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[suspenseful music playing]
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[Steven Fry]
A young vibrant person
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who had their entire life
ahead of them
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was snuffed out
in one violent act.
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[woman groaning]
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[Keira Stockdale] He may have
built up a huge fantasy
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in his mind of a sexual nature.
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And then when he went
to act on it,
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it didn't play out
as he expected.
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[Fry]
She'd come out of the shower
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and the man was standing
in her living room.
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[Lance Mathews]
The person had access
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to the lockbox that contained
keys to her apartment.
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[Michael Arntfield] She could
be the target for the offender
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but doesn't even know
she's on their radar.
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[screams]
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[Fry] He was unable
to provide any valid reason
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why his DNA would be on her.
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[Mathews] This case
would still be haunting me
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if we weren't able
to bring justice.
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[narrator] Every day
in North America,
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dozens of people are murdered.
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The key to solving the toughest
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of these homicides lies
in the final 24 hours
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of the victim's life.
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To crack the case,
detectives must reconstruct
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that critical timeline.
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The minutes and hours
containing evidence
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that can help unlock the mystery
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and catch the killer.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[dramatic music playing]
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[narrator] Bryan, Texas,
a small town
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in the central part of the state
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where the Old West
meets the modern world.
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[Fry] Bryan is located
between Houston
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and Austin, Texas.
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Bryan is a fairly safe
residential town,
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population of about 80,000.
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It's a mixture
of college students,
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family residences,
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as well as blue-collar
business areas.
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Compared to major towns,
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the crime rate is fairly low.
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[Fry] Bryan has a small
college community.
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Blinn College
is located in Bryan.
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General area around campus
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is where a lot
of the students live.
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[narrator] One of the largest
student housing complexes
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in the area is Autumn Woods.
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[Fry] This particular
apartment complex
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is adjacent
to the Blinn College campus
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and consists
of several buildings
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with close
to a thousand residents.
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[narrator] As spring takes hold
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and the semester starts
winding down,
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911 gets an urgent call
from a student
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living in the Autumn Woods
Complex.
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[dispatcher speaking]
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[Mathews] At 11:30 AM,
911 received a call
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from this local
apartment complex
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near the Blinn College campus.
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[Fry] The student informed us
that there was
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a potentially deceased person
inside the apartment complex.
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[Fry] Bryan patrol officers
were dispatched to the scene.
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When Detective Mathews
and I arrived,
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patrol officers had already
locked off the apartment.
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[Mathews]
We entered the apartment
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and noticed the...
A deceased female
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lying in her bedroom
on her back.
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[Fry] Her body was positioned
approximately halfway
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between the bedroom door
and the foot of her bed.
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Our initial observation
of the victim's clothing
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was that it looked to be
something that someone
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would have worn
to bed that night.
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[Mathews]
There was no obvious signs
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of cause of death.
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[narrator]
The deceased is 20-year-old
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Jenna Verhaalen,
a student at Blinn College.
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[Mathews]
Jenna got along with everybody
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and was from all accounts
just a bubbly person.
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[narrator] She loved to laugh
and developed a reputation
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as her class prankster.
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[Fry] She had her schooling
going on.
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She had a job
working in a restaurant.
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She was a hard worker,
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had all kinds of things
going for her.
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[narrator]
Tasked with investigating
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the suspicious death
of Jenna Verhaalen
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are Detectives Lance Mathews
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and Steven Fry
of the Major Crimes Unit.
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[Mathews] We assessed
the scene completely.
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There's no actual signs
of a burglary or anything
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that would indicate that someone
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had broken into the apartment.
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[Fry] I did not see any signs
of any forced entry.
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Her purse was still hanging
next to the door.
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Her cell phone and wallet
were still in her bedroom.
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We did notice
in the spare bedroom,
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there was a window
that was not locked
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and the screen
was off that window,
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that could have possibly been
an entry point
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for somebody to get into
the apartment
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without causing any damage.
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[Stockdale]
It's possible the killer
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entered Jenna's apartment
through a broken window.
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You have to think, well,
is this person
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having knowledge
of this apartment complex?
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Are they watching Jenna?
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How did they know
about the window
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and that point of entry?
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So, you would likely think
perhaps the killer lives
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in this apartment complex.
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[Fry] On the scene,
Detective Mathews and I
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were able to examine
the body and found
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she was in full rigor
at the time.
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Lividity had also set.
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Based on the rigor and lividity,
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we do know that she had been
deceased for some time.
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Lividity occurs in a person
after they are deceased
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and gravity forces the blood
to pool
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in areas closest to the ground.
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Lividity was visible
on her body.
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Upon our initial observations,
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we did notice some minute
blood droplets on the collar
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of the T-shirt
that the victim was wearing.
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[Mathews] Also, there was
a spot on her forehead
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that looked like bruising
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and there were two
linear scratches on her chin
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and on her arm as well.
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Given Jenna's age and that
she was a college student,
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investigators need to question
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if this was a sexually
motivated crime.
