She feels the presence of her daughter there, and it's just awful. At the end of the day, murder reverberates and destroys so many other people's lives, and poor Darcy.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
I hope she can get back on the rails, but this is such a blow, because her daughter was everything.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
So it turns out that before becoming Livvy's boyfriend, Matthew Edgar, had not one, not two, but three high-speed chases in one day with law enforcement. Wow. The last one ended up in an accident in which the deputy chasing him had a broken leg, and he was arrested.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
When we learned about this, we talked with Darcy, Libby's mom, about it, and I said, you know, as a parent myself, I said, well, did you warn your daughter to stay away from Matthew Edgar? And she goes, no. If I did that, I'd be judging him. And I don't like to judge people. And besides, I've made some mistakes in my life. So it's just kind of a different way of thinking.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
We are taken aback. At the very start of the hour to the death scene, and you're hearing the shrieks of Darcy, the mom, and where's my baby? Where is she? And it was so real and devastating.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Most protocols with law enforcement, there would be an officer who would approach her, come over here, come sit in my squad car. We'll talk to you about the situation to allow her out there to just shout and scream and be ignored. And those, you know, those cold stares back at her were just terrible.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And she was sensing, of course, that her daughter was gone and no one was telling her, but it was torture. Yeah.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Where's my baby? Where is she? Where is my daughter? What happened to her? And they just stared at her. And that is not protocol. That was a mistake. And they admitted later that that was handled very poorly. There was one character, though, that both of us just really fell for. the Sabine County Sheriff's investigator, J.P. McDonough. And J.P. was just right out of Central Cassidy.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
He had the perfect Texas sounding voice. And his initial interviewing of Matthew Edgar on that stretcher that you'll see, if you haven't seen the hour yet, it's unlike anything I have had on 48 Hours Before. Sheriff's body cams capturing this bloody suspect lying down, and J.P. does a masterful job of connecting with him and getting him to open up.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And the questioning went on and on, and you're sitting there going, Matthew, you're digging yourself a hole here. And he eventually talked his way into getting arrested by the end of it. But J.P. McDonough, he was a really smart, rural guy, knew how to talk to the locals, and he did a great job.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
This is one of the strangest aspects of this story for Judy and me is. On that deputy's body cam, and you're looking at Matthew Edgar's face, it is covered in blood. And to this day, they still don't know whose blood it is. You know, there was a theory that it was Bobby Ozan, this man who they were partying at that house.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And they had a little struggle outside by this automobile as Matthew Edgar was trying to give chase to Livy.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And it was a great get by Judy because he had the front row seat, as we like to say, to all of this. And he knew the intricacies of these relationships. And he's also a great storyteller. And as a quick aside, by the way, he has a hobby on the side. He catches giant catfish with his bare hands. And he showed us a video.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
It is incredible. He goes underwater. He said he can hold his breath up to two minutes. And then all of a sudden he comes out and he's put his arm all the way down the throat of a giant catfish that may weigh 25, 30 pounds and pulls it out of the water. It's the darndest thing you've ever seen.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
This relationship that these people had and the fact that he had beaten her in the past, it was the drink and argue and fight, make up, rinse, repeat, do it again. Right. But no one ever thought this would lead to murder.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
They take care of their own. They take care of their own circumstances. We don't need a deputy here. You and I will take care of it. It may end up in a fist fight. It may end up in some slapping around, some screaming and shouting, but eventually they'll sort it out and tomorrow's another day.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Yeah, when they were married, she put her name on his clothes and hers. The other thing, though, the connection that they had was that, remember, Edgar had texted Montana that Libby was dead.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
There was a multi-agency investigation into this murder, and all of the investigators concluded that Montana had nothing to do with the death of Libby Lewis.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
And after he was released on bail, he was arrested again for assaulting Montana. And this time bail was set at $325,000. And the family, they were able to pay that bond. Now, it's usually 10% down, but that's $32,000 they'd have to come up with to get him out.
48 Hours
Post Mortem | The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
This is the second time this season I've had that happen on a story where the defendant just didn't show up. And yeah, they're looking around and obviously, where'd he go? And imagine being the defense attorney in this case, too, where you're trying to come up with something that can spare him and he flees its curtains after that, to say the least.
48 Hours
Driven To Death
I've always been told I'm a really good listener, right? And I maximized that while I was lying.
48 Hours
Driven To Death
I've always been told I'm a really good listener, right? And I maximized that while I was lying.
48 Hours
Driven To Death
I've always been told I'm a really good listener, right? And I maximized that while I was lying.
48 Hours
Introducing Trained to Kill
I can only describe it as evil. something horrible, something terrible.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Hello, listeners. It's 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant. Today, I have a special episode to share with you from my new podcast, Trained to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. You are about to hear the bizarre story of celebrity dog trainer Mark Stover, who was known as the dog whisperer of the Pacific Northwest.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda grew up camping, fishing, and hunting. They connected over a love for nature and the open air. What started purely as business turned personal, and they set out to build a relationship and a successful company at the same time. They were coming together despite being from two different worlds. While Mark's family had struggled, Linda Updike was the daughter of a millionaire.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
And tell me also about your father. He's a famous man in the state of Washington, a very successful man in the state of Washington.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
That's a very famous winery in Washington, sold all over the world.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda is her parents' only daughter.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
That's Nancy Corbin, Linda's mother. She admits that she wasn't entirely thrilled when Mark and Linda started dating.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Nancy let her daughter make her own choices and was even supportive when Mark and Linda decided to go into business together. Linda said she'd been interested in opening a dog boarding business. In 1992, Linda and Mark opened Island Dog Adventures. Linda ran the boarding part of the company, and Mark handled the dog training. You essentially were the CEO, right?
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark was Mark Stover, Stephanie's next-door neighbor and her boss. Stephanie was a dog trainer at Mark's facility in Anacortes, Washington, an island community about 80 miles north of Seattle. He had built a successful business working with the dogs of the rich and famous and had earned the nickname the Dog Whisperer of the Pacific Northwest. That morning, Stephanie made her short commute to work.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda thought Mark's reputation in the industry helped. and her parents leased Linda the perfect place to set up shop.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Kickett Island and the surrounding area once belonged to the Swinomish tribe. Besides a clearing for some buildings, the island is a thick forest with tall Douglas firs and Western red cedars.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Their house was at the end of a long, narrow driveway that felt like you were almost entering Jurassic Park. The sprawling property filled with wildflowers, hills, and beaches made it seem otherworldly. Business started booming. Over time, Island Dog Adventures turned into a million-dollar operation.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda said that despite their success, Mark started to become obsessed with money, tightly controlling her spending.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
You guys have a million-dollar business. He's upset that you bought an avocado.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Most of their attention was going to the business and not each other.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Despite her concerns, Linda was committed to making things work.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
On May 17th, 2002, Mark and Linda were married in a small wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. She was 38. He was 50.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Victoria, Mark's sister, showed me photos from the wedding.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark has on a dark suit, and Linda is wearing a black dress holding a white bouquet of flowers.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
But Mark seemed different to Linda after the wedding.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
What happened? What went wrong?
