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[Music] this is where it all began right this is where it all began April 23rd 2018 I received the call that body was
located off of Highway 98 I come over to this area and approximately here was about where the
head of the body was at and stretched out across the ditch with the feet facing in that direction she had bruises
from head to toe covering her entire body she had lacerations on her face stomach legs so this woman suffered
before she died she suffered I've never seen anything like it it was extreme violence extreme violence
Overkill and who would do something like that at the time you don't know and what
you worry about then is are they loosen our community what type of individual am I
dealing with or individuals is there one person is there two you have a million questions that
you can ask but you have no answers at the time the next day they identified the
woman that is eileene siden a young 31 one-year-old female in the Miami area I've known Eileen siden for 25
years she was my best friend Elina called me she had told me it was pretty where she was the last
talk I had with Eileen was very different she told me just these horrific things you never think you'll
hear from your best friend she said I need your help it was like a movie my sister's
involved and I don't know what's happening I told her to run you use the word run did you say run 100% I said run
get the get out of there go she's like I can't she was scared to death this doesn't happen this doesn't
happen to us this doesn't happen in real life we received the call from the Sportsman's Lodge Motel there was a room
that they were in the process of cleaning there was blood and what goes through your mind as
you walk through all this beauty this right here would be the last place that you could ever imagine a homicide taking
place especially right here in this piece of paradise I'll take you to room number
15 now when the housekeepers first came through this door what did they see uh they said the furniture was
knocked over onto the floor as I started cleaning the room they found more and more stuff to be wrong they noticed
stuff missing from the beds the sheets anything like that this bed here was completely covered in a blood stain so
that tells you there was a violent scene going on yes and what happened in room 15 it's
unn if these walls could talk right oh if they could talk I'd like to hear them [Music]
[Music] appleola floridaa is a wonderful small place for Franklin County assistant
prosecutor Jared Patterson the Sleepy Gulf Coast Town of appal laola and surrounding Countryside are among the
last remnants of a bygone era it's certainly still hearkens back to a time before there was condos on every inch of
the beach and before there were highrises we're referred to here the counties along this area of the coast as
the Forgotten Coast but when a couple heading to a nearby fishing pond discovered Eileen sidon's battered body
on April 23rd 2018 Patterson wondered what had brought a killer to Florida's forgotten Coast the horror that it
really was it absolutely shocked people it looked like someone was in a hurry whoever it was dumped the body and
took off lead investigator Lieutenant Ronnie Jones then with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office says documenting
Eileen's unsettling dump site was the first of two ominous events over the next 24 hours he was soon dispatched to
the second crime scene at the Sportsman's large motel and that Bloody spectacle inside
room [Music] 15 so what's it like for you to be back in here uh brings back some pretty bad
memories Jan memories live in stark contrast to the tree shaded grounds of the otherwise peaceful Motel as soon as
I came in I noticed the bed I it's you couldn't miss it I mean this whole area was covered and had blood stains on it
and when you saw that kind of blood loss what did that tell you I just put two on
two together and I automatically put that back to the um body that was found the day before you did that quickly like
that had to it wasn't just somebody cut theirself and bled a little bit on the bed I mean the amount of blood that was
on this bed tells me that whoever was here was probably deceased Jones recalled there was a smell of vinegar in
the room and what did that tell you that someone attempted to clean the crime scene a luminol test for traces of human
blood revealed what an apparently Hasty cleanup couldn't hide the whole entire bathroom lit up so that was the scene of
perhaps some of her most vicious attacks was inside that bathroom yes and Jones says the shower curtain rod was a
possible weapon on the rod was located a palm print and also uh blood and that's
significant evidence right that's right testing would soon confirm that it was Eileen's blood in the motel room now
came the gut-wrenching duty to notify Eileen's sister Francesca sidon he said my sister was murdered I don't know like
what do you do you look for support that's all I could do I didn't understand why like it was
given to me again like to handle another loss while growing up in Miami then 16-year-old Francesca and 9-year-old
Eileen faced their first tragedy when their beloved mother Mera passed away from cancer how did the two of you deal
with this we didn't talk about it because it was so fast six years later their father Frank a
successful furniture manufacturer who Francesca says shared a special bond with iile suddenly died from a heart
attack it left eileene then 14 and orphan and 22 year-old Franchesca with a decision to make I signed the papers and
I became her legal guardian and what did that mean what were your responsibilities I became a parent I had
to take her to school I to pick her up from school I had to finished my own school I was working I didn't have time
to grieve and I don't think that she did either 7 years later Franchesca moved to
Los Angeles on her own that's when she says eileene now in her 20s began grieving their parents she started to
think a lot she became more sensitive something like losing your parents has long lasting effects throughout your
life it's obvious that it did this is E's best friend not wanting her name associated with this case she has asked
48 hours to refer to her as Ally she remembers a strong and determined eileene making it on her own in Miami
she worked as a property manager she lived in a great apartment you know she paid her own rent she made her bills she
was very independent Francesca saw that Independence firsthand when eileene made
an extended visit to La in 2016 looking back do you wish she had stayed with you
100% because whatever happened when she went back to Miami is when she reconnected
with Zach Zach was Zachary Abel who eileene had known since they were teenagers I'm not sure I had the best
reputation in high school at first she wasn't really sure about him but years later she and Zach Abel started dating I
think in the beginning Eileen found Zack fun but I think it changed pretty quickly investigators in Franklin County
would soon learn all about Zack Abel they discovered that Zach eileene and this woman Christina araho had all been
seen in the appalachicola area detectives also learned the three Shar a room at the Sportsman's Lodge
room number 15 we needed to know what happened inside that hotel room outside of three people
entered and two came out carrying a body off the coast of Lauderdale Florida Captain Mike pette set sail on his
50-foot boat it's kind of weird uh trying to remember any good times they just weren't there was always some issue
back in 2018 Mike would play a central role in Eileen sidon's murder investigation he knew eileene and her
boyfriend Zach Abel well Zach is just um very entertaining he's very extroverted
Mike had met Zach by chance at a bar about 7 years earlier he came up to me at Duffy and said hey I like your shirt
and I'm like okay then uh Christina came up Christina araho Zach's girlfriend at
the time the two had been dating for about 4 years Mike says Christina immediately started boasting about her
powerful father right out of the gate she said oh yeah my dad's a major with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's
department and if we ever get into any trouble with the law he can take care of it I was like what who says
that despite their odd first meeting Mike says he began hanging out with the couple What followed were years of wild
nights wild parties and lots of heavy drinking that was their go-to thing okay we got to do shots of this shots of this
but Mike says there was an interesting power dynamic in the couple's relationship with Christina who is 8
years older than Zach calling the shots she was very controll R in and very directing he would follow her lead with
stuff One Day in 2016 Zack stopped by Mike's boat but not with Christina instead Zack introduced Mike to Eileen
siden Mike could tell Zach now had two women in his life it was the weirdest thing if your
relationship's not working just end it and move on however Mike says that Zach couldn't make a clean break from
Christina who was also his business partner he tried so many times he just didn't know how to and then also all the
threats all the time that she could make him disappear every time she got drunk she'd say some weird
things Eileen's best friend Ally says Zach and eileene began to secretly date she seemed to love him so much that she
was still hoping that he would you know decide to be with her he would lead her on to things he was trying to end with
Christina in 2017 Eileen unexpectedly lost her job as a property manager she was really starting to lose control of
her own life Ali says that may explain why eileene eventually started working at Zach and Christina's used car
dealership it wasn't the independent life that she had always lived Ally says eileene continued to pressure Zach to
break up with Christina for good but when Zach finally tried to end things withr Ina she countered with an
unconventional proposal it was not the answer that anyone expected Christina came back and said well why don't we try
and all be in a relationship that it now became this opportunity for this thruple
three-way kind of relationship a thruple is a romantic relationship among three people Ally says Eileen was against the
idea Nene said absolutely not there's no way it's never going to work and there was kind of a
crickets for a few weeks but Ally says eileene later changed her mind the trio was now a thropple I was in shock really
but also a little bit happy for them that maybe this could work but it didn't work before long there was trouble this
whole dynamic started to change where one of them always seemed to be the odd man out or was jealous at that point it
just started to spiral out of control according to Mike pck vet things escalated leading to irrational behavior
and fights fueled by alcohol he says Eileen and Christina traded punches often usually resulting in black eyes on
one or both of the women that they'd sometimes hide behind big sunglasses it was a everyday thing pry
every second day thing I could say Ali remembers things differently she says Zach was the main aggressor in the
relationship eileene would call me and say you have to come over here like he hurt me again
and I'd rush over there and photograph her and beg her to go to the police but Ally says Eileen refused fearing
Christina's law enforcement connections would work against her Eileen's sister Franchesca was Furious when she learned
