1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: On May twenty seventh, twenty fourteen, Anne Bender was in 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: court awaiting a verdict for the second time. She'd been 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: re tried for murder, which is allowable under Costa Rican law. 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: The trial had lasted seven days. Anne was shaking. The judge, 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: Adolpho Calderon began. 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 2: An absol He told the court that John Bender could 7 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,279 Speaker 2: not have shot himself because he had a wound at 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: the back of the head. 9 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: The judge said other evidence that the crime scene also 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: made suicide impossible. The blood, the bullets, the position of 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: the body. It all pointed to only one conclusion. And 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: had argued during the court case that John suffered from 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: bipolar disorder and that he'd attempted to take his own 14 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: life before the judges weren't convinced by her defense. Finally, 15 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: Judge Calderon announced the verdict without a doubt. He said, 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: the court agrees that the death of John Felix Bender 17 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: was homicide. An had murdered him. She was guilty. The 18 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: sentence was twenty two years in prison. From Exactly Right 19 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: Media and iHeart podcasts produced by Blanchard House, This is 20 00:01:40,440 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: Helen Heaven, I'm Becky Milligan. Chapter seven, A second chance 21 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: and was led away by gods. In total shock, she fainted. 22 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: Do you remember her reaction? 23 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 3: Stunned? 24 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: Author Carol Vaughan witnessed the verdict. 25 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 4: I think she and her legal team neither one thought 26 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 4: that that was going to happen. I think her legal 27 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 4: team had done a very good job of defending her. 28 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 1: And do you remember her walking out or what happened. 29 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 4: I remember they tried to get her out as quickly 30 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 4: as possible through a side door, which you're not supposed 31 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 4: to use, things like a fire door, but she could 32 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 4: barely walk. 33 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 3: She was overcome. 34 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 4: It was awful, and we were all looking at each 35 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 4: other just in total disbelief. 36 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: She was immediately remanded to a psychiatric hospital, where she 37 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: was held under guard and put on suicide watch. When 38 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: she was over the shop and considered well enough, she 39 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: was moved to the prison. 40 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 4: I didn't know how awful it was where they were 41 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 4: sending her, and what they were doing to her, and 42 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 4: how you'll equipped she was for it. 43 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 3: Had I known, I would. 44 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 4: Have been flopping out also, because it's just being in 45 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 4: jail as a woman in Central America is just no 46 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 4: day at the beach. 47 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: The verdict horrified Anne's family and everyone who'd supported and 48 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: believed in her. What worried the most was that Anne 49 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: might not survive being in prison. The stress of the 50 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: trial and the verdict had weakened her. She was frail 51 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: and very thin. Ken Anne's brother was her spokesman throughout 52 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: the trial and outside the court. Speaking in perfect Spanish, 53 00:03:53,960 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 1: he told reportersis my sister is not a killer. Her 54 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: second trial was a fallacy, a dark day for pois 55 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: cladon very ugly. Friends and family had to move fast 56 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: and make a lot of noise about what they believed 57 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: was an appalling miscarriage of justice. They created a go 58 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: fund Me page and started a petition free and Bender 59 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: on the popular change dot org platform to mobilize supporters. 60 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: An actor reads what one of her friends wrote on 61 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: their page. 62 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 5: We family and close friends are doing everything in our 63 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 5: power to end this nightmare. 64 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 6: An innocent woman is dying, and we can make this rite. 65 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 6: We can. 66 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: Her lawyers also sprang into action, preparing an appeal. Anne 67 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: had one other person fighting her corner, a man named 68 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: Greg Fischer. Anne met Greg in San Jose, where she'd 69 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: been living around the time of her first trial. Originally 70 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: from New New York, Greg had lived in Florida, Arizona, 71 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: and then Costa Rica. Just like John had been, Greg 72 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: was into bodybuilding and fitness and liked to ride motorbikes. 73 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: He was handsome and, according to friends, kind and compassionate. 