1 00:00:02,460 --> 00:00:03,545 - FEMALE NARRATOR: Stevie and Sarah Allman 2 00:00:04,796 --> 00:00:08,174 were sisters, cut from vastly different cloths. 3 00:00:08,216 --> 00:00:12,262 - She represented all of the good things in people, 4 00:00:12,303 --> 00:00:15,140 and I think her sister represented 5 00:00:15,181 --> 00:00:18,018 some of the worst things in people. 6 00:00:18,059 --> 00:00:22,147 - She was grounded. She was financially secure. 7 00:00:22,188 --> 00:00:24,691 Whereas her sister's life had always been 8 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:28,403 haphazard and unstable. 9 00:00:28,445 --> 00:00:30,697 - NARRATOR: And when a brazen crime is unleashed 10 00:00:30,739 --> 00:00:35,326 on their childhood home, all hell breaks loose. 11 00:00:35,368 --> 00:00:37,704 - The home was engulfed in flames. 12 00:00:37,746 --> 00:00:39,622 It was completely torched. 13 00:00:39,664 --> 00:00:42,500 - She was burnt really bad. 14 00:00:42,542 --> 00:00:44,878 - NARRATOR: The aftermath will lead investigators 15 00:00:44,919 --> 00:00:48,048 on a desperate search for answers. 16 00:00:48,089 --> 00:00:50,050 - She was frightened at the threats 17 00:00:50,091 --> 00:00:52,677 that they were receiving from the drug dealers. 18 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:54,512 - She was nowhere to be found. 19 00:00:54,554 --> 00:00:57,474 - We were all in shock, someone was asking, 20 00:00:57,515 --> 00:01:01,311 "Where is your sister? Where is your sister?" 21 00:01:01,353 --> 00:01:04,564 - NARRATOR: But the trail leaves them dead in their tracks. 22 00:01:04,606 --> 00:01:09,069 - I was told we were going there to look for a body. 23 00:01:09,110 --> 00:01:11,237 - They determined that not only was she dead 24 00:01:11,279 --> 00:01:14,199 but that she had also been dismembered. 25 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,743 - NARRATOR: In a tale of sibling rivalry, 26 00:01:16,785 --> 00:01:19,329 it seems one was an angel. 27 00:01:27,087 --> 00:01:30,840 - NARRATOR: While the other a devil in disguise. 28 00:01:30,882 --> 00:01:33,343 - I think it was a good versus evil. 29 00:01:33,385 --> 00:01:36,054 - She thought about it before she did it, 30 00:01:36,096 --> 00:01:37,931 and she planned it, 31 00:01:37,972 --> 00:01:41,059 and then she executed her plan. 32 00:01:41,101 --> 00:01:44,437 - This is what horror movies are made of. 33 00:01:44,479 --> 00:01:46,398 Frightening. 34 00:01:48,942 --> 00:01:52,612 - * 35 00:02:00,161 --> 00:02:02,163 - NARRATOR: Oakland, California. 36 00:02:02,205 --> 00:02:03,456 A city in the Bay Area 37 00:02:03,498 --> 00:02:06,459 well known for its acceptance and diversity. 38 00:02:06,501 --> 00:02:10,130 But in the late 1990's, drugs had flooded the streets 39 00:02:10,171 --> 00:02:12,632 of this once proud community. 40 00:02:12,674 --> 00:02:18,096 - In the '90s, we had a very large epidemic of shootings. 41 00:02:18,138 --> 00:02:22,267 The city had a lot of gang activity going on, 42 00:02:22,308 --> 00:02:25,353 a lot of drug activity going on. 43 00:02:25,395 --> 00:02:28,481 - Oakland's a beautiful city, especially around Lake Merritt. 44 00:02:28,523 --> 00:02:31,818 But Oakland could be like any other big city. 45 00:02:31,860 --> 00:02:33,403 You have your ins, your outs. 46 00:02:33,445 --> 00:02:36,573 Your ups and downs, and your good and your bad. 47 00:02:38,074 --> 00:02:41,202 - NARRATOR: And on the evening of July 1, 1997, 48 00:02:41,244 --> 00:02:43,830 East Oakland resident Monica Boyette 49 00:02:43,872 --> 00:02:45,457 gets a glimpse of the bad 50 00:02:45,498 --> 00:02:48,835 when she hears a frantic knock at her door. 51 00:02:48,877 --> 00:02:54,466 - A lady came to my door and told me that she needed help. 52 00:02:55,425 --> 00:02:56,843 - NARRATOR: Monica recognizes the woman 53 00:02:56,885 --> 00:03:00,555 as one of the Allman sisters who live nearby. 54 00:03:00,597 --> 00:03:05,060 - I could not tell which one of the sisters it was. 55 00:03:05,101 --> 00:03:08,355 She was burnt really bad. 56 00:03:08,396 --> 00:03:12,567 She said someone threw something in her window. 57 00:03:13,651 --> 00:03:15,362 - NARRATOR: That's when Monica looks down the street 58 00:03:15,403 --> 00:03:18,573 to see the woman's home ablaze. 59 00:03:18,615 --> 00:03:21,701 - You could hear people, "It's a fire, it's a fire." 60 00:03:21,743 --> 00:03:23,370 People were saying that. 61 00:03:23,411 --> 00:03:25,580 - The house was fully in flames 62 00:03:25,622 --> 00:03:29,459 when the fire department arrived. 63 00:03:29,501 --> 00:03:31,544 - I had came home from work, and I noticed 64 00:03:31,586 --> 00:03:33,505 a bunch of fire trucks out there, 65 00:03:33,546 --> 00:03:36,758 and the home was engulfed in flames. 66 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:38,385 It was completely torched. 67 00:03:38,426 --> 00:03:41,721 - There would not have even been an attempt to go into the house 68 00:03:41,763 --> 00:03:42,931 to try and save anyone 69 00:03:42,972 --> 00:03:46,559 because it was so fully engulfed in flames. 70 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:51,064 - NARRATOR: As firefighters rush to extinguish the inferno, 71 00:03:51,106 --> 00:03:54,401 paramedics tend to the woman's wounds. 72 00:03:54,442 --> 00:03:56,903 - She had first and second degree, 73 00:03:56,945 --> 00:03:59,572 what they say are deflective burns 74 00:03:59,614 --> 00:04:03,326 on her hands, her arms and her legs. 75 00:04:03,368 --> 00:04:05,912 - I don't believe they concluded that there were 76 00:04:05,954 --> 00:04:07,747 any life-threatening injuries, 77 00:04:07,789 --> 00:04:11,543 but that she did need immediate medical attention. 78 00:04:12,544 --> 00:04:15,088 - NARRATOR: The woman identifies herself to first responders 79 00:04:15,130 --> 00:04:17,590 as 52-year-old Stevie Allman, 80 00:04:17,632 --> 00:04:20,301 the owner of the home that she shares with her sister, 81 00:04:20,343 --> 00:04:23,096 47-year-old Sarah Mitchell. 82 00:04:23,138 --> 00:04:25,473 Stevie stuns authorities when she claims 83 00:04:25,515 --> 00:04:27,600 the fire was the result of drug dealers 84 00:04:27,642 --> 00:04:30,520 throwing firebombs through her window. 85 00:04:30,562 --> 00:04:35,191 - She alleged that several individuals, uh, 86 00:04:35,233 --> 00:04:38,611 surrounded the house and firebombed the house. 87 00:04:38,653 --> 00:04:41,406 - The assumption was the drug dealers had, 88 00:04:41,448 --> 00:04:44,534 had attempted to burn her out of the house. 89 00:04:44,576 --> 00:04:48,079 - All police know is that Stevie Allman has been injured, 90 00:04:48,121 --> 00:04:50,290 but we don't know why drug dealers 91 00:04:50,331 --> 00:04:53,501 would want to attack her. 92 00:04:54,794 --> 00:04:57,505 - NARRATOR: First responders attempt to calm Stevie down 93 00:04:57,547 --> 00:05:00,133 as she is loaded into the ambulance, 94 00:05:00,175 --> 00:05:01,760 but just as the doors close, 95 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:06,639 surrounding neighbors make a terrifying realization. 