1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,833
[dramatic music]

2
00:00:04,958 --> 00:00:12,083
♪ ♪

3
00:00:31,250 --> 00:00:34,667
[officer sniffs, sighs]

4
00:00:34,750 --> 00:00:36,833
[Matt]
It's a secluded area.

5
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,333
♪ ♪

6
00:00:39,375 --> 00:00:42,208
We didn't know
if maybe they got lost.

7
00:00:42,333 --> 00:00:44,000
They're out there in the dark.

8
00:00:48,417 --> 00:00:51,042
♪ ♪

9
00:00:51,167 --> 00:00:54,000
[Matt] The victim,
I didn't know her name.

10
00:00:54,125 --> 00:00:56,000
I didn't know anything
about her.

11
00:00:56,083 --> 00:00:58,667
That is different
than most cases.

12
00:01:01,375 --> 00:01:04,000
- It's telling me
that she's more likely

13
00:01:04,125 --> 00:01:05,917
trying to run,
rather than walk away.

14
00:01:06,042 --> 00:01:08,167
- Where does he permanently
live, your son?

15
00:01:09,417 --> 00:01:10,875
- She wanted to tell the truth

16
00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,375
but also wanted
to protect her son.

17
00:01:12,500 --> 00:01:15,667
[person] It's not looking
like it's from the wreck.

18
00:01:15,750 --> 00:01:19,292
- She had blunt force injuries
all up and down her body.

19
00:01:22,875 --> 00:01:24,708
♪ ♪

20
00:01:24,875 --> 00:01:27,792
[narrator] For those
most affected by a homicide,

21
00:01:27,917 --> 00:01:30,792
the first 48
is just the beginning.

22
00:01:30,875 --> 00:01:32,667
[Cassandra] She won't get to
see her kids graduate

23
00:01:32,750 --> 00:01:34,333
because she's no longer here.

24
00:01:34,375 --> 00:01:36,583
[narrator] This is the story
of the fight for justice...

25
00:01:36,708 --> 00:01:39,000
- They say that one of
the hardest people to represent

26
00:01:39,125 --> 00:01:40,500
is an innocent man,

27
00:01:40,667 --> 00:01:42,500
and that's probably more true
with him than anyone else.

28
00:01:42,625 --> 00:01:44,167
[John]
When a defendant testifies,

29
00:01:44,250 --> 00:01:46,083
really everything's
on the line.

30
00:01:46,208 --> 00:01:49,708
[narrator] In the weeks,
months, and years

31
00:01:49,833 --> 00:01:52,542
after the first 48.

32
00:01:52,625 --> 00:01:56,667
♪ ♪

33
00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:59,417
[tense music]

34
00:01:59,500 --> 00:02:03,417
♪ ♪

35
00:02:03,542 --> 00:02:05,417
[line beeps]

36
00:02:38,708 --> 00:02:40,917
[sirens wailing]

37
00:02:41,042 --> 00:02:42,375
[narrator]
First responders

38
00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:45,667
find a young woman
unconscious.

39
00:02:45,708 --> 00:02:49,458
- She's got a pretty good-sized
gash right here in the neck.

40
00:02:49,583 --> 00:02:51,875
[officer] OK.
- She's ice cold.

41
00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,500
♪ ♪

42
00:02:53,625 --> 00:02:55,958
[narrator]
Paramedics try to revive her,

43
00:02:56,042 --> 00:02:57,792
but she doesn't survive.

44
00:02:57,875 --> 00:03:00,083
[indistinct chatter]

45
00:03:00,208 --> 00:03:02,333
[officer]
So I guess son,

46
00:03:02,417 --> 00:03:05,542
whose name is Isaias Torres,

47
00:03:05,625 --> 00:03:07,500
showed up here,
banging on the door,

48
00:03:07,583 --> 00:03:10,000
hollering for someone
to come help him.

49
00:03:10,083 --> 00:03:13,000
[narrator] The homeowner told
paramedics his son, Isaias,

50
00:03:13,125 --> 00:03:16,750
ran to his house after he and
the woman crashed their car.

51
00:03:16,833 --> 00:03:18,542
[officer] There's a car
apparently parked

52
00:03:18,625 --> 00:03:20,167
down in the water
down in a ditch.

53
00:03:20,250 --> 00:03:22,125
♪ ♪

54
00:03:22,208 --> 00:03:23,625
- They picked her up,
put her in here,

55
00:03:23,708 --> 00:03:25,583
and they brought her
to this house.

56
00:03:27,375 --> 00:03:30,042
[narrator] The father
said he and Isaias

57
00:03:30,167 --> 00:03:33,333
got into a fistfight,
and Isaias ran off.

58
00:03:33,458 --> 00:03:34,375
- OK.

59
00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:36,500
Somebody's going to need to go

60
00:03:36,625 --> 00:03:39,583
with another officer
out to this field.

61
00:03:39,750 --> 00:03:41,667
- OK.

62
00:03:41,792 --> 00:03:45,875
♪ ♪

63
00:03:45,958 --> 00:03:47,417
[officer]
Everyone told--

64
00:03:47,542 --> 00:03:50,917
There is, in fact, a red Acura
in the pond out here.

65
00:03:54,750 --> 00:03:56,458
[officer]
10-4.

66
00:03:56,542 --> 00:04:03,458
♪ ♪

67
00:04:05,375 --> 00:04:08,458
[indistinct chatter
over police radio]

68
00:04:08,542 --> 00:04:11,208
♪ ♪

69
00:04:11,333 --> 00:04:13,667
- Crazy place to end up.
- Yeah.

70
00:04:13,792 --> 00:04:16,292
♪ ♪

71
00:04:16,375 --> 00:04:19,750
[Matt] And it looks
like he drove right into it.

72
00:04:19,833 --> 00:04:23,833
I was in Crime Scene
for about 11 years.

73
00:04:23,958 --> 00:04:27,792
There's a lot of things that
I see going into a crime scene

74
00:04:27,875 --> 00:04:29,583
that other people don't see.

75
00:04:29,667 --> 00:04:31,083
♪ ♪

76
00:04:31,208 --> 00:04:33,208
Victim name?

77
00:04:33,333 --> 00:04:35,708
- Dad said they have
no clue who she is.

78
00:04:35,833 --> 00:04:40,458
- I knew that she was roughly
about late 20s to early 30s.

79
00:04:40,542 --> 00:04:42,000
I didn't know her name.

80
00:04:42,083 --> 00:04:43,500
I didn't know anything
about her.

81
00:04:43,625 --> 00:04:48,000
So that in itself is different
than most cases.

82
00:04:48,083 --> 00:04:49,417
♪ ♪

83
00:04:49,500 --> 00:04:51,333
- It's very key to get
the victim identified

84
00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:53,875
as quickly as possible,
because the main reason is,

85
00:04:54,042 --> 00:04:55,167
you got to notify the family.

86
00:04:55,292 --> 00:04:56,625
They're missing
their loved ones.

87
00:04:56,708 --> 00:04:58,833
And they can kind of tell you
what happened.

88
00:04:58,958 --> 00:05:02,333
- So, basically, Isaiah runs
to the house and gets Dad,

89
00:05:02,417 --> 00:05:04,167
and then Dad comes
over here to help?

90
00:05:04,250 --> 00:05:07,417
OK.
And Isaiah walks off.

91
00:05:07,542 --> 00:05:09,542
[Max] All we really knew is,
he arrived with the victim,

92
00:05:09,667 --> 00:05:12,500
and something had happened
prior to them arriving.

93
00:05:12,625 --> 00:05:14,833
- He was definitely someone
that we wanted to talk to.

94
00:05:14,958 --> 00:05:17,167
♪ ♪

95
00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:19,083
[narrator]
Patrol is searching the area

96
00:05:19,208 --> 00:05:22,333
for 28-year-old
Isaias Torres...

97
00:05:22,458 --> 00:05:25,083
[officer] So Dad comes
out here with the truck,

98
00:05:25,250 --> 00:05:26,875
and they take her
back to the house.

99
00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,417
That's when Fire gets called.

100
00:05:28,542 --> 00:05:31,333
[Matt] Let me call Mark and see
if he can bring Dad out here,

101
00:05:31,417 --> 00:05:34,417
and he can show us
exactly where she was at.

102
00:05:34,542 --> 00:05:37,708
[narrator] As Farrell reaches
out to Detective Kennedy...

103
00:05:37,833 --> 00:05:42,125
♪ ♪

104
00:05:42,208 --> 00:05:44,333
- OK, I appreciate
your patience.

105
00:05:44,458 --> 00:05:47,000
[narrator] Ryden speaks
with Isaias's mother,

106
00:05:47,083 --> 00:05:49,208
who called 911.

107
00:05:49,292 --> 00:05:50,833
- A lot of unknowns
at that point.

108
00:05:50,917 --> 00:05:53,083
I needed to get
a good rapport with her

109
00:05:53,167 --> 00:05:55,583
and get as much information
as I could from her

110
00:05:55,667 --> 00:05:58,208
and where his whereabouts
might be.

