1 00:00:00,209 --> 00:00:03,834 - FEMALE NARRATOR: The ruthless murder of a beloved pediatrician 2 00:00:03,834 --> 00:00:06,792 stuns a Florida community. 3 00:00:06,792 --> 00:00:08,000 - The apartment was ransacked. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,125 Someone was looking for something. 5 00:00:10,125 --> 00:00:13,959 - He's submerged in a tub full of bloody water. 6 00:00:13,959 --> 00:00:17,250 - NARRATOR: Investigators follow a trail of mysterious clues to 7 00:00:17,250 --> 00:00:21,709 find out what could lead to such a violent crime. 8 00:00:21,709 --> 00:00:26,000 - MIKE: We locate close to 20 thousand dollars in cash. 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,959 - FRED: When they would pick up the phone, 10 00:00:27,959 --> 00:00:29,042 the person on the other end 11 00:00:29,042 --> 00:00:32,709 would immediately hang the phone up. 12 00:00:32,709 --> 00:00:35,042 - NARRATOR: Detectives race against the clock to unravel 13 00:00:35,042 --> 00:00:38,417 a cold-blooded conspiracy. 14 00:00:38,417 --> 00:00:41,292 - It was clear that they were concerned that 15 00:00:41,292 --> 00:00:43,626 they might be being listened to. 16 00:00:43,626 --> 00:00:47,751 They were saying things in layers and in code. 17 00:00:47,751 --> 00:00:49,959 - He said to us, "What would happen if I told you that 18 00:00:49,959 --> 00:00:52,709 I sent somebody there to beat him up?" 19 00:00:52,709 --> 00:00:56,417 - He had a reputation for being involved with the drug gangs. 20 00:00:56,417 --> 00:00:58,667 - He was telling her that they can't arrest her 21 00:00:58,667 --> 00:01:00,751 if they can't find her. 22 00:01:00,751 --> 00:01:02,751 - To the day, they still don't know exactly where he is 23 00:01:02,751 --> 00:01:04,083 or where he went. 24 00:01:04,083 --> 00:01:09,709 They don't even know if he's still alive. 25 00:01:09,709 --> 00:01:16,167 - ♪ 26 00:01:16,167 --> 00:01:21,417 ♪♪ 27 00:01:21,417 --> 00:01:27,083 - NARRATOR: January 25, 1994. St. Petersburg, Florida. 28 00:01:27,083 --> 00:01:30,959 Officer Ell Jay Hartzig is just beginning his shift when he gets 29 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,042 a disturbing call from dispatch about a body found 30 00:01:34,042 --> 00:01:38,042 in a nearby apartment complex. 31 00:01:38,042 --> 00:01:41,167 - ELL JAY: It was probably about 20 to 25 after 3 32 00:01:41,167 --> 00:01:43,626 I was in my cruiser getting ready to drive to my zone 33 00:01:43,626 --> 00:01:50,000 that I patrol, when I heard the call come out. 34 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,292 - NARRATOR: At the apartment complex, 35 00:01:51,292 --> 00:01:55,876 Officer Hartzig is met by a frantic young woman. 36 00:01:55,876 --> 00:01:59,626 - ELL JAY: On arrival, I talked to a witness, Patricia Deninno. 37 00:01:59,626 --> 00:02:01,959 I speak to her briefly. 38 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:05,459 She explained to me that the victim was in the bathtub 39 00:02:05,459 --> 00:02:08,167 inside the apartment. 40 00:02:08,167 --> 00:02:09,876 Once I entered the apartment, 41 00:02:09,876 --> 00:02:12,083 I saw that the apartment was in disarray 42 00:02:12,083 --> 00:02:15,626 and just everything was thrown about. 43 00:02:15,626 --> 00:02:17,834 I went into the bathroom area. 44 00:02:17,834 --> 00:02:21,167 I see the victim with his face down, 45 00:02:21,167 --> 00:02:22,918 with his hands and his feet tied behind his back 46 00:02:22,918 --> 00:02:26,626 with an electrical cord. 47 00:02:26,626 --> 00:02:29,626 I see that the tub is halfway full with water. 48 00:02:29,626 --> 00:02:31,876 It's bloody. 49 00:02:31,876 --> 00:02:32,959 Alls I thought about at that time 50 00:02:32,959 --> 00:02:38,751 was you preserve the crime scene. 51 00:02:38,751 --> 00:02:42,167 - NARRATOR: As Officer Hartzig waits for detectives outside, 52 00:02:42,167 --> 00:02:45,834 he gathers preliminary information from the 911 caller, 53 00:02:45,834 --> 00:02:49,876 Patricia Deninno, who says the victim is her fiancé, 54 00:02:49,876 --> 00:02:54,042 Dr. Louis Davidson. 55 00:02:54,042 --> 00:02:57,042 - The deceased was a doctor in charge of the pediatrics 56 00:02:57,042 --> 00:02:59,959 at Bayfront Hospital. 57 00:02:59,959 --> 00:03:03,083 Miss Deninno was crying hysterically, she's upset. 58 00:03:03,083 --> 00:03:05,417 It was hard to interview her. 59 00:03:05,417 --> 00:03:09,000 I had to take my time and work with her to get the information 60 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:16,209 about who this doctor was and why she was there. 61 00:03:16,209 --> 00:03:19,125 - ♪ 62 00:03:19,125 --> 00:03:22,042 - NARRATOR: 39-year-old Louis Davidson was well known 63 00:03:22,042 --> 00:03:25,959 throughout the St. Petersburg community. 64 00:03:25,959 --> 00:03:27,834 - He was so knowledgeable. 65 00:03:27,834 --> 00:03:31,042 Um, he was such a good mentor 66 00:03:31,042 --> 00:03:36,959 to all of us nurses doing pediatrics. 67 00:03:36,959 --> 00:03:39,792 - NARRATOR: Though Louis considered the US home, 68 00:03:39,792 --> 00:03:43,918 he'd only moved to the States in 1983. 69 00:03:43,918 --> 00:03:45,876 - Louis was born in Jamaica, born in Kingston. 70 00:03:45,876 --> 00:03:47,876 His father's a university professor. 71 00:03:47,876 --> 00:03:49,292 Very, very smart. 72 00:03:49,292 --> 00:03:51,125 - REBECCA: He had a very close family 73 00:03:51,125 --> 00:03:55,000 with his parents and his sisters. 74 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,792 - NARRATOR: With his family's encouragement, 75 00:03:56,792 --> 00:04:00,792 Louis had set his sights high from an early age. 76 00:04:00,792 --> 00:04:03,918 - REBECCA: He was very gifted intellectually, 77 00:04:03,918 --> 00:04:07,459 and it was destined that he become a doctor. 78 00:04:07,459 --> 00:04:09,751 He was brilliant at it. 79 00:04:09,751 --> 00:04:15,334 - I feel like that was his calling and he knew it. 80 00:04:15,334 --> 00:04:16,751 - NARRATOR: Though medical school 81 00:04:16,751 --> 00:04:18,709 rarely left time for dating, 82 00:04:18,709 --> 00:04:20,792 Louis made room in his schedule 83 00:04:20,792 --> 00:04:23,542 when a beautiful young model caught his eye 84 00:04:23,542 --> 00:04:25,959 at a bus stop in Jamaica. 85 00:04:25,959 --> 00:04:29,250 - FRED: Denise Davis was originally from Jamaica. 86 00:04:29,250 --> 00:04:31,876 She was, uh, in Ms. Jamaica pageant. 87 00:04:31,876 --> 00:04:34,751 She was a finalist in that pageant. 88 00:04:34,751 --> 00:04:39,918 - SUSANNA: Denise was an absolutely stunning woman. 89 00:04:39,918 --> 00:04:43,626 She was 22, he was 27 when they met. 90 00:04:43,626 --> 00:04:44,834 She was waiting at a bus stop 91 00:04:44,834 --> 00:04:48,334 and he stopped in his car and offered her a ride. 92 00:04:48,334 --> 00:04:50,876 And I think she genuinely liked him. 93 00:04:50,876 --> 00:04:55,334 She genuinely loved him. 94 00:04:55,334 --> 00:04:56,667 - NARRATOR: After a short engagement, 95 00:04:56,667 --> 00:05:02,584 the couple tied the knot in 1982 and quickly moved to the States. 96 00:05:02,584 --> 00:05:06,334 Three years later, their daughter, Natalie, was born. 97 00:05:06,334 --> 00:05:07,167 - FRED: They got married 98 00:05:07,167 --> 00:05:08,918 and they moved to the Tampa Bay area, 99 00:05:08,918 --> 00:05:12,125 where they lived and had a child together. 100 00:05:12,125 --> 00:05:14,542 - ROBERTA: Denise was a very caring mother. 101 00:05:14,542 --> 00:05:20,501 Supportive, loving and she was pretty much at--at home with, 102 00:05:20,501 --> 00:05:23,709 uh, Natalie the first few years. 103 00:05:23,709 --> 00:05:26,292 - DEB: Dr. Davidson doted on Natalie. 