Unbelievable Stories | “48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

I've handled hundreds of firearms through the course of daily casework. The majority are handgun types [music]
and then we see a fair amount of semi-automatic rifles and a variety of shotguns.
Detectives Laren and McCarthy presented this case to the firearms unit. >> They had a woman who had accidentally
shot her husband with a revolver. >> Tell me what this gun is. >> This is the same make and model of
firearm that was recovered from the Duffy [music] residence. >> When I first walked in, sun was coming
through the sliding glass door. It just looked very peaceful until I walked in and saw Mr. Duffy laying on the couch.
There was a lot of blood on the carpet [music] and there was some blood on the wall. Lots of blood. But based on what I
was being told about her, middle class, educated woman. She didn't fit the profile of a murderer. This could be an
accident. She's eccentric and quirky. She gives that impression the minute you meet her. She was very entertaining and
very funny. Loved to laugh. You either really really liked Linda or you really thought, "Wow, she cannot be trusted."
>> I've investigated well over a hundred murders. >> Sorry, Linda. >> Okay. >> I was very anxious to hear how this
accident happened. >> You have to understand Pat and I joke around a lot with each other.
>> She said, "We have this thing that we always do. We morph into cartoon characters." And
>> sorry, they they what? They morph into cartoon characters. >> What's up, Jack?
>> There was a Bugs Bunny cartoon [music] with Elmer Fud and he does this silly little Elmer Fud voice. No more bullets.
>> No more bullets. >> And she said she began to talk to him in her Elmer Fud voice.
>> No more bullets. >> And she said she wanted to impress him and she walked over and picked the gun
up. >> No more bullets. No more bullets. >> They told me there was no bullets in the
gun. >> Well, I don't believe she could have fired it in the manner she said she did.
and right there. >> I wanted to believe her story. >> It's not a a believable story.
>> I had that gut feeling there was something more sinister. >> [music] [music] [music]
>> This is the matter of Linda Guats. She is present before the court. Both council are present. 7 years after she
shot her husband in their suburban living room, Linda Duffy Guats is in a Los Angeles County court denying as
strongly as she can that she is a murderess. This was a horrible accident [snorts]
and I wish and pray constantly that I could be able to take away your pain, but I can't.
This case is not a who done it. It's more of a why' she do it. Linda admits she shot her husband Patrick Duffy in
2007, but she says it was an awful and unlikely accident. She's had to convince authorities that fact can be stranger
than fiction because her legal defense has featured, among other things, a cast of cartoon characters.
>> Here, let me see that sling. >> Her lawyer has used the words of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fud to explain her
actions as he insisted she is innocent. >> We're going to ask you to tell us what
happened today. >> Linda talked to police voluntarily and without a lawyer. just hours after the
shooting. >> It was it was pointed down and the next thing I know [laughter and gasps] he
was right there just laying there. >> Well, let's go by the house. >> Sean McCarthy and Shannon Lren have been
homicide detectives for the LA County Sheriff's Department for 13 years. Forgive the cliche, but they really did
think they'd pretty much seen it all. >> Here's the house right here. >> And then on April 26th, 2007, they got a
call about a shooting at the Duffy's house in suburban Whittier. >> Stop shooting my numbers on him. Mr. H.
>> Okay, stay on the line with me, ma'am. >> This is the couch that that you saw in
the living room. >> Yes. Yes. Mr. Duffy was right here. >> McCarthy and Laren found Patrick Duffy
dead on the couch. His left hand was in his pocket >> and his right knee was being supported
by a pillow. Very comfortable, relaxed. >> There was blood pulled on the floor and
splattered on the wall. >> And it was a pretty goodized blood puddle right in here.
>> Clearly, he had a gunshot wound to the head. The couple's two teenage sons, Shawn and
Thomas, were at school, so Linda was the only surviving witness. And Detective Lren, had a funny feeling.
>> It looked like he'd been sleeping on the couch and somebody walked up and shot
him in his sleep. >> What did you think? >> I was leaning that this was an accident.
>> Detective McCarthy has been investigating homicide cases for about 13 years and knows how to spot even the
tiniest [music] clues. He saw very little here that made him suspicious. >> Do you guys disagree frequently on
cases? >> I disagree with all my partners on every case. >> Well, so how does that work?
>> I I think we kind of wait until we have more information. I wanted to hear her
story. >> She was [music] very entertaining. Loved to tell stories. >> Julie Prendergast has been listening to
Linda's stories since they first became friends in a college music program in the 80s. She said, "Well, actually, I'm
from um [music] Ireland." And she started talking with what I thought was a pretty phony accent. That was my first
indication that Linda was a little bit different. >> Julie says, "Linda could be irreverent,
even goofy." >> I would say, "Linda, I'm going to tell you something and you're going to want
to laugh, but we're in class right now, so don't laugh out loud." And it would just pop out. Anyway,
>> after they left school, Julie and Linda ended up working at the same place. [music] And one day, Julie says, Linda
called with some news. >> She said, "I'm I'm so excited. I'm getting married and I'd like you to be
in my wedding." >> The groom was a man Linda had met four years earlier. Patrick Duffy, a radio
engineer, gun enthusiast, and private pilot. >> She just said it was like her dream come
true, and she couldn't be happier. They seemed happy as a family. They understood each other. Patrick's sister,
Katherine Hunt, says Patrick and Linda were soulmates and playmates. >> They were kidding with each other,
joking with each other. >> We're just always just joking around with each other and being silly and
having a good time. >> And it was that silliness that became a cornerstone of Linda's story when she
explained to police what happened the day she killed her husband. >> Then I came into the family room and he
was sitting on the the sofa. She said they had just come back from a doctor's appointment. Patrick had chronic
circulation problems. Linda said he'd been planning to go to the shooting range. His 38, one of three revolvers he
kept in the house, was nearby. >> We keep it in this little locked box. >> Linda told police she usually stayed
away from the guns, but that day she picked up the 38. >> And the story got stranger as it went
on. We do this little silly thing. We always kind of relate little silly conversations [music] to like cartoons
that we've seen when we were younger and stuff. And he does this silly little Elmer Fud voice. No more bullets.
>> And she claimed she said to him, "No more bullets in Elmer Fud's voice. >> No more bullets."
>> And she said his response was, "No more bullets. >> No more bullets." >> She said it was a game they played all
the time. and that when her husband said no more bullets in his Elmer Fud voice,
she took it to mean the gun was empty and that it was safe to try something Patrick had taught her. She said that
she then wanted to impress him by showing him she can shoot it cowboy style. >> It's called fanfiring and any fan of
westerns knows it. You hold the trigger down and keep pulling back the hammer so
the gun fires quickly. Well, you told me there was no bullets in the gun. >> She says once she started fanfiring, she
couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting her husband who leaned into the line of fire.
>> And the next thing I know, he was right there. >> The statement about the fan firing,
it just didn't sound right. But his partner, Detective Shawn McCarthy, who had heard his share of crazy
explanations from suspected killers, listened to that panicked 911 tape, listened to Linda's story and concluded
the story was just wacky enough to be true. >> The overwhelming feeling that I got from
her was she was odd at best and eccentric at worst. After they interviewed Linda for an hour, they let
her go home. >> And when you left work that day, did you have in your mind that she was a
suspect? >> No. >> His gut told him Linda was innocent, but he'd need more. He'd need science.
>> The muzzle of the firearm was between a distance of 1 and 7 in from his head.
When he first studied the scene where Linda Duffy killed her husband, detective Shawn McCarthy was pretty sure
it was an accident. He believed her story that she had reenacted their favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon.
>> No more bullets. >> No more bullets. and then fanfired the gun. And when he talked to Linda later that day,
>> start with when we got up this morning. >> She said nothing that made him doubt
her. >> Not your fault. >> It's my fault. >> No, it's not your fault. >> It's just it's it's just that we need to
understand. Laren and McCarthy were beginning to understand more about what happened
inside the Duffy home, especially after they talked to the medical examiner who had just done an autopsy on Patrick
Duffy. >> There was a second gunshot wound. >> Linda Duffy claimed this was an accident, but she had shot her husband
in the head not once, but twice. And believe it or not, even seasoned investigators can miss that kind of clue
at the crime scene. >> You could not see the second gunshot wound. >> Well, because of uh dried blood and and
the amount of blood and coagulated blood, we weren't privy to the second gunshot wound.
>> What did you make of that? >> Well, it's certainly was a red flag. >> But it was not just a red flag for
McCarthy's partner, Shannon Lren. It was more like a bright red arrow pointing right at Linda Duffy.
