1 00:00:07,574 --> 00:00:09,743 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:11,111 --> 00:00:14,581 - A brutal spring of attacks resulting in multiple murders 3 00:00:14,614 --> 00:00:16,282 across the city... 4 00:00:16,316 --> 00:00:19,052 - We were going after some pretty bloodthirsty, 5 00:00:19,085 --> 00:00:22,455 no-boundary perpetrators. 6 00:00:22,489 --> 00:00:25,725 - Victims chosen seemingly at random. 7 00:00:25,759 --> 00:00:27,894 - I had seen the flash of the gun. 8 00:00:27,927 --> 00:00:32,065 I had felt the bullet entering my face. 9 00:00:32,098 --> 00:00:34,034 I should not be alive. 10 00:00:34,067 --> 00:00:37,370 - And one of our own is among the fallen. 11 00:00:37,404 --> 00:00:40,540 - The NYPD, we take offense when you hurt one of us. 12 00:00:40,573 --> 00:00:43,343 - Any New Yorker could be their next target, 13 00:00:43,376 --> 00:00:46,212 so detectives are in a race against the clock. 14 00:00:46,246 --> 00:00:49,049 - The public was in very serious, grave danger. 15 00:00:49,082 --> 00:00:51,251 These guys will kill anyone. 16 00:00:51,284 --> 00:00:53,019 [radio chatter] 17 00:00:53,053 --> 00:00:56,022 [tense music] 18 00:00:56,056 --> 00:01:03,096 * * 19 00:01:09,069 --> 00:01:11,705 - In the summer of 1991, New York City 20 00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:14,641 found itself in the grips of a terrifying crime spree. 21 00:01:14,674 --> 00:01:16,710 The victims were all hardworking citizens 22 00:01:16,743 --> 00:01:19,312 seemingly chosen at random, 23 00:01:19,346 --> 00:01:20,914 leading the city to worry 24 00:01:20,947 --> 00:01:23,516 anyone could be a target at any time. 25 00:01:23,550 --> 00:01:25,952 And it all started in the place we depend on 26 00:01:25,985 --> 00:01:27,520 as the lifeblood of our city, 27 00:01:27,554 --> 00:01:29,356 the subway. 28 00:01:29,389 --> 00:01:36,429 * * 29 00:01:41,901 --> 00:01:45,538 - I came into the precinct on August 1st, 30 00:01:45,572 --> 00:01:47,707 and when I walked in, the desk told me, 31 00:01:47,741 --> 00:01:49,509 you got a body. 32 00:01:49,542 --> 00:01:53,380 It's on the B train, Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn. 33 00:01:53,413 --> 00:01:56,883 You got a male found on the train, shot. 34 00:01:56,916 --> 00:01:58,551 Well, my partners walked in. 35 00:01:58,585 --> 00:02:01,821 We jumped in a car and responded to the scene. 36 00:02:01,855 --> 00:02:04,391 - Detectives arrive at the Stillwell Avenue 37 00:02:04,424 --> 00:02:10,063 subway stop, an elevated station in Coney Island. 38 00:02:10,096 --> 00:02:13,133 - Coney Island was not the safest place in the city. 39 00:02:13,166 --> 00:02:16,970 But to find a body on a subway train fatally shot, 40 00:02:17,070 --> 00:02:19,372 that didn't happen all the time. 41 00:02:19,406 --> 00:02:22,809 [police sirens wailing] 42 00:02:22,842 --> 00:02:26,079 - Train left Stillwell Avenue going towards Manhattan. 43 00:02:26,079 --> 00:02:27,847 Made it one stop to Bay 50th, 44 00:02:27,881 --> 00:02:32,485 and people getting onto the train found the body. 45 00:02:32,519 --> 00:02:34,254 I stuck my head in the car, 46 00:02:34,287 --> 00:02:38,992 saw a male, white, probably in his 50s, 47 00:02:39,092 --> 00:02:42,128 lying face-up in the rear of the subway car. 48 00:02:42,162 --> 00:02:43,897 He appeared to have two or three bullet wounds 49 00:02:43,930 --> 00:02:46,900 in the chest and one or two in the face. 50 00:02:46,933 --> 00:02:49,135 - We were like a well-oiled machine at that time. 51 00:02:49,169 --> 00:02:51,338 Everybody knew, all right, I'm gonna go do the canvass, 52 00:02:51,371 --> 00:02:53,406 I'm gonna notify crime scene. 53 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,376 Everybody just knew what they had to do. 54 00:02:56,409 --> 00:02:59,279 - Crime scene start shooting photographs outside the train 55 00:02:59,312 --> 00:03:02,048 and work their way inside. 56 00:03:02,082 --> 00:03:04,184 - There was no blood on the platform 57 00:03:04,217 --> 00:03:06,186 or anything like that. 58 00:03:06,219 --> 00:03:08,722 - We canvassed the passengers that found the body 59 00:03:08,755 --> 00:03:12,625 and reported it to see if anybody had seen anything. 60 00:03:12,659 --> 00:03:16,629 - We really didn't find any witnesses to anything. 61 00:03:16,663 --> 00:03:20,166 - But we didn't know where he was killed. 62 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,670 * * 63 00:03:23,703 --> 00:03:25,638 - There was no rigor mortis, 64 00:03:25,672 --> 00:03:28,074 so we believed that the shooting had taken place 65 00:03:28,074 --> 00:03:31,077 just before the victim's body was found. 66 00:03:31,077 --> 00:03:32,545 * * 67 00:03:32,579 --> 00:03:35,081 - At the crime scene, investigators soon discover 68 00:03:35,081 --> 00:03:38,084 information about their victim that strikes a deep nerve 69 00:03:38,084 --> 00:03:40,854 into the heart of every cop there. 70 00:03:40,887 --> 00:03:42,455 * * 71 00:03:42,489 --> 00:03:45,859 - He was wearing a postal uniform. 72 00:03:45,892 --> 00:03:48,128 And he had some sort of T-shirt on underneath. 73 00:03:48,161 --> 00:03:51,097 I couldn't really make it out. 74 00:03:51,097 --> 00:03:55,168 And then we realized it was an NYPD shirt. 75 00:03:55,201 --> 00:03:57,170 Searching the body, we recovered 76 00:03:57,203 --> 00:03:59,572 from his pants pocket the shield case 77 00:03:59,606 --> 00:04:01,374 with a sergeant shield in it. 78 00:04:01,408 --> 00:04:03,576 So there was, like, a collective gasp. 79 00:04:03,610 --> 00:04:06,546 Everybody went, oh, God, this is a cop. 80 00:04:06,579 --> 00:04:08,882 Somebody killed one of ours. 81 00:04:08,915 --> 00:04:10,250 That hit home. 82 00:04:10,283 --> 00:04:13,420 I mean, that could have been me in that situation. 83 00:04:13,453 --> 00:04:16,322 - His identification was in his pocket. 84 00:04:16,356 --> 00:04:20,160 It was Sergeant Robert Zink. 85 00:04:20,193 --> 00:04:23,663 He was a retired New York City police sergeant. 86 00:04:23,697 --> 00:04:25,165 He had only retired-- 87 00:04:25,198 --> 00:04:28,535 I think it was about two months prior to being killed. 88 00:04:28,568 --> 00:04:32,205 * * 89 00:04:32,238 --> 00:04:34,607 - In Staten Island, 20-year-old Jennifer Zink 90 00:04:34,641 --> 00:04:36,710 is fast asleep at the family home 91 00:04:36,743 --> 00:04:39,245 where she lives with her parents. 92 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:40,814 - The phone rang. 93 00:04:40,847 --> 00:04:42,882 [phone rings] It woke me up. 94 00:04:42,916 --> 00:04:45,952 And it was my dad's supervisor at work. 95 00:04:45,985 --> 00:04:49,522 He said, "Your dad's not here." 96 00:04:49,556 --> 00:04:51,858 In 1991, my father was working 97 00:04:51,891 --> 00:04:53,893 as a postal worker in Brooklyn. 98 00:04:53,927 --> 00:04:56,096 My father's supervisor, he said, 99 00:04:56,096 --> 00:04:57,530 "I'm a little concerned because your dad 100 00:04:57,564 --> 00:05:01,634 is always at work early, and he's late." 101 00:05:01,668 --> 00:05:03,937 So I said, "Hold on. I'll look for him." 102 00:05:04,037 --> 00:05:05,638 So I remember, like, running through the house. 103 00:05:05,672 --> 00:05:08,141 He was nowhere to be found. 104 00:05:08,174 --> 00:05:10,343 So I got back on the phone with the supervisor, 105 00:05:10,377 --> 00:05:13,580 and I said, "He's not here." 106 00:05:13,613 --> 00:05:15,782 As soon as I hung up with him, 107 00:05:15,815 --> 00:05:19,152 I had a sickening feeling in my stomach, a pit in my stomach. 108 00:05:19,185 --> 00:05:22,722 I knew something was wrong. 109 00:05:22,756 --> 00:05:25,792 - The whole family, Jennifer's three brothers and her mother, 110 00:05:25,825 --> 00:05:28,962 all gather at the house and start frantically making calls 111 00:05:29,062 --> 00:05:31,364 to look for their father and husband. 112 00:05:31,398 --> 00:05:33,366 - I was working for the police department. 