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda wanted to move off the island, but she said Mark dug in his heels. He wanted to stay.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
She assumed Mark had already left to meet a client in Seattle.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda said she watched Mark's whole demeanor intensify.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
According to Linda, Mark developed a reputation for threatening locals. He would even use his dogs to intimidate people.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
After nearly 14 years together, including three years of marriage, Linda decided that she couldn't do this anymore.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
she moved out of their home. Linda left the island that was owned by her family to start anew, set off on a new path alone. But she said Mark followed.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The fallout from their collapsed marriage started a nasty back and forth that would culminate in that bloody scene at Mark's house.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Coming up on Trained to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
From 48 hours, this is Trained to Kill. The dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host, Peter Van Sant. Judy Tigard is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers Ryan Smith and Liza Finley. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio and Maura Waltz is the senior story editor.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark had a reputation as a bit of a pit bull, intimidating and impatient.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Recording assistance from Alan Pang and Reginald Bazile. Special thanks to Paramount Podcast Vice President Megan Marcus. It is written and produced by Alex Schumann. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is Shira Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin. Theme and original music composed by Hansdale Shee. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mixed the episodes.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
We also use music from APM and Epidemic Sounds. Fendall Fulton is our fact checker. Our production manager is Tamika Balans-Kolasny. I'm Peter Van Sant. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. You can listen to Train to Kill early and ad-free right now by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Then Stephanie went up to the house to the bathroom. As she walked up the driveway, she saw tire marks from the car and some spots of blood on the gravel. Stephanie assumed that the blood belonged to Ding, Mark's guard dog. Ding recently had surgery.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The blood wasn't the only sign something was wrong.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Stephanie stepped inside. She noticed a bedroom door that was usually never shut was closed. And as she went into the house, Stephanie saw three big spots on the floor. Did they have a color?
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
He trained the dogs of the rich and famous with clients including music stars, athletes, and top business executives. But this story isn't just about a dog trainer. It's one of obsession, control, and murder. Here's the first episode.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Stephanie was worried. She kept calling Mark, but he never answered. Stephanie hoped the blood was from Ding's surgical wounds. She was doing her best to avoid imagining the worst. But the next morning, when she came back to work, she was startled to see Ding sitting by the back door.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
An unsettling feeling hit Stephanie.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Stephanie called 911. Mark's new girlfriend had also called the police after not hearing from him. Soon after, sheriff's deputies arrived on scene. Investigators believed the bleach, the blood, and Mark's vanishing act all added up to one inescapable conclusion.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
But detectives had no idea they were about to step into a hall of mirrors where nothing was as it seemed.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
They soon discovered a story tangled in obsession.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
We have some of the truth, but we don't have all of it. But who was the hunter and who was the hunted? I'm Peter Van Sant. From 48 Hours, this is Trained to Kill. The dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Episode 1, Puppy Love. The coastline of Washington State, just north of Seattle, is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Back in the 1800s, my ancestors were homesteaders on an island not far from Anacortes, Washington. It's gone now, but one of my great-greats even had a small apple orchard on Orcas Island. Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juan Islands. where ferry boats depart to these wooded jewels.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
I go hiking, swimming, and fishing for Dungeness crabs, and have always considered the small harbor towns here my gateway into tranquility and peace. That's why I was stunned when 48 Hours first got word about this murder. And then I learned that at the center of it all was a celebrity dog trainer.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
That's Victoria Simmons, Mark Stover's younger sister. She said some of Mark's clients included Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and Seattle mariner Ichiro Suzuki.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark offered private training lessons. He could teach basic obedience, but his wealthiest clients wanted him to train their pets to become protection dogs. This is audio from a video of Mark training a dog. He's standing in what looks like a gravel driveway, wearing a dark raincoat and his trademark brown hat with a round brim.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The dog sprints and bites hard enough to lock onto Mark's leg, which is covered in padding. And a tug of war ensues between the growling dog and Mark. Mark commands the dog to stand down. Right away, the dog lays on the ground looking straight ahead and awaits the next command.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
His niece Julia, Victoria's daughter, said Mark sometimes expressed his love for dogs in eccentric ways.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
She said it smelled horrible. But one day, they went for a drive.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
But Mark didn't start out rich at all. In fact, just the opposite. And his upbringing was far from easy.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
This is Victoria again, Mark's sister. They grew up in the Seattle area in the 1950s and 1960s.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Their mother's second marriage also then fell apart.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark struggled in school. According to Victoria, the family didn't know how to help him.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
And then their mother's third husband died of cancer.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The German Shepherd puppy was named Gunter. While maybe odd, the gift would be a godsend.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark got in touch with the family's old vet. He encouraged Mark to join the Washington State Search and Rescue Canine Unit.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark eventually started to train dogs in private sessions where he'd go to people's homes. In a news article from 1981, Mark is described as a disciple of the famous behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. Skinner studied how rewards and punishment can condition behavior in humans. Mark applied that to dogs by training them with punishment and reward.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
I believe he was. As for cats, Mark was once quoted saying that he didn't like cats because he wants something he can control. He added, dogs are easy to change. It's people that are hard to change. See, I can't put a choke chain around them.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
It was 2009, three days before Halloween, a time when the boundaries between the living and the dead become blurred. Stephanie Poore said the dogs next door were going crazy. And they were upset and it was loud.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark started training dogs in the 1970s, and by the 1980s was a well-established canine guru. Mark never married during that time. Then, in the early 90s, when Mark was nearing 40, a wealthy potential client called.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Linda Updike was the daughter of Wally Updike, one of the wealthiest businessmen in the state of Washington.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark and Linda met regularly to train her dog. A bond was starting to form.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Mark definitely had a way with dogs, and at times, he could be charismatic with people.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
After eight or nine months, their relationship evolved. And even though Linda was 12 years younger than Mark, his sister says Linda was his type.
48 Hours
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
For one of their first dates, Mark asked her to go fishing.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
In 2009, three days before Halloween, a grisly crime stunned the seaport town of Anacortes, Washington.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
It made Melody turn against her children because the children were spending money. But Melody claims she was only upset because the children were taking advantage of their father's wealth.
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The Farris Wheel
Chris says he and his father did not argue over money. Detective Hayes looked into the agreement Gary had struck with Scott. He worked on the farm and Gary gave him spending money.
