Memories of Loved Ones | "48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

[Music] that crime scene was just brutal and evil and just [Music] ugly Linda Slayton remembered as a
loving mother was found dead in this home in 1981 it was a case that went cold for nearly four decades when two
brothers who weren't sure whether their mother's murder would ever be solved got
a chance of I freaked out I started crying I saw the whole crime scene right then and there as a 12-year-old kid I'd
have died that night trying to save my mom but I didn't hear nothing it's so hard to live with that
that one case just bothered me the way I saw that lady he entered that window and he went
out of that window and that's where I got this print from son of a [ __ ] walking the street he's out free we
truly felt that the person that left us DNA behind was the person that actually killed her the boyfriend of Linda
certainly high on the list her ex-husband was another one all you need is a DNA match a hit that's all I need
is a hit in the database and the further we went the longer we went the more discouraging you
got the Hope started fading you can't lose your mom no worse than we lost our mom it's a nightmare I
wouldn't wish on nobody I love you girl now we can't undo the tragedy we can never make up for what
happened the best outcome is that they get Justice I I may die I never know who did this you know loved ones and
especially children of a murder victim they need those answers remember how many techs we had to go through over the
years we was going to let them know we're still here here and we want we wanted who killed our
mom 38 years after this brutal murder that is felt like it know would be soft 38 years of more than two dozen
detectives coming up empty every turn I was striking out how long did it take you chromosome 3
chromosome 4 to solve this crime two days [Music] [Music] on the morning of September 4th
1981 you're going to walk Three to down mhm and have a cup of coffee with your sister
right when Judy Butler knocked on her older sister's front door Linda Slayton never answered at the time the sisters
both lived in this Lakeland apartment complex so you started to walk back to your
place and what happened and I turn and I see that the screen is out of the window Linda's bedroom window was wide
open Judy walked over and looked inside and my vision comes across her where was she she was laying instead of
up and down on the bed she was laying Crossways and at first I thought maybe she was
asleep and then then I just started screaming when police arrived they found the partially Ned body of Linda Slayton
31 with a wire coat hanger wrapped around her neck the killer had entered her bedroom
through the open window the crackle of Police radios inside the small two-bedroom apartment
woke up Linda's 15-year-old son Jeff sleeping on a cot in the living room I asked him what is going on he said
police officer put on some clothes and go outside and he made sure I went out the front
door and when I went out there it looked like every cop in the state of Florida cruise and man J was out there crying
and she told my mom been murdered then I just couldn't believe it in the apartment second bedroom
another officer woke up Linda's younger son Tim then 12 years old he goes do you
need to wake up and go outside with your brother he never mentioned my mom like why why he not saying my mom why's the
cop waking me up still in his pajamas Tim walked pass his mother's closed bedroom door
suddenly it swung open as an officer left the room and I saw the whole crime scene I
mean I saw my mom's bloody body with a coat hang around her neck you can't unsee that
no and I still see it in 19 1974 Linda Slayton was a 24-year-old single mom finally free she
had just divorced Jeff and Tim's abusive father Frank Slayton after nine volatile
years of marriage he was a violent alcoholic to be honest with you yes did he hit your mom no
yeah in the years that followed nothing was easy for the young family Linda struggled for work made her own clothes
to save money and couldn't afford a car if you couldn't get a ride to practice who would take you coach come pick us up
that's Coach Joe as the kids called him he often drove Tim and some other boys to and from football
practice on the last full day of her life Linda and Jeff argued tensions had been rising with her teenage son I
remember coming home there was nothing eat in the house you know how it is when you're 15 16 old kid you're mouthy
and I got mad and I went out the door and got on my bicycle on Road 11 or 12 milesi to the north side of town they go
to Grandma and Grandpa's house get something to eat at 8:30 that night Tim came home from football practice the
coach brought me home around 9:00 Linda took Tim to a party next door to play cards grandma
grandpa brought me home about I think it was around 9 9 or 9:30 or so Linda and Tim came home about 11: by midnight Jeff
made up with his mom he says and still remembers their final moment together she's washing a dishes and stuff when
she went to uh to go to her bedroom I said I love you Mom I'll see you tomorrow you
[Music] [Music] know what do you remember about the this Lon case I can remember everything about
it going to that Wonder looking at it where he went through it then uh went in then the children was
asleep and I saw that coat hanger around her neck former Sergeant Edgar picket now 94
years old was a legendary fingerprint expert with the Lakeland Police Department he led the crime scene unit
in fact the crime lab Bears his name but that sort of recognition was a long time
coming arriving at the Slayton crime scene in 1981 picket then 53 was just a year away
from retirement but his hard-earned reputation had never spared him from Prejudice so you pull up at the scene
and another detective says what to you that a black man don't have any business looking at a naked white woman even
though she was a homicide victim that's correct Sergeant picket believed Linda Slayton had been strangled with a coat
hanger from her own closet he dusted most of the bedroom for fingerprints even the floor and then I
got that print off of that window seal it was a palm print with a fingerprint you got the most important print there
is I knew it the evidence picket uncovered would play a crucial role decades later especially the palm print
that really had never seen anybody in the shape that that lady was in and I've seen a lot of people
killed an autopsy later confirmed what he already knew Linda Slayton had been sexually assaulted and strangled to
death swabs taken and preserved in a rape kit revealed seen that morning picket says his thoughts kept returning to
Linda slayton's boys I had children too and I really wanted to clear that case I
did you guys are standing on the spot mhm where your life changed yes right here when I stopped being a kid was
right there you were 15 15 you really felt like this was the end of your childhood right here yes sir I think
exactly what it did when my Judy told my mom been murdered emerging through the terror and
tears that September morning 41 years ago the questions kept coming why who who could have done such an evil thing
[Music] on that late Summer Morning in 1981 Jeff and Tim Slayton faced a frightening World they no longer
recognized a world without their mother how do 12 and 15year old boys process that deal with
that there was hard yeah I thought about him been suicide a couple times it was that
bad the brothers moved in with their grandparents Clarence and Margaret Harris we just we stayed in the house we
didn't go anywhere scared of death scared of death you know to do [Music] anything for those first terrifying days
the family slept in the same room except Grandpa Harris and he was staying guard
with a gun all night while we slept the grandparents hoped a quick return to familiar routines would help their
distraught grandsons a few weeks after their mom's funeral the boys were back in school and just you know being with
friends and just just started living life again I guess you know going back to football his teammates and Coach Joe in
particular were always supportive always rooting for him says Tim and I looked up
to this guy he was my assistant football coach un rides to games rides to practice Tim's team football photo hung
in his bedroom it was taken just 1 month after the murder the picture was a reminder he says of something his mom
had taught him to keep moving forward and never give up she was a fighter yes oh yes oh yeah oh yes she might have
weighed 100 lb soak and wet but she was pretty tough everybody liked her that met her everybody was asking her her
date CU she was so young and pretty and then Linda met and married Frank Slayton he was a mean no count
scoundrel the brothers say it's hard to know when their dad began to beat their mom the more he drank the more violent
he became I remember one time he was in the bathroom he had her bite of throat with a gun to her head and I was coming
there trying to get him off of her I feel like it saved her that you know that night that day but you were just a
little guy yourself yeah I was only six and a half seven years old [Music] Frank slayton's history of abuse made
him a person of interest for Lakeland detectives but investigators seem satisfied that Slayton was home in
Alabama on the night of the murder at the time of her death Linda had a boyfriend he too had a credible Alibi
others were looked at like the partygoers next door but no one was charged lak police they used come down
to take me out of school and they was always interrogating me all the time in the early days it sounds like who the
police really were most thorough in checking out was me as a 15-year-old Jeff had plenty of
typical teen conflicts with his mom which he readily admitted to detectives including that heated argument on the
last day of her life know they had me put on lot tector test one time and I passed it then they wanted to do it
again they want to put me on hypnosis and then there's one time one of the cops he's like you got big arms on you
and you're strong enough put your hands around your mom's neck and kill her what
who was do that to a kid I was 15y old kid hurting and say that to me me that's that's always
hurt finally Jeff's grandparents said enough it's like get out there and find Who Killed My Daughter leave this kid
leave his family alone two weeks later according to the Lakeland police report Jeff took took a second polygraph test
and was cleared at that point the investigation slowed then ground to a halt as the years passed Jeff and Tim
started their own families but to this day there is still grief and guilt for not hearing anything that night for not
coming to their mom's rescue I'd have died that night trying to save my mom but I mean we're right there in the
house how can you not hear something like that and they lived in fear of the man
they called the monster unless he was dead he was out there somewhere around the 20th anniversary of
their mom's murder Jeff and Tim met with Lakeland detective Brad GCE who was taking a fresh look at the case soon as
Jeff and Tim walked in the door I realized I had known Jeff for years since I was in my 20s
through Bowling I was like BR sure enough I knew him from Bowling years ago Grace took DNA samples from the brothers
