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[Lara] There's Kira, throwing
her arms up in the air,
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00:00:14,515 --> 00:00:17,716
because, of course, she did
like to always be on camera.
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00:00:19,886 --> 00:00:21,387
There's my mom.
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And there's my son.
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[Kira speaking]
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00:00:26,293 --> 00:00:30,963
Aw, baby Vincent.
He was such a cutie.
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00:00:32,065 --> 00:00:35,534
We were so excited to have
another one in the family.
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00:00:38,171 --> 00:00:41,473
You just never think something
like that, so atrocious,
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00:00:41,475 --> 00:00:43,308
is gonna affect your family.
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[siren wailing]
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00:00:48,114 --> 00:00:53,452
You could never imagine,
in your wildest dreams...
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00:00:53,454 --> 00:00:57,356
that evil would have
touched your life like that.
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There's just gonna
be a big gaping hole...
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00:01:03,130 --> 00:01:06,131
missing from
our family now, that's all.
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[theme music playing]
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[Leslie Simonian] I got married
on June 29, 1991, in Niles, Illinois,
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00:01:34,728 --> 00:01:38,831
which is right next to
our hometown of Park Ridge,
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and it was super,
super-hot that day.
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Oh, crazy big dress
coming out with me.
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Very strange to be on a camera.
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[man 1 speaking]
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00:02:13,166 --> 00:02:16,268
[narrator] Leslie's proud
parents, Raffe and Ferryl,
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00:02:16,270 --> 00:02:19,104
have front row seats
to watch the ceremony.
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It was definitely a big wedding.
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I had six bridesmaids,
including maid of honor.
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[narrator] Two of the
bridesmaids are Leslie's sisters,
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21-year old Lara...
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and 16-year-old Kira.
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[Leslie] We had all
the things we do here,
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00:03:01,882 --> 00:03:04,116
where there's a cake,
there's a garter toss,
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there's a bouquet toss,
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00:03:05,486 --> 00:03:07,920
my best friend
practically killed everyone,
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00:03:07,922 --> 00:03:09,688
trying to get the bouquet!
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00:03:10,924 --> 00:03:13,091
It was just...
it was a fun day.
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00:03:13,093 --> 00:03:14,927
It was a lot of fun.
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00:03:14,929 --> 00:03:19,264
Taking those photos
with Kira and Lara,
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00:03:19,266 --> 00:03:21,567
and, you know, anybody else
who might've been there,
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00:03:21,569 --> 00:03:26,238
but it was great taking the
photos with the sisters the most.
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00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,742
[applauding]
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00:03:41,154 --> 00:03:44,089
We grew up in Park Ridge,
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00:03:44,091 --> 00:03:50,729
and it was a very middle-class
childhood, very normal.
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00:03:50,731 --> 00:03:53,098
We spent
all the holidays together,
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we'd get together
for people's birthdays.
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00:03:56,070 --> 00:03:59,137
We were definitely
a close-knit family.
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00:04:02,075 --> 00:04:06,445
[Lara] My sister, Leslie, you know,
she may recollect differently, heh.
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00:04:06,447 --> 00:04:11,516
But I feel like she was the
more quiet one in the bunch,
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00:04:11,518 --> 00:04:13,552
a little bit more introverted.
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00:04:13,554 --> 00:04:17,356
I feel like,
me being the middle child,
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00:04:17,358 --> 00:04:22,294
I was probably very friendly,
outgoing person,
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00:04:22,296 --> 00:04:24,830
I could pretty much
get along with anyone,
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00:04:24,832 --> 00:04:27,466
and start a conversation
with anyone.
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00:04:27,468 --> 00:04:31,970
And, as far as Kira,
she was always very unique,
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00:04:31,972 --> 00:04:36,875
and I can remember specifically
pictures of her wearing my mom's wigs,
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00:04:36,877 --> 00:04:40,646
as she was riding her tricycle.
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00:04:40,648 --> 00:04:45,117
She seemed confident, and,
uh, bubbly, and energetic.
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00:04:46,252 --> 00:04:50,956
[crowd applauding]
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00:04:50,958 --> 00:04:53,458
[narrator] Leslie,
Lara, and Kira all joined
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00:04:53,460 --> 00:04:58,030
the International Order of the
Rainbow for Girls during their teens.
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00:05:00,566 --> 00:05:06,171
[Lara] It was an organization
for girls the ages of 12 to 20.
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00:05:06,173 --> 00:05:08,840
And the purpose
of the youth group
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00:05:08,842 --> 00:05:13,879
was really about leadership
and philanthropy.
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00:05:13,881 --> 00:05:18,917
One of the things we did was
we had cheerleading competitions,
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00:05:18,919 --> 00:05:20,485
or pom-pom competitions.
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00:05:20,487 --> 00:05:23,555
[crowd applauding]
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00:05:23,557 --> 00:05:27,392
[narrator] That's Kira, front
and center, leading the troupe.
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00:05:27,394 --> 00:05:30,929
The routines that we created,
we created them together,
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00:05:30,931 --> 00:05:33,865
and we worked so hard
to perfect them.
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And, so, to spend all that
time together, it was really fun.
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00:05:40,940 --> 00:05:42,974
[crowd applauding]
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00:05:42,976 --> 00:05:45,277
[Leslie] Kira was
just naturally gifted.
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00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,181
She could pick up on things
right away,
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00:05:49,183 --> 00:05:52,951
and in the cheerleading
she's just... she's just so good.
