1 00:00:06,339 --> 00:00:10,442 [eerie music] 2 00:00:10,543 --> 00:00:13,712 This was something savage. It scared the community. 3 00:00:13,813 --> 00:00:17,616 NARRATOR: The heartless murder of a woman restarting her life. 4 00:00:17,717 --> 00:00:20,386 HUMPHREY: She had at least 10 fractured ribs, 5 00:00:20,487 --> 00:00:23,489 fractured larynx, bruises all over her body. 6 00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:26,458 JOHNSTON: By posing her and making her look 7 00:00:26,559 --> 00:00:28,694 like some type of a sexual deviant, 8 00:00:28,795 --> 00:00:32,331 she is basically being humiliated after 9 00:00:32,432 --> 00:00:33,866 the end of her life. 10 00:00:33,967 --> 00:00:36,769 NARRATOR: Forbidden passion leads to the ultimate betrayal. 11 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:39,071 JOHNSTON: He is being so secretive, he's being 12 00:00:39,172 --> 00:00:40,973 so careful to cover his tracks. 13 00:00:41,074 --> 00:00:43,942 RICKETTS: Maybe they did have a sexual relationship. 14 00:00:44,044 --> 00:00:45,878 Maybe something went wrong. 15 00:00:45,979 --> 00:00:48,981 Or was it some unknown subject that we had 16 00:00:49,082 --> 00:00:52,184 in our community that I enjoy doing this? 17 00:00:52,285 --> 00:00:53,786 Everybody is a suspect. 18 00:00:53,887 --> 00:00:56,155 NARRATOR: The truth will be revealed. 19 00:00:56,256 --> 00:00:58,824 DRESBACK: She was doing some online dating, 20 00:00:58,925 --> 00:01:01,827 and whoever killed her is in her computer, 21 00:01:01,928 --> 00:01:03,762 and that will tell you all you need to know. 22 00:01:07,434 --> 00:01:09,301 NARRATOR: Every day in North America, 23 00:01:09,402 --> 00:01:11,703 dozens of people are murdered. 24 00:01:11,805 --> 00:01:14,239 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 25 00:01:14,340 --> 00:01:18,343 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 26 00:01:18,445 --> 00:01:19,711 To crack the case, 27 00:01:19,813 --> 00:01:23,515 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline, 28 00:01:23,616 --> 00:01:26,185 the minutes and hours containing evidence 29 00:01:26,286 --> 00:01:28,320 that can help unlock the mystery 30 00:01:28,421 --> 00:01:29,922 and catch the killer. 31 00:01:30,023 --> 00:01:38,023 ♪♪ 32 00:01:39,499 --> 00:01:41,500 Deer Park, Washington, 33 00:01:41,601 --> 00:01:44,236 20 miles north of Spokane. 34 00:01:44,337 --> 00:01:46,138 It's a nature lover's paradise. 35 00:01:48,274 --> 00:01:52,611 It is full of fun things to do, both winter and summer. 36 00:01:52,712 --> 00:01:55,114 People come here to take their vacations, 37 00:01:55,215 --> 00:01:56,782 it's such a nice town, 38 00:01:56,883 --> 00:01:58,617 and so we feel lucky to live here. 39 00:02:00,253 --> 00:02:04,523 It's not overly crowded. People know people still. 40 00:02:04,624 --> 00:02:06,258 Everyone knows their neighbor. 41 00:02:08,461 --> 00:02:10,395 Deer Park is a quiet place, 42 00:02:10,497 --> 00:02:14,333 and it's not knowing for violent crimes, maybe property crimes, 43 00:02:14,434 --> 00:02:17,503 some family disputes that we deal with. 44 00:02:19,973 --> 00:02:22,274 NARRATOR: But on a chilly December evening, 45 00:02:22,375 --> 00:02:25,644 the quiet safety of the town would be violently disturbed 46 00:02:27,013 --> 00:02:29,915 when police get a call from a distraught man looking 47 00:02:30,016 --> 00:02:32,618 for his ex-wife, Chanin Starbuck, 48 00:02:34,687 --> 00:02:36,188 He asked for 49 00:02:36,289 --> 00:02:39,424 a deputy to respond to her house to do a welfare check. 50 00:02:39,526 --> 00:02:43,395 He explained to the deputy that it 51 00:02:43,496 --> 00:02:45,931 was totally uncommon for her to take off 52 00:02:46,032 --> 00:02:47,533 and be gone for periods of time. 53 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:52,037 Responding deputies walked around the house, 54 00:02:52,138 --> 00:02:53,272 looked through the windows, 55 00:02:53,373 --> 00:02:56,642 looked for signs of forced entry. 56 00:02:56,743 --> 00:02:59,244 Is there some kind of foul play here? 57 00:02:59,345 --> 00:03:02,247 At the time, they did not have enough probable cause 58 00:03:02,348 --> 00:03:05,717 or reasonable suspicion to enter this residence 59 00:03:05,818 --> 00:03:06,852 without a warrant. 60 00:03:10,256 --> 00:03:12,891 NARRATOR: The next day, police get another call, 61 00:03:12,992 --> 00:03:15,360 this time from her panicked mother, 62 00:03:15,461 --> 00:03:17,162 According to her mother, 63 00:03:17,263 --> 00:03:19,198 they spoke at 9 a.m. 64 00:03:19,299 --> 00:03:21,166 in the morning on a daily basis, 65 00:03:22,635 --> 00:03:26,738 and it had been two mornings that they had not spoken, 66 00:03:26,839 --> 00:03:30,609 and that prompted officers to respond again. 67 00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:33,612 They were able to obtain a key, and they made entry 68 00:03:33,713 --> 00:03:35,514 at that time and discovered the body. 69 00:03:40,587 --> 00:03:43,922 [siren chirps and wails] 70 00:03:44,023 --> 00:03:46,858 NARRATOR: Detectives Mike Ricketts and Lyle Johnston of 71 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,829 the Spokane County Sheriff's Office rush to the scene. 72 00:03:50,930 --> 00:03:53,065 JOHNSTON: There was no signs of a break-in. 73 00:03:53,166 --> 00:03:56,401 I didn't see anything obvious within the living room. 74 00:03:58,071 --> 00:03:59,705 When I entered the master bedroom, 75 00:03:59,806 --> 00:04:04,409 here is this white female that's in her mid-thirties 76 00:04:04,510 --> 00:04:07,746 or so, laying on the bed. 77 00:04:07,847 --> 00:04:11,450 She was laying on her back, face-up. 78 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:17,122 She had bruising near her neck area 79 00:04:17,223 --> 00:04:20,792 and some bruising around her facial area. 80 00:04:20,893 --> 00:04:22,828 The bruising itself would indicate to me 81 00:04:22,929 --> 00:04:24,329 that she was beat. 82 00:04:25,565 --> 00:04:27,432 There were no knife wounds. 83 00:04:27,533 --> 00:04:29,501 There were no gun wounds. 84 00:04:29,602 --> 00:04:30,969 Considered a possibility 85 00:04:31,070 --> 00:04:33,338 that it was suffocation or strangulation. 86 00:04:35,174 --> 00:04:39,278 There was a robe that was kind of awkwardly placed on her. 87 00:04:39,379 --> 00:04:42,814 There was a massage vibrator type of device 88 00:04:42,915 --> 00:04:45,684 that people would use to massage their muscles. 89 00:04:45,785 --> 00:04:49,354 It was wrapped inside of that robe awkwardly, 90 00:04:50,723 --> 00:04:53,025 not like she had done that. 91 00:04:53,126 --> 00:04:55,861 She was posed that way. 92 00:04:55,962 --> 00:04:59,398 Detectives confirm the woman is 42-year-old 93 00:04:59,499 --> 00:05:01,133 Chanin Starbuck. 94 00:05:01,234 --> 00:05:03,835 HUMPHREY: Chanin was a lovely, vivacious woman. 95 00:05:03,936 --> 00:05:06,305 She was married to a man named Clay, 96 00:05:06,406 --> 00:05:08,740 and they had recently become divorced. 97 00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:12,144 DRESBACK: Now they had five children. 98 00:05:12,245 --> 00:05:14,746 Two older boys lived with Clay, and the three younger, 99 00:05:14,847 --> 00:05:18,984 the two girls, and the youngest son, lived with Chanin. 