First Love, Then Murder | Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] I've never spoken publicly before about any of this. Never really fully healed from any
of what happened. It's like waking up every morning and having the same phone call.
911. What is the address? That's your emergency. 911 call came in October 2nd, 2017. It was called in as a welfare
check. Something happened at my ex-husband's house over the evening and my two children came to my house this
morning. Okay. And what did they tell you exactly? That their dad's gone. Their older sister's gone.
Where are we? officer set the scene for us. This is Benson Street. And for me, this is just another welfare
check. But we don't know what we're walking into. What is your ex-husband's name? Aaron
Frier. I learned that he was a good guy. He was a good dad. What is your daughter's name? My oldest
daughter's name is Ellen Frier. How old is she? She's 15. Ellie was in the marching band. Very
bright, very intelligent. With the older daughter missing, it was very suspicious. We didn't really know how
suspicious it was until we saw what we saw when we got here. Not for police. Not yourself.
We clear the house and in the living room based on the blood splatter, there was a serious assault,
probable murder that occurred. So time was of the essence. Absolutely. Time is always of the essence. You know
it. The only information I had was from the patrol officers and what Sierra was able to tell us on scene.
[Music] I remember waking up in the middle of the night. We know at around 5:30 that Sierra heard
the glass breaking. I just started listening. Just listening to try and understand what was
happening. I was certain she had heard the assault, but she hadn't realized that. Thank God
she didn't walk out and interrupt this thing. I was very terrified. Based on what she had seen at the house, she knew
somebody wasn't okay. She went over to the couch. She felt something wet and when she pulled her hand up, it was
covered in blood. I just was in like a state of shock. Sierra could not locate her father Aaron
and her teenage sister Ellie. We treated it as a missing person's serious assault
until we know otherwise. Everyone was out looking. There was also a potential that
this was what we could refer to as a nobody homicide. And those cases are always tough to work.
As of right now in my family, there are two family members missing. It's still like an open wound
every day. [Music] [Music] The quiet city of Medford, Oregon, was shaken by Maggie Frier's desperate 911
call in the early morning hours of October 2nd, 2017. I don't know where my ex-husband or my oldest daughter is. I
understand that something happened at the house. Something happened over there. Maggie Frier's ex-husband, Aaron Frier,
and their 15-year-old daughter, Ellen, nicknamed Ellie, were missing. My concern is for the both of them. We
don't know where they are. You can only imagine all the things that were running
around in my mind. I didn't know who was dead and who was alive. When Medford Police Officer Logan Boyd
arrived at Aaron's house, he found that gruesome scene. Dude, there is blood everywhere.
Blood spattered walls, shattered glass, and a trail of blood to nowhere. See, it
starts from there and kind of goes all the way out in the dirt. It goes out towards the carport. Yeah, that's not
good. This led investigators to notice what also was missing. Aaron Frier's car. Seen here on a neighbor's security
camera leaving the Frier home around 5:30 that morning. We're kind of dealing with what I would describe as like a
two-headed monster. An all hands on deck call went out to every Medford police detective,
including Detective Bill Ford. We didn't know at that particular time whether this was a missing person case or a
kidnapping. We just didn't know. Detective Shannon Reynolds, Bill Ford's colleague and wife of 20 years, had a
different take. In my mind, I automatically assumed that the 15year-old daughter was the victim of a
homicide. So, a case like this, where did this one sort of fit in? Probably one of the most interesting um heinous
um crimes I've seen in my career. Investigators hoped Ellie's younger sister, 11-year-old Sierra, might shed
light on the unknown. Detective Reynolds, who specializes in crimes against children, was tasked with
interviewing her. Sarah wasn't like outright crying. Um, but you could tell she was worried. Who was she worried
about? Um, her dad and Ellie. I try not to really think about that time a lot. But Sierra, 18 years old at the time of
this exclusive interview, still finds it difficult to speak about the day her father and sister vanished.
