1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised. 2 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 2: One of the things that Rick and his partner are 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: informed of early on is that the night that the 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: murder occurred was actually the same as the summer solstice. 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a nonfiction author and journalism professor 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: in Austin, Texas. I'm also the co host of the 7 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: podcast Buried Bones on Exactly Right, and throughout my career, 8 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: research for my many audio and book projects has taken 9 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: me around the world. On Wicked Words, I sit down 10 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: with the people I've met along the way, amazing writers, journalists, filmmakers, 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: and podcasters who have investigated and reported on notorious true 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: crime cases. This is about the choices writers make, both 13 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: good and bad, and it's a deep dive into the 14 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: unpublished details behind their stories. In nineteen ninety, a UCLA 15 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: student was found murdered in a tunnel in la Detective 16 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: Rick Jackson and his partner were assigned to the complicated case. 17 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: Who had a motive to stab ron Baker was the 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: pentagram pendant around his necka clue. Author Matthew McGough and 19 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: detective Rick Jackson tell the story in their book Black Tunnel, 20 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: White Magic, a murder a detective's obsession in nineties Los 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: Angeles on the Brink. So we're going to go back 22 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: and forth because you guys co wrote this book together. 23 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: Matt a very experienced true crime author who has been 24 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: on the show before with the Lazarus Files. And then 25 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: you know, we have a retired detective, Rick Jackson. He 26 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: works cold cases now and he actually worked on this case. 27 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: So let's start with you, Matt. Okay, So this is 28 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: if we're setting the scene. We're in nineteen ninety it's June. First, 29 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: tell me what city we're in and kind of give 30 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: me the lay of the land a little bit. What's 31 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: it like. 32 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 2: So this story, yes, as you said, it takes place 33 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: in June nineteen ninety is when it begins, and it's 34 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: in the city of Los Angeles and specifically in a 35 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: city park called Chatsworth Park. That's the very northwest reaches 36 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 2: of Los Angeles County, about as far north and west 37 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: as you can go in LA and while still being 38 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 2: within the city of LA. But it's pretty rustic. It's 39 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 2: actually quite a beautiful park. People do things like mountaineering 40 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: and hiking. It's like very rugged, and it's late on 41 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 2: the night of June twenty when there's fourteenagers who are 42 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: basically just out for a thrill. They are aware that 43 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: there's a railroad tunnel above Chatsworth Park and at that 44 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: time it was common for teenagers to hike up to 45 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: the railroad tunnel and just to get a thrill out 46 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 2: of it, go inside the tunnel, which was very dark, 47 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: and stand against the walls while the train went through, 48 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 2: press yourself against the wall and feel the train rushed by. 49 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: So it was it was close to midnight when these 50 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 2: teenagers went up there, two boys and two young women. 51 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: The boys had been there before, but the girls they 52 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 2: were with had not, so they hike up there and 53 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: on this day they get about halfway inside the tunnel 54 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 2: when they stumble upon a body and obviously flee running 55 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 2: out of the tunnel down the hill and go knock 56 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: on some doors until someone askers, and they called nine 57 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: to one one and the police respond and discover yes, 58 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: it is the body of a young man with curly hair, 59 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: kind of a slight physique and no id and he's 60 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: been stabbed several times and his throat has been slowed. 61 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: And because there's no idea on the body. It's what's 62 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: known as a John Doe. So the police document the rhyme, scene, 63 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 2: collect whatever evidence is there, and the body if the 64 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 2: victim is transported to the mark. 65 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: Tell me about the difficulties of a John Doe case 66 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: in general, or a Jane Doe case. I mean, obviously, 67 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: you know you don't have this person identified in nineteen 68 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: ninety pre cell phones. You know at that time period. 69 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: What's the first thing that an LAPD detective would do 70 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: to try to establish the identity of a John Doe. 71 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: Is it looking through missing person reports? 72 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 3: Yeah? 73 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 4: Well, after the crime scene, that's the most important initial 74 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 4: thing is to control the crime scene. Of course, it 75 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 4: was the middle of the night in a kind of 76 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 4: a remote park, so there's not a lot of hikers 77 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 4: and other people up there at that time, so you 78 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 4: isolate the crime scene. It's pretty isolated already in a tunnel, 79 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 4: and you really document everything with photographs, your notes, diagrams, 80 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 4: print people up there to recover things that you think 81 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 4: might later be printed at the laboratory or bitter condition. 82 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 4: So that's the first thing, and you do and eventually 83 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 4: what you'll do not so much at the crime scene 84 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 4: but back at the station is make calls, check on 85 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 4: current missing persons. You'll run their fingerprints. You'll take fingerprints 86 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 4: once the corner's office gets there, and then run them 87 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 4: through whatever databases you can see if that person has 88 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 4: any kind of an arrest director or can be identified 89 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 4: through prints. There's numerous other sources that you can go through, 90 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 4: but those are the initial ones. But that takes place 91 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 4: once you lead the crime scene. The crime scene is 92 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 4: strictly about the crime scene, and you're not going to 93 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 4: worry about anythings as far as trying to identify him 94 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 4: at the location. 95 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: Okay, one more question for you before we go back 96 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: to the main part of the story with Matt So 97 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: Paul Hols talks about people who love to insert themselves 98 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: in criminal cases for various reasons. I'm curious about, kind 99 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: of looking back at your career, I'm thinking about these 100 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: four teenagers who discovered the body and then reported it. 101 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: Looking back at your career, how often have the people 102 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: who report a crime, especially a murder, are they actually 103 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: involved or is it actually pretty rare in you know, 104 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: your understanding. 105 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 4: It's rare in my experience, and I think it's rare 106 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 4: in general experiences. 107 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 3: Of most homicide detectives to rank. 108 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 4: You asked that question because eventually the name of one 109 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 4: person of those four that were at the crime scene 110 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 4: not a really common name. Another clue comes forward within 111 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 4: a day or so where a person that we want 112 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 4: to interview eventually because of our victim's background, once we 113 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 4: identifying him, had the same name, and I'm thinking, wait 114 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 4: a minute, it's not that common of a name for 115 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 4: him to show up. 116 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 3: And both of them. 117 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 4: That just raised some hairs on my back of my 118 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 4: neck because I thought there was something that definitely we 119 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 4: had to consider. And then it eventually went away. But 120 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 4: it was interesting because this case for a short second 121 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 4: almost described the situation. 122 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: Asked me about Yeah, I was curious about that. Okay, good, 123 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: So Matt, when we left you, you had described the body. 124 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: How many stab wounds did you say? Again, I'm sorry, 125 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: Oh many? 126 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 2: Rick may be able to recall the precise number, but 127 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 2: many injuries to the torso and then also a really 128 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: deep slashing knife wound across the neck that no question 129 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 2: would have been fatal on its out. 130 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 4: I think there were about fifteen stab wounds, pretty significant 131 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 4: stab wounds. There were the defensive cuts on the hands, 132 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 4: which became important because you know about the potential for 133 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 4: something under the nails because of the close contact situation. 134 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 4: But they were to the front, the back, the lower 135 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 4: extremities the hands, and then, like Matt said, pretty extreme slashing. 136 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 3: Of the neck. 137 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: Now I'm going to ask you again, Rick about this. 138 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: So I've always thought and I feel like conventional wisdom 139 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: says that when you have that many stab wounds, right, 140 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: it's quote unquote overkill. It must be a personal vendetta 141 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: somebody who knows and they are trying to send a 142 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: message and they're angry. And then when I talked to 143 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: Paul about cases that range from the eighteen hundreds to 144 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: the early nineteen hundreds, he said, not all the time. 145 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: Sometimes people are just scared and want to make sure 146 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: that the person's dead. Sometimes a person's moving around so 147 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: much that you have to stab them that many times. 