of the abuse I wanted my sister out of the situation I wanted her out it's hard to leave it's hard to leave and I had
this feeling that Christina was more violent of the two it was really difficult to see her going through a
time like this it was just so hard and she was scared to death once Ally says the abuse got so bad she took eileene to
the emergency room they took her to the hospital because they have to report things but she wouldn't say where the
bruises came from Eileen's best friend had to deliver a hard truth e you have to break up with
this guy someone's going to end up dead when eile was in real trouble it was hard to get anyone to come rescue
her the path that led to Eileen sidon's murder may have begun weeks earlier in 2018 Ally was surprised that despite the
physical violence in their relationship I had decided to move in with sack Abel and Christina araho the thruple was now
working together sleeping together and living together eileene was trapped in the relationship because she was trapped
financially but she felt that that was one last chance to make it work it was like a one month or two month trial but
within a few weeks Ally says Eileen had had enough B was just going to move out she
was really done with the Rel ship but Eileen's plans to leave were halted on April 7th 2018 after Zack and
Christina had gotten into a violent fight Ally says she got a call from eileene on Zach's phone she was going to
leave and get Zach out of the house but like to go to a coffee shop the next call I got was from Christina she was
angry and Furious Ally says Christina threatened to report the car Eileen and Zach were driving in as stolen in an
apparent attempt to keep them from leaving her behind Ali immediately warned eileene and
Zach instead of coming around and coming back like I thought they would they hit
the gas and went to Georgia I said what are you doing iene you don't have your phone you don't have a wallet this is
crazy she said we're going on a road trip this is a good thing but the road trip wasn't a good
thing to Christina araho she began her harassing Zach and eileene sending a storm of angry texts you two deserve
each other Christina sent more than 150 texts in roughly 24 hours all went unanswered including this one my dad
will be calling you later Christina issued this threat you effed me over and now I'm effing you over I was just
trying to tell her Christina why don't you worry about your own life about 48 hours into the road trip
Zach and eileene were heading to Texas and Christina seemed to have a change of heart texting if you want to come back
home come back you never have to question my love for reasons that are unknown instead of coming home Zach
invited Christina to join them and she flew to Dallas but with a thruple United the old problems
returned I started to call me from Zach's phone at night saying you know this is getting
bad and I don't know what to do it was until Christina arrived that that started to happen I was really worried
someone would get hurt by day 10 of the road trip Eileen's older sister Franchesca was also worried
she hadn't heard from Eileen in a while when the trio stopped in New Orleans eileene finally called Francesca and
shared an alarming SST suspicion she's like I think they're going to kill me no joke so's like Eileen run to the nearest
gas station go tell the person all 911 yeah run to like I said run get the get out of there go she's like I can't
Franchesca desperate to help tried to get more details from Eileen if I had where the address was I would have
called the police then and there but she had to go she had to get off and she hung up I was extremely frustrated but I
and and I was scared with no way to help her sister Franchesca hoped eileene would stay safe
the road trip continued into its second week the trio then headed to Panama City
Florida but a missed exit LED them to the Forgotten Coast the road trip is difficult to
understand partying one day and murdering the next David adlerstein is is a reporter for the appalachicola
times one of the oldest newspapers in Florida I've been covering the Eileen siden case since the week it
happened on the evening of April 21st the trio seen here in this screenshot from surveillance footage stumbled into
the quiet peace of Franklin County they went to a popular restaurant the red pirate played miniature golf
partied at the recommendation of a local the thruple headed to the nearby Sportsman's Lodge Motel they reserved
the last vacancy of the night room 15 the next morning on April 22nd 2018 the thruple made a plan they decided they'd
spend another day there not get back on the road and make it a a party so they got up in the morning and went to the
liquor store here they are in these screenshots from the store's surveillance footage while
there the trio purchased large bottles of vodka and Fireball whiskey when I went to investigate their path that day
and went to the liquor store the clerk she pointed out that the fireball that they bought was the largest bottle you
could buy and this is just the three of them the thruple then returned to the Sportsman's Lodge Motel I don't think I
know was having fun I think she was just trying to maybe get by and stay alive Ali says she spoke to eileene that day I
said I need to leave him I'm telling you I'm like a sex slave he has this really
scary look in his eye it's very scary it's different and she said I need your help allly says the two friends had
crafted an Escape Plan eileene would get on a bus from Tampa the Trio's next destination I bought her a gr ticket
because she didn't have a wallet the bus would drop eileene off near Miami and Ally would take her home eileene just
needed to get on that bus and she'd be safe and then you know I never heard back I never heard anything after
that the next night hundreds of miles away in Fort Lauderdale Mike pikovit was home and alone there was a knock at the
door it was Christina araho and back able I was like okay where's Eileen and right away Christina says oh she ran
away and I said bull I said where is she and Zach right away it started to choke
up and he said she's dead the news was shocking enough but Mike says once Christina was out of
earshot Zach told him what happened he said Christina killed her he woke up She Was Dead next to him and uh he tried to
give her CPR then uh wanted to call 911 Christina said no and told him you can't call 911
for some reason he kept on saying he had to protect Christina like what you got a
protector for Mike says he wanted to protect both of his friends he feared a violent outcome if he called 911 I
didn't want them to get killed just wanted to make sure that they were brought in in a safe way and the only
thing that I could think about is go talk to her father Christina's father Colonel Tony
araho the one Mike says Christina had always bragged could make her problems go away when Zach and Christina fell asleep
Mike took this photo and says he went online to search for Christina's father a man he had never met so I was
panicking trying to find his phone number when Mike finally got a hold of Colonel Aro he didn't immediately reveal
the deadly news I said I got to talk to you it's about Christina it's very important Mike says Christina's father
directed Mike to meet him at an odd place a gas station so I went up there I said Christina killed somebody and he
says you know I'm a cop right I'm like yes sir I do he rid away and said wait right there Mike says Christina's father
then brought him to the Sheriff's Office to make a formal statement he did what was the right thing to do he got two
other people to ask me all the questions later that day Mike was shown a photo and he was the one to identify
the battered body of eileene siden with that confirmation police descended on Mike's home as Zach and Christina were
about to leave they were arrested and brought back to Franklin County the pair were
later charged with first-degree murder it would take almost 6 years before Zack Abel and Christina araho
would face a jury and by then only one of them would stand [Music] trial you're healing you're doing the
things that you need to heal and then stopped for almost 6 years Franchesca siden lived in agonizing limbo as her
sister Eileen's case Complicated by having two defendants face delay after delay after frustrating delay and now
you're going to get ready for this big moment and it stops again finally in January of 2024 at the
Franklin County Courthouse in appalachicola Florida Zack Abel was about to face trial he had pleaded not
guilty to first-degree murder and would stand before the jury alone 8 months earlier Christina araho took a plea deal
for a lesser charge of second degree murder so she admitted taking part in this yes she implicated herself in the
actual beating of Eileen after studying the mountain of evidence prosec U Jared Patterson
believes Zack Abel was more responsible in Eileen's murder and the state is relying on the jury believing Christina
aro's version of what happened inside room 15 the only one who has told us anything
about what happened in that room is Christina araho once Christina made her plea deal she would become the
prosecution star witness print reporter David adlerstein camera in hand was there as Christina araho transported the
courtroom back to the evening of April 22nd 2018 araho testified that she Zack Abel
and eileene were relaxing in the room at the Sportsman's Lodge after a day of heavy drinking when Zach drinks does he
act differently it becomes very aggressive very mean Zack Abel became violently enraged says
araho when eileene posed a seemingly innocent question she said Christina guess what and she looks over at
Christina and says hey Christina guess what how would that sentence be finished I have no idea cuz she never got to
finish it Zachary got up immediately and went over to her and was in her face hitting her just
yelling at her telling her you always start problems araho admits to also hitting eileene as she demanded to know
what she was about to say she never got an answer and I got so frustrated I just
went I left the room after stepping outside room 15 for a few minutes araho claims she returned
to find Abel and eileene in the bathroom when I open the door he had something white in his hand like if he
was poking on her the medical examiner was able to identify small circular bruising to the body of Eileen that
could be consistent with a shower curtain rod like the shower curtain rod investigators recovered that had palm
print impressions in Eileen's blood whose Palm was it the palm print belonged to Zachary
Abel the assault continued near the bed says araho where she says Abel reached for his wooden walking stick hey h
several times with it when he hit her in the the back though the stick broke we had actually found pieces of that wooden
staff in the hotel room we didn't realize the significance of it until we found the other piece in the vehicle
that contained our victim's DNA araho says she watched in Terror as Abel began using that stick to sexually assault
eileene Christina's description of the crime was horrifying to listen to Eileen clearly suffered terrible death
adlerstein recalls the medical examiner saying Eileen's injuries reminded him of
those he had seen in motor vehicle crashes as a reporter I try very hard to not be emotional
I distinctly remember fighting back tears araho claims she eventually put herself between Abel and eileene and the