to clear them again then gave Jeff something in return a promise he made me promise that I wouldn't retire until I
solved his mother's case and I I wanted to so bad for him and his brother I did Grace had already sent DNA from the
Slayton rape kit to the state's major Crime Lab at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement the FDLE do you have any
confidence that you could solve it I was hoping DNA would you know it was becoming a big tool by March 1999 the
FDLE had developed a full DNA profile of Linda slayton's Anonymous killer all you
need is a DNA match a hit that's all I need is a hit in the D dat base detective Grace took dozens of DNA
samples from prior Persons of Interest submitting them to the FDLE for comparison we were trying everything
even the brother's father Frank Slayton who had stopped drinking volunteered a sample none
matched then in September 2001 Grace got a tip nearly a year after the Slayton killing a 24-year-old man named Jimmy
hmer pulled a 10-year-old girl through her bedroom window and nearly killed her he was convicted of that and sentenced
to like 80 years in prison the Savage assault seemed eerily similar to the Slayton case and detective Grace
discovered that around the time of Linda slayton's murder Jimmy Almer had been staying with a friend who happened to
live in the very same apartment complex as Slayton hang on Jimmy was staying in an apartment right across the way from
the slats yes you must have felt like that's our guy I felt very strong I did om had died in prison 5 years
earlier in 1996 but Grace got a DNA sample from his mother I honestly felt that when we got
the results back that we would know who did it and we get the the notice that it
was him at that point you must have been like we're never going to solve this thing I sure felt that way it was very
discouraging you know it's like oh my God we're back to square one again you feel like he's on a roller coaster for
pretty much your whole life by 2005 detective Grace was heading up a new Cold Case unit and the FBI was
running the DNA profile of slayton's killer continuously through all federal data banks
but the years continued to pass without a match Jeff would call and Jeff I I got
nothing for you you know that hurt my heart too you know Grace had a growing suspicion he was chasing a ghost I
honestly thought the suspect might be deceased he had made that promise to the brothers that he wouldn't retire until
their monster was caught I had some medical things that were popping up it was a promise he he couldn't keep
detective Grace retired in 2015 there was probably nothing in your professional life you wanted more than
to call Jeff Slayton and say got him absolutely after detective BR grass retired I'm like I like well
I'm probably to take my last breath and I know who murder my mom I already starting to come to terms with
it but 3 years later there was renewed hope a groundbreaking DNA technology began to Electrify the law enforcement
community and genetic genealogist CC Moore was taking on the Slaton case I was determined I was going to
help these boys find out who killed their mom see more photos from the case at 48
hours.com CC Moore is a renowned expert in the field of investigative genetic genealogy
if you have that DNA there is no reason you cannot solve that mystery whatever that mystery
is Moore launched her hunt for Linda slayton's Killer by uploading the anonymous DNA from slayton's rape kit to
a public Genealogy website called Jed match she then meticulously constructed Branch by Branch his genetic family tree
I built the family trees of those people who share DNA with him and then I identify common ancestors between those
people she made those connections by pouring over birth certificates marriage licenses obituaries and social media to
fill in the family tree with names it sounds like basically you're putting together a
giant jigsaw puzzle yes as my work is constantly putting together puzzles piece by piece by
piece these matches all share DNA with each other so they're my first genetic Network CC Mo uncovered three genetic
networks branches of the killer family tree that ultimately narrowed to the one person most likely responsible
for the murder of Linda Slayton fortunately those three genetic networks converged into one family tree that
pointed at one immediate family and he was the only son in that family and we knew the killer was a male so it had to
be him that was the DNA contributor after hundreds of leads and dead ends after dozens of suspects were
investigated and cleared CC Moore identified the probable killer in one weekend there was just one person who
was high confidence and who was that Joseph Clinton Mills Joseph Clinton Mills Coach Joe who
drove Linda slayton's 12-year-old son Tim to and from practice but authorities wanted to be certain before they
notified the brothers and then there is a sort of exhilaration because he's alive and so there's a real chance for
justice and maybe even answers CC Moore's final 2019 report confirmed that Joseph Mills then 58 was living in
Kathleen Florida about half an hour from the crime scene and I reviewed the case
and I'm like I remember that name I I remember seeing that name that that guy was
interviewed detectives Tammy Hathcock and Russell Hurley were the next generation of Lakeland investigators
leading the Slayton Cold Case I'm telling you it's like I won the lottery I I remember grabbing that piece of
paper from the report and just running down the hallway to my sergeant saying oh my God he was interviewed he was
interviewed according to the case File investigators did question Joseph Mills then 20 years old just one day after the
murder he was very basically touched I mean like just a very brief interview and it was conducted on the phone not in
person the fact that investigators never question Mills face to face suggests he
was never considered a suspect during the brief call Mills acknowledged he had driven Tim Slayton home from football
practice on September 3rd just hours later Linda Slayton was dead how was Joseph
Mills not followed up on more aggressively in 1981 at that point I mean he was just a football coach that
had dropped off Timmy he was never on their radar to be a suspect just based off of the information that they were
given by Timmy and by by Mr Mills Joseph Mills seen here in a 1984 driver's license photo was convicted
that year of Grand Theft for forging a will he never went to jail but he was fingerprinted Lakeland Police also took
a palm print in August 2019 investigators compared those prints to the one Sergeant picket lifted off
slayton's window sill nearly 38 years before when the prince came back there was a match yes high-tech genetic
genealogy had identified Mills as the likely killer and an old-fashioned palm print match helped confirm his identity
but Hathcock and Hurley still needed to compare a fresh DNA sample from Mills to
the decades old DNA recovered from the crime scene as we had to get his DNA without his knowledge and see if we can
get a match we had to do some surveillance it was several weekends that we were following him around trying
to get discarded just looking for a cup that he drank from or a tissue that he used
anything after tracking Mills with no luck the detectives decided it was time to get their hands dirty they covertly
took Mill's trash back to the police department here we are in dress clothes just digging through trash bags not the
most glamorous thing they discovered a piece of used medical adhesive tape and sent it off to the FDLE crime lab for
testing after searching Mill's trash they dug through his life he's been married to the same woman and he lived
in the same place he was a business owner a cleaning service was a truck driver over the years he had a family
married kids married kids grandkids 11 days later the stunning lab result Joseph Mills 2019 DNA found on the
medical table and the 1981 unknown DNA from Linda slayton's rape kit were a spot-on
match that's when the brothers were told the monster had been found this guy you
last knew as coach Joe oh my goodness mhm it was him and I had a picture of my house ever since
then he never knew it was him Tim's 1981 team football photo a source of Pride for years sickens him today
because standing directly behind him is the man he once trusted and admired Coach Joe I've been carrying the
Killer's picture of my house this whole time and never had a clue even after the
murder Joseph Mills continued driving Tim to and from football practice picking him up and dropping him off at
his grandparents house he'd ask us how the case was going he wouldn't ask questions about he just what is any new
news or any new leads and I was like no nothing you know he's talking to a 12-year-old boy and trying to keep tabs
on a murder investigation through the the son of the murdered woman yeah yes when he knows exactly who did it he's a
cold holder monster is for sure December 12th 2019 the detectives moved in arresting
Joseph Mills you have the right to remain silent anything you say can you use to
get sh he was calm cool and Collective like it was another day on the beach most
people's reaction would be why am I being arrest it why are you taking me in you expected some of that right some
kind of emotion and nothing [Music] [Music] it's been 38 years and I'm sure you go
to bed every night thinking about this I have no doubt in my mind detectives hatcock and Hurley
finally had Joseph Mills right where they wanted him in the claustrophobic confines of a police interview room when
I pick the boys up we we we stayed in the vehicle and I don't recall of going to in or out of a house
period there's no way that is the truth I mean he's saying he's never been in there we got him what we have tells us a
different story okay you were in that apartment ratcheting up the pressure the detectives told Mills they had
overwhelming evidence placing him inside Linda slayton's bedroom your fingerprints matches you the DNA matches
you that's when Mill's story began to change and then how did you end up going through her
window is like an invitation an invitation from Linda Slayton Mills claimed for consensual
sex a Flatout lie say the detectives he said it was a sex game that she had had the hanger around her neck when he came
through the window and she asked him to tighten it down and then did you start applying
pressure yes and when I pointed out well the brutality of the hanger and how deep it
was into her skin he stuck with the it was a game you purposely killed her we all all sitting here we know
that at the end of the day what happened here I think it's pretty evident that he
targeted her after dropping off Tim from football practice on September 3rd 1981 Joseph Mills returned later that
night the detectives say breaking in through Linda slayton's bedroom window no one heard Mills they believe because
no one was home Jeff was still at his grandparents house Linda and Tim were at the party next door if you look at the
crime and all that the hanger obviously came from the closet we figured that's what happened as he was hiding in the
closet were you ever in the closet in the final moments of her life the detectives believe that Linda after
saying good night to her sons walked into her bedroom and closed the door never knowing that Mills was already
inside waiting for her there was no invitation no consensual sex they say Joseph Mills raped and murdered Linda
