1 00:00:02,470 --> 00:00:05,604 Tor: The couple grips a disasmall southern town.Known 2 00:00:05,639 --> 00:00:08,457 - everyone believed that they were at some risk, 3 00:00:08,509 --> 00:00:11,093 not knowing if this was a random act or if there was something 4 00:00:11,128 --> 00:00:13,462 very intentional here. 5 00:00:13,514 --> 00:00:17,383 - Narrator: With each passing day, the horror grows. 6 00:00:17,418 --> 00:00:19,952 - Jonathan: There was scanner traffic about human remains 7 00:00:19,987 --> 00:00:22,921 found on the blue ridge parkway. 8 00:00:22,957 --> 00:00:26,442 - When you have a body that has been dismembered and burned, 9 00:00:26,477 --> 00:00:29,311 that speaks to a high degree of malice. 10 00:00:29,363 --> 00:00:31,263 - Beth: She said that he just got irate, 11 00:00:31,282 --> 00:00:33,765 that they got into this fight. 12 00:00:33,784 --> 00:00:36,735 - She looked like a woman who had been through hell. 13 00:00:38,122 --> 00:00:41,156 - Narrator: After a string of gruesome discoveries, 14 00:00:41,208 --> 00:00:44,960 a family's darkest secrets are revealed. 15 00:00:44,995 --> 00:00:47,579 - At that time, I believe he denied the affair. 16 00:00:47,614 --> 00:00:49,298 - Beth: She had agreed to pay the money back. 17 00:00:49,333 --> 00:00:51,617 I think it was about 60,000. 18 00:00:51,652 --> 00:00:56,588 - There was no hiding the dislike for each other. 19 00:00:56,623 --> 00:00:57,506 - It was shocking. 20 00:00:57,558 --> 00:00:59,291 I mean, the entire courtroom was shocked. 21 00:00:59,310 --> 00:01:01,560 - Pardon my language, sh-- just got real. 22 00:01:04,865 --> 00:01:10,069 - ♪ 23 00:01:12,940 --> 00:01:14,406 ♪♪ 24 00:01:16,026 --> 00:01:18,994 - narrator: Friday, March 26, 2004. 25 00:01:19,029 --> 00:01:20,179 - [phone rings] 26 00:01:20,214 --> 00:01:21,046 - narrator: The sheriff's office 27 00:01:21,082 --> 00:01:23,198 in henderson county, north carolina, 28 00:01:23,250 --> 00:01:25,284 receives a call from a woman who says 29 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,488 she wants to file a missing persons report. 30 00:01:29,507 --> 00:01:32,424 The woman says it's been 2 days since she's been able to 31 00:01:32,460 --> 00:01:37,729 reach her close friend, 48-year-old don gash. 32 00:01:37,765 --> 00:01:41,550 - She shared with friends and family that she was concerned 33 00:01:41,602 --> 00:01:44,353 about his whereabouts because they'd talked frequently and 34 00:01:44,388 --> 00:01:46,021 visited with each other frequently, 35 00:01:46,056 --> 00:01:49,024 and he was nowhere to be found. 36 00:01:49,059 --> 00:01:51,393 - There was no more communication from him, 37 00:01:51,445 --> 00:01:54,446 so they became more and more concerned. 38 00:01:57,318 --> 00:01:59,785 - Narrator: The woman tells deputies it's not like don 39 00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:02,204 to go off the grid. 40 00:02:02,239 --> 00:02:04,039 - Don gash was the fire chief 41 00:02:04,074 --> 00:02:09,044 of the etowah volunteer fire department, a community icon. 42 00:02:09,079 --> 00:02:10,295 You'd see him at the convenience store. 43 00:02:10,331 --> 00:02:13,582 You'd see him at the Friday night high school football game. 44 00:02:13,634 --> 00:02:16,969 - Jim: Don gash was a good guy, served his community, 45 00:02:17,004 --> 00:02:20,205 loved the kids' community, did things to help other people. 46 00:02:20,224 --> 00:02:22,257 Always friendly. He's just not a guy 47 00:02:22,309 --> 00:02:24,309 that's gonna disappear and stay missing. 48 00:02:25,095 --> 00:02:26,178 - Narrator: Sheriff's investigators open 49 00:02:26,213 --> 00:02:30,315 a missing persons case and begin a search for don. 50 00:02:31,652 --> 00:02:33,685 - Ben: At that time, there really wasn't a whole lot of 51 00:02:33,721 --> 00:02:36,488 leads that we could follow up on. 52 00:02:36,524 --> 00:02:39,241 We had decided to do a health and welfare check 53 00:02:39,276 --> 00:02:41,276 that Saturday morning. 54 00:02:41,328 --> 00:02:43,695 We approached the home and, uh, 55 00:02:43,730 --> 00:02:47,166 were greeted by donn gash, the son. 56 00:02:49,703 --> 00:02:53,005 - Narrator: When detectives ask to speak with don's wife, gail, 57 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,643 they learn that don sr. Isn't the only one missing. 58 00:02:57,678 --> 00:03:01,213 - When we arrived and-- and spoke with donn jr, 59 00:03:01,248 --> 00:03:04,550 he said he didn't know where his mom was. 60 00:03:04,585 --> 00:03:07,886 - Donn gash said that he had last seen his father 61 00:03:07,921 --> 00:03:13,108 on Thursday evening, um, and had not spoken with him since then. 62 00:03:13,143 --> 00:03:16,111 And then had seen his mother, gail gash, 63 00:03:16,146 --> 00:03:19,982 the following morning, Friday morning, and she was asleep. 64 00:03:20,034 --> 00:03:21,033 Later, after he worked, 65 00:03:21,068 --> 00:03:24,203 he also noticed that his own car was missing. 66 00:03:25,573 --> 00:03:28,624 - Narrator: But 31-year-old donn jr. Assumes that his mom 67 00:03:28,659 --> 00:03:31,243 must have borrowed it without asking-- 68 00:03:31,278 --> 00:03:34,246 something that wasn't out of the ordinary. 69 00:03:34,281 --> 00:03:37,716 - He was cooperative, but he didn't have as much 70 00:03:37,751 --> 00:03:39,951 information as they thought he should have 71 00:03:39,970 --> 00:03:42,287 about his parents' whereabouts. 72 00:03:42,306 --> 00:03:43,622 He said that he wouldn't see them 73 00:03:43,641 --> 00:03:45,424 for a couple of days at a time. 74 00:03:47,461 --> 00:03:49,928 - Narrator: Investigators ask permission to expand 75 00:03:49,963 --> 00:03:52,147 their search efforts. 76 00:03:52,182 --> 00:03:54,149 - Beth: They had a large amount of acreage. 77 00:03:54,184 --> 00:03:56,318 And mr. Gash, the son, 78 00:03:56,353 --> 00:03:59,804 allowed them to look all over the property. 79 00:03:59,823 --> 00:04:01,907 - Narrator: As police canvass the property, 80 00:04:01,942 --> 00:04:06,411 donn jr. Calls his sister, 27-year-old leslie gash. 81 00:04:07,915 --> 00:04:12,417 - My brother had called and said that the police have shown up. 82 00:04:12,453 --> 00:04:14,503 Mom was missing and dad was missing. 83 00:04:14,538 --> 00:04:16,922 And he was really freaking out. 84 00:04:16,957 --> 00:04:19,174 And I kind of get, you know, woke up by that, 85 00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,826 so I'm kind of like, "oh my gosh, what?" 86 00:04:21,845 --> 00:04:25,180 panic, panic, panic. I don't know anything specific. 87 00:04:25,215 --> 00:04:27,683 Just kind of like, "I need to get up there." 88 00:04:27,718 --> 00:04:32,888 there are no words to describe what--that morning, 89 00:04:32,940 --> 00:04:34,606 what I was feeling. 90 00:04:34,642 --> 00:04:36,558 I threw a bunch of stuff together real quickly 91 00:04:36,610 --> 00:04:37,976 and left and got on the road. 92 00:04:38,011 --> 00:04:40,779 - ♪ 93 00:04:42,916 --> 00:04:46,385 - narrator: Born in 1955, donald larry gash 94 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:49,454 came from tumultuous beginnings. 95 00:04:49,490 --> 00:04:51,790 - Jim: He grew up in the mills river, 96 00:04:51,825 --> 00:04:54,993 horseshoe area of-- of henderson county. 97 00:04:55,028 --> 00:05:00,699 - He was actually born out of wedlock and was adopted 98 00:05:00,718 --> 00:05:05,587 by his biological aunt and her husband. 99 00:05:05,639 --> 00:05:08,590 It was really tough in that house. 100 00:05:08,642 --> 00:05:10,726 There was some pretty rough physical abuse 101 00:05:10,761 --> 00:05:14,429 between his parents that he--that he witnessed. 102 00:05:14,481 --> 00:05:16,481 - Narrator: Despite tensions at home, 103 00:05:16,517 --> 00:05:19,651 don grew into a well-adjusted teenager, 104 00:05:19,687 --> 00:05:23,488 active in sports and future farmers of america. 105 00:05:23,524 --> 00:05:24,656 - He was outgoing. 