attack finally stopped eileene was badly beaten but still alive she says and the
exhausted Trio just fell asleep I didn't make she me araho claims it wasn't until
she woke up the next morning that she realized Eileen was dead she says she only participated in the coverup out of
fear of what Abel might do to her she seemed to me genuinely remorseful others had different opinions who is Christina
araho in your book manipulative cunning uh chameleon I think that there's evil in
her Alex Morris is Zack Abel's attorney says Christina araho acted alone I believe that she is the murderer let's
talk about her story Morris says it was Christina araho who beat eileene and that photo taken by Mike pavet at his
home after the murder shows she had injuries to her hands and feet which tells you Christina must have been the
attacker that's right Christina araho was the one with homicidal intent says Morris triggered
when Abel and eileene took off with her in the rearview mirror and he says those
threatening text that she sent to Abel's phone before joining them on the road trip read like a
confession there are threats of bodily harm to both eileene and Zach in the messages you come near me ho I will kill
you I think it speaks for itself and that's exactly what happened after Eileen's murder Morris says araho
wiped down the motel room using the vinegar that Ronnie Jones would later smell he says Abel's palm prints on the
curtain rod got there when he moved it during the cleanup he was instructed to pick the curtain rod up over there and
put it over there bye Christina this toll booth surveillance photo from after the murder shows that Christina arrived
and not Zack Abel was the one driving the car and therefore Morris says she was the one in control the evidence
indicates Christina to be the one giving the directions and had everything to be able to manipulate the
situation manipulating Zack Abel says Morris because of those threats she had been making for years about her father's
influence in solving her problems bottom line is Zach was fearful of Christina's
father Abel chose not to testify when Morris made his final arguments to the jury he concluded the evidence showed
there was only one person who wanted Eileen siden dead they haven't proven any motive as to why Mr Abel would be
interested in murdering Miss siden but I'll tell you where motive lies and it's clear as day and that's with Maho the
motive being I I want rid of the person who's taken my man so jealousy yes in his closing Patterson said Christina
araho already accepted her role in this crime he asked the jury to hold Zack Abel accountable for his part by finding
him guilty of murder they live together they work together they own a business together they went to the Sportsman's
Lodge together they emptied out the room together they ran away together they got
arrested together the only thing they didn't do together was kill Eileen Sid no way but who would the jury
believe what do you make of Christina aro's testimony chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X
[Music] she wasn't born here and she didn't live here but she was left here and she'll
always be remembered by Franklin County residents of Florida's forgotten Coast will now long remember Eileen
siden says Ronnie Jones almost 6 years after her death the community waited for justice for the stranger they now had
come to embrace as one of their own what was going through your mind as the jury
begins its deliberation make it quick I was told by the jury Foreman that when they first went in
there was 10 in favor of first-degree premeditated murder with two holdouts all right everyone please be seated
after about 5 hours of deliberations the jury reached a consensus in the case of
the State of Florida versus Zachary Ray AEL the defendant is guilty of the Lesser included offense of second
deegree murder second deegree murder just like Christina araho adlerstein says the jury
Foreman told him they just couldn't decide if Zach Abel had actually intended to kill eileene they knew that
Christina had pled guilty to Second and I think they eventually said we're going
to give him the same it doesn't tell me that they're equally responsible Mike pikovit says even with the verdict he is
convinced his friend played no part in Eileen's death to me there's an innocent man sitting in jail I think they're both
just as guilty as the other now retired from law enforcement Ronnie Jones spends his days tending his
bar in appalachicola he says he still left wondering what really happened inside room 15 is this case a mystery to
you it's not a mystery on exactly what happened but exactly why it happened that is what still bothers me to this
day why like what eileene might have been about to say that sparked the attack it was my understanding and the
rumors that she was fixing to disclose the fact that she was pregnant pregnant and was she pregnant did you learn that
at autopsy I was at the autopsy and she was not pregnant I don't know if she thought she was or not
right when it was time for sentencing Zach Abel finally spoke and told the courtroom another twist in this tortured
story I had stopped and I grabbed a ring pop and I proposed to her with a ring pop and asked her to marry me and she
said yes and me and E were going to go our way and leave Christina out of it Zach spoke at his sentencing and said
that he'd actually propose to eileene during this trip I think that is just be asked I
it's a great story but no I have been in the justice system in one form or another for 40 years rarely have I seen
the sort of injuries that I saw on E siden the judge told Abel he wished he could impose a harsher punishment before
sentencing him to the maximum life in prison in the State of Florida life means life we don't have parole at at
her sentencing Christina aro's father Colonel Tony araho set the record straight he said he never used his
influence to benefit his daughter and he recalled the conversation he had with her after the murder you will own up to
the truth you will accept responsibility you will be the voice of the victim and you will testify under oath
and a court of law and then whatever is sentence to you that's fine there was no
agreement with her as to the link of sentence she gave her statement with the knowledge that she could still receive
life in prison I think about that day every day of my life the details ha me and the memories
keep the judge acknowledged her cooperation and sentenced Christina araho to 25 years justice has been
served they won't beat up any more females neither will she I think that every woman kind of thinks
I would leave if I was in that situation I would just get up and leave I would never tolerate that Eileen's best friend
Ally hopes there will be more compassion for those trapped in abusive relationships it's always that I'm sorry
it's never going to happen again and you believe it cuz you're in love and things
are good 90 5% of the time but the 5% that are bad are so bad with your sister gone how do you
want her to be remembered I want her to be remembered as a sweet loving human being who unfortunately had lost her
parents at such a young age but she was still so sweet like she was such a sweetheart her soul was so kind
[Music] [Music] CBS next Saturday a young woman found dead I children but are the clues adding
up the piece of the bathroom door lock under Alex's head meant the door was forced open before she was shot it just
didn't look right a new 48 Hours next Saturday at 109 Central on CBS and streaming on Paramount
[Music] [Music] plus I hate seeing people get away with stuff and I like figuring stuff out my name is
Ian iavo and I was the lead detective in the Sarah Harris case Sarah Harris she was
incredibly bright um one should always pursue knowledge no matter the topic very energetic very fun did Sarah have
any idea how beautiful she was honestly I don't think she did Sarah Jane Harris Sarah hopes to become an
anesthesiologist she was shocked that she won the Miss Marilyn petite pageant she had thought from a very young age
that she would want to be a doctor she wanted to help people in 20120 Sarah needed wisdom teeth pulled
she initially met James Ryan as a patient at the his oral surgery practice I'm James Ryan I mean it's not just that
we say that we care but we really do we take pride Dr James Ryan was a well-respected oral surgeon a lot of
people knew him and thought very highly of him so she gets the teeth done she starts getting all these text messages
and they're from Dr Ryan and he says by the way I'm looking to hire someone as a
surgical assistant do you know anyone she says something like well what about me Mom and he offered her the job
she then became an employee and then his girlfriend and his living girlfriend Sarah's life appeared
glamorous on the outside but buying closed doors I mean that wasn't necessarily the
case I would have never ever thought that her life would end the way it did Montgomery
911 my girlfriend I think overdosed I'm trying to resuscitator right now and what is your first and last name James
ran I'm doing so compression and is she responsive is she breathing she's not breathing when the two responding
officers um got to the house they saw Sarah she's laying on the floor what did authorities think had
happened to Sarah that day she overdosed and we don't know if it's an accident if
it's suicide or if it's a homicide the decision was made to charge him with depraved heart murder I think most of
our audience will have never heard of depraved heart murder I have never seen it before you have to show an extreme
indifference to human life James Ryan provided those drugs that caused her death that doesn't mean he's guilty of
murder another way of presenting this case would be you never intended to hurt her I knew this was not just some simple
accidental overdose this was much more [Music] [Music] well she sleeping on the couch last
night yeah she would do that sometimes it's the morning of January 26 2022 Sarah Harris lies unresponsive on
the floor of the room in disarray her boyfriend Dr James Ryan tearfully talks with police at the scene the
conversation is recorded on a body camera as they ask him about the night before we're watching TV and then she
said you should probably go to bed because you're tired and you have to work tomorrow so I did uhhuh what time
did you go to bed probably about 10 or 11: Ryan has already told authorities he's a doctor and that he thinks it's an
overdose and he says it's happened before and I did CPR and brought her back this
time Sarah doesn't survive Dr Ryan has suggested where she got at least one of her drugs of choice
a powerful anesthetic she used to take Pro fall to she used to steal that from my office how they got into her body
I've caught her before with um like injecting herself with things and why she was bipolar also so she could be
really angry or could be really happy Ryan had called Sarah's family with the awful news that morning but her
mother Tina just didn't believe anything he said she immediately suspected James
Ryan was responsible for Sarah's death she arrived at the scene about 20 minutes
later my baby oh God I started kicking and hitting him screaming at what did he say
happened he said he went to bed and left her alone and came down and she was unresponsive in the morning authorities
say they found wrappers from syringes tourniquet and saline bags next to the kitchen sink and Drug vials in Sarah's
