Double Death Investigation /// Part 1 /// 942 | Forensic Files

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[music] And Colonel, that's enough of be. All right, everybody, gather around, grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk
some true crime. >> What's going on? Uh, my fiance just shot herself. >> Shot Your fiance just shot herself.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> She She It's a mortal wound. >> Okay. >> I'm a captain with the fire district
with Maryland Heights. >> Okay. Um, >> okay. Let me connect you over to Central County. Okay.
Hang on one second. Sir, are you out in St. Charles or is that where she's at? >> Creek
location of your emergency. >> This West Central with a transfer emergency there. Uh,
>> my fiance shot himself. >> She shot himself. >> She shot herself in the head. It's
immortal. It's immortal. injury. No, I have a I'm >> Okay, sir. I I >> Yes, that's correct. I just
[music] >> [music] >> Grace [music] Alexandra Holland grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri in
a home that her family remembered as warm and loud in all of the best of ways, full of laughter and everyday
closeness. She is one of three sisters. She has a twin, her name is Laura. The two of them have an older sister named
Sarah. In family stories, Grace is described as bold and vibrant, the kind of person who loved her family and did
not hesitate to help. By high school, she joined the Police Explorers Program. This is a youth program meant to build
character, instill structure and youngsters and citizenship while exposing students to careers in law
enforcement. It wasn't just a phase for her. This was her drawn to that type of structure and service and the idea of
protecting other people. After she graduated from high school, Grace pursued a degree in criminal justice. In
the early 2000s, she married a man named Christopher [ __ ] He would go on to become a police officer. Together, they
had four children. By all accounts, motherhood was something that she really embraced. She took pride in her kids and
their personalities and the life that she was building for them and around them. In 2016, however, Grace and Chris
would get a divorce. They separated. The divorce didn't erase their shared responsibility. They worked to co-parent
in a way that would keep their daughters grounded and stable, keep the family together. Not long after this divorce,
Grace started dating a man named Robert Daws. He is a firefighter with the Maryland Heights Fire Department. He's
described as somebody who was popular, well-liked. He was successful driving a Porsche. And in the community, his
family name, the Daw's family name, did seem to carry some weight. Robert's brother was a police officer and their
father, Robert Daw, Senior, was the fire captain prior to Robert eventually taking his son eventually taking over
that role for Marilyn Heights. And to Grace, Robert she described as someone who was confident and self assured. And
Robert was no stranger to family. He had a son. And as their relationship deepened, Grace moved into Robert's home
in Creve Core. Everything seemed to be going great. Like great enough to the point that in 2018, the two of them got
engaged. >> Yeah. Sometimes that's a sign of things going great and sometimes that's a Hail
Mary. >> But the story that follows is not the fairy tale that it appeared to be. What
Grace's family says was happening behind closed doors was truly an anything but.
>> Right. >> Grace's family would later insist that the relationship was not just like a
rocky relationship. This was this was an abusive relationship >> psychologically and even at times
physically. They described Robert Daws as controlling and doineering and someone who wanted to control Grace's
life. Someone who wanted authority over her choices, her money, and her movement.
>> Which is interesting because he's a authority of authority figures. He's accustomed to
>> such. According to the Holland family, Robert pressured Grace to quit her job
so that she could work for his father's company. And I'm uncertain what this company was,
but it sounds like, again, this is according to her family. We know that there are oftent times two sides to
every coin and multiple sides to every argument. I think they sold manure and I hate manure.
>> The statement here though, Captain, was that that somehow according to Grace's
family that her paychecks would go directly to Robert. >> Yeah. >> Now, I I want to point this sounds when
when you describe it when it's described this way, and this is how it is described in every report that I could
find, this sounds like something like, "Holy hell, you know, what's going on here?" But I also wonder if this could
be something as simple as a joint checking account and direct deposit into that joint account and then behind
closed doors he's seems to be controlling and pulling the strings on what is allowed and not allowed as far
as activity with this account goes. >> Yeah. Or is it possible that the business is doing it this way for some
kind of weird tax loop or something? >> That could be. In January of 2020, Grace
and Robert bought a new house together on Conway Road. It's reported that the deed was in Robert's name only. Grace
reportedly spent months renovating and decorating, trying to turn that property into,
I'm guessing, like their dream home. Instead, the house seemed to become another source of tension. Now, before
we move on, one thing we have to make clear here is that while they bought this new home and they're doing a lot of
work to it to renovate this new home, they still own the previous home and they are still staying in that previous
home as well. So, keep keep in mind we got two homes, two houses here at this point on our timeline in the story.
