1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: In Alaska. The big concern is theirs. I always say 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: the biggest danger in Alaska is the human animals. 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: Less than a week after moving to Anchorage, Bethany Carrera vanished. 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: She wasn't aware of what a violent place Anchorage could be. 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: And locating Bethany's killer would be just as difficult as 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 2: finding her body. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: We knew where the body was, and this is Alaska, 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: and there was three feet of snow on the ground, 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: and we couldn't recover a body until some of the 10 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: snow melted. 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 2: Bringing justice would cost another life. 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: It was a tragedy for everybody involved. 13 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: Today we're an Anchorage, Alaska for part one of the 14 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 2: search for Bethany Carrera. I'm Slow Glass and this is 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: American Homicide. Just to note that this episode contained some 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 2: graphic content, Please take care while listening. With more than 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: six hundred square miles of Arctic coast, untamed wilderness, and 18 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 2: majestic mountains, Alaska is our nation's largest state, but even 19 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 2: with all that land, just over half a million people 20 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 2: live there. 21 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: Half the population of the state is an Anchorage. 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: Ron McGee was the public affairs manager for the Anchorage 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: Police Department. 24 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: The last I checked, we were like the sixty fourth 25 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: largest city in the nation. 26 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: Historically, people have flocked to Alaska in search of riches. 27 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: The state has always been about oil. 28 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 2: Along with liquid gold. Alaska was home to the gold 29 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: rush of the late eighteen hundreds that fostered the first 30 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: generation of people who came to the state in search 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: of riches. But then there's the other group of people. 32 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: In the thirty two years that I have been here, 33 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: I encountered a lot of people who came to Alaska 34 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:54,639 Speaker 1: to try and get away from. 35 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: Something, whether it's the law, money issues, or something completely innocent. 36 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: Alaska is a place where a lot of people go 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: to escape their past. 38 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: We have a lot of the problems that people in 39 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: the lower forty eight have, but Anchorage has always been 40 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: what I would consider a very violent place. Our rate 41 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: of violence is much higher than the rest of the nation. 42 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: We've led the nation, for example, in rapes since I 43 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: can remember. 44 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 2: Alaska's violent crime rate is more than double the national average, 45 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 2: and most of those crimes happen in Anchorage, which is 46 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 2: scary for the college students who move there. 47 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: The University of Alaska's campus in Anchorage is the largest 48 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: in the university system. They offer the most majors, and 49 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: we try to talk to the students and try and 50 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: make them aware that, especially the students who come from 51 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: rural Alaska, that this can be a very violent place. 52 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 2: One of those students who came to the University of 53 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 2: Alaska and Anchorage or UAA was Bethany Carrera. 54 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: Bethany comes from this little small community in Talketina. 55 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: It's about one hundred miles north of Anchorage, a town 56 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: so small that a cat won the race for mayor. 57 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 2: As a writing candidate. Can you imagine losing to a cat? So, 58 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 2: Bethany came from a small town, very small. In two 59 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 2: thousand and three, the population was eight hundred and ten people. 60 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 2: Bethany was a go getter who loved camping, snowboarding, and sailing. 61 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: Adventure was in her blood. In fact, after graduating high school, 62 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: Bethany embarked on a year long sailing trip through the 63 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: South Pacific. Then she served as a Christian missionary to 64 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: Thailand and Nepal. But then the twenty one year old 65 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 2: decided it was time to go back to school. 66 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: Bethany came from Talkeita in two thousand and three to 67 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: attend UAA. She was pre mad. She's a good student, 68 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: she's a good daughter. Her parents had wonderful things to 69 00:03:58,720 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: say about her. 70 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 2: He found a small apartment a couple miles from campus 71 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 2: in Bootlegger's Cove. It's a scenic area of anchorage along 72 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: the coastline that got its name in the days of Prohibition. 73 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 2: That's when barrels of moonshine used to roll off nearby boats. 74 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: In the early two thousands, the area was popular with 75 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: college students. 76 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: Bootlegger's Cove at that time was considered sort of a 77 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: trendy place, a place that was a little more expensive 78 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: than the rest of the town. Because it was close 79 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: to the water. 