113 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,070 So I started making phone calls to various precincts 114 00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:40,106 to see where he was, and then a commanding officer 115 00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:42,075 came up and said, "Yeah, he died. 116 00:05:42,075 --> 00:05:44,644 "And we're sending, uh-- 117 00:05:44,678 --> 00:05:46,746 we're send--" 118 00:05:49,115 --> 00:05:52,118 - I just remember screaming. 119 00:05:52,152 --> 00:05:56,189 Like, I ran outside, and I just screamed. 120 00:05:59,092 --> 00:06:02,495 [somber music] 121 00:06:02,529 --> 00:06:04,831 I just couldn't believe it. 122 00:06:04,864 --> 00:06:06,299 * * 123 00:06:06,332 --> 00:06:08,468 My mom was screaming. 124 00:06:08,501 --> 00:06:10,837 He was the love of my mother's life. 125 00:06:10,870 --> 00:06:14,574 She adored him. He was her rock. 126 00:06:14,607 --> 00:06:17,210 My dad and mom met at a home insurance company. 127 00:06:17,243 --> 00:06:19,045 That's where they worked together. 128 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:22,315 And they started dating. 129 00:06:22,349 --> 00:06:24,150 - He joined the police department, 130 00:06:24,184 --> 00:06:28,321 and he got promoted to sergeant back in 1979. 131 00:06:28,355 --> 00:06:30,056 It was like his dream. 132 00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:35,362 He had retired, and he decided to get into the post office. 133 00:06:35,395 --> 00:06:38,565 - My father was a wonderful human being, 134 00:06:38,598 --> 00:06:43,403 an outstanding family person who loved all of his children, 135 00:06:43,436 --> 00:06:46,906 loved his wife, loved his entire community. 136 00:06:48,875 --> 00:06:51,378 [ominous music] 137 00:06:51,411 --> 00:06:53,747 - Any time a police officer is killed, 138 00:06:53,780 --> 00:06:55,548 that's a line that's crossed. 139 00:06:55,582 --> 00:06:58,385 So in my mind, you know, we got to get this guy. 140 00:06:58,418 --> 00:07:01,688 [police sirens wailing] 141 00:07:01,721 --> 00:07:04,691 - We at the NYPD take every homicide seriously. 142 00:07:04,724 --> 00:07:07,927 In fact, we take every homicide personally. 143 00:07:08,028 --> 00:07:09,896 - But when someone murders a cop, 144 00:07:09,929 --> 00:07:13,700 that's an affront to the rule of law of our great city. 145 00:07:13,733 --> 00:07:18,204 * * 146 00:07:18,238 --> 00:07:21,741 - There really wasn't much evidence at the scene. 147 00:07:21,775 --> 00:07:23,877 Crime scene investigators threw a lot of dust 148 00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:25,712 in the area, fingerprint dust, 149 00:07:25,745 --> 00:07:27,213 to try and recover fingerprints. 150 00:07:27,247 --> 00:07:29,182 But tens of thousands of people 151 00:07:29,215 --> 00:07:32,218 could have been on that car in the last 24 hours. 152 00:07:32,252 --> 00:07:34,921 It didn't appear to be any signs of struggle. 153 00:07:34,954 --> 00:07:36,756 There were no defensive wounds on his hands 154 00:07:36,790 --> 00:07:38,825 or anything like that. 155 00:07:38,858 --> 00:07:41,294 But since the victim was shot five times, 156 00:07:41,327 --> 00:07:44,130 we believed that there was ballistic evidence 157 00:07:44,164 --> 00:07:46,433 inside of his body. 158 00:07:46,466 --> 00:07:48,268 - Sergeant Zink's remains are taken 159 00:07:48,301 --> 00:07:51,905 to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. 160 00:07:51,938 --> 00:07:54,274 - The slugs that were removed from his body 161 00:07:54,307 --> 00:07:57,243 turned out to be .38-caliber slugs. 162 00:07:57,277 --> 00:07:58,778 There was no firearm recovered. 163 00:07:58,812 --> 00:08:02,082 There were no spent shell casings. 164 00:08:02,115 --> 00:08:04,384 - That means he was either shot with a revolver, 165 00:08:04,417 --> 00:08:06,686 which doesn't eject the rounds, 166 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,756 or that the shooter shot him with an automatic 167 00:08:09,789 --> 00:08:12,759 and then picked up his brass that's been pressed. 168 00:08:12,792 --> 00:08:15,261 Normally, a shooting on the train, 169 00:08:15,295 --> 00:08:17,197 it's one of two things-- it's either a dispute 170 00:08:17,230 --> 00:08:19,265 or a robbery that went bad. 171 00:08:20,467 --> 00:08:23,236 He had his shield. He had his postal ID. 172 00:08:23,269 --> 00:08:26,072 Everything seemed to be intact. 173 00:08:26,106 --> 00:08:29,242 It didn't appear he was a victim of a robbery. 174 00:08:32,712 --> 00:08:35,582 - Detectives arrive at the Zink home in Staten Island, 175 00:08:35,615 --> 00:08:38,151 knowing his family's insights will be invaluable 176 00:08:38,184 --> 00:08:40,220 to their investigation. 177 00:08:40,253 --> 00:08:41,521 - Detectives come in. 178 00:08:41,554 --> 00:08:44,724 They clear the entire dining room table off 179 00:08:44,758 --> 00:08:47,794 with food, and they put maps down. 180 00:08:47,827 --> 00:08:49,496 The first thing you got to figure out 181 00:08:49,529 --> 00:08:53,400 is what his location was when he was killed. 182 00:08:53,433 --> 00:08:55,068 We knew that he took the train 183 00:08:55,101 --> 00:08:56,336 to 36th Street, 184 00:08:56,369 --> 00:08:58,738 transfers to a B train, 185 00:08:58,772 --> 00:09:01,574 and goes three stops. 186 00:09:01,608 --> 00:09:02,876 - So we knew he was alive 187 00:09:02,909 --> 00:09:04,511 when he got on the train at 36th Street, 188 00:09:04,544 --> 00:09:06,046 or he wouldn't have got on the B train. 189 00:09:06,780 --> 00:09:08,148 So somewhere between 190 00:09:08,181 --> 00:09:09,549 the 36th Street stop 191 00:09:09,582 --> 00:09:11,017 and the Manhattan-bound 192 00:09:11,017 --> 00:09:12,385 Bay 50th Street stop 193 00:09:12,419 --> 00:09:14,020 is when this took place. 194 00:09:14,020 --> 00:09:16,222 That means that the B train rode all the way 195 00:09:16,256 --> 00:09:18,391 into Coney Island and then came back out one stop, 196 00:09:18,425 --> 00:09:22,195 you know, with the body on it. 197 00:09:23,863 --> 00:09:25,365 - Detectives ask family members 198 00:09:25,398 --> 00:09:27,200 about Sergeant Zink's career, 199 00:09:27,233 --> 00:09:29,069 wondering if he might have made any enemies 200 00:09:29,102 --> 00:09:31,871 during his time on the job. 201 00:09:31,905 --> 00:09:34,040 - And my father had a very dangerous career. 202 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,743 He was in narcotics, and he worked undercover 203 00:09:36,776 --> 00:09:40,947 running a narcotic unit for the 9th Precinct. 204 00:09:41,047 --> 00:09:46,086 Back in 1979, the East Village was completely out of control. 205 00:09:46,119 --> 00:09:49,189 I mean, there were drugs all over the place. 206 00:09:49,222 --> 00:09:50,557 My father developed a plan called 207 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:51,758 Operation Pressure Point, 208 00:09:51,791 --> 00:09:55,195 designed to weed out all the drugs. 209 00:09:55,228 --> 00:09:57,764 All the narcotic units went into the buildings, 210 00:09:57,797 --> 00:09:59,366 flushed everybody out. 211 00:09:59,399 --> 00:10:02,402 And they would have uniformed officers on each street corner, 212 00:10:02,435 --> 00:10:06,139 arresting more people and getting the bad guys. 213 00:10:06,172 --> 00:10:07,741 And they did it. 214 00:10:07,774 --> 00:10:09,809 They cleaned up the East Village. 215 00:10:09,843 --> 00:10:12,112 This unit made the most arrests probably 216 00:10:12,145 --> 00:10:14,414 in the history of the police department. 217 00:10:14,447 --> 00:10:17,350 - Detectives know that if they got a convicted drug kingpin 218 00:10:17,384 --> 00:10:19,552 fresh out of prison, he could be looking 219 00:10:19,586 --> 00:10:21,921 for revenge out in New York City. 220 00:10:21,955 --> 00:10:23,957 - Somebody sitting in jail, pissed off at me 221 00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:25,392 because I put them in jail-- 222 00:10:25,425 --> 00:10:27,093 the first thing they're gonna do when they get out 223 00:10:27,127 --> 00:10:28,628 is come looking for me. 224 00:10:28,661 --> 00:10:31,931 So one of the first things that popped into my head was, 225 00:10:31,965 --> 00:10:33,566 is this somebody from his past? 226 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,269 - I was determined to find out who did it, 227 00:10:36,302 --> 00:10:38,405 and they were all determined. 