1 00:00:00,633 --> 00:00:03,302 [suspenseful music playing] 2 00:00:03,336 --> 00:00:04,937 [Steven Fry] A young vibrant person 3 00:00:04,971 --> 00:00:06,739 who had their entire life ahead of them 4 00:00:06,773 --> 00:00:09,475 was snuffed out in one violent act. 5 00:00:09,509 --> 00:00:13,145 [woman groaning] 6 00:00:15,882 --> 00:00:18,517 [Keira Stockdale] He may have built up a huge fantasy 7 00:00:18,551 --> 00:00:20,619 in his mind of a sexual nature. 8 00:00:20,653 --> 00:00:22,688 And then when he went to act on it, 9 00:00:22,722 --> 00:00:25,357 it didn't play out as he expected. 10 00:00:30,563 --> 00:00:31,897 [Fry] She'd come out of the shower 11 00:00:31,931 --> 00:00:34,199 and the man was standing in her living room. 12 00:00:35,602 --> 00:00:37,836 [Lance Mathews] The person had access 13 00:00:37,871 --> 00:00:42,074 to the lockbox that contained keys to her apartment. 14 00:00:42,108 --> 00:00:45,978 [Michael Arntfield] She could be the target for the offender 15 00:00:46,012 --> 00:00:48,147 but doesn't even know she's on their radar. 16 00:00:51,184 --> 00:00:52,684 [screams] 17 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:55,521 [Fry] He was unable to provide any valid reason 18 00:00:55,555 --> 00:00:58,223 why his DNA would be on her. 19 00:00:58,258 --> 00:00:59,825 [Mathews] This case would still be haunting me 20 00:00:59,859 --> 00:01:03,695 if we weren't able to bring justice. 21 00:01:03,730 --> 00:01:06,365 [narrator] Every day in North America, 22 00:01:06,399 --> 00:01:08,734 dozens of people are murdered. 23 00:01:08,768 --> 00:01:10,636 The key to solving the toughest 24 00:01:10,670 --> 00:01:13,439 of these homicides lies in the final 24 hours 25 00:01:13,473 --> 00:01:14,907 of the victim's life. 26 00:01:14,941 --> 00:01:18,577 To crack the case, detectives must reconstruct 27 00:01:18,611 --> 00:01:20,612 that critical timeline. 28 00:01:20,647 --> 00:01:22,781 The minutes and hours containing evidence 29 00:01:22,816 --> 00:01:25,384 that can help unlock the mystery 30 00:01:25,418 --> 00:01:27,453 and catch the killer. 31 00:01:27,487 --> 00:01:30,989 [dramatic music playing] 32 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,395 [dramatic music playing] 33 00:01:36,429 --> 00:01:39,031 [narrator] Bryan, Texas, a small town 34 00:01:39,065 --> 00:01:40,699 in the central part of the state 35 00:01:40,733 --> 00:01:44,436 where the Old West meets the modern world. 36 00:01:44,471 --> 00:01:47,239 [Fry] Bryan is located between Houston 37 00:01:47,273 --> 00:01:48,674 and Austin, Texas. 38 00:01:48,708 --> 00:01:52,444 Bryan is a fairly safe residential town, 39 00:01:52,479 --> 00:01:54,546 population of about 80,000. 40 00:01:54,581 --> 00:01:56,548 It's a mixture of college students, 41 00:01:56,583 --> 00:01:58,350 family residences, 42 00:01:58,384 --> 00:02:00,486 as well as blue-collar business areas. 43 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,488 Compared to major towns, 44 00:02:02,522 --> 00:02:05,090 the crime rate is fairly low. 45 00:02:06,459 --> 00:02:09,394 [Fry] Bryan has a small college community. 46 00:02:09,429 --> 00:02:11,597 Blinn College is located in Bryan. 47 00:02:11,631 --> 00:02:12,764 General area around campus 48 00:02:12,799 --> 00:02:14,867 is where a lot of the students live. 49 00:02:14,901 --> 00:02:18,403 [narrator] One of the largest student housing complexes 50 00:02:18,438 --> 00:02:20,472 in the area is Autumn Woods. 51 00:02:20,507 --> 00:02:22,474 [Fry] This particular apartment complex 52 00:02:22,509 --> 00:02:24,743 is adjacent to the Blinn College campus 53 00:02:24,777 --> 00:02:26,778 and consists of several buildings 54 00:02:26,813 --> 00:02:30,549 with close to a thousand residents. 55 00:02:30,583 --> 00:02:32,417 [narrator] As spring takes hold 56 00:02:32,452 --> 00:02:34,520 and the semester starts winding down, 57 00:02:34,554 --> 00:02:37,556 911 gets an urgent call from a student 58 00:02:37,590 --> 00:02:40,392 living in the Autumn Woods Complex. 59 00:02:40,426 --> 00:02:42,494 [dispatcher speaking] 60 00:02:42,529 --> 00:02:45,664 [Mathews] At 11:30 AM, 911 received a call 61 00:02:45,698 --> 00:02:48,634 from this local apartment complex 62 00:02:48,668 --> 00:02:50,769 near the Blinn College campus. 63 00:02:50,803 --> 00:02:53,572 [Fry] The student informed us that there was 64 00:02:53,606 --> 00:02:57,442 a potentially deceased person inside the apartment complex. 65 00:02:58,711 --> 00:03:02,247 [Fry] Bryan patrol officers were dispatched to the scene. 66 00:03:03,783 --> 00:03:05,751 When Detective Mathews and I arrived, 67 00:03:05,785 --> 00:03:08,720 patrol officers had already locked off the apartment. 68 00:03:08,755 --> 00:03:10,722 [Mathews] We entered the apartment 69 00:03:10,757 --> 00:03:14,493 and noticed the... A deceased female 70 00:03:14,527 --> 00:03:17,296 lying in her bedroom on her back. 71 00:03:18,731 --> 00:03:21,700 [Fry] Her body was positioned approximately halfway 72 00:03:21,734 --> 00:03:26,438 between the bedroom door and the foot of her bed. 73 00:03:26,472 --> 00:03:29,808 Our initial observation of the victim's clothing 74 00:03:29,842 --> 00:03:32,444 was that it looked to be something that someone 75 00:03:32,478 --> 00:03:35,314 would have worn to bed that night. 76 00:03:35,348 --> 00:03:37,249 [Mathews] There was no obvious signs 77 00:03:37,283 --> 00:03:39,351 of cause of death. 78 00:03:39,385 --> 00:03:41,920 [narrator] The deceased is 20-year-old 79 00:03:41,955 --> 00:03:46,024 Jenna Verhaalen, a student at Blinn College. 80 00:03:46,059 --> 00:03:47,626 [Mathews] Jenna got along with everybody 81 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,697 and was from all accounts just a bubbly person. 82 00:03:51,731 --> 00:03:54,633 [narrator] She loved to laugh and developed a reputation 83 00:03:54,667 --> 00:03:56,668 as her class prankster. 84 00:03:56,703 --> 00:03:58,637 [Fry] She had her schooling going on. 85 00:03:58,671 --> 00:04:01,440 She had a job working in a restaurant. 86 00:04:01,474 --> 00:04:02,741 She was a hard worker, 87 00:04:02,775 --> 00:04:05,344 had all kinds of things going for her. 88 00:04:07,413 --> 00:04:08,714 [narrator] Tasked with investigating 89 00:04:08,748 --> 00:04:11,216 the suspicious death of Jenna Verhaalen 90 00:04:11,251 --> 00:04:13,385 are Detectives Lance Mathews 91 00:04:13,419 --> 00:04:15,721 and Steven Fry of the Major Crimes Unit. 92 00:04:15,755 --> 00:04:19,458 [Mathews] We assessed the scene completely. 93 00:04:19,492 --> 00:04:21,760 There's no actual signs of a burglary or anything 94 00:04:21,794 --> 00:04:23,495 that would indicate that someone 95 00:04:23,529 --> 00:04:25,764 had broken into the apartment. 96 00:04:25,798 --> 00:04:28,567 [Fry] I did not see any signs of any forced entry. 97 00:04:28,601 --> 00:04:31,703 Her purse was still hanging next to the door. 98 00:04:31,738 --> 00:04:34,840 Her cell phone and wallet were still in her bedroom. 99 00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:37,643 We did notice in the spare bedroom, 100 00:04:37,677 --> 00:04:40,345 there was a window that was not locked 101 00:04:40,380 --> 00:04:43,548 and the screen was off that window, 102 00:04:43,583 --> 00:04:46,318 that could have possibly been an entry point 103 00:04:46,352 --> 00:04:48,353 for somebody to get into the apartment 104 00:04:48,388 --> 00:04:50,489 without causing any damage. 105 00:04:50,523 --> 00:04:51,957 [Stockdale] It's possible the killer 106 00:04:51,991 --> 00:04:54,793 entered Jenna's apartment through a broken window. 107 00:04:54,827 --> 00:04:57,396 You have to think, well, is this person 108 00:04:57,430 --> 00:04:59,564 having knowledge of this apartment complex? 109 00:04:59,599 --> 00:05:01,433 Are they watching Jenna? 110 00:05:01,467 --> 00:05:03,602 How did they know about the window 111 00:05:03,636 --> 00:05:04,903 and that point of entry? 112 00:05:04,937 --> 00:05:08,340 So, you would likely think perhaps the killer lives 113 00:05:08,374 --> 00:05:10,375 in this apartment complex. 114 00:05:12,478 --> 00:05:14,579 [Fry] On the scene, Detective Mathews and I 115 00:05:14,614 --> 00:05:16,682 were able to examine the body and found 116 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:19,351 she was in full rigor at the time. 117 00:05:19,385 --> 00:05:20,752 Lividity had also set. 118 00:05:20,787 --> 00:05:23,722 Based on the rigor and lividity, 119 00:05:23,756 --> 00:05:26,825 we do know that she had been deceased for some time. 120 00:05:26,859 --> 00:05:30,562 Lividity occurs in a person after they are deceased 121 00:05:30,596 --> 00:05:33,598 and gravity forces the blood to pool 122 00:05:33,633 --> 00:05:36,601 in areas closest to the ground. 123 00:05:36,636 --> 00:05:40,405 Lividity was visible on her body. 124 00:05:44,677 --> 00:05:46,712 Upon our initial observations, 125 00:05:46,746 --> 00:05:49,781 we did notice some minute blood droplets on the collar 126 00:05:49,816 --> 00:05:53,185 of the T-shirt that the victim was wearing. 