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It's like everybody else
is kind of like okay
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00:05:55,522 --> 00:05:57,723
compared to her
and her long legs.
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00:05:57,725 --> 00:06:01,093
[woman 1 speaking]
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00:06:06,766 --> 00:06:10,068
[narrator] Kira proves herself
to be a natural leader.
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00:06:10,070 --> 00:06:12,204
You could become the
president of that organization,
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00:06:12,206 --> 00:06:14,206
and Kira joined when she was 12,
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00:06:14,208 --> 00:06:17,409
and I think she was 15
when she became president,
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00:06:17,411 --> 00:06:21,380
and for her to step up
and do this was really great.
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00:06:26,953 --> 00:06:29,688
[narrator] In this video,
Kira is the lead flag bearer
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00:06:29,690 --> 00:06:33,258
for a community event to raise
money for children's hospitals.
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[Leslie] I definitely would say the Rainbow
years made us more service-orientated,
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00:06:40,601 --> 00:06:45,337
and even tapped into
our family ideals
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00:06:45,339 --> 00:06:48,206
of taking care of people
even more.
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00:06:48,208 --> 00:06:50,375
[all singing]
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00:06:54,947 --> 00:06:59,284
[Lara] I remember
the organization very fondly.
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00:07:00,486 --> 00:07:05,957
It made us more confident
speaking in public, and being leaders,
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00:07:05,959 --> 00:07:10,896
and it also taught us
the importance of charity.
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00:07:10,898 --> 00:07:12,964
But it was also about fun.
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00:07:16,169 --> 00:07:20,372
[narrator] Kira grows into a
smart and confident teenager.
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00:07:20,374 --> 00:07:23,375
[Leslie] She was
just brilliant, period.
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00:07:23,377 --> 00:07:27,879
She won student of the month
awards for math and science,
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00:07:27,881 --> 00:07:33,718
and she didn't even really
study for classes, and still got A's.
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00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,088
[Lara] She was on the honor
roll both her junior and senior year,
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00:07:37,090 --> 00:07:41,426
and she was also
assisting other students.
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00:07:41,428 --> 00:07:45,030
So, uh, not only was she
getting great grades,
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00:07:45,032 --> 00:07:47,265
but she also was
giving back to others.
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00:07:49,802 --> 00:07:54,005
[Leslie] Kira liked art
in school very much.
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00:07:54,007 --> 00:07:56,775
She was always doing
the cool art projects.
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00:07:57,977 --> 00:08:01,780
[Lara] For her, it was really
about her own creativity.
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00:08:01,782 --> 00:08:04,516
She started to develop
her own artistic talent,
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00:08:04,518 --> 00:08:10,922
and you could see that
she had a very creative style
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that wasn't necessarily
influenced by any schooling.
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She was kind of a maverick,
you know.
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Certain things that other kids
would be dying to do or participate in,
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00:08:25,572 --> 00:08:29,241
because it was the popular
thing to do, you know,
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she would do the opposite.
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00:08:32,246 --> 00:08:33,979
Not in a troublesome
sort of way,
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00:08:33,981 --> 00:08:36,748
but just more in
a pioneering sort of way.
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00:08:39,151 --> 00:08:43,088
[jazzy dance music playing]
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[narrator]
Fast-forward to 1991,
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00:08:51,532 --> 00:08:55,100
and Leslie's wedding party
is in full swing.
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00:08:59,739 --> 00:09:03,542
[Leslie] Oh, my crazy parents,
my dad is dancing!
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00:09:04,677 --> 00:09:06,378
This is a miracle!
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00:09:17,456 --> 00:09:19,357
[narrator] The videographer
sets up a camera
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00:09:19,359 --> 00:09:22,494
for guests to record messages
for the newlyweds.
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00:09:25,531 --> 00:09:30,101
Kira was the very first person on
the video to give advice at the end.
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Oh, there's my girl.
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00:09:47,987 --> 00:09:50,088
She's so awkward!
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00:09:53,993 --> 00:09:58,430
[narrator] Leslie and her husband
Dan moved to Texas to start a family.
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00:10:02,101 --> 00:10:04,970
Lara pursues a career
in teaching.
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00:10:06,472 --> 00:10:09,474
And Kira chases her dream
of becoming an artist
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00:10:09,476 --> 00:10:12,010
when she graduates
from high school.
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00:10:12,945 --> 00:10:16,414
[Lara] She went to
the Art Institute of Chicago,
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00:10:16,416 --> 00:10:20,619
where she began to kind of
develop her style even more.
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00:10:22,888 --> 00:10:27,292
[Leslie] She wanted to be
a professor in art.
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00:10:28,194 --> 00:10:30,328
I don't think
I was amazed or anything,
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00:10:30,330 --> 00:10:33,398
because I wouldn't expect
any less of her.
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00:10:46,178 --> 00:10:48,046
After I graduated from college,
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00:10:48,048 --> 00:10:53,385
I was away in Texas for
a number of years, teaching,
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and in 1998,
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00:10:56,256 --> 00:11:01,292
I decided to relocate
back to Chicago.
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00:11:01,294 --> 00:11:05,864
And I was going to be moving in
with my parents, just until I got a job,
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00:11:05,866 --> 00:11:09,634
and the minute I had that job I
was then going to move in with Kira.
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00:11:12,371 --> 00:11:15,640
She took her creativity,
you know, into college,
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and got her undergraduate
degree from DePaul University
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00:11:21,782 --> 00:11:24,249
as a graphic designer.
