Double Lives | 48 Hours Full Episodes | Forensic Files

48 Hours, we take [music] you there. We planned a life together [music] forever. Pat and Elizabeth were high
school sweethearts. We very much [music] wanted to be married. >> They had two children, Ted and Chris.
It's a devoted husband and certainly devoted father. >> Their lives seemed picture perfect until
Dad suddenly vanished. The last thing I remember is waiting for [music] him to come home at night. Then they found his
suicide note. >> Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven. His family was sure he
was dead. >> If he was alive, he would never be able to leave my brother and I behind.
>> Now, after 15 [music] hard years on their own My first thought was could this possibly be true? A stunning
discovery. She called me and said, >> [music] >> "Elizabeth, sit down." >> Rush Mitchell and Harold Dow
investigate. >> I think Pat may be alive. Dad's double life. >> [music] >> You're leading a perfectly normal life
with a good job and a wonderful family. And things seem to be going along just fine. But then
>> [music] >> comes a problem. It hangs on. You can't solve it. Truth is, after a while, you
can't even face it. >> [music] >> Then one day, suddenly and with no warning, you vanish.
What if someone you thought you knew well, someone you depend on, someone you love, just disappears? That is precisely
what happened to a devoted husband and father who became desperate for a way out.
Leaving those closest to him to wonder what really happened. Rush Mitchell begins to unravel the
mystery of a dad's double life. A life that was once picture perfect. The spirit of the times was um you
[music] know, long blonde hair and Beach Boys music and the future is all yours to take and everything good is going to
happen. In 1964, Elizabeth Shank, a 16-year-old school girl, began dating a boy who would
change her life forever, Patrick Hennessey Welsh. Pat was [music] the kind of person that would be
characterized by anyone as a really good catch. And [music] so Elizabeth Shank became Elizabeth Welsh.
Elizabeth, whose nickname is Peachy, and Pat had two sons. They are >> Ted the kind of sons and Chris that a
mother would pray for, let alone be proud of. Tell me about those early days of your marriage.
How would you describe them? Oh, My characterization would be they were very, very happy.
>> And by all appearances, the Welshes were happy. I would have to characterize him
too as a as a devoted husband and certainly a devoted father. I mean, he was close with those boys.
>> But after a few years of marriage, there were money problems. >> I was totally blindsided by it. Problems
which Pat had kept secret from Peachy. We had been on a vacation and he was very distraught and it was hard to get
him to stand still to tell me what the problem was. >> The problem was Pat had stolen $23,000
from Ohio State University. That was out of the blue. >> Where he worked as a fundraiser.
>> And out of character as far as I was concerned and as far as everyone that knew Pat Welsh was concerned. He was the
fair-haired boy. >> In 1980, Welsh was convicted of embezzlement, sentenced to 30 days in
jail, and ordered to pay restitution. It had been difficult to try to explain to
the boys. They had to to understand that their dad had done something that wasn't right and he was making that
better. For over two years, Pat did try to make things better. >> In a wedding anniversary card that he
gave me, slipped a note which said "Things will be better. We'll be Pat and Peachy again. Just relax and trust me."
And I believed that >> until January 21st, 1983. We had made um an agreement to uh meet up at my
father's house that evening for dinner. Um Pat owed my father some money and he was going to repay it that night.
>> But during dinner, Pat called from his office to say he wasn't going to make it.
>> And if it was all right um with my father, he would repay him the money the next day
and that I should go ahead and go home. The last thing I remember is waiting for
him to come home at night and watching the snowfall and just waiting for his car. But Pat Welsh never
came back. >> I imagined that he probably ended up in a wreck or he was uh doing something you know,
else. Ted Welsh was only 10 years old. But he was going to be right back. >> He didn't appear
on Friday night and Saturday morning and Sunday. Everybody had always told me that
he has to be dead. >> Chris Welsh, 23, was only seven. If he was alive, he would never
be able to leave my brother and I behind. Elizabeth, can you tell me what your reaction was when you got this
letter? >> Oh. 15 years ago? I was devastated. Five days after Pat disappeared >> horrible. Elizabeth received a letter. I
know you don't believe this now, but what you needed was freedom from my shadow, from my past
and disgrace. The only way to give you that is through my death. Overwhelmed with debt and
humiliated by his past crime I wish I could kiss you goodbye. Pat Welsh told his wife of 14 years
>> Please have my body cremated and not buried. >> that he had gone to San Francisco to
commit suicide. >> Please tell the boys I will watch over them from heaven. That I love them very much
and have the greatest hope for them. It was bad enough that Pat suddenly was gone, but then
to receive this. >> And despite an exhaustive search by the FBI, local police, and the Welsh family,
Pat's body was never found. With two young sons and a mortgage, Pat had left Elizabeth with few options. She didn't
sleep. She didn't eat. Claire Bailey is Elizabeth's sister. The anxiety that I saw in my sister's eyes, the fear that I
saw in their little boys' eyes, the unnecessary and unjust guilt that my sister carried
with her thinking that there's something that she should have done to keep this from happening was probably one of the
hardest things for me to deal with. >> Elizabeth was paying Pat's bad debts. >> I found out that he hadn't been paying
bills for a long time. >> And with only $250 in a savings account I could not afford the house. Elizabeth
had to move her sons into this apartment. I had to give away their dog because I couldn't afford to keep the
dog. And five years later, Pat was declared dead. >> would just have been me um I don't know where I would be today.
I really don't. But because of Ted and Chris I had I had no choice. I mean, there was
nowhere to go but on. And that's exactly what Elizabeth Welsh did. >> She worked her way up really fast.
Today, she is president of the Chamber of Commerce in Licking County, Ohio. She had to excel and she had to push herself
in that envelope to be everything that she could be so that life would go on for her and for the boys.
>> But 15 years after Elizabeth first read Pat's suicide note a shocking revelation
arrived in the mail. I ripped open the envelope and pulled out the form and read it
and stood there in the middle of my living room and read it again. My first thought was
could this possibly be true? When we come back I think Pat may be alive. I was the one who
had to provide the explanations for what was happening. >> Five years after Pat Welsh disappeared
without a trace >> As far as you were concerned, there was no reason for you to think that he was
still alive. >> Elizabeth divorced her husband and had him declared dead. Doesn't seem like
a lot to have when you think you're closing the chapter on someone's life, does it?
>> She was then able to collect a small amount of life insurance. I couldn't replace
a father in their lives so easily. >> And some social security survivor benefits for her sons. But I could
try to make a life for them that meant something. Little did she know those benefits would later provide the first
clue to 15 years of lies and deception. My first thought was could this possibly
be true? Elizabeth received a shocking letter in the mail. Boys' survivor benefits, partial survivor benefits that
they had they had received um would have to be paid back within 30 days because the number holder was alive.
Uh actually the terminology was not deceased. According to the government, Pat Welsh was still alive. I was
thinking wait, no wait, Elizabeth. And they were demanding back their $56,000. Basically, I called Social Security and
said, you know, what are you guys trying to do here? >> Sally Tester was an aide to Elizabeth's
congressman at the time, John Kasich. I mean, we did what we could. How could you not? With Sally's help I
called a friend I have at the FBI. >> Elizabeth was starting to grasp a difficult reality. She called me and
said, "Elizabeth, sit down." Someone named Tim Kingsbury And I said, "Well, Sally, I'm sitting."
>> who fit Pat Welsh's description And she said, "I think this could be your husband."
>> was using his social security number. And you're thinking what? Timothy Kingsbury, who's this?
In the winter of 1983, Patrick Welsh left his name and his past behind and pulled into Galveston, Texas
on a bus with just a few dollars in his pocket. Residents say Galveston is a friendly and forgiving city. Just the
kind of place you might go if you wanted to reinvent your life. He was just a tenant at my mom's house
here and he worked for my mom at Shelties restaurant. >> Kevin Doherty was just a teenager when a
stranger named Tim Kingsbury moved into his mother's boarding house. >> What did you think of Tim? Nicest guy I
remember in my life. Kingsbury told Doherty and others that he was a student here at the Galveston branch of the
University of Texas Medical School. >> Would it surprise you to know that we checked with the folks at the medical
school and they said he was never enrolled there. Very much so cuz I know his books were
all there and he always seemed to be studying very diligently. It was the first of many deceptions as Tim
Kingsbury slowly established himself in Galveston society. In his early years, he developed a reputation as a local
character writing for a small newspaper. He wrote about learning to scuba dive, to sail, and running a marathon complete
with photos of himself. Responding to a feature on Galveston's eligible bachelors, the man who had
abandoned his wife and two sons wrote, "Quote, can you imagine my surprise to find out I was not mentioned?"
For a man on the run, Kingsbury didn't act like a man with much to hide. Six months after his arrival, he was
hired as a part-time publicist for the prestigious Galveston Historical Foundation, referred to as GHF.
He was eventually appointed president. This is a recording of his acceptance speech.
>> GHF is where I learned and grew professionally. It's through GHF that I fell in love in every sense of the word.
While working at the foundation, he met Ann Anderson, a woman from a prominent Galveston family. He moved into her
waterfront home where they lived together for 10 years. Kingsbury eventually made his way into
the inner circle of Galveston society, known as BOI, born on the island. >> was a standout in helping the community
and helping people. He became close with Ann's brother, Vandy, >> Another beautiful sunrise on Galveston
Island this morning. >> part owner of the local radio station. >> Vandy Anderson reporting KGBC news.
Kingsbury later worked for him as general manager and reporter. >> was Tim Kingsbury's office. Uh, he's
done what I think a radio station manager should do and that is to get involved in the community. These are
various civic groups that he worked on and just some symbols of their appreciation for what he'd done.
Kingsbury made other close friends, all prominent Galvestonians. The passion that he poured into getting the schools
improved in our community, you know, matched my own and I have little children. >> Sheila Lidstone works for the local
school district. >> in with a lot of flash and and I'm going to be in charge. He just gradually built
his way into our hearts. Dr. Brent Masel says Kingsbury was his best friend. >> I only know Tim Kingsbury. Don't know
Patrick Welsh. Gerald Sullivan, a businessman and cattle rancher. >> put my hand on a Bible and swear that I
know of nothing bad about Tim Kingsbury. But even his friends had some suspicions
along the way. >> I wondered when we were having the school bond election, what would make a
young man with no children who's not married get so involved. >> really talked about his family and I
thought obviously something very onerous had happened in his life that was so horrible that there was no way he could
discuss it. And again, I was one of his closest friends. But they didn't ask and
Kingsbury didn't tell. >> In Texas, there's an old saying, you don't ask a man how many cattle he has.
If he wants you to know, he'll tell you. For 13 years he lived in Galveston, a pillar of the community.