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The Farris Wheel
But Scott says that's not true at all and that the arrangement he had with his father worked well for both of them.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
There was no mooching. Scott says it was actually Melody who'd run into a financial roadblock with Gary, largely because of her lavish spending on her affair with Rusty.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
So what you're saying is that it was Melody who was facing the potential of having her money lifeline cut off? Pretty much, yes. Was he angry at your spending?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
They soon discovered a story tangled in obsession. Who was the hunter and who was the hunted? Follow and listen to Train to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
While Melody and Rusty lived in different states, cell phone records show they lived their lives in constant communication. She's on the phone with him every hour of every day. including the early morning hours of July 4th, 2018, a day and a half before Gary was found. When questioned by investigators, Rusty told them that Melody had said something alarming.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
At that time, only the killer could have known Gary was on the burn pile. Had Melody Ferris confessed to murder, As the investigation continued, she was now the detective's number one suspect. I told them everything I knew. Scott remembered something that happened with his mother the day before Gary vanished. It now seems like foreshadowing.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Gary Ferris himself took out his phone and recorded this video. This is what happens when you leave a plate. Of the plate shards scattered on the ground. Three days later, he was dead. On June 18, 2019, after an almost 12-month investigation, detectives say they had gathered enough evidence to charge Melody Ferris with the murder of her husband, Gary. Why did it take a year to arrest Melody?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But for Detective Hayes, there were unanswered questions. How did Melody get Gary's body out the basement door and to the burn pile about 50 yards away? She weighs, what, 130 pounds? Around that, I believe. And Gary is 6'4", 6'5", 300 pounds. How in the world could that woman have moved that body? With the tractor, with the RTV. Two pieces of machinery that were found on the farm.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Hayes sees the two vehicles as evidence. This is what we're looking at, these two vehicles. He took me to the lot where they are stored. How could each of these vehicles have been used to get Gary's body onto that pile?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Gary's blood. But nothing was found in the front bucket. On the RTV, Hayes says Melody's blood was found on one of the gear shifters. Nothing was found in the back. Hayes considered other scenarios.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Is there any blood that was discovered going from the house to the burn pile?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
So this still remains a mystery, doesn't it? It does. A mystery, too, for prosecutors Megan Frankish and Jeffrey Fogus.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The case took more than five years to bring to trial. During that time, a deep divide formed in the Ferris family. Three of the children, Chris, Scott, and Emily, were all convinced their mother murdered their father. Gary and Melody's youngest child, Amanda, believed in Melody's innocence.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
What did it mean for you that your daughter Amanda stood by you during all this time and has believed in your innocence?
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The Farris Wheel
Ladies and gentlemen, the jury. When the trial finally began in October 2024, prosecutors Megan Frankish and Jeffrey Fogus spoke to jurors with absolute certainty.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
According to prosecutors, Melody wanted Gary dead so she could cash in on his multi-million dollar assets and live happily ever after with her lover of the past four years, Rusty Barton. Why shouldn't people believe you had the greatest motive to murder Gary?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Prosecutors say on the evening of July 3rd, two days before Gary's body was found, Gary and Melody got into a fight in the kitchen, and Melody shot him.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
In their opening statement, defense attorneys Michael Ray and John Luke Weaver attacked the prosecution's claims and told jurors there's a harmless explanation for those blood drops.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
You would expect far more blood. And daughter Amanda would testify she saw that wound on her dad's leg. The defense also argued Melody is innocent. Questions without answers. And raised those questions about how Gary's body got to the burn pile.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
They offered up an alternative suspect, Melody's own son. And his motive would be? Financial. He wanted the property.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The defense argues that Scott, from the very beginning, tried to draw attention of investigators away from him.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Raise your right hand. When the prosecution put Scott Ferris on the stand, they asked him directly.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
He was the glue to our family. Sitting just feet away, Melody says Scott's testimony was an act.
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The Farris Wheel
On cross-examination, the defense pointed out that Scott, at 6'8", 280 pounds, was the only person on the farm physically capable of moving Gary's 300-pound body.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
All right, raise your right hand. To help establish a motive for murder, prosecutors called Melody's lover, Rusty Barton, to the stand.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
He's charming. He's smart. And he says... he captured the heart of married Melody Ferris.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Tell the jury what you said. Fogus also asked Rusty about that incriminating call.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Remember, Rusty had told investigators that call had taken place before Gary was found. But a year later, after Melody was arrested, Rusty changed his story, saying the call happened after the body was discovered. He said he had the dates wrong.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But prosecutor Fogus didn't buy it and claims Rusty was trying to help Melody. Do you believe him?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
At the time of the murder, Rusty was hours away in Tennessee. He was never charged with anything relating to the death of Gary Farris. More witnesses would testify, and later, Melody, who was silent throughout the trial, would address the court in a dramatic and explosive statement that would leave her family reeling.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Day after day, Melody Ferris faced witnesses determined to see her pay for the alleged murder of her husband.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
She's my mother. None seemed more dogged than her own children, like Chris. I just had my suspicions that she had something to do with this. Her daughter, Emily.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Can you describe what it was like to watch each of your children take the stand?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody says three of her children are trying to pin their father's murder on her for one simple reason.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
One of the final witnesses called by prosecutors was Lindsey Harris, who leads the Intelligence Division in the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Harris says she was able to track the precise movements of Gary Farris' cell phone on the family farm because Gary had an Android phone with its Google location services turned on.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Harris discovered that on the morning of July 4th, when investigators believe Gary's body was already on the burn pile, his cell phone moved from the house to the burn pile and back to the house.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Lindsay Harris says that during that time, Scott's phone was miles away from the farm.
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The Farris Wheel
The defense tries to challenge this seemingly powerful evidence by questioning the accuracy of Harris' findings.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The defense called seven witnesses. One of them was Gary and Melody's youngest daughter, Amanda.
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The Farris Wheel
Frankish, you can go ahead. It was now time to wrap this case up with closing arguments.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
In their closing, the defense did some heavy lifting to demonstrate how difficult it would be for someone Melody's size to somehow get her 300-pound husband onto that burn pile.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
On October 30th, 2024, the jury got the case. But after three days of deliberations, they sent a note to the judge saying they were deadlocked. The judge told them to give it one more try.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
And just a few hours later... All right, I understand y'all reached a verdict.
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The Farris Wheel
Melody Ferris was found guilty on all five counts against her, including malice murder, felony murder, and making false statements.
