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[ telephone dialing ]
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[ telephone ringing ]
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♪
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♪
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-- captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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narrator: Susanville,
california,
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a former logging town
nestled in
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the sierra nevada mountains.
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A tight-knit community
where everybody knows everybody
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and they all know
each other's business.
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It's here that police officer
rob mcelrath falls in love
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with former beauty queen
joanna beckett.
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But their sweet love story
has a tragic and violent end.
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♪
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rob mcelrath is born
in susanville in 1973
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and is one of three children.
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His parents separate
when he's still young
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and his father remarries
and has two more children,
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but the family remains close
as rob and his siblings grow up.
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Jennifer: He wanted to be
very much like my father,
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who at that time was deputy
sheriff with lassen county.
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Our father was very loving,
very loving guy,
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but very protective, and rob
definitely picked that up.
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And I certainly can remember
times in high school
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when he was very protective.
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Narrator: In high school,
rob is on the football team
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and plays saxophone
in the school band.
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Jennifer: He is tall,
dark and handsome.
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He has this goodness
about himself.
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He is definitely a peacemaker,
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but he also is very respectful
of everyone.
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♪
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narrator: And it's in high
school that rob first meets
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joanna beckett, a fellow
student one year younger.
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Joanna lives in susanville too
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and grows up with
one younger brother.
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Samantha: My grandma used
to tell us that when my mom
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was probably
an elementary school age,
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she was a tomboy,
and then in high school
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she started to be a girly girl.
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She was beautiful.
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Rob had the hots
for my mom in high school,
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but I guess in high school
she didn't see him that way
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so it was more like him
trying to get at her.
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♪
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narrator: Upon graduation,
rob's hopes of dating joanna
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are put on hold
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when he joins the u.S. Marines.
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He trains as a sniper
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and goes on to serve in kuwait
and bosnia.
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Jennifer: He was very proud.
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He was a man of faith and he put
god, family, and country first.
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♪
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narrator: After joanna
graduates high school,
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she enters the miss lassen
county beauty pageant,
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and is crowned the winner
in February 1993.
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Samantha:
My mom used to have this blue
box that she had pictures in
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and she had pictures of her
for miss lassen county.
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She had a bunch of memorabilia.
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She had her miss lassen
county stash
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and she had the dress
that she used to wear.
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♪
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narrator: In 1994, joanna
marries a local man
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named rick fincher.
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They have two daughters
together, holly and samantha,
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but that relationship
isn't destined to last.
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Samantha: My mom and my dad
just didn't click
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so they had gotten a divorce.
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♪
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narrator:
After four years of service,
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rob mcelrath
decides to leave the marines
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and return home to pursue
his childhood dream --
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a career in law enforcement.
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Growdon: We were good friends.
He was a genuinely kind person.
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Service was very
important to rob.
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He was very proud to be able to
follow in his dad's footsteps.
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♪
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jones: I believe rob's
first position
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was resident post position
up at eagle lake.
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♪
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rob was very well liked
by the people
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he worked with and
the community.
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When you have someone
who served their country
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and is now serving
their community,
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people would approach him with
respect just because of that.
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Narrator: Things aren't going
so smoothly for joanna.
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As a divorced mother of two,
her relationships
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haven't turned out the way
she'd imagined.
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But a chance meeting brings
rob back into her life.
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♪
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jennifer: Rob had told me that
he just wanted to take her out.
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You know, he hadn't
seen her in a while
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and she had two little kids.
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♪
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[ bird crying ]
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I was so young at the time
that I don't remember
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my mom and rob really dating.
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I just remember that one day
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he just showed up
and never left.
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♪
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♪
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we became extremely close
to rob super fast.
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We'd watch movies with him.
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He always made such a big deal
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about how happy he was
that he met me and holly
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and he was always
going to be in our life.
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♪
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narrator: On October 16th,
1999, the happy couple
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decides to make
their union official
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with a small ceremony
at burney falls national park.
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Samantha: Gosh, I don't think
I've ever seen,
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you know, somebody so in love.
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I remember it was a really
beautiful wedding
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and it was a really,
really nice day.
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My mom and rob had
my younger sister michaela
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when I was about 5 years old.
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Narrator: Rob adopts joanna's
daughters samantha and holly.
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We had stood outside of the old
courthouse here in susanville,
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and taking a bunch of pictures
outside and then we went in
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and made it official
and there was never any,
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"oh, well,
these are my stepchildren.
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You know, these are my adopted
children,"
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no, it was always
"these are my daughters."
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and then the year after that
robbie jr. Was born.
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Narrator: The mcelraths are
now one big, blended family.
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Samantha: My favorite memories
of all of us as a family
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are our vacations
in crescent city, california.
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When we were home,
we'd all huddle up on the couch
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and throw some big blankets
over us
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and we had all watch movies
and eat some popcorn.
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They would go out
on their date nights.
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But mainly we did things
as a family.
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Inman: When I first met them,
they seemed like
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they were happy,
they were family-oriented.
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They valued each other
and they valued their kids
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and they wanted to be happy.
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♪
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[ indistinct yelling ]
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narrator: Still, it's not
long before the honeymoon
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comes to an end
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as the growing family struggles
to survive on a single income.
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As I got older, my mom and dad
started to argue about money.
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Jennifer: Like, there were times
when I would try to call them
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and their phone
would be disconnected.
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So I'd go by
and one of the girls
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would be like "our phone bill
isn't paid."
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I'm like, "where's your mom?"
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"oh, she's out getting
her nails done."
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they had enough to get by on.
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I mean, even probably
more than that.
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She just didn't know
how to budget.
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Samantha:
Gosh, my mom would spend money
on the stupidest stuff --
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manicure kits that she'd
never use, pedicure kits.
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I mean, she had this big box
full of nail polish
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that she never used.
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We witnessed a few times
mom writing bad checks.
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My mom definitely had
a shopping addiction.