Then one day late in the winter of 1996, everything started to unravel. >> We had a citizen who came to us Mike
Guarino, Galveston County District Attorney. >> He had seen certain things at the radio
station in the office of Tim Kingsbury uh, that looked funny. A co-worker had come across forgeries.
>> Some partially filled out social security cards, a birth certificate or two. Now, just after you had seized
those fraudulent documents, did you have suspicions about him? >> Certainly. >> Did you think that maybe he wasn't Tim
Kingsbury? Oh, absolutely. At that point, Kingsbury confessed everything to the DA and to his friends.
>> It's devastating to hear that someone that you talk to just about every day has a whole 'nother life that you didn't
know about. It It's It's an incredible feeling. And maybe just as incredible, no one seemed to hold it against him.
>> blame Patrick Welsh. I don't know Patrick Welsh. We know Tim Kingsbury. >> We're not talking about a rapist, a
mugger, a murderer. He wasn't that awful a person. I don't think that I've been deceived. I have many emotions,
but being deceived is not one of them. >> What about Patrick Welsh's wife and children? I'm only in a position to
judge what he's done here and that's been remarkable. They should have had those 15 years, they'll say.
And they're right. I mean, they they missed out. Kids missed out, family, community. I
guess I really don't blame his wife for for being angry. Gerald Sullivan's wife,
Suzanne. >> But he has suffered. I mean, he's had his own hell these 15 years. Well, why are you so
willing to forgive? I I guess that's the question. You all here in this room are
willing to forgive him for the deception. He didn't hurt us. How did he hurt us?
I mean, all he ever did here was good. There's no reason not to forgive him. Would you accept him back here?
In a heartbeat. In a heartbeat. No question about it. >> He faked his own death to his wife and his children for 15
years. They thought he was dead. To do that kind of thing, to to leave every single thing you ever ever had behind,
everybody you knew behind, and get on a bus penniless and just ride to the end of the line is an act either of
incredible cowardice or incredible bravery born out of desperation. Which do you think it was?
I think it was bravery born out of desperation. Kingsbury pleaded guilty to forgery and
got 4 years probation along with a $2,000 fine. But word of his false identity never got
out into the community, never made the newspapers, never made the local news. >> it is out of respect for Tim
that people didn't gossip and didn't talk. People in the courthouse knew, people in the probation office knew.
Lots of people knew. But they saw no need to rub Tim's nose in the dirt. And Patrick Welsh was
allowed to continue his life in Galveston as Tim Kingsbury. But because of the forgery conviction,
he had to use his old social security number triggering a chain of events in Ohio that would ultimately lead to his
arrest. >> anything to say before you leave town? And the model citizen left Galveston
in handcuffs. Coming up. It's too simple [music] to say, "Why did you do it?" Patrick Welsh
faces his family. I had questions for him. For the first time in 15 years. It really is like someone coming back from
the dead. >> And Elizabeth seeks justice. >> [music] >> I don't have a sense of anger in this,
but I do have a very strong sense of justice. Mr. Welsh, why did you fake your own death? I know
that if this were any other person >> Mr. Welsh, is it really good to be back? than Patrick Welsh. You glad to be maybe
getting this thing behind you? charming, articulate, handsome man. Do you have anything to say to your ex-wife and your
two sons who haven't seen you in the last 15 years? >> that person already would have been
behind bars. When Elizabeth Welsh discovered her ex-husband was alive and well, she had a difficult decision to
make. How far was I willing to make another exception for Pat? >> It's too simple to say, "Why did you do
it?" And can I turn to my sons and say, "You were disposable people. I wanted know who I was. It's okay because look
at all the good he's done in Galveston. >> I had questions for him. This is wrong.
>> Where did he go wrong? >> For the sake of her children, where could I go right?
>> Elizabeth pursued the man who had faked his own death and abandoned them 15 years earlier. I sent him an email to
the attention of Tim Kingsbury. I know. Call me. When that didn't work, did you hear back from him? No. She went to
Galveston without Pat knowing. What did you see? A very comfortable lifestyle, a very visible person. With a
Ford Explorer and a convertible in the driveway of his waterfront home. Certainly a a a better style of life
than he had provided for Ted and Chris. She came home from from her Galveston trip and said, "You know what?"
Elizabeth's sister, Claire. >> While the boys and I ate macaroni and cheese, Pat's been drinking margaritas.
Did that make you angry? It amazed me. It absolutely amazed me. Elizabeth felt she had no choice but to call the
authorities and have him brought back to Ohio. It really is like someone coming back from the dead and bringing
mystery with them. All right. On January 31st, 1998, This is State of Ohio versus Patrick
Kennedy Welsh, case >> almost 15 years to the day he left his home and family. >> A motion was filed for a reduction in
bond. Patrick Walsh was arrested and charged with insurance fraud and non-support of his two sons.
>> This is not a situation where people have been harmed or anybody has been killed or
anything. >> attorney, Sam Weiner, is trying to get his $300,000 bond reduced. >> This man is really no threat to society
and certainly no threat to leave the jurisdiction. >> So, he can be released to his
girlfriend, Ann Anderson, and wait out his trial back in Galveston. >> Mr. Beck, when he asked to be released
from bond, what he's saying is trust me. Bob Becker is the Licking County District Attorney. I understand this is
not a murder case, but I do take strong exception to Mr. Weiner's characterization of this case as one
without victims. There are, in fact, real victims in this case who have suffered real harm. The motion for
reduction in bond is denied. Clear the hallway, please. >> When this whole thing's over,
I may never see him again. I will never know that until it's over. So, even though you see him
now in shackles and in prison gear, at least you get to see him. It's great. I have a father for this brief moment.
With Pat Walsh sitting in jail, I'm not angry. I'm not nervous. unable to run from his problems this time,
I'm here to see what he has in in terms of plans for his future. Elizabeth and her sons finally had a chance to
confront him face-to-face for the first time in 15 years. Not our future, but his future as it still affects something
that for him became a liability and for me became the greatest assets, our kids.
What do you think he wants? Out. Out of jail? Out of jail. 30 minutes later, That was different.
He said right off the top he was sorry. I didn't believe him, just like pressing charges, I had to press him to
think about the reality of what he's facing now and that he can't just fantasize about returning to Galveston.
What was it like the moment you walked into that jail and saw him? And it was a lot like looking into a
mirror. We mimicked each other almost. He said, "I love you." And I said, "Take care of yourself. I'm going to go hide."
I brought up the boys. It was clearly painful for him. >> I expressed to him that he really needs
to show some sort of admission to to his family, to to my mother, to my brother, and and to
me that he has, indeed, done us wrong. >> When he told you that he loved you, did
you believe him? I don't know. I wanted to, but I don't I don't know if I can trust him. More
important than words are the actions. He can say he's sorry, but he has to show me he's sorry. And he is yet to do
that. Pat Walsh pleads no contest to eight felony and four misdemeanor counts of fraud and non-support. You saw me
swear. So, he not only needs his family's forgiveness, Mr. Walsh, do you agree with the facts as has been stated
by the prosecutor? Yes, your honor. he's also at the mercy of the court. Are you
entering the pleas or changing your pleas freely and voluntarily knowing what your rights are? Yes, your honor.
Coming up, You have no conscience. Your acts were cowardly and they were criminal. Judgment day for Patrick
Walsh. >> And for that, [music] you will be punished. But first, You'd have to lift
up a low rock in a wet place to find anybody as sorry as he is. The tide turns in
Galveston. How did Patrick Walsh, a father who disappeared, manage to outrun his past
for so long? Maybe it's because some of the people who got to know him in his new life,
alias Tim Kingsbury, simply wanted to believe the best about people. Or maybe they just didn't want to know the worst.
However it happened, now, after 15 years, a dad's double life is finally catching up with him. Here again is
Harold Dow in Galveston, where they are changing their tune. While Patrick Walsh sits in an Ohio
jail, back in Galveston, the tide of public support has begun to turn against him.
>> I think he's probably one of the great con men of all times. >> A.R. Schwartz is known to everyone here
as Babe. >> I think Bezzler's con men, forgers, liars, cheats, and thieves ought to do
hard time when they're caught. As majority owner of the local radio station, Today I'm 15 Schwartz hired
Patrick Walsh, alias Tim Kingsbury, as general manager. >> In his application, he said he was
single. Said he had no children. And he gave his name and he gave a fictitious social security number.
Schwartz, a former state senator, admits he's one of many people in Galveston who
got duped by Walsh. >> He conned me pretty good and I don't like it. I don't like being conned. I
don't like being that stupid. >> And Schwartz says the Galveston County District Attorney, Mike Guarino, was
also conned. >> I have written the District Attorney and I've told him he got conned, too. Even
though Guarino charged Walsh with forgery and knew that this well-known public figure was living a lie, he never
announced that accusation publicly. >> This man goes before the court, goes before the District Attorney. How come
nobody in the community knows about this? >> I don't know. If it'd been some kid that
jerked four hubcaps off a car, it'd have been in the newspaper. Some people thought the District Attorney
should have called a press conference, should have had his picture plastered out there for the entire community to
see. What's your response to that? >> is not a publicist or the town crier, so to speak. He's the prosecutor and he's
got to uh prosecute the case. Which Guarino says he did right by the book. >> We really didn't handle it any
differently than we would than we would have handled, you know, a forgery case of this nature.
>> He admits he knew about Walsh's abandoned family in Ohio. Did you know he was married with children?
>> Yes, we did know cuz he told us he had walked away from a family. We had no current information on them
or their whereabouts. But at the court hearing to determine Walsh's sentence, Guarino never informed the judge about
Elizabeth and their two sons. Judge Carmona, the District Judge, got conned. Never in his lifetime would he have
given Patrick Walsh probation had he known that Patrick Walsh abandoned his wife and children. District Court Judge
Frank Carmona confirmed to 48 Hours that he was not told about Walsh's family. Guarino says he never brought it up
because it was not a legal issue relevant to the forgery case. >> Did you feel it was your responsibility
to try to seek out and locate the wife, the children of Patrick Walsh? No, at the time we did not. We did not think
about it. We had notified all the agencies that we thought were proper, including the Ohio side of the equation.
We thought they would seek them out, but we really didn't think about it. Hindsight's 20/20.
Uh I'd probably do it today. He's not admitted publicly that he was conned like the rest of us, but he should.
But Schwartz is far more upset at his partner, Vandy Anderson, co-owner of the radio station and brother of Kingsbury's
girlfriend. I put it all on his back cuz he knew every bit of it. >> Vandy was on the air.
>> Vandy was on the air every day. Schwartz believes Anderson had an obligation as a
news reporter to inform the public. >> Vandy Anderson should have come out here and said, "Tim Kingsbury has been
convicted of his second felony at the courthouse today." You think he should have went on the air and said that?
