Peter Van Sant Investigates: Shocking Cases | "48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

Real people, real crimes, real life drama. [Music] Brian Briminger was a typical Marine,
[Applause] that kind of an all-American kind of persona. He was assigned to a color guard in
Washington DC. There's pictures of him in the White House with President George W. Bush.
From the outside looking in, it seemed like Brian Bringer had everything going for him.
In 2011, after having served seven years in the Marine Corps, Brian Bringer leaves the Marines that he decides to go
uh to Panama and his plan is to decompress uh take some time off. My sister was deeply in love with the
man named Brian Brimager. All she wanted was to be with him and love him. They were so madly in love. I think she was
very proud of him because he was a Marine. She used to say things like, "I'm with a Marine." Ivonne went down to
Panama with Brian to start a new life. That's where Ivonne wanted to be. It was perfect. I am Michelle Valenuela and my
sister is Ivon Baldelli. She liked to karaoke. She likes to dance. >> Did Ivon like it here?
>> She love it here. just love it here. Places with cheap beers and happy hour. It's beautiful. She's got the water
right in front of her house. >> Where are we right now? >> Okay, we're on Isla Carino in Boca
Storo. This is the the house they were renting in. Uh Brian Buringer and Ivon Beli.
>> Ivonne told her family members that everything was good. She painted a very happy picture through email. She made it
seem like everything was fine and well. The reality of it was that her and Brimer were fighting constantly.
>> After I'd heard stories of the fights, I could understand why she would want to
leave. >> She fell off the radar screen. She just went away one day. Her email stopped.
Her communication stopped. Everybody lost contact with her. There's no immigration records that indicates that
she left Panama. >> There's no book for this. There's no book for dummies on what to do when your
sister has gone missing. >> Carinero from the outside appears to be a tropical paradise, but it's a swampy
hill. [Music] >> I call it devil's island because some terrible things took place on that
island. >> Brian Brimager has done nothing, zero to help with the search for Ivonne. We are
in Central America in some jungle in some swamp looking for Ivonne. That way in the middle is really deep. This is
unbelievable. >> What no one knew is that Brian Bremer had a secret. He was living a double
life. >> Brian Briminger moved to California, hooked up with Christian Workovven, and
they got married. Christian worked at the White House and that's where she and Brian met.
>> And his life is going on like normal and her life will never be the same. >> What did you do to her, Brian?
>> We knew that there had been foul play. We knew he was the last one to see her
alive. >> Brian's coming out with his golf clubs. >> Let's go, guys. >> And this is what I knew.
>> Okay, you rolling. Let's go. >> My sister went down to Panama with Brian. Brian returned and my sister
didn't. >> Brian Brimageer was exceptionally arrogant, but what he didn't account for
was this family's fervor to find what happened to their daughter and their sister.
>> Brian, Peter Vans with CBS News. We'd like to ask a couple questions. >> It's an easy thing to tell the truth.
>> He told a lot of lies. That's what led to his demise. I'm Peter Vans. Tonight on 48 hours,
Devil's Island [Music] [Applause] [Music] 48 hours. We'll be back in 90 seconds.
[Music] In the spring of 2012, Brian Bremager was living the high life in Southern
California. Just months removed from a decorated Marine Corps career, Brimer was happily married and living in the
suburbs. >> When I look at the pictures of Brian and Kristen, I just see a couple in love and and
super sincerely happy and just enjoying the day at the beach in La Hoya. >> These joyful, newlywed photos of Brian
and Kristen Bremer were a shock to Ivonne Baldelli's family. They expected her to be in the picture.
>> It wasn't their wedding day, but they came in their wedding attire in a limousine and champagne flowing.
>> Photographer Jack English had no idea of the intrigue behind these happy images
that Brian had proposed to Kristen just days after Ivonne disappeared in Panama.
>> She looked very happy, very in love, as if she found her prince charming. Prince Charming, a man who had just left
Ivon Baldelli in Panama two weeks earlier. How could this happen? We traveled to the remote islands off the
Caribbean coast of Panama to find out. Up ahead is the island of Karanero, where Ivonne and Brian, who the locals
called Brim, came to live in September 2011. It's a place where they could chase their dream.
[Music] Why did they decide to go to Panama? >> She liked the fact that they could live
on the beach. You know, pretty pretty reasonably priced down there. >> Ivonne's sister, Michelle Valenuela,
says Brian wanted to become a singer, performing in bars and clubs. With her beloved dog, Georg, in hand,
Ivonne brought two sewing machines in hopes of starting a clothing business. stepmother Lillian Fost.
>> She was going to make bathing suits and sell them to tourists. I knew she was
excited and she she didn't have any reservations. >> It sounded like she had a real plan for
the future. >> She did. And she thought that she found her paradise, her perfect place.
Michelle recalls how her younger sister Ivonne, recently divorced, was smitten with Brian when they first started
dating in 2009 in Southern California. >> Didn't think she was physically attracted to him. That was a big part of
it. >> And while Ivonne seemed to be falling in love with Brian, big sister Michelle
wasn't so sure. as far as emotionally from my sister. Ivonne would put 100% into you and she would expect that back
and I didn't get that impression that she was receiving that. That concerned me. She deserved that.
>> After Ivonne was laid off from her management job with Proctor and Gamble and Brian ended his career in the
Marines, the two decided to make a fresh start and reinvent themselves in Panama,
settling in this house. They quickly fell in with the local expats. >> Did you think they were in love?
>> Apparently, >> seems so. >> Joan and Steven Crabtree own the Cosmic Crab, a funky resort and waterfront bar
where Brian would sing for his supper. >> He played here at the Cosmic Crab um couple of nights a week and they were
frequent visitors here. >> They were very nice people. Penny Tom, owner of another waterfront bar, also
let Brian play for food and free booze. Lots of booze. >> They used to drink a lot, so they were
always happy. >> What's a lot? >> A lot. >> And Jim Merren says Brian's drinking may
have gotten in the way of his singing. >> He played the guitar good, but when he
started to sing, that's when it went away. >> What was it like? M like a hound dog on
a porch. >> She looked very happy in the pictures and she was really enjoying herself
there and I I knew it would be a place that she would like. For Ivon's father, Jim Foust, the constant stream of joyful
phone calls and emails describing the couple's Panama adventures was reassuring.
>> Ivon's emails were stories of exactly what her life was like down there. And I
could picture it and I could close my eyes and it it was like I was there. I couldn't imagine the whole thing. emails
like this one. >> She says, "Hi, sis. Brian, already working at local restaurants and bars.
We love it. We wake up and go running then swim in the ocean every morning." >> And so Ivonne's family thought all was
well in paradise and that Brian might be the one for Avon. >> I believed that they were going to get
married. That's what I thought was going to happen when they got down there. But then, right around Thanksgiving
2011, 3 months after they arrived in Panama, the happy emails and calls from Ivonne started to drop off. For
Michelle, a sisterly instinct started to kick in. >> That's what set me off was the fact that
um they were becoming less frequent, the emails from her, and then they stopped completely.
>> Two weeks passed. Then on December 14th, Michelle finally got a text, but it wasn't from Ivonne.
>> There was a number I didn't recognize, and a text message on there said, "This
is Brian. May I make arrangements to pick up my truck?" >> Michelle was shocked. Brian was back in
the US. >> I sat up, called that number for only thing out of my mouth was, "Where's my
sister?" He says, "Didn't you get my email?" I said, "I haven't received any emails from anybody. It's been a few
weeks. I said, "I'll call you back." So, I went to my computer. >> Michelle discovered an email she had
overlooked. It was from Brian, who had never written before. >> The one from him stated, "I'm sure
you've heard by now that Bonnie and I are no longer together." I called him right back. I asked him point blank,
"What happened?" And he said they had got in a fight because she had found out that he had a child from somebody else.
That's somebody else, Kristen Workhovven. The two had a baby girl in 2010. Since Ivonne was unable to have a
child because of a medical condition, the discovery must have been earthshattering.
Brian then said Ivonne just up and left. >> I said, "Did she leave a note?" "No."
"Has she tried to call you since?" "No." "Do you know where she's at?" "No." And
I said, "I haven't heard from her, Brian." and he said, "Well, I'm sure she's fine."
>> But Michelle had her doubts about that story. And 10 days later, when Brian called and still wanted to pick up his
truck, Michelle said she had another plan. >> I said, "When you come to pick up the
truck, I'll be here. That's no problem. And I think it's a good idea that you go
with me to the police department since you're the last one to see her and we can fill out a missing person's report
because now we're already the mid December and I haven't heard anything from her and that's not right.
Something's wrong. In December of 2011, Michelle Valenuela was still worried about her missing
sister. So, she went back to her computer where she found another overlooked message. This one from
Ivonne. >> Hi, sis. Just an update. Brian and I are no longer together. I should have
trusted my instincts that he is a lying, cheating assh. I'm headed to Costa Rica
with a man I met when we first got to Bokeas. >> What' you think when you read this
email? >> I just wasn't sure. There's some things in there that didn't feel right to me.
>> Her head was spinning. Could Ivonne really have run off with another man after learning that Brian had a love
child? >> All Ivonne ever wanted to do was be a mother. That's all she ever wanted to do
was be a mother. To find out that Brian had a child and you know she sold everything she had to go to the other
ends of the world to be with his man. And he didn't tell her about that. I'm questioning what her mental state is
right now. She's heartbroken. In upstate New York, Jim and Lillian Faustst also felt the turn of events was
just so out of character for their daughter. >> For her life to change so abruptly and
she's like, "Oh, well, I'm going with this guy and >> to Costa Rica." >> Costa Rica. That made absolutely
positively no sense to me. >> Also making no sense, three weeks had passed since Ivonne had emailed from
Panama. But then out of the blue, she sent a new email. It was strange. >> Miss you and everyone at home. I'm
starting to get a little homesick. I'm working on plans to get home as early as the second week of January. I've been
living with cliffhers for a while. Love you, sis. Ivonne. >> While strange, the email was also
reassuring for her family, who was happy to learn Ivonne would soon return to California.