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00:11:24,251 --> 00:11:29,087
But she knew she did not want to
be a graphic designer indefinitely.
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00:11:32,558 --> 00:11:38,797
Um, so, that is why she was
pursuing her own personal art,
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00:11:38,799 --> 00:11:40,999
and selling that, as well.
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I met my husband
when I was with my sister.
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00:11:50,343 --> 00:11:56,047
And because she really
loved him like a brother,
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she painted us a picture.
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We call it The Gemini Twins.
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00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:07,859
It's a rather large portrait, you know,
2' by 4', that hangs behind our bed.
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00:12:07,861 --> 00:12:10,895
It had to have taken her
a really long time.
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00:12:10,897 --> 00:12:13,298
Uh, the fact that she was
able to keep a secret from me,
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00:12:13,300 --> 00:12:16,167
was really interesting, too.
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00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:18,837
It's really meant
to represent him and I,
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00:12:18,839 --> 00:12:24,843
because she perceived our
relationship as a very strong relationship,
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00:12:24,845 --> 00:12:27,979
and, um, just wanted
to give that to us as a gift.
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00:12:29,615 --> 00:12:32,250
[narrator] Not long after
she finishes this painting,
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00:12:32,252 --> 00:12:34,686
Kira finds a love of her own.
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00:12:39,125 --> 00:12:44,095
[Lara] Kira and Matt met
January of 2000.
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00:12:48,267 --> 00:12:50,235
They met at a party.
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00:12:51,437 --> 00:12:54,172
It was just, like,
a casual gathering, and...
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00:12:56,342 --> 00:12:59,410
You know, they started dating
shortly after.
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00:13:01,013 --> 00:13:04,983
[narrator] 25-year-old Matthew
Gretz comes from Wisconsin.
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00:13:06,552 --> 00:13:11,222
He works in marketing for one
of Chicago's largest newspapers.
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00:13:11,224 --> 00:13:14,926
[Leslie] He was pretty quiet,
and always a little awkward.
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00:13:14,928 --> 00:13:17,695
He was a little bit
of a nerdy boy.
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00:13:19,331 --> 00:13:21,599
But he seemed nice enough.
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[Lara] He was kind of the
opposite of her, you know,
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00:13:25,238 --> 00:13:30,275
she was artistic, uh,
cultured, unique,
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00:13:30,277 --> 00:13:34,012
um, always, kind of,
marching to her own beat.
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00:13:34,014 --> 00:13:37,882
And he was more
of the business executive.
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00:13:37,884 --> 00:13:40,752
You know, with like
the button-down shirts.
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00:13:40,754 --> 00:13:45,490
He wasn't really somebody that
screamed, like, "Culture," you know, at me,
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00:13:45,492 --> 00:13:48,827
but, um...
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00:13:48,829 --> 00:13:51,696
I don't know, they started to
date, and they seemed happy.
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00:13:54,233 --> 00:13:57,502
[Leslie] I do think
what drew them to each other
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00:13:57,504 --> 00:14:00,538
was they did both have a
little quirky sense of humor.
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00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:02,574
[chuckles]
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00:14:04,510 --> 00:14:07,078
[Kira speaking]
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00:14:08,380 --> 00:14:10,548
[Kira laughs]
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00:14:15,254 --> 00:14:18,389
[narrator]
In October 2002, in Las Vegas,
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00:14:18,391 --> 00:14:22,160
Kira's sister Lara
ties the knot with Mark.
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00:14:31,203 --> 00:14:33,838
[narrator] There's speculation
that Kira and Matt could be next.
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00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,940
[crowd applauds]
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00:14:35,942 --> 00:14:40,211
They now live together, and Matt
is a regular at family gatherings.
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00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,023
[Leslie] We'd always have everyone
around the table a couple of times a year,
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00:14:52,025 --> 00:14:57,795
with Christmas, Thanksgiving,
and maybe the January birthdays.
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00:14:57,797 --> 00:15:00,265
[Kira speaking]
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00:15:09,074 --> 00:15:12,710
[Leslie] Everybody but
me and Lara is born then.
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00:15:14,813 --> 00:15:19,484
[Lara] My mom's birthday
was January 2,
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00:15:19,486 --> 00:15:22,020
and my dad's birthday
was January 5,
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00:15:22,022 --> 00:15:23,521
and when you add
those two together,
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00:15:23,523 --> 00:15:27,125
you get January 7,
and that was Kira's birthday.
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00:15:27,127 --> 00:15:32,363
So, whenever we were together,
at these family functions,
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00:15:32,365 --> 00:15:36,901
you know, once Kira and Matt
met, they were always together.
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00:15:36,903 --> 00:15:40,138
[Leslie] Matthew was
just one of the crew.
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00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:43,141
He was there, again,
he was a little awkward,
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00:15:43,143 --> 00:15:46,844
but, you know, we
welcomed him into the family,
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00:15:46,846 --> 00:15:51,215
and treated him like he was
our brother, so to speak.
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00:15:56,789 --> 00:16:00,792
[Leslie] My parents were
just very welcoming people.
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00:16:00,794 --> 00:16:05,096
If you were in a close circle,
and lived with one of our kids,
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00:16:05,098 --> 00:16:09,567
or got married to them,
you were part of our family.
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00:16:23,916 --> 00:16:26,317
[Leslie] They'd been
going out for a while,
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00:16:26,319 --> 00:16:29,821
and they took
a little trip to Italy,
201
00:16:29,823 --> 00:16:32,256
and he proposed,
all romantic, over there,
202
00:16:32,258 --> 00:16:35,293
he asked for my dad's permission
203
00:16:35,295 --> 00:16:39,030
to take her hand in marriage
before he did it.
