1
00:00:12,979 --> 00:00:17,382
<i> - Two young men gunned down</i>
<i> in the heart of nashville.</i>

2
00:00:17,384 --> 00:00:19,718
<i> - One of them is</i>
<i> on the way to the hospital,</i>

3
00:00:19,786 --> 00:00:23,088
And the other one is here lying
in the middle of the street.

4
00:00:23,156 --> 00:00:26,525
<i> - A music community in shock.</i>

5
00:00:26,527 --> 00:00:29,328
<i> - A lot of people were</i>
<i> horrified when this happened,</i>

6
00:00:29,396 --> 00:00:31,062
<i> Because if it can</i>
<i> happen to them,</i>

7
00:00:31,132 --> 00:00:33,298
It can happen to any one of us.

8
00:00:33,366 --> 00:00:36,134
<i> - A rising star cut down</i>
<i> in his prime.</i>

9
00:00:36,203 --> 00:00:37,836
- This was his dream job.

10
00:00:37,905 --> 00:00:40,505
<i> - He was really</i>
<i> a lovable kind of guy</i>

11
00:00:40,507 --> 00:00:43,308
And was so obsessed
with music.

12
00:00:43,377 --> 00:00:46,511
<i> - A nearly impossible</i>
<i> search for evidence.</i>

13
00:00:46,580 --> 00:00:48,146
- I say, how big
of an area is this?

14
00:00:48,215 --> 00:00:51,516
He said, man, it's the side
of a mountain.

15
00:00:51,518 --> 00:00:53,685
<i> We find hundreds of bullets.</i>

16
00:00:53,754 --> 00:00:56,555
<i> - And a surprise confession</i>
<i> that finally reveals</i>

17
00:00:56,623 --> 00:00:58,991
<i> The sordid and sinful truth.</i>

18
00:00:59,059 --> 00:01:01,826
<i> - And so he tells me that...</i>

19
00:01:01,895 --> 00:01:04,362
He knows who killed
kevin hughes.

20
00:01:04,431 --> 00:01:07,532
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

21
00:01:07,601 --> 00:01:10,735
<i> ["just another ghost"]</i>

22
00:01:10,737 --> 00:01:13,204
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

23
00:01:13,274 --> 00:01:17,275
<i> - ♪ oh, child ♪</i>

24
00:01:17,344 --> 00:01:21,113
<i> ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

25
00:01:22,482 --> 00:01:24,016
<i> [bluesy country music]</i>

26
00:01:24,084 --> 00:01:27,051
[train bell ringing]

27
00:01:27,053 --> 00:01:28,219
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

28
00:01:28,289 --> 00:01:30,722
<i> - Nashville, tennessee--</i>

29
00:01:30,791 --> 00:01:34,960
<i> The undisputed capital</i>
<i> of the country-music business.</i>

30
00:01:35,028 --> 00:01:37,929
- It was always the place
people wanted to come.

31
00:01:37,931 --> 00:01:40,232
You came to nashville
to be a star.

32
00:01:40,300 --> 00:01:42,835
<i> - And in the late 1980s,</i>

33
00:01:42,903 --> 00:01:46,571
<i> This was a certified platinum</i>
<i> river of dreamers.</i>

34
00:01:46,573 --> 00:01:50,609
<i> [upbeat country music]</i>

35
00:01:50,677 --> 00:01:52,444
- You would see a lot of people
walking the streets

36
00:01:52,512 --> 00:01:53,712
With their guitar,

37
00:01:53,780 --> 00:01:55,980
Hoping that
somebody would discover them,

38
00:01:56,050 --> 00:01:57,749
<i> Wanting to make it big.</i>

39
00:01:57,751 --> 00:02:00,452
- They were coming in
by the busloads.

40
00:02:00,521 --> 00:02:02,454
<i> - But nobody expects</i>
<i> their dreams</i>

41
00:02:02,523 --> 00:02:05,223
<i> To end in a pool of blood</i>
<i> on music row.</i>

42
00:02:05,292 --> 00:02:08,593
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

43
00:02:08,595 --> 00:02:11,095
- That night, I was on call
as the primary

44
00:02:11,165 --> 00:02:12,464
In the murder squad.

45
00:02:12,532 --> 00:02:16,167
<i> I was at home</i>
<i> and just got a call.</i>

46
00:02:16,169 --> 00:02:18,137
<i> The homicide sergeant</i>
<i> at that time says,</i>

47
00:02:18,205 --> 00:02:20,172
Bill, we got bodies
laying everywhere

48
00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,574
Out on music row,

49
00:02:22,643 --> 00:02:25,144
<i> And you need to respond.</i>

50
00:02:26,747 --> 00:02:30,516
<i> And so I hop in the car</i>
<i> and drive to 16th avenue.</i>

51
00:02:30,584 --> 00:02:33,919
<i> - It's 11:00 p.M.</i>
<i> When detective pridemore</i>

52
00:02:33,921 --> 00:02:35,420
<i> Arrives outside</i>

53
00:02:35,488 --> 00:02:37,823
<i> Of evergreen records</i>
<i> recording studio.</i>

54
00:02:37,891 --> 00:02:41,793
<i> First responders</i>
<i> are already on hand.</i>

55
00:02:41,795 --> 00:02:44,362
<i> - One of the patrol officers--</i>

56
00:02:44,431 --> 00:02:46,364
He'd never seen
anything like it.

57
00:02:46,433 --> 00:02:47,666
There was so much blood.

58
00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:50,903
<i> - Two people were shot.</i>

59
00:02:50,971 --> 00:02:53,071
<i> One of them's on the way</i>
<i> to the hospital,</i>

60
00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:58,143
And the other one's here lying
in the middle of the street.

61
00:02:58,211 --> 00:02:59,678
<i> - The victims of the shooting</i>

62
00:02:59,746 --> 00:03:01,413
<i> Both have their wallets</i>
<i> with them</i>

63
00:03:01,481 --> 00:03:05,049
<i> And are identified</i>
<i> as 21-year-old sammy sadler</i>

64
00:03:05,119 --> 00:03:07,986
<i> And 23-year-old kevin hughes.</i>

65
00:03:08,054 --> 00:03:10,722
<i> Sammy is in an ambulance</i>
<i> on the way to the hospital,</i>

66
00:03:10,791 --> 00:03:15,293
<i> But kevin is dead from</i>
<i> multiple gunshots to the head.</i>

67
00:03:15,362 --> 00:03:17,495
<i> With the victims</i>
<i> accounted for,</i>

68
00:03:17,564 --> 00:03:19,498
<i> Detectives begin</i>
<i> a thorough investigation</i>

69
00:03:19,566 --> 00:03:20,932
<i> Of the crime scene.</i>

70
00:03:21,001 --> 00:03:25,904
- Kevin hughes had a hand wound
and head wound.

71
00:03:25,973 --> 00:03:28,073
<i> And then, naturally,</i>
<i> we had the bullets</i>

72
00:03:28,141 --> 00:03:32,143
<i> From kevin's body and the one</i>
<i> they found on the ground.</i>

73
00:03:32,212 --> 00:03:35,346
<i> But there's no footprints.</i>
<i> There's no tire marks.</i>

74
00:03:35,416 --> 00:03:38,349
It's on asphalt,
all concrete through there.

75
00:03:38,419 --> 00:03:41,720
<i> So there was no place to leave</i>
<i> any type of physical evidence.</i>

76
00:03:41,788 --> 00:03:44,923
So, hopefully,
someone saw the shooter.

77
00:03:47,661 --> 00:03:50,362
<i> - While kevin's body is taken</i>
<i> to the medical examiner</i>

78
00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:51,997
<i> For an autopsy,</i>

79
00:03:52,065 --> 00:03:53,532
<i> Sammy is rushed into surgery</i>

80
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,800
<i> For his life-threatening</i>
<i> injuries.</i>

81
00:03:55,869 --> 00:03:58,370
<i> - Sammy was bleeding to death.</i>

82
00:03:58,438 --> 00:04:00,271
The bullet hit a major artery

83
00:04:00,341 --> 00:04:03,508
And smashed
through a nerve cluster.

84
00:04:03,577 --> 00:04:05,510
<i> - With sammy in surgery,</i>

85
00:04:05,579 --> 00:04:09,848
<i> Detectives will have to wait</i>
<i> until morning to talk to him.</i>

86
00:04:09,916 --> 00:04:12,651
<i> So they begin to canvass</i>
<i> the neighborhood</i>

87
00:04:12,719 --> 00:04:15,687
<i> And find several folks</i>
<i> who were inside their homes</i>

88
00:04:15,756 --> 00:04:18,857
<i> When they heard gunfire</i>
<i> around 9:00 p.M.</i>

89
00:04:18,925 --> 00:04:20,358
- They said that they heard
one gunshot.

90
00:04:20,427 --> 00:04:22,127
<i> [gunshot]</i>

91
00:04:22,195 --> 00:04:25,797
<i> - The shocked witnesses</i>
<i> tell a consistent story.</i>

92
00:04:25,866 --> 00:04:27,131
<i> They looked out their windows</i>

93
00:04:27,201 --> 00:04:29,668
<i> And saw a man stumbling</i>
<i> out of a parked car,</i>

94
00:04:29,736 --> 00:04:32,637
<i> Blood streaming down his body.</i>

95
00:04:32,706 --> 00:04:35,473
<i> That man was sammy sadler.</i>

96
00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:38,242
<i> - Then they saw kevin running</i>
<i> down the street,</i>

97
00:04:38,244 --> 00:04:41,079
<i> And then they saw the shooter</i>
<i> chasing him, firing a shot.</i>

98
00:04:41,147 --> 00:04:42,347
[gunshot]

99
00:04:42,416 --> 00:04:44,916
Then he said,
now I'm going to kill you,

100
00:04:44,985 --> 00:04:47,285
Just like that,
and fired two rounds...

101
00:04:47,354 --> 00:04:49,421
[gunshots]

102
00:04:49,489 --> 00:04:52,791
And then took off.

103
00:04:52,859 --> 00:04:55,660
<i> Sammy then runs up</i>
<i> to the third floor</i>

104
00:04:55,662 --> 00:04:57,762
<i> Of an apartment building</i>

105
00:04:57,764 --> 00:04:59,831
<i> And runs</i>
<i> into somebody's apartment,</i>

106
00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:03,368
<i> Who administered first aid</i>
<i> and called the police</i>

107
00:05:03,437 --> 00:05:04,569
<i> And called an ambulance.</i>

108
00:05:04,638 --> 00:05:06,771
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

109
00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:10,642
<i> - The witnesses described</i>
<i> a guy who was really stocky</i>

110
00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:13,478
And dressed all in black.

111
00:05:13,546 --> 00:05:15,480
<i> - Multiple witnesses said</i>

112
00:05:15,482 --> 00:05:17,949
That it was someone
wearing a ski mask.

113
00:05:18,018 --> 00:05:21,786
<i> - They also report</i>
<i> that the shooter fled on foot.</i>

114
00:05:21,788 --> 00:05:23,822
- And he ran with a limp.

115
00:05:25,992 --> 00:05:28,893
We were hoping, as we did
a canvass of the neighborhood,

116
00:05:28,895 --> 00:05:31,796
<i> That someone may have seen him</i>
<i> prior to the murder</i>

117
00:05:31,865 --> 00:05:33,564
And then seen him afterwards.