Slayton detective Brad Grace always suspected the killer's name was buried somewhere in the thick police case File
why do you feel that the investigation didn't Circle back to Joseph Mills well obviously I put a lot of that on me now
you do I do Grace blames himself for not taking a harder look at Joseph Mills a sentiment
not shared by the Slayton Brothers they feel nothing but gratitude to the detective and friend who spent 17
years Chasing The elusive killer I could tell how hard he wanted to solve it and
I actually named my son after him my son's name Brad too here's Brad Slayton graduating from high school Jeff put a
little pressure on me over the years you know he did you can't retire until solv
this case and then he names his son after me and honestly I just wanted to to solve this case for them more than
anything how both of you doing how you doing all right so did this former investigator 94-year-old Edgar picket
the brothers had always wanted to meet him well I want to thank you for all you did for our mom back then you hav done
it this monster still be running free today sure would I'm sure it is poignant praise for sergeant picket who who
lifted the Palm prit that helped identify the monster Joseph Mills that's a case I can never forget up here I
can't get rid of it during his distinguished and trailblazing 29-year career Sergeant picket had seen it all
and yet it's the Linda Slayton case that haunts him to this day he never knew police had questioned a man named Joseph
Mills just one day after the killing you didn't know for 38 years that he was talked to immediately afterward no I
didn't instead picket says he was asked to compare Prince of a number of black men who were questioned in the days
after the murder following neighbors reports of suspicious activity I kept picking up a lot of blacks and it was
giving me their prints for me to look at theirs it not just haunts but angers pick it
black men were rounded up and fingerprinted while the white football coach driving Linda's son to and from
practice was never considered a suspect they just talk to him and let him go you're telling me this case could have
been solved in the first days after the murder if they had just taken a print from Joseph Mills that's
correct there was a lot of people who came before you I get it but you got this palm print in the window sill
almost immediately wouldn't you just get some prints from the guy anybody who had
been near the house in the 24 hours prior to the murder there was no indication that he had been in the house
I mean all the witnesses said that he dropped the kid off from practice and never got out of the truck so the only
reason why he was spoke to was because when they Backtrack on the previous 24 hours he was in that equation you don't
feel like he slipped through net no no Joseph Mills Day of Reckoning would finally come 40 years later he's got
cold black murder and eyes as Joseph Clinton Mills he just sit there not a [Music]
word what did do you make of Coach Joe's story of what happened that night join the conversation now on social
media our mom was a good person he took that away from us to avoid a trial and a possible death
sentence Joseph Mills pleaded guilty to all charges including first-degree murder sexual battery and
burglary at his sentencing what Linda slayton's family wanted most was the answer to one question why I just want
to know why Joe why' you take my mom from me I love my mama we was happy my blood would start boiling every the time
I look at him the brothers and Dan Dy tried to look him in the eye see if there was
any human being in there see if he was alive it's see he had a soul never thought his silence infuriated the
family and a few minutes later so did his comments to the court I am a good person I'm not that person that they're
painting me out to be I think this case made me the angriest out of the hundreds
of cases I've been in involved in because what he did with her children there and then the things he said about
her that she lured him in even all these years later he was willing to try to make her look bad to denigrate the
victim and her boys have to hear that it's just sickening I will sent you to life in prison without the possibility
of parole and just like that Joseph Clinton Mills was gone facing four life terms
and finally a measure of Justice maybe not full Justice in your view full Justice by no means I wanted to go to
trial I wanted to see him up on the stand and and tell everybody why he did this and he never did
that the Slayton Brothers feel some comfort knowing Joseph Mills will never leave prison alive but there's still
anger they say because Mills never took full responsibility for the premeditated
rape and murder of their mother he never apologized and there were all those years of Freedom he lived his whole life
he raised his family you know he had a good life that was right after she was killed
we went back it's the brothers who feel they were handed the far more severe sentence life without the
possibility of growing up with their mom should still be here today she'd only be
72 you know could have had her my whole life I just wonder what life would have been like to
have any part of you when you think about all of this at all angry with the way the police handled it that it took
this long to get Joseph Mills you could look at it that way I know it's a lot of
hard work behind the scenes that people don't see that goes on you know what they do the hours upon hours they put in
I mean you can get mad it only so much be done in a day we owe a huge debt of gratitude to
those original crime scene investigators because at the time this crime was committed they didn't even know DNA was
going to be used in criminal investigations and so the fact they collected that and then it was stored
responsibly and carefully all these years by that department is so important if that
hadn't happened we couldn't have done our work Jeff and Tim said they're determined to
move on as best they can to live life well for their mom and for their families the brothers also know they
never would have survived their ordeal without each other just check it out bro they remain extremely close Live just a
few miles apart and share passionate Hobbies like restoring cars you the credit for living this
life to the spirit of your mouth yes most definitely sure do love you Mom I miss
you so much every day my mom she's looking down on us and want us to live our lives and do good you know and I
always think she's looking down on us and I want to make her proud yes I want to make her proud yes
[Music] [Music] a mother of three alone in her home it was an execution this was somebody who
was there with a purpose a shadowy figure seen on camera puts a neighborhood on edge were people scared
that there was a killer loose definitely 48 Hours next on CBS and streaming on Paramount
[Music] plus how old were you when you were adopted I was nine and that's what I wanted I want to feel
loved and I want a [Music] family I wanted a lot of children you see your friends having
children and you try and you can't it was difficult when we finally learned that we were going to be able to go over
to Russia and pick up a little boy and girl of our own it was just a tremendous event and we were very
excited we had seen pictures of the children and they were beautiful how did the agency describe
Caroline a wonderful outgoing intelligent little girl loved to be around all ages of children and
desperately looking for parents was that an accurate description no it was not [Music]
no after we returned home we would see her staring off into the distance blankly in a trans-like state she
started to stand over our bed at night I'd wake up and she'd be right over my face there was a coldness in her and an
anger and just a distance she became someone I didn't know at all I mean at all carolly began stealing everything in
the house she stole all my jewelry our knives were disappearing she would do things like putting a kitten in the
middle of a pack of dogs cruel type behavior and then she snapped and tried to kill Joshua she had
him in her hands and was going to throw him over the deck she had him yes yes over the side here yes and I just
started screaming put him down carolly put him down what are you doing I'm going to kill
him I called the psychiatrist what am I going to do you know what what do we do she's becoming violent doctor there is
no question question in your mind that Carol is a very troubled little girl no there's no question in my mind about it
at all this child I would considered to be a homicide risk she has been on all kinds of
medication and none of it has worked we've had cameras installed and we've had alarms installed on her
doors you know I don't know what the solution is what am I going to do we're going to get you the best help
we can okay I I try to K my brother I love him I'm a dad just understand I've done many stories during
the course of my career but this was one that that really stuck with me you want
to resend the adoption we feel like we tried everything it hit me in my heart so you
plan on taking carolly back to Russia yes yes I felt helpless leaving her behind I didn't know what would become
of her you're a strong girl strong girl you're going to be fine okay don't cry for
[Music] [Music] oh [Music] josua I don't see him Mama get more than two decades ago an
American couple adopted this little girl from Russia 30 seconds ago he was terrified of her they soon came to
believe she was dangerous catch your hurry even capable of murder you take care okay be strong strong I was with
them when they brought her back to Russia and left her covering the story changed my life and left me steep in a
haunting mystery that began when the couple first arrived in Moscow hoping to find the per perfect
[Music] child I think it's innate in every woman to want to be a good parent to have
children and to share your [Music] life there's Crystal she's tired often comments would be made about well when
are you going to have children it was hard we thought this is going to be a wonderful Journey
[Music] Moscow 1997 Crystal and Jesse we agreed not to use the last name are both 30 and have
tried for years to have a child of their own it was something we really wanted to
do we wanted to parent we really wanted a house full far away from home they're finally about to become parents we
really wanted to give a child an opportunity adoptive parents I was adopted myself I know the benefits that
adoption can bring they found their daughter on an adoption agency's web page posted on the internet
she was a beautiful child for them she was the perfect child a blond blue-eyed 9-year-old we thought you know this is
an older child we can give a normal life before leaving for Russia the adoption agency gave them the little girls
medical records the agency described carolly as a wonderful outgoing intelligent little girl who is ch fing
to be around you understood though that adopting an older child carries certain risks absolutely certain
[Music] risks they took an 8-hour train ride from Moscow to an orphanage in the small
town of borovichi they already paid nearly $30,000 to make all the necessary arrangements and the child they called
Carol Le was anxiously awaiting their arrival she uh looked in my eyes very warmly you're my mama she called you a