127 00:05:53,219 --> 00:05:56,221 [Mathews] Also, there was a spot on her forehead 128 00:05:56,255 --> 00:05:57,689 that looked like bruising 129 00:05:57,724 --> 00:06:01,393 and there were two linear scratches on her chin 130 00:06:01,427 --> 00:06:03,762 and on her arm as well. 131 00:06:04,864 --> 00:06:07,499 Given Jenna's age and that she was a college student, 132 00:06:07,533 --> 00:06:09,468 investigators need to question 133 00:06:09,502 --> 00:06:12,604 if this was a sexually motivated crime. 134 00:06:12,638 --> 00:06:14,639 [Fry] We looked for other injuries, 135 00:06:14,674 --> 00:06:17,609 some other types of wounds that we might see on the body. 136 00:06:17,643 --> 00:06:20,412 At this time, we did not find much. 137 00:06:22,081 --> 00:06:24,516 [Mathews] Next to her body, there were some blood spots 138 00:06:24,550 --> 00:06:27,486 on the carpet but there wasn't anything 139 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,222 that would indicate what actually occurred. 140 00:06:30,256 --> 00:06:33,525 [Fry] At that point in time, we were unable to determine 141 00:06:33,559 --> 00:06:34,659 how Jenna died, 142 00:06:34,694 --> 00:06:37,295 but we cannot rule out homicide. 143 00:06:38,531 --> 00:06:40,465 [narrator] Detective searched the remainder 144 00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:42,134 of Jenna's bedroom, 145 00:06:42,168 --> 00:06:44,569 looking for signs of foul play. 146 00:06:44,604 --> 00:06:46,371 [Mathews] In the bedroom, 147 00:06:46,406 --> 00:06:48,707 there was a couple of things out of place. 148 00:06:48,741 --> 00:06:51,376 There was a picture frame and a lamp 149 00:06:51,411 --> 00:06:52,744 that had fallen over. 150 00:06:52,779 --> 00:06:56,381 There was also a rug crumpled up next to the bed. 151 00:06:56,416 --> 00:06:58,583 There were signs of a struggle. 152 00:06:58,618 --> 00:07:00,652 [Fry] Also, the bed covers were pulled back 153 00:07:00,686 --> 00:07:02,687 as though somebody had possibly had some type 154 00:07:02,722 --> 00:07:04,656 of altercation in the bed. 155 00:07:04,690 --> 00:07:06,691 All these gave us reasons to believe 156 00:07:06,726 --> 00:07:08,493 there could have been an altercation 157 00:07:08,528 --> 00:07:10,061 that occurred in the room. 158 00:07:10,897 --> 00:07:12,597 [narrator] To help solve the mystery 159 00:07:12,632 --> 00:07:15,066 of how Jenna died, 160 00:07:15,101 --> 00:07:17,636 investigators call in the local medical examiner. 161 00:07:17,670 --> 00:07:19,571 [Fry] I spoke with the medical examiner 162 00:07:19,605 --> 00:07:21,740 about the possible cause of death and at that time, 163 00:07:21,774 --> 00:07:24,476 he was able to relate to me that Jenna had died 164 00:07:24,510 --> 00:07:25,844 from strangulation 165 00:07:25,878 --> 00:07:29,247 and that he was going to rule this case a murder. 166 00:07:30,983 --> 00:07:32,584 [narrator] Investigators must now 167 00:07:32,618 --> 00:07:34,886 track down Jenna's killer by focusing 168 00:07:34,921 --> 00:07:37,622 on the last 24 hours of her life. 169 00:07:38,624 --> 00:07:40,592 [Fry] Detective Mathews and I walked outside 170 00:07:40,626 --> 00:07:43,795 and took note of who we saw standing around. 171 00:07:43,830 --> 00:07:45,764 Some patrol officers pointed out Spencer Hood 172 00:07:45,798 --> 00:07:48,633 who we learned was Jenna's boyfriend. 173 00:07:48,668 --> 00:07:51,736 My initial observation of Spencer 174 00:07:51,771 --> 00:07:53,738 was that he was very distraught. 175 00:07:53,773 --> 00:07:56,641 Spencer said he was the one who found Jenna 176 00:07:56,676 --> 00:07:58,910 in her apartment that morning. 177 00:07:58,945 --> 00:08:01,713 [narrator] They asked Spencer if he knows of anyone 178 00:08:01,747 --> 00:08:03,982 who would want to harm Jenna. 179 00:08:04,016 --> 00:08:05,717 [Mathews] Spencer told me that, no. 180 00:08:05,751 --> 00:08:08,620 He couldn't answer why someone did this. 181 00:08:08,654 --> 00:08:10,522 [Fry] While speaking with Spencer, 182 00:08:10,556 --> 00:08:13,358 we did try to get a timeline of Jenna's activities 183 00:08:13,392 --> 00:08:15,427 from the day before on April 8th. 184 00:08:15,461 --> 00:08:17,395 [Mathews] According to Spencer on April 8th, 185 00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:20,365 Jenna worked her shift at Wings 'N More 186 00:08:20,399 --> 00:08:23,969 from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM at night. 187 00:08:24,003 --> 00:08:26,538 [Fry] After leaving work, Jenna went by Starbucks, 188 00:08:26,572 --> 00:08:28,840 picked up a coffee. 189 00:08:28,875 --> 00:08:31,643 About 9:20, Jenna gave him a call to come over. 190 00:08:31,677 --> 00:08:34,679 Spencer and Jenna were living very close to each other, 191 00:08:34,714 --> 00:08:37,349 so he went over to her apartment. 192 00:08:37,383 --> 00:08:39,351 [Mathews] From 9:20 to about midnight, 193 00:08:39,385 --> 00:08:41,520 the couple spent some time together, 194 00:08:41,554 --> 00:08:45,223 did homework, and then Spencer went home. 195 00:08:45,258 --> 00:08:48,159 [narrator] Spencer says he called Jenna 12:30 AM 196 00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:49,628 and said goodnight. 197 00:08:49,662 --> 00:08:52,631 [Fry] And Spencer indicated that was the last time 198 00:08:52,665 --> 00:08:56,301 that night that he spoke with Jenna. 199 00:08:56,335 --> 00:08:57,536 [narrator] The next morning, 200 00:08:57,570 --> 00:08:59,604 Spencer went to class as usual 201 00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:03,308 then stopped by Jenna's place to pick up a book. 202 00:09:03,342 --> 00:09:04,643 [Fry] Around 11:30, 203 00:09:04,677 --> 00:09:06,645 he went over to Jenna's apartment, 204 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:08,413 he went inside and that is when he found 205 00:09:08,447 --> 00:09:10,549 Jenna laying in the floor. 206 00:09:10,583 --> 00:09:13,685 Once Spencer determined that Jenna was deceased, 207 00:09:13,719 --> 00:09:15,387 he ran outside, found the neighbor, 208 00:09:15,421 --> 00:09:18,023 and asked him to call 911. 209 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,593 Based on when Spencer last spoke to Jenna 210 00:09:21,627 --> 00:09:22,627 and when she was found, 211 00:09:22,662 --> 00:09:24,763 that narrows down her window of death 212 00:09:24,797 --> 00:09:29,734 to approximately 12:30 AM through to 11:30 AM. 213 00:09:30,870 --> 00:09:34,105 [narrator] Investigators begin to look at Spencer, 214 00:09:34,140 --> 00:09:37,842 less as a witness and more as a potential suspect. 215 00:09:38,844 --> 00:09:41,546 Spencer was the last person to see Jenna alive 216 00:09:41,614 --> 00:09:44,916 and also the person to find her dead body. 217 00:09:44,951 --> 00:09:48,453 This immediately, whether coincidence or not, 218 00:09:48,487 --> 00:09:50,589 elevates Spencer to being a person of interest 219 00:09:50,623 --> 00:09:52,457 and raises a number of red flags 220 00:09:52,491 --> 00:09:53,792 for investigators. 221 00:09:53,826 --> 00:09:56,528 [Fry] Oftentimes, we look towards the person 222 00:09:56,562 --> 00:09:58,730 who was last with the victim 223 00:09:58,764 --> 00:10:00,498 and then also the person who found her. 224 00:10:00,533 --> 00:10:03,134 In both of those instances, that was Spencer Hood. 225 00:10:03,169 --> 00:10:06,204 So, at this time, we felt we had a viable suspect. 226 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:08,607 The focus of our investigation 227 00:10:08,641 --> 00:10:10,976 shifted to Spencer. 228 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:17,515 [narrator] Hours after college coed Jenna Verhaalen 229 00:10:17,550 --> 00:10:19,317 is found strangled to death, 230 00:10:19,352 --> 00:10:21,620 police have their first suspect, 231 00:10:21,654 --> 00:10:24,356 her boyfriend Spencer Hood. 232 00:10:26,258 --> 00:10:30,028 They bring him to the station for further questioning. 233 00:10:30,062 --> 00:10:32,364 [Fry] We had to determine whether or not 234 00:10:32,398 --> 00:10:34,833 Spencer had committed this murder. 235 00:10:34,867 --> 00:10:38,269 One of the things we look for in an interview 236 00:10:38,304 --> 00:10:40,772 is a person's response to the questions, 237 00:10:40,806 --> 00:10:43,508 body language or emotional response. 238 00:10:43,542 --> 00:10:46,277 During our conversation, Spencer told us 239 00:10:46,312 --> 00:10:49,247 what had happened without a great emotional response. 240 00:10:49,281 --> 00:10:50,849 He was calm and collected. 241 00:10:50,883 --> 00:10:54,252 [narrator] Investigators dig into Spencer's relationship 242 00:10:54,286 --> 00:10:55,720 with Jenna. 243 00:10:55,755 --> 00:10:57,622 [Fry] Spencer told us that they had been dating 244 00:10:57,657 --> 00:11:00,525 all the way from high school and then into college. 