1 00:00:10,667 --> 00:00:14,367 BISPLINGHOFF: Decomposition is setting in rapidly. 2 00:00:14,367 --> 00:00:16,367 He was essentially living the American dream, 3 00:00:16,433 --> 00:00:19,066 trying to provide for his family. 4 00:00:19,066 --> 00:00:22,867 People do crazy things for $50,000. 5 00:00:22,867 --> 00:00:27,467 This person had an idea what to do to get rid of a body. 6 00:00:27,533 --> 00:00:30,834 The pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. 7 00:00:31,867 --> 00:00:36,934 The thousand-dollar question is who killed Sami Safar? 8 00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:41,166 I'm Sheriff Garry McFadden. 9 00:00:42,467 --> 00:00:45,100 I was a homicide detective for 20 years. 10 00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:48,767 I've worked more than 800 homicides in my career. 11 00:00:48,767 --> 00:00:51,266 But even for the most dedicated detective, 12 00:00:51,266 --> 00:00:54,934 there's no one harder to stop than a killer with a badge. 13 00:01:02,567 --> 00:01:04,567 [phone ringing] 14 00:01:04,567 --> 00:01:06,166 OPERATOR: 911, what's your emergency? 15 00:01:08,100 --> 00:01:09,567 BISPLINGHOFF: A homeless person 16 00:01:09,567 --> 00:01:11,367 was walking through a wooded area. 17 00:01:14,367 --> 00:01:17,266 TREW: He was looking for cans, probably to sell at one 18 00:01:17,333 --> 00:01:20,734 of the places that you can trade those in for money. 19 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:26,233 BISPLINGHOFF: And he stumbled upon a body in the woods. 20 00:01:28,100 --> 00:01:31,767 NARRATOR: The body is shirtless, laying face-down in the brush. 21 00:01:33,467 --> 00:01:38,133 He was clothed in khaki shorts and no shirt. 22 00:01:40,266 --> 00:01:43,266 This is in July in North Florida. 23 00:01:43,333 --> 00:01:45,367 It's extremely hot. 24 00:01:45,367 --> 00:01:48,634 Decomposition is setting in rapidly. 25 00:01:50,667 --> 00:01:53,166 Fortunately, it was obvious the body had 26 00:01:53,233 --> 00:01:56,100 been there no more than 24 hours. 27 00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:58,467 NARRATOR: Investigators have no clear idea 28 00:01:58,467 --> 00:02:01,567 of who he is or how he died. 29 00:02:03,767 --> 00:02:05,667 BISPLINGHOFF: There was no apparent stab wounds, 30 00:02:05,667 --> 00:02:07,667 no gunshot wounds. 31 00:02:07,667 --> 00:02:11,266 There were some marks in his upper chest area 32 00:02:11,266 --> 00:02:13,867 and around his neck area. 33 00:02:13,867 --> 00:02:15,266 TREW: Based on the marks, 34 00:02:15,266 --> 00:02:18,000 he was probably killed somewhere else, brought there. 35 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,567 He had sticker bushes on his stomach, 36 00:02:21,567 --> 00:02:25,533 and he was left in the woods, where he was eventually found. 37 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,667 BISPLINGHOFF: There was bruising on his back. 38 00:02:28,734 --> 00:02:31,767 But identifying the source of the bruise is 39 00:02:31,767 --> 00:02:33,066 total speculation. 40 00:02:33,133 --> 00:02:34,433 Nothing definitive. 41 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,166 McFADDEN: One of the most difficult things 42 00:02:37,166 --> 00:02:38,667 for a homicide detective 43 00:02:38,734 --> 00:02:42,567 is to have a body with no manner of death, 44 00:02:42,567 --> 00:02:45,967 no cause of death, and with no ID. 45 00:02:46,033 --> 00:02:47,567 What do you have at the scene? 46 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:50,533 That is the first chapter in your book. 47 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:54,767 TREW: It was in a remote area. 48 00:02:54,767 --> 00:02:56,934 You would have had to travel to get there. 49 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,734 It was obvious a car pulled up down a wooded road. 50 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:07,567 This person had an idea what to do to get rid of 51 00:03:07,634 --> 00:03:11,266 a body or was told by someone else what to do with the body. 52 00:03:13,266 --> 00:03:15,066 NARRATOR: Investigators send the body to 53 00:03:15,133 --> 00:03:17,433 the medical examiner for an autopsy. 54 00:03:18,967 --> 00:03:22,166 TREW: Officers start checking missing person reports, 55 00:03:22,233 --> 00:03:26,266 start running everything with his physical characteristics to 56 00:03:26,266 --> 00:03:28,266 see if there's anything that's 57 00:03:28,333 --> 00:03:31,166 been reported as to who this person could be. 58 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,567 NARRATOR: And a name immediately pops up. 59 00:03:34,634 --> 00:03:36,967 BISPLINGHOFF: The brother of Sami Safar 60 00:03:36,967 --> 00:03:40,934 reported his brother missing the night before, Friday. 61 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,967 NARRATOR: Serri Safar began his own search at the bank 62 00:03:45,967 --> 00:03:47,934 Sami went to most Fridays. 63 00:03:48,967 --> 00:03:51,867 BISPLINGHOFF: He found Sami's car parked 64 00:03:51,867 --> 00:03:54,166 across the street from the bank, 65 00:03:55,066 --> 00:03:58,467 and Serri had notified the police. 66 00:04:00,166 --> 00:04:03,533 The vehicle was left in a very suspicious condition. 67 00:04:05,266 --> 00:04:09,667 The windows were halfway down, the keys were in the ignition. 68 00:04:09,667 --> 00:04:13,767 There was cash flowing out of the center console, 69 00:04:13,834 --> 00:04:16,734 easily visible from the outside of the vehicle. 70 00:04:18,700 --> 00:04:19,767 NARRATOR: When they arrive, 71 00:04:19,767 --> 00:04:22,767 police find $1,700 in the car. 72 00:04:24,567 --> 00:04:27,567 McFADDEN: Why is somebody leaving $1,700 cash 73 00:04:27,567 --> 00:04:29,567 on the scene? Is it a robbery? 74 00:04:29,567 --> 00:04:32,000 Is it revenge, or is it staged? 75 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,934 That is something you're gonna have to answer in this chapter. 76 00:04:37,567 --> 00:04:40,867 The fact that there's an active missing persons report 77 00:04:40,934 --> 00:04:44,567 on Sami Safar, and they've now located his vehicle, 78 00:04:44,567 --> 00:04:47,867 the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. 79 00:04:49,667 --> 00:04:52,166 NARRATOR: Detectives check the murder victim's prints, 80 00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:54,834 and there's a match. 81 00:04:58,066 --> 00:05:01,367 BISPLINGHOFF: And now the thousand-dollar question is 82 00:05:01,367 --> 00:05:04,133 who killed Sami Safar? 83 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,567 NARRATOR: They learn that 33-year-old Sami Safar moved 84 00:05:09,567 --> 00:05:12,834 to the U.S. from Syria more than a decade earlier. 85 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:15,567 WAUGH: Sami comes to this country. 86 00:05:15,634 --> 00:05:19,567 He opens one convenience store, then opens two more. 87 00:05:19,567 --> 00:05:22,867 He had a great reputation within the community. 88 00:05:22,867 --> 00:05:25,767 He was friendly, his family was friendly. 89 00:05:25,834 --> 00:05:28,166 He was essentially living the American dream. 90 00:05:30,100 --> 00:05:34,000 He gave credit to his loyal customers. 91 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,166 He gave away toys to needy children. 92 00:05:37,233 --> 00:05:39,367 He was liked in the community. 93 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,567 WAUGH: Part of the work that he offered is 94 00:05:46,634 --> 00:05:47,767 is that he would cash checks. 