- FEMALE NARRATOR: She was a beloved pediatric dentist
who had just met the love of her life.
- ELENE: She found someone finally
that she can really enjoy and connect with.
- They had already started putting money away
for a wedding fund.
- NARRATOR: But their future together
is ripped apart in a hail of gunfire.
- He saw this horrific scene; a young woman
on the ground with this pool of blood.
- NARRATOR: Investigators track down an array
of suspects and each one has a vastly
different tale to tell.
- NARRATOR: Within days, the homicide investigation
escalates to a hunt for an international fugitive.
- OFFICER: I won't discuss or speculate as to where
she might be.
- She pushed buttons to get what she needed to get done
without getting her hands dirty.
- CASEY: She did everything she could
to keep him engaged.
She could not be tossed aside.
- ♪
♪♪
- NARRATOR: September 2, 2015.
It's a quiet evening in uptown Dallas
as two friends leave Gables 17,
a luxury apartment complex.
- GEORGE: It's kind of the hip spot
of the central business district of Dallas.
And it's new, clean, neat, nice; walk around,
you are totally safe.
- I was with my friend and, uh, you know, a normal day.
We were going to our car in the garage.
- NARRATOR: But suddenly the pair hears a terrifying
commotion echo through the parking garage.
- HASHEM: You just heard screaming.
It was pure fear.
And then I just heard, "Pop, pop."
- [gunshots firing]
- HASHEM: Right when we heard that,
we just ran straight to our car
'cause we didn't know what that was.
Then I heard the screeching of the car immediately.
- [tires screeching]
- I was just looking in my rearview mirror and,
you know, just saw the Jeep Cherokee.
I wait for him to go and then just go right after him,
and we just took that first opportunity,
basically, to leave.
- CASEY: When he backed out,
the Jeep Cherokee had gone the wrong way
down the garage.
There wasn't another exit, so the Jeep Cherokee
had to turn around was now behind him.
- HASHEM: As I was going out of the ramp, you know,
I could see her body.
I just knew she had passed at the time,
just because how she was on the ground,
so that's why we just kept going.
Everything was just-- [snapping]--very quick.
I think it's just almost because it was shock.
- He uh, pulled over, called 911, told them what he knew.
- CASEY: Then, that prompted the police to arrive.
As they were doing CPR, the professionals noticed
that it wasn't doing any good, so they stopped.
There was no way to save this person.
- NARRATOR: With first responders
unable to save her, police survey the scene
for any indicator of the victim's identity.
- ERIC: The victim was laying on the ground
next to this white Toyota Camry.
We were able to determine that the owner
of the Camry was Dr. Kendra Hatcher.
After pulling a photograph of Dr. Hatcher
from her driver's license, we were able to confirm
that she was the individual that was deceased.
At this point in the investigation,
Dallas homicide's primary objective
is to get more information about who our victim is,
why she was murdered and find out who's responsible.
- NARRATOR: Illinois native Kendra Hatcher
was known for her stunning good looks, intelligence,
and heart of gold.
- Kendra, a very beautiful person
inside and out.
She was always smiling and
very, very, you know, approachable.
She was just such a good person
with an amazing heart.
You know, she had that compassion, that love,
and just caring for people.
- NARRATOR: The Midwest beauty had attended
Depauw University, where she had discovered
her true passion.
- Dr. Kendra Hatcher did pediatric dentistry--
uh, children.
- ELENE: She just had that connection
with the young kids, and she just enjoyed
working with them.
- NARRATOR: In early 2015, the 35-year-old
landed a job in Dallas, at a pediatric dental office
focused on community outreach.
- Dr. Hatcher worked for a practice
that I knew the practice owner.
Where their practice was at
was a lower socioeconomic area, and their sole vision,
their purpose, was to take care of this community,
and take care of these patients.
- NARRATOR: As Kendra's career flourished,
her love of life did too.
In May of 2015, she fell for a handsome young doctor.