Absolutely. If he goes on the air and gives the news, that's news. Because of that, Schwartz fired Anderson as news
broadcaster. According to Babe, this man known as Tim Kingsbury conned you, conned your sister, conned everybody.
Sure. Do you feel like you've been conned? No. Not at all. Anderson's sister, Ann, remains loyal to him as
well. She supports him 100%. I think they'll be together the rest of their lives.
>> Do you think he conned your sister? No, I think we all knew that there was a past and we just didn't want to know
what it was. Ann Anderson declined our request for an interview. If this guy had conned my sister, my first
inclination would be to beat the hell out of him. What we know him as is a good person.
Uh if he did something years ago that was bad, he's made up for that, I think, in his own life. I hope so.
And that's how we know him. But as the story unfolds, others in Galveston aren't so forgiving.
>> The guy belongs in an orange jumpsuit. I guarantee you, 2 years in the general
prison population will make a brand new man out of him. Doug McCloud, chairman of Moody Gardens, a top tourist
attraction, worked with Kingsbury in various civic groups. >> This [music] guy was, in fact, nicknamed
The Amazing Tim. That's understandable now because he gained this trust. [music] Everyone felt like this guy was
most trustworthy person in the world. >> McCloud believes the people of Galveston
are wiser from the whole experience. If a new person came to town tomorrow and [music] donated a lot of time to
community efforts, do you think you'd still check him out? I think I think I know the answer to that.
Just ahead, Elizabeth Walsh wishes to make a statement. Thank you, your honor. the public confrontation. Every Father's
Day for the past 15 years was stolen from the lives of your sons. What will be the punishment for Patrick
Walsh's deception? You're telling me you're not [music] angry at this man. >> I'm not angry with this man.
>> Not even a little bit? I don't believe so. >> It's been 7 months since Patrick Walsh
was brought back from the dead. >> He has chosen his course and I have chosen mine. And today, I feel that I
have done the right thing for my sons. Judgment day for the charges of non support and insurance fraud. Pat
maintains that he believes he [music] did the right thing when he deserted us. >> All right. Besides facing his punishment
>> This is State of Ohio versus Patrick Kennesey Welsh. Pat Welsh must also face
his family including his own father. Elizabeth Welsh comes to court with a new look and new determination that what
she did was right. Today's date is May 21, 1998. We're here today for the purposes of sentence. I've made it clear
from the beginning that I believe a term in prison is appropriate in this case. Seems to me
this is this man's third felony conviction. For that fact alone, he ought to go to
prison. Welsh has pleaded no contest. >> This court finds that the defendant is guilty as charged
>> and will be sentenced by Judge Gregory Frost. Come in now to the matter of sentence. But first The uh court has
been informed that Elizabeth Welsh wishes to make a statement and also Christopher I believe wishes to make a
statement. Ms. Welsh. Thank you, Your Honor. Pat, you started on this sad journey by stealing money
from Ohio State University, from your father and from mine. You took our love, you took our trust, you took
our innocence, our home, and any hope we had for a normal life. Every trip to Colorado, every South
Padre Island vacation, every Christmas, every Easter, every 4th of July, every Father's Day for the past 15 years
was stolen from the lives of your sons. Instead of being a father that they can respect and emulate, you were a
50-year-old kept man. And what was I to make of your last letters to me? Do you remember what you wrote?
You are my light and my deepest love. You know how much I treasure life, I treasure you and your future more. You
know how much you are a part of me, so I hope you know that a part of me will live on.
Know that there was no one on Earth that I cherished more. But you did cherish someone more, Pat.
And that person was you. I'm sorry for you, Pat. Christopher, do you wish to make a
statement? >> Yes. Come forward. How can you turn your back on a family that loves you? How can you
in one breath say you love somebody and then turn your back and run? How for 15 years can you never call your
sons and say hello? How can you look me in the eye right now? I hope you'd think about this and
maybe give me some sort of reply. Finally, Mr. Welsh, is there anything you wish to say before the court
pronounces sentence in this matter? Yes, Your Honor. You may proceed. Ted and Chris,
I love you deeply. I really do. The great sadness of my life is that because of what I've done,
you may never know how much I love you or how much I missed you. Pat, you I'm sorry.
You did a wonderful job with the boys. I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm ready to continue my punishment.
Thanks. Thank you, Mr. Welsh. And finally, with Elizabeth, Chris, and Pat's father
Richard watching You have no conscience. Your acts were cowardly and they were criminal. His sentence
>> And for that you will be punished. You therefore have a total sentence to be served of 4 years at the Orient
Correctional Receiving Center. There is restitution to be made and you will pay every penny of that. 4 years of prison
and over $92,000 in fines. Is this ever going to be over for you? It doesn't come to closure exactly,
but this part of it does. The hurtful part of it that involved deception, betrayal, [music]
hardship is done. It's done. Now [music] it gets settled, the debts get paid, and we all go on. Next
>> I know I did bad things. I know I did terrible things. Pat Welsh [music] tells
his side of the story. >> I need to explain that I never stopped being a loving father.
I know I did bad [music] things. I know I did terrible things. But I tried once and for all to make something
positive of [music] my life in Galveston. >> Patrick Welsh has never spoken publicly
about his disappearance. I need to explain that I never stopped being a loving father.
>> Until now. I did this thing to make life better for my boys without having to
live under the shadow of this criminal who was Pat Welsh. >> We've seen pictures of you with the boys
and you look so happy. You look like the the model dad. What happens to a guy? How do you go from
that to doing what you did? It I mean it was very uh very vivid in my mind when it happened.
I I had had told Elizabeth that I was going to pay her father back money that I didn't have. That was January 21,
1983, the day Pat Welsh disappeared. >> I thought there was some way I could get
that money and when I couldn't get that money, uh I knew that what was going to ensue was
just just the disintegration of of everything. And I said this is it. This is the moment that I
have to just go kill myself. Did you really intend to kill yourself? Absolutely. Absolutely. I I I went to
the edge of the pier. I was a bad person to myself. I thought they would eventually be happy to have been rid of
that bad person. In the end I couldn't face that. That in the last second you can't say
you're sorry for killing yourself. The person that I just saw on those tapes was
acting. 48 Hours showed Pat's interview I did a bad thing >> to Elizabeth and her sons.
>> My interpretation was that he was acting the part of someone who was supposed to
be contrite, who dearly loved his sons and was really trying to do the right thing by them. How did you come up with
the name Tim Kingsbury? Looked in a newspaper for someone who was born about that time.
Really? Just looked in the newspaper, saw this name, said that sounds good. Yeah.
Why Texas? Far away. I've never known anyone from Ohio who'd ever gone to Texas.
Couldn't afford to go to the East Coast or to California. Texas. You say you did this for your
family. What did you think was going to happen to them? How did you think they were going to get
by? I knew that my family had the resources to take care of the boys. I knew that Elizabeth was beautiful and
talented and someone else would come into her life and and become a new father for the boys. But that's not how
things worked out. I'm lucky that I had a lot of books to read and and I had Chris and my mom and Aunt
Claire and around and he we did we never did find another dad. Did you like being
a husband and father? Oh, sure. Sure that was um was absolutely wonderful. Trust. There
is no trust there whatsoever. I mean I cannot trust this man at all. And I do not trust anything he says. In
those 15 years, how often did you think about the boys? Every day. Every day? Every day. Every day. Why not just pick
up the phone and call? Hi, just wanted you to know I'm alive. I'm here. I did this for this
reason, that reason, whatever, but I'm here. If it was bothering you so much, why
couldn't you do that? I thought about picking up the phone and calling them. That's That's Those are the times when
you would say the the price I'm paying is not knowing and I'm going to pay that price today.
>> Let me just make sure I understand this. You but you thought you were punishing
yourself by not picking up the phone and calling. >> Exactly. I mean it's certainly wouldn't have brought them any
joy. You know what they told me when I first met them? I was so happy. Okay. I had a dad. Oh, good. My father is still
alive. So maybe if you picked up the phone now, it wouldn't have been as bad as you
thought. Thanks for telling me that. I keep thinking how can he say these things
and keep a straight face? Would you like to have a relationship with Ted and Chris? Absolutely. I want it
desperately. I know I don't deserve it. I know it's on their terms. But when that day comes, I hope it does
come. When that day comes, I hope it's pure and simple that when they see me, they're glad. But since Pat Welsh's
sentencing, Ted and Chris say their father has not contacted them. >> He's obviously erased my brother and I
from his lives. What do you owe the boys? What do you think you owe the boys? A game of catch.
>> [snorts] >> A game of catch. You can't even say he's a father. That's There's nothing behind those
words. Despite his 4-year sentence I'll pay my debt. Pat Welsh is likely to be released in a few months and I'll make a
contribution to this world and plans on returning to Galveston. As Tim or as Pat? As Pat.
I mean there's there's no charade anymore. It's It's my name. I got to tell you Elizabeth has been very gracious when it
comes to to you. She's a better person than I am. She really is. I don't know why uh I would expect
anything else. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Angel [music] Downs' first love was the
beach. From the time we were kids, and I think the beach was just always a part of her
life. I'm Susan Bloodworth, Angel Downs' younger sister. Angel was a free spirit. She was very
loving and caring. Angel was [music] a beautiful person with a very very big heart.
Angel Downs was one of my best friends. My name is Steven Nodine. I'm a former county commissioner Mobile, Alabama, a
former city council member, and a political operative. We loved each other. We loved being
around each other, and I had a 6-year affair with her while I was married. Steven Nodine was a very well-liked
politician. I'm Jack Tillman, former sheriff of Mobile County. He run with some pretty powerful people.
And apparently he had connections in Washington. When I first met him, he's he's was very
charming, very sweet, sweet to her. She fell for him. She fell in love, but as time went on, she realized Steven was
not leaving his wife. Anytime she would try to end the relationship, he would get angry.
Steven Nodine had a a double personality. One moment he was happy-go-lucky, but if
you made he turned into a completely different person. I just asked her. I said, "What is it
going to take for you to leave [music] him? For him to kill you?" I never seen a violent side from him, never.
91, what is your emergency? 440 shot. Unit 501, female is laying on the ground, bleeding heavily, been shot
wound to the head. Every bit of evidence showed it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It was a red truck here and he left very quickly, and I'm pretty sure the man's name is Steven Nodine.
I've been wrongfully [music] accused of the murder of Angel Downs. There were several occasions where she said, "I'm
probably going to lose my life to him." There's a lot of theories out there, but
I know that when I have to meet the Lord God Almighty, I can stand up there and say that I did not shoot, harm, hurt
Angel Downs in any form or fashion. I was adamant. Her friends were adamant. We were all adamant it was not suicide.