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Narrator: Over time,
the strain wears on rob.
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He'd get pretty upset.
He'd come home, there's no food.
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We're not taken care of.
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Jennifer: Sometimes their
landlord would make a complaint
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with the sheriff
because they would be late
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on their payment.
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Samantha: Rob's a high-end
member of the community,
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you know, he's a police officer.
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Everybody knows him,
and I can imagine
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it was quite embarrassing
for him
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for people to know about
his financial situation.
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Jennifer: There was a lot of
times that I would see him
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and he, like, he would have
circles under his eyes.
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Growdon:
You could see that there was
some stress in the relationship
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and rob was one of those people
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who when he was feeling stress
in his personal life,
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you could see it.
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♪
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♪
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narrator: Rob mcelrath
is a well-liked police officer
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in susanville,
northern california.
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Joanna, a former
local beauty queen,
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has finally found
her prince charming.
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But it turns out that real life
isn't anything like a fairytale.
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[ indistinct yelling ]
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samantha: I'm pretty sure it
was really difficult for my mom
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to be a stay-at-home mom.
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I mean, I don't know when
it happened, but at one point
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there was just a time
where she just stopped.
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She was in her bedroom
all the time.
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She was just sleeping 24/7.
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Jennifer: Sometimes
I would go over there
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and the kids would be,
you know, in the house.
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"where's your mom?"
and "oh, she has a migraine.
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She's in the bedroom.
She didn't feel good today."
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when rob was working
night shifts,
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he would get off at 6:00
in the morning.
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He would come in and joanna
would not feel well
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or she was tired
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and he would make
the kids breakfast,
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get them off to school.
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And I said, "hey, man,
are you getting your sleep?
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You know, you need
to get some rest."
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he said, "you know
the military, the marines
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taught us how to unwind."
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he said he was taught how to
handle the stress from the job.
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♪
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narrator:
Around town, gossip starts
to circulate about joanna.
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Jennifer: Rumor was that
she was sleeping around.
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She would have affairs on rob,
she would date other people
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and she was caught doing it
more than a couple times.
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Rob knew,
and we all knew.
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Somebody gave me a letter joanna
had written to a boyfriend.
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They said "if you don't give it
to rob,
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00:12:50,587 --> 00:12:53,054
I'm going to give it to him."
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so I did.
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Narrator: Joanna's infidelity
deeply upsets rob
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00:13:01,431 --> 00:13:04,065
and he struggles to cope.
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00:13:04,151 --> 00:13:07,468
There were times where he'd call
me at 1:00 in the morning,
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00:13:07,571 --> 00:13:09,136
midnight.
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00:13:09,239 --> 00:13:10,688
"hey, do you want
to go for a ride?"
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00:13:10,774 --> 00:13:11,856
and he'd come pick me up
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and we would drive
around and talk.
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[ sirens wailing ]
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00:13:18,365 --> 00:13:21,315
rob was hurt,
a little jealous, too.
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I've seen him cry and he's hurt
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and he just wanted his life
to be with his family.
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And I tried to encourage him
and support him
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00:13:31,962 --> 00:13:35,597
and help him understand things
are going to be okay, you know.
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He would try to put a smile
on his face
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and try to be positive.
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But ultimately you could see
how he was feeling.
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00:13:45,809 --> 00:13:50,345
♪
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00:13:50,447 --> 00:13:55,483
♪
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00:13:55,585 --> 00:13:58,185
when our parents split up
we were devastated
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00:13:58,288 --> 00:14:00,455
and I know he didn't want that
for his children.
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00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:03,458
He didn't want them to be
at the window waving goodbye,
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00:14:03,543 --> 00:14:05,910
you know, at the end of
his visit or whatever
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00:14:05,996 --> 00:14:07,462
or dropping them off.
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00:14:07,547 --> 00:14:10,081
No, he didn't want that at all.
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00:14:10,166 --> 00:14:11,466
I think it came to a point
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00:14:11,551 --> 00:14:15,169
where he was probably
ready to leave joanna,
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00:14:15,255 --> 00:14:17,872
you know, but he didn't
want that for the children.
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00:14:17,974 --> 00:14:21,175
So what happened
was she ended up leaving him.
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00:14:21,261 --> 00:14:25,063
♪
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00:14:25,181 --> 00:14:31,152
narrator:
Soon after, rob gets news that
twists the knife even deeper.
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00:14:31,238 --> 00:14:36,257
Um, well, she left him
for another man, robin james.
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00:14:36,359 --> 00:14:40,361
He was an ex-con and rob
was concerned about that.
247
00:14:40,447 --> 00:14:42,914
And immediately robin
had moved in
248
00:14:43,033 --> 00:14:44,899
and none of us
were okay with it.
249
00:14:45,001 --> 00:14:46,668
And then, next thing we know,
we're having to pack up
250
00:14:46,753 --> 00:14:47,735
everything at that house
251
00:14:47,837 --> 00:14:50,588
and we're moving over
to spruce street.
252
00:14:52,208 --> 00:14:54,542
Inman: I told rob
"it's okay to be jealous,
253
00:14:54,628 --> 00:14:58,096
but don't let that
rule your life."
254
00:15:02,969 --> 00:15:06,938
narrator: Joanna's new boyfriend
doesn't last long.
255
00:15:07,057 --> 00:15:08,456
She breaks things off with robin
256
00:15:08,558 --> 00:15:13,494
and asks rob to give
their marriage a second chance.
257
00:15:13,597 --> 00:15:18,800
Rob wanted to work stuff out
with joanna and I supported him
258
00:15:18,902 --> 00:15:21,869
because it's his decision.
259
00:15:21,955 --> 00:15:24,105
It was weird.
It was like one moment
260
00:15:24,207 --> 00:15:25,940
she kicked robin out
and then the next moment
261
00:15:26,042 --> 00:15:29,294
rob was moving back in,
like, it was so fast.