245 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,395 [Spencer speaking] 246 00:11:03,429 --> 00:11:05,397 [detective speaking] 247 00:11:05,431 --> 00:11:06,665 [Spencer speaking] 248 00:11:06,699 --> 00:11:09,501 [dramatic music playing] 249 00:11:09,535 --> 00:11:11,036 [Mathews] According to Spencer, 250 00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:12,704 he and Jenna had a great relationship. 251 00:11:12,738 --> 00:11:14,839 They were in love and their joint plans 252 00:11:14,874 --> 00:11:16,808 were to later transfer to Texas State together 253 00:11:16,842 --> 00:11:19,878 so that they could be with each other. 254 00:11:19,912 --> 00:11:23,348 But we don't know if he was telling us the truth. 255 00:11:24,684 --> 00:11:27,018 [Fry] It's not uncommon for someone 256 00:11:27,053 --> 00:11:29,587 to give us indications that all is going well 257 00:11:29,622 --> 00:11:31,690 with their significant other. 258 00:11:31,724 --> 00:11:34,492 We take that with a grain of salt. 259 00:11:34,527 --> 00:11:36,461 [narrator] When detectives press Spencer 260 00:11:36,495 --> 00:11:38,797 for more details, he admits 261 00:11:38,864 --> 00:11:42,467 they had rocky times in their relationship. 262 00:11:42,501 --> 00:11:46,671 [Spencer speaking] 263 00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:49,374 [Arntfield] Given that Jenna and Spencer had broken up 264 00:11:49,408 --> 00:11:50,775 at least once before her murder, 265 00:11:50,810 --> 00:11:54,579 this opens up a realm of possible motives, 266 00:11:54,613 --> 00:11:57,782 jealousy, resentment, retribution for rejection 267 00:11:57,817 --> 00:12:02,420 or a perceived impending final break up. 268 00:12:02,455 --> 00:12:04,055 [Fry] At this point, we had to wait 269 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:05,657 until the autopsy was completed 270 00:12:05,691 --> 00:12:07,625 and we received all the evidence, 271 00:12:07,660 --> 00:12:09,761 but based on the fact that Spencer and Jenna 272 00:12:09,795 --> 00:12:12,630 were college students living very close to each other, 273 00:12:12,665 --> 00:12:14,566 we did have to look into the possibility 274 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,403 of sexual assault along with the homicide. 275 00:12:19,872 --> 00:12:22,574 Spencer indicated at times they were intimate. 276 00:12:22,608 --> 00:12:24,642 However, he was somewhat embarrassed 277 00:12:24,677 --> 00:12:27,278 during that conversation. 278 00:12:27,313 --> 00:12:33,184 [detective speaking] 279 00:12:33,219 --> 00:12:40,225 [Spencer speaking] 280 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:46,231 [detective speaking] 281 00:12:46,265 --> 00:12:47,332 [Spencer speaking] 282 00:12:47,366 --> 00:12:49,601 [detective speaking] 283 00:12:49,635 --> 00:12:54,739 [Spencer speaking] 284 00:12:54,774 --> 00:12:57,675 [Arntfield] As uncomfortable a topic as it may be, 285 00:12:57,710 --> 00:12:59,811 investigators need to question 286 00:12:59,845 --> 00:13:02,514 their sexual practices, the frequency, 287 00:13:02,548 --> 00:13:05,917 anything unusual that they may have engaged in. 288 00:13:05,951 --> 00:13:08,620 [narrator] As detectives continue to question Spencer 289 00:13:08,654 --> 00:13:12,357 about their relationship, he becomes anxious. 290 00:13:12,391 --> 00:13:14,259 [Spencer speaking] 291 00:13:14,293 --> 00:13:21,299 [detective speaking] 292 00:13:22,568 --> 00:13:24,402 [Spencer speaking] 293 00:13:26,906 --> 00:13:29,641 [narrator] Having established that Jenna was killed 294 00:13:29,675 --> 00:13:31,376 on Wednesday, April 9th, 295 00:13:31,410 --> 00:13:34,712 between 12:30 AM and 11:30 AM, 296 00:13:34,747 --> 00:13:37,448 detectives questioned Spencer about his whereabouts 297 00:13:37,483 --> 00:13:38,917 during this time. 298 00:13:38,951 --> 00:13:41,486 [Fry] Spencer told us that he was in his apartment 299 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,621 that night at the time that she was likely killed. 300 00:13:43,656 --> 00:13:46,691 [Mathews] Earlier that evening on April 8th, 301 00:13:46,725 --> 00:13:48,560 he and Jenna spent some together time 302 00:13:48,594 --> 00:13:51,396 till approximately midnight. 303 00:13:51,430 --> 00:13:52,864 [narrator] According to Spencer, 304 00:13:52,898 --> 00:13:56,768 Jenna was alive and well when he left the apartment. 305 00:13:56,802 --> 00:13:59,003 After Spencer arrived at his apartment, 306 00:13:59,038 --> 00:14:02,874 he called Jenna one last time around 12:30 AM. 307 00:14:02,908 --> 00:14:05,376 At 1:00 AM, Spencer's roommate Chad 308 00:14:05,411 --> 00:14:07,111 came out of his room, 309 00:14:07,146 --> 00:14:08,446 and he and Spencer had a quick chat. 310 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,215 And then approximately 2:00 AM, 311 00:14:10,249 --> 00:14:11,816 Spencer went to sleep. 312 00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:15,220 [narrator] The next morning, Spencer goes to class 313 00:14:15,254 --> 00:14:17,455 until 11:15 AM. 314 00:14:17,489 --> 00:14:20,625 Then he calls Jenna but there's no answer. 315 00:14:20,659 --> 00:14:22,894 He goes over to her apartment to check on her. 316 00:14:22,928 --> 00:14:27,232 Arrives at 11:30 and finds her body. 317 00:14:28,868 --> 00:14:31,636 [Mathews] Spencer told me that when he first found Jenna 318 00:14:31,670 --> 00:14:34,239 lying in the floor that she was, 319 00:14:34,273 --> 00:14:36,107 kind of, on her side. 320 00:14:36,141 --> 00:14:38,309 He rolled her on her back and that's when he realized 321 00:14:38,344 --> 00:14:40,511 that she was stiff. 322 00:14:40,546 --> 00:14:42,647 [Fry] Detective Mathews and I wanted to dig further 323 00:14:42,681 --> 00:14:44,549 into that to find out 324 00:14:44,583 --> 00:14:47,552 what the point of moving her was. 325 00:14:47,586 --> 00:14:48,686 [narrator] With Spencer's behavior 326 00:14:48,721 --> 00:14:50,788 becoming increasingly suspicious, 327 00:14:50,823 --> 00:14:54,559 detectives drill down on why he moved Jenna's body. 328 00:14:54,593 --> 00:14:56,494 [Mathews] Spencer told us that he thought 329 00:14:56,528 --> 00:14:58,563 that she was joking around with him. 330 00:14:58,597 --> 00:15:00,598 She was known to play pranks. 331 00:15:00,633 --> 00:15:04,802 So he called out her name. He didn't get an answer. 332 00:15:04,837 --> 00:15:07,672 [Fry] Spencer said that something did not feel right 333 00:15:07,706 --> 00:15:09,908 and he rolled her over and that's the point in time 334 00:15:09,942 --> 00:15:13,611 in which he realized that she was likely deceased. 335 00:15:13,646 --> 00:15:15,680 The explanation that he gave at that time 336 00:15:15,714 --> 00:15:17,515 seemed somewhat reasonable. 337 00:15:17,549 --> 00:15:20,785 However, it did require further investigation. 338 00:15:20,819 --> 00:15:23,388 We have to determine whether or not 339 00:15:23,422 --> 00:15:25,356 the crime scene has been altered 340 00:15:25,391 --> 00:15:27,558 by someone who is doing it intentionally 341 00:15:27,593 --> 00:15:31,095 or just someone who found her and was distraught. 342 00:15:32,698 --> 00:15:34,532 Detective Mathews and I did look into the fact 343 00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:36,634 that Spencer did not make the 911 call 344 00:15:36,669 --> 00:15:40,271 and rather had the neighbor and do that for him. 345 00:15:40,306 --> 00:15:41,572 It's an interesting question 346 00:15:41,607 --> 00:15:43,675 why Spencer wouldn't use his own cell phone 347 00:15:43,709 --> 00:15:46,144 when he discovers Jenna's body. 348 00:15:46,178 --> 00:15:47,445 Maybe he panics. 349 00:15:47,479 --> 00:15:49,681 Maybe he goes in search of help. 350 00:15:49,715 --> 00:15:53,351 Or maybe he's trying to stage the scene 351 00:15:53,385 --> 00:15:54,485 and distance himself from it 352 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,287 if he did have some involvement. 353 00:15:56,322 --> 00:15:57,855 [suspenseful music playing] 354 00:15:57,890 --> 00:15:59,824 [narrator] With Spencer now the prime suspect, 355 00:15:59,858 --> 00:16:03,795 detectives request a sample of his DNA. 356 00:16:03,829 --> 00:16:05,930 Spencer willingly gave a sample of his DNA 357 00:16:05,965 --> 00:16:07,865 and that was sent to the lab for a comparison 358 00:16:07,900 --> 00:16:10,535 to DNA that was found on Jenna's clothing 359 00:16:10,569 --> 00:16:12,804 and under her fingernails. 360 00:16:12,838 --> 00:16:15,707 [narrator] As detectives await the DNA results, 361 00:16:15,741 --> 00:16:19,510 they work to verify Spencer's alibi. 362 00:16:19,545 --> 00:16:21,746 [Fry] We did fact-check Spencer's story 363 00:16:21,780 --> 00:16:23,448 through his cell phone records. 