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[Fry]
We looked for other injuries,
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some other types of wounds
that we might see on the body.
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At this time,
we did not find much.
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[Mathews] Next to her body,
there were some blood spots
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on the carpet
but there wasn't anything
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that would indicate
what actually occurred.
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[Fry] At that point in time,
we were unable to determine
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how Jenna died,
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but we cannot rule out homicide.
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[narrator] Detective searched
the remainder
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of Jenna's bedroom,
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looking for signs of foul play.
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[Mathews] In the bedroom,
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there was a couple of things
out of place.
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There was a picture frame
and a lamp
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that had fallen over.
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There was also a rug
crumpled up next to the bed.
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There were signs of a struggle.
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[Fry] Also, the bed covers
were pulled back
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as though somebody
had possibly had some type
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of altercation in the bed.
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All these gave us reasons
to believe
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there could have been
an altercation
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that occurred in the room.
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[narrator]
To help solve the mystery
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of how Jenna died,
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investigators call in
the local medical examiner.
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[Fry] I spoke
with the medical examiner
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about the possible cause
of death and at that time,
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he was able to relate to me
that Jenna had died
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from strangulation
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and that he was going
to rule this case a murder.
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[narrator]
Investigators must now
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track down Jenna's killer
by focusing
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on the last 24 hours
of her life.
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[Fry] Detective Mathews and I
walked outside
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and took note of who we saw
standing around.
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Some patrol officers
pointed out Spencer Hood
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who we learned
was Jenna's boyfriend.
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My initial observation
of Spencer
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was that he was very distraught.
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Spencer said he was the one
who found Jenna
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in her apartment that morning.
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[narrator] They asked Spencer
if he knows of anyone
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who would want to harm Jenna.
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[Mathews]
Spencer told me that, no.
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He couldn't answer
why someone did this.
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[Fry]
While speaking with Spencer,
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we did try to get a timeline
of Jenna's activities
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from the day before
on April 8th.
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[Mathews] According to Spencer
on April 8th,
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Jenna worked her shift
at Wings 'N More
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from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
at night.
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[Fry] After leaving work,
Jenna went by Starbucks,
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picked up a coffee.
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About 9:20, Jenna gave him
a call to come over.
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Spencer and Jenna were living
very close to each other,
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so he went over
to her apartment.
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[Mathews]
From 9:20 to about midnight,
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the couple spent
some time together,
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did homework,
and then Spencer went home.
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[narrator] Spencer says
he called Jenna 12:30 AM
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and said goodnight.
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[Fry] And Spencer indicated
that was the last time
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that night
that he spoke with Jenna.
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[narrator] The next morning,
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Spencer went to class as usual
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then stopped by Jenna's place
to pick up a book.
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[Fry] Around 11:30,
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he went over
to Jenna's apartment,
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he went inside
and that is when he found
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Jenna laying in the floor.
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Once Spencer determined
that Jenna was deceased,
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he ran outside,
found the neighbor,
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and asked him to call 911.
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Based on when Spencer
last spoke to Jenna
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and when she was found,
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that narrows down
her window of death
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to approximately 12:30 AM
through to 11:30 AM.
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[narrator] Investigators begin
to look at Spencer,
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less as a witness and more
as a potential suspect.
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Spencer was the last person
to see Jenna alive
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and also the person
to find her dead body.
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This immediately,
whether coincidence or not,
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elevates Spencer
to being a person of interest
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00:09:50,623 --> 00:09:52,457
and raises a number of red flags
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for investigators.
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[Fry] Oftentimes,
we look towards the person
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who was last with the victim
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and then also the person
who found her.
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In both of those instances,
that was Spencer Hood.
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00:10:03,169 --> 00:10:06,204
So, at this time, we felt
we had a viable suspect.
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The focus of our investigation
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00:10:08,641 --> 00:10:10,976
shifted to Spencer.
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[narrator] Hours after
college coed Jenna Verhaalen
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is found strangled to death,
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police have their first suspect,
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00:10:21,654 --> 00:10:24,356
her boyfriend Spencer Hood.
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They bring him to the station
for further questioning.
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[Fry] We had to determine
whether or not
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00:10:32,398 --> 00:10:34,833
Spencer had committed
this murder.
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One of the things we look for
in an interview
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is a person's response
to the questions,
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body language
or emotional response.
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During our conversation,
Spencer told us
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00:10:46,312 --> 00:10:49,247
what had happened without
a great emotional response.
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He was calm and collected.
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[narrator] Investigators dig
into Spencer's relationship
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with Jenna.
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[Fry] Spencer told us
that they had been dating
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all the way from high school
and then into college.
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00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,395
[Spencer speaking]
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00:11:03,429 --> 00:11:05,397
[detective speaking]
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00:11:05,431 --> 00:11:06,665
[Spencer speaking]
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00:11:06,699 --> 00:11:09,501
[dramatic music playing]
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00:11:09,535 --> 00:11:11,036
[Mathews] According to Spencer,
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00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:12,704
he and Jenna had
a great relationship.
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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.