262
00:15:31,781 --> 00:15:35,383
Narrator: Rob moves back in with
joanna and the kids, but keeps
263
00:15:35,485 --> 00:15:39,637
his rental house on fifth street
in case things don't work out.
264
00:15:41,758 --> 00:15:44,458
Jennifer:
And he had said the first couple
of weeks it was great.
265
00:15:44,561 --> 00:15:46,928
He says but then it changed,
266
00:15:47,013 --> 00:15:49,414
and he says "I don't feel like
I can trust her."
267
00:15:49,516 --> 00:15:56,154
♪
268
00:15:56,272 --> 00:15:59,190
samantha: So on new year's eve,
rob had to work.
269
00:15:59,275 --> 00:16:01,776
So the next day
he had had the night off.
270
00:16:01,861 --> 00:16:07,532
♪
271
00:16:07,617 --> 00:16:09,550
rob and my mom we're just
going to, you know,
272
00:16:09,653 --> 00:16:11,419
hang out and drink
a couple beers,
273
00:16:11,521 --> 00:16:14,155
you know, have, what we thought
was going to be
274
00:16:14,257 --> 00:16:17,342
a relaxing night.
275
00:16:17,460 --> 00:16:19,994
Inman: Rob and I worked together
on January 1st.
276
00:16:20,096 --> 00:16:21,879
Oh, we worked a day shift
277
00:16:21,965 --> 00:16:23,348
and he had
told me during the day
278
00:16:23,466 --> 00:16:28,853
that he was going to try to
work stuff out with his wife.
279
00:16:28,972 --> 00:16:30,388
Narrator:
Joanna's daughter, samantha,
280
00:16:30,473 --> 00:16:33,574
is going to spend the night
at a friend's house.
281
00:16:33,643 --> 00:16:39,147
Before she leaves,
rob starts drinking.
282
00:16:39,232 --> 00:16:40,865
Samantha: And I just
remember thinking, like,
283
00:16:40,984 --> 00:16:44,852
"gosh, I've never seen
rob this drunk."
284
00:16:44,954 --> 00:16:47,071
and then I grabbed
my stuff and left.
285
00:16:47,157 --> 00:16:56,164
♪
286
00:16:57,751 --> 00:17:00,685
♪
287
00:17:00,787 --> 00:17:03,121
narrator: Rob and joanna
mcelrath have decided
288
00:17:03,223 --> 00:17:06,257
to give their 11-year marriage
another chance
289
00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,912
even after joanna's infidelities
drove the couple apart.
290
00:17:11,031 --> 00:17:15,033
On new year's day, 2011,
rob and joanna are enjoying
291
00:17:15,118 --> 00:17:17,118
a low-key evening at home.
292
00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:20,738
After dinner,
rob starts drinking heavily.
293
00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:28,463
♪
294
00:17:28,548 --> 00:17:31,049
[ telephone dialing ]
295
00:17:31,134 --> 00:17:33,134
[ telephone ringing ]
296
00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:25,486
♪
297
00:18:25,605 --> 00:18:28,489
I received a call at home
from one of the sergeants
298
00:18:28,608 --> 00:18:31,526
that was on the scene.
And so I was definitely anxious
299
00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:33,978
to start putting the pieces
of the puzzle together.
300
00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:38,916
♪
301
00:18:39,002 --> 00:18:43,654
so when I first arrived,
there was 14, 16 inches of snow.
302
00:18:43,756 --> 00:18:49,193
♪
303
00:18:49,295 --> 00:18:54,799
and right up here, there was
different patterns of blood
304
00:18:54,901 --> 00:18:57,885
that actually was on the side
305
00:18:57,971 --> 00:19:01,639
and on top of the rail.
306
00:19:01,741 --> 00:19:04,008
And then, when you look over,
307
00:19:04,110 --> 00:19:07,028
then rob was down
below the bridge.
308
00:19:07,147 --> 00:19:13,517
♪
309
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:15,453
jennifer: I was at home
with my husband and child
310
00:19:15,538 --> 00:19:19,040
and my husband was with the
volunteer fire department,
311
00:19:19,159 --> 00:19:21,659
and he had a scanner on
and he was like,
312
00:19:21,744 --> 00:19:25,463
"there's something
going on at devil's corral."
313
00:19:25,548 --> 00:19:31,135
this call comes out on my radio.
There was a body found.
314
00:19:33,506 --> 00:19:36,974
Samantha:
So that night I had stayed at
a friend's house out in standish
315
00:19:37,060 --> 00:19:38,843
right outside of susanville.
316
00:19:41,514 --> 00:19:43,814
And I walked into
our living room
317
00:19:43,917 --> 00:19:46,918
and I'm looking around,
and the first thing
318
00:19:47,020 --> 00:19:50,454
that I can get out of my mouth
is "where's dad?"
319
00:19:53,826 --> 00:20:00,114
my wife at the time receives
a text message from joanna.
320
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,119
And it said "rob's missing."
321
00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:10,591
we went over to joanna's house
and sat with her.
322
00:20:10,710 --> 00:20:15,713
Joanna said they had
a few mudslides.
323
00:20:15,798 --> 00:20:18,382
That night he was laying
in a chair,
324
00:20:18,468 --> 00:20:22,136
hallucinating, if you will, or
having bad dreams or something.
325
00:20:22,222 --> 00:20:25,756
She went into the bedroom
and he slept in the chair,
326
00:20:25,858 --> 00:20:28,226
and when she came out
he was gone.
327
00:20:28,311 --> 00:20:33,931
♪
328
00:20:34,033 --> 00:20:37,618
I went to the crime scene
shortly after hearing about it.
329
00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:40,871
I did see rob's body
at the scene.
330
00:20:40,957 --> 00:20:44,158
You could tell that
he'd fallen from the bridge.
331
00:20:44,244 --> 00:20:46,577
Narrator: An inspection
of rob's body reveals
332
00:20:46,663 --> 00:20:49,714
that he has a gunshot wound
to the head.
