1 00:00:03,042 --> 00:00:06,000 detectives uncover a heinous crime, 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,042 hidden beneath a pile of ashes. 3 00:00:09,042 --> 00:00:13,459 - They noticed what appeared to be a leg sticking out. 4 00:00:13,459 --> 00:00:15,542 - CAFFIE: This is just something you hear on TV, 5 00:00:15,542 --> 00:00:20,083 but you don't actually think it's going to happen to you. 6 00:00:20,083 --> 00:00:22,626 - NARRATOR: As investigators sift through evidence, 7 00:00:22,626 --> 00:00:25,250 they will expose a dark underbelly 8 00:00:25,250 --> 00:00:31,709 in this small southern town. 9 00:00:31,709 --> 00:00:33,667 - KEVIN: The report indicates there was a high level of 10 00:00:33,667 --> 00:00:35,918 methamphetamines in the victim's body. 11 00:00:35,918 --> 00:00:38,042 - NARRATOR: And at the heart of this twisted tale 12 00:00:38,042 --> 00:00:41,042 is a pair of forbidden lovers, 13 00:00:41,042 --> 00:00:49,417 living life on the edge and willing to risk it all. 14 00:00:49,417 --> 00:00:51,375 - KEVIN: They refused to stop and, eventually, 15 00:00:51,375 --> 00:00:52,834 run off the road. 16 00:00:52,834 --> 00:00:57,083 - The vehicle, it crashed into a tree on the side of the road. 17 00:00:57,083 --> 00:00:59,459 - KEVIN: The occupants of the vehicle had to be airlifted for 18 00:00:59,459 --> 00:01:05,125 life-threatening injuries. 19 00:01:05,125 --> 00:01:16,000 - ♪ 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,334 - NARRATOR: July 5, 2015. 21 00:01:18,334 --> 00:01:21,626 Leeds, Alabama. 6:30 p.m. 22 00:01:21,626 --> 00:01:24,959 In this small southern town just outside of Birmingham, 23 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:26,542 there is a mass wilderness 24 00:01:26,542 --> 00:01:30,334 locals refer to as "the playground." 25 00:01:30,334 --> 00:01:33,542 - JEFF: There are off-road trails and large clearing areas 26 00:01:33,542 --> 00:01:35,959 where people will build bonfires. 27 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,334 They'll ride motorcycles and ATVs up and down the hills 28 00:01:39,334 --> 00:01:42,959 and through the muddy areas and that kind of thing. 29 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,959 Folks also go out there to, uh, shoot, uh, 30 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:51,417 uh, firearms, uh, frequently. 31 00:01:51,417 --> 00:01:53,751 - NARRATOR: But the day after the 4th of July, 32 00:01:53,751 --> 00:01:58,042 a couple makes a horrific discovery. 33 00:01:58,042 --> 00:02:00,417 - KEVIN: Folks at the playground had been out 34 00:02:00,417 --> 00:02:01,751 riding four-wheelers. 35 00:02:01,751 --> 00:02:05,626 Mrs. Woodward had stopped at the--the site while her husband 36 00:02:05,626 --> 00:02:08,459 was continuing to ride, and she flags him down. 37 00:02:08,459 --> 00:02:11,876 It appeared that maybe a huge bonfire had taken place. 38 00:02:11,876 --> 00:02:14,918 And as they were there, they realized there was something 39 00:02:14,918 --> 00:02:17,459 in the--the pit. 40 00:02:17,459 --> 00:02:21,417 - JEFF: The witnesses noticed what appeared to be a leg 41 00:02:21,417 --> 00:02:27,542 sticking out from underneath the bonfire. 42 00:02:27,542 --> 00:02:29,417 - NARRATOR: Officers are soon on the scene, 43 00:02:29,417 --> 00:02:33,834 including homicide detective Kevin Palmer. 44 00:02:33,834 --> 00:02:36,292 After clearing them of any suspicions, 45 00:02:36,292 --> 00:02:38,959 the witnesses are released from the scene. 46 00:02:38,959 --> 00:02:42,584 And detectives turn their attention to the body. 47 00:02:42,584 --> 00:02:45,083 - The victim is laying what appears to be face down 48 00:02:45,083 --> 00:02:49,918 on this burn pile with their arms outstretched. 49 00:02:49,918 --> 00:02:52,959 - The main part of the torso was 50 00:02:52,959 --> 00:02:54,751 almost completely burned away. 51 00:02:54,751 --> 00:02:56,876 Um, you could see bones. 52 00:02:56,876 --> 00:03:02,292 You could see where his torso was--was almost completely gone. 53 00:03:02,292 --> 00:03:07,125 There was still what appeared to be skin, uh, on his--uh, 54 00:03:07,125 --> 00:03:08,834 some of his extremities. 55 00:03:08,834 --> 00:03:10,209 But it was charred to the point 56 00:03:10,209 --> 00:03:14,209 where you could not tell who this was. 57 00:03:14,209 --> 00:03:17,375 It brings to mind all kinds of possibilities. 58 00:03:17,375 --> 00:03:20,167 Uh, is this, uh, you know, gang related? 59 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:24,209 Is it drug related? 60 00:03:24,209 --> 00:03:26,834 - NARRATOR: When the coroner arrives to remove the body, 61 00:03:26,834 --> 00:03:30,542 investigators make a startling discovery. 62 00:03:30,542 --> 00:03:33,000 - KEVIN: We then have to remove the victim from the pile 63 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000 and roll the victim over onto their back. 64 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,918 Once this was done, we realize that the victim's, um, 65 00:03:39,918 --> 00:03:42,876 chest cavity was completely open. 66 00:03:42,876 --> 00:03:44,709 And upon inspection, 67 00:03:44,709 --> 00:03:51,209 what I notice is what appears to be two small bullets. 68 00:03:51,209 --> 00:03:54,209 Those two, uh, projectiles were collected as possible evidence 69 00:03:54,209 --> 00:03:57,876 of a crime of murder. 70 00:03:57,876 --> 00:04:00,834 - NARRATOR: Investigators know that the first step to solving 71 00:04:00,834 --> 00:04:04,834 this crime is identifying the victim. 72 00:04:04,834 --> 00:04:06,709 - KEVIN: Once the coroner takes the victim, 73 00:04:06,709 --> 00:04:09,918 our job then is sort of a wait and see what happens 74 00:04:09,918 --> 00:04:11,542 from the coroner's office. 75 00:04:11,542 --> 00:04:14,334 Uh, our attempt is to--to hopefully get some sort of 76 00:04:14,334 --> 00:04:17,751 identification, uh, from the coroner. 77 00:04:17,751 --> 00:04:20,083 - NARRATOR: While they await the coroner's findings, 78 00:04:20,083 --> 00:04:24,042 investigators pick through the ashes of the bonfire. 79 00:04:24,042 --> 00:04:26,792 - There are shell casings everywhere. 80 00:04:26,792 --> 00:04:32,083 There are bullets and bullet fragments, uh, all around. 81 00:04:32,083 --> 00:04:34,042 This early on in an investigation, 82 00:04:34,042 --> 00:04:35,584 it's very difficult 83 00:04:35,584 --> 00:04:39,542 when you don't know the context of the crime, 84 00:04:39,542 --> 00:04:41,751 which of these things is going to be evidence 85 00:04:41,751 --> 00:04:47,042 down the road and which is not. 86 00:04:47,042 --> 00:04:49,876 - NARRATOR: On July 7, 2015, 87 00:04:49,876 --> 00:04:52,167 2 days after the body was discovered, 88 00:04:52,167 --> 00:04:54,834 Detective Palmer and his team receive word 89 00:04:54,834 --> 00:04:58,876 that the autopsy is complete and the body has been identified 90 00:04:58,876 --> 00:05:01,334 through a fingerprint database. 91 00:05:01,334 --> 00:05:03,375 - At least one of the hands of the victim 92 00:05:03,375 --> 00:05:05,626 was laid outside the fire in such a way 93 00:05:05,626 --> 00:05:08,584 that we were able to get fingerprints off the hand. 94 00:05:08,584 --> 00:05:11,542 - The identification came back after analysis of 95 00:05:11,542 --> 00:05:17,459 the fingerprint to be, uh, Anthony Shane Gibson. 