- CASEY: Ricky Paniagua was living in Dallas,
finishing up a dermatology residency, had grown up, uh,
in a working-class family in California
and then really had the world at his feet.
- She found someone finally
that she can really enjoy and connect with.
- CASEY: They had only been seeing each other
three or four months, but they were ready to take
next steps.
They, uh, had already started, uh, putting money away
for a wedding fund.
- ELENE: She was excited and I was happy for her
because it's like she deserves someone, you know,
in her life because she's a wonderful person.
- NARRATOR: In September of 2015,
the happy couple planned a trip to Cancun
for Labor Day, but their beach getaway
would never come to be.
- It's like you're about to have the time of your life
for the first time and--[claps]--
taken away from you in a span of a millisecond.
- NARRATOR: Sadly, instead of packing
for her Mexico vacation, Dr. Kendra Hatcher lies lifeless
in the garage of her upscale Dallas apartment complex
while authorities inspect the scene.
- ABE: We were able to examine
the back of her head and found that the entry wound
came from the upper part of the head
and exited through the chin.
Gunshot residue was found on the back of the hands,
indicating that Ms. Hatcher may have had her hands up
and behind her head at the time she was shot.
- ERIC: At that point, we believe that she was shot
by the shooter standing over the victim,
and they executed her.
- NARRATOR: Detectives find the victim's phone
lying next to her, along with evidence
of the murder weapon.
- ERIC: I noticed that there was a round that had, uh,
actually hit the victim and it pancaked
after it hit the concrete.
Also, there was a magazine from a handgun
laying next to the victim as well.
- ABE: The pistol magazine laying on the floor
is rather unusual.
That would indicate to me that the shooter was nervous,
uh, in a rush and, uh,
hit the release on the gun
and that magazine popped out
while he was fleeing the scene.
Unfortunately, no prints were found on that magazine.
- NARRATOR: As investigators take inventory
of the victim's possessions, there is something
notably missing.
- We were unable to find a purse that belonged to Dr. Hatcher.
It raised a red flag.
- NARRATOR: Though a missing purse
at a crime scene could indicate a mugging,
the garage's intense security measures suggest
something more calculated.
- One of the first things that I did
was just look at the set up on the parking garage
and it had a lot of security features there.
There was multiple surveillance cameras
and there was a physical wrought iron fence.
It wasn't accessible to the public
and the only way to gain entrance
into this parking garage was to have a key fob.
This is a very affluent neighborhood,
so Dr. Hatcher being murdered
just didn't make sense.
Who would want to do something like this to Kendra?
- NARRATOR: Coming up: a prominent figure
in Kendra's life appears on the scene.
- I was there when he walked into the lobby.
- NARRATOR: And a tip comes in that has detectives
scratching their heads.
- ERIC: It's not every day somebody walks into
a police station saying, "Hey, yes, my car was used
in a murder."
- ♪
- NARRATOR: September 2, 2015.
Dallas detectives are investigating
the shooting death of pediatric dentist
Kendra Hatcher.
- It appeared as though Dr. Hatcher had been exiting
her vehicle, was approached
by a suspect and blindsided,
put her hands up behind her head, the gun was fired.
She went down to the ground and that's how we found her.
- NARRATOR: Detectives ask building management
to pull surveillance tapes from the garage,
hoping to spot the shooter.
As they work to secure the tapes,
Kendra's boyfriend, Ricky Paniagua,
approaches apartment staff inquiring
about Kendra's whereabouts.
- I was there when, uh, Ricardo walked into the lobby.
Um, I introduced myself and asked him
if I could speak with him for a second.
At that point, I notified him that Kendra had passed away.
- NARRATOR: Ricky appears devastated by the news.
- ERIC: There was several moments
where he just kind of seemed to linger
in the situation, not really knowing what to say.
- NARRATOR: Although Ricky's reaction
seems genuine, detectives proceed with scrutiny.
- So, at that initial stage,
he was one of the first people that we had
to either move forward with, as a suspect,
or either rule him out.