118
00:05:33,566 --> 00:05:36,601
But we were not able
to find him.

119
00:05:36,670 --> 00:05:40,805
So I'm hoping sammy could
tell us who the shooter is

120
00:05:40,807 --> 00:05:41,873
Or give us some sort of idea,

121
00:05:41,942 --> 00:05:44,843
'cause at this point,
we don't have any information.

122
00:05:44,911 --> 00:05:47,412
<i> But we have to wait</i>
<i> until he's stable enough</i>

123
00:05:47,481 --> 00:05:49,213
<i> To where we can talk to him.</i>

124
00:05:49,215 --> 00:05:51,616
<i> - Investigators</i>
<i> struggle to answer</i>

125
00:05:51,685 --> 00:05:54,853
<i> The most basic questions</i>
<i> about the crime.</i>

126
00:05:54,921 --> 00:05:57,289
- We didn't know the motive
for what happened.

127
00:05:57,357 --> 00:05:58,757
<i> We had motives</i>

128
00:05:58,825 --> 00:06:02,293
<i> That it was just an innocent,</i>
<i> mistaken identity.</i>

129
00:06:02,362 --> 00:06:05,363
<i> I was thinking, well,</i>
<i> maybe it could be a robbery,</i>

130
00:06:05,432 --> 00:06:06,464
<i> You know, because there's been</i>

131
00:06:06,533 --> 00:06:09,234
<i> A lot of robberies</i>
<i> in the area.</i>

132
00:06:09,302 --> 00:06:10,969
<i> - But under scrutiny,</i>

133
00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:13,571
<i> The robbery angle</i>
<i> holds little water.</i>

134
00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,040
- If it was a robbery,

135
00:06:16,109 --> 00:06:19,110
He would have
at least attempted to get,

136
00:06:19,179 --> 00:06:21,846
<i> You know, his belongings</i>
<i> from him.</i>

137
00:06:21,848 --> 00:06:23,381
<i> The shooter made no attempt.</i>

138
00:06:23,450 --> 00:06:26,218
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

139
00:06:26,286 --> 00:06:29,221
<i> - With two victims,</i>
<i> one alive and one dead,</i>

140
00:06:29,289 --> 00:06:32,857
<i> Detectives wonder</i>
<i> who was the intended target</i>

141
00:06:32,926 --> 00:06:35,860
<i> Or if this was just</i>
<i> a random attack.</i>

142
00:06:35,862 --> 00:06:38,763
- So we were investigating it
from every angle.

143
00:06:38,832 --> 00:06:40,832
<i> [indistinct chatter</i>
<i> over police radio]</i>

144
00:06:40,901 --> 00:06:42,767
<i> - It's late in the night</i>

145
00:06:42,836 --> 00:06:45,303
<i> When detectives finish up</i>
<i> at the crime scene.</i>

146
00:06:45,371 --> 00:06:46,738
<i> But it is critical</i>

147
00:06:46,807 --> 00:06:49,440
<i> To inform kevin hughes'</i>
<i> next of kin of his death.</i>

148
00:06:49,442 --> 00:06:51,943
<i> Sammy's friends and family</i>
<i> are also informed</i>

149
00:06:52,012 --> 00:06:54,479
<i> About his serious condition.</i>

150
00:06:54,548 --> 00:06:57,048
- We would make that
a top priority,

151
00:06:57,117 --> 00:06:59,151
Is to let the family know

152
00:06:59,219 --> 00:07:01,420
Before the word
gets out on the street.

153
00:07:01,488 --> 00:07:05,423
<i> - Kevin's parents are shocked</i>
<i> by their son's murder.</i>

154
00:07:05,491 --> 00:07:09,594
- Anytime you notify next
of kin, you know, it's hard.

155
00:07:09,662 --> 00:07:12,630
It's...

156
00:07:12,699 --> 00:07:15,233
You know, you want
to ask them questions,

157
00:07:15,302 --> 00:07:19,637
<i> But you got to be sympathetic</i>
<i> enough to let them grieve.</i>

158
00:07:19,706 --> 00:07:22,874
<i> [somber music]</i>

159
00:07:22,943 --> 00:07:26,110
<i> - Hours later, with sammy</i>
<i> in critical condition,</i>

160
00:07:26,112 --> 00:07:30,181
<i> Nashville wakes up</i>
<i> to the tragic news.</i>

161
00:07:30,250 --> 00:07:32,417
<i> - I was getting ready</i>
<i> for work,</i>

162
00:07:32,485 --> 00:07:34,652
<i> And I was watching television.</i>

163
00:07:34,721 --> 00:07:37,922
<i> And they broke in</i>
<i> with the local news.</i>

164
00:07:37,924 --> 00:07:39,825
They said
kevin had been killed.

165
00:07:41,261 --> 00:07:45,129
I felt very, very sad
and very scared.

166
00:07:45,198 --> 00:07:48,700
<i> - A lot of people were</i>
<i> horrified when this happened,</i>

167
00:07:48,768 --> 00:07:50,935
Because if it can
happen to them,

168
00:07:50,937 --> 00:07:52,336
It can happen to any one of us.

169
00:07:52,406 --> 00:07:54,606
And so I think

170
00:07:54,674 --> 00:07:57,842
There was
a legitimate level of fear.

171
00:07:57,844 --> 00:08:00,311
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

172
00:08:00,380 --> 00:08:02,513
<i> - At that point</i>
<i> in the investigation,</i>

173
00:08:02,515 --> 00:08:04,082
<i> Every option is on the table.</i>

174
00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:07,219
<i> But you still have to do</i>
<i> what we call the victimology.</i>

175
00:08:07,287 --> 00:08:09,554
<i> - Detectives discover</i>
<i> that sammy sadler</i>

176
00:08:09,623 --> 00:08:11,722
<i> Is a singer-songwriter.</i>

177
00:08:11,724 --> 00:08:13,892
<i> The deceased victim,</i>
<i> kevin hughes,</i>

178
00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,695
<i> Worked at "cash box" magazine</i>
<i> as a chart director.</i>

179
00:08:17,764 --> 00:08:20,231
<i> - Kevin hughes was</i>

180
00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:25,269
A country boy from a small town
in illinois.

181
00:08:25,338 --> 00:08:27,505
<i> - Kevin was pretty much</i>
<i> brought up--</i>

182
00:08:27,574 --> 00:08:31,076
Very, very christian family,
went to church every week.

183
00:08:31,144 --> 00:08:35,379
<i> And kevin just was</i>
<i> so obsessed with music.</i>

184
00:08:35,449 --> 00:08:38,983
<i> And he kind of reminded me</i>
<i> of winnie the pooh.</i>

185
00:08:39,052 --> 00:08:41,019
He was really
a lovable kind of guy--

186
00:08:41,087 --> 00:08:45,990
You know, just always happy,
jumping around.

187
00:08:46,059 --> 00:08:50,194
<i> - He had a lifelong dream</i>
<i> of charting music.</i>

188
00:08:50,196 --> 00:08:54,733
<i> - Charting music is when</i>
<i> you rank songs by popularity.</i>

189
00:08:56,002 --> 00:08:57,836
<i> - Back when he was</i>
<i> in high school,</i>

190
00:08:57,904 --> 00:09:00,304
<i> He would chart songs</i>
<i> on the radio</i>

191
00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:03,274
And see how close
his charts came up

192
00:09:03,343 --> 00:09:04,809
With the official charts.

193
00:09:04,878 --> 00:09:08,580
<i> And he did that</i>
<i> most of his adolescent life.</i>

194
00:09:08,648 --> 00:09:11,215
<i> - In 1984,</i>
<i> kevin moved to nashville</i>

195
00:09:11,217 --> 00:09:13,818
<i> To attend belmont university,</i>

196
00:09:13,887 --> 00:09:16,488
<i> The preeminent school</i>
<i> for the music business.</i>

197
00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:18,623
<i> - But he left belmont</i>

198
00:09:18,692 --> 00:09:20,625
<i> When he was entering</i>
<i> his senior year</i>

199
00:09:20,694 --> 00:09:24,329
To go full-time
at "cash box" magazine.

200
00:09:24,397 --> 00:09:26,364
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

201
00:09:26,433 --> 00:09:29,433
<i> He had been working there</i>
<i> as an intern,</i>

202
00:09:29,503 --> 00:09:33,237
And the position came open
for him to take it

203
00:09:33,239 --> 00:09:36,908
<i> As the chart director,</i>
<i> and this was his dream job.</i>

204
00:09:36,976 --> 00:09:39,744
<i> [bluesy country music]</i>

205
00:09:39,746 --> 00:09:43,581
<i> - Kevin and I were coworkers</i>
<i> at "cash box" magazine.</i>

206
00:09:43,649 --> 00:09:47,819
So "cash box" is a magazine
sort of like "billboard."

207
00:09:47,887 --> 00:09:50,088
<i> They have their charts.</i>

208
00:09:50,156 --> 00:09:52,690
<i> - Radio stations report daily</i>

209
00:09:52,759 --> 00:09:54,826
How many times
they played this song,

210
00:09:54,894 --> 00:09:58,062
<i> How many times</i>
<i> it was requested.</i>

211
00:09:58,064 --> 00:10:00,464
<i> The more times it had been</i>
<i> played on the radio,</i>

212
00:10:00,534 --> 00:10:02,600
<i> The higher up you are</i>
<i> on the chart,</i>

213
00:10:02,668 --> 00:10:06,704
<i> Which would regulate into</i>
<i> sales of the actual record.</i>

214
00:10:06,706 --> 00:10:10,274
<i> - Kevin loved his job.</i>
<i> I mean, absolutely loved it.</i>

215
00:10:10,343 --> 00:10:14,412
And by the time I got there,
he was just in his element.

216
00:10:14,481 --> 00:10:18,082
<i> - Kevin's job brought him</i>
<i> in proximity to the musicians</i>

217
00:10:18,084 --> 00:10:20,151
<i> That he had long idolized,</i>

218
00:10:20,220 --> 00:10:23,888
<i> Including the other shooting</i>
<i> victim, sammy sadler.</i>

219
00:10:23,957 --> 00:10:26,657
- Sammy saddler, reason why
he was in nashville,

220
00:10:26,727 --> 00:10:29,227
He wanted to make it big
as an artist.

221
00:10:29,295 --> 00:10:30,461
<i> - He had the dream</i>

222
00:10:30,463 --> 00:10:32,631
<i> That so many people coming</i>
<i> to nashville do have</i>

223
00:10:32,699 --> 00:10:34,832
<i> Of wanting to be that guy</i>
<i> at the top of the charts</i>

224
00:10:34,901 --> 00:10:37,135
At some point and wanting
to sell out those crowds

225
00:10:37,203 --> 00:10:40,771
And make money
doing what he loves.

226
00:10:40,841 --> 00:10:43,207
<i> - In nashville,</i>
<i> that hunger for fame</i>

227
00:10:43,276 --> 00:10:46,010
<i> Is like weeds in a vacant lot.</i>

228
00:10:46,012 --> 00:10:48,112
<i> It's everywhere.</i>

229
00:10:48,181 --> 00:10:49,613
<i> - It's a hard industry</i>
<i> to be in.</i>

230
00:10:49,683 --> 00:10:52,016
<i> You're doing anything you can</i>
<i> to get ahead</i>

231
00:10:52,085 --> 00:10:54,886
And get discovered
and have that big break.