95 00:05:47,767 --> 00:05:49,667 And so as a result, he very frequently 96 00:05:49,667 --> 00:05:51,567 would have large sums of money. 97 00:05:53,867 --> 00:05:57,567 KLINDT: He needed to have cash available to cash 98 00:05:57,567 --> 00:06:01,467 the paychecks of people who worked on the dock. 99 00:06:01,533 --> 00:06:04,834 That's why the convenience store needed the money. 100 00:06:06,867 --> 00:06:10,166 So there would be the withdrawal of about $50,000 101 00:06:10,166 --> 00:06:11,367 every Friday. 102 00:06:15,867 --> 00:06:17,567 McFADDEN: One of the things that we often do, 103 00:06:17,634 --> 00:06:20,567 patterns, practice, and behaviors. 104 00:06:20,634 --> 00:06:21,967 Somebody's watching his movement. 105 00:06:21,967 --> 00:06:23,767 Somebody's watching his behavior. 106 00:06:23,767 --> 00:06:25,266 Who would know that Sami would come 107 00:06:25,266 --> 00:06:29,233 to the bank every Friday to withdraw $50,000? 108 00:06:31,266 --> 00:06:32,967 KLINDT: It wasn't a random hit like, okay, 109 00:06:33,033 --> 00:06:34,867 I think we'll just rob the next person that comes out, 110 00:06:34,867 --> 00:06:37,166 because you're probably gonna get nothing but a deposit slip 111 00:06:37,166 --> 00:06:40,333 or maybe somebody's cashing a birthday check for 50 bucks. 112 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,266 NARRATOR: Investigators speak to bank employees. 113 00:06:44,266 --> 00:06:46,367 They say that on the day he was killed, 114 00:06:46,433 --> 00:06:49,066 Sami withdrew $50,000 as usual, 115 00:06:49,066 --> 00:06:51,467 then left the bank and drove away. 116 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,834 [Bisplinghoff speaking] 117 00:07:20,100 --> 00:07:21,867 And whoever stole it would become 118 00:07:21,934 --> 00:07:23,166 the suspect in the murder. 119 00:07:25,100 --> 00:07:27,467 McFADDEN: They were setting up a trap or a decoy. 120 00:07:27,467 --> 00:07:30,967 Someone would come by, see $1,700, keys in the car, 121 00:07:31,033 --> 00:07:34,767 take the car -- that would throw anybody off the original track 122 00:07:34,767 --> 00:07:35,967 of the suspect. 123 00:07:36,033 --> 00:07:37,166 But here's the problem. 124 00:07:37,166 --> 00:07:38,867 Nobody took the money. 125 00:07:38,934 --> 00:07:41,834 Somebody set the trap, but the trap wasn't sprung. 126 00:07:44,166 --> 00:07:47,367 NARRATOR: Detectives then start questioning Sami's employees, 127 00:07:47,433 --> 00:07:48,667 including his nephew, 128 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:51,834 Hussam Tahhan, who manages one of the stores. 129 00:07:54,166 --> 00:07:56,233 They're stunned by what he tells them. 130 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,467 TREW: Hussam was robbed of $50,000 six weeks 131 00:08:01,467 --> 00:08:05,367 prior to Sami at the same bank. 132 00:08:05,367 --> 00:08:08,266 He remembered, obviously very vividly, that day. 133 00:08:08,333 --> 00:08:11,967 A man came up to him, had a gun, 134 00:08:12,033 --> 00:08:14,367 said, you know, "Give me your money." 135 00:08:14,367 --> 00:08:16,533 That's not something that he's ever going to forget. 136 00:08:17,367 --> 00:08:20,467 TREW: This tells me that somebody with the family, 137 00:08:20,533 --> 00:08:23,266 somebody related to the business, or somebody that 138 00:08:23,266 --> 00:08:25,967 works at that bank has to know what's going on. 139 00:08:28,066 --> 00:08:31,266 And when I asked him what it was like for him, that his uncle 140 00:08:31,333 --> 00:08:32,433 had -- had been murdered, 141 00:08:32,500 --> 00:08:35,667 he could not talk about it, because it was so upsetting. 142 00:08:35,667 --> 00:08:38,066 He said, "Please don't -- please don't ask me anymore." 143 00:08:38,066 --> 00:08:39,634 He was afraid. 144 00:08:41,266 --> 00:08:44,767 McFADDEN: The victim's nephew was also robbed, and he lived, 145 00:08:44,767 --> 00:08:45,967 and in this case, 146 00:08:45,967 --> 00:08:49,166 the victim was taken to another location and was killed. 147 00:08:49,166 --> 00:08:50,867 Why would the victim leave his car? 148 00:08:50,867 --> 00:08:52,667 And then secondly, why would you take 149 00:08:52,667 --> 00:08:55,467 the victim to another location to kill him? 150 00:08:55,467 --> 00:08:56,967 Who would do that? 151 00:08:56,967 --> 00:08:58,767 Who would have that ability? 152 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:03,967 NARRATOR: Sami Safar came to the U.S. with his family 153 00:09:04,033 --> 00:09:06,533 to escape the violence of his childhood. 154 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,266 FRAZIER: Sami Safar was in Syria at the time of civil war. 155 00:09:12,266 --> 00:09:15,367 It was the time of the Damascus bombings, 156 00:09:17,467 --> 00:09:22,166 when terrorists were taking aim and target on civilians. 157 00:09:23,767 --> 00:09:25,667 People were dying in the streets. 158 00:09:25,734 --> 00:09:31,033 So it was then that Sami Safar decided to leave his homeland. 159 00:09:32,266 --> 00:09:35,667 He came to the United States in 1986 160 00:09:35,667 --> 00:09:37,667 hoping for a better life. 161 00:09:38,667 --> 00:09:41,667 WAUGH: Sami Safar was a businessman, and he was very, 162 00:09:41,734 --> 00:09:43,166 very passionate about his family, 163 00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:45,767 very loyal to his family, and his family members were very 164 00:09:45,834 --> 00:09:47,166 loyal to him, 165 00:09:47,233 --> 00:09:51,166 but his family was very afraid of their safety and security 166 00:09:51,166 --> 00:09:52,967 after Sami disappeared. 167 00:09:55,867 --> 00:10:01,066 This family knew something had gone amiss early on. 168 00:10:02,166 --> 00:10:04,667 WAUGH: This man was just doing his job, 169 00:10:04,667 --> 00:10:07,467 trying to provide for his family. 170 00:10:07,533 --> 00:10:10,266 He did nothing wrong but go to the bank 171 00:10:10,333 --> 00:10:13,767 to cash checks so that he could operate his businesses. 172 00:10:15,066 --> 00:10:16,667 McFADDEN: When you have a case like this, 173 00:10:16,667 --> 00:10:19,967 the closest people to find out most of the information about 174 00:10:19,967 --> 00:10:22,667 your victim is the immediate family. 175 00:10:22,667 --> 00:10:25,100 So it's pretty much natural when you're investigating in 176 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:26,867 a case like this to go to the wife. 177 00:10:26,867 --> 00:10:30,767 The wife will reveal a lot of information that you normally 178 00:10:30,767 --> 00:10:32,333 won't get from anybody else. 179 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:37,066 WAUGH: His wife said that she had seen 180 00:10:37,133 --> 00:10:40,533 him the night before he had disappeared. 181 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,166 She had tried to reach him and call him. 182 00:10:44,233 --> 00:10:45,967 He wasn't answering any of the phones, 183 00:10:46,033 --> 00:10:47,867 wasn't at any of the convenience stores. 184 00:10:49,767 --> 00:10:53,533 She was somewhat unemotional about it. 185 00:10:56,166 --> 00:10:57,867 McFADDEN: When you tell someone's wife 186 00:10:57,867 --> 00:11:00,166 they have been murdered or killed, and they're 187 00:11:00,166 --> 00:11:02,967 not emotional, that is a clue. 188 00:11:03,033 --> 00:11:04,667 Well, it could be for various reasons, 189 00:11:04,734 --> 00:11:07,166 but one of those reasons is money. 190 00:11:07,166 --> 00:11:08,667 She's believing that he's dead. 191 00:11:08,734 --> 00:11:09,567 I'm gonna get some money. 