148 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: And so I thought that was interesting. I always thought 149 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: that went into profiling, you know, who is the person 150 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: who would have done this, But when when you have 151 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: somebody laying in a tunnel in a major city like LA, 152 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: that seems to complicate things eveningmore to know whether this 153 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: is somebody who knows him or somebody who was using 154 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: this as a crime of opportunity for some reason. 155 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 2: This also was not just any tunnel. Yes, on one level, 156 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 2: it's just a rather remote, isolated railroad tunnel that commuter 157 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: trains would pass through. But it's also important to add 158 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 2: that within half a mile, you know as the proflies 159 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 2: from this tunnel, was the Spawn Movie Ranch, which is 160 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: where Charles Manson and his followers launched their crime spree 161 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: from in nineteen sixty nine, which again was much more 162 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 2: recent and fresh in the mind of people in Los 163 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: Angeles in nineteen ninety than it is today, and the 164 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 2: specter of the Manson crimes was such that this tunnel, 165 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 2: sometime between nineteen sixty nine and nineteen ninety received an 166 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 2: unofficial nickname as the Manson Tunnel. And one of the 167 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 2: striking things that Rick and the other officers saw when 168 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 2: they went up to this tunnel is that there was 169 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: a lot of pentagram graffiti and other things that sort 170 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 2: of bolstered, at least in terms of rumors and reputation, 171 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 2: that this is a place with satanic overtones, something of a. 172 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 5: Magnet to people who might. 173 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 2: Be interested in the occult as a gathering place where 174 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 2: people would possibly do rituals. So a lot of those 175 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: ideas are kind of swirling around this place, and it 176 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 2: was probably part of the thrill for these teenagers to 177 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: go up there, because it is very dark, more than 178 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: a little bit scary. 179 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: It's like going to a haunted house. 180 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there's literally pentagrams that are spray painted 181 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 2: on the walls of the tunnel as you enter, and 182 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 2: actually in big spray painted letters above the entrance to 183 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 2: the tunnel was spray painted the phrase holy Terror. So again, 184 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 2: it's like a creepy, creepy place known as the Manson Tunnel, 185 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 2: and it's sort of the last thing that these teenagers 186 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 2: are expecting to find when they go in. But you 187 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 2: can visualize how terrifying it must have been to them 188 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 2: to go in there and really only lit by I 189 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 2: think the boys maybe had a cigarette lighter or two, 190 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 2: but to come upon what they found. And then again, 191 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 2: kind of the occult annotation that surrounded the location of 192 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 2: the murder provided the seeds for a lot of the 193 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: media attention that would develop in time around the case. 194 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 4: I should also add that our victim, John Doe, wore 195 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 4: a pentagram necklace around his neck that was one of 196 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 4: the that was the only personal property he had on him. 197 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: That night, we were talking about them discovering the body 198 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 1: and Rickywit's had probably the fifteen stab wounds. What did 199 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: you think about the overkill theory versus you know, just like, 200 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:33,599 Speaker 1: if you want him dead, you're going to have to 201 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: stab him many times. It doesn't have to be a 202 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: personal thing. 203 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 4: I wasn't, you know, eventually, when I found that out 204 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 4: a couple of days later, once I became involved, I 205 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 4: wasn't that convinced either way. You know, you're aware of 206 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 4: the potential personal connection and overkilled, but also it was 207 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 4: obviously there was at least some limited struggle and flailing 208 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 4: because his hands were getting knife wounds, his back, so things, 209 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 4: it was rolling around and other things going on during 210 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 4: the fight that led to his eventual demise. So you 211 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 4: just leave that open until you dive into it a 212 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 4: little bit further. 213 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So, Matt, what we know about this person is 214 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: it's a young man, curly hair, and he had been 215 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: stabbed many many times, and it sounds like had been 216 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: fighting back because he had defensive wounds. So what happens next? 217 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: What did the police do next? 218 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 2: So there's a pair of detectives from the Devonshire Police Division, 219 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 2: which is the area, the part of LA where the 220 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 2: crime occurred. And so there's two homicide detectives who take 221 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: charge of this John Doe case. So they are trying 222 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 2: to do things like you suggested, check missing persons reports, 223 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: call hospitals to find out, you know, if anyone had 224 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 2: been reported missing, or just to do the due diligence 225 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 2: to try to figure out who this is. 226 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 5: So there's one. 227 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 2: Police investigation that's focused entirely on identifying who this rictimus. 228 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 2: Separately from that, the same night as the teenagers are 229 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 2: hiking up to the tunnel, there's a family in Woodland Hills, 230 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: which is part of the San Fernando Valley here in 231 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 2: Los Angeles. It's a couple, Gail and Ka Baker, and 232 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 2: it's late that night, close to midnight. Mom has already 233 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 2: gone to sleep and Dad is sort of dozing in 234 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 2: front of the TV when the phone rings and he 235 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: wakes up and he picks up the phone and he 236 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 2: hears a strange voice, almost as if the person it 237 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: sounds to him, as if it's someone disguising their voice, 238 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 2: not using their true voice. And he hears this strange 239 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 2: voice on the phone say, mister Baker, we have your son. 240 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 2: If you don't pay us one hundred thousand dollars by tomorrow, 241 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 2: he will be killed. And mister Baker is really confused. 242 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 2: I mean he's just woken up and he gets this 243 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 2: phone call. And so his son is Ron, who's a 244 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: student at UCLA junior at UCLA, lives in an apartment 245 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 2: Van Eyes with two friends. And so mister Baker calls 246 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: Ron's apartment and one of the roommate's answers, yes, is 247 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 2: Ron home, And the roommate says no, he left earlier 248 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 2: that night to go to UCLA and that he hadn't 249 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 2: come home, and mister Baker says, well, when he comes home, 250 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 2: please have him call me right away. Mister Baker generally 251 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 2: assumes that it's some sort of a prank or something, 252 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 2: goes to sleep, doesn't call the police. The next morning, 253 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 2: mid morning at the Baker family home, the phone rings 254 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 2: again and it's the same strange voice who repeats the 255 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 2: exact same message, mister Baker, we have your son. If 256 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 2: you don't pay us hundred thousand dollars, he will be killed. 257 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 2: At this point, the Baker's call the apartment again, they're 258 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 2: informed by the roommates that Ron never came home last night, 259 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: and so at this point they are second guessing his 260 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 2: initial sense that this is some sort of harbless pranktice 261 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: may actually be something quite serious. And so the Bakers 262 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 2: call the LAPD and report these two ransom kidnapping calls. 263 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: Do they say, what to do? They say, we've got 264 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: your kid. We need one hundred thousand dollars from you. 265 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: Are there more instructions after that? 266 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 3: No, no, there's not. 267 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 2: And you know, when the Fakers call the police and 268 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 2: report these first two calls, officers respond to their home 269 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 2: and actually set up a wiretap on the phone in 270 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: case there are further calls and further instructions. But that 271 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 2: third call never comes. So it's it's just the call 272 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 2: the previous night and the call the following morning. And 273 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 2: then the Bakers contact the police and a kidnapping slash 274 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 2: missing person's report is generated about Ron, finding where Ron is, 275 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 2: and so there's a period of a couple of days 276 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 2: where these two separate investigations want to kidnapping missing persons 277 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 2: and second a John Doe homicide, And it takes about 278 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 2: forty eight hours before the dots are connected that there's 279 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 2: an unidentified body at the morgue who matches the description 280 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 2: of the missing person in this kidnapping ransom investigation. 