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Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A husband finds his wife,

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Speaker 1: a mom of three, dead at the bottom of the stairs.

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Speaker 1: So what does he do? Of course, he goes on

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Speaker 1: a beer run. Good evening. I'm Nancy Grace. This is

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Speaker 1: Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us.

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Speaker 2: An investigation underway in Salt Lake City, Utah suburbs after

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Speaker 2: a shocking discovery of a mom of three dead at

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Speaker 2: the bottom of a flight of stairs.

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Speaker 3: Bottom is extremely dedicated to her nursing job at the

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Speaker 3: Huntsman Cancer Institute and is even working toward becoming a

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Speaker 3: nurse practitioner. When the thirty nine year old mom doesn't

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Speaker 3: show up to work without calling ahead, coworkers are immediately concerned.

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Speaker 3: After several failed attempts to call Autumn, a coworker calls

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Speaker 3: West Jordan Police requesting a welfare check.

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Speaker 1: Joining me in all star panel, I'm just trying to

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Speaker 1: get my mind around the husband finding his wife. She's beautiful,

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Speaker 1: a mom of three at the foot of the stairs.

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Speaker 1: And did I just hear Let me understand this to

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Speaker 1: Sidney Sumner, joining us investigative reporter, Did I just hear?

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Speaker 1: The coworkers where she works as a nurse, they're the

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Speaker 1: ones that call police, not the husband that finds his

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Speaker 1: wife comatose at the bottom of the stairs.

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Speaker 4: Fancy, That's absolutely correct. The red flag was raised when

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Speaker 4: Autumn did not show up to work that afternoon. Coworkers

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Speaker 4: were immediately concerned when they couldn't reach her and ask

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Speaker 4: for a welfare check. They just wanted to make sure

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Speaker 4: she was okay when she didn't come to work.

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Speaker 1: Okay, I'm trying to figure out what time she would

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Speaker 1: normally get to work in the morning. What I'm getting

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Speaker 1: at Sydney Sumner is how long had Auna been at

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Speaker 1: the foot of the steps with what the husband walking

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Speaker 1: back and forth by her? Well, take a listen to

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Speaker 1: Sergeant Andrew Hercules, West Jordan p D.

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Speaker 5: January thirteenth, At approximately two thirty pm, West Jordan Police

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Speaker 5: officers were dispatched to the area of seventy eight hundred

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Speaker 5: South and Iron Core Lane to perform a welfare check.

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Speaker 5: We were initially dispatched to the home just for a

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Speaker 5: welfare check. It was from a coworker who hadn't been

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Speaker 5: able to get a hold of the deceased individual.

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Speaker 1: From our friends that k s el new is okay.

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Speaker 1: Hold on Sidney, you know when you told me that

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Speaker 1: the husband, Carlos Mercatit finds Autumn at the bottom of

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Speaker 1: the steps and then goes for a beer run. This

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Speaker 1: is this is what I'm getting at two thirty pm.

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Speaker 1: West Jordan PD dispatched to the home two thirty So

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Speaker 1: if she had the morning shift, that means he's been

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Speaker 1: walking around her body for how many hours?

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Speaker 4: Nancy? What we know from Mercado's statements is that he

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Speaker 4: found Autumn in that position just before nine am. She

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Speaker 4: had been there for roughly six hours when police were

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Speaker 4: dispatched to the scene. Repeat six hours, Nancy, say that again,

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Speaker 4: a full six hours, a full six hours. At the

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Speaker 4: bottom of the stair.

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Speaker 1: She had been lying at the foot of the steps

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Speaker 1: for six hours. And you know what, let me go

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Speaker 1: straight out to doctor Michelle Dupree, joining US forensic Pathologists,

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Speaker 1: medical examiner, former detective with Lexington County Sheriffs and author

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Speaker 1: of multiple books. The most recent one is Money, Mischief, Murder,

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Speaker 1: the Murdoch Dynasty. The rest of the story. You might

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Speaker 1: as well get ready to redo that trial, Dr Duprie.

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Speaker 1: But for my purposes, she's the author of the Homicide

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Speaker 1: Investigation Field Guide. Doctor Duprix help me figure this out.

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Speaker 1: I can't. There are extrinsic ways to tell the time

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Speaker 1: of death, okay, but if I am looking at specifically

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Speaker 1: the body itself, how do you tell how long a

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Speaker 1: victim has been dead?

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Speaker 6: Well, Nancy, we look at several things. One, we look

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Speaker 6: at the temperature of the body, but we also have

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Speaker 6: to compare that to the temperature in the room or

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Speaker 6: the environment. But we also look for something called rigor mortis,

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Speaker 6: which is the stiffening of the body. And we look

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Speaker 6: for liver mortise, which is where the blood settles at

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Speaker 6: the dependent areas, and that helps us tell.

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Speaker 1: You know, doctor Duprie, I got to know you really

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Speaker 1: well when we were out in the field on the

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Speaker 1: Murderye case. But let me remind you, we don't all

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Speaker 1: have medical degrees. So when you're referring to rigor mortis,

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Speaker 1: when the stiffening of the limbs, then there's live re mortise.

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Speaker 1: To my understanding is, for instance, when you're lying flat

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Speaker 1: on your back and your heart is no longer pumping

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Speaker 1: the blood in your body, fluids in your body settle

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Speaker 1: to the lowest common point. For instance, if you're on

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Speaker 1: your back, all your blood settles down to your back,

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Speaker 1: the back of your legs, your rear end. It settles down.

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Speaker 1: If you're on your side, it settles all to the side. Okay,

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Speaker 1: So you look for rigor. You look, how long does

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Speaker 1: it take for liver re mortis to set in?

