1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Gradios How Stuff Works. Welcome back 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: to the show. My name is Matt. Noel is not 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: here today. They called me Ben. We are joined as 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: always with our super producer Paul Mission Control decond. Most importantly, 8 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: you argue, and you are here, and that makes this 9 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: stuff they don't want you to know. I gotta say, Matt, 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: I am very, very glad to be here in the 11 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: booth with you. I hate missing an episode, but I 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: look forward to hearing the ones you know that happened 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: in my absence. It's you know, I'm like the audience 14 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: at that point. Nobody here, including everyone listening, likes it 15 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: when you're not here. Been I assure you that Sir 16 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: and Paul was out too, and Mission Control was out. Yes, Nolan, 17 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: I and Casey were just like floundering over here without you. 18 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 1: Super producer Casey pegram Well, I want it. I wanted 19 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: to check in to see you know how everything went. 20 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: How's how's your day? How's your week been? The week 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: has been good. I'm researching a new thing that I'm 22 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: going to be working on and it is even darker 23 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: than anything we've covered on this show or anywhere else, 24 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: and my psyche is taken a hit. But other than that, 25 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: you know, great, Matt. This sounds like the sort of 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: thing that we can't yet talk about on the airwaves. 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: Is that correct? We can't, and honestly I'm not sure 28 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: if we ever should, but well, we'll see what happens 29 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: with it. Absolutely, and h let me know, as always, 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: if you want a helping hand or just a dumb 31 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: hand to hand out, you can have it. It is 32 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: all yours, buddy, just let me know. So here's something 33 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: may interest you, as you know, without going too far 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: into the details on this. Paul and I recently returned 35 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: from a strange potato chip related related excursion true story, 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: And while we were there, we didn't manage to do 37 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: much non potato chip related stuff, but we were able 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: to check out the Alamo. Yeah, and the the Alamo, 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 1: the site of the historic battle which later became a 40 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: rallying cry for Texans all around. Uh, the Alamo. When 41 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: I posted about it on social media on Instagram or something, 42 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: people start messaging me and saying, ask about the basement. 43 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: I had forgotten. That was a reference to Pee weee 44 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: Herman's Big Adventure, wherein he asked about the basement of 45 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: the Alamo. But uh, it does pertain to our show. 46 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: Check this out, because it turns out the Alamo, uh 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: may indeed have a basement. A lot of structures that 48 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: you wouldn't suspect do have subterranean components. They do have tunnels, 49 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: And in today's episode, we're exploring this. The love of 50 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: money may not be the root of all evil, but 51 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: it certainly gives people the opportunity to do things we 52 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: would not normally do. So join us today as we 53 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: explore the strange story of a paranoid millionaire, the death 54 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: of his ambitious young employee, a mysterious secret system of 55 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: underground tunnels, and what makes Maryland call something a murder 56 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: of the depraved heart. Oh so, uh, here are the facts, everybody. 57 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: There's a man named Daniel Beckwitt B E C K 58 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: W I T T. Hopefully you've read it in the title. Uh. 59 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: In many ways, this was an intelligent young man. He 60 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: was a few times throughout his life on the wrong 61 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: side of the law. Prior to win all of the 62 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: things were just seeing today went down. Uh, he went 63 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: to school, the University of Or of Illinois at Urbana Champagne, 64 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: and he was while they're arrested and charged with conducting 65 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: a some sort of hacking operation against his college. It 66 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: was it was alleged that he installed key laggers or 67 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: I believe this is the time that that occurred, UM, 68 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: which is, you know, not so great hacking into your 69 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: your college's system like that. On the eighteenth of January, 70 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: there were search warrants that were executed by the police 71 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: department there in Urbana. UM. The campus p D and 72 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: the FBI got involved in that occasion and they both 73 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: went in together and this guy was accused of aggravated 74 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: computer tampering and it was the single largest hack in 75 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: the school's history that Daniel Bequitt, you know, supposedly allegedly 76 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: at that point had had done. And over the course 77 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: of this hack, I guess you would call it this 78 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: attack or operation that lasted for months Beckwit. He rescheduled exams, 79 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: he sent mass emails from university accounts, and he also 80 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: defaced I guess is a way to say it. A 81 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 1: bunch of university websites official stuff that then got trashed 82 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:23,239 Speaker 1: a bit and he was arrested. He spent two days 83 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: in jail, he posted one thousand dollars in bail, and 84 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: then he was released. And then fast forward six months later, 85 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: Daniel Beckwood pled guilty in federal court to a charge 86 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: of computer fraud. This was part of a plea deal 87 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: the U s attorney under the terms of this plea 88 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: deal gave gave beck with a couple of passes. First, 89 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: Beckwitt could avoid federal charges and he would avoid there 90 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 1: for jail time in a federal prison. And the idea 91 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: here was, at least as far as the prosecution the judge, 92 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: we're thinking that it would have been a shame for 93 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: such a talented young man to lose his life for 94 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: youthful indiscretion unquote. And this is a kind of double 95 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: standard argument that we here applied often. After spending two 96 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: years at the University of Illinois and where he'd been 97 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: a five beta Sigma Honor Society member, Beckwitt was expelled 98 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: from school and he went back to his parents home 99 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: in Bethesda, Maryland, and he started his new life as 100 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,679 Speaker 1: a rogue day trader. So let's look at his rise 101 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: as a crypto tycoon very quickly. He rode the bitcoin bubble, 102 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: and he had already amassed a pretty hefty nest egg 103 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: from investing a bitcoin at the right time and then 104 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: getting out at the right time. And he had taken 105 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,559 Speaker 1: that money, and he hadn't done you know, the stuff 106 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: that we all dream about. He didn't buy a blimp 107 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: or anything, or a hot air balloon. Instead, he invested 108 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: it and he used He grew the money through the 109 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: stock trade. He also had a ton and a ton 110 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: and a ton of free time because, unlike most people 111 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: in their mid to late twenties, he did not have 112 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: to have a job, He did not have to pay bills, 113 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: he did not have to you know, scrape by in 114 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: the increasingly hostile economic system that most Americans his age 115 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: struggle within. At this point, it seemed like he was 116 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: living out the American redemption story, right. Yeah, he's also 117 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: living in his parents home. Oh yeah, that's right, that's right. Uh, 118 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: he does even worry about a mortgage here? Well, yeah, 119 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: And from everything I could read, and I could not 120 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: find this anywhere at least not stated exactly that he 121 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: wasn't living with his parents. He I know, he wasn't 122 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: living with his parents at least I'm fairly certain from 123 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: everything I've read that he wasn't living with his parents. Um, 124 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: but it was their home, like officially, it was their home, 125 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: and it seemed like a redemption story. He'd gone from 126 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: being a criminal to being a young million air with 127 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: a world of possibility stretching out before him. However, this 128 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: was not to be a happily ever after story. You see, folks, 129 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: in addition to being incredibly talented, people also described Daniel 130 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Beckwitt as increasingly paranoid. And it was this paranoia, authorities argue, 131 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: that ultimately lead to murder. Find out how after this 132 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors, here's where it gets crazy. So 133 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: let's introduce the second character in our story. Here, Askaya Kafra, 134 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: a twenty one year old son of immigrants. He was 135 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: a man who believed in the American dream and he 136 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: he had a plan to fulfill that dream. He had 137 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: a startup that was called Equity Shark. You can find 138 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: it on it's He still has a LinkedIn page that 139 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: you can find equity Shark on. It was described as 140 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: quote the future of private securities trading in stealth mode. 141 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: UM sounds interesting to me, and he really believed that 142 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: he could make a fortune inside the United States with 143 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: this idea, but he needed to get some money to 144 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: start it, as you do with a startup. UH. So 145 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: he found this person, Beckquit, and they cracked a deal 146 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: together to have Beckuitt put money in essentially seed money 147 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: into his idea and to create a company. They met online. Yes, 148 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: they didn't for him right, So Beckwitt said, I will 149 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: fund your start up, this new startup, because he had 150 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: a previous one, and in return, I want you to 151 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: help me with a top secret project, very very much 152 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: a secret project. This secret project was being constructed below 153 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: the Bequitt home in Maryland. Daniel beckwittt You see, in 154 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: addition to being a very intelligent cryptocurrency analysts and a 155 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: talented hacker, he was also given to um escalating paranoid thoughts, 156 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: and he was convinced that North Korea the DPRK, was 157 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: about to nuke the United States sooner rather than later. 