192 00:11:09,567 --> 00:11:11,867 But you still have to use that 193 00:11:11,867 --> 00:11:14,934 shovel to dig a little deeper in the marriage. 194 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,066 They spoke with the wife's co-workers 195 00:11:19,133 --> 00:11:21,467 that had knowledge of the wife. 196 00:11:21,533 --> 00:11:24,767 WAUGH: It appeared that, based on understanding 197 00:11:24,767 --> 00:11:26,166 their relationship, that it was more 198 00:11:26,166 --> 00:11:29,667 of a financial relationship so that he could work here, 199 00:11:29,667 --> 00:11:33,667 you know, and have citizenship as opposed to something else. 200 00:11:33,667 --> 00:11:35,266 TREW: But at no point did they 201 00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:39,033 have any evidence pointing toward Sami's wife. 202 00:11:42,266 --> 00:11:44,867 NARRATOR: As detectives look for other suspects, 203 00:11:44,867 --> 00:11:47,066 Sami's brother, Serri, calls them to 204 00:11:47,133 --> 00:11:49,634 ask them about Sami's driver's license. 205 00:11:51,100 --> 00:11:53,266 Police say they found Sami's wallet 206 00:11:53,333 --> 00:11:55,834 in his car but no license. 207 00:11:57,467 --> 00:11:59,266 BISPLINGHOFF: Serri is adamant. 208 00:11:59,333 --> 00:12:01,066 There's no way Sami would 209 00:12:01,133 --> 00:12:03,266 be anywhere without his driver's license. 210 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,367 Sami would not stop in his vehicle once he had that money 211 00:12:08,367 --> 00:12:11,233 unless it's a police officer pulling him over. 212 00:12:13,266 --> 00:12:15,367 Who else takes your driver's license? 213 00:12:15,367 --> 00:12:16,533 A police officer. 214 00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:21,266 BISPLINGHOFF: So Serri was very suspicious 215 00:12:21,266 --> 00:12:23,767 that the police were involved. 216 00:12:23,767 --> 00:12:26,266 McFADDEN: So the brother brought up a good idea. 217 00:12:26,333 --> 00:12:28,266 The only person that would want to 218 00:12:28,266 --> 00:12:31,266 see your driver's license is a cop. 219 00:12:31,333 --> 00:12:34,000 It does make sense, but that's definitely 220 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,467 a road that these detectives don't want to go down. 221 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,533 NARRATOR: Serri isn't the only family member questioning police. 222 00:12:42,567 --> 00:12:45,066 Sami's nephew, Hussam, is also suspicious 223 00:12:45,133 --> 00:12:47,066 of an off-duty officer who was 224 00:12:47,133 --> 00:12:49,367 the security guard at the bank when he was robbed 225 00:12:49,367 --> 00:12:51,066 six weeks earlier. 226 00:12:53,467 --> 00:12:56,533 Hussam Tahhan withdrew the $50,000. 227 00:12:57,667 --> 00:12:59,634 He began to walk out of the bank. 228 00:13:00,467 --> 00:13:03,667 Aric Sinclair was working security at that bank 229 00:13:03,667 --> 00:13:08,266 and is with him, escorting him to his vehicle. 230 00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:11,266 NARRATOR: But something happens, and Sinclair is separated from 231 00:13:11,333 --> 00:13:14,166 Hussam, leaving him alone in the parking lot. 232 00:13:15,867 --> 00:13:17,734 BISPLINGHOFF: Hussam walked to his car. 233 00:13:18,567 --> 00:13:21,166 KLINDT: Somebody stuck a gun in Hussam Tahhan's 234 00:13:21,166 --> 00:13:22,767 face in the parking lot. 235 00:13:24,100 --> 00:13:27,934 NARRATOR: Hussam drops the money and runs back to the bank. 236 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,433 He finds Sinclair to tell him what happened. 237 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,867 But by the time the guard gets outside, 238 00:13:35,934 --> 00:13:38,567 the money and the robber are gone. 239 00:14:01,667 --> 00:14:04,166 KLINDT: Aric Sinclair's job as security was to walk 240 00:14:04,166 --> 00:14:06,100 a person like Hussam Tahhan, 241 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:09,967 in possession of $50,000 in cash, out to his car 242 00:14:10,033 --> 00:14:12,567 so this kind of thing wouldn't happen. 243 00:14:12,634 --> 00:14:14,467 NARRATOR: When Sami Safar is killed 244 00:14:14,467 --> 00:14:16,967 six weeks later, Aric Sinclair is 245 00:14:17,033 --> 00:14:19,767 again moonlighting as a bank security guard. 246 00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:24,667 But Sinclair tells detectives he walked Sami to 247 00:14:24,734 --> 00:14:28,266 his car that day and saw him drive away. 248 00:14:28,266 --> 00:14:30,533 The other employees backed him up. 249 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,567 The witnesses saw him walk the victim out, and he came 250 00:14:35,567 --> 00:14:38,166 back in, so it's really not much they can work with. 251 00:14:38,166 --> 00:14:39,767 But you still got to keep it 252 00:14:39,834 --> 00:14:42,000 in your back pocket, because you never know. 253 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:43,634 It may come back up again. 254 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,467 BISPLINGHOFF: You start looking at the facts of the case. 255 00:14:47,467 --> 00:14:53,266 Same family, same bank, $50,000 on Fridays. 256 00:14:53,266 --> 00:14:56,266 One's been robbed in the parking lot, 257 00:14:56,266 --> 00:14:59,634 and Sami was last seen alive leaving the bank. 258 00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:02,667 The only common denominator in 259 00:15:02,667 --> 00:15:07,467 the family's mind is Officer Aric Sinclair. 260 00:15:08,767 --> 00:15:11,533 That family was very suspicious. 261 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,533 NARRATOR: Their accusations don't sit well with the police. 262 00:15:19,467 --> 00:15:20,967 KLINDT: They have a hard time believing that 263 00:15:20,967 --> 00:15:23,433 their fellow officer can commit crimes like this. 264 00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:26,767 BISPLINGHOFF: It's not easy for a policeman 265 00:15:26,767 --> 00:15:29,266 to believe another policeman could be 266 00:15:29,266 --> 00:15:31,667 potentially involved in an armed robbery 267 00:15:31,667 --> 00:15:33,934 at a bank in broad daylight. 268 00:15:35,266 --> 00:15:36,867 McFADDEN: As a law enforcement officer, 269 00:15:36,934 --> 00:15:39,867 we will protect our brothers and sisters -- as they say, 270 00:15:39,867 --> 00:15:40,967 the thin blue line. 271 00:15:40,967 --> 00:15:44,734 But now, the detectives have a large blind spot. 272 00:15:46,767 --> 00:15:50,266 NARRATOR: The investigators try to come up with other theories. 273 00:15:50,333 --> 00:15:54,634 They zero in on Sami's nephew, Hussam Tahhan. 274 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,867 The detective began to question 275 00:15:57,867 --> 00:16:01,100 the credibility of Hussam's story. 276 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:02,767 It just wasn't matching up with 277 00:16:02,767 --> 00:16:05,533 what they thought could have potentially happened. 278 00:16:07,567 --> 00:16:10,367 NARRATOR: They theorized that Hussam could have been trying to 279 00:16:10,433 --> 00:16:14,333 rob Sami, even that he staged his own robbery. 280 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,367 People do crazy things for $50,000. 281 00:16:19,433 --> 00:16:23,367 They do really some crazy, dumb things. 282 00:16:23,433 --> 00:16:25,667 NARRATOR: But there's no evidence connecting Hussam 283 00:16:25,734 --> 00:16:28,433 or any other suspect to Sami's death. 