111
00:05:58,292 --> 00:05:59,458
You said on the way down here

112
00:05:59,542 --> 00:06:01,542
that you let him
borrow your car.

113
00:06:01,708 --> 00:06:04,500
[narrator] She says Isaias
used the car a few days ago

114
00:06:04,542 --> 00:06:06,292
to look for a new job.

115
00:06:06,375 --> 00:06:07,958
- So what happened to your car?

116
00:06:12,208 --> 00:06:13,167
♪ ♪

117
00:06:13,292 --> 00:06:15,000
- OK.

118
00:06:15,083 --> 00:06:17,458
So what time did you get called
this morning?

119
00:06:20,292 --> 00:06:22,958
- So was it your
ex-husband that called you?

120
00:06:23,042 --> 00:06:24,333
The mom,

121
00:06:24,458 --> 00:06:26,042
you have to kind of
put yourself in their shoes.

122
00:06:26,042 --> 00:06:28,667
I'm a parent, so you got
to treat them with respect

123
00:06:28,750 --> 00:06:31,292
and understand
they're going through a lot.

124
00:06:31,375 --> 00:06:33,958
What was he telling you
was going on?

125
00:06:53,292 --> 00:06:56,958
[narrator] She says Isaias was
sitting next to the victim.

126
00:07:19,458 --> 00:07:20,542
[Max]
OK.

127
00:07:22,125 --> 00:07:24,458
- I didn't want to tell her
that the victim was deceased.

128
00:07:24,542 --> 00:07:26,500
That would definitely
shut her down quicker.

129
00:07:47,250 --> 00:07:48,542
♪ ♪

130
00:08:04,417 --> 00:08:05,958
♪ ♪

131
00:08:06,083 --> 00:08:08,042
[Max] Did you notice
any signs of trauma?

132
00:08:12,708 --> 00:08:13,917
- OK.

133
00:08:14,042 --> 00:08:16,625
So you call 911.
Then what happened?

134
00:08:16,708 --> 00:08:18,583
Does your son help you?

135
00:08:20,750 --> 00:08:22,083
♪ ♪

136
00:08:22,167 --> 00:08:23,583
- Do you know the status

137
00:08:23,708 --> 00:08:25,833
of the girl that was in
the truck that you helped out?

138
00:08:25,917 --> 00:08:28,667
OK.
Basically, she's passed away.

139
00:08:28,792 --> 00:08:29,792
♪ ♪

140
00:08:29,875 --> 00:08:32,542
So now you know
how big this is.

141
00:08:32,708 --> 00:08:34,375
When I told the mom that
the victim had passed away,

142
00:08:34,542 --> 00:08:36,292
I think she was in shock.

143
00:08:36,417 --> 00:08:39,708
But all I really wanted to get
from her was the truth.

144
00:08:39,833 --> 00:08:41,833
Where does he permanently
live, your son?

145
00:08:44,833 --> 00:08:47,833
- Throughout the interview, it
kept hitting her more and more.

146
00:08:47,958 --> 00:08:49,333
♪ ♪

147
00:08:49,375 --> 00:08:50,750
Isaias had fled the scene,

148
00:08:50,875 --> 00:08:53,458
which is a big indicator
that something's going on.

149
00:08:53,542 --> 00:08:55,208
She wanted to tell the truth

150
00:08:55,292 --> 00:08:57,167
but also wanted to protect
her son.

151
00:08:57,208 --> 00:08:59,833
And maybe she was less
cooperative towards the end

152
00:08:59,917 --> 00:09:01,042
because of that.

153
00:09:01,167 --> 00:09:02,958
Here's what I think
is going to happen.

154
00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:05,875
Eventually, he's gonna wander
back into your life, somehow.

155
00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,167
And then that's when I want
you to call my cell phone.

156
00:09:08,292 --> 00:09:09,417
It's on the back.

157
00:09:09,542 --> 00:09:12,167
And we'll get
his side of the story.

158
00:09:12,208 --> 00:09:16,667
♪ ♪

159
00:09:16,750 --> 00:09:18,833
[narrator]
One hour in,

160
00:09:18,917 --> 00:09:21,792
about 200 yards from the scene
of the car wreck...

161
00:09:21,875 --> 00:09:24,208
[detective] This is
lovers' lane back here.

162
00:09:26,708 --> 00:09:28,042
[Matt]
Isaias's dad

163
00:09:28,167 --> 00:09:29,625
said that he would be
willing to come out there

164
00:09:29,708 --> 00:09:31,750
and show us the field

165
00:09:31,833 --> 00:09:34,375
where he thought she was at
when he found her

166
00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:36,792
after the car
wrecked into the pond.

167
00:09:40,375 --> 00:09:41,792
- Back in there?

168
00:09:42,958 --> 00:09:48,958
♪ ♪

169
00:09:50,625 --> 00:09:53,583
- We didn't know
if maybe they got lost.

170
00:09:53,750 --> 00:09:55,333
They're out there in the dark.

171
00:09:58,125 --> 00:10:01,000
♪ ♪

172
00:10:01,167 --> 00:10:04,292
- We'd found a large pool
of blood in some grass.

173
00:10:04,417 --> 00:10:07,333
♪ ♪

174
00:10:07,417 --> 00:10:10,417
Yeah, that looks
pretty fresh.

175
00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:12,875
- It's still unclear
if the injuries,

176
00:10:12,958 --> 00:10:15,208
the blood was from the crash.

177
00:10:15,292 --> 00:10:16,625
♪ ♪

178
00:10:16,708 --> 00:10:19,542
- We had to consider, did
she die from this car wreck,

179
00:10:19,625 --> 00:10:22,167
or did she die
from some other reason?

180
00:10:22,250 --> 00:10:23,500
There's a lot of questions

181
00:10:23,667 --> 00:10:25,667
that need to be answered
at this point.

182
00:10:27,458 --> 00:10:28,708
[Matt]
Yeah.

183
00:10:28,833 --> 00:10:30,542
We're going to have
to get him downtown

184
00:10:30,667 --> 00:10:32,458
and get a statement from him.

185
00:10:32,542 --> 00:10:33,750
There's more to this story.

186
00:10:33,917 --> 00:10:37,833
♪ ♪

187
00:10:37,958 --> 00:10:39,708
[narrator]
Back at headquarters...

188
00:10:39,833 --> 00:10:41,667
[cell phone rings]

189
00:10:41,750 --> 00:10:43,167
[Matt]
Hey.

190
00:10:43,292 --> 00:10:45,542
[narrator] The medical
examiner's office calls in.

191
00:10:45,708 --> 00:10:48,042
[person]
I mean, she's got contusions.

192
00:10:48,167 --> 00:10:51,000
It's not looking
like it's from the wreck.

193
00:10:51,125 --> 00:10:54,042
[Matt] It's not looking
like it's from a wreck.

194
00:10:54,208 --> 00:10:56,042
[person]
No.

195
00:10:56,125 --> 00:10:57,750
She's got those.

196
00:10:57,875 --> 00:11:00,500
And then she's got the two
sharp forks on her neck.

197
00:11:00,500 --> 00:11:04,750
- We became more aware that
she had multiple lacerations

198
00:11:04,917 --> 00:11:06,125
on both sides of her neck.

199
00:11:06,208 --> 00:11:08,458
[person]
One is longer than it's deep.

200
00:11:08,542 --> 00:11:11,500
The other is deeper
than it is long.

201
00:11:11,625 --> 00:11:13,375
- OK.
Thank you.

202
00:11:13,375 --> 00:11:15,375
[person]
Bye.

203
00:11:15,542 --> 00:11:18,500
- She's got blunt force trauma,

204
00:11:18,583 --> 00:11:22,250
as well as some stab wound,

205
00:11:22,375 --> 00:11:25,000
laceration to the neck.

206
00:11:25,083 --> 00:11:26,833
[Kennedy] That car just
looks like it slid off into--

207
00:11:26,875 --> 00:11:29,833
[Matt] Yeah, it's not
like a violent crash.

208
00:11:29,917 --> 00:11:31,875
[Kennedy] So I wonder
if they fell into the pond.

209
00:11:31,958 --> 00:11:33,833
They got out. She's pissed.
She's mouthing off.

210
00:11:33,917 --> 00:11:35,917
He got mad at her and
freakin' they got disoriented,

211
00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,667
walking the wrong direction.

212
00:11:37,792 --> 00:11:39,500
[Matt]
That's what I'm thinking.

213
00:11:39,583 --> 00:11:41,792
At that point,
given her injuries,

214
00:11:41,875 --> 00:11:45,083
having the bloodstain
200 yards away

215
00:11:45,208 --> 00:11:46,542
and the clothing...

216
00:11:46,667 --> 00:11:48,333
♪ ♪

217
00:11:48,417 --> 00:11:51,625
It's telling me that she's
more likely trying to run

218
00:11:51,708 --> 00:11:53,333
rather than trying
to walk away.