100 00:05:19,085 --> 00:05:21,887 RICKETTS: She was vibrant. She was beautiful. 101 00:05:21,988 --> 00:05:23,855 She was kind. 102 00:05:23,956 --> 00:05:26,258 She was also going back to school 103 00:05:26,359 --> 00:05:29,594 at that time -- she was restarting her life. 104 00:05:31,397 --> 00:05:35,567 HUMPHREY: Who would break into the home of a lovely woman, 105 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:38,503 the mother of five children, and do such a horrible thing 106 00:05:38,604 --> 00:05:40,372 to her? 107 00:05:40,473 --> 00:05:42,107 This was something savage. 108 00:05:42,208 --> 00:05:43,275 It scared the community. 109 00:05:45,578 --> 00:05:46,978 NARRATOR: To catch her killer, 110 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,847 detectives will need to piece together 111 00:05:48,948 --> 00:05:52,250 the last 24 hours of Chanin Starbuck's life. 112 00:05:52,318 --> 00:05:54,353 They start by processing the crime scene. 113 00:05:57,457 --> 00:05:59,524 I didn't find any sign of a struggle 114 00:05:59,625 --> 00:06:00,759 inside the bedroom. 115 00:06:02,295 --> 00:06:05,831 We collected DNA swabs from her neck and under 116 00:06:05,932 --> 00:06:06,932 her fingernails. 117 00:06:10,269 --> 00:06:13,205 All of the blankets from the bed were inside 118 00:06:13,306 --> 00:06:16,041 the wash machine, which was just right outside 119 00:06:16,142 --> 00:06:18,643 the master bedroom door. 120 00:06:18,745 --> 00:06:20,545 And the front of the wash machine 121 00:06:20,646 --> 00:06:22,614 had been completely wiped down. 122 00:06:24,016 --> 00:06:27,552 It appears to be some type of cleanup of the crime scene 123 00:06:27,653 --> 00:06:29,354 to hide any potential evidence 124 00:06:29,455 --> 00:06:32,157 that may have been left on the bed by the suspect. 125 00:06:34,827 --> 00:06:39,064 At the foot of the bed is what appears be a safe, and inside 126 00:06:39,165 --> 00:06:44,169 there are several sexual toys that are staged in a way 127 00:06:44,270 --> 00:06:46,738 so that they could be obviously seen from anyone 128 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:48,740 who's walking past. 129 00:06:51,043 --> 00:06:53,111 NARRATOR: Detectives start working up a profile 130 00:06:53,212 --> 00:06:54,479 on Chanin's killer. 131 00:06:56,983 --> 00:06:59,284 JOHNSTON: By posing her and making her look 132 00:06:59,385 --> 00:07:01,787 like some type of a sexual deviant, 133 00:07:04,390 --> 00:07:08,593 she is basically being humiliated after the end of 134 00:07:08,694 --> 00:07:10,796 her life. 135 00:07:10,897 --> 00:07:13,432 This would appear to be someone that has some type of 136 00:07:13,533 --> 00:07:16,234 a vendetta against Chanin, to take 137 00:07:16,335 --> 00:07:20,305 this much time and effort to make her look this bad. 138 00:07:20,406 --> 00:07:23,241 RICKETTS: Is it somebody that was close to her that knows her, 139 00:07:23,342 --> 00:07:26,745 that was angry with her, wanting to get back at her? 140 00:07:26,846 --> 00:07:29,948 Or was it some unknown subject 141 00:07:30,049 --> 00:07:33,351 that we had in our community that 142 00:07:33,453 --> 00:07:34,986 enjoyed doing this? 143 00:07:36,956 --> 00:07:39,391 NARRATOR: The first person detectives want to speak with 144 00:07:39,492 --> 00:07:42,961 is Chanin's ex-husband, Clay Starbuck. 145 00:07:43,062 --> 00:07:45,464 Oftentimes in these type of investigations, 146 00:07:45,565 --> 00:07:49,234 we're gonna look at domestic partner or the ex. 147 00:07:49,335 --> 00:07:53,238 I met Clay and I said, "Hi, I'm Detective Dresback, 148 00:07:53,339 --> 00:07:55,140 "I understand you have some questions," He said, 149 00:07:55,241 --> 00:07:57,609 "Yeah, I want to know what's going on. 150 00:07:57,710 --> 00:07:59,911 Nobody will tell me anything." 151 00:08:00,012 --> 00:08:02,180 I said, "You don't know what happened?" 152 00:08:02,281 --> 00:08:05,484 He said, "No, nobody will tell me anything." 153 00:08:05,585 --> 00:08:07,552 So I said, "Well, I'm sorry, 154 00:08:07,653 --> 00:08:11,490 but your wife was found dead in her bedroom." 155 00:08:12,825 --> 00:08:15,227 And he just collapsed on the floor, 156 00:08:15,328 --> 00:08:16,695 and it's prudent and appropriate 157 00:08:16,796 --> 00:08:18,497 as an investigator to give them room 158 00:08:18,598 --> 00:08:22,434 to react in whatever fashion they're gonna react. 159 00:08:22,535 --> 00:08:24,836 At one point, he even excused himself, 160 00:08:24,937 --> 00:08:26,771 went into the bathroom, and I could hear him heaving 161 00:08:26,873 --> 00:08:30,475 like he was throwing up, like this was very traumatic to him. 162 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,448 NARRATOR: After Clay gets over the shock of Chanin's death, 163 00:08:36,549 --> 00:08:39,651 detectives ask him when he last saw his ex-wife. 164 00:08:41,954 --> 00:08:45,757 JOHNSTON: Clay Starbuck had told us that he had 165 00:08:45,858 --> 00:08:48,193 a small car that didn't run very well. 166 00:08:49,896 --> 00:08:52,097 So on the day in question, he starts the car up. 167 00:08:53,499 --> 00:08:56,001 He drives it around this community area 168 00:08:56,102 --> 00:08:57,502 where he lives in Deer Park, 169 00:08:59,005 --> 00:09:02,707 and it stalls approximately 2 to 3 blocks 170 00:09:02,808 --> 00:09:05,043 from Chanin Starbuck's house. 171 00:09:28,668 --> 00:09:30,068 He goes back to his house, and then 172 00:09:30,169 --> 00:09:33,138 he goes to sleep, because his back is hurting. 173 00:09:33,239 --> 00:09:34,839 And at that time, his phone must 174 00:09:34,941 --> 00:09:37,409 have died, because the battery wasn't charged. 175 00:09:43,749 --> 00:09:45,450 NARRATOR: Clay says he went back to work 176 00:09:45,551 --> 00:09:49,554 on his car from 11:10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., 177 00:09:49,655 --> 00:09:51,656 returning to his home a number of times 178 00:09:51,757 --> 00:09:53,925 during the day to get more tools. 179 00:09:54,026 --> 00:09:56,294 2:45 p.m., 180 00:09:56,395 --> 00:09:59,130 the children were out of school 181 00:09:59,231 --> 00:10:03,401 and texted Chanin, asking where she was, 182 00:10:03,502 --> 00:10:04,936 who's gonna pick me up. 183 00:10:06,205 --> 00:10:07,472 JOHNSTON: Chanin was supposed to go to 184 00:10:07,573 --> 00:10:10,308 the school and pick up the children, 185 00:10:10,409 --> 00:10:12,711 and she doesn't arrive. 186 00:10:12,812 --> 00:10:15,413 NARRATOR: In the late afternoon, while his phone was dead, 187 00:10:15,514 --> 00:10:17,882 Clay says he missed a number of texts. 188 00:10:19,919 --> 00:10:23,822 RICKETTS: 3:17 PM, Chanin texted Clay, 189 00:10:23,923 --> 00:10:26,891 asking if he could pick up the kids, 190 00:10:26,993 --> 00:10:30,629 and that was the last text from her phone that afternoon. 191 00:10:47,380 --> 00:10:49,614 NARRATOR: Clay wasn't worried at that point, because he 192 00:10:49,715 --> 00:10:52,751 thought he would see Chanin later that night. 193 00:10:52,852 --> 00:10:55,887 There was a basketball game one of the oldest sons was 194 00:10:55,988 --> 00:10:58,890 playing in at the high school that evening, 195 00:10:58,991 --> 00:11:01,526 and Chanin usually would show up at those games. 