1 00:00:03,670 --> 00:00:07,439 It was a horrific scene. She was stabbed 44 times. 2 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:12,311 She was alive for 33 of those stab wounds. 3 00:00:12,313 --> 00:00:14,346 There's some personal connection. 4 00:00:14,348 --> 00:00:17,016 This was somebody's rage boiling over. 5 00:00:18,785 --> 00:00:20,452 She was a great big sister. 6 00:00:20,454 --> 00:00:22,154 She was the oldest kid in our block. 7 00:00:22,156 --> 00:00:24,590 We all kind of lost a mentor. 8 00:00:25,392 --> 00:00:28,260 It really turned this town upside down. 9 00:00:28,262 --> 00:00:30,763 The killer was still on the loose. 10 00:00:30,765 --> 00:00:34,700 [man] He was very abusive, a lot of yelling and fights. 11 00:00:34,702 --> 00:00:39,171 He's engaged in stalking younger females. 12 00:00:39,173 --> 00:00:42,207 He was known to carry knives frequently. 13 00:00:42,209 --> 00:00:44,143 He looked like a really good suspect. 14 00:00:45,245 --> 00:00:47,413 It's been 24 years, 15 00:00:47,415 --> 00:00:50,249 investigators are really at a standstill here 16 00:00:50,251 --> 00:00:53,052 of why and more importantly, who. 17 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,922 The DNA results revealed a name 18 00:00:56,924 --> 00:00:59,825 I definitely did not expect to hear again. 19 00:00:59,827 --> 00:01:02,961 This is like discovering a new planet, 20 00:01:02,963 --> 00:01:05,330 a suspect who had been hiding in plain sight 21 00:01:05,332 --> 00:01:06,799 for nearly three decades. 22 00:01:10,336 --> 00:01:14,873 [narrator] Every day in North America dozens of people are murdered. 23 00:01:14,875 --> 00:01:17,376 The key to solving the toughest of these homicides 24 00:01:17,378 --> 00:01:20,512 lies in the final 24 hours of the victim's life. 25 00:01:21,381 --> 00:01:23,048 To crack the case, 26 00:01:23,050 --> 00:01:26,618 detectives must reconstruct that critical timeline, 27 00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:29,388 the minutes and hours containing evidence 28 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:33,192 that can help unlock the mystery and catch the killer. 29 00:01:42,368 --> 00:01:46,271 Pleasanton, California is a suburban oasis 30 00:01:46,273 --> 00:01:49,108 where families embody the American Dream... 31 00:01:50,677 --> 00:01:52,344 with well-manicured lawns, 32 00:01:52,346 --> 00:01:56,482 white picket fences and barbecues all summer long. 33 00:01:58,418 --> 00:02:01,987 True to its name, Pleasanton is very pleasant. 34 00:02:01,989 --> 00:02:06,225 It's an everybody knows everybody kind of a place. 35 00:02:06,227 --> 00:02:11,063 Pleasanton in 1984 was just a very small town. 36 00:02:11,065 --> 00:02:12,931 Only about 30,000 people. 37 00:02:12,933 --> 00:02:16,001 Had a really cute main street, still does. 38 00:02:16,003 --> 00:02:17,903 There wasn't a lot of crime. 39 00:02:17,905 --> 00:02:20,139 It was not uncommon for people 40 00:02:20,141 --> 00:02:22,875 to feel that we can leave our doors unlocked, 41 00:02:22,877 --> 00:02:24,776 our windows open. 42 00:02:24,778 --> 00:02:26,311 [narrator] But on a warm afternoon, 43 00:02:26,313 --> 00:02:29,081 as students walk home from school, 44 00:02:29,083 --> 00:02:32,651 the innocence of Pleasanton would be shattered forever. 45 00:02:33,219 --> 00:02:36,188 On April 5th, 1984, 46 00:02:36,190 --> 00:02:39,958 Larry Lovall was driving southbound on I-680 47 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,996 at about 3:10, 3:15 in the afternoon 48 00:02:43,998 --> 00:02:48,133 and noticed what he thought was a child in distress 49 00:02:48,135 --> 00:02:50,135 on the side of the freeway. 50 00:02:50,137 --> 00:02:52,638 He pulled his truck to the side of the road 51 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:56,108 and he noticed the body was covered in blood 52 00:02:56,110 --> 00:02:59,077 and was obviously in distress. 53 00:02:59,079 --> 00:03:04,383 So he took the next exit and called 911 from a pay phone. 54 00:03:05,285 --> 00:03:07,886 [James Knox] After hearing the call on the radio, 55 00:03:07,888 --> 00:03:10,756 Detective Craig Veteran was in the area. 56 00:03:10,758 --> 00:03:13,859 He went down into the creek area, 57 00:03:13,861 --> 00:03:17,629 at which time he found the female body. 58 00:03:17,631 --> 00:03:21,166 He noted that there were a number of stab wounds 59 00:03:21,168 --> 00:03:23,936 and clothing soaked with her blood. 60 00:03:24,837 --> 00:03:26,905 She was obviously deceased. 61 00:03:26,907 --> 00:03:29,708 She was wearing her school clothes, 62 00:03:29,710 --> 00:03:34,780 school books scattered about, papers scattered, 63 00:03:34,782 --> 00:03:37,115 the blood soaked rocks all around her, 64 00:03:37,117 --> 00:03:39,551 it was a horrific scene. 65 00:03:41,154 --> 00:03:43,989 [narrator] Among the responding officers called to the scene 66 00:03:43,991 --> 00:03:46,325 is investigator James Knox 67 00:03:46,327 --> 00:03:49,094 from the Pleasanton Police Department. 68 00:03:49,096 --> 00:03:50,362 [James Knox] They brought us out 69 00:03:50,364 --> 00:03:52,798 and we actually did what they call a grid search 70 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,866 where you go back and forth 71 00:03:54,868 --> 00:03:57,302 looking to find the murder weapon. 72 00:03:58,037 --> 00:04:00,639 But we're never able to locate 73 00:04:00,641 --> 00:04:04,243 what the victim was stabbed with. 74 00:04:04,245 --> 00:04:08,347 In processing the crime scene, detectives collected a purse 75 00:04:08,349 --> 00:04:12,017 that was found in the tree directly above the body. 76 00:04:12,019 --> 00:04:15,287 And within that purse there was a report card 77 00:04:15,289 --> 00:04:17,956 which had Tina Faelz's name on it, 78 00:04:17,958 --> 00:04:20,892 and they were able to make an initial identification 79 00:04:20,894 --> 00:04:23,028 based upon that. 80 00:04:24,230 --> 00:04:28,233 [narrator] Investigators ascertain that the victim is Tina Faelz, 81 00:04:28,235 --> 00:04:32,070 a freshman at nearby Foothill High School. 82 00:04:32,072 --> 00:04:36,108 Tina Faelz was a very sweet girl. 83 00:04:36,110 --> 00:04:40,078 She was 14 years old at the time that she was murdered. 84 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,414 She came from a really nice family. 85 00:04:42,416 --> 00:04:45,550 Her brother Drew was eight years old at the time. 86 00:04:46,786 --> 00:04:48,253 Great big sister. 87 00:04:49,188 --> 00:04:51,990 Took on a mom role quite, quite a bit 88 00:04:51,992 --> 00:04:54,026 because my mom was working a lot. 89 00:04:54,961 --> 00:04:56,728 Oh, she was definitely more of a wallflower. 90 00:04:56,730 --> 00:04:58,997 She would be a loner at times, 91 00:04:58,999 --> 00:05:01,800 but at the same time I remember her being very mature 92 00:05:01,802 --> 00:05:04,136 just with the way she always looked out for me. 93 00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:08,640 [narrator] Police traveled to nearby Foothill High School 94 00:05:08,642 --> 00:05:11,276 to gather information about Tina 95 00:05:11,278 --> 00:05:14,346 and her movements in the hours leading up to her murder. 