Steven killed Angel. >> [music] [music] >> Angel Downs was hard to miss. Her friends joked about her startling good
looks. They called her Barbie. And her love [music] of the beach kept her close to home in Gulf Shores,
Alabama. We were best friends. We did everything together. Susan Bloodworth is Angel's
younger sister. If you saw one of us, you saw both of us. We were just very tight,
>> [music] >> very close. Angel was 45. She sold real estate in Gulf Shores and lived in one of those
quiet subdivisions where nothing much ever happens. By all accounts, she was happy except when it came to affairs of
the heart, emotionally and physically. She was born with a rare, life-threatening heart condition. May I
ask about the heart condition? What What was it? Thelma Hinkley is Angel's mother.
>> She had a Her heart was the size of a man 65 years old when she was 18 months
old when we discovered that. Because of her heart trouble, Angel could never have children. Her animals were indeed
her babies. Winston, her cat, now lives with Angel's sister Susan. He's all we have left
of Angel. The emotional heartache in Angel Downs' life began on the beach. In 2004, she met Steven Nodine on a
weekend here centered around a storied local tradition called mullet toss. My God, you don't know what mullet toss
is? >> I'm I'm not from around here, sir. What is mullet toss? Mullet toss was a event.
We toss a dead mullet. One year it's from Alabama to Florida, next year it's from Florida to Alabama.
It's a beach party. It's a big fundraiser for the Marine Corps. One of my greatest
assets was is that I was a celebrity mullet tosser. We all have a picture with us. Our celebrity tosser, Steven
Nodine. >> Good fish. How'd you do? How far did you throw? >> 85. We were just down there having a good
time and we met through some friends and hit it off right away. Nodine had just been elected a county
commissioner for Mobile County, Alabama. He was also married, although he says the marriage was on the rocks. I lived
in separate bedrooms with my wife for 14 years. He began an affair with Angel Downs, who
lived 50 miles away in Gulf Shores. We spent the weekends on the beach, you know, down there playing
Frisbee or, you know, just enjoying ourselves. You didn't really keep this secret. No. I mean, you were you were
seen in public with her all over the place. >> Sure. Front of media. Yeah, why did you do that?
Just because I was arrogant. Right next to that big hole up there. That's where your office was?
>> Yeah. He was also powerful with powerful connections and the pictures to prove
it. There are only three county commissioners in Mobile. They control the money. Nodine built roads and parks
and bridges. Once you meet Steven, he's such a dynamic personality. I mean, he just latches on to, you know, and you
don't forget him. Jack Tillman is the retired sheriff for Mobile County. So, if I'd come down here
in say 2007, 2008, and I mentioned the name Steven Nodine, what would people say?
Oh, they thought he was a tremendous commissioner. But now, as far as his personal life, I don't know.
I I didn't I didn't I didn't run with him in that way. We were political friends. When Nodine was running around
with Angel Downs, her best friends, Emily Simmons and Kayla King Donald, saw them together frequently. He was very
nice, very polite, um very loud, attention getter, wanted attention, life of the party,
everybody look at me. Did you like him? Yeah, I liked him. He was very nice. He just had that hold
on her that I can't explain. We wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We loved each other very much. They had
their ups and downs and even broke up a few times. Angel didn't like the role of
the other woman, and she insisted repeatedly that Nodine, who was not just married, but was the father of a young
son, get a divorce. Desperately, she wanted him to get a divorce. She was in love with him. And Nodine promised he
would. About 6 months to a year into the relationship, she started questioning why it was
taking so long for the divorce to be final, and then he probably about a year a year into it,
told her that he'd never filed. How did she feel about that? Not very good. Do you understand
why you didn't get divorced? Sure. I wanted everything. I wanted to have Angel. I wanted to have my family life to come
back over here in Mobile. I wanted to escape to the beach when I could, um to live two different lives. It all
worked pretty well for Nodine for 6 years. Until May 9th, 2010, Mother's Day. It was a beautiful day. Were you getting
along? Absolutely. Angel looked very happy in photos taken just hours before she died. We had a, you know, a normal
day. I mean, no fighting, no arguing. Until Nodine dropped Angel off at her house and left to go home to his wife.
When we dropped each other off, and again, the comment was made to me that, "Oh, you're going back to your wife." I
assume she was pissed off. Um I more likely said, "I love you, babe." And um then I left. Um
got up the road, forgot my wallet. Nodine turned around and went back to Angel Downs' place. We rented a similar
truck and retraced his steps. When I came back to get my wallet, uh I parked um parallel to the
to um her house. Um my radio was going, my stereo and my air conditioner was going.
>> Did you see her at all? >> When I came in to get my wallet, I came in and grabbed my wallet and left.
And that's when this quiet subdivision suddenly stopped being Yeah, Alabama 25. one of those places where nothing much
ever happens. >> Before the gunshot, had you seen the truck here? Oh, yeah, the truck's been
here. Been here. Angel's neighbor, Roger Whitehead, who's a firefighter, will probably never forget that evening.
I think there was a gunshot, Mr. Nodine was still here, and then he got in his truck and left.
I did not shoot her. I did not harm her. She took her own life. She's not here to accept that [music]
responsibility. We continue to follow some breaking news out of Baldwin County. Police say a
woman was found shot to death last night at the condominium. Even before police had a solid theory about how Angel Downs
ended up shot dead with her own gun in her driveway, DA Judy Newcomb was on the case. The sheriff called me about 11:30
and told me what had happened. May I, if you would, just step back, okay? Police
in Gulf Shores, Alabama wear body cameras and they recorded the scene that night. I think they were still examining
the issues of whether it was a suicide or a homicide. Why weren't they sure? It's someone who's shot in the head with
their own gun, which statistically would be a suicide and what everybody's first
impression when they see it is, oh, someone killed themselves. It had one still in the chamber and six left in the
magazine. Her gun lay just inches away. Did it ever cross your mind that this could have been a suicide? Never.
Not not one time. But Angel's closest friends and her family knew 4 years earlier she had
tried suicide. Angel was going through a very difficult period. At that time, I think she she
realized Steven was not leaving his wife. In 2006, she took an overdose of pills.
How did you find out that she had taken all those pills? Well, in 2006, she actually called me
to tell me she was sorry um for what she had done. She was so sorry for ever hurting me.
By continuing [snorts] the relationship with Steven Nodine. Right. Copy, come to
the scene. And that suicide attempt is just one fact that makes this case so hard to figure out. It obviously became
a huge red flag immediately in May 2010. But her sister says Angel died with plans for the future. She was expected
at a dinner party that night and had just made appointments for the following week. It looked nothing like suicide to
Susan Bloodworth. If she was going to do it, she would do it peacefully. Take pills, go to sleep.
Not take a gun and shoot yourself. Mhm. I hate to say, you know, she was vain, but Angel was vain in the sense that she
wouldn't want someone to see her that way, you know, to to find her that way. She was found face up in a pool of blood
in the middle of her driveway for all her neighbors to see. I had a neighbor come to my door. I live
just around the corner and she told me someone had been shot and she knew I was a nurse. Ann Myers came running. She
knew right away what she was looking at. I knelt beside her and I did an assessment like I normally do.
I looked at the wound and pretty much figured out it was a fatal shot. Steven Nodine was nowhere to be found.
Remember, he says he drove off moments earlier after getting his wallet from inside Angel's condo. And he says when
he pulled away from her driveway, he saw nothing and heard nothing. My radio was going, my air conditioner
was going. Somebody, you know, one of the people said it sounded like a firecracker. I have horrible hearing to
begin with. If I would have heard it, I would have known. If I would have seen her, I would have stopped and did
everything I could to help her. A few hours later, Nodine got a call from a friend saying the police wanted
to talk to him. So, he called his lawyer. I said, "What the hell's going on?" And um that's when he told me that
there had been um a shooting on Fort Morgan Road of a blonde-haired young lady. I immediately
knew, obviously. You knew. I didn't know, really, but I had a horrible sinking feeling in my
gut. Nodine went right to the police. How long were you there? Hours, 4 hours. >> 4 hours? Offered to take any test. How
did they treat you? I mean, did you feel like you were a suspect? >> No, absolutely not.
But he was wrong. Authorities didn't believe his story about what really happened earlier at the condo and also
questioned what really happened afterwards. He told them after leaving Angel's, he
first stopped [music] at a convenience store where he's seen on surveillance tape. Then he went to this golf club,
but it was closed. Next, he says he drove to one restaurant, changed clothes in his
truck, but then decided that restaurant was too crowded and ended up again on tape at this restaurant nearby. And
that's where you ate. Didn't eat, drank some coffee, uh drank some water and watched the game. The next morning, I
received further calls from law enforcement. >> What were some of the things that had
concerned the police? Well, I think it the statement Mr. Nodine gave that night. I think the more they looked at
the scene, Truck's been in and out here, you know what I'm saying? >> what they knew about the day, just
different issues were concerning them. >> It was like the gunshot and he was pulling off. that it in fact could be a
homicide. And then things started moving more quickly than anyone had seen before.
Just 2 weeks after Angel's death, What have you been indicted for? Steven Nodine was indicted for murder and
arrested. Excuse me, Steven. Timing raised some eyebrows because DA Judy Newcomb was up
for re-election. >> Fighting crime. >> day was just days away. >> private >> Nobody gets indicted on a murder charge
2 weeks after the murder. Dennis Kneisely was Nodine's lawyer. He put it together with being 8 days before the
election. It appeared to be not so much going after Steve, but an opportunity to
have some high-profile uh prosecution immediately before the election. Did politics and your desire for re-election
play any part in the way you handled this case? >> No. Not at all? >> Not at all. Most people know that I'm
probably the least political person in Baldwin County. Did you ever think you'd find yourself in handcuffs,
Steven? Nodine was pretty well known to the police and not just because he was a
public figure. In 2009, before Angel's death, traces of marijuana were found in Nodine's
county-issued pickup truck. He was forced to resign. Nodine admits he smoked pot to control hip pain and later
became addicted to prescription painkillers. He got addicted to Lortabs and he was abusing them at the time of
this arrest. Nodine's problems were piling up. Shortly after he was indicted for
murder, prosecutors here in Alabama discovered he had guns. None of them had anything to do with
Angel's death, but he was still charged under a seldom-used federal statute for being a drug user who owned guns.
I believe it was collusion between the US Attorney's Office and the Baldwin County DA.
It was first things first. The gun case would have to wait for the murder case and it took 7 months for that trial to
begin. It had been probably the most publicized murder case in South Alabama in, you know, 50 or 100 years.