228 00:10:38,438 --> 00:10:40,106 [tense music] 229 00:10:40,140 --> 00:10:42,108 - Coming up... 230 00:10:42,142 --> 00:10:45,078 - And sure enough, there was a match on the ballistics. 231 00:10:45,111 --> 00:10:48,648 - He said, if you give me a chance, I'll kill you. 232 00:10:48,682 --> 00:10:49,983 - This was a big case. 233 00:10:50,016 --> 00:10:52,285 This was turning into a monster. 234 00:10:52,318 --> 00:10:56,690 [dramatic music] 235 00:10:59,658 --> 00:11:02,194 [dramatic music] 236 00:11:02,528 --> 00:11:09,568 * * 237 00:11:10,235 --> 00:11:11,704 - Sergeant Robert Zink, 238 00:11:11,737 --> 00:11:13,806 a retired NYPD narcotics officer, 239 00:11:13,839 --> 00:11:15,307 has been found shot dead 240 00:11:15,341 --> 00:11:17,643 on a Brooklyn subway train. 241 00:11:20,145 --> 00:11:22,081 We don't take kindly to anyone killing one 242 00:11:22,081 --> 00:11:24,350 of our brothers in blue, so detectives are looking 243 00:11:24,383 --> 00:11:27,186 at every ex-con Sergeant Zink put away 244 00:11:27,219 --> 00:11:29,755 who might want vengeance. 245 00:11:29,788 --> 00:11:32,925 - So who got out of jail just before Mr. Zink was killed, 246 00:11:32,958 --> 00:11:34,827 that Mr. Zink put in jail? 247 00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:36,328 Because if they want to get revenge, 248 00:11:36,362 --> 00:11:38,464 they're going to do it as soon as they come home. 249 00:11:38,497 --> 00:11:41,633 And there were several people that came up 250 00:11:41,667 --> 00:11:44,269 who were released a week ago. 251 00:11:44,303 --> 00:11:46,638 They were interviewed. 252 00:11:46,672 --> 00:11:48,307 - As the leads are being ruled out, 253 00:11:48,340 --> 00:11:50,409 the family gives detectives an important piece 254 00:11:50,442 --> 00:11:52,311 of information. 255 00:11:52,344 --> 00:11:55,881 A week before he was murdered, Sergeant Zink told his family 256 00:11:55,914 --> 00:11:57,850 he'd run into someone who seemed to be 257 00:11:57,883 --> 00:11:59,551 a drug dealer from his past. 258 00:11:59,585 --> 00:12:02,154 - My father had an interaction, 259 00:12:02,187 --> 00:12:04,323 while he was working for the post office, 260 00:12:04,356 --> 00:12:07,726 with an individual who confronted him 261 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,829 and said, "Hey, Sarge, what are you doing here? 262 00:12:10,863 --> 00:12:12,498 "I thought you were working in the East Village, 263 00:12:12,531 --> 00:12:14,400 Alphabet City." 264 00:12:14,433 --> 00:12:18,203 - I remember him telling me as well that he felt that there 265 00:12:18,237 --> 00:12:20,673 was somebody on his route that was a drug dealer, 266 00:12:20,706 --> 00:12:24,309 and he was concerned about that. 267 00:12:24,343 --> 00:12:26,078 * * 268 00:12:26,111 --> 00:12:28,147 - I remember saying to him, "You know what, Dad, 269 00:12:28,180 --> 00:12:31,083 I'm really worried about you." 270 00:12:31,083 --> 00:12:35,854 - And so I was concerned that there was someone there 271 00:12:35,888 --> 00:12:38,590 who had a hit on him, that was looking to kill. 272 00:12:38,624 --> 00:12:40,259 * * 273 00:12:40,292 --> 00:12:42,828 - Detectives locate the potential suspect 274 00:12:42,861 --> 00:12:44,730 on Sergeant Zink's route. 275 00:12:44,763 --> 00:12:48,233 - We brought him into an interview room. 276 00:12:48,267 --> 00:12:53,806 - I wanted to get a sense of what kind of guy this guy was. 277 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,576 - After extensive questioning, the suspect admits 278 00:12:57,609 --> 00:13:00,212 he had been a drug dealer and knew Sergeant Zink 279 00:13:00,245 --> 00:13:02,247 from the East Village streets. 280 00:13:02,281 --> 00:13:07,619 But he insists he had nothing to do with his murder. 281 00:13:07,653 --> 00:13:12,925 - His alibi, in fact, turned out to be true. 282 00:13:12,958 --> 00:13:15,861 We couldn't place him at the scene. 283 00:13:17,129 --> 00:13:19,565 - All of the recently released ex-cons 284 00:13:19,598 --> 00:13:22,101 were interviewed and cleared. 285 00:13:22,134 --> 00:13:24,770 Now, 48 hours into the investigation, 286 00:13:24,803 --> 00:13:26,438 we've run out of leads. 287 00:13:26,472 --> 00:13:28,707 Detectives decide to turn to the streets 288 00:13:28,741 --> 00:13:30,476 to see if there's any buzz out there 289 00:13:30,509 --> 00:13:33,946 about who might want Sergeant Zink dead. 290 00:13:33,979 --> 00:13:36,081 - We shake the tree, so to speak, 291 00:13:36,081 --> 00:13:38,751 to see if there's anyone that's in the criminal world 292 00:13:38,784 --> 00:13:40,919 that has information on a case like this. 293 00:13:40,953 --> 00:13:43,889 [police sirens wailing] 294 00:13:44,957 --> 00:13:46,325 - Nothing. 295 00:13:46,358 --> 00:13:48,927 Nobody really had any information. 296 00:13:48,961 --> 00:13:52,631 So it was kind of a dead end. 297 00:13:52,664 --> 00:13:54,933 It just makes me want to work that much harder. 298 00:13:54,967 --> 00:13:57,536 I'm persistent, almost to the point of being annoying. 299 00:13:57,569 --> 00:13:59,371 And the guys I work with will probably tell you that. 300 00:13:59,405 --> 00:14:04,043 But I don't give up, and I don't get discouraged. 301 00:14:04,043 --> 00:14:06,178 * * 302 00:14:06,211 --> 00:14:09,048 - You can say it's a New York trait--we don't quit. 303 00:14:09,048 --> 00:14:12,151 Every precinct in the NYPD handles their own cases. 304 00:14:12,184 --> 00:14:14,186 But when we hit a dead end, we reach out 305 00:14:14,219 --> 00:14:16,055 to neighboring precincts to see if they 306 00:14:16,055 --> 00:14:19,058 have any similar crimes on their books. 307 00:14:20,426 --> 00:14:22,061 - We're hoping that the suspect 308 00:14:22,061 --> 00:14:24,630 had done something else. 309 00:14:24,663 --> 00:14:26,498 So maybe that time, there's a witness, 310 00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:28,534 or maybe they left some evidence. 311 00:14:28,567 --> 00:14:31,937 - The NYPD community digs deep and finds a lead. 312 00:14:31,970 --> 00:14:34,440 Several days later, detectives get a call 313 00:14:34,473 --> 00:14:36,275 from the 78 Precinct, 314 00:14:36,308 --> 00:14:38,143 which covers the South Prospect Park neighborhood 315 00:14:38,177 --> 00:14:41,714 of Brooklyn, 5 miles north of the Zink crime scene. 316 00:14:41,747 --> 00:14:43,549 - They said there was an active homicide 317 00:14:43,582 --> 00:14:47,720 that had taken place 11 hours before Zink's murder. 318 00:14:47,753 --> 00:14:50,489 It was with a .38-caliber. 319 00:14:50,522 --> 00:14:54,093 - The same caliber as a Sergeant Zink's shooting. 320 00:14:54,093 --> 00:14:55,527 - And they're in luck. 321 00:14:55,561 --> 00:14:57,563 There are witnesses passing by on the street 322 00:14:57,596 --> 00:15:00,899 who saw the shooting and who did it. 323 00:15:00,933 --> 00:15:03,602 - A livery cab driver, Wah Lee. 324 00:15:03,635 --> 00:15:05,204 He had been ending his day. 325 00:15:05,237 --> 00:15:07,773 He was exiting his cab. 326 00:15:07,806 --> 00:15:09,541 - He's got a satchel and a radio, 327 00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:12,378 like a portable car radio that he would slide in and out 328 00:15:12,411 --> 00:15:15,180 of the track to use when he was working. 329 00:15:15,214 --> 00:15:18,250 Two male whites jump out. 330 00:15:18,283 --> 00:15:20,853 - They produced their firearm. 331 00:15:20,886 --> 00:15:23,522 - The one guy goes to take the radio, and Mr. Lee resists. 332 00:15:23,555 --> 00:15:25,424 He pulls back. 333 00:15:25,457 --> 00:15:27,059 Those radios were like 2 grand at the time, 334 00:15:27,092 --> 00:15:28,160 back in the day. 335 00:15:28,193 --> 00:15:29,395 That's his livelihood. 336 00:15:29,428 --> 00:15:31,096 He loses that radio, he can't work. 337 00:15:31,130 --> 00:15:32,598 * * 338 00:15:32,631 --> 00:15:35,567 So he made the mistake of holding on to it. 339 00:15:35,601 --> 00:15:40,205 And the other guy shoots him and killed him, 340 00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:42,708 and he goes down. 341 00:15:42,741 --> 00:15:44,510 They grab the radio and his satchel. 