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00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,135
[Lara] He proposed to her in
what might be considered like,
205
00:16:44,137 --> 00:16:45,670
typically the right way.
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00:16:45,672 --> 00:16:48,906
You know, where it was
in a public place,
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00:16:48,908 --> 00:16:53,044
and, you know, he had brought the
ring, and he got down on his knee,
208
00:16:53,046 --> 00:16:55,913
and, you know,
did it in front of people.
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00:16:55,915 --> 00:17:00,018
I remember thinking
that she was lucky.
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00:17:00,020 --> 00:17:02,020
[Leslie] It was very
nice and romantic,
211
00:17:02,022 --> 00:17:05,857
that he did everything,
you know, the proper way.
212
00:17:05,859 --> 00:17:10,028
And did that
on a nice trip for her,
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00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:13,498
and she was happy,
so we're happy.
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00:17:23,442 --> 00:17:28,679
It's like a natural evolution, to
have him become part of the family,
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00:17:28,681 --> 00:17:31,849
when they'd been together,
and living together,
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00:17:31,851 --> 00:17:35,253
and setting up a life together.
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00:17:39,058 --> 00:17:42,994
[Lara] But there were problems
in their relationship at that time.
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00:17:46,865 --> 00:17:52,070
She found pornography
that Matt had.
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00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:57,909
And, um,
she confronted him about it,
220
00:17:57,911 --> 00:18:01,279
and was never really happy
with his response.
221
00:18:02,114 --> 00:18:05,316
7 Kira took it
as an affront to herself,
222
00:18:05,318 --> 00:18:07,251
that he had this porn
on the computer.
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00:18:07,253 --> 00:18:09,387
He went out of his way
to hide it.
224
00:18:11,457 --> 00:18:15,026
But he'd said, you know,
he would get rid of it.
225
00:18:20,065 --> 00:18:23,134
[narrator] Kira and Matt
put the incident behind them.
226
00:18:25,971 --> 00:18:29,273
They marry on June 6, 2004.
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00:18:30,409 --> 00:18:34,245
[Leslie] It was a gorgeous
day, it was sunny, bright.
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00:18:34,247 --> 00:18:38,382
It was a lovely, lovely day,
everybody had a great time.
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00:18:39,418 --> 00:18:43,054
[Lara] Kira looked amazing
in her wedding dress.
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00:18:44,056 --> 00:18:46,290
She did look like an angel,
you know?
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00:18:46,825 --> 00:18:49,861
A dark angel. [laughs]
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00:18:49,863 --> 00:18:53,965
[Leslie] She'd found this guy who
she got along with really great...
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00:18:54,700 --> 00:18:58,402
and it was...
it was very sweet to me,
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00:18:58,404 --> 00:19:02,240
being her big sister,
to watch her get married.
235
00:19:04,109 --> 00:19:07,512
[Lara] I was happy for her,
that she had found somebody
236
00:19:07,514 --> 00:19:12,283
who she felt that she could
start a new life with,
237
00:19:12,285 --> 00:19:18,055
somebody who seemed like they
wanted her to be successful,
238
00:19:18,057 --> 00:19:20,691
and appreciated who she was.
239
00:19:20,693 --> 00:19:22,426
She was always very creative.
240
00:19:22,428 --> 00:19:26,464
She knew that it was essential
in her development as an artist,
241
00:19:26,466 --> 00:19:29,901
that she had to take
whatever required courses,
242
00:19:29,903 --> 00:19:34,105
and a few years after Kira
and Matt had the wedding,
243
00:19:34,107 --> 00:19:38,576
she was accepted to the
Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
244
00:19:40,145 --> 00:19:44,081
[Leslie] I was very happy that
she was getting to go to a school
245
00:19:44,083 --> 00:19:47,552
to pursue her passion,
and do what she wanted to do,
246
00:19:47,554 --> 00:19:50,454
even if she had to be
eight hours away from us.
247
00:20:08,941 --> 00:20:11,108
[Lara] September 2006.
248
00:20:11,110 --> 00:20:13,578
Kira and Matt moved
to Minneapolis.
249
00:20:23,055 --> 00:20:27,758
The virtual tour that Kira and
Matt created was hysterical.
250
00:20:29,261 --> 00:20:32,930
I definitely think that they
produced that, or made it,
251
00:20:32,932 --> 00:20:35,132
so that people
would come and visit,
252
00:20:35,134 --> 00:20:38,035
and they had a lot of visitors
that first year.
253
00:20:38,037 --> 00:20:40,238
[Kira]
And here's the dining room.
254
00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:45,009
[Lara] Kira was at MCAD, the
Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
255
00:20:45,011 --> 00:20:46,744
[Kira speaking]
256
00:20:46,746 --> 00:20:48,346
[all laugh]
257
00:20:48,348 --> 00:20:50,114
[Matt speaking]
258
00:20:50,116 --> 00:20:56,487
[Leslie] Matt was very supportive
of Kira going for her Master's.
259
00:20:56,489 --> 00:21:00,258
Not very many guys would have
done something like that that I know of.
260
00:21:00,260 --> 00:21:03,461
Most men are very focused
on their career,
261
00:21:03,463 --> 00:21:05,896
and staying and
going where they want,
262
00:21:05,898 --> 00:21:10,534
instead of following a wife,
to pursue what she wanted.
