1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was blood 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 1: splatter everywhere. I looked at Melissa and I screamed at her. 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: I said, who did this? And she said Bill did it? 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: And what did you think when you heard them? But 5 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: we knew a couple of bills. I'm Leah Rothman. This 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: is the Real Killer. Episode two. The hunt is on 7 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: on April around am, metro ped officers are dispatched to 8 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: the scene of what they're told is a cutting at 9 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: the rear apartment of fourteen eighteen for Our Street in 10 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: the St. Louis working class neighborhood of Hyde Park. Police 11 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: descend on this cool spring morning to find a truly 12 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: horrific scene. Thirty five year old Joe and Tate is 13 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: found face down on the floor, partially clothed, beaten, stabbed, 14 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: and sodomized with a four foot broom handle. Close by 15 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: are her daughters. Four year old Renee is found in 16 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: her bed, bleeding from her neck, which has been cut, 17 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: and seven year old Melissa is found in her bed 18 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: directly across from Renee. She's been stabbed several times and 19 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: sliced from her rectum to her vagina. This is Melissa today, 20 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:46,479 Speaker 1: talking to me. Not far from that very home. There 21 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: were police and the empties, and the house was suddenly full, 22 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: and I felt very naked and ashamed. I remember a 23 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: fireman carrying me. He wrapped me in my mother's blanket. 24 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: I also remembered there was this blue sky. It was 25 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: prettiest day I've ever seen. He told me everything is 26 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: going to be okay. He put me on a structure. 27 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: I said, there's only two ambulances. Which one is my 28 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 1: mom going to be in? He said she's going to 29 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: go in a different one, and I just knew I 30 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: was not going to be around my mom again. At 31 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: eleven o two am, Joe and Tad is pronounced dead 32 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: at the scene. Her daughters are rushed to Cardinal Glennon 33 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: Hospital about five miles away. Melissa's condition is serious. Renee 34 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: is critical. She's unable to speak, So Melissa becomes investigators 35 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: only eyewitness with a depraved killer on the loose. Police 36 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: have no time to waste make I'm ask me questions. 37 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: I just remember wanting to be left alone. If I 38 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: wasn't being poked and prodded ivys and people check at 39 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: my heart and looking at my body. I think it 40 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: was worse than the doctors expected. The wounds, and at 41 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: the time they already looked at Renee. I know she 42 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: was worse. They didn't expect either one of us to 43 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: make it, though, and I was worried. I was worried 44 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: this man was going to come to the hospital because 45 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: I knew he had left. I knew he was out there. 46 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: I was terrified. Back at the apartment, detectives start assessing 47 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: the scene and it's a crime scene like they've never 48 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: seen before. Investigator Quinn O'Brien, who would later work on 49 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: the case, describes the horror this crime scene was was 50 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: really bad. There was blood everywhere. The house looked tumbled. 51 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: The whole scene just looked tumbled, like there was a fight. 52 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: There was blood on things in the house, cups, tables 53 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: and blankets, and blood on the walls and blood on 54 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: the floor. It was ugly. I have to say, I 55 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: have seen a lot of crime scene photos in my day, 56 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: and these are by far the worst. It's not just 57 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: the amount of blood everywhere that's so shocking. It's the 58 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: viciousness that comes through in the photos, the carnage, the 59 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: barbaric nature of what happened in that home to Joanne 60 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: and her young daughters. It is so disturbing police start 61 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: collecting evidence. The railroad style apartment consists of three main rooms, 62 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: basically in a row. It's well lived in, bright blue 63 00:04:54,440 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: shag carpeting and eclectic collection of furniture, children's toys and 64 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: clothes strewn about, and walls decorated with tapestries of the 65 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: Last Supper and the Pink Panther next to photographs of 66 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: family members and John Travolta on the floor. In the 67 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: girl's room, which is in the center of the apartment, 68 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: police find a steak knife. In the front room, which 69 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: is also Joanne's bedroom, they find a blood stained butcher 70 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: knife on the heater, a blood streaked steak knife on 71 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: the floor, and another steak knife in the center of 72 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: Joanne's bed. That knife is completely coated in blood, bent 73 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: in a half moon shape with a partially broken wood handle. 