96 00:05:06,681 --> 00:05:10,727 - We were all in shock, someone was asking, um, 97 00:05:10,769 --> 00:05:14,856 the lady that came to my home, "Where is your sister? 98 00:05:14,898 --> 00:05:17,233 Where is your sister?" 99 00:05:17,275 --> 00:05:18,735 - NARRATOR: Stevie says her sister Sarah 100 00:05:18,777 --> 00:05:22,989 is in a different state and had only recently moved out. 101 00:05:23,031 --> 00:05:24,657 As the ambulance pulls away, 102 00:05:24,699 --> 00:05:29,746 the Allman sisters' childhood home is left in ashes. 103 00:05:33,583 --> 00:05:36,503 California natives Sarah and Stevie Allman 104 00:05:36,544 --> 00:05:39,506 moved to Oakland, California at a young age 105 00:05:39,547 --> 00:05:42,550 with their mother and seven siblings. 106 00:05:42,592 --> 00:05:46,096 - They had been in Oakland since the 1950s 107 00:05:46,137 --> 00:05:50,350 and grew up in that house that they were living at. 108 00:05:50,392 --> 00:05:52,435 - NARRATOR: With her fatather out of the picture, 109 00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:55,563 Stevie was tasked with helping her older sister Leotta 110 00:05:55,605 --> 00:06:00,193 look after their younger siblings, including Sarah. 111 00:06:00,235 --> 00:06:02,987 - The girls grew up in a environment 112 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:04,447 where there's a single parent. 113 00:06:04,489 --> 00:06:07,826 The father disappeared and that their mom raised them. 114 00:06:07,867 --> 00:06:12,747 So, the kids were relied on a lot to help out everybody else. 115 00:06:12,789 --> 00:06:15,542 And that Stevie was one of those people that was relied on 116 00:06:15,583 --> 00:06:18,753 at an early age to help out the family. 117 00:06:18,795 --> 00:06:22,048 - There was a special bond between Stevie 118 00:06:22,090 --> 00:06:24,884 and her sister who is five years her junior. 119 00:06:24,926 --> 00:06:26,511 Her name is Sarah. 120 00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:31,141 It wasn't uncommon for people to mistake them for twins. 121 00:06:31,182 --> 00:06:33,393 - NARRATOR: Though she always looked up to Stevie, 122 00:06:33,435 --> 00:06:35,395 Sarah quickly became accustomed 123 00:06:35,437 --> 00:06:38,690 to walking in her older sister's shadow. 124 00:06:40,108 --> 00:06:43,319 - Stevie was a very sweet person. 125 00:06:43,361 --> 00:06:48,450 One of the absolute rocks of that family. 126 00:06:50,618 --> 00:06:52,537 - NARRATOR: By the early 1970s, 127 00:06:52,579 --> 00:06:54,789 the Allman children had left the nest 128 00:06:54,831 --> 00:06:57,417 with the exception of Stevie. 129 00:06:57,459 --> 00:06:59,711 - Stevie stays in the home with her mother. 130 00:06:59,753 --> 00:07:03,882 And she has a good job working for a local family business. 131 00:07:03,923 --> 00:07:09,012 - Stevie Allman was known to be very industrious, 132 00:07:09,054 --> 00:07:10,764 uh, very hard worker. 133 00:07:10,805 --> 00:07:13,767 And this was a company that made utility trucks. 134 00:07:13,808 --> 00:07:16,102 And Stevie was one of that family's 135 00:07:16,144 --> 00:07:17,812 most valuable employees. 136 00:07:17,854 --> 00:07:20,523 - NARRATOR: After nearly 20 years with the company, 137 00:07:20,565 --> 00:07:24,736 Stevie's dedication was recognized with a sizable bonus. 138 00:07:24,778 --> 00:07:28,114 - Stevie Allman was one of the two employees 139 00:07:28,156 --> 00:07:31,076 that they gave over $100,000 to 140 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:36,331 as part of her reward in her having been such a 141 00:07:36,373 --> 00:07:39,501 hard-working, dependable employee. 142 00:07:40,919 --> 00:07:42,462 - NARRATOR: While the other Allman children 143 00:07:42,504 --> 00:07:44,589 had established lives of their own, 144 00:07:44,631 --> 00:07:47,217 Stevie and Sarah remained close, 145 00:07:47,258 --> 00:07:51,429 proving that even with family, opposites attract. 146 00:07:51,471 --> 00:07:54,599 - Even though Stevie and Sarah were very close 147 00:07:54,641 --> 00:07:57,477 and looked alike, that's about where it ends 148 00:07:57,519 --> 00:08:00,605 in terms of their individual characters. 149 00:08:00,647 --> 00:08:04,067 Stevie was the hard worker. She was grounded. 150 00:08:04,109 --> 00:08:05,568 She was employed. 151 00:08:05,610 --> 00:08:08,988 Whereas Sarah lived a more frivolous lifestyle. 152 00:08:09,030 --> 00:08:10,990 Did not hold down jobs. 153 00:08:11,032 --> 00:08:13,952 - NARRATOR: By her thirties, Sarah found herself divorced 154 00:08:13,993 --> 00:08:18,748 with three young kids and a new last name, Mitchell. 155 00:08:18,790 --> 00:08:21,835 - Sarah would meet a man, move in with him, 156 00:08:21,876 --> 00:08:25,630 live with the man, and it would fall apart. 157 00:08:25,672 --> 00:08:27,507 And then she'd wind up back 158 00:08:27,549 --> 00:08:31,928 living with Stevie and her mother. 159 00:08:33,263 --> 00:08:34,514 - NARRATOR: In the early 90's, 160 00:08:34,556 --> 00:08:36,349 Stevie and her mother welcomed 161 00:08:36,391 --> 00:08:39,769 Sarah and her kids back with open arms. 162 00:08:39,811 --> 00:08:43,398 - The kind of arrangement that they had is that Stevie worked 163 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,693 at her company and Sarah, who did not work, 164 00:08:46,735 --> 00:08:49,362 was responsible for keeping the house clean 165 00:08:49,404 --> 00:08:51,197 and doing all the cooking. 166 00:08:51,239 --> 00:08:52,407 - NARRATOR: After a few years, 167 00:08:52,449 --> 00:08:54,868 Sarah's kids grew up and moved out, 168 00:08:54,909 --> 00:08:58,038 while she remained with her sister and mother. 169 00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:04,502 Then, in 1994, the matriarch of the family passed away 170 00:09:04,544 --> 00:09:07,005 and left the home to her children. 171 00:09:07,047 --> 00:09:08,715 - Once Stevie and Sarah's mother died, 172 00:09:08,757 --> 00:09:10,675 there was a big decision to make, 173 00:09:10,717 --> 00:09:13,803 what to do with that beloved home that they lived in. 174 00:09:13,845 --> 00:09:17,849 It was bought by their mother, had so many memories. 175 00:09:17,891 --> 00:09:20,477 Stevie could not stand to part with it. 176 00:09:20,518 --> 00:09:23,688 So, she bought it outright. 177 00:09:25,273 --> 00:09:27,067 - NARRATOR: Stevie agreed to pay her siblings 178 00:09:27,108 --> 00:09:30,904 for their shares of the home and became the sole owner, 179 00:09:30,945 --> 00:09:34,866 and she allowed Sarah to remain in the house. 180 00:09:36,701 --> 00:09:39,162 But while the house hadn't changed much, 181 00:09:39,204 --> 00:09:41,539 the city of Oakland had. 182 00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:43,875 - Mid to late '90s, Oakland was basically 183 00:09:43,917 --> 00:09:47,962 crime infested with a lot of drug dealers. 184 00:09:48,004 --> 00:09:52,550 Uh, drugs were cheap then, and so crime was pretty rampant. 