104 00:05:26,292 --> 00:05:29,459 He'd just glow and he would talk about Natalie 105 00:05:29,459 --> 00:05:32,542 and he loved her very much. 106 00:05:32,542 --> 00:05:34,876 - NARRATOR: After climbing the ranks in his profession, 107 00:05:34,876 --> 00:05:36,667 Louis settled into his career 108 00:05:36,667 --> 00:05:40,375 at Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. 109 00:05:40,375 --> 00:05:43,542 - He eventually became the head of the pediatrics, um, 110 00:05:43,542 --> 00:05:45,792 in the emergency room division. 111 00:05:45,792 --> 00:05:49,250 - DEB: He was a good man, a talented man. 112 00:05:49,250 --> 00:05:54,501 He had this kindness and this compassion for his job and for 113 00:05:54,501 --> 00:06:00,751 the people around him and his patients that he took care of. 114 00:06:00,751 --> 00:06:02,459 - NARRATOR: While his career blossomed, 115 00:06:02,459 --> 00:06:06,709 his relationship with Denise began to crumble. 116 00:06:06,709 --> 00:06:09,709 - Approximately 1991, Denise Davidson, 117 00:06:09,709 --> 00:06:11,667 Dr. Davidson separated. 118 00:06:11,667 --> 00:06:12,834 It was at that time that Dr. Davidson 119 00:06:12,834 --> 00:06:15,250 moved out of the residence. 120 00:06:15,250 --> 00:06:19,125 - ROBERTA: He got an apartment in--in St. Petersburg. 121 00:06:19,125 --> 00:06:23,334 And she w--remained in their home in Tampa 122 00:06:23,334 --> 00:06:26,083 with her daughter, Natalie. 123 00:06:26,083 --> 00:06:29,959 - NARRATOR: In October of 1993, Louis and Denise decided to make 124 00:06:29,959 --> 00:06:33,167 their separation legal. 125 00:06:33,167 --> 00:06:35,584 - Dr. Davidson had developed a new relationship 126 00:06:35,584 --> 00:06:37,751 with Patricia Deninno. 127 00:06:37,751 --> 00:06:41,250 Patricia Deninno works for Bayfront Hospital within 128 00:06:41,250 --> 00:06:43,751 the emergency room and emergency room pediatrics 129 00:06:43,751 --> 00:06:45,792 where Dr. Davidson works. 130 00:06:45,792 --> 00:06:46,959 And so they started off 131 00:06:46,959 --> 00:06:48,792 just knowing each other from the hospital. 132 00:06:48,792 --> 00:06:51,834 And at this point in time, they're boyfriend-girlfriend. 133 00:06:51,834 --> 00:06:55,792 - NARRATOR: Louis wasn't the only one who had moved on. 134 00:06:55,792 --> 00:06:58,125 - Denise Davidson still lived in Tampa. 135 00:06:58,125 --> 00:07:01,751 She developed a relationship with a gentleman from Jamaica, 136 00:07:01,751 --> 00:07:03,542 a Leo Cisneros. 137 00:07:03,542 --> 00:07:06,250 So, Dr. Davidson and Denise Davidson 138 00:07:06,250 --> 00:07:08,584 were kind of going on with their lives. 139 00:07:08,584 --> 00:07:11,250 - ♪ 140 00:07:11,250 --> 00:07:13,584 - NARRATOR: Not long after their separation, 141 00:07:13,584 --> 00:07:16,834 St. Petersburg homicide detectives have just arrived 142 00:07:16,834 --> 00:07:20,959 at Louis Davidson's apartment, where his girlfriend, Patricia, 143 00:07:20,959 --> 00:07:24,501 found him dead in a bathtub. 144 00:07:24,501 --> 00:07:29,250 - I arrived just after the initial officer on scene, 145 00:07:29,250 --> 00:07:32,584 Officer Hartzig, had spoken and took the initial statement from 146 00:07:32,584 --> 00:07:34,125 Patricia Deninno. 147 00:07:34,125 --> 00:07:36,918 At that point, I arranged for Patricia Deninno to be 148 00:07:36,918 --> 00:07:39,959 transported to the St. Petersburg Police Department 149 00:07:39,959 --> 00:07:46,125 as we start to process our scene. 150 00:07:46,125 --> 00:07:47,667 - MARK: I go through the front door, 151 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:50,626 and I can see that obviously the apartment was ransacked. 152 00:07:50,626 --> 00:07:53,584 Someone was looking for something. 153 00:07:53,584 --> 00:07:55,042 - NARRATOR: In the foyer, 154 00:07:55,042 --> 00:07:59,375 detectives identify their first potential clue. 155 00:07:59,375 --> 00:08:03,292 - We notice there is a footprint, a shoe impression, 156 00:08:03,292 --> 00:08:06,584 on the floor. 157 00:08:06,584 --> 00:08:09,334 Whether it was wet or grease or oil, 158 00:08:09,334 --> 00:08:11,542 whatever may have been on the bottom of the shoe 159 00:08:11,542 --> 00:08:14,167 left an impression on that tile. 160 00:08:14,167 --> 00:08:16,501 - FRED: It was a--a certain make, a Voit, 161 00:08:16,501 --> 00:08:19,542 which wasn't a real popular type of shoe. 162 00:08:19,542 --> 00:08:23,918 And, uh, it appeared to be about a size nine. 163 00:08:23,918 --> 00:08:26,292 - NARRATOR: Detectives also find what appears to be 164 00:08:26,292 --> 00:08:29,125 evidence of a struggle. 165 00:08:29,125 --> 00:08:31,542 - MIKE: I can see items thrown on the floor. 166 00:08:31,542 --> 00:08:33,918 The cushions were off the couch. 167 00:08:33,918 --> 00:08:37,542 There's a vacuum cleaner sitting here that has the cord cut, 168 00:08:37,542 --> 00:08:39,584 and a pair of scissors laying on the ground, 169 00:08:39,584 --> 00:08:44,250 which is obviously not in its normal place. 170 00:08:44,250 --> 00:08:47,083 In the bedroom, the closet door is open, 171 00:08:47,083 --> 00:08:51,501 and I can see clothes and items have been thrown onto the floor. 172 00:08:51,501 --> 00:08:54,083 It's a mess inside that closet. 173 00:08:54,083 --> 00:08:57,584 As I approach the bathroom, I'm looking in, 174 00:08:57,584 --> 00:09:01,167 and I'm seeing the wall where there's obvious blood splatter 175 00:09:01,167 --> 00:09:04,375 here on the wall. 176 00:09:04,375 --> 00:09:05,751 - NARRATOR: Inside the bathroom, 177 00:09:05,751 --> 00:09:09,792 detectives get their first look at the victim. 178 00:09:09,792 --> 00:09:13,125 - He was drowned while tied and blindfolded-- 179 00:09:13,125 --> 00:09:17,501 drowned in a bathtub full of hot water. 180 00:09:17,501 --> 00:09:21,125 - A vacuum cleaner cord was used to tie up his hands 181 00:09:21,125 --> 00:09:24,125 and there was a cashmere article of clothing 182 00:09:24,125 --> 00:09:27,542 that was used to tie him up as well. 183 00:09:27,542 --> 00:09:30,876 - The scene is extremely violent in nature. 184 00:09:30,876 --> 00:09:33,250 - The appearance leads me to believe that there's more than 185 00:09:33,250 --> 00:09:38,501 one person involved. 186 00:09:38,501 --> 00:09:40,709 - FRED: In the closet of Dr. Davidson, 187 00:09:40,709 --> 00:09:42,834 they found a garment bag. 188 00:09:42,834 --> 00:09:46,918 And in that garment bag was a substantial amount of money. 189 00:09:46,918 --> 00:09:52,000 - MIKE: We locate close to $20,000 in cash, um, 190 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,834 along with Dr. Davidson's jewelry. 191 00:09:55,834 --> 00:09:58,584 The items of true value were not stolen. 192 00:09:58,584 --> 00:10:01,918 Instead, we have a staged crime scene 193 00:10:01,918 --> 00:10:10,584 and a dead doctor with a very brutal type of killing. 194 00:10:10,584 --> 00:10:13,167 - NARRATOR: Coming up: Investigators uncover 195 00:10:13,167 --> 00:10:15,584 salacious secrets. 196 00:10:15,584 --> 00:10:18,709 - She denied that she was posing for dirty pictures. 197 00:10:18,709 --> 00:10:20,501 - REBECCA: Was Dr. Davidson involved 198 00:10:20,501 --> 00:10:23,334 in some kind of activity that could have brought 199 00:10:23,334 --> 00:10:26,209 this type of a crime closer to him? 200 00:10:26,209 --> 00:10:27,459 - MARK: The first person of interest 201 00:10:27,459 --> 00:10:29,042 was in that type of crowd 202 00:10:29,042 --> 00:10:30,918 where he would've known the people who were able to 203 00:10:30,918 --> 00:10:33,667 pull off such an event. 204 00:10:33,667 --> 00:10:33,667 - ♪ 205 00:10:33,667 --> 00:10:45,125 - FEMALE NARRATOR: The ruthless murder of a beloved pediatrician 206 00:10:45,125 --> 00:10:47,709 - NARRATOR: St. Petersburg detectives are investigating 207 00:10:47,709 --> 00:10:53,751 the vicious murder of pediatric emergency doctor Louis Davidson. 