Demands and Ultimatums | “48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

Aspen has a reputation for glitz and glamour. [music] >> Love you, Mariah. I love you so much.
>> You know, the billionaires have replaced the millionaires here, [music] but it's so much more than that. It's
always been a place of pioneers, people who came out here with this western pioneer spirit to start all over again.
It was this wild and free-spirited Aspen that Nancy Fister belonged. >> When I met Nancy, she was beautiful and
vivacious. She turned wherever she was into a party. >> And this is where all the rich and
famous people come. >> She could turn the black plague into a party. Sorry, it was a rough night.
>> Nancy was an Aspen princess. Her father owned the ski mountain. My name is Mark
Seal. I'm a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and I call Aspen home. All doors were open to her.
>> Yes. >> She was known by people all over the world. >> Oh, she dated Jack Nicholson and she
dated Michael Douglas. Everyone knows that there was only one Nancy Fister. I was at my desk that night and heard the
scanner call and we heard the word murder and looked up the address and sure enough it was her. It was all hands
on deck. >> A common thread that we were receiving was that anyone who had ever met Nancy
Fister was a potential suspect. >> Can you just say that again? I want to make sure I heard you correctly. Anyone
who ever met Nancy Fister was a potential suspect. You didn't want to be on Nancy Fister's
bad side. She was a tough, strong woman. >> Woe unto you who messed with Nancy Fister.
>> Even Nancy Fister was really no match for a killer who approached her at her absolute most vulnerable.
Nancy Fister was murdered in her sleep with several blows to her head. Everybody wanted to know what.
Everybody wanted to know how. Everybody wanted to know why. And everybody wanted to know who.
[music] I'm Moren Maher. Tonight on 48 hours, murder in Aspen. [music] >> [music]
>> No one could believe it. One of Aspen's true originals, Nancy Fister, was dead.
Bludgeon in her own bedroom. >> 911. What is it? >> Her body bound with an electrical
[music] cord, wrapped in plastic garbage bags, and hidden underneath sheets in her closet.
>> I got my in the closet. >> Whoever did this really did this in an extremely horrible way. I mean, in her
bed, in her sleep. I mean, can you imagine? >> Suddenly, doors were being locked and
alarms turned on. >> The Aspen residents wanted to know that they were safe. This was a very big deal
for the community. >> And a very big deal for Deputy DA Andrea Bryan. >> I was feeling a little bit of fear. It
was her first homicide case, her first visit to a working murder scene. and you don't know what your reaction is going
to be to seeing um a dead body. >> And the first time she had smelled death >> could tell immediately that there was a
body in that room. >> Yet, strangely, the room itself did not look like someone had just been beaten
to death. >> It wasn't [music] particularly bloody. There was hardly any visible blood at
all except for a small smear on the headboard. A very small smear. >> With the death of Nancy Fister, Aspen
lost a piece of its history, a member of its royalty. In this part of the world,
the Fister family is as much a part of the landscape as the trees for which the city was named.
>> Behind me to the west is Buttermilk, and that's really what made the Fister family, part of the royalty of Aspen.
Family friend Tim Mooney is talking about Buttermilk Mountain, one of Aspen's world famous ski hills developed
by NY's father, Art Fister. >> Art Fister was definitely a Clark Gable kind of bigger than life kind of movie
star character. He had the real stuff. >> Art Fister met his match in W Betty, says CBS consultant Mark Seal. So Betty
[music] Fister was as epic as ArtFister. Uh she was a legendary World War II woman pilot. She flew gliders, hot air
balloons. She had a a brightly colored helicopter that she called Tinkerbell. I mean, these are people who were
adventurous to the end. >> And they passed on that adventurous [music] spirit to all three daughters,
especially Nancy. She was a real heartbreaker, says close friend, artist Michael Cleverly.
>> She had a lot of boyfriends. As a rule, they didn't last terribly long. She was
a complicated girl. I'm sure it was hard for her and hard for the boys in her lives.
>> Nancy Fister [music] was perfect casting for that moment in time in Aspen history, the era of Gonzo journalist
Hunter S. Thompson, an iconic figure who defined the [music] drug culture in Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas. >> Nancy and Hunter were a team, and they'd laugh and cry, but they were always at
the top of the heap. >> Are you ready? I'll be showing you all the rich and famous people that I know.
>> Fister, seen here showing off her hometown in a documentary. >> This is the house of Jack Nicholson. So,
you can just kind of follow me and I'll show you the creek and a little pond. >> Never settle down long enough to get
married. >> People like to have their privacy and that's what we have here. >> But she did have a little girl named
Juliana. >> She absolutely loved people. [music] She was a complete social butterfly. When
she walked into the room, it was just like a energy force field that was, you know, like a a bright light. I've never
met anyone else in the whole world like my mom. She was just a really, really special person.
>> You, if you came into town, you would end up meeting Nancy Fister. >> When Kathy Carpenter came into town, she
was a single mother working as a bank teller. She met Fister and the two became fast friends.
>> Either you love Nancy or you hate her. And I loved her. There was just something special about her.
She introduced me to art, eating sushi, drinking champagne. >> It sounds like she really took you,
introduced you to places you you had never seen and might not have ever seen if it hadn't been for her.
>> Exactly. >> In return, Kathy says Fister expected her to take on a sort of personal
assistant role, something that occasionally led to friction in their relationship. She could be demanding,
you know, Kathy, would you go get that? You know, when she'd leave town, I'd watch over the house, collect her mail,
help her pack. And did she pay you to help her do those things? >> No. Despite their conflicts, Kathy
Carpenter says she cared deeply for Nancy. And on February 26th, [music] 2014, when Fister had not been heard
from in several days, it would be Kathy Carpenter who went to check on her. My favorite inner cage.
Nancy came of age in a magical era of Aspen. She was 14 when John Denver wrote his
Aspen anthem, Rocky Mountain High. which made the whole world fall in love with the place.
>> But over the years, Fister grew tired of those famous Rocky Mountain winters.
Each year, she would escape to someplace warm. That year, she was planning a trip
to Australia. However, the princess of Aspen had limited access to the family fortune. So to pay for the trip to
Australia, Nancy Fister decided to rent her home and took out an ad in the Aspen
Times. >> The ad read, "Three bedroom house, three and a half baths, house on the mountain,
no cats." Nancy Styler, a world-renowned lily pad expert, and her husband Trey, a retired
anesthesiologist, were looking to leave Denver and start over in Aspen [music] to rebuild a once prosperous life that
had fallen on hard times. >> Starting over at what age? >> I'm 62 and he was 65.
>> Their problems began when Trey developed a serious neurological disorder and could no longer practice. Then he lost
all their savings in an unsuccessful lawsuit. What kind of debt were you in at that point?
>> About a half a million. >> They had to move from their home and beautiful water.
>> A happy family with one small problem. >> The cultured life they had worked so
hard to create seen here on this HGTV special and modeling the latest in pondwear slipped away.
>> Gortex [music] waiters. He was so distraught that he was talking suicide. >> But Nancy Styler, who had also attended
medical school, decided it was her turn. >> I said, I can go back to work. So last
year, we went back and we both got trained in Botox and laser and thought that we'll go to Aspen and start a spa.
In October [music] of 2013, they answered Fister's rental ad, >> and I came upstairs and she was in a
bathrobe with pearls and a glass of champagne. >> Soon, the two ladies were bonding over
their love of organic [music] gardening and the possibility of launching a business.
>> She said, "I love the idea of having a spa. Do it right here. The concieres from the hotels will bring their clients
to you." Well, you must have just thought you >> dirt died and went to heaven. And when I
said that to her, she said, "It's karma darling." >> And I thought, "Okay, this is it."
>> The stylers agreed to give Nancy Fister $12,000 upfront, 3 months rent. >> And did you have that $12,000 cash?
>> We had most of it. We gave her $6,000 >> 3 days after we met her. We thought that, you know, this will work out okay.
Apparently, so did Nancy Fister. She invited the Stylers to live with her for the next month before she left for
Australia. In return, Nancy Styler, a fidious cleaner and expert seamstress, would help her [music] get ready for the
trip. >> Before we gave her the money, she treated me as an equal. Once we gave her
the money, I became kind of a slave. Get my cigarettes, get my champagne, get this, do that, rub my feet, rub my neck.
[music] I want you to alter 22 Brooks Brothers shirts. I've never been treated so poorly by anyone in my life.
>> How testy did things get between you and Nancy Fister? >> She pushed me to my limits. And I didn't
know I had limits. >> But the stylers had already paid Fister six grand. And fairly certain they were
not going to get any of it back, they decided to stick it out. >> For you, this was all about the house. I
just got to get this person out out the door. I'm going to fulfill my obligations, get her packed, and
[snorts] get on with business. >> She says her one saving grace was Fister's friend and helper, Kathy
Carpenter. >> Kathy Carpenter and I started commiserating [music] >> about what >> about how she used people. Kathy had
been her personal assistant for No Pay for many years. Did Kathy describe herself as personal assistant or friend
who did favors? >> I think Kathy described herself as friend who did favors. Nancy described
her as a personal assistant. >> The two women became close friends and even agreed to share care of Fister's
Labradoodle Gabe while she was in Australia. And so Nancy Fister left her dog and
home in the care of Nancy and Trey Styler and said goodbye to Aspen for the winter. In November 2013, Fister flew to
Australia, leaving Kathy Carpenter in charge of collecting the rent. >> Did they ever come up with the
additional 6,000? >> They did in December. >> Who did they give it to? >> To me. I put it in the safe deposit box
and I emailed Nancy to let her know that they did pay the six. Even though the stylers say they had paid the rent, by
January, Fister from the other side of the world was complaining they had not and that they also owed her for
utilities. >> She was on Facebook saying awful things about us, sending us emails. You're
liars. You're cheats. You're taking advantage of my good nature. [music] You owe me money for this. You owe me
money for that. In February 2014, [music] before the stylers even had a chance to
launch their spa business, Nancy Fister announced she was coming home 3 months early and issued Kathy Carpenter her
orders. >> Make sure that those effers are out of my house. She was that angry. She was
angry. She wanted them out. The eviction came so suddenly the stylers were unable
to remove thousands of dollars worth of spy equipment which was being stored in Fister's garage. On February 22nd, the
same day Nancy Fister arrived back in Aspen. The Stylers took a room at the Aspenol lodge. The following day, Fister
handed Kathy Carpenter a note to give to Trey Styler. >> Do you remember exactly what the note
said, Kathy? Well, it was just a list. I want money for this. I want you to pay me this. Fister had demanded almost
$14,000 for utilities and damages to her house, says Carpenter. She also threatened to
get a restraining order to keep the stylers off her property. >> She said, "I'll hold on to their
property until they pay me in full." >> And why does the subject of handing the note to
Dr. Styler bring you to tears? Had I not handed him the note as she had asked me
to, [snorts] she may still be here today. [music] Aspen has always been a place for
dreamers, but the styler's dream of a fresh start was quickly dying. Three months after arriving, they were broke,
homeless, and locked in a bitter dispute with Nancy Fister over property and money.