219
00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:54,833
♪ ♪

220
00:11:54,958 --> 00:11:57,083
At that point,
we became more aware

221
00:11:57,208 --> 00:12:00,208
that this is probably going
to be a homicide investigation.

222
00:12:00,208 --> 00:12:01,208
♪ ♪

223
00:12:05,792 --> 00:12:07,542
[dramatic music]

224
00:12:07,667 --> 00:12:14,833
♪ ♪

225
00:12:17,625 --> 00:12:19,667
[Matt]
This is our suspect, Isaias.

226
00:12:19,708 --> 00:12:22,042
♪ ♪

227
00:12:22,167 --> 00:12:24,833
[narrator] Isaias Torres
has prior convictions,

228
00:12:24,917 --> 00:12:27,167
including domestic assault
and battery,

229
00:12:27,333 --> 00:12:30,917
attempted robbery, and
malicious injury to property.

230
00:12:31,042 --> 00:12:34,542
He works in construction and
has a seven-year-old daughter

231
00:12:34,625 --> 00:12:36,375
from a previous relationship.

232
00:12:36,375 --> 00:12:40,792
- It is very unusual to have
a suspect named in a case

233
00:12:40,917 --> 00:12:43,958
prior to knowing
who your victim is.

234
00:12:44,042 --> 00:12:45,750
[indistinct chatter]

235
00:12:45,833 --> 00:12:48,375
[narrator] 2 1/2 hours
into the investigation,

236
00:12:48,500 --> 00:12:52,333
Isaias's father agrees to
speak with detectives again.

237
00:12:52,458 --> 00:12:54,375
[Matt] The biggest question
that I had was,

238
00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:55,875
who she is, our victim,

239
00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,000
and we're trying to figure out
the details

240
00:12:58,125 --> 00:13:00,125
as to what happened
that night.

241
00:13:00,292 --> 00:13:03,333
So I was hoping that
I was going to learn more.

242
00:13:03,458 --> 00:13:06,167
What time did he show up
over there at your house

243
00:13:06,292 --> 00:13:08,625
when he woke you up?

244
00:13:08,708 --> 00:13:10,250
OK.

245
00:13:47,375 --> 00:13:49,333
[Matt] Have you
ever seen her before?

246
00:13:52,375 --> 00:13:54,667
[Matt] Isaias's dad
telling us that the victim

247
00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:55,917
was named Monica,

248
00:13:56,042 --> 00:13:58,000
that was a big help for us.

249
00:13:58,042 --> 00:14:00,375
We just didn't know
her last name.

250
00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:02,667
Have you noticed any blood
or anything around her

251
00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:04,208
at this time?

252
00:14:18,417 --> 00:14:20,458
- That concerned me,
because at that point,

253
00:14:20,583 --> 00:14:23,792
instead of getting help,
he's fighting his son.

254
00:14:23,875 --> 00:14:25,708
What did he say
about what happened?

255
00:14:25,792 --> 00:14:28,042
♪ ♪

256
00:14:31,292 --> 00:14:33,167
- At what point
did you realize

257
00:14:33,292 --> 00:14:35,833
that maybe it's more
than her just being drunk?

258
00:14:39,042 --> 00:14:40,250
[Matt]
OK.

259
00:14:46,250 --> 00:14:48,375
♪ ♪

260
00:14:53,542 --> 00:14:55,792
- He's obviously concerned
because it's his son.

261
00:14:55,875 --> 00:14:57,458
I can understand that.

262
00:14:57,542 --> 00:15:01,750
At the same time, you know,
we have this girl that's died.

263
00:15:01,833 --> 00:15:04,208
I think that's why Isaias
fled the scene.

264
00:15:04,333 --> 00:15:05,417
♪ ♪

265
00:15:05,542 --> 00:15:06,875
What made him walk away?

266
00:15:10,208 --> 00:15:11,958
♪ ♪

267
00:15:12,042 --> 00:15:14,750
- Mom lived 10, 15 miles away.

268
00:15:14,875 --> 00:15:17,750
And so, for her
to come all that way

269
00:15:17,875 --> 00:15:20,000
and see that,
oh, she's not breathing,

270
00:15:20,125 --> 00:15:24,167
it's unfortunate that
the other two didn't do that.

271
00:15:24,292 --> 00:15:26,792
We're in the process
of looking for him.

272
00:15:26,875 --> 00:15:29,000
Where does he live at?

273
00:15:30,375 --> 00:15:32,333
[Matt] I think Isaias's dad
did realize

274
00:15:32,458 --> 00:15:34,375
how serious it was
at that point.

275
00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:36,250
- [sighs]

276
00:15:36,333 --> 00:15:38,292
- I think it finally clicked.

277
00:15:38,375 --> 00:15:39,417
♪ ♪

278
00:15:41,083 --> 00:15:42,917
[Matt] No, that's fine.
We understand.

279
00:15:43,042 --> 00:15:45,292
That's tough.
It's your kid.

280
00:15:45,375 --> 00:15:50,875
♪ ♪

281
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,167
I was hoping that maybe
the kid told him,

282
00:15:53,292 --> 00:15:54,750
hey, this is what happened.

283
00:15:54,833 --> 00:15:58,042
But he didn't divulge
any of that.

284
00:16:00,333 --> 00:16:02,167
[Matt]
The son was saying, Monica.

285
00:16:02,250 --> 00:16:03,583
[detective]
OK.

286
00:16:03,708 --> 00:16:05,250
Well, that's a lead.
Good.

287
00:16:05,333 --> 00:16:07,042
- You know, we're
doing our own research,

288
00:16:07,167 --> 00:16:08,750
trying to figure
out who she is.

289
00:16:08,875 --> 00:16:10,083
These are all in the database,

290
00:16:10,167 --> 00:16:12,667
as far as, you know,
her tattoos.

291
00:16:12,833 --> 00:16:14,708
We need to find this guy.

292
00:16:14,792 --> 00:16:17,625
♪ ♪

293
00:16:17,708 --> 00:16:19,708
[narrator]
Six hours in...

294
00:16:19,792 --> 00:16:22,958
♪ ♪

295
00:16:22,958 --> 00:16:24,167
[Matt]
The unfortunate thing is,

296
00:16:24,292 --> 00:16:26,167
nobody seems to know
who he hangs out with

297
00:16:26,292 --> 00:16:28,167
or who he would call.

298
00:16:28,208 --> 00:16:31,667
Me and Detective Kennedy
have been out canvassing,

299
00:16:31,750 --> 00:16:34,750
trying to figure out
where Isaias would have gone.

300
00:16:34,875 --> 00:16:36,875
It was pretty cold that night,

301
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,333
so we assumed he was probably
pretty close by.

302
00:16:39,417 --> 00:16:40,792
♪ ♪

303
00:16:40,875 --> 00:16:42,167
[narrator]
Four blocks away

304
00:16:42,292 --> 00:16:44,208
from Isaias's father's
house...

305
00:16:44,333 --> 00:16:45,708
[Matt]
Let's just go in here

306
00:16:45,833 --> 00:16:47,500
and see if he happened
to show up.

307
00:16:47,625 --> 00:16:50,458
First place I'm going to go
is the convenience store,

308
00:16:50,542 --> 00:16:52,750
try to call somebody
to get help.

309
00:16:52,833 --> 00:16:56,333
♪ ♪

310
00:16:56,417 --> 00:16:58,167
[narrator]
While Farrell and Kennedy

311
00:16:58,250 --> 00:16:59,667
speak with the clerk...

312
00:16:59,708 --> 00:17:01,917
[line trilling]

313
00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,750
- Hey, this is Detective Ryden.

314
00:17:03,833 --> 00:17:05,667
Priority number one is,
find Isaiah.

315
00:17:05,750 --> 00:17:07,333
So I contacted his mom.

316
00:17:07,417 --> 00:17:10,542
Has anybody heard
anything from him?

317
00:17:12,458 --> 00:17:14,333
If you hear from him,
you let me know,

318
00:17:14,417 --> 00:17:16,375
and I will do the
same for you, OK?

319
00:17:16,458 --> 00:17:18,333
When I found out
that the suspect

320
00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:20,375
hadn't contacted his mother,
it didn't surprise me.

321
00:17:20,458 --> 00:17:23,708
But I was able to identify
one of his ex-girlfriends.

322
00:17:23,833 --> 00:17:25,667
[line trilling]

323
00:17:28,083 --> 00:17:29,250
[person]
Hello?

324
00:17:29,375 --> 00:17:31,167
- This is Detective Ryden,
Tulsa Police.

325
00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:33,167
I'd like to come talk
to you in person.

326
00:17:33,250 --> 00:17:35,000
[person] Yeah, sure.
That's no problem.

327
00:17:35,042 --> 00:17:37,583
[narrator] She gives Ryden
her work address.