I was, you know, just a child and um I'm sorry. The second of three girls, Sierra says
she loved being in the middle. I get to be an older sister and a younger sister,
so I get like the best of both worlds. I like the connection and the bonds that we have.
Sierra says her older sister, Ellie, loved music and could play many instruments.
[Music] a skill Ellie seemed to have picked up from their father. One time he tried to
teach me how to play the drums, but I wasn't very good at it. So, in 2016, Sierra's parents, Maggie and
Aaron, ended their marriage. Sierra says the divorce took a toll on her and her sisters.
It affected us a lot. It was actually not a very great experience for everyone involved.
Sierra says that when her parents separated, her dad moved into that small two-bedroom house. Maggie and Aaron
shared custody and the girls would stay with their dad every other weekend. In September 2017, Sierra decided to live
with her dad full time. I want to be around him and fill my life with him. Then around 5:30 a.m. on October 2nd,
2017, the Frier family was forever broken. Sierra was asleep in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister. I
woke up and it was just pitch black. I remember waking up to like a dinging noise over and over and over
again. Then I heard glass shatter and I heard the fight that occurred. The sound
was coming from the living room. So then what does she hear? Because she really is sort of an ear witness to all that
happened. She heard her dad yell the f-word. She heard dragging. She heard things being moved.
After that, it was completely silent. Did she have any idea what was going on at the time? No. She was frightened
enough to stay in her room until she felt like it was okay to come out. When Sierra finally did come
out, she found that horrific scene. It had to be so scary, though. So scary. Sierra told Detective Reynolds that
before leaving her room, she had seen something out of her bedroom window. She could see people walking back and forth.
Sierra saw two young men outside of her dad's house. One was a person Sierra didn't know. The second was someone
Sierra immediately recognized. It was Gavin McFarland. He was Ellen's boyfriend at the time.
This was her big love. According to her, he was a great guy, but according to my
parents, he was not a great guy. Sierra insinuated this was a little bit of a forbidden love. Dad had forbade
Ellie from seeing Gavin. This was the break investigators had been hoping for. Once we have a name, Gavin McFarland,
now we got a picture. Now we know who we're looking for. The search for Aaron and Ellie Frier and
now Gavin McFarland was on. We probably had 70 75 people out on the streets of Medford.
Ellie and Aaron's phones were found in the house. Investigators now began tracking Gavin's phone. We started
getting cell phone tower hits up in the East Medford area. Patrol officers immediately headed in that direction. A
patrol sergeant locates the car. That was huge. As the officers approached Aaron Frier's vehicle, they realized
that something wasn't right. We could see there was blood on the outside of the bumper that had been dripping down.
When this trunk is opened up, there is large amounts of blood. I mean, it is soaked into the carpet, but no Aaron and
no Ellie. But the car was still warm, so the police knew they were close. We had
tons of people up there driving around looking for them. And then just an hour later, investigators couldn't believe
who they found next. [Music] Their dad's gone. Their older sister's gone. Then just 4 hours after that 911 call
reporting her missing, Medford police found Ellie Frier. She was alive, seemingly unharmed, and had been walking
down a busy street with Gavin McFarland. They're walking down the sidewalk in plain sight. Plain sight. So now we know
Ellie's safe, which made two things clear. Aaron Frier was the victim and based on all that
blood in his car and at the house, time was quickly running out to find him. We had errands out there either seriously
injured or deceased. Walking along with Gavin and Elli was someone investigators hadn't been
looking for. Do you have ID with your name on there? Uh, no, I don't. I hardly ever carry my
ID around. Okay. He turned out to be Russell Jones. I'm super a friend of Gavins.
I won't make it hard on you. All right. Russell had apparently made an impression on Sierra Frier, says
Detective Shannon Reynolds. He matched the description of that second young man she saw at her father's house that
morning. So, she got a really good look at this person. Investigators now had a witness placing Gavin and Russell at the
crime scene. Detective Ford says he wasn't sure what to make of Ellie being found with them. That doesn't mean that
Ellie's involved in something, but Ford says that she, Gavin, or Russell might hold the key to finding Aaron.
