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00:00:05,905 --> 00:00:11,110
[Emily Dean] They watched these two
men force Mr Stark into the Dodge Caravan
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00:00:11,112 --> 00:00:13,112
and drive off with him
into the night.
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00:00:19,552 --> 00:00:22,354
He was a successful real
estate businessman
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00:00:22,356 --> 00:00:24,990
and respected member
of the Hasidic community.
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00:00:28,795 --> 00:00:33,332
Mr Stark owed 40 million
dollars to his business dealings.
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00:00:33,334 --> 00:00:39,905
He roped up the rest of his family
members in and it went horribly wrong.
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00:00:39,907 --> 00:00:42,775
[Michael Arntfield] If you can't get
approved for a conventional bank loan
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00:00:42,777 --> 00:00:46,211
your next best choice probably
shouldn't be the mob.
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00:00:46,213 --> 00:00:50,049
They'll send a couple of goons
to your house and make you pay.
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00:00:52,218 --> 00:00:54,787
This guy's very nervous,
you know, he knows something.
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00:00:56,689 --> 00:01:01,427
[narrator] Every day in North America
dozens of people are murdered.
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00:01:01,429 --> 00:01:03,996
The key to solving the
toughest of these homicides
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00:01:03,998 --> 00:01:08,000
lies in the final 24 hours
of the victim's life.
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00:01:08,002 --> 00:01:13,572
To crack the case, detectives
must reconstruct that critical timeline.
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00:01:13,574 --> 00:01:18,010
The minutes and hours containing
evidence that can help unlock the mystery
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00:01:18,012 --> 00:01:19,778
and catch the killer.
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00:01:28,621 --> 00:01:33,092
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A vibrant
neighborhood in New York City
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00:01:33,094 --> 00:01:36,528
where modern style blends
with old world charm.
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00:01:36,530 --> 00:01:40,766
[It. John Tennant] Williamsburg
in the last 15-20 years
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00:01:40,768 --> 00:01:42,668
is become very gentrified.
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00:01:42,670 --> 00:01:46,672
It's a melting pot of all
different types of communities.
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00:01:46,674 --> 00:01:51,176
[Det. Chris Scarry] The community
of Williamsburg is also heavily Hasidic.
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00:01:51,178 --> 00:01:54,847
They are very traditional,
very tight-knit community.
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00:01:54,849 --> 00:01:58,250
[It. John Tennant] People that
work in the stores are Hasidic.
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00:01:58,252 --> 00:02:03,755
Your bus drivers, the mechanics,
it's sort of a all-inclusive neighborhood.
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00:02:05,191 --> 00:02:08,393
[Det. Chris] The area of
Williamsburg itself is a pretty safe area.
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00:02:08,395 --> 00:02:13,832
You have the occasional robberies,
burglaries like murders, very rarely.
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00:02:13,834 --> 00:02:15,534
It's not the worst area
in Brooklyn.
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00:02:16,870 --> 00:02:18,670
[narrator]
On a cold winter's night,
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00:02:18,672 --> 00:02:23,775
the 90th precinct gets an alarming call
about a member of the Hasidic community.
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00:02:25,178 --> 00:02:29,848
[Det. Matt Collins] The 911 call
was made by a Hasidic woman,
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00:02:29,850 --> 00:02:35,020
she had called in concern that her
husband, uh, did not arrive home,
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00:02:35,022 --> 00:02:41,059
which is unlike him, he always
came home, uh, the time that he said.
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00:02:41,061 --> 00:02:45,497
[Emily Dean] The night of January 2nd into
the early morning hours of January 3rd,
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00:02:45,499 --> 00:02:48,901
snow was coming down,
it was a blizzard.
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00:02:48,903 --> 00:02:52,304
So when he didn't come home
at the time she expected him,
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00:02:52,306 --> 00:02:56,642
you know, she was very afraid
for her husband's safety.
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[narrator] The missing man is
39-year-old Menachem Stark.
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00:03:00,881 --> 00:03:04,983
A prominent member of
Williamsburg's Hasidic community.
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00:03:04,985 --> 00:03:09,288
Mr Stark was a married father
of seven children.
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00:03:09,290 --> 00:03:14,092
He was a very successful realtor in the
Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.
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00:03:14,094 --> 00:03:18,597
He was the owner of many
buildings, he had many tenants.
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00:03:18,599 --> 00:03:21,867
He was very beloved
by his family and friends.
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00:03:21,869 --> 00:03:26,638
And his life was really about
his community and his family.
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[narrator] Police are dispatched to
Menachem Stark's last known whereabouts.
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00:03:32,813 --> 00:03:35,781
His office on Rutledge street.
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00:03:35,783 --> 00:03:40,285
[Det. Matt] His brother Al was at the
office where Menachem was supposed to be
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00:03:40,287 --> 00:03:44,756
and, uh, explained to us that
Menachem was not there.
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00:03:44,758 --> 00:03:48,694
But Menachem's car
was still at the location.
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00:03:48,696 --> 00:03:52,598
And nothing there
seemed to be out of place.
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00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:58,103
When detectives watch video surveillance
from the cameras in his office building,
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they were able to see that
something was wrong.
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00:04:01,809 --> 00:04:04,710
[narrator]
Shortly after 11:40pm,
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00:04:04,712 --> 00:04:08,347
Menachem can be seen
exiting his office
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00:04:08,349 --> 00:04:11,250
and being jumped
by two large men.
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00:04:12,852 --> 00:04:15,621
[Det. Chris] The video
was grainy, it's dark.
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00:04:15,623 --> 00:04:19,358
So it's tough to make out faces,
we can't see faces on there at all.
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00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,462
[Emily Dean] Detectives still see
Menachem Stark leaving his office
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00:04:23,464 --> 00:04:28,166
and a figure gets out of the Dodge
Caravan that's sitting parked outside.
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00:04:28,168 --> 00:04:33,472
That person approaches him, seems to engage
Mr Stark in some kind of a conversation
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00:04:33,474 --> 00:04:39,044
and immediately you see that figure
start wrestling Mr Stark to the ground.
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00:04:39,046 --> 00:04:42,347
And then a second figure comes
out of the Dodge Caravan,
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00:04:42,349 --> 00:04:44,883
runs over to Mr Stark
and starts helping
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00:04:44,885 --> 00:04:47,653
the first figure
get control of Mr Stark.
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00:04:47,655 --> 00:04:50,822
And Mr Stark was fighting
for his life in that moment.
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00:04:52,692 --> 00:04:55,661
[Det. Chris] So after about
four minutes the two individuals
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00:04:55,663 --> 00:04:58,530
are successful in getting
Mr Stark into their vehicle.
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00:04:58,532 --> 00:05:01,099
And then the van drives off.
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00:05:03,403 --> 00:05:07,105
[Emily Dean] For investigators
seeing this video, right away they know
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00:05:07,107 --> 00:05:09,174
that Mr Stark
has been kidnapped.
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00:05:09,176 --> 00:05:11,943
I mean,
there's no mistaking in that.
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00:05:11,945 --> 00:05:17,849
Tasked with investigating the kidnapping of
Menachem Stark are detectives Matt Collins
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00:05:17,851 --> 00:05:22,554
and Chris Scarry
of Brooklyn's 90th precinct.
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00:05:22,556 --> 00:05:24,890
[Keira Stockdale] Even if
the kidnapper's intention
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00:05:24,892 --> 00:05:28,293
is to hold this person
and get payment in some way
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00:05:28,295 --> 00:05:31,196
kidnapping is by
definition violent and so...
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00:05:31,198 --> 00:05:35,233
Additional violence could be
perpetrated in order to control your victim
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00:05:35,235 --> 00:05:40,205
and obtain what you want plus if it doesn't
go according to plan now you have a witness
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00:05:40,207 --> 00:05:45,677
who may be able to identify yourself
and your accomplices as the kidnappers.