232
00:10:54,954 --> 00:10:58,022
<i> - In the music scene,</i>
<i> there's a lot of greed,</i>

233
00:10:58,091 --> 00:11:01,392
A lot of people
willing to cut corners.

234
00:11:01,461 --> 00:11:03,595
<i> - That also opens</i>
<i> all these different avenues</i>

235
00:11:03,663 --> 00:11:06,363
<i> For people to find ways</i>
<i> to get to the top</i>

236
00:11:06,433 --> 00:11:09,934
That might not be the right way
to get to the top.

237
00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:13,004
<i> - Detectives have to wonder</i>
<i> if the shooting</i>

238
00:11:13,072 --> 00:11:16,874
<i> Was driven by the sins</i>
<i> of greed and ambition.</i>

239
00:11:16,943 --> 00:11:18,510
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

240
00:11:18,578 --> 00:11:20,712
<i> - In my years</i>
<i> in law enforcement,</i>

241
00:11:20,780 --> 00:11:24,048
<i> It's money, sex, or power</i>

242
00:11:24,117 --> 00:11:26,951
That fuels violence and crime.

243
00:11:27,020 --> 00:11:29,721
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

244
00:11:29,789 --> 00:11:32,456
<i> - 24 hours after being shot,</i>

245
00:11:32,525 --> 00:11:35,759
<i> Sammy sadler wakes up</i>
<i> from multiple surgeries.</i>

246
00:11:35,761 --> 00:11:37,561
<i> One bullet lodged in his arm</i>

247
00:11:37,631 --> 00:11:39,964
<i> Will stay there</i>
<i> the rest of his life.</i>

248
00:11:40,033 --> 00:11:41,332
<i> Detectives are waiting</i>

249
00:11:41,401 --> 00:11:43,835
<i> And expecting answers</i>
<i> to their questions.</i>

250
00:11:43,903 --> 00:11:45,569
<i> - He seemed</i>
<i> a little traumatized,</i>

251
00:11:45,639 --> 00:11:49,740
But sammy was coherent enough
for us to talk to him.

252
00:11:49,810 --> 00:11:51,109
<i> - Coming up...</i>

253
00:11:51,177 --> 00:11:52,577
<i> - I'll never forget.</i>

254
00:11:52,645 --> 00:11:54,779
He said, sue, there's something
that happened

255
00:11:54,847 --> 00:11:57,315
That concerns me
and upsets me.

256
00:11:57,383 --> 00:12:00,318
<i> - Sammy sadler told us that</i>
<i> on the night of the murder,</i>

257
00:12:00,386 --> 00:12:01,853
<i> Somebody was knocking</i>
<i> on the door.</i>

258
00:12:01,921 --> 00:12:03,655
- The killer came out

259
00:12:03,723 --> 00:12:08,192
<i> And killed kevin there</i>
<i> like it was a setup.</i>

260
00:12:08,261 --> 00:12:11,930
<i> - ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

261
00:12:15,534 --> 00:12:19,871
<i> - ♪ judgment day shall come ♪</i>

262
00:12:19,939 --> 00:12:22,807
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

263
00:12:22,875 --> 00:12:24,075
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

264
00:12:24,143 --> 00:12:26,110
<i> - The shootings</i>
<i> of sammy sadler</i>

265
00:12:26,112 --> 00:12:27,478
<i> And kevin hughes</i>

266
00:12:27,547 --> 00:12:29,748
<i> Outside of a nashville</i>
<i> recording studio,</i>

267
00:12:29,816 --> 00:12:31,983
<i> Have rocked</i>
<i> the city's music world.</i>

268
00:12:32,051 --> 00:12:34,018
<i> - You know,</i>
<i> I started thinking about,</i>

269
00:12:34,087 --> 00:12:35,386
Maybe I ought to get a weapon

270
00:12:35,455 --> 00:12:37,088
To carry with me and stuff,
you know?

271
00:12:38,524 --> 00:12:41,058
<i> - Detectives are mystified</i>
<i> by the crime.</i>

272
00:12:41,127 --> 00:12:43,294
<i> But with sammy finally awake</i>

273
00:12:43,363 --> 00:12:46,730
<i> After going through multiple</i>
<i> surgeries on his injured arm,</i>

274
00:12:46,732 --> 00:12:51,169
<i> They are hoping he can provide</i>
<i> answers to their questions.</i>

275
00:12:51,237 --> 00:12:53,237
<i> - The first time I saw him,</i>
<i> had his arm up.</i>

276
00:12:53,239 --> 00:12:54,572
<i> You know, his arm was hurting.</i>

277
00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,008
We didn't know if
he could remember everything.

278
00:12:57,076 --> 00:12:58,976
There was a possibility
he didn't.

279
00:12:59,045 --> 00:13:01,379
<i> - Sammy is sedated and bleary,</i>

280
00:13:01,447 --> 00:13:04,115
<i> But he asks detectives</i>
<i> about kevin.</i>

281
00:13:04,183 --> 00:13:07,886
- He didn't know
that kevin was dead.

282
00:13:07,954 --> 00:13:10,888
<i> That was just one more punch</i>
<i> in the gut for sammy.</i>

283
00:13:10,890 --> 00:13:12,990
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

284
00:13:13,059 --> 00:13:15,759
<i> - Despite</i>
<i> sammy's physical trauma,</i>

285
00:13:15,761 --> 00:13:18,996
<i> Detectives have to try and get</i>
<i> as much information from him</i>

286
00:13:19,065 --> 00:13:20,864
<i> As quickly as possible.</i>

287
00:13:20,866 --> 00:13:23,735
<i> - Sammy told us that</i>
<i> on the night of the murder,</i>

288
00:13:23,803 --> 00:13:26,104
<i> Kevin was working late.</i>

289
00:13:26,172 --> 00:13:27,405
<i> It was a Thursday.</i>

290
00:13:27,473 --> 00:13:29,541
<i> He had to get the charts out</i>
<i> for Friday</i>

291
00:13:29,609 --> 00:13:32,276
For the edition of "cash box."

292
00:13:32,345 --> 00:13:35,279
<i> So sammy called him</i>
<i> and asked him to go out.</i>

293
00:13:35,348 --> 00:13:38,082
<i> They had dinner,</i>
<i> and then they stopped</i>

294
00:13:38,150 --> 00:13:41,885
<i> At evergreen records,</i>
<i> the recording studio,</i>

295
00:13:41,887 --> 00:13:44,355
After dinner
to make a phone call.

296
00:13:44,424 --> 00:13:46,157
<i> - But sammy tells detectives</i>

297
00:13:46,226 --> 00:13:48,793
<i> That while he was making</i>
<i> that call to his folks,</i>

298
00:13:48,861 --> 00:13:51,028
<i> Something strange happened.</i>

299
00:13:51,097 --> 00:13:53,197
<i> - Somebody was knocking</i>
<i> on the door.</i>

300
00:13:53,266 --> 00:13:54,832
<i> So kevin went to the door.</i>

301
00:13:54,901 --> 00:13:57,301
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

302
00:13:57,303 --> 00:14:00,205
But he came back and said,
I can't see anybody.

303
00:14:01,907 --> 00:14:05,576
<i> After sammy had finished</i>
<i> his phone conversation,</i>

304
00:14:05,645 --> 00:14:08,679
<i> He and kevin walked out.</i>

305
00:14:08,681 --> 00:14:10,081
Kevin had parked his car

306
00:14:10,149 --> 00:14:13,517
On the south side
of 16th avenue.

307
00:14:13,519 --> 00:14:15,653
<i> As kevin had gotten</i>
<i> into the car,</i>

308
00:14:15,722 --> 00:14:17,855
<i> Sammy was opening the car</i>
<i> and getting into it</i>

309
00:14:17,923 --> 00:14:21,158
<i> When the shooter approached</i>
<i> sammy and shot him.</i>

310
00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,461
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

311
00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:26,864
<i> And then kevin was sitting</i>
<i> in the car,</i>

312
00:14:26,933 --> 00:14:28,532
<i> Saw what was going on,</i>

313
00:14:28,601 --> 00:14:31,068
<i> And he jumped out of the car</i>
<i> and started running.</i>

314
00:14:31,137 --> 00:14:33,504
<i> He got shot once</i>
<i> while he was running...</i>

315
00:14:33,573 --> 00:14:34,738
[gunshot]

316
00:14:34,808 --> 00:14:36,341
<i> Fell down.</i>

317
00:14:36,409 --> 00:14:39,010
<i> Then the shooter came over,</i>

318
00:14:39,078 --> 00:14:40,644
Stood over him,

319
00:14:40,713 --> 00:14:41,913
<i> Fired two more rounds...</i>

320
00:14:41,981 --> 00:14:43,681
<i> [gunshots]</i>

321
00:14:43,749 --> 00:14:45,916
And then ran off.

322
00:14:45,918 --> 00:14:49,186
So we were under the impression
that the main target was kevin.

323
00:14:49,255 --> 00:14:53,424
<i> - Sammy swears he never got</i>
<i> a good look at the triggerman.</i>

324
00:14:53,493 --> 00:14:56,093
<i> - Sammy wasn't able to give us</i>
<i> a very good description</i>

325
00:14:56,162 --> 00:14:57,561
<i> Of the shooter,</i>

326
00:14:57,563 --> 00:15:00,698
Just that he was stocky
and had a ski mask.

327
00:15:00,767 --> 00:15:03,834
<i> - But there's one detail</i>
<i> about sammy's story</i>

328
00:15:03,903 --> 00:15:06,904
<i> That doesn't sit quite right</i>
<i> with detectives.</i>

329
00:15:06,972 --> 00:15:10,374
<i> - We kept asking, who decided</i>
<i> to go over to evergreen?</i>

330
00:15:10,376 --> 00:15:12,676
Did kevin know
you were going to evergreen?

331
00:15:12,745 --> 00:15:13,611
<i> So you're looking at it</i>

332
00:15:13,679 --> 00:15:15,313
<i> From an investigator's</i>
<i> point of view.</i>

333
00:15:15,381 --> 00:15:18,916
<i> It seemed like sammy is</i>
<i> the one that asked him to go.</i>

334
00:15:18,984 --> 00:15:22,353
<i> - Could sammy have set</i>
<i> this whole thing up?</i>

335
00:15:22,422 --> 00:15:25,656
<i> - My idea was</i>
<i> that if he is involved,</i>

336
00:15:25,725 --> 00:15:27,425
<i> He had to set up</i>

337
00:15:27,493 --> 00:15:30,794
Where they were going to be
that night.

338
00:15:30,864 --> 00:15:32,163
<i> - Detectives know</i>

339
00:15:32,231 --> 00:15:34,665
<i> That for an ambitious</i>
<i> young country artist,</i>

340
00:15:34,734 --> 00:15:37,568
<i> The music charts are essential</i>
<i> to success.</i>

341
00:15:37,637 --> 00:15:41,272
<i> Could that be connected</i>
<i> to the motive to kill kevin?</i>

342
00:15:41,341 --> 00:15:44,708
<i> Detectives press sammy</i>
<i> for more information.</i>

343
00:15:44,777 --> 00:15:47,545
- We asked him, you know,
did you shoot him?

344
00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:49,580
Were you involved?

