1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: School of Humans. 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 2: This show follows the investigation of serial murders and contains 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 2: material that may be disturbing. 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 3: Listener discretion advised. 5 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: On the ground in Johannesburg, Jennifer and I spent a 6 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: lot of time in the car with Detective Ben Boysen. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: The west Rand gold Mine looms in the distance over 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: Krueger's door. A fine dust blows from the hill into 9 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: the city, Stark trees, dead grass, dusty gutters lying the 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: gray streets. As Ben offered us as many insights like 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: this one about the state of the police force. 12 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 4: So eventually there's about seventeen thousand cops in the whole 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 4: of South Africa fully seen sixty million people. So how 14 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 4: the hell do you think you're going to ever in 15 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 4: your life crime and get your end of a crime. 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 4: This will never happen. 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: The South African police department and judicial system are often 18 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: so overwhelmed that unsolved cases go cold and then fall 19 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: by the wayside. 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 4: Before you can start actually investigating the cause decently. You've 21 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 4: got a next murder guise, and you've got a next 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 4: hijacking guys, and you've got to a next roberty guise, 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 4: and you continue to do the job. So yeah, this 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 4: is this is ma South Africa. You know, it's the 25 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 4: wild twist. 26 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: This is one of the reasons EPD would continue to 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: evade justice for four more years after Michaela's murder. The 28 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: sights and sounds of South Africa stream past us. As 29 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 1: we left the bustle, the dreary, loud streets of Krueger 30 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: Store and ascended the green suburban hills with well manicured 31 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: lawns and quiet avenues that overlook the city. Ben set 32 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: the stage for the next tragedy. Is weary words build 33 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: out as he drove the pain and his voice was 34 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: unexpected and disarming. 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 4: This country is you know, we're in a tunnel and 36 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 4: there's a big light outside and everybody think that light 37 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 4: is the sun. That light's not the sun. That light 38 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 4: is a train coming with a huge speed, and something 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 4: really bad is going to happen in the near future. 40 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 4: It can't go on like this. Somewhere along the line 41 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 4: things must change. But before things need to change, things 42 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 4: need to be at the worst. 43 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: From School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts, This is Queen 44 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: Havoc and her Murder Cult. I'm your host Kurt Koopachak, 45 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: Episode six House of Cards. The staggering amount of incompetence 46 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: by law enforcement was already weighing heavy on Susette when 47 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: she was brought on in twenty twelve. 48 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 5: There was a gap in our legal system and it 49 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 5: frustrated me. And to give for you all, but you're 50 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 5: not not receiving half of that back. 51 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: Susette did give her all for over twenty years. She 52 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: served her country on the force. 53 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 6: I gave my life. 54 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 5: I even saved my two kids aside to do what 55 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 5: was in my blood. 56 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: And then there was the Cecilia Stein case. Detective Susette 57 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: could see that Michaela's murder was directly tied to the 58 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: case number debacle that allowed Marinda to walk when. 59 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: It came in court. Mirinda couldn't be placed in this 60 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: guise because this guy's and I said, but she can't 61 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: be connected to this guys, so let her go, and 62 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: I let her go. That is what happened. 63 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: Detective Susette was fed up. The community was already racked 64 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: with grief and terrorized by the murders, and now she 65 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: feared for her own own family. As her then sixteen 66 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: year old daughter Shaney remembers. 67 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 7: She was so stressed and so worried about me and 68 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 7: my brother and our safety that we could barely go somewhere. 69 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 7: And we respected my mom because at the time we 70 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 7: did not know exactly how dangerous those people were, so 71 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 7: my mom just showed us pictures of how they look like, 72 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 7: and if we see them in public, just go a 73 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 7: different direction. 74 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: But the final blow arrived when Detective Susette confronted Captain 75 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: van Vick about the case number mix up. Captain van 76 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: Vick maintained that he wasn't responsible and that he was 77 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: following orders one's given to him by Colonel de Yager. 78 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: When I found him to ask him what the hell happened, 79 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: I was sorry, but Dad said, listen, I'm done. I'm 80 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 2: done helping, I'm done assisting. I am withdrawing. 