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00:05:45,679 --> 00:05:48,747
[Det. Matt] This incident
now ramps up our efforts.
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00:05:48,749 --> 00:05:52,250
We must find Mr Stark
in a timely manner.
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00:05:53,086 --> 00:05:55,253
[narrator]
To find Menachem Stark,
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00:05:55,255 --> 00:05:58,924
investigators will need
to reconstruct the 24 hours
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00:05:58,926 --> 00:06:01,593
leading up to the
businessman's kidnapping.
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00:06:01,595 --> 00:06:04,296
[Det. Matt] Because the video
was very grainy we were unable
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00:06:04,298 --> 00:06:09,634
to see any type of license plate from
the vehicle that Mr Stark was put in.
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00:06:09,636 --> 00:06:11,636
The area is an industrial zone.
88
00:06:11,638 --> 00:06:14,973
There's no witnesses
in the area at that time.
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00:06:14,975 --> 00:06:19,144
We found some duct tape
out in front of the location.
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00:06:19,146 --> 00:06:22,481
Mr Stark's vehicle
was also left at the scene...
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00:06:22,483 --> 00:06:29,321
so those two item we were able to take
possession of and go further from there.
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00:06:30,690 --> 00:06:32,190
[siren wailing]
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00:06:32,192 --> 00:06:35,460
[narrator] Racing against the
clock to find Menachem Stark alive
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00:06:35,462 --> 00:06:39,531
detectives move quickly
to interview his wife, Bashie
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00:06:39,533 --> 00:06:44,169
to learn more about Menachem's
activities before his kidnapping.
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00:06:44,171 --> 00:06:46,772
When we went to go speak
with Mr Stark's wife
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00:06:46,774 --> 00:06:50,942
she had seven children
in the apartment with her.
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00:06:50,944 --> 00:06:53,612
She was extremely concerned...
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00:06:53,614 --> 00:06:57,449
[Emily Dean] Bashie Stark knew
when to expect her husband home,
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00:06:57,451 --> 00:06:58,984
Mr Stark was a family man.
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00:06:58,986 --> 00:07:00,585
He had a lot of responsibilities
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00:07:00,587 --> 00:07:03,822
but she always knew
where he was going to be.
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00:07:03,824 --> 00:07:08,560
Bashie had spoken to Menachem
at about 8:42 that evening
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00:07:08,562 --> 00:07:10,996
and asked him what time
he might be home.
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00:07:10,998 --> 00:07:14,299
He had told her he has
some business to tend to
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00:07:14,301 --> 00:07:17,402
and he was thinking
somewhere about 11:30.
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00:07:17,404 --> 00:07:22,174
We asked "Is this normal for him to go
to office at 11:30 at night on a Thursday?"
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00:07:22,176 --> 00:07:24,476
And she's like "No,
it was normal, he'll go there
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00:07:24,478 --> 00:07:27,312
for a half hour
and he'll return home."
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00:07:27,314 --> 00:07:32,984
But that evening after 11:30 had
passed Bashie became concerned
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00:07:32,986 --> 00:07:38,857
- and called Menachem's phone at about 11:40...
- [phone rings]
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00:07:38,859 --> 00:07:43,662
and Menachem did not pick up
his phone which was unusual for him.
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00:07:43,664 --> 00:07:47,232
She waited a short time longer
and she called
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00:07:47,234 --> 00:07:50,335
Menachem's number again
at 12 o'clock.
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00:07:51,704 --> 00:07:55,874
The phone was picked up
but there was no answer...
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00:07:55,876 --> 00:08:00,445
and then hung up,
which was highly unusual.
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This is what Bashie became
very, very concerned about.
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[narrator] Investigators turn to
Menachem Stark's cell phone records.
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00:08:08,589 --> 00:08:12,123
Hoping they'll be able
to pinpoint his location.
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00:08:12,125 --> 00:08:16,795
They're able to get location
information for Mr Stark at certain times
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00:08:16,797 --> 00:08:18,897
throughout the night that
he was using his cellphone.
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00:08:18,899 --> 00:08:22,801
And so they were able to actually see
throughout the night when Mr Stark was
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00:08:22,803 --> 00:08:27,005
exactly where his wife thought
he was and that was at his office.
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00:08:27,007 --> 00:08:32,077
Mr Stark's, uh, phone records
reveal that after Bashie
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00:08:32,079 --> 00:08:35,881
had made that phone call
to Menachem's phone,
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00:08:35,883 --> 00:08:39,885
about midnight,
his phone was moving...
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00:08:39,887 --> 00:08:44,823
and it moved from his office,
headed Southbound, leaving Brooklyn
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00:08:44,825 --> 00:08:49,761
and after about 12:00, the phone
had been disabled at that time.
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[narrator] With Menachem's trail
going cold shortly after midnight
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00:08:55,269 --> 00:08:59,404
detectives re-double their
efforts to track him down.
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00:08:59,406 --> 00:09:04,809
Then they receive an unexpected lead
from another New York Police Department.
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00:09:04,811 --> 00:09:08,713
[Emily Dean] On January 3rd
out in Great Neck, Long Island,
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00:09:08,715 --> 00:09:12,651
a gas station attendant
comes into work and sees
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00:09:12,653 --> 00:09:15,353
that there is smoke coming out
of a dumpster.
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00:09:15,355 --> 00:09:20,458
He gets closer to the dumpster and
he smells something very, very bad.
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00:09:20,460 --> 00:09:22,961
And he immediately calls 911.
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00:09:22,963 --> 00:09:26,298
- [sirens wail] - The Fire
Department arrives, the police arrive.
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00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:32,170
And they open up the dumpster and
they see the badly burned body of a man
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00:09:32,172 --> 00:09:35,974
who's dressed in traditional
Hasidic garb.
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00:09:35,976 --> 00:09:41,379
He's also bound, his hands are tied,
there's duct tape wrapped around him.
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00:09:41,381 --> 00:09:45,317
The body is found still
burning and smoldering.
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00:09:45,319 --> 00:09:48,787
Was more burning from
the mid part of the body down.
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00:09:48,789 --> 00:09:51,222
But you could still notice
a face.
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00:09:51,224 --> 00:09:54,225
The man who is found in the
dumpster at that gas station
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00:09:54,227 --> 00:09:57,829
is identified as being
Menachem Stark.
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00:09:57,831 --> 00:10:01,199
[man 1] This is the worst case
scenario in kidnapping cases
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00:10:01,201 --> 00:10:04,603
where the person
kidnapped is killed.
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00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:08,139
[narrator] With the body
identified as Menachem Stark.
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00:10:08,141 --> 00:10:13,345
Investigators from the 90th precinct
are now dealing with a homicide.
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00:10:13,347 --> 00:10:16,781
In this case, the body
is dumped and set on fire
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00:10:16,783 --> 00:10:20,285
so it's very shocking
and jarring.
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00:10:20,287 --> 00:10:23,955
I think it speaks for a callus
disregard for life.
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00:10:23,957 --> 00:10:27,692
Most kidnappings are committed
by acquaintances.
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00:10:27,694 --> 00:10:34,699
So these killers likely don't have a
strong personal connection with the victim.
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00:10:34,701 --> 00:10:39,804
[narrator] Investigators work to establish
a time frame for Menachem Stark's murder.
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00:10:39,806 --> 00:10:44,943
[Emily Dean] Mr Stark had been
kidnapped around 11:40pm from Williamsburg.
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00:10:44,945 --> 00:10:48,813
And from the gas station attendant
out in Great Neck, Long Island,
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00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:53,051
they knew that that dumpster was
full of smoke early in the morning,
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00:10:53,053 --> 00:10:55,353
probably sometime
just after 7am.
