1 00:00:01,043 --> 00:00:02,504 -[phone ringing] -[♪ tense music playing] 2 00:00:02,587 --> 00:00:06,132 [narrator] 18-year-old Brittany Clardy loves to be in touch 3 00:00:06,216 --> 00:00:08,009 and is always seeking connection. 4 00:00:08,093 --> 00:00:11,721 She always had her phone. Talking about all of her feelings. 5 00:00:11,805 --> 00:00:14,182 -[phone alert sounds] -But looking back, I appreciate it. 6 00:00:14,266 --> 00:00:16,351 -[sirens wailing] -[♪ dramatic music playing] 7 00:00:16,434 --> 00:00:19,646 [narrator] That's because on one cold February day, 8 00:00:20,814 --> 00:00:22,190 she goes missing. 9 00:00:22,816 --> 00:00:25,235 I said, "I don't know. Something's wrong." 10 00:00:25,902 --> 00:00:27,654 [narrator] Over a week goes by, 11 00:00:27,737 --> 00:00:31,866 her loved ones disconnected and in the dark. 12 00:00:31,950 --> 00:00:34,995 They weren't giving me information. 13 00:00:35,078 --> 00:00:37,038 No one was telling me anything. 14 00:00:37,122 --> 00:00:40,792 [narrator] Then, the race to find her reveals an astounding truth. 15 00:00:41,209 --> 00:00:42,711 Brittany kinda had a secret life, 16 00:00:42,794 --> 00:00:45,338 and tied to that secret life was this secret phone. 17 00:00:46,131 --> 00:00:48,633 [narrator] But will the phone ultimately connect Brittany... 18 00:00:48,717 --> 00:00:50,969 -[sirens blaring] -[dog barking] 19 00:00:51,052 --> 00:00:52,554 ...to her killer? 20 00:00:54,681 --> 00:00:56,474 [♪ theme music playing] 21 00:00:56,558 --> 00:00:59,019 [speaker 1] She solved her own murder from beyond the grave. 22 00:00:59,102 --> 00:01:00,937 [speaker 2] The fitness app on the phone. 23 00:01:01,021 --> 00:01:02,689 [speaker 3] It was overwhelming evidence. 24 00:01:02,772 --> 00:01:05,525 ♪ I've been haunted by the visions ♪ 25 00:01:05,609 --> 00:01:08,445 ♪ That I've seen with my own eyes ♪ 26 00:01:08,778 --> 00:01:11,865 ♪ And the only way to find you ♪ 27 00:01:12,365 --> 00:01:15,952 ♪ Is to go beneath the lies ♪ 28 00:01:18,038 --> 00:01:20,624 [speaker 4] She did help catch this killer. 29 00:01:24,544 --> 00:01:26,922 [♪ dramatic music playing] 30 00:01:27,005 --> 00:01:31,218 [narrator] February 11, 2013. St. Paul, Minnesota. 31 00:01:31,301 --> 00:01:32,677 Like everyone her age, 32 00:01:32,761 --> 00:01:35,847 18-year-old Brittany Clardy's phone is her lifeline. 33 00:01:35,931 --> 00:01:37,349 [phone ringing] 34 00:01:37,432 --> 00:01:40,602 Something her mom is thankful for in the snowy Minnesota winter. 35 00:01:41,269 --> 00:01:43,438 ♪ I feel your cold skin ♪ 36 00:01:43,521 --> 00:01:45,607 ♪ Sink in my mind ♪ 37 00:01:45,690 --> 00:01:47,108 It's a Monday, 38 00:01:47,567 --> 00:01:50,487 and we just had a snowstorm the day before. 39 00:01:51,238 --> 00:01:53,782 My name's Marquita Clardy. 40 00:01:53,865 --> 00:01:55,992 Brittany is my daughter. 41 00:01:56,076 --> 00:01:57,077 ♪♪ 42 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,373 Brittany and I were standing at the top of the stairs, talking about the day, 43 00:02:02,415 --> 00:02:04,042 and she said, "I'm gonna leave." 44 00:02:04,125 --> 00:02:06,753 And I said, "Well, where are you going?" 45 00:02:06,836 --> 00:02:08,964 You know, "I want you to stay here. 46 00:02:09,047 --> 00:02:12,300 "Stay here, rest. If there's ice on the road, 47 00:02:12,384 --> 00:02:14,219 you're not able to stop at all." 48 00:02:14,302 --> 00:02:16,930 And she said, "No, I gotta go. I'll be right back. 49 00:02:17,013 --> 00:02:18,557 I won't be gone long." 50 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,393 And then, when I turned around and looked at her, it-- 51 00:02:21,476 --> 00:02:23,311 I wanted to grab her, 52 00:02:23,562 --> 00:02:25,272 but I didn't grab her. 53 00:02:25,355 --> 00:02:27,983 It's like, "Why am I wanting to grab her?" 54 00:02:28,066 --> 00:02:31,069 It's engraved in my mind to this day. 55 00:02:32,612 --> 00:02:33,613 [sniffles] 56 00:02:33,697 --> 00:02:34,906 ♪♪ 57 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:39,035 [narrator] But hours go by, and no word from Brittany. 58 00:02:40,161 --> 00:02:42,330 [Marquita Clardy] I had a bad feeling, 59 00:02:42,414 --> 00:02:45,292 but I couldn't pinpoint what that was about. 60 00:02:45,375 --> 00:02:47,711 -[phone ringing] -I started calling her 61 00:02:47,794 --> 00:02:50,297 around 1:30, two o'clock. 62 00:02:50,380 --> 00:02:53,800 "Are you back at home? 'Cause I'm on my way to work 63 00:02:53,884 --> 00:02:56,219 'cause you need to get your brother off the bus." 64 00:02:56,303 --> 00:02:58,972 So, I'm starting to call her, 65 00:02:59,055 --> 00:03:01,141 -and she's not answering. -[phone ringing] 66 00:03:01,224 --> 00:03:02,475 ♪♪ 67 00:03:02,559 --> 00:03:05,437 [narrator] Other family members feel something is off as well. 68 00:03:06,855 --> 00:03:08,440 [Lakeisha Lee] My name is Lakeisha Lee, 69 00:03:08,523 --> 00:03:10,817 and I'm Brittany Clardy's older sister. 70 00:03:10,901 --> 00:03:13,069 -[muffled clap] -[♪ intense music playing] 71 00:03:13,153 --> 00:03:14,237 She always had her phone. 72 00:03:14,321 --> 00:03:15,947 She was always paying attention to her phone, 73 00:03:16,031 --> 00:03:18,825 so we knew something was wrong with her not answering. 74 00:03:19,743 --> 00:03:22,287 [narrator] This is totally out of Brittany's character. 75 00:03:22,370 --> 00:03:24,414 She's a people person, 76 00:03:24,497 --> 00:03:28,418 a point of connection between so many different types of personalities. 77 00:03:29,169 --> 00:03:31,963 Surely, someone knows where she is. 78 00:03:33,423 --> 00:03:35,300 ♪♪ 79 00:03:36,134 --> 00:03:38,929 Brittany was very popular in school, 80 00:03:39,012 --> 00:03:40,472 had a lot of friends. 81 00:03:40,555 --> 00:03:41,848 The teachers loved her. 82 00:03:41,932 --> 00:03:43,058 ♪ Oh... ♪ 83 00:03:43,141 --> 00:03:46,770 She was a caretaker. She loved working with little ones. 84 00:03:46,853 --> 00:03:51,066 Her first job was at a rec center, 85 00:03:51,149 --> 00:03:55,779 working with the kids in the community at 14, 86 00:03:55,862 --> 00:03:57,530 and she never left that job. 87 00:03:57,614 --> 00:03:59,199 She loved the children. 88 00:03:59,282 --> 00:04:02,452 She was a nurturer from Jump Street. 89 00:04:02,535 --> 00:04:04,663 [narrator] And Brittany has just made a connection 90 00:04:04,746 --> 00:04:06,665 she'd always dreamed of. 91 00:04:06,748 --> 00:04:08,541 A love connection. 92 00:04:08,625 --> 00:04:10,794 But, it's complicated. 93 00:04:10,877 --> 00:04:12,087 He was 23. 94 00:04:12,170 --> 00:04:14,297 [♪ tense music playing] 95 00:04:14,381 --> 00:04:17,050 The age difference, to me, was huge. 96 00:04:17,133 --> 00:04:19,052 [Lakeisha] I'm like, "What do you want with my sister?" 97 00:04:19,135 --> 00:04:20,845 She's a kid, still. 98 00:04:20,929 --> 00:04:23,848 I just know that he wasn't right for her, 99 00:04:23,932 --> 00:04:26,810 and I told her that. I voiced that to him, even. 100 00:04:26,893 --> 00:04:28,812 [♪ R&B music playing] 101 00:04:28,895 --> 00:04:30,647 ♪ Don't let it show ♪ 102 00:04:30,730 --> 00:04:32,357 Brittany cared about him a lot 103 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,609 because we would ask, 104 00:04:34,693 --> 00:04:36,653 or if she would even talk about him, 105 00:04:36,736 --> 00:04:38,738 she would get defensive 106 00:04:38,822 --> 00:04:41,157 'cause sometimes things didn't add up. 107 00:04:41,241 --> 00:04:45,120 She never wanted him to look like the bad guy to us. 108 00:04:45,203 --> 00:04:47,330 She cared so much about him. 109 00:04:47,414 --> 00:04:49,583 [♪ mysterious music playing] 110 00:04:49,666 --> 00:04:52,544 [narrator] So maybe this is the reason they can't reach her. 111 00:04:53,378 --> 00:04:56,506 She's with her boyfriend and knows her family doesn't approve. 