1 00:00:04,938 --> 00:00:06,305 [audience cheering and clapping] 2 00:00:10,577 --> 00:00:12,144 [audience clapping] 3 00:00:12,146 --> 00:00:13,912 I remember that day like it was yesterday. 4 00:00:13,914 --> 00:00:15,280 [audience cheering and clapping] 5 00:00:16,616 --> 00:00:18,684 She was real outgoing and bubbly. 6 00:00:18,686 --> 00:00:21,820 She made friends everywhere she went. 7 00:00:21,822 --> 00:00:26,091 She had all these things in line and everything was looking really bright for her. 8 00:00:27,060 --> 00:00:29,628 It was important for us to capture that moment 9 00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:31,263 because you never know. 10 00:00:31,265 --> 00:00:32,765 You know, here today, gone tomorrow. 11 00:00:32,767 --> 00:00:34,233 [phone ringing] 12 00:00:37,237 --> 00:00:40,939 [Krystle Limon] I would have never have guessed that something 13 00:00:41,141 --> 00:00:43,709 so terrible would happen. 14 00:00:43,711 --> 00:00:45,310 [Benny Gomez speaking] 15 00:00:45,312 --> 00:00:46,578 - [Ramona Gomez speaking] - [Benny speaking] 16 00:00:46,580 --> 00:00:47,980 [Ramona speaking] 17 00:00:47,982 --> 00:00:50,783 - I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. - [siren wailing] 18 00:00:50,785 --> 00:00:54,019 That day was probably the longest day of my life. 19 00:01:12,839 --> 00:01:15,307 [narrator] It's September 12th, 1992. 20 00:01:17,010 --> 00:01:18,811 The Lira family arrives 21 00:01:18,813 --> 00:01:21,013 at the Evelyn Rubenstein Community Center 22 00:01:21,015 --> 00:01:22,448 in Houston, Texas. 23 00:01:23,650 --> 00:01:25,350 [audience clapping] 24 00:01:25,352 --> 00:01:29,021 They're here to support their six-year-old daughter, Michelle, as she competes 25 00:01:29,023 --> 00:01:32,191 in the annual Little Miss Fiesta Patrias pageant. 26 00:01:32,892 --> 00:01:34,226 [hostess speaking] 27 00:01:38,765 --> 00:01:41,133 A lot of our family members attended... 28 00:01:41,768 --> 00:01:43,235 Attended the pageant. 29 00:01:43,970 --> 00:01:46,905 We have a really loving, supportive family, 30 00:01:46,907 --> 00:01:50,142 that no matter what it is, we're all there. 31 00:01:52,112 --> 00:01:53,345 And there she is. 32 00:01:54,781 --> 00:01:56,014 [hostess speaking] 33 00:01:59,185 --> 00:02:00,452 [audience cheering] 34 00:02:00,454 --> 00:02:01,653 It's like a little doll. 35 00:02:04,724 --> 00:02:08,494 She had the cute shoes, we had the hair all fixed up, 36 00:02:08,496 --> 00:02:10,262 with the little bow on her head. 37 00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:13,198 Yeah, she, uh, she was really excited 38 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,701 and loved to... Dress up. 39 00:02:15,703 --> 00:02:17,102 [audience clapping] 40 00:02:19,672 --> 00:02:22,074 She was very confident, that's for sure. 41 00:02:22,076 --> 00:02:23,909 You know, in everything that she did. 42 00:02:23,911 --> 00:02:25,344 [hostess speaking] 43 00:02:37,891 --> 00:02:39,725 [Larry Lira] Michelle was very smart. 44 00:02:39,727 --> 00:02:42,060 I was always working on something and she was always there 45 00:02:42,062 --> 00:02:45,998 eager to see what I was doing, asking me all these questions. 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,300 "Well, what is this?" "What is that?" 47 00:02:48,701 --> 00:02:50,335 [hostess speaking] 48 00:02:54,908 --> 00:02:59,077 At the time, she was going to Roosevelt Elementary in Houston 49 00:02:59,079 --> 00:03:02,514 and, uh, it was a school for accelerated learners 50 00:03:02,516 --> 00:03:04,483 because she was very smart. 51 00:03:05,752 --> 00:03:09,688 Anything I taught her, she would, you know, catch on real quick. 52 00:03:09,690 --> 00:03:10,856 You told her one time and that was it. 53 00:03:10,858 --> 00:03:12,958 [audience cheering and clapping] 54 00:03:14,827 --> 00:03:17,763 [Larry] The pageant had many parts and, uh, one of the parts 55 00:03:17,765 --> 00:03:19,965 was the dancing part 56 00:03:19,967 --> 00:03:23,168 and that was the actual talent. 57 00:03:28,241 --> 00:03:32,978 She's gonna do a Mexican folkloric dance called baile folklorico. 58 00:03:32,980 --> 00:03:34,780 [mexican music playing] 59 00:03:34,782 --> 00:03:37,082 It's a folkloric dance, Mexican dance. 60 00:03:37,084 --> 00:03:39,751 And, uh, she decided she wanted to do that 61 00:03:39,753 --> 00:03:41,520 and just represent her culture. 62 00:03:43,990 --> 00:03:46,191 It's a lot of footwork. [laughs] 63 00:03:50,129 --> 00:03:51,930 She could really tap her shoes. 64 00:03:51,932 --> 00:03:53,131 She really could dance. 65 00:03:53,133 --> 00:03:55,100 [mexican music playing] 66 00:03:56,202 --> 00:03:58,971 She definitely had her moves down, for sure. 67 00:04:06,746 --> 00:04:07,946 [audience clapping] 68 00:04:07,948 --> 00:04:10,649 You know, when I would see her perform, I was, 69 00:04:10,651 --> 00:04:12,484 I mean I had this thing in my heart that was like, 70 00:04:12,486 --> 00:04:15,053 "Wow, that's my little shining star." 71 00:04:15,055 --> 00:04:16,989 And I was so proud of her. 72 00:04:18,024 --> 00:04:19,491 [woman] Stand right here. 73 00:04:22,128 --> 00:04:23,829 [Ramona] Everybody was, like, ready with their cameras, 74 00:04:23,831 --> 00:04:26,231 video recorders. 75 00:04:26,233 --> 00:04:30,502 Just sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, both sides. 76 00:04:33,039 --> 00:04:36,341 [narrator] Michelle's dad, Larry, is a Houston firefighter. 77 00:04:37,577 --> 00:04:39,978 Ramona is a stay-at-home mom. 78 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,316 At the pageant, Ramona was seven months pregnant. 79 00:04:44,951 --> 00:04:47,052 [Ramona] I was due at any moment. 80 00:04:47,654 --> 00:04:49,721 I was ready to have the baby. 81 00:04:49,723 --> 00:04:51,757 Ready at home. Michelle was ready to have 82 00:04:51,759 --> 00:04:53,992 her little sister at home. 83 00:04:54,894 --> 00:04:56,061 She was always saying, "Is it almost time?" 84 00:04:56,063 --> 00:04:58,297 And "Is she almost here, Mom?" 85 00:04:58,998 --> 00:05:00,599 [Larry] Yeah, I was very excited. 86 00:05:00,601 --> 00:05:02,467 Very excited to be a father again. 87 00:05:03,102 --> 00:05:05,771 I think we were trying to have a son. 88 00:05:05,773 --> 00:05:07,172 I think that was the conversation, 89 00:05:07,174 --> 00:05:09,141 we wanted to have a boy. 90 00:05:09,842 --> 00:05:12,511 Unfortunately, I make girls. I don't make boys. 91 00:05:22,922 --> 00:05:27,225 [narrator] Baby Nicole arrives on November 24th, 1992. 