208 00:10:53,751 --> 00:10:56,334 - MIKE: Dr. Davidson was hogtied. 209 00:10:56,334 --> 00:10:59,876 He was blindfolded, gagged, 210 00:10:59,876 --> 00:11:02,334 and bleeding from about the head area, 211 00:11:02,334 --> 00:11:05,417 and then the bathtub was filled with, at that time, 212 00:11:05,417 --> 00:11:08,709 still, warm water. 213 00:11:08,709 --> 00:11:11,042 - NARRATOR: While CSI techs finish up their search for 214 00:11:11,042 --> 00:11:14,209 additional evidence, investigators turn to 215 00:11:14,209 --> 00:11:16,918 Louis's neighbors for leads. 216 00:11:16,918 --> 00:11:21,000 - We identify two witnesses that observed a couple 217 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,292 playing with a ball around 9, 10 o'clock in the morning, 218 00:11:25,292 --> 00:11:26,918 just outside the doctor's apartment 219 00:11:26,918 --> 00:11:29,501 in the area by the pond. 220 00:11:29,501 --> 00:11:32,000 - CRAIG: It was a--a black man and a white woman, 221 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,459 a blonde-haired woman, 222 00:11:33,459 --> 00:11:35,459 playing catch with a cricket ball. 223 00:11:35,459 --> 00:11:37,417 Which is, uh, not something 224 00:11:37,417 --> 00:11:39,959 you would normally see here in Florida. 225 00:11:39,959 --> 00:11:42,459 - They noticed the young lady appeared to be more of 226 00:11:42,459 --> 00:11:45,542 a British-type accent. 227 00:11:45,542 --> 00:11:49,000 - NARRATOR: Witnesses mention after the unusual game of catch, 228 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,959 the man disappeared and the woman got into a nearby car. 229 00:11:53,959 --> 00:11:55,626 - Here is someone that's just sitting 230 00:11:55,626 --> 00:11:57,250 in the apartment complex, 231 00:11:57,250 --> 00:11:59,584 basically in front of the doctor's apartment. 232 00:11:59,584 --> 00:12:04,167 So, now we're looking at some suspicion there. 233 00:12:04,167 --> 00:12:06,083 - NARRATOR: While officers continue canvassing 234 00:12:06,083 --> 00:12:08,501 the neighborhood, detectives head to the station 235 00:12:08,501 --> 00:12:10,584 to conduct a formal interview 236 00:12:10,584 --> 00:12:14,667 with Dr. Davidson's girlfriend, Patricia Deninno. 237 00:12:14,667 --> 00:12:17,709 - MIKE: She said she was at work that day at Bayfront Hospital. 238 00:12:17,709 --> 00:12:20,584 But whether there's any involvement at--at this point, 239 00:12:20,584 --> 00:12:23,250 we have no idea who's involved. 240 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:26,125 - NARRATOR: Patricia says she had just started her day shift 241 00:12:26,125 --> 00:12:29,042 when she last spoke with Louis. 242 00:12:29,042 --> 00:12:31,292 - MIKE: Dr. Davidson was finishing his shift around 243 00:12:31,292 --> 00:12:33,626 8 a.m., and then once he finished his shift, 244 00:12:33,626 --> 00:12:36,292 he had a meeting to attend-- 9 a.m. meeting-- 245 00:12:36,292 --> 00:12:39,375 um, for the hospital, for the pediatric section. 246 00:12:39,375 --> 00:12:40,751 - When she tried to call him afterwards, 247 00:12:40,751 --> 00:12:46,417 he was not responding to her calls. 248 00:12:46,417 --> 00:12:49,959 - Around 3:30, she goes to his apartment to see why 249 00:12:49,959 --> 00:12:53,292 she can't reach him all day. 250 00:12:53,292 --> 00:12:55,542 - MIKE: When she arrives at the apartment complex, 251 00:12:55,542 --> 00:12:57,209 she enters into the apartment, 252 00:12:57,209 --> 00:12:59,751 the door was unlocked, but closed. 253 00:12:59,751 --> 00:13:03,792 And she starts to notice that the apartment's in disarray. 254 00:13:03,792 --> 00:13:05,959 It's at that point that she enters the bathroom 255 00:13:05,959 --> 00:13:11,501 and she discovers Dr. Davidson in the bathtub. 256 00:13:11,501 --> 00:13:14,584 - NARRATOR: A distraught Patricia says she has no idea 257 00:13:14,584 --> 00:13:17,167 who could have wanted Louis dead, 258 00:13:17,167 --> 00:13:22,250 but he has been getting some strange calls lately. 259 00:13:22,250 --> 00:13:23,542 - FRED: Numerous hang up calls-- 260 00:13:23,542 --> 00:13:27,417 66, I think, in a matter of a few weeks. 261 00:13:27,417 --> 00:13:30,375 When Dr. Davidson or Ms. Deninno would pick up the phone, 262 00:13:30,375 --> 00:13:31,751 the person on the other end 263 00:13:31,751 --> 00:13:34,751 would immediately hang the phone up. 264 00:13:34,751 --> 00:13:36,417 - To the detectives, that sounded like someone trying to 265 00:13:36,417 --> 00:13:38,000 track his movements. 266 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,584 Where he was at different times, what he was doing. 267 00:13:41,584 --> 00:13:43,584 - NARRATOR: Patricia says the most recent suspicious 268 00:13:43,584 --> 00:13:46,876 phone call was just that morning. 269 00:13:46,876 --> 00:13:48,876 - Somewhere between 9, 10 o'clock in the morning, 270 00:13:48,876 --> 00:13:52,334 Patricia Deninno receives a phone call at the hospital 271 00:13:52,334 --> 00:13:54,959 with someone is looking for Dr. Davidson, 272 00:13:54,959 --> 00:13:57,792 and they asked for him. 273 00:13:57,792 --> 00:14:00,667 She replied that he was not available at the time. 274 00:14:00,667 --> 00:14:05,834 Things felt suspicious involving the calls at the hospital. 275 00:14:05,834 --> 00:14:09,459 But we did not know who would be connected to this that may have 276 00:14:09,459 --> 00:14:13,834 committed harm to Dr. Davidson. 277 00:14:13,834 --> 00:14:16,209 - NARRATOR: Detectives ask if Louis could be connected 278 00:14:16,209 --> 00:14:18,751 to anything illegal. 279 00:14:18,751 --> 00:14:22,209 - REBECCA: Initially, the $20,000 in the garment bag 280 00:14:22,209 --> 00:14:23,542 caused them to have some alarm. 281 00:14:23,542 --> 00:14:25,167 You know, was Dr. Davidson 282 00:14:25,167 --> 00:14:27,334 involved in some kind of activity 283 00:14:27,334 --> 00:14:31,125 that could have brought this type of a crime 284 00:14:31,125 --> 00:14:33,209 closer to him? 285 00:14:33,209 --> 00:14:35,709 - NARRATOR: Patricia refutes the notion. 286 00:14:35,709 --> 00:14:40,000 - he is explaining to me that the doctor would keep money 287 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,167 in his closet so that it would--not all his money was in 288 00:14:43,167 --> 00:14:47,792 the bank account because of the divorce situation. 289 00:14:47,792 --> 00:14:49,334 - CRAIG: That was a tumultuous relationship 290 00:14:49,334 --> 00:14:51,042 between the two of them. 291 00:14:51,042 --> 00:14:55,417 There were allegations from her that he had abused her. 292 00:14:55,417 --> 00:14:56,584 There were allegations from him 293 00:14:56,584 --> 00:14:59,250 that she had posed for erotic photos. 294 00:14:59,250 --> 00:15:01,125 Uh, but, course he denied the abuse 295 00:15:01,125 --> 00:15:06,709 and she denied that she was posing for dirty pictures. 296 00:15:06,709 --> 00:15:09,250 - NARRATOR: Patricia says the focus of the divorce revolved 297 00:15:09,250 --> 00:15:13,167 heavily around the couple's daughter, Natalie. 298 00:15:13,167 --> 00:15:15,250 - CRAIG: They had fought very bitterly 299 00:15:15,250 --> 00:15:16,876 over custody for Natalie. 300 00:15:16,876 --> 00:15:19,876 Denise wanted to take Natalie with her to Jamaica, 301 00:15:19,876 --> 00:15:22,667 and Louis was determined that was not going to happen. 302 00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:27,834 He was not going to lose access to his daughter. 303 00:15:27,834 --> 00:15:29,834 - NARRATOR: After finishing up with Patricia, 304 00:15:29,834 --> 00:15:34,876 detectives call Bayfront Hospital to verify her alibi. 