>> There was so many highly improbable events that would have had to have all lined up for this to actually have been
an accident. They didn't line up. >> Still, Shawn McCarthy was not convinced. >> Why didn't you just say this has got to
be murder? >> Because I needed to be convinced myself that this was murder. The last thing in the world I want to do
is send an innocent person to prison for the rest of their lives. >> It wasn't enough for McCarthy to know
what happened. He wanted to know why it happened. >> We struggled to find a compelling
motive. And we looked and we looked and we looked, >> but they couldn't really find one. The
Duffies seemed to be an average middleclass family living here in the LA suburbs. There was a life insurance
policy on Patrick, but they'd bought that decades earlier. Plus, there was no evidence of cheating. And considering
her eccentric personality, Detective McCarthy could not just dismiss Linda's story.
>> Okay, maybe this could have happened the way she said cuz she's so quirky and
eccentric. But it was about to get a little harder for McCarthy to believe Linda's story
because of Tracy Peek, the firearms expert for the sheriff's department who was brought into the case
by McCarthy and Lahren. Remember, according to Linda, she fired the way they did in the movies.
It is possible to do that pretty easily with the right kind of gun. >> This is the kind of gun that you can fan
fire. Right. >> Correct. So, this is a a singleaction revolver. This type of firearm is fired
by cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger. >> The guns they used in the cowboy movies
were singleaction guns. You can easily keep firing quickly by pulling and releasing the hammer
while the trigger is held back. >> When the hammer is fanned, the cylinder will rotate with this type of gun. So,
it will fire the cartridges in the chambers of the cylinder as it's being fanned.
>> The Duffy's had two singleaction revolvers in the house, but the gun Linda used to shoot her husband was not
one of them. It is a doubleaction revolver and there's a big difference. >> The shooter simply pulls the trigger
which accomplishes both cocking the hammer and releasing the hammer and the gun will fire.
>> To rapid fire a doubleaction revolver, the shooter has to do all sorts of things at the right time and in the
right sequence. >> Is this gun designed to be fired that way? >> No. For the purposes of this case, I
essentially invented a way in which I would conceivably fan this. Uh, and that included pulling the trigger,
releasing the trigger, fanning the hammer, pulling the trigger, releasing the trigger, and fanning the hammer, but
doing it pretty quickly. >> And PC says it's very hard to aim while doing all that. She says the unexpected
deafening noise of the gun and the recoil would have alarmed Linda if she didn't know the gun was loaded.
According to Peek, it would have been next to impossible for Linda, who claims to be an amateur, to shoot her husband
twice rapidly by accident, especially since the wounds were so close together. >> I don't find it a very believable story.
I still wanted to believe her, but it clearly couldn't have gone down the way that she said that it went down.
>> By now, Detective McCarthy was all but certain that Patrick Duffy's death was
no accident. But the two detectives felt they didn't have enough to prove it. Because of a heavy workload, it took two
years. But in January 2009, McCarthy and Len brought Linda back in for another chat. The video wasn't working, but you
can still hear their conversation. >> He showed me how to do it really fast because you got to do it like the
cowboys. >> Well, in the second interview, I think we were both convinced that this was a
murder. >> They showed her a video of Tracy Peek fanfiring the gun. I think she was
certainly surprised when we explained to her how difficult it would be. I could tell the light bulb went on in her brain
and she said, "I got to at least change the story a little bit." >> Linda now said she and her husband had
practiced fanfiring with an unloaded revolver for years. >> Like, yeah, like 15, 20 times. I'm fine.
>> Did you believe her this time? >> No. But the detectives wanted to give Linda one last chance to show them how
she fired the gun. And they made her an unusual offer. >> Meet us at the range. We'll bring an
exact replica and show us that you can fire this gun in the manner that you said.
>> The detectives were certain Linda would not kill again. So, they let her go home
again and waited to hear from her about their offer. Days turned into weeks and then months
and life went on at the homicide bureau. >> We change partners. And when that happens, you start getting new cases and
other cases start falling to the wayside. >> As the years passed, Linda might have
thought she was off the hook, but her past was about to catch up with her. >> The district attorney said, "I'm going
to file this case." And I need to go get her. >> [music] >> With no news for nearly 5 years, Patrick
Duffy's brother, John, and sister, Catherine Hunt, thought the police had decided his death was an accident and
had closed the investigation. But Catherine says she had a hard time believing what Linda told her when she
called on that awful day. She was incoherent and I said, "Um, what happened?" He was cleaning his gun
and it accidentally went off. >> Linda had told the police that she had shot Patrick by accident, but later that
night, she told his siblings he'd shot himself. >> Could you picture him having that kind
of an accident? >> No, absolutely not. We were raised with guns >> and we were taught to empty our weapons
before even entering the house. And that was like the number one rule. >> It was hard to believe that he had done
something like that. >> And Catherine learned she was right the day after Pat died when she met Linda at
the funeral home. >> I said, "Where was he shot?" And she went like this. Just like that. That's
when it hit me that he didn't shoot himself. I said, "So, tell me what really happened."
She said, "Oh, you're going to hate me. You're going to hate me. You're going to
hate me." I said, "No, I'm not going to hate you, but I need to know what the truth is."
And I said, "Did you shoot my brother in the head?" And she said, "Yes." >> It was there in the funeral home where
Catherine first heard the tale of Elmer Fud. Pat had told her no bullets like no
bullets like like Daffy Duck and Elmer Fud because they would talk in cartoon characters sometimes. She thought the
gun wasn't loaded and it went off. I couldn't quite understand why she had lied. If it was an accident,
it was an accident. But she had lied to us. >> But the police still had to prove she
had lied to them about why she shot him. Detectives had interrogated her twice and released her twice. The second time
they let her go, they'd made that unusual offer to meet her at the firing range.
>> We even told her, "It can be at your convenience." >> They weren't shocked when they didn't
hear back from her. And several months later, they stopped by the Duffy's house and saw a for sale sign. Her sons were
home. >> They said she's on her honeymoon in Italy. Two years after the shooting,
Linda Duffy was Linda Guats, newly married to Lawrence Guats, who anyone in the saxophone world knows is a worldass
player. >> When we Googled him, he [music] was playing in Carnegie Hall. >> And once again, when wedding bells rang,
so did Julie Prendergast's phone. She asked me what I sing in that wedding and I said, "What? Linda, I'm not coming to
your wedding. Something's not right surrounding the death of Patrick." >> Julie says she was uneasy with how Linda
just moved on. >> She dyed her hair blonde. She was wearing different style of clothes. She
seemed to be walking on air on clouds like uh just as happy as can be. A year after shooting her first husband, Linda
met Guats online. She moved to Mississippi where her new husband was a music professor. She was out of sight.
But for detectives Laren and McCarthy, she was not out of mind. >> Did you forget about this case? Was
there a period of time where >> Oh, no. Absolutely not. >> When their workload with their new
partners permitted, McCarthy and Len each turned their attention back to Linda. They wanted to take a new look at the
blood evidence with a new expert, Paul Delhau. He studied the photos and police reports and concluded Linda had to be
lying. Based on her statements, police believed Linda was claiming that she had fired quickly and from the same spot.
>> She moved and the the relative position of the gun to the head changed. We are
standing next to the couch on which Patrick Duffy died. Delhau said the blood evidence told him a lot,
especially these tiny stains on Linda's clothing and the walls called spatter, which he says came from the first shot.
>> The barrel has to be within about 3 in of the head in order to produce the spatter. Delhauser says the second shot
created a large pool of blood on the floor in the exact spot where Linda said she was standing.
>> She would have been getting jets of blood um hitting her. >> Linda Duffy have any blood on her?
>> Very little. >> Yeah, >> very very little. >> Police thought they now had proof that
Linda was lying. She didn't have enough blood on her after the shooting to support her story. Laren and McCarthy
thought they knew what really happened. >> She took aim, fired one round while he
was sleeping, realized he wasn't dead, comes back on target, fires the second round, and that's why they're within 2
in of each other. >> They believe Patrick's death wasn't an accident, it was an execution.
By 2012, the new prosecutor assigned to the case was eager to move ahead and police began talking to Linda's
co-workers. >> Boy, that was very revealing when they consistently talked about how she was so
charming. But then as time went on, they started finding out that she was this compulsive liar. And Julie Prenergast
had a few stories to tell about her one-time friend's record when it comes to telling the truth.
>> We all have one gallbladder. Linda had hers removed three times. Linda just always needed seemed to want to have
attention. >> It was enough for McCarthy. >> I became absolutely convinced that we
need to prosecute her. So finally in May 2012, 5 years after Patrick Duffy's death, Detective
McCarthy flew to Mississippi where Linda and her new husband were living in a comfortable home and she had gotten a
job at the university. >> You knock on the door. What's her reaction? >> Her reaction was, I thought the
investigation was all over. >> The investigation wasn't over. McCarthy arrested Linda Duffy Guats for murder.