96 00:05:17,459 --> 00:05:19,042 - I wanted to hit the ground running to find out 97 00:05:19,042 --> 00:05:22,292 what happened to Anthony. 98 00:05:22,292 --> 00:05:26,751 - NARRATOR: Anthony Shane Gibson was born on November 1, 1994, 99 00:05:26,751 --> 00:05:29,042 in Panama City, Florida. 100 00:05:29,042 --> 00:05:31,751 Though Anthony's mother left while he was young, 101 00:05:31,751 --> 00:05:32,792 his father, Christopher, 102 00:05:32,792 --> 00:05:36,209 made sure his son was well cared for. 103 00:05:36,209 --> 00:05:38,375 - We always had a lot of family around. 104 00:05:38,375 --> 00:05:40,834 Everybody loved him, treated him good. 105 00:05:40,834 --> 00:05:43,834 Took care of him. I had a lot of help. 106 00:05:43,834 --> 00:05:46,083 - SHAWN: Anthony was a very happy kid growing up. 107 00:05:46,083 --> 00:05:48,501 You know, he always had someone he could come to. 108 00:05:48,501 --> 00:05:54,000 Um, we're all a very closely knit family. 109 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,209 - CAFFIE: He wasn't a quiet kid, 110 00:05:56,209 --> 00:06:01,042 and he loved to get outdoors and play. 111 00:06:01,042 --> 00:06:03,542 Made good grades in school. 112 00:06:03,542 --> 00:06:06,083 - NARRATOR: Anthony matured into a popular teenager 113 00:06:06,083 --> 00:06:08,667 with a passion for music. 114 00:06:08,667 --> 00:06:09,876 - CHRISTOPHER: Once he got into guitar, 115 00:06:09,876 --> 00:06:11,709 that was kind of more of his focus. 116 00:06:11,709 --> 00:06:13,459 He liked playing music. 117 00:06:13,459 --> 00:06:17,584 He loved playing in the band in church. 118 00:06:17,584 --> 00:06:18,667 - NARRATOR: After high school, 119 00:06:18,667 --> 00:06:20,876 Anthony joined the family siding company 120 00:06:20,876 --> 00:06:22,584 and took classes online 121 00:06:22,584 --> 00:06:26,667 in hopes of one day starting his own business. 122 00:06:26,667 --> 00:06:29,918 - Anthony had a very strong work ethic. 123 00:06:29,918 --> 00:06:34,000 He'd wake up every morning, go to work. 124 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,375 He'd be out the door 5:30, 6 o'clock in the morning. 125 00:06:38,375 --> 00:06:42,375 And sometimes he wouldn't get in 'til 4, 126 00:06:42,375 --> 00:06:44,667 5 o'clock in the evening. 127 00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:49,792 And then straight in his room doing schoolwork. 128 00:06:49,792 --> 00:06:52,125 - NARRATOR: While working and studying hard, 129 00:06:52,125 --> 00:06:55,959 Anthony found time to play hard as well. 130 00:06:55,959 --> 00:06:57,918 - BOBBIE: Anthony definitely was, I guess, 131 00:06:57,918 --> 00:06:59,584 you would call him a ladies' man. 132 00:06:59,584 --> 00:07:01,542 All the ladies liked him. 133 00:07:01,542 --> 00:07:03,167 He was a gorgeous fella. 134 00:07:03,167 --> 00:07:05,125 He had a few girlfriends, you know, 135 00:07:05,125 --> 00:07:08,083 just like any teenager would. 136 00:07:08,083 --> 00:07:11,792 - He talked a lot about how he'd like to get--you know, 137 00:07:11,792 --> 00:07:17,667 get married, have a baby. 138 00:07:17,667 --> 00:07:20,417 - NARRATOR: With friends and family always around him, 139 00:07:20,417 --> 00:07:22,626 it didn't take long for people to notice 140 00:07:22,626 --> 00:07:26,000 that Anthony was missing on July 2, 141 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,751 when a flurry of phone calls go unanswered. 142 00:07:29,751 --> 00:07:32,083 - SHAWN: At first, it was just like, "Okay, well, 143 00:07:32,083 --> 00:07:35,584 Anthony's just doing his thing, and he didn't tell nobody." 144 00:07:35,584 --> 00:07:38,459 But he never ignores me, so, you know, I'll give him a call, 145 00:07:38,459 --> 00:07:40,876 you know, may--surely, he'll answer the phone. 146 00:07:40,876 --> 00:07:44,083 I tried to contact him several times with no answer. 147 00:07:44,083 --> 00:07:45,876 And that's when I'm starting to say, "Okay, something-- 148 00:07:45,876 --> 00:07:47,959 maybe something is wrong." 149 00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:51,667 - He never didn't come home and not call and tell someone 150 00:07:51,667 --> 00:07:53,334 why or what happened. 151 00:07:53,334 --> 00:07:58,626 You know, always kept us in the loop. 152 00:07:58,626 --> 00:08:01,626 - NARRATOR: Now on July 7, 2015, 153 00:08:01,626 --> 00:08:04,584 4 days after being reported missing, 154 00:08:04,584 --> 00:08:08,709 a fingerprint pulled from a charred body confirms that 155 00:08:08,709 --> 00:08:12,626 Anthony Gibson is in fact deceased. 156 00:08:12,626 --> 00:08:16,667 The family, however, has yet to be notified as investigators 157 00:08:16,667 --> 00:08:20,167 work through the rest of the autopsy report. 158 00:08:20,167 --> 00:08:24,209 - The autopsy in this case was relatively limited due to 159 00:08:24,209 --> 00:08:30,125 the large amount of burning and removal through the fire of, uh, 160 00:08:30,125 --> 00:08:32,584 internal organs and those kinds of things. 161 00:08:32,584 --> 00:08:35,626 - NARRATOR: What the coroner can tell detectives is that 162 00:08:35,626 --> 00:08:38,417 the bullets recovered from the victim's chest 163 00:08:38,417 --> 00:08:41,000 are not the cause of death. 164 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,250 - We realized that those were just bullets that were there 165 00:08:43,250 --> 00:08:48,083 from people shooting bottles and whatnot. 166 00:08:48,083 --> 00:08:50,459 - NARRATOR: Considering the fact that the bullet fragments 167 00:08:50,459 --> 00:08:53,584 don't appear to be the cause of Anthony's death, 168 00:08:53,584 --> 00:08:56,667 the coroner proposes another theory. 169 00:08:56,667 --> 00:08:59,667 - The coroner's report that was provided 170 00:08:59,667 --> 00:09:03,751 gives us information that the victim had a broken femur 171 00:09:03,751 --> 00:09:07,375 and had severe hemorrhaging around that wound. 172 00:09:07,375 --> 00:09:10,626 This indicates to us that this injury could have caused 173 00:09:10,626 --> 00:09:14,501 the victim's death without medical attention. 174 00:09:14,501 --> 00:09:17,542 - NARRATOR: And yet another scenario is suggested when 175 00:09:17,542 --> 00:09:20,292 the toxicology report comes in. 176 00:09:20,292 --> 00:09:22,125 - The report indicates there was a high level of 177 00:09:22,125 --> 00:09:26,292 methamphetamine and amphetamines in the victim's body. 178 00:09:26,292 --> 00:09:30,501 - JEFF: It was described to us by the coroner as a fatal dose. 179 00:09:30,501 --> 00:09:34,292 We are faced with the possibility of a wound 180 00:09:34,292 --> 00:09:36,083 to the leg that could have been fatal 181 00:09:36,083 --> 00:09:38,417 if it was not given medical attention 182 00:09:38,417 --> 00:09:40,876 and the possibility of an overdose as well. 183 00:09:40,876 --> 00:09:43,542 So, we're early on in the investigation, 184 00:09:43,542 --> 00:09:48,000 and we at this point are unsure if there is even a crime here. 185 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,417 It could've been an accident. 186 00:09:52,417 --> 00:09:55,125 - NARRATOR: If it was in fact an accident, 187 00:09:55,125 --> 00:10:00,000 then how did this man end up underneath a raging bonfire? 