328
00:17:37,750 --> 00:17:39,208
- OK, I'm headed your way.

329
00:17:39,292 --> 00:17:40,417
[person]
OK.

330
00:17:44,125 --> 00:17:45,667
- How you doing?

331
00:17:45,750 --> 00:17:49,333
♪ ♪

332
00:17:49,458 --> 00:17:51,625
[narrator] The ex-girlfriend
tells detectives

333
00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:53,792
she hasn't heard from Isaias

334
00:17:53,917 --> 00:17:56,500
but gives them
his current address.

335
00:17:56,625 --> 00:17:58,667
[detective Thank you, ma'am.
Have a good one.

336
00:17:58,750 --> 00:18:01,125
[car doors open, car beeping]

337
00:18:04,042 --> 00:18:05,333
♪ ♪

338
00:18:05,375 --> 00:18:07,083
[Max]
She was really helpful.

339
00:18:07,208 --> 00:18:08,958
I asked her
if he'd ever been violent

340
00:18:09,042 --> 00:18:10,333
towards her in the past,

341
00:18:10,417 --> 00:18:13,250
and she said
that there had been issues.

342
00:18:13,333 --> 00:18:16,750
She filed a protective order
against him back in the day.

343
00:18:16,833 --> 00:18:18,042
Hopefully we'll find him

344
00:18:18,125 --> 00:18:20,458
at this most recent address
in Tulsa.

345
00:18:20,542 --> 00:18:23,208
♪ ♪

346
00:18:23,333 --> 00:18:25,292
[narrator] Back
at the convenience store...

347
00:18:25,375 --> 00:18:27,333
- Detective Ryden called me
and was like,

348
00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:29,333
you know, I got
an address for him.

349
00:18:29,458 --> 00:18:31,833
And it was basically right
across from where we were.

350
00:18:31,917 --> 00:18:33,625
♪ ♪

351
00:18:33,708 --> 00:18:36,125
- Matt and I are going to get
an eyeball on the apartment

352
00:18:36,250 --> 00:18:39,333
until a better undercover
gets over here.

353
00:18:41,750 --> 00:18:48,125
♪ ♪

354
00:18:48,208 --> 00:18:50,042
[Matt]
It's this top corner one.

355
00:18:50,167 --> 00:18:52,000
[Kennedy] Right here?
[Matt] Yeah.

356
00:18:52,167 --> 00:18:56,208
♪ ♪

357
00:18:56,292 --> 00:19:00,667
- After a suspect has done
something to a victim...

358
00:19:00,708 --> 00:19:04,125
I don't think very few
act rationally.

359
00:19:04,208 --> 00:19:06,333
You never know what
they're going to do.

360
00:19:11,375 --> 00:19:12,708
[dramatic music]

361
00:19:12,833 --> 00:19:18,250
♪ ♪

362
00:19:20,708 --> 00:19:24,875
♪ ♪

363
00:19:26,458 --> 00:19:28,708
[narrator] The team
enters the apartment

364
00:19:28,833 --> 00:19:30,708
using a key from the manager.

365
00:19:32,667 --> 00:19:35,625
[narrator]
But Isaias isn't there.

366
00:19:35,750 --> 00:19:39,042
[Matt] We found fresh blood
on the front door.

367
00:19:39,125 --> 00:19:40,708
♪ ♪

368
00:19:40,833 --> 00:19:42,250
We found phones.

369
00:19:45,042 --> 00:19:46,500
- I don't know.

370
00:19:46,708 --> 00:19:49,083
Maybe she had been there, or he
took her phone from the scene

371
00:19:49,208 --> 00:19:50,833
and brought it back.

372
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000
♪ ♪

373
00:19:53,125 --> 00:19:55,042
We found some wet boots

374
00:19:55,167 --> 00:19:57,042
that had mud
on the bottom of them.

375
00:19:57,167 --> 00:19:58,333
♪ ♪

376
00:19:58,417 --> 00:20:00,500
- We have probable cause
at that point.

377
00:20:00,583 --> 00:20:02,458
♪ ♪

378
00:20:02,542 --> 00:20:04,500
We have enough to arrest him
at that time.

379
00:20:04,625 --> 00:20:06,792
♪ ♪

380
00:20:06,875 --> 00:20:10,375
[narrator] 13 hours
into the investigation...

381
00:20:10,375 --> 00:20:12,000
- I came across a female

382
00:20:12,125 --> 00:20:14,000
that matched the description
of our victim.

383
00:20:14,125 --> 00:20:16,375
[narrator]
Sergeant Jeremy Stiles

384
00:20:16,375 --> 00:20:19,042
has a lead
on the victim's identity.

385
00:20:19,125 --> 00:20:22,500
- Our victim had a male's name
tattooed across her chest,

386
00:20:22,583 --> 00:20:25,542
so I started looking through
some of our databases

387
00:20:25,625 --> 00:20:28,333
and city source
and came across a female

388
00:20:28,458 --> 00:20:30,125
that had a tattoo
with that name,

389
00:20:30,208 --> 00:20:31,625
had a son by that name.

390
00:20:31,708 --> 00:20:35,292
Found an old report
that listed an ex-husband,

391
00:20:35,375 --> 00:20:39,125
and I was able to call him
and get a phone number.

392
00:20:39,208 --> 00:20:41,125
Called that
female's phone number,

393
00:20:41,292 --> 00:20:42,917
and the cell phone
that we collected

394
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,208
from the suspect's apartment

395
00:20:44,333 --> 00:20:46,542
started ringing
at Matt Farrell's desk.

396
00:20:46,625 --> 00:20:47,958
♪ ♪

397
00:20:48,083 --> 00:20:49,917
Her name is Monica Deleon.

398
00:20:50,083 --> 00:20:51,667
♪ ♪

399
00:20:51,833 --> 00:20:54,292
[narrator]
32-year-old Monica Deleon

400
00:20:54,375 --> 00:20:56,167
was born and raised in Tulsa.

401
00:20:56,292 --> 00:20:58,792
She worked as
a certified nursing assistant

402
00:20:58,875 --> 00:21:02,333
in hospitals and
assisted-living facilities.

403
00:21:02,417 --> 00:21:05,125
Monica was a mother
of three children.

404
00:21:05,208 --> 00:21:08,000
♪ ♪

405
00:21:08,042 --> 00:21:10,750
[Jeremy] Ex-husband let us know
that Monica had sisters,

406
00:21:10,875 --> 00:21:12,917
so we're going to want
to speak to them.

407
00:21:21,417 --> 00:21:23,708
[Matt] I was able to get a hold
of the sister.

408
00:21:23,708 --> 00:21:26,708
Found out an address,
so we're going to go up there.

409
00:21:26,833 --> 00:21:30,625
Anytime we have a death,
more than likely,

410
00:21:30,708 --> 00:21:33,500
we're going to go in person
to notify people.

411
00:21:33,583 --> 00:21:35,667
♪ ♪

412
00:21:35,750 --> 00:21:38,000
You know, it's the right way
to do it.

413
00:21:38,125 --> 00:21:39,375
♪ ♪

414
00:21:43,042 --> 00:21:45,083
And she had been assaulted.

415
00:21:45,208 --> 00:21:47,167
[person sobbing]
OK?

416
00:21:47,333 --> 00:21:49,375
And she ended up
dying this morning.

417
00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:52,167
[sobbing continues]

418
00:21:52,292 --> 00:21:54,500
Death notifications are, to me,

419
00:21:54,625 --> 00:21:57,208
the most difficult part
of the job.

420
00:21:57,333 --> 00:22:00,583
It's never easy to go talk
to a family member.

421
00:22:00,708 --> 00:22:03,542
But it's something
that we have to do.

422
00:22:03,625 --> 00:22:05,500
We've been spending
most of all today

423
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:07,958
looking for the guy
that did it.

424
00:22:08,042 --> 00:22:09,417
We know who he is.

425
00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:11,375
We're trying to track him down
right now.

426
00:22:15,208 --> 00:22:17,167
[Matt] He's all over the news.
That's him.

427
00:22:17,292 --> 00:22:18,667
♪ ♪

428
00:22:18,750 --> 00:22:20,500
I thought it was important
to let them know

429
00:22:20,583 --> 00:22:22,833
that we've been working
the case

430
00:22:22,958 --> 00:22:26,250
and we're still looking for
the guy, but we know who it is.

431
00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:27,667
Once you meet families,

432
00:22:27,792 --> 00:22:30,208
I mean, it helps motivate you

433
00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:34,333
and gives you reason
behind what you're doing.

434
00:22:34,417 --> 00:22:38,833
My goal is to figure out
where Isaias is, bring him in,

435
00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:41,542
and hopefully he can tell us
what happened.

436
00:22:41,667 --> 00:22:48,458
♪ ♪

437
00:22:52,917 --> 00:22:55,667
For several days,
we had looked for Isaias.

