1 00:00:14,996 --> 00:00:40,316 Speaker 1: Pushkin, you know, rolling to the call, I didn't know 2 00:00:40,356 --> 00:00:43,036 Speaker 1: what the circumstances were. Your train is a cop to 3 00:00:43,116 --> 00:00:44,916 Speaker 1: kind of envision what you're going to deal with when 4 00:00:44,916 --> 00:00:48,596 Speaker 1: you get there. This is Phil Reeves. He's a retired 5 00:00:48,636 --> 00:00:51,916 Speaker 1: deputy who serves as a chaplain for Lost Hills Sheriff Station. 6 00:00:52,596 --> 00:00:54,276 Speaker 1: So I figured on the way over there, this is 7 00:00:54,316 --> 00:00:58,796 Speaker 1: probably like a domestic violence thing or something that happened 8 00:00:58,796 --> 00:01:00,396 Speaker 1: in a big house, you know, in one of these 9 00:01:00,396 --> 00:01:02,516 Speaker 1: mansions or whatever. And it turned out to be in 10 00:01:02,516 --> 00:01:05,916 Speaker 1: the park, and that the folks there are not from here, 11 00:01:06,076 --> 00:01:09,596 Speaker 1: so they had no place, you know, they were local. 12 00:01:10,996 --> 00:01:13,916 Speaker 1: We're at his house in a nice suburban neighborhood not 13 00:01:13,996 --> 00:01:18,676 Speaker 1: far from the station. We're talking about that day June 14 00:01:18,676 --> 00:01:23,076 Speaker 1: twenty second, twenty eighteen, when he responded to a shooting 15 00:01:23,196 --> 00:01:27,116 Speaker 1: at Malibu Creek State Park. One of our deput female 16 00:01:27,116 --> 00:01:29,636 Speaker 1: deputy was close by and was there. No. I don't 17 00:01:29,636 --> 00:01:32,916 Speaker 1: know whether there was a ranger there prior or not, 18 00:01:33,916 --> 00:01:38,916 Speaker 1: but it was still dark and crazy in there. When 19 00:01:38,956 --> 00:01:42,196 Speaker 1: Pastor Phil got to the station, he found Tristan Boudette's 20 00:01:42,236 --> 00:01:47,156 Speaker 1: family totally distraught. You know, you can imagine what state 21 00:01:47,156 --> 00:01:49,956 Speaker 1: of mind that they were in. He started talking to 22 00:01:49,996 --> 00:01:53,356 Speaker 1: Scott McCurdy, Tristan's brother in law, who'd been sleeping in 23 00:01:53,356 --> 00:01:56,156 Speaker 1: the next tent over. He was actually the one who 24 00:01:56,156 --> 00:02:02,116 Speaker 1: discovered Tristan's body. Erica Wu, Tristan's wife, had been at 25 00:02:02,116 --> 00:02:04,716 Speaker 1: home in Orange County getting ready to take a medical 26 00:02:04,756 --> 00:02:07,196 Speaker 1: board exam when she got the news that her husband 27 00:02:07,196 --> 00:02:11,916 Speaker 1: had been killed. Now she was inside the station, Erica 28 00:02:12,076 --> 00:02:17,636 Speaker 1: was still being interviewed by the homicide guys. Eventually Erica 29 00:02:17,716 --> 00:02:22,116 Speaker 1: came out. She was focused on one thing only. Erica 30 00:02:22,236 --> 00:02:25,956 Speaker 1: was adamant about it, and she wanted to see the body. 31 00:02:26,076 --> 00:02:30,276 Speaker 1: She wanted to see Tristan's body. And I knew it 32 00:02:30,316 --> 00:02:35,036 Speaker 1: was probably going to be like hours and hours and hours. 33 00:02:36,076 --> 00:02:40,316 Speaker 1: Pastor Phil brought everyone back here to his house to wait. 34 00:02:41,596 --> 00:02:43,796 Speaker 1: Erica is you know? She went up and just kind 35 00:02:43,796 --> 00:02:47,356 Speaker 1: of curled up in the fetal position on the bad upstairs. 36 00:02:48,356 --> 00:02:51,436 Speaker 1: On some level, he says, she didn't believe that Tristan 37 00:02:51,516 --> 00:02:55,876 Speaker 1: had died. She needed to make it real. Five or 38 00:02:55,916 --> 00:02:58,116 Speaker 1: six o'clock, I forget when it was. We got a call. 39 00:02:58,236 --> 00:03:00,956 Speaker 1: I got a call from the homicide guys. Hey, the 40 00:03:00,996 --> 00:03:04,836 Speaker 1: corner's done. You gotta get over here right away. Everyone 41 00:03:04,876 --> 00:03:08,156 Speaker 1: piled into his car, and the press was there. They 42 00:03:08,156 --> 00:03:11,716 Speaker 1: were all gathered around the gate. And then I got 43 00:03:11,716 --> 00:03:15,476 Speaker 1: a call saying the corner doesn't want them to see 44 00:03:15,516 --> 00:03:19,116 Speaker 1: the body. I got that call just as a corner's 45 00:03:19,196 --> 00:03:22,596 Speaker 1: van was coming out of the park and Erica said, 46 00:03:22,836 --> 00:03:26,076 Speaker 1: is that him? Is he in there? They jumped out 47 00:03:26,076 --> 00:03:28,516 Speaker 1: of the car and they ran over and to intercept 48 00:03:28,556 --> 00:03:31,116 Speaker 1: the van as it was leaving, and I'm like, oh 49 00:03:31,236 --> 00:03:33,596 Speaker 1: my gosh, and it was getting to be a cluster, 50 00:03:33,676 --> 00:03:37,236 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, and they were really upset obviously, 51 00:03:37,396 --> 00:03:40,836 Speaker 1: you know, wailing and sobbing, and they stopped the van. 52 00:03:41,436 --> 00:03:45,476 Speaker 1: And the Corners assistant was this young lady and she 53 00:03:45,716 --> 00:03:47,916 Speaker 1: had already she was already affected by this whole thing. 54 00:03:47,996 --> 00:03:52,876 Speaker 1: She was just in tears driving the Corners van, you know, 55 00:03:53,156 --> 00:03:56,036 Speaker 1: and there the family saying open the game van. You 56 00:03:56,076 --> 00:03:57,956 Speaker 1: got to open the van and let us look at him. 57 00:03:57,956 --> 00:03:59,876 Speaker 1: And she said, I can't do that, you know. I was, 58 00:04:00,156 --> 00:04:02,636 Speaker 1: you know, the corner said I can't. They've got to go. 59 00:04:03,396 --> 00:04:06,116 Speaker 1: I was able to kind of say, hey, look we can't, 60 00:04:07,196 --> 00:04:10,196 Speaker 1: we can't see him now, let's get back in the car. 61 00:04:10,676 --> 00:04:12,956 Speaker 1: And the corner and the homicide guys came out and 62 00:04:13,036 --> 00:04:15,956 Speaker 1: they did something unusual, which they said, come on, let's 63 00:04:15,956 --> 00:04:19,516 Speaker 1: go in the park so that the family could ask 64 00:04:19,556 --> 00:04:22,636 Speaker 1: the corner and the homicide people. You know what was 65 00:04:23,036 --> 00:04:26,156 Speaker 1: questions about what they knew at that point. So I 66 00:04:26,236 --> 00:04:28,356 Speaker 1: felt there was at least some closure there for them. 67 00:04:28,396 --> 00:04:35,076 Speaker 1: I sense that maybe they have a different opinion. When 68 00:04:35,116 --> 00:04:41,156 Speaker 1: I started investigating this murder, everything about it seemed completely random. 69 00:04:41,236 --> 00:04:44,276 Speaker 1: But then I found out about Anthony Rowda and his 70 00:04:44,396 --> 00:04:48,036 Speaker 1: long history with law enforcement, with the Lost Hills cops, 71 00:04:49,036 --> 00:04:51,756 Speaker 1: and the violence he says they did to him, which 72 00:04:51,836 --> 00:04:55,476 Speaker 1: might have set him on his path, you know. And 73 00:04:55,556 --> 00:04:59,796 Speaker 1: these things, these things are these affect lifetimes, these are generational. 