mama she did from the very beginning my American mama she said at the orphanage the couple would not only adopt Carol Le
they also found her a baby brother a three-year-old they would name Joshua it was exciting but there were signs that
the road ahead might be Rocky we did see the anger but it could be explained certainly a child arriving to a new
culture a new family you know leaving her home that's the only thing she's ever known back in the United States the
family settled into a brand new home in a comfortable suburb of Atlanta a short commute to Jesse's computer engineering
job we tried to make it very homey for her and happy she's a little princess daddy we tried to give her everything we
thought a little girl should have but the beautiful little girl was having big problems as soon as we brought her home
she was very very withdrawn and isolating didn't cry at all but just very angry it was nothing they thought a
little love couldn't fix I spent all the time with her I quit my job I gave her 100% of me it wasn't
working they say off camera she started acting badly she just began becoming very destructive ho ho ho then the
unthinkable happened go car on Carol's second Christmas in America things seemed to have started
off well car got a new bike and we were learning how to ride it she had never ridden one before you're doing it I
really thought that everything was going great it was not long after when Crystal
heard the horrible sound so I was over planting and I heard Joshua screaming crystal says that's when she
first saw Carol Le holding her four-year-old brother Joshua over the railing of the 30ft high dck she had him
yes yes over the side here yes this wasn't rough housing no in her face there was anger and hate crystal says
that moment changed everything I'm going to kill him she said I'm why I'm mad at
him what did he do he's getting on my nerves I said you would kill him for trying to get on your nerves surely you
don't mean it you don't mean kill him and she said yes I do what can you do this
I can do that we asked Joshua about it are you afraid of carolly yes because she tried to throw off the deck because
she tried to throw you off the deck yes that's why I afraid of her [Music] [Music]
are you worried that she's going to do something to you right now cuz she's not mommy's here Crystal and Jesse's
relationship with Carol Le was in freefall after the incident involving Joshua on the Family's 30 foot outdoor
deck she started telling me you know I'm hearing voices and I'm seeing things she
says when the voices tell her to do something she has to do it or they'll hurt her and the voices she said told
her to kill him she was hallucinating that she was seeing snakes the couple had her admitted to a psychiatric
hospital she spent almost four months under constant care before Crystal and Jesse say their insurance started
running out and they were forced to bring Carol Lee back into their home again this is what you see yes she's
repeated this for months on multiple occasions if I get another chance I will kill him and she told us that too try to
um call Joshua so they're installing an elaborate security system so you have cameras installed at various points in
the house right yes in the living room her bedroom her bathroom Carol Le is forbidden to be alone with Joshua is he
safe no that's why mean I had to get help that's why you have to get help she is a risk to the family members Dr
Brian Kennedy was one of the psychiatrists who saw carolly she's got a tremendous amount of rage and anger
that she's hidden inside her there's clear evidence of a clinical depression um there is definitely um
clear evidence of an attachment disorder um now there may be other developing psychiatric difficulties such
as bipolar illness or schizophrenia she was given heavy medication okay but they say the
medications aren't working I'm going to get you the best help we can okay it's going to be all right you love her but
you're frightened of her yes the anger that she has focused towards Joshua is like something I've never seen before
mommy's not ever going to let her hurt you four-year-old boy should never have have to ask their parents the question
why did my sister try to kill me but since being home from the psychiatric hospital there's already
been another frightening incident they say Carol tried strangling the family dog Aurora we woke up at 3: in the
morning and Aurora was hung from her collar with the leash tied to a Poe I'm going to go to my grandma today so
Joshua's being sent 600 miles away to live at his grandmother's house in Texas why do we have to send him to Grandma's
to keep them safe because I may hurt him just imagine you think you're bringing a
bright girl to your home but no one's told you that they're sociopathic and they have no
conscience in fact they say the agency that arranged Carol's adoption the Frank Foundation told them the opposite
carolly is emotionally nice she's open she's tender she's obedient she's friendly nothing in that sentence would
lead you to question wow could there be you know a tremendous variety of hidden medical issues here it was a glowing
report except for one thing they did say she was a ligren translated then as mental retardation but the couple says
they asked about it and were told not to worry they stated that it was developmental delay just slow to learn
and we were assured that this job was healthy and that in a good home home with proper nutrition um with the best
of doctors in America helping her with the developmental issues that she should be fine only after the adoption was
official Crystal and Jesse say did the Frank Foundation provide them with more documents that revealed troubling things
about Carol's past says the mother was amoral and antisocial you know these types of words are very loaded they
carry a lot of psychological meaning [Music] the new documents described how Carol's
birth mother left her dirty hungry and in rags Crystal and Jesse believe the mistreatment had a lasting effect on
carolie when I dreamed of adopting a little girl this was not my dream we would not have adopted the
child you would not have adopted her no we would not have and as they continued digging into Carol's past they found out
more officials at the orphanage say carolly was in a special dorm for children with mental disabilities
critical information the couple says the adoption agency failed to share with them you didn't hide any information
never and why would I back then Nina castina a Russian immigrate ran the Frank Foundation she said the medical
information she received was limited by Russian privacy laws but adopted parents
once in Russia can get anything they need once the parents are in the orphanage they have access to any
medical records to the to the doctors to anything and this is their time when they should ask any questions so it's
their fault I'm not telling fault I'm telling that this is their obligation this is Lifetime decision they should do
it while they're in the orphanage when we first covered this story more than two decades ago Nina castina said that
no information had been withheld from the family but at the time 48 Hours spoke with eight families who adopted
through the Frank foundation and they all said they had received inaccurate medical information their children had
been diagnosed with illnesses like fetal alcohol syndrome hepatitis C brain tumors and a slew of psychological
problems they claim the Frank Foundation didn't prepare them for three of the families who spoke with sued but lost to
Crystal and Jesse feel like they're out of options so as Joshua leaves for the safety of his grandmother's home in
Texas oh I'm going to miss you so much they make a painful decision and we cannot continue to be
our parents they say the only way their son can return home is to send Carol Le away forever we've been here every day
loving her nurturing her helping her we we couldn't save her [Music] time to go get your picture made cly she
has so many psychological problems what we're going to do is we're going to get your picture made today she is a danger
to society but more than that she's a danger to our son so you still like to get your picture taken after all this
time I like it the fact of the matter is that we cannot be her parents anymore 1
2 3 Crystal and Jessie are about to do something that's difficult to imagine honey did you want to see it they are
taking Carol Lee back to Russia and CH there are parents out there that will not be able to understand what you're
about to do if I hadn't been in this position myself I might have been stating the very same thing that I
expect to hear from them why how could you do this how could you do this it's a long trip you need keptic color there
must be a family somewhere in America that would adopt her we thought that uh there would be a family out there how
are you today and we've actually spoken to a few families in every case so far after reviewing the medical information
she tried to throw my son off a very high deck they've said thanks but no thanks they have told Carol Lee they're
taking her to a new hospital how long we going to stay in in there but she has no
idea it's a psychiatric hospital in Russia this 12-year-old girl has been abandoned by her birth parents and now
her adoptive parents are also rejecting her well it's not a case of her adoptive
parents rejecting her but that's what she's going it's going to be a of her adoptive parents not being able to care
for her what's wrong but you have to understand psychiatrist tells that Carol Le has no bonding no affection it's
okay I think the best thing in the world for her is a good night's sleep I do too
so carolly most likely will just move on it looks cruel to me cruel and a thoughtful Nina castina the woman who
arranged Carol's adoption is distraught over the decision I feel very sorry for her for her part she questions whether
Carol Lee is even that sick they say that she tried to kill her little brother this is what they she tried to
kill the family dog she's extremely violent that's what they say yes do you believe
it that's what they say psychiatrist Brian Kennedy says carolly suffers from attachment disorder in effect an
inability to love and that he says makes her dangerous it's hard for me to digest
because when I look at her she seems like a very sweet little girl who smiles and laughs she does love to smile and
laugh and I think in certain situations that are nonstressful for her she presents as a very amiable child but I
think when you look at what she's been through and when you see how she functions under stress she can become
very different and have very significant rage she has thought about killing her brother she has tried to kill him and
she could not give me assurances that she wouldn't kill him others who treated Carol Le had concerns as well but at
least one psychiatrist had another opinion after treating Carol Le he wrote Carol's Behavior was impeccable he said
the staff perceived that Crystal and Jesse were too often cool and distant towards their daughter and that Carol Le
at times appeared to be frightened by her interactions with them Carol Le is a very different person when you really
get to nowh it took me a year and a half to break through the facade they have made up their minds Carol Le must return
to [Music] Russia the doctors in America have told me that if she returns home she will