438
00:22:55,792 --> 00:22:57,583
♪ ♪

439
00:22:57,667 --> 00:23:01,375
We had speculated that
the family knew where he was,

440
00:23:01,458 --> 00:23:04,292
and they just weren't going
to be too helpful.

441
00:23:04,375 --> 00:23:07,333
And so we basically
gave this over

442
00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:09,833
to our Fugitive Warrants Unit.

443
00:23:09,917 --> 00:23:11,500
♪ ♪

444
00:23:11,667 --> 00:23:12,875
[narrator]
After five days

445
00:23:12,958 --> 00:23:15,000
of searching
for their suspect...

446
00:23:15,042 --> 00:23:18,500
♪ ♪

447
00:23:18,583 --> 00:23:21,000
[Matt] Fugitive Warrants,
they got a call

448
00:23:21,083 --> 00:23:24,750
that Isaias was out
at his sister's apartment

449
00:23:24,833 --> 00:23:26,375
in East Tulsa.

450
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:30,667
[officer] Isaias Torres,
open the passenger door!

451
00:23:30,750 --> 00:23:32,042
♪ ♪

452
00:23:32,167 --> 00:23:34,958
Isaias Torres, we have
a warrant for your arrest!

453
00:23:35,042 --> 00:23:36,667
Open the door!

454
00:23:36,833 --> 00:23:39,250
- When he was found,
it was great news.

455
00:23:39,333 --> 00:23:40,625
♪ ♪

456
00:23:45,833 --> 00:23:47,125
[officer]
Yeah, we're working on it.

457
00:23:47,208 --> 00:23:48,542
Hey.

458
00:23:48,625 --> 00:23:50,833
[officer 2] We're about
to pepper ball the car, man.

459
00:23:50,917 --> 00:23:51,875
Please get out.

460
00:23:51,958 --> 00:23:55,833
♪ ♪

461
00:23:55,958 --> 00:23:57,875
[indistinct shouting]

462
00:23:57,875 --> 00:23:59,542
[officer 3]
Get out of the car!

463
00:23:59,667 --> 00:24:01,833
- He hadn't been someone
that we thought

464
00:24:01,958 --> 00:24:04,500
was just going to turn himself
in at this point,

465
00:24:04,583 --> 00:24:06,833
so they deployed pepper ball
into the car.

466
00:24:06,917 --> 00:24:09,667
♪ ♪

467
00:24:09,792 --> 00:24:12,125
[officer] Door's opening.
Door's opening. Hands.

468
00:24:12,208 --> 00:24:14,333
[officer 2] Keep those hands
where we see them, both hands!

469
00:24:14,417 --> 00:24:16,917
♪ ♪

470
00:24:17,042 --> 00:24:18,792
I got him.
I got him.

471
00:24:18,917 --> 00:24:21,333
Isaiah, look at me, brother.
Just walk to me.

472
00:24:21,417 --> 00:24:23,958
Walk. Hands up.
[officer 3] Keep your hands up.

473
00:24:24,042 --> 00:24:25,333
Hands up.
Hands up.

474
00:24:25,375 --> 00:24:27,250
[officer] Keep walking.
You're fine.

475
00:24:27,333 --> 00:24:29,542
Hands behind your back.

476
00:24:29,625 --> 00:24:31,833
- Suspect in custody,
everybody.

477
00:24:31,875 --> 00:24:37,583
♪ ♪

478
00:24:43,042 --> 00:24:44,167
[dramatic music]

479
00:24:44,292 --> 00:24:47,333
♪ ♪

480
00:24:47,375 --> 00:24:48,792
[person sighs]

481
00:24:48,875 --> 00:24:50,583
[soft music]

482
00:24:50,708 --> 00:24:53,542
- And that's Alex
and my sister Rosa,

483
00:24:53,708 --> 00:24:55,583
my sister Virginia.

484
00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:57,917
- There's eight of us.

485
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,458
There's five girls,
three boys.

486
00:25:01,542 --> 00:25:04,375
And Monica was second
to the youngest.

487
00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:07,333
This one up here is Monica
when she was a baby.

488
00:25:07,417 --> 00:25:10,500
- These is when she
was in pageants.

489
00:25:10,583 --> 00:25:13,292
- She was a very
happy-go-lucky type of person.

490
00:25:13,417 --> 00:25:14,750
♪ ♪

491
00:25:14,875 --> 00:25:18,167
- She was outgoing.
She was just a free spirit.

492
00:25:18,292 --> 00:25:19,917
♪ ♪

493
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,042
Every time we invited her
over to parties,

494
00:25:22,167 --> 00:25:25,833
she would be playing with the
kids, laughing and smiling.

495
00:25:25,958 --> 00:25:27,083
♪ ♪

496
00:25:27,208 --> 00:25:29,500
She had a big smile.

497
00:25:29,583 --> 00:25:32,333
- I enjoy the memories that
I do have of my sister,

498
00:25:32,458 --> 00:25:34,208
but sometimes
it's kind of bittersweet

499
00:25:34,333 --> 00:25:35,958
because she's no longer here.

500
00:25:36,125 --> 00:25:38,167
She won't get to see
her kids graduate.

501
00:25:38,250 --> 00:25:41,375
She won't get to have grandkids
or anything like that.

502
00:25:41,458 --> 00:25:43,417
♪ ♪

503
00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,792
I love all my siblings, and
I would never want to think...

504
00:25:46,917 --> 00:25:48,792
[voice breaking] You know.
something happened to them.

505
00:25:48,958 --> 00:25:50,458
♪ ♪

506
00:25:50,583 --> 00:25:52,333
It's been hard.

507
00:25:52,458 --> 00:25:59,583
♪ ♪

508
00:26:07,542 --> 00:26:10,000
[narrator] Five days
after Monica's death...

509
00:26:10,125 --> 00:26:11,375
♪ ♪

510
00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:13,708
[Matt]
What all happened?

511
00:26:13,833 --> 00:26:17,250
- He's saying he can't go to
prison, wanted us to kill him,

512
00:26:17,333 --> 00:26:20,000
wanted me to open the door
so he could jump into traffic.

513
00:26:20,125 --> 00:26:21,500
♪ ♪

514
00:26:21,625 --> 00:26:22,750
I was like,
I can't do that, man.

515
00:26:22,875 --> 00:26:24,208
We don't want to hurt you.

516
00:26:24,375 --> 00:26:25,500
Then I had to remind him

517
00:26:25,750 --> 00:26:27,500
that he has a seven-year-old
daughter to live for.

518
00:26:27,625 --> 00:26:34,458
♪ ♪

519
00:26:34,542 --> 00:26:36,333
[Matt] How you doing?
I'm Detective Farrell.

520
00:26:36,417 --> 00:26:38,792
This is Detective Kennedy.
[Kennedy] How you doing, buddy?

521
00:26:38,875 --> 00:26:41,708
- OK, we're working
the homicide

522
00:26:41,792 --> 00:26:44,833
with Monica Deleon.

523
00:26:44,875 --> 00:26:46,958
I was hoping
that he would tell me,

524
00:26:47,042 --> 00:26:49,208
you know,
his history with Monica

525
00:26:49,292 --> 00:26:51,833
and then, you know,
what happened that day,

526
00:26:51,958 --> 00:26:55,250
what caused everything
to spiral out of control

527
00:26:55,375 --> 00:26:57,000
the way that it did.

528
00:26:57,125 --> 00:26:58,458
♪ ♪

529
00:26:58,542 --> 00:27:00,708
- I'm just gonna wait
for my attorney.

530
00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:03,750
- You're gonna wait
for your attorney?

531
00:27:03,875 --> 00:27:05,042
OK.

532
00:27:05,167 --> 00:27:07,292
You're being arrested
for first-degree murder, OK?

533
00:27:07,375 --> 00:27:10,417
So you're going to get booked
into David L. Moss, all right?

534
00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:11,958
Hang tight.

535
00:27:12,042 --> 00:27:14,333
♪ ♪

536
00:27:14,375 --> 00:27:17,625
Just based
off of his background...

537
00:27:17,750 --> 00:27:19,500
I learned that he would snap.

538
00:27:19,625 --> 00:27:21,333
And so I think
that's pretty much

539
00:27:21,417 --> 00:27:23,042
what happened in this case.

540
00:27:23,125 --> 00:27:25,708
He's upset that his mom's cars
end up in the pond,

541
00:27:25,792 --> 00:27:28,667
and so he takes it out
on Monica.

542
00:27:28,708 --> 00:27:30,792
- I was relieved
that he was actually caught.

543
00:27:30,875 --> 00:27:33,500
But we needed to make sure
that she got justice.

544
00:27:33,583 --> 00:27:36,833
♪ ♪

545
00:27:36,958 --> 00:27:38,708
- There were only two people

546
00:27:38,708 --> 00:27:41,167
that would be witnesses
to this--

547
00:27:41,333 --> 00:27:43,667
Monica and Isaias Torres.

