Daughter Finds Mother's Decapitated Body In Backyard | Forensic Files

Aer, please just come outside. How you doing? Is Martha here? >> No, she's probably in her boyfriend's
house. >> 30 days ago, 53-year-old David Callahan killed his girlfriend Martha and buried
her body in his own backyard. David thinks he's gotten away with his horrific crime. Martha was mentally ill,
had few friends, and no one was supposed to come looking for her. Martha's daughter Kim was the only person
concerned about her mother's whereabouts. >> If I come up missing or dead, it is no
accident. And he has told her before, if I I'm going to get your ass and nobody's
ever going to find you. >> What's your concern? >> That he killed her. >> Kim thinks David had something to do
with her mother's disappearance. But with no proof of a crime, officers don't believe her.
>> Would you have been surprised at all if she's laying dead in there or shoved in
a tunnel? Nothing surprises you. >> That's like a horror movie. >> However, in the weeks that follow, Kim
will do everything in her power to find Martha, force police to act, and lead them to one of the most gruesome
discoveries of their lives. >> Seems like a body part. In the early hours of a Monday morning,
police in Akran receive a call from a woman asking for a restraining order against her boyfriend. The caller is
53-year-old Martha Robin Freightag. She's already known to officers for her history of schizophrenia and the
frequent domestic disputes involving her boyfriend, David Callahan. Their relationship was unstable, constantly
breaking up and getting back together, leaving officers unsure whether each new call was a real emergency or just
another one of their fights. But this time would be different because when officers arrive at the couple's house,
they have no idea that a murder will take place just minutes from now. And this will be the last time Martha is
ever seen alive. to go. Really? >> No, I don't like that. >> I know. I really don't like it.
>> Hi. Hi. >> Hi. What's going on? >> Us. >> Huh? >> Did you call us? >> Yes, I did.
>> What's going on? >> I'm looking to reinstate some 14 months ago. I think 10 years, right?
>> So, you want to restate something you already and they're already investigating it and
you're just telling us about it again. Is that correct? >> Well, I don't know if they're
investigating or not. All I know is I cry training order them and then I give a way for her to get some mental help
because he's supposed to go went down first path. First of all, it's wasn't supposed to be exploited at all. As
Martha speaks, her words are scattered and she makes little sense to officers. Her behavior just seems erratic, like
another episode of confusion or paranoia. But in reality, Martha is masking genuine fear that officers don't
pick up on. Because what they don't know is that her boyfriend David is standing
inside the house waiting for the moment officers drive off so he can make sure this is the last time she ever calls
them. Can you come out and do that with a madman? Right. >> Uh I got a restraining order against him
and then uh I don't know what what are you doing over there? >> I'm talking to you. Why are you over
there like that? >> Cuz I want to be. Okay. Walk off to the guy downtown. >> Okay.
>> Okay. >> As strange as it looks, officers don't think much of the interaction. They walk
away, dismissing Martha as unstable, unaware they've just left her alone with the very man who's about to kill her.
In the hours after police left, David snapped. Inside, he was furious that Martha called the police on him again.
He grabbed a wooden axe handle and struck her in a fit of rage. When she collapsed, he wrapped a rope around her
neck and pulled until she stopped moving. Once Martha was dead, David sealed her body inside a plastic bag and
waited for nightfall. Then, under the cover of darkness, he carried her outside, burned her body, and buried it
in a shallow pit behind the house. To David, it was over. a woman with schizophrenia, few friends, and a
history of false alarms. No one would ever come looking for her. What he completely overlooked is that Martha's
daughter, Kim, will soon be on to him, slowly solving her own mother's brutal murder.
Over the next few days, Martha stops responding to everyone, including her daughter, Kim. And after several days of
silence and no sign of her mother, Kim contacts police, explaining that something bad may have happened to
Martha. Officers arranged to meet her at the house later that day to check on her
mother's welfare. But when Kim and her husband arrived to meet the officers, it quickly seems that their concerns won't
be taken seriously at all. >> Neither is a cousin of ours that she calls all the time. Her brother that she
calls all the time. Nobody's heard from her. >> She lives here. >> Yeah. You been in?
>> No, I came earlier and knocked and banged on the door and she was having a lot of problems with her boyfriend.
>> Yeah. >> At some point there was some kind of a protection order and I don't know
against him. She's paranoid schizophrenic. So I went around to different hospitals. I went everywhere
to see if she was like in a psychiatric unit. I can't. Everybody says no. She's not here.
>> And I know that there's been a lot going on between her and her boyfriend. Yeah.