188 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,167 Was it possible Anthony died alone? 189 00:10:03,167 --> 00:10:08,751 Or did someone fail to report his tragic death for a reason? 190 00:10:08,751 --> 00:10:11,417 - At this point, we are just waiting on the next bit of 191 00:10:11,417 --> 00:10:16,918 evidence to come in to see where to go next. 192 00:10:16,918 --> 00:10:19,292 - NARRATOR: Coming up: police question 193 00:10:19,292 --> 00:10:21,918 Anthony's friends and family. 194 00:10:21,918 --> 00:10:25,501 - This isn't something that he would his own, by his choice. 195 00:10:25,501 --> 00:10:27,334 - NARRATOR: And phone records shed light 196 00:10:27,334 --> 00:10:29,459 on Anthony's disappearance. 197 00:10:29,459 --> 00:10:31,292 - KEVIN: A picture is sent and the promise of having 198 00:10:31,292 --> 00:10:34,626 possible sex or sexual relations with him. 199 00:10:34,626 --> 00:10:38,334 - NARRATOR: While those closest to him fear the worst. 200 00:10:38,334 --> 00:10:40,417 - CAFFIE: I said, "Well, something is not right here." 201 00:10:40,417 --> 00:10:43,834 I just kind of lost it. 202 00:10:43,834 --> 00:10:55,250 - ♪ 203 00:10:55,250 --> 00:10:59,542 - NARRATOR: On July 7, 2015, an autopsy reveals that 204 00:10:59,542 --> 00:11:04,667 the charred remains found in a remote area of Leeds, Alabama, 205 00:11:04,667 --> 00:11:08,834 are that of 20-year-old Anthony Gibson. 206 00:11:08,834 --> 00:11:12,167 Detectives hope speaking to the family will help fill in 207 00:11:12,167 --> 00:11:15,292 the blanks of what happened to Anthony. 208 00:11:15,292 --> 00:11:17,334 - JEFF: It could have been a fall. 209 00:11:17,334 --> 00:11:18,709 It could have been an overdose. 210 00:11:18,709 --> 00:11:20,667 We are at the point of 211 00:11:20,667 --> 00:11:22,334 we just found the needle in the haystack, 212 00:11:22,334 --> 00:11:27,751 so we need to figure out how it got there. 213 00:11:27,751 --> 00:11:30,209 - NARRATOR: Detective Kevin Palmer makes contact 214 00:11:30,209 --> 00:11:33,626 with Caffie Lee, Anthony Gibson's grandmother, 215 00:11:33,626 --> 00:11:37,375 with whom Anthony and his father were currently living. 216 00:11:37,375 --> 00:11:40,250 - KEVIN: I arranged a, uh, meeting with Miss Caffie Lee, 217 00:11:40,250 --> 00:11:45,459 asked her if there's anybody who may want to harm her grandson. 218 00:11:45,459 --> 00:11:46,542 - CAFFIE: We sit there, 219 00:11:46,542 --> 00:11:50,751 and we talked about things with Anthony. 220 00:11:50,751 --> 00:11:53,834 I'm sitting here, and I--it's like I'm really wondering, 221 00:11:53,834 --> 00:11:56,751 I mean, "Where is this going?" 222 00:11:56,751 --> 00:11:59,417 - NARRATOR: Detective Palmer takes care not to reveal 223 00:11:59,417 --> 00:12:01,751 Anthony's fate too soon, 224 00:12:01,751 --> 00:12:04,292 fearing the reaction may stall efforts 225 00:12:04,292 --> 00:12:07,792 to find out happened to him. 226 00:12:07,792 --> 00:12:10,417 - KEVIN: I interviewed Miss, uh, Lee and asked her if she had any 227 00:12:10,417 --> 00:12:15,792 idea where Anthony may have gone to the night he left her house. 228 00:12:15,792 --> 00:12:19,334 - NARRATOR: Caffie says that on July 2, 2015, 229 00:12:19,334 --> 00:12:23,292 Anthony seemed busy as usual with no signs indicating 230 00:12:23,292 --> 00:12:25,125 anything was wrong. 231 00:12:25,125 --> 00:12:28,667 And at 8 p.m., he asked to borrow her car, 232 00:12:28,667 --> 00:12:32,834 a 1998 white Ford Escort. 233 00:12:32,834 --> 00:12:34,626 - CAFFIE: He had came into the kitchen, 234 00:12:34,626 --> 00:12:37,626 and he mentioned going to the store to get, yeah, 235 00:12:37,626 --> 00:12:39,334 something to snack on. 236 00:12:39,334 --> 00:12:42,167 He told me that he would be back in just a little while. 237 00:12:42,167 --> 00:12:45,792 And he hugged me, and...he left. 238 00:12:45,792 --> 00:12:50,792 And that was the last we seen or heard from him. 239 00:12:50,792 --> 00:12:53,125 - NARRATOR: When Caffie woke up the next morning, 240 00:12:53,125 --> 00:12:59,125 she found the driveway empty and Anthony's bed still made. 241 00:12:59,125 --> 00:13:02,792 - Waking up the next morning and him not being there ready to go 242 00:13:02,792 --> 00:13:07,292 to work was not a normal situation. 243 00:13:07,292 --> 00:13:10,876 - I checked my phone to see if I had had a text message 244 00:13:10,876 --> 00:13:14,250 from him or if I had had a phone call or anything from him, 245 00:13:14,250 --> 00:13:16,834 and I hadn't. 246 00:13:16,834 --> 00:13:20,292 I said, "Well, something is not right here." 247 00:13:20,292 --> 00:13:22,375 - NARRATOR: Caffie says they tried to file 248 00:13:22,375 --> 00:13:25,042 a missing person's report on July 3, 249 00:13:25,042 --> 00:13:26,959 but the Harpersville Police Department 250 00:13:26,959 --> 00:13:31,167 said that Anthony hadn't been missing for long enough. 251 00:13:31,167 --> 00:13:33,209 - We have to do something. 252 00:13:33,209 --> 00:13:37,042 If the police aren't gonna do anything for x amount of hours, 253 00:13:37,042 --> 00:13:42,250 then we, we've got to figure something out. 254 00:13:42,250 --> 00:13:44,083 - NARRATOR: To investigators' surprise, 255 00:13:44,083 --> 00:13:47,209 it seems Anthony's family has already started 256 00:13:47,209 --> 00:13:49,959 an investigation of their own. 257 00:13:49,959 --> 00:13:53,250 - CAFFIE: We just all got out and went around, 258 00:13:53,250 --> 00:13:59,292 asking questions to people that he knew, making phone calls and, 259 00:13:59,292 --> 00:14:01,292 you know, to different people. 260 00:14:01,292 --> 00:14:03,417 - CHRISTOPHER: We really don't know where 261 00:14:03,417 --> 00:14:05,250 he could have been at the time. 262 00:14:05,250 --> 00:14:07,042 But we feared the worse 263 00:14:07,042 --> 00:14:10,751 just because he wasn't answering anyone. 264 00:14:10,751 --> 00:14:12,417 - CAFFIE: Anthony's phone was in my name. 265 00:14:12,417 --> 00:14:15,334 So, we were able to, you know, 266 00:14:15,334 --> 00:14:19,167 go on and look at the phone records. 267 00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:22,792 - NARRATOR: While still unaware of her grandson's death, 268 00:14:22,792 --> 00:14:26,167 Caffie tells police that Anthony had been in contact with 269 00:14:26,167 --> 00:14:29,876 two phone numbers the night of his disappearance. 270 00:14:29,876 --> 00:14:34,709 The first call was at 6:30 p.m. to Anthony's ex-girlfriend, 271 00:14:34,709 --> 00:14:36,792 Candie Zito. 272 00:14:36,792 --> 00:14:38,709 - To the best of my knowledge, I don't believe that they had 273 00:14:38,709 --> 00:14:42,792 spoke to each other for, you know, a few years. 274 00:14:42,792 --> 00:14:44,751 I believe the original relationship 275 00:14:44,751 --> 00:14:48,167 with Anthony and Candie was short-lived. 276 00:14:48,167 --> 00:14:50,542 - NARRATOR: The second call was at 8 p.m. 277 00:14:50,542 --> 00:14:55,042 to Anthony's current girlfriend, Jessica Erwin. 278 00:14:55,042 --> 00:14:57,083 - He really liked her. He enjoyed being around her. 279 00:14:57,083 --> 00:14:59,292 She made him happy. 280 00:14:59,292 --> 00:15:03,167 - BOBBIE: Jessica was a great kid, a great girl, um, 281 00:15:03,167 --> 00:15:09,167 very nice, kind, considerate, beautiful. 