>> So, I stopped worrying. I figured, okay, she knows that in January we're having a
family get together. She's going to be there. Do you feel she's safe at this at this
point? >> I was still worried, but I was satisfied with it for the moment. >> On the same day that email arrived, so
too did Brian Briminger, knocking on the front door of Michelle's LA home to pick
up his truck. >> What did you see on his face? What was his demeanor like? >> He was just in a hurry. He was calm. It
was very brief. >> All business. >> Yes. >> Get his stuff, get his truck, >> and leave.
After Brian got his pickup truck, Ivonne's emails stopped. 16 long days passed until on January 6th, 2012.
Michelle wrote her sister. The subject worried. >> I just want to make sure you weren't
kidnapped or someone pretending to be you. Haha. There's my paranoid, suspicious mind. Or maybe too many 48
hours. >> Did you ever hear back from your sister again? No, that's the last email.
>> Michelle was still hopeful that she would appear at that family reunion, but Avon never showed up.
>> Well, at that point when we met up with my dad and I told him, "We haven't heard
from her." He said, "Oh, no. Something's wrong. Something's wrong." And I told she did not leave Panama. That's just my
feeling. By now, Michelle was convinced her sister never ran off to Costa Rica with
another man. So, her instinct was to learn where Ivonne's emails were really coming from.
>> So, I went to my cousin and asked them to please check it out cuz like I said,
I haven't had I haven't got a clue. >> The cousin, a technology whiz, said tracking Ivonne's emails would be easy.
All he needed was their IP addresses. So, we searched the emails Ivonne had supposedly sent from Panama and Costa
Rica, as well as that email Brian had sent from near Dana Point, California. The cousin made a startling discovery.
>> The ones from Panama came from Panama. And then the one that was supposed to be
with her being in Costa Rica came from the United States. >> Where in the United States?
>> One of them looked like they were coming from Dana Point. That email, Michelle
says, originated from where Brian was now living near Dana Point, California. It was the evidence Michelle had been
looking for. >> You were sharing the same IP address. >> So, Ivonne's email is coming from
Brian's computer. >> Yes. >> The family's worst fear had come true. It appeared Brian had hacked into
Ivonne's email account and was impersonating her. But why? That's when I knew that he did something to her. And
>> it's not missing person, it's murder now. >> It's murder. I said, "My sister's dead
and I'm never going to see her again." >> But Michelle had no time to mourn. She
took that new evidence down to the FBI where she met with special agent Andrew Masters.
>> Michelle Valenuela, she was a spitfire. When they brought that to us, we knew
that there was absolutely foul play involved. The FBI immediately launched an investigation into Ivon's
disappearance with Masters taking charge. Ivonne's family then contacted the State Department.
>> I called the embassy and the embassy tells us there is no record of her ever leaving Panama and no record of her ever
entering Costa Rica. >> Ivonne's family couldn't wait any longer. They traveled to Panama to find
answers. The FBI made a move as well, targeting Brian Brimmer as a person of interest.
>> Brian didn't realize what exactly the FBI is capable of. With the FBI investigation underway in
the States, Ivonne's family met up with legendary investigator Don Wy in Panama City. Why
is it when something goes bad with an American citizen in Panama, you get the phone call?
>> I've already put away or helped to put away three serial killers. So when bad
things happen, they know that to come to me when when they don't know what else to do.
>> Winner is an ex US intelligence officer with an uncanny ability to solve murders. Jim and Lillian tell Dawn the
story of their daughter's disappearance and Brian's claim that she's run off with another man.
>> I think the chances that she's running around in Costa Rica somewhere with some
other dude are damn near zero. >> Here's the deal. This is what happened. This is what we think is going on.
>> It's not the first time Wy, a CBS News consultant, has worked on a case with 48
Hours. >> All right, we're going to go take a look at this uh yellow triaran. >> The intrepid investigator helped solve
the murder of American sailor Don North as 48 hours reported in 2011. >> Just on a personal side in all of this,
can you believe you and I are doing this again? >> No, absolutely not. I tell you what, uh,
it's it's it's it's amazing. >> Winner is convinced Brian Briminger is involved. His strategy put pressure on
the Panameanian government to act. >> When Don Wy speaks, >> the people listen. Yeah.
>> Winner's game plan also called for Jim and Michelle to give blood for DNA tests
should any remains be found. And when Ivon's family travels hundreds of miles from Panama City to the tropical island
where she disappeared, >> Ivon Lee Valdi, >> the Panameanian police are persuaded to
hold a press conference to plead for information. >> The family has been experiencing living
nightmare for quite a few months and we continue to appeal to anyone who knows absolutely anything about Ivon's
disappearance to come forward. Panameanian police announced for the first time that Ivonne is the victim of
foul play and named Brian Brimmer as the suspect. >> This news conference reverberated around
the world. >> Police say within weeks of her disappearance, Brimager returned to the
US, got engaged, and married another woman. Tonight, the FBI is calling him a person of interest. Riding the momentum
of the press conference, they printed flyers, fanned out to neighborhoods, >> and the village, searching for their own
clues. I own. >> It's a bittersweet search for Avon's niece, Lauren Byer, in a place that is
no longer a paradise. There's nothing here for us until we find her. That's why we're here.
>> But the family's quest is starting to get results. Witnesses who knew the couple come out of the woodwork,
describing Brian's verbal and physical abuse. >> To me, he was a scary person. He was not
the kind of person I wanted to be around. >> Local bar owner Jeff Salsman saw it
firsthand on Ivon's face. As I recall, it was black eyes and and blackness around the face and and
bruises. >> Was she self-conscious about it? >> She was trying to hide it and and not
speak of it. >> It was very painful to learn that he had hit her, that she had bruises, that she
had black eyes. Those things were very difficult to learn. >> The realization that Ivonne may have
been murdered is setting in. >> Where could Ivon's body have been dumped? Well, just feet in front of that
house, you've got thousands of square miles of water. While if you just go not 20 yards from the shoreline, this
impeneterable swamp, try to find something in there. But that's exactly what Ivonne's family,
investigators, and volunteers set out to do. Entering what could be Ivon's swampy
graveyard. >> Describe this area that has to be searched. Just how difficult a place is
it? >> Okay. It's jungle. It's tropical. So you have every kind of bug and critter that
you can think of. Spiders and snakes and you know it's not a place to go slogging
around through. Struggling through the muck, the spiders, and the rancid water. >> The smallest discovery raises hope.
>> A purse, >> a medicine bottle, a mysterious sinkhole. >> I kept asking myself, I want to find
Ivonne, but do I want to find Ivonne? I mean, I want to know where she is, but do I want
to see her in these swampy areas? >> Then they find a passport. >> We find a US passport. Uh, the front
page here. >> None of it is Ivon's. But back in the United States, the FBI confronted Brian
Brimager. >> We went and uh knocked on his door. He answered and invited us in. said that
he was expecting us. >> FBI special agent Andrew Masters questioned Brian Briminger for more than
four hours while he babysat his young daughter. >> This is special agent Andrew Masters
along with special agent Gabriel Ramirez approaching apartment M in an attempt to
have a consensual monitored interview with Brian Bremer. We weren't sure if he was going to break down and confess to
having a part in her disappearance and murder or if he was going to become angry, if he was going to kick us out.
>> Brian stuck to his story. Ivonne left him for another man. >> I come back home and there was a note
that said, and I quote, um, "Going to Costa Rica with a man I've been talking to, um, fu."
But when confronted with Michelle's email evidence, Brian began to stumble. >> Brian, I'm just going to kind of lay it
out there, man. Um, the IP addresses are not coming back from Costa Rica or Panama.
>> Okay. >> They're coming back from >> here. >> Okay. So, here. >> Mhm. >> Okay. So, if she's not hanging out
around here, then somebody sent those emails, right? How did those emails get sent? Do you know anybody that would
have her email account hacked vendor her account? >> No. >> Then something caught Master's eye.
>> As soon as I walk in, I see a white Sony Vio, >> which is a computer. >> A laptop computer. Exactly. And we knew
that Ivonne owned a white Sony Vio laptop that she had taken with her to Panama.
>> What are you thinking? >> I'm thinking we may very well have Ivon's computer right here.
>> Master's hunch was spoton. It was Ivonne's computer, but why was it in Brian's condo? And would it help unravel
the mystery of Ivonne's disappearance? Take the journey with Ivon's family as they search the jungles of Panama now at
48our.com. Even though he was under the FBI's microscope, Brian Bremager remained a
free man, living with his family on the outskirts of San Diego. Kristen worked for a defense contractor, while Brian,
unemployed, spent much of his time golfing. >> Recognize that map? >> Yes, I do. That's Brian. In the summer
of 2012, we showed Ivonne's sister Michelle video of Brian's new life. >> What goes through your mind when you see
him? >> Well, honestly, it's not surprising now that I know what he's capable of. He
thinks he got away with murder. So, what you have here is a person killed my sister and can walk away
scot-free. >> Ready? Brian's come out with his golf club. >> Let's go, guys. >> Okay.
>> Just a few months after that FBI interview, we came face to face with the suspected killer.
>> Brian, Peter Vans with CBS News. We'd like to ask a couple questions. Would you please talk to us? Did you
murder Ivon Baldi? You can speak to us. You can answer that question. Ryan, why why won't you speak
with us? Did you have anything to do with her disappearance? >> While Brian heads off to enjoy another
carefree day on the Greens, >> the FBI was turning his life upside down, interviewing everyone he knew,
including his wife Kristen. >> What had Brian told her about why he was living in Panama? Uh he told Kristen
that he is going down to Panama to decompress from after leaving the Marine Corps and that he was going with some
Marine Corps friends. >> Did Kristen urged Brian to leave Ivonne? >> No. Kristen didn't even know Ivon
existed. >> So he lied to Kristen. >> Absolutely. >> Apparently all those lies didn't matter
to Kristen. >> According to her, Brian was the greatest thing to ever happen to anybody.