333
00:20:49,799 --> 00:20:54,919
We could see that there was
at least one bullet hole.
334
00:20:55,004 --> 00:20:58,556
Narrator: Rob's car is found
parked at the scene.
335
00:20:58,641 --> 00:21:01,259
The first responders think
he may have driven there
336
00:21:01,344 --> 00:21:03,177
and taken his own life.
337
00:21:05,265 --> 00:21:08,299
Jones: No one's ever looked
at rob and thought that
338
00:21:08,401 --> 00:21:10,434
he would be a person
who would commit suicide.
339
00:21:10,536 --> 00:21:12,303
On the other side of that,
340
00:21:12,405 --> 00:21:14,522
just the issues that
he has gone through with joanna
341
00:21:14,607 --> 00:21:18,809
over the past two years,
you just -- you never know.
342
00:21:18,911 --> 00:21:22,280
Growdon: You know, I had been
concerned about rob's well-being
343
00:21:22,365 --> 00:21:24,148
in the months
prior to his death
344
00:21:24,250 --> 00:21:29,120
because the stress in his
personal life, was apparent.
345
00:21:31,157 --> 00:21:33,791
Narrator: Police head
to the mcelrath home
346
00:21:33,876 --> 00:21:38,095
to break the news
to rob's family.
347
00:21:38,181 --> 00:21:41,632
We're all sitting there
and I heard a car door closed,
348
00:21:41,718 --> 00:21:43,217
and I looked outside
and it was the pastor
349
00:21:43,303 --> 00:21:45,269
for the susanville
police department
350
00:21:45,371 --> 00:21:47,038
and everybody knows that
when he shows up
351
00:21:47,140 --> 00:21:48,906
it's not good.
352
00:21:49,008 --> 00:21:52,009
So he came in and asked us kids
to leave the room
353
00:21:52,111 --> 00:21:54,545
and I snuck out into the hallway
to listen,
354
00:21:54,647 --> 00:21:56,647
and I heard them tell my mom
355
00:21:56,749 --> 00:21:59,016
that they had found
my dad dead up there.
356
00:21:59,118 --> 00:22:04,288
♪
357
00:22:04,374 --> 00:22:07,875
inman:
Joanna seemed to be upset.
358
00:22:07,994 --> 00:22:10,027
I heard her say that
she was going over
359
00:22:10,129 --> 00:22:12,079
to rob sister's house.
360
00:22:12,165 --> 00:22:18,135
♪
361
00:22:18,221 --> 00:22:20,805
it caused a lot of pain.
362
00:22:20,890 --> 00:22:22,840
He was such a good person.
363
00:22:24,427 --> 00:22:26,427
He certainly
didn't deserve this.
364
00:22:30,717 --> 00:22:32,350
I mean, it was devastating.
365
00:22:34,237 --> 00:22:37,554
It was -- it was devastating.
366
00:22:37,657 --> 00:22:43,444
♪
367
00:22:43,529 --> 00:22:48,582
♪
368
00:22:48,701 --> 00:22:51,252
narrator: As detectives
investigate the crime scene,
369
00:22:51,371 --> 00:22:56,874
the evidence quickly casts doubt
on the suicide theory.
370
00:22:56,959 --> 00:22:59,009
Jones:
It was a pretty high rail.
371
00:22:59,112 --> 00:23:04,181
So it would be hard for someone
to shoot themselves
372
00:23:04,283 --> 00:23:07,134
and then let gravity
take them over the rail.
373
00:23:07,220 --> 00:23:09,303
Whether gravity
could have pushed
374
00:23:09,389 --> 00:23:12,390
the biggest portion of his body
over the rail or not,
375
00:23:12,475 --> 00:23:15,309
I don't know,
but I definitely doubted it.
376
00:23:15,395 --> 00:23:17,645
Narrator: Rob's body is found
face down in the snow
377
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:19,313
wearing a t-shirt,
378
00:23:19,399 --> 00:23:24,318
a light long-sleeved shirt,
boots, and pajama pants.
379
00:23:24,404 --> 00:23:28,122
This was very weird because
it was a very cold night.
380
00:23:28,241 --> 00:23:30,291
Other than the 14
inches of snow,
381
00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:33,461
it was probably in the
10 to 15 degree mark.
382
00:23:33,579 --> 00:23:35,162
Wasn't what you'd expect
someone to wear
383
00:23:35,248 --> 00:23:36,747
if they knew they were
going outdoors
384
00:23:36,849 --> 00:23:39,283
at that time of year.
385
00:23:39,385 --> 00:23:41,685
Jones: The blood patterns
on the bridge
386
00:23:41,788 --> 00:23:44,788
were very inconsistent
with a person
387
00:23:44,891 --> 00:23:46,724
just throwing
themselves off a bridge.
388
00:23:46,826 --> 00:23:48,325
The blood was in
different areas,
389
00:23:48,428 --> 00:23:51,262
the area of the blood
showed movement of the body
390
00:23:51,364 --> 00:23:54,031
and it was very hard to connect
the dots at the time.
391
00:23:54,133 --> 00:23:56,066
We did not find a weapon
at the scene.
392
00:23:56,169 --> 00:23:58,135
So it was very mysterious
and, you know,
393
00:23:58,237 --> 00:23:59,437
we knew moving forward
394
00:23:59,522 --> 00:24:01,238
that we wouldn't
know a whole lot
395
00:24:01,324 --> 00:24:03,107
until we got to an autopsy.
396
00:24:06,779 --> 00:24:13,817
Narrator:
Rob mcelrath's autopsy is
performed on January 3rd, 2010.
397
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,819
After the autopsy was complete,
we discovered
398
00:24:15,922 --> 00:24:19,006
that rob was shot in the face.
399
00:24:21,627 --> 00:24:24,895
And he was immediately paralyzed
and ultimately died.