81 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 1: Just following orders just doesn't cut it, says journalist. 82 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 8: I mean, as an investigative officer, he had to make 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 8: certain calls, not just say yon, I mean to what 84 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 8: Dioga is saying. 85 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,679 Speaker 1: In other words, Vinvick was the lead officer and shouldn't 86 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: have been just a yes man to Diager this issue 87 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: with the wrong case number, plus Venvick being a willing 88 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: pawn to Colonel di Yager and then the state's attorney 89 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: refusing to grant Susette arrest warrants for the other members 90 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: of Cecilia's gang. It was all too much for Detective Susette. 91 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: Plus her children's lives were now at risk too. The 92 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: strain became more than Detective Susette could bear. 93 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 5: It was like it was in weeks that I left 94 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 5: the police. It just cloaked me and I just decided 95 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 5: that sad enough. 96 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: After more than two decades of dedicated work, Detective Susette 97 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: Canot say quit the force all together, and shockingly, so 98 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: did Van Vick, who was still tracking the progress of 99 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: the investigation. 100 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 9: I was devastated because I knew that Maranda Stein she 101 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 9: was somehow involved. But yeah, unfortunately our judicial system looks 102 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 9: in such a mana that the prosecutor decides not to 103 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 9: place the matter. Then they dined places bsically back to 104 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 9: SQUAI one. Like I said, I was devastated, and I 105 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 9: actually designed from the police a couple of months later. 106 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: It's worth noting that wild Detective Susette Canot was on 107 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: the case murders fitting the pattern of the EPD killing 108 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: spree ground to a halt. Detective Ben Boysen suspects that 109 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: her focus on the group had a lot to do 110 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: with that. 111 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 4: I know, if they're going to do something now, the 112 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 4: spotlight is on them, and that's why they stopped with 113 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 4: the killings and stuff. 114 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: So the killing ceased in twenty twelve and the case 115 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: against Ria Grunewald went cold. She subsequently left town to 116 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 1: start a new life. Over the course of a single year, 117 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: law enforcement let the same murderer walk twice and lost 118 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: one of their most loyal investigators. Electus Perdais laid low 119 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: from her only twenty thirteen to late twenty fifteen, but 120 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: Cecilia kept them busy. They continued to do her bidding 121 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: while she reminded them all about the cost of doubt. 122 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: Here's journalist Maritzka Kotz there. 123 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: Lari told me straight up that Mikayla's murder was always 124 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 3: the example, and it was thrown in his face. You know, 125 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 3: like to say that the same can happen to you. 126 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 3: And I think the thing that freaked him out the 127 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 3: most was for four years they basically got away with 128 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 3: her murder. 129 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: Also during this period, Marinda got a new job as 130 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: a tenth grade English teacher the second rate Hammer wielding 131 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: killer was considered one of her school's best educators, continuing 132 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: to balance her to personas Her classroom was a repurposed 133 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: whole economics room. 134 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 4: In the old days, it was a classroom where they 135 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 4: teach women to cook and to do nothing and all 136 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 4: that kind of stuff. 137 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: It's still bothsted storage closets filled with ovens and old 138 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: kitchen appliances. But Marinda made the class from her own 139 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,559 Speaker 1: with religious posters and Bible verses on the wall. 140 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 4: When you go inside, they will say she's the biggest 141 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 4: Christian on Earth. 142 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: Back home at Casana Flats, LaRue and Zach stockpiled weapons, 143 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: building up the hidden arsenal for EPD. The group had 144 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: moved beyond knives and hammers. They'd now graduated to firearms, 145 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: purchased illegally from a brothel owner Cecilia Knew. 146 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 8: Was owned by a man and his wife, and the 147 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 8: men passed away, and then the widow gave them the firearms, revolvers, pistols, 148 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 8: automatic weapons, and then Zak was the one that went 149 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 8: to pick it up. He fetched the weapons. 150 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: LaRue was put in charge of creating and maintaining the 151 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: hiding places for this rookie armory. Under Cecilia's orders, each 152 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: member of EPD chose their favorite gun they were to 153 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: name it. Marinda called her pistol Charlie, after Charles Manson himself. 