- NARRATOR: Detectives ask Ricky to walk them
through the hours leading up to the murder.
He says he and Kendra had plans to meet up
at Kendra's apartment after work.
- NARRATOR: Ricky says when he returned
to the apartments, he began to fear the worst.
- NARRATOR: Ricky tells detectives
the two had planned on leaving for Cancun
the next morning.
- I think it almost seems surreal to him.
They were unwinding, planning on going on
this vacation and now, two homicide detectives
are there to talk to you about your girlfriend
being murdered.
- NARRATOR: After taking Ricky's statement,
detectives receive the surveillance footage
from the garage.
And what the cameras picked up is disturbing.
- ERIC: At approximately 7:15 p.m., our suspect vehicle,
the black Jeep Grand Cherokee,
they kind of follow one of the residents
inside the parking garage and they park.
Somewhere around 7:42, the victim, uh, Kendra Hatcher,
pulls into the parking garage driving her white
Toyota Camry.
There was no doubt that that individual was waiting
on Dr. Hatcher to get in the garage.
As soon as she pulled in, he began making his move.
- NARRATOR: The video shows a suspect
exit the Jeep and walk out of frame,
toward Kendra's vehicle.
- We can see that shots are fired,
and the driver of vehicle puts the black Jeep into reverse
as a silhouette walks back to the vehicle
and gets into the passenger side.
The vehicle then goes the wrong way
in the parking garage, and they have to loop
back around.
- NARRATOR: Though detectives aren't able
to clearly see the person who shot Kendra
or a license plate for the Jeep, the cameras did capture
a glimpse of the getaway driver.
- They were able to get a still photo,
and there you can clearly see that a woman is driving it.
- ERIC: We're only able to see one silhouette
inside the vehicle, and we believe the shooter
was laying down in the backseat of the vehicle
as they were exiting.
- NARRATOR: The next day, detectives provide
images to the media for help in identifying
the getaway car and driver.
- At this point, we're asking for the public's assistance
in identifying and locating, uh, both that--those--
that vehicle, and any occupants
that may have been in that vehicle at the time.
- NARRATOR: On September 4, just 2 days
after the shooting, their effort pays off.
- Jose Ortiz called 911 and wanted to report
that he saw his black Jeep Cherokee on the news.
It was kind of strange.
You know, it's not every day somebody walks into
a police station saying, "Hey, yes, my car was used
"in a murder."
- NARRATOR: That morning, Jose Ortiz comes in
for an interview.
- Mr. Ortiz knew it right away,
that it was his vehicle because there were uh,
special rims on it and also uh, part of the bumper trim
was different.
- ERIC: He was a little freaked out,
and he wanted to clear his name.
- NARRATOR: Jose tells detectives
that on September 2nd, he lent his Jeep to a friend,
33-year-old Brenda Delgado.
- ERIC: Jose provided us the information
that Brenda was the one that he gave his actual
Jeep keys to, and she was the one
that asked to borrow the Jeep.
- NARRATOR: But Jose says Brenda
couldn't have been the getaway driver or shooter
in Kendra's murder.
- ERIC: He told me he was out having dinner
with Brenda at a Chili's restaurant
during the time that this offense was being committed.
After he observed his Jeep on the news involved
with this murder, he confronted Brenda about it.
- She said, "Well you should leave the police alone.
They might ask about your immigration status."
- ERIC: He had no involvement.
She threatened him with being deported.
She offered him to pay for his Jeep to get painted
a different color.
That was a--definitely a red flag.
So that gave us every indicator, that she had some information,
that she has something at stake to lose
if he does come and talk.
- ♪
- ERIC: We decided we needed to talk to her
as soon as possible.
- NARRATOR: That same day, detectives track down Brenda
and bring her in for questioning.
- She had the demeanor of,
"Oh, I want to help, and I have no idea what's going on."
- One of the things that we try to do as a detective,
is get to know these people on an individual basis;
try to figure out what it is that makes Brenda tick,
to know her as a person.