Grace's twin sister, Laura, would later describe the relationship as cyclical. So, it's like this repetitive ongoing
volatility here where they fight, they break up, Grace leaves, and then she says, the twin sister says Grace gets
pulled back into the relationship. >> But some some people enjoy that. I've never enjoyed that, but I do know some
some people that it might take him a while to admit to that, but they feel like it's almost evidence of passion.
>> Yes. And don't hear what we're not saying. We're not saying that we know that Grace enjoyed this, but
>> No, I'm just saying some people do. >> From personal experience, I'm with you,
my friend. There are people that seem to that I've met in my lifetime that seem to always carry a lot of drama around
them. >> Yeah. >> To the point where you where I've eventually distanced myself from them
because it's it's almost like do you enjoy the drama because you seem to be inviting a lot of it into your life at
times. >> Yeah. Yeah. And it gets difficult because especially when you're coming
from a broken relationship, you you created a broken home. And so I think sometimes people then hang on to
relationships longer than maybe they should. >> But also I think it's interesting too
whether it's a controlling mechanism. I've seen that in relationships as well. In today's economy, it's helpful to have
dual income. And I understand that she had an income, but to convince your partner to give up their career for just
a job, I've seen that happen with friends of mine where it's like it's almost a controlling mechanism to go, well, I
make more money and so I get to control more of the decisions and you just stay at home. I'll take care of everything.
Well, and let's point this out, too, because one thing that I think gets lost in the sauce or could get lost in the
sauce here in this story is the critical points in our timeline, at least as I see it, all are taking place during the
co year. And again, I don't know what her position was or what Robert Daw's father's company, what their business
was, but what we can surmise is this. what would be going there's going to be shutdown this during this 2020 year
obviously Robert Daws being a fire captain his job is essential so he's still going to be going to work I can't
speak as to what Grace's complete situation was here and I want to expand on not speaking for Grace here because
in in a short period of time in 2020 they have this home they're working on this home together. But Grace is going
to leave this world. She's going to die in 2020. And what we don't have obviously is Grace speaking that who can
tell the story and speak for herself. We also don't have Robert, her fiance, who
seems to speak for her at any point at all. So, we must, in my opinion, champion Grace's family for continuing
to tell this story and speak out as to what their perspective is on what was going on during this time. Well, just
real quick that there's so many stressors here. You have multiple properties. You're trying to do a
renovation on one of the properties. So, that's a lot of money, a lot of decisions, a lot of timeline issues.
You're then switching your job. You're trying to maintain this relationship. I understand that they're engaged, but
when you get engaged, that can be stressful. Now, we're going to get married and now we got to plan that out.
And how much is that going to cost? They're both parents. That comes with stressors. They have to deal with their
ex-spouses. There's a lot going on. And at the same time, it seems as if they're
trying to get pregnant as well. and some of their communications between Grace and Robert will become public at some
point. And so we we can analyze those and we have taken a look at those. And I can tell you my friends, I don't know
and cannot speak to what the relationship was like before the engagement, but this engagement did not
appear to be a happy one at all. And in speaking for her sister, Laura told the US son that she had personally helped
Grace to get away from Robert multiple times during these breakups, saying, quote, "I had taken Grace away from him
four times. I'd move her in and out of his house, and he'd always come back. It was this controlling relationship."
Yeah, this is a very difficult case to discuss and it's very fascinating and the more I was diving into it, the more
I wondered why people didn't talk about it because it is so fascinating. But then you kind of see why people might
not kind of see why people don't want to touch this one with a 10-ft pole. >> Yeah. And part of the the really
troubling and difficulty for me here, Captain, was what I could see and the communications I could see between the
two of them. It almost appeared to me like he's pushing her away and then she continually goes back. Yeah. It's weird
cuz the sister seems to be like he came crawling back. But again, it's it's a tough situation because whether you come
from a broken home, your parents got a divorce, or you got a divorce yourself, that can play into your your emotional
health and your mental health on whether you stay in a relationship or not. Over
the course of their four-year relationship, according to her family, Grace reportedly documented multiple
incidents of physical abuse and verbal abuse by recording conversations and photographing bruises. By the spring of
2020, their text messages, which as we said would later become public, or at least portions of them, painted a
portrait of a relationship that was unraveling in slow motion. And what's weird about these text messages here,
Captain, it's it's like arguing, rage, almost hate for one another at times, and then followed by like normal regular
relationship conversations, right? Like errands, things that we need to purchase
for the home, the renovation project. It it was a really I say a balance between
the two, but it was such an abnormal balance that it's it seems unbalanced. It seems very strange to me.