154 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: While the killings may have stopped epd's collective goal to 155 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: be gods, or rather Secilia's warriors had not changed. Cecilia 156 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: had no plans for a peaceful existence. Also during this period, 157 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: Zach Valentine left his job at Discovery Life Insurance to 158 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: strike out as an independent agent, not making nearly as 159 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: much as he had been. 160 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 4: During two thy fifteen. After Zach Valentine leaft Discovery and 161 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 4: started his own business and taking money from people, eventually 162 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 4: that money was used by them, there was no money anymore. 163 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: This presented a major hurdle for EPD to clear. Marinda's 164 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: teaching salary was not enough to make up for Zach's losses. 165 00:09:55,160 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: This would essentially force EPD out of hiding. Marcel was 166 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: now living with Cecilia full time, carrying for Cecilia's two 167 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: young children. Psychologist Rosalind McNabb advocated for Marcel in court. 168 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: She painted a picture of what life was like for 169 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: the high schooler. 170 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 6: She was on all sorts of drugs, before, which would 171 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 6: have also been aggravating factors in her committing the Crowns 172 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 6: because that's how she copd. She spaced herself out with 173 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 6: the drugs that she took. 174 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: And there were plenty of drugs around, especially thanks to 175 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: a new recruit, the blue eyed Gaunt and weather John Barnard. 176 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: When money was tight, Cecilia made some scratch selling bootleg DVDs, 177 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: and sometimes she would trade them for the street drug cat. 178 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: Cat is a highly addictive stimulant similar to what's commonly 179 00:10:55,280 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: known as crystal meth. Through the exchange of bootleg DVDs 180 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: for KAT, Barnard found himself over time becoming one of 181 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: Cecilia's subjects, so Marcel and all the rest could easily 182 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: detach from their grim reality. Barnard had no idea that 183 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: he was living among a pack of killers. Like most 184 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: folks in the Krueger Stop area at the time, Barnard 185 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: believed that Rhea was the murderous mastermind that the cops 186 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: never managed to pin down. Their fledgling new member. Luke 187 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: hadn't panned out. He was now in protective custody, so 188 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: there was room, and Barnard was certainly a welcome addition 189 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: to the group, he had steady employment at a printing company. 190 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: His income helped address EPDs mounting money troubles. 191 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 4: Cecilia started thinking about how are we going to get 192 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 4: a lot of money because now he's suffering. 193 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: John Barnard gradually began supporting Cecilia financially saving orphans over 194 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: or so he thought. He was also suspected to be 195 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: entwined romantically with Mirinda, and in November of twenty fifteen, 196 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: he proved his loyalty to EPD. 197 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 4: John Barnard came with the idea that why don't you 198 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 4: rob my boss because he's got a big business and 199 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 4: he's going to start the theme park. But it was 200 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 4: only supposed to be a robbery. 201 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: Peter and Joan Meyer, a wealthy couple from Kruegersdorp, owned 202 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: the printing company where John Barnard worked. Since he was 203 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: one of their oldest employees, Barnard knew that the couple 204 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: was planning on opening a water park in the area, 205 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: a franchise, and they had been saving for some time. 206 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 4: The Mayers is very very rich. John Barnett told Cecilia 207 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 4: that you know that they is hiding millions of friends 208 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 4: in the vault. 209 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: Jana Marx can firm Barnard as the initiator as well. 210 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 8: He introduced the Mayas as victims first as for a robbery, 211 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 8: because he was under the impression they kept millions hidden 212 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 8: in a safe in cash. 213 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: Cecilia's pupils turned to dollar signs, and she began to 214 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: delegate responsibilities to her sheep. The worst part about this 215 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: narcissistic scheme. The saddest thing was that Cecilia plan to 216 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: manipulate the Meyer's own children to become involved, guaranteeing access 217 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: to the couple. Lieutenant Colonel Christelle Boison had an interesting 218 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: take on how Cecilia brought out the worst sides of 219 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: her followers. When we spoke with her. She quoted as saying, 220 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: that's often attributed to the indigenous Cherokee people of North America. 221 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 10: There's an Indian proverb that's say, all of us has 222 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 10: two wolves in us, a good wolf and a bad wolf, 223 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 10: and whichever one you feed takes over. 224 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: Peter and Joan Meyer had two sons, Nicholas and Thaine. 225 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: Nicholas resided with his parents and then well he was estranged. 