1 00:00:03,152 --> 00:00:04,953 - FEMALE NARRATOR: When an aspiring YouTube star 2 00:00:05,030 --> 00:00:06,788 marries a brooding gamer, 3 00:00:06,865 --> 00:00:10,175 they prove that opposites do attract. 4 00:00:10,252 --> 00:00:11,960 - I am the biggest dreamer ever. 5 00:00:12,037 --> 00:00:13,670 I'm very free-spirited. 6 00:00:13,681 --> 00:00:17,424 - NATASHA: He was the calm, tame stuff that she needed, 7 00:00:17,501 --> 00:00:19,184 and she was just the right amount of 8 00:00:19,261 --> 00:00:21,186 fun and crazy that he needed. 9 00:00:21,263 --> 00:00:23,022 They were like soulmates. 10 00:00:23,098 --> 00:00:26,692 - NARRATOR: After becoming parents to two sets of twins, 11 00:00:26,769 --> 00:00:29,978 this young Texas couple seemed like a reality show 12 00:00:30,055 --> 00:00:33,690 in the making, until their home turned into 13 00:00:33,701 --> 00:00:36,702 a real-life nightmare. 14 00:00:36,779 --> 00:00:39,705 - She was crying, and through the crying, 15 00:00:39,782 --> 00:00:44,159 trying to say that somebody had kidnapped her husband. 16 00:00:44,236 --> 00:00:47,713 - I can hear her, and at that point, 17 00:00:47,790 --> 00:00:51,625 I start hearing panic. 18 00:00:51,701 --> 00:00:53,719 - NARRATOR: As the investigation begins, 19 00:00:53,796 --> 00:00:56,004 a dangerous conspiracy fueled by 20 00:00:56,081 --> 00:01:00,059 an unquenchable thirst is discovered. 21 00:01:00,135 --> 00:01:03,562 - So much of her behavior was attention-seeking. 22 00:01:03,639 --> 00:01:05,847 - She said, "I can make anybody believe anything. 23 00:01:05,924 --> 00:01:08,067 I'm an actress." 24 00:01:08,143 --> 00:01:09,735 - NARRATOR: When the truth is revealed, 25 00:01:09,812 --> 00:01:13,730 this once idyllic family will land in the spotlight 26 00:01:13,741 --> 00:01:16,742 for all the wrong reasons. 27 00:01:16,819 --> 00:01:18,744 - DAVID: They had hit him in the head multiple times 28 00:01:18,821 --> 00:01:19,912 with the pistol. 29 00:01:19,988 --> 00:01:22,081 They had hit him across the face with it. 30 00:01:22,157 --> 00:01:23,698 They had punched him. 31 00:01:23,775 --> 00:01:25,751 - ROSIE: She said, "I'm really freaking out. 32 00:01:25,828 --> 00:01:27,836 I've never been so scared in my life." 33 00:01:30,091 --> 00:01:34,802 - ♪ 34 00:01:36,913 --> 00:01:39,473 ♪♪ 35 00:01:41,343 --> 00:01:44,261 - NARRATOR: February 20, 2015. 36 00:01:44,271 --> 00:01:47,931 It's just after 2 a.m. in Titus County, Texas, 37 00:01:47,942 --> 00:01:51,560 as Rosie Wohlford is wrapping up a fun night on the town 38 00:01:51,636 --> 00:01:54,187 with her daughter Natasha. 39 00:01:54,264 --> 00:01:56,189 - ROSIE: We were having a karaoke night. 40 00:01:56,266 --> 00:01:59,234 We had walked out of the club and we were standing outside 41 00:01:59,311 --> 00:02:03,947 talking to the owner when my phone started ringing. 42 00:02:03,958 --> 00:02:05,958 - NARRATOR: Rosie answers the call from 43 00:02:06,034 --> 00:02:11,288 her oldest daughter, 26-year-old Samantha Wohlford. 44 00:02:11,298 --> 00:02:13,290 - ROSIE: It was muffled and not clear. 45 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,135 I finally get to a point where I can hear her, 46 00:02:16,211 --> 00:02:22,132 and at that point, I start hearing panic. 47 00:02:22,143 --> 00:02:23,300 - ♪ 48 00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:25,093 - My mom just looked horrified, 49 00:02:25,170 --> 00:02:26,145 and I'm like, "What's the matter?" 50 00:02:26,221 --> 00:02:27,646 She's like, "Your sister." 51 00:02:27,723 --> 00:02:33,152 She said, "All I know is, something about they took him." 52 00:02:33,228 --> 00:02:34,319 And I was like, "What's the matter?" 53 00:02:34,396 --> 00:02:36,605 She's like, "I can't understand her." 54 00:02:36,681 --> 00:02:38,899 - NARRATOR: Through her daughter's muffled cries, 55 00:02:38,975 --> 00:02:42,661 Rosie begins to understand that Samantha is talking about 56 00:02:42,738 --> 00:02:46,948 her husband, 29-year-old Ernie Ibarra. 57 00:02:47,025 --> 00:02:49,784 - She said there was intruders 58 00:02:49,861 --> 00:02:53,914 and apparently they have kidnapped him. 59 00:02:53,990 --> 00:03:00,337 I finally managed to hear her say, "I'm tied up." 60 00:03:00,347 --> 00:03:03,673 And now I'm really freaking out. 61 00:03:03,684 --> 00:03:07,019 I've never been so scared in my life. 62 00:03:07,095 --> 00:03:08,854 - NATASHA: She's like, "Get in the car right now." 63 00:03:08,931 --> 00:03:10,931 So I'm like, "Okay," and I jump in the car, 64 00:03:11,007 --> 00:03:13,025 and she said, "Get me to Mount Pleasant." 65 00:03:13,101 --> 00:03:16,770 So I'm literally driving 90 miles an hour in a 40 66 00:03:16,846 --> 00:03:19,189 trying to get her there. 67 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,942 - NARRATOR: Rosie and Natasha rush to Samantha's house 68 00:03:22,018 --> 00:03:24,027 about an hour away. 69 00:03:24,038 --> 00:03:28,373 As they drive, Rosie calls her sister Ginger. 70 00:03:28,450 --> 00:03:31,034 - My sister was clearheaded enough to think, 71 00:03:31,045 --> 00:03:33,045 "Hey, we should probably call 911." 72 00:03:33,121 --> 00:03:36,206 So she immediately had called 911. 73 00:03:36,217 --> 00:03:40,052 - The mom calls Ginger, the aunt, who lived probably 74 00:03:40,128 --> 00:03:42,054 ten minutes down the road, 75 00:03:42,130 --> 00:03:44,723 and told her what Samantha was saying 76 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,841 and then Ginger and Ginger's husband 77 00:03:46,918 --> 00:03:48,894 went over to the house. 78 00:03:48,971 --> 00:03:49,970 - ♪ 79 00:03:50,046 --> 00:03:51,396 - NARRATOR: Ginger and her husband 80 00:03:51,473 --> 00:03:55,734 arrived at Samantha's home before law enforcement. 81 00:03:55,811 --> 00:03:57,978 - I tell her to holler so they can hear her, 82 00:03:58,054 --> 00:04:00,313 and so they know she's upstairs. 83 00:04:00,390 --> 00:04:02,991 And so they go upstairs. 84 00:04:05,770 --> 00:04:06,970 And when they get upstairs, 85 00:04:06,972 --> 00:04:09,915 she's got her hands tied behind her back, 86 00:04:09,992 --> 00:04:15,161 and her ankles are tied, and she's gagged. 87 00:04:15,238 --> 00:04:18,248 - DAVID: She was crying and, through the crying, 88 00:04:18,259 --> 00:04:22,419 trying to say that somebody had broken into her house, 89 00:04:22,429 --> 00:04:25,931 that they had kidnapped her husband. 90 00:04:26,008 --> 00:04:28,383 - ROSIE: We have no idea what has happened. 91 00:04:28,460 --> 00:04:30,102 Where is my son-in-law? 92 00:04:30,178 --> 00:04:32,053 What is going on? 93 00:04:32,130 --> 00:04:33,689 Where is Ernie? 94 00:04:34,924 --> 00:04:37,017 - ♪ 95 00:04:37,093 --> 00:04:40,020 - NARRATOR: Born on Christmas Day, 1985, 96 00:04:40,096 --> 00:04:41,896 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, 97 00:04:41,973 --> 00:04:46,234 Ernie Ibarra was a bright and quiet child. 98 00:04:46,311 --> 00:04:47,736 - He was kind of a bookworm. 99 00:04:47,812 --> 00:04:50,363 At one point, my mom--my mom had to-- 100 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,782 she had to ground him from his books 101 00:04:52,793 --> 00:04:56,077 because he would stay up all night reading books 102 00:04:56,154 --> 00:04:59,205 and go to sleep during class. 103 00:04:59,282 --> 00:05:00,799 - NARRATOR: As Ernie got older, 104 00:05:00,876 --> 00:05:05,470 his affinity for books gave way to another passion. 105 00:05:05,547 --> 00:05:09,808 - He loved to mess around with computers, period. 106 00:05:09,885 --> 00:05:12,811 He could tear one apart, put it right back together. 107 00:05:12,888 --> 00:05:15,055 He was very, very good at it. 108 00:05:15,131 --> 00:05:19,476 He did go to college and got some certificates 109 00:05:19,486 --> 00:05:21,987 on technology and computers. 