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The Farris Wheel
Jurors Sheila Albright and Chris Hyatt say the cell phone evidence convinced them of Melody's guilt.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
As for the question of how Gary got to the burn pile, Sheila Albright had a theory.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
For Scott and some members of the Ferris family, the guilty verdict brought relief, even though their own mother was now a convicted murderer.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But there would be no love shown by Melody at her sentencing when she was given the opportunity to express remorse and ask the judge for leniency.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But instead of asking the judge for mercy... I want the world to know who did this. ...she named who she said was the real killer.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
When Melody Ferris used her sentencing hearing to accuse her son Scott of being Gary's true murderer, some of those in the courtroom were floored.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Scott, sitting behind his mother with his family, simply stared in disbelief.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Judge David Cannon had little patience. All right, Ms. Ferris, I'm going to cut you off. But Melody persisted.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The 64-year-old was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. She also received an additional five years for concealing Gary's death by burning his remains and making a false statement to police. Melody didn't take the stand in her trial. Instead, she chose to tell her story exclusively to 48 Hours.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
I just watched one of the most extraordinary moments inside a courtroom that I have ever seen in my career. What do you want people to know about you and this case?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody claims she hadn't spoken up until now out of maternal loyalty. She says her own mother, now deceased, suspected Scott all along and asked Melody to take the blame. But now her time as Scott's shield was over. Melody says she believes Scott set her up from the beginning. And she says she knows why.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
You understand, though, that to people listening to this, they're thinking, here is a mother willing to sacrifice her son to save her own skin. What would you say to that?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody stands by her claim that Gary was getting ready to cut Scott off financially.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But Scott says Gary never issued an ultimatum that he'd get a job and never accused him of not pulling his weight.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody says she told Detective Hayes she'd seen Scott acting suspiciously the day before Gary's body was found.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Despite a sentence that will likely mean spending the rest of her life in prison, Melody remains determined to prove her innocence. One day you believe you will walk a free woman again?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
And for those who believe you got exactly what you deserved, you say... I didn't do it.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
In 2009, three days before Halloween, a grisly crime stunned the seaport town of Anacortes, Washington.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
They soon discovered a story tangled in obsession. Who was the hunter and who was the hunted? Follow and listen to Train to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
On July 5th, 2018, Detective Daniel Hayes of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, north of Atlanta, responded to a most unusual call. A human body in a burn pile. Had you ever received a call like that in your career?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The body was later identified as 58-year-old Gary Ferris, the larger-than-life, 300-pound patriarch of the Ferris estate. now reduced to skeletal remains. Detective Hayes learned Gary Ferris was a wealthy commercial real estate attorney married to Melody Ferris. They raised four children, Chris, Scott, Emily, and Amanda.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Hayes also learned Gary and Melody were married for 38 years and lived in this house on their beautifully manicured 10-acre farm. Son Scott, who had served in the Army, managed the day-to-day operations at the farm and lived in an apartment above the barn.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
It was a seemingly idyllic life until Gary Ferris' remains were discovered on that burn pile.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody told Hayes the last time she saw Gary alive was during the evening on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Melody told Detective Hayes her husband then went down to his bedroom in the basement. Gary had sleep apnea and slept alone with his CPAP machine. Scott said he had also last seen his father on July 3rd at lunch. Scott spent the rest of the day out with his friends. He returned home that night around 11.30 and says he immediately noticed a glow in the distance.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
The next day, July 4th, Scott and Melody told investigators they didn't encounter Gary. It was not unusual not to see Gary. It wasn't until the next day, July 5th, Melody says, she realized Gary was missing. Two of the grandchildren who had spent the night asked to ride the RTV, or rough terrain vehicle, with Gary, who they called Big Daddy.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Daughter Amanda was there too. Son Chris arrived soon after, and all the adults started searching the property. until Scott noticed some bones among the ashes at the burn pile. I'll never forget it until the day I die.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
When the forensic team arrived, they began documenting the burn pile. working past dark to sift through the ashes. That's when the bullet was found lodged in Gary's rib, and what had started as a possible accidental death became a murder investigation. Why would somebody want to burn a body? Cover up a crime. You destroy evidence.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Elsewhere, investigators searched the house, the barn, even the pond. They found a shotgun in the house. Several other guns and ammunition were discovered in the barn. Both Melody and Scott allowed investigators to test their hands for accelerants. the tests came back negative. Scott also told the detectives something intriguing. He had recently seen a pistol in the basement that was now missing.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
It was just very odd. And another thing Scott found odd was that his mom had his dad's wallet.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
As Hayes' investigation continued, he was learning all about the Ferris family's dysfunctional dynamic, which came to be known as the Ferris wheel. In a tape-recorded conversation with Melody, she told him there had been tension between Gary and Scott.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
But when detectives asked Scott what he thought happened, he pointed the finger of suspicion at his mother.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
With the Ferris wheel starting to turn, detectives asked Scott if his father was having an affair.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Hayes then asked Melody if she was having an affair. What did she tell you? She said no. Police focused in on what appeared to be drops of blood on the kitchen floor, the stairs leading to the basement, and on the basement floor itself. When spots in the basement were tested, they were confirmed to be Gary's blood.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Police also found a .38 caliber bullet on the basement floor, the same type found lodged in Gary's rib bone from the burn pile. And does that suggest in any way some sort of progression of an attack on Gary?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Detective Hayes asked Melody, point blank, if she had anything to do with the death of her husband.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Hayes was skeptical. Investigators had found in Melody's purse birth control and a credit card with another man's name on it, Roy Barton. When someone's lying to you, what does that suggest? They're guilty of something. In 2009, three days before Halloween, a grisly crime stunned the seaport town of Anacortes, Washington.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
They soon discovered a story tangled in obsession. Who was the hunter and who was the hunted? Follow and listen to Train to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
When that credit card was found in Melody's purse, investigators did not recognize the name on it. It's Roy Barton. Later found out it's Rusty Barton. Rusty Barton was a farm equipment salesman who spent time on the road in central Tennessee. In 2014, Melody was helping take care of Rusty's ill stepmother, who happened to be her cousin. That's when Rusty and Melody became intimate.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Investigators wanted to know more about the couple. How serious is this relationship between Melody and Rusty?
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
You know if you were planning on getting married, it sounds like a motive for murder.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Scott says Melody and Rusty's love affair was the world's worst kept secret.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
Including Gary. And when daughter Emily got married in 2016, Melody scandalized the wedding by inviting her lover for all to see.
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The Farris Wheel
It seemed the Ferris wheel was spinning faster, with household drama becoming more frequent.
48 Hours
The Farris Wheel
A soap opera, Hayes believed, that revolved around what Gary had and others coveted—money. A lot of bickering, a lot of fights over money, a lot of jealousy. Gary had always been generous toward his children, even as adults. Investigators learned he helped Emily buy a house and financially assisted son Chris with his business and children.
48 Hours
Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Peter Van Sant reports, Katie Blauvelt, the death of a soldier's wife.