But that's something she didn't want to share with us when 48 hours knocked on her door.
>> Hi Kristen. Kristen, I'm Ryan with CBS News. Is there any way we can talk? Meanwhile, as special agent masters took
several investigative trips to Panama, a different portrait of Brian Bremager emerged.
>> We talked to uh many people that uh would socialize with him at bars. Uh and we learned about all the domestic
violence uh that uh that he brought upon her. Uh the choking, the the the dragging, uh the berating.
After speaking with friends and neighbors of Ivonne and Brian, special agent Masters became certain the couple
had a violent fight on November 26th, 2011. After Ivonne learned that Brian had fathered a child with Kristen, the
>> argument probably escalated and at some point Brian decided he was done with her
and he was going to kill her. Crucial evidence was also discovered on Ivonne's laptop. The very computer Master saw
when he first questioned Brian. About two weeks before her murder, Ivonne took this disturbing selfie.
>> That photo shows a massive black eye on her left eye and swelling in her left
cheek. >> In a way, from the grave, Ivonne helped you in this investigation. >> Ivonne helped us tell the story. Yes.
Absolutely. And there was more chilling evidence. >> We found the Yahoo searches in which he
searches how to uh remove blood from a mattress. >> When did he do that? >> He did that about 10:30 in the morning
the night after Ivonne was murdered. >> Masters discovered even more evidence in
Costa Rica where Brian is seen withdrawing cash from Ivonne's account. >> We were able to obtain those ATM photos.
So, we have Brian using the Ivon's debit card to extract money from her account.
>> And Master says there is no doubt that Brian used Ivon's laptop to send those
emails to her family. So, we went looking for Brian Bremer again to get answers.
>> Hey, Brian, I need to talk to you. How do you explain the fact that Ivonne's email that said she was in Costa Rica
that she sent to people was actually sent by you from here in California? Can you answer that?
You knew she was dead when you sent that email, didn't you? Brian, we really want you to talk to us.
Answer some questions. He's never said a word. Never said a word to us. He will not answer any
questions. And what about Ivonne's dog, Georgia May, which had not been seen since she
disappeared? Don Wy has a theory. >> He knew that she loved that dog and that if the dog was running around, he knew
that anything she said about her taking off with some guy to Costa Rica, everybody would immediately know it was
crap. So, he had to get rid of the dog, too. >> In his investigation, Don Wy unwittingly
found a key piece of evidence on Brian's Facebook page where he had sold this machete.
>> After Ivon disappeared, imager made a comment about that knife. He's like, "Yeah, that used to be mine. I brought
it down with me when I came down from the States." And the chilling part is he made a comment that said, "I've only
used it to chop up one stripper." That's just chilling. Special Agent Andrew Masters needs to get his hands on the
machete to see if it was used in Ivon's murder. Incredibly, he was able to track down
the person who bought it from Brian in Panama. >> This is the machete that Brian bought in
the United States and took down with him uh to Panama. >> Can you pick it up for me?
>> Sure. >> It's very heavy. Uh it's it's weighted and uh it would inflict a lot of damage.
Investigators had the machete. They had the email. And they had caught Brian in multiple lies. Soon, someone would
stumble upon the most important evidence of all. Don Wy shares some of the details of his
investigation now at 48 hours.com. [Music] We seek answers, justice, and help. >> Summer 2013.
Nearly 2 years have passed since Ivonne Baldelli's disappearance. >> You feel like you're reading a book, a
terrible mystery or murder mystery, and there's no end to it. On June 26th, 2013, the final chapter of
this mystery began to unfold. >> A former Marine who family members say murdered his girlfriend before
>> FBI special agent Andrew Masters slapped the cuffs on Brian Bremer. >> What did you say to him?
>> You're under arrest. Said, "Turn around. Put your hands behind your back." He needed to answer
for his crime. >> How did you learn that Brian had been arrested? Truth be told, I received a
text from my dad said they got the sob and I sat down and a sense of relief because now they believed us.
>> Brian Bremature was charged with 13 felonies relating to the cover up of Ivonne's death, but not murder.
Assistant US attorneys Shane Herrian and Mark Conover were lead prosecutors. At that point, without having found the
body, we didn't have quite enough to bring in the murder charge. But that would soon change.
>> Human remains have been found on a Panameanian island. >> A local worker clearing some brush on
the island where Brian and Ivonne lived, came upon this duffel bag. >> And when he unbuckled the clasp, he
found Ivon's uh skeletonized remains. By the time she was found two years later,
she it was only bones. >> A DNA test confirmed it was Ivonne. Her remains were found just a few
hundred yards from where the family had spent days searching. >> I wanted to tell Michelle personally.
>> When I first heard the possibility that they found Ivonne, my first reaction was
for me it's good news because I just feel good. We can nail this bastard. While the family's prayers had been
answered, an autopsy confirmed the hellish fact that Ivonne had been dismembered.
>> This is the actual device that was used to dismember Ivonne. >> The most likely cause of death was being
stabbed in the back at least twice. Despite overwhelming evidence and proof that Bremature had repeatedly lied, his
wife Kristen continued to stand by him. >> Kristen, may I ask, do you still believe
in your husband's innocence? Can you just tell us that? >> Don't touch the camera.
>> Then for Ivonne's family, another cruel tragedy struck in the spring of 2014.
Michelle, who had dedicated her life to finding justice for her sister, now faced another deadly enemy. She was
diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. >> I'm still alive to fight for my life,
and I'm still alive to fight for my sister. >> This was Michelle in June of 2014.
And this was her just 3 months later. Today, uh, we're going I'm going to be giving a dip position.
>> Weakened by cancer and given just weeks to live. >> Do you saw me swear or firm?
>> Michelle, a crucial witness, agreed to tell her story while she still could. Brian Bremer would sit directly across
from her. >> I'm going to try to ignore him as best I can. And who is Brian Brimmer?
>> The defendant. >> Do you see him in the courtroom here today? >> Yes, I do. >> Would you please point to him and
describe where he is seated for the record? >> He's sitting at the end tacky outfit.
Dan >> Michelle passed out after the exhausting testimony. It was a courageous act of
love for her sister. This might be the last thing I get to do for her over and over and over again because
it'll be on camera forever. >> Days later, she died. It took years of diplomatic and legal
wrangling, but in early 2015, the government of Panama finally agreed to let Brian be tried for murder on
American soil. >> We came to the conclusion that the only way that Brian Brimer would face justice
for his murderous act is if he was charged and convicted here in the United States.
>> Brian pleaded not guilty. The case was heading for trial in 2016 when investigators made another dramatic
discovery. Ivonne's blood and DNA were found under the machete's handle. >> So these three screws were undone.
>> Mhm. >> The handle opens up and inside they find blood. >> Right. They removed these three and just
pulled it out here and conducted the testing on the blade and the inferior portion of the handle and found blood.
>> Whose blood? >> Ivons. >> Ivon Baldelli. >> Ivon Baldelli. >> This now is a slam dunk. You know that
this is the tool used to dismember her. >> It was that that made Brian finally realize he was not going to get out of
the he was not going to lie his way out. >> It's over. >> It's done. >> He had cleaned the blade, but he hadn't
cleaned underneath the handle. And it was that additional evidence that I believe eventually led Mr. Brimager to
plead guilty. >> Within a week, Brimer pleaded guilty to seconddegree murder while the other
charges were dropped and later at his sentencing finally admitted after nearly 5 years of lies to killing Ivon
Baldelli. And I think if you look up in the dictionary, evil, and you see Brian's picture in there, he's the
ultimate carnet of evil in my mind. >> In open court, Brimager apologized to Ivon's family, but his words rang
hollow. >> Brian Brimager is a con artist. He had our daughter conned. He had his new wife
conned. He had her family conned. He was able to live a double life, sometimes a
triple life. and people buy what he says, but his actions show that he's not the person he says that he is. Brian was
sentenced to 26 years in federal prison. [Music] With the case over, Ivonne's remains
were returned to her family. and laid to rest at sea [Music] >> to get her remains back and be able to
give her a dignified resting place. I can sleep better at night knowing that she's not rotting in some jungle or deep
in the ocean somewhere. Knowing that she loved the ocean, knowing that we were able to put her in a place that she
loved. We brought her home and I know that that was thanks to a lot of work of a lot of unsung heroes. I know
in a way two people were honored this day. Ivonne and her beloved sister Michelle who battled a Marine to the end
and won. She's definitely a hero. She never gave up. To her dying day, she gave all she
had. Kristen and Brian Brimager are still married. She continues to support and visit him in federal prison. Brimager's
prison term ends in February 2037. Help [Music] us solve this crime. It was a savage
murder. A stunning model. >> She was quite the trophy. >> Married to a multi-millionaire.
This is where the asalent got her from behind, knocked her to the ground. >> They slid her throat.
>> 8 years no arrest. And there are no fingerprints. >> No, nothing at all. >> There are clues. The sketch.
>> Who is this? >> Is this the guy that murdered my sister? >> The letter. >> I know that was a shock. Cut out in
little bitty individual different letters. I mean, why are you talking to me? >> I want to find out who murdered my
sister. >> CBSN CBS News always on. [Music] I'm no different than any other teenager
in America. I love my family and my friends, my two dogs and my cat. I love writing.
I love reading. Despite me trying to be a normal teenager, someone does want me dead.
[Music] This is the picture of me, a description of me, where I lived, where I worked,
that Mastermind 365 posted about me >> on the Murder for Higher website. >> Yes.
>> Hi, my name is Ura. We have hundreds of gang members, criminals, and people who
love to kill for money. They are anonymous. You are anonymous. So come and get rid of those nasty
problems. >> This is deadly serious. This is talking about the murder of a human being.