>> Yeah, this whole situation is strange. And I think I think she was dealing with
again maybe some emotional maturity, but also just mental health issues before she enters the relationship. That makes
you wonder if this person is controlling, if this person is physically and verbally abusive. Well,
that's maybe why he picked her. >> Yeah. The ones I reviewed, we have things like I saw things like Grace
saying that, you know, she wanted to get married, wanted to continue the relationship. And then Robert, the
complete opposite of that, almost saying hateful things like, "I don't like you.
I I want you to leave. I don't like your children." >> Yeah. [clears throat] He's a bit of a douche.
>> Grace at some point learns that she is pregnant. I'm going to use a a word here
that I think is necessary. Allegedly, according to some, he offered her money for an abortion.
>> Yeah. >> Now, what is not alleged is that it seems clear that she refused this idea
or that or that she was wanted a baby and wanted marriage. From the record, here is a text to Grace that from Robert
that I think would explain his stance [snorts] >> on the matter. Quote, "Get out of my
house. I don't want to be married. I don't want a baby." End quote. >> Well, you shouldn't have proposed then
and you shouldn't have sex with somebody that you don't have a child with. And as
said, then these messages would flip back to ordinary life, talking about the new house and purchases that they needed
to make, things of that nature, like like the relationship was constantly trying to pretend to be normal.
>> Yeah. But I also wondered too with his position, some of these text messages, again, like
I said, he comes off like a douchebag, but what is he saying where when it's not being recorded,
>> right? And when he's not typing it out, >> right? Because there's especially somebody in his position. I understand
he's in he's a firefighter and so that's different than being a police officer, but they're friends
>> also a high ranking firefighter, >> right? And so it could be a situation if he sends her such abusive text messages.
And I think these are signs of abusive text messages or at least hateful te text messages.
>> Yeah. >> But like I said, somebody in his position, this guy's not a dummy. Maybe
his thought is I'm not going to put this the most hateful stuff on record. >> Yeah. And we unfortunately have seen too
much of this type of volatility here in relationships that ends up in a bad way,
a really bad way here in the garage. >> Yeah. >> Let's go to July 1st, 2020. A text
exchange captured a moment that would later haunt Grace's family. Grace wrote, quote, "Please stop saying I should kill
myself." End quote. Robert responded with a message. You asked me and I do not want
to marry you and I do not want this baby with you. I get it. Maybe he's trying to
break up with her and she won't let the relationship end. I don't know. I'm not going to pretend to be there. But the
the the choice of of baby with you rather than I don't want this baby seems like a like you're piling on a little
bit, right? Like it's Yeah. He's not say like I've seen some of the other text message and he messages and he does say
I don't want a baby or I don't want another baby. Um but in this particular one I found it to be a little piling on.
It's like I don't want this baby with you. Yeah. My I have so many issues with this. I understand he has a kid and I
understand that she has kids and so maybe that's not something he wants to add to their life. Okay, I get that.
Then don't have unprotected sex with her. Don't have sex with somebody that you clearly know is trying to have a a
child with you. I mean, it it would be a whole different situation if she somehow
like duped him. >> Yeah. >> But it's like be uh hold yourself a little bit accountable for your actions.
>> Could somebody here be an adult? because you you do have a a scenario where most
people don't have an this advantage. You have two living quarters, right? Maybe somebody should go live in one of the
other homes. >> Yeah. And but again, that I don't think this is a sign of actually what again
what is he telling her behind closed doors? Again, it could be more abusive and it could also be more lovebombing.
>> Yeah. And it can be manipulative. And so in the moment, oh yeah, I I want to be
with you. Let's have sex. Then right afterwards, I don't want a baby with you. >> This I mean, you're stepping on exactly
what my my suspicions were here. It's like, okay, this >> pile of [ __ ] >> This is the portion that we get to see
that made its way to the public. What What all is going on that we didn't see? >> Yeah. and didn't get the chance to
review. Grace accused Robert of telling her to get a gun out of the nightstand. Robert replied saying that she was
delusional. In the weeks that followed, the messages reportedly grew more disturbing. They seemed to argue about
everything. Grace not working. Accusations about suspicions of secret relationships.