342 00:15:44,543 --> 00:15:47,613 They hop back in the car, and they take off. 343 00:15:47,646 --> 00:15:49,081 Poor guy walking down the street, 344 00:15:49,081 --> 00:15:50,849 just minding his own business. 345 00:15:50,883 --> 00:15:53,218 Shot him dead, all because he didn't want 346 00:15:53,252 --> 00:15:55,621 to let go of his radio. 347 00:15:55,654 --> 00:15:58,457 - The witnesses saw two men kill Wah Lee, 348 00:15:58,490 --> 00:16:02,428 but they can't provide any real specifics. 349 00:16:02,461 --> 00:16:06,231 - But people, you know, walking on the street nearby 350 00:16:06,265 --> 00:16:08,901 couldn't really identify anybody. 351 00:16:08,934 --> 00:16:11,136 Nobody got a plate number of the vehicle, 352 00:16:11,170 --> 00:16:13,105 just a general description. 353 00:16:13,138 --> 00:16:16,175 - It was a white Dodge Dynasty. 354 00:16:16,208 --> 00:16:18,277 - We put out a citywide canvass message 355 00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:20,512 that goes to every precinct, every detective squad, 356 00:16:20,546 --> 00:16:22,481 regarding the perps' car. 357 00:16:22,514 --> 00:16:24,783 - While they look for the car, they investigate 358 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:26,819 whether there's any forensic connection 359 00:16:26,852 --> 00:16:28,253 between the two murders. 360 00:16:28,287 --> 00:16:29,621 - Ballistics are brought 361 00:16:29,655 --> 00:16:31,490 to the New York City Police Department lab, 362 00:16:31,523 --> 00:16:34,560 and a comparison was done to check the ballistics 363 00:16:34,593 --> 00:16:37,663 from that case to the Zink case. 364 00:16:37,696 --> 00:16:39,498 * * 365 00:16:39,531 --> 00:16:40,966 We get a call. 366 00:16:41,066 --> 00:16:44,236 And sure enough, there was a match on the ballistics. 367 00:16:44,269 --> 00:16:48,140 Both of the bullets that were used in both homicides 368 00:16:48,173 --> 00:16:50,409 were fired from the same gun. 369 00:16:50,442 --> 00:16:52,778 - Two murders, 11 hours apart, 370 00:16:52,811 --> 00:16:55,514 both committed with the same weapon. 371 00:16:55,547 --> 00:16:59,351 - So we now knew that Wah Lee and Sergeant Zink's murders 372 00:16:59,385 --> 00:17:01,387 were connected. 373 00:17:01,420 --> 00:17:03,622 But we didn't really know why. 374 00:17:03,655 --> 00:17:05,858 - Did the two victims know each other, 375 00:17:05,891 --> 00:17:07,526 or are they random attacks committed 376 00:17:07,559 --> 00:17:09,828 by two men on a killing spree? 377 00:17:09,862 --> 00:17:12,464 Killers who strike at random tend to be antisocial 378 00:17:12,498 --> 00:17:14,299 and move around frequently. 379 00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:16,402 They can be much harder to capture. 380 00:17:16,435 --> 00:17:19,204 - I thought that, oh, my God, maybe we were 381 00:17:19,238 --> 00:17:22,307 looking at a serial killer. 382 00:17:25,044 --> 00:17:27,967 [tense music] 383 00:17:27,967 --> 00:17:33,085 [tense music] 384 00:17:33,419 --> 00:17:39,191 * * 385 00:17:39,224 --> 00:17:42,561 - It's been three days since NYPD Sergeant Robert Zink 386 00:17:42,594 --> 00:17:45,564 was found murdered on a subway train. 387 00:17:45,597 --> 00:17:48,400 Police have just discovered that the same gun 388 00:17:48,434 --> 00:17:51,470 was used by two men to kill cab driver Wah Lee 389 00:17:51,503 --> 00:17:53,972 just 11 hours prior. 390 00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:56,375 We check in with the Zink family. 391 00:17:56,408 --> 00:17:58,844 They are laying their father to rest, 392 00:17:58,877 --> 00:18:00,779 and they are just beginning to understand 393 00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:03,315 the magnitude of their loss. 394 00:18:04,650 --> 00:18:07,686 [somber music] 395 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,855 - We were trying to process that somebody 396 00:18:09,888 --> 00:18:13,926 who we loved so dearly died so brutally. 397 00:18:15,561 --> 00:18:19,365 - So many people came over saying, 398 00:18:19,398 --> 00:18:21,800 you know, whatever you need, just let us know. 399 00:18:21,834 --> 00:18:25,204 And we were just crying and grieving with neighbors. 400 00:18:25,237 --> 00:18:26,772 - They were bringing food. 401 00:18:26,805 --> 00:18:28,741 They were cleaning our house. [laughs] 402 00:18:28,774 --> 00:18:33,045 I just remember feeling, like, so much support. 403 00:18:33,045 --> 00:18:38,851 - He was just your regular, average guy at home, you know? 404 00:18:38,884 --> 00:18:42,521 It was almost like Clark Kent and Superman. 405 00:18:42,554 --> 00:18:46,191 And when he went to work, he was a wild guy, 406 00:18:46,225 --> 00:18:49,695 did things that were extraordinary. 407 00:18:49,728 --> 00:18:53,298 But then he would come home and make pancakes. 408 00:18:53,332 --> 00:18:56,568 He lived a very simple life. 409 00:18:56,602 --> 00:18:59,738 - It was extremely difficult for my mom. 410 00:18:59,772 --> 00:19:02,741 She was extremely close to my dad. 411 00:19:02,775 --> 00:19:07,012 They had a wonderful marriage, and it just broke her heart. 412 00:19:07,046 --> 00:19:09,748 She had a broken heart for the rest of her life. 413 00:19:11,183 --> 00:19:15,587 - He had a policeman's funeral. 414 00:19:15,621 --> 00:19:19,925 I remember there was so many people. 415 00:19:20,025 --> 00:19:22,027 It was just a sea of blue. 416 00:19:22,027 --> 00:19:25,297 [soft music] 417 00:19:25,330 --> 00:19:28,367 My dad would have been very proud to have seen 418 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,636 a funeral like that for him. 419 00:19:30,669 --> 00:19:35,140 * * 420 00:19:35,174 --> 00:19:36,642 [tense music] 421 00:19:36,675 --> 00:19:38,777 - Detectives, committed to getting justice 422 00:19:38,811 --> 00:19:41,280 for a fellow cop, have asked for help 423 00:19:41,313 --> 00:19:44,283 from the entire NYPD. 424 00:19:44,316 --> 00:19:47,286 They've put out a citywide request for any information 425 00:19:47,319 --> 00:19:51,690 about a white Dodge Dynasty, like the one spotted fleeing 426 00:19:51,724 --> 00:19:54,326 the scene of Wah Lee's murder. 427 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:58,197 - The 68 Precinct responded that they had a vehicle 428 00:19:58,230 --> 00:20:00,966 matching the description. 429 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,002 - A Dodge Dynasty had been brought 430 00:20:03,035 --> 00:20:05,304 to the tow pound three days earlier, 431 00:20:05,337 --> 00:20:08,340 the night of Wah Lee's murder. 432 00:20:08,374 --> 00:20:12,344 - We went out to the pound, and we looked at the car. 433 00:20:12,378 --> 00:20:16,015 - It was a complete shell, completely burnt out. 434 00:20:16,048 --> 00:20:18,417 - We're not dealing with stupid people. 435 00:20:18,450 --> 00:20:19,852 They were smart enough to burn the car 436 00:20:19,885 --> 00:20:21,987 and get rid of all that evidence. 437 00:20:22,021 --> 00:20:25,157 They're covering their tracks. 438 00:20:25,190 --> 00:20:26,925 We started poking around, and I took a look, 439 00:20:26,959 --> 00:20:30,262 and I noticed under the seat, looked like a radio. 440 00:20:30,295 --> 00:20:32,031 Pulled it out. 441 00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:34,667 It's all burned, what appears to be 442 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:36,402 a portable two-way radio. 443 00:20:36,435 --> 00:20:38,904 And it had a serial number on it. 444 00:20:38,937 --> 00:20:43,175 And we were able to trace it back to Wah Lee. 445 00:20:43,208 --> 00:20:44,877 - It's a huge discovery. 446 00:20:44,910 --> 00:20:47,846 Detectives know for sure, this is the car the killers 447 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:49,648 used in Wah Lee's murder. 448 00:20:49,682 --> 00:20:51,550 If they find the owner of the car, 449 00:20:51,583 --> 00:20:53,886 they could have their killer. 