92 00:05:30,563 --> 00:05:35,033 Michelle was very excited to see that her special Christmas gift came true 93 00:05:35,035 --> 00:05:38,904 which was her little sister and she was so excited because she said, 94 00:05:38,906 --> 00:05:41,506 that's all she talked about, wanted to have a little sister. 95 00:05:43,142 --> 00:05:44,476 [Michelle Lira speaking] 96 00:05:50,483 --> 00:05:51,550 [laughing] 97 00:05:51,818 --> 00:05:53,385 [Michelle on tablet] Well, Mama, don't tell... 98 00:06:09,102 --> 00:06:11,636 [Nicole Gomez] Right here, you can see all the stockings 99 00:06:11,638 --> 00:06:12,938 and mine was the very small, 100 00:06:12,940 --> 00:06:15,374 little ones since I was a little baby. 101 00:06:17,477 --> 00:06:22,114 That was Michelle's first Christmas with her little sister. 102 00:06:22,116 --> 00:06:25,283 And then as they get older, the bond got even stronger, yeah. 103 00:06:29,088 --> 00:06:30,255 [laughing] 104 00:06:33,192 --> 00:06:35,761 [Nicole] When we were younger, we were really close. 105 00:06:35,763 --> 00:06:37,896 Michelle was like a mother to me. 106 00:06:37,898 --> 00:06:39,264 She was like my second mom. 107 00:06:40,299 --> 00:06:41,400 Oh! 108 00:06:45,905 --> 00:06:47,172 Oops. 109 00:06:49,575 --> 00:06:53,945 [Nicole] Michelle was very outgoing and bubbly. 110 00:06:53,947 --> 00:06:56,681 Like, everywhere she went, she would just sparked up the room. 111 00:06:56,683 --> 00:06:58,483 [all singing] 112 00:07:01,854 --> 00:07:03,922 - [woman] Yee-haw! - [all clapping] 113 00:07:03,956 --> 00:07:05,957 All right, come on, Michelle! 114 00:07:05,959 --> 00:07:07,292 [narrator] Michelle celebrates her eighth birthday 115 00:07:07,294 --> 00:07:10,629 in January, 1994. 116 00:07:10,631 --> 00:07:15,901 Larry and Ramona's smiles mask that their relationship is crumbling. 117 00:07:15,903 --> 00:07:18,670 Our marriage was just starting to split apart. 118 00:07:18,672 --> 00:07:21,173 It was hard on the whole family. 119 00:07:21,175 --> 00:07:25,377 So, uh, I try to block that year out of my mind. [laughs] 120 00:07:26,078 --> 00:07:28,013 [indistinct chatter] 121 00:07:31,717 --> 00:07:34,986 [all clapping and cheering] 122 00:07:34,988 --> 00:07:37,055 [Ramona] I just think Larry and I just fell out of love. 123 00:07:37,057 --> 00:07:39,825 There was no problem, 124 00:07:39,827 --> 00:07:44,029 no, um, violence, nothing like that. 125 00:07:51,838 --> 00:07:54,072 Larry and I were divorced a few months 126 00:07:54,074 --> 00:07:56,908 after Michelle's eighth birthday. 127 00:07:56,910 --> 00:07:59,211 You can't make somebody love you. 128 00:07:59,213 --> 00:08:01,012 And they understood, well, Michelle did, you know, 129 00:08:01,014 --> 00:08:03,815 she was like, "It's okay, Mom. We're okay." 130 00:08:03,817 --> 00:08:05,484 I said, "Daddy's still gonna come and see you. 131 00:08:05,486 --> 00:08:07,018 Daddy still loves you, 132 00:08:07,020 --> 00:08:09,087 but we just can't live together anymore." 133 00:08:09,089 --> 00:08:10,889 And she understood perfectly. 134 00:08:10,891 --> 00:08:12,023 [man] Which one's the mother? 135 00:08:12,025 --> 00:08:13,225 - Huh? - Mom. 136 00:08:18,698 --> 00:08:20,832 After our divorce was final, 137 00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:23,201 uh, Michelle and I grew even closer. 138 00:08:23,203 --> 00:08:26,605 We were already close, but a lot closer. 139 00:08:26,607 --> 00:08:29,941 I could actually confide in her like a grown girl, 140 00:08:29,943 --> 00:08:31,977 you know, even though she was nine. 141 00:08:31,979 --> 00:08:33,812 Uh, she would give me advice or she would say, 142 00:08:33,814 --> 00:08:36,314 "Mama, don't cry. We're gonna be okay." 143 00:08:38,918 --> 00:08:41,286 At times, I think she thought she was the mom instead of me. 144 00:08:41,654 --> 00:08:42,487 [laughs] 145 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:45,123 [narrator] Michelle also steps up 146 00:08:45,125 --> 00:08:47,993 to look after sister Nicole. 147 00:08:47,995 --> 00:08:50,195 When I started working, she was more like 148 00:08:50,197 --> 00:08:52,297 a mother figure to Nicole. 149 00:08:54,100 --> 00:08:55,500 [Ramona speaking] 150 00:08:57,670 --> 00:08:59,104 [laughs] 151 00:08:59,106 --> 00:09:02,040 She was a lot of help. She helped me feed her. 152 00:09:02,042 --> 00:09:03,975 You know, and, uh, carry her. 153 00:09:03,977 --> 00:09:05,810 She did really well carrying her. 154 00:09:05,812 --> 00:09:06,878 Uh, I trusted her. 155 00:09:11,984 --> 00:09:15,020 After the divorce, uh, we moved into another house 156 00:09:15,022 --> 00:09:17,122 where it's just me and my girls. 157 00:09:18,024 --> 00:09:20,992 Michelle, uh, had to start a new school. 158 00:09:20,994 --> 00:09:22,928 Lantrip, third grade. 159 00:09:22,930 --> 00:09:25,964 She enjoyed it. She made friends everywhere she went. 160 00:09:27,967 --> 00:09:30,802 She was, like, the new girl and she stood out 161 00:09:30,804 --> 00:09:33,204 because she was... 162 00:09:33,206 --> 00:09:34,706 She was just cool. [laughs] 163 00:09:34,708 --> 00:09:38,610 She was different and she was just more mature than us. 164 00:09:38,612 --> 00:09:41,079 I was really shy and she wasn't. 165 00:09:41,081 --> 00:09:44,082 And, for whatever reason, she wanted to be my friend. 166 00:09:45,484 --> 00:09:48,453 She was just funny. She was very quick-witted. 167 00:09:49,255 --> 00:09:50,855 She definitely gave me more confidence 168 00:09:50,857 --> 00:09:53,892 to come out of my shell. 169 00:09:53,894 --> 00:09:55,927 I felt like our friendship was solid. 170 00:09:55,929 --> 00:09:59,264 And I knew that we had formed a bond, definitely. 171 00:10:05,938 --> 00:10:07,072 [Ramona speaking] 172 00:10:07,974 --> 00:10:09,140 [Ramona speaking] 173 00:10:10,476 --> 00:10:12,510 [Ramona speaking] 174 00:10:14,981 --> 00:10:17,983 [narrator] December 1995, 175 00:10:17,985 --> 00:10:20,919 Ramona Lira and her daughters Michelle and Nicole, 176 00:10:20,921 --> 00:10:22,287 select a Christmas tree. 177 00:10:22,722 --> 00:10:24,389 [Ramona speaking] 178 00:10:28,327 --> 00:10:31,896 [narrator] Ramona's new boyfriend, 24-year-old Benny Gomez, 179 00:10:31,898 --> 00:10:33,498 helps the family choose. 180 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:36,267 [Ramona speaking] 181 00:10:39,805 --> 00:10:41,139 [Ramona gasps] 182 00:10:41,874 --> 00:10:46,177 I met Benny a year after I got divorced. 183 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:47,779 He's a friend of the family's. 184 00:10:47,781 --> 00:10:50,482 He started coming around, taking us out. 185 00:10:50,484 --> 00:10:53,051 And he was really, really good with my girls and that's what 186 00:10:53,053 --> 00:10:54,953 I think attracted me to him. 187 00:10:54,955 --> 00:10:58,490 And as long as you're good to my kids, then you got a way to my heart. 