74 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: It was a second chance for Anne. They lived together 75 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: in an apartment in a smart suburb of San Jose 76 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: and even got a puppy. But then came the second trial, 77 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: and just over a year after they'd started their relationship, 78 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: Anne was found guilty and started her twenty two year 79 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: prison sentence. All hopes that that new life were taken away. 80 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: Greg now dedicated all his time to fight for her 81 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: release and visit her in prison. An actor reads his 82 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: Twitter bio at the time. 83 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 6: Working every day to help save Ann Bender from the 84 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 6: terrible injustice doneer her by the people she trusted the most. 85 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: He and Smavan's friends and family contributed as much as 86 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: they could to her campaign. Greg was always thinking of 87 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: new ways to raise money to help Han's calls. They 88 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: also took to social media and tweeted everyone from The 89 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: New York Times to Fox News, hoping a journalist or 90 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,919 Speaker 1: campaigners or politicians would pick up her story. And someone 91 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: did pick up the story, but closer to home. I'm 92 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: at a cabin on the outskirts of pere Zeladon, in 93 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: the shadow of those beautiful mountains. It's owned by Carol Vaughan. 94 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: She lives here with her dog Garbo. You'll have heard 95 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: from Carol throughout the series. She's dressed in her Hallmark 96 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: Loud Hawaiian shirt and red lipstick. In her younger days, 97 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: back in America, she was a tap dancer. 98 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 4: I was an avid tap dancer. I don't tap an 99 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 4: anymore because of my age, but had a tap dance studio, 100 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 4: taught it, continued to perform it in nightclubs both in 101 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 4: New York and in Washington, DC. And I feel like 102 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 4: in my heart I'll always be a tap dancer. 103 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: Carol even danced with Mickey Rooney, a Hollywood star in 104 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: the forties and fifties. She gave up the love of 105 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: her life, I e Tap and moved to Costa Rica 106 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: in twenty twelve, where she could have retired relaxing on 107 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: her rocking chair on the verandah, taking it nice and easy, 108 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: but she isn't a type to do that. Instead, she 109 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: dived right into a new career as an investigative reporter 110 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: for a local newspaper, The Tico Times. Before we can 111 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: sit down to chat, we're off for a walk with 112 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: her dog, Garbo, and she starts to tell me how 113 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: one story took over her entire life and still dominates it. 114 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 3: It's so embarrassing. 115 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 4: I became possessed and obsessed with the story of the Benders. 116 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 3: It's raining you, guys. 117 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 4: We're going to cross and go down just a bit 118 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 4: and he should poop. 119 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: Okay, in shallah, we'll wait for the poop. Back in 120 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: the cabin, we start from the beginning how she became 121 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: possessed and obsessed with the Benders. One day, her editor 122 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: gave her a new assignment, covering an Bender's murder trials, 123 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: starting with the second, the one in which she was convicted. 124 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,239 Speaker 1: Carol had no idea what she was about to get into. 125 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 4: My Spanish was pretty good, but it wasn't great. And 126 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 4: in court you have to be quick, and you have 127 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 4: to pay attention, and you have to understand legal things 128 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 4: that I didn't understand. So when he first said this 129 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 4: is your assignment, that I want you to go do this, 130 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 4: it's like, well, you know, I'll try it, but I 131 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 4: can't promise that it's going to be great. 132 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 3: First day trial. 133 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 4: I thought, oh, I'm going to do this because this 134 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 4: is to the reaction of the people in the courtroom 135 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 4: and the looks on people's faces. And there are three 136 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 4: judges in all court cases here, criminal court cases, and 137 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 4: they would fight with each other and say nasty things 138 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 4: to each other and things that would never happen in 139 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 4: American court. So the drama was so intense. I realized 140 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 4: that it wasn't just a writing assignment. It was also 141 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 4: my telenovela, my soap opera of the day. 142 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: Did you know about the case already? I mean, did 143 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: people talked about it? Was it just a big thing here? 144 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 3: Everyone talked about it. 145 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 4: It was in all the local papers, on all the 146 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 4: local radio and TV. 147 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: And was now in the only all women's gennel in 148 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: Costa Rica. Originally a convent, it was now a fortress. 149 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 4: With gun turrets, guys walking around with guns. She was 150 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 4: in an ambito with twenty women. 151 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: That's a prison dormitory. 152 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 4: There weren't enough mattresses for everyone, so they would share 153 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 4: mattresses or some people would just have to sleep directly 154 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 4: on the floor. You have to wear your own clothes, 155 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 4: but you're not allowed to replace your clothes. So people 156 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 4: are in like Robinson Crusoe torn outfits. There women there 157 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 4: who are pregnant. They're women there who have their own 158 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 4: children with them. 159 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: Let's just stop here for a moment. Imagine what it 160 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: must have been like for this privileged woman, an American 161 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: used to the comfort of Buracueyanne in the middle of 162 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: the jungle, protected by armed guards, surrounded by staff, beautiful jewels, 163 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: tiffany lamps, watching the sunset every evening over their own 164 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: private jungle. Now she was in jail, convicted of murder. 