110 00:05:22,064 --> 00:05:23,304 - ♪ 111 00:05:23,382 --> 00:05:25,490 - NARRATOR: Ernie spent most of his time gaming 112 00:05:25,567 --> 00:05:28,827 and working toward his dream. 113 00:05:28,904 --> 00:05:33,332 Then, in 2008, he met a woman at a local tattoo shop 114 00:05:33,408 --> 00:05:37,336 who would change his life, Samantha Wohlford. 115 00:05:37,412 --> 00:05:39,838 - NATASHA: Sam was a real bubbly person. 116 00:05:39,915 --> 00:05:41,081 Everybody liked her. 117 00:05:41,157 --> 00:05:43,249 She just has that way about her. 118 00:05:43,326 --> 00:05:45,844 - ♪ 119 00:05:45,921 --> 00:05:48,847 - NARRATOR: Samantha was born in 1989. 120 00:05:48,924 --> 00:05:50,090 From a young age, 121 00:05:50,166 --> 00:05:54,094 she had a strong instinct to nurture. 122 00:05:54,170 --> 00:05:56,096 - ROSIE: Samantha was my oldest. 123 00:05:56,172 --> 00:05:59,849 Then I have Natasha, and then I have Darrell. 124 00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:02,361 Sam always had that mothering instinct. 125 00:06:02,437 --> 00:06:06,106 She was mama to the babies below her. 126 00:06:06,182 --> 00:06:09,109 She knew all along she wanted to be a mom. 127 00:06:09,185 --> 00:06:10,985 - NARRATOR: At the young age of 19, 128 00:06:11,062 --> 00:06:14,206 Samantha's dream became a dramatic reality 129 00:06:14,282 --> 00:06:16,950 when she and her high school sweetheart found out 130 00:06:17,026 --> 00:06:19,202 they were expecting. 131 00:06:19,213 --> 00:06:20,879 - DARRELL: She had told me she was pregnant. 132 00:06:20,956 --> 00:06:22,381 She said, "And it's twins." 133 00:06:22,457 --> 00:06:24,549 I was like, "Oh my gosh." 134 00:06:24,626 --> 00:06:27,460 It was just--it's mind-boggling. 135 00:06:27,537 --> 00:06:28,945 - ♪ 136 00:06:28,947 --> 00:06:31,339 - NARRATOR: While the pregnancy was a dream come true, 137 00:06:31,416 --> 00:06:36,228 Samantha's relationship with the twins' father was not. 138 00:06:36,304 --> 00:06:39,472 - ROSIE: She was with him for a while, probably two years, 139 00:06:39,549 --> 00:06:47,021 but he was not husband material, so she finally ended it. 140 00:06:47,098 --> 00:06:48,407 - NARRATOR: For the next few months, 141 00:06:48,483 --> 00:06:51,484 Samantha struggled to make ends meet. 142 00:06:51,561 --> 00:06:53,412 - NATASHA: She was a photographer for newborns, 143 00:06:53,488 --> 00:06:57,991 and she also was doing side jobs like selling Mary Kay. 144 00:06:58,067 --> 00:06:59,868 She did little ventures here and there 145 00:06:59,944 --> 00:07:02,162 to try to make money. 146 00:07:02,238 --> 00:07:03,913 - ♪ 147 00:07:03,924 --> 00:07:06,374 - NARRATOR: Then, in January 2008, 148 00:07:06,451 --> 00:07:08,042 her life turned around 149 00:07:08,119 --> 00:07:12,088 when she met 22-year-old Ernie Ibarra. 150 00:07:12,099 --> 00:07:15,100 - He was in this very dark stage, 151 00:07:15,177 --> 00:07:18,386 Gothic, I would call it. 152 00:07:18,463 --> 00:07:22,941 He had long hair, wore a long black trench coat 153 00:07:23,018 --> 00:07:27,187 and black boots, black pants. 154 00:07:27,263 --> 00:07:29,439 - DARRELL: She liked the persona he put off. 155 00:07:29,450 --> 00:07:33,067 She liked mysteries. 156 00:07:33,144 --> 00:07:37,030 I guess he was a mystery she was wanting to unravel. 157 00:07:37,106 --> 00:07:38,198 - ♪ 158 00:07:38,274 --> 00:07:39,949 - NARRATOR: For the first couple of years, 159 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,620 Ernie and Samantha kept their relationship casual, 160 00:07:43,630 --> 00:07:49,209 until 2011, when things got serious fast. 161 00:07:49,285 --> 00:07:50,694 - NATASHA: She found out she was pregnant. 162 00:07:50,696 --> 00:07:54,380 She was like, "Oh my goodness, another set of twins!" 163 00:07:54,457 --> 00:07:56,090 - ELAINE: When they were born, of course, 164 00:07:56,167 --> 00:08:00,479 he was the proud father, as any father would be. 165 00:08:00,555 --> 00:08:02,305 - NARRATOR: With two sets of twins, 166 00:08:02,316 --> 00:08:05,650 Ernie and Samantha were immersed in family life 167 00:08:05,727 --> 00:08:08,937 and grew closer through the chaos. 168 00:08:09,013 --> 00:08:12,482 - NATASHA: He was the calm, tame stuff that she needed, 169 00:08:12,493 --> 00:08:15,652 and she was just the right amount of fun and crazy 170 00:08:15,662 --> 00:08:16,720 that he needed. 171 00:08:16,722 --> 00:08:19,072 I mean, they were like soulmates. 172 00:08:19,148 --> 00:08:20,949 - ♪ 173 00:08:21,025 --> 00:08:24,002 - NARRATOR: In late 2013, 24-year-old Samantha 174 00:08:24,079 --> 00:08:27,997 gave birth to her fifth child, and Ernie worked hard 175 00:08:28,008 --> 00:08:31,125 to support his growing family. 176 00:08:31,202 --> 00:08:34,462 - ABIGAIL: He ended up getting a job at D-BAT, 177 00:08:34,539 --> 00:08:39,184 which they make baseball bats, and he ran the machine 178 00:08:39,261 --> 00:08:42,354 that did all the lasering on the bats. 179 00:08:42,430 --> 00:08:44,264 - CHRIS: He was workin' two jobs. 180 00:08:44,340 --> 00:08:46,349 He was workin' as a computer programmer 181 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,269 at a local bat manufacturing company here, 182 00:08:49,345 --> 00:08:54,199 and he was also working part-time at a Little Caesar's. 183 00:08:54,276 --> 00:08:56,943 - NARRATOR: Samantha also looked for a way to bring in 184 00:08:57,020 --> 00:09:00,029 additional income for her growing brood. 185 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,948 - She was really big into YouTube 186 00:09:02,025 --> 00:09:05,159 and she made this series of YouTube videos. 187 00:09:05,236 --> 00:09:07,161 Basically, her videos were just going on and on 188 00:09:07,238 --> 00:09:09,381 about her pregnancy. 189 00:09:09,457 --> 00:09:12,375 - She did hope that she could make some kind of 190 00:09:12,386 --> 00:09:14,043 extra money at it. 191 00:09:14,054 --> 00:09:17,380 - September 21, my babies turn 1 years old. 192 00:09:17,391 --> 00:09:21,467 My youngest twins, I feel-- I'm getting so old, oh my God. 193 00:09:21,544 --> 00:09:24,563 - CARLY: There's one where she's just talking about 194 00:09:24,639 --> 00:09:28,233 tips on how to get your kid ready for school really fast, 195 00:09:28,310 --> 00:09:30,310 like she was trying to help other moms. 196 00:09:30,386 --> 00:09:32,520 - NARRATOR: With every video she posted, 197 00:09:32,597 --> 00:09:37,317 Samantha's confidence and aspirations grew. 198 00:09:37,393 --> 00:09:39,244 - ELAINE: She was wanting to be famous. 199 00:09:39,321 --> 00:09:42,196 She wanted to be seen, she wanted to be known. 200 00:09:42,273 --> 00:09:43,698 - I love you guys. 201 00:09:43,775 --> 00:09:45,250 Bye. 202 00:09:45,327 --> 00:09:46,659 - ♪ 203 00:09:46,736 --> 00:09:50,088 - NARRATOR: By March 2014, it seemed there was only 204 00:09:50,165 --> 00:09:54,751 one thing missing-- a ring on Samantha's finger. 205 00:09:54,761 --> 00:09:56,428 - NATASHA: She's like, "It's time, you know. 206 00:09:56,504 --> 00:09:58,338 "I'm sitting here, we're living together. 207 00:09:58,414 --> 00:10:01,424 "I'm ready to become the wife." 208 00:10:01,435 --> 00:10:02,601 I babysat their kids, 209 00:10:02,677 --> 00:10:04,677 and they went out, went to Hope, Arkansas, 210 00:10:04,754 --> 00:10:07,272 and got married. 211 00:10:07,349 --> 00:10:08,681 - ♪ 212 00:10:08,758 --> 00:10:11,684 - NARRATOR: Now, just shy of their second anniversary 213 00:10:11,761 --> 00:10:16,356 in the early morning hours of February 20, 2015, 214 00:10:16,432 --> 00:10:20,401 Samantha is found bound and gagged inside her home, 215 00:10:20,478 --> 00:10:24,197 crying out that her husband Ernie has been kidnapped. 216 00:10:24,273 --> 00:10:25,624 - ROSIE: She was devastated, 217 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:28,460 and she was crying uncontrollably, 218 00:10:28,536 --> 00:10:30,078 and she was scared. 