>> Okay. >> He has made death threats to her. So >> that's okay. >> He has made threats to her that he was
going to make sure nobody ever found her. >> Yeah. >> According to Kim, Martha's boyfriend,
David, was the most likely suspect in her disappearance. In addition to the death threats, police also knew David
had a lengthy criminal history and outstanding warrants for drug abuse, theft, and trespassing, making him
someone officers needed to question right away. But before the officers could get a full story from Kim, a
sudden noise from inside the house put them instantly on high alert. >> You don't have a key to her place?
>> What was that? >> Did you hear that? >> Yeah. Earlier the air conditioner was on
but now it's not. [Music] >> Agro police. >> Unbeknownst to the officer, the sound
wasn't just his imagination. It was David hiding in silence and waiting for the police to leave. But this is when
the officers would make their first critical mistake. Despite the very real possibility that Martha was in active
danger, they would give Kim the worst piece of advice. >> And what happens with like a missing
person's report or whatever, >> but she but she is a grown woman. However, she has these, you know, the
paranoid schizophrenia issues. If for whatever reason she has gone into this state where she doesn't want anybody to
contact her, even family, the hospital is legally not allowed to tell anybody anything, even her kin. I just don't
think we're quite at the heightened alert level that we need to force entry or do anything like that yet. You know
what I mean? >> The way that she calls us constantly kind of gives me a false >> she calls I mean she's always every day
calls her mother. >> When did it stop? >> Uh well her brother said she stopped about a month ago. My cousin said two
weeks but I don't know if I'm thinking about a month ago forever. >> She still called my phone every day
leaving voicemails. >> Yeah. While the officer's explanation is factually accurate, the suggestion not
to file a missing person's report will prove to be a serious oversight, and it won't take long before Kim realizes
she's been inadvertently coerced into making a grave mistake. For now, though, officers leave the scene, letting Kim
carry on her own investigation. For the next few days, she keeps calling Martha and David, but with neither of
them answering their phones. Growing increasingly worried, Kim begins gathering information on her own. She
learns that David has recently been seen at a place where he worked on and off, so she contacts police once again,
urging them to check it out. Following up on Kim's tip, a group of officers are dispatched to investigate. But they hear
about David will finally start to give her suspicions some credibility. How you doing?
>> You guys know David? >> Uh probably in his 50s. >> What's the girl's name? >> Caligan or something?
>> I think his last name. >> Have you seen Martha or Robin? >> Martha or Robin? >> I don't even know those names.
>> Do you know who those are? >> No. Not much. >> You just saw David move in over his
girlfriend was in jail or something, but she was >> But he's in like his 50s. >> Yeah,
>> I think it's not the new guy that lived in here. I think what about Jai? >> Dave
kind of guy. >> He's older. >> Yeah, probably. >> His name Hey, what is that dude's name?
Dis the other night. Yeah, his name is David, too. >> We got a whole bunch of Daves around
here. >> We could pull up a picture and see if you guys >> I think we're going to try to find one.
>> That's not that Dave. >> That's how David stays here. Does he come around here?
>> This guy? >> Yeah, he's been around. So, >> he's not the one that lives here.
>> When was the last time you saw him? >> Need to get it out. [Music] this week. Last week,
>> something like that. >> 3 4 days. >> 3 days. >> He say 3 or 4 days ago, maybe.
>> According to the workers, they've seen David in recent days, meaning he's still
in the area. Now, police just need to locate him and ask him where Martha might be. Despite this lead, officers
still sound convinced Martha will eventually turn up on her own and David is just another name in a domestic
dispute. Unbeknownst to them, this is giving David exactly what he wants, time. Because as the case stalls, he's
keeping a low profile, only leaving Martha's house at night and using the lack of scrutiny to cover his tracks and
refine his story. And over the next several weeks, what began as one oversight will snowball into a series of
missteps that will [ __ ] the investigation and ultimately pave the way to a discovery far more tragic than
anyone imagined. The following week, after repeated calls and pressure from Kim, police finally
agreed to conduct another welfare check. This time, however, they make another critical error. They send a new pair of
officers unfamiliar with the full context of the case. This is where the mistake of not filing a missing person's
report catches up with the police and causes David to slip off the hook again. It doesn't Yeah, they didn't add any
notes. It just said that they were here. >> Well, it was actually it came in as a
missing person because >> Okay, that's probably the daughter then. >> Yeah, but then it said she checked okay
and there was no report made. So they must have had contact. >> If it came in as a missing person, they
cleared it without a report number. That means they determined where she was at.