263
00:21:10,969 --> 00:21:13,504
[Kira speaking]
264
00:21:15,307 --> 00:21:18,209
[Leslie] Matthew had
no problem whatsoever
265
00:21:18,211 --> 00:21:21,979
getting a new job
as a high-level executive
266
00:21:21,981 --> 00:21:24,282
in a marketing department
of a big firm.
267
00:21:24,284 --> 00:21:27,318
It was simple for him,
he was very smart,
268
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,988
Kira was very happy that
he got that position,
269
00:21:30,990 --> 00:21:35,660
and they wouldn't have to be worrying
about their income when they moved.
270
00:21:39,364 --> 00:21:44,135
It was near by campus, but
it was a little bit on the edge
271
00:21:44,137 --> 00:21:47,171
of where it wasn't
as great of a neighborhood,
272
00:21:47,173 --> 00:21:50,041
so that they could
live more frugally.
273
00:21:53,378 --> 00:21:58,049
[narrator] Kira throws herself into
her work, and her effort pays off.
274
00:21:59,017 --> 00:22:01,352
[Kira speaking]
275
00:22:18,070 --> 00:22:23,107
[Leslie] It made me happy that
Kira was getting to do all her art,
276
00:22:23,109 --> 00:22:25,443
and having people
admire her stuff.
277
00:22:25,445 --> 00:22:28,412
She was trying to evolve
as an artist,
278
00:22:28,414 --> 00:22:32,083
and not just always
do the same thing.
279
00:22:32,085 --> 00:22:36,020
[Lara] There's no guarantee that
you'll be successful as an artist.
280
00:22:36,022 --> 00:22:39,090
But then, I never doubted her
for a second.
281
00:22:39,092 --> 00:22:42,660
I always knew that
she would be special.
282
00:22:55,207 --> 00:22:59,310
[Det. Anne Kjos] Matt and Kira's
apartment had maintenance issues.
283
00:22:59,312 --> 00:23:04,215
And when maintenance arrived, she
found a chair under one of the windows,
284
00:23:04,217 --> 00:23:05,983
and the screen is all askew.
285
00:23:10,222 --> 00:23:14,759
She needed to fix the screen
from the interior,
286
00:23:14,761 --> 00:23:18,629
'cause she couldn't do it from
the exterior of the apartment.
287
00:23:20,098 --> 00:23:23,200
She entered the apartment,
288
00:23:23,202 --> 00:23:26,404
but immediately
came to an obstruction
289
00:23:26,406 --> 00:23:28,973
that wouldn't allow her
to open the door completely.
290
00:23:29,975 --> 00:23:32,076
When she looked in, she saw...
291
00:23:33,345 --> 00:23:36,514
Kira, laying on the floor.
292
00:23:36,516 --> 00:23:41,185
There was blood all over
her body, and all around her,
293
00:23:41,187 --> 00:23:45,055
and she immediately exited
the building and called 911.
294
00:23:46,892 --> 00:23:49,427
[siren wailing]
295
00:23:51,062 --> 00:23:54,331
There were some bloodstains
within the kitchen area.
296
00:23:58,804 --> 00:24:03,741
There's a bedroom,
where Kira had been sleeping,
297
00:24:03,743 --> 00:24:05,643
and there was some blood
in that room.
298
00:24:06,478 --> 00:24:09,880
And then,
out into the living room area,
299
00:24:09,882 --> 00:24:13,951
Kira was on the floor
in the living room,
300
00:24:13,953 --> 00:24:18,088
and there was a bloody hammer
and a knife next to her,
301
00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:20,324
and then she was covered
in blood.
302
00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,062
So, the attack, to me,
was extremely violent.
303
00:24:25,064 --> 00:24:27,932
It appeared to be very brutal.
304
00:24:27,934 --> 00:24:30,234
And it looked like
the victim had struggled.
305
00:24:31,503 --> 00:24:33,604
It's absolutely shocking.
306
00:24:33,606 --> 00:24:36,006
When you use an object
to hit somebody,
307
00:24:36,008 --> 00:24:38,576
as the weapon comes back,
308
00:24:38,578 --> 00:24:42,980
you get this splatter on the
walls and the surrounding area.
309
00:24:42,982 --> 00:24:45,883
It was quite disturbed, there
was a mirror knocked down,
310
00:24:45,885 --> 00:24:48,085
the rugs were all messed up.
311
00:24:48,087 --> 00:24:50,321
The blood was swiped.
312
00:24:52,424 --> 00:24:55,993
The cabinets were white,
and you could see the battle,
313
00:24:55,995 --> 00:25:02,566
the swiping would be of a hand trying to
protect themselves, and try to get away.
314
00:25:03,735 --> 00:25:05,569
You can tell she fought,
315
00:25:05,571 --> 00:25:09,139
and you could tell from the
scene that that's what she did.
316
00:25:09,141 --> 00:25:11,242
She fought for her life.
317
00:25:15,046 --> 00:25:19,116
[phone ringing]
318
00:25:23,121 --> 00:25:24,989
[Lara] It was just so surreal.
319
00:25:24,991 --> 00:25:30,794
You know, the police were
telling me that Kira was dead.
320
00:25:30,796 --> 00:25:34,198
I just remember saying, you
know, "Don't tell me, don't tell me."
321
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:38,636
Like, I just, I didn't want to
hear it, but I kind of knew...
322
00:25:38,638 --> 00:25:41,805
you know, that it was true,
but I also didn't want to hear it.