Ellie, Gavin and Russell are separated with us. We're not, detained, and transported to
the Medford Police Department for questioning. Hi. Hello. Detective Stephanie Jackson
was tasked with getting Ellie Frier's account of the previous 24 hours. So, what have you been up to today? I
haven't been home and now I'm really concerned about what's been going on. Mhm. Where were you?
How? Ellie was saying everything had seemed normal when she left her father's house
for a long walk. And you were walking down the street, it sounds like, today? Mhm. Who were you with? I was with my
friends. According to Ellie, she had run into those friends, Gavin and Russell, only by chance, not long before being
spotted by police. And so, everybody is really concerned because we actually don't know where
your dad is right now. That's really disturbing to hear. Maybe he was looking for me.
We are very worried about your dad. So am I. Ellie was saying she had no idea where her father was or what happened at
the house. So where did all the blood come from in your house? I don't know. Around that time, Detective Ford was
preparing to interrogate the other two detainees. Strategically, he decided to let Gavin
wait in a holding cell and began interviewing Russell. Spin around in your chair there and face me so I can
talk to you. He's a talker. Very, very talkative. So, I kind of knew he would have a hard time keeping his mouth shut.
Yeah, I have nothing to hide. So, Russell was ready to talk, but he wanted something first. A cigarette. I talk
better when I have a cigarette. Detective Ford took him outside. Just kind of smoking and joking is what
we call it. The camera didn't record audio, but Detective Ford says Russell began telling him that he and Gavin had
gone over to the frier house early that morning. He told us that he was trying to help
get Ellie out of a bad situation. That bad situation, according to Russell, was Aaron Frier.
And the first thing that he tells us is he's not a good person. Aaron Frier is not a good person. Correct.
He didn't elaborate further about Aaron, but Russell was claiming he and Gavin were only there to secretly move Ellie
out. So the next thing I tell him is, "Look, Russell, we got detectives out there right now pulling video from every
house, the alleys. So if this ain't the truth, you need to be truthful with me right now." now. And he looks me square
in the eyes and he says, "Well, 95% of it's the truth and there's five 5% of it's a lie." So, I'm thinking
automatically, "Well, what's the lie here?" Detective Ford decided it was time for a new tactic and tried
appealing to Russell's conscience. I look at him and I'm like, you know, Russell, I don't want a child to find
Aaron out there somewhere, come across something like that. I said, "Can you take us to Aaron?" He
didn't beat an eye. He's just like, "Yeah, I'll take you to him." The veteran detective wasted no time.
We load Russell up. He's actually sitting in the seat that you're sitting in now. Okay. We got him handcuffed in
front. He's basically telling us, "Okay, turn right, turn left." They were ascending a rural mountain
pass 20 miles outside town. And all of a sudden, Russell says, "Stop. Stop right
here. [Music] [Music] Where did you stop your car back there? Uh, probably right where that rock is.
Do you see the body right away? You could see the tarp. You couldn't see any portion of the body right here in this
green tarp. Detectives descended the wooded ravine and pulled back that tarp, revealing
that just 6 hours after that 911 call, they had found Aaron Frier. It was obvious that he was deceased.
When you found out your husband was dead, what did you think? Uh, I was just completely shocked. I
didn't know what to think. Maggie says the police hadn't yet told her Ellie was in their custody being questioned or
even that she had been found. I was very worried about the fate of my daughter. I
had no idea if my daughter was even alive, too. Maggie then faced the unimaginable task
of sharing the news of Aaron's death with their two younger daughters. The reality was almost too much for them
11-year-old Sierra. I just really didn't want to believe it for a really long time.
