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[announcer on TV] From Las Vegas, Nevada.
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It's the Buffalo Jim
Buffalo Wrestling Show.
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{\an8}[rock music playing on TV]
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He was Buffalo Jim,
and he was a light of joy and life.
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No matter where you go, "Buffalo Jim!"
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[Jennifer Barrier]
The Las Vegas Review-Journal voted him
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Las Vegas's Most Colorful Character
in 2005.
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He even beat out the current mayor.
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-Peace and love.
-[customer] We can do that.
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-From the heart.
-[customer] Thank you.
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[Buffalo Jim Barrier] From the heart,
my friends.
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{\an8}This weekend, outspoken enemy of the mob
Buffalo Jim Barrier,
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{\an8}was found dead in a local motel room.
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{\an8}There were no obvious signs of foul play,
but, tonight,
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Barrier's friends and relatives
are voicing their strong suspicions.
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My family, we all believe he was murdered.
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[reporter on TV] Despite what he thought
were ongoing threats to his safety,
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Jim Barrier refused to back down.
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[Jerica Barrier] We thought it was,
like, a setup.
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It didn't feel right.
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[Jennifer Barrier]
I know that there's people out there
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that want the truth as bad as I do.
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We deserve justice for our father.
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[mysterious music playing]
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[tense music playing]
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[Lewis A. Roberts]
On April 6th, 2008, at 11:30 a.m.
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at a Motel 6 on Boulder Highway,
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housekeeper knocks on the door to room 105
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to check to see if it's okay
to clean the room.
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{\an8}When she opens the door,
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{\an8}she notices a gentleman asleep on the bed.
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She comes back at 12:30
and notices that he's still asleep.
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At 1:10 p.m., the housekeeper returns
and finds him in the same position.
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Another housekeeper shakes him
to see if he's awake,
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at which time they believe he's dead.
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The violent crimes detectives responded
out to the scene in the early afternoon.
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The body was found lying face up
on the bed with his shirt open,
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with a pillow behind his head,
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and his pants down around his ankles.
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There was a white powdery substance
found on his beard and on his shirt.
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The nature in which the body was found
was a little suspicious
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because there wasn't a clear sign
as to why he was deceased.
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At some point, they identified him
as being James Barrier.
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Went by the name of Buffalo Jim.
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I'm Buffalo Jim,
and it's another Friday night, brother,
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here in Vegas Town!
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[reporter on TV]
Barrier was a true Las Vegas character,
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a pro-wrestler, auto mechanic,
political candidate...
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Here you go, sir. Buffalo Jim Barrier.
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{\an8}[reporter on TV] Barrier built a gigantic,
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{\an8}animated,
smoke-belching papier-mâché buffalo.
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{\an8}I thought the people of Las Vegas
would like it, brother.
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[Jennifer] My father,
Buffalo Jim Barrier, loved Las Vegas.
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The bright lights
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{\an8}and the excitement,
the shows, the restaurants.
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[Jerica] And he was someone
who was larger than life.
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{\an8}He was someone who just lit up a room
when he walked in.
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Just a character.
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His dad was a Cherokee Indian.
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{\an8}[Jerica] He would
educate us on our background
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{\an8}and always would remind us, you know,
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that remember your ancestors
and remember your bloodline lineage.
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It's important.
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His childhood wasn't very easy.
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[wistful music playing]
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[Jerica] He began working
at a gas station at the age of 15
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with his older brother doing oil changes.
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He slept on the gas station floors,
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you know, and his older brother
was teaching him the ropes.
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[Jennifer] He started off
doing mechanics out of his van.
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And eventually made his way up
to the level he was at
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with owning his own auto repair shop
that he started in the late '70s.
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[phone ringing]
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Auto & Marine, can I help you?
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He fixed a lot of incredible cars.
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I know that he fixed a car once
for Wayne Newton and Robert Goulet.
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I know there are celebrities
even in other states
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that would bring their cars
to his shop as well.
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He was a very caring
and hardworking person.
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He always made sure
to provide for our family.
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There were four of us growing up.
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I have an older sister named Jessica.
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Then I have a sister named Elise.
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And then our baby sister Jerica.
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My mother was in love with my father.
She still loves him.
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But in the year 2000,
my mother left my father,
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and we moved to Seattle, Washington,
because my mom has a sister up there.
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But, eventually,
Jerica went to live with my father,
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and he treated Jerica like a queen.
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They went everywhere together.
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They were just inseparable.
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Every day was an exciting day.
Something new.
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[all exclaiming]
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He was so much fun.
He would always bring the excitement.
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[all laughing]
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[all] Yay!
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And he always loved wrestling.
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[commentator] Fireman's carry!
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Oh, man!
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New Heavyweight Champion of the World,
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Johny "Psycho" Paine!
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[Johny] Buffalo wanted to run
his own school and wrestling company.
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I'm here tonight at the Buffalo Jim's
Pro Wrestling School, brother.
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{\an8}So he called it
Buffalo Wrestling Federation.
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[commentator 1] Whoa!
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{\an8}[commentator 2]
There goes out the Tall, the Twin!
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{\an8}His style was badass!
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A ring on every finger.
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It's Friday night!
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He would wear this bulletproof vest
that was literally made with bullets.
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It's Buffalo Jim!
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[Johny] Everybody
wanted to be up around Buffalo.
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We're going to the top, Buffalo!
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[Johny] Buffalo, he was just
cool to be with, and we clicked.
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Became very good friends
right off the bat.
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[commentator] He's got him up! Body slam!
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[Steve Miller] His television show
was on late-night cable TV.
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{\an8}And he had a tremendous following.
It was so camp.
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It's another Friday night.
Buffalo Jim's Wrestling Show!
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I'm here with Little Buffalo!
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I decided that I'd participate
in his wrestling show for an episode.
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[Buffalo Jim] Get him, Buff!
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The name Little Buff came about
because I was like his sidekick.
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[Buffalo Jim] I like it! I like it!
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[Jerica] It was fun.
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I mean, he knew how to put on a show.
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You never know what's gonna happen.
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[Jerica] It was for about six years.
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It was just him and I.
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So we're standing in front of
my family's home.