188 00:10:58,492 --> 00:11:00,425 That's what's always my motto. 189 00:11:01,227 --> 00:11:03,194 [Ramona speaking] 190 00:11:11,203 --> 00:11:13,238 [Ramona speaking] 191 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:14,372 [Ramona whistles] 192 00:11:24,050 --> 00:11:25,450 [Ramona speaking] 193 00:11:26,619 --> 00:11:28,019 [organ playing softly] 194 00:11:30,823 --> 00:11:32,691 [Nicole] Myself and Benny, we were really close. 195 00:11:32,693 --> 00:11:35,360 I used to call him Dad. 196 00:11:35,362 --> 00:11:38,730 All of us would come around the tree and just decorate it. 197 00:11:38,732 --> 00:11:40,932 And, then, after we were done, we would just turn the lights off 198 00:11:40,934 --> 00:11:42,734 so we can see all the lights on the Christmas tree 199 00:11:42,736 --> 00:11:45,036 and it just looked so pretty in there. 200 00:11:46,872 --> 00:11:50,208 [Ramona] My girls, they took on really well with Benny 201 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:52,811 and, you know, he gave 'em all the love and attention. 202 00:11:52,813 --> 00:11:55,246 He took us places. He bought 'em things. 203 00:11:55,248 --> 00:11:57,816 And he'd help 'em with homework and all that. 204 00:11:57,818 --> 00:12:00,051 [Ramona speaking] 205 00:12:01,420 --> 00:12:03,254 See you Christmas eve. 206 00:12:09,628 --> 00:12:11,763 [narrator] The support that Michelle receives at home 207 00:12:11,765 --> 00:12:14,966 allows her to thrive at school. 208 00:12:14,968 --> 00:12:18,403 You could tell she was, she was very, very smart. 209 00:12:19,505 --> 00:12:22,273 She was a talented writer and she read a lot. 210 00:12:23,142 --> 00:12:26,344 She was really gifted in science and in math. 211 00:12:27,747 --> 00:12:29,547 [narrator] Her good grades won her a place 212 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:32,517 at one of Houston's most prestigious schools. 213 00:12:32,519 --> 00:12:35,587 In, uh, 2001, Michelle went to, um, high school 214 00:12:35,589 --> 00:12:39,224 for law enforcement and criminal justice in Houston. 215 00:12:39,226 --> 00:12:43,094 You had to take a placement test for you to even get in that school. 216 00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:46,030 But, uh, she placed it and she got in. 217 00:12:49,668 --> 00:12:52,704 She was more medical since she was little. 218 00:12:52,706 --> 00:12:53,872 She always wanted to be a nurse. 219 00:12:53,874 --> 00:12:55,907 And I said, "Okay, we can do that. 220 00:12:55,909 --> 00:12:58,710 And if you really, really like the medical field, you can proceed 221 00:12:58,712 --> 00:13:01,980 to be a nurse practitioner and, eventually, a physician." 222 00:13:06,852 --> 00:13:08,219 [narrator] But in 2001, 223 00:13:08,221 --> 00:13:09,788 fifteen-year-old Michelle 224 00:13:09,790 --> 00:13:12,457 starts to focus her attention elsewhere. 225 00:13:13,392 --> 00:13:16,394 One day, I went to pick up Michelle from school 226 00:13:16,396 --> 00:13:21,900 and I noticed her walking toward my car with this young man. 227 00:13:21,902 --> 00:13:24,702 And, uh, she asked me if I could take him home, give him a ride. 228 00:13:24,704 --> 00:13:26,171 And we did. 229 00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:31,509 [narrator] The young man is 15-year-old Selestino Torres. 230 00:13:33,479 --> 00:13:35,480 When they got in the car, uh, 231 00:13:35,482 --> 00:13:37,816 she introduced me to Selestino. 232 00:13:37,818 --> 00:13:41,152 And, uh, he said, "Hello, nice to meet you," and, uh, 233 00:13:41,453 --> 00:13:43,021 I was kind of sizing him up. 234 00:13:43,023 --> 00:13:46,758 Trying to see what kind of new boy she was bringing home toward me. 235 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:50,595 Uh, he was nice and, uh, short hair, very well dressed, 236 00:13:50,597 --> 00:13:51,696 very well mannered. 237 00:13:51,698 --> 00:13:54,265 He, he looked like he was a sweet boy. 238 00:13:56,001 --> 00:13:59,637 Once we dropped him off, I said, "Well, Michelle, who's this little boy?" 239 00:13:59,639 --> 00:14:02,006 And she goes, "Oh, I kinda like him, Mom." 240 00:14:02,008 --> 00:14:04,609 And I said, "Okay." I said, "Long as he's good to you 241 00:14:04,611 --> 00:14:07,111 and he can be respectable, that's okay with me." 242 00:14:09,248 --> 00:14:13,218 When Michelle introduced me to Selestino, it was more of-- 243 00:14:13,886 --> 00:14:15,787 It just, in a, somebody that she knew, 244 00:14:15,789 --> 00:14:19,057 kind of like a friendship guy on the bus, 245 00:14:19,059 --> 00:14:21,926 "person I see in school" type of thing. 246 00:14:21,928 --> 00:14:24,696 And, after a while, I could see 247 00:14:24,698 --> 00:14:26,030 she was developing a crush on him. 248 00:14:26,032 --> 00:14:28,233 And that's when she invited him to the party 249 00:14:28,235 --> 00:14:30,134 and they took it to the next level. 250 00:14:30,136 --> 00:14:31,169 [kids chattering] 251 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:35,740 Michelle, not being shy, 252 00:14:35,742 --> 00:14:39,010 she went ahead and made first move and invited him over. 253 00:14:39,012 --> 00:14:44,015 It was there that, I guess, that they were talking to each other more than, 254 00:14:44,017 --> 00:14:46,284 as more than just friends. 255 00:14:46,286 --> 00:14:49,654 And it was there that I saw them kiss. 256 00:14:49,656 --> 00:14:53,758 From that day on, I just saw them as basically inseparable. 257 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,195 I always just saw them together and he was always with the group. 258 00:15:00,933 --> 00:15:02,901 [Ramona] Anytime that we went somewhere, 259 00:15:02,903 --> 00:15:04,802 Michelle would invite him or he'd show up 260 00:15:04,804 --> 00:15:07,939 or, uh, he'd say, "Hey, you don't mind if I go?" 261 00:15:07,941 --> 00:15:11,676 And, then, we started inviting him more often, you know, like, to birthday parties. 262 00:15:11,678 --> 00:15:13,912 Christmas, he was always there. 263 00:15:13,914 --> 00:15:17,515 He did appear at all of, most of our events. 264 00:15:17,517 --> 00:15:21,653 Uh, you would see him there for Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. 265 00:15:21,655 --> 00:15:25,223 He'd be there mostly, almost every day. 266 00:15:25,225 --> 00:15:28,760 After a while, I mean, I considered him, pretty much, like a brother to me. 267 00:15:28,762 --> 00:15:30,862 Like a big brother. 268 00:15:30,864 --> 00:15:33,097 [Ramona] He became part of the family. 