♪♪
WHEN THEY RELEASED DAD'S BODY TO THE MORTUARY,
I WENT DOWN THERE AND ASKED TO SEE HIM AND SAY GOODBYE TO HIM.
YOU CAN'T LOOK AT SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT WHO YOU LOVED.
IT'S NOT WHO YOU KNEW.
YOU HAVE TO LET YOURSELF KNOW THAT HE'S IN A BETTER PLACE
AND BELIEVE THAT.
THIS IS FROM PAGE ONE OF EVERETT POLICE WITNESS STATEMENT.
"ALL I DID IN THIS WAS STAB JERRY TWICE IN THE SAME SPOT
ON HIS LEFT SIDE OF HIS STOMACH.
I ALSO HELPED CLEAN UP THE BLOOD
THAT WAS ALL OVER IN THE WALLS AND ON THE FLOOR."
PEOPLE WHO MURDERED THIS GUY AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE
WITH NO CRIMINAL HISTORY, NO DRUG USE,
NO GANG TIES...
HOW DID THEY GET TALKED INTO THIS?
♪♪
IT ALL STARTED RIGHT HERE.
I DON'T LIKE BEING IN HERE.
I'M GETTING UPSET ABOUT IT.
THE MEMORIES.
TOO MANY BAD MEMORIES.
IT'S HARD TO GRASP WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM, AND...
IT'S HARD.
IT'S JUST TOO HARD TO HOLD ON TO.
♪♪
Captions by VITAC... www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
Greg: YEAH, ME AND DAD WERE CLOSE.
HE'S MY DAD, BUT WE WERE GOOD BUDDIES.
WE LIKED DOING THE SAME THINGS,
SO IT WORKED OUT PRETTY GOOD TO HANG OUT WITH EACH OTHER.
YEAH, WE DID HAVE A GREAT TIME.
♪♪
DAD HAD CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD CANCER
AND WASN'T GOING TO GET TREATED,
SO I DECIDED I'D BETTER GET OUT THERE AND TALK HIM INTO IT.
I WASN'T READY FOR HIM TO GO.
HE'S STILL YOUNG AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND
ANOTHER 20 YEARS AT LEAST.
♪♪
WE FLEW IN, MY EX-WIFE AND I.
WHEN WE GOT TO THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW,
IT LOOKED LIKE NO ONE WAS THERE.
THAT'S FOR SURE. ALL THE BLINDS WERE DRAWN.
THE HOUSE WAS LOCKED UP,
NO LIGHTS ON.
I JUST FIGURED HE'D FORGOT THE TIME, IS WHAT I WAS THINKING.
I WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE, AND I'M CHECKING THE WINDOWS.
I DID FIND ONE THAT WAS UNLOCKED.
WHEN I CAME THROUGH THE WINDOW,
THERE WAS NO TV OR NO COUCH IN THE LIVING ROOM.
IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE HAD MOVED OUT.
YOU LOOK AROUND, AND YOU SAY, "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
WHERE'D ALL THE STUFF GO? WHERE'S DAD?"
STARTED LOOKING AROUND THE HOUSE.
THAT'S WHEN I FOUND GRANDMA.
♪♪
MY GRANDMOTHER, EVELYN, GOT ALZHEIMER'S,
AND SHE COULDN'T SPEAK,
AND SHE DIDN'T SHOW MUCH EMOTION HARDLY AT ALL
EXCEPT WHEN SHE LOOKED AT ME AND START CRYING.
GRANDMA LOOKED EXTREMELY TIRED.
SHE WAS VERY FRAIL.
SHE HAD A GLASS OF WATER IN FRONT OF HER.
IT WAS EMPTY AT THAT POINT,
AND SHE'D BEEN EATING NEWSPAPER ON THE...
FROM THE... THAT WAS SITTING ON THE TABLE
BECAUSE SHE HAD NOTHING ELSE TO EAT,
SO SHE'D BEEN RIPPING OFF NEWSPAPER AND EATING THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S THINKING
OR HOW MUCH SHE COULD COMPREHEND,
BUT IT MADE ME MAD
BECAUSE NO ONE WAS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HER.
