1 00:00:21,068 --> 00:00:23,896 [Kenda] Laurel, Maryland, a suburban community 2 00:00:23,931 --> 00:00:27,206 between Baltimore and Washington, DC. 3 00:00:27,241 --> 00:00:30,275 Laurel still has a small town, kind of a Mayberry-like feel to it. 4 00:00:30,310 --> 00:00:31,448 Everybody knows everybody. 5 00:00:40,137 --> 00:00:46,103 [Kenda] Anne Donnelly, who is a private care nurse, is reporting for duty. 6 00:00:46,137 --> 00:00:52,620 Her charge is a 26-year-old Jasmine Gilbert, who suffers from cerebral palsy. 7 00:00:55,551 --> 00:00:57,275 Hello? It's Anne. 8 00:00:59,724 --> 00:01:01,620 [doorbell rings] 9 00:01:07,172 --> 00:01:08,517 Hello? 10 00:01:08,551 --> 00:01:10,206 This is extremely unusual. 11 00:01:10,241 --> 00:01:13,827 She expects to be greeted as she usually is. "Oh, good morning, Anne." 12 00:01:13,862 --> 00:01:16,448 But the place is quiet, very, very quiet. 13 00:01:16,482 --> 00:01:17,310 Hello? 14 00:01:21,206 --> 00:01:22,000 Hello? 15 00:01:28,827 --> 00:01:31,172 She goes to the back door, the patio door. 16 00:01:34,241 --> 00:01:35,413 Tina? 17 00:01:35,448 --> 00:01:36,310 [Kenda] The door's unlocked. 18 00:01:36,827 --> 00:01:37,655 James? 19 00:01:50,586 --> 00:01:51,413 Tina? 20 00:01:53,758 --> 00:01:55,793 And no one answers her calls. 21 00:01:56,827 --> 00:01:57,655 James? 22 00:02:02,793 --> 00:02:06,827 And then she was the one that found the bodies and found this horrific, 23 00:02:06,862 --> 00:02:08,137 bloody scene in the bedroom. 24 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,068 [Anne screams] 25 00:02:11,275 --> 00:02:12,724 [siren wailing] 26 00:02:22,896 --> 00:02:26,724 When first responders arrive, they walk into a monstrous scene. 27 00:02:26,758 --> 00:02:31,413 Jasmine's mother, 45-year-old Tina Towler is dead on the bedroom floor, 28 00:02:31,448 --> 00:02:34,379 along with 42-year-old James Ferguson. 29 00:02:34,413 --> 00:02:38,000 The bedroom is chaos, and back, tucked off beyond the bed, 30 00:02:38,034 --> 00:02:40,068 is another bed with covers. 31 00:02:40,103 --> 00:02:41,655 [suspenseful music playing] 32 00:02:46,862 --> 00:02:49,379 And that's when they discovered Jasmine Gilbert. 33 00:02:49,413 --> 00:02:51,379 [opening theme music playing] 34 00:02:52,448 --> 00:02:55,206 I spent my career closing murder cases. 35 00:02:57,068 --> 00:03:00,137 But I'm not the only one who answered the call. 36 00:03:02,241 --> 00:03:06,482 It takes a rare breed to solve the unsolvable, 37 00:03:06,517 --> 00:03:11,586 to catch a ruthless killer, to find justice for the dead. 38 00:03:13,344 --> 00:03:17,896 That's what it takes to be an American detective. 39 00:03:21,413 --> 00:03:23,344 My name is Joseph Bellino. 40 00:03:23,379 --> 00:03:26,620 I've been with the Prince George's County Police since 2007. 41 00:03:26,655 --> 00:03:29,758 This was my second homicide case. 42 00:03:29,793 --> 00:03:33,482 The first case I got was, um... We closed it within 48 hours. 43 00:03:33,517 --> 00:03:39,068 It wasn't a difficult case, but I told my sergeant that I wanted more of a challenge. 44 00:03:39,103 --> 00:03:41,551 He said, "Be careful for what you ask for." [chuckles] 45 00:03:43,068 --> 00:03:44,241 It was a nice spring morning. 46 00:03:45,448 --> 00:03:46,620 I was driving into work. 47 00:03:46,655 --> 00:03:48,482 It's just after 8:00 in the morning. 48 00:03:48,517 --> 00:03:50,103 Dispatch to Detective Bellino. 49 00:03:51,931 --> 00:03:53,310 Go for Bellino. 50 00:03:53,344 --> 00:03:56,137 And they called me and said that there had been two bodies found 51 00:03:56,172 --> 00:03:57,206 at a residence in Laurel. 52 00:04:01,896 --> 00:04:03,379 [indistinct police radio chatter] 53 00:04:03,413 --> 00:04:04,206 [siren wailing] 54 00:04:05,655 --> 00:04:07,827 When it comes to investigating a case, 55 00:04:07,862 --> 00:04:09,551 I want to live and die by my own hand. 56 00:04:11,137 --> 00:04:13,275 So, for me, getting to the scene of the crime 57 00:04:13,310 --> 00:04:16,000 and to be involved in the decisions is essential. 58 00:04:17,689 --> 00:04:19,241 [Kenda] Detective Bellino's informed 59 00:04:19,275 --> 00:04:24,827 there is a 26-year-old cerebral palsy patient, who is apparently unharmed. 60 00:04:24,862 --> 00:04:27,137 There's no visible injury to this girl, 61 00:04:27,172 --> 00:04:30,793 but they still had her removed to be medically examined. 62 00:04:30,827 --> 00:04:34,517 But her mother, Tina Towler, and her boyfriend, James Ferguson, 63 00:04:34,551 --> 00:04:36,137 are dead on the bedroom floor. 64 00:04:37,241 --> 00:04:39,068 [Dana Daniels] Tina and I were best friends. 65 00:04:39,103 --> 00:04:42,448 My husband and I end up moving into the same neighborhood, 66 00:04:42,482 --> 00:04:46,172 and that's probably how our friendship evolved. 67 00:04:46,206 --> 00:04:49,793 We would bring the kids together, do cookies for Christmas time. 68 00:04:49,827 --> 00:04:53,655 I taught her how to drive a stick shift. [laughs] 69 00:04:53,689 --> 00:04:57,137 [Jerome Spencer] James had a large and very dynamic family. 70 00:04:57,172 --> 00:05:01,448 Everybody described somebody who was just fun to be around. 71 00:05:02,551 --> 00:05:04,620 Just a good person to hang out with. 72 00:05:04,655 --> 00:05:07,793 Somebody who would always welcome you into his apartment at any time 73 00:05:09,551 --> 00:05:11,793 [indistinct police radio chatter] 74 00:05:11,827 --> 00:05:13,413 [Bellino] When you initially enter the apartment, 75 00:05:13,448 --> 00:05:17,344 there was a living space, dining room table, kitchen. 76 00:05:17,379 --> 00:05:20,896 There was several beer cans that were on the coffee table. 77 00:05:23,275 --> 00:05:26,724 Outside of that, everything appeared in order. 78 00:05:26,758 --> 00:05:28,275 There was no signs of a struggle. 79 00:05:31,379 --> 00:05:34,620 Once you got inside the bedroom, you could see that 80 00:05:34,655 --> 00:05:36,275 a serious altercation had occurred there. 81 00:05:38,655 --> 00:05:40,275 [Kenda] This is a very violent crime scene, 82 00:05:40,310 --> 00:05:45,310 blood spatter on the walls, on the floor, and great deal of blood every place. 83 00:05:45,344 --> 00:05:50,551 I noticed the door to the bedroom was damaged where the lock would be. 84 00:05:50,586 --> 00:05:53,862 [Jonathon Church] So the thought was that somebody had kicked in that bedroom door. 85 00:05:57,931 --> 00:06:00,689 We could see blood spatter on the ceiling 86 00:06:00,724 --> 00:06:03,310 and just the brutal nature of the attacks on both of them. 87 00:06:11,310 --> 00:06:12,448 [camera shutters clicking] 88 00:06:19,137 --> 00:06:22,620 [Bellino] There were pots. There were pans. 89 00:06:22,655 --> 00:06:27,344 There was a vase that had been shattered, broken, on either sides of the bedroom. 90 00:06:27,379 --> 00:06:28,931 Must have been one hell of a struggle. 91 00:06:30,758 --> 00:06:33,344 [indistinct police radio chatter] 92 00:06:34,482 --> 00:06:36,344 [Bellino] And then there were these two bodies. 