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00:10:55,355 --> 00:10:58,423
[man 2] So now we have a
window of about 11:40 at night
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00:10:58,425 --> 00:11:01,926
when Mr Stark was taken in a van
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00:11:01,928 --> 00:11:04,796
and then the next morning from
January 3rd when they saw
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00:11:04,798 --> 00:11:06,765
that there was smoke
coming out of the dumpster.
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00:11:06,767 --> 00:11:09,934
[Emily Dean] So for investigators,
it's now their job to figure out
165
00:11:09,936 --> 00:11:14,506
who was driving the van that
night and who did this to Mr Stark?
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00:11:14,508 --> 00:11:19,744
[narrator] Looking for answers,
investigators turn to the autopsy results.
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00:11:19,746 --> 00:11:24,049
[Emily Dean] When the medical
examiner examines Mr Stark's body,
168
00:11:24,051 --> 00:11:29,187
he determines that the cause of
death was compression, asphyxiation.
169
00:11:29,189 --> 00:11:34,793
Or in laypeople's terms, someone put
so much pressure on Mr Stark's chest
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00:11:34,795 --> 00:11:37,862
that he couldn't breathe
and he suffocated.
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00:11:37,864 --> 00:11:40,331
[Det. Chris]
What we had at that point was
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00:11:40,333 --> 00:11:46,438
there were at least two people involved
with this kidnapping / homicide case
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00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:52,377
but we still were not aware of the
motivation behind why Menachem was killed.
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00:11:57,483 --> 00:12:02,120
[narrator] In the abduction and murder of
Hasidic businessman Menachem Stark...
175
00:12:02,122 --> 00:12:06,291
detectives from the 90th precinct
are searching for two suspects
176
00:12:06,293 --> 00:12:11,996
seen on video surveillance pulling
him into a van the night he disappeared.
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00:12:11,998 --> 00:12:15,567
We have to find out the motivation
behind what was happening here.
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00:12:15,569 --> 00:12:19,037
And at that very moment we
didn't know what that was.
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00:12:19,039 --> 00:12:22,640
And who might have done this
to Mr Stark.
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00:12:25,544 --> 00:12:28,413
[narrator] For the traditional
tight knit community,
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00:12:28,415 --> 00:12:32,517
Menachem Stark's brutal death
is a devastating loss.
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00:12:32,519 --> 00:12:35,153
[Det. Chris] The funeral
possession of Menachem Stark
183
00:12:35,155 --> 00:12:38,623
was very touching
and impressive.
184
00:12:38,625 --> 00:12:42,127
Mr Stark was a very generous
man in the community,
185
00:12:42,129 --> 00:12:45,463
he was very well known
and well respected.
186
00:12:45,465 --> 00:12:49,134
So when he passed he had
a lot of not just family,
187
00:12:49,136 --> 00:12:53,171
lot of friends who were
devastated by the news also.
188
00:12:56,075 --> 00:12:59,511
[It. John Tennant] The family
obviously was very shooken to the core
189
00:12:59,513 --> 00:13:04,382
that somebody would do this
to one of their family members.
190
00:13:04,384 --> 00:13:07,786
They were scared and
they certainly wanted us to do
191
00:13:07,788 --> 00:13:12,657
everything we could to get the
people responsible for that.
192
00:13:12,659 --> 00:13:15,426
[narrator] Having determined
that Menachem was likely killed
193
00:13:15,428 --> 00:13:19,097
by the two men seen on video
grabbing him off the street
194
00:13:19,099 --> 00:13:22,133
investigators dig into
his real estate business,
195
00:13:22,135 --> 00:13:25,003
looking for potential suspects.
196
00:13:25,005 --> 00:13:30,809
[Det. Chris] We had discovered a check that
Menachem had made out to a construction company
197
00:13:30,811 --> 00:13:35,680
owned by Thomas Falcone
for approximately $20,000
198
00:13:35,682 --> 00:13:37,782
that had bounced.
199
00:13:37,784 --> 00:13:40,652
Thomas Falcone is a contractor.
200
00:13:40,654 --> 00:13:43,588
He's the head contractor that
Mr Stark does business with.
201
00:13:43,590 --> 00:13:48,426
Mr Stark would buy a building
that needed work to be done.
202
00:13:48,428 --> 00:13:51,229
So he'd bring a contractor
in to fix up the building.
203
00:13:51,231 --> 00:13:52,797
This was Mr Falcone.
204
00:13:53,866 --> 00:13:56,434
[narrator] Detectives
track down Thomas Falcone
205
00:13:56,436 --> 00:13:58,469
and bring him in
for an interview.
206
00:13:58,471 --> 00:14:02,907
[man 3] Mr Falcone had been
doing many projects for Mr Stark
207
00:14:02,909 --> 00:14:08,546
and had a fairly good business
relationship until recently.
208
00:14:08,548 --> 00:14:14,419
There was times where Mr Stark did not
pay Mr Falcone, the money that was needed
209
00:14:14,421 --> 00:14:17,155
to pay for Mr Falcone
to pay his employees.
210
00:14:17,157 --> 00:14:22,260
So that became heated, uh, to the point where
Mr Falcone had to go to Mr Stark's office
211
00:14:22,262 --> 00:14:25,463
and demand to be paid.
212
00:14:25,465 --> 00:14:28,399
[narrator] Detectives
continue to question Mr Falcone
213
00:14:28,401 --> 00:14:30,735
about the tensions
in the relationship.
214
00:14:30,737 --> 00:14:32,937
But he's not forthcoming.
215
00:14:32,939 --> 00:14:36,207
I'd say he was
a little bit arrogant, um...
216
00:14:36,209 --> 00:14:39,611
He hid a lot of information
from us during the investigation.
217
00:14:39,613 --> 00:14:45,250
So we were kinda getting more and more suspicious
about what was going on with Mr Falcone.
218
00:14:45,252 --> 00:14:50,388
[Det. Matt] I asked him about his
whereabouts when this incident took place.
219
00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:54,092
And Mr Falcone indicated to me
that he had been
220
00:14:54,094 --> 00:14:57,495
at a construction site
on Long Island all day
221
00:14:57,497 --> 00:15:02,767
and then about 6 o'clock
he rode back to his residence
222
00:15:02,769 --> 00:15:06,537
which was in Queens
and was home with his family
223
00:15:06,539 --> 00:15:09,641
at his house, uh,
for the rest of the night.
224
00:15:09,643 --> 00:15:13,711
We were able to confirm that
in fact that's what happened
225
00:15:13,713 --> 00:15:17,682
as far as his whereabouts
at the time of the crime.
226
00:15:17,684 --> 00:15:21,019
[narrator] With no solid
suspects emerging detectives,
227
00:15:21,021 --> 00:15:24,289
do a deep dive into
Menachem Stark's business
228
00:15:24,291 --> 00:15:26,491
looking for new leads.
229
00:15:26,493 --> 00:15:30,395
[It. John] Menachem was a
real estate person in Brooklyn.
230
00:15:30,397 --> 00:15:33,998
We know that that's a very
competitive, cut-throat type business.
231
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:39,604
But as we got more into his
financial background we realized that
232
00:15:39,606 --> 00:15:43,775
he and his company
were facing a shortage of cash
233
00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:47,512
and some bankruptcies.
234
00:15:47,514 --> 00:15:52,684
[Det. Matt] He owes a substantial
amount of money to many people.
235
00:15:52,686 --> 00:15:56,354
We find in the course of this
investigation that Mr Stark
236
00:15:56,356 --> 00:16:04,356
owed nearly 40 million dollars in
totality to, um... his business dealings.
237
00:16:04,531 --> 00:16:10,668
He had to borrow a lot of money from
banks and from other people to cover debts.
238
00:16:10,670 --> 00:16:14,906
One of the motivations
of homicide is in fact
239
00:16:14,908 --> 00:16:18,176
financial motivations
behind the killing.
240
00:16:18,178 --> 00:16:25,083
So finding out that Mr Stark wasn't as
financially sound as maybe people thought he was
241
00:16:25,085 --> 00:16:29,887
was definitely a path to
look down involving his death.