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Um, this is the home that we lived at.
This was my father's dream home.
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He loved it up here.
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He looked up at the mountain, and to him,
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he saw an Indian chief in the mountain,
and he was like,
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"This is going to be my mountain."
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[voice breaking] And being back here now,
it just doesn't feel the same.
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It's not the same without him.
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[somber music playing]
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[Jerica] That night, my father mentioned
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that he was going to go meet
with a friend for dinner.
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He said, "I'll be home by 12:00."
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[suspenseful music playing]
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[Jerica] Around 9:30 p.m., I texted him,
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but he didn't reply.
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I gave him another call
later in the evening,
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and he didn't answer.
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I tried calling my father
in the morning again,
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and he didn't answer.
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And that really was alarming for me.
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Like, "Dad's not answering his phone."
Like, "What's going on?"
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[phone ringing]
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[Jerica] So around, like, 2:00 p.m.,
I was with my sister Elise,
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and I get a phone call
from a police officer
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saying that she's calling about my father.
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And she said,
"I need to speak to an adult."
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I was only 15.
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Elise was 20 years old at the time.
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So then I frantically
went to go get Elise.
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Um, I turned the volume of my phone up
so I can hear the conversation,
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and Elise took the call, and I heard
the police officer on the phone say,
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"Your father is dead."
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"And we need you to come to Motel 6
on Boulder Highway
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to come and identify the body."
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During the whole
car ride there to the Motel 6...
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we were just crying uncontrollably,
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and Elise was driving,
like, 100 on the highway.
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And we were trying to make it there
as fast as we possibly can.
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When we pulled up
to the front of the motel,
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we both were approached
by a police officer from Metro
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and invited into the motel room
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to identify my father's body.
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This is the room
that my father was found dead in.
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He was right here on the stretcher
when we walked in the room.
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He was in a body bag
and the bag was unzipped.
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[Jerica] That moment...
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is so painful to...
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to remember and think about.
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[Jerica] They found him
lying on the bed here.
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[Jerica] We were in a state of disbelief
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that our father was lying dead
in front of us at a motel.
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[breathes deeply]
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[sniffling] It's, um...
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It's really difficult to...
It's really difficult to see this room.
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It was the last place I saw him
before the funeral,
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and I gave him a hug.
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The last time I touched him
was in this room.
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And he was so cold.
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And I just remember
that the police actually had to...
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to tell me to let go
'cause they needed to take his body away.
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I didn't wanna let him go.
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[somber music playing]
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The police didn't give us any information
and details of how he was found
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or what happened to my father.
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[Jerica] The police
handed my sister Elise and I an envelope
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with his car keys, his wallet,
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his cell phone,
and the receipt to the motel.
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00:13:02,615 --> 00:13:04,700
I immediately took out the phone
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and thought that I should look
through the call log
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to see who the last person was
that he had spoken to.
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[intriguing music playing]
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[Jerica] There was a message.
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So I went ahead
and I listened to his voicemails
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00:13:20,257 --> 00:13:23,135
to find out who had left that message.
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This person may be the last person,
you know, that he spoke to.
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In her message, she had said,
"Hey, Buffalo, this is Lisa."
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"Is everything okay?"
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00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:39,777
And she had said it
with a tone of concern.
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00:13:40,986 --> 00:13:45,491
And so I called the number,
and the woman picked up, and I said,
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00:13:45,574 --> 00:13:46,992
"Are you Lisa?"
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And she didn't reply.
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00:13:49,662 --> 00:13:51,747
I said, "Do you know Buffalo Jim?"
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00:13:52,373 --> 00:13:55,793
And she goes, "I don't know Buffalo Jim,"
and she hung up.
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00:13:57,711 --> 00:13:59,797
The woman that spoke on the voicemail
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00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:02,049
was the same woman
that answered my phone call.
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00:14:03,217 --> 00:14:07,763
Why would she leave a voicemail
voicing concern for my father?
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00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:11,433
I was telling Elise, like,
"No, she knows something!"
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00:14:11,517 --> 00:14:15,062
"She knows something. She's lying.
How could she not know our father?"
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00:14:15,145 --> 00:14:17,940
"There's call logs here.
She left a voicemail."
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00:14:26,115 --> 00:14:28,158
[Jennifer] I was in California
on a vacation,
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00:14:28,659 --> 00:14:32,037
and I receive a phone call
from my sister Elise.
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00:14:32,121 --> 00:14:35,040
And she said,
"Jennifer, Dad was found dead."
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00:14:35,124 --> 00:14:36,750
"I just signed off on the body."
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00:14:39,044 --> 00:14:41,338
I was shocked.
I just didn't know what to say.
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[pensive music playing]
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00:14:47,887 --> 00:14:52,057
[Johny] It was weird 'cause Buffalo
hadn't called me for a couple days.
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00:14:53,517 --> 00:14:55,311
And then, phone rings.
227
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It says "Buffalo Jim."
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And when I picked it up,
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it was his daughter.
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00:15:01,442 --> 00:15:02,443
She goes,
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00:15:03,694 --> 00:15:06,906
"Johny, Dad's gone."
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00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,913
To go from that
presence in your life all the time...
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00:15:16,874 --> 00:15:19,376
It was different
when everything just shut down.
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00:15:19,460 --> 00:15:20,544
Boom. Right there.
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00:15:26,175 --> 00:15:30,471
[Dr. Lary Simms]
On the morning of April 7th, 2008,
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00:15:30,554 --> 00:15:32,765
{\an8}I was assigned Mr. Barrier's autopsy.
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00:15:34,099 --> 00:15:37,519
Anytime anybody is found dead
in a hotel room,
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00:15:37,603 --> 00:15:39,813
it's out of their normal environment.
239
00:15:39,897 --> 00:15:42,608
If you're gonna be conservative,
which I was,
240
00:15:42,691 --> 00:15:45,945
you would want to consider that
a homicide until proven otherwise.
241
00:15:47,988 --> 00:15:51,784
Mr. Barrier had
no significant external trauma.
242
00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:57,539
He wasn't shot. He wasn't stabbed.
He wasn't beaten. He wasn't strangled.