219 00:10:30,154 --> 00:10:32,130 She said, "They gotta find him." 220 00:10:32,207 --> 00:10:35,124 - ♪ 221 00:10:35,135 --> 00:10:36,584 - CHRIS: As we go into the house, 222 00:10:36,661 --> 00:10:40,472 Samantha and her aunt are coming down the staircase, 223 00:10:40,548 --> 00:10:43,308 and that's where me and the officers 224 00:10:43,385 --> 00:10:46,552 have our first encounter with her. 225 00:10:46,629 --> 00:10:47,812 The kids were asleep. 226 00:10:47,889 --> 00:10:50,807 They were upstairs, so I told Samantha, 227 00:10:50,817 --> 00:10:52,809 "Just leave them where they're at for right now," 228 00:10:52,819 --> 00:10:55,654 so I could get more information from her about what happened 229 00:10:55,730 --> 00:10:58,648 without having to worry about the children. 230 00:10:58,659 --> 00:11:01,317 - NARRATOR: Investigators know they have to act fast 231 00:11:01,328 --> 00:11:03,328 to find Ernie. 232 00:11:03,405 --> 00:11:04,812 - CHRIS: At that point in time, 233 00:11:04,890 --> 00:11:08,616 Ernie is possibly still alive and we can get to him. 234 00:11:08,693 --> 00:11:11,619 - TIM: We gotta get this solved and get it solved fast 235 00:11:11,696 --> 00:11:14,422 because, you know, we knew something wasn't right. 236 00:11:17,344 --> 00:11:18,677 - NARRATOR: Coming up, 237 00:11:18,753 --> 00:11:22,755 investigators look into a potential family vendetta. 238 00:11:22,832 --> 00:11:24,516 - CHRIS: The subjects made a statement that 239 00:11:24,592 --> 00:11:28,353 they were there to get payback. 240 00:11:28,430 --> 00:11:31,189 - She painted the picture that this was in retribution 241 00:11:31,266 --> 00:11:34,517 for something that Ernie's father might have done. 242 00:11:34,528 --> 00:11:37,478 - NARRATOR: And Samantha recounts the chilling details 243 00:11:37,555 --> 00:11:38,446 of the attack. 244 00:11:49,859 --> 00:11:52,335 - ♪ 245 00:11:57,107 --> 00:11:59,676 - ♪ 246 00:12:01,871 --> 00:12:05,223 - NARRATOR: On February 20, 2015, 247 00:12:05,300 --> 00:12:07,800 investigators with the Titus County, Texas, 248 00:12:07,877 --> 00:12:09,728 Sheriff's Department have just arrived 249 00:12:09,804 --> 00:12:14,807 at the home of Ernie Ibarra and his wife Samantha. 250 00:12:14,884 --> 00:12:17,643 - Samantha described who had broken into her house, 251 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,897 that they had kidnapped her husband. 252 00:12:20,907 --> 00:12:23,399 She said she was taken upstairs and tied up 253 00:12:23,410 --> 00:12:26,527 with her hands behind her back and her ankles tied. 254 00:12:26,604 --> 00:12:28,821 - She is just pale as a ghost 255 00:12:28,898 --> 00:12:31,583 and she's just distraught and she looks like 256 00:12:31,659 --> 00:12:36,496 this scared little girl not knowing what's going on. 257 00:12:36,572 --> 00:12:39,373 - NARRATOR: As deputies work to calm Samantha, 258 00:12:39,450 --> 00:12:40,917 they can hear the couple's children 259 00:12:40,927 --> 00:12:45,263 growing restless in an upstairs bedroom. 260 00:12:45,340 --> 00:12:48,716 - By the time they got through 261 00:12:48,793 --> 00:12:50,843 photographing the home and everything, 262 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,429 they did get the kids for me and everything 263 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:54,889 and bring them out so we loaded them 264 00:12:54,966 --> 00:12:56,274 into our vehicle. 265 00:12:59,470 --> 00:13:01,771 - NARRATOR: While Samantha helped settle her children, 266 00:13:01,782 --> 00:13:06,692 investigators look for any clues that might lead them to Ernie. 267 00:13:06,769 --> 00:13:08,177 - There was nothing missing. 268 00:13:08,179 --> 00:13:11,956 The extent of valuables would be flat screen televisions, 269 00:13:12,033 --> 00:13:14,450 and there's nothing there that would give us 270 00:13:14,461 --> 00:13:16,369 an indication that somebody broke in that home 271 00:13:16,445 --> 00:13:19,464 for the purpose of taking property out of it. 272 00:13:19,541 --> 00:13:21,374 - CHRIS: There was some kind of struggle 273 00:13:21,450 --> 00:13:23,918 because there is damage upstairs to a wall 274 00:13:23,995 --> 00:13:26,304 that looks like somebody got pushed into the Sheetrock 275 00:13:26,381 --> 00:13:28,047 and the Sheetrock is damaged. 276 00:13:28,124 --> 00:13:29,715 There's some blood on the wall, 277 00:13:29,792 --> 00:13:32,593 which probably happened during a scuffle. 278 00:13:32,670 --> 00:13:36,889 Right by the door was a lock of hair. 279 00:13:36,966 --> 00:13:38,975 - The front door is laying in the living room 280 00:13:38,985 --> 00:13:41,435 as you come up the front porch, and it's just shattered 281 00:13:41,512 --> 00:13:42,895 in about four to five pieces. 282 00:13:42,972 --> 00:13:44,656 There's blood all over the place, 283 00:13:44,732 --> 00:13:45,990 so you know something's happened here. 284 00:13:46,067 --> 00:13:48,067 We're trying to piece this together. 285 00:13:48,144 --> 00:13:50,653 - ♪ 286 00:13:50,664 --> 00:13:51,988 - NARRATOR: While a team of officers 287 00:13:51,998 --> 00:13:54,615 continues to process the crime scene, 288 00:13:54,692 --> 00:13:57,618 investigators escort Samantha back to the station 289 00:13:57,695 --> 00:13:59,420 for additional questioning. 290 00:14:14,095 --> 00:14:15,678 - NARRATOR: After their evening together, 291 00:14:15,689 --> 00:14:18,306 Samantha says the couple went to bed, 292 00:14:18,382 --> 00:14:20,900 but they weren't asleep long. 293 00:15:23,948 --> 00:15:25,414 - WAYNE: She said something to the effect that 294 00:15:25,425 --> 00:15:27,917 Ernie was actually holding his own pretty good 295 00:15:27,928 --> 00:15:31,095 until one of the intruders hit him in the head 296 00:15:31,172 --> 00:15:32,838 with a pistol, and at that point, 297 00:15:32,915 --> 00:15:35,758 she said the fight was pretty much all out of him. 298 00:15:35,769 --> 00:15:37,251 - ♪ 299 00:15:37,328 --> 00:15:39,720 - NARRATOR: Samantha says before the men dragged Ernie 300 00:15:39,797 --> 00:15:41,889 from the home, they paused to send 301 00:15:41,966 --> 00:15:43,399 a chilling message. 302 00:15:52,786 --> 00:15:54,735 - They told her, "You can keep that 303 00:15:54,812 --> 00:15:56,028 "'cause that's all you're gonna have 304 00:15:56,105 --> 00:15:57,947 "to remember your husband." 305 00:15:57,958 --> 00:16:00,625 - ♪ 306 00:16:00,702 --> 00:16:02,702 - NARRATOR: Samantha says one of the attackers 307 00:16:02,778 --> 00:16:06,089 then took her back upstairs where he tied her up. 308 00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:25,975 - NARRATOR: Detectives ask Samantha if she can recall 309 00:16:25,986 --> 00:16:29,654 any identifying details about the attackers. 310 00:16:41,817 --> 00:16:45,077 - She described somebody with a Hispanic voice, 311 00:16:45,154 --> 00:16:48,080 somebody with a voice that sounded like 312 00:16:48,157 --> 00:16:50,583 he might be African-American. 313 00:16:50,659 --> 00:16:52,176 - CARLY: She told the investigators that 314 00:16:52,253 --> 00:16:54,846 it was these three guys, she had no idea who they were, 315 00:16:54,922 --> 00:16:56,964 that they had took off with Ernie in this vehicle. 316 00:16:57,041 --> 00:16:58,516 She didn't know-- she couldn't give 317 00:16:58,593 --> 00:17:02,011 any description of the vehicle whatsoever. 318 00:17:02,022 --> 00:17:04,764 - NARRATOR: Investigators ask Samantha if there was anything 319 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,984 about the attack that hinted at a motive. 320 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,548 - She said the guys made a statement that 321 00:17:30,625 --> 00:17:34,543 they were going to Ernie's father's house. 