1 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: Diversion audio. A note this episode contains mature content and 2 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: quite graphic descriptions of violence that may be disturbing for 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: some listeners. I mean it, y'all this episode especially, please 4 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 1: take care and listening. It was Sunday afternoon, May nineteenth, 5 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty five, and Alice asked her husband, Rob Newsome, 6 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: what could be keeping her in laws so late. Rob 7 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: hadn't realized how late in the day it was. She 8 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: was right. He thought his parents would be back home 9 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: hours ago, and here it was almost four pm. Rob 10 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: and Alice had been living with Rob's pairs it's Florence 11 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: and Bob, in their two story, upper class brick house 12 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: in Greensboro, North Carolina for two years. Their own three 13 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: children stayed in the house as well, and they hadn't 14 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: been planning on all of them bunking together for so long. 15 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: The situation was always supposed to be temporary. Actually, that's 16 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: what Florence and Bob had gone to see about this weekend. 17 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: The plan was they'd move in with Bob's beloved widowed mother, Nana, 18 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: in Winston Salem to help care for her as she 19 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: got on in years. But before they did that, the 20 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: house renovations needed to be completed, and you know how 21 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: that goes. One contracting fail cascades into another rework job, 22 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: until here you are, two years later, having to stand 23 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: on top of the professionals to make sure they're actually 24 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: showing up while your eighty five year old matriarch cooks 25 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: on a hot plate in the breezeway because y'all have 26 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: torn up her kitchen without a plan to fix it. Now, 27 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: the renovations were only a couple weeks away from being finished, 28 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: and Florence and Bob were already carrying some of their 29 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: things over in anticipation of their move. But they were 30 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: supposed to pick up Rob and Alice's eldest daughter, Page 31 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: from her other grandparents in the early afternoon on their 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: way back into town. So when Alice's mother called around 33 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: five to say they hadn't come to get her yet, 34 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: Alice was worried. Alice called Nana's house, but no one answered. 35 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: Rob drove to his dad's office to check if he'd 36 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: just forgotten the plan, but no one was there. They 37 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: kept calling for two hours, still no answer. By ten o'clock, 38 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 1: Rob couldn't stand it. I'm going over there, he said, 39 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: but Alice said to wait, let's call the Suttons first. 40 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: Homer Sutton was the family doctor. If something had happened, 41 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: Homer would know about it, and if he hadn't heard anything, well, 42 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: the Suttons lived nearby and they could drop by to 43 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: check on them much quicker than Rob could get there. 44 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: When they called, Homer and Katie Sutton had heard nothing, 45 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: and they agreed to drive up to the old brick 46 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: shuttered house under the huge oak trees. Homer's headlights fell 47 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: across all three family cars, which made him assume all 48 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: three of the family were home. Then as they walked 49 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: up to the patio, they saw that the storm door's 50 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: glass was broken, the steps were covered in its shards. 51 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: Homer said, something bad has happened here, and he was 52 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: right through the living room window. He saw a lamp 53 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: on and the TV was playing softly. Nana lay on 54 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: a walnut framed antique sofa in a beige nightgown covered 55 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: with a plaid afghan. Florence lay on the floor on 56 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: her right side, wearing a white skirt and knit top 57 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: with no shoes. She might have been sleeping, but they 58 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: knew Florence this wasn't the type of thing she'd do. 59 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: She wasn't sleeping. Homer realized all at once that they 60 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: were dead. But where was Bob? Was he dead? Was 61 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: he the killer? Could the killer still be here? The 62 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: Suttons retreated to their car and drove to the closest 63 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: neighbor's house to report a multiple murder. Welcome to the 64 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: greatest true crime stories ever told. I'm Mary Kay mcbraer. 65 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: Today's episode we're calling Family Betrayal the Susie Newsome Lynch Story. 