Grace begged him to stay. Robert lashed out when Grace lost the pregnancy in mid
July of 2020. Robert allegedly called her ridiculous and crazy. Grace called him cruel and selfish. By the end of
those months, what emerged from the record described by her family is not a couple having occasional fights. It's a
pair locked in something toxic >> and escalating. So, let's fast forward a couple weeks here, Captain. We'll go to
July 21st, 2020. Grace and Robert went to the new house on Conway Drive. At 11:30 p.m., Robert texted Grace that he
was leaving. It appears Grace wanted to try for another baby. Robert refused, and then that dispute ignited another
angry thread of text. Robert accused her of ruining the evening and wrote, quote,
"I want you out of my life. Don't ever contact me again. Shortly before 4:00 a.m. on July 22nd, 2020, Grace texted
again asking where he was. She begged him to come back. He replied, "I want nothing to do with you." And then about
an hour later, so this would be roughly about 5:10 a.m., Robert called 911 from the house on Fairways Circle. Remember,
they got two houses. On the call, he told the dispatcher that his fiance had shot herself.
>> Yeah, I think he called it a fatal wound or something like that. >> The first responders from the Creve
Corps Fire Department arrived at the home on Fairway Circle and found Grace Holland on the bedroom floor with a
gunshot wound to her head and she was pronounced [music] dead at the scene. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.
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>> [music] [music] >> right, we are back to the windows to the walls. Talk cans in the air. Cheers to
you, [music] Colonel. >> Cheers to you, Captain. Now, this is going to be a detail that is going to
obviously fuel definitely more suspicion than anger, but fuel both. So, what we have here, remember that call went in
about 510 a.m. and detectives did not arrive on the scene until about 7 a.m. So, roughly 2 hours after the initial
response. Now, that doesn't that's the way that it's always reported. I want to be clear here because sometimes we have
to try to read between the lines. And if we are going to look at all of these reports with a suspicious eye and
suspicious mind, I think we need to look at all of them with a suspicious eye and
suspicious mind. While it sounds really terrible that detectives did not arrive on the scene until 7 a.m., that is not
to say with 100% certainty that there were not police officers, >> right, on the scene for that 2 hours.
Now, it would be important to get a detective there ASAP. This is a smaller community. I do not know how many men
and women make up their detective bureau. So, that could be part of the delay. The detective could have been at
another scene somewhere. The detectives, you know, calling them in, determining if a detective needs to be there. I I
don't love that there's two hours here. I think that that we would have a better
and clearer understanding if that did not take place, but nevertheless, that is the situation. Well, and when he
calls this in, you'd think that they would also know who's calling this in. >> Mhm.
>> And so maybe there would be some more urgency because of his position. >> At 7:25 a.m., the detective on the scene
contacted the medical examiner's office. According to the medical examiner's report, the detective relayed the story
that Robert had told him at the scene. In that version, Robert said he had been in the living room with Grace, who came
in and gave him a hug. And then [clears throat] she goes into the bedroom and when she's in there, he says
that he heard a single gunshot. So he gets up and runs to the bedroom saying that he finds her dead, calls 911 and
waited for emergency personnel to arrive. Now the detective describes what he finds as Grace lying on her back,
hands across her stomach. She's wearing pajamas or, you know, pajama pants and a
t-shirt. There's a handgun on the floor near her right hand. And the detective says that he observed a small circular
defect on the right side of her head, but that he did not move or manipulate the body in any manner at all. She's
dead on the scene. He he he doesn't need to do so. He's calling in the medical examiner.
>> Yeah. Later that morning, when the detective did call the the medical examiner, he is now reporting that he
observed another circular defect or wound on the left side of Grace's head. So, when making this call,
he's now reporting this additional possible injury. No suicide note was found in the home at that time. still
the atmosphere of the scene. The death appeared, at least according to the responding detective, to be
self-inflicted. And so, of course, the detective took the gun, took Grace's cell phone into evidence, and closed the
crime scene. Now, what the detective did not do, and this really is going to mess
up this whole story, the detective did not swab Grace, did not swab Robert for gunshot residue.