kill my son I believe them she's already tried it once it's very strong possibility she'll try again with
success they tapped into their life savings to bring Carol Lee here to be treated by Russian doctors they have
worked with kids from Russian orphanages they found a bed for Carol Lee at this children's psychiatric Hospital in
Moscow but they don't hold out much hope and they're now thinking about annulling
the adoption doctors suspected they were trying to abandon her and demanded copies of their passports and made them
promise to return for carolly in two months carolly understands that she is here to be treated by Russian
Specialists and that's all she's here for at the time but she does not understand that you will not be
returning for her no that's not the case at this time the only thing we're stating is that she's here for a
diagnosis and an evaluation but carolly senses something is terribly wrong they tell me that list they love me and
everything I told them I love them very much but they didn't know that but didn't believe me then just a few
minutes before she'll enter the hospital Carol Le tells me something she's never
told me before I did not try to kill my brother that she never tried to kill her
brother Joshua you didn't try to kill Joshua you're telling me the truth I just tried to him just pick him
up that's all cuz he was too heavy Carol Lee says it was all a big misunderstanding I didn't not try to
kill my brother I love him I'm my daddy just understand it but there's no turning back you've pursued every
possible Avenue and this is the only thing thing you can do this is this is the only thing we can do ready come on
honey crysto and Jesse left her there days later I returned with a hidden camera and visited carolene
hey hi now in a locked Ward I don't feel safe stay here she was frightened oh look back America I'm scared of staying
here but Crystal and Jesse have made a final decision now we're heading back to the
airport it's been a long trip oh USA they're not bringing carolly [Music] [Music]
back hey the last time I saw Carol Lee was in Russia more than 20 years ago she was
terrified she was in a locked ward in a children's psychiatric hospital the door
slammed shut and I wasn't sure if I'd ever see her again over the years we repeatedly tried
to find her I always wondered how she was doing if she was thriving if she was happy
[Music] many years past she was in my thoughts and in my heart hey oh my gosh and finally she got in
touch with me it's been so long now 33 years old she calls herself Sabrina look at you and is married with four children
what have you been doing over the last 21 years making babies so beautiful we met near her home in North Carolina we
have a lot to catch up on yeah I had a thousand questions for Serena how did she end up here what she says happened
on that deck that day and what she thought went wrong with Jesse and Crystal you liked her I did you liked
him I did it was a family that said hey I will adopt this child and I would like
to give them a home and they will love me for who I am but to Sabrina back then it seemed
that Joshua was always the favorite did that create any jealousy it didn't create jealousy I felt more down I felt
like I wasn't good enough I felt like I wasn't this child that they wanted cuz I
was I was older I had my own feelings I already had a history you know I loved that he was getting loved and he was
having a family yes it sucked for me you didn't have an emotional connection with Crystal and
Jesse because Joshua was so centered I think we lost it I think it was just lost I was starting to become very
depressed it came to the point I was very suicidal suicidal I was very suicidal there were days I I tried to
attempt multiple times and I just couldn't do it that's when I started creating a
story I told Chris still you know I'm seeing and hearing things are you seeing something
now did you see something earlier cuz I want it out I I want it out so were you hallucinating at that
time no no hearing no seeing things it's just a child trying to get out she had him in her hands and was going to throw
him over the deck and as for what happened on the deck Sabrina has a decidedly different version of event
from Crystal that she says started when Crystal asked her to get Joshua Crystal was gardening and Joshua was screaming
on top of the deck and crystal said I need you to go get Joshua trying to pick up a child that's really almost as big
as you is kind of hard so I'm trying to walk down the steps just able to hold him so he doesn't fall Crystal looked
and she said put him down carolly put him down put him down I eventually put him down and she's like you tried to
kill him didn't you and I said no I was trying to pick him up so he doesn't fall
cuz he was sliding off my hands and she's like no you were trying to kill him and she kept saying it and saying it
and I said yes so I just I finally said yes Serina repeated that story that she tried to kill Joshua to everyone yes
including me what happened that day out on the deck I try him push off the deck you're trying to push him off the deck
try to um kill Joshua what happened on that deck seemed to take on a life of its own Crystal
brought Sabrina to various doctors I went to psychiatrist after psychiatrist and I remember chrisal said
Just remember you wanted to kill Joshua I said Okay I I will tell him Dr Kennedy
said you were potentially schizophrenic bipolar you had homicidal tendance and you were a danger to this family H
that's hard to hear if I wanted to hurt somebody it would have been done and that never happened I'm not that person
I was never that person today Sabrina says she is not on any medication and suffers from no mental illness a number
of doctors back then though seem to think she needed help we tried to contact Dr Kennedy but have been unable
to reach him you were also accused of trying to kill the family dog I don't know where that came from
because I love that dog it's okay how did you learn that you were going back to Russia crystal
said they were running out of options and they think the Russian Institute would be better so how is it going here
not good not good why how did that make you feel when you're sitting there in the hospital in
Moscow waiting for them to return to pick you up and they didn't I knew they weren't coming I felt so
guilty because I wanted to take you but what can I do I wanted you to take me I was like why is nobody taking me I just
want it out Sabrina said she cried and was frightened I feel like I was in jail but then I think of it I put myself
there you know all those lying and doing what they want me to do I put myself there then after 2 months it was
Nina castina from the adoption agency who arrived at The Institute Nina showed up and she brought me clothes she asked
me if I remembered her and she took Sabrina to live with her in Virginia eventually Sabrina moved in with a new
set of parents in North Carolina I have parents they're the parents that took me
in that took their time to learn who I am and make me a better person after high school she volunteered for the
nonprofit Mercy Ships and spent two years in Africa helping to provide medical care to underprivileged people
loved it really I did when she returned home in 2010 she got a job in a hospital
and at church she met math teacher Phil calwell I fell in love with him when I saw him interact with kids the way he
was treating them how committed he was she's just very real and very genuine and I love that about her but before she
would even consider getting engaged she insisted that Phil watched the original 48 Hours show about her early life my
heart broke for her I really couldn't believe all of the things that she had gone through I think she expected me to
R but it was the opposite reaction of what she expected me to think they married in 2014 and now have
three lovely daughters and a newborn son fun kids love them she's very loving and she's very
caring it looks real good and I think probably what Sabrina went through has had a a greater impact on her parenting
than she can see herself you go girl because she is so amazing at it I do it you are doing it all by yourself Phil
recently stopped teaching and started a new job at the same hospital where his wife works seems like you're in a really
good place I am Sabrina you're happy I [Music] am but Sabrina like me has always
wondered what happened to Crystal and Jesse and she says that after two decades she was ready to find
[Music] out after she became a mother Sabrina says she wanted Crystal and Jessie to
know she had a family of her own and she wanted to share her side of the story she found Crystal on social media and
finally hit the send button I'd sent her a message stating to her that I hope she's well and I just want to make this
really clear for you I've never wanted to H Joshua and I never heard or saw things in my life and how did she
respond she said she prayed that I would have a better family did you love Crystal and Jesse I did and I still have
a high respect for them putting myself in their shoes I would have probably done almost
the same thing but not everything I would never take a child back still she says she Harbors no hard
feelings toward them I learn to forgive my past I have an amazing husband I can't thank God enough for him I have
amazing kids but if I didn't go through what I went through I wouldn't have that Sabrina says Crystal and J have
three biological Daughters of their own along with Joshua they declined our request for an interview however Jesse
said that he and Crystal were glad Sabrina's life had turned out so well and that Joshua was now a father
too hi girls in the end it appears that Crystal and Jesse like Sabrina eventually found families and happiness
and as it turned out so did I don't be scared okay and my journey started the minute I left Sabrina in
Russia I cried as I was leaving then I started saying to myself you know maybe one
day I I I can Rescue an an older child but the timing wasn't right I was single and as a CBS
News correspondent I was still traveling endlessly then I had a story in Johannesburg South
Africa and I went to an orphanage there to make a donation I said you know what uh I'm
close to 40 now I'm going to go for it in 2003 I became certified to adopt a child and learned about a woman in jouti
Africa who wanted to find someone to adopt her four-year-old son and I looked at his photo and the
resemblance was uncanny this looks like my kid I had been to Africa twice and never
heard of shabui but that Thanksgiving I flew there to meet this young boy and his
mother his name was a kadra Mahmud AB I noticed that his eyes danced that's a signal that he's smart he's
clever his mother was kadra she gave birth to her son after a short affair with a French soldier and ever since
then she feared for the boy's safety because he was mix Rays they were homeless and living in an abandoned
building he was sleeping on the floor so was she begging was his routine I took them
to lunch and over the course of the next two weeks I got to know them I began bonding over
hamburgers fries and walking around on the street he spoke four languages but not English
we mind like let's eat you need to go home sleep I mean that's how basic it was fortunately there was a bowling
alley and a small beach in a nearby military base we went bowling a lot with something he had never done before we