And everyone was in for some surprises. It's been six years since Linda Duffy shot her husband to death, and she
thought she was going on with her life with a new husband, a new house, a new look, and a new town. But now she's
going on trial for murder. >> Tuesday, her freedom came to an end. >> And Joseph Low is her attorney.
>> Unfortunately, on this particular day, she was going to play with a gun again
like she's done so many times before, and she rapid fired it in the top of his head. It's a complete accident.
>> He'll argue that based partly on the words of Elmer Fud, >> "No more bullets."
>> Linda thought the 38 revolver was empty. >> Did you ever consider the possibility
that this what we'll call a Bugs Bunny defense, for lack of a better term, could be true.
0% chance it's true. Deputy District Attorney Robert Villa says in 27 years on the job, he's never seen a defense
rely, even partly, on a cartoon. >> Bugs is having a conversation with uh Daffy Duck and Elmer Fud.
>> Watching a prosecutor parrot a bunny was a first for us, too. But an official
transcript of the cartoon [clears throat] had to be made. >> What do you know? No more bullets.
And then Bugs Bunny says, "No more bullets." As they're having this conversation, just as she went to
fanfire the gun, he laid down and put his own head right in front of them of the gun. So ridiculous.
>> You know, and I know that strange things do happen. >> Strange things happen. This wasn't one
of them. He was asleep. She shot him in the head twice. >> It was that simple. Open and shut.
>> For me, it was. >> But it wasn't so simple for the jury. Over two weeks, they heard three
recordings of Linda telling authorities about cartoon rabbits and cowboy fanfiring. They also heard days of
testimony from dueling experts about whether Linda's explanation made any sense at all. It was a lot for the jury
to consider. It >> It was difficult. You know, for every expert, there's another one who can tell
you a different story. The defense questioned whether prosecution expert witness Paul Delhau,
>> she would have been getting jets of blood hitting her, >> was really an expert at all. The jurors
deliberated for a day, but could not reach a verdict. >> Very few of us thought the intent was
there. So, how do you convict somebody when it could have happened exactly the way she explained it?
>> With a deadlock jury, the judge had no choice. He had to declare a mistrial. So, you will be discharged on this case.
>> It sends a clear message that the jury wasn't willing to convict on murder. >> Were you disappointed?
>> I'm always disappointed when there's no verdict because that means I have to do
it again. >> And roughly one year later, with Linda having remained in jail, >> good morning everybody.
>> Villa was doing it again. This time his case will be very different. He laid down on the couch,
>> streamlined and simple. >> His wife came up to him, put a gun between 1 and seven in from his head,
and pulled the trigger. Some time went by, she pulled the trigger again. >> He says that Duffy's marriage was
strained. And she thought she might have to take care of her ailing husband. >> She's like, I'm not going to wait on
this guy for the rest of his life. This was a premeditated and deliberate murder. For his opening arguments,
defense attorney Joseph Lowe brings his own sofa to present this as a simple case.
>> No motive, no intent, no crime. Pat was her best friend and she was his. One of the things they'd
love to do is to watch cartoons together. They're kind of goofy. >> But there are many aspects to this trial
that are, if you will, offbeat. Only one of you asked the clerk about how these cameras work. Well, they're only on me.
>> Judge John Tibio has a reputation for lightening the atmosphere for the jury.
>> I'm the star, so don't worry. >> But things quickly get serious. >> When the DA takes them back to the
moment right after Linda Duffy shot her husband. >> My husband was going to go to anyway, so
he had to do it again. I shot him. It's hard to make out some of the words because she just she can't even talk.
>> I thought that's what >> she sounds terrified and frantic to me. >> What does she sound like to you?
>> She sounds like someone who is acting. >> May I use the firearm to demonstrate?
>> Just aim it at the jury. Tracy Peek tells the jury, "Linda had to pull the trigger on this gun twice
to get two bullets to fire. >> If I do not release the trigger, the cylinder will not advance."
>> The big surprise in this trial is what prosecutor Bob Villa leaves out. >> I'd have people's 1 through35 be
admitted to evidence and with that I rest. >> I arrested my case after basically 2 and
1/2 days. Unlike the first trial, there is very little dense forensic testimony about blood stains. And most crucially,
>> your last name is Duffy. >> He does not introduce Linda's taped interviews with police where she first
discussed >> Bugs Bunny. >> Bugs Bunny. >> There was no need for Bugs Bunny. >> No need unless she took the stand. Villa
has thrown defense attorney Joseph Lowe a curveball since the defense isn't allowed to introduce the interrogations
unless the state does first. The only way jurors will hear Linda Duffy's side of the story is if she takes the stand
and exposes herself to crossexamination. >> Were you hoping she would take the stand?
>> Absolutely. >> Were you ready? >> Absolutely. Low begins his defense [music] with a good offense. His first
witness is the detective who at first did not think Linda was a murder. >> When you're done asking your questions,
you allowed Mrs. Duffy to go home. >> Correct. >> Talking to her was very convincing to
me. She was eccentric and how could she harm anybody? Sir, you would not let somebody who you thought had just
committed a murder go back out on the street if you had the power of arrest. Isn't that correct?
>> Relevance sustained. >> That night, I liked her. >> As the investigation went on, I liked
her a lot less. >> Lo tries to paint a sympathetic picture of Linda. >> Sir, how you feeling right now? A
>> little nervous. >> By calling her sons Shawn and Thomas. >> She's a very emotional, caring person.
>> We were always really happy. They like cartoons a lot. They were always making
funny jokes to each other and always poke fun of each other and stuff. >> The defense has a very big decision to
make. Will Linda take the stand herself? >> And if she took the stand, we were going
to hear all about Bugs Bunny. >> Miss Guad, do you wish to testify? >> No, sir. Linda has decided not to take
the stand. So her lawyer worries the jury will hear nothing about fanfiring. And then he comes up with an idea.
>> So I'd like to refer to court and council page five of the 911 transcript. >> He finds a [snorts] reference to it in
the 911 tape prosecutors have already introduced. >> A long time ago, he showed me how to
pull the thing back on top of the gun and pull the trigger real fast. So low is allowed to call firearms expert Lance
Martini, who says fanfiring a double-action gun like Linda claims she did is not so far-fetched after all.
>> This can be done. It's not overly common, but it certainly can be done. >> Sir, is it humanly possible to shoot
more than one round in less than a second? Doubleaction mode. >> Yes, it is. >> There's no way. Absolutely no way it
happened that way. This was an execution. These jurors never got to see any cartoons, but they did see one
animation produced by the prosecutor. It is no laughing matter. It attempts to answer a deadly serious question. What
happened to Patrick Duffy? >> He's asleep watching television. >> The video doesn't leave much to the
imagination. Although the defense in closing arguments says it and the rest of the state's case are all a fantasy.
>> She accidentally shot her husband. >> It ain't right. And it's not fair to guess somebody into a conviction. Guess
somebody into a concrete tomb. >> It all comes down to whether it's one word or two from the jury.
>> Correct. >> Guilty or not guilty. >> [music] >> Jury's present, council and defendant
are present, and you've reached a verdict or verdict. >> Yes. >> Would you please?
>> It's been a long road now nearly 7 years since Patrick Duffy died and one year
after a jury deadlocked in his wife's first murder trial. This time, the jury comes back in just over 24 hours. We the
jury the above entitled action find the defendant Linda Dorin Guads guilty of the crime of seconddegree murder of
Patrick Albert Duffy in violation of section 187. >> The guilty verdict floors Linda.
>> It hits her lawyer hard too. For his part, the prosecutor is more relieved than anything else.
>> I'm pleased uh that I don't have to try it a third time. You saw the way she reacted?
>> Yes. I've always thought she was an actress, so that was that was her moment.
>> Honestly, that's the first time I saw her really cry. >> Patrick Duffy's sister, Catherine, has
waited years for this day. >> She didn't get away with murdering my brother. >> When it comes time to sentence Linda,
three months later, it's her last chance to address the court. and she speaks. >> I wanted to let all of you know
how grieved I feel most of all to Patrick and my beautiful son shot and Thomas because you lost such a loving wonderful
father. >> Her sons try their best to ask for leniency. if there's anything you can do
to to help out with my family and that's all I can ask. Believe she's innocent and I will till the day I die.
>> Linda's second husband, Larry Guats, also appeals to the judge >> to assert that this was a premeditated
purposeful act. I'm sorry. It's unacceptable to me. >> Look at these two people beautifully in
love. Why? Because she's a wonderful human being who doesn't deserve this. >> But the judge doesn't have much leeway.