>> Nancy was a tough girl. She was supremely pissed off. I'm sure she was hell on wheels.
>> Fister was denying the Stylers access to her home and their expensive spa equipment. But after learning Fister had
no legal leg to stand on, the Stylers marched right back up to her house, prepared to fight for their property.
But they didn't have to, says Nancy Styler, because Fister was nowhere to be found.
>> The dog greets me at the door. He's all over me. And I was upset because I thought NY's leaving this dog alone with
no way to go out to the bathroom. Styler says they packed up until 4 in the afternoon and still no Nancy Fister.
They returned the next morning to finish the move. >> It was the same as when we left. I
thought that she just took off. >> Styler admits she did notice a foul odor coming from Fister's bedroom closet, but
says she didn't put two and two together. >> You haven't heard from her, right? You
know the dog is alone, right? and you're in her bedroom and it smells horrible. It didn't occur to you to look in the
closet. I didn't have the key to the closet. >> And yet Styler was worried enough, says
Kathy Carpenter, to call her three or four times that day. >> She said, "You know, I'm just really
concerned. Some things are fishy around here." >> Carpenter, who says she had not seen or
spoken to Fister in 3 days, went up to the house that Wednesday after work. I went into the bedroom, called her name,
looked around, >> and that's when she says there was >> she saw it. Blood, that small smear on
the headboard of Fister's bed. >> Then I was very concerned. I started to panic. [snorts]
I walked towards the closet and it was closed and it was locked and [snorts] there was a strong odor.
It just it wasn't right. [snorts] >> Carpenter says she tore out of the house, got a spare
key at her own home, and then rushed back to open Fister's closet. >> I was hit with the most atrocious, awful
odor. I saw that there was something wrapped. I screamed out her name. >> No. Oh my god.
I jumped in my car. >> Oh god. Oh my god. >> 911. What is the address? >> She immediately brought up the trouble
between the Stylers and Fister. >> She had some people living there. She really pissed them off.
>> Were you thinking at that moment that the Stylers may have had something to do
with her murder? >> I did. Yes. They were there in the house. They were there moving out on
Tuesday. They were there Wednesday. Who else but them? >> Kathy, stay in the vehicle.
>> Carpenter was so hysterical. >> Kathy, let's put you in here. Okay. >> She was taken to the emergency room and
sedated while law enforcement started following up on her lead. 5:30 on [music] Thursday morning. I hear
pounding on the hotel door. I looked out the door and there's all these policemen.
I said, "Trey, is this a dream?" And one of the policemen answered, "It's not a dream. That's a dead body." And I said,
"Who?" And they wouldn't answer. >> You really had no idea. Nancy Fister's been missing for a few days. There's a
bad odor in the room and you can't >> and Kathy went to the emergency room and I knew it had probably something to do
with that and they were questioning us because we had lived there. >> The stylers were separated, put [music]
in prison jumpsuits and interrogated. Nancy Styler's interview is audio only. >> She treated me as an equal until she got
our money >> and then she treated me like a slave. And what really struck out to me was how
she couldn't stop talking about how horrible of a person that she thought Nancy Fister was.
>> She's a liar. She's an alcoholic. And she is the most selflo person that I've
ever met. There is not one person who said a nice thing about her. >> It appeared that there could have been
enough anger there that she would actually have been the one who killed Nancy Fister. She told us we belonged in
a trailer park and basalt and that we were trailer trash. I have never been disrespected by anyone in my life as
much as I've been disrespected by this woman. >> With respect to Trey Styler's interview,
>> do you feel bad about that? She's done >> a little. >> She really exhibited some very strong
anger. >> She had screwed us up big time. On the other hand, Trey Styler did not
look capable of killing somebody, >> says DA Chief Investigator Lisa Miller. >> He's obviously an elderly man.
>> I couldn't beat up a kid. >> He's spinning over. He's holding his head. He's telling us over and over how
infirm he is, how weak he is. We came to the conclusion that Mr. Styler could not
have perpetrated this crime and moved the body by himself. Despite [music] their suspicions,
investigators did not believe they had enough evidence to show probable cause. [music] And after 12 hours of
interviews, the Stylers were released. But then a huge break in the case. Just 100 yards from this motel where the
Stylers were staying, a trash collector emptied a garbage can. And purely by accident, he happened to notice items
belonging to Nancy Fister. the murdered woman he'd just seen in all the news reports.
>> We find a vehicle registration for the Styler Jaguar in the same bag with personal items belonging to Nancy
Fister. >> And there it was in there with everything else. An old hammer with Nancy Fister's blood on it. The murder
weapon. And on one of the plastic bags, DNA that matched Trey Styler's profile. Four days later, the Stylers were
arrested >> in connection with the Aspen murder >> and charged with first-degree murder.
>> I kept thinking that I would wake up from this horrible dream, being treated like a criminal, being shackled, wearing
orange, being paraded in front of the media with cameras like I was walking down the red carpet.
Every piece of dignity in my life was taken away. >> But there was something nagging at
investigator Lisa Miller. >> The murder weapon was >> That evidence drop seemed almost too
good to be true >> right here. >> And then they found that missing key to Nancy Fister's closet
>> just a few yards from the Styler's motel room. >> Did these educated professionals really
make that severe of a mistake? Investigators started looking at the possibility that the Stylers were being
framed or that someone else was in on it with them. Someone like Kathy Carpenter.
>> She had some people living there and she really pissed them off. >> Kathy Carpenter was a little bit too
quick to point the finger at suspects after discovering the body. What would be her motive to kill Nancy Fister?
>> She did have motive because Nancy Fister treated her badly at times. She hurt
her. >> And investigators say Carpenters's actions following the murder confirmed
their suspicions. >> Just a day after the body was found, she went to Nancy Fister's safety deposit
box at Alpine Bank and took $6,000 of Nancy Fister's money and two family rings. But Fister had given Carpenter
legal access to the safe deposit box. And she insists she took the money and rings for Fister's only child.
>> She said to me, "Anything ever happens to me, you make make sure that Juliana
gets this ring." >> Investigators did not believe her. 11 days after the Stylers were arrested,
>> she's the third person to be charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Kathy
Carpenter became the third person charged with the murder of [music] Nancy Fister.
>> They came banging on my door [snorts] and they arrested me for for the murder
of [clears throat] my friend is what they said. News of a third arrest in the slaying of
Nancy Fister had all of Aspen buzzing again. >> If the murder wasn't shocking enough,
then come the suspects. I mean, first you have the doctor and his horiculturalist wife and then you see
the bank teller. I mean, everybody's wondering what went on here. >> Kathy Carpenter says she was as shocked
as anyone else. She had just bought a new outfit to wear to her friend's memorial. Instead, she sat in an orange
jumpsuit alone in a jail cell. >> I could hear the music and uh oh, so hurtful. I just I cried.
>> I have never seen anything like it. >> Defense attorney Greg Greer believes Kathy Carpenter was a scapegoat in an
investigation so flawed they even got the 911 call wrong. >> 911? What is the address of the
emergency? >> Help me. >> According to the 911 transcript, Kathy Carpenter said she saw blood on Fister's
forehead, but prosecutors insist no one could have seen any part of the body because it was covered with a sheet. In
your opinion, investigators believed this was their most important piece of evidence.
>> Greer was dumbfounded when he listened to the 911 call himself. I felt blood on
her headboard and I the closet was locked. >> I listen. I listen. I listen. It says
headboard. She said headboard. She didn't say forehead. >> I felt blood on her head.
>> Prosecutors admit the error but say it's only part of the story. >> That was one statement. She made
numerous statements about the body that had raised huge red flags in our mind. statements like these.
>> There's just one problem, says investigator Lisa Miller. >> There is no way in looking at this you
can say this is full of blood and you definitively cannot say this is Nancy Fister. How could she know her friend
was dead? How could she know it was her friend? Nancy Fister's been missing for a few days. There's a bad odor. The body
is locked inside Nancy Fister's closet. It seems reasonable that she would think
she's dead. >> And if you phrase it like that, sure, it seems reasonable. But look at how the
body was found. The body was covered up. But Kathy Carpenter insists she did see
the plastic bag wrapped around Fister's head, and it was [music] translucent enough to give her an impression of what
was inside. >> I looked down when I saw the there was some hair and blood. I just assumed it
was it was Nancy. Who else? >> So now they had three people in jail. Kathy Carpenter, Nancy Styler, and Trey
Styler. All there because a judge determined there was enough probable cause to make the arrests. But
prosecutors still helped build a case against three different people that would hold up in court. What was your
working theory? The theory was that they were all involved in some aspect of the
murder, whether it was the planning of the murder or the ultimate cleanup. Brian believes they bonded over their
resentment of Fister, but they still only had physical evidence against one of them, Trey Styler. That DNA they had
found on the bag containing the murder weapon. >> Is there any DNA found of Nancy Styler?
>> No. But you still think that she's involved >> even though there's no physical
evidence? >> Absolutely. [snorts] >> Nancy ruled the roost, if you will. William Styler didn't make any moves
without Nancy. >> And investigators believed she was the one who most wanted Nancy Fister dead.
>> I didn't have a great relationship with her, but what would that have done for
me >> to kill her? >> Did you hear Mrs. Styler say threatening or menacing things about [music]
Nancy Fister? >> You know, in the very beginning and you know, she made some threats. I'm just
angry at her. I I could just kill her. >> Did you say that you wanted to kill Nancy Fister?
>> I said at one point in time that I'd like to kill her. Yes, I did say that. >> It doesn't look good.
>> It doesn't look good. But if every person who said that was taken at their word, how many times have you said, "I'd
like to kill her." But district attorney Sherry Colloya says someone did kill Nancy Fister
>> after someone [music] says that people don't ordinarily end up dead. >> And Brian says even more curious.
>> Here's Nancy Fister who had asked to get a restraining order and had told them
that they cannot come to the house. And now they seem totally unconcerned about whether or not she finds them there.