While investigators began processing the scene, Detective Ford drove Russell Jones back to police
headquarters. He says Russell was claiming that all he had done was help dispose of Aaron's remains. He's like,
"I'm not going to be a witness against Gavin." Russell was saying Gavin was Aaron's
killer, but that Gavin had been provoked. His story was that Aaron had a rifle and was pointing at Gavin. So So
making it seem like a self-defense because if he had a gun pointed at him. Exactly. You can sit in that chair over
there. Okay. Back at the station, Detective Ford returned Russell to the interrogation room while detectives
gathered for a briefing. You're listening in on my conversations, aren't you? That's when Russell began taunting them
through the camera. I can still twist your little mind. Don't piss me off. This, I imagine, got everybody to stop
what they were doing and gather around the monitor and watch this. That's what you do. So, we can play it the easy way
or the hard way. He would go into these rants and making demands and stuff. Gavin and Ellie are to be released to
me. And Russell was claiming he still hadn't been totally truthful. And Mr. Ford, you want the whole
story? Cuz I did miss a few parts. For her part, Ellie was now saying Russell was the one responsible.
I I believe that Russell's the one that killed my father. All right. With the conflicting claims,
Detective Ford decided it was finally time to interview Gavin McFarland. I know I'm in serious trouble, aren't I?
Well, we need to figure out what happened. Gavin started by saying how volatile Aaron Frier could be.
He's threatened my life. He's lying. No, stay away from my daughter. I'm going to
kill you. One month earlier, Gavin had called the police, claiming Aaron had shown up at
his house, banging on his door, threatening to kill him. I don't know what caused him to not like me anymore.
Detectives discovered at least one reason, Gavin's age. He was 19 years old dating 15-year-old Ellie. And making
things worse, Gavin was now claiming Ellie was going to have his baby. She told you she was pregnant? I've known
for about 2 weeks now. While Gavin was admitting to having a sexual relationship with a minor, itself a
crime. He was accusing Aaron of being the one who had been abusive to Ellie. The anger had just been building up
because of the things that Ellie had been telling me. Mhm. Trying to protect Ellie. Okay. My possible trial.
Gavin was claiming he and Russell had gone to the house that morning. But unlike what Russell said that Aaron had
not confronted him with the gun. Instead, Gavin was saying Aaron had been in the living room asleep on the couch
and that Gavin had crept in armed with a baseball bat. Then Gavin made a startling admission. I just acted on
instinct. Okay, tell him what happened. I just swung the bat downwards. It was dark. I couldn't see. How many times do
you think you hit him? Like five or six, maybe? Five or six times. Yeah, the physical evidence would back up
Gavin's story. Aaron had died from blunt force trauma to his head and a bat was recovered from a tree branch above where
his remains had been found. So, this is aluminum bat discoloration. You can see it's red here. This is all blood.
testing would confirm the blood was Aaron's. And he demonstrated for us in the interview room how hard he swung it
down on Aaron's head. I went over the shoulder the first time and then I started going up above my
head. I mean, there were five distinct blows to his head. Explaining that dinging
sound Sierra Frier had heard. I fractured his skull, caved his skull into his brain.
I'm I'm really sorry. And investigators soon found evidence that Aaron's murder had been
meticulously plotted for weeks. They discovered notes, some in Russell's handwriting, at Gavin's house.
We found several murder plans and they actually had plan A, plan B. There were multiple plans and I think ultimately
they come up with the bat. And based on what you could see from the planning, who's the mastermind of all of
this? Ellie, believe it or not. Detective Ford says he believes it was Ellie who wanted
Aaron murdered, pointing to messages Ford says she sent to Gavin. In one, she says, "We need to make sure he's dead by
the time we leave his house." And in another, she asked, "You want to kill him now, don't you? And then you can
kill him in less than a minute, right?" She's pushing it all. She wants to be with Gavin. She
wants to be out from underneath the authority of her father. Ellie wanted me to kill him, but I didn't want to.