284 00:16:30,967 --> 00:16:33,233 Even the autopsy is no help. 285 00:16:34,567 --> 00:16:37,767 There was no determined cause of death. 286 00:16:37,834 --> 00:16:41,634 They classified it as homicide of unknown nature. 287 00:16:43,266 --> 00:16:46,367 All investigative leads had been exhausted, 288 00:16:46,367 --> 00:16:49,166 and both cases went cold. 289 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:57,100 Unfortunately, that's common in a lot of our criminal cases, 290 00:16:57,100 --> 00:16:58,834 especially homicides. 291 00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:02,266 We have unsolved deaths, 292 00:17:02,333 --> 00:17:05,333 unfortunately, you know, all the time in Jacksonville. 293 00:17:06,967 --> 00:17:09,166 TREW: It's very nerve-wracking for detectives. 294 00:17:09,166 --> 00:17:11,867 You got family members constantly calling. 295 00:17:11,867 --> 00:17:14,467 You can't provide any information to them. 296 00:17:16,266 --> 00:17:19,367 So we all know that, in a homicide investigation, 297 00:17:19,433 --> 00:17:20,967 the case can go cold, 298 00:17:21,033 --> 00:17:24,867 but we wait for that one day that somebody provides us that 299 00:17:24,867 --> 00:17:28,967 information to make that case red hot again. 300 00:17:28,967 --> 00:17:32,266 And in this case, that's exactly what happened. 301 00:17:36,667 --> 00:17:39,266 NARRATOR: One year after Sami Safar's murder, 302 00:17:39,266 --> 00:17:43,066 investigators are still no closer to finding his killer, 303 00:17:45,066 --> 00:17:47,767 but a break in an unrelated narcotics case 304 00:17:47,834 --> 00:17:50,066 has the potential to blow it wide open. 305 00:17:50,066 --> 00:17:52,166 [siren wailing] 306 00:17:52,166 --> 00:17:56,867 My whole career as a detective was in the narcotics unit. 307 00:17:56,867 --> 00:17:59,266 We were basically chasing drug dealers. 308 00:17:59,266 --> 00:18:01,367 [distant sirens wailing] 309 00:18:01,367 --> 00:18:03,467 Every day, your life is on the line. 310 00:18:03,533 --> 00:18:04,734 You don't know if you're coming home. 311 00:18:08,367 --> 00:18:11,467 NARRATOR: Detective Dave Bisplinghoff is working a case 312 00:18:11,533 --> 00:18:15,066 to take down two of the city's most dangerous drug dealers, 313 00:18:15,066 --> 00:18:18,233 Abdul "Blue" Robinson and Derrick "Smiley" Smith. 314 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:21,166 BISPLINGHOFF: They are by far the two most notorious, 315 00:18:21,166 --> 00:18:23,367 violent drug dealers in this city's history. 316 00:18:23,367 --> 00:18:26,467 Nobody will ever testify against them because of 317 00:18:26,467 --> 00:18:28,166 their reputation. 318 00:18:28,166 --> 00:18:31,834 NARRATOR: Bisplinghoff, known as Blitz, comes up with a plan. 319 00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:34,567 He wants to catch the dealers bribing 320 00:18:34,634 --> 00:18:38,233 a witness who's working as a CI, or confidential informant. 321 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,166 We negotiate this deal for weeks, and finally, 322 00:18:46,166 --> 00:18:50,533 it is the day that this bribe is supposed to be accepted. 323 00:18:51,567 --> 00:18:55,266 But I get a phone call from another CI 324 00:18:55,333 --> 00:18:58,367 who should know nothing about this bribe. 325 00:18:58,367 --> 00:19:02,867 He tells me almost every detail of this bribe. 326 00:19:02,867 --> 00:19:04,834 We've been snitched out. 327 00:19:07,667 --> 00:19:09,066 TREW: We were burned. 328 00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:11,367 Somebody was telling what we were doing, 329 00:19:11,367 --> 00:19:13,834 and it could be someone within our department. 330 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,433 NARRATOR: And the CI has more to tell him. 331 00:19:18,667 --> 00:19:21,367 BISPLINGHOFF: His exact words were, 332 00:19:21,367 --> 00:19:24,166 "That detective you ride around with every day 333 00:19:24,233 --> 00:19:26,567 "is putting your business on the street. 334 00:19:26,567 --> 00:19:28,100 "You need to be careful. 335 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:29,834 You're gonna get yourself killed." 336 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,166 NARRATOR: That detective is Blitz's partner, Aric Sinclair, 337 00:19:35,233 --> 00:19:37,667 the same officer working security at the bank 338 00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:39,567 when Sami Safar was killed. 339 00:19:41,767 --> 00:19:43,767 McFADDEN: The person working the bank when the nephew 340 00:19:43,767 --> 00:19:46,467 was robbed and when the uncle went missing 341 00:19:46,467 --> 00:19:49,367 is also the same person leaking 342 00:19:49,367 --> 00:19:51,467 information from the agency. 343 00:19:51,533 --> 00:19:54,000 Is that a coincidence, or is that red hot 344 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,467 information that the detective can work with? 345 00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:02,734 To think your own partner could put your life in danger... 346 00:20:04,066 --> 00:20:05,533 I felt betrayed. 347 00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:10,467 It's as if I'd been hit in the face with a sledgehammer. 348 00:20:10,467 --> 00:20:12,467 -I couldn't believe.... -You was white as a ghost. 349 00:20:12,467 --> 00:20:14,433 Yeah, I couldn't believe what he had told me. 350 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:17,166 McFADDEN: Leaking information to drug dealers, 351 00:20:17,233 --> 00:20:18,567 who really don't have a conscience, 352 00:20:18,634 --> 00:20:20,367 puts everybody in jeopardy. 353 00:20:20,367 --> 00:20:23,467 when you find out it's your actual partner 354 00:20:23,533 --> 00:20:25,967 who's leaking the information, 355 00:20:25,967 --> 00:20:28,767 that is the ultimate of betrayal. 356 00:20:30,867 --> 00:20:33,166 BISPLINGHOFF: The next morning, I went and told my lieutenant, 357 00:20:33,166 --> 00:20:37,066 I wanted to transfer away from Aric Sinclair, and I wanted to 358 00:20:37,133 --> 00:20:39,066 go to the DA task force, where I partnered up 359 00:20:39,133 --> 00:20:41,000 with Richard Trew. 360 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,567 NARRATOR: The detectives reach out 361 00:20:42,567 --> 00:20:44,834 to the U.S. Attorney's Office for help. 362 00:20:48,266 --> 00:20:49,467 I was involved in 363 00:20:49,467 --> 00:20:52,333 investigating corrupt law enforcement officers. 364 00:20:54,266 --> 00:20:55,667 And they came to our office, 365 00:20:55,667 --> 00:20:59,000 the U.S. Attorney's Office, and they presented some information 366 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:00,266 that they had. 367 00:21:00,266 --> 00:21:04,266 Detective Bisplinghoff was suspicious of Aric Sinclair. 368 00:21:05,767 --> 00:21:08,166 I had met Aric Sinclair before. 369 00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:11,867 He was a standout high school basketball player. 370 00:21:11,867 --> 00:21:15,767 He went to Eastern Kentucky on a basketball scholarship. 371 00:21:15,767 --> 00:21:17,467 He seemed like a really good guy. 372 00:21:17,533 --> 00:21:20,033 I thought he was gonna be a great narcotics detective. 373 00:21:22,166 --> 00:21:24,266 NARRATOR: The more the prosecutor hears, 374 00:21:24,266 --> 00:21:28,066 the more he's convinced Blitz and Trew are onto something. 