Well, the reasonable conclusion is because they know that she is dead. And what about all those phone calls
Nancy Styler made to Kathy Carpenter before the body was found? >> Why did you keep calling her?
>> Because she was going to be picking up the dog and it was important for me that
she came and got that dog and that she knew what was going on. >> While there could be an innocent
explanation for that communication, the explanation can also be that they're talking about the body and what is going
to be done with the body in the closet and how it's going to get out of the closet.
A good story, but where's the proof? Styler's attorney, G. Mccardi, wants to know.
>> Speculation and conjecture were all they ever had against Nancy Styler. >> But investigators were convinced they
had the right three people in jail. And in time, they would eventually turn on each other. I have them in jail and you
have to worry greatly what they tell me. >> So what you're telling me is your wife
was probably in on it then. Is that true? Did she have anything to do with NY's death?
>> Did you have anything to do with the murder of Nancy Fister? >> Nothing whatsoever.
>> At no point did you think that was there any way that Trey could have been responsible for this?
>> Never even crossed my mind. I thought for sure in my little courtroom in my mind that Kathy had done this.
>> Did you kill Nancy Fister? >> No. >> Did you take a hammer, hit your friend in the head, wrap her up in plastic, and
leave her to die in a closet? >> No. As the alpine snows began to melt and [music] winter gave way to spring, three
people, Kathy Carpenter, Trey Styler, and Nancy Styler, [music] watched the changing of the seasons from behind
bars, waiting, as was all of Aspen, for their day in court. >> There was anticipation of the trial when
everything would come out. People were eager to hear exactly what happened, why, and then all of a sudden another
bombshell, >> and I was blown away. I was blown away. It promised to be one of the most
sensational murder trials in Aspen history. >> Did you ever worry that you might be
convicted? No, cuz I'm totally innocent. >> Kathy Carpenter wasn't nearly as hopeful.
>> If they don't find this the truth out and they send me to prison, I can't live.
>> Then a shocking development. It was one of those moments that rarely happen in
real life. The courtroom is packed. Everyone is desperate to know what will happen next. And then a bombshell. Three
months after being hauled off to jail for murder, Trey Styler tells the judge he knows who did it. Who killed Nancy
Fister? He did. And he says he did it alone. Both women were released from jail. Trey
Styler had agreed to tell all the details of the crime in exchange for a 20-year sentence and his wife's
unconditional freedom >> peacefully. >> Nancy Styler can [music] never be charged in connection with Nancy
Fister's death. If he said, "I'll I'll take the hit. >> I'll throw myself on the sword."
>> Would you let him do it if you were involved? >> Well, if I had done it >> or been involved,
>> no, absolutely not. I couldn't have lived with myself. >> According to Trey Styler, he left his
wife sleeping at the motel and went to Nancy Fister's house to try to reason with her.
The door was unlocked. He went upstairs to her bedroom. He said it bothered him that our whole
lives were falling apart and she was there sleeping peacefully. and he snapped. >> And suddenly it occurred to me that I
could rid myself of this problem once and for all um by killing her. >> Trey Styler says after retrieving a
garbage bag and a hammer from the garage, he returned to the bedroom and began hitting Nancy Fister in the head
again and again until she was dead. And then he [music] puts the bag over her head after he kills her.
>> Right. And that was to keep the uh bleeding to a minimum. >> This feeble looking man in a wheelchair
says he then pulled Nancy Fister's body onto a sheet on the floor and tied her up with an extension cord. And then just
by inches at a time and by squatting and pulling, he moved her deceased body inside the owner's closet.
>> Trey Styler says he then threw the murder weapon and items belonging to Nancy Fister into a bag, put it into his
trunk, and eventually tossed it into that trash can. Lisa Miller admits Trace Styler told a
believable story. The problem is she doesn't believe it. >> You don't believe that confession?
>> No, not fully. I do not. >> You believe Nancy Styler had something to do with that murder?
>> I do. >> Do you believe Kathy Carpenter had something to do with that murder?
>> Kathy Carpenter saw that body before that body had been wrapped and packaged as it was. Kathy Carpenter had something
to do with the murder or the cleanup afterwards. >> Brian agrees, but says they had no
choice but to take the deal. that they simply did not have enough evidence against the two women to prove a case
beyond a reasonable doubt in court. >> We can't create evidence against them that's just not there. I saw this as
really one of our only opportunities to get some closure. >> But Nancy Styler's attorney says the
prosecution is just trying to save face after throwing two innocent women in jail for over three months. It is one of
the worst investigations that I have ever seen. Somebody needs to be held accountable. Somebody needs to lose
their job over this. >> From attorneys and investigators to family and friends, many people in this
town are adamant that there are still unanswered questions, including Michael Cleverly, who wants to know how Trey
Styler could have committed this crime on his own. >> He and I are the same age. Uh, I think
I'm probably in a little better shape than he is. And if I have to pick up up an 80 lb bag of cement, it's a big
adventure for me. It's hard for people to believe that you as his wife in no way helped him murder her, wrap the body
up, drag it into a closet, >> and then clean up that place meticulously where there's only just a
little bit of blood left on the headboard. And you want people to believe you had no idea that that
happened? >> No knowledge of that at all. >> Absolutely nothing. >> Nothing. >> The charges may have been dropped, but
both women say the prosecution's continued insistence that they [music] were somehow involved in Nancy Fister's
murder has convicted them in the court of public opinion. What does the name Nancy Styler mean now?
My reputation was shining and now I'm guilty by matrimony. >> Carpenter lost her job at the bank and
the employee housing that went with it. >> This was home. I I loved living here.
>> She now lives with her mother in another town. Unlike Nancy Styler, Kathy Carpenter still faces the threat of
prosecution. Should more evidence be found? >> It just really hurts me to think that
people might think that I was capable of something like this. There's no way. There's no way.
>> The snow is once again falling on Buttermilk Mountain and the murder of Nancy Fister has finally faded from the
headlines. But friends still [music] mourn. You just lose one of the pillars of joy when you lose a character like
Nancy. >> And a [music] daughter is still grieving. >> She was the person I love the most in
the whole entire universe. She is the person I love the most. But I bet if she wasn't my mom, she
would have been one of my best friends. >> Aspen endures as it always does. But [music] Nancy Fister will not soon be
forgotten. >> I want to do whatever I can for Nancy. >> Last April, after 13 months behind bars,
Trey Styler sat down for an interview with Dalene Barry. who was writing a book with Styler's wife, Guilt by
Matrimony, in an effort to clear her name. >> I did snap. God, I wish it never happened.
>> He talked about the day that he killed Nancy Fister. >> I did not intend to kill her. The
thought never went through my conscious mind. Oh, I think I'll kill her. Um or I'm going to kill her. Um,
first thought I can remember having is I did go past. >> Styler insisted he acted alone.
>> One thing I know beyond doubt is that Nancy not only had no involvement in it,
she had no knowledge of it. >> After Trey Styler went to prison, Nancy Styler changed her name, moved to
another state, and filed for divorce. >> I've been trying to hang on and not do something definitive
>> by suicide. >> Four months after this interview, Trey Styler hanged [music] himself in his
prison cell. 48 hours to miss it would be a crime. Were [music] you at all prepared for
what happened in this case? [music] [music] [music] >> [music] >> My name is Steve Mlin.
My wife and I have a small farm. >> Come on. >> We raise sheep. >> Market lambs and breeding stock. The
farm has always been a sideline. My primary job was as a special agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of
Investigation. Running a farm is a lot like working in investigation. Every day presents challenges, pieces of a puzzle
that need to be put together. Agent Modellin, set the scene for me. Where are we?
>> This is the Saluda Mountain Lodge in Saluda, North Carolina. And this was owned by the Mintz family. And Vanessa
Mintz had worked the night shift as the night manager. >> She was hilarious. She was hilarious.
What do you want Santa Claus to bring you? >> She had a very quick wit. She was this
natural maternal life of the party, too. Come back and see us in the morning. >> Okay, we will.
>> Ms. Mintz was very well respected in the community. She was connected through her
church and her activities. Ms. Mintz worked with young girls in etiquette with beauty pageantss.
>> Vanessa helped me with public speaking and [music] building confidence. She was
like my support team. She made me a very strong independent woman. February 19th, 2011.
Never leaves my mind. I find it really strange because mom has not text or called.
>> You arrive at the lodge. What do you see? >> I see the door standing open. >> Jessica came in through the employee
entrance into the main guest quarters here and immediately noticed her mother in the bed back in the bedroom here.
This is not right. >> When she got to here, she could see her mom on the bed. >> It's very dark and the only illumination
in the room is coming from the TV >> and her mom was on her left side and had her arm up over her face. She also
called her sister who was a nurse >> and Andrea said, "Jescica, is she breathing?
Have you checked her pulse?" and she just screamed this blood curdling scream. >> Vanessa had been shot once in the face
and once in the forearm area. This was certainly a very violent death. There was no forced entry. The cash drawer in
the front office was open and was empty. There's nothing out of place except for
her shoes on the bedroom floor and a shotgun shell. The fact that she is in bed in her night clothing, it is my
opinion she was ambushed. Does that suggest she may have known her killer? >> Yes.
>> My heart has been ripped out and it's laying in there dead with her. This can't be true.
>> This was money and sex driven. And how disgusting is that to murder someone for?
I'm Peter Vans. Tonight on 48 hours, the ultimatum [music] We see this picture that is mounted
before us of one who is very precious to our heart who gave an example in this community.
>> I can't imagine life without her. I won't be able to live without her. At a memorial service in Hendersonville,
North Carolina says >> Jessica Freeman >> and Andrea Gray paid tribute to their beloved mother. Murdered at their
familyowned mountain lodge. >> Your whole world shatters. Nothing looks right. Nothing feels right.
>> That sentiment is echoed by Vanessa's husband of two years, Travis McGra. His
father, Willie, will never forget his son's reaction. >> He was very emotional about the way he
was speaking. You know, he was just like breaking into tears. >> I think the victim here was a well-liked
lady. Good lady, sweet lady. >> Who would have done this to your mom? Not your mom.
>> There was fear that a killer was on the loose, roaming [music] this beautiful
community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. >> What are you thinking? I just kept
thinking we're not safe >> because Jessica who whoever did this is still out there.
>> Correct. >> Vanessa's life revolved around her loved [music] ones and her deeprooted faith.
>> Mom's heart was so big. So big. And she was very trusting and very forgiving >> to a fault.