364 00:16:23,482 --> 00:16:25,450 A phone call was made between he and Jenna 365 00:16:25,484 --> 00:16:27,518 around 9:20 PM. 366 00:16:27,553 --> 00:16:29,487 We also found that there was a phone call 367 00:16:29,521 --> 00:16:32,423 around 12:30, and again the next morning, 368 00:16:32,458 --> 00:16:34,759 around 11:15 or so. 369 00:16:34,793 --> 00:16:37,295 Detective Mathews and I went and spoke 370 00:16:37,329 --> 00:16:39,630 with his roommate Chad. 371 00:16:39,665 --> 00:16:41,399 In that interview, 372 00:16:41,433 --> 00:16:42,767 we did learn that on April 9th, 373 00:16:42,801 --> 00:16:44,702 Spencer had come home about midnight. 374 00:16:44,737 --> 00:16:48,239 Chad had been asleep and when Spencer got home, 375 00:16:48,273 --> 00:16:49,607 he woke up. 376 00:16:49,641 --> 00:16:51,609 They spoke until about 1:00 in the morning, 377 00:16:51,643 --> 00:16:55,380 when Spencer decided to go to bed until the morning. 378 00:16:55,414 --> 00:16:56,714 [Arntfield] It would not necessarily 379 00:16:56,749 --> 00:16:59,283 have been impossible for Spencer to loop back 380 00:16:59,318 --> 00:17:02,487 to Jenna's place in the morning and kill her. 381 00:17:02,521 --> 00:17:04,389 At the same time, there's no evidence 382 00:17:04,423 --> 00:17:06,624 that that's what happened. 383 00:17:06,658 --> 00:17:08,659 [Fry] Although the information seemed to indicate 384 00:17:08,694 --> 00:17:11,529 that Spencer's story was correct, 385 00:17:11,563 --> 00:17:14,499 we did still have to do further investigation. 386 00:17:14,533 --> 00:17:16,434 [narrator] In search of new evidence, 387 00:17:16,468 --> 00:17:19,203 investigators turn to the medical examiner 388 00:17:19,238 --> 00:17:20,671 on the case. 389 00:17:20,706 --> 00:17:22,573 [Fry] The autopsy did confirm it was a homicide. 390 00:17:22,608 --> 00:17:24,675 The doctor at that point was able to determine 391 00:17:24,710 --> 00:17:27,879 that there were no ligature marks indicating 392 00:17:27,913 --> 00:17:31,949 that an object such as a rope or a wire was used. 393 00:17:31,984 --> 00:17:34,385 Their best guess was that Jenna had died 394 00:17:34,420 --> 00:17:36,721 from manual strangulation. 395 00:17:36,755 --> 00:17:38,723 [narrator] Based on rigor and livor mortis, 396 00:17:38,757 --> 00:17:41,392 investigators are able to narrow down 397 00:17:41,427 --> 00:17:43,594 Jenna's window of death. 398 00:17:43,629 --> 00:17:44,929 [Fry] We believe her murder occurred 399 00:17:44,963 --> 00:17:49,901 sometime after 12:30 up to 1:00 in the morning. 400 00:17:50,869 --> 00:17:53,471 We received all the results from the lab 401 00:17:53,505 --> 00:17:55,406 that included the victim's clothing, 402 00:17:55,441 --> 00:17:56,808 the fingernail scrapings, 403 00:17:56,842 --> 00:17:59,844 as well as the sexual assault examination kit. 404 00:17:59,878 --> 00:18:03,181 The medical examiner and the lab 405 00:18:03,215 --> 00:18:04,515 did not find any evidence 406 00:18:04,550 --> 00:18:05,917 of sexual assault in this case. 407 00:18:05,951 --> 00:18:09,153 [narrator] The results also provide new key evidence 408 00:18:09,188 --> 00:18:10,421 about the crime. 409 00:18:10,456 --> 00:18:11,756 [Mathews] The assessment determined 410 00:18:11,790 --> 00:18:15,827 that most of the DNA belonged to one person. 411 00:18:15,861 --> 00:18:19,464 [Fry] The lab was able to retrieve unknown male DNA 412 00:18:19,498 --> 00:18:21,632 from underneath the fingernails 413 00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:23,334 from the fingernail scrapings 414 00:18:23,368 --> 00:18:25,136 that were taken from the victim. 415 00:18:25,170 --> 00:18:27,472 And the small blood drops on the collar 416 00:18:27,506 --> 00:18:30,108 of the victim's shirt. 417 00:18:30,142 --> 00:18:31,542 [Jenna shrieks] 418 00:18:31,577 --> 00:18:33,778 [Fry] The presence of male DNA under her fingernails 419 00:18:33,812 --> 00:18:36,581 as well as that same male DNA on her shirt 420 00:18:36,648 --> 00:18:38,449 let us know Jenna had certainly fought 421 00:18:38,484 --> 00:18:40,585 with her attacker. 422 00:18:40,619 --> 00:18:42,653 [narrator] With the killer's DNA on file, 423 00:18:42,688 --> 00:18:44,589 investigators can now match it 424 00:18:44,623 --> 00:18:46,691 with potential suspects in the case. 425 00:18:46,725 --> 00:18:49,660 They begin with Spencer's DNA. 426 00:18:49,695 --> 00:18:51,762 [Fry] After getting lab results, 427 00:18:51,797 --> 00:18:54,565 we learned that Spencer was not a match 428 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:56,534 to either the blood on the collar 429 00:18:56,568 --> 00:18:59,270 or the fingernail scrapings. 430 00:18:59,304 --> 00:19:00,571 So at that point, 431 00:19:00,606 --> 00:19:03,341 we eliminated him as a suspect. 432 00:19:03,375 --> 00:19:04,642 Spencer may have been eliminated 433 00:19:04,676 --> 00:19:07,512 from the investigation as a person of interest, 434 00:19:07,546 --> 00:19:10,414 but the DNA is still huge. 435 00:19:10,449 --> 00:19:13,417 If police can link that DNA to an offender, 436 00:19:13,452 --> 00:19:16,154 that's the case. 437 00:19:18,724 --> 00:19:21,459 [suspenseful music playing] 438 00:19:21,493 --> 00:19:23,361 [narrator] In the murder of 20 year-old 439 00:19:23,395 --> 00:19:24,762 Jenna Verhaalen, 440 00:19:24,796 --> 00:19:27,498 investigators have discovered unknown male DNA 441 00:19:27,533 --> 00:19:29,500 at the crime scene that they believe 442 00:19:29,535 --> 00:19:31,402 belongs to her killer. 443 00:19:32,638 --> 00:19:34,650 With no potential suspects, 444 00:19:34,674 --> 00:19:37,575 police turn to the community for help. 445 00:19:37,609 --> 00:19:39,510 [Fry] One of the first steps that we took 446 00:19:39,545 --> 00:19:40,778 during the investigation 447 00:19:40,812 --> 00:19:44,515 was to canvass the apartment complex. 448 00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:47,652 We find with most homicide cases, 449 00:19:47,686 --> 00:19:49,387 the victim knows the perpetrator. 450 00:19:49,421 --> 00:19:50,755 So at this point, we started focusing 451 00:19:50,789 --> 00:19:53,224 on the people that were most likely 452 00:19:53,258 --> 00:19:55,159 to be associated with Jenna. 453 00:19:56,461 --> 00:19:58,462 [Arntfield] If someone had been watching her, 454 00:19:58,497 --> 00:20:00,631 studying her movements, stalking her, 455 00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:02,500 it was very likely someone 456 00:20:02,534 --> 00:20:04,669 within that same apartment complex. 457 00:20:04,703 --> 00:20:08,472 You're still looking for a needle in a haystack. 458 00:20:08,507 --> 00:20:10,575 [narrator] After talking with dozens of people 459 00:20:10,609 --> 00:20:12,710 in the complex and surrounding areas, 460 00:20:12,744 --> 00:20:15,379 police get a lead from Blinn College student, 461 00:20:15,414 --> 00:20:17,682 Laura Saunders. 462 00:20:17,716 --> 00:20:19,695 [Fry] The night that the murder occurred, 463 00:20:19,719 --> 00:20:22,620 she and several of her friends were outside the building 464 00:20:22,654 --> 00:20:24,488 where Jenna lived, around midnight 465 00:20:24,523 --> 00:20:26,424 to well after 1:00 in the morning 466 00:20:26,458 --> 00:20:28,693 playing volleyball. 467 00:20:28,727 --> 00:20:30,661 Laura said a white male came walking up 468 00:20:30,696 --> 00:20:33,297 from between Jenna's apartment 469 00:20:33,332 --> 00:20:34,532 and another apartment. 470 00:20:34,566 --> 00:20:37,768 His demeanor was so angry and disturbing 471 00:20:37,803 --> 00:20:41,706 that they actually halted their volleyball game. 472 00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:45,209 We did go talk to the other volleyball players as well. 473 00:20:45,244 --> 00:20:48,879 Those players also backed Laura's story up. 474 00:20:48,914 --> 00:20:50,548 Based on the information about what time 475 00:20:50,582 --> 00:20:52,316 the male had walked through there 476 00:20:52,351 --> 00:20:53,784 and the direction that he was coming from, 477 00:20:53,819 --> 00:20:56,821 we did feel important to try to determine who he was. 478 00:20:57,789 --> 00:21:00,491 [narrator] Detectives consider a new theory. 479 00:21:00,525 --> 00:21:01,692 Could this mystery man 480 00:21:01,727 --> 00:21:03,527 be behind Jenna's murder? 481 00:21:03,562 --> 00:21:05,596 [suspense music playing] 482 00:21:05,631 --> 00:21:06,831 After speaking with the volleyball players 483 00:21:06,865 --> 00:21:08,766 and the description they gave us about the male, 484 00:21:08,834 --> 00:21:10,801 Detective Mathews and I were able to make 485 00:21:10,836 --> 00:21:13,704 the determination that that person matched 486 00:21:13,739 --> 00:21:15,473 fairly closely with another resident 487 00:21:15,507 --> 00:21:17,475 called Sean. 488 00:21:17,509 --> 00:21:18,743 He was a 27-year-old student 489 00:21:18,777 --> 00:21:22,446 at Blinn College living in those apartments. 490 00:21:22,481 --> 00:21:25,616 Sean was known to us through his prior record 491 00:21:25,651 --> 00:21:27,485 for a violent crime. 492 00:21:27,519 --> 00:21:29,620 [Mathews] He was accused of assaulting someone 493 00:21:29,655 --> 00:21:30,855 at a local store. 