In this particular instance, the law mandates 40 to life. My oath requires that I impose that.
>> I was like, you did this to yourself. >> We found it curious that one jury could
not agree on a verdict at all and a second convicted Linda in a day. It is ironic, but in these two trials, it is
apparently true that in the case against Linda Duffy Guats, less is more. >> If I remember correctly,
>> we sat down with jurors from both trials to see why one jury quickly reached a
verdict. >> Andrew Dixon, murder in the second. >> Danielle Wong, seconddegree murder,
>> while the other never did. >> Brandy Jones, not guilty. Pamela Enriquez, murder in the second.
>> Where's the gun? 1 to seven. >> Remember, the jury that convicted Linda only heard the bare bones prosecution.
>> Makes this impossible to happen the way she says. >> Very little about fanfiring or cartoons.
>> They heard a lot more than you heard. >> And we can only make the decision based
off of the evidence that we heard. The jurors from both trials, the ones who heard the long story and the ones who
heard it made short, sat around our table and pondered. While less may be more, >> is it enough?
>> And you're putting a woman away for the rest of her life. So, present everything. I I think I really have to
agree with Brandy. Maybe all the evidence should be presented. >> Did you know she gave an interview to
the police? >> We >> would you have liked to? I I would have loved to hear what she had to say. Um
would that have changed my decision? Don't know. Possibly. >> If you had heard everything, do you
think it would have affected the deliberations? >> Absolutely. >> And even though they made their
decision, some of the jurors who convicted Linda still have questions. >> Did it bother you that they never said
exactly why she did it? >> Um yeah, it did. >> How'd you get over that? I'm not over
it. I still want to know. >> When I heard the guilty verdict, I said, "Yay! Justice is finally served."
>> Julie Prrengast has no doubt the second jury did the right thing by finding her
former friend guilty. And she wonders how Linda's life, which was once so happy, became so tragic.
>> I'm sad for everyone involved. Those two boys lost their father and now they're
losing their mother. It's a tragic story in every way you can think about it. >> I can only describe it as evil,
something horrible. >> From 48 hours, this is trained to kill the dog trainer, the ays, and the
bodyguard. >> He [music] couldn't control his obsession. >> Who was the hunter and who was the
hunted? Follow and listen on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
[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 [music] beautiful, wonderful. I have three wonderful kids. Was married to a
beautiful lady. >> Hi guys, my name is Lulu. >> My business was booming. >> And I'm Ramos Sosa, head [music] coach
boxing. >> Welcome to Boxing 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. >> It was a very, very low-key kind of guy.
That's the furthest 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 caught 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 was 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 dig site. >> This is the actual grave where I was
supposed to be dead. They had me lay down with my hands behind my back, my head turned. It was a photographer.
All I could hear was just the clicking of the camera. >> That was somebody's [music]
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 thought 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 boxing [music]
gym in Houston. And he had found the love of his life, Lulu. >> Life was very sweet.
Beth Blair is a friend of the Sosas. >> I saw two fun, outgoing, loved to party,
love to get together with people and have barbecues, and the more people the marrier.
[music] >> Raone's zest for life started early. He was born with a fighting spirit.
Originally from Karolina, Puerto Rico, Ramon grew up boxing with his father. >> I fell in love with the sport of boxing.
I saw how the training and and there was a few world champions that trained there
and and I just loved it from from the [music] time I I was little. >> After training for more than 10 years,
Ramon took a shot at the pro boxing circuit. [bell] >> They used to call me uh the Puerto Rican
Express. When I turned 17, I turned pro. >> So, did you ever knock anybody out in
the ring? >> Oh, yeah. There was a lot of knockouts. >> Eventually, the Puerto Rican Express ran
out of steam. Ramon 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 wanted
to be involved with boxing in some kind of way. >> Ramon got married young and had three
children with his first wife. He eventually settled down in Houston, Texas, where he opened a [music] boxing
gym of his own where he could continue to teach his passion. I think Ramon is a 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. >> [laughter] >> So, who is the better fighter? You or
Ramon? >> Wow. Records speak speak for themselves. Just look at look it up. Look it up.
[laughter] >> Ramon's first marriage ended in 2000. By 2007, [music] Ramon, 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 said, "Hey, man.
There's a place where they play live music. I heard there's a lot of beautiful ladies out there, Latina
ladies. >> [music] >> Raone 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
on 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 [music] just kept my eye on her. >> The woman he noticed was Lulu Durant.
>> [music] >> 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 [music]
connection. >> And that was it. I mean, as soon as we started dancing, we didn't get off the
dance floor for the whole night. >> Ramon still remembers the very [music] first song they danced to, a popular
Latin tune that the salsa band played that night. It would become their song. >> Bruheria is a song by Elran Puerto Rico.
>> And it means what? >> Witchcraft. [music] >> 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 doted on him. She was great.
>> Beth had a ringside seat to their relationship. >> She'd bring him coffee and get up every
morning with him and make his breakfast and I was just thought it was really neat their relationship. You know, they
got along really well. >> They looked a very very happy couple. They would compliment each other. They
were into each other. >> After less than a year of dating, [music] Ramon dropped to one knee.
>> I proposed to her. It was around Christmas time. I remember proposing to her. She started crying. She cried and
cried and cried, you [music] know, and she was happy, you know, and but she couldn't wait to get married.
>> Lulu Durant became Lulu Sosa on March 15th, 2009. >> She treated me well. She treated him
like a king. [music] >> 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 me. I'd
always be careful to say, "I don't like that." Because she'd end up giving it to
me. >> In 2010, Ramon opened a second gym. This time, Lulu was by his side. She kept the books and became a personal
trainer. >> We offer boxing, kickboxing, and fitness training. >> Come check us out.
>> How big of operation was it? The gym was about 5,000 square feet and we average
about 200 some members a month. Everything was great. >> Little did Ramon know he would soon be
in the fight of his life. [music] All right. >> What was it like growing up Sosa?
>> Oh my gosh, it was like being a superstar almost because [music] everyone knows my dad.
Everyone knows who my dad is. >> For Ramon's daughter, Mia, a former model and beauty pageant contestant, and
her [music] 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 [music] like that. >> Lots of blended families experience
growing pains. But Mia says life after Lulu arrived. >> Hi, my name is Ramos Sosa.
>> 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 [music] at some
point we weren't really going to be in her picture. >> What's more, the spell Lulu seemed to
cast over Raone started to eat away at his relationship with his own children. >> She didn't like him spending [music]
money on his kids and seeing them. >> 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 [music] 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 [music] in his life. >> My kids didn't go to my wedding. That's
one thing that's 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 [music] their gym into a
powerhouse for world class training and fitness. >> How much money were you guys making a
month or a year? >> It was probably about over 18 20,000 a month. >> 18 $20,000 a month in profit.
>> Yeah. >> 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. >> And accusations of Ramon's laziness were just the beginning.
>> And she said on an occasion or two that he was physical with her, that he had
come in drinking and was physical with her. [music] >> 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. >> Uh-huh. >> Did she ever tell you [music] that Ramon
would force himself upon her and force her to have sex with him [music] 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 hands have never hitten a woman in my in their lives. These have always been for
fighting in the ring, not even the streets. Not even in the streets. For her to say something like that, that was
really hurtful. >> Around the same [music] time that Lulu was complaining to her girlfriends,
Ramon 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 a lot more and I
see new faces all the time. But when I see the bottom line here, it's not adding up.
>> Are you worried [music] 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 Hoglar. >> Lulu was in fear for her safety. >> Hoglar 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 [music] hours. >> According to Lulu, this was caused by
Rammon at one time when he wanted to force himself to her and there was a altercation and [music]
Rammon grabbed her and >> Can I see him? >> Scratched her. Yeah. That is evident that he was using force
to push her legs out. >> There's scratches on her upper arm and she claims there's a bruise on her leg
that you inflicted on her. >> Those are all fabricated. I 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, Rammon punched that door and that can give you an idea of the strength of this man.
That admits to that punch. She was accusing me of stuff and that's one thing I did. I took my frustrations out,
but as far as putting a hand 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. [music] >> 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 [music] Mundo. >> Ramos Sosa. He's a friend. He's a very good mentor
to me. [music] >> 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 a 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 of the conversation whose name came up.
>> Did they mention Ramon? >> Yes. Stunned, Mundo [music] 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. I'm tired of him. It's already [music] 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?" Disappear.
And I did the pistol sign. [music] [bell] Mundo was certain that Lulu had murder
on her mind and that his [music] friend Raone was in danger. >> And what was it about the way she was
talking to you that made you think this was something [music] more than just idle words?