185 00:09:52,592 --> 00:09:54,803 There was a lot of drug wars going on, 186 00:09:54,844 --> 00:09:57,013 and other crimes related to drugs, 187 00:09:57,055 --> 00:10:02,102 burglaries, car-jackings, robberies, homicides, 188 00:10:02,143 --> 00:10:03,853 everything. 189 00:10:03,895 --> 00:10:05,689 - NARRATOR: That's when the two sisters decided 190 00:10:05,730 --> 00:10:09,693 they would no longer be passive observers. 191 00:10:09,734 --> 00:10:12,862 - Officers that were community policing officers 192 00:10:12,904 --> 00:10:15,448 worked closely with the community 193 00:10:15,490 --> 00:10:17,951 to solve neighborhood crimes. 194 00:10:17,992 --> 00:10:21,621 So, we asked the residents to be our partners in this. 195 00:10:21,663 --> 00:10:23,707 They were our eyes and ears 196 00:10:23,748 --> 00:10:26,001 for the Oakland Police Department. 197 00:10:26,501 --> 00:10:28,795 - NARRATOR: But on July 1, 1997, 198 00:10:28,837 --> 00:10:31,297 it seems the sisters' noble efforts 199 00:10:31,339 --> 00:10:32,757 to protect the neighborhood 200 00:10:32,799 --> 00:10:36,803 may have put them in the line of fire. 201 00:10:37,929 --> 00:10:41,307 Firefighters have just extinguished a massive fire 202 00:10:41,349 --> 00:10:42,642 at the east Oakland home 203 00:10:42,684 --> 00:10:45,687 of Stevie Allman and Sarah Mitchell. 204 00:10:45,729 --> 00:10:47,731 - The framework of the house was still existing, 205 00:10:47,772 --> 00:10:52,402 but for the most part, the fire was extensive. 206 00:10:53,862 --> 00:10:56,823 - NARRATOR: The homeowner, 52-year-old Stevie Allman, 207 00:10:56,865 --> 00:11:01,161 has been transported to the hospital with multiple burns. 208 00:11:01,870 --> 00:11:04,164 Stevie claimed that the home had been firebombed 209 00:11:04,205 --> 00:11:06,458 by drug dealers retaliating for 210 00:11:06,499 --> 00:11:11,004 Stevie filming their illegal activities for police. 211 00:11:11,046 --> 00:11:13,131 - Stevie said that her intentions were 212 00:11:13,173 --> 00:11:15,842 to have them arrested, and they would be out of the neighborhood 213 00:11:15,884 --> 00:11:17,927 and the neighborhood would be peaceful again. 214 00:11:17,969 --> 00:11:20,680 - She said there were hooded individuals 215 00:11:20,722 --> 00:11:22,098 running into the yard. 216 00:11:22,140 --> 00:11:26,394 We were looking for three to four individuals. 217 00:11:27,562 --> 00:11:28,813 - NARRATOR: Coming up: 218 00:11:28,855 --> 00:11:30,857 As detectives round up local drug dealers, 219 00:11:30,899 --> 00:11:33,777 new information comes to light. 220 00:11:33,818 --> 00:11:36,029 - They said if she ever got in the way of our business 221 00:11:36,071 --> 00:11:38,365 or she ever caused us problems, 222 00:11:38,406 --> 00:11:40,950 - Tit was easier to justgot iput a bullet in her head. 223 00:11:40,992 --> 00:11:44,704 - NARRATOR: And a shocking twist turns the case upside down. 224 00:11:44,746 --> 00:11:45,914 - They said, well, why is she filing 225 00:11:45,955 --> 00:11:48,583 a missing person's report on Stevie Allman 226 00:11:48,625 --> 00:11:50,919 and Stevie Allman's in the hospital? 227 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,380 - The spotlight shifts now to this person 228 00:11:53,421 --> 00:11:56,675 that was in the hospital that is supposed to be 229 00:11:56,716 --> 00:12:00,053 the anti-drug crusader who is now not the person 230 00:12:00,095 --> 00:12:01,930 she says she is. 231 00:12:16,486 --> 00:12:18,738 - NARRATOR: On July 1st, 1997, 232 00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,533 a fire has destroyed the childhood home 233 00:12:21,574 --> 00:12:24,577 of Stevie Allman and Sarah Mitchell. 234 00:12:24,619 --> 00:12:27,038 With Sarah currently unaccounted for, 235 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,125 Oakland arson investigators are speaking to Stevie, 236 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:33,920 hoping to find out who targeted their home. 237 00:12:33,962 --> 00:12:36,589 - This case has now gone to the arson unit, 238 00:12:36,631 --> 00:12:39,259 and the first thing they want to do is go to the hospital 239 00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:42,595 and get a statement from their victim, Stevie. 240 00:12:44,431 --> 00:12:47,559 - NARRATOR: Stevie's theory is that local drug dealers 241 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,769 attacked her home. 242 00:12:49,811 --> 00:12:52,188 - She responded that drug dealers 243 00:12:52,230 --> 00:12:55,859 firebombed the house and threw Molotov cocktails 244 00:12:55,900 --> 00:13:00,196 into the house. And um, that she ran through 245 00:13:00,238 --> 00:13:04,826 the front door, uh, and suffered, uh, burn injuries 246 00:13:04,868 --> 00:13:07,871 to her arms and legs. 247 00:13:08,997 --> 00:13:12,542 - She was filming dope deals and prostitution, 248 00:13:12,584 --> 00:13:15,503 and from my understanding, she wanted to try to 249 00:13:15,545 --> 00:13:17,297 put an end to it. 250 00:13:17,339 --> 00:13:22,552 - What she saw, she reported to the Oakland Police Department. 251 00:13:22,594 --> 00:13:24,846 - NARRATOR: Stevie says she recognized the men 252 00:13:24,888 --> 00:13:27,724 that threw Molotov cocktails as the same men 253 00:13:27,766 --> 00:13:31,019 she videotaped dealing drugs. 254 00:13:32,312 --> 00:13:35,857 Stevie goes on to explain that once the drug dealers 255 00:13:35,899 --> 00:13:37,734 discovered they were being filmed, 256 00:13:37,776 --> 00:13:40,987 they began threatening the Allman sisters. 257 00:13:41,029 --> 00:13:44,324 - Stevie reveals to police that actually she and her sister 258 00:13:44,366 --> 00:13:48,286 had received several threats over the last couple of months. 259 00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:52,874 - Stevie told the officers that 260 00:13:52,916 --> 00:13:56,044 Sarah had become frightened at the threats 261 00:13:56,086 --> 00:13:58,129 that they were receiving from the drug dealers 262 00:13:58,171 --> 00:14:00,715 and that she had moved out and no longer 263 00:14:00,757 --> 00:14:04,886 wanted to live there out of fear of being retaliated against. 264 00:14:04,928 --> 00:14:08,807 She indicated that Sarah had moved to Sparks, Nevada, 265 00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:11,184 with her new boyfriend. 266 00:14:12,185 --> 00:14:15,188 - NARRATOR: According to Stevie, not long after Sarah left, 267 00:14:15,230 --> 00:14:18,316 the drug dealers made good on their threats. 268 00:14:19,401 --> 00:14:22,028 Now that detectives have heard Stevie's account; 269 00:14:22,070 --> 00:14:24,531 they ask for Sarah's contact information 270 00:14:24,572 --> 00:14:26,908 to hear her version of events. 271 00:14:26,950 --> 00:14:30,328 - We were trying to contact her to piece together 272 00:14:30,370 --> 00:14:33,748 some of the details that we're finding a little confusing. 273 00:14:33,790 --> 00:14:37,252 - They inquired could Stevie give them the phone number 274 00:14:37,293 --> 00:14:38,795 to call Sarah. 