purse Tina thinks Ryan arranged it that way he wanted to look like it was a suicide Tina had long held suspicions
about Dr Ryan he had encountered Sarah Harris more than a year earlier not as a girlfriend but as a patient to get her
wisdom teeth out Dr Ryan is somebody who's practiced for over 20 years he has incredible credentials Mary fulan is a
former prosecutor and defense attorney and a CBS News consultant we asked her to use her Decades of courtroom
experience to help analyze this case he's esteemed and regarded in his community as one of the best at what he
does Tina Harris says the first time her daughter met Dr Ryan for her teeth in the summer of 2020 the doctor was
professional but she does remember at the time feeling it was curious when his interest in Sarah seemed to change she
starts getting all these text messages he asks her how are you doing and she says I'm fine and he starts sending
little emojis what are you thinking as her mom I thought it was a little bizarre that he added a little happy
face and I thought well maybe he just likes using emojis she says that's when Ryan had
mentioned he was looking to hire someone as a surgical assistant I thought well you know maybe he just thinks that she'd
really be a good addition Dr Ryan hardly seemed like a threat he was divorced with three grown children and was
involved with a woman with with whom he already had a baby at 47 he was more than twice Sarah's age he says no I
don't need your resume just come on in for a working interview I said well I'm proud of you honey that's pretty
incredible he's going to teach you all this stuff at the beginning Sarah seemed to
love the job but Tina says as the holidays approached an extravagant gift R triggered her suspicion that Dr Ryan's
interest in Sarah was more than professional what was it a diamond necklace that's
quite a gift I said okay he's after you I said you got to put your foot down instead in early 2021 she says Sarah
announced she had agreed to go out for a meal with Ryan who was ending his other
relationship he seemed to win over Sarah and Tina admits in their early days as a
couple even she found him impressive as a mother was a part of you excited she was dating a doctor well I was excited
was excited because he had a wonderful reputation and she says Ryan was generous he would leave Sarah a new car
and take her and her family on trips all expenses paid Tina says in a way he spent time courting her too you know he
would say I would love to have you as my mom Sarah's so blessed to have you Tina
says she and Sarah always had a special bond we were very very close she says Sarah was close to her three siblings
too especially older sister Rachel Rachel took it upon herself that she was going to be the
protector but there had been a rough period during Sarah's youth in Suburban Maryland like many young people she
experimented with drugs and had problems moderating her mood she suffered from anxiety when did she first struggle with
depression I noticed depression coming about when she was about 14 15 years old she would start feeling down but Tina
says Sarah still excelled in high school craving knowledge and the skills that came with it um it's currently hanging
in the L in Paris she learned German Spanish Russian and sign [Music] language she put a lot of pressure on
herself especially with her grades before long Sarah got her social bearings she fell into a great group of
kids they would sit out in the living room play the guitar play the piano sing she was at a music festival in
2018 when 21-year-old Sarah caught the eye of Henry Peterson 7 years older I feel like it was like stars colliding
and uh meeting someone like you're supposed to meet they lived 7 hours apart but he says they quickly became
emotionally Inseparable we talked about everything thing you could think of in terms of a future marriage and children
and family he says the distance eventually made them drift Peterson broke it off though he says he still
imagined they would end up together she and I never stop talking the love was always
there by her mid 20s Sarah had gotten into modeling and competing in beauty pageants and in 2020 she'd won that Miss
Marilyn petite pageant the next year is when she started started quietly seeing Dr Ryan and by that summer they had
decided to live together and that's when everything goes [Music] [Applause] downhill by the end of the summer of
2021 Tina Harris says James Ryan was dominating Sarah's life boss boyfriend even letting her live rentree in his
house but instead of flourishing Sarah seemed anxious and depressed she saw a psychiatrist who gave her that bipolar
diagnosis her complexion starts to change she starts to lose weight on a family trip to Key West that
September Tina says Sarah had been a sleep when a drunk Dr Ryan revealed something
unsettling he had first noticed Sarah in the park when she was just 14 I used to
see Sarah walking the neighborhood and playing at the park with her friends and he says then I found out she
worked in the toy store so I would take my kids there so I could see her and I remember when she dressed up as Elsa
from Frozen and she looked just like Elsa and then he said yeah and then I found out she worked at one of these
restaurants and so I would go in there for dinner so I could get her as my server it sounds like Dr Ryan was
obsessed with Sarah he was he was very much so by their next trip to Florida a month
later she says Sarah was acting strangely she wore a bulky long sleeve sweatshirt despite the Heat and it
seemed like she and Ryan were always fighting and she goes I hate him I don't want to be here I want to go home and
when they returned to Maryland Tina saw the full horrifying picture of what Sarah's life had
become she says she called Sarah on October 28th 2021 phone rang rang rang she finally
picked up she could barely talk her words were extremely slurred so I said Sarah what's going on what's wrong with
you she goes oh I'm just really tired mom you knew something was wrong yeah well I knew she was slurring Tina says
she and Rachel left for Sarah's house minutes later and we walked into hell what did you see well Sarah
answers the door she smells it looks like she hadn't bathed in a week or more she looked horrible she'd weighed 120
when she'd had oral surgery with Ryan Tina says but Sarah was Skin and Bones now and Tina says there was more The Ivy
bags needles laying all over the floor syringes tourniquets bloody Footprints bloody paper towels and there were drugs
bottles and vials everywhere Rachel gathered them up and photograph them I never looked at the
drugs and I wish I had I do think some people watching would think how did you not look at what the drugs were of
course I just wanted to get her out she says Sarah had offered an innocent if unconvincing explanation she goes I've
just been dehydrated mom he's just hydrating me I said I'm turning him in and Sarah starts crying mom you can't do
that please don't do that she's begging me I grabbed her arms and I pulled her sleeves up and she had needle marks from
here to here all over her arms bruises I became hysterical against her better judgment Tina agreed to hold off on
calling authorities but she says she insisted Sarah move back home just Days Later Tina says Ryan convinced
Sarah to come back to him in the following weeks Tina says Sarah seemed to be getting better she
started cooking eating even going to church but on December 3rd 2021 Tina says her daughter answered the phone
slurring again Rachel Harris jumped into action said I'm going to go and check on
her when Rachel got there it was worse than the first time poking around the ground floor
Rachel once again pulled out her camera finding drug bottles and vials as well as a saine bag an IV pole
Ivy needles and bloody footprints on a kitchen she was so distraught she left without talking to her
sister a few days later Tina confronted Dr James Ryan she was in no mood for another explanation I just reach across
and smack the living crap out of him you hit him yeah oh I hit him and I said what are you
doing are you trying to kill my daughter Tina says Ryan still insisted he'd only
been hydrating her and you still believed it I believed he was giving her something I didn't know what it was I
did not look at the vases all all I could see was my daughter and what kind of trouble she was in but the next day
she says Ryan admitted he'd been doing more than hting her he'd been giving Sarah drugs though only to keep her from
getting them someplace else so I told him I said look you can break it off with my daughter or I'm calling the
police and he said well I'll break it off with her but days turned into weeks and Dr Ryan never did after months of
tension Tina says she couldn't keep arguing with her daughter anymore what was I going to
do lock her up you probably wanted to I threatened it and she said if you do that
Mom when I get out you'll never hear from me again and that scared me to [Music]
death within weeks there was a new tragedy for the Harris family Sarah's brother Christopher just 38 died after
heart attack in Montana I had to sign the papers to take him off life support which
um no mother should have to do his death was devastating to the whole family Sarah posted this tribute
message to her brother never goodbye I'll see you soon big bro and only 18 days after Christopher's
death at about 8:30 a.m. on January 26 2022 Tina says she and Rachel were together when Rachel got James Ryan's
call Rachel started screaming she's holding the phone and James has it on FaceTime and he's got the camera pointed
at my [Music] baby had Sarah on the ground saying she's gone she's [Music] gone at the time of her death Sarah
Harris weighed just 83 lb authorities would list her manner of death as undetermined
Dr Ryan was not arrested they seemed to accept his story that Sarah struggling with mental health issues had
overdosed but there would be help from a most unlikely investigator Rachel started trying to
get into Sarah's iCloud [Music] I just hope that you're happy that I'm with someone who truly truly loves me 3
months before she died Sarah left a voicemail for her ex-boyfriend Henry Peterson I've
never trusted anybody as much as I've trusted the man that I'm with right now professionally
emotionally you never let me in that way they'd stayed in touch after breaking up so when she didn't answer
her phone after January of 2022 Peterson says he had a strange feeling and decided to go online I Googled her name
and uh uh there's an obituary yeah he says when Tina gave him details he joined her in the belief that James
Ryan the man Sarah said she had trusted more than any anybody else was responsible for her
death but First Responders didn't think so they didn't shut it down as a crime scene police seized some drug vials but
left the house unguarded Tina says that's because they believed what Dr Ryan had told them about where she'd
gotten the drugs and how she'd taken them it was an overdose but she says she knew there was
more to it than that though she didn't know how to to prove it turns out there was someone very close to her who
did Rachel told me she would find the evidence Rachel Harris decided to examine Sarah's laptop to see if it
might contain Clues authorities hadn't seen she didn't know the password but she knew her sister well it took her
about a couple of days to figure out Sarah's password combing through Sarah's computer iCloud Rachel hit P dirt a
trove of texts between her sister and James Ryan the messages were full of references to drugs including a