>> Her eyes. Just her eyes. I've seen that look before. Just people that [music]
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 [music] called as soon as he left the gym. and he tells
me, "Lu 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 >> 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 needed 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 going to use. >> Using his street smarts, Mundo would
pretend to hire a hitman. [music] 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.
>> Raone and Mundo bought two disposable [music] cell phones. Little did Lulu know that the target, her own husband,
was holding that second phone. [music] >> 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, Mia 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.
Yeah. 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? You know, Ramon ends up dead or
what if her patient runs out and I end up dead? Raone told no one about what he and Mundo were up to and living in
[music] fear over what Lulu might be up 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. >> Raone could not even escape his fear at night.
>> And you're in bed. Where's the gun? Uh >> you underneath my pillow. loaded. >> So Mundo kept the pretend negotiations
on track. >> We used 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." [music] >> 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. >> Lulu's defense attorney [music] says there was an argument between Lulu's son
and Raone over a truck which Lulu's [music] 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. Rammon
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 punched him on his face.
>> Ramon, please step out of my car. >> Ramon 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. >> Raone, 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 orders that I was abusive, that I hit her son, that
they're fear for their lives, you know, living [music] 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, [music] the one he'd opened before meeting her. Ramon says he kept his eye on the bigger prize, [music]
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, texts Mundo. He's gotten a 9 mm
gun costing $200. >> When Mundo received the down payment for the gun to have me killed from Lulu,
that's when I said, "You [music] 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 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 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 >> It was important that we not change the investigation. We not change or move
Mundo out of the situation because that might bring alarms. >> Mundo kept stringing Lulu along,
assuring her he was trying to get [music] things done as soon as possible. Finally, he let her know everything is
[music] 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, 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 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 claims of Ramon's abuse.
>> Lulu has never had any problems with the law. She's a beautiful lady, mother. You
know, 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 Raone. The police sting to bring down Lulu seemed to be taking a cue from
witchcraft. the first song they ever danced 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 dumbruck, but then as it was
explained to him, he was well on board. >> In order to get Raone camera ready, >> it is a bullet wound.
>> Police first had to consult some experts. >> Being a bunch of middle-aged men, we
don't, you know, we're not exactly versed on applying makeup. 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 Dave 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 at >> and they showed you that picture. >> Yeah, I was horrified. >> Next, they had to find Raone a grave.
We're heading to to what we refer to as the dig site. 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 going to put more blood on me. >> This is it. My own's final resting place. [music]
>> So, where were you lying in this grave? >> My head was there in that corner right
there. 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. [music] >> It looked like a movie scene, honestly.
>> Was it emotional for you to be in here? >> Yes, very emotional. [music] It was hot.
It was uh scary. It was It was just a feeling of of thoughts of, [music] 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 this same parking lot. But this time it was all
caught on camera. >> It's July 22nd, 2015. Lulu then pays him. Um, >> Lulu is shown the photo of Ramon dead in
a 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 >> the undercover detective and Lulu discuss the remaining payment. All told,
$3,000 in cash, watches, and jewelry, and [music] Ramon's white pickup. Then, Lulu is
given more details of her husband's final moments. Lulu 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 me if I was dead, if I was not
going to get up. >> Like a joke. >> Yeah. She 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 in 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, this was >> okay. Detective Martinez with the council's office. >> Police make it seem like they're
stopping in to do a wellness check on Raone. >> Somewhere we can talk in private.
>> Sure. >> Apparently, Mr. just hasn't been to work today. >> Lulu claims she has no idea where Ramon
might be. >> I haven't seen him. I haven't talked to him. We're going through the board.
>> When's the last time you you saw Mr. >> We saw him on Wednesday 15? The last day.
>> That's the last time you saw. >> That's the last time I saw him. My mom and my daughter.
>> Lulu seems pretty relaxed. She does. >> 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 this picture, she was all happy. She was
all giggles and happy that she see me dead and now she was acting concerned in front of the cops.
>> So he hasn't contacted leaders in the last room? >> No. No, >> she has. >> Police let Lulu's performance go on a
few minutes longer, then lower the boom. Okay, Miss Oza, stand up, please. You're
under arrest. >> You're under arrest. Why? >> Back at the constable's office, Lulu is
already taking issue with how she was arrested. >> She's saying that we're supposed to read
her right before we put her hand in. Prior to her interview, Lulu is read her rights and refuses to speak without a
lawyer. [music] Lulu is charged with solicitation of capital murder. It's an injustice, says
her divorce lawyer, Julio Hoglar. I think that Rammon Sosa 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 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 [music] sadness. All the emotions came through me.
>> Okay, Miss Oza, stand up, please. You're under arrest. >> You're under arrest.
>> Why? >> Following Lulu's arrest on July 23rd, 2015, Ramon 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.
You can just feel something was [music] wrong. >> Mia's brother handed her the phone. Her
father was on the line. >> And he says [music] 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 [music] 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 [music]
his reputation. That was what 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 son. That's how psych this person was.
>> Still, would Lulu use these allegations as part of her own defense? [music] 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. Raone, please step
out of my car. >> Was dismissed [music] >> and Lulu agreed to a divorce settlement
that handed [music] 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 [music] pleaded
guilty to a reduced charge of seconddegree solicitation of murder, avoiding trial and a possible life
[music] 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 [music] 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 Hoglar. Because >> because nobody got to hear her sight.
Many times I saw her crying. I felt her desperation. >> 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 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's telling me I was something else.
Prove everybody wrong. So, you could do the same. >> Today, Ramon 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 it killed me to make sure to take my watch. That's what
I wear all the time. Now, >> I think she ended up [music] 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
her plan, too. [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I've handled hundreds [music] of
firearms through the course of daily casework. The majority are handgun types and then
[music] we see a fair amount of semi-automatic rifles and a variety of shotguns.
Detectives Laren and McCarthy presented this case to the firearms unit. They had a woman who had accidentally
shot her husband with a revolver. Tell me what this gun is. >> This is the same make and model of
firearm that was recovered from the Duffy residence. >> When I first walked in, sun [snorts] was
coming through the sliding glass door. It just looked very peaceful until I walked in and saw Mr. Duffy laying on
the couch. >> There was a lot of blood on the carpet and there was some blood on the wall,
lots of blood. But based on what I was being told about her, middle class, educated woman, she didn't fit the
profile of a murderer, this could be an accident. She's eccentric and quirky. She gives that impression the minute you
meet her. >> She was very entertaining and very funny. Love to laugh. You either really
really liked Linda or you really thought, "Wow, she cannot be trusted." >> I've investigated well over a hundred
murders. >> Sorry, Linda. Okay. I was very anxious to hear how this accident happened.
>> You have to understand Pat and I joke around a lot with each other. >> She said, "We have this thing that we
always do. We morph into cartoon characters." And >> they they what? >> They morph into cartoon characters.
>> What's up, Jack? >> There was a Bugs Bunny cartoon [music] with Elmer Fud and he does this silly
little Elmer Fud voice. No more bullets. >> No more bullets. >> And she said she began to talk to him in
her Elmer Fud voice. No more bullets. >> And she said she wanted to impress him and she walked over and picked the gun
up. >> No more bullets. No more bullets. >> He told me there was no bullets in the
gun. >> Well, I don't believe she could have fired it in the manner she said she did.
>> An right there. >> I wanted to believe her story. >> It's not a a believable story.
>> I had that gut feeling there was something more sinister. >> [music] >> This is the matter of Linda Guad. She is
present before the court. Both council are present. 7 years after she shot her husband in their suburban living room,
[music] Linda Duffy Guats is in a Los Angeles County court denying as strongly as she can that she is a murderess.
>> This was a horrible accident. And I wish and pray constantly that I could be able to take away your
pain, but I can't. >> This case is not a who done it. It's more of a why' she do it. Linda admits
she shot her husband Patrick Duffy in 2007, but she says it was an awful and unlikely accident. She's had to convince
authorities that fact can be stranger than fiction. Because her legal defense has featured, among other things, a cast
of cartoon characters. >> Here, let me see that sling. Her lawyer has used the words of Bugs Bunny and
Elmer Fud to explain her actions as he insisted she is innocent. >> We're going to ask you to tell us what
happened today. >> Linda talked to police voluntarily and without a lawyer just hours after the
shooting. It was it was pointed down [snorts] and the next thing I know he his hand was right there
just laying there. >> Well, let's go by the house. >> Sean McCarthy and Shannon Lren have been
homicide detectives for the LA County Sheriff's Department for 13 years. Forgive the cliche, but they really did
think they'd pretty much seen it all. >> Here's the house right here. >> And then on April 26th, 2007, they got a
call about a shooting at the Duffy's house in suburban Whittier. >> Stop shooting my accident.