>> Did you shoot your girlfriend in the head? Prosecutor Judy Newcomb was in the
spotlight and on the spot. Remember, she had no forensic evidence, nothing to physically tie Nodine to Angel Downs'
death, but she told us she was ready for trial. Other than some of the big cases
people do on television and a whole lot of cases that we do, there's not a lot of forensic evidence.
>> With three animals? >> She'll get some help from Angel's friends and family who say Nodine could
be not just controlling, but frightening. Her sister says he stalked Angel online and in person. He would do
drive-bys. He would come by her home. He would send her text messages and say, "I
see someone's at your house. Who is it?" He would leave notes on her car. Did you
stalk Angel? >> Absolutely not. Even during these periods where you were fighting and and
and all, when you would break up, did you do anything that could be interpreted as stalking?
>> Not in any sense. Imaginary or likewise. I mean, there's just no way. But Emily Simmons and Kayla
King Donald say Angel told them Nodine beat her and pushed her several times. Nodine denies it all and there were no
police reports filed, but the friends say in the weeks before her death, Angel was getting more afraid of Nodine. She
broke down in tears in her kitchen. And I said, "Why are you crying?" And she said, "He's not the same person
that I've known all these years, Emily. He's changed. Just always know that if you ever find me dead, he killed
me." I'm sorry? If you ever find me dead, he killed me. And the DA knew she could count on some
powerful and chilling testimony about the last few moments of Angel Downs's life. Angel was obviously scared for her
to pull her gun and call me and ask where to shoot someone. I think of Angel Downs every day.
I think of her when I walk on the beach. I think of her almost every chance I get.
And that is something that I'll miss for the rest of my life. Prosecutors have spent 7 months
preparing the case against [music] Steven Nodine for murdering Angel Downs and the trial is about to begin.
He told me that he misses her every day and seemed to be crying. Seemed to be. >> [laughter]
>> I I can't believe it. I don't believe it. I believe it's an act. He's a politician. Turn the waterworks on when
you want to, you know, flip the switch. Nodine, the one-time county commissioner, was now a defendant in a
murder case and his lawyer, Dennis Neisler, says that meant a big adjustment. It took a while for Steve to
get out of the mentality and the mode of I'm a person in a position of authority
into I'm a person charged with a crime, murder, and I'm fighting for my life. I'm used to being in control, but
certainly I'm at a loss here of my destiny. His [music] destiny would be determined
by others, a judge and jury. What made me nervous leading up to the trial is that there was no smoking gun.
In December 2010, prosecutor Judy Newcomb opened her murder case against him and she says there's plenty of
circumstantial evidence, >> [music] >> starting with the position of Angel Downs's body. The biggest thing that
struck everyone as extremely strange is that Angel's hair, literally her hair looked like it had been laid out as
opposed to someone falling back. And Ann Myers, Angel's neighbor, the retired nurse,
thought so, too. Her hair was just a perfect like somebody combed it out like a halo, which I've never seen before,
you know, in a trauma case. Newcomb's theory was if Angel had shot herself, she would have crumpled to the
ground and her hair would never have ended up arranged like that. To the DA, it looked as if someone had staged the
scene. She tried demonstrating by falling backwards onto the floor herself, right here in this courtroom.
It would have been a dramatic moment for the prosecutor if only it had worked. Her hair flayed
out exactly like Ms. Downs did. So, it showing it was not staged. It was just that's what happens when ladies with
long hair fall back. You must have been uh quite pleased with the way that turned out. Uh it was a positive time
for the defense there. >> time. Yeah. It didn't come out as clearly as maybe you would have hoped.
Clearly Right. Yeah. But I do not think it was the failure [laughter] that it was reported to be.
Newcomb could still try to get the jury to focus on what happened just before and just after Angel's death.
Well, that was that night Angel called. It was Mother's Day. Angel's sister, Susan, got a call that
evening from Angel, but she was busy and ignored it. And then she got a second call. All she said was, "If someone's
trying to break into your home, where do you shoot them?" And I said, "The chest,
the largest part of the body." And I said, "Is it Steven?" She said, "No, it's not Steven."
But Susan feared the worst. And I said, "If you can't tell me who it is over the
phone, send me a text in case something happens, I'll know what's going on." Had she
texted you? When I looked at my phone, I actually had a a text from Angel that said, "Steven
Nodine is here." My heart sank. 6 to 7 minutes later, we have a 911 call and she's dead.
So, what do you think happened that evening? I don't know. I've played it in all
scenarios, but at the end of the day, I don't think she was the one that pulled the trigger.
I don't know what happened. I don't know if she came out to threaten him with it
and he turned it on her. There's only two people that know and now only one. So, exactly where was Nodine when the
shot was fired? This man might well know. Roger Whitehead is the neighbor who lived across the street and a few
houses down from Angel. He heard the shot and as he told the police that night, he rushed outside. When the
gunshot went off, I heard it. I stepped outside and and he was pulling off that way. It is a critical point in this case
because if Nodine's truck was still in front of Angel's house after the shot was fired, he would have been in a
position to have killed her. And that's just where Whitehead told us he saw the truck making a U-turn as we
demonstrated. He would have been coming out of the turn at an angle that was nearly
directly facing me like this. Uh-huh. And then proceeded to leave. You know. But Nodine insists he left as he always
did, by first driving all the way around this traffic island as we did, then passing in front of Whitehead's condo on
the way out. And he says he heard and saw nothing since his radio was playing, the [music] air conditioner was on and
the windows were rolled up. So, there's really two ways to get out of there. You
could have pulled around that end of the cul-de-sac or you could have just made a
U-turn. I know exactly what I did. I pulled around the cul-de-sac. That would mean that when the shot was
fired, Nodine was more likely around here, hundreds of feet from Angel's driveway.
But Nodine could be in trouble if the jury believes he was much closer to Angel's at the time of her death than he
said. But he got a boost for his case that Angel shot herself from the autopsy report, which listed a potent mix of
drugs in her system at the time she died. When you have Ambien and you have Xanax and you have Adderall and you have
alcohol and you've got health issues, that just pushed her over the edge and she killed herself. No. You You don't
call and ask where to shoot someone who's trying to break into your house and then and then you're going to go
and take pills and go shoot yourself in the driveway of your home. I mean, Angel was calling because
someone was trying to get into her home. That someone was Steven Nodine. In most cases, the medical examiner's
opinion helps jurors decide the manner of death. But this case isn't anything like most
cases. >> [music] >> In December 2010, when Steven Nodine went on trial for murdering Angel Downs,
prosecutor Judy Newcomb knew this was a tough case. >> [music] >> For starters, the state's own medical
examiner could not settle on the circumstances of Angel Downs's death. There's no doubt that the fatal shot
came from Angel's own gun, but that's about all that's clear in this case. Alabama medical examiner Eugene Hart
came to this courtroom to testify for the prosecution. He's the one who performed the autopsy on Angel. When he
came to court, he said from a forensic pathologist standpoint, everything indicated it was
suicide. But he didn't call it suicide. Didn't. He called it what? Inconclusive.
Inconclusive, which could mean suicide, could mean homicide. Neisler says the prosecutor tried to
influence Dr. Hart into not calling Angel's death a suicide. Pressure would not be the word. May have
influenced him. Uh Okay, influenced him. >> Well, pressure would has a negative connotation of some maybe impropriety.
But Newcomb says she just asked Dr. Hart to review the evidence. I never tried to
influence his decision about a suicide. What we did try to say is we'd like you to really examine this case to see if
you can reach a decision. Hart would not call it murder, so Newcomb called in another medical
examiner from another state, Georgia. He did not examine Angel's body, but 3 months after her death, he did review
crime scene photos and other evidence and when he rendered his opinion it matched Newcomb's. His opinion was
that it was a homicide. Homicide. So, the jury heard two experts both working for the prosecution with two
different opinions about how Angel Downs died. One said it was homicide, the other said he couldn't be sure
but it looked like suicide. The jurors also had to sort through different theories about how the gun was
held to Angel's head. Angel would have had to be kind of cocked back like this, the way
the angle of the gun was, to commit suicide. And that's not natural someone who's going to commit suicide. This was
pressed so hard against her head there was a muzzle imprint. Defense attorney Dennis Naisley thinks
the evidence about the gun helps his client. So, the gun was against her head like this. Right hand, gun exactly as
you would expect the gun to be up and slightly back if it was a self-inflicted wound.
The gun was laying down beside her body. There was absolutely no signs of struggle on her or him.
There was no blood on his truck. There was no blood in his truck. There was no blood on him. There was no blood on his
hands. There was no blood on his clothing whatsoever. >> [music] >> But no tests were required or done at
that time for gunshot residue on either Nodine or Angel. And no fingerprints were found on Angel's gun. Yeah, gloves
on before you touch that, didn't you? Yeah. Yeah, I did. They had taken the gun and they had tested the gun
without testing it for fingerprints until it came back. The gun had already been handled by forensics and everything
else and wiped down. That's why they didn't have any fingerprints. I agree. All of that plus Angel's previous
suicide attempt proves, says Naisley, that she shot herself. You're going to see blood down Still, DA
Judy Newcomb thinks given the strange stories Nodine told police and the allegations that he beat and stalked
Angel, she's proved her case. I think the totality all this of all the circumstances. I mean, you know, unless
you have a video of a crime and you know, in today's world sometimes people think we should have a video of every
crime. We have to apply our common sense and logic and, you know, I support the case that we built against him.
Well, where do you live out here? Angel's neighbor, Roger Whitehead, the man who comes closest to being an
eyewitness is not so sure. If you were a juror, would you convict Stephen Nodine of
murder? No, sir. Because? Well, we're supposed to be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt, but I have no
idea what transpired here that night. That was up to the jurors to decide. They wrestled with the evidence for 6
hours and came back deadlocked on the murder charge. The judge had no choice. He had to
declare a mistrial. We wanted to get a verdict and we were hoping to put this behind us now. I was
disappointed that they weren't given a longer time to deliberate. We wanted him to be found guilty of
murder. We believe 100% it was murder. That he murdered her. Steven Nodine was a free man, but only
for 4 months. He agreed to plead guilty to that old federal gun charge, possessing a gun while using drugs.
>> God will God will show the way. And that put him away for a year in prison while
Alabama prosecutors decided whether to retry him for murder. That was now up to Hallie Dixon, the
newly elected district attorney who had defeated Judy Newcomb. And it was one tough call for her. The
public had been completely convinced. Completely convinced that this was a murder.
I had law enforcement and and a chief of police and investigators telling me that
it wasn't a homicide and that's tough. Dixon convened a new grand jury to examine the case.
After hearing the evidence, there was a decision. Steven Nodine would not be charged with murder again. Our grand
jury returned an indictment for criminally negligent homicide. In Alabama, that's not a felony. It's a
misdemeanor that says Nodine was partially responsible for Angel Downs' death. That but for him that night
that day she would still be alive and that was the question. It's not a matter of proving suicide.