281 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 5: And it's at that. 282 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 2: Point, because it's obviously a complex case and a serious case, 283 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: that the decision is made at the LAPD that this 284 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: is a case that should be investigated by a Robbery 285 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 2: Hobicide division, which is the unit the Brick was part of, 286 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 2: specifically the Major Crimes unit within Robbery Homicide, which handles 287 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 2: all the most complex and high profile murder cases. So 288 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 2: Rick Jackson and his partner Frank Garcia are assigned the case, 289 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 2: and they're the ones who are charged with going to 290 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 2: the Baker House and giving the parents the terrible news 291 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 2: is the victim of a murder. 292 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: Rick, did you need for the parents to come down 293 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: to positively identify Ron. 294 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 3: Eventually they did. 295 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 4: We didn't go out there until the murder happened on 296 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 4: a Thursday night. We got involved on Sunday evening, and 297 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 4: so by the time we got there, it was you know, 298 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 4: nine thirty, ten o'clock at night, and so eventually they 299 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 4: did go down without us to make the identification. But 300 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 4: based on photographs and things that have been obtained, and 301 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 4: the physical description and the necklace and things like that, 302 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,120 Speaker 4: we knew it was wrong. And as a homicide detective, 303 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 4: that is easily the worst part of the job is 304 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 4: to having, is to be the one to have to 305 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 4: make personal notification family. 306 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 3: It's understandably it's awful to have to do that. 307 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: Matt. What did Rick and Frank and you know, anybody 308 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: else who's trying to get information? What did they learn 309 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: about Ronald Baker after he's been positively identified and they've 310 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: talked to his parents. 311 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 2: Just from speaking with the family, I think they knew 312 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 2: the basics about Ron's background, that he was a student 313 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 2: at UCLA. He was a really intelligent, sensitive guy, very 314 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 2: active in organizations like Amnesty International. He was a big environmentalist. 315 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 2: His family was very involved in their church Brick Was 316 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 2: it Methodist? 317 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 3: I believed, yeah. I think it was a Methodist. 318 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 5: Yeah. 319 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 2: So the parents were very, very involved in their local church, 320 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 2: and Ron and his sister Patty were both raised within 321 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 2: the church. So he had a kind of religious background, 322 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: but he had a very curious, searching personality. 323 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 5: Ron did, so he had. 324 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 2: This background in Christianity and he was involved in things 325 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 2: like the Methodist youth group at UCLA. But at the 326 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: same time he was really interested in world religions, and 327 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 2: sometime before the murder, had become very interested in Wicca. 328 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 2: If you're not familiar with it, it's like a pagan religion 329 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 2: or philosophy, being in tune with nature, worshiping the sun 330 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 2: and the moon. 331 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 5: And among the holidays for people who believe in Wicca. 332 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 2: Are you know astronomical phenomenon, So the solstices and the equinox, 333 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: and you know days when the stars are aligned in 334 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 2: a certain way, those are causes for celebration. 335 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 5: And one of the. 336 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 2: Things that Rick and his partner are informed of early 337 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 2: on is that the night that the murder occurred was 338 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 2: actually the same as the summer solstice, which is the 339 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 2: first day of summer and the longest day of the 340 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:57,920 Speaker 2: year and a Wicca holy day. And after informing Ron's 341 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 2: parents of his death, the next day, Rick and his 342 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,239 Speaker 2: partner go to interview Ron's roommates and they visit his 343 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 2: apartment and one of the roommates was not there because 344 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 2: he had left town a few days earlier for a 345 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 2: pre planned family reunion, but a second roommate, whose name 346 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 2: was Duncan Martinez was at the apartment and Rick and 347 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 2: his partner Frank met him and were told by Duncan 348 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 2: that Ron had gone to UCLA that night to celebrate 349 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 2: the Summer Solstice with some of his friends in a 350 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 2: club at UCLA called the Mystic Circle. 351 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 5: It was a. 352 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 2: Student group that was collection of students who were all 353 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 2: interested in different aspects of the occult and religion and philosophy, 354 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 2: not at all any sort of Satanic worship type of stuff, 355 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 2: more just broader questioning of religion and the world and 356 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: nature and things like that. It seemed right from the start, 357 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 2: between the location where the body was found being the 358 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 2: bats and Tunnel, the fact that Ron was really into 359 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 2: WICCA and was a member of this club at UCLA, 360 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 2: and the murder occurred on the night of the Summer 361 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 2: Solstice all pointed in a direction that that kind of 362 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 2: couldn't be ignored, even as it seemed a little bit 363 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,199 Speaker 2: far fetched that there would be a murder related to, 364 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 2: you know, some some sort of satanic motive. 365 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: Rick, when the roommate Duncan tells you this, you and 366 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: Frank I assume go and try to confirm this story. 367 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: Did you find that this is what happened with Ronald 368 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: that night? Did he go to this meeting? I mean, 369 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: did this all add up to you all? 370 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, the roommates had mentioned that they had dropped them off. 371 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 4: At Ron didn't drive. He kind of notoriously bad history 372 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 4: of driving, and so he finally just stopped driving and 373 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 4: took busses everywhere in including the UCLA. So they said 374 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 4: they had drive him off about eight thirty to catch 375 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 4: a bus or late bus over to UCLA to be 376 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 4: with his Mystic Circle friends. It's basically what he had 377 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 4: told them. So eventually we did identify the Mystic Circle 378 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 4: group with the UCLA police. We did some research for 379 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 4: us and we had a flyer that we found in 380 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 4: Ron's room about the Mystic Circle and we had a 381 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 4: contact name on there to contact. So we did follow 382 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 4: up on that to see if there was some knowledge 383 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 4: of a group getting together on the night of the 384 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 4: Summer Solstice to do some kind of celebration, and that 385 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 4: was struck out there. We found nobody that had any 386 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 4: organized plan, No one had seen Ron, There was no 387 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 4: known contact with anybody from that group on that day, 388 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 4: so we were kind of back to square one. 389 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: So that could either mean that Duncan is full of 390 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: it and lying about all of this, or that Ronald's 391 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: plans totally changed after he was dropped off. Is that 392 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: what y'all were looking at. 393 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, well that's the possibility. 394 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 4: You know, we need to check out the Duncan in 395 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 4: his roommate. And also there was the other roommate, Nathan Blaylock, 396 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 4: who was at the family reunion by the time we 397 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 4: got involved. His girlfriend had visited that night and she 398 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 4: confirmed all this that ron had told her he was 399 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 4: going over to u CLA independently of them. Okay, so 400 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 4: that's what we were stuck with, and that's where the 401 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 4: whole mystery part of it is involved. And I should 402 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 4: say Duncan Martinez was very cooperative, very seemingly distraught. There 403 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 4: were a couple of female friends over who were friends 404 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,719 Speaker 4: with the roommates and with ron that were there for 405 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 4: support and trying to figure out what they can do, 406 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 4: and we interviewed all of them that first meeting Mayo 407 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 4: at Duncan, which was the next day after the notification. 408 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 3: Of the family. 409 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 2: Like Rick said, there was a lot of due diligence 410 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 2: that they had to do to determine whether or not 411 00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,640 Speaker 2: this story of Ron being dropped off at the bus 412 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 2: stop was sure or not, but doing that due diligence 413 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 2: took time. Eventually, over the next days and weeks, Rank 414 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: and his partner staked out the bus route that Ron 415 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 2: supposedly took that night, interviewed the bus drivers who were 416 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 2: driving that route. No one had seen Ron, so there 417 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 2: was a lot of investigation that they had to do 418 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,680 Speaker 2: into this story. But there was something that Duncan told 419 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,639 Speaker 2: Rick and Frank that first interview that I think raised 420 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 2: their hackles a little bit, even though it didn't really 421 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 2: make sense. There was no indication at all that there 422 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 2: was any sort of animosity between Ron and Duncan and Nathan, 423 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 2: his two roommates. Do you want me to recount it? 424 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 2: Or Rick, do you want to explain what that thing 425 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 2: that Duncan said was that just struck you? And Frank 426 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 2: as odd. 427 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 428 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 4: That Monday we go over and eventually Frank and I 429 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 4: both interviewed the two females first that were there just 430 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 4: to get back on iron and things of that nature. 