- NARRATOR: Brenda Delgado and her family
came to the United States for the American Dream.
- GEORGE: She is from a very nice family.
She was born in Mexico but came here legally,
grew up in Dallas.
- NARRATOR: Brenda was known for her quiet disposition.
- NEKEYA: It was just her personality.
She just didn't have a lot of words.
- She wasn't very, ah, outgoing, she was very reserved.
- NEKEYA: She was kind.
She gave off a kind aura, very sweet and considerate.
- NARRATOR: Brenda eventually found a passion
in dentistry.
- She wanted to become a hygienist;
that was extremely important to her.
She was naturally intuitive, she was always wanting to--
to get better and she really worked well
with all the other students
and all the other instructors as well.
- NARRATOR: In late summer of 2015,
33-year-old Brenda was in the midst of studying
for her certification boards.
- GLENN: She had a lot of potential.
This was someone who knew exactly what she wanted
to do, and she was willing to put the work in for it.
- NARRATOR: But on September 4, 2015,
this dental hygiene student finds herself
being questioned about her connection to a murder.
- NARRATOR: Brenda says she and her friend Jose
were at Chili's for multiple hours,
and she has the evidence to prove it.
- Having a receipt readily available, at,
you know, pretty much on demand
when the detective asked for it, it kinda raised a red flag.
- NARRATOR: Detectives confront Brenda
with a claim made by her friend, Jose Ortiz.
- ERIC: As soon as I asked about the Jeep,
her response was, "I gave it to my friend Crystal.
Crystal had the Jeep."
- At that moment, we got Crystal's phone number
from her, called Crystal and one of the detectives
went to pick Crystal up to bring her in for an interview.
- NARRATOR: Coming up: Crystal describes
a harrowing account of the murder.
- NARRATOR: And detectives hold her feet to the fire.
- ♪
- NARRATOR: September 4, 2015.
It's been two days since Dr. Kendra Hatcher
was gunned down in the parking garage
of her Dallas apartment building.
33-year-old Brenda Delgado, who reportedly had
possession of the getaway vehicle the day of the crime,
has just told police it was actually her friend,
Crystal Cortes, driving the Jeep.
- I had, uh, Crystal in one room,
and I had Brenda in another room
and I was going in between one room,
to get any information I could get from one
and go spin it and use it against the other one
to get more information.
- NARRATOR: To detectives' surprise,
Crystal readily admits she was driving the Jeep
the day Kendra was killed.
- Crystal said that she was forced at gunpoint
by this individual to drive into this parking garage.
- NARRATOR: Crystal says she tailgated into the garage
behind another vehicle.
- ERIC: He got back in the vehicle
and forced her to drive him to an area of town
called Oak Cliff where he got out of the vehicle
and left her and her son be.
- CASEY: The surveillance tapes did not catch her son
in the Jeep, so the investigators pretty
easily proved that her son wasn't there.
She obviously flat out lied to the detective.
- NARRATOR: And that detail is not the only thing
that fails to add up.
- She had every opportunity to drive off
once he exited the vehicle.
But she didn't.
She drove off after the shots were fired
and she waited for him to get back in.
- NARRATOR: As detectives turn up the heat,
Crystal delivers another version of events
and this time, admits it was a planned attack.
- The story that she presented was that,
"Yes, I was there with this individual,
it was just supposed to be a purse snatching."
- ERIC: She said the shooter got out of the vehicle,
he walked over to snatch the purse,
and Dr. Hatcher just didn't comply.
- NARRATOR: When detectives ask
why Crystal participated in this crime,
she says it was all her friend Brenda's idea.
- What I learned about Ricky and Brenda
was they dated somewhere about two and a half years.
They ended up breaking up in June of 2014.
In December of 2014, they decided to rekindle
their relationship to see if they could work it out
and by February of 2015,
they decided to call it quits for good.
- NARRATOR: By May, Ricky had moved on.