196 00:11:01,627 --> 00:11:03,395 However, she wasn't there that night. 197 00:11:11,904 --> 00:11:14,773 After the basketball game, Clay and the kids 198 00:11:14,874 --> 00:11:16,441 went to Chanin's house. 199 00:11:50,176 --> 00:11:52,277 NARRATOR: Detectives are now able to narrow down 200 00:11:52,378 --> 00:11:55,480 the window of time that Chanin was murdered. 201 00:11:55,581 --> 00:11:58,616 Chanin's death probably occurred somewhere 202 00:11:58,718 --> 00:12:01,853 on December 1st after 3:17 PM, 203 00:12:01,954 --> 00:12:07,225 and sometime before December 2nd around 9 AM. 204 00:12:07,326 --> 00:12:10,261 JOHNSTON: She had a routine of talking to her mother 205 00:12:10,362 --> 00:12:12,564 at a specific time in the morning, 206 00:12:12,665 --> 00:12:17,736 and that phone call doesn't come, so we begin to operate 207 00:12:17,837 --> 00:12:21,005 under the assumption that she was deceased 208 00:12:21,107 --> 00:12:22,741 by that particular time. 209 00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:27,378 NARRATOR: Investigators check Clay's cellphone records. 210 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,615 It corroborates what he told investigators. 211 00:12:30,716 --> 00:12:33,418 RICKETTS: He was cooperative during the interview, 212 00:12:33,519 --> 00:12:36,955 and he provided a DNA sample voluntarily. 213 00:12:38,724 --> 00:12:41,659 NARRATOR: With his alibi having checked out, they ask Clay, 214 00:12:41,761 --> 00:12:44,028 who he thinks might have wanted to hurt Chanin 215 00:12:44,130 --> 00:12:45,230 in such a brutal way. 216 00:12:47,066 --> 00:12:51,035 The thing that he kept saying was look at her computer, 217 00:12:51,137 --> 00:12:52,737 and that will tell you all you need to know. 218 00:12:54,173 --> 00:12:56,908 He said, "She was doing some online dating, 219 00:12:57,009 --> 00:12:59,010 and whoever killed her is in there." 220 00:13:10,689 --> 00:13:13,658 NARRATOR: Detectives are working a theory that whoever murdered 221 00:13:13,759 --> 00:13:17,695 Chanin Starbuck could be connected to her online dating. 222 00:13:17,797 --> 00:13:19,831 They start by scouring her phone, 223 00:13:19,932 --> 00:13:22,834 looking for recent communications. 224 00:13:22,935 --> 00:13:25,370 One of the first ones that came up 225 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:27,505 was a guy by the name of Tom, 226 00:13:27,606 --> 00:13:32,877 and Tom had sent her some text messages that very day. 227 00:13:32,978 --> 00:13:36,181 Tom and Chanin had been flirting back and forth, 228 00:13:36,282 --> 00:13:39,684 and it was obvious that they're attracted to one another. 229 00:13:39,785 --> 00:13:42,353 NARRATOR: As they continue reading the texts, 230 00:13:42,454 --> 00:13:44,389 alarm bells sound. 231 00:13:44,490 --> 00:13:48,259 Tom is encouraging Chanin to send him some kind of 232 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:49,460 racy pictures, 233 00:13:49,562 --> 00:13:52,697 and one of the pictures that he asked for 234 00:13:52,798 --> 00:13:54,766 is very similar to the pose 235 00:13:54,867 --> 00:13:57,669 that we find Chanin's deceased body in. 236 00:13:57,770 --> 00:14:00,471 Is this a coincidence? How is this possible? 237 00:14:02,608 --> 00:14:04,809 RICKETTS: That threw up red flags for us. 238 00:14:06,312 --> 00:14:08,513 We're thinking he is our suspect. 239 00:14:10,749 --> 00:14:12,417 NARRATOR: They track Tom down by calling 240 00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:14,419 the number on Chanin's phone. 241 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,223 When we first talked to Tom, we went to his residence. 242 00:14:19,625 --> 00:14:21,759 Tom told us he met Chanin 243 00:14:21,861 --> 00:14:25,430 through a dating application -- They had met. 244 00:14:25,531 --> 00:14:29,067 They had communications on the phone and via text. 245 00:14:29,168 --> 00:14:31,369 They had not been intimate. 246 00:14:31,470 --> 00:14:34,239 NARRATOR: Detectives ask Tom to account for his whereabouts 247 00:14:34,340 --> 00:14:37,475 during the time they believe Chanin was murdered. 248 00:14:37,576 --> 00:14:42,013 Tom Walker told us that he left from work approximately 249 00:14:42,114 --> 00:14:44,849 9:40 AM to go to a funeral, 250 00:14:44,950 --> 00:14:48,853 and then he returned to work around 10:50 AM. 251 00:14:50,089 --> 00:14:53,124 He said that he had texted her about going to the funeral 252 00:14:53,225 --> 00:14:55,660 and asked her how her day was going. 253 00:14:55,761 --> 00:14:58,897 She subsequently responded to him a little while later 254 00:14:58,998 --> 00:15:01,399 around 12 asking if he would 255 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,334 like to meet her for lunch at that time. 256 00:15:04,670 --> 00:15:09,540 He thought it was odd, because she knew that he had a funeral 257 00:15:09,642 --> 00:15:11,709 to attend to, and that he would be at work 258 00:15:11,810 --> 00:15:15,013 would not be able to meet on December 1st. 259 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,382 We were able to investigate that 260 00:15:17,483 --> 00:15:21,019 and totally corroborate everything he told us. 261 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:25,189 His boss eliminated him by verifying when he was at work, 262 00:15:25,291 --> 00:15:26,457 when he went to the funeral, 263 00:15:26,558 --> 00:15:29,894 when he came back, and how late he worked that evening. 264 00:15:29,995 --> 00:15:33,264 He was nowhere near Chanin's residence on December 1st. 265 00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:38,903 Tom also provided us with a DNA sample voluntarily. 266 00:15:41,006 --> 00:15:42,774 His DNA 267 00:15:42,875 --> 00:15:45,443 was not found on Chanin Starbuck 268 00:15:45,544 --> 00:15:48,146 in the place of the injuries. 269 00:15:48,247 --> 00:15:50,615 JOHNSTON: So we were able to rule Tom out 270 00:15:50,716 --> 00:15:53,318 in the death of Chanin Starbuck. 271 00:15:53,419 --> 00:15:55,687 NARRATOR: Still believing Chanin's dating history is 272 00:15:55,788 --> 00:15:57,689 the key to finding her killer, 273 00:15:57,823 --> 00:16:01,125 detectives delve deeper into her personal life. 274 00:16:01,226 --> 00:16:02,927 Similar to going to a bar, 275 00:16:03,028 --> 00:16:05,930 for instance, to meet people and not knowing them, online, 276 00:16:06,031 --> 00:16:07,565 you're also potentially connecting with people 277 00:16:07,666 --> 00:16:09,534 you don't know. 278 00:16:09,635 --> 00:16:12,070 And there is some research to suggest that online 279 00:16:12,171 --> 00:16:14,272 dating behavior is associated with increased 280 00:16:14,373 --> 00:16:16,107 risk of violence. 281 00:16:16,208 --> 00:16:19,310 So sometime shortly after noon, Chanin text messages 282 00:16:19,411 --> 00:16:22,613 the guy by the name of John and appears to be setting up some 283 00:16:22,715 --> 00:16:25,416 type of a rendezvous for later in the evening, 284 00:16:25,517 --> 00:16:26,918 on the same day as her death. 285 00:16:30,823 --> 00:16:34,158 NARRATOR: Detectives set to work finding John Wilson. 