431 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 4: And Frank finished his interview with the one female first, 432 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 4: and so he began interviewing Duncan. And these were all 433 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 4: separate interviews they weren't done in the same room, we'd 434 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 4: go into a different room. So everybody there's some consistency, 435 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 4: and we don't want others being influenced by the other 436 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 4: things of that nature. And so after Frank's interview with 437 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 4: Duncan and we left that night and driving back downtown, 438 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 4: he told me, actually I didn't hear it, but Frank 439 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,199 Speaker 4: told me that Duncan had said something that kind of 440 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 4: bothered him a little bit. And that was that On Saturday, 441 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 4: so two days after the murder, he and Nathan decided 442 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 4: to go out and try to be proactive. And that's 443 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 4: one detective told them, you know, reach out, go to 444 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 4: places he used to go, things like that, and they 445 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 4: said they went to Chatsworth Park, that he and Nathan 446 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 4: went to Chatsworth Park on Saturday morning to look for 447 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 4: Ron and they looked around the park, which was huge, 448 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 4: and then they went up to the tunnel and they said, 449 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 4: in retrospect, we don't know why we went up to tunnel. 450 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 4: We decided not to go in and then we left 451 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,919 Speaker 4: and you know, that was the end of it. And 452 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 4: Frank would say, well, why would you go to this 453 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 4: park that Ron liked to go to if somebody had 454 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 4: kidnapped him. Why would you go to the park, you know, 455 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,719 Speaker 4: because kidnappers aren't in the habit of taking people the 456 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 4: places they liked to go. Kidnappers take people other places 457 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 4: that worked best for a quote unquote kidnapping. And that 458 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 4: bothered Frank a little bit, And so I played the 459 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 4: devil's advocate, you know, said, well, you know, maybe they 460 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 4: just didn't know what else to do. They had to 461 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 4: do something. Nervous energy just we've got to do something 462 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 4: to find our friend, help our friends. So maybe they 463 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 4: just went there. But I thought it was a little 464 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 4: strange too. It was just very coincidental for him to 465 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,199 Speaker 4: bring that up. So that in itself didn't mean a 466 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 4: whole whole lot, but it put a little place marker 467 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 4: in our mind about you know, we need to work 468 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 4: a little harder on on the two roommates as well, 469 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 4: because there were their own old bis for each other 470 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 4: and what they had done that night. 471 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: But did everybody know at this point that he had 472 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: been found It was positively identified. He was in the 473 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: tunnel already. 474 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 2: Let me try to clarify the timeline. Thursday night is 475 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 2: when the body is found as a John Doe and 476 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 2: also the family receiving these ransom calls. But the body 477 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 2: is not identified as Ron until Sunday. 478 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: Oh okay, So unless. 479 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 2: You're involved in the murder, you should not know until 480 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 2: Sunday that Ron is dead. 481 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 1: Okay, now I get it. 482 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 2: The belief among all of his friends is that Ron 483 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 2: has been kidnapped. Now we know factually Ron is already 484 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 2: dead because his body was found on Thursday night, but 485 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 2: no one else knows that except for the police until Sunday, 486 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 2: when and the police go to Ron's family and inform him. 487 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 2: Up to that point, Ron was a missing person's case. 488 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 5: Wow. 489 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 2: And so the thing that struck Rick's partner Frank Garcia 490 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 2: as odd is, Okay, your roommate is supposedly kidnapped, and 491 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 2: you decide that you're going to go look for him, 492 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 2: and you're telling us that the place that you went 493 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 2: to go look for him is where his body was 494 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 2: actually found. And when they asked him why that's odd 495 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 2: that you would go look for him at Chestsworth Park. 496 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 2: Why would you go there? His answer was, well, we 497 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 2: know that Ron used to like to go to Chatsboroth 498 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 2: Park to meditate, and we thought that maybe he was 499 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 2: up there. But again, That doesn't make sense because if 500 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 2: you're a kidnapping victim, you don't get to choose where 501 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: you want to go. 502 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 5: You don't get to. 503 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: Say, let's take me somewhere where I like to go meditate. 504 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 2: You go wherever the kidnappers are going to take you. 505 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 2: And so it was very odd for these guys at 506 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 2: a point in time when no one knew that Ron 507 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:03,959 Speaker 2: was dead and no one knew that his body had 508 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,479 Speaker 2: been discovered in this remote place, that they went to 509 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,719 Speaker 2: go looking for Rob in that place. Now, it doesn't 510 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,479 Speaker 2: rise to a motive or any anything like that. It 511 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 2: was just it was just strange and kind of inexplicable 512 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 2: that they would do that. So I think that's a 513 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: seed of doubt that gets planted very early in their 514 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 2: first interaction with Duncan Martinez, and significantly, by everyone's account, 515 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 2: Duncan and Nathan are the last two people to see 516 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 2: Rob alive, and they're both telling the same story that 517 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,239 Speaker 2: they dropped him off at the bus stop together and 518 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 2: they never saw him again that night, and he told 519 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 2: them the same story that he was going to use 520 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 2: Cla to celebrate the summer solstice with his mystic circle friends, 521 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 2: and so again Rick and Frank have to look at 522 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 2: Duncan and Nathan because they're the last people seen with him. 523 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 2: So they really want to try to eliminate. 524 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 5: Them to suspects because again. 525 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 2: There's no sense at all of no money problems, no 526 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 2: personal problems, there's no sense of any of that. 527 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 5: So they're just. 528 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 2: Trying to confirm these guys stories that Ron got on 529 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 2: the bus and went to UCLA. But they keep running 530 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 2: into problems when they try to confirm that because they 531 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 2: speak to bus drivers, they show photos of Ron, they 532 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 2: speak to bus passengers. 533 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 5: No one saw Ron get on the bus that night. 534 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 2: None of the drivers they interviewed, all of the drivers 535 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 2: who were driving buses that night, no one recognized Ron. 536 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 2: No one remember seeing him get on the bus get 537 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 2: off the bus. None of his friends in use CLA 538 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: had made plans with him. And so it's a combination 539 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 2: of these factors that I think caused Rick and Frank 540 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 2: to hone in on Duncan and Nathan. 541 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: What is the motive of Duncan or you know, Nathan, 542 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: or whoever is saying we went to the park, we 543 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,479 Speaker 1: went to the tunnel before he's found. If they are 544 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: guilty of this, what is their motive of saying this 545 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: at all. Is this another pol holes people insert themselves 546 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 1: inexplicably into investigations kind of thing, or are they wanting 547 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: information from you? 548 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 4: I would say at this point we had no idea 549 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 4: about any kind of motive. I mean, what would if, 550 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 4: let's say, if the roommates were involved. There didn't seem 551 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 4: to be anything that jumped out at us. 552 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 2: And also good reasons to argue against these roommates being 553 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 2: involved because neither of them had a criminal record. 554 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 5: Although Nathan was out of town on the day. 555 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 2: Of that first interview when Rick and Frank interviewed Duncan, 556 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 2: he eventually came back to California and both him and 557 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 2: Duncan were very cooperative with the investigation, sat for multiple interviews, 558 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 2: were always cordial, never got defensive, lost their tempers. So again, 559 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 2: like the normal cues that you would expect if you 560 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 2: had something to hide or you wouldn't, you know, want 561 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 2: to engage with these detectives investigating a friend or a 562 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 2: roommate's murder, none of those red flags were there at all. 563 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 2: So again it was it was like something odd that 564 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 2: Duncan had said that didn't make sense, and there was 565 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 2: this there's the Manson tunnel stuff that's. 566 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 5: Sort of floating around. 