282 00:15:09,167 --> 00:15:12,626 - NARRATOR: Caffie explains they first called Candie's number. 283 00:15:12,626 --> 00:15:17,250 But Candie claimed she had no idea where Anthony was. 284 00:15:17,250 --> 00:15:20,209 - She stated that she had not spoken to him in years and that, 285 00:15:20,209 --> 00:15:23,125 um, there's no way that that number had contacted him because 286 00:15:23,125 --> 00:15:25,709 she had not spoken to him. 287 00:15:25,709 --> 00:15:28,375 - SHAWN: Candie hated to hear what was going on. 288 00:15:28,375 --> 00:15:31,834 She hopes that we find him and, you know, 289 00:15:31,834 --> 00:15:34,000 that if there's anything that she could do, 290 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,209 she--to let her know, but that she didn't know anything. 291 00:15:38,209 --> 00:15:41,542 - NARRATOR: The family then called Jessica. 292 00:15:41,542 --> 00:15:45,042 - She said Anthony was in fact supposed to meet her 293 00:15:45,042 --> 00:15:50,083 the night of his disappearance, but Anthony never arrived. 294 00:15:50,083 --> 00:15:52,083 - She did send me a message, telling me though that she's 295 00:15:52,083 --> 00:15:59,876 willing to do whatever I need her to do in order to help out. 296 00:15:59,876 --> 00:16:01,083 - NARRATOR: After hearing the details 297 00:16:01,083 --> 00:16:05,083 of Anthony's family's investigation, Detective Palmer 298 00:16:05,083 --> 00:16:08,125 breaks the tragic news to Caffie. 299 00:16:08,125 --> 00:16:11,459 - KEVIN: After speaking with Miss Lee for quite some time 300 00:16:11,459 --> 00:16:14,083 and gathering up some more information from her, 301 00:16:14,083 --> 00:16:18,501 I was able to at that point let her know that we had, in fact, 302 00:16:18,501 --> 00:16:21,000 identified her grandson, Anthony Gibson, 303 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,209 as the victim that was located in Leeds. 304 00:16:24,209 --> 00:16:26,375 Miss Lee was very upset, 305 00:16:26,375 --> 00:16:30,584 dropped to her knees in severe emotional pain. 306 00:16:30,584 --> 00:16:32,042 - CAFFIE: I just kind of lost it. 307 00:16:32,042 --> 00:16:33,667 I just kind of lost it. 308 00:16:33,667 --> 00:16:35,667 This is just something you hear on TV, 309 00:16:35,667 --> 00:16:41,375 but you don't actually think it's going to happen to you. 310 00:16:41,375 --> 00:16:43,167 - NARRATOR: With the family notified, 311 00:16:43,167 --> 00:16:44,959 detectives put out a BOLO 312 00:16:44,959 --> 00:16:48,375 for the missing 1998 white Ford Escort 313 00:16:48,375 --> 00:16:52,000 that Anthony was last known to be driving. 314 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,751 Next, Detective Palmer turns his attention to the person 315 00:16:55,751 --> 00:17:00,042 Anthony was supposed to meet before he disappeared: 316 00:17:00,042 --> 00:17:02,876 his girlfriend, Jessica Erwin. 317 00:17:02,876 --> 00:17:04,667 - Jessica may have very well been involved 318 00:17:04,667 --> 00:17:06,918 in Anthony's disappearance. 319 00:17:06,918 --> 00:17:08,501 I interviewed her at her place of work. 320 00:17:08,501 --> 00:17:12,042 And Jessica tells me that they were supposed to meet, 321 00:17:12,042 --> 00:17:15,042 um, at a local Walmart. 322 00:17:15,042 --> 00:17:18,667 - NARRATOR: Jessica says that she got off work around 11 p.m. 323 00:17:18,667 --> 00:17:21,417 and arrived at the Walmart soon afterward. 324 00:17:21,417 --> 00:17:24,042 But Anthony never showed. 325 00:17:24,042 --> 00:17:27,042 - My recollection of Jessica's demeanor 326 00:17:27,042 --> 00:17:32,959 is one that she's obviously concerned and upset 327 00:17:32,959 --> 00:17:34,209 that Anthony has not returned 328 00:17:34,209 --> 00:17:36,876 any of her messages or phone calls. 329 00:17:36,876 --> 00:17:40,542 We were able to clear Jessica as a possible suspect in this case, 330 00:17:40,542 --> 00:17:44,501 with her work records, uh, verifying that she was at work 331 00:17:44,501 --> 00:17:49,542 the night of Anthony's disappearance. 332 00:17:49,542 --> 00:17:52,125 - NARRATOR: With Jessica crossed off the list, 333 00:17:52,125 --> 00:17:55,501 detectives turn their focus to the other woman Anthony had been 334 00:17:55,501 --> 00:18:00,501 in contact with on July 2--Candie Zito. 335 00:18:00,501 --> 00:18:04,334 But before they are able to get in touch with Candie, 336 00:18:04,334 --> 00:18:06,667 an anonymous tipster comes forward. 337 00:18:06,667 --> 00:18:08,959 - KEVIN: He had information that he believed 338 00:18:08,959 --> 00:18:11,417 a person by the name of Lane Lowery 339 00:18:11,417 --> 00:18:13,375 in the Chelsea area of Alabama 340 00:18:13,375 --> 00:18:17,334 may have been involved with Anthony's disappearance. 341 00:18:17,334 --> 00:18:20,417 There was some rift between the two parties 342 00:18:20,417 --> 00:18:24,959 and that Lane may have caused harm to Anthony. 343 00:18:24,959 --> 00:18:27,167 - At this point, we believe that it's likely that 344 00:18:27,167 --> 00:18:32,000 there was a murder of some sort. 345 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,167 - NARRATOR: Coming up: detectives discover a dark side 346 00:18:35,167 --> 00:18:44,042 to this sleepy rural community. 347 00:18:44,042 --> 00:18:45,834 - NARRATOR: But can investigators track down 348 00:18:45,834 --> 00:18:50,501 a potential suspect before she disappears for good? 349 00:18:50,501 --> 00:18:53,000 - KEVIN: She tells me, "Oh, you know what that sound is? 350 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,375 That's the sound of me throwing this phone out the window." 351 00:18:55,375 --> 00:18:58,834 And that was the last time I spoke to her. 352 00:18:58,834 --> 00:19:10,959 - ♪ 353 00:19:10,959 --> 00:19:13,667 - NARRATOR: On July 9, 2015, 354 00:19:13,667 --> 00:19:17,250 detectives investigating the murder of Anthony Gibson 355 00:19:17,250 --> 00:19:18,918 receive a break in the case 356 00:19:18,918 --> 00:19:23,959 when an anonymous tipster contacts local authorities. 357 00:19:23,959 --> 00:19:26,834 - He had some information that he thought would be valuable 358 00:19:26,834 --> 00:19:42,334 to the investigation. 359 00:19:42,334 --> 00:19:43,834 - KEVIN: So, we're thinking at the time 360 00:19:43,834 --> 00:19:46,918 that possibly this is a drug-related issue. 361 00:19:46,918 --> 00:19:50,083 Um, possibly a drug deal gone bad. 362 00:19:50,083 --> 00:19:51,083 - JEFF: In addition to that, 363 00:19:51,083 --> 00:19:54,375 we had a large amount of methamphetamine that was 364 00:19:54,375 --> 00:19:58,167 in Anthony's system at the time of his death. 365 00:19:58,167 --> 00:20:00,167 - NARRATOR: The informant tells Detective Palmer 366 00:20:00,167 --> 00:20:01,959 that to complicate matters, 367 00:20:01,959 --> 00:20:04,250 Lane Lowery is in a relationship 368 00:20:04,250 --> 00:20:17,918 with Anthony's ex, Candie Zito. 369 00:20:17,918 --> 00:20:20,626 - NARRATOR: The informant says he had heard rumors that during 370 00:20:20,626 --> 00:20:25,417 a fight between Lane and Candie, Anthony had intervened, 371 00:20:25,417 --> 00:20:36,709 something he fears may have caused Lane to retaliate. 