tranquilizer named diazapam and two fast acting surgical anesthetics the type Rachel had seen in the home Dr Ryan and
Sarah shared propop fall and ketamine which is sometimes also used for depression Rachel created a binder
adding the photos she'd taken there Rachel compiled 200 pages of evidence the medical examiner would release
Sarah's autopsy report which showed those same three drugs in Sarah's system research suggests they can all be habit
forming and they can suppress breathing taking them in combination can be lethal
all the while Rachel's building a case yes yes in February 2022 Rachel gave her binder to Montgomery County Police it
eventually landed on the desk of detective Ian iello an expert in pharmaceutical investigations after more
than 33 years as a cop iello was nearing retirement he decided to come in alone on a Sunday it was my birthday and
nothing was going on you don't get parties when you're this age like I'm just going to go in the office and look
through this binder and just see what I cavello sa in Rachel's binder suggested cops at the scene had been
wrong about Sarah death he says reading the text between Sarah and James Ryan was like watching a murder in slow
motion you could see Sarah die Sarah is suffering within the first month of their
relationship she had anxiety she was having trouble sleeping Ryan offers a quick fix I can give you an injection
the anxiety will be completely gone in 6 seconds he writes it will work let's try
it he had already made thec ision I cavello says the text suggests that over the months Sarah developed a
drug habit and a habit of asking her boyfriend the doctor to feed it in October 2021 do we have ketamine here in
November we need syringes I feel like in December I just really need sleep she writes can you bring
propol she's actively asking for drugs at no point does he say no no iavo says the text suggests Dr Ryan
often brought Sarah the dangerous drugs and that he actually administered at least one about a month before her death
it was December 20th 2021 if you wake up I just went to change after I gave you ketamine just
now he writes he's injecting her while she's asleep no monitoring know anything an iello points to this exchange from
the day before Sarah died is it possible to bring home ketamine when you come she
asks yes I will bring some home I love you Baby Ryan replies the texts tell a story they
do so do Rachel's photos from Sarah's house says I cavello though his colleagues lacking experience in
pharmaceutical investigations might not have understood that they had no idea what they were really looking at he says
Patrol cops and paramedics often deal with overdoses of street drugs like heroin and Fentanyl but the deadly drugs
in Sarah Harris's house were masquerading as something else there's a difference
between drugs and medication iello says to the untrained eye the drugs at Sarah's look like
medication the paraphernalia around the house might have been confusing too usually what we see is burnt spoons tin
foil U some hypodermic needles maybe a shoelace or some other string that kind of drug paraphernalia but to I cavello
the syringes and the saline the professional tourniquets and the plastic wrappers at Sarah's made it resemble an
operating room that's what a lot of it looked like whatever questions responding authorities may have had he
says Dr Ryan offered answers and you've got James saying she did all of this without any other information okay
well we're just kind of going to go with what he says he's a doctor he's a doctor
but I cavello says after reading through the family's binder any credibility Dr Ryan may have had that day
vanished and on March 22nd 2022 nearly 2 months after Sarah's death James Ryan was arrested for the
murder of Sarah Harris but prosecutors would have to make the case to a jury sometimes it's hard to convince them
maybe especially so in this case because James Ryan's defense is suggesting he was only trying to save Sarah's life and
that she had other [Music] ideas what do you make of those text messages between Sarah and Dr Ryan chat
now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X [Music] [Music] I knew the case was
solid detective Ian I cavello was sure Dr James Ryan was responsible for Sarah Harris's death and he had no problem
convincing prosecutors on Montgomery County's overdose task force Jennifer Harrison it's his fault James
Dietrich he was the one who was providing those drugs and Kimberly sisle he knew how dangerous these drugs
were Ryan was a doctor after all but as certain as prosecutors were that he knew
he was risking Sarah's life they had no conclusive evidence he intended to kill her we never suggested that you can
accept that James Ryan loved Sarah Harris but it does not excuse all the other actions that he took that led to
Sarah's Sarah's death so they charge Ryan with a subcategory of second deegree murder unfamiliar to many people
it's known as depraved heart murder prosecutors say the charge doesn't require proving the killer actually
wanted anyone dead only that they knew their actions would likely kill someone and didn't care we have to prove that he
did it with Reckless disregard for the value of her life Di gave an example for instance if I take a gun and just
randomly shoot it into a crowd I may not necessarily want or care that anybody dies but that is such a grossly Reckless
act that someone's likely to die prosecutors also charge Ryan with a slightly lesser charge involuntary
manslaughter plus two counts of drug distribution and one count of possession with intent to
distribute ladies and gentlemen me Dr James Ryan opening statements begin on August 16th
2023 there are no cameras in court but there is an audio recording but behind closed do he was conducting a deadly
medical experiment on a 25-year-old patient turned employee turned living girlfriend the prosecution
portrays Ryan as a controlling older man who got glamorous young girlfriend hooked on drugs he was stealing
dangerous sedation drugs from his business and administering them to his girlfriend Sarah
Harris prosecutors say the proof of Ryan's guilt is largely in those text messages Ryan offering to get rid of
Sarah's anxiety in six seconds telling her he gave her camine while she was sleeping and on the night before her
body was found apparently agreeing to bring ketamine home to her can you tell us not
fa I don't know where to start I was the first to testify she was my baby Tina Harris is emotional as she relives
Sarah's downward spiral just months before dying I asked to see her arms and she said no
Mama but I grabbed her arms and I pulled up the sleeves and her little arms were
covered in Needle marks and bruises and the medical examiner tells the jury about the Dangerous Drug
cocktail that brought her life to a tragic end when people use all three together that was just cause profound
strong sedation the drugs can be so dangerous in F fact the prosecution tells jurors that doctors who use these
drugs have equipment and protocols in place to revive patients if needed even though Dr Ryan would follow all of those
safety protocols in his own office he would never follow those at home she was chemically dependent on she was
chemically dependent on him prosecutors also call social worker Janice Miller who says that kind of power imbalance is
a Hallmark of abusive relationships the drugs were the way that he controlled her and really ensured that she wouldn't
leave the relationship he's created an addict Dr Ryan and his attorneys did not agree to be interviewed by 48 hours but
at trial they argue Sarah Harris may have played an important role in her own demise suggesting that after wrestling
with mental illness she was now losing her battle with anxiety depression and drugs their focus on Sarah Harris is
obviously her mental illness the defense suggests Sarah May have begun stealing the drugs herself they want the jury to
know about her Facebook post about seeing her deceased brother soon but the judge won't allow
it but they are allowed to tell jurors about a text Sarah sent Ryan months before her
death she says I've lost my will to live I've lost my will to live do you think there's any chance
Sarah was suicidal absolutely not absolutely not where is the indication of a suicide on the scene there is none
detective iello says the drug bottles found in Sarah's purse were too far from her body for her to have given them to
herself these drugs are fast acting she's going to be out in seconds how she can put all the medication in her purse
then went and laid down not possible she wouldn't have cleaned up somebody else had to have done
it but according to CBS News consultant Mary fulan the defense argues that detectives mishandled the scene that
there's no way to know exactly what happened including who administered the Fatal dose they didn't test to see if
his DNA or fingerprints were on those syringes Dr Ryan chooses not to testify the defense argues he was a loving
partner who was just trying to help Sarah this is a case about caring for somebody and possibly loving them to
death his lawyers call a friend who saw Sarah using drugs before she began dating Ryan and a relative who saw them
as a happy couple in closings prosecutors remind the jury that to convict Ryan of
depraved heart murder it doesn't matter whether or not he actually put the drugs
in Sarah's body or even whether or not he wanted her to Die the act of giving her the drugs is him handing her a
loaded gun but would the jury agree if you were a juror in this case what would be your verdict and why learn
more about the case at 48 hours.com [Music] I try to believe the best in people and
my for as long as Kyle Stevens can remember his friend Dr James Ryan has done right by people he was pretty
straight Lac cleancut guy when he talked about Sarah how did he sound in the beginning he seemed enthusiastic and
excited but Steven says at a certain point Ryan did reach out with a concern he had asked about how to best be
helpful and supportive to someone in that place of depression and possibly addiction did it make you wonder if he
was actually asking about Sarah yeah but I didn't press so Steven says he had no
idea what was really going on between the two then he discovered his friend was arrested and headed to trial when
you heard the verdict what did you think I was taken back after a nearly two trial it takes
jurors Less Than 3 hours to reach their decision have to count one murder in second
degree on August 25th 2023 they find James Ryan guilty of the second deegree depraved heart murder of Sarah
Harris releas yeah relief they also convict Ryan on the manslaughter and Drug charges my heart
just felt satisfied Sarah's voice was heard through this Tina and Rachel speak at a press conference after the verdict
she was this beautiful beauty queen and she wasted away at the hands of Dr James
Ryan and again at sentencing months later he's a predator he a wol and she floating who
my bar until his life is done but James Ryan's lawyers had submitted supportive letters from his
friends and a legal filing which detailed that James Ryan had his own struggles with drugs and mental health
Ryan addresses the court and insists he didn't administer the lethal dose but takes responsibility for not preventing
Sarah's access to the drugs that killed her the words do not exist to convey and
express the level of remorse I feel though the guidelines suggest a sentence of 15 to 25 years for this case