>> It definitely changed my life. I kept looking over my shoulder. I didn't know
who I could trust. I could be killed on my way to work. I could be killed on my way home from school. And that terrified
me. >> You can submit your orders to kill the people you hate. >> We've got some significant leads on who
Euro might be. >> Do you think you're getting close? >> Yeah, absolutely. [Music]
As a dark web intelligence analyst, my job is to uncover that which is hidden. >> Is there a chance as I look up on your
screen that may be our guy? >> Everyone can be found. You're a can be found. So, we are literally a car ride from
where we're talking right now to where you believe Ura actually lives. >> Yes. We're going to make a left at the next
street. Go slower. Go slower. Go slower. >> Where's the house? >> It's this one right here. Yeah, it's
this house right here where Yora might presently live. >> Man, my heart is racing.
>> That's I'm alive. Go. >> Are you Europe? >> Stop recording right now. [Music]
[Music] late. On a frigid night in February 2019, 18-year-old Alexis Stern was driving near her hometown of Big Lake,
Minnesota, when she says she noticed a white van in her rear view mirror. >> So, we started driving around town,
taking detours, >> but the van stuck with her. In a growing panic, she called authorities, who later
located and spoke with the van's driver. He claimed he was lost. He didn't know where he was.
>> You have no doubt you were being followed, right? >> Yeah. >> Alexis had every reason to be worried
because of something that had happened just months earlier when out of nowhere the police had called her.
>> "We have to talk to you. It's dire and you need to come now." >> "It's dire," he said.
>> Yes. He said it was urgent. I had no idea what to expect. Did someone die? Is someone hurt? Like, am I
in trouble? >> When Alexis arrived at the police station, she got stunning news.
>> He was just like, I think you should sit down. Someone put a hit out on you and
they want you dead. I was like, this is a joke, right? >> It was not a joke. On the dark web,
someone using the alias mastermind 365 had gone to a hitman for hire sight and paid about $5,000 worth of Bitcoin for
Alexis to be assassinated. Giving chilling details >> where I lived, where I worked, my
picture of me, a description of me, everything. >> FBI and Homeland Security agents soon
got involved. Although many dark web sites are scams, Alexis knew someone out there wanted her dead.
>> And that terrified me. >> Authorities promised to investigate. The aspiring horror book author had read
about the dark web, a hidden online marketplace where criminality ranging from human trafficking to illegal
weapons is advertised for sale, even murder. The more you start to dig, the darker it
starts to get. >> It was in 2017 that 48 Hours first investigated dark web murder for Hire.
The next year, we exposed about 20 active murder plots. Police received a tip from the CBS news program 48 hours.
48 hours alerted law enforcement, leading to arrests in two states and two foreign countries. Our
investigation also led us to this mysterious figure known as Ura, who has been operating Hitman's sites for about
5 years. We don't know his real name or location, but he sent us these video diaries.
>> I am doing this video diary entry to give you official statements. Looking for criminals on the dark web
is not for the faint of heart. >> For most of her career, this woman has lived in the shadows.
>> I was a member of the intelligence community. >> Now, she's a CBS News consultant who we
hired to help us look for Ura. What makes it challenging is this isn't your traditional law enforcement
investigation where there's DNA and there's fingerprints and a weapon and a a crime scene.
>> Lisa, as we'll call her, has altered her appearance for this interview. >> In the world of the dark web, DNA is
email addresses, usernames, passwords. >> Lisa analyzed Ura's writings. His English is very good.
>> But she says the evidence suggests he is foreignb born and doesn't work alone.
>> There's definitely some support. >> She says the murder for hire sites are all about making big money and that she
found millions of dollars of profits in an online account she believes is linked
to URA. >> Upwards of I think 5 million. Apparently, about $5,000 of those profits was allegedly paid to kill
Alexis Stern. When her parents found out, they weren't taking any chances. >> You left Minnesota.
>> Yes. We just started driving. >> It was scary. >> But who would want her dead? Alexis
thought she knew. Back in 2016, she was a high school sophomore struggling with her
self-esteem. She was just 15 when a friend introduced her to an older man online.
>> I ended up meeting a guy named Adrien. >> Adrien Fry. >> Yes, Adrien Fry. >> She was intrigued to learn that Adrien
Fry lived in England. >> I was always partial to British accent, so I thought it was kind of a bonus.
>> Adrien was 20. He said he was training to be an accountant and liked to stream
video games online. His screen name Rocket Wind. >> What is up ladies and gentlemen? My name
is Rocket Wind and welcome to another uh patch notes. >> I wanted to have a boyfriend and it was
the perfect opportunity. >> In August of 2016, Fry flew to Minnesota and got a hotel room near her house.
>> This is Adrien right here. Yes. >> Do your parents have any idea this is going on?
>> No, they had no idea. >> The two began a relationship. Alexis had just turned 16.
>> He was already pretty much talking about getting married. Honestly, he he was
100% set on being with me. >> Adrien Fry visited Alexis twice more in the summer of 2017 and in the spring of
2018. She says her feelings were changing. >> He really started trying to control my
normal everyday life. >> They had considered themselves a couple for about 2 years when Alexis told
Adrien it was over. >> He freaked out. He did not like that at all. It was a lot of pleading, a lot of
begging. >> A few months later, when she told him she had a new boyfriend, she says he
became angry. pretty much saying you deserve everything horrible that happens to you.
>> Do you sense that he's basically sending you a message >> 100%. >> And what is that message
>> that it's not going to end that great for me? [Music] Someone could sneak into the house and
kill me. I could be killed on my way home from school. >> We asked Alexis Stern to read the
disturbing emails between the person who wanted her dead, cenamed mastermind 365
and Ura, the alleged murder for hire kingpin on the dark web. [Music] >> I can see on your website that the
services you offer are murder, assault, arson. A kidnapping is the job that I had in mind.
>> Mastermind 365 sent this picture of Alexis to Ura. Then for some reason about a week later, he
upgraded his order from kidnapping to I would just like this person dead. >> I would just like this person to be shot
and killed. [Music] It was another cold and clinical Minnesota hit order that triggered our
original dark web murder for hire investigation. In 2016, a 43-year-old dog trainer named
Amy Allwine was killed in nearby Cottage Grove. Police questioned her husband, Steven.
>> We're a normal family. There's nothing nothing unique, nothing strange. [Music]
Like mastermind 365, Steven Alwine had paid Ura thousands of dollars to arrange a hit.
When it didn't happen, Alwine took matters into his own hands and shot his wife in the head.
In 2018, he was convicted of murder. >> Do you have any doubt in your mind who put out the contract on your life? I
have no doubt in my mind that it is Adrien Fry. >> Adrien Fry, her ex-boyfriend from
England. When she saw the kill order dated July 15th, she says the timing suddenly made sense to her.
>> What had happened the day before, July 14th, >> that is when I told Adrian that I was
dating someone else. >> And it wasn't just the timing of the hit order. She says it was the language,
too. >> It sounds very British. I would just like this person dead, but if there's
any more information you would like, inbox me. I don't know anyone in America that uses the term inbox me. Adrien, on
the other hand, often would say that. Alexis noticed mastermind 365 sometimes referred to himself with a lowercase I.
She says when Adrien wrote her, he did the same thing. She also saw that mastermind 365 wrote thank you as one
word. In Adrienne's messages to her, he'd done that, too. It's a quirk that would become more significant later in
our investigation. And there was more. >> Mastermind 365 Ti. My problem is that I
don't currently have an extra 5 grand, but I will have it in about a week's time. This part is from Adrien to me. If
there is a chance you may like me in years time, then I will happily wait. >> The phrases weeks time and years time
are common in British English. In writing them, both Mastermind 365 and Adrien Fry had left off an apostrophe.
>> So, there's a couple of phrases that matches Adrienne's patterns. >> Yes. She also realized mastermind 365 seemed
to have grown impatient with Ura over time. And that's when she saw one particular message that sent a shiver up
her spine. >> Do you guys sell guns? I need a pistol with a silencer. [Music] >> He's asked you to help him get a gun
with a silencer. >> Mhm. >> What does that tell you? It sounds like he is willing to take matters into his
own hands if it doesn't get done. >> Just like Steven Wine. And that's what worries our dark web
expert Lisa. She believes Ura's websites are a scam and that frustrated clients may be moved to violence.
The fact that he's a scammer as opposed to an actual hitman for hire provider um
does not remove the fact that he is a threat or is a criminal. >> There are people out there who believe
it is a real hitman website. >> Alexis Stern says after more than a year with little apparent progress on her
case, she became frustrated and agreed to try her luck with us. I decided I might as well take a chance and see what
48 hours can help me with. >> Give me a second. >> She is determined to see justice catch
up to the man she says ordered her murder and the person who promised to arrange it.
>> Lisa, we have always thought in our investigation that you're a mustave overseas. Are we right?
>> No, Peter might live right here in New York City. The Hitman marketplace is like any other
auction site. It brings customers and vendors together. >> He's still out there somewhere. The
cyber ghost Ura still uncatchable in a hidden world. Still a confounding mystery.
>> Customers, >> it's probably no surprise that our global manhunt for Europe began on a
computer. >> So, I ventured into a very strange place for the first time in my life, the dark
web. >> In 2018, we wrote to him on his website asking for an interview. Much to our
surprise, he agreed to sit down with us on camera in London. We were already there to interview a
self-styled cyber crime researcher named Chris Montero, who'd been monitoring URA
and his hitman sites for more than 3 years. >> And sort of people attracted to the
website are very, very nasty individuals. So, we've flown from New York to London,
rented this studio. You can see the lights behind me for the big interview, and we even brought in a master of
disguise who's going to camouflage Ura's face. Now, all we need is him. The elusive Ura never showed up,
claiming we could have been followed by police, but he did start sending us those video statements. We will be
waiting for you to come place your orders and get rid of your problems. >> Eura, who seems to enjoy taunting 48
hours, sent us this email in June 2019. Unfortunately, after your show, the business has decreased tremendously.
People concluded that the site is a scam. Ura even claimed he's going legit, moving away from the murder for higher
sites into the real world. I opened a restaurant business and I live nice. Lisa, our dark web expert, doubts Ura
has left his criminal past behind. >> He's still very much in business. >> He's still working.