96 00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:19,384 Tina's last class of the day was Geography. 97 00:05:19,386 --> 00:05:21,620 After class was let out, 98 00:05:21,622 --> 00:05:23,989 she stayed after and talked to the teacher, 99 00:05:23,991 --> 00:05:26,825 the Geography teacher for a few minutes. 100 00:05:26,827 --> 00:05:29,661 She was supposed to attend detention. 101 00:05:29,663 --> 00:05:31,330 She skipped detention. 102 00:05:31,332 --> 00:05:33,965 And when she's seen by her classmates, 103 00:05:33,967 --> 00:05:37,336 she's last seen heading toward the culvert. 104 00:05:38,104 --> 00:05:39,971 When Tina and I first found the culvert, 105 00:05:39,973 --> 00:05:41,807 I remember we were playing in the creek 106 00:05:41,809 --> 00:05:44,042 and we saw kids hanging out there. 107 00:05:44,044 --> 00:05:45,310 And they explained to her, 108 00:05:45,312 --> 00:05:48,146 "Oh, this is a shortcut to the high school." 109 00:05:48,148 --> 00:05:49,614 [Det. Dana] Without that shortcut, 110 00:05:49,616 --> 00:05:52,851 Tina would have to go all the way around the freeway, 111 00:05:52,853 --> 00:05:54,853 then it would be a much longer journey. 112 00:05:54,855 --> 00:05:57,189 So the cut-through really served its purpose. 113 00:05:58,658 --> 00:06:02,661 It's a wooded area, there's not a lot of people out there, 114 00:06:02,663 --> 00:06:05,697 you can hear the freeway buzzing in the background. 115 00:06:05,699 --> 00:06:10,769 It just has kind of a scary feel, an ominous feel. 116 00:06:10,771 --> 00:06:13,305 Not somewhere that I would want my kids to use as a cut through 117 00:06:13,307 --> 00:06:16,641 but very common that the kids used that 118 00:06:16,643 --> 00:06:20,445 to get to their neighborhood back in 1984. 119 00:06:20,447 --> 00:06:23,382 [narrator] Investigators speak to some of Tina's classmates, 120 00:06:23,384 --> 00:06:26,952 learning her troubles started earlier that day. 121 00:06:26,954 --> 00:06:29,087 [James Knox] That day during lunch time 122 00:06:29,089 --> 00:06:31,790 a number of girls had thrown rocks at Tina 123 00:06:31,792 --> 00:06:33,625 and threatened to beat her up. 124 00:06:34,994 --> 00:06:37,162 It kind of left us wondering 125 00:06:37,164 --> 00:06:40,866 if maybe Tina was trying to avoid them 126 00:06:40,868 --> 00:06:43,602 and really wanted to get home. 127 00:06:44,203 --> 00:06:45,737 She stopped taking the bus 128 00:06:45,872 --> 00:06:49,107 just because that's where she's being bullied, on the bus on the ride home. 129 00:06:50,276 --> 00:06:55,080 So ultimately the girls who were responsible for threatening her, 130 00:06:55,082 --> 00:06:58,049 they were identified and interviewed 131 00:06:58,051 --> 00:07:00,819 and they were determined to not be involved 132 00:07:00,821 --> 00:07:05,056 or responsible for Tina's murder. 133 00:07:05,058 --> 00:07:08,627 [narrator] After speaking with more classmates about Tina's movements, 134 00:07:08,629 --> 00:07:12,364 detectives are able to narrow down her timeline. 135 00:07:12,366 --> 00:07:15,367 The Geography teacher last sees Tina 136 00:07:15,369 --> 00:07:18,270 around 2:30 in the afternoon. 137 00:07:18,272 --> 00:07:20,172 At around 3:00 p.m., 138 00:07:20,174 --> 00:07:25,210 Weldon Mann and Todd Smith see Tina leaving the school area. 139 00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:27,813 It takes about seven minutes 140 00:07:27,815 --> 00:07:31,516 to get from the high school to the culvert. 141 00:07:31,518 --> 00:07:35,720 And the truck driver spots Tina's body from the freeway 142 00:07:35,722 --> 00:07:38,356 at about 3:15. 143 00:07:38,358 --> 00:07:41,827 [James Knox] I'm guessing probably around 3:05 144 00:07:41,829 --> 00:07:46,465 is the time where Tina was assaulted and ultimately killed. 145 00:07:46,467 --> 00:07:51,036 And that makes it even more difficult to really process 146 00:07:51,038 --> 00:07:53,238 and comprehend that someone was able to do this 147 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,142 in such a short time and not be seen. 148 00:07:57,144 --> 00:07:59,244 [narrator] To track down Tina's killer, 149 00:07:59,246 --> 00:08:03,548 detectives will need to piece together her final 24 hours. 150 00:08:07,186 --> 00:08:11,490 One of the hardest parts of investigating this case for me 151 00:08:11,492 --> 00:08:13,358 was when I saw the autopsy photos. 152 00:08:14,026 --> 00:08:16,695 She was stabbed 44 times. 153 00:08:16,697 --> 00:08:21,399 She was alive for 33 of those stab wounds. 154 00:08:22,735 --> 00:08:27,405 Based upon the overkill, profilers would probably say 155 00:08:27,407 --> 00:08:30,742 that the suspect knew the victim. 156 00:08:30,744 --> 00:08:36,081 Usually a suspect doesn't have that much rage for a stranger. 157 00:08:36,083 --> 00:08:40,252 [Michael] Tina was stabbed multiple times in an obvious case of overkill. 158 00:08:40,254 --> 00:08:43,855 Overkill being defined as excessive violence 159 00:08:43,857 --> 00:08:47,959 that goes way beyond what's required to carry out the crime. 160 00:08:47,961 --> 00:08:49,327 In this case, there's a personal connection 161 00:08:49,329 --> 00:08:51,029 between the offender and the victim. 162 00:08:51,031 --> 00:08:53,198 This was somebody's rage boiling over, 163 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,568 and that no number of stab wounds can be enough 164 00:08:56,570 --> 00:09:00,405 to fulfill the offender's need for vengeance. 165 00:09:02,975 --> 00:09:06,711 [narrator] Having established that Tina likely knew her killer, 166 00:09:06,713 --> 00:09:09,281 detectives speak with her mother Shirley Faelz. 167 00:09:10,049 --> 00:09:12,450 They hope she can provide more insight 168 00:09:12,452 --> 00:09:15,787 on who might have wanted to harm her daughter. 169 00:09:15,789 --> 00:09:18,857 Remember that day vividly, it was a Thursday. 170 00:09:18,859 --> 00:09:21,259 My sister usually got home about 3:30 171 00:09:21,261 --> 00:09:23,061 and she wasn't home yet, 172 00:09:23,063 --> 00:09:27,165 and saw an undercover police car come down the court. 173 00:09:27,167 --> 00:09:30,101 And I just had a feeling it was coming to our house. 174 00:09:30,670 --> 00:09:33,805 Shirley was in complete shock, 175 00:09:33,807 --> 00:09:36,041 complete disbelief that this could have happened 176 00:09:36,043 --> 00:09:38,543 in this quiet little community. 177 00:09:39,979 --> 00:09:44,015 Tina's mom Shirley had been divorced for about two years 178 00:09:44,017 --> 00:09:48,320 and was a single mom struggling to make ends meet. 179 00:09:48,322 --> 00:09:52,057 [James Knox] At the time, Shirley was dating Bobby Youngworth 180 00:09:52,059 --> 00:09:56,962 and he had actually moved into the Faelz home. 181 00:09:56,964 --> 00:10:02,033 And Bobby had a tendency to get violent when he was drinking. 