165 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: The contrast couldn't have been more extreme. 166 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:51,079 Speaker 3: The food is inedible. 167 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 4: I mean, they'd be maggots crawling out of the of 168 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 4: the rice. I don't know how she survived. I really don't. 169 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: And you went to visit her in prison. Can you 170 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: recall the conversation you had. 171 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 4: While she was in this dormitory with twenty people. I 172 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 4: think they let me go with her outside. I was 173 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 4: not allowed to tape, but I was allowed to take notes. 174 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 4: She in general always wore black, and she wore skirts 175 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,079 Speaker 4: all the way down to the floor usually, and then 176 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 4: long sleeves. Because there's no climate control in. 177 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: Jail right, well, did she tell you? 178 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 3: Well? 179 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 4: I was very concerned with how she was if she 180 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 4: was being treated well as well. 181 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: As a journalist, Carol was working as a volunteer for 182 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: the American embassy. In fact, her father had been a 183 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: diplomat in Latin America. 184 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 4: I said, you know, we'll get your soap, We'll get 185 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 4: you toilet paper, because there's no toilet paper in jail. 186 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 4: Let us know what you want, we will get it 187 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 4: to you. So that was the most of the conversation 188 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 4: was are you taking care. 189 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 3: Of your health? She had a heartport and. 190 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 4: She couldn't keep it clean because she was only allowed 191 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 4: to bathe once a week. 192 00:11:58,280 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: What is a hartcourt. 193 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 4: It was something that would allow them to inject medicine 194 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 4: right into her heart because her heart was not strong. 195 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 2: Gosh. 196 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: So she was really seriously, oh yeah, off, that sounds 197 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: quite frightening for her if she can't actually, you know, 198 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: keep it clean. 199 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 4: So all of that stuff about just human human How 200 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 4: are you holding up? 201 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 1: It's a question. Lots of people were asking how was 202 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: she surviving day in day out, especially as she was 203 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: so frail. The answer Carol got to her question surprised her. 204 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 4: She confessed to me that she was actually well accompanied, 205 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 4: that she felt very comfortable with the women that she 206 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 4: was living with, and that they were taking very good 207 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 4: care of her, and she felt kind of good about that. 208 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: It's amazing, isn't it? To go from a sort of 209 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: house she was living in on top of a hill, 210 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: a mansion, yes. 211 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 4: With just one other person, and now she's thrown into 212 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 4: a dirt bin with twenty and she's okay, how does 213 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 4: that happen? 214 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: Luckily, Anne had won the sympathy of the other inmates. 215 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: They seemed to pity her. 216 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 4: The women rallied around her, recognizing she was a wounded birdie. 217 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: They saw her as a wounded bird. 218 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 3: They brought her clothing to wear. 219 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 4: Their families brought her food from home. 220 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 3: And Anne suffered a lot. 221 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 4: From the cold, so they would heat water forward to 222 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 4: pour in her pail so that she could get a 223 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 4: little comfort there, and then they would take her out 224 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 4: to the back so she could sit in the sun 225 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 4: and try to regroup. 226 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 3: They were very sweet to her. 227 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: What was it about her do you think that made 228 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: people sympathize. 229 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 4: I think she reads as a wounded wounded person. She 230 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 4: was very sympathetic always to wounded animals where they lived, 231 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 4: and I think it was because she was one. 232 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 3: She just got Birdie with the broken wing. 233 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: It was hard for anyone to survive in there, let 234 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: alone an American who was used to a certain lifestyle. 235 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: But those women rallied around her, cared for her, helped 236 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: her survive, and there was greg. 237 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 4: Ann's boyfriend would bring her food and then enough food 238 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 4: to share among the other prisoners so that they would 239 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 4: take better. 240 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 3: Care of her. 241 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: Carol also helped her. 242 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 4: After the health issues of how are you, what can 243 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 4: we do for you? The embassies looking after you. We 244 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 4: will visit you. Here's a number to call if you 245 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 4: get in trouble. Telephoning in jail as a huge problem 246 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 4: because there's only one phone and you're allowed two minutes 247 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 4: on one kind of thing. 