74 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 1: There's one crime scene photo from Joanne's room that haunts 75 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: me the most. It's of her bed. The sheets are 76 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: soaked with blood, and just above that, on the headboard, 77 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: inches away from where Melissa was brutally attacked in little 78 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: dime stored he's of letters. Written out is the phrase 79 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:06,679 Speaker 1: I'm a lover, not a fighter. In the kitchen, police 80 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: find and I'm reading directly from the police report quote 81 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: a wooden holder with six slots for knives and five 82 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: were missing. Here's Quinn again. They collected all of the knives. 83 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: They took Joanne's diary and address book. They took the blankets, uh, 84 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: and they took hairs off of those blankets. They did 85 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: take some fingerprints and some partial fingerprints, fingerprints which are 86 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: found on a knife, a cardboard toilet, paper roll, and 87 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: a storm door frame, as well as a palm print 88 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: found on a plastic cup. They also take numerous blood 89 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: samples and eventually nail scrapings from Joanne. There was something. 90 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: There was a hatchet that Joanne Tate kept under her mattress. 91 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: Police find a hatchet between Joanne's mattress and box spring, 92 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: and next to it something bizarre. A hustler magazine opened 93 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: to the page titled Slaughter of the Innocence. We'll actually 94 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: hear more about this magazine later, but the bigger question 95 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: is why was Joanne hiding a hatchet? Who was she 96 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: afraid of? Police see no signs of forced entry. They 97 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: interviewed Joanne's upstairs neighbor who says around four am, while 98 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: she and her husband were asleep, she was awakened by 99 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: a loud banging noise, but it stopped soon after. The 100 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: woman can't offer any other details, but investigators at least 101 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: now have an approximate time of the attack four am. 102 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: Then police meet another neighbor, seventeen year old Steve Yancey. 103 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: He lives at fourteen A Levin f our just across 104 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: the street from Joanne and a couple of doors down. 105 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: Steve Yancy actually came to the scene that morning to 106 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: see what was going on, saw the police tape and 107 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: talk to detectives that morning. And I know that Steve 108 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: Ancy provided the police with a lot of information, just 109 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: contextual information about Joanne, what was going on in her life, 110 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: the men that she had been seeing and dating. He 111 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: mentioned Tom Schultz, Joanne's most recent X. Steve Nancy has 112 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: a lot to say about twenty four year old Tom Schultz. 113 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: Steve says, and this is all documented in the police report. 114 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: That Joanne had kicked Tom Schultz out after she caught 115 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: him cheating on her, and Tom told him quote he 116 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: was going to get her. Then a month before the murder, 117 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: Tom says it again quote, I'm definitely going to get her. 118 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: According to Steve Ancy, Joanne was afraid of Tom coming 119 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: back to hurt her, so she would ask Steve to 120 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: stay from time to time overnight with her and the girls. 121 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: Maybe she had that hatchet in case Tom Schultz came knocking. 122 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: But other names aside from Tom and Steve are quickly emerging. 123 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 1: Johnny Davis was another suspect. Davis was involved in this 124 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: bar fight and Joanne was expected to be a witness 125 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: in this case. She never took the stand to testify, 126 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: but she started to keep a diary, and in her 127 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: diary she wrote, if anything happens to me, I'm going 128 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: to keep a record because I'm trying to remember the 129 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: um I have that the actual hold on one second, 130 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: Oh my god, you have the diary. Well, I don't 131 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: have the physical diary, that's probably in some box deep 132 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: in a police warehouse, but I have the evidence photos, 133 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: which include all of the pages from Joanne's handwritten diary. 