1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: Hi, guys, Nancy Grace here, welcome back to Killers amongst Us, 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the production of iHeart Media and Crime Online. What happened 3 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: to Karina Vatronto? Absolutely stunning the jogger who goes for 4 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: a jog this one day without her a dad, firefighter 5 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: feel Va Toronto and tragedy befalls her. Nancy Grace Killers 6 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: amongst us right now, more questions than answers. Her dad 7 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: a sense of foreboding coming over him, literally thinks he 8 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:57,319 Speaker 1: hears Karina's calling out for dad. Daddy goes looking for her, 9 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: and of all the cops, the helicopters, the dogs, it's 10 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 1: her dad, Feel the Toronto that finds Corina's body, Joining 11 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: me right now. Corina's father, Phil Va Toronto, also with me. 12 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: Tony to Stephano reported with Newsday, Phil, you were just 13 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: describing how you want to explain what you found, and 14 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: you know, at first, I Jackie and I called Tony 15 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: to Stephano with news Day and said, listen, we're gonna 16 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: have you describe the condition of Corina's body because I 17 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: don't want to put Phil through that and then he'll 18 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: join us. We told Phil and he said, no, I 19 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: want to be there I want to hear this. Then 20 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: you went on to tell me something incredible, ill that 21 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: you actually go to this location every day. You know, 22 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: it's really moving me to tears, because, as I've told 23 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: you in the past, to this day, I have not 24 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 1: gone back to where my fiancee was murdered. I don't 25 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: even know if I could find it now out in 26 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: the middle of nowhere, but you go every day. Phil 27 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: the trying to explain that to me. Well, I built 28 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: a memorial for my daughter. I built it out of 29 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: cobblestone and blue stone. Everything that I built it out 30 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: of was found on the trail that she ran. I 31 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: dug it up out of the ground myself, and we 32 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: made a memorial, and I planted sunflowers and rows bushes 33 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: and daffodils and butterfly bushes. And I go there and 34 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: I have bird feeders and I sit there and I 35 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: listen to nature, and I watched the cardinals and the birds, 36 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: and I feel at peace. And you would ask me, 37 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: how could that be? Maybe because that's the only place 38 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: that I feel like I have any control. You know, 39 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: I'm just sitting there and I'm I'm communicating with my daughter. 40 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: I'm communicating with Karina and those That is the place 41 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: where I get thoughts in my head to do things. 42 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say messages from Karina, but they kind 43 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: of are messages from Karina, and I feel obligated to 44 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: visit there every single day. You know, you are making 45 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: me feel like a big loser because I know I've 46 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: never read the trial transcript. I've never read the appeal. 47 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: I did not want to hear about the sentencing nothing 48 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: after I testified, because it would literally just tear me 49 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: into well, and you're so brave, I just know, No, 50 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: everybody deals with tragedy in their own way. Nobody's right 51 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: and nobody's wrong. You know, you would deal with a 52 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: tragic situation the way your body will let you survive, 53 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: and that's how you have to deal with it. And 54 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: that's how I deal with. Everybody deals with it differently. 55 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: There is no right and there is no role. You 56 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: know with me is of course fill the Toronto and 57 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: also with me reporter from Newsday, Tony to Stephano, Tony, 58 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: how did you first become involved in Karina's disappearance. Well, 59 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: it was the night of the murder. It was a 60 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: second and we started to get reports from the police 61 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: that there had been somebody found dead in Spring Creek 62 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: Park and this was late, This was evolving late, and 63 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: of course I got a call from the news desk 64 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: and they asked me to find out what I could, 65 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: So I called one of my sources in the police department, 66 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: the then spokesman, Steve Davis, and he gave me a 67 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: basic rundown because at that point we didn't know very much. 68 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: We knew Karina's name, of course, because the family had 69 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: been notified, and we knew where, but there wasn't much 70 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: because the investigation was in the very early stages, and 71 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: this is late August second of twenty sixteen. That's how 72 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: I first became a bit aware of it, and I 73 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: did file some material that night, and it didn't make 74 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: it into the paper, but these were short, relatively short, 75 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: perfunctory stories. The next