112 00:04:56,798 --> 00:04:58,049 But even still, 113 00:04:58,133 --> 00:05:01,052 Brittany would never want her mother to worry. 114 00:05:01,344 --> 00:05:04,556 So, as time passes and the snow piles up, 115 00:05:04,639 --> 00:05:08,101 her family's concern grows more and more. 116 00:05:08,184 --> 00:05:11,104 -[♪ intense music playing] -[Lakeisha] This is... 117 00:05:11,187 --> 00:05:14,691 February... in Minnesota. 118 00:05:14,774 --> 00:05:18,028 [Marquita] Something in the back of my mind or my gut 119 00:05:18,111 --> 00:05:20,572 was saying something's wrong with her. 120 00:05:20,655 --> 00:05:23,742 Is she in her car? Slid into a ditch? 121 00:05:24,910 --> 00:05:28,413 [narrator] Brittany's mom continues to call, hoping for an answer. 122 00:05:29,289 --> 00:05:31,666 And then, something disturbing happens. 123 00:05:32,834 --> 00:05:36,796 She got a-a pocket pickup, it sounded like. 124 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:38,048 And they hung up. 125 00:05:38,131 --> 00:05:39,132 [off-hook dial tone] 126 00:05:39,216 --> 00:05:40,592 [narrator] This doesn’t seem right. 127 00:05:40,675 --> 00:05:42,594 It makes no sense. 128 00:05:42,677 --> 00:05:44,179 They need help. 129 00:05:44,262 --> 00:05:47,349 My mom called the police. Like, something's wrong. 130 00:05:47,432 --> 00:05:49,434 [Marquita] So, they said, "Call tomorrow. 131 00:05:49,517 --> 00:05:52,437 "She's 18. Legally, she can leave the home 132 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,564 and doesn't have to tell you where she's going." 133 00:05:54,648 --> 00:05:58,401 And I said, "I don't know. Something is not right." 134 00:05:59,236 --> 00:06:01,696 [narrator] Marquita and Lakeisha continue to wait. 135 00:06:01,780 --> 00:06:06,117 -Concerned, calling, trying to connect. -[phone dialing] 136 00:06:06,201 --> 00:06:07,786 ♪♪ 137 00:06:07,869 --> 00:06:10,497 [Lakeisha] Through the night, the anxiety 138 00:06:10,580 --> 00:06:12,290 and the fear increased 139 00:06:13,541 --> 00:06:15,961 because she just would not answer. 140 00:06:16,044 --> 00:06:18,046 And then, of course, the next morning, 141 00:06:18,129 --> 00:06:20,090 I got up and called the police again 142 00:06:20,173 --> 00:06:23,343 and said, "Okay, I called you yesterday. 143 00:06:23,426 --> 00:06:26,721 I need to make a report 'cause she's still not back." 144 00:06:26,805 --> 00:06:28,306 [♪ tense music playing] 145 00:06:28,390 --> 00:06:30,642 [narrator] But the authorities are cautious. 146 00:06:31,643 --> 00:06:35,480 [Mike Lapham] I'm retired Detective Mike Lapham 147 00:06:35,564 --> 00:06:37,899 with the Anoka County Sheriff's Office. 148 00:06:37,983 --> 00:06:41,486 The St. Paul police took a report, 149 00:06:41,570 --> 00:06:44,531 entered her as being a missing person. 150 00:06:45,865 --> 00:06:47,784 Nothing unusual there either. 151 00:06:47,867 --> 00:06:50,120 ♪♪ 152 00:06:50,203 --> 00:06:52,414 [narrator] But, Marquita is insistent. 153 00:06:52,831 --> 00:06:55,625 [Marquita] They sent out two investigators 154 00:06:55,709 --> 00:06:57,502 from the missing persons unit 155 00:06:57,586 --> 00:06:59,421 to talk to me about Brittany, 156 00:06:59,504 --> 00:07:01,798 and why she possibly wasn't home. 157 00:07:01,882 --> 00:07:03,884 ♪♪ 158 00:07:03,967 --> 00:07:06,928 They were like, "Oh, she just turned 18 recently? 159 00:07:07,012 --> 00:07:09,264 Well, maybe she just ran away." 160 00:07:09,347 --> 00:07:11,975 Like, no! We just seen her! 161 00:07:12,058 --> 00:07:14,144 You know, we were the experts on our family. 162 00:07:14,227 --> 00:07:15,604 [clicking] 163 00:07:15,687 --> 00:07:18,899 [narrator] Brittany's family knows that she didn't just run away, 164 00:07:18,982 --> 00:07:23,403 and Marquita shares the first suspect that comes to mind. 165 00:07:23,486 --> 00:07:27,032 And that's when I told them about Brittany's boyfriend. 166 00:07:27,115 --> 00:07:30,368 -[♪ tense music playing] -[wind blowing] 167 00:07:31,411 --> 00:07:33,038 Everybody is, you know, 168 00:07:33,121 --> 00:07:35,248 "You gotta check out the boyfriend. 169 00:07:35,332 --> 00:07:37,792 He is just wrong. He's bad." 170 00:07:37,876 --> 00:07:40,754 He's this, he's that. He's gotta be involved. 171 00:07:40,837 --> 00:07:42,547 ♪♪ 172 00:07:42,631 --> 00:07:45,300 [narrator] Marquita immediately springs into action. 173 00:07:45,383 --> 00:07:48,595 [Marquita] I took the police to where I thought he lived. 174 00:07:48,678 --> 00:07:50,347 They knocked, but nobody answered. 175 00:07:50,430 --> 00:07:51,890 [police radio chatter] 176 00:07:52,349 --> 00:07:53,975 And they called the number. 177 00:07:54,059 --> 00:07:55,560 He answered first, 178 00:07:55,644 --> 00:07:57,938 and then he hung up on the police. 179 00:07:58,021 --> 00:07:59,564 [♪ dramatic sting] 180 00:07:59,648 --> 00:08:02,150 Then shut the phone off. 181 00:08:02,234 --> 00:08:05,320 So, I knew something was really wrong. 182 00:08:05,403 --> 00:08:07,280 ♪♪ 183 00:08:12,244 --> 00:08:15,163 [narrator] Investigators continue looking into Brittany's boyfriend, 184 00:08:15,247 --> 00:08:18,166 but after four days of her being missing, 185 00:08:18,250 --> 00:08:19,876 that's not enough for her family. 186 00:08:20,961 --> 00:08:24,464 I think you go into your investigative mode 187 00:08:24,548 --> 00:08:27,300 and start trying to piece things together. 188 00:08:27,384 --> 00:08:30,095 We started passing these flyers out everywhere. 189 00:08:30,178 --> 00:08:33,098 We organized with friends and family, 190 00:08:33,181 --> 00:08:35,100 sharing out the flyer en masse. 191 00:08:35,183 --> 00:08:37,310 [Marquita] We drove up and down highways, looking, 192 00:08:37,394 --> 00:08:39,396 see if she had went in a ditch. 193 00:08:40,438 --> 00:08:43,024 [narrator] Then, on February 21st, 194 00:08:43,108 --> 00:08:45,068 Marquita finally gets a lead. 195 00:08:45,151 --> 00:08:46,319 A call. 196 00:08:46,403 --> 00:08:48,989 -[phone ringing] -[Marquita] I got a phone call 197 00:08:49,072 --> 00:08:53,201 from the credit union she had got a car loan from for her car, 198 00:08:54,244 --> 00:08:57,539 that the car was impounded and towed 199 00:08:57,622 --> 00:09:00,500 to a tow yard in Columbia Heights. 200 00:09:01,084 --> 00:09:03,587 [narrator] She immediately notifies the authorities. 201 00:09:03,670 --> 00:09:04,921 ♪♪ 202 00:09:05,005 --> 00:09:07,382 [Mike] So, Marquita met the officers 203 00:09:07,465 --> 00:09:09,384 at the impound lot. 204 00:09:10,135 --> 00:09:12,721 [Marquita] And then they took the key, 205 00:09:12,804 --> 00:09:14,264 and I stayed in the waiting area. 206 00:09:14,848 --> 00:09:18,435 And the tow company directed the officers 207 00:09:18,518 --> 00:09:19,978 to where the car was at. 208 00:09:20,061 --> 00:09:22,647 [♪ dramatic music playing] 209 00:09:22,731 --> 00:09:25,442 And I didn't know my worst nightmare... 210 00:09:27,527 --> 00:09:29,195 was happening. 211 00:09:29,779 --> 00:09:32,949 [narrator] Because what turns up inside of Brittany's backseat 212 00:09:33,033 --> 00:09:34,659 is sheer horror, 213 00:09:35,660 --> 00:09:38,705 and a disturbing warning sign of what's to come. 214 00:09:38,788 --> 00:09:39,831 [sirens blare] 215 00:09:39,915 --> 00:09:42,417 ♪♪ 216 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:43,710 [echoing scream] 217 00:09:46,338 --> 00:09:49,257 [♪ tense electronic music playing] 218 00:09:52,135 --> 00:09:57,265 [narrator] For 10 excruciating days, Brittany Clardy has been missing. 219 00:09:57,349 --> 00:10:01,478 The girl who is constantly connected, posting, calling, 220 00:10:01,561 --> 00:10:03,355 disturbingly disconnected. 