494 00:21:31,990 --> 00:21:34,625 [narrator] Detectives look closer at Sean Underwood 495 00:21:34,660 --> 00:21:36,527 as a potential suspect, 496 00:21:36,561 --> 00:21:40,331 and quickly discover a disturbing detail. 497 00:21:40,365 --> 00:21:43,567 Jenna's apartment was directly across 498 00:21:43,602 --> 00:21:45,202 a small courtyard 499 00:21:45,237 --> 00:21:46,504 from where Sean lived. 500 00:21:46,538 --> 00:21:47,705 Jenna was on the first floor 501 00:21:47,739 --> 00:21:50,408 and Sean was on the second. 502 00:21:50,442 --> 00:21:51,709 It would be very easy for him 503 00:21:51,743 --> 00:21:54,979 to step out on to his balcony 504 00:21:55,013 --> 00:21:58,115 and look right down upon Jenna Verhaalen's apartment. 505 00:22:00,552 --> 00:22:02,987 [Arntfield] This is a break. Police had been looking 506 00:22:03,021 --> 00:22:05,222 for somebody who may have known Jenna's movements, 507 00:22:05,257 --> 00:22:07,158 who knew her routine. 508 00:22:07,192 --> 00:22:09,660 Very likely someone in that apartment complex 509 00:22:09,695 --> 00:22:11,796 and Sean, as it turns out, 510 00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:13,831 would have had a direct sightline to her apartment 511 00:22:13,865 --> 00:22:17,234 and could have been stalking and monitoring her movements 512 00:22:17,269 --> 00:22:19,303 without her even knowing it. 513 00:22:20,839 --> 00:22:23,341 [narrator] Investigators pay Sean a visit 514 00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:25,376 at his apartment. 515 00:22:25,410 --> 00:22:26,877 [Fry] While speaking to Sean, 516 00:22:26,912 --> 00:22:28,579 we did notice another male walking around 517 00:22:28,613 --> 00:22:30,381 the apartment. 518 00:22:31,450 --> 00:22:33,284 Sean identified the other male 519 00:22:33,318 --> 00:22:34,852 as his brother, Justin. 520 00:22:35,654 --> 00:22:37,688 [Mathews] Justin was visiting Sean 521 00:22:37,723 --> 00:22:41,058 on April 8th and April 9th. 522 00:22:42,461 --> 00:22:44,362 [Fry] Both Justin and Sean 523 00:22:44,396 --> 00:22:45,563 matched the physical description 524 00:22:45,597 --> 00:22:49,433 given by the volleyball players, 525 00:22:49,468 --> 00:22:52,603 so both of them fit as a possible suspect 526 00:22:52,637 --> 00:22:54,372 - for this case. - [muffled scream] 527 00:22:56,108 --> 00:22:58,342 [narrator] As police continue to question the residents 528 00:22:58,377 --> 00:23:00,144 about the Underwood brothers, 529 00:23:00,178 --> 00:23:02,713 more alarming details emerged. 530 00:23:03,648 --> 00:23:05,549 We learned through other female residents, 531 00:23:05,584 --> 00:23:08,552 Sean and Justin had been verbally harassing 532 00:23:08,587 --> 00:23:10,654 - many of the residents. - [Mathews] Speaking 533 00:23:10,689 --> 00:23:13,324 with people throughout that apartment community, 534 00:23:13,358 --> 00:23:15,559 we found that Sean was known 535 00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:16,827 as a heavy drinker. 536 00:23:17,896 --> 00:23:20,664 [Fry] We also found out there are several times 537 00:23:20,699 --> 00:23:22,466 where Sean had stood on his balcony 538 00:23:22,501 --> 00:23:24,869 and made rude and snide comments 539 00:23:24,903 --> 00:23:26,871 to Jenna as she walked through her apartment. 540 00:23:27,739 --> 00:23:30,141 The verbal harassment had occurred 541 00:23:30,175 --> 00:23:32,109 several times. 542 00:23:33,111 --> 00:23:34,745 [Arntfield] In criminology, Jenna could be 543 00:23:34,780 --> 00:23:37,448 what we call the "targeted stranger." 544 00:23:37,482 --> 00:23:41,552 The victim is the target for the offender. 545 00:23:41,586 --> 00:23:43,521 But the victim doesn't even know 546 00:23:43,555 --> 00:23:45,589 that they're on their radar. 547 00:23:46,758 --> 00:23:49,160 [narrator] With the two brothers in their crosshairs, 548 00:23:49,194 --> 00:23:51,729 investigators returned to Sean's apartment 549 00:23:51,763 --> 00:23:54,565 to bring them in for questioning. 550 00:23:54,599 --> 00:23:56,700 [Fry] Detective Mathews and I went to the apartment 551 00:23:56,768 --> 00:23:59,804 and we learned that they had returned back to Oklahoma. 552 00:23:59,838 --> 00:24:03,541 Certainly, that would raise a big red flag for us 553 00:24:03,575 --> 00:24:05,743 in the fact that we were looking into a murder 554 00:24:05,777 --> 00:24:08,813 and then suddenly they leave town. 555 00:24:08,847 --> 00:24:10,815 [narrator] Police tracked down the two brothers 556 00:24:10,849 --> 00:24:14,218 at their parents' house in Oklahoma. 557 00:24:14,252 --> 00:24:15,419 [Fry] Both brothers agreed 558 00:24:15,454 --> 00:24:17,421 to be questioned about the case. 559 00:24:17,456 --> 00:24:19,590 And we've asked them for their DNA. 560 00:24:19,624 --> 00:24:21,959 The DNA samples relayed to the lab 561 00:24:21,993 --> 00:24:25,095 for comparison to the suspect's DNA. 562 00:24:26,231 --> 00:24:28,432 [narrator] The detectives question Sean Underwood 563 00:24:28,467 --> 00:24:30,334 about his whereabouts during the time 564 00:24:30,368 --> 00:24:31,669 Jenna was killed. 565 00:24:31,703 --> 00:24:33,404 [Fry] The night of the murder, 566 00:24:33,438 --> 00:24:34,672 Sean said that he had been out 567 00:24:34,706 --> 00:24:36,640 with his brother around 9:00 PM. 568 00:24:36,675 --> 00:24:38,542 And they had gone out bar hopping 569 00:24:38,577 --> 00:24:40,611 all night long and did not return 570 00:24:40,645 --> 00:24:42,847 until the morning. 571 00:24:42,881 --> 00:24:44,582 He indicated that he did not have much recollection 572 00:24:44,616 --> 00:24:46,684 of what occurred that night 573 00:24:46,718 --> 00:24:48,919 because of his extreme intoxication. 574 00:24:48,954 --> 00:24:51,489 [Arntfield] If you know that you're now involved 575 00:24:51,523 --> 00:24:53,424 in a murder investigation, 576 00:24:53,458 --> 00:24:56,494 you would damn well start thinking hard 577 00:24:56,528 --> 00:24:58,929 about where you were on that day. 578 00:24:58,964 --> 00:25:00,531 That kind of offhand disregard 579 00:25:00,565 --> 00:25:02,800 and cavalier approach 580 00:25:02,834 --> 00:25:05,202 is naturally gonna raise suspicion. 581 00:25:06,705 --> 00:25:08,772 [narrator] Detectives interviewed Justin next 582 00:25:08,807 --> 00:25:11,809 and immediately noticed something unusual. 583 00:25:12,811 --> 00:25:15,412 [Fry] Justin had a bruising under his eye 584 00:25:15,447 --> 00:25:17,348 as well as other places 585 00:25:17,382 --> 00:25:18,716 and that his explanation for that 586 00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:20,584 was that he got into a fight 587 00:25:20,619 --> 00:25:22,853 while they were bar hopping that night. 588 00:25:23,822 --> 00:25:26,357 Knowing what we knew about the way Jenna 589 00:25:26,391 --> 00:25:28,292 was killed with her attacker, 590 00:25:28,326 --> 00:25:31,896 strangling her in a struggle. 591 00:25:31,930 --> 00:25:34,999 That certainly piqued our interest into him. 592 00:25:35,901 --> 00:25:37,234 [narrator] With Justin now at the top 593 00:25:37,269 --> 00:25:38,602 of their suspect list, 594 00:25:38,637 --> 00:25:40,437 police dig into his movements 595 00:25:40,472 --> 00:25:42,673 on the night of Jenna's murder. 596 00:25:42,707 --> 00:25:45,476 [Fry] Justin had arrived at the apartment complex 597 00:25:45,510 --> 00:25:47,745 just one day prior to Jenna's death 598 00:25:47,779 --> 00:25:49,380 to visit his brother Sean 599 00:25:49,414 --> 00:25:51,615 and had planned to stay for two weeks. 600 00:25:51,650 --> 00:25:54,184 He left shortly after her murder 601 00:25:54,219 --> 00:25:55,553 and gone back to Tulsa. 602 00:25:56,521 --> 00:25:57,855 [Mathews] Justin told us that he was nowhere 603 00:25:57,889 --> 00:25:59,823 near the complex on the night of the murder 604 00:25:59,858 --> 00:26:02,293 or the day that Jenna was found 605 00:26:02,327 --> 00:26:04,929 because he was partying. 606 00:26:04,963 --> 00:26:06,864 [Roots Gadhia] Justin offered up his debit card 607 00:26:06,898 --> 00:26:09,567 in order to prove that he'd been out partying 608 00:26:09,601 --> 00:26:11,702 having spent significant money 609 00:26:11,736 --> 00:26:14,738 at the bars up to about $3,000. 610 00:26:15,907 --> 00:26:18,609 [narrator] Officers look into Justin's bank statements 611 00:26:18,643 --> 00:26:21,545 and debit charges to verify his whereabouts 612 00:26:21,580 --> 00:26:25,349 in the hours surrounding Jenna's murder. 613 00:26:25,383 --> 00:26:28,619 We did learn through receipts that both brothers had been 614 00:26:28,653 --> 00:26:29,820 to several bars. 615 00:26:29,854 --> 00:26:31,822 The timeframe we were looking into 616 00:26:31,856 --> 00:26:34,391 matched very closely to what they had given us 617 00:26:34,426 --> 00:26:36,293 as far as being at different bars 618 00:26:36,328 --> 00:26:37,628 throughout the night 619 00:26:37,662 --> 00:26:39,530 from around 9:00 to that next morning. 