of depraved heart murder the judge has something else in mind it is the sentence of this court that you be
committed to the Maryland Division of Corrections for a period of 40 years with more time for the other
counts it's a total of 45 years years in prison a 45e sentence puts James Ryan in
a category with some violent murderers you know 45 years for James Ryan is basically life patients rely on doctors
and their expertise and their advice and I think she's sending a very loud message to the medical
community and State's Attorney John McCarthy wants to send a message to lawmakers the depraved heart murder
charge may have worked in this trial but it's a difficult crime to prove in other
overdose cases we need tougher laws as early as 2015 McCarthy began pushing to streamline Maryland law so State
prosecutors can more easily convict dealers and Distributors who Supply the drugs that lead to overdose deaths but
it hasn't been easy we're not at a place in Maryland right now that the legislature seems very interested in
creating new crimes and new penalties Ian iello who read murder between the lines of this case and retired after the
trial says he still thinks of Sarah often I did everything I could um for her so does her ex-boyfriend Henry
Peterson who looks back at their breakup with regret I guess I always thought she was
going to be there a regret Sarah seemed to share he showed us a letter she wrote
him years earlier when their relationship ended you made me feel alive now that you're gone I feel so
many pieces and parts have died with you as if to preserve his connection to Sarah Peterson still practices a kerto
he played at her [Music] grave where today a mother who faced great loss with even greater courage
struggles to face the future without Sarah and her brother so close in life and death that she actually buried their
ashes in the same casket I hear Sarah tell me Mama it's okay what do you want your daughter's
legacy to be I want people to remember my Sarah as a light a brilliant young woman who cared about
others and loved life loved [Music] [Music] it as a kid growing up in Chicago there
was one horror movie I was too scared to watch it was called called Candyman but
did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder listen to Candyman the true story behind
the bathroom mirror murder wherever you get your podcasts I'm eron morard of 48 hours and of all the cases I've covered
this is the one that troubles me most listen to murder in the Orange Grove the trouble case against Crosley green
wherever you get your podcast [Music] 911 what is the address of your it's a day I don't think I'll ever
forget is she still Al is she alive is she she breathing no no a sheriff's vehicle pulled up and she
informed us that Alex was Dad I don't remember what I did other than fall to my KN what's her name
Alex Alex loved people she was very caring she loved animals she'd bring home a story she'd bring home all kinds
of things but she worked a lot of years to get her degree in nursing cuz she truly wanted to become a nurse thank you
to my family for never once giving up on me when many times I'm sure You' wanted
to I talked to her at 6:00 that evening via text she was doing great and that was that was kind of the last thing is
this your apartment or her apartment first mat is it Matthew and what's your last
name Matthew eer was a nurse practitioner he was well educated good-looking guy we have a lot of nurses
in my family and he is one of the best nurses I know he was a friend that she had met through this part-time job she
had she called me she had called him that she needed his help that she was in trouble she had been in a domestic
dispute with her then boyfriend and Matthew eer thought she was being assaulted and so he came down he was on
his way to work and detoured and came right to her apartment he had brought a gun he brought it with him everywhere he
went he had a permit to carry we were briefed by the responding officers as we're entering the apartment and they
were telling us their observations and what Matthew Ecker had told them were you guys arguing or something
no no she just sced it put it to her head Alex is laying on her back she has a gunshot wound to her head the handgun
was facing this way it was on her left shoulder like this it just didn't look right the scene didn't look right how
did she get in that position but just didn't make sense they're thinking they're not getting the whole story from
Mr eer he's the only one that can tell us what happened he was the only one that was there the only evidence is that
she touched the gun there was gunshot residue on her left hand just as a mom and knowing your kid I didn't it didn't
fit he didn't have any motive to kill her I mean he was coming down to protect her there's no way he did this I would
bet my entire life on the fact that he is innocent the first thing he said to me is Mom I did not do this what
happened [Music] [Music] the overnight hours it's December 16th 2022 what time do you get that call on
that night the call came in around 250 it was a week before Christmas in 20122 when St Paul police officer Ching
bang and his partner officer Justina ser set off on their regular patrol of the city dispatcher stated that a female was
shot in the head my part and I we went LIC and Sirens heading towards that call and is it all units in the vicinity
called in at that time yes pretty much every unit hop on that call to come in assist within minutes bang sir and
several other officers body cameras rolling arrived at the location a residential apartment
building Matthew eer the man who had placed the 911 call let them in and directed them to an apartment on
the second floor officer bang was the first to enter the apartment I remember walking
in the bathroom was to the right the very first door 32-year-old Alex penig was lying
face up with a single gunshot wound to her left temple I noticed a lot of blood around her
head officer Vang had immediately spotted the gun laying on Alex's left shoulder her hand resting on top a team
of officers looked around the small studio apartment and questioned neighbors no one had heard anything
that's F in the hallway officer sir was talking to Matthew eer you got to keep breathing
you got to keep breathing he was on the floor by himself so I went and approached him just start talking to him
oh God were you concerned about him I was because that at the time we didn't know what was going on and I was shocked
I know it's hard I just told him to just slow down take your time we're not in a
rush whenever you're ready I'm I'm ready to listen Matthew did eventually calm down and he started talking were you
guys argu or something telling officer he lived almost 3 hours away but drove to Alex after she placed a frantic call
to him earlier so I came feel safe Matthew told police Alex had gotten into a fight with her current
boyfriend his name was Shane Anderson that things had gone physical and she was scared of what he might do so
Matthew took his gun and brought it with him to Alex's apartment because I was worried that her boyfriend would come so
he was going there he said to protect her yes Matthew arrived at Alex's around 2:00 p.m. Shane wasn't
there that evening he said they went out to local bars when they walked into a place called Camp bar Shane was inside
he came to her they were arguing and I came across and I stood in between him and then he punched me Shane hit him he
says and then was kicked out of the bar and heard I sat there and talked with other people for another 45 minutes we
came back here and I thought everything was fine and then she just grab the gun did she make any of the threat
before that that she was going to kill she just crammed it and put it into her head and with a gun in her hand she
backed into the bathroom he says and locked the door moments later a single shot rang
out Matthew says he quickly broke the door open and saw Alex on the floor he told the officers he tried using his
nursing skills to stop the bleeding by putting pressure on the wound I tried to do what I could okay
and then I washed my hands and then you wash your hands correct that's why I don't have anything my and then you then
you call the police the news that Alex had fired a gun taking her own life was unfathomable to
Alex's parents Mary Joe and Jim that just was completely out of character for Alex she had never shot a gun she didn't
like guns so it didn't make any sense and Alex's mom Mary Joe had just texted with her daughter a few hours earlier
and she didn't seem depressed at all she's doing well you know that's what's yeah did you see this see that part
detectives Abby DeSanto and Jennifer odonnal were called to the scene you get a call in the middle of the night so you
know it's not good inside the apartment there was alcohol and six bottles of prescription medications including
anti-depressants and amphetamines all prescribed to Alex but if that suggested maybe Alex had been depressed and took
her own life there were other things that didn't seem to add up in Matthew's account the first was the position of
Alex's body says the investigators shown here in the CBS News animation the door
to the bathroom was a jar and you immediately see Alex's feet on either side of the door if Matthew had broken
down the bathroom door after hearing The Gunshot as he told officers he had we think that if that had been the case her
legs would have been swept behind the door and even though though Matthew had said he washed his hands before calling
911 when responding officers arrived the sink was dry and if he had said you know
he called the police right away and that sink probably would have been still wet
the detectives decided to take a deeper look at Matthew's story he had told police his only mission that day was to
protect Alex from Shane Anderson the boyfriend he claimed was violent and in fact there were these
holes in the closet door across from the bathroom kind of like punch marks holes
Matthew said Shane was responsible for St Paul police the detectives were now eager to speak with shame
[Music] it's the most devastating knock on my door I've ever had in my life hey it's
St Paul police hours after Alex penig was found dead police were at her boyfriend Shane Anderson's front door
did you hear what happened two police officers they asked me who Alex was and I said that's my girlfriend is she
okay she passed away no Alex ping you're kidding me and I I don't know blacked out after that pretty
much my God Shane says he was desperate for answers and willingly went to the police
station to speak with detectives Abby DeSanto and Dan zebro I want to know what happened to her okay that's what
I'm trying to figure out okay so Shane told the detectives he' been dating Alex for around 4 months and painted a Rosy
picture she was sweet like she was fun everything that you'd want in a [Music] woman according to Shane they spent
nearly every day together and loved to lounge around with her two cats I'm not a cat person I'm more of a
dog person to be honest but uh she kind of made me a cat person he told the detectives that although it was early in
their relationship they were planning a future together literally yesterday we were talking about like me breaking my
lease and moving into her place we both wanted families do you imagined yourself with her
100% Shane's description was in stark contrast to what Matthew eer had told police Matthew said Alex told him she