242
00:16:29,889 --> 00:16:32,557
[narrator] Investigators then
learn that Menachem Stark
243
00:16:32,559 --> 00:16:37,095
has a business partner
named Israel Pearlmutter.
244
00:16:37,097 --> 00:16:40,665
They speak with him down at
the station hoping he'll provide
245
00:16:40,667 --> 00:16:44,202
more information about
their financial dealings.
246
00:16:44,204 --> 00:16:47,071
[Det. Chris] Mr Pearlmutter
is a big shot of the community
247
00:16:47,073 --> 00:16:53,411
He's a person that Mr Stark would go to,
uh, regarding financial, uh, situations.
248
00:16:53,413 --> 00:16:58,116
Mr Stark needed certain amount of
money in a bank account at a certain time
249
00:16:58,118 --> 00:17:02,620
for a check to clear, he would ask Mr Pearlmutter
who'd put money into the bank account.
250
00:17:05,491 --> 00:17:12,430
Mr Pearlmutter told us that he had some
type of dispute with Mr Stark about money.
251
00:17:12,432 --> 00:17:16,601
Some of the money might have been
missing along the way and that Menachem
252
00:17:16,603 --> 00:17:20,171
didn't give him a good enough
answer to why this happened.
253
00:17:20,173 --> 00:17:23,674
He's like, "Listen,
if somebody took $300,000
254
00:17:23,676 --> 00:17:25,910
out of your account,
wouldn't you be upset?"
255
00:17:25,912 --> 00:17:31,916
But he also tells us that they've both
taken money out of the bank account to
256
00:17:31,918 --> 00:17:37,922
pay for, you know, family
things or to pay off certain debts.
257
00:17:37,924 --> 00:17:41,626
[narrator] As investigators
continue questioning Mr Pearlmutter,
258
00:17:41,628 --> 00:17:44,162
his behavior begins
to raise suspicion.
259
00:17:44,164 --> 00:17:46,664
[Det. Matt] One of the things in
my mind when I was speaking to him
260
00:17:46,666 --> 00:17:50,601
was that he was a bit elusive
with me and a bit, um...
261
00:17:50,603 --> 00:17:56,541
Standoff-ish which as an investigator
start to ring some bells in your head.
262
00:17:56,543 --> 00:18:00,478
We weren't sure if this is somebody
that we should be interested in
263
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,482
or is this somebody that is
just nervous with the police...
264
00:18:04,484 --> 00:18:10,822
But during the course of the interview
we were able to verify his whereabouts
265
00:18:10,824 --> 00:18:13,091
at the time of the crime.
266
00:18:13,093 --> 00:18:15,960
[narrator] Mr Pearlmutter was
home with his family on the night
267
00:18:15,962 --> 00:18:18,663
of Menachem's abduction
and murder.
268
00:18:18,665 --> 00:18:21,399
With his alibi confirmed,
269
00:18:21,401 --> 00:18:26,037
detectives ask him about a
key detail they've uncovered.
270
00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:29,006
[Det. Matt] During the course
of our investigation we find
271
00:18:29,008 --> 00:18:34,812
that Mr Stark had deposited
$200,000 into a business account
272
00:18:34,814 --> 00:18:38,382
just days before
his kidnapping and murder.
273
00:18:38,384 --> 00:18:44,589
When I spoke to Mr Pearlmutter about
it, again he became elusive with me
274
00:18:44,591 --> 00:18:49,327
as to where this money
actually came from.
275
00:18:49,329 --> 00:18:56,734
We were hearing the nexus of this money
potentially was the alleged Russian mob.
276
00:18:56,736 --> 00:19:00,538
It becomes concerning
was this something that
277
00:19:00,540 --> 00:19:05,510
organized crime may have been
involved with as far as killing Mr Stark?
278
00:19:08,046 --> 00:19:09,680
[It. John]
Mr Pearlmutter,
279
00:19:09,682 --> 00:19:14,318
he started to realize that Menachem
Stark might have been killed for
280
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,822
the loans that
he was defaulting on.
281
00:19:17,824 --> 00:19:21,926
And he was part of those loans
and if this had something to do
282
00:19:21,928 --> 00:19:27,532
with why Menachem was killed,
then he might be next.
283
00:19:27,534 --> 00:19:32,403
If Menachem Stark wasn't paying
the money back in a timely fashion,
284
00:19:32,405 --> 00:19:36,374
this could be a motivating
factor of why this happened.
285
00:19:36,376 --> 00:19:41,045
If you go to City Bank and you borrow
$100,000 from them and you can't pay
286
00:19:41,047 --> 00:19:44,248
they usually send you
a nasty letter.
287
00:19:44,250 --> 00:19:48,085
When you borrow money from the
street and you don't pay them back,
288
00:19:48,087 --> 00:19:50,454
they'll send a couple of goons
to your house
289
00:19:50,456 --> 00:19:55,459
and break your legs or break
your arm and make you pay.
290
00:19:55,461 --> 00:19:59,330
[Det. Chris] The Russian mob has their own
set of rules, if they have to get paid back,
291
00:19:59,332 --> 00:20:01,699
they're gonna make sure
they get their money back.
292
00:20:01,701 --> 00:20:04,435
This could be
what happened to Mr Stark.
293
00:20:09,675 --> 00:20:12,543
[narrator] In the abduction
and killing of Menachem Stark,
294
00:20:12,545 --> 00:20:16,314
detectives have learned the loving
father and Brooklyn businessman
295
00:20:16,316 --> 00:20:19,350
was over $40 million in debt
296
00:20:19,352 --> 00:20:24,455
and may have owed money
to the Russian mob.
297
00:20:24,457 --> 00:20:30,027
As investigators the alarms go off in our
heads, especially when you start hearing of
298
00:20:30,029 --> 00:20:33,297
money coming from potentially
a Russian mobster.
299
00:20:36,001 --> 00:20:39,203
Mr Stark's business partner
Israel Pearlmutter,
300
00:20:39,205 --> 00:20:42,807
I'm sure he was elusive
with me because he knew
301
00:20:42,809 --> 00:20:46,177
that borrowing money
from people in organized crime
302
00:20:46,179 --> 00:20:49,480
was a very bad business mistake.
303
00:20:49,482 --> 00:20:51,582
[Michael Arntfield]
Mr Pearlmutter indicated to me
304
00:20:51,584 --> 00:20:54,652
that he was very frightened
at this time and concerned
305
00:20:54,654 --> 00:20:56,721
about his well-being.
306
00:20:56,723 --> 00:20:59,724
I think it goes without
saying that if you can't
307
00:20:59,726 --> 00:21:02,059
get approved
for a conventional bank loan
308
00:21:02,061 --> 00:21:06,397
uh, your next best choice
probably shouldn't be the mob.
309
00:21:06,399 --> 00:21:08,933
Borrowing a couple
hundred thousand dollars
310
00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:11,936
from the Russian mafia
in New York City
311
00:21:11,938 --> 00:21:15,740
in terms of repayment plans,
there's obviously significant
312
00:21:15,742 --> 00:21:19,443
personal risk attached
to defaulting on that loan.
313
00:21:21,113 --> 00:21:23,981
[narrator] To pay back their
debt to the Russian mob,
314
00:21:23,983 --> 00:21:29,787
Mr Pearlmutter reveals he and Menachem
turned to a loan shark named Abe Hoffman.
315
00:21:31,123 --> 00:21:34,492
[Det. Matt] Mr Hoffman is
somebody that people turn to
316
00:21:34,494 --> 00:21:36,794
to get out of some type
of trouble.
317
00:21:36,796 --> 00:21:39,597
Hence, the term loan shark.