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Speaker 6: Well, it's we call it fixed, and that's when it

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Speaker 6: won't change. If you move the position of the body,

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Speaker 6: that's maybe six to eight hours, maybe twelve hours again,

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Speaker 6: depending on the circumstances. But before that it still settles.

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Speaker 6: But if you move the body, then the live re

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Speaker 6: mortis may move also if you move it early.

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Speaker 1: Okay, doctor Dupre, I'm about to go to Autumn's sister

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Speaker 1: summer with us, but I want to clarify one more

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Speaker 1: thing before I continue to discuss how many hours she

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Speaker 1: had lain there. I don't know that that's true, doctor Dupre.

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Speaker 1: The last thing you want to do is have your

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Speaker 1: facts wrong in front of a jury, because if you're

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Speaker 1: wrong on one fact, they can discount everything you're going

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Speaker 1: to say. So how else can you tell? How long

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Speaker 1: does it take for rigor to set in? And riger

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Speaker 1: sets in the stiffening of the limbs, but then after

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Speaker 1: a period of hours it goes away, That's right? How

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Speaker 1: long til rigor sets in.

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Speaker 6: Again, six to eight hours, maybe twelve, depending on the circumstances,

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Speaker 6: if it's very warm or not. But once that rigor

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Speaker 6: is broken, for example, once that limb is moved, it

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Speaker 6: doesn't come back. And so again that's another way we

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Speaker 6: can tell if the body's been moved. It's a way

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Speaker 6: we can tell approximately how long the body has been there,

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Speaker 6: as well as with the lever and the temperature of

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Speaker 6: the body.

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Speaker 1: Doctor Dupree really not helping me that much. You're giving

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Speaker 1: me six to twelve hours, Okay, hold on, I can

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Speaker 1: back it up from there, depending on what time she

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Speaker 1: woke Well, I don't know what time she woke up

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Speaker 1: that morning, you said, dependent on the circumstances. If it's

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Speaker 1: warm in the home, does that change the time period

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Speaker 1: for a rigor mortis to set in.

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Speaker 6: Yes, it can speed it up. Actually it can make

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Speaker 6: it appears. But again, this is probably going to be

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Speaker 6: relatively minimal, given that there's what a six maybe even

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Speaker 6: only a twelve hour difference. But the biggest thing, the

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Speaker 6: most important thing, is the position of the body and

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Speaker 6: the injuries on the body.

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Speaker 1: How does that tell me when the time of death.

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Speaker 6: It doesn't help with the time of death, but it

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Speaker 6: helps tell us what happened and what maybe happened.

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Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, I'm still on time of death. Okay, And

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Speaker 1: my point is, you know, let me go out to

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Speaker 1: Autumn's sister joining us. Guys, we are talking about a

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Speaker 1: beautiful young woman. She's thirty nine years old. She's in

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Speaker 1: the prime of her life. The best thing in the world,

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Speaker 1: in my opinion, has happened to her. She's got these

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Speaker 1: three beautiful children. One is age one, one is age four,

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Speaker 1: one is age fifteen. She is an incredible nurse. She's

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Speaker 1: working to become a nurse practitioner, which is not easy.

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Speaker 1: It was hard enough for me to go to school

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Speaker 1: at night and work during the day, much less with

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Speaker 1: three children. And now she's just gone. What do you

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Speaker 1: tell the little one year old and the four year

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Speaker 1: old as a teen hits those teen years, what do

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Speaker 1: you tell them Mommy's not there to help them to

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Speaker 1: Summer Christiansen joining us, this is Autumn's sister, Summer. I'm

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Speaker 1: so sorry. I cannot imagine what you and your family

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Speaker 1: have gone through. And I'm sorry also that we are

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Speaker 1: discussing rigor and live re mortis and time of death.

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Speaker 1: Let's take it back to that day. When did you

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Speaker 1: learn that your sister had been in a horrible, horrible tragedy.

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Speaker 7: I learned that morning. I don't live in the same state,

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Speaker 7: but two sheriffs came to my house about one point

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Speaker 7: thirty in the morning, and by the look on their face,

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Speaker 7: I fell to the ground.

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Speaker 8: I don't know why.

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Speaker 7: My gut just said it was my sister. They didn't

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Speaker 7: have any answers for me. They did not know what

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Speaker 7: was going on. You know, at least they did contact

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Speaker 7: the sheriff's department in the state that I live in,

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Speaker 7: and they came to my home, so that I knew

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Speaker 7: what was happening. But I fell to the floor. I

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Speaker 7: couldn't breathe. I hyperventilated. It's my sister, It's my little sister.

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Speaker 8: You know, you call family, But summer, how did you know?

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Speaker 1: How did you know? You said when you saw them,

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Speaker 1: when they came to the door, you knew. And fell

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Speaker 1: to the ground.

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Speaker 8: It's like it hit me. It just hit me. I

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Speaker 8: don't know. I can't explain it. It's just something that

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Speaker 8: hit me.

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Speaker 7: And then after I fell to the ground, I looked

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Speaker 7: up and asked to clarify and he shook his head. Yes,

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Speaker 7: but don't it just hit me. It was like I

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Speaker 7: opened that door. I saw his face, the sheriff's face,

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Speaker 7: and the way he looked, and it just came through

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Speaker 7: the door.

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Speaker 8: I don't know, maybe it was her, I don't know.

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Speaker 1: To doctor Lisa Long joining us, a forensic psychologist, doctor

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Speaker 1: owner of Doctor Long and Associates, Doctor Lisa, thank you

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Speaker 1: for being with us. I've heard that recollection from so

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Speaker 1: many victims families, and I experienced the same thing when

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Speaker 1: I learned my fiance had been murdered. I got a

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Speaker 1: call to contact Keith's sister and I knew immediately. I

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Speaker 1: knew immediately, and it does. It affects your body. I

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Speaker 1: remember trying to dial the numbers. It was a circular

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Speaker 1: payphone to contact his sister, and I couldn't dial. I

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Speaker 1: couldn't get my finger in the little dial slot to

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Speaker 1: turn the rotary. Just like Summer is saying, what is that?