450 00:20:53,919 --> 00:20:56,088 - The license plate was run, 451 00:20:56,121 --> 00:20:58,657 and that came back to a Kenneth Prill. 452 00:20:58,691 --> 00:21:02,561 - They put Prill's name in the system. 453 00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:06,365 And it turns out, this is Kenneth Prill. 454 00:21:06,398 --> 00:21:10,436 - He was a priest, Reverend Kenneth Prill. 455 00:21:10,469 --> 00:21:13,639 - Puzzled investigators do some digging 456 00:21:13,672 --> 00:21:16,942 and uncover some terrifying information. 457 00:21:16,975 --> 00:21:18,610 - According to the police report, 458 00:21:18,644 --> 00:21:21,814 Kenneth Prill had been abducted, robbed, 459 00:21:21,847 --> 00:21:27,820 and shot in the face in East New York on July 31st. 460 00:21:27,853 --> 00:21:31,090 - The file said the witness saw that the perpetrators 461 00:21:31,090 --> 00:21:33,659 were two male whites. 462 00:21:33,692 --> 00:21:36,495 - Two white males, which matches witness accounts 463 00:21:36,528 --> 00:21:39,698 of the two perpetrators in the Wah Lee murder. 464 00:21:39,732 --> 00:21:42,868 - We figured out that Prill's car 465 00:21:42,901 --> 00:21:44,403 was used in Wah Lee's shooting, 466 00:21:44,436 --> 00:21:47,873 and Wah Lee's ballistics matched Zink. 467 00:21:47,906 --> 00:21:51,710 So I now know all three of these cases are connected. 468 00:21:51,744 --> 00:21:53,545 - There's no telling how many more victims 469 00:21:53,579 --> 00:21:56,749 they'll kill if they can't be stopped. 470 00:21:56,782 --> 00:21:59,118 But then we learn something truly surprising 471 00:21:59,151 --> 00:22:00,886 that could change the trajectory 472 00:22:00,919 --> 00:22:03,122 of the entire case. 473 00:22:03,155 --> 00:22:06,959 - Reverend Prill, it turned out, he survived. 474 00:22:07,059 --> 00:22:08,727 He's in the hospital. 475 00:22:08,761 --> 00:22:12,297 Now we uncover a person who may have been an eyewitness. 476 00:22:12,331 --> 00:22:14,433 It was a big deal. 477 00:22:14,466 --> 00:22:18,303 - So we were like--I mean, we're high-fiving each other. 478 00:22:18,337 --> 00:22:20,372 - He could lead us in the right direction 479 00:22:20,406 --> 00:22:22,808 to locate and identify a perpetrator. 480 00:22:30,082 --> 00:22:33,000 [tense music] 481 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:38,091 [tense music] 482 00:22:38,425 --> 00:22:41,561 * * 483 00:22:41,594 --> 00:22:43,997 - Detectives have identified a third shooting victim 484 00:22:44,097 --> 00:22:47,467 in Brooklyn's crime spree, Reverend Kenneth Prill. 485 00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:50,103 He survived, and police are hoping 486 00:22:50,136 --> 00:22:52,539 that he can give a description of the two suspects 487 00:22:52,572 --> 00:22:54,441 terrorizing the borough. 488 00:22:54,474 --> 00:22:57,110 [police sirens wailing] 489 00:22:57,110 --> 00:22:59,145 - I went to the hospital and spoke to Prill. 490 00:22:59,179 --> 00:23:00,647 You know, he had a wound on his face. 491 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:02,048 It was bandaged. 492 00:23:02,048 --> 00:23:03,717 You could see his face was all burned. 493 00:23:03,750 --> 00:23:05,285 And I said, I need to hear from you 494 00:23:05,318 --> 00:23:06,953 exactly what happened. 495 00:23:07,053 --> 00:23:10,623 [monitor beeping] 496 00:23:10,657 --> 00:23:14,928 - July 31st of 1991 was just an ordinary day. 497 00:23:14,961 --> 00:23:18,665 My wife had an appointment in Park Slope. 498 00:23:20,633 --> 00:23:23,336 Park Slope was a very safe area, 499 00:23:23,370 --> 00:23:25,905 brownstone homes. 500 00:23:25,939 --> 00:23:29,209 The streets were very well-manicured. 501 00:23:29,242 --> 00:23:32,679 I dropped my wife off at the doctor's office, 502 00:23:32,712 --> 00:23:36,583 parked my car, and was getting out of my car. 503 00:23:36,616 --> 00:23:39,719 And two men came up to me, 504 00:23:39,753 --> 00:23:42,922 and put a .38 revolver in my side, 505 00:23:42,956 --> 00:23:45,992 and said, "Get into the car." 506 00:23:46,092 --> 00:23:49,095 The man who had the gun on me in the rear seat 507 00:23:49,095 --> 00:23:51,164 asked for my wallet. 508 00:23:51,197 --> 00:23:55,568 And as we drove off, he said, "Look to the floor of the car 509 00:23:55,602 --> 00:23:59,339 because if you look up, I'm going to kill you." 510 00:23:59,372 --> 00:24:01,107 * * 511 00:24:01,141 --> 00:24:04,277 - He said he drove around for about two hours. 512 00:24:04,310 --> 00:24:07,347 They were actually looking at people on the street, 513 00:24:07,380 --> 00:24:09,115 and he's talking about robbing people. 514 00:24:09,149 --> 00:24:10,517 Like, one of them would say to the other, 515 00:24:10,550 --> 00:24:11,785 like, "What about that guy?" 516 00:24:11,818 --> 00:24:14,054 And he'd go, "No, no, no, it's too crowded." 517 00:24:14,087 --> 00:24:16,256 Or, "Oh, there's a police car there." 518 00:24:16,289 --> 00:24:18,058 Then they told him, "We'll let you go free. 519 00:24:18,058 --> 00:24:19,793 We want your car." 520 00:24:19,826 --> 00:24:23,830 And they drove into the old Fountain Avenue landfill. 521 00:24:23,863 --> 00:24:26,399 - The landfill was, like, this eerie area 522 00:24:26,433 --> 00:24:28,768 where bodies were often dumped. 523 00:24:28,802 --> 00:24:30,837 * * 524 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,073 - It was completely deserted. 525 00:24:33,073 --> 00:24:36,776 They told me they were going to let me go home. 526 00:24:36,810 --> 00:24:38,978 The man in the back said, 527 00:24:39,079 --> 00:24:41,348 "All right, get out of the car." 528 00:24:41,381 --> 00:24:44,451 I put my foot on the ground, 529 00:24:44,484 --> 00:24:50,090 and I saw a little flash of light in my left eye. 530 00:24:50,090 --> 00:24:55,428 He fired the gun into my face from 2 two feet away. 531 00:24:55,462 --> 00:24:58,631 I felt the bullet entering my face 532 00:24:58,665 --> 00:25:01,468 as it threw me to the ground. 533 00:25:01,501 --> 00:25:05,438 I fell as the car sped off. 534 00:25:05,472 --> 00:25:09,943 I immediately had an excruciating earache. 535 00:25:10,043 --> 00:25:12,512 I knew if I was ever going to survive, 536 00:25:12,545 --> 00:25:16,249 I had to reach civilization, so I started running. 537 00:25:16,282 --> 00:25:19,219 My good Samaritan stopped, and he said 538 00:25:19,252 --> 00:25:21,354 he would call for an ambulance. 539 00:25:21,388 --> 00:25:23,056 [ambulance siren wailing] 540 00:25:23,056 --> 00:25:25,191 The doctor in the emergency room said, 541 00:25:25,225 --> 00:25:28,895 "There is no reason why you should be alive." 542 00:25:28,928 --> 00:25:31,965 * * 543 00:25:32,065 --> 00:25:36,569 The bullet hit the rim of my eyeglasses, 544 00:25:36,603 --> 00:25:39,572 and they were stainless steel rims. 545 00:25:39,606 --> 00:25:42,475 The bullet stopped in the soft tissue 546 00:25:42,509 --> 00:25:45,512 behind my right main sinus. 547 00:25:45,545 --> 00:25:48,381 Thank God for those glasses. 548 00:25:48,415 --> 00:25:51,284 The doctor said, "I have to leave the bullet there." 549 00:25:51,317 --> 00:25:54,087 Because if the bullet had moved the slightest bit, 550 00:25:54,087 --> 00:25:57,357 even a millimeter, I would be dead. 551 00:25:57,390 --> 00:26:01,461 That is where the bullet still is to this day. 552 00:26:01,494 --> 00:26:04,698 [monitor beeping] 553 00:26:04,731 --> 00:26:06,566 [soft music] 554 00:26:06,599 --> 00:26:09,035 - I remember he was wearing his collar. 555 00:26:09,035 --> 00:26:10,870 And I thought to myself, 556 00:26:10,904 --> 00:26:13,340 what son of a bitch would shoot a priest? 557 00:26:13,373 --> 00:26:16,176 These got to be some cold, cold-hearted people. 558 00:26:16,209 --> 00:26:17,711 [tense music] 559 00:26:17,744 --> 00:26:20,680 - They said, "Did you see the two men?" 560 00:26:20,714 --> 00:26:23,350 So I said, I would look up over my glasses 561 00:26:23,383 --> 00:26:26,953 without moving my head to see the rearview mirror, 562 00:26:27,053 --> 00:26:32,092 and I saw the face of the man who was driving. 