318
00:21:41,233 --> 00:21:47,738
Menachem had gone to Mr
Hoffman and borrowed, uh, $500,000
319
00:21:47,740 --> 00:21:51,342
to cover the money
that was allegedly borrowed
320
00:21:51,344 --> 00:21:55,813
from a Russian mob figure
from Brooklyn.
321
00:21:55,815 --> 00:22:01,886
We spoke with Mr Hoffman and he had
told us that he had known, uh, Menachem
322
00:22:01,888 --> 00:22:07,024
uh, for many, many years, had done
business with Menachem many times
323
00:22:07,026 --> 00:22:09,093
and had no issues
dealing with him.
324
00:22:10,395 --> 00:22:13,364
[Det. Chris] So Mr Hoffman
deposited $500,000
325
00:22:13,366 --> 00:22:17,101
into Mr Stark's account the
day before Mr Stark's death.
326
00:22:17,103 --> 00:22:19,603
So once we've learned that,
327
00:22:19,605 --> 00:22:23,607
Mr Hoffman was a person
of interest but not a suspect.
328
00:22:23,609 --> 00:22:29,113
Because doesn't make sense to kill
somebody who's gonna owe you $500,000.
329
00:22:29,115 --> 00:22:34,352
We also ruled the Russian
mobster out as a person responsible
330
00:22:34,354 --> 00:22:38,289
for killing Menachem Stark
because we confirmed
331
00:22:38,291 --> 00:22:42,827
that he was out of the country
at the time of the murder.
332
00:22:42,829 --> 00:22:45,529
[narrator] With another
suspect eliminated,
333
00:22:45,531 --> 00:22:49,100
detectives find themselves
back at square one.
334
00:22:49,102 --> 00:22:54,405
It was connections to loan sharks, there
were connections to the Russian mob.
335
00:22:54,407 --> 00:22:57,208
You're dealing with
a lot of shady individuals.
336
00:22:57,210 --> 00:23:01,912
It can be difficult
to determine who did what.
337
00:23:01,914 --> 00:23:04,949
[Det. Chris] There was a lot
of pressure to solve this case.
338
00:23:04,951 --> 00:23:10,755
The family was very involved
and the press was all over the story.
339
00:23:10,757 --> 00:23:13,057
We're following up
on everything we could,
340
00:23:13,059 --> 00:23:16,427
we have no specific leads that
are leading anywhere right now.
341
00:23:16,429 --> 00:23:20,531
So it was getting a little
discouraging at this time.
342
00:23:20,533 --> 00:23:23,267
[It. John] But it's one of those
things where you don't go home
343
00:23:23,269 --> 00:23:25,269
until you solve the case.
344
00:23:25,271 --> 00:23:30,107
If you didn't like the pressure you
wouldn't be in the Brooklyn squad.
345
00:23:30,109 --> 00:23:35,246
Detectives re-focus on the time
Menachem Stark was last seen alive.
346
00:23:35,248 --> 00:23:37,848
[Emily Dean] One of the angles
investigators were looking into
347
00:23:37,850 --> 00:23:40,718
was that this was premeditated.
348
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,454
The people that kidnapped
Mr Stark, how could they know
349
00:23:43,456 --> 00:23:46,424
that he was at his office
at a specific time?
350
00:23:46,426 --> 00:23:49,026
It wasn't just luck that
they went out in a blizzard,
351
00:23:49,028 --> 00:23:53,297
hung out outside his office at 11:30
at night and Mr Stark walked out.
352
00:23:53,299 --> 00:23:58,269
So the theory was... they had to have
had a way to know where Mr Stark was.
353
00:23:59,604 --> 00:24:01,238
[It. John]
We started to put together
354
00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:05,142
that maybe there was somebody
who was giving information to the killers
355
00:24:05,144 --> 00:24:10,214
or there was some tracking
device on Menachem' car.
356
00:24:12,317 --> 00:24:17,288
It was a trend that we saw in
certain crimes, uh, through Brooklyn
357
00:24:17,290 --> 00:24:19,323
cause detectives
talk to each other.
358
00:24:19,325 --> 00:24:25,296
It was sort of, tsk, a cheap
GPS device where people would
359
00:24:25,298 --> 00:24:28,799
take cell phones
with location trackers on it
360
00:24:28,801 --> 00:24:31,602
and sticking them
in people's cars
361
00:24:31,604 --> 00:24:33,637
or underneath people's cars
362
00:24:33,639 --> 00:24:38,108
and they were able to follow
victims or know where they are
363
00:24:38,110 --> 00:24:42,646
and be able to abduct them
or shoot them.
364
00:24:42,648 --> 00:24:47,084
[narrator] Armed with this new
information investigators work the theory
365
00:24:47,086 --> 00:24:51,222
that Menachem Stark's SUV was
being tracked by his killers.
366
00:24:51,224 --> 00:24:54,692
[man 4] Crime scene detectives
are brought in to again
367
00:24:54,694 --> 00:24:57,828
forensically go over
Mr Stark's car.
368
00:24:57,830 --> 00:25:03,367
The only way to find out if there was a
tracking device under the car was to look.
369
00:25:03,369 --> 00:25:06,537
So we examine the car
and there you go,
370
00:25:06,539 --> 00:25:13,544
there was a cell phone attached to
the gas tank of Menachem Stark's car.
371
00:25:13,546 --> 00:25:19,683
It was general consensus that whoever
put the phone under Menachem Stark's car
372
00:25:19,685 --> 00:25:25,356
is gonna be the guy or the guy
that could lead us to who killed him.
373
00:25:25,358 --> 00:25:30,394
Now we have the phone and it
blew the whole case wide open.
374
00:25:33,398 --> 00:25:36,901
[narrator] In the homicide of real
estate developer Menachem Stark,
375
00:25:36,903 --> 00:25:40,204
detectives have finally
caught a break in the case.
376
00:25:40,206 --> 00:25:43,040
They've discovered a cell
phone underneath his vehicle
377
00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:47,077
that they believe the killer
used to track his movements.
378
00:25:47,079 --> 00:25:52,583
[Emily Dean] The discovery of this phone
was important because law enforcement now
379
00:25:52,585 --> 00:25:54,785
can do what's called
a forensic extraction
380
00:25:54,787 --> 00:25:57,855
and they can get the data
that's in the cell phone.
381
00:25:57,857 --> 00:26:00,491
[Michael] Finding the cell phone
beneath Menachem Stark's car
382
00:26:00,493 --> 00:26:02,426
was a huge break
for investigators.
383
00:26:02,428 --> 00:26:06,630
Devices like cell phones can be
treasure troves of evidentiary information.
384
00:26:06,632 --> 00:26:12,102
Names, numbers, other data that
can help lead investigators to his killer.
385
00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:19,076
[narrator] As detectives await
the analysis on the cell phone,
386
00:26:19,078 --> 00:26:22,012
they turn their attention
to the van used to kidnap
387
00:26:22,014 --> 00:26:24,982
Menachem the night
of his murder.
388
00:26:24,984 --> 00:26:30,354
[Emily Dean] The auto crimes expert had
narrowed down the make and model of this van,
389
00:26:30,356 --> 00:26:33,157
he had told the detectives, "You're
looking for a Dodge Caravan".
390
00:26:33,159 --> 00:26:35,025
They gave then a year.
391
00:26:35,027 --> 00:26:36,827
[man 5] We're able
to look at this video
392
00:26:36,829 --> 00:26:43,400
which was not very good but you were
able to make out the type of license plate.
393
00:26:43,402 --> 00:26:44,802
[Det. Chris]
We're able to establish
394
00:26:44,804 --> 00:26:46,537
that there was Pennsylvania
plates on the van.
395
00:26:46,539 --> 00:26:48,706
It's tough to make out numbers
396
00:26:48,708 --> 00:26:50,741
but with that
we were able to find
397
00:26:50,743 --> 00:26:56,380
that a silver minivan
was owned by Philip Felix.