243
00:15:58,290 --> 00:16:02,336
He had a white powdery substance
on his nose and on his beard.
244
00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,714
There was a number of drugs
that I tested for
245
00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:07,716
in addition to the standard drugs.
246
00:16:09,093 --> 00:16:11,553
The only positive was cocaine.
247
00:16:12,429 --> 00:16:15,391
The minimum lethal levels for cocaine
248
00:16:15,474 --> 00:16:20,813
is kinda in the 100 to 200 nanograms
per milliliter range.
249
00:16:21,522 --> 00:16:24,483
Mr. Barrier's blood level
was right around 250.
250
00:16:25,693 --> 00:16:27,820
Mr. Barrier had significant heart disease,
251
00:16:27,903 --> 00:16:32,366
and his cause of death was a combination
of the heart disease and the cocaine.
252
00:16:34,576 --> 00:16:38,872
I put his death between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
on April 5th, 2008.
253
00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:47,256
Once we got the information back
from a toxicology report,
254
00:16:48,382 --> 00:16:49,800
I was in so much shock.
255
00:16:49,883 --> 00:16:51,260
And we couldn't believe it
256
00:16:51,844 --> 00:16:55,931
because I never saw him once use any drug
257
00:16:56,932 --> 00:17:01,103
or drink any alcohol or party.
258
00:17:04,148 --> 00:17:08,068
[Johny] Buffalo loved to go out
and have a great time.
259
00:17:10,112 --> 00:17:12,948
But he never did any drugs around me.
260
00:17:13,699 --> 00:17:17,036
I have this memory in my mind
of Buffalo saying, "I'm eating clean,
261
00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,663
and I'm in the best shape of my life."
262
00:17:21,582 --> 00:17:24,001
[Jennifer] My dad told me
that in the '80s,
263
00:17:24,084 --> 00:17:26,670
he used to take some cocaine
every once in a while.
264
00:17:27,755 --> 00:17:29,923
He was not proud of that,
265
00:17:30,591 --> 00:17:34,303
but in my entire 24 years
of knowing my father,
266
00:17:34,386 --> 00:17:37,306
I've never seen him ever do
any drugs of any kind.
267
00:17:38,724 --> 00:17:43,687
{\an8}If it was true that he had cocaine in him
and that he had done it himself,
268
00:17:43,771 --> 00:17:44,772
{\an8}I would be shocked.
269
00:17:46,690 --> 00:17:50,152
That would have been
completely uncharacteristic
270
00:17:50,235 --> 00:17:51,820
of the Buffalo that I knew
271
00:17:52,696 --> 00:17:56,408
because Buffalo had a cocaine problem
in his early years
272
00:17:56,492 --> 00:17:58,452
and was proud
of the fact that he had beaten it.
273
00:17:59,411 --> 00:18:01,580
[Jerica] When we
went to identify his body,
274
00:18:02,414 --> 00:18:06,877
there was no evidence of cocaine
in the motel room at all.
275
00:18:08,837 --> 00:18:12,049
Where did this cocaine come from
and why wasn't it at the scene?
276
00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:17,012
The white powder substance that was
found on his beard and on his mustache,
277
00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:19,765
we don't even know
if it was really cocaine or not.
278
00:18:21,391 --> 00:18:23,477
[Steve] They don't know
if it was straight cocaine.
279
00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,897
They don't know if it was cut cocaine.
They don't know what it was.
280
00:18:26,980 --> 00:18:28,732
All they said was it was white powder.
281
00:18:28,816 --> 00:18:31,610
Did anybody ever test the cocaine
that was on his nose,
282
00:18:31,693 --> 00:18:34,655
or on his shirt, or on his beard
to see what the level of it was?
283
00:18:34,738 --> 00:18:35,989
No.
284
00:18:36,073 --> 00:18:38,700
We're sitting around
at the dining room table,
285
00:18:38,784 --> 00:18:42,246
and my sisters looked at me and said,
"Jennifer, he was set up."
286
00:18:42,329 --> 00:18:45,124
"What are we gonna do?
Is anything going to be done?"
287
00:18:45,207 --> 00:18:46,542
Something was not right.
288
00:18:47,876 --> 00:18:49,253
Foul play was involved.
289
00:18:52,256 --> 00:18:53,632
[Jennifer] The night my dad died,
290
00:18:54,258 --> 00:18:57,761
we know he received a voice message
from a woman named Lisa.
291
00:18:59,555 --> 00:19:03,016
And I told the police,
I said, "Please look into this woman."
292
00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:09,898
[Lewis] Detectives, at some point,
had tracked down
293
00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:14,736
a young lady who was in the room with
Mr. Barrier on the night of his passing.
294
00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:18,574
And she had told them that
295
00:19:19,908 --> 00:19:23,871
she had a long relationship
with Mr. Barrier.
296
00:19:25,414 --> 00:19:27,624
She stated she called Mr. Barrier
297
00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:31,211
and put a friend on the phone,
another male,
298
00:19:31,295 --> 00:19:34,214
who wanted to discuss
selling him a motorcycle.
299
00:19:36,133 --> 00:19:38,135
According to her statement,
300
00:19:38,218 --> 00:19:40,971
she said that the reason
why she called him
301
00:19:41,054 --> 00:19:44,391
was because she had
a friend with her in town from Arizona,
302
00:19:44,474 --> 00:19:47,227
and he needed money
and wanted to sell the motorcycle.
303
00:19:47,936 --> 00:19:50,814
However, that person
was never brought up ever again.
304
00:19:52,566 --> 00:19:56,570
My dad somehow left the house,
decided to leave and go meet her.
305
00:19:57,779 --> 00:20:00,574
[Lewis] Lisa said she and Buffalo Jim
306
00:20:00,657 --> 00:20:03,535
agreed to meet at the gas station
on Charleston Boulevard,
307
00:20:04,953 --> 00:20:07,915
and then they drove to the Motel 6
on Boulder Highway.
308
00:20:12,169 --> 00:20:15,005
The young lady said
that Mr. Barrier parked a Rolls-Royce
309
00:20:15,088 --> 00:20:17,007
around the back of the Motel 6.