323
00:25:41,807 --> 00:25:44,475
All I knew was that...
324
00:25:44,477 --> 00:25:48,445
Yeah, you know, somehow
the impossible was true.
325
00:25:52,183 --> 00:25:54,318
[Leslie]
Lara called me, and...
326
00:25:57,188 --> 00:25:59,256
Everybody was upset.
327
00:26:06,898 --> 00:26:09,033
[Kari] We were looking
at that window,
328
00:26:09,035 --> 00:26:12,403
to figure out whether or not
that was an access point
329
00:26:12,405 --> 00:26:15,806
that would have been used to
gain entry into the apartment.
330
00:26:15,808 --> 00:26:17,207
[camera clicking]
331
00:26:17,209 --> 00:26:21,478
There was a plastic lawn chair
under the window,
332
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:28,052
and they observed that the screen
on the window was ajar, it was bent.
333
00:26:29,487 --> 00:26:32,957
[Det. Ann] Where that window
was, there was an empty space,
334
00:26:32,959 --> 00:26:37,328
and that's where
Kira's laptop was kept,
335
00:26:37,330 --> 00:26:40,264
and that laptop was missing.
336
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:44,568
Right away you think, Okay,
someone came in through the window,
337
00:26:44,570 --> 00:26:49,173
and we thought that it
could have been a burglary,
338
00:26:49,175 --> 00:26:52,409
or home invasion of some sort.
339
00:26:56,548 --> 00:26:59,316
It was very urgent
to get a hold of Matthew.
340
00:26:59,318 --> 00:27:03,187
We wanted to notify him
of Kira's death,
341
00:27:03,189 --> 00:27:07,958
and we wanted to find out
when he last saw her.
342
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,562
Was she with anybody?
Was she afraid of anybody?
343
00:27:11,564 --> 00:27:14,398
Was anybody stalking her,
from school?
344
00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:19,269
And who else, uh,
might have done this to her?
345
00:27:23,742 --> 00:27:28,846
[Kari] The investigators, they started
trying to contact him while at the scene.
346
00:27:28,848 --> 00:27:32,182
And they were
unable to reach him.
347
00:27:34,953 --> 00:27:38,956
[narrator] Matthew's employer tells detectives
that Matthew was on a business trip,
348
00:27:38,958 --> 00:27:42,059
1,200 miles away
in New York City.
349
00:27:46,331 --> 00:27:47,865
[camera shutter clicks]
350
00:27:50,035 --> 00:27:55,039
[Det. Ann] What always happens at
any kind of scene like this is right away,
351
00:27:55,041 --> 00:27:59,343
you send officers out all
throughout the neighborhood,
352
00:27:59,345 --> 00:28:03,681
to see if anybody heard
anything, or saw anything unusual.
353
00:28:14,959 --> 00:28:19,496
I did learn that the week
before Kira had been killed,
354
00:28:19,498 --> 00:28:24,568
somebody within the neighborhood
reported that there was a Peeping Tom
355
00:28:27,305 --> 00:28:28,772
going throughout
the neighborhood.
356
00:28:31,242 --> 00:28:34,411
I think the community
was very shocked.
357
00:28:35,346 --> 00:28:38,415
A woman at home,
in her bed, sleeping
358
00:28:38,417 --> 00:28:41,785
is killed in the middle
of the night, you know.
359
00:28:41,787 --> 00:28:44,722
We wanted to figure out exactly
who the Peeping Tom was.
360
00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:50,994
I think a lot of people were scared
and upset that this, you know,
361
00:28:50,996 --> 00:28:53,597
type of thing could happen
in their neighborhood.
362
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,409
When we couldn't get a hold of
Matthew on his cell phone,
363
00:29:05,411 --> 00:29:10,447
we were able to find
one of his friends,
364
00:29:10,449 --> 00:29:16,620
and they tell him to call detectives in
Minneapolis, so that's how he finds out.
365
00:29:20,091 --> 00:29:22,993
[narrator] Matt boards
the next flight home.
366
00:29:22,995 --> 00:29:25,996
Police officers meet him
at the airport.
367
00:30:43,107 --> 00:30:49,413
His demeanor was just very calm
throughout the entire conversation.
368
00:30:49,415 --> 00:30:53,016
It struck us as strange.
369
00:30:54,352 --> 00:30:56,720
[Kari]
He doesn't ask about his wife
370
00:30:58,156 --> 00:30:59,756
and how she was killed.
371
00:30:59,758 --> 00:31:02,159
Everybody reacts
to things differently,
372
00:31:02,161 --> 00:31:04,761
but I think one of the biggest
things I would be like, is,
373
00:31:04,763 --> 00:31:06,496
"What happened to her?
374
00:31:06,498 --> 00:31:09,299
What can I do to help you
with the investigation?"
375
00:31:09,301 --> 00:31:12,703
And it didn't seem like
any of that came up.
376
00:31:14,272 --> 00:31:18,408
[narrator] Detectives end the
interview. Matt is free to go.
377
00:31:19,844 --> 00:31:23,780
Members of Kira's family
offer him their support.
378
00:31:23,782 --> 00:31:28,185
[Lara] My husband and I
immediately knew that...
379
00:31:28,187 --> 00:31:34,258
we needed to go to Minneapolis
and meet Matt there...
380
00:31:34,260 --> 00:31:40,764
in order to, you know, support
him, and get him through this.
381
00:31:40,766 --> 00:31:43,767
Because that's what Kira
would have wanted.