345
00:15:49,582 --> 00:15:51,315
<i> - They couldn't get over</i>
<i> the fact</i>

346
00:15:51,317 --> 00:15:52,249
<i> That they were together</i>

347
00:15:52,318 --> 00:15:57,088
And the killer came out
and killed kevin there,

348
00:15:57,156 --> 00:15:59,323
<i> Like it was a setup.</i>

349
00:15:59,392 --> 00:16:01,292
<i> - We thought,</i>
<i> if he is involved,</i>

350
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:02,961
Maybe somebody paid him

351
00:16:03,029 --> 00:16:05,162
To bring him back
to the office.

352
00:16:05,231 --> 00:16:07,931
<i> And then</i>
<i> when we leave the office,</i>

353
00:16:07,933 --> 00:16:09,734
<i> That's your chance.</i>

354
00:16:09,802 --> 00:16:13,170
<i> - And sammy further stokes</i>
<i> investigators' suspicions</i>

355
00:16:13,239 --> 00:16:15,707
<i> When he asks</i>
<i> for police protection.</i>

356
00:16:15,775 --> 00:16:19,911
- Why was he so concerned
about someone coming after him

357
00:16:19,979 --> 00:16:22,179
<i> If it was, you know, robbery?</i>

358
00:16:22,248 --> 00:16:26,217
<i> Maybe these guys were coming</i>
<i> after him to take care of him.</i>

359
00:16:26,285 --> 00:16:28,119
If they're going to kill one,
why not kill the guy

360
00:16:28,187 --> 00:16:30,354
That could snitch on them?

361
00:16:30,423 --> 00:16:31,855
<i> We just didn't feel like</i>

362
00:16:31,857 --> 00:16:34,758
<i> He was being</i>
<i> completely honest with us.</i>

363
00:16:34,827 --> 00:16:37,094
<i> I suspected him</i>
<i> of being involved in it,</i>

364
00:16:37,096 --> 00:16:39,029
Either directly or indirectly.

365
00:16:39,031 --> 00:16:41,965
<i> - Detectives asked kevin's</i>
<i> "cash box" colleagues</i>

366
00:16:41,967 --> 00:16:43,867
<i> About sammy.</i>

367
00:16:43,869 --> 00:16:47,471
- Sammy was probably
kevin's one friend

368
00:16:47,473 --> 00:16:49,907
Outside the office
that I know about,

369
00:16:49,975 --> 00:16:53,377
<i> And I think they did</i>
<i> a lot of things together.</i>

370
00:16:53,379 --> 00:16:55,613
<i> I know that the night</i>
<i> he was killed,</i>

371
00:16:55,681 --> 00:16:59,216
<i> Kevin was working late</i>
<i> on the charts.</i>

372
00:16:59,285 --> 00:17:02,620
<i> And sammy came by...</i>

373
00:17:02,688 --> 00:17:06,023
<i> I guess,</i>
<i> just to keep him company.</i>

374
00:17:06,092 --> 00:17:08,992
But I didn't know
any more than that.

375
00:17:08,994 --> 00:17:11,362
<i> - When sammy is released</i>
<i> from the hospital,</i>

376
00:17:11,431 --> 00:17:14,231
<i> Detectives try</i>
<i> one last technique</i>

377
00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:16,767
<i> To determine</i>
<i> if he's telling the truth--</i>

378
00:17:16,836 --> 00:17:18,936
<i> A polygraph test.</i>

379
00:17:19,005 --> 00:17:20,238
- He passed.

380
00:17:20,306 --> 00:17:22,239
<i> So that gave us</i>
<i> a little more information</i>

381
00:17:22,308 --> 00:17:25,943
That maybe he just didn't know.

382
00:17:26,012 --> 00:17:28,245
<i> - And if he had set up</i>
<i> kevin's murder</i>

383
00:17:28,314 --> 00:17:30,514
<i> And used his own shooting</i>
<i> as a cover,</i>

384
00:17:30,516 --> 00:17:32,483
<i> The grave injuries he suffered</i>

385
00:17:32,552 --> 00:17:35,919
<i> Made it</i>
<i> an exceptionally risky plan.</i>

386
00:17:35,921 --> 00:17:39,390
- You know, you never know
how a bullet travels.

387
00:17:39,459 --> 00:17:42,293
It could have gone anywhere
and killed him.

388
00:17:42,361 --> 00:17:46,464
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

389
00:17:46,532 --> 00:17:49,700
<i> - Detectives now think</i>
<i> sammy is an innocent victim.</i>

390
00:17:49,769 --> 00:17:51,735
<i> So they clear him as a suspect</i>

391
00:17:51,737 --> 00:17:54,572
<i> And leave him</i>
<i> to continue his recovery.</i>

392
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,207
<i> Back in illinois,</i>
<i> family and friends gather</i>

393
00:17:57,277 --> 00:17:59,443
<i> For kevin hughes' funeral.</i>

394
00:17:59,512 --> 00:18:01,745
<i> - It was</i>
<i> a small, little church.</i>

395
00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:06,417
<i> His dad consoled me, you know,</i>
<i> because I was crying</i>

396
00:18:06,485 --> 00:18:09,320
<i> And I was very upset.</i>

397
00:18:09,388 --> 00:18:11,555
<i> He had very strong</i>
<i> christian faith,</i>

398
00:18:11,557 --> 00:18:13,657
And so he was just saying,
well, you know,

399
00:18:13,726 --> 00:18:16,227
Kevin's up in heaven,
and he's with the angels.

400
00:18:16,295 --> 00:18:18,829
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

401
00:18:18,898 --> 00:18:21,732
<i> - After the funeral,</i>
<i> detectives ask kevin's family</i>

402
00:18:21,801 --> 00:18:24,968
<i> If there was anything unusual</i>
<i> going on in his life</i>

403
00:18:25,038 --> 00:18:26,737
<i> Before his death.</i>

404
00:18:26,739 --> 00:18:28,405
<i> And that's when they learn</i>

405
00:18:28,474 --> 00:18:30,041
<i> That shortly</i>
<i> before his murder,</i>

406
00:18:30,109 --> 00:18:34,178
<i> Kevin had divulged</i>
<i> some surprising news.</i>

407
00:18:34,247 --> 00:18:36,747
- His father gave us
the information

408
00:18:36,749 --> 00:18:40,183
That some things
have happened in his job,

409
00:18:40,185 --> 00:18:42,886
And he had to make a decision.

410
00:18:42,955 --> 00:18:45,989
<i> He was thinking</i>
<i> about leaving nashville.</i>

411
00:18:46,059 --> 00:18:49,660
He was thinking about leaving
because of his job.

412
00:18:49,729 --> 00:18:53,797
<i> - Kevin's parents knew that</i>
<i> he was worried and anxious,</i>

413
00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:55,967
And they knew
it was about his job.

414
00:18:56,035 --> 00:18:58,735
<i> But I don't think</i>
<i> that he had told them</i>

415
00:18:58,805 --> 00:19:01,973
<i> Exactly what was going on</i>
<i> he was upset about.</i>

416
00:19:02,041 --> 00:19:03,541
<i> - Kevin's colleague sue</i>

417
00:19:03,609 --> 00:19:06,677
<i> Confirms what</i>
<i> his parents told detectives.</i>

418
00:19:06,746 --> 00:19:08,379
- I'll never forget.

419
00:19:08,447 --> 00:19:11,749
He said, sue, there's something
that happened

420
00:19:11,817 --> 00:19:14,085
That concerns me and upsets me,

421
00:19:14,153 --> 00:19:15,619
And I want to talk to you
about it,

422
00:19:15,621 --> 00:19:17,288
But I want to talk
to my parents first.

423
00:19:17,356 --> 00:19:18,922
<i> I just don't know,</i>

424
00:19:18,991 --> 00:19:21,291
<i> But it was weighing</i>
<i> really heavily on his mind.</i>

425
00:19:21,361 --> 00:19:24,895
He was scared of something.

426
00:19:24,964 --> 00:19:28,699
<i> - ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

427
00:19:29,968 --> 00:19:36,974
<i> - ♪ judgment day shall come ♪</i>

428
00:19:37,042 --> 00:19:39,810
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

429
00:19:39,879 --> 00:19:41,913
<i> - A week</i>
<i> into the investigation</i>

430
00:19:41,981 --> 00:19:43,914
<i> Into the brazen shooting</i>

431
00:19:43,983 --> 00:19:46,850
<i> Of "cash box" magazine</i>
<i> chart director kevin hughes,</i>

432
00:19:46,919 --> 00:19:50,654
<i> Detectives learned that he had</i>
<i> some problems with work,</i>

433
00:19:50,723 --> 00:19:52,957
<i> And they wonder</i>
<i> what could drive him</i>

434
00:19:53,025 --> 00:19:56,426
<i> To want to quit his dream job</i>
<i> and leave nashville.</i>

435
00:19:56,496 --> 00:20:00,664
<i> - It is weird for someone to</i>
<i> want to leave that environment</i>

436
00:20:00,666 --> 00:20:03,934
Unless it was
a hostile environment.

437
00:20:04,003 --> 00:20:07,038
<i> - Detectives interview</i>
<i> everyone at "cash box,"</i>

438
00:20:07,106 --> 00:20:10,441
<i> Hoping to find</i>
<i> the source of kevin's problem.</i>

439
00:20:10,509 --> 00:20:14,678
- Trying to find out
all about kevin's history

440
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,547
And working pattern--

441
00:20:16,616 --> 00:20:19,917
Who he worked with,
who his friends were.

442
00:20:19,985 --> 00:20:22,353
- And we tried to be
as helpful as we could,

443
00:20:22,421 --> 00:20:24,688
Basically, and answer
the questions.

444
00:20:24,690 --> 00:20:27,558
<i> - And that's when we learned</i>
<i> about chuck dixon,</i>

445
00:20:27,626 --> 00:20:29,326
An independent promoter.

446
00:20:29,395 --> 00:20:33,664
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

447
00:20:33,733 --> 00:20:36,800
- He came by all the time,
all the time,

448
00:20:36,869 --> 00:20:39,303
<i> Whether it was</i>
<i> to visit with kevin</i>

449
00:20:39,371 --> 00:20:42,473
Or I think maybe
to give suggestions

450
00:20:42,541 --> 00:20:44,542
And stuff to people.

451
00:20:44,610 --> 00:20:46,910
- Chuck dixon,
he had a big cadillac.

452
00:20:46,979 --> 00:20:49,913
He wore a big fur coat,

453
00:20:49,915 --> 00:20:54,185
And he referred to himself
in the third person.

454
00:20:54,253 --> 00:20:57,021
- Chuck dixon was big
in the music industry.

455
00:20:57,089 --> 00:21:00,791
He was kind of that guy
that you know if he shows up,

456
00:21:00,860 --> 00:21:04,095
You're doing
what he tells you to do.

457
00:21:04,163 --> 00:21:07,931
<i> - And chuck had grown close</i>
<i> to kevin before his death.</i>

458
00:21:07,933 --> 00:21:11,102
<i> - After kevin was murdered,</i>
<i> I'll never forget--</i>

459
00:21:11,170 --> 00:21:13,671
Chuck dixon was sobbing.

460
00:21:13,739 --> 00:21:15,739
<i> I mean, he was just crying.</i>

461
00:21:15,808 --> 00:21:18,442
He was devastated
by kevin's death.