>> Exactly. >> That was what I was. >> Yeah. After only a few unanswered knocks, officers decide to leave the
scene, assuming that since no missing person report was filed, someone must have already made contact with Martha.
This is exactly why dissuading Kim from filing a report had been such a catastrophic blunder. So, with no sign
of Martha or David and police convinced nothing is wrong, the investigation quietly stalls. Days pass with no
progress until eventually the case goes gold. A week passes and it seems Martha might
never be found as police have completely written off her disappearance. But then
something strange starts to happen. Kim begins receiving response messages from her mother. The texts are brief and
unsettling. I'm busy. I'm with my friends. I'm fine. It doesn't sound like her mother. And something about the way
she's texting feels off to Kim. Growing suspicious, Kim asks police to meet with
her again. This time demanding that they break in and check the house or she'll do it herself.
>> Make an official missing person here. I've talked to so many officers. Everybody she knows, her friends,
family, none of them has seen her face or talked to her in over a month. So, I was sending her messages from her
mother's phone. Say, "This is your daughter. I want to know where you're at." "Oh, I'm at the Kingdom Hall in
Kent with friends." I said, "Okay, stay there. I'm coming right now." "Oh, I'm not there. You don't know where I am."
"Well, you just said you were there. Where are you?" "Oh, I'm eating now." The way she types is completely
different. She says she's angry at the family. >> But the issue is we were we were
pounding on the door earlier and no one answered and we didn't have enough to kick the door in and go look for her.
>> She owns this property. If I need to break in here with you guys here and if she's going to if you think she'll press
charges on me, that's fine. I want to know what happened to her. She's not going to press charges on me. That's not
a problem. >> She has mental illness. >> Yes, she does. >> Do you know if she's taking her meds?
>> No, I don't know. But I do know that she does not do this kind of thing. She my
the last time her mother talked to her, she was walking through this field over here and told my grandmother, "If I come
up missing or dead, it is no accident." And she said it to me. This has been said to us several times and he has told
her before if I I'm going to get your ass and nobody's ever going to find you. >> What's your concern?
>> That he killed her. >> Kim appears confident that she has solved her mother's disappearance,
accusing her lover, David, of both murder and impersonation. While officers still doubt Kim's story, they agree to
break into the house, if only to put her mind at ease. But what awaits them inside will leave Kim even more furious
with police, making her question whether they are truly on her side. >> Anybody in here?
>> Come outside. >> It's day one in the shirt. Day two. >> You're not going to get another day out.
>> Supposed to be a big black dog that might not be friendly. >> You'll put me back on the call on the
phone. for that dirty one. >> Good already. >> Police. Anybody in here? >> The police? Nobody's been here cuz the
bells are taken in. I mean, >> oh, he's good here. The question is what he did to her.
>> Not a single pair of her shoes anywhere around here. >> If I were you, I mean, I'm not telling
you how to feel, but this will be a relief. You know, she's not here, but it doesn't look like there's any sign of
distress or, you know, all her stuff's not >> thrown around. First sign of distress
really is the fact that there's no Pepsi in that refrigerator. >> So that means she hasn't been staying
here. >> No, she has not been here. I'm telling you, he has done something to her.
>> Inside the house, police find no sign of Martha or her belongings. Something Kim
finds deeply suspicious. Still, the officer reassures her that everything is fine and there are no obvious signs of
foul play. However, as police exit the house, an officer makes an off-hand remark that reveals what they really
think happened to Martha. >> Would you have been surprised at all if she's laying dead in there or shoved in
a tuition? >> Yes, I would have been surprised. >> Yeah, >> nothing surprises. >> That would have surprised me.
>> Although officers briefly consider the worst case scenario for Martha, their tone makes it clear they don't really
believe it. Even with Kim insisting that something is wrong, their doubt remains.
And when Kim insists on filing a missing person report, something that should have been done weeks ago, officers still
seem convinced there is no real cause for alarm. >> I need to make an official report.
>> Yeah, that can happen. That's not a problem. But it's going to be very vague.
>> I don't know what to think about none of her stuff being in her house. Shoes. She
always had shoes all over right there with this, too. All right. This is the report and I can go get a hard copy. And
what do I do? I mean, just keep if I hear any more texts. >> I mean, it's pretty much pointless
unless it's pointless talking to him anymore at this point. >> I guess this is what happens. But I
mean, [Applause] >> just let us know if you think she's somewhere and we can go check for her.