48 Hours
Cati Blauvelt: Death of a Soldier’s Wife
Hannah Thompson's trial date is still pending. John Blauvelt is appealing his conviction. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
In 2021, with Danny's family now knowing the explosive truth, solving Danny's murder would become a top priority for newly appointed sheriff Dan Springer. You were rookie deputy when this crime came down, right?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Now determined to set things right, Springer reached outside the department to a most unusual investigator, Tom Elfmont.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
He'd spent a lifetime in tough jobs, from a soldier in Vietnam to a cop working the streets of LA. I wanted to put bad people in jail. And after a conversation with Sheriff Springer, he was also drawn to Danny's case. She was a great kid.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Did you ever think coming out here in the mountains outside Bozeman, Montana, that you'd be going back to work as a homicide investigator?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
No, I never thought so. By mid-2023, retired LAPD Captain Tom Elfmont was back to working full-time, committed to finding Danny Houchin's killer.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
For Danny's sister, Stephanie, Elfmont's refreshing dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm was what the case had always needed. What does Tom do?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Elfmont had access to everything, including a list of potential suspects from the old case file and that previously tested clothing that Dani had been wearing when she was found.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Elfmont asked the Montana State Crime Lab to use their newest technology to retest the semen on Dani's underwear. At last, a breakthrough, a partial DNA profile. But there were no matches to names in the case file. And when Elfmont compared it to CODIS, the vast federal digital repository of DNA samples from convicted felons... We didn't get any hits.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
But Elfmont was undeterred and decided to go a less conventional route. He turned to genetic genealogy, an investigative genealogist, CeCe Moore.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Moore is an expert at building out family trees from DNA samples using information from popular genealogy websites, bringing cold cases back to life. But to solve this case, Moore needed a special type of DNA profile. Problem was, they didn't have enough DNA from that semen.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Elfmont did have more evidence for retesting. Four male hairs that had been found on Dani, which had been perfectly preserved for 27 years. They had never yielded any usable DNA because they were rootless hairs without any skin cells.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
But Elfmont asked around and connected with Astraea Forensics, a state-of-the-art private lab that's at the forefront of extracting DNA from previously unattainable genetic matter. As if there wasn't enough drama in this case, the first two hairs Astraea tested produced nothing usable. So the last two hairs are examined. Are they able to get a profile?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
It was a critical breakthrough. Elfmont got permission from a judge to compare this enhanced DNA profile to samples in popular genealogy databases, where people voluntarily submit their DNA profiles. By spring 2024, CeCe had what she needed to get to work.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Moore was able to identify the great-grandparents on both sides of the suspect's family tree. She then found one marriage that proved decisive.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Including three sons. Moore felt like she had to be close, but there was a problem.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Moore scoured through the birth indexes, marriage certificates, and even social media of those sons.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Finally, after nearly 28 years, it was now time for Elfmont to call Stephanie and give her the momentous news.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
The suspect was Paul Hutchinson, a married father of two who Elfmont soon learned was widely known and respected in local hunting and fishing circles.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
And incredibly, it turned out Stephanie's childhood friend, Rochelle Schrute, knew Paul Hutchinson. He was a trusted mentor who she had first met in the early 2000s.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Stephanie Mallette had spent years dreaming of the day someone would be held responsible for her sister's murder. That day, that dream seemed to be finally coming true.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Back in September 1996, suspect Paul Hutchinson was 27 years old. He had served in the Marine Corps, then moved to Bozeman to study at Montana State University, just 13 miles from where Danny's body was discovered.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Where on September 21st, 1996, Danny ended up on a hike. That's correct. Do you think your sister Danny knew Paul Hutchinson?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
But many people in the area did know Hutchinson through his passion for hunting and fishing and high-profile government job.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Rochelle knew Hutchinson for years. She's an expert hunter and former Yellowstone park guide and is now the hunt and fish editor for GearJunkie.com.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Rochelle says she never once questioned Hutchinson's integrity, even when she went on fishing trips with him, just the two of them out in the middle of nowhere.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Though she hadn't seen Hutchinson in years, Rochelle kept up with him online. He would often post on message boards about hunting trips he had taken across the country.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Hutchinson had no criminal record. By all accounts, he had been leading a quiet existence since 1996. And what did you know about his family life? Well, we knew that he had a wife and a daughter and a son. And he lived just a few hours away. And Dillon, Montana, how far is that from Bozeman? 140 miles.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Elfmont knew he couldn't make an arrest until he got Hutchinson's DNA, which he was working out how to get. In the meantime, Montana law did allow Elfmont to talk to Hutchinson with some conditions.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
So on July 23rd, 2024, Elfmont and another detective drove down to Hutchinson's office at the Bureau of Land Management in Dillon, Montana. with a body camera rolling.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
They came ready with a clever excuse for why they wanted to speak with Hutchinson, hoping it wouldn't raise his suspicions.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
While they didn't ask about Danny Houchins right away, Elfmont says he could tell Hutchinson was nervous.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Can you give me a second? Absolutely. Hutchinson said he had to go help a coworker. When he returned, they asked him about the other cases.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Hutchinson had confirmed he had not only been to the remote area where Danny was attacked, he remembered the street that led there. Elfmont says it was a revealing exchange.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Hutchinson denied knowing anything about Danny's death. Even when they told him, they had the suspect's DNA.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Did you ever directly say, did you kill Danny Houchins? No. Why? Didn't need to. Because he knows that you know. That's right. And you know that he knows that you know. Correct. As they wrapped up the interview, Hutchinson had a question for them.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
To Elfmont, it seemed like Hutchinson couldn't believe they didn't arrest him. But the investigation was far from over.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
With the possibility of an arrest of her sister's killer, Stephanie began imagining what justice would look like for Paul Hutchinson.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
But what Stephanie could never prepare herself for was the startling phone call she got from Tom Elfmont just 12 hours after he had interviewed Hutchinson.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Police say Paul Hutchinson drove to a remote area and called the sheriff's dispatch line saying an officer needed help. When cops arrived, they found Hutchinson's body, dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 55. Give me a sense of that moment for you.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
When Hutchinson's DNA was checked against evidence from Danny's body, including the semen on her underwear, there was a match.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Stephanie's friend, Rochelle, who had considered Hutchinson a mentor, learned what happened as she watched the sheriff's news conference.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
And then she did what no one there expected. She unleashed years of pent-up anger.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
I asked Sheriff Springer about Stephanie's allegations that the sheriff's department for years had lied to her family. If what they say is true, were they lied to?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
What the parents said is that they were told that their daughter did not have any injuries. If what they are saying is true, were they lied to?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
We reached out to the man who was sheriff in office back in 1996, Bill Slaughter, now retired. Slaughter admits withholding some information from Danny's family, but claims he never lied to them, despite the fact he told the local newspaper in 1996 that there was no indication of foul play. Weeks after the news conference, Stephanie went back to the scene of the crime.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
In the aftermath of Hutchison's death, there were so many questions unanswered. Perhaps the most troubling, says Elfmont, were there other victims?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Stephanie is now trying to make changes in how Montana funds and supervises law enforcement so that cases like Danny's don't fall by the wayside.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Years ago, Dani's family spread some of her ashes on a nearby mountaintop.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
And now, almost 30 years later, Stephanie was back here, on the banks of the Gallatin River, where Danny died, to spread the last of her ashes and to tell her sister that she'd made a difference.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
It was the end of September 1996, a Saturday night, a fishing area just outside of Bozeman, Montana, a place of tranquility until this night. A few miles up a rural highway near the small town of Belgrade, searchers discovered the body of 15-year-old Danny Houchens. What brought your sister, Danny, down to this area back on September 21, 1996?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
She hops into her Chevy pickup truck. Why would she come to this place if she wanted to just kind of take a break? It's peaceful. After Danny's pickup truck was located, a sheriff's posse had searched this wilderness for Danny until it got too dark. But that same night, two brothers, friends of the Houchens family, refused to call it quits.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
So they came down this very path at night with their flashlights. That's right. They went across this bridge, right? Somehow, in the dense, muddy woods, they found her body.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Keith Farquhar, then a Gallatin County Sheriff's deputy, was the first officer on the scene. In the first hours after Danny was found, no one was really sure what had happened to her. Did this look like an accident scene or something else? Something entirely different.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
A classic Montana girl, right? She could fish, she hiked, she could ski. And Dani was smart.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
How quickly did word spread that Dani had been found and that she was dead?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
While Danny's family was awaiting an official cause of death, everyone, it seemed, from first responder Keith Farquhar to folks all over town, were speculating about what had happened.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
And if it was a murder, who would want to end this young girl's life? And was there a killer on the loose?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
But within days, the family's grief would turn to heartbreaking shock when they heard the Sheriff's Department's jaw-dropping announcement about how Danny died.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Just two days after the discovery of Dani's body, with the people of Belgrade, Montana fearful and demanding answers, authorities released the partial findings of Dani's autopsy. They did not say Dani was murdered. Her manner of death was undetermined. Her family was dumbfounded.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
The sheriff told the media that there were no cuts or bruises on Danny's body and no indications of foul play.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
And as avid, experienced outdoors people, even at 12, you thought that was absurd? Absurd. What the family didn't know at the time was the coroner said Danny had inhaled both water and mud into her airways. The family also didn't know that there were bruises and cuts on Danny's body and signs of possible sexual assault.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
The sheriff back then, Bill Slaughter, told us it is often common for investigators to withhold key details to protect their investigations. as they looked into potential suspects, including people who were close to Danny. Common sense says this girl was Not an accidental death. Caught in the middle of this controversy was Deputy Keith Farquhar, then a young patrolman.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
The former sheriff, Bill Slaughter, denies Farquhar's allegations. He says Farquhar was a disgruntled employee and that his department never ignored any evidence. Fed up and disillusioned, just three months after Danny's death, Farquhar resigned from the sheriff's office. As years passed, Danny's family tried to accept that her death might have been an accident.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
As all that time, weeks to months to years go by and you have no answers, what was that like?