322 00:17:34,554 --> 00:17:37,004 - She painted a picture that this was in retribution 323 00:17:37,081 --> 00:17:41,050 for something that Ernie's father might have done. 324 00:17:41,061 --> 00:17:42,560 - NARRATOR: According to Samantha, 325 00:17:42,637 --> 00:17:46,972 Ernie's dad has a reputation for running with a rough crowd, 326 00:17:47,049 --> 00:17:51,977 and the men hinted that he might be in over his head. 327 00:17:52,054 --> 00:17:54,146 - CHRIS: The subjects made a statement that 328 00:17:54,223 --> 00:17:56,649 Ernie's father had narced on somebody, 329 00:17:56,725 --> 00:17:59,652 which is giving narcotics information, 330 00:17:59,728 --> 00:18:03,989 and I guess got somebody else arrested for it, 331 00:18:04,066 --> 00:18:06,575 and they were there to get payback 332 00:18:06,586 --> 00:18:09,662 for what Ernie's father had done. 333 00:18:09,738 --> 00:18:11,089 - ♪ 334 00:18:11,165 --> 00:18:13,165 - NARRATOR: With Ernie's life at stake, 335 00:18:13,242 --> 00:18:17,336 detectives waste no time acting on the lead. 336 00:18:17,413 --> 00:18:19,213 - We know where Ernie's father's house is, 337 00:18:19,290 --> 00:18:21,173 so I tell my deputy that's with me, 338 00:18:21,250 --> 00:18:26,104 "Hey, go ahead and start heading toward Ernie's father's house." 339 00:18:26,180 --> 00:18:28,180 - WAYNE: They had to get to that location to, 340 00:18:28,257 --> 00:18:30,266 one, make sure that he was okay, 341 00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:33,060 two, maybe locate these attackers, 342 00:18:33,137 --> 00:18:37,565 and possibly, first and foremost, find Ernie. 343 00:18:37,641 --> 00:18:40,067 - ♪ 344 00:18:40,144 --> 00:18:42,570 - NARRATOR: As deputies race to Ernie's father's house, 345 00:18:42,646 --> 00:18:45,623 Samantha tells detectives Ernie may still have 346 00:18:45,700 --> 00:18:47,867 his cell phone on him. 347 00:18:47,943 --> 00:18:49,910 - WAYNE: The phone was really key. 348 00:18:49,987 --> 00:18:51,796 They asked for a phone number for him 349 00:18:51,873 --> 00:18:54,373 and said that they could get a location on it. 350 00:18:54,450 --> 00:18:55,967 - CHRIS: I can then provide that phone number 351 00:18:56,043 --> 00:19:00,212 to my dispatcher who can contact the cell phone provider 352 00:19:00,289 --> 00:19:01,964 and do what's called a phone ping, 353 00:19:01,975 --> 00:19:05,810 which will give us the location of the phone. 354 00:19:05,887 --> 00:19:08,929 - NARRATOR: Moments later, investigators get word that 355 00:19:09,006 --> 00:19:14,059 Ernie's phone has been located in a town just 20 minutes away. 356 00:19:14,136 --> 00:19:16,645 - DAVID: Around 3:20 a.m. that morning, 357 00:19:16,656 --> 00:19:21,901 the location came back to a residence in Pittsburg. 358 00:19:21,977 --> 00:19:24,403 - NARRATOR: The location of the ping is nowhere near 359 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,331 Ernie's father's house. 360 00:19:27,408 --> 00:19:29,074 - CHRIS: I started having officers 361 00:19:29,151 --> 00:19:31,911 respond in that direction. 362 00:19:31,987 --> 00:19:33,662 - It came through Chris Durant's radio, 363 00:19:33,673 --> 00:19:36,081 and he--at that point, he was with Samantha, 364 00:19:36,158 --> 00:19:37,625 and Durant asks her, 365 00:19:37,701 --> 00:19:39,627 "Do you know anybody in Pittsburg?" 366 00:19:39,703 --> 00:19:41,795 And she says no. 367 00:19:41,872 --> 00:19:43,347 - WAYNE: The deputies went to the location 368 00:19:43,424 --> 00:19:45,257 and were unable to locate anything, 369 00:19:45,334 --> 00:19:47,801 where it last pinged. 370 00:19:47,878 --> 00:19:49,245 - ♪ 371 00:19:49,247 --> 00:19:51,022 - NARRATOR: Deputies check back in with the dispatch 372 00:19:51,098 --> 00:19:55,359 only to learn troubling news about Ernie's phone. 373 00:19:55,436 --> 00:19:57,862 - All of a sudden, the phone gets turned off. 374 00:19:57,939 --> 00:20:00,147 I just thought that was very strange. 375 00:20:00,224 --> 00:20:01,857 - CHRIS: Once the phone was turned off, 376 00:20:01,868 --> 00:20:03,859 we can't get a updated location. 377 00:20:03,870 --> 00:20:06,153 - It's frustrating, but we just keep trying. 378 00:20:06,230 --> 00:20:07,705 We were not gonna stop 379 00:20:07,782 --> 00:20:10,115 'til we hopefully find Ernie alive. 380 00:20:10,192 --> 00:20:12,201 - ♪ 381 00:20:12,212 --> 00:20:13,602 - NARRATOR: Coming up, 382 00:20:13,604 --> 00:20:17,715 investigators uncover a new wrinkle in the case. 383 00:20:17,792 --> 00:20:18,958 - CARLY: She was saying, 384 00:20:19,034 --> 00:20:20,793 you know, that it was cartel involvement. 385 00:20:20,869 --> 00:20:24,964 - NARRATOR: And a shocking confession changes everything. 386 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:26,966 - He told her, "So if you wanna do it, 387 00:20:27,042 --> 00:20:28,351 "just leave your door unlocked." 388 00:20:30,921 --> 00:20:33,981 - ♪ 389 00:20:38,070 --> 00:20:40,947 - ♪ 390 00:20:42,933 --> 00:20:45,076 - NARRATOR: After a failed attempt to track down 391 00:20:45,152 --> 00:20:48,246 29-year-old Ernie Ibarra's cell phone, 392 00:20:48,322 --> 00:20:51,198 detectives refocus their efforts back onto 393 00:20:51,275 --> 00:20:53,867 his wife Samantha's claim that the abductors 394 00:20:53,944 --> 00:20:57,079 might have taken Ernie to his father's house. 395 00:20:57,090 --> 00:20:59,206 - CHRIS: The detectives went to the house, 396 00:20:59,283 --> 00:21:01,259 but they didn't find Ernie Sr. 397 00:21:01,335 --> 00:21:03,043 No one was there at his house. 398 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:04,878 They didn't see anything that made them feel like 399 00:21:04,955 --> 00:21:07,181 there had been like any kind of signs of a struggle. 400 00:21:08,292 --> 00:21:10,434 - CHRIS: So that's when I had the guys come back 401 00:21:10,511 --> 00:21:14,013 to my location. 402 00:21:14,089 --> 00:21:15,331 - NARRATOR: Back at the station, 403 00:21:15,333 --> 00:21:19,226 investigators pull Ernie's father's records. 404 00:21:19,303 --> 00:21:21,270 - CHRIS: Ernie Ibarra Sr. and his uncle 405 00:21:21,281 --> 00:21:23,447 had reputations in the community. 406 00:21:23,524 --> 00:21:25,232 They had been arrested numerous times, 407 00:21:25,309 --> 00:21:28,777 but we hadn't dealt with him in quite a long time. 408 00:21:28,788 --> 00:21:30,863 He'd gotten older and kind of seemed to 409 00:21:30,939 --> 00:21:32,448 amended his ways. 410 00:21:32,458 --> 00:21:36,294 My gut feeling was this is not what we're dealing with. 411 00:21:36,370 --> 00:21:37,628 - CARLY: That was their biggest lead, 412 00:21:37,705 --> 00:21:40,080 because she was saying it was cartel involvement. 413 00:21:40,157 --> 00:21:42,082 It was obvious to law enforcement 414 00:21:42,159 --> 00:21:43,250 that he had no kind of 415 00:21:43,327 --> 00:21:44,418 involvement with drugs whatsoever, 416 00:21:44,495 --> 00:21:46,462 so that didn't make any sense. 417 00:21:46,472 --> 00:21:48,047 - ♪ 418 00:21:48,123 --> 00:21:50,591 - NARRATOR: As investigators continue to dig, 419 00:21:50,667 --> 00:21:53,093 they uncovered nothing on Ernie's father, 420 00:21:53,170 --> 00:21:55,137 and he is ruled out. 421 00:21:55,148 --> 00:21:57,982 Ernie, however, is another story. 422 00:21:58,059 --> 00:22:00,142 It seems less than a year earlier 423 00:22:00,153 --> 00:22:04,104 in the summer of 2014, Samantha called the police 424 00:22:04,181 --> 00:22:07,107 to report that Ernie attacked her. 425 00:22:07,184 --> 00:22:08,484 - DAVID: Ernie was brought in for questioning 426 00:22:08,494 --> 00:22:11,162 and he was ultimately arrested on that charge. 427 00:22:11,238 --> 00:22:14,323 I think the allegation is that he hit her with a box. 428 00:22:14,334 --> 00:22:15,558 As part of that arrest, 429 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,409 an emergency Magistrate's Protective Order 430 00:22:17,486 --> 00:22:21,163 was issued against him. 431 00:22:21,174 --> 00:22:23,415 - NARRATOR: The discovery of a protective order 432 00:22:23,492 --> 00:22:26,919 has investigators wondering why Ernie was even at 433 00:22:26,995 --> 00:22:29,513 the couple's home the night of the attack. 