134 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: On the first page, she says, I'm only writing all 135 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: this down in case something would happen to me, you 136 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: would know who to look for. People I was with 137 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: exclamation point, I mean it's just so eerie. Yeah, and 138 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: it's um It's as if she predicted her own death 139 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: at Cardinal Glennon Hospital. While still in the er, Melissa 140 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: and Renee's seventeen year old sister, who had been at 141 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: her boyfriend's rushes to their side. We've been asked not 142 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: to use her name. Here's Melissa again, and I'm naked 143 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: on a table in front of people, and my sister 144 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: is asking me who did it? And I said Bill, 145 00:10:55,400 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: And I said it over and over. Her face there 146 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: was so much in her face and when she asked 147 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: me questions, her voice cracked. I can tell she was 148 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: just so scared. Melissa's sister doesn't know who Bill is, 149 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: but she does wonder about someone else. She asked me 150 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:27,199 Speaker 1: about Gary Gary Lrose, a former boyfriend of Joanne's. When 151 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: the older sister asks Melissa, Gary did it, to everyone's surprise, 152 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: Melissa says yes. Then moments later, Melissa changes her story 153 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: again and says, they stabbed us. They woke us up 154 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: about four they chased mom into the kitchen. This is 155 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: the first time seven year old Melissa is saying anything 156 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: other than Bill did it. So is it Gary or 157 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: is it multiple people? Or is Gary one of the 158 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: multiple people. But before long, Melissa goes back to Bill 159 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: and adds a new detail. She says, during the attack 160 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:15,599 Speaker 1: she heard her mom call the man Bill, so changing stories, 161 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 1: new potential suspects, and maybe multiple perpetrators, and this is 162 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: all within the first twelve hours. The next morning, police 163 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: are added again, hoping Melissa can idea suspect. They show 164 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: her ten photos, including ones of Tom Schultz, Gary Lrose, 165 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: and several Bills Williams and Willie's known to the family. 166 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: I did look at like a bunch of different pictures. 167 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,839 Speaker 1: There are people I knew in there that I knew 168 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: had never done anything to anybody, and I'm like, it's 169 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: none of these. A little later that day, Melissa's interviewed 170 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: by a social worker at the hospital. It's noted in 171 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 1: the police report that Melissa seems quote very alert. This time, 172 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: she remembers even more about Bill. She says that Bill 173 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: had been to the house on Sunday than back again 174 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: on Monday when he stabbed them. She says that in May, 175 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: almost a year before the murder, she and her mother 176 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: had gone to this person's house and at the time 177 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: he was driving a yellow car and she remembers even 178 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: more what I told them was as personnel, a lot 179 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,439 Speaker 1: of animals, a cat and four kittens. She even remembers 180 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: there were two males and two females. And it's during 181 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: this interview that four year old Renee speaks for the 182 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: first time, saying, quote, Bill did it. Bill said he 183 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: wouldn't cut us, but he cut us anyway. I should 184 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: note that although Renee survived the attack, sadly she passed 185 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: away at the age of thirty one. We'll talk more 186 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: about this in a later episode. Three days after the 187 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: attack on April, Melissa has shown more photos of potential 188 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: suspects eleven, this time mostly all bills, some of which 189 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: she had been shown before. Again, Melissa picks no one 190 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: out as the perpetrator. At this point, police are looking 191 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: at everyone in and around Joanne's world, even her brother Nat, 192 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: who found them that morning, Joanne's other brother Daniel, and 193 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: Joanne's boyfriend at the time, Jerry. Here's Nat again. They 194 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: treated you like like your suspect you are. They took 195 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: my fingerprints right away in UH and they just interrogate me. 196 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: I know they didn't get much because I I couldn't 197 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: say much because I don't know much. I just know 198 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: that what I what I found. We were all trying 199 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: to figure out who it was. But there's a part, 200 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: you know, and we thought that like Joyan, you know, 201 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: could have been Raymond, could have been Johnny Davis. It 202 