DAD MIGHT HAVE LEFT HER ALONE TO RUN TO THE STORE
AND GET A PACK OF CIGARETTES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
BUT HE WOULD NEVER JUST ABANDON HER FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.
♪♪
I KNEW HER NAME WAS BARBARA, BARBARA OPEL.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE'D HIRED HER AND THAT SHE HAD THREE KIDS,
AND TWO OF THEM WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 10,
AND THE OTHER WAS 14 AT THE TIME, THE OLDER GIRL.
I HAD THOUGHT SHE'D DECIDE TO MOVE OUT WHILE DAD WAS GONE
AND TAKE SOME OF HIS STUFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING INWARD,
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED
AND JUST STARING AT NOTHING,
AND THEN YOU GET SOMETHING THAT CATCHES YOUR INTEREST.
I SAW SOME STAINS ON GRANDMA'S WHEELCHAIR.
IT APPEARED TO BE BLOOD.
♪♪
THERE WAS A MINOR ACCIDENT IN THE SOUTH END OF TOWN
INVOLVING A U-HAUL TRUCK.
THE U-HAUL TRUCK HAD BEEN REGISTERED TO JERRY HEIMANN.
AND BARBARA OPEL IS IN THE VEHICLE.
MYSELF AND MY PARTNER WERE ASSIGNED TO GO OUT,
MAKE CONTACT WITH BARBARA OPEL AND FIND OUT WHAT SHE KNEW.
SHE WAS STAYING NEARBY AT A LOCAL MOTEL.
[ KNOCK ON DOOR ]
- HI. - HI, MISS OPEL?
- YES. - HI.
IT WAS NOISY IN THIS SMALL MOTEL ROOM.
THE TV WAS ON, AND HER KIDS JUMPING ON THE BED.
ALSO ON SCENE WAS JEFFREY GROTE,
THE DRIVER OF THE U-HAUL TRUCK.
NOW, I DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME
EXACTLY WHAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYONE THERE WAS.
WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?
BARBARA IS AN AVERAGE-LOOKING MOM IN HER LATE 30s.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT JERRY.
WHAT ABOUT JERRY?
HAVE YOU SEEN HIM LATELY?
WE WANTED TO KNOW WHY WAS EVELYN ABANDONED,
AND WE WANTED TO KNOW IF SHE KNEW WHERE JERRY WAS,
AND SHE REPLIED THAT JERRY KNEW SHE WAS MOVING OUT,
AND SHE HAD NO IDEA WHERE HE WAS
OR WHY HE WASN'T THERE WITH EVELYN.
BARBARA DID GIVE US PERMISSION TO SEARCH THE U-HAUL,
AND WE DID SEARCH IT AND TAKE SEVERAL PHOTOS,
BUT WE FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL IN THE BACK OF THE U-HAUL.
TOYS, CLOTHES, THE KIND OF THINGS
THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT SOMEONE TO BE MOVING,
GIVEN HER ROLE AT THE HOUSE.
GIVEN THE TOTALITY OF WHAT WE KNEW AT THE TIME,
SOMETHING SEEMED OFF,
BUT WE JUST WEREN'T QUITE SURE WHAT YET.
JEFF GROTE AGREED TO WATCH THE KIDS
WHILE BARBARA WENT DOWN TO THE POLICE STATION
TO GIVE A STATEMENT.
♪♪
Peterson: I NEVER REALLY WORRIED ABOUT JEFF.
HE HAD SO MANY FRIENDS, AND JEFF HAD A GOOD JOB, WORKING.
I PRETTY MUCH KNEW WHERE JEFF WAS ALL THE TIME.
♪♪
JEFF TOLD ME HE WAS GOING SKATING
OUT AT THE SKATE DECK IN EVERETT,
AND JEFF WANTED TO STAY AT HIS GRANDMA'S,
AND I HAD NO OBJECTION TO THAT.