158 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: And although he lived in Bethesda on the east coast 159 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: of the country, he felt compelled to be prepared for 160 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: what he thought would be uh an imminent and inevitable 161 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 1: nuclear exchange that could lead to you know, a third 162 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: World war, nuclear winter, all those terrible things you've heard 163 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: about in previous episodes of stuff they Don't want you 164 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: to know, available wherever you find your favorite podcast. And again, 165 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: to slightly in Daniel Beckwood's defense, the way the media 166 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 1: was portraying our relationship with North Korea the d b 167 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 1: r K with um of the tensions that existed for real, 168 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: this fear isn't completely unfounded. So well, well, here's the problem. 169 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna be completely honest here. The problem is 170 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: that the way North Korea would deliver a nuclear weapon 171 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: that could reach the US would most likely be an 172 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: i CBM intercontinental ballistic missile. There are a couple that 173 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: they have, and they all kind of stink. The newest 174 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: one is the Hua Song fourteen, which first got launched 175 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: in That's that's the newest one, and it's still is 176 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: probably probably not going to be able to reach the 177 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: eastern coast. The TYPEO dong to which existed before I 178 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: have a little bit in common with backway I read 179 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: up on this stuff as well. The point is that 180 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: North Korea would have to use an alternative delivery system 181 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: like a suit case bomb or something of that nature. 182 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 1: They don't have submarines that could launch them, and they 183 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: don't have missiles that could launch them. So it was 184 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: an obsessive thought. And like anyone who's had an obsessive 185 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: thought will know that these things are like earworms, but 186 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: instead of songs, they are certitudes, and they grow and 187 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: they expand, and they thrive in your mind and they 188 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: eat your thoughts, alive all your other thoughts. So he 189 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: felt like this was inevitable. Like the biblical Noah, he 190 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: felt that he knew a disaster was coming and he 191 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 1: must build something, an impenetrable bunker, some sort of arc 192 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: to preserve himself and maybe his loved ones, maybe his dad. 193 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: The bunker he was building also, in his opinion, needed 194 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: to be constructed in absolute secrecy. His neighbors had no 195 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,439 Speaker 1: idea what was happening underground, and he went to extreme 196 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,479 Speaker 1: links to keep it that way. We found the description 197 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: of how he how he transported Kafra to this to 198 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: this area in Bethesda. It reads like something out of 199 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: a organized crime story or a noir detective film. Uh. Confra, 200 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: by the way, is the fourth person that he has 201 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: hired to do this job. Yeah, so Cafra and his 202 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: family lived in Silver Spring in Maryland, and Beckwood would 203 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: rent a car, get a rental car. He would head 204 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: on over to Silver Spring and pick up Cafra, different 205 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: rental car each time. Yes, exactly, you gotta switch it 206 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: up every time. Then drive to Manassas, Virginia, which is 207 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: about a ninety minute trip. And um again in in 208 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: the mind of beck With, beck With, this is um 209 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: guaranteed secrecy. And this has to do with the way 210 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: cell phone towers, UH pick up your signal depending on 211 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: where you are, and then if you turn off your 212 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: phone while you're over here in this one signal area, 213 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: if someone is still looking for your phone or something, 214 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: that's the last place you were. There's there are all 215 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: kinds of there's all kinds of stuff that went into 216 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 1: this reasoning. There's a there's a logic, yeah, of driving 217 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: that far away, because then once they were there out 218 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: in Manassas, Beckwittwood hand Kafra, who's you know, generally sitting 219 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: in the backseat A pair of these things called blackout glasses, 220 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: which is essentially like putting on a blindfold. Yeah, it's 221 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: a it's a cleaner form of a blindfold and Also, 222 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: it's tougher to remove than a blindfold unless your hands 223 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: are tied. So the weird