434 00:22:29,590 --> 00:22:30,923 To find out, 435 00:22:30,999 --> 00:22:34,635 investigators turn their attention back to Samantha. 436 00:22:34,711 --> 00:22:36,078 - WAYNE: She knew that we knew 437 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,514 there's a history of domestic issues between them, 438 00:22:38,524 --> 00:22:40,858 but they were back together. 439 00:22:40,935 --> 00:22:43,644 When asked about money situation, finances, 440 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,188 she said, "That's not an issue for us." 441 00:22:46,199 --> 00:22:48,857 She really painted a pretty rosy picture, 442 00:22:48,868 --> 00:22:51,610 a picture of bliss. 443 00:22:51,687 --> 00:22:54,205 - NARRATOR: Detectives ask Samantha to once again 444 00:22:54,281 --> 00:22:57,866 walk them through her day leading up to the attack. 445 00:22:57,877 --> 00:22:59,118 - CHRIS: She goes into the story about, 446 00:22:59,194 --> 00:23:01,370 "Well, I was at the hospital with my friend. 447 00:23:01,381 --> 00:23:04,048 She's having a baby." 448 00:23:04,125 --> 00:23:06,166 - DAVID: And then she came home, 449 00:23:06,243 --> 00:23:08,877 and then she was home when Ernie came home, 450 00:23:08,888 --> 00:23:11,130 and they had a nice evening and went to bed. 451 00:23:11,206 --> 00:23:12,556 - ♪ 452 00:23:12,633 --> 00:23:14,633 - NARRATOR: Then, in the middle of the interview, 453 00:23:14,710 --> 00:23:19,388 Samantha's demeanor dramatically changes. 454 00:23:19,399 --> 00:23:21,056 - She just has an epiphany. 455 00:23:21,067 --> 00:23:22,182 "Oh my goodness. 456 00:23:22,259 --> 00:23:24,235 "There's this guy I met yesterday, 457 00:23:24,311 --> 00:23:25,569 "his name is Johnny Reb. 458 00:23:25,646 --> 00:23:28,522 "That's all I know him by. 459 00:23:28,599 --> 00:23:31,409 He--he could have done it." 460 00:23:31,485 --> 00:23:32,901 - NARRATOR: According to Samantha, 461 00:23:32,912 --> 00:23:35,195 Johnny Reb was also there 462 00:23:35,272 --> 00:23:39,408 visiting her friend at the hospital. 463 00:23:39,419 --> 00:23:41,994 Samantha says Johnny didn't have a car, 464 00:23:42,070 --> 00:23:46,206 so she agreed to loan him her Chevy Equinox. 465 00:23:46,283 --> 00:23:48,083 - This mutual friend of theirs was supposed 466 00:23:48,094 --> 00:23:50,043 to get out of the hospital that next morning, 467 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:52,379 and he was going to use Samantha's car 468 00:23:52,456 --> 00:23:55,215 to give her a ride home. 469 00:23:55,292 --> 00:23:58,260 - NARRATOR: Samantha admits that while at the hospital, 470 00:23:58,271 --> 00:24:00,271 she said something about her husband 471 00:24:00,347 --> 00:24:02,598 that Johnny took offense to. 472 00:24:02,608 --> 00:24:04,108 - She said, "Well, I told these guys 473 00:24:04,185 --> 00:24:07,352 that my husband, you know, abused me." 474 00:24:07,429 --> 00:24:09,021 - WAYNE: He said he would take exception 475 00:24:09,097 --> 00:24:12,524 to someone hitting a woman or something like that, 476 00:24:12,601 --> 00:24:15,453 and that he kind of offered to 477 00:24:15,529 --> 00:24:19,457 somehow intervene in her situation. 478 00:24:19,533 --> 00:24:20,574 - DAVID: She says, "Oh my goodness, 479 00:24:20,651 --> 00:24:22,293 "he has my car, too. 480 00:24:22,369 --> 00:24:24,369 What if he's the one that did this?" 481 00:24:24,446 --> 00:24:26,079 - ♪ 482 00:24:26,156 --> 00:24:27,298 - DAVID: She looks at her phone 483 00:24:27,374 --> 00:24:29,249 and says, "Oh my gosh, I just got a message. 484 00:24:29,326 --> 00:24:31,543 "They're at the hospital now because they're supposed to be 485 00:24:31,620 --> 00:24:34,087 picking up this mutual friend." 486 00:24:34,164 --> 00:24:35,631 - CHRIS: We found his Facebook page. 487 00:24:35,641 --> 00:24:36,865 We were able to figure out, 488 00:24:36,867 --> 00:24:39,134 okay, his real name is Jonathan Sanford. 489 00:24:39,145 --> 00:24:42,304 Turned to find out he had recently gotten out of prison. 490 00:24:42,315 --> 00:24:43,814 - ♪ 491 00:24:43,891 --> 00:24:47,434 - The detectives that we had, they got on it really quick. 492 00:24:47,511 --> 00:24:49,228 - TIM: We were walking in, 493 00:24:49,304 --> 00:24:51,104 and these two guys were walking out. 494 00:24:51,181 --> 00:24:52,548 I'd never seen 'em, 495 00:24:52,550 --> 00:24:54,066 but one of the guys just matched the description. 496 00:24:54,142 --> 00:24:57,444 So I turned around and I yelled, "Sanford!" 497 00:24:57,521 --> 00:25:01,281 And when I did, they split, tried to run. 498 00:25:01,358 --> 00:25:04,326 So we chased 'em and jumped on 'em 499 00:25:04,337 --> 00:25:07,120 and put 'em in the car. 500 00:25:07,197 --> 00:25:09,748 - NARRATOR: Investigators quickly identify the two men 501 00:25:09,825 --> 00:25:16,255 as 25-year-old Jonathan Sanford and 26-year-old Jose Ponse. 502 00:25:16,331 --> 00:25:18,799 - ♪ 503 00:25:18,875 --> 00:25:22,135 - NARRATOR: Detectives bring both men back to the station 504 00:25:22,212 --> 00:25:24,355 for questioning. 505 00:25:24,431 --> 00:25:28,267 - Jonathan Sanford's personality was very cooperative 506 00:25:28,343 --> 00:25:31,195 and forthright once he was caught. 507 00:25:31,272 --> 00:25:33,146 He just kind of seemed to have the attitude of, 508 00:25:33,223 --> 00:25:36,358 "They got me, I might as well help." 509 00:25:36,369 --> 00:25:38,193 - NARRATOR: According to Jonathan, 510 00:25:38,204 --> 00:25:41,321 it all began the day before when he'd met Samantha 511 00:25:41,398 --> 00:25:46,544 at the hospital with his friends Jose Ponse and Octavious Rhymes. 512 00:25:46,620 --> 00:25:49,496 Jonathan claims that after Samantha opened up 513 00:25:49,573 --> 00:25:53,041 about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, 514 00:25:53,052 --> 00:25:56,295 he felt the urge to act. 515 00:25:56,371 --> 00:25:58,547 - DAVID: Jonathan Sanford just said that 516 00:25:58,558 --> 00:26:00,224 a man shouldn't treat a woman that way, 517 00:26:00,301 --> 00:26:03,719 a man shouldn't raise a hand against a woman. 518 00:26:03,729 --> 00:26:04,803 - NARRATOR: Jonathan says 519 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,223 Jose and Octavious felt the same way, 520 00:26:08,234 --> 00:26:10,734 and offered to help Samantha get rid of Ernie 521 00:26:10,811 --> 00:26:13,404 by landing him in jail. 522 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,406 - The plan they come up with that afternoon 523 00:26:15,482 --> 00:26:19,192 is that they are going to get some methamphetamine 524 00:26:19,269 --> 00:26:20,861 from somebody that Octavious knows 525 00:26:20,937 --> 00:26:23,071 and plant it in Ernie's truck 526 00:26:23,082 --> 00:26:26,375 and then make an anonymous phone call to law enforcement. 527 00:26:27,444 --> 00:26:31,496 - NARRATOR: Jonathan claims Samantha agreed to the plan. 528 00:26:31,573 --> 00:26:34,416 - WAYNE: Samantha went with them to the next to the west 529 00:26:34,427 --> 00:26:35,876 of any size--Mount Vernon. 530 00:26:35,952 --> 00:26:37,669 They purchase this methamphetamine, 531 00:26:37,746 --> 00:26:43,267 and loaded up and headed back to Pittsburg. 532 00:26:43,344 --> 00:26:45,218 - NARRATOR: After taking Samantha home, 533 00:26:45,295 --> 00:26:49,681 the three men continued to talk about the plan over dinner. 