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Speaker 1: What happens to you? Nobody told tells you. You know instinctively,

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Speaker 1: and then your body reacts absolutely.

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Speaker 9: Nancy, you know it's a terrible thing for anyone to

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Speaker 9: go through. It's trauma. It is the shock. I mean

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Speaker 9: your your brain is actually protecting you in those situations

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Speaker 9: where oftentimes people describe not really being able to remember

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Speaker 9: immediate events after or surrounding really traumatic incidents. It is

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Speaker 9: truly a shock response that you and Summer we're going through,

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Speaker 9: and it's very unfortunate. No one is ever prepared to

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Speaker 9: receive that type of information.

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Speaker 1: Listen to Sergeant Andrew Hercules.

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Speaker 5: January thirteenth, at approximately two thirty pm, Western Police officers

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Speaker 5: were dispound to the area of seventy eight hundred South

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Speaker 5: and Iron Core Lane to perform a welfare check. We

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Speaker 5: were initially dispatched to the home just for a welfare check.

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Speaker 5: It was from a coworker who hadn't been able to

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Speaker 5: get a hold of the deceased individual.

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Speaker 1: From our friends at KSL. Summer, you said you knew

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Speaker 1: immediately and your reaction was an involuntary physical reaction. You

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Speaker 1: fell to the ground. How long do you believe Autumn

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Speaker 1: lay in the floor until police arrived, so they call.

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Speaker 8: Her time of death when police found her.

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Speaker 7: My sister was a donor, so you know, with being

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Speaker 7: a donor, you are able to collect if you will.

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Speaker 7: Twenty four hours beforehand, I ended up getting a phone

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Speaker 7: call that they were not.

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Speaker 8: Going to be able to collect. So that's what I know.

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Speaker 8: So to me, it was longer than twenty four hours.

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Speaker 8: My opinion, she.

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Speaker 7: Probably was there, I don't know, a day and a

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Speaker 7: half with her kids just sitting there. Why Carlos is

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Speaker 7: doing whatever he's doing, and you said it earlier, Nancy,

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Speaker 7: as he has to step over her body to walk

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Speaker 7: up the stairs, he has to step over her body

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Speaker 7: to go into the kitchen and to make food, and

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Speaker 7: his children are just there with them like nothing.

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Speaker 8: I don't it's disgusting, Summer.

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Speaker 1: Do you know the condition of her body when police

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Speaker 1: found it and he's home, he's home with the children,

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Speaker 1: and she's lying there at the foot of the stairs,

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Speaker 1: cold to the touch.

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Speaker 8: I don't know the extent.

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Speaker 7: I mean, I know what the police records say, and

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Speaker 7: Rigor Mortis said in I don't know anything beyond that

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Speaker 7: yet everything is still under investigation, so I don't know

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Speaker 7: anything further than that.

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Speaker 1: To Sydney Summer joining us in addition to Autumn's sister, Summer,

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Speaker 1: and I can tell you this is taking a huge

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Speaker 1: emotional toll on her to speak out on her sister's behalf. Sidney,

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Speaker 1: what was the condition of Autumn's body. What did they

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Speaker 1: find when they came through that front door.

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Speaker 4: Nancy, So what police initially saw when they walked into

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Speaker 4: this building, Carlos Mercado was extremely drunk and they could

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Speaker 4: see open alcohol containers all over the house. Her children

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Speaker 4: were not far from her body, which was covered with

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Speaker 4: a blanket. Underneath that blanket, Autumn was wearing only a

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Speaker 4: ripped T shirt. She was naked from the waist down.

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Speaker 4: Her legs and her feet had extreme bruising all down

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Speaker 4: her legs and her feet. And that's what we know

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Speaker 4: from police. That's the state of her body. They say

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Speaker 4: they were signs of rigor mortis, So it's unclear was

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Speaker 4: that full rigor mortis? Was it starting to set in?

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Speaker 4: They hadn't released many details about how long they think

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Speaker 4: Autumn really laid there summer.

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Speaker 1: Did you know or have you come to learn that

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Speaker 1: your sister's legs were covered in bruises and she was

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Speaker 1: naked from the waist down, lying there in a ripped

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Speaker 1: T shirt with a blanket over her, and the children

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Speaker 1: all standing around her.

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Speaker 7: So I knew the legs from the police report, naked

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Speaker 7: from the waisttone, So my sister would have never walked

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Speaker 7: their own naked in front of her kids like that.

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Speaker 7: She wouldn't have been without underwear, like she would not

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Speaker 7: have done that. She wouldn't have done it. That's just

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Speaker 7: not her. I did read that in the police report.

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Speaker 7: But point was a blanket put over her? And not

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Speaker 7: only that, a blanket's put over her like we read

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Speaker 7: the police report. Like, if you say that out loud,

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Speaker 7: that's that's crazy. You don't pick your wife up, You

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Speaker 7: don't call someone right away, you don't call an ambulance,

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Speaker 7: you don't put her in bed, you don't cuddle her,

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Speaker 7: hold her, do anything. I saw someone fall at a

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Speaker 7: hospital one time. I ran over there to help pick

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Speaker 7: them up and call for help.

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Speaker 1: Simmer, who do you think put the blanket on her?