>> Yeah. >> It did not bag Grace's hands. This is all I don't care how small your
department is. This is all standard procedure in 2020. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I think the big problem
here is it's a first responder showing up to this horrific scene where there's another first responder. And so I think
he took the words of Robert way more serious and literal and and almost like, okay, I believe what he's saying cuz I'm
a first responder showing up to another emergency with a first responder. >> Yeah. there. Here's the thing that I
think is missing from the story and that I could not find. And if any listeners out there find
this, this would be interesting to review. I This relationship seems so volatile and up and down and angry and
loud. I had wondered had they had they shown up to the home before? Had they responded to anything prior? Yeah, I I
know that they have responded to situations that she had with her ex-husband, which was also a police
officer. But I I wonder if because of the abusive nature or the controlling nature, maybe that was if this happens,
if you're going to call the cops on me, that that will be a the the ultimate death of this relationship.
>> Right. And we've seen this in other cases, too. Right or wrong? Right or wrong, did those prior interactions with
police and her from the previous relationship, did they did that agency already start to form an opinion of this
woman, >> right? >> But regardless of opinions, opinions don't matter, right? opinion in an
investigation and this should be a thorough death investigation. Opinions don't matter as much as truths as
evidence as factual information would hold up. And what we can say that is a big huge
>> I say misstep but also miscarriage of justice because I think this is one of the things that really prevents us from
having a clear understanding and conclusion into Grace's death that they the detective made a choice.
>> Yeah. >> Made a choice. >> I believe made a choice not to swab Grace or Robert for the gunshot residue.
also did decide to collect the gun and Grace's phone and some other items, but as the report goes, Captain did not
collect any of Robert's belongings, his clothing, his cell phone. Yeah. And this
is why it's so important because, okay, is he telling us the truth? Well, if there's gun residue on her hands, okay,
then maybe she pulled the trigger, but if there's gun residue on him, then his story is not telling you the truth.
>> Mhm. And then also just the physical differences. Is it possible that he's holding her hand and shooting her at the
same time? But again, if there's any gun residue on him, it doesn't line up with
the story he's telling us. The other part of this that that I don't love is that I couldn't find a lot of
information about any of the blood spatter. Regardless of who pulled the trigger, there's going to be blood
spatter and where that is in that room and and where it fall. What we do know is this. We know that Robert would
provide a written statement and in this written statement to police, his account
shifts from what the detective says that he was told when he arrives on the scene. So, in this version, he Robert
says that he was in the bedroom, not in the living room, and that he was standing by his closet preparing to go
to work. And he says that Grace moved to his side and kind of puts her face up towards his and says goodbye. And he
says that's when he heard the shot and Grace fell to the floor. >> Yeah. Meaning she's holding him while
she shoots herself. So if this version is the truthful version, then he back to the blood spatter,
>> right? >> It should be on him. There should be some blood on him. >> And again, collect that evidence because
if there's not blood spatter on him and he shifts his story to this, then you go, well, why isn't there? And did he
clean up? And if he cleaned up this, then what else could he have cleaned up? >> And we are raising good questions here.
And I can say from what I found there doesn't seem to be any real evidentiary followth through that.
>> Did they ask him to take a polygraph test? >> If they did, that information did not
make its way to me. >> Yeah, cuz I I couldn't find that. I I searched and cuz like you said, he gave
a statement, but the statement seems a little bit different. But then you go, [clears throat] it did the statement
shift or because we see incompetencies in this detective. >> So is it possible that the story just
never shifted? >> That it was incomplete? >> Yeah. Or he tells the story to the detective and he doesn't take proper
notes and then they go and what are they going to do? Point the finger at him because now we don't know if his story
shifted or if the incompetent detective just didn't take down the story correctly. The autopsy concluded that
the bullet entered through her left temple. Toxicology found alcohol in her system. She was twice the legal limit uh
for being intoxicated. Her death was ruled a suicide. The case closed. Now, it might be close for law
enforcement, but for Grace's family, this is really the the beginning of their fight and and their portion of the
story where they're trying to prove that a couple of things here like, okay, we have two different stories from Robert
and they are really what they are hearing and what they are learning. The Holland family has serious doubt about a
lot of this and it their doubt is not based on a single detail. It's the accumulation
of details, right? The body, the gun and the and the bruises. So later there was
found bruising that was found on her body. >> Yeah. >> So they question a lot of things here.
