1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:05,199 Speaker 1: This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised. 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: I've never really seen crime scene photo. This is suddenly 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 2: real to me now. The brutality of this murder made 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: me feel like that actually should be the mission of 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 2: yours now in doing the book as so, can you 6 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: make him a human being and not like this cliche. 7 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a nonfiction author and journalism professor 8 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: in Austin, Texas. I'm also the co host of the 9 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: podcast Buried Bones on Exactly Right, and throughout my career, 10 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: research for my many audio and book projects has taken 11 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: me around the world. On Wicked Words, I sit down 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: with the people I've met along the way, amazing writers, journalists, filmmakers, 13 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: and podcasters who have in investigated, and reported on notorious 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: true crime cases. This is about the choices writers make, 15 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: both good and bad, and it's a deep dive into 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: the unpublished details behind their stories. Self made millionaire Lance 17 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Herndon was one of Atlanta's elite in nineteen ninety six 18 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: when he was murdered in his home. Police had a 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: host of suspects, and they soon realized how complicated Lance's 20 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: life really was. Author Ron Stoggil unravels the story in 21 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: his book Redbone, Money, Malice, and Murder in Atlanta. This 22 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: is a very big question. But from the end of 23 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: the Civil War until when this story takes place, which 24 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: is nineteen ninety six, what are the changes that happen 25 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: in Atlanta after the Civil War? Is Atlanta primarily a 26 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: city with white people or is their diversity, you know, 27 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: versus where it is today. 28 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: So Atlanta as always, you know it Georgia, you know, 29 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 2: was a big slave state and that population has remained. 30 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: The way it was explained to me back then was 31 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 2: that that that like that they had figured out blacks 32 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: and whites had figured out a way to kind of 33 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 2: live next to one another. Like they took a lot 34 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 2: of pride during, for instance, the Civil they haven't had 35 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: many major major riots there since, you know, way way back, 36 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: and they take pride in that that the business community 37 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: and the civil rights community had been in kind of 38 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: a lockstep and avoided costly mistakes to growing that city. 39 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 3: And so my impression is. 40 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: That there was a thriving black middle class during that 41 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 2: time all the way even through you know, from emancipation 42 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 2: through Jim Crow, you know, but there was a lot 43 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 2: of clergy, a lot of educators. You amassed that power structure, 44 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: and it manifested in a first black mayor, which would 45 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: have been Maynor Jackson, you know, and it was upun 46 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 2: you know, during his watch that now you see this 47 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 2: real thriving black community because he was able to use 48 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 2: his perch, you know, in government to steer dollars towards 49 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 2: black citizens and at the airport, you know, and the 50 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,119 Speaker 2: construction of it is kind of symbolic of that. 51 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: Tell me a little bit about Lance. You've told me 52 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: a little bit about what you had called the nuvoreche 53 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: kind of these people who who have very affluent jobs 54 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: and are now gaining a lot of power in the community. 55 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: Tell me how Lance fits into all of this. Tell 56 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: me more about him. 57 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: I mean, I thought that Lance was a creature of 58 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: that time. 59 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 3: You know, he was born in New York. 60 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: He had at this sort of computer tech background. So 61 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 2: he was moving into Atlanta as Atlanta was starting to flourish, 62 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: and so he was able to get government contracts and 63 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: wheel and deal in a city that is populated by 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 2: black movers and shakers. But he did it with another 65 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: kind of you know, East Coast flair, and that I 66 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 2: would say intersected with the kind of Hollywood, black Hollywood 67 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: that Atlanta has become today, you know, with the Tyler 68 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 2: Perry studios and the music presence. 69 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 3: It is kind of the Black Mecca. 70 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: Was He kind of positioned himself to be a prince 71 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 2: of that, you know. In the book, I kind of 72 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: call him like a Gatsby figure. He threw great parties, 73 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: he knew everyone. That's the public part of Lance. 74 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: So the assumption I have, and tell me if I'm wrong, 75 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 1: is he is intelligent, charming, good looking, popular with women. 76 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: Is any of that inaccurate about Lance? 77 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 3: No, that's probably all an understatement to be. 78 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: A Gatsby figure in Atlanta, I think those are all 79 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: probably requirements. What else is there about him, though, that 80 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: you found to be intriguing or unique? That has nothing 81 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: to do with the crime, but just sort of what 82 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: is it about him that you think it was intriguing 83 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: to other people too? 84 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 3: He was known as a very generous guy. 85 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: She was very very well liked by a lot of 86 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: people because he listened. You know, this is what I 87 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 2: You know, maybe as a reporter, I'm fascinated. I was 88 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 2: fascinated by that, But you know, he was the kind 89 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 2: of person that if he met you that he would 90 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 2: sort of find out your daughter or son's interest and 91 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 2: you know, and drop a gift by there, you know 92 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 2: what I mean that, Yeah, there's some tickets to a 93 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 2: theater or a game or that kind of very thoughtful person, 94 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 2: you know. And and and you could say he was 95 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 2: opportunistic and machiavellian, you know, but very well liked the 96 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,359 Speaker 2: man about town, you know. And I think in a 97 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: city of strivers and climbers, there was a lot of 98 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: currency in that. 99 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: You said he came from New York. Was he close 100 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: to his family? Were they still in New York or 101 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: did anybody fall on them down to Atlanta? 102 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: Well, his mom moved there with him to Atlanta, you know, 103 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 2: and his dad and mom had. 104 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 3: Split years ago. 105 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 2: So he was raised by a single mother, being the 106 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: son of a single mother who was very strict and 107 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 2: she worked like a lot of jobs, and she would 108 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 2: leave all of these posted notes around the apartment that 109 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: would kind of guide him through his day because he 110 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:54,679 Speaker 2: was a latchkey kid, and that fundamentally kind of became 111 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 2: his work ethic and his style of management because he 112 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 2: did to talk to his employees as much as leave tapes, 113 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: you know, the night before, so that they would come 114 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: in and have their marching orders. 115 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 3: He just felt like that. 116 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 2: Was if I'm talking to you during the day, then 117 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 2: I'm wasting time and money. 