- Female narrator: He was a vietnam veteran
fighting for his life.
- He came home with some demons to battle.
- Narrator: She was the loving partner
who helped him find his way.
- She stood by him and was able to take care of him.
- Narrator: For nearly three decades,
they remained inseparable...
Until an unthinkable betrayal destroyed their union.
- Ray: She was laying on her back
not too far from her vehicle.
- There looked to be some sort of struggle.
- Narrator: Homicide investigators quickly uncover
a web of suspicions and salacious rumors.
- Some of the allegations were quite disturbing.
- She never made any bones about the fact
that they were having an affair.
- They were hiding in closets and different things,
and it was starting to disrupt the work force there.
- Narrator: When the case finally comes to a close,
it will expose an unlikely mastermind of a sinister plot.
- The irony of dying at the hands of someone that
she was trying to help all the way up until her death.
It's kind of heartbreaking.
- She wasn't going to let anything stop her.
- We were in total disbelief and shock.
- ♪
♪♪
- ♪
- narrator: August 9, 2002. Lincoln county, missouri.
It's a quiet Friday afternoon in this small town
just north of st. Louis,
until a flood of 911 calls ring into the sheriff's office.
- ♪
- some witnesses had called into law enforcement
and dispatch and notified officers that there was someone
who is lying on the ground in the commuter lot
positioned at the intersection of highway b and 61.
- One of the witnesses passing by
made the assumption it was a suicide.
- ♪
- [siren wailing]
- narrator: Within minutes,
sheriff's deputies respond to the scene.
- A vehicle was parked facing towards the highway.
Kind of the middle of the parking lot
and car door was open.
And there was a large pool of what appeared to be blood.
- Witnesses observed, as well as law enforcement,
that there was someone with a massive head wound,
what appeared to be a gunshot, who was laying on the ground.
- She was laying not too far from her vehicle,
towards the front of her vehicle.
- The vehicle was still running.
- Narrator: Authorities quickly determine
that the victim is deceased,
but none of the 911 callers saw what happened to her.
- They thought maybe it was a suicide at that point.
- Marshall: It was my understanding
when they found her body,
she had a work uniform on from her employer.
And on that was her work identification.
- Narrator: The badge identifies the victim
as 56-year-old ruth ann madden,
a housekeeping supervisor at a nearby medical center.
- ♪
- marshall: Upon identifying the victim on the commuter lot
based on her work id,
uniformed officers in the missouri state highway patrol
responded to her husband's house to make death notification.
This is common and usually the first step
is notifying next of kin.
- Narrator: Ruth ann's husband is 52-year-old andrew madden.
- Marshall: Andy was wheelchair-bound.
When they arrived, he was out front, they said,
"unfortunately, we have to tell you your wife is deceased."
he put out his cigarette kind of calmly,
and then dropped his face down into his hands and began crying.
- Andy wanted to find out what happened to his wife,
how this could have happened.
- ♪
- narrator: Born on December 17, 1945,
ruth ann scott was always a caregiver.
- She was just sweet and reserved.
You could tell she cared about people.
She was a warm individual.
- She was the oldest of 11 children.
She would be that person that, you know--
that helped raise quite a few of the siblings.
- Mike: She was so family-oriented
and was just a very kind and nurturing person.
- Narrator: In her 20s, ruth ann fell in love
with a young soldier named andrew madden.
- David: Andy madden was a former service member
of the us army.
He was a veteran of the vietnam war.
- Sheldon: He was a tank mechanic.
He did see significant action
during his tour in--in vietnam.
And it left an emotional toll on him.
He came home with some demons to battle.
But once he got to know you and once you got to know him,
he's actually a really good friend.
- Narrator: Ruth ann married andy in 1975 and settled down
in eolia, missouri.
She worked in housekeeping at a hospital, while andy operated
heavy machinery at a quarry in lincoln county.
- Sheldon: They were always together.
She was always concerned about his well-being
and if everything was alright.
There was something particularly cute about the two of them.
And everybody enjoyed them being around.
- Narrator: But as the years passed,
andy's health deteriorated.
- Sheldon: His health was not that good.
He was a sick man. Very sick man.
- David: Andy was in a wheelchair.
He was able to walk.
So sometimes his balance gets in the issue
and that's what the chair is for.