Your help. >> Okay, stay on the line with me, ma'am. >> This is the couch that that you saw in
the living room. >> Yes. >> Yes. Mr. Duffy was right here. >> McCarthy and Lahren found Patrick Duffy
dead on the couch. His left hand was in his pocket >> and his right knee was being supported
by a pillow. Very comfortable, relaxed. >> There was blood pulled on the floor and
splattered on the wall. >> And it was a pretty goodiz blood puddle right in here.
>> Clearly, he had a gunshot wound to the head. The couple's two teenage sons, Shawn and
Thomas, were at school, so Linda was the only surviving witness. And Detective Lahren, had a funny feeling.
>> It looked like he'd been sleeping on the couch, and somebody walked up and shot
him in his sleep. >> What did you think? >> I was leaning that this was an accident.
>> Detective McCarthy has been investigating homicide cases for about 13 years and knows how to spot even the
tiniest clues. He saw very little here that made him suspicious. >> Do you guys disagree frequently on
cases? >> I disagree with all of my partners on every case. >> Well, so how does that work?
>> I I think we kind of wait until we have more information. I wanted to hear her
story. >> She [music] was very entertaining. Loved to tell stories. >> Julie Prendergast has been listening
[music] to Linda's stories since they first became friends in a college music program in the 80s. She said, "Well,
actually, I'm from um Ireland." And she started talking with what I thought was a pretty phony accent. [music]
That was my first indication that Linda was a little bit different. >> Julie says, "Linda could be irreverent,
even goofy." >> I would say, "Linda, I'm going to tell you something and you're going to want
to laugh, but we're in class right now, so don't laugh out loud." And it would just pop out. Anyway,
>> after they left school, Julie and Linda ended up working at the same place. And
one day, Julie says, "Linda called with some news." >> She said, "I'm I'm so excited. I'm
getting married and I'd like you to be in [music] my wedding." >> The groom was a man Linda had met four
years earlier. Patrick Duffy, a radio engineer, gun enthusiast, and private pilot.
>> She just said it was like her dream come true, and she couldn't [music] be happier. They seemed happy as a family.
They understood each other. Patrick's sister, Katherine Hunt, says Patrick and Linda were soulmates and playmates.
>> They were kidding with each other, joking with each other. >> We're just always just joking around
with each other and being silly and having a good time. >> And it was that silliness that became a
cornerstone of Linda's story when she explained to police what happened the day she killed her husband. Then I came
into the family room [music] and he was sitting on the the sofa. >> She said they had just come back from a
doctor's appointment. Patrick had chronic circulation problems. Linda said he'd been planning to go to the shooting
range. His 38, one of three revolvers he kept in the house, was nearby. >> We keep it in this little locked box.
Linda told police she usually stayed away from the guns, but that day she picked up the 38.
>> And the story got stranger as it went on. >> We do this little silly thing. We always
kind of relate little silly conversations to like cartoons that we've seen when we were younger and
stuff. And he does this silly little Elmer Fud voice. No more bullets. >> And she claimed she said to him, "No
more bullets in Elmer Fud's voice. >> No more bullets." >> And she said his response was, "No more
bullets. No [snorts] more bullets. >> She said it was a game they played all the time and that when her husband said
no more bullets in his Elmer Fud voice. She took it to mean the gun was empty and that it was safe to try something,
Patrick had taught her. >> She said that she then wanted to impress him by showing him she can shoot it
cowboy style. >> It's called fanfiring and any fan of westerns knows it. You hold the trigger
down and keep pulling back the hammer so the gun fires quickly. >> Well, you told me there was no bullets
in the gun. >> She says once she started fanfiring, she couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting
her husband who leaned into the line of fire >> and the next thing I know [gasps] he his
hand was right there. the statement about the fan firing, it just didn't sound right.
>> But his partner, Detective Shawn McCarthy, who had heard his share of crazy explanations from suspected
killers, listened to that panicked 911 tape, listened to Linda's story and concluded the story was just wacky
enough to be true. The overwhelming feeling that I got from her was she was odd at best and eccentric at worst.
>> After they interviewed Linda for an hour, they let her go home. >> And when you left work that day, did you
have in your mind that she was a suspect? >> No. >> His gut told him Linda was innocent, but
he'd need more. He'd need science. The muzzle of the firearm was between a distance of 1 and 7 in from his head.
When he first studied the scene where Linda Duffy killed her husband, Detective Sha McCarthy was pretty sure
it was an accident. He believed her story that she had reenacted their favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon.
>> No more bullets. >> No more bullets. >> And then fanfired the gun. And when he
talked to Linda later that day, >> start with when you got up this morning. >> She said nothing that made him doubt
her. >> Not your fault. >> It is my fault. >> No, it's not your fault. It's just it's it's just that we need to
understand. >> Laren and McCarthy were beginning to understand more about what happened
inside the Duffy home, especially after they talked to the medical examiner who had just done an autopsy on Patrick
Duffy. >> There was a second gunshot wound. Linda Duffy claimed this was an accident, but she had shot her husband
in the head, not once, but twice. And believe it or not, even seasoned investigators can miss that kind of clue
at the crime scene. >> You could not see the second gunshot wound. >> Well, because of uh dried blood and and
the amount of blood and coagulated blood, we weren't privy to the second gunshot wound.
>> What did you make of that? Well, it certainly was a red flag. >> But it was not just a red flag for
McCarthy's partner, Shannon Lahren. It was more like a bright red arrow pointing right at Linda Duffy.
>> There was so many highly improbable events that would have had to have all lined up for this to actually have been
an accident. They didn't line up. >> Still, Shawn McCarthy was not convinced. Why didn't you just say this has got to
be murder? >> Because I needed to be convinced myself that this was murder. >> The last thing in the world I want to do
is send an innocent person to prison for the rest of their lives. >> It wasn't enough for McCarthy to know
what happened. He wanted to know why it happened. >> We struggled to find a compelling
motive. And we looked and we looked and we looked, >> but they couldn't really find one. The
Duffies seem to be an average middle-class family living here in the LA suburbs. There was a life insurance
policy on Patrick, but they'd bought that decades earlier. Plus, there was no evidence of cheating. And considering
her eccentric personality, Detective McCarthy could not just dismiss Linda's story.
>> Okay, maybe this could have happened the way she said cuz she's so quirky and
eccentric. But it was about to get a little harder for McCarthy to believe Linda's story
because of Tracy Peek, the firearms expert for the sheriff's department who was brought into the case
by McCarthy and Lahren. Remember, according to Linda, she fired the way they did in the movies.
It is possible to do that pretty easily with the right kind of gun. >> This is the kind of gun that you can
fanfire. Right. >> Correct. So, this is a a singleaction revolver. This type of firearm is fired
by cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger. >> The guns they used in the cowboy movies
were singleaction guns. You can easily keep firing quickly by pulling and releasing the hammer
while the trigger is held back. >> When the hammer is fanned, the cylinder will rotate with this type of gun. So,
it will fire the cartridges in the chambers of the cylinder as it's being fanned.
>> The Duffy's had two singleaction revolvers in the house, but the gun Linda used to shoot her husband was not
one of them. It is a doubleaction revolver and there's a big difference. >> The shooter simply pulls the trigger
which accomplishes both cocking the hammer and releasing the hammer and the gun will fire.
>> To rapid fire a doubleaction revolver, the shooter has to do all sorts of things at the right time and in the
right sequence. >> Is this gun designed to be fired that way? >> No. For the purposes of this case, I
essentially invented a way in which I would conceivably fan this. Uh, and that included pulling the trigger,
releasing the trigger, fanning the hammer, pulling the trigger, releasing the trigger, and fanning the hammer, but
doing it pretty quickly. >> And PC says it's very hard to aim while doing all that. She says the unexpected
deafening noise of the gun and the recoil would have alarmed Linda if she didn't know the gun was loaded.
According to Peek, it would have been next to impossible for Linda, who claims to be an amateur, to shoot her husband
twice rapidly by accident, especially since the wounds were so close together. >> I don't find it a very believable story.
I still wanted to believe her, but it clearly couldn't have gone down the way that she said that it went down.
>> By now, Detective McCarthy was all but certain that Patrick Duffy's death was
no accident. But the two detectives felt they didn't have enough to prove it. Because of a heavy workload, it took two
years. But in January 2009, McCarthy and Len brought Linda back in for another chat. The video wasn't working, but you
can still hear their conversation. >> He showed me how to do it really fast because you got to do it like the
cowboys. >> Well, in the second interview, I think we were both convinced that this was a
murder. >> They showed her a video of Tracy Peek fanfiring the gun. I think she was
certainly surprised when we explained to her how difficult it would be. I could tell the light bulb went on in her brain
and she said, "I got to at least change the story a little bit." >> Linda now said she and her husband had
practiced fanfiring with an unloaded revolver for years. >> Like, yeah, like 15, 20 times. I'm fine.
