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[Narrator] A hunter
in Hill Country
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stumbles upon a shocking scene.
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She was nude and there
was a bag over her head.
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[Tommy] The first thing
that came in my mind
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was being so close
to the border,
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you know, there was cartel.
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[Narrator] Investigators'
antennas quickly go up.
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His first comment was
that he did not kill her.
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There's something
suspicious about him.
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[Narrator] But an
unexpected twist
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reveals a decades-old romance.
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It was during high school that
she fell in love with her.
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They kept coming
back to each other.
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[Narrator]
Behind the devotion,
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investigators find a
single-minded killer
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with a deadly plan.
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In 2019, the technology
to really take
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a deep dive into
these phones had advanced.
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[Erin] I was able to
rebuild the webpages,
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deleted text messages,
phone calls.
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The house of cards
started to collapse.
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[theme music]
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[Narrator] A hundred miles
from San Antonio,
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Edwards County, Texas is
worlds away from city life.
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[Dorian] It's very, very
sparsely populated open land.
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Sagebrush, desert, really
out in the middle of nowhere.
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And it's mainly,
you know, ranchers
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and, and hunting leases.
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[Narrator] Labor Day
weekend, 2012.
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On the afternoon
of September 2nd,
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an emergency call comes in to
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the Edwards County
Sheriff's Department.
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The sheriff's department
received a 911 call
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from some guys that were
out at a hunting lease.
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[Mark] This is
basically a big ranch
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that was split up into
multiple tracts of land
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for the purpose of hunting.
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[Narrator] The caller,
45-year-old Mark Bauer,
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makes a frantic report.
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[Mark] One of my guests, Tommy,
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went to go check
all our pig traps
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that we had set on our place.
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The next thing I know, he came
back to camp and he said,
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there's a, there's a
dead body up there.
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So I got my cell phone,
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and I called it in to
the sheriff's department.
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And they told us to
just hang tight at camp
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and the sheriff would come out.
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[Dorian] The first
responders were
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the Edwards County
Sheriff's Department,
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along with the Texas Rangers.
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[Narrator] Officials find Mark
and the other two hunters,
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30-year-old Tommy Darity
and 38-year-old Troy Ryder.
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[Mark] As soon
as they pulled in,
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they said, who all
has been up there?
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And Troy said he was up there,
and my guest, Tommy.
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[Tommy] When the sheriff
got to the camp,
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they asked general questions
if I, if I saw anything
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out of the ordinary up there.
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At the time,
I was still in shock.
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[Mark] They ask us to take
him up there to show him.
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So we went up, all the way up
to where the body was.
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[Tommy] The body was
just off the dirt road,
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and it was, it was right there
in the, in the bar ditch area.
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There was a woman that
was found that was nude, um,
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there was a bag over her head.
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They said, okay, y'all
can all go back to your camp.
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We'll come see y'all
when we're done up here.
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[Narrator] Investigators
carefully remove the plastic ba
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from the victim's head.
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It was clear that
she had been shot.
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The gunshot wound was
to the back of her head.
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The blood had not coagulated
yet, and that suggested that
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the body had not been
there for very long.
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[Marty] The fact
that she was nude
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and there was a
bag over her head,
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it was definitely
not a hunting accident.
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It was a homicide.
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If you're dealing
with a naked female,
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then there's always gonna be
the thought of a sexual assault.
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[Narrator] But a
new discovery throws
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this theory into question.
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[Roger] The deputies found the
clothing separate from the body
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but very near.
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Looking at the clothing, it
was consistent with somebody
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receiving a head wound and,
and, uh, bleeding downward.
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All the patterns, they matched.
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So, whoever shot her took her
clothes off after she was shot.
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The picture's starting to form
how this crime played out
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was a planned execution.
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[Narrator] With the clothing,
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deputies locate a wallet and
an Arizona driver's license.
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[Roger] They found a
wallet with a military ID
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with the name of
Inez Santa Cruz.
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They call it a, uh,
presumptive ID at the scene,
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because the picture
looks like her.
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[Narrator] Investigators
turn the victim's body over
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to the medical examiner
for an official autopsy.
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Then, they head back to the cam
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to get more information
from the three hunters.
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[Tommy] This is all
privately owned land.
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The main road leads
you into your property.
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That's where you would
have the campground.
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These men brought out their
four wheelers, their guns.
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They had set hog traps.
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They were out there
just boys being boys.
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They were all separated
and interviewed individually.
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[Narrator] Tommy Darity explains
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that he and Mark were at the
camp for the holiday weekend.
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The evening before,
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things were winding down
when Troy Ryder,
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a guest at a neighboring camp,
drove up around 7PM.
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[Mark] I realized it was Troy,
who I had met twice before,
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because he's been a guest
of another property owner
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out there.
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He said, well, he
was just out driving.
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And when we're on the
ranch, common courtesy,
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anybody that shows up, we offer
them a beer, a Coke, a soda,
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whatever, uh, welcome to hang
out with us, eat dinner with us.
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That's just the way we are.
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[Narrator] Dinner turned into
a raucous night of partying.
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I was the only sober one there.
I don't, I don't drink.
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They were pretty hammered.
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[Narrator] The party
wrapped up around 3 AM.
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[Tommy] Troy wanted to leave.
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He had a lot of stuff to do.
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And he was gonna to stay
at his friend's property
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about a mile or so away from,
uh, Mark Bauer's property.
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And Mark Bauer told
me to grab his keys
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so he doesn't drive drunk.
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[Narrator] Troy relented
and agreed to stay the night.
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He slept in his Suburban.
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The next morning, I guess
about 8:00, maybe, he got up.
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I gave him his
keys back, he left.
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And then I want to say
about an hour after he left,
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I decided to go see if he
made it to his camp okay.
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I got up to his property.
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That's when I kind of crested
the hill and I saw the Suburban.
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[Narrator] According to Tommy,
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Troy was outside his
vehicle looking at
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something on the ground.
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As I got closer on the ATV, I
could tell that it was a body.