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Speaker 1: Do you think the children thought she was asleep and

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Speaker 1: put a blanket on her? How? How did a blanket

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Speaker 1: end up on her? And I wonder was it over

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Speaker 1: her face? Was it over her body like they were

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Speaker 1: trying to keep her warm? Or did the husband know

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Speaker 1: that she was dead and put it over her face?

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Speaker 1: Who put the blanket on her? And why? And how?

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Speaker 8: I don't so, of course I only have what's you

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Speaker 8: know the.

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Speaker 7: Police records that Carlos said he had put the blanket

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Speaker 7: over her. But the way I feel is so is

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Speaker 7: it so that they don't he doesn't have to look

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Speaker 7: at her.

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Speaker 8: I don't understand. I don't know if it was over

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Speaker 8: her head or not.

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Speaker 2: Coworkers sound the alarm when a dedicated Utah nurse and

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Speaker 2: aspiring nurse practitioner fails to show up to our Monday

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Speaker 2: morning shift. Police make us startling discovery.

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Speaker 1: The husband says he was about to call police. Okay,

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Speaker 1: Sidney Sumner tells us that reports state that autumn was

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Speaker 1: cold to the touch. That can take hours for your

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Speaker 1: body temperature to go from its normal temp ninety eight

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Speaker 1: point six to cold to the touch, especially when you're

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Speaker 1: in a structure such as a home with heating for

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Speaker 1: your body to dip below the ambiyond temperature, the temperature

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Speaker 1: in the room. What would that require out to you,

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Speaker 1: doctor Michelle do pre forensic pathologists, medical examiner, what would

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Speaker 1: that require? How many hours had he been walking by

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Speaker 1: her dead body as it slipped into rigor mortis? How

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Speaker 1: long to get cold in am beyond temperature.

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Speaker 6: Nancy, It usually takes about a decreases about two degrees

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Speaker 6: centigrade per hour. So if you extrapolate from that or

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Speaker 6: back date that we don't know the temperature of our body,

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Speaker 6: but cold to touch would take a few hours. Yes, absolutely,

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Speaker 6: what more do we know?

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Speaker 1: Listen?

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Speaker 10: Officers have to ask Mercado to keep the children back

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Speaker 10: from the body while they investigate. Under the blanket, the

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Speaker 10: woman is naked from the waist down, only wearing a

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Speaker 10: ripped shirt. Upon closer inspection, her legs are covered in

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Speaker 10: bruises and rigor mortis is clearly setting in. Based on

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Speaker 10: husband Carlos Mercado's statements and her driver's license, the body

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Speaker 10: is identified as Autumn.

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Speaker 1: Joining me Veterans trial lawyer Philip Dubay, former quarter appointed

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Speaker 1: Council in the La County PD's office. Dubay, he thought

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Speaker 1: she was asleep for that long at the food of

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Speaker 1: the stairs, half naked. He put a blanket on her,

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Speaker 1: and he said he was about to call police. Hours

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Speaker 1: had passed, she was already a no show at work.

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Speaker 1: They're the ones that call police, and then when police arrived,

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Speaker 1: they have to ask him to get the children away

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Speaker 1: from their mother's naked, cold body. What is wrong with him?

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Speaker 11: Well, he was drunk as a skunk. He was hungover. Still,

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Speaker 11: Remember he and the wife had had a night of drinking,

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Speaker 11: so obviously he wasn't of clear mind at the time.

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Speaker 1: I don't know that she had been drinking. That's just

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Speaker 1: what you say, you think I'm listening to him. Oh okay,

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Speaker 1: and also told the police he thought she was asleep.

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Speaker 11: Well, the MB report will bear that out. We'll find

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Speaker 11: out if she had any alcohol in her system when

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Speaker 11: they do. The talks run on. But to me, the

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Speaker 11: case really hinges on whether or not you even have

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Speaker 11: a homicide, And so far all we know is she

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Speaker 11: reported to him that she had vertigo, And if she

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Speaker 11: had vertigo and fell down the stairs, and maybe in

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Speaker 11: a fit of panic, he left her there because of

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Speaker 11: the dB history that he's had with her, it's understandable.

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Speaker 11: Does anybody condone it, No, But it goes to what

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Speaker 11: his state.

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Speaker 1: Of mind was put up. DEBEI are you married?

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Speaker 12: Oh no, No, Well, before you ever do get married, uh,

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Speaker 12: make sure your wife, your future wife, your pretend wife,

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Speaker 12: knows that if.

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Speaker 1: You found her half naked, covered in bruises at the

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Speaker 1: foot of the stairs, you wouldn't just walk around her

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Speaker 1: body for hours on end. Okay that you would call

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Speaker 1: for assistance. And isn't it true, Philip Dubay that voluntary

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Speaker 1: use of drugs or alcohol is not a defense under

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Speaker 1: the law. So for you to say, oh, he was drunk,

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Speaker 1: I believe you said drunk as a skunk. That's no

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Speaker 1: defense to anything. If that were true, the Fulton County

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Speaker 1: jail would be empty right now. Everybody would say, oh,

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Speaker 1: miss Grace, I was drunk. That's bs. So don't even

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Speaker 1: start with me that he was drunk. I don't care

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Speaker 1: that he was drunk, and Lady Justice doesn't care, and

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Speaker 1: the law is on my side here.

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Speaker 3: Carlos Mercado Junior has a hard time maintaining his balance

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Speaker 3: and slurs his speech while speaking with officers. His breath

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Speaker 3: smells of alcohol, as he explains he found on him

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Speaker 3: roughly six hours ago, but did not realize she was dead.

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Speaker 3: Mercado says he assumed she was sleeping off the numerous

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Speaker 3: drinks they shared the night before. Officers noticed several open

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Speaker 3: alcohol containers in the kitchen and living room.