400
00:24:26,833 --> 00:24:28,732
The autopsy was 100% conclusive
401
00:24:28,835 --> 00:24:30,301
that he was shot
by another person.
402
00:24:30,403 --> 00:24:37,274
♪
403
00:24:37,376 --> 00:24:41,612
January 2nd, 2011,
at approximately 10:15 a.M.,
404
00:24:41,714 --> 00:24:43,947
austin county sheriff
coroner's office
405
00:24:44,050 --> 00:24:46,167
received a report
of a deceased person
406
00:24:46,252 --> 00:24:49,587
in the area of devil's corral
near the railroad trestle.
407
00:24:51,924 --> 00:24:55,459
Narrator: Just two days into
the new year of 2011,
408
00:24:55,561 --> 00:24:59,597
rob mcelrath, the former marine
who became his hometown's
409
00:24:59,682 --> 00:25:03,901
most beloved police officer,
has been found dead.
410
00:25:05,872 --> 00:25:10,274
At this time we have determined
that this case is a homicide.
411
00:25:13,196 --> 00:25:14,745
The day of the autopsy,
my partner and I
412
00:25:14,830 --> 00:25:17,081
went to joanna's house
to speak to her.
413
00:25:19,669 --> 00:25:23,621
It was just to start a timeline,
anything to help us out
414
00:25:23,706 --> 00:25:27,124
with what his movement was
the day prior to his death.
415
00:25:27,210 --> 00:25:32,379
♪
416
00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:34,682
narrator: Joanna mcelrath
tells detectives
417
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,601
about her final night with rob.
418
00:25:41,474 --> 00:25:45,559
Jones: Joanna said when rob
got off his shift that day,
419
00:25:45,645 --> 00:25:48,612
he went to joanna's house
on spruce street.
420
00:25:48,698 --> 00:25:53,684
♪
421
00:25:53,786 --> 00:25:55,786
she'd already given him
one mudslide,
422
00:25:55,871 --> 00:25:58,289
which I think is some type
of vodka rum drink
423
00:25:58,374 --> 00:26:01,525
and that he had chugged it
424
00:26:01,627 --> 00:26:04,795
and he immediately wanted
another one.
425
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,697
And after he had had
a couple of drinks,
426
00:26:06,799 --> 00:26:08,415
they went back to his home,
427
00:26:08,501 --> 00:26:10,167
which was on fifth street
at the time.
428
00:26:11,837 --> 00:26:15,005
Joanna told us that rob
became incredibly drunk
429
00:26:15,091 --> 00:26:19,927
and he started saying things
like "the blood of dead marines
430
00:26:20,012 --> 00:26:21,679
are on my hands."
431
00:26:24,350 --> 00:26:27,601
I never saw any type of
symptoms or personality
432
00:26:27,687 --> 00:26:32,690
and characteristics from rob
that would indicate ptsd.
433
00:26:32,775 --> 00:26:35,409
Not to say that a person
can have ptsd
434
00:26:35,528 --> 00:26:37,861
and not display
those out publicly.
435
00:26:40,866 --> 00:26:44,785
So she said that
he essentially passed out.
436
00:26:44,870 --> 00:26:47,538
She woke up the next morning
to find rob gone.
437
00:26:47,623 --> 00:26:50,758
His badge was on the bed, some
articles of clothing were gone,
438
00:26:50,876 --> 00:26:52,676
and his gun was gone as well.
439
00:26:55,631 --> 00:26:57,748
Narrator: Something about
joanna's behavior
440
00:26:57,850 --> 00:26:59,800
doesn't sit right.
441
00:27:02,271 --> 00:27:04,722
Jones:
The thing that sticks out is
we were walking down a hallway
442
00:27:04,807 --> 00:27:07,641
and she had some type of iguana
443
00:27:07,727 --> 00:27:11,362
and she was giggling about how
we shouldn't look at the iguana
444
00:27:11,447 --> 00:27:15,816
because apparently that species
is illegal in california.
445
00:27:15,901 --> 00:27:17,768
Her demeanor about
losing a husband
446
00:27:17,870 --> 00:27:19,453
was not very normal.
447
00:27:19,572 --> 00:27:22,790
At no time did joanna shed
a tear talking to me.
448
00:27:25,778 --> 00:27:28,162
Samantha: Why isn't she crying?
Why isn't she upset?
449
00:27:28,247 --> 00:27:30,947
I mean, your husband
was just found dead.
450
00:27:31,050 --> 00:27:33,217
Like, how do you not cry
about that?
451
00:27:35,054 --> 00:27:39,139
Narrator:
Police start to consider
joanna a possible suspect.
452
00:27:40,693 --> 00:27:44,978
We were getting reports
from people who were concerned
453
00:27:45,097 --> 00:27:47,981
based on some of the things
that she was doing.
454
00:27:49,485 --> 00:27:52,019
Jennifer: When I would come
over, the conversation
455
00:27:52,104 --> 00:27:54,021
was about getting the finances,
456
00:27:54,106 --> 00:27:57,358
getting a car, getting the
washer and dryer, and money
457
00:27:57,443 --> 00:27:59,076
so that she could go out
and go shopping.
458
00:27:59,161 --> 00:28:03,080
♪
459
00:28:03,165 --> 00:28:08,218
narrator: And it's not only
joanna that people suspect.
460
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,820
Police are pointed
in the direction
461
00:28:09,922 --> 00:28:12,989
of her ex-lover robin james,
462
00:28:13,092 --> 00:28:15,542
the man she broke up
with shortly before
463
00:28:15,628 --> 00:28:18,495
patching things up with rob.
464
00:28:18,597 --> 00:28:20,764
Jones:
Robin james is an ex-felon.