462
00:21:18,510 --> 00:21:20,177
<i> - Detectives interview chuck,</i>

463
00:21:20,245 --> 00:21:24,047
<i> But he seems as mystified</i>
<i> as anyone about the shooting.</i>

464
00:21:24,116 --> 00:21:24,915
<i> - When we talked to him,</i>

465
00:21:24,984 --> 00:21:27,885
He said he didn't know
anything about it.

466
00:21:27,953 --> 00:21:30,020
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

467
00:21:30,089 --> 00:21:32,255
<i> - As detectives continue</i>
<i> their interviews</i>

468
00:21:32,257 --> 00:21:34,658
<i> With the circle of people</i>
<i> around "cash box,"</i>

469
00:21:34,727 --> 00:21:38,495
<i> Another name comes up--</i>
<i> tony d'antonio.</i>

470
00:21:38,564 --> 00:21:41,665
<i> - Tony d'antonio</i>
<i> was from philadelphia.</i>

471
00:21:41,667 --> 00:21:44,668
Then he went to vegas
and was a car dealer

472
00:21:44,736 --> 00:21:46,637
And then came to nashville.

473
00:21:46,706 --> 00:21:48,706
<i> - He was</i>
<i> the previous chart director</i>

474
00:21:48,774 --> 00:21:53,043
At "cash box" magazine
and a good friend of chuck's.

475
00:21:53,112 --> 00:21:55,713
<i> - Tony started out</i>
<i> as a chart manager,</i>

476
00:21:55,781 --> 00:21:58,982
But it was taking too much
of his time or whatever,

477
00:21:59,051 --> 00:22:01,685
And so he hired kevin.

478
00:22:01,754 --> 00:22:04,187
<i> - Detectives hope</i>
<i> that tony can shed some light</i>

479
00:22:04,257 --> 00:22:07,791
On why kevin was thinking
about leaving "cash box."

480
00:22:07,793 --> 00:22:09,760
<i> - When we talked to tony,</i>

481
00:22:09,829 --> 00:22:12,696
He talked about kevin
and how he knew kevin

482
00:22:12,765 --> 00:22:16,801
And how he felt so sad because
he said he's a nice kid.

483
00:22:16,869 --> 00:22:19,002
<i> - And when asked</i>
<i> for his whereabouts</i>

484
00:22:19,004 --> 00:22:22,072
<i> On the night of the murder,</i>
<i> tony has an alibi.</i>

485
00:22:22,141 --> 00:22:26,409
<i> He was at home with his wife,</i>
<i> a fact she confirms.</i>

486
00:22:26,411 --> 00:22:29,279
- Nothing comes out
of the interview with tony.

487
00:22:29,348 --> 00:22:31,949
<i> - Nobody seems to know</i>
<i> what was going on</i>

488
00:22:32,017 --> 00:22:34,552
<i> In kevin's work life</i>
<i> that would cause him trouble.</i>

489
00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:36,920
<i> And while detectives</i>
<i> are convinced</i>

490
00:22:36,989 --> 00:22:39,556
<i> That the shootings</i>
<i> are connected to "cash box,"</i>

491
00:22:39,625 --> 00:22:43,761
<i> They struggle to find any real</i>
<i> evidence of how or why.</i>

492
00:22:43,829 --> 00:22:46,329
<i> - We beat our heads</i>
<i> over what was going on</i>

493
00:22:46,331 --> 00:22:48,365
<i> At "cash box."</i>

494
00:22:48,434 --> 00:22:51,602
<i> - But as the crime</i>
<i> continues to make headlines,</i>

495
00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:54,872
<i> Intriguing leads</i>
<i> start to emerge.</i>

496
00:22:54,940 --> 00:22:57,708
<i> - We're getting people</i>
<i> calling and talking about,</i>

497
00:22:57,777 --> 00:22:59,943
<i> There was disputes</i>
<i> at "cash box"</i>

498
00:23:00,012 --> 00:23:02,713
<i> Concerning the chart ratings</i>
<i> and charts,</i>

499
00:23:02,782 --> 00:23:04,882
And you have to follow up
on each one of those leads.

500
00:23:04,950 --> 00:23:07,350
We followed up
on as many as we could

501
00:23:07,352 --> 00:23:09,720
And hoping one of them
would lead us, you know,

502
00:23:09,788 --> 00:23:11,421
In the right direction.

503
00:23:11,491 --> 00:23:14,091
And we determined there's
a good side of the business

504
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:15,659
And a bad side.

505
00:23:15,728 --> 00:23:18,095
<i> - But when detectives</i>
<i> go back to "cash box"</i>

506
00:23:18,164 --> 00:23:19,630
<i> To ask more questions,</i>

507
00:23:19,698 --> 00:23:22,265
<i> Fear has descended</i>
<i> on the staff.</i>

508
00:23:22,267 --> 00:23:24,935
- All of a sudden,
everyone was zipping up,

509
00:23:25,004 --> 00:23:28,271
Not wanting to talk to police,
not wanting to talk to media,

510
00:23:28,341 --> 00:23:30,440
Not wanting to really help out

511
00:23:30,510 --> 00:23:32,443
In this investigation
much at all.

512
00:23:32,511 --> 00:23:34,778
- So we just had to go
through the motions,

513
00:23:34,846 --> 00:23:36,379
Trying to find somebody

514
00:23:36,381 --> 00:23:40,183
That would tell us
what was going on at work.

515
00:23:40,253 --> 00:23:43,787
<i> - There have always been</i>
<i> guns and crime</i>

516
00:23:43,856 --> 00:23:48,659
And crazy marginal characters
in the music business,

517
00:23:48,727 --> 00:23:50,928
<i> Just about every level.</i>

518
00:23:50,996 --> 00:23:53,364
<i> - I was kind of scared</i>
<i> at that point</i>

519
00:23:53,432 --> 00:23:56,033
<i> Because I didn't know</i>
<i> what had happened.</i>

520
00:23:56,101 --> 00:23:57,868
We don't know
why he was killed.

521
00:23:57,937 --> 00:24:00,637
<i> We thought it sounded like</i>
<i> it was a hit.</i>

522
00:24:00,706 --> 00:24:03,707
<i> And we didn't know</i>
<i> what was going on.</i>

523
00:24:03,776 --> 00:24:08,045
We didn't know who it was or...

524
00:24:08,113 --> 00:24:10,080
Were we next?

525
00:24:10,149 --> 00:24:15,519
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

526
00:24:15,521 --> 00:24:17,187
<i> - Coming up...</i>

527
00:24:17,256 --> 00:24:20,190
<i> - Kevin was dealing</i>
<i> with illegal activity,</i>

528
00:24:20,259 --> 00:24:24,962
Way in over his head as far
as who he was involved with.

529
00:24:25,030 --> 00:24:29,099
- He said, well, I know
who killed kevin hughes.

530
00:24:29,101 --> 00:24:33,003
<i> - ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

531
00:24:34,072 --> 00:24:40,945
<i> - ♪ judgment day shall come ♪</i>

532
00:24:42,415 --> 00:24:44,347
<i> - Two weeks</i>
<i> into the investigation</i>

533
00:24:44,417 --> 00:24:48,218
<i> Of the murder of kevin hughes</i>
<i> and shooting of sammy sadler,</i>

534
00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:51,989
<i> The investigation</i>
<i> is being stonewalled.</i>

535
00:24:52,057 --> 00:24:55,926
- The "cash box" employees
wouldn't say a word to us.

536
00:24:55,995 --> 00:24:58,295
They didn't want to talk
to us about it.

537
00:24:58,363 --> 00:24:59,997
<i> - Detectives don't know</i>

538
00:25:00,065 --> 00:25:01,899
<i> Whether it's because</i>
<i> the employees</i>

539
00:25:01,967 --> 00:25:04,201
<i> Are actually scared</i>
<i> or because they are engaged</i>

540
00:25:04,269 --> 00:25:06,837
<i> In some kind</i>
<i> of illegal activity.</i>

541
00:25:06,906 --> 00:25:08,739
<i> They reach out</i>
<i> to sammy sadler,</i>

542
00:25:08,807 --> 00:25:10,908
<i> Who's now out of the hospital,</i>

543
00:25:10,976 --> 00:25:13,244
<i> And press him</i>
<i> for more information.</i>

544
00:25:13,312 --> 00:25:16,914
<i> But he swears he's told them</i>
<i> everything he knows.</i>

545
00:25:16,982 --> 00:25:19,716
<i> And no gun has been found</i>
<i> to match the bullets</i>

546
00:25:19,785 --> 00:25:21,551
<i> Gathered at the crime scene.</i>

547
00:25:21,621 --> 00:25:26,557
<i> The shooting on music row</i>
<i> is officially a cold case.</i>

548
00:25:26,625 --> 00:25:28,558
- Of course,
we had other cases.

549
00:25:28,628 --> 00:25:30,127
<i> The murders just kept coming.</i>

550
00:25:30,195 --> 00:25:32,329
So when another case
come along,

551
00:25:32,397 --> 00:25:34,898
We had to devote
all of our energy toward that.

552
00:25:34,967 --> 00:25:37,801
<i> - Kevin's friends and family</i>
<i> wonder if justice</i>

553
00:25:37,870 --> 00:25:40,137
<i> Will ever be served.</i>

554
00:25:40,205 --> 00:25:43,574
- I think there was a level
of frustration, you know?

555
00:25:43,642 --> 00:25:46,343
Why can't they catch this guy?

556
00:25:46,411 --> 00:25:50,280
<i> - I did keep in touch</i>
<i> with kevin's parents.</i>

557
00:25:50,349 --> 00:25:53,050
That was hard on them.
It was really, really hard.

558
00:25:53,118 --> 00:25:56,319
At that point, they just
wanted to know what happened.

559
00:25:56,389 --> 00:25:59,456
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

560
00:25:59,525 --> 00:26:02,359
<i> - Although new cases</i>
<i> demand his attention,</i>

561
00:26:02,427 --> 00:26:04,428
<i> The unsolved shooting</i>
<i> on music row</i>

562
00:26:04,496 --> 00:26:07,230
<i> Never leaves pridemore's mind.</i>

563
00:26:07,299 --> 00:26:10,300
<i> And as sammy sadler slowly</i>
<i> recovers from his injuries,</i>

564
00:26:10,369 --> 00:26:13,937
<i> He tries to forget</i>
<i> the awful events of March 1989</i>

565
00:26:14,006 --> 00:26:16,273
<i> And rebuild his music career.</i>

566
00:26:17,876 --> 00:26:20,443
<i> - He really is</i>
<i> a very good singer,</i>

567
00:26:20,445 --> 00:26:23,714
And he recorded good songs,
really good songs.

568
00:26:23,782 --> 00:26:26,950
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

569
00:26:27,019 --> 00:26:30,620
<i> - Then, four years later,</i>
<i> in 1993...</i>

570
00:26:30,690 --> 00:26:32,055
<i> [telephone ringing]</i>

571
00:26:32,124 --> 00:26:34,157
<i> Detective pridemore</i>
<i> gets a call from an agent</i>

572
00:26:34,226 --> 00:26:36,193
<i> At the georgia bureau</i>
<i> of investigations</i>

573
00:26:36,261 --> 00:26:38,561
<i> Who's working</i>
<i> with an informant</i>

574
00:26:38,563 --> 00:26:40,531
<i> On an unrelated case.</i>

575
00:26:40,599 --> 00:26:43,600
- Agent dale thomas said
he wanted to meet with us.