286 00:16:34,259 --> 00:16:37,028 We were able to take the photograph off of John's 287 00:16:37,129 --> 00:16:39,263 Facebook account, run it 288 00:16:39,365 --> 00:16:42,200 through the open source search engine, 289 00:16:42,301 --> 00:16:45,770 and we were able to match that photograph with 290 00:16:45,871 --> 00:16:47,905 a doctor out of Maryland. 291 00:16:49,975 --> 00:16:51,676 Once we contacted that doctor, 292 00:16:51,777 --> 00:16:54,779 we were able to verify that that wasn't really a picture 293 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,882 of John, and John is just 294 00:16:57,983 --> 00:17:01,019 an unknown person who's faking 295 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,322 these profiles for the purposes of dating multiple women. 296 00:17:05,924 --> 00:17:07,792 I think 50% of people or more 297 00:17:07,893 --> 00:17:10,862 report lying about their profiles or information online. 298 00:17:10,963 --> 00:17:13,865 So it begs the question, who are you talking to? 299 00:17:15,634 --> 00:17:18,870 NARRATOR: John's fake online persona leads detectives 300 00:17:18,971 --> 00:17:22,507 to theorize that he is somehow involved in Chanin's murder. 301 00:17:22,608 --> 00:17:24,509 JOHNSTON: He's difficult to find, 302 00:17:24,610 --> 00:17:30,181 and he's already being untruthful about his identity. 303 00:17:30,282 --> 00:17:32,483 He seems to have disappeared into 304 00:17:32,584 --> 00:17:36,454 the wind the moment that Chanin Starbuck is murdered. 305 00:17:36,555 --> 00:17:39,157 So we thought, John is our guy, 306 00:17:39,258 --> 00:17:41,325 because he is being so secretive. 307 00:17:41,427 --> 00:17:43,761 He's being so careful to cover his tracks. 308 00:17:43,862 --> 00:17:47,732 We reached out to John directly. 309 00:17:47,833 --> 00:17:51,335 I sent him both an email and messaged him, saying, 310 00:17:51,437 --> 00:17:53,071 "You need to contact the police." 311 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,343 So when John calls me, he is very skeptical. 312 00:17:59,445 --> 00:18:02,113 Sounds like he can't really believe police are 313 00:18:02,214 --> 00:18:04,549 reaching out to him, but I inform that I'm 314 00:18:04,650 --> 00:18:08,052 investigating the death of Chanin Starbuck. 315 00:18:08,153 --> 00:18:11,022 His first reaction was that he wanted 316 00:18:11,123 --> 00:18:13,324 to consult with an attorney. 317 00:18:13,425 --> 00:18:15,426 When you see a suspect immediately lawyer up, 318 00:18:15,527 --> 00:18:18,162 as they say, and engage their attorney, it doesn't 319 00:18:18,263 --> 00:18:19,363 necessarily point to guilt, 320 00:18:19,465 --> 00:18:22,433 but it points to them having something to hide. 321 00:18:24,103 --> 00:18:27,472 NARRATOR: Detectives ask for the man's real name, 322 00:18:27,573 --> 00:18:29,240 but he refuses to give it to them. 323 00:18:32,177 --> 00:18:34,445 RICKETTS: And at that time, I scribbled out a quick note 324 00:18:34,546 --> 00:18:36,714 saying, "Hey, tell him he's got 20 seconds." 325 00:18:36,815 --> 00:18:39,851 "Tell us who he is, identify himself, or we're 326 00:18:39,952 --> 00:18:43,421 "gonna put his photograph out on media everywhere 327 00:18:43,522 --> 00:18:45,323 to find out who he is." 328 00:18:45,424 --> 00:18:48,493 ARNTFIELD: It's called offering the out, 329 00:18:48,594 --> 00:18:52,096 and this is frequently where we see they'll cop to something 330 00:18:52,197 --> 00:18:53,331 that they wouldn't normally 331 00:18:53,432 --> 00:18:54,866 confess to because it's a preferred 332 00:18:54,967 --> 00:18:56,901 alternative to what's being insinuated. 333 00:18:58,570 --> 00:19:03,141 JOHNSTON: At that point, John does give me his true identity, 334 00:19:03,242 --> 00:19:04,408 and we make an arrangement 335 00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:08,746 to meet the following day with his attorney. 336 00:19:13,485 --> 00:19:15,786 NARRATOR: Detectives finally come face-to-face 337 00:19:15,888 --> 00:19:19,223 with their prime suspect, John Kenlein. 338 00:19:19,324 --> 00:19:22,793 So John did lay out the fact 339 00:19:22,895 --> 00:19:24,395 that he is married. 340 00:19:24,496 --> 00:19:29,300 He has a job that is kind of respected in the community, 341 00:19:29,401 --> 00:19:33,070 and yet he's leading this double lifestyle of meeting up 342 00:19:33,172 --> 00:19:35,540 with multiple women. 343 00:19:35,641 --> 00:19:38,009 And so he doesn't want this to be known. 344 00:19:38,110 --> 00:19:40,077 He feels that he's got a lot to lose. 345 00:19:40,179 --> 00:19:43,581 Potentially his job, his marriage, his own children, 346 00:19:43,682 --> 00:19:44,715 his house. 347 00:19:44,816 --> 00:19:48,052 Everything is riding on the line. 348 00:19:48,153 --> 00:19:50,188 Yet at the same time, he realizes the predicament 349 00:19:50,289 --> 00:19:53,658 he's in -- he's the number-one suspect in a homicide, 350 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:56,627 so it all has to come out. 351 00:19:56,728 --> 00:19:59,997 If somebody is willing to cheat or lie to their family, 352 00:20:00,098 --> 00:20:03,501 they're probably willing to lie to investigators. 353 00:20:05,070 --> 00:20:07,505 NARRATOR: Detectives ask John where he was during 354 00:20:07,606 --> 00:20:10,074 the time they believe Chanin was murdered. 355 00:20:10,175 --> 00:20:14,145 He told us that he dropped his kids off at school 356 00:20:14,246 --> 00:20:17,782 that morning and that he had plans to see Chanin 357 00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:21,586 approximately 10:30 AM in Deer Park. 358 00:20:23,188 --> 00:20:27,858 He drove up to Chanin's house, and there was no answer. 359 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:29,527 JOHNSTON: He admits that he's been there 360 00:20:29,628 --> 00:20:31,262 at the house, he's made phone calls 361 00:20:31,363 --> 00:20:34,198 on the day that she is murdered. 362 00:20:34,266 --> 00:20:36,367 Everything puts him in the area. 363 00:20:38,237 --> 00:20:40,638 NARRATOR: Detectives suspect John Kenlein 364 00:20:40,739 --> 00:20:42,473 knows more than he's letting on. 365 00:20:43,942 --> 00:20:47,445 What crossed my mind was maybe they did meet up, 366 00:20:47,546 --> 00:20:51,082 and maybe they did have a sexual relationship. 367 00:20:51,183 --> 00:20:52,750 Maybe something went wrong. 368 00:20:54,253 --> 00:20:57,421 We suspected that John was our killer. 369 00:20:57,522 --> 00:20:59,090 [choking noises] 370 00:21:05,097 --> 00:21:07,131 [distant sirens] 371 00:21:07,232 --> 00:21:10,368 NARRATOR: Detectives have zeroed in on John Kenlein as 372 00:21:10,469 --> 00:21:13,771 the prime suspect in the murder of Chanin Starbuck. 373 00:21:13,872 --> 00:21:15,106 John told us he drove up to 374 00:21:15,207 --> 00:21:18,476 Chanin's house, and there was no answer. 375 00:21:18,577 --> 00:21:22,980 So he utilized a public phone in the Deer Park area, 376 00:21:23,081 --> 00:21:27,652 and he tried to call her. Still didn't get any answer. 377 00:21:27,753 --> 00:21:29,720 He actually drove back to her house. 378 00:21:29,821 --> 00:21:32,189 Still no sign of Chanin. 