106 00:05:24,692 --> 00:05:27,192 He had a lot of really close friends. 107 00:05:27,227 --> 00:05:28,393 He played football. 108 00:05:28,412 --> 00:05:30,078 He was definitely involved in stuff. 109 00:05:32,733 --> 00:05:35,467 - Narrator: In high school, don became infatuated 110 00:05:35,502 --> 00:05:39,271 with a popular classmate named gail hutchinson. 111 00:05:39,306 --> 00:05:41,106 The youngest of three daughters, 112 00:05:41,141 --> 00:05:44,643 gail was raised in a strict religious household. 113 00:05:44,678 --> 00:05:47,145 - Leslie: She wasn't allowed to go to the movies. 114 00:05:47,181 --> 00:05:49,848 If church was open... 115 00:05:49,883 --> 00:05:51,717 She was to be at church. 116 00:05:51,752 --> 00:05:54,119 - Narrator: But when she fell for don gash, 117 00:05:54,154 --> 00:05:56,955 gail threw caution to the wind. 118 00:05:56,990 --> 00:05:59,091 - Leslie: They started dating in high school. 119 00:05:59,126 --> 00:06:02,761 He was a football player and she was a cheerleader. 120 00:06:02,796 --> 00:06:07,566 My mom got pregnant her senior year 121 00:06:07,601 --> 00:06:10,001 and my dad's junior year. 122 00:06:10,037 --> 00:06:12,871 It was not an option for them to not get married. 123 00:06:12,906 --> 00:06:15,657 Um, so they went to the magistrate 124 00:06:15,709 --> 00:06:18,377 in greeneville, south carolina, and got married. 125 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,047 - Narrator: In October 1972, 126 00:06:22,082 --> 00:06:26,451 the newlyweds welcomed donn jr. Into their family. 127 00:06:26,470 --> 00:06:27,552 Their daughter, leslie, 128 00:06:27,588 --> 00:06:29,888 was born four and a half years later. 129 00:06:29,923 --> 00:06:33,558 And the young family moved onto the 21-acre cattle farm 130 00:06:33,594 --> 00:06:37,829 where don grew up, soon joined by gail's mom. 131 00:06:37,865 --> 00:06:39,514 - My grandmother ended up having a trailer 132 00:06:39,566 --> 00:06:42,684 on the back of our property. 133 00:06:42,736 --> 00:06:44,853 - Narrator: Gail stayed home to raise the kids, 134 00:06:44,905 --> 00:06:49,024 while don punched the clock at the local paper mill. 135 00:06:49,076 --> 00:06:50,859 - Leslie: He made pretty good money 'cause he had worked there 136 00:06:50,911 --> 00:06:54,162 15 years, and he was a part of the union. 137 00:06:54,198 --> 00:06:57,032 So I wouldn't say super well off, but we were comfortable. 138 00:07:01,121 --> 00:07:03,755 - Narrator: But in 1984, those lighthearted days 139 00:07:03,791 --> 00:07:07,459 were suddenly cut short by a tragic event. 140 00:07:09,012 --> 00:07:12,047 - Leslie: My mom's mom's trailer caught on fire 141 00:07:12,099 --> 00:07:14,900 when I was in second grade. 142 00:07:14,935 --> 00:07:18,887 My grandmother at the end of her life became an alcoholic. 143 00:07:18,939 --> 00:07:21,573 She passed out with a cigarette in her hand. 144 00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:24,192 And that's how the fire started. 145 00:07:24,228 --> 00:07:26,144 - Rocky: Don ran out there and got his mother-in-law 146 00:07:26,179 --> 00:07:30,065 out of the mobile home while it was on fire. 147 00:07:30,117 --> 00:07:34,018 Unfortunately, uh, it was a little too late. 148 00:07:34,037 --> 00:07:37,622 And the injuries that she had sustained 149 00:07:37,658 --> 00:07:41,326 prior to him getting her out, she died from it. 150 00:07:41,361 --> 00:07:45,080 For don, he felt like that, if he coulda got there just 151 00:07:45,132 --> 00:07:47,382 a minute earlier or something like that, 152 00:07:47,417 --> 00:07:49,334 it may've turned out different. 153 00:07:49,369 --> 00:07:52,871 Gail just kinda took a down spiral. 154 00:07:52,906 --> 00:07:55,540 - She blamed herself, and that her mother couldn't be saved, 155 00:07:55,559 --> 00:07:58,143 it seems like that changed her as a person, 156 00:07:58,178 --> 00:08:00,562 um, from there on out. 157 00:08:00,597 --> 00:08:03,064 - When her highs were high, it was really great. 158 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:05,817 And when her lows were low, they were very low. 159 00:08:08,689 --> 00:08:11,189 - Narrator: Three years later, in 1987, 160 00:08:11,225 --> 00:08:14,409 more bad news struck the family. 161 00:08:14,444 --> 00:08:16,060 - John: Don wasn't able to work. 162 00:08:16,079 --> 00:08:20,799 He had developed a tumor on his spine. 163 00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:22,901 - Leslie: At the very beginning, when he was diagnosed, 164 00:08:22,936 --> 00:08:23,902 it was kind of like, you know, 165 00:08:23,921 --> 00:08:27,923 "well, this--this is probably gonna kill you." 166 00:08:27,958 --> 00:08:29,124 you know, and then it was like, 167 00:08:29,176 --> 00:08:32,944 "okay, well, we can do surgery. This could paralyze you." 168 00:08:32,980 --> 00:08:35,647 I remember being a little kid and, you know, 169 00:08:35,682 --> 00:08:38,016 being nosy and finding one of my mom's journals, 170 00:08:38,051 --> 00:08:40,852 and just kind of, you know, how scary that was for her, 171 00:08:40,888 --> 00:08:43,688 how scary that was for my dad. 172 00:08:43,724 --> 00:08:46,441 - Narrator: Surgeons successfully removed the tumor. 173 00:08:46,476 --> 00:08:50,979 But the operation left don permanently disabled. 174 00:08:51,031 --> 00:08:54,649 - After that, he could work a little bit, but he could not, 175 00:08:54,701 --> 00:08:57,602 ah, extensively work over time. 176 00:08:57,621 --> 00:09:00,322 He couldn't sustain the physical kinda work that-- 177 00:09:00,374 --> 00:09:02,457 that he was used to doing. 178 00:09:02,492 --> 00:09:04,342 He tried to farm a little cattle, 179 00:09:04,378 --> 00:09:08,129 and just he tried to make ends meet the best way he could. 180 00:09:08,165 --> 00:09:13,385 - Things definitely changed after my dad went out of work 181 00:09:13,420 --> 00:09:14,953 after the surgery. 182 00:09:14,988 --> 00:09:17,155 I definitely saw, you know, a struggle. 183 00:09:20,260 --> 00:09:22,627 - Narrator: To help keep up with the mounting bills, 184 00:09:22,663 --> 00:09:25,013 gail decided to go back to school. 185 00:09:25,065 --> 00:09:29,868 And in 1991, she earned her bachelor's degree. 186 00:09:29,903 --> 00:09:32,304 - Leslie: She ended up going to unca, 187 00:09:32,339 --> 00:09:34,489 which is university in asheville, north carolina. 188 00:09:34,524 --> 00:09:38,610 And she got a degree in psychology. 189 00:09:38,645 --> 00:09:42,447 - Mrs. Gash, she had several different jobs 190 00:09:42,482 --> 00:09:43,915 throughout the community-- 191 00:09:43,951 --> 00:09:45,984 department of social services. 192 00:09:46,003 --> 00:09:50,021 Uh, she worked, uh, for a law firm. 193 00:09:50,057 --> 00:09:53,024 - Narrator: As gail thrived in her newfound career, 194 00:09:53,060 --> 00:09:55,010 don followed his own passions 195 00:09:55,045 --> 00:09:57,879 and became an assistant football coach. 196 00:09:57,931 --> 00:10:00,832 He also spent more time at the firehouse. 197 00:10:00,851 --> 00:10:02,300 - Rocky: I saw don compensate 198 00:10:02,335 --> 00:10:05,887 by doing things that he was still able to do. 199 00:10:05,939 --> 00:10:09,674 The fire prevention program was near and dear to his heart. 200 00:10:09,710 --> 00:10:11,443 Mostly because I think what had happened 201 00:10:11,478 --> 00:10:13,745 with his mother-in-law. 202 00:10:13,780 --> 00:10:16,114 - Jim: He spent a lot of time with the youth football, 203 00:10:16,149 --> 00:10:19,868 his farming little businesses, his cattle and his hay, 204 00:10:19,903 --> 00:10:21,152 and the volunteer fire department. 205 00:10:21,187 --> 00:10:25,457 That right there would take up a good bit of your time. 206 00:10:25,492 --> 00:10:29,544 - Narrator: By the end of 2003, after 30 years of marriage, 207 00:10:29,579 --> 00:10:32,697 it seemed don and gail had successfully weathered 208 00:10:32,733 --> 00:10:35,934 all the adversity thrown in their paths. 