It's a matter of proving whether or not there was a homicide and when I have no evidence
physical evidence that is consistent with somebody else being the trigger person
then as a prosecutor I don't bring a case on that. There really are a lot there. It's the whole family. Angel's
family was furious that Dixon was not filing a murder charge against sabotaged the case. That's exactly what
I think happened. They would not rest. We were ready to go through another trial no matter how hard, no matter how
difficult it is. Angel's dead. Angel can't speak. You know, we're the only people who can
push for her. [music] So, they went over Dixon's head. They appealed to the Alabama Attorney General
and demanded a special prosecutor. They won. A special prosecutor was named, took the case away from Dixon and
decided to retry Steven Nodine for murder. And how did you feel then? We were elated.
All right, thank [laughter and clears throat] God. >> had a chance and hopefully
you know, finally maybe we can get justice and, you know, get somebody who's going to
take this [music] case and move forward with it. >> [music] >> Just hope that there's peace for
everyone. We can move on with our lives. Once again, Steven Nodine finds himself in a
familiar place, a courthouse. And this time he isn't just asking for help from his lawyer. We pray for real fairness
and compassion as Steve, oh Lord, now will be able to put this behind him in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you, Lord. But Susan Bloodworth thinks his attention should be directed elsewhere.
I say that Steven Nodine, um, is on track for a one-way ticket to hell. And that's honestly where I'd like to
see him. But in this case, neither side's prayers were answered. Special prosecutor David
Whetstone was set to try Nodine again for murder but they were all in court because there was a change in plans.
There was a plea deal and a remarkable admission from the special [music] prosecutor. Did we have proof beyond a
reasonable doubt? No. That and that was the basis of the plea. A sudden turn today in the Steven Nodine
murder case. After more than 2 years of trying to convict Steven Nodine of killing Angel Downs, the state of
Alabama dropped the murder charge and a stalking charge. In return, Nodine pled guilty to a much
less serious charge, perjury for lying on a legal form. He also agreed to plead no contest to a charge
he harassed Angel Downs with emails and text of people might consider a a pretty
good deal. Do you think it's a good deal? No. Why? Because I was innocent of all of the
charges. He was ordered to spend 2 years in jail and even then he was just barely
incarcerated. He spent nights and weekends in the county jail. He spent his days working
for his lawyer. It was a far cry from his one-time high-flying, high-powered life.
What do you do here? What's your job? >> Uh, manage the office. It's a different
life than you were used to, but do you like it? No. What would you rather be doing? Uh, I'd
rather be back in politics and working and help shape some of the future of South Alabama like I was before.
But that will have to wait. Nodine's only real responsibility now is to be sure he makes it across the street to
the jail every evening and on time. Angel's family had been hoping for a lot more. He got off very light light
treatment. He got special treatment. It goes back to politics. Steven's a politician. You know, he's very
persuasive. >> What sentence should he have gotten? There there's no sentence good enough
for him. There is nothing that will ever bring Angel back. She's gone. Um I think
he should have been sentenced for murder. We have to accept what happened and move on. That was Angel's graduation
picture. Angel's family will move on, but they will carry with them a grudge against DA Halie Dixon who declined to
prosecute Nodine for murder. She's got a lot of similarities with the Steven Nodine. You know, the two would make a
great couple. No family wants to believe that their loved one killed themselves.
That family has the additional pressure of they're very strong in their faith and
and I think there are religious reasons for some folks that suicide is unacceptable. Show us the proof. Show us
the documentation. We have a hard time accepting what Halie Dixon did to this case.
There's absolutely no way that Mr. Nodine could have shot, staged a crime scene, and still been blood free and
speeding off within the seconds that were re- talked about. Dixon says a lot of people would get the
answers they still seek had she been allowed to prosecute Nodine even for the misdemeanor, criminally negligent
homicide. The way it went down, I think it has left people going, "What happened? What happened? What happened?"
And it was a little frustrating for me cuz if it had gone to trial, the truth would be there.
Almost everyone is frustrated with the way this case turned out, but perhaps no one is more dissatisfied than Angel
Downs' family. They are still hoping for answers from Steven Nodine. It's hard then not knowing
unless he tells what really happened that night. What really happened that night?
Steven Nodine ended up back behind bars full-time when he violated the terms of his work release program, mainly by
missing his curfew. In October 2014, having served his 2 years, Nodine was released from jail. His wife had
divorced him, but he was reunited with his son. I'm going to spend time with my son. I
have to find a job. Um I'm hoping people realize that people make mistakes in their lives and have
forgiveness um as I forgive those uh who wrongfully prosecuted me. Nodine was arrested just before
Christmas for leaving >> Didn't take long before Nodine ended up back in court again. This time he
violated the terms of his probation. He left the state without permission and failed a drug test. Nodine pled guilty,
his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to 60 days behind bars. And that was probably the end of Steven
Nodine's hope for a return to local politics. He's back out of jail, but unable to
find a job in Mobile. So, Nodine decided to move to Florida. >> [music] [music] [music]
>> I was looking forward to getting married. We were going to have like the fairy
tale life. We first met online. It was in June of 2017. Patrick was definitely movie star
handsome. He definitely had the whole package. I'm Jessica Devnani and Patrick De La
Cerda was my fiance. This is your engagement ring. >> Yes. It's beautiful. Thank you.
He he never got to give it to me. Patrick De La Cerda was planning his [music] future. Him and Jessica were
looking forward to moving towards West Palm. That's where Patrick's mother, Patricia, lived.
>> [music] >> And then one day he came and he said, "Mom, this one is the one." This one is the one.
And he was waiting for the ring. Not morning, just started off a normal morning for him and Jessica. They texted
each other, "Good morning. I love you." He had got a phone call from his dad saying that there is a package being
delivered at the gate. He thought it was the ring that was coming in that day. So, Patrick then goes down, probably
looking forward to this, [music] right? Yes. He would usually call her and it was
about the time she was getting to work, which, you know, made her worry. And it's like she instinctually knew
something was wrong at that point. >> And why were you afraid for Patrick? I was afraid because of the threats that
were made in the past. I'm making a phone call. I'm giving instructions. And I'm going to have my my plan put
into action. You felt at that moment that something terrible may have happened. Yes.
I left work right away to be on my way to check on Patrick. You get here as quickly as you can. Yes.
I got up right along this path. I had to climb the fence. I don't think Patrick De La Cerda had
any idea what was waiting for him on the other side of that door. There's multiple shots fired. Patrick
was hit multiple times. It appeared that he was killed in like ambush style. And I'll never forget the scene. Like
it's still in my head every day. My boyfriend, Patrick, is in his dad's house. Is there anybody else here? Is
there anybody else here? It was just the worst thing you could ever see in your entire life.
Yeah, they said there's no dog there in front of him. Clearly this wasn't a random killing.
Someone had a vendetta against Patrick. It was personal and it was planned. Show
the address 41. That's going to be 10-50. It was an assassination. My whole future was taken away from me.
My whole world was taken away. Sheriff's officers, get in there. Come on now. >> [music]
>> That day we're at the office, kind of going through casework and paperwork and
things like that. What started as a slow Tuesday morning back in 2018 for Volusia County, Florida
Sheriff's Detective Chad Weaver changed dramatically 911, what is your emergency? when this fragmented 911 call
from a neighbor reporting Patrick De La Cerda's death came in. Um um he has been shot and killed. When did
that happen? I don't know. You don't want to try CPR, correct? No. No, he's dead. He's cold.
Within minutes, Sheriff's deputies Go to Alpha 10-4. wearing body cameras entered
this lush 9-acre compound on the outskirts of Deltona. Worried that the killer may still be
here. Sheriff's officers, the killer's inside. You need to announce yourself now. When the deputies showed up, they
had their guns out and preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. With the
gunman still at large, Detective Weaver took charge of the crime scene as TV news choppers
hovered above. As we walked up to that area, you could see a male, looked like he was in his early 20s, appeared he was
suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies say someone shot right through his front door. 25-year-old Patrick De
La Cerda had been shot four times by a high-powered rifle right in the doorway of the house he shared with his father,
Max, who was out of town that day. I never got to say goodbye to my son. I never got to talk to him. Nothing.
You could see the front door was open. There's glass all over the place. There's a lot of blood. You know, right
off the bat you're going, "Okay, this is probably going to be a whodunit." At the scene, Detective Weaver and
several deputies approached a traumatized Jessica Devnani, Patrick's 29-year-old fiance.
I was just walking in circles around like the front yard, just pacing up and down.
Ma'am, come over here. Stay here behind the tree. Just 2 months earlier, at this very
location, Patrick had popped the question to Jessica and presented her with this
temporary engagement ring. It just came out of nowhere. He he just asked like, you know, "Will you
marry me?" And what did you say? Of course, I said yes. I was so excited. The marriage proposal couldn't have come
at a better time for Jessica, who worked as a bank teller. Months earlier, she had ended a tumultuous 8-year
relationship and then met Patrick on a dating app. We just fell in love like right away. It was a connection from the
beginning, so it was kind of like love at first sight. Jessica and Patrick, who worked a
construction job with his father, I'm proud the builder. partied and played together as their
romance blossomed. Patrick ordered this custom-made work of art to be delivered to his home for
Jessica's permanent engagement [music] ring. "He was a romantic," says his mother,
Patricia Bronson. Patrick was a wonderful son. And then he loved kids. He loved babies.
And I really was looking forward to have grandchildren from him. Jessica and Patrick lived in different
cities. She was in Orlando, while Patrick lived with his father in Deltona, 30 miles away.
On the night of February 26th, 2018, Patrick left her this sweet voicemail. I love you. Good night. Sweet dreams.
Good morning. I'll call you out. Send you a text when I am on my way back, all right?
Bye. Good night. Bye. It would be the last voicemail she would ever receive from her love. The next
day, a series of what seemed like random events would change everything. The first came when Patrick's father,
Max, who was 70 miles away working on a construction job, received a phone call.
Max gets a phone call from an unknown person stating that they have a package to deliver to his son, Patrick. Max
hangs up the phone. He tries to call Patrick. Patrick doesn't answer, so he sends him a text message. "Hey, there's
someone with a delivery." Max never hears from Patrick again after that. He never answers, never responds.
Meanwhile, Max and Jessica kept calling Patrick with no luck. Jessica feared the
worst because [music] of those disturbing threats the couple had received. You're thinking
he's been harmed. Yes. Yes, for sure. Max and Jessica rushed to the house. She got there first.
I'm approaching the front door and that's where his body laid. Patrick just laying there
and this big pool of blood and just he was just lifeless. Soon after Jessica discovered her
fiance's body, Patrick's dad arrived. He took us back to the crime scene with Jessica.