379 00:21:32,291 --> 00:21:34,625 Nobody answered the door. 380 00:21:34,726 --> 00:21:37,028 He also went around the house knocking on 381 00:21:37,129 --> 00:21:39,630 windows, and there was still no answer. 382 00:21:39,731 --> 00:21:41,165 NARRATOR: After he left, 383 00:21:41,266 --> 00:21:44,035 Kenlein claims he finally heard from Chanin. 384 00:21:44,136 --> 00:21:46,671 She texted saying she was out for lunch and was sorry 385 00:21:46,772 --> 00:21:48,439 she missed him. 386 00:21:48,540 --> 00:21:49,940 So sometime shortly after noon, 387 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:52,877 Chanin text messages John 388 00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:54,945 and appears to be setting up some type 389 00:21:55,047 --> 00:21:57,682 of a rendezvous for later in the evening, 390 00:21:57,783 --> 00:22:00,217 making plans for that night. 391 00:22:00,319 --> 00:22:03,654 So John went back that evening 392 00:22:03,755 --> 00:22:07,124 and tried to meet up with her, 393 00:22:07,225 --> 00:22:08,492 and there was no answer. 394 00:22:10,195 --> 00:22:13,564 NARRATOR: Detectives are suspicious of John's story. 395 00:22:13,665 --> 00:22:17,535 His own alibi put him at the house during that 396 00:22:17,636 --> 00:22:20,638 timeframe when Chanin was murdered. 397 00:22:20,739 --> 00:22:23,240 There could be a variety of motivations that John 398 00:22:23,342 --> 00:22:25,943 would have in showing up at her house. 399 00:22:26,044 --> 00:22:28,713 It could be that she was about to expose him 400 00:22:28,814 --> 00:22:31,949 for the charlatan and the fraud that he was. 401 00:22:32,050 --> 00:22:34,952 It could be that he felt she had ghosted him, 402 00:22:35,053 --> 00:22:37,121 and how dare she? 403 00:22:37,222 --> 00:22:39,223 It could be that he was just wanted to take the relationship 404 00:22:39,324 --> 00:22:42,326 to the next level and then found when he was there that, 405 00:22:42,427 --> 00:22:45,229 in fact, his fantasies were more twisted 406 00:22:45,330 --> 00:22:46,564 maybe then even he knew. 407 00:22:48,133 --> 00:22:49,934 NARRATOR: There's just one problem. 408 00:22:50,035 --> 00:22:53,904 At the time, John did provide us with a DNA sample, 409 00:22:54,005 --> 00:22:57,541 which we tested along with other samples, 410 00:22:57,642 --> 00:22:58,776 and he was eliminated 411 00:22:58,877 --> 00:23:00,644 as a contributor to DNA. 412 00:23:02,013 --> 00:23:04,281 ARNTFIELD: The fact John's DNA is ruled out 413 00:23:04,383 --> 00:23:06,951 doesn't necessarily mean he's not the killer. 414 00:23:07,052 --> 00:23:08,686 Every alibi should be independently 415 00:23:08,787 --> 00:23:12,089 corroborated through some secondary source. 416 00:23:13,792 --> 00:23:16,527 JOHNSTON: John seemed to be our number-one suspect. 417 00:23:16,628 --> 00:23:18,996 He's just not admitting to having been in 418 00:23:19,097 --> 00:23:22,032 the house or having direct contact with her. 419 00:23:22,134 --> 00:23:24,034 We still had a lot of investigation 420 00:23:24,136 --> 00:23:25,736 to do before we could rule him out. 421 00:23:29,441 --> 00:23:31,409 NARRATOR: With John stonewalling them, 422 00:23:31,510 --> 00:23:33,944 the investigation hits a wall. 423 00:23:34,045 --> 00:23:35,579 I think it did shock the people 424 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,682 of Deer Park as well as the Spokane community. 425 00:23:38,784 --> 00:23:42,953 A mother of five children murdered inside her own home, 426 00:23:43,054 --> 00:23:46,157 no apparent signs of forced entry. 427 00:23:46,258 --> 00:23:49,460 Did she answer the door and someone forced their way in? 428 00:23:49,561 --> 00:23:53,864 That type of incident without answers scares people. 429 00:23:55,300 --> 00:23:59,970 RICKETTS: We had a very serious threat on the streets for 430 00:24:00,071 --> 00:24:02,072 the community at large, 431 00:24:02,174 --> 00:24:06,944 and that was very stressful for me at the time, 432 00:24:07,045 --> 00:24:10,948 because I didn't want to miss anything. 433 00:24:11,049 --> 00:24:14,418 I wanted to make sure recovered all of our bases 434 00:24:14,519 --> 00:24:16,587 and that we were headed in the right direction. 435 00:24:19,558 --> 00:24:22,993 NARRATOR: But soon, their hard work pays off. 436 00:24:23,094 --> 00:24:25,463 We always request records directly 437 00:24:25,564 --> 00:24:28,065 from the cellphone provider. 438 00:24:28,133 --> 00:24:31,535 And in this case, when I was able to get records for 439 00:24:31,636 --> 00:24:34,772 Chanin Starbuck's phone, I was able to go through them, 440 00:24:34,873 --> 00:24:39,443 and I found a 911 call that was not listed in her call 441 00:24:39,544 --> 00:24:41,445 records on her phone. 442 00:24:41,546 --> 00:24:45,149 Some cellphones actually mask 911 calls, 443 00:24:45,250 --> 00:24:49,787 and that would be if you were a victim and you called 911, 444 00:24:49,888 --> 00:24:51,555 as soon as you hang up, 445 00:24:51,656 --> 00:24:54,425 the suspect wouldn't be able to grab your phone and see that 446 00:24:54,526 --> 00:24:55,459 you had called. 447 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,895 So it's kind of a safety feature. 448 00:24:57,996 --> 00:25:00,364 NARRATOR: The discovery of the 911 call 449 00:25:00,465 --> 00:25:02,366 rocks the investigation. 450 00:25:02,434 --> 00:25:05,703 And I can actually remember standing up on at desk 451 00:25:05,804 --> 00:25:06,804 and announcing to all the other 452 00:25:06,905 --> 00:25:10,107 detectives in the room, "She called 911," 453 00:25:10,208 --> 00:25:13,878 and it was extremely exciting. 454 00:25:15,313 --> 00:25:17,281 We're working on the premise that Chanin 455 00:25:17,382 --> 00:25:21,385 died somewhere in a 24-hour time span. 456 00:25:21,486 --> 00:25:23,153 So looking at those phone records, 457 00:25:23,255 --> 00:25:27,391 it timestamps 9:17 in the morning 458 00:25:27,492 --> 00:25:31,161 as the time that this event is taking place. 459 00:25:31,263 --> 00:25:34,131 We were able to verify that with 911, 460 00:25:34,232 --> 00:25:36,600 and it was an oh, my gosh moment 461 00:25:36,701 --> 00:25:40,271 of we really know when this happened now. 462 00:25:43,275 --> 00:25:45,409 To me and the other investigators, that 463 00:25:45,510 --> 00:25:48,412 indicated that was the time she was attacked. 464 00:25:50,148 --> 00:25:51,482 [woman gasping] 465 00:25:54,786 --> 00:25:57,288 And she was killed shortly thereafter. 466 00:26:01,726 --> 00:26:05,396 Obviously, this revelation is shocking. 467 00:26:05,497 --> 00:26:06,964 And the fact that investigators are hearing this 468 00:26:07,065 --> 00:26:07,965 for the first time, I mean, 469 00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:10,267 this was under their noses all along. 470 00:26:10,368 --> 00:26:12,102 She was essentially in the throes of death. 471 00:26:12,203 --> 00:26:15,940 [static noises] 472 00:26:16,041 --> 00:26:17,942 [dial tone] 473 00:26:25,317 --> 00:26:27,585 NARRATOR: Detectives have learned that Chanin Starbuck 474 00:26:27,686 --> 00:26:29,553 called 911 in distress 475 00:26:29,654 --> 00:26:31,722 in the early morning of December 1st, 476 00:26:31,856 --> 00:26:34,191 the day she was killed. 