74 00:05:01,436 --> 00:05:04,196 Speaker 1: Pastor Phil is a pastor, so he's been going to 75 00:05:04,236 --> 00:05:08,836 Speaker 1: the Bible, to the first murder to try to understand 76 00:05:08,836 --> 00:05:13,356 Speaker 1: how violence reverberates, like what seems to have happened to Routa, 77 00:05:14,476 --> 00:05:19,076 Speaker 1: like what happened to Tristan Boudette. I just read about 78 00:05:19,836 --> 00:05:24,676 Speaker 1: Cane and Abel, and after Cane slew Abel, God says, 79 00:05:24,716 --> 00:05:29,276 Speaker 1: I can hear your brother's blood from the ground, but 80 00:05:29,356 --> 00:05:32,796 Speaker 1: the Hebrew for blood is plural bloods. I can hear 81 00:05:32,836 --> 00:05:39,836 Speaker 1: your brother's bloods from the ground and why is that? Why? 82 00:05:40,316 --> 00:05:46,276 Speaker 1: Why plural? And the implication is that when you take 83 00:05:46,316 --> 00:05:52,636 Speaker 1: somebody's life, you affect all their potentiality, all the things 84 00:05:52,636 --> 00:05:58,356 Speaker 1: that they could be, you know, you affect the children 85 00:05:58,356 --> 00:06:01,436 Speaker 1: that they might have had, the grandchildren that they might 86 00:06:01,476 --> 00:06:06,956 Speaker 1: have had. I mean, it's just you just can't even 87 00:06:07,036 --> 00:06:11,276 Speaker 1: begin to measure. He's saying that Tristan Bodette's murder will 88 00:06:11,276 --> 00:06:16,716 Speaker 1: affect his children, and his children's children and their children too. 89 00:06:18,076 --> 00:06:20,716 Speaker 1: I know that Erica, in her own way, has arrived 90 00:06:20,716 --> 00:06:23,836 Speaker 1: at this same idea. When I call her to check 91 00:06:23,876 --> 00:06:28,796 Speaker 1: in and ask about the girls, she says, they're amazing, happy, 92 00:06:29,116 --> 00:06:32,876 Speaker 1: resilient little people, but they're not the people they would 93 00:06:32,876 --> 00:06:40,516 Speaker 1: have been. Then she adds, I guess neither am I anymore. 94 00:06:47,476 --> 00:06:50,676 Speaker 1: Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam 95 00:06:50,716 --> 00:06:55,156 Speaker 1: and Eve. In the Caine Enabel story, Caine is jealous 96 00:06:55,196 --> 00:07:00,676 Speaker 1: of Able and murders him, so God exiles Caine, sending 97 00:07:00,756 --> 00:07:04,276 Speaker 1: him east to the land of Nod, a place of wandering, 98 00:07:05,316 --> 00:07:10,796 Speaker 1: a place for fugitives. How could I not think about Rauda, 99 00:07:11,276 --> 00:07:16,196 Speaker 1: his restless wandering, and also his camp in the desolate 100 00:07:16,276 --> 00:07:20,636 Speaker 1: hills at the edge of Malibu and how this story, 101 00:07:21,356 --> 00:07:25,556 Speaker 1: which is about violence and its echoes, is also about knowledge, 102 00:07:27,796 --> 00:07:32,556 Speaker 1: How just a little bit of knowledge could have changed everything. 103 00:07:36,876 --> 00:08:09,276 Speaker 1: I'm Dana Goodyear and this is Lost Hills, EPI, so 104 00:08:09,396 --> 00:08:16,836 Speaker 1: to eight east of Eden. Several months before Tristan Bodatt 105 00:08:16,916 --> 00:08:20,356 Speaker 1: was killed, a couple of hikers found route as camp. 106 00:08:21,596 --> 00:08:26,356 Speaker 1: My name is Hunter Smith, my name's Kara Hartley. They'd 107 00:08:26,396 --> 00:08:29,276 Speaker 1: followed a deer trail up into the hills north of 108 00:08:29,276 --> 00:08:33,556 Speaker 1: the Hairpin turn on Mulholland Highway. When they realized they'd 109 00:08:33,556 --> 00:08:38,956 Speaker 1: stumbled into someone's home, it didn't look very habitable or 110 00:08:39,076 --> 00:08:43,676 Speaker 1: like it had been habitable for a while. It seemed abandoned, 111 00:08:43,996 --> 00:08:47,916 Speaker 1: with trash spilling down the steep slopes. They looked around 112 00:08:47,916 --> 00:08:51,676 Speaker 1: for stuff to scavenge. They liked bringing souvenirs home from 113 00:08:51,716 --> 00:08:58,756 Speaker 1: their hikes. I found this hot pink machete and it 114 00:08:58,836 --> 00:09:02,676 Speaker 1: did have a carving on the side like somebody had 115 00:09:02,716 --> 00:09:07,516 Speaker 1: scratched into the blade, and it said queues machette on it, 116 00:09:07,636 --> 00:09:12,996 Speaker 1: see you apostrophea. It became a part of you know, 117 00:09:13,156 --> 00:09:16,476 Speaker 1: just my camping box that we would take camping and 118 00:09:17,276 --> 00:09:20,756 Speaker 1: we used to make funny stories up about this mythological 119 00:09:20,836 --> 00:09:25,236 Speaker 1: character that owned this machete. They were there for ten 120 00:09:25,276 --> 00:09:30,036 Speaker 1: minutes at the most. I did start feeling a little 121 00:09:30,156 --> 00:09:35,636 Speaker 1: creeped out, like, hey, this definitely was like where somebody 122 00:09:35,796 --> 00:09:39,276 Speaker 1: was living or whatever, And we both kind of felt 123 00:09:39,316 --> 00:09:41,596 Speaker 1: the same way at the same time and felt an 124 00:09:41,716 --> 00:09:47,516 Speaker 1: urgency to leave. Before they left, Kara grabbed one more souvenir. 125 00:09:48,876 --> 00:09:51,836 Speaker 1: The other thing that caught our eye was this like 126 00:09:51,916 --> 00:09:58,876 Speaker 1: a small box of what we're unfired twelve gage shotgun shells. 127 00:10:00,476 --> 00:10:03,356 Speaker 1: The box was caked in mud with only a few 128 00:10:03,476 --> 00:10:07,116 Speaker 1: shells left. We just stuffed that in her backpack. Too 129 00:10:10,956 --> 00:10:16,276 Speaker 1: months passed, the Tesla got shot, Tristan Bodett was killed, 130 00:10:17,476 --> 00:10:20,236 Speaker 1: and Malibu went crazy trying to figure out who had 131 00:10:20,276 --> 00:10:24,396 Speaker 1: done it. Kara and Hunter broke up, and they forgot 132 00:10:24,396 --> 00:10:27,516 Speaker 1: all about the hike to the abandoned camp. In fact, 133 00:10:27,516 --> 00:10:30,556 Speaker 1: I don't think we really thought about it until I 134 00:10:30,716 --> 00:10:34,756 Speaker 1: drove by one day on Mahornd and saw a bunch 135 00:10:34,796 --> 00:10:38,076 Speaker 1: of cop cars on that turn. When he saw that, 136 00:10:38,436 --> 00:10:44,036 Speaker 1: Hunter immediately called Kara and he was like, Kara, do 137 00:10:44,116 --> 00:10:48,556 Speaker 1: you think that possibly that camp that we found back 138 00:10:48,596 --> 00:10:54,476 Speaker 1: in January February, like could be the same guy. They 139 00:10:54,476 --> 00:10:57,516 Speaker 1: couldn't find the box of shotgun shells, but they decided 140 00:10:57,556 --> 00:11:01,676 Speaker 1: to turn qu'es machete in at Lost Hill station. They 141 00:11:01,716 --> 00:11:04,996 Speaker 1: brought it in in a paper trader Joe's bag, and 142 00:11:05,076 --> 00:11:09,516 Speaker 1: the detectives flipped out. I mean it was intimidating because 143 00:11:09,556 --> 00:11:12,316 Speaker 1: we were just immediately kind of surrounded by a bunch 144 00:11:12,316 --> 00:11:17,116 Speaker 1: of cops wanting to get like us, repeat the facts 145 00:11:17,156 --> 00:11:20,396 Speaker 1: over and over. They even wanted us to hike them 146 00:11:20,436 --> 00:11:24,156 Speaker 1: to the camp immediately, even though it was like dark outside. 147 00:11:24,356 --> 00:11:29,196 Speaker 1: And they even asked us if we were homeless and 148 00:11:29,276 --> 00:11:33,316 Speaker 1: living in our car in the canyon, and maybe I 149 00:11:33,356 --> 00:11:36,836 Speaker 1: just shouldn't warn my birken Stocks in that day or something. 150 00:11:36,996 --> 00:11:40,476 Speaker 1: But the deputies were intent on finding the shotgun shells. 151 00:11:41,436 --> 00:11:44,076 Speaker 1: They asked over and over what type of shells they were, 152 00:11:44,556 --> 00:11:49,676 Speaker 1: how big, what collar were they? Solid slugs, bird shop what? 153 00:11:50,596 --> 00:11:54,556 Speaker 1: They probably called me like every other day for that 154 00:11:54,596 --> 00:11:58,796 Speaker 1: whole two weeks, and I just kind of was at 155 00:11:58,796 --> 00:12:01,596 Speaker 1: a loss of what to do. So I did a 156 00:12:01,636 --> 00:12:03,676 Speaker 1: really good clean out of my truck and I had 157 00:12:03,716 --> 00:12:07,316 Speaker 1: found one of the twelve gage shotgun shells rolling around 158 00:12:07,796 --> 00:12:11,556 Speaker 1: in my car, you know, So I had immediately went 159 00:12:11,596 --> 00:12:14,916 Speaker 1: down to the station at that point, and I had 160 00:12:14,956 --> 00:12:18,196 Speaker 1: it in a little pouch and came in like, hey, 161 00:12:18,276 --> 00:12:20,516 Speaker 1: I just so you know, I did find one of 162 00:12:20,516 --> 00:12:24,956 Speaker 1: those shells in my car. Like Kara's evidence turned out 163 00:12:24,956 --> 00:12:27,756 Speaker 1: to be so important that the prosecutor asked her to 164 00:12:27,756 --> 00:12:33,596 Speaker 1: testify before the grand jury. Still she's not entirely comfortable 165 00:12:33,636 --> 00:12:37,756 Speaker 1: with the CoP's narrative or her role in it. I mean, 166 00:12:37,836 --> 00:12:41,836 Speaker 1: that's kind of like been the problem the whole time, 167 00:12:42,116 --> 00:12:44,996 Speaker 1: is just like there just has been such a lack 168 00:12:45,196 --> 00:12:50,516 Speaker 1: of transparency and information being released to the public or 169 00:12:50,596 --> 00:12:54,076 Speaker 1: alerting to the public about any of these things happening. 