118 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: His mother must have just been over the moon when 119 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: he became so successful and successful enough I'm assuming to 120 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: support her and bring her down to Atlanta. I mean, 121 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: that's a lot about their relationship. 122 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I mean she lived down the street, you know, 123 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 2: and she was very much the matriarch, you know, she 124 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 2: worried about him, you know. But my impression is that 125 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 2: they were very very close and saw one another daily. 126 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: Had he ever been he's forty one when he dies, 127 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: had he ever been married or had kids or what 128 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: was his general before we get into some of the 129 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: heavier stuff here, what was his general approach to relationships 130 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: from the time that he was, you know, dating age 131 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: up until he ends up dying. 132 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 2: He couldn't keep a marriage, you know, he'd been married 133 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 2: a couple of times. I think infidelity was the issue, 134 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 2: but he had he didn't have kids prior he had 135 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: kids with this this third wife, Jeanine Price, a woman 136 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: from Kansas City, and he'd met her. It's kind of 137 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 2: a cool story really, Like, you know, he traveled a lot. 138 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: He had gone to Brazil and there's that statue, there 139 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 2: is the Christ, you know, and he apparently was just 140 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 2: there taking pictures and just being a tourist. She also 141 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 2: was there because she was a flight attendant, like a 142 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: corporate flight attendant though, and so yeah, they locked eyes 143 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: at the bott at the foot of this you know, statue, 144 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 2: and it like they were the only African American people 145 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 2: in the crowd. 146 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: They spoke the same language. 147 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: Divine intervention then, right. 148 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, she was just like, this must be the man 149 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 3: for me. 150 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: Well, I think we need to get to the crime 151 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: that happens and how it all becomes discovered. Let's just 152 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: talk about what led to his depth. Where does it 153 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: make sense for you to start, you know, toward that event. 154 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 2: Well, Kate, you're just you know, you're brilliant because your 155 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 2: timing couldn't be better. It's the you know, we just 156 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 2: finished up the Olympics in Paris, you know, and so 157 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 2: Lance was killed. As you can imagine, they found his 158 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 2: body on that like they did the closing ceremonies on Sunday, right, 159 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 2: and they found him on Monday, morning, very very early, 160 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: right during the Atlanta Olympics, you know, and so this 161 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 2: is a time in which a city puts itself on display. 162 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 3: He had enjoyed a lot. 163 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: Of those festivities, you know, as you can imagine, he 164 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 2: had tickets to everything, and so he spent a lot 165 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 2: of time. And then they found him one morning on 166 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 2: that Monday morning, bludgeoned to death in his mansion. They 167 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 2: found him in bed. You know, his skull was cracked open, 168 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 2: and he was nude, and there was blood spatter. 169 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 4: On the wall behind him and on the headboard, and 170 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 4: could you could kind of see that these descending blows 171 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 4: they were about I don't know, twelve or something like that. 172 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 2: Wow, it was clear that it was like some kind 173 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 2: of crime of passion. At least that's what that, you know, automatically, 174 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 2: because they were just like, wow, you know, this this 175 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 2: whatever object, this blunt force object, just descending down and 176 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 2: you could see the spatter on the walls. There were 177 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 2: some carpet and prints, shoe and prints. 178 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: So who was the last person and to see him alive, 179 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: which I assume would have been closing ceremonies the night before, 180 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: on Sunday night. 181 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 3: It would have been one of his office workers. 182 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 2: He had an event coming up that he was sponsoring, 183 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: and so one of his employees and he had had 184 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 2: to had an affair with her years prior, all off 185 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 2: and on one right exactly. That became kind of a 186 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 2: big thing because it was such a forensics driven case 187 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 2: and he was such a womanizer, right that when you 188 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 2: look like all of this DNA in his room and stuff, 189 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 2: how do you connect it to anyone? 190 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 3: Really? 191 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: You know, he has a big inner circle, right, you 192 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: know when they're when the police are looking, they're looking 193 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: tight first, and he's exposed to a lot besides the 194 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: people he's exposed to through business. Then he's got all 195 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: of these women around him. And then he goes to nightclubs, 196 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: so there are people who know him who he's not 197 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: even sleeping with, and so that's a big that's a 198 00:11:58,559 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: big inner circle to deal with. 199 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 3: Right. 200 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: So he has an employee who he's had an often 201 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: on again affair with, but he goes home by himself. 202 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: It sounds like, is that right that night, that Sunday night. 203 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 2: He does, except then he calls one of this woman 204 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 2: that he's had been having an affair with, Okay, and 205 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 2: she does come come by I will tell you he 206 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: was such a cliche in a way because he was 207 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 2: a black man who really only liked these fair skinned women, 208 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 2: you know, and so entitling the book he loved black 209 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 2: women like with European features, and so like there's this 210 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 2: slang around that down South. It's like a colloquialism, and 211 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: they call these kinds of women redbones, like fair skinned 212 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 2: black women, and so that, yes, a Southern slang, and 213 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 2: so that is the title of the book. 214 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 3: That's it grows from that because that's all he liked. 215 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 1: Wow, okay, and it's. 216 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 2: Kind of offensive, Like nobody really wants wants to be 217 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 2: called a redbone, by the way. 218 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: So let's just think of this as an investigator's point 219 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 1: of view. Who do the police get a phone call 220 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: from Monday morning upon the discovery of this body? What 221 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 1: alerts them to begin with? 222 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 3: So, as I mentioned, you know, like so he had 223 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 3: his office at his home. 224 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 2: You know, it's a pretty big home in his but 225 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 2: they were blocked off from working upstairs. But the whole 226 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 2: downstairs kind of basement suite was like he had a 227 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 2: few employees in there. 228 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 3: Like four employees, you know. 229 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 2: So that morning, his habit, his ritual was that, you know, 230 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 2: as an employee, you would arrive to tape instructions and 231 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: those tapes were not there that morning, and that automatically 232 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: set off some alarms. So of course, the first phone 233 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: call they make is to mom, and Mom lives down 234 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 2: the street. So Mom comes over there like, hey, I 235 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 2: don't know, maybe is sleeping really late or something. 