Okay. >> Okay. >> By now, you can hear the hopelessness in Kim's voice. It seems like her
investigation has hit a dead end as she watches officers leave once again, advising her to call if new information
comes up. But a few hours later, one officer decides to return and speak with the neighbors, hoping to learn where
David or Martha might be. It's a small decision, but one that quietly marks the first step in turning things around for
police because one of the neighbors he talks to is unknowingly holding a piece of information about David that will
finally confirm Kim's claims. >> Do you know anything about this house next door?
>> There's some woman that used to live in there. She asked me a couple times for
some money or some cigarettes. I told her I didn't smoke. What's going on? >> Well, someone sent us out here to check
on her and she's not answering the door. She have a car or anything, you know? >> I don't think so. But she seen a car.
She was walking the first time I started cutting the granite. >> How you doing? You've been living in the
garage here. >> I call her living. >> Where do you sleep at? >> Do you know who lives here?
>> Robin Fly Talk, I think. >> When did you see her last? >> About four weeks ago.
>> And you haven't seen her in four weeks? >> No. Last night. >> Have you seen him over there? Oh, yeah.
>> Does he uh does he drive a car? >> No. >> Is he home now? >> I have no idea. >> Okay.
>> The neighbor's statement finally confirms what Kim's been suspecting all along. David hasn't disappeared. He's
been coming and going from the house while police and Kim struggled to reach him. With that information, police begin
coordinating surveillance around the property, assigning patrol units to quietly monitor the area and wait for
the moment David shows up again. 2 days later, the opportunity finally comes when officers spot a car parked beside
the house. The first sign of activity in days. They approach carefully, hoping to
finally make contact with Martha and put Kim's fears to rest. However, the person
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the scene where officers are about to come face to face with the man they've been searching for all this time. Aer,
please just come outside. How you doing? Is Martha here? No, >> she's probably at her boyfriend's house.
>> What's your name, bud? >> David. >> David. David Callahan. All right, come on down
here for me. Why do you think she's at her boyfriend's house? >> Oh, that's where she stays most of the
time. >> Where's that at? >> I don't know. I don't even know who it is, really. >> Are you the only one here?
>> Hi, She's here maybe a couple times a week anymore. We've actually been split
up for a year. >> She's schizophrenic. She's been off her medic on and off her medication I don't
know how many times. >> This is David Callahan, the man Kim had been desperately trying to warn the
police about. According to him, Martha was not at the house, but at her new boyfriend's. But now, David is about to
surprise the officers, explaining why they shouldn't necessarily take Martha's family's word at face value. Guess her
daughter's fighting again. >> 604 computer. Well, that's part of the reason we're out here cuz no one in her
family's talked to her since July. >> I don't know how. I know. I know. She just texted her.
>> When's the last time you talked to her? >> I don't know. Probably five, six days
ago, maybe. >> Where was that at? >> It was here. >> And Martha's not in the house right now.
>> No, I mean a month. >> Obviously, we're we're concerned about Martha, like you said, if she's off her
meds and everything, right? We'd like to find her right now. She's missing person. So, we'd like to uh
>> I didn't know it was all that cuz I mean they've >> you didn't know it was all that missing
person because her and the family they've fallen out numerous times. You know, the family is just gone as far as
changing their phone numbers and not giving them. They treated her horribly over the years
>> and her not talking to him right now doesn't surprise me. >> David claims Kim is not a trustworthy
person and has never gotten along with Martha. With David tarnishing Kim's character and Kim doing the same to
David, the officers weren't sure whose story to believe. But this is when the officer would get a brilliant idea. They
knew David had outstanding warrants, something they could use as reasonable grounds to detain him. Their next move
would catch David offg guard and prove to be the police's smartest decision yet.
>> Did you get your warrants taken care of? >> No, I need to go down there and take
care of them. I got a couple misses. through actor. >> All right. Well, we're going to help you
out with that today. >> You still have those warrants. We'll send you down to court. You can get them
taken care of today. >> All right. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to, if it's all right
with you, we're going to walk through. We'll let you get some clothes and then you're going to go down to court and get
taken get these warrants taken care of. >> Hey, I got a big dog in here. >> No problem.