93 00:06:39,310 --> 00:06:40,827 [dramatic music plays] 94 00:06:40,862 --> 00:06:44,793 Tina was found at the foot of the bed. 95 00:06:44,827 --> 00:06:48,241 She had multiple stab wounds to her back, 96 00:06:48,275 --> 00:06:49,344 the lower back area. 97 00:06:51,310 --> 00:06:53,862 Her face had been heavily beaten, 98 00:06:53,896 --> 00:06:57,517 And he is immediately struck by something very unusual. 99 00:06:57,551 --> 00:07:02,379 She had the imprint of what looked like "EVE" on her forehead. 100 00:07:02,413 --> 00:07:05,586 [Spencer] One of the first images I remember that would never leave 101 00:07:05,620 --> 00:07:10,827 my mind is looking at Tina's body and to see the letters imprinted on her forehead. 102 00:07:10,862 --> 00:07:14,724 That's a critical piece of evidence, but what does that mean? 103 00:07:14,758 --> 00:07:18,689 Next to her on the floor, flat on his back, is James Ferguson. 104 00:07:18,724 --> 00:07:25,172 He had multiple sharp force injuries, stab wounds, to his hands and chest, 105 00:07:25,206 --> 00:07:26,827 upper body. 106 00:07:26,862 --> 00:07:30,172 [Kenda] He's also wearing a leather pouch on his belt, 107 00:07:30,206 --> 00:07:32,758 the type that's worn that contains a knife. 108 00:07:32,793 --> 00:07:36,310 That pouch is empty, and the snap closure is open. 109 00:07:36,344 --> 00:07:40,172 So did that knife somehow become involved in this offence? 110 00:07:40,206 --> 00:07:43,896 When you have a boyfriend, girlfriend dead in a home or in a residence, it means, 111 00:07:43,931 --> 00:07:47,827 you always have to examine whether it's a possibility it's a murder-suicide. 112 00:07:47,862 --> 00:07:51,241 [Kenda] But Bellino looks at these bodies and notices immediately 113 00:07:51,275 --> 00:07:52,862 that can't be true. 114 00:07:52,896 --> 00:07:57,862 Mr. Ferguson has extreme blunt trauma injuries to his face. 115 00:07:57,896 --> 00:07:59,551 He didn't beat himself up. 116 00:07:59,586 --> 00:08:01,758 Tina Towler has the same thing. 117 00:08:01,793 --> 00:08:04,724 They were both attacked by someone else. 118 00:08:04,758 --> 00:08:06,689 This is a double homicide. 119 00:08:06,724 --> 00:08:08,896 I'd never seen a case like that. 120 00:08:08,931 --> 00:08:10,724 This was a horrible, horrible killing 121 00:08:13,758 --> 00:08:15,448 [Bellino] When we continued to look 122 00:08:15,482 --> 00:08:19,206 through the apartment in a bathroom that was just adjacent to their bedroom, 123 00:08:20,482 --> 00:08:23,448 there was a knife that was unfolded 124 00:08:23,482 --> 00:08:26,655 that was in the sink next to a bar of soap. 125 00:08:28,344 --> 00:08:31,310 We also found a towel nearby. 126 00:08:31,344 --> 00:08:36,103 That knife came from the sheath that's carried on Mr. Ferguson's waist. 127 00:08:36,137 --> 00:08:38,931 Did he pull that knife to try to defend himself 128 00:08:38,965 --> 00:08:40,379 and it was taken away from him 129 00:08:40,413 --> 00:08:41,689 and then used against him? 130 00:08:41,724 --> 00:08:43,413 It's likely that's true. 131 00:08:43,448 --> 00:08:47,103 [Bellino] The problem is that in any bathroom, and in this one, 132 00:08:47,137 --> 00:08:50,827 there's soap, there's water, and there is a way for that evidence 133 00:08:50,862 --> 00:08:55,896 to then be disinfected, cleaned and then sent down the drain and destroyed. 134 00:08:55,931 --> 00:09:00,551 [Kenda] There is nothing apparently missing, no ransacking in the other rooms, 135 00:09:00,586 --> 00:09:03,724 no open drawers, no searched-through purses, none of that. 136 00:09:06,862 --> 00:09:11,413 None of that the purpose of this event is murder. Nothing else. 137 00:09:11,448 --> 00:09:16,379 [male reporter] The victims, 45-year-old Tina Towler and her boyfriend, 138 00:09:16,413 --> 00:09:20,827 42-year-old James Ferguson, found beaten and stabbed to death 139 00:09:20,862 --> 00:09:23,379 in the bedroom of their apartment in Laurel. 140 00:09:23,413 --> 00:09:27,068 Police say they found no sign of forced entry. 141 00:09:27,103 --> 00:09:29,655 The victim's daughter wasn't hurt. [sucks teeth] 142 00:09:29,689 --> 00:09:32,793 She is a witness to the crime, and she is now in the care 143 00:09:32,827 --> 00:09:36,172 and custody of the State of Maryland. 144 00:09:36,206 --> 00:09:38,379 [Kevin Leonard] We hear about murders all the time, you know, 145 00:09:38,413 --> 00:09:41,103 in the state and in the region. 146 00:09:41,137 --> 00:09:44,517 The fact that her daughter was there and witnessed it, 147 00:09:44,551 --> 00:09:46,862 and, you know, in her physical condition, 148 00:09:46,896 --> 00:09:50,620 it really put a tragic, sad twist on the whole thing. 149 00:09:50,655 --> 00:09:52,241 [Church] When Jasmine was born, 150 00:09:52,275 --> 00:09:55,206 she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and given three months to live. 151 00:09:55,241 --> 00:09:57,655 Obviously, at the time of this double homicide, 152 00:09:57,689 --> 00:09:59,793 she had outlived those expectations. 153 00:09:59,827 --> 00:10:01,275 [siren wailing] 154 00:10:04,344 --> 00:10:10,172 [Kenda] Unfortunately, Jasmine has a very severe form of cerebral palsy. 155 00:10:10,206 --> 00:10:16,206 Ultimately, it results in a person who is incapable of walking, standing, sitting. 156 00:10:16,241 --> 00:10:17,758 It is a terrible disease. 157 00:10:17,793 --> 00:10:19,000 [monitors beeping] 158 00:10:20,724 --> 00:10:23,758 Nurse Anne Donnelly is there at the hospital and says she's fine. 159 00:10:23,793 --> 00:10:25,724 She's not hurt. 160 00:10:25,758 --> 00:10:29,344 [Bellino] Anne Donnelly and the other nurses were a select a group of women 161 00:10:29,379 --> 00:10:32,655 who had cared for her for a long period of time. 162 00:10:32,689 --> 00:10:36,448 [Kenda] So they had an afternoon nurse until 9:30 or so at night, 163 00:10:36,482 --> 00:10:38,310 and then the first thing the next morning, 164 00:10:38,344 --> 00:10:40,344 they would have a day nurse that would come in. 165 00:10:40,379 --> 00:10:45,448 So between 9:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. is the time this crime occurred. 166 00:10:46,482 --> 00:10:48,034 I can't imagine what she went through. 167 00:10:49,413 --> 00:10:53,551 Definitely, the trauma doesn't just stop, you know, 168 00:10:53,586 --> 00:10:56,620 with the witnessing of the horrific event, 169 00:10:56,655 --> 00:11:00,206 Not, you know, knowing why you're being taken out of your home 170 00:11:00,241 --> 00:11:02,586 and then put in this hospital, 171 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:04,689 not knowing who these doctors and nurses are, 172 00:11:04,724 --> 00:11:07,448 it could cause even more stress for her. 173 00:11:07,482 --> 00:11:10,862 [Kenda] He asks, "Do you think she could understand me if I ask her something?" 174 00:11:10,896 --> 00:11:13,827 Donnelly says, "I don't think so. You can try." 175 00:11:13,862 --> 00:11:15,586 This child is nonverbal... 176 00:11:15,620 --> 00:11:17,068 [Bellino] But she connects in other ways? 177 00:11:17,413 --> 00:11:18,724 Yes. 178 00:11:19,413 --> 00:11:20,758 She knows voices. 179 00:11:20,793 --> 00:11:24,241 So if you go in and you say, "Hey, Jazzy-jazz, how you doing? 180 00:11:24,275 --> 00:11:27,379 And she would smile, and she would start to laugh. 181 00:11:27,413 --> 00:11:28,758 She just loved music. 