236 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 3: I don't know. 237 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 2: He's been doing all this Olympic stuff, hanging out every night. 238 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 2: And so she goes upstairs and then there's this blood 239 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 2: curdling scream and she's like, my baby, my baby. She 240 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 2: calls nine one one and they try to kind of 241 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 2: talk her down a little bit, and that's how they 242 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: were alerted. 243 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: And now I was thinking of suspects. I was thinking, Okay, 244 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: if this is an employee, you know it was either 245 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: a crime of passion or not an employee, because you 246 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: would have known, well, if you're going to murder your boss, 247 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: do it like Friday night, because this won't be discovered 248 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: for a couple of days. But that's just me thinking 249 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: about it. Okay. So Mom calls the police, and the 250 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: police show up, and I'm assuming they are shocked because 251 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: this is a beautiful house and a wonderful neighborhood, an 252 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: effluent man who has a business. 253 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 2: They could see he was a bachelor though, because by 254 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 2: then his lovely wife had moved out Jane so had 255 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: taken a lot of the furniture, and he was just 256 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 2: kind of there. Let's just say that it was minimalism 257 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: by then. 258 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: You know, I've gotten used to asking this question on 259 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: this show. Do we have competent police on this case 260 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: or not? 261 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's a good question, you know, 262 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 2: and even these days, I think that question becomes more 263 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 2: and more complex. But the impression that I get from 264 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 2: my reporting is that they don't. These kind of cases 265 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 2: didn't happen that often in Roswell. 266 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: This is Roswell Police who are responding, not Atlanta. 267 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is Roswell police. 268 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 2: So they may have been a little over there, like 269 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: this was a little over their head maybe, but you know, 270 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 2: I mean committed for sure. Detective Nostalgio, we spent time together. 271 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 2: That was the main guy handling it. I think that 272 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 2: like people question maybe how he went about things, but 273 00:15:58,640 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 2: I thought he was fairly. 274 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: But you didn't get the impression that race was going 275 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: to play a role in this investigation, like it doesn't 276 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: so many other investigations. 277 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think that there was a novelty factor. 278 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 2: They knew it was going to be this because this 279 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: guy was all attached all the way up to the 280 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 2: district attorney Paul Howard. 281 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 282 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 2: And you know Fannie willis the woman that ended up 283 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 2: prosecuting Donald Trump. Yes, she succeeded maybe Paul Howard, like 284 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 2: the guy, yeah something. 285 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 3: You know that's the same office. Yeah, that's where he 286 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 3: wound up. 287 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: I did not know Lance was politically connected in that way. 288 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: I guess I assumed it was just business. So did 289 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: he have friends in politics? Also? 290 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 3: Very much so? 291 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, I mean, you know, he had a had 292 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 2: he kind of the impression I got was that he 293 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 2: had everybody on kind of speed dials. 294 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: You know, how long had he been here before this happened? 295 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: How many years? 296 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,359 Speaker 3: I want to say, a couple of decades? 297 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: Is sha oh? Okay, okay, he is in trench than 298 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: in this community. Okay. So the police show up and 299 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: then you have Detective Anastasio. Is that how you say 300 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 1: his name? 301 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 3: Yeah? 302 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, and he reports to the scene and they find 303 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: what I had read was he it seemed like he 304 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: had been smacked in the back of the head and stunned, 305 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: and then everything else seemed to be like really serious 306 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 1: facial injuries. And as you were saying, just you know, 307 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: more than a dozen blows to the front of his face, 308 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: did he have defensive wounds as far as you know, 309 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: or was this. 310 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 2: No, that's what they figured that he was ambushed, that 311 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 2: he must have been like that he was awakened, and 312 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 2: then it just came crashing those blows came crashing down 313 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 2: before he could even react. What they also found was 314 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 2: he was covered up when that you know, his face. 315 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: I think they took like a sheet and covered them up, 316 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 2: as you know, as they moved about the room, and like, 317 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 2: I think they cleaned themselves up and I had to 318 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 2: cover up a few things, and you know, but that 319 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 2: sense from investigators was like they couldn't stand the kind 320 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: of look at their work. 321 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's not covering up your crime. I mean, they 322 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: know he's going to be discovered. So yeah, that's that's interesting. Okay, 323 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: let me ask you a series of questions. Anything taken, 324 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I know Janine took it sounds like everything, 325 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: but I mean it was anything of value taken? 326 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 3: No, I don't think anything was taken. 327 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 2: I think what was clear though he had bedside one 328 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 2: of his women, you know, photograph of her in like 329 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 2: a little you know. 330 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 3: Nightgown, and it was it was face down. 331 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 2: That picture was face down, So that was another thing 332 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,719 Speaker 2: like why, you know, was it jealousy? 333 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 3: Like why is this photo face down? 334 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 2: And actually just to give you a sense of the 335 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 2: time too, and kind of maybe a slight creep factor, 336 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 2: you might it was in a waterbed. Oh no, right, 337 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 2: which meant like that you couldn't really kept his body 338 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 2: consistent like that rigor mortis didn't set in, so they 339 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 2: couldn't come up with that time of death. 340 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: And the employee, the woman who he had been sleeping with, 341 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: off and on, did she give a time when she 342 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: if she was the last person besides the killer who 343 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: saw him and she wasn't the killer. Did she say 344 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: it was like early evening when she left. 345 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think she said she went over there and 346 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,919 Speaker 2: she borrowed a computer or something. It really like the 347 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 2: way it played out, it was all circumstantial, by the way. 348 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: So let me ask you, because I don't know this 349 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: time period security systems in ninety six and cameras, was 350 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: that happening. 351 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 3: No, No, they weren't. 352 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 2: I mean not at Roswell, not at the lands Herndon home. 353 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 2: They didn't pull any of that out. Now it's a 354 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 2: good question. I mean, we wouldn't. I wouldn't have had 355 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 2: to write a book. 356 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: No weapons, he didn't have a gun or anything for protection. 