>> Absolutely. And as the cases of Amy Olwine and Alexis Stern show, even if Ura's hitman sites are scams,
the customers paying him to have people killed are horrifyingly real. >> A lot of people want other people
killed. >> Correct. >> All across the United States >> and the world. Yes. >> Lisa is determined to unmask Europe.
Everyone can be found. Yura can be found. >> And she quickly spotted her first clue.
A massive trail of hacked digital data. Digging through that treasure trove, Lisa believes she's unearthed a few gold
nuggets. >> Hi, this is her again. >> Including Ura's likely password from one of his early Murder for Higher sites. In
this case, we've got this very unique password of Frenza 22. >> F R U N Z A 22. So, this sounds like a
lead. >> From a digital forensics perspective, this is a huge lead. >> Lisa immediately launched a worldwide
search across the dark web and the regular internet for that password possibly linked to Europe.
In a matter of hours, she zeroed in on two hits from different sides of the planet.
>> Just on the Google search, friends of 22 actually led us to Moldova of all places.
>> The Republic of Muldova, a former Soviet state in Eastern Europe. There's a village here called Franza. It's also a
common last name. Frenza 22 gave us all this intelligence with which to work with and narrow down who Euro possibly
could be. >> Lisa discovered that the online seller of this car in Muldova had also used
Franza 22. >> Could there be a link? >> The license plate for this car obviously
gives us more information. >> Do you have an answer yet as to who owns this vehicle?
>> Unfortunately, we do not. We're coordinating with people on the ground in Muldova to see who this car is
actually registered to. >> But the most compelling clue, Lisa says, connects Yura's possible password to a
standard email address here in the United States. >> I was able to identify that with a very
high probability with an older Russian woman in New York. Lisa thinks the woman could be Ura's
relative. The cyber search for Ura and his anonymous dark web connections will involve a tedious, time-consuming
process of following digital breadcrumbs. >> One piece of evidence stands on its own
and you look at it as a breadcrumb and you try to chase that for a bit and then you find another breadcrumb.
And collectively, when you start to add all of these things up, you have a higher confidence assessment.
>> I keep my identity private. Everything that could help with recognition. >> As our global hunt for Eura intensifies,
we're reminded that his borderless reach from the bottom of the internet has left
shattered lives in his wake. Amy Allwine murdered and others marked for death living in
perpetual fear. There are people around the world in danger and I had to do something about it. What Chris Montero
did was secretly hack into Europe's websites, dredging up disturbing emails from clients, ordering grizzly hits,
and passing them on to 48 hours. We immediately informed law enforcement. Three cases we investigated in 2018 in
Illinois, Tennessee, and California have led to explosive conclusions. Do you understand the terror that you have
caused? >> Woodidge, Illinois. Tina Jones, a registered nurse, got involved with a
married colleague. When he ended the affair, she allegedly paid Ura about $12,000
to kill the man's wife. >> 188 Tina Jones and approaching the bench. This was a nurse, someone who saves lives.
>> Truth really is stranger than fiction. >> So, >> Woodridge Police Sergeant Daniel Murray
acting on the 48 hours tip brought a chillingly calm Tina Jones in for questioning.
>> The easier it'll go for everybody involved. So, I'm just going to ask you right now.
>> Did you make any threat or did you try to have somebody do something on your behalf to Jeff's wife?
>> No. >> Okay. You sure about that? >> Yeah. Pause. >> You buying it? >> No. >> Why not? She just doesn't come off as
believable. >> I I really don't know. >> Okay. >> Moments later, the truth. >> What you got to tell me now?
>> I did. >> You did? >> Yeah. >> Tina Jones just pleaded guilty to attempted firstdegree murder in
>> August 2019. Tina Jones learned her fate. She will spend the next 10 years in prison.
>> 418 Alpha Center. >> 48 Hours also tipped off detective Michael Olry in Clarksville, Tennessee,
[Music] who broke the news to then 22year-old Sydney Miner. >> I got you. >> A single mom.
>> Someone went on uh the dark web. There is a murder for hire uh website and someone has paid to have you murdered.
>> What? >> What? >> Sydney, who was pregnant with her second child, quickly identified the father of
her unborn baby as a suspect. Brandon states Cydney says he had pressured her to get an abortion.
>> He's married. Didn't know it at the time. The only person in our mind was Brandon States
>> because because it was his child and she refused to get rid of the child. >> Brandon States eventually pleaded guilty
to attempted premeditated murder. In March 2019, the Army specialist was sentenced by a military court to 15
years in Fort Levvenworth. By his final court hearing, Sydney had given birth to a little girl named
Sailor. Brandon States asked to meet his daughter before going to prison. Cydney
reluctantly agreed and handed the little girl to the man who had paid money to kill them both.
>> Give me a sense of what was going through your mind at that moment. >> Fear. A lot of fear.
She had to meet him in a courtroom with police officers and armed guards. I told him, "I'll never forgive you for
what you've done." >> Around the same time in St. Louis, Abyspo, California, >> this man awaits trial.
>> We know that you wanted your stepmother murdered, but we don't know why. Why did
you do it? [Music] In late 2019, Bo Bighgam, a one-time YouTube star. >> I never did it for the money. I did it
cuz I had a lot of time on my hands, >> is on trial for solicitation of murder after 48 hours tipped authorities to his
case. In 2018, Bighgam allegedly had paid Ura to arrange the assassination of his
stepmother. During questioning by detectives, he seemed to acknowledge ordering the hit.
>> I remember going on some stupid site and I was in a rage just sending a bunch of
stuff. >> I do not deny he went to the site. I absolutely deny that he had any intention whatsoever of hurting his
stepmother. Defense attorney Elon Funky Belu says Brighgam wasn't serious. Evidence shows Bighgam paid less than $3
in Bitcoin toward the $5,000 hit. >> If there was true intent, it wouldn't stop at $2.95.
>> After nearly 3 weeks of testimony, it takes the jury 7 hours to find Bighgam guilty of solicitation of murder. and a
month later. >> So, I just came out of the courtroom. He was sentenced to just three years in
state prison. >> But with credit for time served, he was released in January 2020.
[Applause] [Music] Alexis Stern is frustrated that in her case, there hasn't even been an arrest.
48 hours tracked her ex-boyfriend Adrien Fry to this house in the city of Bath, England. And we're watching the place.
So far, he hasn't emerged. >> The Hitman Marketplace is like any other auction site.
>> The man who took the kill order Adrian allegedly made is still at large, too.
But Lisa says finding Ura may partly depend on exposing and flipping the people who work with him.
>> Everyone has a network, right? >> We uncovered information about an important thread in Ura's web.
[Music] A thread stretching all the way to the sprawling city of Kolkata, India. And a computer
contractor named Santo Sharma. Ura contracted Santa Sharma to assist him with digital marketing and promotion of
>> Eura had become so brazen he actually was promoting his dark web sites on the
regular internet by hiring a marketing specialist. Our producer in India Arshad Zar spent
weeks looking for Chararma >> but we managed to track down both his addresses. We tipped authorities who summoned
Chararma to the police station. After they questioned him, Chararma agreed to an interview with us. We asked him about
the sites he created on the regular internet to advertise Ura's sites on the dark web.
>> What are the websites then you created for him? >> I have created murder forhire.com,
besamafia.com, hire ahitman.com. He insisted he was just an everyday internet marketer hired on a freelance
job. >> Have you ever spoken to him? >> No. Um I just chat with him, chat and email. I have asked her phone number how
he didn't send me. >> He said they're not in touch at all anymore and that he doesn't know Yura's
real name or location, but wishes he did because Ura scammed him, too. Urus still
owes him about $400 and um and and he has been trying to get in touch with him uh asking for the
money. >> Sharma was released without charges, but hacker Chris Monttero says Ura's
operations took a body blow. >> The work of 48 hours investigating Santos Sharma in India that was very
important in shutting down his advertising operations. Lisa wants to see Ura shut down
completely. >> And she believes she's getting close to finding him. >> And it'll be right up here, right on the
right. I'm going to drop my head down. My heart is racing. >> And we're closing in on Adrien Fry, too.
He lives in this house west of London. >> Here we go. Let's see what happens. Hey, good evening.
[Music] [Applause] We staked out Adrien Fry's house in England. The young man Alexis believes
ordered her murder and asked Ura about obtaining a gun. 4 days it seemed like nobody was home. Then one night in
February 2020, take a look at this. A car has pulled up in front of the house. So, we're going to head over now and go
knock on the door. Go. Let's see what happens and see if we can speak face to face
with Adrien Fry. >> Hey, good evening. My name is uh Peter Vansen. I was wondering if Adrien's
here. >> Adrienne's brother answered the door saying Adrien was visiting friends. He
gave us the name of a nearby town and we went to check it out but couldn't find him.
>> Would you ever meet with Adrien Fry again? >> Not unless he's behind bars. >> But that now seems unlikely. In November
2019, Alexis Stern received a letter from the FBI saying the case was being closed because the United States
Attorney's Office has declined to prosecute. >> But authorities never explained why the
case was dropped and refused to tell 48 Hours what, if anything, they had ever done to investigate Adrien Fry or Ura.
to all law enforcement. Just try and close our side if you can. >> In our own two-year global search for
Europe, >> we'd been stood up in the UK. >> What? What did he say? >> I don't think he's coming.
>> Found Europe's marketing guru in India. >> I have created murder forhire.com. Besa
mafia.com. but not Ura himself and hit a dead end with that car ad in Muldova where we had hired a local
researcher to track down the owners. Lisa now believes it's just a coincidence that Frenza 22 appeared in
the car ad. >> There's no direct correlation. In January 2020, we followed Lisa's lead
to a woman in New York City, who Lisa now believes is Ura's mother-in-law. >> We've just left Manhattan. Where are we
heading? >> Queens. Maybe we'll find Ura. >> I hope so. >> It took 3 months of digging through
digital clues for Lisa to uncover what she calls strong evidence against the man she now believes is Ura. It includes
a link to that unusual password, Franza22. And 48 hours discovered an email address
that included gun and killer connected to the man Lisa found in New York City. >> It was enough to make me pause when I
saw that email address. Lisa believes the man had moved to the US from overseas in the 1990s and now owns a
large repair business, registered some kind of tech company, and most recently bought a restaurant.