182 00:11:28,793 --> 00:11:33,551 Tina sang to her a lot, so she liked for her mom to sing to her. 183 00:11:33,586 --> 00:11:35,517 [Church] Because she was in that room and it was evident 184 00:11:35,551 --> 00:11:38,068 that this all took place right there in front of her. 185 00:11:38,103 --> 00:11:39,241 So what did she know? 186 00:11:39,275 --> 00:11:41,586 Our goal was to try to figure out what did she see? 187 00:11:47,517 --> 00:11:49,793 Jazzy, honey, it's Anne. 188 00:11:51,758 --> 00:11:52,965 You're in a hospital. 189 00:12:04,586 --> 00:12:06,103 Jazzy honey... 190 00:12:06,137 --> 00:12:08,413 It was always in the back of my mind, you know, 191 00:12:08,448 --> 00:12:12,034 how had this affected her? Would she be able to communicate? 192 00:12:12,068 --> 00:12:15,965 [Kenda] The only person who saw, or potentially saw anything is Jasmine. 193 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,068 So, it's critical that Bellino makes every attempt 194 00:12:19,103 --> 00:12:21,000 to try to get information from her. 195 00:12:22,310 --> 00:12:23,862 She is the ultimate loose end. 196 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,965 [reporter] Tina Towler and her boyfriend, James Ferguson, 197 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,689 were found beaten and stabbed to death in their bedroom after a home nurse 198 00:12:36,724 --> 00:12:40,448 arrived to care for Towler's severely disabled daughter Jasmine. 199 00:12:40,482 --> 00:12:43,137 The daughter was in a location where it would be reasonable 200 00:12:43,172 --> 00:12:47,827 that she would, uh, have been... Either have had witnessed 201 00:12:47,862 --> 00:12:49,517 the homicide or a portion thereof. 202 00:12:54,413 --> 00:12:57,793 [Church] We knew Jasmine was in the room when both James and Tina were murdered. 203 00:12:57,827 --> 00:13:01,172 And our goal was to try to figure out, what did she see? 204 00:13:01,206 --> 00:13:02,551 What does she know about it? 205 00:13:02,586 --> 00:13:05,379 Jazzy, honey, you're safe now, okay? 206 00:13:07,206 --> 00:13:10,068 This nice man wants to ask you some questions. 207 00:13:10,103 --> 00:13:12,310 [Kenda] But does she understand what she's being asked? 208 00:13:13,413 --> 00:13:16,137 An eyewitness certainly can be extremely useful 209 00:13:16,172 --> 00:13:18,137 As a cerebral palsy patient 210 00:13:18,172 --> 00:13:19,965 in terrible physical condition, 211 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,206 how useful that may be remains to be seen. 212 00:13:23,241 --> 00:13:26,344 [Anne] Jazzy, we have to know what happened last night. 213 00:13:27,655 --> 00:13:29,000 Did you see who hurt your mom? 214 00:13:30,413 --> 00:13:32,206 [suspenseful music playing] 215 00:13:36,862 --> 00:13:41,655 [Bellino] It was disappointing to know that somebody who was present during the crime 216 00:13:41,689 --> 00:13:43,620 is not gonna be able to give us information 217 00:13:43,655 --> 00:13:45,310 that we really need. 218 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,000 I'm sorry. 219 00:13:48,758 --> 00:13:50,862 I just don't think she understands. 220 00:13:50,896 --> 00:13:54,931 Let's just let her rest for now. I can come back later. 221 00:13:54,965 --> 00:13:58,931 The fact that Jasmine was left alive was an indicator 222 00:13:58,965 --> 00:14:02,965 to us that the individual who killed James and Tina knew of her condition 223 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,413 and did not kill her 224 00:14:04,448 --> 00:14:06,931 because they knew that she would never be able to tell. 225 00:14:10,931 --> 00:14:13,793 Obviously, we had a large contingent of officers 226 00:14:13,827 --> 00:14:15,448 who assisted with the neighborhood canvass 227 00:14:15,482 --> 00:14:18,034 to knock on doors, speak to all the neighbors, 228 00:14:18,068 --> 00:14:20,827 and from speaking to witnesses in the case, 229 00:14:20,862 --> 00:14:25,586 we learned that Jay Towler is Tina Towler's ex-husband. 230 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:30,103 [Kenda] The officer says he spoke to a neighbor who noticed that the ex-husband 231 00:14:30,137 --> 00:14:32,862 was standing in the crowd outside the crime scene. 232 00:14:32,896 --> 00:14:35,655 Now, that's kind of odd. 233 00:14:35,689 --> 00:14:39,655 Why did you not contact the police if you're concerned about the victim? 234 00:14:39,689 --> 00:14:43,655 So, Jay Towler is invited to come for an interview with the police department. 235 00:14:45,068 --> 00:14:46,862 Any time you have a crime like this, 236 00:14:46,896 --> 00:14:48,206 you have a woman who was murdered, 237 00:14:48,241 --> 00:14:49,758 you have her boyfriend who's murdered, 238 00:14:49,793 --> 00:14:51,551 There's potential that this could be 239 00:14:51,586 --> 00:14:53,724 some type of love triangle gone bad. 240 00:14:54,793 --> 00:14:57,724 One of Jasmine's nurses called and said 241 00:14:57,758 --> 00:15:00,724 that Mr. James and Miss Tina aren't responsive. 242 00:15:00,758 --> 00:15:05,206 So I told my boss I had to go and I left. 243 00:15:06,034 --> 00:15:07,655 You couldn't get close. 244 00:15:07,689 --> 00:15:09,551 They had it all blocked off. 245 00:15:09,586 --> 00:15:12,137 Just a lot of people around cameras, 246 00:15:12,172 --> 00:15:14,137 TV cameras, and so forth. 247 00:15:14,172 --> 00:15:16,000 Police would say, "Well, we're gonna 248 00:15:16,034 --> 00:15:18,275 "take you down. We have some questions for you 249 00:15:18,310 --> 00:15:19,482 "down the police station." 250 00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:21,448 When the crime is wide open, 251 00:15:21,482 --> 00:15:23,206 everybody's a suspect. 252 00:15:23,241 --> 00:15:24,896 I certainly interviewed him that way. 253 00:15:24,931 --> 00:15:26,827 So you were not in the apartment last night old? 254 00:15:26,862 --> 00:15:28,827 No! I already told you. 255 00:15:28,862 --> 00:15:31,344 I told detective I wouldn't do nothing like that. 256 00:15:31,379 --> 00:15:33,517 It was like Mike Tyson hit me in my stomach. 257 00:15:33,551 --> 00:15:36,310 I was... crushed. 258 00:15:37,137 --> 00:15:40,275 He seemed to be truly emotional 259 00:15:40,310 --> 00:15:42,965 and distraught over her death 260 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,655 and came off as somebody who wanted to be helpful 261 00:15:45,689 --> 00:15:46,827 in any way he could. 262 00:15:48,379 --> 00:15:50,448 I met Tina on the subway 263 00:15:50,482 --> 00:15:52,448 and she was struggling with Jasmine. 264 00:15:52,482 --> 00:15:53,827 I gave her hand with Jasmine 265 00:15:53,862 --> 00:15:55,310 and we kind of talked a little bit. 266 00:15:55,344 --> 00:15:57,517 and I got her number, and so forth. 267 00:15:57,551 --> 00:15:59,310 And eventually, we got together. 268 00:15:59,344 --> 00:16:01,206 Got married later on. 269 00:16:01,241 --> 00:16:04,344 Me, Tina, Jay, and my husband, 270 00:16:04,379 --> 00:16:08,551 we started taking vacations together, so we did cruises. 271 00:16:08,586 --> 00:16:11,620 The families just merged. 