Vanessa Mintz came from one of the most prominent [music] families in this part of North Carolina going back nine
generations. Her father Carl was a Baptist preacher for 40 years. He and his late wife
dedicated their lives to their only child. >> She was our love. She was her mother's
heartbeat. >> Early on, they taught Vanessa the value of sacrifice and [music] helping others.
taking her on Christian mission trips around the world. >> She became engrossed in that.
>> At 18, Vanessa married her first husband, had daughters Jessica and Andrea, and continued her mission work.
She also became a successful real estate agent, opening her own company. >> She loved challenges.
Loved challenges. even if it was in a field she had no experience in, she thought, "Well, I I can figure this
out." She'd say, "Well, why not? We can tackle anything." She was unstoppable. >> So unstoppable, she was soon a prominent
leader, supporting new businesses and honoring other local women leaders. >> She was just a mover and a shaker.
>> Longtime friend, Marca Ble Cunningham. She did not let the grass grow under her
feet because she was always busy doing something. >> That something included molding those
aspiring young beauty queens like Heather Waldbart who in 2006 won the town pageant and today is a professional
dancer. >> She always wanted us to go after our dreams. She was someone who always
wanted like the most for you. While Vanessa was thriving professionally on [music] the personal side of life, she
was lonely. Her first marriage ended in divorce [music] when the couple grew apart and a second brief marriage failed
too. But then in early 2008, Vanessa, who had just turned 50, met someone new. >> She's like, "Ladies, I have met my
cowboy." It was Travis, nine years younger, a married father of two who had just separated from his wife.
>> She was very excited about him. >> It was just a fast friendship that moved into a budding romance that just really
took off like wildfire. >> One reason for this burning love was that like Vanessa, Travis believed in
service. He was in the Air Force reserves. He had also been a firefighter, an EMT, and was now a
police officer. >> She [snorts] loved that he was a civil servant, and had his commitment to the
Air Force. >> The romance started when Travis was looking for a new home, and Vanessa was
his real estate agent. Before long, he was courting her. >> Her phone was constantly going off. It
was just an explosion of text messages and him dropping by, >> dropping by her office,
>> bringing treats to the office, um, bringing dinner to her on her shifts down at the motel. Travis was charming
and loving to her. >> It has brought the sparkle back to mom's eye. >> Seems like the perfect fit.
>> It did. >> Travis's dad thought so, too. She took interest in the children. He took
interest in her children's children. And uh you know there was just a real good happy camaraderie going on there. After
Travis's divorce, the couple eloped in 2009. >> They just loved life together and they
loved doing things together. He was such a running partner for her. >> But someone [music]
wanted Vanessa Mintz dead. >> And I love Vanessa. and I miss her. She was always good to
me. >> We've got to find this killer. >> A killer who left behind a calling card.
>> We worked the crime scene in great detail and found a crucial piece of evidence that only the killer could have
left. [music] It was a beautiful, bright, sunshiny day for February. The details of discovering her mother
that Saturday morning are deeply etched in Jessica Freeman's mind. While Vanessa had been working the
overnight shift at the front [music] desk of the family's Mountain Lodge, her husband Travis was 12 miles away,
spending the night with his son, 17-year-old Taylor. >> And so the morning of February 19th,
2011, you get up. >> I get up and I find it really strange that mom had not called me. Jessica
headed right over to the lodge where she was going to take over from her mom. >> As she approached, she noticed the door
was partially open, which again was very unusual to her. Um, >> normally this would be closed.
>> Correct. >> Chief investigator Steve Mlin. >> Now, the lights were off, the shades
were closed, the television in here was on. >> I started calling her name. Mama.
Mama. And there's no there's no sound, but this TV is so loud. So loud. >> The only light in this room at the time
was coming off of the television. So try to imagine that light dancing on the image of her mother lying here on the
bed in this darkness. It's almost a macob kind of scene. >> It is. And it's confusing. And I look up
and there's splattering on the the mattress and her pillow and I said, "Oh, mama,
you've got to wake up. You have thrown up." >> In the lighting and the situation, she
had not put it all together. >> Her first call was to Travis. >> And I said, "You've got to get down
here. You've got to get to the motel. I thought you were supposed to be at the motel with mom. Mom is sick." He goes,
"What do you mean your mom's sick?" I said, "She's sick. you need to get down here. Well, I'm at breakfast and I and I
was very curt to him. I was rude. And so I called my sister and I'm like, "Oh, Andrea, you've got to get down here.
Something is terribly wrong with mother." >> As a nurse, Andrea had dealt with trauma
>> and Andrea said, "Jessica, you've got to look and see if she has a pulse and if
there's a rise and fall to her chest." And I saw there was no there was no rise and fall to her chest.
And what was making her face look so funny was that there was a hole in her head.
>> Modlin's investigators had quickly confirmed there had been two shotgun blasts. One hit Vanessa's arm.
>> The wound there would tend to be a defensive wound. and that second shot to the front of her head.
>> This was a brutal, brutal shooting. >> Yes, it was. >> Prosecutor Alex Bass. >> It was obvious that the money was gone
from the till. There was no money found there. So, the first impression you get is it's a robbery.
>> Just $200 had been taken. But why? Investigators wondered, did the killer leave behind an expensive ring on
Vanessa's finger? We also noted later that on these shelves was a stack of Vanessa's jewelry uh visible and out um
where she had taken it off the night before. >> There was no sign of a struggle, but
whoever shot Vanessa left behind a clue. >> The only thing of note in here was [music]
a pair of Vanessa's shoes right here on the floor and next to them was a single 12- gauge shotgun shell. A spent fired
shotgun shell. What thief would come in, take the money, and say, "Well, I'm now
going to go into the bedroom and shoot this person who's asleep. That doesn't make any sense."
>> Exactly my point. A robbery would get you six or seven years in North Carolina. Murder gets you life or death.
>> Soon, Vanessa's stunned family gathered in front of the lodge. I was so scared
and I just remember just falling in the dirt with her and we just held each other and cried and screamed. I've never
screamed like that before in my life. >> Andrea then called her grandpa Carl about his only child.
>> I just put the phone down, told my wife. Uh, I said, "Mama, something's something's wrong over at the lodge, and
I need to go quickly." And out the door I went. >> And I'll never forget the look on Papa's
face. This is the man that has been this strength and our foundational rock and nothing, nothing could crumble him.
>> The whole thing was completely unimaginable. I'm looking for some derelch that's come
by, stopped in and robbed and shot and gone. I even said to the FBI that I wanted him
to turn every stone that was necessary to find perpetrator. I said, I want to surrender that person to God for judge
and jury. >> Everyone wondered who it could be. >> Who was this? Is this someone against
our family? Is this someone who it was just a roadside robbery? You think of all those things because
you're trying to make it make sense. >> I think it's somebody looking for drug money or traveling money. And Jessica
was already angry at one member of the family, Vanessa's husband, Travis, >> had such anger that he wasn't there to
protect her, that he had left her vulnerable and somebody had broken in and killed her.
>> And the direction the investigation was heading would soon make everyone far angrier. Travis McGraw had a lot of
secrets. He was not wanting to share a whole another life that he had. There was blood stains on the bed.
There were blood stains on the wall behind her. A shocking murder of a beloved mother at
her family's mountaintop lodge. Cash missing from the till. A shotgun shell on the floor.
Despite all that, prosecutor Alex Bass wasn't buying that Vanessa Mint's murder was a robbery gone bad.
>> What was striking about the crime scene was that that apartment was as neat as a
pin. Investigators started from square one. >> They began looking at all the family
members and the first thing they started to do was to get the phone records for them. Once police [music] obtained
Travis's cell phone records from the phone company, they found some romantic text messages. The problem was they
weren't from his wife. >> They led to discovery that he had a girlfriend on the side.
This is Mary Beth Fiser. She was just 27 when she met 44year-old Travis McGra, Vanessa's husband.
>> He was very charming. He seemed very warm, very kind-hearted, um, eager to help, eager to give advice.
>> Travis had followed in his wife's footsteps and was now working for a real estate company here in Hendersonville.
And that's how he met Mary Beth. She was looking for a new place to live with her
young son after recently separating from her husband. So, you and Travis went out
to look at some various properties. >> He was very helpful. He definitely was there with any phone call to answer the
phone or answer any text with whatever question I had. >> And just like Vanessa, Mary Beth found
Travis to be an impressive fellow. >> He was in the Air Force. He uh firemen, EMT,
police department. >> What Travis left off his resume, Mary Beth says, was that he was married.
>> He just looked at me and said, "No, I don't have anybody. >> No one at all. >> No one. You're a good boy."
>> She says her relationship with Travis revolved around text messages and phone
calls. >> Going to come out. >> Did you guys have a romantic relationship? We were not sexually involved at all. I
was in such a vulnerable state. I wasn't looking so much for a romantically involved relationship.
>> Mary Beth says that they didn't have a sexual relationship. So, is she lying?
>> Depends on what sex is as a a recent president once said. >> No sex, she says, but lots of love.
>> At one point, we shared the words I love you. But there were warning signs about
Travis's commitment. He refused to introduce Mary Beth to his children. >> Did it strike you as odd that he'd never
invite you over to his place? >> Yes, it did. He was really adamant about his kids not knowing who I was.
>> Then at the hospital where Mary Beth worked, she learned from a coworker that
Travis was married. >> I'm mad. >> You're mad? >> I'm mad. I should have just said adios.
>> Mary Beth says Travis then told a new story. >> He then proceeded to tell me that he
wasn't with her now that they were still business partners. They were separated.
She lived in one of her properties that she owned. He lived in a another property that they did not live
together. Now, were you buying that? >> I bought it. >> Within weeks, Travis had another
problem. Vanessa found out about Mary Beth. >> I'm not exactly sure of the method of
how she learned. She just became completely withdrawn from [music] me. She couldn't eat.
She couldn't drink. She was so sick. Jessica [snorts] and Andrea say their mother was determined to save her
marriage and made the dramatic decision to confront Mary Beth face to face. >> The Wednesday night before she died, she
went to her apartment and begged and graveled and pleaded with her to please leave my husband alone.
>> They really said that. >> That's what they said that their mother told them. [sighs]
Lord. Absolutely not. I never met her. >> This didn't happen. >> No. If it did, then the relationship
would have been cut off right there. >> Then more drama. Mary Beth says one day she was spending time with Travis and he
ignored his ringing cell phone. >> And I say, "Okay, excuse me. Um, can I have your phone?" And I said, "Please
show me where your texts are." Mary Beth then read a text message from Vanessa >> and it did say, "Thank you for running
errands for me today." And I believe I saw the word love in there. I shut his phone. I gave it back and I said, "Get
out of my house." >> Mary Beth says [music] Travis burst into tears and pleaded for forgiveness. They
parted. >> And then once I calmed down a bit is when I text him. Her words [music] were
plain as day. >> You need to make a decision on who you want to be with. And I said, if you want
to be with her, then be with her. That's fine, but you need to make a choice on who you want to be with.