477 00:26:34,292 --> 00:26:39,863 So we were unaware up until weeks into the investigation 478 00:26:39,998 --> 00:26:43,534 that she had ever called 911, but once we saw it 479 00:26:43,635 --> 00:26:44,935 in the phone records, 480 00:26:45,036 --> 00:26:49,907 I was able to contact the 911 dispatch center, have them pull 481 00:26:50,008 --> 00:26:53,310 the records for that specific date and time, 482 00:26:53,411 --> 00:26:56,413 and they found a recording that they didn't know existed. 483 00:26:56,514 --> 00:26:58,248 [woman gasping] 484 00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:02,686 When you listen to the recording, 485 00:27:02,787 --> 00:27:07,157 you can hear a grunt and a muffled noise in 486 00:27:07,258 --> 00:27:08,826 the background 487 00:27:08,927 --> 00:27:12,096 that sounds like someone possibly being assaulted. 488 00:27:12,197 --> 00:27:14,398 [woman gasping] 489 00:27:20,505 --> 00:27:23,941 It was eerie in the sense that you knew 490 00:27:24,042 --> 00:27:26,377 this is a struggle that's going on, and this person's 491 00:27:26,478 --> 00:27:29,780 fighting for their life, and it doesn't turn out well. 492 00:27:29,881 --> 00:27:33,784 The 911 receiver actually talks at the exact 493 00:27:33,885 --> 00:27:36,153 same time that that noise is in the background. 494 00:27:36,254 --> 00:27:37,821 [woman gasping] 495 00:27:41,793 --> 00:27:43,694 And it would be my belief that he probably talked 496 00:27:43,795 --> 00:27:47,631 over it and didn't realize that there was anyone on the end. 497 00:27:49,434 --> 00:27:52,269 He did call the phone number immediately back, 498 00:27:52,370 --> 00:27:53,904 but there was no answer. 499 00:27:54,005 --> 00:27:56,073 It goes to voicemail, because the phone has 500 00:27:56,174 --> 00:27:59,543 been shut off or disabled by this time. 501 00:28:06,685 --> 00:28:09,787 And therefore, there is no further contact. 502 00:28:09,888 --> 00:28:12,022 Almost without exception, in every jurisdiction, 503 00:28:12,123 --> 00:28:16,393 911 hang up calls are at least a one-officer dispatch. 504 00:28:16,494 --> 00:28:20,731 THOMAS: Would it necessarily have stopped what was occurring? 505 00:28:20,832 --> 00:28:23,934 Not likely, but maybe perhaps her killer 506 00:28:24,035 --> 00:28:25,502 could have been found much earlier. 507 00:28:27,005 --> 00:28:29,807 NARRATOR: The discovery of the 911 call sends 508 00:28:29,908 --> 00:28:33,010 the investigation into a whole new direction. 509 00:28:33,111 --> 00:28:35,245 Initially, it appeared that Chanin was 510 00:28:35,346 --> 00:28:39,817 most likely alive in the afternoon of December 1st. 511 00:28:39,918 --> 00:28:42,252 She's texting to multiple people, 512 00:28:42,353 --> 00:28:47,624 both Tom, John, Clay at some point and the kids, as well. 513 00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:50,327 NARRATOR: Detectives now believe it was likely Chanin's 514 00:28:50,428 --> 00:28:54,164 killer trying to pretend Chanin was still alive. 515 00:28:54,265 --> 00:28:58,602 Your scope of possible suspects really starts to 516 00:28:58,703 --> 00:29:00,304 slim down, because now you can 517 00:29:00,405 --> 00:29:03,807 check out their alibis and know whether 518 00:29:03,908 --> 00:29:06,877 or not it was possible for them to have been involved or not. 519 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,615 NARRATOR: With the new evidence, detectives take another look at 520 00:29:11,716 --> 00:29:14,585 their prime suspect, John Kenlein. 521 00:29:14,686 --> 00:29:17,654 RICKETTS: We discovered that at 9:20, he's taking 522 00:29:17,756 --> 00:29:18,956 the kids to school. 523 00:29:19,057 --> 00:29:22,760 So to me, it's pretty closely ruling John out as being 524 00:29:22,861 --> 00:29:24,261 involved in getting back 525 00:29:24,362 --> 00:29:27,731 and forth between those locations with the amount of 526 00:29:27,832 --> 00:29:30,667 time it would take to go from Spokane to Deer Park. 527 00:29:32,036 --> 00:29:34,338 I am now convinced John Kenlein was 528 00:29:34,439 --> 00:29:37,374 not involved and the murder of Chanin Starbuck. 529 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:40,878 ARNTFIELD: This is a case that would be and has been 530 00:29:40,979 --> 00:29:42,679 extraordinarily frustrating for investigators, 531 00:29:42,781 --> 00:29:45,516 in that you have some pretty specific crime scene behaviors 532 00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:47,217 and a puzzling scene and a number of 533 00:29:47,318 --> 00:29:50,487 viable suspects, and nothing is shaking out. 534 00:29:50,588 --> 00:29:52,990 The unanswered questions are gonna keep you up at night. 535 00:29:54,492 --> 00:29:56,193 NARRATOR: After ruling out John Kenlein 536 00:29:56,294 --> 00:29:57,861 in the murder of Chanin Starbuck, 537 00:29:57,962 --> 00:30:00,798 detectives go back to the drawing board. 538 00:30:00,899 --> 00:30:02,766 We're looking at saying, 539 00:30:02,867 --> 00:30:04,902 "Okay, somebody got on her phone 540 00:30:05,003 --> 00:30:07,037 "and was communicating with John Kenlein, 541 00:30:07,138 --> 00:30:09,006 "was communicating with Tom Walker, 542 00:30:09,107 --> 00:30:11,041 was returning messages." 543 00:30:15,113 --> 00:30:18,982 NARRATOR: Detectives do a deeper dive into Chanin's personal life 544 00:30:19,083 --> 00:30:20,651 and make an alarming discovery. 545 00:30:22,187 --> 00:30:24,855 DRESBACK: While I'm talking to the friends of Chanin, 546 00:30:24,956 --> 00:30:27,624 they are informing me that Clay has 547 00:30:27,725 --> 00:30:30,294 been nothing but trouble for Chanin. 548 00:30:30,395 --> 00:30:31,662 He has harassed her. 549 00:30:31,763 --> 00:30:33,764 He has done damage to her place. 550 00:30:33,865 --> 00:30:36,266 He has done damage to her vehicle. 551 00:30:36,367 --> 00:30:38,569 He has threatened her. 552 00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:40,604 JOHNSTON: He owes her a significant amount of 553 00:30:40,705 --> 00:30:43,373 child support, he's a very much controlling person. 554 00:30:43,474 --> 00:30:46,743 He's not happy with the fact that she's dating other men, 555 00:30:46,845 --> 00:30:49,146 that he has no control over her, 556 00:30:49,247 --> 00:30:53,383 and he has been stalking and harassing her for some time. 557 00:30:53,484 --> 00:30:57,621 When it's learned that Clay has been stalking 558 00:30:57,722 --> 00:31:00,157 Chanin, it's particularly troubling to me as 559 00:31:00,258 --> 00:31:04,261 a psychologist -- we know from the research in intimate partner 560 00:31:04,362 --> 00:31:06,363 homicides that when stalking's involved, 561 00:31:06,464 --> 00:31:10,000 it increases the risk 2 to 3 times that somebody is gonna 562 00:31:10,101 --> 00:31:11,802 end up murdered. 563 00:31:11,903 --> 00:31:15,038 We discover she was so concerned about Clay stalking 564 00:31:15,139 --> 00:31:17,307 her essentially that she did ask for 565 00:31:17,408 --> 00:31:19,810 and receive a domestic violence protection order. 566 00:31:19,911 --> 00:31:23,447 ARNTFIELD: Tragically, the use of restraining orders, 567 00:31:23,548 --> 00:31:26,183 like we see in this case -- I mean, it's a piece of paper. 