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I saw him right outside of
his vehicle, looking down.
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The first thing
that came in my mind was
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being so close to the border,
you know, there was cartel.
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So, I kind of panicked
and told Troy,
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jump on the back of my ATV.
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I said it about two or three
times, and he wasn't moving.
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So, I made the decision
to get out of there
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as quick as possible.
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I went back to our camp,
Mark Bauer's property,
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and told him that
I found a dead body.
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[Mark] I called it in to
the sheriff's department,
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and Troy came in his Suburban
after that back to camp.
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[Narrator] When investigators
speak with Troy,
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they ask if he knows
anyone by the name of Inez.
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[Dorian] Mr. Ryder said
that he did not know Inez.
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He had just been out shooting,
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and just happened to see
this body out in the desert.
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[Narrator] But it's
what Troy says next
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that strikes detectives as odd.
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[Marty] He kept saying
that he, he did not kill her,
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which I don't think anybody
necessarily asked him that.
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[Narrator] After
Troy's interview,
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Tommy pulls one of
the investigators aside.
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[Tommy] I explained to him that
I was listening to the comments
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that Troy was saying
to the sheriff.
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Everything that he was saying
was just a little bit off.
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Talking about
how she was laying.
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He just was not answering
the questions correctly.
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[Roger] He was probably the
most nervous of the group,
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to the point where at some point
he had to go and get some beer
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to calm his nerves
after the interviews.
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We sat around there,
kind of still in shock of
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what was going on.
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There was a lot of what if's.
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I know that I slept
with my handgun
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under my pillow that night.
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[Narrator] Coming up--
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disturbing details
from the autopsy.
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The picture's starting to form
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how this was a
planned execution.
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[Narrator] A grieving
sister shares a concern.
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[Erica] He showed
up at my sister's,
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and he said, I just
wanted to see you.
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[Narrator] Texas authorities are
investigating the shooting deat
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of a woman suspected to be
27-year-old Inez Santa Cruz.
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[Dorian] They did interview
everybody at the scene,
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and they all denied
ever meeting Inez.
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[Narrator] After the
witness interviews,
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investigators get word
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that the autopsy
confirmed the ID as Inez.
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The cause of death
was two gunshot wounds
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to the back of the head.
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It suggests she was
shot in cold blood
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while she was facing
away from the shooter.
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[gunshots]
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[Narrator] The toxicology
report reveals another clue.
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In Inez's system
was benzodiazepine.
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Taken properly in low doses,
it's an anti-anxiety medication.
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But in very high doses,
it puts somebody to sleep,
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and a very very hard sleep to
the point of being unconscious.
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[Narrator] With Inez
positively ID'd as the victim,
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Texas investigators must now
notify her family in Arizona.
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[Erica] About six
something in the morning,
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I got a knock on the door.
It's an officer.
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And his words were,
did Inez Santa Cruz live here?
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I said, she does.
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And then he gives me the news.
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You know, we, we found
your sister in a rural area.
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And I'm like, what do you mean?
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I'm like, what happened?
Where's Rosa?
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And he looks at me, and
he takes out his notepad,
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and he's like what do you mean?
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[Narrator] Erica
says she thought Inez
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was with her childhood
friend, Rosa Medina.
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[Erica] I told him
Inez is out there
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'cause she had an event
to attend with Rosa.
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[Dorian] Inez's sister said
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that she had driven
Inez to the airport
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on Saturday,
September 1st of 2012.
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[Narrator] Erica says she
didn't hear from her again,
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but had planned to pick
Inez up from the airport
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in a couple of days.
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00:13:26,605 --> 00:13:29,108
My sister, you know,
was found dead.
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And I'm like, was
there a shooting?
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Like, what happened?
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What is going on?
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[Narrator] Inez Santa Cruz
was born on February 13, 1985
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in Nogales, Arizona.
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[Letty] Inez and her sister
were two peas in a pod.
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They thought they were twins.
I had them very close together.
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[Erica] I am the oldest.
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She was the middle child,
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and three, four years
older than my brother.
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[Corina]
Inez was a natural athlete.
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Whatever they put her
to play, she would play,
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and she would play it good.
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00:14:11,583 --> 00:14:14,920
[Narrator] In high school,
Inez excelled at basketball
240
00:14:14,953 --> 00:14:19,892
and bonded with her teammates,
especially Rosa Medina.
241
00:14:19,925 --> 00:14:22,294
[Letty] Rosa, I met
her in high school.
242
00:14:22,327 --> 00:14:23,429
I really loved her.
243
00:14:23,462 --> 00:14:29,601
She was a nice little girl,
respected us very much.
244
00:14:29,635 --> 00:14:32,671
[Narrator] When Inez's teammate
Rosa had issues at home,
245
00:14:32,705 --> 00:14:38,310
the Santa Cruz family welcomed
her into theirs with open arms.
246
00:14:38,344 --> 00:14:42,214
She was just part of the group
that hung out with my sister,
247
00:14:42,247 --> 00:14:44,817
and she lived with
us for a while.
248
00:14:44,850 --> 00:14:46,452
[Narrator] Eventually,
the friendship
249
00:14:46,485 --> 00:14:48,087
between Inez and Rosa
250
00:14:48,087 --> 00:14:51,190
blossomed into romance.
251
00:14:51,223 --> 00:14:54,927
It was during high school that
Rosa fell in love with Inez.
252
00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,696
I would bluntly say,
Rosa, do you like Inez?
253
00:14:57,730 --> 00:14:59,698
And she said, of
course I like her!
254
00:14:59,732 --> 00:15:01,333
I love her!
255
00:15:04,069 --> 00:15:05,504
[Narrator] But by the
end of high school,
256
00:15:05,537 --> 00:15:09,708
the relationship had
shifted back to friendship.
257
00:15:09,742 --> 00:15:14,046
They tried it out, and
it just didn't work out.
258
00:15:14,046 --> 00:15:16,715
But my sister was one
of those who, you know,
259
00:15:16,749 --> 00:15:20,452
I'm always here for you if you,
you know, ever need anything.