398
00:26:56,382 --> 00:26:58,082
[Emily Dean]
So the investigators,
399
00:26:58,084 --> 00:27:01,151
they drive out to the address
for Philip Felix
400
00:27:01,153 --> 00:27:04,688
and they see the Dodge Caravan
parked right outside of the address.
401
00:27:04,690 --> 00:27:07,591
They notice the unique things
about the Dodge Caravan
402
00:27:07,593 --> 00:27:14,064
and they think right away, "This is the
car that was used to kidnap Mr Stark".
403
00:27:14,066 --> 00:27:17,968
[man 6] The good news was it
had outstanding parking tickets on it
404
00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:23,374
so we brought it back to the 90
precinct and impounded it for the tickets.
405
00:27:23,376 --> 00:27:26,810
[narrator] With the Dodge
Caravan now in police custody.
406
00:27:26,812 --> 00:27:30,814
The crime scene unit processes
the vehicle, searching for evidence
407
00:27:30,816 --> 00:27:33,384
of Mr Stark's kidnapping
and murder.
408
00:27:33,386 --> 00:27:39,390
There was a check that was
made out to Mr Stark from a tenant.
409
00:27:39,392 --> 00:27:44,395
Uh, that was found
inside the van.
410
00:27:44,397 --> 00:27:47,398
[Emily Dean] There are marks
on the tilings and on the carpet
411
00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,267
that could be
potential blood stains.
412
00:27:50,269 --> 00:27:52,703
DNA testing
and analysis was done
413
00:27:52,705 --> 00:27:55,973
and what they find out
is that Menachem Stark's blood
414
00:27:55,975 --> 00:27:57,908
was in Philip Felix's van.
415
00:27:57,910 --> 00:28:00,444
So they know beyond
a shadow of a doubt now
416
00:28:00,446 --> 00:28:04,448
that Menachem Stark
was kidnapped in this van.
417
00:28:04,450 --> 00:28:08,952
Investigators now have to
figure out who was driving the van
418
00:28:08,954 --> 00:28:13,223
that night and who'd kidnapped
and killed Mr Stark?
419
00:28:13,225 --> 00:28:16,727
[narrator] Detectives bring
Philip Felix, the van's owner
420
00:28:16,729 --> 00:28:19,630
down to the station
for an interview.
421
00:28:19,632 --> 00:28:25,636
[Det. Matt] When I spoke to Felix in
regards to if he knew who Menachem Stark was
422
00:28:25,638 --> 00:28:29,473
he indicated to me that he did
business with Mr Stark
423
00:28:29,475 --> 00:28:33,544
in the past, uh, with some
type of construction project.
424
00:28:33,546 --> 00:28:37,314
We'd asked Mr Felix about the
van, about who uses the van,
425
00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:41,452
he told us that the van
was used by his son Erskine,
426
00:28:41,454 --> 00:28:44,388
it was used by his nephew,
they use it for work.
427
00:28:44,390 --> 00:28:48,959
They worked as contractors
in areas of Brooklyn.
428
00:28:48,961 --> 00:28:52,329
[It. John] Philip Felix, he
was pretty forthcoming with us.
429
00:28:52,331 --> 00:28:57,835
Whether he was a very good poker player
or he had no idea what happened that night.
430
00:28:57,837 --> 00:29:02,172
He gave us all the information that
we need, we had no reason to hold him
431
00:29:02,174 --> 00:29:03,574
so he was released.
432
00:29:04,876 --> 00:29:06,877
So now we got direction
in which way we're going.
433
00:29:06,879 --> 00:29:10,714
We have the players involved
now, the vehicle that was used.
434
00:29:10,716 --> 00:29:14,051
But we still don't know
exactly why this occurred.
435
00:29:14,053 --> 00:29:17,187
[narrator] The case gets another
boost when the phone records
436
00:29:17,189 --> 00:29:21,558
come back on the cell phone
used to track Menachem's vehicle.
437
00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:25,496
[It. John] The subscriber info on
this phone belonged to a Jeff Sealy.
438
00:29:25,498 --> 00:29:30,467
[Emily Dean] Jeff Sealy is the owner
of a construction company in Brooklyn.
439
00:29:30,469 --> 00:29:35,139
When investigators dig into the
phone records what they also learn
440
00:29:35,141 --> 00:29:40,277
is that Jeff Sealy registered this
phone on the Sprint family locator plan
441
00:29:40,279 --> 00:29:45,649
so that he could track it on his own
account and then Jeff Sealy or someone
442
00:29:45,651 --> 00:29:48,819
strapped this phone to the
bottom of Menachem Stark's vehicle
443
00:29:48,821 --> 00:29:53,157
enabling them to track anyone
who's driving Mr Stark's car.
444
00:29:53,159 --> 00:29:56,326
There was phone numbers
inside the phone also.
445
00:29:56,328 --> 00:30:01,532
And those phone numbers connected
to four individuals, Irvine Henry,
446
00:30:01,534 --> 00:30:04,768
Kendal Felix, Kendall Felix
and Erskine Felix.
447
00:30:04,770 --> 00:30:07,004
[narrator] Detectives
first turn their attention
448
00:30:07,006 --> 00:30:09,273
to the registered
owner of the cell phone.
449
00:30:09,275 --> 00:30:13,143
Jeff Sealy, they bring him in
to the station for questioning.
450
00:30:15,346 --> 00:30:18,682
[It. John] We asked Jeff Sealy
if he knew Menachem Stark
451
00:30:18,684 --> 00:30:22,953
and he says that Menachem
Stark was, uh, a gentleman
452
00:30:22,955 --> 00:30:26,356
who they would do,
uh, construction work for.
453
00:30:26,358 --> 00:30:31,562
[Emily Dean] Sometimes Jeff Sealy
worked for Mr Stark with Erskine Felix
454
00:30:31,564 --> 00:30:35,265
and with Erskine's cousin
Kendall Felix.
455
00:30:35,267 --> 00:30:38,969
Jeff Sealy tells law
enforcement that he set up
456
00:30:38,971 --> 00:30:41,705
this phone for his friend
Erskine Felix
457
00:30:41,707 --> 00:30:44,975
in order to track a girl
because Erskine Felix
458
00:30:44,977 --> 00:30:47,945
had told him, "Listen, I'm
dating a woman that I don't trust,
459
00:30:47,947 --> 00:30:50,814
I need you to help me out,
you have Sprint.
460
00:30:50,816 --> 00:30:54,117
And Sprint has that
Sprint family locator program.
461
00:30:54,119 --> 00:30:58,622
So can you set this phone up and
I'm gonna use it to track this girl".
462
00:30:58,624 --> 00:31:02,159
So Jeff Sealy told investigators,
"I set this up for him,
463
00:31:02,161 --> 00:31:05,395
I gave him the phone and
that's all I know about it."
464
00:31:05,397 --> 00:31:08,932
[narrator] When investigators
look into Jeff Sealy's alibi,
465
00:31:08,934 --> 00:31:12,603
they learn he was at home during the
window of time Menachem was killed.
466
00:31:15,740 --> 00:31:19,643
Detectives then ask Jeff
if he or anyone he knows
467
00:31:19,645 --> 00:31:22,813
has any problems
with Menachem Stark.
468
00:31:22,815 --> 00:31:29,286
[It. John] Then Jeff Sealy tells us that
Erskine Felix did work for Menachem Stark
469
00:31:29,288 --> 00:31:34,258
and that Menachem Stark
owes him about $20,000.
470
00:31:35,260 --> 00:31:39,062
We're thinking,
here we go, we have motive.
471
00:31:39,064 --> 00:31:42,232
[Emily Dean] And not only did
Erskine Felix work on his job sites,
472
00:31:42,234 --> 00:31:45,302
he actually did work
in Mr Stark's home.
473
00:31:45,304 --> 00:31:49,473
He was someone who was in Mr
Stark's life and had access to him.