- Sheldon: Cancers, and especially treatment for cancer,
they rob the body of a lot of strength.
His problem seemed more with strength in his legs.
- Narrator: Unable to continue his job at the quarry,
andy struggled with the physical and emotional fallout.
- Sheldon: The military makes you a strong individual.
Your strengths are a major part of your life.
When those things leave you, it's--it's hard to deal with.
- ♪
- narrator: Despite andy's failing health,
ruth ann stuck by his side.
And in 1997, she accepted a full-time job
as a housekeeping manager at lincoln county medical center
to support the both of them.
- She stood by him and was able to take care of him
and continued to take care of him.
Continued to work at the same time.
- Narrator: Ruth ann did what she could,
but more help was needed.
- David: The veteran's administration went ahead
and supplied him a home healthcare aide
by the name of karen clowers
to assist in everyday duties such as clothing,
medicine, bathing and whatnot, as needed.
- Narrator: For the maddens,
having healthcare worker karen clowers in their home
made a huge difference.
- She was helping with house chores and making sure he was
taking his medicine and making him something to eat and stuff
while ruth was out working.
- The relationship, to my understanding, with, uh,
karen clowers and, uh, ruth ann madden was a good one.
They would talk a lot. They would hang together.
Even after she got off, she would stay.
She would, uh, it--it was a friendship relationship
with all three.
- Narrator: It seemed ruth ann and andy had finally found
a good balance--but little did they know,
their time together was running out.
- ♪
- narrator: Now, on August 9, 2002,
state troopers have just informed andy madden
that his wife, ruth ann madden,
has been found dead in a commuter parking lot.
- David: He was upset. A couple times he broke down.
I'm like, you know, "I'm sorry.
"I'm sorry, andy. I'm so sorry.
I mean, I can't imagine what you're going through."
- ♪
- narrator: While andy processes his grief,
detectives arrive at the crime scene.
- Initially, it was reported that it--possibly a suicide,
but really quickly it was starting to unfold that
that was clearly not a suicide.
- David: Right away we start thinking,
this doesn't smell right.
We don't have a weapon at the scene, it was gone,
a clear head shot, left running by her car, id's on her shirt,
something happened immediate and quick.
- Mike: At that point, it was obvious
that this was a homicide.
- Narrator: Coming up: Investigators find evidence
of a desperate struggle for survival.
- Michael: There was actually human hairs
clenched in her hand.
That looked to be that she either tried
to stop her assailant or grab on to her assailant.
- Narrator: And ruth ann's husband gives investigators
their first lead.
- Marshall: He mentioned that she had been receiving
threatening and harassing phone calls and death threats.
This whole thing was very bizarre.
- ♪
- narrator: On August 9, 2002,
authorities in lincoln county, missouri,
are processing the scene where 56-year-old ruth ann madden
has been found murdered in a commuter parking lot
near her home.
- A homicide in this particular community is extremely rare.
- Dan: You have thefts, maybe somebody steals a car
or breaks into a house.
But to have someone brutally shot point blank in the face
in a commuter lot, it shocks the conscience.
- ♪
- narrator: Investigators talk to bystanders
who have gathered at the scene of the crime,
including a young couple that saw a suspicious vehicle
leaving the parking lot that afternoon.
- Dan: It just so happens that this gentleman, randy,
was driving westbound on highway e,
and this car comes screaming out in front of him,
to the point where I think he almost had to take
some sort of evasive action.
And that drew his attention to the commuter lot where he saw
the--the body on the commuter lot.
- Narrator: Suspecting the other driver
might have been involved in a crime,
randy decided to give chase.
- This individual made a u-turn and actually attempted to chase
this vehicle down northbound 40-61,
but it was traveling in excess of 85, 90 miles an hour.
- David: I guess the witness realized that, "hey,
this is getting too dangerous."
you know, to them it wasn't worth it.
So they shut back down,
responded back to the commuter lot,
wherein they met deputies and gave them their statement.
- Marshall: Unfortunately, at the time
they did not get the license plate.
The witness was more focused on
identifying the driver of the car.
But he did give us a spectacular description of the vehicle.
- [siren wailing]
- narrator: Investigators immediately issue a bolo
for a white chevy lumina sedan with tinted windows.