534 00:26:49,758 --> 00:26:51,442 - DAVID: At some point, Jonathan Sanford said, 535 00:26:51,518 --> 00:26:53,226 "What if we got rid of him permanently 536 00:26:53,303 --> 00:26:55,279 and didn't involve the cops?" 537 00:26:55,356 --> 00:26:58,231 - CHRIS: It changed from, you know, planting drugs on him 538 00:26:58,308 --> 00:27:01,452 to, "Let's just kidnap him and kill him." 539 00:27:01,528 --> 00:27:03,737 - NARRATOR: According to Jonathan, 540 00:27:03,814 --> 00:27:06,531 they kept Samantha mostly in the dark 541 00:27:06,608 --> 00:27:10,628 about this new and fatal detail of their plan. 542 00:27:10,704 --> 00:27:12,579 - WAYNE: Sanford indicated she was aware that 543 00:27:12,656 --> 00:27:17,376 there's a change of plans from this initial drug set up. 544 00:27:17,452 --> 00:27:19,378 - Now the plan was they were gonna beat him up. 545 00:27:19,454 --> 00:27:20,529 She was part of it, 546 00:27:20,531 --> 00:27:22,631 but they weren't supposed to kill him. 547 00:27:22,642 --> 00:27:24,257 - DAVID: Jonathan Sanford asked her, 548 00:27:24,334 --> 00:27:25,592 "What about the kids?" 549 00:27:25,669 --> 00:27:27,144 And she said, "Don't worry about the kids. 550 00:27:27,221 --> 00:27:29,137 "I can give them something to make them go to sleep. 551 00:27:29,148 --> 00:27:30,806 They'll never hear a thing." 552 00:27:30,816 --> 00:27:33,475 - NARRATOR: Finally, Jonathan told Samantha 553 00:27:33,486 --> 00:27:36,311 that if she wanted Ernie out of her life, 554 00:27:36,322 --> 00:27:38,772 all she had to do was one thing. 555 00:27:38,849 --> 00:27:40,157 - DAVID: Jonathan told her, 556 00:27:40,234 --> 00:27:42,826 "So if you wanna do it, just leave your door unlocked." 557 00:27:42,903 --> 00:27:45,237 And she left the door unlocked. 558 00:27:45,313 --> 00:27:46,722 - ♪ 559 00:27:46,724 --> 00:27:49,574 - NARRATOR: In the early morning hours of February 20, 560 00:27:49,651 --> 00:27:52,828 Jonathan says the three men viciously pulled Ernie 561 00:27:52,838 --> 00:27:56,665 from his bed, beat him, and drove him in Samantha's car 562 00:27:56,676 --> 00:28:01,294 to a remote area in neighboring Camp County. 563 00:28:01,371 --> 00:28:05,182 - DAVID: The initial plan was for Jonathan Sanford 564 00:28:05,259 --> 00:28:07,592 to pull the trigger and shoot Ernie 565 00:28:07,669 --> 00:28:09,594 once they got him out there. 566 00:28:09,671 --> 00:28:11,263 Then Sanford changed his mind 567 00:28:11,339 --> 00:28:15,350 and said that he had decided to slit Ernie's throat. 568 00:28:15,361 --> 00:28:17,194 But before they got to that point, 569 00:28:17,271 --> 00:28:20,689 Ernie trips and stumbles over some briars. 570 00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:23,442 When Jonathan reaches down to pull to him back up, 571 00:28:23,518 --> 00:28:25,193 Ponse just reaches out behind him 572 00:28:25,204 --> 00:28:26,445 and pulls the trigger and shoots him 573 00:28:26,521 --> 00:28:28,872 in the back of the head. - [gunshot] 574 00:28:28,949 --> 00:28:32,993 - ♪ 575 00:28:33,069 --> 00:28:35,662 - NARRATOR: As they wrap up their interview with Jonathan, 576 00:28:35,739 --> 00:28:41,635 detectives learn Jose Ponse is telling a very different story. 577 00:28:55,717 --> 00:28:59,895 - NARRATOR: Coming up, two suspects face off. 578 00:28:59,905 --> 00:29:01,980 - WAYNE: Jose Ponse and Jonathan Sanford 579 00:29:02,057 --> 00:29:03,482 wanted to blame the other one. 580 00:29:03,558 --> 00:29:04,816 - NARRATOR: And the details of 581 00:29:04,893 --> 00:29:07,745 an explosive relationship are revealed. 582 00:29:07,821 --> 00:29:10,322 - She would fight with him because if he wasn't working, 583 00:29:10,398 --> 00:29:11,364 he was on that game. 584 00:29:11,441 --> 00:29:12,732 - ROSIE: Once it started, 585 00:29:12,810 --> 00:29:14,585 she would go out of her way to push his buttons. 586 00:29:14,661 --> 00:29:17,212 He would got out on his way to push her buttons. 587 00:29:19,833 --> 00:29:22,384 - ♪ 588 00:29:26,990 --> 00:29:29,850 - ♪ 589 00:29:31,845 --> 00:29:33,386 - NARRATOR: Less than 12 hours 590 00:29:33,463 --> 00:29:36,723 after Ernie Ibarra was kidnapped from his home, 591 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:40,602 Texas investigators have two suspects in custody-- 592 00:29:40,613 --> 00:29:44,356 a 25-year-old ex-con named Jonathan Sanford 593 00:29:44,432 --> 00:29:48,944 and his 26-year-old friend Jose Ponse. 594 00:29:48,954 --> 00:29:52,447 - There's no indicators that Jonathan fired a shot. 595 00:29:52,458 --> 00:29:56,368 Jonathan in his interview said he really wanted to it his self, 596 00:29:56,444 --> 00:29:59,704 but said ultimately Jose Ponse did it. 597 00:29:59,781 --> 00:30:02,466 - ♪ 598 00:30:02,543 --> 00:30:05,460 - NARRATOR: Jose, however, is eager to point the finger 599 00:30:05,471 --> 00:30:07,012 back at Jonathan. 600 00:30:25,515 --> 00:30:27,324 - Jose Ponse and Jonathan Sanford 601 00:30:27,401 --> 00:30:31,328 wanted to blame the other one for actually firing the shot 602 00:30:31,405 --> 00:30:32,979 that killed Ernie. 603 00:30:33,057 --> 00:30:35,833 - NARRATOR: While investigators can't prove one man's statement 604 00:30:35,909 --> 00:30:38,159 over the other, they have a hunch 605 00:30:38,170 --> 00:30:41,663 as to which story is likely true. 606 00:30:41,674 --> 00:30:44,457 - DAVID: We all feel like Sanford's version was accurate, 607 00:30:44,534 --> 00:30:47,502 especially given his willingness to testify that, you know, 608 00:30:47,513 --> 00:30:48,962 he was gonna slit the guy's throat. 609 00:30:49,039 --> 00:30:51,006 He just didn't get to fast enough. 610 00:30:51,016 --> 00:30:53,008 - ♪ 611 00:30:53,018 --> 00:30:55,594 - NARRATOR: Jonathan agrees to direct investigators 612 00:30:55,670 --> 00:30:59,022 to a remote area known as Sand Crossing 613 00:30:59,099 --> 00:31:02,642 in neighboring Camp County, Texas. 614 00:31:02,719 --> 00:31:05,604 - Sanford get out, he walks them far enough 615 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,650 that they can see Ernie's body out in the woods. 616 00:31:10,727 --> 00:31:13,653 - DAVID: He was laying on his stomach. 617 00:31:13,730 --> 00:31:16,990 His hands might have still been behind his back. 618 00:31:17,067 --> 00:31:20,535 He was in his underwear and there was some kind of, 619 00:31:20,546 --> 00:31:24,873 like, Sheetrock tape that they had used 620 00:31:24,884 --> 00:31:28,126 to wrap around his mouth. 621 00:31:28,203 --> 00:31:29,277 - ♪ 622 00:31:29,279 --> 00:31:31,546 - NARRATOR: As CSI examine the body, 623 00:31:31,557 --> 00:31:35,726 Ernie's injuries tell the story of his attack. 624 00:31:35,802 --> 00:31:37,802 - They had hit him in the head multiple times 625 00:31:37,879 --> 00:31:40,472 with the pistol. 626 00:31:40,548 --> 00:31:42,566 They had hit him across the face with it. 627 00:31:42,643 --> 00:31:45,518 They had punched him. 628 00:31:45,595 --> 00:31:49,573 But the death came from being shot in the back of the head. 629 00:31:49,650 --> 00:31:52,067 - WAYNE: It was just a-- 630 00:31:52,077 --> 00:31:55,746 just a really gloomy dreary place to die. 631 00:31:55,822 --> 00:31:59,416 - ♪ 632 00:31:59,493 --> 00:32:02,035 - NARRATOR: News of Ernie's death quickly reaches 633 00:32:02,112 --> 00:32:04,746 his loved ones. 634 00:32:04,757 --> 00:32:07,040 - ABIGAIL: I kept asking my dad what was wrong, 635 00:32:07,117 --> 00:32:08,592 and he just looked at me and he said, 636 00:32:08,669 --> 00:32:11,586 "Somebody killed your brother." 637 00:32:11,597 --> 00:32:15,715 And my jaw hit the floor. 638 00:32:15,792 --> 00:32:18,593 It just--it was like a dream. 639 00:32:18,604 --> 00:32:22,764 - ♪ 640 00:32:22,775 --> 00:32:25,517 - NARRATOR: Officers put out an APB for the other 641 00:32:25,593 --> 00:32:30,063 alleged co-conspirator named by Jonathan and Jose-- 642 00:32:30,140 --> 00:32:34,776 28-year-old Octavious Rhymes. 643 00:32:34,787 --> 00:32:36,903 Meanwhile, detectives continue 644 00:32:36,980 --> 00:32:41,282 to determine Samantha's actual role in the crime. 645 00:32:41,293 --> 00:32:43,201 - One of our considerations would be: 646 00:32:43,278 --> 00:32:46,538 did she really want to go as far as to contribute 647 00:32:46,614 --> 00:32:50,133 to his murder? 648 00:32:50,210 --> 00:32:52,961 - NARRATOR: When investigators talk to friends and family 649 00:32:52,972 --> 00:32:54,212 of the couple, 650 00:32:54,289 --> 00:32:57,132 they learn the marriage was rife with tension, 651 00:32:57,142 --> 00:33:01,803 centering over Samantha's online obsessions. 