305 00:15:34,876 --> 00:15:36,501 - MIKE: We were able to determine right away that 306 00:15:36,501 --> 00:15:39,709 Patricia Deninno had been at the hospital during the daytime 307 00:15:39,709 --> 00:15:42,667 after the doctor had left from his shift. 308 00:15:42,667 --> 00:15:48,918 - We did rule her out as a suspect early on. 309 00:15:48,918 --> 00:15:51,626 - NARRATOR: With Patricia's whereabouts verified, 310 00:15:51,626 --> 00:15:55,834 detectives make haste in locating Denise. 311 00:15:55,834 --> 00:15:59,834 - It's no secret that if you have an estranged spouse 312 00:15:59,834 --> 00:16:03,292 and that person winds up dead that you're going to be the one 313 00:16:03,292 --> 00:16:06,334 that is first suspected. 314 00:16:06,334 --> 00:16:10,334 - They met with her at her home in Tampa and made 315 00:16:10,334 --> 00:16:16,209 the notification that her husband had been found dead. 316 00:16:16,209 --> 00:16:18,876 - REBECCA: When Denise Davidson was asked what she was doing 317 00:16:18,876 --> 00:16:20,584 the morning he was murdered, 318 00:16:20,584 --> 00:16:23,501 she really didn't have a lot to report 319 00:16:23,501 --> 00:16:28,375 other than just usual routine, uh, things that she always did. 320 00:16:28,375 --> 00:16:29,792 She didn't go to work that day, 321 00:16:29,792 --> 00:16:33,083 but she did have the care of her daughter. 322 00:16:33,083 --> 00:16:34,334 - FRED: She told law enforcement 323 00:16:34,334 --> 00:16:36,834 that they were in the middle of a custody fight, 324 00:16:36,834 --> 00:16:39,542 but she said he's the father of her child 325 00:16:39,542 --> 00:16:45,751 and she had no reason to want to hurt Dr. Davidson. 326 00:16:45,751 --> 00:16:48,083 - NARRATOR: As a matter of routine procedure, 327 00:16:48,083 --> 00:16:49,334 detectives ask Denise 328 00:16:49,334 --> 00:16:53,125 if she's currently involved with anyone new. 329 00:16:53,125 --> 00:16:54,959 - The information that was provided to us 330 00:16:54,959 --> 00:16:56,209 by Denise Davidson 331 00:16:56,209 --> 00:16:59,959 that the boyfriend's name is Leonardo Cisneros. 332 00:16:59,959 --> 00:17:01,792 - NARRATOR: The two had met during one of her visits 333 00:17:01,792 --> 00:17:03,959 back home to Jamaica. 334 00:17:03,959 --> 00:17:09,083 - ROBERTA: He seemed to, uh, become really enamored with her. 335 00:17:09,083 --> 00:17:13,918 He at one point, uh, then asked her to marry him. 336 00:17:13,918 --> 00:17:16,209 - FRED: Denise was questioned about the whereabouts of 337 00:17:16,209 --> 00:17:19,250 her new boyfriend, Leo Cisneros. 338 00:17:19,250 --> 00:17:21,626 She indicated that he was back in Jamaica. 339 00:17:21,626 --> 00:17:25,167 That he had not been in the Tampa Bay area at the time 340 00:17:25,167 --> 00:17:29,459 Dr. Davidson was killed. 341 00:17:29,459 --> 00:17:31,083 - NARRATOR: Back at the station, 342 00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:34,834 detectives research Denise's new flame. 343 00:17:34,834 --> 00:17:37,042 - CRAIG: He owned a nightclub or co-owned a nightclub in-- 344 00:17:37,042 --> 00:17:38,167 in Jamaica, in Kingston. 345 00:17:38,167 --> 00:17:40,000 He had a reputation for being involved 346 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,292 with the drug gangs there. 347 00:17:42,292 --> 00:17:45,083 - MIKE: We were able to determine several years prior, 348 00:17:45,083 --> 00:17:47,918 he had been arrested during a traffic stop in Georgia 349 00:17:47,918 --> 00:17:50,042 and a warrant had now 350 00:17:50,042 --> 00:17:53,083 been issued for trafficking narcotics. 351 00:17:53,083 --> 00:17:56,000 - NARRATOR: Between his fiancée's custody dispute 352 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,792 and his own criminal record, investigators feel Leo 353 00:17:59,792 --> 00:18:04,667 could have both the motive and means to kill Louis. 354 00:18:04,667 --> 00:18:07,334 - He definitely was in that type of crowd where he would've known 355 00:18:07,334 --> 00:18:11,375 the people who were able to pull off such an event. 356 00:18:11,375 --> 00:18:15,042 - MIKE: So, it was the determination that I made that 357 00:18:15,042 --> 00:18:16,959 our best effort at this point 358 00:18:16,959 --> 00:18:20,417 would to be surveillance on Denise Davidson 359 00:18:20,417 --> 00:18:27,584 to see if Denise Davidson would lead us to Leo Cisneros. 360 00:18:27,584 --> 00:18:29,959 - NARRATOR: Coming up: The top suspect 361 00:18:29,959 --> 00:18:32,918 proves to be a slippery one. 362 00:18:32,918 --> 00:18:37,000 - MARK: He was there illegally and immediately fled thereafter. 363 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,292 - NARRATOR: And watchful eyes 364 00:18:38,292 --> 00:18:42,042 soon witness an unexpected twist. 365 00:18:42,042 --> 00:18:43,167 - CRAIG: After the murder, 366 00:18:43,167 --> 00:18:47,834 she sent $15,000 via Western Union. 367 00:18:47,834 --> 00:18:59,751 - ♪ 368 00:18:59,751 --> 00:19:02,959 - NARRATOR: It's been 24 hours since Dr. Louis Davidson was 369 00:19:02,959 --> 00:19:08,375 found violently murdered in his St. Petersburg apartment. 370 00:19:08,375 --> 00:19:11,292 Detectives have placed his soon-to-be ex-wife, 371 00:19:11,292 --> 00:19:14,751 Denise Davidson, under continuous surveillance, 372 00:19:14,751 --> 00:19:20,250 hoping to spot her shifty fiancé, Leo Cisneros. 373 00:19:20,250 --> 00:19:23,083 - MIKE: We can't say that Denise is involved at this point, 374 00:19:23,083 --> 00:19:27,542 but she is the girlfriend to Leo Cisneros and he's-- 375 00:19:27,542 --> 00:19:32,751 he's our first person of interest. 376 00:19:32,751 --> 00:19:36,083 - NARRATOR: On January 27, Denise's surveillance team calls 377 00:19:36,083 --> 00:19:40,918 detectives with unexpected news. 378 00:19:40,918 --> 00:19:43,334 - MIKE: We follow her to a bank. 379 00:19:43,334 --> 00:19:46,792 She goes to an ATM machine, withdraws some money. 380 00:19:46,792 --> 00:19:48,417 And we now, we surveil her 381 00:19:48,417 --> 00:19:54,375 to a Western Union money transfer facility. 382 00:19:54,375 --> 00:19:57,751 - NARRATOR: Detectives subpoena Denise's financial records 383 00:19:57,751 --> 00:20:00,792 and find suspicious activity. 384 00:20:00,792 --> 00:20:02,792 - She would send Western Union money orders either 385 00:20:02,792 --> 00:20:04,792 to Robert Gordon in Miami 386 00:20:04,792 --> 00:20:07,959 or to a woman who lived in Miami. 387 00:20:07,959 --> 00:20:09,834 She had sent some money prior to the murder, 388 00:20:09,834 --> 00:20:11,417 about $7,500. 389 00:20:11,417 --> 00:20:14,834 And then after the murder, she sent another $7,500. 390 00:20:14,834 --> 00:20:16,209 So, all told, she had sent 391 00:20:16,209 --> 00:20:21,584 $15,000 via Western Union. 392 00:20:21,584 --> 00:20:23,959 - NARRATOR: Detectives first look into the name 393 00:20:23,959 --> 00:20:28,209 Robert Gordon--and find a curious connection. 394 00:20:28,209 --> 00:20:32,626 - REBECCA: Robert Gordon was a gentleman from Jamaica. 395 00:20:32,626 --> 00:20:35,834 He was known to be an associate of Leo Cisneros, 396 00:20:35,834 --> 00:20:38,918 who's Denise Davidson's boyfriend. 397 00:20:38,918 --> 00:20:41,584 He did have a criminal history, 398 00:20:41,584 --> 00:20:47,501 so immediately that began to tie everybody together. 399 00:20:47,501 --> 00:20:51,042 - MIKE: One of the last Western Unions that was sent was by 400 00:20:51,042 --> 00:20:55,792 Denise Davidson to Carol Caison in Miami, Florida. 401 00:20:55,792 --> 00:20:58,959 - NARRATOR: Though Carol seems to have no obvious connection 402 00:20:58,959 --> 00:21:02,584 to Leo or Denise, detectives continue to 403 00:21:02,584 --> 00:21:04,959 monitor their communication. 