1 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:13,159 Speaker 1: I don't know if you ever looked at a law 2 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: enforcement officer after a car wreck, but they stand back 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: and they observe everything that's going on to let emergency 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: medics or whatever do their things, but they're assessing. And 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: that's what I felt like I was doing that night. 6 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: I stood back and was just watching, and life changed 7 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: forever and always at that point. 8 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: There's something that happens when a tragedy occurs. Everything slows down, 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 2: time freezes, and that's exactly what happened for Jim Walker 10 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 2: on a February night in nineteen seventy four. 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: I was just watching everybody, you know, sitting back, watching 12 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: everybody and knock on the door. 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 2: And it was the evening of the high school Valentine's dance, 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: and Jim was watching as his older sister Carla got 15 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 2: ready and her date, Rodney, finally arrived to pick her up. 16 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: Rodney was here, and my sister Carla gave him that shot, 17 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: you know that looked like like, dude, why why are 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: you running late? You know how important of a night 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: this is. When Rodney smiled at Carla, I'll never forget it, 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: and this beautiful smile kind of came across her face 21 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: all was good, and he came over and you know 22 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: they hugged and put carsaoge on it and poised for pictures. 23 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: The last time I saw Carla was in front of 24 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: that fireplace for pictures. 25 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: Carlo Walker's picture is on a wall in Texas, one 26 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: of hundreds of photos in a collage. Some look like 27 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: high school yearbook photos. Other were taken on a vacation 28 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: or at a wedding. Every face is framed in a hexagon, 29 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: and every face on the wall represents a mystery, a 30 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,119 Speaker 2: crime that for years was never solved. 31 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 3: We have like the Happy Face killer, we have multiple 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 3: victims of serial killers that we were able to identify. 33 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: Kristin Middeleman knows these faces by heart, and she knows 34 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: the stories behind each frame. 35 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 3: This little boy, his mom murdered him and got away 36 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 3: with it, and then we were able to identify the 37 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 3: body and now she's serving life in prison. 38 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: Young women, old men, babies. Kristin taps her fingers on 39 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: photo after photo, sharing their personal stories. 40 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 3: Her name was Mary Catherine Edwards. She was a thirty 41 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 3: two year old teacher. Everyone said she was the nicest person. 42 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 3: She was raped and murdered, handcuffed, and found in her 43 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: bathtub by her family. 44 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: Kristen knows these faces because every one of them represents 45 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 2: a cold case, one that's been solved by the cutting 46 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: edge DNA technology she and her husband, David Middleman developed 47 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 2: here in their lab. Some of the cases are front 48 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: page news, like the Idaho student murders or the Gilgo 49 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 2: Beach serial killer, but most of these faces belong to 50 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: someone's mother or son, an uncle who disappeared, or a 51 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 2: sister who was kidnapped and murdered. Their cases were never 52 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: solved until now. 53 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: If you look at the screen, you can see that 54 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 3: it doesn't really matter age, it doesn't matter background, it 55 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 3: doesn't matter type of crime. You're able to help resolve 56 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 3: all these crimes using DANA technology. 57 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: The Wall of Faces is in the offices of Authrum, 58 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 2: Kristen and David's forensics lab. The lab is tucked away 59 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: in a nondescript office park in the Woodlands, Texas, about 60 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: thirty miles outside of Houston, and it's where a small 61 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: team of scientists and investigators are solving the coldest of cases. 62 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 2: They work with the most challenging evidence, bodies that have 63 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 2: been burned or thrown into the ocean, blood stained clothing 64 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 2: that's been left in the desert heat or covered in chemicals. 65 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: Human remains stuffed into walls and sewage tanks. This team 66 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: has seen it all, and they figured out how to 67 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 2: do the impossible. Analyze tiny specks of DNA evidence considered 68 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: too old or damaged to find new clues that lead 69 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: police to a killer. 70 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 3: Most of the people that we identify have gotten away 71 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: with murder in plain sight, and they are normal people. 