372 00:20:36,709 --> 00:20:38,918 - KEVIN: Lane Lowery was an outstanding criminal in 373 00:20:38,918 --> 00:20:41,959 the area, being that a warrant was issued for his arrest 374 00:20:41,959 --> 00:20:45,667 for various crimes throughout the jurisdiction. 375 00:20:45,667 --> 00:20:47,709 Using that information, I was able to contact 376 00:20:47,709 --> 00:20:53,334 a local U.S. Marshal Office to help locate him. 377 00:20:53,334 --> 00:20:56,667 - NARRATOR: Investigators next contact Candie Zito. 378 00:20:56,667 --> 00:21:01,125 But her reaction is not what Detective Palmer expects. 379 00:21:01,125 --> 00:21:03,292 - KEVIN: I can tell that she's either driving 380 00:21:03,292 --> 00:21:05,792 or in a car as a passenger. 381 00:21:05,792 --> 00:21:09,459 And she tells me, "Oh, you know what that sound is? 382 00:21:09,459 --> 00:21:11,918 That's the sound of me throwing this phone out the window." 383 00:21:11,918 --> 00:21:15,751 And that was the last time I spoke to her. 384 00:21:15,751 --> 00:21:18,709 It became apparent that I was probably dealing with someone 385 00:21:18,709 --> 00:21:22,542 who had some involvement in Anthony Gibson's murder. 386 00:21:22,542 --> 00:21:26,751 And immediately, I wanted to attempt to contact her 387 00:21:26,751 --> 00:21:30,751 face-to-face. 388 00:21:30,751 --> 00:21:33,334 - NARRATOR: As detectives rush to Candie's home, 389 00:21:33,334 --> 00:21:37,125 they pull up her social media accounts to get a better sense 390 00:21:37,125 --> 00:21:42,042 of the woman who just became one of their prime suspects. 391 00:21:42,042 --> 00:21:44,459 - Looking at profiles of Candie Zito, 392 00:21:44,459 --> 00:21:47,459 she was living a very extravagant lifestyle. 393 00:21:47,459 --> 00:21:51,250 Tons of pictures showing that she was traveling abroad, 394 00:21:51,250 --> 00:21:55,417 attending social events, just living the life. 395 00:21:55,417 --> 00:21:57,000 - NARRATOR: Investigators soon arrive 396 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,250 at Candie's last known address. 397 00:22:00,250 --> 00:22:02,834 - In hopes of arriving there unannounced, 398 00:22:02,834 --> 00:22:07,334 we thought that we might locate Candie at the residence. 399 00:22:07,334 --> 00:22:10,292 But in fact she was not actually at the home, 400 00:22:10,292 --> 00:22:15,792 and her brother, Zane, was on site. 401 00:22:15,792 --> 00:22:18,375 - NARRATOR: Zane Zito, Candie's younger brother, 402 00:22:18,375 --> 00:22:22,250 tells police that the house is actually owned by their parents, 403 00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:26,792 who are working abroad in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. 404 00:22:26,792 --> 00:22:29,083 Zane says he's just checking on the house 405 00:22:29,083 --> 00:22:32,292 and hasn't been home the last few days. 406 00:22:32,292 --> 00:22:33,876 - KEVIN: In speaking with Zane Zito, 407 00:22:33,876 --> 00:22:36,292 we learned that Candie has a different lifestyle 408 00:22:36,292 --> 00:22:40,501 than she portrays on her social media page. 409 00:22:40,501 --> 00:22:44,792 - NARRATOR: Candie Zito was born on October 2, 1984, 410 00:22:44,792 --> 00:22:47,792 into a wealthy Alabama family. 411 00:22:47,792 --> 00:22:51,751 While Candie's parents and siblings were high achievers 412 00:22:51,751 --> 00:22:55,667 in school and sports, Candie was different. 413 00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:57,250 - SANDY: Candie was a very free spirit. 414 00:22:57,250 --> 00:22:59,667 I don't think that she quite had her life figured out 415 00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:01,250 as far as what she wanted to do. 416 00:23:01,250 --> 00:23:03,709 And because of that, I feel like maybe her parents kind of, 417 00:23:03,709 --> 00:23:11,209 you know, looked down on her. 418 00:23:11,209 --> 00:23:14,834 - I felt like, um, it brought her into a deep depression 419 00:23:14,834 --> 00:23:17,542 because she could not be that star child. 420 00:23:17,542 --> 00:23:23,125 She basically turned towards a different path. 421 00:23:23,125 --> 00:23:26,375 - NARRATOR: In her 20s, Candie married a man named Beau, 422 00:23:26,375 --> 00:23:30,000 but the relationship was short-lived. 423 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,584 - FRIEND: Candie and Beau were like fire and gasoline, 424 00:23:32,584 --> 00:23:35,000 is how Candie described it to me. 425 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,667 She said one night they had an argument. 426 00:23:37,667 --> 00:23:39,667 I received a phone call from Candie. 427 00:23:39,667 --> 00:23:42,209 She was crying, upset. 428 00:23:42,209 --> 00:23:43,876 She said she just got kicked out of her house. 429 00:23:43,876 --> 00:23:48,209 She had nowhere to go. 430 00:23:48,209 --> 00:23:50,334 - NARRATOR: With no one else to turn to, 431 00:23:50,334 --> 00:23:53,876 Candie moved into a house in Leeds that was well-known 432 00:23:53,876 --> 00:23:56,834 for partying and drugs. 433 00:23:56,834 --> 00:24:00,501 - She lost a lot of weight which, I mean, 434 00:24:00,501 --> 00:24:03,709 you can't always describe, you know, a junkie on that. 435 00:24:03,709 --> 00:24:06,209 But you could definitely tell the change. 436 00:24:06,209 --> 00:24:09,334 She definitely used drugs. 437 00:24:09,334 --> 00:24:11,501 - NARRATOR: Candie also developed a taste for 438 00:24:11,501 --> 00:24:16,501 younger men, including then 16-year-old Anthony Gibson, 439 00:24:16,501 --> 00:24:20,083 who would sometimes come by the house for parties. 440 00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:22,918 - FRIEND: Candie told me Anthony was very sweet, 441 00:24:22,918 --> 00:24:27,167 very kindhearted, made sure she had food, clothing. 442 00:24:27,167 --> 00:24:32,584 Whatever she needed, Anthony was right there. 443 00:24:32,584 --> 00:24:34,792 - NARRATOR: Despite their ten-year age gap, 444 00:24:34,792 --> 00:24:37,292 Candie and Anthony briefly dated. 445 00:24:37,292 --> 00:24:39,751 But the relationship ran its course 446 00:24:39,751 --> 00:24:43,792 when Candie and her parents moved to Bahrain. 447 00:24:43,792 --> 00:24:47,042 - Her parents worked in Bahrain in some sort of 448 00:24:47,042 --> 00:24:51,375 a communications type capacity. 449 00:24:51,375 --> 00:24:54,792 - Candie described her life out there in overseas 450 00:24:54,792 --> 00:24:56,542 basically party central. 451 00:24:56,542 --> 00:25:01,375 It was basically nighttime all the time, party time. 452 00:25:01,375 --> 00:25:05,792 Uh, no worries, everything was great. 453 00:25:05,792 --> 00:25:08,334 - You know, she was very put together. 454 00:25:08,334 --> 00:25:10,417 She was made up. Her hair was done. 455 00:25:10,417 --> 00:25:16,000 That was the image that was projected. 456 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,792 - NARRATOR: Candie's brother Zane tells investigators 457 00:25:18,792 --> 00:25:21,792 that his sister's elaborate online life 458 00:25:21,792 --> 00:25:24,584 was actually built on a lie-- 459 00:25:24,584 --> 00:25:28,709 her parents had kicked her out of Bahrain months earlier. 