620 00:26:39,564 --> 00:26:41,265 At that point, the information 621 00:26:41,299 --> 00:26:42,533 did seem to support the fact 622 00:26:42,567 --> 00:26:44,535 that they would not have been around 623 00:26:44,569 --> 00:26:47,338 Jenna's apartment at the time that she was likely killed. 624 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,875 The lab was able to test the DNA from Sean and Justin 625 00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:55,379 and compared that to the DNA of the unknown suspect 626 00:26:55,413 --> 00:26:57,781 that we had from Jenna's clothing 627 00:26:57,816 --> 00:26:59,416 as well as the fingernail scrapings. 628 00:27:02,053 --> 00:27:04,388 We learned that neither brother was a match 629 00:27:04,422 --> 00:27:06,457 for our suspect. 630 00:27:07,559 --> 00:27:09,960 [narrator] With the Underwood brothers eliminated 631 00:27:09,995 --> 00:27:12,162 as suspects, the investigation 632 00:27:12,197 --> 00:27:14,465 hits another dead end. 633 00:27:14,499 --> 00:27:16,233 [Fry] Unfortunately, we were at a loss 634 00:27:16,267 --> 00:27:17,601 for what could have happened 635 00:27:17,636 --> 00:27:19,403 and we didn't have any suspects. 636 00:27:19,437 --> 00:27:23,207 [suspense music playing] 637 00:27:25,910 --> 00:27:28,278 [narrator] In an attempt to crack the case, 638 00:27:28,313 --> 00:27:30,648 detectives use a new strategy. 639 00:27:31,616 --> 00:27:33,417 [Arntfield] So investigators make a plan 640 00:27:33,451 --> 00:27:34,485 to trap the killer. 641 00:27:34,519 --> 00:27:35,519 They conduct what's known 642 00:27:35,553 --> 00:27:36,620 as a DNA dragnet. 643 00:27:36,655 --> 00:27:38,689 They have the offender's DNA, 644 00:27:38,723 --> 00:27:39,757 they know it's a male, so they start 645 00:27:39,791 --> 00:27:41,625 going door to door to every apartment 646 00:27:41,660 --> 00:27:44,428 in the complex taking voluntary samples 647 00:27:44,462 --> 00:27:46,163 from male residents. 648 00:27:47,098 --> 00:27:49,566 The hope is the DNA leads them directly 649 00:27:49,601 --> 00:27:51,602 to Jenna's killer at his front door. 650 00:27:52,871 --> 00:27:55,472 [Mathews] We were working off the theory that the suspect 651 00:27:55,507 --> 00:27:57,341 could be someone that was local 652 00:27:57,375 --> 00:27:59,009 to that apartment community 653 00:27:59,044 --> 00:28:00,577 that knew the apartment complex 654 00:28:00,612 --> 00:28:03,347 or possibly even Jenna. 655 00:28:04,649 --> 00:28:07,117 [Arntfield] But it turns out that when all the DNA samples 656 00:28:07,152 --> 00:28:09,753 from all the males living at Autumn Woods come back, 657 00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:13,257 none are a match to the sample left at the crime scene. 658 00:28:13,291 --> 00:28:14,725 [screams] 659 00:28:14,759 --> 00:28:17,561 So this is a huge setback. But the investigators, 660 00:28:17,595 --> 00:28:19,396 They're not going to stop. 661 00:28:19,431 --> 00:28:20,397 They're going to ensure 662 00:28:20,432 --> 00:28:22,232 justice for Jenna. 663 00:28:25,904 --> 00:28:27,071 - [birds chirping] - [dramatic music playing] 664 00:28:27,105 --> 00:28:29,373 [narrator] In the senseless murder of college freshman, 665 00:28:29,407 --> 00:28:30,374 Jenna Verhaalen, 666 00:28:30,408 --> 00:28:31,742 all leads have dried up 667 00:28:31,776 --> 00:28:34,611 and investigators are back to square one. 668 00:28:34,646 --> 00:28:36,647 Determined to solve the case, 669 00:28:36,681 --> 00:28:39,717 police turned to Jenna's family for help. 670 00:28:39,751 --> 00:28:41,952 [Mathews] Steven and I drove to Wimberley, Texas 671 00:28:41,986 --> 00:28:43,821 and spoke with Jenna's parents. 672 00:28:43,855 --> 00:28:46,590 They relayed to us, Jenna told them earlier 673 00:28:46,624 --> 00:28:48,659 in the year that while she was living alone, 674 00:28:48,693 --> 00:28:50,494 she started noticing 675 00:28:50,528 --> 00:28:53,063 items being moved in her apartment. 676 00:28:54,899 --> 00:28:57,534 [narrator] This wasn't the only suspicious activity 677 00:28:57,569 --> 00:28:59,369 in Jenna's home. 678 00:29:00,605 --> 00:29:02,773 [Fry] A couple months prior to the murder, 679 00:29:03,842 --> 00:29:06,610 a maintenance man had come into the apartment 680 00:29:06,644 --> 00:29:08,378 to do some maintenance work 681 00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,581 and Jenna was in the shower. 682 00:29:10,615 --> 00:29:13,217 [intense music playing] 683 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:16,787 [Fry] Jenna told her mother 684 00:29:16,821 --> 00:29:18,922 that she'd come out of the shower 685 00:29:18,957 --> 00:29:21,158 and the man was standing in her living room. 686 00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:23,727 She was very upset 687 00:29:23,762 --> 00:29:26,730 and the maintenance man left. 688 00:29:27,665 --> 00:29:29,433 That would be a very disturbing situation 689 00:29:29,467 --> 00:29:31,468 for anyone to come out of a shower 690 00:29:31,503 --> 00:29:33,303 and find somebody unknown to you 691 00:29:33,338 --> 00:29:34,772 standing in your home. 692 00:29:35,807 --> 00:29:38,375 [Gadhia] It's very possible for an individual 693 00:29:38,409 --> 00:29:39,710 to become obsessed with someone 694 00:29:39,744 --> 00:29:42,880 that they've seen only briefly. 695 00:29:43,681 --> 00:29:45,616 In the circumstances surrounding Jenna 696 00:29:45,650 --> 00:29:48,418 being in the shower when this man intruded 697 00:29:48,453 --> 00:29:50,788 into her apartment, it might have started off 698 00:29:50,822 --> 00:29:54,558 as a desire to wanna be with her, 699 00:29:54,592 --> 00:29:56,560 and that parlays itself 700 00:29:56,594 --> 00:29:58,362 into a full blown 701 00:29:58,396 --> 00:30:02,399 stalker style obsession. 702 00:30:04,269 --> 00:30:06,537 [narrator] Detectives head to the apartment complex 703 00:30:06,571 --> 00:30:08,639 to gather more information. 704 00:30:08,673 --> 00:30:10,440 [Mathews] We decided to start looking 705 00:30:10,475 --> 00:30:12,109 into the maintenance workers. 706 00:30:12,143 --> 00:30:14,278 We were able to find that the maintenance workers 707 00:30:14,312 --> 00:30:16,313 had access to the lockbox 708 00:30:16,347 --> 00:30:19,817 that contained keys to each of the individual apartments. 709 00:30:19,851 --> 00:30:21,618 [Fry] We learned through the management 710 00:30:21,653 --> 00:30:23,620 around the timeframe that we were looking at, 711 00:30:23,655 --> 00:30:26,390 only two maintenance workers were currently there, 712 00:30:26,424 --> 00:30:28,692 Emrick and Jeremiah. 713 00:30:28,726 --> 00:30:30,260 [Mathews] Emrick was the supervisor 714 00:30:30,295 --> 00:30:31,728 over Jeremy at the time, 715 00:30:31,763 --> 00:30:33,864 so he was responsible for giving Jeremy direction 716 00:30:33,898 --> 00:30:36,433 on where he should be going, which apartments 717 00:30:36,467 --> 00:30:38,035 he should be taking care of. 718 00:30:39,704 --> 00:30:42,506 [narrator] Investigators track down Emrick Muller 719 00:30:42,540 --> 00:30:44,575 and bring him in for questioning. 720 00:30:45,610 --> 00:30:47,711 [Fry] He was able to tell us that he had in fact 721 00:30:47,745 --> 00:30:49,446 been a maintenance man there. 722 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,415 Emrick was aware of the time 723 00:30:51,449 --> 00:30:53,217 where Jenna found the maintenance worker 724 00:30:53,251 --> 00:30:55,419 inside of her apartment. 725 00:30:55,453 --> 00:30:57,521 He said it was Jeremiah Rosser 726 00:30:57,555 --> 00:31:00,724 and he had gotten Jeremiah the job there. 727 00:31:00,758 --> 00:31:02,793 Jeremiah had a work order over there for that day. 728 00:31:02,827 --> 00:31:06,597 And Emrick said that they had apologized. 729 00:31:06,631 --> 00:31:09,433 We did ask Emrick the details of where he was 730 00:31:09,467 --> 00:31:10,734 the night Jenna was killed 731 00:31:10,768 --> 00:31:13,804 and it seemed that from 9:00 PM 732 00:31:13,838 --> 00:31:16,640 to 11:30 of that morning on the 9th, 733 00:31:16,674 --> 00:31:18,642 he was at home, and we're able to confirm that 734 00:31:18,676 --> 00:31:20,277 through his family. 735 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,815 Emrick consented to giving a sample of DNA 736 00:31:24,849 --> 00:31:28,518 and that sample was relayed to the lab. 737 00:31:28,553 --> 00:31:30,554 - It was not a match. - [narrator] Then, 738 00:31:30,588 --> 00:31:32,322 detectives turned their attention 739 00:31:32,357 --> 00:31:34,224 to maintenance man, Jeremiah, 740 00:31:34,259 --> 00:31:36,426 also known as Jeremy Rosser. 741 00:31:36,461 --> 00:31:38,028 [Fry] We informed him that we were working 742 00:31:38,062 --> 00:31:39,930 a murder investigation and inquired 743 00:31:39,964 --> 00:31:43,233 about his employment with the apartment complex. 