72 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: They are serving your coffee. They're an IT specialist at 73 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 3: your office, right like you have no idea. 74 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 2: On this season of America's Crime Lab, we'll meet families 75 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: who've lost loved ones, detectives who've chased every lead, and 76 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: we'll discover how science is unlocking the truth that our 77 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 2: DNA holds. Let's start with a cold case that shook 78 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 2: a community for forty six years. Producer Catherine Fenlosa is 79 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: here to bring us up to speed. 80 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 4: I'm going to take you back to nineteen seventy four 81 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 4: in Fort Worth, Texas, and it's winter February. There's a 82 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 4: seventeen year old girl named Carla Walker. She's a junior 83 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 4: in high school. She has long blonde hair. Everyone describes 84 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 4: her as having flashing blue eyes, and she's very petite, 85 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 4: not even five feet tall, ninety five pounds. Her friends 86 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 4: describe her as silly, feisty. She loves animals. She has 87 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 4: a white poodle and she loves to paint his nails. 88 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 4: She wants to be a veterinarian. She's just sort of 89 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 4: full of love and energy. She's a cheerleader, which seemed 90 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,799 Speaker 4: to fit her really well because she's like a little 91 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 4: firecracker of a personality. 92 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 2: I have a picture of her in my mind. 93 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 4: So this is February. Carla was going to the high 94 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 4: school dance with her boyfriend, Rodney, and Rodney is the 95 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 4: quarterback of the football team. Sandy, blonde, super gentle guy, 96 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 4: and everyone describes them as the all American couple. So 97 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 4: the night of the dance, Carla's getting ready at her 98 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 4: house and her parents are there. She comes from a 99 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 4: big family. There's seven siblings. A couple of her siblings 100 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 4: are at home. Her aunt and uncle have come in 101 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 4: from West Texas for the occasion. There's music on the 102 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 4: parents have laid out plates of Southern food. Carla is 103 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 4: getting ready. She's picked out a powder blue dress and 104 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 4: she's waiting for Rodney to arrive, and he's running a 105 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 4: little late. He got home from work late. He gets 106 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 4: halfway to Carla's house realizes that he's left her corsage 107 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 4: at home, so he turns around, grabs the corsage, pulls 108 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 4: back up in his mom's car to the walker house 109 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 4: and when he arrives at the door, Carla's a little 110 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 4: annoyed because he's running late and she is very punctual, 111 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 4: but he presents the corsage and a huge smile breaks 112 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 4: out across her face. He pins the corsage on her dress. 113 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 4: Everybody gathers around. They take photos in front of the fireplace. 114 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 4: Mom says, you know, we'll be waiting up for you. 115 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 4: We can't wait to hear about the dance. Go have 116 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 4: a great time, and off they go. 117 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: I feel like that is out of a cute little 118 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 2: rom com movie or something completely This is embarrassing to admit, 119 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: but like as a little girl, I'd always dream of 120 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 2: my little prom moment when a guy picks me up 121 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 2: and has the corsage, and that's just really cute. 122 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 4: This is so it and everyone, you know, they're all there. 123 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 4: The dance is at the high school, so the parents 124 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 4: and staff have decorated the whole, you know hall, there's 125 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 4: a DJ. Everyone is really really excited and they have 126 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 4: a great time. They leave the dance with another couple 127 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 4: and they do what teens do. They drive around Fort Worth. 128 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 4: They go to Taco Bell, they get something to eat. 129 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 4: One of the friends needs to use a bathroom, and 130 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 4: the bathroom for some reason at Taco Bell isn't working. 131 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 4: So they go to a bowling alley which is nearby, 132 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 4: and they go in. They get back in the car. 133 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 4: They cruise around town for a little while. The other 134 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 4: couple has a curfew, so Rodney swings them back home, 135 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 4: drops them off. And on this night, Carla, her parents 136 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 4: are you know, giving her a little leeway. She doesn't 137 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 4: really have a curfew tonight. They absolutely love Rodney. They're 138 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 4: like kids, have a good time. So Rodney and Carla, 139 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 4: you know, they stay out a little bit later, they 140 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 4: drive around a little bit longer. 141 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and she's seventeen. This is their big night out. 142 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 4: So Carla needs to use the bathroom again, and they 143 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 4: know that the bathroom at the bowling Alley is working, 144 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 4: so they head back over there and when they come 145 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 4: back to their car, you know, they're teenagers. It's the 146 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 4: Valentine's Day dance. They're parked, it's dark, there aren't many lights, 147 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,559 Speaker 4: and the parking lot is pretty much emptied out by 148 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:55,319 Speaker 4: now because most of the bowlers have left. So Rodney 149 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 4: and Carla are in the front seat of his mom's car, 150 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 4: and it's a bench seat, and so they basically start kissing. 