But without a license plate number,
authorities are looking for a needle in a haystack.
- Initially, we really didn't have a lot to go on
when we formed up.
- Narrator: In an effort to act fast,
the sheriff's office seeks help from the multi-agency
major case squad of greater st. Louis.
- Dan: You have anywhere from 25 to 30 detectives from all over
bringing all different kinds of experience.
And one of the benefits of that is the kind of,
for lack of better words, brainstorming.
You know, like, "what do you think?
What does this look like to you?"
one of the scenarios was--
was this a carjacking or a robbery that went bad?
But then you start looking at some of the other factors and,
like, well, you know, her purse was left in the car.
Is that a robbery? It's probably not.
- We noted a gunshot wound to the side of the head
and an exit wound.
We did not locate a projectile.
- That absolutely would lead us to either believe that
the person was--whoever was responsible for the crime,
was aware enough to clean up after themselves
or that they had used a revolver.
In that case, no shell casing would have been ejected.
- ♪
- narrator: Investigators collect several items
from the area-- including a soft drink bottle
and multiple cigarette butts.
- You don't know, is this an important piece of evidence
or is it just clutter?
- Marshall: So, they were seizing those cigarette butts
that they found. It was a doral brand cigarette.
- Narrator: Upon closer examination of ruth ann's body,
investigators find evidence
that she might have tried to fight off her killer.
- Michael: There looked to be some sort of struggle,
because there was actually human hairs found in ruth ann's hand--
clenched in her hand.
That looked to be that either she tried to stop her assailant
or grab on to her assailant.
- Those hair follicles were seized as evidence
and forwarded for dna analysis.
- Narrator: Detectives request ruth ann's phone records,
hoping they will shed some light on what happened.
But getting the results will take time.
While they're waiting,
they ask the local community for help.
- David: We need the public to help us police.
Two minutes of someone's life could save countless hours of
investigators' time and maybe possibly save somebody's life
before it's too late.
- I first heard that they found her body, it was on the news.
And then when I--then when they said their name, I was thinking,
"oh no, it couldn't be the same."
it just made no sense to me.
It would seem like she had no business being there unless
she was meeting somebody there, because where they lived
was at least another 10 or 15 minutes north
from where she was found.
- Narrator: While investigators
wait for potential tips to roll in,
they drive out to the madden home
to speak further with ruth ann's husband, andy.
- Traditional police work would lead you to believe
that you always have to look at the spouse first.
I said, "would you have time to talk with me alone?"
and he said, "sure, I would--
"I would very much like to help you.
I want to find out who did this to my wife."
and I'm like, okay, this is a good start.
- Narrator: Investigators ask andy where he was
earlier in the afternoon.
He says he had been with his caretaker all day.
- He had mentioned that karen clowers was with him
the whole day until approximately 5 p.M.
- Narrator: Andy provides detectives with
contact information for karen clowers,
so they can verify his alibi.
But before contacting karen, detectives ask andy
if ruth ann had any enemies outside or inside the home.
- Mike: He described their marriage
as the perfect marriage, no problems whatsoever.
Never alluded to any type of problems on the marriage front.
- Marshall: Obviously, a question is asked,
"do you have any idea of who may want to have harmed your wife?"
and immediately, he mentioned that she had been receiving
threatening and harassing phone calls and death threats.
- ♪
- dan: Ruth had been receiving threatening phone calls at home
and at work, and she was kind of on, I guess what I would say,
maybe, high alert.
- One of the calls was to andy himself,
and it sounded somewhat like a female voice stating
that his wife was having an affair.
"hey, your wife is cheating on you.
We thought you need to know."
this whole thing was very bizarre.
- Narrator: Investigators want to know who was calling ruth ann
and why they were harassing her.
- Initially, ruth ann suspected the calls may have
been coming from a coworker.
- She would tell andy that, "people at work
are messing with me," and she was scared of it.
- Narrator: Andrew believes the calls may have come
from a former coworker of ruth ann's named betty.
- Marshall: Ruth ann had a supervisory position
at the hospital.
She was in charge of housekeeping.
And there was a female employee who was a subordinate of hers.
- Narrator: According to andrew,
ruth ann had moved betty to the night shift.
- Marshall: This ended up upsetting betty
and prompted her to call.