375 00:21:30,166 --> 00:21:34,266 We met with the sheriff in Jacksonville, and we said, 376 00:21:34,266 --> 00:21:36,934 "We think that you have a leak in your office." 377 00:21:38,667 --> 00:21:42,066 It's a bad feeling for a sheriff to hear that 378 00:21:42,133 --> 00:21:46,166 a federal agency or another agency is coming to investigate 379 00:21:46,233 --> 00:21:47,166 their agency. 380 00:21:47,166 --> 00:21:49,367 We know we have one crack in the foundation. 381 00:21:49,367 --> 00:21:52,367 Now it's up to the task force to find if there are 382 00:21:52,433 --> 00:21:53,867 other cracks in our foundation, 383 00:21:53,867 --> 00:21:57,333 and if they do, this house is gonna come tumbling down. 384 00:21:59,266 --> 00:22:02,100 KLINDT: The sheriff and I walked out on the steps of the courthouse, 385 00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:04,967 and he announced that there would be a joint investigation 386 00:22:04,967 --> 00:22:07,367 into this breach of trust. 387 00:22:07,367 --> 00:22:09,667 There was at least one, if not more, 388 00:22:09,667 --> 00:22:12,100 police officer being investigated for something 389 00:22:12,100 --> 00:22:13,634 associated with corruption. 390 00:22:14,567 --> 00:22:17,266 All of a sudden, you have Jim Klindt, 391 00:22:17,266 --> 00:22:20,667 a U.S. prosecutor, standing next to the sheriff. 392 00:22:20,667 --> 00:22:22,533 You know that this is a very big deal. 393 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:27,367 McFADDEN: They are pretty much saying, "We're giving you a heads up, 394 00:22:27,367 --> 00:22:29,567 "we're coming, we're gonna ring the bell, 395 00:22:29,567 --> 00:22:31,967 "and if you know anything, this is the time to come 396 00:22:31,967 --> 00:22:33,166 "and talk to us now. 397 00:22:33,166 --> 00:22:35,166 "We don't want to have to come and talk to you. 398 00:22:35,166 --> 00:22:36,767 You need to come and talk to us." 399 00:22:36,767 --> 00:22:39,066 That definitely puts a lot of pressure on 400 00:22:39,066 --> 00:22:42,767 that task force to push these criminals to surface. 401 00:22:45,166 --> 00:22:47,467 BISPLINGHOFF: We're up against an entire agency. 402 00:22:47,533 --> 00:22:51,266 We're either gonna be right, or our careers are over with. 403 00:22:51,333 --> 00:22:53,166 So we weren't gonna make a mistake. 404 00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:58,367 KLINDT: We talked about what do we need to do next? 405 00:22:58,367 --> 00:22:59,667 Where do we go from here? 406 00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:03,166 What investigative techniques we might use. 407 00:23:04,367 --> 00:23:06,767 NARRATOR: To get more information about the leak, 408 00:23:06,834 --> 00:23:09,634 Blitz and Trew ask their informant for help. 409 00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:13,767 They introduced us to a person known as 410 00:23:13,834 --> 00:23:16,533 Daryl Crowden, AKA Eight Ball. 411 00:23:18,900 --> 00:23:21,166 He knows everything you wanna know about 412 00:23:21,166 --> 00:23:22,433 Aric Sinclair. 413 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,867 KLINDT: Sinclair had arrested Crowden back in 1997. 414 00:23:28,867 --> 00:23:31,066 He found cocaine and marijuana on Crowden, 415 00:23:31,133 --> 00:23:33,567 threw the cocaine away and only charged Crowden 416 00:23:33,567 --> 00:23:35,266 with a small amount of marijuana. 417 00:23:35,333 --> 00:23:37,433 That was the beginning of their relationship. 418 00:23:39,467 --> 00:23:42,166 McFADDEN: Sinclair threw away the cocaine in order to keep 419 00:23:42,166 --> 00:23:43,867 this informant in his pocket. 420 00:23:43,934 --> 00:23:46,867 Puts a lot of pressure on that informant, but then they 421 00:23:46,867 --> 00:23:49,467 believe that the cop had them in their hand. 422 00:23:49,467 --> 00:23:52,367 This is also a classic way for 423 00:23:52,367 --> 00:23:55,166 crooked cops to keep people on the street. 424 00:23:56,367 --> 00:23:58,734 NARRATOR: Getting Crowden to talk isn't easy. 425 00:23:59,867 --> 00:24:02,967 The team arranges to meet him at a secret location. 426 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:06,567 BISPLINGHOFF: It was like a scene out of a movie. 427 00:24:06,567 --> 00:24:09,867 Um, dark room, a lawyer sitting on the couch, 428 00:24:09,934 --> 00:24:13,266 smoking a cigar, with his clients sitting next to him. 429 00:24:13,333 --> 00:24:15,166 And they said, "Are y'all ready?" 430 00:24:15,166 --> 00:24:18,033 NARRATOR: Crowden throws detectives a curveball. 431 00:24:18,867 --> 00:24:22,467 BISPLINGHOFF: Daryl Crowden began to talk about the robbery 432 00:24:22,533 --> 00:24:26,166 of Hussam Tahhan, who is the nephew of Sami Safar. 433 00:24:26,233 --> 00:24:31,667 He incriminated himself of that robbery on May 15th. 434 00:24:31,667 --> 00:24:35,266 And he also informed us that his brother, 435 00:24:35,266 --> 00:24:39,166 Jeff Reed, was the actual gunman that robbed 436 00:24:39,233 --> 00:24:40,233 Hussam Tahhan, 437 00:24:40,266 --> 00:24:43,867 and he told us the role that Officer Aric Sinclair 438 00:24:43,867 --> 00:24:46,867 played in that robbery at the bank. 439 00:24:46,867 --> 00:24:49,767 NARRATOR: Crowden explains to the team that Sinclair had 440 00:24:49,834 --> 00:24:52,567 inside information because of his off-duty job 441 00:24:52,567 --> 00:24:54,333 as a guard at the bank. 442 00:24:55,467 --> 00:24:59,066 BISPLINGHOFF: Crowden says, once Hussam Tahhan arrived, 443 00:24:59,133 --> 00:25:02,100 Aric Sinclair walked out of the bank, and he tapped 444 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:05,533 the trunk of Hussam Tahhan's vehicle, 445 00:25:06,867 --> 00:25:09,467 knowing that robbers are watching him. 446 00:25:09,467 --> 00:25:12,433 He's identifying, this is the victim's vehicle. 447 00:25:13,867 --> 00:25:16,467 You'll know that the person driving that car 448 00:25:16,533 --> 00:25:18,266 is the person from the convenience store 449 00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:19,834 with $50,000. 450 00:25:21,166 --> 00:25:25,066 BISPLINGHOFF: Then Hussam Tahhan exits the bank with the $50,000. 451 00:25:25,133 --> 00:25:28,166 He's thinking Aric Sinclair is with him, 452 00:25:28,166 --> 00:25:29,667 and when he turned around, 453 00:25:29,667 --> 00:25:32,867 Aric Sinclair was nowhere in sight, and then Jeff Reed 454 00:25:32,867 --> 00:25:36,967 approaches him with a handgun pointed at him, and Hussam Tahhan 455 00:25:37,033 --> 00:25:40,166 threw the money into the open window of his car. 456 00:25:43,567 --> 00:25:46,166 NARRATOR: Crowden tells them that, after the robbery, 457 00:25:46,233 --> 00:25:48,667 Sinclair obstructed the investigation. 458 00:25:50,667 --> 00:25:53,000 BISPLINGHOFF: Sinclair put out on the radio 459 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,567 bad vehicle description, bad suspect description, 460 00:25:57,567 --> 00:26:00,634 and bad direction of travel. 461 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:05,266 TREW: We established that Aric Sinclair was 462 00:26:05,333 --> 00:26:08,567 contacting each one of these people. 463 00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:10,767 KLINDT: When you look at cellular telephone records, 464 00:26:10,767 --> 00:26:13,266 you can just follow the timeline of the robbery. 465 00:26:13,266 --> 00:26:15,467 You know, you can see them calling each other at 466 00:26:15,533 --> 00:26:18,667 the time Crowden said they were setting up the robbery. 