563 00:26:32,125 --> 00:26:34,894 - And so Reverend Prill worked with the police artist, 564 00:26:34,928 --> 00:26:37,897 sketch artist, and they created the sketch. 565 00:26:37,931 --> 00:26:39,866 * * 566 00:26:39,899 --> 00:26:44,604 - The composite sketch did appear in local newspapers. 567 00:26:44,637 --> 00:26:46,973 - The police wanted the public to see that 568 00:26:47,073 --> 00:26:49,976 and hoped that it would generate a crucial tip. 569 00:26:50,076 --> 00:26:51,378 [phone rings] 570 00:26:51,411 --> 00:26:52,779 - Over the next three weeks, 571 00:26:52,812 --> 00:26:55,348 the hotline is inundated with calls. 572 00:26:55,382 --> 00:26:57,517 - We got people that saw something-- 573 00:26:57,550 --> 00:26:58,752 yes, it was suspicious. 574 00:26:58,785 --> 00:27:01,054 However, it wasn't related to this. 575 00:27:01,087 --> 00:27:03,790 They all turned out to be dead ends. 576 00:27:03,823 --> 00:27:05,058 This was a big case. 577 00:27:05,091 --> 00:27:07,360 This was turning into a monster. 578 00:27:07,394 --> 00:27:09,429 That's when we formed the task force 579 00:27:09,462 --> 00:27:11,564 to merge all three cases. 580 00:27:11,598 --> 00:27:14,567 - They started pulling detectives from all over. 581 00:27:14,601 --> 00:27:17,237 - The motivation was there to solve this case. 582 00:27:17,270 --> 00:27:20,106 I mean, come on. These guys shot a priest. 583 00:27:20,140 --> 00:27:22,575 They killed a retired police officer, 584 00:27:22,609 --> 00:27:26,079 and they shot an innocent livery cab driver. 585 00:27:26,112 --> 00:27:27,747 We looked into the fact that, 586 00:27:27,781 --> 00:27:29,783 did any of these three know one another? 587 00:27:29,816 --> 00:27:31,351 And we came up that they didn't. 588 00:27:31,384 --> 00:27:33,753 There was no link. 589 00:27:33,787 --> 00:27:36,122 - Since the victims seem chosen at random, 590 00:27:36,156 --> 00:27:39,492 police have no idea who the killer's next target might be 591 00:27:39,526 --> 00:27:41,928 or how to protect the public. 592 00:27:41,961 --> 00:27:45,665 - The two perpetrators, they were just on a rampage. 593 00:27:45,699 --> 00:27:48,268 - People were upset. People were scared. 594 00:27:48,301 --> 00:27:50,370 They were worried for their families 595 00:27:50,403 --> 00:27:52,806 because the shooter was on the loose. 596 00:27:52,839 --> 00:27:54,574 - It made me even more determined. 597 00:27:54,607 --> 00:27:56,776 I got to get these guys. 598 00:27:56,810 --> 00:27:58,812 * * 599 00:27:58,845 --> 00:28:00,347 Then we got a call 600 00:28:00,380 --> 00:28:03,783 from the Middlesex County Correctional Facility. 601 00:28:03,817 --> 00:28:05,852 * * 602 00:28:05,885 --> 00:28:07,454 And there's a gentleman saying, 603 00:28:07,487 --> 00:28:10,323 I got this kid here telling me that he knows about a cop 604 00:28:10,357 --> 00:28:12,025 that was killed in Brooklyn. 605 00:28:12,025 --> 00:28:13,360 I was like, oh, really? 606 00:28:13,393 --> 00:28:15,028 He says, "When can you be here?" 607 00:28:15,061 --> 00:28:16,830 I said, "We're on the way." 608 00:28:16,863 --> 00:28:19,532 [police siren wailing] 609 00:28:19,566 --> 00:28:22,202 We got the warrant to eavesdrop on his phone call. 610 00:28:22,235 --> 00:28:25,372 He says, "We shot a cop." I almost fell out of my chair. 611 00:28:25,405 --> 00:28:27,374 - Coming up... - I know it's go time. 612 00:28:27,407 --> 00:28:29,042 I got to take him by myself. 613 00:28:29,075 --> 00:28:31,244 I pull my gun. "Police, don't move!" 614 00:28:31,277 --> 00:28:33,513 I was on him like white was on rice. 615 00:28:33,546 --> 00:28:36,149 - 20 years on the job, that's the most evil person 616 00:28:36,182 --> 00:28:37,384 I've ever dealt with. 617 00:28:39,052 --> 00:28:41,967 [tense music] 618 00:28:41,967 --> 00:28:47,092 [tense music] 619 00:28:47,426 --> 00:28:52,865 * * 620 00:28:52,898 --> 00:28:55,768 - NYPD detectives are chasing two killers 621 00:28:55,801 --> 00:28:58,971 on a deadly spree across Brooklyn. 622 00:28:59,071 --> 00:29:03,475 The suspects have shot three men, killing two. 623 00:29:03,509 --> 00:29:06,645 A month into the investigation, a tipster has come forward. 624 00:29:06,679 --> 00:29:10,683 He'd been arrested for robbery in New Jersey. 625 00:29:10,716 --> 00:29:13,052 - There's a kid by the name of Eduardo. 626 00:29:13,085 --> 00:29:17,022 He wants to give up information in exchange for some leniency. 627 00:29:17,022 --> 00:29:19,224 - Eduardo tells police that he'd been speaking 628 00:29:19,258 --> 00:29:22,428 on the phone with two friends of his while he was in jail. 629 00:29:22,461 --> 00:29:24,697 Their names are Richard Springer 630 00:29:24,730 --> 00:29:26,432 and Marc Asher. 631 00:29:26,465 --> 00:29:29,935 - He said these two guys, Richie Springer and Marc Asher, 632 00:29:30,035 --> 00:29:32,905 they used to do burglaries with us in Jersey. 633 00:29:32,938 --> 00:29:34,773 They were addicts. 634 00:29:34,807 --> 00:29:38,043 Well, the people doing drugs need money to get high. 635 00:29:38,077 --> 00:29:40,813 - On the phone, they specifically mentioned 636 00:29:40,846 --> 00:29:43,615 that they had killed a cop in Brooklyn. 637 00:29:43,649 --> 00:29:46,819 - Well, there haven't been any other cop homicides recently. 638 00:29:46,852 --> 00:29:51,123 So it had to be--they had to be talking about my case. 639 00:29:51,156 --> 00:29:54,460 So now we knew this kid was on the money. 640 00:29:54,493 --> 00:29:57,062 * * 641 00:29:57,096 --> 00:29:58,797 Has he got any proof of this? 642 00:29:58,831 --> 00:30:02,101 "Just only what they told me." 643 00:30:02,134 --> 00:30:04,036 Where are these people? 644 00:30:04,069 --> 00:30:06,105 He says, "Richie went to Vegas. 645 00:30:06,138 --> 00:30:10,776 But I've talked to him on the phone several times in Vegas." 646 00:30:10,809 --> 00:30:12,544 I was like, would you be willing to do that 647 00:30:12,578 --> 00:30:14,446 with us listening in and recording it? 648 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,548 He says, yeah. 649 00:30:16,582 --> 00:30:19,284 * * 650 00:30:19,318 --> 00:30:21,453 We tell him, don't go right into this, 651 00:30:21,487 --> 00:30:24,223 like, hey, you know, you smoked a cop, what's wrong with you? 652 00:30:24,256 --> 00:30:26,425 You know, start off, hey, what's going on? 653 00:30:26,458 --> 00:30:29,061 What'd you go to Vegas for? You know, lead into it. 654 00:30:29,094 --> 00:30:31,864 Don't--because otherwise, he's going to clam up. 655 00:30:31,897 --> 00:30:33,932 * * 656 00:30:33,966 --> 00:30:35,467 The kid is great. 657 00:30:35,501 --> 00:30:36,935 He starts talking to him, you know. 658 00:30:36,969 --> 00:30:38,337 "What are you doing? Where are you? 659 00:30:38,370 --> 00:30:39,605 I haven't seen you." 660 00:30:39,638 --> 00:30:40,873 "Yeah, I'm out in Vegas." 661 00:30:40,906 --> 00:30:43,542 He says, "What are you doing in Vegas?" 662 00:30:43,575 --> 00:30:45,711 - Eduardo had a conversation with him, 663 00:30:45,744 --> 00:30:48,480 asked him about the actual murder. 664 00:30:48,514 --> 00:30:50,115 - And then when he says, 665 00:30:50,149 --> 00:30:52,484 "So you know, we had a problem in Brooklyn," 666 00:30:52,518 --> 00:30:53,852 Eduardo was like, 667 00:30:53,886 --> 00:30:55,688 "What do you mean, you had a problem?" 668 00:30:55,721 --> 00:30:57,456 He says, "Well, you know, 669 00:30:57,489 --> 00:30:59,958 "we were doing what we were doing, 670 00:31:00,059 --> 00:31:01,927 and somebody died." 671 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,196 So he's like, "Who?" 672 00:31:04,229 --> 00:31:06,065 He's like, "A cop." 673 00:31:06,832 --> 00:31:09,535 So when he said that, I almost fell out of my chair. 674 00:31:09,568 --> 00:31:11,136 I was like, holy (BLEEP). 675 00:31:11,170 --> 00:31:13,105 Sorry. We got these guys. 676 00:31:13,138 --> 00:31:15,074 * * 677 00:31:15,074 --> 00:31:17,176 - And he said, "I didn't like cops. 678 00:31:17,209 --> 00:31:19,511 "That's why-- I didn't like cops. 679 00:31:19,545 --> 00:31:20,813 That's why I killed him." 680 00:31:20,846 --> 00:31:23,349 It was a matter of principle. 