>> I have high confidence that this man is very likely. >> What's that confidence level if you put
it in a percentage? >> 75 to 80, which is in intelligence terms quite high. Lisa says there's no such thing as 100%
certainty on the secretive dark web. That's why we decided not to name the man or show his face.
And we're in a position where we can take a look down a sidewalk and see if he approaches.
>> We spotted him on a public sidewalk. >> That's him. Go. >> Hey, how you doing? I'm Peter Vans with
CBS News and we have uh some questions that we'd like to get answered if we if we may.
>> Sure. >> That's him. >> Our investigation of Murder for Hire on the dark web has led us here and I want
to ask you, are you Ura? >> Who? >> Ura. My name is >> Yura is a person who runs has run
various Murder for Hire uh sites on the dark web. >> What are you talking about? Can you
explain yourself? >> I then asked him about Franza 22, that potentially incriminating password.
>> How do you explain that on the Basa Mafia website the administrator uses a password frenza 22? Lisa says to pay
special attention to the man's reaction after I mentioned the password. >> The minute you hit him with the evidence
that is the key piece of evidence in this case, >> the password, he immediately then shuts
down and starts going, "No, no, no, no. I don't want to be here." >> He then did something I've never seen
before. >> Before we start anything, I want to make sure the whole world knows what's going
on. He started streaming our conversation live on Facebook where he began speaking
more to his followers than to me. >> What's up guys? >> Something is going on. I got some guys
over here. >> This in itself is taking control of the communication. He wants his words and
his voice to be heard and not yours. >> You can answer my question. >> There's no euros here. We also tried to
ask the man about another striking similarity between him and Yura in the real world.
>> Well, Eura wrote us and said that he recently taken his money and opened a new restaurant
>> right now, >> which you've done that. >> And what restaurant are you talking about again?
>> This restaurant not far from where we met him. He opened the place in 2018. Just 6 months later, Ura wrote 48 hours
that he had done the same. >> Do you run these murder for hire websites? >> He's calling me some stupid names. Stop
recording right now. >> As his anger grew, >> I'm going to smack the out of your
camera right now. I'm telling you, >> the man suddenly made us an offer. >> No cameras allowed.
>> No idea who is here. >> I have no idea who's Urist. You want to talk to me privately? Let's go to the
office. Me and you sit down. We'll talk without this. I turned him down because the situation was starting to feel
dangerous. >> Oh, hey guys. >> And our conversation. >> Who you think you are? >> I'm just Who you think you are? You make
>> was about to take a major hit. >> I'm a reporter, investigative reporter that's been following this for over a
year. >> Hey, come on now. Don't do that. >> That was just on video. That could be
that could be an assault. Don't do this. >> Don't do it. You're assaulting me right
now. >> I'm asking you a question. Police. >> Yes, we need the police to be sir. You
hit me. I just see my >> I didn't hit you. >> Did you hit my camera? >> I hit your camera and you did it with
your own hands. I just >> We quickly left the scene. >> They chickened out right away.
>> And the man still angry continued to stream live. >> Stupid website. Some freak created
something. Use my identity. >> Someone's using my identity. He's confirming that the information that
we've presented to him is legit. >> Yes, I'm asking you. I know you think you are
>> based on all of the evidence that has been accumulated. My confidence is still
quite high. >> In fact, she says having seen the video, it's even higher. >> Around 80 to 90%.
>> Over the next two weeks, we reached out to the man four times requesting an on
camera interview at CBS News. do give a call back and uh let us know your decision.
>> We were eager to hear any explanation for the apparent links between him and Europe. He apologized for his actions.
>> Who you think you are? >> But never sat down on camera. >> Adrien, this is Peter Vans correspond
though he did text us. >> Hi Peter. I can assure you that I did not go onto the online web to hire a
hitman or anyone to kill Alexis. But it was his last text declining our interview request that startled us.
Thank you for the opportunity, he wrote. We realized that just like mastermind 365, Adrien had once again written thank
you as one word. [Music] 48 hours. Don't miss an episode. [Music] Not a day since I was 12 years old have
I not thought about my sister Danny. That day in September of 1996, Danny disappeared.
My name is Stephanie. Danny was my older sister. >> And mom. >> Danny was 15 years old. The kind of
older sister that every little sister looks up to. >> Nice stuff. >> Sorry. >> Dad was sitting there. He's like, "Come
on, let's try." Oh no. >> She was upset with my parents and needed some space to herself.
Danielle had gone out to Cameron Bridge >> and she was familiar with this area. >> Absolutely.
>> Danny didn't return home. The mother grew deeply concerned and so she and one
of her friends drove out to Cameron Bridge to see what was going on. My mom and her friend walked around calling
Danny's name and called the sheriff's department and reported her missing and a search party was being pulled
together. >> Everybody's calling out her name. >> Yep. So, if you were out here, you can
hear them in the distance. Danny. Danny. Right. Yep. If she's out here, we just want her to come home.
615 >> 7:30 to 8 started to get dark enough to where I called off the search. >> Family friends came out after dark.
>> That was about 9:30 when the dispatcher called me and said they found her body.
>> How were you informed that Danny was gone? >> I was at home. My dad came home and told
my mom and I I could hear him telling her that uh Danny was gone and she said, "I know they'll they're going to look
again in the morning. As soon as it's light, they'll be back out there looking for they're going to find her. They're
going to find her." And he said, "No, honey. They're there. They found her. She's gone."
She was strong and she was brave. And she was everything I looked up to bean. >> 656 to the fishing game at Cameron
Bridge. Go ahead. >> Law enforcement didn't tell my family a lot in 1996. >> There was never a doubt in my mind that
someone killed this 15-year-old girl. From the instant you saw her body, >> the moment I saw her,
>> 15year-old girls don't die in the swamps at night. >> It took almost 30 years, but I had to
know. >> I spent 27 years on the Los Angeles Police Department, and when I retired, I
moved here to Bosezeman, Montana. What did you think of the original investigation into Danny's death?
>> Oh, it was it was terrible. >> It was terrible. >> So, I know where the body was.
>> There is zero doubt in my mind that they lied to my family. >> I told Stephanie, I will solve this
case. Stephanie, >> I promised myself. I promised my sister. I'm coming for you, Danny.
I never would have guessed how this ended. [Music] [Music] [Music] It was the end of September 1996.
A Saturday night, a fishing area just outside of Bosezeman, Montana, a place of tranquility.
Until this night, a few miles up a rural highway near the small town of Bgrade, searchers discovered the body of
15-year-old Danny Houchins. >> What brought your sister Danny down to this area back on September 21st, 1996?
>> Well, that morning, uh, we had kind of a family spat. Stephanie Molette was Danny's little sister
>> and so she got 15year-old mad about it and needed some space and some time and
she had her driver's license. >> Now people wonder how does a 15year-old get a driver's license
>> in the state of Montana in 1996. You actually got your driver's license at 15. She was a very proud driver. So
>> she hops into her Chevy pickup truck and gets >> Why would she come to this place if she
wanted to just kind of take a break? It's peaceful. >> After Danny's pickup truck was located,
a sheriff's posi had searched this wilderness for Dany until it got too dark. But that same night, two brothers,
friends of the Hins family refused to call it quits. So they came down this very path at
night with their flashlights. >> That's right. >> They would have crossed this bridge,
right? Somehow in the dense muddy woods, they found her body. >> The body, I believe, Peter was right in
this area when she was found. Right in here? Yes. >> Keith Farquar, then a Gallatin County
Sheriff's deputy, was the first officer on the scene. In the first hours after Dany was found, no one was really sure
what had happened to her. Did this look like an accident scene or something else?
>> Something entirely different. There's nothing here then or now that would suggest a
15-year-old girl should all of a sudden be face down in a small amount of water and mud and be dead. She's a mountain
kid. >> And is it possible to put into words the shock and horror of that moment?
It's like everything you um knew doesn't exist anymore. Um to not understand how that could have happened
and to just feel a gaping hole in your whole being. Rashelle Shroot went to school with
Stephanie and Danny. >> And I always thought Stephanie and Danny were super cool. Danny was like my
friend's cool older sister. They were the most down to earth friendly people. >> The sisters love the Montana wilderness.
>> She is pretty. >> This is like a nature playground out here. And our family, we just played.
>> A classic Montana girl, right? She could fish. She hiked. She could ski. >> And Danny was smart.
>> She loved science. She was so interested in the way that the world worked. >> And she had a sense of humor, right?
>> Uh yeah, >> Danny. All the ghost. >> Isn't she lovely? >> Look at your lovely daughter here.
>> She was witty and she was funny and everyone loved her. >> Danny, >> she'd make humor at her own expense.
See my nose? >> Here's my eye. >> How quickly did words spread that Danny had been found and that she was dead?
>> Oh, like wildfire. >> It was a lot of shock. You know, learning about Danny dying. It
came in stages. You know, there were the rumors all of a sudden of somebody died.
Initially, I had just heard somebody drowned. >> While Danny's family was awaiting an
official cause of death, everyone, it seemed, from first responder Keith Farquar to folks all over town, were
speculating about what had happened. >> Smalltown Montana, if you haven't heard a rumor by 10:00 in the morning, you're
going to start one. >> The rumor started flying of maybe it was a murder. And then we're all like,
"What? And if it was a murder, who would want to end this young girl's life? And was
there a killer on the loose? >> It just was like this strange roller coaster of did someone should we be
worried as a community? >> I think the rumor mill around Bgrade High School was ruthless.
>> There was so much other speculation. I remember thinking, man, what if? What if
just caused fear? I tried to be strong. Um Danny died on a Saturday and I tried to
go back to school on Monday. I thought if um I thought that if I was strong then
it'd be easier for my parents. But within days, the family's grief would turn to heartbreaking shock when
they heard the sheriff's department's jaw-dropping announcement about how Dany died.