221 00:10:04,022 --> 00:10:05,315 ♪♪ 222 00:10:05,398 --> 00:10:08,485 And investigators can find no answers for her loved ones. 223 00:10:09,945 --> 00:10:12,364 Until February 21st, 224 00:10:13,114 --> 00:10:14,950 when they arrive at an impound lot 225 00:10:15,033 --> 00:10:16,451 where Brittany's car has been towed. 226 00:10:18,995 --> 00:10:23,124 I heard some employees starting to talk and kinda mumble 227 00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:26,878 about they found something in the vehicle. 228 00:10:26,962 --> 00:10:29,965 I don't think they realized I was in the waiting area. 229 00:10:30,757 --> 00:10:33,343 [narrator] And what Marquita overhears 230 00:10:33,426 --> 00:10:35,262 shatters her to her core. 231 00:10:35,971 --> 00:10:37,514 [Mike] In the back of that car, 232 00:10:37,597 --> 00:10:41,268 underneath a whole bunch of junk in the backseat, 233 00:10:41,768 --> 00:10:45,480 we found a frozen, dead body. 234 00:10:45,564 --> 00:10:48,567 [♪ dramatic music playing] 235 00:10:53,196 --> 00:10:56,116 [Marquita] By the time the detectives came back, 236 00:10:56,199 --> 00:10:57,826 I had lost it. 237 00:10:57,909 --> 00:11:00,537 I was screaming in the waiting area. 238 00:11:00,620 --> 00:11:02,497 [inaudible] 239 00:11:02,581 --> 00:11:04,958 [narrator] Although tragic, investigators can't assume 240 00:11:05,041 --> 00:11:07,043 whose body it is. 241 00:11:08,253 --> 00:11:11,464 Is it Brittany, or somebody else? 242 00:11:11,548 --> 00:11:14,050 They don't want Marquita coming out there and rushing out, 243 00:11:14,134 --> 00:11:17,971 to find her daughter dead in the backseat. 244 00:11:18,722 --> 00:11:20,348 So they said, "You know what? 245 00:11:20,432 --> 00:11:23,184 "This car is snowed and iced, 246 00:11:23,268 --> 00:11:25,395 "and we can't get into it now. 247 00:11:25,478 --> 00:11:28,773 "We're on it, we're here, we got the car. 248 00:11:28,857 --> 00:11:31,109 We'll take care of it, and we'll let you know." 249 00:11:31,526 --> 00:11:35,488 ♪ What on Earth is this? ♪ 250 00:11:35,572 --> 00:11:38,617 They wouldn't tell me what was going on. 251 00:11:38,700 --> 00:11:40,994 They just said I needed to go home. 252 00:11:41,077 --> 00:11:43,204 That they would call me. [sniffles] 253 00:11:43,288 --> 00:11:45,790 ♪ Wake me now ♪ 254 00:11:46,333 --> 00:11:48,543 ♪ Wake me now ♪ 255 00:11:48,627 --> 00:11:50,837 I don't remember how I got home. 256 00:11:50,921 --> 00:11:52,339 [sniffles] 257 00:11:52,422 --> 00:11:55,550 I just remember calling... [sniffles] 258 00:11:55,634 --> 00:11:58,511 my husband... [sniffles] 259 00:11:58,595 --> 00:12:01,640 [voice breaking] telling him to get to where I was, 260 00:12:01,723 --> 00:12:05,101 but I didn't know where I was. 261 00:12:05,185 --> 00:12:08,188 [deep sigh] 262 00:12:09,314 --> 00:12:10,899 [♪ tense sting] 263 00:12:10,982 --> 00:12:14,486 [narrator] Detective Lapham is soon on the scene. 264 00:12:14,569 --> 00:12:18,448 So, I get there, and they take me out to the car. 265 00:12:18,823 --> 00:12:23,036 The body was in the back passenger side of the car. 266 00:12:23,119 --> 00:12:25,664 The weather being that, you know, 267 00:12:25,747 --> 00:12:28,833 we were below freezing temperatures, 268 00:12:28,917 --> 00:12:31,586 she was solid. 269 00:12:32,671 --> 00:12:35,882 [narrator] Detective Lapham notices something peculiar. 270 00:12:36,841 --> 00:12:40,011 [Mike] Every belonging in the car was packed on the backseat. 271 00:12:40,095 --> 00:12:44,182 Cigarette butts, receipts, all sorts of stuff. 272 00:12:46,226 --> 00:12:49,437 [narrator] Was this an attempt to hide the body in plain sight? 273 00:12:49,521 --> 00:12:51,606 [♪ dramatic sting] 274 00:12:51,690 --> 00:12:53,942 With a cluttered crime scene to sift through, 275 00:12:54,025 --> 00:12:56,486 investigators need to get the car somewhere secluded 276 00:12:56,570 --> 00:12:58,321 so they can get to work, 277 00:12:58,405 --> 00:13:01,866 and other authorities are notified and brought into the mix. 278 00:13:01,950 --> 00:13:03,785 ♪♪ 279 00:13:04,327 --> 00:13:08,123 [Wade Kish] My name is Wade Kish. I was the Assistant Anoka County Attorney. 280 00:13:08,498 --> 00:13:10,458 What they actually did was, 281 00:13:10,542 --> 00:13:12,669 no pun intended, froze the scene, took the car, 282 00:13:12,878 --> 00:13:14,880 towed it to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office 283 00:13:14,963 --> 00:13:16,131 where they have a garage 284 00:13:16,214 --> 00:13:18,216 that's used for forensically examining automobiles, 285 00:13:18,300 --> 00:13:19,718 with her still in there. 286 00:13:19,801 --> 00:13:22,929 The time can be very important as far as when a body is discovered, 287 00:13:23,013 --> 00:13:25,432 so that was important to get on as quickly as possible. 288 00:13:26,641 --> 00:13:28,602 [narrator] It could be hours or even days 289 00:13:28,685 --> 00:13:33,189 before the medical examiner can fully identify if this woman is Brittany. 290 00:13:33,648 --> 00:13:37,110 [Mike] It came time to remove the body from the car. 291 00:13:37,193 --> 00:13:40,572 The one thing I'll never forget is the sound 292 00:13:40,655 --> 00:13:43,074 when we set her on the floor. 293 00:13:43,158 --> 00:13:46,620 I mean, it was like a rock on the floor. 294 00:13:46,703 --> 00:13:49,247 A body shouldn't do that. 295 00:13:49,998 --> 00:13:52,834 [narrator] But one detail does stick out. 296 00:13:52,918 --> 00:13:55,795 The only thing that we could visibly see 297 00:13:55,879 --> 00:14:00,342 was one tattoo on one of her thighs 298 00:14:00,425 --> 00:14:01,843 of the name "Tristan." 299 00:14:03,803 --> 00:14:06,890 -[♪ dramatic music playing] -[wind blowing] 300 00:14:07,474 --> 00:14:09,559 [narrator] With this identifier, 301 00:14:09,643 --> 00:14:11,686 Detective Lapham goes back to Brittany's family. 302 00:14:11,770 --> 00:14:13,521 [echoing knocking] 303 00:14:13,605 --> 00:14:16,775 [Marquita] It took, probably, about 12 hours 304 00:14:16,858 --> 00:14:18,985 before detectives showed up at my door 305 00:14:19,069 --> 00:14:20,695 in the middle of the night. 306 00:14:20,779 --> 00:14:23,156 ♪♪ 307 00:14:24,157 --> 00:14:27,994 He asked did we know of any distinctive tattoos on her. 308 00:14:28,078 --> 00:14:30,038 And we said, "Yes, on her arm." 309 00:14:30,121 --> 00:14:33,416 He said, "Well, there's possibly another tattoo." 310 00:14:34,417 --> 00:14:37,754 I said, "Does the name 'Tristan' 311 00:14:37,837 --> 00:14:39,422 mean anything to you?" 312 00:14:39,506 --> 00:14:41,550 And that's when they both had said, "Well, yeah. 313 00:14:41,633 --> 00:14:43,593 That was Brittany's first boyfriend." 314 00:14:43,677 --> 00:14:45,220 ♪♪ 315 00:14:45,303 --> 00:14:46,972 And then I lost it. 316 00:14:47,055 --> 00:14:50,684 ♪ In a word, every piece of ♪ 317 00:14:50,767 --> 00:14:53,562 ♪ All the things I left behind ♪ 318 00:14:53,645 --> 00:14:57,357 [narrator] For Brittany's family, there's no longer any doubt in their mind. 319 00:14:58,191 --> 00:15:01,236 Their beloved daughter and sister is dead. 320 00:15:02,028 --> 00:15:04,823 And I remember falling to the floor, 321 00:15:04,906 --> 00:15:07,242 and I kept saying, "No." 322 00:15:07,325 --> 00:15:09,202 No, no, no, no, no, no. 323 00:15:09,286 --> 00:15:12,372 I didn't want to accept... 324 00:15:13,957 --> 00:15:16,877 that that was reality, in that moment. 325 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,713 [♪ R&B vocalizing] 326 00:15:19,796 --> 00:15:22,090 Everything from there is a whirlwind. 327 00:15:22,173 --> 00:15:25,176 ♪♪ 328 00:15:27,637 --> 00:15:29,264 [narrator] In St. Paul, 329 00:15:29,347 --> 00:15:32,267 news of a frozen body in the backseat of a car spreads quickly 330 00:15:32,350 --> 00:15:35,228 and ignites a media frenzy. 