♪♪
THE NEXT DAY, I DID NOT HEAR FROM HIM,
AND I HAD CALLED MY MOTHER TO SEE
IF SHE HAD HEARD FROM HIM, AND SHE SAID NO,
AND THAT'S WHEN I STARTED CHECKING WITH HIS FRIENDS.
I ASKED THIS ONE BOY IF HE HAD SEEN JEFF,
AND HE SAYS, "WELL, HE WAS OUT AT THE SKATE DECK WITH HEATHER."
JEFF NEVER MENTIONED THE NAME HEATHER TO ME EVER BEFORE.
I HAD NO IDEA WHO SHE WAS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I NEVER HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT SITUATION BEFORE,
AND I WAS LOST.
♪♪
WELL, MY FIANCé MET ME OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY.
WHEN I PULLED IN, AND HE SAID, "JEFF HAS BEEN ARRESTED,"
AND I SAID, "FOR WHAT?"
AND HE SAID, "FOR MURDER."
AND I SAW IT ON THE NEWS.
Anchorwoman: PROSECUTORS ALLEGE JEFFREY GROTE.
AS THE PRIMARY KILLER.
Peterson: I HAD TOTALLY BROKE DOWN RIGHT THEN AND THERE,
AND I SAYS, "WELL, I NEED TO GO SEE HIM.
I WANT TO SEE MY SON."
♪♪
JUST LOOKING AT IT AND SEEING MY SON.
HE WAS A HAPPY LITTLE BOY.
JEFF HAD NEVER BEEN IN ANY TROUBLE,
NO CRIMINAL HISTORY WHATSOEVER, NEVER BEEN ARRESTED.
I THOUGHT JEFF WAS ON THE RIGHT PATH.
I JUST FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE
THAT HE WOULD BE INVOLVED
IN... A MURDER.
HE WAS TOO KIND OF A PERSON, AND...
I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT JEFF'S LIFE WOULD BE
IF HE HAD NEVER HAVE MET BARBARA OPEL, NEVER MET HEATHER.
♪♪
I GOT TO SAY, YOUR MOVES OUT THERE WERE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
- ARE YOU KIDDING ME? - NO, YOU'RE...
I WAS A WRECK.
♪♪
MOM! OH!
WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?
[ LAUGHS ] THIS IS JEFF.
- MRS. OPEL. PLEASURE. - JEFF.
♪♪
Fortin: AT THIS POINT, WE WERE NOT CERTAIN.
THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH A CRIMINAL SITUATION.
WE HAD AN APPARENT ABANDONMENT OF EVELYN,
AND JERRY WAS MISSING, BUT MYSELF AND MY PARTNER
HAD A FEELING THAT THINGS JUST WEREN'T ADDING UP.
I'M SORRY.
I WISH I HAD SOMETHING MORE TO GIVE YOU. I...
WE WANTED TO GET BARBARA DOWN IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
TO DO AN INTERVIEW.
WE WERE ANXIOUS TO GET INTO THE DETAILS WITH HER.
♪♪
AT THAT POINT, IT WAS CONFIRMED
THAT THERE WAS BLOOD SPATTER AT THE SCENE.
BLOOD SPATTER WAS ON EVELYN'S WHEELCHAIR.
THERE WAS BLOOD SPATTER ON THE TABLE
SHE WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF, ON THE CEILING FAN
ABOVE THE TABLE,
ON THE WALLS IN THE KITCHEN AND LIVING ROOM.
IT WAS MORE BLOOD THAN COULD BE ACCOUNTED FOR
BY JUST SOMEBODY CUTTING THEMSELVES
OR HAVING ANY KIND OF AN ACCIDENT.
AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, WE FELT WE HAD A CRIME SCENE,
BUT DID THAT MEAN SOMEBODY WAS INJURED AND HAD LEFT?
DID IT MEAN THAT SOMEBODY WAS MURDERED AT THAT SCENE?
WE WERE HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS, BUT WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
BECAUSE WE REALLY HADN'T TALKED WITH ANYBODY YET.