404 00:21:04,959 --> 00:21:07,250 - We looked at a lot of the phone calls that were being 405 00:21:07,250 --> 00:21:10,167 made by Denise Davidson and phone calls to Denise Davidson 406 00:21:10,167 --> 00:21:12,751 and noticed some numbers that kept repeating. 407 00:21:12,751 --> 00:21:16,876 One of these numbers was to a bar in Jamaica called Peppers. 408 00:21:16,876 --> 00:21:18,709 We were able to ascertain through a lot of folks 409 00:21:18,709 --> 00:21:26,417 that Leo Cisneros was a part owner of Peppers. 410 00:21:26,417 --> 00:21:29,751 - NARRATOR: Detectives reach out to Leo directly. 411 00:21:29,751 --> 00:21:31,042 - MIKE: He was in Jamaica; 412 00:21:31,042 --> 00:21:33,918 it was actually at Pepper's Bar in Kingston. 413 00:21:33,918 --> 00:21:37,042 I'd left a phone message for him there at the bar. 414 00:21:37,042 --> 00:21:39,709 He actually returned my phone call. 415 00:21:39,709 --> 00:21:42,375 Leo told me that he had troubles in the past 416 00:21:42,375 --> 00:21:44,959 in the United States for drug trafficking 417 00:21:44,959 --> 00:21:47,417 and that he couldn't use his real name 418 00:21:47,417 --> 00:21:48,834 to travel to the country. 419 00:21:48,834 --> 00:21:51,918 So, he would utilize fictitious passports and that's how he was 420 00:21:51,918 --> 00:21:54,375 traveling back and forth. 421 00:21:54,375 --> 00:21:56,209 - NARRATOR: Not only does Leo come clean 422 00:21:56,209 --> 00:21:59,209 about entering the US illegally, 423 00:21:59,209 --> 00:22:02,751 but the 32-year-old also admits to being in Florida 424 00:22:02,751 --> 00:22:07,751 the day of the doctor's murder. 425 00:22:07,751 --> 00:22:08,876 - He felt like he would be in trouble, 426 00:22:08,876 --> 00:22:13,250 because he was there illegally, and immediately fled thereafter. 427 00:22:13,250 --> 00:22:16,501 He wanted to play down his role as much as possible. 428 00:22:16,501 --> 00:22:22,751 He did not wanna be in the forefront in the investigation. 429 00:22:22,751 --> 00:22:24,250 - NARRATOR: Though Leo claims innocence 430 00:22:24,250 --> 00:22:29,834 in regard to Louis's murder, detectives suspect the contrary. 431 00:22:29,834 --> 00:22:31,876 - MIKE: We make the determination that we're going 432 00:22:31,876 --> 00:22:36,709 to do a wiretap on Denise Davidson's phone. 433 00:22:36,709 --> 00:22:42,709 - [phone ringing] 434 00:22:42,709 --> 00:22:46,292 - REBECCA: The calls were interesting because it was clear 435 00:22:46,292 --> 00:22:49,792 that they were concerned that they might be being listened to. 436 00:22:49,792 --> 00:22:54,125 They were saying things in layers and in code. 437 00:22:54,125 --> 00:22:57,334 - MIKE: The conversations between Leo and Denise would 438 00:22:57,334 --> 00:23:00,709 refer to: Have you talked to your people in Miami yet? 439 00:23:00,709 --> 00:23:16,959 Have you heard from your people? 440 00:23:16,959 --> 00:23:19,584 - NARRATOR: Detectives also pull Denise's phone records 441 00:23:19,584 --> 00:23:21,918 from the day of Louis's murder. 442 00:23:21,918 --> 00:23:23,334 - MIKE: We were able to identify 443 00:23:23,334 --> 00:23:29,292 a 305 area code phone number being called. 444 00:23:29,292 --> 00:23:30,667 It's a pager number. 445 00:23:30,667 --> 00:23:33,667 On the morning that Dr. Davidson was killed, 446 00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:35,000 from Denise Davidson's house, 447 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:40,042 this pager was called 52 times 448 00:23:40,042 --> 00:23:44,083 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 449 00:23:44,083 --> 00:23:47,626 - NARRATOR: Detectives find the number used to return the pages 450 00:23:47,626 --> 00:23:50,209 equally interesting. 451 00:23:50,209 --> 00:23:55,667 - The phone was bought and paid for by Denise Davidson. 452 00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:59,959 - FRED: We also found numerous phone calls by Robert Gordon to 453 00:23:59,959 --> 00:24:02,250 Denise Davidson's home number. 454 00:24:02,250 --> 00:24:04,918 So, law enforcement started to find a link 455 00:24:04,918 --> 00:24:07,792 between this Robert Gordon and Denise Davidson 456 00:24:07,792 --> 00:24:10,834 that went beyond the mere providing money 457 00:24:10,834 --> 00:24:13,751 through those Western Union's. 458 00:24:13,751 --> 00:24:15,167 - NARRATOR: When detectives triangulate 459 00:24:15,167 --> 00:24:17,876 the phone's coordinates on the day of the murder, 460 00:24:17,876 --> 00:24:21,292 everything comes full circle. 461 00:24:21,292 --> 00:24:26,542 - It's in the area of Dr. Davidson's apartment. 462 00:24:26,542 --> 00:24:28,501 There's a series of communications that are done 463 00:24:28,501 --> 00:24:31,876 with this phone and we can actually track it. 464 00:24:31,876 --> 00:24:35,209 - They tracked it all the way across the bay to, uh, 465 00:24:35,209 --> 00:24:38,584 a Days Inn. 466 00:24:38,584 --> 00:24:41,584 - NARRATOR: One month after the murder of Dr. Davidson, 467 00:24:41,584 --> 00:24:44,167 detectives head to the Days Inn. 468 00:24:44,167 --> 00:24:45,792 - FRED: They had photos of Robert Gordon. 469 00:24:45,792 --> 00:24:48,959 And the people who worked there specifically remember that 470 00:24:48,959 --> 00:24:53,334 Robert Gordon stayed in a specific room at that hotel 471 00:24:53,334 --> 00:24:58,292 with a white female on the day Dr. Davidson had been murdered. 472 00:24:58,292 --> 00:25:00,626 - CRAIG: They were able to verify the identity 473 00:25:00,626 --> 00:25:02,000 of the white woman 474 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,667 because she's the one who registered for the room. 475 00:25:03,667 --> 00:25:07,000 She wrote down the name Susan Shore. 476 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,584 - MIKE: The front desk receptionist also identified 477 00:25:09,584 --> 00:25:12,792 a second black male. 478 00:25:12,792 --> 00:25:14,792 - MARK: She noticed that they were very nervous. 479 00:25:14,792 --> 00:25:16,792 In fact, they left in such a hurry, 480 00:25:16,792 --> 00:25:22,417 they left behind some clothing. 481 00:25:22,417 --> 00:25:25,626 - NARRATOR: Without hesitation, detectives collect and examine 482 00:25:25,626 --> 00:25:28,542 the forgotten belongings. 483 00:25:28,542 --> 00:25:33,459 - MIKE: Inside that bag are a pair of size nine Voit sneakers 484 00:25:33,459 --> 00:25:35,542 and a gray sweatshirt. 485 00:25:35,542 --> 00:25:37,417 The sweatshirt has what appears to be 486 00:25:37,417 --> 00:25:39,501 blood spatter on the front. 487 00:25:39,501 --> 00:25:43,918 The sneakers also appear to have blood droplets on it. 488 00:25:43,918 --> 00:25:45,459 - We knew that that was very similar, 489 00:25:45,459 --> 00:25:46,626 if not the exact same pattern, 490 00:25:46,626 --> 00:25:52,542 that we had seen previously in the little foyer area. 491 00:25:52,542 --> 00:25:54,209 - REBECCA: They had an idea, 492 00:25:54,209 --> 00:25:57,417 but they couldn't say definitively until they sent it 493 00:25:57,417 --> 00:26:00,876 to the FBI lab that it was a match. 494 00:26:00,876 --> 00:26:03,626 - NARRATOR: Investigators hope the evidence will identify 495 00:26:03,626 --> 00:26:08,626 the second male at the hotel. 496 00:26:08,626 --> 00:26:10,834 Awaiting results from the crime lab, 497 00:26:10,834 --> 00:26:15,292 detectives head to Miami on February 28 to track down 498 00:26:15,292 --> 00:26:18,542 31-year-old Robert Gordon. 499 00:26:18,542 --> 00:26:20,876 - MIKE: Based on our observations, what we found, 500 00:26:20,876 --> 00:26:26,584 the Western Union money, um, the eyewitness that puts him at, um, 501 00:26:26,584 --> 00:26:30,542 the apartment complex the week before, we felt we had enough, 502 00:26:30,542 --> 00:26:35,250 so we now--we're looking to arrest Robert Gordon in Miami. 