The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis | Full Episode + Post Mortem | Forensic Files

[Music] Hey, who car? Where's my kid? I don't care. Where is my kid? It's a blur.
Will y'all tell me something? Where's my kid? Where is she at? I didn't know anything. I just wanted her to be okay.
She's alive. Come here. She's not alive. I want to see my child. I just needed to know. Is
she alive or is she dead? Libby Lewis, where is she? Where is she at? You don't want to sound cliche, but
Libby was a perfect child. She was kind and loving. That's why she went into nursing. She obviously had something
about her that she loved to take care of people. She was selfless. Where is my child? I told you where your
child in this car. What car? She's in this car right here behind us. I didn't know if I wanted to believe
that she was in that car. I didn't want her to be cuz if she wasn't she was then it was real and she was gone.
How y'all doing? Who was the one that actually drove by? You saw it first. So I pulled over and I seen threw out my
passenger seat and I was like she must be just slumped over. Maybe she's just drinking. The door was already open and
I go I was like hey like I shook her and that's when I called 911. 911. [Music] So what are they looking like? Y
6:00 in the morning. I'm at home when my telephone rings. Sheriff wanted me to come in sit
with Matthew at the hospital. All right, Matthew. Matthew Edgar, right? Yeah. And
while I was there, I interviewed him. I have no clue why I No clue. You have a girlfriend?
Kind of. Girlfriend named Libby. He was found in the fetal position behind the vehicle that Levy was found in. When's
the last time you saw Libby? He remembers drinking on his porch and the next thing he remembered he was
waking up in the back of an ambulance. You don't know how you ended up on the ground behind the car? I think so. With
the dead girl in I don't have a clue. There was a rifle, some shoes, and a hat also on the ground. That's his boot. He
was laying there beside him. How'd you get all the blood all over your face? I don't know. Cuz the hospital
said you don't have any injuries. What are you thinking? I'm thinking that he's not telling me the truth. He's just
basically telling you a Texas fairy tale. Right. Correct. I'm going to be flat out honest with you. But
unfortunately, there is a deceased female in that vehicle that's in front of yours. And my job is to find out why
she's dead. Who missed the dead? Did they tell you a name? Libby. I informed him that Miss Lewis had passed. He
started with this what I would describe as forced crying. Did you see any tears?
Not a single one. The world seems to think that Matthew Edgar is a murderer. Do you believe that? I do not. Do you
believe that someone else pulled that trigger? I do. I believe it was someone that was close to Matthew, someone that
was involved in events of that evening. We got all the DNA results back and there were some holes in the case. There
were no fingerprints taken or DNA lifted off the gun. There were DNA samples from
Libby that showed there was another man. I have no doubt, and I'm going to make this perfectly clear, Matthew Edgar
killed Miss Lewis. And you put your reputation on that. Absolutely. [Music] [Music]
In the early morning hours of Halloween 2020, a day when the boundaries between the living and the dead become blurred,
Libby Lewis was discovered draped over the steering wheel of her car, dead from a rifle shot to the neck. Here's her ID.
Libby had just turned 19. I don't know if dispatch has notified her next to Ken or not. It
happened in Hemp Hill, a tiny town in Texas with a population just over 1,000. The kind of place where no one is a
stranger and news spreads like wildfire. Isn't there Darcy Bass's daughter? Yeah,
that's what I That is how Livy's mother, Darcy Bass, heard the news when a friend
called to say that Libby had been shot. You didn't know if she was dead or alive? No.
I want to see my child. And the next time I Yeah. saw her, she was in in a casket. I don't believe it. I don't
believe it. Oh my god. [Music] By all accounts, Libby Lewis was a remarkable young woman, a straight A
student and recent high school grad with a scholarship to a local college. So, I'm Libby Heather Lewis. Just imagining
my future and the goals that I will accomplish makes me excited. Her dream was to go on to college, become a nurse,
and then become a physician's assistant. Libby was already a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home. She
was loved by all the residents there. That's a tough job, too. Yes. And she loved it. That was her passion. That's
also where she met one of her best friends, fellow nursing assistant Taylor Barnett. We worked together and then she
just started staying with me all the time. Taylor was nearly 6 years older and had a young daughter, but she says
Libby fit right in. If you seen Libby, you seen me. We just clicked like automatically. Bailey Williams met Libby
in kindergarten. She was a person that wanted stability and didn't want to play like the kid games. She was ready to be
grown up. That's probably why Libby fell for an older man, Matthew Edgar, who was
23 when they met. But I was dating a guy who was actually friends with Matthew, so we all just kind of started hanging
out. Libby was still a senior in high school when she and Matthew began a secret
relationship. Matthew was married to Montana Boel, the mother of his two young sons.
Phone records indicate that Libby and Matthew began texting each other in November 2019 when Matthew wrote, "You
do realize you cannot say a word to anybody that we are even texting. LOL." Libby responded, "Well, obviously I'm
not going to brag about texting a married man, but thanks for the clarification." It appears that after a
very brief affair, Libby quickly and firmly ended things. But Matthew wasn't done. About 4
months later, he texted to complain about how unhappy he was in his marriage. "I cheated again," he said.
"But Libby held her ground. I'm not really down for being a home wrecker," she wrote. Nearly two months later,
Matthew ended his marriage. in this text exchange with his wife where he said, "Ain't you, it's me. Me always cheating
on you." 4 days later, Montana hired a divorce attorney. Matthew moved out and circled back to
Libby. At just 18, Libby was now navigating a relationship with a man who had two young sons and a soontobe
ex-wife. At first, they didn't get along. Libby and Montana didn't uh I think that was out of jealousy on
Montana's behalf. And then it was kind of just like the flip of a switch. All of a sudden, Montana wanted to be Livy's
best friend and they talked all the time. I think in Livy's eyes, she was definitely thinking she had a friend.
And in Montana's eyes, what do you think? I think that she was jealous. I think that some people get close to
people and they have another reasoning behind it. And so do you think in some ways a a dangerous love triangle had
formed? Yes, definitely a dangerous love triangle. Yes, you can call it that. Absolutely. Sabine County Sheriff's
Investigator JP Mcdana questioned Matthew about his relationship with Montana and Libby. What's your
relationship like with both of them? It's awesome. Okay. So, it's not a typical I hate your guts. Hell no. Okay.
It's awesome. Okay. My ex-wife and her, they're big buddies. I just told Libby to just be cautious. You can get along
with her for their children, but don't be too close with her. I mean, because that's his ex-wife. But Taylor says that
as time went by, it was Matthew's behavior that became the most menacing. He was pretty much abusive in more ways
than one. for a little while. He was staying at my house with her and he would just get drunk and crazy and
either holler at her and like it got so bad that like I didn't want him there at
my house anymore. Phone records show that the relationship was a roller coaster ride. While at times Matthew
sent texts to Libby like, "Good night, baby. I love you." Livy's texts alleged physical abuse. I don't know why you
keep putting your hands on me like that. My body hurts today. I think that she was in love with who Matthew could be
cuz she knew who he was and knew that what he was doing to her wasn't right. But she still stayed.
Libby had been planning on moving to her new college campus. But in the summer of
2020, she stayed on that roller coaster ride, agreeing to move in with Matthew and helped take care of him and his
sons. She even redecorated the boys' room. Went to baseball, went to football, went to soccer ball, whatever.
But things seem to have quickly turned ugly. In August of 2020, Libby writes to Matthew, "I want
to be in our home with you, but I can't do the way you act when you drink. I'm scared of you. You've laid your hands on
me multiple times. I deserve better than that." Had she told you at that time that she had been violent? No, she
didn't tell me that. probably figured that I would go do something crazy and she didn't want me probably getting in
trouble. Libby did tell her cousin Sydney Ebar what was going on. She sent you a disturbing photograph. Yes.
Evidence of physical abuse. Correct. Yes, sir. And do you have that photo? I do. Can you show it to me? Yes, sir.
He busted her nose. It's not clear what caused the altercation, but text would later show that Matthew was cheating on
Libby with, of all people, Montana. On October 4th, 2020, Livy's birthday, Matthew texted
Montana. I didn't cheat on Libby with multiple women, just you, lol. He was continuing a relationship on with his
ex-wife and had my daughter in the middle of it, not knowing that she was being manipulated by all of them. I was
in an abusive relationship. So I just said, "Liby, you know it gets worse." And she said, "I know." And I said,
"Okay, I love you." Libby broke up with Matthew. But in a small town like Hemp Hill, you can run, but you can't really
hide. In the early morning hours of Halloween 2020, Matthew and Libby would end up together
again on the side of this road. [Music] The morning Libby Lewis was killed on the side of the road, her ex-boyfriend,
Matthew Edgar, found himself in a hospital bed, claiming he had no idea how he got there. I have no clue why.
Despite the blood on his face, Matthew wasn't injured, but he did admit to sheriff's investigator JP Mcdana that
he'd been drinking. How much? Bottle. Jim Bean. Jim Bean. Anything else? Few beers earlier in the day. He
said he'd been at a party the night before at his friend Bobby Ozan's house. That's when he claims he last saw Libby.
She her wife O was there. Okay. Oh, so you left Bobby's went to your house. You went home? I was at my
house. Okay. And that's where Matthew claims he blacked out and simply can't explain how he ended up in a fetal
position between a black truck that wasn't his and Livy's car. You don't know how you ended up on the
ground behind the car. So with the dead girl in a clue. I got to let it Mcdana took
swabs of the blood on Matthew's face for DNA testing. All right, Matthew, I'm going to do this one on the chin and
Matthew's clothing was taken into evidence. I'm going to go through some of your clothes. Okay. Yes, sir. Then
Mcdana placed Matthew under arrest. Charge is going to be homicide. All right. Now, pay attention to me. I want
you to understand why. Okay. Yes, sir. Okay. You were found behind the vehicle where the deedent was. There was some
kind of relationship between you and her. There is a weapon laying on the ground behind the vehicle close to where
you were found. Okay. Based on that and a few other things, I'm going to place you in
custody right now for homicide. Okay. What's his reaction to that? He had none. But he didn't say you're going to
do what? I didn't do anything. Nothing at all. Nothing at all. With Matthew jailed, Mcdana was on a
legal deadline. According to Texas law, the district attorney's office now had 90
days to present enough evidence to a grand jury to indict Matthew or they would have to release him on bond. So
Mcdana enlisted the help of the Texas Rangers and began piecing together what happened to Libby.
Matthew was just an easy arrest. Shawn Dunn is an old friend of Matthews. He told me, "Hey, look, you know, I didn't
do this. Yes, I was there at the scene, but I, you know, I didn't I did not do this. I loved her." Shawn, a former
Texas oil and gas man, once employed a then 20-year-old Matthew as a supervisor on his pipeline. I know Matthew. Uh I
spent a lot of time with him. He was a hard worker. You know, he loved his family. He valued his friendship uh with
people. Shawn was also once a deputy sheriff and says in his personal and professional opinion, Matthew is
innocent. When you're in law enforcement and and you sit across the table from somebody that has taken someone's life
as a cold-blooded killer, there's a certain feel that you get from that person. I never seen him reach that
point. Shawn believes Matthew when he says he has no memory of what happened. The cause of death for that girl is not
natural. And thinks this moment, did they tell you and they leave you? Was very real. I believe that was that was
genuine. that that was the first time that he knew that she was deceased. Which raises the obvious question,
if Matthew Edgar did not kill Libby, who did? Uh, that's kind of still up in the
air. In my opinion, there's plenty of other people that could be involved in this. Shawn won't name names, but
Matthew and his mother, Cindy, have insinuated that someone else killed Libby Montana. Listen to this recorded
jailhouse call. But I'm saying, Matthew, if it turns out that Montana did this, I
don't want to talk about it, please. I mean, it's not going to make you want to hurt her because she killed the woman
you loved, are you? I don't know. Sheriff's investigator JP Mcdana says Montana's unusual friendship with Libby
did get his attention. My husband left me for this woman, but she's my best friend. You know,
I I have to question that as an investigator. This is one of the last photos ever taken of Libby. She is with
Montana and they are at that party Matthew told investigators about at Bobby Ozan's place. I'm going to say
there's probably about 20 people there. Including Matthew and Montana's sons. Bobby told investigators Matthew spent
the night watching Libby and Montana party with everyone but him. He would try to come over there and talk to him
and they just really wouldn't say much to him. They just basically ignoring him. Investigators learned that Libby
had broken up with Matthew just weeks earlier and he had taken up with another young woman in town. I am trying to find
out your relationship with Matthew Edgar. We were having sex just I met him that
Monday and we saw each other every day. So you just blown him away. Yeah. But it
was clear to Bobby that Matthew wasn't over Libby. He was just hurt. And then now she don't want nothing to do with
him no more. She's going on with her life. Just like you don't exist anymore. Bobby says Matthew was stewing at the
party. He just wasn't himself his own age. Just drinking beer and drinking heavily. Yes, sir. Yeah. And the more he
drank, the angrier he got. Exactly. What do you think of Matthew Edgar's story? Chat now with the 48 Hours team
on Facebook and [Music] [Music] X. As the party at Bobby Ozan's was winding down, Matthew Edgar says he
called it a night. Oh, so you left Bobby's. We went to your house. We went home. I was at my house.
That's where Matthew's memory goes blank. But his ex-wife, Montana Bokeell, remembers much more. Today is October
the 31st. In this audio recording, Montana told investigators Matthew suddenly came back to the party and
learned that Libby had decided to stay overnight at Bobby's. You think he heard Livy say she going to stay the night?
Oh, I know he heard her cuz that's what made him so mad. During the course of the investigation and during my
interviews with family and friends and Matthew had intended to ask Miss Lewis to marry him. That's how significant he
felt about Miss Lewis to hear her back at the house say that I'm going to stay with Bobby was just meaning sleep with
Bobby. Correct. That was too much. It was just too much. According to Montana, Matthew was so angry he even took it out
on her. He tried to choke me and then that's when I went and got Bobby. So I went outside and he had kicked all the
doors in on a car and was punching on the window. At one point, Bobby had to pin Matthew against the car in order for
the girls to be able to leave. The whole time I'm holding him, he's screaming top
his lungs, "I'm going to kill y'all. I'm going to kill y'all." Montana says she and Libby left in separate cars in
search of safety. Montana says she headed toward the home where Matthew's mother and grandparents lived and that's
where Matthew caught up with her. He pulled in behind me. I went to get out and he started choking me again. Their
children were in the back seat of Matthew's van and I was honking the horn so somebody would come outside. In all
the racket, Montana says Matthew left and headed for his own home a short distance away on the same property. A
shak in Montana says she asked to stay the night with Matthew's mother and grandparents and then began texting with
Matthew. I have a message. What does he say? You took part in it and you are guilty as she is, wrote Matthew as he
angrily accused Montana of playing a part in Livy's decision to spend the night with Bobby Ozanne. Those texts
would become damning evidence in the case against Matthew Edgar. He said, "You knew what was going on." A
decision that appears to have enraged him. He said, "I will take your life, her life, and his life. Mark my words."
At 3:22 a.m., Matthew texts, "I'm leaving. Better get here and get your kids." Mcdana says evidence shows that a
drunk and angry Matthew then got behind the wheel of his truck where he kept his
rifle and went hunting for Libby. I think she pulled over to talk to him. And I'll tell you why. She was just
sitting there with her legs crossed. Indicates to me she was not afraid. It was not a fight orflight thing where she
was prepared to just bolt out the car. She was actually to some degree comfortable with who she was speaking
with. 12 minutes after texting, I'm leaving, Matthew texted, I'm home. I got Livy's keys and her phone. Montana
asked, "Where is she?" Matthew's response, "Dead." Montana told investigators she didn't call 911
because she didn't believe he was serious. Instead, Montana texted Matthew, "Can I come down there?" His
reply, "Yeah." But Montana claims that Matthew's mother wouldn't let her leave, so she just fell asleep. I never left. I
didn't even know anything had happened until I woke up at around 6:00 this morning.
But Matthew didn't go to bed. Mcdana says evidence shows that not long after sending that text that Libby was dead,
Matthew did something no one can explain. He went back to the crime scene. this time in his cousin Zach's
truck. It's that truck that was found parked behind Livy's car. Why would he go back then? Why would he return to the
scene of the crime? That would be a question you'd have to ask Matthew. I I can't explain that. Also hard to explain
Montana's failure to call 911. It made no sense to Liby's friend Bailey. She knew who he was and what
type of person he was and then she was receiving all those texts. I don't think that you can just take that with a grain
of salt after you receive those text messages. Yeah, it's time to to call police, right? Mcdana says he and his
team of investigators wondered if Montana had been to the crime scene that morning to try and help Matthew cover up
Livy's murder. I know you don't believe me, but I can't tell you something I don't know happened. 2 months after the
crime, Montana was given a polygraph exam. Are you covering for the person responsible for Liby's death? After
monitoring her physiological responses, Montana was told she failed the polygraph. There's no doubt that you
left something out. There's something you're not telling me. But after an indepth multi- agency investigation,
investigators concluded that Montana was never at the crime scene and had nothing
to do with Libbyy's shooting or any cover up. And so to all those who think somehow she's involved, you say not
true. Not true at all. All the evidence says Mcdana points to one person, Matthew Edgar. Is there a motive in your
mind? Jealousy. Jealousy. Plain and simple. In February 2021, the COVID pandemic shut down the courts and this
case. With no grand juries being convened, a judge was forced by law to release a still unindicted Matthew Edgar
on a reasonable bond, $50,000. For them to set it so low was insane to me. Months after Matthew's release, Darcy
was at her local convenience store when Matthew just strolled in. When he came in the door, I just went started
throwing whatever at him and went for him. And I just remember saying, "You killed my daughter. You killed my
daughter." And that's Matthew pressed charges against Darcy. And she was arrested. The charges would eventually
be dropped, but Darcy says she just wanted some answers. She loved you and she was good to you and your kids and to
your family. What made you think that this was the answer to anything that was going on? On March 16th, 2021, 4 and a
half months after his arrest, charged zombie homicide, a grand jury finally heard the evidence against Matthew Edgar
and indicted him for the murder of Libby Lewis. But Matthew, who was still out on
bail, wasn't done breaking the law and tormenting Livy's family. I just was like, "Are you are you serious?
As January 2022 and the trial of Matthew Edgar approached, Darcy Bass was confident that the evidence in the
murder of her daughter Libby would finally prove that Matthew had killed her. What in this case struck you as the
most powerful evidence against Matthew Agger? From him saying that he was going to kill them her till him being at the
scene to it being his gun. Then there were all those venomous texts between Matthew and Montana that Taylor and
Bailey say ended with a clear confession when he text and said she's dead. Cuz who would know that except the person
who did it? And remember that text that read, "I got Livy's keys and her phone."
Well, Livy's phone was found in the truck Matthew had driven to the crime scene. Her keys were found on the
driveway at his grandparents house and reluctantly handed over to investigators by Matthew's mother, Cindy Hogan. Is it
true in your opinion that she tried to keep Livy's keys from investigators? That was the indication. Cindy Hogan
also tried to help her son by suggesting that Libby had been killed by a drug cartel because Matthew owed them money
and that the cartel hadn't killed Levy and staged it to make it look like Matthew did it because they were out
$30,000. What do you think of that theory? Uh I think it's a far-fetched fairy tale. It was so far-fetched. It was just
a crazy story to try to distract people from the truth. On Monday, January 24th,
2022, the trial of Matthew Edgar began with jury selection. Matthew, who is still out on bond, walked in and out of
court every day like a free man. Due to the nature of the of the crime and the emotion throughout the county, we had
security arrangements in place for trial. We even had Matthew wearing a bulletproof vest. On the first day of
testimony, the state began presenting its case, which included DNA lab results that detected a tiny speck of Livy's
blood on the pants Matthew was wearing when he was found at the crime scene. How important is that piece of evidence?
It's critical. It puts him there at the time that that injury caused her death. But Matthew's courtappointed defense
attorney, Rob Hughes, argued that a tiny drop of blood doesn't prove a thing. How
else could that speck have gotten on his pant leg if not coming from blood spatter from the shooting? You can get
DNA transferred from just touching someone. Hugh says there's no telling how long that blood had been there. And
all that blood on Matthew's face that Mcdana swabbed and had tested, it wasn't Livy's or Matthews. And once they were
excluded, investigators didn't pursue other matches. Hugh says there were additional DNA tests that also raised
questions about who else may have been at the crime scene. There were other people's DNA on Matthew and Libby was
excluded as a contributor to those DNA samples. Hughes tried his best to argue that the DNA should be considered
reasonable doubt, but admits that his biggest obstacle in defending Matthew were those texts and Matthew's
insistence that he has no memory of sending them. In your entire career as a defense attorney, have you ever had a
client who was functioning during the course of a crime, texting, conversing with people, driving an automobile, who
then said they had no memory whatsoever of the events? I have not. And you understand why that would be hard for
people to believe? Yes. Hughes also asserted that the murder weapon had not been tested for fingerprints or DNA, but
conceded the rifle belonged to Matthew. After a second day of testimony, the prosecutor notified
Hughes that he would be resting his case the next morning, and it would then be Hughes's turn to call witnesses. Shawn
Dunn says that he had been Snapchatting with Matthew, who was feeling optimistic
about his chances. He was so confident that he was going to need a job and asked me would I find him a spot to go
to work. But the next morning, as Rob Hughes arrived at the courthouse, he got a panicked call from Matthew's mother,
who told him her son was now a fugitive. She just started frantically telling me
that Matthew was gone. Matthew had run and he had taken a gun with him and she was afraid he was going to kill himself.
Are you serious? Like he's he's gone. He shouldn't even been out on bond. Then he
had an ankle monitor on. What happened with that? Authorities say Matthew had simply waited for the battery on his
ankle monitor to die and then left home most likely on foot. We started getting assets from all over. Blufkin PD SWAT
DPS, Texas Rangers. We even had tracking dog from the from the prison unit. They
followed a trail through the woods roughly two miles. Meanwhile, Matthew's trial went on without him. That very
same day, defense attorney Rob Hughes began presenting his case. The jury was not told that Matthew had fled, but they
must have wondered. So, a case that's already very difficult for you has now become, I'll use the word impossible. It
it made it much it didn't help, that's for sure. No one was surprised when after deliberating for about an hour and
a half, the jury found Matthew Edgar guilty of murder. But he was still on the loose out there somewhere, an armed
threat to himself and the community. I mean, I think that it was like a scary time because it's him. He knows where
everybody lives at. That was a terrible crazy time for me knowing that he's out there supposedly loved my daughter but
murdered her and me the one that's actively trying to make sure that he goes to jail. What would he had done to
me? Darcy says it felt like no one was searching for Matthew. So she became a mother on a mission and hung this
homemade wanted poster all over town. But she wasn't alone. JP Mcdana had been joined by Jeff Coulter, a special deputy
with the Eastern District US Marshall Service and they were on the hunt for Matthew. Do you consider him right off
the bat to be a dangerous fugitive? Oh, absolutely. From what I was told from the murder at the crime scene, yes, no
doubt. See a timeline of the night of the murder at 48 hours.com. [Music] But her car was right here before the
sign. This is the very spot where 19-year-old Libby Lewis was murdered. Now a memorial lovingly tended to by her
mother, Darcy. I just want everyone to remember what happened here, what Libby had to go
through. It's also a place that Darcy is convinced Matthew Edgar visited after becoming a fugitive. I just felt it as a
mother. I was like, he's coming here. He's not far. Darcy says she also heard rumors that Matthew's mother had been
spotted buying her son's favorite cigarettes and liquor in large quantities. Where is she taking them to?
One week after Matthew ran from the law, Jeff Coulter, a special deputy with the
US Marshalss, was asked to take over the manhunt. When you first begin your investigation, do you start with his
family to see if they've heard anything? No. No. I don't like being lied to. I've
already heard their stories claiming she was killed by the cartel. So, no, I didn't even waste my time. Coulter says
he quietly spent nearly a year working with the sheriff's office and other law enforcement agencies around the country
to chase down every lead that came their way. We had put in a lot of hours, a lot
of weekends, a lot of late nights. Then a tip that Matthew might actually be hiding in plain sight just yards from
his grandparents' property in this house. It looked great. It sounded great, but we physically have to put
eyes on him before we make a move on his residence. The house, which belonged to
a family friend, was surrounded by woodlands. So, Coulter enlisted the aid of two wardens with Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department. The plan to get as close as possible under the cloak of darkness
using night vision to ID their man. We were going to enter into the woods, make our way up to the back of the property,
get as close as we could, and sit there and see if we could get a visual of him.
While Coulter led a team of three men into the woods, JP Mcdana and his deputies were on the opposite side of
the house near the driveway, but out of sight in their vehicles. My job was to sit right there at the front door of
that house. If Coulter and his men made a positive ID on Matthew, they would finally have him cornered. We went in
about 4:30 in the afternoon. We knew it was going to get dark about 5:30. We got
to probably about 100 yards of the house and we heard barking. Um, come to find out they had a pretty good size
rightwaller in the backyard. Then we're out there for an hour or so. We could hear voices. We could hear a female
voice, we could hear a male voice, but it's so thick we can't see. Then we catch a violent
thunderstorm. lightning and thunder and torrential rain. It was miserable, but it was a
blessing in disguise. And the noise covered our movement. They were 30 yards from the house when a second storm hit,
but there was no giving up. That's 11 months and 2 days. This needed to end tonight. Drenched and exhausted, Coulter
and his team could hear voices on the back porch of the house, but couldn't see faces until about 8:00 p.m. when a
man stepped off the porch. Walks around the side of the house and he stands there. One of Coulter's men immediately
recognized that man as Matthew Edgar. He goes, "He's here. I got eyes on him." We
got word that they had made a confirmation. Drove down, pulled in the driveway. Back to the back. Back back.
Watch the front. I got I got movement. They're in the house. Once we saw the lights, it was a 30 yard sprint. All
four of us. We break the corner and we started screaming. Law enforcement police. Sheriff's office. Anybody
outside? Come out with your hands up. He jumps up and he throws himself against the wall like, "Oh crap, you got me."
Yeah. It was over with. Did you guys make eye contact? Absolutely. He said, "Hey, JP." I said, "Hey, Matthew." And
then he asked me, "You hadn't proven my innocence yet?" And I said, "No, Matthew, I have not."
Coulter says that's not all Matthew had to say that night. He said, "Please don't shoot my mother." Mother, please
come out of the house. His mother is in the house. The mother's at the house. Was she crying? Was she upset? No. I
think she acted amazed that he was there. Like she didn't know what was going on.
Really? Yes. Surprised he was there. I'm going to jail for something I don't even
know nothing about. Was she arrested as well? Not at the time. She was not. Can somebody get my purse with my seizure
medicine? Cindy Hogan was eventually charged with hindering apprehension. We reached out to her attorney for comment,
but did not hear back. On January 3rd, 2023, Matthew Edgar was formally sentenced for the murder of Libby Lewis,
99 years in prison with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years. Does it give you I don't know what the
word is, not any peace, but in prison, he will likely suffer for decades. Can only hope, but he doesn't suffer like
like her brother. He doesn't suffer like her little sister. Darcy hopes to be there when Matthew
comes up for parole. And Taylor and Bailey say she won't be alone. And I don't care. However, he says that he
changes while he's in there. I don't think that that's something you can ever come back from because she's definitely
not coming back. Meanwhile, Darcy is trying to save up enough money to buy a headstone for Libbyy's grave. How do you
carry on and honor your daughter's memory? I just got to get up every morning and
just just remember the good things and I want to make her proud. I don't want her to be remembered as the
girl that got killed in the small town. I want her to be remembered for the way that she carried herself and the happy
person that she was to be around. [Music] CBS next Saturday. So, what is your emergency? I accidentally shot my wife.
a former deputy sheriff accused of killing his wife. Don't accidentally shoot more than once. It didn't make
sense. It didn't line up. Do you think it was accidental? I guess that's the million-dollar question. 48 hours is all
new CBS next Saturday, 10:9 central and streaming on Paramount Plus. [Music] Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm your
host, Ann Marie Green, and today we're discussing the case of Libby Lewis, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend,
Matthew Edgar, following an argument at a party. But then during his murder trial, he fled when his ankle monitor
battery died. And he evaded authorities for nearly a year. So joining me now to discuss this is correspondent Peter
Vansen and producer Judy Rybeck. Thanks for joining us guys. Hi. Hey Marie. Good
to see you. Okay. And as per usual, remember everyone uh if you haven't listened to this 48 hours episode yet.
Head on over to your podcast feed. You're going to find the episode uh just below this one right there. Go over
there and listen and then come on back for this conversation. All right. This murder occurs in Hemp Hill, Texas. We've
done some stories in some small communities and having worked in small towns, what you find is that everyone
knows everyone. This is a really small community. Uh about a thousand people live there. What was it like visiting
such a small town? I don't think I've ever been in a town that small as you say. Like we've been in a lot of small
towns and uh you know that there's not a lot to do. They do a lot of riding around, drinking basically, right?
fishing, hunting, repeat. Yeah. Right. Right. And when friends heard that Libby was dead, they thought it was a car
accident because that's how most of their friends die. So, it turns out that before becoming uh Livy's boyfriend,
Matthew Edgar had not one, not two, but three high-speed chases in one day with law enforcement. Wow.
The last one ended up in in an accident which the deputy chasing him had a broken leg and he was arrested. When I
when we learned about this, we talked with Darcy, Livy's mom about it. And I said, you know, as a parent myself, I
said, "Well, did you warn your daughter, stay away from Matthew Edgar?" And she goes, "No, if I did that, I'd be judging
him." And I don't like to judge people. And besides, I've made some mistakes in my life. So, it's just kind of a
different way of thinking, right? Yeah. A lot of them have records. So, the thing about a small town though, clearly
they've investigated their fair share of high-speed cases, but probably not murders, right? So, were they prepared
for this? Was this challenging for them? Oh, so challenging. I just don't think they'd ever seen anything like this
before. So, they had to call in state troopers and um you know, reinforcement. There were a lot of cops at the at the
scene of the crime. We are taken at the very start of the hour to the death scene and you're hearing the shrieks of
Darcy the mom and where's my baby? Where is she? And it was so real and and uh devastating. Yeah. When when I watched
that video with Darcy, I could feel my hands clenching and I was like, just tell her what's going on. How does Darcy
feel about how it was handled? Oh, she's still so angry. I mean, rightfully, right? She had to learn through the
grapevine in town. They didn't call her right away. I think Matthew's family knew before Darcy did, which is Yeah,
because he was in the hospital, too. But, um, imagine being the last one to know, and you're the mother, right? Most
protocols with with law enforcement, there would be an officer who would approach her, come over here, come sit
in my uh squad car. uh we'll talk to you about the situation to to allow her out
there to just shout and scream and be ignored and those you know those cold stares back at her were were just
terrible and she was sensing of course that her daughter was gone and no one was telling her but it was it was
torture and you counted how many times she asked it was something like 23 times. Yeah. Where's my baby? Where is
she? Where is my what happened? and they just stared at her and that is not u protocol. That was a mistake and they
they admitted later that that was handled very poorly. There was one character though that both of us just
really fell for uh the Sabine County Sheriff's Investigator JP Mcdana and JP was just right out of central casting.
He had the perfect Texas sounding voice and his initial interviewing of Matthew Edgar uh on that stretcher that you'll
see if you haven't seen the hour yet. It's it's unlike anything I have had on 48 hours before. Sheriff's body cams
capturing this bloody suspect uh lying down and JP does a masterful job of connecting with him and getting him to
open up and the questioning went on and on and you're sitting there going, Matthew, you're digging yourself a hole
here. And he eventually talked his way into getting arrested by the end of it. But JP Mcdana, he was a really smart
rural guy, knew how to talk to the locals and and he he did a great job. Yeah. He locked him into his story that
day, you know, that he didn't remember what happened. Mhm. I want to talk to you guys about the DNA tests. Uh because
you know the case sort of feels straightforward but one thing that was surprising to me and I'm sort of
surprising to investigators is there's blood on Edgar's face and that blood does not actually match him or Libby. So
then you know whose blood is it? Any theories? This is one of the strangest aspects of this story for for Judy and
me on that deputy's body cam and you looking at Matthew Edgar's face. It is covered in blood. And to this day, they
still don't know whose blood it is. You know, there was a theory that it was Bobby Ozan, the this this man who they
were partying at that house, and they they had a little struggle outside by this automobile as uh Matthew Edgar was
trying to give chase to Libby. They suspect it was Bobby's, but they never bothered to test to see if it was
Bobb's. Right. I I actually was surprised that Bobby was willing to talk to you guys because I felt like they're
at his house partying. She's going to stay over there is what we're getting. And I just thought he would want to have
nothing to do with this case because everyone involved he's well acquainted with and it must have been tough. I
think he feels guilty about what happened. But our field producer, Iris, and I went to town early to to convince
JP Mcdana to do an interview, to meet with Bobby and convince him to do an interview. Um, it wasn't easy. It's
never really easy, but uh yeah, and it was a great get by Judy cuz uh he had the front row seat, as we like to say,
to all of this and he knew the intricacies of these relationships. And he's also a great storyteller. And as a
quick aside, by the way, um he has a he has a hobby on the side. He catches giant catfish with his bare hands and he
and he showed us video seen that before. It is he goes underwater. He said he can
hold his breath up to 2 minutes and then all of a sudden he comes out and he's put his arm all the way down the throat
of a giant catfish that may weigh 25 30 lb and pulls it out of the water. It's the darnest thing you've ever seen.
That's quite a skill. [Music] Welcome back. When Livy's family and friends find out that she has been
killed, did they think of anyone else who could possibly be be responsible for this?
They were focused. Yeah. Yeah. They know who did it. It was pretty clear. Yeah. We know that Matthew Edgar was abusive
to Libby, not just emotionally, but there was that picture that her cousin showed us of her bloody nose and, you
know, there was a history of violence. The prosecution said there was a mountain of evidence that pointed at
Matthew Edgar. He's found at the crime scene, you know, unharmed. He's not injured in any way. Um, you know, there
was that text to Montana. It's his ex-wife. Yeah. And saying Libby was dead. There were multiple texts and uh
and they had that huge fight that night. This relationship that these people had
and the fact that he had beaten her in the past, it was the drink and argue and fight, make up, rinse, repeat, do it
again. But no one ever thought this would lead to murder. So, is this why at that party Montana doesn't call the
police? Bobby doesn't call the police when, you know, they can see that Edgar is drunk, that things are ratcheting up,
no one even thinks like he shouldn't get behind the wheel. You know, Bobby told us, "We just don't call the cops on each
other because, as Peter has said, it's, you know, it this is a pattern." And so,
he just thought they would all wake up the next day and start over again. Yeah. They they take care of their own. They
take care of their own circumstances. We don't need a deputy here, right? You and
I will take care of it. It may end up in a fist fight. It may end up in some slapping around, some screing, screaming
and shouting, but eventually they'll sort it out and tomorrow's another day. So, early on in this investigation,
investigators believe that Montana helped Edgar maybe cover up the crime scene. They didn't find any evidence
that she participated at all, though. But what made investigators initially suspect her? It's kind of a crazy story.
So, the pants that he was wearing when they found him had her name written inside like on the label. You know how
when you label kids clothes when they go to camp? So, it had her name, not his. And what they thought was that she had
gone down there and brought him clean clothing, right? Um but then they later found out that she was the one who took
all the clothing to the the cleaners to the laundromat. And so she had written her name in everything.
Yeah. When they were married, she put her name on his clothes and hers. The other thing though, the connection that
they had was that remember Edgar had texted Montana that Libby was dead. Did Montana take that text seriously or what
did she think of that text? She wouldn't talk to us. She's left town and wants nothing to do with any of this. Montana
was thoroughly investigated, right? Yes. There was a multi- agency investigation
into this murder and all of the investigators concluded that Montana had nothing to do with the death of Libby
Lewis. So Edgar is arrested in the hospital just hours after Livy's murder. I'm wondering did you guys try to get an
interview with him? Oh yeah, we we always we always try to get interviews with everybody. We want to talk to
everybody. Yes. I spoke to his new wife. His new wife? Yes. He is married. Got married while he was in prison, but he
knew her before he went to prison. Is she from the same town? Yeah. Yeah. I got her number. I spoke to her. She
said, "Yeah, he wants to talk to you guys." So, we sent him a letter and um the day that they gave him the letter,
he said no. He didn't want to do it. And then the next day, he changed his mind.
But then there's like this weird procedure where they had to wait another 30 days or 60 days to ask him a second
time. They had to give him time to think about it. Um but in the interim, the family just circled the wagons around
him and said, "No, he's not talking to you. We're not talking to you. None of us are talking to you." So in February
of 2021, the co pandemic uh shuts down the courts. That's been happening with a lot of the cases that we've been
covering lately. In this case, Edgar's released on a $50,000 bond. It feels light for a murder suspect. Yeah. So,
Texas law was that they could only hold him for so long and if he was still unindicted, they had to let him go.
Well, he was still unindicted and and the law states that it has to be a reasonable bond. So, they
set the bond at $50,000 and, you know, the family, I think, went to a bail bondsman and and got him out, right? And
after he was released on bail, he was arrested again for assaulting Montana. And this time, bail was set at
$325,000. And the family, they were able to to pay that bond. Now, it's usually 10% down, but that's $32,000 they'd have
to come up with, right, to to get him out. Wait, he's out on bond accused of of killing his ex-girlfriend, and he
assaults his ex-wife. No, no, they they they dipped back into the case, right? So that same night he had assaulted
Montana. So they wanted to try and get him back behind bars. So they they charged him with assaulting Montana.