226 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 1: He struggled with addiction, and his parents had cut him 227 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: off because of his friendship with John Barnard, the newest 228 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: member of EPD. Fayne found himself hanging around Cassana Flats 229 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: in the orbit of Cecilia, Mirinda and Zach. 230 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 4: He actually went with John Barnard to buy drax at 231 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 4: Cecilia's house. 232 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: He knew Cecilia, Peter and Joan Meyer trusted John Barnard. 233 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: They practically helped raise him. 234 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 4: Peter brought him in when he was still a child 235 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 4: and he was also a drug addict, and he assisted him. 236 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 4: He fired him a few times, but he eventually took 237 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 4: him back because he felt for him and he was 238 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 4: good in his work. 239 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: So in the plot to rob the Myers thing was 240 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: an easy mark. 241 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 4: I think because he's Bedens wanted to disown him because 242 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 4: of his drug abuse. You wanted money. 243 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: Fain of course never suspected that the people he was 244 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: dealing with were desperate and greedy killers. 245 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 4: It was only supposed to rob his Betens, and he 246 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 4: gave him aloud of Da Housman, so that was actually, 247 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 4: in my view, robbery Da Dwindron. 248 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: On November nineteenth, twenty fifteen, Peter Meyer receives a phone call. 249 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: The woman on the line is Mirinda, but she identifies 250 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: herself as Gloria, a representative from the Department of Trade 251 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: and Industry. She says the department is interested in helping 252 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: to finance their proposed water park project. Peter is suspicious 253 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: for one, he has not yet filed government paperwork to 254 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: start the franchise, and two, the only person who knows 255 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: of his plans to do so is his longtime employee, 256 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: John Barnard. Lured by an investment offer, Peter disregards his 257 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: gut feeling that something might be off and agrees to meet. 258 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: Zach creates counterfeit documents good ones on official government letterhead. 259 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: There are then three false starts before these bumbling criminals 260 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: can follow through on the robbery. First, LaRue, while preparing 261 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: the guns for the robbery, accidentally shoots himself with a 262 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: twenty two revolver and is rush to the er. Marinda 263 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: calls and reschedules with the Myers on their next attempt, 264 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: for reasons we can only guess at. Marinda, Zach, and 265 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: Marcel show up two hours early for their appointment. Peter 266 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: is not yet home from work, and Joan asks them 267 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: to return later. When they come back at the appointed time, 268 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: Myers are in the middle of dinner. Jennifer and I 269 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: stand outside the Myers grandiose home with Detective Ben Boysen. 270 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: It's an affluent area perched on a hillside. The house 271 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,880 Speaker 1: looks like an Italian villa. The towering ten foot gate 272 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: surrounding it is ornate, and above its stone and casing 273 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: is electrified wire. 274 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 4: Winde kamya on false pretendents that day are working for 275 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 4: the government, and they all prepare to assist them with 276 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 4: extra money to bould that Walter premises you open. 277 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: During this very strange second attempt, the murder squad comes 278 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: into the dining room and sort of just stands there 279 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: awkwardly while the Myers dig into steak and potatoes. Mirinda 280 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: is clad in rhinestone jewelry and the most business casual 281 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: outfits she could find to cover her many lurking tattoos. 282 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: She launches into her investment pitch. Somehow it works. Before 283 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: they depart, Mirinda insists that they set one final meeting 284 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: to get the official paperwork signed. On Friday, November twenty eighth, 285 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, a day earlier than they'd agreed to meet. Mirinda, 286 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: Zach and Marcel show up again, hoping to take them 287 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: by surprise, and again Peter is not home. Over the 288 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: building's intercom, the Meyer's son, Nicholas says he'll call his father. 289 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: Nicholas reports back that Peter is busy and the appointment 290 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: is supposed to be the following day. The amateur assassins 291 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: are really hitting it out of the park, further peaking 292 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: Peter's suspicions. 293 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 4: He didn't trust him, so he actually found one of 294 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 4: his business for instance, said you need to come to 295 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 4: my premises. I'm meeting this people tonight. That is said 296 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 4: in thime. 297 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: This coworker and friend, whose name is Jason, agrees to 298 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: come over, but then he remembers that his kids have 299 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: a school recital that evening, so Jason tells his boss 300 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: he'll do everything he can to make it to the meeting. 