460 00:25:28,709 --> 00:25:33,501 - They ended up sending her home by herself because she was 461 00:25:33,501 --> 00:25:36,042 causing trouble there for them. 462 00:25:36,042 --> 00:25:38,083 - KEVIN: In speaking with Candie's brother, Zane, 463 00:25:38,083 --> 00:25:40,250 we learned that Candie was not allowed 464 00:25:40,250 --> 00:25:44,000 inside the residence at all because of her past behavior 465 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,918 and missteps in her adult life. 466 00:25:46,918 --> 00:25:50,292 Candie apparently had been sleeping in a tent 467 00:25:50,292 --> 00:25:53,542 in the backyard of her parents' residence. 468 00:25:53,542 --> 00:25:56,792 However, Zane had no idea where she was, 469 00:25:56,792 --> 00:26:00,125 but he advised that as soon as he made contact with his sister, 470 00:26:00,125 --> 00:26:04,459 he would tell her to give us a call. 471 00:26:04,459 --> 00:26:06,918 - NARRATOR: As Detective Palmer concludes his interview with 472 00:26:06,918 --> 00:26:09,375 Zane and returns to his vehicle, 473 00:26:09,375 --> 00:26:11,751 he notices a section of the driveway 474 00:26:11,751 --> 00:26:15,167 that has recently been cleaned. 475 00:26:15,167 --> 00:26:17,542 - KEVIN: I noticed it's just the one area 476 00:26:17,542 --> 00:26:21,167 of the driveway that's clean. Just that one spot. 477 00:26:21,167 --> 00:26:25,417 So, my deduction is if Anthony was shot at the house, 478 00:26:25,417 --> 00:26:27,542 that in an attempt to clean up the blood 479 00:26:27,542 --> 00:26:29,501 that was left on the driveway, 480 00:26:29,501 --> 00:26:31,751 they used a water hose that was located at the house 481 00:26:31,751 --> 00:26:34,042 to wash the blood away. 482 00:26:34,042 --> 00:26:37,042 - NARRATOR: Now more than ever, detectives suspect that Candie 483 00:26:37,042 --> 00:26:39,792 is involved in Anthony's death... 484 00:26:39,792 --> 00:26:44,000 making it even more crucial that they track her down. 485 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,209 - KEVIN: At this point, all of our efforts turned towards 486 00:26:46,209 --> 00:26:49,042 looking into Candie Zito and her involvement 487 00:26:49,042 --> 00:26:52,542 with the disappearance and murder of Anthony Gibson. 488 00:26:52,542 --> 00:26:54,501 - CAFFIE: All anybody really wanted to do at the time 489 00:26:54,501 --> 00:26:58,751 is just get their hands on her. 490 00:26:58,751 --> 00:27:01,959 - NARRATOR: Coming up: will law enforcement push Candie 491 00:27:01,959 --> 00:27:04,542 into a desperate last stand? 492 00:27:04,542 --> 00:27:08,375 - The vehicle, it crashed into a tree on the side of the road at 493 00:27:08,375 --> 00:27:12,000 a pretty high speed and was fairly well destroyed. 494 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,959 - All I heard were sirens. And she said, "I'm [bleep]." 495 00:27:16,959 --> 00:27:27,918 - ♪ 496 00:27:27,918 --> 00:27:30,709 - NARRATOR: On July 10, 2015, 497 00:27:30,709 --> 00:27:33,125 detectives in Leeds, Alabama, 498 00:27:33,125 --> 00:27:36,876 put out a national BOLO alert for Candie Zito, 499 00:27:36,876 --> 00:27:42,000 the prime suspect in the killing of Anthony Gibson. 500 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,375 Investigators are still on the hunt for the vehicle Anthony 501 00:27:45,375 --> 00:27:48,083 was last known to be driving. 502 00:27:48,083 --> 00:27:51,626 - We thought that Anthony Gibson's Ford Escort had been 503 00:27:51,626 --> 00:27:56,334 stolen, possibly by Candie Zito. 504 00:27:56,334 --> 00:27:58,709 - NARRATOR: The next day, hundreds of miles away 505 00:27:58,709 --> 00:28:03,709 in Daviess County, Indiana, dispatchers receive a 911 call 506 00:28:03,709 --> 00:28:06,334 from Candie Zito's grandmother. 507 00:28:06,334 --> 00:28:10,834 - Candie's grandmother contacts local police and advises them 508 00:28:10,834 --> 00:28:13,334 that Candie is on site. 509 00:28:13,334 --> 00:28:16,292 She was looking for money or just a place to stay. 510 00:28:16,292 --> 00:28:18,375 Knowing that Candie is being looked for 511 00:28:18,375 --> 00:28:22,501 by local law enforcement, she decides not to allow Candie 512 00:28:22,501 --> 00:28:27,751 entry into her residence. 513 00:28:27,751 --> 00:28:30,167 - NARRATOR: But before law enforcement arrives, 514 00:28:30,167 --> 00:28:36,083 Candie leaves her grandmother's home in a white Ford Escort. 515 00:28:36,083 --> 00:28:37,876 - KEVIN: While en route to the call, 516 00:28:37,876 --> 00:28:40,417 officers recognized a vehicle matching the description 517 00:28:40,417 --> 00:28:42,083 at a local convenience store. 518 00:28:42,083 --> 00:28:45,375 There are two subjects inside the white Ford Escort. 519 00:28:45,375 --> 00:28:50,125 - Police try to make a traffic stop and, uh, at that point, 520 00:28:50,125 --> 00:28:53,459 the vehicle flees, leading, uh, police 521 00:28:53,459 --> 00:28:57,000 there on a high-speed chase. 522 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,375 - NARRATOR: News of the high-speed chase quickly 523 00:28:59,375 --> 00:29:03,209 reaches friends and family back in Alabama. 524 00:29:03,209 --> 00:29:06,292 - FRIEND: When I turned on the TV and I saw Candie's face 525 00:29:06,292 --> 00:29:08,417 all over the news, 526 00:29:08,417 --> 00:29:10,667 my first instinct was to pick up my phone 527 00:29:10,667 --> 00:29:12,584 and to get in touch with Candie. 528 00:29:12,584 --> 00:29:15,459 When Candie called me, my heart stopped. 529 00:29:15,459 --> 00:29:18,209 All I heard were sirens. 530 00:29:18,209 --> 00:29:23,459 And she said, "I'm [bleep]. I don't know what to do." 531 00:29:23,459 --> 00:29:25,334 And we lost the call. 532 00:29:25,334 --> 00:29:27,667 - NARRATOR: Minutes later, Indiana law enforcement 533 00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:30,042 catches up to Candie. 534 00:29:30,042 --> 00:29:34,501 - KEVIN: They refused to stop for 15 miles during this pursuit 535 00:29:34,501 --> 00:29:39,209 and eventually, run off the road. 536 00:29:39,209 --> 00:29:41,417 - The vehicle, it crashed into a, uh, 537 00:29:41,417 --> 00:29:43,209 tree on the side of the road, um, 538 00:29:43,209 --> 00:29:48,000 at a pretty high speed and was fairly well destroyed. 539 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,792 They find in the passenger's seat a, uh, 540 00:29:50,792 --> 00:29:54,834 white female that matches the description of Candie Zito and 541 00:29:54,834 --> 00:29:58,792 a, uh, white male was in the driver's seat. 542 00:29:58,792 --> 00:30:01,751 - KEVIN: The occupants of the vehicle had to be extracted by 543 00:30:01,751 --> 00:30:03,417 using the jaws of life. 544 00:30:03,417 --> 00:30:06,209 And both subjects inside the car were airlifted 545 00:30:06,209 --> 00:30:09,667 for life-threatening injuries. 546 00:30:09,667 --> 00:30:12,292 - NARRATOR: At the hospital, investigators determine that 547 00:30:12,292 --> 00:30:17,292 the driver isn't Lane Lowery, the possible person of interest. 548 00:30:17,292 --> 00:30:19,501 - KEVIN: At this point, we were able to determine 549 00:30:19,501 --> 00:30:22,000 that Lane Lowery was not involved. 550 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,542 We identified this person as Corey Zito, 551 00:30:24,542 --> 00:30:27,876 who happens to be Candie's cousin. 552 00:30:27,876 --> 00:30:30,876 Corey was wanted in other jurisdictions for various crimes 553 00:30:30,876 --> 00:30:33,417 that he'd committed in those states. 