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: could have been Raymond's brother or or somebody somebody we 203 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: they said, just Gary Paris. Uh, so we didn't know 204 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: who it was. Police are having about as much luck 205 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: as Nat and figuring out who did this. Then on 206 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: May fourth, one week into the investigation, two significant things happen. First, 207 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: police tracked down Joanne's ex boyfriend, Tom Schultz, who claims 208 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: he has an alibi he was in Texas at the 209 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: time of the attack, but detectives will still need to 210 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: verify that. The other is that there's a new lead 211 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: detective assigned to the case. Homicide veteran detective Joe Burgoon, 212 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: nicknamed Father Homicide and the Blue Knight Bragoon, has investigated 213 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: thou of murders in the St. Louis area. Well respected 214 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: within the department, the then forty three year old, quiet, 215 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: green eyed legend with a photographic memory, has been described 216 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: by a former colleague as someone who's almost too nice 217 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: for this dirty business regardless, He's determined to solve the case. 218 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: When I star case started, that was our vacation. And 219 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: when I come back to work when Boss called me 220 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: in the office and he said, guns, uh, these guys 221 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: are really it's really messed him, you know, the really 222 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: really shook up over it and messed up over and 223 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: he says, you got a bunch of kids. You know 224 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: you're not to do with kids and stuff like. Guess 225 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: that's why we want. I wound up with it in 226 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: my partner, you know, because we just we we talked 227 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: it over and said, you know, we're not can ask 228 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: from any questions. So we we just went up there 229 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: in Medham and uh, we bring him. We bring him 230 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: with a little bag of eminemity, each one of them, 231 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: and we tell jokes and stuff like that. Kid but 232 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: the kids stuff, you know how these children are. Melissa 233 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: was a very smart child, she really was. I told 234 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: Julian's brother Dan, and I told him from started says, 235 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: it's just we're gonna you know, we're gonna do We're 236 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: gonna go buy the book. We're not gonna do anything, 237 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: and it's just the way it's supposed to be done. 238 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: My first memory of Jarba Grood. Is me laying in 239 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: this hospital bed, and he showed me his badge. He 240 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: was really tall, he was very nice. I didn't think 241 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: I could trust him, but he did explain he was 242 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 1: there to find the person who hurt my mommy and 243 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 1: me and my sister, so I tried to help. In 244 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: the May fourth police report, it's noted that Melissa was 245 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: quote in great pain and was given a pain pill. However, 246 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: she was very alert. Bragoon, the social worker, and a 247 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: child psychologist also interviewed Melissa. Melissa tells them that last 248 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: summer at Hyde Park, she and her mom and her 249 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: sister met a man who was sitting on a bench. 250 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: He said his name was Bill. Melissa describes him as 251 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: having black hair all the way to his ears. Then 252 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: she says more. Bill is a skinny white man with 253 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: black short hair who looked older than Tom Schultz. I 254 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: remember telling them that we went over a bridge. Melissa 255 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: tells him they went over a bridge to get to 256 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,479 Speaker 1: Bill's house, and Bill didn't live alone. Bill lived with 257 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: his mother and across the street was a park with swings, 258 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: animal playground equipment, monkey bars, and a merry go round. 259 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: Bill gave them SODA's. They spent the night and slept upstairs. 