474
00:31:50,942 --> 00:31:53,076
[It. John] We all believed
that the person
475
00:31:53,078 --> 00:31:56,947
that put the phone
under Menachem Stark's car
476
00:31:56,949 --> 00:31:58,916
would be responsible
for the murder
477
00:31:58,918 --> 00:32:03,353
and we know that the van
used to abduct Menachem Stark
478
00:32:03,355 --> 00:32:06,023
was related to Erskine Felix.
479
00:32:06,025 --> 00:32:08,425
And now we had
this little bit of information
480
00:32:08,427 --> 00:32:11,995
that Menachem Stark
owed him $20,000.
481
00:32:11,997 --> 00:32:15,065
That's a very good,
uh, motive to kill somebody.
482
00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:22,906
[narrator] In the abduction
homicide of New York
483
00:32:22,908 --> 00:32:26,009
real estate developer
Menachem Stark...
484
00:32:26,011 --> 00:32:30,714
Detectives are closing in on
construction contractor Erskine Felix
485
00:32:30,716 --> 00:32:35,552
after discovering Menachem
owed him $20,000 for a past job.
486
00:32:37,055 --> 00:32:39,556
[Emily Dean] Erskine
Felix is one of the workers
487
00:32:39,558 --> 00:32:43,760
on Menachem Stark's job sites,
his various properties.
488
00:32:43,762 --> 00:32:48,932
Erskine Felix had the ability to
get that tracking device on his car.
489
00:32:48,934 --> 00:32:54,237
[narrator] Detectives haul Erskine
Felix down to the station for questioning.
490
00:32:54,239 --> 00:32:58,909
[Det. Chris] Erskine is a very
large man, very buff, about 6' 4.
491
00:32:58,911 --> 00:33:03,981
Looks like somebody in the video we
saw involved in the kidnapping of Mr Stark.
492
00:33:05,650 --> 00:33:10,420
[Det. Matt] Erskine Felix, he came
across as a very confident, alpha type,
493
00:33:10,422 --> 00:33:16,093
he basically said that he loved Menachem
Stark and portrayed his relationship
494
00:33:16,095 --> 00:33:19,663
with Menachem Stark sort
of as like a family member.
495
00:33:21,432 --> 00:33:23,800
[narrator] When detectives
ask Erskine Felix
496
00:33:23,802 --> 00:33:26,703
about his financial dealings
with Mr Stark,
497
00:33:26,705 --> 00:33:29,406
they get a surprising response.
498
00:33:29,408 --> 00:33:33,076
[Emily Dean] Erskine Felix said, "Oh, you
know, yeah, he sometimes owes me money
499
00:33:33,078 --> 00:33:36,513
but he always pay me"
and kind of brushed it off.
500
00:33:36,515 --> 00:33:40,050
[narrator] Then detectives confront
Erskine about his phone number
501
00:33:40,052 --> 00:33:45,822
being in the cell phone found
strapped to the bottom of Mr Stark's car.
502
00:33:45,824 --> 00:33:50,027
[Emily Dean] He tells investigators
that Mr Stark was scared of somebody,
503
00:33:50,029 --> 00:33:54,931
and he actually asked Erskine if
Erskine could keep an eye on him.
504
00:33:54,933 --> 00:33:57,034
So he says,
"I came up with this idea
505
00:33:57,036 --> 00:34:00,270
where I was going to track
him using this tracking device".
506
00:34:00,272 --> 00:34:02,372
And then Erskine
tells investigators
507
00:34:02,374 --> 00:34:05,709
that he didn't even tell Mr
Stark that he was doing this.
508
00:34:05,711 --> 00:34:09,279
[narrator] Police aren't
buying Erskine Felix's story.
509
00:34:09,281 --> 00:34:13,683
We think that
he was, uh, full of shinizzle.
510
00:34:13,685 --> 00:34:18,388
If he would have stuck with the story
that he asked Jeff Sealy for a phone
511
00:34:18,390 --> 00:34:23,894
to track his girlfriend, it would
be a little bit more credible.
512
00:34:23,896 --> 00:34:28,665
[Det. Matt] We asked him his
whereabouts on the night of January 2nd
513
00:34:28,667 --> 00:34:35,172
and he was steadfast saying that he had
been with his girlfriend the whole night.
514
00:34:35,174 --> 00:34:41,111
He was very elusive and seemed to
be uninterested with this investigation.
515
00:34:41,113 --> 00:34:48,251
Our opinion was that Erskine was not being
truthful with anything regarding this case.
516
00:34:48,253 --> 00:34:52,923
[narrator] But without physical evidence
or a witness tying Erskine to the crime,
517
00:34:52,925 --> 00:34:56,526
detectives are forced
to let him go.
518
00:34:56,528 --> 00:35:00,897
At this point, we were all
zeroed in to Erskine Felix
519
00:35:00,899 --> 00:35:03,900
as being the main, uh, character
520
00:35:03,902 --> 00:35:09,039
uh, and we also were looking
at his other family members.
521
00:35:09,041 --> 00:35:12,909
[Emily Dean] Form the phone
that was strapped to Mr Stark's car,
522
00:35:12,911 --> 00:35:18,215
there's definitely a picture being
painted that Erskine Felix, Kendal Felix,
523
00:35:18,217 --> 00:35:20,951
Kendall Felix and Irvine Henry
are involved.
524
00:35:20,953 --> 00:35:24,521
They're all talking
at the night of the kidnapping
525
00:35:24,523 --> 00:35:27,791
into the early morning hours
when the body is dumped.
526
00:35:27,793 --> 00:35:29,960
[narrator]
Hoping for a confession,
527
00:35:29,962 --> 00:35:35,165
detectives bring the three other men down
to the station for separate interviews.
528
00:35:35,167 --> 00:35:41,471
[Emily Dean] Investigators interview Kendall
Felix, Kendal Felix and Irvine Henry,
529
00:35:41,473 --> 00:35:44,307
as close in time
as could be possible.
530
00:35:44,309 --> 00:35:47,777
This is a very tight-knit
group of family members.
531
00:35:47,779 --> 00:35:51,648
So the last thing that investigators
want is to interview one person,
532
00:35:51,650 --> 00:35:56,453
have him go home and tell everybody else,
"This is what I said, say the same thing."
533
00:35:56,455 --> 00:36:01,024
[narrator] The behavior of Kendal
Felix, Erskine Felix's younger cousin
534
00:36:01,026 --> 00:36:05,662
catches the
investigator's attention.
535
00:36:05,664 --> 00:36:10,300
[Emily Dean] Like everybody in the Felix family
Kendal really looked up to Erskine Felix.
536
00:36:10,302 --> 00:36:15,071
[man 7] He came across as compassionate,
he seemed to be a little bit remorseful
537
00:36:15,073 --> 00:36:17,974
of what happened
to Menachem Stark...
538
00:36:17,976 --> 00:36:21,178
[Det. Chris] This guy is very nervous,
you know, he knows something.
539
00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:26,016
So we start asking him about his
background, he said his father's a reverend.
540
00:36:26,018 --> 00:36:28,752
So detective Collins
really hit on with,
541
00:36:28,754 --> 00:36:33,957
"Your father's a reverend, you know,
it's time to come forward with the truth."
542
00:36:33,959 --> 00:36:37,160
The right thing to do
is not lie.
543
00:36:37,162 --> 00:36:39,362
[narrator] When detectives
press Kendal Felix
544
00:36:39,364 --> 00:36:42,499
about his whereabouts
on the night of the crime,
545
00:36:42,501 --> 00:36:46,336
they get an unexpected break.
546
00:36:46,338 --> 00:36:50,907
[man 8] He confessed to what would
have taken place that night with Mr Stark.
547
00:36:51,909 --> 00:36:54,744
He explains
this was all Erskine's plan
548
00:36:54,746 --> 00:36:59,883
and then he actually dragged
his cousins and brother into it.