209 00:10:38,388 --> 00:10:43,241 - However, when no one can reach the couple in March of 2004, 210 00:10:43,276 --> 00:10:48,179 worried family and friends believe they might be in danger. 211 00:10:48,214 --> 00:10:50,815 - Rocky: Don had been missing for a while. 212 00:10:50,851 --> 00:10:52,350 Gail was also missing. 213 00:10:52,386 --> 00:10:55,720 And, uh, that became even more confusing, uh, 214 00:10:55,739 --> 00:10:57,722 for the overall picture, because we-- 215 00:10:57,741 --> 00:11:01,159 we truly didn't understand what was going on. 216 00:11:01,194 --> 00:11:03,595 - Leslie: I literally don't remember the drive there, 217 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:06,731 because it was like a hamster on a wheel. 218 00:11:06,767 --> 00:11:10,118 It was just question after question after question. 219 00:11:10,170 --> 00:11:13,004 - Law enforcement were very motivated to, uh, 220 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,923 work to find out what had happened. 221 00:11:19,012 --> 00:11:21,846 - Narrator: Coming up: Desperation grows with 222 00:11:21,882 --> 00:11:26,051 one terrifying development after the next. 223 00:11:26,086 --> 00:11:28,252 - Beth: It certainly looked as though somebody had made some 224 00:11:28,271 --> 00:11:31,756 effort to hide that they had done something. 225 00:11:31,775 --> 00:11:34,192 - We're looking for somewhere a body could be. 226 00:11:34,227 --> 00:11:37,595 - Beth: It was a large human torso with the head, arms, 227 00:11:37,614 --> 00:11:40,632 legs all cut off. 228 00:11:40,667 --> 00:11:42,984 - Leslie: It was a lot to take in, 229 00:11:43,036 --> 00:11:45,937 a lot to try to absorb, and still at the same time, going, 230 00:11:45,956 --> 00:11:47,122 "this can't be real." 231 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:53,378 - ♪ 232 00:12:00,820 --> 00:12:03,822 - narrator: March 27, 2004. 233 00:12:03,857 --> 00:12:05,190 There's a mystery brewing 234 00:12:05,225 --> 00:12:08,526 in henderson county, north carolina. 235 00:12:08,562 --> 00:12:11,796 Both fire chief don gash and his wife, gail, 236 00:12:11,831 --> 00:12:15,133 have vanished without a trace. 237 00:12:15,168 --> 00:12:16,935 - Greg: When you have more than one missing person, 238 00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:19,721 it just caused a great degree of anxiety, 239 00:12:19,773 --> 00:12:22,173 because I think everyone believed, you know, 240 00:12:22,192 --> 00:12:24,692 that maybe they were at some risk, 241 00:12:24,728 --> 00:12:26,945 not knowing if this was a random act 242 00:12:26,980 --> 00:12:28,980 or if there was something very intentional here. 243 00:12:31,351 --> 00:12:34,552 - Narrator: By now, a team of deputies has fanned out across 244 00:12:34,588 --> 00:12:38,823 the 21-acre gash property looking for the missing couple 245 00:12:38,858 --> 00:12:42,093 and any clues to their disappearance. 246 00:12:42,129 --> 00:12:45,696 - Donn jr. Allowed them to-- to enter the house 247 00:12:45,715 --> 00:12:48,032 and search all throughout the house, 248 00:12:48,051 --> 00:12:50,935 allowed them to go back all over the property. 249 00:12:50,971 --> 00:12:52,203 - We were looking for somewhere 250 00:12:52,222 --> 00:12:54,305 a body could be or a person could be hiding. 251 00:12:55,976 --> 00:12:57,308 - Narrator: Widening their search, 252 00:12:57,344 --> 00:13:00,145 another team heads over to the gashes' barn 253 00:13:00,180 --> 00:13:03,565 about 100 yards behind the house. 254 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,567 - Beth: Detectives located the vehicle 255 00:13:05,602 --> 00:13:08,052 don gash would be driving. 256 00:13:08,071 --> 00:13:09,737 That vehicle was found with 257 00:13:09,773 --> 00:13:12,991 the keys in the ignition in the on position. 258 00:13:13,026 --> 00:13:16,528 The truck was discovered was behind this barn. 259 00:13:16,563 --> 00:13:20,782 Anybody that would drive, um, even to the barn would not have 260 00:13:20,834 --> 00:13:24,586 seen this truck had they not walked behind the barn 261 00:13:24,621 --> 00:13:26,588 and observed it there. 262 00:13:26,623 --> 00:13:29,507 It certainly looked as though somebody had made some effort 263 00:13:29,543 --> 00:13:32,377 to hide the fact that don was gone. 264 00:13:33,547 --> 00:13:37,182 - Narrator: Detectives notice something else near the barn. 265 00:13:37,217 --> 00:13:41,386 - There was evidence of-- of some sort of a burn pile 266 00:13:41,421 --> 00:13:43,221 of some description, 267 00:13:43,256 --> 00:13:46,024 which is not unusual with debris that's-- 268 00:13:46,059 --> 00:13:47,792 gets cleared and that kind of thing. 269 00:13:49,946 --> 00:13:51,929 - Narrator: Inside the barn itself, 270 00:13:51,948 --> 00:13:56,284 investigators search for anything out of the ordinary. 271 00:13:56,319 --> 00:13:59,437 - Ben: The barn probably had seen better days. 272 00:13:59,456 --> 00:14:02,457 Not necessarily kept very clean, 273 00:14:02,492 --> 00:14:06,845 but it was functioning for the animals that they had. 274 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,381 - In the barn area, there's a tub that was located-- 275 00:14:10,417 --> 00:14:15,086 one of those large, rubber, um, storage containers. 276 00:14:16,306 --> 00:14:19,140 - Narrator: A deputy opens the lid to reveal something 277 00:14:19,175 --> 00:14:21,976 straight out of a horror film. 278 00:14:22,012 --> 00:14:26,431 - It was a large human torso with the head, arms, 279 00:14:26,466 --> 00:14:28,149 legs all cut off. 280 00:14:28,184 --> 00:14:32,136 - ♪ 281 00:14:32,155 --> 00:14:34,856 - beth: They could observe that those limbs had been severed 282 00:14:34,908 --> 00:14:37,442 with a sharp instrument. 283 00:14:37,477 --> 00:14:39,661 - Narrator: Investigators are able to discern 284 00:14:39,696 --> 00:14:41,779 that the victim is male, 285 00:14:41,815 --> 00:14:45,149 with a large, unique scar on his back. 286 00:14:45,185 --> 00:14:47,585 - Ben: It was partially scorched. 287 00:14:47,621 --> 00:14:50,355 Looked like somebody had tried to burn the torso 288 00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:55,960 and was unsuccessful, because it takes a lot of heat 289 00:14:55,995 --> 00:14:58,396 to destroy that much, uh, flesh. 290 00:14:59,349 --> 00:15:01,182 - Narrator: With the discovery of a body, 291 00:15:01,217 --> 00:15:04,886 police stop down further investigation. 292 00:15:04,938 --> 00:15:06,187 - We backed off. 293 00:15:06,222 --> 00:15:09,107 And at that point, I was designated to go 294 00:15:09,142 --> 00:15:10,842 write the search warrant. 295 00:15:13,012 --> 00:15:15,113 - Narrator: As authorities secure the scene, 296 00:15:15,148 --> 00:15:18,316 leslie gash steps right into a nightmare. 297 00:15:19,653 --> 00:15:21,953 - Leslie: I'm coming up on the edge of our property. 298 00:15:21,988 --> 00:15:25,323 I see sheriff's deputy vehicles. 299 00:15:25,358 --> 00:15:30,211 And, like, police cars and just a lot of people in uniform, 300 00:15:30,246 --> 00:15:31,729 and everything at my house. 301 00:15:31,765 --> 00:15:35,199 And it was--[gasps]-- yeah. 302 00:15:37,053 --> 00:15:39,921 Pardon my language. Sh-- just got real, 303 00:15:39,973 --> 00:15:41,255 'cause I didn't know what it was, 304 00:15:41,308 --> 00:15:46,344 but I knew whatever that was that I was seeing was not good. 305 00:15:48,348 --> 00:15:51,182 - Narrator: Suspecting that the mutilated corpse 306 00:15:51,217 --> 00:15:54,519 is don gash sr., investigators ask if don 307 00:15:54,554 --> 00:15:58,523 had any distinguishing physical characteristics. 308 00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:02,694 - He had a pretty good-sized scar on his back. 309 00:16:02,729 --> 00:16:04,529 It was still really prominent. 310 00:16:04,564 --> 00:16:06,614 Kenneth gaddy, with the sheriff's department, 311 00:16:06,666 --> 00:16:12,253 he told me that they had found my father's torso... 