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Everybody's calling out her name. Yep. So if you were out here, you can hear them in the distance. Danny, Danny, right? Yep.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Until 24 years after Danny's death. Matt Boxmeyer was the detective sergeant with Gallatin County. He took an interest in Danny Houchins and her family.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Boxmeyer also found out that there had been several efforts over the years to get evidence analyzed by the Montana State Crime Lab. But after each attempt, nothing. No usable DNA profile ever came back. So he was starting from scratch. Meantime, Stephanie decided to turn up the pressure.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
Finally, Boxmeier and his bosses made a decision. They deserved some answers. They told the family that Danny's death was no accident. I shared with them that I believe that it was a homicide. Homicide. Stephanie then demanded to read the autopsy and look at the crime scene photos.
48 Hours
It’s About Danni
This is like a nuclear bomb going off emotionally, I would think, for this family and for you.
48 Hours
The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Streaming on Paramount+. Everyone who comes into this clinic is a mystery.
48 Hours
The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis
Their bodies are the scene of the crime. Their symptoms and history are clues.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The Bundle in the Back
I've seen a lot of stuff over 30 years, you know, some very despicable crime and things that are kind of tough to wrap your head around. And this ranks right up there in the pantheon of Rhode Island fraudsters.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The Bundle in the Back
I've seen a lot of stuff over 30 years, you know, some very despicable crime and things that are kind of tough to wrap your head around. And this ranks right up there in the pantheon of Rhode Island fraudsters.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
The Bundle in the Back
I've seen a lot of stuff over 30 years, you know. Some very despicable crime and things that are kind of tough to wrap your head around. And this ranks right up there in the pantheon of Rhode Island fraudsters.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Trigger warning, the following episode contains references to harassment, stalking, and physical violence. Listen with care. In August 2009, an anonymous man called the Skagit County Sheriff's Office 911 hotline.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
That's Jennifer Thompson. She knows Michael Oakes as well as anyone. Jennifer was his second wife. I talked to her in 2010.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
She said they were married when Michael first met Linda. Jennifer said that she loved him, but that Michael had an insecure side. Is he a tough guy?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
An action hero kind of guy?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
This is Lee Herron. She's a private investigator Mark hired after the incident. Lee said when Mark refused to cooperate, the officers wouldn't let him leave.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
According to Jennifer, Michael thought part of being tough meant being armed.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
There was one book Jennifer said Michael referenced a lot.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
The book examines how people learn to kill in war. Jennifer said that Michael zeroed in on a part that described how one small sliver of the population could be vicious.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
She said that over time, Michael's fascination with killing and his tough-guy persona rotted out their marriage.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Jennifer told me that the final straw came when verbal tensions between them turned physically abusive.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael told us no one should believe Jennifer's allegations against him. In July of 2008, a year after they tied the knot, Jennifer left with her two biological kids.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Soon after, Michael Oakes and Linda Updike set up their first in-person meeting.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
As the fall of 2008 began, Jennifer faded from his life, as Michael, the action hero wannabe, now had a new woman in his sights. And as Michael's relationship with Linda grew deeper, he said Linda's ex-husband, Mark, became obsessed, constantly calling him on the phone, asking for meetings. By October 2009... It's become very, very clear to me that...
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said the two men finally agreed to meet again on October 24, 2009, at that same church in Anacortes. There is surveillance video from Linda's house showing Michael packing up his car to head out that day.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
That's Lee Herron again, Mark's former private investigator. She examined the video herself.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
As Michael is packing, you can see Linda come out onto their deck. They touch hands, and then Linda wraps her arms around Michael. They share a long, heartfelt embrace, the kind that suggested to me that something important lay ahead, something serious. Here's Lee again.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Mark told the deputies the box had been planted. They let him go, but from then on, Mark watched his back.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael and Linda kissed and he drove away. Hours later, Michael claimed he came face to face with Mark Stover in that church parking lot.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said Stover once again demanded those wedding pictures. So did you give him those photo albums that he wanted? I never found them. Late that night, Michael is seen returning to Linda's home. But is it possible this entire story was all a ruse for a failed murder attempt? Because four days later, at 2.30 AM on October 28th,
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael is again seen on surveillance video driving away from Linda's house. This time, Michael said the two men would meet in private at Mark Stover's house in Anacortes. Michael claimed that Mark had told him this was his last chance to turn over those damn wedding pictures.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
But what really happened when they met remains a mystery. Only those who saw the bloody aftermath can express what they felt.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
From 48 Hours, this is Trained to Kill. The dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host, Peter Van Sant. Judy Tigard is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers, Ryan Smith and Liza Finley. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio and Maura Waltz is the senior story editor.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Recording assistance from Alan Pang and Reginald Bazile. Special thanks to Paramount Podcast Vice President, Megan Marcus. It is written and produced by Alex Schumann. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is Shira Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Kolkin. Theme and original music composed by Hans Dale Shee. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mixed the episodes.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
We also use music from APM and Epidemic Sounds. Fendall Fulton is our fact checker. Our production manager is Tamika Balance-Kolasny. I'm Peter Van Sant. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. You can listen to Train to Kill early and ad free right now by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
I'm Peter Van Sant. From 48 Hours, this is Trained to Kill. The dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Episode 3, Secret Meetings. At the time Mark Stover was pulled over by police, Linda Updike said she had moved on from her ex-husband.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael was Michael Oakes, a security expert. We spoke back in 2010.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said they met at a Starbucks and quickly connected over their love of books. By the fall of 2008, Michael said their business relationship turned romantic.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Linda was impressed by how dedicated Michael was to his family. After getting a divorce from his first wife, Michael took full custody of their kids. He even treated the kids of his second wife as his own.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
It involved a dangerous drug dealer.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael described himself as a self-taught security specialist skilled in firearms.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
You've been described as Linda Updike's bodyguard as well as boyfriend.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said that by the spring of 2009, he and his kids started spending a lot of time at Linda's house in Winthrop. which was more than 200 miles north from Michael's place in Kennewick, Washington.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
The dispatcher then asked the caller for the person's name.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Their relationship deepened. What seemed to make it even better was that Linda said she hadn't heard from Mark since he had been arrested for stalking and theft.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
To her, the nightmare finally felt over.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