151 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 4: Carla is reclined and her head is sort of like 152 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 4: prepped up on the passenger door, and Rodney's leaning on her, 153 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 4: and all of a sudden, the passenger door flies open 154 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 4: and Carla's head drops back out of the door, and 155 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 4: Rodney leans forward to cradle her head and pull her 156 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 4: back in the car. And the next thing Rodney knows 157 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 4: is he's being beaten on the back side of his 158 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 4: head and blood is pouring down through his eyes. He's disoriented, 159 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 4: he doesn't really understand what's happening. Carla is screaming. She's yelling, 160 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 4: you know, stop hitting him, stop hitting him. Rodney looks 161 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 4: up and he can see a man and the guy 162 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 4: has Carla by the arm and he's yanked her out 163 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 4: of the car. And this man says to Carla, you're 164 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 4: gonna come with me, aren't you? Sweetie and Carla screaming. 165 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 4: Rodney's sort of blacking in and out, and she says, Rodney, 166 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 4: go get my dad, Go get my dad. This man 167 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 4: takes a gun and points it within inches of Rodney's 168 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 4: head and he says, I'm going to kill you, and 169 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 4: he pulls the trigger. 170 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 2: So did Rodney die. 171 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 4: Rodney passes out in the front seat of the car, 172 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 4: and he wakes up some time later and his head 173 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 4: is absolutely throbbing. He's covered in blood, and Carla is gone. 174 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 4: He drives to the Walker's house, to Carla's house, and 175 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 4: now all of the adults at Carla's house are still 176 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 4: up there expecting Carla and Rodney to walk in the 177 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 4: door at any moment. So they're, you know, they're playing dominoes, 178 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 4: they're eating, they've got music on. Jim, Carla's brother, who's 179 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 4: twelve at the time. He has stayed up late because 180 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 4: he is also super excited to be one of the 181 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 4: first people just to get the lowdown on how the 182 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 4: dance went. 183 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 2: Oh totally. I mean, I have a daughter, and I 184 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 2: can imagine when she gets the age where she's going 185 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 2: out to a dance. I'll be so excited. I want, 186 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: you know, all the details. Yeah, the four one one 187 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 2: on everything that happened that night, So I can imagine 188 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 2: it's kind of festive in there. But they don't know 189 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: what just happened. 190 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 4: No, they have no idea. 191 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: So we had to porch light on waiting for Rodney 192 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: and Carlin. When he came to the house, I answered 193 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: the door. That's probably the first time I ever saw 194 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: fear death. You could see the blood and a big 195 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: slip across his cheek, and eyes were very wide open, bulging. 196 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: His lips were almost puckered. He was totally petrified, and 197 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: I heard Rodney yelling, mister Walker. Mister Walker helped me. 198 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: They have got her. They're going to hurt her bad. 199 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: I know they are. 200 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 4: Everyone is trying to understand, Oh my god, what has happened? 201 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 4: What is going on here? And they bring Rodney into 202 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 4: the house and they sit him down, and Rodney starts saying, 203 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 4: these men they took her. I don't know where they went. 204 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 4: I think I've been shot. And so they're trying to 205 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,079 Speaker 4: assess exactly what his wounds are, and you, thank god 206 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 4: hadn't been shot, but he's been severely beaten. 207 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: Police were being called. They started removing his shirt to 208 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: see where else because he said he was shot and 209 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: started compressed and trying to stop the bleeding. 210 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 4: But Jim notices that Rodney isn't really bleeding anymore. It 211 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 4: turns out that he wasn't shot. The blood on his 212 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 4: head and his face is dry. 213 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't like it was running down like he just happened. 214 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: And that's one thing I noticed had bothered me for 215 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: a long time. He had a probably two to and 216 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: a half inch cut on his right cheek, and I 217 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: noticed it had started to coagulate. So that tells you 218 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: there's been some time from incident to current time. Right. 