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO BRING JEFF
AND THE CHILDREN DOWN TO THE EVERETT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
♪♪
Greg: WHEN THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS A LOT OF BLOOD ON THE STUFF,
THEY NEEDED TO MAKE IT A CRIME SCENE,
SO THAT AFTERNOON, THEY KICKED US OUT.
WHEN THE HOUSE BECOMES A CRIME SCENE,
IT'S A HELPLESS FEELING.
IT'S A FEELING OF DREAD.
IT WAS VERY DISTRESSING BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
WITH GRANDMA, THERE WAS NO WAY FOR HER
TO COMMUNICATE WHAT SHE SAW.
SHE'S THE ONLY WITNESS.
YOUR MIND AUTOMATICALLY STARTS GOING TO THE WORST SCENARIO,
THAT HE'S NOT COMING BACK.
♪♪
Fortin: SHE JUST INSISTED THAT SHE HAD NO IDEA WHERE JERRY WAS,
THAT SHE DIDN'T ABANDON EVELYN,
THAT JERRY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HER,
AND IT REALLY WASN'T PROGRESSING AT THAT POINT BEYOND THAT.
THINGS CHANGED, AND CHANGED DRAMATICALLY,
WHEN THE DETECTIVES
WHO WERE INTERVIEWING HER MINOR CHILDREN...
- FORTIN. - YEAH?
...TOLD US THAT THE YOUNG DAUGHTER
HAD SAID THAT JERRY IS DEAD.
AND IN FACT, THE 11-YEAR-OLD SAID,
"I CAN TAKE YOU TO JERRY'S BODY."
♪♪
Fortin: THE YOUNG DAUGHTER HAD SAID THAT JERRY IS DEAD,
AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY,
HER 11-YEAR-OLD SON GAVE US EVEN MORE DETAILS,
AND IN FACT, THE 11-YEAR-OLD SAID,
"I CAN TAKE YOU TO JERRY'S BODY."
♪♪
JERRY'S BODY HAD BEEN DUMPED IN THE WOODS.
HE HAD BEEN BRUTALLY BEAT, STABBED.
HIS SKULL HAD BEEN BASHED IN,
AND ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT,
IT WAS THOSE HEAD INJURIES THAT CAUSED DEATH.
ALSO, THERE WAS DISCOLORATION OF HIS FACE
BECAUSE IN THE AFTERMATH, THEY POURED ACID ON HIS FACE.
WE GOT A CLEARER PICTURE
OF JUST HOW HORRIFIC THE SITUATION HAD BEEN.
♪♪
I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TOLD.
I KNOW I WAS, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT,
PROBABLY BLOCKED IT OUT.
♪♪
WE HAD BEEN UP FOR SOMEWHERE AROUND A TOTAL OF 36 HOURS
WHEN I HAD TO MEET GREG.
I HAPPENED TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT
AND JUST BASICALLY SAY, "I'M SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS."
WHEN GREG LOOKS AT ME WITH BIG EYES,
I KNEW INSTANTLY, BEFORE HE SAID ANYTHING,
THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY, IF YOU WILL, NOTIFIED.
I HAD THE IDEA THAT GREG HAD BEEN ADVISED
OF THE FACT THAT HIS DAD WAS DEAD.
♪♪
IT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT I REMEMBER
IN KIND OF THE FOG OF THAT 30th HOUR,
SO TO SPEAK, THAT I FELT...
I FELT BAD ABOUT THAT.
♪♪
Greg: THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I CAN'T REMEMBER.
ABOUT THOSE TIMES,
AND IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I BLOCKED IT OUT OF MY MIND.
IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.
IT TAKES YOUR HOPE AWAY.
IT TAKES A LOT AWAY.
IT TAKES YOUR DAD AWAY.
EVERYTHING JUST BECOMES NUMB.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK, DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
♪♪
YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT AT ALL.
♪♪
I WALKED BY MY OFFICE, GRABBED A LARGE BINDER
THAT WAS ABOUT 3 INCHES THICK FROM ANOTHER CASE,
WALKED INTO THE ROOM, SLAMMED THE BINDER DOWN ON THE DESK
AND SAID, "BARBARA, WE KNOW JERRY'S DEAD.