66 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: It's part two of our three part story of Susie 67 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: Newsom Lynch, and it has everything you'd expect from a 68 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 1: Southern Gothic tale, aristocratic families, Old South racism, paranoia, a feud, 69 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: and of course, murder. I'll tell you all about it 70 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: after this quick break. Welcome back to Part two of 71 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: the Susie Newsom Lynch Story. Listeners, that's right. This episode 72 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: is part two of a three part mini series about 73 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: this story. So if you haven't heard part one, pause 74 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: me here, go back, listen to part one, and then 75 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: come back here. I promise you'll be glad you did, 76 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: because this story is action packed. When we last left 77 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: the Newsoms, Florence and Bob's daughter, Susie, had divorced her 78 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: husband Tom Lynch in nineteen eighty. Susie returned to North Carolina, 79 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: where she stayed with her parents for a while. With 80 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: the boys. Susie got full custody of Jim and John 81 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: in the divorce settlement, and Tom got two weeks summer visitation. Naturally, 82 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: Tom wanted to see his children more than that, so 83 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: he kept asking Susie for more visitation. She responded by 84 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: keeping the kids from Tom altogether. At one point in time, 85 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: he actually didn't get to see his children for two years. 86 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: Tom also never actually asked for custody, He just wanted 87 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: more visitation. Plus, back then it was super uncommon for 88 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: the father to get any type of custody at all, 89 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: no matter the circumstances. More visitation wasn't a lot to ask, 90 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: but Susie wasn't allowing it. She told her lawyer to 91 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: hold Tom up in court for as long as he 92 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: wanted their Lynchpin argument was that the children were too 93 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: young to transfer planes on their own, and there were 94 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: no direct flights from North Carolina to Albuquerque, so if 95 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: Tom wanted to see the kids more, he'd have to 96 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: either come to North Carolina himself, which he couldn't do 97 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: since he ran his own practice in New Mexico. Or 98 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: he could meet the kids at their connection and escort 99 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: them to the next flight. Or he could pay to 100 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: have Susie fly out to see them on their connection 101 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: round trip. Basically, it was going to cost Tom an 102 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: extra fortune for the chaperone, and while he was doing 103 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: all right financially, it was still a lot of money, 104 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: not to mention the court fees. In July of nineteen 105 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: eighty four, Tom Lynch's family, his mother, Dolores, and his 106 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,679 Speaker 1: sister Janey, were a murdered execution style in their home 107 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: in Louisville. Happened while Tom's kids were visiting him in 108 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: New Mexico. It was a horrible thing and still unsolved 109 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: these months later, and Susie's parents sent Tom a bouquet 110 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: of sympathy flowers. That gesture opened communication between them and Tom. 111 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: After a few correspondences, he asked Bob that Susie's dad 112 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: if he'd be willing to testify to his character in 113 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: the court custody hearing, and Bob agreed to do it 114 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: because Susie had been acting really weird. She had always 115 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: been a high maintenance snob, but now she was going camping, 116 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: and she had gotten way too close to her first cousin, 117 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: and as if them being first cousins wasn't reason enough 118 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: not to get involved with him, that cousin Fritz was 119 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: a weirdo gunfreak survivalist who had been lying about having 120 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: medical credentials, and that whole wing of the family was 121 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: openly racist. In fact, Susie's mother, Florence, confronted her about 122 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: potentially having a romantic relationship with her cousin. Susie was 123 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: very offended at the suggestion, and although she found the 124 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 1: idea repulsive, she moved out of her parents' house as 125 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: a result of the argument, and then Fritz moved in 126 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: with her. So yeah, Bob agreed to testify for Tom. Plus, 127 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,959 Speaker 1: they never saw the kids now either, and when they did, 128 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: the children looked so sallow and scared that he knew 129 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: something had to be off. And now Bob and Florence, 130 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: as well as Bob's mother Nana, had been murdered in 131 00:09:43,000 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 1: their family home, kind of like with the the Inch 132 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: murders of Dolores and Janey. Their friends and family didn't 133 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: see the Newsoms for a couple of days, and that 134 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: was unusual. Bob and Florence did usually stay with Nana 135 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: over the weekend, but it was not like them to 136 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: come back home so late, let alone without a courtesy 137 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: phone call, and much less without any communication at all. 138 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: So Robin Alice, their son and daughter in law, tried 139 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: to track them down. They sent the Suttons family friends 140 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: over to check on them. Through the front window, they 141 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: could see that Florence and Nana had been killed, and 142 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: then they left to call the police, which is exactly 143 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: the right call. I mean, not only would entering the 144 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: house have contaminated the crime scene, but they didn't know 145 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: where Bob was, or where the killer was, or if 146 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: Bob might be the killer, so they went to the 147 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: nearest neighbor's house to call it in. It took several 148 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: calls and over an hour for the police to show up, 149 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: and when they did, it was just a guy in 150 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: a patrol car, no siren on or anything. The first 151 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: officer was still in the house when four more officers 152 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: pulled up. Nobody seemed to be in charge or know 153 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: what to do, not until Sergeant Allen Gentry of the 154 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: Criminal Investigation Division of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department arrived 155 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: and he put things in order. Just inside the back 156 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: door was the body of Bob Newsom. He had been 157 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: shot three times in the abdomen, once in the right forearm, 158 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: and once in the back of the head. It seemed 159 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: like he had been trying to flee when the killer 160 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: ended his life. Six inches from Bob's feet was a 161 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: hole burned into the carpet. It was thirty inches across 162 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: and in the circle there were bits of charred paper 163 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: in the ashes. Officers also realized that Florence's throat had 164 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: been cut, and she had two stab wounds in the 165 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: right side of her neck and one in her right shoulder. 166 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: Three more deeper stabbings were in her back, One of 167 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: them had severed her aorda. She also had a single 168 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: shot in her chest and one in her left temple. 169 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: Her wedding band was bent and her ring finger was 170 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,599 Speaker 1: cut and broken, like someone had tried to remove it. 171 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: Her diamond engagement ring was gone. One thing they would 172 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: wonder was why the blatant display of overkill, especially when 173 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: the other victims had nowhere near as gruesome deaths. Nana 174 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: had been shot three times. One bullet grazed the side 175 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: of her head, the second hit her lower right side, 176 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: and the third fatal shot entered her right temple and 177 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: lodged in her left shoulder. Officers thought that the class 178 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: pans under her chin indicated that she had been praying 179 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: when the intruder was in her house, but later evidence 180 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: showed that she had been staged as praying after her death. 181 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: Most of the shots appeared to have been fired from 182 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: near the breezeway door. Though Florence's engagement ring had been stolen, 183 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: There were wads of cash and clear view and jewelry 184 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: where thousands of dollars lay untouched, as well in an 185 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: upstairs bedroom, Bob's open briefcase was empty. Bob and Florence's son, Rob, 186 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: was the first family member notified, so he was the 187 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: first one to arrive at the scene. Sergeant Alan Gentry 188 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: had lots of questions that needed answers, like quote, why 189 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: was the storm door broken while a key was left 190 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: in the back door lock. Had one of the victims 191 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: been surprised by the murderer while entering the house. Why 192 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: was another set of keys found between the two cars? 193 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: Was that footprint in the sand by one of the 194 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: new windows at the back of the house. Significant Why 195 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: had Florence's Newsom been so savaged a blatant example of overkill? 196 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: Why had the fire been set in the hallway? Was 197 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: it an attempt to burn down the house and cover 198 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: the murders? If so, why hadn't it been fueled by 199 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: the paint thinner and other volatile substances so handily available 200 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: in the part of the house that was being remodeled. 201 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: Had the purpose of the fire been only to burn 202 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: a specific item or items? Had the killer or killers 203 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: only come to find and destroy such items? Had they 204 00:14:54,600 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: been found in Bob Newsom's briefcase? Why was the briefcase empty? 205 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: But he couldn't just ask the bereaved all that point blank. 