219 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 2: What were Carla's parents feeling at this point? I can't 220 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 2: even imagine to have your daughter's date show up covered 221 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 2: in blood saying they took her. 222 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 4: Carla's father, who's retired military, he yells to Jim, Carla's brother, 223 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 4: and he says, come with me, and the father goes 224 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 4: and gets his gun. 225 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: Whow Dad was out the door, and you know he 226 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: knew where Carla was last seeing he's out the door 227 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: with his weapon, and he would have absolutely absolutely killed 228 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: this guy. He was going to get his little girl. 229 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: He yelled at me, said Jimmy come on, and I 230 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: just I froze. I had never seen anything like this, 231 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: so he took off. You know, that's something I've lived 232 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: with for decades as well, and I regret that. I 233 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: regret that, but he never said anything to me about it, 234 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: and I don't think I've ever told anybody that before, 235 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: but I wish I had gone. 236 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 2: Can you imagine being twelve years old and all this 237 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 2: is happening. Your sister's gone, Your dad is heading out 238 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: the door with a gun, maybe to kill whoever took her. 239 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 2: It's like your whole world is bursting. 240 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 4: It's absolutely heartbreaking. Carla's mom and aunt are taking care 241 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 4: of Rodney, and they've called the police. 242 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: All hell was unleashed. We had law enforcement coming in. 243 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: They're trying to get details. Mom was very stoic. I 244 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: don't recall any yelling or screaming, cursing. I stood back 245 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 1: and was just watching. And life changed forever and always 246 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: at that point, New Walker's changed. My sister, Cindy slept 247 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: on the couch hoping to hear. You know, we were 248 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: just hoping somebody come by and push Carl out of 249 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: the car, just get her back. Sunday morning, everybody woke 250 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: up to the abduction in the newspaper. The high school 251 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: the west side of Fort Orth shocked. You know, they 252 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: just saw Carl before and Ridney and these other kids 253 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: and now kidnapped. You know all that comes along with that, 254 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: A big, ugly dude in a pretty young girl one 255 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: thirty ish in the morning. So the next morning people 256 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: were already out, you know, high schoolers were out searching 257 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: motor bikes, horses, right. Law enforcement next morning was was crazy. 258 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: And then you know, no word, you know, one person 259 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: said to my dad late and Carl is probably gonna 260 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: be had been raped. My dad was angry, So I 261 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: don't care. We just want her back. We want her back. 262 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: We will take care of everything. We want her back. 263 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 2: So the night Carlo was abducted, her father gets his 264 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,120 Speaker 2: gun and goes looking for her. 265 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, so he drives to the bowling alley where Rodney 266 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 4: says that Carla was pulled out of the car by 267 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 4: one or maybe two men. And it's pretty close, it's 268 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 4: only a mile away from Carla's house. The police arrived 269 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 4: quickly and they find Carla's yellow purse and a magazine 270 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 4: to a gun lying in the parking lot, and that's it. 271 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 4: There's no sign of where Carla was taken. 272 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 2: Did anyone see anything? 273 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 4: No, So the parking lot had emptied out by the 274 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 4: time all of this had happened. And remember this is 275 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 4: nineteen seventy four, so there's no surveillance cameras at the 276 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 4: bowling alley, no cell phones, and the parking lot wasn't 277 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 4: well late. It was pretty dark. 278 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 2: So the only things we have to go on are 279 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 2: rodney story of what happened, and a magazine from a gun. 280 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 2: But we don't even know if that magazine is related 281 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 2: to Carla's disappearance exactly. 282 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 4: And remember this is Texas in the seventies, so it 283 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 4: wasn't super prising to find this magazine in the parking lot, 284 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 4: and there's so little evidence for police to work with. Now, 285 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 4: Rodney's treated at the hospital and he actually heads back 286 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 4: to Carla's house and he ends up sleeping in Carla's 287 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 4: bed while hundreds of people are out looking for her. 288 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 4: Carlo's brother, Jim says, this goes on for three days. 289 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: I'm looking at the front door, and the front door 290 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: was opened, the screen door was closed because people were 291 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: coming and going, and homicide detectives, detectives from Fort Worth 292 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: and Sheriff's department and a couple other men, and they 293 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: were talking. My parents were listening when a news reporter 294 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,360 Speaker 1: showed up at the front screen door and said, Hi, 295 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 1: you know, it's missus Walker. I'm so and so with 296 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: Fort Star Telegram. How are you feeling that that found 297 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: your daughter. I was in the middle of the living room. 298 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: My back was facing the fireplace, and I remember my 299 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: looking toward the fireplace, and that's the first time in 300 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: my life I ever saw his bomber pilot blue eyes 301 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: intents right water up. I didn't see tears, but I 302 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: clearly saw water in his eyes, and my mom was 303 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: leaning against him and her head went down. So that's 304 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: how they found out. 305 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 2: With a shock. 