>> Did you believe her this time? >> No. But the detectives wanted to give Linda one last chance to show them how
she fired the gun. And they made her an unusual offer. >> Meet us at the range. We'll bring an
exact replica and show us that you can fire this gun in the manner that you said.
>> The detectives were certain Linda would not kill again. So they let her go home
again and waited to hear from her about their offer. Days turned into weeks and then months
and life went on at the homicide bureau. >> We change partners and when that happens, you start getting new cases and
other cases start falling to the wayside. >> As the years passed, Linda might have
thought she was off the hook, but her past was about to catch up with her. The district attorney said, "I'm going to
file this case and you need to go get her." >> [music] >> With no news for nearly 5 years, Patrick
Duffy's brother, John, and sister, Catherine Hunt, thought the police had decided his death was an accident and
had closed the investigation. But Catherine says she had a hard time believing what Linda told her when she
called on that awful day. She was incoherent and I said, "Um, what happened?" He was cleaning his gun
and it accidentally went off. >> Linda had told the police that she had shot Patrick by accident, but later that
night she told his siblings he'd shot himself. >> Could you picture him having that kind
of an accident? >> No, absolutely not. We were raised with guns >> and we were taught to empty our weapons
before even entering the house. And that was like the number one rule. >> It was hard to believe that he had done
something like that. >> And Katherine learned she was right the day after Pat died when she met Linda at
the funeral home. >> I said, "Where was he shot?" And she went like this. Just like that. That's
when it hit me that he didn't shoot himself. I said, "So, tell me what really happened."
She said, "Oh, you're going to hate me. You're going to hate me. You're going to
hate me." I said, "No, I'm not going to hate you, but I need to know what the truth is."
And I said, "Did you shoot my brother in the head?" And she said, "Yes." >> It was there in the funeral home where
Katherine first heard the tale of Elmer Fud. Pat had told her no bullets like no
bullets like like Daffy Duck and Elmer Fud because they would talk in cartoon characters sometimes. She thought the
gun wasn't loaded and it went off. I couldn't quite understand why she had lied. If it was an accident,
it was an accident. But she had lied to us. >> But the police still had to prove she
had lied to them about why she shot him. Detectives had interrogated her twice and released her twice. The second time
they let her go, they'd made that unusual offer to meet her at the firing range.
>> We even told her, "It can be at your convenience." >> They weren't shocked when they didn't
hear back from her. And several months later, they stopped by the Duffy's house and saw a for sale sign. Her sons were
home. >> They said she's on her honeymoon in Italy. Two years after the shooting,
Linda Duffy was Linda Guats, newly married to Lawrence Guats, who anyone in the saxophone world knows is a worldass
player. >> When we Googled him, he was playing in Carnegie Hall. >> And once again, when wedding bells rang,
so did Julie Prendergast's phone. >> She asked me what I sing in that wedding. And I said, "What? Linda, I'm
not coming to your wedding. Something's not right surrounding the death of Patrick."
>> Julie says she was uneasy with how Linda just moved on. >> She dyed her hair blonde. She was
wearing different style of clothes. She seemed to be walking on air on clouds like, "Oh, just as happy as can be."
>> A year after shooting her first husband, Linda met Guats online. She moved to
Mississippi where her new husband was a music professor. She was out of sight, but for detectives Laren and McCarthy,
she was not out of mind. >> Did you forget about this case? Was there a period of time where
>> Oh, no. Absolutely not. >> When their workload with their new partners permitted, McCarthy and Lren
each turned their attention back to Linda. They wanted to take a new look at the
blood evidence with a new expert, Paul Delhau. He studied the photos and police reports and concluded Linda had to be
lying. Based on her statements, police believed Linda was claiming that she had fired quickly and from the same spot.
>> She moved and the relative position of the gun to the head changed. >> We are standing next to the couch on
which Patrick Duffy died. Delhauser said the blood evidence told him a lot, especially these tiny stains on Linda's
clothing and the walls called spatter, which he says came from the first shot. >> The barrel has to be within about 3 in
of the head in order to produce the spatter. >> Delhauser says the second shot created a
large pool of blood on the floor in the exact spot where Linda said she was standing. She would have been getting
jets of blood um hitting her. >> Linda Duffy have any blood on her? >> Very little. Yeah.
>> Very, very little. >> Police thought they now had proof that Linda was lying. She didn't have enough
blood on her after the shooting to support her story. Laren and McCarthy thought they knew what really happened.
She took aim, fired one round while he was sleeping, realized he wasn't dead, comes back on target, fires the second
round, and that's why they're within 2 in of each other. >> They believe Patrick's death wasn't an
accident, it was an execution. By 2012, the new prosecutor assigned to the case was eager to move ahead, and
police began talking to Linda's co-workers. Boy, that was very revealing when they consistently talked about how
she was so charming, but then as time went on, they started finding out that she was this compulsive liar.
>> And Julie Prenergast had a few stories to tell about her one-time friend's record when it comes to telling the
truth. >> We all have one gallbladder. Linda had hers removed three times. Linda just
always needed seemed to want to have attention. >> It was enough for McCarthy. >> I became absolutely convinced that we
need to prosecute her. >> So finally in May 2012, 5 years after Patrick Duffy's death, Detective
McCarthy flew to Mississippi where Linda and her new husband were living in a comfortable home and she had gotten a
job at the university. You knock on the door. What's her reaction? >> Her reaction was, "I thought the
investigation was all over." >> The investigation wasn't over. McCarthy arrested Linda Duffy Guats for murder,
and everyone was in for some surprises. It's been six years since Linda Duffy shot her husband to death and she
thought she was going on with her life with a new husband, a new house, a new look, and a new town. But now she's
going on trial for murder. >> Tuesday, her freedom came to an end. and Joseph Lowe is her attorney.
>> Unfortunately, on this particular day, she was going to play with a gun again
like she's done so many times before and she rapid fired it in the top of his head. It's a complete accident.
>> He'll argue that based partly on the words of Elmer Fud, >> "No more bullets."
>> Linda thought the 38 revolver was empty. >> Did you ever consider the possibility
that this what we'll call a Bugs Bunny defense, for lack of a better term, could be true?
0% chance it's true. >> Deputy District Attorney Robert Villa says in 27 years on the job, he's never
seen a defense rely even partly on a cartoon. >> Bugs is having a conversation with uh
Daffy Duck and Elmer Fud. >> Watching a prosecutor parrot a bunny was a first for us, too. But an official
transcript of the cartoon had to be made. What do you know? No more bullets. And then Bugs Bunny says,"No more
bullets." As they're having this conversation, just as she went to fanfire the gun, he laid down and put
his own head right in front of them of the gun. So ridiculous. >> You know, and I know that strange things
do happen. >> Strange things happen. This wasn't one of them. He was asleep. She shot him in
the head twice. >> It was that simple. Open and shut. >> For me, it was. But it wasn't so simple
for the jury. Over two weeks, they heard three recordings of Linda telling authorities about cartoon rabbits and
cowboy fanfiring. They also heard days of testimony from dueling experts about whether Linda's explanation made any
sense at all. It was a lot for the jury to consider. It >> It was difficult. You know, for every
expert, there's another one who can tell you a different story. The defense questioned whether prosecution expert
witness Paul Delhau, >> she would have been getting jets of blood hitting her, >> was really an expert at all.
>> The jurors deliberated for a day, but could not reach a verdict. >> Very few of us thought the intent was
there. So, how do you convict somebody when it could have happened exactly the way she explained it?
>> With a deadlock jury, the judge had no choice. He had to declare a mistrial. So, you will be discharged on this case.
>> It sends a clear message that the jury was and willing to convict on murder. >> Were you disappointed?
>> I'm always disappointed when there's no verdict because that means I have to do
it again. >> And roughly one year later, with Linda having remained in jail, >> good morning everybody.
>> Villa was doing it again. This time his case will be very different. He laid down on the couch,
>> streamlined and simple. >> His wife came up to him, put a gun between 1 and seven in from his head,
and pulled the trigger. Some time went by, she pulled the trigger again. >> He says the Duffy's marriage was
strained, and she thought she might have to take care of her ailing husband. >> She's like, I'm not going to wait on
this guy for the rest of his life. This was a premeditated and deliberate murder. For his opening arguments,
defense attorney Joseph Lowe brings his own sofa to present this as a simple case.