206 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: He started with the easy, matter of fact questions like ages, addresses, occupations, 207 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: When did Rob last see them? How had he learned 208 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: they had died? Rob recapped all that I just told you. 209 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: Then Alan asked if Rob knew why anyone would want 210 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: to kill his parents and grandmother. Rob said he didn't know. 211 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: Had there been any quote problems or any unusual events 212 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: in the family. That's when Rob said, well, last summer 213 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: my sister's former mother in law and sister in law 214 00:15:45,480 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: were murdered in Kentucky. Later, Bob and Florence's other children 215 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: would walk through the house with detectives. The eldest Frances 216 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: met the two agents at the house on Tuesday morning. 217 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: They wanted her to tell them if she saw anything 218 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: out of the ordinary at the house. I don't mean 219 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: to interrupt myself the house. Smart is this move? Get 220 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: the eldest girl child to tell you if anything in 221 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: her mother and grandmother's house is out of place, because 222 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: you know who would know the answer to that for sure, 223 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: the eldest daughter. Anyway, Francis did exactly what they asked. 224 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: They told her, you talk, will listen, So she narrated 225 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: as they guided her straight to her grandmother's bedroom. Just 226 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: nine days before, she'd sat there with Nana sifting through 227 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: her belongings together. Nana had said, I sure, hope, honey, 228 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: that you don't have to come in here and take 229 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: care of all this stuff if something happens to me. 230 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: So that had to have been a horrific recovered memory. 231 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: Francis noticed an expensive gold and pearl bracelet on the 232 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: floor that she knew to be worth thousands of dollars, 233 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: so her intuition had been right. This was no robbery. 234 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: When they guided her upstairs, she noticed her dad's open, 235 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: empty briefcase on the floor. She said, it's empty. He 236 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: would never carry an empty briefcase. What was in here? 237 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: They didn't know. Later they would surmise that it might 238 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: have been the papers the killer set on fire at 239 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: Bob's feet. While Francis walked through the house, her eldest daughter, Nancy, 240 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: noticed a stack of letters and nan knitting basket. They 241 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: were copies of exchanges between Tom and Kathy Lynch, her 242 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: grandmother Florence, and her aunt Louise. Nancy didn't know about 243 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: the upcoming custody hearing, but as she read through the letters, 244 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: she learned that her grandparents had been planning to testify 245 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: on Tom's behalf. Francis said to detectives, here it is 246 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: this is it? Take these? This is the motive right here? 247 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: Have you read these? The detectives had been hoping one 248 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: of them might notice. While tending to her after learning 249 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: the news of her family's deaths, one of Susie's friends 250 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,679 Speaker 1: asks if someone needed to call to notify Tom Lynch. 251 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: Susie said, that son of a bitch can learn it 252 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: from his lawyers, and that was exactly how Tom learned 253 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: the news. Tom actually called his lawyers to make sure 254 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: the custody hearing was still on. He hadn't bought his 255 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: plane ticket yet because he expected some kind of fuckery 256 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: from Susie. When his lawyer told him someone had been 257 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: killed at the Newsome house in Winston Salem, Tom hung 258 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: up immediately and called Rob. After talking to Rob, he 259 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: knew that Susie and Fritz were responsible. It was too 260 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: big a coincidence. Then he called the Kentucky State Police. 261 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: The agent who took Tom's call was excited. He connected 262 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: with the North Carolina Police to compare notes. Sergeant Allen 263 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 1: and Gentry in North Carolina was following up on all leads. 264 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: When he tried to coordinate an interview with Susie, she said, sorry, 265 00:19:55,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: not today, but she sounded quote perfectly chipper, and he 266 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: thought that was weird. If his parents and grandmother had 267 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,360 Speaker 1: just been murdered, he'd have at least moved his other 268 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: appointments around. She had also seemed hyperactive to her sister Francis. 269 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: At the funeral home, Alan talked to Tom Lynch too, 270 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: and Tom told him all about the murders of his 271 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: mother and sister, as well as how much Susie loathed 272 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: his mom. He also mentioned that Bob was supposed to 273 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: testify in the upcoming hearing. Plus, Susie was acting weird 274 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,479 Speaker 1: and she had an unusual relationship with her first cousin, Fritz. 