260 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: The next day, Bill drove them home in an old 261 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: yellow taxi. And there's more. I told them that Bill 262 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: had went to Hollywood, and that Bill Volkswagen and Bill 263 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: had worked on my mom's car, and that Bill's mom 264 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: grand a lot. She's not very nice. Melissa also says 265 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: that on the night of the attack, Bill called her 266 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: and Renee by name. Detective Bragoon shows Melissa thirteen photos 267 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: of again mostly Bills, and also throws in a polaroid 268 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: of Steve Yancy, their seventeen year old neighbor. Melissa says, 269 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: none of the Bills are the guy, and Steve Yancy 270 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: he's a friend and was an involved either. The next day, 271 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: Tom Schultz's alibi in Texas is verified. He takes a 272 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:12,479 Speaker 1: polygraph test and passes. Police are at a loss and 273 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: are no closer to solving the case. The case that 274 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: has changed everything. I just remembered one day, everything was normal, 275 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: and then I lost my home and my animals. My 276 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: mom our bodies weren't the same. Everything changed. I don't 277 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: know if you noticed, but I was not allowed to 278 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: attend my mother's funeral. I actually watched it from my 279 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: hospital room. How did you watch it from her? I 280 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: was on TV. Yeah. I didn't get to say goodbye 281 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: to her. I was so upset people I didn't even 282 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 1: know getting going in and out that church, and I 283 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: was her daughter, and I'm watching it from a hospital bed. 284 00:20:55,960 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: I didn't get to go. Two weeks after the attack, 285 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:09,159 Speaker 1: on May eleven, twelve, more photos are shown to Melissa. 286 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: She again, I d s none of them as their attacker. 287 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 1: That same day, Detective Burgoon and another detective check Melissa 288 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: and Renee out of the hospital to search for the 289 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 1: bridge and park Melissa described in her statement about the 290 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:29,400 Speaker 1: overnight at Bill's house. After hours of driving over bridges 291 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: and circling various parks, they call it a day. Melissa 292 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: recognizes none of them. Police are beyond stumped and frustrated 293 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: as the public pressure to solve the case is mounting, 294 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: so on May tenth, they enlist the help of a 295 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: metroped sketch artist. A couple of days later, that composite 296 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: sketch is released to the public. Melissa's family sees it 297 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: on the evening news. Here's her uncle Nadigan, my brother 298 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: Da Annuel, and my sister abbey. When they saw this, 299 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,239 Speaker 1: they said, it looks like somebody we know. We look 300 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: like somebody we know. The next day, Daniel, Clenny and 301 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: Abby Adams go down to the police station and tell 302 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 1: Detective Bragoon exactly that. Together they go through Joanne's diary, 303 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: her diary from the year before the murder, and that's 304 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: when they see a name Rod. There are five entries 305 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: Joanne made about Rod no last name. Two of them 306 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 1: are particularly important to detectives. The first one says, quote 307 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: Rod telephone to one St. Louis also bartender smart like 308 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: Hackey's seen Rod Sunday night. The next entry says, quote 309 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 1: met Rod, fifteen of April with Dan Cottage Leo black hair, 310 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: brown eyes, five ft seven, tight jeans, truck driver Ohio 311 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: sexy person likes to make love. Police still don't have 312 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: the last name, but they do have a phone number, 313 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,360 Speaker 1: so he's only called call the house as I guess 314 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: his mother answer againstead of rag and Garrison know he's 315 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: not And then what's wrapped his last name, and so 316 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: we found out where his name was. His name is 317 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: Rodney Lincoln. Burgoon runs his name and sees that he 318 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: has a record five years before he was convicted of 319 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: second degree burglary, but alarm bells go off when Burgoon 320 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: learns about his other conviction. In nineteen seventy three, Lincoln 321 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: was convicted of second degree murder. Detective Burgoon takes Lincoln's 322 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: shot and a photo of a distant family member of 323 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: Joanne's to Melissa and Renee to see if they can 324 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: pick out their mother's killer. Melissa does this. She picks 325 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: out Rodney and Lincoln and I said, are you sure? 326 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: She said that's him. I said, his name's not f 327 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: She keept saying that's him, that's him, very emphatic, as 328 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: as fig or four times. Are you sure? You sure? 329 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: Are you sure? Him? After that, according to the police report, 330 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: Renee says nothing but looks at the photos, throws Rodney's 331 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: on the table, and covers her face with her hands. 