269 00:15:33,799 --> 00:15:35,500 He treated my daughter very well. 270 00:15:35,502 --> 00:15:37,101 Lots of love and respect. 271 00:15:37,103 --> 00:15:39,804 So, as long as I saw her happy, 272 00:15:39,806 --> 00:15:41,506 I knew he was being good to her. 273 00:15:43,842 --> 00:15:45,877 I think, in high school, 274 00:15:45,879 --> 00:15:48,746 they were really planning on marrying each other because, 275 00:15:48,748 --> 00:15:51,916 one day, I did run into a list. 276 00:15:51,918 --> 00:15:55,853 It said, "Our wedding list" and I said, "Oh, okay, yeah, 277 00:15:55,855 --> 00:15:58,489 I think they'll end up getting married one day." 278 00:15:58,491 --> 00:16:01,759 I said, "But after high school, I want you get your degree in something. 279 00:16:01,761 --> 00:16:03,328 Not right now." [laughs] 280 00:16:08,834 --> 00:16:12,937 In 2002, things started going, 281 00:16:13,005 --> 00:16:15,039 going south a little bit. 282 00:16:16,308 --> 00:16:19,010 So, Michelle suspected that he was into other girls 283 00:16:19,012 --> 00:16:20,778 and possibly talking to them. 284 00:16:20,780 --> 00:16:23,648 So, it would cause a lot of tension 285 00:16:23,650 --> 00:16:27,819 and just arguments between them that we could all see. 286 00:16:27,821 --> 00:16:31,022 Michelle just wanted to be with him and just be happy with him, 287 00:16:31,024 --> 00:16:33,891 but I guess, he had, like, a wandering eye 288 00:16:33,893 --> 00:16:35,994 or he was talking to other people. 289 00:16:35,996 --> 00:16:37,528 Or wanted to, at least. 290 00:16:40,132 --> 00:16:43,901 In 2003, Michelle found a note 291 00:16:43,903 --> 00:16:46,471 in his vehicle from another girl. 292 00:16:47,873 --> 00:16:51,509 [Larry] I got a phone call from Michelle's school 293 00:16:51,511 --> 00:16:54,078 and they said, "Can you come to the school immediately. 294 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,382 There's been a problem between Michelle and Selestino." 295 00:16:58,617 --> 00:17:00,518 So, I, I got there. 296 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,820 And as I walked into the principal's office, 297 00:17:02,822 --> 00:17:07,792 Michelle was crying and she said that, uh, they got into a fight. 298 00:17:07,794 --> 00:17:09,961 And, then, the principal came in and talked to me and said, 299 00:17:09,963 --> 00:17:13,965 "Yes, they got into a real ugly, brutal fight 300 00:17:13,967 --> 00:17:15,333 and we had to separate them." 301 00:17:16,769 --> 00:17:18,703 [Ramona] He hit her. She hit him right back. 302 00:17:18,705 --> 00:17:21,172 And I said, "Whoa!" I was really angry. 303 00:17:21,174 --> 00:17:23,574 I said, "He better stay away from me 304 00:17:23,576 --> 00:17:25,877 because I'll handle him myself." 305 00:17:25,879 --> 00:17:28,913 I said, "I don't want him nowhere by my daughter, nowhere by my house. 306 00:17:28,915 --> 00:17:30,014 So you stay away." 307 00:17:35,788 --> 00:17:38,322 [Krystle] After the physical altercation, 308 00:17:38,324 --> 00:17:40,992 they separated for a while. 309 00:17:40,994 --> 00:17:44,028 It was just needed and I think that their families 310 00:17:44,030 --> 00:17:46,964 made them as well. Especially Michelle's family. 311 00:17:46,966 --> 00:17:51,002 But they would always find a way to reconcile. 312 00:17:59,011 --> 00:18:01,512 [Ramona] They both sat me down and said, 313 00:18:01,514 --> 00:18:04,982 "You know what? I promise this will never happen again." 314 00:18:04,984 --> 00:18:07,218 I really didn't even want to hear what he had to say, 315 00:18:07,220 --> 00:18:08,753 but I did it for Michelle. 316 00:18:08,755 --> 00:18:11,322 "You should just listen to him, Mom, you know, we're both sorry. 317 00:18:11,324 --> 00:18:13,691 I hit him. He hit me. We were both mad." 318 00:18:13,693 --> 00:18:15,493 And I said, "Doesn't matter. 319 00:18:15,495 --> 00:18:17,995 Two wrongs don't make it a, don't make it right." 320 00:18:19,131 --> 00:18:21,065 They promised it would never happen again. 321 00:18:21,067 --> 00:18:23,067 And, and, no, it didn't. 322 00:18:23,069 --> 00:18:26,003 Michelle and Selestino worked their problems out 323 00:18:26,005 --> 00:18:28,272 and, uh, they stayed together. 324 00:18:35,013 --> 00:18:36,447 [Nicole] It was around 2004 325 00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:38,883 when Michelle graduated high school. 326 00:18:38,885 --> 00:18:43,688 She started working, um, with my mother at the health clinic. 327 00:18:43,690 --> 00:18:45,957 [Ramona] Michelle ran the front desk at the clinic. 328 00:18:45,959 --> 00:18:48,493 She started getting more into it and more into it. 329 00:18:48,495 --> 00:18:50,928 She goes, "You know, Mom? I do really wanna be a nurse." 330 00:18:50,930 --> 00:18:53,297 She goes, "I, I wanna follow in your footsteps." 331 00:18:54,066 --> 00:18:56,834 Michelle was going to Houston Community College. 332 00:18:56,836 --> 00:18:59,070 She'd do all her, uh, perquisitions. 333 00:18:59,072 --> 00:19:03,508 Uh, it's at least two years of required courses 334 00:19:03,510 --> 00:19:06,077 before you can get into the nursing program. 335 00:19:12,618 --> 00:19:16,087 In 2007, Selestino had got a really good job 336 00:19:16,089 --> 00:19:19,991 on the oil field as an apprentice electrician. 337 00:19:19,993 --> 00:19:22,727 It was a refinery where he was working at. 338 00:19:22,729 --> 00:19:26,831 And he would travel, like, nine hours up north. 339 00:19:26,833 --> 00:19:29,700 So, he would go back-and-forth on the weekend to come back and see her, 340 00:19:29,702 --> 00:19:32,336 go back by Sunday evening to work. 341 00:19:35,007 --> 00:19:37,875 Sometimes it was late at night or early in the morning, 342 00:19:37,877 --> 00:19:41,145 she kind of feared that something could happen to him on the road 343 00:19:41,147 --> 00:19:46,117 so Michelle bought him a .45 pistol. 344 00:19:47,653 --> 00:19:48,886 I looked at her and I was like, 345 00:19:48,888 --> 00:19:51,656 "Oh, my God. Why would you buy a young man 346 00:19:51,658 --> 00:19:53,524 a gun like that, Michelle?" 347 00:19:55,294 --> 00:19:56,994 And she goes, "Mom, because he travels 348 00:19:56,996 --> 00:19:59,597 and I want him to be protected. 349 00:19:59,599 --> 00:20:00,698 For him to have something, you know?" 350 00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:04,268 And I said, "I don't like it, Michelle." 