182 00:10:03,669 --> 00:10:08,039 At times, he would assault Shirley physically 183 00:10:08,041 --> 00:10:10,275 and Tina didn't like that. 184 00:10:10,277 --> 00:10:14,379 He was very abusive, a lot of yelling and fights. 185 00:10:15,247 --> 00:10:19,284 So, it was pretty scary at times with him in the house. 186 00:10:19,286 --> 00:10:21,286 [Det. Dana] Interestingly to the investigators, 187 00:10:21,288 --> 00:10:24,189 about a week prior to Tina's murder, 188 00:10:24,191 --> 00:10:27,158 he and her had really gotten into it. 189 00:10:28,127 --> 00:10:31,529 Tina definitely did not want Bobby living there, 190 00:10:31,531 --> 00:10:36,635 so it caused some major stress in that household. 191 00:10:36,637 --> 00:10:41,206 Bobby became a person of interest very quickly in the investigation. 192 00:10:43,242 --> 00:10:45,143 I think at my young age 193 00:10:45,145 --> 00:10:47,145 I even thought it could be him as well too 194 00:10:47,147 --> 00:10:49,981 because Tina would stick up for my mom 195 00:10:49,983 --> 00:10:51,516 when they'd be having arguments. 196 00:10:51,518 --> 00:10:54,853 And she wasn't afraid to stand up to him. 197 00:10:54,855 --> 00:10:58,823 [Michael] Could she have been threatening to tell her mother something that Bobby had done? 198 00:10:58,825 --> 00:11:02,627 Could she have given him some kind of ultimatum or been blackmailing him, 199 00:11:02,629 --> 00:11:05,797 something that would have triggered this response, 200 00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:08,667 not a response the victim could have ever imagined? 201 00:11:14,373 --> 00:11:17,275 [narrator] In the brutal stabbing of high school freshman Tina Faelz, 202 00:11:17,277 --> 00:11:20,311 investigators have their first suspect, 203 00:11:20,313 --> 00:11:23,648 her mother's abusive boyfriend Bobby Youngworth. 204 00:11:24,984 --> 00:11:27,686 Questioning if Bobby could have lashed out at Tina, 205 00:11:27,688 --> 00:11:31,923 detectives bring him down to the station for an interview. 206 00:11:31,925 --> 00:11:36,995 Early on with investigators he had denied any sort of temper or anything like that, 207 00:11:36,997 --> 00:11:40,098 but it definitely came out that he did have a temper, 208 00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:42,200 especially when he drank. 209 00:11:44,670 --> 00:11:47,939 He did get into it about a week prior with Tina, 210 00:11:47,941 --> 00:11:51,276 had gotten to a verbal argument with her, 211 00:11:51,278 --> 00:11:55,647 but he always held by the fact that he would never hurt her 212 00:11:55,649 --> 00:11:58,616 and genuinely cared about Tina. 213 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,822 [narrator] Detectives ask Bobby for his timeline 214 00:12:03,824 --> 00:12:05,623 on the day of Tina's murder. 215 00:12:05,625 --> 00:12:08,993 So Bobby worked in Fremont, California. 216 00:12:08,995 --> 00:12:15,033 He had taken the bus to work, he got on the bus about 2:30, 217 00:12:15,035 --> 00:12:19,871 he arrived at his place of employment around 2:45 218 00:12:19,873 --> 00:12:21,906 and then went to the break room 219 00:12:21,908 --> 00:12:27,979 where he was observed until 3:15 prior to going to work. 220 00:12:27,981 --> 00:12:32,717 So when detectives went to verify Bobby's whereabouts, 221 00:12:32,719 --> 00:12:36,321 the boss informed detectives that while Bobby's at work, 222 00:12:36,323 --> 00:12:41,726 Shirley calls and she notifies him that Tina has been killed. 223 00:12:41,728 --> 00:12:44,763 At that time, Bobby had a knife on his belt, 224 00:12:44,765 --> 00:12:48,967 which he handed to the boss and asked him to hold for him 225 00:12:48,969 --> 00:12:52,070 because he didn't feel that it would be a comfortable thing 226 00:12:52,072 --> 00:12:56,141 to take the knife to the Faelz residence when he went there. 227 00:12:56,143 --> 00:13:00,044 So investigators of course become interested in this detail 228 00:13:00,046 --> 00:13:02,747 and ask for the knife to be tested. 229 00:13:02,749 --> 00:13:04,983 But there was no DNA found. 230 00:13:06,051 --> 00:13:10,088 Ultimately, investigators looked at the time 231 00:13:10,090 --> 00:13:14,192 to travel from Pleasanton to where he worked 232 00:13:14,194 --> 00:13:15,960 and they determined 233 00:13:15,962 --> 00:13:18,897 that he couldn't possibly have committed the crime. 234 00:13:18,899 --> 00:13:21,032 He didn't fit the time parameters 235 00:13:21,034 --> 00:13:24,068 that we had established when Tina was killed. 236 00:13:24,070 --> 00:13:27,205 [Det. Dana] So he was quickly dismissed as a suspect. 237 00:13:29,141 --> 00:13:31,176 [James Knox] I think everyone was confused. 238 00:13:31,178 --> 00:13:34,879 Someone has taken this 14-year-old girl's life 239 00:13:34,881 --> 00:13:39,284 and it was really hard to fathom who could be responsible. 240 00:13:39,286 --> 00:13:41,619 People were looking for closure. 241 00:13:41,621 --> 00:13:43,922 They didn't know, could it be my neighbor, 242 00:13:43,924 --> 00:13:46,891 could it be someone that's going to kill again. 243 00:13:46,893 --> 00:13:50,595 And I think that was unsettling to people in the community at the time. 244 00:13:53,299 --> 00:13:57,135 [narrator] With the investigation now back at square one, 245 00:13:57,137 --> 00:13:59,337 detectives reach out to the community 246 00:13:59,339 --> 00:14:00,939 hoping to find information 247 00:14:00,941 --> 00:14:03,474 that could lead to a potential suspect. 248 00:14:05,044 --> 00:14:07,912 [Det. Dana] Investigators are doing a witness canvass. 249 00:14:07,914 --> 00:14:09,848 They become aware of some kids 250 00:14:09,850 --> 00:14:13,218 observing their activities on Lemonwood Way, 251 00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:17,388 which is where Tina was taking the shortcut to. 252 00:14:17,390 --> 00:14:20,124 So, investigators end up knocking on the door 253 00:14:20,126 --> 00:14:22,026 where the teenagers are seen. 254 00:14:22,028 --> 00:14:23,795 And who opens the door 255 00:14:23,797 --> 00:14:28,867 but a classmate of Tina's by the name of Steve Carlson. 256 00:14:28,869 --> 00:14:30,935 [James Knox] The day that Tina was killed, 257 00:14:30,937 --> 00:14:33,738 Steve Carlson's parents were out of town. 258 00:14:33,740 --> 00:14:36,074 He gives the investigator some information 259 00:14:36,076 --> 00:14:39,177 that he actually had seen Tina heading toward the culvert 260 00:14:39,179 --> 00:14:41,646 at about 3:00 pm. 261 00:14:42,648 --> 00:14:43,948 [narrator] Realizing that Steven 262 00:14:43,950 --> 00:14:47,852 could have been one of the last people to see Tina alive, 263 00:14:47,854 --> 00:14:49,287 police bring him down to the station 264 00:14:49,289 --> 00:14:51,055 for a formal interview. 265 00:14:52,358 --> 00:14:54,192 On that particular day, 266 00:14:54,194 --> 00:14:56,394 Steven invited some of his schoolmates 267 00:14:56,396 --> 00:15:00,965 to come to his house and have a "party". 268 00:15:00,967 --> 00:15:03,902 They drank and used some drugs. 269 00:15:03,904 --> 00:15:06,771 At one point, Steven returned to campus 270 00:15:06,773 --> 00:15:10,275 and a couple students grabbed him 271 00:15:10,277 --> 00:15:12,277 and they threw him in a dumpster. 