357 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 2: No, I mean, and they never discovered like what the 358 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 2: weapon was. So I'm going to pause here and just say, 359 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,959 Speaker 2: I'm working at Time magazine in New York City and 360 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 2: I hear about this story, and I hear about it 361 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 2: from my dad, who was a court TV watcher, you know, 362 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:27,679 Speaker 2: and at that time, the women were testifying in Lance 363 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 2: Herndon's behalf, and my dad was shocked because this was 364 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 2: years later and a lot of the women had married 365 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 2: and moved on, but they had come back. 366 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 3: And so that was like, well, who was liked so much? 367 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 3: Who is this guy? 368 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 2: So I just parachute in and I wanted to see 369 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 2: whether there was a book in this, a story in 370 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 2: this then, you know, and I met up in this 371 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 2: early investor first investigation, called the assistant DA Clinton. 372 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 3: Rucker, who's a lawyer, and he had gotten that case. 373 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 3: You know. I talked him into meeting with me. 374 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 2: He had moved on, and I mean I had been 375 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 2: there two or three days looking through documents, and he 376 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 2: was not meeting with me. And then finally he called 377 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: me and said, hey, you know, of course you know 378 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 2: meet me. 379 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 3: And we met in his office. 380 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 2: He said this, he said, huh, have you ever seen 381 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 2: the crime scene photos? And I said no, and he 382 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 2: said hold on, and I'd never really seen crime scene 383 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 2: photos and he just kind of were these polaroids and 384 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 2: he just dropped them on the desk in front of me. 385 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 3: I felt nothing but shame at the moment. 386 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 2: Like it was like I felt like, Okay, this is 387 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 2: suddenly real to me now, like this is more than 388 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 2: just some dramatic or it titillating murder thing like this 389 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 2: he didn't even have, Like the way he died, the way, 390 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 2: like the brutality of this murder made me feel like 391 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,959 Speaker 2: that actually should be the mission of yours now in 392 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 2: doing the book, is so can you make him a 393 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: human being and not like this cliche and tell the 394 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 2: story about how this story really in the end is 395 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 2: how a person, a black man in the South, who's 396 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 2: a transplant, who has the world at his fingertips, seemingly 397 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 2: how he would die like just some street dude on 398 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 2: the corner like that, Like how do how do those worlds? 399 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 3: Those emotions? You know? 400 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 2: And if I could answer those questions like and show it, 401 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 2: then I would have a book that I could be 402 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 2: proud of. 403 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: Wow. I mean I have often said True crime is 404 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: an excellent vehicle for telling these kinds of stories, not 405 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: for the violence entertainment part of it, but just like 406 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: what do we learn about ourselves, about our societies, about 407 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: whatever it is? You know that we really can sort 408 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: of open up a portal to be able to look 409 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: into a world, whatever that world is that we are 410 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: not familiar with. That's why I love True crime. Let's 411 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: get back to Lance's case. So Crime of Passion. So 412 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: what is the first thing now that detective Anastasio decides 413 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: to do. Of course, interview people, starting with the employees 414 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: and his mom and trying to figure out who in 415 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 1: his life might have been targeting him. 416 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 2: Right, So, and I can't remember what the insurance amount was, 417 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 2: but of course the ex wife would have been the 418 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 2: first suspect. So they talked to her, Janine Herndon, and 419 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,679 Speaker 2: they had a kid together. She was dating again, so 420 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 2: that proved that one because she was at her alibi. 421 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 3: Was I think she was with her new boyfriend. 422 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 2: And then they went to the main woman, Kathy Collins, 423 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 2: and that was the woman who was kind of his 424 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 2: the arm candy and is that he would go out 425 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 2: on the town with, and whose whose photograph was next 426 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 2: to his bedside, and she had clothing and you know, 427 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 2: and and she had things at his house, okay. And 428 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 2: then they had Talana Mitchell, that long time employee. 429 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 3: And confidant and lover. 430 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 2: And then is the most recent woman that he was dating, 431 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 2: and that would have been Dion ba. 432 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: Well, let me ask you about each of these women. Kathy, 433 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: the woman in the photograph who he was parading around town, 434 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 1: did she want more from him that he was willing 435 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: to give? What did they establish about their relationship? 436 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, she kind of became a caricature 437 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,239 Speaker 2: early on because of how she reacted, you know. And 438 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 2: she reacted like, Okay, while my sugar daddy has just 439 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 2: you know, it's gone, but I've got things in the house. 440 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 3: How can I get in there? 441 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 2: She had some bottles of wine, you know, but now 442 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 2: it's a crime scene. So she's very frustrated. So then, 443 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 2: you know, and that frustrated the police, the investigators that 444 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 2: she would even want to push her way through around that. 445 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 2: It was always kind of about Kathy, right, And then 446 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 2: you had Dion, his most recent lover, you know, and 447 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,159 Speaker 2: you couldn't really get a sense she was hysterical, but 448 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: they almost felt like crocodile tears on some level, right, 449 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 2: So that made him curious. Talana though, had seen him 450 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 2: the night before, right, and was really nervous, and her 451 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 2: ex boyfriend had been in trouble, and she kind of 452 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 2: had a little bit of street in her anyway, So 453 00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 2: she showed up with a lawyer, you know, because she 454 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 2: was terrified. 455 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: Innocent people call attorneys, they do, that's the smart thing 456 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: to do, calling it. I was so my students at 457 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: call an attorney, yeah. 458 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 2: So you know, and that said that they wondered why 459 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 2: she needed an attorney. So these were these were the 460 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 2: various women. 461 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: What was Tilana's reaction? Since it sounds like if he 462 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: is emotionally invested in anyone, it's probably her because they've 463 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: been together off and on for years, right, and they 464 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: work together. And you said that she was as confident, 465 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: so she should be the one who has I would 466 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: think the most authentic reaction to this man's murder. 467 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 3: No, I mean, Kate, that's a really good point. 