312 00:16:12,288 --> 00:16:14,739 On the property. 313 00:16:14,774 --> 00:16:19,544 And, um, they knew it was him because of the scar on his back. 314 00:16:21,247 --> 00:16:23,514 After that, it's fog. Haze. 315 00:16:23,550 --> 00:16:27,919 - ♪ 316 00:16:27,954 --> 00:16:30,788 - narrator: With don sr. Presumed as their victim, 317 00:16:30,824 --> 00:16:34,592 investigators turn their attention to his wife. 318 00:16:34,627 --> 00:16:37,462 - Everybody wanted to find out where was gail gash. 319 00:16:37,497 --> 00:16:40,982 Was she a suspect or was she also a victim? 320 00:16:42,268 --> 00:16:45,370 - It was a lot. A lot to take in. 321 00:16:45,405 --> 00:16:49,457 A lot to try to absorb, and still at the same time, going, 322 00:16:49,492 --> 00:16:52,326 "this can't be real. Where's mom, though?" 323 00:16:52,379 --> 00:16:55,329 we need answers, and we really weren't getting them. 324 00:16:58,485 --> 00:17:01,552 - Narrator: As investigators broaden their search perimeter, 325 00:17:01,588 --> 00:17:04,806 they make a key discovery. 326 00:17:04,841 --> 00:17:07,425 - The car that was known to be driven by 327 00:17:07,460 --> 00:17:11,312 donn edward gash, the son, was located in a cemetery 328 00:17:11,347 --> 00:17:15,800 probably a half a mile walking distance from the house. 329 00:17:15,835 --> 00:17:18,469 When they looked in the car, there appeared to be blood on 330 00:17:18,505 --> 00:17:21,072 the seats and the steering wheel. 331 00:17:21,107 --> 00:17:22,607 The keys weren't in it. 332 00:17:23,610 --> 00:17:26,377 Who was driving that car? Where are they now? 333 00:17:26,413 --> 00:17:28,579 Why would they park it away from the house 334 00:17:28,615 --> 00:17:30,498 rather than at the house? 335 00:17:30,533 --> 00:17:34,485 Donn gash, the son, told investigators that his mother 336 00:17:34,504 --> 00:17:38,122 was the one he thought had driven that car. 337 00:17:38,157 --> 00:17:40,291 Was she abducted from this car? 338 00:17:40,326 --> 00:17:43,127 Or is she hiding? You know, and nobody knew. 339 00:17:44,831 --> 00:17:47,198 - Narrator: As investigators begin processing the vehicle 340 00:17:47,233 --> 00:17:49,534 for prints and dna, 341 00:17:49,569 --> 00:17:53,604 a search party sets off into the nearby woods. 342 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,858 - Ben: We had used both patrol canines and bloodhounds 343 00:17:56,893 --> 00:17:59,444 to track and find someone that's missing. 344 00:17:59,479 --> 00:18:02,447 We had enough boots on the ground, so to speak, 345 00:18:02,482 --> 00:18:05,900 that we were able to cover all the ground between 346 00:18:05,952 --> 00:18:07,735 where the car was and the residence. 347 00:18:10,490 --> 00:18:12,824 - Narrator: When the search fails to yield leads, 348 00:18:12,859 --> 00:18:16,661 investigators call don sr's children to the station 349 00:18:16,696 --> 00:18:19,881 and put them through critical questioning. 350 00:18:19,916 --> 00:18:23,251 - Leslie: That's when it kind of started with wanting to, like, 351 00:18:23,303 --> 00:18:26,737 separate me and my brother to start asking us questions, 352 00:18:26,773 --> 00:18:28,890 and assuming all of this stuff. 353 00:18:28,925 --> 00:18:33,227 And it was just-- it was really disheartening 354 00:18:33,263 --> 00:18:37,315 and instantly made me angry. 355 00:18:37,350 --> 00:18:39,901 Put me against my mom. Put me against my dad. 356 00:18:39,936 --> 00:18:43,237 Put me against my brother, vice versa. 357 00:18:43,273 --> 00:18:44,856 I just want to find out what's going on, you know, 358 00:18:44,891 --> 00:18:46,524 we wanna help. 359 00:18:48,394 --> 00:18:51,112 - Narrator: While investigators work to clear leslie, 360 00:18:51,164 --> 00:18:53,915 they are becoming more concerned with her brother, 361 00:18:53,950 --> 00:18:56,734 donn jr. 362 00:18:56,753 --> 00:18:58,836 - Ben: At the time, he told us that he had been there 363 00:18:58,872 --> 00:19:00,338 at the home the whole week. 364 00:19:00,373 --> 00:19:02,573 It didn't make sense that someone could be there every day 365 00:19:02,592 --> 00:19:05,927 and not have at least had some concern 366 00:19:05,962 --> 00:19:08,513 that something had happened. 367 00:19:08,548 --> 00:19:10,681 - Beth: He said that he wouldn't see his parents for days 368 00:19:10,717 --> 00:19:14,685 at a time while he is living in this house. 369 00:19:14,721 --> 00:19:17,455 Why would his dad go off for a couple of days at a time 370 00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:19,857 when there's cows and things, you know, 371 00:19:19,893 --> 00:19:23,227 on this property that he maintained and took care of? 372 00:19:24,263 --> 00:19:25,396 - Ben: There were things that 373 00:19:25,431 --> 00:19:27,565 didn't add up with what he was saying. 374 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,968 His behavior that day led the investigators at the time 375 00:19:31,004 --> 00:19:33,738 to take dna and fingerprints. 376 00:19:37,243 --> 00:19:39,827 - Narrator: As detectives look for other possible leads, 377 00:19:39,879 --> 00:19:44,081 news of the brutal murder spreads through town. 378 00:19:44,116 --> 00:19:48,118 - I think the overall reaction of it was just... 379 00:19:48,137 --> 00:19:50,988 No way, disbelief, kind of shock, you know, 380 00:19:51,024 --> 00:19:53,591 "what the heck's going on?" 381 00:19:53,626 --> 00:19:58,312 - it's like, "why? Why would someone do that?" 382 00:20:01,484 --> 00:20:06,487 the don that I knew would never provoke such--such an incident. 383 00:20:06,522 --> 00:20:09,173 There was no way that I could imagine that he would've caused 384 00:20:09,209 --> 00:20:13,194 such rage in--in anybody to do something like that. 385 00:20:14,447 --> 00:20:16,163 - Narrator: The shock felt through the community 386 00:20:16,199 --> 00:20:19,817 is also accompanied by fear. 387 00:20:19,836 --> 00:20:22,319 - That's just not a crime that, you know, 388 00:20:22,338 --> 00:20:25,890 you expect to see anywhere, and not really in this area. 389 00:20:27,193 --> 00:20:30,511 - When you have a body that has been dismembered and burned, 390 00:20:30,546 --> 00:20:32,964 that speaks to a high degree of malice. 391 00:20:32,999 --> 00:20:33,931 That's what, I think, causes 392 00:20:33,967 --> 00:20:36,300 the high amount of concern to the community. 393 00:20:36,335 --> 00:20:39,020 This was a very mean-spirited crime, 394 00:20:39,055 --> 00:20:42,523 and they were wondering if this person or persons were still 395 00:20:42,558 --> 00:20:44,809 at large and if that others would be at risk. 396 00:20:46,813 --> 00:20:49,614 - Narrator: Coming up: As the search heats up, 397 00:20:49,649 --> 00:20:53,067 everything cops think they know about the gash family 398 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,203 is about to be turned upside down. 399 00:20:56,239 --> 00:20:58,289 - It was obvious that they were having trouble 400 00:20:58,324 --> 00:20:59,523 making ends meet. 401 00:20:59,542 --> 00:21:01,859 - There may have been a lot more problems in the relationship 402 00:21:01,878 --> 00:21:03,577 than the public knew about. 403 00:21:03,630 --> 00:21:07,214 - It was just mortifying. Just mortifying. 404 00:21:10,003 --> 00:21:13,421 - ♪ 405 00:21:20,313 --> 00:21:23,064 - narrator: On March 27, 2004, 406 00:21:23,099 --> 00:21:25,916 the discovery of don gash's torso, 407 00:21:25,952 --> 00:21:28,252 stashed in his own cow barn, 408 00:21:28,288 --> 00:21:32,573 has all of henderson county clamoring for answers. 409 00:21:32,608 --> 00:21:34,575 - Greg: People want to know if the murder had something to do 410 00:21:34,610 --> 00:21:37,862 with his work as a firefighter or, you know, 411 00:21:37,897 --> 00:21:40,865 what else was happening and occurring in his life 412 00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:44,785 that would have brought about this turn of events. 