248 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: Carol felt like she and Anne were connected. Their fate 249 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: had brought them together. 250 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 3: Because here I am. 251 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 4: I'm a single American woman here in Costrica with not 252 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 4: very much knowledge to the country or the language or anything. 253 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 4: And I felt a kindred spirit. She was a female. 254 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 4: She was wrongly accused, I thought, and I wasn't one 255 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 4: hundred percent sure she was getting good legal help. 256 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: Carol was also fascinated by Anne's story, and she had 257 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: an article to write, one which would eventually become a 258 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: book titled Crazy Jungle Love. So she had to ask 259 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: the harder, more probing questions. 260 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 4: I said, well, Anne, you you know what happened. I 261 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 4: didn't want to say did you kill him? 262 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 3: Just you know what happened? 263 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 4: And she told me what she's told everyone, that she 264 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 4: was awakened by his voice, and that John always came 265 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 4: to bed with a gun, and she roused herself after 266 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 4: she heard him say something. She thinks it was, You'll 267 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 4: now know what it's like to wake up next to 268 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 4: your dead husband. And she saw that he had a 269 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 4: gun pointed at his head, and she tried to ab 270 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 4: and the gun went off and he died instantly. He 271 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 4: was shot in the back of the right occipital and 272 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 4: it never came out. 273 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: The occipital is a particular part at the back of 274 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: the head. What do you do make of that explanation? 275 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 3: I think that's what she things happened. 276 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: Though it was twenty fourteen, four years after John's death 277 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: and with prison time ahead, AND's story didn't change, but 278 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: what had changed was public opinion. During the first trial, 279 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: she'd won over many Costa Ricans. They were sympathetic. After 280 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: she was convicted, that changed. What did people think about 281 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: her in Costa Rica? 282 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 4: I think I've never asked someone that. Who has told me, 283 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 4: especially a man who has told me Anne's innocent. I've 284 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 4: never ever heard anyone say Anne was innocent. They say 285 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 4: she was a black widow. She was just gunning for 286 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 4: him until he dies so she could have all those 287 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 4: jewels and property to herself. They were both crooked, but 288 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 4: she took him out. She wasn't a well liked person. 289 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 4: I mean, neither of them were well liked, frankly, but 290 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 4: here the blame went to her. There people were convinced. 291 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 3: She kills them. I mean, that's not even a question. 292 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,479 Speaker 1: The story became bigger than Anna and Joan. It had 293 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: a knock on effect on all Americans who had come 294 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: to Costa Rica to settle All expats were now on trial. 295 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 4: Americans are so self entitled. They think they own the world. 296 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 4: They think everything revolves around them. They think they can 297 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 4: come into this developing country and just do whatever they 298 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 4: want and no one's gonna put a stop to them. 299 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 4: And you watch, we're going to put a stop to them. 300 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: Someone else who was on the trial each day was 301 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: Kevin Serrano, a cameraman for a Costa Rican TV news station. 302 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: He was more used to recording sports events, but now 303 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,360 Speaker 1: he'd been put on the trial of the century. 304 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 7: If the La Maurie Brasonouando being only extanjiro, when. 305 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 8: A foreigner from any country comes to live in Pusta Rica, 306 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 8: people would normally think this is good because they might 307 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 8: bring investment or aid and development to the communities or whatever. 308 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 8: So at first the opinion was these are good and 309 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,880 Speaker 8: nice people who came to support the community. But when 310 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 8: all this starts to come out, people thought, hmmm, maybe 311 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 8: none of this was what they made it out to be. 312 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: And unlike any other trial in Costa Rican history, the 313 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: public could read and watch every twist and turn of 314 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: the story. It became a soap opera and everyone was 315 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 1: talking about it. 316 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 8: In most trials, it's requested not to be pressed or 317 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 8: media present. Understand, Anne's defense did not want the media 318 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 8: in the courtroom, but since this was a case of 319 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 8: public interest, all media could be at the trial. 320 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 1: The speculation could be as fantastic as it was cruel. 321 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: There was miles and miles of newsprint discussing every theory 322 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: under the sun, including one which suggested Anne may not 323 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 1: have pulled the trigger but paid for the hit on John. 324 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: So this was all swirling around while Anne's lawyers fought 325 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: her conviction. Then, unbelievably, another tragedy was to strike Anne. 326 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: Six months into her sentence, she got some news. Greg, 327 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: her partner who'd been dedicated to the campaign for her release, died. 328 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: It was November sixteenth, twenty fourteen. It's easy and tempting 329 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: to assume Greg's death must be connected to everything else, 330 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: but Greg died from an asthma attack. It was totally 331 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: random and awful. Nevertheless, speculation and conspiracy theories once again flourished. 