260
00:15:24,089 --> 00:15:26,325
[Narrator] By the fall of 2012,
261
00:15:26,358 --> 00:15:30,496
Inez was looking to the
next chapter--nursing school.
262
00:15:30,529 --> 00:15:32,164
[Letty] That was her plan.
263
00:15:32,197 --> 00:15:35,067
We were gonna go together.
264
00:15:35,067 --> 00:15:36,869
I was gonna try
and finish my RN,
265
00:15:36,902 --> 00:15:41,373
and then she was gonna
do her anesthesiology.
266
00:15:41,407 --> 00:15:45,978
[Narrator] With her eyes on a
career, Inez joined the Navy.
267
00:15:46,078 --> 00:15:49,148
[Letty] Inez was stationed
all over the place.
268
00:15:49,181 --> 00:15:52,117
She'd get these awards,
and I found them and I'd go,
269
00:15:52,151 --> 00:15:54,186
why didn't you tell me?
270
00:15:54,219 --> 00:15:56,221
You know, she never
bragged about anything.
271
00:15:57,189 --> 00:15:58,791
[Erica] After she
got out of the Navy,
272
00:15:58,824 --> 00:16:02,594
my sister got a
amazing job at UMC.
273
00:16:02,628 --> 00:16:06,265
She was a surgical tech there,
so she was super excited.
274
00:16:10,235 --> 00:16:14,106
But all of that changes
on September 2, 2012,
275
00:16:14,139 --> 00:16:16,075
when Inez is found dead
276
00:16:16,108 --> 00:16:19,478
in a remote corner of
Edwards County, Texas.
277
00:16:20,612 --> 00:16:23,515
[Roger] We found out
that she was supposedly
278
00:16:23,549 --> 00:16:26,785
flying into San Antonio
on the 1st of September
279
00:16:26,819 --> 00:16:29,321
to visit her
friend, Rosa Medina.
280
00:16:33,459 --> 00:16:36,428
[Narrator] Born
in Mexico in 1987,
281
00:16:36,462 --> 00:16:40,532
Rosa moved to the US
before starting grade school.
282
00:16:40,566 --> 00:16:45,971
Unlike Inez, Rosa's home life
was anything but stable.
283
00:16:46,071 --> 00:16:48,440
Her mother had gotten
pregnant at a young age,
284
00:16:48,474 --> 00:16:51,410
and she raised her
in, in Arizona.
285
00:16:51,443 --> 00:16:54,646
She was kind of a
handful growing up.
286
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,215
She said she had nowhere to go.
287
00:16:56,248 --> 00:16:59,151
So, she stayed with
us for a good while.
288
00:17:00,185 --> 00:17:03,088
[Narrator] Following
graduation in 2003,
289
00:17:03,122 --> 00:17:08,260
Rosa moved to Texas for
a fresh start with family.
290
00:17:08,293 --> 00:17:09,828
[Letty] She just said
she didn't like her mom.
291
00:17:09,862 --> 00:17:11,296
She only liked her grandma.
292
00:17:11,330 --> 00:17:14,099
So she had to go back to Texas
293
00:17:14,133 --> 00:17:16,468
to where she was living
with her grandma.
294
00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:22,307
[Narrator] Though their
romance didn't pan out,
295
00:17:22,341 --> 00:17:26,412
Rosa and Inez stayed in
touch over the years.
296
00:17:26,445 --> 00:17:30,382
[Dorian] In Texas, eventually
Rosa Medina had children.
297
00:17:30,416 --> 00:17:33,852
But even when Rosa was
in other relationships,
298
00:17:33,886 --> 00:17:38,290
she didn't want Inez
to be with other people.
299
00:17:39,324 --> 00:17:45,097
I think Rosa always
wanted something more.
300
00:17:45,130 --> 00:17:47,132
But the person my sister is,
301
00:17:47,166 --> 00:17:49,301
it wasn't like, oh
my God, you like me,
302
00:17:49,335 --> 00:17:51,303
we gotta cut off
this relationship.
303
00:17:51,337 --> 00:17:55,307
It was, no, like, we,
you know, we can be friends.
304
00:17:55,341 --> 00:17:57,810
[Letty] Rosa was
living a normal life,
305
00:17:57,843 --> 00:18:01,780
posting pictures on Facebook
of her with her daughters,
306
00:18:01,814 --> 00:18:04,049
and she was doing photography.
307
00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:06,418
That was her job.
308
00:18:07,186 --> 00:18:09,588
[Narrator] In late August 2012,
309
00:18:09,621 --> 00:18:11,890
Rosa told Inez that
she had booked a job
310
00:18:11,924 --> 00:18:14,326
photographing a wedding.
311
00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:17,062
Inez said that she would
come babysit the children
312
00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:19,331
while Rosa shot the wedding.
313
00:18:23,702 --> 00:18:27,172
[Narrator] But on September
2nd, the weekend of the event,
314
00:18:27,206 --> 00:18:29,875
Inez's body was found in a
remote area
315
00:18:29,908 --> 00:18:33,212
of Edwards County, Texas.
316
00:18:33,245 --> 00:18:36,882
At that point, I just
thought, did she suffer?
317
00:18:36,915 --> 00:18:39,451
Like, like, what happened?
318
00:18:39,485 --> 00:18:41,286
Where's Rosa?
319
00:18:42,788 --> 00:18:45,257
Maybe there was an
accident or something.
320
00:18:45,290 --> 00:18:48,060
Like, I didn't, my mind
was just going crazy.
321
00:18:49,094 --> 00:18:50,929
[Narrator] Rosa's safety
isn't the only thing
322
00:18:50,963 --> 00:18:52,931
called into question.
323
00:18:52,965 --> 00:18:54,566
Investigators also wonder
324
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,936
how Inez ended up
in Edwards County--
325
00:18:57,970 --> 00:19:01,407
4 hours away from Midland.