thing is after after he's 224 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: put this blindfold on the Gay, he would drive them 225 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: around the del Marva area for another hour, So this 226 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: is a two hour and thirty minute trip total. He 227 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: was doing this all because, as you said, Matt, he 228 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: did not want someone to be able to track his 229 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: cell phone and record its position or record what sort 230 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: of in nation was sending and receiving at the time. 231 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: He also made doubly sure two attempt to protect his 232 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: privacy by using spoofing systems that would reroute his data 233 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: from his phone so that whenever it pinned a cell tower, 234 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: the phone would report that he was in Virginia, even 235 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: though at this point he was driving that other ninety 236 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: minutes back to Maryland. Yeah, because Bethesday is not very 237 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: far from the Silver Spring where he went over to 238 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: pick up Coffer in the first place. Right, it's about 239 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: five miles away. This is all just a drive around. 240 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: Confused cofra, confused the cell phone towers just it's a 241 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 1: lot of secrecy, and for some people, some of us listening, 242 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: this could sound indicative of one man slide into mental instability. 243 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: But he was proud of these methods and this was 244 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: not a new thing for him. In twenty sixteen, the 245 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: previous year, Beckwitt presented a talk at Schmoo Con, which, 246 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: despite its hilarious name, yes it's spelled the way you 247 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: think s h m o O con schmoo Khan. It's 248 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: fun to say to Schmukhan, it's a hack. It's a 249 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: hacker con. Schmoo. Okay, I'm back, so yeah, yeah, yeah, 250 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: it's a hacker convention. You're right. He presented this talk 251 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: called this Message will self destructing ten seconds avoiding bilateral 252 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: in nucleation, and it was his response to a hacking challenge. 253 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: The challenge was this, basically, how can you destroy forensic 254 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: evidence that's on a hard drive in sixty seconds or 255 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: less and not destroy all the surrounding stuff? Okay, so 256 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: you can't use a nuclear bomb, not a fire, or 257 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: like a not an uncontrolled fire. I guess right. His 258 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: presentation included references to Peppe the Frog, the meme that 259 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: is so closely associated with the alt right, holidays uh 260 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: and Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh, Timothy McVeigh and Beckwitt 261 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: used the image of the destroyed compact car from Oklahoma 262 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: City to show the dangers of explosions, not the dangers 263 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: that they posed to human life, let's be very clear 264 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:26,400 Speaker 1: about that, but rather that these explosions don't reliably vaporize 265 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: forensic evidence. So in Backwood's minds, mcveigh's uh horrific acts 266 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: of terrorism weren't the focus of his presentation. Instead, the 267 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: fact that the guy was sloppy was the was what 268 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: he was harping on in the example them that the 269 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: method just doesn't work as well. And just to be 270 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,160 Speaker 1: fair to beck with in that presentation, and he had 271 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: memes all over the place, and it was I think 272 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: his attempt to be funny. I I think sure. I mean, 273 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: the world is full of people trying to be funny, right. 274 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: You know the worst part is almost everybody that you 275 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: think of as an absolute monster throughout history probably thought 276 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: they were a pretty funny guy, you know what I mean, 277 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: A pretty funny dude, a person and whatever. So did 278 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: we talk about what he was wearing when he presented. 279 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: We did not. He's wearing like a full on flame 280 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: retardant suit, like chemical level flame retardant it's like breaking 281 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 1: bad when they go to the nice lab. Looks like yes, 282 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: looks like gold metallic materials. And you can't see his 283 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: face because he's got a darkened shield essentially over his 284 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: face plastic shield. Yeah, I mean that's a cool outfit. Yeah, 285 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: I'm no say he's a cool person. But but he 286 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: so does he answer the question, yes, somewhat, but not 287 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: not really. He answers a different question, changes the question. 288 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: He says that first off, you're keeping it on the 289 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: wrong kind of media. You need a flash drive instead 290 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 1: of a hard drive. Flash A flash drive is smaller, 291 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 1: it's easier to transport, and it's much easier to destroy. 