275 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: And although he didn't really know Fritz, he did know 276 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: he was a survivalist and a gun collector who thought 277 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: of himself as both a doctor and a military man, 278 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: although he was in fact neither. Maybe the detective should 279 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: check him out. This was the first time Alan had 280 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:03,439 Speaker 1: heard of Fritz. He deaf planned to look into that lead. First, 281 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: he asked Rob if anyone in the family had an 282 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: unusual interest in guns. He thought it was weird that 283 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 1: that was the first time Rob had mentioned Fritz, but 284 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: at the time, Fritz was still hanging around Rob's house, 285 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: still a potential danger to his family. When it came 286 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: down to it, Nancy, Susie's niece, and her brother and 287 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: sister all told police they thought Susie was somehow responsible 288 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: for the murders. They had even thought someone should have 289 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,120 Speaker 1: questioned Susie about the lynch murders back when they happened. 290 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: Nancy said, nobody ever asked us, so we thought we 291 00:21:44,480 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: were crazy. Alan, Gentry and another detective went to Susie's 292 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: apartment to interviewer. They were very friendly because they wanted 293 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 1: her to talk. Susie was charming, they said, bubbly, bouncy. 294 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: She invited them into the living room and introduced her cousin, Fritz. 295 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 1: The detectives noticed Fritz wore a folded knife on his belt. 296 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: They were also shocked about the incredible clutter of the apartment, 297 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,679 Speaker 1: big piles of military field gear. They asked Susie to 298 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: recount her weekend, and she did as if nothing at 299 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: all was bothering her, like nothing had happened to her. 300 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: On their way out, the front door was rigged with 301 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: a motion detector and booby trapped with a huge floodlight 302 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: and strobe to blind intruders. There was a gas grenade 303 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: above the door. Alan asked for Fritz's contact information. Fritz 304 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 1: gave him his mother's address and number. Alan asked, what 305 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: kind of work do you do? Fritz said, I'm a physician, 306 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:27,400 Speaker 1: but I'm not licensed in this state right now. Naturally, 307 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: the detectives followed up with Fritz's mother, Annie Hill. She 308 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: told them that the boys were what caused the break 309 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:39,400 Speaker 1: between Susie and her mother. Now Annie Hill was more 310 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 1: like Susie's mother too. Annie Hill said that her husband 311 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: had helped out Susie and her kids financially when he 312 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: was alive, but not so much after death since he 313 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: hadn't had any investments. Now Fritz was trying to help them, 314 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,679 Speaker 1: and she gave no thought to the idea that there 315 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: was more to their relationship. Not even she knew. Fritz 316 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: stayed at Susie sometimes, it was just to look after them. 317 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: Detectives thought he might belong to some mercenary or commando group, 318 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: so they asked Annie Hill about it. She was completely 319 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 1: snowed over. She said, no, it's government. Annie Hill also 320 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: said that she thought they went out of town to 321 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 1: Atlanta one weekend during the boy's visitation with Tom. Detectives 322 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: noted that would have left Susie available to go to 323 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,400 Speaker 1: Kentucky with Fritz too, and what about this past weekend? 324 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: Annie told them Fritz came by on Friday to tell 325 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: her he was going camping in Virginia with Ian, the 326 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: son of a family friend from down the street. Ian 327 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: called her to say Fritz hadn't arrived at Roanoke Mountain, 328 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: and then Fritz called to say he couldn't find Ian, 329 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: and Annie Hill told him that Ian was going on 330 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: to the hotel room and then on Sunday he went 331 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: to eat with Susie and the kids. He'd probably have 332 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 1: a credit card receipt for that. Fritz's alibi was convenient, 333 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: too convenient. Toward the end of the interview, Annie Hill 334 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: mentioned that the only commonality between the two murder cases 335 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 1: was Susie's children. Alan wanted to talk to Ian Perkins 336 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: right away, but the lead State Bureau of Investigation agent 337 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: in Winston Salem, Tom Sturgell, said maybe they should hold off. 338 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 1: He said, let's let Fritz tell us his alibi rather 339 00:25:39,520 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: than just taking his mother's word for it. Sergeant Alan, 340 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: Gentry and Tom Sturgell arrived at Susie's house unannounced on 341 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: the morning of May twenty eighth, ten days after the 342 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: multiple murder. They wanted to talk to Fritz. Susie invited 343 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: them in, and Fritz came out of the bedroom yawning 344 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: in a flight suit when they told him they wanted 345 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: to interview him. He changed into khakis, sheathed a knife 346 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,120 Speaker 1: on his belt, and stuck a flashlight into his back pocket. 