503 00:26:35,250 --> 00:26:37,542 - FRED: He was actually on a transit bus, 504 00:26:37,542 --> 00:26:39,834 not leaving the area, but local transit. 505 00:26:39,834 --> 00:26:42,918 We arrested him off that bus for the first-degree murder. 506 00:26:42,918 --> 00:26:48,959 And we transported him back to Pinellas County for prosecution. 507 00:26:48,959 --> 00:26:52,375 - NARRATOR: Detectives then head to the home of Carol Cason, 508 00:26:52,375 --> 00:26:57,417 the second individual Denise had wired money to after the murder. 509 00:26:57,417 --> 00:26:59,417 - They followed up on that and went to see her. 510 00:26:59,417 --> 00:27:02,876 And discovered that there was another man there at the time 511 00:27:02,876 --> 00:27:06,501 who, uh, gave 'em the name of Tony. 512 00:27:06,501 --> 00:27:08,751 So, they said, "Well, you know, it would be helpful if we had, 513 00:27:08,751 --> 00:27:10,792 "you know, say hair samples from you-- 514 00:27:10,792 --> 00:27:13,459 that would help us-- and maybe fingerprints." 515 00:27:13,459 --> 00:27:15,459 - MIKE: At that time while they are talking to him, 516 00:27:15,459 --> 00:27:18,083 his fingerprints are checked. 517 00:27:18,083 --> 00:27:21,417 And it is determined that Tony Bowens is not his name, 518 00:27:21,417 --> 00:27:24,083 but his name is Meryl McDonald. 519 00:27:24,083 --> 00:27:26,083 - There was a warrant out for him on drug charges from 520 00:27:26,083 --> 00:27:28,542 South Carolina, so they arrested him there in Miami 521 00:27:28,542 --> 00:27:33,250 and--and put him in the jail. 522 00:27:33,250 --> 00:27:36,876 - NARRATOR: As for Carol Cason, she admits she did obtain money 523 00:27:36,876 --> 00:27:40,459 on Meryl's behalf, but strenuously denies knowing 524 00:27:40,459 --> 00:27:44,083 anything about the murder. 525 00:27:44,083 --> 00:27:47,709 After an alibi rules Carol out, detectives move on 526 00:27:47,709 --> 00:27:51,501 to 26-year-old Susan Shore. 527 00:27:51,501 --> 00:27:53,250 - CRAIG: Susan Shore was gone. 528 00:27:53,250 --> 00:27:55,375 She was a cruise ship cocktail waitress 529 00:27:55,375 --> 00:27:57,292 and had shipped out for Jamaica. 530 00:27:57,292 --> 00:27:59,292 And when she got wind that they were looking for her, 531 00:27:59,292 --> 00:28:01,459 she made sure to try and--and hide. 532 00:28:01,459 --> 00:28:04,667 - ♪ 533 00:28:04,667 --> 00:28:08,292 - NARRATOR: On March 1, detectives receive word 534 00:28:08,292 --> 00:28:12,334 from the FBI about the evidence collected from the Days Inn. 535 00:28:12,334 --> 00:28:15,501 - We were able to link them to Meryl McDonald 536 00:28:15,501 --> 00:28:20,209 and link them to Robert Gordon. 537 00:28:20,209 --> 00:28:23,042 They located blood on the Voit sneakers. 538 00:28:23,042 --> 00:28:26,918 That blood was later compared with the DNA blood of 539 00:28:26,918 --> 00:28:28,417 Dr. Davidson. 540 00:28:28,417 --> 00:28:33,125 And they determined it was a match. 541 00:28:33,125 --> 00:28:35,000 - NARRATOR: Detectives now have enough evidence 542 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,959 to officially charge 47-year-old Meryl McDonald 543 00:28:38,959 --> 00:28:41,584 with the murder of Louis Davidson. 544 00:28:41,584 --> 00:28:44,417 But there's just one problem. 545 00:28:44,417 --> 00:28:46,209 - MIKE: He had a drug trafficking warrant. 546 00:28:46,209 --> 00:28:49,667 Unfortunately, the warrant had been invalidated. 547 00:28:49,667 --> 00:28:52,626 So a day or two later, they released him from jail 548 00:28:52,626 --> 00:28:54,584 without notifying us. 549 00:28:54,584 --> 00:28:59,417 His whereabouts were still unknown. 550 00:28:59,417 --> 00:29:03,083 - NARRATOR: With Susan and Meryl on the run and Leo in Jamaica, 551 00:29:03,083 --> 00:29:07,292 detectives focus on Louis' bitter ex. 552 00:29:07,292 --> 00:29:11,209 - We were able to identify that on January 24, 553 00:29:11,209 --> 00:29:13,709 the day before the murder, 554 00:29:13,709 --> 00:29:16,584 Denise Davidson used her credit card 555 00:29:16,584 --> 00:29:19,417 at the Walmart behind her house in Tampa 556 00:29:19,417 --> 00:29:25,125 and purchased a pair of size nine Voit sneakers 557 00:29:25,125 --> 00:29:29,667 and a gray sweatshirt that was of the same brand 558 00:29:29,667 --> 00:29:33,167 as the one discovered in this hotel room. 559 00:29:33,167 --> 00:29:36,542 My jaw just about hits the ground because it's not very 560 00:29:36,542 --> 00:29:41,584 often that you have this type of evidence. 561 00:29:41,584 --> 00:29:43,292 - ♪ 562 00:29:43,292 --> 00:29:45,626 - NARRATOR: Coming up: Denise appears to 563 00:29:45,626 --> 00:29:49,584 go from suspect to victim. 564 00:29:49,584 --> 00:29:51,375 - She felt like her life was in danger because of this 565 00:29:51,375 --> 00:29:53,292 threatening phone call. 566 00:29:53,292 --> 00:29:56,834 - REBECCA: It was sort of a raspy voice, 567 00:29:56,834 --> 00:30:02,584 a message received at her house, "You'll be sorry, Denise." 568 00:30:02,584 --> 00:30:13,584 - ♪ 569 00:30:13,584 --> 00:30:14,834 - NARRATOR: Just over a month 570 00:30:14,834 --> 00:30:17,792 after the murder of Dr. Louis Davidson, 571 00:30:17,792 --> 00:30:20,792 detectives suspect the crime was orchestrated 572 00:30:20,792 --> 00:30:24,459 by the victim's estranged wife, Denise Davidson, 573 00:30:24,459 --> 00:30:28,501 and her new man, Leo Cisneros. 574 00:30:28,501 --> 00:30:32,375 In a stunning turn of events, on February 25, 575 00:30:32,375 --> 00:30:38,167 Denise contacts detectives, claiming she could be next. 576 00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:41,250 - MIKE: She calls me and says, "Detective Celona, 577 00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:42,709 someone's threatening me." 578 00:30:42,709 --> 00:30:44,959 She's basically trying to say, hey, 579 00:30:44,959 --> 00:30:49,375 these people that killed her husband are after her. 580 00:30:49,375 --> 00:30:52,626 - It was sort of a raspy voice, 581 00:30:52,626 --> 00:30:57,918 a message received at her house, "You'll be sorry, Denise." 582 00:30:57,918 --> 00:31:00,125 - She felt like her life was in danger because of this 583 00:31:00,125 --> 00:31:04,542 threatening phone call. 584 00:31:04,542 --> 00:31:06,542 Little did Denise Davidson know 585 00:31:06,542 --> 00:31:09,125 that at the time that that phone call was made, 586 00:31:09,125 --> 00:31:12,375 Denise Davidson was under surveillance. 587 00:31:12,375 --> 00:31:16,000 - They actually witnessed Denise walk out of the business, 588 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:22,375 go to the pay phone, and then call her own home. 589 00:31:22,375 --> 00:31:24,042 - NARRATOR: As evidence continues 590 00:31:24,042 --> 00:31:26,209 to stack up against Denise, 591 00:31:26,209 --> 00:31:29,000 detectives continue monitoring her calls 592 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,417 for another week. 593 00:31:31,417 --> 00:31:34,000 - Denise Davidson and her father in Jamaica 594 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,542 had a conversation. 595 00:31:36,542 --> 00:31:39,375 - CRAIG: She felt like the police were closing in on her. 596 00:31:39,375 --> 00:31:42,209 And her father suggested that, you know, 597 00:31:42,209 --> 00:31:45,542 they can't arrest you if they can't find you. 598 00:31:45,542 --> 00:31:47,209 - MIKE: We let surveillance know, "Look, 599 00:31:47,209 --> 00:31:49,209 just be on a little heightened alert." 600 00:31:49,209 --> 00:31:54,751 And it was around 5 o'clock in the morning on March 4 that 601 00:31:54,751 --> 00:31:58,375 I get the phone call from the wire room that says, "Hey, 602 00:31:58,375 --> 00:32:00,167 "surveillance just notified us. 603 00:32:00,167 --> 00:32:01,834 "Denise Davidson is on the move. 604 00:32:01,834 --> 00:32:05,667 And it looks like she's heading towards the airport." 