>> Mary Beth's ultimatum came with a deadline. It was Thursday, and he had until Sunday to decide. Less than 48
hours later, Vanessa was shot to death. Travis wrote me, "If you haven't heard yet, Vanessa was at the motel last
night. Someone broke in, robbed the cash drawer, and killed her." >> You gave Travis an ultimatum. You told
him to choose. The next day, Vanessa is murdered. Did you think that was just a coincidence?
>> It's so weird to say. In my mind, I thought it was a coincidence. I just didn't want to believe this man was
capable of doing something like that. >> Special Agent Steve Mellin had never believed that Vanessa was murdered by a
stranger. >> This is not a place you see traveling down the road and think I'll stop there.
You're going to have to have knowledge that this is here, that this exists. >> And once Mellin got those text messages
from the phone company, he was convinced that Travis was the prime suspect. And he made one crucial mistake.
Sitting >> right there on the floor, plain as day. That sounds like a big piece of
evidence. >> Well, it was. It was the big piece of evidence. That shotgun shell left behind by
Vanessa's killer was a telltale clue. >> Point down range, pull the trigger, and
then pull back on the forearm. That will eject the fired shotgun shell. >> And Shane Green of the State Bureau of
Investigation demonstrated for us how he tested Travis's shotgun, the same kind of gun he's using here. The fired
shotgun shell that was recovered at the lodge was one just like this. >> After the [music] murder, Travis McGrath
voluntarily gave police the four shotguns he owned. He was trying to cooperate and had no idea the police had
found a shell casing. [music] His truck had also been searched. in his truck. We
found a shotgun shell in the door compartment of the same brand and size shot uh and specifics as the shell from
the crime scene. >> Among Travis's shotguns was this Mossberg model. So, Green loaded the
same kind of shell that Travis used and fired it. You're telling me you can you can fire
this weapon and there will be distinctive markings on the back of this shotgun shell would tell you whether or
not this shell was fired from that gun. >> That's correct. There'll be microscopic
markings, imperfections, striations, scratches. >> And when Green compared the shells he
fired from Travis's gun against the one at the crime scene, they were almost identical. And how precise is that match
in your professional opinion? >> Uh, in my opinion, it's a 100% match. Uh, that shotgun shell was fired in the
shotgun provided by Travis McGro. >> Investigators now had that forensic evidence on top of the text messages
that included Mary Beth's ultimatum. 4 days after the murder, police arrested Travis McGrath [music] and charged him
with firstdegree murder. In that moment when you heard that, >> my knees buckled.
>> I just laid my head on the table and Papa said, "No, >> no, no." >> But the wheels of justice turned slowly
in this part of North Carolina. [music] Travis spent 13 months in jail and then his family was finally able to raise his
$750,000 bail and he was freed. The sisters say he lurked [music] around them ominously in their neighborhood.
>> We saw him a lot. >> He would be on the side of the road. >> Would he look at you as you drove by
>> and wave at us >> or do this? >> Do this. >> Mhm. >> Like a gun thing. >> I don't know. He would do this.
>> I guess you could interpret it how you wanted to. >> Even with the strong case against
Travis, [music] prosecutors then offered him a plea deal consulting with Vanessa's daughters. seconddegree murder
with a sentence of 16 to 20 years. They wanted him to plead [music] guilty rather than rolling the dice at trial
since the only physical evidence was that shotgun shell. >> And so we all just felt like that this
was in God's hands and if this was the way that the state felt they needed to proceed, we are supportive of the state
and we would move forward. On the advice of his lawyer, Travis accepted the deal.
But when the day came in March of 2014 to finalize it, >> please be seated. >> A shocking development.
>> So, at this point, the state, we asked, does the defendant wish to accept the
state's plea offer or not? >> No, sir. >> At the last moment, Travis changed his
mind about pleading guilty. I think it's because in my heart and in his heart knows he's innocent. We had a
conversation to that effect privately that he told me that he was innocent looking dead into my eyes.
>> How can you not just be horribly, horribly disappointed? I mean, we were really thinking that today at the end of
the day, we could be at the end of this chapter. Three long years after their mother's
murder. >> I'm thankful that we're finally to this point. It's We're exhausted. >> Jessica, Andrea, and their families are
finally headed to court for the trial of Travis McGra. >> Call your first witness,
>> Heidi Laam. >> I mean, it was loud enough. >> Heidi Laam, a friend of Vanessa's, takes
the stand. Heidi was staying at the lodge the night of the murder and was startled awake.
>> It was definitely a whooing sound. I I felt like something was banging against
the building, probably the echo. So, it was it it was pretty loud. >> Unable to fall back to sleep, Heidi left
the lodge. She noticed Travis's red truck. >> And where was the red truck parked?
>> Parked in front of the breezeway. Remember, Travis had told police that he'd spent the night with his son here
at Vanessa's house about 12 miles from the lodge. Heidi's testimony contradicts his story.
>> Captain [snorts] William, >> Air Force Major William Boschain, Travis's former commander then testifies
that he contacted police shortly after word spread that Vanessa had been murdered. Why? because Travis had
already tried to collect on the $100,000 military life insurance policy he had on
Vanessa. >> Why did this cause you concern? >> I was shocked that within 10 to 12 hours I was
>> Go ahead. >> Within 10 to 12 hours, I was receiving an email inquiring about insurance.
>> Miss Bishop, you come around this morning. Then it was time for the prosecution's star witness to take the
stand. Travis's former girlfriend, Mary Beth Fiser, who continues to insist their relationship was platonic.
>> It was not a physical relationship as a married couple or a boyfriend girlfriend would have that element of
it. It was just heavy texting and it did get emotional through texting. You're two adults, both been in marriages in
the past. It seems like a very normal next step that you would have been romantic, had a physical relationship.
>> It does. And now looking back, I kind of wondered why he didn't want that. >> Yeah.
>> Mary Beth tells the jury about that ultimatum she texted to Travis. If you want to be with her, then be with her,
but make that choice on who you want to be with exclusively is what I text him. And then I said, "Then let let me have
an answer on Sunday." >> Did there come a point? >> Mary Beth tells the court she only asked
Travis about Vanessa's death one time. >> The only thing I've ever said to him about this whole case was, "How do you
feel now after all this has happened?" and his response was, "I feel relieved for her because of financial issues that
she was having." >> Vanessa's family says money was a bit tight at that time, but no serious
problems. Prosecutors laid out their strong evidence about that shotgun shell, which
they said put Travis in the room where Vanessa was shot. Only one witness remained who could refute that story.
Travis himself. Did you shoot your wife with that shell? >> No, sir, I did not. >> He testifies that he went target
shooting the day before on this open land near the airport and had put the spent shotgun shells in his pocket.
>> After I went shooting that day, I felt like I'd pulled all the shells out of my
pocket when I changed clothes if that one fell out of my pants. That's where it's come from. But that's the only way
a shell got out of my gun. Got into the Solo Mountain Lodge that night. >> But there's a problem with Travis's
story. A cell phone expert testifies that the cell phone in Travis's pocket that day was nowhere near where he said
he was target shooting. >> Finally, >> I have two Air Force Achievement medals, an Air Force accommodation medal.
>> Travis falls back on his resume. >> And so, we did everything we could to keep the fire contained to one side of
the base. >> Trying to charm the jurors. >> I was given another Air Force Achievement Medal
>> just as he had charmed Vanessa and Mary Beth. What could he possibly have to say? It's like being in the room with
pure evil. It feels gross. >> You didn't feel the need to tell her that you were married to Vanessa Mix,
did you? >> No, sir. >> You were in love with Mary Beth, weren't you? >> Yes, sir.
>> You wanted to be with her, didn't you? >> Yes, sir. >> Tell the court about that.
>> But defense attorney Tony Dalton doesn't want the jury to think that love was
Travis's motive for murder. Did you kill Vanessa because of that deadline? >> Absolutely not. Nobody deserved what
Vanessa got? >> No. >> The defense calls Taylor McGraw. >> But Travis has one more hope to sway the
jury. His now 20-year-old son, Taylor, testifies that he believes his father was in the house with him all night
because nothing woke him up. Pretty much anyone walked past the room, they would
even if the door was closed because of the vibrations, it would cause the dog to bark.
>> So the only way your father could get out of the house, out of that room, was
to go past the dog. >> Correct. >> What other sign? >> But on cross-examination,
Taylor acknowledges he wasn't exactly a light sleeper. Do >> you recall telling the FBI agents that
when you sleep, you sleep like a rock? Yes, sir. >> But Willie McGra is convinced that his
son is innocent, and he hopes the jury will find it impossible to believe that a former military man and police officer
would have been so careless as to leave behind a shotgun shell and keep a murder
weapon at his house and then give it to police. >> My son is probably arrogant. [snorts]
Uh he's a little uh highrung and uh but he ain't stupid. [music] >> No, sir. After seven days of testimony,
17 witnesses, 85 exhibits, >> this being a first-degree murder case, it's high stakes.
>> Closing statements begin. >> But I submit to you, not being a faithful husband doesn't mean you're a
murderer. >> Defense attorney Tony Dalton reminds jurors to focus on the facts and not
Travis's questionable character. >> Mr. McGraw, you may find to be a person of bad judgment.
You may find his character to be not up to your standards, but that's not the question here. Give Mr. McGraw a fair
trial. And if you find a reasonable doubt, find this man not guilty. That's what I want to talk about first.
>> Prosecutor Bass takes his turn saying all the evidence points to Travis McGra's guilt.
>> The defendant did it. He had every reason to do it. He had the means and the motive and the ability and the
smarts to try to frame it up as a robbery, but he wasn't nearly as smart as he thought he was. That's because
Travis left behind that shotgun shell, the critical piece of physical evidence tying him to the crime. And that was the
defendant's biggest error cuz that shell landed on the floor. But in the passionate heat of trying to
escape, he didn't go back in that darkened room. >> Bass tells jurors the motive for murder.
>> He was in love or what passes in the mind of Travis McCra love because we all
know that that's an infatuation. And by killing Vanessa, Travis thought he would
have what he craved, $100,000 of insurance money, maybe even Vanessa's house, enough to impress his new girlfriend.
>> The defendant had every reason in this case to kill his wife. He can go on being a white knight from Barry Beth.