549
00:36:59,885 --> 00:37:03,653
[narrator] With Kendal's
confession detectives are able
550
00:37:03,655 --> 00:37:08,058
to piece together Menachem
Stark's final 24 hours.
551
00:37:09,427 --> 00:37:12,862
[Emily Dean] Kendal Felix
tells them that Erskine Felix
552
00:37:12,864 --> 00:37:16,633
had approached him
prior to that day
553
00:37:16,635 --> 00:37:19,502
about a way to get money
that was owed to him
554
00:37:19,504 --> 00:37:24,407
from Mr Stark and he told Kendal
to commit this kidnapping with him.
555
00:37:24,409 --> 00:37:28,311
[It. John] Erskine told Kendal,
"We're gonna go grab Menachem Stark,
556
00:37:28,313 --> 00:37:29,846
we're gonna make him
write some checks."
557
00:37:29,848 --> 00:37:33,717
And Kendal's like, "This is
crazy, I don't wanna do that."
558
00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,419
But Erskine said,
"No, you're doing it."
559
00:37:36,421 --> 00:37:39,889
Erskine was the one
that was calling the shots.
560
00:37:39,891 --> 00:37:44,628
It was more of a robbery
extortion plan than it was a murder.
561
00:37:44,630 --> 00:37:49,132
January 2nd,
Erskine and Kendal meet up
562
00:37:49,134 --> 00:37:55,805
and Kendal drives the light
colored minivan owned by Philip Felix
563
00:37:55,807 --> 00:37:59,409
and they drive over
to Menachem Stark's office
564
00:37:59,411 --> 00:38:01,678
and park their vehicle.
565
00:38:03,481 --> 00:38:08,251
About 6pm, Kendal exits the vehicle, cases
his location walks up and down the block
566
00:38:08,253 --> 00:38:11,087
and gets back in the van
after that.
567
00:38:11,089 --> 00:38:15,091
At 11:40, Menachem Stark's
walking out of his office,
568
00:38:15,093 --> 00:38:18,795
and Erskine Felix
goes up to Menachem Stark
569
00:38:18,797 --> 00:38:21,598
and he puts him in
like a bear hug.
570
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:26,536
Then Menachem Stark
just starts violently fighting...
571
00:38:26,538 --> 00:38:30,940
[man 9] The fight that
ensued was nearly five minutes
572
00:38:30,942 --> 00:38:33,910
of Mr Stark
just fighting for his life.
573
00:38:36,814 --> 00:38:40,517
[man 10] At 11:46,
Kendal Felix came up
574
00:38:40,519 --> 00:38:44,921
and they both get Menachem Stark
and throw him in the back of the van.
575
00:38:48,526 --> 00:38:50,327
[Emily]
Erskine and Kendal Felix
576
00:38:50,329 --> 00:38:54,531
were trying to subdue Mr
Stark, Erskine climbs on him
577
00:38:54,533 --> 00:38:58,234
and puts his full weight on top
of Mr Stark and sits on his chest.
578
00:38:59,704 --> 00:39:03,940
They were duct taping and
tying up his hands and feet.
579
00:39:03,942 --> 00:39:08,812
[man 11] And after the time of
doing that Mr Stark stopped fighting...
580
00:39:11,015 --> 00:39:15,919
No longer making noise and they
realized something went terribly wrong.
581
00:39:16,654 --> 00:39:18,321
They killed him.
582
00:39:20,825 --> 00:39:26,196
[narrator] A few minutes later, Erskine
Felix texts his cousin Irvine Henry
583
00:39:26,198 --> 00:39:29,099
for added assistance
with the crime.
584
00:39:29,101 --> 00:39:31,368
[Det. Matt] I think at that
point, they were so panicked,
585
00:39:31,370 --> 00:39:32,702
they didn't know what to do
586
00:39:32,704 --> 00:39:38,174
uh, cause now you essentially
have a dead body in your van
587
00:39:38,176 --> 00:39:41,878
and you need to get rid
of the body.
588
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:47,117
So at 12:00 when Bashie, Stark's
wife tried to locate him and call him,
589
00:39:47,119 --> 00:39:53,189
it was Erskine who picked up the
phone and then turned off the phone.
590
00:39:53,191 --> 00:39:58,828
[narrator] At 12:26, Kendal and
Erskine pick up Erskine's brother Kendall
591
00:39:58,830 --> 00:40:02,165
and his cousin Irvine Henry.
592
00:40:02,167 --> 00:40:08,171
[It. John] And Erskine tells Kendal
and Kendall to dispose of the body.
593
00:40:08,173 --> 00:40:13,676
They make it out to Great Neck,
Long Island at, uh, 3:30 in the morning
594
00:40:13,678 --> 00:40:18,581
and then they throw the body of
Menachem Stark into the dumpster fire.
595
00:40:20,084 --> 00:40:22,986
[Emily Dean] The police
recover the body on January 3rd.
596
00:40:25,489 --> 00:40:30,627
The plan was to kidnap Mr
Stark and hold him for ransom.
597
00:40:30,629 --> 00:40:33,163
And it went horribly wrong.
598
00:40:36,367 --> 00:40:39,636
This was a get rich quick scheme
599
00:40:39,638 --> 00:40:44,474
that Erskine thought up and he roped
up the rest of his family members in.
600
00:40:46,710 --> 00:40:50,447
[narrator] Mid-September
2019, Erskine Felix stands trial
601
00:40:50,449 --> 00:40:53,516
for the kidnapping and murder
of Menachem Stark.
602
00:40:53,518 --> 00:40:56,519
- [gavel bangs]
- A jury finds Erskine guilty
603
00:40:56,521 --> 00:41:00,123
and he's sentenced to 24 years
to life in prison.
604
00:41:01,559 --> 00:41:06,095
It was pretty clear that this
was planned and premeditated
605
00:41:06,097 --> 00:41:10,533
by Erskine Felix and he really
destroyed his own family too.
606
00:41:10,535 --> 00:41:13,703
[narrator] Erskine's
accomplice Kendal Felix
607
00:41:13,705 --> 00:41:17,540
who confessed
is sentenced to 15 years.
608
00:41:17,542 --> 00:41:23,346
Erskine's brother Kendall Felix and
cousin Irvine Henry also plead guilty
609
00:41:23,348 --> 00:41:26,149
and are sentenced
to seven years in prison.
610
00:41:29,386 --> 00:41:33,723
[Emily] When you combine the video
surveillance with the phone records
611
00:41:33,725 --> 00:41:35,925
and you look at the timeline,
612
00:41:35,927 --> 00:41:38,862
and you look at who is calling
who at what different times
613
00:41:38,864 --> 00:41:41,931
you can actually
start to paint a picture
614
00:41:41,933 --> 00:41:44,601
of who was together,
when they were together
615
00:41:44,603 --> 00:41:47,003
and what different roles
they played.
616
00:41:48,472 --> 00:41:51,941
For Menachem Stark's family
and community,
617
00:41:51,943 --> 00:41:55,078
his loss
continues to be deeply felt.
618
00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:57,413
[Det. Chris] You wanna get
some kind of vindication for them
619
00:41:57,415 --> 00:42:00,016
so they have a little bit
of a piece of mind that,
620
00:42:00,018 --> 00:42:01,885
"All right, justice was served".
621
00:42:02,987 --> 00:42:04,654
[It. John]
They do get closure
622
00:42:04,656 --> 00:42:08,925
but they're still gonna be
missing their father, their brother,
623
00:42:08,927 --> 00:42:11,995
their husband and I know
in the Hasidic community,
624
00:42:11,997 --> 00:42:15,131
there's a saying that, uh,
"The blood won't rest
625
00:42:15,133 --> 00:42:19,302
uh, until the person,
uh, that was responsible
626
00:42:19,304 --> 00:42:22,972
for killing the person
is prosecuted for his crimes."