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Speaker 1: Joining me right now is a domestic violence and sex

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Speaker 1: assault expert. Bill Hernandez is joining us. He is a

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Speaker 1: detective in California, Bill, Thank you for being with us. Bill,

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Speaker 1: having prosecuted violent felonies my entire career and working at

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Speaker 1: the Battered Women's Center as a volunteer for nine years

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Speaker 1: on the hotline. How many times, I mean, can you

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Speaker 1: even count them that the husband, partner, boyfriend, ex whatever,

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Speaker 1: claims quote I was drunk, as if that somehow absolves

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Speaker 1: them from what they've done. They're always drunk. Do you care?

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Speaker 1: Does that mean she's not dead? Does that mean that

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Speaker 1: other women were not attacked because the perp is drunk?

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Speaker 13: No, it certainly doesn't mean that they weren't attacked, and

378
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Speaker 13: it certainly does matter in thestigation how intoxicated this person was.

379
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Speaker 13: We always do want to ask that type of question,

380
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Speaker 13: but it really doesn't go to what happened during the incident.

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Speaker 13: It doesn't state the facts.

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Speaker 1: In addition to what police find when they get there,

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Speaker 1: they then get evidence of a lift ride listen.

384
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Speaker 3: Mercato tells police that he and Autumn were drinking heavily

385
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Speaker 3: late into the night and he fell asleep around four am.

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Speaker 3: When he wakes at eight forty am, Autumn is at

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Speaker 3: the bottom of the stairs and Mercado cannot wake her.

388
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Speaker 3: Mercato tells police he believes Autumn must have passed out

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Speaker 3: from vertigo and fallen down the stairs. Mercato admits that

390
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Speaker 3: instead of calling nine to one one, he covers Autumn

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Speaker 3: with a blanket and orders a lift ride. Mercato makes

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Speaker 3: a trip to a nearby gas station for a beer run,

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Speaker 3: leaving their one and four year old children home alone

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Speaker 3: with mommy's body.

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Speaker 1: Debay a beer ride. A beer run, he finds his

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Speaker 1: wife's dead body at the foot of the stairs six

397
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Speaker 1: hours by his admission, according to her sister, is likely

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Speaker 1: much longer, and goes for a beer run, leaving a

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Speaker 1: one year old and four year old child alone with

400
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Speaker 1: mommy's body hovering around it.

401
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Speaker 11: You can be a fourteen carrot jerk without being a killer.

402
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Speaker 11: The man was obviously drunk. He wanted to resume where

403
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Speaker 11: he left off. Does that mean anybody would condone it?

404
00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,520
Speaker 11: Certainly not, But that's not an element of murder. The

405
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Speaker 11: real question here is what's going to happen regarding the

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Speaker 11: child abandonment problem that he's got.

407
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Speaker 3: Now.

408
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Speaker 11: Obviously, nobody wants to leave their spouse when they've fallen

409
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Speaker 11: down the stairs from vertigo. But if you are drunk,

410
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Speaker 11: if your blotto. You're not in the right state of

411
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Speaker 11: mind to act like an otherwise sober person. So for now,

412
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Speaker 11: there's not enough evidence to charge him with a homicide.

413
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Speaker 2: A nurse, mom of three found dead at the bottom

414
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Speaker 2: of stairs in her home. Is it an accident or

415
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Speaker 2: is there more to the story?

416
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Speaker 1: This is by far not the first time a wife

417
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Speaker 1: has been found dead at the foot of the stairs

418
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Speaker 1: from an accident. I recall distinctly the Kathleen Peterson case.

419
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Speaker 1: Kathleen found at the foot of the stairs. The defense,

420
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Speaker 1: wait for it was that an owl had flown into

421
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Speaker 1: the home, attacked her and made her fall down the stairs,

422
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Speaker 1: and then I guess the owl found its way out

423
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Speaker 1: the front door.

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Speaker 10: Listen, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of

425
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Speaker 10: the couple staircase.

426
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Speaker 3: Peterson's husband is not list of Michael Peterson.

427
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Speaker 1: The cop was on me instantly.

428
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Speaker 7: There was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.

429
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Speaker 8: The injuries are not consistently the fall down the stairs.

430
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Speaker 7: The charge first degree murder.

431
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Speaker 8: The d is trying to say that I died till

432
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Speaker 8: her mother.

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Speaker 6: There's no murder web, there's no motivor.

434
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Speaker 7: But we're sitting behind our died We've never occurred to

435
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Speaker 7: Michael Peterson that people wouldn't believe it. That's really what

436
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:25,320
Speaker 7: this is all about.

437
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 8: He thought he'd get away with it.

438
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,960
Speaker 1: That's where our friends at Netflix. The husband in that case,

439
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:39,040
Speaker 1: Michael Peterson, was tried. Then after a lot of legal wrangling,

440
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,560
Speaker 1: after being found guilty and then the legal wrangling, he

441
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:48,480
Speaker 1: ended up taking a plea to involuntary manslaughter. But listen

442
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 1: to this nine one one call you.

443
00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 9: Roch Peters.

444
00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:02,680
Speaker 2: Whyn't turn asking what kind of a super including the conscious?

445
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:04,120
Speaker 2: Worse conscious?

446
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:05,240
Speaker 3: No, she's not conscious?

447
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 2: How many stairs to do all there?

448
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:09,439
Speaker 9: How many for bears?

449
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:11,280
Speaker 1: How many stairs?

450
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:14,400
Speaker 4: Fifteen forty?

451
00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 9: I don't know.

452
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:16,480
Speaker 12: Please get somebody her.

453
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:22,000
Speaker 1: Brother way straight out to Summer Christensen. This is Autumn's sister, Summer.

454
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,920
Speaker 1: In that case, the husband claimed an owl flew in

455
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,360
Speaker 1: and attacked his wife. He claimed she had been drinking,

456
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,200
Speaker 1: in other words, putting the blame on her as I

457
00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 1: recall she had had a glass of wine and now

458
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,760
Speaker 1: she's dead. It then came out that he had a

459
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:45,920
Speaker 1: prior relationship with another woman in Germany who was found

460
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:52,000
Speaker 1: dead at the foot of the stairs in this case.

461
00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,560
Speaker 1: In that case, he claimed an owl is responsible. And

462
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,720
Speaker 1: a glass of wine or intake of alcohol, and this

463
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,359
Speaker 1: case we're hearing vertigo and that Autumn had been drinking.

464
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 1: Why is it always seemingly the victim's fault. She's at

465
00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:09,760
Speaker 1: the bottom of the stairs dead.

466
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,639
Speaker 8: I don't even know what to say to that.

467
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 7: To be honest with you, I do feel in my

468
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,960
Speaker 7: heart and my gut that a phone call could have

469
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,480
Speaker 7: been made to help save her life.

470
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:23,760
Speaker 1: What are you being told about the bruises on her body?

471
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:29,359
Speaker 7: Nothing yet, that everything is still under investigation, that it'll

472
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 7: take weeks for the full investigation to be complete.

473
00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:38,400
Speaker 1: That brings to mind the case of Susanne Seals. Listen.

474
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 11: He said it was an accident and she appeared to

475
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,280
Speaker 11: have fallen down the stairs.

476
00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,560
Speaker 1: I got the call from Scott and he said Susanne

477
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:51,280
Speaker 1: is dead and I said, no, she isn't. He said,

478
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 1: but accidents do happen, which of course is true.

479
00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 9: We found blood stains that is obviously suspicious.

480
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:00,960
Speaker 10: Of course you didn't who's but what we didn't know?

481
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,400
Speaker 4: We knew that sooner onto some we were gonna have

482
00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:05,080
Speaker 4: to spend some time on.

483
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,920
Speaker 1: My son in law has just been arrested for the

484
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: murder of my daughter, another woman dead at the foot

485
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 1: of the stairs. That's from our friends at Dateline to

486
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,960
Speaker 1: Sydney Sumner joining US Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, Sidney,

487
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,280
Speaker 1: what can you tell me about the bruises on her body?

488
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,000
Speaker 1: I know we don't have the autopsy report yet, but

489
00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:29,400
Speaker 1: we've been able to glean a little bit from police

490
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:30,640
Speaker 1: reports and statements.

491
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,480
Speaker 4: Nancy. What the report says about the bruising on Autumn's

492
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:38,640
Speaker 4: body is her legs and her feet were extremely discolored.

493
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,680
Speaker 4: That's what we took to minas bruising on her legs

494
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,680
Speaker 4: and feet. They noted particularly her feet were bruised, which

495
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:50,440
Speaker 4: is very odd. I cannot think of a reason that

496
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:55,080
Speaker 4: those bruises would be there from an injury that happened

497
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:56,200
Speaker 4: in her life.

498
00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,640
Speaker 1: Doctor Michelle Dupree, What does that indicate to you? Her

499
00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:02,720
Speaker 1: legs and feet badly bruised?

500
00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:06,600
Speaker 6: Nancy? The first thing I think of is actually defensive wounds.

501
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:11,280
Speaker 6: Oftentimes anyone may fight off an attacker with their arms

502
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,840
Speaker 6: and legs and feet, and you know, if the bruises

503
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,000
Speaker 6: are on her feet, I think that would be highly

504
00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:17,880
Speaker 6: suspicious for defensive wounds.

505
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,880
Speaker 1: You know, that's a really good point doctor Michelle Dupree.

506
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,880
Speaker 1: When I try to explain defensive wounds to a jury,

507
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,360
Speaker 1: imagine someone coming at you with a baseball bat. The

508
00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,120
Speaker 1: first thing you do is put your hands up over

509
00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,520
Speaker 1: your face. And that's why we often see defensive wounds

510
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:37,160
Speaker 1: along the outside of the arms, the outside of the hands,

511
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,320
Speaker 1: and that bruising. Even though a blow is struck here,

512
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,520
Speaker 1: the bruising will go into the hand. Often we see

513
00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,400
Speaker 1: a victim if they're already in the floor or say

514
00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:52,200
Speaker 1: in the bed or in a sitting position, not necessarily

515
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,560
Speaker 1: prone on the floor, they curl up in a fetal

516
00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,960
Speaker 1: position and you will find a lot of bruising on

517
00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:02,480
Speaker 1: the legs and the feet where they're instinctively trying to

518
00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:07,520
Speaker 1: protect their internal organs. Is that how it works, doctor Dupree.

519
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,440
Speaker 6: Absolutely, Nancy, you gave a perfect description. That's exactly what happened.

520
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 6: You're trying to defend yourself, and the way to do

521
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,920
Speaker 6: that is with your arms, your legs, your feet, basically

522
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,000
Speaker 6: anything to protect that core of your body.

523
00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:21,600
Speaker 1: That's what it sounds like to me.

524
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,720
Speaker 2: A Utah nurse found in her home cop say hubby

525
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:28,880
Speaker 2: buys beer before calling nine to one one.

526
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,080
Speaker 1: He didn't just buy beer. He got a lift ride

527
00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,680
Speaker 1: to go buy beer and come home and get drunk

528
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,280
Speaker 1: while his wife is lying in the floor, cold to

529
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 1: the touch, covered in bruises, and half naked. Why it's

530
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,400
Speaker 1: not the first time suspect a person of interest, let's say,

531
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:56,080
Speaker 1: suddenly got an attack of the hungries after the death.

532
00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:00,080
Speaker 3: Listen, federal agents line up raaking through garbage searching for

533
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,760
Speaker 3: twenty month old Quinton Simon's remains. Meanwhile, Leilanie Simon, the

534
00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,959
Speaker 3: only suspect in her son's disappearance, Her mother, Billy Jo Howell,

535
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,960
Speaker 3: and others are spotted out at the popular Tybee Island bar.

536
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,760
Speaker 3: Their waiters say they took Shantz, got flirty, and even

537
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,160
Speaker 3: demanded one waiter's phone number. Their party ran up a

538
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,560
Speaker 3: tab of over three hundred dollars while protesters stood in

539
00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,560
Speaker 3: front of the family's home demanding justice for Quinton.

540
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:27,320
Speaker 9: Not just that.

541
00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 1: I'm sure we all remember the case of Micah Miller.

542
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 10: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is buzzing with rumors that pastor

543
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:39,480
Speaker 10: John Paul Miller is dating again and has possibly even remarried.

544
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,400
Speaker 10: Miller was previously seen out to dinner with a member

545
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:46,040
Speaker 10: of his congregation just four days after Micah Miller's suicide,

546
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,080
Speaker 10: less than twenty four hours after his home is rated

547
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,000
Speaker 10: by the FBI, Miller is seen with the same woman

548
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,320
Speaker 10: having lunch at McAllister's Deli. This time, the pair cap

549
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,880
Speaker 10: their distance and appeared tense when entering and leaving the restaurant.

550
00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,800
Speaker 1: Again. In that case, Michael Miller's case, they passed. Her

551
00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,920
Speaker 1: husband has not been charged in relation to her death.

552
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:09,520
Speaker 1: To Summer Christensen, has he contacted you at all since

553
00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:10,280
Speaker 1: Autumn's death.

554
00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,600
Speaker 8: Yes, he tried reaching out to me from a phone number.

555
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 8: I did not know that it was him.

556
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,720
Speaker 7: I actually thought it was maybe someone from the police department.

557
00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,360
Speaker 7: The first thing he said to me was, I didn't

558
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:29,040
Speaker 7: do it. Not my condolences, I'm sorry about leaving the kids. Nothing.

559
00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,360
Speaker 7: Maybe I'm sorry. I Edmit's guilt. I don't know, but no,

560
00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:38,240
Speaker 7: nothing other than he didn't do it, and he has

561
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,560
Speaker 7: clothing for the children that my family can pick up.

562
00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,120
Speaker 8: I froze. I couldn't say anything. I wanted to scream,

563
00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:48,640
Speaker 8: I wanted to yell. I froze. I couldn't say anything.

564
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:49,960
Speaker 8: I was just silent.

565
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,080
Speaker 3: Autumn sisters say they thought her relationship with Mercato was

566
00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:58,880
Speaker 3: happy and loving older sister, Summer. Christiansen Ward says she

567
00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:02,800
Speaker 3: had no idea about the previous domestic violence charges and

568
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:07,120
Speaker 3: believes her sister's marriage was much different behind closed doors.

569
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,080
Speaker 1: Summer, did you ever have any idea that there was

570
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,480
Speaker 1: domestic violence in their marriage?

571
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,400
Speaker 7: We so, I was saying, my family know, not until

572
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,640
Speaker 7: I guess she would say it was too late. Right

573
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:25,200
Speaker 7: in front of us family gatherings. They were loving to

574
00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:30,560
Speaker 7: each other. It wasn't until more recently that you can

575
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:35,399
Speaker 7: only you know, so many times, you can only fall

576
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,680
Speaker 7: down the stairs. You know how many more times?

577
00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:43,439
Speaker 8: I don't know. Things started to come together, but she's

578
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:45,759
Speaker 8: not with us, like.

579
00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:50,040
Speaker 1: Summer, is too true that you were told he Carlos

580
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:52,759
Speaker 1: Mercado pushed her down the stairs in the past. It's

581
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:53,520
Speaker 1: not the first time.

582
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:59,640
Speaker 7: So after her passing, yes, someone came forward and said

583
00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,560
Speaker 7: that she had reached out to them.

584
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,200
Speaker 8: Because Carlos had pushed her down the stairs.

585
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,080
Speaker 1: So a few of her friends, at least one knew

586
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,840
Speaker 1: about the domestic violence Sydney. Wasn't there a previous domestic

587
00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:13,880
Speaker 1: violence charge?

588
00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:15,080
Speaker 11: Nancy?

589
00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,760
Speaker 4: There were several. The first they were not yet married,

590
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,560
Speaker 4: still engaged in twenty nineteen and there was a domestic

591
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:30,919
Speaker 4: violence assault charge against Mercado. Then again two years later

592
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:35,480
Speaker 4: in twenty twenty one, there was another charge filed, but

593
00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,120
Speaker 4: law enforcement could not get in touch with Autumn to

594
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:46,400
Speaker 4: successfully prosecute the case. Again, a year later, Mercado assaulted

595
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:52,560
Speaker 4: Autumn again, just months after completing court ordered anger management

596
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:57,000
Speaker 4: and counseling for the initial charge back in twenty nineteen.

597
00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,399
Speaker 4: So there were several documented cases of mastic violence from

598
00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,319
Speaker 4: Mercado against Autumn, and it seems those who saw her

599
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:08,560
Speaker 4: on a daily basis had some idea that this was

600
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,000
Speaker 4: going on. The coworker that called for the welfare check

601
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,800
Speaker 4: actually mentioned to police she was worried about Autumn because

602
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:18,440
Speaker 4: of their domestic violence history.

603
00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:25,279
Speaker 1: You know, it's interesting Summer that nobody in the family knew.

604
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,400
Speaker 1: But you know what, that is not uncommon. In fact,

605
00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:35,680
Speaker 1: that's normal. It's very rare that a domestic victim will

606
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 1: open up and tell people. For some reason, they keep

607
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,600
Speaker 1: it a secret. How did she portray her marriage to you?

608
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:49,560
Speaker 7: He was her night in shining armor. She protected him,

609
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:54,040
Speaker 7: She definitely protected him. Like I said, it wasn't until

610
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,600
Speaker 7: things started not adding up. And it's like, there's only

611
00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,520
Speaker 7: so many times certain things can happen. And I hate

612
00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,600
Speaker 7: to think that she was dealing with this for as

613
00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:08,440
Speaker 7: long as they were together. She wanted us to love him.

614
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,080
Speaker 7: She protected him. He didn't protect her, but she definitely

615
00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:13,759
Speaker 7: protected him.

616
00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:18,960
Speaker 1: Doctor Lise Long, psychologists joining us. Why why do the

617
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,880
Speaker 1: victims try to protect the abuser?

618
00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,680
Speaker 9: It is part of the abuse cycle, you know. You

619
00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:31,480
Speaker 9: go through periods of trying to get back together, strengthen

620
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:37,440
Speaker 9: the relationship, and they're living in an environment that is

621
00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:42,440
Speaker 9: fear based. You know, it's chaos within the environment, and

622
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:46,640
Speaker 9: they're under a lot of pressure by the perpetrator to

623
00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,160
Speaker 9: make them look good publicly.

624
00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:51,600
Speaker 1: You know, I think part of it, doctor Lesa. I'm

625
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:56,240
Speaker 1: certainly in a shrink, but they want that image. People

626
00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:01,080
Speaker 1: women grow up thinking they're going to have this wonderful husband,

627
00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:04,640
Speaker 1: this happy life, you know, like in the Harrmark movie

628
00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:08,400
Speaker 1: or and the Christmas card photos, and that's you know,

629
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:11,919
Speaker 1: sold to us, and we buy into it and think

630
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:15,160
Speaker 1: that's the way it's supposed to be, and somehow if

631
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,120
Speaker 1: it's not really that way, you're the big failure.

632
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,360
Speaker 9: Absolutely, Nancy, you know, and that is part of the

633
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:27,880
Speaker 9: domestic violence. The abuse cycle is that victims often internalize

634
00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:34,800
Speaker 9: guilt and shame for being victims of abuse when you know, obviously,

635
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,880
Speaker 9: logically we know that's not the way, that they're not

636
00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,080
Speaker 9: the cause of it, but that is exactly what happens,

637
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:47,360
Speaker 9: and then it creates a cycle of feeling shame to

638
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:50,799
Speaker 9: speak out to get help, and then we end up

639
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:52,200
Speaker 9: in situations like this.

640
00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:59,480
Speaker 1: Summer. What is your message tonight? I know the children

641
00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:06,440
Speaker 1: are with Autumn's family, What do they remember about the

642
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:08,400
Speaker 1: day Mommy was at the foot of the stairs.

643
00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,279
Speaker 8: I will never ask, at least the four year old.

644
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:16,760
Speaker 8: What I will tell you is that he has night terrors.

645
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,480
Speaker 8: Do I think that he knows Mommy is gone?

646
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,440
Speaker 9: I do, I do.

647
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,920
Speaker 7: But what I would want people to remember one is

648
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:31,920
Speaker 7: if you are suffering from domestic violence, please reach out.

649
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,400
Speaker 7: Reach out to your family. Even if if you confide

650
00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:39,040
Speaker 7: and others or work coworkers or other friends, then I

651
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,040
Speaker 7: would ask you, you know, coworkers, other friends, whoever it is,

652
00:39:42,239 --> 00:39:46,000
Speaker 7: reach out to the family, call someone, Please do something.

653
00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:48,160
Speaker 7: I don't want them to end up like my sister.

654
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,680
Speaker 7: But I also want my sister to be remembered. Like

655
00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,719
Speaker 7: I said, she is not only beautiful, on the inside

656
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,759
Speaker 7: or on the outside, but also on the inside. She

657
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,759
Speaker 7: was nurturing, she was loving. Her hugs were big, they

658
00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:00,400
Speaker 7: were warm.

659
00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,359
Speaker 8: She was a nurse. I say this all the time.

660
00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:06,520
Speaker 7: If you were cared for by my sister, you knew

661
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:08,640
Speaker 7: you were going to be taken care of. She gave

662
00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 7: off that demeanor and that confidence and that, you know,

663
00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,000
Speaker 7: just her the way she was when she cared for people.

664
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:20,200
Speaker 7: She but her number one pride and joy were her

665
00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,480
Speaker 7: three children. Her three kids were her pride and joy,

666
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:28,160
Speaker 7: and she loved them with everything she had. I really

667
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,719
Speaker 7: want my sister to be remembered for the wonderful person

668
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:35,480
Speaker 7: that she was, the amazing woman that she was. I

669
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,560
Speaker 7: do want justice for her, but I want her to

670
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 7: be remembered for who she is and not the woman

671
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,440
Speaker 7: at the bottom of the stairs where her kids were

672
00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:46,439
Speaker 7: there to watch her. She's an amazing, wonderful woman.

673
00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:52,760
Speaker 1: If you or someone you know is suffering domestic violence,

674
00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:58,880
Speaker 1: please call toll free eight hundred seven ninety nine seven

675
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,000
Speaker 1: two three three. Eight hundred seven ninety nine seven two

676
00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:09,919
Speaker 1: three three. We wait as just as sun falls. Goodbye, friend,