Detective Ford says Ellie might have made up those abuse allegations, possibly as a way to
motivate Gavin to kill her father. She is very manipulative. From me watching that
entire interview, she lied. Ellie. No. Then lied. How old are you? 18. And lied. How did Gavin get in the house
this morning? He wasn't in the house. After several hours, Ellie did eventually admit some of her role, even
saying that she had handed Gavin the murder weapon. And what do you say to Gavin? I said, "I'm ready when you are."
Okay. What did you mean by that? When you do this, we're in it together. What did you mean when you said when you
do this? Kill my dad. With evidence, they all conspired to kill Aaron. Gavin, Russell, and Ellie were
charged with his murder. From the day after she was arrested, there was this narrative and
her side was never told. until now. The story that the state has, why is it the right one?
[Music] My daughter left to go stay at my ex-husband's house for the weekend and
never came home. I imagine that moment haunts you still. Of course it does. My child never came
home. After hours of worry, Maggie Frier was finally told her 15-year-old daughter
Ellie had been located. I got a phone call from a police officer that they found her.
But worry morphed into anger when she was then told Ellie had been arrested for her father's murder. Go and take a
seat. And I said, "So, you've had my daughter in your custody interrogating her and you never once called me to let
me know so I could maybe get her some representation." Alisa Kaplan eventually became one of
Ellie's attorneys. She says the narrative about Ellie Frier has been wrong from the very beginning. In this
case, she was made out to be the mastermind or something. You know, she planned all of this when she was 15
years old and they were 19 and 22. She was the manipulator. She was the manipulator, right? And that this was
all because of her relationship with an older man. But Kaplan says this crime actually happened because of the alleged
abuse Ellie suffered at the hands of her father, Aaron. She was sexually abused,
emotionally abused, and physically abused. Abuse that Ellie described in her police
interrogation. He used to be a good father, but he started getting abusive about 3 years ago.
I picked out a bunch of things, but reading from the case file, Kaplan recounted several allegations of
molestation and abuse, warning, the following may be disturbing to hear. Her father would
grab at her breasts. He told her to give in to him. And he tried to take my clothes
off and I slapped him away. He was trying to He would masturbate on top of her when he thought she was sleeping.
Felt so dirty and so ashamed of myself. He pushed her downstairs. Called her idiot,
stupid. shamed her. and you would pin me up against the wall and you would call me those names. And then when he
would get drunk, it would all get worse. As a police report shows, three of Ellie's friends told investigators that
Ellie said her dad abuses her. Ellie shared that her dad was rough on her and emotionally and physically abused her.
And Ellie said her dad mentally and verbally abused her. But Ellie admits she never told her friends about the
sexual molestation. And neither Ellie nor her friends told the police about any kind of abuse before her father's
murder. And as far as allegations of abuse, was there any evidence whatsoever that your detectives could find to back
up what Ellen Frier was saying happened to her? No, there was not. Detective Ford says with Aaron's death,
the possibility of proving abuse may have died with him. We can't go to Aaron and ask Aaron,
"Were you abusing your daughter?" We may never know the truth. If she told her mom, did she tell her
mom ahead of time? Have you thought about having a conversation with your mom about that? No, I'm horrified to
even talk about it. Who have you talked to about your dad masturbating? I told Gavin about it, but that's it.