326
00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,375
It was like someone had just
dropped her out of the sky
327
00:19:03,409 --> 00:19:06,045
and she landed, which kind
of just didn't make sense.
328
00:19:10,649 --> 00:19:13,852
[Narrator] When asked who might
have been at odds with Inez,
329
00:19:13,886 --> 00:19:17,890
Erica says there's only
one person who comes to mind--
330
00:19:17,923 --> 00:19:20,392
Marty Chavez.
331
00:19:20,426 --> 00:19:25,164
Marty Chavez was in the Navy as
well, and he was sweet on Inez.
332
00:19:26,031 --> 00:19:28,233
[Narrator] The two became close
while they were stationed
333
00:19:28,267 --> 00:19:30,936
at the same Naval base.
334
00:19:31,036 --> 00:19:33,238
I don't know if
they actually dated
335
00:19:33,272 --> 00:19:36,108
or if they tried something,
336
00:19:36,141 --> 00:19:38,610
but Marty was in
love with my sister.
337
00:19:39,912 --> 00:19:45,651
I don't know exactly what she
felt or what he would tell her.
338
00:19:45,684 --> 00:19:48,354
There was a couple times he
showed up at my sister's like,
339
00:19:48,387 --> 00:19:50,055
"What are you doing here?
340
00:19:50,055 --> 00:19:52,524
Like, I told you I was
busy this weekend."
341
00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:54,226
He said, "I just
wanted to see you".
342
00:19:54,259 --> 00:19:56,295
She's like, "Yeah,
but I said no."
343
00:19:59,765 --> 00:20:01,166
[Narrator] Coming up--
344
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,203
a romantic entanglement
gets complicated.
345
00:20:09,742 --> 00:20:11,844
[Narrator] And chilling
footage surfaces
346
00:20:11,877 --> 00:20:15,748
of Inez's final hours.
347
00:20:15,781 --> 00:20:17,416
[Marty] It took some
convincing to get her
348
00:20:17,449 --> 00:20:19,318
to agree to go with him.
349
00:20:19,351 --> 00:20:21,286
She could tell that
something wasn't right.
350
00:20:36,703 --> 00:20:39,339
[Narrator] After
finding Inez Santa Cruz
351
00:20:39,372 --> 00:20:42,842
shot to death in a remote
Texas hunting camp,
352
00:20:42,876 --> 00:20:46,846
investigators are trying to
confirm Rosa Medina's safety
353
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:51,284
while looking into a new lead
gleaned from Inez's family.
354
00:20:52,952 --> 00:20:54,187
[Roger] There was a, uh, man
355
00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:56,556
that was interested
in Inez romantically.
356
00:20:56,589 --> 00:20:58,291
We identified him as Marty.
357
00:20:58,324 --> 00:21:01,327
He was gonna be a person who
we're gonna have to talk to.
358
00:21:01,361 --> 00:21:03,797
[Narrator] Investigators
locate Marty's superiors
359
00:21:03,830 --> 00:21:05,832
in the military.
360
00:21:05,865 --> 00:21:08,068
He was nowhere even
in the state of Texas
361
00:21:08,068 --> 00:21:10,570
during the time of the murder,
so we quickly eliminated him.
362
00:21:13,707 --> 00:21:16,543
[Narrator] Next,
Texas Ranger Roger Dixon
363
00:21:16,576 --> 00:21:21,648
focuses on finding
Inez's friend Rosa.
364
00:21:21,681 --> 00:21:24,951
The family gave us the
information to contact Rosa.
365
00:21:24,984 --> 00:21:27,487
I called Rosa and she answered.
366
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,090
And I started discussing
Inez with her.
367
00:21:30,123 --> 00:21:31,524
I told her about the murder,
368
00:21:31,558 --> 00:21:35,128
and I basically asked her
what she knew about it.
369
00:21:35,161 --> 00:21:36,663
She was in tears.
370
00:21:36,696 --> 00:21:41,334
She said that there
had been talk of Inez
371
00:21:41,368 --> 00:21:44,371
coming to visit Rosa
over Labor Day weekend.
372
00:21:44,404 --> 00:21:46,906
But Inez had lost her debit car
373
00:21:46,940 --> 00:21:50,577
and couldn't get the money
to pay for a plane ticket.
374
00:21:50,610 --> 00:21:52,479
Rosa said Inez
had told her, hey,
375
00:21:52,512 --> 00:21:55,281
I'm not gonna be able to come.
376
00:21:55,315 --> 00:21:57,984
So a subpoena was
issued to Southwest
377
00:21:58,018 --> 00:22:00,587
to, to find out that
she was on that flight.
378
00:22:03,656 --> 00:22:05,325
[Narrator]
Investigators ask Rosa
379
00:22:05,358 --> 00:22:08,061
to meet them at the
Del Rio DPS Office
380
00:22:08,094 --> 00:22:10,063
for an in-person interview.
381
00:22:24,644 --> 00:22:26,146
[Narrator] When asked
for her whereabouts
382
00:22:26,179 --> 00:22:28,148
during the time
of Inez's murder,
383
00:22:28,181 --> 00:22:31,151
Rosa doesn't hesitate.
384
00:22:31,184 --> 00:22:34,087
Rosa had been at a concert
385
00:22:34,087 --> 00:22:37,390
in San Antonio at the time.
386
00:22:37,424 --> 00:22:41,628
Um, Rosa also provided
photographs to law enforcement
387
00:22:41,661 --> 00:22:45,999
showing her and her
kids at this concert.
388
00:22:49,336 --> 00:22:50,570
[Narrator]
Investigators ask Rosa
389
00:22:50,603 --> 00:22:55,108
if she knows any of the
hunters who found Inez's body.
390
00:22:55,108 --> 00:22:57,610
To their surprise, she says yes
391
00:22:57,644 --> 00:22:59,779
She knows Troy Ryder.
392
00:22:59,813 --> 00:23:02,482
In fact, they met and
just started dating
393
00:23:02,515 --> 00:23:06,052
about three months earlier.