272 00:15:13,245 --> 00:15:18,182 He's actually locked in the dumpster for about 10 minutes or so 273 00:15:18,184 --> 00:15:21,853 before a woodshop teacher comes and lets him out. 274 00:15:21,855 --> 00:15:23,788 Steve Carlson is angry, 275 00:15:23,790 --> 00:15:27,025 he's covered in garbage, he's pissed off. 276 00:15:27,027 --> 00:15:30,929 The teacher tells them to head toward the principal's office. 277 00:15:30,931 --> 00:15:35,333 However, Steve Carlson walks the other way back to his house. 278 00:15:35,801 --> 00:15:37,368 He told police at the time 279 00:15:37,370 --> 00:15:41,072 that he saw Tina going down towards the drainage canal 280 00:15:41,074 --> 00:15:43,274 around the time of her murder. 281 00:15:44,810 --> 00:15:47,946 [Det. Dana] Steve Carlson also gives information to the investigators 282 00:15:47,948 --> 00:15:52,917 that he sees another classmate by the name of Jeff Michaelson 283 00:15:52,919 --> 00:15:54,185 heading toward the culvert 284 00:15:54,187 --> 00:15:57,055 kind of a little bit after he sees Tina. 285 00:15:57,823 --> 00:16:00,224 He paints this picture of Jeff Michaelson 286 00:16:00,226 --> 00:16:04,762 as a troublemaker, he bullies other kids. 287 00:16:04,764 --> 00:16:07,365 He's even pulled out a pocket knife at school 288 00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:10,068 and kind of bragged that he has this knife. 289 00:16:10,070 --> 00:16:14,105 So, Carlson really paints the picture that Jeff Michaelson 290 00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:17,208 is a potential suspect in Tina's murder. 291 00:16:19,278 --> 00:16:22,847 [narrator] With suspicion swirling around Jeff Michaelson, 292 00:16:22,849 --> 00:16:24,816 investigators bring him down to the station 293 00:16:24,818 --> 00:16:26,184 for questioning. 294 00:16:27,052 --> 00:16:30,888 So on that particular day, April 5th, 1984 295 00:16:30,890 --> 00:16:32,156 when Tina was murdered, 296 00:16:32,158 --> 00:16:36,294 Jeff Michaelson attends detention. 297 00:16:36,296 --> 00:16:39,163 He is released from detention at 3:00 p.m. 298 00:16:39,165 --> 00:16:42,133 He is supposed to walk over to the elementary school 299 00:16:42,135 --> 00:16:45,169 and walk with his younger sister. 300 00:16:45,171 --> 00:16:49,240 But he's late, his sister ends up getting a ride from someone else. 301 00:16:49,975 --> 00:16:51,642 And by the time he got home, 302 00:16:51,644 --> 00:16:54,145 it was 3:40 p.m. in the afternoon 303 00:16:54,147 --> 00:16:58,983 and his mother questioned why he hadn't picked up his sister. 304 00:17:00,019 --> 00:17:02,153 During the time of Tina's murder, 305 00:17:02,155 --> 00:17:05,957 Jeff really doesn't have a solid alibi. 306 00:17:05,959 --> 00:17:09,260 There's no confirmation as to what exactly he was doing. 307 00:17:09,262 --> 00:17:11,796 So that created more suspicion around Jeff, 308 00:17:11,798 --> 00:17:15,066 and whether he could have been involved. 309 00:17:15,068 --> 00:17:18,503 [narrator] Then Jeff tells detectives he goes to his job, 310 00:17:18,505 --> 00:17:23,708 working at a local pizza parlor, arriving at 5:00 p.m. 311 00:17:23,710 --> 00:17:27,278 [James Knox] At the time of his interview, he had a cut on his hand 312 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,181 and claimed that he cut his hand while working. 313 00:17:30,949 --> 00:17:36,087 That really led us to consider him rather strongly 314 00:17:36,089 --> 00:17:40,191 because of the violent nature of the stab wounds to Tina's body. 315 00:17:40,193 --> 00:17:43,161 We felt that it was a high probability 316 00:17:43,163 --> 00:17:46,230 that the suspect probably cut his hand. 317 00:17:46,232 --> 00:17:50,168 When investigators are questioning Jeff Michaelson, 318 00:17:50,170 --> 00:17:54,806 he admits to frequently carrying around a pocketknife. 319 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,775 He produces that pocketknife to investigators 320 00:17:57,777 --> 00:18:00,244 and investigators have that knife tested 321 00:18:00,246 --> 00:18:02,280 for the presence of any DNA. 322 00:18:02,981 --> 00:18:05,083 [narrator] With Jeff in their crosshairs, 323 00:18:05,085 --> 00:18:08,419 detectives request permission to search his bedroom. 324 00:18:11,156 --> 00:18:14,325 [Det. Dana] Inside his bedroom is another knife that's found. 325 00:18:14,327 --> 00:18:17,195 It's a larger knife. It's contained within a sheath. 326 00:18:17,197 --> 00:18:20,631 So they end up confiscating the large knife 327 00:18:20,633 --> 00:18:23,101 that was found in his room, his pocketknife, 328 00:18:23,103 --> 00:18:25,303 the clothes that he was wearing that day. 329 00:18:26,138 --> 00:18:28,272 The more that time goes on, 330 00:18:28,274 --> 00:18:31,409 the stronger of a person of interest he becomes. 331 00:18:32,344 --> 00:18:34,879 Here's a guy who is known to carry knives, 332 00:18:34,881 --> 00:18:36,948 witnesses put him in the vicinity of the crime 333 00:18:36,950 --> 00:18:40,718 and he has wounds on his hands. 334 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,989 You add it all up, he immediately looks like a very viable suspect. 335 00:18:49,928 --> 00:18:52,930 [narrator] In the homicide of high school freshman Tina Faelz, 336 00:18:52,932 --> 00:18:56,734 detectives are zeroing in on a prime suspect, 337 00:18:56,736 --> 00:18:59,504 the school bully, Jeff Michaelson. 338 00:19:02,274 --> 00:19:06,310 Jeff Michaelson quickly becomes a strong person of interest 339 00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:09,280 based on the statement given by a classmate 340 00:19:09,282 --> 00:19:11,782 that he's following Tina in to the culvert 341 00:19:11,784 --> 00:19:14,619 right around the same time of her murder. 342 00:19:15,621 --> 00:19:19,423 He was known to carry knives frequently, 343 00:19:19,425 --> 00:19:23,761 and ultimately detectives were able to take his knives 344 00:19:23,763 --> 00:19:25,363 and had them tested. 345 00:19:26,165 --> 00:19:29,800 [Det. Dana] The DNA results from the knives, 346 00:19:29,802 --> 00:19:32,837 from his clothing that he was wearing that day 347 00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:36,774 come back with no traces of DNA. 348 00:19:36,776 --> 00:19:38,976 So though he remained a person of interest, 349 00:19:38,978 --> 00:19:43,648 there was really no physical evidence to put him there at the scene. 350 00:19:44,149 --> 00:19:45,917 [narrator] With no new leads, 351 00:19:45,919 --> 00:19:50,321 the investigation into the murder of Tina Faelz hits a wall. 352 00:19:52,291 --> 00:19:55,059 [Det. Dana] It really turned this town upside down. 353 00:19:55,061 --> 00:19:58,963 Murders in Pleasanton were not common at all, 354 00:19:58,965 --> 00:20:02,400 much less that of a 14-year-old girl. 355 00:20:03,569 --> 00:20:06,370 The city was just scared to death at that time 356 00:20:06,372 --> 00:20:10,007 and especially because the killer was still on the loose. 