My son was lying down there. His head was right there. His foot were still on top of this.
So, that means that he fell back. And that tells you the gunman was right here. >> Yes, that tells you the gunman
>> bullet can take a right-hand turn. >> Exactly. That guy was right there. My son saw this guy. He turned around and
the guy shot him because my son was just like this. My son was like this. Wow. Detective Weaver's [music] team combed
through the house. They soon discovered that the killer had taken Patrick's computer We got a camera above us, too.
and the hard drive from the home security camera system. Investigators also recovered unique
shell casings from 300 blackout ammunition, bullets often used in semi-automatic weapons like an AR-15.
When we saw the shell casings with how close they were to the body, immediately realized that this was a
calculated murder. This was This was planned. But why would anyone want to kill [music] Patrick De La Cerda? Weaver
learned about a bizarre incident in 2017. In a strange twist, News 6 discovered the young man has been shot at before.
When Patrick called police saying his neighbor had fired some bullets after arguments back and forth about
trespassing, Patrick wasn't harmed. There had been some complaints and maybe Patrick felt
that the neighbor was shooting towards their house. This is night footage of the man being
tackled and arrested by police for that incident. It was an intriguing lead until Weaver learned the man was in
custody on the day Patrick was murdered. So, we were able to check him off the list. Detective Weaver then focused on
some ominous voicemails [music] [laughter] [music] [music] loved fast cars and he loved guns as
well. But what, if anything, did Gregory Bender have to do with Patrick's death?
Detective Weaver wanted to know more. Patrick was middle class, blue collar, hard-working young man. Gregory, on the
other hand, was white collar, well-educated, lived in a 3/4 of a million-dollar house. Totally different
people from totally different walks [music] of life. Jessica told the detective that Greg
Bender simply couldn't tolerate the idea of any other man in her life. She told a story about what happened
when she briefly dated someone else after first meeting Greg. He did stalk the person that I was dating
and he described exactly where he lived and he said that he would tie him up and
harm him. >> [music] >> So, a relationship that had love in it now had a little bit of terror in it. I never
feared what he could do to me, but I feared what he could do to other men. Despite his jealousy and verbal threats,
Jessica accepted Greg's proposal to marry a few years into their relationship. I was in love with him at
the time and maybe I was a little bit naive at the time. I didn't want to find someone else.
And there is another twist in Jessica's twisted relationship with Greg. In early
2016, he was having a procedure done at a local hospital. Jessica decided to drop by for a
surprise [music] visit. When she entered Greg's room, another woman was there. I
was like, "What are you doing here?" She's like, "What are you doing here?" And I told her, I'm like, "I'm his
fiance." [music] And I showed her the ring. And then she showed me her ring. She's like, "I'm his wife." She was this
woman, Demara Sanchez. He's secretly married to this woman? Yes. My heart just dropped. I couldn't believe it. I
was in shock. Several days passed when Bender finally called Jessica and tried to explain that he had only married
Sanchez so her son could go to school in the district where his house was located. He said, "I'm so sorry." And he
told me that he had only married her as like a business marriage. He was just trying to help her out and they had an
arrangement together. At that point, Jessica had sort of had enough. So, you end up giving Greg
Bender an ultimatum. What was that? Yes. I told him that he had till the end of the year to leave her. He had to divorce
her. Not only leave, but divorce. >> Yes. But that business marriage line was just
another of Bender's lies, and he stayed married to Demara. With that, Jessica finally ended the
relationship in 2017. 1 month later, Jessica met Patrick and began dating him. But Bender was often
on her mind. I was afraid that he would find out about our relationship. But just 5 months after dumping him,
Gregory Bender came across our Facebook page. He immediately started messaging Patrick on his Facebook, threatening
him. He said, "I know where you live. I'm going to harm you guys." Bender left ominous voicemails like this one. I'm
giving instructions, and I'm going to have my my plan put into action. What's he talking about? At that point in time,
he had mentioned to me that he was going to hire a hitman or he was going to do the job himself. And what job was that?
To kill Patrick. Enough was enough. Jessica and Patrick had these tapes and text messages
presented to a judge who issued this restraining order. Bender was ordered to stay away from
Jessica and turn in his large collection of firearms to authorities. Did Greg Bender go away? We thought he did go
away. We didn't hear anything and we felt confident. Until she told Detective Weaver, on the morning of Patrick's
murder, Gregory Bender called for the first time in 2 months. He called my job that very morning. But
Jessica said she didn't answer. So, when she got the phone call and saw on the caller ID that it was Gregory Bender,
flags started going up, and that's when made her so worried. Flags were also going up for Detective Weaver. He
believed he now had a prime suspect in Patrick's death. And Weaver had an idea. Now was the time for Jessica [music] to
return Bender's calls, and investigators would listen in. She really wanted to solve Patrick's murder. So, she did that
without hesitation. Okay. Call him. Put him on speaker. Hello. Hello. Detective Weaver was
hopeful Bender might [music] say something to implicate himself. You ruined my life. You got your revenge.
You ruined my life. What are you talking about? Hello. Hello. Hi. Hey. It was a tense, awkward moment. Just a
few hours after she'd seen her fiance's body, investigators asked Jessica Devnani to [music] call the man they
thought may have murdered him. Greg Bender quickly spoke up. I saw what happened on the news.
I want to tell you I'm I feel sorry for you. I just wanted to try to do everything I
could to help the investigation. She reminded Bender about his previous threats.
And he said, "Enough is enough. I can't do this. I'm going to hire a hitman. I'm
going to kill him." >> No. That's not No. No. No. I didn't say that. Did you ask him outright,
"Did you shoot Patrick?" I did. But that's why I want to find out if it is you. Like
No. It's not. I'm your friend. I did not do this. Could you tell he was lying to
you? Yes, I could tell he was lying. While Bender [music] denied any involvement in Patrick's death,
Detective Chad Weaver says there [music] was enough evidence to arrest him. Not for murder, but for violating that
restraining order. We had seen that [music] he had attempted to contact her twice at work, which we found was a
violation of that injunction. Even with Bender behind bars for the night, Detective Weaver didn't have much
to link him to Patrick's murder. Then he received a phone call from the attorney of Bender's now ex-wife, Demara
Sanchez, the woman Jessica had first met in the hospital. And he said she has some information that will be valuable
to your case. Demara asked to meet Detective Weaver in a parking lot. She's very, very nervous.
She didn't want us coming to her house. It turns out Demara had a pretty good reason to be nervous.
She was about to provide a crucial piece of evidence. So, we spoke with her and she had told
us that her and Gregory had gotten a divorce and she moved out in December of 2017. Around that same time, she had
discovered what she believed to be a murder plan in a spiral notebook that she had seen Gregory writing in in the
past. A murder plan handwritten in a notebook detailing an elaborate plot to kill.
Demara said when she confronted Bender about it, he told her it was all a fantasy and she forgot about it.
25-year-old Volusia County man is dead. Until she saw the report that the man Bender was supposedly fantasizing about
killing had just been murdered. But once she told us about the murder plan, and that gave us what we needed to
get into the house to see, you know, what else was in there. Volusia County Prosecutor Ashley Trulinger says
learning about the murder plan was a potential game-changer if investigators could find it.
So, the next day, February 28th of 2018, they execute the search warrant at Gregory Bender's home in Orange County,
Florida in Windermere. Detective Weaver had some doubts. But almost as soon as he entered
Bender's house, Weaver hit pay dirt. He spotted several balls of crumpled up note paper. I looked in the trash can
and I was in shock. I was like, "There's no way that we just found this murder plan." The first thing I wanted to do
was reach in the trash can, grab it. Weaver wisely held off while this paper was bagged and tagged for forensics.
Later, when he was able to read the plan, it was just as Demara said, a detailed road map for murdering Patrick
De La Cerda. Some of the first things in it were directions. And it actually had
Patrick De La Cerda's address, Halon Boulevard. Weaver took us to the crime scene to
explain how the plan matched the actual murder. This road leads down the side of the
property. It's off of Halon Boulevard. This is important because the dirt road that was drawn on the murder plan runs
down the side of the property. It's pretty heavily wooded down this way. So, I think he walked on foot until he got
to this opening. And this is the area that we believe Gregory Bender accessed to sneak up on our victim.
The sketch of the property was spot-on. The plan was evidence of Bender's obsession with detail and compulsion to
kill, says Weaver. The plan read, "Put duct tape on the bottom of a second pair of shoes so no
tread prints. Wait for confirm that he is alone. Then turn off cell phones and dispose of
clothes, plate, tracker, gloves." With the murder plan in hand, Weaver had a powerful case against Bender. [music]
And with the discovery of this ammunition, there was now a direct link to those unique bullet shells found at
the scene. They find that arsenal of 300 blackout ammunition. Remember, Patrick was shot four times
with that type of unique ammo, but only two shell casings were recovered at the crime scene.
That's what made another discovery by investigators at Bender's house so important. They find a shell casing in a
desk drawer. Essentially, a junk drawer. The casing matched the two recovered shell casings from the crime scene.
Short of actually finding the murder weapon, um in my opinion, I think that was probably
the most important piece of evidence that we found. That's because the murder weapon has never been recovered.
Although Jessica remembers seeing a powerful rifle at Bender's house when they dated. The AR-15, the
semi-automatic rifle. Did he have one of those? Yes, he did. I think it's probably at the bottom
of a lake somewhere. The evidence was overwhelming. Weaver now had a clear and concise theory of
the crime. Greg Bender was lying in wait in the bushes just out of view. He made
the phone call posing as a delivery man. Um Patrick receives a text message just
thinking that he has a package. And as Patrick answered the door, he shot and killed him.
Less than 48 hours after Patrick's death, an arrest warrant was issued for Gregory Bender charging him with the
murder. Volusia County Sheriff's deputies had an easy time locating their suspect who had
been released from jail after violating that restraining order. Bender was in his own front yard, says
prosecutor Andrew Urbanic. And Mr. Bender actually showed up bonded out from the Orange County jail
just a short time after they started executing that warrant. For Patrick's mother, the arrest is just
the first step against a man she despises. Psychopath, that's what he is. Do you want me to say his name? I've
never pronounced his name. I don't want to pronounce his name. That is hurting my mouth to just say his name. Why did
Patrick have to die? Just out of jealousy of a man that was obsessed. He thought
that by doing this that I would go back to him. But with no weapon, no eyewitnesses, and
no DNA at the crime scene, ultimately, this case is a circumstantial case. Bender and his attorneys are planning a
vigorous trial defense. You started dating Patrick in June. And using undercover video shot by a
private eye, they plan to challenge Jessica on the stand about the real nature of her relationship with Greg
Bender. Why are you dining with Greg and going to Greg's house in November of 2017 if you're happily moving on with
Patrick? What do you make of Gregory Bender leaving his murder plan in the trash
can? Two months after Patrick De La Cerda was gunned down as he went to his front door
expecting to pick up that engagement ring for Jessica Devnani, he got me the perfect ring. She was finally able to
put on the ring at her 30th celebration. A surprise finally delivered by Patrick's family.