576
00:26:43,669 --> 00:26:47,237
<i> He had an informant</i>
<i> who had conversations</i>

577
00:26:47,306 --> 00:26:49,940
<i> With tony d'antonio.</i>

578
00:26:50,009 --> 00:26:52,209
<i> - The very same</i>
<i> tony d'antonio</i>

579
00:26:52,277 --> 00:26:54,077
<i> That had been</i>
<i> the chart director</i>

580
00:26:54,079 --> 00:26:55,478
<i> At "cash box" before kevin.</i>

581
00:26:55,548 --> 00:26:59,883
- It was concerning purchasing
of a gun of some sort.

582
00:26:59,952 --> 00:27:02,653
<i> - The agent tells</i>
<i> detective pridemore</i>

583
00:27:02,721 --> 00:27:05,956
<i> That the informant claims to</i>
<i> have sold an unregistered gun</i>

584
00:27:06,025 --> 00:27:10,493
<i> To tony d'antonio</i>
<i> on March 9, 1989,</i>

585
00:27:10,495 --> 00:27:14,764
<i> The exact day</i>
<i> kevin and sammy were shot.</i>

586
00:27:14,766 --> 00:27:17,334
[siren wailing]
[gunshots]

587
00:27:17,403 --> 00:27:20,237
- And I said, man,
we need to talk to this guy.

588
00:27:20,305 --> 00:27:23,506
<i> But the gbi agent said,</i>
<i> you can't use him.</i>

589
00:27:23,508 --> 00:27:26,577
<i> This informant is undercover</i>
<i> with me right now.</i>

590
00:27:26,645 --> 00:27:30,080
He said, when I'm finished
with him, you can have him.

591
00:27:30,149 --> 00:27:33,116
<i> - Pridemore is frustrated</i>
<i> that he can't speak</i>

592
00:27:33,118 --> 00:27:35,118
<i> To the undercover informant</i>

593
00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:36,920
<i> But grateful for this new lead</i>

594
00:27:36,989 --> 00:27:40,757
<i> That points a suspicious</i>
<i> finger at tony d'antonio</i>

595
00:27:40,826 --> 00:27:43,694
- Now we knew
what direction to go in.

596
00:27:43,762 --> 00:27:46,329
<i> So we went back and started</i>
<i> reinterviewing people</i>

597
00:27:46,331 --> 00:27:49,766
<i> And getting</i>
<i> a better idea of tony.</i>

598
00:27:49,835 --> 00:27:51,868
<i> - With distance</i>
<i> from the murder,</i>

599
00:27:51,937 --> 00:27:54,171
<i> People are more willing</i>
<i> to talk about tony</i>

600
00:27:54,239 --> 00:27:55,872
<i> And the greedy underbelly</i>

601
00:27:55,941 --> 00:27:58,308
<i> Of the nashville</i>
<i> music business.</i>

602
00:27:58,377 --> 00:28:00,811
<i> - It's a business that</i>
<i> might be people's passion,</i>

603
00:28:00,879 --> 00:28:03,414
<i> But passion also equals money.</i>

604
00:28:03,482 --> 00:28:05,983
Behind the scenes,
there's a lot of cutthroat,

605
00:28:06,051 --> 00:28:07,717
Going at each other,

606
00:28:07,787 --> 00:28:10,320
Every man for himself
type of stuff.

607
00:28:10,322 --> 00:28:12,789
<i> - In 1993,</i>
<i> they are only rumors.</i>

608
00:28:12,858 --> 00:28:14,557
<i> But the tales they tell</i>

609
00:28:14,559 --> 00:28:17,260
<i> Are darker</i>
<i> than a tennessee coal mine.</i>

610
00:28:17,329 --> 00:28:20,363
<i> - At that time, it was kind of</i>
<i> a not-very-well-kept secret</i>

611
00:28:20,365 --> 00:28:23,367
That there was this
payola scheme with "cash box."

612
00:28:25,170 --> 00:28:29,406
<i> Payola is when promoters</i>
<i> or artists are giving</i>

613
00:28:29,475 --> 00:28:33,476
Certain amount of monies
to fudge a little bit

614
00:28:33,545 --> 00:28:37,715
And put their songs
higher up on a chart.

615
00:28:39,417 --> 00:28:42,085
<i> - We heard it all depended</i>
<i> on how many ads you bought</i>

616
00:28:42,154 --> 00:28:43,353
<i> From the magazine</i>

617
00:28:43,422 --> 00:28:47,056
To determine how high up
you went in the chart.

618
00:28:47,058 --> 00:28:50,193
<i> Once you stop buying</i>
<i> the ads or slowed down,</i>

619
00:28:50,195 --> 00:28:52,829
Then your song would drop,
and then that's it.

620
00:28:52,898 --> 00:28:54,497
You're gone.

621
00:28:54,567 --> 00:28:58,401
That was the word we were
getting from anonymous sources.

622
00:28:58,470 --> 00:29:00,804
<i> - And the two people</i>
<i> at the heart of the rumors</i>

623
00:29:00,873 --> 00:29:04,107
<i> About the "cash box" scam</i>
<i> throughout the 1980s?</i>

624
00:29:04,176 --> 00:29:06,143
<i> The two people</i>
<i> police had interviewed</i>

625
00:29:06,211 --> 00:29:08,445
<i> Four years earlier--</i>

626
00:29:08,514 --> 00:29:11,448
<i> Independent music promoter</i>
<i> chuck dixon</i>

627
00:29:11,516 --> 00:29:15,785
<i> And former "cash box"</i>
<i> chart director tony d'antonio.</i>

628
00:29:15,787 --> 00:29:17,588
<i> - All the rumors were,</i>

629
00:29:17,656 --> 00:29:20,891
Chuck dixon and tony d'antonio

630
00:29:20,959 --> 00:29:23,493
<i> Were both getting paid</i>
<i> to place songs</i>

631
00:29:23,562 --> 00:29:24,628
<i> Higher up on charts.</i>

632
00:29:24,630 --> 00:29:28,731
<i> - According to sources,</i>
<i> this was the wicked system</i>

633
00:29:28,733 --> 00:29:29,966
<i> That was in place</i>

634
00:29:30,035 --> 00:29:32,302
<i> When the clean-cut</i>
<i> kevin hughes arrived</i>

635
00:29:32,371 --> 00:29:36,739
<i> As the new chart director</i>
<i> at "cash box" in 1987,</i>

636
00:29:36,741 --> 00:29:40,243
<i> And it continued</i>
<i> long after his death.</i>

637
00:29:40,245 --> 00:29:42,279
<i> - Kevin was a lot different.</i>

638
00:29:42,347 --> 00:29:44,781
<i> He was a small-town guy,</i>

639
00:29:44,849 --> 00:29:47,484
Came to nashville
to go to school

640
00:29:47,552 --> 00:29:49,386
And break
into the music business

641
00:29:49,454 --> 00:29:51,154
In an honest way.

642
00:29:51,223 --> 00:29:53,223
<i> - Did kevin hughes run afoul</i>

643
00:29:53,292 --> 00:29:56,326
<i> Of chuck and tony's</i>
<i> dirty scheme</i>

644
00:29:56,395 --> 00:29:58,528
<i> And end up paying</i>
<i> the ultimate price?</i>

645
00:29:58,597 --> 00:30:00,063
[gunshots]

646
00:30:00,132 --> 00:30:02,399
<i> Pridemore doesn't have</i>
<i> any proof,</i>

647
00:30:02,467 --> 00:30:04,567
<i> But he does have</i>
<i> his instincts.</i>

648
00:30:04,637 --> 00:30:06,803
<i> - Our feelings</i>
<i> at that point were,</i>

649
00:30:06,872 --> 00:30:08,672
We had a true motive.

650
00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:11,808
<i> Kevin was dealing</i>
<i> with illegal activity.</i>

651
00:30:11,876 --> 00:30:13,676
<i> He was way in over his head,</i>

652
00:30:13,746 --> 00:30:16,913
<i> As far as who</i>
<i> he was involved with.</i>

653
00:30:16,982 --> 00:30:20,250
And that's what got him killed.

654
00:30:20,319 --> 00:30:22,552
<i> - But despite many</i>
<i> in the music business</i>

655
00:30:22,621 --> 00:30:25,322
<i> Being aware of the dirty</i>
<i> business at "cash box,"</i>

656
00:30:25,390 --> 00:30:27,958
<i> Investigators have</i>
<i> never been able to prove</i>

657
00:30:28,026 --> 00:30:29,626
<i> The payola rumors,</i>

658
00:30:29,694 --> 00:30:33,430
<i> And the owners of "cash box"</i>
<i> have always denied it.</i>

659
00:30:33,498 --> 00:30:37,200
<i> There's no physical evidence,</i>
<i> no on-the-record witnesses,</i>

660
00:30:37,202 --> 00:30:40,737
<i> Nothing that a prosecutor</i>
<i> can use.</i>

661
00:30:40,806 --> 00:30:43,841
<i> And then, finally, in 2002,</i>

662
00:30:43,909 --> 00:30:47,076
<i> Detectives get the news</i>
<i> they've been waiting for.</i>

663
00:30:47,146 --> 00:30:50,113
<i> The undercover informant</i>
<i> is finally free</i>

664
00:30:50,182 --> 00:30:53,483
<i> To talk about the gun</i>
<i> he sold tony d'antonio</i>

665
00:30:53,552 --> 00:30:54,985
<i> In 1989.</i>

666
00:30:55,053 --> 00:30:57,220
- His name is steve daniels,

667
00:30:57,289 --> 00:31:01,158
And we drove down to georgia
and talked to him.

668
00:31:01,226 --> 00:31:03,393
That's when it all started
coming out.

669
00:31:05,330 --> 00:31:06,163
<i> - ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

670
00:31:06,464 --> 00:31:16,873
<i> - ♪ judgment day shall come ♪</i>

671
00:31:16,941 --> 00:31:20,610
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

672
00:31:20,679 --> 00:31:24,481
<i> - In 2002, the informant</i>
<i> who told georgia authorities</i>

673
00:31:24,483 --> 00:31:27,250
<i> That he'd sold a gun</i>
<i> to tony d'antonio</i>

674
00:31:27,252 --> 00:31:29,019
<i> Is no longer undercover.</i>

675
00:31:29,087 --> 00:31:32,289
<i> His name is steve daniels,</i>

676
00:31:32,357 --> 00:31:34,991
<i> And detective pridemore races</i>
<i> down to georgia</i>

677
00:31:35,060 --> 00:31:36,693
<i> To talk to him.</i>

678
00:31:36,761 --> 00:31:39,862
<i> Daniels tells detectives</i>
<i> that back in the late '80s,</i>

679
00:31:39,932 --> 00:31:43,834
<i> He and tony d'antonio were</i>
<i> in cahoots together.</i>

680
00:31:43,902 --> 00:31:46,503
- He and tony had been
transporting drugs--

681
00:31:46,571 --> 00:31:50,006
Marijuana--
from texas to nashville

682
00:31:50,075 --> 00:31:53,342
And that they'd done it
several times.