170 00:12:56,236 --> 00:12:59,276 Speaker 1: Had Karen Hunter known that there were unsolved shootings when 171 00:12:59,276 --> 00:13:02,556 Speaker 1: they came across an abandoned camp and found a box 172 00:13:02,596 --> 00:13:05,996 Speaker 1: of shotgun shells, it's easy to imagine that they would 173 00:13:06,036 --> 00:13:08,996 Speaker 1: have turned those in, you know. And I think that's 174 00:13:09,196 --> 00:13:14,876 Speaker 1: where PEP the communities, like distrust in that system is 175 00:13:14,916 --> 00:13:20,036 Speaker 1: spawning too, because it wasn't like widely known information that 176 00:13:20,116 --> 00:13:23,476 Speaker 1: there was a so called sniper in the hills. And 177 00:13:23,636 --> 00:13:28,956 Speaker 1: had Hunter and I know that we might have been 178 00:13:29,156 --> 00:13:33,596 Speaker 1: more apt to alert the authorities about the camp back 179 00:13:33,596 --> 00:13:38,916 Speaker 1: in February, and if they turned in the shotgun shells 180 00:13:38,956 --> 00:13:42,476 Speaker 1: back then, it's easy to imagine that the Sheriff's department 181 00:13:42,756 --> 00:13:46,596 Speaker 1: might have searched the camp and found something, or maybe 182 00:13:46,596 --> 00:13:50,476 Speaker 1: they would have put up some cameras, and then when 183 00:13:50,556 --> 00:13:55,036 Speaker 1: Router returned with a carbing they could have arrested him. 184 00:13:55,076 --> 00:13:59,316 Speaker 1: All before Tristan Boudette even planned his camping trip to 185 00:13:59,396 --> 00:14:08,316 Speaker 1: Malibu Creek State Park. Had they known, they think they 186 00:14:08,316 --> 00:14:33,596 Speaker 1: could have saved Death's life. For a long time, I 187 00:14:33,636 --> 00:14:37,796 Speaker 1: couldn't figure out what happened at Lost Hills Station. No 188 00:14:37,836 --> 00:14:40,436 Speaker 1: one would tell me what Sergeant Right and Lieutenant Royal 189 00:14:40,476 --> 00:14:44,396 Speaker 1: had done wrong in the route investigation, why they've been disciplined. 190 00:14:45,596 --> 00:14:48,876 Speaker 1: I still haven't seen the confidential internal affairs reports into 191 00:14:48,916 --> 00:14:53,036 Speaker 1: their police work on the Routa case. There's only one 192 00:14:53,076 --> 00:14:56,076 Speaker 1: person I can think of who definitely knows what happened 193 00:14:56,796 --> 00:15:00,516 Speaker 1: and can talk about it. In fact, she has to. 194 00:15:01,716 --> 00:15:06,396 Speaker 1: It's the prosecutor seeking to convict Routa. She's obligated to 195 00:15:06,396 --> 00:15:09,996 Speaker 1: tell the grand jury anything that could potentially be exculpatory 196 00:15:10,556 --> 00:15:13,836 Speaker 1: help to the defense. So she had to tell the 197 00:15:13,876 --> 00:15:17,156 Speaker 1: grand jury about the two dirty cops, the homicide detective 198 00:15:17,236 --> 00:15:21,836 Speaker 1: Daniel Morris and the Major Crimes Detective ty Berry. She 199 00:15:21,916 --> 00:15:25,516 Speaker 1: didn't call them to testify, citing their histories of misconduct. 200 00:15:26,716 --> 00:15:29,996 Speaker 1: She also talked to the grand jury at length about 201 00:15:30,076 --> 00:15:34,716 Speaker 1: Sergeant Wright and Lieutenant Royal. The reason the Sheriff's Department 202 00:15:34,756 --> 00:15:39,196 Speaker 1: disciplined them, she said, is that they conducted unauthorized investigations 203 00:15:39,396 --> 00:15:44,156 Speaker 1: and reenactments. When Sergeant Wright used a dowel to estimate 204 00:15:44,196 --> 00:15:47,196 Speaker 1: the trajectory of the bullet that hit Ian Kincaid's tesla, 205 00:15:48,476 --> 00:15:51,076 Speaker 1: and that time he went to the campground and pointed 206 00:15:51,076 --> 00:15:53,796 Speaker 1: a laser at Bodet's campsite to figure out where the 207 00:15:53,796 --> 00:15:56,716 Speaker 1: other bullet had gone. So what if he found a 208 00:15:56,796 --> 00:16:00,276 Speaker 1: nine millimeter bullet? It wasn't his job, she said, and 209 00:16:00,356 --> 00:16:04,636 Speaker 1: he didn't do it right. And Royal, she sums up 210 00:16:04,716 --> 00:16:08,756 Speaker 1: his work as a quote personal investigation into the Charged 211 00:16:09,116 --> 00:16:17,596 Speaker 1: Times ouch, it seems like Captain Bassah was right. Tweedledee 212 00:16:17,596 --> 00:16:23,476 Speaker 1: and Tweedledum gave the defense a defense. But what if 213 00:16:23,516 --> 00:16:27,156 Speaker 1: going rogue isn't the real reason Sergeant Right and Lieutenant 214 00:16:27,196 --> 00:16:30,716 Speaker 1: Royal were disciplined. A few weeks ago, I had a 215 00:16:30,716 --> 00:16:34,916 Speaker 1: conversation that changed my view of the whole story. My 216 00:16:34,996 --> 00:16:39,116 Speaker 1: name is Jeremy Lippmann. I am a reserve Sheriff's deputy 217 00:16:39,396 --> 00:16:43,236 Speaker 1: and a member of the Malibu Search and Rescue Team. 218 00:16:43,436 --> 00:16:46,796 Speaker 1: Lippmann is part of Sergeant Wright's old team. He's been 219 00:16:46,836 --> 00:16:48,916 Speaker 1: disturbed to see what his old boss has been going 220 00:16:48,956 --> 00:16:52,796 Speaker 1: through and he wants to set the record straight. He says, 221 00:16:52,836 --> 00:16:56,076 Speaker 1: what happened to Sergeant Right and Lieutenant Royal is about jealousy, 222 00:16:56,516 --> 00:17:00,756 Speaker 1: ego and wounded pride. It has nothing to do with 223 00:17:02,316 --> 00:17:04,716 Speaker 1: right and wrong or facts. Just has to do with 224 00:17:04,756 --> 00:17:11,556 Speaker 1: politics and my perception. And I've said this before, is 225 00:17:12,116 --> 00:17:16,436 Speaker 1: no good deed goes unpunished, so he says. The detectives 226 00:17:16,476 --> 00:17:19,996 Speaker 1: from Homicide and Major Crimes elite free ranging units that 227 00:17:20,076 --> 00:17:23,876 Speaker 1: tackle the most serious crimes, were upstaged by the local 228 00:17:24,076 --> 00:17:27,956 Speaker 1: Lost Hills detectives and the volunteers from Sergeant Right Search 229 00:17:27,996 --> 00:17:31,796 Speaker 1: and Rescue Team. It started with the nine millimeters shell 230 00:17:31,876 --> 00:17:36,956 Speaker 1: casings at the murder scene. After Bodette was killed. Homicide 231 00:17:36,996 --> 00:17:40,956 Speaker 1: searched the campground and didn't come up with anything. Homicide, 232 00:17:41,036 --> 00:17:45,116 Speaker 1: having not located any shell casings in their search, Malbou 233 00:17:45,156 --> 00:17:49,276 Speaker 1: Fish and Rescue was tasked and the team was tasked 234 00:17:49,796 --> 00:17:53,476 Speaker 1: to go and conduct a secondary search, which we did. 235 00:17:54,396 --> 00:17:56,836 Speaker 1: Sergeant Wright, he says, told the team to look in 236 00:17:56,876 --> 00:17:59,876 Speaker 1: the grass to the east of Bodette's tent. He had 237 00:17:59,876 --> 00:18:03,116 Speaker 1: a hunch that that's where the shooter had fired from. 238 00:18:03,236 --> 00:18:07,116 Speaker 1: Very quickly, Search and Rescue found five nine millimeter shell casings. 