394
00:23:06,052 --> 00:23:08,788
[Dorian] She said that she
had a romantic relationship
395
00:23:08,822 --> 00:23:10,623
with Mr. Ryder.
396
00:23:10,657 --> 00:23:15,095
That she met Mr. Ryder
every Saturday
397
00:23:15,128 --> 00:23:17,464
for lunch at the mall.
398
00:23:49,229 --> 00:23:53,733
The way that Rosa responded was,
399
00:23:53,767 --> 00:23:57,103
I don't know why he
would have met Inez.
400
00:24:00,774 --> 00:24:02,175
[Narrator] Before she leaves,
401
00:24:02,208 --> 00:24:07,881
investigators ask Rosa if they
can take a look at her phone.
402
00:24:07,914 --> 00:24:12,719
You would expect to see a lot
of calls and texts messages
403
00:24:12,752 --> 00:24:17,457
between Rosa and Inez,
but there were not a lot.
404
00:24:17,490 --> 00:24:19,359
That indicated to
law enforcement
405
00:24:19,392 --> 00:24:22,128
that Rosa had
deleted some items.
406
00:24:34,307 --> 00:24:38,144
[Narrator] They release Rosa
and circle back to Troy Ryder--
407
00:24:38,178 --> 00:24:40,980
the first person to
discover Inez's body--
408
00:24:41,081 --> 00:24:45,285
who also happens to
be Rosa's boyfriend.
409
00:24:45,318 --> 00:24:47,787
[Roger] I knew that if
Inez flew in San Antonio,
410
00:24:47,821 --> 00:24:49,289
there's probably
one of only two ways
411
00:24:49,322 --> 00:24:51,091
she could have gotten
to that location,
412
00:24:51,091 --> 00:24:54,160
and one of those ways has
a border patrol checkpoint.
413
00:24:54,194 --> 00:24:56,763
I, uh, contacted a, a
friend of mine there
414
00:24:56,796 --> 00:24:58,465
and sent him a license plate,
415
00:24:58,498 --> 00:25:00,233
and probably within
30 minutes to an hour,
416
00:25:00,266 --> 00:25:01,768
I received several photographs,
417
00:25:01,801 --> 00:25:06,072
and it showed Ryder in his
truck with a small female.
418
00:25:06,106 --> 00:25:09,476
Uh, zoomed in, and it
looked just like Inez.
419
00:25:12,879 --> 00:25:14,714
[Narrator] On September 7,
420
00:25:14,748 --> 00:25:19,953
investigators pay a visit
to Troy's home in San Antonio.
421
00:25:20,053 --> 00:25:22,756
He sticks by the story
he gave on the scene,
422
00:25:22,789 --> 00:25:25,925
denying any prior
knowledge of Inez.
423
00:25:25,959 --> 00:25:29,963
He does, however,
admit to knowing Rosa.
424
00:25:30,063 --> 00:25:34,067
Rosa and Troy had just recently
met at the strip club.
425
00:25:34,067 --> 00:25:35,802
He was a client.
426
00:25:35,835 --> 00:25:37,771
[Roger] Rosa was claiming
to be a photographer.
427
00:25:37,804 --> 00:25:39,472
I found that she was
actually a dancer
428
00:25:39,506 --> 00:25:42,542
at a men's gentleman's club.
429
00:25:42,575 --> 00:25:44,644
[Narrator]
Investigators press on.
430
00:25:44,678 --> 00:25:46,513
They confront Troy
with the photos
431
00:25:46,546 --> 00:25:48,214
from the border checkpoint.
432
00:25:56,990 --> 00:26:00,393
[Narrator] Troy claims
the woman was a hitchhiker.
433
00:26:00,427 --> 00:26:04,664
Though the story is flimsy,
it's not enough for an arrest.
434
00:26:04,698 --> 00:26:06,533
Troy is released.
435
00:26:09,869 --> 00:26:13,373
Days later, investigators
receive the flight manifest
436
00:26:13,406 --> 00:26:16,376
from the San Antonio airport.
437
00:26:16,409 --> 00:26:18,712
[Dorian] Inez, she was
actually on the airplane.
438
00:26:18,745 --> 00:26:20,680
Law enforcement
then review video
439
00:26:20,714 --> 00:26:24,050
from San Antonio
International Airport.
440
00:26:24,050 --> 00:26:29,155
[Marty] The video showed
Inez, then it showed Troy.
441
00:26:29,189 --> 00:26:30,890
It just shows that
they were together
442
00:26:30,924 --> 00:26:32,792
prior to her being killed.
443
00:26:32,826 --> 00:26:34,861
That was a huge deal.
444
00:26:34,894 --> 00:26:37,731
It seemed like it took
some convincing by Troy
445
00:26:37,764 --> 00:26:40,166
to get her to agree
to go with him.
446
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,702
She could tell that
something wasn't right.
447
00:26:42,736 --> 00:26:44,170
[Dorian] At this point,
law enforcement
448
00:26:44,204 --> 00:26:47,340
had the surveillance
video from the airport
449
00:26:47,374 --> 00:26:52,312
and the border patrol checkpoint
video showing Mr. Ryder.
450
00:26:53,613 --> 00:26:55,415
[Narrator] Though
loose ends remain,
451
00:26:55,448 --> 00:26:59,085
investigators now have enough
for an arrest warrant.
452
00:27:03,556 --> 00:27:06,559
On September 13, 2012,
453
00:27:06,593 --> 00:27:09,195
authorities follow
Troy to a restaurant
454
00:27:09,229 --> 00:27:10,930
in San Antonio, Texas
455
00:27:11,031 --> 00:27:14,034
and sit down to try
and get a confession.
456
00:27:27,847 --> 00:27:32,118
Investigators showed Troy some
of the digital evidence they had
457
00:27:32,152 --> 00:27:35,288
at which time he, he shut
down on 'em and lawyered up.
458
00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:50,804
Mr. Ryder was charged with
capital murder and was facing
459
00:27:50,837 --> 00:27:53,773
either the death penalty
or life in prison
460
00:27:53,807 --> 00:27:56,176
without the
possibility of parole.