292 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 1: And so he teaches people how to make a thermite 293 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: analog called therm mate. This is the same chemical that 294 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: some nine eleven conspiracy journalists believe was responsible for collapsing 295 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,440 Speaker 1: the Twin Towers and Backwitt again. Remember he is objectively 296 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: a very intelligent person. He had invented his own recipe 297 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: for this. He used five legally available, easy to find 298 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: chemicals that you can locate at most hardware stores. That 299 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: ending taught people how to make thermite, and he showed 300 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: that you can you can do like you said, a 301 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: controlled burn. Yeah, and and it really is a pretty 302 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: terrifying substance. Um substances, both thermite and therm mate the 303 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: version of it that he was making, because you could 304 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: put it on the hood of a car, um set 305 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: the stuff on fire or at least started urn on 306 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: this substance, and then it will it will burn so 307 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: hot that it goes right through the engine block on 308 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: a vehicle. It's used in armor piercing for military purposes 309 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: and as well as cutting through steel like as again 310 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: we mentioned, you'll hear um cutting through steel beams, right right. Yeah. Uh. 311 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: It's a mixture of iron oxide F E two oh 312 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 1: three or rust and aluminum powder and when you ignite it, 313 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: the powder reacts with the O three part of the rust, 314 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: producing this very intense temperature. Oh, there are ways to 315 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 1: create it that you can find online that we don't 316 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: recommend you search for. Well, I've I've searched for him. 317 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: But you know, in the in the course of preparing 318 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: for a show, right, and we have that excuse, you 319 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: probably do not. So be careful. What is life if 320 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: not to be lived just to be put on lists 321 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 1: all over the place, because you probably will be back 322 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: Witt probably was to be honest, even if there wasn't 323 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: any particularly nefarious stuff to hide. We have to remember 324 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: that he he had already committed federal level crimes and 325 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: just barely got past it. And now he's teaching people 326 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: how to make these sorts of substances at home and 327 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: back to the tunnel. He's conducting this massive subterranean operation 328 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: and complete secrecy, which means no safety requirements. No one 329 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: else knows about it. Maybe maybe his parents maybe, but 330 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: we don't know. He sends Kafra like he sent other 331 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 1: kids into this tunnel system for days at a time. 332 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: This kid is sleeping there, he's eating there. Yeah, there's 333 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: a there's what looks like a little cot set up 334 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: down there, kind of bed in an old what looks 335 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: like an LCD screen and an Xbox and WiFi inside 336 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: the tunnel. But it is just like a c and 337 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: a fan. But but it's it's not like you're imagining. 338 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: I promise you, it's not like you're imagining. It's not 339 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 1: like a Pinterest tunnel home, right, So he's stuck in 340 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: there for days. These tunnels extend hundreds of feet below 341 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: the ground, like it drops twenty ft below the house, 342 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: and then it stretches out, uh, traversing public roads, other 343 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: people's property. You can see a map of the rough area, 344 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: and there were at least three tunnels. There may have 345 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: been more. But despite all the intricate planning in terms 346 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: of secrecy, this project was not safe. He did not 347 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: put really any any level of planning into safety in 348 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: the infrastructure and into planning for something to go wrong. 349 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: The home also exhibited signs that could be arguably indicative 350 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: of Beckwood's mental state. Uh, the exhibited signs of hoarding. 351 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: There's piles of junk is crap blocking all these hallways, right, 352 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: so you have to if you ever been into a 353 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,640 Speaker 1: home with someone who suffers from um the phenomenon known 354 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: as hoarding, then you know what we're talking about. The 355 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: home transforms into this warring of tiny tunnels and and 356 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: some rooms that you just can't enter because they're piled 357 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 1: with stuff. Then the smell, Oh, the smell. Yeah, there 358 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: was a show about that always used to creep me out, 359 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: you know, the like dead cats are everywhere and they 360 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 1: can't like go of anything. Don't throw away my newspaper 361 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: from three Almost every time it was human extrament, though 362 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:43,360 Speaker 1: that was the worst part when you watch the hosts 363 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 1: every week just like hacking up all of their stomach 364 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: contents on screen for our entertainment. And it's just a 365 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: it's a physiological reaction to it's not a performative thing 366 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: like crying. You just have to do it. And we're 367 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: not in any way detigrating people who encounter that mindset 368 