But according to Michael, the past roared back into the present when Mark Stover unexpectedly re-entered their lives.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said that Mark hadn't stopped stalking, he just found a new target. The Mark Stover you got to know, was he a frightening man? Very. Intimidating?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Stover, as in Mark Stover, the dog trainer to the stars who had moved to Anacortes, Washington.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael Oakes said the first time he encountered Mark Stover was a real shock. It was around Memorial Day, 2009. Michael and Linda had been in a romantic relationship for about nine months.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said he then made a stop at Costco.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Mark Stover is standing next to your car. Next to my car in the parking lot. In Kennewick, Washington, which is on the other side of the mountains from where we are now. Yes. The drive from Mark's home in Anacortes to this Costco in Kennewick, Washington, would have taken about five hours. Yet there he was, according to Michael, menacingly standing by Michael's car.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael couldn't remember if he said anything to Mark. or if he just gave him a confused look as he waited to hear Mark's demand.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said that Mark told him to bring the wedding photos to the Northgate Mall in Seattle on July 14, 2009. He said he agreed. Why didn't you at that moment simply look him in the eye and say, Mark Stover or whoever you are, get away from me. I don't ever want to speak to you again. If you get anywhere near my children, I'll call the police.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said at first he was going to call the police, but then decided against it, worried about getting Linda involved. Did Michael tell you that Mark Stover approached him and demanded wedding photos?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Why wouldn't he share this vitally important information with you?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
Michael said that when July 14th rolled around, he went to meet Mark at the Nordstrom store at the Northgate Mall, just as he said Mark demanded. Michael said that since he didn't tell Linda about this meeting, he arrived empty-handed, no wedding photos. Michael said Mark got angry and scolded him.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
It's a little tough to hear, but he's warning them that Mark carries a gun. He said, this is very dangerous.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
A couple of weeks later, Michael suggested to Linda that they leave and go on a trip out to Whitefish, Montana. That's where Linda's father, Wally Updike, had a house.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
En route to Whitefish, Michael remembered making a stop so Linda could take her dog for some exercise and he could pick up some snacks. But Michael said when he got in line to check out, he spotted a familiar face standing near the front door.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
He says, I wish you guys would do something before he kills somebody.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
You felt if you confronted Mark Stover, you'd be putting yourself in more danger instead of dealing with the threat that he posed to you?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
By now, Michael said Mark's uncanny ability to find him and Linda wherever they went made him realize Mark posed a real danger to his family.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
By late September of 2009, Michael said that Mark demanded that they set up another meeting after he and Linda were back from Montana.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
This time at a church in Anacortes. By now, Michael decided to wear his Kevlar vest to the meetings. He said that he drove west across the state to the church parking lot not far from Mark's house and waited. Still unable to find the wedding photos, Michael said he brought two pictures of Linda with her horse, so Mark would have something to look at.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
But Michael said he didn't show up, and Michael felt helpless.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Secret Meetings
But were all these stories Michael was telling me true? Some people who knew Michael well said he had a darker side to his personality, a potentially violent side.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
But Linda wasn't there just to defend Michael. She told me she also wanted to defend herself and her father.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Here's Skagit County Prosecutor Rosemary Cajolacula questioning Linda.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
That's why they turned to sonar to scour the lake bed.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
She asked about what help Linda provided Michael after his arrest.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael somehow managed to pay $250,000 for him to get out on bail. Linda insisted she didn't cover that cost. Michael's defense attorney, John Henry Brown, told me the Updikes weren't paying his fee either. Is Linda Updike paying for Michael Oak's defense?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
There's no money going through a third party to Oak's family and back to you guys?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
back at trial, the prosecution showed no sympathy in its cross-examination of Linda.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Yes. The prosecutor even suggested Linda's support for Michael may have been an attempt to protect herself.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
And that diver will be you? Yes, today it's me. Then Deputy Rodriguez slowed the boat down toward a spot where he had detected some kind of an image. He put on the diver's suit.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
The prosecution also argued that Linda had no evidence Mark continued to stalk her after his arrest.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Cajolacula pointed out that Linda was never able to identify Mark in this incident or several others she reported in 2008 and 2009.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Prosecutors also called Mark Stover's fiancée, Teresa Vox Michael, to testify. Their engagement was used as evidence Mark was moving on. I talked to Teresa in 2010. In the weeks before he died, was he a happy man?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
But Teresa claimed there was still a dark presence in his life, his ex-wife Linda. She said that Mark described Linda as a vengeful ex who wouldn't leave him alone and often took him to court.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
And what did he believe the endgame was with her?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
But Michael's attorneys alleged just the opposite. They argued Mark threatened and stalked Michael, and that he only killed Mark to defend himself and his family. They insisted Mark and Michael met multiple times. The defense even claimed to have a witness who said Mark mentioned seeing Michael and Linda at a Costco months before the shooting.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
But the judge ruled there was no way to verify the witness's story. Soon, Michael would learn his fate.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Ready. And jumped into the water. He swam below the boat, but no luck.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
After more than 50 witnesses and more than 700 exhibits, the jury began to deliberate. They took four days before they reached a verdict.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Linda sat next to Michael's mom and tried to comfort Michael's daughters as they all waited. Mark Stover's niece, Julia Simmons, was there to represent his family. Who did this jury believe?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael was found guilty of first degree murder. He turned and hugged his daughters. At his sentencing, his mother, Corey Oaks, pleaded with the judge to have mercy. that her son never wanted to hurt Mark.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Mark's family felt differently. His sister, Victoria Simmons, asked the judge to give Michael the maximum sentence.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
There was finally an ending to this emotional saga gone horribly wrong. But there will always be lingering questions about what really happened on October 28, 2009.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
This case of Mark Stover has been defined by an infinite loop of suspicion between three people. Linda said she feared Mark. Mark said he feared Linda. And Michael said he too eventually feared Mark. Each person claimed the other was threatening their life until that morning in October proved that one of them was right.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Decomposition. Correct. The search for Mark Stover had stretched across the state of Washington. the one person who could end that search decided to be Coy. Are you willing to tell authorities where you placed Mark Stover's body?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
With no more new information surrounding the crime, law enforcement closed the case in 2012. Linda's father, Wally Updike, died in 2018 at age 81 at his home in Whitefish, Montana. The Chateau San Michel Winery, the largest in Washington, remains open today and thriving. The Updikes sold Kickett Island too. It's now a park that belongs to the Swinomish tribe.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
It's open to the public for hiking, but there are no dogs allowed. After Michael went to prison, his daughter April Oak said each of her siblings went to stay at a different home. April lived with Linda until she was 17 and said Linda has remained a big part of the family's lives. Linda last sat for an interview in 2011.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael's first instinct was to turn to all of you.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