351 00:20:06,772 --> 00:20:09,907 I said to myself, please, God, don't ever let anything happen 352 00:20:09,909 --> 00:20:11,342 and I just waked away. 353 00:20:15,981 --> 00:20:18,082 By the end of 2007, 354 00:20:19,084 --> 00:20:21,953 he spent less time at home... 355 00:20:21,955 --> 00:20:24,188 I could see her upset. I would go to her room 356 00:20:24,190 --> 00:20:25,790 and ask, "Michelle, are you okay? 357 00:20:25,792 --> 00:20:26,857 How come you're not out and about?" 358 00:20:26,859 --> 00:20:28,626 You know, she's a young person 359 00:20:28,628 --> 00:20:31,195 and she's like, "No, Mom, I'm okay. I'm okay." 360 00:20:32,864 --> 00:20:36,467 Michelle and Selestino's relationship was just very, 361 00:20:36,469 --> 00:20:37,735 kind of up and down. 362 00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:42,673 They were just known for being the makeup-breakup couple. 363 00:20:42,675 --> 00:20:47,745 And so it got to a point where we were out of high school 364 00:20:47,747 --> 00:20:52,149 and it was just-- We just couldn't fake it anymore. 365 00:20:52,985 --> 00:20:55,753 There were times where they were in a good spot 366 00:20:55,755 --> 00:20:57,521 and it was okay to be around them 367 00:20:57,523 --> 00:20:58,823 but sometimes they were not 368 00:20:58,825 --> 00:21:01,959 and if you were around them you could feel the tension. 369 00:21:03,028 --> 00:21:05,997 [Nicole] Whenever she would get a little bit sad or upset 370 00:21:05,999 --> 00:21:07,999 she would start eating a little bit more. 371 00:21:08,001 --> 00:21:10,835 I think she found comfort in food. 372 00:21:10,837 --> 00:21:13,604 Selestino would tell her that she was a big girl 373 00:21:13,606 --> 00:21:15,840 that nobody else would want to be with her 374 00:21:15,842 --> 00:21:19,310 and that he was-- He was pretty much it for her. 375 00:21:24,650 --> 00:21:25,849 [cell phone beeping] 376 00:21:29,221 --> 00:21:33,224 My sister had got a message one day on her social media 377 00:21:33,226 --> 00:21:35,459 and it really upset her. 378 00:21:35,461 --> 00:21:37,895 Some girl had wrote to her 379 00:21:37,897 --> 00:21:41,999 saying that he was sleeping with another woman. 380 00:21:42,001 --> 00:21:44,001 Michelle kept seeing text messages, 381 00:21:44,003 --> 00:21:46,237 receiving phone calls from other girls... 382 00:21:48,006 --> 00:21:49,307 on his phone. 383 00:21:50,909 --> 00:21:52,977 Michelle came to realize that 384 00:21:52,979 --> 00:21:55,146 Selestino was never gonna change, 385 00:21:55,580 --> 00:21:57,515 his infidelity with other women 386 00:21:57,517 --> 00:22:00,351 and that's why she decided that was the final breakup. 387 00:22:01,486 --> 00:22:02,887 After that she put her foot down. 388 00:22:02,889 --> 00:22:05,089 She goes, "I'm done. I can't do it anymore." 389 00:22:05,091 --> 00:22:06,991 And I think that's what she needed. 390 00:22:13,498 --> 00:22:15,933 [indistinct chatter] 391 00:22:15,935 --> 00:22:18,869 [Krystle] In 2009, Michelle invited me over 392 00:22:18,871 --> 00:22:20,705 for the Fourth of July 393 00:22:20,707 --> 00:22:24,308 just to eat and have some drinks and pop some fireworks. 394 00:22:25,844 --> 00:22:28,946 She was doing good. She was losing weight 395 00:22:28,948 --> 00:22:31,048 and she was happy about that. 396 00:22:31,050 --> 00:22:31,949 She was looking good, 397 00:22:31,951 --> 00:22:33,384 she had got some new clothes... 398 00:22:33,785 --> 00:22:35,519 She let me know that-- 399 00:22:35,521 --> 00:22:37,788 I guess basically Selestino was out of the picture 400 00:22:37,790 --> 00:22:39,957 and she kind of just explained a little bit more 401 00:22:39,959 --> 00:22:44,295 how she just wanted to start fresh without him. 402 00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:48,999 She didn't need any of this cat and mouse game anymore. 403 00:22:49,835 --> 00:22:52,103 [cell phone ringing] 404 00:22:57,876 --> 00:22:59,844 Her phone kept going off. 405 00:22:59,846 --> 00:23:02,046 It just kept going off and off and off. 406 00:23:02,048 --> 00:23:05,049 [cell phone beeping] 407 00:23:05,584 --> 00:23:07,952 Like, he just wouldn't leave her alone. 408 00:23:08,820 --> 00:23:12,156 He knew that she was there having fun without him 409 00:23:12,158 --> 00:23:14,759 and I felt like it was driving him crazy. 410 00:23:14,761 --> 00:23:16,961 [cell phone ringing] 411 00:23:16,963 --> 00:23:21,665 He was obviously trying to let her know "I see you." 412 00:23:21,667 --> 00:23:23,934 She said, "I think he's around. 413 00:23:23,936 --> 00:23:26,237 I think he's circling around." Like, he was stalking her. 414 00:23:37,015 --> 00:23:39,216 [phone ringing] 415 00:23:39,218 --> 00:23:41,952 [911 responder speaking] 416 00:23:42,721 --> 00:23:44,889 [Benny speaking] 417 00:23:44,891 --> 00:23:47,158 - [911 responder speaking] - [Benny speaking] 418 00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:53,063 - [Ramona speaking] - [Benny speaking] 419 00:23:53,065 --> 00:23:54,432 [Ramona speaking] 420 00:23:55,333 --> 00:23:57,234 [911 responder speaking] 421 00:23:57,636 --> 00:23:59,303 [Benny speaking] 422 00:24:05,210 --> 00:24:07,411 - [911 responder speaking] - [Benny speaking] 423 00:24:09,781 --> 00:24:12,950 - [911 responder speaking] - [Benny speaking] 424 00:24:19,124 --> 00:24:22,660 Responding units arrived and discovered 425 00:24:22,662 --> 00:24:27,064 a white Hummer H2 parked on the roadway. 426 00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:31,001 It was very apparent to the deputies 427 00:24:31,003 --> 00:24:34,438 as they approached the vehicle that these two female victims 428 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,042 had been shot several times. 429 00:24:38,977 --> 00:24:43,914 [Det. Juan Viramontes] The caller of the 911 call was a Benny Gomez. 430 00:24:43,916 --> 00:24:48,886 Mr. Gomez identified the two injured females 431 00:24:48,888 --> 00:24:51,655 as his wife Ramona Gomez 432 00:24:51,657 --> 00:24:54,291 and his step-daughter Michelle Lira. 433 00:24:54,793 --> 00:24:57,161 Ramona Gomez, she had sustained 434 00:24:57,163 --> 00:24:59,930 multiple gunshot wounds throughout her body. 435 00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:02,700 She was treated and transported 436 00:25:02,702 --> 00:25:04,935 via ambulance to hospital. 437 00:25:04,937 --> 00:25:09,440 Although the paramedics arrived within minutes, 438 00:25:09,442 --> 00:25:14,311 it was clear that Michelle Lira was beyond any help. 439 00:25:17,082 --> 00:25:20,751 [Larry] There were tons of police cars at Ben Taub hospital. 440 00:25:20,753 --> 00:25:21,719 Tons of them. 441 00:25:21,721 --> 00:25:23,187 And I walked in there 442 00:25:23,189 --> 00:25:27,758 and the first person that I saw was Mona's mom Ms. Pena. 443 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,762 And, uh, I said, "Where-- Where's Michelle? 