683
00:31:53,344 --> 00:31:57,780
<i> - And steve said tony had</i>
<i> bought a gun from him</i>

684
00:31:57,782 --> 00:32:00,450
On March 9, 1989,

685
00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:04,121
<i> The same night</i>
<i> kevin was murdered.</i>

686
00:32:04,123 --> 00:32:06,189
<i> And then in 1993,</i>

687
00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:08,491
Steve daniel heard
about the murder

688
00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,227
Of kevin hughes
on crime stoppers,

689
00:32:11,296 --> 00:32:13,596
<i> And something</i>
<i> clicked in his mind.</i>

690
00:32:13,665 --> 00:32:16,466
<i> - That's when daniels</i>
<i> realized that d'antonio</i>

691
00:32:16,535 --> 00:32:19,369
<i> Matched the description</i>
<i> of the shooter.</i>

692
00:32:19,438 --> 00:32:21,838
<i> - So he's got the right</i>
<i> height, the right build.</i>

693
00:32:21,906 --> 00:32:23,973
I said, but what else
do you think

694
00:32:23,975 --> 00:32:26,676
Would make us
believe it's tony?

695
00:32:26,678 --> 00:32:28,545
<i> And I'll never forget.</i>
<i> He laughed.</i>

696
00:32:28,613 --> 00:32:32,582
He said, he runs like a duck.
He waddles like a duck.

697
00:32:32,651 --> 00:32:37,187
The profile of the shooter
was that he ran with a limp.

698
00:32:37,255 --> 00:32:38,555
<i> So everything matches</i>

699
00:32:38,623 --> 00:32:40,823
<i> The early part</i>
<i> of the investigation.</i>

700
00:32:40,825 --> 00:32:43,460
So we knew tony was the guy.

701
00:32:43,528 --> 00:32:45,962
<i> - But detective pridemore</i>
<i> needs hard evidence</i>

702
00:32:46,031 --> 00:32:47,564
<i> To make a case.</i>

703
00:32:47,632 --> 00:32:50,433
<i> So he presses daniels</i>
<i> for more information</i>

704
00:32:50,502 --> 00:32:53,670
<i> About when he sold the gun</i>
<i> to d'antonio.</i>

705
00:32:53,739 --> 00:32:55,605
<i> - Did you test-fire the gun?</i>

706
00:32:55,674 --> 00:32:57,674
He says, yeah,
I test-fired the gun

707
00:32:57,743 --> 00:32:59,342
Before I sold it to him.

708
00:32:59,344 --> 00:33:02,044
<i> So he showed us</i>
<i> where he test-fired the gun.</i>

709
00:33:02,046 --> 00:33:04,047
I said, how big
of an area is this?

710
00:33:04,115 --> 00:33:05,949
He said, man,
it's the side of a mountain.

711
00:33:06,017 --> 00:33:08,251
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

712
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,387
<i> - Daniels points</i>
<i> to a forested area</i>

713
00:33:10,455 --> 00:33:13,123
<i> On a map of northern georgia.</i>

714
00:33:13,191 --> 00:33:14,524
<i> - He said,</i>
<i> this whole area here,</i>

715
00:33:14,593 --> 00:33:16,359
There's all kinds
of bullets in there--

716
00:33:16,428 --> 00:33:18,861
Shotguns, rifles, pistols.

717
00:33:18,931 --> 00:33:21,964
<i> Everybody that came over,</i>
<i> we used to shoot guns.</i>

718
00:33:21,966 --> 00:33:24,267
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

719
00:33:24,336 --> 00:33:27,037
So I thought, well,
this is going to be impossible.

720
00:33:27,105 --> 00:33:29,405
<i> - It might be</i>
<i> a needle in a haystack,</i>

721
00:33:29,474 --> 00:33:31,508
<i> But if pridemore can find</i>
<i> a bullet that matches</i>

722
00:33:31,576 --> 00:33:33,810
<i> The one found</i>
<i> at the crime scene,</i>

723
00:33:33,879 --> 00:33:36,279
<i> It would link</i>
<i> d'antonio's gun purchase</i>

724
00:33:36,348 --> 00:33:39,249
<i> To the gun</i>
<i> used in the shootings.</i>

725
00:33:39,317 --> 00:33:42,685
<i> - So we go up there,</i>
<i> and we search.</i>

726
00:33:42,754 --> 00:33:45,788
And you just go up there
and scoop with a sifter,

727
00:33:45,857 --> 00:33:49,058
<i> And we find</i>
<i> hundreds of bullets.</i>

728
00:33:49,128 --> 00:33:51,694
<i> I'm overwhelmed.</i>

729
00:33:51,763 --> 00:33:55,265
I said, there is no way I can
take all these bullets back.

730
00:33:55,333 --> 00:33:58,535
So I said,
let's just take a handful.

731
00:33:58,603 --> 00:34:00,903
So I scooped up
a handful of the bullets,

732
00:34:00,905 --> 00:34:02,372
And I put them in a bag

733
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,407
And brought them back
to nashville.

734
00:34:04,476 --> 00:34:07,310
<i> - Detectives bring the bullets</i>
<i> to the ballistics lab,</i>

735
00:34:07,379 --> 00:34:09,445
<i> Praying for the remote chance</i>
<i> of a match</i>

736
00:34:09,447 --> 00:34:11,948
<i> With the ones found</i>
<i> at the crime scene in 1989.</i>

737
00:34:12,017 --> 00:34:16,052
<i> - The firearms examiner,</i>
<i> he called me the next day,</i>

738
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,820
And he said,
most of the bullets

739
00:34:17,889 --> 00:34:20,523
That you brought me
are not worth a damn.

740
00:34:20,592 --> 00:34:22,892
He said, but the third one
is a perfect match

741
00:34:22,961 --> 00:34:25,695
<i> To the bullet</i>
<i> that came out of kevin's head.</i>

742
00:34:25,764 --> 00:34:28,464
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

743
00:34:28,533 --> 00:34:31,834
<i> - Detective pridemore</i>
<i> can hardly believe his ears.</i>

744
00:34:31,903 --> 00:34:34,704
- Because the odds
of ever finding a bullet

745
00:34:34,773 --> 00:34:38,741
In that mountainside
with those hundreds of bullets,

746
00:34:38,810 --> 00:34:40,410
I mean, that's a god thing.

747
00:34:40,478 --> 00:34:43,680
I knew god was the reason
why that happened.

748
00:34:44,683 --> 00:34:47,149
<i> - Armed with this critical</i>
<i> piece of evidence,</i>

749
00:34:47,151 --> 00:34:49,319
<i> Detectives are now</i>
<i> firmly convinced</i>

750
00:34:49,387 --> 00:34:53,356
<i> That tony d'antonio</i>
<i> killed kevin.</i>

751
00:34:53,424 --> 00:34:57,093
<i> In July 2002,</i>
<i> d'antonio is tracked down</i>

752
00:34:57,162 --> 00:34:59,462
<i> And arrested in las vegas,</i>

753
00:34:59,530 --> 00:35:02,132
<i> Where he now works</i>
<i> as a casino pit boss.</i>

754
00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,733
<i> - When they walked up,</i>

755
00:35:03,735 --> 00:35:06,503
Tony said,
is this about the kevin thing?

756
00:35:06,571 --> 00:35:10,373
They said that he seemed
almost relieved to see them.

757
00:35:10,442 --> 00:35:12,843
<i> - He is extradited</i>
<i> back to nashville</i>

758
00:35:12,911 --> 00:35:15,878
<i> And charged with the murder</i>
<i> of kevin hughes</i>

759
00:35:15,947 --> 00:35:18,514
<i> And the attempted murder</i>
<i> of sammy sadler.</i>

760
00:35:18,583 --> 00:35:20,650
<i> Tony pleads not guilty.</i>

761
00:35:22,287 --> 00:35:24,387
<i> Even with steve daniels'</i>
<i> testimony</i>

762
00:35:24,456 --> 00:35:25,655
<i> And the ballistics evidence,</i>

763
00:35:25,724 --> 00:35:28,124
<i> Prosecutors know</i>
<i> a guilty verdict</i>

764
00:35:28,193 --> 00:35:30,460
<i> Is far from guaranteed.</i>

765
00:35:30,528 --> 00:35:33,129
<i> And then they catch a break.</i>

766
00:35:33,197 --> 00:35:34,797
<i> In 2002,</i>

767
00:35:34,866 --> 00:35:37,434
<i> An investigator</i>
<i> in the nashville da's office,</i>

768
00:35:37,502 --> 00:35:42,004
<i> Myra langlois, finally cracks</i>
<i> the chart-fixing scam</i>

769
00:35:42,006 --> 00:35:43,806
<i> Around "cash box" magazine.</i>

770
00:35:43,875 --> 00:35:46,576
<i> She arrests</i>
<i> local music promoter</i>

771
00:35:46,645 --> 00:35:48,778
<i> Robert metzger for fraud.</i>

772
00:35:48,847 --> 00:35:53,082
<i> - Robert metzger was</i>
<i> a shady character.</i>

773
00:35:53,084 --> 00:35:56,219
He was one of these people
that was taking money

774
00:35:56,287 --> 00:35:59,322
From innocent victims,
wannabe stars,

775
00:35:59,391 --> 00:36:03,726
And pretending to run them
up the "cash box" chart.

776
00:36:03,795 --> 00:36:06,863
<i> - Investigator langlois thinks</i>
<i> she's just working</i>

777
00:36:06,931 --> 00:36:08,198
<i> A case of simple fraud.</i>

778
00:36:08,266 --> 00:36:10,032
<i> But to her surprise,</i>

779
00:36:10,034 --> 00:36:12,835
<i> Under pressure</i>
<i> and facing prison time,</i>

780
00:36:12,904 --> 00:36:15,371
<i> Metzger offers up</i>
<i> a scintillating tidbit</i>

781
00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,674
<i> About kevin hughes' murder.</i>

782
00:36:17,742 --> 00:36:21,911
- He said, well, I know
who killed kevin hughes.

783
00:36:21,980 --> 00:36:26,249
<i> At the time, I didn't know</i>
<i> about kevin in 1989.</i>

784
00:36:26,317 --> 00:36:28,718
I had to go look it up.

785
00:36:28,787 --> 00:36:32,422
<i> And I said, well,</i>
<i> what do you know about it?</i>

786
00:36:32,490 --> 00:36:34,323
He said,

787
00:36:34,325 --> 00:36:36,559
Well, I was in the room

788
00:36:36,561 --> 00:36:39,763
When kevin hughes' murder
was discussed.

789
00:36:41,165 --> 00:36:45,135
<i> - ♪ come home</i>
<i> to the gallows pole ♪</i>

790
00:36:45,903 --> 00:36:52,875
<i> - ♪ judgment day shall come ♪</i>

791
00:36:52,877 --> 00:36:55,878
[train bell ringing,
horn blowing]

792
00:36:55,947 --> 00:36:58,114
<i> [country music]</i>

793
00:36:58,183 --> 00:37:01,318
<i> - Independent music promoter</i>
<i> robert metzger</i>

794
00:37:01,386 --> 00:37:04,887
<i> Is staring down jail time for</i>
<i> scamming aspiring musicians</i>

795
00:37:04,889 --> 00:37:07,423
<i> Out of their</i>
<i> hard-earned money.</i>

796
00:37:07,492 --> 00:37:09,892
<i> Looking for a way</i>
<i> out of his legal trouble,</i>

797
00:37:09,961 --> 00:37:13,095
<i> He offers investigators</i>
<i> critical information</i>

798
00:37:13,165 --> 00:37:15,631
<i> About the 1989 double shooting</i>

799
00:37:15,700 --> 00:37:18,935
<i> Of kevin hughes</i>
<i> and sammy sadler.</i>

800
00:37:19,003 --> 00:37:23,706
- And so he tells me he knows
who killed kevin hughes.