day it was sort of off 76 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: to the races and all the papers were media outlets 77 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: were jumping on the story, descending on Howard Beach. I 78 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: didn't because I had other things I had to deal 79 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: with at police headquarters. And we started to put the 80 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: story together and we found out, of course, was very 81 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: disturbing about the young woman jogging close to her home 82 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: and meeting her demise so close to her home and 83 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: her family, And that's how I got into it. And 84 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: I didn't lose. I didn't shake the case since that time, 85 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: since August second, twenty sixteen, and I had to nail 86 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: down the police investigation end. And that's where I got 87 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: deeply involved in this. This is where I got to 88 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: know the Patrano family, Phil and Cathy and well, you know, 89 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: all the rest of the family. And that's how I 90 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: got into it. And you know, it's one of those 91 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: things you just stay with to feel Patrano, I'm just 92 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: taking in what you've told me, and it's amazing even 93 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: just then and feel when Tony to Stephano with us 94 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: day was talking and he said the word murder, And 95 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: as we're talking, I am looking right at a picture 96 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: of Arena, looking right at it right now, and to 97 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: hear the word murder in the same sentence as we're 98 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: talking about her, it just it's still very jarring to me. 99 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I don't know if I still, to this day, 100 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: three years later, have fully taken in the magnitude of 101 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: what had happened, because from the minute it happened, we 102 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: were involved. I was involved with the police investigation. I 103 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: was involved with the familiar DNA searching. It never went away, 104 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: so we will always involved with something to do with 105 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: the case. And now I have my mind has shifted. 106 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: It has gone from a place of total rage and 107 00:07:54,880 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: anger to peace. Not peace and not forgiveness for the 108 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: for the murderer that killed my daughter, But I am 109 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: no longer angry at the world, and I'm accepting what 110 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: had happened as faith. I have become very spiritual since 111 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: as Kamina was. And maybe I'm fooling myself or maybe 112 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: I'm just protecting my mind from exploding, but I believe 113 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 1: it was kismid. I believe that there is a time 114 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: and a place that everyone is going to go, and 115 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: no matter what you do, you're not going to alter that. 116 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: So by me accepting that, yeah, this is what was 117 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: going to happen from the minute she was conceived, it 118 00:08:53,960 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: protects me, It helps me. So that's Phil tells us 119 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: that he called Karina multiple times and didn't get an answer, 120 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: then he goes looking for her. Listen to our friend 121 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: at ABC, Tim Fly heartwrenching, absolutely heart wrenching the testimony 122 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 1: of his father as he describes finding his daughter's body. 123 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: After calling three times, he went to Spring Creek Park 124 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: to search for her. He called a friend in the NYPD, 125 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: who then sent officers to search. After finding her cell phone, 126 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: they honed in on an area thick with weeds and 127 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: cat tails. Fighting back tears, Phil Vitranto showed the jury 128 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: how he found a matted down area off the trail. 129 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,599 Speaker 1: She was there, I found her. He described how she 130 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 1: was on her stomach, her right arm under her, her 131 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: left arm next to her. Her legs were in a 132 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: running position, her head tilted back to the side. Sobbing, 133 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: he said, I let out a sound like I've never 134 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: heard before, a whale. I screamed, my baby, my baby. 135 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: I grabbed her and pulled her up to me. His 136 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: wife Cathy, holding a crucifix, along with other family members 137 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: crying in the gallery. He told the jury I knew 138 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: she was dead. Police pulled him from the crime scene 139 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: as he told him he had to take her home. 140 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: He went to tell his wife. I didn't have to 141 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: say a thing, he said, she knew. Shone heart wrenching 142 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: pictures of his daughter. Phil Vatronto sobbed and said this 143 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: is how he found his daughter pilatronto. That moment that 144 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: you found Carina, I know was in your mind forever. 145 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: You are part of law enforcement. What was the condition 146 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: of Currieda's body when you discovered her? You know, what 147 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: I remember and what was actually there are two different things, 148 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: you know. My mind just turned to mush at that instant, 149 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: after the scream and after I picked her up, I 150 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: saw her, but I saw that she was beaten. I 151 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: saw her neck was all swollen, you know. Being a fireman, 152 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: I was in EMT so I've seen dead bodies before. 