>> Do you get the whole thing? >> Yeah. Nothing but the thing. >> Do you do the returns or do I do that
later? animal do it or whoever's up one of those. >> Following his arrest, David is
transported to the station and placed in jail, but not for murder. The only thing
holding him there are his unrelated warrants. For investigators, this is a temporary win that will quickly turn
into a problem. Because despite finally having David in custody, they know their
case against him is painfully weak. There's no body, no confession, not even physical evidence proving Martha is
dead. Weeks of police inaction and hesitation have left detectives with little more than suspicion, and time is
running out. So, to make up for it, they decide to hold David as long as legally
possible under the existing warrants, hoping they could buy themselves time to rebuild the case and find something
concrete. Detectives don't know it yet, but the clue they so desperately need to
solve the case won't come from their investigation, but from Martha's own family.
Several days later, while David remains in custody, Martha's family receives a mysterious message. The anonymous note
reads, "If he was going to get rid of someone, he would bury them in the backyard." At first, no one knew what to
make of it. It could be a cruel prank or maybe a genuine tip. Either way, Martha's cousin Angela and a few
relatives contact police and ask them to meet at the property. For the first time
in the investigation, the police and Martha's family finally joined forces. >> Who's the caller?
>> You are. >> What made you uh come to think it was >> they came and arrested him? I believe it
was Thursday or Friday they arrested him. other charges contempt and they're holding for like 30 days.
>> So they they questioned him about this two or two times. I think I got a text
message here. I've been putting these flyers up on all the polls and I get a text message
>> a sergeant and a couple other units coming here. >> Um if he was ever to get rid of someone
bury them across the very backyard. >> I know I know her role. You came over with her and what did you
>> come over to get because she suspected some stuff going on back there and >> I hope it's not her.
>> There's something there. >> Yeah. >> With police now briefed on the situation, officers begin coordinating a
search of the property, focusing on the backyard mentioned in the message while others canvas the neighborhood looking
for anyone who might have seen something suspicious. As the search gets underway, word of the
mysterious message quickly makes its way back to the station. Detectives realize
this could be their only real lead and decide to seize the opportunity to question David again. However, David
isn't stupid. He's already denied any involvement in Martha's disappearance, and he knows that acting clueless won't
convince detectives he has nothing to hide. He also knows that as long as he keeps denying everything and doubles
down on blaming Martha's family, there's nothing detectives can pin on him. Clearly, the stakes couldn't be higher
on both sides. And if David plays his cards right, he'll walk free. >> Hey, sit right here, D.
>> So, when was the last time you actually talked to her? >> Beginning of last month.
>> So, I didn't see she had a restraining order against you. A TPO or a CPO? >> So temporary one.
>> Lasted like six months, I think. >> Did you get arrested? Cuz you >> No. And here's here's the thing.
>> Yeah. She's, you know, she's called the cops on me a half a dozen times. And I've never raised a hand to her. She's
never had a scratch on her. Any any report you you would read will tell you the same thing. She gets mad and I
leave. She thinks I'm out humping everything with a pulse out there that's female. you know that that's just what
you know why she originally got mad at me. You know, she just want to argue all the time and I just you know I just felt
you know leaving day or two at a time you know would just calm everything down and it normally did. I mean we've always
worked things out. I don't understand why she's not back. I I really don't. I mean we've we've had problems over the
years. Like I said we've been together since 2002. >> Sure. You know, every everybody has a
problem. >> Yeah, everyone's got problems. That's for damn sure. So then I guess your
theory is David, she's staying with whoever she's dating, this new person, not and not at the house. Is that what
you're saying? >> As expected, David sticks to his story, insisting Martha is with her new
boyfriend in Florida. But David knows exactly what he's doing. Realizing detectives have little evidence to work
with, he decides to take control of the conversation and tarnish Martha's character, paint her as unstable, and
dismiss her disappearance as the result of her own mental state. Detectives can't push back without proof or a body.
And every minute they let him talk, he builds a stronger defense for himself, one that might just help him walk free
in court. I believe she's relapsed on, you know, back to smoke crack again cuz, you know, I found a paraphernellia at
the house. >> I mean, tomorrow is her birthday. >> I tried, I don't know, three or four
times over the last couple years to get her the 3-day evaluation or whatever they call it.
>> Yeah. >> You know, the police had come out, the paramedics. She'd be standing on this
porch, you know, screaming at them, screaming at me. They tell me she don't fit the criteria for the evaluation.
Well, what does >> got to be homicidal? >> Does she have to stab me in my sleep or
do something, you know, really crazy? Yeah. >> And they say, "Well, she's an adult. We
can't take her medication, so why don't you leave?" >> So, it didn't sound like her and Kim had
some problems, too. >> Absolutely. I mean, they would go months on end without speaking to each other.