was fighting with Shane and scared of him but when the detectives asked Shane denied it so did the argument that you
guys had in that morning did they get physical no no not at all God no it was about basically why I haven't moved in
yet and like why that was taking so long but what about those punch marks in Alex's apartment that was from a few
weeks back that was me yes I was drunk I didn't put my hands on her though you argued like a married couple like it
wasn't anything like crazy or like violent or like weird but remember m told detectives Shane was arguing with
Alex just hours before her death at campar and Shane even punched Matthew and I came across and I stood in between
him and then he punched me Shane didn't deny hitting Matthew he says seeing Alex
with another man upset him Alex showed up with like a guy he doesn't look familiar I have no idea who this guy is
I was wondering why this guy is hanging out with my girlfriend and I decided to throw a punch which I is not
in my character but it just felt like the thing to do at the time so Camp bar is the last bar that Alex and Matthew
went to detectives D Santo and odonnell reviewed security footage from inside Camp bar so as Alex and Matt walked in
Shane was sitting right across from the bar they took us through the altercation
and we zoomed in for a closer look Matt was was sitting here when they walked in
and then really oddly Alex walked around the bar and sat across the bar over there Shane walked over to her first and
then she is talking to Shane and then Matt comes over and it appears that he's introducing himself because he holds out
his hand to shake hands with Shane then there's a confrontation Shane ended up assaulting Matt
[Applause] no we're not doing that not do Shane then is asked to leave yes I had no idea that that was going to
be the last time that I ever saw her after Shane left the footage showed Alex hanging at the bar with Matthew for
about another hour drinking and chatting Detectives no closer to understanding why just a little while
later she would as Matthew told them take her own life and the medical examiner ruled that
Alex's manner of death could not be determined so detectives dug into her past looking for anything that could
explain what happened she's been every here color brunette and then blonde and then black hair put a little red in
there and it was like she would just be every color Jillian kubich and Sarah Hansen have known Alex since grade
school tell me about Alex as you knew her back then spunky a little child full of energy always up to something Jillian
played ice hockey with Alex and together they won a state championship what was she like Fire on Ice luckily I was
always on her team so I never had to play against her but she was feisty she was so fun I don't really
remember anything other than happiness really in the especially in the younger years but detectives learned that as a
young adult Alex struggled her parents Mary Joe and Jim said that in college Alex would get depressed and she got
hooked on prescription pills it was very difficult one day in 2016 she went up to her room and took a
handful of mess and then had told her mom that she was attempting suicide by meds and then prly
threw it up stuck her finger in her throat and threw it up I felt like it was a cry for
help and they got Alex that help inspired by the nurses who helped her recover in 2019 she got her license
practical nursing degree and was chosen to speak at graduation I have claimed of
the darkness with permanent scars but a heart of gold and the promise that as a nurse I will try my best for people like
me to not be alone and help them like those nurses had helped me Alex didn't make that choice to get well and she did
her life was back on track her life was on track right and we watched the campire video
right that's detectives also learned all about Alex's history with Matthew eer she met him in 20 when she got a job at
a walk-in clinic her parents say their daughter described Matthew as someone she worked with but according to
Matthew's parents bla Ecker and Terry Randall there was a lot more than just friendship Alex and Matthew they say
were having an affair back then even though Matthew was married with four kids she knew he was married she knew he
had four children Terry says the romance didn't last in the summer of 2022 they had ended the physical part of
their relationship and were just friends still she says her son was a source of support for Alex she says Matthew told
her Alex was drinking heavily and as a result lost several jobs she wouldn't show up she'd go on a binge without a
job Matthew's family says Alex struggled to pay her bills so unbeknown to her parents Matthew stepped in he gave Alex
money and helped her pay her rent Matthew's sisters Molly and Amy aren't surprised their brother wanted to help
he cared for her and he has a big heart and he didn't want to just walk away he he couldn't walk
away and just 3 days before Alex died Alex sent Matthew these text messages I shut myself out to the world
I needed a mental health break and I'm not very hopeful at the moment about life
even with those texts though and Alex's past attempt years earlier detectives still weren't convinced she took her own
life just because you say I need a mental health day or it's not a good day doesn't mean you're
suicidal detective suspected Matthew was lying to them and here's why remember the gun was found on Alex's chest with
her left hand on it turns out Alex was right-handed when detectives Abby DeSanto and Jennifer O'Donnell reviewed
security footage from Alex's apartment building and watch she opens the door they were able to see what happened
after Matthew and Alex left Camp bar so that's Alex and Matt and they're just in
the vesu of Alex's apartment walking in about 2:00 in the morning or so yes time
frame mhm you can see Matthew and Alex walk out of view as they go up to her apartment but a short while later they
walk back through the lobby and out the door mat you would say was to get his headphones from his
car Alex returns to the lobby and waits for the detectives what happens next is key she seems impatient just looking at
her body language they note how when Matthew returns Alex doesn't hold the door for
him and how he shrugs his shoulders as he follows behind her the detectives wonder if Matthew and Alex had gotten
into a fight something was going on with them that's huge cuz that's the last time we see
Alex alive 20 minutes later at 2:50 a.m. Matthew placed that call to 911 a girl who shot the
head the lobby security footage had no audio so there was no way to know for sure if the two had gotten into a fight
but when Alex's family and friends saw it you could tell us she was mad you could tell the way she ripped open that
door you could tell Alex stomping stomping in whenever she was mad she'd like stop and she I was visible in this
video so they were definitely in a fight but when detectives questioned Matthew he denied any
problems we were laughing on the way home everything was fine you guys weren't arguing or anything there's a
little fight with you two no between us you guys and Matthew's family believes there could be a different reason for
the change in Alex's demeanor in the footage Alex is on her phone they wonder if she was messaging Shane and arguing
with him about the altercation that had just happened at Camp bar I truly believe there's a lot of information a
lot of texting and we think having gotten those interactions would have given us a lot more insight into her
state of mind but the detectives couldn't get into Alex's phone because no one knew the passcode and Shane said
he had lost his phone the night before so they couldn't search his either it seemed there was some kind of exchange
happening was she talking to you at all I didn't have a phone so Facebook message or anything like that uh no
unable to know for sure what was really happening in the lobby when detective Danto and her colleague Dan zebro
interviewed Matthew they focused on what he said happened in the apartment how was she holding the G
when she was backing up to the bathroom she was she had it down here first and then she cocked
it left hand cocked it but she ended up holding it to her left T what I remember
okay she left she's not that's what it was weird he said she did all this with her
left hand but then he told us she was right-handed you don't use a weapon with your non-dominant hand it just another
inconsistency or another part of the puzzle that doesn't match there was also the nagging question about the sink
being dry Matthew had told First Responders he washed his hands after trying to help Alex which is why his
hands were clean but the sink was dry when police arrived Danto asked if he did in fact call police right away okay
and then you call the police right away yeah I'm going call the police so you know when you get blood all of your
hands and then you go into the sink and you yeah or the handle to the sink right
there should be blood on there's no there's no blood in the hand on the sink and there's no nothing in the sink and
the sink is sink rinse my hand the sink's dry there's no water or anything no I washed my hands in the
sink but Danto thought Matthew was lying either he hadn't helped Alex and didn't
wash his hands or he had not called 911 right away right now all this evidence is not add up I can't I just want you to
just think I just want you to think about this and what what you're you're asking me to confess to something I
didn't do no I'm not I'm asking you just to think I mean we're just going to give
you some time here just to think we got to grab that stuff anyway think about everything that we discussed with
you but soon Matthew called them back in it was more than 2 hours into his interview and he wanted to change his
story so the change that I have I did take the gun and I put it in my suitcase I put it in the suitcase run
back look just her and said yep went back to the suitcase grabbed a gun and put it back
there my plan was there why would you move that gun did he explain why he moved the gun
he was scared when Matthew put the gun back he said he put it on Alex the way First Responders founded with her hand
on top I mean why would you lay her hand back there I was moving I was moving her
I was looking at her that's all I know at that point we're like What innocent person would s do this yet Matthew
continued to insist he was innocent that gun went off behind the closet I did not
shoot her I didn't killed her and he kept saying the door to the bathroom was shut I don't know what happened but you
didn't buy it no and neither did detective zebro nope but the detectives didn't know how they could prove it and
and then they discovered a new piece of evidence this is a big piece of the puzzle for you
yes what do you think of Alex and Matthew's body language in the lobby see a timeline of the case at 48
hours.com okay I didn't K I didn't shot I just want for hours Matthew eer insisted he did
not kill Alex that she locked herself in the bathroom and fired the shot he said he
had broken open the door only after the gun went off I I heard the gun go off and that's when I opened it up but then
detective odonnell got a call from the forensic unit processing the scene once Alex was moved they found underneath
where Alex had been laying was a round metal piece which is this piece right here yes odonnell says it's a piece of
the bathroom door lock and because it was discovered on the floor under Alex's head as seen in the CBS News animation