Ellie told Detective Jackson that the first time she had told Gavin was 2 days before he bludgeoned her father to
death. Cuz I know this is hard to talk about. I know. Why me? Why did he do it to me? I don't I
have no idea what he's done to my sisters. I see a teenager who would do anything
to survive and to protect her sisters. Detective Shannon Reynolds says 11-year-old Sierra was asked if there
were any problems at home. She actually only had good things to say about her father. When Detective Reynolds
interviewed the youngest Frier daughter, she recalled the last conversation she had with
Ellie. Minutes after their father's murder, she had said that Ellie had woken her up and she said she was
leaving and that she was leaving because mom and dad were abusive. Before Reynolds could say anything, the
8-year-old gave her opinion on the matter. And she told me, "My mom and dad were not abusive." Both of Ellie's
sisters told Reynolds that what Ellie had called abuse was actually their parents disciplining her for sneaking
around with Gavin. Cuz they took her electronics away and they yelled at her. What do you say to that? Yeah. Well,
they were younger, right? This is actually very common in families where there's abuse that there's one child who
takes on the majority of it and want to protect the others in the family. You know, you you describe her as this
protective older sister, but yet she left them there at the house. How is that protecting them? Yeah. And I think,
you know, those are things that Ellen will live with for the rest of her life. And she clearly understands how much
damage she has caused her sister. Detective Ford says that with no evidence to back up Ellie's abuse
claims, he remains suspicious that she may have made it all up to manipulate Gavin. Seen here with Ellie on a store
security camera hours after the murder. And it turns out Ellie was never pregnant. I think you got to look at it
two ways. Maybe she thought she was pregnant or maybe she's using that to influence
Gavin to kill her dad. Ellie's legal team says Ellie did think she was pregnant, which is why she
bought a pregnancy test while at the store. Investigators say it's clear Ellie Frier has an issue with the truth.
She lied during that interview for no reason. Kaplan says much has been made of the many lies Ellie told during her
police interrogation. As a parent, we all we all know that our kids sometimes do that. But Kaplan says
the real focus should be on the hours and hours and hours Ellie spent in that interview room. I have the right to
remain silent. She asked to not talk. She said, "I want to remain silent." Right. She was there for 10 hours
straight. But with your wishing to remain silent, it's really difficult to kind of get to the bottom of all of
that. Then let's talk. a minor without a guardian or attorney. Is it normal to keep a
15-year-old in an interrogation room for 10 hours like that? Yeah. I mean, there's no law against it. So, we gave
her breaks. I found blankets. There was times where she laid on the floor and slept.
Kaplan says that although it may have been legal in Oregon, it wasn't right. And look, police have their jobs to do.
I get it. I just think the rules are really different when you have a kid and in that she looks like a kid.
She's acting like a kid. She's in fear like a kid would be. A kid who Kaplan says was taken
advantage of by someone she calls another abuser. 19-year-old Gavin McFarland. a grown man reaching over to
a 15-year-old girl who was so vulnerable. No matter what her text messages said, no matter what her
involvement was, I don't even understand how you don't look at that as him being
the controller. Detective Reynolds says she saw some of that controlling behavior on
display in letters Gavin wrote to Ellie after they were arrested. [Music] He was saying that she needed to be sure
to say that her dad was abusing her. And he was telling her, "We're going to take
this to a jury and we're going to win the jury over." And the way to do that is to
cry. Make sure you cry. [Music] [Music] I've given everything I can and when this goes to court, I would like to be
tried as an adult. But there would be no trial. In January of 2019, a little more
than a year after her father's death, Ellie Frier took a plea deal. How did you feel about that decision?
I didn't like it cuz I'm pretty sure that she did it cuz she was scared. I don't think she wanted to go to court.
Ellie Frier pleaded guilty to an adult charge of conspiring to murder her father, Aaron.
I'm first like to say that I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused to others.