382
00:31:49,007 --> 00:31:51,275
[Kari] We were looking
at Kira's window
383
00:31:51,277 --> 00:31:55,879
to determine if somebody had
actually gotten into the apartment.
384
00:31:55,881 --> 00:31:58,515
The windows were dirty
and dusty on the outside.
385
00:31:58,517 --> 00:32:01,218
There was no dust disturbed
on that window.
386
00:32:01,220 --> 00:32:06,757
So it was pretty obvious to us that
nobody came through that window.
387
00:32:08,159 --> 00:32:10,327
[narrator] It's likely that
the killer came and went
388
00:32:10,329 --> 00:32:13,063
through the main door
to the apartment.
389
00:32:13,065 --> 00:32:15,599
And Kira probably knew them.
390
00:32:22,106 --> 00:32:25,242
-Yeah, probably,
-Okay. Okay, thanks.
391
00:32:25,244 --> 00:32:29,446
[narrator] Detectives interview
Matthew Gretz for a second time.
392
00:32:35,119 --> 00:32:37,721
[Det. Ann] We were able to
obtain a search warrant
393
00:32:37,723 --> 00:32:43,260
to basically disrobe him
and check him for injuries.
394
00:32:44,495 --> 00:32:45,963
[camera shutter clicks]
395
00:32:45,965 --> 00:32:53,437
We found bruising on his arm,
his leg had a large scrape...
396
00:32:53,439 --> 00:32:58,241
and other injuries, other
bruising throughout his body.
397
00:33:12,457 --> 00:33:15,859
[narrator] Matt claims that he injured
himself during an emotional outburst
398
00:33:15,861 --> 00:33:18,628
in his hotel room
in New York City.
399
00:33:48,493 --> 00:33:54,364
[Det. Ann] We felt like he was not
being truthful, completely truthful.
400
00:33:55,500 --> 00:33:58,502
As we were communicating
with his employer,
401
00:33:58,504 --> 00:34:02,406
and it's through his employer
that we learned
402
00:34:02,408 --> 00:34:05,909
that at Matt's request,
403
00:34:05,911 --> 00:34:09,513
the employer sent his luggage
to Chicago,
404
00:34:09,515 --> 00:34:12,883
instead of sending it
to Minneapolis.
405
00:34:12,885 --> 00:34:14,418
We thought it was very strange,
406
00:34:14,420 --> 00:34:18,422
he lives in Minneapolis, and
he wants it shipped to Chicago.
407
00:34:23,795 --> 00:34:26,530
Matt's luggage was recovered.
408
00:34:27,832 --> 00:34:31,735
We looked through it and
found some items of clothing.
409
00:34:33,071 --> 00:34:36,173
His clothing articles,
like his watch and ring,
410
00:34:36,175 --> 00:34:39,409
were sent to a lab for testing.
411
00:34:40,978 --> 00:34:43,713
After the second encounter
with the police,
412
00:34:43,715 --> 00:34:48,385
he was very worried that there were
things that could be misunderstood.
413
00:34:48,387 --> 00:34:50,720
He wanted me to know
414
00:34:50,722 --> 00:34:56,960
that it was very clear that these all
had perfectly plausible explanations.
415
00:35:10,475 --> 00:35:13,844
The state lab's forensic
results, the DNA results,
416
00:35:13,846 --> 00:35:18,181
came back the weekend of September
1st and 2nd, Labor Day weekend.
417
00:35:20,051 --> 00:35:25,322
There was DNA blood evidence
found on the inside of his suit jacket,
418
00:35:25,324 --> 00:35:30,827
on the armpit area of the dress
shirt that he was wearing with the suit,
419
00:35:30,829 --> 00:35:35,599
and then the inside pocket of
the pants that he was wearing,
420
00:35:35,601 --> 00:35:39,236
and all of that
came back to Kira.
421
00:35:41,372 --> 00:35:45,942
Matthew's ring and watch
were examined at the state lab
422
00:35:45,944 --> 00:35:51,581
and they were able to find
blood DNA on the watch,
423
00:35:51,583 --> 00:35:54,751
within the watchband,
and the ring,
424
00:35:54,753 --> 00:35:56,520
that came back to Kira.
425
00:35:58,422 --> 00:36:04,461
The evidence showed us that
we didn't have any unknown DNA.
426
00:36:04,463 --> 00:36:08,565
The police weren't finding
any other suspects.
427
00:36:08,567 --> 00:36:11,935
And so you're starting
to put all that together,
428
00:36:11,937 --> 00:36:15,038
and you're starting to just
say to yourself...
429
00:36:16,174 --> 00:36:17,707
"I think it was him."
430
00:36:18,776 --> 00:36:21,511
[siren wailing]
431
00:36:27,485 --> 00:36:34,457
We learned that Matt was
located at one of his friends' house.
432
00:36:34,459 --> 00:36:39,529
And he was arrested,
and then taken to jail...
433
00:36:41,332 --> 00:36:46,002
to have him charged and
indicted for first-degree murder.
434
00:36:46,004 --> 00:36:50,140
That was just incredible relief.
435
00:36:54,278 --> 00:36:57,047
[Lara] I received a phone call
while I was at work.
436
00:36:58,349 --> 00:37:00,550
It's a horrible realization,
437
00:37:00,552 --> 00:37:03,553
that the person who was
supposed to take care of Kira,
438
00:37:03,555 --> 00:37:06,189
the person she loved most
in the world...