332 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: Anne was devastated, grieving again, this time for her boyfriend Greg, 333 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: wondering if she would ever get out of prison. But 334 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: then there was a major development. It was nine months 335 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: into her sentence. Anne was in her cell. It was 336 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: a regular day inside as far as she was concerned, 337 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: until a guard appeared out of the blue. He told 338 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: her that her case had been thrown out, there was 339 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 1: going to be a third trial, and she was to 340 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: be released immediately. She was free to go. Her lawyers 341 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: had been working round the clock to secure a retrial, 342 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: and they had succeeded. A judge had reviewed the case 343 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: and made the decision. She said this to reporters. An 344 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: actor is speaking Anne's words. 345 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 6: They just told me to get my stuff together and 346 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 6: I left the prison. 347 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 5: I'm really grateful that the appellate court made the right 348 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 5: to time decision. 349 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: Even though the prospect of a further trial must have 350 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: been terrible. It was another chance to prove her innocence 351 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 1: and get out of the country. Carol again had a 352 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: ringside seat. 353 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,679 Speaker 4: Then there was a third trial, which was longer than 354 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:20,640 Speaker 4: the first two and better attended than. 355 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 3: The first two. 356 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 4: It was war to war people, I mean, you couldn't 357 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 4: get into the courtroom. 358 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: Anne was now not only fighting for her freedom, but 359 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: her life. She knew what prison was like and probably 360 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 1: knew that if she went back she might not survive 361 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: the terrible conditions. Shortly before the trial, the defense team, 362 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: including Anne's family, moved to a local hotel in Perzelodon 363 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: Hotel zimmer. 364 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 7: My name is Santiago. I'm from Costa Rica. We live 365 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 7: in Sanni Sidro. 366 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: That's Santiago, the laid back manager of Hotel Zimma and 367 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: next to him is his wife Anna. We're sitting outside 368 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: in the shade of a large tree. We have to 369 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: stop our interview at times because the parrots are so loud. 370 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: This is where Anne and her entourage stayed. It's tucked 371 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 1: away in the back streets of the town, but also 372 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 1: within walking distance of the court. I asked them to 373 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: describe the moment that Anne Bender arrived at their hotel. 374 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 7: Everybody wants to meet her or see her, you know, 375 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 7: the first time, and we were waiting for her, that 376 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 7: she was coming and she was dying. She said, hello, 377 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 7: how are you? She says the whole thing, but she 378 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 7: was kind of tired. 379 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: Along with Anne came her own personal protection. 380 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 7: She got two guys, armed guys in the main entrance. Yeah, 381 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 7: well you don't see their arms like undercover, but they 382 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 7: have big guns. 383 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: And was supported by her family. 384 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 7: Her father, mother. 385 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 1: And her brother Kevin. Even doctor Lozano, her psychiatrist, who 386 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: we heard in an earlier chapter, stayed at the hotel 387 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: preparing to give evidence. It was quite a spectacle for 388 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: this quiet town taken over by the international media. Santiago 389 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: took me to the streets to show me where it 390 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: all happened. At the time. Roads were closed in order 391 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: to cope with the huge level of interest in the trial. 392 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 7: This is the courthouse. 393 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 3: Reporters were from that corner. 394 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: To here, reporters all the way along and in. 395 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 7: That in that I walked too, from there to. 396 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 3: There, all the way along. 397 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 7: Till like yes, just sitting there wait waiting for And 398 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 7: there were cameras that one over there. It was closed 399 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 7: because it was a lot of people, so. 400 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: It was it was like a really big moment for 401 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: the whole town. 402 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 3: And there were guards all over the court over there. 403 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 7: Yeah, the Howard patrol were there stopping the cars to 404 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 7: go this way and the other way too. 405 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: That must have been. That's quite a spectacle, isn't it. 406 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 1: And how long did that go on for? 407 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 7: That was maybe maybe one week. Every day were they 408 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 7: were waiting and waiting waiting for results from the cork. 409 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: It's crazy, isn't it. The couple really felt for their guest. 