310
00:20:23,805 --> 00:20:28,435
At 8:22, Buffalo Jim is seen
in the lobby of Motel 6
311
00:20:28,518 --> 00:20:30,520
getting a key card for room 105.
312
00:20:37,653 --> 00:20:39,071
And about 30 seconds later,
313
00:20:39,154 --> 00:20:43,575
Buffalo comes shuffling
in front of the motel office very slowly.
314
00:20:43,659 --> 00:20:48,205
And behind him
is a short female in silhouette.
315
00:20:49,373 --> 00:20:51,959
And she's following him
three or four steps behind.
316
00:20:52,042 --> 00:20:53,126
That was Lisa.
317
00:20:57,339 --> 00:21:00,592
[Lewis] Lisa says
once inside the room 105...
318
00:21:04,096 --> 00:21:06,473
they were playing a sexual fantasy game.
319
00:21:08,058 --> 00:21:11,853
The young lady stated that
Mr. Barrier was using a lot of cocaine
320
00:21:11,937 --> 00:21:13,313
and acting paranoid.
321
00:21:14,398 --> 00:21:17,484
She tried to calm him down by
telling him he needs to drink some water.
322
00:21:17,567 --> 00:21:20,279
She says that Mr. Barrier
lays down on the bed
323
00:21:20,362 --> 00:21:21,863
and he starts convulsing.
324
00:21:23,323 --> 00:21:28,036
He's clutching his chest with both hands,
she says, a little like a mild seizure.
325
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,122
[suspenseful music playing]
326
00:21:32,124 --> 00:21:34,960
She leaves Buffalo Jim in the motel room.
327
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,971
Lisa said she took a taxi back
to the Chevron, where she left her car.
328
00:21:48,849 --> 00:21:50,392
[phone ringing]
329
00:21:50,475 --> 00:21:54,813
[Lewis] At 9:30, she leaves a message
on Buffalo Jim's cell phone
330
00:21:54,896 --> 00:21:58,233
asking if he's okay,
but he never answered her back.
331
00:22:00,235 --> 00:22:03,530
She mentioned that
she had known him for years.
332
00:22:03,613 --> 00:22:06,950
So if you had known someone
for many years,
333
00:22:07,534 --> 00:22:11,288
why wouldn't you call the police
if they have a seizure?
334
00:22:13,749 --> 00:22:16,793
[Jennifer] And, also, I still wonder
about the guy that she was with
335
00:22:16,877 --> 00:22:18,962
who wanted to sell the motorcycle.
336
00:22:19,671 --> 00:22:20,797
Where was this guy?
337
00:22:22,007 --> 00:22:23,508
He was never interviewed.
338
00:22:24,468 --> 00:22:25,886
Where is the motorcycle?
339
00:22:28,472 --> 00:22:33,477
Another thing, my father checks in
at the motel at 8:22 p.m.
340
00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,397
However, his room was accessed
seven minutes before he got there
341
00:22:37,481 --> 00:22:38,732
by a guest room key.
342
00:22:38,815 --> 00:22:41,610
There was a key swipe,
meaning the room had been entered
343
00:22:41,693 --> 00:22:44,154
shortly prior to Buffalo going in.
344
00:22:45,864 --> 00:22:48,658
[Jennifer] It was late in the evening.
Could it have been a maid?
345
00:22:49,493 --> 00:22:51,036
Highly unlikely.
346
00:22:52,162 --> 00:22:54,289
Maids usually work in the afternoon.
347
00:22:55,707 --> 00:22:59,336
Also, on the key access report,
348
00:22:59,419 --> 00:23:02,798
it identifies which key is being used.
349
00:23:02,881 --> 00:23:05,801
Like, if it's a manager's key,
a housekeeping key.
350
00:23:05,884 --> 00:23:08,095
It said it was a guest key.
351
00:23:08,762 --> 00:23:13,558
That tells me that someone was in the room
waiting for him to check in.
352
00:23:13,642 --> 00:23:18,855
{\an8}We just are in shock that
that wasn't investigated or looked into
353
00:23:18,939 --> 00:23:23,860
{\an8}as possible foul play,
and that is alarming to us.
354
00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:32,160
[Jennifer] When my father
was found dead on the Motel 6 bed,
355
00:23:32,702 --> 00:23:35,372
he had a one-dollar bill
in his wallet folded.
356
00:23:35,914 --> 00:23:38,208
He never folded money in his wallet.
357
00:23:39,042 --> 00:23:41,837
My father was known
to carry large amounts of cash.
358
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,589
Why was my father left
with a one-dollar bill?
359
00:23:45,340 --> 00:23:49,302
I had heard that
that's a very notorious mob hit sign.
360
00:23:49,386 --> 00:23:54,224
The message behind having a dollar left
in his wallet was a message of,
361
00:23:54,307 --> 00:23:58,186
"Hey, we got you.
Hey, this is a hit. Joke's on you."
362
00:23:59,813 --> 00:24:02,983
[reporter] Barrier's longtime friend,
former councilman Steve Miller,
363
00:24:03,066 --> 00:24:04,526
suspects foul play
364
00:24:04,609 --> 00:24:07,863
and says Barrier had
received death threats in recent days.
365
00:24:10,365 --> 00:24:11,700
[Jennifer] Before he died,
366
00:24:12,617 --> 00:24:15,162
there were numerous
death threats my father had received,
367
00:24:15,245 --> 00:24:16,872
and they came in various forms.
368
00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:23,086
[Jerica] The first time I noticed
that my father was getting
369
00:24:23,170 --> 00:24:26,131
threat letters and threat calls
370
00:24:26,214 --> 00:24:28,592
was two years before he passed on.
371
00:24:28,675 --> 00:24:30,594
He'd get phone calls...
372
00:24:30,677 --> 00:24:32,637
[phone ringing]
373
00:24:32,721 --> 00:24:36,141
[Jerica] ...at his office
from unknown numbers,
374
00:24:36,641 --> 00:24:40,061
with a male screaming in the phone,
375
00:24:40,145 --> 00:24:42,481
"I'm going to kill you!
I'm going to kill you!"
376
00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:50,155
I used to tell him, "Dad! Oh my gosh!