The deal was brokered by a different defense attorney. According to court documents, that attorney wrote that
Ellie Frier's codefendants, Gavin McFarland and Russell Jones, were going to be testifying against her and say
that she was the mastermind behind all of this. It was her idea from the beginning. Ellie's text messages would
have been used against her at trial, too. Elisa Kaplan began working on Ellie Frier's behalf in 2024. I run the
criminal justice reform clinic. We are looking at Ellen's case mostly because we believe that she has an excessive
sentence. And what is her sentence? 25 years. McFarland and Jones also took plea deals with Gavin McFarland pleading
guilty to murder and murder conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Russell Jones entered a
nocontest plea to conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 15 years. Kaplan is fighting to reduce Ellie
Frier's sentence. She says Ellie should not have been sentenced to 10 more years
than Jones for the same crime. She was 15. He was 22 and her sentence is so much bigger
than his. The idea that Ellen is the master manipulator. I mean, she's a 15year-old. I mean, don't they bear more
responsibility because they're the adults? I don't I wouldn't agree with that. Ellie is absolutely just as responsible
as Gavin, except Gavin was the one that took and held the bat in his hands. Detective Shannon Reynolds isn't as
certain as her husband about Ellie Frier's role. I go back and forth. The mastermind of it, I initially thought
was Ellie. Then reading the letters from Gavin that he wrote to Ellie telling her
what she needed to say. Then I started to think maybe Gavin was the mastermind of all this. I go back and forth. Ford
says regardless of who crafted the plan, all three are responsible in the eyes of
the law because without her this wouldn't have happened. Without Gavin, this wouldn't have
happened. I doubt without Russell it could have happened. I want to be very clear. She was involved. She
participated. She was a co-conspirator. No doubt, right? She takes full accountability for her role
in this crime. Ellie Frier, now 23, has been serving her sentence in a juvenile detention center. In December of 2026,
she'll be moved to an adult prison. and she recently earned two master's degrees, one in psychology and another
in justice studies, which by the way is not that easy to do when you're in prison. She's really incredible. I am
very proud of her. I've always been proud of her after what she went [Music] through. Aaron's dead. Who's going to
speak out for Aaron? Sierra Frier will. My dad was a kind man who loved me and my sisters and always tried to fill my
life with joy. He was a great father to me. He goes with me wherever I go. Sierra has
joined the National Guard, something she says her father always wanted for her. It's mind-blowing that that little girl
I interviewed is now grown up. The fact that she's joining the National Guard lets me know she didn't let this, you
know, derail her life. A life Sierra has had to live without her father, whose memory has been marred by those abuse
allegations. A 48 hours producer asked Sierra about them. Ellie claims that your father abused her. What do you have
to say to that? Uh, I don't really want to talk about that just cuz I have my own feelings about it. Sierra is just as
guarded when it comes to her thoughts about her sister Ellie, though the two have maintained a relationship over the
years. It's very hard to explain because a lot of people wouldn't understand. I've got my own feelings about her.
[Music] But Sierra's feelings about her father are very clear. I love him and I'm so
sorry for everything that happened. I have faith and I have hope that one day, you know, we'll meet again.
[Music] [Music] Was the Ferris family a happy family? No. A wealthy man's murder leads to a
mother's unthinkable accusation. I want everyone, especially my children, to know I didn't do this. I know who did.
48 Hours is all new CBS next Saturday, 10:9 Central and streaming on Paramount Plus.

When an Oregon teen disappears, investigators discover her forbidden relationship led to murder. "48 Hours" contributor Natalie Morales reports. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Go deeper into the case with the "Post Mortem" video podcast: https://youtu.be/r7Jiss75VIo

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

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Brief Summary

The episode details the murder of Aaron Frier, the disappearance of his daughter Ellen, and the subsequent investigation and arrests of those involved.

Key points

Maggie's Desperate 911 Call. Maggie Frier reports her ex-husband and daughter missing, sparking a frantic investigation.
Gruesome Discovery at the Frier Home. Police find a horrific scene with blood everywhere, indicating a serious crime.
Ellie Found Alive. Just hours after the 911 call, Ellie is found alive but the search for Aaron continues.
Gavin's Startling Admission. Gavin admits to attacking Aaron with a baseball bat, claiming it was instinct.
Ellie's Manipulative Role. Detectives uncover messages suggesting Ellie may have masterminded her father's murder.
Ellie's Arrest and Charges. Ellie Frier was arrested for her father's murder, leading to a complex narrative.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It's still like an open wound every day.

Reflecting on the ongoing pain of loss.

3:12WatchApr 24, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.