444 00:25:31,764 --> 00:25:34,265 Where are they?" 445 00:25:34,267 --> 00:25:37,301 And I mean, she just told me Michelle's dead. 446 00:25:37,802 --> 00:25:39,370 [sniffles] 447 00:25:47,946 --> 00:25:49,013 When I spoke with Benny Gomez 448 00:25:49,015 --> 00:25:52,783 he told me that he had been sleeping that morning. 449 00:25:52,785 --> 00:25:55,953 When he woke up, he woke up hearing several gunshots 450 00:25:55,955 --> 00:25:56,854 coming from outside. 451 00:25:56,856 --> 00:26:00,824 [gunshots] 452 00:26:00,826 --> 00:26:04,929 [Det. James Dousay] According to Benny, Michelle and Ramona Gomez 453 00:26:04,931 --> 00:26:07,932 would always ride together to work 454 00:26:07,934 --> 00:26:09,633 in the Hummer each morning. 455 00:26:09,635 --> 00:26:10,768 That was their routine. 456 00:26:12,737 --> 00:26:15,406 Benny Gomez approached the white Hummer that morning. 457 00:26:15,408 --> 00:26:17,875 He could hear his wife, Ramona Gomez, 458 00:26:17,877 --> 00:26:22,012 screaming to get them help and that they had been shot. 459 00:26:22,014 --> 00:26:23,647 And she called out to him 460 00:26:23,649 --> 00:26:26,517 and told him that Selestino had shot both of them. 461 00:26:38,930 --> 00:26:41,999 Based on the, uh, impacts on the vehicle 462 00:26:42,934 --> 00:26:46,203 we could estimate at least 463 00:26:47,839 --> 00:26:50,975 fourteen-15 shots were fired. 464 00:26:51,943 --> 00:26:56,580 He had unloaded the full magazine. 465 00:26:56,582 --> 00:26:59,617 It was imperative that we obtained an arrest warrant 466 00:26:59,619 --> 00:27:04,154 for Selestino Torres and get him off the streets. 467 00:27:12,797 --> 00:27:15,733 [Det. James] The witness that lived on the street 468 00:27:15,735 --> 00:27:19,703 witnessed individual matching Selestino's description enter 469 00:27:19,705 --> 00:27:22,906 a grey Toyota four-door vehicle 470 00:27:22,908 --> 00:27:25,976 that morning around the time of the incident. 471 00:27:28,747 --> 00:27:30,981 When I spoke with Benny Gomez that morning 472 00:27:30,983 --> 00:27:33,517 he told me that Selestino Torres 473 00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:35,853 owned a pickup truck 474 00:27:35,855 --> 00:27:39,490 and the vehicle that was described by the neighbor witness 475 00:27:39,492 --> 00:27:43,227 did not match that vehicle at all. 476 00:27:44,896 --> 00:27:47,498 We started trying to find out who, uh, 477 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:52,002 who could've helped Selestino in committing this offense? 478 00:27:52,004 --> 00:27:55,372 Who he might know that would have a vehicle that matched that description? 479 00:28:05,583 --> 00:28:08,686 As EMS officials examined Ramona Gomez 480 00:28:08,688 --> 00:28:11,488 they discovered that she had been shot several times 481 00:28:11,490 --> 00:28:15,693 in the upper torso, neck and the shoulder area. 482 00:28:15,695 --> 00:28:19,496 Surgeons removed approximately five projectiles from her body. 483 00:28:20,865 --> 00:28:23,801 [Ramona] He shot me seven times... 484 00:28:23,803 --> 00:28:26,770 I got shot in the back of my head, my arms and my back. 485 00:28:26,772 --> 00:28:28,605 Not too many people get shot in the head 486 00:28:28,607 --> 00:28:32,076 and live or survive to tell the story. 487 00:28:34,813 --> 00:28:38,515 Ms. Ramona Gomez was able to give an interview 488 00:28:38,517 --> 00:28:41,819 once she was conscious at Ben Taub hospital. 489 00:28:41,821 --> 00:28:46,690 She was bound and determined to do whatever it took 490 00:28:46,692 --> 00:28:50,828 to help get this person that was responsible for this 491 00:28:50,830 --> 00:28:53,163 and for taking her daughter's life. 492 00:28:55,834 --> 00:28:58,736 [Ramona] I was still in a state of disbelief. 493 00:28:58,738 --> 00:29:01,638 Not only because, you know, he killed my daughter 494 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,974 but he also turned a gun on me. 495 00:29:06,678 --> 00:29:09,012 They asked me where could I think he was at 496 00:29:09,014 --> 00:29:12,483 and I said, well, you know, he did have a new girlfriend 497 00:29:12,485 --> 00:29:14,485 named Terri Wallace that he was staying with. 498 00:29:17,055 --> 00:29:20,023 [Det. James] Ms. Gomez gave the information about Terri Wallace and said 499 00:29:20,025 --> 00:29:21,592 that it was her understanding 500 00:29:21,594 --> 00:29:24,261 that she lived south of Houston. 501 00:29:25,230 --> 00:29:28,098 [Det. Juan] Through research it was determined 502 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:31,468 that Terri Wallace was staying with her mother 503 00:29:31,470 --> 00:29:33,504 and the following morning 504 00:29:33,506 --> 00:29:37,007 a Sergeant went and met with the mom. 505 00:29:37,809 --> 00:29:39,977 The vehicle parked in the driveway 506 00:29:39,979 --> 00:29:42,846 was a grey Toyota Camry 507 00:29:42,848 --> 00:29:45,883 which was the same type of vehicle that 508 00:29:45,885 --> 00:29:49,052 the witness described Selestino Torrez getting into 509 00:29:49,054 --> 00:29:50,120 soon after the shooting. 510 00:29:51,422 --> 00:29:54,792 Terri's mother, Shirley, told the Sergeant 511 00:29:54,794 --> 00:29:58,428 that she didn't know where Terri had went or where she was. 512 00:29:59,030 --> 00:30:01,064 She confirmed that her daughter, Terri, 513 00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:03,901 had been dating Selestino Torres. 514 00:30:03,903 --> 00:30:06,804 She allowed us to look in Terri's vehicle, 515 00:30:06,806 --> 00:30:10,174 gave consent for us to search that vehicle 516 00:30:10,176 --> 00:30:13,443 as well as Terri's room inside the house. 517 00:30:22,954 --> 00:30:27,791 Just a few hours later, Ms. Shirley Wallace told us 518 00:30:27,793 --> 00:30:30,093 that Terri was at the attorney's office 519 00:30:30,095 --> 00:30:32,629 awaiting our phone call. 520 00:30:32,631 --> 00:30:35,766 She told us that Terri had been, 521 00:30:35,768 --> 00:30:38,969 had been advised by another family member 522 00:30:38,971 --> 00:30:41,471 that she needed to get an attorney. 523 00:30:43,842 --> 00:30:47,811 So later on that day Deputy Viramontes and myself, 524 00:30:47,813 --> 00:30:51,415 we met with Terri Wallace at her attorney's office. 