275 00:14:38,837 --> 00:14:43,633 Stevie said her address book had been burned in the fire. 276 00:14:46,428 --> 00:14:49,180 - NARRATOR: Armed with only Stevie's statement for now, 277 00:14:49,222 --> 00:14:53,393 detectives begin their search for the alleged arsonists. 278 00:14:53,435 --> 00:14:55,228 - We were looking for individuals 279 00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:57,564 in black hooded attire, you know, that had 280 00:14:57,605 --> 00:14:59,107 set the house on fire. 281 00:14:59,149 --> 00:15:01,693 I notified all the beat officers out there 282 00:15:01,735 --> 00:15:04,320 to start giving me identifications 283 00:15:04,362 --> 00:15:07,240 of all known dope dealers in the area. 284 00:15:09,868 --> 00:15:12,162 - NARRATOR: On July 3rd, the hospital releases 285 00:15:12,203 --> 00:15:15,415 a statement to the press on Stevie's behalf. 286 00:15:15,457 --> 00:15:18,293 - In the statement, Stevie said that her intentions 287 00:15:18,335 --> 00:15:21,171 in filming these people were to get them out of the, 288 00:15:21,212 --> 00:15:22,964 to have them arrested, and they would be 289 00:15:23,006 --> 00:15:24,215 out of the neighborhood, and the neighborhood 290 00:15:24,257 --> 00:15:26,051 would be peaceful again. 291 00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:30,930 - The meat of it was essentially her role in the community 292 00:15:30,972 --> 00:15:34,809 and neighborhood watch and being careful 293 00:15:34,851 --> 00:15:36,978 as members of the community 294 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:40,940 and not wanting the bad guys, 295 00:15:40,982 --> 00:15:43,735 if you will, to take over. 296 00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:47,113 And she was tired of it. 297 00:15:47,155 --> 00:15:50,825 - The community was just very distraught, very upset, 298 00:15:50,867 --> 00:15:56,581 very concerned, and I believe they rallied together quite well 299 00:15:56,623 --> 00:15:59,584 to um, support her. 300 00:16:00,210 --> 00:16:03,296 - She started getting donations, 301 00:16:03,338 --> 00:16:07,467 and people asked if they could donate money. 302 00:16:07,509 --> 00:16:12,681 And so, we managed the processing of any monetary gifts 303 00:16:12,722 --> 00:16:14,474 that came through to her. 304 00:16:14,516 --> 00:16:18,561 - The story had blown up into a national story 305 00:16:18,603 --> 00:16:23,191 to the point where Stevie Allman was receiving phone calls 306 00:16:23,233 --> 00:16:27,153 from the White House and the drugs czar, 307 00:16:27,195 --> 00:16:31,157 and so the pressure on the Oakland Police Department 308 00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:35,245 to solve the case was tremendous. 309 00:16:37,914 --> 00:16:39,332 - NARRATOR: To aid in the efforts, 310 00:16:39,374 --> 00:16:43,378 the governor of California offers a $50,000 reward 311 00:16:43,420 --> 00:16:48,216 for anyone with information on the arsonists to come forward. 312 00:16:48,258 --> 00:16:50,468 - There was a lot of high activity on our part 313 00:16:50,510 --> 00:16:53,388 from law enforcement to, uh, pick these people up 314 00:16:53,430 --> 00:16:56,516 for warrants, if they see 'em doing a deal in the street, 315 00:16:56,558 --> 00:17:01,146 they'd get picked up for, uh, for sales of narcotics. 316 00:17:02,355 --> 00:17:05,692 - I think the majority of the drug dealers that they spoke to, 317 00:17:05,734 --> 00:17:07,110 uh, didn't even know what 318 00:17:07,152 --> 00:17:09,070 the Oakland Police Department was talking about 319 00:17:09,112 --> 00:17:11,406 when they asked about videotapes. 320 00:17:11,448 --> 00:17:13,408 - They were matter-of-factly about it, 321 00:17:13,450 --> 00:17:15,869 said if she ever got in the way of our business 322 00:17:15,910 --> 00:17:19,080 or she ever caused us problems, 323 00:17:19,122 --> 00:17:21,499 it was easier to just put a bullet in her head 324 00:17:21,541 --> 00:17:23,418 as opposed to taking the chance 325 00:17:23,460 --> 00:17:27,130 of getting hurt or injured with a firebomb. 326 00:17:28,214 --> 00:17:30,091 - NARRATOR: While the alleged dealers acknowledge 327 00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:32,427 they're not above violent retribution, 328 00:17:32,469 --> 00:17:36,097 they insist they know nothing about the fire. 329 00:17:36,139 --> 00:17:39,100 - That quite frankly is unusual because normally 330 00:17:39,142 --> 00:17:40,769 someone is going to tell us something, 331 00:17:40,810 --> 00:17:43,480 but in this case with a, with a high dollar reward, 332 00:17:43,521 --> 00:17:46,191 with a lot of national attention on this case, 333 00:17:46,232 --> 00:17:48,360 we're getting no information, which to me means 334 00:17:48,401 --> 00:17:51,321 we're not turning up the right stone. 335 00:17:53,198 --> 00:17:55,492 - NARRATOR: Detectives turn back to the arson report, 336 00:17:55,533 --> 00:17:59,245 looking for any evidence they may have missed. 337 00:17:59,287 --> 00:18:03,333 - They found several items that were inconsistent 338 00:18:03,375 --> 00:18:08,129 with the house, or the room being firebombed. 339 00:18:08,171 --> 00:18:12,133 - There was glass on the outside of the house 340 00:18:12,175 --> 00:18:14,260 as opposed to the inside. 341 00:18:14,302 --> 00:18:15,553 - Which was inconsistent with the statement 342 00:18:15,595 --> 00:18:18,932 that a Molotov cocktail was thrown inside. 343 00:18:20,809 --> 00:18:23,520 - NARRATOR: Detectives begin to think that the arsonist 344 00:18:23,561 --> 00:18:25,480 was not a drug dealer at all, 345 00:18:25,522 --> 00:18:28,233 but perhaps someone who held animosity 346 00:18:28,274 --> 00:18:30,318 towards the Allman sisters. 347 00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:32,487 Getting back in touch with Stevie Allman 348 00:18:32,529 --> 00:18:35,323 could be the key to finding out what happened, 349 00:18:35,365 --> 00:18:37,992 however, in the week following the fire, 350 00:18:38,034 --> 00:18:39,994 they struggle to connect with her 351 00:18:40,036 --> 00:18:42,539 or her sister, Sarah Mitchell. 352 00:18:42,580 --> 00:18:45,041 - Nobody knew where the other sister was at. 353 00:18:45,083 --> 00:18:47,168 Nobody knew where Sarah was at. 354 00:18:47,210 --> 00:18:48,920 And that was something that I was going to have to 355 00:18:48,962 --> 00:18:51,006 find out from Stevie. 356 00:18:51,047 --> 00:18:52,549 A number of times I tried to speak to her, 357 00:18:52,590 --> 00:18:55,593 but each time I went up to the hospital, 358 00:18:55,635 --> 00:18:59,431 doctors were telling me she's been sedated. 359 00:18:59,472 --> 00:19:02,017 She couldn't speak. There was all kind of 360 00:19:02,058 --> 00:19:05,937 circumstances which meant that I couldn't get to Stevie 361 00:19:05,979 --> 00:19:08,732 and talk to her myself. 362 00:19:09,691 --> 00:19:12,193 - NARRATOR: With Stevie on tight medical supervision, 363 00:19:12,235 --> 00:19:15,572 detectives are forced to wait for information. 