332 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: On Almost a month after the attack, Detective Burgoon and 333 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: a sergeant make their way to sixteen Minnesota Avenue in 334 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: South St. Louis. That's where thirty seve in year old 335 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: Rodney Lincoln lives with his mother. The good Lina Rabbits 336 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: ask you had a carter's appart to crush of the 337 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: house as it looks like the park Melissa had described 338 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: with swings, animal playground equipment, monkey bars, and a merry 339 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: go round. We had actually been at Walmart Park fishing 340 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: that morning. Kay Lincoln, Rodney Lincoln's daughter, who was thirteen 341 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: at the time, is also there that day. We came 342 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: home in the afternoon and at that time Grandma told 343 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: Dad that this policeman called wanted him to call him back. 344 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: So he said, no problem, We called him back, gave 345 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: him his information, talk to him. He went out to 346 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: start the barbecue. Um my sister was out there with him. 347 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: Kay's younger sister, Kelly, was ten at the time. I 348 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: remember what I had on, and had on blue shorts 349 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: and a pink shirt with flower on it. Here's Kay again. DJ, 350 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: my dad's girlfriend, and I were sitting in the living 351 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: room playing cards and I looked up while my grandma's 352 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: dog started barking, and I saw these two guys go 353 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: walking past the front door towards the back yard, and 354 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: they had on suits. And that just really blew me away, 355 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 1: because nobody comes to my grandma's house wearing a suit. 356 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: And I said to DJ, I said, who is that? 357 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: She said, I don't know, And you know, just being 358 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 1: a flippant teenage kid. I'm like, I don't trust guys 359 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: in suits. Kay and Kelly watched the suits talk to 360 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: their dad for a few minutes. Then they all turned 361 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: to go here's Kelly again. I remember Dad talked to 362 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 1: him for a little bit and then Dad said that 363 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,440 Speaker 1: he had to go downtown and talk to these men, 364 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: that he would be back in a little bit to 365 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: take us home and kiss me on the top of 366 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 1: the head and said, I'll see you a little bit. Angel. 367 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: He always called me as Lotle angel with horns. He 368 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: just got in a car and left with him. My 369 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: grandma was just she was just shell shot. But my 370 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: grandma was terrified, and you could see that in our face. 371 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: And nobody would tell us what was going on. We 372 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: had no clue. And that night we're watching Hill Street Blues, 373 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: as you know, Sunday night at nine o'clock Channel four, 374 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: and after Hill Street Blues it was ten o'clock news 375 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: and it was bedtime. On the last commercial break of 376 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: the program, the news broken with What's Coming at ten 377 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: o'clock and they had a big banner going across the 378 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: screen that said million dollar bail, and they said murderer arrested, 379 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: and they showed a video of our dad and his 380 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: hands are behind his back and there's a detective the 381 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 1: ones that came to Grandma's house that you didn't trust 382 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: and you know you shouldn't have. He just looked like 383 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: he didn't know what just hitting and he just never 384 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: came back. Next time on The Real Killer, when you drink, 385 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: did you have a temper? I could go of, um, 386 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: have a great time to be be ready to really jumpbody. 387 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: And Rodney's previous murder convictions not helping. I thought that, 388 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, that just reinforces he's a killer. If he 389 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: killed once, what's going to stop from killing again? But 390 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: putting the bad man behind bars isn't the end of it. 391 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: I never felt safer secure. I always felt like I 392 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: was being watched. The Real Killer is a production of 393 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: a y R Media and I Heart Radio, hosted by 394 00:28:55,440 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: me Leah Rothman. Executive producers Leah Rothman and Elie the 395 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: Rosen for a y R Media. Written by me Leah Rothman, 396 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: Senior Associate producer Eric Newman, Editing and sound design by 397 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: Cameron Taggy, mixed and mastered by Cameron Taggi. Audio engineering 398 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: by Jesus c Mario Studio engineering by Tom Weir and 399 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: Kelly McGrew. Voice acting performed by Lauren Pritchard, Legal counsel 400 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: for A y R Media, Gianni Douglas, Executive producer for 401 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio, Chandler Mayze. If you're enjoying The Real Killer, 402 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,959 Speaker 1: tell your friends about it and leave us a review 403 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts