Sinister Betrayals | “48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

[Music] when you hear the name Gabby petito what comes to mind a young aspiring blogger who love life
love Adventures how a girl who was on the cusp of beginning life and whose life was tragically taken from
her the FBI announcing a medical examiner says the body found in Wyoming was indeed that of Gabby ptio the
coroner calling her death a homicide Brian laundry I believe made his decision to kill himself after he
had killed Gabby petito investigators say human remains found in Florida this week are those of
Brian laundry the only person of interest in the death of his fiance Gabby petito Gabby petito has been gone for
over a year now is this case over no this case is far from over my name is Mary F ji and I'm a
former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney there are still a lot of questions for Gabby's parents the
primary one being would Gabby petito still be alive today day if the case have been handled
differently hello hello and good morning we came to know Gabby petito and Brian laundry because they were putting
themselves out there in social media documenting their travels throughout America this young couple in love living
out of their van seeing what the world had to offer Liv in the dream my name is Dr Chris Mandi and I'm
a forensic psychologist but what we come to learn is that that was a veneer all the chocolate Mount I
know it's a river of chocolate much as I know Gabby and feel like I know Brian you just never know when it comes to
relationships we've been lucky so far at all the places we've stayed but I'd say
this is one of the best so far anyone that's met the two of them has been like they seem like such a nice couple but a
lot of couples look nice on Instagram about a month into their trip Gabby and Brian have a lot of arguments it gets
physical a witness reports it to the Moab police hey how are you I'm good I'm with Moab police they respond and now we
see that there's trouble in Paradise he walked me out the car and told me to go take a breather but I didn't want to be
a breather I'm fine and I love at I hope she doesn't have too many complaints about me I'm just
uh I feel bad I didn't get so public when you look back could that Moab police stop than a
game changer oh absolutely it's hard not to wonder what would have happened uh to Gabby if
either Gabby or Brian had been arrested that day two people went on a trip one person
returned and that person that returned is isn't providing us any information where is Gabby we believe the
circumstantial evidence demonstrates that the laundry family was aware that their son had murdered Gabby and that
they were aware of the location of her remains they refused to communicate to batito family as human beings How could
somebody not pick up that phone and say I'm so sorry we don't know what happened
what can we do to help and the only reason why you wouldn't is if obviously something went a foul
Gabby is the most amazing person I've ever met I've never felt a pain like this I have screamed into the air what
happened because I want answers we will get Justice for her no matter what [Music]
[Music] Gabby potito's road trip in the summer of 2021 started as an adventure story I
love the B months later it turned into a nationwide search for a missing woman the search for missing 22-year-old Gabby
Patito is now a multi-state effort before ending here earlier today human remains were discovered with the
discovery of her remains in Grand Teton National Park it has now become a cautionary tale ultimately her death
will hopefully lead to many women being rescued and saved from these situations well before it gets to murder former
prosecutor and CBS consultant Mary fan says Gabby's story is really about recognizing the warning signs of
domestic violence which are often hard to read there are people who believe that Gabby potito's story didn't have to
end the way it did if only the warning signs had been picked up on would it have been
[Music] different to most eyes Gabby petito and her fiance Brian andry were compatible
in every way Gabby poto never goes outside coolest Shi you ever met Man by far she she's going to make you
she's going to make you smile Gabby's dad Joseph coolest Shi you ever met simple as that 22 years old a New York
girl from Long Island an appetite for adventure she knew she wanted to take this trip her mom Nicole Schmidt she had
told me about it um probably a year before it started B stretching doing some morning
yoga Brian's very charismatic he always comes off as such a sweet person and just kind of like I'm here one of gab's
close friends Rose Davis they met soon after Gabby moved to Florida she texted me one of the sweetest messages I think
I've ever got from someone and it was just like you seem so cool I really want to be your friend and I was just
absolutely they made Tik Tok videos together for fun Rose says Gabby was good friends
with Brian back in high school in New York then after Brian moved to Florida Gabby moved there too to be closer to
him I always told her life is kind of like a movie cuz I was just like this happens
movies soon they were in love and living together she'd let me know what they did
and you know he he'd make her breakfast and it was always such a cute little thing and they did cute little dinners
in July of 2020 they got engaged they even got tattoos together but Rose says Brian could sometimes exhibit what she
calls toxic traits we spoke to Rose when Gabby was first reported missing when Brian wants something he's going to get
it and I don't mean in a physical way he's going to force it he's just going to I don't want people to say I'm
calling him a full manipulator but he'll manipulate the situation to get what he
wants out of it and you know he didn't want her to go out one night with me and he stole her ID because you can't
get into the bar without your ID and you know this was really upsetting to her you know you're you're engaged it's not
you know it's not supposed to be like that but the couple seemed to put any drama behind them as they got ready for
their Adventure Gabby worked hard at Taco Bell and with Brian at public supermarket saving money for their trip
they bought the van they converted it the goal was to spend four or five months crisscrossing the country having
Adventures even working on organic farms and chronicling it all in real time on social media
she was just like I want to document this this is so cool to be doing and she just kind of yeah kind of like a vlogger
just let everyone know what she was up to she was excited starting her van life digital Journey where she's creating
this whole you know following of van liers and that's what she was really into at
the moment they rolled out officially on July 2nd Gabby posted constantly hello hello and morning every little detail
you can't keep chocolate in Utah not in July but all those selfies may have been
hiding a darker story it's everything behind the scenes you don't know 6 weeks into their trip on the
afternoon of August 12th in Utah near the Arches National Park Gabby and Brian's Instagram road trip came to a
shuttering stop driver is showing some obscure driving possibly intoxicated it was around 4:45 in the afternoon
according to this police officer's body cam currently doing 45 M an hour Zone through here is 25
oh subjects just hit the curb correction speed limit is 15 what's your guys's names Gabby Brian
Gabby Brian okay it was the stop that could have changed everything [Music] [Music]
R County Sheriff's Office this 911 call was made on August 12th 2021 in Moab Utah 4 weeks before Gabby Patito was
reported missing we're driving by and I'd like to report a domestic dispute the caller reports seeing what appeared
to be an alarming confrontation between Gabby and Brian Florida license plate White and what were they doing uh we
drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl who was slapping her yes and then we stopped they ran up and down the
sidewalk he proceeded to hit her hopped in the car and they drove off officers from the Moab Police Department are
dispatched and within minutes Gabby and Brian's white van is spotted driving erratically outside the Arches National
Park they're pulled over the officers separate the couple and began questioning them I'm
just Gabby is visibly shaken you want to tell that's yeah I don't know it's just some
days I have really bad OCD and I just I was just cleaning and straightening up back before and I was apologizing to him
and saying I'm sorry that I'm so mean and I'm trying to start a blog I have a vog stuff so I've been building my
website been really stressed and he doesn't really believe that I could do any of it so that's kind of been like a
I don't know he's like down I don't know we been fighting all morning and and he
wouldn't let me in the car before and then why wouldn't he let you in the car you're told me I needed to calm down
right now so tell me what's going on we see this gets worked up sometimes and I try and really distance myself
from her so like I I locked a car and I walked away from her Brian tells police that Gabby attacked him scratching his
face and his arm as she tried to get back into the van had her phone time to get the I was trying to I know I
shouldn't push it I just trying to push your weight to go let's let's just take a minute step back and breathe and see
she got people that came to us and told us that they saw him hit you another officer asked Gabby for more details
about what happened well to be honest I definitely hit him first where'd you hit
him I st you slapped him first and then just on his face to shut up how many times did
you slap him Romeo India a couple and then what and his reaction was to do what I he just grabbed you yeah did he
did he hit you though I mean I mean it's okay if you're saying you hit him and then I understand if he hit you but we
want to know the truth if he actually hit you I guess yeah but I hit him first where did he hit you don't worry just be
gra my face like like guess um he didn't hit me in the face like like pun me in the face or anything
did he slap your face or what well like he like grabed me like with his nail and
I guess that's why it looks and then we have a cut right here like a peel touch it it
burs the officers never directly asked Brian if he slapped or hit Gabby they also didn't talk to the 911 caller who
reported seeing Brian hit Gabby but one of the officers did speak with a second eyewitness that day says I never saw him
hit her I saw him shove her but I couldn't tell if it was an aggression against her or a defense against her so
at this point from what unless the guy's screaming that he he to go to jail and did something to this girl it sounds to
me like she is the primary aggressor now in Utah if officers find evidence of a domestic violence assault they are
required to make make an arrest or issue a citation an independent investigation
would later conclude that the officers did not have a clear understanding of the
law Gabby this is a very very important question how you answer this question is
going to determine what happens next but the only person who can answer this question is you they mistakenly believed
that Gabby had to intend to harm Brian to require an arrest when you sted him those
times were you attempting to cause him physical pain or physical impairment was that what you were attempting to do to
no what were you what were you attempting to do what was the reason behind the slapping and
stuff what was what was you were attempting to accomplish by SLA I was trying to get to stop
tell well doesn't sound to me like she attempted in ultimately officers on the scene decided to separate the couple for
the night I'm going to give you the keys to the van Gabby was told to stay with the van I'm giving him a ride over to
the hotel okay as the assumed victim Brian was sent to a hotel I really appreciate it thank you so much for
everything no problem it's nice to meet you nice to meet you no one was arrested
or issued a citation forensic psychologist Chris Mandi has worked closely with law
enforcement on issues of domestic violence the officers that responded to Gabby and Brian were compassionate their
hearts were in the right place of wanting to help they were trying to do what they mistakenly believed was the
right thing by cutting them a break weeks later when the body cam footage was released there was a public uproar
newly released video shows what looks like the aftermath of an argument between Gabby Patito and Brian lry for
her Rose those images were almost impossible to watch it takes a lot for her to get that hysterical I perfectly
Cal I'm Cal all the time and he really stresses me out and so when I saw the body cam I knew it was more than just a
little argument she's not going to slap him for no reason the release of the 911 call Drew
outrage who was slapping her followers of the story on social media erupted in anger
my blood is boiling at how they failed this poor girl all I know is this didn't have to
end like this police missed an opportunity Mandi says the officers seem to miss signs of domestic
abuse and Gabby accepting the blame apologizing to him and saying I'm sorry that I'm so mean because in a
domestically violent relation reltionship it's not uncommon for one party to take the blame for what really
is the behavior of the other party the independent investigator later wrote that it's very likely that Gabby was a
long-term victim of domestic violence the ramifications of the officer's actions during that stop would
play out in the days ahead and months later would be questioned by Gabby's parents and their lawyers
[Music] just days after that traffic stop Gabby and Brian were back on the road headed
north to Salt Lake City it rained all afternoon yesterday on August 19th Gabby posted an edited 8-minute video showing
their journey together it is really nice and sunny today the video showed no signs of any tension between Gabby and
Brian later Gabby told her mom they were leaving Utah and driving to Grand Teton
National Park in Wyoming she was happy she was excited to keep going on her journey and
um that was the last time I spoke to her verbally on August 25th Gabby posted a series of photos on Instagram and front
of a butterfly mural in Ogden Utah it would be her final post on [Music] Instagram Gabby poo never goes outside
the Instagram post on August 25th 2021 was the last time Gabby petito would publish on social media and shortly
after she said she and Brian were headed to Grand ton National Park Gabby's parents stopped hearing from her and she
seemed to have been in communication with her parents on a regular basis through about the totality of this trip
and they were checking in on her regularly then on August 27th 2021 her mother says she received a a
strange text message from Gabby's phone it read can you help Stan I just keep getting his voicemails and missed
calls Stan is Gabby's grandfather the mother thought it was odd because she never refers to her grandfather as Stan
it was out of character and disconcerting but as far as the petito family knew Gabby and Brian were still
together on their trip hi my name is Miranda Baker and on August 29th my boyfriend and I picked up Brian at Grand
tan national park at 5:30 at night at cter Bay 48 hours after Gabby's mother received that cryptic text Miranda Baker
says she and her boyfriend picked up a man she believes was Brian laundry she says he was alone he approached us
asking us for a ride cuz he needed to go to Jackson before he came in the car he
offered to pay P us like $200 to give him a ride like 10 miles so that was kind of weird he then told us he's been
camping for multiple days without his fiance and that she was working on their social media page back at their
van suddenly says Miranda things took a turn when there was confusion over where
they were going he freaked out he's like nope I need to get out right now like pullover we dropped him off at 6:09 p.m.
on August 29th meanwhile gabb's mother Nicole did receive one more text from Gabby's phone
it said that there was no service in yosd the last text I received from her phone was August 30th are you confident
that was from her or you're not sure I can't comment on that during Gabby's travels she had been
staying in touch with her friend Rose Davis Rose was expecting to hear from Gabby on her birthday so we talked and
my birthday is August 29th so we decided call me then but no birthday call or text came I honestly didn't think
anything of it when she didn't text me or anything cuz she's traveling cross country and you know once it got uh it
got later into it around like 8th and 9th of September that was the point where I was like she would have called
me why haven't I heard from her yet what Rose did not know was that on September 1st Brian laundry was back in
Northport Florida he had driven the van there and he was alone the petito family
knew none of this but they had already become alarmed when they stopped hearing from Gabby Al together and her cell
phone had stopped working [Music] did you ever reach out to her boyfriend to figure out what happened and where
where your daughter is we can't comment we're not we're not commenting on it but
Gabby's mother did reach out to police it was actually Friday the 10th that I decided to call police because I had had
10 days 10 almost 11 days was enough for me to not hear from my child and um I got the runaround nobody wanted to
report her missing um she's an adult she's traveling but as a mother I said it's not like her finally that Saturday
I um went personally to suffet County fifth Precinct and now this is where we are Gabby petito was officially declared
a missing person on September 11th just over two weeks after her last Instagram post as the nation remembered so many
lives lost 20 years earlier the peti family focused on One Life that of their missing
daughter we're looking for her and only her not the van not the two of them just
just her keep your eyes out and we'll find her a woman disappears on a cross country trip with her boyfriend in a van
on Monday September 13th 2021 the story of Gabby potito's disappearance hit the news the parent
parents of a missing woman from Long Island need help finding her Gabby's mom and stepdad Nicole and Jim Schmidt held
up her photo for reporters do it uh Gabby's 22 years old um she's an absolutely beautiful beautiful soul
Inside and Out rose Davis was devastated to see her friend's picture on TV my mom
called me into her room and uh Gabby's face was all over the news and uh I kind of just went into
shock what happened to Gabby Patito once it became clear that Gabby Patito had gone missing her mom and
stepdad her father Joe Patito and stepmom Tara set up a fine Gabby page where people could post tips and
information she was reportedly last seen near Grand ton National Park in Wyoming
around August 27th 2021 we're home home safe and sound I immediately immediately made like a collage of all
of our photos and for a Tik Tok and posted the information Facebook Instagram everything within Days videos
about Gabby's disappearance exploded across social media even people with no connection to Gabby join the search to
help find her we are going to be going to the Grand Tetons to see if there's anything that we can do to help in the
search of Gabby petito you know the social media has been amazing um watch getting everybody to post it repost it
we need for her to come back home and anything you guys can do to help us get there is just appreciate it and we just
got to keep doing it for Gabby's parents this Spotlight in the media and online was invaluable but
as former Federal prosecutor Mary fulan points out not all missing persons cases
receed this level of attention what was it about Gabby patio's story that resonated with so many people across the
world you know there seems to be a tendency in these types of cases to give a disproportionate amount of attention to
a certain type of individual and I think Gabby petito was a young beautiful blonde Bluey girl forensic psychologist
Dr Chris Mandi this case you know is a bit of a commentary on who gets news attention Traction in social media there
are people in these situations every single day that don't fit that description Native American communities
you know gay communities are they being treated differently are they being ignored
whether it's newsworthy or not shouldn't be dictated by somebody's color of skin
because these stories if they rise to a level of notoriety I mean they really can help solve the mystery behind some
of them but there was one person who wasn't helping solve the mystery of what happened to Gabby Brian
laundry Northport Florida police spokesman Josh Taylor said investigators were frustrated neither he nor his parents
would answer their questions even though Gabby had lived with them we were essentially handed uh the information
for their attorney that is the extent of our conversation with them first word that popped in my brain was coward to be
honest with you you're supposed to love her you're supposed to marry her where is she police confiscated the white Ford
van searched it for evidence and then released it posting that Brian was now a person of interest in Gabby's
disappearance laundry family attorney Steven bertolino spoke briefly to the Press on behalf of the laundry family I
will hope that miss petito is located and that she's reunited with her family Gabby's parents responded through
attorney Rick Stafford with a scathing letter we believe you know the location of where Brian left Gabby we beg you to
tell us as a parent how could you let us go through this pain and not help us 6 days after Gabby was declared missing
the laundry family reported that they didn't know where Brian was they said he'd left for a hike at the Carlton
Reserve days [Music] earlier police immediately began to comb the huge local park looking for
Brian a massive search more than 50 officers and FBI agents combing a 24,000 acre park near Sarasota Florida looking
for Brian in laundry anger at the laundry family silence prompted protesters to gather outside the laundry
home demanding [Applause] answers while authorities were searching for Brian in Florida the search for
Gabby in and around Wyoming intensified it was like a nationwide Hut too you know between social media and all the
other avenues and people were looking for the van people were looking for where went when it went they were
looking for Gabby petito and in this case all of that social media attention ultimately helped
investigators locate Gabby when Kyle and Jen bethon came forward with information
they had spotted Gabby and Brian's van the bons had been in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park around the time
Gabby's family last heard from her on August 27th 20 2021 the bons had their GoPros rolling for their YouTube channel
when they went looking for a campground we're driving down this road past this van and it had Florida plates however
the van was completely dark we assumed that they were just out hiking or doing something else once the bons left the
park they didn't think about the van again until late on Saturday September 18th when Jen checked her phone and was
stunned to learn authorities now believed Gabby had been in the Tetons the very same night the bons were there
Jen instantly remembered the white van and I immediately got Goosebumps all over my body I rushed back to the
computer and I saw that white Speck of van and I was like please keep going please keep going and it did and it got
bigger and bigger we just some reason instantly knew that it was hers when I called the FBI I was like I have found
Gabby's footage like patch me across to somebody like this is huge cuz I knew deep down what it was and I knew how
important this footage would be to finding Gabby as instructed the bons uploaded their footage to the FBI
website they also posted it on YouTube and Facebook just hours later came the devastating announcement earlier today
human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle Gabby
[Music] Patito the FBI says Gabby's remains were found at the spread Creek Camping Area
inside Bridger Teton National Forest in Wyoming an autopsy confirmed the remains
were Gabby and the coroner determined her death was a homicide by manual strangulation we have no no additional
comments Gabby's family asked for privacy but her father Joe sent out a tweet that summed up the moment it read
simply she touched the world hours after it was announced Gabby had been found over a dozen FBI agents
and police officers swarmed the home of Brian's parents police arrived the FBI arrived they were carrying a battering
ram they also announced that they had a warrant I think seeing these FBI agents and police here you wonder do they now
know where he is the next day Northport police the FBI and other agencies ramped up the search
of the nature preserve near Brian's home trains very difficult essentially 75% of it's
underwater 49 days after Brian had returned home without Gabby on October 20th 2021 the FBI made an announcement
earlier today investigators found what appear to be human remains an autopsy revealed Brian laundry had died from a
self-inflicted gunshot to the head and there was something else all love with personal items such as a backpack and
notebook belonging to Brian lry that notebook ained writings from Brian explaining what he says really happened
to Gabby petito writing I ended her life I thought it was merciful before Brian laundry put a bullet
through his head he wrote a story describing how Gabby Patito died it was dark they were running across a stream
she must have fell and hurt herself and he went to help her but she seemed to be
in extreme [Music] pain in that small notebook found in a dry bag near Brian's remains he
wrote I ended her life I thought it was merciful that it is what she wanted but I see now all the mistakes I
made it was a self-serving narrative that portrayed that there had been an accident and that there had been a mercy
killing by him of her because she was suffering bra stretching it speaks to selfishness and a degree of narcissism
that it was important for other people looked at him his image you know he had the last
word while gab's parents will never see Brian lry face a jury they are seeking their own version of Justice they are
suing Brian's estate for wrongful death and his parents for intentional infliction of emotional distress where
is G Attorney Patrick Riley it's our belief that the laundry family was aware that Brian had murdered Gabby and was
aware where her body was located Riley says that belief is based on information from the FBI he says the
FBI believes that Gabby was murdered on August 27th 2021 and that Brian made a lengthy phone
call to his parents on the 28th he says according to the FBI Brian's parents then contacted an attorney that same day
how damning is that why would they get an attorney so fast very it's very damning it does doesn't pass the smile
test the laundry's attorney issued a statement denying the allegations made in the lawsuits and saying this lawsuit
does not change the fact that the laundries had no obligation to speak to law enforcement or any third party
including the petito family but there's more says Riley a letter allegedly written to Brian by his
mother Roberta laundry Riley says he and Gabby's mom read it while reviewing evidence at the FBI's Tampa
office there was one part that sticks out which is if you go to prison I'll bake a cake with a shiv in it and by the
way the envelope that the letter came in had written on the front of it Burn After
Reading if it can be proven when and if Bran's mother did indeed write that letter it could be very damaging says
Mary fulan because it shows the mindset of the mother that she'll do anything to
protect her child in addition to the pending cases in Florida Gabby's parents are in the
process of filing a lawsuit against the Moab Police Department how's it going how you doing relating to how they
handled that domestic violence stop with Gabby and Brian attorney Brian Stewart the family believes that Gabby would
still be alive today if the police officers had had the proper training and had followed the law in how they
responded to Gabby's situation hey how are you according to Stewart the body cam
footage shows there was a fundamental problem the very best thing I can do is call my supervisor and see if I'm
missing something here it's clear that the officers did not have a clear understanding of the law that they were
supposed to enforce that day try to calm down and I'm going to go call a supervis the Moab Police
Department commissioned the captain of another Utah police department to conduct that independent review of the
officer's actions that day among the report's conclusions there was probable cause for an arrest by choosing not to
apply the statute and affect an arrest the officers left Gabby and Brian in a dangerous
situation the report cited other unintentional mistakes says Mary F genan they didn't follow up with a key witness
which is the 911 caller they did not follow up with questions to Brian Landry about whether or not he grabbed her face
or grabbed her arm they didn't document Gabby's wounds photographically or in the report Mary fulan believes they also
missed some classic telltale signs of domestic violence and here was a girl who was hysterically crying who has
immediately taken the blame who has also trying to minimize her boyfriend's actions all of this while he remained
calm cool and collected there was an interview so I think if you look at that in the totality and had all those things
been addressed we might have had a different outcome here though this could have been a game changer we don't know
for sure we'll never know but certainly intervention would have been more possible under that
scenario one of the officers involved told the independent investigator after Gabby's death quote I would have done
anything to stop it if I would have known that was coming what happened what's going on
in a statement the city of Moab said it believed the officer showed kindness you
want to come stand in the shade respect and empathy and their handling of this incident get you in the van let's get
you on your way all right the city intends to implement the recommendations of the independent review which include
more domestic violence investigation related training and legal training to ensure officers understand Utah state
laws the attorneys for Gabby's parents insist their lawsuits are not about money they're about raising
awareness Gabby's mother Nicole recently told the Associated Press I get people messaging me all the time that they were
inspired by her to get out of a relationship yeah and I think that in of itself is a huge huge victory for a
family that has sadly uh encountered such tragedy but there can be these bright lights that
come out of these bad circumstances and if there is one to be shined here it will be hopefully that there will be
young girls out there that say you know what I'm going to walk away I'm not going to stay or I'm going to get myself
the help I need to get the strength to walk away Gabby Patito doing in death what
she did in life I've always described her as this light you know she'll do everything to bring the light out in you
and if she can't she'll give you some of hers [Music] 48 Hours don't miss an episode
[Music] that crime scene was just brutal and evil and just [Music] ugly Linda Slayton remembered as a
loving mother was found dead in this home in 1981 it was a case that went cold for nearly four decades when two
others who weren't sure whether their mother's murder would ever be solved got a chance at I freaked out I started
crying I saw the whole crime scene right then and there there a 12-year-old kid I'd have died that night trying to save
my mom but I didn't hear nothing it's so hard to live with that that one case just bothered me the
way I saw that lady he entered that window and he went out of that window and that's where I
got this print from son of a walking the street he's out free we truly felt that the person that left us
DNA behind was the person that actually killed her the boyfriend of Linda certainly high on the list her
ex-husband was another one all you need is a DNA match a hit that's all I need is a hit in the
database and the further we went the longer we went the more discouraging you got the Hope started
fading you can't lose your mom no worse than we lost our mom it's a nightmare I wouldn't wish on nobody I love you bro
now we can't undo the tragedy we can never make up for what happened the best outcome is that they
get Justice I I may die never know who did this you know loved ones and especially children of a murder victim
they need those answers no remember how many techic we had to go through over the years we was going to let them know
we're still here and we want we wanted who killed our mom 38 years after this brutal murder it
is felt like it never would be soled 38 years of more than two dozen detectives coming up
empty every turn I was striking out how long did it take you chromosome 3 chromosome 4 to solve this crime 2 days
[Music] [Music] on the morning of September 4th 1981 you're going to walk Three Doors is
down mhm and have a cup of coffee with your sister right when Judy Butler knocked on her
older sister's front door Linda Slayton never answered at the time the sisters both lived in this Lakeland apartment
complex so you started to walk back to your place and what happened and I turn and I
see that the screen is out of the window Linda's bedroom window was wide open Judy walked over and looked
inside and my vision comes across her where was she she was laying instead of up and down on the bed she was laying
Crossways and at first I thought maybe she was asleep and then then I just started
[Music] screaming when police arrived they found the partially n body of Linda Slayton 31
with a wire coat hanger wrapped around her neck the killer had entered her bedroom
through the open window the crackle of Police radios inside the small two-bedroom apartment
woke up Linda's 15-year-old son Jeff sleeping on a cot in the living room I asked him what is going on he said
police officer put on some clothes and go outside and he made sure I went out the front
door and when I went out there it looked like every cop in the State of Florida news cruise and my man J was out there
crying and she told my mom been murdered then I just couldn't believe it in the apartment second bedroom
another officer woke up Linda's younger son Tim then 12 years old he goes do you
need to wake up and go outside with your brother he never mentioned my mom like why why he not saying my mom why's the
cop waking me up still in his pajamas Tim walked past P his mother's closed bedroom door
suddenly it swung open as an officer left the room and I saw the whole crime scene I
mean I saw my mom's bloody body with a coat hang around her neck you can't unsee that
no and I still see it in 19 74 Linda Slayton was a 24-year-old single mom finally free she
had just divorced Jeff and Tim's abusive father Frank Slayton after nine volatile
years of marriage he was a violent alcoholic to be honest with you yes did he hit your mom no
yeah in the years that followed nothing was easy for the young family Linda struggled for work made her own clothes
to save money and couldn't afford a car if you couldn't get a ride to practice who would take you coach come pick us up
that's Coach Joe as the kids called him he often drove Tim and some other boys to and from football
practice on the last full day of her life Linda and Jeff argued tensions had been rising with her teenage son I
remember coming home there was nothing eat in the house you know how it is when you're 15 16 year old kid you're mouthy
and I got mad and I went out the door and got on my bicycle on Road 11 or 12 milesi to the north side of town and go
to Grandma and Grandpa's house get something to eat at 8:30 that night Tim came home from football practice the
coach brought me home around 9:00 Linda took Tim to a party next door to play cards grandma
grandpa brought me home about I think it was around 9 9 or 9:30 or so Linda and Tim came home about 11: by midnight Jeff
made up with his mom he says and still remembers their final moment together she's washing the dishes stuff when she
went to uh to go to her bedroom I said I love you Mom I'll see you tomorrow you [Music]
know what do you remember about the this Laton case I can remember everything about
it going to that Wonder looking at it where he went through it then uh went and then the children was
asleep and I saw that coat hanger around her neck former Sergeant Edgar picket now 94
years old was a legendary fingerprint expert with the Lakeland Police Department he led the crime scene unit
in fact the crime lab Bears his name but that sort of recognition was a long time
coming arriving at the Slaton crime scene in 1981 picket then 53 was just a year away
from retirement but his hard-earned reputation had never spared him from Prejudice so you pull up at the scene
and another detective says what to you that a black man don't have any business looking at a naked white woman even
though she was a homicide victim that's correct Sergeant picket believed Linda Slayton had been strangled with a coat
hanger from her own closet he dusted most of the bedroom for fingerprints even the floor and then I
got that print off of that window seal it was a palm print wouldn't a fingerprint you got the most important
print there is I knew it the evidence picket uncovered would play a crucial role decades later especially the palm
print but really had never seen anybody in the shape that that lady was in and I've seen a lot of people
kill an autopsy later confirmed what he already knew Linda Slayton had been sexually assaulted and strangled to
death swabs taken and preserved in a rape kit revealed semen that morning picket
says his thoughts kept returning to Linda slayton's boys I had children too and I really wanted to clear that
case I did you guys are standing on the spot mhm where your life changed yes right
here when I stopped being a kid was right there you were 15 15 you really felt like this was the end of your
childhood right here yes sir I think exactly what I didn't it when my Judy told my mom been
murdered emerging through the terror and tears that September morning 41 years ago the questions kept coming why who
who could have done such an evil thing [Music] [Music] on that late Summer Morning in 1981 Jeff
and Tim Slayton faced a frightening World they no longer recognized a world without their
mother how do 12 and 15y old boys process that deal with that there was hard yeah I thought about him in suicide a
couple times it was that bad the brothers moved in with their grandparents Clarence and Margaret
Harris we just we stayed in the house we didn't go anywhere scared to death scared to death you know to do
anything for those first terrifying days the family slept in the same room except
Grandpa Harris and he was staying guard with a gun all night while we slept the grandparents hoped a quick return to
familiar routines would help their distraught grandsons a few weeks after their mom's funeral the boys were back
in school and just you know being with friends and just just started living life again I guess you know going back
to football his teammates and Coach Joe in particular were always supportive always
rooting for him says Tim and I looked up to this guy he was my assistant football
coach rides to games rides to practice Tim's team football photo hung in his bedroom it was taken just 1 month after
the murder the picture was a reminder he says of something his mom had taught him
to keep moving forward and never give up she was a fighter yes oh yes oh yeah oh
yeah she might have weighed 100 lb soaking wet but she was pretty tough everybody liked her that met her
everybody was asking her her date CU she was so young and pretty and then Linda met and married
Frank Slayton he was a mean no count scoundrel the brothers say it's hard to know when their dad began to beat their
mom the more he drank the more violent he became I remember one time he was in the bathroom he had her bite of throat
with a gun to her head and I was coming there trying to get him off of her I feel like it saved her that you know
that night that day but you were just a little guy yourself yeah I was only six and a half seven years old
[Music] Frank slayton's history of abuse made him a person of interest for Lakeland
detectives but investigators seem satisfied that Slayton was home in Alabama on the night of the murder at
the time of her death Linda had a boyfriend he too had a credible Alibi others were looked at like the
partygoers next door but no one was charged L police Mar they us come down to take me out of school and they was
always interrogating me all the time in the early days it sounds like who the police really were most
thorough in checking out was me as a 15-year-old Jeff had plenty of typical teen conflicts with his mom
which he readily admitted to detectives including that heated argument on the last day of her life know they had me
put on a ler tector test one time and I passed it then they wanted to do it again they
just wanted to put me on their hypnosis and then there's one time one of the cops he's like you got big arms on you
you're strong enough put your hands around your mom's neck and kill her what who was do that to a kid I was 15y old
kid hurting and say that to me and that's that's always hurt finally Jeff's grandparents said
enough it's like get out there and find Who Killed My Daughter leave this kid leave his family alone two weeks later
according to the Lakeland police report Jeff took a second polygraph test and was cleared at that point the
investigation slowed then ground to a halt as the years passed Jeff and Tim started their own families but to this
day there is still grief and guilt for not hearing anything that night for not coming to their mom's rescue I'd have
died that night trying to save my mom I mean we're right there in the house how can you not hear something like
it and they lived in fear of the man they called the monster unless he was dead he was out there
[Music] somewhere around the 20th anniversary of their mom's murder Jeff and Tim met with
Lakeland detective Brad GCE who was taking a fresh look at the case soon as Jeff and Tim walked in the door I
realized i' had known Jeff for years since I was in my 20s through Bowling I was like Brad sure
enough I knew him from Bowling years ago Grace took DNA samples from the brothers
to clear them again then gave Jeff something in return a promise he made me promise that I wouldn't retire until I
solved his mother's case and I I wanted to so bad for him and his brother I did Grace had already sent DNA from the
slat and rape kit to the state's major Crime Lab at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement the FDLE do you have any
confidence that you could solve it I was hoping DNA would you know it was becoming a big tool by March 1999 the
FDLE had developed a full DNA profile of Linda slayton's Anonymous killer all you
need is a DNA match a hit that's all I need is a hit in the data base detective Grace took dozens of DNA
samples from prior Persons of Interest submitting them to the FDLE for comparison we were trying everything
even the brother's father Frank Slayton who had stopped drinking volunteered a sample none
matched then in September 2001 Grace got a tip nearly a year after the Slayton killing a 24-year-old man named Jimmy
pulled a 10-year-old girl through her bedroom window and nearly killed her he was convicted of that and sentenced to
like 8 years in prison the Savage assault seemed eerily similar to the Slayton case and detective Grace
discovered that around the time of Linda slayton's murder Jimmy Almer had been staying with a friend who happened to
live in the very same apartment complex as Slayton hang on Jimmy was staying in an apartment right across the way from
the slates yes you must have felt like that's our guy I felt very strong I did om had died in prison 5 years
earlier in 1996 but Grace got a DNA sample from his mother I honestly felt that when we got
the results back that we would know who did it and we get the the notice that it
wasn't him at that point you must have been like we're never going to solve this
thing that sure felt that way it was very discouraging you know it's like oh my God we're back to square one again
you feel like he's on a roller coaster for pretty much your whole life by 2005 detective Grace was heading
up a new Cold Case unit and the FBI was running the DNA profile of slayton's killer continuously through all federal
data banks but the years continued to pass without a match Jeff would call and Jeff I I got
nothing for you you know that hurt my heart too you know Grace had a growing suspicion he was chasing a ghost I
honestly thought the suspect might be deceased he had made that promise to the brothers that he wouldn't retire until
their monster was caught I had some medical things that were popping up it was a promise he couldn't keep detective
Grace retired in 2015 there was probably nothing in your professional life you wanted more than
to call Jeff Slayton and say got him absolutely after detor BR grass retired I'm like I said well I'm
probably going to take my last breath and I know who murder my mom that's already starting to come to terms with
it but 3 years later there was renewed hope a groundbreaking DNA technology began to Electrify the law enforcement
community and genetic genealogist CC Moore was taking on the Slaton case I was determined I was going to
help these boys find out who killed their mom CC Moore is a renowned expert in the
field of investigative genetic genealogy if you have that DNA there is no reason
you cannot solve that mystery whatever that mystery is Moore launched her hunt for Linda
slayton's Killer by uploading the anonymous DNA from slayton's rape kit to a public public Genealogy website called
Jed match she then meticulously constructed Branch by Branch his genetic family tree I built the family trees of
those people who share DNA with him and then I identify common ancestors between
those people she made those connections by pouring over birth certificates marriage licenses obituaries and social
media to fill in the family tree with names it sounds like basically you're putting together a giant jigsaw
puzzle yes as my work is constantly putting together puzzles piece by piece by piece these matches all share DNA with
each other so they're my first genetic Network CC Moore uncovered three genetic networks branches of the killer family
tree that ultimately narrowed to the one person most likely responsible for the murder of Linda is sleep fortunately
those three genetic networks converged into one family tree that pointed at one immediate family and he was the only son
in that family and we knew the killer was a male so it had to be him that was the DNA
contributor after hundreds of leads and dead ends after dozens of suspects were investigated and cleared CC Mo
identified the probable killer in one weekend there was just one person who was high confidence and who was that
Joseph Clinton Mills Joseph Clinton Mills Coach Joe who drove Linda slayton's 12-year-old son
Tim to and from practice but authorities wanted to be certain before they notified the brothers and then there is
a sort of exhilaration because he's alive and so there's a real chance for justice
and maybe even answers CC Moore's final 2019 report confirmed that Joseph Mills then 58 was living in Kathleen Florida
about half an hour from the crime scene and I reviewed the case and I'm like I remember that name I I remember seeing
that name that that guy was interviewed detectives Tammy Hathcock and Russell Hurley were the next
generation of Lakeland investigator leading the Slayton Cold Case I'm telling you it's like I won the lottery
I I remember grabbing that piece of paper from the report and just running down the hallway to my sergeant saying
oh my God he was interviewed he was interviewed according to the case File investigators did question Joseph Mills
then 20 years old just one day after the murder he was very basically touched I mean like just a
very brief interview and it was conducted on the phone not in person the fact that investigators never question
Mills face to face suggests he was never considered a suspect during the brief call Mills acknowledged he had driven
Tim Slayton home from football practice on September 3rd just hours later Linda Slayton was dead how was Joseph
Mills not followed up on more aggressively in 1981 at that point I mean he was just a football coach that
had dropped off Timmy he was never on their radar to be a suspect just based off of the information that they were
given by Timmy and by by Mr Mills Joseph Mills seen here in a 1984 driver's license photo was convicted
that year of Grand Theft for forging a will he never went to jail but he was finger printed Lakeland Police also took
a palm print in August 2019 in investigators compared those prints to the one Sergeant picket lifted off
slayton's window sill nearly 38 years before when the prince came back there was a match yes high-tech genetic
genealogy had identified Mills as the likely killer and an old-fashioned palm print match helped confirm his identity
but Hathcock and Hurley still needed to compare a fresh DNA sample from Mills to
the decades old DNA recovered from the crime scene as we had to to get his DNA without his knowledge and see if we can
get a match we had to do some surveillance it was several weekends that we were following him around trying
to get discarded just looking for a cup that he drank from or a tissue that he used
anything after tracking Mills with no luck the detectives decided it was time to get their hands dirty they covertly
took Mills trash back to the police department here we are in dress clothes just digging through trash bags not the
most glamorous thing they discovered a piece of used medical adhesive tape and sent it off to the FDLE crime lab for
testing after searching Mill's trash they dug through his life he's been married to the same woman and he lived
in the same place he was a business owner a cleaning service was a truck driver over the years he had a family
married kids married kids grandkids 11 days later the stunning lab results Joseph Mills 20 9 DNA found on
the medical table and the 1981 unknown DNA from Linda slayton's rape kit were a spot-on
match that's when the brothers were told the monster had been found this guy you
last knew as coach Joe oh my goodness mhm it was him and I had a picture of my house ever since
then he never knew it was him Tim's 19 1981 team football photo a source of Pride for years sickens him today
because standing directly behind him is the man he once trusted and admired Coach Joe I've been carrying a Killer's
picture of my house this whole time and never had a clue even after the murder Joseph Mills continued driving Tim to
and from football practice picking him up and dropping him off at his grandparents house he'd asked us how the
case was going he wouldn't ask questions about he just what is any new news or any new leads and I was like no nothing
you know he's talking to a 12-year-old boy and trying to keep tabs on a murder investigation through the the son of the
murdered woman yeah yes when he knows exactly who did it he's a cold holder monster is for
sure December 12th 2019 the detectives moved in arrest Joseph Mills you have the right to remain
silent anything you say can be used against he was calm cool and Collective like it was another day on the beach
most people's reaction would be why am I being arest it why are you taking me in
you expected some of that right some kind of emotion and nothing [Music] [Music]
it's been 38 years I'm sure you go to bed every night thinking about this I have no doubt in my
mind detectives Hathcock and Hurley finally had Joseph Mills right where they wanted him in the claustrophobic
confines of a police inter interview room when I picked the boys up we we we stayed in the vehicle and I don't
recall going to in or out of a house period there's no way that is the truth I mean he's saying he's never been in
there we got him what we have tells us a different story okay you were in that apartment ratcheting up the pressure the
detectives told Mills they had overwhelming evidence placing him inside Linda slayton's bedroom your
fingerprints matches you the DNA matches you that's when M story began to change
and then how did you end up going through her window is like an invitation an invitation from Linda Slayton Mills
claimed for consensual sex a Flatout lie say the detectives he said it was a sex game that she had the
hanger around her neck when he came through the window window and she asked him to tighten it down and then did you
start applying pressure yes and when I pointed out well the brutality of the hanger and how deep it
was into her skin he stuck with the it was a game you purposely killed her we all all sitting here we know
that at the end of the day what happened here I think it's pretty evident that he
targ her after dropping off Tim from football practice on September 3rd 1981 Joseph Mills returned later that
night the detectives say breaking in through Linda slayton's bedroom window no one heard Mills they believe because
no one was home Jeff was still at his grandparents house Linda and Tim were at the party next door if you look at the
crime scene and all that the hanger obviously came from the closet we figured that's what happened as he was
hiding in the closet were you ever in the closet in the final moments of her life
the detectives believed that Linda after saying good night to her sons walked into her bedroom and closed the door
never knowing that Mills was already inside waiting for her there was no invitation no consensual sex they say
Joseph Mill raped and murdered Linda Slayton detective Brad GCE always suspected the killer's name was buried
somewhere in the thick police case File why do you feel that the investigation didn't Circle back to Joseph Mills well
obviously I put a lot of that on me now you do I do Grace blames himself for not taking a
harder look at Joseph Mills a sentiment not shared by the Slayton Brothers they feel nothing but gratitude
to the detective and friend who spent 17 years Chasing The elusive killer I could
tell how hard he wanted to solve it and I actually Nam my son after him my son's
named Brad too here's Brad Slayton graduating from high school Jeff put a little pressure on me over the years you
know he did you can't retire until you solve his case and then he names his son after after me and honestly I just
wanted to to solve this case for them more than anything both of you doing how you doing
all right so did this former investigator 94-year-old Edgar picket the brothers had always wanted to meet
him well I want to thank you for all you did for our mom back then you had done it this monster still be running free
today sure would I'm it is poignant praise for sergeant picket who lifted the palm print that helped identify the
monster Joseph Mills that's a case I can never forget here up here I can't get rid of it during his distinguished and
trailblazing 29-year career Sergeant picket had seen it all and yet it's the Linda Slayton case that haunts him to
this day he never knew police had questioned a man named Joseph Mills just one day after the killing you didn't
know for 38 years that he was talked to immediately afterward no I didn't instead picket says he was asked
to compare Prince of a number of black men who were questioned in the days after the murder following neighbors
reports of suspicious activity they kept picking up a lot of blacks and it was giving me their prints for me to look at
theirs it not just haunts but angers pick it black men were rounded up and fingerprinted while the white football
coach driving Linda's son to and from practice was never considered a suspect they just talk to him and let him go
you're telling me this case could have been solved in the first days after the murder if they had just taken a print
from Joseph Mills that's correct there was a lot of people who came before you I get it but you got
this palm print in the window sill almost immediately wouldn't you just get some prints from the guy anybody who had
been near the house in the 24 hours prior to the murder there was no indication that he had been in the house
I mean all the witnesses said that he dropped the kid off from practice and never got out of the truck so the only
reason why he was spoke to was because when they Backtrack on the previous 24 hours he was in that equation you don't
feel like he slipped through the net no [Music] no Joseph Mill's Day of Reckoning would
finally come 40 years later he's got a cold black murdering eyes as Joseph Clinton Mills he just sit there not a
word [Applause] [Music] our mom was a good person he took that away from us to avoid a trial and a possible death
sentence Joseph Mills pleaded guilty to all charges including first-degree murder sexual battery and
burglary at his sentencing what Linda slaton's family wanted most was the answer to one question why I just want
to know why Joe why' you take my mom from me I love my mama we was happy my blood would start boiling every time I
look at him the brothers and Aunt Judy tried to look him in the eye to see if there was
any human being in there if he was alive if he had a soul never thought his silence infuriated the
family and a few minutes later so did his comments to the court I am a good person I'm not that person that they're
painting me out to be I think this case made me the angriest out of the hundreds
of cases I've been involved in because what he did with her children there and then the things he said about
her that she lured a in even all these years later he was willing to try to make her look bad to denigrate the
victim and her boys have to hear that it's just sickening I will sentence you to life in prison without the
possibility of parole and just like that Joseph Clinton Mills was gone facing four life terms
and finally a measure of Justice maybe not full Justice in your view full Say by no means I wanted to go to
trial I wanted to see him up on the stand and and tell everybody why he did this and he never did
that the Slayton Brothers feel some comfort knowing Joseph Mills will never leave prison alive but there's still
anger they say because Mills never took full responsibility for the premeditated
rape and murder of their mother he never apologized and there were for all those
years of Freedom he lived his whole life he raised his family you know he had a good
life that was right after she was killed we went back it's the brothers who feel
they were handed the far more severe sentence life without the possibility of growing up with their mom
could still be here today she'd only be 72 you know and could have had her my whole
life I just wonder what life would have been like that man [Music] any part of you when you think about all
of this at all angry with the way the police handled it that it took this long to get Joseph Mills you could look at it
that way I know it's a lot of hard work behind the scenes that people don't see that goes on you know what they do the
hours upon hours they put in I mean you can get mad but only so much can be done in a
day we owe a huge debt of gratitude to those those original crime scene investigators because at the time this
crime was committed they didn't even know DNA was going to be used in criminal investigations and so the fact
they collected that and then it was stored responsibly and carefully all these years by that department is so
important if that hadn't happened we couldn't have done our work Jeff and Tim say they're determined
to move on as best they can to live life well for their mom and for their families the brothers also know they
never would have survived their ordeal without each other just check it out bro they remain extremely close Live just a
few miles apart and share passionate Hobbies like restoring cars you give the credit for living this
life to the spirit of your mou yes most definitely sure do love you Mom I miss you so much every day my mom she looking
down on us and want us to live our lives and do good you know and I always think
she's looking down on us and I want to make her proud yes I want to make her proud yes
[Music] 48 Hours don't miss an episode [Music] ever think in your wildest dreams that
someone might want to kill you I would have never thought that anyone would want to kill me ever in my
life ever my dad's a sweet guy I mean he's very calm he's full of laughter he's full of energy he's like a life of
the party my life was once beautiful wonderful I have three wonderful kids was married to a beautiful lady hi guys
my name is lul my business was booming and I'm R head coach boxing welcome to wom's boxing and
fitness outside the ring boxers they're very loving they want love from their fans and they want to give it
back they're the nicest people I was a very very a low-key kind of guy that's the farthest thing from my
mind that somebody wanted me dead I remember walking in one night as the gym was in its final hours before it closed
I remember a conversation was taking place about Hitman what was it about this conversation that caught your attention
what come my attention was whose name came up did they mention Ramon yes now my focus was just on talking to
Ramon I said Mundo you're joking around you know what's going on Ramon's like don't don't play with me like that this
is some serious stuff and then he said I seen that look on people's eye before they want to kill
somebody it's like a screenplay something straight out of Hollywood and it would fit right in with every other
horror flick that we've seen in the past except this is real it is real we're taking you inside the twists and
turns of a complex sting operation and here's what makes it unique the target of the murder For Hire plot becomes an
undercover operative to catch the person who wants him dead so Lieutenant where are we heading
we are heading to what we refer to as the digite this is the actual grave where I was supposed to be dead they
have me lay down with my hands behind my back my my head turned it was a photographer all I could hear was just
the clicking of the camera that was somebody's choice they told someone this is what I want this is how I want you to
do it and this is where I want you to put him it's horrifying I saw myself in the grave dead
literally I was supposed to be dead I'm the only person alive that has ever walked out of his own grave
[Music] [Music] [Music] to this day Ramon Sosa finds it surreal that he was the target in a murder for
higher plot I would have never believed it I would have I would have thought it was
just something that is you only see in movies or on TV I would have never thought that it
would be happening to me he appeared to have the perfect life from rubbing shoulders with
celebrities like Hugh Hefner to owning a successful box gy in Houston and he had found the love of his
life Lulu life was very sweet Beth Blair is a friend of the SAS I saw two fun outgoing Lov to party love
to get together with people and have barbecues and the more people the marrier Ramon's zest for life started
early he was born with a fighting Spirit originally from kolina Puerto Rico Ramone grew up boxing with his father I
feel in love with the sport of boxing I saw how the training and and there was a
few world champions that trained there and I just loved it from from the time I I was little after training for more
than 10 years Ramone took a shot at the pro boxing circuit to they us to call me uh the
Puerto Rican Express when I turned 17 I turned Pro so did you ever know knock anybody out in the ring oh yeah there
was a lot of Knockouts eventually the Puerto Rican Express ran out of steam Ramone hung up
his boxing gloves and decided to pursue the American dream I went back to school
uh got my education and and and start and I still kept training you know always want to be involved with boxing
in some kind of way Ramone got married young and had three children with his first wife he
eventually settled down in Houston Texas where he opened a boxing gym of his own
where he could continue to teach his passion I think Ramon is uh a nice humble guy friendly uh family oriented
Raul Marquez is an Olympic boxer and Showtime commentator he is also Ramon's longtime
sparring buddy anybody that goes in the ring it's got to be tough it's got to be
mentally tough you know I think he's physically and mentally tough but like I always say he wasn't tough enough to
beat me you know beat my butt you know so who is the better fighter you or Ramon well recers speak speak for
themselves just look at look it up look it up Ramon's first marriage ended in 2000
by 2007 Ramone then 40 was ready to get back in the ring but this time he was looking for a different kind of knockout
and a friend of mine say hey man there's to the place they where they play live music and I heard there's a lot of
beautiful ladies out there Latina ladies Ramon decided to go and see this place for himself and as soon as he
arrived someone special caught his eye place was packed and I noticed her are you thinking man I'm fighting out of my
weight class here yeah yeah she was very very attractive you know she looked very
nice and she danced very very well so I just kept my ey on her the woman he noticed was Lulu Dantes next thing I
know she walks by me and she steps on my toe now do you think she might have stepped on your foot on purpose oh she
sure did she she even admitted later on Ramon and Lulu had an instant connection and that was it I mean as
soon as we started dancing we didn't get out the dance FL for the whole night Ramone still remembers the very first
song they dance to a popular Latin tune that the salsa band played that night it
would become their [Music] songia is a song by Grand Puerto Rico and it means what witchcraft Witchcraft
and forgive the pun but you were under her spell right basically yes I was under her spell Spellbound after dancing
the night away Ramon went home with Lulu and the rest was history she doed on she
was great Beth had a ringside seat to their relationship she'd bring them coffee and
get up every morning with him and make his breakfast and I always just thought it was really neat their relationship
you know they got along really well it looked they very very happy couple they would compliment each other they were
into each other after less than a year of dating rone dropped to one knee I proposed her
it was around Christmas time I remember remember posting to her she started crying she cried and cried and cried you
know and she was happy you know and but she couldn't wait to get married Lulu Dantes became Lulu Sosa on March 15th
2009 she treated me well she treated me like a king Lulu originally from Mexico came to
the United States with her son and daughter what brought her to Houston you know to have a new life a better life
for her children's to you know to start again because she was divorced in Mexico
and then she come here Natalia Flores is a hair stylist and one of Lulu's closest
friends she met Lulu back in 2007 she was a nice friend a good mom a good worker a hard worker Lulu was often
generous with her friends if I would say I love that ring she'd take it off and give it to to me I'd always be careful
to say I don't like that because she'd end up giving it to me in 2010 Ramone opened a second
gy this time Lulu was by his side she kept the books and became a personal trainer we off for boxing kickboxing and
Fitness training come check us out how big of operation was the gym was about 5,000 ft and we average about 200 some
members a month everything was great little did raon know he would soon be in the fight of his
[Music] [Music] life hi what was it like growing up Sosa oh my gosh it was like being a superstar
almost because everyone knows my dad everyone knows who my dad is for Ramon's daughter
Mia a former model and beauty pageant contestant and her two brothers growing up around a local boxing celebrity had
its perks it was just fun our dad was a jokester so every time we were around it
was tons of laughs and smiles and all things like that lots of Blended families experience Growing
Pains but Mia says life after Lulu arrived hi my name is Ramos SAA I am Lulu Sosa was not as harmonious as those
gym ads made it seem she didn't want anything to do with us we were like nothing to
her Mia found Lulu's coldness not just mean but ominous it wasn't like she was trying to become a stepmom she knew that
at some point we weren't really going to be in her Pig what's more the spell Lulu seemed to
cast Over Ramone started to eat away at his relationship with his own children she didn't like him spending money on
his kids and seeing up we're not hanging out as much and I know we're not doing it because he's got someone else that
he's paying his attention to and it's like why I'm your daughter don't where are you going Ramon says there was so
much animosity between Lulu and his children they weren't there for a major event in his life my kids didn't go to
my wedding that's one thing that hurt me that day that we found out that he had got married it was
heartbreaking heartbreaking Ramon and his new bride focused on growing their gym into a
Powerhouse for world class training and fitness how much money were you guys making a month or a year there was
probably about over 18 20,000 a month $18 $20,000 a mon in profit but after 6 years of marriage the
Sosa spell began to break Lulu started confiding in her friends she told me that he doesn't want to work too much
and he stay more at home and she's working hard and hard and hard dead and accusations of Ramon's laziness were
just the beginning and she said on an occasion or two that he was physical with her or
that he had come in drinking and was physical with her what did she mean by physical like grabbing her or pushing
her because he's a strong guy he came and forced to do things that she doesn't want in that moment like sex
uhhuh did she ever tell you that Ramone would force himself upon her and force her to have sex with him when she did
not want to yes she did she had said that on occasion Lulu claims that you have raped her yeah she's tried
everything to ruin my life from rape being abusive to being a drunk and all these claims not one of them not one
have have I been uh charged for and and I tell you sir that this hands have never HD a woman in my in their lives
these have always been for fighting in the ring not even in the streets not even in the streets
for her to say something like that that was really hurtful around the same time that Lulu
was complaining to her girlfriends Ramone says another problem suspiciously appeared missing
money after we started having problems at home with the marriage there was issues with the
gym I'm working people out lot more and I see new faces all the time but when I see the bottom line here
is not adding up are you worried that she's skimming money I I was worried and I was wondering what she was doing with
the money Ramon soon learned where some of that money may have gone in March 2015
Lulu hired divorce attorney Julio huglar Lulu was in fear for her safety hogar says he was shocked by what Lulu brought
with her to his office she was able to take pictures of scratches that he left on her arms legs shoulders he shared the
photos with 48 Hours according to Lulu this was caused by Ramon at one time when he wanted to force himself to her
and there was a altercation and Ramon grabbed her and can I see scratched her yeah that is evident that he was using
Force to push her legs out there's scratches on her upper her arm and she claims there's a bruise on her leg that
you inflicted on her those are all fabricated as I can tell you those are all fabricated this is but there was one
photo that even Ramon says was not made up and as you can see in this picture uh
Ramon punched that door and that can give you an idea of the string of this man that admit to that punch she was was
accusing me of stuff and that's one thing I did I took my frustrations out but as far as putting a hint on her
never ever despite allegations of physical abuse Ramon and Lulu remained in the same house even after she filed for
divorce they lived on different floors and was Lulu afraid of Ramon afraid that he may seriously hurt her yes she was
afraid of that and it was at that time in June 2015 that this man who asked we not show his face was working out at the
gym he said to call him Mundo Ramos so uh he's a friend he's a very good Mentor to me Mundo had grown
up on the tough streets of East Houston and he had a very very rough background gangs and and drugs and and fighting the
streets and he wanted new life and he became like like a son to me Mundo says he was friends with Lulu as well she was
there talking to her 16-year-old daughter when he overheard them a conversation was taking place about a
customer that was there that supposedly was claiming to be a big shot that he had connections of a Hitman or or just
people that could inflict harm what caught my attention was towards the end U of the conversation
whose name came up up did they mention Ramon yes stunned Mundo said nothing he came
back here the next day and confronted Lulu who told him that Ramon was physically abusing her then she said
something else she's like I'm tired you know I'm tired of him it's already too much you
know I wish he'll disappear I wish something you know and I'm like disappear what do you mean disappear
like what disappeared and I did the pistol [Music] sign Mundo was certain that Lulu had
murder on her mind and that his friend Ramon was in danger and what was it about the way she was talking to you
that made you think this was something more than just Idle Words her eyes just her eyes I've seen that look before just
people that are serious about what they're saying knowing Lulu was dead serious Mundo had to think fast he came up with
a plan to stop her Mundo offered to get involved and hire the Hitman himself I gave Lulu the impression that I was
going to reach out to a Hitman that I have the guys already ready Mundo convinced Lulu he believed her claims of
abuse and would help her but it was actually all a ploy to protect his friend Ramon who he called as soon as he
left the gym and he tells me Lulu wants to kill you as shocking as the news was Ramon says he instantly knew why
if I died after the divorce was finalized she was not going to get the money that I have for my retirement the
value of the gym the value of home she had everything already figured out Ramon immediately contacted police but was
told nothing could be done based only on conversations with an angry wife as threatening as they sounded the
sheriff's department needed more they need more evidence so the two old boxing Buddies came up with a plan they would
launch their own sting operation the tape recorder I'm use using his street smarts Mundo would pretend to hire a
hitman he'd send texts to this fictitious killer with details about the hit details he'd share with Lulu she
needs to see that I'm going back and forth with somebody Ramon and Mundo bought two disposable cell phones little
did Lulu know that the target her own husband was holding that second phone and the phone he's going to use to play
his own Hitman play his own Hitman yes sir I started stressing because you know here we are M Mundo doing this amateur
investigation or undercover investigation I don't know what I'm doing but Mundo did he started recording his daily
conversations with Lulu [Music] as the days passed both men worried Lulu might have another Hitman waiting in the
wings my thing was what if her patience runs out no raon ends up dead or what if
her patient runs out and I end up dead Ramon told told no one about what he and Mundo were up to and living in fear over
what Lulu might be up to took its toll he started carrying a gun I'd be at a stoplight and and you know I would put
the gun in between my legs you know looking left and right the whole time at a light Ramone could not even Escape his
fear at night and you're in bed where's the gun uh used under underneath my pillow loaded
so Mundo kept the pretend negotiations on track we use that phone acting as the middleman between the fake Hitman and
Lulu she's like well tell them I'm offering the white truck tell them I'm offering them jewelry tell them I'm
offering them you know this much money all this time Ramon and Lulu were still living under the same roof on June
9th 2015 before Mundo overheard Lulu's threat police had been called to the Sosa house take my car sir Lulu's
defense attorney says there was an argument between Lulu's son and Ramon over a truck which Lulu's son recorded
on his cell phone whose vehicle is this this is my vehicle I have legal documents on the right which I need
today please don't take my vehicle Ramon went to take the vehicle away from Lulu's son and when Lulu's son basically
told him no you're not going to take my vehicle please step out of my car Ramon punch him on his face Ramon please
step out of my car Ramone was issued a citation for assault but he says his hand only made
contact with the phone I'm an ex-professional fighter if I would have hit that kid believe me he would not be
standing up right now remone please step out of my car I didn't put my hand on that kid on
June 30th Ramon and Lulu faced off in court Lulu wanted a restraining order against him her attorney wrote up the
order that I was abusive that I hit her son that they fear for their lives you know living with me staying in my house
Ramon was ordered to move out of their home and stay away from the woodlands gym but he also got an order restraining
Lulu from the first gym he owned the one he'd opened before meeting her Ramon says he kept his eye on the bigger prize
exposing Lulu's plot against him you know she thought she had me on the ropes about to knock me out in
boxing that's called an 8 count I took an 8 count I got kicked out of my own house but the boxer was about to make a
comeback 10 days after launching their sting Ramon posing as Paco the fake Hitman techs Mundo he's gotten a 9mm gun
costing [Music] $200 when Mundo received the down payment for the gun to have me kill from
Lulu that's when I said you know what I think we have enough let's take this to the police now I got a call on a Sunday
Lieutenant Mike Atkins works for the Precinct 3 Constable's office in Montgomery County Texas we had a
individual claiming that uh there was a murder For Hire against him how unusual was that it's extremely unusual it's uh
the first one of my career impressed with the amateur Sting the professionals were now ready to take take over but
they needed a StreetWise rookie in their Corner Mundo I was afraid sir that they
might get that person to actually do the job they might go with they might it was
important that we not change the investigation we not change and move Mundo out of the situation because that
might bring alarms Mundo kept stringing Lulu along assuring her he was trying to get things
done as soon as possible finally he let her know everything is a go for a meeting on July 20th with the
Hitman who was really an undercover agent he looked like he could be a bad guy in a movie I said hey this is the
man that's supposed to kill you lulu agreed to a night meeting in this parking lot not far from the gym she
brought several watches and some jewelry as a down payment Lulu then went to an ATM machine and withdrew 500 $100 which
she brought back here to seal the deal when someone in a murder For Hire case actually pays some money have they
crossed a threshold they have it shows the uh the level of intent it shows the fact uh that they are serious and it's
come to a point where you can't turn back police had enough to arrest Lulu right there and then but they had
concerns namely Lulu's claim claims of Ramon's abuse Lulu has never had any problems with the law she's a beautiful
lady mother you we don't want to go to a jury trial and have one of the jurors feel sorry for her and so police told
Ramon what they needed to do next we're planning to take a picture of you uh dead
[Music] for Ramon the police sting to bring down Lulu seem to be taking a queue from
witchcraft the first song they ever dance [Music] to one of the lyrics you want to send me
to my cold tomb yeah we're going to take a picture of you dead you know like in a grave and we're
going to show it to her to show proof that the Hitman did the job he was kind of dumb struck but then as it was
explained to him he was well on board in order to get Ramone camera ready it is a bullet wound police first
had to consult some experts being uh a bunch of middle-aged men we don't you know we're not exactly versed on
applying makeup so so naturally we went to YouTube and learned how to apply makeup from uh from teenage
girls but they also had some deadly examples to follow luckily we had no shortage of crime scene photos to to use
as references the assistant DA was there and he brought out some pictures of actual dead
people people with bullet holes to the Head they picked up the one that they thought that was going to be the best
one and I looked and they showed you that picture yeah it was horrified [Music] next they had to find Ramone a grave
we're heading to to what we refer to as the Dig side luckily for us the county owned a
rideway that would give us the Privacy we needed what was going through your mind well I really didn't know what the
what it was going to look like I was at this point already I mean I already had the uh the makeup they already started
with the with the Bullet Hole the final touch fake blood and they told me once we got to the uh site they were're going
to put more blood on [Music] me this is it Mo's final resting place so where were you lying in this grave my head was
there in that corner right there and and I was right over there yeah it looked like I had my hands tied behind my back
they even threw dirt on my on my head it looked like a movie scene honestly was it emotional for you to be
in yes it's very emotional it was hot it was uh scary it was it was just a feeling of of thoughts of you know I
can't believe this what I'm doing I cannot believe what I'm doing this is what Lulu wanted right here this is what
she wanted now it's time to show Lulu that this is done and it's uh it's time to
get paid so a second meeting was arranged between Lulu and the Hitman in the same parking lot but this time it
was all caught on camera it's July 22nd [Music] 2015 Lulu then pays him um Lulu is shown the photo of Ramon dead
in a [Music] grave she starts laughing no shock at all no shock what does that tell you
about Lulu she's a pretty cold character see see see the undercover detective and
Lulu discussed the remaining payment all told $3,000 in cash watches and jewelry
and Ramon's white pickup then Lulu is given more details of her husband's final moments
maintains she was the victim here the reality of Ramon's death continues to sink in and Lulu's mood
appears to lift she was happy she even made a comment to the Hitman she asked him if he was dead if I
was not going to get up like a joke yeah wanted to make sure that I was dead she
made gestures with her hand like you know racing the roof little did Lulu know that her roof was about to come
crashing down the next morning police come to the gym and it's not for a workout we want
to come and and say you know hey we're inquiring about your husband that's been missing and we want to get her reaction
wearing body cameras hey okay I'm detective Martinez with the C's office police make it seem like they're
stopping in to do a wellness check on Ramone is there someone we can talk in private sure apparently Mr hasn't been
work today Lulu claims she has no idea where Ramone might be I haven't seen him I talk to him we're going for a divorce
when's the last time you you saw Mr first we saw him on Wednesday 16th the last day that's the last time you saw
that's the last time I saw him my mom and my daughter L seems pretty relaxed she knowes she knows that sooner or
later the police are going to come either to say he's missing or they found his body remember the night before she
had seen his picture she was all happy she was all giggles and happy that see me dead and now she was acting concerned
in front of the cops so he hasn't contacted you in the last 24 hours no no he police let Lulu's
performance go on a few minutes longer then L the boom okay Miss stand Poli you're under
rest under arrest why back at the Constable's office Lulu is already taking issue with how she was
arrested she saying they we're supposed to read her right before we put handc okay you can tell that's incorrect if
you like nict prior to her interview Lulu is read her rights and refuses to speak without a
lawyer Lulu is charged with solicitation of capital murder it's an injustice says
her divorce lawyer Julio hogar I think that Ramon SAA is someone that was very violent to his wife and I think
that the constant hammering the constant violence the constant Behavior towards his
wife made his wife fear Him I believe that that's what forced her at the end to make a decision that otherwise she
would have never made the question now will a jury believe Lulu's claims of abuse
here lies Ramon Sosa right yes sir this is like a scene from a movie where where
they kill these guys and just you know and just dig up a hole in anywhere and put them away very
scary for 3 Days Ramon had to play the part of a dead man and nobody knew where I
was even my family everybody was looking for me I was very very upset rage and sadness all the emotions
came through me okay Miss SOA stand Le you're under arrest you're under arrest why following
Lulu's arrest on July 23rd 2015 Ramone faced the unimaginable task of telling his children that their
stepmother had tried to kill him I had just got off of a shift from working at a comedy club and it was late
you know I didn't expect my brother to be sitting on my bed and you can just feel something was
wrong Mia's brother handed her the phone her father was on the line and he says very low Mia I'm okay and I said what
what are you talking about and he says I'm okay I'm somewhere safe but Lulu tried to have someone kill
me that's okay and at this point I mean you don't hear anything I didn't know what to do
with myself except cry I remember sliding on the back of the wall down to the ground and huddled
into my knees crying my eyes out now Ramon had a new fight on his hands defending his
reputation that was was hurt me so much she had so many people believe all this stuff that I have put my hands on her
that I was an alcoholic that I hit her [Music] son this how psyched this person was
still would Lulu use these allegations as part of her own defense give me a sense how strong now is your case
against Lulu Sosa we think it was a very strong case we had our video we had a down
payment we had a confirmation to her that the murder had taken place so you've got
her we got her as Lulu awaited trial that assault charge against Ramon Ramon please step
out of my car was dismissed and Lulu agreed to a divorce settlement that handed Ramon the gym and
the house she gave it all up after 15 months in jail awaiting trial on the murder for higher charges
Lulu gave up the fight in October 2016 as Ramon looked on she pleaded guilty to A reduced charge of second degree
solicitation of murder avoiding trial and a possible life sentence she came here with an American
Dream and she got her American Dream quick and to lose everything the way she did is
sad Lulu was given 20 years in prison is 20 years enough I don't think so but I'm
happy that it's over with I'll take it I was just shocked that trying to hire somebody to kill her husband that that's
really all she got was 20 years personally because that's my father I want you away forever I don't want you
to come out not everyone agrees was that Justice in your opinion my opinion no Lulu's divorce attorney Julio hlar
because because nobody got to hear her sight many times I saw her crying and I felt her desperation
[Music] Ramon says the ordeal has left scars are you haunted by this I'll never be the same person ever again I call my
kids as much as possible might be the last day I say that I love them Ramon's near-death experience has changed him
they love our family Mia is now back in Texas having patched up their relationship after Lulu drove them apart
it's been a really good outcome for for me and for him you're going to get knocked out sometimes you're going to
get up take the loss and you're going to try harder and get a win now Ramon is a sought after speaker
telling his incredible Story of Survival he shared that journey to an appreciative audience in London thank
you thank you London I'm alive the man who Lulu thought would help kill her husband
is now an author Mundo has written a book about his experience if Lulu is watching this broadcast is there
anything you would want to say to her redeem yourself you don't have to be what everybody tells you you are you
know everybody tell me I was something else prove everybody wrong so you could do the
same today Ramone wears a precious reminder of how his time on earth almost ran out tell me about the watch that's
on your left wrist there she told Mundo that when to kill me to make sure to take my watch that's what I wear all the
time now I think she ended up picking the wrong man to victimize don't you yeah to the last minute of the last
round she had me on the ropes and she had no idea that the whole time I had a plan too
[Music] [Music] he m [Music]

“48 Hours" reports on cases with potential betrayal at their core. Watch the YouTube mini-marathon, which includes "Gabby Petito: The Untold Story," "The Betrayal of Linda Slaten" and "The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills."

00:00 Gabby Petito: The Untold Story 43:27 The Betrayal of Linda Slaten 1:24:38 Dead Ringer

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

Gabby Petito's tragic story reveals systemic failures in domestic violence response and raises awareness about the signs of abuse.

Key points

The Tragic Story of Gabby Petito. Gabby Petito's life was cut short, raising questions about domestic violence awareness.
A Missed Opportunity. The police stop that could have changed everything for Gabby.
Social Media's Role in Gabby's Case. The explosion of social media attention helped mobilize the search for Gabby Petito.
Gabby's Family's Fight for Justice. Gabby's parents are suing Brian's estate and his parents for emotional distress.
Gabby's Legacy of Inspiration. Gabby's story continues to inspire others to escape abusive relationships.
The Emotional Toll of Murder. Tim Slayton reflects on the impact of his mother's murder on his childhood.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It was the stop that could have changed everything.

Reflecting on the police intervention.

11:10WatchFeb 15, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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