568 00:31:26,284 --> 00:31:29,419 The existence of that paper is actually seen by the offender 569 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,355 as a voucher to actually act on 570 00:31:31,456 --> 00:31:32,789 what they've already been planning. 571 00:31:32,891 --> 00:31:36,159 It actually infuriates and escalates their behavior to 572 00:31:36,261 --> 00:31:38,929 the point that it has the opposite of the desired effect. 573 00:31:40,365 --> 00:31:42,299 RICKETTS: She had told individuals in the community 574 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,635 that if something happened to her, 575 00:31:44,736 --> 00:31:47,203 if she was harmed or killed, 576 00:31:47,272 --> 00:31:50,374 that it was Clay Starbuck that had done it to her. 577 00:31:51,843 --> 00:31:53,944 NARRATOR: Based on these new revelations, 578 00:31:54,045 --> 00:31:58,181 detectives take a second look at Clay Starbuck. 579 00:31:58,283 --> 00:32:03,153 So Clay had given us a story about his vehicle breaking down 580 00:32:03,221 --> 00:32:04,354 and how he had 581 00:32:04,455 --> 00:32:07,824 sent some text messages to Chanin to try to get her to 582 00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:09,826 take the children to school 583 00:32:09,928 --> 00:32:11,528 and then after his car broke down, 584 00:32:11,629 --> 00:32:13,630 he went back to his house and fell asleep. 585 00:32:13,731 --> 00:32:15,565 Somewhere in there, 586 00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:19,202 he said that his cellphone battery died and his cellphone 587 00:32:19,304 --> 00:32:21,505 was off for a majority of the day, 588 00:32:21,606 --> 00:32:25,509 and that in itself wasn't contradictory to anything 589 00:32:25,610 --> 00:32:27,411 we found in the cellphone records. 590 00:32:27,512 --> 00:32:31,315 His phone was actually off for a majority of the day. 591 00:32:31,416 --> 00:32:33,984 But when we examine cellphone records, frequently, 592 00:32:34,085 --> 00:32:36,420 we don't look a just a very small, 593 00:32:36,521 --> 00:32:40,290 frequent timeframe, because people live and breathe on 594 00:32:40,358 --> 00:32:42,693 their cellphones in this day and age, 595 00:32:42,794 --> 00:32:44,695 you develop patterns. 596 00:32:44,796 --> 00:32:49,232 So for Clay Starbuck, over a one-year total of cellphone 597 00:32:49,334 --> 00:32:50,834 records were obtained, 598 00:32:50,935 --> 00:32:54,671 and what we were able to see was that at no other time over 599 00:32:54,772 --> 00:32:57,941 the preceding year has his phone ever been off for 600 00:32:58,042 --> 00:32:59,743 the amount of time that it was off 601 00:32:59,844 --> 00:33:03,013 on the day that Chanin Starbuck was murdered. 602 00:33:03,114 --> 00:33:07,584 He had never in the prior year had text messages sent to him 603 00:33:07,685 --> 00:33:09,286 that he didn't respond to 604 00:33:09,387 --> 00:33:12,990 in a timely fashion or go for periods of time 605 00:33:13,091 --> 00:33:15,325 where there was no activity. 606 00:33:15,426 --> 00:33:17,995 Yet on the day of Chanin Starbuck's murder, 607 00:33:18,096 --> 00:33:19,329 all of those things happened. 608 00:33:21,666 --> 00:33:23,600 NARRATOR: Detectives meet with Clay, 609 00:33:23,701 --> 00:33:26,803 testing his alibi against the new timeline. 610 00:33:26,904 --> 00:33:30,173 We asked him to go for a little ride with us 611 00:33:30,274 --> 00:33:32,376 to show us the route that he drove and where 612 00:33:32,477 --> 00:33:36,413 his vehicle broke down and how he walked back to his house, 613 00:33:36,514 --> 00:33:38,181 which he agreed to do. 614 00:33:38,282 --> 00:33:40,250 Now this is a golf course community, 615 00:33:40,351 --> 00:33:43,253 and there are actually greens in between 616 00:33:43,354 --> 00:33:45,655 some of these residences, 617 00:33:45,757 --> 00:33:50,227 and where the vehicle stalled is across from one of 618 00:33:50,328 --> 00:33:52,329 these greens that goes in between 619 00:33:52,430 --> 00:33:55,799 these houses and would have been the most likely direct 620 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:58,035 route to walk back to his house. 621 00:33:58,136 --> 00:34:00,103 And in this particular December, 622 00:34:00,204 --> 00:34:01,204 there isn't a lot of snow. 623 00:34:01,305 --> 00:34:03,206 There wasn't anything really impeding 624 00:34:03,307 --> 00:34:06,043 someone from taking that route. 625 00:34:06,144 --> 00:34:08,245 But Clay insists that he walked down 626 00:34:08,346 --> 00:34:12,149 the sidewalk and stayed off of the golf green, 627 00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:15,352 at which point he turns and goes east through 628 00:34:15,453 --> 00:34:17,454 the neighborhood, back to his own residence. 629 00:34:19,824 --> 00:34:22,492 We follow this route, and we specifically look 630 00:34:22,593 --> 00:34:25,962 for home security cameras, and we find one. 631 00:34:27,732 --> 00:34:29,366 We contact the homeowners and ask them 632 00:34:29,467 --> 00:34:31,868 if we can look at their security footage. 633 00:34:31,969 --> 00:34:35,405 And after looking at the footage numerous times, 634 00:34:35,506 --> 00:34:38,475 we cannot once find Clay Starbuck 635 00:34:38,576 --> 00:34:41,344 walking past this residence that he claims he walked 636 00:34:41,446 --> 00:34:43,480 past four times on that day, 637 00:34:43,581 --> 00:34:47,617 I questioned him on this at least 2 to 3 times. 638 00:34:47,718 --> 00:34:49,453 Are you sure this is the route you've taken? 639 00:34:49,554 --> 00:34:52,022 And he is adamant that that's the route he's taken. 640 00:34:52,123 --> 00:34:53,457 And now, after looking 641 00:34:53,558 --> 00:34:56,293 at the footage from the surveillance video, 642 00:34:57,695 --> 00:35:00,130 it's obvious that Clay Starbuck isn't being 643 00:35:00,231 --> 00:35:01,665 truthful with us 644 00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:03,733 about where he was and what he was doing. 645 00:35:13,945 --> 00:35:15,946 NARRATOR: Detectives have now shifted the focus 646 00:35:16,047 --> 00:35:17,347 of their investigation in 647 00:35:17,448 --> 00:35:21,384 the murder of Chanin Starbuck to her ex-husband, Clay, 648 00:35:21,486 --> 00:35:24,554 when a surprising piece of evidence emerges. 649 00:35:24,655 --> 00:35:28,158 DNA that was identified as belonging to male 650 00:35:28,259 --> 00:35:29,659 Starbuck lineage 651 00:35:31,562 --> 00:35:32,996 was found in the area 652 00:35:33,097 --> 00:35:35,532 where Chanin was strangled and suffocated. 653 00:35:38,536 --> 00:35:42,839 So it wasn't DNA just found on a ledge or an item 654 00:35:42,940 --> 00:35:44,474 of clothing or something that had been there 655 00:35:44,542 --> 00:35:46,309 for a while -- this was DNA 656 00:35:46,410 --> 00:35:48,612 that was found on Chanin Starbuck, 657 00:35:48,713 --> 00:35:52,716 where she was injured, part of the cause of her death. 