>> No motive, >> no intent, [music] >> no crime. Pat was her best friend and she [music] was his. One of the things
they love to do is to watch cartoons together. They're kind of goofy. >> But there are many aspects to this trial
that are, if you will, offbeat. I know. One of you asked the clerk about how these cameras work. Well, they're only
on me. >> Judge John Turibio has a reputation for lightening the atmosphere for the jury.
>> I'm the star, so don't worry. >> But things quickly get serious >> when the DA takes them back to the
moment right after Linda Duffy shot her husband. >> My husband was going to go to shooting
anyway, so he had to do it again. I shot him. It's hard to make out some of the words because she just she can't even
talk. >> I thought that's what >> she sounds terrified and frantic to me. >> What does she sound like to you?
>> She sounds like someone who is acting. >> May I use the firearm to demonstrate?
>> Just aim it at the jury. Tracy Peek tells the jury, "Linda had to pull the trigger on this gun twice
to get two bullets to fire. >> If I do not release the trigger, the cylinder will not advance.
>> The big surprise in this trial is what prosecutor Bob Villa leaves out. >> I'd have peoples 1 through 35 be
admitted to the evidence and with that I rest." >> I arrested my case after basically 2 and
1/2 days. Unlike the first trial, there is very little dense forensic testimony about blood stains and most crucially,
>> your last name's Duffy. >> He does not introduce Linda's taped interviews with police where she first
discussed >> Bugs Bunny. >> Bugs Bunny. >> There was no need for Bugs Bunny. >> No need unless she took the stand. Villa
has thrown defense attorney Joseph Lowe a curveball since the defense isn't allowed to introduce the interrogations
unless the state does first. The only way jurors will hear Linda Duffy's side of the story is if she takes the stand
and exposes herself to crossexamination. >> Were you hoping she would take the stand?
>> Absolutely. >> Were you ready? >> Absolutely. Low begins his defense with a good offense. His first witness is the
detective who at first did not think Linda was a murder. >> When you're done asking your questions,
you allowed Mrs. Duffy to go home. >> Correct. >> Talking to her was very convincing to
me. She was eccentric and how could she harm anybody? So, you would not let somebody who you thought had just
committed a murder go back out on the street if you had the power of arrest. Isn't that correct, sir?
>> General sustained. >> That night, I liked her. >> As the investigation went on, I liked
her a lot less. >> Lo tries to paint a sympathetic picture of Linda. >> Sir, how you feeling right now? A
>> little nervous. >> By calling her sons Shawn and Thomas. >> She's a very emotional, caring person.
>> We were always really happy. They like cartoons a lot. They were always making
funny jokes to each other and always poke fun of each other and stuff. >> The defense has a very big decision to
make. Will Linda take the stand herself? >> And if she took the stand, we were going
to hear all about Bugs Bunny. >> Miss Guad, do you wish to testify? >> No, sir. Linda has decided not to take
the stand. So her lawyer worries the jury will hear nothing about fanfiring. And then he comes up with an idea.
>> So I'd like to refer to court and council page five of the 911 transcript. >> He finds a reference to it in the 911
tape prosecutors have already introduced. >> A long time ago, he showed me how to
pull the thing back on top of the gun and pull the trigger real fast. So low is allowed to call firearms expert Lance
Martini, who says fanfiring a double-action gun like Linda claims she did is not so far-fetched after all.
>> This can be done. It's not overly common, but it certainly can be done. >> Sir, is it humanly possible to shoot
more than one round in less than a second? Double action mode. >> Yes, it is. >> There's no way. Absolutely no way it
happened that way. This was an execution. These jurors never got to see any cartoons, but they did see one
animation produced by the prosecutor. It is no laughing matter. It attempts to answer a deadly serious question.
What happened to Patrick Duffy? >> He's asleep watching television. >> The video doesn't leave much to the
imagination. Although the defense in closing arguments says it and the rest of the state's case are all a fantasy.
>> She accidentally shot her husband. >> It ain't right. And it's not fair to guess somebody into a conviction. Guess
somebody into a concrete tomb. >> It all comes down to whether it's one word or two from the jury.
>> Correct. >> Guilty or not guilty. >> [music] >> Jury's present, council and defendant
are present, and you've reached a verdict or verdict. >> Yes. >> Would you please?
>> It's been a long road now nearly 7 years since Patrick Duffy died and one year
after a jury deadlocked in his wife's first murder trial. This time, the jury comes back in just over 24 hours. We the
jury the above entitled action find the defendant Linda Dorin Guads guilty of the crime of seconddegree murder of
Patrick Albert Duffy in violation of section 187. >> The guilty verdict floors Linda.
>> It hits her lawyer hard too. For his part is more relieved than anything else.
>> I'm pleased uh that I don't have to try it a third time. You saw her the way she
reacted? >> Yes. I've always thought she was an actress. So that was that was her moment.
>> Honestly, that's the first time I saw her really cry. >> Patrick Duffy's sister, Catherine, has
waited years for this day. >> She didn't get away with murdering my brother. >> When it comes time to sentence Linda
three months later, it's her last chance to address the court. and she speaks. >> I wanted to let all of you know
how grieved I feel most of all to Patrick and my beautiful son Shan and Thomas because you lost such a loving wonderful
father. >> Her sons try their best to ask for leniency. if there's anything you can do
to to help out with my family and that's all I can ask. Believe she's innocent and I will till the day I die.
>> Linda's second husband, Larry Guats, also appeals to the judge >> to assert that this was a premeditated
purposeful act. I'm sorry. It's unacceptable to me. >> Look at these two people beautifully in
love. Why? Because she's a wonderful human being who doesn't deserve this. >> But the judge doesn't have much leeway.
In this particular instance, the law mandates 40 to life. My oath requires that I impose that.
>> I was like, you did this to yourself. >> We found it curious that one jury could
not agree on a verdict at all and a second convicted Linda in a day. It is ironic, but in these two trials, it is
apparently true that in the case against Linda Duffy Guats, less is more. >> If I remember correctly,
>> we sat down with jurors from both trials to see why one jury quickly reached a
verdict. >> Andrew Dixon murder in the second. >> Danielle Wong, seconddegree murder,
>> while the other never did. >> Brandy Jones, not guilty. Pamela Enriquez, murder in the second.
>> Where's the gun? 1 to seven. >> Remember, the jury that convicted Linda only heard the bare bones prosecution.
>> Makes this impossible to happen the way she says >> very little about fanfiring or cartoons.
>> They heard a lot more than you heard. >> And we can only make the decision based
off of the evidence that we heard. The jurors from both trials, the ones who heard the long story and the ones who
heard it made short, sat around our table and pondered. >> While less maybe more,
>> is it enough? >> And you're putting a woman away for the rest of her life. So, present
everything. >> I I think I really have to agree with Brandy. Maybe all the evidence should be
presented. >> Did you know she gave an interview to the police? >> We >> would you have liked to? I I would have
loved to hear what she had to say. Um would that have changed my decision? Don't know. Possibly.
>> If you had heard everything, do you think it would have affected the deliberations?
>> Absolutely. >> And even though they made their decision, some of the jurors who
convicted Linda still have questions. >> Did it bother you that they never said exactly why she did it?
>> Um yeah, it did. >> How'd you get over that? I'm not over it. I still want to know.
>> When I heard the guilty verdict, I said, "Yay! Justice is finally served." >> Julie Prrenerg has no doubt the second
jury did the right thing by finding her former friend guilty. And she wonders how Linda's life, which
was once so happy, became so tragic. >> I'm sad for everyone involved. Those two
boys lost their father and now they're losing their mother. It's a tragic story in every way you can think about it.
>> I can only describe it as evil, something horrible. >> From 48 hours, this is trained to kill
the dog trainer, the ays, and the [music] bodyguard. >> He couldn't control his obsession.
>> Who was the hunter and who was the hunted? Follow and listen on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your
podcasts.

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Brief Summary

Linda Duffy Guats shot her husband, claiming it was an accident; she was later convicted of second-degree murder after inconsistencies emerged.

Key points

The Duffy Case: A Tragic Accident?. Linda Duffy shot her husband, claiming it was an accident, but detectives suspect otherwise.
The Long Wait for Justice. Years pass before the district attorney decides to file charges against Linda.
Linda Duffy's Trial Begins. Linda Duffy faces trial for the murder of her husband, Patrick Duffy, after years of investigation. "Tuesday, her freedom came to an end."
Guilty Verdict. After a long trial, the jury finds Linda Duffy guilty of second-degree murder. "The guilty verdict floors Linda."
Ramon's New Life. After his first marriage ended, Ramon pursued his passion for boxing and opened a gym.
A Dark Turn. Ramon learns of Lulu's intentions to harm him, prompting a police investigation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

No, it's not your fault.

11:43WatchNov 8, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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