You're getting threats! Are you worried?"
377
00:24:50,238 --> 00:24:53,867
He's like, "No, no, no, I'm just..."
You know, "I just laughed it off."
378
00:24:53,950 --> 00:24:55,619
"I just have to be careful."
379
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:57,412
"Watch my back."
380
00:24:58,330 --> 00:24:59,915
He said, "I will not back down
381
00:24:59,998 --> 00:25:02,501
and let anyone
take anything away from me."
382
00:25:03,627 --> 00:25:06,129
The death threats that my father received
383
00:25:06,213 --> 00:25:08,423
were believed to come from
the long-standing feud
384
00:25:08,507 --> 00:25:14,095
between a neighboring business,
The Crazy Horse Too, and my father.
385
00:25:14,179 --> 00:25:17,140
The Crazy Horse Too
was a gentlemen's club.
386
00:25:17,224 --> 00:25:19,351
[sensual club music playing]
387
00:25:19,434 --> 00:25:22,854
{\an8}[Steve] It was right next door
to Buffalo's garage.
388
00:25:25,273 --> 00:25:29,277
And it was ultimately the most successful
club the city could ever have imagined.
389
00:25:30,445 --> 00:25:33,573
It was owned by a man named Rick Rizzolo.
390
00:25:36,493 --> 00:25:39,496
[Gus] Rick Rizzolo had a reputation
around Las Vegas
391
00:25:39,579 --> 00:25:44,543
{\an8}as not a nice person
to folks that were adverse to him.
392
00:25:45,377 --> 00:25:49,923
There was some rumors
of mob involvement with the Crazy Horse.
393
00:25:50,465 --> 00:25:53,051
Some of it been substantiated? Yes.
394
00:25:54,553 --> 00:25:57,097
[Steve] The feud started about maybe 1998
395
00:25:57,180 --> 00:26:01,393
when Buffalo wouldn't relinquish his space
396
00:26:01,476 --> 00:26:03,937
for the expansion of the Crazy Horse Too,
397
00:26:04,020 --> 00:26:05,397
and it just got worse.
398
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,065
They wanna move me out,
399
00:26:07,148 --> 00:26:09,693
and I've got four children to feed,
and I don't think so.
400
00:26:10,944 --> 00:26:15,615
It was probably worth a million and a half
to move him out of there, correctly,
401
00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:17,534
but they were offering him zip.
402
00:26:18,034 --> 00:26:20,036
Buffalo says, "Why should I move?"
403
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:22,247
"If you're not gonna pay me, I'm staying."
404
00:26:22,330 --> 00:26:25,542
And that's when the problems arose,
from that moment forward.
405
00:26:29,546 --> 00:26:31,548
[Gus] He's got an Auto Marine store,
406
00:26:31,631 --> 00:26:35,677
and so, like any other mechanic,
people leave their car overnight.
407
00:26:39,472 --> 00:26:42,392
[Jennifer] There was a lot of vandalism
that occurred at the shop.
408
00:26:44,519 --> 00:26:46,021
My father would leave for the night.
409
00:26:46,104 --> 00:26:48,982
The next day he would come and,
you know, show up at the shop,
410
00:26:49,065 --> 00:26:50,775
and cars were damaged...
411
00:26:53,445 --> 00:26:54,821
tires were flattened.
412
00:26:56,156 --> 00:26:57,616
My father would lose business.
413
00:26:58,491 --> 00:27:00,118
It was an ongoing battle.
414
00:27:00,201 --> 00:27:04,956
My father had to come out of his pocket
to repair any damages that had been done.
415
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,125
[reporter] Auto mechanic Jim Barrier says
416
00:27:07,208 --> 00:27:10,754
the topless club has brought nothing
but trouble to the neighborhood.
417
00:27:10,837 --> 00:27:13,298
[Buffalo Jim] They put in
phony fire lanes,
418
00:27:13,381 --> 00:27:16,885
use city parking enforcement to come by
and ticket only my customers.
419
00:27:20,180 --> 00:27:21,598
[Steve] Over the years,
420
00:27:21,681 --> 00:27:25,852
the club had begun to really
develop this reputation for violence.
421
00:27:27,771 --> 00:27:34,110
There was a lot of talk about bouncers
who were beating up some of the patrons.
422
00:27:34,194 --> 00:27:39,366
[reporter] One of the alleged victims
is this man, Kirk Henry, a Kansas tourist
423
00:27:39,449 --> 00:27:41,368
who said he had his neck broken
424
00:27:41,451 --> 00:27:45,205
after a night of lap dances
and drinking at the Crazy Horse.
425
00:27:46,164 --> 00:27:49,876
[Gus] There was a host of things
that were alleged,
426
00:27:49,959 --> 00:27:52,128
a lot of them documented
that were occurring.
427
00:27:52,212 --> 00:27:55,006
And it got to the point where now
428
00:27:55,090 --> 00:27:57,884
Buffalo's got
a tremendous amount of damage.
429
00:27:57,967 --> 00:27:59,219
And it was getting up there
430
00:27:59,302 --> 00:28:01,763
in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
over time here.
431
00:28:02,764 --> 00:28:07,143
And so with all this lost income
and the interference with his business,
432
00:28:07,227 --> 00:28:11,981
and intentional infliction
of emotional distress on Buffalo,
433
00:28:13,108 --> 00:28:17,654
I did file a lawsuit on Buffalo's behalf
for a million dollars on this matter
434
00:28:17,737 --> 00:28:19,531
to try to get him some relief.
435
00:28:21,366 --> 00:28:23,618
While this lawsuit went forward,
436
00:28:24,244 --> 00:28:28,540
it came out that sometime about 1995,
437
00:28:28,623 --> 00:28:33,753
the feds had actually been taking a look
at the Crazy Horse
438
00:28:33,837 --> 00:28:37,215
before Buffalo was even
having his battle with them.
439
00:28:47,684 --> 00:28:52,772
[Robert Clymer] I was assigned to work
the organized crime program with the FBI.
440
00:28:56,609 --> 00:29:00,947
And back in the '80s, and '90s, and 2000s,
441
00:29:01,030 --> 00:29:05,285
{\an8}the mafia was involved in running
these various strip clubs around town.