548
00:27:43,792 --> 00:27:45,208
And, obviously,

549
00:27:45,333 --> 00:27:47,333
Monica is not going to be
able to speak for herself.

550
00:27:47,458 --> 00:27:50,792
And he did exercise, as is
his right, to remain silent.

551
00:27:50,875 --> 00:27:53,750
So there's a lot of mystery
still at this point.

552
00:27:53,875 --> 00:27:57,417
We knew there was
severe blunt force trauma.

553
00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:00,042
We knew she had slices
on both sides of her neck.

554
00:28:00,167 --> 00:28:02,500
But we didn't have
a murder weapon.

555
00:28:02,625 --> 00:28:04,542
We don't know how or why.

556
00:28:04,708 --> 00:28:07,167
There was still
a lot of investigation

557
00:28:07,292 --> 00:28:09,875
that we still need to do.

558
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,125
[narrator] Two weeks
after Isaias's arrest...

559
00:28:21,083 --> 00:28:23,667
- The jail records
all phone calls from inmates.

560
00:28:23,792 --> 00:28:25,583
And Detective Farrell

561
00:28:25,583 --> 00:28:28,167
had been monitoring
Isaias' calls.

562
00:28:28,250 --> 00:28:30,750
♪ ♪

563
00:28:47,208 --> 00:28:51,833
- He knows he's got to explain
the cuts to Monica.

564
00:28:51,917 --> 00:28:54,000
And so here he is,
trying to tell his mom

565
00:28:54,125 --> 00:28:57,417
about some thin piece
of sharp metal inside the car.

566
00:28:57,542 --> 00:29:00,583
He told her that must have been
what caused her injuries.

567
00:29:00,667 --> 00:29:02,375
♪ ♪

568
00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:04,500
- You know, they say
that one of the hardest people

569
00:29:04,625 --> 00:29:06,542
to represent
is an innocent man.

570
00:29:06,542 --> 00:29:10,208
And that's probably more true
with Isaias than anyone else.

571
00:29:10,333 --> 00:29:13,125
Isaias eventually told me
what actually happened.

572
00:29:13,208 --> 00:29:15,833
They were driving
throughout the evening.

573
00:29:15,917 --> 00:29:18,042
She had indicated
she wished to drive.

574
00:29:18,167 --> 00:29:20,750
Shortly thereafter, she drove
their car into a pond.

575
00:29:20,833 --> 00:29:22,333
♪ ♪

576
00:29:22,458 --> 00:29:25,750
According to Isaias, she was
jostled and not responsive.

577
00:29:25,833 --> 00:29:26,792
♪ ♪

578
00:29:26,875 --> 00:29:28,167
And his only reaction is,

579
00:29:28,250 --> 00:29:30,125
I got to get Monica
out of here.

580
00:29:30,208 --> 00:29:33,083
He remembered that he had
a knife in his car,

581
00:29:33,167 --> 00:29:34,958
and he decided he was going
to try to get her

582
00:29:35,083 --> 00:29:36,875
out of the seat belt any way
he could,

583
00:29:37,042 --> 00:29:39,417
in this case, by cutting it.

584
00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:40,750
He still could not get her out.

585
00:29:40,833 --> 00:29:42,458
He realizes that somehow
he does get her

586
00:29:42,542 --> 00:29:43,833
out of the seat belt,

587
00:29:43,958 --> 00:29:46,167
but he knows it wasn't
from cutting the seat belt.

588
00:29:46,250 --> 00:29:49,833
He's able to drag her out, and
he needs to leave for help.

589
00:29:49,958 --> 00:29:53,417
This is a situation in which
a person didn't mean to act

590
00:29:53,542 --> 00:29:55,917
or cause an actual injury.

591
00:29:56,042 --> 00:29:58,667
- At this point, we didn't have
the medical examiner's report

592
00:29:58,750 --> 00:30:01,417
to tell us the full extent
of the injuries.

593
00:30:01,542 --> 00:30:04,000
And if the medical examiner
wasn't able to determine

594
00:30:04,125 --> 00:30:06,125
the cause and manner of death,

595
00:30:06,208 --> 00:30:08,792
we couldn't prove
beyond a reasonable doubt

596
00:30:08,875 --> 00:30:13,167
whether or not Isaias Torres
murdered Monica.

597
00:30:13,250 --> 00:30:14,917
♪ ♪

598
00:30:19,375 --> 00:30:20,708
[dramatic music]

599
00:30:20,833 --> 00:30:28,000
♪ ♪

600
00:30:41,417 --> 00:30:43,292
- After listening
to the jail calls

601
00:30:43,375 --> 00:30:45,417
and hearing
Mr. Torres' explanation,

602
00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:48,417
I think he wanted to try
to lay cover

603
00:30:48,500 --> 00:30:50,917
to keep his family on his side.

604
00:30:51,042 --> 00:30:53,833
We believe the injuries
didn't happen inside the car

605
00:30:53,917 --> 00:30:57,083
because there was no blood
found inside the car.

606
00:30:57,208 --> 00:30:59,125
We knew the medical
examiner's report

607
00:30:59,208 --> 00:31:01,250
would really answer
a lot of our questions.

608
00:31:01,375 --> 00:31:02,958
♪ ♪

609
00:31:03,042 --> 00:31:06,333
[narrator]
11 months before the trial...

610
00:31:06,417 --> 00:31:09,667
[John] The medical examiner's
report came out and concluded

611
00:31:09,792 --> 00:31:13,833
she had bruising and abrasions
and blunt force injuries

612
00:31:13,917 --> 00:31:15,583
all up and down her body,

613
00:31:15,708 --> 00:31:17,917
as well as sharp force
injuries caused

614
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,417
Monica's death,
specifically the slice

615
00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:23,333
to her right jugular artery.

616
00:31:23,417 --> 00:31:25,042
♪ ♪

617
00:31:25,208 --> 00:31:27,208
[Greg] I made an appointment
with the medical examiner

618
00:31:27,375 --> 00:31:29,708
so that I could try to figure
out a way to corroborate

619
00:31:29,833 --> 00:31:32,625
the story Isaias told me...

620
00:31:32,708 --> 00:31:34,250
because what Isaias was sure of

621
00:31:34,333 --> 00:31:37,292
is that he didn't intentionally
cause any harm to Monica.

622
00:31:37,375 --> 00:31:42,542
♪ ♪

623
00:31:42,667 --> 00:31:45,250
[Taylor] Mr. Lavender asked me
if it was possible

624
00:31:45,417 --> 00:31:49,750
that these incise wounds could
have been caused accidentally

625
00:31:49,833 --> 00:31:52,750
by someone trying to free up
a seat belt

626
00:31:52,750 --> 00:31:55,375
that the victim was trapped in.

627
00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:57,125
[Greg] One of the things
that was discussed

628
00:31:57,208 --> 00:31:59,500
is these wounds were
the incision variety,

629
00:31:59,667 --> 00:32:02,750
meaning that they were along
the long edge of the knife--

630
00:32:02,875 --> 00:32:04,250
what you would expect

631
00:32:04,375 --> 00:32:08,667
in the event of a sawing-type
motion versus being stabbed.

632
00:32:08,792 --> 00:32:10,583
That is exactly
what Isaias said he did,

633
00:32:10,708 --> 00:32:15,042
is that he attempted to saw
the seat belt in half

634
00:32:15,125 --> 00:32:16,667
so that he could free Monica.

635
00:32:16,750 --> 00:32:18,708
♪ ♪

636
00:32:18,833 --> 00:32:20,167
[Taylor]
When Mr. Lavender

637
00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:22,833
suggested
this seat belt theory,

638
00:32:22,917 --> 00:32:24,292
it didn't seem plausible.

639
00:32:24,417 --> 00:32:27,333
If this was
an accidental injury,

640
00:32:27,458 --> 00:32:29,542
I need to have
some due diligence

641
00:32:29,625 --> 00:32:31,583
and follow up on it.

642
00:32:31,708 --> 00:32:34,833
So I asked Detective Farrell
and Tjeerdsma if they could get

643
00:32:34,958 --> 00:32:36,708
photographs of the seat belt.

644
00:32:36,833 --> 00:32:41,042
♪ ♪

645
00:32:41,208 --> 00:32:43,500
[Matt] I knew the car
had been sold to a guy

646
00:32:43,542 --> 00:32:45,625
that owned a body shop,

647
00:32:45,708 --> 00:32:47,708
and he still had the car.

648
00:32:47,833 --> 00:32:49,458
He hadn't messed
with the seat belt.

649
00:32:49,542 --> 00:32:53,500
And so I went out there
and photographed them.

650
00:32:53,625 --> 00:32:55,292
♪ ♪

651
00:32:55,417 --> 00:32:59,000
- And there were no cuts
to the seat belt whatsoever.

652
00:32:59,042 --> 00:33:01,083
♪ ♪

653
00:33:01,208 --> 00:33:03,500
Knowing in advance was helpful
because we were able

654
00:33:03,583 --> 00:33:06,333
to be prepared for the story
he was going with.