467 00:26:20,367 --> 00:26:22,567 NARRATOR: It's the first time the task force ties 468 00:26:22,567 --> 00:26:25,467 Sinclair to crimes beyond sharing information with 469 00:26:25,533 --> 00:26:27,266 drug dealers. 470 00:26:27,333 --> 00:26:29,834 They believe there could be even more. 471 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,467 Klindt: We had gone from a drug investigation to a leak 472 00:26:34,533 --> 00:26:38,567 somewhere to what appeared to be a robbery outside the bank. 473 00:26:38,567 --> 00:26:40,734 And Sinclair was involved in all of this. 474 00:26:41,767 --> 00:26:45,667 So I was convinced the robbery and murder of Sami Safar 475 00:26:45,734 --> 00:26:48,166 were tied together, and the common link was 476 00:26:48,166 --> 00:26:50,367 Aric Sinclair. 477 00:26:50,433 --> 00:26:52,433 I don't believe in coincidences. 478 00:26:54,300 --> 00:26:56,567 You're looking at two narcotics detectives that are 479 00:26:56,567 --> 00:27:00,166 working a drug case, and now we're homicide detectives. 480 00:27:02,300 --> 00:27:04,567 Deputy Sinclair is working at 481 00:27:04,634 --> 00:27:07,266 this bank off duty, setting up robberies. 482 00:27:07,333 --> 00:27:09,767 But now one, of these robberies turned 483 00:27:09,767 --> 00:27:12,967 into a murder on Sinclair's watch. 484 00:27:12,967 --> 00:27:15,233 This case now is red hot. 485 00:27:18,967 --> 00:27:21,367 NARRATOR: Sheriff's deputy Aric Sinclair is 486 00:27:21,433 --> 00:27:24,266 the target of a federal task force investigation, 487 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:27,066 but not everyone is convinced. 488 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,266 KLINDT: There were prosecutors in the State Attorney's office 489 00:27:30,333 --> 00:27:32,367 who just would not believe that he could be 490 00:27:32,433 --> 00:27:34,433 involved in this type of activity. 491 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,734 NARRATOR: They asked their informant, Daryl Crowden, to wear a wire. 492 00:27:40,767 --> 00:27:44,266 We basically sent Crowden in to Sinclair's apartment 493 00:27:44,333 --> 00:27:48,166 to get Sinclair to say things that were incriminating. 494 00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:51,000 And so Crowden went in in a bit of a panic. 495 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,867 He's like, "Hey, I think they're on to us." 496 00:27:52,934 --> 00:27:55,367 Sinclair said, "Hey, if you keep your mouth shut, 497 00:27:55,433 --> 00:27:57,967 and I keep my mouth shut, you know, we'll be okay." 498 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,166 McFADDEN: That is great evidence in this case. 499 00:28:01,166 --> 00:28:03,266 If he said this to an informant, 500 00:28:03,333 --> 00:28:04,767 surely this is not the beginning, 501 00:28:04,767 --> 00:28:06,667 and surely it won't be the end. 502 00:28:06,667 --> 00:28:08,467 He has to be involved in more, 503 00:28:08,467 --> 00:28:11,467 and they wanna know what else he's involved with. 504 00:28:12,967 --> 00:28:16,266 NARRATOR: Investigators are convinced Aric Sinclair was connected 505 00:28:16,333 --> 00:28:20,467 to the robberies of both Sami Safar and his nephew. 506 00:28:20,533 --> 00:28:23,266 But they know that at the time Sami was killed, 507 00:28:23,266 --> 00:28:25,667 Sinclair was still working at the bank. 508 00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:27,934 Someone else must be involved. 509 00:28:29,367 --> 00:28:31,867 BISPLINGHOFF: This is when Daryl Crowden implicated 510 00:28:31,867 --> 00:28:35,967 Karl Waldon as being another officer involved. 511 00:28:36,033 --> 00:28:39,867 He was a good, aggressive police officer. 512 00:28:39,934 --> 00:28:42,567 I never suspected anything other 513 00:28:42,567 --> 00:28:44,333 than good, aggressive police work. 514 00:28:45,667 --> 00:28:48,567 NARRATOR: Detectives now want to see if Karl Waldon is, 515 00:28:48,567 --> 00:28:50,867 in fact, a dirty cop. 516 00:28:50,934 --> 00:28:54,266 Jim Clint calls him before the grand jury to find out. 517 00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:57,367 Having a grand jury convene is 518 00:28:57,367 --> 00:28:59,967 an absolutely great tool in law enforcement. 519 00:28:59,967 --> 00:29:03,066 Why? Because everybody has been sworn in, 520 00:29:03,066 --> 00:29:06,166 and everybody is testifying under oath. 521 00:29:06,166 --> 00:29:08,266 You can dig for what you want to dig for, 522 00:29:08,333 --> 00:29:10,867 ask the questions you wanna ask under oath. 523 00:29:12,100 --> 00:29:17,100 KLINDT: Karl Waldon appeared for the grand jury on February 16th. 524 00:29:17,100 --> 00:29:20,767 I had a stack of photographs that we had put together. 525 00:29:20,834 --> 00:29:23,066 I put a photograph of Sami Safar in there. 526 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,867 And I said, "Do you recognize 527 00:29:25,934 --> 00:29:28,367 the person depicted in this photograph?" 528 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:32,433 "No, never seen that person before." 529 00:29:33,467 --> 00:29:37,367 NARRATOR: But the next day on the stand, Waldon slips up. 530 00:29:37,433 --> 00:29:41,100 KLINDT: But I said, "The victim of the robbery on July 3rd, 531 00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:42,767 was it a he or a she?" 532 00:29:42,767 --> 00:29:44,166 And he said, "It's a he." 533 00:29:45,166 --> 00:29:47,667 And I said, "Really, how do you know that?" 534 00:29:47,667 --> 00:29:50,767 He said, "You showed me his picture yesterday." 535 00:29:50,767 --> 00:29:53,266 So I handed him the stack of photos, and I said, 536 00:29:53,266 --> 00:29:55,066 "Which one's the victim?" 537 00:29:55,066 --> 00:29:57,066 He pulls out Sami Safar. 538 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,567 I was 100 percent sure that I hadn't told 539 00:30:02,634 --> 00:30:05,166 him who was depicted in any of those photographs. 540 00:30:06,266 --> 00:30:09,367 McFADDEN: The U.S. attorney realized that Waldon was lying. 541 00:30:09,433 --> 00:30:10,567 At that point, 542 00:30:10,567 --> 00:30:13,767 he stopped him, because he did not want Waldon to continue 543 00:30:13,767 --> 00:30:15,166 to talk to cover his tracks, 544 00:30:15,166 --> 00:30:17,567 because he knew he had him in a lie. 545 00:30:17,567 --> 00:30:19,367 KLINDT: After he testified, 546 00:30:19,367 --> 00:30:21,667 I said, "Karl, you just confessed. 547 00:30:21,734 --> 00:30:24,867 You identified the victim, and you identified his vehicle," 548 00:30:24,867 --> 00:30:26,867 and he said, "Prove it." 549 00:30:26,867 --> 00:30:28,000 And I said, "Well, Karl, that's just 550 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,467 exactly what we're gonna do." 551 00:30:31,567 --> 00:30:34,567 NARRATOR: Detectives dig into Waldon's background and learn 552 00:30:34,567 --> 00:30:37,967 of a local inmate rumored to have information. 553 00:30:37,967 --> 00:30:39,934 His name is Kenny McLaughlin. 554 00:30:42,100 --> 00:30:48,000 Kenny opened up about some robberies, carjackings, 555 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,266 uh, kidnapping stuff that he involved in. 556 00:30:52,333 --> 00:30:54,834 NARRATOR: Then detectives mentioned Karl Waldon. 557 00:30:57,367 --> 00:30:59,467 TREW: I could see tears in his eyes, 558 00:30:59,467 --> 00:31:02,166 and I knew in my mind he was fixing to tell us 559 00:31:02,166 --> 00:31:04,100 something else. 560 00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:05,166 It was eating him up. 561 00:31:05,166 --> 00:31:08,433 He couldn't -- he couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat. 562 00:31:09,300 --> 00:31:13,266 McFADDEN: He was gonna give Waldon to them on a silver platter. 