357 00:20:11,743 --> 00:20:15,112 [narrator] Then police get a potential break in the case 358 00:20:15,114 --> 00:20:18,049 when an arrest is made for a separate crime. 359 00:20:18,784 --> 00:20:20,117 Walter Nyman is arrested 360 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,820 for a sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. 361 00:20:22,822 --> 00:20:25,823 She was using a shortcut to leave school. 362 00:20:25,825 --> 00:20:27,625 He attempted to sexually assault her 363 00:20:27,627 --> 00:20:29,660 and she ultimately got away. 364 00:20:29,662 --> 00:20:33,631 But the victim profile was the same as that of Tina Faelz, 365 00:20:33,633 --> 00:20:36,334 which really piqued the investigators' interest. 366 00:20:40,906 --> 00:20:43,941 [Keira] Could Walter Nyman have killed Tina? 367 00:20:43,943 --> 00:20:46,077 He has a past sexual offense 368 00:20:46,079 --> 00:20:48,913 where he's engaged in following, 369 00:20:48,915 --> 00:20:51,816 potentially stalking younger females 370 00:20:51,818 --> 00:20:54,318 similar in demographic profile to Tina. 371 00:20:55,454 --> 00:20:57,922 There's no sexual assault per se, 372 00:20:57,924 --> 00:21:02,860 but it could be the very act of stabbing someone repeatedly is an act of penetration 373 00:21:02,862 --> 00:21:06,430 that is arousing or has a sexual undertone to it. 374 00:21:08,267 --> 00:21:12,336 [narrator] With Walter Nyman already under arrest for sexual assault... 375 00:21:13,105 --> 00:21:14,905 detectives speak to his grandmother 376 00:21:14,907 --> 00:21:17,241 hoping to learn more about his whereabouts 377 00:21:17,243 --> 00:21:20,845 in the hours leading up to Tina's death. 378 00:21:20,847 --> 00:21:22,647 [James Knox] The odd thing about Walter Nyman 379 00:21:22,649 --> 00:21:26,183 is five days after Tina's murder 380 00:21:26,185 --> 00:21:31,789 he suddenly shows up at his grandmother's house in Felton, California 381 00:21:31,791 --> 00:21:36,661 out of the blue and she said that he was visibly upset, he was not himself, 382 00:21:36,663 --> 00:21:39,063 that something seemed wrong with him. 383 00:21:40,599 --> 00:21:43,401 [Det. Dana] Investigators obtain a search warrant 384 00:21:43,403 --> 00:21:46,570 for Walter Nyman's apartment in Pleasanton. 385 00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:48,906 When they enter his apartment, 386 00:21:48,908 --> 00:21:52,476 they end up locating bloodied clothes 387 00:21:52,478 --> 00:21:55,980 and a knife that's hidden in his apartment. 388 00:21:55,982 --> 00:22:01,018 The investigators thought this was going to be a huge break for them. 389 00:22:01,020 --> 00:22:04,255 He looked like a really good suspect because of the similarities. 390 00:22:04,257 --> 00:22:07,858 He had suddenly left Pleasanton in a hurried manner, 391 00:22:07,860 --> 00:22:11,662 he shows up and commits a crime very similar 392 00:22:11,664 --> 00:22:15,366 to what transpired ultimately to Tina. 393 00:22:16,868 --> 00:22:19,370 Investigators at this time are waiting on pins and needles 394 00:22:19,372 --> 00:22:23,607 to get the DNA results back because it's so promising. 395 00:22:23,609 --> 00:22:26,177 It took some time for the testing to be done, 396 00:22:26,179 --> 00:22:31,982 but ultimately the results are that the blood on his clothing was animal blood, 397 00:22:31,984 --> 00:22:36,487 there was no DNA or anything consistent with Tina's murder on them. 398 00:22:37,923 --> 00:22:40,925 [Det. Dana] For investigators, it was a huge disappointment. 399 00:22:40,927 --> 00:22:43,461 They just keep coming up empty-handed. 400 00:22:44,796 --> 00:22:46,364 [James Knox] This was a heinous crime. 401 00:22:46,366 --> 00:22:49,400 Tina was robbed of her childhood. 402 00:22:49,402 --> 00:22:52,903 She was robbed of her innocence. 403 00:22:52,905 --> 00:22:56,140 You hope that you can follow through to the end 404 00:22:56,142 --> 00:23:00,044 and catch whoever the responsible individual is 405 00:23:00,046 --> 00:23:03,080 and make them pay for their crime. 406 00:23:03,715 --> 00:23:06,016 [narrator] With no new leads or suspects, 407 00:23:06,018 --> 00:23:10,988 the investigation into the murder of Tina Faelz goes cold. 408 00:23:13,358 --> 00:23:17,294 [Det. Dana] Investigators conducted 150 interviews 409 00:23:17,296 --> 00:23:20,431 of potential suspects, witnesses. 410 00:23:20,433 --> 00:23:24,568 Investigators are really at a standstill here of why 411 00:23:24,570 --> 00:23:26,971 and more importantly, who. 412 00:23:28,306 --> 00:23:31,609 [James Knox] Through the years, Shirley would contact police 413 00:23:31,611 --> 00:23:34,912 on the anniversary of Tina's death. 414 00:23:34,914 --> 00:23:37,381 Do you have anything new? Do you have any news for me? 415 00:23:37,383 --> 00:23:40,551 And that happened year after year after year. 416 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:44,054 [Drew] I was really losing hope. 417 00:23:44,056 --> 00:23:48,759 I never thought it would get solved. 418 00:23:48,761 --> 00:23:52,062 [Keira] The psychological toll that this would take on the family 419 00:23:52,064 --> 00:23:56,333 just day in and day out, it's just unfathomable 420 00:23:56,335 --> 00:24:00,037 to think that you have no answer in the case, 421 00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:03,407 that you don't know who did this to your daughter. 422 00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:06,243 It's just, it's got to be heart-wrenching. 423 00:24:13,151 --> 00:24:16,587 [narrator] 24 long years after Tina Faelz's death, 424 00:24:16,589 --> 00:24:19,390 her killer remains at large 425 00:24:19,392 --> 00:24:22,660 and each passing year leaves the community of Pleasanton 426 00:24:22,662 --> 00:24:25,429 with more questions than answers. 427 00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:31,936 [Drew] It was very difficult for my mom. 428 00:24:31,938 --> 00:24:34,872 It was always the topic of conversation. 429 00:24:34,874 --> 00:24:38,342 When the case went cold, my mom would do whatever she could 430 00:24:38,344 --> 00:24:41,278 to make sure it stayed fresh in everyone's mind, 431 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,013 if it was contact the newspaper 432 00:24:43,015 --> 00:24:45,182 or check in with the police station. 433 00:24:45,184 --> 00:24:48,486 And I think it just... Slowly, mentally, 434 00:24:48,488 --> 00:24:50,221 she was deteriorating. 435 00:24:51,990 --> 00:24:55,826 [narrator] But in 2008, the case gets new life 436 00:24:55,828 --> 00:25:00,097 when Dana Savage, an up-and-coming detective with the Pleasanton PD, 437 00:25:00,099 --> 00:25:03,234 decides to take another look at Tina's file. 438 00:25:04,102 --> 00:25:07,104 [Det. Dana] This case really spoke to me. 439 00:25:08,073 --> 00:25:12,943 Being a mom myself, I really felt for this family. 440 00:25:13,812 --> 00:25:16,247 When I was looking into this case, 441 00:25:16,249 --> 00:25:19,116 it was absolutely overwhelming. 442 00:25:19,118 --> 00:25:22,720 There was over 20,000 pages of police reports. 