655
00:33:06,458 --> 00:33:08,042
[narrator]
A year and five months

656
00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:09,833
after Monica's death,

657
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,625
the trial
of Isaias Torres begins.

658
00:33:13,708 --> 00:33:17,458
- Isaias indicated that
there was a lot of anxiety

659
00:33:17,542 --> 00:33:20,792
but also hope that he could
have his story finally heard.

660
00:33:20,875 --> 00:33:23,167
♪ ♪

661
00:33:23,292 --> 00:33:25,292
- It was a small courtroom.

662
00:33:25,375 --> 00:33:28,208
[Cassandra] We wasn't that far
away from his family.

663
00:33:28,292 --> 00:33:30,000
We were sitting right here,

664
00:33:30,083 --> 00:33:32,500
and then maybe a few feet away,
his family was sitting.

665
00:33:32,625 --> 00:33:34,958
♪ ♪

666
00:33:35,042 --> 00:33:36,583
[John]
Emotions were high.

667
00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:37,833
We had to make sure

668
00:33:37,958 --> 00:33:40,000
that everybody stayed
out of each other's way

669
00:33:40,083 --> 00:33:41,958
to avoid any kind
of blowup or confrontation.

670
00:33:42,042 --> 00:33:46,667
♪ ♪

671
00:33:46,792 --> 00:33:49,708
[narrator] After
law-enforcement testimony,

672
00:33:49,792 --> 00:33:53,792
the state calls Isaias's
father to the stand.

673
00:33:53,875 --> 00:33:58,792
- Isaias's father was critical
in connecting him to the crime

674
00:33:58,875 --> 00:34:01,667
and explaining
how Monica was found.

675
00:34:01,833 --> 00:34:03,542
♪ ♪

676
00:34:03,708 --> 00:34:06,333
There was one particular thing
that he told police

677
00:34:06,417 --> 00:34:10,542
he refused to acknowledge
that he ever said.

678
00:34:15,875 --> 00:34:20,250
[John] I had to confront him
with the video recording...

679
00:34:20,333 --> 00:34:23,917
and making him agree
that he had told police that.

680
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,417
♪ ♪

681
00:34:25,542 --> 00:34:27,875
As more evidence
came to light,

682
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,667
like the crime-scene
documentation,

683
00:34:30,708 --> 00:34:32,500
his story kept changing.

684
00:34:32,583 --> 00:34:39,417
♪ ♪

685
00:34:39,542 --> 00:34:41,292
[Greg] I believe
that his father felt

686
00:34:41,375 --> 00:34:43,250
that some of his words
were turned against him

687
00:34:43,333 --> 00:34:44,708
and not at all what he meant.

688
00:34:44,833 --> 00:34:47,667
I think he felt that
he was being used in a way

689
00:34:47,750 --> 00:34:48,958
that was inappropriate.

690
00:34:49,042 --> 00:34:50,417
♪ ♪

691
00:34:50,542 --> 00:34:52,292
Now, all parents naturally
are going to want

692
00:34:52,375 --> 00:34:54,042
to protect their children.

693
00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:57,417
That's something that
I realize, the jury realize.

694
00:34:57,542 --> 00:34:59,500
The fact is, though,
that doesn't make

695
00:34:59,583 --> 00:35:01,583
what you say untrue.

696
00:35:01,708 --> 00:35:04,000
[narrator] To highlight
factual actual evidence,

697
00:35:04,083 --> 00:35:06,542
the defense turns
to the medical examiner.

698
00:35:06,667 --> 00:35:09,792
- I thought that Dr. Doane
could really help lay out

699
00:35:09,875 --> 00:35:11,875
how most
of the physical injuries

700
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,292
were very consistent

701
00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:16,333
with what would be Isaias's
accounting of the events.

702
00:35:16,417 --> 00:35:17,917
[Taylor]
Lavender asked me

703
00:35:18,042 --> 00:35:19,917
if the injuries
on the victim's neck

704
00:35:20,042 --> 00:35:22,875
could have been caused
by a sawing motion.

705
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,542
And I explained to him, yes,

706
00:35:24,625 --> 00:35:29,000
because there were several
tails along the incised wound

707
00:35:29,125 --> 00:35:31,208
that looked like
it could have taken

708
00:35:31,333 --> 00:35:33,500
multiple strokes of a blade.

709
00:35:33,625 --> 00:35:36,000
♪ ♪

710
00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:38,667
[John] What he tried to pose
to Dr. Doane

711
00:35:38,833 --> 00:35:40,500
is the hypothesis

712
00:35:40,667 --> 00:35:43,708
of whether a sawing motion
on the neck

713
00:35:43,833 --> 00:35:48,167
would be consistent with the
type of injuries Monica had.

714
00:35:48,208 --> 00:35:51,208
And Dr. Doane
had to admit that, yes,

715
00:35:51,292 --> 00:35:52,917
but there are a lot of ways

716
00:35:53,042 --> 00:35:55,042
that this injury
could be caused.

717
00:35:55,208 --> 00:35:57,083
But if you take everything
in its totality,

718
00:35:57,208 --> 00:35:59,417
it doesn't support
his story

719
00:35:59,542 --> 00:36:01,417
about trying to cut
a seat belt.

720
00:36:01,542 --> 00:36:04,333
But I don't know
what the jury thought.

721
00:36:04,417 --> 00:36:07,208
[Greg] I think this was
a situation in which

722
00:36:07,333 --> 00:36:09,750
you're having
a low-pressure slow bleed

723
00:36:09,875 --> 00:36:11,500
underneath large jacket.

724
00:36:11,542 --> 00:36:15,583
No one notices until CPR
is actually administered.

725
00:36:15,708 --> 00:36:18,417
Dr. Doane's testimony
paints a picture

726
00:36:18,542 --> 00:36:21,625
that what Isaias says happened
is very plausible.

727
00:36:21,750 --> 00:36:23,167
♪ ♪

728
00:36:23,333 --> 00:36:26,125
It was important to me that
Isaias at least communicated

729
00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:27,917
that full story to the jury.

730
00:36:28,042 --> 00:36:29,833
Isaias had to testify.

731
00:36:29,958 --> 00:36:31,750
- When defendants testify...

732
00:36:31,833 --> 00:36:33,333
♪ ♪

733
00:36:33,458 --> 00:36:35,708
You never know
what they're going to say.

734
00:36:35,792 --> 00:36:38,708
He could come out
with a completely new story.

735
00:36:38,792 --> 00:36:41,417
There could be things
that sound plausible.

736
00:36:41,542 --> 00:36:43,625
So, when
a defendant testifies,

737
00:36:43,708 --> 00:36:46,417
really everything's
on the line.

738
00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:52,417
[dramatic music]

739
00:36:52,500 --> 00:36:59,417
♪ ♪

740
00:37:02,958 --> 00:37:06,042
- Isaias has been waiting
for this opportunity

741
00:37:06,167 --> 00:37:07,917
since the day he was arrested.

742
00:37:08,042 --> 00:37:10,833
The jury needed to hear him
say what happened.

743
00:37:10,917 --> 00:37:14,583
[narrator] The defense
calls Isaias to the stand.

744
00:37:14,708 --> 00:37:16,500
- I wanted them
to get a picture

745
00:37:16,583 --> 00:37:19,125
as to what his relationship
looked like with Monica.

746
00:37:19,208 --> 00:37:26,208
♪ ♪

747
00:37:26,375 --> 00:37:27,917
[John]
He testified

748
00:37:28,042 --> 00:37:30,250
that they'd been
drinking heavily all night.

749
00:37:30,375 --> 00:37:32,750
They got
into a previous car crash,

750
00:37:32,875 --> 00:37:34,333
where he was driving,

751
00:37:34,375 --> 00:37:38,000
where he went
into a concrete gutter,

752
00:37:38,042 --> 00:37:39,583
and the car got stuck,

753
00:37:39,708 --> 00:37:42,292
and he was somehow able
to reverse and get out of it.

754
00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:46,083
Hearing about this first
accident was news to me.

755
00:37:46,167 --> 00:37:47,542
- The initial accident
in this case

756
00:37:47,667 --> 00:37:49,500
was extremely important
for the jury to hear about

757
00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:52,167
because there was
a plausible reason

758
00:37:52,292 --> 00:37:54,667
that could have caused bruises
on Monica's body

759
00:37:54,750 --> 00:37:55,833
that same night

760
00:37:55,875 --> 00:37:58,625
that was unrelated to anything
Isaias did.

761
00:37:58,708 --> 00:38:00,000
♪ ♪

762
00:38:00,125 --> 00:38:04,167
[John] And then he stuck
with the seat belt story.

763
00:38:04,292 --> 00:38:06,917
Monica was driving.

764
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,833
And they crashed into a pond.

765
00:38:09,917 --> 00:38:13,083
He's struggling to try
to unbuckle the seat belt,

766
00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:15,667
and so he grabs a small knife

767
00:38:15,792 --> 00:38:20,000
and starts trying to saw
the seat belt to get her free.