That made Livy's mother Darcy crazy, too. Like you know, murder gets a $50,000 bond and assault gets a $325,000
bond, but I think they were trying to make up for the $50,000 mistake. It didn't make much of a difference cuz he
still managed to post anyways. Um, so then the big twist in this story comes when the battery on Edgar's uh ankle
monitor, it dies and he goes on the run in the middle of the trial. Uh, the jury
was not told this though, that he fled. I mean, you would think that would be a factor that the jury should be able to
consider. I mean, if you're not guilty, why are you running? One one could argue. No, I think it's prejuditial and
you don't really know why he's run and it's not sort of not fair, I guess. But in the state of Texas, once a trial
starts, it doesn't stop. Yep. So, he's not there, though. He He's not there. His family's not there. The The jury had
to know something strange was happening, right? This is the second time this season I've had that happen on a story
where the defendant just didn't show up. And yeah, they're looking around and obviously, where'd he go? And imagine
being the defense attorney in this case, too, where you're trying to come up with
something that can spare him. and and he flees its its curtains after that to say
the least. They ultimately find him, but it it takes like a year cuz he's out. Oh, yeah. He's out on the run. He's
actually found guilty while he's on the run and now investigators have to figure
out how to find him, which I this this was so fascinating. He's ultimately found hiding in plain sight, right? He's
right somebody somebody tipped them off that they must have seen him or heard something cuz again, you know, small
town. and it's going to happen sooner or later, but uh he was right in their backyard. And I did not realize this
that most people who run stay fairly close to home unless they're going over the border or they don't have, you know,
family to support them. But if they have a support system, they're not going anywhere. So Edgar's mother, Cindy
Hogan, was actually at the house. We see it in the hour. And eventually charged with hindering apprehension. What's the
current status of her case? The case just keeps going on and on and on. It's it's, you know, one hearing after
another. Iris and I went to one of the hearings to try and convince her to talk to us. And uh she emphatically said no.
Her lawyer literally like put himself between us and her. But yeah, she's either going to have to make a deal or
it's going to go to trial. But this could go on for some time. I think January 3rd of 2023, Edgar is formerly
sentenced to 99 years in prison with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years. What is the likelihood that he
could actually get out in 30 years? So, in order to get out at that point, he's going to have to confess to
the murder. I mean, you go before a parole board, they're not letting you out until you show remorse and confess
to the, you know, he's got 30 years to think about it. And at that point, he might just, you know, he might just do
it to get out. You just don't know, right? Um, and remember, Matthew Edgar's defense and his story was so outrageous
and offensive to the family that he was so drunk that he doesn't remember this killing despite the fact that while he
was inebriated, he was sending text messages and talking to people and driving an automobile and stuff. It was
a ridiculous story. We talked about Libby a little bit earlier and the sense that I got from her is that she would
have been going places. She she would have eventually left that town. It felt like anyways. Yeah. And she was an
outlier in that she was academically accomplished. She had goals in life. She was going to university and she she had
her escape. It was right there in front of her. Uh and and yet that that culture
pulled her back in. Such a sliding door moment, right? Mhm. Absolutely. Um, it's clear that Darcy loved her
daughter, obviously. Uh, Peter, you went with her to a memorial that she had put
up for her daughter. What was that like? It was really, uh, heartbreaking. We got
to know Darcy, who admits in her own life, she's made a lot of mistakes, but Libby for her was her
accomplishment. Giving birth, raising that that young girl who became successful. She was her dream child and
it was everything in her life that gave her meaning is that I raised this extraordinary person with all the
mistakes that I made along the way. Look what I've produced. And to have that taken away when you're at that little
memorial for for Darcy, it means just everything. It's just precious. And she tends to it and she feels the presence
of her daughter there. And it's just it's just awful at the end of the day. uh murder reverberates uh and destroys
so many other people's lives and poor Darcy I I think I hope she can get back on the rails, but this is this is such a
blow cuz her daughter was everything. Yeah. Um well, it was a great hour as usual. Um thank you. Uh Peter Judy,
thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Anorie. And of course, want to remind you guys
if you like the series Postmortem, please rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever
you get your podcast. And you can also listen at free on the Amazon Music Wree Plus in the Wy app or the 48 hours plus
subscription on Apple Podcast. Thanks for listening.

Investigators unravel a strange scene.

Watch "The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis" and then join "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant and producer Judy Rybak on "Post Mortem" for a behind-the-scenes look at the case of Livye Lewis, whose ex-boyfriend, Matthew Edgar, fled during his murder trial and evaded authorities for nearly a year. The team discusses the unidentified blood found on Edgar’s face, reporting in small-town Texas, and the ongoing case against Edgar’s mother for hindering apprehension.

00:00 The Blackout Murder of Livye Lewis 41:52 Listen to a post-mortem on the episode

Listen to "Post Mortem" wherever you get your podcasts: https://cbsn.ws/4cmOw3t

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

Libby Lewis was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Matthew Edgar, who was later convicted despite claiming memory loss of the incident.

Key points

The Tragic Discovery. Libby Lewis was found dead in her car, a rifle shot to the neck.
The Love Triangle. Libby was involved in a complicated relationship with Matthew, who was married.
Matthew's Alibi. Matthew claims he has no memory of the events leading to Libby's death.
The Night of the Murder. Matthew's behavior escalated after learning Libby stayed at a friend's house.
The Aftermath. Matthew texts Montana about Libby's death, claiming she is 'dead.'
Trial Tensions. Matthew's trial began with high stakes and emotional testimonies.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Oh my god.

A mother's disbelief upon learning of her child's death.

5:59WatchApr 4, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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