But not to threaten murder,
but just to, "stop meddling with my life."
she subsequently resigned.
- Narrator: Andrew says he and ruth ann quickly reported
the calls to the troy police department.
- Ms. Madden and andrew madden had taken steps to try to track
where these phone calls were coming from.
Law enforcement ended up following up on
some of those leads,
but none of them really went anywhere.
- Andrew provided us with four or five phone numbers
that he said he had captured from his caller id.
- Narrator: Now investigators wonder,
could workplace tensions have led to murder?
- David: We wanted to get to the bottom of it.
We're going to find the person that's responsible.
- Narrator: Coming up: An illicit and brazen affair
is revealed.
- They were alone all day--all day long.
And I know she set her sights on him.
- Narrator: And detectives find
their biggest piece of evidence yet.
- Dan: We're like, "does that look like the vehicle
that you saw fleeing the crime scene?"
they were 100% sure that like, "yeah, that's the vehicle."
- ♪
- narrator: Just hours after ruth ann madden was found
murdered in a commuter parking lot,
her husband has implicated one of ruth ann's coworkers,
who allegedly made some harassing phone calls
in recent weeks.
- Andy madden holds firm that whoever it is making
these threatening phone calls must've been involved somehow.
- ♪
- narrator: Investigators contact ruth ann's supervisor
at the lincoln county medical center
to learn more about ruth ann's problems
with a former coworker named "betty."
- he had said that ruth ann had come to him
and mentioned that other employees had mentioned
that two of her subordinates
were having an extramarital affair.
They were hiding in closets and different things,
and it was starting to disrupt the work force there.
They decided the best course of action would be to separate them
on the work schedule.
Once the participant in that affair, betty,
was notified that her shift would be changed
because of her behavior, she was very upset.
- Narrator: According to the supervisor,
betty quit her job on July 25, around the same time
ruth ann received the harassing phone calls.
- Some of the allegations raised as to the comments
on the phone calls were quite disturbing.
Some of those alluded to the fact that she was going to have
her throat slit.
That she was going to be beaten
and thrown into the quiver river.
- Dan: Her supervisors took those threats seriously enough
that they assigned her security to walk her back and forth
from her car.
- ♪
- narrator: Investigators work quickly
to contact betty at her home in troy, missouri,
and ask her where she was on August 9.
- Marshall: She said her car had been in the shop
for quite some time,
specifically during that time period
and days before and after.
- Narrator: Betty gives detectives receipts
from the car repair shop,
as well as contact information for friends
who can verify her alibi.
- Marshall: When we investigated that,
it turned out she had a really good alibi
and was not anywhere near the crime scene during that time.
- ♪
- narrator: Detectives use one more piece of evidence
to eliminate betty as a suspect:
A tape recording provided by andrew madden.
- I believe it was upon the advice of law enforcement that
they were to record these phone calls, which they had.
So, law enforcement, they had a sample of the voice
of the person who was making these phone calls.
- Dan: Troy police department turned over some of the calls.
There was an analysis done
between betty's voice and the calls,
and it became pretty clear that that wasn't her.
- ♪
- narrator: As investigators strike betty
from the suspect list,
a lead comes in from one of andrew madden's neighbors.
- Marshall: Apparently, he is an avid scanner listener.
Monitors police traffic.
And he hears, because it's broadcasted after the murder,
that law enforcement is looking for a white chevy lumina.
- Mike: He says, "look, the chevy lumina
"that you're looking for
"happens to be the type of vehicle driven by karen clowers,
who's the caretaker of mr. Madden."
so, law enforcement, once they had this information,
they need to know what's going on with karen clowers.
- ♪
- narrator: Born in 1957, in louisiana, missouri,
karen dowell had a troubled youth...
Leading to a teenage pregnancy.
- What I heard was she got married
because she was pregnant,
but then gave the baby up for adoption.
- Narrator: The marriage didn't last,
and karen moved on with her life.
By 1980, when another relationship failed to pan out,
karen found herself a single mother of two.
- They got a divorce at some point.
- Narrator: While karen had been unlucky in love,
that all changed when she met her next husband, john clowers.
- She was extremely happy with their relationship,
their marriage.
- Bill: Karen thought she was, like, secure financially,
home, that type of stuff.
I don't think she was worried about finances or anything.