461
00:27:57,711 --> 00:28:00,113
During that time frame,
Ranger Lewis
462
00:28:00,146 --> 00:28:03,016
was able to get a search
warrant of Ryder's vehicle.
463
00:28:03,049 --> 00:28:05,318
In the search, he
seized Troy's gun.
464
00:28:08,154 --> 00:28:11,424
[Narrator] With Troy behind
bars, but not talking,
465
00:28:11,458 --> 00:28:14,761
investigators are left
with one very important
466
00:28:14,794 --> 00:28:17,831
and unanswered question.
467
00:28:17,864 --> 00:28:22,135
The only connection
between Inez and Troy Ryder
468
00:28:22,168 --> 00:28:27,674
in this tragic, senseless
killing is Rosa Medina,
469
00:28:27,707 --> 00:28:31,845
and she continued to
maintain her innocence.
470
00:28:33,046 --> 00:28:35,248
[Narrator] Almost
three months pass.
471
00:28:35,281 --> 00:28:40,820
Then investigators get a phone
call from Troy's attorney.
472
00:28:40,854 --> 00:28:46,059
The house of cards for Mr.
Ryder started to collapse.
473
00:28:46,092 --> 00:28:50,563
So Troy Ryder was facing
potentially the death penalty.
474
00:28:50,597 --> 00:28:53,099
Through negotiations
between his attorneys
475
00:28:53,133 --> 00:28:55,535
and the district
attorney's office,
476
00:28:55,568 --> 00:28:59,072
he ended up giving
a, a full confession.
477
00:29:01,441 --> 00:29:02,809
[Narrator] Coming up--
478
00:29:02,842 --> 00:29:05,378
Troy reveals a wicked plot.
479
00:29:10,550 --> 00:29:14,754
[Narrator] And new accusations
bring new questions.
480
00:29:36,375 --> 00:29:38,510
[Narrator] Three months
after investigators
481
00:29:38,544 --> 00:29:41,213
arrest 28-year-old Troy Ryder
482
00:29:41,246 --> 00:29:44,049
for the murder of
Inez Santa Cruz,
483
00:29:44,049 --> 00:29:46,719
his attorneys reach
out to prosecutors.
484
00:29:47,553 --> 00:29:49,755
We got a confession out him,
and there was a plea agreement
485
00:29:49,788 --> 00:29:51,957
to keep him from getting
the death penalty.
486
00:29:53,158 --> 00:29:58,063
[Narrator] On December 4, 2012,
Troy sits down for an interview
487
00:29:58,797 --> 00:30:02,534
He very quickly implicates
not only himself,
488
00:30:02,568 --> 00:30:04,236
but also Rosa Medina.
489
00:30:18,817 --> 00:30:23,856
Rosa had approached
Troy about killing Inez.
490
00:30:54,353 --> 00:30:56,255
[Narrator] For Troy,
there was another,
491
00:30:56,288 --> 00:30:59,491
more enticing
reason to help Rosa.
492
00:31:10,102 --> 00:31:13,105
[Narrator] According to Troy,
the day before the murder,
493
00:31:13,138 --> 00:31:15,474
he met Rosa at
the mall food court
494
00:31:15,507 --> 00:31:17,242
for their weekly lunch date.
495
00:31:24,083 --> 00:31:25,484
[Narrator] Rosa
told him the package
496
00:31:25,517 --> 00:31:27,519
contained sleeping pills.
497
00:31:29,088 --> 00:31:31,457
Rosa had another client
498
00:31:31,490 --> 00:31:35,661
who gave Rosa some drugs.
499
00:31:35,694 --> 00:31:37,529
It was benzos.
500
00:31:53,012 --> 00:31:55,114
[Narrator] She told Troy
that Inez would be arriving
501
00:31:55,147 --> 00:31:58,283
on a flight to San Antonio
later that day,
502
00:31:58,317 --> 00:32:02,054
and together, they
came up with a plan.
503
00:32:02,054 --> 00:32:05,524
The plan was for Troy to
pick Inez up at the airport.
504
00:32:05,557 --> 00:32:10,095
Rosa instructed Troy
to crush these pills up
505
00:32:10,129 --> 00:32:13,465
and to put them in, uh, ice tea.
506
00:32:13,499 --> 00:32:16,869
Rosa knew that Inez
liked to drink iced tea.
507
00:32:50,636 --> 00:32:53,439
[Narrator] Trusting that
Troy was Rosa's assistant,
508
00:32:53,472 --> 00:32:57,242
Inez accepted the
ride and the tea.
509
00:33:05,084 --> 00:33:06,719
[Roger] She passed out,
fell asleep.
510
00:33:06,752 --> 00:33:08,454
But when it got to the campsite
511
00:33:08,487 --> 00:33:10,923
she was awake--groggy,
but still awake.
512
00:33:15,461 --> 00:33:17,162
[Narrator] Troy
told her that Rosa
513
00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:20,232
had stepped out for supplies
and would join her later.
514
00:33:20,265 --> 00:33:22,334
He then left Inez alone,
515
00:33:22,368 --> 00:33:27,072
hoping that she would fall
asleep and never wake up.
516
00:33:27,106 --> 00:33:31,110
He spends the night drinking,
riding four wheelers.
517
00:33:31,143 --> 00:33:35,547
And the next morning,
Troy goes back.
518
00:33:35,581 --> 00:33:38,450
He came back to the trailer
thinking he would find,
519
00:33:38,484 --> 00:33:41,587
you know, Inez
unconscious or dead,
520
00:33:41,620 --> 00:33:46,091
overdosed with the, um, drugs,
but found her quite alive.
521
00:33:48,193 --> 00:33:52,498
Her cellphone had died
'cause there's no electricity,
522
00:33:52,531 --> 00:33:54,700
and she was livid.