554 00:30:33,417 --> 00:30:36,792 - Corey Zito was in dire straits. 555 00:30:36,792 --> 00:30:41,125 Um, he remained in the hospital in a coma. 556 00:30:41,125 --> 00:30:43,417 - NARRATOR: Like her 26-year-old cousin, 557 00:30:43,417 --> 00:30:49,250 Candie remains at the hospital and under arrest. 558 00:30:49,250 --> 00:30:53,667 While Candie and Corey recover, detectives seize and search 559 00:30:53,667 --> 00:30:57,083 Anthony Gibson's totaled car. 560 00:30:57,083 --> 00:30:59,250 - Officers were able to determine that there was 561 00:30:59,250 --> 00:31:02,918 a large amount of blood inside the trunk of this vehicle. 562 00:31:02,918 --> 00:31:06,542 - We were able to match that, uh, through DNA to, uh, 563 00:31:06,542 --> 00:31:11,125 Anthony Gibson. 564 00:31:11,125 --> 00:31:14,375 - NARRATOR: Detectives subpoena Candie and Corey's phone records 565 00:31:14,375 --> 00:31:18,000 and confirm that hours before his disappearance, 566 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,209 Candie had reached out to Anthony. 567 00:31:21,209 --> 00:31:23,042 - They had reconnected and she had asked him 568 00:31:23,042 --> 00:31:25,792 to bring her some food. 569 00:31:25,792 --> 00:31:27,334 - NARRATOR: According to the texts, 570 00:31:27,334 --> 00:31:30,667 Anthony had been willing to bring Candie some food 571 00:31:30,667 --> 00:31:34,459 as long as he also got something out of the deal. 572 00:31:34,459 --> 00:31:37,584 - KEVIN: A picture is sent from Candie to Anthony 573 00:31:37,584 --> 00:31:41,250 and the promise of having possible sex 574 00:31:41,250 --> 00:31:44,000 or sexual relations with him. 575 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,000 - JEFF: The cell phone records indicated that he traveled from 576 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,083 his home in Harpersville to Candie Zito's, 577 00:31:51,083 --> 00:31:53,209 um, parents' address. 578 00:31:53,209 --> 00:31:54,626 - NARRATOR: Records show that hours 579 00:31:54,626 --> 00:31:57,834 after Anthony's phone arrived at Candie's house, 580 00:31:57,834 --> 00:32:01,250 Candie's phone was on the move. 581 00:32:01,250 --> 00:32:04,292 - KEVIN: Cell phone records reveal that Candie Zito was 582 00:32:04,292 --> 00:32:06,667 in fact very close to the location 583 00:32:06,667 --> 00:32:11,334 of Anthony Gibson's body. 584 00:32:11,334 --> 00:32:13,250 - NARRATOR: It's clear to detectives that Candie 585 00:32:13,250 --> 00:32:16,834 is very much involved in Anthony's death. 586 00:32:16,834 --> 00:32:21,042 But they still don't know how Corey fits into the equation. 587 00:32:21,042 --> 00:32:22,334 - KEVIN: During the investigation, 588 00:32:22,334 --> 00:32:23,959 we were able to obtain a search warrant 589 00:32:23,959 --> 00:32:26,167 to go through Candie's cell phone. 590 00:32:26,167 --> 00:32:29,083 We found pictures on Candie Zito's SD card that indicated 591 00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:32,876 her and her cousin, Corey, holding what appeared to be 592 00:32:32,876 --> 00:32:36,918 an AK47 style rifle that was all black. 593 00:32:36,918 --> 00:32:39,792 - NARRATOR: There are other, even more incriminating photos 594 00:32:39,792 --> 00:32:41,083 as well. 595 00:32:41,083 --> 00:32:44,501 - We discover that there are several pictures that possibly 596 00:32:44,501 --> 00:32:47,792 implicate that she and her cousin Corey may be involved in 597 00:32:47,792 --> 00:32:53,792 a romantic relationship with each other. 598 00:32:53,792 --> 00:32:56,167 - NARRATOR: In addition to the scandalous photos, 599 00:32:56,167 --> 00:32:59,792 investigators ask the medical examiner if Anthony's wounds 600 00:32:59,792 --> 00:33:03,125 could be the result of an AK-47 601 00:33:03,125 --> 00:33:06,292 like the one Candie is seen holding. 602 00:33:06,292 --> 00:33:11,459 - The medical examiner had informed us that the wound to 603 00:33:11,459 --> 00:33:17,542 the leg was consistent with a high-power rifle. 604 00:33:17,542 --> 00:33:21,834 - NARRATOR: On July 16, 2015, doctors clear Candie to 605 00:33:21,834 --> 00:33:25,292 be released to the Daviess County Jail. 606 00:33:25,292 --> 00:33:28,167 On August 12, Detective Palmer 607 00:33:28,167 --> 00:33:33,334 arrives in Indiana to put Candie in the hot seat. 608 00:33:33,334 --> 00:33:36,417 - She is talking. She says she wants to be helpful. 609 00:33:36,417 --> 00:33:39,042 - NARRATOR: When Detective Palmer presses Candie on 610 00:33:39,042 --> 00:33:42,876 her past romantic relationship with Anthony Gibson, 611 00:33:42,876 --> 00:34:04,584 she is taken aback. 612 00:34:04,584 --> 00:34:06,375 - NARRATOR: Candie says that while they hadn't seen 613 00:34:06,375 --> 00:34:10,125 each other in four years, they had kept in touch. 614 00:34:10,125 --> 00:34:13,125 She claims it wasn't that strange to ask Anthony 615 00:34:13,125 --> 00:34:15,918 to bring her food on July 2. 616 00:34:15,918 --> 00:34:20,000 Candie says Anthony had shown up around 10 p.m., 617 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:32,042 and while she ate her food in the backyard, he did drugs. 618 00:34:32,042 --> 00:34:35,918 - Immediately I can tell that there's more behind her eyes 619 00:34:35,918 --> 00:34:48,209 than she wants us to believe. She starts to break down. 620 00:34:48,209 --> 00:34:51,083 - JEFF: She says Corey is there on the scene, 621 00:34:51,083 --> 00:34:54,417 and comes out and confronts Anthony. 622 00:34:54,417 --> 00:34:58,375 At that point, uh, she flees into the tent that is in 623 00:34:58,375 --> 00:35:03,083 the backyard and alleges to hear a gunshot. 624 00:35:03,083 --> 00:35:07,375 She proclaims to not know what happened to Anthony or his body, 625 00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:11,000 uh, only that, uh, she heard the car crank and leave, 626 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,584 and then return sometime later that evening. 627 00:35:15,584 --> 00:35:18,042 - NARRATOR: When Detective Palmer presses Candie on 628 00:35:18,042 --> 00:35:21,417 her taboo relationship with her cousin Corey, 629 00:35:21,417 --> 00:35:50,626 her response is cryptic. 630 00:35:50,626 --> 00:35:52,834 - NARRATOR: While Candie's story of self-defense 631 00:35:52,834 --> 00:35:53,959 may be plausible, 632 00:35:53,959 --> 00:35:57,083 it's her explanation of how she and Corey ended up 633 00:35:57,083 --> 00:36:12,918 with Anthony's grandmother's car that is far more suspicious. 634 00:36:12,918 --> 00:36:14,375 - KEVIN: Based on my conversation with Candie, 635 00:36:14,375 --> 00:36:34,125 it was very doubtful that she was telling the truth. 636 00:36:34,125 --> 00:36:36,792 - NARRATOR: Coming up: a former cellmate reveals 637 00:36:36,792 --> 00:36:43,751 Candie's not so sweet side. 638 00:36:43,751 --> 00:36:52,834 - NARRATOR: Will Corey Zito have his own story to tell? 639 00:36:52,834 --> 00:37:04,250 - ♪ 640 00:37:04,250 --> 00:37:06,751 - NARRATOR: Investigators believe Alabama cousins 641 00:37:06,751 --> 00:37:11,250 30-year-old Candie and 26-year-old Corey Zito 642 00:37:11,250 --> 00:37:14,751 are responsible for the murder of Anthony Gibson. 643 00:37:14,751 --> 00:37:17,292 But they need more evidence. 