And to hold his family.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael appealed his case to no avail. He is incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. In a call from prison in April 2025, Michael said he expects to get out in 2035 when he is 67 years old. He blamed one of his appellate attorneys failing to file an appeal on time for his inability to keep challenging his sentence in court.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Today, there is a website, freeoaks.com, that advocates for Michael's freedom. His family sent us documents from Michael's appeal. In 2017, the Oaks family hired an oceanographer to study where Mark's body may have ended up in the water and believe that the police missed a spot where the current could have moved Mark.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Detective Dan Luvera said the police searched the channel multiple times and even used underwater cameras. We asked Michael about his current relationship with Linda Updike. He said he wanted to respect her privacy. After Mark's death, Teresa, the woman who had hoped to marry Mark, took his dog, Ding, into her home. Ding had miraculously survived being shot.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
And was that tough? Because Ding was a link to Mark.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Teresa told me that Ding was buried with a custom headstone. She hopes a day will come when they can give Mark the proper burial he deserves.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Mark's sister, Victoria Simmons, said she will never rest until her brother's remains are found.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
A celebrity dog trainer, an heiress, and her bodyguard, three lives ruined by a triangle of jealousy, fear, and rage. From 48 Hours, this is Trained to Kill. The dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host, Peter Van Sant. Judy Tigard is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers Ryan Smith and Liza Finley.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
This is going to be a dramatic week.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio. and Maura Waltz is the senior story editor. Recording assistance from Alan Pang and Reginald Bazile. Special thanks to Paramount Podcast Vice President, Megan Marcus. It is written and produced by Alex Schumann. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is Shira Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Culkin.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Theme and original music composed by Hansdale Shee. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mixed the episodes. We also use music from APM and Epidemic Sounds. Fendall Fulton is our fact checker. Our production manager is Tamika Balance-Kolasny. I'm Peter Van Sant. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
I'm Peter Van Sant. From 48 Hours, it's Trained to Kill, the dog trainer, the heiress, and the bodyguard. Episode six, time will tell. Michael Oakes has been accused of a murder of Mark Stover. What do you say? Prove it. That's John Henry Brown. He was Michael Oak's lead defense attorney. We spoke in 2010. So my defense is prove it. First, I have to prove there's a murder. Right?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Follow and listen to Train to Kill and other 48 Hours podcasts on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Brown is a brilliant showman known for making arguments in court that could fit into the final scene of a primetime legal drama. We've got blood. Right. We've got shell casings. Correct. Got a dog that was shot. Correct. But we don't have a body. Correct.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
When it comes to representing accused killers, Brown has been around the block. He titled his memoir, The Devil's Defender, to highlight a career spent arguing on behalf of defendants he considered evil. His client list included one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Ted Bundy, who said he had murdered 30 people.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Brown argued instead that Mark Stover represented the evil in this case, not his client.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
In court, they planned to make the case that Michael shot Mark in self-defense. The trial started in September 2010, less than a year after Mark Stover was killed.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
That's Judge Mike Rickert.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Judge Rickard said this turned out to be one of the stranger cases he had presided over.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Witnesses included detectives, some of Mark's former employees, and Michael's second wife, Jennifer Thompson, who told jurors that Michael said, if police saw what was in the back of my car, I'd go to prison for life. But it was Michael himself who played the leading role in this trial. when he took the stand.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Yes, Mr. Oakes. Mr. Oakes, come on up. His defense attorney, John Henry Brown, wanted Michael to explain why he had to defend himself.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
In June 2010, Chief Deputy Dave Rodriguez took me out on patrol in an Okanagan County Sheriff's fast boat on a lake just a few miles from Linda Updike's home outside Winthrop, Washington. Rodriguez had helped Linda Updike train a new attack dog, and later was one of the deputies who arrested Michael Oakes. Months had passed since Mark Stover was murdered, and still, his body had not been found.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Remember, Detective Dan Luvera said it was highly improbable that Michael could shoot Mark in self-defense immediately after being shot himself, even if he was wearing a bulletproof vest. So Brown asked Michael to reenact the shooting to show that it was possible.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Brown asked Michael to put on a Kevlar vest like the one he wore on October 28, 2009. Brown's co-counsel, Corbin Valles, stood in as Mark Stover. Mr. Valles is larger than Mr. Stover, as far as you know? He's taller. Valles held up his left hand and stuck out his pointer finger to act like he was aiming a gun at Michael.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael lunged at Valles, grabbed his left arm, and tackled him to the ground.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
The aggressive move startled the courtroom into a big laugh. Are you all right?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael took off the vest and then walked back to the witness stand.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
I asked prosecutor Rich Weirich why a bullet hole in Michael Oakes' vest wasn't convincing to authorities. He explained the location of the bullet was suspicious.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Back on the stand, Michael eventually came to the dramatic moment everyone was waiting for. He was finally going to disclose where he put Mark's body.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael then testified he later drove to that Grange Hall parking lot nearby, where he struggled to transfer Mark's body.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
After meeting with his ex-wife, Jennifer Thompson, in Everett, Washington, he drove back to Anacortes to move Mark's now-empty station wagon.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael said he then drove the station wagon about two miles to the nearby Swinomish Casino parking lot. Michael then walked back to his own car, where Mark's body was covered up in the back. You leave it there? Yep. Michael told the courtroom he then decided to dispose of the body because he didn't think investigators would believe his story.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael said he then drove down to a dock at the far end of that casino's vast parking lot.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
According to Michael, he then dropped Mark's body into the Swinomish Channel, which flows into the Padilla Bay near Anacortes.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
He then headed to Linda's home in Winthrop.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
I was exhausted. But when the prosecution cross-examined Michael, they zeroed in on some inconsistencies in his story. Here's Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weirich.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Michael Oakes had spent time near these waters, and Rodriguez wanted to check if he might have sunk Mark's body here. So how does this work?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
Detectives searched the waters behind the casino with a submersible camera and found nothing. While court was in recess, I asked Michael if he was telling the truth. Police have searched that area. They have not found a gun. They have found no skeletal remains. Is that really where you dropped the body?
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
No matter where he may have disposed the body, I pressed him more. What do you say to those who suspect that you disposed of the body because you wanted to dispose of the evidence? That if people could see Mark Stover's body, maybe there's a bullet hole in the back of the head. Maybe they would have seen that he was shot in the back, not in the front. Maybe you were trying to cover up a murder.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard
Time Will Tell
After he was cross-examined, Michael watched the woman he loved, the heiress, the person at the center of Mark Stover's rage, Linda Updike, raise her hand.