525 00:30:55,353 --> 00:30:57,354 [Det. James speaking] 526 00:30:59,190 --> 00:31:01,058 [Terri Wallace speaking] 527 00:31:01,060 --> 00:31:03,093 [Det. James speaking] 528 00:31:05,196 --> 00:31:07,097 [Terri speaking] 529 00:31:07,999 --> 00:31:09,333 [Det. James speaking] 530 00:31:12,003 --> 00:31:13,503 [Terri speaking] 531 00:31:14,138 --> 00:31:15,405 [Det. James speaking] 532 00:31:19,077 --> 00:31:21,078 [Terri speaking] 533 00:31:25,083 --> 00:31:27,117 [Det. James speaking] 534 00:31:29,754 --> 00:31:31,121 [Terri speaking] 535 00:31:31,990 --> 00:31:33,690 [Det. James speaking] 536 00:31:33,692 --> 00:31:35,325 [Terri speaking] 537 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:42,499 We advised Terri Wallace that we had a witness 538 00:31:42,501 --> 00:31:45,869 that had seen Selestino enter a vehicle 539 00:31:45,871 --> 00:31:48,939 that basically matched her vehicle 540 00:31:48,941 --> 00:31:51,208 that morning after the incident. 541 00:31:51,210 --> 00:31:55,212 The shooting had occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. 542 00:31:55,914 --> 00:31:58,181 Terri Wallace told us that 543 00:31:58,183 --> 00:32:00,884 Selestino probably borrowed her car that morning 544 00:32:00,886 --> 00:32:02,552 without her knowledge 545 00:32:02,554 --> 00:32:07,190 and that he had brought it back before she woke up. 546 00:32:09,060 --> 00:32:11,595 Terri Wallace insisted that she didn't know anything 547 00:32:11,597 --> 00:32:14,331 about the murder until later on that day. 548 00:32:17,035 --> 00:32:19,970 [narrator] Terri claims that a mutual contact phoned her 549 00:32:19,972 --> 00:32:23,073 and told her about Selestino's involvement in the shooting. 550 00:32:24,876 --> 00:32:26,410 [Terri speaking] 551 00:32:42,126 --> 00:32:43,327 [Det. James speaking] 552 00:32:43,761 --> 00:32:45,429 [Terri speaking] 553 00:32:47,699 --> 00:32:50,033 [melancholy music playing] 554 00:32:50,969 --> 00:32:54,037 [narrator] Four days later, police receive a tip 555 00:32:54,039 --> 00:32:55,405 from an anonymous source. 556 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,608 A witness contacted us 557 00:32:58,610 --> 00:33:00,777 and gave information that 558 00:33:00,779 --> 00:33:04,948 Selestino Torres and Terri Wallace were together 559 00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:08,852 around 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the murder, 560 00:33:08,854 --> 00:33:10,921 and that they came to his residence 561 00:33:10,923 --> 00:33:13,156 asking to use his vehicle, 562 00:33:13,658 --> 00:33:14,991 and that they were together 563 00:33:15,093 --> 00:33:17,961 and they were in Terri Wallace's vehicle at that time. 564 00:33:18,129 --> 00:33:19,596 If that was true, 565 00:33:19,598 --> 00:33:24,101 that shot holes in Terri Wallace's story 566 00:33:24,103 --> 00:33:28,405 about being at home and not waking up until 8:45 a.m. 567 00:33:31,876 --> 00:33:34,177 [melancholy music playing] 568 00:33:36,014 --> 00:33:39,649 Four days after gunning down his ex-girlfriend 569 00:33:39,651 --> 00:33:41,885 and her mother, 570 00:33:41,887 --> 00:33:44,955 Selestino Torres remained on the loose. 571 00:33:44,957 --> 00:33:49,526 He was still out there and nobody seemed to know his whereabouts. 572 00:33:50,928 --> 00:33:54,998 I was afraid because, I mean, he knew where all my relatives lived. 573 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:59,002 He could've come back home and finished the job. 574 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:06,910 We had cops patrolling the street just to make sure 575 00:34:06,912 --> 00:34:08,478 we were gonna be okay. 576 00:34:08,913 --> 00:34:12,149 We were... We were scared. 577 00:34:16,487 --> 00:34:19,189 [Det. James] Early on the morning of the 11th of July, 578 00:34:19,924 --> 00:34:22,826 we received an anonymous call 579 00:34:22,828 --> 00:34:25,695 that said that Selestino Torres was hiding out 580 00:34:25,697 --> 00:34:28,899 at his sister's residence in Houston. 581 00:34:28,901 --> 00:34:31,835 I contacted Gulf Coast Task Force 582 00:34:31,837 --> 00:34:35,105 and they sent out a team to perform surveillance 583 00:34:35,107 --> 00:34:37,040 of that address. 584 00:34:39,610 --> 00:34:43,313 7:30 p.m. on the 11th, um, 585 00:34:43,315 --> 00:34:45,949 we had been pulling surveillance for several hours. 586 00:34:47,118 --> 00:34:49,920 It was determined that we could approach the house 587 00:34:49,922 --> 00:34:52,556 and basically do a knock and talk 588 00:34:52,558 --> 00:34:55,959 and try to find out who was there. 589 00:34:55,961 --> 00:35:00,063 We approached the house. We asked the brother-in-law 590 00:35:00,065 --> 00:35:03,800 and the sister of Selestino to step out of the house. 591 00:35:03,802 --> 00:35:05,235 That was for their safety. 592 00:35:07,505 --> 00:35:10,040 Selestino ran inside a bathroom 593 00:35:10,042 --> 00:35:14,010 and closed the door as investigators approached it. 594 00:35:15,046 --> 00:35:17,147 Like he had a gun in his hand. 595 00:35:18,649 --> 00:35:20,917 That door was pushed open 596 00:35:20,919 --> 00:35:25,355 and Selestino was holding what proved to be a curling iron 597 00:35:26,891 --> 00:35:28,859 and he was trying to make it look like he had a gun. 598 00:35:28,861 --> 00:35:31,161 A taser was deployed 599 00:35:31,163 --> 00:35:34,231 and Selestino Torres was taken into custody. 600 00:35:37,101 --> 00:35:39,002 [door opens] 601 00:35:46,043 --> 00:35:47,978 [detective speaking] 602 00:35:47,980 --> 00:35:50,013 [Selestino Torres speaking] 603 00:35:50,882 --> 00:35:53,583 It was about 10:56 p.m. on the 11th. 604 00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:57,053 We had Selestino Torres. 605 00:35:57,055 --> 00:36:00,123 He had been transported to our detective bureau headquarters. 606 00:36:01,125 --> 00:36:02,492 [detective speaking] 607 00:36:10,134 --> 00:36:12,502 [Selestino speaking] 608 00:36:13,437 --> 00:36:15,038 [detective speaking] 609 00:36:16,741 --> 00:36:18,241 [Selestino speaking] 610 00:36:19,010 --> 00:36:22,979 We had enough eyewitnesses on that case where 611 00:36:22,981 --> 00:36:27,017 it wasn't necessary to hear what he had to say. 612 00:36:27,919 --> 00:36:31,688 He was booked on the charges of murder 613 00:36:31,690 --> 00:36:34,624 for the killing of Michelle Lira 614 00:36:34,626 --> 00:36:38,061 and the attempted murder of Ms. Ramona Gomez. 615 00:36:39,530 --> 00:36:42,165 [Ramona] I was at my sister's house. 616 00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:45,268 We get a call from the detective saying, "We caught him." 617 00:36:46,804 --> 00:36:49,506 We cried and we cheered. 618 00:36:51,008 --> 00:36:53,076 We could breathe again. 619 00:36:59,016 --> 00:37:02,185 Talking with Terri Wallace, she had told us that 620 00:37:02,187 --> 00:37:05,589 Selestino had called her on her cell phone. 