239 00:18:08,036 --> 00:18:11,956 Speaker 1: Sergeant Wright called Hamis side. Do you remember what Homicide's 240 00:18:11,956 --> 00:18:14,996 Speaker 1: reaction was when they arrived. I think they were a 241 00:18:15,036 --> 00:18:19,316 Speaker 1: little surprised that we found the shell casings. It was awkward, 242 00:18:20,276 --> 00:18:24,316 Speaker 1: But the next thing that happened was worse. It involved 243 00:18:24,436 --> 00:18:28,036 Speaker 1: the Major Crimes Bureau. In the fall of twenty eighteen, 244 00:18:28,356 --> 00:18:31,876 Speaker 1: they took over the investigation into the armed burglaries. The 245 00:18:31,996 --> 00:18:36,636 Speaker 1: lead investigator was ty Berry, mister ship Kickers himself. The 246 00:18:36,756 --> 00:18:42,556 Speaker 1: attitude towards Lost Hills station was very, very negative and 247 00:18:42,636 --> 00:18:48,476 Speaker 1: in fact derogatory, that deputies were leaking information, that deputies 248 00:18:48,476 --> 00:18:51,236 Speaker 1: didn't know what they were doing. Then what I mean 249 00:18:51,316 --> 00:18:54,556 Speaker 1: by that was this is all your guy's fault and 250 00:18:54,676 --> 00:18:59,396 Speaker 1: now we have to clean up your mess. Whitman says. 251 00:18:59,396 --> 00:19:00,996 Speaker 1: It all came to a head on the day of 252 00:19:01,076 --> 00:19:05,076 Speaker 1: Routis capture. Sergeant Wright had followed that trail of bootprints 253 00:19:05,116 --> 00:19:07,196 Speaker 1: from the site of the last break in into the 254 00:19:07,276 --> 00:19:11,076 Speaker 1: hills behind the Sheriff's station. He argued with ty Berry, 255 00:19:11,396 --> 00:19:13,676 Speaker 1: now one of the official leads on the case, to 256 00:19:13,756 --> 00:19:17,276 Speaker 1: go back and search the hills again, and that's what 257 00:19:17,596 --> 00:19:22,596 Speaker 1: precipitated what became a pretty heated conversation between Sergeant Wright 258 00:19:23,236 --> 00:19:26,356 Speaker 1: and ty Berry, as well as Lieutenant Royal and another 259 00:19:26,476 --> 00:19:30,436 Speaker 1: Major Crimes detective who I don't know. So Barry didn't 260 00:19:30,476 --> 00:19:32,796 Speaker 1: want to go look there. He didn't want to go 261 00:19:32,836 --> 00:19:35,316 Speaker 1: look there. He had to be convinced. Royal was trying 262 00:19:35,316 --> 00:19:38,276 Speaker 1: to make the argument. Chargeant Wright was trying to make 263 00:19:38,316 --> 00:19:42,876 Speaker 1: the argument. They did have a pretty heated exchange about 264 00:19:42,916 --> 00:19:45,716 Speaker 1: whether there was any reason to go back there, and 265 00:19:45,956 --> 00:19:49,716 Speaker 1: ultimately ty Berry capitulated and said, fine, let's just go. 266 00:19:51,956 --> 00:19:55,596 Speaker 1: It turned out that Sergeant Wright and Lieutenant Royal were right. 267 00:19:56,516 --> 00:19:58,956 Speaker 1: The team arrested Router with a car being a nine 268 00:19:58,956 --> 00:20:02,556 Speaker 1: millimeter ammunition, exactly where Sergeant Wright thought he would be 269 00:20:03,596 --> 00:20:06,476 Speaker 1: and the Lost Hills. Captain bought everyone Denno to celebrate. 270 00:20:07,636 --> 00:20:10,756 Speaker 1: My impression of Tye Berry and the other detectives from 271 00:20:10,756 --> 00:20:14,676 Speaker 1: Major Crimes who were eating dinner with us downstairs, was 272 00:20:14,796 --> 00:20:18,316 Speaker 1: they weren't very happy about things that had gone down 273 00:20:18,356 --> 00:20:23,916 Speaker 1: that day. I think it was unset that they were 274 00:20:24,436 --> 00:20:28,636 Speaker 1: embarrassed that Lieutenant Royal and Sergeant Wright had been correct 275 00:20:29,276 --> 00:20:32,796 Speaker 1: about the area of where the suspect might be found, 276 00:20:32,916 --> 00:20:36,876 Speaker 1: and that the suspect was found. Sergeant Right's position was, 277 00:20:37,156 --> 00:20:39,636 Speaker 1: We're just going to keep our head down. We're going 278 00:20:39,676 --> 00:20:41,996 Speaker 1: to do everything that we're supposed to do, and we're 279 00:20:41,996 --> 00:20:43,196 Speaker 1: going to do it by the book, and we're not 280 00:20:43,196 --> 00:20:46,236 Speaker 1: going to play any games, and just whatever happens happens. 281 00:20:49,516 --> 00:20:52,836 Speaker 1: After the capture, he says, the tensions between Sergeant Right 282 00:20:52,876 --> 00:20:58,276 Speaker 1: and Detective Barry intensified, and suddenly Sergeant Wright's work on 283 00:20:58,316 --> 00:21:02,236 Speaker 1: the router A case was falling under suspicion. This is 284 00:21:02,316 --> 00:21:06,196 Speaker 1: where I believe, and I don't know how quickly, that 285 00:21:06,396 --> 00:21:10,636 Speaker 1: they attempted to create a narrative that he was acting rogue, 286 00:21:12,396 --> 00:21:18,396 Speaker 1: which in my opinion would be a falsehood. I asked 287 00:21:18,436 --> 00:21:21,196 Speaker 1: Littman what he thought when Sergeant Wright and Lieutenant Royal 288 00:21:21,236 --> 00:21:24,676 Speaker 1: were transferred out of Lastel station and ultimately disciplined for 289 00:21:24,716 --> 00:21:29,316 Speaker 1: their work on the case. This is payback to me. 290 00:21:29,396 --> 00:21:35,236 Speaker 1: It was just just sheerly punitive to punish them for succeeding. Yes, 291 00:21:36,116 --> 00:21:40,916 Speaker 1: and by extension. I'll make the extension, in my personal opinion, 292 00:21:42,196 --> 00:21:49,996 Speaker 1: by making major crimes look bad. This is more than 293 00:21:50,036 --> 00:21:55,156 Speaker 1: just office politics, and it's more than straightforward retaliation. There's 294 00:21:55,196 --> 00:21:59,076 Speaker 1: another layer to it. It could serve a larger purpose 295 00:21:59,196 --> 00:22:11,076 Speaker 1: for the Sheriff's department. Sergeant Wright tells me to meet 296 00:22:11,116 --> 00:22:13,436 Speaker 1: him at an old stucco house with a drained swimming 297 00:22:13,476 --> 00:22:17,756 Speaker 1: pool across from some box stores in the valley. It's 298 00:22:17,756 --> 00:22:22,996 Speaker 1: his lawyer's office. Do you want to get you guys 299 00:22:23,356 --> 00:22:27,396 Speaker 1: to get the real reason the department punished him and 300 00:22:27,396 --> 00:22:30,316 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Royal, he says, is that they saw a pattern 301 00:22:30,356 --> 00:22:33,396 Speaker 1: in the shootings and they tried to do something about it. 302 00:22:33,996 --> 00:22:37,556 Speaker 1: They begged their bosses to warn the public before Tristan 303 00:22:37,596 --> 00:22:43,156 Speaker 1: Bodatt was killed, and the department said no. It was 304 00:22:43,276 --> 00:22:47,356 Speaker 1: my opinion and Lieutenant Royal's opinion, that there was a 305 00:22:47,356 --> 00:22:52,596 Speaker 1: clear pattern and a clear m to indicate that we 306 00:22:52,676 --> 00:22:55,076 Speaker 1: had a serial shooter and that the public should be warned. 307 00:22:55,116 --> 00:22:58,276 Speaker 1: There was no reason not to warn the public. We 308 00:22:58,356 --> 00:23:01,756 Speaker 1: could shall investigate the crime, but by warning the public, 309 00:23:03,196 --> 00:23:07,436 Speaker 1: people could choose to stay away. Sergeant Wright says he 310 00:23:07,636 --> 00:23:10,636 Speaker 1: and Lieutenant Royal first asked the then captain of Lost 311 00:23:10,676 --> 00:23:13,916 Speaker 1: Hill Station to issue a public warning, but he turned 312 00:23:13,916 --> 00:23:19,596 Speaker 1: them down. So Lieutenant Royal took his concerns downtown. That 313 00:23:19,756 --> 00:23:22,836 Speaker 1: was in the summer of twenty seventeen, after the fifth 314 00:23:22,956 --> 00:23:26,916 Speaker 1: near miss the teenagers in the BMW, he met with 315 00:23:26,956 --> 00:23:30,596 Speaker 1: his division chief and his commander. That's as high up 316 00:23:30,596 --> 00:23:33,236 Speaker 1: in the command structure as you can go without meeting 317 00:23:33,276 --> 00:23:37,316 Speaker 1: the actual sheriff or his cabinet. Lieutenant Royal asked for 318 00:23:37,396 --> 00:23:40,596 Speaker 1: help and again requested that the department issue a warning, 319 00:23:41,636 --> 00:23:46,716 Speaker 1: but Sergeant Wright says Royal was turned down again. Sergeant 320 00:23:46,716 --> 00:23:49,676 Speaker 1: Wright was baffled. The bosses said they didn't have enough 321 00:23:49,716 --> 00:23:53,956 Speaker 1: to go on. What were they not seeing? It just 322 00:23:53,996 --> 00:23:57,396 Speaker 1: seemed like the most obvious common sense thing to me. 323 00:23:57,556 --> 00:23:59,476 Speaker 1: I mean, you hear about law enforcement all the time 324 00:23:59,796 --> 