563 00:31:13,333 --> 00:31:14,867 So all you want to do is 564 00:31:14,934 --> 00:31:17,734 sit back and watch the house fall down. 565 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:21,133 NARRATOR: Kenny says he met Waldon at church. 566 00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:26,066 Kenny McLaughlin had a severe drug problem, and the bishop 567 00:31:26,133 --> 00:31:28,266 thought that Karl Waldon, who was also 568 00:31:28,333 --> 00:31:32,000 a member of the church, as a police officer, would just be 569 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,767 a great mentor for him. 570 00:31:33,767 --> 00:31:37,166 The preacher, the bishop, would confide in Karl Waldon and say, 571 00:31:37,166 --> 00:31:39,367 "Hey, look, my brother is really struggling. 572 00:31:39,433 --> 00:31:42,266 "Help him, you know, find a new purpose in life. 573 00:31:42,333 --> 00:31:44,066 Help him be better." 574 00:31:46,266 --> 00:31:49,100 NARRATOR: But Kenny tells them that Waldon instead recruited 575 00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:51,767 him to help in the robbery of Sami Safar. 576 00:31:54,467 --> 00:31:56,767 BISPLINGHOFF: The plan was not to kill anybody. 577 00:31:56,834 --> 00:31:58,667 It was merely to steal their money. 578 00:32:00,166 --> 00:32:03,367 TREW: Unfortunately, things changed. 579 00:32:03,367 --> 00:32:06,033 Officer Waldon made the decision 580 00:32:07,066 --> 00:32:11,634 that $50,000 is worth more than the life of Sami Safar. 581 00:32:17,166 --> 00:32:19,367 NARRATOR: The task force has found someone who claims 582 00:32:19,367 --> 00:32:21,967 he was involved in the murder of Sami Safar... 583 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,867 ...inmate, Kenny McLaughlin. 584 00:32:26,667 --> 00:32:28,667 Kenny says he watched Sami leave 585 00:32:28,667 --> 00:32:31,467 the bank that day with his $50,000. 586 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:33,967 When they saw the vehicle, 587 00:32:34,033 --> 00:32:38,367 they were going to call Karl Waldon, who was just down 588 00:32:38,367 --> 00:32:40,567 the road, and then Karl pulls him 589 00:32:40,567 --> 00:32:42,533 over like you would any traffic stop. 590 00:32:43,467 --> 00:32:48,266 The plan was for Karl Waldon to tell Sami Safar that there 591 00:32:48,266 --> 00:32:50,567 was a problem with his immigration, 592 00:32:50,567 --> 00:32:54,767 and he was gonna have to take him down to the police station, 593 00:32:54,767 --> 00:32:59,533 and leaving the $50,000 in Sami Safar's vehicle. 594 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,867 And then McLaughlin would just drive over to the car, 595 00:33:03,934 --> 00:33:06,867 break into the car, and take the money. 596 00:33:08,667 --> 00:33:12,567 TREW: But Sami wouldn't leave the money in the car. 597 00:33:12,634 --> 00:33:14,934 He took it in the back seat of the police car with him. 598 00:33:16,767 --> 00:33:20,433 It's at that point that Karl became upset. 599 00:33:21,367 --> 00:33:23,867 NARRATOR: Kenny tells detectives Waldon drove off 600 00:33:23,934 --> 00:33:26,367 with Sami in his police car. 601 00:33:26,433 --> 00:33:30,166 And he said, "He had seen me, we gotta take him out." 602 00:33:30,233 --> 00:33:32,467 NARRATOR: They stopped at a nearby lot. 603 00:33:32,467 --> 00:33:35,000 KLINDT: According to Kenny, you could see Sami Safar 604 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,867 in the back seat, looking terrorized. 605 00:33:37,867 --> 00:33:40,166 It looked like he was trying to kick the windows out of 606 00:33:40,233 --> 00:33:42,166 the police car, because he knew 607 00:33:42,166 --> 00:33:44,867 at that point that he was a goner. 608 00:33:44,934 --> 00:33:47,467 BISPLINGHOFF: Waldon opened up the back door. 609 00:33:47,467 --> 00:33:49,934 Sami Safar tried to get away from him. 610 00:33:51,300 --> 00:33:54,767 Officer Waldon retrieved a piece of rope 611 00:33:54,834 --> 00:33:56,333 from his vehicle. 612 00:33:58,100 --> 00:34:00,667 He then got inside the vehicle and climbed on top 613 00:34:00,667 --> 00:34:04,533 of Sami Safar and he choked him with the rope. 614 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,867 Kenny McLaughlin heard Sami Safar take his last breath. 615 00:34:09,867 --> 00:34:11,166 He heard him gurgling. 616 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:17,867 Waldon then says, "He's gone. He's dead." 617 00:34:17,934 --> 00:34:21,867 Waldon then ordered McLaughlin to dispose of the body. 618 00:34:23,867 --> 00:34:26,667 McFADDEN: The informant information sounds credible. 619 00:34:26,734 --> 00:34:28,667 But how do you make it better? 620 00:34:28,734 --> 00:34:32,000 What you need to do now is take him to the scene 621 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,166 and allow him to walk you through all the events 622 00:34:35,233 --> 00:34:37,266 to make it bulletproof. 623 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:44,166 BISPLINGHOFF: We asked him, "Can you take us to where you dropped that body?" 624 00:34:44,166 --> 00:34:46,367 And then that's when he gave us the directions. 625 00:34:47,467 --> 00:34:49,166 He gives us every turn from 626 00:34:49,233 --> 00:34:52,000 downtown Jacksonville to this dirt road. 627 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,867 And we walked out into these woods, and he walks 628 00:34:55,934 --> 00:34:58,166 about 30, 40 feet out into the woods, 629 00:34:58,166 --> 00:35:00,567 and he says, "Stop." Me and Richard 630 00:35:00,567 --> 00:35:03,266 had already seen the crime scene photos, 631 00:35:03,333 --> 00:35:05,667 and I tapped Richard, and I said, "Let's get out of here." 632 00:35:05,667 --> 00:35:07,533 It wasn't gonna get any better for us. 633 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,967 NARRATOR: Kenny isn't the only witness to help the task force. 634 00:35:12,967 --> 00:35:17,867 We started developing a stable of cooperating witnesses. 635 00:35:17,934 --> 00:35:21,266 And on December 12th, 2000, 636 00:35:21,333 --> 00:35:25,667 the grand jury returned a 26-count indictment 637 00:35:25,734 --> 00:35:28,934 against Aric Sinclair and Karl Waldon. 638 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,867 NARRATOR: But before the indictment, Karl Waldon resigns 639 00:35:34,867 --> 00:35:37,233 from the department and moves to Virginia. 640 00:35:38,266 --> 00:35:40,367 TREW: We flew up and arrested Karl. 641 00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:45,266 I can remember as we walked up on him, 642 00:35:45,333 --> 00:35:47,467 he just said, "I knew you was coming." 643 00:35:47,467 --> 00:35:49,266 And, you know, put his hands 644 00:35:49,266 --> 00:35:51,367 behind his back, and we handcuffed him. 645 00:35:52,667 --> 00:35:54,166 He never made any statement. 646 00:35:58,066 --> 00:36:00,233 NARRATOR: Aric Sinclair is more helpful. 647 00:36:01,266 --> 00:36:03,266 KLINDT: Sinclair agreed to cooperate. 648 00:36:03,266 --> 00:36:06,567 So Waldon was the last man standing. 649 00:36:06,634 --> 00:36:08,567 All the rats are jumping ship, 650 00:36:08,567 --> 00:36:10,867 and who are they using for their lifeboat? 651 00:36:10,934 --> 00:36:12,200 Brother Waldon. 