- ERIC: With Kendra, you know,
their relationship developed pretty fast,
and I think he was head over heels with Kendra
and he changed his Facebook profile picture to a picture
of him and Kendra, so I think that also
kind of set Brenda off.
- ERIC: The big thing she told me
about Brenda's involvement is that Brenda was willing
to pay for the purse.
She said it was all about stealing the purse.
It was never, uh, murder for hire.
It was never a planned hit.
- NARRATOR: When detectives confront Brenda
with Crystal's story, she denies any knowledge
of Kendra Hatcher.
- NARRATOR: Detectives obtain consent
to search both of the women's cell phones,
and soon find damning photos.
- ERIC: On the day after the murder occurred,
Brenda and Crystal met up to have lunch.
During that time, uh, Crystal was paid the $500
and there was a selfie that Crystal took
with the $500 folded together in the shape of a heart.
- NARRATOR: In Crystal's interrogation room,
investigators try to make sense of the photos.
- ERIC: I still didn't feel that she was being 100% honest
about her involvement, but I wanted to take
some of the pressure off of her
and focus on who our shooter is.
- She was able to give up uh, a name, Lamar,
and that Lamar drove a blue Chrysler Sebring.
Now obviously, there were so many inconsistencies
in her story that we didn't know if Lamar
was a real name or not.
She was able to identify a cell phone number
that was associated with our shooter.
- NARRATOR: Following her interview,
Crystal is arrested for her role in the crime.
- ERIC: She admitted that Brenda paid her
to be the getaway driver, so we had enough to arrest her
that night for murder.
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough evidence
to place Brenda in custody, so the only thing
that I had to work with was an unpaid traffic ticket.
And we did arrest her for the unpaid traffic ticket
to kinda figure out what our next step was gonna be.
- NARRATOR: Coming up:
Police pull out all the stops to bring the coconspirators
to justice.
- It then became a federal offense,
and Dallas police were able to join with the FBI.
- NARRATOR: And damning evidence reveals
a mastermind's desperate plan.
- CASEY: She's is on the phone
trying to buy a silencer for the exact type of gun
that was used to kill Kendra.
- ♪
- NARRATOR: Two days after the murder
of Kendra Hatcher, Dallas investigators have arrested
the getaway driver, Crystal Cortes.
Brenda Delgado is also in custody,
but she won't be for long.
- They were trying to hold her
while they found more evidence, um,
so they legally arrested her for this parking problem.
- NARRATOR: With Brenda in custody,
detectives turn back to Ricky Paniagua,
whose prior relationship with Brenda,
and current relationship with Kendra,
raises suspicions.
- NARRATOR: Before detectives can rule Ricky out,
they want to inspect his cell phone.
- NARRATOR: Ricky turns over his phone
and what investigators find inside fully clears him
from suspicion.
- ERIC: There was no financial motive,
there was no bad blood in the relationship.
The biggest factor that helped me rule out Ricardo
from this investigation was the fact
that he stayed around, waiting on her.
And I felt like if he would've been involved,
he would've left.
- NARRATOR: With Ricky in the clear,
detectives set their sights on finding the shooter,
a man Crystal Cortes identified as Lamar.
- We start researching our databases
to see if we could figure out who this Lamar guy is.
- NARRATOR: But after an extensive search,
nothing comes up.
- ERIC: We were able, at that point, to determine
that Lamar is probably not gonna be
this individual's name.
- NARRATOR: With a fake name and a dead end,
detectives investigate the phone number Crystal provided.
- ERIC: The FBI was able to come in and conduct phone pings
on the cell phone number that was identified
as being the phone number used by the shooter.
- NARRATOR: The FBI tracks the phone to a nearby
apartment complex, and in the parking lot
is a blue Sebring--the same vehicle
Crystal had associated with the shooter.
FBI agents keep eyes on the vehicle,
and on September 30, they pounce.
- ERIC: The blue Chrysler Sebring started moving
and so did the cell phone.
They were pulled over in that parking lot close by
and at that moment, FBI decided to make contact
with the driver.