331 00:15:35,312 --> 00:15:37,647 [reporter] February 2013. 332 00:15:37,731 --> 00:15:39,399 In a Columbia Heights impound lot, 333 00:15:39,482 --> 00:15:42,611 a vehicle with a woman's body inside. 334 00:15:42,694 --> 00:15:44,279 She's so important. 335 00:15:44,362 --> 00:15:48,325 [reporter] The woman was Lakeisha Lee's younger sister, Brittany. 336 00:15:48,408 --> 00:15:50,785 Our family home, we couldn't get into our family home 337 00:15:50,869 --> 00:15:53,872 without all of this media, 338 00:15:54,581 --> 00:15:56,666 all over the lawn. 339 00:15:56,750 --> 00:15:58,752 ♪♪ 340 00:16:00,378 --> 00:16:03,256 [narrator] In life, Brittany was always connecting. 341 00:16:03,757 --> 00:16:07,302 And now in death, she's still bringing people together. 342 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,514 But the toll on Brittany's family is immense. 343 00:16:12,182 --> 00:16:14,851 They want justice and answers, 344 00:16:14,935 --> 00:16:16,561 and so do the authorities 345 00:16:17,062 --> 00:16:20,357 who need to find out how did she die, 346 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,192 and if it was a murder, 347 00:16:22,275 --> 00:16:24,903 how can they catch her killer? 348 00:16:24,986 --> 00:16:26,988 ♪♪ 349 00:16:27,072 --> 00:16:31,618 Then, after seven long days of waiting for Brittany's body to thaw, 350 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,621 the autopsy results are in 351 00:16:34,704 --> 00:16:36,331 and it's disturbing. 352 00:16:37,374 --> 00:16:40,919 It did appear that there was some ligature around her neck, 353 00:16:41,253 --> 00:16:44,256 that she might have been choked at some point, 354 00:16:44,339 --> 00:16:47,634 but it also showed multiple blows 355 00:16:47,717 --> 00:16:51,346 from an impact weapon to her head. 356 00:16:52,973 --> 00:16:55,684 Her report indicated that Brittany was struck in the back of the head 357 00:16:55,767 --> 00:16:58,144 with that blunt instrument 16 or 17 different times. 358 00:16:59,145 --> 00:17:01,815 Also, the medical examiner couldn't rule out 359 00:17:01,898 --> 00:17:04,192 the fact that she could've been put in there 360 00:17:04,276 --> 00:17:07,487 alive but unconscious, and froze to death. 361 00:17:07,571 --> 00:17:09,072 ♪♪ 362 00:17:10,865 --> 00:17:13,785 [narrator] The findings are unimaginable, 363 00:17:13,868 --> 00:17:17,455 especially to those who knew and loved Brittany the most. 364 00:17:17,539 --> 00:17:20,083 ♪ As the rain begins to fall ♪ 365 00:17:20,166 --> 00:17:22,002 -Why? -♪ It's to the heavens ♪ 366 00:17:22,085 --> 00:17:23,712 Tell me why. 367 00:17:24,588 --> 00:17:25,797 Why her? 368 00:17:27,382 --> 00:17:29,009 I was so mad. 369 00:17:29,092 --> 00:17:31,428 The anger that I had was like... 370 00:17:31,511 --> 00:17:34,306 boiling inside of me. 371 00:17:34,389 --> 00:17:35,932 I was so mad. 372 00:17:36,016 --> 00:17:38,560 [narrator] But the Clardys already have their own theory 373 00:17:38,643 --> 00:17:41,563 about who's responsible for this heinous crime. 374 00:17:41,646 --> 00:17:45,108 I'm thinking, "Did her boyfriend do something to her?" 375 00:17:45,191 --> 00:17:47,444 But I could not confirm 376 00:17:47,527 --> 00:17:50,947 because I-I didn't know his whereabouts. 377 00:17:51,031 --> 00:17:52,407 I didn't know his surroundings. 378 00:17:54,326 --> 00:17:55,994 [narrator] Investigators need answers. 379 00:17:56,077 --> 00:17:58,079 And after an exhaustive search, 380 00:17:58,163 --> 00:18:00,582 they uncover unsettling news. 381 00:18:00,665 --> 00:18:04,628 [Mike] St. Paul Police were able to identify the boyfriend, 382 00:18:04,711 --> 00:18:07,047 and he had warrants out for his arrest, 383 00:18:07,130 --> 00:18:09,799 and they were related to domestic battery. 384 00:18:10,634 --> 00:18:12,385 Made my eyebrows go up. 385 00:18:12,469 --> 00:18:13,595 [siren blaring] 386 00:18:13,678 --> 00:18:16,014 [narrator] Now, all they have to do is find him. 387 00:18:16,097 --> 00:18:19,768 Or so they think, as there's so much more to this story 388 00:18:19,851 --> 00:18:22,187 than any of them can imagine. 389 00:18:22,270 --> 00:18:25,398 [♪ dramatic crescendo] 390 00:18:27,484 --> 00:18:30,987 [♪ dramatic music playing] 391 00:18:33,031 --> 00:18:34,658 [narrator] 18-year-old Brittany Clardy 392 00:18:34,741 --> 00:18:37,160 thrived on being connected to people. 393 00:18:38,161 --> 00:18:41,790 And three days since her frozen body was discovered at an impound lot, 394 00:18:41,873 --> 00:18:44,292 abandoned in the backseat of her own car, 395 00:18:45,335 --> 00:18:48,797 there's one connection that may lead the investigators to catch her killer. 396 00:18:51,007 --> 00:18:52,968 Her boyfriend. 397 00:18:56,388 --> 00:18:58,223 We knew about the boyfriend, 398 00:18:58,306 --> 00:19:01,434 that he had warrants for domestic battery. 399 00:19:01,518 --> 00:19:04,854 I was really scared that he did something to her. 400 00:19:05,564 --> 00:19:08,567 All kind of scenarios involving him 401 00:19:08,650 --> 00:19:11,069 were definitely going on in my mind at that time. 402 00:19:12,153 --> 00:19:15,532 [narrator] However, St. Paul Police have one major problem. 403 00:19:16,283 --> 00:19:17,742 We didn't know where he was at. 404 00:19:18,410 --> 00:19:22,080 [narrator] Hitting the pavement, the authorities search high and low, 405 00:19:22,163 --> 00:19:23,832 and finally get a break, 406 00:19:23,915 --> 00:19:26,543 seven days after Brittany’s body was found. 407 00:19:26,626 --> 00:19:29,462 They were able to locate Brittany's boyfriend 408 00:19:29,546 --> 00:19:31,298 -and get him arrested. -[police radio chatter] 409 00:19:31,381 --> 00:19:34,384 And I went down to where he was in jail 410 00:19:34,926 --> 00:19:37,053 and interviewed him at length. 411 00:19:38,054 --> 00:19:40,765 [narrator] Brittany's boyfriend denies any wrongdoing, 412 00:19:41,975 --> 00:19:45,061 but Detective Lapham isn't gonna take his word for it. 413 00:19:45,395 --> 00:19:47,522 His team does a thorough check into his whereabouts 414 00:19:47,606 --> 00:19:49,316 the night Brittany went missing. 415 00:19:51,276 --> 00:19:53,570 [♪ curious music playing] 416 00:19:53,653 --> 00:19:56,364 My guys were able to come to me and say, "Look, 417 00:19:56,448 --> 00:19:58,533 "this guy, using this phone, 418 00:19:58,617 --> 00:20:01,953 "was on the other side of the Twin Cities metro area 419 00:20:02,037 --> 00:20:04,831 "on the dates that you're talking about. 420 00:20:05,749 --> 00:20:09,085 "So there is no way he was in any proximity 421 00:20:09,169 --> 00:20:10,378 "of where she was at, 422 00:20:10,462 --> 00:20:13,215 where her phone was registering." 423 00:20:13,298 --> 00:20:14,633 ♪♪ 424 00:20:14,716 --> 00:20:16,343 [narrator] It sounds like Brittany's boyfriend 425 00:20:16,426 --> 00:20:18,470 is nothing more than a bad guy with an alibi. 426 00:20:20,639 --> 00:20:22,224 [♪ tense music playing] 427 00:20:22,307 --> 00:20:24,017 Lakeisha can't accept this news, 428 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:26,269 so she digs in even deeper, 429 00:20:26,937 --> 00:20:29,231 and she makes a second discovery. 430 00:20:29,481 --> 00:20:31,024 ♪♪ 431 00:20:31,107 --> 00:20:34,569 Me and my mother were exchanging information, 432 00:20:34,653 --> 00:20:37,072 and we were comparing notes, 433 00:20:37,155 --> 00:20:40,700 when we realized we had two different phone numbers for Brittany. 434 00:20:41,868 --> 00:20:43,745 [Wade] And law enforcement discovers 435 00:20:43,828 --> 00:20:45,288 that in one of the phone numbers, 436 00:20:45,372 --> 00:20:47,540 it's associated with a TracFone or a burner phone. 