410 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 7: She looks devastated every day, you know, she was so sad. 411 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 7: She was every day dressed in black. She was using the. 412 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: Crashes, using crutches to walk because she was physically weak. 413 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: Santiago and Anna told us that Anne would come back 414 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: from the trial to the hotel and cry. There was 415 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:02,120 Speaker 1: a bubble of sadness around her, but they felt helpless. 416 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: How could they make her feel better? They couldn't. The 417 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: only relief for Anne would be her freedom. 418 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 5: We were looking to set up the shelter to live 419 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 5: a calm and peaceful life here. 420 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: It's May twenty fourteen inside the court and testified again, 421 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: this time in painstaking detail, explaining how John was suicidal. 422 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: She started with his physical health problems, the stroke that 423 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: encouraged them to change their pace of life in two 424 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: thousand and told her story in her own words. An 425 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: actor reads her testimony. 426 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 5: It just highlighted brus that moving here to stop hustling 427 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 5: too hard, was the best thing to do. 428 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 6: John had never had a physical problem before. 429 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 5: He could work twenty two hours a day, but that 430 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 5: summer he was at a breaking point, and then he 431 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,919 Speaker 5: really learned that it was best to continue with the 432 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 5: plan we had decided. So we were looking to set 433 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 5: up the shelter to live a calm and peaceful life 434 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 5: in San Jose. 435 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: She continued to detail their ever worsening health problems, including 436 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: her limes disease. 437 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 5: So there were about five or six years when we 438 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 5: were trying to understand what was happening to me physically, 439 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 5: and in early two thousand and nine, my disease was 440 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 5: quite advanced. John got some type of chicken pox and 441 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 5: he was having trouble with terrible sores. We lost some 442 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 5: animals from the shelter and it really affected my husband. 443 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: Then there were those gemstones, which many suggested were a 444 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: tax dodge. She explained them away as secure investments during 445 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: a period of financial uncertainty. 446 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 5: So John decided, with the advice of this man, to 447 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 5: invest in gyms, and this was something a lot of 448 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 5: people were doing then, so there was an economic recession 449 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 5: at the time. 450 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: And she told the court about John's previous suicide attempts. 451 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,719 Speaker 5: I saw him when he tried to commit suicide twice, 452 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 5: you know, I'm aware of two times. 453 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 6: I saw that he tried to electrocute himself. 454 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 5: That was at the end of two thousand and eight, 455 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 5: and then in two thousand and nine, at the end 456 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 5: of November. 457 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 6: He tried to jump down the elevator. 458 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: That's the elevator at the house, which wasn't enclosed, just 459 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: a platform that went up and down. 460 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 6: We were dealing with so many things at the same time. 461 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 5: My symptoms were getting worse, and we're getting information from 462 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 5: the trustee that there were problems with the money. John 463 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 5: decided on the advice of the trustee to invest in 464 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 5: gems and jewels, and so he thought that because the 465 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 5: trustee said that that we were having cash flow problems, 466 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 5: and John was really blaming himself for all of it. 467 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 5: He felt that, and we talked about this every single day. 468 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 5: He felt that it was his fault. John felt like 469 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 5: a complete failure, not only when it came to investments, 470 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 5: but also he was trying to look for a way 471 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 5: to help me with my illness. 472 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: She explained, how have mental health declined to. 473 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 5: You know, my type of bipolarity manifests in a more 474 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 5: typical way. So there are times sometimes years where I 475 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 5: might not have a single episode at all. And John 476 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 5: and I were able to find that over the years, 477 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,680 Speaker 5: I could do certain things to stay in a good 478 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 5: state of mind, like if I slept well and ate well. 479 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 5: But John is manifested in what's called rapid cycling. 480 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 6: He was talking about suicide every single day. 481 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: Carol Voo listened to all this with great sadness. 482 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 4: Well, I feel the died way too young, and he 483 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 4: had so much more to live for, and he was 484 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 4: doing such great work on the reserve. He felt he 485 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 4: was gonna find a cure for a len disease. 486 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 3: From which she suffered. 