301 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: Best case, he'll most likely arrive late. That night, Nicholas 302 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: gets a rare call from his brother Fain, asking him 303 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,479 Speaker 1: to meet for drinks to catch up. Nicholas jumps at 304 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: the chance to see his kin. Shortly before seven pm 305 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: that Saturday, a silver BMW pulls up outside the Meyers home. 306 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: Inside the car are Zach, Mirinda, and Marcel LaRue stays home. 307 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: He's still healing from shooting himself in the growing. His sister, 308 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: Marcel goes in his place. She's a senior in high school. 309 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: Now that special time when most kids that age are 310 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: dreaming of their future, not climbing into a murder way again. Mirinda, Zach, 311 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: and Marcel open the car doors. They step out, guns 312 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: concealed under the clothes. Peter and Joan are both home 313 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: and welcome them in. As they make small talk, Peter 314 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: Meyer mentions that his colleague will be joining them in 315 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: about ten minutes. Adrenaline kicks in. Mirinda turns red and 316 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: locks eyes with Zach an unspoken agreement. It's now or never. 317 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 4: But I took out the file home and pointed them, 318 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 4: and then Marcel put on them. 319 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 1: The now ashen couple is seated on the floor, their 320 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: hands and feet bound. 321 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 4: And then the O's team with the monies. And then 322 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 4: the guy said, but they have money. The money is 323 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 4: my house. I only go to a seven box. 324 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: On him, Zach barks in their faces. He demands the 325 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: keys to they're safe. Peter Meyer pleads with Zach repeats 326 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: the truth. They don't keep money at home. The couple 327 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: is left alone with Zach as Mirinda and Marcel go 328 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: hunting for a safe that Barnard told them about. Scared 329 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: for their lives, Peter talks a mile a minute. His 330 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:22,120 Speaker 1: chatter only fuels Zach's fury. Peter and Jant beg Zach 331 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 1: to have mercy, repeating over and over again that they 332 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: have no money in their home. Eventually, there's nothing more 333 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: to say. Silence hangs in the air as the couple 334 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: waits for Marinda and Marcel to return. The two come 335 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: back empty handed. They can't find a safe. That's bad 336 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: news for the Myers. Peter offers them what little cash 337 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:54,959 Speaker 1: he has on hand in his wallet. 338 00:21:55,480 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 4: It's not much, so you guys him to savent and 339 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 4: and Zak then became berserk, and he started stabbing them both. 340 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: The poultry some infuriate Zach. 341 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 4: Their husband start besiting Psalm twenty three. 342 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He 343 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: makes me lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me 344 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: beside the still waters. He restores my soul. 345 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 4: And then he got really mad. 346 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 10: Marshall told us when she testified Zach went berserk, she 347 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 10: said they didn't even recognize he was stabbing Joan and 348 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 10: stabbing Peter, and then after Peter going back to Joan, 349 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 10: and they wouldn't know when he was finishing, and they 350 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 10: had to tell him, listen, you have to finish now 351 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 10: because we need to get out of yet. 352 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: At the climax of the bloodshed, the buzzer sounds. It's 353 00:22:53,160 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 1: Jason come to attend his boss's investment meeting. 354 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 4: He saw Zach Valentine's vehicle and he praysed the button, 355 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 4: and then Marcel came into the intercom and told him, listen, 356 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 4: we're busy on now and there's water fighting and al 357 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 4: he must come later. And then he left. 358 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: Standing outside the imposing security gate of the Meyer's home, 359 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: Jason pulls his phone out and calls his boss Peter 360 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: to check the story. No answer. Jason calls him again 361 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: and again, still no answer. Jason gets back in his 362 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: car and drives off with no idea just how close 363 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: he came to death That night inside Zach's volcanic iron 364 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: frightens even Mirinda, which is saying a lot. 365 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 11: Then Zack suddenly freaked out. Now why would he do that? 366 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 11: He went like a possessed person. I got fearful years 367 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 11: and they were lying on the floor ready, cable died 368 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 11: and everything, and he started stabbing them like. 369 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,399 Speaker 1: Mirinda has to yell at Zach to stop. He finally does. 370 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: Then he stands up and grabs Peter's wallet. Before the 371 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 1: three of them had out the. 372 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 4: Door, they left only with his wallet. 373 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: Mirinda, Zach and Marcel killed Joan and Peter Meyer for 374 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 1: the grand sum of seven hundred rand, less than a 375 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: tank of gas for most of us. Cecilia was expecting 376 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: a much bigger payday when it came. 377 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 8: Back and said, now, I mean seven hundred rands. She 378 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 8: was extremely, extremely angry. The fact that Zach killed them 379 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 8: like he did, like this whole outrage thing, angered even 380 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 8: more because that was never part of the plan. 381 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: The killers split up the proceeds of their robbery doesn't 382 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: take long. 383 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 8: The plan was to go rob them, and then the 384 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 8: robbery became a murder. 