It was at one point, you know, Robin didn't even have phone number to talk to her mom and dad or her for periods of
time. >> Yeah. No, I you're you're absolutely true. I I I sensed they had some hard
times now and then and it sounded like she communicated her with her a lot through her Facebook Messenger.
>> She >> The mention of Martha's Facebook messages clearly catches David off guard. He's surprised that detectives
even know about them, unaware that Kim already accused him of impersonating her mother weeks earlier. But that isn't the
only surprise waiting for him. Detectives have been holding something back. Evidence they saved for this exact
moment. When David was first arrested, police recovered Martha's phone from inside the house along with several of
her security checks that he'd allegedly withdrawn. So, with David already on edge, detectives decide to push their
advantage and confront him with what they claim is hard evidence. It's a risky gamble. If they push too hard,
David could demand a lawyer and shut down the interview entirely. But if the pressure works, he might finally slip,
contradict himself, or even confess. >> Yeah. I mean, you know, obviously her family is real worried about her and
loves her a lot, and I can see that you love her a lot, right? >> Yeah, absolutely. I mean,
>> well, Dave, I think there's some little piece missing here, bud. That's what I
think. And I I I think you'd feel better if you just told us what it is. >> I don't I don't know. I mean, I don't
know what to say. >> Well, I I think there's a little bit more to the story, Dave. You're not
giving us. >> There's nothing else I can tell you. I mean, I've told you everything I know.
>> I don't think you told us everything, man. >> Okay. Well, I have. >> Don't you think you'd feel better if you
told us the truth, Dave? I mean, let it go. And >> you're not going to be able to celebrate
her birthday tomorrow, Dave. There there's some pieces missing in your story, Dave. And as you know, that is
your girlfriend, the love of your life, Robin's handwriting. That is September where you paid the rent so we can keep
up this farce that Robin is still around. Tell us the part about being on her phone pretending that you're her.
>> Oh god. >> Tell us about that. >> Have her phone. >> Where's her phone? >> I did. I don't know.
>> You know where her phone is? >> No, I don't. >> You put it. We found it where you put
it. Why don't you just tell us the truth? What happened? You'll feel better. >> Did you guys feel better?
>> I don't have >> Did you guys share a bedroom? >> My time now. >> Needless to say, David is starting to
visibly get worked up over the accusations. He's defensive, irritated, but still talking. Luckily for
detectives, he doesn't seem close to shutting down or asking for a lawyer, but they can tell they've pushed the
limit for now. If they press any harder, the interview could end before they get
anything useful. So, detectives decide to take a break, let David step outside for a smoke, hoping it will calm him
down and make him more willing to cooperate when he returns. In the meantime, back at Martha's
residence, officers continue coordinating the backyard search and canvasing the neighborhood for anyone
who might have seen or heard something useful. That's when a familiar face approaches one of the officers. The same
neighbor from days earlier who'd reported seeing David coming and going from the house. This time he shares a
chilling detail about the days following Martha's disappearance. >> A fire pit back there of some sort.
>> Right. >> But you know, I didn't even know she was missing until a few days ago.
>> I mean, had you noticed any activity by anybody back there in the backyard recently? Uh just the guy who lived
there. >> What was he doing >> in the middle of the night? Was burning the things and I could smell it. The
horrible statue coming from everywhere. >> And I thought that's even trash day. So
the >> woman there is the cousin of the woman who's missing. >> Okay. >> She's been missing about 30 days.
>> Somebody sent her a message saying check the backyard for your cousin. >> You're kidding.
>> According to David's neighbor, every night he could see flames rising from David's backyard. accompanied by a
horrendous smell. Acting on this information, officers request firefighters, EMS, and forensic teams to
assist at the scene. Treating the backyard as a potential crime scene in case human remains are found. And as the
teams prepare to begin the search no one could have expected, they were only feet
away from confirming the horrific nightmare Kim had feared all along. pretty positive it's a body buried under
their fire pit. They dug it up. You could see what looks like to be about a knee or or an elbow. And you touch it,
you can tell it's something. We didn't really dig anymore. Gentlemen, >> you tell me.
>> Well, here's the deal. Highly suspicious. >> Seems like a body part, but we didn't
want to dig it out anymore till you guys got here. >> Yeah. I think you know all of us would
want it dug out a little bit more before you guys can say >> check. >> Was it dug out when you guys got here?