- NARRATOR: Authorities identify the man
as 31-year-old Kristopher Love,
and he's no stranger to law enforcement.
- We found out that he was wanted out of Memphis.
So, we were able to bring him in, place him in custody
for the warrant.
The vehicle was then transferred to our auto pound
and the subject was brought down to our headquarters
for interview.
- NARRATOR: During a search of the Sebring,
authorities find a weapon hidden
in a side compartment.
- ERIC: It was a 40-caliber, which matched our crime scene.
So, now our detectives rush from the auto pound
over to our firearms trace lab and conducted a test fire
of this firearm to see if the shell casings match,
and within a hour, hour and a half, we were able
to get a positive confirmation on that.
- ♪
- I showed Kristopher Love a picture of the firearm
that we found in his vehicle.
He looked at the firearm for several moments,
and he told me that was his gun.
- NARRATOR: Though Kristopher admits
the weapon is his, he claims he is not the shooter.
- He told me that Crystal was the one
that was responsible for shooting Dr. Hatcher.
- NARRATOR: Like Crystal and Brenda before him,
Kristopher points the finger at someone else
in the group.
But for detectives, the evidence doesn't lie.
- ERIC: I knew that Crystal was the one driving the vehicle.
From the surveillance footage,
there was no way possible that the driver was able
to get out and shoot because the vehicle was
moving at the same time as the silhouette
was approaching the vehicle.
So, I knew that wasn't the truth.
- NARRATOR: Kristopher says, like Crystal,
he was also promised compensation from Brenda.
- NARRATOR: Detectives tell Kristopher
the real connection: that Kendra was actually dating
Brenda's ex.
- ERIC: We were able to charge him
with capital murder and we booked him
into the Dallas County Jail.
- NARRATOR: With Crystal Cortes and Kristopher Love
in custody, detectives set their sights on Brenda.
- GEORGE: They were obviously able to hold her
for a while there, but she posted the--paid the fine off
and then she walked out the jail.
- ERIC: During this investigation, I learned,
that September 5, after Brenda was released
from custody, she got on a bus and that she fled the country.
- MAN: Authorities are now on the hunt for Delgado,
who faces charges of capital murder.
- I won't discuss or speculate as to where she might be,
or, uh, uh, all I will suggest to her specifically,
is that she turn herself in as quickly as possible.
- ABE: When Ms. Delgado crossed the border
into Mexico, it then became a federal offense,
and Dallas police were able to join with the FBI
in looking for her in Mexico.
- NARRATOR: While authorities search
for Brenda Delgado, detectives do a deeper dive
into her phone to strengthen their case against her.
- ERIC: We had received some information
throughout the investigation that Brenda
was using some type of app to kind of track
where Ricardo was at, so she had access to the location
of where his iPhone was at all times.
- NARRATOR: To detectives, it seems it was through
the phone stalking that Brenda first discovered
Ricky's relationship with Kendra.
- She did everything she could
to keep him engaged, to, you know, follow him,
to stalk him, all that stuff and she could not be
tossed aside.
- NARRATOR: Detectives also discover one video
on Brenda's phone that seems particularly damning.
- The video was Brenda and Crystal
driving around, behind happy and while Brenda is filming it,
Crystal is on the phone trying to buy a silencer
for the exact type of gun that was used to kill Kendra.
- Why would you need a silencer for a .40-caliber firearm,
which is the same caliber that was used in the offense,
unless it was a planned hit?
- At that point, our homicide guys knew that,
it was, in fact, not a robbery.
And it was, in fact, a murder for hire.
- ♪
- ERIC: I believe in Brenda's mind,
if she could somehow remove Kendra from Ricky's life
that she would have a shot at this dream life
that she hoped she would have with Ricardo.
- NARRATOR: Finally, in April of 2016,
after nearly 7 months of searching,
authorities locate Brenda.
- ERIC: Once we were able to charge her
with capital murder, every piece of this investigation,
down to the evidence, and the people
that were involved, all had ties to Brenda.