364 00:19:15,613 --> 00:19:20,118 But on July 7th, 1997, they receive surprising news 365 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,329 from the Santa Cruz police department. 366 00:19:23,371 --> 00:19:26,624 - Leotta, a sibling of Stevie Allman, 367 00:19:26,666 --> 00:19:31,629 had filed a missing person's report on Stevie Allman. 368 00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:34,507 They said, well, why is she filing a missing person's report 369 00:19:34,549 --> 00:19:38,386 on Stevie Allman and Stevie Allman's in the hospital? 370 00:19:39,596 --> 00:19:41,681 - NARRATOR: Oakland detectives head to Santa Cruz 371 00:19:41,723 --> 00:19:45,226 to inform Stevie and Sarah's sister, Leotta Belleville, 372 00:19:45,268 --> 00:19:48,063 about what's transpired, and they are met 373 00:19:48,104 --> 00:19:50,565 with a shocking accusation. 374 00:19:50,607 --> 00:19:55,070 - The first thing Leotta told the detectives was 375 00:19:55,111 --> 00:19:58,114 that the person in the hospital 376 00:19:58,156 --> 00:20:00,617 is not Stevie Allman, 377 00:20:01,951 --> 00:20:05,330 and that is Sarah Mitchell. 378 00:20:05,955 --> 00:20:07,207 - NARRATOR: Coming up: 379 00:20:07,248 --> 00:20:11,419 The investigation reveals bad blood in the family. 380 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:28,603 - NARRATOR: And detectives begin to suspect a dubious cover up. 381 00:20:28,645 --> 00:20:30,647 - Nobody would have somebody's identification, 382 00:20:30,689 --> 00:20:33,858 and money like that belonging to Stevie 383 00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:35,610 unless Stevie wasn't around. 384 00:20:35,652 --> 00:20:39,489 My suspicion on this was that she had killed Stevie. 385 00:20:54,629 --> 00:20:55,922 - NARRATOR: It's been one week 386 00:20:55,964 --> 00:20:59,300 since the home of Stevie Allman was set ablaze. 387 00:20:59,342 --> 00:21:01,177 And detectives have just learned 388 00:21:01,219 --> 00:21:03,304 the woman they thought was Stevie 389 00:21:03,346 --> 00:21:07,308 may actually be Stevie's sister, Sarah Mitchell. 390 00:21:07,350 --> 00:21:09,936 - The spotlight shifts now to this person 391 00:21:09,978 --> 00:21:11,354 that was in the hospital 392 00:21:11,396 --> 00:21:14,899 that is supposed to be the anti-drug crusader 393 00:21:14,941 --> 00:21:18,319 who is now not the person she says she is. 394 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,532 - NARRATOR: Stevie and Sarah's older sister, Leotta Belleville, 395 00:21:22,574 --> 00:21:25,243 says she immediately knew something was amiss 396 00:21:25,285 --> 00:21:27,370 when she saw the fire on the news 397 00:21:27,412 --> 00:21:31,166 and reports were dubbing Stevie a crime crusader. 398 00:21:40,383 --> 00:21:42,761 - Leotta told us that it was not Stevie Allman 399 00:21:42,802 --> 00:21:46,556 that was in the hospital, but it was in fact Sarah. 400 00:21:46,598 --> 00:21:49,351 - NARRATOR: Leotta says she received a phone call from Sarah 401 00:21:49,392 --> 00:21:50,935 while she was in the hospital 402 00:21:50,977 --> 00:21:55,190 and that Sarah had a believable reason for posing as Stevie. 403 00:22:03,698 --> 00:22:07,035 - NARRATOR: Leotta goes on to share a disturbing premonition 404 00:22:07,077 --> 00:22:08,912 she had about Stevie. 405 00:22:31,851 --> 00:22:36,690 - Sarah Mitchell responded, "Stevie's in Lake Tahoe." 406 00:22:36,731 --> 00:22:39,567 And a little bit later in the conversation, 407 00:22:39,609 --> 00:22:43,279 the sister asks Sarah Mitchell a second time, 408 00:22:43,321 --> 00:22:45,323 "But where's Stevie?" 409 00:22:45,365 --> 00:22:49,577 And Sarah responded that Stevie's in Reno. 410 00:23:02,257 --> 00:23:04,592 - At that point, Sarah Mitchell 411 00:23:04,634 --> 00:23:08,138 basically ended the conversation with her sister. 412 00:23:08,179 --> 00:23:10,306 - NARRATOR: Given Stevie and Sarah's relationship 413 00:23:10,348 --> 00:23:11,891 over the last few years, 414 00:23:11,933 --> 00:23:15,603 Leotta fears something terrible has happened. 415 00:23:15,645 --> 00:23:18,940 - Stevie had been long frustrated 416 00:23:18,982 --> 00:23:22,485 by Sarah being lazy, 417 00:23:22,527 --> 00:23:24,571 not willing to work, 418 00:23:24,612 --> 00:23:27,615 always looking for someone to take care of her, 419 00:23:27,657 --> 00:23:30,577 and just not being a real productive person. 420 00:23:30,618 --> 00:23:34,706 And that was at the heart of the bad blood 421 00:23:34,748 --> 00:23:39,210 that had been going on between Stevie and Sarah. 422 00:23:41,671 --> 00:23:43,006 - NARRATOR: When their mother died, 423 00:23:43,048 --> 00:23:46,134 Leotta says the relationship between Stevie and Sarah 424 00:23:46,176 --> 00:23:48,470 only grew more fraught... 425 00:23:48,511 --> 00:23:53,641 when Sarah began impersonating Stevie and cashing her checks. 426 00:24:06,696 --> 00:24:08,531 - NARRATOR: Leotta says Stevie had recently 427 00:24:08,573 --> 00:24:10,950 expressed interest in leaving Oakland... 428 00:24:10,992 --> 00:24:13,119 which only caused further friction 429 00:24:13,161 --> 00:24:15,997 between her two sisters. 430 00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:20,543 - Stevie began having discussions about wanting 431 00:24:20,585 --> 00:24:24,839 to sell her house and go somewhere to retire. 432 00:24:24,881 --> 00:24:28,385 And then Sarah, of course, questioned, 433 00:24:28,426 --> 00:24:31,096 well if you sell the house, what's gonna happen to me? 434 00:24:31,137 --> 00:24:36,768 And Stevie, of course, responded that she was not responsible 435 00:24:36,810 --> 00:24:40,605 for taking care of Sarah for the rest of her life. 436 00:24:43,441 --> 00:24:45,110 - NARRATOR: Armed with this new information, 437 00:24:45,151 --> 00:24:48,488 detectives call the hospital for an immediate interview 438 00:24:48,530 --> 00:24:51,533 with the woman claiming to be Stevie Allman. 439 00:24:51,574 --> 00:24:54,160 - I found out from the hospital itself, 440 00:24:54,202 --> 00:24:56,413 that she had been released. 441 00:24:56,454 --> 00:25:00,041 - So, they did an all-points bulletin 442 00:25:00,083 --> 00:25:01,584 on finding her. 443 00:25:01,626 --> 00:25:06,172 And they eventually found her in the city 444 00:25:06,214 --> 00:25:07,799 right next door to Oakland, 445 00:25:07,841 --> 00:25:10,802 and she was in a hotel in the city of Alameda. 446 00:25:10,844 --> 00:25:14,014 They brought her in for questioning. 447 00:25:28,028 --> 00:25:29,904 - NARRATOR: The woman claiming to be Stevie 448 00:25:29,946 --> 00:25:34,784 sticks to her original story, but detectives aren't convinced. 449 00:25:34,826 --> 00:25:37,328 - The first thing I noticed was the burns 450 00:25:37,370 --> 00:25:41,624 on the front of her arms, the front of her legs. 451 00:25:41,666 --> 00:25:43,877 But it was only on the front, meaning to me 452 00:25:43,918 --> 00:25:46,963 that she was well-aware of where the fire was at, 453 00:25:47,005 --> 00:25:50,008 and she wasn't engulfed in the fire. 454 00:26:03,813 --> 00:26:05,690 - NARRATOR: Detectives change course 455 00:26:05,732 --> 00:26:09,819 and press the woman about Leotta's allegations. 