567 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 2: There's these ransom calls that are floating around, and then 568 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 2: there's just the oddness of the idea that, Okay, you 569 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 2: thought your friend was kidnapped and you decided to get 570 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 2: a search party together and go look for him at 571 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 2: the place where his body was found because you knew 572 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 2: that he used to like to hang out there. 573 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, what happens between those interviews with Duncan and Nathan 574 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: and when this case cools or I don't know if 575 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: we say goals cold, is is anything else developed before 576 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: you kind of go I got other murders to deal with. 577 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: I will work this at the same time. 578 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 4: Well, that's always the situation with what he says, You're 579 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 4: always have multiple cases ongoing the same time, and that's 580 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 4: why it's nice to be able to get a case 581 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 4: solved fairly rapidly. This one didn't seem like it's going 582 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 4: to happen just based on the early action in the case, 583 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 4: because you know, you don't know when another one's going 584 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 4: to land on your desk for you to take. And 585 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 4: at Robery Homicide Division, we were kind of lucky. We 586 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 4: got involved cases a lot of times that weren't cut 587 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 4: and dry most of the time, and that's why we 588 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 4: got called in on those to take over those because 589 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 4: we had the detective manpower, if you will, to work 590 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 4: cases for a longer period of times than the divisional ones. 591 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 4: But I would say we kept trying to eliminate Duncan 592 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 4: and Nathan because of some of the early things that 593 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 4: we've just talked about, but everywhere, everywhere who we went 594 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 4: to see if we could eliminate him, check them off. 595 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 4: It kind of pointed toward them, to be very honest, 596 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 4: little things. But after a while, things start piling up 597 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 4: and you know, you're shaking your head, But at the 598 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 4: same time, you can't let go and just move on. 599 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 4: You need to keep going that way. And so eventually 600 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 4: we asked Duncan Martinez to take a polygraph test, which 601 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:19,320 Speaker 4: he was more than willing to do. He said, that's 602 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 4: where things changed significantly. 603 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:22,760 Speaker 3: To be very. 604 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: Honest, Well, this is a good time to talk about 605 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,400 Speaker 1: the polygraph. You know, I think the audience I've written 606 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,399 Speaker 1: about it and they've heard this at nauseum at this point. 607 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,920 Speaker 1: But you know, we know the polygraph isn't admissible in court. 608 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: It can be any inaccurate? Is this a way that 609 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 1: is this an intimidation thing or a way to pressure suspect? 610 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: Is that how it was used on Duncan At this point. 611 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 4: My thinking of it, and I can speak for Frank 612 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 4: here because we were partners at the time and we 613 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 4: discussed this. First of all, do you want to see 614 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 4: what his reaction is going to be? Is he going 615 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 4: to get so no, I'm not interested, I don't trust 616 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,320 Speaker 4: him or whatever, and he was like, no way, no, 617 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 4: I'll do it. So our feeling was this, if he 618 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 4: passed a polygraph test, I would feel fairly comfortable that 619 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 4: he wasn't involved. If he quote unquote failed it, it 620 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 4: depends on how bad he failed it whether I would 621 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 4: kind of group most likely he did it or are 622 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 4: we still having the room? Are there certain questions that 623 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 4: he seemed to pass by? 624 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 3: Okay? 625 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 4: On other ones that he seemed to separative on, like 626 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 4: knowledge of versus, were you involved? 627 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 3: Were you there? Things? All of that nature. So it 628 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 3: was it was an investigative tool. It's the best way 629 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,839 Speaker 3: to describe it, okay, And that's the way we looked 630 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:40,759 Speaker 3: at it when we when we offered it to him. 631 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 1: Are you continuing I have to assume everyone is continuing 632 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: to investigate the random stranger, you know scenario, which in 633 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: that area, in that tunnel, at that time of night, 634 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 1: you can't write off that somebody stumble. He's up there 635 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 1: for some reason. Right, he's got this pentagram around his 636 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,799 Speaker 1: neck and we don't know why. But someone comes upon 637 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: him and there's an argument and then he ends up dead. 638 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 1: But that must almost feel impossible in La at that 639 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: point in nineteen ninety two. 640 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:10,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, we did eliminate people. 641 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 4: We had one person and it didn't show up in 642 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 4: the book because we turned in seven hundred and seventy 643 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 4: seven pages for our book, and we knew that was unacceptable, 644 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,959 Speaker 4: but we wanted professional editors to do it, you know. Yeah, 645 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 4: and we cut significantly, but that eventually we had a 646 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 4: guy that was interviewed in the park before had been 647 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 4: arrested for assaulting a park ranger with a knife, a 648 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 4: large knife, just months before, and so we could not 649 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 4: ignore that. And eventually it took us a while, but 650 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 4: because he was out of town, he lived, he roamed 651 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 4: the US, but we did eliminate it. We placed him 652 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 4: in a town back in Ohio at the date of 653 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 4: the murder, so we did look at other people, We 654 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:01,279 Speaker 4: did look at occult stuff. It was running heavy with 655 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 4: the occult stuff early on big time, including Michael Conley, 656 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,240 Speaker 4: the now famous crime fiction writer who at the time 657 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 4: had never written his first Bosh book yet, he had 658 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 4: written nothing, He had not published a book when he. 659 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 3: Wrote this article. 660 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 4: He also brought in the whole occult possibilities, which obviously 661 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,840 Speaker 4: salt papers and it was not It hadn't been ruled 662 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,520 Speaker 4: out yet, So we were dealing with that kind of thing, 663 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 4: taking a lot of phone calls from people that had 664 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,319 Speaker 4: beliefs in naming people that hung out at the park as. 665 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:39,880 Speaker 2: Well as Rick said Duncan's polygraph was a major turning 666 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 2: point in the investigation, and he was asked, you know 667 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 2: a series of questions, some of them, I guess what 668 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 2: you would call control questions, what is your name? 669 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:50,280 Speaker 5: What year were you born? 670 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 2: And then pertinent questions were you present when Rob Baker 671 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 2: was killed? 672 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 5: Do you know who killed Rob Baker? 673 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 2: Questions that pertained exactly, you know, precisely the cases being investigated, 674 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 2: and Duncan failed miserably, particularly with regard to the pertinent questions, 675 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 2: and at the conclusion of the interview or the polygraph 676 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 2: rack and Frank confront Duncan with the results, and he 677 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,280 Speaker 2: swears that he's telling the truth and can't explain how 678 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 2: or why he would have failed this polygraph, and in 679 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 2: the wake of that he lawyers up. I think it's 680 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 2: only about a week or so after that that Rake 681 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 2: and Frank are woken in the middle of the night 682 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 2: by a call from the police telling them that Duncan 683 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 2: has reported himself the victim of a kidnapping himself, that 684 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 2: he had kicked up the phone and called one of 685 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 2: his friends, and because it was late at night, this 686 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 2: woman heard the phone ringing went to answer it. But 687 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,839 Speaker 2: again in nineteen ninety people have answering machines that if 688 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 2: you don't pick it up by the third, fourth ring 689 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,719 Speaker 2: or whatever, the machine picks up and begins recording. So 690 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 2: there's actually a recording of what Duncan said on the 691 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 2: phone that night when he called his friend, which was Lydia, 692 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:10,880 Speaker 2: I've been kidnapped. They're holding me in a warehouse in 693 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 2: North Hollywood. And then a series of like violent noises 694 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 2: as if someone had caught him making this call, and 695 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 2: like a punching sound or the phone dropping, and then 696 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 2: the line goes dead. So again from Rick and Frank's perspective, 697 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 2: this is on the heels of Duncan failing a polygraph. 698 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 2: This is already a case involving one series of kidnapping calls, 699 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 2: and now this guy is reporting himself the victim of 700 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 2: a kidnapping and basically disappears. No one has heard from him, 701 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 2: and no one close to him, including Nathan, his roommate, 702 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 2: can explain who may have been targeting him, who would 703 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 2: you want him kidnapped and so forth. So a little 704 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 2: bit of investigation, Rick and his partner determined that that 705 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 2: phone call was actually placed from a payphone in the 706 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,960 Speaker 2: gray bus station at the Las Vegas Airport. So as 707 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,440 Speaker 2: soon as they traced that number, they know for a 708 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,319 Speaker 2: fact that Duncan is lying because the call was not 709 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,960 Speaker 2: placed from a warehouse in North Hollywood. It was placed 710 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 2: from Nevada. And a few days after that they received 711 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,800 Speaker 2: word that Duncan had shown up at his birth father's 712 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 2: home in Kentucky, and it had shown up there, you know, 713 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:29,320 Speaker 2: having arrived on a bus from Los Angeles. 