468 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 2: You know, Like when I was doing my research, it 469 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 2: wasn't easy to get to people Black. True crime wasn't 470 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 2: a thing. It's still not a thing. It's still you know. 471 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 2: And so here I am poking around and people are like. 472 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 3: Why are you? 473 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 2: Like why what is the point? And that you're going 474 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 2: to make them look even worse. Then you know, the 475 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 2: trial already made him look and you're gonna like the 476 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 2: family now has got to relive this, you know, and 477 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 2: you know all of that. But you know it was 478 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 2: gonna happen because I was down there and I was 479 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 2: going to try to do a dignity though. Yeah, you know, 480 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 2: I mean, And so I ended up getting them to 481 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 2: talk sparingly, different people at different times over a course 482 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 2: of about three years. Solana was the one that I 483 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 2: knew I needed to get to. I never stopped trying, 484 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 2: and she left. She'd left Atlanta, Georgia. She was married 485 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 2: and living in Colorado. She was a soccer mom by 486 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 2: then in Denver, and so I went out there, though 487 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: you know, I flew, I got hold of her. 488 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 3: At one point she just agreed I met me. 489 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 2: Maybe there was a gesture of offering to just come out. 490 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 3: It meant that much. I checked into a hotel, you know, 491 00:27:58,359 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 3: and we. 492 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 2: Spent like two days, and I learned a lot about Lance, 493 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 2: you know, and he became more empathetic. And she, the 494 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 2: way she described him, was all of that was kind 495 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 2: of an act that actually he was a show off, 496 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 2: but you know, it was all power to him. Like 497 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 2: he wasn't great. He loved to be in bed, but 498 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 2: you know, with women, but he wasn't great in bed 499 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 2: and with you know what I mean. And you know, 500 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 2: but he was a frightened little guy, insecure. But she 501 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 2: had come from a small town in North Carolina and 502 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 2: migrated to Atlanta, and she was, you know, attractive and 503 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 2: younger and a little naive and he was very worldly, 504 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 2: and so he kind of took her under his wing, 505 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 2: and she tolerated a lot of like just say, his 506 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 2: peculiar kinds of ways he liked to live, you know, 507 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 2: and and and she participated though by the way, you know, 508 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 2: that's she did, you know, and I got it, you know, 509 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:08,479 Speaker 2: there's no other way to put it. 510 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 3: But you know, she was carousing too with him. 511 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: You have the challenge that I often have to, which 512 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: is you have an unsympathetic in some ways, an unsympathetic victim. 513 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, like that's what it is, you know, 514 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 2: that's what separates nonfiction from fiction. You know, Like I 515 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 2: would have done this all over again, but there's a 516 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 2: story need, like when you're doing fiction and you have 517 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 2: a choice, like you're going to make a hero a hero, 518 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 2: you know, and this is a book really without many 519 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 2: heroes in it. 520 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 3: Everyone is so flawed. 521 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. 522 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 3: Even Clint Rucker. 523 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 2: Who you know is a fantastic prosecutor, he's not without 524 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: flaws in this book. And I don't even know how 525 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 2: he pulled it off, to be honest. 526 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: Well, let's get to why all of this happened. So 527 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: you've got, you know, Detective Anastasio, who has a list 528 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: of women that he has to deal with, and it 529 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: sounds like he crossed Janine off the list. Is that right? 530 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: She had an alibi? Is that what she told me? 531 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 3: Correct? 532 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: And Kathy had an alibi? 533 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 2: Oh yeah she did too. She was actually flying back 534 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 2: in she wasn't even in town. And it's funny she 535 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 2: actually was dating someone by then, too, Like I think 536 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,959 Speaker 2: she was cheating on them. I thought it was starting 537 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 2: to be over right. This is the thing of I mean, 538 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 2: I'm saying, like there's an overall story, a message around 539 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: kind of this new class and the compass that you 540 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 2: may have expected that would have grown out of the 541 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 2: civil rights movement and that anchor right there. But how 542 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 2: a drift you know, you were, and how it was 543 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 2: predicted likes by like these black thinkers like W. E. B. 544 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 3: Du Bois, who had like you know, who had his. 545 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 2: Thoughts about materialism and about kind of mimicking white values 546 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 2: in society, you know, and what that was going to do. 547 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 2: And so it really to me Atlanta was at that 548 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 2: point in time a reflection of that. 549 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: Well, let's talk about this investigation. There are forensic clues 550 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: and there are suspects. How do we end up with 551 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: the suspect? Who we end up with? What does Detective 552 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: Anastasio end up doing to be able to make an arrest? 553 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: Because there was an arrest, thank goodness. 554 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it took him so long and I can't 555 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 2: even it took him a very very long time to 556 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 2: make an arrest. They had a suspect in Dion Ball, 557 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 2: so Lance was coming up on this forty first birthday 558 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 2: party and that was going to be a big big 559 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 2: deal because it's Lance, you know, I mean it's fortieth 560 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 2: birthday party. I think he was in Cape Town and 561 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 2: he had rented like this stretch Mercedes and they paraded 562 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 2: around town with you know. 563 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 3: But that's the kind of dude he was like. 564 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 2: He also ingratiated himself with a group of like business people, 565 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 2: like by taking his him out on a lunch on 566 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 2: a submarine. 567 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 3: Wow. 568 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 2: I talked to one of the guys and he said, look, 569 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 2: I got this invitation. The jet was like waiting and 570 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 2: they were gonna just we were going down to Florida, 571 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 2: you know, and we went right down there and we 572 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 2: just got on this submarine you know, and we like 573 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 2: right and he said, like I come from a military family. 574 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 3: Oh, and he said, you know it was a white guy. 575 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 3: He was like, like, I like that gift. He said. 576 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 2: I was like he was said it was amazing. He said, 577 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 2: I will love Lance Herndon forever. 578 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: That's awesome. Yeah, I mean I and I think we 579 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: go back to the flawed character. Everybody's flawed some more 580 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: than others. You finding those sorts of stories really I 581 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: think will drive the book in that you want to 582 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: get to the end to find the justice. So with 583 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: the investigation, we really start to focus on Dion, who is, 584 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:06,959 Speaker 1: as you described her, his latest girlfriend. Tell me what 585 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: you know about Dion since she becomes the main focal 586 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: point at this point. What do we know about her? 587 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 2: A native of Kingston, Jamaica, married to a guy who 588 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 2: was from kind of a very affluent family. 589 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 3: Then they got married and moved to Atlanta and they 590 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 3: had a daughter. He was struggling, though. 591 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 2: I got the sense, you know that he was a 592 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 2: job as like a pilot. He would go back and 593 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 2: forth between the island and Florida. 