>> That guy. >> What made him did he say what made him start digging? >> Yeah, he gave the whole story of the
other officer and us. But uh she got anonymous text saying if this guy who you guys have arrested recently that if
he wanted to get rid of somebody who would bury it back here by the fence. Oh, >> so she came back and saw this loose dirt
ash >> that guy to come over and help her. >> And they say this gentleman is already
arrested. >> Yeah, that's what both of those two people are telling. >> This is the wife
>> person that they think it is. >> Come and guy's arrested. It was a suspect in
>> Was this her husband did? >> I don't know if they were her husband wife >> cuz I know she had a protection order
against me. >> Well, he was he was staying here. >> She went missing. you was staying here.
>> They they've been on and off. I've been out here a couple times where she had a
protection order, but it goes back and forth cuz then she invites her back over and stuff like that. So, uh let me go
talk to these guys real quick and then we'll let you know what he >> following their initial observations of
what appear to be human remains. One of the officers steps away from the dig site to speak with the family. Because
they arrived without a search warrant, they must explain what's been found so far and request formal consent to
continue the excavation. At the same time, Martha's daughter, Kim, and her husband finally arrive at the scene
anxious, it isn't what they think it is. Though officers avoid making any premature statements, Kim can already
sense the truth. This would be the worst day of her life. >> She doesn't know her.
>> Did you find a person? Well, we don't know yet. Okay. So, we're we're not we're not saying yes and we're
not saying no. Okay. We we don't know. Okay. >> Have you been on scenes like this
before? How do you not know? >> I mean, I can't wait to know. >> Listen. >> Well, we don't want to we don't want to.
What we're saying is we don't want to contaminate anything. >> Will I be told as soon as they know
whether or not there's a body back there of a person? Well, they they have whole
process they have to go through >> to tell me if they found a person back there.
>> Yeah, >> they would know. I mean, wouldn't they? >> No, not necessarily. >> Kimmy, look. There's about a piece of
this that was uncovered. No, I'm just saying a piece of some plastic or something.
>> Chloe, I'm going to have to leave real quick. Okay, I'll just give you, you know, the
confirmation. I'll be back. >> We'll have them tell if it's her. >> Uh, not not now. No.
>> I don't even think we're They don't even have the person back there that's going
to be digging it up yet. Might might be a little bit better to talk to somebody like that. Okay.
>> I don't think I want to talk to anybody. >> I don't think that I want to right now.
>> It doesn't help to talk to strangers. >> I have to ask you. Um, I'm not positive
that you're the one I should ask, but I'm going to ask you since you say you have power of attorney. if you allow us
to go back in the yard, check that out. >> Yes. >> Okay. I have to ask. Okay. >> Um, so you're giving me consent and the
officers and we're going to have medical examiner come out as well. Okay. >> After receiving permission from the
family, officers resume the excavation. Inside the shallow fire pit, they find the remains of Martha. Her body is
wrapped in bedding, sealed by a plastic bag, burnt and showing a clear blunt force injury with a rope still tied
around her neck. Everyone at the scene is shaken by the discovery. After weeks of uncertainty,
Martha's disappearance is finally resolved, but the reality offers little comfort.
On the other side of town, news of the gruesome discovery quickly travels to the detectives at the station. So, with
this new information at hand, they bring David back into the room and cut straight to the point, directly accusing
him of murder. >> Dave, let me ask you a question. Are you a heartless bastard? >> A heartless cold bastard?
>> No. >> No. people who would look at this look at this event and say that you Dave are
a heartless no- good bastard who put the love of your life in the ground and that
has to be an evil bad person who has to go away for every last day of their life. Every last day. So Dave, are you
that person or are you the person that has struggled with someone who's, as you said, for 16 years, you love her, but
she's schizophrenic and she goes here and she goes there. Cuz there's no reasonable person, Dave, in the world
that wouldn't believe that you harmed Robin. We all know that. Three of us sitting in this room. You should just
get it off your chest, man. >> I've told you everything I know. >> No, you haven't told everything. the
heat of the moment. >> Yeah. >> Did you plan it out? >> Tomorrow was her [ __ ] birthday.
>> Tomorrow was her birthday. For them to sit there and reflect the agony they've
been going through for the last month. >> Heartlessly killed the woman you love more than anything in the world.
>> It's it's it's it's mindboggling to think about it. Something that you said you were going to do.
>> Yeah. And if you said you ever going to kill anybody and bury him in the fire
pit, it seems kind of convenient. I never told anybody. >> You never told anybody that,
>> Dave, we're not [ __ ] stupid, dude. You think we're going to make that up? I'm not making anything up. You think I
made this up? We know everything. We know the answers to the questions we asked, man. I'm trying to get you to say
that you're not an evil, no good bastard. And that was some extenduating circumstances
that you killed the woman you love, pretended that she was alive for over a month. If you look at it, you're like,
"That has to be a heartless, cold bastard that wrapped this woman up like that and put her in this fire pit."