523
00:33:59,738 --> 00:34:02,307
[Narrator] In order to
explain what happened next,
524
00:34:02,341 --> 00:34:06,278
investigators take Troy
back to the crime scene.
525
00:34:23,529 --> 00:34:25,964
[Roger] So, Ryder told her,
you have to stand on that rock
526
00:34:26,065 --> 00:34:27,733
and point that way and
you can get signal.
527
00:34:38,344 --> 00:34:39,645
[gunshot]
528
00:35:02,835 --> 00:35:06,138
They wanted to make it look
like the cartel had got her
529
00:35:06,171 --> 00:35:09,108
and raped and killed her,
so he took her clothes off.
530
00:35:09,141 --> 00:35:11,343
He also put a trash bag
over, uh, Inez's head.
531
00:35:13,045 --> 00:35:14,680
[Narrator] His efforts
were interrupted
532
00:35:14,713 --> 00:35:18,350
when hunter Tommy Darity
stumbled upon him.
533
00:35:21,420 --> 00:35:24,056
Troy's confession
fills in the blanks,
534
00:35:24,089 --> 00:35:27,793
but it isn't enough
to arrest Rosa.
535
00:35:27,826 --> 00:35:30,095
Texas law is very clear
536
00:35:30,129 --> 00:35:33,065
in that the statement
of a co-actor
537
00:35:33,065 --> 00:35:34,600
in and of itself
538
00:35:34,633 --> 00:35:38,470
is not sufficient to
secure a conviction.
539
00:35:39,738 --> 00:35:43,075
[Narrator] Seven months
after Inez's body is found,
540
00:35:43,075 --> 00:35:47,846
Troy is convicted of
first-degree murder.
541
00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:52,618
The negotiated plea
agreement was for 75 years.
542
00:35:52,651 --> 00:35:55,421
Mr. Ryder will not be
eligible for parole
543
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:59,491
until he has served 30
years of that sentence.
544
00:36:03,629 --> 00:36:08,400
[Narrator] For Inez's family,
Troy's sentence is bittersweet.
545
00:36:08,434 --> 00:36:11,303
I got pretty sick because
they wouldn't arrest her.
546
00:36:11,337 --> 00:36:13,672
I was having faint spells.
547
00:36:13,706 --> 00:36:17,576
I couldn't live
thinking that this woman
548
00:36:17,609 --> 00:36:22,114
was living a normal life
after what she had done.
549
00:36:23,215 --> 00:36:25,284
[Narrator] But whether or
not Rosa will go to jail
550
00:36:25,317 --> 00:36:28,420
isn't all Inez's loved
ones struggle with.
551
00:36:28,454 --> 00:36:31,623
They want to know why.
552
00:36:31,657 --> 00:36:36,328
She mentioned to Troy that my
sister was gonna blackmail her,
553
00:36:36,362 --> 00:36:39,431
you know, saying she was
a stripper, what not.
554
00:36:39,465 --> 00:36:43,202
But in all honesty, my
sister could care less.
555
00:36:46,905 --> 00:36:50,876
[Narrator] Was the real
motive unrequited love?
556
00:36:50,909 --> 00:36:53,612
Rosa lived in San Antonio
557
00:36:53,645 --> 00:36:57,616
and wanted Inez to move to
San Antonio to be with her.
558
00:36:57,649 --> 00:37:03,422
But Inez ended up finding
a good job as a scrub nurse
559
00:37:03,455 --> 00:37:07,026
in Tucson, Arizona, where she
lived, where her mother lived,
560
00:37:07,026 --> 00:37:12,765
and eventually made the decision
not to move to San Antonio.
561
00:37:12,798 --> 00:37:14,533
I think that's what
triggered all this,
562
00:37:14,566 --> 00:37:18,837
is that when Inez didn't move,
I think it made her mad.
563
00:37:23,809 --> 00:37:28,280
[Narrator] As years pass,
Rosa goes on with her life.
564
00:37:28,313 --> 00:37:30,716
She moved on, she got a new job,
565
00:37:30,749 --> 00:37:33,819
she was working as a
manager at Home Depot,
566
00:37:33,852 --> 00:37:36,055
she had a live-in partner.
567
00:37:36,889 --> 00:37:39,491
[Narrator] And hard proof
of Rosa's involvement
568
00:37:39,525 --> 00:37:45,064
in Inez's murder continues
to elude investigators.
569
00:37:45,064 --> 00:37:48,901
But in June 2019,
everything changes
570
00:37:48,934 --> 00:37:52,171
when investigators are able
to look at old evidence
571
00:37:52,204 --> 00:37:55,441
through a new lens.
572
00:37:55,474 --> 00:38:00,713
The technology to really take
a deep dive into these phones
573
00:38:00,746 --> 00:38:05,050
had advanced, and investigators
started looking at it some more.
574
00:38:06,218 --> 00:38:10,389
The last analysis of the device
was detrimental to the case.
575
00:38:10,422 --> 00:38:12,591
So, it's actually kind
of a really cool thing
576
00:38:12,624 --> 00:38:15,928
that technology can be your
best friend or your worst enemy
577
00:38:16,028 --> 00:38:17,596
at the end of the day.
578
00:38:19,264 --> 00:38:21,033
[Narrator] Coming up--
579
00:38:21,066 --> 00:38:23,736
will that day finally come?
580
00:38:28,874 --> 00:38:32,478
[Narrator] New technology
cracks the case.
581
00:38:32,511 --> 00:38:35,681
It proved that Rosa did know
Inez was coming to Texas.
582
00:38:50,662 --> 00:38:55,567
[Narrator] Seven years after the
2012 murder of Inez Santa Cruz,
583
00:38:55,601 --> 00:38:59,071
triggerman Troy Ryder is
behind bars.
584
00:38:59,071 --> 00:39:03,409
But the alleged mastermind
behind the crime, Rosa Medina,
585
00:39:03,442 --> 00:39:05,778
remains at large.
586
00:39:08,914 --> 00:39:11,583
But new life is brought
back to the investigators
587
00:39:11,617 --> 00:39:15,387
when old evidence is
examined in a new way.