714 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,920 Speaker 5: So not a kid nap victim. 715 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:34,759 Speaker 2: So at that point it's clear this is not our 716 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:38,360 Speaker 2: genuine kid napping it's a fake kid napping. Duncan has fled, 717 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,760 Speaker 2: but we don't know where he is, we can't interview him, 718 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:45,239 Speaker 2: and most importantly, we don't know why he fled. And 719 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 2: for people like Ron Baker's family, Duncan's disappearance was particularly 720 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:53,400 Speaker 2: terrifying because they didn't know if the same person who 721 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 2: potentially targeted Rod was now targeting Duncan. 722 00:40:57,360 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 5: No one knew what the thing. 723 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 4: And they were close Duncan too. You had been a 724 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 4: family friend, had been at their house many times. 725 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 2: Duncan had delivered a eulogy at Ron's funeral and was 726 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:10,839 Speaker 2: one of the pallbearers, so he was like. 727 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:11,680 Speaker 5: A family friend. 728 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 2: And again, this is a case that goes through various stages, 729 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 2: and Duncan's quote unquote kidnapping kicked off a very protracted 730 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 2: period that lasted about eighteen months that sort of froze 731 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,319 Speaker 2: the investigation because they couldn't reach Duncan. They had this 732 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:34,440 Speaker 2: fouled polygraph result and this crazy story that he had 733 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:35,960 Speaker 2: told that they knew was false. 734 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:37,279 Speaker 5: But they couldn't find him. 735 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:41,240 Speaker 2: And Nathan was consistent in terms of both his demeanor 736 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,400 Speaker 2: and his willingness to cooperate and speak with Rick and Frank, 737 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 2: But at the same time hewing entirely to the original 738 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 2: story of we took Ron to the bus, and we 739 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,000 Speaker 2: dropped him off to the bus, and we never saw 740 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:55,759 Speaker 2: him since then. 741 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 5: And I don't know what to. 742 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,879 Speaker 2: Tell you, guys, And I don't know why Duncan would 743 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:02,719 Speaker 2: have felt polygraph or why he would have disappeared, But 744 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:07,319 Speaker 2: I'm telling you the truth. And so for a considerable 745 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 2: amount of time, Rick and Frank aren't really able to 746 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:14,840 Speaker 2: do very much to advance the investigation, apart from keeping 747 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 2: their eyes and ears open for dunkin servicing. 748 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:18,800 Speaker 5: At some point we. 749 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 4: Were actively, you know, checking on him, doing FBI offline searches. 750 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:27,040 Speaker 4: They might get a ticket or show up somewhere somewhere 751 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:28,040 Speaker 4: in the United States. 752 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,919 Speaker 3: But for a year and a half he was gone. 753 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:36,440 Speaker 4: Until basically we get a call from the FBI in 754 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 4: Salt Lake City, Utah, in early ninety two, and they 755 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:45,959 Speaker 4: have Duncan Martinez in custody using a. 756 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:47,759 Speaker 3: False name that he got. 757 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:51,640 Speaker 4: Eventually we find out he got it in Boston, Massachusetts. 758 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,920 Speaker 4: He took on the identity of a child that had 759 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 4: died that would be about the same age from an 760 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 4: accidental ingestion of Dreno. He was one and a half 761 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 4: years old. Duncan became that child and actually cut records 762 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:08,640 Speaker 4: out of the Hall of Records in Boston as if 763 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 4: the kid had not died, and he took on that name, 764 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 4: tried to get a passport, which they eventually determined was 765 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,960 Speaker 4: a fraudulent application, a crime in itself, even if you 766 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,640 Speaker 4: don't get the passport, just trying to get it. And 767 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,759 Speaker 4: so when he eventually shows up in Utah and has 768 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 4: a traffic stop in ninety two, he gives that same name, 769 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 4: and of course there's now a warrant in the system 770 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 4: for him for the passport for our charges by the 771 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:42,719 Speaker 4: FBI in Boston. And that's when eventually he decides with 772 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 4: his attorney that he wants to cooperate. 773 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 1: It's just like the starkest contrast between Duncan and Nathan. 774 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: I mean, that's unreal. He just keeps digging. Duncan keeps 775 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 1: digging himself in deeper and deeper. What is that? I mean, 776 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: what is that somebody who is panicking and this is 777 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:03,800 Speaker 1: where it comes from. He can't get it together, versus Nathan, 778 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,600 Speaker 1: who is just going to dig in no matter what happens, 779 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:09,160 Speaker 1: and stick with it is Nathan watch more crime shows 780 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:10,919 Speaker 1: than Duncan. I mean, what's going on? 781 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 4: Well, Nathan My partner at the time, Frank Garcia. The 782 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:19,680 Speaker 4: first time we interviewed Nathan, we're driving back. He lived 783 00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:23,480 Speaker 4: out in Lake Elsiner with his girlfriend, and Frank says, man, 784 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 4: if that guy is involved, he's the coolest MF I've 785 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,719 Speaker 4: ever dealt with in my life. Which is a top 786 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,040 Speaker 4: chapter of one of our titles, and it's just something 787 00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:34,400 Speaker 4: that seared into my mind when Frank said that. So 788 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:39,239 Speaker 4: Nathan's going nowhere, he's calm, collected, and he's ticking with 789 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 4: his story. Duncan is a different, different type of person, 790 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,960 Speaker 4: and they're both very close. They were very close, as 791 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:49,880 Speaker 4: was Duncan and Ron. It's like two best friends of 792 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,320 Speaker 4: Duncan are the roommate and Nathan. 793 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:56,440 Speaker 1: So we are in nineteen ninety two and Duncan has 794 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,279 Speaker 1: had enough of all of the silliness that he's been 795 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:01,840 Speaker 1: pulling off. He and his attorneys say, Okay, we're ready. 796 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 1: Is this a plea deal situation to flip on Nathan 797 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:06,399 Speaker 1: or what is this? 798 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:10,840 Speaker 2: It's very interesting and again, part of my experience working 799 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 2: on this book with Rick was learning how much work 800 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 2: has to be done on investigations. Like again, you can 801 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,399 Speaker 2: suspect things and believe things to be true, and then 802 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 2: proving them at court is an entirely different matter. 803 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:26,399 Speaker 5: So to be. 804 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 2: Clear, I don't think it's that he had some sort 805 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 2: of come to Jesus' remorse. I want to unburden myself 806 00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:40,000 Speaker 2: and do the right thing here. Duncan, he failed a polygraph, 807 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 2: he faked his own kidnapping, He fled, He stole the 808 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 2: identity of a deceased child in Massachusetts, long deceased child. 809 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 2: He tried to get a passport in that kid's name. 810 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 2: He did get a driver's license in that kid's name, 811 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 2: and he got. 812 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:57,440 Speaker 5: Caught in Utah. That's why he talked. 813 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:00,799 Speaker 2: It wasn't I'm tired of life on the run and 814 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,840 Speaker 2: now I'm going to come forward. His hand was forced 815 00:46:04,239 --> 00:46:10,480 Speaker 2: to a degree when Duncan resurfaced. His attorney initially asked 816 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:13,600 Speaker 2: for total immunity for Duncan to be able to tell 817 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:18,240 Speaker 2: his story, and that obviously was a no go because 818 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:21,799 Speaker 2: until the person gives you the information, you know, you 819 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 2: can't promise immunity. And then the person says, well, I 820 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:24,920 Speaker 2: did the murder. 821 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 5: And that you can't do anything about that. 822 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:33,560 Speaker 2: So the agreement that was negotiated between Duncan's attorney and 823 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:37,319 Speaker 2: the DA's office was something called King for a Day 824 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:40,920 Speaker 2: or Queen for a day, and it's basically a legal 825 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:46,799 Speaker 2: arrangement by which someone can reveal information to the authorities 826 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 2: without the fear of that information that they're giving to 827 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:54,920 Speaker 2: the police being used against that. So Duncan was permitted 828 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:57,560 Speaker 2: to sit down with the detectives and it was a 829 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:03,480 Speaker 2: recorded interview. There's audio of it. But the agreement was 830 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:05,759 Speaker 2: made up front that as long as Duncan told the 831 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:10,240 Speaker 2: truth and spoke only to the defectives about the events 832 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 2: in the case and did not go out then afterwards 833 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:16,000 Speaker 2: and tell other people the same information that he was 834 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,279 Speaker 2: telling the police, that that could not be used against. 835 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 5: Him in court. 836 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:26,200 Speaker 2: And so under those terms, Duncan revealed the backstory and 837 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 2: the motive for the first time of what actually happened 838 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:33,640 Speaker 2: on that night in June nineteen ninety when Rob was killed. 