465
00:28:23,502 --> 00:28:25,169
We had known from speaking
466
00:28:25,271 --> 00:28:26,837
to other people
in the investigation
467
00:28:26,939 --> 00:28:28,639
that she was dating
robin james in the past
468
00:28:28,724 --> 00:28:29,973
and it was common knowledge
469
00:28:30,059 --> 00:28:32,876
that she'd actually
lived with him.
470
00:28:32,962 --> 00:28:35,979
We were definitely suspicious
of robin james.
471
00:28:38,734 --> 00:28:42,986
Narrator: Police get a warrant
for robin james's phone records
472
00:28:43,072 --> 00:28:47,825
and decide to bring joanna
and robin in for questioning.
473
00:28:47,910 --> 00:28:49,993
We were in the house.
I remember I was cleaning
474
00:28:50,079 --> 00:28:52,546
in the living room
and I had heard somebody
475
00:28:52,665 --> 00:28:54,631
and saw somebody like
right outside the window.
476
00:28:54,717 --> 00:28:58,502
So I open the blinds and there's
cops all over outside,
477
00:28:58,604 --> 00:29:00,070
like, telling us
that they got a warrant.
478
00:29:00,172 --> 00:29:02,055
They were taking my mom
in for questioning.
479
00:29:04,176 --> 00:29:06,643
Growdon: Joanna we were able to
locate without much problem.
480
00:29:06,729 --> 00:29:10,431
Now, robin james was harder
to locate.
481
00:29:10,516 --> 00:29:12,599
Jones:
So we served a search warrant
at the residence he lived at,
482
00:29:12,685 --> 00:29:15,402
and the residence
is a local nonprofit group
483
00:29:15,521 --> 00:29:17,521
that assists people
who don't have jobs,
484
00:29:17,606 --> 00:29:20,390
helps them get back
on their feet.
485
00:29:20,493 --> 00:29:24,227
He was not at that residence.
486
00:29:24,330 --> 00:29:26,229
Growdon: We were getting bits
and pieces of information
487
00:29:26,332 --> 00:29:27,498
about where he might be
488
00:29:27,583 --> 00:29:29,082
and we had a great deal
of concern.
489
00:29:29,201 --> 00:29:31,234
We still hadn't recovered
the murder weapon.
490
00:29:31,337 --> 00:29:38,241
♪
491
00:29:38,344 --> 00:29:40,127
narrator:
At the sheriff's office,
492
00:29:40,212 --> 00:29:43,013
police conduct
an interview with joanna.
493
00:29:43,098 --> 00:29:47,935
♪
494
00:29:48,053 --> 00:29:52,890
with pressure mounting,
she tells a terrifying story
495
00:29:52,975 --> 00:29:56,226
about robin james on the night
rob was murdered.
496
00:29:58,397 --> 00:30:00,147
Joanna said, "okay, I haven't
been telling you the truth,
497
00:30:00,232 --> 00:30:02,249
but here's the truth."
498
00:30:06,739 --> 00:30:08,939
when she was at rob's house
after he woke up
499
00:30:09,041 --> 00:30:10,574
and he was talking
about the different things
500
00:30:10,676 --> 00:30:12,109
from his military history,
501
00:30:12,211 --> 00:30:14,828
he requested
to go to devil's corral.
502
00:30:17,917 --> 00:30:20,584
So she drove him
to devil's corral.
503
00:30:20,669 --> 00:30:27,841
♪
504
00:30:27,927 --> 00:30:30,794
and at one point in this
conversation joanna broke down.
505
00:30:30,896 --> 00:30:35,632
♪
506
00:30:35,734 --> 00:30:38,435
she said that
robin james happened
507
00:30:38,521 --> 00:30:39,520
to be at devil's corral.
508
00:30:39,605 --> 00:30:45,576
♪
509
00:30:45,661 --> 00:30:48,362
that rob was assaulting her,
510
00:30:48,447 --> 00:30:49,997
that robin james
511
00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:52,583
was only trying
to stick up for her.
512
00:30:52,668 --> 00:30:59,540
♪
513
00:30:59,625 --> 00:31:02,593
and at one point, robin james
pulled a gun and shot rob.
514
00:31:06,682 --> 00:31:09,165
She didn't want to leave
but robin made her leave.
515
00:31:09,268 --> 00:31:15,339
♪
516
00:31:15,441 --> 00:31:18,174
narrator: Eventually,
police find robin james
517
00:31:18,277 --> 00:31:21,979
at a computer store in town.
518
00:31:22,064 --> 00:31:24,948
Once we were able to locate him
and get him in custody,
519
00:31:25,034 --> 00:31:28,735
it was just a huge relief to me.
520
00:31:28,821 --> 00:31:30,153
Jones:
I interviewed robin james
521
00:31:30,239 --> 00:31:32,239
the day after
I interviewed joanna.
522
00:31:32,324 --> 00:31:36,376
♪
523
00:31:36,495 --> 00:31:38,579
narrator: Robin offers
a version of events
524
00:31:38,664 --> 00:31:41,048
that's very different
to joanna's.
525
00:31:43,836 --> 00:31:46,670
Robin told me that joanna
had been telling him
526
00:31:46,755 --> 00:31:48,088
for a period of time
527
00:31:48,173 --> 00:31:50,974
that rob was abusive
both sexually and physically
528
00:31:51,060 --> 00:31:53,810
and that they were going
to have life together
529
00:31:53,896 --> 00:31:55,896
as long as rob was gone.
530
00:31:57,683 --> 00:32:01,485
Robin james indicates joanna
had planned this out.
531
00:32:03,656 --> 00:32:07,157
He had obtained
a handful of sedatives.
532
00:32:07,242 --> 00:32:10,193
And the plan was for joanna
to put those in rob's drink
533
00:32:10,279 --> 00:32:13,080
throughout the night as he drank
and he would just die.
534
00:32:16,702 --> 00:32:18,902
Narrator: According to robin,
the pills weren't strong enough
535
00:32:19,004 --> 00:32:20,537
to finish the job.