347 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: Even though it was late morning. He corroborated his mother's story. 348 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: The previous weekend, he went camping with Ian Perkins at 349 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,719 Speaker 1: Roanoke Mountain. He used his credit card to call his 350 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: mother and said he was running late. That's when she 351 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:59,239 Speaker 1: told him that Ian had gone back to Lexington. They 352 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: drove out to the park afterward and set up camp 353 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: near dawn. He had the campground receipt in his wallet 354 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: on his person. They slept till two pm, ate lunch 355 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: at the lodge, and then took a night hike. They 356 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: didn't get back to the campsite till after midnight. Next day, 357 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 1: he ate lunch with Susie and the boys right after. 358 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: That is when they learned about the murders. The detectives 359 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:31,439 Speaker 1: knew something was off, especially when he proclaimed himself a 360 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: gun enthusiast and collector and he had a handcuff key 361 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:40,880 Speaker 1: on his keyring. They then asked about Ian. Were they 362 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 1: close They'd gotten close in the past year or so. 363 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: He said they went camping together and such. So the 364 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: detectives went to Ian and they weren't really sure what 365 00:27:52,760 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: they'd find from the Reedsville Police Department. The detectives called 366 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: Ian's house. His mother answered. She said he was at school, 367 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: and she realized who was calling. She asked, this doesn't 368 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: have anything to do with the newsome murders, does it. 369 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: Ian Perkins had joined the National Guard as a freshman 370 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: at Washington and Lee University. He was patriotic and religious, 371 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: and when he ran into Fritz shortly after his training 372 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty four, he told him all about it. 373 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: Fritz spent hours quote instructing Ian on what he should 374 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: have learned but wasn't taught. His mother said, Ian looked 375 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: up to Fritz like an uncle. They were eleven years 376 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: apart in age. When Ian said he was interested in 377 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: going into intelligence work after college, Fritz took Ian to 378 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: Lee Chapel and told him that he was a contract 379 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: agent for the CIA, that he'd been recruited a long 380 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: time ago. Fritz swore him to secrecy, and Ian obliged. 381 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: He wanted to be a company man too. Maybe he'd 382 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: want to accompany Fritz on a mission, a sort of 383 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: test run that could help Ian prove himself worthy. It 384 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: would be support only he wouldn't have to do any 385 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: of the killing himself. Oh, this is what Ian confessed 386 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: to the detectives. Almost immediately. He with them too. The 387 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: car lit a cigarette, and as he smoked it through 388 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: his jitters, he told his version of the story. It 389 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: was very close to Fritz's, only the times were off. 390 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: Alan Gentry said, something's wrong here. Fritz claimed that y'all 391 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: left out on your hiker about eight. You said five. 392 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: Fritz said that yelled and go to bed. When you 393 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: got back that you just laid around and talked. You 394 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: said you went to sleep. Which way is it? After 395 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: a pause, he continued, in the time you say it 396 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 1: took for this hike, y'all could have driven to Winston Salem, 397 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: murdered three people, and returned to Virginia. Ian started sobbing. 398 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: Neither detective expected him to cave this easily. Usually they 399 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: had to get a little rough, a little ugly, but 400 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: this kid spilled right away. Ian said it was true 401 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: that they had gone to Winston Salem that night, but 402 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: he didn't know about a plan to murder the newsoms. 403 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: He recounted the whole story of how he wanted to 404 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: become a secret agent and Fritz invited him on a 405 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: CIA mission. The detectives kept looking at each other, but 406 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 1: Ian was so sincere that neither detective doubted him. After 407 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: questioning him further about times and locations, they were able 408 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: to put together the exact route Fritz took across Winston Salem. 