When you start putting all those facts and circumstances together and then put the evidence of motive on top of that,
you get a complete picture of this defendant. The picture that you have of this defendant
is guilty. >> All right, members of the jury, all the evidence has been presented. It is now.
>> Now, after some final instructions, >> when you have unanimously agreed upon a
verdict, notify the baiff by knocking on the jury room door. The judge sends the
jury out [music] and the wait for that knock begins, hoping for a quick verdict. No one
strays too far from the courtroom. Vanessa's family on one side, Travis's on the other.
>> I'm really nervous about the whole thing. I'm on edge a little bit, especially since the juryy's not come
back in yet. Travis, he's got a confident feeling about it. >> Two hours pass. What's that weight like?
>> It's so hard. The minutes are heavy. Every sound, every creep in the old courthouse room, you just Is that the
knock at the door? >> We'll be in recess till 9:30 in the morning. >> The jury is dismissed for the day.
>> I was sheriff. He'll bring a jury in >> and returns the next morning. >> You're just sitting there just praying
on nice edge. Lunchtime passes, but still no knock. More waiting in the courtroom. Throughout deliberations,
Vanessa's family prays. It's all too much for Jessica. >> All right, ladies and gentlemen, I
understand there is a verdict. Finally, after eight hours of deliberating, >> the feeling in the room, the energy, it
was just electric when that knock came upon that door that the jury was ready. >> All right, Madame Clark, would you take
the verdict, please? >> Judgement day. >> Mr. Poor person, you have returned to open court as a unanimous verdict of the
jury that the defendant Travis Lee McGraw is guilty of first degree murder. The verdict of the jury
>> guilty. guilty. >> And when you hear that word, after all you've been through,
>> it's just members of the jury. >> And just minutes after the verdict, he's slapped with the maximum sentence.
>> The sentence would be by the court a life in prison without parole. Good luck. And to hear those words guilty
and you will spend life in prison. I felt like since February 19th, 2011 that I finally took a deep breath.
>> The former police officer is now a convicted murderer. >> You could have walked away and left. You
did not have to kill her. I don't want to have feelings of anger because he's going to be getting his
just reward. >> Do you sit at night and wonder to yourself, I may have been the motive
that Travis used to murder his wife? I have thought about that and I feel bad that that thought is out there because
honestly nobody thinks that when they're involved in this situation or give some
somebody an ultimatum that that person would go and shoot the person that they're involved with to get out of the
situation. That's just not reasonable. Normal people don't do that. Time is almost
over >> for the Mintz family and the community she once served. >> Come back and see us.
>> Vanessa's spirit lives on. >> Hey Jessica, it's mom. >> Jessica treasures this last voicemail
from her mom. >> I was just calling to say hello and to check on you. I hope everything's going
well for you. I love you. >> And the influence she had on everyone around her. I want my mother to be
remembered for who she was, not how she died. A passionate Renaissance woman that was
able to tackle the world and to be near her was to be blessed. >> [music] [music]
[music] [music] [music] >> So, right here in this general area is where the caretaker was living at
when he went for a walk up this little off road when he found her initially. I wasn't even sure if it was real at
first. I thought it might be some kind of a prank, you know. Actually, I did reach down and touch her
hand. That feels like flesh and bone to me. When we found Anna Repkina's body, we
were able to see that her feet were probably down in about this location [music]
and her head was pointed back towards the forest here. >> [music] >> One of the first things we noticed when
we made it our way to this landing is there's pieces of trash and there was garbage.
One of the biggest pieces of evidence that we found in this case, there was a KFC bag.
Along the edge of that clear bag, there was a receipt that had the date of the 14th. So, April 14th, which is only a
few days prior. Who was Anna Rkina? >> Anna was 27 years old and she came from a good strong family in Russia.
She wanted somebody to love her, wanted to have kids. And so that's why she went
on [music] to the dating websites. She happened to find Will Harrove. He's always trying to make people laugh,
making sure that everybody else is happy, trying to push them to [music] become the better person that they can
be. >> He was complimentary to her. Uh he sent her flowers from the United States to
Russia. He paid attention to her. >> With everything that he had explained to me, everything he had told me, Anna was
the love of his life. The sense that you got from [music] Anna Revkina was that she was in love.
This wasn't coming to the United States as some mail order bride. >> How does Michelle Chavez fit into this
case? >> Well, Michelle Chavez is the other woman. She is that third part of the triangle.
>> He made me feel special. He has a charisma about him. It's like everything he's saying, he truly
believes and you believe it. He makes you believe it. >> Especially if you're in love and you
want to believe it. >> Yeah. And you were in love. I was. >> And it was always I choose you. It was.
>> How much pressure was he getting from Michelle to end it with Anna? >> I know for a fact that Michelle didn't
want Anna even over here in the States. He was basically given the ultimatum of one or the other. And two days later on
it was found dead. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] >> This is outside of Corvalis quite a ways
out in [music] the Alcier and up a remote logging road. Ryan Joselyn and Amy Matusco, both
deputy district attorneys in Benton County, Oregon, received an urgent call that a body had been found on April
17th, 2017. He and I were both on scene to take a look for ourselves. So important in a
prosecutor's role that you understand the scene, not just from photos, but having been there.
Not too many people are going to be up in that area, but frankly, the fact that the body was discovered as quickly as it
was uh was pretty extraordinary. >> Lead detective Lieutenant Chris Duffett says a local caretaker happened to be
out walking his dog that day when he came across the body. >> The caller was walking on this road on a
day and a time in a place that he really should have never been. So, we were very, very lucky to find her body. If it
would have been any more time, we might have never found her. >> The victim was identified as 27-year-old
Moscow native Anna [music] Repkina. She had been shot. >> She was smart, intelligent. She had an
office [music] job working for IKEA. She loved cats. She loved to travel. Anna had a lot going for her. A lot of people
liked her. So, how did a Russian woman who had a seemingly happy life meet her end [music] on a remote logging road
nearly 5,500 miles from home? She had broken up with her boyfriend of 7 years [music] and was really looking
for that connection. A year earlier, newly single Anna started looking for love online and joined a Russian social
networking site. She found what she was looking for halfway [music] across the world when she met 26-year-old Oregonian
William Harrove. >> Then they started really chatting. They chatted a lot over Facebook. Then uh
they started video conferencing and that was happening on an almost daily basis.
>> Anna and Will found that they had a lot in common. >> They really bonded over music. She very
much loved music. She liked to go to rock concerts. They would have discussions about bands. She had a good
sense of humor. She would constantly send funny memes and she connected with her friends and her [music] family that
way. >> Will and Anna exchanged thousands of messages imagining their future together. If Anna came to Oregon,
>> he [music] definitely had the gift of gab. >> The gift of gab. He could talk a good
game. He could. He could talk a very good game. >> Will's friend and former roommate, Jamie
Clots. He and I had things in common. Cars. He works on cars. I work on cars. >> I'm more Harry Potter. He's more the
Avengers kind of genre, but we could nerd out on things like that. He actually took me to see my first
Avengers movie. He was a likable guy. A jokester. He just liked to laugh and have fun. I enjoyed being around him.
>> Will worked as a mechanic at a local auto dealership. In his free time, he'd meet up with friends like Joseph
Thompson at the Peacock Bar and Grill. >> We would play pool over there on Sunday
nights and just basically ended up hanging out doing karaoke. I don't know how many times me and him would be
sitting there playing pool and he'd just have women walk up from the bar, just sit there, talk to him. He was very
charismatic. He had the personality, the presence. Was he a player? >> No, not necessarily.
>> Will was such a good friend that Joseph called him his brother. >> We were both in the military. A lot of
the training and stuff we had went through was similar and it helped pull us together.
>> What branch of the service were you in? >> Army. >> And Will, >> I believe he was Marines. He said that
he used to be stationed in Russia. Will seemed to have an affinity for all things Russian, and his online
relationship with Anna took off. Anna decided to fly to the States to spend the holidays with Will in Oregon
and see if their virtual love would feel the same in reality. >> December of 2016, she traveled here and
spent a couple weeks with um William Hargrove. >> But the road to romance had an
unexpected detour. There was a problem when she first came out in December to see Mr. Harrove. She
mistakenly mixed up Portland, Maine for Portland, Oregon, and she was stranded in Portland, Maine.
Amidst the chaos of flight changes, Anna messaged Will, building the anticipation
to finally be together. Anna eventually made it to the right Portland and into the arms of Will
Harrove. During her visit, she posted highlights of their whirlwind romance, including photos of their trips to the
coast, Will's cars, and even a Christmas wish scrolled out to her family back home.
>> She came here for love. >> At the conclusion of this trip, she actually became engaged to William
Hargrove and they had plans to get married in the future. Anna returned home to Russia after 10 days with a
souvenir, an engagement ring from Will, and plans to pack up her life in Russia and move to Oregon with the promise of
marriage. >> She was excited about the wedding. She was talking about um all the different
style dresses and what she really wanted. >> But there was going to be an obstacle
[music] in Anna's path to love. >> I'm Michelle Chavez and I was Will Hard Gro's girlfriend.
In 2015, 33-year-old Michelle Chavez was living with her husband and two children
in Albany, Oregon. Unfortunately, all was not right in the marriage. Our relationship at that point in time
really wasn't one. It was like roommates that just happened to be married. Slept
in the same bed, but that was about it. Didn't really talk. Michelle met Will Harrove while [music]
she was working as a cab driver. It was a kind of slow time in the summer and I was waiting at [music] the bar waiting
for people to call to go pick people up. What was your first impression of him? >> God, he's short.
>> God, he's short. Yes, Scotty's short. Yeah. Um, he is short. >> But that first impression gave way to
something much more for [music] Chavez, who was so unhappy at home. He made you feel like you were in the sun when he
talked to you. He had a way of being able to look at me and I I felt like I was actually seen. I felt beautiful. I
felt like I was wanted. >> And so Michelle and Will became much more than friends.
>> It wasn't a planned thing. It wasn't like it went off in my head. I was like,
I'm I'm going to have a relationship with him. It just progressed that way. >> This is one of him and our mutual friend
Jamie. >> He was willing to give her what she needed, affection, attention. >> The following year, 2016, the
relationship grew to a new [music] and somewhat unusual level with Will renting a spare bedroom in Michelle's house. the
same one she shared with her husband [music] and kids. Though it's not clear what Michelle's husband knew about her
relationship with Will. [music] >> He only had to pay $300 a month and his own food unless he liked whatever it was
we were making at the time. Honestly, pretty sweet deal. >> Michelle even gave Will her wedding
ring, a promise that she'd leave her husband soon. But it wasn't enough for Will. If Will had this relationship with
Michelle and was in love with Michelle, why was he going on internet dating sites?