it had to have gotten there while Alex was still alive for us it meant that the door was forced open before she was shot
the detective suspected Alex had locked the door to get away from Matthew I believe that Alex and Matthew got in an
argument I believe that she went into the bathroom to be alone not wanting to be with them but when he broke open the
door they say that small piece of metal from the lock landed on the bathroom floor he forced his way in and shot her
shot they say Alex fell on top of the metal piece to the detectives it was the only way the piece could have ended up
under her Matthew was charged with second deegree murder his family was stunned it's like no there there's got
to be a mistake it's just not his character he's not going to harm somebody on purpose they hired criminal defense
attorney Bruce Rivers there's Reasonable Doubt all over the place that this was a
homicide River says there's another explanation for how that metal piece got under Alex he said it could have ended
up under her head when Matthew eer attempted to help her cuz he did lift her head up but detectives point to the
way Alex was found with her legs straddling the door if Matthew Ecker had broken open the door after hearing The
Gunshot detectives say Alex's legs would have been pushed to the side but ecker's
defense attorney says there was enough space in the bathroom that when the door was broken open
it went in between her legs that is consistent in my opinion with uh her laying there and having shot herself and
importantly claims Rivers if his client had shot Alex there would have been blood splatter on him and that's not the
case there was not one Speck of blood on his shirt on his pants on his face anywhere whatsoever the detectives say
that's because eer most likely had reached around the door while he was trying to force his way in and fired the
shot I believe the door shielded him from the initial blood splatter but River says it makes much more sense that
Alex took her own life and he says forensic testing proves eer wasn't the one who fired the gun it was Alex there
was gunshot residue on her left hand and was her DNA found on the gun it was there was also no gunshot residue on
echer and his DNA was not found on the gun detectives suspect that's because he wiped it clean before putting it on Alex
there should be his DNA it's your gun you told us in an interview that you grabbed the gun your hands are all over
that gun but it was very clean he admitted to having held the gun and moving the gun after
the fact yet none of his DNA was found on the gun how do you explain that that's not uncommon just because you
touch something doesn't mean that DNA is going to be there at the time of her death Alex had
almost three times the legal limit of alcohol and four different prescription medications in her system including
proac and Valium although it wasn't the cause of her death to Rivers it showed she was struggling as did those text she
had sent Ecker just a few days before her death she was depressed because of her
financial conditions depressed because of her job situation all these things compounded themselves but detectives
would discover something unusual about those prescription medications found in Alex's body it turns out Matthew eer had
prescribed them he didn't tell us that he was prescribing your medication during the investigation you found that
out yeah as a licens nurse practitioner eer had the authority to write prescriptions though normally that
author Authority is used for a patient Alex was not you would think you would send her to a doctor and have her see
someone else was his prescribing medication considered illegal though no it's unethical but it was not illegal
according to ecker's family Matthew had good reason she was prescribed those medications originally by a medical
doctor so she had asked Matt if he could refill them she would Badger him and they point to multiple text Alex
sent him days before her death asking him to refill medications including I need you to send in my immediate release
Aderall script make sure I have refills for my Trazodone and metap too please I have like three bottles of proac so I'm
good with that still Alex's family and friends say there is no excuse I can't get over that as a nurse practitioner he
should have known him better so his feeling sorry for your daughter or feeling like he was doing this in the
best way to try to help her you don't believe I don't that's the case I don't believe it at all especially for someone
that has a history of addiction you don't prescribe it as a nurse practitioner you say
no in February 2024 Matthew ecker's trial began the detectives were confident they had an idea of why
Matthew eer would have wanted Alex dead and it centered around their past romance maybe she said that she was
going to call his wife and tell his wife everything and as far as a motive what what would be the motive keep her quiet
so the wife doesn't find out sure it would be nice if there was some evidence of that I mean it was just sheer
speculation there's nothing not one cintilla of evidence that they were in any kind of dispute whatsoever instead
River says he's sure that night everything came to a head for Alex and she couldn't take it anymore so when it
boils down to it this is a case about what the jury's going to believe whether it's suicide or homicide and because the
medical examiner had ruled Alex's manner of death could not be determined Rivers
brought in a second one who came to the same conclusion undetermined if they can't determine it
was a homicide neither can you but what would the jury think when it was time for deliberations everyone was nervous
it was obvious to me Matt was concerned selfishly as a parent of Alex we wanted to believe that he was guilty
but believing it and proving it are two different things [Music] we got a call that there had been a a
verdict you just take this huge deep breath and like oh gosh in February 2024 after 9 hours of
deliberation the jury came to a decision about Matthew eer Matthew was guilty guilty of second
deegree murder once we heard that we were we were very we were very happy we were sad
didn't bring Alex back but at least there was some justice served but for Matthew ecker's family it
was like a knife in the heart I I couldn't even function what did you see in your
brother in that moment when the jury read the verdict just absolute tragedy it was awful
yeah two months later on April 3rd 2024 Matthew eer was back in court for sentencing All Rise now session The
Honorable D is presiding no calling I understand there are people who wish to make statements
today so this will Alex's friend Jillian addresses the court countless times I picked up the
phone to call Al only to realize I won't ever hear her voice again Sarah Echoes their loss Alex
really was a once in a-lifetime kind of friend and I remember Sarah you were giving your statement and unfortunately
that meant I was at the level of where Matt was he was sitting and I was standing and I just kept looking over at
him just trying to feel something you know try to figure out what you're feeling
and there was just nothing nothing Alex's parents Mary Joe and Jim implored the judge to impose a stiff
sentence our hearts have been broken Beyond repair and the future trajectory of Our Lives has been changed
forever and the world lost a special soul and we lost our baby come on but Matthew ecker's family
appealed for leniency Matt is one of the kindest and most compassionate people we
know he has spent most of his adult life helping people and caring for people I truly believe that Matt has so
much more to offer to this world in the end it is the sentence of the law in the Judgment of the court
that you serve 360 months with the Department of Corrections the judge sentenced Matthew eer to 30 years for
killing Alex you are remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections I mean him sitting in prison for 30 years
is just it's just not acceptable he's not a murderer he didn't do this we will fight until it's made
right and we will not give up on him eer and his wife are now divorced and she has full custody of their four
children his family says they have not been allowed any contact with the kids that has to be very hard as
Grandparents not having that connection yeah absolutely terrible and I miss them
so much is there something you you would want them to know about their dad he loves them and cares for them and
misses them and we love them as for Alex's family there are questions they'd still like echer to
answer why' you do it why questions with answers that may never come what they do know is how they
choose to honor Alex one way is through her love for animals including a serendipitous
encounter somebody had dumped off a little baby rooster and somehow it just migrated to our
house so we built the chicken Coupe and we now have 12 chickens at what do you want at home it's properly named Alex's
Co yes I have a feeling Alex maybe had a hand in bringing that Roost that's good and every month the
penig get together with Sarah and Jillian then we just sit there and talk and cry and tell stories that oh Al
would not want us to be telling Mary Joe but we tell them because we're like we have to relive some of these
stories get to yourself some we Alex's boyfriend Shane also struggles it's heartbreaking cuz I I love that
girl and she deserves to be here she absolutely deserves to be here the cemetery where Alex is buried
is a short drive from where her parents live and they visit her as often as they
can hey miss you kid yeah this is tough love you honey andly at peace we miss you
[Music] sweetheart CBS next Saturday two innocent people on their first date had
their lives destroyed a fatal first date Sheriff's Office I got one Al and one dead and the only I witness is fighting
for his life what did you think who who would have done that 48 hours is all new
CBS next Saturday 109 Central and streaming on Paramount Plus [Music]

Catch up on the newest "48 Hours" season in this YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "Who Killed Aileen Seiden in Room 15?," "The Depraved Heart Murder" and "The Strange Shooting of Alex Pennig."

00:00 Who Killed Aileen Seiden in Room 15? 41:39 The Depraved Heart Murder 1:22:56 The Strange Shooting of Alex Pennig

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

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Brief Summary

Eileen Siden's murder reveals a violent love triangle and a complex trial for her boyfriend and his partner.

Key points

The Call for Help. Eileen reaches out to her best friend in a moment of fear.
The Throuple's Turmoil. Eileen's relationship with Zach and Christina spirals out of control.
Christina Aro's Testimony. Christina Aro becomes the prosecution's star witness, implicating herself in the crime.
Zach Abel's Proposal. Zach Abel reveals he proposed to Eileen during their trip, adding a twist to the case.
Stars Colliding. Sarah meets Henry Peterson, feeling an instant connection despite the distance.
The Tragic Downward Spiral. Sarah's struggle with addiction worsens, leading to a devastating confrontation with her mother.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Someone's going to end up dead.

A friend warning Eileen about her relationship.

16:26WatchNov 30, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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