385 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: As the knight wears on and the adrenaline leaches away, 386 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: Zach's mood shifts dramatically. He begs Cecilia for her forgiveness. 387 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: He swears his allegiance to her over and over. He 388 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: let his rage get the better of him. It won't 389 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: happen again, he promises. The groveling restores Cecilia's sense of power. 390 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: To show their loyalty, Cecilia makes her followers renew their 391 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: vows to her and swear a new oath of secrecy. 392 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: No one must speak of this mistake ever again. Once 393 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 1: again secure in Cecilia's favor, Zach and Marcel hit up 394 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: a nearby casino try to double their money. They invite 395 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: John Barnard. 396 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 8: He gladly joined in the casina trip afterwards, to see 397 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 8: if they can win anything. 398 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: Neither he nor Zach have any luck on their side. Marcel, however, 399 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: wins big, bringing home an extra two hundred rand. Marcel 400 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: boasts to Cecilia when she gets home. Cecilia praises Marcel, 401 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: calls her quote an exemplar of God's good grace, and then, 402 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: with her typical confidence, Cecilia announces that a woman she knows, 403 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: a fellow victim of the Satanic Church, is suffering from 404 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: a kidney disease. It just so happens that she needs 405 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: exactly two hundred rand. The dutiful Marcel hands over her 406 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: winnings to Cecilia. That night, at around nine pm, Nicholas 407 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: Meyer and his girlfriend return home from a night out drinking, 408 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 1: they find his parents lying dead in a pool of blood. 409 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: Nicholas runs to them in horror. His girlfriend wast pull 410 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: him away so he doesn't compromise the crime scene. She 411 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 1: convinces him to walk outside, where Nicholas phones his brother. 412 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: When police finally arrive on the scene about an hour later, 413 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: it doesn't take them long to find solid forensic evidence. 414 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 4: The envelope that Maranda brought with her that she was 415 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 4: supposed to work for the government. She left the envelope yard, 416 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 4: so when the police came to the crime scene, they 417 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 4: found the envelope and they found a thumbprint on it. 418 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: Again, it's Miranda's fingerprints. This time they're on the forged 419 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 1: government paperwork left on the Meyers coffee table. Would this 420 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: be what finally doomed them or would the police once 421 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:53,119 Speaker 1: again match their incompetence. In order to help the police 422 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 1: with their investigation, the Meyers brothers hire a private detective. 423 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: He's thorough in his search for the killers. He quickly 424 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: hones in on Zach's car. 425 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 4: But there's a lot of cameras on the roads, and 426 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 4: the private investigated went and he got camera footage of 427 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 4: Zach Valentine's vehicle leaving the vicinity. 428 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: Peter Meyer's friend and employee, Jason confirms that he spotted 429 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: a silver BMW in the Myers driveway that night. 430 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 4: So eventually didn't they They came to Zach and Marenda said, 431 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 4: but listen, you were there. 432 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: Between the fingerprints and the vehicle ID, the cops have 433 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: enough to bring in Zach and Marender for questioning. When confronted, 434 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: the two killers improvise and. 435 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 4: They said, yeah, we were there, but there were other people. 436 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 4: They were fighting with other people, and we didn't want 437 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 4: to get involved, so we left. But the next day 438 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 4: it was in all the newspapers that they were killed. 439 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 4: So why didn't you come to the police. 440 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 8: They implicated another couple, so they Zack and Marenda had 441 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 8: this whole story worked out that they were at the 442 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 8: Meyer's house. I didn't deny being there, but they said 443 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 8: at some point they left, so they actually just blamed 444 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 8: the other couple. 445 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: The lies kept coming. 446 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 8: It was just a fabrication, but they stopped to that story, 447 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 8: and that was also the story in the statement, and 448 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 8: they even gave descriptions of the other couple, and the 449 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 8: police drew up identic kits of this other couple. 