621 00:37:05,591 --> 00:37:09,059 It was about 6:58 a.m. that morning. 622 00:37:10,795 --> 00:37:14,864 We obtained several search warrants as well as Grand Jury Subpoenas 623 00:37:14,866 --> 00:37:16,766 for various items of evidence. 624 00:37:16,768 --> 00:37:20,971 Terri Wallace's phone records were one of those. 625 00:37:21,706 --> 00:37:25,976 Those records put Terri Wallace's phone 626 00:37:25,978 --> 00:37:30,247 in the area of the crime scene on that morning of the murder. 627 00:37:32,016 --> 00:37:35,185 On July 15th, 2009, 628 00:37:35,187 --> 00:37:37,487 Terri Wallace was charged with murder. 629 00:37:39,123 --> 00:37:42,859 It was our belief that Terri Wallace was a willing 630 00:37:42,861 --> 00:37:45,729 participant in this case. 631 00:37:45,731 --> 00:37:50,734 The fact that it was her vehicle that was used in this crime, 632 00:37:50,736 --> 00:37:55,805 that Selestino was calling her at 6:58 which was 633 00:37:55,807 --> 00:37:58,108 in seconds after the shooting. 634 00:37:58,110 --> 00:38:00,877 We believe she was there, we believe 635 00:38:00,879 --> 00:38:03,079 she was the getaway driver. 636 00:38:03,081 --> 00:38:05,915 But, you know, the DA's office saw that 637 00:38:05,917 --> 00:38:08,852 that it was gonna be hard to prove that she was 638 00:38:08,854 --> 00:38:12,222 a willing participant or that she was even there. 639 00:38:12,224 --> 00:38:14,557 [Det. James] We had no eyewitness that could say 640 00:38:14,559 --> 00:38:16,726 she was driving that vehicle. 641 00:38:16,728 --> 00:38:20,430 We didn't have anybody that could say they put her there at the scene. 642 00:38:20,432 --> 00:38:25,035 And ultimately, the charges against Terri Wallace were dismissed. 643 00:38:26,804 --> 00:38:31,775 [narrator] Investigators focus on the case against Selestino. 644 00:38:31,777 --> 00:38:35,111 They piece together what led him to shoot Michelle. 645 00:38:36,180 --> 00:38:39,816 Michelle's moving forward without him 646 00:38:39,818 --> 00:38:41,985 was affecting him. 647 00:38:41,987 --> 00:38:45,021 In the weeks prior to this incident, 648 00:38:45,023 --> 00:38:47,924 he was begging her to take him back. 649 00:38:47,926 --> 00:38:51,127 Uh, he was concerned about his, 650 00:38:51,429 --> 00:38:54,030 his wellbeing, his future. 651 00:38:54,032 --> 00:38:58,001 It was apparent that Selestino Torres was not gonna stop, 652 00:38:58,003 --> 00:39:01,471 you know, until he got what he wanted 653 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,041 to the point to where if he couldn't have her 654 00:39:05,043 --> 00:39:07,277 there was no one gonna have her. 655 00:39:11,015 --> 00:39:13,283 That morning, I woke up 656 00:39:13,285 --> 00:39:15,885 and I called her and said "Michelle, get up, 657 00:39:15,887 --> 00:39:17,053 time to go to work." 658 00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:20,724 I started my truck 659 00:39:20,726 --> 00:39:23,693 and I opened up the garage door. 660 00:39:23,695 --> 00:39:26,029 And as soon as I opened the garage door, 661 00:39:26,031 --> 00:39:30,100 he came inside real quick and he stood by my door. 662 00:39:30,901 --> 00:39:33,002 That's when he asked me to speak to Michelle 663 00:39:33,004 --> 00:39:35,939 and that's when I told him "No." 664 00:39:35,941 --> 00:39:38,208 As we backed up, he approached Michelle's window, 665 00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:39,976 the passenger window. 666 00:39:39,978 --> 00:39:42,846 So all of a sudden, he just pulled out a gun 667 00:39:42,848 --> 00:39:45,615 and he just put it through the window, 668 00:39:45,617 --> 00:39:47,917 through that little crack, little area. 669 00:39:47,919 --> 00:39:50,620 He just started shooting just randomly inside the truck. 670 00:39:50,622 --> 00:39:53,022 [gunshots] 671 00:39:53,024 --> 00:39:56,526 I could hear Michelle gasping and gasping for air. 672 00:39:57,795 --> 00:39:59,028 I knew she was dying right there, 673 00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:01,264 right in front of my face. 674 00:40:02,199 --> 00:40:04,734 [sniffs] And, Michelle died right there in my arms. 675 00:40:04,736 --> 00:40:06,970 She took her last breath. 676 00:40:08,572 --> 00:40:12,108 I trusted him with my prized possession, my daughter. 677 00:40:13,043 --> 00:40:16,880 If you ask me, if anybody was out to hurt me, 678 00:40:16,882 --> 00:40:19,182 he would have never been on my list right now. 679 00:40:19,917 --> 00:40:21,017 Never. 680 00:40:21,852 --> 00:40:23,486 I loved him like a son. 681 00:40:25,089 --> 00:40:27,390 Selestino knew their routine. 682 00:40:27,392 --> 00:40:29,325 He knew the time that they left. 683 00:40:29,660 --> 00:40:32,962 My belief is that Selestino 684 00:40:32,964 --> 00:40:36,733 was trying to catch them before they backed out of their garage. 685 00:40:36,735 --> 00:40:41,838 What he did was calculated, and planned, and, uh, 686 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:45,108 I think he carried out exactly what he intended to do. 687 00:40:49,647 --> 00:40:51,948 Selestino Torres, he pled guilty to murder 688 00:40:51,950 --> 00:40:55,285 and attempted murder in this case. 689 00:40:56,854 --> 00:41:01,324 He was sentenced to life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 690 00:41:02,927 --> 00:41:04,994 [solemn music playing] 691 00:41:08,232 --> 00:41:09,432 [Krystle] When she died, 692 00:41:10,835 --> 00:41:14,771 I felt like a part of me died and I felt like 693 00:41:14,773 --> 00:41:17,106 my childhood went with it. 694 00:41:20,377 --> 00:41:24,814 What I miss about my sister, pretty much is her advice. 695 00:41:24,816 --> 00:41:27,150 Every time I had trouble with something, 696 00:41:27,152 --> 00:41:29,352 I could always count on her to be there for me. 697 00:41:32,923 --> 00:41:36,993 We try to celebrate her birthday, 698 00:41:36,995 --> 00:41:40,363 you know, have pictures of her. 699 00:41:41,165 --> 00:41:45,201 We always celebrate her anniversary, you know, 700 00:41:45,203 --> 00:41:47,103 we get together [sniffs] 701 00:41:47,105 --> 00:41:50,206 and, uh, visit her. 702 00:41:50,407 --> 00:41:52,242 [man speaking] 703 00:41:58,482 --> 00:42:01,985 [Ramona] What I miss about Michelle is her beautiful smile, 704 00:42:01,987 --> 00:42:03,720 her personality, 705 00:42:03,722 --> 00:42:06,155 her kisses and hugs. 706 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,428 I wrote a book about Michelle and our story. 707 00:42:14,098 --> 00:42:16,399 I feel like, if one person can read it 708 00:42:17,968 --> 00:42:20,003 and save one person, 709 00:42:22,973 --> 00:42:24,440 then Michelle didn't die in vain.