She worked on and off as a waitress and then she did
the home healthcare stuff.
- Narrator: In early 2002, 45-year-old karen clowers
started working for andrew and ruth ann madden.
Then, in may of that year, after 17 years of marriage,
her husband john suddenly passed away.
- To my knowledge, it was natural causes.
John provided for them all,
so that was a huge loss right there.
- ♪
- narrator: Now, three months after the death of her husband,
investigators wonder if karen clowers
is connected to another tragic event:
The murder of ruth ann madden.
- Highway patrol ends up going out to go to her house
and taking the two witnesses who viewed the lumina
to see if they could identify the vehicle.
- Dan: We're like, "here's this vehicle.
"we're here. Does that look like the vehicle
that you saw fleeing the crime scene?"
they were 100% sure that like, 'yeah, that's the vehicle."
- ♪
- narrator: Investigators request a search warrant
for karen's house and car...
But they will have to wait until morning
to conduct a legal search.
- Marshall: Detective plumb and I set up surveillance
on karen's house and vehicle the entire night.
While we were waiting,
the neighbor of karen clowers comes out to us
and tells us that she's aware of the white chevy lumina
being wanted in relationship to this homicide.
And then alerts us that andy frequents karen's house daily.
- Mike: She had noted that andy madden
did come and visit karen at her home
and thought that it was suspicious
that he was parking his truck in her garage
and then taking his wheelchair
to come around to the front door to go in and visit.
- Marshall: We asked, "what time
was the vehicle there yesterday?"
and she clearly noted that it had left about 2
and did not return until around 7 p.M.
- Narrator: Investigators note that this time frame fits
the time of ruth ann's murder, which was around 4 p.M.
- Dan: The chevy lumina was driven by karen clowers,
and it left at a certain time
and then it returns at a certain time.
And it builds that window for her
to have participated in the crime.
- Narrator: After speaking to karen's neighbor,
detectives call andrew madden into the station
for an interview that night.
- It was asked, "hey, do you think karen may have possibly
had something to do with this?"
and he quickly jumped on it.
"no. No way. She's not involved."
- when we got in the interview
and we told him that karen owned a white chevy lumina,
he started coming up with a timeline.
"she couldn't have done this because she was with me
to such and such time, to such and such time."
- his responses in defense of karen were much more genuine
and much more stern and very, very direct.
Similar to what you would do
defending a family member or a loved one.
So, we knew something wasn't right there.
It wasn't--you don't defend a professional relationship
the way that he was defending karen.
- We asked him when he last spoke with his wife.
And he quickly said, "3:38 p.M."
which the detectives actually noted that and go,
"well, how do you know specifically 3:38?"
and he had mentioned he had looked at the time
on his cell phone.
- Mike: It seemed like he had manipulated his story
and whatever evidence he had to cover for karen clowers.
- ♪
- narrator: Coming up: Investigators put their
prime suspect under pressure.
- Marshall: We parked right by where the crime scene was at.
We just wanted to see what way this would make her go,
emotionally.
- There's things that your body reacts to
that's almost better than a confession.
- She's singing like a canary, but it's not about her.
- ♪
- narrator: On the morning of August 10, 2002,
less than 24 hours since ruth ann madden was found
shot to death in a parking lot near her house,
law enforcement executes a search warrant
at the home of karen clowers.
- We kind of got her out of the way of the investigators
and off into a bedroom and began to speak with her.
- At that point, she acted as if
she had no idea whatsoever that she had died.
- I said, you know, "have you spoken to andy?"
and she's like, "oh yeah, he did mention
that ruth ann had been murdered."
- no one forgets that you've been told someone has died.
No one forgets that.
- ♪
- narrator: That's when karen makes a startling confession.
- Dan: She never made any bones about the fact
that she was in love with andy.
And that they were having an affair.
It wasn't like that was a big secret.
- David: They were alone all day long,
and I guess karen liked the way andy was treating her.
I know she set her sights on andy madden.
- Narrator: While detectives continue the interview
with karen, law enforcement search her house and car
and discover potentially incriminating evidence.
- Marshall: In the vehicle of note,
they found packages of doral cigarettes.
And again, doral cigarette butts were found on the commuter lot.
We suggested that she go back with us
to the sheriff's department
for a more private interview, uninterrupted.