744 00:31:43,268 --> 00:31:44,468 Jeremy Rosser confirmed 745 00:31:44,502 --> 00:31:46,303 that he had been employed there 746 00:31:46,337 --> 00:31:47,905 approximately four months. 747 00:31:47,939 --> 00:31:50,507 [narrator] Detectives asked Jeremy for details 748 00:31:50,541 --> 00:31:51,508 about that day when he entered 749 00:31:51,542 --> 00:31:52,776 Jenna's apartment 750 00:31:52,810 --> 00:31:55,746 while Jenna was in the shower. 751 00:31:55,780 --> 00:31:58,582 [Mathews] He explained to us that he was sent over there 752 00:31:58,616 --> 00:31:59,683 to paint one of the rooms 753 00:31:59,717 --> 00:32:01,518 and she came out of the shower. 754 00:32:01,552 --> 00:32:03,287 He had no idea that she was in the shower 755 00:32:03,321 --> 00:32:05,122 and then he'd left immediately. 756 00:32:06,591 --> 00:32:07,925 [Fry] He said he knocked on the door, 757 00:32:07,959 --> 00:32:11,395 didn't hear anybody respond, so he just let himself in 758 00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:14,932 with the keys that they had at the apartment complex. 759 00:32:14,966 --> 00:32:17,301 Jeremy explained this incident as just being 760 00:32:17,335 --> 00:32:19,202 a big misunderstanding. 761 00:32:19,237 --> 00:32:20,437 Said that he apologized. 762 00:32:21,539 --> 00:32:24,341 [Mathews] Jeremy seemed honest with his answers. 763 00:32:24,375 --> 00:32:25,475 There was nothing that sent off 764 00:32:25,510 --> 00:32:26,610 any kind of red flags 765 00:32:26,644 --> 00:32:28,378 while we were talking to him. 766 00:32:29,414 --> 00:32:30,714 [narrator] Detectives asked Jeremy 767 00:32:30,748 --> 00:32:32,449 about his activities in the hours 768 00:32:32,483 --> 00:32:34,518 surrounding Jenna's murder. 769 00:32:34,552 --> 00:32:36,787 [Fry] We inquired with Jeremy about where he was 770 00:32:36,821 --> 00:32:38,855 on the 8th of April and he did tell us 771 00:32:38,890 --> 00:32:41,425 that he had been at work at the apartment complex 772 00:32:41,459 --> 00:32:44,494 from around 9:00 to 5:00 in the evening. 773 00:32:44,529 --> 00:32:45,762 After that, he went home. 774 00:32:45,797 --> 00:32:47,764 He said he was scheduled to work again 775 00:32:47,799 --> 00:32:49,833 on the 9th the following day. 776 00:32:49,867 --> 00:32:53,337 However, he did not show up and quit 777 00:32:53,371 --> 00:32:55,539 his employment with the apartments. 778 00:32:55,573 --> 00:32:57,441 That was something that certainly increased 779 00:32:57,475 --> 00:32:58,775 our interest in him. 780 00:32:58,810 --> 00:33:02,646 It did require further investigation. 781 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,614 [narrator] As detectives wrap up their interview 782 00:33:04,649 --> 00:33:06,616 with Jeremy, they ask him 783 00:33:06,651 --> 00:33:09,653 to provide a DNA sample. 784 00:33:09,687 --> 00:33:11,922 [Fry] We explained to him that we did have suspect DNA 785 00:33:11,956 --> 00:33:14,891 from the scene that we wanted to compare to. 786 00:33:14,926 --> 00:33:17,894 He was very calm, was willing to give a sample, 787 00:33:17,929 --> 00:33:21,331 and we did send that sample off for testing. 788 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,435 [narrator] As detectives await the results from the lab, 789 00:33:25,470 --> 00:33:27,371 they conduct an experiment of their own 790 00:33:27,405 --> 00:33:29,139 at Jenna's apartment. 791 00:33:29,173 --> 00:33:31,341 [Fry] After learning that Jeremy did not return 792 00:33:31,376 --> 00:33:32,976 to work at the apartment complex, 793 00:33:33,011 --> 00:33:34,644 that raised some red flags for us. 794 00:33:35,847 --> 00:33:38,548 [Mathews] We actually got one of the apartment managers 795 00:33:38,583 --> 00:33:41,518 to allow us into the apartment. 796 00:33:41,552 --> 00:33:43,453 We stood at the front door 797 00:33:43,488 --> 00:33:45,555 and while she turned on the shower, 798 00:33:45,590 --> 00:33:47,724 we were actually able to hear the shower running 799 00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:50,794 with the bathroom door closed. 800 00:33:50,828 --> 00:33:52,496 It would have been obvious to anyone 801 00:33:52,530 --> 00:33:53,730 who entered that apartment 802 00:33:53,765 --> 00:33:55,799 that someone was in the shower. 803 00:33:56,734 --> 00:33:58,502 [Fry] There's no way that Jeremy Rosser 804 00:33:58,536 --> 00:34:00,470 did not hear that somebody 805 00:34:00,505 --> 00:34:02,406 was inside the apartment in the shower 806 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,107 when he made entry. 807 00:34:04,709 --> 00:34:06,476 That was a major concern 808 00:34:06,511 --> 00:34:08,912 for both Detective Mathews and I. 809 00:34:08,946 --> 00:34:11,481 That led us to believe Jeremy was certainly lying to us 810 00:34:11,516 --> 00:34:13,784 about that situation. 811 00:34:14,585 --> 00:34:16,286 [narrator] With suspicion swirling 812 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,088 around Jeremy Rosser, 813 00:34:18,122 --> 00:34:20,924 detectives dig deeper into his background. 814 00:34:21,826 --> 00:34:23,260 [Fry] One of the things that we did 815 00:34:23,294 --> 00:34:24,294 after being told lies 816 00:34:24,328 --> 00:34:25,695 from Jeremy Rosser 817 00:34:25,730 --> 00:34:29,032 was to inquire about who he was. 818 00:34:31,569 --> 00:34:33,403 One of the ways we did that was by meeting 819 00:34:33,438 --> 00:34:35,505 with his ex-wife, Amanda. 820 00:34:35,540 --> 00:34:37,541 I was struck by the way that she looked 821 00:34:37,575 --> 00:34:39,576 very, very similar to Jenna 822 00:34:39,610 --> 00:34:42,779 in both her size and stature. 823 00:34:42,814 --> 00:34:44,414 [Stockdale] He said that Jenna resembled 824 00:34:44,449 --> 00:34:46,983 Jeremy's ex-wife. 825 00:34:47,018 --> 00:34:50,187 Is he projecting his feelings from that relationship 826 00:34:50,221 --> 00:34:51,788 on Jenna? 827 00:34:51,823 --> 00:34:54,891 Is this how she became a symbolic target? 828 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,461 [Mathews] Amanda told us Jeremy came 829 00:34:57,495 --> 00:34:58,962 from a religious family 830 00:34:58,996 --> 00:35:00,297 and the two of them got married 831 00:35:00,331 --> 00:35:01,398 when they were young. 832 00:35:01,432 --> 00:35:02,766 Their marriage ultimately 833 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:04,468 ended in divorce. 834 00:35:04,502 --> 00:35:06,603 [narrator] Amanda then shares with police 835 00:35:06,637 --> 00:35:07,771 how Jeremy had been violent 836 00:35:07,805 --> 00:35:10,407 towards the end of their marriage. 837 00:35:11,409 --> 00:35:13,510 [Fry] We learned from Amanda that, uh, 838 00:35:13,544 --> 00:35:15,479 Jeremy had assaulted her 839 00:35:15,513 --> 00:35:17,681 and choked her during that assault. 840 00:35:17,715 --> 00:35:20,450 Certainly that information led us to believe 841 00:35:20,485 --> 00:35:22,719 he is capable of the same type of thing 842 00:35:22,753 --> 00:35:25,622 - with Jenna. - [Jenna cries] 843 00:35:26,757 --> 00:35:29,793 [Arntfield] Violence towards women is learned behavior. 844 00:35:29,827 --> 00:35:33,563 If a man is a batterer and physically abusive, 845 00:35:33,598 --> 00:35:35,565 the best indicator of behavior 846 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:37,267 is past behavior. 847 00:35:37,301 --> 00:35:38,435 That type of violence 848 00:35:38,469 --> 00:35:39,970 operates along a spectrum. 849 00:35:40,004 --> 00:35:41,771 It can very quickly escalate to murder 850 00:35:41,806 --> 00:35:44,274 faster than I think most people realize. 851 00:35:45,476 --> 00:35:46,643 Jeremy could have been responsible 852 00:35:46,677 --> 00:35:48,979 for Jenna's murder. 853 00:35:52,316 --> 00:35:54,451 [narrator] Having learned that Jeremy choked his ex-wife 854 00:35:54,485 --> 00:35:56,253 in the middle of a fight, 855 00:35:56,287 --> 00:35:58,588 detectives work a new theory. 856 00:35:58,623 --> 00:36:01,525 Could his violent history have reemerged with Jenna? 857 00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:04,928 This time, with deadly consequences. 858 00:36:05,796 --> 00:36:07,464 [Fry] When we received confirmation 859 00:36:07,532 --> 00:36:10,100 back from the lab that Jeremy's DNA 860 00:36:10,134 --> 00:36:11,568 matched 100% 861 00:36:11,636 --> 00:36:13,570 the DNA that was found on Jenna's clothing 862 00:36:13,604 --> 00:36:16,039 and under her fingernails. 863 00:36:16,073 --> 00:36:17,807 [narrator] Investigators now have crucial 864 00:36:17,842 --> 00:36:20,710 physical evidence that connects Jeremy Rosser 865 00:36:20,745 --> 00:36:23,547 to the murder of Jenna Verhaalen, 866 00:36:23,581 --> 00:36:26,349 but they don't have a motive. 867 00:36:26,384 --> 00:36:28,451 [Fry] We knew that Jeremy had been inside 868 00:36:28,486 --> 00:36:29,586 Jenna's apartment, 869 00:36:29,620 --> 00:36:31,488 uh, while she was taking a shower. 