652 00:36:13,066 --> 00:36:15,567 NARRATOR: Sinclair claims that Waldon heard about the earlier 653 00:36:15,567 --> 00:36:19,634 robbery of Sami's nephew, Hussam Tahhan, and confronted him. 654 00:36:22,066 --> 00:36:24,867 Waldon told him, "I want part of that action." 655 00:36:24,934 --> 00:36:28,166 And, uh, and Sinclair told Waldon, he said, "Hey, look, 656 00:36:28,233 --> 00:36:30,100 "if there are two robberies in a row, 657 00:36:30,100 --> 00:36:32,467 "the same bank, under the same circumstances, 658 00:36:32,533 --> 00:36:35,166 I'm gonna be under the spotlight." 659 00:36:35,166 --> 00:36:38,100 Waldon really didn't give a damn. 660 00:36:38,100 --> 00:36:41,066 Waldon wanted that $50,000. 661 00:36:41,133 --> 00:36:43,467 So Sinclair told Waldon, "Look, I'll tell you that 662 00:36:43,467 --> 00:36:45,767 "there's a convenience store owner that comes, 663 00:36:45,767 --> 00:36:47,567 "what day he comes, what time he comes, 664 00:36:47,567 --> 00:36:49,066 "how much money he has, 665 00:36:49,133 --> 00:36:51,333 but I'm not gonna participate." 666 00:36:52,500 --> 00:36:56,266 NARRATOR: Waldon then recruited Kenny McLaughlin to assist him. 667 00:36:56,333 --> 00:36:59,166 Once Sami saw Waldon's face that day, 668 00:36:59,233 --> 00:37:01,667 the robbery turned deadly. 669 00:37:01,667 --> 00:37:04,667 KLINDT: Karl Waldon opened the back door of the police car, 670 00:37:04,734 --> 00:37:07,000 and he had a rope in his hand. 671 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:11,100 And this rope is provided to SWAT team members 672 00:37:11,100 --> 00:37:15,166 so they can practice tying their knots for rappelling. 673 00:37:15,166 --> 00:37:17,166 KLINDT: Karl Waldon was trained at 674 00:37:17,166 --> 00:37:21,133 the police academy in defensive tactics on chokeholds. 675 00:37:23,667 --> 00:37:25,567 McFADDEN: We all have seen cops go bad. 676 00:37:25,567 --> 00:37:29,166 But what's more disgusting is that you use part of 677 00:37:29,166 --> 00:37:32,266 your training and part of your departmental 678 00:37:32,266 --> 00:37:34,967 issued equipment to carry out a murder. 679 00:37:34,967 --> 00:37:37,567 Waldon kept his fellow officers off his trail, 680 00:37:37,634 --> 00:37:39,333 but now, they got him. 681 00:37:40,867 --> 00:37:42,266 NARRATOR: In 2002, 682 00:37:42,333 --> 00:37:45,367 more than four years after Sami Safar was killed, 683 00:37:45,433 --> 00:37:48,233 Karl Waldon goes on trial for his murder. 684 00:37:49,467 --> 00:37:52,066 WAUGH: Every time I would see Sami Safar's brother, 685 00:37:52,133 --> 00:37:53,567 Serri, in court, 686 00:37:53,567 --> 00:37:55,166 I knew he didn't want to be there. 687 00:37:55,233 --> 00:37:56,867 You could tell, 688 00:37:56,867 --> 00:37:59,166 but it felt like he was there because he owed it 689 00:37:59,233 --> 00:38:00,567 to his brother, 690 00:38:00,634 --> 00:38:05,767 and he came every day, leaving in tears, oftentimes kind of 691 00:38:05,767 --> 00:38:07,767 rushing to his car, afraid, 692 00:38:07,767 --> 00:38:11,767 just afraid that what happened to his brother could -- 693 00:38:11,767 --> 00:38:12,934 could happen to anyone. 694 00:38:15,767 --> 00:38:17,867 NARRATOR: Waldon is convicted and receives 695 00:38:17,867 --> 00:38:20,033 a life sentence for Sami's murder. 696 00:38:21,900 --> 00:38:23,567 Aric Sinclair is convicted of 697 00:38:23,567 --> 00:38:26,333 conspiracy to commit murder and robbery. 698 00:38:27,266 --> 00:38:30,033 He's sentenced to 17 years in prison. 699 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,667 FRAZIER: These are people who are thugs 700 00:38:34,734 --> 00:38:36,367 with a badge. 701 00:38:36,367 --> 00:38:38,867 They are organized crime. 702 00:38:38,867 --> 00:38:44,233 They bring new meaning to the old phrase cops and robbers. 703 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,667 Kenny McLaughlin is sentenced to 20 years 704 00:38:47,734 --> 00:38:50,266 in prison for felony murder. 705 00:38:50,266 --> 00:38:54,100 Ken McLaughlin really solved Sami Safar's murder, 706 00:38:54,100 --> 00:38:56,367 because had his conscience not 707 00:38:56,433 --> 00:38:58,767 have kicked in, Sami Safar's murder would never have 708 00:38:58,767 --> 00:39:00,467 been solved. 709 00:39:00,533 --> 00:39:01,567 That the informant brought 710 00:39:01,567 --> 00:39:03,967 a lot of information to the detective. 711 00:39:04,033 --> 00:39:06,567 But you had to think, these detectives was 712 00:39:06,567 --> 00:39:09,867 under great pressure, investigating one of their own 713 00:39:09,867 --> 00:39:13,266 for years -- the detectives used all of their resources, 714 00:39:13,266 --> 00:39:17,467 including the informant, to bring this case to a close. 715 00:39:17,533 --> 00:39:20,133 They are the authors of this investigation. 716 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:24,967 Law enforcement officers followed the evidence, 717 00:39:24,967 --> 00:39:26,667 fearlessly, to get 718 00:39:26,734 --> 00:39:31,634 what I believe was a tremendously just result. 719 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,066 We done what we're hired to do. 720 00:39:36,133 --> 00:39:37,266 If you're a police officer, 721 00:39:37,266 --> 00:39:39,967 it don't give you any right to commit a crime. 722 00:39:40,033 --> 00:39:43,667 I feel sad that any police officer will do something like 723 00:39:43,667 --> 00:39:46,567 this to cast the shadow on the rest of us 724 00:39:46,567 --> 00:39:48,166 that's trying to do the right thing. 725 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,333 BISPLINGHOFF: They have destroyed their careers. 726 00:39:52,266 --> 00:39:55,467 They all had bright futures, and unfortunately, they 727 00:39:55,533 --> 00:39:58,734 crossed the line, and it cost them that future. 728 00:40:00,767 --> 00:40:05,367 This case was dubbed the most significant corruption case in 729 00:40:05,367 --> 00:40:08,166 the history of the -- the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. 730 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,567 The criminal justice system let down the whole 731 00:40:11,567 --> 00:40:13,367 Safar family. 732 00:40:13,433 --> 00:40:17,667 But I hope they see that the system itself, 733 00:40:17,734 --> 00:40:20,266 in the bigger picture, uh, 734 00:40:20,333 --> 00:40:22,000 worked for them. 735 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,233 I hope that brings them a little bit of peace. 736 00:40:28,567 --> 00:40:32,033 NARRATOR: Many of Sami's family have since moved far away. 737 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,567 I think that this s changed that family forever 738 00:40:36,567 --> 00:40:39,567 and I hate that this happened to them. 739 00:40:40,767 --> 00:40:45,266 Serri felt so nervous and so unsafe in this country 740 00:40:45,266 --> 00:40:47,066 that he had to go back to Syria. 741 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:52,934 I just, I can't imagine going to Syria to feel safe. 742 00:40:53,967 --> 00:40:57,767 I have never, ever worked a case like this. 743 00:40:57,767 --> 00:41:01,767 I will never forget Sami Safar and what was done to him. 744 00:41:01,767 --> 00:41:03,066 I'll never forget it. 745 00:41:12,367 --> 00:41:14,166 [detective speaking] 746 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,467 I kept asking, "How did she die?" 747 00:41:21,166 --> 00:41:23,367 He betrayed his badge. 748 00:41:23,367 --> 00:41:25,667 [woman] They found who killed my sister, 749 00:41:25,667 --> 00:41:27,266 and I just couldn't believe 750 00:41:27,266 --> 00:41:28,867 it was a fricking cop.