YOU NEED TO TELL US WHAT HAPPENED."
IT WAS RELATIVELY EASY TO GET THE TRUTH FROM HER.
BARBARA DID PAINT A NEGATIVE PICTURE OF JERRY.
SHE SAID THAT HE WAS VERBALLY ABUSIVE.
♪♪
I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED LISTENING TO THAT.
I DON'T BELIEVE HER.
I THINK SHE'S A LIAR.
SHE'S MISLEADING EVERYBODY,
ALL THE AUTHORITIES AND ALL THE DETECTIVES.
I THINK SHE WANTED TO HAVE THE BLAME ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER KNOW THE TRUTH.
♪♪
Greg: I'M DOWN IN THE ROOM WITH DAD.
THEY RECOMMENDED I NOT REMOVE THE SHEET THAT'S ON HIM
BECAUSE HE'D BEEN OUT IN THE WOODS FOR SO MANY DAYS,
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T LOOK AT HIM.
YOU CAN TOUCH HIS HAND THROUGH THE SHEET.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL YOU CAN DO, AND YOU SAY GOODBYE.
"I LOVE YOU, DAD."
"I'M SORRY I WASN'T THERE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU."
♪♪
Peterson: I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT IT HAD EVEN HAPPENED.
I WANTED TO GET HIM OUT OF THERE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT WAS TRUE.
THE FIRST VISIT WITH JEFF,
IT WAS HARD TO SEE HIM WHERE HE WAS,
NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE HIM A HUG.
I BROKE DOWN.
I DID WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHY JEFF WAS INVOLVED IN THIS MURDER,
AND I WANTED TO ASK JEFF HIMSELF AND GO FROM THERE.
I BELIEVE I DID ASK JEFF ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT
AND THAT'S WHEN JEFF TOLD ME, HE GOES,
"MOM, I WAS THERE."
I'M SORRY.
♪♪
I NEED SOME HELP.
YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS, RIGHT?
IT'LL BE WORTH IT LATER.
♪♪
COME ON, LADIES. GET UP THERE.
GO UP THERE AND HELP JEFF! GET UP THERE!
GET HIM TO SHUT UP ALREADY!
♪♪
Fortin: THEY WERE DISTRESSED.
THEY WERE IN TEARS, AND BARBARA CHIDED THEM TO,
"FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED."
SHE WAS THE CHEERLEADER.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THE PERPETRATORS,
AND THEY'RE DOING IT, IT MUST SEEM TO SURREAL TO THEM.
AT TIMES, IT WOULD ONLY SEEM NATURAL
THAT THEY WOULD GET SECOND THOUGHTS,
BUT SHE WAS THE MOTIVATOR TO GET THEM BACK
INTO THE ASSAULT MODE DURING THOSE TIMES OF HESITATION.
♪♪
DURING THE ENTIRE ASSAULT ON JERRY,
THE 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND THE 11-YEAR-OLD SON
WERE DOWNSTAIRS LISTENING TO THIS WHOLE THING GO DOWN,
AND ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE SOUNDS THAT THEY HEARD.
[ MUFFLED THUMPING AND YELLING ]
♪♪
NONE OF THESE JUVENILES HAD ANY KIND OF CRIMINAL HISTORY,
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CURIOUS THINGS ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS HOW YOUNG,
INNOCENT THESE KIDS WERE.
BARBARA PROMISED HEATHER A BICYCLE,
PROMISED OTHERS SMALL AMOUNTS OF CASH.
BARBARA ALLOWED JEFF TO HAVE SEX WITH HEATHER.
SHE WAS JUST A MASTER MANIPULATOR
OF YOUNG, VULNERABLE KIDS
AND WAS ABLE SOMEHOW TO PULL THIS OFF.