594 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 3: They were living in Miami. 595 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 2: And then somehow she ended up coming to school and 596 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 2: moving to Atlanta, and he came with her for a minute, 597 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 2: but mostly it was a commuting relationship. 598 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:53,560 Speaker 1: Okay. 599 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 2: She ended up working at Marta in the public transportation 600 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 2: in what is it Metro Atlanta, a rail transit authority 601 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 2: or something. Her boss was a friend of Lance Herndon's, 602 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 2: So when Lance sent his invites for this birthday party, 603 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 2: she intercepted it because she was his admin and knew 604 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 2: that Lance was hot stuff and decided she was just 605 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 2: going to piggyback that invitation and go to Lance's forty 606 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 2: first birthday party and that's where he met her and 607 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 2: he was smitten. 608 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: How long ago was that from his death? What was 609 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:34,320 Speaker 1: the time period? 610 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 3: I would say, like four or five months. 611 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: Not smitten enough to dump Kathy Collins obviously, I mean no, but. 612 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 2: He ended up two times and rite exactly. And that 613 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:51,839 Speaker 2: is what really got to Dion, like she was not. 614 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 2: But Dion started to reveal over through her jealousy kind 615 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 2: of this when she started realized that she was being played, 616 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,479 Speaker 2: you know, even though she was married. By the way, 617 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 2: I mean, this gets more and more confusing. I know, 618 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:09,879 Speaker 2: don't ask me. I'm just the reporter in this. 619 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 1: But she it sounds like she was in love with 620 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:14,240 Speaker 1: him right and she thought there would be a future. 621 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 2: But he'd also was you know. It was a kind 622 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:18,839 Speaker 2: of a sugar daddy too. He got her a Mercedes. 623 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 2: I think he helped her get a house through this 624 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 2: kind of mentoring relationship. This is how she explained her 625 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 2: relationship with Lance to her husband, that Lance was a 626 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 2: business mentor. During those times in which her husband would 627 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 2: come to Atlanta and she had to explain the house 628 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 2: or the car. 629 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: What does Dion say about that night? Does she say, yeah, 630 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,439 Speaker 1: I came to the house, we had sex. 631 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 3: I don't even think she said we had sex. 632 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:48,840 Speaker 2: I think she just said I went over there, I 633 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,279 Speaker 2: got the computer, and then I had to and then 634 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 2: I came on back. Okay, but it didn't have the 635 00:35:55,600 --> 00:36:00,720 Speaker 2: case on it. The computer protective case and another computer 636 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,719 Speaker 2: had gone back and forth between those homes because he 637 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:06,840 Speaker 2: loaned that computer to her a few times because she 638 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:07,560 Speaker 2: was a student. 639 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,439 Speaker 3: But again, Lance Hernon. 640 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 2: Was super particular, so he never let that case go. 641 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 2: I mean again, he was a dude that would eat 642 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 2: like his barbecue ribs with like a fork. He didn't 643 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 2: because he didn't want the sauce and his nail beds, right, 644 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 2: I mean, he. 645 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 3: Did everything on a dime. 646 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 2: He was just military tight, and so that computer at 647 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 2: her home without the case just didn't add up. 648 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: That's the victimology part of it, figuring out what's important 649 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: to your victim and what doesn't make sense it's so important. Okay, 650 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: So they are collecting physical evidence, including what I remember 651 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:54,919 Speaker 1: being hairs and stuffed under his nail bed to see 652 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 1: what kind of DNA is under there, and it turns 653 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,919 Speaker 1: out that they find hairs they think they can match 654 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: to her. Right, was it a pubic care Do you 655 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 1: remember that? Yes, but they were having sex, and who's 656 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,399 Speaker 1: to say when that hair produced itself and they don't know, right, 657 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:12,879 Speaker 1: And the same thing with under his nails. She could 658 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: have said, yeah, we had six a couple of nights ago. 659 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 1: That's why he has my DNA under his nails. 660 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 3: That's right. 661 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 2: So they go over there immediately a nostalgia. They go 662 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,120 Speaker 2: over there and you know, and knock on the door 663 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,759 Speaker 2: the first time, and then she's not home, like, she 664 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 2: doesn't answer, and then I think they come back, and 665 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 2: the neighbor recognizes them, you know, and says, hey, like 666 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 2: you know, she's in there now or something, and she 667 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,840 Speaker 2: comes out and she falls into their arms and acts like, okay, 668 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 2: you know, she distraught, but not a tear really, And 669 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 2: so that was a little weird. 670 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:54,840 Speaker 3: But they didn't have anything. 671 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: So what does Detective Anstossio think happen? I mean, just 672 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: if he is trying Pine and Sky trying to figure 673 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: out what the argument was about, it seemed clear right 674 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: that there was some sort of an argument. She admitted 675 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,279 Speaker 1: that she had been there. There was some kind of 676 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:14,560 Speaker 1: an argument. I'm assuming over cheating, maybe over Kathy. So 677 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,560 Speaker 1: what does he hide that photo of Kathy every time 678 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 1: Dion comes over? I mean, it's right there, you know, 679 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 1: these days it'd be on his cell phone and it 680 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:23,239 Speaker 1: would be you know. 681 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 2: That's right, that's right. So one day, I mean, she 682 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 2: starts to Dion is feeling pretty comfortable early on in 683 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 2: this budding romance because she's over there, she's studying, you know, 684 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 2: and I think that they're going to dinner and taking 685 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,879 Speaker 2: trips and it's feeling pretty good. And so one day 686 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,879 Speaker 2: she shows up unannounced and she sees Kathy like walk 687 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 2: by and Lance didn't let her in the house. You know, 688 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:57,239 Speaker 2: she sees Kathy like in a pajamas or something, just 689 00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:58,319 Speaker 2: kind of walk by. 690 00:38:58,760 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 3: She's livid. 691 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 2: She screams and says, let me in the house, Let 692 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:05,880 Speaker 2: me in the house, and Lens is like, I'm not 693 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 2: letting you in the house. And then Lance ends up 694 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,280 Speaker 2: having to call the cops on her, and the police 695 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 2: show up and she kind of fights them too, no, 696 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 2: and when they show up, they she can't find her 697 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,320 Speaker 2: at first because she's hiding. She's in her own car 698 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 2: on the floor, hiding. So it's starting to get nuts 699 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 2: right around then, so they end up having to. 700 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,600 Speaker 1: Arrest her for what trespassing. 