652 00:33:01,814 --> 00:33:06,725 - I guess her dream was to be a YouTube star. 653 00:33:06,801 --> 00:33:09,144 - He didn't care to be on her channel. 654 00:33:09,154 --> 00:33:11,563 He was a very private person. 655 00:33:11,639 --> 00:33:13,490 She would do all kinds of stuff on there: 656 00:33:13,567 --> 00:33:15,233 venting about his family, 657 00:33:15,310 --> 00:33:17,652 venting about their relationships. 658 00:33:17,663 --> 00:33:20,664 - ABIGAIL: As much as she wanted to be internet famous, you know, 659 00:33:20,741 --> 00:33:24,001 she never really told a lot of people in our family 660 00:33:24,077 --> 00:33:25,827 that she did it because 661 00:33:25,838 --> 00:33:28,747 she knew that my brother didn't like that kind of thing. 662 00:33:28,823 --> 00:33:30,841 - He is definitely out there working two jobs 663 00:33:30,917 --> 00:33:33,001 and she's just kind of hanging out 664 00:33:33,012 --> 00:33:35,178 complaining about her problems on YouTube 665 00:33:35,255 --> 00:33:37,681 that was really frustrating to deal with. 666 00:33:37,758 --> 00:33:41,092 - I just wanted to post this video for all those women 667 00:33:41,169 --> 00:33:44,855 who think that having a child as a teen 668 00:33:44,931 --> 00:33:47,015 would be something smart to do. 669 00:33:47,026 --> 00:33:50,143 For starters, you do not have a life anymore 670 00:33:50,220 --> 00:33:52,187 after you have a baby. 671 00:33:52,197 --> 00:33:55,148 - She felt like this was going somewhere. 672 00:33:55,225 --> 00:33:58,109 She kinda stopped paying less attention to her kids, 673 00:33:58,186 --> 00:34:01,196 and she acted like her so-called job 674 00:34:01,206 --> 00:34:03,615 was just more important than that. 675 00:34:03,691 --> 00:34:06,326 - ♪ 676 00:34:06,402 --> 00:34:08,879 - NARRATOR: For their part, Samantha's family says 677 00:34:08,955 --> 00:34:11,048 she had her own set of grievances 678 00:34:11,124 --> 00:34:14,051 when it came to Ernie's gaming. 679 00:34:14,127 --> 00:34:16,127 - That's where a lot of their fights came from, 680 00:34:16,204 --> 00:34:19,005 because the minute he walked in the door, 681 00:34:19,082 --> 00:34:21,558 he was playing a game. 682 00:34:21,635 --> 00:34:22,893 - NATASHA: She would fight with him because 683 00:34:22,969 --> 00:34:24,886 he was literally day in and day out. 684 00:34:24,897 --> 00:34:26,730 The minute he woke up to the minute he goes to bed, 685 00:34:26,807 --> 00:34:29,232 if he wasn't working, he was on that game. 686 00:34:29,309 --> 00:34:31,643 - NARRATOR: Samantha's family says her frustration 687 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:35,396 came to a head when Ernie's avatar became involved 688 00:34:35,407 --> 00:34:38,233 with another woman. 689 00:34:38,243 --> 00:34:42,320 - ROSIE: Their characters or their avatars got married. 690 00:34:42,397 --> 00:34:44,906 She got a little upset about that 691 00:34:44,917 --> 00:34:49,035 and threw a big enough fit that he said, you know, 692 00:34:49,112 --> 00:34:51,871 "Well, I'll marry you in real life." 693 00:34:51,948 --> 00:34:54,257 - ♪ 694 00:34:54,334 --> 00:34:55,425 - NARRATOR: Family says 695 00:34:55,502 --> 00:34:59,087 the wedding didn't solve their problems. 696 00:34:59,098 --> 00:35:01,422 - She would go out of her way to push his buttons. 697 00:35:01,433 --> 00:35:04,601 He would go out of his way to push her buttons. 698 00:35:04,678 --> 00:35:07,262 - NARRATOR: Ernie's family claims Samantha's favorite way 699 00:35:07,272 --> 00:35:12,350 to push Ernie's buttons involved making allegations of abuse. 700 00:35:12,427 --> 00:35:14,853 - Samantha had tendency towards 701 00:35:14,929 --> 00:35:17,355 attention-seeking behaviors. 702 00:35:17,432 --> 00:35:20,692 She typically used her description of Ernie 703 00:35:20,768 --> 00:35:24,863 being abusive towards her or not treating her right 704 00:35:24,939 --> 00:35:26,281 to get that attention. 705 00:35:26,291 --> 00:35:28,283 - NARRATOR: According to Ernie's family, 706 00:35:28,293 --> 00:35:30,952 the incident involving the restraining order 707 00:35:30,963 --> 00:35:33,413 was questionable at best. 708 00:35:33,489 --> 00:35:35,456 - The worst that he had ever done to her 709 00:35:35,467 --> 00:35:39,136 was he told me that he had chucked a cardboard box at her, 710 00:35:39,212 --> 00:35:42,964 and he said that box would not have caused no bruise. 711 00:35:42,975 --> 00:35:45,717 - ♪ 712 00:35:45,793 --> 00:35:47,802 - NARRATOR: The details of a troubled marriage 713 00:35:47,813 --> 00:35:51,764 still don't prove whether Samantha knew Ernie's kidnapping 714 00:35:51,841 --> 00:35:55,810 was actually a death sentence. 715 00:35:55,821 --> 00:35:57,228 But that all changes 716 00:35:57,305 --> 00:36:02,317 when investigators obtain Samantha's phone records. 717 00:36:02,327 --> 00:36:05,236 - CHRIS: Samantha sends a text message to the people 718 00:36:05,313 --> 00:36:07,989 that have Ernie and advised them, 719 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,408 "Hey, the cops are tracking the phone. 720 00:36:10,485 --> 00:36:13,494 Ditch it and move." 721 00:36:13,505 --> 00:36:16,831 - DAVID: It was obvious of her choice to participate. 722 00:36:16,842 --> 00:36:17,999 She's trying to help them 723 00:36:18,010 --> 00:36:20,919 get away with killing her husband. 724 00:36:20,995 --> 00:36:24,339 - ♪ 725 00:36:24,349 --> 00:36:26,257 - NARRATOR: On February 23, 726 00:36:26,334 --> 00:36:28,760 3 days after Ernie's kidnapping, 727 00:36:28,836 --> 00:36:31,471 detectives ask Samantha to come back to 728 00:36:31,547 --> 00:36:34,182 the Titus County Sheriff's office. 729 00:36:34,193 --> 00:36:36,017 - WAYNE: I think she thought she was coming 730 00:36:36,028 --> 00:36:38,519 to get Ernie's phone, and she showed up, 731 00:36:38,530 --> 00:36:41,698 and she was not gonna be leaving that day. 732 00:36:41,775 --> 00:36:42,924 - DAVID: Samantha was charged 733 00:36:42,926 --> 00:36:45,151 with aggravated kidnapping and murder, 734 00:36:45,228 --> 00:36:48,863 and she was indicted on each of those charges separately. 735 00:36:48,874 --> 00:36:51,491 - ♪ 736 00:36:51,567 --> 00:36:52,533 - NARRATOR: Coming up, 737 00:36:52,544 --> 00:36:56,371 prosecutors face an uphill climb. 738 00:36:56,381 --> 00:36:58,539 - CARLY: That was kind of the million-dollar question: 739 00:36:58,550 --> 00:37:00,383 What was the motive? 740 00:37:00,460 --> 00:37:04,963 - NARRATOR: And Samantha pulls a last line of defense in court. 741 00:37:05,039 --> 00:37:07,548 - DAVID: She had taken an Ambien before she went to bed 742 00:37:07,559 --> 00:37:09,976 and didn't really remember any of the events. 743 00:37:12,898 --> 00:37:15,982 - ♪ 744 00:37:20,053 --> 00:37:22,989 - ♪ 745 00:37:24,934 --> 00:37:26,409 - NARRATOR: Just three days 746 00:37:26,486 --> 00:37:29,913 after her husband was kidnapped and murdered, 747 00:37:29,990 --> 00:37:32,916 investigators in Titus County, Texas, have arrested 748 00:37:32,993 --> 00:37:37,078 25-year-old Samantha Wohlford. 749 00:37:37,089 --> 00:37:39,539 - That was a huge relief off my shoulders, 750 00:37:39,615 --> 00:37:43,593 knowing that she was a part of it because 751 00:37:43,670 --> 00:37:46,546 I felt in my heart she was. 752 00:37:46,622 --> 00:37:49,007 - ♪ 753 00:37:49,083 --> 00:37:52,936 - NARRATOR: On February 26, an officer in nearby Pittsburg 754 00:37:53,013 --> 00:37:58,599 tracks down the last suspect in this crime, Octavious Rhymes. 755 00:37:58,610 --> 00:38:01,436 - He was located in the Brookshire's parking lot 756 00:38:01,446 --> 00:38:04,564 in Pittsburg and was arrested there. 757 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,275 - ♪ 758 00:38:07,286 --> 00:38:10,570 - NARRATOR: Once in custody, Octavious tells detectives 759 00:38:10,646 --> 00:38:12,864 that he didn't know the kidnapping 760 00:38:12,940 --> 00:38:14,874 would result in murder. 