450 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: So the cops began searching in Vain for people who 451 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: didn't even exist. Still, they see Zax BMW. The forensics 452 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: department searches the car top to bottom, inside and out, 453 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: and they find nothing, not a single hair nor blood 454 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: stain of evidence. Mirinda must have done one hell of 455 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: a job cleaning Zach's car of any traces of blood 456 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: or tissue. The police still had the Meyer's sons, Thane 457 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: and Nicholas in their sights. After finding his parents murdered 458 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: and before the police showed up, Nicholas, not knowing if 459 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: the killers were still in the house, grabbed a screwdriver. 460 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: When he didn't find anyone, he threw it in the 461 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: empty pool. 462 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 8: Nicholas threw that screwdriver into the pool and it looked 463 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 8: very suspicious for the police. So that's why I took 464 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 8: them in for pushing and polygraphs and. 465 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 7: All of that. 466 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: Nicholas was brought in for questioning alongside Mirinda and Zach. 467 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: That's when he made a positive ID, reporting that Zach 468 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: and Mirinda had shown up during dinner one night claiming 469 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: to be government officials. Even so, the police didn't have 470 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: enough to keep any of them in jail. No DNA 471 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: evidence to connect Zach and Mirinda to the murders, and 472 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: fingerprints aren't enough for a murder charge. So the four 473 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: of them, the real criminals and the Meyer boys, were 474 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: all released with the promise that they would be called 475 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: back in for a polygraph test. One thing to note 476 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: about this particular and often questioned forensic. 477 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 4: Tool, polygraphications that Africa cannot be used in a court 478 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 4: of flow. 479 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: But they can narrow the focus of an investigation. 480 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 4: Both of them filed the polygraph taste then the police 481 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 4: will know that listen, now we need to go deep 482 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 4: into this investigation. And he tried to get more information 483 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 4: to link them to the murders. 484 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: Fain and Nicholas are brought in first, nerves racked. They 485 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: don't do so well on the polygraph. 486 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 8: So the siblings they actually failed. 487 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: So the police remained skeptical about the brother's involvement. The 488 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 1: walls were closing in and Zach was fast becoming a liability. 489 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 11: They were going to do a lie dedicted test, and 490 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 11: Zak knew he can't do the liight deddicted test because 491 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 11: they will see that he killed the. 492 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: Guy behind on his car payments. The bank sees the 493 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: silver BMW. He'd been spotted in now with no way 494 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: to get around independently, no steady income, and the police 495 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: hounding him to come in for a polygraph. Cecilia began 496 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: to question and the man who'd long been her ever 497 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: loyal piggybank, the. 498 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 4: Need was decided that now he needs to die. 499 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: On the next episode of Queen Havoc. 500 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 4: He was found in a car with a pipe to 501 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 4: the exhaust and then they put said, Okay, committed suicide. 502 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 3: That's really bad. 503 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: You don't explain something to go, just pass away. 504 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 11: We actually met Cecilia and the whole group, Zack and 505 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 11: Mirinda and all of them, And it's only afterwards that 506 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 11: I realized that we were being groomed. 507 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 8: It could have been me and you. They were doing 508 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 8: regular jobs, showing up for appointment and they were killed. 509 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: Queen Havoc in Her Murder Cult is a production of 510 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: Schooly Humans and iHeart podcasts. Queen Havoc is hosted and 511 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: created by me Kurt Kupachack, produced and written by Jennifer Zucchini, 512 00:32:55,680 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 1: Julia Chriscau, and Kirk Kupachick. Lead producer is Julie Crisca. 513 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: Story editor is Saren Burnett. Senior producer is Amelia Brock. 514 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: Production manager is Daisy Church. Original music composed by Claire Campbell, editing, 515 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: sound design and scoring by Jesse Niswanger. Associate producers are 516 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 1: DaShan Moodley and Jermaine Kritterer. Additional producing by Ben Melman, 517 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: fact checking by Dennis Webster. Recording engineers are Graham Gibson, 518 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: Clay Hillenberg and Josh Hook. Brinda Stein was read by 519 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: Angelique Pretorious. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, L. C. Crowley, 520 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: Brandon Barr, Jennifer Keeney and Kurt Kupachak. We want to 521 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: thank all of those who so generously welcomed us in 522 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:53,560 Speaker 1: South Africa and shared their stories. We're incredibly grateful to 523 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: you all. We also want to acknowledge how traumatic these 524 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: events are for the victims and their family. Please respect 525 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: their privacy. If you or someone you know has been 526 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: affected by cult behaviors, there are resources available, including voices 527 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: for Dignity at Christine Murray dot com