536
00:32:22,458 --> 00:32:25,459
Jones:
But they had a back-up plan.
537
00:32:25,544 --> 00:32:29,046
Joanna had taken rob's gun
out to robin james.
538
00:32:29,131 --> 00:32:33,183
The plan was that robin james
had to get joanna's car
539
00:32:33,268 --> 00:32:37,270
and that she would drive rob up
to devil's corral in his car.
540
00:32:39,858 --> 00:32:42,526
So robin james went before them,
and he was waiting
541
00:32:42,611 --> 00:32:45,278
at the back side
of the devil's corral bridge.
542
00:32:47,483 --> 00:32:50,400
When rob and joanna showed up,
he went up to rob
543
00:32:50,486 --> 00:32:52,819
and he basically asked him,
544
00:32:52,905 --> 00:32:55,572
"what are you doing to joanna?
Take your hands off her,"
545
00:32:55,658 --> 00:32:58,125
and that type of things,
simulating and acting like
546
00:32:58,243 --> 00:33:01,461
he was assaulting her.
547
00:33:01,580 --> 00:33:05,832
So the plan was to pick him up
and throw him over the bridge.
548
00:33:09,088 --> 00:33:11,338
And so as he tried
to get a hold of rob
549
00:33:11,423 --> 00:33:13,507
and push them over the bridge,
rob fought him off.
550
00:33:13,592 --> 00:33:16,560
[ men grunting ]
551
00:33:16,645 --> 00:33:20,430
so at one point, robin pulls the
gun and shoots rob in the face.
552
00:33:22,017 --> 00:33:27,738
♪
553
00:33:27,823 --> 00:33:32,159
after they shoot rob,
they leave.
554
00:33:34,546 --> 00:33:37,748
And so after they discussed it,
they thought rob's body
555
00:33:37,850 --> 00:33:40,117
would be
too apparent to discover.
556
00:33:40,219 --> 00:33:43,186
So robin and joanna went
back up to devil's corral
557
00:33:43,288 --> 00:33:44,888
and collectively
they picked rob up
558
00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:46,039
and they threw him
over the bridge.
559
00:33:46,125 --> 00:33:51,661
♪
560
00:33:51,764 --> 00:33:55,298
narrator: Robin and joanna are
putting the blame on each other.
561
00:33:57,352 --> 00:34:02,939
But detectives have found
evidence that reveals the truth.
562
00:34:03,025 --> 00:34:05,175
Jones: We obtain
text message information
563
00:34:05,277 --> 00:34:07,060
from robin james's phone.
564
00:34:09,031 --> 00:34:11,648
The text messages lined out
the entire crime
565
00:34:11,734 --> 00:34:12,816
from start to finish.
566
00:34:12,901 --> 00:34:16,920
♪
567
00:34:18,457 --> 00:34:21,591
♪
568
00:34:21,677 --> 00:34:25,645
narrator:
Joanna mcelrath is suspected
of killing her husband, rob,
569
00:34:25,764 --> 00:34:28,765
on a bridge at devil's corral.
570
00:34:28,851 --> 00:34:31,902
She claims that it was her
jilted lover, robin james,
571
00:34:31,987 --> 00:34:35,138
who committed the murder,
and robin insists
572
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:37,774
that joanna was the mastermind.
573
00:34:40,696 --> 00:34:43,380
But investigators have evidence
that proves
574
00:34:43,449 --> 00:34:46,666
exactly what happened.
575
00:34:46,785 --> 00:34:49,069
The information was
all of the text messages
576
00:34:49,171 --> 00:34:51,204
exchanged between he and joanna.
577
00:34:51,290 --> 00:34:58,845
♪
578
00:34:58,964 --> 00:35:06,520
♪
579
00:35:06,638 --> 00:35:13,676
♪
580
00:35:13,779 --> 00:35:17,147
robin and joanne are texting
to each other the entire time.
581
00:35:17,249 --> 00:35:25,855
♪
582
00:35:25,958 --> 00:35:34,581
♪
583
00:35:34,666 --> 00:35:43,306
♪
584
00:35:43,392 --> 00:35:51,014
♪
585
00:35:51,099 --> 00:35:54,151
narrator: The messages continued
the following day.
586
00:35:54,236 --> 00:36:03,343
♪
587
00:36:03,445 --> 00:36:12,602
♪
588
00:36:12,704 --> 00:36:20,610
♪
589
00:36:20,712 --> 00:36:25,081
the text messages corroborate
robin's story and clearly show
590
00:36:25,184 --> 00:36:30,470
that joanna
was behind rob's murder.
591
00:36:30,556 --> 00:36:32,472
Jones:
She did plot the whole crime,
592
00:36:32,558 --> 00:36:35,358
and although robin james
pulled the trigger,
593
00:36:35,444 --> 00:36:38,395
she is the psychopath
that planned it.
594
00:36:40,983 --> 00:36:43,817
So robin james said that he
destroyed some of the clothes
595
00:36:43,902 --> 00:36:46,036
that they were using, anything
that was contaminated with blood
596
00:36:46,138 --> 00:36:48,171
at different
dumpsters around town.
597
00:36:48,273 --> 00:36:53,126
He told us who he gave the gun
to that was ultimately destroyed
598
00:36:53,245 --> 00:36:54,878
and never recovered.
599
00:36:57,749 --> 00:36:58,999
In the final interview
with joanna
600
00:36:59,117 --> 00:37:00,950
after she had lied
several times,
601
00:37:01,053 --> 00:37:03,003
she was confronted
with the text messages.
602
00:37:03,088 --> 00:37:04,554
She wasn't shocked.
She wasn't shocked at all.
603
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:08,258
I think that when she saw that
we had all of the text messages
604
00:37:08,343 --> 00:37:11,628
between her and robin
that she knew she was done.
605
00:37:15,684 --> 00:37:18,134
Narrator: Police believe
joanna's plan was to make
606
00:37:18,237 --> 00:37:21,238
rob's death look like a suicide.