839 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:36,279 Speaker 1: Okay, well, which one of you wants to tell me? 840 00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:37,480 Speaker 1: What Duncan says? 841 00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:42,600 Speaker 2: Duncan tells Rick and Frank a story that he and Nathan, 842 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:47,680 Speaker 2: some months before the murder were home drinking beers and 843 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:51,400 Speaker 2: watching TV when an episode of the TV show Dragnet, 844 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:55,319 Speaker 2: the old LAPD show came on and Duncan explained that 845 00:47:55,400 --> 00:48:00,239 Speaker 2: this was an episode involving a kidnapping for ransom, and 846 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 2: he and Nathan started talking about how ham handed the 847 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:09,320 Speaker 2: criminals in the episode were in terms of the plan 848 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:11,480 Speaker 2: that they tried to pull off, and that if you 849 00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 2: actually wanted to get away with the kidnapping for ransom, 850 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,240 Speaker 2: that you would have to do it in a different way, 851 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:22,799 Speaker 2: and him, Duncan and Nathan began talking and going back 852 00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:25,280 Speaker 2: and forth about this idea of how do you commit 853 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:29,239 Speaker 2: the perfect crime. He claims that they were he never 854 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,040 Speaker 2: thought that it was serious. This is part of the 855 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,120 Speaker 2: backdrop of what Duncan is explaining to Rick and Frank 856 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 2: is we did have these conversations, Nathan and I, but 857 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,759 Speaker 2: I never thought that it was serious. I never thought 858 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:44,239 Speaker 2: that it was real. Yes, we discussed Ron as a 859 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:47,399 Speaker 2: possible victim, but no, I never thought that it would 860 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:52,919 Speaker 2: really happen, and basically walks through everything that happened that night, 861 00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:57,160 Speaker 2: but puts pretty much all the blame on Nathan in 862 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:01,080 Speaker 2: terms of the actual stabbing and dunk and claims to 863 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:04,080 Speaker 2: have been completely ignorant that this was actually a real 864 00:49:04,120 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 2: plan that was going to happen, and the blame that 865 00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 2: he puts on Nathan includes admitting that Duncan himself made 866 00:49:11,120 --> 00:49:14,719 Speaker 2: the ransom calls to mister Baker that night, but he 867 00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 2: insists that he only did it because Nathan ordered him 868 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,720 Speaker 2: to and he was afraid that if he didn't, that Nathan, 869 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:24,880 Speaker 2: having killed Ron, would kill him next. So with this 870 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,879 Speaker 2: information out on the table, and part of the way 871 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:29,880 Speaker 2: that we structure the book is that it's a series 872 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:35,040 Speaker 2: of betrayals. The first betrayal is of Ron, particularly by Duncan, 873 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:38,040 Speaker 2: because they're very close friends and they've been friends and 874 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:41,640 Speaker 2: Duncan knows this family. The second betrayal with this King 875 00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:45,839 Speaker 2: for a Day interview is Duncan betraying Nathan. And if 876 00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:49,440 Speaker 2: you remember I said, one of the important terms of 877 00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:52,160 Speaker 2: the King for a Day riemant is that you're not 878 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:54,600 Speaker 2: supposed to talk to other people about what happened, and 879 00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:57,560 Speaker 2: if you do, that information can be used against you 880 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,640 Speaker 2: in court because it's outside of you know what you 881 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:04,080 Speaker 2: would say on a given day. And so there's twist 882 00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:07,000 Speaker 2: and turns in this case from the beginning to the 883 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:09,640 Speaker 2: end and even beyond the end, because this is a 884 00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:11,759 Speaker 2: case that occurred in nineteen ninety and it went to 885 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:14,640 Speaker 2: trial in nineteen ninety six. Rick and I were writing 886 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:17,680 Speaker 2: this book, you know, decades later, and there was a 887 00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:20,640 Speaker 2: final twist in the case that came about in twenty 888 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:24,840 Speaker 2: twenty that again none of us anticipated. But Duncan's betrayal 889 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,640 Speaker 2: of Ron with the murder and his betrayal of his 890 00:50:27,719 --> 00:50:32,120 Speaker 2: partner in crime Nathan, is actually not the final betrayal 891 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:35,359 Speaker 2: in the story. There's at least one and maybe more 892 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 2: than one beyond that. 893 00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 3: I should say one thing real quickly. 894 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:44,000 Speaker 4: Duncan is making himself is least involved as he can, 895 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:48,800 Speaker 4: obviously looking for some benefit here. There was something he said, 896 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:52,279 Speaker 4: and he probably never realized he said it about the 897 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:54,799 Speaker 4: mitigation of not really thinking this was going to happen, 898 00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:58,320 Speaker 4: or not really having planned it too much. He says 899 00:50:58,520 --> 00:51:03,200 Speaker 4: to me at some point on record that I looked 900 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:07,319 Speaker 4: over at Nathan and it was supposed to happen then, 901 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:11,680 Speaker 4: and when it didn't happen, meaning at the tunnel, then 902 00:51:11,719 --> 00:51:16,239 Speaker 4: I thought it's not going to That totally is in 903 00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:19,800 Speaker 4: conflict with I didn't think it was going to happen. 904 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:23,200 Speaker 4: That shows you how much planning they put into it. 905 00:51:23,480 --> 00:51:25,800 Speaker 4: When he knew exactly when it was going to happen 906 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 4: and where it was going to happen. 907 00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,640 Speaker 1: At the tunnel, God, Duncan. Duncan really has to know 908 00:51:29,680 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 1: when to shut the hell up, doesn't he? I mean, 909 00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:32,680 Speaker 1: it just keeps going. 910 00:51:32,880 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 911 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:36,400 Speaker 4: No. He is the most intriguing character in this in 912 00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:37,160 Speaker 4: this book. 913 00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:39,279 Speaker 1: Are they both on trial? Is that what happens? I'm 914 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:41,840 Speaker 1: assuming Nathan says he's not. None of us happened. 915 00:51:42,160 --> 00:51:45,400 Speaker 4: There's a series of Duncan cooperates. There's a series of 916 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,000 Speaker 4: phone calls he makes, and one in person visit where 917 00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:53,640 Speaker 4: he's wearing a wire, and we get significant information and 918 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:58,480 Speaker 4: lack of denials of Duncan's statements to Nathan, Nathan not 919 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:01,440 Speaker 4: denying them, and a lot of things like, hey, we 920 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,120 Speaker 4: might this might not be a safe place to talk 921 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 4: about this kind of stuff. A lot of consciousness, consciousness 922 00:52:07,600 --> 00:52:12,360 Speaker 4: of guilt things. And eventually we charged Nathan with the murder, 923 00:52:12,600 --> 00:52:15,720 Speaker 4: not Duncan, because none of the evidence we have against 924 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:18,800 Speaker 4: him is admissible as of yet. And then there's a 925 00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:22,239 Speaker 4: few more things he does while he's in Utah. Brother 926 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:26,479 Speaker 4: he's pledging a fraternity, he's a student. So he's going 927 00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:29,600 Speaker 4: on with his life. Because not that we want that, 928 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:34,640 Speaker 4: because we think he's still culpable and should be accept responsibility, 929 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:38,520 Speaker 4: or we should charge him and hold him accountable. But 930 00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:41,440 Speaker 4: he's living the life of a college student frat boy 931 00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:44,880 Speaker 4: in Utah. And Nathan by now has been charged with 932 00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:46,760 Speaker 4: Ron's murder and it's sitting in prison. 933 00:52:47,120 --> 00:52:50,440 Speaker 1: Now, tell me what does Nathan say. Does he deny 934 00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:52,560 Speaker 1: all of it or does he cop to any of it, 935 00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:56,360 Speaker 1: and does he illuminate Duncan's role at all in anything? 936 00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:01,279 Speaker 4: Eventually, what happens we confront him. He goes through this 937 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:03,719 Speaker 4: whole original story with us, and then we say, well, 938 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:07,000 Speaker 4: we have something that's somebody telling us that you're involved. 939 00:53:07,600 --> 00:53:12,600 Speaker 4: And we had preset our other tape recorder to play 940 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:16,439 Speaker 4: tapes when he got to that point, and we say, well, 941 00:53:16,680 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 4: I said, do you want to hear who's saying you're involved? 942 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:22,160 Speaker 4: And we hit the button and here's the two voices, 943 00:53:22,480 --> 00:53:25,200 Speaker 4: and he just has head drops to the ground. Eventually, 944 00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:29,520 Speaker 4: he does admit it to some degree. He does not 945 00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:32,880 Speaker 4: implicate Duncan. At that point he says, I'll deal with it. Myself. 946 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:35,799 Speaker 4: I'm not going to be like somebody else that we 947 00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:39,000 Speaker 4: know here and roll over on people that we have 948 00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:43,120 Speaker 4: an agreement with. But eventually that changes. When he gets 949 00:53:43,160 --> 00:53:46,040 Speaker 4: closer to trial, he starts trying to switch the message, 950 00:53:46,040 --> 00:53:48,960 Speaker 4: but it's kind of too late. Then it's pretty obvious 951 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:49,520 Speaker 4: what happened. 952 00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:52,000 Speaker 1: Do we end up getting both of these guys, I hope, 953 00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:53,799 Speaker 1: I mean, Rick, you had hinted, or one of you 954 00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:56,399 Speaker 1: had hinted that you got to keep your stupid mouth 955 00:53:56,480 --> 00:53:59,480 Speaker 1: shut for this king for a day agreement to be valid. 956 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:01,719 Speaker 1: Does he on his mouth in Utah and then it 957 00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:04,160 Speaker 1: blows everything up? Or what happens? 958 00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:07,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, he does. He gets arrested for a burglary. 959 00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:10,920 Speaker 4: He's caught inside of a sporting good store and blames 960 00:54:10,920 --> 00:54:13,120 Speaker 4: it on somebody else that says, I'm going to tell 961 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:15,680 Speaker 4: on you all this la stuff if you don't go 962 00:54:15,800 --> 00:54:18,720 Speaker 4: to do this burglary for me. Well, we disproved that totally. 963 00:54:19,120 --> 00:54:22,480 Speaker 4: But he already has his story by the officers taking 964 00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:25,480 Speaker 4: him to Once they walk him out of the store, 965 00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 4: he's already telling them, Hey, I need to talk to 966 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:31,320 Speaker 4: a detective. There's something I need to tell them. Well 967 00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:33,759 Speaker 4: he does, and we are aware that he's going to 968 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,040 Speaker 4: talk to him, and so we have to make sure 969 00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:40,360 Speaker 4: it's recorded. And he lays this whole thing out to 970 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:44,480 Speaker 4: a detective and using the whole story as his reason 971 00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:46,880 Speaker 4: that he needs to get out of this burglary. He 972 00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:50,160 Speaker 4: tries by blaming this other person, so all that becomes 973 00:54:50,200 --> 00:54:53,000 Speaker 4: admissible evidence. And it was an early Christmas It was 974 00:54:53,040 --> 00:54:55,440 Speaker 4: an early Christmas present for me. It was in December 975 00:54:56,000 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 4: of I think probably about ninety three or four. And 976 00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:04,319 Speaker 4: eventually he's charged and Marcia Clark was the prosecutor at 977 00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:04,719 Speaker 4: the time. 978 00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:06,720 Speaker 3: She and we were all friends. 