And she agreed.
- ♪
- narrator: On the way, investigators decide to take
a strategic detour.
- Marshall and I came to the agreement, like,
let's--let's take her back to the crime scene
and let's-- let's see what happens.
- Marshall: We allowed her out of the car and parked right by
where the crime scene was at.
We just wanted to see what way this would make her go,
emotionally.
- As we're walking up towards
where the actual crime took place,
she just leans over and vomits all over the place.
The human body's amazing.
There's things that you just--
when you're put under stress,
there's things that your body reacts to
that's almost better than a confession.
Marshall and I, we got her calmed down.
Put her back in the car
and continued on to the sheriff's department.
And I remember her saying, like, "hey, I'm ready,
I'm gonna tell you everything."
- ♪
- narrator: At the lincoln county sheriff's office,
karen clowers starts talking.
- She's singing like a canary, but it's not about her.
- ♪
- narrator: Karen tells investigators that on
August 9, john lewis showed up unexpectedly.
- So, we're initially thinking, like, okay,
our guy is john lewis.
- Narrator: Detectives respond immediately to john's home.
- Mike: What was noteworthy is how angry john lewis became
once the finger had been pointed at him.
- He's like, "heck no. That is not how this happened."
- narrator: Investigators bring john to the station
for a formal interview.
- According to john, he had no intentions of hurting
or doing anything to ruth ann.
He was just figuring, "okay, if you're going to give me $5,000,
"I'm just going to go out and spend it and not really
"worry about it because what are you going to do?
Go tell somebody that you gave me $5,000 to murder someone?"
- narrator: John says karen's plan
was to call ruth ann madden,
claim she was stranded in the commuter lot,
and ask for help.
- ♪
- I understand that john drove a truck,
karen drove the car, out to the commuter parking lot,
popped the hood.
John walked across and met karen behind the trunk.
- There was an old family firearm from her ex-husband.
- Karen had john show her exactly how to use this pistol.
It's a revolver.
- Mike: He clocks the hammer back,
which makes it extremely easy to pull the trigger.
It doesn't require any real power
to have to pull the trigger. It'll go off really quickly.
Sets it down in the trunk of the vehle.
At that time, he chickens out,
decides, "I don't want any part of this."
- david: He told her, you know,
"I'm not going to do it, I can't do it. I'm not."
and karen's like, "wait a minute, you're gonna do it."
well, he didn't do it. He gave the gun to karen.
- Marshall: When he saw ruth ann pull onto the lot,
he ducked down between two parked cars.
- David: It's panic time, I'm sure.
Couldn't imagine how that felt back there,
behind that open trunk lid.
- Narrator: It's a shocking story,
but john isn't done talking.
- He said andy was in on it and agreed to make the phone call
to lure her in there.
"hey, they are broke down on this commuter lot.
Can you come by, see if you can help them?"
- david: I don't believe at all
that ruth ann knew that karen and andy
were developing a romantic relationship.
And unfortunately, it was--it was too late
when she probably figured that out.
- Mike: We have to wonder whether or not,
when he called to tell ruth ann to drive out to karen's vehicle,
if he knew or should have known
that he was sending her to her death.
Certainly, he recognized that
whatever he was calling to send her into
was not going to turn out well.
- Narrator: Coming up: Investigators unravel
the details of a twisted conspiracy.
- She was instructed to cover the mouthpiece up and talk
in a deep and threatening voice.
- Narrator: And the truth behind the tragedy of ruth ann madden's
murder becomes even more horrific.
- She wasn't going to let anything stop her.
- ♪
- narrator: Only one day after the murder of ruth ann madden,
investigators have made their first arrest in the case:
John lewis, the son-in-law of karen clowers.
- Mike: They've gotten statements from john lewis,
and he gets charged with murder first, which is the highest, uh,
possible charge you can possibly get for a homicide.
- Narrator: Now, investigators have their sights set
on john's co-conspirators--
starting with ruth ann's own husband, andrew madden.
- We interviewed andy, and at that point at--you know,
it was clear that andy was involved.
And he was brought down, and I really think andy's the one that
kind of laid out the whole thing.
- Ray: He talked about initially just how quickly he fell in love
with karen, and karen fell in love with him,
and it was a type of situation you describe as like, well,
this was meant to be.