413 00:21:44,837 --> 00:21:47,738 - Narrator: Adding to the mystery, don's wife, gale, 414 00:21:47,774 --> 00:21:49,373 is still missing. 415 00:21:51,678 --> 00:21:54,929 Hoping for more leads, investigators dig into 416 00:21:54,964 --> 00:21:57,181 the couple's home life. 417 00:21:57,216 --> 00:21:59,183 - Jim: There may have been a lot more problems in 418 00:21:59,218 --> 00:22:00,751 the relationship than the public knew about. 419 00:22:00,770 --> 00:22:01,952 People around in this area, 420 00:22:01,988 --> 00:22:03,253 they don't air their dirty laundry. 421 00:22:03,272 --> 00:22:05,723 They keep things to themselves. 422 00:22:07,260 --> 00:22:09,310 - Rocky: You know, eh, as a husband, ah, you, 423 00:22:09,362 --> 00:22:11,228 you could tell that--ah, that-- 424 00:22:11,263 --> 00:22:14,498 that don had some challenges there. 425 00:22:14,534 --> 00:22:17,168 - Narrator: There was a common suspicion in the family about 426 00:22:17,203 --> 00:22:21,439 don's relationship with a close family friend. 427 00:22:21,474 --> 00:22:22,773 - Leslie: My dad and her literally spent 428 00:22:22,809 --> 00:22:24,675 all their time together. 429 00:22:24,711 --> 00:22:26,344 Because my mom worked when I was in high school, 430 00:22:26,379 --> 00:22:29,580 a lot of the times she couldn't come to my events. 431 00:22:29,615 --> 00:22:32,116 But my dad always brought her and, actually, 432 00:22:32,151 --> 00:22:33,667 people thought that was my mom. 433 00:22:34,804 --> 00:22:37,621 - John: Gail was aware. And she actually confronted don. 434 00:22:37,657 --> 00:22:41,492 And at that time, I believe, he denied the affair. 435 00:22:41,527 --> 00:22:44,628 - It was never 100% confirmed by anybody. 436 00:22:44,664 --> 00:22:46,797 My mom was definitely uncomfortable by it, 437 00:22:46,833 --> 00:22:49,467 because they were literally together all the time. 438 00:22:49,502 --> 00:22:52,820 And then after a while, it was just--it was embarrassing. 439 00:22:54,657 --> 00:22:57,742 - Narrator: About four years before their disappearance, 440 00:22:57,777 --> 00:23:00,995 don and gail started sleeping apart. 441 00:23:01,030 --> 00:23:03,581 - Leslie: At first, they tried to blame it on my mom snoring 442 00:23:03,616 --> 00:23:05,449 and my dad grinding his teeth. 443 00:23:05,484 --> 00:23:07,835 Of course that's why they're sleeping in separate rooms. 444 00:23:07,870 --> 00:23:10,921 And then it just kind of became that's what it was. 445 00:23:10,957 --> 00:23:11,839 My mom slept in the room. 446 00:23:11,874 --> 00:23:15,009 My dad slept on, like, the pull-out sofa. 447 00:23:15,044 --> 00:23:18,846 And then that's how it was up until everything happened. 448 00:23:21,067 --> 00:23:24,018 - Narrator: Investigators also discover that gail's suspicion 449 00:23:24,053 --> 00:23:29,506 of infidelity wasn't the only problem plaguing their marriage. 450 00:23:29,525 --> 00:23:31,725 - My parents had gotten behind on their mortgage. 451 00:23:31,778 --> 00:23:34,228 My mom didn't want my dad to lose the property. 452 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:39,617 And she made a really terrible decision. 453 00:23:39,652 --> 00:23:41,185 - John: Don wasn't making a lot of money, 454 00:23:41,220 --> 00:23:44,021 so gail ended up taking on multiple jobs. 455 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,908 Um, she took one job in particular at a milk plant. 456 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,745 And while she was working at that, um, particular job, 457 00:23:51,798 --> 00:23:55,883 she began stealing money from the organization. 458 00:23:57,553 --> 00:23:59,753 - Leslie: I believe she was the administrative assistant 459 00:23:59,806 --> 00:24:01,038 for the president. 460 00:24:01,057 --> 00:24:02,440 She got a new vehicle. 461 00:24:02,475 --> 00:24:04,308 You know, we got a new stove. 462 00:24:04,343 --> 00:24:06,811 You know, some things we needed for the house. 463 00:24:06,846 --> 00:24:10,598 - John: Subsequently she was caught and charged with, um, 464 00:24:10,650 --> 00:24:14,218 obtaining property by false pretense. 465 00:24:14,253 --> 00:24:18,555 - It was just mortifying. Just mortifying. 466 00:24:18,574 --> 00:24:20,658 - Beth: She had fully confessed to her involvement 467 00:24:20,693 --> 00:24:24,078 in doing that. And I think it was about 60,000. 468 00:24:24,113 --> 00:24:30,234 Don did, um, what he could to help pay off, um, gail's debt. 469 00:24:30,253 --> 00:24:31,902 Ah, but it wasn't enough. 470 00:24:31,921 --> 00:24:33,570 And it was obvious that 471 00:24:33,589 --> 00:24:36,307 they were having trouble making ends meet. 472 00:24:36,342 --> 00:24:38,459 - Narrator: It was then, in 2001, 473 00:24:38,511 --> 00:24:40,544 that the already strained marriage 474 00:24:40,579 --> 00:24:43,814 plunged to an all-time low. 475 00:24:43,850 --> 00:24:48,585 - There was no hiding the dislike for each other. 476 00:24:48,604 --> 00:24:51,722 There was no hiding my dad being up till 477 00:24:51,757 --> 00:24:53,891 1 or 2 in the morning on the phone for several hours. 478 00:24:53,926 --> 00:24:55,993 At that point, it just kind of became like, 479 00:24:56,028 --> 00:24:57,628 "well, who cares?" 480 00:24:59,966 --> 00:25:01,599 - narrator: Armed with a deeper understanding 481 00:25:01,634 --> 00:25:04,001 of don sr.'s personal life, 482 00:25:04,036 --> 00:25:07,137 investigators reach out to the alleged mistress, 483 00:25:07,173 --> 00:25:09,790 who was the first to report don missing. 484 00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:13,744 The woman denies having an affair with don, 485 00:25:13,779 --> 00:25:17,348 but admits they were very close friends. 486 00:25:17,383 --> 00:25:20,918 - She had last had telephone communication with, 487 00:25:20,953 --> 00:25:26,456 um, don the night before, um, he was likely murdered. 488 00:25:26,475 --> 00:25:29,626 Her alibi was that she was home. 489 00:25:29,645 --> 00:25:34,598 She was quickly ruled out as having had any motive in his 490 00:25:34,633 --> 00:25:38,035 death or disappearance. 491 00:25:38,070 --> 00:25:41,171 - Narrator: However, the woman has a message from don 492 00:25:41,207 --> 00:25:43,407 to share with detectives. 493 00:25:44,527 --> 00:25:47,111 - Beth: Don had told her that if he ever went missing 494 00:25:47,146 --> 00:25:50,948 or ever was killed to suspect his wife and his son. 495 00:25:50,983 --> 00:25:54,651 - ♪ 496 00:25:54,670 --> 00:25:56,921 - narrator: It's a stunning accusation. 497 00:25:56,956 --> 00:26:00,174 But before investigators can track the new lead, 498 00:26:00,209 --> 00:26:05,679 they receive word of a grisly new development 30 miles away. 499 00:26:05,715 --> 00:26:08,349 - Beth: Limbs and a head were found 500 00:26:08,384 --> 00:26:11,168 off the blue ridge parkway. 501 00:26:11,187 --> 00:26:14,021 They could observe that those limbs had been severed 502 00:26:14,056 --> 00:26:15,723 with a sharp instrument. 503 00:26:17,393 --> 00:26:21,145 - Jonathan: Knowing what we had already heard in the community 504 00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:23,480 about the fire chief, and then the subsequent rumor 505 00:26:23,515 --> 00:26:27,184 that his wife was missing as well, 506 00:26:27,203 --> 00:26:28,452 it seemed to be that it was 507 00:26:28,487 --> 00:26:31,405 all adding up to an obvious conclusion. 508 00:26:33,042 --> 00:26:35,492 - Narrator: The remains found on the parkway are collected 509 00:26:35,527 --> 00:26:37,878 by crime scene investigators. 510 00:26:39,632 --> 00:26:44,201 On March 29, two days after the search for the gashes began, 511 00:26:44,236 --> 00:26:45,869 the body parts are analyzed 512 00:26:45,888 --> 00:26:49,890 and confirmed to be a match to don gash. 513 00:26:49,925 --> 00:26:52,226 - Beth: In looking at the head, the medical examiner was able 514 00:26:52,261 --> 00:26:58,215 to determine, um, that don gash had died of blunt force trauma. 