644 00:37:17,292 --> 00:37:21,417 And in August of 2015, with Candie in jail 645 00:37:21,417 --> 00:37:25,250 and Corey in a coma, they get their wish. 646 00:37:25,250 --> 00:37:27,626 - KEVIN: Information was received that an inmate 647 00:37:27,626 --> 00:37:30,751 at Daviess County Jail had spoken to Candie Zito 648 00:37:30,751 --> 00:37:36,125 several times about the crime of murder against Anthony Gibson. 649 00:37:36,125 --> 00:37:37,959 - NARRATOR: Investigators set up an interview 650 00:37:37,959 --> 00:37:41,375 with the former cellmate of Candie Zito. 651 00:37:41,375 --> 00:37:44,709 - While Candie was in custody in Daviess County, uh, 652 00:37:44,709 --> 00:37:47,876 she was befriended by one of her cellmates. 653 00:37:47,876 --> 00:37:49,792 Ultimately, one night, uh, 654 00:37:49,792 --> 00:37:55,918 they were watching an episode of a television program about, uh, 655 00:37:55,918 --> 00:37:59,876 a lady who had shot her former lover. 656 00:37:59,876 --> 00:38:13,918 It struck up a conversation between the two of them. 657 00:38:13,918 --> 00:38:16,125 - NARRATOR: The woman says that when she pressed Candie 658 00:38:16,125 --> 00:38:17,709 for more details, 659 00:38:17,709 --> 00:38:20,292 Candie admitted that she had lured Anthony 660 00:38:20,292 --> 00:38:39,834 to her house on July 2. 661 00:38:39,834 --> 00:38:41,209 - NARRATOR: According to the woman, 662 00:38:41,209 --> 00:38:44,834 Candie said that Anthony usually had drugs on him, 663 00:38:44,834 --> 00:38:49,501 and when he arrived, Corey and Candie were waiting. 664 00:38:49,501 --> 00:38:52,834 - She relays information to us during the interview that 665 00:38:52,834 --> 00:38:56,042 Candie and Corey ambush Anthony once he arrives on scene. 666 00:38:56,042 --> 00:39:08,834 - ♪ 667 00:39:08,834 --> 00:39:09,626 - [gunshots] 668 00:39:09,626 --> 00:39:12,626 - [bullets clanks] 669 00:39:12,626 --> 00:39:14,709 - NARRATOR: The woman says Candie was vague about 670 00:39:14,709 --> 00:39:18,334 the details, but she admitted to helping dispose of 671 00:39:18,334 --> 00:39:32,626 Anthony's body and covering up the crime. 672 00:39:32,626 --> 00:39:35,834 - NARRATOR: The woman claims that Candie's only worry is what 673 00:39:35,834 --> 00:39:53,375 Corey will say if and when he wakes up from his coma. 674 00:39:53,375 --> 00:39:55,626 - NARRATOR: Even though they were never able to recover 675 00:39:55,626 --> 00:39:58,751 a gun tied to the crime, detectives believe 676 00:39:58,751 --> 00:40:01,751 they finally know what happened to Anthony 677 00:40:01,751 --> 00:40:05,334 on July 2, 2015. 678 00:40:05,334 --> 00:40:07,250 - After they had shot him here in Chelsea, 679 00:40:07,250 --> 00:40:11,042 they stuffed him in the trunk of my mother's car 680 00:40:11,042 --> 00:40:13,959 and just drove around with him everywhere, 681 00:40:13,959 --> 00:40:16,834 bleeding out all over the place. 682 00:40:16,834 --> 00:40:19,876 - JEFF: We believe that Anthony ultimately died in the trunk of 683 00:40:19,876 --> 00:40:21,876 his grandmother's car. 684 00:40:21,876 --> 00:40:24,083 Uh, bled to death from a wound 685 00:40:24,083 --> 00:40:26,709 that happened because of the robbery. 686 00:40:26,709 --> 00:40:29,667 Uh, that if they had just provided him medical treatment, 687 00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:34,626 he likely would have survived. 688 00:40:34,626 --> 00:40:37,918 - NARRATOR: On September 16, 2015, 689 00:40:37,918 --> 00:40:41,501 detectives receive word that after months in a coma, 690 00:40:41,501 --> 00:40:45,751 Corey Zito has regained consciousness. 691 00:40:45,751 --> 00:40:47,584 When detectives question Corey, 692 00:40:47,584 --> 00:40:52,584 it's obvious that the crash has taken its toll. 693 00:40:52,584 --> 00:40:54,334 - KEVIN: It becomes evident that he has suffered 694 00:40:54,334 --> 00:40:57,459 some sort of brain injury. 695 00:40:57,459 --> 00:41:00,876 He's not able to communicate very well. 696 00:41:00,876 --> 00:41:03,751 And really has no recollection of anything have, 697 00:41:03,751 --> 00:41:10,501 may have occurred from July until September. 698 00:41:10,501 --> 00:41:13,375 - NARRATOR: On March 13, 2016, 699 00:41:13,375 --> 00:41:17,125 Corey is found competent to stand trial. 700 00:41:17,125 --> 00:41:20,709 Still, prosecutors grapple with making murder charges 701 00:41:20,709 --> 00:41:24,000 against the Zito cousins stick. 702 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,542 - Due to the fact that evidence 703 00:41:25,542 --> 00:41:28,375 showed a high amount of methamphetamine 704 00:41:28,375 --> 00:41:30,417 in Anthony's system, 705 00:41:30,417 --> 00:41:33,459 and also that there was an injury to his leg, 706 00:41:33,459 --> 00:41:37,417 it was unclear exactly what the cause of death 707 00:41:37,417 --> 00:41:39,584 to Anthony Gibson was. 708 00:41:39,584 --> 00:41:43,626 - JEFF: There was a very large risk of an outright acquittal 709 00:41:43,626 --> 00:41:45,792 from the charges that we had on them. 710 00:41:45,792 --> 00:41:49,125 And we had at this point already been approached 711 00:41:49,125 --> 00:41:52,542 by Candie and Corey's attorneys that both of them 712 00:41:52,542 --> 00:41:55,250 wanted as good of a deal as they could get. 713 00:41:55,250 --> 00:41:59,501 We talked to the family and the plea agreement that we came up 714 00:41:59,501 --> 00:42:04,083 was a 20-year sentence to, uh, the charge of murder. 715 00:42:04,083 --> 00:42:06,834 So, by doing that, we guaranteed 716 00:42:06,834 --> 00:42:08,083 that they would be off the streets 717 00:42:08,083 --> 00:42:10,751 for up to 15 years, uh, 718 00:42:10,751 --> 00:42:12,501 before their first parole hearing. 719 00:42:12,501 --> 00:42:16,834 - NARRATOR: Corey and Candie accept the deal. 720 00:42:16,834 --> 00:42:21,918 And on September 7, 2018, they are both sentenced. 721 00:42:21,918 --> 00:42:24,292 - I mean, people get 20 years out here 722 00:42:24,292 --> 00:42:26,417 just for stealing a car. 723 00:42:26,417 --> 00:42:30,501 But you kill somebody, you rob him, you desecrate their body, 724 00:42:30,501 --> 00:42:34,626 you steal the car, you do all that, you know, 20 years. 725 00:42:34,626 --> 00:42:38,167 I don't feel like that's even close. 726 00:42:38,167 --> 00:42:40,584 - NARRATOR: For Candie, her partying days 727 00:42:40,584 --> 00:42:42,334 have been put on hold. 728 00:42:42,334 --> 00:42:46,417 And now, she has nearly two decades to think about what 729 00:42:46,417 --> 00:42:51,751 her love of a good time has cost her...and Anthony. 730 00:42:51,751 --> 00:42:54,501 - I wish I thought there was some reason behind it 731 00:42:54,501 --> 00:42:59,459 other than her selfishness, and she wanted some drugs. 732 00:42:59,459 --> 00:43:01,709 - You know, that 20 years, 733 00:43:01,709 --> 00:43:03,667 that's not gonna bring Anthony back to us. 734 00:43:03,667 --> 00:43:05,209 I mean, nothing-- nothing that they do 735 00:43:05,209 --> 00:43:07,375 is gonna bring Anthony back to us. 736 00:43:07,375 --> 00:43:09,042 But he was 20 years old. 737 00:43:09,042 --> 00:43:11,709 He had a long life ahead of him 738 00:43:11,709 --> 00:43:14,000 and a family that loved him dearly. 739 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:19,000 And we'll never get to see him again. 740 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,000 - ♪