So, >> despite a few half-hearted denials as detectives describe what they believe
happened to Martha, David sits in silence, staring blankly as if the weight of his actions has finally hit
him. Clearly, the interrogation has reached its breaking point, and David seems on the verge of something. Judging
by his earlier denials and the way he now sits, he's either about to ask for a lawyer and end the interview alto
together or finally confess. >> Do you want to see a picture, Dave? >> No. >> You know what you did?
>> All right, go ahead, Dave. >> You want me to go ahead? I need a cigarette. >> Tell us what you're going to tell us.
Then you can have a cigarette. >> I'll give you a cigarette. >> You tell us what's going on, Dave, so we
know you're not a heartless bastard. And I promise you can smoke all you want. All right.
>> Not all you want. >> Not all you want. >> Well, the reason >> get it off your chest, Dave. You feel
better. >> You guys feel a little bit better already. Just knowing that you're going
to make that decision. >> I didn't mean to [ __ ] do it. I didn't. >> Not a very respectful way for a person.
>> I know it's not. I got [ __ ] scared, man. I just snap, man. [ __ ] snap. Meth
love Rob. >> You just got scared. That's why you put her in the fire pit. >> I I dug it out half an axe handle or
something beside the bed. She had it there on a long time. Just >> after you struck her.
>> I ch I choked her. >> What happened after Robin was dead? >> I took her out back and I dug it out.
>> God [ __ ] sore. I believe. >> She's just so relentless. >> Leave me alone, man. She knew I had
nowhere to go. Just kept arging. I give her every dollar I have or whatever she wanted. I never had nothing in my
pocket, man. Nothing. It's never good enough. I didn't I didn't plan on this happen. I
working out so bad with her. I really did, man. >> Spur of the moment. After hours of
questioning, David finally breaks and admits to murdering Martha. In a fit of rage, he struck her in the head,
strangled her, then carried her outside, burned the body, and buried her in the backyard. As David sits in the interview
room crying and claiming to regret what he did, detectives can't help but think about how easily this could have been
prevented, how many warnings were missed, and how many chances they had to save Martha before it was too late. With
his confession secured, David is taken into custody where he's formally charged and set to spend a very long time behind
bars. Hey, just to let you know, uh, they talked to the prosecutor. Uh, for right
now, you're going to be charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and and tampering with evidence.
[Music]

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---------- Thirty days ago, 53-year-old David Callahan killed his girlfriend, Martha Robin Freitag, and buried her body in his own backyard.

David thinks he's gotten away with his horrific crime…. Martha was mentally ill, had few friends, and no one was supposed to come looking for her.

Martha's daughter, Kim, was the only person concerned about her mother's whereabouts...

Kim thinks David had something to do with her mother's disappearance. But with no proof of a crime, Officers don't believe her…

However in the weeks that follow, Kim will do everything in her power to find Martha, force police to act, and lead them to one of the most gruesome discoveries of their lives…. -------

This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources. The individuals shown in this video have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law. This material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and represents personal analysis and commentary. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal counsel, and the observations provided may not include all circumstances or reflect the final charges in each case. This video features real police-related footage shared to support public awareness and government transparency. The content is designed to inform and educate viewers on public safety matters and is presented as a documentary relying on verified and credible sources. All materials used were lawfully obtained through public records requests and are available to the public. The footage is utilized strictly for journalistic, documentary, and educational purposes under the Fair Use doctrine outlined in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.**

Brief Summary

David Callahan murdered his girlfriend Martha, buried her, and was eventually caught after her daughter Kim pushed for an investigation.

Key points

A Gruesome Discovery. Kim's relentless pursuit of the truth leads to a shocking revelation.
Martha's Last Call. Martha makes a desperate call for help, unaware of the impending danger.
Police Miss Critical Signs. Officers dismiss Martha's erratic behavior, unaware of the danger she faces.
Kim's Growing Fears. After days of silence, Kim fears the worst about her mother.
The Investigation Stalls. Police fail to take Kim's concerns seriously, allowing David to evade capture.
Mysterious Message Received. Martha's family receives an anonymous note suggesting a dark secret about David.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

What he completely overlooked is that Martha's daughter, Kim, will soon be on to him.

Foreshadowing Kim's investigation into her mother's disappearance.

4:45WatchOct 17, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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