- ABE: Mexico did agree to extradite her
to the United States as long as we would not seek
the death penalty for her.
- NARRATOR: Coming up: the crime's alleged
mastermind goes on trial.
- It could very well be possible
that they did know that Brenda would be the one
blamed for it.
- This was orchestrated.
- CASEY: It didn't occur to her at all
that there were other lives involved,
that she was going to hurt other people.
- ♪
- NARRATOR: Brenda Delgado, Crystal Cortes,
and Kristopher Love are all in custody
for their roles in the murder of pediatric dentist
Kendra Hatcher.
But one of the accused decides to turn
State's witness and testify against her co-conspirators.
- CASEY: Crystal Cortes signed a deal, a plea deal:
guilty of murder and agreed to a 35-year sentence.
- NARRATOR: In June of 2019,
the trial for alleged mastermind Brenda Delgado gets underway.
Prosecutors call their star witness,
Crystal Cortes, to the stand.
- She was able to give intimate details
of how they planned this offense together,
how they planned murdering the victim.
This was orchestrated.
- NARRATOR: Crystal testifies that on September 2, 2015,
while Brenda went to dinner to establish an alibi,
Crystal and Kristopher snuck in to Kendra's
parking garage.
- ERIC: They waited on Dr. Hatcher to show up.
When Dr. Hatcher showed up, Kristopher Love exited
the rear of the vehicle, went over to her,
shot her in the back of the head, took her purse.
Kris entered the vehicle and him and Crystal
exited the parking garage.
- NARRATOR: Crystal testifies that she then
dropped Kristopher off at his home
and went to pick up Brenda.
- ERIC: During that time, Brenda retrieved
Kendra's bag, and they swapped vehicles
and departed for the evening.
- NARRATOR: The defense counters
by refuting Crystal's testimony,
painting Brenda as nothing more than a scapegoat.
- It would appear that Brenda
was extremely jealous, but nothing about it lines up
with her character.
She is absolutely not a master manipulator.
It could very well be possible that the other two,
just from hearing Brenda venting,
maybe they were planning a robbery and maybe they did
know that Brenda would be the one blamed for it.
- GEORGE: You could say that while defending Brenda,
I was prosecuting Crystal Cortes.
She's already demonstrably proven
that she will maliciously and willfully lie
and accuse someone of capital murder
and you have to believe Crystal Cortes
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Otherwise, you cannot convict Brenda Delgado.
- NARRATOR: When the trial comes to a close,
the jury finds Brenda guilty of capital murder
and she is sentenced to life without the possibility
of parole.
- CASEY: Just looking at the evidence logically and coldly,
I totally believed that Crystal was telling the truth.
I totally believe that Brenda got her involved in this.
- NARRATOR: As for the shooter,
Kristopher Love is found guilty of capital murder
on October 31, 2018, and sentenced to death.
- She found two people
that were gullible enough to help her do it.
In her mind, I think it was going to be, "These two people
"are going to do this for me and then, you know,
they're done, they're away, I've got Ricky all to myself."
- NARRATOR: Though Brenda still maintains
her innocence, many believe her jealousy
simply got the best of her.
- In a case like this where it appeared
that jealousy was the cause of her losing her life,
this was really, uh, one of the worst ones I had seen.
- CASEY: She either didn't care or was so callous
that it didn't even occur at all that there were other lives
involved, that she was going to hurt other people.
- GLENN: It affected everyone involved.
So, Dr. Paniagua, who essentially,
he was just following his heart with Dr.--Dr. Hatcher, okay?
And unfortunately, he is kind of caught in the middle here
because of what Brenda did.
- NARRATOR: Those who knew Kendra
are determined to keep her memory alive.
- We still remember who she is and what she's done,
and so we--we try to hold on to that good memory.
- ELENE: They just took a good person from Earth
away from us.
There's a picture of her looking up and she's smiling
up and like, she's looking up in the sky and it's like,
that's her, that's what I'm gonna remember,
her happiness, her smile.
- ♪