437 00:20:47,624 --> 00:20:49,376 You can go out and just buy a phone 438 00:20:49,459 --> 00:20:51,628 and use it up and throw it away. 439 00:20:52,212 --> 00:20:55,549 We knew from the phone number that Marquita provided 440 00:20:55,632 --> 00:20:59,219 that it also matched to a local website, 441 00:20:59,302 --> 00:21:02,472 and Brittany's picture appeared on there. 442 00:21:03,807 --> 00:21:09,104 [narrator] And this latest discovery leaves her family stunned and confused. 443 00:21:09,187 --> 00:21:11,481 [♪ tense music playing] 444 00:21:11,565 --> 00:21:15,443 Brittany had been posting ads on escort-type websites. 445 00:21:18,446 --> 00:21:21,116 [narrator] Her family is in total disbelief. 446 00:21:22,534 --> 00:21:24,286 I had no idea. 447 00:21:24,869 --> 00:21:27,414 That wasn't even part of her character. 448 00:21:28,290 --> 00:21:32,168 She was very naive to the world. 449 00:21:32,252 --> 00:21:34,629 I was... I was taken aback. 450 00:21:34,713 --> 00:21:36,590 That wasn't my sister. 451 00:21:36,673 --> 00:21:38,341 She looked not healthy. 452 00:21:38,425 --> 00:21:41,136 She wasn't the regular Brit that I knew. 453 00:21:41,219 --> 00:21:43,513 -That wasn't her. -[♪ tense music playing] 454 00:21:44,431 --> 00:21:47,642 [narrator] How did Brittany get caught up in this world, and why? 455 00:21:48,685 --> 00:21:51,646 Her family can only come up with one theory. 456 00:21:53,648 --> 00:21:57,319 Her desire to be deeply connected and find true love. 457 00:21:57,402 --> 00:21:59,946 [♪ dramatic music playing] 458 00:22:00,030 --> 00:22:01,907 [inaudible] 459 00:22:01,990 --> 00:22:04,576 I believe that the older boyfriend 460 00:22:04,659 --> 00:22:07,454 that my sister was involved with at that time 461 00:22:07,537 --> 00:22:09,748 had pressured her to do these things, 462 00:22:09,831 --> 00:22:11,499 to earn money fast. 463 00:22:13,335 --> 00:22:16,922 He told her if she didn't get things for him, 464 00:22:17,005 --> 00:22:19,716 he would find another bitch that would do it. 465 00:22:19,799 --> 00:22:22,135 ♪♪ 466 00:22:23,094 --> 00:22:26,223 [Lakeisha] He took advantage of her feelings for him, 467 00:22:26,306 --> 00:22:29,184 to manipulate her to do these things. 468 00:22:31,603 --> 00:22:33,730 [narrator] Despite the family's deep feelings, 469 00:22:34,231 --> 00:22:36,316 investigators are unable to find 470 00:22:36,399 --> 00:22:39,027 any evidence to support this theory. 471 00:22:39,110 --> 00:22:40,779 What investigators do know 472 00:22:40,862 --> 00:22:43,949 is that there's much more to the story they'll have to unravel 473 00:22:44,032 --> 00:22:45,951 in order to catch her killer. 474 00:22:46,034 --> 00:22:47,160 And their hunch, 475 00:22:47,244 --> 00:22:49,371 based on what they've learned about Brittany, 476 00:22:49,454 --> 00:22:52,207 is to take a closer look at the burner phone. 477 00:22:52,290 --> 00:22:53,333 ♪♪ 478 00:22:53,416 --> 00:22:55,919 [Mike] We need those burner phone records, 479 00:22:56,002 --> 00:22:57,921 but we had to get subpoenas, 480 00:22:58,004 --> 00:22:59,506 and then we have to send them off. 481 00:22:59,589 --> 00:23:00,757 ♪♪ 482 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,133 [narrator] Several days later, 483 00:23:02,217 --> 00:23:05,178 as her family reels from the recent discovery 484 00:23:05,595 --> 00:23:08,974 and police wait for records from Brittany's burner phone, 485 00:23:09,057 --> 00:23:10,892 they get a surprising new lead 486 00:23:10,976 --> 00:23:13,103 from another close connection to Brittany. 487 00:23:13,186 --> 00:23:14,521 ♪♪ 488 00:23:14,604 --> 00:23:16,690 [Mike] We interviewed one of Brittany's friends. 489 00:23:16,773 --> 00:23:18,441 It came up in the conversation 490 00:23:18,525 --> 00:23:20,235 that-that we had found her car 491 00:23:20,318 --> 00:23:22,904 in an apartment lot in Brooklyn Park. 492 00:23:22,988 --> 00:23:24,030 ♪♪ 493 00:23:24,114 --> 00:23:28,368 And she brought up to us that Brittany used to buy her marijuana 494 00:23:28,451 --> 00:23:31,079 from a person named Artie Stennis 495 00:23:31,162 --> 00:23:33,206 in a Brooklyn Park apartment. 496 00:23:33,290 --> 00:23:36,126 -[♪ tense music playing] -[siren blaring] 497 00:23:36,209 --> 00:23:37,544 [narrator] Artie's apartment is just 498 00:23:37,627 --> 00:23:39,921 a few feet away from where Brittany's car was found. 499 00:23:41,214 --> 00:23:44,217 [Mike] We got a dead body in a car in his parking lot. 500 00:23:44,301 --> 00:23:47,012 We've got a witness saying 501 00:23:47,095 --> 00:23:50,390 that Brittany used to buy her marijuana from this guy 502 00:23:50,473 --> 00:23:52,726 at that Brooklyn Park apartment. 503 00:23:53,727 --> 00:23:57,188 Didn't take any special language there to convince a judge 504 00:23:57,272 --> 00:23:59,107 that we need to go look at this guy. 505 00:23:59,858 --> 00:24:01,985 [narrator] It's time for them to move, 506 00:24:02,068 --> 00:24:04,946 and this time with the K9 unit to detect any foul play. 507 00:24:05,030 --> 00:24:06,489 ♪♪ 508 00:24:06,573 --> 00:24:09,993 We couldn't get a warrant fast enough for Artie's apartment, 509 00:24:10,076 --> 00:24:11,578 and down we went. 510 00:24:11,661 --> 00:24:13,580 [sirens blaring] 511 00:24:13,663 --> 00:24:15,457 We got in front of Artie's door. 512 00:24:15,540 --> 00:24:16,625 [dog barking] 513 00:24:16,708 --> 00:24:18,126 The K9 got a hit. 514 00:24:18,543 --> 00:24:20,212 [narrator] What did the dog pick up on? 515 00:24:21,046 --> 00:24:24,633 And is this the break they've been chasing to crack the case, 516 00:24:24,716 --> 00:24:26,426 catch the killer, 517 00:24:26,676 --> 00:24:29,512 and find out what really happened to Brittany? 518 00:24:29,596 --> 00:24:32,265 ♪♪ 519 00:24:34,267 --> 00:24:36,061 [♪ dramatic music playing] 520 00:24:36,144 --> 00:24:38,980 [narrator] It’s been a week since Brittany’s body was discovered, 521 00:24:39,064 --> 00:24:42,567 And one of her friends has connected investigators to an apartment 522 00:24:42,651 --> 00:24:45,153 not too far from where her body was tragically found, 523 00:24:45,237 --> 00:24:46,947 only seven days ago. 524 00:24:47,030 --> 00:24:48,406 ♪♪ 525 00:24:48,490 --> 00:24:52,118 But even though the K9 unit picks up on something suspicious, 526 00:24:52,202 --> 00:24:55,538 what they find inside is not what they expect. 527 00:24:56,248 --> 00:24:58,583 We were looking for a bloody crime scene. 528 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,462 We didn't find a drop of blood or any evidence. 529 00:25:02,879 --> 00:25:05,382 No bed sheet that matched. 530 00:25:05,465 --> 00:25:09,135 They found some indications of drug usage, 531 00:25:09,219 --> 00:25:11,555 but nothing there that we were gonna get anything from. 532 00:25:11,638 --> 00:25:14,474 By the time the crime scene guys went through it, 533 00:25:14,641 --> 00:25:16,977 we were all convinced 534 00:25:17,060 --> 00:25:20,063 that this apartment was not the scene of our crime. 535 00:25:20,146 --> 00:25:21,856 ♪♪ 536 00:25:21,940 --> 00:25:24,067 They very quickly ruled Mr. Stennis out. 537 00:25:24,401 --> 00:25:27,404 [♪ somber vocalizing] 538 00:25:27,487 --> 00:25:29,948 [narrator] Once again, after a glimmer of hope, 539 00:25:30,490 --> 00:25:33,702 they still can't connect all the pieces to solve Brittany's murder. 540 00:25:35,036 --> 00:25:37,330 A devastating blow for her family 541 00:25:37,414 --> 00:25:40,417 as they prepare to finally lay her to rest. 542 00:25:40,500 --> 00:25:42,794 ♪ Here we go again ♪ 543 00:25:42,878 --> 00:25:44,170 [Marquita] Her memorial service 544 00:25:44,254 --> 00:25:46,715 was at a church in the neighborhood, 545 00:25:46,798 --> 00:25:49,342 about a half a block away from us. 546 00:25:49,426 --> 00:25:50,844 [♪ soft indistinct singing] 547 00:25:50,927 --> 00:25:54,556 Teachers and her principal did the eulogy. 