didn't know how to swim so we took a boat to this small little Beach Island that was reserved for the military
personnel I made two more lengthy visits to jibuti but when it came time for the
adoption there was a problem kadra never signed her name before she didn't know how to sign her
name she practice over and over again you know over and over again and it was such a um loving and
selfless act the attorney sitting next to us said to kadra Troy will be a good father and she looked me dead in the eye
and she said time will tell my name is Jonah gray Roberts and my father is Troy Roberts that's the street you moved
on in jibou the whole adoption process I was 4 years old there wasn't really much to
tell a 4-year-old you are I was just there's a man here who's you know taking care of
me who's feeding me he also did get me a tutor so I was getting education at that age you don't
really think anything about it um you're just this could be you know my long lost
dad and then 10 months after meeting my son it was finally time to go that was an intense
day I'm thousands of feet in the air this is my first time ever on an airplane then my dad tells me oh we're
in New city is your new home and I remember seeing my first home my first real home and he's like this is your
room it's my own bed I didn't have to share with anyone I had a desk a place where I started studying had the
tutors it was it was amazing we did everything together so much together I really enjoyed watching him
learn new things and introducing him to A Whole New World there was never father
and adopted son it was always you know father and son and like any father I have a lot to learn from my son who
needs three monitors Jonah I do you don't understand technology empty breida we refrigerating plastic what can I do
you just stand there every Thanksgiving we have this thing where before we start eating after I've
made the full meal cuz he doesn't know how to cook um we would always start off by saying like what we're grateful for
this year and now when I think about Sabrina's journey and Crystal and Jesse's and Jonah's and my own I realize
how much we all have to be thankful for it seems like everyone's story has a happy ending and
uh that's that's pretty cool you [Music] know 48 Hours don't miss an episode [Music]
it took nearly 24 hours to recover all the bodies from inside the ruins of Rhode Island Station nightclub horrible
things happened to people for absolutely no reason the death toll was far greater
than anyone expected we went out on a Thursday night to listen to music drink some beers and
have a good time and a quarter of those people didn't get to go home [Music] ever this is what I live with I don't
hide it second and third degree burns over 34% of my body from the heat I'm lucky I even have
arms it was a neighborhood club for live music the people who went to that club were regulars the headliner was Jack
Russell's great white you really had to work your way through the crowd it was packed I'm
standing you know three rows back from the edge of the stage we're just waiting and then it gets
dark the music starts the pyrot Technics went off and I remember being a little shocked it just
felt really big and I just sort of noticed some flame on the walls on either side and
then it just kept it kept growing when that fire alarm went off that's when I said to myself this
and I remember the words this isn't this isn't good this is not going to be good
this is bad it went from 0 to 10 in what seemed like a second and then the building's
you know completely engulfed we have a mass casualty incident here we have fully engulf fully engulf
building we have people on fire inside a lot of [Applause] walking literally laid there said God
just take care of my family because I knew I was going to die 100 lives were taken more than 200
people were hurt it's hard to describe the level of Agony the state of Rhode Island is small
and it feels like somebody knew somebody who was in that fire or knew somebody who did and so the pain is very
personal we realize there's very little we can say that will provide Comfort to the thousands of no one meant for this
to happen Brothers Jeffrey and Michael thear and co-owners of the club are both charged with involuntary manslaughter
what is your reaction to the indictment taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way and you don't feel the
brothers have ever accepted responsibility true people who were key to understanding this tragedy had
remained silent working why are you sitting here talking to me I think we're sitting here talking to you because we
wanted the full story to come out and that for people who want to come to their own conclusion on what happened
that night [Music] [Music] hopped out of bed grabbed my clothes grabbed my keys hopped in the car and
took off on February 20th 2003 at about 1110 p.m. Jody King got a call that something was going on at the station
nightclub in West Warick Rhode Island but he didn't know what I got to find Trace he was worried about his brother
Tracy who worked there as a bouncer as I went by the fire station fire trucks are
coming out now the question in my head is why are all these fire trucks leaving when jod arrived he saw the devastating
scene [Music] [Applause] I see the Hara and it was ugly the roof was caving in walls were caving in body
after body in front of me I don't even like to talk about it it would become one of the deadliest
fires in a club in US history it should not have happened it was completely preventable Scott James has written a
book about the tragedy called trial by fire I decided I would just start asking some
questions describe the station night club for me what kind of Club was this it was a typical kind of roadside
die these are videos from prior performances taken inside the club it smelled like spilled beer and stale
cigarettes and everything was just a little bit Freight at the edge but it's fun the night of the fire hundreds of
people gathered at the station to see great white an 80s band now with some new members led by singer Jack Russell
known mainly for their hit once bitten twice shot they had their moment and they
played the Arenas that was in like the 80s but you know they have a following to this day were you a fan of the band
great white yes definitely Linda Saran was a regular at the station that evening she had a girl's night out with
a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover the night of the fire I got
in for free I was asked to work the merch table for the band so I was getting 40 bucks and
two T-shirts and I was paying staff pricing for beer cuz I knew a guy also there
that night was Bates College student Phil bar who was home for winter break you know just have a beer see a concert
Phil who was in his junior year had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim
team I loved it it was really everything to me at that time unlike many of the patrons there this was Phil's first time
at the club he arrived early around 8:30 p.m. there really weren't that many people around early in the night so I
actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue when people arrive they walk
through this entrance and this kind of longish hallway you'd see on your left a horseshoe shaped bar this was the main
bar where you could get your drinks to the right was this larger space in front of a stage we have four exits there's an
exit near the stage we have an exit through the kitchen one near the bar and then the main exit that hallway where
everybody came through the station was owned by Brothers Michael and Jeff dearion
they're speaking out about the fire for the first time their story starts 3 years before
the fire either of you know anything about running a nightclub zero no no play an instrument the darians bought
the club as an investment Jeffrey was responsible for all of the marketing activities and I was responsible kind of
for the day-to-day both the brothers had other jobs Michael owned a financial services business we're live in
Wakefield tonight I'm jeffan Jeff was a local news reporter for years he' worked
in Boston for channel 7 we're live in adoro this morning I'm Jeff the Darian at the time of the fire he had just
started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station that night he allowed a cameraman to shoot
footage inside the club For an upcoming story about safety in public venues how ironic is that
right right 48 hours is not showing any of that footage but that night leading the
cameraman around was bouncer tracy King a dedicated husband and father of three young boys he was gregar
he was out there and he just loved being in the center Tracy liked to entertain people with his unique talent a surgery
to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on
his chin tracy King ladies and gentlemen Tracy went on David letman twice to do stupid human tricks you're going to
balance it on your chin yes all right when he walked into a room if there wasn't a smile he'd start
balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling that was his gift Jody says his brother enjoyed
working for the darians they were friends he trusted the club he trusted the owners he trusted in his friends
were you making money not really the Darian say despite their love for the club the business had peaked and they
were in the process of of selling it the club was sold the club was sold it was already in contract uh purchase and sale
had been signed but their plans for the future would suddenly change as great whites started their
first song their tour manager Daniel beakley set off four large fireworks called gerbs they are what they call 15
by 15 they go for 15 seconds and they go 15 ft into the air so it was not a great
decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12T ceilings seconds later Flames appeared
on the back wall most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move you know people didn't
react instantly but Jeff who was helping out at the bar says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire
extinguisher we tried to get as far as we could we couldn't we couldn't make it about 40 seconds after the song began
great white stopped the show and all but one member of the band escaped through the stage door exit that exit door would
soon be engulfed in flames the fire alarm you hear it kick in and that's when the crowd realizes this is a real
danger and we have got to get out of there hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came
in it's like a rip tide it's a surge of bodies the fire was now out of control it had
spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound the foam was raining down and the
Flames are dripping from the ceiling looked like it was raining black fire they only have about 60 seconds to
get out of that building if they're going to live [Music] [Applause] [Music] this is what the station fire looked
like about 15 minutes after it began those who were trapped inside when the flame started knew they needed to get
out fast I remember the smoke descended really quickly one of those people was Phil bar we kind of crouched down behind
some of the people in front of us you you could not see your hand in front of your face that's how thick the smoke
was once you could no longer see it was total pandemonium Phil was located between the