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: or people currently suffer from um the various conditions that 369 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,880 Speaker 1: would cause hoarding. But we do want you to know 370 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: there is a better way you can. You can get help. 371 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: And if you have someone who in your family who 372 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: is a hoarder, you can help them. If they won't 373 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: listen to you, you can help them find a professional 374 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 1: or therapist who will. And I'm not talking about that 375 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: Marie Condo Craze, the does this bring me joy kind 376 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,640 Speaker 1: of thing. God, You're you're talking more like the Long 377 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: Island Medium. I am not talking about. Oh man, that's 378 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: not what I'm I guess that's always kind of what 379 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: I'm talking about. Yeah, us, So maybe hoarding is an 380 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: episode for a different day. Let us know your strangest 381 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: hoarding stories. In the meantime, let's go back to these tunnels. 382 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: Let's go back to what happens on September, and we'll 383 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: get to that right after a quick word from our sponsor. 384 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: On September ten, the local fire department receives increasingly concerned 385 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: calls from neighbors of the Bequett home because you see, 386 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: a fire has appeared to creep out of the tunnels 387 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: that no one knew existed and has begun to burn 388 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: the structure that sat above the underground layer. And yeah, 389 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: there was smoke coming out all the windows on all 390 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: three floors of the home, because you know, you've got 391 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 1: the basement, first level, in the second level. And when 392 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: the firefighters and police get there, they find back with 393 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 1: Daniels out outside. He's shirtless, he's covered in dirt what 394 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: looks to be fresh dirt, and he's stumbling out of 395 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: the house and around the house and he's out of it, 396 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: which may makes sense. He's suffering from smoke inhalation, but 397 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: he is alive and he's mumbling things like I think 398 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: he's in there. I think he's in there. The house 399 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: also survived. Like Beckwitt, the firefighters were able to control 400 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: the flames before they made the structure unrecoverable underneath the 401 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: home firefighters discovered the naked, charred body of a deceased male. 402 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: This was Kafra, and he had likely died from smoke inhalation, 403 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: or at the very least it had caused him to 404 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: lose consciousness in the tunnels where he burned alive. So 405 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: either death is terrible, either death from inhalation slash asphyxiation 406 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:50,400 Speaker 1: or the tremendously gruesome and horrifying death of burning alive. 407 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: And even when you're unconscious, your body is gonna respond, 408 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: and you can feel that has a terrible, terribly tragic 409 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: outcome for both him and his family and friends. He's 410 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: only twenty one years old and cofre had texted Beckwitt 411 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: to let him know he smelled smoke a few hours beforehand, 412 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: and his decision to text was very smart. But Beckwood's 413 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 1: response is probably what spelled confers death sentence. So Beckwood's 414 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: first fear was that the smoke was coming from an 415 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: electrical fire. To fix that, Beckwitt decided to turn off 416 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: the power to the lighting inside the tunnels. Yeah, and 417 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: this is a huge thing to remember here because Confers 418 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: down there alone in the tunnels that you have to 419 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: get down what is and he's down there working, smelling 420 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: this stuff and communicating just via text with the man 421 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,679 Speaker 1: who's upstairs doing whatever he's doing. Um, this is a 422 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: huge point here, Confers down there alone then, and he did, 423 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: and Daniel decides to do what benes it turn off 424 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: the lights right right, And this stuff was also goes 425 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: without saying not up to code that Xbox, the screen 426 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: that you mentioned, Matt, these were all run through extension cords, 427 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: just a giant daisy chain right going down into the cave. 428 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: So Confre had to crawl through these tunnels hoping to 429 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: escape in utter darkness, and he had to crawl through 430 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: these immense piles of garbage and discarded crap laying around 431 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: the house, laying around the tunnels. And the thing about those, um, 432 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: what do't you call him, Matt daisy chains? Yeah, is 433 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: that each each link in the chain increases the risk 434 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: of something going wrong and creating a fire. And back 435 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: with accidentally purposely had designed a death trap. It's quite 436 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: possible that Confer could have escaped had that, had all 437 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: that junk not been blocking the way. So what happens next? 438 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: Coffer's parents take legal action. His father asked the court 439 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: to ensure that a judge ordered David Beckwittt, that's the father, 440 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: and his son, Daniel Beckwittt, to fill in those tunnels 441 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: demolish that home. He went to a neighborhood meeting. He said, 442 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: it was my son who died in that fire. I'm 443 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: emotional because of some of the things you all are 444 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: presenting have been sanitized. I came here because I wanted 445 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: to let people know how dangerous what was going on is. 446 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: This thing is far more extensive and complicated than people 447 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: here believe it to be. Wow. And then in December, 448 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: Montgomery County, they they took the side of cow for 449 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: his family, and they followed it. They followed a lawsuit 450 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: of their own, and they demanded that the home itself 451 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: be demolished. And again they're all these neighbors and everyone 452 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: complaining about the home as well. So it's becoming more 453 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: of a swell than just you know, one family saying 454 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: we need to get rid of this for this reason. 455 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: It's everybody saying this is a This is not only 456 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: an eyesore and a tragedy and a reminder of what happened, 457 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: but we we just need to get rid of this thing. 458 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: It's dangerous. Um the Beckway family. However, the people who 459 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: actually owned the home, they appealed the lawsuit. Um they 460 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: disregarded the county's order, and they countered with an offer 461 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: of their own. And they said, well, hey, why don't 462 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: we fix the burned home. Will remediate the tunnel complex. 463 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: You guys won't have to worry about that anymore, uh, 464 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: and it will just look like a regular house. The 465 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: county reportedly responded by informing the Beckwits that this plan 466 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: to you know, just fix up the house and everything 467 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: and fill in the whole quote significantly misses the severity 468 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: of the situation. And I personally would have to agree. 469 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: So let's let's get into of actually being on trial. 470 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,959 Speaker 1: Daniel Beckwitt's on trial and he's being charged with second 471 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: degree murder, but with a little caveat that I was 472 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: unaware of before we started researching this. Spin rights judge 473 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: in Montgomery County presided over the Bequwitt trial late April 474 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: and found him guilty of committee depraved heart, second degree 475 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: murder in the death of Kafra. And this crime could 476 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: put Beckwett in prison for three decades. In reaching the 477 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: verdict of Jews determined Beckwett had acted with extreme disregard 478 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: for human life. So what is deprived heart murder? It's 479 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: it's strange it exists in Maryland but not a lot 480 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: of other states. So the most serious of homicide charges, 481 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: if we all remember our law and order, his first 482 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: degree murder, premeditated act. I wanted them dead. I did 483 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: it on purpose. The only flaws that you caught me. 484 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: Manslaughter is the least serious, and that's charged when there's 485 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: no malice present. I'm an idiot. I don't know how 486 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 1: to drive. Someone died. I didn't plan it. I'm not 487 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: glad that they're dead. Uh, but I'm I'm a terrible driver. 488 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: That that could be manslaughter. For deprived heart second degree murder, 489 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: the prosecution rules somewhere in between. The defendant committed a 490 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: deliberate act that was so dangerous it showed the defendant 491 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: had total indifference to someone's life. There are three elements 492 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: that have to be present for something to be depraved 493 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: heart murder. All three have to be proven to provide 494 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: a guilty verdict. These are one the death was caused 495 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: by the defendant somehow, in some way. There was a 496 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: very high risk that was caused by the defendant's actions 497 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: to the life of the person who ended up dying. 498 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: That's too. And then the defendant was aware that his 499 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: or her actions would be dangerous in some way like that, 500 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: and yet they acted anyway without regard for the consequences 501 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 1: to that person. Three boom, boom boom. The Backwitt homicide 502 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: ticks all the boxes there. So, so Daniel Beckwit, regardless 503 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: of his mental state, his malevolence or lack there of, 504 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: his intention to kill or lack there of, uh, has 505 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,239 Speaker 1: been found guilty of having a depraved heart. Yeah, I mean, 506 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: second degree murder. The jury came back and they said 507 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,959 Speaker 1: you're you're guilty. And it seems fairly certain in conclusion 508 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: here that back what, whatever his mental state may have been, 509 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: did not intend Kaffret to die because he had hired 510 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: again three other acquaintances to work on the tunnels in 511 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: the past. Yeah, there's uh. I mean, if you look 512 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: through just the reporting on this thing and some of 513 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: the court documents, you can find that there was a 514 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: guy named Douglas Hart who testified that he I think 515 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: he excavated for around six months before deciding to not 516 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: do the job anymore. And within that testimony he quoted. 