658 00:35:52,817 --> 00:35:54,251 NARRATOR: In order to link the killer's 659 00:35:54,352 --> 00:35:57,621 DNA left on Chanin's body to Clay, 660 00:35:57,722 --> 00:36:00,290 detectives must prove it belongs to him 661 00:36:00,391 --> 00:36:02,259 and not one of his sons. 662 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:06,563 We were able to eliminate the adult male Starbuck children, 663 00:36:06,664 --> 00:36:09,566 because one of them was at school during that day, 664 00:36:09,667 --> 00:36:11,501 and the other one was at work. 665 00:36:11,602 --> 00:36:13,470 That left us with Clay Starbuck 666 00:36:13,571 --> 00:36:16,273 as being the provider of the DNA 667 00:36:16,374 --> 00:36:17,941 on Chanin Starbuck. 668 00:36:18,042 --> 00:36:20,610 NARRATOR: Closing in on their killer, 669 00:36:20,711 --> 00:36:23,146 detectives bring Clay Starbuck down 670 00:36:23,247 --> 00:36:26,349 to the station to confront him with the damning evidence. 671 00:36:26,450 --> 00:36:28,685 Clay Starbuck agreed to be interviewed. 672 00:36:28,786 --> 00:36:31,254 He waived his rights, so we proceeded 673 00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:33,423 with a recorded interview with him. 674 00:37:35,086 --> 00:37:37,254 I said, "I understand that, Clay. 675 00:37:37,355 --> 00:37:39,389 Let me go get something." 676 00:37:39,490 --> 00:37:42,993 I went and grabbed the lab report, and I showed it to him. 677 00:38:06,917 --> 00:38:10,854 He started breathing heavy, he's almost hyperventilating. 678 00:38:21,165 --> 00:38:24,601 At that point, he shut down, he didn't make anymore statements. 679 00:38:26,537 --> 00:38:29,472 NARRATOR: Detectives arrest Clay Starbuck and charge him 680 00:38:29,573 --> 00:38:32,075 with the murder of his wife, Chanin. 681 00:38:32,176 --> 00:38:34,311 Sadly, Chanin's fatal mistake was daring 682 00:38:34,412 --> 00:38:36,946 to start a new life without Clay, 683 00:38:37,048 --> 00:38:38,815 and it really drove him crazy. 684 00:38:38,916 --> 00:38:41,484 Clay killed Chanin, I think, 685 00:38:41,585 --> 00:38:44,754 because he was jealous, and he did not want to have to pay her 686 00:38:44,855 --> 00:38:46,656 child support every month. 687 00:38:46,757 --> 00:38:51,561 And at the time of the murder, he owed her more than $9,000. 688 00:38:51,662 --> 00:38:54,864 And so it appears that Clay decided that he could 689 00:38:54,965 --> 00:38:59,369 get out of these financial problems by simply killing her. 690 00:39:01,439 --> 00:39:03,907 NARRATOR: Detectives now believe they know what happened to 691 00:39:04,008 --> 00:39:07,010 Chanin Starbuck in the last hours of her life. 692 00:39:07,111 --> 00:39:11,081 December 1st, around 8 AM, 693 00:39:11,182 --> 00:39:13,783 Clay text messages Chanin 694 00:39:13,884 --> 00:39:16,386 asked her to take the children to school. 695 00:39:17,788 --> 00:39:20,757 Most likely, during the timeframe that she's away from 696 00:39:20,858 --> 00:39:23,193 the house taking the children to school, 697 00:39:23,294 --> 00:39:25,328 Clay has snuck into the house, 698 00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:29,332 and he lays and wait for her while she is going about 699 00:39:29,433 --> 00:39:31,334 her morning routine. 700 00:39:31,435 --> 00:39:34,137 NARRATOR: While Clay is waiting for Chanin to return home, 701 00:39:34,238 --> 00:39:35,638 he turns off his cellphone. 702 00:39:37,541 --> 00:39:39,642 JOHNSTON: Shortly after getting back to the house, 703 00:39:39,744 --> 00:39:41,845 he attacks her. 704 00:39:41,946 --> 00:39:45,849 [dramatic music] 705 00:39:45,950 --> 00:39:49,652 She attempts to call 911, but that call is cut short. 706 00:39:49,754 --> 00:39:51,554 [woman gasping] 707 00:39:51,655 --> 00:39:53,356 DISPATCHER: 911, what are you reporting? 708 00:39:53,457 --> 00:39:56,459 And her phone is turned off, 709 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:58,661 and then he murders her 710 00:39:58,763 --> 00:40:01,865 through a struggle, strangulation. 711 00:40:06,804 --> 00:40:10,106 He positions her in a humiliating fashion 712 00:40:11,709 --> 00:40:15,779 for the rest of the community to be aware of after the fact, 713 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:18,982 and makes her look like the bad person because 714 00:40:19,083 --> 00:40:21,284 she's doing some online dating 715 00:40:21,385 --> 00:40:24,020 and things that he doesn't necessarily approve of. 716 00:40:25,689 --> 00:40:28,124 After she was attacked, 717 00:40:28,225 --> 00:40:32,195 I believe Clay got on her phone and on her computer 718 00:40:32,296 --> 00:40:33,696 and started looking through it 719 00:40:33,798 --> 00:40:36,766 and communicating back with these individuals, 720 00:40:36,867 --> 00:40:40,370 trying to frame either Tom Walker or John Kenlein as 721 00:40:40,471 --> 00:40:43,339 being the ones that committed murder. 722 00:40:43,441 --> 00:40:45,041 NARRATOR: Clay then returns home, 723 00:40:45,142 --> 00:40:47,243 turns on his cellphone, and waits for 724 00:40:47,344 --> 00:40:49,979 his kids to get home from school. 725 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,949 Clearly, this festering jealousy had led him to 726 00:40:53,050 --> 00:40:54,617 the point where he was prepared 727 00:40:54,718 --> 00:40:56,019 to commit murder, but at the same time, 728 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,555 he was able to keep things under control and keep his 729 00:40:58,656 --> 00:41:01,958 behavior premeditated and organized enough that he uses 730 00:41:02,059 --> 00:41:05,695 these texts to artificially engineer this alibi. 731 00:41:05,796 --> 00:41:07,697 NARRATOR: Detectives also believe that Clay 732 00:41:07,798 --> 00:41:10,834 texted himself from Chanin's cellphone 733 00:41:10,935 --> 00:41:13,269 to fool police into thinking she was still 734 00:41:13,370 --> 00:41:16,406 alive for most of the day on December 1st. 735 00:41:17,908 --> 00:41:18,975 For me, I also wonder, 736 00:41:19,076 --> 00:41:21,578 is there an element of sadism here? 737 00:41:21,679 --> 00:41:24,280 Is there a deeper quality to him that 738 00:41:24,381 --> 00:41:29,219 really wants to have Chanin experience pain and suffering? 739 00:41:33,390 --> 00:41:35,158 NARRATOR: Clay Starbuck is found guilty 740 00:41:35,259 --> 00:41:36,960 of first degree murder and sentenced 741 00:41:37,061 --> 00:41:40,897 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 742 00:41:41,031 --> 00:41:42,565 Clay definitely planned this out. 743 00:41:42,666 --> 00:41:45,068 There was a significant amount of premeditation, 744 00:41:45,135 --> 00:41:48,538 and I think that someone that could be that calculating 745 00:41:48,639 --> 00:41:52,942 and that terrible to any other human being... 746 00:41:54,278 --> 00:41:55,411 spending the rest of his life 747 00:41:55,513 --> 00:41:57,680 in prison is definitely what he deserved. 748 00:42:01,318 --> 00:42:03,486 It's horrendous, but not just because of 749 00:42:03,587 --> 00:42:04,454 what happened to Chanin. 750 00:42:04,555 --> 00:42:06,556 It's what it did to this family. 751 00:42:08,025 --> 00:42:11,728 When Clay Starbuck killed Chanin, 752 00:42:11,829 --> 00:42:14,931 he robbed their children of their mother 753 00:42:15,032 --> 00:42:16,966 and then, because of his life sentence, 754 00:42:17,067 --> 00:42:21,304 he robbed his children of a father. 755 00:42:21,405 --> 00:42:26,109 It was a selfish act based in greed and jealousy, 756 00:42:26,210 --> 00:42:28,811 and it just didn't have to happen.