stage and the front door a lot of people moved back towards the main entrance it
became really clear that we were not going to be able to get out the front door since I had been there earlier in
the night I knew that there was at least an exit in in the back barroom that is the furthest exit away
from the stage but it's a relatively straight line I went around the people trying to
push to the front door into the main bar room I remember getting pushed from behind and I tripped over what I assume
was a bar stool and I just kind of went down on my face it became very very hard to breathe
lying on the floor not far from the Horseshoe Bar Phil lost Consciousness the bar got quiet because people were
dying literally and all you could hear was the Roar of the fire and liquor bottles exploding Linda Saran and her
friend Deb were in The Atrium huddled together under a table I said you know what we're running out of time and I
knew the window was to my left so I said to Deb stay here I'll be right back and
I stood up I went over put my hands against the glass and I started kicking at that
window and it wouldn't break I I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to
die did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts yes I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was
going to grow up without her mom and I heard and out Deb went it was like what and then outside I went cold air washing
over me an off-duty police officer standing outside had heard her kicking at the window he got a tire iron from
his car smashed the glass and started pulling people out when I first went out the window I landed on the stairs I
couldn't get up and I said my hands won't work and that's when I noticed the black
on my arms it looked like a ladder of those black jelly bracelets from the80s hanging in rings around my
[Music] wrists and I took a good look and I said oh I'm burned [Music] I couldn't hear alarms I couldn't hear
noise I couldn't hear screaming anymore Phil Bar says when he came to he felt excruciating pain near the base of his
spine and burning on his face I don't like to talk about it but I remember feeling weight on top of me and I'm
pretty sure I crawled out from under another person to pull myself up I ran across the room and I ran face
first into the wall and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it and I
fell down the stairs out that door Phil was now outside but he felt like his lungs were on fire it was getting harder
and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest some bleeding I could notice in my
throat also outside was club owner Jeff dearion he says he managed to escape through the front door before a stampede
of people got stuck in the narrow hallway and blocked the exit I remember we were trying to get
people away from the building like get away from the building it was happening so fast fast
fast fast that's all I just can keep seeing in my head and the the the the roof and just everything
just fast too fast Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida he's completely out of it out
of it I couldn't understand him or understand the magnitude of what was going on there and I'm saying to him did
everybody get out did anybody die you know and he's like he don't know he's like he don't know he don't know doesn't
know anybody see Tracy I have to find him at the scene Jody King was desperate for information about his brother and
began to fear the worst I spent the next five or 6 hours going back and forth in
the parking lot talking to firemen asking firemen can you please pull the sheets back for me I don't care what I'm
going to see Linda Saran and Phil bar badly injured were transported to a local hospital we have 39 confirmed fatalities
we're still in the process of searching the rubble is now well over 50 we're now
at 65 and it may be higher can you come in they want to talk to you and I'm like okay the night of
the fire Jeff gave a statement to the local police and another one to an investigator with the Attorney General's
office remember I'm still in Florida Michael also spoke via phone to an investigator do you feel oh my goodness
we're in trouble no no no no why because in my mind I had nothing to hide if I had nothing to hide
then why why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know
3 days after the station fire Jody King finally got the news that his brother Tracy's body had been
found in the months and years that followed Jody also learned about Tracy's hero last
moments he ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds how do you know that he went in
nine times nine different families have come up to me and said thank you for having a great brother he
threw my wife my cousin my uncle my sister out of window what a great brother you have you
should be proud I am proud in the days after the fire victim's families and survivors faced a
harsh new reality Phil bar awoke after 3 weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his
lungs had been badly damaged when you come to you're in a hospital room yep my dad was in the room I can't speak
everything was you know sore and horse I picked up the pen and in very weak you know kind of handwriting I wrote I hope
to make progress every day where'd that come from from don't know true to his words Phil fought to
breathe on his own and then ever so slowly he learned to walk again but even more than walking Phil wanted to return
to swimming I asked my pulmonologist you know when can I get back in the pool he
was very kind about it but he said I don't ever see you competitively swimming again I refused used to accept
that as the outcome about a month after the fire Phil went home from the hospital and the following year he was
able to accomplish The Impossible and rejoin his swim team he had an unlikely friend rooting for him I want to ask you
about Phil bar how'd you meet him my Hospital roommate he and I took turns driving the respiratory therapist crazy
in some ways it's almost like being in war together like you feel that kinship that you know God I really hope this guy
makes it and yet at the point in time I don't even think I knew his name like Phil Linda had also spent 3
weeks in a medically induced coma second and third degree burns over 34% of my body from the
heat I literally baked alive then as it heals the scarring tightens up so before I knew it this
finger was contractured down in this position and the rest of them were all bent backwards cuz the skin had
tightened up so the only way to pick up a can of soda would be to do this I had no control over my muscles and that's
when it starts to hit you all that you've lost and that's when the despair sinks
in that's when you make a decision am I going to sit here and cry about this my friends were dead my other friends are
severely injured I no longer look like myself but I made a choice I'm going to do
this Linda was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire a staggering hundred lives were
lost almost immediately the finger pointing started rock supposed to be fun not deadly you know the morning after the
fire the lead singer of great white Jack Russell claimed the brothers had given the band permission to set off the
fireworks we never do anything without asking permission first no permission was ever requested
by the band or any of its agents to use pyate Technics at the station and no permission was ever given the following
day the brothers responded at a press conference many people didn't make it out and that is a horror that will haunt
my family and I for the rest of our lives we have an investigation ongoing and we need help we need answers and I'm
trying to get them Rhode Island attorney general Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury
to determine if anyone should face criminal charges certainly there are people that we're looking at ultimately
we may Target in private practice Lynch says he looked into a host of people I don't think anybody in anything that
they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured but does that mean it's not a
crime the answer is no one of the angles Lynch investigated was the Darian Brothers they were running the operation
they promoted the event so it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at over the course
of the investigation what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business looking back on it I would say
they ran it as a side business an attempt to maybe make some extra money with a callous utter disregard for those
that work there and assembled there the biggest question was why had the fire spread so quickly to satisfy
noise complaints from Neighbors The Brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings
as it turns out the foam they used was highly flammable the type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline it was
Liquid Fire who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall Jeffrey and Michael D Daran Lynch also points out
that the exits were a safety issue inspection records showed that just 3 months before the fire the darians had
been cited by the local fire marshal for having a secondary interior door by the
stage that opened inward which violated regulations they were told to take it down but the night of the fire it was up
to help cut down the noise Not only was the door up which it shouldn't have been
opened inward which it shouldn't have shouldn't have it was covered in foam it was also on fire that door being up
there is no question that that increased the likelihood that many many more would
perish in December 2003 9 months after the fire Jeff and Michael dearion were in court
each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter how you BL i c not guilty or 100 for a criminal
negligence and 100 for misdemeanor manslaughter not guilty your honor great white's tour manager Daniel beakley also
faced the same charges he had failed to get a license for the pyrotechnics from the state of Rhode Island is and permits
from the local fire [Music] department they blamed three they should have blamed
more there are other people who should be responsible in February of 2006 3 years
after this Station nightclub burned down many in Rhode Island were shocked to learn that instead of a trial a plea
deal had been reached with Daniel beakley the tour manager for the band great white I don't know that I'll ever
forgive myself for what happened that night so I can't expect anybody else to beakley pleed guilty to 100 counts of
misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to 4 years in prison he was granted parole and then released
after 22 months there is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep Michael and Jeff Taran pled no
contest to 100 counts of MISD meter manslaughter and agreed to a deal there's so many things that factor into
the decision to do that it would have been horrific to to have people go through this and then we've got the
pressure from the judge saying that you know you're going to go to jail for 30 years of peace the brothers plea deal
stated only one of them would go to prison the brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids Michael would go he
spent 33 months in prison while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service we
never knew the whole story cuz a trial never happened so everything really never came out there are so many people