>> I think that it had to do with jealousy. Michelle was going to leave her husband
on her terms and it wasn't going fast enough. If he could make her jealous, then maybe it would speed things up.
Which may explain why when Anna visited Will over Christmas, they stayed at Michelle's house under Michelle's nose.
It seems Anna knew nothing of Will's other relationship. They were in his room most of the time. On New Year's
Eve, they were getting ready to go out. Will was like, "Oh, maybe I should introduce you guys." And then she shook
my hand and she said her name was Zanna. I said it was nice to meet her. But Michelle wouldn't be quite that
welcoming when Anna returned a few months later on March 1st, 2017 with the intention of becoming Will's wife.
>> I was like, "Well, she's not staying here. She's not staying [music] in my house."
>> So Will and Anna rented an apartment in Corvalis, a small college town not far
from Michelle's home. With Will working and without a job herself, Anna spent time on her own,
even joining the local gym, life wasn't as easy for Michelle. What did you want?
>> Simple. Just to be happy. >> And you thought you'd found that with him? >> I thought I had,
>> but you have to actually know some way to find those things. I think >> turns out actually knowing Will was
going to be a bit of a challenge for everyone. Even with his new fiance in America, he
split his nights between his two love interests. He really continued to float between those two uh places. Back at
Michelle's place and then back at the apartment with Anna. >> With no clue as to why Will kept
disappearing, Anna often had to resort to contacting his friends to find her own fiance.
>> She's seeing him gone. In the text messages, she's reaching out to his friends. Do you know where he is? What's
going on? She's becoming suspicious. Where is he going? What is going on with this time? As [music] it happened,
Anna's instincts were right on the money. >> This man was a fraud and relied heavily
on deception to convince other people he was the type of person he wanted to be perceived as.
>> And he wanted to be something greater than he was. [music] He told a number of
people he was in the armed forces. He was never in the armed forces. >> Then there's the matter of a certain
engagement ring, Anna's ring. Or was it? Her and I had friended each other on Facebook
and then I saw her wearing my wedding ring. >> What? Yeah. >> The ring that had been Michelle's
wedding ring had been repurposed [music] when Will proposed to Anna. >> Will told Anna that this ring belonged
to his grandmother and had sentimental [music] value to him. >> Anna had no idea she was wearing
Michelle's ring. And on [music] March 22nd, she was shocked to get a Facebook message from Michelle about sharing
Will. >> At this [music] point, all Anna knows is that Michelle Chavez is the crazy
ex-girlfriend because that's what Will Harrove has told her. And so Anna says, "No way. You get out of our lives."
>> Something about me being a I believe. And I was like, "I'm just getting started being one. [music] Were
you threatening her? >> No, just being mouthy. I just meant [music] that if you think I'm being
now, like just watch. >> Just 3 days later, Anna and Will headed to the Oregon coast for their wedding
ceremony. >> Anna brought a wedding dress with her from Russia. She had her ring that
William proposed to her with. On the way, Will decided to stop at the local Walmart to buy their wedding
bands, leaving bride to be Anna in the car. >> While he's in Walmart shopping for his
wedding ring, he is on the phone with Michelle Chavez. And he is discussing their relationship and whether or not
he's going to come see her [music] that night. >> And you had no clue when he said he was
in Walmart that he was like headed to a [music] wedding. >> No. No, not at all. >> But as it would turn out, Anna and Will
were not headed to a wedding. They go to the beach and the officient doesn't show
up. So, he has a phone call in which he relays to both the witnesses and to Anna
that the officient couldn't make it. He was ill. Something came up. And William Hargo was actually calling a
couple video game stores to [music] presumably pretend he was talking to a wedding official to show him how mad he
was about this day. He never arranged for an officient. He never got a marriage license. He didn't
have anything set up. >> Sadly, there'd be only one portrait of the bride that day, picking up some fast
food. >> The McDonald's drive-thru video is the only [music] video or photo taken on
Anna Repina's wedding day. And you can actually see Anna Repkina in her wedding dress uh in William Hargo's vehicle.
Seemingly oblivious to Will's feelings for Michelle, Anna set her heart on a rescheduled [music] wedding date. But
Michelle had other plans. So, did you give him an ultimatum? At one point, I did.
Told him it was he had to pick one. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. I just didn't want her here.
So, you pressured him to choose. I did. In April 2017, the relationship between Michelle and Will hit a crossroads with
Michelle insisting Will finally choose between her and Anna. Will told Michelle she was his choice.
So, April 19th was the deadline, right, for both of you. Correct. >> You were going to be done with your
marriage and he was supposed to >> she was supposed to be gone or whatever. He was going to leave her.
>> How much pressure did Michelle put on Will to get rid of Anna? >> A lot. There was a lot of pressure.
There's a lot of back and forth [music] in there between all the text messages where one minute it's like clean out
your stuff and get out. The next minute is I love you. I want to be together. But we can't do that if she's here.
There are texts between the two of you with you pressuring him to choose. [music]
And at one point you told him to fix it. Yeah. What do you mean by that? in the general sense, fix it in the
sense that you would take care of it, not take care of it like take somebody out and you would end the relationship,
that you would be done. >> Will told Michelle he'd tried to send Anna packing many times, but she
wouldn't go. >> So Michelle perceived Anna as this girl who kind of never got the hint that she
was being told to leave and she kept coming back. Although Anna never knew any of this was really happening.
On Saturday night, April 15th, just 4 days shy of the deadline they'd set, Michelle was supposed to have dinner at
Will's apartment. >> It wasn't until about 8:00 p.m. that night that William Harrove tells
Michelle Chavez [music] that she actually can't come over that Anna showed back up. The Anna's back again.
He'll take care of it. >> What followed was yet another heated text conversation.
Not a surprise, according to detective Chris Dale, who says Michelle and Will exchanged more than 13,000 texts during
their relationship. >> Constant checking in every morning to make sure that he's woken up on time uh
to get to work. Didn't seem as if there was a an hour in a day that went by where they were not uh communicating.
But on that day, there was one critical text. So, Will Harg Grove sent a message
to Miss Chavez. I will have this permanently fixed by 18800 tomorrow. >> So, [music] he'll have the situation of
Anarkina handled by 6:00 p.m. uh the following day, which was Easter Sunday. >> That assurance was not enough for
Michelle. She continued texting and calling Will, who turned off his phone. As the hours passed with no reply,
Michelle's hope that Will was truly fixing the problem with Anna vanished. >> I guess you made your choice.
Okay, I'll let you be. >> Why? I just want to know why. I'll let you be. But I just want to know why.
>> The next morning, Michelle headed to her mother's house for Easter. Jamie was
there as well. >> She said that she'd spent the night ugly crying. And even though I knew what the probable
answer was going to be, I still asked her like, "Why?" And she looks at me and she goes, "Why do you think?" And I
said, "Because of Will." Meanwhile, back at his apartment, Will was dealing with a very different but
urgent problem, his car insurance policy. >> They've been [music] sending him notices
that if he doesn't have it paid by midnight on the 16th, they're going to cancel his insurance.
>> He tells them that he knows his insurance lapses [music] that evening and he needs to get it uh
extended uh for free uh because if it doesn't, he's going to lose his uh vehicle loan and they're going to
repossess it immediately. Okay. Can you guys hold off until the 21st so I can get you paid?
>> Um, unfortunately once it is pending cancellation for non-payment, we don't have the ability to move the dates at
all. Um, and this one. Yeah. So, it'll be effect canceled effective tonight at midnight.
>> Just after 4:30 p.m., Michelle's phone rang. It was Will. >> And what did he say?
>> That he had been out at the coast. [music] He was on his way back in and he'd almost had a deer. He ran off the
road and he had a flat tire and he needed help. How did he sound? Shaken, sad. >> And so Michelle left her family's Easter
celebration to go and meet Will in the town of Alsie. He waited for her at a local convenience
store. >> You can see him walk to the uh cooler where he gets a Pepsi. He goes and gets
his candy [music] bar. And then he ultimately gets a pack of cigarettes. >> About an hour later, Michelle arrived.
>> She parks on the side of that store. [music] Uh we see her get out of her Prius.
>> I asked him, "What what happened? Where have you been?" And he told me that he
after we had talked that they got into an argument and he said horrible mean things to her and that she had turned
around and taken her suitcases and had walked out. Thinking Anna had finally left the apartment for good, Michelle
says she and Will got into his car. >> We drove for a little bit and we pulled off and we were talking for a few and
then honestly we end up having sex in the front seat. >> So you had makeup sex essentially.
>> Yeah, Essentially makeup sex in the front seat. >> Michelle and Will then went their
separate ways with Michelle returning to her family's Easter celebration. >> She came back. She was in a good mood.
She was smiling. She was, you know, she was happy. She looked total 180 from what she looked like in the morning.
>> Will headed home, but he made a few stops along the way. first at an ATM where he withdrew money
from Anna's bank account, >> made a $200 withdrawal from this machine, and then engaged in some
conversation with some employees um at that gas station where he actually ended up hugging one of them and crying about
the fact that his girlfriend and a repina uh had left him. >> His girlfriend, whose account he just
took $200 from. >> Yes. Will then headed to a second ATM. >> He goes to the Chase bank and withdraws
an additional $600 of Anna Repkina's money. [music] So now William Hargo has $800 uh that he stole from Anor Kina's
bank account. At about 9 9:30 p.m. on that same night, he drives to another bank and he ends up depositing $160 of
that cash uh into his bank account. Will had just one more chore to take care of that evening.
>> Thank you for calling Progressive. >> Y'all should have a card on file for me
and I need to make a payment, please. >> Several hours earlier, he has no money.
>> All good, then. Everything's done. >> Yeah, everything is taken care of. You are insured as we're speaking.
>> Excellent. Thank you very much, ma'am. >> My pleasure. Have a good night, William.
All of a sudden, he has money and he's taking it out of honor Kina's bank account
who's found dead the next day. On April 17th, 2017, the day after Easter Sunday, Anna Repkina was found
with a shotgun blast to the back of her head. Her body left [music] like one more piece of garbage.