00:24:02,036 Speaker 1: warning the public when there's a Syro rapist in a 325 00:24:02,036 --> 00:24:05,436 Speaker 1: particular neighborhood. It comes out on the news, they put 326 00:24:05,436 --> 00:24:09,516 Speaker 1: out flyers, they have sometimes town hall meetings about it. 327 00:24:10,676 --> 00:24:13,596 Speaker 1: The bottom line is people that were driving through Malibu 328 00:24:13,636 --> 00:24:17,036 Speaker 1: Canyon in our eyes, were at risk being shot at 329 00:24:17,236 --> 00:24:21,036 Speaker 1: or camping in the campground. And it's quite simple. If 330 00:24:21,076 --> 00:24:23,676 Speaker 1: we had done a public safety message telling people what 331 00:24:23,756 --> 00:24:26,396 Speaker 1: was going on. People could have chosen not to drive 332 00:24:26,436 --> 00:24:31,756 Speaker 1: by there or not to go camping there, and basically 333 00:24:31,756 --> 00:24:33,676 Speaker 1: saw I was a taking time bomb. Someone was going 334 00:24:33,716 --> 00:24:38,596 Speaker 1: to get killed. Absolutely wasn't worn Royland I both agreed 335 00:24:38,636 --> 00:24:41,676 Speaker 1: to that this was a very bad call. That the 336 00:24:41,716 --> 00:24:47,396 Speaker 1: Sheriff's department chose to ignore our request to provide a 337 00:24:47,396 --> 00:24:51,356 Speaker 1: public safety message because Tristan Boudette didn't know about the 338 00:24:51,436 --> 00:24:53,956 Speaker 1: history of shootings in the park, he decided to go 339 00:24:54,036 --> 00:24:58,716 Speaker 1: camping there and he got killed. Can you talk about 340 00:24:58,716 --> 00:25:01,676 Speaker 1: how you felt when you got that call and I 341 00:25:01,756 --> 00:25:06,636 Speaker 1: know you responded to the scene. Yes, Lieutenant Roll called 342 00:25:06,636 --> 00:25:12,836 Speaker 1: me in and we both felt second because we talked 343 00:25:12,876 --> 00:25:16,716 Speaker 1: about this happening. We'd talked about that, we thought, we 344 00:25:16,836 --> 00:25:18,996 Speaker 1: both agreed that at some point, if you shoot it 345 00:25:19,196 --> 00:25:26,036 Speaker 1: enough tents or cars or campsite's chances are somebody, some 346 00:25:26,156 --> 00:25:28,796 Speaker 1: person inside of a car or a tent, it's going 347 00:25:28,836 --> 00:25:31,716 Speaker 1: to be had. And when he called me and told me, 348 00:25:32,436 --> 00:25:36,196 Speaker 1: it was surreal because again we wanted to warn the 349 00:25:36,236 --> 00:25:40,356 Speaker 1: public to prevent this, that was shut down and now 350 00:25:40,356 --> 00:25:45,436 Speaker 1: it was happening. He says that if the Sheriff's department 351 00:25:45,476 --> 00:25:47,956 Speaker 1: had listened to him and Lieutenant Royal and made a 352 00:25:47,996 --> 00:25:53,196 Speaker 1: public safety announcement. Tristan Boudette would still be alive. So 353 00:25:53,236 --> 00:25:56,596 Speaker 1: whatever the prosecutor or the Sheriff's Department says about Sergeant 354 00:25:56,636 --> 00:25:59,796 Speaker 1: Right and Lieutenant Royal's police work, it doesn't really matter. 355 00:26:01,116 --> 00:26:04,636 Speaker 1: It seems like they're the heroes here, or at least 356 00:26:04,676 --> 00:26:07,916 Speaker 1: they tried to be. We worked for a great law 357 00:26:07,996 --> 00:26:12,716 Speaker 1: enforcement agency and I never experienced anything like this before, 358 00:26:12,836 --> 00:26:17,356 Speaker 1: where it seemed things seemed to be out of control 359 00:26:17,516 --> 00:26:30,916 Speaker 1: at higher levels as far as common sense. None of 360 00:26:30,916 --> 00:26:34,836 Speaker 1: this stuff happened under Alex Vieneueva's leadership of the Sheriff's Department, 361 00:26:35,436 --> 00:26:37,596 Speaker 1: but it also didn't go away when he was elected. 362 00:26:38,436 --> 00:26:42,836 Speaker 1: Far from it. Six weeks after Vienneueva, one Erica WU 363 00:26:42,996 --> 00:26:46,916 Speaker 1: filed her ninety million dollar claim citing law enforcements failure 364 00:26:46,916 --> 00:26:49,756 Speaker 1: to warn about a series of shootings in the park, 365 00:26:50,316 --> 00:26:54,716 Speaker 1: and the whole thing became vien Aueva's problem. Then Sergeant 366 00:26:54,716 --> 00:26:59,676 Speaker 1: Wright and Lieutenant Royal sued the department as whistleblowers. In 367 00:26:59,756 --> 00:27:02,876 Speaker 1: his suit, Sergeant Wright says the department smeared him and 368 00:27:02,916 --> 00:27:07,276 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Royal, placing them under investigation and working up false 369 00:27:07,356 --> 00:27:13,156 Speaker 1: internal affairs reports. Why to discredit them before they can 370 00:27:13,196 --> 00:27:16,996 Speaker 1: take the stand for Erica Wu and the alleged source 371 00:27:17,036 --> 00:27:21,636 Speaker 1: of those reports, Ty Berry, the detective with the history 372 00:27:21,636 --> 00:27:24,596 Speaker 1: of lying and a grudge against Sergeant Wright and Lieutenant 373 00:27:24,676 --> 00:27:29,956 Speaker 1: Royal for solving the case. Sergeant Wright settled his suit 374 00:27:30,636 --> 00:27:34,596 Speaker 1: so he can't talk to me anymore. Lieutenant Royals may 375 00:27:34,596 --> 00:27:39,596 Speaker 1: be heading to trial, but it doesn't stop there. There 376 00:27:39,636 --> 00:27:43,156 Speaker 1: may be one other potential victim of all this maneuvering 377 00:27:44,556 --> 00:27:50,876 Speaker 1: the criminal case against Anthony Rowda by making Sergeant Right 378 00:27:50,916 --> 00:27:54,716 Speaker 1: and Lieutenant Royal look bad, two figures so deeply entwined 379 00:27:54,716 --> 00:27:58,956 Speaker 1: in the case, the Sheriff's department risks damaging the prosecution. 380 00:28:00,636 --> 00:28:04,956 Speaker 1: Rowda's lawyers have already seized on this, So maybe it's 381 00:28:04,996 --> 00:28:11,596 Speaker 1: not Tweedledee and Tweedledum but the Sheriff's depart that's given 382 00:28:11,636 --> 00:28:31,676 Speaker 1: the defense a defense. Finally, I make a plan to 383 00:28:31,796 --> 00:28:35,996 Speaker 1: hike to route his camp with Lou Johnson. He's the 384 00:28:36,036 --> 00:28:38,796 Speaker 1: guy I met with his landlady's son on the Planet 385 00:28:38,796 --> 00:28:42,556 Speaker 1: of the Ape's tour at Malibu Creek State Park. He 386 00:28:42,676 --> 00:28:45,676 Speaker 1: sent me those pictures of Route his camp right before 387 00:28:45,716 --> 00:28:49,316 Speaker 1: it burned, and that suspicious piece of wood I think 388 00:28:49,356 --> 00:28:53,156 Speaker 1: could be part of a zip gun. He promised to 389 00:28:53,196 --> 00:28:56,516 Speaker 1: show me the way. It's in a forgotten wild patch 390 00:28:56,556 --> 00:28:59,156 Speaker 1: of the park. I've seen it from the air on 391 00:28:59,276 --> 00:29:03,716 Speaker 1: that helicopter ride with Sergeant Wright, but didn't be impossible 392 00:29:03,756 --> 00:29:09,076 Speaker 1: to find it on foot without a guide, Lue said, 393 00:29:09,196 --> 00:29:11,236 Speaker 1: is to meet him and Hudson at the hairpin turn, 394 00:29:11,636 --> 00:29:15,876 Speaker 1: the sharp bend in Mulholland Highway. See that point right there. 395 00:29:16,396 --> 00:29:19,276 Speaker 1: It's that hill right over there and round the side. 396 00:29:20,396 --> 00:29:24,196 Speaker 1: The sky is overcast and moody, but the hills are lush, 397 00:29:24,636 --> 00:29:29,476 Speaker 1: a supersaturated storybook spring green, and they're covered with patches 398 00:29:29,476 --> 00:29:33,236 Speaker 1: of orange poppies and purple wildflowers. You've probably seen some 399 00:29:33,276 --> 00:29:40,276 Speaker 1: of the orange California poppies up there. They're popping out 400 00:29:40,316 --> 00:29:42,756 Speaker 1: where we've never seen them before. I don't remember. We 401 00:29:42,796 --> 00:29:45,716 Speaker 1: follow a dry creek bed to a deer trail, which 402 00:29:45,796 --> 00:29:49,796 Speaker 1: turns sharply uphill and takes us into a small grove 403 00:29:49,836 --> 00:29:55,436 Speaker 1: of oak trees. Their trunks are burned, ink black stark 404 00:29:55,476 --> 00:29:59,476 Speaker 1: against the green grass, still healing from the fire that 405 00:29:59,556 --> 00:30:02,116 Speaker 1: passed through here back in the fall of twenty eighteen. 