456 00:26:27,962 --> 00:26:31,216 - She was adamant that she was Stevie Allman, 457 00:26:31,257 --> 00:26:33,760 and that her sister Leotta 458 00:26:33,802 --> 00:26:37,222 never knew what she was talking about. 459 00:27:00,787 --> 00:27:03,373 - NARRATOR: Detectives ask for identification. 460 00:27:03,415 --> 00:27:04,958 As she opens up her purse, 461 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,546 investigators spot two sets of IDs. 462 00:27:09,587 --> 00:27:12,716 - She had a lot of identification on her 463 00:27:12,757 --> 00:27:14,843 that belonged to Sarah, 464 00:27:14,884 --> 00:27:18,513 and she had Stevie Allman's identification on her. 465 00:27:18,555 --> 00:27:20,849 So, at that point, 466 00:27:20,890 --> 00:27:23,518 I'm also confused as to who I'm talking to, 467 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,146 whether I'm talking to Stevie or Sarah. 468 00:27:26,187 --> 00:27:30,066 Plus, she had also a lot of checks in her purse 469 00:27:30,108 --> 00:27:34,738 of donations that were written to Stevie Allman. 470 00:27:34,779 --> 00:27:37,741 - Police obviously ask her, 471 00:27:37,782 --> 00:27:41,911 "Why do you have two sets of identification?" 472 00:27:41,953 --> 00:27:46,541 - She said that they often carry each other's identification, 473 00:27:46,583 --> 00:27:50,879 which made no sense to me in as much as she said that 474 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,132 Sarah was off with her boyfriend in Nevada. 475 00:27:54,174 --> 00:27:59,512 Meaning, doesn't she need that identification for her own self? 476 00:28:00,555 --> 00:28:02,891 - It reached a point in the interview, 477 00:28:02,932 --> 00:28:05,101 and it became clear to the detectives 478 00:28:05,143 --> 00:28:07,479 that she was never going to admit 479 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,314 that she was Sarah Mitchell. 480 00:28:19,616 --> 00:28:22,911 - I told her that we'd like to get her fingerprinted, 481 00:28:22,952 --> 00:28:25,580 so that I could find out who I'm talking to. 482 00:28:25,622 --> 00:28:29,834 At that point, she didn't really want to talk much anymore. 483 00:28:29,876 --> 00:28:32,003 - NARRATOR: It only takes police 45 minutes 484 00:28:32,045 --> 00:28:35,131 to receive the fingerprint match results and determine 485 00:28:35,173 --> 00:28:38,426 which Allman sister is sitting in front of them. 486 00:28:38,468 --> 00:28:42,931 - The fingerprint return said that she was Sarah Mitchell. 487 00:28:43,973 --> 00:28:47,060 - It pretty much vindicated a lot of my suspicions. 488 00:28:47,102 --> 00:28:51,022 We knew that she was Sarah and now where was Stevie? 489 00:28:52,816 --> 00:28:53,942 - NARRATOR: Coming up: 490 00:28:53,983 --> 00:28:57,070 An elaborate scheme is laid bare. 491 00:28:57,112 --> 00:29:00,407 - What they found was that all of the bank accounts 492 00:29:00,448 --> 00:29:02,075 had been cleaned out. 493 00:29:02,117 --> 00:29:05,495 - NARRATOR: And detectives unearth a chilling discovery. 494 00:29:05,537 --> 00:29:10,542 - He opened the freezer and saw what looked like an elbow. 495 00:29:10,583 --> 00:29:13,086 - It was just disbelief, 496 00:29:13,128 --> 00:29:16,631 just never seen anything like this before in my career. 497 00:29:16,673 --> 00:29:18,883 Just total shock. 498 00:29:33,398 --> 00:29:35,025 - NARRATOR: Oakland detectives have just determined 499 00:29:35,066 --> 00:29:37,861 that 47-year-old Sarah Mitchell 500 00:29:37,902 --> 00:29:41,114 has been posing as her sister, Stevie Allman, 501 00:29:41,156 --> 00:29:44,451 prompting the question, if this is Sarah, 502 00:29:44,492 --> 00:29:46,619 where is Stevie? 503 00:29:46,661 --> 00:29:49,247 - She was very nervous. When we came back into the room, 504 00:29:49,289 --> 00:29:52,459 and approached her about knowing that she was Sarah, 505 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:54,461 she denied it. 506 00:29:54,502 --> 00:29:55,879 - She completely shut down. 507 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,006 She wouldn't answer any questions 508 00:29:58,048 --> 00:30:02,385 and all questioning stopped once she demanded a lawyer. 509 00:30:02,427 --> 00:30:06,431 - At that point, Sergeant Hughes arrested her for forgery. 510 00:30:08,933 --> 00:30:11,478 - NARRATOR: With Sarah in a cell and an APB out 511 00:30:11,519 --> 00:30:13,188 for the real Stevie Allman, 512 00:30:13,229 --> 00:30:16,775 detectives hold Sarah Mitchell on charges of forgery 513 00:30:16,816 --> 00:30:20,070 and providing a false name to police. 514 00:30:20,111 --> 00:30:26,034 - They went and looked at Stevie Allman's bank accounts. 515 00:30:26,076 --> 00:30:29,621 And what they found was that all of the bank accounts 516 00:30:29,662 --> 00:30:31,831 had been cleaned out. 517 00:30:31,873 --> 00:30:36,127 So they wanted the video of those transactions. 518 00:30:36,169 --> 00:30:40,423 And on every single one of those transactions, 519 00:30:40,465 --> 00:30:45,095 they found Sarah Mitchell had withdrawn all the money. 520 00:30:45,136 --> 00:30:47,055 - NARRATOR: While there were physical similarities 521 00:30:47,097 --> 00:30:49,599 between the sisters, investigators believe 522 00:30:49,641 --> 00:30:52,435 they were distinct enough to identify the woman 523 00:30:52,477 --> 00:30:56,439 in the footage as Sarah and not Stevie. 524 00:30:56,481 --> 00:31:00,068 - She was cashing checks that were issued to Stevie Allman 525 00:31:00,110 --> 00:31:03,071 that, uh, that she wasn't entitled to cash. 526 00:31:03,113 --> 00:31:07,242 There were other incidents that Sarah was posing as Stevie. 527 00:31:07,283 --> 00:31:11,621 I think attempts to try to get retirement checks, 528 00:31:11,663 --> 00:31:17,127 and she was trying to do a total identity switch. 529 00:31:18,294 --> 00:31:22,298 - NARRATOR: To detectives, this can only mean one thing. 530 00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:26,511 - My early suspicion on this was that she had killed Stevie. 531 00:31:26,553 --> 00:31:30,140 And because nobody would have somebody's identification 532 00:31:30,181 --> 00:31:34,561 and money like that, uh, belonging to Stevie 533 00:31:34,602 --> 00:31:36,771 unless Stevie wasn't around. 534 00:31:40,775 --> 00:31:43,278 - NARRATOR: On July 15th, 1997, 535 00:31:43,319 --> 00:31:46,489 two weeks after the Allman home went up in flames, 536 00:31:46,531 --> 00:31:50,702 detectives secure a search warrant for the property. 537 00:31:50,744 --> 00:31:55,248 - In 1997, I was one of the 538 00:31:55,290 --> 00:31:58,752 senior crime scene investigators in our unit. 539 00:31:58,793 --> 00:32:03,798 The day I was asked to respond with the investigators, 540 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:08,345 I was told we were going there to look for a body. 541 00:32:08,386 --> 00:32:11,306 So, we would search it from top to bottom 542 00:32:11,348 --> 00:32:14,309 and turn it inside out if we had to. 543 00:32:15,393 --> 00:32:17,395 - NARRATOR: While much of the home was destroyed, 544 00:32:17,437 --> 00:32:20,398 some items survived the fire. 545 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:26,279 - I entered the house, and it was severely burnt. 