409 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: Ian even told them about Fritz getting pulled over by 410 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: a police car, and that was really exciting. Surely there 411 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: would be some record of that, and maybe the officer 412 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: would remember Fritz after the mission. Fritz had told Ian 413 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: his bosses at the CIA were impressed with how he'd 414 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 1: handled himself, and he changed the slide on the pistol 415 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: he gave Ian. The detectives thought Fritz might have put 416 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: the slide from the murder weapon into Ian's pistol, and 417 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: they resolved to check it against the ejection markings on 418 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: the casings found at the Newsome home. The officers followed 419 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: up with the policeman on patrol in the area of 420 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: Winston Salem before midnight on May eighteenth. He had no 421 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 1: idea where they were taking him. He had no idea 422 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: why they were talking to him, whether he was in trouble, 423 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: or what they had to treat him like. The witness 424 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: he was. He didn't remember anything until they mentioned the Blazer, 425 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: the car Fritz was driving. Yes, he had stopped a 426 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: Blazer going especially slow. The driver said it was engine problems, 427 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: and he remembered the motor knocking. He wasn't able to 428 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: run a license or car tag because his computer was down, 429 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: but he couldn't pick Fritz out of a lineup. He 430 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: also didn't know that under his windbreaker Fritz had held 431 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: a forty five that he planned to shoot Hull in 432 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: the head with if he had asked him to step 433 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: out of the vehicle. Without much to go on, detectives 434 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: turned to Fritz. Maybe Ian could help them gather more evidence. 435 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: They told Ian they believed him, however incredulous his story was, 436 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: but they didn't think a jury would believe his story 437 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: when the case inevitably went to court. It might strengthen 438 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: Ian's case if he could help them out more. Would 439 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: Ian be willing to wear a wire? Ian couldn't agree 440 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: fast enough. Here was the plan. Ian would call Fritz. 441 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: He'd say that three detectives had come to question him 442 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 1: on Friday. They told him to take a polygraph test, 443 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: and he was to tell Fritz that he was scared. 444 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: He needed to talk, and Ian asked to meet Fritz 445 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: in the mall's parking lot. Meanwhile, for his protection, five 446 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: unmarked police cars would be standing by, and an observation 447 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: plane would be overhead. They'd also send undercover detective Steve 448 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: Cardan to pose as Ian's friend from college, since he 449 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: looked young enough to pass as a student. The officers 450 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: told Ian that Fritz would be less likely to harm 451 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: Ian if he knew someone else knew about the meeting. 452 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: Ian had a recorder taped to his back under his 453 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: shirt and a tiny transmitter on his belt. The officers 454 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: informed Ian of the risk he was taking. If Fritz 455 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: learned about the devices, he could possibly kill Ian before 456 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: anyone could get to him to do anything about it. 457 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: Ian knew this, and he was eager to atone for 458 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: his part in the crime. When officers asked for a 459 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: check of Ian's transmitter, Ian said, say a prayer for me, 460 00:34:35,880 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: and then they were off to the races. Join me 461 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: next week on the Greatest true crime Stories Ever told 462 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: for our third episode, the finale of the story of 463 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 1: Susie Newsom Lynch, the ultimate Southern Gothic tale full of 464 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:20,719 Speaker 1: everything you'd expect from the Southern Gothic. I'd like to 465 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,720 Speaker 1: shout out my main source for this episode series Jerry 466 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: Bledsoe's nonfiction book Bitter Blood, a true story of Southern 467 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: family pride, madness, and multiple murder. I really can't recommend 468 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: it enough. It is incredible. I also heavily drew from 469 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: the episode Kissing Cousins of the docu series Southern Fried Homicide. 470 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told is a production 471 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 1: of Diversion Audio. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer and I hosted 472 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: this episode. I also wrote this episode. Our show is 473 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 1: produced by Emma Dumouth and edited by Antonio Enriquez. Theme 474 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 1: music by Tyler Cash. Executive producer Scott Waxman