443 00:25:22,722 --> 00:25:24,989 I knew several of the investigators 444 00:25:24,991 --> 00:25:27,992 that had worked on this case exhaustingly. 445 00:25:27,994 --> 00:25:30,494 So I didn't have a whole lot of hope. 446 00:25:31,963 --> 00:25:35,132 [James Knox] In the course of reviewing the case files, 447 00:25:35,134 --> 00:25:39,637 Detective Savage noted the picture of Tina's purse 448 00:25:39,639 --> 00:25:42,206 hanging in the tree above her head. 449 00:25:42,208 --> 00:25:43,707 [Det. Dana] We seriously doubted 450 00:25:43,709 --> 00:25:47,044 that Tina was able to throw the purse in the tree. 451 00:25:47,046 --> 00:25:49,313 She's defending herself, she's defending her life. 452 00:25:49,315 --> 00:25:52,716 Probably the person who threw it into the tree was the suspect, 453 00:25:52,718 --> 00:25:54,985 the only other person that was there. 454 00:25:56,788 --> 00:26:00,190 [James Knox] I really was hopeful that I could get involved 455 00:26:00,192 --> 00:26:03,961 and somehow find that needle in the haystack 456 00:26:03,963 --> 00:26:06,597 that would break this case and solve it. 457 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,634 [narrator] Knowing the odds are stacked against her, 458 00:26:10,636 --> 00:26:13,904 Detective Savage recovers Tina's purse, 459 00:26:13,906 --> 00:26:18,008 hoping it may be the key to solving this cold case. 460 00:26:18,010 --> 00:26:20,911 [Det. Dana] When I take the purse out of evidence, 461 00:26:20,913 --> 00:26:23,213 there was nothing visible on the purse. 462 00:26:23,215 --> 00:26:26,183 No blood droplets, nothing like that. 463 00:26:26,185 --> 00:26:29,353 [James Knox] The purse was sent to the FBI crime lab. 464 00:26:29,355 --> 00:26:31,055 And of course being in a cold case, 465 00:26:31,057 --> 00:26:33,824 it probably wasn't top priority. 466 00:26:33,826 --> 00:26:38,228 [Det. Dana] Along with Tina's purse is a sample of her blood, 467 00:26:38,230 --> 00:26:42,132 and that is also sent to Quantico for testing. 468 00:26:42,134 --> 00:26:45,035 If anything is found on the purse, 469 00:26:45,037 --> 00:26:48,305 we can compare it to Tina's blood. 470 00:26:48,307 --> 00:26:51,108 [narrator] While awaiting results from the FBI, 471 00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:53,744 Dana starts combing through the case files, 472 00:26:53,746 --> 00:26:58,115 looking for anyone they could have potentially missed in 1984. 473 00:26:59,417 --> 00:27:02,820 [Det. Dana] In the early 1980s there were three serial killers 474 00:27:02,822 --> 00:27:05,723 that were around Pleasanton, California. 475 00:27:05,725 --> 00:27:08,692 I started focusing on these three suspects, 476 00:27:08,694 --> 00:27:13,097 which was James Daveggio, Robert Rhoads, and Michael Ide. 477 00:27:13,099 --> 00:27:18,869 Michael Ide had raped and murdered Lisa Monzo in 1984. 478 00:27:18,871 --> 00:27:22,773 Lisa Monzo also fit the victim profile of Tina Faelz 479 00:27:22,775 --> 00:27:25,943 being a young Caucasian girl. 480 00:27:25,945 --> 00:27:30,748 Through the crime analyst, I learned that Michael Ide would have had an alibi 481 00:27:30,750 --> 00:27:34,752 for Tina's murder because he was incarcerated at the time. 482 00:27:34,754 --> 00:27:37,888 [narrator] Then Detective Savage discovers Robert Rhoads 483 00:27:37,890 --> 00:27:41,158 also has an airtight alibi for the day of Tina's murder 484 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,661 and he's eliminated as a suspect. 485 00:27:45,997 --> 00:27:50,134 I then focused my attention on James Daveggio 486 00:27:50,136 --> 00:27:52,236 and his girlfriend. 487 00:27:52,238 --> 00:27:56,640 They snatched Vanessa Sampson off the street around Pleasanton, 488 00:27:56,642 --> 00:28:00,644 they sexually assaulted her over a period of time 489 00:28:00,646 --> 00:28:03,280 before they murdered her. 490 00:28:03,282 --> 00:28:08,419 And interestingly enough, James Daveggio attended Foothill High School. 491 00:28:09,454 --> 00:28:13,357 So James Daveggio is serving life in prison. 492 00:28:13,758 --> 00:28:16,794 Investigators interview him. 493 00:28:16,796 --> 00:28:19,129 James Daveggio says, "Look, I'm just going to level with you. 494 00:28:19,131 --> 00:28:23,967 I'm doing life anyway. I had nothing to do with the murder of Tina Faelz. 495 00:28:23,969 --> 00:28:28,972 However, you might want to look into..." and he names Walter Nyman. 496 00:28:28,974 --> 00:28:30,708 And I don't know how these people find each other 497 00:28:30,710 --> 00:28:34,078 but James Daveggio and Walter Nyman were friends 498 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,314 and had hung out at a local bar in Pleasanton. 499 00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:42,386 Walter Nyman was the suspect who had sexually assaulted 500 00:28:42,388 --> 00:28:46,924 and grabbed a young girl five days following Tina's murder. 501 00:28:46,926 --> 00:28:49,026 Even back in 1984, 502 00:28:49,028 --> 00:28:54,031 Walter Nyman looked good as a person of interest in the murder of Tina Faelz. 503 00:28:54,899 --> 00:28:57,735 [James Knox] But in 1984 504 00:28:57,737 --> 00:29:00,871 we didn't have any physical evidence to tie him to Tina, 505 00:29:00,873 --> 00:29:03,974 so unfortunately things didn't pan out 506 00:29:03,976 --> 00:29:06,143 like we'd hoped that they would. 507 00:29:06,978 --> 00:29:09,146 There is no honor among thieves. 508 00:29:09,148 --> 00:29:13,684 We have no idea if James Daveggio is telling the truth. 509 00:29:13,686 --> 00:29:18,856 But now investigators are looking again at Walter Nyman. 510 00:29:18,858 --> 00:29:22,426 And at that point we have no physical evidence, 511 00:29:22,428 --> 00:29:26,130 everything is speculation, so it's extremely frustrating 512 00:29:26,132 --> 00:29:28,532 because we're not able to determine 513 00:29:28,534 --> 00:29:31,034 who is responsible for this case. 514 00:29:34,806 --> 00:29:38,275 [narrator] It would take two more years before the FBI crime lab 515 00:29:38,277 --> 00:29:42,646 gets around to examining Tina Faelz's purse for outside DNA. 516 00:29:43,515 --> 00:29:45,849 There were so many suspects, 517 00:29:45,851 --> 00:29:48,719 many of whom had the potential and motive 518 00:29:48,721 --> 00:29:51,989 to have committed this homicide. 519 00:29:51,991 --> 00:29:56,293 The advancement of DNA technology has been very significant. 520 00:29:56,295 --> 00:30:00,197 So, cases that years and years ago couldn't be tested 521 00:30:00,199 --> 00:30:02,399 can now be pinpointed 522 00:30:02,401 --> 00:30:05,736 to one in a trillion to the exact match of an individual 523 00:30:05,738 --> 00:30:08,572 who may have been on that suspect list. 524 00:30:10,074 --> 00:30:12,042 [Det. Dana] At this point in the investigation, 525 00:30:12,044 --> 00:30:16,547 there's very high stakes in getting a DNA match on a suspect 526 00:30:16,549 --> 00:30:19,082 to move forward with this case. 527 00:30:20,218 --> 00:30:23,086 [narrator] Finally the FBI lab criminologist 528 00:30:23,088 --> 00:30:27,357 is able to pinpoint four blood stains on Tina's purse. 