153 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: And I picked her up and her back was cool, 154 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: and her chest was a little warm because it was 155 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: on the ground. It was a warm day. And from 156 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: that moment my mind went blank. I don't know how 157 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: I got out of the weeds. I don't know if 158 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: I was dragged out. I don't know if I walked out. 159 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if they pulled me off for her. 160 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: I don't know if I don't remember any of that, 161 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: I don't remember any of that, you know, like the 162 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: condition of her clothing. My mind went blank from that moment. 163 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: I don't know how I got on the trail from 164 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: when I had her to thirty feet It complete blank. 165 00:11:55,720 --> 00:12:00,319 Speaker 1: To this day, I don't know what happened, but I 166 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: the way I describe it is the way I saw it. 167 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: And I didn't see the extent of the damages to 168 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: her face, to her teeth, to you know, but I 169 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: did see her neck was swollen, and I knew, I 170 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,599 Speaker 1: knew she was dead. I mean, I'm a first responder. 171 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: My first thought was okay, CPR. But then you realize 172 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: almost immediately that no, no, she's gone. She's just gone. 173 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: Karina Vatronto, the beautiful jogger, was beaten so hard by 174 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: her attack her her teeth actually broke. And I'm thinking 175 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 1: of my children right now. They've already had one set 176 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: of braces and they're gonna have another set of braces. 177 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: And I remember having braces as a little girl, all 178 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: three of us did. It was called my family so much. 179 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: They actually had a cupon book, like well, you used 180 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: to have a car payments and every month they would 181 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: pay for our teeth getting straight. And I'm looking at 182 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: her gorgeous, perfect smile. We learn that her teeth were 183 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: actually broken. She was beaten so badly. We know that 184 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: she clawed at her attacker's face as he beat her 185 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: over and over, knocking her unconscious, strangling her. To Tony DeStefano, 186 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: reporter with Newsday, what do we know about the injuries 187 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: to Karina Vatronto, Well, they were, as you just even 188 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 1: described severe. Her face was heavily bruised and bashed. She 189 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: had the cracked front tooth. She had extensive internal injuries 190 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: to her you know, private areas, and there were there 191 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: abrasions and cuts. Actually they were they were quite deep 192 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: within and I was a little surprised when I saw 193 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: some of the photos at trial as to how far 194 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: in they were. I didn't get a sense initially how 195 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: badly they She had been injured. She had abrasions on 196 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: her arms and the upper the neck area, and it 197 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: was just a terrible thing to see. When you compare 198 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: those autopsio crime scene photos with the photo the selfie 199 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: she took just before she went out on her jog, 200 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: you know, you have this pretty Italian American girl, dark hair, 201 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: looking at the taking a selfie of herself, you know, 202 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: fine face and complexion, and then you look at those 203 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: pictures you say, boy, this was this was some brutal attack. 204 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: This was not just a glancing blow. This was a 205 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: really hard beating. I mean, that's that's the only way 206 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: to put it. I mean, it was like she went 207 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: through ten rounds with somebody with me now, the medical 208 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: examiner for the State of Florida, doctor Tim Gallagher, a 209 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: renowned medical examiner, Dotor Gallagher, thank you for spending time 210 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: with us. You know, I recall many times that Phil 211 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: Vatranto has stated that his daughter Corina's smile was quote perfect. 212 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: He said that many many times perfect, And when I 213 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: look at photos of Karna, he's right. I don't know 214 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: if her teeth were naturally that way, just beautiful white, 215 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: bright white teeth and perfect. And then to think that 216 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: her teeth were broken the beating was so severe. How 217 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: much force would it take to actually punch somebody's teeth 218 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: out of their mouth or crack their teeth. Well, you know, 219 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: like you said before anance, she's difficult to say what 220 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: her if you're teeth were natural or if they weren't. 221 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: You know, I have to believe that they were, and 222 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: then what type of genetics she has and what type 223 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: of nutritions she was exposed to. But it is difficult 224 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: to say exactly how much force it would take. But 225 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: we do know that The average human fist can generate 226 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: about one hundred and fifty pounds of force in a 227 00:16:54,520 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: punching situation, so I would estimate that the act she 228 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: took to her face was probably at least one hundred 229 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 1: and fifty pounds, if not more. You know, I would 230 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: like to make myself feel better and imagine that Karina 231 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: Vatranto blacked out and had no idea what was being 232 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: done to her. But the reality is, I know that's 233 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: not true because she fought so fiercely. She fought back, 234 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: which tells me that she was conscious during a lot 235 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: of this attack on her. I would have to agree, 236 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: as evidenced by the grass that she had grasped in 237 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: her hand, you know, when her body was found, So 238 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: I believe that to be true as well. Now, and 239 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: doctor Gallagher, you've seen literally thousands of autopsies. But if 240 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: the blows to her face were so severe it cracked 241 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 1: her teeth, can you imagine what it did to the 242 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: skin of her her face and her lips and her nose. 243 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: I mean, her face must have been just mush by 244 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: the time she was found. Hopefully it was able to 245 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: be recognized. A lot of the times these swelling and 246 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: the bruising is so severe that even the victim's parents 247 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: and siblings are unable to identify them. Visuals with me. 248 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: Phil Patronto and Tony DeStefano reported with it Newsday. Take 249 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: a listen to this, and Boys tells me what they 250 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: found made even a hardened detective turn away. Give me 251 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: a sense for the injuries. Kaarina summer facial injuries. She 252 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: also had bruising on her body. We believe from being 253 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: dragged through those weeds welf area. So that's what we 254 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: believed where that bruising on her body came from. And 255 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 1: when you found her, she was still grasping to the weeds. 256 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: She had the weeds, stems of the weeds in her hands. 257 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: What does that she thought not to go into those squits. 258 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: Contrary to several reports, Chief Boys now confirms to me 259 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: there was no DNA evidence founded the scene to show 260 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: that there would be rapist completed his sexual assault. Karina's 261 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: dad took me to that jogging trail in Howard Beach 262 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,239 Speaker 1: where police found his beautiful daughter. I don't know if 263 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: this person was waiting for her. I don't know if 264 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: this person was following her. I don't know if this 265 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: person knew her routine, drove to the other end and 266 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: met her head on. You were hearing our friends at 267 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: crime watch Daily. What we know whether the pirp was 268 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: waiting for her or happened to see her. I viewed 269 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: video offer just before the attack, and I can see 270 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: her running along. I guess this is from some money 271 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: time surveillance video. And she has her earbuds in her ear, 272 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: so on this trail she would not have heard anyone 273 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: approaching her. What more can we learn from the scene 274 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: field the Toronto According to reports, Karina was still grasping 275 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: at the grasp Why explain that? My theory and I 276 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: relived it many many times. I've run the trail from 277 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: my house to get the timeline, so I know exactly 278 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: what time she got down there, what time she was attacked, 279 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: what time he left the weeks to go on the 280 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: Bell Parkway and and she was attacked. Her initial attack 281 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: I believe was one hundred and ten feet from where 282 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: the body was found. And I believed this because that's 283 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: where her sneaker was found. I think he was waiting 284 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: for her the tuesday before, just a week before she 285 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: ran that trail by herself. Now I was on vacation. 286 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: I was unaware of this. I didn't think she ever 287 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: ran by herself, so I believe he saw her. She 288 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: she ran after her, She ran to get away, she 289 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: fell down, got the abrasions on her knees, her sneaker 290 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: came off, and he dragged her down the trail into 291 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: the puddle, from the puzzle, into the weeds. And I 292 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: believe she was killed at the site where she was 293 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: found because she had the weeds in her hand. She 294 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: was trying to stop him, to grab onto something to 295 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: save herself. So that's my theory, and I relived it 296 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: many times. Karina's body was found off the jogging path, 297 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: her running pants pulled down. She had been assaulted, strangled 298 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 1: to death, and this Howard Beach area. Now police were 299 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: convinced at the time she had put up a vicious fight. 300 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 1: She fought for her life, Tony Stephano reported News Day. 301 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: Why were they convinced she fought so hard, Well, there 302 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: were a couple of things. One was, of course, the 303 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: vegetation in her grasp in her hands, indicating she fought 304 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: to prevent the killer from pushing her and taking her 305 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: into the weeds. The other was that there was DNA 306 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 1: under her fingernails, which indicated the struggle. Perhaps some scratching, 307 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: and you know the condition of the body where she 308 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: suffered severe facial trauma and other other injuries, indicated that 309 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:00,239 Speaker 1: there was a fight. And that's all. That's all as 310 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: to it. I mean, she wasn't like a passive victim. Here. 311 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: She was putting up a struggle, and I think she 312 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: put it up to the very last. Now my daughter 313 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: was fighting. I'm thinking about her, And isn't it true 314 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: when she was a little girl, did she have to 315 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 1: have surgery as I recall, maybe on her legs as 316 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 1: a child? Is that true? Phil, she had elective surgery. 317 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: She had surgery done. It's called compartment syndrome. She was 318 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 1: so intent on running, but she couldn't train because she 319 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: would get shit splints. And after every diagnosis and injections 320 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: and X rays, we came up with a diagnosis of 321 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: compartment syndrome. And I actually kind of touched with a 322 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: doctor in Michigan who specializes in compartment syndrome. And what 323 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 1: they do is they that the fashion the white tissue 324 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 1: that that surrounds the muscle of your body, you would 325 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: call grizzle. So when the muscle expands, it has more 326 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: room to expand, and she had that done on both 327 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: legs just to enable her so she can train and compete. Yes, 328 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: if she did compete, did she not? She competed all 329 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: throughout high school. She ran for Manhattan College for a 330 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: little bit, but she still couldn't train. Even after the surgery, 331 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: she couldn't train. Maybe it was too soon, but later 332 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: on she was able to run. Years later, I guess 333 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: after everything healed, she was able to run, but never 334 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: at the ability that she once was when she once 335 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: had You know, the location of Karina's body is crucial, 336 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: and it's even more crucial did that crime scene be 337 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: processed appropriately? Take a listen to our friends at crime 338 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: watch Daily. She's found here a lot of thick weeds, 339 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: very thick, six to eight feet tall. So we believe 340 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: this poll right here is important because her socks were 341 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,239 Speaker 1: wet when the body was found. The only way they 342 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: could have gotten wet is through this puddle, we believe. 343 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: So she was dragged off this path. Her property, her earbuds, 344 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: they're thrown over here, which is just north of this path. 345 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: The body is dragged into here. Her cell phone has 346 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: thrown in that direction and her one sneaker is thrown 347 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: over here. Pretty good run, pretty good throws. What does 348 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: this tell you? Tells us that at some point she's 349 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: dragged to go up the path. Karina puts up it 350 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: about she does. She's beaten pretty severely. At some point 351 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: he drags her in there. There's no way anybody's gonna 352 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: find her in here. The tiny, petite Karina Vitranto suffering 353 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: multiple brasions contusions, which are bruises, cuts, injuries sexual in nature, 354 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: but thankfully feel the tronto her dad, who found her body, 355 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: seemingly can't remember much of this, and you know, feel 356 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: I always poo poo people that said that they blocked 357 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: out or they blocked things. The truth is I can't remember. 358 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: I can remember hardly a thing for a huge chunk 359 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: of time following my fiance's murder. Do you ever try 360 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: to remember it? Because for the longest time, whenever I 361 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 1: would try to remember, or I would think about Keith, 362 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: I would get a splitting headache until and I was 363 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 1: very young, splitting until I finally trained myself. The moment 364 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: I would start thinking about it, I'd stop, I'd leave, 365 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: I'd go to a different place, I'd do anything just 366 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: to stop thinking about it, to avoid the pain of 367 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: that headache. And obviously it was you know, psychologically triggered, 368 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: But have you tried to remember what you saw that day? 369 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: Every day? Every day, My baby deserves for me to know, 370 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 1: to understand, and you know, trying to experience what she experienced. 371 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,920 Speaker 1: She deserves the pain that I feel. And I don't 372 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: know how how to explain that, but that's what I feel. 373 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: She deserves. She deserves for me to recognize it and 374 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: her and her pain, not to hide it. Agree one vision. 375 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: I have a mental vision I have so often of 376 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 1: Keith after her being shot five times in the neck, 377 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 1: the face, the back. He amazingly was still alive by 378 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: the time they got an ambulance out to that rural 379 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: site where he was working on a construction crew, all 380 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: the way to a small town hospital, still alive, and 381 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: I have recurring to this day visions of him on 382 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,360 Speaker 1: a gurney at a hospital to which I've never been, 383 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: the things that go through your mind. I have flashes 384 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: of him being shot about what happened. I wasn't there 385 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: and I did not hear the evidence, but it comes 386 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: to me even to this day quite often and I 387 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: hear what you're saying. I do not turn away from 388 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: it because I guess your words are right. He deserves 389 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: for someone to know, for someone to care well someone, 390 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: which is you so true? Yes? So true. We know 391 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: that Carina suffered extensive bruising and scraping to the neck 392 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: and chin, indicating her killer's hands totally envelope surrounded her throat. 393 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: The ultimate cod cause of death is strangulation, not abating strangulation. Um, 394 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about what she went through and her father 395 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: feel finding her still clutching at the grass with both 396 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: hands as if she's struggling to get a way to 397 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: even crawl away from her killer. I may interject, please, 398 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: do you know one consolation is that I truly believe 399 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: Karina never thought she was going to die. She didn't 400 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: think that because she wasn't shot, and she wasn't an 401 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: enamulance going to the hospital where you have the opportunity 402 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: to think, well, what's going to happen to me? She 403 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: was fighting the entire time, and she never thought she 404 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: was going to die. And because her airway was cut 405 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: off and she did pass out and she was murdered 406 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: while she was unconscious, that is a great consolation to me, 407 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: because she was she never thought she was going to die. 408 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: I know that, you know, I can't explain it, but 409 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: it's a consolation to me too that I believe Keith 410 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: had blacked out or was unconscious at the time he 411 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: finally passed away. I like to think he never knew 412 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: what happened that one moment he was with us. In 413 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: the next moment, he had no understanding of what had happened. 414 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: Take a listen to what Peel says to our friends 415 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: at Crime Watch Daily. You found your daughter. I did 416 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: with the help of the PD. As a parent, I 417 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: have a hard time even getting my arms around them. 418 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: I think as a parent, you would rather you find 419 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 1: your child than someone else. It's the last act of 420 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: protection you can give you a child. To Tony to Stephano, 421 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: a reporter with a newsday, you have been to the 422 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: same What are your recollections, Well, of course this is 423 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: some time after the murder. It's a place that actually 424 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: has feel described as piece full. Uh there are you 425 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: had been sunflower seeds, various kinds of plants, butterflies, which 426 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: happened to be Korena's favorite kind of creatures. If you 427 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 1: want to call it that. There are cats, as fill 428 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: described them, and it's it's a quiet setting punctuated only 429 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: by the sound occasionally of overhead airplanes airline is you know, 430 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 1: landing or taking off from JFK. But it's it's it's sunny. 431 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: It's a sunny spot that's not cheated by a great 432 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: many trees, and it's a place where you could go 433 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: and you could just think about things and think about 434 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: what had happened and what the possibilities for life could 435 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: have been. You feel sad sometimes. I've been there a 436 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 1: number of times. In fact, I was there on a 437 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: birthday quite by chance, and I happen to run into 438 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: Filling Hathy and the daughter Tanna Uh And it's a 439 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: you know, to see what they did there with a 440 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: memorial and with the stones and the u um kind 441 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: of memorial that they put together, you know, it's very touching, 442 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: but it's also you know, sad. With me Fiel the 443 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: Toronto and Tony DeStefano reporter with the news dad Nancy 444 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: Grace signing all good bye, fend