681 00:31:23,382 --> 00:31:25,884 - And the last thing he says on the tape is, 682 00:31:25,918 --> 00:31:30,723 "And besides, there's no subways in Las Vegas." 683 00:31:30,756 --> 00:31:34,193 So now I know we got this guy. This is them. 684 00:31:34,226 --> 00:31:37,496 - We knew we had the right people in our sights. 685 00:31:37,529 --> 00:31:39,765 * * 686 00:31:39,798 --> 00:31:41,533 - We call over to North Las Vegas, and we say, 687 00:31:41,567 --> 00:31:43,102 "Listen, we've got a guy who killed a cop, 688 00:31:43,102 --> 00:31:44,269 "shot a bunch of people. 689 00:31:44,303 --> 00:31:46,438 We want him picked up." 690 00:31:46,472 --> 00:31:50,109 - That's all the North Las Vegas PD need to hear. 691 00:31:50,142 --> 00:31:51,677 Eduardo has provided police 692 00:31:51,710 --> 00:31:53,746 with Springer's landline number. 693 00:31:53,779 --> 00:31:55,948 And from that, they quickly determine 694 00:31:55,981 --> 00:31:58,751 where he's hiding out. 695 00:31:58,784 --> 00:32:00,619 - So they go out, and they boom the door, 696 00:32:00,652 --> 00:32:02,354 and they scoop this guy up. 697 00:32:02,388 --> 00:32:03,689 They bring him in, they call me, 698 00:32:03,722 --> 00:32:05,057 and they do this in like an hour. 699 00:32:05,057 --> 00:32:06,258 They're like, "We got him." 700 00:32:06,291 --> 00:32:07,693 I was like, "What do you mean you got him?" 701 00:32:07,726 --> 00:32:09,061 He's like, "We got him. He's in the cell. 702 00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:10,262 Come get him." 703 00:32:10,295 --> 00:32:12,097 I said, "We'll be on the first plane." 704 00:32:12,131 --> 00:32:14,833 Off we go. 705 00:32:14,867 --> 00:32:16,602 Get out to Vegas. 706 00:32:16,635 --> 00:32:19,071 We go walking in, and Richie Springer is sitting there. 707 00:32:19,071 --> 00:32:20,439 And he looks and goes, 708 00:32:20,472 --> 00:32:22,408 "You two guys from New York State parole?" 709 00:32:22,441 --> 00:32:24,243 And he's laughing. 710 00:32:24,276 --> 00:32:27,513 I said, "No, we're New York City homicide detectives." 711 00:32:27,546 --> 00:32:31,116 I says, "And before I say one more F-ing word to you, 712 00:32:31,150 --> 00:32:33,218 "let me just say this: 713 00:32:33,252 --> 00:32:35,387 There's no subways in Las Vegas." 714 00:32:35,421 --> 00:32:39,091 And I slammed the case folder down on the desk. 715 00:32:39,124 --> 00:32:40,959 And he had a look on his face like 716 00:32:40,993 --> 00:32:42,461 a deer in the headlights. 717 00:32:42,494 --> 00:32:45,664 He was like--and he realized at that point, he was done 718 00:32:45,698 --> 00:32:48,434 because he knew he only said that to one person. 719 00:32:48,467 --> 00:32:51,670 So he knew we must have been listening. 720 00:32:51,704 --> 00:32:53,572 So yeah, we're going to talk. 721 00:32:53,605 --> 00:32:55,007 He says, "All right. 722 00:32:55,107 --> 00:32:56,642 I'll tell you whatever you want to know." 723 00:32:56,675 --> 00:32:58,143 He said, "I did all of it." 724 00:32:58,177 --> 00:33:01,513 He said, "You got me. I did all of it." 725 00:33:01,547 --> 00:33:05,317 And I'm thinking to myself, we got this fool. 726 00:33:05,351 --> 00:33:08,053 - Richie Springer says he and his partner, Marc Asher, 727 00:33:08,087 --> 00:33:10,489 needed drug money and were trolling the streets 728 00:33:10,522 --> 00:33:12,124 looking for someone to rob. 729 00:33:12,157 --> 00:33:14,626 First, at 4:00 p.m. on July 31st, 730 00:33:14,660 --> 00:33:17,663 they kidnapped and shot Reverend Kenneth Prill, 731 00:33:17,696 --> 00:33:20,299 and then, using Prill's car, robbed and murdered 732 00:33:20,332 --> 00:33:22,234 Wah Lee two hours later. 733 00:33:28,774 --> 00:33:31,343 - But Springer says that it was Marc Asher alone 734 00:33:31,377 --> 00:33:34,113 who shot Sergeant Robert Zink on the southbound B train 735 00:33:34,146 --> 00:33:36,582 the following morning at 6:00 a.m. 736 00:33:36,615 --> 00:33:38,984 The detectives aren't buying it. 737 00:33:39,084 --> 00:33:40,719 * * 738 00:33:40,753 --> 00:33:42,321 - Richie Springer told us, 739 00:33:42,354 --> 00:33:44,189 "The guy on the train was a matter of principle. 740 00:33:44,223 --> 00:33:46,492 I don't like cops." 741 00:33:46,525 --> 00:33:49,395 He said, "If you give me a chance, I'll kill you." 742 00:33:49,428 --> 00:33:50,996 He told us that day, right there 743 00:33:51,096 --> 00:33:53,232 in the Las Vegas police headquarters. 744 00:33:53,265 --> 00:33:55,134 He said, "I will kill you." 745 00:33:55,167 --> 00:33:56,535 20 years on the job, I could say 746 00:33:56,568 --> 00:33:58,470 that's the most evil person I've ever dealt with 747 00:33:58,504 --> 00:33:59,838 in my career. 748 00:33:59,872 --> 00:34:01,840 And I've dealt with some bad ones, trust me. 749 00:34:03,042 --> 00:34:05,077 - Police have apprehended Richard Springer, 750 00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:08,080 one of the men responsible for the three shootings. 751 00:34:08,113 --> 00:34:10,816 But that means the job is only half done. 752 00:34:10,849 --> 00:34:14,219 The other suspect, Marc Asher, is still at large. 753 00:34:14,253 --> 00:34:17,489 - Springer gave up the location of Marc Asher, 754 00:34:17,523 --> 00:34:19,692 his home address in Brooklyn. 755 00:34:19,725 --> 00:34:22,361 - Springer also told the police that Asher 756 00:34:22,394 --> 00:34:26,298 was still holding the .38 revolver used in the murders. 757 00:34:26,331 --> 00:34:28,334 - The other information he gave was 758 00:34:28,367 --> 00:34:32,538 that Marc Asher would always carry the gun in his backpack. 759 00:34:32,571 --> 00:34:35,541 [dramatic music] 760 00:34:35,574 --> 00:34:37,543 * * 761 00:34:37,576 --> 00:34:40,412 Surveillance started on Asher's residence. 762 00:34:40,446 --> 00:34:44,583 * * 763 00:34:44,616 --> 00:34:47,252 I have a bulletproof vest on. 764 00:34:47,286 --> 00:34:50,589 I have four units that are standing by on my order. 765 00:34:50,622 --> 00:34:53,125 If he comes out of location, I'm to radio to them, 766 00:34:53,158 --> 00:34:56,095 and we're to converge on him and arrest him. 767 00:34:57,496 --> 00:35:01,300 So sure enough, he comes out of the location, 768 00:35:01,333 --> 00:35:03,702 and he has the backpack on. 769 00:35:04,937 --> 00:35:07,306 But I can't get through on the radio. 770 00:35:07,339 --> 00:35:09,775 So as he starts to get down the block, 771 00:35:09,808 --> 00:35:11,944 maybe 10, 12 steps behind him, 772 00:35:12,044 --> 00:35:14,613 another gentleman starts walking down the block 773 00:35:14,646 --> 00:35:17,383 who also has a backpack on. 774 00:35:17,416 --> 00:35:19,885 I was worried that the surveillance team 775 00:35:19,918 --> 00:35:22,554 might arrest this other guy with the backpack. 776 00:35:22,588 --> 00:35:25,424 I was afraid, when they converge on that second guy, 777 00:35:25,457 --> 00:35:27,960 Asher was gonna take the gun out and start shooting. 778 00:35:28,060 --> 00:35:30,562 So I wasn't giving him the opportunity. 779 00:35:30,596 --> 00:35:33,065 So I know it's go time. I got to take him by myself. 780 00:35:33,065 --> 00:35:35,367 I'm like, I'm ----ing taking this guy. 781 00:35:41,073 --> 00:35:44,000 [tense music] 782 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:49,115 [tense music] 783 00:35:49,449 --> 00:35:52,085 * * 784 00:35:52,118 --> 00:35:54,421 - Detectives have already arrested Richard Springer, 785 00:35:54,454 --> 00:35:56,790 one of the men suspected of killing two men 786 00:35:56,823 --> 00:35:58,792 and shooting a third in Brooklyn. 787 00:35:58,825 --> 00:36:01,361 And Detective Phil Grimaldi has just spotted 788 00:36:01,394 --> 00:36:05,598 the second suspect, Marc Asher, on the street. 789 00:36:05,632 --> 00:36:07,167 - I jump out of the vehicle. 790 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,436 I go running down the block. 791 00:36:09,469 --> 00:36:11,204 I pull my gun. 792 00:36:11,237 --> 00:36:12,806 "Police, don't move." 793 00:36:12,839 --> 00:36:15,942 I started using expletives, "Get down on the floor." 