Tyler Schmoltz

We made a slideshow for her parents.

We made a slideshow for her parents.

The prom ones where she's dancing, where she's with friends and family.

The prom ones where she's dancing, where she's with friends and family.

Just her living her life.

Just her living her life.

We handed out to everybody, all 150 of them.

We handed out to everybody, all 150 of them.

Did she know that? Yes, she did.

Did she know that? Yes, she did.

He said they were just friends, but...

He said they were just friends, but...

Yes. Okay.

Yes. Okay.

No. That was my first time there.

No. That was my first time there.

They wanted my fingerprints and DNA voluntarily. So everyone in the complex, they asked to come down and give fingerprints and DNA. Then they asked just generic follow-up questions.

They wanted my fingerprints and DNA voluntarily. So everyone in the complex, they asked to come down and give fingerprints and DNA. Then they asked just generic follow-up questions.

It kind of did, but not really.

It kind of did, but not really.

Never. I never got that feeling from them.

Never. I never got that feeling from them.

The first one, yes.

The first one, yes.

Because I just couldn't believe what was happening. I'd never been in a police van before and talking to police ever. Just weird. Sure.

Because I just couldn't believe what was happening. I'd never been in a police van before and talking to police ever. Just weird. Sure.

Anybody would be nervous. Yeah. Yeah.

Anybody would be nervous. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, there was a ton happening. Police everywhere, crime tape everywhere. And I'm in the back of the morgue's van talking to police. It just was weird.

Yeah, there was a ton happening. Police everywhere, crime tape everywhere. And I'm in the back of the morgue's van talking to police. It just was weird.

Yeah. But they had no facts or evidence to back any of that up.

Yeah. But they had no facts or evidence to back any of that up.

It was hard. Did you push back? Did you speak out? There's nothing behind it also. I didn't feel the need to confront it because my consciousness is clean.

It was hard. Did you push back? Did you speak out? There's nothing behind it also. I didn't feel the need to confront it because my consciousness is clean.

We did everything we could think possible to keep her name alive, keep her memory alive.

We did everything we could think possible to keep her name alive, keep her memory alive.

We keep pushing and trying and following leads and putting the billboards up, keeping her name in the media and the news.

We keep pushing and trying and following leads and putting the billboards up, keeping her name in the media and the news.

Mm-hmm, and solve it.

Mm-hmm, and solve it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So that was the hardest part, not being able to watch the whole trial for a whole week where they're talking about you, accusing you, and saying stuff about you, and you can't be there to defend yourself.

So that was the hardest part, not being able to watch the whole trial for a whole week where they're talking about you, accusing you, and saying stuff about you, and you can't be there to defend yourself.

Anita's friends tried to get her to leave prom and go to a different party off campus. And she told them, no, she wanted to hang out with me. So she chose me a second time and said, I'm going to stay at prom with Tyler and dance with him instead of leaving the party. So she chose me a second time for that prom. That felt really good.

Anita's friends tried to get her to leave prom and go to a different party off campus. And she told them, no, she wanted to hang out with me. So she chose me a second time and said, I'm going to stay at prom with Tyler and dance with him instead of leaving the party. So she chose me a second time for that prom. That felt really good.