We just couldn't believe what they told us. It didn't make any sense. Just two days after the discovery of
Danyy's body, with the people of Bgrade, Montana fearful and demanding answers, authorities released the
partial findings of Dany's autopsy. They did not say Dany was murdered. Her manner of death was undetermined.
Her family was dumbfounded. >> They told us that she drowned and they told us that it really could have been
an accident. >> The sheriff told the media that there were no cuts or bruises on Danny's body
and no indications of foul play. >> She could have just tripped and fell. We don't really know.
>> Tripped and fell. >> Uh-huh. >> And as avid, experienced outdoors people, even at 12, you thought that was
absurd. absurd. >> What the family didn't know at the time was the coroner said Dany had inhaled
both water and mud into her airways. The family also didn't know that there were
bruises and cuts on Dy's body and signs of possible sexual assault. The sheriff back then, Bill Slaughter, told us it is
often common for investigators to withhold key details to protect their investigations.
as they looked into potential suspects, including people who were close to Danny.
>> Common sense says this girl was not an accidental death. >> Caught in the middle of this controversy
was Deputy Keith Farquar, then a young patrolman. He was assigned to work with detectives on the case. Keith spoke with
Danny's doctor. He said there's nothing about her physical condition that would have prevented that girl from being able
to roll over in a few inches of water and mud to breathe if she had just fallen, if this was an accident. But
when Farquar tried to report the doctor's opinion to other investigators, >> I was pretty much ridiculed by the
sheriff. >> What did he say? >> He said, "What the does a doctor know?" And that that statement sticks in my
mind to this day. >> The former sheriff, Bill Slaughter, denies Farquar's allegations. He says
Farquar was a disgruntled employee and that his department never ignored any evidence.
Fed up and disillusioned, just 3 months after Dy's death, Farquar resigned from the sheriff's office.
As years passed, Danyy's family tried to accept that her death might have been an accident.
>> As all that time, weeks to months to years go by and you have no answers, what was that like?
>> Traumatizing. It was uh having a big wound in your life and this big gap that was
unexplainable and you somehow had to find a way to heal without answers, to live without
resolution, um to hope with no reason to hope >> until 24 years after Danny's death.
Matt Boxmmeer was a detective sergeant with Gallatin County. He took an interest in Danny Hkins and her family.
I found out that they really hadn't been given much information back in 1996 regarding the investigation, which is
not uncommon with investigations. You know, you don't openly talk about them with the family
usually. They had been told that she had fallen down and and drowned and it was marked as accidental. Box Meer also
found out that there had been several efforts over the years to get evidence analyzed by the Montana State Crime Lab.
But after each attempt, nothing. No usable DNA profile ever came back. So he was starting from scratch. Meanwhile,
Stephanie decided to turn up the pressure. I had been calling the sheriff's department trying to get someone to talk
to me about Danny's case. >> Finally, Box Meer and his bosses made a decision. >> They deserved some answers.
>> They told the family that Danny's death was no accident. >> I shared with them that I believe that
it was a homicide. >> Homicide. Stephanie then demanded to read the autopsy and look at the crime scene
photos. I was so angry at the people who lied to my family and let my sister's murder go
unsolved but uninvestigated for all of these years. I learned that rather than drowning on just water,
Danny's head had been held down in the mud. She had mud all the way down into her lungs and into her stomach. There
was subcutaneous bruising on the back of her neck. Someone had held her head down
forcefully. There was vaginal injuries. There was semen in her underwear. She had fought and scratched.
>> This is like a a nuclear bomb going off emotionally, I would think, for this family and for you.
>> I remember asking them, "So, you mean to tell me that in fact my sister was raped?"
And they said, "Yes, we believe she was raped." I remember not being able to breathe.
I remember feeling like I needed to puke. >> In 2021, with Danny's family now knowing
the explosive truth, solving Danyy's murder would become a top priority for newly appointed sheriff Dan
Springer. >> You were rookie deputy when this crime came down, right? >> Yes. 5 days after I started is when we
found Danny's body. >> When you become the boss, you get to decide to do things the way you want to
do things. I felt like, well, this is our time. Let's go get some answers. >> Sheriff Springer reached out to
Stephanie >> and I told her, "I am making a promise that we will find an answer to this
case." >> Now, determined to set things right, Springer reached outside the department
to a most unusual investigator, Tom Elfmont. >> I'm very persistent. I have a bulldog
personality. I just don't give up on something. I just don't do it. He'd spent a lifetime in tough jobs from a
soldier in Vietnam to a cop working the streets of LA. >> I wanted to put bad people in jail.
>> And after a conversation with Sheriff Springer, he was also drawn to Danny's case.
>> She was a great kid and the way she died, I get choked up about this a little bit.
Really to this day bothers me. And so when they said, "Would you like to work the case?" I said, "Yes." Um, I
want to work the case. I of course internet stalked him immediately. And uh came to find out that he's like the man
that never retires. >> I told Stephanie, "I will solve this case, Stephanie." And she said, "Okay,
I'm going to trust you." And with Elfmont leading the way, he soon found a suspect.
>> Why do I know that name? Like that sounds so familiar, but it took a little bit of time for it to go.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh my gosh. No way. Did you ever think coming out here in the mountains outside Bosezeman, Montana
that you'd be going back to work as a homicide investigator here? >> Never. No, I never thought so.
>> By mid 2023, retired LAPD Captain Tom Elfmont was back to working full-time, committed to finding Danny Houchin's
killer. The only reason I stayed in it was Danny. >> For Danny's sister, Stephanie, Elfmont's
refreshing dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm was what the case had always needed.
>> What does Tom do? >> Tom got to work. Tom worked on Danny's case every day. He went through and
re-examined all of the evidence. Elfmont had access to everything, including a list of potential suspects from the old
case file and that previously tested clothing that Dany had been wearing when she was found.
>> He most importantly made sure that DNA got tested. >> Elfmont asked the Montana State Crime
Lab to use their newest technology to retest the semen on Dy's underwear. At last, a breakthrough. a partial DNA
profile, but there were no matches to names in the case file. And when Elfmont compared it to Kotus, the vast federal
digital repository of DNA samples from convicted felons, >> we didn't get any hits.
>> But Elfmont was undeterred and decided to go a less conventional route. He turned to genetic genealogy and
investigative genealogologist, CC Moore. Since I started working with law enforcement in 2018,
I've been able to help solve over 325 cases. Moore is an expert at building out family trees from DNA samples using
information from popular genealogy websites, bringing cold cases back to life. But to solve this case, Moore needed a
special type of DNA profile. problem was they didn't have enough DNA from that semen.
>> We have to start from scratch, which means there has to be remaining biological evidence for us to go back
and retest using more advanced technology. >> Elfmont did have more evidence for
retesting. Four male hairs that had been found on Dany, which had been perfectly
preserved for 27 years. They had never yielded any usable DNA because they were rootless hairs without any skin cells.
But Elfmont asked around and connected with Australia Forensics, a state-of-the-art private lab that's at
the forefront of extracting DNA from previously unattainable genetic matter. As if there wasn't enough drama in this
case, the first two hairs Estraa tested produced nothing usable. So, the last two hairs are examined. Are they able to
get a profile? >> Yes. In the last hair. Oh, I was so excited. >> It was a critical breakthrough. Elfmont
got permission from a judge to compare this enhanced DNA profile to samples in popular genealogy databases where people
voluntarily submit their DNA profiles. By spring 2024, Cece had what she needed to get to work.
>> I'm looking for patterns, commonalities, overlaps, eventually common ancestors.
Moore was able to identify the greatgrandparents on both sides of the suspect's family tree. She then found
one marriage that proved decisive. >> The couple that I finally zeroed in on, they had a lot of children,
>> including three sons. Moore felt like she had to be close, but there was a problem.
>> What was really confounding was that everybody lived in New Hampshire. Yet the mystery was what was the link to
Montana? >> More scoured through the birth indexes, marriage certificates, and even social
media of those sons. >> When I finally got to the youngest son's Facebook page, he had posted that he
moved to Bosezeman, Montana on July 1st, 1996. >> Remember, Danny had been murdered in
September 1996. Finally, all the pieces fell into place. On May 1st, 2024, I called up the
detectives to let them know that I believed I had identified Danny's killer. >> Finally, after nearly 28 years, it was
now time for Elfmont to call Stephanie and give her the momentous news. >> We've found Danny's killer and he is
alive and we are going to make a case against him. The suspect was Paul Hutchinson, a
married father of two who Elfmont soon learned was widely known and respected in local hunting and fishing circles.
>> We learned that he's been working for the Bureau of Land Management in Dylan,
Montana for 22 years as a fisheries biologist. He was a big outdoorsman, bow hunter, rifle hunter, fisherman,
trapper. And incredibly, it turned out Stephanie's childhood friend, Rashelle Shroot, knew Paul Hutchinson. He was a
trusted mentor who she had first met in the early 2000s. >> Paul came across as just an under the
radar person that was always so kind of calm and quiet. He was just so utterly unremarkable.
[Music] Stephanie Mallet had spent years dreaming of the day someone would be held responsible for her sister's
murder. That day, that dream seemed to be finally coming true. >> It was the moment at which I knew that
everything I had put into my fight for my sister had been worth it. >> Back in September 1996, suspect Paul
Hutchinson was 27 years old. He had served in the Marine Corps, then moved to Bosezeman to study at Montana State
University. just 13 miles from where Danny's body was discovered. >> When he was at Montana State, he had a
work study. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which would have put him on the waterways around Belgrade,
>> where on September 21st, 1996, Danny ended up on a hike. That's correct. Do you think your sister Danny
knew Paul Hutchinson? >> No. Paul Hutchinson was a stranger to Dany. There's no way that she would have
known him. >> But many people in the area did know Hutchinson through his passion for
hunting and fishing and high-profile government job. >> He just was like this respected source
of information in in the hunting and fishing space. >> Rashelle knew Hutchinson for years.
She's an expert hunter and former Yellowstone park guide and is now the hunt and fish editor for gearjunkie.com.