761 00:38:33,127 --> 00:38:34,469 - NARRATOR: Octavious and Samantha 762 00:38:34,479 --> 00:38:36,387 stick to their innocence, 763 00:38:36,464 --> 00:38:39,983 choosing to let the jury decide their fates. 764 00:38:40,060 --> 00:38:44,228 In April 2016, their alleged co-conspirators, 765 00:38:44,305 --> 00:38:50,276 Jose Ponse and Jonathan Sanford, both accept plea deals. 766 00:38:50,353 --> 00:38:52,904 - WAYNE: Jose Ponce and Jonathan Sanford 767 00:38:52,980 --> 00:38:56,074 both plead guilty to two 50-years-- 768 00:38:56,150 --> 00:38:59,077 50 years for the murder, 50 years for the kidnapping, 769 00:38:59,153 --> 00:39:01,079 I believe, and those run concurrent. 770 00:39:01,155 --> 00:39:04,341 - ♪ 771 00:39:04,417 --> 00:39:06,667 - NARRATOR: Samantha and Octavious must each face 772 00:39:06,678 --> 00:39:09,346 two different trials for their roles 773 00:39:09,422 --> 00:39:11,514 in Ernie's death. 774 00:39:11,591 --> 00:39:15,635 - Octavious and her both had two trials. 775 00:39:15,711 --> 00:39:17,970 You had to have a trial in Mount Pleasant 776 00:39:18,047 --> 00:39:20,190 for the aggravated kidnapping part, 777 00:39:20,266 --> 00:39:23,267 and then you had to have a trial in Camp County 778 00:39:23,344 --> 00:39:26,354 for the murder portion. 779 00:39:26,365 --> 00:39:28,689 - NARRATOR: In July of 2016, 780 00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:33,536 Octavious is found guilty of kidnapping. 781 00:39:33,613 --> 00:39:37,323 In December, he has his chance to fight the murder charge 782 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,951 in a Camp County courtroom. 783 00:39:40,027 --> 00:39:42,161 - His testimony did not match the statements 784 00:39:42,238 --> 00:39:44,214 he'd given to law enforcement. 785 00:39:44,290 --> 00:39:46,383 He tried to remove himself even more, 786 00:39:46,459 --> 00:39:50,294 and I would say the jury found his testimony unbelievable, 787 00:39:50,371 --> 00:39:53,506 and they convicted him. 788 00:39:53,583 --> 00:39:56,300 - ♪ 789 00:39:56,377 --> 00:39:58,561 - NARRATOR: In March 2017, 790 00:39:58,638 --> 00:40:01,564 Samantha is convicted of aggravated kidnapping 791 00:40:01,641 --> 00:40:05,402 and sentenced to 50 years. 792 00:40:05,478 --> 00:40:07,228 - DAVID: The position she tried to take there 793 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,241 was that she had taken an Ambien before she went to bed 794 00:40:11,317 --> 00:40:13,526 and didn't really remember any of the events 795 00:40:13,603 --> 00:40:15,987 and didn't remember sending any text messages. 796 00:40:16,063 --> 00:40:18,573 That's just unbelievable. 797 00:40:18,583 --> 00:40:20,083 - NARRATOR: Seven months later, 798 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,411 Samantha's murder trial gets underway inside 799 00:40:23,422 --> 00:40:26,164 a Camp County, Texas, courtroom. 800 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:28,332 When Jonathan Sanford takes the stand 801 00:40:28,409 --> 00:40:30,260 on behalf of the prosecution, 802 00:40:30,336 --> 00:40:32,429 he claims that on the night of the murder, 803 00:40:32,505 --> 00:40:37,175 Samantha was on board with the entire plan. 804 00:40:37,251 --> 00:40:39,510 - TIM: Sanford stated that, "She told me, I'm an actress, 805 00:40:39,587 --> 00:40:40,678 "and I can handle the law. 806 00:40:40,755 --> 00:40:42,180 "Y'all don't worry about that. 807 00:40:42,256 --> 00:40:45,600 Y'all just go get rid of him and I'll handle the police." 808 00:40:45,610 --> 00:40:48,445 - NARRATOR: Prosecutors allege that the text Samantha sent 809 00:40:48,521 --> 00:40:52,273 warning her co-conspirators to turn off Ernie's phone 810 00:40:52,284 --> 00:40:55,785 amounted to a death sentence for her husband. 811 00:40:55,862 --> 00:40:58,621 - She could've sent a text, "Don't do it. 812 00:40:58,698 --> 00:41:00,123 "Don't do it." 813 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,459 But instead, she did things purposely 814 00:41:02,535 --> 00:41:03,743 to hide what they were doing. 815 00:41:03,819 --> 00:41:06,037 She wanted it done. 816 00:41:06,113 --> 00:41:07,297 - ♪ 817 00:41:07,373 --> 00:41:09,466 - NARRATOR: After establishing Samantha's role 818 00:41:09,542 --> 00:41:11,134 in Ernie's murder, 819 00:41:11,211 --> 00:41:14,137 prosecutors face a more difficult task: 820 00:41:14,214 --> 00:41:17,140 laying out her motive. 821 00:41:17,217 --> 00:41:19,383 - That was kind of the million-dollar question. 822 00:41:19,460 --> 00:41:21,478 What was the motive? 823 00:41:21,554 --> 00:41:25,389 - DAVID: Ernie is dead because Samantha, in seeking attention, 824 00:41:25,466 --> 00:41:29,152 using this rhetoric of Ernie being abusive to her 825 00:41:29,229 --> 00:41:33,564 and not treating her right, she just finally told somebody 826 00:41:33,641 --> 00:41:34,657 who would do something about it. 827 00:41:34,734 --> 00:41:35,733 - I love you guys. 828 00:41:35,810 --> 00:41:37,142 - CARLY: I think she thought 829 00:41:37,220 --> 00:41:39,487 this murder was gonna really put the spotlight on her 830 00:41:39,498 --> 00:41:43,500 and, you know, make her a YouTube star, ultimately. 831 00:41:43,576 --> 00:41:46,336 - NARRATOR: As for her defense, Samantha's attorneys claim 832 00:41:46,412 --> 00:41:51,499 she knew nothing about the kidnapping or murder. 833 00:41:51,510 --> 00:41:54,335 - The only defense I saw that her attorney tried 834 00:41:54,346 --> 00:41:57,680 to put on was that we was trying to sling mud, 835 00:41:57,757 --> 00:42:01,509 you know, we're just putting her in this, there's no proof. 836 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,803 - Her attorneys during the course of her trial 837 00:42:03,879 --> 00:42:06,180 tried to say, "Well, it was the Ambien she was taking 838 00:42:06,191 --> 00:42:08,432 is the reason why she had no idea what was going on." 839 00:42:08,509 --> 00:42:11,361 It was just lie after lie after lie. 840 00:42:12,346 --> 00:42:16,199 - NARRATOR: On Thursday, September 14, 2017, 841 00:42:16,276 --> 00:42:19,819 the jury finds Samantha guilty of murder. 842 00:42:19,895 --> 00:42:21,779 - ♪ 843 00:42:21,856 --> 00:42:23,447 - NARRATOR: Between the 2 convictions, 844 00:42:23,524 --> 00:42:28,378 she faces 99 years in prison. 845 00:42:28,454 --> 00:42:30,204 - DAVID: The sentences are stacked on each other. 846 00:42:30,215 --> 00:42:32,540 She'll have to make parole on the kidnapping charge 847 00:42:32,551 --> 00:42:34,217 before she even starts serving 848 00:42:34,294 --> 00:42:36,502 the sentence on the murder charge. 849 00:42:36,579 --> 00:42:39,505 She's likely to die in prison. 850 00:42:39,582 --> 00:42:42,800 - ♪ 851 00:42:42,877 --> 00:42:47,397 - If she did do this, then she's where she belongs. 852 00:42:47,473 --> 00:42:49,348 But a mother can tell, 853 00:42:49,425 --> 00:42:52,226 and she couldn't go through with the murder. 854 00:42:52,237 --> 00:42:53,227 There is no way. 855 00:42:53,238 --> 00:42:55,313 I'll never believe that. 856 00:42:55,389 --> 00:42:57,481 It hurts that this happened. 857 00:42:57,558 --> 00:42:59,576 It not just hurts that we lost her, 858 00:42:59,652 --> 00:43:02,403 we lost him too, and those kids lost 859 00:43:02,414 --> 00:43:06,490 so much more than I did, so much more than they did. 860 00:43:06,567 --> 00:43:10,161 Those kids lost everything. 861 00:43:10,237 --> 00:43:12,872 - ABIGAIL: Most people will never understand the pain 862 00:43:12,948 --> 00:43:14,874 of losing a family member 863 00:43:14,950 --> 00:43:20,504 like that in such a horrific way. 864 00:43:20,581 --> 00:43:22,423 He should be here. 865 00:43:22,434 --> 00:43:28,605 No amount of time is ever gonna take his place. 866 00:43:28,681 --> 00:43:33,276 - ♪