605 00:32:05,667 --> 00:32:07,626 They follow her right to the airport, 606 00:32:07,626 --> 00:32:11,042 right to the ticket counter, and stand in line behind her 607 00:32:11,042 --> 00:32:18,209 as Denise purchases a one-way ticket to Kingston, Jamaica. 608 00:32:18,209 --> 00:32:21,083 I told her she's under arrest for the murder of her husband 609 00:32:21,083 --> 00:32:25,834 as the FDL agent puts the handcuffs on her. 610 00:32:25,834 --> 00:32:30,584 - She thought she was still under the court order that had 611 00:32:30,584 --> 00:32:35,125 been given her and Louis during the divorce proceedings 612 00:32:35,125 --> 00:32:38,209 not to take Natalie out of the country. 613 00:32:38,209 --> 00:32:41,125 So, she made arrangements to leave Natalie 614 00:32:41,125 --> 00:32:45,083 and go down by herself. 615 00:32:45,083 --> 00:32:47,459 - We had detectives travel to Jamaica. 616 00:32:47,459 --> 00:32:50,542 Um, Detective Desaro actually went to Jamaica 617 00:32:50,542 --> 00:32:53,584 and interviewed Leo Cisneros himself. 618 00:32:53,584 --> 00:32:55,292 - MARK: The first time we speak to Leo, 619 00:32:55,292 --> 00:33:01,292 he denied any knowledge of involvement. 620 00:33:01,292 --> 00:33:03,959 One of the interesting things that he said to us was, 621 00:33:03,959 --> 00:33:07,125 "What would happen if I told you that I sent somebody there 622 00:33:07,125 --> 00:33:13,584 to beat him up and they just got carried away?" 623 00:33:13,584 --> 00:33:16,167 - Deasaro wanted to slap cuffs on him and drag him back 624 00:33:16,167 --> 00:33:17,626 that day from Jamaica. 625 00:33:17,626 --> 00:33:20,083 But, um, unfortunately, the-- 626 00:33:20,083 --> 00:33:25,584 we just couldn't get the warrant issued to us. 627 00:33:25,584 --> 00:33:26,584 - NARRATOR: Back in the States, 628 00:33:26,584 --> 00:33:30,334 detectives keep plugging away at their case... 629 00:33:30,334 --> 00:33:34,667 and on March 22, they finally catch a break. 630 00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:37,375 - We had a warrant issued for Susan Shore. 631 00:33:37,375 --> 00:33:42,626 And Susan Shore was located in Kingston, Jamaica. 632 00:33:42,626 --> 00:33:47,334 Kingston Police had identified her and stopped her. 633 00:33:47,334 --> 00:33:50,083 - NARRATOR: Susan Shore is immediately extradited 634 00:33:50,083 --> 00:33:52,584 back to the States. 635 00:33:52,584 --> 00:33:56,375 In an interview with detectives, the 26-year-old comes clean 636 00:33:56,375 --> 00:33:59,584 about her role in the crime. 637 00:33:59,584 --> 00:34:01,501 - She really didn't know Gordon and McDonald at all. 638 00:34:01,501 --> 00:34:05,667 She had met them at, uh, the Hialeah Racetrack in Miami. 639 00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,667 - REBECCA: She was basically asked to drive 640 00:34:08,667 --> 00:34:12,292 McDonald and Gordon up to Tampa Bay. 641 00:34:12,292 --> 00:34:14,751 She maintained that she did not know 642 00:34:14,751 --> 00:34:17,125 the real reason why they were being asked to be 643 00:34:17,125 --> 00:34:23,167 driven around in the St. Petersburg area. 644 00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:25,250 - NARRATOR: Susan tells detectives she drove 645 00:34:25,250 --> 00:34:27,959 Robert and Meryl to the Days Inn 646 00:34:27,959 --> 00:34:32,375 on the night of January 24, 1994. 647 00:34:32,375 --> 00:34:36,000 - CRAIG: She had done it in exchange for $100. 648 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,959 And it turns out the reason why they were doing that 649 00:34:37,959 --> 00:34:41,334 and the reason for the 52 calls to the pager 650 00:34:41,334 --> 00:34:43,209 were because they thought 651 00:34:43,209 --> 00:34:45,292 that Louis Davidson was gonna get home 652 00:34:45,292 --> 00:34:47,000 about 7 in the morning. 653 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,959 But he'd been held up by a meeting, 654 00:34:48,959 --> 00:34:51,000 so they were kind of killing time 655 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,209 waiting for their victim to show up. 656 00:34:55,209 --> 00:34:57,709 - NARRATOR: Susan says once Louis arrived, 657 00:34:57,709 --> 00:35:00,751 Robert told her to wait in the car. 658 00:35:00,751 --> 00:35:02,792 - At that point they think Gordon and McDonald 659 00:35:02,792 --> 00:35:11,834 rushed him in and then beat him up and killed him. 660 00:35:11,834 --> 00:35:13,959 - NARRATOR: Susan tells detectives from there, 661 00:35:13,959 --> 00:35:16,667 they headed back to the Days Inn. 662 00:35:16,667 --> 00:35:18,792 - CRAIG: Once they got to the Days Inn, 663 00:35:18,792 --> 00:35:22,667 Gordon was--was very agitated, was waiting for somebody. 664 00:35:22,667 --> 00:35:29,209 Finally, uh, Leo Cisneros showed up and Denise showed up. 665 00:35:29,209 --> 00:35:36,083 The two of them talked to the two hitmen at some length. 666 00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:38,459 - NARRATOR: The information from Susan helps detectives 667 00:35:38,459 --> 00:35:42,292 finally secure an arrest warrant for Leo. 668 00:35:42,292 --> 00:35:45,918 Now, they just have to find him. 669 00:35:45,918 --> 00:35:47,918 - MIKE: We were going back to Jamaica. 670 00:35:47,918 --> 00:35:51,209 We get a warrant for Leo Cisneros to arrest him, 671 00:35:51,209 --> 00:35:55,918 and he had fled the country. 672 00:35:55,918 --> 00:35:59,125 - NARRATOR: With Leo on the lam, detectives turn their attention 673 00:35:59,125 --> 00:36:02,918 to the other accomplice yet to be accounted for: 674 00:36:02,918 --> 00:36:05,834 47-year-old Meryl McDonald. 675 00:36:05,834 --> 00:36:11,209 - Utilizing phone records, in October of 1994, 676 00:36:11,209 --> 00:36:14,334 we found Meryl McDonald hiding out in New York, 677 00:36:14,334 --> 00:36:17,334 again using an--an alias. 678 00:36:17,334 --> 00:36:19,501 - We arrested him without any fight, 679 00:36:19,501 --> 00:36:24,959 and we brought him back to Florida for prosecution. 680 00:36:24,959 --> 00:36:27,709 - NARRATOR: Coming up: As authorities try to strengthen 681 00:36:27,709 --> 00:36:32,959 their case against Denise, they uncover a slew of secrets. 682 00:36:32,959 --> 00:36:34,000 - REBECCA: When she was booked, 683 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,792 I believe she was about four months pregnant. 684 00:36:36,792 --> 00:36:39,876 - NARRATOR: And will resurfacing allegations throw a wrench 685 00:36:39,876 --> 00:36:43,000 in the state's case at trial? 686 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,959 - SUSANNA: She was every battered woman 687 00:36:45,959 --> 00:36:48,459 I ever worked with. 688 00:36:48,459 --> 00:36:51,751 - FRED: Unbeknownst to her, he had hired these two hitmen 689 00:36:51,751 --> 00:36:54,834 and it was all his doing. 690 00:36:54,834 --> 00:37:06,459 - ♪ 691 00:37:06,459 --> 00:37:08,709 - NARRATOR: St. Petersburg detectives have arrested 692 00:37:08,709 --> 00:37:12,209 4 individuals in connection with the brutal death 693 00:37:12,209 --> 00:37:16,459 of 39-year-old Dr. Louis Davidson. 694 00:37:16,459 --> 00:37:18,834 - So, now we had Denise Davidson, Robert Gordon, 695 00:37:18,834 --> 00:37:22,125 Meryl McDonald, Susan Shore all in custody. 696 00:37:22,125 --> 00:37:25,834 And the only person we were lacking was Leo Cisneros, 697 00:37:25,834 --> 00:37:28,209 who had fled Jamaica. 698 00:37:28,209 --> 00:37:31,292 - NARRATOR: With Leo on the run, authorities continue 699 00:37:31,292 --> 00:37:34,125 strengthening their case against the others 700 00:37:34,125 --> 00:37:37,792 and find two substantial motives. 