This was--this was what you were meant to do.
- He was willing to go have his wife come to that
commuter parking lot, knowing
that karen was going to kill her.
And that's the sad truth.
- ♪
- narrator: With statements in hand
from her lover andrew madden and her son-in-law john lewis,
investigators confront karen clowers.
- Karen eventually confesses to shooting ruth ann.
Although in her story,
she says that the gun accidentally went off,
that she never really meant to kill her.
- Narrator: One piece of evidence
seems to contradict her story.
- Dan: How do we account for the hair in ruth ann's hand?
I believe that ruth ann and karen met.
Karen pulled the gun, and ruth ann probably startled,
was like, you know, "hey, what's going on?"
and struggled a little bit with her.
And then the gun went off.
The only people that know exactly what happened
in that respect is john and karen.
- ♪
- narrator: Authorities charge both 45-year-old karen clowers
and 52-year-old andrew madden with first-degree murder.
- He called me.
And he just basically said that I'm going to hear some things
about him, and he's embarrassed,
and that he's sorry for everything
that I'm about to hear.
Myself and those of us who spent a lot of time with andrew
were in total disbelief and shock.
- Narrator: Next, law enforcement issues
a search warrant of john lewis' home,
where they run into an unlikely ally, karen's daughter.
- We provided her a copy of the search warrant,
which had the affidavit for probable cause.
She is reading the probable cause and notes that karen said
her husband's the one that did this.
And at that point, she blurts out,
"he had nothing to do with this."
and then went on to explain her involvement.
- Narrator: Karen's daughter tells investigators that she was
the one who made the harassing phone calls
to ruth ann madden...
But she claims she didn't know who she was calling
at the time.
- She admits that her mother, karen,
directed her to make these harassing phone calls
from various payphones.
She was instructed to cover the mouthpiece up
and talk in a deep and threatening voice.
- Karen clowers was careful to not allow
her daughter to see what number she was dialing,
but gave her specific instructions as to what to say,
how to say it.
When she asks her mom, "look, what is this all about?"
her mother says, "it was-- it was an argument that happened
at a bar after work,"
and you know, offers this weak explanation for
these threatening phone calls.
- ♪
- narrator: In November 2003,
andy madden pleads guilty to second-degree murder.
- I think the worst part about it was
that her own husband of all those years
made the phone call to lure her into her own death.
- What he did made no sense.
Is he a cold-blooded heartless killer? No.
So I just think that he had
a lapse of good sound judgment and clarity.
- It shocks the conscience
that people can be that brutal to each other.
- ♪
- narrator: John lewis also agrees to plead guilty
to a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
- I think from what we put together,
he was probably supposed to be the triggerman, so to speak,
and changed his mind.
- Narrator: On December 2, 2003,
the case against karen clowers
begins in a lincoln county courtroom.
- Karen says he kept chickening out and,
"I just had to do it myself."
she had it set in her mind that she was going to do it,
and it was going to happen no matter what.
- All that she cared about, regardless of the ramifications,
regardless of the aftermath--
all she cared about was her one singular goal,
which was to be with andy.
- ♪
- narrator: Two days into her murder trial,
karen clowers has a change of heart and pleads guilty to
class a felony murder in the second degree.
- Michael: I think the writing might've been on the wall.
She realized that there was nothing that she was going to
be able to do to get out of being found guilty.
- ♪
- narrator: The murder of ruth ann madden still lingers
in the hearts of everyone connected to the case.
- It's been almost 20 years since this happened,
and I assure you there are still ripple effects that are causing
problems in the lives of the people that are left behind.
- Karen destroyed so many families and so many lives
that I can't even count.
My kids are the most important thing to me in my life,
and karen has hurt their life
and is still hurting their life today.
- Dan: The stigma of, like,
"hey, my--my grandmother or my mom murdered this lady.
She masterminded this plan."
that follows you around.
- Just because somebody is related or knows somebody
that is convicted of a murder,
that doesn't make them a murderer.
If she would've come up to us
and approached us for murder,
it would have been straight to the police department.
- The irony of ruth ann dying at the hands of someone
that she was trying to help all the way up until her death.
It's kind of heartbreaking and--and heart wrenching.
- ♪
♪♪