588
00:39:16,689 --> 00:39:18,624
[Erin] They brought me
Rosa's iPhone data
589
00:39:18,657 --> 00:39:20,459
that had been, been
given to the Texas Rangers
590
00:39:20,492 --> 00:39:23,762
when they
interviewed her initially.
591
00:39:23,796 --> 00:39:28,067
And I was able to rebuild the
webpages, deleted text messages
592
00:39:28,100 --> 00:39:30,436
to be able to look at them
as you would've seen 'em
593
00:39:30,469 --> 00:39:33,272
in their native format.
594
00:39:33,305 --> 00:39:34,707
[Narrator] The analysis yields
595
00:39:34,740 --> 00:39:38,110
what investigators
have been waiting for.
596
00:39:38,143 --> 00:39:41,313
A week before the killings,
597
00:39:41,347 --> 00:39:46,485
Rosa was doing searches
for date rape drug.
598
00:39:46,518 --> 00:39:48,454
Slipping a mickey.
599
00:39:48,487 --> 00:39:51,056
How to make untraceable calls.
600
00:39:52,057 --> 00:39:55,094
[Erin] The final thing that
we found was a text that said,
601
00:39:55,127 --> 00:39:58,397
"I'm boarding my flight, amor.
I'll see you soon."
602
00:40:03,168 --> 00:40:04,470
It had been deleted,
603
00:40:04,503 --> 00:40:08,107
but with the new technology,
it was extracted.
604
00:40:08,140 --> 00:40:11,477
That was exceptionally important
when it came to showing that,
605
00:40:11,510 --> 00:40:13,912
that Rosa knew
Inez was coming in.
606
00:40:16,215 --> 00:40:18,317
[Dorian] By June of 2020,
607
00:40:18,350 --> 00:40:21,687
the case against Rosa Medina
608
00:40:21,720 --> 00:40:25,824
had gotten much, much stronger.
609
00:40:27,059 --> 00:40:31,330
Within a month after we got
the last forensic stuff,
610
00:40:31,363 --> 00:40:33,132
we went to arrest her.
611
00:40:37,202 --> 00:40:40,005
[Narrator] On June 29th, 2020,
612
00:40:40,039 --> 00:40:44,076
authorities locate Rosa at
her home in San Antonio.
613
00:40:45,577 --> 00:40:47,546
[Marty] When we first
made contact with Rosa,
614
00:40:47,579 --> 00:40:48,714
we tried to explain to her
615
00:40:48,747 --> 00:40:51,784
we were trying to finish up
the case and close it out.
616
00:40:51,817 --> 00:40:54,453
She was still acting very nice.
617
00:40:54,486 --> 00:40:57,723
[Narrator] At the station,
her demeanor changes.
618
00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:11,136
[Erin] She started
to get more upset.
619
00:41:11,170 --> 00:41:15,641
She was not willing to, to talk
with any of us after that.
620
00:41:29,321 --> 00:41:32,524
[Narrator] Investigators
reveal they have a warrant.
621
00:41:46,605 --> 00:41:48,874
[Narrator] Prosecutors are
confident in their case,
622
00:41:48,907 --> 00:41:52,911
but there are other
factors they must consider.
623
00:41:52,945 --> 00:41:55,247
[Dorian] I believe
fully that Ms. Medina
624
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:56,281
would've been convicted,
625
00:41:56,315 --> 00:41:58,984
but we also have to weigh
the wants and the wishes
626
00:41:59,018 --> 00:42:01,253
of the victim's family.
627
00:42:01,286 --> 00:42:02,354
I don't want to
go through court.
628
00:42:02,388 --> 00:42:04,356
I don't want to
hear all this stuff.
629
00:42:04,390 --> 00:42:06,058
It's not gonna bring
my daughter back.
630
00:42:07,593 --> 00:42:09,928
[Narrator] Authorities
honor the family's wishes
631
00:42:09,962 --> 00:42:13,065
and approach Rosa
with a plea bargain.
632
00:42:13,098 --> 00:42:18,370
She agreed and entered into
a negotiated plea bargain
633
00:42:18,404 --> 00:42:21,106
for manslaughter.
634
00:42:21,140 --> 00:42:23,442
I was hoping that during
that process, she would, uh,
635
00:42:23,475 --> 00:42:25,444
you know, give a confession in,
636
00:42:25,477 --> 00:42:27,413
in, in return for the leniency.
637
00:42:27,446 --> 00:42:29,114
But she never did.
638
00:42:32,184 --> 00:42:34,286
[Narrator] In April 2022,
639
00:42:34,319 --> 00:42:38,090
Rosa pleads guilty to the
reduced charge of manslaughter
640
00:42:38,090 --> 00:42:42,928
and receives an
18-year sentence.
641
00:42:42,961 --> 00:42:46,098
[Marty] I wished that she could
have been sentenced longer
642
00:42:46,098 --> 00:42:47,232
than what she got,
643
00:42:47,266 --> 00:42:50,102
but we finally got her arrested
and got her convicted.
644
00:42:53,672 --> 00:42:54,907
[Narrator] While
it is comforting
645
00:42:54,940 --> 00:42:57,676
that Rosa is
finally behind bars,
646
00:42:57,710 --> 00:42:59,111
there is little that can ease
647
00:42:59,144 --> 00:43:03,082
the pain of not
understanding why.
648
00:43:05,050 --> 00:43:08,187
[Letty] I wrote her a letter,
but she's never responded.
649
00:43:09,288 --> 00:43:12,858
That's all I say, is, why, why?
650
00:43:12,891 --> 00:43:16,962
And I guess I'll go
to my grave saying why.
651
00:43:17,062 --> 00:43:21,867
I see the world very
temporary, very limited.
652
00:43:21,900 --> 00:43:25,471
I live in the moment,
like my daughter taught me.
653
00:43:25,504 --> 00:43:27,706
I'm very proud of
the person she was.
654
00:43:31,410 --> 00:43:43,555
[music]