548 00:25:54,639 --> 00:25:57,100 Kids got up and spoke, friends and family. 549 00:25:57,851 --> 00:25:59,477 It was a packed house. 550 00:25:59,561 --> 00:26:02,606 ♪ It's all I ever wanted ♪ 551 00:26:02,689 --> 00:26:06,484 ♪ How could I run from it? If only... ♪ 552 00:26:06,568 --> 00:26:10,405 This is where Brittany worked with the kids 553 00:26:11,239 --> 00:26:14,659 as a, um, rec coordinator, after-school program. 554 00:26:14,743 --> 00:26:18,455 The staff and the booster club 555 00:26:18,538 --> 00:26:21,541 and the kids wanted to do something in recognition 556 00:26:21,625 --> 00:26:24,669 for her contribution to North Dale, 557 00:26:24,753 --> 00:26:28,632 so they erected the plaque, 2015. 558 00:26:28,715 --> 00:26:32,177 We dedicated this also in her memory. 559 00:26:32,260 --> 00:26:34,304 ♪ All I ever wanted was you ♪ 560 00:26:34,387 --> 00:26:37,515 I just remember, it was very, very sad. 561 00:26:38,725 --> 00:26:40,352 Very dark times. 562 00:26:40,435 --> 00:26:41,811 [♪ dark music playing] 563 00:26:41,895 --> 00:26:45,023 But from here, we're seeing news articles 564 00:26:45,106 --> 00:26:48,693 and our local newspaper posted her picture 565 00:26:48,777 --> 00:26:50,570 on the front page, very big. 566 00:26:50,654 --> 00:26:53,240 Underneath, it wrote "Prostitute." 567 00:26:53,323 --> 00:26:55,450 [♪ dramatic sting] 568 00:26:55,533 --> 00:26:58,036 This was so... 569 00:26:59,829 --> 00:27:03,541 humiliating, and that was not my sister. 570 00:27:03,625 --> 00:27:05,126 How dare you? 571 00:27:05,794 --> 00:27:08,713 [♪ somber music playing] 572 00:27:08,797 --> 00:27:11,258 [Mike] We all felt that in the investigation, 573 00:27:11,341 --> 00:27:13,802 that nobody deserves what happened to Brittany, 574 00:27:13,885 --> 00:27:15,804 to happen to anyone. 575 00:27:15,887 --> 00:27:17,097 She was a victim, 576 00:27:17,180 --> 00:27:20,517 and we weren't gonna brush it aside. 577 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,269 [♪ curious music playing] 578 00:27:22,352 --> 00:27:25,647 [narrator] It's been 11 days since Brittany's body was discovered. 579 00:27:25,730 --> 00:27:27,857 Investigators need a break, 580 00:27:27,941 --> 00:27:30,443 and they hope the records from Brittany's burner phone 581 00:27:30,527 --> 00:27:32,070 is the final piece they need, 582 00:27:33,196 --> 00:27:36,408 so that Brittany and her family can have some peace. 583 00:27:36,491 --> 00:27:38,034 The phone records are coming in. 584 00:27:38,618 --> 00:27:41,913 The guys, they come running to me, saying they had this phone number. 585 00:27:41,997 --> 00:27:45,041 We find that that phone has been contacting Brittany, 586 00:27:45,125 --> 00:27:47,210 you know, from February 8th, intermittently, 587 00:27:47,294 --> 00:27:49,754 up until the afternoon she's suspected to have died. 588 00:27:49,838 --> 00:27:51,756 ♪♪ 589 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,217 About half hour, 45 minutes 590 00:27:54,301 --> 00:27:56,386 after she leaves home in St. Paul, 591 00:27:56,469 --> 00:27:59,973 over in Brooklyn Park, there's the last phone contact, 592 00:28:00,056 --> 00:28:02,350 and it's with that same number again. 593 00:28:02,434 --> 00:28:04,352 So, just like we had done with Brittany's phone, 594 00:28:04,436 --> 00:28:06,479 to get the search warrants and administrative subpoenas 595 00:28:06,563 --> 00:28:08,231 to find out account holder information 596 00:28:08,315 --> 00:28:10,901 and messaging history and phone history, we take this odd number, 597 00:28:10,984 --> 00:28:13,737 and the investigators do the same thing for that phone number. 598 00:28:13,820 --> 00:28:15,238 ♪♪ 599 00:28:16,156 --> 00:28:18,366 [Mike] And they gave us the records on that phone, 600 00:28:18,450 --> 00:28:21,786 and it belonged to an Alberto Palmer. 601 00:28:22,579 --> 00:28:24,873 [narrator] Much like Brittany's problematic boyfriend, 602 00:28:25,498 --> 00:28:27,918 Alberto has a dark past of his own. 603 00:28:29,169 --> 00:28:32,088 [Mike] He had a series of arrests, 604 00:28:32,172 --> 00:28:36,259 and he had a current warrant out for his arrest 605 00:28:36,343 --> 00:28:38,136 out of the state of Georgia. 606 00:28:38,220 --> 00:28:41,598 So, we get on the phone with Chamblee, Georgia, 607 00:28:41,681 --> 00:28:43,141 where this warrant is out of. 608 00:28:43,225 --> 00:28:45,518 And I said, "What's your warrant for?" 609 00:28:45,810 --> 00:28:47,562 [narrator] 23-year-old Alberto 610 00:28:47,646 --> 00:28:50,732 has been high on Georgia's most wanted list for months. 611 00:28:51,233 --> 00:28:53,026 He's suspected of hiring a sex worker, 612 00:28:53,109 --> 00:28:56,863 beating her up, and putting her into the trunk of a car. 613 00:28:56,947 --> 00:28:58,323 [echoing thud] 614 00:28:58,406 --> 00:29:00,200 Well, she was able to free herself, 615 00:29:00,283 --> 00:29:03,328 get out, go report this to the police. 616 00:29:04,246 --> 00:29:06,915 We're all pretty amped up at this point, going, 617 00:29:06,998 --> 00:29:09,042 "Oh, this has gotta be our guy." 618 00:29:09,125 --> 00:29:11,962 We've got a name, we've got date of birth, 619 00:29:12,045 --> 00:29:14,965 we've got warrants out for his arrest. 620 00:29:15,048 --> 00:29:16,341 We need to find him. 621 00:29:16,424 --> 00:29:17,509 ♪♪ 622 00:29:17,592 --> 00:29:18,718 [narrator] But once again, 623 00:29:18,802 --> 00:29:22,013 locating Alberto threatens to halt the investigation. 624 00:29:23,473 --> 00:29:26,726 [Mike] He's got no real permanent address. 625 00:29:26,810 --> 00:29:28,270 He's on the run from Georgia. 626 00:29:28,937 --> 00:29:32,148 [narrator] Detective Lapham has to think outside of the box. 627 00:29:34,776 --> 00:29:36,486 [Wade] So, Detective Lapham goes through 628 00:29:36,570 --> 00:29:38,154 the phone records from this Georgia number, 629 00:29:38,238 --> 00:29:41,032 and one of the things he discovers after looking through all these numbers 630 00:29:41,116 --> 00:29:42,701 and really putting his nose to the grindstone 631 00:29:42,784 --> 00:29:45,120 is that a pizza had been ordered from this phone number. 632 00:29:45,829 --> 00:29:48,164 [narrator] And this pizza place is in the Twin Cities, 633 00:29:48,248 --> 00:29:50,750 not far from where Brittany's car was discovered. 634 00:29:52,794 --> 00:29:55,338 Detectives ran over there and said, 635 00:29:55,422 --> 00:29:57,424 "You got a delivery on February 13th 636 00:29:57,507 --> 00:29:59,551 from this phone number." 637 00:30:00,176 --> 00:30:02,345 [Wade] Lo and behold, they still have the receipt 638 00:30:02,429 --> 00:30:03,722 from the pizza that was delivered. 639 00:30:04,723 --> 00:30:07,392 Good pizza place, they had ever-- all the records. 640 00:30:07,475 --> 00:30:10,061 Pizza driver took the detective 641 00:30:10,145 --> 00:30:12,022 and pointed out the house. 642 00:30:12,105 --> 00:30:14,190 That address was within blocks 643 00:30:14,274 --> 00:30:16,735 of the apartment where the car was dumped. 644 00:30:16,818 --> 00:30:19,154 [♪ dramatic music playing] 645 00:30:19,237 --> 00:30:22,532 So, we sat on that address, we're watching it. 646 00:30:22,616 --> 00:30:24,159 [narrator] They think they have it, 647 00:30:24,242 --> 00:30:27,203 but as they wait, they get another lead. 648 00:30:27,287 --> 00:30:30,123 A food delivery on the other side of the city. 649 00:30:31,082 --> 00:30:32,667 Further away this time. 650 00:30:33,752 --> 00:30:36,922 [Wade] Detective Lapham continues looking through those phone records, 651 00:30:37,005 --> 00:30:38,924 and again, we come up with more pizza. 