546 00:32:27,155 --> 00:32:31,076 Um, you could smell the charred wood. 547 00:32:31,117 --> 00:32:36,956 And the room was cold and very dark. 548 00:32:36,998 --> 00:32:41,378 There was no electricity. And as I walked in, 549 00:32:41,419 --> 00:32:44,005 they brought me with their flashlights 550 00:32:44,047 --> 00:32:46,883 and guided me to the kitchen area, 551 00:32:46,925 --> 00:32:49,552 which was just past the living room. 552 00:32:49,594 --> 00:32:53,056 - Two of the investigators went into the kitchen, 553 00:32:53,098 --> 00:32:56,976 and they walked over to the, uh, freezer. 554 00:32:57,018 --> 00:33:01,064 And so, using a flashlight opened the freezer 555 00:33:01,106 --> 00:33:04,359 and saw what looked like an elbow 556 00:33:04,401 --> 00:33:08,446 protruding out from the garbage bag. 557 00:33:10,949 --> 00:33:14,577 - I reached inside the freezer box, 558 00:33:14,619 --> 00:33:20,625 and I was able to grab a hold of what I believe was her arm, 559 00:33:20,667 --> 00:33:25,463 and I tried to 560 00:33:25,505 --> 00:33:27,966 feel for a pulse, 561 00:33:28,008 --> 00:33:30,176 but there was nothing. 562 00:33:30,969 --> 00:33:34,347 She was, she was deceased. 563 00:33:34,389 --> 00:33:37,308 - It was clear that it was a female, 564 00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:40,145 but obviously, it would take the coroner 565 00:33:40,186 --> 00:33:43,815 to do an actual identification. 566 00:33:44,733 --> 00:33:45,984 - It wasn't confirmed yet, 567 00:33:46,026 --> 00:33:48,528 but it was my assumption that it was Stevie. 568 00:33:51,990 --> 00:33:53,324 - NARRATOR: The entire freezer 569 00:33:53,366 --> 00:33:57,120 is moved to the coroner's office for an autopsy. 570 00:33:57,162 --> 00:34:00,999 - I was there as we un-taped the freezer box, 571 00:34:01,041 --> 00:34:04,627 and then as the body was removed, 572 00:34:04,669 --> 00:34:07,589 I think there was at least two bags. 573 00:34:07,630 --> 00:34:09,257 - NARRATOR: As they open the bags, 574 00:34:09,299 --> 00:34:13,053 authorities are met with a gruesome sight. 575 00:34:13,094 --> 00:34:15,597 - It was at that point, they determined that 576 00:34:15,638 --> 00:34:19,517 not only was she dead but that she had also been dismembered. 577 00:34:23,188 --> 00:34:26,149 - She had been cut in half from the waist up. 578 00:34:26,191 --> 00:34:29,027 And then the lower torso from her waist 579 00:34:29,069 --> 00:34:31,654 down to about above her knees. 580 00:34:31,696 --> 00:34:36,326 And then the last part that came out was the-the legs. 581 00:34:36,368 --> 00:34:39,746 We had four body parts all together. 582 00:34:39,788 --> 00:34:43,041 It was just disbelief, 583 00:34:43,083 --> 00:34:47,504 and just never seen anything like this before in my career. 584 00:34:47,545 --> 00:34:51,633 This is what horror movies are made of. 585 00:34:51,675 --> 00:34:53,176 Frightening. 586 00:34:53,218 --> 00:34:54,344 - NARRATOR: The damage to the head 587 00:34:54,386 --> 00:34:57,347 was the obvious cause of death. 588 00:34:57,389 --> 00:34:59,891 - Seeing the results of the autopsy was that 589 00:34:59,933 --> 00:35:02,143 Stevie Allman died of blunt trauma. 590 00:35:02,185 --> 00:35:03,520 Blunt trauma to the head 591 00:35:03,561 --> 00:35:05,397 where she received numerous blows, 592 00:35:05,438 --> 00:35:09,526 maybe as many as 20 blows likely with a crowbar, 593 00:35:09,567 --> 00:35:13,697 but an instrument like that caused her to die. 594 00:35:15,615 --> 00:35:18,910 - NARRATOR: Because the remains had been well preserved, 595 00:35:18,952 --> 00:35:20,495 investigators feel confident 596 00:35:20,537 --> 00:35:23,707 with the preliminary identification of the body 597 00:35:23,748 --> 00:35:25,709 as Stevie Allman. 598 00:35:25,750 --> 00:35:29,546 Back at the home, CSIs look for clues amongst the wreckage 599 00:35:29,587 --> 00:35:33,216 to piece together how the crime unfolded. 600 00:35:33,258 --> 00:35:36,219 - They went into the front bedroom, 601 00:35:36,261 --> 00:35:41,391 which is the room that was Stevie Allman's bedroom. 602 00:35:41,433 --> 00:35:45,061 And they went in and placed the luminol 603 00:35:45,103 --> 00:35:46,896 on the floors and the walls, 604 00:35:46,938 --> 00:35:50,108 and the room lit up like a Christmas tree. 605 00:35:50,150 --> 00:35:54,404 So that confirmed that Stevie Allman 606 00:35:54,446 --> 00:35:57,657 had been murdered in that bedroom. 607 00:35:59,951 --> 00:36:02,704 - NARRATOR: Authorities find more grisly clues 608 00:36:02,746 --> 00:36:04,456 in the bathroom. 609 00:36:04,497 --> 00:36:06,041 - I did see the tub 610 00:36:06,082 --> 00:36:10,086 that had the skill saw marks on the porcelain tub, 611 00:36:10,128 --> 00:36:12,464 which is where she had Stevie's legs 612 00:36:12,505 --> 00:36:17,552 draped over the side of the tub and cut the legs off. 613 00:36:20,555 --> 00:36:22,891 - NARRATOR: Despite the condition of the burned home, 614 00:36:22,932 --> 00:36:25,727 authorities are able to recover blood samples, 615 00:36:25,769 --> 00:36:29,898 as well as several possible murder weapons. 616 00:36:29,939 --> 00:36:33,568 - I can tell you there were quite a few things that, uh, 617 00:36:33,610 --> 00:36:37,113 they asked me to recover. A skill-saw, 618 00:36:37,155 --> 00:36:39,657 hammer, some knives, 619 00:36:39,699 --> 00:36:45,330 there was probably close to 40 pieces of evidence collected. 620 00:36:47,415 --> 00:36:50,293 - NARRATOR: On July 23rd, 1997, 621 00:36:50,335 --> 00:36:52,420 Sarah Mitchell is officially charged 622 00:36:52,462 --> 00:36:57,133 with the murder of her sister, Stevie Allman. 623 00:36:57,175 --> 00:36:59,094 - We was totally shocked. We didn't realize 624 00:36:59,135 --> 00:37:02,222 we had a murderer right here in our own neighborhood. 625 00:37:02,263 --> 00:37:06,059 I mean, if she'd have killed her sister, she'd have killed me. 626 00:37:06,101 --> 00:37:08,853 She'd have killed you. She'd have killed anybody. 627 00:37:10,313 --> 00:37:11,815 - NARRATOR: Coming up: 628 00:37:11,856 --> 00:37:16,152 Sarah's deception causes an uproar in the community. 629 00:37:16,194 --> 00:37:21,116 - Here you are, a woman who had blamed the drug dealers 630 00:37:21,157 --> 00:37:25,453 for something so horrific that you yourself had done. 631 00:37:25,495 --> 00:37:27,664 - NARRATOR: But prosecutors face an uphill battle 632 00:37:27,706 --> 00:37:31,418 to bring an alleged killer to justice. 633 00:37:31,459 --> 00:37:34,921 - The defense strategy was to focus on the fact 634 00:37:34,963 --> 00:37:37,590 that we did not have any direct evidence. 