Anna was discarded in this landing with the other trash, [music] fast food bags, uh cigarette cartons,
candy wrappers, uh that were that were here. And at that point, we don't know what's evidence and what's not because
that could either be huge evidence in this case or it could be just trash. >> While investigators hope to find a
connection to Anna's killer, Will was sending Anna text showing concern about her whereabouts after the fight he said
they'd had the day before. Will also launched a bizarre deep dive online researching time travel. is uh trying to
ask for help in how [music] to uh travel back in time back to April 16th in order to correct a
horrible mistake. >> His words, correct a horrible mistake. >> Yes. He even went so far as to message
strangers on WhatsApp for advice to help someone he called his best friend. Will was apparently so desperate for
this information, he offered a reward, [music] his soul. In addition to his strange internet
search, Will went on a shopping spree, spending more of that cash he stole from Anna, buying candy, video games, and
toys. >> He bought a hundred and something dollar set of Legos from a Walmart. Will
reached out to a friend named Kevin Thomas, >> saying that he's spending money he
shouldn't trying to distract himself. >> On Wednesday, April 19th, investigators
struck a lead with the trash found next to Anna's body. A KFC receipt from 3 days earlier with a crucial timestamp.
Was there a name on the receipt? >> So, on the receipt, there was no name. KFC told us that there was uh actually a
car that pulled up on that Friday. [music] Uh and there was two purchases made from that car. There was one made
with a debit [music] card that came back to Kevin Thomas and another uh purchase
that was made with cash. >> With only one name to work with, investigators headed to Kevin's Corvalis
home. >> I was trying to put some pieces together. Um, the garbage we found was I
think something you bought last week from KFC. >> Okay. >> Do you know about that?
>> Yeah. Me and my brother go to KFC. >> Go to KFC >> on Fridays. >> What's your brother's name, Kevin?
>> Uh, Will Harrove. >> Kevin and Will became pals at the Peacock Bar and Grill. Kevin, like
Joseph Thompson, called Will his brother. Police continued talking to Kevin at the sheriff's office, where he
offered a revelation. A few weeks earlier, Will had asked to borrow something that belonged to Kevin,
his shotgun. >> Did he say why you wanted to borrow it? >> Just said he was going to go up and go
shooting in the woods and just kind of blow off some steam. >> What's more, Kevin told police that Will
had yet to return the gun. With this new information, investigators headed straight to Michelle's house, where Will
was staying to question him. He answered the door. We're here following up on a case we're working and uh uh your name
came across and we want to talk to you. >> Okay. >> Will then lied to investigators, telling
them that he and Michelle drove up to Alcie together on Easter Sunday. >> Drove into Elsie, stopped at the little
market there, picked up a pack of cigarettes, and drove back. >> Did you dump some trash there when you
were there? >> Yeah, I did. On the side of the building on the side of the general store.
But that trash that Will claimed to have left at the store was the very same that
was found next to Anna's body. Investigators asked Will to come to the sheriff's office. While Will was getting
ready to leave, he [music] texted Michelle to ensure their stories matched. >> At the sheriff's office, [music]
investigators got to the question of Anna. >> What do you know about her? >> Almost nothing.
>> How' you How did you guys meet? >> Met her down. just walking around. You know,
>> Will played down their relationship, even calling Anna psychotic. >> We went on two dates and then decide I I
told her it wasn't going to be anything more than that. And I was happy to keep hanging out with her, but that was all
it was going to be. >> How long ago was that? >> Uh, last time I saw her was middle of March.
>> Middle of March. cut it off because she decided to put on Facebook that we were
engaged. >> She posted that. >> Yeah. After two days. >> Oh, yeah. And it brought hell down upon
me. >> From who? >> Lieutenant Duffet [music] turned up the heat on Will and got right to the point.
>> So, Will, your trash was found where somebody was killed. I'm sorry to what? >> Okay,
that's what we're talking about here. >> You guys are looking at me for this. >> Your trash, like my partner said, was
found there. >> Your your stuff was found at a scene where somebody died. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. Talking to you, there's a lot of inconsistencies with your story about what what happened.
>> That's when Will stopped talking and asked for a lawyer. >> No offense, guys. You've been really
kind and I like you and I don't mind that. But the moment that you say somebody was killed out there that no, I
it's just no. >> Okay. So, uh, William Harrove, I need you to stand up and put your hands
behind your back. You're under the arrest for the murder [music] of Anna Repina.
>> Will Harrove was placed under arrest. But did police have the right person in
custody? If anyone [music] on the face of it looks like they have a motive to kill Anna, it's the other woman. It's
Michelle. How can you be so sure that she had nothing to do with Anna's murder? >> Just hours after Will Hargrove was
arrested for Honor Repa's murder. She's going to go over it at this point. >> Michelle Chavez was brought in for
questioning about what she was doing Easter Sunday. >> Can you tell me what this is about, dog?
>> She starts out on the wrong foot, telling police what Will had texted her to say, that they'd driven to Alcie
together. >> And he picked you up at your mom's house at that time. >> He did. >> Okay.
>> Take your >> Immediately, Michelle reverses herself, admitting what she had just stated was
false. That's a little bit of a lie. He called me. He was going to pick me up and then he didn't.
>> Why did you lie to them? Honestly, I wasn't thinking and I don't have a good answer.
>> I want you to know right now the Will's under arrest for murder. >> Okay. [snorts]
>> Okay. Investigators say Michelle didn't seem at all surprised when they told her Will
had just been arrested for killing Anna. >> How are you not extremely upset right
now to know that the person who you were romantically involved with? >> I am very upset right now. I'm very
upset right now. I don't understand how that can be a person that I have spent the last year and a half with.
>> I was numb. It didn't make sense. Over a year later, in July 2018, Will was formally indicted for Anna's murder.
The defense would go on to spin an entirely different theory of the crime, one that had Michelle pulling the
trigger after arriving from her family's Easter celebration. According to them, >> the defendant had taken Michelle Chavez
up to the location to have a conversation with Anna, and Michelle had taken the gun out
from him and shot Anna. A few pieces of evidence had given investigators cause for concern. For one
thing, Michelle mysteriously ended up in possession of Anna's phone. Michelle blames Will.
>> I didn't realize it was hers. He had given it to me, I guess, the night before he got arrested.
Michelle's own cell phone records showed that a month before Anna's body was found, Michelle had visited that exact
spot on the logging road. Michelle claims that's only because Will brought her there. But could she have
been scouting the location? The defense says that Will loved Anna, that he was starting a life with her, that you're
the one with all the reasons to kill her. What do you say to that? I had no reason to want her dead. No reason to
kill her. I do get how it looks, but her being dead is nothing I ever wanted. I wanted her to go home.
Did you ever tell Will to kill Anna? >> No. >> Days after Will's arrest, his friend
Kevin's shotgun was recovered from the back of Will's vehicle. Evidence supports there had only been one killer.
Will Hargro's fingerprint was on the shotgun. Michelle Chavez's DNA was never on that shotgun. Michelle Chavez's
fingerprints [music] were never on that shotgun. Piecing together various security
cameras, investigators tracked Will's drive with Anna to Alsie. >> We see the defendants's car that's
distinct for various reasons, traveling along a certain path and gave us location as well as time frames. [music]
>> But it was GPS tracking that gave police an even bigger piece of the puzzle with
Will's phone pinging from the murder site from 4:35 to 4:48 that afternoon. The reason we have that is because he
called Michelle Chavez. >> Michelle Chavez, who was still at her mother's house at that Easter
celebration. We don't have any forensic data or information that was left at that crime scene to suggest that
Michelle was at the crime scene on that day. >> And remember that video of Will shopping
at the Alcience Store as he waited for Michelle to arrive. towards the top of his bald head, you can see what appears
to be smaller black dots, >> raising the question, could it have been blood spatter?
>> We can't tell you if that was blood. We can't tell you what that was, but we can
tell you it was there before he met Michelle Chavez. Subsequent photo comparison afterwards showed that those
spots weren't moles. They weren't anything that was there permanently. There was one more heart-wrenching piece
of evidence found in the trash alongside Anna's body from another fast food drive-thru.
>> A receipt from McDonald's uh in Newport, Oregon, dated on March 25th of 2017.
>> March 25th, the day that should have been on his wedding day. Will's trial got underway in October
2019. >> The original witness list was 131 people. Eventually, I believe close to
70 people testified. The trial took a month. Will Hargrove was found guilty of Anna's
murder as well as identity theft and two counts of seconddegree theft for stealing that money from Anna's bank
account. >> I want to talk about Anna Ripkina for a minute and I placed her photo on the
witness stand to remind everyone of a life that was lost. Contrary to speculation,
>> Will sentencing was held in January 2020. She came here with hopes and dreams
to find somebody that was loving her and start a family. She doesn't have that anymore. The
defendant very nearly got away with this crime. It was his own trash that betrayed him.
>> Uh, you were receiving a sentence of life imprisonment. >> Will received a life sentence with a
possibility of parole after 25 years. Michelle says [music] living under the scrutiny of people in town wondering
what she knew or didn't know became all too much. How bad [music] did it get for
you? Bad enough. Bad. Bad. >> She had an incident uh in which she couldn't take the stress uh anymore.
um and uh almost didn't get the police there in time. Michelle says that in June 2018, she
tried to take her own life. >> I tried to die. I'm still here. It didn't work. As for the young Moscow native [music]
who flew to the US with the promise of love, I think you have to remember Anna as the
[music] sweet, loving, caring person who put herself out there to be loved. Because Anna
was loved. She was loved alive [music] and she was loved after. [music] [music] >> [music]
[music] [music] [music]

"48 Hours" cases involving demands and ultimatums. Watch the YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "Murder in Aspen," "The Ultimatum" and "The Murder of Anna Repkina."

00:00 Murder in Aspen 42:43 The Ultimatum 01:24:46 The Murder of Anna Repkina

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

The episode details Nancy Fister's murder, the investigation, and the eventual confession of Trey Styler, revealing complex relationships and motives.

Key points

Murder in Aspen. Nancy Fister, an Aspen princess, is found murdered in her home, shocking the community.
The Stylers' Struggles. Nancy Fister's renters, the Stylers, face financial ruin and conflict with her.
The Shocking Arrests. Three people are arrested in connection with Nancy Fister's murder, leaving the community in shock.
The Aftermath of the Murder. The community mourns Nancy Fister while grappling with the implications of the arrests and confessions.
Vanessa's Inspiring Life. Vanessa Mintz, a dedicated mother and community leader, was unstoppable in her pursuits.
Travis's Secrets Uncovered. The investigation reveals Travis's hidden life and romantic entanglements, raising suspicions.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Woe unto you who messed with Nancy Fister.

1:54WatchMay 30, 2026

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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