439
00:37:09,327 --> 00:37:12,662
had taken her life,
had ended it.
440
00:37:14,098 --> 00:37:15,532
Just like that.
441
00:37:19,503 --> 00:37:24,341
[Det. Ann] There was porn found
on Matt's laptop, after his arrest.
442
00:37:26,377 --> 00:37:32,182
For us to find all that porn
on his laptop was significant.
443
00:37:32,184 --> 00:37:36,353
We felt like that
could be a motive
444
00:37:36,355 --> 00:37:41,358
for him getting so angry
with her, or them arguing,
445
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:44,494
and then ultimately, the fight.
446
00:37:46,530 --> 00:37:49,733
[narrator] Police also discovered
that Matt visited websites
447
00:37:49,735 --> 00:37:53,670
about how to adopt a new
identity, and start a new life.
448
00:37:56,440 --> 00:38:01,044
At this point, we felt very
confident that Matthew was the killer.
449
00:38:03,180 --> 00:38:07,350
[narrator] Investigators piece together
the events that led to Kira's murder.
450
00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:17,327
[Kari] I believe that Kira was asleep
in her bed at the time of the attack.
451
00:38:19,263 --> 00:38:22,866
And she's hit over the head
with the hammer.
452
00:38:22,868 --> 00:38:27,203
Looking at, you know, the
blood stain on the pillows...
453
00:38:27,205 --> 00:38:30,140
she's hit once, maybe two times.
454
00:38:30,142 --> 00:38:33,076
She probably struggled
getting out of the bed,
455
00:38:33,078 --> 00:38:35,111
maybe fell down to the ground.
456
00:38:39,116 --> 00:38:43,453
It appears that Kira then was
able to go towards the kitchen,
457
00:38:43,455 --> 00:38:45,755
and goes to grab a knife.
458
00:38:47,391 --> 00:38:49,659
And then there's a struggle.
459
00:38:50,828 --> 00:38:54,597
And then her attacker
stabs her several times.
460
00:38:58,002 --> 00:39:03,073
And then it looks like then Kira
is running towards the living room.
461
00:39:03,941 --> 00:39:08,378
We see that there's
a blood trail.
462
00:39:09,780 --> 00:39:14,084
It looks like Kira went to the front
door, and was trying to get out.
463
00:39:14,086 --> 00:39:18,822
There was blood on the handle,
and on the door itself.
464
00:39:18,824 --> 00:39:24,160
And then at some point, she
was overtaken, fell to the ground,
465
00:39:24,162 --> 00:39:29,132
and was stabbed several more times
while she was laying on the ground.
466
00:39:30,901 --> 00:39:35,171
It's hard to know, you know,
that she fought so hard to survive,
467
00:39:35,173 --> 00:39:38,208
and then, um,
couldn't make it, you know,
468
00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:43,079
that she got overpowered,
and couldn't get out the door.
469
00:39:46,550 --> 00:39:50,220
[narrator] Matt positions a chair
outside, beneath the window...
470
00:39:50,222 --> 00:39:53,390
and breaks the screen
to mislead police.
471
00:39:55,726 --> 00:39:59,729
[Det. Ann] The first thing you see is
this chair underneath the front window,
472
00:39:59,731 --> 00:40:02,031
and the screen is all askew.
473
00:40:02,033 --> 00:40:05,535
So right away, you think that
it could have been a burglary.
474
00:40:05,537 --> 00:40:08,171
That's one of the first things
we thought of.
475
00:40:12,977 --> 00:40:17,147
[narrator] Matt takes a taxi to the
airport after he stages the scene.
476
00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:28,525
[Det. Ann] What he ultimately wanted
was to come home from his New York trip,
477
00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:33,830
and be the one to find Kira,
and then call 911,
478
00:40:33,832 --> 00:40:40,537
to try to get the, uh, police
to go after some stranger.
479
00:40:40,539 --> 00:40:45,341
He was gonna get away with it,
because he would be the one to find her.
480
00:40:45,343 --> 00:40:48,344
But that's not what happened,
obviously.
481
00:40:57,955 --> 00:41:03,526
On June 2, 2008, Matthew Gretz
pled guilty to second-degree murder.
482
00:41:06,397 --> 00:41:12,735
[Lara] I said to Matt,
in the victim statement,
483
00:41:12,737 --> 00:41:16,005
that the world would have been
a better place without him.
484
00:41:18,742 --> 00:41:21,678
You know like,
what a legacy to leave...
485
00:41:22,947 --> 00:41:26,115
is that the world would have
been better off without you.
486
00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,122
[narrator] The judge sentences
Matt to 25 years in prison.
487
00:41:33,824 --> 00:41:37,527
He is eligible for parole
in 2024.
488
00:41:39,296 --> 00:41:45,001
[Leslie] He gets to have a life, he's
only got to be, god, in his 40s or 50s.
489
00:41:46,971 --> 00:41:48,972
And Kira gets nothing.
490
00:41:51,308 --> 00:41:53,209
Disgusting.
491
00:41:53,211 --> 00:41:59,449
Absolutely unfathomable,
and not right.
492
00:42:04,622 --> 00:42:08,992
[Lara] He took her life
for no reason,
493
00:42:11,195 --> 00:42:16,466
as if she was just a piece
of garbage to be disposed of.
494
00:42:18,869 --> 00:42:20,336
I can't...
495
00:42:21,438 --> 00:42:24,407
comprehend
how somebody like that...
496
00:42:26,510 --> 00:42:28,645
will be able to walk free.