701 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 3: I don't think he even opened the door. 702 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 2: I think he just thought, like, there's a lunatic outside 703 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 2: my house, you know, and I'm not going to open it. 704 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 3: And so that is the story he went with. So 705 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:44,640 Speaker 3: when it was. 706 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 2: Time for court and this is it, you know, he 707 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 2: had softened his relationship and said, look, honey, I'm sorry, 708 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:54,919 Speaker 2: I'm going to come. I'll make an appearance and we'll 709 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:59,879 Speaker 2: get this thing dropped. The theory is that they make 710 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 2: love that night, as you mentioned, and then she goes 711 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:10,319 Speaker 2: downstairs while he's sleeping and goes onto his computer to 712 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 2: look at his calendar. That court date was supposed to 713 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 2: be that next day or something, and you know, and 714 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 2: Lance his notes really detailed always he had scheduled stuff 715 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 2: out for three years in advance. 716 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,839 Speaker 3: Wow, that's how organized Lance. Herning was. 717 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 2: That appearance wasn't on the calendar that he was planning 718 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:35,800 Speaker 2: on helping. 719 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:37,719 Speaker 1: Her, So she was going to show up and maybe 720 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:38,920 Speaker 1: get arrested or something. 721 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 2: Who knows, right, So that's apparently what sets her off. 722 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:47,440 Speaker 2: And she goes upstairs while he's sleeping, and you know, 723 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 2: and then there's this theory and again we don't know 724 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 2: what this murder weapon was, but Lance turned and the 725 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 2: guess is really good clip Rucker prosecution stuff. You know 726 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 2: that during all of this time he had ordered an 727 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 2: exercise machine Oka and arrived in a big box and 728 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 2: it was kind of a StairMaster or something, and that 729 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 2: Lance was gonna like. 730 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 3: Put it together, you know, and he had a crescent wrench. 731 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 2: So suddenly, even though they never find the murder weapon, 732 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:26,600 Speaker 2: it's consistent with this crescent wrench that apparently Lance had. 733 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 2: The question is like LANs just doesn't even seem like 734 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 2: the type of person that would ever like build his 735 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:36,319 Speaker 2: own staremaster anyway, you know. But yeah, I mean the 736 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 2: housekeeper said that she had consistently like they continue to 737 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:42,919 Speaker 2: bring her. So did you see the crescent ridge that day? Yes, 738 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,400 Speaker 2: I did, sir, Like they put something together. 739 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 1: So how does Dion explain all of this when she 740 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:52,439 Speaker 1: goes to trial. Is she just saying, listen, I don't 741 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:54,800 Speaker 1: know I left him and we didn't even have Saxon. 742 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:56,879 Speaker 1: That was the end of it. Or does she take 743 00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 1: then she take the stand at all? 744 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:00,799 Speaker 2: No, she didn't take the step. You know, it was 745 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 2: mostly that he just yes, she did. She never took 746 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:08,399 Speaker 2: the stand. The first trial there was some leading the witnesses. 747 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:13,799 Speaker 2: It compromised the trial, and then the second time there 748 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 2: was a hung jury. And then by the third trial, 749 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 2: so many people had died, so many things had happened, 750 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:26,160 Speaker 2: so much had moved on that like, she just pled 751 00:42:26,239 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 2: guilty and I think she ended up with ten years. 752 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 1: Wonder what the original charge was, if it was like 753 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,440 Speaker 1: manslaughter or second degree murder or something like that. Yeah, 754 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:38,000 Speaker 1: it was manslaughter, Okay, manslaughter because they said it was 755 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 1: an act of passion and not premeditated. I'm assuming, well, okay, 756 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,319 Speaker 1: so they didn't think it was a she found out 757 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 1: she well, I guess she knew already that he had 758 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,279 Speaker 1: been cheating on her and she kind of forgave it, 759 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:52,719 Speaker 1: and so it must have been something different, and so 760 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 1: that they think, and she never admitted that, right. 761 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,439 Speaker 2: Well, he started kind of pulling away, you know, and 762 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 2: that freaked her out, and apparently she became more aggressive 763 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 2: and more I will not be denied. 764 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 1: So she ends up being well, no, she's not convicted, 765 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 1: she's she takes a plea bargain and how long did 766 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 1: she serve her she's still in prison. 767 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 3: No, she's out now, Wow. 768 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:22,000 Speaker 1: Husband divorced her. I gotta assume yeah, okay, any idea 769 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:22,919 Speaker 1: what she's doing now? 770 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 3: No, I'm wondered. You know. 771 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 2: It was like so she was interesting too, because I'm 772 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:32,319 Speaker 2: into this book. I've talked to as many people as 773 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 2: I can talk to. 774 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:35,879 Speaker 3: You know, I'm having a hard time, but I. 775 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 2: Continue to try to write letters to her to see 776 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:41,600 Speaker 2: whether I can talk to her. 777 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:45,399 Speaker 3: In prison in prison, and it's not happening. Every time. 778 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:47,480 Speaker 3: I'm like, and I'm putting the best letters. 779 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 2: I mean, I spent some time writing these letters, and 780 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,200 Speaker 2: they would just come back rejected. And so one day 781 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:57,280 Speaker 2: I'm sitting at the office and I get a call 782 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,680 Speaker 2: from a guy named Charles middle Stat and Charles Middlestead 783 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:06,080 Speaker 2: had been retained by He was an investigator himself, but 784 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 2: the defense investigator. And so he said, look, I've been retained. 785 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:14,960 Speaker 2: I've got to like, I've got no time to prepare 786 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:19,239 Speaker 2: for trial, and I need some help, like, and I 787 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:22,240 Speaker 2: understand you've been on this thing for two three years. 788 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 3: Can you like talk to me and just get me 789 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 3: up to speed on this case? 790 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:31,439 Speaker 2: And I say, well, yeah, I don't know, like can 791 00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:32,680 Speaker 2: you get me Dion? 792 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,960 Speaker 3: And he says, well, let me call. 793 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 2: You back, and and you know, and I'm thinking, I 794 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:42,040 Speaker 2: just want Dion, because like, how can I do this book? 795 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:43,399 Speaker 3: How do am I like? You know what I mean? 796 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,279 Speaker 3: Like she's a live Like what am I like? It's 797 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 3: just a hole. 798 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 2: He calls me back and he says, yeah, He's like, 799 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,840 Speaker 2: but I'm gonna have to be in the room, you know, 800 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,919 Speaker 2: and that and it comes with all of these rules. 801 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 3: But I just took what I could get. 802 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:03,279 Speaker 2: So he flies New York and I talked to Charles 803 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:06,600 Speaker 2: like we developed kind of a little buddy like friendship 804 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:10,319 Speaker 2: kind of around that, you know, because I help him out. 805 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,759 Speaker 2: And then I fly to Atlanta on different weekend. Then 806 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 2: we go to the Fulham County jail and she's sitting there, 807 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,080 Speaker 2: you know, and when I walk in, she's kind of 808 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:24,239 Speaker 2: got a little smirk. And I didn't know what to 809 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:26,600 Speaker 2: wear that day, but I decided to wear a suit, 810 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,600 Speaker 2: not a not a tie, but just a suit. So 811 00:45:29,719 --> 00:45:32,919 Speaker 2: when I walk in there, she says, oh, you look 812 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 2: different than your photograph and you look important. 813 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:38,160 Speaker 3: She said that. 814 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 2: Before I sent her a picture, I was just different, 815 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,600 Speaker 2: different appeals and stuff. So I would send her a 816 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:46,960 Speaker 2: casual picture like I'm a guy, I'm a regular guy, 817 00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:49,160 Speaker 2: just you know, and that thing didn't fly. 818 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,520 Speaker 3: I should have had a smoking jacket on and a pipe. 819 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:54,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, the appearances thing. 