794 00:36:16,042 --> 00:36:18,178 I was on him like white was on rice, 795 00:36:18,211 --> 00:36:20,780 and things came out of my mouth that I didn't even know 796 00:36:20,814 --> 00:36:22,782 were in my vocabulary. 797 00:36:22,816 --> 00:36:24,684 I get him on the floor. 798 00:36:24,718 --> 00:36:26,619 I pull the backpack off of him. 799 00:36:26,653 --> 00:36:28,455 I get him handcuffed. 800 00:36:28,488 --> 00:36:30,056 This was a big moment. 801 00:36:30,056 --> 00:36:35,095 We got the guy that committed this horrific 13-hour rampage. 802 00:36:35,128 --> 00:36:38,064 And I get him in the back of the car. 803 00:36:38,064 --> 00:36:40,300 And he says, "What's this about?" 804 00:36:40,333 --> 00:36:42,869 And all I say to him is, "You know what this is about. 805 00:36:42,902 --> 00:36:46,139 You know exactly what this is about." 806 00:36:46,172 --> 00:36:48,074 The blood starts to go out of his face, 807 00:36:48,108 --> 00:36:51,511 and he tells me, "I know this is about the cop, isn't it?" 808 00:36:51,544 --> 00:36:55,081 * * 809 00:36:55,081 --> 00:36:58,985 He starts to tell us word for word what happened with Zink, 810 00:36:59,085 --> 00:37:01,521 word for word what happened with Prill, 811 00:37:01,554 --> 00:37:05,425 word for word what happened with Mr. Lee. 812 00:37:10,563 --> 00:37:13,166 - When Asher was telling the story, 813 00:37:13,199 --> 00:37:15,502 when he was walking us through all the events, 814 00:37:15,535 --> 00:37:20,407 he came off as almost like a very mild-mannered guy. 815 00:37:28,882 --> 00:37:30,517 - Asher said that it was Springer 816 00:37:30,550 --> 00:37:33,787 in that shot the Methodist priest, Kenneth Prill. 817 00:38:12,826 --> 00:38:16,229 - When he started to talk about the horrible deeds 818 00:38:16,262 --> 00:38:20,400 of shooting and killing people, his eyes got very, very dark. 819 00:38:20,433 --> 00:38:24,070 He almost became excited about it. 820 00:38:24,104 --> 00:38:25,939 Asher said that it was-- 821 00:38:26,039 --> 00:38:28,308 Richard Springer was the one that shot Robert Zink. 822 00:38:28,341 --> 00:38:30,710 He was killed because he was a police officer. 823 00:38:50,330 --> 00:38:51,765 - Mm-hmm. 824 00:39:07,013 --> 00:39:09,883 - I really believe that, that day in the interview room, 825 00:39:09,916 --> 00:39:12,686 that I was talking to the devil, for sure. 826 00:39:21,728 --> 00:39:24,931 [police sirens wailing] 827 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:28,435 - As police continue interrogating 828 00:39:28,468 --> 00:39:31,638 the two perpetrators, they make a shocking confession. 829 00:39:31,671 --> 00:39:35,108 A year earlier, they committed another homicide. 830 00:39:35,141 --> 00:39:38,044 - Richie Springer tells us they had done this murder 831 00:39:38,044 --> 00:39:41,047 about a year before, Lorraine Finnegan. 832 00:39:41,047 --> 00:39:42,882 And he was like, "Yeah, we picked her up, 833 00:39:42,916 --> 00:39:45,852 we had sex with her, and then we killed her." 834 00:39:45,885 --> 00:39:47,120 It just boggled my mind 835 00:39:47,153 --> 00:39:49,956 because this guy talked about killing people 836 00:39:50,056 --> 00:39:53,526 like it was like, you know, I had a ham sandwich for lunch. 837 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:55,762 - We charge both men with two counts 838 00:39:55,795 --> 00:39:58,932 of second-degree murder, two counts of robbery, 839 00:39:58,965 --> 00:40:00,600 two counts of weapons possession, 840 00:40:00,633 --> 00:40:03,336 and one count of kidnapping. 841 00:40:04,637 --> 00:40:08,441 - Detective Boyle said, "We've made an arrest. 842 00:40:08,475 --> 00:40:11,578 In fact, we've made two arrests." 843 00:40:11,611 --> 00:40:17,250 So the biggest sigh of relief came over me. 844 00:40:17,283 --> 00:40:21,554 - I felt just really relieved 845 00:40:21,588 --> 00:40:24,657 that they got the both of them. 846 00:40:24,691 --> 00:40:27,927 - Both of the perpetrators in this case, 847 00:40:27,961 --> 00:40:29,929 they took credit for the stuff they did, 848 00:40:29,963 --> 00:40:32,699 except the murder of Sergeant Zink, 849 00:40:32,732 --> 00:40:34,734 but I believe Richard Springer was the one 850 00:40:34,768 --> 00:40:36,770 that shot Robert Zink. 851 00:40:36,803 --> 00:40:40,006 * * 852 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:42,742 - As the case goes to trial, detectives delve 853 00:40:42,776 --> 00:40:45,345 into the background of Richard Springer, age 38, 854 00:40:45,378 --> 00:40:47,380 and Marc Asher, 31. 855 00:40:47,414 --> 00:40:51,951 Asher was on parole for a 1983 manslaughter conviction. 856 00:40:51,985 --> 00:40:54,587 Springer was also an ex-con. 857 00:40:54,621 --> 00:40:57,657 - I learned that they knew each other through-- 858 00:40:57,691 --> 00:41:00,427 Richard Springer was in-- 859 00:41:00,460 --> 00:41:04,764 shared a prison cell with Marc Asher's brother. 860 00:41:04,798 --> 00:41:08,768 They had a long criminal history. 861 00:41:08,802 --> 00:41:12,238 - Richard Springer ended up getting in trouble for drugs, 862 00:41:12,272 --> 00:41:14,107 and that's when he ended up in state prison. 863 00:41:14,140 --> 00:41:17,944 Marc Asher came across as a follower 864 00:41:17,977 --> 00:41:20,246 and has drug problems. 865 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:24,851 - This case is really about drug-addicted heroin addicts 866 00:41:24,884 --> 00:41:27,087 that just went on a rampage. 867 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,556 * * 868 00:41:29,589 --> 00:41:31,758 - They were convicted of everything 869 00:41:31,791 --> 00:41:35,395 except the murder of retired police Sergeant Zink. 870 00:41:35,428 --> 00:41:38,465 And apparently, the jury didn't feel they had enough. 871 00:41:38,498 --> 00:41:43,570 The phone call was not enough to link him to Zink's murder. 872 00:41:45,372 --> 00:41:47,841 - After the trial, Richard Springer, 873 00:41:47,874 --> 00:41:51,111 he slowly turned and looked at me in the eye 874 00:41:51,111 --> 00:41:52,812 and winked at me. 875 00:41:52,846 --> 00:41:55,281 [soft music] 876 00:41:55,315 --> 00:41:58,218 - And it was stunning to witness that. 877 00:41:58,251 --> 00:42:00,720 I thought it was a very brazen act, 878 00:42:00,754 --> 00:42:02,856 certainly an act of disrespect. 879 00:42:02,889 --> 00:42:05,458 - To me, that was like, you know, "I did it. 880 00:42:05,492 --> 00:42:07,694 I got away with it." 881 00:42:07,727 --> 00:42:09,062 - Richard Springer received 882 00:42:09,095 --> 00:42:11,731 a hundred years to life in prison. 883 00:42:11,765 --> 00:42:16,069 Marc Asher, he got 82 years to life. 884 00:42:16,069 --> 00:42:18,405 - So they're both gonna die in jail. 885 00:42:19,706 --> 00:42:23,843 - We did not get a conviction, but we got the guys. 886 00:42:23,877 --> 00:42:27,213 I'm comfortable with the fact that they're in prison 887 00:42:27,247 --> 00:42:30,116 for the rest of their lives without parole. 888 00:42:30,150 --> 00:42:31,685 I can live with it. 889 00:42:31,718 --> 00:42:35,088 - When you think about all the crimes, 890 00:42:35,088 --> 00:42:38,825 what did they get out of it? 891 00:42:38,858 --> 00:42:41,194 Nothing. 892 00:42:41,227 --> 00:42:44,464 And everyone's lives were turned upside down. 893 00:42:44,497 --> 00:42:49,969 * * 894 00:42:50,003 --> 00:42:54,541 My father was the rock in the family, and I miss him. 895 00:42:54,574 --> 00:42:56,509 * * 896 00:42:56,543 --> 00:43:01,247 But I feel that, through my actions 897 00:43:01,281 --> 00:43:05,285 and through my children, that he lives on. 898 00:43:05,318 --> 00:43:07,554 - I became a cop. 899 00:43:07,587 --> 00:43:10,056 I think my father would've been very proud of the work 900 00:43:10,090 --> 00:43:13,560 that I did in the police department. 901 00:43:13,593 --> 00:43:18,431 - I like to think that I survived 902 00:43:18,465 --> 00:43:23,069 so that I could get justice 903 00:43:23,103 --> 00:43:27,741 for Lorraine Finnegan, 904 00:43:27,774 --> 00:43:31,444 so that I could get justice for Wah Lee, 905 00:43:31,478 --> 00:43:36,850 so that I could get justice for Sergeant Robert Zink. 906 00:43:36,883 --> 00:43:43,923 * *