442
00:29:06,619 --> 00:29:13,084
Strip clubs make more money
per square foot than a casino.
443
00:29:15,670 --> 00:29:19,674
For the most part, it's cash.
Nobody paid taxes on any of this money.
444
00:29:21,259 --> 00:29:26,347
One of the places in Las Vegas
where you could find representation
445
00:29:26,431 --> 00:29:31,144
of every single mafia family
in the United States
446
00:29:31,227 --> 00:29:33,688
was in the Crazy Horse Too,
447
00:29:33,772 --> 00:29:38,526
and Buffalo Jim's auto garage
was next door.
448
00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,493
So we had an ongoing investigation
because they, at the club,
449
00:29:46,576 --> 00:29:50,747
were involved in tax evasion, extortion,
450
00:29:50,830 --> 00:29:54,876
and various other types
of illegal activities.
451
00:29:54,959 --> 00:29:59,339
[reporter] Numerous employees of the
Crazy Horse have come under FBI scrutiny.
452
00:29:59,422 --> 00:30:01,466
{\an8}The club's owner, Rick Rizzolo,
453
00:30:01,549 --> 00:30:05,094
{\an8}freely admits hiring people
with criminal backgrounds,
454
00:30:05,178 --> 00:30:10,225
{\an8}but he has denied engaging
in any criminal wrongdoing at the club.
455
00:30:13,770 --> 00:30:18,900
[Gus] During that timeframe,
Buffalo was supplying the FBI information
456
00:30:18,983 --> 00:30:21,402
about what was going on
at the Crazy Horse.
457
00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:25,073
Buffalo Jim was sending us
boxes of evidence,
458
00:30:25,156 --> 00:30:28,409
usually on a weekly basis,
459
00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:32,038
for I would say approximately two years.
460
00:30:32,539 --> 00:30:36,167
He would write down what people told him
and send it in to us.
461
00:30:36,918 --> 00:30:38,461
It was very helpful.
462
00:30:41,422 --> 00:30:44,551
On February 20th, 2003,
463
00:30:45,426 --> 00:30:49,097
we executed the search warrant
on the Crazy Horse Too.
464
00:30:52,058 --> 00:30:54,269
{\an8}We had two SWAT teams
465
00:30:55,728 --> 00:30:59,023
and, like, 80 or 100 agents.
466
00:31:00,233 --> 00:31:01,985
[Buffalo Jim]
It's been a long time coming.
467
00:31:02,068 --> 00:31:03,528
There's been a lot of problems here
468
00:31:03,611 --> 00:31:05,572
since the day
the Crazy Horse Too moved in.
469
00:31:07,574 --> 00:31:10,910
[Jennifer] After all these years,
they're finally getting this guy.
470
00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:16,416
[Gus] Sometime in about 2006,
471
00:31:16,499 --> 00:31:18,167
there was a plea deal reached
472
00:31:18,251 --> 00:31:22,797
where Rick Rizzolo would plead
to income tax evasion.
473
00:31:22,881 --> 00:31:26,217
And then in early 2007,
474
00:31:26,301 --> 00:31:29,470
Rick Rizzolo was sentenced
to a year and a day.
475
00:31:30,471 --> 00:31:33,933
[Jerica] My father felt relief
that Rizzolo had gone to prison,
476
00:31:34,017 --> 00:31:39,355
knowing that Rizzolo had caused him
and my family much turmoil.
477
00:31:39,439 --> 00:31:42,066
He always reassured me
that everything would be okay,
478
00:31:42,150 --> 00:31:46,237
that I would always be protected,
and that I would always be safe.
479
00:31:48,406 --> 00:31:52,827
[Gus] Unfortunately, Rick Rizzolo only
served ten months for good behavior.
480
00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:58,750
So he got out in March 2008
481
00:31:59,459 --> 00:32:01,711
and went into house arrest.
482
00:32:03,087 --> 00:32:06,507
[reporter] Days before Buffalo Jim's
mysterious death in a motel room,
483
00:32:06,591 --> 00:32:10,178
his longtime nemesis,
crooked club owner Rick Rizzolo,
484
00:32:10,261 --> 00:32:11,971
was released from federal prison.
485
00:32:12,055 --> 00:32:17,810
Rick Rizzolo's house arrest
only lasted a week, till April 4th, 2008.
486
00:32:18,686 --> 00:32:22,482
Buffalo died on April 5th.
487
00:32:24,233 --> 00:32:28,571
You know, Rizzolo gets out of prison,
and Buffalo's dead next day.
488
00:32:29,447 --> 00:32:31,908
You know, "What the eff here?"
Something's up.
489
00:32:33,868 --> 00:32:36,454
[Steve] Another
really strange coincidence.
490
00:32:37,497 --> 00:32:41,125
I was told that Lisa,
the woman in the motel room,
491
00:32:41,209 --> 00:32:44,087
she was a stripper,
and she worked at the Crazy Horse Too,
492
00:32:44,170 --> 00:32:45,505
and had for many years.
493
00:32:46,255 --> 00:32:49,801
If she worked at the Crazy Horse,
she had to know Rick Rizzolo.
494
00:32:52,261 --> 00:32:57,600
And Buffalo ends up dead that night
with Lisa in the motel.
495
00:32:59,060 --> 00:33:01,771
This leads me to believe
she was part of the plan
496
00:33:01,854 --> 00:33:03,147
to set my father up.
497
00:33:05,566 --> 00:33:08,277
[Jerica] There was
another thing that alarmed me
498
00:33:09,153 --> 00:33:12,657
and made me feel
that something was not right.
499
00:33:14,867 --> 00:33:18,705
After we got the call from the police
that our father was found dead,
500
00:33:18,788 --> 00:33:21,666
my sister and I drove
around this entire building here
501
00:33:21,749 --> 00:33:23,751
looking for our father's vehicle,
502
00:33:23,835 --> 00:33:26,004
and we didn't see it anywhere.
503
00:33:26,587 --> 00:33:30,800
His Rolls-Royce was
his favorite prized possession.
504
00:33:32,802 --> 00:33:36,305
And so we asked the police officer,
"Where's the car?"