607
00:37:21,323 --> 00:37:24,674
They suspect she killed him
for financial gain,
608
00:37:24,776 --> 00:37:27,510
but could never prove
this theory.
609
00:37:30,365 --> 00:37:33,750
It is quickly confirmed that
the stories she told robin james
610
00:37:33,835 --> 00:37:38,655
about rob being abusive
were lies.
611
00:37:38,757 --> 00:37:42,559
She claimed that he was abusive
and I asked the girls,
612
00:37:42,661 --> 00:37:45,895
I said, "she was saying that.
Is there anything to that?"
613
00:37:45,998 --> 00:37:49,432
and one of the girls told me,
"no, definitely not."
614
00:37:49,518 --> 00:37:54,771
[ banging ]
615
00:37:54,856 --> 00:37:59,059
samantha:
One night I remember they had
gotten into an argument.
616
00:37:59,144 --> 00:38:00,277
I went into the bathroom.
617
00:38:00,362 --> 00:38:02,479
My mom had walked off
to the side of the house
618
00:38:02,564 --> 00:38:04,514
and I heard banging on the wall.
619
00:38:04,616 --> 00:38:07,150
So I climbed up
and looked out that window
620
00:38:07,235 --> 00:38:10,036
and when I look down, my mom
was slamming her face
621
00:38:10,155 --> 00:38:11,655
into the wall outside.
622
00:38:11,740 --> 00:38:13,873
[ banging ]
623
00:38:13,992 --> 00:38:16,042
I went out to check on her
and she was coming in
624
00:38:16,161 --> 00:38:18,662
and one of the kids
asked, "well, what happened?"
625
00:38:18,747 --> 00:38:21,214
and she tried to say
that rob had hit her.
626
00:38:24,002 --> 00:38:27,637
She claimed that he beat her,
when in reality
627
00:38:27,723 --> 00:38:30,390
it was all her doing that.
628
00:38:30,509 --> 00:38:35,095
Narrator: In 2014, joanna
mcelrath and robin james
629
00:38:35,180 --> 00:38:39,182
both plead guilty
to first-degree murder.
630
00:38:39,284 --> 00:38:42,652
They are sentenced
to 25 years to life.
631
00:38:42,754 --> 00:38:46,289
Joanna is eligible
for parole in 2030,
632
00:38:46,391 --> 00:38:49,559
robin in 2031.
633
00:38:49,661 --> 00:38:52,912
During the proceedings she would
turn around and smile at me.
634
00:38:54,333 --> 00:38:56,116
It was just disgusting.
635
00:38:56,201 --> 00:38:58,618
I would just look at her
with disgust,
636
00:38:58,704 --> 00:39:02,405
you know,
like she was an abomination.
637
00:39:02,507 --> 00:39:04,190
She was just a very
manipulative,
638
00:39:04,292 --> 00:39:08,545
and in my opinion,
a psychopath.
639
00:39:08,630 --> 00:39:12,599
Samantha: Oh, I believe that
she is so far gone in her mind
640
00:39:12,718 --> 00:39:15,418
that she believes everything
that comes out of her mouth.
641
00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:17,971
I mean, she hasn't
even changed her story
642
00:39:18,056 --> 00:39:21,107
about what happened that night.
She hasn't confirmed any of it.
643
00:39:21,226 --> 00:39:23,893
It's just lie
after lie after lie.
644
00:39:26,231 --> 00:39:28,898
You know, it's scary being
related to somebody like that.
645
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:33,603
♪
646
00:39:33,705 --> 00:39:35,822
narrator:
Rob's celebration of life
647
00:39:35,907 --> 00:39:39,342
is held at the susanville
assembly of god.
648
00:39:42,597 --> 00:39:44,814
Jennifer: It was beautiful.
There was so many people there
649
00:39:44,900 --> 00:39:47,016
they couldn't fit in the church.
650
00:39:47,102 --> 00:39:49,185
Like, there were people
in the sanctuary,
651
00:39:49,271 --> 00:39:51,053
there were people
in the hallway,
652
00:39:51,156 --> 00:39:54,107
there were probably
200 people outside.
653
00:39:55,744 --> 00:39:57,827
Samantha: He was in his uniform
and we were able
654
00:39:57,913 --> 00:40:01,614
to put some stuff in his pockets
to have him buried with.
655
00:40:05,420 --> 00:40:07,954
I put a note in there
telling him that I loved him.
656
00:40:08,039 --> 00:40:15,311
♪
657
00:40:15,414 --> 00:40:22,285
♪
658
00:40:22,387 --> 00:40:24,320
inman: I wish there were
more cops like rob,
659
00:40:24,423 --> 00:40:31,111
like, he really impacted
our community with how he acted.
660
00:40:31,229 --> 00:40:36,483
And I mean, that's the thing
I think I'll remember most
661
00:40:36,568 --> 00:40:39,235
about rob is just, you know,
662
00:40:39,321 --> 00:40:42,238
what a good person he was,
you know?
663
00:40:45,710 --> 00:40:49,963
Narrator: On may 6th, 2016,
susanville dedicates
664
00:40:50,081 --> 00:40:55,385
a new street in honor
of rob mcelrath.
665
00:40:55,470 --> 00:40:59,139
Inman: Even without the benches
or the street name,
666
00:40:59,257 --> 00:41:00,890
rob would still be remembered.
667
00:41:03,562 --> 00:41:05,328
Jennifer:
He had told me, "j,
668
00:41:05,430 --> 00:41:07,764
I just want to be able
to go before god
669
00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:10,183
and say I have done everything
670
00:41:10,268 --> 00:41:14,437
I possibly can to keep
my family together."
671
00:41:14,539 --> 00:41:17,490
so, and he did.
672
00:41:17,609 --> 00:41:18,741
He did.
673
00:41:18,827 --> 00:41:24,614
♪