They question the position of Grace's body. She was found lying on her back, hands resting across her stomach. And
they didn't, their statement is they don't believe that this resembles a natural collapse after a gunshot wound
to the head. They question the weapon placement. Right. She was shot in the left temple, but she was right-handed.
>> Yeah. >> And look, it's not impossible for somebody to use their non-dominant hand
to fire a gun. But I I was thinking about this when I was reading through this here. As a gun owner, I I have four
guns. I've never shot a single one of them with my left hand. Not that I couldn't. You know, sports and other
activities, I will regularly use both hands, but in thinking of it at this moment, I've never fired a gun with my
left hand. And but I've never been positioned in the way that if she did take her own life that she would have
been positioned. I also think the difficult thing is when you show up to the scene and you're the detective and
you can't clearly state which hand [snorts] she used based on how the gun was placed or not placed or quote
unquote fell. You can't tell by the wounds what happened. Then you make sure that you collect all the evidence
because would she have the the gun residue on her right hand or her left hand? That would tell us again how much
of the story is truthful coming from Robert. >> Well, and as you said earlier, Robert's
not an idiot. So, if given the opportunity to change his story, as some would suggest, why didn't he say that he
moved the gun after he found her? So, again, shot in the left temple, but she was right-handed. They also questioned
the blood found at the scene, stating that the blood was on the right side. Blood was found on the right side of her
head or a large pool of blood found near the right side of Grace's head. Again, bruises found on her body. Uh those were
found during the autopsy. They believe the scene needed to be processed like a potential homicide until it could be
excluded, not treated as a suicide from the start as how they saw it. And again,
when it's called in to 911, he calls it in as a self-inflicted gunshot or that she took her own life. It's easy to
presume that maybe that's how they treated it as as soon as they showed up, as soon as the law enforcement walked
into that door that they're responding to that call. And that seems to be how they treated it. We've said plenty of
times, right, that it's I'm showing up at the death scene. It's a homicide until it's not. This is a homicide
investigation until we can figure out that the deceased died by some other manner.
>> I'm also arresting him and putting him in my car. >> Well, and this is where things make get
even more tricky here because Grace's family does not deny that Grace struggled with depression. They openly
say she struggled with depression and they did not deny that she had attempted suicide prior. In fact, what the reports
state here, Captain, is that two months before Grace's death, when she wasn't responding to calls, urgent calls from
her family, her twin sister, Laura, and her then boyfriend had to break into the
house on Fairways Circle. And inside, they found Grace crying in a bathroom, hunched over with a gun in her hand.
>> Yeah. And they have a they have a recording of this as well that you could find online and listen to if you feel
the need to. >> They feel or at least from their statements, I believe that they feel the
family, Grace's family feels that that moment that when they when she's found in the bathroom with a gun in her hand,
that that proved two things. That she needed help and that she was in danger. >> Yeah. And also we should be clear there
there's reports of this with her last relationship. So >> and if somebody fighting in the
relationship and then at times where it seemed like it wasn't going to get resolved it it was almost like she was
threatening this. Again I've been through all this. I' I've been in the situation that she's been in. And so I
that's why I struggle with this whole thing. And there's a lot of people that deal with mental health issues, but they
are not suicidal until the relationship or some situation that they're in is crumbling or collapsing, and it doesn't
seem like it's going to reconnect itself. >> And I'm not going to sit here and pretend to know who's responsible. I I
see a lot of things that are suggestive that she may have taken her own life. I see a lot of hurtful and hateful words
and statements coming from Robert who was the only other person there. What I can conclude and agree with 100% here is
what the family would say after her death is that they found the investigation to be shoddy, incomplete,
and they worry that that might have been influenced by Robert's status and his connections. Now, I don't know what
influenced the incompleteness and the bad job done by the detective. >> Yeah. and the police department. But I
will agree this was this was terrible. This they did not do a good job on this responding to this call at all. And
shame on them. Shame on them. Regardless what happened or what led them to responding to that house that night. But
when you sign up for this job, man, when you take that oath, you you take that oath with the understanding that you
should be stepping you should be putting your feet. Who was it? L Smith that said
you you need to put your feet in the shoes of the victim. >> Yeah. >> Regardless of how this person ended up
dead, you need to put your feet in her shoes and and conduct your investigation like it's the president of the United
States, like it's your loved one, like it's your sister, like it's your brother, like it's your daughter or your
son, not some lazy ass job. >> Yeah. that either this is a guy turning turning a blind eye or just being really
bad at his job. >> Yeah. And I think this is difficult because the family's argument I think is
valid. They go, "Well, if you would have done your job correctly, we would have got better answers." Okay. But then
let's just assume that you didn't do your job correctly, but your findings are correct. She took her own life.