529 00:30:27,359 --> 00:30:30,060 [Det. Dana] Once we received the DNA results, 530 00:30:30,062 --> 00:30:34,498 only one comes back as not belonging to Tina. 531 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:41,004 I receive a call and it's Marty Parker from the FBI 532 00:30:41,006 --> 00:30:44,975 and she says to me, "Do you want to know who killed Tina Faelz?" 533 00:30:45,410 --> 00:30:49,313 And I said, "Yeah, I do." 534 00:30:49,315 --> 00:30:53,183 Once the DNA profile was located, 535 00:30:53,185 --> 00:30:54,885 that kit revealed the name, 536 00:30:54,887 --> 00:30:59,189 then I definitely did not expect to hear again. 537 00:30:59,191 --> 00:31:05,329 The only viable sample was a nearly 100 percent match 538 00:31:05,331 --> 00:31:10,334 to male DNA belonging to Steve Carlson. 539 00:31:10,336 --> 00:31:14,137 Steve Carlson was Tina's older classmate 540 00:31:14,139 --> 00:31:16,240 from Foothill High School 541 00:31:16,242 --> 00:31:21,245 who had been seen watching the investigation as it was going on. 542 00:31:21,247 --> 00:31:24,648 He was also the one that told investigators 543 00:31:24,650 --> 00:31:28,018 that he saw Jeff Michaelson following Tina 544 00:31:28,020 --> 00:31:30,454 into the culvert right before she was murdered. 545 00:31:31,623 --> 00:31:34,858 My first thought was shock. 546 00:31:34,860 --> 00:31:38,462 It's really hard for anyone, even an investigator, 547 00:31:38,464 --> 00:31:41,565 to wrap their mind around the fact that a kid can kill a kid. 548 00:31:45,069 --> 00:31:47,638 [narrator] After a 26-year investigation, 549 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,840 Pleasanton detectives are closing in 550 00:31:49,842 --> 00:31:53,944 on the killer of high school freshman Tina Faelz. 551 00:31:53,946 --> 00:31:57,781 Modern DNA testing has placed her classmate Steven Carlson 552 00:31:57,783 --> 00:32:00,050 at the scene of the crime. 553 00:32:01,085 --> 00:32:04,888 Steven Carlson and Tina Faelz were not friends. 554 00:32:04,890 --> 00:32:08,959 They didn't share the same social circles. 555 00:32:08,961 --> 00:32:14,097 [Det. Dana] There was no other reason for his DNA to be at the scene of this murder 556 00:32:14,099 --> 00:32:17,134 unless he was the one that did it. 557 00:32:17,136 --> 00:32:21,805 [James Knox] And that was an overwhelming feeling, just disbelief that, 558 00:32:21,807 --> 00:32:26,576 "Wow, we really have something solid, concrete here now 559 00:32:26,578 --> 00:32:28,412 that ties him to the case." 560 00:32:30,181 --> 00:32:35,018 [Det. Dana] In 1984 Steve Carlson was asked for an alibi, 561 00:32:35,020 --> 00:32:40,757 but he was more or less focused on as a potential witness 562 00:32:40,759 --> 00:32:44,895 being that he had supposedly seen Jeff Michaelson 563 00:32:44,897 --> 00:32:47,998 following Tina into that culvert. 564 00:32:50,401 --> 00:32:52,836 [James Knox] At the time we didn't have any physical evidence 565 00:32:52,838 --> 00:32:55,305 to tie him to Tina. 566 00:32:55,307 --> 00:32:58,342 There were no witnesses that tied him to the crime. 567 00:32:58,344 --> 00:33:00,143 It just seemed so unlikely 568 00:33:00,145 --> 00:33:03,580 that he could be responsible for something so heinous. 569 00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:09,052 [Michael] Twenty-six years later 570 00:33:09,054 --> 00:33:12,055 the DNA actually points to a fringe player 571 00:33:12,057 --> 00:33:15,258 that hadn't even been considered in the original investigation. 572 00:33:15,260 --> 00:33:18,996 This is like discovering a new planet, 573 00:33:18,998 --> 00:33:21,298 a suspect who had been hiding in plain sight 574 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:23,500 for nearly three decades. 575 00:33:25,003 --> 00:33:26,903 [narrator] With the discovery of physical evidence 576 00:33:26,905 --> 00:33:30,374 that places Steven Carlson at the crime scene, 577 00:33:30,376 --> 00:33:32,943 detectives work to track him down, 578 00:33:32,945 --> 00:33:37,180 only to discover he's already in jail. 579 00:33:37,182 --> 00:33:42,352 [Det. Dana] With fresh eyes on Steve Carlson, we re-interview witnesses. 580 00:33:42,354 --> 00:33:44,788 Steve Carlson's shop teacher 581 00:33:44,790 --> 00:33:47,257 knew of Steve's violent history. 582 00:33:47,259 --> 00:33:50,627 He said that following Tina's death 583 00:33:50,629 --> 00:33:55,432 there definitely was a change in Steve Carlson's behavior. 584 00:33:55,434 --> 00:34:00,303 This information did not get back to investigators at the time however. 585 00:34:01,873 --> 00:34:05,108 [James Knox] Steve Carlson's nickname was Creepy Carlson. 586 00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:08,078 He was not well liked. He was a loner. 587 00:34:09,580 --> 00:34:15,485 We looked at the circumstances surrounding Tina's murder. 588 00:34:15,487 --> 00:34:20,690 Obviously, Steven was there in the neighborhood the day she was killed. 589 00:34:20,692 --> 00:34:23,427 His home sat in a location 590 00:34:23,429 --> 00:34:27,330 where he could see her walk down into that drainage canal, 591 00:34:27,332 --> 00:34:28,899 walk through that fence. 592 00:34:28,901 --> 00:34:31,301 In fact, he at one point stated 593 00:34:31,303 --> 00:34:34,504 he saw Tina go down into that drainage canal. 594 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:37,707 [narrator] Armed with this new information, 595 00:34:37,709 --> 00:34:42,212 investigators set out to interview Steven Carlson at the Santa Cruz Prison 596 00:34:42,214 --> 00:34:45,982 where he is being held on an unrelated drug charge. 597 00:34:51,322 --> 00:34:55,225 [James Knox] We mentioned that we were detectives from Pleasanton 598 00:34:55,227 --> 00:34:59,496 and asked if he remembered a girl named Tina Faelz. 599 00:35:06,304 --> 00:35:09,806 [Det. Dana] Steve Carlson's body language completely changes. 600 00:35:09,808 --> 00:35:13,009 He starts almost throwing up at hearing her name. 601 00:35:14,812 --> 00:35:16,079 One question further, 602 00:35:16,081 --> 00:35:20,951 Carlson just kind of starts babbling incoherently. 603 00:35:28,259 --> 00:35:30,927 [Det. Dana] Mutters the name Jeff Michaelson. 604 00:35:30,929 --> 00:35:34,965 He's just deflecting. He doesn't know, he wasn't involved. 605 00:35:56,154 --> 00:36:00,957 Thankfully, investigators have a warrant for his DNA. 606 00:36:02,426 --> 00:36:06,563 [narrator] Detectives send Steven Carlson's DNA sample to the crime lab 607 00:36:06,565 --> 00:36:10,667 to confirm it matches the sample found on Tina's purse. 608 00:36:10,669 --> 00:36:14,471 [James Knox] And was confirmed as a match to Steven Carlson. 609 00:36:14,473 --> 00:36:18,942 And ultimately that's the piece of evidence that broke the case for us. 610 00:36:20,077 --> 00:36:22,445 [narrator] After 26 years, 611 00:36:22,447 --> 00:36:28,285 detectives are finally able to piece together Tina Faelz's final 24 hours. 