801
00:37:23,708 --> 00:37:26,076
<i> - Metzger tells</i>
<i> investigator langlois</i>

802
00:37:26,144 --> 00:37:29,812
<i> That in 1989, he was</i>
<i> a participant in chuck dixon</i>

803
00:37:29,814 --> 00:37:34,184
<i> And tony d'antonio's</i>
<i> greed-fueled payola scheme.</i>

804
00:37:34,252 --> 00:37:36,953
- He was making payments
to chuck

805
00:37:37,021 --> 00:37:41,624
<i> To run his clients</i>
<i> up the "cash box" chart.</i>

806
00:37:41,693 --> 00:37:44,093
<i> According to robert metzger,</i>
<i> he saw an argument</i>

807
00:37:44,095 --> 00:37:47,263
<i> Between chuck dixon</i>
<i> and kevin hughes.</i>

808
00:37:47,331 --> 00:37:50,666
A week or so before
kevin was killed,

809
00:37:50,735 --> 00:37:52,735
<i> Chuck was trying</i>
<i> to give him money.</i>

810
00:37:52,737 --> 00:37:55,205
<i> Kevin hughes was</i>
<i> refusing the money.</i>

811
00:37:55,273 --> 00:37:57,307
And then a few days later,

812
00:37:57,375 --> 00:38:00,209
<i> Chuck dixon, tony d'antonio,</i>
<i> and robert metzger</i>

813
00:38:00,211 --> 00:38:01,644
Have a meeting.

814
00:38:01,713 --> 00:38:05,081
<i> And there's discussion</i>
<i> about robert metzger saying,</i>

815
00:38:05,149 --> 00:38:08,418
<i> I'm not going to pay you</i>
<i> this $15,000</i>

816
00:38:08,486 --> 00:38:11,620
<i> Unless you can handle</i>
<i> kevin hughes</i>

817
00:38:11,690 --> 00:38:14,657
Because he's going to blow up

818
00:38:14,659 --> 00:38:17,794
What you've got going on here
at "cash box."

819
00:38:17,862 --> 00:38:22,432
<i> And chuck dixon's response is,</i>
<i> I can handle kevin hughes.</i>

820
00:38:22,500 --> 00:38:24,901
And if I can't handle him,
he'll be gone.

821
00:38:26,771 --> 00:38:30,673
I had figured out that this was
an open investigation

822
00:38:30,742 --> 00:38:33,643
Over at the nashville
police department.

823
00:38:33,712 --> 00:38:36,246
<i> And so I called over there.</i>

824
00:38:36,314 --> 00:38:38,615
I gave them the information.

825
00:38:38,683 --> 00:38:40,716
<i> - When detective pridemore</i>
<i> gets the call</i>

826
00:38:40,785 --> 00:38:42,785
<i> About robert metzger's story,</i>

827
00:38:42,787 --> 00:38:45,321
<i> He knows it's the final piece</i>
<i> of the puzzle</i>

828
00:38:45,390 --> 00:38:47,757
<i> Of why kevin hughes</i>
<i> was killed.</i>

829
00:38:47,826 --> 00:38:50,026
- Kevin said,
everybody's cheating,

830
00:38:50,095 --> 00:38:51,494
Getting a little money,

831
00:38:51,496 --> 00:38:54,163
And he was
going to try to clean it up.

832
00:38:54,232 --> 00:38:56,666
<i> - With kevin</i>
<i> threatening to destroy</i>

833
00:38:56,735 --> 00:39:00,403
<i> Their crooked business,</i>
<i> chuck dixon and tony d'antonio</i>

834
00:39:00,405 --> 00:39:02,371
<i> Decided to kill kevin,</i>

835
00:39:02,441 --> 00:39:05,275
<i> With tony doing</i>
<i> the dirty work himself.</i>

836
00:39:05,343 --> 00:39:07,043
- Tony d'antonio
and chuck dixon

837
00:39:07,111 --> 00:39:11,348
Were power-hungry,
egomaniac psychopaths.

838
00:39:11,416 --> 00:39:14,751
<i> - But there will be no</i>
<i> comeuppance for chuck dixon.</i>

839
00:39:14,819 --> 00:39:18,154
<i> He died of cancer in 2001.</i>

840
00:39:18,223 --> 00:39:20,290
<i> That leaves tony d'antonio</i>

841
00:39:20,358 --> 00:39:22,659
<i> To face the music alone.</i>

842
00:39:24,195 --> 00:39:28,297
<i> In September 2003,</i>
<i> d'antonio's trial begins.</i>

843
00:39:28,366 --> 00:39:31,768
<i> - I went to the trial,</i>
<i> and I'll never forget</i>

844
00:39:31,836 --> 00:39:35,305
Going into that courtroom
and seeing tony there.

845
00:39:35,373 --> 00:39:37,706
And, boy, he looked scary,

846
00:39:37,776 --> 00:39:40,477
Really scary at that point.

847
00:39:40,479 --> 00:39:43,245
<i> - Facing tony's</i>
<i> intimidating presence,</i>

848
00:39:43,247 --> 00:39:45,915
<i> Kevin's former colleagues</i>
<i> take the stand</i>

849
00:39:45,984 --> 00:39:48,851
<i> And testify</i>
<i> to the possible motive.</i>

850
00:39:48,853 --> 00:39:50,720
- And there were witnesses

851
00:39:50,789 --> 00:39:53,356
That believed he was
about to blow the lid

852
00:39:53,424 --> 00:39:55,625
On this chart-fixing thing.

853
00:39:55,693 --> 00:39:58,361
<i> - Since the murder weapon</i>
<i> was never found,</i>

854
00:39:58,429 --> 00:39:59,795
<i> Prosecutors must rely</i>

855
00:39:59,864 --> 00:40:01,931
<i> On the testimony</i>
<i> of robert metzger,</i>

856
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,600
<i> Steve daniels,</i>
<i> and the ballistics reports</i>

857
00:40:04,669 --> 00:40:06,636
<i> To prove their case</i>

858
00:40:06,704 --> 00:40:09,506
<i> And, of course,</i>
<i> sammy sadler's emotional</i>

859
00:40:09,574 --> 00:40:11,740
<i> And chilling firsthand account</i>

860
00:40:11,742 --> 00:40:14,110
<i> Of the night that changed</i>
<i> his life forever.</i>

861
00:40:14,179 --> 00:40:15,545
[gunshot]

862
00:40:15,613 --> 00:40:17,947
<i> And what</i>
<i> about d'antonio's alibi</i>

863
00:40:18,015 --> 00:40:20,783
<i> That he was with his wife</i>
<i> the night of the murder?</i>

864
00:40:20,852 --> 00:40:24,554
- Detectives spoke
to tony's now ex-wife

865
00:40:24,622 --> 00:40:27,957
And got her
to tell the truth,

866
00:40:28,026 --> 00:40:31,461
That tony didn't come home
till after 3:00

867
00:40:31,529 --> 00:40:35,031
<i> That night</i>
<i> that kevin was murdered.</i>

868
00:40:35,099 --> 00:40:37,834
<i> - But, I mean,</i>
<i> we all were still not sure</i>

869
00:40:37,902 --> 00:40:40,470
That, you know,
it was going to come

870
00:40:40,538 --> 00:40:42,271
To where he was guilty.

871
00:40:42,340 --> 00:40:46,375
<i> [dramatic music]</i>

872
00:40:46,377 --> 00:40:49,178
<i> - On September 24, 2003,</i>

873
00:40:49,247 --> 00:40:51,447
<i> The jury returns a verdict</i>

874
00:40:51,516 --> 00:40:54,717
<i> After eight hours</i>
<i> of deliberation.</i>

875
00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:56,386
<i> - When the verdict came out,</i>

876
00:40:56,454 --> 00:41:00,089
<i> They found tony d'antonio</i>
<i> guilty of first-degree murder.</i>

877
00:41:01,726 --> 00:41:04,126
<i> And then guilty</i>
<i> of sammy sadler's</i>

878
00:41:04,195 --> 00:41:05,128
Attempted murder.

879
00:41:06,931 --> 00:41:09,131
<i> - I was very, very pleased.</i>

880
00:41:09,133 --> 00:41:12,101
It was a special feeling
because it was my case.

881
00:41:12,103 --> 00:41:14,170
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

882
00:41:14,238 --> 00:41:16,739
<i> - Two weeks later,</i>
<i> tony d'antonio is sentenced</i>

883
00:41:16,808 --> 00:41:20,543
<i> To life without parole.</i>

884
00:41:20,612 --> 00:41:23,480
<i> He died in prison in 2014.</i>

885
00:41:24,916 --> 00:41:27,984
<i> Kevin hughes landed</i>
<i> in nashville with dreams,</i>

886
00:41:28,052 --> 00:41:31,421
<i> But he had the misfortune</i>
<i> of crossing paths</i>

887
00:41:31,489 --> 00:41:34,690
<i> With an evil</i>
<i> he couldn't have imagined.</i>

888
00:41:34,759 --> 00:41:37,293
<i> - I think when kevin</i>
<i> started that job,</i>

889
00:41:37,361 --> 00:41:41,363
He thought he had landed
the job of a lifetime for him.

890
00:41:41,433 --> 00:41:45,768
I think that he thought
it was all just legit.

891
00:41:45,770 --> 00:41:47,069
- It was all about greed,

892
00:41:47,138 --> 00:41:49,305
<i> And I just don't think</i>
<i> kevin understood</i>

893
00:41:49,373 --> 00:41:53,242
<i> The depth of evil</i>
<i> that tony was capable of.</i>

894
00:41:53,311 --> 00:41:58,147
<i> - And while sammy sadler does</i>
<i> rebuild his life and career,</i>

895
00:41:58,149 --> 00:42:00,016
<i> The bullet lodged in his arm</i>

896
00:42:00,084 --> 00:42:03,820
<i> Will never let him forget</i>
<i> that dark night.</i>

897
00:42:03,888 --> 00:42:05,821
- All for almighty dollar,
you know?

898
00:42:05,890 --> 00:42:07,323
Where did it get tony?

899
00:42:07,391 --> 00:42:09,592
<i> ♪ ♪</i>

900
00:42:09,660 --> 00:42:11,227
<i> - It's a real tragic tale,</i>

901
00:42:11,295 --> 00:42:14,797
<i> And I think that kevin hughes</i>
<i> deserves to be remembered</i>

902
00:42:14,799 --> 00:42:17,833
As someone who...

903
00:42:17,902 --> 00:42:20,069
Was trying
to do the right thing,

904
00:42:20,138 --> 00:42:21,971
Maybe got in
a little over his head.

905
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:24,840
But when he figured out
he was over his head,

906
00:42:24,909 --> 00:42:27,710
He was still trying
to do the right thing.

907
00:42:27,778 --> 00:42:31,481
<i> - Kevin loved life.</i>
<i> He loved his job.</i>

908
00:42:31,549 --> 00:42:35,384
<i> I think his dream</i>
<i> was like the american dream--</i>

909
00:42:35,386 --> 00:42:39,021
<i> To get married and have</i>
<i> the white picket fence,</i>

910
00:42:39,090 --> 00:42:42,191
And he was robbed
of all of that.

911
00:42:42,193 --> 00:42:46,529
<i> ♪ ♪</i>