406 00:30:04,876 --> 00:30:11,956 Speaker 1: It was right here This is it the place that 407 00:30:12,076 --> 00:30:16,276 Speaker 1: Rahda spent so many nights alone in a tarp covered 408 00:30:16,316 --> 00:30:19,916 Speaker 1: dugout on a forty five degree pitch, hidden in a 409 00:30:19,956 --> 00:30:23,796 Speaker 1: crease in the hills, where he watched the fog rise 410 00:30:23,876 --> 00:30:27,116 Speaker 1: off Mulholland and listened to the whale of the Sheriff's 411 00:30:27,156 --> 00:30:34,116 Speaker 1: patrol cars as they sped through the canyon. Yeah, yeah, 412 00:30:34,156 --> 00:30:37,476 Speaker 1: I recognize this, and this is the tree that used 413 00:30:37,476 --> 00:30:41,476 Speaker 1: to be standing that it was hollow and there was 414 00:30:41,516 --> 00:30:45,236 Speaker 1: like stuff in their head. I asked lou about the 415 00:30:45,316 --> 00:30:48,276 Speaker 1: day he took those pictures he sent me. He says 416 00:30:48,276 --> 00:30:50,556 Speaker 1: he was looking for clues he could turn into the 417 00:30:50,636 --> 00:30:54,916 Speaker 1: Lost Hills Deputies, a real life Hardy Boys adventure for Hudson. 418 00:30:56,316 --> 00:31:00,756 Speaker 1: You know, we had thoughts that if we found anything, Hudson, 419 00:31:00,836 --> 00:31:03,916 Speaker 1: I said, well, we'll take pictures of where it is, 420 00:31:04,436 --> 00:31:08,276 Speaker 1: market get a GPS. We won't touch anything. We'll just 421 00:31:08,276 --> 00:31:09,596 Speaker 1: get it to the sheriff and they can come out 422 00:31:09,596 --> 00:31:11,116 Speaker 1: and get it. And it'd be kind of cool to 423 00:31:11,596 --> 00:31:13,396 Speaker 1: maybe help out a little bit if they missed something. 424 00:31:15,556 --> 00:31:18,436 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about that carved up piece of wood with 425 00:31:18,516 --> 00:31:20,796 Speaker 1: the grip and the notches and the place where a 426 00:31:20,796 --> 00:31:24,276 Speaker 1: barrel made from pipe could go. The cops and their 427 00:31:24,276 --> 00:31:28,436 Speaker 1: metal detectors left it behind. Loose spotted it and took 428 00:31:28,436 --> 00:31:30,436 Speaker 1: a picture of it, but it doesn't seem to have 429 00:31:30,436 --> 00:31:34,596 Speaker 1: recognized it for what it was, potentially part of a 430 00:31:34,716 --> 00:31:39,596 Speaker 1: zip gun. You know, it's such a strange thing to 431 00:31:39,636 --> 00:31:42,996 Speaker 1: descend on a community. It's like out of a fiction story, 432 00:31:43,076 --> 00:31:45,276 Speaker 1: some crazy living up in the mountains shooting at people. 433 00:31:45,396 --> 00:31:50,556 Speaker 1: You know, that's just movies, it's not off in real life. 434 00:31:52,036 --> 00:31:54,556 Speaker 1: We sit awkwardly on the steep slope looking at the 435 00:31:54,596 --> 00:31:58,116 Speaker 1: canyon road where the three white cars were shot. The 436 00:31:58,236 --> 00:32:02,076 Speaker 1: road is easily visible from here. To my left, a 437 00:32:02,116 --> 00:32:06,836 Speaker 1: couple ridges away is Lost Hill Station. It's kind of 438 00:32:06,876 --> 00:32:10,556 Speaker 1: the perfect hiding place. This is it, And if you 439 00:32:11,076 --> 00:32:14,556 Speaker 1: sit here for long enough you realize two things. You 440 00:32:14,596 --> 00:32:18,996 Speaker 1: can see people coming from all directions. You can hear 441 00:32:19,036 --> 00:32:22,156 Speaker 1: people talking because this is shaped like a megaphone, so 442 00:32:22,196 --> 00:32:25,436 Speaker 1: you will be able to hear people coming long before 443 00:32:25,436 --> 00:32:27,556 Speaker 1: you can see them even And I think that's probably 444 00:32:27,556 --> 00:32:33,316 Speaker 1: why he picked this position. This, I guess was rout 445 00:32:33,396 --> 00:32:39,116 Speaker 1: as personal eden, or his private hell. The fire that 446 00:32:39,196 --> 00:32:43,596 Speaker 1: tore through here made it an actual hell, a fiery inferno. 447 00:32:44,316 --> 00:32:51,436 Speaker 1: It burned everything. Then the rains came and everything's exploded, 448 00:32:51,516 --> 00:32:54,676 Speaker 1: and it's green again, and it's more beautiful than I 449 00:32:54,716 --> 00:33:00,196 Speaker 1: remember it. Actually, it's been like this rebirth, like this phoenix. 450 00:33:00,716 --> 00:33:03,316 Speaker 1: Like as much as we might even want to come 451 00:33:03,356 --> 00:33:07,076 Speaker 1: back and visit this site and show you where this was, 452 00:33:07,916 --> 00:33:13,796 Speaker 1: nature has moved on. It's like we're not allowed to 453 00:33:14,316 --> 00:33:25,276 Speaker 1: visit that anymore. Move on, you know. When we leave, 454 00:33:25,676 --> 00:33:30,436 Speaker 1: it feels settled, like peace has been restored to this place. 455 00:33:50,476 --> 00:33:53,356 Speaker 1: I don't think I'll ever understand why the Sheriff's Department 456 00:33:53,356 --> 00:33:55,956 Speaker 1: in the Parks Department didn't issue a warning after a 457 00:33:55,996 --> 00:34:01,156 Speaker 1: bunch of shootings in the area. Image protection denial laziness 458 00:34:02,596 --> 00:34:05,956 Speaker 1: rangers at Malibu Creek State Park repeatedly told victims in 459 00:34:05,996 --> 00:34:10,476 Speaker 1: their families things like this don't happen out here. When 460 00:34:10,476 --> 00:34:13,956 Speaker 1: I asked California State Parks one last time for comment, 461 00:34:14,356 --> 00:34:18,076 Speaker 1: they called it quote a terrible tragedy without precedent in 462 00:34:18,076 --> 00:34:22,076 Speaker 1: the state parks system. In other words, things like this 463 00:34:22,276 --> 00:34:26,756 Speaker 1: don't happen out here. They directed me to the Sheriff's Department, 464 00:34:27,036 --> 00:34:31,556 Speaker 1: who sent me two sentences quote. At this time, many 465 00:34:31,596 --> 00:34:34,116 Speaker 1: of these assertions are unsupported and appear to have been 466 00:34:34,156 --> 00:34:36,276 Speaker 1: made by a retired employee who is not part of 467 00:34:36,276 --> 00:34:39,836 Speaker 1: the investigative team. This is an act of criminal investigation 468 00:34:39,996 --> 00:34:44,876 Speaker 1: with pending litigation, and we cannot provide further comment. So 469 00:34:44,916 --> 00:34:50,596 Speaker 1: all I can do is guess. Maybe they didn't want 470 00:34:50,596 --> 00:34:54,236 Speaker 1: to start a panic in Malibu that didn't go so well. 471 00:34:55,596 --> 00:34:58,596 Speaker 1: Maybe they wanted to protect the reputation of this mythically 472 00:34:58,636 --> 00:35:04,916 Speaker 1: beautiful safe place that didn't go so well either. So 473 00:35:04,996 --> 00:35:10,316 Speaker 1: how did Malibu turn into the killing zone? Shooting started 474 00:35:10,316 --> 00:35:14,236 Speaker 1: in a state park and park officials hushed the problem up. 475 00:35:15,396 --> 00:35:18,516 Speaker 1: The shooting spread to the nearby canyon Road, and the 476 00:35:18,556 --> 00:35:22,036 Speaker 1: Sheriff's department ignored the local deputies, who said the public 477 00:35:22,116 --> 00:35:27,396 Speaker 1: needed to be warned. Then a man was killed. A 478 00:35:27,516 --> 00:35:30,716 Speaker 1: suspect was taken into custody, but the public no longer 479 00:35:30,756 --> 00:35:34,276 Speaker 1: trusted the authorities. The case was full of holes and 480 00:35:34,356 --> 00:35:41,596 Speaker 1: missed opportunities. Potential evidence was overlooked, burned up. The crime's 481 00:35:41,676 --> 00:35:45,036 Speaker 1: route is accused of have a random quality, but once 482 00:35:45,076 --> 00:35:49,356 Speaker 1: they started, they were also highly predictable, like the wild 483 00:35:49,396 --> 00:35:53,196 Speaker 1: fires that ravage Malibou every several years and the mountain 484 00:35:53,276 --> 00:35:56,596 Speaker 1: lions