505
00:33:38,182 --> 00:33:42,228
And the police officer said,
"Well, we don't know where the car is."
506
00:33:44,647 --> 00:33:47,275
[Jennifer] You can see
it's a very small parking lot.
507
00:33:48,317 --> 00:33:51,821
You can't miss a Rolls-Royce
anywhere in this parking lot.
508
00:33:51,904 --> 00:33:53,990
There's no hidden spots anywhere.
509
00:33:55,658 --> 00:33:56,784
Where is it?
510
00:33:59,162 --> 00:34:03,124
[Lewis] On April 6th, 2008,
the day the body was found,
511
00:34:03,207 --> 00:34:07,754
police released room 105
back to Motel 6 management.
512
00:34:08,921 --> 00:34:10,673
Then at 5:30,
513
00:34:10,757 --> 00:34:15,303
Mr. Barrier's Rolls-Royce is located
in the parking lot of Motel 6
514
00:34:15,386 --> 00:34:18,639
after officers previously
could not find it.
515
00:34:20,308 --> 00:34:21,934
[Jennifer] Elise received a call
516
00:34:22,018 --> 00:34:24,604
from a sergeant at
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
517
00:34:24,687 --> 00:34:26,272
And they said the car is there.
518
00:34:26,898 --> 00:34:29,358
She's like, "What do you mean
'the car's there'? It wasn't."
519
00:34:29,442 --> 00:34:30,359
"The car's there."
520
00:34:31,903 --> 00:34:34,739
[Jerica] There was
so much confusion about it.
521
00:34:34,822 --> 00:34:37,742
The police have started
a missing car report,
522
00:34:38,701 --> 00:34:41,245
and then the car just shows up
in a few hours.
523
00:34:42,872 --> 00:34:45,333
[Lewis] I don't know
what happened to the vehicle.
524
00:34:45,416 --> 00:34:49,670
Maybe they, you know,
didn't see it earlier in the day.
525
00:34:50,463 --> 00:34:53,424
Maybe somebody had access to the vehicle.
526
00:34:56,219 --> 00:34:58,805
[reporter] Barrier's car
was searched by Metro.
527
00:34:58,888 --> 00:35:02,391
That search did not turn up
any suspicious evidence.
528
00:35:03,601 --> 00:35:06,395
[Gus] No prints, no hairs, nothing.
529
00:35:07,188 --> 00:35:09,190
It's just very strange.
530
00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:12,193
There's quite a few things that just...
531
00:35:13,069 --> 00:35:17,156
I think maybe there should have been
a deeper and harder look at this.
532
00:35:19,158 --> 00:35:22,411
[Jennifer] Something else
that is a huge inconsistency in the case
533
00:35:22,495 --> 00:35:26,541
is that there are two phones
that are listed on the police report,
534
00:35:26,624 --> 00:35:28,751
and they were not my father's phone.
535
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:31,671
This was my father's phone.
536
00:35:32,213 --> 00:35:35,383
This phone is not listed
on the police report at all.
537
00:35:36,134 --> 00:35:40,304
There's a phone that's shown.
It's a silver phone.
538
00:35:40,388 --> 00:35:43,599
They have it listed on the report,
but we never received it,
539
00:35:43,683 --> 00:35:46,561
nor do we know our dad
even having this phone.
540
00:35:46,644 --> 00:35:50,606
So whose phone is this?
And why was it in his room?
541
00:35:52,316 --> 00:35:56,237
And this is the front entrance to the
infamous Crazy Horse Too nightclub.
542
00:35:56,320 --> 00:36:00,116
Jim Barrier's relatives are convinced
that the former club owner here
543
00:36:00,199 --> 00:36:03,953
may have somehow played a role
in what happened to Barrier.
544
00:36:05,288 --> 00:36:08,708
[Jennifer] I talked to my father
that Thursday before he passed away,
545
00:36:09,375 --> 00:36:12,003
and he goes,
"Rick Rizzolo just got out of prison."
546
00:36:13,296 --> 00:36:15,756
My father told me that
if they were to get him,
547
00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,509
specifically the Crazy Horse Too people,
548
00:36:19,468 --> 00:36:22,847
"They would make it look like
I died of a drug overdose with women."
549
00:36:23,681 --> 00:36:26,142
That was my last conversation
with my father.
550
00:36:29,478 --> 00:36:32,565
And also my father
received a letter the day he died.
551
00:36:33,983 --> 00:36:35,484
And it says, "Mr. Barrier,
552
00:36:35,568 --> 00:36:39,030
meetings have been taking place
at various locations around town
553
00:36:39,113 --> 00:36:40,406
by Rick Rizzolo."
554
00:36:40,489 --> 00:36:42,867
"Be careful. He's up to no good."
555
00:36:42,950 --> 00:36:45,369
"He's using people to get close to you."
556
00:36:45,453 --> 00:36:49,081
"He discussed using a female
to get access to your business."
557
00:36:50,124 --> 00:36:53,085
[reporter] Over the weekend,
the body of the 55-year-old Barrier
558
00:36:53,169 --> 00:36:56,172
was found in a motel room
on the Boulder Highway.
559
00:36:56,255 --> 00:36:59,217
Metro says there will be
no formal investigation.
560
00:37:00,092 --> 00:37:03,179
You're always supposed to look at
any possible suspects.
561
00:37:03,262 --> 00:37:05,514
[phone ringing]
562
00:37:05,598 --> 00:37:08,226
[Lary] If it is true
that he had anonymous threats
563
00:37:08,309 --> 00:37:12,313
and that there were a number of
negative things done to his business,
564
00:37:12,396 --> 00:37:14,273
and then they wind up dead,
565
00:37:15,816 --> 00:37:17,610
there's enough there to investigate.
566
00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:21,656
[Gus] When Buffalo died,
567
00:37:21,739 --> 00:37:25,076
the lawsuit against Rick Rizzolo
died with him.
568
00:37:26,118 --> 00:37:28,412
You just can't lose your star witness.
569
00:37:28,996 --> 00:37:31,040
You know,
the case was strong with him alive.
570
00:37:31,123 --> 00:37:33,793
With him not alive,
it wasn't a very strong case.