701 00:37:37,792 --> 00:37:41,876 - Denise had notified the county jail personnel that, um, 702 00:37:41,876 --> 00:37:44,709 she was pregnant. 703 00:37:44,709 --> 00:37:47,375 - CRAIG: It turns out that it was Leo Cisnero's child, 704 00:37:47,375 --> 00:37:50,918 which sort of gave an added urgency to her wanting to move 705 00:37:50,918 --> 00:37:53,083 to Jamaica to be with him. 706 00:37:53,083 --> 00:37:54,459 But she couldn't go to Jamaica 707 00:37:54,459 --> 00:37:57,667 unless Louis let her go with her daughter 708 00:37:57,667 --> 00:38:00,459 and he was making clear that that wasn't gonna happen. 709 00:38:00,459 --> 00:38:03,000 - We also found there was life insurance policy on 710 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,834 the life of Dr. Davidson for $400,000. 711 00:38:05,834 --> 00:38:09,083 - ♪ 712 00:38:09,083 --> 00:38:11,751 - NARRATOR: On September 5, 1995, 713 00:38:11,751 --> 00:38:15,792 the trial for Denise Davidson gets underway. 714 00:38:15,792 --> 00:38:17,584 Prosecutors assert that Denise 715 00:38:17,584 --> 00:38:22,334 played a very large part in her husband's demise. 716 00:38:22,334 --> 00:38:25,834 - FRED: Denise Davidson had hired the men, had paid the men, 717 00:38:25,834 --> 00:38:28,000 had provided the men, um, you know, 718 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,375 the cell phones to utilize. 719 00:38:31,375 --> 00:38:34,667 - CRAIG: After the murder, Leo and Denise came to the Days Inn 720 00:38:34,667 --> 00:38:36,751 and met with Robert Gordon and with Meryl McDonald 721 00:38:36,751 --> 00:38:38,667 and talked to them at some length. 722 00:38:38,667 --> 00:38:40,083 So, that really nailed down 723 00:38:40,083 --> 00:38:45,709 that Denise was very much involved in the murder. 724 00:38:45,709 --> 00:38:50,459 - NARRATOR: Prosecutors surmise that on January 25, 1994, 725 00:38:50,459 --> 00:38:52,959 Robert, Meryl, and Susan waited around 726 00:38:52,959 --> 00:38:55,250 until the doctor got home... 727 00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:59,792 and then the two men attacked. 728 00:38:59,792 --> 00:39:03,667 - The struggle really goes on from almost the moment that 729 00:39:03,667 --> 00:39:06,667 Dr. Davidson opens the front door. 730 00:39:06,667 --> 00:39:09,667 We never knew for sure exactly what it was they used 731 00:39:09,667 --> 00:39:12,125 to bludgeon him with. 732 00:39:12,125 --> 00:39:14,417 - CRAIG: He's been hog tied. 733 00:39:14,417 --> 00:39:18,083 His arms and feet tied behind him with a vacuum cleaner cord 734 00:39:18,083 --> 00:39:20,709 and a cashmere belt. 735 00:39:20,709 --> 00:39:28,292 And, uh, he's been submerged in this tub and drowned. 736 00:39:28,292 --> 00:39:29,709 - NARRATOR: The defense counters 737 00:39:29,709 --> 00:39:34,542 by placing the blame entirely on Leo Cisneros. 738 00:39:34,542 --> 00:39:38,626 - Denise Davidson's defense was that she had 739 00:39:38,626 --> 00:39:40,501 nothing to do with this. 740 00:39:40,501 --> 00:39:45,501 Unbeknownst to her, Leo Cisneros had hired these two hitmen 741 00:39:45,501 --> 00:39:47,584 and it was all his doing. 742 00:39:47,584 --> 00:39:49,334 - NARRATOR: To bolster their claims, 743 00:39:49,334 --> 00:39:54,209 Denise takes the stand in her own defense. 744 00:39:54,209 --> 00:39:57,125 - REBECCA: The Defense presented Denise's case as if she had been 745 00:39:57,125 --> 00:39:59,542 a victim of domestic violence, 746 00:39:59,542 --> 00:40:03,167 that she was once again the victim of a man 747 00:40:03,167 --> 00:40:07,876 who would want to control her, which would be Leo Cisneros. 748 00:40:07,876 --> 00:40:10,459 - SUSANNA: Denise has very flat affect, 749 00:40:10,459 --> 00:40:12,501 but that's pretty classic 750 00:40:12,501 --> 00:40:15,375 when somebody is abused, 751 00:40:15,375 --> 00:40:19,250 controlled, powerless. 752 00:40:19,250 --> 00:40:22,459 She was a stunningly beautiful young woman, 753 00:40:22,459 --> 00:40:32,792 but she was every battered woman I ever worked with. 754 00:40:32,792 --> 00:40:35,626 - The prosecution tore into her on cross-examination. 755 00:40:35,626 --> 00:40:37,709 They definitely turned against her and said, you know, 756 00:40:37,709 --> 00:40:41,584 "This woman has been lying to us right from the start." 757 00:40:41,584 --> 00:40:42,834 There was no physical evidence 758 00:40:42,834 --> 00:40:46,250 presented that she had been abused. 759 00:40:46,250 --> 00:40:50,542 - MIKE: Probably the biggest moment was when the prosecutor 760 00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:54,709 played the audio tape of that phone call 761 00:40:54,709 --> 00:40:56,709 where she called her own phone, 762 00:40:56,709 --> 00:40:59,709 disguised her voice, and left a message, 763 00:40:59,709 --> 00:41:02,501 "Denise, you'll be sorry." 764 00:41:02,501 --> 00:41:04,542 - CRAIG: At that point, she just kind of deflated. 765 00:41:04,542 --> 00:41:07,125 You could just see the whole air going out of her. 766 00:41:07,125 --> 00:41:12,501 - It was at that moment that she knew that we had her. 767 00:41:12,501 --> 00:41:16,626 - NARRATOR: On September 16, the jury finds Denise guilty of 768 00:41:16,626 --> 00:41:20,542 first-degree murder. 769 00:41:20,542 --> 00:41:25,459 She is sentenced to life in prison. 770 00:41:25,459 --> 00:41:30,000 - DEB: It was as it should be. She should be punished. 771 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,626 Dr. Davidson didn't deserve any of that. 772 00:41:32,626 --> 00:41:41,959 And it just left a big hole in a lot of people's heart and soul. 773 00:41:41,959 --> 00:41:45,584 - NARRATOR: Alleged hitmen Robert Gordon and Meryl McDonald 774 00:41:45,584 --> 00:41:48,459 receive a more severe punishment. 775 00:41:48,459 --> 00:41:52,918 - Ultimately the jury found them guilty of first-degree murder. 776 00:41:52,918 --> 00:41:56,667 - REBECCA: They were sentenced to death. 777 00:41:56,667 --> 00:42:00,542 And they, uh, are still on death row. 778 00:42:00,542 --> 00:42:03,792 - NARRATOR: In exchange for her testimony against the others, 779 00:42:03,792 --> 00:42:06,918 Susan Shore receives probation. 780 00:42:06,918 --> 00:42:10,042 - We charged her with accessory after the fact 781 00:42:10,042 --> 00:42:13,626 and she was deported back to England. 782 00:42:13,626 --> 00:42:15,667 - NARRATOR: Leo Cisneros still faces 783 00:42:15,667 --> 00:42:20,834 a first-degree murder charge, but has yet to be captured. 784 00:42:20,834 --> 00:42:22,584 - CRAIG: To the day, they still don't know exactly where 785 00:42:22,584 --> 00:42:24,000 he is or where he went. 786 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:25,501 They don't even know if he's still alive. 787 00:42:25,501 --> 00:42:30,334 - ♪ 788 00:42:30,334 --> 00:42:34,542 - ROBERTA: Denise continues to maintain her innocence. 789 00:42:34,542 --> 00:42:36,792 She has never wavered on that. 790 00:42:36,792 --> 00:42:41,209 Uh, and she now believes that Leo was the one and only 791 00:42:41,209 --> 00:42:46,334 responsible for this and felt that he intentionally let her 792 00:42:46,334 --> 00:42:48,751 take the rap for him. 793 00:42:48,751 --> 00:42:51,417 - NARRATOR: For those who knew Dr. Louis Davidson, 794 00:42:51,417 --> 00:42:56,876 his memory will live on, despite the tragedy of his death. 795 00:42:56,876 --> 00:43:01,125 - His family and those closest to him 796 00:43:01,125 --> 00:43:03,542 had their heart and soul ripped out. 797 00:43:03,542 --> 00:43:11,375 And the world is certainly worse off for not having him in it. 798 00:43:11,375 --> 00:43:24,000 - ♪ 799 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:28,000 ♪♪