Okay. Now, which story is it? Is it the first story Robert told? What is it the second story he told? But also there's
constant verbal abuse. There's detachment or trying to detach from the situation, not taking responsibility for
himself. You have a family that goes, "We think there's some physical abuse. We think there's mental abuse. We think
there's some controlling issues." So, okay, she killed herself, but he can still be responsible for that.
>> I also wonder, too, like with him, so his cell phone, Robert's cell phone was
eventually collected, but this wasn't until 2 weeks after Grace's death, >> right? Who knows what happened.
>> I'm hoping that the chief chewed out this detective behind closed doors because the detective obviously went
back and collected the cell phone for a reason. seemed like he had no interest in doing it that night. So maybe
somebody had to in instruct him to. I also hope that he was instructed that there are plenty of open positions still
on traffic patrol and bicycle cop. Uh we can downgrade your position at any time.
But I wonder with with his position uh being a fire captain, I could understand u a speed bump in the investigation
regarding his cell phone if in fact that was his cell phone that was provided to
him because he's on call, right? He himself is emergency personnel. He he would be somebody who's on call 24/7 and
maybe that cell phone is provided to him and maybe it's a speed bump because he can't so willy-nilly turn it over to
people because they need the department needs to get access to him at a moment's
notice. But at the same time, here's an idea. any of these cell phones that are provided through taxpayer dollars to
these agencies to give to their staff and personnel. Uh when we have a situation like this, I
think it's fair that if the that if that personal if that person is not paying for that cell phone, then that's not a
matter of private record to me. That could be a matter of public record is the way I see it.
>> Exactly. And even though the family was, I think, underwhelmed by the investigation, there was more stuff that
came out. We, at the time, there's no suicide notes. But then we're going to see two notes that I think you could
argue are suicide notes. One to her daughters and one to Robert himself. And there's some speculation on who wrote
those. I think there's some evidence that proves that she did. But again, we have these arguments on again off again.
We have this issue where her sister had to basically break in to save her. So, were those notes written before this the
final attempt or were they or were these notes Yeah. prior notes? And then also >> he said that he found them in his brief
case. Correct. That he found them later after >> Yeah. And he also submits some photos
cuz there's a photo of her holding a gun to her head and >> which is beyond bizarre to me.
>> Yeah. And you can see it with your own eyes. So you go, well, I guess that's some form of evidence and she's holding
it with her left hand where she would basically be pulling the trigger with her thumb. So that's all odd, but it's
also just odd that this photo exists. And I just want to put it past the way this guy operates and the way he treats
women to go, "Well, he forced her to take this photo." >> Yeah. And I want to be clear about
something here that um this case is incredibly difficult to research and present because the sources that are out
there seem to lean heavy one way or another. And a lot of them lean heavy toward there being some wrongdoing and
staging the scene. >> Yeah. >> And I I you hear the anger in my voice and what I'm saying here today in the
garage. I'm more angered that the investigation wasn't thorough and conducted properly rather than being
angry at Robert or angry at Grace. Because I sit here and tell you, I don't know what happened that night. I don't
know who pulled the trigger that night. I don't like the evidence or the scene or the reports of such enough to to have
a a great conclusion other than I think that that this police department did a terrible job.