652 00:30:39,007 --> 00:30:42,677 It turns out Alberto's phone number had ordered a pizza 653 00:30:42,761 --> 00:30:45,931 from a Domino's location in Woodbury, 25, 30 miles away. 654 00:30:47,224 --> 00:30:48,850 Didn't take us too long 655 00:30:48,934 --> 00:30:51,603 to figure out that we're gonna go to the pizza guy. 656 00:30:52,103 --> 00:30:54,314 And they, too, had all the records, 657 00:30:54,397 --> 00:30:56,358 receipts, address, and the whole bit. 658 00:30:57,359 --> 00:30:59,903 It's in a townhouse complex in Woodbury. 659 00:30:59,986 --> 00:31:01,446 ♪♪ 660 00:31:01,529 --> 00:31:04,783 So, we've got two search warrants ready to go. 661 00:31:05,492 --> 00:31:09,246 I'm coordinating SWAT teams in two different counties. 662 00:31:09,329 --> 00:31:11,539 We wanna do these warrants simultaneous. 663 00:31:11,623 --> 00:31:12,666 [sirens blaring] 664 00:31:12,749 --> 00:31:14,376 This is all happening in a matter of hours. 665 00:31:14,459 --> 00:31:16,169 ♪♪ 666 00:31:16,253 --> 00:31:19,297 This is our Super Bowl of this investigation. 667 00:31:19,381 --> 00:31:24,594 We are at the Quarry Ridge Townhouses here in Woodbury. 668 00:31:25,679 --> 00:31:26,721 [door clicks] 669 00:31:26,805 --> 00:31:30,141 [♪ tense music playing] 670 00:31:30,642 --> 00:31:32,435 Okay, here's where we were. 671 00:31:32,519 --> 00:31:34,938 This is the complex right here. 672 00:31:36,022 --> 00:31:38,191 We all waited at the entrance, 673 00:31:38,275 --> 00:31:40,443 and we all just came in, 674 00:31:40,527 --> 00:31:42,904 and we must have had a dozen vehicles. 675 00:31:43,905 --> 00:31:46,575 [narrator] Thirteen days after Brittany’s body was found, 676 00:31:46,658 --> 00:31:50,704 SWAT teams are ready to move on two potential crime scenes. 677 00:31:50,787 --> 00:31:52,122 It's tense. 678 00:31:52,205 --> 00:31:53,957 One mistake could alert Alberto 679 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:56,251 that investigators are hot on his trail. 680 00:31:56,835 --> 00:31:58,420 [♪ dramatic music playing] 681 00:31:58,503 --> 00:32:00,547 [Mike] The SWAT teams did their entries, 682 00:32:00,964 --> 00:32:03,133 and us detectives, 683 00:32:03,216 --> 00:32:06,303 they usually don't wanna get in their way, so we stay out, 684 00:32:06,386 --> 00:32:08,096 and we wait for an all-clear. 685 00:32:08,179 --> 00:32:09,431 [police radio chatter] 686 00:32:09,514 --> 00:32:12,893 [narrator] But when detectives manage to get inside the first location, 687 00:32:12,976 --> 00:32:14,895 to their shock and disappointment, 688 00:32:15,604 --> 00:32:16,980 there's no Alberto. 689 00:32:17,522 --> 00:32:20,942 At Brooklyn Park, they found one female in the apartment. 690 00:32:22,944 --> 00:32:25,697 When they questioned her, she happened to be 691 00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:28,241 Alberto's sister-in-law. 692 00:32:28,325 --> 00:32:30,285 Mr. Palmer had been at that address in Brooklyn Park 693 00:32:30,368 --> 00:32:31,578 for about the last month. 694 00:32:31,661 --> 00:32:34,581 My partner in Brooklyn Park, they started pointing at things 695 00:32:34,664 --> 00:32:37,959 like the blood spatter on the wall 696 00:32:38,043 --> 00:32:42,130 and the blood that looked like it had been kinda cleaned up in the carpet. 697 00:32:43,006 --> 00:32:45,091 The sister-in-law says, "Well, yeah. 698 00:32:45,175 --> 00:32:47,802 "Alberto said he had spilled juice, 699 00:32:47,886 --> 00:32:50,138 "and he was trying to clean it all up. 700 00:32:50,222 --> 00:32:53,016 And my daughter actually came home and helped him clean up." 701 00:32:53,099 --> 00:32:55,268 ♪♪ 702 00:32:55,352 --> 00:32:58,688 Also, she said there was a car parked in her garage 703 00:32:58,772 --> 00:33:01,107 and she said, "What's that car?" 704 00:33:01,191 --> 00:33:03,652 And Alberto had explained to her that, 705 00:33:03,735 --> 00:33:05,528 "Well, it belonged to a friend, 706 00:33:05,612 --> 00:33:08,031 and he was gonna come back and get it, but he didn't." 707 00:33:08,114 --> 00:33:10,116 So she made him get rid of the car. 708 00:33:10,992 --> 00:33:13,536 Well, he drives off in that car, 709 00:33:13,912 --> 00:33:15,789 comes home later that night. 710 00:33:16,748 --> 00:33:19,501 [narrator] Have detectives finally uncovered the crime scene? 711 00:33:20,293 --> 00:33:23,421 And what's the real tale behind Brittany Clardy's brutal murder? 712 00:33:24,422 --> 00:33:27,592 In Alberto's apartment, they spot a telling sign 713 00:33:27,676 --> 00:33:29,636 that might be their first big break. 714 00:33:29,719 --> 00:33:30,887 ♪♪ 715 00:33:32,931 --> 00:33:34,558 [♪ tense music playing] 716 00:33:34,641 --> 00:33:36,184 [narrator] It's March 6th. 717 00:33:36,268 --> 00:33:38,770 Twenty-three days since Brittany Clardy went missing 718 00:33:38,853 --> 00:33:41,189 and was eventually discovered murdered. 719 00:33:42,524 --> 00:33:45,193 Investigators have been hunting for Alberto Palmer, 720 00:33:45,277 --> 00:33:46,820 their prime suspect. 721 00:33:46,903 --> 00:33:48,655 They haven't found him yet, 722 00:33:48,738 --> 00:33:51,950 but after breaching the first of two stakeout locations, 723 00:33:52,033 --> 00:33:55,120 they have what they think is a critical piece of evidence. 724 00:33:56,871 --> 00:33:59,666 [Mike] The detective found a set of sheets that belongs 725 00:33:59,749 --> 00:34:02,294 to that sheet that was covering Brittany in the back of the car, 726 00:34:02,377 --> 00:34:03,545 in the dresser. 727 00:34:03,628 --> 00:34:05,505 [♪ tense music playing] 728 00:34:05,589 --> 00:34:08,008 Investigators also found an old rusty hammer. 729 00:34:09,175 --> 00:34:11,219 [Mike] It had traces of blood on it. 730 00:34:11,303 --> 00:34:13,096 He says, "Mike, this is our crime scene. 731 00:34:13,179 --> 00:34:15,765 This is where Brittany was murdered." 732 00:34:15,849 --> 00:34:16,975 [sirens blaring] 733 00:34:19,644 --> 00:34:21,396 [♪ tense music playing] 734 00:34:21,479 --> 00:34:22,689 [narrator] Back in Woodbury... 735 00:34:22,772 --> 00:34:24,107 [siren blaring] 736 00:34:24,190 --> 00:34:25,775 ...the SWAT team breaks through the door. 737 00:34:25,859 --> 00:34:28,361 [♪ dramatic music playing] 738 00:34:31,489 --> 00:34:33,074 And there he is. 739 00:34:33,825 --> 00:34:34,826 [echoing thud] 740 00:34:35,201 --> 00:34:36,745 Alberto Palmer. 741 00:34:37,954 --> 00:34:38,955 We've got him. 742 00:34:39,039 --> 00:34:41,041 [♪ somber music playing] 743 00:34:41,166 --> 00:34:43,835 I went up to Alberto, and I said, 744 00:34:43,919 --> 00:34:46,296 "Alberto, my name's Mike. I'm a detective, 745 00:34:46,379 --> 00:34:47,797 and I'd sure love to talk with you." 746 00:34:49,132 --> 00:34:50,967 [narrator] But in order to make the arrest, 747 00:34:51,051 --> 00:34:53,511 Detective Lapham has to connect Alberto's phone 748 00:34:53,595 --> 00:34:56,264 to the number that had been calling Brittany's burner phone 749 00:34:56,348 --> 00:34:57,974 right before her disappearance. 750 00:34:59,434 --> 00:35:01,311 [Mike] And I said, "Is that your phone?" 751 00:35:01,394 --> 00:35:02,938 "No, that's not my phone." 752 00:35:03,021 --> 00:35:06,733 And, uh, I asked one of my partners, "Would you dial that phone?" 753 00:35:07,651 --> 00:35:08,860 My partner dialed the phone... 754 00:35:08,944 --> 00:35:11,655 [phone ringing] 755 00:35:11,738 --> 00:35:14,199 ...and I held it up and showed it, and I says, 756 00:35:14,282 --> 00:35:16,159 "Well, that clears that up." 757 00:35:16,243 --> 00:35:18,161 [narrator] Brittany's secret burner phone 758 00:35:18,245 --> 00:35:21,122 has led investigators directly to their suspect. 