WELL, I THINK TO DESCRIBE BARBARA
AS HAVING HER OWN LITTLE CULT IS VERY ACCURATE,
BUT IN BARBARA'S CONVOLUTED MIND,
SHE THOUGHT THAT ONCE JERRY WAS DEAD,
SHE WOULD HAVE UNRESTRAINED ACCESS TO HIS MONEY.
Anchorwoman: PROSECUTORS SAY THE MOTIVE HERE IS SIMPLE...
OPEL KNEW WHERE THE VICTIM HAD STASHED $40,000.
WHAT POLICE AND PROSECUTORS SAY THEY CAN'T YET EXPLAIN
IS WHY SHE WOULD EXPOSE YOUNG CHILDREN TO BLOODY,
BRUTAL MURDER.
YES, BECAUSE OF THE MEMORIES OF IT.
Anchorwoman: GROTE WAS PROMISED A CAR AND SOME CLOTHING.
ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, TEENS, INCLUDING
OPEL'S 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,
WERE TO BE PAID $200 TO $300 TO HELP KILL HEIMANN.
THE STATEMENT MAKES SENSE,
BUT AS FAR AS JEFF'S INVOLVEMENT,
I DON'T SEE HOW HE LOWERED HIMSELF...
I...
THAT'S A PART I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
♪♪
Anchorwoman: BARBARA OPEL IS ACCUSED OF THE UNTHINKABLE...
RECRUITING HER OWN KIDS TO KILL.
SHE PLANNED THE MURDER OF AN INNOCENT MAN,
DESTROYED THE LIVES OF KIDS
AND ABANDONED THE 89-YEAR-OLD WOMAN SHE WAS CARING FOR.
SHE'S A VERY EVIL PERSON. SHE RUINED A LOT OF LIVES.
ALL THOSE KIDS, OUR FAMILIES,
NONE OF US WILL EVER GET OVER IT.
SHE HAD THIS EVIL IN HER, AND YOU COULD SEE IT IN HER.
THE DEFENSE LAWYERS TRIED TO PAINT DAD
AS AN ABUSIVE, MEAN DRUNK.
I GUESS I FELT THAT FOR THE PAIN THAT WAS CAUSED TO
HEATHER THAT HE DESERVED IT.
THE LAWYERS AND BARBARA SHOULD ROT IN HELL
FOR TRYING TO DO THAT,
RUIN SOMEBODY'S REPUTATION THAT THEY MURDERED.
DAD HAD BROUGHT THIS FAMILY INTO HIS HOUSE,
LET THEM LIVE UNDER HIS ROOF
AND BUYING THE FOOD AND PAYING THEM,
SO HE KNEW ALL THESE KIDS,
BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY THEY WOULD WANT TO KILL HIM,
WHY THEY WERE HITTING HIM WITH A BAT,
WHY THEY WERE STABBING HIM.
ALL HE COULD THINK TO SAY WAS, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHY?"
DAD HAD A LITTLE MONEY IN THE BANK, AND SHE WANTED IT.
♪♪
TRYING TO COPE WITH WHAT HAPPENED,
THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN, A LOT OF HEARTACHE, ANGUISH,
SO YOU TURN TO WHATEVER HELPS YOU.
IN MY CASE, ALCOHOL.
I DESTROYED MY LIFE AS IT WAS.
I ALLOWED IT TO GET TO ME TOO MUCH,
I GUESS, IS WHAT HAPPENED.
I SPLIT UP WITH MY EX-WIFE,
AND ALL I DID WAS JUST IDLE BY FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
AFTER A WHILE, YOU'RE ABLE TO COPE WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL,
SO YOU COPE WITH IT, AND YOU LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT,
BUT YOU NEVER GET OVER IT.
♪♪
JERRY WAS, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, LOVING OF THE KIDS.
HE LOVED THE KIDS.
HE TREATED THEM ACCORDINGLY.
BY ALL WITNESSES, BY ALL NEIGHBORS,
IN TALKING TO HIS SON AND CONVERSATIONS
HE HAD HAD WITH HIS DAD PREVIOUSLY ABOUT BARBARA,
HE WAS JUST A GREAT GUY.
THERE IS NO EXPLAINING THE UNEXPLAINABLE SOMETIMES.