>> I think I would have considered him a a friend. You know, if we were doing some
sort of hunt camp, I would have not even thought twice about inviting him. >> Rashelle says she never once questioned
Hutchinson's integrity. even when she went on fishing trips with him, just the two of them out in the middle of
nowhere. >> I've always trusted my gut instinct when it comes to people, especially men. I
never had any feeling that he was unsafe. >> Though she hadn't seen Hutchinson in
years, Rashelle kept up with him online. He would often post on message boards about hunting trips he had taken across
the country. >> Paul was super active in the hunting community. seemed like he was constantly
hunting, always sharing where he was headed or where he just got back from. >> Hutchinson had no criminal record. By
all accounts, he had been leading a quiet existence since 1996. >> And what did you know about his family
life? >> Well, we knew that he had a wife and a daughter and a son. >> And he lived just a few hours away. and
Dylan, Montana. How far is that from Bosezeman? >> 140 mi. >> Elf Mont knew he couldn't make an arrest
until he got Hutchinson's DNA, which he was working out how to get. In the meantime, Montana law did allow Elfont
to talk to Hutchinson with some conditions. >> It just basically has to be in a public
area where he can walk away anytime he wants to. So on July 23rd, 2024, Elfmont and
another detective drove down to Hutchinson's office at the Bureau of Land Management in Dylan, Montana with a
body camera rolling. >> We saw Paul come in and get out of his pickup and then we started walking up
and I got up about 10 ft from Paul >> and I said, >> "Hey Paul, how you doing?" >> "Good. My name's Tom. I'm with the
Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. >> Hey guys. >> They came ready with a clever excuse for
why they wanted to speak with Hutchinson, hoping it wouldn't raise his suspicions.
>> We wanted to talk to you. We We've been talking to some fisheries people about
some things that have been going on here at the rivers in southwest Montana. I explained to him that we're
investigating some cases up and down the rivers and so we want to talk to people
that are experts >> right at the start they caught a break thanks to an unusually scorching hot
day. >> It was 98 that day and Dylan he said let's go inside. >> You guys want to come inside and talk?
>> That'd be great man. >> If he invites us in we don't have to give him Miranda. So we go inside. He
takes us in a small conference room. >> While they didn't ask about Danny Hins right away, Elfmont says he could tell
Hutchinson was nervous. >> Appreciate you sitting down with us. >> Why the hell? What's up?
>> And he breaks into a sweat is just his head starts sweating and he asks, "Can I
can I leave?" >> Um, can you give me a second? >> Absolutely. >> Hutchinson said he had to go help a
coworker. When he returned, they asked him about the other cases. >> So, I had pictures of four women
that died. One in a river in Idaho, two over on the Yellowstone, and then Danny.
>> Elfmont's partner, Port Dewig, took over the conversation. >> Okay, this is uh Daniel Houchins. She
was killed in September of 96. Okay. >> Um, and she was found off the Gallatin River. Did you ever fish up there?
>> I uh I trapped on the Gallatin. >> Have you ever heard of a Cameron Bridge access?
>> Mhm. >> Have you been there before? >> Probably. Um, Jack Rabbit Lane. >> Yeah, exactly. Hutchinson had confirmed
he had not only been to the remote area where Dany was attacked. He remembered the street that led there. Elfmont says
it was a revealing exchange. >> Shaken. He's all distressed now. He was sitting back in the chair like this as
far as he could get from the table and the pictures. I knew we had him. >> Do you remember seeing her there
or a similar face? >> I honestly don't. I I mean I probably I've been to bunch of fishing access
sites for one reason or another. >> Hutchinson denied knowing anything about Danny's death.
>> Even when they told him they had the suspect's DNA. >> Is there a possibility that you were
there when she was murdered? >> No. >> You weren't trapping or anything during that time?
>> Not September. That would have been Are you asking me? I mean, >> I'm just asking if you remember anything
during that time. >> No. No. >> Did you ever directly say, "Did you kill Danny Hkins?"
>> No. >> Why? >> He didn't need to. >> Cuz he knows that you know. >> That's right.
>> And you know that he knows that you know. >> Correct. >> As they wrapped up the interview,
Hutchinson had a question for them. >> Anything else you want to ask me while I'm here?
>> No, we're good. We're good now. to Elfmont. It seemed like Hutchinson couldn't believe they didn't arrest him,
>> but the investigation was far from over. >> So, we walk out of the building and we
had surveillance people to follow him. He started driving like a maniac, high speed, doing U-turns.
He takes off [Music] With the possibility of an arrest of her sister's killer, Stephanie began
imagining what justice would look like for Paul Hutchinson. I was preparing myself for the next 3 to
5 years of a court battle to staring him down to being present every day in that
courtroom. >> But what Stephanie could never prepare herself for was the startling phone call
she got from Tom Elfmont just 12 hours after he had interviewed Hutchinson. >> So I called Stephanie and I said,
"Stephanie, he's dead. He killed himself. It's a big pause. And she said, "You know, I don't know
how I feel about that." I said, "I get it. I understand." >> Police say Paul Hutchinson drove to a
remote area and called the sheriff's dispatch line, saying an officer needed help. When cops arrived, they found
Hutchinson's body dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 55. Give me a sense of that moment for you.
>> Shock. I I didn't expect that to happen. >> When Hutchinson's DNA was checked
against evidence from Danny's body, including the semen on her underwear, there was a match.
>> The ratio 10.7 trillion to1. So, he was the guy. This case is solved. 100%. >> Stephanie's friend Rashelle, who had
considered Hutchinson a mentor, learned what happened as she watched the sheriff's news conference.
>> I am gutted. I've known him most of my life. Like, it makes me mad to know him.
How dare you? >> At the news conference, Stephanie thanked the current sheriff's team.
I'd like to express my family's gratitude to Tom Elmont for overcoming every roadblock. To Dan
Springer, thank you for being a man of your word. >> And then she did what no one there
expected. She unleashed years of pentup anger. >> The sheriff lied to my parents.
Boldfaced lied and betrayed the trust of shocked and grieving parents. Those institutions failed my sister,
failed my family, and failed this community. >> I asked Sheriff Springer about Stephanie's allegations that the
sheriff's department for years had lied to her family. >> If what they say is true, were they lied
to? >> I don't I I don't know what they said to be honest. >> What the parents said is that they were
told that their daughter did not have any injuries. If what they are saying is true,
>> were they lied to? >> Of course. I mean, I think the the reports speak for themselves. There were
marks on her body. And if that's what they were told, then that's not the truth.
>> We reached out to the man who was sheriff in office back in 1996. Bill Slaughter, now retired. Slaughter admits
withholding some information from Danyy's family, but claims he never lied to them, despite the fact he told
the local newspaper in 1996 that there was no indication of foul play. Weeks after the news conference,
Stephanie went back to the scene of the crime. when I finally saw the exact spot where
her body was found and I sat there and imagined that about her last moments and how it went
from peaceful rustling of leaves and you know the sounds of squirrels running through the forest and the birds
chirping to suddenly turning to this awful and violating and terrifying experience. hands. And then that
realization that she must have had when he was holding her face down in the mud that she was going to die right there.
And I am so sorry for her that she had to experience that moment for you. What is this case about, Danny?
It's about Danny. I would wake up at night and I would say middle of night, 3:00 in
the morning, and I'd say, "Danny, I got you." It's about Danny. >> In the aftermath of Hutcherson's death,
there were so many questions unanswered. Perhaps the most troubling, says Elfmont. Were there other victims? Oh, I
think there's a good possibility. Yeah. >> I think that anyone who is able to rape and murder a young girl and then
get away with it for almost 28 years, had plenty of chances to do it again. Stephanie is now trying to make changes
in how Montana funds and supervises law enforcement so that cases like Danny's don't fall by the wayside.
>> On the table, I have what was in Danny's pocket when she died and then her driver's license, what she was really
proud of having. [Music] Years ago, Danny's family spread some of her ashes on a nearby mountaintop.
>> We spread half of Danny's ashes on top of the tallest mountain on the Bridger
Range, Sack Jia Peak. And now almost 30 years later, Stephanie was back here on the banks of the
Gallatin River where Dany died to spread the last of her ashes and to tell her sister that she'd made a difference.
>> Love you, Danny. I think the biggest thing has been after so many years of begging and pleading
for people to pay attention to my sister, for people to believe that she mattered and feeling so often like I was
screaming into an echo chamber. Now suddenly she matters to everyone all over again.
[Music] CBS next Saturday. A young teenager is strangled and buried alive. Absolutely
cold bloodooded. 20 years later, her family battles to keep her killers behind bars.
>> We're fighting for her. That's why we're here. She doesn't have a voice, so we're
her voice. >> 48 Hours is all new CBS Next Saturday, 10:9 central and streaming on Paramount
Plus. [Music]

"48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant breaks down the acts in these true-crime stories. Watch the YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "Devil's Island," "Find Yura: Manhunt on the Dark Web" and "It’s About Danni."

00:00 Devil's Island 43:00 Find Yura: Manhunt on the Dark Web 1:24:48 It’s About Danni

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

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Brief Summary

Ivonne Baldelli's disappearance leads to her murder investigation, revealing Brian Brimager's deceit and eventual conviction.

Key points

The Happy Illusion. Ivonne painted a picture of happiness in Panama, but reality was different.
The FBI Investigation. Michelle takes evidence to the FBI, leading to a serious investigation into Ivonne's disappearance.
A Disturbing Discovery. A laptop belonging to Ivonne is found in Brian's condo, raising suspicions.
Ivonne's Remains Found. Human remains are discovered on a Panamanian island, confirming Ivonne's fate.
Dark Web Investigation. Authorities promised to investigate dark web murder for hire cases, exposing numerous plots.
Murder for Hire Sites. The investigation reveals a network of murder for hire sites linked to Ura.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

All Ivonne ever wanted to do was be a mother.

Michelle reflecting on Ivonne's dreams and aspirations.

13:09WatchSep 27, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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