517 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: He was quoted as saying he left because he was 518 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: concerned for his ten year old dog, and he had 519 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 1: grown tired of the work. And if it's anything, if 520 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: his situation was anything like um conference situation, he was 521 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: probably living in those tunnels with his dog uh down there, 522 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: sleeping and going to the bathroom in a bucket, the 523 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: way Coffer was. And it just seems like a It 524 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: seems like a bad situation, even if you are getting 525 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 1: paid pretty well, no kidding. But the problem here is 526 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: that it's while it is a bad situation, While this 527 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: is a tragedy, it is not unique. There are no 528 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: reliable estimates on just how many people are building secret 529 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 1: bunkers across this country. But we know it is virtually 530 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: certain that this cannot be the only one we've done. 531 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: We've done numerous shows on secret bunkers that were treated 532 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 1: first as conspiracy theories and then later discovered. This is 533 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: just the only difference here is that this bunker was 534 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: discovered before it was completed. You can check out our 535 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 1: interview with Garrett Grath wherein he outlines the discovery of 536 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 1: a congressional bunker that was hidden beneath a hotel for 537 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: decades and decades. They're out there, uh and there. You know, 538 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:56,919 Speaker 1: even if you don't live in the US there, they're 539 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: probably some in your neck of the woods. So we 540 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: will to know what you think of this case. What 541 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: do you think of bunkers in general? Are there any 542 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 1: suspected secret bunkers around you? And what do you think 543 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: is gonna happen to retrial? Because they're already requesting a 544 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: retrial or at least another day in court an appeal, right, 545 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 1: so we'll see. Yeah, financial might makes right in the 546 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: U s. Judicial system, and Backwood is well equipped to 547 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: fight any any finding. You know, the rules are just 548 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: different in the US judicial system. If you have access 549 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,239 Speaker 1: to millions of dollars. All right, well, hey tell us 550 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,760 Speaker 1: what you think. Find us on Instagram, find us on Twitter, 551 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: on Facebook, all of those different places. We are conspiracy 552 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,279 Speaker 1: stuff at most conspiracy stuff show at others you are 553 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 1: Ben bowling hs w yes on Twitter. I'm also just 554 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 1: playing old Ben Boland at Instagram. You can see me 555 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 1: get kicked out of and into various countries, regions, and states, 556 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: the traveling man. You're just rambling around, aren't your rambler? 557 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 1: That's awesome. I don't do that. I stay at home 558 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: with my kids so you can follow me and my 559 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: Instagram is not available. Okay, if you don't wanna find 560 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:10,720 Speaker 1: us on social media and you don't like that stuff, 561 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:12,439 Speaker 1: you can give us a call. We are one eight 562 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 1: three three S T D W Y T K. Leave 563 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: a message and be sure to remember that that message 564 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 1: should be three minutes long or less. If you really want, 565 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: you can leave a multipart message. But also let us 566 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 1: know if you do or do not wish to be identified. Yes, 567 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: any specifics like that? Uh, and also make us laugh 568 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 1: if you can, because that is our favorite thing after 569 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 1: researching something like this episode. Just give us a little lightheartedness. Yeah, awesome, Yeah, 570 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: shout out to our super moods who live in the 571 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,279 Speaker 1: digital bunker of Facebook. Don't say hi to them. And 572 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 1: the best part of this show your fellow listeners on 573 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,720 Speaker 1: our Facebook page. Here's where it gets crazy. But wait, 574 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 1: you might be saying, whatever happened to your email? Don't 575 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,440 Speaker 1: you have one of those I hate talking on the phone. 576 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 1: I totally get it, and we have your back. You 577 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: can reach us directly. We are conspiracy at I heart 578 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:29,840 Speaker 1: radio dot com. Stuff they don't want you to Know 579 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,320 Speaker 1: is a production of I heart Radio's How Stuff Works. 580 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 581 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 1: heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 582 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.