612 00:36:33,224 --> 00:36:36,760 [Det. Dana] At 7:15 in the morning on the day that Tina's murdered, 613 00:36:36,762 --> 00:36:39,196 she's dropped off by her mom 614 00:36:39,198 --> 00:36:43,700 to avoid taking the school bus to avoid the bullies. 615 00:36:43,702 --> 00:36:47,704 At 8:05, Steve Carlson convinces three of his friends 616 00:36:47,706 --> 00:36:53,443 to come back to his house with him and drink alcohol and use drugs. 617 00:36:53,445 --> 00:36:58,248 Steve and his friends returned to the school about 8:40 in the morning. 618 00:37:00,084 --> 00:37:03,853 At 10:10 am at school, 619 00:37:03,855 --> 00:37:06,089 Jeff Michaelson grabbed Steve Carlson 620 00:37:06,091 --> 00:37:09,125 and threw him into the dumpster and locks him in. 621 00:37:10,061 --> 00:37:14,164 Steve Carlson gets out, he's covered in garbage, he's pissed off. 622 00:37:14,166 --> 00:37:19,236 He leaves school and he heads back home by himself and continues drinking. 623 00:37:20,238 --> 00:37:23,907 At 2:25, Tina finishes up geography class 624 00:37:23,909 --> 00:37:27,110 and visits with her teacher for about five or ten minutes, 625 00:37:27,112 --> 00:37:29,679 skips detention to avoid her bullies. 626 00:37:29,681 --> 00:37:33,984 And that's when she walks toward the culvert toward home. 627 00:37:34,919 --> 00:37:37,988 Steve Carlson sees Tina walking toward the culvert. 628 00:37:37,990 --> 00:37:41,758 He grabs a knife out of his own kitchen 629 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,361 and follows her into the culvert. 630 00:37:45,796 --> 00:37:52,135 So about 3:05 pm, now intoxicated, enraged, 631 00:37:52,137 --> 00:37:56,139 he confronts her and assaults her, 632 00:37:56,141 --> 00:37:59,242 stabbing her ultimately 44 times. 633 00:38:00,911 --> 00:38:03,446 [Det. Dana] Tina does her best to defend herself, 634 00:38:03,448 --> 00:38:07,050 but ultimately Steve Carlson just overpowers her. 635 00:38:17,528 --> 00:38:19,663 After attacking Tina, 636 00:38:19,665 --> 00:38:22,966 Steve Carlson throws her purse into the tree 637 00:38:22,968 --> 00:38:26,136 and then he throws the murder weapon into the field. 638 00:38:28,372 --> 00:38:30,140 It's hard to wrap your mind around 639 00:38:30,142 --> 00:38:34,144 the fact that this 16-year-old kid 640 00:38:34,146 --> 00:38:38,281 would kill this young, sweet innocent girl. 641 00:38:38,949 --> 00:38:41,051 But that's what happened. 642 00:38:41,053 --> 00:38:44,654 And it's because he's a psychopath and he's evil. 643 00:38:45,656 --> 00:38:49,626 I think Steven wanted to unleash 644 00:38:49,628 --> 00:38:52,162 his rejection from peers 645 00:38:52,164 --> 00:38:59,669 and he did that without any thought or concern for that victim. 646 00:38:59,671 --> 00:39:02,872 He's made a series of decisions to take out his pain 647 00:39:02,874 --> 00:39:06,343 on other victims who he can overpower. 648 00:39:06,345 --> 00:39:10,180 And that culminated in this homicide of Tina. 649 00:39:11,749 --> 00:39:14,918 [narrator] On August 7, 2011, 650 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:18,455 Detectives Knox and Savage drive to Santa Cruz County Jail 651 00:39:18,457 --> 00:39:21,324 to arrest Steven Carlson. 652 00:39:21,326 --> 00:39:23,960 [James Knox] Putting the handcuffs on Steven Carlson 653 00:39:23,962 --> 00:39:26,529 was the most rewarding point of my career. 654 00:39:27,264 --> 00:39:30,333 For that case to have gone that long, 655 00:39:30,335 --> 00:39:34,337 for him to be undetected for all those years 656 00:39:34,339 --> 00:39:39,008 was so rewarding, it's hard to describe. 657 00:39:39,977 --> 00:39:43,613 Being able to tell Shirley was special. 658 00:39:43,615 --> 00:39:45,382 She never let go of hope 659 00:39:45,384 --> 00:39:49,352 that we would finally someday catch her daughter's killer. 660 00:39:49,354 --> 00:39:51,621 And we were able to do that. 661 00:39:55,292 --> 00:39:57,894 I remember my mom calling me on a Sunday night. 662 00:39:57,896 --> 00:39:59,496 She said, "They got him." 663 00:39:59,498 --> 00:40:01,698 And I remember I just started crying, 664 00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:08,171 just so happy to finally get some justice for Tina. 665 00:40:09,974 --> 00:40:15,945 [narrator] On October 29th, 2014, 30 years after Tina's death, 666 00:40:15,947 --> 00:40:19,149 Steven Carlson is convicted of first degree murder. 667 00:40:20,451 --> 00:40:24,354 But in 2017, the conviction is overturned 668 00:40:24,356 --> 00:40:26,523 and he is re-sentenced to 16 years 669 00:40:26,525 --> 00:40:29,292 for second-degree murder. 670 00:40:29,294 --> 00:40:33,296 [Drew] The trial was initially supposed to start on February 13 of 2014. 671 00:40:33,298 --> 00:40:36,266 That's actually the date my mom passed away. 672 00:40:36,268 --> 00:40:40,203 I, I always look at it as my mom's way of letting go 673 00:40:40,205 --> 00:40:44,007 and saying we got him now. 674 00:40:45,109 --> 00:40:49,946 [James Knox] Steven later wrote a letter to the Faelz family 675 00:40:49,948 --> 00:40:52,182 in which he confessed to killing Tina. 676 00:40:52,184 --> 00:40:57,387 In that letter he stated that he was so intoxicated 677 00:40:57,389 --> 00:41:01,324 and enraged that it didn't matter that it was Tina Faelz, 678 00:41:01,326 --> 00:41:04,794 that it could have been any random person. 679 00:41:04,796 --> 00:41:06,930 But I don't buy it. 680 00:41:06,932 --> 00:41:11,034 I think that he had some predisposed anger towards Tina. 681 00:41:11,036 --> 00:41:16,139 And she had confronted Steven on several occasions 682 00:41:16,141 --> 00:41:18,875 trying to protect one of her friends. 683 00:41:18,877 --> 00:41:24,481 And I think that was the inner drive for him to attack her. 684 00:41:26,250 --> 00:41:30,086 [narrator] Pleasanton police feel both pride and relief 685 00:41:30,088 --> 00:41:34,190 that they were finally able to do right by Tina Faelz. 686 00:41:34,192 --> 00:41:36,059 [James Knox] I grew up in the town, 687 00:41:36,061 --> 00:41:41,030 so being able to bring justice to the Faelz family 688 00:41:41,032 --> 00:41:44,100 and maybe a sigh of relief to all those folks 689 00:41:44,102 --> 00:41:47,203 that have lived in Pleasanton for all those years 690 00:41:47,205 --> 00:41:49,939 was extremely rewarding. 691 00:41:49,941 --> 00:41:54,677 [Det. Dana] Solidifying a timeline in this case was crucial. 692 00:41:54,679 --> 00:41:57,614 We had to know what time she left school, 693 00:41:57,616 --> 00:41:59,782 what time she had left geography class, 694 00:41:59,784 --> 00:42:03,086 when she was supposed to be in detention but wasn't. 695 00:42:03,088 --> 00:42:07,156 I'm happy that Steve Carlson is in prison, 696 00:42:07,158 --> 00:42:09,158 and I hope he never gets out. 697 00:42:11,295 --> 00:42:15,832 [Drew] When Tina died, she was the oldest kid in her block. 698 00:42:15,834 --> 00:42:20,503 We, we all kind of lost a mentor and a leader. 699 00:42:21,639 --> 00:42:23,840 We all just loved hanging out with her. 700 00:42:23,842 --> 00:42:25,375 It makes me wonder all the time 701 00:42:25,377 --> 00:42:28,044 what, what life would be with, if she was still here.