WHAT IS INCONCEIVABLE TO US OBVIOUSLY
WAS VERY CONCEIVABLE TO BARBARA,
AND THE CRUX OF THE ENTIRE STORY
AND HOW UNUSUAL IT WAS WAS THESE INNOCENT YOUNG KIDS
BEING TALKED INTO COMMITTING SUCH A HORRIFIC CRIME.
THIS IS FROM PAGE ONE OF EVERETT POLICE WITNESS STATEMENT
BY HEATHER OPEL.
"ALL I DID IN THIS WAS STAB JERRY TWICE IN THE SAME SPOT
ON HIS LEFT SIDE OF HIS STOMACH.
I ALSO HELPED CLEAN UP THE BLOOD THAT WAS ALL OVER IN THE WALLS
AND ON THE FLOOR.
WHEN WE WENT TO DUMP THE BODY,
ALL I DID WAS THROW MY BAT THAT WE KILLED JERRY
"WITH INTO THE WOODS AND GOT BACK INTO THE CAR."
HEATHER, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IN EVERYTHING I READ AND HEARD,
I SAW NOTHING THAT REALLY EXPRESSED REMORSE.
I DO THINK IN HER MIND THAT IT WAS JUSTIFIED,
AND I DO THINK SHE WAS TOTALLY BRAINWASHED BY HER MOTHER,
AND I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE DID THAT AND MORE IF TOLD TO.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CRIME LIKE THIS PRIOR,
AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE SUBSEQUENTLY LIKE THIS ONE.
EVERYONE IS A VICTIM HERE.
♪♪
MY SON WAS IN JAIL FOR MURDER.
THAT'S THE DAY I LOST MY SON.
♪♪
I FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE MAYBE I WASN'T THERE ENOUGH FOR JEFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS IN YOUR OWN MIND
OF WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE AND COULD HAVE DONE, AND...
♪♪
I'M HOPING SOMEDAY MY SON COULD TELL ME THE TRUTH
OR TELL ME THE STORY,
WHAT HIS INVOLVEMENT WAS IN IT, JUST TO EASE ME.
JEFF SAID HE DID THAT?
JEFF NEVER TOLD ME THAT HE DID THAT.
I GUESS THAT'S WHY HE DOESN'T WANT TO...
ME TO BE HURT AND UPSET.
♪♪
YES, JEFF WAS THERE.
♪♪
[ CELLPHONE RINGING ]
HELLO? HOW ARE YOU?
GROTE: Hey. I'm good, tired.
YEAH? HOW WAS YOUR WORKOUT?
Good.
HE CALLS ME THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK,
AND WE CHIT-CHAT ALL THE TIME ON THE PHONE, AND...
I MISS OUR CONNECTION, HUGS AND DOING STUFF TOGETHER,
BUT I STILL HURT FROM IT,
AND I PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL UNTIL HE'S PHYSICALLY OUT.
♪♪
All right.
- ALL RIGHT. - See you Monday?
- YEP, YOU'LL SEE ME MONDAY. - All right.
- ALL RIGHT. I LOVE... - I love you.
I LOVE YOU, TOO. BYE-BYE.
RIGHT NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME IS HIS RELEASE.
I BELIEVE JEFF DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE.
THAT LAST DAY, WHEN JEFF IS RELEASED,
WILL BE...
♪♪
...PROBABLY ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE,
AND I'M SURE IT'LL BE ONE OF HIS HAPPIEST DAYS.
♪♪
Greg: REDEMPTION CAN BE HAD FOR A LOT OF THINGS,
BUT I WOULD NOT CALL THIS ONE OF THEM.
NO ONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE
AFTER DOING THAT TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
DEATH PENALTY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
BECAUSE THEY WOULD FEEL THE FEAR THAT DAD FELT
WHEN HE WAS BEING MURDERED,
AND I'D LIKED TO HAD THEM FEEL THAT KIND OF FEAR.
HE WAS A GOOD MAN WITH A GOOD HEART.
I MISS HIM A LOT.