that once in a while prey upon a household pet. 485 00:35:58,356 --> 00:36:01,756 Speaker 1: The sheriff's department chose not to issue a warning, but 486 00:36:01,876 --> 00:36:06,356 Speaker 1: they did send a clear message to the public. The 487 00:36:06,436 --> 00:36:12,076 Speaker 1: message was, Malibou is full of mysteries. The roads are dark, 488 00:36:12,996 --> 00:36:17,716 Speaker 1: cell phones never work, sound echoes in the canyon. It's 489 00:36:17,716 --> 00:36:20,476 Speaker 1: a mountain lion, not a woman screaming for her life. 490 00:36:21,876 --> 00:36:25,276 Speaker 1: To their deputies, the message was if you do your job, 491 00:36:25,676 --> 00:36:28,556 Speaker 1: if you try to stop a murder, you'll get punished, 492 00:36:29,156 --> 00:36:35,236 Speaker 1: run out of the department, smeared to the criminals out here, 493 00:36:35,716 --> 00:36:38,516 Speaker 1: some things don't get solved, so if you want to 494 00:36:38,516 --> 00:36:43,756 Speaker 1: commit a crime, you might get away with it. And 495 00:36:43,836 --> 00:36:47,796 Speaker 1: to Erica Wu, we didn't owe you a warning before 496 00:36:47,836 --> 00:36:51,516 Speaker 1: your husband died, and we still don't owe you anything. 497 00:37:43,636 --> 00:37:46,476 Speaker 1: When I first met Erica, she told me something about 498 00:37:46,516 --> 00:37:53,876 Speaker 1: her husband. He had a really sort of keen sense 499 00:37:53,916 --> 00:37:57,476 Speaker 1: about what he could control and what he couldn't. When 500 00:37:57,516 --> 00:38:00,836 Speaker 1: I would get upset about things, like when I would 501 00:38:00,876 --> 00:38:02,236 Speaker 1: have a bad day at work or something and I'd 502 00:38:02,236 --> 00:38:05,836 Speaker 1: be dwelling on something or some interaction I had, you know, 503 00:38:05,916 --> 00:38:10,516 Speaker 1: he would always listen to me talk about it, and 504 00:38:10,676 --> 00:38:13,756 Speaker 1: he would he would be like, right, Erica, you get 505 00:38:13,996 --> 00:38:15,476 Speaker 1: you know, he'd look at his watch and would be like, 506 00:38:15,556 --> 00:38:18,196 Speaker 1: you get two more hours to be upset about this. 507 00:38:18,396 --> 00:38:21,676 Speaker 1: You know, you can be as upset as you want 508 00:38:21,716 --> 00:38:23,636 Speaker 1: to be, you know, for that amount of time, and 509 00:38:23,636 --> 00:38:25,716 Speaker 1: then after that we're going to figure out, you know, 510 00:38:25,756 --> 00:38:27,836 Speaker 1: what you're gonna do differently next time or whatever, and 511 00:38:27,876 --> 00:38:33,996 Speaker 1: we're just gonna move on. I asked her if she 512 00:38:33,996 --> 00:38:39,876 Speaker 1: could still hear that voice in her ear, Um, yeah, 513 00:38:39,956 --> 00:38:42,756 Speaker 1: for sure, because you know, I feel like if you 514 00:38:42,796 --> 00:38:46,996 Speaker 1: were here, if you could see us now, he would 515 00:38:47,036 --> 00:38:51,236 Speaker 1: be like, Yeah, that's you know, unbelievably awful and tragic 516 00:38:51,276 --> 00:38:54,956 Speaker 1: and horrible would happened. But you have to you have 517 00:38:55,036 --> 00:38:59,636 Speaker 1: to move on, you know. So that's what I'm trying 518 00:38:59,636 --> 00:39:21,836 Speaker 1: to do. At the end of February twenty twenty one, 519 00:39:22,156 --> 00:39:26,476 Speaker 1: I have a surprising call with Erica. Surprising because she 520 00:39:26,556 --> 00:39:31,356 Speaker 1: sounds lighter, more optimistic than I've ever heard her. She 521 00:39:31,476 --> 00:39:35,156 Speaker 1: tells me she is moving on to another place, a 522 00:39:35,236 --> 00:39:39,356 Speaker 1: bigger unit in the same complex. The girls are excited, 523 00:39:40,676 --> 00:39:43,636 Speaker 1: you know, any kind of change like that is exciting 524 00:39:43,676 --> 00:39:46,796 Speaker 1: for them. So they're trying to decide right now whether 525 00:39:46,916 --> 00:39:48,996 Speaker 1: or not they're going to be in the same room 526 00:39:49,036 --> 00:39:51,396 Speaker 1: still or still be in a bunk bed or have 527 00:39:51,556 --> 00:39:54,396 Speaker 1: separate beds, but we haven't quite figured that out yet. 528 00:39:55,676 --> 00:40:00,516 Speaker 1: Her own feelings, she says, are more complicated. When I 529 00:40:00,556 --> 00:40:03,716 Speaker 1: sort of was starting to think about moving and packing 530 00:40:03,716 --> 00:40:05,676 Speaker 1: everything up again, it's sort of brought up a lot 531 00:40:07,316 --> 00:40:09,276 Speaker 1: from our last move, which was, you know, right after 532 00:40:09,316 --> 00:40:13,316 Speaker 1: Tristan died, and that was really you know, I remember 533 00:40:13,436 --> 00:40:15,476 Speaker 1: very little of it because it was such a big fog. 534 00:40:15,636 --> 00:40:17,076 Speaker 1: You know. It's bringing up a lot of that, and 535 00:40:17,116 --> 00:40:20,196 Speaker 1: then also the feeling that it is a change. You know. 536 00:40:20,236 --> 00:40:22,476 Speaker 1: That was the first time that I'm actually doing a 537 00:40:22,516 --> 00:40:25,196 Speaker 1: move on my own and setting up, you know, a 538 00:40:25,236 --> 00:40:29,436 Speaker 1: new place on my own, which I haven't done without Tristan. 539 00:40:29,516 --> 00:40:34,276 Speaker 1: Sort of ever, she's been confronting the past, all the 540 00:40:34,316 --> 00:40:36,996 Speaker 1: stuff she shoved into boxes in the garage when her 541 00:40:36,996 --> 00:40:41,236 Speaker 1: sisters moved her up here right after Tristan died. Over 542 00:40:41,276 --> 00:40:45,396 Speaker 1: the weekend, I finally opened these boxes from Tristan's like office, 543 00:40:45,676 --> 00:40:49,876 Speaker 1: and it was all of his like textbooks and papers 544 00:40:49,876 --> 00:40:52,516 Speaker 1: that he had written, and like notebooks where he had 545 00:40:52,596 --> 00:40:55,756 Speaker 1: jotted down notes, and I was just flipping through it 546 00:40:55,796 --> 00:40:59,156 Speaker 1: and just just to read things that he had written, 547 00:40:59,436 --> 00:41:01,956 Speaker 1: you know, like with his hands, or thoughts that he 548 00:41:02,036 --> 00:41:05,876 Speaker 1: was having that day, or you know, putting jotting down 549 00:41:05,876 --> 00:41:09,036 Speaker 1: notes about his next project, and I mean things like that. 550 00:41:09,156 --> 00:41:11,636 Speaker 1: I just I don't know, you can't throw those away yet. 551 00:41:12,956 --> 00:41:15,836 Speaker 1: Erica says that she tries hard to keep Tristan present 552 00:41:15,916 --> 00:41:18,916 Speaker 1: for the girls. You know, they were so young when 553 00:41:18,916 --> 00:41:20,796 Speaker 1: he died, you know, he was only two. She wasn't 554 00:41:20,796 --> 00:41:24,396 Speaker 1: even talking, I think for a long time, just because 555 00:41:24,396 --> 00:41:27,196 Speaker 1: of what happened, Clara had a really hard time with it. 556 00:41:28,756 --> 00:41:30,476 Speaker 1: You know, she draws, she does a lot of art, 557 00:41:30,636 --> 00:41:33,196 Speaker 1: and I noticed that in the past, like six months 558 00:41:33,276 --> 00:41:36,636 Speaker 1: or so, when she draws pictures of the family, he's 559 00:41:36,676 --> 00:41:39,756 Speaker 1: back in the pictures again. And for a long time 560 00:41:39,756 --> 00:41:42,276 Speaker 1: he wasn't. And then just sort of one day, and 561 00:41:42,316 --> 00:41:45,236 Speaker 1: I can't remember what holiday it was, she was drawing something. 