272 00:16:11,655 --> 00:16:13,931 So he asked Towler to explain to him 273 00:16:13,965 --> 00:16:15,896 what caused her marriage to break up. 274 00:16:17,103 --> 00:16:18,931 When we had a child, Michael, 275 00:16:18,965 --> 00:16:20,551 Michael, at two years old, 276 00:16:20,586 --> 00:16:23,413 he was diagnosed with a paddle blastoma. 277 00:16:23,448 --> 00:16:26,586 And he passed at three years old. 278 00:16:27,448 --> 00:16:30,551 And the sudden death of their child. 279 00:16:30,586 --> 00:16:32,551 It changed the trajectory 280 00:16:32,586 --> 00:16:35,034 of her life, and their marriage. 281 00:16:35,068 --> 00:16:36,241 Mr. Towler explained 282 00:16:36,275 --> 00:16:38,517 that she was overwhelmed emotionally 283 00:16:38,551 --> 00:16:40,724 and they drifted apart as a result. 284 00:16:43,862 --> 00:16:45,965 Maybe we couldn't live together. 285 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,034 That didn't mean we didn't care for each other. 286 00:16:49,068 --> 00:16:52,551 I always would check on her and Jasmine, 287 00:16:52,586 --> 00:16:54,862 you know what I mean? 288 00:16:54,896 --> 00:16:56,448 He had no hatred toward her. 289 00:16:56,482 --> 00:16:58,413 They just didn't want to be married anymore. 290 00:16:58,448 --> 00:17:00,275 And they got unmarried. 291 00:17:01,689 --> 00:17:03,896 We have a second victim in this house. 292 00:17:03,931 --> 00:17:05,689 What do you say about Mr. Ferguson? 293 00:17:05,724 --> 00:17:08,448 James, he's seems like a decent person. 294 00:17:08,482 --> 00:17:10,137 We got along real well. 295 00:17:10,172 --> 00:17:13,103 And he would call me up. "Jay, come on over." 296 00:17:13,137 --> 00:17:15,000 "I got dinner. Come on over." 297 00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:16,862 So there was no animosity 298 00:17:16,896 --> 00:17:19,931 toward his ex-wife or toward James ... 299 00:17:19,965 --> 00:17:21,896 We still want an alibi and where were you 300 00:17:21,931 --> 00:17:23,275 on the night this occurred? 301 00:17:23,310 --> 00:17:25,344 I was at my regular job. 302 00:17:25,379 --> 00:17:27,517 I went to fix the ... up in Ginsburg. 303 00:17:27,551 --> 00:17:29,034 Then I was home after that. 304 00:17:29,068 --> 00:17:31,655 He told me that he'd gotten home that evening. 305 00:17:31,689 --> 00:17:33,620 Probably nine, ten o'clock. 306 00:17:33,655 --> 00:17:35,068 He stayed there at the apartment, 307 00:17:35,103 --> 00:17:37,586 watched some TV and went to sleep. 308 00:17:38,310 --> 00:17:39,344 I didn't have no girlfriend 309 00:17:39,379 --> 00:17:40,586 at the house and nothing like that. 310 00:17:40,620 --> 00:17:42,758 And so I'm thinking now, 311 00:17:42,793 --> 00:17:45,620 "Wow, this isn't a good alibi." 312 00:17:45,655 --> 00:17:47,586 But it's the truth. 313 00:17:47,620 --> 00:17:49,758 When I'd asked him for somebody 314 00:17:49,793 --> 00:17:50,965 who could verify his whereabouts, 315 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,103 he said that Thurston Yerby, his roommate, 316 00:17:54,137 --> 00:17:55,862 will be able to verify 317 00:17:55,896 --> 00:17:58,448 that he, in fact, was at home that evening. 318 00:18:04,517 --> 00:18:06,068 Mr. Yerby? 319 00:18:06,103 --> 00:18:09,000 I'm calling in reference to Jay Towler. 320 00:18:09,034 --> 00:18:10,551 Is there any way you can come down 321 00:18:10,586 --> 00:18:12,034 to the station this afternoon? 322 00:18:12,068 --> 00:18:13,551 When I initially spoke with Thurston, 323 00:18:13,586 --> 00:18:15,551 he had left the Laurel area 324 00:18:15,586 --> 00:18:17,551 and had gone to North Carolina 325 00:18:17,586 --> 00:18:19,206 with his girlfriend 326 00:18:19,241 --> 00:18:21,413 to visit some of her relatives. 327 00:18:21,448 --> 00:18:23,862 And he confirms Mr. Towler's alibi 328 00:18:23,896 --> 00:18:25,241 that he was home that night. 329 00:18:25,275 --> 00:18:27,482 He remembers him coming home and he never left. 330 00:18:27,517 --> 00:18:29,206 And Thurston Yerby further said 331 00:18:29,241 --> 00:18:30,586 he'd be happy to come down 332 00:18:30,620 --> 00:18:32,344 and make a written statement to that effect 333 00:18:32,379 --> 00:18:34,206 when he returns from his trip. 334 00:18:34,241 --> 00:18:35,413 Thurston, over the phone? 335 00:18:35,448 --> 00:18:37,068 Confirmation isn't enough. 336 00:18:37,103 --> 00:18:38,655 Detective Bellino's thorough on what he does. 337 00:18:38,689 --> 00:18:39,758 He needs to have you 338 00:18:39,793 --> 00:18:40,896 and he needs to have you interviewed. 339 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,758 Hey, the M.E. called. They're ready for you. 340 00:18:46,241 --> 00:18:48,655 I always say I've seen enough death. 341 00:18:48,689 --> 00:18:50,206 I'll be fine if I don't see anymore. 342 00:18:52,103 --> 00:18:53,793 There's no way for us to escape 343 00:18:53,827 --> 00:18:55,172 that really intimate exposure to death 344 00:18:55,206 --> 00:18:57,344 that you have when you're in an autopsy. 345 00:18:58,344 --> 00:18:59,793 It's important that you are somebody 346 00:18:59,827 --> 00:19:00,931 who work with ghosts. 347 00:19:00,965 --> 00:19:02,965 So what'd you find? 348 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,793 They both have alcohol in their systems. 349 00:19:04,827 --> 00:19:07,413 I haven't seen anything this brutal in a long time. 350 00:19:07,448 --> 00:19:08,965 James Ferguson's cause of death 351 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,241 were blunt force injuries 352 00:19:10,275 --> 00:19:12,448 and multiple stabbing/cutting wounds. 353 00:19:12,482 --> 00:19:14,103 I think he had somewhere near fifteen. 354 00:19:14,137 --> 00:19:16,655 The coroner also told Bellino 355 00:19:16,689 --> 00:19:18,758 that the knife found in the bathroom sink, 356 00:19:18,793 --> 00:19:22,689 the folding knife from the sheath or pouch 357 00:19:22,724 --> 00:19:24,241 on James Ferguson's waist, 358 00:19:24,275 --> 00:19:26,068 is consistent with all of the wounds 359 00:19:26,103 --> 00:19:28,310 and therefore is likely the murder weapon. 360 00:19:28,344 --> 00:19:31,103 Tina Towler' cause of death was multiple injuries. 361 00:19:31,137 --> 00:19:33,482 Mainly because there were so many different things 362 00:19:33,517 --> 00:19:34,896 that were done to her. 363 00:19:34,931 --> 00:19:37,310 Blunt force injuries, stabbing and cutting wounds. 364 00:19:37,344 --> 00:19:39,620 And then the attempted asphyxiation as well. 365 00:19:39,655 --> 00:19:43,275 It takes a certain type of individual 366 00:19:43,310 --> 00:19:44,586 to strangle somebody. 367 00:19:44,620 --> 00:19:46,896 You have that type of close, intimate contact. 368 00:19:46,931 --> 00:19:49,137 This level of violence is not exhibited 369 00:19:49,172 --> 00:19:51,137 by a stranger versus another stranger. 370 00:19:51,172 --> 00:19:54,206 This is someone who knows them, who hates them. 371 00:19:54,241 --> 00:19:55,586 But who's the intended victim here? 372 00:19:55,620 --> 00:19:56,586 What do you make of that? 373 00:19:57,793 --> 00:20:00,793 There is a word on the forehead of the victim. 374 00:20:00,827 --> 00:20:02,448 E-V-E. 375 00:20:04,068 --> 00:20:06,551 It was the indicator to us that extreme force 376 00:20:06,586 --> 00:20:08,620 had been used to kill her. 377 00:20:08,655 --> 00:20:10,103 Wait a minute. 378 00:20:11,551 --> 00:20:12,896 I know what this is. 379 00:20:24,655 --> 00:20:26,482 The victim's, 45-year-old Tina Len Towler 380 00:20:26,517 --> 00:20:29,241 and 42-year-old James Bell Ferguson, 381 00:20:29,275 --> 00:20:31,103 lived together in the apartment. 382 00:20:31,137 --> 00:20:34,172 Detectives recovered multiple murder weapons from the scene, 383 00:20:34,206 --> 00:20:37,275 including household items and a knife. 384 00:20:37,310 --> 00:20:39,827 The exact motive for these murders 385 00:20:39,862 --> 00:20:41,344 is still unknown. 386 00:20:48,379 --> 00:20:50,344 When Bellino meets with the medical examiner, 387 00:20:50,379 --> 00:20:53,172 he sees a mark on the forehead 388 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:55,482 that is actually a word. 389 00:20:56,137 --> 00:20:58,482 It's E-V-E. 390 00:20:58,517 --> 00:21:00,068 And we were able to determine 391 00:21:00,103 --> 00:21:02,827 that those letters were on a flashlight 392 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,068 that was broken and found on scene at the crime, 393 00:21:07,103 --> 00:21:09,517 And it was an Eveready flashlight. 394 00:21:09,551 --> 00:21:12,551 She was so savagely beaten with with that flashlight 395 00:21:12,586 --> 00:21:13,896 that part of the name 396 00:21:13,931 --> 00:21:16,413 of the light was transferred to her forehead. 397 00:21:17,896 --> 00:21:19,241 The fact that she had 398 00:21:19,275 --> 00:21:21,517 all these blunt force injuries to her face, 399 00:21:21,551 --> 00:21:23,068 to me, it was overkill. 400 00:21:23,103 --> 00:21:26,413 Whatever happened to her was excessive. 401 00:21:26,448 --> 00:21:28,827 What it shows is that the focus of the assault 402 00:21:28,862 --> 00:21:31,034 was probably, primarily, on Tina Towler 403 00:21:31,068 --> 00:21:33,689 What was really striking about this particular case 404 00:21:33,724 --> 00:21:36,689 is the multiple instruments that are used. 405 00:21:36,724 --> 00:21:38,586 The knife, flashlight, 406 00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:41,137 the vase, the frying pan, the pot. 407 00:21:41,172 --> 00:21:43,793 This is somebody who is clearly reacting 408 00:21:43,827 --> 00:21:45,000 in rage that point. 409 00:21:45,034 --> 00:21:47,241 He's determined to not just kill them 410 00:21:47,275 --> 00:21:50,068 but seriously kill them. 411 00:21:50,103 --> 00:21:53,172 At that point, there wasn't any one piece of evidence 412 00:21:53,206 --> 00:21:54,931 that gave us a solid lead 413 00:21:54,965 --> 00:21:58,413 that would clearly identify who was responsible for this. 414 00:21:58,448 --> 00:22:00,551 There is always dead ends in murder cases, 415 00:22:00,586 --> 00:22:01,965 and people think that's frustrating. 416 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:03,551 But by the same token, 417 00:22:03,586 --> 00:22:05,482 you're eliminating what didn't happen. 418 00:22:05,517 --> 00:22:08,206 It allows you to focus on what did happen. 419 00:22:08,241 --> 00:22:10,137 At that point, the only eyewitness 420 00:22:10,172 --> 00:22:13,000 was Tina's adult daughter, Jasmine. 421 00:22:15,413 --> 00:22:16,896 Early on, I was informed 422 00:22:16,931 --> 00:22:19,068 that Jasmine was non-communicative. 423 00:22:19,103 --> 00:22:21,448 But I started to explore the possibility 424 00:22:21,482 --> 00:22:23,413 that there are other individuals 425 00:22:23,448 --> 00:22:25,896 who don't speak traditionally as we do, 426 00:22:25,931 --> 00:22:28,448 but are able to communicate in other ways. 427 00:22:28,482 --> 00:22:30,241 Bellino did a lot of research 428 00:22:30,275 --> 00:22:33,413 before he attempted to contact Jasmine again. 429 00:22:33,448 --> 00:22:35,413 He looked at medical research. 430 00:22:35,448 --> 00:22:36,862 He talked to a team of people 431 00:22:36,896 --> 00:22:38,896 who are familiar with this disease. 432 00:22:38,931 --> 00:22:40,896 It's still clear to Bellino 433 00:22:40,931 --> 00:22:43,379 that this is a nearly impossible task. 434 00:22:43,413 --> 00:22:44,827 But he's willing to attempt it 435 00:22:44,862 --> 00:22:47,103 because he doesn't have another option at the moment. 436 00:22:54,103 --> 00:22:56,551 I initially thought that there was a possibility 437 00:22:56,586 --> 00:22:57,896 that we could get some type 438 00:22:57,931 --> 00:23:00,344 of non-verbal "yes or no" response. 439 00:23:02,379 --> 00:23:04,206 At that point, she was at a home. 440 00:23:04,241 --> 00:23:05,620 It wasn't quite a nursing home, 441 00:23:05,655 --> 00:23:09,000 But they took care of adults with various disabilities. 442 00:23:20,310 --> 00:23:21,896 Hi, Jasmine. 443 00:23:22,482 --> 00:23:24,620 I'm Detective Bellino. 444 00:23:24,655 --> 00:23:25,793 She smiled. 445 00:23:25,827 --> 00:23:30,172 She gave signs of recognition 446 00:23:30,206 --> 00:23:32,000 to the nurses when they entered the room. 447 00:23:32,034 --> 00:23:34,448 And I attempted to talk to her. 448 00:23:34,482 --> 00:23:37,103 So somebody was in your room that night. 449 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,344 Somebody hurt your mom and James real bad. 450 00:23:46,862 --> 00:23:48,965 I think you saw what happened. 451 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,482 I looked at her in her eyes. 452 00:23:51,517 --> 00:23:55,517 I looked at her hands, her head to just see 453 00:23:55,551 --> 00:24:01,413 if I could in any way, get her to respond or acknowledge 454 00:24:01,448 --> 00:24:03,724 that she understood the information 455 00:24:03,758 --> 00:24:05,551 I was trying to relay to her. 456 00:24:05,586 --> 00:24:07,448 Do you know who was in your room that night? 457 00:24:12,310 --> 00:24:15,103 Jasmine, do you know who killed your mom? 458 00:24:19,965 --> 00:24:21,689 Jasmine? 459 00:24:26,931 --> 00:24:29,103 From everything that I could gather, 460 00:24:29,137 --> 00:24:31,896 she was not understanding any of the information 461 00:24:31,931 --> 00:24:34,275 I was attempting to present to her. 462 00:24:35,586 --> 00:24:36,862 Thank you, Jasmine. 463 00:24:39,758 --> 00:24:41,275 There was no indication 464 00:24:41,310 --> 00:24:44,965 that she had any idea what he was talking about. 465 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,931 Bellino was forced to have reached the conclusion 466 00:24:46,965 --> 00:24:48,931 that he no longer had an eyewitness. 467 00:24:50,034 --> 00:24:52,551 Jasmine was incapable of providing him 468 00:24:52,586 --> 00:24:55,896 with any information whatsoever. 469 00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,034 So the case proceeds 470 00:24:58,068 --> 00:25:00,413 as if she wasn't even in the room. 471 00:25:03,689 --> 00:25:05,344 We needed a fresh look at this. 472 00:25:05,379 --> 00:25:08,689 Forget what's happened so far and start over. 473 00:25:09,896 --> 00:25:13,000 When your case kind of reaches an impasse, lots of times, 474 00:25:13,034 --> 00:25:15,655 detectives will go back out and re-canvass the area. 475 00:25:15,689 --> 00:25:17,000 And not just for evidence, 476 00:25:17,034 --> 00:25:18,793 but also knocking on doors to see 477 00:25:18,827 --> 00:25:21,620 who might have seen or heard anything. 478 00:25:21,655 --> 00:25:23,655 You don't always find everybody the first time. 479 00:25:23,689 --> 00:25:26,793 You contact every door again, see what happens. 480 00:25:32,931 --> 00:25:35,137 Is this about the murders the other night? 481 00:25:35,172 --> 00:25:37,862 I spoke with a resident of the building 482 00:25:37,896 --> 00:25:40,068 who was able to give me some information 483 00:25:40,103 --> 00:25:42,000 about the night that James and Tina were murdered. 484 00:25:44,620 --> 00:25:47,000 And suddenly, a second canvas has produced 485 00:25:47,034 --> 00:25:49,689 potentially, a very valuable witness. 486 00:25:49,724 --> 00:25:52,000 Is this the lead we've been looking for? 487 00:25:58,275 --> 00:26:00,310 So nothing has worked out in terms of leads. 488 00:26:00,344 --> 00:26:03,551 And suddenly, a second canvas has produced potentially, 489 00:26:03,586 --> 00:26:05,758 a very valuable witness. 490 00:26:05,793 --> 00:26:07,827 She says that when she comes home 491 00:26:07,862 --> 00:26:09,793 from work the night of the murders, 492 00:26:09,827 --> 00:26:11,862 it was almost eleven o'clock at night. 493 00:26:13,724 --> 00:26:19,241 She said that there was a large white SUV 494 00:26:19,275 --> 00:26:22,241 that was outside the victim's apartment. 495 00:26:22,275 --> 00:26:24,137 She hadn't seen it there before, 496 00:26:24,172 --> 00:26:26,344 and there was a male sitting behind the wheel 497 00:26:27,655 --> 00:26:29,172 with a baseball cap on, 498 00:26:29,206 --> 00:26:30,689 smoking a cigarette. 499 00:26:32,689 --> 00:26:35,689 He's within the time frame of when the murders occurred. 500 00:26:35,724 --> 00:26:37,586 Whoever he may be. 501 00:26:39,517 --> 00:26:41,068 So what is he doing? 502 00:26:41,103 --> 00:26:42,655 Waiting for people to go to bed 503 00:26:42,689 --> 00:26:44,862 so he can kill them? I don't know. 504 00:26:44,896 --> 00:26:47,241 Thanks for your time. That's all we need. 505 00:26:47,275 --> 00:26:49,827 We just thought it was unusual and suspicious. 506 00:26:51,551 --> 00:26:53,517 Bellino's next move is to check in 507 00:26:53,551 --> 00:26:54,896 with the forensics team. 508 00:26:54,931 --> 00:26:56,655 DNA evidence was vital. 509 00:26:56,689 --> 00:26:57,965 It's essential on us being able 510 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,862 to identify the killer. 511 00:26:59,896 --> 00:27:02,034 I found some things you might be interested in. 512 00:27:02,068 --> 00:27:04,103 And one thing that's of particular interest 513 00:27:04,137 --> 00:27:07,275 is a garbage can found in Tina's kitchen. 514 00:27:07,310 --> 00:27:11,103 There were several beer cans inside that trash can. 515 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,068 And then underneath, 516 00:27:14,103 --> 00:27:16,965 what looked like a large white disposable cloth. 517 00:27:18,068 --> 00:27:22,482 It turned out to be like a nurse's smock. 518 00:27:22,517 --> 00:27:25,413 That's the evening nurse throwing it away 519 00:27:25,448 --> 00:27:27,310 when she left at 9:30. 520 00:27:27,344 --> 00:27:29,275 Those beer cans that were on top of the smock, 521 00:27:29,310 --> 00:27:32,310 were placed there after she had left. 522 00:27:32,344 --> 00:27:34,620 Some of the beer cans were compared 523 00:27:34,655 --> 00:27:38,137 and determined to have the DNA of James Ferguson. 524 00:27:38,172 --> 00:27:40,862 But there were other cans that had the DNA 525 00:27:40,896 --> 00:27:43,000 of an unknown individual. 526 00:27:43,034 --> 00:27:46,620 It's important that we recover DNA from everybody involved 527 00:27:46,655 --> 00:27:48,275 or potentially involved in this crime. 528 00:27:48,310 --> 00:27:50,379 Jay Towler is asked for a DNA sample, 529 00:27:50,413 --> 00:27:51,724 which he freely offers. 530 00:27:51,758 --> 00:27:53,758 I knew my DNA and stuff was there 531 00:27:53,793 --> 00:27:56,241 'cause I'm there every day, checking on 'em. 532 00:27:57,103 --> 00:27:59,034 But I give it to him anyway. 533 00:27:59,068 --> 00:28:00,931 I don't have nothing to hide. 534 00:28:00,965 --> 00:28:02,827 So he provided a DNA sample. 535 00:28:02,862 --> 00:28:05,379 The one last thing that we had to do 536 00:28:05,413 --> 00:28:10,000 to truly eliminate him was to interview an alibi witness. 537 00:28:10,034 --> 00:28:11,551 That person was Thurston Yerby. 538 00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:15,896 Thanks for coming in, Mr... 539 00:28:15,931 --> 00:28:18,206 So Thurston Yerby drove to the police station, 540 00:28:18,241 --> 00:28:19,379 came in that with me. 541 00:28:19,413 --> 00:28:21,793 He was an electrician's who worked with Jay Towler. 542 00:28:21,827 --> 00:28:24,137 Because of their work together and home remodeling, 543 00:28:24,172 --> 00:28:26,931 they decided to get an apartment together. 544 00:28:26,965 --> 00:28:29,482 And he confirms Mr. Towler's alibi. 545 00:28:29,517 --> 00:28:31,379 He remembers him coming home, and he never left. 546 00:28:31,413 --> 00:28:33,724 You mind if we get a DNA sample? 547 00:28:33,758 --> 00:28:35,965 I asked Thurston if he was willing 548 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,551 to submit a sample of DNA 549 00:28:37,586 --> 00:28:38,931 for the purpose of elimination. 550 00:28:38,965 --> 00:28:42,000 I wasn't even certain that I was gonna take it 551 00:28:42,034 --> 00:28:44,206 because he's just an alibi witness. 552 00:28:44,241 --> 00:28:46,620 But I wanted to see his response. 553 00:28:46,655 --> 00:28:48,275 It's not gonna be a problem, is it? 554 00:28:50,206 --> 00:28:51,172 Yeah... 555 00:28:52,379 --> 00:28:54,551 I'm gonna have to talk to my lawyer about that. 556 00:28:54,586 --> 00:28:56,310 When a witness tells you they're not willing 557 00:28:56,344 --> 00:28:57,586 to give a DNA sample, 558 00:28:57,620 --> 00:28:58,758 it raises red flags. 559 00:28:58,793 --> 00:29:00,551 Bellino knows this is something 560 00:29:00,586 --> 00:29:03,034 to pay attention to because he's reacting. 561 00:29:03,068 --> 00:29:05,931 The hair's standing up on the back of the neck. 562 00:29:05,965 --> 00:29:07,827 He started to get uncomfortable 563 00:29:07,862 --> 00:29:10,758 and I could tell he was nervous. 564 00:29:10,793 --> 00:29:12,931 Is there any reason for your DNA or fingerprints 565 00:29:12,965 --> 00:29:15,000 to be inside Miss Towler's apartment? 566 00:29:17,413 --> 00:29:18,413 Nope. 567 00:29:32,206 --> 00:29:33,586 You want one? 568 00:29:38,517 --> 00:29:41,931 [Joe Kenda] So Bellino uses a standard technique and offers him a bottle of water. 569 00:29:43,793 --> 00:29:45,000 He takes a drink. 570 00:29:45,034 --> 00:29:47,931 If he leaves that behind, it's abandoned property 571 00:29:47,965 --> 00:29:50,551 and they can test it for DNA and use it in the court. 572 00:29:57,448 --> 00:29:59,344 -Do you mind? -Yeah, why don't we go outside? 573 00:30:04,586 --> 00:30:07,896 When Yerby leaves, he takes that bottle with him 574 00:30:09,068 --> 00:30:11,448 puts the cap on it, sticks it in his pocket. 575 00:30:11,482 --> 00:30:15,068 I had never seen that where a suspect, uh, 576 00:30:15,103 --> 00:30:19,758 understands and knows that they may be leaving DNA behind, 577 00:30:19,793 --> 00:30:23,137 and then carries their trash in their pocket outside. 578 00:30:23,172 --> 00:30:26,344 While we were outside, I continued to converse with him. 579 00:30:26,379 --> 00:30:29,793 He said Jay Towler was a contractor, and there were occasions 580 00:30:29,827 --> 00:30:32,206 where he would hire James Ferguson him as well as Thurston Yerby 581 00:30:32,241 --> 00:30:35,206 to do some work for him in his contracting business. 582 00:30:35,241 --> 00:30:40,379 So Thurston knew and was friendly with at least one if not both of the victims. 583 00:30:40,413 --> 00:30:45,103 So you knew Tina and James through your roommate Jay. 584 00:30:45,137 --> 00:30:47,034 But you hadn't been in the apartment recently. 585 00:30:47,068 --> 00:30:48,206 That's right. I haven't. 586 00:30:48,241 --> 00:30:50,000 And I'm watching him smoke the cigarette 587 00:30:50,034 --> 00:30:52,724 all the way down to the last bit of tobacco. 588 00:30:58,793 --> 00:31:02,275 Bellino is anxious to get his hands on the cigarette butt. 589 00:31:06,620 --> 00:31:13,482 He then stuck the butt in his pocket, and I thought that this is very unusual. 590 00:31:13,517 --> 00:31:16,103 He's leaving no trail behind him. 591 00:31:16,137 --> 00:31:20,827 He's been coached by someone on how DNA can be obtained, 592 00:31:20,862 --> 00:31:23,551 and he makes certain that two objects that contain it, 593 00:31:23,586 --> 00:31:25,000 he's taking with him. 594 00:31:25,034 --> 00:31:28,793 That makes Thurston Yerby a prime suspect, 595 00:31:28,827 --> 00:31:32,103 but there's not enough there to lock him up. Not yet. 596 00:31:40,620 --> 00:31:42,241 [Joe Kenda] So now it's a hurry up mode. 597 00:31:45,689 --> 00:31:47,620 Now the chase begins. 598 00:31:47,655 --> 00:31:50,000 They've got to get to people before Yerby does. 599 00:31:53,965 --> 00:31:57,758 Detective Bellino starts having people look into the background of Mr. Yerby. 600 00:31:57,793 --> 00:32:00,827 And people that knew him could tell he likes a party. 601 00:32:00,862 --> 00:32:03,206 I don't know. Moody, I guess. 602 00:32:03,241 --> 00:32:05,758 You guys talking about that murder? 603 00:32:10,655 --> 00:32:12,000 Why do you ask? 604 00:32:12,034 --> 00:32:14,551 Because I'm pretty sure he had a thing with that. 605 00:32:14,586 --> 00:32:16,068 What? 606 00:32:16,103 --> 00:32:18,000 We came across and spoke with another witness 607 00:32:18,034 --> 00:32:21,413 who suspected that Thurston had had an affair with Tina. 608 00:32:22,862 --> 00:32:26,172 They had gone to a hotel room several months prior 609 00:32:26,206 --> 00:32:31,965 and had seen Thurston in a hotel room with Tina Towler in bed under the sheets. 610 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,827 And her boyfriend, James Ferguson, didn't know. 611 00:32:36,103 --> 00:32:38,551 Well, now isn't that interesting? 612 00:32:38,586 --> 00:32:44,689 So this is certainly something Belinda has not heard the Tina Towler now has a chance. 613 00:32:44,724 --> 00:32:47,241 Romantic involvement with Thurston Yerby 614 00:32:47,275 --> 00:32:49,034 It was a big break in the case. 615 00:32:49,068 --> 00:32:51,379 The fact that someone we were just speaking with 616 00:32:51,413 --> 00:32:53,827 as an alibi witness it was now being uncovered 617 00:32:53,862 --> 00:32:58,689 was in fact, having a sexual relationship, was an affair with our victim. 618 00:32:58,724 --> 00:33:00,758 So that was huge. 619 00:33:02,137 --> 00:33:03,931 So it's all starting to come together. 620 00:33:03,965 --> 00:33:07,586 But Bellino still does not have Yerby's DNA, 621 00:33:07,620 --> 00:33:10,068 and you can't get it without his consent at this point. 622 00:33:10,103 --> 00:33:12,724 But he does have his fingerprints because he has a record. 623 00:33:18,206 --> 00:33:21,517 Detective Bellino looks into the evidence that was collected back in the house 624 00:33:21,551 --> 00:33:25,448 and determines that the beer can that came out of the trash can has fingerprints on it. 625 00:33:28,724 --> 00:33:30,068 What do you know? 626 00:33:30,103 --> 00:33:32,310 The fingerprints recovered from the beer cans 627 00:33:32,344 --> 00:33:35,275 were identified to be those of Thurston Lamont Yerby. 628 00:33:35,310 --> 00:33:38,344 It proves that he was inside the residence after 629 00:33:38,379 --> 00:33:41,931 the time that the nurses had left while he had told us and told me 630 00:33:41,965 --> 00:33:44,896 he had never been inside the residence. That was a lie. 631 00:33:44,931 --> 00:33:48,379 And that he was the last person who was inside that home 632 00:33:48,413 --> 00:33:50,724 before the victims were murdered. 633 00:33:50,758 --> 00:33:53,172 Now, we can't ask the judge to order him to give his DNA 634 00:33:53,206 --> 00:33:57,275 just that you are hereby commanded to get a DNA sample of Mr. Thurston Yerby. 635 00:33:57,310 --> 00:33:59,551 Or as they say in Ireland, you are [bleeped]. 636 00:34:00,551 --> 00:34:02,620 DNA doesn't lie. 637 00:34:02,655 --> 00:34:07,310 DNA isn't influenced, and DNA isn't interpreted. 638 00:34:07,344 --> 00:34:10,137 Either it matches or it doesn't. 639 00:34:10,172 --> 00:34:15,448 And if it matches, Mr. Yerby has something he cannot explain. 640 00:34:24,517 --> 00:34:29,586 After a protracted investigation of the deaths of James Ferguson and Tina Towler 641 00:34:29,620 --> 00:34:34,586 Detective Bellino has arrived at a prime suspect Thurston. 642 00:34:36,551 --> 00:34:40,172 We were able to get a warrant to obtain a sample of his DNA 643 00:34:40,206 --> 00:34:42,517 to compare it against evidence in the scene of the crime. 644 00:34:48,931 --> 00:34:49,827 Please have a seat right here, sir. 645 00:34:56,655 --> 00:34:58,137 All right. Open your mouth, please sir. 646 00:35:00,758 --> 00:35:01,689 What if I don't? 647 00:35:05,413 --> 00:35:09,137 Mr. Yerby is cocky and confrontive. 648 00:35:09,172 --> 00:35:11,862 It's like he's saying, catch me if you can. 649 00:35:11,896 --> 00:35:15,586 He believes he's smarter than the police and he comes across that way. 650 00:35:18,931 --> 00:35:20,241 Yes sir. You're free to go. 651 00:35:21,275 --> 00:35:22,172 Don't leave town. 652 00:35:25,689 --> 00:35:29,206 Bellino releases him pending the results of the DNA examination. 653 00:35:32,241 --> 00:35:34,724 Fourteen out of fifteen illegals. 654 00:35:34,758 --> 00:35:36,241 It's about as clear as it gets. 655 00:35:36,275 --> 00:35:38,862 -So this is a match. -It's a match. 656 00:35:38,896 --> 00:35:41,724 Thurston Yerby's DNA, is on a bloody tile on 657 00:35:41,758 --> 00:35:44,000 a bathroom along with both victims DNA's. 658 00:35:44,034 --> 00:35:49,689 His DNA is on a murder weapon, and his DNA is on the beer can in the trash can. 659 00:35:49,724 --> 00:35:51,896 Thurston could deny all he wants. 660 00:35:51,931 --> 00:35:54,655 The evidence is overwhelming, and it says otherwise. 661 00:35:54,689 --> 00:35:57,206 He was culprit involved in these murders. 662 00:36:01,448 --> 00:36:03,965 When they finally have their warrant in hand, 663 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:05,931 Yerby understands he's been looked for. 664 00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:09,931 He knows they'll find out evidence, 665 00:36:09,965 --> 00:36:12,137 particularly after they took that DNA sample. 666 00:36:12,172 --> 00:36:14,137 So he's a little elusive at the moment. 667 00:36:14,172 --> 00:36:15,724 Way need to get him in custody. 668 00:36:15,758 --> 00:36:19,310 We didn't want a high speed chase or some type of incident 669 00:36:19,344 --> 00:36:20,793 out for the danger of the community. 670 00:36:25,482 --> 00:36:27,655 I just pulled into the elementary school. 671 00:36:33,172 --> 00:36:36,793 We'll find him at the school where his girlfriend works. 672 00:36:36,827 --> 00:36:38,896 It's definitely a dangerous situation. 673 00:36:38,931 --> 00:36:41,586 He is bringing himself and stopping at a location 674 00:36:41,620 --> 00:36:43,241 that has large amounts of small children. 675 00:36:46,275 --> 00:36:49,689 If he moves, they're going to follow him away from the school. 676 00:36:49,724 --> 00:36:51,275 Stop him and arrest him. 677 00:36:51,310 --> 00:36:54,793 But they want those kids out of there and gone before they try anything. 678 00:36:54,827 --> 00:36:56,931 And they do. They wait till the kids come out. 679 00:36:56,965 --> 00:36:58,379 [school bell rings] 680 00:37:00,827 --> 00:37:03,172 The kids leave the area. He's still sitting here. 681 00:37:03,206 --> 00:37:05,689 I don't know what he's doing there, but that's where he is. 682 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:07,896 Let's move. 683 00:37:16,689 --> 00:37:18,344 Put your hands out. 684 00:37:18,379 --> 00:37:20,275 Stand up. Face away from me. 685 00:37:23,482 --> 00:37:29,034 Walk backwards. Stop. Lay down on your face! 686 00:37:32,448 --> 00:37:34,103 Thurston Yerby. 687 00:37:34,137 --> 00:37:37,931 You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent... 688 00:37:37,965 --> 00:37:40,103 We were fortunately able to get in in custody 689 00:37:40,137 --> 00:37:42,517 without anyone really coming to aware of it. 690 00:37:42,551 --> 00:37:46,620 But, he says in his same cocky I know everything manner. 691 00:37:46,655 --> 00:37:50,862 You got one chance to convict me, and if you don't, I'm walking. 692 00:37:50,896 --> 00:37:56,413 The suspect wanted for the murders of a couple in Laurel is now in police custody. 693 00:37:56,448 --> 00:38:00,793 The Prince George's County Police Department obtain a warrant on Wednesday 694 00:38:00,827 --> 00:38:04,689 charging 47 year old Thurston Lamont Yerby 695 00:38:04,724 --> 00:38:06,896 of Laurel with first degree murder. 696 00:38:06,931 --> 00:38:10,137 There is a sense of satisfaction when you solve a case like this. 697 00:38:10,172 --> 00:38:15,275 The detectives put a lot of hard work into this case, and it is, um very satisfying. 698 00:38:20,620 --> 00:38:23,034 what I believe happened that night is Thurston Yerby 699 00:38:23,068 --> 00:38:24,724 wanted to have sex that evening. 700 00:38:24,758 --> 00:38:27,931 He had had a relationship with Tina Towler at one point before 701 00:38:27,965 --> 00:38:30,241 and he went by the house because he had been there before 702 00:38:30,275 --> 00:38:31,344 and he knew where it was. 703 00:38:46,448 --> 00:38:47,413 [doorbell rings] 704 00:38:52,931 --> 00:38:54,172 What are you doing here? 705 00:38:54,206 --> 00:38:58,275 -Hey baby. -Hey, man. Long time no see. 706 00:38:58,310 --> 00:39:01,310 -What was going on bro? -Huh? Nothing. Come on in. 707 00:39:01,344 --> 00:39:02,275 Have a drink. 708 00:39:06,689 --> 00:39:10,793 And it seems that Tina Towler and James Ferguson may have let them come in. 709 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,862 I believe that he drank beer with James Ferguson 710 00:39:15,896 --> 00:39:20,655 and played it off as if he was there just to socially spend time and hang out. 711 00:39:22,034 --> 00:39:24,689 It looks like at some point when James Ferguson 712 00:39:24,724 --> 00:39:28,344 went into the bathroom, that Thurston Yerby attempted 713 00:39:28,379 --> 00:39:29,827 to take advantage of that time. 714 00:39:49,655 --> 00:39:50,655 [Tina screaming] James! 715 00:39:54,482 --> 00:39:56,034 [James] What the hell are you doing? 716 00:39:56,068 --> 00:40:00,275 James Ferguson probably pulled out the knife that he carries on his belt 717 00:40:00,310 --> 00:40:03,103 and Thurston Yerby who was stronger and bigger. 718 00:40:03,137 --> 00:40:05,862 than James Ferguson disarmed him. 719 00:40:07,137 --> 00:40:08,137 [screams and cries] 720 00:40:10,517 --> 00:40:13,172 Killed James Ferguson, stabbed him to death 721 00:40:13,206 --> 00:40:16,448 and then realized that he could not leave a witness. 722 00:40:16,482 --> 00:40:20,172 So after killing James, he decided to kill Tina. 723 00:40:35,379 --> 00:40:37,862 In my opinion first, Yerby pulled 724 00:40:37,896 --> 00:40:42,275 bedsheet over Jasmine's head so she couldn't see what was happening. 725 00:40:43,310 --> 00:40:45,344 Thurston Yerby went to the bathroom, 726 00:40:45,379 --> 00:40:48,517 cleaned himself up, cleaned off as much blood as he could 727 00:40:48,551 --> 00:40:53,586 and decided not to kill Jasmine because he knew that Jasmine 728 00:40:53,620 --> 00:40:55,344 was never going to be able to communicate. 729 00:40:59,827 --> 00:41:03,517 He got in this vehicle left. 730 00:41:03,551 --> 00:41:06,827 Thurston Yerby was convicted on two counts of second degree murder. 731 00:41:08,620 --> 00:41:11,551 He's serving two 30 year sentences consecutively 732 00:41:11,586 --> 00:41:13,344 at Jessup Correctional Institution. 733 00:41:14,862 --> 00:41:18,862 My brother would look out, and help anyone knowing 734 00:41:18,896 --> 00:41:24,896 that he's very respectful. And he's gonna be truly 735 00:41:24,931 --> 00:41:26,103 rightfully missed. 736 00:41:26,137 --> 00:41:28,517 I want to remember Tina as the person that I knew her 737 00:41:28,551 --> 00:41:31,241 as the sweet, 738 00:41:31,275 --> 00:41:34,172 bubbly, loving, caring, giving person. 739 00:41:35,517 --> 00:41:38,655 [Jay] I know that Tina wanted to be with Michael, 740 00:41:38,689 --> 00:41:42,551 so hopefully that's where she got to because that was our heart. 741 00:41:53,551 --> 00:41:55,310 So there are many tragedies to this case. 742 00:41:57,965 --> 00:42:01,793 A problem with it is it that lingers with me so many years later, not just as to 743 00:42:01,827 --> 00:42:04,482 what happened to Tina and James, but what Jasmine 744 00:42:04,517 --> 00:42:06,724 must have been feeling, experiencing. 745 00:42:08,482 --> 00:42:13,241 She became a word of the state and wound up in a state facility hospital. 746 00:42:13,275 --> 00:42:17,137 I hope that Jasmine can find peace and have an understanding 747 00:42:17,172 --> 00:42:22,931 of the lengths that we went to to get justice for her and for her mother. 748 00:42:23,965 --> 00:42:26,310 Detective Bellino is representative of every 749 00:42:26,344 --> 00:42:28,931 homicide detective in this country. 750 00:42:28,965 --> 00:42:33,034 People who do the work because they find it to be important. 751 00:42:33,068 --> 00:42:35,137 You do it for the victims and their families 752 00:42:35,172 --> 00:42:37,137 because nobody else is ever going to.