759 00:35:22,415 --> 00:35:25,168 He had a backpack sitting right next to him. 760 00:35:25,252 --> 00:35:28,713 As we're looking through the backpack, there is Brittany's iPhone, 761 00:35:28,797 --> 00:35:31,132 and there is her burner phone. 762 00:35:31,216 --> 00:35:33,260 [narrator] A final connection. 763 00:35:33,343 --> 00:35:34,886 And I said, "Well, you're under arrest." 764 00:35:34,970 --> 00:35:36,304 ♪♪ 765 00:35:36,388 --> 00:35:39,099 I had to go-- didn't care how late it was, 766 00:35:39,182 --> 00:35:40,308 had to go to Marquita's. 767 00:35:41,935 --> 00:35:44,104 [♪ gentle music playing] 768 00:35:44,187 --> 00:35:47,816 Detective Lapham, Mike, came to our home 769 00:35:47,899 --> 00:35:50,819 and he came, and he walked in and said, "We got him." 770 00:35:51,861 --> 00:35:54,698 ♪ I just wanna love you ♪ 771 00:35:54,781 --> 00:35:56,408 And I thought it was... 772 00:35:56,866 --> 00:35:59,327 that guy that she was seeing. 773 00:35:59,411 --> 00:36:03,123 But, no. I guess there's more than one scumbag out there. 774 00:36:04,207 --> 00:36:07,085 I thought I was feeling some sense of relief 775 00:36:07,168 --> 00:36:09,170 when they said that he was arrested, 776 00:36:09,254 --> 00:36:10,755 but I just was more angry 777 00:36:10,839 --> 00:36:12,632 because I had questions. 778 00:36:12,716 --> 00:36:15,010 ♪ I could tear your skin ♪ 779 00:36:15,093 --> 00:36:16,511 ♪ Heart screams out ♪ 780 00:36:16,595 --> 00:36:19,681 ♪ As your lungs cave in, in ♪ 781 00:36:21,099 --> 00:36:23,101 [narrator] And so did the investigators. 782 00:36:23,184 --> 00:36:27,147 They wanna hear what Alberto has to say when confronted with the evidence. 783 00:36:28,189 --> 00:36:29,190 Okay, alright. 784 00:36:29,274 --> 00:36:31,192 We started talking about Brittany. 785 00:36:31,276 --> 00:36:32,444 ♪♪ 786 00:36:41,286 --> 00:36:42,913 [Mike] They disagreed over the money, 787 00:36:42,996 --> 00:36:46,958 but he couldn't remember specifics and this and that. 788 00:36:47,709 --> 00:36:50,003 He first provided some preliminary information, 789 00:36:50,086 --> 00:36:53,632 wasn't willing to jump all the way into confessing what he had done. 790 00:37:08,396 --> 00:37:10,982 [narrator] Then, Alberto makes a special request. 791 00:37:25,455 --> 00:37:26,456 [sobbing] 792 00:37:32,712 --> 00:37:35,715 -[emotional mumbling] -[indistinct phone chatter] 793 00:37:41,930 --> 00:37:45,308 [narrator] He's been caught, so now he fills in the details. 794 00:38:21,177 --> 00:38:22,345 ♪♪ 795 00:38:22,429 --> 00:38:24,055 Brittany was placed in the back of the car, 796 00:38:24,139 --> 00:38:25,682 and then ultimately froze to death, 797 00:38:25,765 --> 00:38:27,684 and died as a result of her injuries. 798 00:38:27,767 --> 00:38:29,728 [indistinct chatter] 799 00:38:31,521 --> 00:38:35,066 [narrator] But sadly, there is another chapter to this story. 800 00:38:35,650 --> 00:38:38,236 [Wade] I remember this very clearly. I was making dinner, 801 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:40,447 and I hear on 6 o'clock news, this is in May, 802 00:38:40,530 --> 00:38:42,866 um, "Body recovered in trunk." 803 00:38:42,949 --> 00:38:46,286 Police have identified the woman whose body was found in a car 804 00:38:46,369 --> 00:38:48,830 that was towed from a Brooklyn Park grocery store. 805 00:38:48,914 --> 00:38:51,416 She is 24-year-old Klaressa Cook 806 00:38:51,499 --> 00:38:53,418 from Gainesville, Georgia. 807 00:38:53,501 --> 00:38:59,090 That murder was determined to have occurred before Brittany's, 808 00:38:59,174 --> 00:39:01,176 by the same person. Alberto. 809 00:39:02,052 --> 00:39:05,347 We probably got a serial killer off the street. 810 00:39:05,430 --> 00:39:07,515 ♪♪ 811 00:39:07,974 --> 00:39:10,185 [narrator] The hunt for Brittany's killer is over. 812 00:39:11,228 --> 00:39:12,479 Time passes. 813 00:39:13,104 --> 00:39:15,565 It's December 2014, 814 00:39:15,649 --> 00:39:17,150 almost two years since Brittany 815 00:39:17,234 --> 00:39:21,071 walked out of her mother's house on that snowy February day, 816 00:39:21,154 --> 00:39:24,157 but there's still no closure and no peace. 817 00:39:24,741 --> 00:39:26,534 [Lakeisha] Sitting in the courtroom, 818 00:39:26,618 --> 00:39:29,829 watching the person who did this to my sister, 819 00:39:29,913 --> 00:39:31,998 felt like an out-of-body experience. 820 00:39:32,082 --> 00:39:35,293 ♪ Wanna be your friend ♪ 821 00:39:35,377 --> 00:39:38,129 Mr. Palmer pled guilty to a first-degree murder in Hennepin County. 822 00:39:38,213 --> 00:39:40,298 Then, after that case was sentenced, 823 00:39:40,382 --> 00:39:43,635 he pled guilty to a second-degree intentional murder in Anoka County. 824 00:39:43,718 --> 00:39:45,554 So, it's, in all likelihood, 825 00:39:45,637 --> 00:39:48,139 Mr. Palmer will never see the outside of a prison again. 826 00:39:49,391 --> 00:39:52,477 ♪ The sun will meet with the moon ♪ 827 00:39:52,561 --> 00:39:55,188 [Lakeisha] He's not allowed to do this to no other families. 828 00:39:55,272 --> 00:39:56,856 He's not allowed to take away 829 00:39:56,940 --> 00:39:58,775 that love from anyone else. 830 00:39:58,858 --> 00:40:02,070 And if he thinks about it, he'll remember her name. 831 00:40:05,782 --> 00:40:07,659 [narrator] He'll remember Brittany's name 832 00:40:08,410 --> 00:40:12,414 because it was her, her phone, and her actions 833 00:40:12,497 --> 00:40:15,542 that ultimately took Alberto off the streets. 834 00:40:15,625 --> 00:40:17,043 Brittany kinda had a secret life, 835 00:40:17,127 --> 00:40:19,504 and tied to that secret life was this secret phone. 836 00:40:20,297 --> 00:40:22,465 But, in the end, it was the use of the secret phone 837 00:40:22,549 --> 00:40:24,968 that Brittany was able to catch who killed her. 838 00:40:25,510 --> 00:40:27,470 [narrator] And Brittany's spirit of caring for 839 00:40:27,554 --> 00:40:29,347 and connecting with others 840 00:40:29,431 --> 00:40:31,433 has resonated far beyond her death. 841 00:40:32,559 --> 00:40:34,811 We've created the Brittany Clardy Foundation, 842 00:40:34,895 --> 00:40:38,857 and that is specific to supporting women and girls 843 00:40:38,940 --> 00:40:40,817 who are in domestic violence 844 00:40:40,901 --> 00:40:43,445 or exploitative situations. 845 00:40:43,528 --> 00:40:46,615 ♪ Think about it, then fire ♪ 846 00:40:46,698 --> 00:40:49,326 ♪ I'm waiting on the other side ♪ 847 00:40:49,409 --> 00:40:53,163 And recently, the Brittany Clardy Act was introduced 848 00:40:53,246 --> 00:40:56,958 to build an office on a federal level 849 00:40:57,042 --> 00:40:59,544 to collaborate across the nation, 850 00:40:59,628 --> 00:41:02,005 to share data with law enforcement 851 00:41:02,088 --> 00:41:03,089 together 852 00:41:03,798 --> 00:41:07,052 to work on saving more Black women and girls. 853 00:41:07,135 --> 00:41:09,471 ♪ Now, is that too much to ask for? ♪ 854 00:41:09,554 --> 00:41:12,641 ♪ I just wanna love that, girls like me ♪ 855 00:41:12,724 --> 00:41:15,894 When Black women and girls are safe, everyone is safe. 856 00:41:17,938 --> 00:41:18,939 Yep. 857 00:41:21,274 --> 00:41:23,401 That I miss her. [sniffles] 858 00:41:23,485 --> 00:41:25,654 I'm proud of her... 859 00:41:25,737 --> 00:41:26,738 [sniffles] 860 00:41:26,821 --> 00:41:29,199 and that she's doing a good job. 861 00:41:31,034 --> 00:41:34,287 ♪ I don't know where my head is lately ♪ 862 00:41:34,371 --> 00:41:36,748 ♪ Have I lost my mind? ♪ 863 00:41:36,831 --> 00:41:39,834 [♪ slow, eerie music playing] 864 00:41:44,631 --> 00:41:47,884 ♪ But I know that I have a secret ♪ 865 00:41:47,968 --> 00:41:50,929 ♪ And it's only mine ♪ 866 00:41:58,353 --> 00:42:01,606 ♪ And the only way to find me ♪ 867 00:42:01,690 --> 00:42:05,193 ♪ Is to go beneath the lies ♪ 868 00:42:06,736 --> 00:42:08,196 [♪ music ends]