571
00:37:35,378 --> 00:37:38,923
[Jennifer] My father made enemies
with some very powerful people,
572
00:37:39,006 --> 00:37:41,634
and I do believe he was murdered for that.
573
00:37:46,055 --> 00:37:52,103
My theory would be that
they got him into a vulnerable situation.
574
00:37:52,645 --> 00:37:54,689
Maybe they forced cocaine into him.
575
00:37:56,148 --> 00:37:58,192
[Lary] In Mr. Barrier's case,
there's no doubt
576
00:37:58,276 --> 00:38:01,237
that there could be something
in his system that we didn't detect.
577
00:38:02,822 --> 00:38:07,743
The possibilities would be that
somehow he was either forced in some way
578
00:38:07,827 --> 00:38:12,206
to take cocaine at a level that was...
that he was not used to,
579
00:38:12,290 --> 00:38:14,500
or he was tricked
580
00:38:14,583 --> 00:38:18,838
because definitely cocaine
can come in different concentrations
581
00:38:18,921 --> 00:38:20,715
when you buy it on the street.
582
00:38:20,798 --> 00:38:23,217
[laughs] You don't
exactly know how strong it is.
583
00:38:23,884 --> 00:38:27,221
[Jennifer] I think my father
did get lured out by that woman, Lisa.
584
00:38:28,431 --> 00:38:29,890
We don't know what really happened.
585
00:38:29,974 --> 00:38:33,060
What was the trajectory of how
he ended up at the motel? We don't know.
586
00:38:34,395 --> 00:38:37,773
It wasn't investigated properly
for us to be able to tell.
587
00:38:40,651 --> 00:38:44,613
[Steve] So many people tell me
that as a get-out-of-jail gift,
588
00:38:45,156 --> 00:38:47,575
somebody's decided to get rid of Buffalo.
589
00:38:47,658 --> 00:38:51,370
That would have been the biggest favor
anybody could have done for Rick Rizzolo.
590
00:38:52,246 --> 00:38:53,998
Who knows if it happened?
591
00:38:54,623 --> 00:38:57,793
The whole thing has got a bad smell to it.
592
00:38:59,420 --> 00:39:03,132
He died under highly,
highly suspicious circumstances.
593
00:39:04,508 --> 00:39:06,844
This needs to be looked at as a murder.
594
00:39:09,096 --> 00:39:12,224
[Robert] I think that timing
is very suspicious.
595
00:39:13,434 --> 00:39:19,940
I don't know if Buffalo Jim
ingested that cocaine willingly or not,
596
00:39:20,024 --> 00:39:25,613
but I am left with
more questions than answers.
597
00:39:39,627 --> 00:39:43,464
[Steve] In September 2006,
the Crazy Horse finally closed
598
00:39:43,547 --> 00:39:46,133
after its liquor license was revoked.
599
00:39:48,177 --> 00:39:50,388
And by August 2019,
600
00:39:50,471 --> 00:39:54,308
the building had fallen into a state
of very serious disrepair.
601
00:39:54,392 --> 00:39:57,520
It had been broken into by vagrants
and was finally condemned.
602
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,192
[Robert] After Buffalo's death,
603
00:40:03,275 --> 00:40:09,532
Jennifer Barrier took it upon herself
to run Buffalo's shop, you know,
604
00:40:09,615 --> 00:40:13,369
to finish those ongoing projects,
those vehicles.
605
00:40:15,329 --> 00:40:18,582
Then the auto shop closed eventually.
606
00:40:22,753 --> 00:40:26,340
[Steve] Here in Las Vegas,
we lost our most colorful character.
607
00:40:27,508 --> 00:40:30,886
He's just a big lug that everybody loved...
608
00:40:32,430 --> 00:40:33,431
and funny,
609
00:40:33,931 --> 00:40:37,351
and it just made a hole
in our city when he died
610
00:40:37,435 --> 00:40:39,603
that we'll never be able to fill.
611
00:40:43,482 --> 00:40:44,483
[Jerica] Hi!
612
00:40:44,567 --> 00:40:47,445
-[Johny] Baby Buff! Good to see you!
-[indistinct chatter]
613
00:40:47,528 --> 00:40:49,864
Buffalo had a way about him.
614
00:40:49,947 --> 00:40:53,617
When he was there, people followed him.
615
00:40:53,701 --> 00:40:58,205
He loved to be Buffalo Jim,
and that made him happy.
616
00:40:59,748 --> 00:41:01,333
I miss him a lot.
617
00:41:02,918 --> 00:41:08,090
I hope his daughters know
that they meant so much to him,
618
00:41:08,174 --> 00:41:10,342
and he would be very proud of them.
619
00:41:11,802 --> 00:41:13,804
He, he really loved the girls.
620
00:41:19,185 --> 00:41:22,521
[Jerica] The past 13 years has been...
621
00:41:23,647 --> 00:41:25,357
very difficult.
622
00:41:26,108 --> 00:41:29,403
I lost my best friend. I lost my father.
623
00:41:29,487 --> 00:41:34,033
I felt alone for many years
after he passed.
624
00:41:37,328 --> 00:41:40,789
[Jennifer] In 1999, my father and I
drove up to Mount Charleston.
625
00:41:40,873 --> 00:41:43,250
It's a place we went up to
every couple of months.
626
00:41:43,334 --> 00:41:46,587
And we were sitting at the lodge
drinking hot chocolate together.
627
00:41:48,047 --> 00:41:49,798
And my father said to me,
628
00:41:49,882 --> 00:41:52,551
"If anything were to ever happen to me,
would you stand up?"
629
00:41:52,635 --> 00:41:55,137
And I said, "Yeah.
Yeah, but what does that mean?"
630
00:41:56,764 --> 00:41:58,641
I now know what that meant.
631
00:42:00,809 --> 00:42:03,312
There are people out there
that know the truth.
632
00:42:03,938 --> 00:42:06,315
I hope they come forward and talk to us.
633
00:42:07,816 --> 00:42:10,694
We just wanna know
what happened to our father.
634
00:42:15,616 --> 00:42:17,618
{\an8}[mysterious music playing]