979 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:11,359 Speaker 4: And then of course she ends up leaving because OJ 980 00:55:11,600 --> 00:55:13,480 Speaker 4: happens a short time thereafter. 981 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:16,280 Speaker 1: So he goes on trial. They both go on trial, right. 982 00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:20,479 Speaker 4: Well's gone trial separately, okay, because some evidence against one 983 00:55:20,560 --> 00:55:23,360 Speaker 4: is not evidence against the other ones, like the phone 984 00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:26,359 Speaker 4: calls and things like that. They're both convicted of life 985 00:55:26,400 --> 00:55:27,160 Speaker 4: without parole. 986 00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:31,160 Speaker 2: So the way that the trials ended, with both Duncan 987 00:55:31,239 --> 00:55:34,520 Speaker 2: and Nathan both being convicted of first orgree murder, both 988 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:37,200 Speaker 2: receiving the same sentenced life without parole, there was like 989 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:41,600 Speaker 2: a certain symmetry to it where even though the physical 990 00:55:41,640 --> 00:55:45,600 Speaker 2: evidence suggests that it was Nathan who actually committed the stabbing. 991 00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:48,799 Speaker 2: In a lot of ways, Duncan is arguably the more 992 00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:53,040 Speaker 2: reprehensible of the two in terms of his behavior, because 993 00:55:53,040 --> 00:55:57,520 Speaker 2: his betrayal of Ron was so personal. Again, like we said, 994 00:55:57,520 --> 00:56:00,879 Speaker 2: he delivered a eulogy at Ron's funeral, knowing what had 995 00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:06,080 Speaker 2: really happened to Ron. He lied to the family members 996 00:56:06,120 --> 00:56:08,400 Speaker 2: in addition to the police, and so on and so forth, 997 00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:13,040 Speaker 2: So it seemed fitting that they would both receive the 998 00:56:13,080 --> 00:56:17,319 Speaker 2: same sentence, rather than one received more leniency than the other. 999 00:56:17,480 --> 00:56:21,240 Speaker 2: So things were actually kind of inequilibrium at the time 1000 00:56:22,040 --> 00:56:24,920 Speaker 2: of twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen that Rick and I started 1001 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:28,720 Speaker 2: writing this book together. And what none of us anticipated 1002 00:56:28,880 --> 00:56:32,560 Speaker 2: is that in the middle of writing this book, Duncan 1003 00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:35,439 Speaker 2: would receive kind of out of the blue, and it's 1004 00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:37,800 Speaker 2: something a story that we tell in more detail in 1005 00:56:38,160 --> 00:56:40,799 Speaker 2: the last couple chapters of the book. But he was 1006 00:56:40,880 --> 00:56:46,439 Speaker 2: granted a sentence commutation by Governor Gavin Newsom California, which 1007 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:50,160 Speaker 2: had the effect of reducing his sentence from life without 1008 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:54,359 Speaker 2: parole to twenty five to life, which is one step down. 1009 00:56:54,760 --> 00:56:58,080 Speaker 2: And because Duncan had already served more than twenty five 1010 00:56:58,160 --> 00:57:03,400 Speaker 2: years in prison, that made him immediately eligible for Pearl, 1011 00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:08,600 Speaker 2: and some months after this commutation was granted by the governor, 1012 00:57:08,680 --> 00:57:13,719 Speaker 2: Duncan received a parole hearing and was granted Pearl, and 1013 00:57:14,320 --> 00:57:19,320 Speaker 2: some months after this parole hearing was in fact released, 1014 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 2: and again throws this situation, which felt like it had 1015 00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:26,880 Speaker 2: a bit of a balance in terms of the treatment 1016 00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:31,640 Speaker 2: at the two suspects, again out of whack. Where Duncan 1017 00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:37,000 Speaker 2: is is free living without any sort of supervision anymore 1018 00:57:37,040 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 2: in terms of Pearl or probation or anything like that, 1019 00:57:40,560 --> 00:57:44,480 Speaker 2: while Nathan remains in prison, serving his original sentence of 1020 00:57:44,520 --> 00:57:48,880 Speaker 2: life without parole and not even eligible to receive a 1021 00:57:48,920 --> 00:57:53,120 Speaker 2: parole hearing unless governor knew some where to intervene again 1022 00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:59,040 Speaker 2: in his case. So that's where the story stands today. 1023 00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:01,360 Speaker 2: But if we know anything from this case over the 1024 00:58:01,480 --> 00:58:04,200 Speaker 2: last thirty some years, it may not be the last 1025 00:58:04,480 --> 00:58:05,800 Speaker 2: twist in this case. 1026 00:58:06,560 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 1: When we walk away from this story, what is the 1027 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:13,200 Speaker 1: takeaway for what? We'll just Matt, what do you think? 1028 00:58:13,240 --> 00:58:16,440 Speaker 1: What's the takeaway for you from this story? What are 1029 00:58:16,440 --> 00:58:20,680 Speaker 1: we learning about anything besides how screwed up the justice 1030 00:58:20,680 --> 00:58:21,560 Speaker 1: system can be. 1031 00:58:22,800 --> 00:58:25,720 Speaker 2: Well, I think the book stands as something of a 1032 00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 2: case study of a really fascinating homicide case at a 1033 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:35,400 Speaker 2: time of tremendous tension and transition within the city of 1034 00:58:35,920 --> 00:58:40,280 Speaker 2: LA and maybe American culture, because some of these events 1035 00:58:40,320 --> 00:58:43,680 Speaker 2: like Robbie King and the La Riots and oj Simpson 1036 00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:47,760 Speaker 2: were yeah, for sure events in LA but also events 1037 00:58:47,800 --> 00:58:52,120 Speaker 2: with the national and maybe even international impact. So the 1038 00:58:52,200 --> 00:58:54,880 Speaker 2: backdrop and the characters of the quality of the case, 1039 00:58:55,320 --> 00:58:57,400 Speaker 2: and then part of the book two is a bit 1040 00:58:57,400 --> 00:59:01,240 Speaker 2: of a memoir of Rick, who's had a really incredible 1041 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:04,520 Speaker 2: career and served as a consultant to a lot of 1042 00:59:04,680 --> 00:59:08,880 Speaker 2: really very influential writers, from Michael Connolly to James Alroy 1043 00:59:09,080 --> 00:59:14,880 Speaker 2: to Joseph Wombaugh, and so helping Rick get his story 1044 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:17,040 Speaker 2: out there in book for him was also something that 1045 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:19,520 Speaker 2: was really exciting for me and something that I'm really 1046 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:21,600 Speaker 2: proud of now that the book is out. 1047 00:59:21,920 --> 00:59:24,680 Speaker 1: Well, Rick, let me end with you. Was this, you know, 1048 00:59:24,720 --> 00:59:28,840 Speaker 1: collaboration with Matt Was this sort of a cathartic experience 1049 00:59:29,040 --> 00:59:31,640 Speaker 1: for you or was it difficult to talk about some 1050 00:59:31,680 --> 00:59:33,600 Speaker 1: of these things? Maybe you had some oh I wish 1051 00:59:33,640 --> 00:59:36,000 Speaker 1: I had you know that that can be hard to admit. 1052 00:59:36,560 --> 00:59:39,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, there was a few parts in it that were 1053 00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:41,920 Speaker 4: a little bit tough. During the midst of this, my 1054 00:59:42,760 --> 00:59:47,520 Speaker 4: mentor and homicide was murdered and I handled his murder, 1055 00:59:47,960 --> 00:59:49,400 Speaker 4: you know, which is really. 1056 00:59:49,200 --> 00:59:51,360 Speaker 3: Kind of unusual. And there was some personal stuff. 1057 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:53,320 Speaker 4: I went to a divorce and ended up, you know, 1058 00:59:53,440 --> 00:59:56,760 Speaker 4: being across country from my girls, who I always been 1059 00:59:56,760 --> 00:59:57,360 Speaker 4: really close to. 1060 00:59:57,440 --> 00:59:57,959 Speaker 3: That was tough. 1061 00:59:58,280 --> 01:00:01,600 Speaker 4: But I love books. I've always loved books. I don't 1062 01:00:01,640 --> 01:00:03,400 Speaker 4: read as much as I should because I read so 1063 01:00:03,520 --> 01:00:07,480 Speaker 4: much other stuff, but I love books. And so having 1064 01:00:07,600 --> 01:00:11,080 Speaker 4: worked with some of the writers that Matt listed, you know, 1065 01:00:11,280 --> 01:00:14,400 Speaker 4: I was always around the publishing aspect of it, and 1066 01:00:13,840 --> 01:00:17,480 Speaker 4: I always wrote well. I just didn't know if I 1067 01:00:17,480 --> 01:00:21,280 Speaker 4: wrote well enough to write a book that would get published, 1068 01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:24,480 Speaker 4: especially by a major publisher like a Little Brown And 1069 01:00:24,800 --> 01:00:29,600 Speaker 4: so I wanted Matt, who would become friends independent of this, 1070 01:00:30,760 --> 01:00:33,720 Speaker 4: and I read the Lastarus files, and I knew he 1071 01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:36,600 Speaker 4: had the ability to put it together, I have to say, 1072 01:00:36,600 --> 01:00:38,360 Speaker 4: and that will agree. I wrote ninety percent of the 1073 01:00:38,440 --> 01:00:41,600 Speaker 4: first first drafts, or eighty to ninety percent of the 1074 01:00:41,600 --> 01:00:44,600 Speaker 4: first draft of the whole thing. He was still burned 1075 01:00:44,640 --> 01:00:48,520 Speaker 4: out from the craziness of writing that other book. And 1076 01:00:49,280 --> 01:00:52,760 Speaker 4: then he made them better for sure, and together. We worked, 1077 01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:54,919 Speaker 4: I mean we were on the phone because we lived 1078 01:00:54,920 --> 01:00:57,200 Speaker 4: in different parts of the state. Now we were on 1079 01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:00,840 Speaker 4: the phone daily for three four hours, especially during our 1080 01:01:00,960 --> 01:01:02,480 Speaker 4: editing processes and stuff. 1081 01:01:02,520 --> 01:01:05,800 Speaker 3: So it was tough. The writing part was the easiest for. 1082 01:01:05,800 --> 01:01:09,880 Speaker 2: Me, I think, in terms of trying to open a 1083 01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:15,200 Speaker 2: window onto how things work well and at other times 1084 01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:19,080 Speaker 2: don't work well. I mean, how homicide real life homicide 1085 01:01:19,120 --> 01:01:23,800 Speaker 2: investigation should go again in terms of events later on 1086 01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:27,160 Speaker 2: that that led to one of these guys getting out 1087 01:01:27,200 --> 01:01:31,560 Speaker 2: of prison. It's I think again, maybe not pleasant, but 1088 01:01:31,920 --> 01:01:36,240 Speaker 2: certainly important to try to shed a light on how 1089 01:01:36,640 --> 01:01:40,640 Speaker 2: the system works. It doesn't work, it could work better, 1090 01:01:40,760 --> 01:01:44,120 Speaker 2: and it shouldn't be that when you have someone who 1091 01:01:44,720 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 2: has such a record of dishonesty and manipulate the behavior 1092 01:01:50,560 --> 01:01:53,480 Speaker 2: that that's the only person who the governor hear froms 1093 01:01:53,480 --> 01:01:55,680 Speaker 2: and deciding whether or not to let that person out 1094 01:01:55,720 --> 01:01:59,160 Speaker 2: of prison. There should be some sort of balance and 1095 01:01:59,320 --> 01:02:04,640 Speaker 2: some sort of investigation that rather than no investigation when 1096 01:02:05,040 --> 01:02:08,200 Speaker 2: these decisions are being made, so that there's a degree 1097 01:02:08,240 --> 01:02:11,400 Speaker 2: of fairness. Because there's no doubt people who are in 1098 01:02:11,440 --> 01:02:15,760 Speaker 2: prison who deserve a parole hearing and may not get 1099 01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:20,200 Speaker 2: one and again Duncan received one and receive parole, And 1100 01:02:20,640 --> 01:02:23,960 Speaker 2: people can read our book and judge whether they think 1101 01:02:24,040 --> 01:02:28,080 Speaker 2: that was a well reasoned or a non reasoned decision. 1102 01:02:39,720 --> 01:02:42,600 Speaker 1: If you love historical true crime stories, check out the 1103 01:02:42,640 --> 01:02:45,520 Speaker 1: audio versions of my books The Ghost Club, All That 1104 01:02:45,640 --> 01:02:48,880 Speaker 1: Is Wicked, and American Sherlock and Don't Forget. There are 1105 01:02:48,960 --> 01:02:52,760 Speaker 1: twelve seasons of my historical true crime podcast, Tenfold More 1106 01:02:52,760 --> 01:02:56,400 Speaker 1: Wicked right here in this podcast feed, scroll back and 1107 01:02:56,440 --> 01:02:59,200 Speaker 1: give them a listen if you haven't already. This has 1108 01:02:59,240 --> 01:03:02,480 Speaker 1: been an exact plea write production. Our senior producer is 1109 01:03:02,520 --> 01:03:07,280 Speaker 1: Alexis a Morosi. Our associate producer is Christina Chamberlain. This 1110 01:03:07,400 --> 01:03:11,520 Speaker 1: episode was mixed by John Bradley. Curtis heath is our composer. 1111 01:03:11,800 --> 01:03:16,280 Speaker 1: Artwork by Nick Toga. Executive produced by Georgia Hardstark, Karen 1112 01:03:16,320 --> 01:03:19,920 Speaker 1: Kilgarriff and Danielle Kramer. Listen to Wicked Words on the 1113 01:03:19,960 --> 01:03:24,080 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 1114 01:03:24,360 --> 01:03:28,520 Speaker 1: Follow Wicked Words on Instagram at tenfold More Wicked and 1115 01:03:28,600 --> 01:03:31,000 Speaker 1: on Facebook at Wicked Words pod