306 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, Jim says. They all fully expected Carla to be 307 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 4: found alive. They hadn't even thought that this could become 308 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 4: a murder, you know, a homicide case, that she wouldn't 309 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 4: be coming home, and that moment just completely changed everything. 310 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 4: The police get on the phone and then they're able 311 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:59,120 Speaker 4: to confirm that Carla's body had been found in a 312 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 4: culvert the side of the road about five miles away. 313 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 4: Her blue Valentine's Day dress is ripped and bloody. Her 314 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 4: underwear and pantyhose are found a little bit away from 315 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 4: her body near the entrance of this culvert. And she's 316 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 4: been beaten, raped and strangled. There's nothing else there. They 317 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 4: don't find any fingerprints. They do find some bodily fluid 318 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 4: on Carla's bra, but you know, this is nineteen seventy four, 319 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 4: there's no DNA testing. The one piece of evidence that 320 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 4: they do have is the magazine club that they found 321 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:48,120 Speaker 4: in the parking lot. 322 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 2: Can they identify the type of gun. 323 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 4: It belonged to, what's called a twenty two ruger handgun? 324 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 4: And so the police do. They go when they get 325 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 4: a list of everyone in the area who's bought this 326 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 4: type of gun, and they go when they interview all 327 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 4: of those people, they give them polygraphs, they check alibis, 328 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 4: and everybody passes. No one raises suspicion. 329 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 2: There weren't any other indications that any of those people 330 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 2: were involved. 331 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 4: Correct. Some of the people who had owned this type 332 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 4: of gun were able to show that, you know, produce 333 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 4: the gun, show the police, here's my gun, fully intact. 334 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 4: There was one person on the list. He was a 335 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 4: thirty one year old truck driver who passed the polygraph 336 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 4: and he said that his gun had been stolen a 337 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 4: while before, but there was no reason to suspect him, 338 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 4: so the police were really left with nothing and the 339 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 4: case goes cold. And this case really, from every single 340 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 4: person that I've talked to, it changed fort Worth. 341 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 5: It was just such a shock because it was a 342 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 5: safe place to grow up. There wasn't a lot of crime. 343 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 6: I wouldn't go outside, I wouldn't go anywhere by myself 344 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 6: after dark, and then still I would be like locking 345 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 6: my doors if I did go by myself. 346 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 5: And sometimes you'd meet somebody and it's like is he 347 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 5: the one? Or you'd see somebody that acted weird and 348 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 5: you know, maybe he's the one. It just shattered our innocence. 349 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 4: Typically a crime like this is committed by somebody who 350 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 4: knows the victim, so people do start to kind of 351 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 4: look at one another and wonder because everyone thinks someone knows. 352 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 4: Somebody knows. 353 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, somebody's got to know something, yeah, and. 354 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 4: It's somebody in our community. 355 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:03,160 Speaker 1: Cloud of sadness came over, hopefulness was gone. I think 356 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: my mom suffered in silence. She and dad had a 357 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: lot of intense conversations. Only kid living in the house 358 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: at the time. 359 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 2: I mean, jim he's only twelve at the time, and 360 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 2: he's thrust into this horrible tragedy. I just wonder, how's 361 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 2: he feeling? How do you even begin to process what's happening. 362 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, I had the same question. 363 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: Nobody ever talked to me. I was a watcher. I 364 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,479 Speaker 1: set aside and I watch. I watched these huge, bigger 365 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: than life homicide detectives come in. They would pull me in, 366 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: let me listen to stuff. Nobody ever sat down said, Jimmy, 367 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: you know, how are you feeling? So I watched and no, no, 368 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: no exaggeration. In the first ten minute conversation you and 369 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: I had, that would have been more than any conversation 370 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: I had with either one of my parents about what 371 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: happened to Carla. I was probably out of school for 372 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: you know, the entire week after Carla's abduction, and when 373 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: the Sheriff's department came by and said, you know, we're 374 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: positive it's her, but we we need you to go 375 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: down and identify the biding. That was a tough night. 