487 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 4: He was very much into natural medicine and thought the 488 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 4: cure for Anne, both her mental problems and her physical problems, 489 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 4: was right there on the nature reserve. It was just 490 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 4: a matter of time until he found it. 491 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: And what do you think in the end affected him 492 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: so deep? 493 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 5: People? 494 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: What happened to him. 495 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 3: I'm only guessing. I'm never I never met him. 496 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: Carol has her own view on what happened, as we 497 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: heard in the last episode, but she doesn't deny that 498 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: John was in a very dark place. 499 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 4: From what I read about his problems, he just couldn't. 500 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 4: He couldn't hack it. 501 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 3: He couldn't. 502 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 4: It's so hard living in a foreign country, really, and 503 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 4: he just couldn't, couldn't keep it up. He was it 504 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 4: was going into a financial tailspin. Apparently he was losing money. 505 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 4: His investments weren't working out, and he just couldn't cop 506 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 4: And I feel very bad for him because it could 507 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 4: be any of us. I mean, I don't have huge investments, 508 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 4: but the little ones I've have, if I had problems 509 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 4: that'd be be curtains. 510 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: But the trial wasn't just about whether John had been depressed. 511 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: That was never disputed. It was about that crime scene. 512 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: Remember we told you about those who believe Anne is 513 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: guilty always look at two pieces of evidence, the ear 514 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: plugs and the wound. While this trial was the first 515 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: time the weaknesses in that evidence were properly scrutinized. After 516 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 1: getting out of prison, facing money problems and connected with 517 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: a team from CBS, a news crew who had hired 518 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: a married forensic duo, Selma and Richard eicklem Boom. In 519 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: a glitzy broadcast, the forensic pair looked at the I'm 520 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: seen and then demonstrated that there could be another explanation 521 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: to how John had died based on the forensics. They 522 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: argued that if Anne had pulled John's arm back, almost 523 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: like a bow and arrow, the gun could have gone 524 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: off at the back of his head and crucially on 525 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: the right hand side. It's all very US television crime show, 526 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: but actually it gave Anne access to experts who ended 527 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: up testifying at her third trial. They said the police 528 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: messed up, that their investigation was sloppy, and the earplugs 529 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: they could be explained a million ways. He could have 530 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: put them in to soften the noise of the jungle, 531 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: or never intended to actually go through with pulling the trigger. 532 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: Doctor Lozano, the psychiatrist, testified this time too, arguing Anne 533 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been able to carry out a murder. Anne's 534 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: third trial would last for a week. Would all these 535 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 1: testimonies be enough? Would Anne get the verdict she longed for. 536 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: Her ninety seven year old grandmother was among the family 537 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: praying that she would be freed. As the judges retired 538 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: for the third time, she waited. One problem facing Anne 539 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: was that her passport had been seized. If she was freed, 540 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: she wouldn't be able to leave. This is where Carol 541 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:26,600 Speaker 1: stepped into help. 542 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 4: But I knew that she didn't have a passport, and 543 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 4: you don't get out of goo stream go without a passport. 544 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 4: So talk to the embassy, and the embassy said, what, 545 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 4: We're going to get her a replacement passport. 546 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 1: On the last hour of the last day of the trial, 547 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: someone was deployed to ensure that Anne received her passport 548 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: and secretly gave it to her. Anne kept touching her 549 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: pocket to check it was there. It was her ticket 550 00:32:54,480 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 1: to freedom. Then the judges walked in, Dan walk free 551 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: or returned to prison for twenty two years. 552 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 4: We recognize we were getting to the end of the 553 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 4: third trial and no one had any idea whether she 554 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 4: was going to be found guilty or or innocent, no 555 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 4: idea whatsoever. 556 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: You've been listening to Helen Heaven from Exactly Right Media 557 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: and iHeart podcasts produced by Blanchard House, hosted, written and 558 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: produced by me Becky Milligan. The producer and co writer 559 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: is Poppy Damon. Music is by Daniel Lloyd Evans, Louis 560 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 1: nank Manell, and Toby Mattamoon. The sound Recordistant Head of 561 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: Sound and Music is Daniel Lloyd Evans. The lead sound 562 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: designer is Vulcan Kiseltook. The artwork is by Vanessa Lilac 563 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: for Exactly Right Media. The executive producers Karen Kilgareth Georgia 564 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: Hardstark and Danielle Kramer, with consulting producer Lilly Ladderwig and 565 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: associate producer Jay Elias. The creative director of Blanchard House 566 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: is Rosie Pye. The executive producer and Head of Content 567 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: at Blanchard House is Lawrence Griselle. Listen to Helen Heaven 568 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get 569 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: your podcasts.