still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial do understand that anger we do understand that anger and
that's that's that's why we're here with you and 18 years after the fire the brothers say they want to set the record
straight and reveal new information if you have a message that you want the people of Rhode Island to hear there
were plenty of ways to get it out long before now I don't know about that I don't know first of all I don't know how
you would how would you accomplish the detail and the amount of new information in news conference or you know a
commercial or something that we would try and do on our own for the darians the full story
begins with the issue of permission the brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to
use pirate Technics was there a contract yes did the contract specify the use of
pirate Technics did not these contracts are pretty specific so I would think that
the pyot Technic provision would be in there just like we need to have you know 12 M&M's I mean you know and they need
to be brown according to author Scott James Great White had reportedly used a large
pyro display without permission at other clubs including just days before the fire at a show in New Jersey and the
nightclub operator there was so angry when he saw what had happened in Rhode Island he went public and he even made
public the contract that he had with great white that showed there was no evidence of fireworks were going to be
part of the show then there's that interior inward swinging door by the stage that former
Attorney General Patrick Lynch says was responsible for loss of life the night of the fire I don't think there's any
question that had that door not been up a significant number of people would have survived that door was meant to
block the noise from the neighbors and so when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the
door the door did come down but then the door would go back up when it was going
to be a loud night it didn't have a lock on it there was nothing that would make
it so you couldn't get out of it and according to the brothers it was one of the first exits used when the fire
started that door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out but that door became impassible almost
within seconds because clearly there's phone home that's burning at 1,800 or 1500° and then it just got engulfed in
fire correct you weren't approaching that area at all and then there's the foam the fire
spread so quickly because rather than fire retardant sound foam on the wall of the club was highly
flammable Packing phone that is correct undisputable the brothers sent a fax to the phone company specifically asking
for sound phone but what they received was highly flammable Packing phone the brothers say wait a minute we ordered
sound phone how is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong phone first of
all I think it's pathetic disgusting and unsettling to think that they're even speaking now the foam that they put up
had a direct impact on the survivability of the bulk of the people that were assembled that night the Arians say that
in the 3 years they owned the club no one ever questioned the safety of the phone and they're quick to point out the
club wasn't inspected by their insurance company and multiple times by the local
fire marshal Dennis Lorac he finds the deficiencies you have to correct the deficiencies and then signs off so that
you can get your liquor license that happened in 2000 that happened in 2001 that happened in 2002 the brothers have
since learned that the fire Fire Marshall should have tested the foam on the wall the field test is Crystal Clear
you take one square in of the foam you hold it up with a roach clip and light it on fire with a wooden match that's
what the code says that specific did he do that zero right none of the inspections and then follow-up
inspections if he had done that then he would have obviously have said to us take this stuff down this is solid
gasoline this is flam you can't have this when Lorac testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the
foam the brothers however find that hard to believe considering the foam covered
the wall ceiling and even the inward swinging door he cited as a violation did he do his job perfectly absolutely
not according to Lynch under Rhode Island law the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was
evidence of bad faith or malice while troubling while concerning maddening it doesn't mean that somebody
should be charged or can be if the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can
continue to do business and he says you can isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault again any
reference in this conversation about what the brothers say I I I I take a step back and think I
don't really trust it but many including the brothers feel strongly Lorac should also have been
charged why is it okay that the fire marshal is allowed to miss something or make a mistake and what he did was just
an oops but what we did was criminal and why wasn't the foam company charged the brothers say there was
evidence that the grand jury never heard [Music] [Music] 2 years after the fire at the station
nightclub the darians learned about a piece of evidence they say is important that was never presented to the grand
jury this eight-page facts sent to the Attorney General's office anonymously just months after the fire and titled
the fire the foam they got this fact and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company
investigators eventually discovered the fax was sent by Barry Warner a former employee at American Pham the company
that had sent the darians the packing foam made of flammable polyurethane Warner lived next to the station and had
met the brothers he writes up this long almost a Manifesto about all the things that he thinks are wrong in that foam
company that led to this tragedy he wrote this is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane
foam this is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam in fact they
did the opposite when the phone came was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flamable
zero no nothing but when Warner was called before the grand jury he was not asked about the allegations he made in
the facts they didn't even bring up the facts to him they didn't even let him talk about it Mr Warner's fact wasn't
presented to the grand jury correct I I can't remember honestly why wouldn't it be I you're telling me it wasn't and I
don't know that it wasn't 48 Hours has confirmed the fact was not presented to the grand jury regardless Lynch points
out that Darian still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial the defendant has every right to go to trial
and say hey if it's this mysterious facts that it's trying to be referenced today 18 years later hey this is
important American fo said Warner's claims about the company are false and while they weren't charged in the
criminal case survivors and victims families sued them in civil court for not warning the darians the foam they
sent them was flammable the company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the
only ones at least 64 others were also sued including the state of Rhode Island cited for the fire inspector's failure
to report the flammable foam during multiple inspections in the end the survivors and victims families settled
for a total of $176 million great white was part of the lawsuit and settled for $1 million Jack
Russell declined our request for an interview 18 years later there is no consensus among survivors when it comes
to blame Linda still places much of it on the Darian Brothers they have said they were sorry but never once do they
say we screwed up if they stood up and said small business owners we were inex experienced we took shortcuts we screwed
up I would forgive them in a heartbeat to people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you
say we say that we're sorry for all of it and if we could change it we would you know a day doesn't go by that we
don't think about it in some way shape or form so to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you we do own
it okay we own it we own it every day does that mean you feel a sense of responsibility we feel a sense of guilt
about what happened in the sense that you're you carry the guilt of knowing that these people aren't here anymore
and these people are hurt for the rest of their life there isn't a guilt in terms of like that we knowingly did this
or or or or you know caused it but there's a guilt of that that we it happened on on our watch happened on our
watch as a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that pretty girls look what Mama's got I
could have missed it all I could have missed my daughter's High School graduation the birth of her children I
could have missed that my friends that didn't survive that night have missed that Linda will forever wear the scars
of that horrible night but she refuses to live in the past I think a lot of people miss out out on the moments not
you no not anymore being a survivor of the Station nightclub fire is piece of who I am it
fuels you ready set here we go today Phil is married and a father of two little girls I'm catching up getting
another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility that's not just about
hitting the next goal but doing something really meaningful because so many people that
were there don't have that [Music] opportunity in 2017 a memorial was opened to honor the 100 innocent lives
that were tragically lost in the station fire including tracy King who died saving so many
others I'm so proud to say he's my brother hey Trace that's my buddy my parents taught
us a lot a lot of things one of them is Never Say Die never give up miss you Trac Tracy
died never giving up [Music] 48 Hours don't miss an episode [Music]

“48 Hours" reports on cases involving loved ones focused on finding answers. Watch this YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "The Betrayal of Linda Slaten," "What Happened to the Perfect Child?" and "The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible?"

00:00 The Betrayal of Linda Slaten 41:42 What Happened to the Perfect Child? 1:22:52 The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible?

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

The episode details Linda Slayton's murder, her sons' quest for justice, and the eventual capture of her killer, Joseph Mills, after decades of investigation.

Key points

A Mother's Last Moments. Tim Slayton recalls his final moments with his mother, filled with love and regret.
The Search for Justice. Detective Grace promises to solve Linda Slayton's case, reigniting hope for her sons.
The Monster Found. Detectives discover Joseph Mills' DNA matches that of the 1981 crime.
Emotional Sentencing. Joseph Mills pleads guilty, but the Slayton family seeks answers.
A Dangerous Situation. Carol Le's behavior raises alarms as she poses a risk to her family.
The Decision to Send Carol Away. Crystal and Jesse face a heartbreaking choice to send Carol back to Russia for safety.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I love you girl.

A poignant farewell from a son to his mother before her tragic death.

1:35WatchNov 16, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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