376 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: And for some unknown reason, I went with them and 377 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: we drove down to the corner's office and it was 378 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: dark So there's two big glass pedestrian doors like we 379 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: see in businesses or hospitals today. One with door was 380 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: opened out there's a hallway, and I was just lined 381 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: up perfectly with the door, looking down the hallway, watching 382 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: mom and dad go. And as mom and dad entered 383 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 1: this hallway on the right hand side, a door opened. 384 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 1: Then it was left open, and my mom and dad 385 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: went into that room within fifteen seconds. And this is 386 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: something that used to I just couldn't hardly talk about 387 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 1: because I'd cried. I hope you never hear or have 388 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: to be around when a mama sees her beloved seventeen 389 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: year old daughter dead and bruised and beaten and bloody 390 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 1: on a table that kind of pulled back a blanket 391 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: to see the face and neck. I don't know if 392 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 1: you ever heard a mom's scream of pain when they 393 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: see their baby. It's worse than any sound, almost any 394 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: sound I think I could possibly imagine, other than a 395 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: child hurting, but even that's different. It was a gictorial 396 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: from the deepest part of her core, painful scream within 397 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: fifteen seconds of them entering that room. That's what I heard, 398 00:26:54,600 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: And that was really probably the beginning of me becoming angry. 399 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 4: Before Carlo's murder, Jim says, he played sports, he hung 400 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 4: out with friends. You know, he's really happy. But now 401 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 4: he becomes absolutely consumed with finding out who did this 402 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 4: to his sister, and he wants revenge. Jim starts working 403 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,880 Speaker 4: out every day so he can physically confront Carla's attacker, 404 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 4: and he canvases the neighborhood. He is looking for any 405 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:34,440 Speaker 4: signs or anyone who looks suspicious. He actually becomes convinced 406 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 4: that whoever did this is driving by his house every day. 407 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 4: He becomes distrustful. He's short tempered, and he's getting into 408 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 4: fights like daily. 409 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 1: I didn't again, didn't have the life experiences to realize 410 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: what I was looking at. So you know, as a teenager, 411 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: I was spitting bullets, ready to I was ready to 412 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: just kill some you know, some guy who did this 413 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: in my family. It changed, It went to season of 414 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:07,199 Speaker 1: mourning and grieving, but with that was mixed intense intense 415 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 1: determination to find out what happened to Carla and who did. 416 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 2: It and where's the investigation at this point, So this 417 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 2: is also part of the tragedy. 418 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 4: Police chase down every single lead. They get and they 419 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 4: still only have Rodney's story to go on and that 420 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 4: clip from the gun in the Bowling Alley parking lot. 421 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 4: By the end of nineteen seventy four, Carla's case goes 422 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 4: cold and it stays that way for forty six years. 423 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 2: Next time on America's Crime Lab, it. 424 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 7: Became very apparent that everybody had an opinion of what 425 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 7: happened to Carla right, And what was really unusual was 426 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 7: very few people felt like it was a stranger. Most 427 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 7: everyone felt like it was somebody who knew. 428 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: Carl Rodney's story had you know, it actually had some 429 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: question marks on it. I started remembering that cut on 430 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: his right cheek, and it wasn't freshly blaeding, it was coagulating. 431 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: Remember me saying. 432 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 7: That Rodney doesn't show up to Carlo's house after she 433 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 7: was abducted for an hour and a half, and it 434 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 7: was like, well, where do you go? 435 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: Why did it take him so long? America's Crime Lab 436 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 2: is produced by Rococo Punch for Kaleidoscope. Erica Lance is 437 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,479 Speaker 2: our story editor, and sound design is by David Woji. 438 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 2: Our producing team is Catherine Fedalosa and Jessica Albert, our 439 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 2: executive producers. Are Kate Osborne, Mangesh Jadigadour, and David and 440 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 2: Kristin Middleman, And from iHeart Katrina Norville and Ali Perry. 441 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Connell Byrne, Will Pearson, Carrie Lieberman, Nikki Eto, 442 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 2: Nathan Etowski, John Burbank, and the entire team at AUTHRM. 443 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 2: I'm Alan lance Lessor, thanks for listening.