515 00:26:58,250 --> 00:26:59,717 His skull was fractured. 516 00:26:59,752 --> 00:27:04,888 He had received multiple blows to his head and face area. 517 00:27:04,924 --> 00:27:07,057 - Narrator: Serrated marks suggest the body 518 00:27:07,093 --> 00:27:09,893 was dismembered with a saw. 519 00:27:09,929 --> 00:27:12,529 - Beth: The medical examiner determined that any of 520 00:27:12,565 --> 00:27:15,783 the burning and that any of the severing of limbs, 521 00:27:15,835 --> 00:27:17,935 all of that was done postmortem. 522 00:27:20,923 --> 00:27:23,974 - Narrator: Though the autopsy provides more context for don's 523 00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:27,845 murder, investigators are no closer to knowing 524 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:29,463 who killed him. 525 00:27:29,515 --> 00:27:34,184 Plus, they've still found no sign of gail gash. 526 00:27:34,220 --> 00:27:36,770 - There was no indication that she had been killed. 527 00:27:36,806 --> 00:27:42,443 But there was also no indication yet that she was, um, alive. 528 00:27:42,478 --> 00:27:45,729 - Gail gash was missing. The car that she had been 529 00:27:45,764 --> 00:27:48,816 thought or believed to be driving was found, 530 00:27:48,868 --> 00:27:51,452 um, you know, within half mile of this-- 531 00:27:51,487 --> 00:27:52,536 of their house. 532 00:27:52,571 --> 00:27:54,604 And so investigators went, um, 533 00:27:54,623 --> 00:27:57,174 just broaden the search of the area. 534 00:27:57,209 --> 00:27:59,076 - Narrator: Investigators secure a search warrant 535 00:27:59,111 --> 00:28:02,663 for the gash property and surrounding areas. 536 00:28:02,715 --> 00:28:07,117 On March 30, they execute an intensive search. 537 00:28:07,136 --> 00:28:10,754 - They began looking for signs of, you know, 538 00:28:10,789 --> 00:28:13,257 human life around--around there. 539 00:28:13,292 --> 00:28:17,294 And that's what led them to a neighbor's crawlspace. 540 00:28:17,313 --> 00:28:18,979 And they located her. 541 00:28:21,233 --> 00:28:23,967 - Narrator: After more than three days of searching, 542 00:28:23,986 --> 00:28:26,653 police have finally found the second half 543 00:28:26,689 --> 00:28:29,156 of this missing couple. 544 00:28:29,191 --> 00:28:31,775 - She was in a crawlspace under a storage shed. 545 00:28:31,810 --> 00:28:33,944 And she was in--wrapped in a blanket. 546 00:28:36,582 --> 00:28:39,216 - Narrator: Coming up: A discovery of evidence 547 00:28:39,251 --> 00:28:41,685 leaves investigators stunned. 548 00:28:41,721 --> 00:28:44,588 - They turned over the mattress and found copious 549 00:28:44,623 --> 00:28:47,257 amounts of what appeared to be human blood. 550 00:28:47,293 --> 00:28:49,343 - There was an intake of breath at the moment when 551 00:28:49,378 --> 00:28:52,513 first--we first saw it, because it was just so overwhelming. 552 00:28:55,935 --> 00:28:59,069 - ♪ 553 00:29:06,962 --> 00:29:10,630 - narrator: On March 30, 3 days after the discovery of 554 00:29:10,649 --> 00:29:13,650 don gash's dismembered torso, 555 00:29:13,686 --> 00:29:17,104 investigators have finally found his wife, gail... 556 00:29:19,141 --> 00:29:20,908 And she's alive. 557 00:29:22,311 --> 00:29:25,279 - She was found hiding under a neighbor's crawlspace. 558 00:29:25,314 --> 00:29:28,198 Neighbor had no idea that's where she had been. 559 00:29:28,250 --> 00:29:32,336 She had been there since, um, the Saturday before. 560 00:29:32,371 --> 00:29:33,587 - Ben: She was in bad shape. 561 00:29:33,622 --> 00:29:38,208 She was cold, and dirty, and all indications that she had not 562 00:29:38,260 --> 00:29:41,178 been back to her home. 563 00:29:41,213 --> 00:29:44,131 - Jonathan: She had been in the elements for several days. 564 00:29:44,166 --> 00:29:47,301 I don't know how she sustained herself. 565 00:29:47,336 --> 00:29:50,554 But she looked like a woman who'd been through hell. 566 00:29:52,358 --> 00:29:54,191 - Narrator: Based on the conditions in which she was 567 00:29:54,226 --> 00:29:59,196 found, investigators doubt gail was anyone's victim. 568 00:29:59,231 --> 00:30:01,315 - Beth: It didn't look like she had been placed there against 569 00:30:01,350 --> 00:30:03,684 her will or anything like that. 570 00:30:03,719 --> 00:30:06,620 It was somewhere where she could go in and out of. 571 00:30:06,655 --> 00:30:10,908 Ah, but it clearly looked like she had been hiding. 572 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,544 - Ben: Sometimes people hide because they've been traumatized 573 00:30:13,579 --> 00:30:16,079 so much, they don't know who to trust. 574 00:30:16,131 --> 00:30:18,698 But certainly, uh, a vast number of people 575 00:30:18,717 --> 00:30:20,400 that hide from law enforcement 576 00:30:20,436 --> 00:30:23,337 is because they committed a crime. 577 00:30:23,372 --> 00:30:26,173 - Narrator: Though investigators are incredibly suspicious 578 00:30:26,208 --> 00:30:29,226 of gail's involvement in her husband's murder, 579 00:30:29,261 --> 00:30:33,230 they won't be receiving any answers from her straight away. 580 00:30:33,265 --> 00:30:35,766 - Beth: She was, I think, suffering from hypothermia. 581 00:30:35,818 --> 00:30:38,936 She was conscious, um, but she would not speak. 582 00:30:38,988 --> 00:30:41,555 She wouldn't talk to them. She was not in good shape. 583 00:30:41,574 --> 00:30:43,357 She was taken immediately to the hospital. 584 00:30:45,461 --> 00:30:48,128 - Narrator: Authorities can only hope a formal search of 585 00:30:48,163 --> 00:30:51,615 the gash farm will fill in the blanks. 586 00:30:51,667 --> 00:30:53,233 - When they did execute a search warrant, 587 00:30:53,252 --> 00:30:54,251 they entered the home. 588 00:30:54,286 --> 00:30:58,755 And there was a pull-out bed in the living room, 589 00:30:58,791 --> 00:31:01,208 which don slept on. 590 00:31:01,243 --> 00:31:04,378 - Beth: Once investigators pulled that couch open, um, 591 00:31:04,413 --> 00:31:08,382 they turned over the mattress and found copious amounts of 592 00:31:08,417 --> 00:31:12,019 what appeared to be human blood, um, on this mattress. 593 00:31:14,990 --> 00:31:18,442 They then did further, deeper search of that room and found, 594 00:31:18,477 --> 00:31:23,363 um, what they thought was probably cast-off type of blood, 595 00:31:23,399 --> 00:31:26,633 um, up there on the ceiling. 596 00:31:26,669 --> 00:31:28,952 - When someone is bludgeoning someone 597 00:31:28,988 --> 00:31:31,939 or hitting them with an instrument, um, 598 00:31:31,974 --> 00:31:33,106 the blood from the victim 599 00:31:33,125 --> 00:31:38,178 gets on whatever weapon is being used and can sling off 600 00:31:38,213 --> 00:31:41,798 as they're bringing the weapon back over their shoulder, 601 00:31:41,834 --> 00:31:44,618 and can splash onto the ceiling, on the side walls, 602 00:31:44,637 --> 00:31:46,019 and that kind of thing. 603 00:31:48,190 --> 00:31:51,058 - Narrator: Assuming they may have found their murder scene, 604 00:31:51,093 --> 00:31:54,311 investigators spray luminol all over the room 605 00:31:54,346 --> 00:31:57,097 and turn out the lights, waiting for the chemical 606 00:31:57,132 --> 00:31:59,933 to glow in the presence of blood. 607 00:31:59,968 --> 00:32:02,019 - Unfortunately, it looked like a starry night. 608 00:32:03,305 --> 00:32:08,275 Just so many illuminations. It lit the room back up. 609 00:32:08,310 --> 00:32:10,327 There was an intake of breath at the moment when, uh, 610 00:32:10,362 --> 00:32:14,498 first--we first saw it, because it was just so overwhelming. 611 00:32:14,533 --> 00:32:15,999 - The amount of blood, um, 612 00:32:16,035 --> 00:32:19,086 indicated that he was killed there. 613 00:32:19,121 --> 00:32:21,338 As far as where he was dismembered, 614 00:32:21,373 --> 00:32:26,093 it's certainly consistent with it occurring there, but it also, 615 00:32:26,128 --> 00:32:30,130 um, could be consistent with the--the wounds to his head 616 00:32:30,165 --> 00:32:32,683 bleeding in that particular location. 617 00:32:34,136 --> 00:32:38,188 - That's when I really got a clear picture of how much 618 00:32:38,223 --> 00:32:41,975 cleanup had had to been done and how much carnage was there. 619 00:32:44,563 --> 00:32:47,381 - Narrator: With evidence that don's murder took place inside 620 00:32:47,416 --> 00:32:51,184 the house, suspicion grows toward the other two residents 621 00:32:51,220 --> 00:32:55,455 of the home: Gail and don jr. 622 00:32:55,491 --> 00:32:57,290 In search of a clear motive, 623 00:32:57,326 --> 00:33:01,495 investigators make a game-changing discovery. 624 00:33:01,530 --> 00:33:04,864 - There's a policy, ah, on don of life insurance-- 625 00:33:04,883 --> 00:33:07,501 I believe it was $150,000-- 626 00:33:07,536 --> 00:33:12,172 that would benefit gail and the children if don gash died. 627 00:33:15,594 --> 00:33:18,345 - Narrator: Investigators now feel that they have enough to 628 00:33:18,380 --> 00:33:20,897 charge gail with murder. 629 00:33:20,933 --> 00:33:23,817 And when she is released from the hospital on April 1, 630 00:33:23,852 --> 00:33:27,270 that's exactly what they do. 631 00:33:27,322 --> 00:33:29,222 - Beth: The charge against gail gash 632 00:33:29,258 --> 00:33:31,692 was based on circumstantial evidence. 633 00:33:31,727 --> 00:33:34,778 It was based on, um, the fact that she was the one that was 634 00:33:34,830 --> 00:33:38,281 hiding, um, her car that she was driving, 635 00:33:38,333 --> 00:33:41,401 that she alone was the one with this financial burden 636 00:33:41,437 --> 00:33:44,604 and was under that kind of threat of going to prison 637 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,406 if she couldn't come up with this money, 638 00:33:46,425 --> 00:33:48,408 have the life insurance policy on him. 639 00:33:48,444 --> 00:33:52,045 And so when you put all of these circumstances together, 640 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,215 that's what the detectives had to go on and, uh-- 641 00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:57,601 and they believed that she had committed the crime of 642 00:33:57,636 --> 00:33:59,152 first-degree murder. 643 00:33:59,188 --> 00:34:01,621 - Narrator: On April 1, 2004, 644 00:34:01,657 --> 00:34:04,825 gail is arrested outside pardee hospital 645 00:34:04,860 --> 00:34:07,227 and is placed in the henderson county jail 646 00:34:07,262 --> 00:34:08,962 under no bond. 647 00:34:08,997 --> 00:34:11,815 - At that point, there was a certain sigh of relief. 648 00:34:14,403 --> 00:34:16,570 - Narrator: Though gail is behind bars, 649 00:34:16,605 --> 00:34:20,540 investigators suspect she didn't act alone. 650 00:34:20,576 --> 00:34:21,775 - John: Gail was a small woman. 651 00:34:21,794 --> 00:34:25,295 And for her to be able to overpower don, 652 00:34:25,330 --> 00:34:28,498 who was much larger than her and much stronger than her, 653 00:34:28,550 --> 00:34:30,317 despite his disability, 654 00:34:30,352 --> 00:34:32,886 I just don't see how it could be done alone. 655 00:34:32,921 --> 00:34:34,888 - Beth: There was a lot of circumstances 656 00:34:34,923 --> 00:34:37,290 that the detectives thought, um, made donn jr. 657 00:34:37,309 --> 00:34:40,644 A likely participant in his father's killing. 658 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:45,065 Ah, donn was known not to get along very well with his dad. 659 00:34:45,100 --> 00:34:48,101 He was known to get along more with his mother. 660 00:34:48,137 --> 00:34:53,156 Um, detectives believed that gail gash physically could not 661 00:34:53,192 --> 00:34:57,611 have lifted the torso, could not have dismembered him. 662 00:34:57,646 --> 00:35:01,648 You know, how could one person have done this all by herself? 663 00:35:01,667 --> 00:35:04,484 - Narrator: Prosecutors hope this question and more 664 00:35:04,503 --> 00:35:06,169 will be answered in court. 665 00:35:06,205 --> 00:35:10,874 But for now, donn jr. Receives no charges. 666 00:35:10,926 --> 00:35:12,926 - John: At that time, they weren't able to find 667 00:35:12,961 --> 00:35:17,264 any evidence that tied donn jr. To the crime. 668 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,520 - Narrator: Gail's attorneys get to work on her defense. 669 00:35:23,555 --> 00:35:27,190 And one of their first moves aims to combat her husband's 670 00:35:27,226 --> 00:35:31,344 prominence within the hendersonville community. 671 00:35:31,380 --> 00:35:33,530 - There was a motion to change venue. 672 00:35:33,565 --> 00:35:37,868 And this was a--um, a motion based on the--the media swirl 673 00:35:37,903 --> 00:35:40,954 about this homicide. 674 00:35:40,989 --> 00:35:44,074 - Don was put on this pedestal of being, you know, 675 00:35:44,126 --> 00:35:47,043 a pillar of the community, the fire chief, 676 00:35:47,079 --> 00:35:49,713 someone that people respected and looked up to 677 00:35:49,748 --> 00:35:52,582 and could do no wrong. 678 00:35:52,634 --> 00:35:55,168 - Beth: The aim of the defense was to try to get this trial 679 00:35:55,204 --> 00:35:57,704 switched from henderson county to buncombe county. 680 00:35:57,739 --> 00:36:00,557 The concern by the defense was that potential jurors had 681 00:36:00,592 --> 00:36:05,428 already formed an opinion about the guilt of, uh, his client. 682 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,181 Judge marlene hyatt ruled against the defense on that 683 00:36:08,216 --> 00:36:12,619 motion, so we were set for trial in, uh, November of 2006. 684 00:36:14,790 --> 00:36:18,124 - Narrator: Coming up: A community eager for resolution 685 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:22,262 hears a version of don's final moments. 686 00:36:22,297 --> 00:36:25,699 - She confronted him about some things in their past, 687 00:36:25,734 --> 00:36:27,400 and that they got into this fight. 688 00:36:27,419 --> 00:36:30,203 That he began to assault her. 689 00:36:30,238 --> 00:36:32,906 - Narrator: And lingering suspicions of an accomplice 690 00:36:32,925 --> 00:36:35,208 haunt the courtroom. 691 00:36:35,243 --> 00:36:37,594 - I just don't see how anyone could sleep through that 692 00:36:37,629 --> 00:36:40,130 and not hear anything. 693 00:36:40,182 --> 00:36:43,633 - What we wanted more than anything was for justice 694 00:36:43,685 --> 00:36:46,186 to be served for don gash. 695 00:36:48,807 --> 00:36:52,325 - ♪ 696 00:36:58,767 --> 00:37:01,768 - narrator: November 7, 2006. 697 00:37:01,803 --> 00:37:05,188 Just as gail gash's trial is about to begin for the murder 698 00:37:05,224 --> 00:37:09,226 of her husband, don gash, a sudden development 699 00:37:09,261 --> 00:37:12,596 takes the courtroom by surprise. 700 00:37:12,631 --> 00:37:13,997 - John: We all went to court, uh, 701 00:37:14,032 --> 00:37:16,299 thinking that the trial was gonna start that day. 702 00:37:16,335 --> 00:37:17,951 And they came out and announced 703 00:37:17,986 --> 00:37:21,154 that there was going to be a plea deal. 704 00:37:21,206 --> 00:37:24,291 She ended up pleaing to second-degree murder. 705 00:37:24,326 --> 00:37:25,825 - Rocky: I was disappointed. 706 00:37:25,877 --> 00:37:29,162 What we wanted more than anything was for justice 707 00:37:29,214 --> 00:37:32,549 to be served for don gash. 708 00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:35,585 But also, we wanted the truth to be told. 709 00:37:38,123 --> 00:37:39,923 - Narrator: During her sentencing hearing, 710 00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:43,827 gail's defense presents their client's version of events. 711 00:37:46,481 --> 00:37:50,000 - Beth: The defense case was that gail gash and donn gash, 712 00:37:50,035 --> 00:37:52,185 her son, and don gash, the victim, 713 00:37:52,237 --> 00:37:57,824 were all in the house together the night of March 25, 2004. 714 00:37:57,859 --> 00:38:01,111 And that gail gash had gone to put fire on the fireplace. 715 00:38:01,146 --> 00:38:04,364 That don gash had made some advances towards her, 716 00:38:04,416 --> 00:38:06,166 that they got into an argument. 717 00:38:06,201 --> 00:38:09,786 That she confronted him about some things in their past. 718 00:38:09,821 --> 00:38:12,005 And that she said that he just got irate. 719 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,341 That they got into this fight. 720 00:38:14,376 --> 00:38:16,509 That he began to assault her, 721 00:38:16,545 --> 00:38:18,678 and that she grabbed for a piece of wood 722 00:38:18,714 --> 00:38:22,349 and just started beating him about his head. 723 00:38:22,384 --> 00:38:25,051 - ♪ 724 00:38:25,103 --> 00:38:26,836 - she said it was like a jack in the box. 725 00:38:26,872 --> 00:38:28,688 Like, he came right back up. 726 00:38:28,724 --> 00:38:30,724 And she remembers hitting him again, 727 00:38:30,776 --> 00:38:32,275 but not really much after that. 728 00:38:33,945 --> 00:38:37,280 - The entire courtroom was shocked: Family, those watching, 729 00:38:37,316 --> 00:38:39,115 you know, everybody. 730 00:38:39,151 --> 00:38:41,851 - Beth: Her version of events was, after she killed him, 731 00:38:41,887 --> 00:38:44,154 she panicked. She didn't know what to do. 732 00:38:44,189 --> 00:38:45,288 She hadn't planned this. 733 00:38:45,324 --> 00:38:50,577 And so she knew that she had to keep this from her son. 734 00:38:50,629 --> 00:38:54,247 That her son was away in his bedroom. 735 00:38:54,299 --> 00:38:56,532 That he would be getting up in the morning, in a few hours, 736 00:38:56,551 --> 00:38:57,917 to go to work. 737 00:38:57,969 --> 00:39:00,036 So she had to hide this body. 738 00:39:00,055 --> 00:39:04,307 She went and got a dolly, put him into a--an area of the house 739 00:39:04,343 --> 00:39:06,259 that nobody went to. 740 00:39:06,311 --> 00:39:09,979 She hid him there and tried to figure out what to do. 741 00:39:10,015 --> 00:39:14,234 That's when she decided she would dismember him. 742 00:39:14,269 --> 00:39:20,256 Took off his--his head, his arms, his legs with a saw. 743 00:39:20,292 --> 00:39:24,027 She went and got a tub, rolled the torso into this tub, 744 00:39:24,062 --> 00:39:25,945 and wheeled it to the burn area, 745 00:39:25,997 --> 00:39:28,832 where she attempted to burn the torso. 746 00:39:33,038 --> 00:39:35,805 - Narrator: But gail's defense claims she became impatient 747 00:39:35,841 --> 00:39:39,175 with the incineration process. 748 00:39:39,211 --> 00:39:41,177 - Beth: It, uh, was taking longer 749 00:39:41,213 --> 00:39:43,113 than she thought it would. So she got spooked 750 00:39:43,148 --> 00:39:46,766 and put his torso back into the tub, 751 00:39:46,802 --> 00:39:48,584 put the tub in the barn. 752 00:39:48,603 --> 00:39:52,889 And then, once she dumped the body parts that were located 753 00:39:52,924 --> 00:39:56,092 off the blue ridge parkway, including mr. Gash's head, arms, 754 00:39:56,111 --> 00:39:59,095 and legs, she then came back. 755 00:39:59,114 --> 00:40:01,114 She parked that car at the cemetery. 756 00:40:01,149 --> 00:40:05,702 She ran to the neighbor's house, to their outbuilding. 757 00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:07,654 And that's where she said she hid for days 758 00:40:07,706 --> 00:40:09,205 until she was found. 759 00:40:11,209 --> 00:40:13,476 - Narrator: Following the defense's presentation, 760 00:40:13,512 --> 00:40:17,714 the prosecution calls donn jr. To the witness stand. 761 00:40:17,749 --> 00:40:20,150 Long suspected to have been involved, 762 00:40:20,185 --> 00:40:24,053 they ask him about the night of his father's murder. 763 00:40:24,089 --> 00:40:26,790 - John: For someone to be asleep in that home while your mother 764 00:40:26,825 --> 00:40:29,476 is bludgeoning your father to death, 765 00:40:29,511 --> 00:40:34,180 and then later dragging his body through the house, I just-- 766 00:40:34,232 --> 00:40:36,966 I don't see how anyone could sleep through that 767 00:40:36,985 --> 00:40:40,470 and not hear anything or notice anything. 768 00:40:40,489 --> 00:40:42,405 - Narrator: But donn jr. Testifies that he had 769 00:40:42,441 --> 00:40:47,210 no prior knowledge of the murder nor was he involved. 770 00:40:47,245 --> 00:40:51,080 - Donn gash, though, was never charged with any crime. 771 00:40:51,116 --> 00:40:54,650 There was never any actual evidence that we found 772 00:40:54,669 --> 00:40:57,954 that tied to him to any part of this. 773 00:41:00,559 --> 00:41:03,226 - Narrator: Leslie gash takes the stand in her mother's 774 00:41:03,261 --> 00:41:08,298 defense, testifying that her dad could get easily agitated. 775 00:41:08,333 --> 00:41:11,534 - Leslie: Towards the end, my dad was drinking a lot. 776 00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:13,536 I know that that was an issue. 777 00:41:13,572 --> 00:41:17,190 When the goods were good at home, they were really good. 778 00:41:17,225 --> 00:41:19,893 And when the bads were-- at home were bad, 779 00:41:19,945 --> 00:41:23,279 they were really, really bad. 780 00:41:23,315 --> 00:41:25,081 - Narrator: At the conclusion of the hearing, 781 00:41:25,116 --> 00:41:26,950 and as a part of her plea, 782 00:41:26,985 --> 00:41:30,286 gail is sentenced to 15 years in prison, 783 00:41:30,322 --> 00:41:33,122 leading to a general air of disappointment 784 00:41:33,158 --> 00:41:36,559 within the community beyond the courtroom walls. 785 00:41:36,595 --> 00:41:38,695 - John: People definitely didn't think justice was served. 786 00:41:38,730 --> 00:41:43,533 They felt like the story of don sr.'s murder wasn't told. 787 00:41:43,568 --> 00:41:46,386 They felt the facts weren't put out there for everyone, 788 00:41:46,421 --> 00:41:50,773 you know, to hear, and that gail did not get the sentencing that 789 00:41:50,809 --> 00:41:52,375 they felt she deserved. 790 00:41:54,479 --> 00:41:59,148 - Narrator: But for the gash family, the tragedy is twofold. 791 00:41:59,184 --> 00:42:04,487 - The tragedy is a family that completely was torn apart. 792 00:42:04,523 --> 00:42:09,292 The tragedy is a man that had so much to give to the community, 793 00:42:09,327 --> 00:42:15,331 was denied giving it, uh, in his--his later years. 794 00:42:15,367 --> 00:42:20,103 - It was just a sad thing. I felt really bad for the kids. 795 00:42:20,138 --> 00:42:24,107 I'm sure it was something that the kids deal with to this day. 796 00:42:24,142 --> 00:42:25,942 - Leslie: Even, like, sitting here, I'm still kind of like, 797 00:42:25,977 --> 00:42:27,176 "why am I doing this?" 798 00:42:29,581 --> 00:42:30,847 I think it's just because 799 00:42:30,882 --> 00:42:36,019 for so long, it's-- 800 00:42:36,054 --> 00:42:38,605 we really couldn't say anything. 801 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:40,323 It wasn't all terrible at home. 802 00:42:40,358 --> 00:42:42,992 There were some good times. There was a lot bad. 803 00:42:43,028 --> 00:42:46,129 My mom is not a terrible person. 804 00:42:46,164 --> 00:42:50,617 And how these actions, these choices, you know, 805 00:42:50,652 --> 00:42:53,603 that were made, whether it was 25 years ago of not getting a 806 00:42:53,638 --> 00:42:58,207 divorce or, you know, 30 years ago, or ever getting married, 807 00:42:58,243 --> 00:43:02,645 or, you know, that all those actions have consequences. 808 00:43:02,681 --> 00:43:04,547 Whether you're a woman, a man, a kid, 809 00:43:04,583 --> 00:43:07,634 and you're in any form of a bad relationship, get out. 810 00:43:07,669 --> 00:43:09,218 Talk to somebody. 811 00:43:09,254 --> 00:43:11,321 Don't stay quiet, because I promise you it just-- 812 00:43:11,356 --> 00:43:13,856 it's not like it just poof, goes away one day. 813 00:43:13,892 --> 00:43:17,226 It--it doesn't. It has long-lasting effects. 814 00:43:20,398 --> 00:43:27,537 - ♪