768
00:38:20,125 --> 00:38:21,500
And he didn't cut
the seat belt.

769
00:38:21,583 --> 00:38:23,667
He eventually got
the car unbuckled.

770
00:38:23,875 --> 00:38:25,708
And they ended up
escaping that way.

771
00:38:25,875 --> 00:38:27,958
[Greg] He was able to paint
a pretty good picture

772
00:38:28,083 --> 00:38:29,458
from his memory.

773
00:38:29,542 --> 00:38:31,667
Here was somebody
who was highly inebriated,

774
00:38:31,833 --> 00:38:35,875
highly afraid, in pitch-black
in the middle of a cold pond.

775
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,375
♪ ♪

776
00:38:37,458 --> 00:38:39,500
That is not
the perfect scenario

777
00:38:39,625 --> 00:38:42,583
to exercise
any kind of precision.

778
00:38:42,667 --> 00:38:44,875
And because of that,
we had a tragedy.

779
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,458
♪ ♪

780
00:38:46,542 --> 00:38:49,292
[narrator]
But on cross-examination...

781
00:38:49,417 --> 00:38:51,167
- His story didn't add up.

782
00:38:51,333 --> 00:38:53,458
He tried to make it seem
like this prior accident

783
00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:56,500
is what caused
these extensive injuries.

784
00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:58,625
♪ ♪

785
00:38:58,708 --> 00:39:01,167
But there was no damage
to the vehicle,

786
00:39:01,250 --> 00:39:02,708
besides the front bumper.

787
00:39:02,875 --> 00:39:06,833
And the only blood found
was in this clearing

788
00:39:06,875 --> 00:39:09,750
that was secluded,
where her clothes were.

789
00:39:09,833 --> 00:39:11,792
There's also
the fact that there was

790
00:39:11,917 --> 00:39:15,125
a female flip-flop
found on the passenger side,

791
00:39:15,125 --> 00:39:16,250
not the driver's side.

792
00:39:16,375 --> 00:39:18,000
In Isaias' testimony,

793
00:39:18,083 --> 00:39:21,375
he claimed that she
was driving at that point.

794
00:39:21,458 --> 00:39:23,458
He got pretty worked up,

795
00:39:23,542 --> 00:39:25,750
and he tried to have
an answer for everything.

796
00:39:25,833 --> 00:39:28,750
His story
just didn't make sense.

797
00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:32,000
[narrator] Both sides
give closing statements.

798
00:39:32,042 --> 00:39:33,333
♪ ♪

799
00:39:33,417 --> 00:39:36,375
And the jury begins
deliberations.

800
00:39:36,458 --> 00:39:39,750
- Just waiting and not
knowing what was going on

801
00:39:39,875 --> 00:39:42,000
and what are they going
to take in consideration.

802
00:39:42,125 --> 00:39:46,167
♪ ♪

803
00:39:46,250 --> 00:39:47,625
- It was nerve-racking,
you know,

804
00:39:47,708 --> 00:39:49,875
because you never know
what's going to happen.

805
00:39:49,958 --> 00:39:51,250
♪ ♪

806
00:39:51,333 --> 00:39:54,000
[narrator] Four hours later,
the verdict.

807
00:39:54,083 --> 00:39:56,333
♪ ♪

808
00:39:56,417 --> 00:39:58,542
- They determined
he was guilty

809
00:39:58,625 --> 00:40:00,250
on second-degree murder.

810
00:40:00,333 --> 00:40:03,542
♪ ♪

811
00:40:03,625 --> 00:40:05,083
[John]
What I take from that verdict

812
00:40:05,167 --> 00:40:09,167
is that the jury clearly
didn't believe his story.

813
00:40:09,208 --> 00:40:10,417
♪ ♪

814
00:40:10,542 --> 00:40:12,625
They did believe
that the intoxication

815
00:40:12,708 --> 00:40:14,833
played a role in it.

816
00:40:14,917 --> 00:40:16,167
And they thought

817
00:40:16,333 --> 00:40:18,458
that the punishment
should be severe,

818
00:40:18,583 --> 00:40:21,000
and so they gave him
the maximum punishment

819
00:40:21,083 --> 00:40:22,333
on murder in the second degree.

820
00:40:22,458 --> 00:40:24,667
♪ ♪

821
00:40:24,708 --> 00:40:26,583
- When the jury
recommended life,

822
00:40:26,667 --> 00:40:30,208
his father very audibly
could just wail in sadness,

823
00:40:30,292 --> 00:40:32,500
and so could his mother.

824
00:40:32,625 --> 00:40:36,417
You could hear in their voices,
they had lost their son.

825
00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:37,833
♪ ♪

826
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:38,958
[Cassandra]
You still have your son.

827
00:40:39,083 --> 00:40:40,292
[Rosa] Exactly.

828
00:40:40,542 --> 00:40:42,833
- You can still call him.
You can still go visit him.

829
00:40:42,917 --> 00:40:45,708
We can't do that
with my sister.

830
00:40:45,792 --> 00:40:48,833
We can't hear her voice
no more.

831
00:40:48,917 --> 00:40:50,708
- Isaias's case was one
of those ones

832
00:40:50,792 --> 00:40:52,417
that will stick with me
kind of forever.

833
00:40:52,500 --> 00:40:55,667
I do believe him when he
tells me what happened.

834
00:40:55,792 --> 00:40:57,750
I've represented people
who were guilty as sin,

835
00:40:57,875 --> 00:40:59,167
and I knew it,

836
00:40:59,208 --> 00:41:01,417
and I don't feel that I'm sure
of that in this case.

837
00:41:01,500 --> 00:41:08,667
♪ ♪

838
00:41:10,542 --> 00:41:15,042
- We'll never know exactly
why what happened happened,

839
00:41:15,125 --> 00:41:18,917
but I think that the impact
is that Monica's family

840
00:41:19,042 --> 00:41:23,167
and children are going
to grow up missing her,

841
00:41:23,292 --> 00:41:26,333
and she's going to be gone
for the rest of their lives.

842
00:41:26,458 --> 00:41:29,708
♪ ♪

843
00:41:29,792 --> 00:41:32,208
[narrator]
A year after the verdict...

844
00:41:32,292 --> 00:41:33,958
♪ ♪

845
00:41:34,042 --> 00:41:38,625
- There's people who are lost,
and they tend to trust people.

846
00:41:38,708 --> 00:41:41,417
This is what happened
in this case.

847
00:41:41,500 --> 00:41:43,833
She met somebody,

848
00:41:43,958 --> 00:41:47,083
and she thought
maybe she could trust him,

849
00:41:47,208 --> 00:41:49,000
and it was not
the right person.

850
00:41:49,125 --> 00:41:50,750
♪ ♪

851
00:41:50,875 --> 00:41:54,458
- Just to know that she
was there all by herself

852
00:41:54,542 --> 00:41:57,333
and wasn't surrounded by
anybody who cared about her,

853
00:41:57,417 --> 00:41:58,625
who loved her,

854
00:41:58,708 --> 00:42:00,667
and I guess, in a way,

855
00:42:00,750 --> 00:42:02,958
that still kind of messes
with me, you know?

856
00:42:03,042 --> 00:42:05,167
[sniffles]
But at the same time,

857
00:42:05,250 --> 00:42:07,000
I mean, I can't dwell on that.

858
00:42:07,083 --> 00:42:08,958
♪ ♪

859
00:42:08,958 --> 00:42:11,500
[Rosa] My brother-in-law
and my sister Cassandra

860
00:42:11,583 --> 00:42:13,750
have planted a tree
in the backyard.

861
00:42:13,833 --> 00:42:14,750
♪ ♪

862
00:42:14,833 --> 00:42:17,250
It was something
to remember her by.

863
00:42:17,375 --> 00:42:20,750
- A lot of butterflies come
over here and sometimes birds.

864
00:42:20,875 --> 00:42:23,208
I think we just wanted
to get something really pretty

865
00:42:23,292 --> 00:42:24,542
to remember her by.

866
00:42:24,625 --> 00:42:26,458
I said, this is Monica.

867
00:42:26,458 --> 00:42:27,625
♪ ♪

868
00:42:27,708 --> 00:42:29,542
I'll just come in here
and sit sometimes.

869
00:42:29,667 --> 00:42:31,292
And we got that angel.
[Rosa] Angel.

870
00:42:31,375 --> 00:42:34,375
[Cassandra] You know, I think
when family members pass,

871
00:42:34,375 --> 00:42:36,750
they do watch from afar.

872
00:42:36,833 --> 00:42:38,667
I just kind of take peace in,

873
00:42:38,792 --> 00:42:40,583
she's no longer here
suffering in pain.

874
00:42:40,708 --> 00:42:42,708
She's somewhere peaceful.

875
00:42:42,833 --> 00:42:43,833
♪ ♪