Why do you wear that ring today? I wear it because Patrick will always be the love of my life.
And Jessica will be wearing the ring at [music] the murder trial of Greg Bender,
her former boyfriend who stands accused of stalking and killing the man she had hoped to marry. All rise. This day could
not have come soon enough, says Patrick's [music] devastated mother, Patricia. Jessica and I, we felt
victimized every single day for 3 years [music] and a half because we have no voice, absolutely no voice. Prosecutor
Ashley [music] Twiliger is now the voice Patrick's loved ones had longed for as she began her opening statement. [music]
Patrick De La Cerda was the victim of a murder, a detailed and meticulously thought-out murder
plan, and a tragic ending in which he was shot four times in the head, face, chest, and hip.
Defense attorney Richard [music] Parker says the state's case is no slam dunk. That will show that there's more than
just one or two people that have motive and opportunity in this case. Jessica is the prosecution's star
witness and will be the first to testify. It was really hard. I was really nervous.
Jessica describes for the jury how Gregory Bender was a man consumed by jealousy who made many threats.
He would message me saying if if I didn't leave Patrick, he would harm Patrick. And Jessica read one of those
threatening texts for the jury. Think about it. If I don't hear from you or the cops
call again, I'll just do what I said and move on. Jurors learned that Bender went to
extraordinary lengths to poison Jessica and Patrick's relationship. As you can see on this secretly recorded video, it
appears Bender and Jessica are at lunch. And then a week later at a restaurant enjoying dinner. Just a few months after
she started dating Patrick, prosecutor Andrew Urbanic. Did you actually see these videos? I
did. The encounters were captured by a private investigator hired by Bender. There's a scene of the two of them
entering [music] and leaving Bender's home. He's seen rubbing Jessica's leg for the
camera. They hold hands. And here, he leans in for a kiss. I felt really odd. I felt like he was
trying to put on a show because he kept like trying to get close to me and trying to hold my hand, which he never
used to do. I was like, "What are you doing?" I was like, "We're [music] just friends right now. What are you trying
to do?" But prosecutors say the video was all a setup. What did he do with it? He had given it to Patrick. Did that
cause some strife between you and Patrick in your relationship? Yes. We had a a fight and we had broke up for a
few days. Did the two of you end up getting back together after that? Yes. Defense attorneys tried to use their
client's video production to convince jurors that Jessica and Bender actually were more than just friends. Why are you
dining with Greg and going to Greg's house in November of 2017 if you're happily moving on with Patrick? Because
the defendant was threatening and I was trying to calm him down and he said that
if I went to see him, he would not harm anyone. The defense tries another tactic, making
what prosecutors say is an unfounded allegation that Patrick's father, Max, was attracted to Jessica.
Did Max De La Cerda comment in a a very positive way regarding your appearance? Same objection, Judge. Still hearsay
statement. Would you say you have a good relationship with her? I didn't have a relationship with her at all. I knew
That led to a combative cross-examination when Max took the stand. What you're asking me is making no sense. I don't
think that has nothing to do with Patrick's murder. And the defense implied he may have had the motive and
the opportunity to kill his own son because of discrepancies in his whereabouts that day.
Your girlfriend said that you were in fact staying with her. Is it her memory that's wrong or is it your
>> It might be mine, sir. I work but I'm constantly on the go. I work here, I work there. I don't keep track of
phones, I don't keep track of time. So, what point are you trying to make? I don't know. They wanted to blame it on
Max and you can tell he's angry that his son was killed unnecessarily, violently,
horrifically. And now he has to be in a room with his son's killer. Throughout the trial, Bender remained
stoic until his ex-wife, Damaris Sanchez, took the stand and spoke through an interpreter.
Were you married to Mr. Bender? Sí. Yes. During Damaris' testimony, Bender broke down, showing emotion for
the first time in the trial. And jurors heard her audio interview with Weaver about the murder plan. It
was a plan to kill the guy against The guy is Patrick. During a break in her testimony, Bender
appears to say "I love you" to someone in the gallery and is admonished by an official. Don't talk to anybody in the
court. When Detective Weaver took the stand, the defense grilled him about the lack
of forensic evidence in the case. How about any hair or skin or DNA, anything like that from the scene that was
helpful to your investigation? Uh no, sir. Prosecutors responded by calling cell
phone experts who could connect Greg Bender's [music] personal phone to a burner phone that was tracked to a cell
tower near the murder scene. So, the burner phone is the cell phone that made the call to Max De La Cerda
that morning at 7:18 a.m. Yes. The state would rest at this time. Thank you. >> After the prosecution rested, Greg
Bender chose not to testify. Are you comfortable with the decision you have made?
>> Yes. Thank you, your honor. For closing arguments, prosecutors said Greg Bender [music] was the only person
who had motive to kill Patrick. He couldn't take the Jessica left him and wouldn't come back to him
because of Patrick De La Cerda. Counsel, you may proceed. In his closing, defense
attorney Richard Parker insisted that Bender's murder plan did not equate to guilt.
This case is about the difference between a fantasy and reality. People should not be judged on their worst
thoughts just because they put them to paper. But that's what they're doing in this
case. Finally, after 4 days of testimony, the case went to the jury. Prosecutor Andy Urbanic was uncertain
about what verdict they'd come back with. Once it goes to the jury, we can't make any guarantees. But Jessica Devnani
was confident a guilty verdict would finally put an end to Bender's reign of terror. It's my understanding you have a
verdict. I just wanted to see the expression on his face. This is where my son lives at.
Uh we'll follow you. This is his place. Okay. This was Patrick's place. Memories.
This is one of my Christmas cards that he gave me. Tender words from a son. Dad, with all my love, thank for always
being there for me. To many more years, love Patrick. Max Diel Asserta surrounds himself with
reminders of his son. That's Patrick. Taken violently and far too soon. I feel my son's presence here.
I haven't moved his stuff. I have, you know, it's everything is pretty much the same because
I thought this kid was The only reason make me feel better is that I lost my child for
love. Patrick's mother, Patricia, has found some solace in her suffering. He had love in his heart when he passed. He
was going down the stairs to get the ring. And Jessica Devnani still wears that very engagement ring
>> [music] >> in honor of a marriage that never took place. It's been hard um past 3 years. Like
I've been living in respect to Patrick. But now, Patrick's loved ones huddle together hoping finally, 3 years after
[music] Patrick's murder, the jury will give them justice. State of Florida v. Gregory Bender.
During 4 days of testimony, they relive the horror of his death, listening to excruciating details of Bender's murder
plan. We can see the an entrance wound on the right side of the face. It's my understanding you have a
verdict. Is that correct? As the verdict was about to be read, Bender looked directly at Jessica. He was looking at
me. I don't know what was going on in his head. Madam Clerk, if you could please read
the verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant Gregory Bender as follows: guilty of the charge
of first-degree murder as charged in the indictment. And it's guilty and he's faced as what?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In Florida, a conviction of first-degree murder carries an automatic life
sentence without parole. So, just moments after the emotion of victory, Patrick's loved ones are
allowed to address the court as Greg Bender listens just a few feet away. First, your honor. Patrick's mother. I
want to thank all of you for having put evil where it belongs. Jessica then spoke, but chose not to
look at her tormentor. You will not win. You have only lost. I hope you feel some peace, Patrick.
Rest assured, the man who took your life is going to pay with his own life now. Then, it was Max's turn.
>> I will miss my son. And I regret that I wasn't there for him [laughter] to say
Remember that during the trial, the defense shamefully tried to suggest that Max may have been involved in his son's
murder. I hope they keep you in jail until you die there. Until you die, because the moment you
step out, I'm going to finish you off. I'm going to peel you like an onion. The same thing you did to my son.
Max, you have to address the You have to address the judge. [clears throat] I will miss my son. He
was a beautiful soul. A beautiful kid. And with that, Greg Bender was carted off to [music] prison for the rest of
his life. He lost everything. He's not going to win again, ever again. Jessica and Patricia are angry that this
restraining order they felt would offer protection for Patrick turned out to be worthless. My son would be today alive
if the restraining order had been enforced by by the law enforcement. Bender had been ordered to turn over his
gun collection to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. He never did. And without probable cause for a search
warrant, law enforcement lacked the authority to seize those weapons. It failed us. It failed Patrick. Now
behind bars, the days of Greg Bender lurking in the shadows of Jessica's life are finally over. Will you
go on with life as Patrick would like you to do? I will. I will go on for Patrick.
I will live in his happy memories close to my heart. One week after Greg Bender's conviction
was what would have been Patrick's 29th birthday. Patrick's mom and I, we went out to the
cemetery in West Palm Beach, and we just celebrate his life. We brought some cake
and we brought some champagne and What did you say to Patrick on his birthday when you were at his grave?
We finally did it. We got the guilty verdict. We always tell him we love him. We will
always love him. Accused of his mother's murder What kid could commit a crime that
violent and not leave any forensic evidence? Then sentenced to life. The state never really had any case against
this kid. >> Was he wrongfully convicted? She was very close with Michael. He was her
baby. 48 Hours, next on CBS.

48 Hours explores these true-crime cases involving double lives. Watch the YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "Dad's Double Life," "Power and Passion" and "The Ring: The Murder of Patrick de la Cerda."

00:00 Dad's Double Life 39:54 Power and Passion 01:23:00 The Ring: The Murder of Patrick de la Cerda

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "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

Patrick Welsh faked his death, leaving his family to uncover his double life and confront the emotional fallout.

Key points

A Shocking Revelation. Fifteen years after Pat's disappearance, Elizabeth receives a letter revealing he may still be alive.
Elizabeth's Quest for Justice. After discovering Pat is alive, Elizabeth seeks justice for the years lost.
Elizabeth's Heartfelt Statement. Elizabeth Walsh addresses her husband in court, detailing the pain caused by his actions.
Judgment Day for Patrick Walsh. The court confronts Patrick Walsh about his crimes and the impact on his family.
The Double Life of Steven Nodine. Steven Nodine's affair with Angel Downs reveals a complex and tumultuous relationship.
Nodine's Indictment. Just two weeks after Angel's death, Steven Nodine is indicted for her murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

To do that kind of thing, to leave every single thing you ever had behind...

Reflection on Pat's decision to fake his death.

15:59WatchMar 21, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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