635 00:37:37,632 --> 00:37:40,427 That throughout the case, the prosecution has failed 636 00:37:40,468 --> 00:37:43,888 to put one witness on the stand that saw anything. 637 00:37:58,486 --> 00:37:59,946 - NARRATOR: Oakland detectives have arrested 638 00:37:59,988 --> 00:38:04,617 47-year-old Sarah Mitchell for the impersonation and murder 639 00:38:04,659 --> 00:38:08,580 of her older sister, Stevie Allman. 640 00:38:08,621 --> 00:38:10,874 - It was shocking to hear something like that, 641 00:38:10,915 --> 00:38:14,294 what happened especially right next door to me. 642 00:38:14,336 --> 00:38:16,463 - We just felt duped, period. 643 00:38:16,504 --> 00:38:19,966 Everyone was angry at that point 644 00:38:20,008 --> 00:38:22,802 because here you are, 645 00:38:22,844 --> 00:38:26,806 a woman who had blamed the drug dealers 646 00:38:26,848 --> 00:38:31,519 for something so horrific that you yourself had done. 647 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,273 - NARRATOR: In November of 2000, Sarah Mitchell's 648 00:38:35,315 --> 00:38:39,319 much-anticipated trial gets underway. 649 00:38:39,361 --> 00:38:41,321 - I spent quite a bit of time 650 00:38:41,363 --> 00:38:45,116 establishing the relationships 651 00:38:45,158 --> 00:38:48,411 between Sarah Mitchell and Stevie Allman. 652 00:38:48,453 --> 00:38:50,497 So that the jury could understand 653 00:38:50,538 --> 00:38:54,793 how someone can do this to their own sister. 654 00:38:54,834 --> 00:38:58,713 We focused on the actual evidence. 655 00:38:58,755 --> 00:39:02,967 In terms of who had access to Stevie Allman 656 00:39:03,009 --> 00:39:06,513 that they could walk into her room at night 657 00:39:06,554 --> 00:39:08,640 and beat her to death. 658 00:39:08,682 --> 00:39:13,853 And then you close the case down with the motive. 659 00:39:13,895 --> 00:39:17,982 And in this case, it was a financial gain motive 660 00:39:18,024 --> 00:39:21,695 that was the reason behind this whole case. 661 00:39:21,736 --> 00:39:26,533 We focused on voluminous numbers of photographs 662 00:39:26,574 --> 00:39:29,452 of Sarah Mitchell in the bank 663 00:39:29,494 --> 00:39:31,955 withdrawing her sister's money. 664 00:39:35,875 --> 00:39:37,669 - NARRATOR: Prosecutors theorize that 665 00:39:37,711 --> 00:39:42,716 on the night of June 30th, 1997, while Stevie was sleeping, 666 00:39:42,757 --> 00:39:45,468 Sarah walked into her sister's bedroom 667 00:39:45,510 --> 00:39:48,430 with horrific intentions. 668 00:39:48,471 --> 00:39:52,892 - According to prosecutors, she sneaks into her sister's bedroom 669 00:39:52,934 --> 00:39:56,563 in the middle of the night. She's armed. 670 00:39:56,604 --> 00:40:00,567 She begins bludgeoning Stevie's head. 671 00:40:00,608 --> 00:40:02,694 And over and over again. 672 00:40:02,736 --> 00:40:05,321 Then she drags the body from the bed 673 00:40:05,363 --> 00:40:07,532 across the floor into the bathroom 674 00:40:07,574 --> 00:40:12,746 where she proceeds to cut her sister into pieces with a saw. 675 00:40:13,705 --> 00:40:15,498 - I don't understand the mentality 676 00:40:15,540 --> 00:40:17,751 of how a sister could kill another sister 677 00:40:17,792 --> 00:40:21,588 in such a dramatic and gruesome way. 678 00:40:21,629 --> 00:40:25,342 It's just-it's beyond me. I can't explain it. 679 00:40:26,926 --> 00:40:28,678 - NARRATOR: According to prosecutors, 680 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:31,931 the evidence against Sarah is overwhelming. 681 00:40:31,973 --> 00:40:34,726 - You show the jury what happened that night, 682 00:40:34,768 --> 00:40:37,687 what was the instrumentality that was used, 683 00:40:37,729 --> 00:40:40,106 the dismemberment of the body, 684 00:40:40,148 --> 00:40:44,027 the attempt to cover up the blood spatter 685 00:40:44,069 --> 00:40:48,073 that was all over the walls, and the floor, in the bedroom 686 00:40:48,114 --> 00:40:51,826 by firebombing the house from the inside, 687 00:40:51,868 --> 00:40:56,623 and then claiming drug dealers threw a Molotov cocktail, 688 00:40:56,664 --> 00:40:59,626 and then you show the jury the photo of the glass 689 00:40:59,668 --> 00:41:03,171 outside the house as opposed to inside the house. 690 00:41:04,964 --> 00:41:07,759 - NARRATOR: Ultimately, the state's case was enough 691 00:41:07,801 --> 00:41:11,763 to convince the jury, and on November 21st, 2000, 692 00:41:11,805 --> 00:41:15,684 Sarah Mitchell is found guilty of murder. 693 00:41:15,725 --> 00:41:19,479 - I believe the ultimate verdict in finding her guilty 694 00:41:19,521 --> 00:41:21,981 was appropriate considering 695 00:41:22,023 --> 00:41:27,862 the evidence that was stacked up all around them and around her. 696 00:41:27,904 --> 00:41:30,699 - She thought about it before she did it, 697 00:41:30,740 --> 00:41:34,911 and she planned it, and then she executed her plan. 698 00:41:34,953 --> 00:41:38,540 And therefore, they found that she premeditated the murder, 699 00:41:38,581 --> 00:41:42,836 which is first-degree murder in California. 700 00:41:44,879 --> 00:41:48,383 - NARRATOR: At her sentencing hearing on December 4th, 2000, 701 00:41:48,425 --> 00:41:52,721 surprisingly, Sarah's family pleads for her life. 702 00:41:52,762 --> 00:41:54,514 - They had been hurt enough, 703 00:41:54,556 --> 00:41:57,350 and to take the life 704 00:41:57,392 --> 00:42:00,645 of the second sister 705 00:42:00,687 --> 00:42:03,732 would just be another stab in the heart. 706 00:42:03,773 --> 00:42:05,817 - Her family, from what I understand, 707 00:42:05,859 --> 00:42:08,069 did not want the death penalty. 708 00:42:08,111 --> 00:42:14,075 And now she's left to live her life behind bars. 709 00:42:14,117 --> 00:42:18,413 Sometimes maybe death isn't really a punishment, 710 00:42:18,455 --> 00:42:22,917 but life behind bars is. 711 00:42:24,044 --> 00:42:27,797 - Anyone in their right mind, right, would not 712 00:42:27,839 --> 00:42:31,176 think to do something so horrific. 713 00:42:31,217 --> 00:42:35,930 If you know, your sister is actually taking care of you, 714 00:42:35,972 --> 00:42:38,975 providing for you, has a home for you, 715 00:42:39,017 --> 00:42:41,936 and taking care of your every need, 716 00:42:41,978 --> 00:42:45,982 and then you turn around and this is how you repay them? 717 00:42:46,024 --> 00:42:49,819 - At the end of the day, I think it just boils down to 718 00:42:49,861 --> 00:42:55,325 money, jealousy, pure just greed and evil. 719 00:42:55,367 --> 00:42:58,661 - NARRATOR: And though Stevie's life ended tragically, 720 00:42:58,703 --> 00:43:03,083 the crime will never overshadow her memory. 721 00:43:03,124 --> 00:43:05,835 - She cared for her mother, 722 00:43:05,877 --> 00:43:07,962 she cared for her siblings. 723 00:43:08,004 --> 00:43:13,259 She was just a person of high integrity, hard worker. 724 00:43:13,301 --> 00:43:18,807 I mean, she represented all of the good things in people, 725 00:43:18,848 --> 00:43:21,893 and I think her sister Sarah 726 00:43:21,935 --> 00:43:25,814 represented some of the worst things in people. 727 00:43:27,482 --> 00:43:31,528 - *