562 00:41:45,316 --> 00:41:48,276 Speaker 1: Either it was like a birthday card for her sister, 563 00:41:48,716 --> 00:41:51,716 Speaker 1: or maybe it was like around Christmas time that she 564 00:41:51,836 --> 00:41:55,276 Speaker 1: was she was doing it, and suddenly he was just yeah, 565 00:41:55,396 --> 00:41:59,516 Speaker 1: just like back in the pictures, and it's sort of 566 00:41:59,956 --> 00:42:02,236 Speaker 1: I don't know, it seemed very like, you know, I 567 00:42:02,636 --> 00:42:04,596 Speaker 1: could have was like, oh, you drew everybody, and she 568 00:42:04,676 --> 00:42:06,956 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, you know, it's just sort of a 569 00:42:07,076 --> 00:42:14,116 Speaker 1: natural thing for her. Tristan's birthday was in November. There 570 00:42:14,156 --> 00:42:18,036 Speaker 1: have been three already since he died. It's a day 571 00:42:18,156 --> 00:42:21,396 Speaker 1: Erica says that she and the girls always spend together 572 00:42:21,956 --> 00:42:25,836 Speaker 1: doing things Tristan loved. The week leading up to it, 573 00:42:25,876 --> 00:42:28,396 Speaker 1: we'll sort of talk about the fact that his birthday 574 00:42:28,476 --> 00:42:32,396 Speaker 1: is coming up and go, you know, make a list 575 00:42:32,476 --> 00:42:34,676 Speaker 1: sort of like what would what would he want us 576 00:42:34,676 --> 00:42:37,756 Speaker 1: to do, you know, since he's not here, and what 577 00:42:37,996 --> 00:42:39,796 Speaker 1: were the things that he loved to do. It could 578 00:42:39,796 --> 00:42:43,716 Speaker 1: be like, you know, drink coffee, eat broccoli, go hiking, 579 00:42:44,596 --> 00:42:50,556 Speaker 1: be in nature, be kind, be with each other, read 580 00:42:50,596 --> 00:42:53,596 Speaker 1: a book, you know, like just anything that comes to mind. 581 00:42:53,636 --> 00:42:55,596 Speaker 1: I would make this. I made this huge list, and 582 00:42:57,076 --> 00:42:58,836 Speaker 1: then on that day we would like pick one or 583 00:42:58,876 --> 00:43:02,156 Speaker 1: two of them or whatever we thought was manageable. So 584 00:43:02,236 --> 00:43:07,116 Speaker 1: this last time, we went up to you know, north 585 00:43:07,116 --> 00:43:11,076 Speaker 1: of the city, there's a Redwood State Park that actually 586 00:43:11,076 --> 00:43:12,676 Speaker 1: Tristan and I used to go hiking out a lot 587 00:43:12,676 --> 00:43:15,676 Speaker 1: and that we loved. So I took them there and 588 00:43:15,716 --> 00:43:18,716 Speaker 1: we went on a unintentionally we went on like a 589 00:43:18,876 --> 00:43:21,276 Speaker 1: six and a half mile hike. I got kind of lost. 590 00:43:23,036 --> 00:43:27,076 Speaker 1: They got lost, but they found their way back, and 591 00:43:27,156 --> 00:43:30,636 Speaker 1: then on the way home they stopped at the beach. 592 00:43:32,116 --> 00:43:36,316 Speaker 1: She had Tristan's ashes with her. I mean, that's been 593 00:43:36,356 --> 00:43:38,636 Speaker 1: another thing that I've sort of struggled with ever since 594 00:43:39,276 --> 00:43:42,476 Speaker 1: he passed, was what what to do with the ashes 595 00:43:42,476 --> 00:43:46,156 Speaker 1: and where to spread them where it hadn't really nothing 596 00:43:46,196 --> 00:43:51,916 Speaker 1: has sort of felt right to me until that day. 597 00:43:51,956 --> 00:43:55,476 Speaker 1: I actually felt, you know, like it just felt right 598 00:43:55,516 --> 00:44:00,956 Speaker 1: to bring some of them with us to a place 599 00:44:00,956 --> 00:44:05,636 Speaker 1: that he loved and would have loved to be there 600 00:44:05,676 --> 00:44:09,396 Speaker 1: with them, And we took them and spread them on 601 00:44:09,436 --> 00:44:16,716 Speaker 1: the beach. And now when Tristan's daughters play on the beach, 602 00:44:17,716 --> 00:44:20,996 Speaker 1: running in and out of the waves, they'll be remembering 603 00:44:21,036 --> 00:44:55,636 Speaker 1: their father, and he'll still be the one chasing after them. 604 00:44:55,716 --> 00:44:59,716 Speaker 1: Lost Hills is reported, written, and hosted by me Dana Goodyear. 605 00:45:00,476 --> 00:45:04,396 Speaker 1: It was edited by Ben Adair Hailey. Fox produced the 606 00:45:04,436 --> 00:45:08,276 Speaker 1: show and also contributed a ton of additional reporting. Dan 607 00:45:08,356 --> 00:45:11,956 Speaker 1: Leone is our comp poser and sound designer. Alex McGinnis 608 00:45:11,996 --> 00:45:16,556 Speaker 1: is our mix engineer. Additional producers are Cameron Kell, Laurie Gallaretta, 609 00:45:16,716 --> 00:45:21,036 Speaker 1: Annette Renhell, and Sabrina Fang. Mica Hauser is our fact checker. 610 00:45:21,636 --> 00:45:25,636 Speaker 1: Anthony Rowda's writings were performed by Nick brain Our cover 611 00:45:25,796 --> 00:45:30,516 Speaker 1: art was made by Francesca Gabiani. Executive producers are Ben 612 00:45:30,516 --> 00:45:33,916 Speaker 1: Adair for Western Sound and Jacob Weisberg and Leetal Malad 613 00:45:34,076 --> 00:45:38,916 Speaker 1: for Pushkin Industries. Thanks also to the Pushkin team, Mia Lobell, 614 00:45:39,196 --> 00:45:44,236 Speaker 1: Heather Fain, John Schnars, Carly Mgliori, Eric Sandler, Maggie Taylor, 615 00:45:44,356 --> 00:45:48,716 Speaker 1: and Daniello Lacan Special thanks to Julia Barton and Kate 616 00:45:48,796 --> 00:45:52,796 Speaker 1: Parkinson Morgan. Lost Hills is a production of Western Sound 617 00:45:52,796 --> 00:45:57,836 Speaker 1: and Pushkin Industries. Follow at Lost Hills pod on social 618 00:45:57,876 --> 00:46:00,996 Speaker 1: media to find out about bonus episodes and stay up 619 00:46:01,036 --> 00:46:05,156 Speaker 1: to date as Anthony Rowda heads to trial. To find 620 00:46:05,196 --> 00:46:09,316 Speaker 1: more Pushkin podcasts, listen on the iHeartRadio, rapp, Apple podcast US, 621 00:46:09,556 --> 00:46:13,876 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts. Season two of Lost 622 00:46:13,956 --> 00:46:23,396 Speaker 1: Hills is coming soon. N One, What is your emergency? 623 00:46:23,836 --> 00:46:28,076 Speaker 1: I'm just a shot fired in how many shots did 624 00:46:28,116 --> 00:46:32,356 Speaker 1: you hear? Just one? Huge loud one. I was not 625 00:46:32,436 --> 00:46:34,996 Speaker 1: a bad fire because I hear those from the highway. 626 00:46:35,756 --> 00:46:38,276 Speaker 1: It was so it seemed to be in Are you 627 00:46:38,316 --> 00:46:41,196 Speaker 1: familiar with what a gun sounds like? Oh? Yeah? On 628 00:46:41,196 --> 00:46:43,836 Speaker 1: what street. It's not in the street, it's sin the 629 00:46:43,956 --> 00:46:49,596 Speaker 1: canyon in the wilderness. Okay, did it sound like a pistol? Shotgun? Shotgun? 630 00:46:50,796 --> 00:46:54,716 Speaker 1: Like a rifle of Since Anthony rout is arrest, I 631 00:46:54,756 --> 00:46:58,076 Speaker 1: haven't heard any new reports of pre dawn sniper style 632 00:46:58,156 --> 00:47:01,676 Speaker 1: shootings in the area, but there are still shots in 633 00:47:01,676 --> 00:47:04,916 Speaker 1: the night, and very likely this will be a plank 634 00:47:04,916 --> 00:47:10,036 Speaker 1: of his defense when his trial finally begins. You know, 635 00:47:10,076 --> 00:47:13,556 Speaker 1: it's like there's a lot of mystery still in there. 636 00:47:14,236 --> 00:47:17,196 Speaker 1: That's Kara Hartley again, the hiker who found a box 637 00:47:17,236 --> 00:47:21,396 Speaker 1: of shotgun shells at Rowda's camp. And there's been a 638 00:47:21,556 --> 00:47:25,756 Speaker 1: lot of unexplained oddities that have happened up here in 639 00:47:25,796 --> 00:47:30,436 Speaker 1: the Hills, in several murders and several bodies found that 640 00:47:30,556 --> 00:47:34,436 Speaker 1: are really that are unsolved, people that are still missing 641 00:47:34,756 --> 00:47:40,516 Speaker 1: that haven't been found, very odd accounts of their disappearances, 642 00:47:40,516 --> 00:47:45,996 Speaker 1: and so I mean, this just kind of is one 643 00:47:46,036 --> 00:47:51,236 Speaker 1: of them and one of many. To her, the six 644 00:47:51,356 --> 00:47:55,036 Speaker 1: year misses and the Bodete murder don't feel like an aberration. 645 00:47:56,036 --> 00:48:00,316 Speaker 1: They represent the real Malibu, the Malibu No one talks 646 00:48:00,316 --> 00:48:05,516 Speaker 1: about Anthony Rowda maybe in custody, but Malibu is still 647 00:48:05,676 --> 00:48:09,436 Speaker 1: the killing Zone, and what happened out there in that 648 00:48:09,556 --> 00:48:15,196 Speaker 1: no man's land could easily happen again. I'm ding a 649 00:48:15,196 --> 00:48:19,796 Speaker 1: good year and this is Lost Hills