80 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: Bethany's one bedroom apartment conveniently sat near several trails for hiking, biking, 81 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 2: and running, all of which Bethany loved to do. 82 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: If you like the outdoors, this is the place to be. 83 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: At the time, many of the older homes and Bootlegger's 84 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: Cove were being torn down to make way for bigger 85 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: and fancier places. In fact, Bethany's modest four unit apartment 86 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: building was scheduled to be torn down later that year. 87 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's always there's a lot of development going on 88 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: around here. You know, it's a place that is recreating 89 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: itself constantly. 90 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: But it worked out for Bethany. She was able to 91 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 2: sign a three month lease that coincided with her summer 92 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 2: school schedule, and that final week of April two thousand 93 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 2: and three, Bethany's boyfriend Joe helped her move into her 94 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 2: new apartment. But by that Saturday, Bethany went a wall. 95 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: Bethany was supposed to pick up her brother from the 96 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: airport and she didn't do it. 97 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: That was out of character for the reliable and responsible Bethany. 98 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 2: As you can imagine, her family was concerned. 99 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: And her mother immediately drove about one hundred miles from 100 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: tel Ketna to come to Anchorage and check on her. 101 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: And when she checked on her, she couldn't find her. 102 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: She wasn't at home. She found that Bethany had left 103 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: her cell phone in her wallet in the apartment, and 104 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: that immediately made her suspicious. You know, no young lady 105 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: goes anywhere without her cell phone in her a while. 106 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 2: Her mom also found Bethany's car, passport, and even her 107 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 2: favorite backpack at her apartment. But what really added to 108 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 2: her mother's anxiety was what she saw outside. 109 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: The apartment next door burns. There had been a fire 110 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: in the apartment, and that immediately made her suspicious. 111 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 2: The upstairs unit of the vacant duplex next door to 112 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: Bethany's apartment was under construction and had caught fire earlier 113 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: that morning. The unsettling smell of smoke still lingered in. 114 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: The air, so immediately she caught her husband and her 115 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: husband drove to Anchorage, and then her mother called the police. 116 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: Bethany's mom told detectives that she last talked with her 117 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 2: daughter late Friday night. It was now Sunday afternoon. She 118 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: explained that her daughter's boyfriend, Joe, had been in town 119 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: to help Bethany move, but there were no signs of 120 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: Joe or any of his belongings at Bethany's apartment. Her 121 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: mom admitted that she did I didn't know much about Joe. 122 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 2: She then asked the detectives if they knew anything about 123 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: the apartment next door to Bethany's, the one that had 124 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 2: recently caught fire. 125 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: Originally, they thought that the fire was from electrical natural causes, 126 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: but this additional investigator determined that the fire had been 127 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: set intentionally. That made us even more suspicious when we 128 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: found that out. 129 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: All right, So we have a missing twenty one year 130 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 2: old woman who lived next door to a building that 131 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 2: was intentionally set on fire. Immediately the Anchorage PD got involved. 132 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 3: My name is Walt Monnigan. That was the chief of 133 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 3: police and the Anchorage Police Department at that time when 134 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 3: we did get a report that she was missing. Normally 135 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 3: we don't take those kind of reports. Most police departments 136 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 3: don't for a couple of days because nine out of 137 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 3: ten they showed back up. But because of the urgency 138 00:07:58,360 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 3: in this one, we did. 139 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: Look at it. 140 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: The urgency stemmed from the fact that Bethany hadn't even 141 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: lived in Anchorage for a week. 142 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 3: Coming from a smaller town where you pretty much know 143 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 3: everybody and going into a larger place, you're not going 144 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 3: to be as cognizant or aware of some of the 145 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 3: dangers that are around you. If there's a person that 146 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 3: you should stay away from. In tel Keita, everybody knows 147 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 3: about it. In Anchorage not so so. I think a 148 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 3: lot of folks when they first come to Anchorage or 149 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 3: Fairbanks or some of the larger places, they're a little 150 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 3: more trusting than most people who live in the cities. 151 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:44,359 Speaker 2: As the police began their investigation. Nearly one hundred volunteers 152 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 2: from Bethany's hometown arrived in Anchorage to search for her. 153 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 3: The family started putting out flyers. They basically papered downtown. 154 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 3: You could hardly go buy a restaurant or a power 155 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 3: pool that didn't have Bethany's picture on it. The first 156 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 3: time I saw one of those, I just thought she 157 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:06,559 Speaker 3: had such an innocent smile, just a happy, genuine, likable person, 158 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 3: and I had hopes that, you know, she'd be okay, 159 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 3: like everybody else did. 160 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 2: It had been less than a week since Bethany moved 161 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: into her apartment, which had no sign of forced entry. 162 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 2: If anything, it looked like Bethany had simply left to 163 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 2: go run an errand but never returned. And she was 164 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 2: twenty one and knew in town. Did she go to 165 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: the bar to not come home? Well, her mother said, 166 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 2: Bethany wasn't much of a drinker or partier. 167 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 3: We found her person, her keys, and her phone. Everything 168 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 3: was there. That kind of added to the evidence aspect 169 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 3: that she didn't just scramble and take off someplace. 170 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: A look through Bethany's cell phone gave detectives their first clue. 171 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 3: I believe her boyfriend had just been talking to her. 172 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 2: Bethany's phone showed that one of the last phone calls 173 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 2: came from her boyfriend, Joe, so the police got in 174 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 2: touch with Joe, who confirmed that yes, he did talk 175 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: with Bethany that Saturday morning, and that began a long 176 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 2: conversation between Joe and the detectives. Because they learned Joe 177 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 2: was married. 178 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 3: Everyone's a suspect, initially everyone. 179 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 2: Bethany Carrero was a twenty one year old student who 180 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 2: was starting life on her own. On Monday, she moved 181 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 2: into her new apartment in Anchorage. By Saturday, she was 182 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 2: nowhere to be found. Ron McGee worked for the Anchorage PD. 183 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: This young lady was completely harmless. She was a kind 184 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 1: of young lady that everyone would like to have as 185 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 1: a daughter. She comes from this little small community in Talketna. 186 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: For a lot of people who were raised in rural Alaska, 187 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: Anchorage can be a little bit of a rude awakening. 188 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: I always say the biggest danger in Alaska is the 189 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: human animals. 190 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 2: And of course that was the fear that someone had 191 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 2: done something to Bethany. The normally reliable Bethany was supposed 192 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 2: to pick up her brother from the airport that weekend, 193 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 2: but she never showed up. It left her family wondering 194 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 2: where's Bethany. 195 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 1: She didn't want to disappear. I think everybody was on edge. 196 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: The Talkatina community really responded to it, and the people 197 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 1: here at Anchorage got involved in it too, particularly the 198 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: students out of the university. We had a lot of 199 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: students in the university that were distributing flyers and posting 200 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: them all over the campus. 201 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 2: Flyers with Bethany's smiling face next to the ominous word 202 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 2: missing went up all over town. It was a scary 203 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 2: time for Bethany's parents, who struggled to stay positive. 204 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: I think a lot of times families blamed themselves, and 205 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: in this situation, the family was doing it. They raised 206 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 1: a wonderful daughter, they were sending her off to college 207 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: like so many other families do. They were trying to 208 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: do what was right for their daughter, and she ends 209 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: up missing. 210 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: It was early May and Bethany was about to begin 211 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 2: summer school. That's also when tourism season was about to begin, 212 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 2: which meant the snow was melting and the ground was thawing. 213 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 2: That turned Anchorage into a muddy mess for Bethany's search party, and. 214 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,719 Speaker 1: They were going all around the town, putting up posters 215 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: and looking in places trying to find her, and it's 216 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: very hard work. 217 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 2: Detectives began tracing Bethany's last known whereabouts and got some 218 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 2: help from her cell phone, which was found inside her apartment. 219 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 2: It was two thousand and three, but even then, no 220 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,719 Speaker 2: twenty one year old would leave her house without their 221 00:12:55,760 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 2: cell phone, which concerned everyone involved. At the time, Bethany 222 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 2: owned a flip phone. A scroll through her phone long 223 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 2: showed several calls from that Saturday morning. 224 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: I believe she talked to her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was 225 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,239 Speaker 1: a pilot and they had a conversation. 226 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 2: Just before nine am that Saturday morning, Bethany had a 227 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 2: short phone call with her boyfriend Joe, and. 228 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: I made a suspicious right from the beginning. 229 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,199 Speaker 2: Joe lived in No Malaska, which is famous for being 230 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: the endpoint of the Iditarod Dog Race, and the only 231 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 2: way to get between Anchorage and Nome was by plane. 232 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 2: Good thing Joe was a pilot at the time. Bethany 233 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 2: was twenty one years old, Joe was well into his thirties. 234 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 2: The two used to work together and had been dating 235 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 2: for about six months. One important thing to note, Joe 236 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 2: was married. 237 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: That made us even more suspicious when we found that out. 238 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 2: Bethany's parents told investigators they didn't know much about Joe, 239 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: so detectives question Joe, who explained that his marriage was 240 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 2: long over by the time he met Bethany. He said 241 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 2: the reason his divorce had dragged out for so long 242 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,719 Speaker 2: was because he and his soon to be x were 243 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 2: trying to do what was best for their child. Joe 244 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 2: had been with Bethany before she disappeared. He was helping 245 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 2: her move into her new apartment. He said the two 246 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 2: had a nice visit. He even gave her a Puka 247 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 2: Shehell necklace from Hawaii as a gift. But Joe said 248 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 2: he flew back to Nome on Friday morning because he 249 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: had to work. Then things got uncomfortable. The detectives asked 250 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 2: about joe soon to be ex wife. Did she know 251 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 2: about Bethany. Joe said she did, and the two didn't 252 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 2: exactly have a happy meeting. 253 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: That immediately drew some concern from the mother and immediately 254 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: from the detectives that responded to it. 255 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 2: Just a few weeks earlier, Joe's wife found Bethany at 256 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: his apartment in Nome and was furious, even threw a 257 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 2: glass at her, and later called Bethany's parents and told 258 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 2: them their daughter was a home wrecker. 259 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: I'm a parent too, I have three kids and about 260 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: the same age as she was, and so I just 261 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: felt for the parents. 262 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 2: Detectives checked Joe's alibi and confirmed he was flying that 263 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 2: entire weekend. As for the pilot soon to be ex wife, 264 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 2: there are no roads between Noman Anchorage. If she were 265 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 2: to come to Anchorage, she'd have to fly in, and 266 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 2: there was no record of that happening. They cleared both 267 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 2: the pilot and his wife and again left everyone asking 268 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 2: where is Bethany. 269 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: There are a lot of people that disappear for a 270 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: lot of different reasons, and so they wanted to know 271 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: what happened to this young lady. 272 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 2: Do their conversation with Joe, detectives got a clear picture 273 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 2: of what was happening in Bethany's life. Joe said Bethany 274 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 2: had taken a new job cleaning and showing apartments for 275 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 2: her landlord, a man named Mike Lawson, and that Saturday, 276 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 2: Bethany planned to meet with Mike so he could train her. 277 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: The detective he questioned Mike immediately. 278 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 2: Mike Lawson said, yes, he and Bethany spoke early that 279 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 2: Saturday morning, but it was to resolve an issue with 280 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 2: Bethany's keys. But Mike said he never met up with 281 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 2: Bethany that Saturday. In fact, he said he's the one 282 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 2: who shows the apartments to prospective tenants, so he wasn't 283 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 2: sure what Bethany was talking about. 284 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: Mike Lawson said that he was at home with his 285 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: brother all day watching NASCAR. 286 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 2: After hitting several dead ends, investigators shifted their focus to 287 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 2: the Dupleaux next door to Bethany's apartment. 288 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: There was a fire in the apartment, and in this case, 289 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: there was something to that fire. 290 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 2: Early that Sunday morning, a newspaper delivery person noticed the 291 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 2: fire and called nine one one. Originally ruled an accident, 292 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 2: investigators later discovered it was no accident at all. 293 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: Well, the apartment was set on fire. 294 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 3: When we went to go look at the fire afterwards, 295 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 3: we found some evidence. 296 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 2: Won't Want again was the chief of police for the 297 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: Anchorage PD, and. 298 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 3: The fire basically was meant to destroy whatever evidence might. 299 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 2: Be inside Inside the apartment, the detectives noticed a suspicious 300 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 2: patch of drywall, almost like the job was rushed to 301 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: get done just before the fire. 302 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 3: The material that they used to you know, that coulking 303 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 3: kind of drywall stuff, wasn't completely dry and actually kind 304 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 3: of depressed because of the heat the moisture there. It 305 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 3: actually shrank back and made us look at it. And 306 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 3: as we examined that repair, we found some hair inside. 307 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 2: It was almost incredible that investigators located those hairs and 308 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 2: fibers within the poorly patched drywall. They were sent off 309 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 2: to the lab for testing, and while they waited for answers, 310 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 2: they were left to wonder whose hair was in the 311 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 2: wall and how did it get there because the apartment 312 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 2: it was found in was vacant. Franco Beznis was a 313 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 2: contractor who worked on that building. 314 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 4: Mike Lawson and I worked for a construction company and 315 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 4: the guy calls me up and he says, hey, Franco, 316 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 4: the building caught on fire. The duplex, the one that 317 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 4: I was in the work. It's a two story burnt 318 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 4: through the first floor. The flames went up and even 319 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,719 Speaker 4: the ceiling was burnt, but it didn't actually break the 320 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 4: shell of the whole building, and it was ruled as 321 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 4: electrical fire, which really obsessed me because I'm the one 322 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 4: that does the work and I don't want to be 323 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 4: blamed for, you know, touching two wires together. But after 324 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 4: examining the fire, I knew that it wasn't me. ATF 325 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 4: came in and ruled it as arson. When that changed everything, 326 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 4: that drew attention to the whole disappearance next door. 327 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 2: That's when the police started looking at everyone who had 328 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 2: been working on the apartment. 329 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 4: The lead investigator starts telling us about Bethany Krarraz missing, 330 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 4: and they knew the connection that we had already, that 331 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 4: our company is the same company that rent it tour, 332 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 4: so they're questioning. 333 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 3: All of us. 334 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 4: Little I realized that they ran it background track and 335 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 4: literally everybody right there on the spot. 336 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 2: And wait until you hear what they found. 337 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 4: Out of the seven guys that I worked with, five 338 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 4: of them come back as rester sex offenders, which blew 339 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 4: me away. 340 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 2: Okay, so there are five registered sex offenders working on 341 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 2: an apartment building where a twenty one year old girl 342 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 2: went missing and the neighboring building was set on fire. 343 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 4: There's one gal that just ended the apartment there who's alone. 344 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 4: So that really drew a lot of attention to our 345 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 4: company for investigators. 346 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 2: The hope was that one of these five registered sex 347 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 2: offenders might lead them to Bethany, and with any luck, 348 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 2: they'd find Bethany alive. 349 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 4: I believe that somebody knows something. 350 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 2: As the Anchorage PD pieced together a timeline of Bethany 351 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 2: Carrera's disappearance, they were focused not only on her apartment, 352 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 2: but the building next door. Right around the same time 353 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: Bethany disappeared that Saturday, her next door apartment caught on fire. 354 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 4: The timing of the fire was back to back. 355 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 2: Francobznai's was a contractor who worked with Bethany's landlord. 356 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 4: Saturday night. The fire broke out same Bill and I 357 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 4: had all the work at so Initially it was ruled 358 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 4: electrical fire. Then after more investigation, it was ruled as arson. 359 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 4: That changed everything. 360 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 2: Detectives got even more suspicious when they did a background 361 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 2: check on a construction crew. 362 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 4: Five out of the seven were roster sex offenders. I'm 363 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 4: sitting there going what am I working with? 364 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 2: The police looked into all of their alibis, including Bethany's landlord, 365 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 2: Mike Lawson. At the time, Mike Lawson was forty five 366 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 2: years old. He was tall, and husky with jet black hair. 367 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 2: He slipped back and yes, Mike did have some well 368 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 2: documented problems with women. 369 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 4: The lead investigator actually asked him right in front of me, 370 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 4: is it okay if I do a visual search on 371 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 4: your vehicle? Mike said yes. So they walked over to 372 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 4: Mike's vehicle. Mike opened every door, including the hatchback to 373 00:21:55,560 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 4: his SUV Mercedes. They walked around, did a bit look, 374 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 4: and then they drove off. I go back to work. 375 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 4: An hour and a half goes by and I look 376 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 4: back over there. Mike never left. All he's doing is 377 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 4: walking in circles around his car, looking sort of like 378 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 4: what the investigators did. 379 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 2: Can you imagine seeing one of your coworkers doing that. 380 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, Franco found it a little suspicious, And then 381 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 2: things got even more strange. 382 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 4: He walked up to me and said, Franco, can you 383 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 4: cover for me? And I'm like, yeah, I'll cover for you. 384 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 4: He said that he needs to go get an attorney. 385 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 4: I looked at Mike and I said, Mike, we don't 386 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 4: all need attorneys. I know for fact that I didn't 387 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 4: do anything, and I don't think any of these guys did, 388 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 4: But why worry about it Mike, and he said, well, 389 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 4: they're looking at me. 390 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 2: The next day, Mike showed up to work with his 391 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 2: car completely cleaned and detailed. 392 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 4: This car is the cleanest I've ever seen it. But 393 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 4: you got to understand about Mike this car. I've known 394 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 4: him for several months. One time I could ever get 395 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 4: in the car. 396 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: It was so. 397 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 4: Dirty, papers and boxes. There was never no room except 398 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 4: for just him. 399 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 2: And look, this could be one giant coincidence that Mike 400 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 2: had his car cleaned a day after the police searched it. 401 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 2: But it's what Franco learned about Mike that concerned him. 402 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,679 Speaker 4: Mike Lawson is a restler sexpender. He was a restler 403 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 4: sexpender that did not reregister himself here in Anchorage. And 404 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 4: so I started having this gut feeling about Michael and 405 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 4: called crime Stoppers. They connected me with the lead investigator. 406 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: As soon as the investigation began, we started talking to 407 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: people and they said that Mike Lawson was a very 408 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: angry man. 409 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 2: Ron McGee worked for the Anchorage PD. 410 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: He's got a lot of problems with women, very violent. 411 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 2: In nineteen eighty seven, Mike was living in Illinois. That's 412 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 2: when he was arrested for tying up, beating, and repeatedly 413 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 2: sexually assaulting his then girlfriend. A year later, a jury 414 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 2: convicted Mike Lawson of aggravated criminal sexual assault. He was 415 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 2: sentenced to seven years in prison. After serving only three 416 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 2: years in prison, Mike Lawson was released. That's when he 417 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 2: relocated to Alaska. He and his brother Bob, then started 418 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 2: a roofing company. Right around the time Bethany Carrera vanished, 419 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 2: Mike was getting divorced for the fourth time. 420 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,199 Speaker 1: Clearly he's got some anger issues. His wife had just 421 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 1: left him. He indicated that he wanted to do violence 422 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: to women, and I made a suspicious right from the 423 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: beginning that made him a suspect right away. 424 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 2: If you remember, Mike had an alibi for the day 425 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 2: Bethany went missing. 426 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: Mike and his brother had said that they were home 427 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: all day watching TV, watching race car driving. We were 428 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: able to get their phone records and a turn in 429 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: from their phone records that they were lying to us. 430 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 2: So let's talk about those phone records. On the Saturday 431 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 2: morning Bethany went missing, Mike called his brother Bob seven times, 432 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 2: and all seven calls happened within three minutes. Why was 433 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 2: Mike so desperately trying to get a hold of Bob. Well, 434 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 2: a closer look at these phone calls might tell us 435 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 2: Mike's cell phone had pinged the cell tower near Bethany's apartment. 436 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 2: So Mike may have said he and Bob were at 437 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 2: home all day Saturday, but their phone records said otherwise. 438 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: They were not telling the truth that he had not 439 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: been at home. So you know, obviously something was amiss there, 440 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: and of course that raises more suspicions when you find 441 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 1: out that people were lying to you. 442 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 2: That Saturday morning, Mike's brother Bob finally took his brother's 443 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 2: call just before eleven am. Afterwards, records showed Mike's cell 444 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,919 Speaker 2: phone returning to his home before travel lame some forty 445 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 2: five miles north, which is close to Tolkita. Mike's phone 446 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:07,400 Speaker 2: then went silent for hours. 447 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: First of all, we didn't have enough evidence to charge him, 448 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: but we had a suspect, so we had to find 449 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: other ways to prove that Lawson had been involved in this. 450 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 2: Mike Lawson had lied to investigators, and that's when the 451 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 2: police leaned on Mike's brother Bob. Here's the audio of 452 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 2: Bob being questioned by detectives. Do you believe that your 453 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 2: brother's involved in the arson or Bethany's disappeared. 454 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: I really don't. I just got deep down, true blue 455 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: from my heart. I really don't think Mike's involved. If 456 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: my brother came home and told me he did something 457 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: like that, I'd tell. 458 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 4: You I'm not going to jail for anybody. I'll tell 459 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 4: you that's flat out. 460 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 2: So investigators went to Plan B and played hardball. They 461 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 2: showed Bob alone application he and his brother, Mike Lawson, 462 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 2: filled out for their roofing company. 463 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 1: Lawson had applied for a loan and had falsified some 464 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: informations on documents during this loan process. 465 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:11,360 Speaker 2: The application had this question, are any of the applicants 466 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 2: a convicted felon? Mike was a convicted felon, but he 467 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 2: lied he had checked off the box for no, and 468 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 2: by doing that, Mike and Bob had committed fraud, which 469 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 2: is a federal offense. Police charged both brothers, but offered 470 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 2: Bob a deal if he would cooperate in their investigation 471 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 2: into Bethany Carrera, he'd avoid punishment for the fraud case. 472 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: We kept emphasizing to him that this is a young 473 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 1: lady and her family wants to know where she's at. 474 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 2: Bob could either join Mike and jail or take the deal. 475 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 2: It took some serious thought, but Bob finally came around. 476 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 2: He accepted the plea deal and agreed to flip on 477 00:27:58,560 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 2: his brother. 478 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: That's what I got to do. Somebody's got to tell 479 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: the story. If that has to be me, I will 480 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: someday when I'm eulogized. All I want somebody to say 481 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: is I stood up and did the right I always 482 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: dried to the right. I think eventually it got to 483 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: his conscience and he decided to help us. I'm sure 484 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: it was a very difficult decision that he had to make, 485 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 1: but he eventually did the right thing. 486 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 2: Some nine months after Bethany Carrera went missing, Bob told 487 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 2: the detectives his brother Mike shot and killed Bethany, and 488 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 2: he said he knew where to find her body. 489 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 3: I think that basically they just wanted it to be 490 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 3: far away from town. 491 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 2: Well't Monagan was the Anchorage chief of police. 492 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 3: It's about four hundred miles from Anchorage to Fairbanks. That 493 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 3: mine is a big gravel pit. 494 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 2: That's where Bob told the caravan of police and search 495 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: crews to pull off the road. 496 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 3: The crew went out there where we believed that she 497 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 3: was disposed at. It's airly large gravel pit and you're 498 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 3: surrounded by mountains. By that time it was wintertime. I 499 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 3: think at one point it was like four feet of snow. 500 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: Bob Lawson led investigators through the deep snow to where 501 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 2: he claimed he and his brother Mike dumb Bethany's body 502 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 2: nine months earlier. After four hours of searching the gravel pit, 503 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 2: which was the length of two football fields, they called 504 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 2: off their search. 505 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 3: We knew that she was there, but we had to 506 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 3: wait until the snow melted. 507 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 2: With the search on hold, something unexpected happened. Mike Lawson 508 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 2: told investigators he was ready to talk and get this. 509 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 2: Mike told detectives that it was his brother Bob who 510 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 2: was responsible for Bethany's death, not the other way around, 511 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 2: and Mike volunteered to wear a wire to prove it. 512 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 3: If there's anything that could help us find a clue, 513 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 3: lead a person who might give us more insight, that's 514 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 3: always what we try to do. 515 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 2: So now you had two brothers blaming one another for 516 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 2: the death of Bethany Carrera, would you be willing to 517 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 2: talk to your brother, and if so, would you be 518 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 2: willing to let us take record that conversation? 519 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: Sure? 520 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 2: Join us next week for part two of the search 521 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 2: for Bethany Carrera. I'm slung Glass. That's next time on 522 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 2: American Homicide. You can contact the American Homicide team by 523 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 2: emailing us at American Homicide Pod at gmail dot com. 524 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 2: That's American Homicide Pod at gmail dot com. American Homicide 525 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 2: is hosted and written by by me Sloane Glass and 526 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 2: is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass 527 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 2: Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is 528 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 2: executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Gans. The series 529 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 2: is also written and produced by Todd Gans, with additional 530 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 2: writing by Ben Fetterman and Andrea Gunning. Our associate producer 531 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 2: is Kristin Melcurie. Our Ihearty is Ali Perry and Jessica Crimechack. 532 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 2: Audio editing, mixing and mastering by Nico Aarruka. American Homicide's 533 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 2: theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Neiser Music Library, 534 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 2: provided by My Music. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts, 535 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 2: and please rate and review American Homicide your five star 536 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 2: review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. 537 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 538 00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.