>> Yeah. But if she pulled the trigger, there's somebody there that's still alive that didn't try to stop her. And
it's that's pathetic because here's somebody that you're in a relationship with. Here's somebody that you were
willing to have sex with whenever that made sense for you. And because of your job, you're the chief of the
firefighters. You you're supposed to serve and protect. But I think this guy is u very low character if character at
all. >> Yeah. So some problems with that though. One he I mean in neither account does he
ever see a gun or know that she has a gun in her possession. But to to what you're saying here is his position and
his understanding and somebody that's being that's a person who is regularly responding to emergencies and crisis. He
knows better than to even have a gun in that home or in either home. >> Yeah. >> I There should not have been a gun in in
their home. >> Yeah. But also when you have a situation where a family member's having to bust
down a door to try to stop their family member from taking their own life. If you really
cared about her or you cared about her family or just cared about yourself at that moment, you go, "Hey, this is not a
healthy situation and you you need to get help and I will be there for you as a friend or whatever, but this
relationship can't go any further." But after these previous attempts and you know he's he's tell look he's telling
other people and and he is basically going hey she's she's losing her mind and she's emotional and she's all this
stuff. Okay. What did you do to help with that >> you did nothing >> right? >> All you did was kept throwing fuel onto
the fire. So, I think look, and there's we have other cases where a girl's on the phone with a guy and he wants to
take his own life and she kind of helps him through that. She gets charged criminally. And so, we don't know what
was said leading up to this. And again, when you're when your story shifts and they don't cross the tees and dot their
eyes, we don't know what other parts of the story don't make sense. So, as he's sitting in the room with her and telling
her, "Hey, yep, you'd be better off." I mean, in one of the suicide notes to him, she basically is like, "Yeah,
you're you're probably right. I the world would be better off and I'd be better off to kill myself essentially is
what she's implying in the letter." So, is he sitting there going, "Yeah, take this gun, pull the trigger. Yeah, that
the world would be a better place. We're never going to be together." you know, whatever he's saying, like we we don't
know. And even if he's not, he keeps again adding fuel to the fire and controlling, verbally abusive. I think
very manipulative, and there's a responsibility there. In 2022, the St. Louis County Police Department opened up
an investigation to Grace Holland's death at the request of the Creve Core Police Chief. So kudos to the police
chief for turning it over to a a bigger agency. St. Louis County Police Department would simply say that the
case is still classified as a suspicious death and remains active. Their findings, whatever they were, were
turned over to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. This to determine whether further action would
be taken. From my understanding, after that, the the public record, at least as described by Grace's family, everything
went quiet. There was no public explanation that satisfied the people who had been pushing for an explanation.
In 2023, Grace's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Robert. The family told
the US son they hoped the lawsuit would help them access evidence into what they
say is Robert being responsible for Grace's death. Again, it's the gunpowder residue, I think, could have cleared a
lot of this up for for us. If the initial investigation had been conducted properly,
>> this would clear a lot of things up for us. I do think we would have a better
understanding as to what happened. And I I do want to point this out. While I've
been very critical of one man's actions, the responding detective, I want to be clear here that the police chief did the
right thing by turning it over to the St. Louis County Police Department. And I will speak of that agency and say I've
had interactions with members of that police department of St. Louis County Police Department over the years. We
have had help from them on cases that we've covered here in the garage. And I found them to be very thorough, very
good at what they do. The officers and detectives that we've talked to, some of them now retired. I find them to be
great at their jobs and people that stick with it and do work very hard for [music] for the victims and for the
citizens of their jurisdiction. >> [music] >> Same boyfriend, same fiance, another
mysterious death. [music] So much more to get to. Stick around. Join us here in the garage. And until then, be good, be
kind, [music] and don't witter. [music] >> [music] [music]

Double Death Investigation /// Part 1 /// 942

Part 1 of 2

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Grace Holland, a mother of four, was found dead on July 22, 2020, inside the Creve Coeur, Missouri home of her fiancé Robert Daus. Her case remains highly contested and continues to draw intense scrutiny. The case returned to national headlines in January of 2024, when Robert Daus’s new girlfriend, Dr. Sarah Sweeney was found dead inside his home.

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Brief Summary

Grace Holland's tragic death raises questions of abuse and investigation failures in her relationship with Robert Daws.

Key points

Adobe Firefly: The Creative Solution. Firefly is an all-in-one studio for creators, streamlining the creative process with AI.
A Troubling Relationship. Grace's engagement to Robert Daws masks a controlling and abusive relationship.
Haunting Texts. Grace's texts reveal the emotional turmoil in her relationship with Robert.
The Disturbing Messages. Grace and Robert's relationship deteriorates with increasingly disturbing messages.
The Fatal Call. Robert calls 911 claiming Grace shot herself, leading to a tragic scene.
Questions About the Investigation. The detective's handling of evidence raises serious questions about the investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

The timelines, oh yeah, still tight.

Commenting on the pressures of creativity and deadlines.

0:15WatchJul 21, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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