870 00:36:31,522 --> 00:36:33,456 [shower pattering] 871 00:36:33,491 --> 00:36:34,925 [Fry] It's very possible at that point 872 00:36:34,959 --> 00:36:38,428 that he became infatuated or obsessed with her. 873 00:36:38,462 --> 00:36:41,164 She did look very much like his ex-wife 874 00:36:41,199 --> 00:36:44,401 who we learned he was having problems with. 875 00:36:45,503 --> 00:36:46,636 If he made advances towards her, 876 00:36:46,671 --> 00:36:48,538 which she likely rebuffed, 877 00:36:48,573 --> 00:36:50,707 and knowing his history of violence 878 00:36:50,741 --> 00:36:53,443 especially with strangulation with his own wife, 879 00:36:53,477 --> 00:36:55,445 we believe it may have set him off 880 00:36:55,479 --> 00:36:57,447 and he strangled Jenna. 881 00:36:58,516 --> 00:37:00,450 [narrator] Despite all the evidence stacked up 882 00:37:00,484 --> 00:37:02,219 against Jeremy, 883 00:37:02,253 --> 00:37:03,587 detectives still need more 884 00:37:03,621 --> 00:37:05,889 to convict him of Jenna's murder. 885 00:37:05,923 --> 00:37:08,658 [Fry] Jeremy Rosser was our number one suspect. 886 00:37:08,693 --> 00:37:11,761 I needed to make sure there was no other explanation 887 00:37:11,796 --> 00:37:15,665 as to why his DNA would be found on Jenna. 888 00:37:15,700 --> 00:37:18,335 [narrator] Detectives bring Jeremy Rosser in 889 00:37:18,369 --> 00:37:20,136 for questioning. 890 00:37:20,171 --> 00:37:22,172 [Fry speaking] 891 00:37:26,344 --> 00:37:27,811 [Jeremy speaking] 892 00:37:27,845 --> 00:37:29,779 [Fry] I questioned him if he had been 893 00:37:29,814 --> 00:37:31,648 in her apartment that night 894 00:37:31,682 --> 00:37:34,184 and he said that he had not. 895 00:37:34,218 --> 00:37:36,486 [Fry speaking] 896 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,022 - [Jeremy speaking] - [Detective Fry speaking] 897 00:37:42,593 --> 00:37:45,428 [Jeremy speaking] 898 00:37:45,463 --> 00:37:48,198 [narrator] Then, detectives confront Jeremy 899 00:37:48,232 --> 00:37:50,233 with the DNA evidence. 900 00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:52,168 [Fry speaking] 901 00:38:14,692 --> 00:38:16,826 - [Jeremy speaking] - [Fry] You have no Idea? 902 00:38:17,662 --> 00:38:21,398 He was unable to provide any valid reason 903 00:38:21,432 --> 00:38:23,433 why his DNA would be on Jenna's clothing 904 00:38:23,467 --> 00:38:24,601 and under her fingernails 905 00:38:24,635 --> 00:38:26,403 around the time of her death. 906 00:38:26,437 --> 00:38:28,171 With that info, we were able 907 00:38:28,205 --> 00:38:29,539 to make an arrest. 908 00:38:29,573 --> 00:38:31,508 You have the right to remain silent. 909 00:38:31,542 --> 00:38:32,876 Any statements you make 910 00:38:32,910 --> 00:38:36,313 may be used as evidence against you in court. 911 00:38:36,347 --> 00:38:37,781 [camera shutter] 912 00:38:37,815 --> 00:38:40,450 [narrator] In the brutal death of Jenna Verhaalen, 913 00:38:40,484 --> 00:38:42,485 police charged Jeremy Rosser 914 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,988 with first degree murder. 915 00:38:46,791 --> 00:38:49,359 [Mathews] After Jeremy's arrest, we did conduct 916 00:38:49,393 --> 00:38:50,560 a search warrant on his apartment 917 00:38:50,594 --> 00:38:52,062 and his vehicle. 918 00:38:54,799 --> 00:38:56,533 We did not find a key that belonged 919 00:38:56,567 --> 00:38:58,301 to Jenna's apartment, 920 00:38:58,336 --> 00:39:00,103 but we did find several keys 921 00:39:00,137 --> 00:39:02,539 that belonged to individual apartments 922 00:39:02,573 --> 00:39:04,974 at the complex. 923 00:39:07,445 --> 00:39:09,346 [Stockdale] Jeremy, given his job 924 00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:10,714 as a maintenance person, 925 00:39:10,748 --> 00:39:13,350 he's able to access apartments. 926 00:39:13,384 --> 00:39:15,318 He may have built up a huge fantasy 927 00:39:15,353 --> 00:39:17,454 in his mind of a sexual nature. 928 00:39:17,488 --> 00:39:18,755 And then when he went to act on it, 929 00:39:18,789 --> 00:39:20,757 it didn't play out as he expected 930 00:39:20,791 --> 00:39:22,559 which led to rage and, in this case, 931 00:39:22,593 --> 00:39:25,261 unfortunately murder. 932 00:39:25,296 --> 00:39:27,831 [narrator] With this final piece of the puzzle in place, 933 00:39:27,865 --> 00:39:30,433 investigators can now piece together 934 00:39:30,468 --> 00:39:33,136 Jenna's final 24 hours. 935 00:39:34,338 --> 00:39:35,538 On April 8th, 936 00:39:35,573 --> 00:39:37,307 Jenna worked a shift 937 00:39:37,341 --> 00:39:38,508 at Wings N' More 938 00:39:38,542 --> 00:39:41,745 from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM. 939 00:39:41,779 --> 00:39:44,447 After Jenna got off work, she bought some coffee 940 00:39:44,482 --> 00:39:46,216 and then arrived back at her apartment 941 00:39:46,250 --> 00:39:48,885 about 9:15 that night. 942 00:39:48,919 --> 00:39:52,555 Jenna called Spencer at about 9:20. 943 00:39:52,590 --> 00:39:54,557 He went over to her apartment and they studied 944 00:39:54,592 --> 00:39:56,393 and spent some together time 945 00:39:56,427 --> 00:39:58,661 until about 12:00 AM. 946 00:39:58,696 --> 00:40:01,498 [Fry] Spencer then left, went back to his apartment. 947 00:40:01,532 --> 00:40:03,400 And approximately 12:30, 948 00:40:03,434 --> 00:40:05,535 he called Jenna again, 949 00:40:05,569 --> 00:40:06,536 wished her good night, 950 00:40:06,570 --> 00:40:09,272 and then Jenna went to bed. 951 00:40:10,841 --> 00:40:13,910 On April 8th, we believe that at some point 952 00:40:13,944 --> 00:40:15,478 that evening, Jeremy let himself 953 00:40:15,513 --> 00:40:18,415 into Jenna's apartment with a key that he had 954 00:40:18,449 --> 00:40:20,617 on file or through the window 955 00:40:20,651 --> 00:40:23,486 and hid inside of Jenna's apartment. 956 00:40:23,521 --> 00:40:26,289 [Gadhia] Shortly after the phone call 957 00:40:26,323 --> 00:40:28,792 between 12:30 AM and 1:00 AM, 958 00:40:28,826 --> 00:40:31,394 Jeremy came out of his hiding spot 959 00:40:31,429 --> 00:40:34,197 and confronted Jenna. 960 00:40:34,231 --> 00:40:35,498 A struggle ensued 961 00:40:35,533 --> 00:40:38,301 and she was overcome, 962 00:40:38,335 --> 00:40:41,638 overpowered by Rosser. 963 00:40:41,672 --> 00:40:43,573 And that is where he strangled Jenna 964 00:40:43,607 --> 00:40:45,341 to death. 965 00:40:48,579 --> 00:40:51,481 Based on the evidence that we gathered on this case, 966 00:40:51,515 --> 00:40:54,717 from the timeline along with the DNA, 967 00:40:54,752 --> 00:40:56,719 the conclusion was very definitive, 968 00:40:56,754 --> 00:41:00,223 Jeremy Rosser was responsible for the murder 969 00:41:00,257 --> 00:41:01,991 of Jenna Verhaalen. 970 00:41:03,727 --> 00:41:06,896 [Stockdale] In this case, Jeremy has been watching Jenna. 971 00:41:06,931 --> 00:41:10,433 He may have a voyeuristic fantasy that grows 972 00:41:10,468 --> 00:41:13,403 and so when he enters the apartment that night, 973 00:41:13,437 --> 00:41:15,772 he may be surprised by her reaction 974 00:41:15,806 --> 00:41:17,674 that this fantasy doesn't unfold 975 00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:19,676 the way he expects, which I think 976 00:41:19,710 --> 00:41:23,313 led to his actions in killing her. 977 00:41:25,816 --> 00:41:29,252 [narrator] On December 28, 2009, 978 00:41:29,286 --> 00:41:30,820 Jeremiah Rosser pleads guilty 979 00:41:30,855 --> 00:41:34,724 and is sentenced to 55 years in prison. 980 00:41:34,758 --> 00:41:36,693 [Mathews] I try my best on every homicide case 981 00:41:36,727 --> 00:41:40,196 that I'm assigned to bring the guilty party to justice. 982 00:41:41,398 --> 00:41:42,565 But in this case, if we weren't able 983 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:44,434 to bring Jeremy to justice, 984 00:41:44,468 --> 00:41:46,336 I feel like in the back of my mind that this case 985 00:41:46,370 --> 00:41:48,371 would still be haunting me. 986 00:41:49,807 --> 00:41:51,875 [Fry] The thing that sticks out to me the most 987 00:41:51,909 --> 00:41:55,245 about this case is just how senseless 988 00:41:55,279 --> 00:41:56,613 it really was. 989 00:41:56,647 --> 00:41:58,781 A young vibrant person 990 00:41:58,816 --> 00:42:01,784 who had their entire life ahead of them 991 00:42:01,819 --> 00:42:05,388 was snuffed out in a minute for no reason. 992 00:42:06,590 --> 00:42:11,027 One violent act, there's no sense to it. 993 00:42:11,829 --> 00:42:13,596 [Stockdale] Jenna's a young woman. 994 00:42:13,631 --> 00:42:15,498 She's described a very positive terms 995 00:42:15,533 --> 00:42:17,367 with lots of motivations 996 00:42:17,401 --> 00:42:18,801 and hopes and dreams for the future. 997 00:42:18,836 --> 00:42:21,704 So to me, this is very sad and devastating 998 00:42:21,739 --> 00:42:23,439 that she didn't have opportunity 999 00:42:23,474 --> 00:42:24,941 to continue her life. 1000 00:42:24,975 --> 00:42:26,476 And we don't know where her life 1001 00:42:26,510 --> 00:42:29,245 would have taken her.