820 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:57,360 Speaker 2: That's kind of her character. Man, it's like she's a 821 00:45:57,440 --> 00:45:58,240 Speaker 2: little haughty. 822 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,399 Speaker 1: Well you should have thought about that, ron because look 823 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:04,280 Speaker 1: who she was attracted to exactly. 824 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:05,760 Speaker 3: It made perfect sense. 825 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: So what was she like? I mean, did you find 826 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,880 Speaker 1: her to be some manipulative? Was it shocking to you 827 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:12,840 Speaker 1: once you got to know her that she would have 828 00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 1: beaten this man to death? That's really what we have 829 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 1: to get back to. 830 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:19,880 Speaker 3: You know. And I say this with all like and 831 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:23,239 Speaker 3: I'm not being coy or cute. It's hard to be 832 00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:25,560 Speaker 3: that surprised by much. 833 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 2: I mean, first of all, you're in the orbit of 834 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 2: a lot of people who like are kind of different from. 835 00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 3: Lance to everybody around them. 836 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:41,120 Speaker 2: So like you're talking about like a select a group, 837 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:47,000 Speaker 2: a little culture where there's in order to protect whatever 838 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:50,719 Speaker 2: they have, there's a desperation that I think could. 839 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 3: Like lead to violence. 840 00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:54,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think that if you want to 841 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:59,880 Speaker 2: protect something bad enough, you'd be surprised at who's capable. 842 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 2: I mean, I definitely felt like this personal pride. 843 00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 3: Like, how dare you? I'm not going to be used 844 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:10,200 Speaker 3: by you? 845 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,759 Speaker 1: But what did she want from you? Wasn't she in 846 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: the middle of appeals when you were doing that? 847 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:16,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, she wanted nothing from me. 848 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,000 Speaker 2: She was just doing that as like because her the 849 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:23,080 Speaker 2: lawyer told her to. I got a half hour out 850 00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:25,840 Speaker 2: of it, and that was it. And I made it 851 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 2: like and it became a device, you know, I made 852 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 2: it my prologue and my epilogue. I just split the 853 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:36,400 Speaker 2: moment up and I think, like bookends. 854 00:47:35,719 --> 00:47:37,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, you need to have those. And we don't know 855 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:41,279 Speaker 1: where she is now. And what do you think if 856 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:44,680 Speaker 1: we think now about Lance, what do we think The 857 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:47,640 Speaker 1: legacy is not the right word he You know, he 858 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:51,480 Speaker 1: had founded a company, he had been a boss, he 859 00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:55,560 Speaker 1: had influence. He obviously contributed to the culture of Atlanta 860 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:58,640 Speaker 1: and to this upper echelon of the community that was 861 00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:03,960 Speaker 1: still building itself. So where do you think his story belongs? 862 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,160 Speaker 1: I know, cautionary tale is what I bet you're thinking. 863 00:48:08,200 --> 00:48:11,120 Speaker 1: But at a deeper level, this is someone who accomplished 864 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:13,759 Speaker 1: a lot and look at what flipping happened to him. 865 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: How much more could Lance have accomplished had this not happened, 866 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:18,239 Speaker 1: you know. 867 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 2: I mean, I think that there's a model now for 868 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:29,839 Speaker 2: what modern success looks like for African Americans in Atlanta, 869 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,719 Speaker 2: and you can see it in the culture now. It's fully, 870 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:39,439 Speaker 2: fully evolved into that which is kind of like it's 871 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:45,520 Speaker 2: got this glitzy, glamy Southern Hollywood, Southern Hollywood. 872 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:48,880 Speaker 3: And I think he ushered in that era. He was 873 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:50,360 Speaker 3: the first sighting. 874 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: But he was also the kind of the victim of 875 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,399 Speaker 1: what a lot of people would say success and hubris 876 00:48:56,440 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 1: and arrogance and all of that stuff. I mean, not 877 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 1: to say he's blame for this, Yeah, I mean, I 878 00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,240 Speaker 1: think it's an interesting story to fit into the history 879 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:08,240 Speaker 1: of the city and particularly the history of the black 880 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:09,520 Speaker 1: community in this city. 881 00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, and then it affirms that other thing 882 00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:16,080 Speaker 2: now that we've talked about, which is like people are 883 00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:19,200 Speaker 2: kind of people. So you end up with this kind 884 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:21,800 Speaker 2: of like it's the same story you're going to find 885 00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:22,680 Speaker 2: in Cape. 886 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:25,799 Speaker 3: Cod or anywhere in the world. You know, when it 887 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,080 Speaker 3: comes to power. 888 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:32,160 Speaker 2: And money and greed and hubrisk, we're all vulnerable. 889 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:34,680 Speaker 1: I agree. I mean, I feel like I've said this before, 890 00:49:34,760 --> 00:49:38,520 Speaker 1: murder is centered on human emotions which don't change. The 891 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:41,200 Speaker 1: reason people kill now is the same reason they killed 892 00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:43,880 Speaker 1: in the fourteen hundred and fifteen hundreds thirty seven. Ady, 893 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:46,360 Speaker 1: I mean, it's all the same. It's the things that 894 00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:50,279 Speaker 1: are based on that's fear, anger, which is part of 895 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:53,120 Speaker 1: fear usually envy, you know, and just sort of like 896 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:56,120 Speaker 1: self preservation to a certain extent. So I think Lance 897 00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:58,480 Speaker 1: falls into that. Like I said, there's no amount of 898 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:01,520 Speaker 1: money that could protect him from a crescent wrench. It 899 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:04,799 Speaker 1: sounds like an angry woman just. 900 00:50:04,719 --> 00:50:06,680 Speaker 3: To speak to your cautionary tale. 901 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 2: In the end, he was kind of in that courtroom alone, 902 00:50:10,719 --> 00:50:13,520 Speaker 2: so to speak, the spirit of Lance, because guess what, 903 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:17,400 Speaker 2: none of those powerful friends, none of them wanted to 904 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:22,480 Speaker 2: be anywhere near that hot mess that he had created. 905 00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:24,840 Speaker 3: Okay, all of this. 906 00:50:24,360 --> 00:50:28,400 Speaker 2: This affection that he was getting from the city was gone. 907 00:50:28,920 --> 00:50:30,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, but the women showed up for him. You said 908 00:50:31,320 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: they did. 909 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:33,600 Speaker 3: They really did. 910 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:39,200 Speaker 2: And there's something redemptive about Lance turning through that because 911 00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:46,880 Speaker 2: they made themselves look cheap by telling those stories, even 912 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 2: in another era. But to get that truth out, you know, 913 00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:52,879 Speaker 2: they were willing to take that hit. 914 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:07,400 Speaker 1: If you love historical true crime stories, check out the 915 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:10,319 Speaker 1: audio versions of my books The Ghost Club, All That 916 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: Is Wicked and American Sherlock and Don't Forget. There are 917 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:17,520 Speaker 1: twelve seasons of my historical true crime podcast, Tenfold More 918 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:21,200 Speaker 1: Wicked right here in this podcast feed, scroll back and 919 00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:24,000 Speaker 1: give them a listen if you haven't already. This has 920 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:27,840 Speaker 1: been an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Alexis 921 00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:32,719 Speaker 1: a Morosi. Our associate producer is Christina Chamberlain. This episode 922 00:51:32,840 --> 00:51:36,280 Speaker 1: was mixed by John Bradley. Curtis heath is our composer, 923 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:41,040 Speaker 1: artwork by Nick Toga. Executive produced by Georgia Hardstark, Karen 924 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:45,560 Speaker 1: Kilgarriff and Danielle Kramer. Follow Wicked Words on Instagram at 925 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 1: tenfold More Wicked and on Facebook at Wicked Words Pod